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-Big Wow-Zappos CEO Talks Culture Fit and the Importance of Creating a 'Wow' Experience – ReadWriteWeb

Specially like the ceo’s outlook, if you get the culture right everything else follows!

So what is different about Zappos?
* The company provides free shipping both ways
* Zappos has a 365 day return policy
* Only products available in the warehouse are placed on the site
* The warehouse is open 24 hours a day
* The company is contactable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
* The 1800 contact number is prominently placed on every page of the site
* The company trusts in its reps; sales staff don’t have scripts
* If products are unavailable, sales staff direct customers to competitors
Zappos CEO Talks Culture Fit and the Importance of Creating a ‘Wow’ Experience – ReadWriteWeb.

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-Learned Today-Singing Together-Paul Kedrosky: Never Sing on the Trading Floor

ty to pk for the pointer

Synchrony and Cooperation
Scott S. Wiltermuth and Chip Heath
ABSTRACT
Armies, churches, organizations, and communities often engage in activities—for example, marching, singing, and dancing—that lead group members to act in synchrony with each other. Anthropologists and sociologists have speculated that rituals involving synchronous activity may produce positive emotions that weaken the psychological boundaries between the self and the group. This article explores whether synchronous activity may serve as a partial solution to the free-rider problem facing groups that need to motivate their members to contribute toward the collective good. Across three experiments, people acting in synchrony with others cooperated more in subsequent group economic exercises, even in situations requiring personal sacrifice. Our results also showed that positive emotions need not be generated for synchrony to foster cooperation. In total, the results suggest that acting in synchrony with others can increase cooperation by strengthening social attachment among group members.
Paul Kedrosky: Never Sing on the Trading Floor.

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-Better Proof Reading-Rice professor's discovery may save your iPhone battery | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle

All of this worked well enough in mathematical theory and simulations, but Palem couldn’t prove his concept until he built and tested a chip. The first test results came back late last year.
All of this worked well enough in mathematical theory and simulations, but Palem couldn’t prove his concept until he built and tested a chip. The first test results came back late last year.
Rice professor’s discovery may save your iPhone battery | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com – Houston Chronicle.

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-rePost-GMANews.TV – TI prepares to open new facility in Clark – Business – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA

Great news! with around 4000 people laid off from intel and amkor, hope TI can take up the slack, and the laid off workers didn’t have non competes

TI prepares to open new facility in Clark
02/10/2009 | 02:34 AM
CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines – Texas Instruments, Inc. (TI), the world’s largest manufacturer of semiconductors, is expected to operate early June here, belying reports that it will abandon its plant, leaving some 3,000 job applicants in limbo.
Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president and chief executive officer Benigno Ricafort said that TI’s $1.5-billion plant is almost complete. “Equipment and other facilities, which will be used for its operations, have been delivered to its new building.”
“Some 100 of its personnel in Baguio are expected to be here to train the new workers,” he said.
He said that despite the effects of the US economic meltdown, TI would be able to employ some 3,000 workers, but gradually. “I don’t think there has been any change in that (plan),” he added.
GMANews.TV – TI prepares to open new facility in Clark – Business – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA.

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GMANews.TV – 100 dolphins stranded off Bataan, 3 reported dead – Regions – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA

About 15 minute slow drive from my house, hope the dolphins get rescued fast!

100 dolphins stranded off Bataan, 3 reported dead
02/10/2009 | 08:31 AM
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MANILA, Philippines – At least 100 dolphins were beached off the coastal area of Pilar town in the northern Philippines province of Bataan, Governor Enrique Garcia Jr. said early Tuesday.
In a radio interview, Garcia cited initial reports that at least three of the dolphins may have died, even as local residents tried to push them back into the water.
“Mahigit 100 dolphins ang stranded sa Pilar … Report namin about 30 minutes ago tumawag ako sa SBMA at Ocean Adventure na magpadala ng rescue team dito [More than 100 dolphins were stranded in Pilar town. About 30 minutes ago I called the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and
Ocean Adventure to bring in rescue teams],” Garcia said in an interview on dzBB radio.
“This is a phenomenon, ngayon lang nangyayari ito [It is only now that this happened],” he added.
Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said he is coordinating with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to rescue the dolphins.
“Dinirect namin ang units namin sa Metro Manila [We directed our units in Metro Manila] to help out in this particular undertaking,” he said.
Environment Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. promised to send a team to the area. – GMANews.TV
GMANews.TV – 100 dolphins stranded off Bataan, 3 reported dead – Regions – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA.

