Letterman: 'It was Just Stupidity'
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Friday, April 30, 2010
The Stock Market Impact of the Gulf Oil Spill - $33 Billion and Counting!
Amazing chart....$33 Billion in market cap lost in a week by Big Oil. Some would say that it couldn't happen to nicer guys, but....big employers in the Gulf Coast area, and this disaster will have HUGE ecological and economic impacts for years to come.
But don't forget the real impact:
David
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But don't forget the real impact:
David
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Exhibit A of Why You Should Not Text or Use a Cell Phone While Driving
Watch this clip of Meredith Vieira in a segment from the Today Show. And show it to your kids, your spouse, your coworkers, etc. to keep them from texting and driving!
David
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BP Oil Spill May Undue Years Of Work Polishing Its 'Green' Image
Ya think??? Not enough PR spin people on the planet to undue the damage that that gushing well-head in the Gulf is doing. Just wait a few days when the pics of oil-covered pelicans and fishermen crying beside their boats because the oyster beds that were their livelihood have been wiped-out. Then, those beautiful beaches in Gulf Shores and Pensacola may be toast. Plus, thousands of jobs will be wiped-out because gamblers will not be able to stand the oil stench in Biloxi (no matter how many flowers are put-out by the Beau Rivage), and they will not be able to find a hotel room anyway because their will be no room at the inn (as they will be full of FEMA people and recovery workers). It simply keeps going, and going, and gushing, and gushing. This will turn-out to be one of the worst ecological - and economic - disasters of our time. And did I mention, prices at the pump will go up, too!
Free advice from a strategic management consultant here - Hire boom operators for preventing as much coastal damage as possible and find every robot submarine that can help you cap the well, not PR people!
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
BTW - here's two good video overviews on the present situation:
Let's hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!
David
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Drew Brees, Switch Hitter: Baseball Skills Come Natural To NFL QB (VIDEO)
He is "THE MAN!" Of course, Drew Brees in his teenage years was an excellent tennis player as well (he and Andy Roddick were competitors - and guess who won?) - See:
http://www
Watch his switch-hitting home runs below (yes, slow pitch, but still...could you do this???):
Righty:
and Lefty:
Well, the guy does have some wicked hand-eye coordination - one of the more natural (and hard-working) athletes of any era! Reserve a spot in Canton for him (of course, unless, God forbid, the "Madden Curse" gets him!). Let us pray.....
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
A Farewell to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin
The New Orleans Times-Picayune put together a great montage of the "greatest hits" of now departing Mayor Ray Nagin's best sound bites - classic!
See:
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/04/mayor_ray_nagins_eight_years_i.html
David
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Is Lagging Attendance a Crisis or Fluke? -- MLB FanHouse
Whose fault is this - Is it:
- the economy?
- lack of parity?
- 3 hour plus games?
- the Yankees and Red Sox?
Read:
Is Lagging Attendance a Crisis or Fluke? -- MLB FanHouse
Major League Baseball - and all sports - need to find an answer, and quick. Otherwise, we'll see more and more folks believe that watching the ballgame means camping-out either in front of their 60-inch HDTV or at a table at Buffalo Wild Wings!
An issue to watch....
David
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Can You Measure Value Added?: Teacher Accountability Bill in Louisiana
Well, as a Management Prof, I can't help but believe in seeing how we can best apply management concepts in all areas. But.....hard to measure a teacher's (or a principal's) "value added" in terms of student achievement (i.e. student test scores) without simply even more encouraging teaching the tests.
Read (if you had a "value added" teacher, of course):
Teacher Accountability Measure Clears Committee; Union Bosses Seethe | The Hayride
David
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Thursday, April 29, 2010
Gulf Spill: Worse Than the Exxon Valdez?
Not the news we were hoping for in Louisiana and all along the Gulf Coast. For a detailed analysis, read
Gulf spill: Worse than Exxon Valdez? - Environment- msnbc.co
and watch:
Let's hope and pray for the best. If the winds don't blow right and we end-up with a major spill, this event will have an unprecedented impact on many sectors of the local, regional and national economy.
David
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Gulf spill: Worse than Exxon Valdez? - Environment- msnbc.co
and watch:
Let's hope and pray for the best. If the winds don't blow right and we end-up with a major spill, this event will have an unprecedented impact on many sectors of the local, regional and national economy.
