Futures traders are notorious for being assholes to get what they want. Bankers have a reputation, occasionally well earned, of looking down on their customers. Professional athletes don't care about their image. In most of the above professions, if you're not rewarded for this behavior indirectly (by not being criticized as "soft" and therefore getting paid more), acting like an ass doesn't get you fired.
As for burger flippers, flight attendants and Disney employees; tough luck. Acting like an ass gets you fired, immediately.
As to where IT fits, it depends entirely on the existing culture of your organization. If everyone acts like an ass, you'll probably do fine acting like an ass. But choosing not to is generally better no matter what.
Some companies announce products that never come out to dissuade consumers from buying existing technology. Successful companies produce products that actually make money and get rewarded for their innovation.
See: Windows Vista vs. Mac OS X, Chevy Volt plus this Ford thing vs. Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius
I know many people don't carry forward a balance, but 115 million Americans do. So the odds of people being in consistent credit card debt are pretty high.
If someone wanted to go all-out cash, Best Buy and other retailers still take checks. Not an option for everyone, but it's true.
But yeah, no argument that spending more than you make is the root of the problem.
I agree in principle; it's just too easy for me and most Americans to misuse them, so I think we're better off without them. Discipline is sorely lacking in today's culture, and I'm certainly not perfect.
If you can pay the balance off every month, you're doing well. Since I can't, I'm not, really, so I'm mostly paying down balances.
Also, though I haven't experienced them, credit card collectors suck. If something happens (accident, medical emergency, job loss) the credit card companies certainly have the right to try to collect their money, but the fact their collectors resort to verbal abuse, yelling and psychological games is something I'd rather not be associated with.
1.) Limit your liabilities; pay off your debts as fast as you can, especially credit card debt. 2.) Stop using credit cards. Seriously. 3.) Stop trying to hit it rich by playing the lottery, unless you find that particularly entertaining. 4.) Keep an emergency fund of some sort so you can stop using credit cards. 5.) Don't co-sign loans, ever. 6.) Spend less than what you make. 7.) Don't lease a car.
This list is based on what people do to get in financial trouble:
1.) People get in credit cards and pay more interest to Visa and MasterCard over years that they could have saved. 2.) People, especially poor minorities (see the statistics) try to win millions when the odds of being struck by lightning are less. 3.) People don't have money saved aside so they don't use credit cards, so they pay Visa and MasterCard interest instead of having money. 4.) People co-sign for other peoples things, they don't pay, so they're stuck with the bill. 5.) People pay ridiculous amounts of their income to car bills. 6.) People use credit to look wealthier than they really are.
The reasons for this are social ("use debt as a tool!"), cultural ("I need more stuff to impress people!"), patently unfair (the less educated are far more likely to be paid less, and so get into trouble more easily; medical problems), and selfish ("I 'need' this! I 'need' that!"), and could be a thesis, but they're hard to argue, and the concepts don't require an economics degree.
I think I've been listening to Dave Ramsey a little too much.:-p
True, but I can get those on over-the-air antenna if I happen to be in front of my TV when the shows broadcast. I was looking for any information on digital tuners for my analog TV not too recently -- it's possible, although pricey.
TLC, Discover Channel, Travel Channel, Food Network? Not so much as of yet, unfortunately.
Just IMd with my wife about it. We'd get it, except content providers are intentionally not putting up their best shows for sale (except for Mythbusters on Discovery Channel... which isn't worth $2 an episode to me).
This is a problem, because my wife won't get a $299 if the shows she wants aren't going to go on sale, and I want to drop Comcast like a rock ($60 a month for cable... and rising every year). Will content providers be able to bypass cable and the dish if Apple TV takes off? We'll see in a year.
Funny, I was just looking at the PS3 sellers on e-Bay. This particular story is a funny read if you have some time at the office (and who doesn't, if you're reading this?) I couldn't help but think of Nelson and "ha ha!"
If Wii Sports is a great game (I'm assuming it is, I still don't have my Wii), and if Nintendo offered to have me download more sports as part of this nontraditional "episodic" collection, I might be interested.
If it's more of the same with monotonous plot turns and poor storylines, I won't be.
I agree with the final decision; crashing a plane in this method is indeed accidental and stupid, but also commonplace, generally involving people not named John F. Kennedy Jr.
So at some point, when will Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. figure it out and charge a 15% restocking fee for returned consoles so that I don't have to worry about nearly as many scalpers?
The fact people were able to just return the consoles free and clear means that there really isn't a cost associated with scalping, unlike with sporting events, where you have a time deadline. This shouldn't happen.
I'm about done with replacing the light bulbs (that I can) from incandescent to fluorescent, but we have a smaller chandelier that's hooked up to a dimmer. I generally keep it at 75% of full power. The light bulbs also last longer because (hearsay warning!) apparently, the fact that the lights don't flip on/off immediately helps the bulbs not burn out as quickly.
