This is hot

Did I mention I hate Student Loans?

I don't have time for a thorough post, but why oh why are there at least three different Federal Student Loan portal sites? How un-consumer friendly is that? Why isn't there one site for me to manage my federal loans from application, through dispersal, through consolidation, through payback? Even looking at the summary description of each page, I still can't tell the difference!

Welcome to the homepage of the U.S. Department of Education's Direct Loan Program,
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DirectLoan/index.html

Welcome borrowers, schools, and loan holders to the Federal Direct Conslidation Loans Information Center
http://loanconsolidation.ed.gov/

Welcome to Federal Student Aid Direct Loan Servicing on-line
https://www.dlssonline.com/borrower/BorrowerWelcomePage.jsp

Up or down?

Random topic but one I've wondered about and so am pleased to see an article on it: flag lowering.

I feel like, when I was little, it was rare for flags to be flown at half-staff. So much so, I can remember going to school one day - maybe 4th or 5th grade - seeing the flag lowered on the way in, and wondering for much of the morning why it was so. Maybe I should have just asked someone...ah, a lesson I still haven't learned.

Anyway, today it seems that whenever I walk through the Diag, the flag is lowered. So much so, I now routinely find myself asking if it is ever not at half-staff.

Apparently politicians, in their infinite wisdom, have drafted a bill to ensure a consistent approach to the decision of whether the flag shall be up or down.

Much of the debate is over what to do when a local soldier is killed in combat. I certainly agree that a single soldier's life is valuable and, in many cases, they have probably given greater service to the country than the elected officials for whom the flag is always and automatically lowered. But I think one interviewee summarizes my own experience best:

“When we lower it now, people notice it and ask why,” Mr. Burk said. “If you lower every time a soldier dies, it will be down so often that people will only notice and ask when it’s up.”

My good man from Ohio makes an important point as well:

Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio, a Democrat who opposes the war but does not lower flags for killed Ohio soldiers says, “I think putting the flag at half-staff is a strong symbolic thing to do. But quite frankly, it’s a fairly easy thing to do. It doesn’t require anything of us either as political leaders or as citizens.”

Fallen soldiers deserve to be commemorated by their hometown. When there are so many fallen soldiers however, lowering the flag quickly loses a lot of its meaning. Maybe, if such honoring is truly so important to these politicians, they should think a little longer on a more meaningful way of doing it.

I hate lines

So, apparently, it is perfect that I am moving to New York where lines at grocery stores can be epic.

But wait! An article in the NYTimes today details how the wildly popular Whole Foods has so cleverly managed to address this problem. It is all very interesting, but of course also very silly. I didn't do so well in Operations, and I'm pretty sure all I really needed to know was that Little's Law is I=RT (but I don't know what I, R, or T is), but one thing I do remember is queuing theory, which is all Whole Foods is using.

As the article points out, banks have long used a single queue with multiple teller-windows to ensure no one gets stuck in a long, slow moving line, and that generally every customer is helped in the shortest time possible. It would have been nice if the article had also given props to Best Buy, since they have been using this same system, first at busy times like Christmas, but I believe now all the time - at least in their Midwest stores. So while the article is right to mention the fear of customers abandoning a queue when it looks too long to them, Best Buy could be pointed to as a fellow retailer who has made this work.

Also interesting was their use of first people, now electronic signage, to reveal the expected wait time. Again, great application. Let's give it up for Cedar Point though! How many times have we raced to the Gemini or Magnum XL, not been able to see the whole line, but seen that sign that says, "The expected wait from this point is: 1/4 hours" and then kept on running!

So basically what this article teaches us is that Whole Foods execs are using their fat bonus checks from the ridiculous popularity of their stores to, a) buy new plasma TVs, Wii's, and to pre-order the iPhone and b) take weekend trips to Sandusky, OH to kick the sky on the Raptor. Nice.

Why does it have to be so complicated?

