The hilarious satire, "Mars Attacks!", was made well over a decade ago, yet its outrageous social and political humor is even more applicable today than it was at the time of its initial release; during the relatively tranquil Clinton administration.
Yes, those were the days. "Homeland Security" as far as our former President was concerned, consisted of keeping Hilary out of the Oval Office, to allow him enough time to enjoy a good cigar. I wonder if any of the Secret Service guys were enlisted as Bill's "wingmen"? I wouldn't doubt it. After all, Clinton was one of our most engaging head-honchos; a charming silver tongued devil who knew how to get what he wanted out of people. Let's not forget; he did a pretty good job of running the affairs of state (no pun intended).
He was a darned good leader; forget the guy's character flaws. Clinton certainly had a great admiration for our late, great President, John F Kennedy; including his free-wheeling lifestyle. Enough said.
Getting back to the motion picture industry; what makes "Mars Attacks!" the hilarious iconoclastic phenomenon that it became, was the brilliant parody it portrayed of American life; in all its banal, gullible, superficial and self-serving splendor. The premise is quite simple: The Martians decide to pay a visit to Planet Earth, and after a few conference calls back and forth (but no lunch), agree to meet the United States' military representatives out in the Nevada desert (Parumph), not far from the entertainment capital of the universe---Las Vegas. I suppose Parumph was chosen, just in case our visitors might be feeling a bit frisky after the long trip from Mars; but I don't think earth girls were what these aliens had in mind when they landed.
After an elaborately planned dose of pomp and circumstance greets our new friends from outer space, the Martian leader steps forward to address the world. His words bring immediate joy and relief to the masses attending this historic gathering: "We come in peace!"
At that point, some clown in the crowd, rejoices "They come in peace!" and proceeds to let a white dove of peace fly around, oh so peacefully...for about two seconds. The stunned Martians zap the poor little birdie (into pieces), along with dozens of not-so-smart military and civilian personnel at the scene. It was total (hilarious) chaos.
If that's their idea of "coming in peace", I'd hate to see how they'd act in they "came in violence". Holy galactic calamity, Batman!
But wait! It was all just a "cultural misunderstanding". Clearly, that bird was a sign of "aggression" on the part of the earthlings; at least that's what our fearless leader---our President---determined, after a meeting with his so-called "brain trust". After all, they did say they "came in peace", didn't they? Surely, they're not lying about something like that. That just wouldn't be fair.
The next meeting with the Martians is even more disatrous, as they zap 90% of Congress out of office (not a bad idea, really) right there on national television. By this time, the President realizes this could be trouble.
In the end, most of the earth's population is wiped out, but the survivors do manage to use a little American ingenuity to defeat those demons, in a hilarious conclusion to the flick. The heroes, a young man who works in a rural donut shop and his lovably demented granny, receive medals for their efforts, amid all the rubble that was once the White House. The planet will continue, on a much smaller and simpler format; and that's what makes it a happy ending. We're starting over, from scratch. Maybe, the second time around, we'll have a clue.
I suppose it's human nature to want to believe what we hear from strangers; or from our politicians, for that matter. We want to believe them, if they're telling us what we want to hear. It's much more convenient than doubting them; resistance can be so inconvenient; so unpopular. It's always easier to jump on the bandwagon. Certainly, what "everybody" is doing must be right; so the rationale goes.
Wrong. People make mistakes all the time; including who we vote into office. It's great strategy for a politician to claim to be "transparent". It's another thing for them to really live up to that claim. We must keep an eye on those in Washington, DC.
Trusting our politicians is about as sensible as trusting those little devious aliens from the movie.
"We come in peace". Yeah. Right.
Larry Underwood is a corporate cynic, a government watch dog, and the author of Life Under the Corporate Microscope.
