News: What Is a ‘Windfall’ Profit? - WSJ.com
Not sure if this wsj.com link will work for everyone else… let me know if it doesn’t.
I’m an Obama supporter, having votes for him and contributed to his campaign, but the taxing of “windfall” profits doesn’t make sense to me. Maybe someone can steer me to an argument that refutes the points made in the linked article?
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Bear in mind this was written in 2001… 7 1/2 years ago.
Bush: ‘Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over’ (The Onion)
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I’m making my way through a book about running a successful call center and came across this madness. Emphasis is mine.
Another differentiator of both KM and web self-service applications is the technology used to facilitate the “look-up” or search. The most common, basic (and hated by customers) form of look-up is the “key word search.” It’s difficult to use because success depends on the user inputting the right word to obtain the relevant answer. One step up is the “key phrase search,” where customers can type in a few words in the hope of providing the information they need.
Hated by customers? Let’s see the research on that. Hmm, no sources cited.
Anyway, here’s where the wheels really come off the cart.
The most sophisticated web self-service and KM applications today are using “natural language search” capabilities that allow customers to enter a free-form sentence, such as “Please tell me everything about growing apples and, by the way, where is the best place to see apple trees?”
First off, what the author is saying is the exact opposite of real life. Google has trained us to be key word people. Key words get to the heart of the matter. Which would you rather type into a search window:
a) ted stevens corrupt
or
b) Please tell me about the corruption probe of Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens.
I don’t know the first thing about natural language processing, but I assume an NLP engine will turn that into key words and search a massive index for those words, throwing away the other filler in the process. So what’s the point of typing all that in? “Look at me talking to the computer! It thinks it’s people!” Forget about typing all that, too, if you’re on a Wii or iPhone or Blackberry.
One last note. Our self-service software that we use for customer support came with a built-in natural language processor. We ended up ripping it out and replacing it with a key word search box to quell customer complaints.
Filed under: Technology |
The downfall of standalone Stuckey’s locations is due to the growth of the Interstate Highway System.
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You’d think there would be a better way. Hopefully my package enjoyed its little stay with the customs people in Louisville.
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The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. Let’s recap, shall we?
That’s mostly it.
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Wasn’t sure what to title this post. Plus, I’ve painted myself into a weird corner with this blog, since it’s trafficked by different circles in my very limited social life. I tend not to “emote” here, as you never know who’s peering over my shoulder. Anyway…
Two people I know — people my age — have passed away in the past two days.
One guy I hadn’t seen since high school, but we did spend a lot of time together in chorus. Dave knew everybody, a credit to his vibrant and outgoing personality. To this day I grin ear-to-ear remembering this “angry cat” noise he could make, and how inappropriate and insanely hilarious it was when he did it in an auditorium full of people at State Chorus Competition. He also convinced me that monkeys are truly funny creatures. I never knew what became of him in the last 16 years, but from what I understand, he leaves behind two kids.
Last Sunday, July 13, Greg was in a motorbike accident. I think I last saw Greg September of 2006. I was a few semesters before Greg in our fraternity at UCF, so I didn’t get to spend a lot of time around him, and I don’t have a lot of memories, unfortunately. He was a close friend to several close friends, though, and it’s heartbreaking to hear their pain. He leaves behind a wife, Jaime, a beautiful daughter, Kerri Ann, and an unborn child. Jaime has provided daily updates to friends and family; she has shown amazing strength in a situation that no person should have to live through. Her update for today:
This morning at 10:30am, I told the love of my life that it was okay to let go. And, for once in his life, he actually listened to me. I told him that we needed our own personal angel looking out for us. He did wait for us to get there and to spend time with him. And then he did wait for me to say it was okay. After he was gone, he had a smile on his face. He is in a much better place. He deserves to have a nice healthy body in heaven, then hell on earth. The chances of him being back to the Greg we all knew and loved were very slim.
It’s so very cliche for me to say, but it makes you realize how short and fragile life is. I’m thankful for the time I was able to spend with them. Rest in peace.
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Link: Brief Report: The Name “Monticello”
Twice within the same day I heard someone pronounce Jefferson’s Monticello as Monti-chello instead of Monti-sell-o. I may be going insane (and I feel like I make that disclaimer a lot), but I remember pronouncing it the ’sello’ way growing up. But yeah… if it’s pronounced like the Italians would say it, then the ‘c’ would have a ‘ch’ sound. Like cinque or tasty limoncello… or cinque limoncello, per favore.
How did you learn it? Cello or chello?
ps. I now have the following ‘30 Rock’ quote stuck in my head:
“It’s not Bi-anka like Sanka. It’s Bianca like Willy Wonka.” - Jack
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Someone, somewhere, has the following on their resume:
Achievements
Member, Funky Bunch.1991-1993
References
“Marky Mark” Wahlberg.
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Last time we were in Manhattan, we visited these restaurants. Posted here so I’ll remember!
Spring Street Natural Restaurant. 62 Spring String (corner of Lafayette). http://www.springstreetnatural.com. The place was packed when we arrived (Friday around 8?), but by the grace of God we got a table for 10 almost immediately. Had a great experience here.
Bice. 7 East 54th St. http://www.bicenewyork.com. An excellent Italian restaurant. I had beef carpaccio appetizer and some sort of pasta for main. Dessert was a nice single malt. Service and food were tops here.
Gallo Nero. 404 W. 44th St. (btwn 9th & 10th Aves.). http://www.gallonerony.com. We were starved after our Circle Line trip around Manhattan and happened upon this place mid-afternoon. Small, intimate; this would be a nice date place for me and Sher some evening. Nice looking wine selection, and my clams fettucini was excellent. I took this picture there.
Iroha Restaurant. 152 W. 49th Street (btwn 6th & 7th Aves.). Kick-ass sushi place near where we usually stay. What more do I need to say?
Filed under: Travels |