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April 29, 2004
Today's news
Google Files to Go Public
Posted by Carole Matthews at 3:10 PM
Well the hotly anticipated Google IPO has gotten underway. The company filed to go public today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in hopes of raising $2.7 billion dollars in an unusual auction-style offering. What does this mean? The company proposes to create two classes of shares with differing voting rights, guaranteeing that the founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, keep decision-making authority.
What does this mean for tech IPOs, which have suffered greatly since the great dotcom bubble burst? Tech IPOs have seen have seen a resurgence lately, which some attribute to VCs trying to recoup investments and to private companies trying to get out the door before the big Google IPO. But George Colony of C|Net speculates that an inflated Google IPO could signal Bubble II, a period of "overpriced froth," in his opinion.
Starting a Business
Financing Tips for First-Time Entrepreneurs
Posted by Carole Matthews at 9:42 AM
Venture capital investments might be going up, but first-time entrepreneurs shouldn't bank on getting a piece of the pie. Many business owners who lack a proven track record as business owners are still finding financing hard to come by, notes Lawrence Gennari in his Boston Business Journal column, "New at the game? Financing tips for first-time entrepreneurs."
Here are a few of his few basic rules emerging businesses should follow when trying to find first-time financing:
Recognize the odds. Venture financing frequently is not the answer. He cites Inc.'s 2003 Inc. 500 list as an example: of the 500 companies that made the list, approximately 2% cited VC as a source for start-up capital.
Pursue parallel sources. Tap VCs, angel investors, friends and family, etc., simultaneously.
Plan to fund to benchmarks. Many entrepreneurs seek more than they really need to start-up. Seek to fund milestones, not the entire lifespan of your business.
Develop a strategy beyond serendipity. Introductions get your foot in the door, but don't ignore having the right fit with potential investors.
Surround yourself with experience. Advisers, directors, etc.
Avoid simple business plan mistakes. Don't forget the basics: size of target market, logic and soundness of revenue model, and experience of management.
Recognize the value in rejection. Feedback is priceless, regardless of whether you secured the capital.
April 27, 2004
Leverage Your Customer to Build Business Value
Posted by Carole Matthews at 2:55 PM
In their new book, The Future of Competition C.K. Prahalad, professor of business administration, and Venkat Ramaswamy, professor of marketing, both at the Michigan Business School, argue that building business value through operational processes, such as outsourcing and workforce reduction, has its limits. Instead, businesses should routinely collaborate with consumers to help create value.
In the book excerpt How to Put Your Customers to Work on CIO.com, the authors explain their concept and highlight the need for a new "frame of reference for value creation," which includes cocreating business value by leveraging today's well-informed consumers.
Why the shift? In many ways you don't need to look farther than the Internet. The Internet feeds consumers with unlimited opportunities to make better informed decisions; more easily access global resources, which broadens a business's competition; network with like-minded consumers; experiment with and help develop products; and provide "unsolicited feedback" to companies and each other. The authors contend that developing more personal interactions with these knowledgeable consumers will lead to more meaningful creation of value in a company.
Today's news
Small Business Hiring News
Posted by Bobbie Gossage at 10:51 AM
In the next six months, 46% of small businesses polled say they plan to hire additional full-time or part-time workers, according to findings in an American Express small business survey that were released today. Of benefits offered, 78% offered flexible work schedules, and 62% offered vacation time. But only about half of those companies planned to offer new employees health insurance. For more survey results, click here.
Tech IPOs Take Off
Posted by Carole Matthews at 10:35 AM
The tech IPO market isn't waiting for Google to breathe some life into it. Since the beginning of this year, 11 U.S. tech companies have gone public, a WSJ.com article reported today (subscription required). According to Thomson Financial, during the same period last year, none went public. Add to that list 13 more companies that have filed to go public since March 1, including Blue Nile Inc. and salesforce.com.
Why the push to go public? VC's are looking to recover their investments in privately held companies, and many companies didn't want to get "lost in the shuffle" of a Google IPO, as CFO James Walker of AlphaSmart Inc., which went public in March, noted in the article.