Visit his Author's Webpage for more information on the book that shook corporate America. It's also very hilarious. http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
The Book That's Shaking Corporate America
Corporate America doesn't like being exposed for what they are---a humorless, bureaucratic, backstabbing, micro-managing mess. Not only that, they're doing a lousy job of producing goods and services that are really "good enough" to make them a decent profit.
So they lose money. When they lose money, they blame the economy, as they lay off thousands of loyal employees...now "ex"-employees. And so it goes.
Employee morale? Forget about it. They hate their jobs.
Productivity? Well, with everyone running around hating their jobs, let's just say, productivity is "diminished".
What happened?
After (26) years of hands on research, as an active member of Corporate America (a top executive with Enterprise Rent-a-Car), I saw what can happen to an otherwise fine company when they get too big for their own good.
They lose its sense of humor. They discourage its employees from having any fun at all. Instead, they instill a culture of fear throughout its organizations, which leads to the aforementioned micro-managing and backstabbing. In other words, Corporate America has become a bastion of pompous stupidity, where any dissenting points of view are usually met with a swift boot out the door. Who's going to have the courage to disagree with the CEO?
In this environment, is it any wonder so many businesses have failed? Nobody wants to tell the head-honchos of Corporate America their strategies are flawed; their greed and hubris is misguided. So the culture of fear becomes an abysmal pit of failure.
What a mess.
Don't worry. I know how to fix it. In my book, Life Under the Corporate Microscope, I narrate a story which will entertain and enlighten you. It's a quick read which you won't want to put down. It's guaranteed to provide you with more LOLs than any other business book. But that's not saying much, eh?
No, it's guaranteed to make you LOL about as much as any book on the market. Well, I can't really guarantee that, but I do feel good about that statement. I'm 99.44% sure you'll love it. How's that?
If you don't like your job---whether or not you happen to work for Enterprise---you'll get a kick out of my irreverent perspective. If you do like your job; congratulations. You're either the boss or you don't work for a big corporation. You'll still love my book.
To order directly through Amazon: http://bit.ly/b2pBY
To check out my Author's Webpage: http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
So they lose money. When they lose money, they blame the economy, as they lay off thousands of loyal employees...now "ex"-employees. And so it goes.
Employee morale? Forget about it. They hate their jobs.
Productivity? Well, with everyone running around hating their jobs, let's just say, productivity is "diminished".
What happened?
After (26) years of hands on research, as an active member of Corporate America (a top executive with Enterprise Rent-a-Car), I saw what can happen to an otherwise fine company when they get too big for their own good.
They lose its sense of humor. They discourage its employees from having any fun at all. Instead, they instill a culture of fear throughout its organizations, which leads to the aforementioned micro-managing and backstabbing. In other words, Corporate America has become a bastion of pompous stupidity, where any dissenting points of view are usually met with a swift boot out the door. Who's going to have the courage to disagree with the CEO?
In this environment, is it any wonder so many businesses have failed? Nobody wants to tell the head-honchos of Corporate America their strategies are flawed; their greed and hubris is misguided. So the culture of fear becomes an abysmal pit of failure.
What a mess.
Don't worry. I know how to fix it. In my book, Life Under the Corporate Microscope, I narrate a story which will entertain and enlighten you. It's a quick read which you won't want to put down. It's guaranteed to provide you with more LOLs than any other business book. But that's not saying much, eh?
No, it's guaranteed to make you LOL about as much as any book on the market. Well, I can't really guarantee that, but I do feel good about that statement. I'm 99.44% sure you'll love it. How's that?
If you don't like your job---whether or not you happen to work for Enterprise---you'll get a kick out of my irreverent perspective. If you do like your job; congratulations. You're either the boss or you don't work for a big corporation. You'll still love my book.
To order directly through Amazon: http://bit.ly/b2pBY
To check out my Author's Webpage: http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
Friday, October 23, 2009
Recommended Reading
For anyone who has ever gone through the process of writing a book, most will agree, writing it was the easy part. Editing it is usually a grind, taking up to three times longer than the fun part---writing it.
