Maszman Speaks! » Fail

The New Normal for the US Labor Market

Tom — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:54:49 +0000

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke thinks the US labor market is a ‘Long Way’ from normal. Sounds like there’s room for improvement, right? Wrong. The labor market isn’t far from normal, it is normal. The problem is that the definition of normal has changed and a lot of peoples’ understanding hasn’t changed.

Short of a miracle, 10% unemployment is the new 5% unemployment. And, as we all know, that’s just the measure of people still hoping to find a job.

Mitt’s Tax Returns

Tom — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:50:33 +0000

What’s wrong with Mitt Romney’s tax returns isn’t the returns themselves, it’s the tax code that allows him to pay so little in taxes.

Look at it this way. He made almost 400 times as much as I did last year yet his tax rate is about one-third of mine. How is that even possible? I ask rhetorically, because it’s not only possible but perfectly legal. This, then, is what is wrong with America and until it’s changed we’re doomed to watch the number of “have nots” grow and grow.

It’s too late, RIM, it’s too late

Tom — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:16:38 +0000

As you’d expect from a company with two CEOs, who delivered a tablet computer that needed a phone attached to do anything useful, and who is hemorrhaging market share in the corporate smart phone arena it once owned, RIM’s two CEOs have handed over the reins to a company insider only two years later than they should have.

Rochester zoning board rules Cataract brewhouse can be razed

Tom — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:57:00 +0000

In the grand Rochester tradition of tearing down historically significant buildings and replacing them with parking lots, Rochester’s Zoning Board of Appeals will allow the Cataract brewhouse to be demolished and replaced with, wait for it, a parking lot.

If I ever get around to writing a history of Rochester, I plan on calling it “Paving Over The Past”.

Blogging The Art of Possibility: I Quit

Tom — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:16:08 +0000

Well, I gave it a shot but I couldn’t finish The Art of Possibility by Rosamund and Ben Zander. I tried, but it became more and more a “don’t worry, be happy” thing for me. No one was reading these entries anyway and as such I feel no obligation to slog through the rest of the book. I managed 48 pages, which isn’t bad I guess.

If I ever do something like this again, it’s going to be after I read the book, not during.

Is Google vandalizing OpenStreetMap?

Tom — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:08:12 +0000

Google’s been in the news a lot lately for less than flattering reasons. Last week it was scraping data from a Kenyan business data startup, this week it appears to be vandalizing OpenStreetMap. The vandals have the same Google India IP addresses as the Kenyan incident.

Why Did Kodak, Motorola And Nortel Fail?

Tom — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:37:18 +0000

As Kodak (EK) stock hovers well below a dollar a share and rumors of bankrupty swirl, a lot of people have been wondering where it all went wrong. The same goes for Motorola and Nortel. These were all technology leaders at one time and each has fallen to the wayside as competitors beat them at their own game.

Kodak, in particular, is a frustrating story. They knew digital was going to become dominant and they were out there with digital cameras ahead of everyone. But Kodak concentrated on the professional market a bit too long. The real revolution was in the consumer market and while they had some consumer grade cameras early on, they weren’t good enough compared to the competition.

Of course, even if they had attacked consumer markets earlier (and better) it’s not clear they would have prospered. They were still in love with film and not in a position to downsize it and remain profitable. The cuts that they were forced into would have just come earlier. As the linked article points out, sometimes there’s nothing you can do.

Ex-client accuses John Parrinello of attack

Tom — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:55:54 +0000

The guilty man’s favorite parasite, John Parinello, has a bit of a temper. But now he may have gone a bit too far after an ex-client accused him of attacking and choking him in his office.

It will be interesting to see if Parinello can find a lawyer willing to defend him or whether he’ll have to do the job himself.

[Update 1/9/2012] There’s been an arrest warrant issued.

Verizon learns a lesson(?)

Tom — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 23:53:53 +0000

Verizon may have a decent network, but their customer service is horrible, almost beyond belief. So their move to charge a $2 payment fee when you pay your bill was hardly surprising. What is surprising is that they actually responded to customer complaints and backed off from the plan. Of course, the FCC looking into the matter may have been the real motivation, so it’s a tough call.

Dear Congress, It’s No Longer OK To Not Know How The Internet Works

Tom — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:23:46 +0000

Joshua Kopstein doesn’t think willful ignorance of the Internet by both major parties in Congress is acceptable in the age of SOPA and PROTECT-IP.