A great interview, the producer of Seinfeld. A job well done by both the interviewee and interviewer.

For baseball fans or non-fans alike, here's a good inside look into the negotiations surounding the failed Alex R for Manny R trade. I think it also touches on some of the issues we brought up in negotiation class.

There's a vote going on (and I'm not talking about the governmental one going on in the states) for the best superbowl commercial ever. Take a look at the top ten contenders.

Can someone justify why Russia is practicing world nuclear war techniques? I think not.

Those blood-sucking textbook publishers, an overview.

Vancouver beat out Ottawa for the 2006 World Junior Hockey Championships for which I had a deposit for 4 ticket packages. Congradulations Vancouver, I know you'll do a great job, almost as good as the blow jobs your bid executives gave to Bob Nicholson (head of Hockey Canada).

In Canada's common sence war against smoking, all public and work environments will be legally smoke-free by 2006, yippee!

Remember how they used to say if you played a record backwards it gave you a different message? Well further proof that you can find anything on the web (if you take the time away from looking for porn that is!), here's a listing of songs and their "hidden" backwards messages. Scary stuff!

I've always been skeptical about taking a company public. Being an entrepreneur at heart I have a propensity for control of the projects/firm that you work, whereas going public means you now report to the market, a very unforgiving and not very patient market at that. Take a look at what eMachine's was able to do by going private, impressive. Model for the future? At the very least a possible very interesting Harvard business case!

Business 2.0 (a business magazine) has released their yearly 101 Dumbest Moments in Business 2003.

My favorite is number 53:

The gangbusters success of Frozen Coke—a Slurpee-like concoction sold by Coca-Cola at Burger King restaurants—proves to be a sham in March, when it's revealed that the successful tests were the result of Coke paying $10,000 to buy up Frozen Coke combo meals.

I wonder how oftern this happens since many new products get short term "test runs" in large stores before being made a permanant product offering, quite damaging to the company if that trial run proves unsuccessful...

Some blog statistics and observations, EuroRoss over 4 months and counting! :-)

Here are the questions from a 3-hour strategy class exam from another un-named MBA program:

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1 - How should a corporation scan the external environment for new technological developments? Who should be responsible?

2 - What is technology research and how does it differ from market research?

3 - What is the importance of product and process R&D to competitive strategy?

4 - In terms of strategic management, how does a new venture’s situation differ form that of an ongoing small company?

5 - How should a small entrepreneurial company engage in environmental scanning? To what aspects of the environment should management pay most attention?

6 - What are the characteristics of an attractive industry from an entrepreneur’s point of view? What role does innovation play?
-----

Somehow I don't think our strategy class this semester prepared us for these types of questions... I don't think our strategy class this semester prepared us for much more than sleeping with our eyes open... (hence extra-curricular readings on the subject, see post below).

New York Fries, best fries ever! Can't wait to hit the movie theatre in Canada for NEW releases with REAL food!

Underworld is an entertaining movie despite lack-luster fight scenes at times and a plot jubolia... they also screw us with a "to be continued..." ending, but entertaining none the less! :-)

PS> Kate Beckinsale is hot!!



Update: Apparently Kate's married to Len Wiseman, the director for this movie... their breakup is imminant of course since she only desires EuroRoss :-)

Forbes worst 10 cars of all time (actually post World War II with production runs longer than one year).

I'm extremely interested in Strategic Management and even have a couple ideas in this area possibly for my thesis. So I'm looking at getting the book "Stategic Management" by Charles W. L. Hill and Gareth R. Jones (as my strategic management class this semester was less than fullfilling) and was wondering if any of you out there in Internet land have checked it out before? Worth the $127.16 US dollars? :-)

Another article by the same guy but this time on resumes. Not nearly as good but there's a couple points for beginners and one great quote:

"If you think for some reason that your résumé will get more attention if you print it out and send it through the mail, that you'll "stand out" somehow, disabuse yourself of that notion. Paper résumés can't get into the email folder we're using to keep track of applicants unless we scan them in, and, you know what? The scanner is right next to the shredder in my office and the shredder is easier to use."