Culture
The Restaurant - Week 2
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 10:01 AM
I'm glad Drew got fired TWICE last night. Fifteen years of restaurant experience my foot! If he was so seasoned, he would've known that underage people can't serve alcoholic drinks. He was acting like the big boss, not the intern, telling everyone to give him respect. It was embarrassing. My guess is that he's the son of one of Chodorow's rich friends. When I was an intern, I'd do any menial task...even taking out the garbage!
Rocco was being immature as usual last night. I thought he had finally seen the light when he sat down to talk to Jeffrey outside, but things quickly devolved into another petty, ego-fueled argument. Those two are like oil and water. They're a terrible team. I wouldn't blame Jeffrey for replacing him. Rocco seems more interested in promoting his new book than running a restaurant anyway. His heart just doesn't seem to be in it.
I didn't think the new bartender was all bad. The ladies seem to like him, and he was selling a lot of shots. Granted, he didn't take kindly to the other bartender's bossiness, but she was pretty pushy. She could've been a little nicer. At any rate, I don't think the new guy will last. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Rocco's not around in a couple of weeks. Maybe that's why the season's so short? Or maybe it's just a little filler before the next season of the Apprentice begins?
Speaking of which, I can't believe Omarosa is still in the paper almost every day. This is getting ridiculous! I'll be very interested to see whether she appears in any Herbal Essences commercials. I think not, after her bad behvavior. But, as they say, there's no such thing as bad press...
April 26, 2004
Today's news
Isn't It Pretty?
Posted by Carole Matthews at 2:26 PM
The $50 bill just received a high-tech makeover. In an AP story released today, the colorful new look, including the U.S. flag printed in red and blue, and a small metallic silver-blue star, were among the new features designed to help thwart counterfeiters.
Today's news
Hijacking Trademarks
Posted by Carole Matthews at 10:16 AM
A recent suit brought against Google by AXA insurance company accuses Google of letting clients hijack other businesses' trademarks using its Adwords service, an AP story reported today. According to a source close to the insurer, AXA filed the lawsuit when Google sold some of AXA's registered trademarks as advertising search terms to a Google client.
It's just one more complaint against the search engine's selling of keywords. In January 2004, Rod Kurtz mentioned a recent update that drew the ire of many small businesses in Google Update Draws Criticism from Small Biz. In his piece, he noted that business's purchasing keywords also were automatically given a list of synonyms by which people could find their sites, often causing irrelevant traffic be sent their way.
April 22, 2004
Call for Cover Design Yields 264 Entries
Posted by Carole Matthews at 3:34 PM
Back in March, I announced Guy Kawasaki's contest to find a cover design for his upcoming book, The Art of the Start. The feedback came in fast and furious from designers who felt Kawasaki's contest "devalued the efforts of designers," as one Fresh Inc. reader put it. However, there were some designers who did heed the call for entries. This week, Kawasaki shares the entries on istockphoto.com.
April 21, 2004
Small Business Lessons from a Bear
Posted by Carole Matthews at 9:05 AM
You've probably come across one of its stores in a mall. It's the one filled with kids and parents scurrying around to find just the right accessories for their freshly stuffed and stiched teddy bears. Build-A-Bear, a St. Louis-based company, has hit it big with its "build-your-own-bear" concept. So big, in fact, that it operates 152 stores, including a recent opening in Denmark, and is one of the largest privately held companies in St Louis.
But what can you learn from this niche toy business? Doug Fleener outlines a five lessons the bear store can teach any small-business owner in Stuff every small-business owner can learn from a bear, from the Boston Business Journal.
- Sell the experience. Buying a teddy bear -- boring. Get in on creating your own -- brilliant. It's the experience of building something that sells and helps this store stand out. Selling an experience in a crowded market can help a business owner bring new life to a product.
- Personalize the product. Offer customers the opportunity to put their "stamp" on the products you produce.
- Differentiate yourself in the market. FAO Schwartz was gobbled up by the big chains. To stand out, companies have to find their unique value propositions and exploit them.