Even after you finally get the thing in print, you then realize the real job has arrived---Marketing it. As a first time (self-published) author, I never realized I'd have to spend time actually trying to sell my book. I thought it would mysteriously sell itself. Lol.
For anyone who has ever written a book and had it available for sale on Amazon, they probably realize to pay very little attention to that crazy Amazon ranking system. It's all based on projections and extrapolations that really mean nothing in the grand scheme of things; especially in the early stages of the post-publication process. I recall a week or two after my press release came out about my book, it appeared I was destined to make the New York Times Best-Seller list. It peaked out at something like 8750, which had it in the top 100 in my category (Business General).
Then reality hit. After the initial wave of buyers, things started slowing down a bit. Then things started slowing down more than a bit. And so on and so forth. I was concerned, to say the least.
Then I stumbled across a book written by the President of Outskirts Press, our hero, Brent Sampson---"How to Sell Your Book on Amazon". Brent revealed some pretty good marketing secrets, one of which has become a full-time endeavor for me---doing reviews on Amazon. The logic behind this strategy is simple: The more reviews I do, the more exposure I get for (a) being an authority on my niche and (b) having my book attached to my Amazon reviewer name. People read my stellar reviews then check out my book.
Finally, I can see the strategy's paying off a bit. I just polished off my 300th review and now my book's starting to sell at a torrid pace again. Lol.
Luckily, the books I chose to review were, for the most part, very good efforts; some were great. As a service to you, the blog reader, I thought I'd pass along my most recent favorites (posted on Twitter). The subject matter ranges from business tips to self-help advice, with a little thought provoking material thrown in for good measure.
Here are a dozen books I really enjoyed, and I bet you will, too:
The Power of Full Engagement (Jim Loehr) http://bit.ly/IDHJg
The Power of Less (Leo Babauta) http://bit.ly/125Bxk
On Writing Well (William Zinsser) http://bit.ly/4vv71N
Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently (Gregory Berns) http://bit.ly/OV1bz
Primal Management (Paul Herr) http://bit.ly/CR1v9
Economics in One Lesson (Henry Hazlitt) http://bit.ly/167hgT
Self-Promotion for Introverts (Nancy Ankowitz) http://bit.ly/j2fRh
Have a Little Faith (Mitch Albom) http://bit.ly/FpHnE
Endless Referrals http://bit.ly/2Q0yrW & The Go-Giver (Bob Burg) http://bit.ly/FSXnX
That Which is Seen & That Which is Not Seen http://bit.ly/1d1fy & The Law (Frederic Bastiat) http://bit.ly/1u3gRV
Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't plug my masterpiece. I hate being remiss.
Life Under the Corporate Microscope (Larry Underwood) http://bit.ly/b2pBY
There you have it. After you read these books, why don't you head over to Amazon and write your very own reviews? It's almost as much fun as reading the books; I guarantee it.
The author can be probed further by going here: http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
Even after you finally get the thing in print, you then realize the real job has arrived---Marketing it. As a first time (self-published) author, I never realized I'd have to spend time actually trying to sell my book. I thought it would mysteriously sell itself. Lol.
For anyone who has ever written a book and had it available for sale on Amazon, they probably realize to pay very little attention to that crazy Amazon ranking system. It's all based on projections and extrapolations that really mean nothing in the grand scheme of things; especially in the early stages of the post-publication process. I recall a week or two after my press release came out about my book, it appeared I was destined to make the New York Times Best-Seller list. It peaked out at something like 8750, which had it in the top 100 in my category (Business General).
Then reality hit. After the initial wave of buyers, things started slowing down a bit. Then things started slowing down more than a bit. And so on and so forth. I was concerned, to say the least.
Then I stumbled across a book written by the President of Outskirts Press, our hero, Brent Sampson---"How to Sell Your Book on Amazon". Brent revealed some pretty good marketing secrets, one of which has become a full-time endeavor for me---doing reviews on Amazon. The logic behind this strategy is simple: The more reviews I do, the more exposure I get for (a) being an authority on my niche and (b) having my book attached to my Amazon reviewer name. People read my stellar reviews then check out my book.
