Report: Many U.S. Parents Outsourcing Child Care Overseas
Lindsey and I should totally do this! Teaching children in lieu of a professional career is soooo over-rated.
I run this joint. Don’t know where to start? Let me show you around:
Lindsey and I should totally do this! Teaching children in lieu of a professional career is soooo over-rated.
Some recent developments and slow consumer adoption have Blu-ray slowly edging out HD DVD in the states. But things are completely as they seem, especially being that the latter format is performing better in Europe. I wrote a story on the current state of the HD disc format war over at NewTeeVee. For those interested…
Blu-ray adoption is gradually killing HD DVD, or at least that’s how it appears. Retail advantages, bigger support base in Hollywood, and a slightly cheaper PlayStation 3 all suggest that the Sony-backed medium will ultimately prevail over Toshiba’s HD DVD. “We are starting to see the pendulum swing slowly in [Blu-ray’s] direction,” says Chris Roden, analyst with Parks Associates. Continue reading…
I decided to buy a PS3 on a whim this week. To be honest, this game (Heavenly Sword) will be released as a demo tomorrow, and I just couldn’t deny myself the HD action-adventure goodness. So far I’m happy with my purchase. The interface is beautifully simple and well-organized, I really like the PlayStation store for downloadable games, demos, and videos, and I’ve liked what I’ve played so far. No buyer’s remorse what so ever.
The hardware is leagues ahead of the unreliable Xbox 360. For a hefty $500, you get access to Sony’s upcoming and traditionally stellar first-party games, a Blu-ray player, 60GB hard drive, wireless networking, and one of my personal favs, free online multiplayer (albeit limited in comparison to 360’s more expansive list of supported games).
I will admit, the system feels a bit stale at the moment due to a lack of truly compelling software, and it easily trails the Wii in the freshness department. But I’m optimistic of the future prospects, the visuals are gorgeous, and its fall linup of games has my interests piqued.
Faveup is a nifty little Digg-esque voting site for designers looking for inspiration. The site features logo, biz card, flash sites, and css site designs for the uninspired. Granted, some of the looks are trendy and Fisher Pricey, but overall, its a fresh take on the current state of design. Check it!
The Associated Press reports: “The batting coach for the Tulsa Drillers was pronounced dead at a hospital Sunday evening after being struck in the head by a line drive as he stood in the first-base coach’s box during a Texas League game with the Arkansas Travelers, police said.”
Sad story. I’d wouldn’t be surprised, however, if the coach was looking elsewhere when the foul ball was hit. That said, I still support wooden bats in both college and high school as both the majors and minors currently use.
The PS3 isn’t the only console with problems. Microsoft has an equal share of issues with the Xbox 360 that could prove just as harmful as Sony’s. Here are six reasons why the Xbox 360 is in trouble, though not necessarily doomed.
Facetious headline aside, my wife tells a funny story of one of the many benefits in being a parent.
Take it away, Lindsey: “Last night, Blake and I thought it would be fun to take Sadie to McDonald’s to play. It’s been too hot to go somewhere outside, so after washing one of our cars, we headed to the golden arches. We had already eaten but I felt that I should at least purchase a hot fudge sundae for myself so that we would be paying customers playing on the toys.” Continue reading…
I’ve had several discussions this past week on the best way to interview someone in the name of journalism. Here are my thoughts, methodologies, and best practices when trying to extract pertinent information from key individuals.
Anyone else have thoughts on interviewing for information? Comment if you got ’em.
If someone told me in 1984 that you could successfully sell dolls to little boys for more than five consecutive years, I would have laughed at them. But that’s precisely what Hasbro (makers of Transfomers) and Playskool (makers of Playdough) did from 1985 into the early 90’s.
Granted, My Buddy wasn’t a smash or sustainable hit, but it clearly was profitable, albeit for a while. The lesson? Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t take to market. I realize this idea encourages a lot of junk product being released, but in business, the best marketing wins, not necessarily the best product.
So the next time someone is drilling you on your marketing plan, just remember the doll intended for boys that had a run of success in the 80s. Remember My Buddy.
