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« July 2006 | Main | September 2006 »

RadioShack Fires 400 Employees by Email

Ouch — so this is what getting sacked has come to?  RadioShack has been receiving some well-earned bad publicity for its decision to fire around 400 people by email. 

“Unfortunately,” the email reads, “your position is one that has been eliminated.”

Wouldn’t you say that’s just a tad bit impersonal?

RADIOSHACK 

Posted by on August 31, 2020 at 02:01 PM in Business, Web/Tech | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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KILLER INSTINCT By Joseph Finder

KILLER INSTINCT

By Joseph Finder

St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010

$24.95, hardcover, 401 pages; ISBN 0-312-34747-2 (2006).

 

            Joseph Finder has an interesting background.  He speaks fluent Russian and is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers.  He obtained his undergraduate degree from Yale and his master’s degree from the Harvard Russian Research Center.  He’s written many articles on espionage and international affairs for such publications as The New York Times and The Washington Post.  This is the background he brings to his fiction – and it shows.

            Like many of his other novels, this book revolves around deception in the high tech corporate world.  It’s a highly entertaining story and Finder manages to captures how easy it would be for anyone who wants more in life to develop a killer instinct – especially with a little help.

            Jason Steadman works as a sales manager for a big electronics company (think Sony or Panasonic).  He works in the division that makes flat screen LCD and plasma TVs.  He makes a good living and is well liked by his boss and fellow employees.  The problem is that he’s stuck: unable to move up to the corporate level.  His problem?  You guessed it – he lacks that “killer instinct” that will propel him to the next level.

            Then one day everything changes.  Jason goes off the road and gets a tow from Kurt Semko, a former Special Forces officer just returned from Iraq.  As thanks for his help, Jason gets Kurt a job at his company in Corporate Security.  Suddenly, good things happen to Jason.  His sales go through the roof and his previously stalled career takes off.  All previous sales roadblocks seem to disappear.  Not only that, but Jason’s rivals mysteriously falter.

            When a competitor lands a big account over Jason, the plasma monitors from Panasonic arrive dead.  Jason suspects Kurt and confronts him.

 

                        “Do you realize what kind of deep shit we’d both be in if anyone connected us to what happened?”

                        Now he looked annoyed.  “I know how to cover my tracks, bro.”

                        “You can’t do this,” I said.  “Maybe sabotage is acceptable in the Special Forces, but not in the business world.”

                        He stared right back at me.  “And I expected a little gratitude.”

                        “No, Kurt.  Don’t ever do this again.  Are we clear?  I don’t want any more of your help.”

            He shrugged, but his eyes were cold.  “You don’t understand, do you?  I take care of my friends.  That’s what I do.  That’s who I am.  Like the Marines say, no better friend, no worse enemy.”

                        “Yeah, well,” I said, “I’m glad I’m not your enemy.”

 

            Despite his best intentions to manage without Kurt’s help, Jason finds he needs Kurt’s inside knowledge just one more time.  It’s then that Jason realizes that Kurt will stop at nothing to further Jason’s career.  When he finally calls a complete halt to Kurt’s activities, Jason discovers that having Kurt as a foe is not only bad for his career, but his life is in danger.  Kurt believes that “business is war” and Jason is now the enemy.

            This novel is highly entertaining.  Be prepared to stay up late with this one.

 

Posted by on August 31, 2020 at 01:21 PM in Book Reviews, Books | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1)

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Thank You N.Y. Yankees for ending the Red Sox season

After this 5–game sweep by the Yankees over the Boston Red Sox, I no longer have to wait until September or — heaven forbid, October — for my Red Sox team to die a slow death.  Instead, I’ve seen them fail miserably in August.  Now I can focus on other things besides baseball — my family, work, remaining summer projects and other sports (the Patriots are looking good so far).

I mean what can I say about this 5 game debacle?  On July 4th of this year, the Sox lead the Yankees by 4 games — they’re now behind by 6 1/2.  New York scored nearly twice as many runs in the 5–game series (49–25) and just ate up our pitchers.  The Yankees hit better, pitched more effectively, fielded well, ran the bases with ease and out-coached the Red Sox.  Face it, they just did everything right.  Boston hadn’t lost all 5 games in a series like this to the Yankees in over 50 years. 

