Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/29/05

- Family Costs Press Pentagon As More Soldiers Have Spouses, Kids (Bloomberg) - U.S. Music Album Sales Off 7%; Downloads More Than Double (USA Today) - Ex-Enron Exec Pleads Guilty (CNN Money) - Delta Pilots Accept Pay Cut (Boston Globe) - SBA Finds 9/11 Loan Recipients Ineligible (Washington Post)

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/28/05

- New Yankee Stands To Cash In On Endorsements (USA Today) - Former Enron Executive Said To Be In Plea Deal (Los Angeles Times) - Satellite Radio: Now It's A Race (BusinessWeek) - Krispy Kreme Franchisees Close Stores (MSN Money) - Marriott Customer Data For 200,000 Missing (Yahoo! News)

What Is Left To Learn From 'The Apprentice?'

A question is asked in this article announcing the winner of 'The Apprentice: Martha Stewart,' wondering if there is really anything left to be learned about business from this brand of reality TV shows, er, show (Stewart season one will be the one and only, while Donald Trump's original 'The Apprentice' gets a change of venue, filming season 5 in Los Angeles). If the producers go to all the trouble to cast mavericks, wild cards, and crazy people who have found a way to seemingly succeed in business, why are the eventual winners always straight-laced and boring text-book business types? Maybe that is the lesson, and it just needs to be reinforced over and over . . . - Martha Goes With The Pros On Her 'Apprentice' (MSNBC)

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/20/05

- New York City Transit Workers Strike (Yahoo! News) - Firefox Victory (Forbes) - No Kisses For Book Cover: Hershey Files Copyright Suit (USA Today) - Toyota, With 2006 Forecast, Challenges for Top Car Maker (NY Times) - BlackBerrys Will Keep Working Despite Suit, RIM Executive Says (Washington Post)

It's A Launch . . . Re-Launch . . .

Cool Corporate dot COM is officially re-launched! While the site is not really finished (in fact, I might make a minor template change soon), it is functional, and ready to get some views. You know the premise. It's a website/weblog/wanna-be online magazine that takes a look at the business world from the perspective of a young manager trying to make it in a world where the information is scarce and sometimes guarded about how to get things initiated. Here, you will find a variety of posts, articles, and news clippings that cater to that young manager, but without being overly basic that it bores the seasoned business professional. Feel free to post responses to articles, or to email us at coolcorporate@sbcglobal.net.

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/16/05

- Trump Chooses Randal Pinkett As 4th 'Apprentice' (USA Today) - Visto Sues Microsoft Over Patents (PC World) - Zucker To Head NBC Universal TV Group (Forbes) - BellSouth To Slash 1,500 Management Jobs (Seattle Post Intelligencer) - India's Looming IT Labor Shortage (Yahoo! News)

The Comeback Of The Neck Tie

It not just the pop culture of the 80's that is in vogue. The centuries old fashion staple of the neck tie, once shunned by those caught up in the hype of the 90's new economy, and is coming back in style. Old Business men are wearing them, looking like business men again. Young business men are wearing them, looking like business men for the first time. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel, co-creator of the anti-establishment 'Man Show,' has found that ratings for his late night talk show have seen a boon since he started dressing more business like. Even the youth dominated sports world is being forced to review its style, with college girls being scolded for wearing flip-flops for their official photographs with the President and the NBA enacting a dress code mandating business casual attire for fear that the Hip-Hip fashion is scaring a few of the starched collar corporate sponsors. The trend away from casual and back to professional has not been without controversy. The backlash comes from the young professionals, who are now being pushed into the labor force more resembles both in dress and in demeanor the more traditional workplace of years past. While the relaxed managerial styles and flexible rules are here to stay--and increasing necessary to deal with the expectations now demanded by young generations who don’t realizes they have not necessarily earned them--the hard line business fashions are making a comeback. And so is the business of business fashions. Retail sales of neckties peaked at $1.3 billion in the early 90’s, only to drop to about $750 million near the beginning of the new millennium, when casual became the new norm. Now, regular ties, novelty ties, designer label ties and even the always teased but never dead bow ties will bring an estimated $1.1 billion in sales this year. With more ties sold come the sale of more suits, shirts, socks, belts, shoes, and other accessories, putting a wide smile on the faces of many of the sale people who wait diligently at a men’s wear store near you. Sources: Ties are back? - http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1205/p13s01-lihc.html Kimmel Winning in a Tie - http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,17916,00.html?fdnews

