Bad press release nominee
Perhaps I should initiate a contest for bad news releases similar to the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, which annually honors the worst fiction writing. Amazingly, someone got paid to produce the following copy, which was emailed to me and other reporters in hopes that we would write a news story based on this information.
Isilon Systems (NASDAQ:ISLN) is the proven leader in scale-out NAS. Isilon’s clustered storage and data management solutions drive unique business value for customers by maximizing the performance of their mission-critical applications, workflows, and processes. Isilon enables enterprises and research organizations worldwide to manage large and rapidly growing amounts of file-based data in a highly scalable, easy-to-manage, and cost-effective way. Information about Isilon can be found at http://www.isilon.com/.
Can’t we just run stuff up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it?
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
More good ink for Oklahoma
Oklahoma and Oklahoma City have been the recipients of a fair amount of good media coverage that has focused on the city’s MAPS-driven, NBA-approved renaissance, and the state’s relatively robust economy. The Economist recently joined the publicity parade with a column titled “Come Home, Tom Joad.”
The “Grapes of Wrath” theme plays out in the article’s final paragraph:
Still, many states would envy Oklahoma at the moment. And its leaders are trying to take advantage. Natalie Shirley, the state’s commerce secretary, says that a few years ago she had the idea of getting a list of Oklahoma university graduates sorted by age, course and zip code. Her office sent out a volley of postcards to young engineers who had scattered around the country, directing them to a website that had a list of job openings and a cost-of-living calculator. Between 2005 and 2007 Oklahoma had some 6,000 transplants from California. The grapes of wrath taste a little sweeter now.
To see the entire column, click here.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Yesterday’s tools
Nick Wingfield asks in the Wall Street Journal “Why can’t I pick the technology I use in the office?” It’s a familiar lament for many office workers who struggle with aged and overburdened computers at work while using cutting-edge technology at home. There are more than a few folks in my office, including me, that spend part of each morning cleaning out emails that have pushed our allowed storage capacity beyond set limits. Heck, I’ve got years of email stored on my free Gmail account that is quickly searchable and accessable, and I’m nowhere near the limits available there.
But here’s one aspect of Wingfield’s story I found interesting. When he sought information on his company’s take on its employees’ use of new technology, he was stonewalled.
The Journal declined to comment on its policies.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
There’s something new at Old Navy
Just in time for holiday shopping, two Oklahoma City Old Navy stores are adding something to their usual offering of jeans, casual, business and family wear.
Jewelry.
Friday, jewelry displays were set up in the Quail Springs Marketplace store on Penn and Memorial. Monday, the Belle Isle store gets their inventory.
You can find anything from heavily beaded bracelets to pearl-and-ribbon necklaces and chokers. The pieces are fun, unique, colorful and best of all, affordable. Most pieces range in price from $6.50-$17.50.
Quail and Belle Isle are the only two stores for now to get the jewelry displays in Oklahoma City. Norman will also get a display.
-Erica Smith
A viral video happy ending
The world’s worst parking job attracted a million-plus views on YouTube. Hyundai was watching. Very clever marketing.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Dow 10,000 nostalgia
Today’s brief foray above 10,000 for the Dow Jones Industrial Average will receive a lot of media play. We love round numbers, anniversaries and lists.
Just remember that 10,000 means we’re back where we were a year ago — and where we were a decade ago. Here’s the front page from The Wall Street Journal of March 30, 1999.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Lawsuit seeks all the money in the whole world
Dalton Chiscolm has filed a lawsuit against Bank of America seeking “1,784 billion, trillion dollars,” Reuters reports. He would like it placed in his account today, according to the lawsuit. He’d also like another $200 million.
His case is as clear as mud.
“Incomprehensible,” U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said in a brief order.
“He seems to be complaining that he placed a series of calls to the bank in New York and received inconsistent information from a ‘Spanish woman,’” the judge wrote. “He apparently alleges that checks have been rejected because of incomplete routing numbers.”
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Tiger roars past $1 billion
Tiger demonstrates is pitching skills in this Buick ad.
Forbes.com’s SportsMoney blog by Mike Ozanian estimates that Tiger Wood’s $10 million payday last weekend pushed his career earnings — on and off the course — past the $1 billion mark. That would make him the world’s first billion-dollar athlete, Ozanian said.
Ozanian writes:
The scary part is that Woods is only 33-years-old and might have 15 years of competitive golf left in him and 30+ years of designing golf courses. This is only the first $1 billion for Woods.
Comments on the blog claim that Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher already have eclipsed the billion-dollar mark. But Woods’ financial accomplishments at such a tender age are impressive.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Virtual reality biz actually imaginary
The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged 3001 AD, which claimed to be a virtual reality technology company, with fraud. The SEC claims the company was nothing more than a boiler room telemarketing scheme designed to fleece investors.
The SEC alleges that 3001 AD, LLC and these individuals raised approximately $20 million from about 500 investors nationwide through a maze of unregistered offerings that hyped the company’s supposedly promising virtual reality products, including a helmet system tracking players’ head movements to provide a 360-degree view in a video game. Investors were told in the offering materials that the sales commissions paid on their investments were dramatically less than they actually were. An imminent Initial Public Offering (IPO) was repeatedly hyped to investors while no steps were actually being taken toward going public. And prestigious business relationships between 3001 AD and Microsoft, Apple, and former Disney CEO Michael Eisner were touted to investors even though such relationships never existed.
Turns out the promised profits, like the professed products, were virtual.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
A century of dumb inventions
Life has compiled a photo gallery from its archives of some of the dumbest ideas that inventors created in the 1900s. Many of the photos are priceless, and the captions contain just enough snark. About a gunslinging robot, Life writes: “It’s always easy to question the wisdom of giving a robot a gun, but also making him quick on the draw is just irresponsible.”
Of an anti-bandit bag with a bottom designed to collapse and dump the bag’s contents when its owner is threatened, Life writes: “That’ll stop those thieves from getting at the contents of your bag! No, wait. It won’t.”
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
