Jerome Kerviel can't catch a break.
He's the mid-level functionary allegedly responsible for a $7.2 billion (BILLION!) loss for Societe Generale, the not-as-big-as-it-used-to-be French bank.
In early reports he was painted as a financial mastermind. Now, according to The New York Times and others, he's "Mr. Average,"
He never got further than a green belt in Judo; attended an "average college" where he got "unremarkable grades."
Worse, it appears he didn't personally profit from his "rogue" trading.
If you're gonna get caught for perpetrating massive fraud, wouldn't you rather go out looking like James Bond rather than Homer Simpson?
Well at least he's a Facebook star.
Showing posts with label Barb Darrow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barb Darrow. Show all posts
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Thursday, October 18, 2007
At last a Web community I can get behind
It’s true I don’t have the bandwidth to track the idiocy that emanates from Tim McCarver’s mouth. Thankfully, a little googling shows there’s an army of like-minded citizens out there.
Finally. A community I can get behind. A large group who hate, loathe and despise Tim McCarver. Wait, that’s too harsh. They hate, loathe and despise what Tim McCarver says. On national TV. Ruining our favorite game. He is, in the words of one blogger, imminently "mute-worthy."
The orange-headed freak accounts for four of the 35 stupidest-ever sports quotes as compiled here. As one respondent said, he surely deserves more.
There is a consensus about the orange-headed freak. Misery loves company. See here. And here. And here. Oh yeah and here.
These are my new peeps.
Finally. A community I can get behind. A large group who hate, loathe and despise Tim McCarver. Wait, that’s too harsh. They hate, loathe and despise what Tim McCarver says. On national TV. Ruining our favorite game. He is, in the words of one blogger, imminently "mute-worthy."
The orange-headed freak accounts for four of the 35 stupidest-ever sports quotes as compiled here. As one respondent said, he surely deserves more.
There is a consensus about the orange-headed freak. Misery loves company. See here. And here. And here. Oh yeah and here.
These are my new peeps.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Quotable quotes from the majors
Some good nuggets from the last few weeks in baseball:
“Let’s be honest: it’s not going to affect his speed,” NESN color commentator Jerry Remy after Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli reinjured himself running to first.
“I may not look sexy, but I feel sexy,” New Los Angeles Dodger pitching phenom, 40-something-year-old David Wells, aka the round mound of the mound. He said this right around the time he--who tips the scales at 260 or so--beat out a bunt for a single.
And an oldie but goodie:
“I’ve seen him in the shower. He ain’t the Greek god of anything,” Sox manager Terry Francona upon hearing that first baseman Kevin Youkilis’ nick name is the Greek God of Walks.
Bonus item: How did it escape my notice that the Mariners pitch a guy named Putz???
“Let’s be honest: it’s not going to affect his speed,” NESN color commentator Jerry Remy after Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli reinjured himself running to first.
“I may not look sexy, but I feel sexy,” New Los Angeles Dodger pitching phenom, 40-something-year-old David Wells, aka the round mound of the mound. He said this right around the time he--who tips the scales at 260 or so--beat out a bunt for a single.
And an oldie but goodie:
“I’ve seen him in the shower. He ain’t the Greek god of anything,” Sox manager Terry Francona upon hearing that first baseman Kevin Youkilis’ nick name is the Greek God of Walks.
Bonus item: How did it escape my notice that the Mariners pitch a guy named Putz???
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Why we hate cable companies (in case you forgot)
Here’s why people hate cable companies.
I was trying to arrange broadband Internet access for my mom’s house down in North Carolina. She has no interest or need for Web access, but I do and since I’ll be going to visit more often, it’s a necessary internet cost. (Those Starbucks $9.99-per-day t-mobile charges were adding up.)
My first call to her cable company—Charter Cable—yielded an interesting response. Since their records showed her account under my father’s name—he died in 1984—the rather snippy man on the phone said we’d have to come in, death certificate in hand, to change the paperwork.
Funny. Her bills have been in her name for more than a decade. Probably more than two.
A few days later I called again. No mention of a billing name change.
This fellow, positively chatty, assured me that the installation guy would be able to hook up digital TV, phone AND cable modem even if I—and my computer—could not be around. This sounded fishy. So I asked him three times if that were really the case. He assured me it was.