Finally, I can see the strategy's paying off a bit. I just polished off my 300th review and now my book's starting to sell at a torrid pace again. Lol.
Luckily, the books I chose to review were, for the most part, very good efforts; some were great. As a service to you, the blog reader, I thought I'd pass along my most recent favorites (posted on Twitter). The subject matter ranges from business tips to self-help advice, with a little thought provoking material thrown in for good measure.
Here are a dozen books I really enjoyed, and I bet you will, too:
The Power of Full Engagement (Jim Loehr) http://bit.ly/IDHJg
The Power of Less (Leo Babauta) http://bit.ly/125Bxk
On Writing Well (William Zinsser) http://bit.ly/4vv71N
Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently (Gregory Berns) http://bit.ly/OV1bz
Primal Management (Paul Herr) http://bit.ly/CR1v9
Economics in One Lesson (Henry Hazlitt) http://bit.ly/167hgT
Self-Promotion for Introverts (Nancy Ankowitz) http://bit.ly/j2fRh
Have a Little Faith (Mitch Albom) http://bit.ly/FpHnE
Endless Referrals http://bit.ly/2Q0yrW & The Go-Giver (Bob Burg) http://bit.ly/FSXnX
That Which is Seen & That Which is Not Seen http://bit.ly/1d1fy & The Law (Frederic Bastiat) http://bit.ly/1u3gRV
Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't plug my masterpiece. I hate being remiss.
Life Under the Corporate Microscope (Larry Underwood) http://bit.ly/b2pBY
There you have it. After you read these books, why don't you head over to Amazon and write your very own reviews? It's almost as much fun as reading the books; I guarantee it.
The author can be probed further by going here: http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Corporate America's Love Affair With Washington, DC
It doesn't matter if a liberal Democrat or a conservative Republican is in the White House; nor does it matter which party is controlling Congress.
What matters for the vast majority of fat cat CEOs in Corporate America is being able to manipulate those politicians running this country; to follow their specific agendas, which may or may not be so good for "we, the people", or the overall economy.
Although most big corporations prefer to have a Republican administration running the country (only because manipulating them is easier), they'll act like good Democrats if necessary; they're very good chameleons.
What makes them good chameleons is money.
Money is used to control legislation, and it's all very legal. The conveniently legal way to pay off politicians is through lobbyists, who are paid by the CEOs to pay off the politicians.
Say hello to Corporate America and Washington DC's little friend: The Political Action Committee, aka "PAC" (man).
Personally, I think the politicians should receive no extra compensation for doing their jobs. Instead, they're taking money from the fat cats in exchange for favorable legislation to keep the fat cats fat.
This is nothing new. It's been going on for ages. It'll keep going on for ages. Money has power and Washington DC's power brokers call the shots---to a certain extent. There's a beautiful balance of corruption there, however. The power brokers need the fat cats' money, so the nefarious relationship will always endure. And "we the people" are screwed.
Sure, "we" can vote the corrupt politicians out of office, but there's a two to four year lag time of corruption taking place. Besides, since the corruption---the payola---is across the board, there's really no difference between the power brokers. They're really all the same; and they can never, ever be trusted. Never, ever.
As millions of Americans are increasingly frustrated with the current adminstration's handling of every issue imaginable; remember this---Corporate America (along with the liberal media) is engaged in a (slobbering?) love affair with Barrack Hussein Obama---The Master of Economic Trauma.
How else do you explain all the bailouts? In a true free-market economy, bailouts would be a preposterous notion. However, this isn't a true free-market economy.
The Federal Government is controlling the economy, and doing a lousy job of it. We're becoming a socialistic bailout nation, with little regard for the financial implications. Why? Politicians don't care about the long-term effects of their poor economic policy. They care about one thing, and one thing only: MONEY.
