Quote of the Day

How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.

- Benjamin Disraeli

Punitive Damages, Bed Bugs, and Fairness

Patti Waldmeir, writing in the Financial Times, on the punitive damages case going before the U.S. Supreme Court:

The questions before the justices are ones they have faced before: is it fair to let juries impose huge punitive damages awards against companies that make things that hurt people - damages that are out of all proportion to the harm caused to the person bringing the lawsuit? Should jurors be allowed to punish defendants for harm they may cause to people who are not party to the suit? Is that necessary to deter corporate wrongdoing? Or is it economically counter- productive - and constitutionally unconscionable - to hit corporate defendants with damages in three-figure millions for each case of wrongdoing?

She also examines a bed bug case.

[HT: Wall Street Journal Law Blog ]

Iraq et al

Michael Barone compares Iraq to other wars.

I'm looking forward to a thorough analysis of the media coverage. The journalism schools will not look good.

British Teachers Union Boycott of Israel

Martin Peretz on the vote of a British teachers’ union to boycott Israeli academics and schools:

But let's assume that these British teachers are really concerned about human rights. Have they declared a boycott against China or Cuba? (What was their policy towards Saddamite Iraq?) Have they placed their hex on the crazy doctor's Iran? All of these are such monstrous regimes when it comes to human rights ... and, lo, from these British academics, there is silence. In fact, my guess is that they are pushing cultural exchange with these outlaw states. As it happens, any state that opposes Western politics and Western values engages their sympathy and support. These are the cohorts, if not precisely the same people, that saw in Stalinism and in Maoism and in Castroism hope for mankind. They allied themselves with these brutal ideologies and brutal states. And now they find new comrades in the Palestinian revolution in its newest dispensation, a Muslim jihad against every idea they supposedly hold dear, freedom, tolerance, feminism, sexual equality. Think for a moment about what Palestinian universities are like, will be like in regard to intellectual freedom.

The Waiting Game

This account of a shift from Waiter Rant illustrates why waiting tables is a very hard job.

[I confess to being surprised by the rudeness of people who call in for reservations. Whatever happened to basic courtesy?]

VA Files Hard to Access

This is good news: The average thief will find it difficult to gain access to the stolen Veterans Affairs files.

And the last I heard, the police thought the burglar is not smarter than your average bear.

Human Relations Update

Great moments in conversation.

Leadership is Not Enough

Here are some dissenting opinions to Jack Trout's argument that leadership is a powerful differentiator in marketing.

Fatal Mistakes on New Jobs

Whenever I see an article like this one on fatal mistakes that people make on new jobs, I feel that they are missing the truly significant ones, such as:

• Referring to yourself in the third person.
• Calling the boss "sonny boy."
• Using the office address for your Hustler subscription.
• Having board games on your book shelves.
• Asking the CFO if she's ever done time.
• Others?

Back to Basics

I saw this article on “boot camp training” for new attorneys and cheered.

[Loyal readers of this site will know that recently I surfaced a similar concept for organizations in general.]