Friday, October 31, 2003
On the tail of yesterday's stellar GDP numbers (summation: best single-quarter growth since 1984), news broke this morning that Microsoft, always threatened by and jealous of anyone else enjoying success and consumer familiarity, has approached Google in attempts to buy the word's most famous search engine. As has been noted many times, Google is the modern example of the ultimate model of "branding" extending its reputation and recognition in pop culture well beyond anyone else in its peer-group. Don't believe me? Just google it!
One way that Google has accomplished this is through maintenance of its individuality which, in tech, is directly attributed to separation and distance from Microsoft [MSFT]. I hope that you will join me in arguing that the Google identity and Google culture must be preserved. Not necessarily the culture that has been spawned by Google success, but it's uniqueness as a (invaluable) service to the user. By Yahoo [YHOO] standards, Google is minimalist and streamlined. More accurately, it is user-friendly. You're a fool if you believe a Microsoft takeover would preserve or even augment the user-friendly 'trademark' of Google.
Keep your eyes trained for an upcoming online petition on the subject.
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Last night, the U.S. House approved the President's 87.5 billion dollar package for Iraq (and Afghanistan...if you're old enough to remember that we still have troops fighting and dying in that country). Senate expected to vote today.
And if you were wondering exactly where the money is going...ask the President.
In other Congressional news....
(As Tony K. and Mr. Wilbon would say) "Ma boy" Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) co-sponsored a bill aimed at curbing the effects of the ecological trends associated with "global warming". The bill was shut down and shot down by the Bush administration and Republican leadership in the Senate under pressure from "utilities, auto industry and conservatives." And pundits wonder why Americans are cynical.
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Is Puff Daddy sweatin'?
Rap icon Sean Combs a.k.a. Sean John a.k.a. Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy a.k.a. One Who Samples More Music Than Any P2P mp3 Trader And Makes Millions Because Of It Yet Isn't Targeted By The RIAA (that's his Native American name) was "cleared" of allegations that his clothing line is produced in Honduran sweatshops. Interesting isn't it that these non-sweatshops (which were given more pre-inspection warning than a Iraqi plutonium-processing facility) are 'A OK" after a quick perusal by the local government.
Thoughts:
A) the local government is thrilled to have American businesses investing time, money, and jobs in the local economy (to say nothing of the bribes which the very same government officials no doubt received);
B) what a great businessman...A young 'un in the biz and he already knows how to ship jobs overseas;
C) I wonder how his unemployed customers, listeners, and fans feel about the fact that he's Bling-Bling-ing it because he shipped their job overseas; and
C) Most popular item: sweatshirt.
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The New York Times (the second biggest waste of paper behind Tom Clancy novels...for a real newspaper see the WP) reports that Saddam may be behind the intra-Iraq terrorism. No kidding. Next, we'll be told that Osama Bin Laden had something to do with September 11th. [SIDENOTE: It appears that the NYT lost all journalistic value and interest when they discovered that the only thing newsworthy in their paper was plaigarized. No wonder they turned a blind eye to the 'fake news' (sorry Jon)...it was their only hope of keeping up with a real newspaper (see above)]
If only Halliburton had an Anti-Terrorism Task Force....they would have had the funds to catch these guys long ago. The delay is the pesky process of appropriating money to the military instead of directly to political donors.
In the spirit of Corporate America...there will come a day when each branch of the Armed Forces (maybe even sub-divisions thereof) will be sponsored by corporations who are results-driven and accountable to investors and the Market. As the deadline for their earnings report looms, the General Motors 101st Airborne Division would be forced to work overtime to track down and capture terrorist cells. Or at least to tell us that they had done so.
One way that Google has accomplished this is through maintenance of its individuality which, in tech, is directly attributed to separation and distance from Microsoft [MSFT]. I hope that you will join me in arguing that the Google identity and Google culture must be preserved. Not necessarily the culture that has been spawned by Google success, but it's uniqueness as a (invaluable) service to the user. By Yahoo [YHOO] standards, Google is minimalist and streamlined. More accurately, it is user-friendly. You're a fool if you believe a Microsoft takeover would preserve or even augment the user-friendly 'trademark' of Google.
Keep your eyes trained for an upcoming online petition on the subject.
------
Last night, the U.S. House approved the President's 87.5 billion dollar package for Iraq (and Afghanistan...if you're old enough to remember that we still have troops fighting and dying in that country). Senate expected to vote today.
And if you were wondering exactly where the money is going...ask the President.
In other Congressional news....
(As Tony K. and Mr. Wilbon would say) "Ma boy" Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) co-sponsored a bill aimed at curbing the effects of the ecological trends associated with "global warming". The bill was shut down and shot down by the Bush administration and Republican leadership in the Senate under pressure from "utilities, auto industry and conservatives." And pundits wonder why Americans are cynical.
------
Is Puff Daddy sweatin'?
Rap icon Sean Combs a.k.a. Sean John a.k.a. Puff Daddy a.k.a. P. Diddy a.k.a. One Who Samples More Music Than Any P2P mp3 Trader And Makes Millions Because Of It Yet Isn't Targeted By The RIAA (that's his Native American name) was "cleared" of allegations that his clothing line is produced in Honduran sweatshops. Interesting isn't it that these non-sweatshops (which were given more pre-inspection warning than a Iraqi plutonium-processing facility) are 'A OK" after a quick perusal by the local government.
Thoughts:
A) the local government is thrilled to have American businesses investing time, money, and jobs in the local economy (to say nothing of the bribes which the very same government officials no doubt received);
B) what a great businessman...A young 'un in the biz and he already knows how to ship jobs overseas;
C) I wonder how his unemployed customers, listeners, and fans feel about the fact that he's Bling-Bling-ing it because he shipped their job overseas; and
C) Most popular item: sweatshirt.
-----
The New York Times (the second biggest waste of paper behind Tom Clancy novels...for a real newspaper see the WP) reports that Saddam may be behind the intra-Iraq terrorism. No kidding. Next, we'll be told that Osama Bin Laden had something to do with September 11th. [SIDENOTE: It appears that the NYT lost all journalistic value and interest when they discovered that the only thing newsworthy in their paper was plaigarized. No wonder they turned a blind eye to the 'fake news' (sorry Jon)...it was their only hope of keeping up with a real newspaper (see above)]
If only Halliburton had an Anti-Terrorism Task Force....they would have had the funds to catch these guys long ago. The delay is the pesky process of appropriating money to the military instead of directly to political donors.
In the spirit of Corporate America...there will come a day when each branch of the Armed Forces (maybe even sub-divisions thereof) will be sponsored by corporations who are results-driven and accountable to investors and the Market. As the deadline for their earnings report looms, the General Motors 101st Airborne Division would be forced to work overtime to track down and capture terrorist cells. Or at least to tell us that they had done so.
Thursday, October 02, 2003
Have you ever really thought about windows? They provide the view into the world, but sometimes I think about windows in the reverse. The next time you're in a city, just try looking up. And see what you see. You will inevitably see windows. Sometimes I wonder what the view from those windows must be like. Some windows are so grand that you just get the feeling that the view must be posh and elegant. And sometimes the windows look like sad little holes and you wonder if little children look out of them wistfully.
Windows...we look out of them, but sometimes I get the feeling that they're looking down on me.
-- erika
Windows...we look out of them, but sometimes I get the feeling that they're looking down on me.
-- erika
