nick davis
 
Navigation


Recent blog posts


User login


Politics


Technology


Business


Syndicate
XML feed


 
nick  04/01/2005 - 4:10pm  Business  Politics   

To whom it may concern:

I am very troubled by a story being run by an ABC affiliate in Chicago regarding the refusal by one of your pharmacists to fill a contraceptive prescription. Can you please detail your exact policy regarding your pharmacists role in filling prescriptions based on personal or religions beliefs?

My family fills several prescriptions a month with our Osco, and have many other convenient choices within the same distance.

If your policy does not require your pharmacists to fill all presented prescriptions, we will immediately take our business elsewhere.

nick  03/28/2005 - 10:48pm  Business   

My dog, as most dogs do, hates the pizza guy. Although our dog is rather small, she proceeds to go absolutely crazy every time a pizza is delivered (I think she has mailman flashbacks).

But tonight, the pizza guy gave her a treat. It turns out he's a dog lover, and carries them with him on all deliveries! This is (obviously) not a company sponsored program, but why in the hell wouldn't it be. Since this was Pizza Hut, they could manufacture pizza-slice shaped treats, or probably even make fresh dog treats in the delivery center -- who knows. It cost them a few thousand dollars a year, but what a great idea.

I think our dog now like the pizza guy.

Yet another example of why you need to spend a ton of time getting the good ideas from the bottom of your organization. So many people, so many ideas. Most of the ideas are shit, but every now and then you find a bone.

nick  03/28/2005 - 10:21am  Business   

If I had my own team of creative people, I'd spend many a Monday morning making an entry for SongFight. What an incredible way to get those creative juices flowing.

nick  03/27/2005 - 9:20am  Business   

According to this article (free registration), bankrupt Ultimate Electronics is closing half of their stores. I didn't know they were in bankruptcy, but it's hardly a surprise.

When I was in their store last month, they had a huge sign painted on the wall above the registers that said "Our President's Promise:". I am paraphrasing here, but it then said, "If you have any problem with any item you buy here, call us at 877-555-1212."

That was their "promise": If you have any problem, we promise to let you call us! That $7000 TV you just bought? Call Us!

nick  03/26/2005 - 9:33pm  Politics   

Due to popular demand, now you can have your own Nobell prize!

Click for details!

nick  03/22/2005 - 10:40am  Politics   

Great proposal by "Christian Conservative":

But allow me to say this, and I echo the President, better to err on the side of life.

Excellent opinion, Christian Conservative. We liberals are completely for the "Err on the side of life" mentality.

Perhaps we should have "erred on the side of life" before sending 1500 US soldiers to their deaths in Iraq, along with an estimated 100,000 Iraqis.

Perhaps we should have erred on the side of life with the 152 executions he allowed as Governor of Texas.

Or perhaps the countless patients in Texas whose tubes were removed, simply because the families could not afford the health care -- against the wishes of the family.

nick  03/18/2005 - 9:18am  Politics   

This is an excellent column by Arianna Huffington about the Bush administration's mastery of logic-defying reasoning.

She incorrectly identifies, however, the following logical fallacy:
But the White House continues to razzle-dazzle the Beltway with its command of the Undistributed Middle: The president invaded Iraq. There have been no terrorist attacks in America since 9/11. Therefore, the invasion of Iraq has made us safer--and lit the torch of freedom throughout the Arab world.

This would be more appropriately labeled as specious reasoning, and we'll let Lisa Simpson explain this:

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm!
Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, dear.
Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Oh, how does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
[Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.

nick  03/16/2005 - 9:53am  Politics   

If you read the Bible, and you think that the words you read are the exact words written 2000 years ago, then you should be upset by this.

If, on the other hand, you're one of the people who understands that languages change over time, words change meanings, and things get lost in translation, you won't be the least bit upset.

You choose.

nick  03/10/2005 - 9:22pm  Photography  Politics   

I actually have learned a little bit about the legal aspects of photography, and what you can and can not do with an image.

From AmericaBlog:

He said that the ad campaign was obviously "done for the purpose of bashing gay marriageā€¦. It seems to me a misappropriation inconsistent with the desire of the plaintiffs" and "it is in fact an infringement of their privacy right." The use of the photo by USA Next was "inconsistent with the desire of the plaintiffs" and the use "does cause harm."

nick  03/10/2005 - 2:54pm   

I hereby would like to offer usage of the CongressTrack.org tool for this cause, reagrdless of who would like to run it. This bill is bad for all the people of America, and people from both sides of the line can see that.

The coalition is located here.