One other thing he mentions but doesn't directly refer to is to have 2 people review the pile of resumes, that way you get another opinion which reduces bias, in fact get 3 people to look over the pile, that way possible bad apples can sometimes be weeded out and good interview candidates stand out.

This article has some great/interesting thoughts on the interview process. It gets a little programmer-specific in the middle but stick with it as the best points are nestled inside including these points which I felt were most relevant:

"An important thing to remember about interviewing is this: it is much better to reject a good candidate than to accept a bad candidate."

"Good candidates will try to get more information out of you about the problem."

"always leave about 5 minutes a the end of the interview to sell [your company]"

Does anyone have any lube? I just got violated by the econ exam. When we asked him what we needed to know for the exam I remembering him telling us "just know the notes, go over all the questions, and class notes, textbook readings and not to forget about personal research and readings and you should be fine"... basically know everything there is to know about economics.

What he forgot to tell us is to take a bottle of speed before the test so that we might have a tazmanian devil's chance of writting the answers to the questions in time. I say again, any lube?

I found comfort in McDonalds as a source of food that my stomach recognized when getting a little bored and disheartened with a German product laden diet (keep in mind that I rarely if ever go to McDonalds while in north America, that's what Harvey's is for!). Soon enough I found myself addicted to McD's fries and was going one or two times EVERY DAY! Well I gave it up as I'm soon to be returning home for the break and some gribalicious food, and it's a good thing I did. Take a look at this article I found on the web:

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Last February, Morgan Spurlock decided to become a gastronomical guinea pig.

His mission: To eat three meals a day for 30 days at McDonald's and document the impact on his health.

Scores of cheeseburgers, hundreds of fries and dozens of chocolate shakes later, the formerly strapping 6-foot-2 New Yorker - who started out at a healthy 185 pounds - had packed on 25 pounds.

But his supersized shape was the least of his problems.

Within a few days of beginning his drive-through diet, Spurlock, 33, was vomiting out the window of his car, and doctors who examined him were shocked at how rapidly Spurlock's entire body deteriorated.

His liver became toxic, his cholesterol shot up from a low 165 to 230, his libido flagged and he suffered headaches and depression.

Over the course of the [month], Spurlock [was] regularly examined by a gastroenterologist, a cardiologist and SoHo-based general practitioner Dr. Daryl Isaacs.

"He was an extremely healthy person who got very sick eating this McDonald's diet," Dr. Isaacs told The Post.

"None of us imagined he could deteriorate this badly - he looked terrible. The liver test was the most shocking thing - it became very, very abnormal."

Spurlock, who says he ate at McDonald's only sporadically before his total immersion in the Mickey D's menu, says he even began craving fat and sugar fixes between meals.

"I got desperately ill," he says. "My face was splotchy and I had this huge gut, which I've never had in my life.

"My knees started to hurt from the extra weight coming on so quickly. It was amazing - and really frightening."

The most read/referenced books on the web 2003. Some of these are on my Wishlist (hint hint), some I've read and some just suck :-)

Haven't blogged in a couple days, a direct result of exams, assignments, presentations etc etc etc... but the good news is classes for first semester are finally finished!! Just 2 projects, 3 exams and some crap to take care of before sweet steaks and hockey at home.

A couple thoughts from the past couple days:

Found a "Calvin and Hobbs" website, this used to be (and still is) my favorite comic strip. It's quite simply the best of all time. I'd put the books on my Amazon Wishlist if I didn't already own every one :-) Check out the "Spaceman Spiff" game they have, good for hours of exam-studying avoidance!

If you're not planning on signing up for business leadership next September, do it. Alot of work but equally productive and valuable.

Go check out the world's most respected companies 2003, complements of Aiste.

And finally, some of you have been wondering what I REALLY look like with short hair, so I've posted a pic from a previous vacation in Germany from a couple years ago, reminds me of some very good times and gives me inspiration to get through these fucking boring exams:

Go check out Micheal Jackson's Amazon wishlist :-) Go check out (and buy, buy, buy) mine too while you're at it!

