Subtle Sabotage: 7 Techniques

There may be no limit to the way in which people who harbor a grievance, real or imagined, can retaliate. The secret to the game is doing so in a manner that leaves some reasonable doubt regarding intent. The classic practices include:

1. Delaying or omitting notification of important meetings.
2. Losing crucial paperwork.
3. Processing requests as slowly as possible.
4. "Accidentally" disconnecting calls.
5. Not proofreading documents.
6. Strictly following rules in a manner that produces maximum inconvenience.
7. Doing the absolute minimum and no more.
   

Quote of the Day

Egos eat brains.

- Alan Brunacini

Looking for Richard

Al Pacino did all of us a favor when he made Looking for Richard, in which he explores the nuances of Shakespeare's Richard III.

It's a marvelous film and should be more widely known - and available - in the USA.

Smile Break

Take a break.

Watch this.

Smile.

April Fool Pranksters

What Would Dad Say has the details behind the Best April Fool's Student Joke Ever.

The Schwinn Tailwind

Seven miles later, by the time I got to Times Square, it dawned on me. The e-bike isn't about exercise, strictly. It's about commuting. The bike's electric motor helped me climb up to the Brooklyn Bridge, and then ascend a long incline from the Hudson River to the traffic-choked heart of Manhattan. The Tailwind transformed a normally sweaty bike commute into a pleasant, energizing spin. Indeed, I had given up on bike commuting to work because the ride left me drenched, and with no shower at work, it was a no go. The e-bike made bike commuting possible again.

Read the rest of the Business Week article here.

Miscellaneous and Fast

• Andrew Klavan reviews The Mentalist.
• Business Week: Another way to set CEO pay.
• True West: A journey through Spanish mission country.
• Animal Farm: One of the weirdest rejection letters of all time. [HT: Arts & Letters Daily]
• John Phillips sees a game of chicken in Congress.
• Jim Stroup analyzes the all-knowing.
• G20 Protests: The usual suspects.
• Asia Grace: Photos of Asia from Kevin Kelly.
• Fistful of Talent is hosting the Carnival of HR.

Why Not Malibu?

The story of the Chevrolet Malibu, a well-made and reliable car, shows part of the challenge faced by General Motors. An excerpt:

This problem can't be fixed overnight. It took decades for Toyota and Honda to steal big chunks of the market from GM, and it would require years for GM to steal it back -- as rival Ford Motor Co. has learned. The percentage of Ford vehicles on the recommended list of Consumer Reports rose to 70% in 2009 from just 26% in 2002. But Ford has yet to witness any dramatic gain in market share.

The Thank You Note Scoring Sheet

1. Written within 24 hours of the event: 10 points.
2. Written within three days of the event: 7 points.
3. Written a month or more after the event: 2 points
4. Not written at all: Minus 10 points.
   
5. Handwritten on fine stationery: 10 points.
6. Typed in an email: 5 points.
7. Scrawled on a cocktail napkin: 1 point.
8. Sent via Instant Messaging: Minus 5 points.
   
9. Addressed to Dear Friend: Minus 20 points.
10. Simply expresses sincere thanks: 10 points.
11. Drenched in insincerity: Minus 20 points.
    
12. Expresses thanks and asks for a favor: Minus 10 points.
13. Expresses thanks in a postscript to a lengthy letter: Minus 5 points.
14. Expresses "so mild as to be almost nonexistent" thanks: Minus 5 points.
15. Combines thanks with constructive criticism: Minus 10 points.
16. Combines sincere thanks with wit: 20 points.
    

Quote of the Day

Socrates said the unexamined life is not worth living. But the (over)examined life makes you wish you were dead. Given the alternative, I'd rather be living.

- Saul Bellow