David
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Miguel Olivo Passes Kidney Stone DURING GAME
Wow! Miguel Olivo may just have set the new standard for toughness!
Still, for those with a knowledge of history, Chuck Yeager might still take him!
Watch:
Classic Q&A that fits both situations from The Right Stuff:
"Is that a man?" You're Damn Right It Is!!
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Colbert On Gulf Oil Spill (VIDEO): Blackened Catfish, Anyone?
Another masterful take on the news from The Colbert Report! Sad when in 90 seconds, the fake newscast does a better job of conveying the size and magnitude of this spill - which trust me, for us folks in Louisiana and all across the Gulf Coast, is no laughing matter (still laughed at Colbert's "Wall of fire the size of Rhode Island" line of course!).
Watch:
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill | ||||
| ||||
Pray for good winds!
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Tiger Woods Had Sex With 121 Women: 'National Enquirer'
Getting it done! How in heaven's name did we ever regard Tiger for his iron will and discipline? You know though, if he was as successful o the course as he was with all that he was doing after his 18 holes of golf each day, if he has truly become "un-sex-addicted" (if you believe in that diagnosis at all), he could be set-up for a truly historic period of success in winning every major and far-exceeding Jack's records. The Tiger saga: it keeps on growing...
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Cover girl Pelosi looking rather ... airy in D.C. glossy | Washington Examiner
Wow! The wonders of modern technology...and plastic surgery! Photoshopping taken to the extreme here!
Read
Cover girl Pelosi looking rather ... airy in D.C. glossy | Washington Examiner
David
Did Goldman's Ex-Mortgage Guru Lie Under Oath?
An long, drawn-out, expert opinion here - yes. Read the story with details here below:
Did Goldman's Ex-Mortgage Guru Lie Under Oath? | Mother Jones
And watch a good overview of the story below as well:
A story that will keep going for some time!
David
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Did Goldman's Ex-Mortgage Guru Lie Under Oath? | Mother Jones
And watch a good overview of the story below as well:
A story that will keep going for some time!
David
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AriZona Tea Boycott: NY-Based Beverage Co. Caught Up In Immigration Law
Uh-oh! Panic at their corporate headquarters I'm sure. Talk about bad luck for a company - 50 states to borrow a name from (admittedly, it probably sounds the best - Oklahoma Iced Tea? - No offense, but they picked the best match for the brand). That is, until now. When people are calling for a boycott of the state (and some really bad PR coming down), you've got to go into MAJOR damage control mode as a company, even though you have absolutely no connection to the originating events of the boycott. No time to lose to get the message out - in the media, in your advertising, and even on your bottle labels that Arizona Iced Tea is made by a New York company with a great entrepreneurial story.
Here's a great overview of the boycott calls and their impact:
And here's a story from the Rachel Maddow Show touching on Arizona-titled products and such:
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Washington Post Mistakes Barack Obama For Malcolm X (PICTURE)
OK, heads need to roll on this one. Mistakes happen, but.....th
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49 of 50 States Still Without Economic Growth
This is a very interesting - and troubling - chart from our friends at the Business Insider.
Source and analysis:
Great time to be in North Dakota - and poor, old West Virginia (almost off the chart - literally!).
David
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Afghanistan PowerPoint slide: Generals left baffled by PowerPoint slide
Well, here's the actual slide, believe it or not:
This slide should be shown in every "Presentation 101" class (whether it be in a college, university, or corporate training session). It is the antithesis of how to convey a message. What were they thinking - and what does this say about our thinking?
See
This should be Exhibit A for all training on how to - or rather, how not to - put together an effective PowerPoint presentation!
David
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Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wham-O Moves to America: From "The Daily Show"
Destined to be a classic - "The Daily Show" recently did a piece entitled, "Wham-O Moves to America." Yes, satirical, but Aasif Mandvi asked the CEO of Wham-O, Kyle Aguilar, that critical question in the era of global trade and production: "Does that mean Americans will have to produce their own plastic crap?" China's getting too expensive to produce in - uh oh!
Watch:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Wham-O Moves to America | ||||
| ||||
David
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GEICO Fires Voice-over Actor for Leaving the Stupidest Voice Mail of All Time
Ironic twist, isn't it, for a voice-over actor to be fired for this. Leave it to Jon Stewart and the "Daily Show" crew to find a funny way to deliver the story.