- Create an intuitive purchasing process. It's the KISS principle. Make the path to purchase easy on your customers.
- Fun sells. Fun keeps people engaged. Take the pain out of making a purchase by being a bit more lighthearted in your sales efforts.
April 20, 2004
Culture
The Restaurant - Week One
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 10:54 AM
I only tuned into The Restaurant a couple of times last season, and I wasn't too impressed. It just didn't seem that exciting. And something about Rocco rubbed me the wrong way. But last night's episode was totally captivating. I guess Mark Burnett is trying to Trumpify Rocco's on 22nd by adding some tension and the next Omarosa--sneaky "intern" Drew. I'm hooked. And the timing couldn't be better, since I've been going through withdrawl from the Donald since Friday morning.
As I said, I missed most of last season, so correct me if I'm wrong, but Rocco seems kind of immature. The way he pouted over Chodorow's attempts to make the restaurant profitable seemed babyish and unprofessional. And that certainly isn't winning him any points with his staff, who are clearly looking for strong leadership. Without knowing all the details, it seems like Chodorow has a point. Spending $1.80 per business card seems out of control. And even I know that restaurants make a lot of money selling drinks at the bar, especially if there's usually a big wait for tables. Of course, nobody wants their salaries slashed. Chodorow is partly to blame for that: he should have helped Rocco figure out a payroll cap from the beginning. I don't understand why he let Rocco run amock for so long!
I already can't stand Drew! Does Chodorow actually think people are going to buy that intern line? How ridiculous! I hope Rocco sics Mamma on him. Speaking of Mamma, she's great. I feel bad that she's caught in the middle of Chodorow and Rocco. In some ways, Chodorow is just as babyish as Rocco. It was completely unprofessional of him to bad mouth Rocco to the waitress and his mother. As MY mom used to say, discretion is the better part of valor. Or something like that. In short, Chodorow's a big mouth. And not in a funny Trump way. In a bad manager way.
At any rate, this show really conveys what restaurant life is like. I worked at two restaurants in Boston when I was in college, and a lot of the goings on rang true, like the whole gossipy aspect. I loved the fact that the waitress ran back from Chodorow's table and repeated everything he said verbatim. That was hysterical. Oh, the in-fighting, the suspicions, the uncertainty. It makes me miss the restaurant days! I can't wait for next week!
April 19, 2004
Sales and Marketing
Reaching the Subconcious Mind of the Consumer
Posted by Carole Matthews at 2:37 PM
HBS professor Gerald Zaltman says that 95% of consumers' purchase decision making takes place in the subconscious mind. If that's true, how can a marketer influence consumer choice? Zaltman explains his theory in a recent Q&A with Manda Mahoney of HBS's Working Knowledge.
One way, contends Zaltman, is to double check "stated beliefs" with "actual behavior." For instance, when a consumer says he or she compares brands and pricing, how does that stack up to his or her trip to the store? In many instances, consumers don't even look at alternatives to the chosen brand. Another approach: study the metaphors consumers use to express their particular thoughts and feelings about a product. This is most effectively done, Zaltman says, through one-on-one interviews with customers, which according many researchers, "are superior to focus groups."
April 16, 2004
Culture
The Donald-Finale Party
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 11:25 AM
Sorry for the late posting. I was up partying into the wee hours with the Donald, after all! Well, it was really only until 2, and I spent most of the time with my fellow Incer Bobbie, but don't worry, I have plenty of juicy stories from the finale party at Trump Tower, like how I confronted Omarosa about her lying ways. More on that later.
After a pre-party cocktail at the St. Regis Hotel, Bobbie and I made our way up the red carpet at Trump Tower just in time for the start of the viewing party. Things were a little rocky at first. A waitress handed me a "You're Fired" in a martini glass as soon as I walked in (that was good), but it was kind of hard to hear the actual show at the party because people were pretty rowdy (especially Bill's friends, who kept chanting his name). To hear better, and rest my poor feet, we sat near a giant waterfall that spritzed on us the whole time. I also got into a little argument with a group of women who were hogging a bunch of seats. How rude!
