During times of economic difficulty it isn’t unnatural for companies to tighten the belt. Lay off workers, cut salaries, reduce work weeks, there are many options for ailing companies. Recently I have been reading (and hearing) stories of companies who continue to perform very well, but are still making drastic cuts in overtime, salaries, and bonuses.
I spoke to someone the other day who was talking about how their employer was cutting all overtime and bonuses while the company continued to post excellent numbers. The overall sentiment at her office was that the owners had lost portions of personal money and are simply reacting to it by improving profits at the cost of their employee benefits.
I have always been a believer in the idea that “if you take care of your employees, they will take care of you”. During and after the 2008 presidential elections, small and medium business owners were constantly discussed as one of the most important groups of people in America.
However, small business owners have a tremendous amount of freedom when it comes to how they handle their businesses. Most of the time, that’s a good thing. Considering a good amount of successful small business owners provide their employees good health care, bonuses and incentives. On the other hand, that could be a bad thing.
Back when I entertained the idea of being a business major my financial accounting professor stressed the importance of a business owners obligation to keep their personal finances separate from their business’.
I am sure Neitzche would scold me for my “slave moralist” view, or Limbaugh would call me a socialist, but I think my point is reasonable. Whether you like it or not, a business may legally belong to one person, but in a way it belongs to everyone who works for it. These people feed and support themselves and their families with what they earn there. All the accomplishments and accolades are earned as a whole.
In times like these most people tend to huddle together. Some would rather see a 10% cut in salaries rather than watching a few esteemed co-workers walk away. Greed was what got us in to this mess in the first place, and people realize that.
We can’t afford to see hard working employees get cut due to the misfortunes of a few. If you lost money because of a few investments that went south, that is unfortunate. But don’t make your employees feel it as well.
Sorry, I couldn’t think of a better title for this post.
Anyway, I am not really surprised Apple has chosen WWDC to not only be their main gig, in terms of iPhone announcements and development details. I think the iPhone has sort of surpassed the “MacWorld Expos” and the “Apple Town Hall” type announcements. The iPhone itself has become a development platform on it’s own, running a mobilized version of OS X. Since its debut, the iPhone has evolved slowly as Apple released it grip gradually and started letting developers in. Proof positive that whenever you let developers in, things turn out pretty awesome. With the World Wide Developers Conference on the horizon, we have a lot to look forward, in both hardware and software.
Software-wise we are looking at the new iPhone 3.0 update. It’s been in beta since earlier this year and already we are expecting a lot of updates that bring it up to par with what the Palm Pre will be offering when it’s released from June 5-7 (according to the New York Times). MMS, a full phone search feature, cut & paste, are just a few features in the massive update. The update will also allow for features such as turn-by-turn navigation (along with some hardware help, we’ll get in to that later) and much more. Lastly, this update will activate the long awaited Push Notification Service that Apple has kept locked up for quite sometime.In fact the notification server is now also in beta testing today along with a new Associated Press app. I guess they were too scared to test it with a Twitter app, we would no doubt be having more “fail whales” than normal.
Critics, myself included, argue that this update is a long time coming. That this is an example of Apple’s stubbornness to satisfy its loyal consumer base and that nothing happens unless Apple absolutely HAS to do it. I have said numerous times on this site that I love phones like the Palm Pre, because it reminds Apple that they are not invincible. Either way, change is coming to the iPhone…sooner or later it always does and it always will. I have always said that features such as MMS and copy & paste WILL come, it’s only a matter of time and motivation.
On the hardware front we have…umm, rumors. New camera with on phone editing capabilities that will shoot video? Better processor and larger memory and storage space? Probably. A lot of rumors are swirling around. However, I am fairly certain that Apple will release some new hardware to go along with 3.0. Don’t be surprised if it’s awesome too. Given the way things are going in terms of screen technology, we might see some OLED action with our new iPhones. Who knows?
WWDC will be on June 8th and the keynote address will be on the same day, given by Phil Schiller.
Looks like AIG is up to it’s usual tricks again. This time paying out large bonuses to executives with bailout money. Here is a quick excerpt from CNN Money:
Anger over $165 million in bonuses doled out to American International Group senior employees reached a fevered pitch on Monday, prompting the Obama administration to vow to recoup the money and a New York prosecutor to subpoena the firm for recipients’ names.
President Obama said Monday that he has asked Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner to use the government’s role as a majority owner of the troubled insurance company and “every legal avenue” to stop the bonuses.
“It’s hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses,” Obama said.
So AIG doles out $165 million of OUR money and now what? AIG has been a black hole for tax dollars since the bailout began. Too much money in, not enough transparency, and not enough accountability. While these guys are paying out bonuses, the company itself is continuing to hemorrhage money and no one can seem to close the wound.
Barack Obama needs to come down hard on this. This is the type of corporate bullshit that cannot be tolerated during these times. AIG states that these are existing contracts that they must honor in order to stave off legal battles and maintain their reputation, however we all know that too is bullshit. GM union workers were forced to renegotiate their contracts during this time, and frankly AIG shouldn’t be any different.
Sadly, we are majority shareholders AIG and President Obama and Tim Geithner are our representatives on the board so to speak. Find these bonuses, stop them from happening again and make sure that this money is returned back to the company.
UPDATE: In between my moments of sleep this morning, CNN reported that most of the people who given the bonuses left the company shortly there after. People infuriate me sometimes.
Apple has announced (in it’s usual cryptic manner) that it will be demonstrating iPhone 3.0 and the new SDK on March 17. Now, what may be included in this update? At this point who the hell knows? However what I do know is that with the Palm Pre on the horizon, Apple is going to have to make a few changes in order to stay competitive.
First of all, Apple needs to add an MMS application in some way. Be it a new, separate application, or simply just allowing the SMS app to receive pictures and video, something has to be done. Steve Jobs has been quoted as saying that MMS is on it’s way out and email is the next thing, but I don’t think thats the case.
MMS may be on it’s way out, but not anytime soon. A lot of people use MMS (because they don’t have email on their phone) and it’s something very cool and very useful. Steve (or Tim) should grant iPhone users MMS and then sit and wait until it goes away on it’s own. Not force people who use and enjoy MMS to sacrifice it. I am sick of that stupid viewmymessage.com bullshit. Not that I can copy and paste the login and password anyway right?
Copy and Paste would be a very welcome addition to iPhone 3.0. This is seeming as a very likely addition for the simple reason that during the Palm Pre debut at CES, presenters made it very clear that the Pre was able to do this while the iPhone did not. Not having copy and paste on the iPhone is like not having a steering wheel in a Ferrari. Apple wants this phone to be the end all be all Blackberry killer but without a functioning copy and paste solution, I doubt it will. People who use their iPhones to run their day-to-day lives, like I do, we need copy and paste.
