Here is a link to a fantastic story by Julian Baggini on Slate.com. It really details the struggles atheists in our country go through. Now don’t get me wrong I am not saying you should feel sorry for me or my family, we can take care of ourselves. If you don’t want to read 4 pages then just skip to the end and read the final paragraph.. it really does say it all.
Click here for the “In God We Must” story.
This is a fantastic video explaining how simple it is to stay healthy. Even if you are in a high risk category it is simple to do. That said I still don’t do it… but I am going to start tonight! Thank you Dr Mike Evans.
It’s time to talk about good customer service. While on my trip to CES in Las Vegas this week we ate at The Cheesecake Factory. And even though they stole my idea of a hamburger coupled with macaroni and cheese they did a good job with what could have been a customer service fail. The table placed the orders and all seemed fine. We then got our meals and instead of my order I got a something completely different.. definitely not macaroni and cheese.
Unfortunately most companies these days would have put in the correct order and called it a day. The manager did what should be expected but is rarely done anymore. He quickly came over to the table and apologized. I know it sounds silly and simple but you just don’t receive this type of reaction these days. He also gave us a free piece of cheesecake for our trouble which wasn’t expected but appreciated.
More companies should work harder to go back to the old days where people take responsibility for their mistakes and make sure the customer is happy. It is so easy to do the right thing, we all need to work harder at it. Most people work harder to get out of confrontation when it is usually nowhere near as bad as they think is. Attaboy Cheesecake Factory!
I will post more technical review on products as I dig in as the week goes. Here is a quick update on some non technical items that I saw today.
Here is my next Audi.
Here was a cute little robot that could balance itself even when completely still. Very impressive.
This video tells us all we need to know about why the United States is going to be relegated to playing backup quarterback in the future. Now I am not an expert in construction or unions (which I am not a fan) but.. Building a 30 story building in the United States would take months if not years. The costs for a project like this would probably be 100x the amount as well. And with the exception of a few projects there is no way work would go 24 hours a day.
China built this in 15 days… 15 days! I know it is modular but that is ingenious not cheap. It’s called efficiency and speed. I don’t think all buildings should be built this way but there are plenty of projects where modular design makes a whole lot of sense. That’s not what this is about anyway. This is about work ethic, having a goal, getting your entire country on track etc.
Now the question is… will we continue to plod down the road until we are a past super power or will we learn from them and start innovating again?
Every year I tell Mandee and the boys that I don’t want them to waste the money on a present for me. Sometimes they listen and sometimes they don’t. This year I made the comment once again but of course they didn’t listen.
If you know me you know I am a bit of a coffee snob. I use a french press at home and have decided that is as good as it gets.. period. So when I opened my present and it was a drip coffee maker I wasn’t overwhelmed with joy. You never want to take a present back when you get it from immediate family but Mandee knew by the look on my face that is exactly what was going to happen. After much deliberation we decided to replace it with a Keurig since it was so diverse in the drinks it can make and Mandee is always wanting to try new tea, hot chocolate and even sometimes coffee.
I went into it very skeptical but I am happy to admit that I was wrong. Don’t get me wrong it isn’t as good as a cup of coffee from a french press but it’s pretty close. Even better there is no cleanup. With the press it is a pain to get everything clean.
So the lesson here is… sometimes it is good that the family doesn’t listen.
Normally I don’t care about college politics and power. In this case I can’t stop thinking about the Jerry Sandusky situation and Penn State. By this time we all know the details about how Sandusky molested young boys and how Penn State and Joe Paterno knew about it but did nothing.. other than allowing him to retire a hero etc.
I think the higher ups at Penn State will eventually get what is coming to them along with Sandusky. Now the debate is should Paterno continue to coach. Today he decided to retire at the end of the year and in his words “with dignity”… What? He knew that his friend and long time co-worker was molesting a 10 year old boy on the Penn State campus. He did the legal minimum by telling the powers that be at Penn State about the incident. Why is he allowed finish the season “with dignity”? I will say it again. He knew what was going on and he didn’t call the police. At most colleges the football coach doesn’t have that much power. Penn State isnt’ most colleges. Joe Paterno is a god at Penn State. He is also responsible for setting an example for the kids he coaches. In my opinion he is morally bankrupt for what he allowed to happen to other children because he didn’t do the right thing.
We all make mistakes but this is one that he should pay for. He should be fired right now and kicked off campus. He should not continue to be revered based on what he did. He should be made an example of what he he didn’t do.
If you want to learn a little about how commerce on the Internet (and every other medium) really takes off you should watch Middle Men. You guessed it, the porn industry pushes innovation that others then copy. This movie isn’t overly dirty but just enough to keep your attention.
Here is a great short video about being happy from the man.. Gary Vay-ner-chuk!