Category Archives: US

US

Go for it Martin…

“The desire of Americans to have tailor made justice and tailor made medicine has made American businesses weak. American legal and medical costs are so much higher than those of other economies that the tremendous advantage that US businesses have in terms of the drive and creativity of its people is lost in legal uncertainties, lack of standards, and a medical system that is both unfair and tremendously expensive. Moreover the results are appalling: USA is a less just society than Europe or Japan and a less healthy nation. US longevity is trailing way behind that of the EU and Japan.”

Is America´s success a thing of the past?

US

Seeing the future…

Next weekend on the political talk shows, someone will say “nobody foresaw this crisis”. It’s the same excuse used for the morgage crisis; and just like the morgage crisis, it’s untrue. 

“The practice is very different, as Warren Buffett worked out years ago. His 2002 letter to his Berkshire Hathaway shareholders made headlines by condemning derivatives as “financial weapons of mass destruction”. The passage comprised only a couple of pages of the lengthy letter but read it again today – it is the best guide to understanding how Wall Street has arrived at today’s mess.”

Wall Street crisis: Is this the death knell for derivatives? |Business |guardian.co.uk

Products, US

Recommend a product that you’ve never tasted?

A few weeks ago I found myself in California and talking to Eileen Hassi who part owns Ritual Roasters in San Francisco. The conversation started with the normal “what do you do?” and then she blew me away.

She had the perfect one line response, which led to my second question, to which she had another perfect response; and on and on. After a half day spent in her company not once was I left with the impression that she was less than 100% committed. Her commitment and obsession with her product seemed total.

I’ve rarely been so impressed by someone. And this is a three store coffee chain!

So I finally got around to looking her up on Google tonight and this is the quote I see…

Ms. Hassi said she was at a party recently when someone came up to her and offered a profusion of thanks. “He said, ‘thank you, thank you, thank you for opening your cafe.’ “

Street Scene – Cafe Capitalism, San Francisco Style – NYTimes.com

Can I recommend a coffee house without ever seeing it? Hell yes!

Politics, US

I’ll see you at the debates bitches…

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Paris Hilton Responds to McCain Ad from Paris Hilton, Adam “Ghost Panther” McKay, and Chris Henchy

IT, Technology, US

Joho and market bullying…

I’ve given up counting the number of times this has happened to me…

Joho the Blog » Market bullying

Seriously, it’s madness. I once clicked on a link on my Mac to buy office; I only wanted to know how much it would cost. I was whisked away to the Microsoft web site where they tried to install something and then tried to refer me to a partner site. I never did find out the price!

Technology, US

Project Management Lessons…

Large aircraft have to be the most complex things built by man; how difficult? This article in Flight International is a wonderful overview of how things can slowly slip out of control…

One year on: the story of the 787

Is it coincidence that the 787 is being build in the same city as Vista? Both projects tried to be radically different and in both cases, the companies learnt a lot of lessons.