Another thing that Apple seems to constantly resist for no reason is video recording. If my old, $60 Motorola RAZR can record video, then my $299 iPhone should be able to as well. In fact, my RAZR has MMS, copy & paste, and video recording when my iPhone didn’t. Frankly, that is unacceptable. The camera has the capability, so come on Apple, flip the switch on the video.
The “iPhone 3.0″ event is scheduled for March 17 at 10 AM Pacific (1 PM Eastern). I’ll be back on here with the post game.
You know, I think Joe Biden is a cool dude. And if you don’t like Joe Biden well you can go sit on a tack. But like most people, Joe Biden has his faults. One of Joe Biden’s major fault is the fact that he has more friends in the RIAA and the BSA than a pro net neutrality guy like myself would want. Sadly, his scumbag friends are now full fledged scumbag government employees.
According to CNET, President Obama, Mr. Net Neutrality himself, is filling the Department of Justice with the RIAA’s best and brightest. The DOJ’s latest acquisition is Associate Deputy Attorney General Donald Verilli. His list of legal douchebagery includes shutting down Grokster, filing a lawsuit against Google and YouTube on behalf of Viacom, and suing a woman by the name of Jammie Thomas, who was accused of sharing 24 songs on KaZaA to the tune of $220,000. Yep that’s right, for 24 songs. Fortunately the judge threw out the verdict based on misleading jury instructions given by the RIAA. The RIAA I believe is still in the process of appealing the decision.
Gizmodo(one of my favorite tech blogs, props to you guys) sums up the rest of the new appointments quite nicely:
This follows up the naming of Tom Perrelli, from the Perrelli Family, as associate attorney general, the third-in-command post at the DoJ. Perrelli was and probably still is the favorite lawyer of the RIAA, suing people and companies left, right, and center in the name of the recording gang. He will be in charge of the DoJ’s civil, antitrust, and civil rights division.
But don’t go away, because there’s more. Who is the deputy attorney general, the second in command at the DoJ, do you ask? Mr. David Ogden, who-according to his previous job’s biography-represents “media and Internet industries, as well as major trade and professional associations.” He also as “part of the department who successfully defended the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act before the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Not enough? Don’t worry, because the VP has otherfriends in other places. Take Neil MacBride, another associate deputy attorney general, who previously was an aide to Biden himself. MacBride was the king of the legal hill at the Business Software Association. As the BSA’s antipiracy enforcer and general counsel, MacBride oversaw the creation of the program that rewarded people for phoning tips about suspected software piracy.
Honestly, all that net neutrality, “I love the Internet”, “come check out my Facebook” bullshit Barack Obama fed us during the election is very much going out the window with these sharks on the government payroll. Obama was notorious for proposing less restrictions for Internet and less power for the RIAA during the election. As soon as he mentioned that the joyfest in the tech community was heard far and wide. But with Joe Biden came a strong foothold for the likes of the RIAA to use to propagate their bogus agenda.
Take the RIAA’s case against Jaimme Thomas. Is $220,000 fair for sharing 24 songs on a P2P network? Do you think in times of economic strife it’s important for an organization such as the RIAA to start coming after individual citizens for large sums of money on the basis that quite possibly, MAYBE, someone could have downloaded one of those 24 songs? Her case for appeal was central on jury instruction No. 15, “which told jurors that she could be found guilty even if it couldn’t be proven that anyone actually downloaded the tracks she was sharing.”
Am I surprised? Hardly. I know how politics works, and regardless of the administration, the political party, or the person in charge, the RIAA will lobby, and make campaign contributions and buy politicians left and right. Barack Obama, sadly, is no different.
A couple of years ago, my Treo 650 and I were best friends. The Treo was a nice phone, reliable, good looking, great third party app developer base, and best of all I had Drug Wars on it. But one day I switched over to the Blackberry and never looked back. Since then Palm has been slumping big time. They have been pushing odd looking phones with a very dated OS. Since then Palm’s stock has been tanking, and people have been jumping ship to RIM or Apple in search of their Smart Phone needs. Palm event went as far as to smack on Windows Mobile to a few of their devices, but I guess that didn’t take. Cell phone makers like HTC quickly stole Palm’s thunder on that front, leaving Palm trapped in limbo, and the company’s fate in question. Well that might not be the case any more.
Yesterday at the Consumer Electronics Show, Palm announced the new Palm Pre, a brand new form factor and most importantly, a brand new OS. The new Palm Pre OS, from what I can see in the demo videos ( I wish I were at CES) looks amazingly quick. The phone is equiped with a touch screen and a gesture pad by the click wheel so it is intuative to use. The best part of the whole thing is that it’s OS is basically a Linux core with WebKit. Meaning that any web developer who knows HTML, CSS or Java can basically write apps for this. Palm is promising an App Store and an SDK soon.
I guess I wasn’t expecting much, which is why I am so wowed by this phone. But I seriously think that if any phone out there can be worthy adversary for the iPhone, it’s the Palm Pre. I can’t wait to play with one of these and see what it’s really like. Right now Sprint is Palm’s exclusive launch partner for the Palm Pre, but hopefully it will be making its way over to GSM carriers (T-Mobile get on this asap) very soon. Head over to Engadget for all things Palm Pre. Pay particular attention to the video demos and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
And by jail I mean JAIL jail not house arrest in his two story Manhattan penthouse jail.
Bernie Madoff is a massive crook. The Madoff Ponzi scheme now holds the title of “biggest investor fraud case perpetrated by a single person” which is nothing to sneeze at considering he solidly wiped out $50 Billion in people’s hard earned cash. Last night on Mad Money, Jim Cramer had on advertising bad ass Donny Deutsche, who summed this entire situation up very well.
He called Madoff a “serial killer”, and the fact that he was not in jail yet was “an abomination”. Deustche cited a personal example of the parents of some close friends of his who lost all of their money in the scheme (close to $4 million). I agree with Donny 100%, Bernie Madoff IS a serial killer, and his victim isn’t so much the people he took money from. His main victim, the loss everyone has to mourn is the fact that now people are scared to invest. They are scared to buy and put their money out there because WOLVES like Bernie Madoff lurk in the shadows.
I think Obama has the right idea in putting financial crimes management under jurisdiction of the Justice Department. But he, and Eric Holder need to go further. People like Bernie Madoff need to pay, they need to be brought to justice. Bernie Madoff has ruined lives and torched accumulated wealth of people who have legitimately worked hard for their money and who are now left with nothing. At a time when consumer confidence is low, the Obama administration needs to make their stand clear and drop the hammer on crimes like these. If you have to bring back the RICO laws like Jim Cramer wants to then do it. Right now Obama and his administration needs to take a stand against financial killers like Bernie Madoff. These crimes will no longer carry lenient sentences in white collar prison resorts, they will be punished severely.