Once I settled in under the waterfall, I could really enjoy the show. I was totally rooting for Bill. Kwame didn't deserve to get down to the final two, and he certainly didn't deserve to win. At any rate, I was so happy when Bill dug the Marquis Jet sign out of the trash. Talk about hands-on leadership! Instead of panicking and giving up, he stayed focus on finding the sign.
Kwame was the total opposite. He should have personally carried that breakfast tray to poor Jessica. And then he didn't even bring her food when she was signing autographs for hours! Bring the poor girl a sandwich! I loved Nick Lachey's reaction when Omarosa put that giant ostrich head dress on! That face said it all! Kwame should never have picked her to be on his team. What was he thinking? Then, he left her alone with Jessica to go get the Donald. He should have told to stay behind. Mistake, mistake, mistake. He never learned his lesson. Then, to top it all off, Omarosa stabbed him in the back in the boardroom. She's terrible.
OK. Now on to the celebrity sightings. The only famous person there during the actual viewing (from 9 to 11) was the girl from American Pie who played the attractive foreign exchange student. Bobbie and I tried to talk to Donny Deutsch (from the Marquis Jet episode), but he politely blew us off. The nerve! We also noticed the Trump exec who couldn't stand Amy. She seems pretty fantastic.
Then the real excitement started. Around midnight, Bobbie and I took the escalator upstairs to check out the Red Carpet arrivals. We zeroed in on Troy, one of Bobbie's favorites. He was very nice and down to earth. We asked him about the business he's starting with Jessie. He didn't have many details, but he said they're definitely starting something together. Speaking of Jessie, she gets my "Worst Dressed" award for the evening. She had what looked a giant pink floral centerpiece on the back of her head, an off the shoulders peachy pink sweater, ridiculous pearls, and visible panty lines! It was truly disturbing. Best dressed goes to Erica, who wore a pale green, ruffly chiffon dress. Very chic. Jessie should get some fashion help from her. The Donald didn't stick around too long. He and his girlfriend stayed for about an hour. Poor Donald must be really tired. His hair was flatter than usual last night...I guess the TV does add weight.
We talked to Bill briefly. As you can imagine, he was simply deluged with autograph and photo requests. He looked very dapper in his pinstripe suit. I spent more time talking to his sister's next door neighbor, who was trying to figure out what to do on Thursday nights now that the show is over. Bobbie talked to Bill's mom, but I'll let her fill you in on that.
Our next target was nutty Sam. Bobbie was dying to ask him what his problem is. When I asked him where he got the briefcase full of money, he yelled out, "I'm not insane. It's your imagination." Then he ran off into a group of admirers. Okay.
My favorite spotting of the night by far was Nick's dad Moose. He was really cute. I was reciting some of the great lines he dropped on the show (Like the time he told Amy Nick had "been through a lot of them.") And he complained to the girl next to him that I was taking all of his material. Ha! Nick's sister was really nice, too. She's a paralegal. She said Nick and Amy dated for a month and then called it off. I always knew Nick was too nice for that Amy!
At 2 o'clock, Omarosa was still on the red carpet in her ridiculous white dress, which made her look like a giant feather duster. It had all these furry tails hanging off the hem. Time for a new stylist! As Bobbie and I walked out, we noticed Omarosa and saw our chance. I introduced myself and asked her why she thought the show didn't fairly represent her. Then her rude publicist interrupted me to ask me what publication I worked for. Then Omarosa warned me not to brush off the publicist, or she wouldn't talk to me. Relax, lady! When I asked her why she lied about the dinner phone call, she said that her contract with NBC stipulated that she couldn't talk about it. But the Donald certainly had no problem talking about HER. I read in the paper today that he said she told a double lie. Looks like Omarosa got the short end of the stick with that contract! She'll need more than a publicist to save her career now. Although I hear she's doing an Herbal Essences commercial. Hmmm. She doesn't exactly strike me as the relaxed herbal type, but I must admit she has fabulous hair.
At any rate, Omarosa quickly cooled to me, and turned to another woman to complement her dress. Even though it was unpleasant, I was happy to experience the coldness of Omarosa first hand. She is truly an ice queen.
