March 2013
-
Get the Government Out of, Well, Everything
Maybe that is extreme. But maybe, just maybe, the government has their fingers – or their entire hands – in a few too many places and they needs to pull them out. It is already apparent that the only time the government is interested in doing so is…
-
Not Every Program Can be Saved
For that matter, not every program should be saved. Of course you realize I am not talking about your program, I am talking about theirs (pointing vaguely in the air at someone else). If you live somewhere in the Charlotte area, you may have heard that the Concord…
-
Debating the Effectiveness of Vaccination
Movies like 28 Days Later, Contagion and Outbreak cater to our fear that something is going to come along that will destroy our way of life. Ultimately it is more than that. In a society that is both ever more connected and ever more disconnected, by interacting so…
-
Premature Announcement Syndrome
Is it just me, or are companies really having a problem dealing with technology? For those that don't know, I work in the technology field – and I'm not just talking about whatever residual income may flow through the site here. I'm talking about my actual "day job",…
-
Intelligently Extending Your Brand
Fast-food behemoth McDonald's recently released a new item – dubbed Fish McBites – and it has been noted that they did not spark sales. Really? That's a surprised? No one lined up for Fish McBites? No one in the entire company thought this might be a bad idea?…
-
One Reason Kids Don't Get Enough Exercise
I talked about bus routes in Charlotte a while back. I would have to assume that other cities have the same problem, but I could be wrong – I've lived here for a while now, so the rest of the world may just be a part of my…
-
The Money (and Politics) of the NFL
Though sports are often in the news – almost always daily – recent announcements make things all the more interesting. In Charlotte, the Carolina Panthers are seeking money for stadium upgrades. This is interesting on several fronts. One, because what we see as outsiders is that the team…
-
Fix Quicken Loan Calculation Error
I noticed the other day – okay, it has probably been a couple of months and I'm just getting around to addressing the problem – that Quicken has started to miscalculated the principal and interest on a loan (specifically a mortgage – I don't know if it's a…
-
Marissa Mayer and Working Remotely
The uproar this week is that recently appointed savior of Yahoo Marissa Mayer may have just caused herself irreparable damage by issuing a decree that requires everyone to work from the office rather than from home. Even well-regarded titan of all things Richard Branson weighed in on the…