Fast forward three weeks to the installation. Mom called me as instructed, although after Installation Guy had already installed the digital TV cable box. Then she put the clearly put-out fellow on.
Obviously in a hurry, he said he could not install the cable modem without a PC on hand. In fact, he had not even brought a cable modem with him. Hmmm.
Given that this was the only reason we’d scheduled the service this seemed odd. To make matters worse: He yelled at me. Really yelled. Interesting concept of customer service.
The work order stated that cable modem was the game plan and that the salesman had promised this would not be an issue, I said.
“He just wanted to make a sale,” he responded.
Hmm. I asked for Charter’s phone number.
He said he didn’t have it.
“Um. Don’t you work for them?”
“No.”
He was one of those nameless contractors who feel no connection to the vendor they represent and are likely abused by said vendor. Hence the tip-top service we get. After an audible, irritated sigh, he managed to provide the number. Was that really so hard? I wanted to ask. But didn't.
After a good five minute wait (probably record time) a Charter support lady said the work order read as I had been told. As in: "Install cable modem, leave easy install kit." She apologized for “any confusion.”
I called Installer Guy back. He was madder than ever.
He had no modem. No install kit.
“Okay. Take everything out.”
If you could hear livid, that was the sound I would have heard it. Who gives a damn if we ruined his day? But I do care that my 80-plus-year-old mom was put through this idiocy for no reason.
Insult to injury: Charter support lady had told me she’d call Mom in an hour to make sure the old (BellSouth, God bless ‘em) phone service had not been impacted by this farce.
It’s been three days: No call.
Moral of the story: Cable companies suck but Charter Cable takes that suckiness to a whole other level.
For more tales of Charter Cable hell, see here. And here. And here.
(I should have googled Charter Cable complaints before, but in truth there is no alternative in western NC.)
Addendum: A recent Comcast experience in the Boston area was the polar opposite of what the Charter fiasco in North Carolina. Not only did the installer do a great job installing digital phone connctino and updating my cable modem, he cleaned out all the outside cable box connections AND provided his cell phone number in case there were any problems. He said to call anytime and leave a message because he typically worked in the area.
So far there’s been no need to take advantage of this offer, but the very fact it was made made him and by extension Comcast a star.
That is above and beyond what anyone can expect. But consumers should be able to expect at the very least competence and civility.
Charter showed neither.
I was trying to arrange broadband Internet access for my mom’s house down in North Carolina. She has no interest or need for Web access, but I do and since I’ll be going to visit more often, it’s a necessary internet cost. (Those Starbucks $9.99-per-day t-mobile charges were adding up.)
My first call to her cable company—Charter Cable—yielded an interesting response. Since their records showed her account under my father’s name—he died in 1984—the rather snippy man on the phone said we’d have to come in, death certificate in hand, to change the paperwork.
Funny. Her bills have been in her name for more than a decade. Probably more than two.
A few days later I called again. No mention of a billing name change.
This fellow, positively chatty, assured me that the installation guy would be able to hook up digital TV, phone AND cable modem even if I—and my computer—could not be around. This sounded fishy. So I asked him three times if that were really the case. He assured me it was.
Fast forward three weeks to the installation. Mom called me as instructed, although after Installation Guy had already installed the digital TV cable box. Then she put the clearly put-out fellow on.
Obviously in a hurry, he said he could not install the cable modem without a PC on hand. In fact, he had not even brought a cable modem with him. Hmmm.
Given that this was the only reason we’d scheduled the service this seemed odd. To make matters worse: He yelled at me. Really yelled. Interesting concept of customer service.
The work order stated that cable modem was the game plan and that the salesman had promised this would not be an issue, I said.
“He just wanted to make a sale,” he responded.
Hmm. I asked for Charter’s phone number.
He said he didn’t have it.
“Um. Don’t you work for them?”
“No.”
He was one of those nameless contractors who feel no connection to the vendor they represent and are likely abused by said vendor. Hence the tip-top service we get. After an audible, irritated sigh, he managed to provide the number. Was that really so hard? I wanted to ask. But didn't.