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/12/05

- Job Web Site Gives Recruiters Sporting Chance (The Business Journal of Phoenix) - Man Apologizes After Fake Wikipedia Post (Forbes) - WB Network Cuts Staff, Executives (MSNBC) - AOL Choice Will Affect Ad Market on the Web (NY Times) - Mistrial Declared In Federal Vioxx Trial (ABC News)

Articles For Distribution Available Here

Are you looking for article content for your business or personal development online magazine or newsletter? Long form articles are now available here at Cool Corporate dot COM. Look for a prettier new interface to come, but for now, just take a look at the list in the menu column to the right. There are currently two article listed for distribution. Please follow the copyright information, and a courtesy email alerting me of its use is appreciated. - HOW BLOGGING MAY BE HARMFUL FOR YOUR CAREER - DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR THE BEST LEADERS?

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/11/05

- Protesters Denounce WTO At Hong Kong Rallies (Yahoo! News) - Xbox II: Quest For The Game (Boston Globe) - Restarting The Rally (CNN.com) - UAW, Ford Reach Deal On Healthcare Coverage (Los Angeles Times) - Yahoo Buys del.icio.us (Red Herring)

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/5/05

- Rhapsody Launches Web-Based Digital Music Services (Reuters) - Westin Hotels Ban Smoking (USA Today) - Boston Scientific Bids $25 Billion for Guidant (LA Times) - Sirius Makes $500 Million Bet On Howard Stern (ABC News) - Volkswagen Dominates Safest Cars (Market Watch)

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/2/05

- Shake-Up Seen at Sony Music (LA Times) - Skype Uses Logitech, On2 (Light Reading) - GarageBand Creators Launch Podcasting Service (Publish: Ziff Davis Media) - Chizen's Adobe To Finalize Macromedia Acquisition (Forbes) - FBI: Ring Pulls Off $5 Million In Mall Heists (CNN)

Cool Corporate News Clippings - 12/1/05

- Warner Music Cuts Fourth-Quarter Loss (MSNBC) - Tim Hortons Files for $600 Million IPO (Forbes) - Time Warner Hampering Sale Of Online Unit, Financier Says (MarketWatch) - A-Hunting We Will Go - After Time At The Spa (USA Today) - Los Alamos County Wealthiest In Nation (Santa Fe New Mexican)

How Blogging May Be Harmful To Your Career

Blogging is one of the latest online crazes. Just about anyone with access as a basic knowledge of navigating a web browser can set one up in mere moments. I myself have two active blogs of my own (one for personal thoughts and expression, the other one being this one used for my personal business pursuits) and I manage a blog for my radio station crew in my day job. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should, as spelled out in this article from Black Enterprise.com about how your right of self expression could be hurting your career. Starting with the basics, a blog is slang for a Web log, which is a website with diary-like entries about anything that a person could thing of: personal life issues, hobbies, the progression of a project, and increasingly, the ins and outs of a company's dealing. The line usually gets blurred when one takes their personal blog and starts to speak negatively about their work life or the company they work for. Under the myth of 'internet anonymity,' a person can get bold in just what they say, and not think about just who could be reading their exploits. These are still private citizens observing free speech and expression, but people easily find themselves stepping into grey areas of just what type of information about their profession and their professional lives should be out there for display to the general public. Or they do something worse. They talk about a private or alternative lifestyle they lead, and link some of their exploits to their companies or professional organizations, possibly on purpose, that the more professional types would rather not have to associate with. This may not be fair, but it is what it is. People are now having to deal with the consequences of a little internet fame. Many cases are occurring of firings and IT personnel are now finding themselves spending more time with the HR personnel as they add blogging policies to every growing list of no-no's for office computer systems. Should you blog? If you have a passion for a subject, or just want to show your friends just how crazy your life is, then go for it. Check out you company handbook or a very understanding HR person and see if your company has a policy in place that covers what you can discuss about it, and if they have a specific blog policy. If you find you are in the clear, my suggestion is that you always take a half of second to consider digression, don't discuss negative or confidential information about your company or the products or services they provide. And never spend time on the clock updating info to your blog.