Santa Monica, California – If there was one buzzword at this year’s E3, it was “casual gaming” in all its synonymous varieties: family-friendly games, games for everyone, usability, intuitive controls, and accessibility, to name a few. Almost every game maker in attendance had casual gaming on their briefing agenda, even if only name-dropping the idea.
There’s no need to be coy; Nintendo’s Wii is directly to blame for the recent surge in interest of casual gaming and its much larger audience outside of hardcore gamers. Interestingly, that reality is transcending consoles, something that is sure to excite independent developers looking to avoid unfavorable licensing terms. Highlights from the E3/casual gaming convergence after the break.
Next Generation sat down with Activision Senior Vice President of Marketing Will Kassoy on Friday to discuss Guitar Hero, EA’s competing Rock Band, and casual games for Wii.
“There was a lot of unmet demand due to controller shortage with the release of the first Guitar Hero,” Kassoy said when asked about the franchise’s massive success. “As a result, we invested heavily in ramping up production of Guitar Hero II to meet demand.”
Activision, the number two independent game publisher, says the series is one of the fastest growing brands of all time. The company is currently preparing to release the third installment this fall next to EA’s Rock Band, a game that some are calling the “Guitar Hero killer.”
I’m off to Santa Monica tomorrow to cover the Electronic Entertainment Expo again this year. It’s a lot smaller now because the conference ballooned into a pit of money and glut last year, but it should still be a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some fresh games. As a refresher, here’s what happened since last year’s E3:
Games I’m most excited for: Assassin’s Creed, Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime 3, Skate, Little Big Planet, and a handful of fresh new titles in that order. Predictions: Wii will outsell both Xbox 360 and PS3 by early next year, Xbox 360 will get a price cut to $350 off the heels of the PS3 drop, Halo 3 will be the biggest selling game of 2007, and Sony will continue to underwhelm. All in a year’s work of the $14 billion dollar industry.
See also:
I was out yesterday, but thought I’d chime in with my Independence Day thoughts. Note: Please don’t misunderstand the below comment for ethnocentrism or arrogance. It is only out of appreciation, pride, and in belief of the country which I call home.
“Despite its flaws, and there may be many, the United States is the greatest attempt at democracy the world has ever seen.” — some conservative Rodeo announcer I heard a few weeks ago while on leisure with family and friends.
I believe that statement to be true. I’ve hung my hat as an American abroad for two years in Brazil and would live there again in a heart beat, but I believe America really is the most progressive attempt at democracy the world has ever known despite our current and insipid executive branch (read: president). This is thanks in part to the Brits, the French, and the Greek before us, and I’m sure many others were influential as well.
UPDATE: Fixed “Greeks” mispelling. I’m a retard.
I had the pleasure of seeing Transformers last night with a friend. I stress the word pleasure because it was exactly that. I wasn’t expecting good acting only going for the special effects, but Shia LeBouf was the movie standout. His comedic delivery and believability are top notch.
Michael Bay, the director, did an excellent job despite being largely criticized for his past big, over-the-top movies. Granted, there are several plot holes in the movie, but remember you’re watching a film about big giant robots once catered to 5-year old boys as I once was. Indulge yourself, and you’ll come away watching one of the most visually impressive, entertaining, and freshest movies (at least in terms of cadence and visuals) in a long time. 4 1/2 out of 5 stars, though it’s not Oscar material (like I know what is).
Oh, and I also saw Ratatouille over the weekend. Different kind of movie than the above, but Pixar’s animation is the best I’ve seen and this is easily my favorite film they’ve made due to its sophistication and compelling story. Both films highly recommended.
In classic Apple form, the company seemingly wants you to exclusively buy their earbud headphones for use with their iPhone as opposed to any other headphones you may or may not want to use. Flickr user vrogy has the scoop and the pic:
“It’s very simple- the curvature and insetting of the iphone housing prevents anything but very small audio plugs… i.e. mac hardware. Classic hardware lock-in.”