I hate loans. But this is pretty much a given, right? Who likes loans? Who likes calculating their new budget at their fancy new job, only to realize that with their loan payments, they might actually be taking home less than they were before school!

But I especially don't care for my FAFSA, Gov't, Direct Student Loans - I don't know what the official name is supposed to be, but those loans from our government that have the good rates. Why? Let me see...

1. I came back from my trip to S. America, and granted I was gone for a bit, but I had eight separate pieces of mail from these guys! Two a week?!? Are you kidding?
2. Not only was there a ton of mail, but it was contradictory. One letter said my first payment was due on 6/7, another said 6/21. Some letters have my full account number, some only have a partial number which means I can't tell which of my three loans they apply to as the one unique number amongst them wasn't printed. So some of my letters made it seem like my payments were due till November.
3. You can sign-up for e-delivery of your statements which is great because you end up saving hundreds of trees given how many statements they send you. But if you then sign-up for direct debit, for some reason this cancels the e-statements and they revert you back to paper. It isn't possible for you to have both e-delivery and direct debit...why? Those are two complimentary services it seems to me. Wouldn't the person who wants the ease of direct debit also probably appreciate not getting two pieces of mail every week regarding their loans??
4. Related: each of my loans is treated as a separate "account". Why? I am one person. How ridiculously non-customer focused is that? Let's not treat this customer as one person and roll all of his loans into one account (you can still break them which I understand is necessary since they are at different interest rates), let's instead give him three account numbers and mail three separate statements each month. Not only does this add to my mail, but it means I can't see my total payments anywhere, I have to add them up manually!
5. This might be my favorite...what is the deal with the damn pin number they give you which they think should be treated like the most sacred thing in the world? If you enter your pin incorrectly twice, it is disabled. You can't then request a reminder until you first "reactivate" it. The reactivation process takes four hours, then you finally get an email. And this is all done for "your safety." Oh no, please don't let someone break into my account and pay my loans for me!
6. Wait, no, this is my favorite. Here is the process for reactivating your pin, and then for getting the email reminder. In BOTH places, they ask you the EXACT SAME three questions: Social security number, first two letters of your last name, and your date of birth. Okay, first, if you are asking for the same info in both steps of the process, why the hell do you need two steps? There is no extra security there - some bad person either has stolen my information or they haven't, but making them enter it twice isn't going to prevent anything. But second, how are these three questions so super secure? My last name and birthday - anyone can figure that out. If a username and password is secure enough for my credit card and bank accounts, I think it will do for my loans as well.

It has been a while since I posted and that was a long one. My two loyal readers probably didn't make it to the end. But I feel better now. Thanks.

Viral Marketing

Most of it sucks right? How sweet is this though?

Why is this so funny?

There are "explicit" lyrics in this (kind of) but it is genius. The Color Me Badd spoof is by itself almost as funny as the lyrics. I especially enjoy the three-step directions provided in the song.

Is it wrong to love Starbucks?

I don't generally think of myself as a brand or trend-whore. But every now and then there is something which completely runs in the face of this desired self-perception (in addition to my North Face fleece, my Jack Spade bag, my JCrew clothing, etc.) Take, for example, Starbucks. I love it. The coffee, the specialty drinks, the environment, the music/movie/lifestyle recommendations. It is great.

And I love the new campaign around the idea of "making it yours", especially the ability to create your own custom-drink artwork - with the help of Michael Knight from Project Runway fame, not Night Rider. Not only can you create your cup, but you can then download the artwork as your screen saver and even win a free t-shirt of your cup if you are one of the first people every morning starting at 10:00 AM! How sweet is that? Or is it sweet? What is wrong with me? Would I really walk around with a t-shirt advertising what a high-maintenance cappuccino-orderer I am?

Why don't I watch more wrestling?

Clearly it provides a level of entertainment hard to find elsewhere:

How did Rachael Ray become such a super sleuth?