Just finished browsing Engadget’s live blog of Apple’s final Macworld keynote, it was the best nap of my life.
Phil “The Schill” Schiller was manning the engine room on this one, as Steve was on the sidelines for reasons I am sure you have read everywhere. Schiller first introduced a much expected new version of iLife ‘09, that adds facial recognition and geotagging to iPhoto, along with compatibility with Facebook and Flickr. iMovie gets a few new tricks up it’s sleeve as well. The new iMovie will have image stabilization, for those shaky camera shots, and visual effects (similar to Photobooth) just to name a few. Garageband ‘09 has a new feature called “artistic lessons” where for $4.99 you get a lesson on how to play an instrument from the people who play them best. Frankly I am a little surprised Sting decided to play the guitar instead of the lute. I don’t really care for this feature but hey, it seems pretty cool and maybe someone out there will love it.
Next up is the new version of iWork, which adds a lot of features to Keynote and Pages. I do like how they have a new Remote app for the iPhone/iPod Touch that will allow you to control a keynote presentation from your handheld. But other than that all the new updates to iWork were boringminor. Apple announced a beta of iWork.com, a sort of Google Docs killer. It will be in beta for a while but be a paid service later on…something Google Docs is not. And if it’s anything like MobileMe get ready for some crazy bugs and crashes.
Shortly after the nap inducing lecture and demo of the new iWork and iLife, The Schill brought us the only hardware offering of the day, the very much expected new 17″ Macbook Pro. This thing is a beast. Check out the specs on the Apple website but make sure you have something to collect the drool. The reason I am not listing the specs here is because I forgot them, and I want to prove a point. The reason I don’t remember it is because my mind was too distracted by all the attention given to the battery. Schiller went in to excruciating detail about how great this battery is, to the point where I really almost hated the battery.
One more thing…
I hate DRM. So when I saw that not only iTunes would be 100% DRM free (8,000,000 songs now, another 2,000,000 by the end of the quarter) but that it would be slashing prices to $0.69 per song, I was amazed. Take that Amazon MP3! This is a major step in the right direction for Apple and iTunes. Being DRM free and competitively priced will definitely keep iTunes at the #1 music retailer spot for a while.
So in the end we didn’t get the iPhone nano, nor the new Mac Mini, nor the nine inch wide iPod Touch. But I guess beggars can’t be choosers. Maybe Steve is saving the good stuff for WWDC?
With the recent announcement that Apple will withdraw from MacWorld Expo after this year, and the fact that Senior VP of Product Marketing Phil Schiller will be giving the final keynote instead of Steve Jobs, all signs are pointing to something I have thought to be true for a long time, that Apple’s fearless leader is not doing so well.
According to Gizmodo, a [very credible] source is claiming that Apple is withholding the real reason for their withdrawal from the MacWorld Expo. Originally they cited that they prefer to do in house product releases, such as the “Let’s Rock!” event or the Macbook/Macbook Pro announcement held at Cupertino, because they didn’t need the event anymore. According to the source
Steve’s health is rapidly declining. Apple is choosing to remove the hype factor strategically vs letting the hype destroy apple when the inevitable news comes later this spring.
This strategic loss will be less of a bang with investors. This is why MacWorld is a no-go anymore. No more Steve means no more hype. Saying they are no longer needing [MacWorld] is the cover designed by the worldwide “loyalty”
Normally I don’t comment on rumors too much, especially when it’s in regards to Apple, who is better at misinformation than the CIA. But this time around I am more inclined to believe this. Frankly with Steve’s fading physical appearance and sudden weight-loss, the writing has been on the wall for a long time.
Some feel that this is Apple deliberately misinforming the public and in particular the investors. Steve has been very clear that his health is his business and no one else’s. Frankly, shortly after his bout with pancreatic cancer, for which he underwent the Whipple procedure to attempt to correct, I knew that this would be the eventual outcome. Steve’s health has been the center of debate amongst the community for some time now, and frankly the doubt amongst loyalists and investors is evidence enough that there is something going on behind Apple’s iron curtain.
Does this spell doom for the company that Steve Jobs built? I don’t think so. Steve Jobs may be the fearless leader of Apple, but in the end, Apple has become more than just Steve Jobs. I know that if/when the time comes that Steve will no longer be able to serve as Apple’s CEO, Apple has someone in mind who will continue to push the envelope, continue to drive Apple in the way Steve has done (and that man I hope is Tim Cook).
What makes this so troubling is not regards to the future of Apple, because that is secure, but in regards to the man himself. I always get excited for keynotes because I know something awesome (or mildly cool) will be released. And in the four years or so that I have been following Apple, I have grown a sort of admiration and respect for Steve Jobs. It’ll be sad to see him go, and it will be even sadder to see him really go, but I am not worried that Apple’s mojo will go with him.
I have been having problems recently with my cell phone, and I have been calling tech support on and off for a couple of months now. I have learned a lot on how to deal with these people, and I want to share it with you so that you aren’t taken advantage of by your cell phone provider. Unfortunately, cell phone companies in the United States are not like Europe, and are heavy on the contracts and run arounds. Off the bat, I want to make a note that in my personal examples I am using AT&T as my example, because it’s the one I am using and the one I had the experience with. However I am sure this will apply to any carrier anywhere.
The problem with most cell phone companies is that when it comes to giving you something, outside your normal contract (and they do love their contracts) it becomes a bit of a hassle, mainly for you. Effectively you have entered a sort of contractual gray area. Where the contract doesn’t stipulate anything about replacement in writing (other than the usual refurbished replacement nonsense), but at the same time they do want to keep you as a customer. In my case I wanted another phone (a Blackberry Bold), for the advertised price of $299.99, because my iPhone 3G kept breaking every couple of weeks (four replacement units in two months). In the end, remember that cellphone companies are WELL within their power to do basically anything that isn’t completely unreasonable or illogical. If you have a genuine problem they will eventually provide you with a solution that keeps you happy, but it’s going to take a lot of time (2 hours and 4 people later), patience, and persistence.
First of all, be nice. Don’t get angry but communicate frustration, and don’t tell them to eat shit and die or anything like that. In the end, these people have to deal with jerks and loud mouths all day. Someone with a calm voice having a nice rational conversation will be a breath of fresh air to them. Hence they will be more likely to accommodate you. Have patience, cause this will take you a while, and you will have to explain your entire story a few times. But above all, make yourself a little promise that you will not hang up until you’re happy. Always remind them that you are a great customer and you love the company and the service (kiss a little ass basically) but are completely open to the idea of leaving to their direct competitor, in this case Verizon.