In a statement to Smooth Harold, Apple CEO Steve Jobs rhetorically asked, “We’d be stupid not to exploit and cash in on our insanely loyal consumer base, right?”*
*Steve Jobs really didn’t say this, but I can’t imagine the thought process being much different.
The reason why most new music sounds worse than most older recordings has to do with loudness optimization that started with the inception of CDs and progressively getting worse with time as shown in the above video.
[via FunL]
Despite its recent troubles, General Motors is the luckiest company in the world over the next few weeks according to Jalopnik. The car-loving blog — while heavily praising the movie’s entertainment value– says the highly-anticipated Transformers movie is basically a 144-minute commercial for GM. From the article:
“What makes this arrangement so amazing is that GM didn’t pay Paramount a single dime to get it done. That’s right — not a single penny changed hands between the big n’ beefy automaker and the big n’ beefy studio. Sure, GM provided some in-kind contributions of concept vehicles and the like, and of course they’ve got their own marketing budget running their own marketing campaign — but unlike other automakers, they didn’t drop a single pence into Paramount’s pocket for the privilege of having themselves featured in a movie [aimed at the coveted 15-35 male demographic, you know, the ones that buy a lot of cars] about cars that change into robots.”
Lucky…
NOTE: Transformers looks incredible! At first I thought the movie and its premise seemed too lame for the big screen, not to mention juvenile and over the top. But after seeing (and hearing) the amazing CG, cinematics, and deep sound, I cannot wait to see this film. “Autobots, transform. And roll out!” (spoiler-free review here)
Nintendo’s Wii gaming system has been a hit on the marketplace, but to keep the momentum, the company is making a strategic bet, and turning it into a developer platform. With enough developer momentum, iconic products say an iPod or Facebook, can become a mass market phenomenon.
Nintendo today announced a new indie developer platform for its widely successful Wii console, likely to launch in early 2008. Dubbed WiiWare, the service is said to enable developers to create smallish, new games via download on the motion-controlled system.
I was recently introduced to a new 70’s song over the weekend that I’m completely enamored with: “I’m a Fool To Do Your Dirty Work” by Steely Dan (not to be confused with Stealers Wheel as I often do). I’ve had the song on loop for the last 35 minutes. Love it!
I first heard the track as the outgoing song to Once in a Lifetime, a documentary about the rise and fall of the NASL. It’s an interesting and informative film not to mention a case study on how not to run a business. Despite the league being a flop, soccer moms around the country can thank it for laying the ground work for the sport in America and the some 20 million players here.
You can dload the Steely track from iTunes here. Get that!
As a professional blogger for nearly two years now, I’ve seen tens of thousands of comments aimed at me. Most of them are favorable, a lot of them are entertaining, some of them are negative, and a handful of them are just nasty. It comes with the territory when you publish your opinions, passions, and stories freely to the web.
But nasty commenters have a bright side. They help motivate me to work harder and make it so my output has to do the convincing. They give me thick skin and chutzpah to take risks as both a writer and businessman.
It’s documentary week here at Smooth Harold, and this is one I’ve been wanting to see since it first premiered in NYC in March. It’s called Helvetica, and it’s all about type and design.
Here’s a snippet from Kottke’s 4/5 star review: “Perhaps the highest praise I can offer for Helvetica comes courtesy of [my wife], who was snickering on the way into the theater about going to see a movie about a font and exited saying, ‘that was great, now I want to be a designer!’ The rest of the audience, mostly designers and type folks, loved it as well. But for the non-design folks, what’s compelling about the movie is getting a glimpse of how designers think and work; that it’s not just about making things look pretty.”
Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait until it hits DVD as the film is only showing on the artsy fartsy coasts. Any one else seen it?
I’m on a roll with controversial documentaries. I just finished watching Good Copy Bad Copy in which independent Danish filmmakers examine copyright law in the US and abroad. It’s fascinating to see how other countries treat IP, let alone make money from music and movies in ways the RIAA and movies aren’t even close to understanding or trying. I don’t necessarily have a solution to the challenges that piracy creates, but this 58 minute film is a must-see on the subject. Download the torrent here (it’s free!)