Watch:
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Geico Fires Voice Actor | ||||
| ||||
Of course, this can also be true in one's personal life. Ah, a classic from the "olden days" of answering machines in the pre-digital era. Watch this Seinfeld classic:
The moral: Think before you leave that voice-mail, or hit send on that email, or make that post to Facebook, or make that Tweet....Your career...and/or your relationship....may very well depend on it!
David
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Monday, April 26, 2010
Senator Schumer Asks FTC To REGULATE Facebook, Social Networks
I gotta say that with the bang-up job the feds have done with regulating the banks, Wall Street, airlines, offshore gambling, etc., we can trust them to regulate social networks. Besides, to regulate something, you need to have predictability in order to set appropriate regulations. And we know, since the advent of the Internet, technology and our use of it changes so slowly, you can predict things 1000% correct years in advance, right (any caveman could do it!)?
Hands-off, I say, and most of the Web 2.0 generation (and those who remember Web 1.0 and even the pre-Web days) will concur!
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Deep Horizon Oil Well Gushing 42,000 Gallons Into Gulf Of Mexico Per Day
As a New Orleans-area resident, I have a sick feeling that this could be our Exxon Valdez and our coast could well end-up like Prince William Sound - except in this case the oil will continue pumping for some indefinite time from this undersea pipe that is the source. This could really impact our coast, our wildlife, our fishing industry, and yes, the "drill baby drill" movement in a big way. This could end-up being one of the really big stories of the whole year.
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Ben's behavioral evaluation could open Pandora's box | ProFootballTalk.com
Very, very interesting take on the Ben Roethlisberger situation. If concussions have any - any thing to do with his behavioral problems, this could truly open the Pandora's Box that the NFL would fear to open.
Read Ben's behavioral evaluation could open Pandora's box | ProFootballTalk.com
David
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Study: Students ADDICTED To Social Media
And we're surprised at this? Look around any college campus and in the classrooms you will see laptops, netbooks, iPhones in students' hands all doing the same thing - using Facebook, Twitter or another social media site. The change is here - and we have to adapt to the new look of the world (on a screen).
Of course, we can look at this in a fun way - watch:
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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15 Things You Wouldn't Want To See While Running A Marathon: Pics, Videos, Links, News
Must say, as a reformed marathon runner (last one in 2003, best time 3:27), this still hits home. When you see these images (and yes, I've seen a majority of these in 7 races), they are burned into your memory. Click through all of them below:
15 Things You Wouldn't Want To See While Running A Marathon: Pics, Videos, Links, News
Of course, it could be worse - watch:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
David
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Chris Jakubauskas Head Injury VIDEO: Pirate Hit In Head By Line Drive
Hope for the best for Chris. As the article reports, it could have been much, much worse. Scary, scary video for all parents of pitchers (and probably the pitchers if they're honest, too!).
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Ben Roethlisberger Had Gun Put To Head: Report
OK, let me get this straight. Big Ben hired a bodyguard because a man pulled a gun on him when he was "talking" to the man's girlfriend. Then, Ben used the bodyguard to help him conceal women against their will while he pulled out his ____ (well, you get the not so pretty picture). During his suspension, he needs counseling and a good old fashioned, Cher-like: "Snap-out of it"!
David
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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13 Bankers: If The Megabanks Are Too Powerful To Regulate, Then They're Too Powerful To Shrink
Sometimes, the best deal is to get what you can now, and then maybe get the prize on the next go-round. Unquestionably though, something needs to be done to head-off the next crisis - whether it is 2 months, 2 years, or 2 decades from now. Surely though, "too big to fail" will go down as one of the worst ideas in the history of capitalism.
Great interview with the author to watch below:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Goldman's Mortgage Unit Had Take-No-Prisoners Culture
Very interesting article on the culture inside Goldman Sachs before the fall. Hamburger eating contests? Well, at least they weren't spending their days trying to access 18,000 porn sites like the firm's regulators at the SEC were!
Read Goldman's Mortgage Unit Had Take-No-Prisoners Culture - WSJ.com
David
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Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Art behind Google's Doodles
How does Google continually top itself with ever-more imaginative designs for its logo on the web. Watch this very informative story from CBS' Sunday Morning to learn about the things we are coming to take for granted on our computer screens every day:
Watch CBS News Videos Online
Fascinating stuff! Enjoy!