The usual plan of attack for customer relations reps is not to tell you anything of benefit to you unless you actually figure it out first. In my case the woman wanted to SELL me another phone to replace my defective iPhone at full price. This is their launching point, as if to test whether paying $600 for a cell phone sounds acceptable to you. It obviously wasn’t, So I quickly reminded her that not only do I pay about $400 a month (family plan) but that for $600 dollars I could pay to cancel my contract with them, buy a Blackberry Storm with Verizon, and still have some cash left over.
“One second please, let me talk to my manager.”
The best nine words you can ever hear from a AT&T tool customer care representative. The manager is the corner stone of this entire enterprise. This person has the power that the person on the phone lacks. In fact ask to speak to them, as they are more likely to give you want, because they have the ability to do so. When the manager comes in to play this means that you have beat them using nothing but logic, reason, and a bluff to take your business elsewhere. At this point expect to get the standard, new customer price on the phone you want, with all the applicable rebates attached. However, just because you have broken them, doesn’t mean that we are done. This will come with a standard run around. The lady on the phone told me the device was out of stock, but I called back and the other said the phone was IN stock but that a manager needed to approve it, of which none were available. The THIRD time the lady not only shipped the phone, and got it approved, but credited me $250 for my iPhone (and let me keep it) and waved a $75 fee.
Remember that these things are always hit or miss. Sometimes you’ll get a human being with…you know, a soul. Other times you will get the incarnation of Satan himself. Providers will always try to help you as little as possible, so it is up to you to be respectful yet firm and demanding. In the end they will either do what you want, or watch you leave to a competitor. Be calm, patient and firm. Like my friend Janette told an AT&T rep once, “By the end of this conversation you are going to do what I tell you…so lets save each other some time.” And that is EXACTLY what the outcome will be. In the end, your carrier will do what you want, you just need to fight for it, because they aren’t just going to give it to you. Feel free to leave your tech support, customer service horror stories below.
Here is the story over at TUAW, the best Apple Blog on the internet right now.
The 2009 Macworld Expo will be Apple’s last, as it does not plan to appearing, nor giving a famed keynote address again after that. At it’s last expo, Senior VP of Marketing Phil Schiller will be giving the keynote address. Some people are saying Apple will be dropping its successor to the Mac Mini, others go so far as to say a new iPhone Nano (seriously?) but that is not the point of this post.
What is going on inside Apple right now? I know Apple, lately has been toning down it’s presence at large trade shows, opting for smaller, media only product unveilings at the “Town Hall” on the Cupertino campus, but Macworld? We’ve had such great product unveilings at Macworld. The iMac & the PowerBook G3 in 1998, Safari in 2003, and just recently the MacBook Air in 2008 (my personal blogging weapon of choice). Truly a sad day for the Apple fanboy…but even THAT is not the point of this post.
What puzzles me the most is that Phil Schiller, the marketing bad ass that runs Apple’s ad campaigns and worldwide product marketing will be giving the keynote this year. If thats the case what is Steve up to? Lately, as with each passing of a product unveiling event, I have noticed more and more that Steve is starting to include more people in his keynotes. People like COO Tim Cook, and Senior VP of iPhone Scott Forstal who have each had their own segments of each event.
It seems to me that we are slowly approaching the end of an era at Apple. The era of Jobs. I think Steve is slowly preparing us for the inevitable day where he would have to turn the reigns over of the best companies over to someone else. Steve seems to be going out of his way to show that Apple is more than just Steve Jobs. That it’s a coming together of many great minds and that in the end, Steve is not the only creative genius over at Cupertino.
I don’t think this has anything to do with the recent rumors of Steve’s declining health, because I believe he isn’t dying (nor is he dead for that matter). But I do think that Steve, much like Batman, doesn’t want to do this forever. Being CEO of Pixar, his true joy, I think he is preparing Apple for a transition of power, wanting to move on to other things. But unfortunately, being such a central figure to Apple’s culture, almost mascot like in a way, the transition must be slow. Most importantly one that calms of the fears of investors and fanboys a like. I guess only time will tell, in the mean time, Google Tim Cook, I think the man has the chops to run Apple in true Jobsonian fashion. Peace Out.
I have been an Apple user for a little over three years now, and will continue to be an Apple user till my unavoidable end. Apple has always made great, reliable hardware that pushes the envelope in terms of technology and innovation. And for that reason, coupled with my admiration for the company itself I choose Apple. But lately after a few blogs on the matter I, along with other iPhone users still feel a bit left out in the cold.
Since the introduction of the first generation iPhone, Apple has made it clear that it values customer feedback and looks to continue to develop the iPhone around the specific demands of iPhone users. We all begged for GPS functionality and compatibility with a 3G network, and we got it…reluctantly. We asked for third party applications, and we got that too…sort of. In exchange for third party apps we got a closed distribution system with various flaming hoops to jump through before you get your app out there. But hey, I’m not complaining.
What I am complaining about is Apple’s cryptic responses to the addition of some basic features to the iPhone, namely copy & paste and MMS messaging. With each software update, we tend to gasp slightly hoping that when our iPhones boot up again we will have some innovative, multi-touchy way of being able to copy and paste text. Or the ability to send and receive MMS messages without having to log on to that stupid AT&T website with the generated login and password. But alas, as each update passes, we are left high and dry.
As I sit at my local coffee shop (not Starbucks) I see all these Blackberry and WinMo users copy and pasting the night away. When I argue with a Blackberry user about how much better my iPhone is, the question “ah but can you copy & paste?” is the final death blow. The iPhone is like the Death Star, everything is perfect except for that poorly design exhaust port that leads directly to the main reactor. When will Apple finally concede and give us copy & paste?
So far it feels like never. Apple has made it clear that copy & paste and MMS is not their main concern. I know it has nothing to do with the fact that they can’t figure out how to do it. I mean…it’s Apple. They designed a touchscreen phone that changed the world forever, they can’t figure out how to do copy & paste? Or for that matter shoot us an MMS app on our iPhone?
I guess with all of these shortcomings, and the fact that the new Push Notification Server is officially MIA, seeing as though it’s September 2008 release date has come and gone, and gone some more, Apple seems to be dropping the ball a bit. Look, don’t get me wrong, I knew how Apple is, and how Apple lives by this idea that the customer is dumb and we must tell them what to love, but I was hoping that by now, December 2008, we would have some sort of definitive response to our pleas.