And Corporate America will keep doling it out, to keep this vicious cycle of corruption going.
Ironically, MONEY does make the world go 'round. The people who have it, often don't deserve it. Welcome to Obama Nation.
Larry Underwood is the Author of Life Under the Corporate Microscope---A Maverick's Irreverent Perspective http://www/outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
What matters for the vast majority of fat cat CEOs in Corporate America is being able to manipulate those politicians running this country; to follow their specific agendas, which may or may not be so good for "we, the people", or the overall economy.
Although most big corporations prefer to have a Republican administration running the country (only because manipulating them is easier), they'll act like good Democrats if necessary; they're very good chameleons.
What makes them good chameleons is money.
Money is used to control legislation, and it's all very legal. The conveniently legal way to pay off politicians is through lobbyists, who are paid by the CEOs to pay off the politicians.
Say hello to Corporate America and Washington DC's little friend: The Political Action Committee, aka "PAC" (man).
Personally, I think the politicians should receive no extra compensation for doing their jobs. Instead, they're taking money from the fat cats in exchange for favorable legislation to keep the fat cats fat.
This is nothing new. It's been going on for ages. It'll keep going on for ages. Money has power and Washington DC's power brokers call the shots---to a certain extent. There's a beautiful balance of corruption there, however. The power brokers need the fat cats' money, so the nefarious relationship will always endure. And "we the people" are screwed.
Sure, "we" can vote the corrupt politicians out of office, but there's a two to four year lag time of corruption taking place. Besides, since the corruption---the payola---is across the board, there's really no difference between the power brokers. They're really all the same; and they can never, ever be trusted. Never, ever.
As millions of Americans are increasingly frustrated with the current adminstration's handling of every issue imaginable; remember this---Corporate America (along with the liberal media) is engaged in a (slobbering?) love affair with Barrack Hussein Obama---The Master of Economic Trauma.
How else do you explain all the bailouts? In a true free-market economy, bailouts would be a preposterous notion. However, this isn't a true free-market economy.
The Federal Government is controlling the economy, and doing a lousy job of it. We're becoming a socialistic bailout nation, with little regard for the financial implications. Why? Politicians don't care about the long-term effects of their poor economic policy. They care about one thing, and one thing only: MONEY.
And Corporate America will keep doling it out, to keep this vicious cycle of corruption going.
Ironically, MONEY does make the world go 'round. The people who have it, often don't deserve it. Welcome to Obama Nation.
Larry Underwood is the Author of Life Under the Corporate Microscope---A Maverick's Irreverent Perspective http://www/outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wading Through the Jungle of Amazon
I wrote a book, Life Under the Corporate Microscope, chronicling my 26 year career with the car rental giant, Enterprise. It's been selling at a pretty good pace on Amazon, although not what I envisioned when I first published it early this year.
I figured every living ex-employee and every living current employee (redundant, eh?) would want a copy (or 2...or 3) to call their very own. Then reality set it. Sure, it's getting read by a lot of people, but it's been surprisingly "shared" by a fairly large circle of cronies. Book sharing? I suppose in this economy, saving a few bucks is important...
Just when I was on the verge of abandoning my marketing efforts, I've noticed a sharp spike in sales. I suppose "word of mouth" is helping out, or maybe it's all those reviews I've done on Amazon over the past several months. I read a lot; and I review a lot.
According to the head of Outskirts Press, my self-publisher (the cost effective way to go)---a guy by the name of Brent Sampson---it you really want your book to be a best-seller on Amazon, you'd better get busy doing those reviews...lots of 'em. Currently, I'm closing in on the 300 review plateau...
When people log on to Amazon to check out the latest bestseller, they'll more than likely see a review from me, Uncle Larry. If they like what I've written in the review section, they might be even tempted to actually buy one of my masterpieces. It really is good; I just polished off another reading session last night, and I think I'm appreciating its brilliance more with time (why, I don't know).