[via BoingBoing]
Game journalism sometimes gets a bad rap, but many of the worst accusations aren’t based in reality. Here are eight of the most popular myths about game reporting…and what really happens behind the scenes.
8. Video game journalists aren’t as responsible as traditional media.
Conventional wisdom suggests that most gaming journalists are uninspired, inconsistent, overly sensationalistic, or even fail to fact check before running a story. While some outlets are more irresponsible than others, this isn’t the case across the board. Game journalism didn’t get where it is today by being inaccurate and irresponsible. Additionally, widespread video game coverage has existed no longer than 20 years since the late 80s. While the media is anything but nascent, it still has its growing pains. Was the mainstream media as reliable as they are today? Not likely. This same is true of video game journalists.
The Verdict: It depends on the publication and the reporter, but more often than not, game journalists are right up there with most media in terms of credibility.
The US healthcare system is broken. That is unless you work for an opulent healthcare or pharmaceutical provider. In that case, US healthcare works like a charm (from a for-profit perspective).
But let me put my business degree away for a minute. As a citizen and patient, I now believe in universal healthcare in America just like I believe in socialized libraries, policemen, firemen, public schools, and highways. Here are five reasons why: Continue reading…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqsyXdj_p_I[/youtube]
I’m on a kick of digging up old-school YouTube videos lately when I should be working, but I couldn’t pass this one up. It’s Radiohead’s most excellent No Surprises video (it’s also my favorite track from OK Computer). Don’t be fooled, though; director Grant Lee used ninja editing skills to make it appear as if lead singer Thom York held his breath longer than he really did.
The attention surrounding MMOs (massively multiplayer online worlds) has never been greater. But it’s not just role playing games along for the ride; non-game, avatar-driven virtual communities are just as popular, if not by more, and we’re not just talking Second Life here.
So in an effort to cut through the hype and glean some context, here are the most popular MMOs in terms of active users or subscribers, based on publicly available data. These titles may or may not be games, but the medium has expanded far beyond Tolkienesque fantasy worlds. They all are Mac-friendly/Web-based with exception of Guild Wars.
You know mulitasking is nothing more than a feel-good concept, right? It’s a word people use to make them feel more productive. And “work-life balance” is anything but according to productivity ninja Tim Ferriss:
“For most of the planet, I would assert that the ideal dream job is the one that takes the least time. Be productive instead of busy, and recognize that life is full of special relationships and activities that need to be protected from one another. Focus on artful separation instead of integration, and you might just—as I did—feel as though an enormous burden has been lifted. Expect a lot out of life, but don’t expect too much from your job. It’s just one tool. Make it a specific one.”
Wise counsel.
See also: Book review: The 4-Hour Work Week
You don’t have to watch pro basketball to appreciate these well-aged gems of modern advertising. Courtesy of Fox Sports.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1QMXpGENkk&eurl=http://www.smoothharold.com/best-nba-commercials-ever/[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeboMEq10Ms&eurl=http://www.smoothharold.com/best-nba-commercials-ever/[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xErEq7ojGnk&eurl=http://www.smoothharold.com/best-nba-commercials-ever/[/youtube]
[Hat tip, Tim]
In case you’ve forgotten, the US economy is ginormous. Strange Maps tells why:
Although the economies of countries like China and India are growing at an incredible rate, the US remains the nation with the highest GDP in the world – and by far: US GDP is projected to be $13.22 trillion (or $13,220 billion) in 2007, according to this source. That’s almost as much as the economies of the next four (Japan, Germany, China, UK) combined.
For even more context, click on the above US state map renamed for countries with similar economy sizes. Amazing…
Hat tip, USA.
Write a lot. Then buy this book. Or vice versa.
Don’t let the name mislead you—The AP Guide to News Writing will help you become a better writer of everything except maybe books. This quick and worthwhile read is full of helpful tips, professional counsel, and practical ways to further flex your prose.
