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January 30, 2009
The Midwest: Toughen up, bundle up, tap your brakes.
Is that Exit 44A, or a new footpath to Springfield? You live too long in Southern California, you get too soft; too much time in New York City, you get too tough. A famous Indianapolis-born writer--the brand of eccentric you get only from America's Heartland--once said that.
This week: Detroit, and then Columbus and Dayton for driving. The weather gets worse at every venue. On an IP mission here, and can't figure out the heating system in the rental car. You get annoyed that the car's heat is not working, then you realize that's all the heat there is. Been a long time since you worried about your windshield wiper fluid cache. Speaking of icy southern Ohio, IP missions and frozen markets, Cincinnati's always-excellent Patent Baristas has this one from earlier in the week: "Patent Law: Global Economic Slowdown Edition".
Hull McGuire's recent cut-back on travel expenses was offset by significant upgrades in its Pittsburgh staff. At a rest stop, a new hire surveys a snowy Ohio field. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
Nino Does Duke.
But can he do that reverse pretzel thing? Alumni and students alike speak of "The Duke Experience" in reverent and hushed tones. And Justice Scalia, whether you love him or not, has Moxie. So can we get that smooth little genius to do a pole dance in downtown Durham over at the Re-Lax Parlor? When I lived all those years on East Capitol, Scalia and I used to pass each other on The Mall while jogging. He stays in pretty good shape. See Duke Daily Chronicle: "Justice Scalia Pays Visit to School of Law". Excerpt:
Scalia responded with humor to one question concerning the free speech of exotic dancing.
"I like it," he joked, adding that it does not fall under the protection of the First Amendment. "I draw a line there, I don't think that means communication."
Posted by JD Hull at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)
Amazon: In the Zone.
And how nice for you. Americans do "small" pretty well; we've raised it to an art form in some circles and regions. But certainly we are more attractive when we enter the No Schadenfreude Zone. Amazon, the nation's largest online retailer, is doing quite well, thank you, according to the The Seattle Times late yesterday:
NEW YORK — Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday that its fourth-quarter profit rose 9 percent and easily surpassed analysts' forecasts. Those results, plus an optimistic forecast, sent its shares soaring 13 percent in extended trading.
Amazon had called the holiday season its "best ever," and the earnings report backed up the idea that the online retailer is not being seriously hurt by cutbacks in consumer spending. Amazon said its revenue in the current quarter should be between $4.53 billion and $4.93 billion, while analysts are expecting $4.57 billion. [more]
Posted by Holden Oliver (Kitzbühel Desk) at 06:40 PM | Comments (0)