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Stupid Me-RP tourism up 1.5% – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Didn’y know about this, (stupid me) I’ll try to visit next time I’m home!

The latest come-on among international tourists is bird watching.
The first volume of the book “Bird Watching in the Philippines,” prepared by the DOT and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, has been promoting St. Paul National Park and Rasa Island in Palawan, Mt. Palay-Palay in Cavite, the coastal lagoon in Parañaque City, Subic Bay in Zambales, Balanga wetlands in Bataan, Candaba in Pampanga, Hundred Islands and Bani wetlands in Pangasinan, Olango Island and Alcoy in Cebu and the Philippine Eagle Center in Davao City.
RP tourism up 1.5% – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos.

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-rePost-Marginal Revolution: "Small steps toward a much better world"

Excellent Dissection of the Motto: “Small steps toward a much better world”, please read the whole thing,I especially like the last comment of tyler.

James Hudson, a philosopher and a loyal MR reader (it turns out I already know and admire his work), emails me the following observations:
Does anyone share my feeling that your slogan, “Small steps toward a much better world,” is odd?
But now it is long and so it goes under the fold…
First, better than what? I suppose it’s better than the world we have now; but then the “world” of the slogan is not a whole possible world, which would persist throughout time, but rather a temporal segment or slice of a possible world. We don’t now “have” a whole world; what we have is the present time-slice of the world. Or you might say that what we have is the whole past-and-present–the temporal segment of the world from the Beginning to Now; but this would be less suitable for comparison with what you are striving toward, so I will assume that the present time-slice or “state-of-affairs” is the intended standard of comparison.
Marginal Revolution: “Small steps toward a much better world”.

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Learned Today – – Why the Catholic church can't ignore science – science-in-society – 06 February 2009 – New Scientist

The Catholic church has understood this in other contexts. Official Catholic doctrine, as outlined in the 2004 document Communion and Stewardship, accepts the reality of biological evolution, and that the theory of evolution is compatible with the Bible. It has had to recognise that it would be fruitless to claim that evolution is inconsistent with a belief in God, because evolution did occur and is the source of the diversity of life on Earth. A similar argument earlier led the Catholic church to accept the reality of a heliocentric solar system and the existence of other stars and galaxies.
Why the Catholic church can’t ignore science – science-in-society – 06 February 2009 – New Scientist.

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-Nice News-GMANews.TV – Ricky Lee puts up foundation for aspiring, struggling writers – Entertainment – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA

Its boring but I have decided that this year I’ll give most people the same birthday gift. After reading Para Kay B about two weeks ago I decided that it is my default gift for this year. Great to hear that buying the book means helping other writers bring their works to life!