With that being said I have made a deadline. If in one year, Apple has not given the people what they want, what they ask for constantly, I will go out and buy a Blackberry Bold (or whatever ridiculous name they have for the next model). I love my iPhone, but I don’t love that my iPhone can’t do what a RAZR can. And the reason I am not at an AT&T store buying a Blackberry Bold now is because of my loyalty to Apple, my curiousity as to what will be in store for the iPhone in 2009, and my current lack of funds. This isn’t a declaration, this isn’t a threat, this is a plea. Please Apple, help a fellow nerd out and show us some update love.
Congress has basically abandoned any chance of bailing out rescuing GM and Chrysler, who are both teetering on the brink of full on bankruptcy. This after Republican party members have, yet again, decided to vote down a plan to ensure that 1.2 million people don’t lose their jobs, and that our economy will continue to spiral downward towards it’s ultimate end. I can’t help but feel a little deja vous, like if some how we have gone through this before.
Republicans axed this proposition because they feel that the plan agreed upon by the Democrats and The White House won’t work.
The Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said: “We have had before us this whole question of the viability of the American automobile manufacturers. None of us want to see them go down, but very few of us had anything to do with the dilemma that they have created for themselves.”
Mr. McConnell added: “The administration negotiated in good faith with the Democratic majority a proposal that was simply unacceptable to the vast majority of our side because we thought it frankly wouldn’t work.” [NY Times]
Overall the Republicans feel that GM and Chrysler (Ford can stand on it’s own…for now) are victims to the high wages and benefits of the UAW, and feel like they should be paid according to what the japanese automakers pay their workers in their U.S. factories. I read somewhere that it would be something like a $3 dollar difference, where UAW works make on average about $29 per hour as opposed to $26. This would save about $800 million dollars a year on top of eliminating lucrative benefits, pensions, and severance packages.
Where I would agree, that yes, UAW do make a bit more than others, we can’t deny the fact that these people are still employees. They still have families they need to support, mortgages they need to pay, and kids they need to put through college. I cannot stress enough of what a bankrupt Chrysler or GM would do to our economy on life support. A sudden loss of 1.2 million jobs would hit this economy very hard. Not to mention businesses that provide these companies with capital goods would also suffer greatly and in some cases even go bankrupt themselves.
So far this bailout has been one big, toxic mess. Companies like AIG, who is about as transparent as a brick wall when it comes to how it’s using it’s bailout funds, are perfect examples. But this time around, we are not bailing out banks, we are bailing out institutions that form part of the backbone of this economy. Managerial irresponsibility is not a good enough reason to let these companies go bankrupt. The cost of bankrupt GM or Chrysler (or both) would far exceed whatever amount Congress was considering. Do they need to restructure and make products that are innovative and meet demand? Yes. Do they need to renegotiate lower contracts, or eliminate unionization all together and structure themselves similar to Japanese automakers in the US? Sure. But they need the money NOW so that next year there will be a company left to restructure.
Wow, he finally did it. Jerry Yang has finally decided to step down as CEO of Yahoo. Maybe it’s because he couldn’t take the stress anymore. I am sure his working environment wasn’t very plesant anymore. His employees who probably had a nice chunk of Yahoo in their 401Ks certainly can’t be pleased.
They probably don’t talk to him. They probably laugh at him when he is not looking, and when he asks “What are you laughing at?” they reply with more laughter. He sits in his office to find his stapler in Jell-O, then turns on the TV to find that he is the highest ranking member of the Mad Money Wall of Shame. Here is his official statement, courtesy of Kara Swisher over at All Things Digital (one of my favorite sites):
To: all yahoos
Fr: Jerry
Subject: update
yahoos -
i wanted to address all of you on the news we’ve just announced. the board of directors and I have agreed to initiate a succession process for the ceo role of yahoo!. roy bostock, our chairman of the board, is leading the effort to identify and assess potential candidates for consideration by the full board. the board will be evaluating and considering both internal and external candidates and has retained heidrick and struggles to help in this effort.
i will be participating in the search for my successor, and i will continue as ceo until the board selects a new ceo. once a successor is named, i will return to my previous role as chief yahoo and continue to serve as a director on the board.
last june, i accepted the board’s request that i assume the ceo role to restructure and reposition the company as a whole in order to more effectively meet the fast-changing needs of both users and partners. since taking on the ceo role, i have had an ongoing dialogue with the board about succession timing. thanks in large measure to your tireless efforts, we have created a more open, competitive yahoo! and we believe the time is now right to transition to a new ceo who can take the company to the next level.
despite the external environment we face, the fact remains that yahoo! is now a significantly different company that is stronger in many ways than it was just 18 months ago. this only makes it all the more essential that we manage this opportunity to leverage the progress up to this point as effectively as possible. i strongly believe that having transformed our platform and better aligned costs and revenues, we have a unique window for the right ceo to take ownership over the next wave of mission-critical decisions facing the company.
all of you know that I have always, and will always bleed purple. i will always do what I think is right for this great company. while this step will be an adjustment for all of us, i know it’s the right one. i look forward to updating you on this process as soon as the board has developments to share, and will continue to do everything i can to make yahoo! fulfill its full potential.
thank you,
jerry
Jerry, I know you are a nice guy and all, and believe me it’s nothing personal. I hope you take your awesome severance package and find something you enjoy to do. Peace Out Jerry.
I am sitting here today, browsing the NY Times, reading article after article about the auto industry each with it’s own opinion. Some are for saving it, some for allowing it to fall. But I just can’t seem to pick a side on this. It’s rough…
On one hand we have three massive companies, Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. These companies have been poorly operated for a VERY long time now. They have been in bed with the oil companies for so long, producing products that don’t meet demand, that are harmful for the environment, and extremely dependant on foreign oil. Look, I go blue in the face saying how awesome that new Dodge Challenger is, but I sure as hell wouldn’t buy one. Especially not at a time when gas prices can go from $2.20 to $4.60 on a whim. The big three have always regarded green vehicles as something of an afterthought. Sure the Chevy Volt is very nice, but at this point, it’s too little too late.
The government has already bailed out these companies over and over again. Providing that very low interest loans and orders for government vehicles. Even this this cash flow, these companies have not restructured, have not focused on research for new technologies, and have not analyzed their manufacturing habits. All this while the workers continue to take wage cuts while CEOs continue to make their lucrative salaries. At what point can we say “enough is enough, you are on your own.”
On the other hand, the collapse of any (or all) of the big three would hit the economy harder, or as hard as the collapse of “too big to fall” Lehman Brothers. Experts believe that if the government had bailed out Lehman Brothers that DOW would be above 10,000. But that’s neither here not there. A collapse of any of these companies would result in a catastrophic economic situation. Close to 1.2 million hard working employees would lose their jobs, in towns where those are the only types of jobs available. Local economies revolving around factories would suffer as well. The government would have to pay out anyway, guaranteeing pension plans and such.