Bowing

So thanks again New York — I don’t have to wait for the Red Sox to fold over the next month or two — the Sox are now toast.  Oh, the Red Sox Nation will tell you about the statistical probability of still gaining a wild card spot — but please.  What for?  So they can be embarrassed again by the Yankees. 

Sorry Sox fans.  This season is over. 

Posted by on August 22, 2020 at 10:04 AM in Current Affairs, Games, Sports | | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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Enemy Mine

With yesterday’s foiling of a terrorist attack in London by “Islamic fascists” (as President Bush called them) who wanted to simultaneously blow up a bunch of planes heading for the US, we have to wonder just how difficult it must be to spot these extremists.  After all, the press is calling them “ethnic Pakistanis” but as William Shawcross points out in the Wall Street Journal today, some of these men and many others intent on doing us harm are European-born.  They are from Britain, France, Holland, Denmark and elsewhere. 

There are undoubtedly some people here in the US who are prepared to wage a terrorist war against America.  How do we spot these people?  Do we have the necessary manpower, financing, technology and training to locate them?  What is the balancing act between funding the war on terror in Iraq and funding the war on terror worldwide — and specifically here on US soil? 

These are difficult questions.

 

Posted by on August 11, 2020 at 09:42 AM in Current Affairs, Politics, Religion, War | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Kansas City Sweeps Red Sox

Here in Red Sox country we expect the Sox to hit their September slump each and every year.  It seems that this season it has come a month early with lowly KC sweeping the Sox and helping propel them to be 3 behind the dreaded Yankees.

Was it just a month ago that we were winning what — like 15 in a row or something?

Ouch!

Choke

Posted by on August 11, 2020 at 08:46 AM in Current Affairs, Games, Sports | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Al Nye The Funny Guy?

Comedyportland

 

I took a Stand-Up Comedy class this spring at the local comedy club.  It was taught by Tim Ferrell and was a great experience.  I did it for a couple of reasons – one of which was to help me teach a class to trial lawyers about presentation techniques that stand-up can help improve.  I’m getting Tim Ferrell and a wonderfully funny local comedian, Karen Morgan (a former lawyer and Maine’s funniest Mom), to help me.  The idea isn’t original with me.  David Swanner (of South Carolina Trial Law Blog fame) gave me the idea and was even kind enough to provide me with some written materials for a course that he and Manny Oliveira put on.  I’ve performed on stage several times since taking the class but my “big break” came last week.

 

On July 28th and 29th I was fortunate to be one of the guest comics opening for undoubtedly Maine’s funniest comedian: Bob Marley.  It was a great experience.  I opened for Bob for 3 sets at the Comedy Connection of Portland on Friday the 28th and 4 sets the next night.  Dennis Hunt hosted the shows and Shane Kinney also performed.  They are very funny guys who both did a great job.

 

The place was packed for each show – Bob Marley is such a popular comedian here in Maine that he sells out wherever he performs.  It was great fun and Bob was so gracious to allow me – as a rank novice – to work with him.  He’s done shows in all the top comedy clubs in the country, appeared in the best hotels in Vegas, been on the Tonight Show, Letterman, Conan O’Brien and many others.  He’s taping a half-hour show for Comedy Central in New York this month and he’s also appeared in half a dozen movies.  I could go on and on about his many professional accomplishments.

 

Yet he is the most humble and down-to-earth person you ever want to meet.  He’s, quite simply, a class act.

 

Thanks Bob!

Posted by on August 10, 2020 at 09:52 PM in Business, Comedy, Current Affairs, Food and Drink | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Vacation Time

Portlandhead

I’ve been on vacation recently (last week and going again next week) — so posts have been few.  When I get back, I’ll post more often ….

Posted by on August 10, 2020 at 02:36 PM in Current Affairs, Travel | | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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