Ricky Lee puts up foundation for aspiring, struggling writers
02/06/2009 | 03:58 PM
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Kinikilala bilang isa sa pinakamahusay at nirerespetong scriptwriter sa industriya, ang malalim na pagmamahal sa pagsusulat ang nagtulak kay Ricky Lee upang sa kabila ng kahirapan sa buhay ay pinili niyang ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pangarap na maging isang mahusay na manunulat.
Ngayon ay isa na sa haligi sa mundo ng scriptwriting, ang higit na kahanga-hanga kay Ricky ay ang kagustuhan niyang makatulong sa mga batang manunulat na kapos sa pinansiyal na kakayahan para ipagpatuloy ang kanilang pangarap at sa mga kapwa mga manunulat na ngayon ay medyo kapos sa buhay.
FOUNDATION FOR WRITERS. Sinabi ni Ricky sa PEP Philippine Entertainment Portal na isang foundation ang inuumpisahan na nilang itayo para sa mga kapwa manunulat, ang Writers’ Studio Foundation.
“Nag-a-apply na kami sa SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission], nagpa-process na. Yung nobelang naisulat ko, yung Para Kay B, after that, may dalawa pa akong nobelang ilalabas this year. Yung part of proceeds ng mga libro na nilalabas ko, mapupunta sa foundation.
“Halos thirty years naman na akong nagtrabaho as scriptwriter, naisip ko na lapitan ko na ngayon lahat ng mga nakatrabaho kong direktor, artista na sa kahit papaanong paraan ay nakatulong naman ako sa kanila. Ibalik naman nila ngayon sa mga writer.
“Eventually, kung makakahanap kami ng tie-up sa mga eskuwelahan, sa ngayon may mga nakausap na akong ibang mga kaibigang artista at direktor na nangakong mag-pledge ng scholarhips. Si Mother [Lily Monteverde] naman, magdo-donate ng office. Saka, di ba, may free workshops ako sa scriptwriting? Magiging parte yun ng foundation,” lahad ng batikang manunulat.
Ang focus ng mga gustong tulungang manunulat ni Ricky ay hindi lamang mga batang manunulat na gustong i-pursue ang kanilang kagustuhang maging magaling na manunulat kundi maging yung ibang mga kasamahan na ngayon ay kapos sa trabaho at pagkakitaan.
“Para siyang MOWELFUND for writers. Tutulong siya sa mga scriptwriters na mga bata, mula sa probinsiya, yung mga mahihirap lang, walang pera, gustong mag-aral sa Manila. Gaya ko noon, umalis ako sa Daet para mag-aral ng college, gustung-gusto kong magsulat, hindi ko alam kung saan ako pupunta. Gusto ko yung gaya ko rin noon ang situation na gustong magpunta ng Maynila at mag-aral, gusto ko silang matulungan.
“Hanggang ito sa pinakamatatanda nating mga writers. Di ba, marami sa mga kaibigan nating writers abf walang trabaho, pampaospital? Sana hanggang sa kanila makatulong yung foundation. Sa mga gustong magpahatid ng tulong, my e-mail is lagoon@pldtdsl.net,” pagbibigay-impormasyon niya pa.
GMANews.TV – Ricky Lee puts up foundation for aspiring, struggling writers – Entertainment – Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs – Latest Philippine News – BETA.<Emphasis Mine>

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-rePost-Principles of the American Cargo Cult

Principles of the American Cargo Cult
I wrote these principles after reflecting on the content of contemporary newspapers and broadcast media and why that content disquieted me. I saw that I was not disturbed so much by what was written or said as I was by what is not. The tacit assumptions underlying most popular content reflect a worldview that is orthogonal to reality in many ways. By reflecting this skewed weltanschauung, the media reinforces and propagates it.
I call this worldview the American Cargo Cult, after the real New Guinea cargo cults that arose after the second world war. There are four main points, each of which has several elaborating assumptions. I really do think that most Americans believe these things at a deep level, and that these misbeliefs constantly underlie bad arguments in public debate.
I. Ignorance is innocence
Complicated explanations are suspect
The world is simple, and there must be a simple explanation for everything.
Certainty is strength, doubt is weakness
Admitting alternatives is undermining one’s own belief.
Changing one’s mind means one has wasted the time spent holding the prior opinion.
Your opinion matters as much as anyone else’s
When a person has studied a topic, he has no more real knowledge than you do, just a hidden agenda.
The herd should be followed
The contemplative lemming gets trampled
Popular beliefs must be true.
No bad idea can survive.
People are generally smart.
Even if a popular belief doesn’t pan out, at least you’ll be in the same boat as everyone else.
II. Causality is selectable
All interconnection is apparent
Otherwise, complicated explanations would be necessary.
The end supports the explanation of the means
A successful person’s explanation of the means of his success is highly credible by the very fact of his success.
You can succeed by emulating the purported behavior of successful people
This is the key to the cargo cult. To enjoy the success of another, just mimic the rituals he claims to follow.
Your idol gets the blame if things don’t work out, not you.
You have a right to your share
You get to define your share.
Your share is the least you will accept without crying injustice.
Celebrate getting more than your share.
III. It’s not your fault
If it’s good for you, it’s good
Society is everyone else.
Good intentions suffice
You can always apologize.
There is no long term
Don’t miss an opportunity.
Consequences are things that happen to others
Only you can hold yourself accountable. Don’t let others make you do that.
If somebody starts the blame game, you can still win it.
There are evil people and institutions, and surely one of them is more responsible than you are.
You are not the problem
An ugly image means a bad mirror.
IV. Death is unnatural
You’re special
Bad things shouldn’t happen to you.
Pain is wrong
Life should not hurt.
It’s a Whiffle World.
Tragedy is a synonym for calamity
Bad things are never consequences of one’s own action or inaction.
There will be justice
Bad people get punished.
You, however, will be forgiven.
Principles of the American Cargo Cult.