Recipe for Getting Fired: Just Add Wine

Another great website for sharing stories. This quote from SimplyFired.com says it all:

OK, it was a Xmas party a few years ago and I had a few glasses of wine. My boss and I were talking to a table of people and he AGAIN called a person that he wanted to shaft that I was protecting my "boyfriend". I turned to him and said quietly, "F*** Off, [insert name]" and turned back to the table and continued talking.

I came in on Monday and was escorted out.

Million Dollar Team: 4 Players

1. The Leader
2. The Brain
3. The Anchor
4. The Soldier

How to pick your million dollar crew is a good, interesting read.

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Who's Worth More? Manning or Rodriguez

Vince Gennaro via the Freakonomics blog reported that Alex Rodriguez will make nearly $30 million per year while Peyton Manning will only rake in $10 million per year. Who's worth more? Should Peyton, given the brutal nature of the N.F.L., be worth more than Rodriguez? Should there be a salary cap in M.L.B. baseball? Can you calculate athletic performance into a dollar amount?

Photo by Andrew Morrell

Shrapnel in the Kitchen: When Pyrex Goes on a Rampage

While cooking Mahi Mahi in the oven (set on broil) tonight, my wife and I heard a clank. I quickly opened the door to the oven to find shards of Pyrex covering the inside. All 3 pieces of Mahi Mahi had come to rest on 1 slab of Pyrex glass while the remainder of the dish shattered amongst the oven. Having never experienced this before I decided to search for an answer. It appears that we're not alone.

Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?

Photo by nebarnix

A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Last Saturday, as the Tennessee Vols eeked out a win over the Vanderbilt Commodores, I told my fellow season ticket holder to the left about my bright idea. That idea was to incorporate the yellow first down marker seen on TV into a fiber optic based field. It looks like I'm a little late to the game. Sigh.

An image -- a first-down marker, foul-ball line, beer logo, whatever -- is electronically sent to field level, where it's distributed through a network of thousands of interconnected trays that convey light.

Marry Google, They'll Back Your Company

Larry Page, co-founder of Google, is set to wed in December. He is following in the footsteps of the other Google co-founder, Sergey Brin. Brin, who married 23andMe, Inc. founder Anne Wojcicki, provided $3.9 million to the "web-based service that helps you read and understand your DNA". Perhaps Page will be looking for a biomedical informatics company to back since bride-to-be Lucy Southworth is a Ph.D. candidate in the formerly mentioned field.

Cash Prizes for the Laziest, I Mean Hardworking, Auto Worker

The same United Auto Workers (UAW) that recently demanded more guarantees from GM and Ford, now have a chance to win cash towards a new car or truck. Why the prize you ask? It seems that the same UAW workers whining for more, more, more have a track record of absenteeism. If I gather my facts correctly then that means if I worked for the UAW I could get near a six figure salary, call in "sick" for a month or two each year and have pensions out the whazoo promised to me and my family. Sign me up!

No Thanks Chamber, I Can Start My Own Business

In a world where technology is mainstream, the necessities needed to start a business are for the most part, online. Furthermore, grassroots marketing efforts can more easily be accomplished through networking sites such a LinkedIn, Facebook and more. I use the site Facebook because my theme for this article circles around young professionals and their drive to become entrepreneurs and how the chamber of commerce won't be able to help the next generation.

Sam Davidson recently said on YP Commons:

I can start my own business, I can find people like me, and I can get involved a way that is relevant, quick and engaging. Unless chambers realize that they've got to not only get someone in the door but also give them a seat at the table, very soon, Millennials will be graduating, picking cities and moving around, completely unconcerned about a massive citywide effort aimed to lure them in.

How can the chamber's of the world restrategize now to help the next generation of business owners?

Photo by seabass1254

Would You Like to Rent My Dog?

Ever wished you could take back the new puppy after it "does work" on your new carpet? Now you can with FlexPetz.