David
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Generation B - Reinvention Is the Buzz at Boomer Conference - NYTimes.com
The power of the Age Wave taking place as the Baby Boomers chart yet another course and exert their collective spending - and trend-setting - power. If you're in business (and who really isn't), one should pay attention to this and learn more about how to take advantage of this opportunity.
For background, read:
Generation B - Reinvention Is the Buzz at Boomer Conference - NYTimes.com
and watch:
David (maybe a Baby Boomer, depending on when the cut-off is set in the 1960's)
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For background, read:
Generation B - Reinvention Is the Buzz at Boomer Conference - NYTimes.com
and watch:
David (maybe a Baby Boomer, depending on when the cut-off is set in the 1960's)
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The FDA and New Proposed Salt Guidelines
This could be VERY interesting to watch over the coming months as the Food and Drug Administration considers new guidelines on salt in processed and packaged foods (the snack food folks are saying a collective "Uh-oh"). For good background on this issue, watch:
An issue to watch...big stakes involved - for money, for health, for health care, for the way we live!
David
P.S. And who would have thunk it, a salt proponent with the first name of "Morton" - do you believe in predestination or what?
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Airlines: Passengers Should Give Seats to Passengers Still Stranded by the Icelandic Volcano
Continuing fallout (no pun intended) from the Icelandic volcano's disruption of air travel in Europe (and around the world). Carriers are starting to question the decision to entirely close the European airspace - and demanding restitution from the governments there.
For insights on this, read:
Airlines: passengers should give seats to stranded - Yahoo! News
and then, for a counter-argument, watch this interesting interview with the CEO of Air Southwest in the UK:
David
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Honest Tea Tests New Yorkers' Honesty
Very interesting concept - if it can work on Wall Street, the company should try it on main street (although as a business consultant, I would suggest something a tad more secure looking than the pickle jar for the money). Gotta say that would not last overnight (or over a day) in many, many places. However, this could be an interesting alternative to vending machines.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
and watch the Wall Street Journal video on the story here:
One suggestion though - ice, or some way to keep the iced tea cool!
David http://wyl
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Saturday, April 24, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Scouts must pay $18.5 million in abuse case - Crime
Sad, sad case all around. Bad real and PR hit for the Boy Scouts.
Read Scouts must pay $18.5 million in abuse case - Crime & courts- msnbc.com
and Watch:
David
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Read Scouts must pay $18.5 million in abuse case - Crime & courts- msnbc.com
and Watch:
David
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Third of U.S. teens with phones text 100 times a day
Some Wow! statistics from the just released report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project on teens and texting. It's becoming - check that, become - the primary form of social interaction.
Read:
Third of U.S. teens with phones text 100 times a day | Reuters
Watch:
To some, scary stuff - but hey, it's becoming THE WAY things are done!
David
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Cool Video of Texas Stadium Implosion - from the Inside!
This is a cool video of the recent implosion of Texas Stadium - taken from a unique vantage point - namely field level inside the stadium. Click to watch the video, courtesy of Immersive Media, below:
Farewell, old friend (hey, can't believe Jerry Jones didn't sell-off those scoreboards before the demolition!).
David
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Photos: Deepwater Horizon Rig Explosion
Amazing photos from this unfortunate accident:
See Photos: Deepwater Horizon Rig Explosion --THE DEAD PELICAN 2010©
God bless the workers and their families....
David
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See Photos: Deepwater Horizon Rig Explosion --THE DEAD PELICAN 2010©
God bless the workers and their families....
David
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Two-Man Bicycle Kick Leads To Stunning Goal (VIDEO)
Simply one word - Unbelievable! Show to all your kids to inspire them to try to replicate this impossible shot!
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
Reverse Auctions in Health Care: Introducing Competition for Patients
Here's one of the more intriguing ideas to come down the pike to introduce competition into health care (and you thought that was an oxymoron)!
The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas will be holding its Innovation in Health Care Delivery Systems Symposium next week in Austin. In anticipation of the event, they have released a "teaser" highlighting some fascinating research that will be released at the symposium.