So where as most articles out there are screaming for a bailout, or screaming for a downfall, mine is different. I am screaming for a sound, informed, decision. If it is best for this country to let these fixtures of our nation, these historical companies that have been the backbone of our economy for so long fall then so be it. If it is better to rescue them, despite their errors, and despite their problems, then sign the check and mail it out Monday morning.
No. Should we give it to them despite that? Sure, why the hell not. This bailout, as slippery of a slope as it is, is very much a necessary evil at this point. Where the housing and banking crisis had guilty parties on both sides, the auto industry has only itself to blame.
GM, Chrysler, and Ford have been plagued by many problems. These companies have been managed extremely poorly. They have held to this notion of the “invincibility” of the American auto industry for so long, completely ignoring the writing on the wall. This wasn’t a sudden event, there was nothing catching them by surprise here. This was poor planning, poor management, and poor spending at it’s most apparent.
Another problem is the American auto industry’s failure to realize the fairly obvious environmental movement, and the sudden rise in oil prices. The “Big Three” rode the profitable wave of demand for large, gas guzzling SUV’s for way too long. I think some one did see this coming, but was hog tied and gagged so as to not spoil the fun. When you dedicate your production to a product that runs counter to demand, and is dependent on the price of oil, then you are eventually going to have a problem.
Finally I think the American auto industry has been a bit half assed in the design and development department. Having recently been car shopping (and settling on a 2009 Honda Accord Coupe), I think American cars have this very simplistic design that doesn’t appeal to too many people. I do think they are trying to change that, especially with new, eco-friendly vehicles like the Chevy Volt, and the sheer bad asses of the Cadillac CTS-V and the Dodge Challenger. But it might be too little, too late.
In the end, the “Big Three” car makers are guilty of supreme negligence and poor business sense. However, letting these companies fall would be even more negligent on the part of the U.S. Government. These companies are the manufacturing back bone of this nation. A collapse of any of these could deal a major blow to the economy. Give them their $25 Billion, but make sure it comes with a swift kick in the ass and a couple of new CEOs.
You know I was sitting around today using my iPhone to send out a couple of quick emails and I got to thinking. We love Apple for giving us the iPhone, but do they love us back for using it? I mean, I loved my Blackberry Curve. It was sleek, cool, and very reliable. It did everything I needed it to, a fit just right in my pocket. But my love for Apple made me switch to the iPhone, that and well the phone is so cool.
But what is the price of the iPhone? Well there’s two different prices, the first is the financial price. My AT&T monthly statement looks something like this…
900 Anytime Minutes w/ Rollover…$69.99
Unlimited iPhone Data Plan…$29.99 (increased $5 for 3G)
Unlimited Text Messages…$19.99
Total (with all applicable taxes): about $115 per month
But then there’s the practical price. The 3G iPhone is a great, innovating piece of technology. But for a person who constantly lives on his phone, the battery performance is not what it should be (or what it was). In the few iPhones I have had, I have noticed a major overheating problem with the unit, where it would run really hot after a couple of texts. But to me, those are very minor.
The major problem is that I, we, are all at the mercy of Apple’s whims to get what we want. We all giddily await a software update, hoping that secretly we have something in there that we actually want. We cry out for MMS, but Apple thinks that it is archaic. Ok…I can live with that. But we cry out for copy & paste, a feature that is not only found on Blackberry, but on even the simplest RAZR, and Apple says that “it’s not a priority”. What?
Recently Apple has seeded iPhone 2.2 to beta testers and developers. According to Gizmodo, here is what it will have:
Walking directions, public transport information, Street View, & share location for the Google Maps App
Line-In sound access for developers
Over-the-air podcast updates
Awesome…how about copy and paste? Nope, that’s not a priority, but share location and walking directions is right? Don’t get me wrong, I love Apple. I love the company, I love the products, and I love the people who make them. But as a consumer I am disappointed in that Apple has always abided by the notion that the customer is not always right. I do love my iPhone, I just don’t love the price we as consumers pay for it.
My God, what a dreadful place. I went shopping around today for a new office chair. Considering my dream chair was a bit out of my price range, I decided to check out the brand new IKEA store in Sunrise, FL. At first you are taken aback by the whole grand experience that is the IKEA store, until you walk in. You are first greeted by an abraisive IKEA employee, directing you to the sole, upward moving escalator.
“Do not take your shopping carts to the second floor. No pets allowed inside the store. Please be mindful of your children. Please use your IKEA store guides.”
She repeated this over and over as she shook her head at a woman, who obnoxiously walked around with her teacup chihuahua. As you ascend the escalator you enter the IKEA showroom. A twisted maze, where people are herded like cattle down a one way path. As you mindlessly walk these paths surrounded by plain, simplistic, assemble yourself furniture. Never have I seen so much particle board and formica in my life. Every single product in the store has some strange, foreign sounding name like gungrout and farflen, heavy on the consonants and umlauts.
I just wanted one office chair. After speaking to three completely useless, completely impersonal sales people, and discovering that IKEA only has ONE type of office chair I decided I wanted to leave. But that is easier said than done. Winding in and out of maze of madness, I quickly find out that you are literally forced to walk the whole way around the store to find the exit…merely 50 feet away from the entrance. That is a long way around.
If you ever see me inside an IKEA store again, it’s because the zombie invasion has finally occurred, and the IKEA store is the last place of refuge for the uninfected. It’s has mastered an impersonal approach to peddling poorly crafted home furnishing that you are forced to assemble yourself. It’s like a double slap in the face. “Here is your poorly made, highly priced furniture. Oh BTW, you have to put it together yourself.” What a home furnishing megastore with a cult following couldn’t provide me, Office Depot could. Peace Out.
Normally I would say something like “my dog Ben could run Yahoo better than Jerry Yang”. That would be a facetious comment with no real merit. Folks, not this time. My dog could LITERALLY run Yahoo better than Jerry Yang. Check out what he said today…
“To this day, I have to say that the best thing for Microsoft to do is to buy Yahoo. I don’t think that is a bad idea at all – at the right price, whatever the price is, we are willing to sell the company. We were ready to negotiate, we wanted to negotiate a deal, and we felt that we weren’t that far apart. But at the end of the day, they withdrew and they since have been very clear about not wanting to buy the company.”