After a good five minute wait (probably record time) a Charter support lady said the work order read as I had been told. As in: "Install cable modem, leave easy install kit." She apologized for “any confusion.”
I called Installer Guy back. He was madder than ever.
He had no modem. No install kit.
“Okay. Take everything out.”
If you could hear livid, that was the sound I would have heard it. Who gives a damn if we ruined his day? But I do care that my 80-plus-year-old mom was put through this idiocy for no reason.
Insult to injury: Charter support lady had told me she’d call Mom in an hour to make sure the old (BellSouth, God bless ‘em) phone service had not been impacted by this farce.
It’s been three days: No call.
Moral of the story: Cable companies suck but Charter Cable takes that suckiness to a whole other level.
For more tales of Charter Cable hell, see here. And here. And here.
(I should have googled Charter Cable complaints before, but in truth there is no alternative in western NC.)
Addendum: A recent Comcast experience in the Boston area was the polar opposite of what the Charter fiasco in North Carolina. Not only did the installer do a great job installing digital phone connctino and updating my cable modem, he cleaned out all the outside cable box connections AND provided his cell phone number in case there were any problems. He said to call anytime and leave a message because he typically worked in the area.
So far there’s been no need to take advantage of this offer, but the very fact it was made made him and by extension Comcast a star.
That is above and beyond what anyone can expect. But consumers should be able to expect at the very least competence and civility.
Charter showed neither.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Some perspective please
Like many tech/business reporters (well okay ALL so-called mainstream media types), I’ve been through some job stresses of late.
Change is good and all that but stress is stress and it's easy to get caught up in it. You know, rapped around your own axle. Then something snaps you out of it.
Case in point: On a recent trip to Toronto, the car service guy and I chatted curbside while we waited for his driver. He said he’d been a flight attendant for 25 years, with Pan Am and others.
“Why did you leave?” I asked.
“I went through and survived three hijackings. That was enough,” he said. He was on one flight on which several passengers were executed.
Gulp.
See what I mean?
Change is good and all that but stress is stress and it's easy to get caught up in it. You know, rapped around your own axle. Then something snaps you out of it.
Case in point: On a recent trip to Toronto, the car service guy and I chatted curbside while we waited for his driver. He said he’d been a flight attendant for 25 years, with Pan Am and others.
“Why did you leave?” I asked.
“I went through and survived three hijackings. That was enough,” he said. He was on one flight on which several passengers were executed.
Gulp.
See what I mean?
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Microsoft Hosting Stack Makes Gains Vs. LAMP
Netcraft numbers show the Windows Server/IIS combo making inroads on Apache territory. See this SearchITchannel story.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
MBS Chief Reassures Partners
Microsoft partners anxious about the new MBS (Microsoft Business Solutions) chief got their chance to meet him at the vendor's Worldwide Partner Conference July 10 to 12 in Denver
Click here for the whole story.
Click here for the whole story.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Big Surprise: Microsoft Gets Aggressive On 'Live' CRM Pricing
Microsoft, true to its volume sales heritage, will offer its upcoming hosted CRM Live service for as little as $39 per user per month.
That figure puts it well under the list prices of competitive offerings from Salesforce.com and NetSuite. Most of those rival SKUs list for well over $100 per user per month although discounting undoubtedly occurs.
There will be two main CRM Live “SKUs”: an Enterprise edition for $59 per user per month and a lower-end Professional edition for $39 per user per month as an introductory price good for 2008. The main difference is that the professional version provides no offline data synchronization.
And, true to its word, the company says sales of even the Microsoft-hosted “Live” CRM will carry a partner component. In fact, “customer access will be entirely through partners. We certainly believe partners add value and want to make sure they’re involved,” said Brad Wilson, general manager of CRM for Microsoft.
Those partners will get 10 percent margin on the initial sign up and ten percent forever annuity from then on, Wilson added.
Salesforce.com, which blazed the trail with hosted CRM, offers a 10 percent referral fee, but it is a one-time payment—there are no residuals. Salesforce.com is, however, encouraging partners to do customization work and app development atop its platform for fatter margins. NetSuite partners who hit certain target numbers on net new sales, can get 30, 40 even 50 percent margins.
