I went to a site today (which shall remain nameless) to do a basic task. I was unable to find the “sign-in” area so I could sign in and take care of things. Then I noticed a peculiar area on the home page: “How-To Video Demonstrations.” Normally one would think, “What a creative idea.” Except […]
Archives for 2008
How to Make Your Car Feel Warm as Fast as Possible in Cold Minnesota (and Elsewhere) Winters
I just l left the staff Christmas party at Famous Dave’s, and it was freezing outside. (I used to ignore the cold; now I’m starting to think I get less used to the cold as time goes by.) I had to drive my car back to the office, which caused me to reflect on what […]
What's Not Best: This Message from the Philadelphia Airport
I’ve heard the following message a couple of times now while waiting for my flight at the Philadelphia airport. It goes something like this: “If you feel that you have been overcharged in any of our shops, please let us know.” That does not instill much confidence in those shops! It almost sounds like a […]
Jack Welch on What Business Leaders Can Learn from Obama's Campaign
Jack Welch has a helpful column in the Nov 17 issue of Businessweek called “Three Reasons Obama Won.” (The link is to the podcast — the column itself does not appear to exist online. In case anyone is wondering, this does indeed mean that I still read some actual physical periodicals!) Here are two of […]
What's Not Best: Small Bowls at Mongolian Barbeques
Just had lunch at a Mongolian barbeque in town. I really like those places. However, one thing has always stood out to me: the bowls they give you are way to small for the purpose. For those who aren’t familiar with Mongolian barbeque, here’s how it works: You go through a buffet to fill up […]
Obama Ran a Capitalist Campaign
The Wall Street Journal had a great editorial by Bret Swanson on Friday about how Obama Ran a Capitalist Campaign. Here are the two best points, in my opinion. First, Obama ran a brilliant campaign. But there is an inconsistency between the policies that Obama is calling for and the way that he ran his […]
What's Not Best: Starbucks Charging for WiFi
I was going to spend the afternoon working at Starbucks today. (I’ve been working remotely from home for the last few months, and sometimes it’s a good change of pace to get out of the house.) Then I remembered how they charge for WiFi, and decided to stay away. There are three reasons Starbuck’s decision […]
Most Change Comes from People, Not Politicians
John Stossel (most known for co-anchoring 20/20) has an interesting column today called Who Will Run America?. He made two especially good points. First, ultimately in America, it’s the people who govern. Referring to a recent interview with economist Walter Williams, he writes: Williams pointed out that the White House doesn’t govern what happens in […]
Five Myths About the Great Depression
Andrew Wilson has an excellent article over at the Wall Street Journal today on Five Myths About the Great Depression. He states: The current financial crisis has revived powerful misconceptions about the Great Depression. Those who misinterpret the past are all too likely to repeat the exact same mistakes that made the Great Depression so […]
Lessons in Marketing from the 2008 Presidential Election
Seth Godin has a great post this morning on Marketing Lessons from the US Election. Well worth the read. Here’s the quick summary: Stories really matter TV is over Permission matters Marketing is tribal Motivating the committed outperforms persuading the uncommitted Attack ads don’t always work We get what we deserve (ex: buy from telemarketers, […]