I (along with over 54,000 other documented people) hate Rachel Ray. I have for a long time. She spells her name stupidly. She has an annoying voice and says stupid things. And I feel like, since she's really blown up in the last couple of years, she has taken her "every day woman" schtick over the top.

Despite my strong feelings, I've often felt conflicted, guilty that I was being too hard on Rachael. Until tonight.

Rachael is in Belgium on her current episode of $40-a-day. After eating a waffle and going to a flea market, she is super hungry so she decides to make a stop for lunch. From the show description: "By midday she is ready for steamed mussels. She heads to Le Pain Quotidien, for an affordable lunch."

I'm sorry, what?! Rachael is doing a show on where to go when you are overseas in Belgium, and she goes to a chain?! One that has over seventy locations!? Across nine countries!!? Including over twenty stores in the US!!!? Oh you are brilliant Rachael! What a glorious tip, thank you! You sure go out of your way to find some real gems for your viewers! God help the couple from Des Moines that is heading to Belgium tomorrow and decides to check-out your hot tip!

Giada, on the the other hand, is HOT and Italian! I'd eat wherever she told me to go!

How do Firms in Competitive Industries Make Money?

Although I have spent a lot of money on this MBA, pretty much all I need to know I could learn from The Real Housewives of Orange County (fine, so I've watched it once or twice, Jo is hot!)

Anyway, Lindsay, one of the young ladies on the show (whose father wants her to go to "Princeton, Harvard, or Yale") when asked in an interview for a job as a receptionist...at a...hair studio...in a mall how she feels about retail sales, breaks it down Porter's-Five-Forces style:

"Yah...I think retail sales are good. They are good for making money and giving people stuff."

Tyson Update: The Rest of the World is Slower Than You and I

Our beloved Tyson is making headlines across the country. Check out this local news clip from this week!

DailyCandy Inside Scoop - Shop at Wal-Mart!

It has only been 5 months...

So on January 23rd DailyCandy sent a Dedicated ("Sponsored") email on behalf of Wal-Mart. It suggested Wal-Mart is the place to go to get all of your Super Bowl party supplies.

Now I completely accept and indeed respect the site's need to monetize their business and have had no problems as they have added ads to their daily emails and sent these dedicated emails. I think it is smart and occassionaly I find the sponsors info relevant.

The Wal-Mart email is ridiculous however. I have no specific issues with Wal-Mart, but you couldn't find a brand more counter to what Daily Candy is about. People subscribe to DailyCandy to learn about new stuff, to get the secret inside scoop. Wal-Mart, as the largest retailer in the world, couldn't be more opposite to this objective.

Shilling for Wal-Mart undermines their expertise. At least a P&G ad might be for an interesting new product. Wal-Mart for my super bowl party? It just isn't believable and offers absolutely no value.

But actually, isn't the bigger issuer why the hell Wal-Mart thinks the DailyCandy reader is their target audience? Give me a break! I appreciate Wal-Mart wants to move a bit upscale, but they are smokin' some cheeba-cheeba down in Bentonville. You aren't Target and you aren't going to be! Upgrade your quality, but don't think you will ever - let alone overnight - be trend-right! Ultra-trend consumers, like those who read DailyCandy, aren't your core customers and never will be. Save your money.

Why can't I still be in New York?

I miss a lot of things about New York, but one of the biggest would be the restaurants. Here are all of the notable ones I dined at this summer, in approximate order of preference:

The Modern
Union Square Cafe
Suba
The Stanton Social
Al di la
Lupa
Buddakan
Craftbar
Craftsteak
Tribeca Grill
Franny's
Esca
Crave
Vento
Grammercy Tavern
Shake Shack
Dos Caminos
Café D'Alsace
Momofuku
wichcraft
Thalia
Haru
Bogota
Agave
Café Noir
Henry Street Ale House
Heights Café
China Grill

Mmmmm!!!!