Earlier this year a San Diego-based company called FlexPetz started renting man's best friend for pet lovers who might want to take a dog on a long walk and maybe play a game of fetch, but don't have the time to own a pet full time.

Via Freakonomics

Yahoo! Launches LinkedIn Foe - Kickstart

Lifehacker put the spotlight on Yahoo's latest invention, Kickstart.

In short, Kickstart's meant for separating your "fun" (read: frat party photo-studded) profile on Facebook and MySpace from your serious, professional face for potential employers.

PetroChina First Company Worth $1 Trillion

Via the AP wire this morning, PetroChina is the first firm worth $1,000,000,000,000.

State-owned PetroChina Co., a unit of state-owned China National Petroleum Corp., is the country's biggest oil and gas producer. Its Shanghai initial public offering of 4 billion shares raised $8.94 billion — a record for a mainland bourse.

America's Best Young Entrepreneurs

Business Week revealed the Top 25 Young Entrepreneurs in America and you know me, always interested in generational differences in every part of business. The article mentions that Millenials, where I fall, want to control their own destiny and becoming an entrepreneur allows them to do just that. A must read for those who wonder how in the world Facebook can be valued near $15 Billion.

Xbox 360 Replacement Saga: Part 3

What I thought would be a saga actually turned out to be a pleasant experience. Yesterday my Xbox was returned (not the one I purchased but a repaired replacement) by UPS ready for the NCAA 2008 that awaited it. Hats off to Microsoft for making my three red lights affair painless.

Lawmakers Seeking to Curb Cigarette Spies

As I reported yesterday, transporting a certain amount of cigarettes across state lines is now being monitored by the government. But there could be some relief in sight thanks to Hendersonville Rep. Debra Maggart and Jonesborough Rep. Matthew Hill. Maggart and Hill believe that receiving a ticket for carrying two or more cartons is absurd and that you should only be fined if your quantity exceeds 25 cartons. 25 cartons screams resell but 2 only says lung cancer.

UPDATE: Take the poll on how many cartons of cigarettes you think constitute a felony.

Would You Like a Ticket with Your Beer & Cigarette?

It is sad when you have to warn your parents, who live less than a mile from the TN/VA border, about the legal risk they incur when purchasing products from a bordering state. With a possible budget surplus, why doesn't Tennessee focus on their tax problem rather than their residents seeking tax relief?

Listen Up Leaders: 7 Types of Storytelling

Storytelling is often one of the best ways to motivate those around you, both above and below on the food chain. Steve Denning's 7 Types of Storytelling should help you get off to a good start in telling tales of triumph and victory.

Xbox 360 Replacement Saga: Part 2

My last report on September 25 left you hanging on the status of the box that would haul my Xbox back to the factory for repairs. UPS finally delivered the all white box to my front door later that same day. I quickly packaged it up according to their included instructions. On September 26 I dropped it off at my closest UPS location. This morning I decided to track the box and see if UPS delivered on their 3 Day Select drop off option. As of 9:29AM this morning, my Xbox has been rescheduled to arrive on October 1 (6 total days in transit) at the refurbishing plant. Why do I have a feeling it's going to be a while before I get to enjoy Halo 3?

Xbox 360 Replacement Saga: Part 1

On Wednesday, September 19, I sat down to enjoy a quick game of NCAA Football 2008 on my Xbox 360. However, I received the three red lights of death. I quickly called Microsoft support and received generous help from a young man on the other line. He told me that UPS would be delivering a box to my house for which I would pack my Xbox in (console only) and return to Microsoft for repairs. He also stated that the box would arrive in 3 days.

Here we are, day 6 and no box. Microsoft (with the help of UPS) has until tonight to deliver on their promise or they'll be receiving more phone calls from me.

Time Running Out for UAW

The New York Times reported that talks between union workers and General Motors is "breaking down". With Ford losing $12.6 billion in 2006, does the union not realize that it is in large part to blame? Should they not feel compunctious while earning more than an average university professor? Illegal immigration looks a whole lot better than it used to.