As a contractor, I now have a timecard. Yes, the clock-in/clock-out punchcard type.
Author: Ashley Bischoff
Marconi Not Doing Well
From The Register, it looks like telecom company Marconi isn’t doing very well. Though their stock price reached $17.70 in 2000, it’s now fallen to $.03. I did web development work for FORE Systems (now a part of Marconi) during the summer of ’99, and I hope they can pull out of this slump.
Once a cash-rich operation, Marconi ended with 4.3bn pounds ($6.6bn) in debt following an acquisition spree when it paid $4.5bn in cash for ATM-switch maker Fore Systems Inc and $2.1bn for Reltec, a manufacturer of last-mile access products. At the time, the company bragged that the deals would move it up into the same league as Cisco, Nortel and Lucent. […]
Songs in Commercials
From a thread on MetaFilter, songs in commercials are becoming a phenomenon all their own — Cadillac is even becoming popular with some younger buyers due to their use of a Zepplin song in an ad.
There’re also websites that help people figure out the artists that performed songs heard in commercials. At first, I was happy to discover SongTitle.info as there’s one song from a GMC Yukon commercial that I’m still trying to track down (the commercial featured the hulking beasts driving in choreographed circles, synchronized-swimming style).
SongTitle has an entry for “Our Day Will Come” by Ruby & The Romantics (with a link to a sound sample) for the Yukon. But, after listening, I ruled that one out. I don’t hold it against SongTitle, but I suppose they just don’t have the details for that particular commercial.
Even Volkswagen has a CD of collected songs from its commercials. Some of the more obvious ones — such as Mr. Roboto — are on there, but I may just get it to discover some new techno artists (good techo is just so hard to find these days).
Praise for Burger King and McDonald’s
The nutrition watchdog group “Center for Science in the Public Interest” — known for its outspoken views on the nutrition of everyday prepared foods — had some good things to say about some fast food meals:
In a list of best and worst fast foods, the center praised Burger King’s Chicken Whopper Jr. for its taste and as “the only way to get a normal-sized sandwich these days.“ The junior has 350 calories compared to 580 calories for a regular Chicken Whopper, and unlike its competition “actually tastes grilled,” the center said. […]
They also go on to say good things about Subway’s low-fat sandwiches (no surprise there). Of course, the article is sure to mention some of the offenders as well (such as Burger King’s large shake with over-1k Calories). Surprisingly, hash-browns also made the list of worst-foods.
I’m pleased that there are some reasonable foods that I could get at Burger King or Wendy’s, when I have no other options but to eat there. Note to self:
- Burger King: Get the Chicken Whopper Jr. (350 Calories)
- Wendy’s: Mandarin Chicken Salad (420 Calories)
- McDonald’s: Not much luck on meal-items, though the Fruit ’n Yogurt Parfai isn’t bad. (380 Calories)
Ford Testifies to Stop Ride Sharing
From BBSpot, Ford Testifies to Stop Ride Sharing:
A recent study by the Gartner Group supports Ford’s claims that ride sharing runs rampant across the US. The study showed showed that children under the age of 16 were the biggest offenders. Almost 99% of children in that age group said they had shared a ride in the past week. The study also showed that ride sharing had spread to the Internet in the form of “Car Pool” message boards where the “Road Robbers” set up their swaps. […]