"Vaporware" is anticipated software or hardware that never seems to be realeased, like when they say the new Windows OS will be out fourth quarter 2004 and it doesn't show... well ever. Check out this years "winners" from Wired mag,

Let the semester exam-bitching begin! Good luck everyone!

A notice to all cows in Canada (mad, sane or otherwise), I will be cuming home to Canada in less than a month and my teeth have recently been sharpened (read: chipped) and my appetite is insatious!

You know the new (well not so new) Outcast video "Hey Yall"? Check out Sadam Huissein's version "Hey Allah". Props to Stevie J for getting this to me first.

This article was posted in the papaer today. All I want to know is where? :-)

"Word from Germany that shopping centres are opening care centres for husbands who hate to shop. If they accompany wife to the mall, she can park them in the day care. Each will get two beers, a meal and access to televised sports."

Have time to kill? Can't get into studying? Dig 1960 arcade games? Check it out!

I don't think EuroRoss is in any danger of being slashdotted anytime soon :-)

Leadership lessons from the Godfather movie series, an interesting read.

The perfect combination: Beer + Belly

Very, very cool. It won't be too long before we all carry these things around and just dock them to pre-exsisting terminals.

A cool site that just had a contest that entrants had to submit commercials (no more than 30 seconds long) with an anti-Bush theme. While I don't necessarily agree or disagree with everything Bush says (or more to the point his policies as he has a tendency to say some pretty stupid things), I find these commercials pretty funny :-)

Watched "The Boondock Saints" movie last night. Probably the second best and second most underrated movie of all time (Swingers of course takes top prize). The website mentions a possible sequel "All Saints Day" but I haven't heard anything about it. These movie are "money" baby!

Does anyone use eDonkey to file-scam movies off the internet? Kazaa isn't bad but I've recently heard alot of good things about eDonkey, what are your experiences?

Looks like Germany is cutting 13.5 billion dollars from their defence budget and considering altering their mandatory conscription model in 2006 (election year).

The Barenaked Ladies (a very popular Canadian music band) will be playing at the NHL All-Star game on Feb 8th. They'll play a improved version of "One Week" at the beginning of the show and their new single "Testing 1, 2, 3..." during the intermission. Sweet, I love the naked ladies, for those of you not from Canada go check out some of their better songs from the album "Gordon" including "If I Had a Million Dollars" and the live version of "Brian Wilson", great music at it's best!

I've seen this many times before, but it's definatly worth a re-post :-)

(thanks Jules)
-----

inally, the guys side of the story. I must admit, it's pretty good. We
always hear "the rules" from the female side. Now here are the rules from
the male side. These are our rules! Please note... these are all numbered
"1" ON PURPOSE!

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it
down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about
you leaving it down.

1. Sunday = Sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides.
Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that
way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not
work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's
what
we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends give you.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact,
all comments become null and void after 7 days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to
act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways
makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done.
Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during
commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach,
for
example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea
what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like
nothing's
wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you
don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is
fine...Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to
discuss
such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.

Thank you for reading this; Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch
tonight, but did you know men really don't mind that, it's like camping.

The article doesn't mention that he actually got the gross misconduct penalty for spitting the blood at the feet of the referee while skating past. Basically the phlyers totally let a game get away from them going in tied 2-2 to the third and then giving up 3 quick goals, so they got frustrated. I watched the game and the "bad calls" where a result of poor phlyer play, not poor refereeing. Shame Roenick, shame!

Of course I'd be pretty pissed off at anyone within my view if I had been sticked in the eye the game before, my team was on a terrible losing streak and sticked again in this game twice, one of which from one of my own players! I feel a lengthy suspension cuming on! Hey Roenick, nice grill...

The CHL Top Prospects game takes an all-star team of all draft eligible players from the CHL and pits them against each other in a one game show of skills. This is the best game of the year. Imagine how hard these players go in this game when they know that every hockey scout in the league is looking at them preform. Here's the list for this years teams, a couple Ottawa 67's made the list, Kyle Wharton and Brian Bickel.

Oh yeah, and the two teams are coached (loosly and for fun) by Don Cherry and Boddy Orr... best game of the year!