Of course, another marketing ploy is becoming a credible authority in the world of the internet. I've been hooked on Twitter for six months now and I've got a base of "followers" over 4000 now. By engaging in real time conversation with these folks, I'm building credibility...and some of those fellow Twitter-ers...have been checking out this book. Very clever, indeed...
Now, I've got to accomplish two missions if I'm going to keep the sales momentum going...
NUMBER 1: I need the public to head over to Amazon buy my book; and very importantly post a 5 star review for my wonderful book. For your safety and convenience, here's the direct link to get you over there: http://bit.ly/b2pBY
NUMBER 2: I need the public to head over to Amazon and read my stellar reviews as well. At the conclusion of my enlightening and engaging review, when asked if my review was helpful...vote YES! I guarantee that review was helpful; take my word for it---more help from me to you.
Thanks for visiting. I'll return again when I have something relevent to post...
Now go buy a (another) copy of my book...Everybody needs at least 5 or 6...They make great stocking stuffers and whatnot...
Still not convinced? Go to my Author's Web-Page: http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
I figured every living ex-employee and every living current employee (redundant, eh?) would want a copy (or 2...or 3) to call their very own. Then reality set it. Sure, it's getting read by a lot of people, but it's been surprisingly "shared" by a fairly large circle of cronies. Book sharing? I suppose in this economy, saving a few bucks is important...
Just when I was on the verge of abandoning my marketing efforts, I've noticed a sharp spike in sales. I suppose "word of mouth" is helping out, or maybe it's all those reviews I've done on Amazon over the past several months. I read a lot; and I review a lot.
According to the head of Outskirts Press, my self-publisher (the cost effective way to go)---a guy by the name of Brent Sampson---it you really want your book to be a best-seller on Amazon, you'd better get busy doing those reviews...lots of 'em. Currently, I'm closing in on the 300 review plateau...
When people log on to Amazon to check out the latest bestseller, they'll more than likely see a review from me, Uncle Larry. If they like what I've written in the review section, they might be even tempted to actually buy one of my masterpieces. It really is good; I just polished off another reading session last night, and I think I'm appreciating its brilliance more with time (why, I don't know).
Of course, another marketing ploy is becoming a credible authority in the world of the internet. I've been hooked on Twitter for six months now and I've got a base of "followers" over 4000 now. By engaging in real time conversation with these folks, I'm building credibility...and some of those fellow Twitter-ers...have been checking out this book. Very clever, indeed...
Now, I've got to accomplish two missions if I'm going to keep the sales momentum going...
NUMBER 1: I need the public to head over to Amazon buy my book; and very importantly post a 5 star review for my wonderful book. For your safety and convenience, here's the direct link to get you over there: http://bit.ly/b2pBY
NUMBER 2: I need the public to head over to Amazon and read my stellar reviews as well. At the conclusion of my enlightening and engaging review, when asked if my review was helpful...vote YES! I guarantee that review was helpful; take my word for it---more help from me to you.
Thanks for visiting. I'll return again when I have something relevent to post...
Now go buy a (another) copy of my book...Everybody needs at least 5 or 6...They make great stocking stuffers and whatnot...
Still not convinced? Go to my Author's Web-Page: http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
Monday, August 24, 2009
Is the Bad Economy Tempting Corporations to Do Bad Things?
Even when Corporate America was making tons of money, there were a lot of shady things going on with that gang of thieves; usually, revolving around that dynamic duo of "greed & hubris".
Economists and other experts close to the scene have written books by the score, recounting the worst global financial crisis since The Great Depression. The failure of capitalism, the housing crisis, the failure of common sense, and the failure of Wall Street have been the most compelling topics of failure.
Naturally, these books recounting all these failures have been bestsellers; at least something's succeeding in this economy.
In the meantime, as corporations continue struggling with layoffs and less than stellar earnings, I wonder how many of them have begun cutting corners and started doing some unethical things in order to make a few extra bucks. And when they get caught, their response is to blame it on a "glitch". Sure, a "glitch" explains it all.