Well, after that, Bobbie and I, swept back outside, zipped across the red carpet, and hailed a cab. Our brush with reality TV was over...until Apprentice 2 starts! Also, in case anyone's interested, I'll be blogging the second season of the restaurant starting Tuesday morning. I wasn't a fan of the first season, but I heard that things are really heating up, and not just in the kitchen. Maybe that will tide me over until the Donald returns...
Engage in Corporate Social Marketing
Posted by Carole Matthews at 9:37 AM
Supporting your community has always been a great way to raise your company's profile, but sponsoring events, volunteering, and donating money may not be the most effective ways to do it. In "Best of Breed" (Adobe Acrobat Reader needed to view full article)," written for the Stanford Social Innovation review, Philip Kotler and Nancy Lee argue that to really gain a market edge companies should engage in "corporate social marketing" (CSM). As they put it, "when it comes to marketing benefits, CSM outshines the rest."
Why? Corporate social marketing puts a companies money behind a promotion that seeks to positively change the personal behavior of a target population. When people are positively affected by a company's efforts, they're more likely to have a positive association with the company that supported the change.
The authors offer a few big company examples, including insurance company Safeco's sponsorship of a fire safety campaign, called FireFree, in Bend, Ore., and Home Depot's participation in Water--Use It Wisely, a water conservation campaign founded by the Arizona Water Department. In both cases, the companies took active steps in trying to change personal behaviors to benefit a greater cause. In the process, the companies' actions shed a positive light on their businesses.
April 15, 2004
Today's news
Manufacturing Rebound
Posted by Bobbie Gossage at 2:27 PM
Things are looking up for the manufacturing industry, at least in the Northeast. Today, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia released its business outlook survey results for April, which showed a notable increase in new orders and shipments. Plus, general expectations for the next six months is increasingly optimistic. But despite new orders, employment levels stayed fairly constant. Many economists look to the manufacturing sector as an indication of the economy's future health.
The full results of the survey can be found here.
April 14, 2004
Is Happiness Enough--Part II
Posted by Carole Matthews at 10:50 AM
In his April 13 blog post, Kevin Salwen, the co-founding editor of Worthwhile magazine says that workers increasingly are looking for opportunities that make them happy. "As the economy improves, the war for talent is coming back," he notes, and he speculates that the deciding factor in choosing employment won't be money -- it will be inspiration. Workers will flock to jobs where they feel they can be passionate about what they do and where they work.
This topic recently was touched on in a Fresh Inc. blog, where users commented on what makes the ideal work environment. Most of those who commented said that while the work environment was important, money mattered all the same. The ideal situation for most employees is to have an employer who cares and is committed to the well being of its workers and the company, but is also cognizant of the fact the employees can't live on "happiness" alone.
At the end of the day, workers want to feel good about what they do, but they need to pay the bills, too. It's the balance between the two factors that will keep good employees -- not banking on one or the other.
April 13, 2004
10 Rules for Corporate Blogging
Posted by Carole Matthews at 11:39 AM
Nick Wreden, a columnist for Marketprofs.com, shares his guidelines for using blogs and wikis for marketing purposes in 10 Rules for Corporate Blogs and Wikis.
A few of his suggestions:
- Be authentic: Blogs are about trust, and should be written as if you're sharing observations with personal friends.
- Be an unmatched resource: Use your blog to release "heads-up" information unavailable anywhere else.
- Once you start, don't stop: Once you've started, you're committed, or you'll risk the wrath of those who read your blog on a regular basis.
- Monitor other blogs: This keeps you in front of the emerging issues and gives you something to talk about.
For more tips, read the full story.
April 9, 2004
The Apprentice
The Donald - Episode 13
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 8:42 AM
Last night's episode was a great break from the usual routine. Those job interviews were so brutal. Trump's execs were down-to-earth, tough, and honest. I'm glad they didn't like Amy. And the Stepford wife analogy was so true! As one interviewer pointed out, she was almost too perfect, with the pearly teeth and the hair curled just so. Her whole routine would get annoying after a while. But I must say I felt a little bad for the apprentice wanna-bes during the interviews. Especially since I think everybody has used some variation on Bill's line about how his biggest fault is never being satisfied. That's the oldest, and lamest, interview trick in the book! Hooray for team Trump for calling him on it! I won't be using that in the future...
