Some Chicago Boyz know each other from student days at the University of Chicago. Others are Chicago boys in spirit. The blog name is also intended as a good-humored gesture of admiration for distinguished Chicago School economists and fellow travelers.
My son is watching TV and he sees an add in Microsoft’s new marketing campaign. Their slogan?
Windows: Life Without Walls
My son quipped, “If you don’t have any walls, why do you need windows?”
It’s the kind of joke that writes itself. Did no one at Microsoft or their ad agency think of this pun or the impression it creates? Seems to me like an unforced error.
“The cat, having sat upon a hot stove lid, will not sit upon a hot stove lid again. But he won’t sit upon a cold stove lid, either.” Mark Twain
My friend, former Chief Warrant Officer Jim Wright, has made several interesting posts on information warfare.
Of all the words he’s written on the subject, the most important quote is this one:
When information arrives, how many folks ask themselves: How was this information acquired? Is it complete? Is it accurate? Is it biased. Is it relevant? Is there enough detail? Do I accept it because it reinforces what I think I know, or do I reject it for the same reason? How can I verify it? How can I test it? If I can’t test and verify the information, do I accept it anyway? If so, why?
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Those who fail to ask themselves such questions place themselves and those who depend on them, at a significant disadvantage – they will always be at the mercy of those who can observe the universe critically, adjust their worldview appropriately, decide and act.
I have an affinity for that type of inquiry because I am an accredited professional in information warfare I hold an MBA with a subspecialty in marketing. Some segment of society wages information warfare on the individual practically every day of his or her life. And the individual wages it right back.
Cross posted at LITGM.
This morning on the radio I heard a promotional advertisement for Feed the Pig. I have heard things about this site before and decided to check it out. It is outstanding. They have calendars so you can see ways to save money throughout the year, and there are many tips on how to pinch pennies.
Basically the concept is to teach people how to save, knock down their debt, and generally help them to not waste money (things that many modern day Americans are horrible at). I can’t really see a downside to this. The site is sponsored by the American Institute of CPAs. I am not sure why they put up the site, but I wholeheartedly support it.
I give the site a big thumbs up, but think I will give their choice of advertising venues a small thumbs down. I was reminded this morning of Feed the Pig while listening to Bloomberg Radio on XM on the way in to work, getting my business news for the day.
**Quick aside: I have three choices of business news to pick from on XM: Fox Business, CNBC and Bloomberg. I choose Bloomberg because it is just the facts, with interviews sprinkled in – and the interviews are with interesting and smart people. In addition, the interviews are always respectful and low key even if people are disagreeing, unlike some of the other places where there are a bunch of idiots yelling and screaming at each other. In other words, Bloomberg Radio seems more professional to me.**
I really don’t think that anyone who seeks out Bloomberg Radio doesn’t understand the simple concepts of saving and debt that Feed the Pig is trying to teach. I just think that these are wasted advertising dollars. A better target IMHO would be radio stations, magazines or TV networks that reach places where the people are perhaps not educated or are unaware of the concepts that Feed the Pig is educating people on.
It is almost like putting ads up for scrap booking during an NFL football game. Not the right demographic.
Cross posted at LITGM.
My friend Nathan and I differ greatly in our perspective of how and when film crews ought to be allowed to close off parking in the maze that is Manhattan’s Chinatown. You can catch some of our debate here and here.
What it comes down to for me, as a libertarian, is that the film studios are using the coercive power of the state to force (see if the police won’t clear away any protests before you object to my use of the word “force”, especially if the protestor is a lone businessman) the neighborhood into accepting something that will benefit the private film company, and a minority of the businesses there. The difference from the Suzette Kelo case is only a matter of degree.