Sorry, I'm not buying it.
Recently, Enterprise Rent-a-Car purchased approximately 66,000 Chevrolet Impalas and decided to save $175 per car by deleting the passenger side panel air bag. In other words, they callously decided that $11.5 million in their coffers was more important than putting thousands of customers (and employees) at risk while all those cars were in service. Let's assume that they had those cars in service for an average of 18,000 miles per vehicle. That's nearly 12 million unsafe miles for those cars to be driven. I wonder how many accidents occurred in those instances where a passenger was hurt or killed due to the missing air bags?
It gets worse.
Enterprise recently turned around and sold hundreds of those air bag challenged Impalas to unsuspecting buyers, claiming the cars were fully equipped, air bags and all. Luckily, they got caught and the story was exposed in a recent Kansas City Star investigation. Enterprise was caught red-handed. It was bad enough they put the cars in service without the air bags; but they lied about it when they sold the cars to people who apparently paid for the phantom air bags and drove those cars with that nice feeling of safety thinking those air bags might save their passengers' lives if they were plowed into by some drunk driver. Nope.
So now Enterprise has been exposed. The cat's out of the bag. What's their explanation? "Uh, it was a glitch."
A "glitch"? That's nice sounding business jargon that completely skirts the issue. Exactly how did the "glitch" occur in so many different vehicles in so many different locations across the country? I'd really like to know.
I'm wondering if any investigation is going to be performed on this "glitch"? Or has Enterprise PAC money bought their way out of trouble with the political power brokers? I've got a feeling that this story is going to be buried and the public relations spin doctors will concoct a convenient explanation how this whole thing was still just some mysterious "glitch"; but don't worry...It's fixed now. Thank you very much and have a nice day.
I'm sorry, Enterprise.
I still not buying it.
I know how you operate.
This time, your cost cutting measures went just a little too far.
Economists and other experts close to the scene have written books by the score, recounting the worst global financial crisis since The Great Depression. The failure of capitalism, the housing crisis, the failure of common sense, and the failure of Wall Street have been the most compelling topics of failure.
Naturally, these books recounting all these failures have been bestsellers; at least something's succeeding in this economy.
In the meantime, as corporations continue struggling with layoffs and less than stellar earnings, I wonder how many of them have begun cutting corners and started doing some unethical things in order to make a few extra bucks. And when they get caught, their response is to blame it on a "glitch". Sure, a "glitch" explains it all.
Sorry, I'm not buying it.
Recently, Enterprise Rent-a-Car purchased approximately 66,000 Chevrolet Impalas and decided to save $175 per car by deleting the passenger side panel air bag. In other words, they callously decided that $11.5 million in their coffers was more important than putting thousands of customers (and employees) at risk while all those cars were in service. Let's assume that they had those cars in service for an average of 18,000 miles per vehicle. That's nearly 12 million unsafe miles for those cars to be driven. I wonder how many accidents occurred in those instances where a passenger was hurt or killed due to the missing air bags?
It gets worse.
Enterprise recently turned around and sold hundreds of those air bag challenged Impalas to unsuspecting buyers, claiming the cars were fully equipped, air bags and all. Luckily, they got caught and the story was exposed in a recent Kansas City Star investigation. Enterprise was caught red-handed. It was bad enough they put the cars in service without the air bags; but they lied about it when they sold the cars to people who apparently paid for the phantom air bags and drove those cars with that nice feeling of safety thinking those air bags might save their passengers' lives if they were plowed into by some drunk driver. Nope.
So now Enterprise has been exposed. The cat's out of the bag. What's their explanation? "Uh, it was a glitch."
A "glitch"? That's nice sounding business jargon that completely skirts the issue. Exactly how did the "glitch" occur in so many different vehicles in so many different locations across the country? I'd really like to know.