More than 5,000 video game commercials can be found on Game Ad’s online archive. That’s a lot of ads. Sadly, a majority of them aren’t worth your time, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to hand pick the best using only the finest ingredients; humor, creativity, cachet and a hint of nostalgia. Peep ’em. They’re the best video game commercials of all-time:
Definition: Trend (n.) – the general course or prevailing tendency. A leaning towards, a fad, a novelty.
So why do trends exist? Because they are familiar, they enable standards, and they just make life easier. In the case of video games, trends help companies maximize sales while reducing costs because gamers will purchase what they are accustomed to. But easier isn’t always better. Here are eleven reasons why:
The wife and I were talking over the weekend about our corporal markings and how we got them. Breathtaking conversation, I know. But we both thought it was interesting how a scar is really just a physical story from your past.
With that, here are the stories behind my engraved blemishes in the order I received them. Some dates are educated guesses of course. Not that you asked, but I thought I would document them none-the-less: Continue reading…
Ryan from Invisible Inkling has such a good take on the waning popularity of newspapers and how new media has changed the game for the better. Without stealing his thunder, here are his major points:
Be sure to click on through to read his excellent commentary.
A New York lawyer quit his job to make a living as a Lego artist. After seeing his work, I’m sure he’s living well. Incredible.
I don’t know where I came up with this, but I’m sure it was from someone smarter than me. When successfully connecting with someone on the phone after first leaving a voicemail and/or email, don’t ask the person if they “got your message.” It does you no good and merely wastes an additional minute or two before getting to the real purpose for the call, to solve a problem.
I’ve started implementing this policy and can say it works wonders. I simply say “Hello,” after the person answers and proceed to ask my original question assuming they didn’t get my message. This speeds things up and gets you your information quicker than the usual. Who cares if they got your message, what matters is that you get your answer.
Since Microsoft launched the beta for Halo 3 two weeks ago, some have murmured that the graphics are a bit, well, uninspiring, especially in comparison to Gears of War. Next-Gen spoke to Bungie about this perception.
Bungie’s Frank O’Connor talked about the public’s reception to the beta and any changes in the game in the months between now and launch on September 25. He said, “Well to be honest, we’ve seen them [the graphics] praised too. Multiplayer is by necessity a more sterile iteration of our graphical style and will always be tuned for performance and elegance rather than jamming the screen full of pixels. We think that the final aesthetic look of our game will be judged at launch in September and in part based on the more intense single player spaces. We’re also focused on maintaining the Halo character and atmosphere in our visual design – we’re competing with ourselves, and not simply trying to match the aesthetic of other games. We think that folks will be happy with Halo 3’s graphical polish come September.”
Fact: I believe 75% of all in-person meetings are unnecessary. That said, an anonymous individual published a comment yesterday on an older post of mine in which I criticized unnecessary meetings. This is what s/he said:
“Routine meetings bring routine results.”
I respectfully disagree, though I appreciate the commenter for challenging my stated beliefs. So in his/her same spirit (or assuming I misunderstood their definition of “meetings”), I give to you Smooth Harold’s oversimplified expressions on what brings routine results. And I quote (myself)…
Routine productivity brings routine results.
Routine accountability brings routine results.
Routine management brings routine results.
Routine practice brings routine results.
Routine humility brings routine results.
Routine planning brings routine results.
Routine work (that meets your goals, not busy work) brings routine results.
Don’t confuse a majority of your meeting time with getting work done (GTD). Skip or rethink most of your meetings in favor of weekly email updates that ask, “What’s been done?” “What will be done?” and “Is there anything stopping you from getting your work done?” Even ask yourself that. Then once a month have a phone call or in-person meeting to follow up with the weekly ones. This concept alone has gotten me “results” over the last four years when dealing with others, meeting deadlines, and increasing productivity so I can focus on relevant tasks that meet my financial objectives.
At the same time, I’m a big believer in the human element. That is meeting often as friends, co-workers, clients, associates, and colleagues. Earmark copious amounts of your time to enjoy one another’s company without exception. Just don’t call it work.
