Category Archives: Business

The business of America is tautology.

Cory Doctorow, Makers

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Wesley

One complaint I hear from people who don’t like science fiction is that it’s about ideas and not people. Given the amount of SF I read I obviously don’t agree, but even I think they sometimes have a point–about Cory … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Business, Speculative Fiction | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota is Lurking Under the Bed

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Wesley

Viral marketing and alternate reality games are the great new thing in marketing. Saatchi & Saatchi thought it had a doozy of an idea for Toytota. They’d stalk Toyota’s customers. Unsuspecting participants in “Your Other You” would receive a week’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Games, People baffle me. | Leave a comment

Buy Coke! See a Funeral!

Posted on October 21, 2009 by Wesley

The Des Moines Register has an article on a funeral home that’s putting its death notices on electronic billboards. Alternating with ads for vacation getaways and gas station soft drinks, the 8-second announcements feature the deceased’s name and the day, … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, People baffle me. | Leave a comment

This has not happened to me before.

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Wesley

I’m home today using some vacation time to clean the house. Just now I was interrupted by a knock on the door. It turned out to be a guy going door to door and dropping off “literature” like a Jehovah’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | Leave a comment

Dear Atlas: Please Shrug!

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Wesley

>A 63-year-old attorney based in Lafayette, La., who asked not to be named, told ABCNews.com that she plans to cut back on her business to get her annual income under the quarter million mark should the Obama tax plan be … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, News and Politics, People baffle me. | Leave a comment

What’s Going On

Posted on September 27, 2008 by Wesley

There’s a story going around that the economy imploded because the government wanted to encourage minority home ownership. This story is the purest of high-grade manure. Minorities are not somehow inherently unable to afford stable thirty-year mortgages. Google “redlining” and … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, News and Politics | Leave a comment

Bailing Out Dombey

Posted on September 22, 2008 by Wesley

I’ve been thinking lately about the last Dickens book I read—Dombey and Son. The news brought it to mind. Dombey is the head honcho of Dombey and Son. He thinks this makes him a Great Man, and just to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Business, News and Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Optimism

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Wesley

This ad appeared in the Help Wanted section of the local college newspaper. I’m not sure I understand the logic here.

Posted in Business, People baffle me. | 1 Comment

Habits

Posted on May 5, 2008 by Wesley

The _New York Times_ has an article on habit. Specifically on developing new habits. I have habits I’d like to get rid of myself. Or not so much *habits*, exactly, as a deep, deep rut. I spend hours every day … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Science | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Rich are Different From Other Suckers

Posted on April 18, 2008 by Wesley

I guess the guys sending out all those fake PayPal and eBay emails aren’t satisfied with the take they’re getting from the general public. According to the New York Times phishers are trolling for a bigger class of seafood. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Internet, News and Politics | Tagged , | Leave a comment