The good news for Microsoft partners is that $39 is so inexpensive, it could spark a sales surge. The bad news is that 10 percent now-and-forever on $39 per user per month may not float a lot of partners’ boats.
Still, realistic solution providers are resigned to the reality of declining margins on software license sales and work to differentiate themselves on customization, adding vertical capabilities and other value.
In addition, Microsoft is pledging $20 million more to help existing partner organizations grow their capacity, said Barb Edson, director of Dynamics marketing.
That money is earmarked for training and recruiting employees for existing Microsoft Business Solutions partners. Microsoft has taken some hit for trying to broaden distribution of its MBS lineup at the expense of existing partners and this is designed to remedy that
The goal is to add 1,000 new employees to partner organizations globally, Edson said.
And, in other programmatic news, Microsoft launched a “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics” certification. ISVs who certify their MBS Dynamics-based applications can get up to $10,000 from Microsoft.
That figure puts it well under the list prices of competitive offerings from Salesforce.com and NetSuite. Most of those rival SKUs list for well over $100 per user per month although discounting undoubtedly occurs.
There will be two main CRM Live “SKUs”: an Enterprise edition for $59 per user per month and a lower-end Professional edition for $39 per user per month as an introductory price good for 2008. The main difference is that the professional version provides no offline data synchronization.
And, true to its word, the company says sales of even the Microsoft-hosted “Live” CRM will carry a partner component. In fact, “customer access will be entirely through partners. We certainly believe partners add value and want to make sure they’re involved,” said Brad Wilson, general manager of CRM for Microsoft.
Those partners will get 10 percent margin on the initial sign up and ten percent forever annuity from then on, Wilson added.
Salesforce.com, which blazed the trail with hosted CRM, offers a 10 percent referral fee, but it is a one-time payment—there are no residuals. Salesforce.com is, however, encouraging partners to do customization work and app development atop its platform for fatter margins. NetSuite partners who hit certain target numbers on net new sales, can get 30, 40 even 50 percent margins.
The good news for Microsoft partners is that $39 is so inexpensive, it could spark a sales surge. The bad news is that 10 percent now-and-forever on $39 per user per month may not float a lot of partners’ boats.
Still, realistic solution providers are resigned to the reality of declining margins on software license sales and work to differentiate themselves on customization, adding vertical capabilities and other value.
In addition, Microsoft is pledging $20 million more to help existing partner organizations grow their capacity, said Barb Edson, director of Dynamics marketing.
That money is earmarked for training and recruiting employees for existing Microsoft Business Solutions partners. Microsoft has taken some hit for trying to broaden distribution of its MBS lineup at the expense of existing partners and this is designed to remedy that
The goal is to add 1,000 new employees to partner organizations globally, Edson said.
And, in other programmatic news, Microsoft launched a “Certified for Microsoft Dynamics” certification. ISVs who certify their MBS Dynamics-based applications can get up to $10,000 from Microsoft.
It's True: Longhorn Awaits Next SQL Server/Visual Studio Releases
Folks discounted an earlier report that Microsoft would sync up its gigantic Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio Server 2008 but that’s exactly what it’s going to do.
That’s the word from Microsoft COO Kevin Turner, speaking at today’s Worldwide Partner Conference kickoff keynote in Denver.
Turner called this the biggest product rollout in company history.
Microsoft had promised to release Windows Server 2008 (aka Longhorn) to manufacturing by year’s end, opening the way for what some partners call a slip in the long-in-the-works server operating system.
The main big-bang event will be in Los Angeles February 27 with many more regional events planned.
Partner reaction to the earlier report was decidedly mixed, with one database specialist bemoaning the impact of earlier synched releases on product shipments
That’s the word from Microsoft COO Kevin Turner, speaking at today’s Worldwide Partner Conference kickoff keynote in Denver.
Turner called this the biggest product rollout in company history.
Microsoft had promised to release Windows Server 2008 (aka Longhorn) to manufacturing by year’s end, opening the way for what some partners call a slip in the long-in-the-works server operating system.
The main big-bang event will be in Los Angeles February 27 with many more regional events planned.
Partner reaction to the earlier report was decidedly mixed, with one database specialist bemoaning the impact of earlier synched releases on product shipments
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