UPDATE: As Jordan so kindly pointed out in the comments, I may have misinterpreted my anonymous commenters quote, that is routine in a negative light. After consulting a dictionary, I’m not sure if I exposed my lack of diction prowess or if routine can be used in a positive way as I did above. Whatever the case, hopefully something can be derived out of what was said above…
You could view the current situation of the PS3 in one of two ways; either everything is going as planned and the geniuses at Sony are gifted with insane amounts of foresight, or things could be better. Being that Sony appears a little bit, shall we say, defensive about the whole ordeal, we suspect the latter. So assuming Sony still wants to appeal to the mass market, here are seven ways the company can turnaround the PS3 in the shortest amount of time. Behold our armchair quarterback skills!
Brilliant! A picture truly is worth 1000 words. Via Ads of the World. Bonus: Go check out these three crazy ads from years’ past. Blowing smoke in a girl’s face used to be a turn on…? It did in advertising.
Associated Press
The AP alludes to why: “By reaching the June 10 [French Open] final, Federer would play in his eighth major title match in a row, something no man has done. Not Laver. Not Pete Sampras. Not Bjorn Borg. No one.” Even then, Federer — who is only 25 — has already won 10 majors placing him number three on the list of male tennis players with most singles major championship wins, right above Agassi and quickly closing in on Sampras. Whether you like tennis or not, behold the most dominate athlete alive. He’s leagues better than Tiger or anyone else for that matter and may prove to be the best player in history. Amazing.
Humility is the most admirable trait a human being can posses. I’m convinced of that. It enhances all other personal qualities, and it motivates me to be a better individual, both professionally and personally.
Two weeks ago, I wrote a story for GigaOM. I was proud of the piece. I thought it was well covered, well written, and pertinent to my audience. Then I saw my editor’s edit. Wow! He completely transformed the copy into a much more vibrant and personable article. Granted, my points remained, he just sizzled them up to make the reading much more enjoyable.
He then emailed my article to our publisher for dissemination and — while CC’ing me on the email — said I did a great job on the piece without mentioning his sizable renovations. We could have easily shared the byline, but instead he just made me look ninja good without asking or wanting any credit in return. I was humbled by the experience, and realized I could do so much more in helping others prosper without recognition or payment. So yeah, do your best to try and make others look good.
[Thanks, James!]
Lindsey and I found out what we’re having today–it’s another baby girl! I am slowly getting outnumbered by three female lovelies, but I was very happy to hear the news. Our first girl has been a good sleeper, is a lot of fun, and the economist in me is happy to know we can get a lot more mileage out of the hand me downs pre-owned clothes.
After talking it over with Lindsey, I think we’re pretty much set on the ever-popular Madison as a name calling her Maddie of course. So I formally welcome you to the Snows, Maddie! See you in about five months. Hopefully you’ll be a little more tranquil than your older sister Sadie, but we’ll take what we can get.
However justified, Sony has been fiercely criticized for both its approach and management of the PlayStation 3 to this point. The company just posted its biggest quarterly loss in four years shortly after dealing with several public relation mishaps related to the PS3. Just listen to these colorful quotes by former PlayStation boss Ken Kutaragi when describing the PS3: “It’s probably too cheap,” “It’s 4D,” and “[We want] consumers to think… ‘I will work more hours to buy one.'”
Not very endearing, huh? So who’s in charge of helping gamers see beyond such rogue statements? None other than Sony’s senior director of corporate communications, Dave Karraker. Karraker, who is just eight months on the job, has perhaps the toughest job in video games; helping consumers regard the PS3 with as much esteem as the record-setting PS2 despite the former’s high price and somewhat slower start. We sit down with the man to ask how he’s coping with being the public face of Sony.
Out of all the period games that could be made, a lopsided majority end up being about World War II. In the 2006 calendar year alone, a whopping 23 World War II-themed games (including special editions) were released at an average of two titles per month. Unthinkable? There’s a reason.
“Throughout history, one of the most incredible tests, is the test of a soldier,” says Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford. “From shield and spear to tanks and battleships, war and soldiering is one of the most interesting human experiences. Thus, it is one of the strongest human fantasies.”