Ottawa's still the champs! (check out the last line of the article) Good old days of the Ottawa Silver Seven... sweet!

Go check out the trailer for the new movie cuming out in summer 2004, King Arthur.

Things are crazy with the approach of exams, final projects are due and a general gearing up of going away parties :-)

I liked this reference on the recent articles on the high mercury levels in fish-farm grown fish: don't get bitched by mad fish disease, go back to mad cow!

*I miss steaks, roasts and Harvey's grilled burgers HUGE! One month before I get back to Canada and becum a glorified example of subsidence consumption.

The Canadian Royal Mint (which produces the country's currenct) has some new collector coins out which look pretty cool. The mint (located in Ottawa and I think there's even one in Winnipeg*) is definatly somewhere you should check out if you're in Ottawa.

*although there's NOTHING in Winnipeg :-)

Some articles from the Ottawa Citizen of note:

Part I of a three part article on trans-fats for the New Years reborn health concious.

Those marijuana smoking, beer drinking, hockey watching Canadians!

Thank-you Canada for being as smoke-free as everywhere in the world!

As the end of first semester approaches, I wonder what everyone thinks, did you mak ethe right choice in cuming here? Although every program has its positives and negatives, so far I have been extremely happy with my decision but time will tell.

Losing 4-3 when you're up 3-1 going into the third is heartbreaking. Good show Canada Juniors, just one period short.

Play to win in sports, do the same in business.

Word of the day which I did not know while reading "The New GE":

Diffident - lacking or marked by a lack of self-confidence; shy and timid; reserved in manner.

Back to the grind :-(

The new Mannheim Adler's (DEL hockey team) new stadium plans, holds over 14,000!! Looks good!

An interesting article. I like it because it refers to an ability that I hold in high esteem, to be able to look at the current situation of things and improve it or identify inefficiencies and redundancy.

While the European Space Agency's "Beagle" rover seems to have failed, the United States NASA effort to land on Mars for the second time looks like a success. Here's a cool site with regular text updates, pictures and video's from the "Spirit Rover" lander, I can't wait for the first Martian snapshot, say cheese!

Combining a blend of scoring (second all-time), captained championships (third all-time), intimidation and unparallelled leadership, Mark Messier is quite simply the best hockey player in the history of the game.

The magic of the "lucky loonie" is in full force, we're going to the gold medal game! GO CANADA JUNIORS GO!!!

For those of you with websites of your own with Amazon Wishlists:

1 - Link to my site.

2 - Go check out this site on changes to the Amazon Wishlist linking system.

3 - Buy me something from the EuroRoss Amazon Wishlist :-)

Wanna spice up your powerpoint presentations? Check this site out and you can add flow charts in London transit system style.

For those of you already struggling with your new-New Year's resolutions:

It's never too late to be what you might have been. -- george eliot

Winterlude is the three weekend festival in Ottawa every year on the Rideau Canal. In the winter Ottawa freezes over the canal which creates the longest skating rink in the world, it's free for all (except that you will HAVE to buy a "beaver tail" which is like a kind of VERY VERY good donut) and provides some of the best times of the year. There's ice sculpting contests, organized hockey and ringette games, lots of food, games and of course skating! Somehow my trip home this year coincides with this event... coincidence? :-)

Interesting update on the state of Bundesliga television rights.

Let the countdown to 2005 begin!

New Year's in Pforzheim was interesting to say the least. I cannot believe how many fireworks went off, and not by the city presentation but by the populous itself! You literally could not see the street roads from all the firework casings. I've mentioned that the firecrackers began a couple days ago, one or two an hour all day and all night. This scattering of works became an increasingly frequent display and eventually culminated in a constant barrage from all over the city from 11:30 on. I was not alive when World War II was fought but I certainly know what it looks and sounds like when a city is getting bombed now!

Good times to all I saw, phoned and thought about on another great bash heading into another year... let's make it a good one!

The only thing more inevitable than the tacky new years resolutions that never make it alive out of January is the pre-ordained sickness starting January first and usually lasting all through exams... damn!

A cool map of the United States that shows you which areas a specific area code is (five numeric digits for american postal codes).