What?! So you turn down a fantastic offer from Microsoft, an offer you you thought to be lacking, and now you want it? Hindsight is indeed 20/20. Jerry Yang has a duty to his stockholders, and turning down this deal betrayed their trust. Now your stock is tanking, your stockholders are in a vituperative rage, and your company is slowly sinking in the wake of the Google mothership. Carl Ichan must be stress eating a half pint of B&J’s Cherry Garcia right now. Jerry Yang shouldn’t just be fired. He should be run out of town, with a mob of towns folk chasing him with pitchforks and torches.
Being and avid casual gamer and a college student, I am usually strapped for cash. So I decided to snatch up some of the games I don’t play, and head down to GameStop to, as I sometimes do during my personal economic hardship, trade in some games to get SOCOM, and reserve Gears of War 2 so I can play with my friends. I walk in with my sizable stack of games, only to discover a new policy change. Apparently in order to trade is some video games you need two forms of identification and a thumbprint.
You know, I have always criticized GameStop for screwing over gamers with drastically underpriced buy backs, and screwing over developers by selling used games at a large profit (without sharing), but I do trade-in when I have to. But friends I ask you, what is this nonsense? Am I trading in a firearm or some jewlery here? Are a couple of Xbox 360 games of such importance that you require personal information, like my address and my damn THUMBPRINT? First of all, I want to communicate how obsurd it is to even request this information for something as insignificant as a videogame. Secondly, I don’t consider a GameStop clerk to be so security minded as to nonchalantly handover my thumb print, personal information, and employer’s name over so that I can get $15 for a mint condition copy of Bioshock.
I immeadiately asked her why she needed this information, she stated that “She couldn’t say.” This is ludicrous, and frankly a vast violation of personal privacy. I urge those who read this to not do business with GameStop. This company is not a great one. It constantly undercuts hardworking gamers and developers, and now has taken this stupidity to the next level. Peace Out.
This story is courtesy of the New York Times. A pretty shocking story at that:
Apparently, for the past month GM and Chrysler (owned by the Cerberus Capital Group) have been discussing a possible merger. Seeing as though both companies are clinging to the straws that their respective stocks are worth, it makes sense…sort of. Sources close to the talks say that a deal is “50-50″ Here is an excerpt from the article…
A merger would be a historic event, with two of the most iconic names in American industry coming together to survive in an increasingly difficult environment. Both have roots dating back decades in Detroit and, with Ford, long dominated the auto industry — until Japanese and other foreign car makers began making inroads into the American market.
If Hell, does indeed freeze over, and this comes to fruition, this would make GM/Chrysler (gulp) the biggest auto manufacturer in the world (yes bigger than Ford), controlling 35% of the U.S. market share. I am pretty shocked. Crazy times man. This is definitely a sign of how bad things are out there. I am sure we haven’t heard the end of this. Peace Out!
Everyone at some point in their lives people invariably choose what they want to be. Most of the time, it’s an astronaut, or a doctor, or Superman. I, for example always wanted to be a business man. I liked what it exuded. Power, wealth, the fact that in business, the world is your oyster, there is no place to go but the top. Nice penthouse apartment, Aston Martin convertible, top floor corner office. But see, now, I am not so sure thats where I want to go.
All those things sound great. But in the end, they come at a price. I see all these business men and I see the sacrifices they make for success. I see how easy it is to get lost in it, and suddenly lose focus on things that are truly important. These guys, they live life with this notion that in order to achieve invincibility, you have to have a stacked bank account. The never ending chirp of the Blackberry, the distant, angry children, and the 3rd marriage usually ensue. Trust me I know…I am the product of such a predicament. I am not saying all businessmen are like that. Some do achieve that perfect balance between life and work. But I think I am over that.
I feel that recent events that have occured (i.e. my CNN experience, the fact that I made this blog, and the fact that it’s doing very well) is God screaming at me that I am meant for something else. I have come to realize that success is not scheduled by the amount of money you make. In the end success is measured by the type of person you are, the family you have, and your love for God. I can think of tons of people that are successful, but aren’t rich. In the end, you shouldn’t do something because it’ll make you money. You should do it because you love it, and because God wants you to do it. Peace Out, thanks for listening.
These are the new round of Microsoft ads from advertising power house Crispin, Porter + Bugosky. Where the first two commercials with Jerry Seinfeld left me kind of scratching my head (it was more of a Seinfeld episode…which I miss so much) these are…awesome. Being an Apple Fanboy I must hate any and all things Microsoft, but I can’t. As a marketing major, I am in awe of CP+B, because every project they work on turns out to be fantastic. This is no exception. I love how Microsoft is attacking the PC stereotype, thats pretty cool.
Wow. This past week will no doubt resound in history as Lehman Brothers, a company that has been around since the 1850, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Also, Merrill Lynch has merged in with Bank of America in a $50 Billion stock deal. At first you sit back and don’t feel really surprised about it. At a time where we have seen Bear Sterns go to JP Morgan (only if the government guaranteed $29 Billion in losses, which they did), and the U.S. Government take over Freddie Mac & Fannie May, this could be seen coming from a mile way, right? Well let it soak in for a bit. Lehman Brothers is one of the central investment firms on Wall Street. In the past six months, Lehman has posted $6.7 Billion loss, and released yet another $4 Billion loss a week earlier. This is evidence that what we are economy is feeling is something MUCH more profound than a recession. People are loosing not only their jobs, but their money too. This no doubt has become the major talking point for presidential candidates, as it should be. People are VERY scared. This has gone beyond affecting how much you spend, but now how much you have. I am not going to make this a partisan issue, because frankly, it’s beyond that. I think whoever wins the election this November has an obligation to the people of this nation to bring stability to the economy. Peace Out.
It’s pretty funny, don’t get me wrong. I would follow Jerry Seinfeld blindly to the ends of the Earth, the man is pure comedic genius, but come on. I don’t see anything here on how Microsoft is going to take it to Apple. A goldfish with a blog? What?
I really don’t understand this commercial. So Microsoft wants to make computers you can eat? Umm..ok? Microsoft sure knows how to lame up everything. Somewhere, Steve Balmer is surrounded by 12 “yes men” all telling him what a great job he did. But deep down…he is still trying to figure out what this means.
For a price that is. This broke on TUAW today about how there was a rumor coming down the rumor pipe about Apple offering access to half the music library for a flat fee ($129.99) and bundling that with Mobile Me in some way (hoping Mobile Me…you know works when this happens). I think this is a definite step forward down a dead end path. This is obviously some way to appease the RIAA, who is rather perturbed about the .99 cent price points on the iTunes store, and the fact that iTunes sells albums 3 to 5 dollars cheaper than any place that sells CDs. Steve is no doubt on the high horse here. He has a product refresh coming up for his iPod line, and I am willing to be that he is secretly hoping this would fail. Because frankly I think people that use iTunes, audiophiles who not only value the high quality but the ease of use, want to OWN their music. I want my music to be MY MUSIC. I don’t want my music to suddenly end after the subscription up.
