Renting foreigners to do business and gain more face — typical in China! I remember a ‘Canadian’ fashion show with models from Brazil, Russia and other Eastern European countries… and a couple of Canucks.
Renting foreigners to do business and gain more face — typical in China! I remember a ‘Canadian’ fashion show with models from Brazil, Russia and other Eastern European countries… and a couple of Canucks.
He’s not making any new friends is he, Donald Trump? It’s one thing to fight over redeveloping a piece of land that is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, since you can argue the merits of economic progress over conservation at all costs, but it’s completely another to rename the place to make it easier for the hard-of-thinking to remember and insult the landowners at the same time.
If Mr Forbes wants to live on an old property that isn’t totally maintained, that’s his choice, it’s his land. Capitalism and private property tends to work that way. The Donald needs to play a better PR game.
Strange, isn’t it? The Internet is a great democratiser, but it’s also helped to concentrate power in only a few hands. I’m sure this isn’t exactly groundbreaking news, but my “I built my own website!” self is really having trouble coming to terms with it (but embracing it at the same time, I know I’ve written about it before but I can’t find it).
The web is shrinking! With the popularity of Facebook and Twitter (and their apps), there are probably five gazillion more pages out there. But the information on these sites lives and dies there.
It makes my life easier as a marketer to have these huge, aggregated sites that almost everyone visits — I can plan strategies with much more ease (notwithstanding my current question on how well these applications will display on mobile devices as they get more and more complex). I’m still occasionally obliged to build and/or manage a microsite, but one thing I’ve noticed there is a real dearth of these days is the fan site. There might be one or two that are real draws, but more people are likely to pledge allegiance in their profiles or on the Facebook Pages themselves.
It must be human nature to be lazy. The Web was this Wild West-y sort of place and it still sort of is — but for the most part, the mainstream have decided to take the path of least resistance and join up with these mega sites so they are ‘hanging out’ where everyone else is. I’m betting there are fewer weblogs now that social network and micro-blogging sites have really taken off.
There are still some excellent sites, thank goodness, but I guess this is the way the world works. There may have been a technological revolution and there’s all this talk about how kids are so different because they’re ‘digital natives’, but there hasn’t been a revolution in human behaviour. We’re still lazy shits who, generally, want to enjoy the fruits of other people’s labours.
If the Digital Economy Bill becomes law, we will be presumed guilty until proven innocent. Neil would say, go read The Road to Serfdom to find out how we got here.
Oh my. Clearly I have been completely taken in by the feel-good atmosphere of Ikea, when the family is allegedly pretty slushy grey snow.
Conflict diamonds are an externality stemming from the economics of the diamond business. Hence, if you want to stop Mugabe and other tyrants from selling conflict diamonds, stop coveting diamonds.
Royal Mail employees — hastening their own redundancy.
Anyone living in the UK has been a victim of the crap service the Royal Mail has provided because of local strikes over the last few months (not to mention the other strikes last year). Books are heavy to post, and we’ve had loads go missing. I’d be surprised to discover any real support for postal workers outside their blood relations and hardcore unionists.
Here’s an opportunity for enterprising kids to make some money this Christmas. Do a deal with your busy and/or elderly neighbours – hand deliver all their local Christmas cards for the same price as the Royal Mail. Keep it local this year!
On Friday afternoon, I received an, er, interesting phone call.
Blatantly A Salesman: Hello, this is Everest*. We’re going to see some of your neighbours… [sales patter about double glazing]
Me: All our windows are double-glazed and they’re pretty new, thanks.
BAT: How about doors? We can drop by and show you our brochure. Can we come by for a chat tomorrow?
Me: No. We’re busy.
BAT: How about Sunday?
Me: No, we’re busy.
BAT: Well, we’ll just drop a brochure off on Monday afternoon, then. Can I take your name?
Me: Why?
BAT: It just says ‘The Householder’ here.
Me: I’d prefer not to give you my name.
BAT: We’ll end it here, then. *click*
I guess their windows are selling so well that they’ve taken to trying to sell mailing lists.
* Unless it’s someone trying to sully Everest’s name…?