Two professors from UT, Andrew Whinston and Lizhen Xu, in collaboration with Jianqing Chen of the University of Calgary and Michael Yuan, CEO of Austin-based Ringful Health (http://www.ringfulhealth.com/about.html), have developed a new health care model that could revolutionize the way health care decisions are made - and the way treatment is delivered to patients - to the benefit of all (providers, insurers, the government, and most importantly, patients). Reverse auctions are at the core of their proposal, as patients would be able to have health care providers - in essence - engage in a reverse auction to "compete" to provide their care - based on both quality and cost outcomes. If implemented, such a consumer-driven system could work to put patients truly in charge of making their treatment decisions and introduce new, unprecedented levels of competition, transparency, and cost/quality focus into patient care.
So, reverse auctions could be the foundation for real health care reform. Kudos to these researchers for introducing an innovative, competition-based model into the health care debate - which will continue for many years to come. As the lead researcher, Professor Andrew Whinston, commented, “We already see changes in the wind for the U.S. health care ecosystem...The motivations to change are strong on all sides of the equation."
To read complete details on their research, read:
http://blogs.mccombs.utexas.edu/mccombs-today/2010/04/curing-patients-while-lowering-costs-a-matter-of-transparency-and-partnership/
David
From the Reverse Auction Research Center: http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/
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SEC Porn Probe: Staffers Watched Porn As Economy Crashed
Well, the SEC obviously didn't buy the best of filtering systems for its computers, eh? Making over $200K a year and watching porn all day at the office - only in the government! This does go a long way in explaining the SEC's lack of oversight - although they obviously weren't exactly "asleep at the wheel" as they have often been characterized - not asleep at all as it turns out!
Heads will roll!
The serious news story on it:
and
The funny take on it:
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Thursday, April 22, 2010
LaShawn Merritt Suspended: MALE ENHANCEMENT Product At Fault!
It's a sad day for "Smiling Bob"!
See:
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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New $100 Bill's Official Intro Video Is Epic (VIDEO)
Your tax dollars at work - hey, all Ben needs are some shades to fit the "coolness"!
Watch:
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Wasted Man vs. Flip Flops: The Unexpected Battle (VIDEO)
And the sad thing is he probably was heading to get in his care to drive home - still, a funny clip nonetheless - flip-flops - who knew??
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Drew Brees, Madden Cover Boy: Saint Lands Video Game Honor
Congrats to Drew - he certainly deserves the honor (and the moolah!). However, as a Saints fan, this is a perilous day - you love the recognition for Drew and the team, but fear the "Madden Curse." Hopefully though, the Madden Curse will pass-over our fair city (we're still owed one from the Big Guy!). Drew has the right attitude however, as shown in his "Tweet" after receiving the honor:
"Here's what I have to say about the Madden curse: Destiny is more powerful than a curse. Whatever is meant to be will happen. Faith."
Source: http://www
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Bill Gates College Tour: Billionaire Encourages Students To Teach
Of course, Bill won the "lotto of life" jackpot a long time ago, so it's easy to criticize him. However, think he has great advice for today's grads. As a college prof, I can certainly appreciate his take on guiding more students toward meaningful careers. Of course, meaning is what you make of it, and even in entertainment, and yes, if someone does ever find a cure for baldness, there's meaning in that for many, many people.
Encourage you to follow the link to the CNET story and read more about the interview and watch and excerpt.
Original CNET story: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20002817-56.html
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Great Commercial from the NHL's Boston Bruins
Why to never leave a game early - particularly if the mascot is a big, angry animal (or a big guy in an animal costume) - watch:
David
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Hitler `Downfall' parodies removed from YouTube - Yahoo! News
Well, I think these had certainly run their course - time for a new film to meme! Good while it lasted!
Read Hitler `Downfall' parodies removed from YouTube - Yahoo! News
David
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Read Hitler `Downfall' parodies removed from YouTube - Yahoo! News
David
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Spirit Airlines Carry-On Fee: Matt Lauer: Will 'Go Over Like A Fart In Church,' CEO Defends Charge (VIDEO)
I think this may well be the "Bonehead" move of the year - or perhaps this Century (and yes, the century is indeed young, so sure some exec will top this). However, while I think Baldanza means well, I think he is misguided in his belief that consumers will but into this idea. To be fair though, do watch the video clip as he makes his argument. Still, bags should fly free, as one airline still does (hmmm - I think that's the one with the blue planes!).
David http://wyl
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost
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