Recent Comments

I hope he does. I sincerely and really hope that he will.

My only real complaint that I have about Nike is that I got so used to their shoes running a size or so small that I ended up with Sketchers that were about a size and a half too big when my parent's got me shoes from one of the outlet stores at the beach for my birthday.

I don't think I've ever dealt with AT&T since my cell phones have been Tracfone, Altell, Altell, and Verizon after they acquired Altell (side note: no problems with the switch for me, at the time I had an Samsung Hue and I used it until I go my current phone a Droid 2 R2-D2 edition about 3 years ago).

I don't really like Apple products, I tend to want more control over what I can do with my devices and I definitely like being able to spend less. That said, I don't think that its a bad thing for a company to have an "absurd profit margin. I would say that having as high of a profit margin as possible is the whole point of owning a business. I would also argue that as long as the Employer and Employee are both choosing to employ/be employed, there is no such thing as an underpaid worker.

You're 100% right. They've created products that filled a need for a lot of people, and they've been very successful. I guess I can't really explain my reasons very well. For some reason or another, I just have this aversion to those brands.

With regard to your fourth suggestion - I think you miss the point of Cuban's philosophy. You can't say it's important to create value for fans and create a great customer experience, while at the same time threatening them.

They don't - never got the hang of the touch screen. Have to keep it old school.

Nah, you really have an ear for language. I know some guys in early 20's who have been here for the same time and know only taxi speak. For me it was basically the same thing. Dropped into a joint venture office with an all Chinese staff and 1 fresh graduate who knew about 50/50 English. sink or swim, it's the best way.

RE girls... where in Guangzhou do you live? Because you definitely are going to the wrong places. There is a large foreign population in Guangzhou but there are certainly places where young Chinese (boys and girls) go to party and just want to have fun. Just saying, if it's what you're looking for then Guangzhou is one hell of a town.

Agreed on the Cantonese pride though.

Yeah, no way he goes to the 49ers. He's going somewhere he can start. Somewhere with a QB no one wants around anymore where the team can get a project QB to groom for a couple years and still win games.

Apple also came up with a good market for computers, don't forget. They initially filled the niche of easy to use interfaces that restrict what you can and can't do to avoid the user getting themselves in trouble. Given how a lot of people still aren't computer savvy, that's a great position to be in.

I was there during the 1986 and 1987 seasons. In 1986, we had Dell Curry. Our games were sellouts almost every time. I remember camping out to get tickets for our game with Louisville (who went on to win the National Championship). I remember being disappointed because I was unable to get tickets for Memphis State. I really thought that when Virginia Tech entered the ACC, the basketball program would take off. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened. Maybe the new AD will put some emphasis on basketball. A coaching change is probably needed.

This is great and accurate.

I wouldn't say there is anything particularly wrong with these three companies, so much that:

<rant>

Nike goes back to when I was a kid. Nike tried to break into skate culture because it looked profitable to them, but the 'anti-corporate' attitude I had at the time planted an anti-Nike flag that still exists. When they focused on soccer, my childhood sport, and took a whole lot from my preferred brand, adidas, who has lived and breathed the sport forever.

AT&T screwed me out of cell phone service when they acquired Cingular in about 2004. They just shut off my incoming calls without warning and without reason while I was job hunting at the end of my undergrad. They claimed it was because my phone wouldn't work on their network, but I could certainly make outgoing calls without a problem.

Apple has become the richest company in the world by selling overpriced electronics and underpaying the people who build them. Their profit margins are absurd and their marketing image is one that I severely dislike. Their early affiliation with AT&T didn't do them any favors.

</rant>
Probably more than you were looking for, but there it is.

Mueller will be eligible next year so that helps.