Anyways, somewhat on topic, I hear that in California all new development and remodeling requires fluorescent lighting. Is that true?
I love this idea and would like to implement it someday. But,
1.) I don't own a diesel vehicle (yet), and 2.) It was 1.9 F (-16.2 C) last night. The record low in Chicago is -22 F (-30 C). Does vegetable oil freeze?
This model is only as effective as the employees you hire. (Really, every company is only as effective as the employees they hire, but I digress.)
In the end you still have to fire your useless employees, and concentrate on hiring the useful ones. The ones that won't apply just to take advantage of the system.
The point of endless games is because there's a whole lot of people-turning-gamers out there that don't want to have a game that has a point at the end of 80 hours of playtime. Neither real life tennis, bowling, or golf have lost their appeal after 200+ years of existence. Nintendo expects Wii Sports owners to, likewise, just keep playing those games because it's fun.
This is why, 2 years after Mario Tennis was released on GameCube, my wife still asks me to play it with her. Anyone who knows how to handle a video game controller can pick it up and play it. With the Wii, you don't even need that.
Gives another meaning to "replay value", doesn't it?
This has gone largely unnoticed, but Microsoft has started a hell of a holiday XBOX 360 campaign, based on the practical idea that they can steal potential sales from Sony because there don't seem to be any PS3s available for retail, so they'll buy 360s instead.
The Wii seems to have stolen a little bit off Microsoft's thunder, which they may or may not have expected (since both Sony and MS are buying into the "Nintendo isn't in our market" byline). The console currently has an 8 million to 600,000 lead... I'm wondering if, at the end of 2007, when the score is much closer (Nintendo will put out 8 million consoles by July at the rate of 250,000 per week) and everyone gets to see if the Wii really does have a broader market, MS will be changing its tune.
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Futures traders are notorious for being assholes to get what they want. Bankers have a reputation, occasionally well earned, of looking down on their customers. Professional athletes don't care about their image. In most of the above professions, if you're not rewarded for this behavior indirectly (by not being criticized as "soft" and therefore getting paid more), acting like an ass doesn't get you fired. As for burger flippers, flight attendants and Disney employees; tough luck. Acting like an ass gets you fired, immediately. As to where IT fits, it depends entirely on the existing culture of your organization. If everyone acts like an ass, you'll probably do fine acting like an ass. But choosing not to is generally better no matter what.
Some companies announce products that never come out to dissuade consumers from buying existing technology. Successful companies produce products that actually make money and get rewarded for their innovation.
See: Windows Vista vs. Mac OS X, Chevy Volt plus this Ford thing vs. Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius
I know many people don't carry forward a balance, but 115 million Americans do. So the odds of people being in consistent credit card debt are pretty high.
If someone wanted to go all-out cash, Best Buy and other retailers still take checks. Not an option for everyone, but it's true.
But yeah, no argument that spending more than you make is the root of the problem.
I agree in principle; it's just too easy for me and most Americans to misuse them, so I think we're better off without them. Discipline is sorely lacking in today's culture, and I'm certainly not perfect.
If you can pay the balance off every month, you're doing well. Since I can't, I'm not, really, so I'm mostly paying down balances.
Also, though I haven't experienced them, credit card collectors suck. If something happens (accident, medical emergency, job loss) the credit card companies certainly have the right to try to collect their money, but the fact their collectors resort to verbal abuse, yelling and psychological games is something I'd rather not be associated with.
Sarcasm taken. :-) But we in the U.S. are ridiculously, ridiculously spoiled.
In what other country is having K-Mart clothes looked down upon so much?
When did the idea of saving money, being fiscally conservative and personally humble go out of style?
Things people that want money should do:
:-p
1.) Limit your liabilities; pay off your debts as fast as you can, especially credit card debt.
2.) Stop using credit cards. Seriously.
3.) Stop trying to hit it rich by playing the lottery, unless you find that particularly entertaining.
4.) Keep an emergency fund of some sort so you can stop using credit cards.
5.) Don't co-sign loans, ever.
6.) Spend less than what you make.
7.) Don't lease a car.
This list is based on what people do to get in financial trouble:
1.) People get in credit cards and pay more interest to Visa and MasterCard over years that they could have saved.
2.) People, especially poor minorities (see the statistics) try to win millions when the odds of being struck by lightning are less.
3.) People don't have money saved aside so they don't use credit cards, so they pay Visa and MasterCard interest instead of having money.
4.) People co-sign for other peoples things, they don't pay, so they're stuck with the bill.
5.) People pay ridiculous amounts of their income to car bills.
6.) People use credit to look wealthier than they really are.
The reasons for this are social ("use debt as a tool!"), cultural ("I need more stuff to impress people!"), patently unfair (the less educated are far more likely to be paid less, and so get into trouble more easily; medical problems), and selfish ("I 'need' this! I 'need' that!"), and could be a thesis, but they're hard to argue, and the concepts don't require an economics degree.