I'm wondering if any investigation is going to be performed on this "glitch"? Or has Enterprise PAC money bought their way out of trouble with the political power brokers? I've got a feeling that this story is going to be buried and the public relations spin doctors will concoct a convenient explanation how this whole thing was still just some mysterious "glitch"; but don't worry...It's fixed now. Thank you very much and have a nice day.
I'm sorry, Enterprise.
I still not buying it.
I know how you operate.
This time, your cost cutting measures went just a little too far.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Twitter Power Becomes More Powerful Each Day
I love Twitter. Chances are, so do you. Where else can you crawl out of bed, and joke with somebody from Australia about their sloppy housekeeping habits over your first cup of coffee? Then a minute later, you could be engaged in some philosophical debate with a transplanted American now living in Sweden; and then it's time to catch up with your core base of personal favorites---to see how the Giants did last night, or if that tornado touched down in Houston.
How hot is Twitter? Incindiary. Heck, six months ago, I thought Twitter was some silly gimmick to add flair to your emails. That was my first reaction. I thought it sounded silly. It's anything but silly; it's a very, very powerful way to connect with the world, in real time, 140 limit character posts, aka "tweets". The power of Twitter can kill a bad movie's box office total in a flash. To me, that's not a bad thing. It might force Hollywood to start making better flicks.
In Washington, DC, the use of Twitter has actually been banned by the President. It seems as though the leader of ObamaNation is worried about the bad publicity that's been building within the once liberal based core of Twitters. The once "silent minority" is silent no longer. My favorite, is an outrageous stock broker from Phoenix, Todd Fritz, aka @thewonderbroker. The guy's hilarious in his disdain for Obama and his love for his old home town Brewers. He's a free-wheeling self proclaimed party animal and he's not afraid to say exactly what's on his mind.
Speaking your mind---that's the First Amendment. I like that. The Constitution. I like that, too. Sometimes I wonder if the power brokers in Washington DC have ever heard of the Constitution. From what I've seen, they may have heard of it, but don't care about its significance.
Maybe in 2012, they'll find out that the vast majority of Americans do in fact, care about the Constitution. With any luck, we'll see some changes---finally for the better.
With any luck, Twitter will still be going strong & perhaps the new administration will be active Twitters as well. Maybe I'll follow them.
Larry Underwood wrote Life Under the Corporate Microscope---A Maverick's Irreverent Perspective
http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
How hot is Twitter? Incindiary. Heck, six months ago, I thought Twitter was some silly gimmick to add flair to your emails. That was my first reaction. I thought it sounded silly. It's anything but silly; it's a very, very powerful way to connect with the world, in real time, 140 limit character posts, aka "tweets". The power of Twitter can kill a bad movie's box office total in a flash. To me, that's not a bad thing. It might force Hollywood to start making better flicks.
In Washington, DC, the use of Twitter has actually been banned by the President. It seems as though the leader of ObamaNation is worried about the bad publicity that's been building within the once liberal based core of Twitters. The once "silent minority" is silent no longer. My favorite, is an outrageous stock broker from Phoenix, Todd Fritz, aka @thewonderbroker. The guy's hilarious in his disdain for Obama and his love for his old home town Brewers. He's a free-wheeling self proclaimed party animal and he's not afraid to say exactly what's on his mind.
Speaking your mind---that's the First Amendment. I like that. The Constitution. I like that, too. Sometimes I wonder if the power brokers in Washington DC have ever heard of the Constitution. From what I've seen, they may have heard of it, but don't care about its significance.
Maybe in 2012, they'll find out that the vast majority of Americans do in fact, care about the Constitution. With any luck, we'll see some changes---finally for the better.
With any luck, Twitter will still be going strong & perhaps the new administration will be active Twitters as well. Maybe I'll follow them.
Larry Underwood wrote Life Under the Corporate Microscope---A Maverick's Irreverent Perspective
http://www.outskirtspress.com/LarryUnderwood
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