If being a soldier then is what Pitchford calls a “core fantasy” of gamers, what better backdrop for a soldier than World War II?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0iQhn5dYqE[/youtube]
If this kid doesn’t make it big, we’re all screwed…
Viral marketing goes by several different names — buzz marketing, disruptive marketing, guerilla marketing, annuity effect, long tail, media leverage and even word-of-mouth marketing. But adding the word “marketing” to viral or any of the aforementioned names is a bit of a misnomer as the act of marketing typically describes a direct and conscious act on the part of companies to pitch their products to consumers. Viral marketing is anything but conscious. It is indirect marketing managed by consumers and consumers alone.
By definition, viral marketing is a phenomenon that facilitates and encourages people to pass along a marketing message, usually — though not exclusively — online. Like a literal virus, the product message gets passed along from one user to the next and is easily shared in rapid fashion. Hotmail’s mandatory “Get your private, free e-mail at Hotmail.com” message on every outgoing e-mail is widely accredited as the first viral marketing campaign. Its strategy included:
What makes something the worst job ever? In my eyes, it’s a lack of excitement. The worst jobs in the world are boring. Yeah, Discovery’s Dirtiest Jobs Ever are pretty bad, but I’d like to think I’d pick one of those any day over boring work. Excitement = Happiness.
Before I describe the worst job I’ve ever had, let’s run down my list of employers and/or clients in chronological order: Chick-fil-A (first job), IBM (PC specialist), Lucent Technologies, Youth Soccer Coach (paid, baby!), Cingular Wireless (retail clerk), BYU Performing Arts (male secretary), BYU web developer, Griffio (my company, still a male secretary), Combat Films (freelancer), Weblogs Inc (blogger), Provo Labs (business incubator), Next-Generation (writer), GamePro (writer), and GigaOM (reporter/blogger). A large number of the latter gigs have been managed concurrently and are/were part-time.
I went to brunch with Om Malik on Saturday while on assignment in San Francisco over the weekend. I’m really glad it worked out as Om is one of the kindest individuals I’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
First thing that struck me about Om was the genuine interest he showed in meeting me. Malik is an accomplished professional. Blake Snow is not. Nevertheless, Om didn’t play the “I’m in a hurry, Blake, so what can I do to help” card. Rather he was very giving of his time. What was originally suppose to be a short meeting turned into an hour long discussion between colleagues on a nice, sunny day in the Bay Area.
I then learned that while writing for Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and Business 2.0 by day, Om also worked as a club promoter by night. He charged high-rollers a “finder’s fee” to ensure their admittance into New York’s hottest clubs on any given night. In return, club owners received high-spending customers on a VIP list without charging a cover or paying for marketing. Clever idea! At one point, Om’s promotion business was netting him $40,000 per month on top of his salary before ultimately selling the company to solely focus on reporting.
Lastly, after discussing our careers, Om and I started talking baseball which we both share an affinity for. I asked him for his thoughts on the controversial Barry Bonds whom I called “a cheat,” to which Om replied in gentle fashion, “Everyone has made mistakes in life. No one is perfect.” This from an Oakland A’s fan even. At first I wanted to defend my original claim given its widely accepted credibility and Bonds’s reputation for being a jerk, but conclusively realized I couldn’t do so without being a hypocrite. How many times have I been “a cheat” in life only to want the quick forgiveness of those whom I had wronged. Thanks, Om!
See also: Now blogging for Om Malik
The latest skirmish in the console wars took place this weekend, at the Mission District’s ultra-hip Foreign Cinema. That’s where Microsoft offered the gaming media a hands-on media preview of Halo 3, one of gaming’s most anticipated titles— and the company’s bid to expand their broadband audience.
Make no mistake about it, though the PS3 trails far behind and the Wii isn’t a direct competitor, the 360’s position as the HDTV-powered next gen champ is far from assured. The console has sold 10 million units to date since first launching 18 months ago, and claims six million online members to its Live service. It is hard to say how many of those are paying members, and how many are part of trial or some giveaway.