Let's Be Pirates

This is Doug's personal blog. The name came from a Steve Jobs quote. You'll find occasional observations, writings, links from around the web, conversational tidbits, and maybe even a brief rant every now and then.

Email: d -at- letsbepirates.com
Nov 19
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» Let Detroit Go Bankrupt

This New York Times Op-Ed Contributor piece is right on in my opinion. Mitt Romney (former governor of Massachusetts and former presidential candidate) makes some valid suggestions:

  1. Get new labor agreements and benefits to become competitive with the competition. Work with the unions to come to an agreement and consider other forms of compensation like profit sharing or stock grants.
  2. Get rid of the the existing management teams and bring in people from other industries who know about marketing, innovation, creativity, and complex labor relations.
  3. Ensure the new management team is down to earth. No fancy planes, no private conference rooms, etc. They should make less money than the current management and talk to the frontline employees more. 
  4. Watch cash flow and other financial metrics with long term viability in mind.
  5. Treat the sales force right and respect the best dealers.

The article is well worth a read.

Oct 23
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“ If Ford or Toyota had innovated at a similar pace, he says, “a car would probably go half the speed of light,” and if you were going to San Francisco for a week, it would be “cheaper to throw out the card and buy a new one” than to feed quarters into the parking meter.
— Intel executive Mooly Eden telling Fast Company about Intel’s track record of rapid innovation and the chip industry
Sep 04
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» NY Times Op-Ed: Bringing Pell Grants to My Eyes
Extremely well written editorial in the New York Times by author and essayist Sarah Vowel.
Aug 30
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“ The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
— computer scientist Alan Kay. 
Aug 23
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My desktop changes each time I logon. 80% of my backgrounds are from InterfaceLIFT and they are all pretty cool. I think this one is especially nice.
My desktop changes each time I logon. 80% of my backgrounds are from InterfaceLIFT and they are all pretty cool. I think this one is especially nice.
Aug 17
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1-800-FREE411

1-800-FREE411 is amazing. I usually use GOOG-411, but Free 411 is infinitely better.

It found the exact listing I was looking for and text messaged me driving directions (easily picking up my address after I said it once). The voice recognition was the best I’ve ever seen/heard on any sort of phone system. 

Free 411 has ads, but considering how powerful it is (and how much less I have to yell at it and repeat myself), they’re not at all annoying and well worth it.

Aug 16
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BlackBerry Music Player

My new BlackBerry Curve has a pretty good music player. It functions just like iTunes or any other desktop player and is definitely better than the one included with Windows Mobile.
Aug 13
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“ To cultivate an opposition to change is the currency of the rich and stupid.
— John Steinbeck
Aug 10
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This is the dump where King James II was exiled to after the British Civil War. It’s called the Château de saint-Germain-en-Laye and is located about 10 miles from Paris. The life of a despotic British monarch in exile was evidently a tough one.
This is the dump where King James II was exiled to after the British Civil War. It’s called the Château de saint-Germain-en-Laye and is located about 10 miles from Paris. The life of a despotic British monarch in exile was evidently a tough one.