I did not, however, agree with Trump's decision to fire Nick and keep Kwame. How does Kwame do it? He flies under the radar on every episode, demonstrates lukewarm leadership skills, and somehow has managed to make it to the final two. As he pointed out during one of his interviews, he's low energy. At least he was actually honest about his faults. But he's basically admitting that he's better suited for a desk job at Goldman Sachs than a leadership role at Trump! Nick was rough around the edges, but he seemed more simpatico with the Trump execs than Kwame. Go figure. I was glad that Nick was so gracious when he got fired. Unlike Amy, who barely said anything. Not a very good exit.
OK. Nick being fired was my biggest gripe about last night. Otherwise, I loved it. It was nice to break from the usual formula and have two firings in the first half hour. How exciting! And adding Jessica Simpson into the mix is pure genius. I can't wait to see her and Omarosa in the same room together. Speaking of Omarosa, I was totally surprised and happy that she and the other top cast members came back. It would have been boring if it was just Kwame versus Bill in the finale. But, more than ever, I'm thinking that Omarosa is a plant. I can't believe that she would tell a boldface lie on national television like that! That could really ruin her career. Oh, but I forgot she's in politics, so maybe that would actually be a plus. Hmmm. I wonder if we'll ever find out if she's just acting. At any rate, Kwame should have demanded to know who called during dinner. Just another example of his blase leadership style. But it was unfair of Omarosa to screw up all the logistics, then blame Kwame for being too hands off. A big part of leadership is delegating to trusted employees, dear! Get a clue!
Right there, Kwame's team may have blown it. The Taj CEO said his idea of a successful event is that the star is happy. That in itself was bizarre. I thought he would have cited good ticket sales or pleased fans, but I guess I learned something new! If that's the case, this whole transportation debacle could spell disaster for Kwame. That said, I know from watching Newlyweds that Jessica's usually pretty lowkey about hotel accomodations, etc. I think her husband Nick has to bear the brunt of her complaints. But overall, she seems like a pretty low maintenance, good natured person.
As for Bill's event, I'm not exactly sure what it's going to turn out like. I didn't think the storage problem was a big deal...that seemed exaggerated. He seemed kind of tense, but I'm not worried. And he definitely has a stronger team than Kwame. Too bad Heidi and Omarosa couldn't have been split up...they create such a bad vibe when they're together! And one other thing I was wondering about: what is the motivation for the former castmembers to do a good job? They could be bitter about losing and not try very hard, or, even worse, try to sabotage Kwame and Bill. There must be some monetary award in it for them.
Oh...and did anyone see the picture of Kristi, Katrina, Amy and Ereka in the May issue of FHM? There was a shot of it in the New York Post today. I'm no prude, but these girls should be embarrassed! They're all wearing just bras and panties! What would Caroline think?
Next week's two hour finale should be great. I'm supposedly going to some NBC party that night. So you'll get a full report on that next Friday morning!
April 8, 2004
VC Investments in Start-Ups Hit New Lows
Posted by Carole Matthews at 2:14 PM
Early stage venture capital investments in start-ups fell to new lows in 2003, according to a recent Pricewaterhouse Coopers study. Only 479 start-ups received VC funding last year, the lowest level since 1994 when only 279 companies received venture capital.
It really isn't any new news to our readers that VC funding is basically non- existent for start-ups. Back in August 2003, Inc. reporter Cara Cannella noted in Where Seed Money Really Comes From that leading sources for seed capital are the four Fs: friends, family, founders and foolhardy investors (or angels).
Will the tide turn for start-ups seeking VC money? John Taylor, vice president for research at the National Venture Capital Association, seems to think so. While VCs have been focused on keeping portfolio companies alive, a resurgence in the IT sector and a more favorable economy is now allowing VCs to look beyond their current investments to the "next crop of companies." Anecdotal evidence suggests this trend is underway -- we'll have to wait for the hard numbers reported for Q1 and Q2 to discover if the evidence supports reality.