Honestly, the failure of this Apple service would be a hug slap in the face to the RIAA. The RIAA needs to wake up and realize that stopping piracy is not about DRM software or strong arming carriers to block large bandwidth download to stop torrents. They will stop piracy when they make their involvement with music end at the point of sale. Price those songs reasonably, price them fairly, give people an a la carte option and completely eliminate DRM. I don’t want to download an mp3 that I can only burn 8 times. People burn a lot of mixes and stuff. Thats unfair. I bought that song and if I want to burn it on 1,000 CDs and litter the streets with them I can. But the RIAA wants to squeeze every single penny out of every single track. Will they learn? Probably not. They will continue fighting this, the consumer will continue to resent them and find new ways of getting all their product out for free and the world will keep turning. Steve Jobs knows this, I wouldn’t put it past the man who has single handedly started one of the most innovative companies on the planet to not know this. But the RIAA is slowly hanging itself. A lot of artists are signing with Indie labels and releasing their stuff at competitive prices (like free…) and are sticking it to the man in their own way. Peace Out.
Since I was younger I was always a Ford guy. My love affair with the Mustang started when I was very young. I watched Bullitt a thousand times cause of it, and have sworn my undying allegiance to Carol Shelby a long time ago. But deep down I had a hidden respect for General Motors too. Sure one could argue that for the most part they sucked at making money. I mean the 70’s and 80’s produced some amazingly mediocre stuff, but I think GM has tried really hard to turn that around. But despite this, GM has churned out a couple of hits. The Chevy Corvette, the Camaro, and the Silverado just to name a few. And I have to give GM credit for reinventing Cadillac completely and transforming them into a suitable competitor for BMW and Benz. Despite that, GM (and for the most part the entire American auto industry) is suffering big time, as 2008 could be without a doubt the worst year in the company’s history. Profits are shockingly down, sales are down 18%, and the stock is tanking. The American automotive industry has finally received a wake up call that was a long time coming.
American cars have gotten a bad rep for being powerful, gas guzzling dragsters. And to an extent yes, that’s true. General Motors and Ford’s bread and butter sales are trucks and work horse vehicles. Ford’s baby was the F-150, which for a good period of time was not only their best seller but the best selling pick-up in it’s class. But like all of the vehicles in it’s class, they are massive gas guzzlers. Fine and dandy for a period where gas is $2.50 a gallon, but for a period where political and economic factors are causing gas prices to shoot to $4 a gallon it’s not. So it comes to no surprise that the big three (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) are posting record losses while companies like Toyota and Honda are posting record gains. The American automotive industry had focused all their efforts at selling a vehicle that was appropriate for a time that has come and gone. Now people are desperately trading in their SUV’s and Pick-Ups for Hybrids and Crossovers. Because of this now the industry is in a panic. Suddenly the product they produce is now obsolete, replaced not by new technology, but a new consumer need for efficiency and a high MPG rating.
So now Ford, GM, and Chrysler (who was suffering long before all this) are now cutting costs, closing factories (and companies such as Hummer) and laying off workers left and right. They are refocusing resources (a very costly process) once dedicated to mass producing large engined SUVs and trucks to smaller, more efficient automobiles. But my question is, couldn’t they see this coming? Gas prices have been steadily climbing (mind you not as drastically as recently) for decades now. It seems as though the American auto industry tried to exploit the high demand for these vehicles well beyond reasonable means. Anyone could have seen that eventually, consumer taste would change after gas prices increase, and the search for alternative means of energy would become a priority. All the while GM and Ford continued to produce these type of cars, companies like Toyota and Honda thought ahead. They produce and sold gas efficient vehicles, which left little impact on the environment and were practical. I guess that paid off, considering that Toyota is now the leading car company in the United States, and the American car companies are now cutting programs and posting record losses.
Everyone says that the auto industry is the heart beat of this country’s economy. That whatever they are suffering from, so is the country suffering from. I agree with that one hundred percent. They are suffering because the American people are suffering, trying to gas up their SUVs and diesel trucks. People are sick of paying $100 plus at the gas pump so they are looking to the Japanese and the Germans for relief. And until they adapt, they will continue down the rocky road. Hopefully it’s not too little too late.
Reading stuff I wrote a long time ago, makes me realize what a moron I was. Anyway this one was about Hot Topic. I edited it heavily to make it less childish…enjoy.
Hey, you know what I just noticed? If the target demographic of Hot Topic are gothic, emo, non conformists & anarchists, then why are they all conforming to Hot Topic? I mean seriously, this organization (these don’t exist in an anarchy) is profiting (yep, doesn’t exist in an anarchy either) off of them, and they don’t even know it. I walked in there to get a cool Eric Clapton t-shirt I saw on the “wall-o- band tees” and I was taken a back. I am a bit surprised to see that the Clapton shirts are right next to the knee high leather boots and the Atreyu t-shirts. They actually have some good band swag that goes contrary to their…umm image. I in walked in at another time to get my pair of limited edition Joey Ramon Vans, and I saw a ton of stuff. A couple of Eagles tees, Live, Dave Matthews. Very anti-Hot Topic stuff. Looks like non conformity is conforming to some good music…take that establishment of the anti-establishment.
Welcome to The Jorge Zone! This is my blog, my mental exhaust pipe, slowly filling the atmosphere with my opinions, favorite links, news and the like. This blog is all about the political and social issues we face today. Current events, political & economical happenings, religion & faith, global warming, stuff like ... Continue reading »
Sorry, I couldn’t think of a better title for this post.
Wow. This past week will no doubt resound in history as Lehman Brothers, a company that has been around since the 1850, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Also, Merrill Lynch has merged in with Bank of America in a $50 Billion stock deal. At first you sit back and don’t feel really surprised about it. At a time where we have seen Bear Sterns go to JP Morgan (only if the government guaranteed $29 Billion in losses, which they did), and the U.S. Government take over Freddie Mac & Fannie May, this could be seen coming from a mile way, right? Well let it soak in for a bit. Lehman Brothers is one of the central investment firms on Wall Street. In the past six months, Lehman has posted $6.7 Billion loss, and released yet another $4 Billion loss a week earlier. This is evidence that what we are economy is feeling is something MUCH more profound than a recession. People are loosing not only their jobs, but their money too. This no doubt has become the major talking point for presidential candidates, as it should be. People are VERY scared. This has gone beyond affecting how much you spend, but now how much you have. I am not going to make this a partisan issue, because frankly, it’s beyond that. I think whoever wins the election this November has an obligation to the people of this nation to bring stability to the economy. Peace Out. 