I think I've been listening to Dave Ramsey a little too much.
True, but I can get those on over-the-air antenna if I happen to be in front of my TV when the shows broadcast. I was looking for any information on digital tuners for my analog TV not too recently -- it's possible, although pricey.
TLC, Discover Channel, Travel Channel, Food Network? Not so much as of yet, unfortunately.
Just IMd with my wife about it. We'd get it, except content providers are intentionally not putting up their best shows for sale (except for Mythbusters on Discovery Channel... which isn't worth $2 an episode to me).
This is a problem, because my wife won't get a $299 if the shows she wants aren't going to go on sale, and I want to drop Comcast like a rock ($60 a month for cable... and rising every year). Will content providers be able to bypass cable and the dish if Apple TV takes off? We'll see in a year.
Chicago is at 41 degrees north, and civil twilight lasts from 6:11 AM to 6:46 AM, and 5:08 PM to 5:43 PM CST, if I read it right.
Since I can only see it in the morning, where will the comet be in the morning?
Funny, I was just looking at the PS3 sellers on e-Bay. This particular story is a funny read if you have some time at the office (and who doesn't, if you're reading this?) I couldn't help but think of Nelson and "ha ha!"
Speculators, meet the hard rock of economics.
Link. This story could use a visual. Clearly, as opposed to what the poster of the video would like us to think, it is not a UFO.
If Wii Sports is a great game (I'm assuming it is, I still don't have my Wii), and if Nintendo offered to have me download more sports as part of this nontraditional "episodic" collection, I might be interested.
If it's more of the same with monotonous plot turns and poor storylines, I won't be.
Wii Curling for $5, anyone?
I agree with the final decision; crashing a plane in this method is indeed accidental and stupid, but also commonplace, generally involving people not named John F. Kennedy Jr.
So at some point, when will Best Buy, Circuit City, etc. figure it out and charge a 15% restocking fee for returned consoles so that I don't have to worry about nearly as many scalpers?
The fact people were able to just return the consoles free and clear means that there really isn't a cost associated with scalping, unlike with sporting events, where you have a time deadline. This shouldn't happen.
Nothing prevents you from hanging clotheslines indoors. Just because it might be a tad more difficult doesn't mean it'll be impossible.
I'm about done with replacing the light bulbs (that I can) from incandescent to fluorescent, but we have a smaller chandelier that's hooked up to a dimmer. I generally keep it at 75% of full power. The light bulbs also last longer because (hearsay warning!) apparently, the fact that the lights don't flip on/off immediately helps the bulbs not burn out as quickly.
Anyways, somewhat on topic, I hear that in California all new development and remodeling requires fluorescent lighting. Is that true?
I love this idea and would like to implement it someday. But,
1.) I don't own a diesel vehicle (yet), and
2.) It was 1.9 F (-16.2 C) last night. The record low in Chicago is -22 F (-30 C). Does vegetable oil freeze?
This model is only as effective as the employees you hire. (Really, every company is only as effective as the employees they hire, but I digress.)
In the end you still have to fire your useless employees, and concentrate on hiring the useful ones. The ones that won't apply just to take advantage of the system.
Blah. I amend my post to read "Wii Remote: $39.99". The "Never check Wikipedia for /. posts" axiom costs me again!
Typical slideshow presenters: $56.00.
Wii Remote: $29.95
All that you're missing is a laser pointer, and the requisite freaking sharks.
Yup, sounds like you're not in the target market.
The point of endless games is because there's a whole lot of people-turning-gamers out there that don't want to have a game that has a point at the end of 80 hours of playtime. Neither real life tennis, bowling, or golf have lost their appeal after 200+ years of existence. Nintendo expects Wii Sports owners to, likewise, just keep playing those games because it's fun.
This is why, 2 years after Mario Tennis was released on GameCube, my wife still asks me to play it with her. Anyone who knows how to handle a video game controller can pick it up and play it. With the Wii, you don't even need that.
Gives another meaning to "replay value", doesn't it?
...but I'll put it another way. I don't think I'll be complaining about the length of my game during hour 65 of Twilight Princess.
So... PSP software sales increased from 100 total units to 268? Or am I being generous?
True, I was missing an important caveat.
This has gone largely unnoticed on Slashdot...
This has gone largely unnoticed, but Microsoft has started a hell of a holiday XBOX 360 campaign, based on the practical idea that they can steal potential sales from Sony because there don't seem to be any PS3s available for retail, so they'll buy 360s instead.
The Wii seems to have stolen a little bit off Microsoft's thunder, which they may or may not have expected (since both Sony and MS are buying into the "Nintendo isn't in our market" byline). The console currently has an 8 million to 600,000 lead... I'm wondering if, at the end of 2007, when the score is much closer (Nintendo will put out 8 million consoles by July at the rate of 250,000 per week) and everyone gets to see if the Wii really does have a broader market, MS will be changing its tune.