Perfect Match?

Question: Could Pink and I be any more of a perfect match?? Is it destiny for us to be together?

I mean she has a bulldog who is shy and doesn't like people...so she already loves another creature that is basically just like me.

I knew there was a reason I ended up in NYC this summer - finally I found her!

Bettering Society

One of my good friends from high school visited me the other weekend. We found that we've not only grown to have very similar views on how people interact with one another, but that we have taken that passion and created pretty similar blogs.

His most recent entry reflects a conversation we had that weekend and is one I feel like I deserve to be co-author of. In it, he talks about a negative feedback mechanism for bad drivers.

But what if we took this concept a step further? Why should it be limited to cars? People constantly display rude behavior on subways, on the sidewalk, in elevators, at restaurants, on their cell phones.

Think about a site like eBay that monitors itself and its own members and, presumably, build a stronger community because people can leave feedback for one another that is visible to other users.

In society in general, this doesn't exist. If you showed up to work and you car was covered in paint, your co-workers and boss would know you were an asshole. But how can we take that concept and broaden it? How can we penalize negative behavior, but honestly the bigger opportunity, how can we collectively reward positive behavior beyond just the highway?

If someone holds the elevator for me when I'm clearly running late, wouldn't it be great if I could give them the equivalent of a gold star, one that would be visible to others? It is similar to the Red Cross giving you a sticker that says "Be nice to me, I donated blood today".

And of course, if some moron closes the elevator on me, shouldn't I be able to debit his kindness quotient?

Wait, are you for real?

Video Hosting - Upload Video - Video Sharing
Another video and another animal, I know. But this one I shot myself and it is awesome! Who taught this cat its manners? Observe as she daintly dines on her fancy cat food! Such a regal feline!

And the best part? She is available for adoption right here in Brooklyn at the Hope Veterinary Clinic! Contact them today!

Wait, what do I do?

My first question was, why is this woman in the men's bathroom? I then realized it is probably a kitchen, so I gave the all-clear to her presence. But what the hell is happening here? Is she praying? No. Showing him how to wash his hands?? Well that seems to be the case, but why? Is he a child? Who the hell doesn't know how to wash their hands? And let's just say he was bad at washing his hands...well then wouldn't she want to roll-up her sleeves and demonstrate what he should be doing differently? Is it effective for her to just clasp her hands together like that and gaze into his eyes smiling? It isn't like she appears to be offering any direction. And why are their eyes locked on one another? Shouldn't he be watching what he's doing, especially if he already sucks at washing hands? So disturbing.

I've got a question...

Where the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is everyone here in such a rush to get? If I had a nickel for every day that goes by that someone tries to force their way past me on the subway or the sidewalk...well, I'd have $1.70 cause I've been here 34 days. And a buck-seventy can't even buy you a grande drip in this city what with the 8.9275 tax rate and all.

Anyway, seriously, a tip people: if you are walking to get on to a train, and if there are a bunch of people walking the opposite way, and if you can hear a train...don't run! The train is leaving the station - that's where all those friendly people walking towards you just came from, it's true! By pushing past me and running, you are only accomplishing three things:

1. You're being a bad global citizen cause you just knocked against one of my recently pressed shirt
2. You're increasing your perspiration levels, which no one in your 9:00 AM meeting is going to appreciate
3. You're making a fool of yourself in front of your fellow train-mates

Ten seconds later, when I come down the steps to find these people standing there disgruntled and waiting for the next train, I want to pull them aside and conduct a mini focus group, I want to try to get in their heads and figure out what causes this behavior. Maybe there is a big market opportunity here. Maybe I could create some kind of human training device, like Maslov-esque or something...I don't know, but I feel like something is there...

What is this blog about anymore?

The questions? What questions? When was the last time I asked a question? All I do is post videos now. But I mean, how awesome is this cat? He could get a job at Kinko's - I bet he'd be more helpful than anybody working there now.