April 2, 2004
Culture
The Donald-Episode 12
Posted by Nadine Heintz at 11:39 AM
For once, I didn't agree with the Donald. I'm so tired of Kwame riding on everyone else's coattails...and his Harvard degree. If Troy had graduated from Wharton or Harvard, I think Kwame would have been fired last night. Sure, Troy is a loose cannon. Three examples come to mind: the signing of the footballs at Planet Hollywood, the duping of Katrina, and lying to the customers last night. That said, Kwame was just as much to blame for the football deception and the Katrina trick wasn't that bad. But lying to the customers was just wrong.
In fact, the way the guys treated their perspective clients disgusted me. They seemed nervous, shady and unprofessional. I don't blame that one guy for saying he felt like he was being conned. So Troy really blew it there. But at least he does something. What about his great revelation on the bottled water episode? Or his ability to charm people on the charity auction episode? On the other hand, Kwame just flies under the radar every week. Has he done anything spectacular? I'm pretty sure he'll get the ax next week if his team loses. The "H" bomb can only take him so far.
As for Nick and Amy's performance last night, they seemed to win by sheer luck. The whole challenge was pretty lame, considering Trump told them to shoot for the $20,000 range. And I have a hard time believing that Nick and Amy were just sitting around two minutes before the deadline talking about marriage. There's something fishy about that.
Now that the competition's getting down to the wire, the mind games are really heating up. I love that Bill is being so devious, encouraging Nick and Amy to hook up on the airplane. I didn't know he had it in him! It's pretty underhanded, but Amy has it coming. Plus, my co-worker Bobbie mentioned that Bill may have fabricated the ominous horoscope he read to Kwame. If so, he's not the fresh-faced, innocent guy I thought he was. That may be what it takes to beat out the other players.
I feel kind of bad for Nick. Unless he's a great actor, he seems to genuinely like Amy. She's totally messing with him. On the other hand, Nick's dad Moose (whom I absolutely adored!) did mention that Nick is quite a ladies man, and may even have a girl on the West Coast. So maybe Nick isn't so innocent after all. I loved the grimace Amy made during that scene. She needs to work on her poker face! I can't wait to see what happens with those two AFTER the show.
We're really getting down to the wire. My predicition is Kwame will get the boot next, followed by Bill and Amy. If Nick plays his cards right, he may be the next Apprentice...
April 1, 2004
Voted 'Most Likely to Succeed'
Posted by Carole Matthews at 11:35 AM
According to a recent Milken Institute study, investments made in a state's science and technology assets are crucial factors to determining a region's future economic success.
Study results released yesterday in a Milken Institute press release also rank the states that are in the best position to succeed in a technology-led information age. The top 10 include:
- Massachusetts
- California
- Colorado
- Maryland
- Virginia
- Washington
- New Jersey
- Minnesota
- Utah
- Connecticut
Go to the press release for links to downloadable PDFs of the reports, "State Technology and Science Index" and "California's Position in Technology and Science."
Today's news
Google Gets E-mail
Posted by Carole Matthews at 10:55 AM
Pamela Parker of ClickZ News reports that Google is testing its new e-mail service, Gmail. Not yet available to the general public, Gmail is a free, ad-supported Web-based e-mail service. The company says a handful of users are now testing the service, "which is built upon the idea that e-mail should be easy to search and store." The service organizes e-mails by conversation topics, and boasts robust spam-fighting capabilities and 1 gig of storage space capacity.
Google will include targeted advertising to help support the service. While users read e-mails, ads will be served that are related to the content of the e-mail displayed. Sounds a bit "big brother-ish," but Google stresses that the ads are computer, not human, generated, so the content of e-mails is not being read or analyzed by a person. Its privacy statement says it's a completely automated process, and no personal information like the ads a single user clicks on or Web pages a user views are recorded. The only information recorded is aggregated data about how the ads are displayed and clicked on in Gmail.
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