AOL News - Lay, Skilling Convicted in Enron Trial

AOL News - Lay, Skilling Convicted in Enron Trial

After having watched the Mark Cuban-produced "The Smartest Guys in the Room" recently, I've followed the Enron trial (for former execs Lay and Skilling) since February when it started. Well, today, the verdicts were read: both men were found guilty on almost every charge before them. Lay was grilled with a guilty verdict on all six counts while Skilling was found guilty in 19 of 28 charges against him. Sentencing was set for September.

And so passes the case against two wealthy executives that were at the helm of the business world's Titanic-esque collosal collapse, Enron. These convictions will no doubt be discussed at length all over the web this summer before the sentences are handed down.

In my opinion, both are receiving exactly what they deserve. And now, life goes on :-)

Why Your Boss Is Overpaid - Forbes.com

Why Your Boss Is Overpaid - Forbes.com

This article reminds me of why I made the jump from employee to self-employed last year. I've heard of tournament theory before, but this cleared it up a bit.

Classic SNL

This is one the the funniest SNL skits I've ever seen (for some strange reason). I think it's back from 1995 roughly, right? It's Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan doing the "head bop" that preceeded the movie "A Night at the Roxbury". If you haven't seen this, I'd like to take a vacation under the rock you've lived under.

Enjoy!

Google's secret weapon: simplicity

Google's secret weapon: simplicity

I've recently -- in the last year or so -- become a huge fan of Google and almost all the services they offer over the web. So much, in fact, that I've all but abandoned the "My Yahoo!" custom homepage I set up and am using Google's personalized homepage now. This on top of exclusively using Gmail (several accounts) for all my email needs, from a personal email address to one I use for newsletters and yet another for online shopping.

Why, you may ask? Well, if you know me, I'm a hard person to please, because I pick at everything for the mecca we all look for (but we just don't think about, we accept); that is, ease of use and simplicity. Way, way too much on the web is too complicated -- too many links, too few streamlined sites, too much fluff and not enough "give me what I need, intuitively" stuff.

By the way -- aren't those chairs Larry and Sergey are sitting on something out out of a Stanley Kubrick movie?

One of the reasons I have not had a home telephone in over seven years now is because I wanted simplicity: one number that went with me everywhere. That's also why I've always used just one email address with family and friends: I wanted a web-based email address that went with me anywhere: work, home, travel, even cellphone -- and so on. I stopped using Microsoft Outlook over a year ago precisely because I wanted an email system that was fast and presented a synced appearance anywhere I went -- all I needed was web access (from a computer, a web-enabled cellphone, etc.).

So there, I have one phone number and one email address - how's that for simplicity? Although I am the most detail-oriented person you'll ever meet -- and I go looking for complexity to find problems and solve them (being certified as a Black Belt in Six Sigma helps, heh) -- I am also the largest champion of simplicity and user interface (however you define it). It just needs to work. On that note, two companies who get it are Google and Apple. They are about the only ones I can think of right now. Ok, throw in any automatic toast maker with that group :-) This is the reason I recently bought a Motorola RAZR V3i -- I wanted a stylish cellphone with iTunes -- because I use Apple iTunes to listen to internet radio while I work (writing, editing, graphics, etc.) and I love its simplicity. You put that into a decent cellphone and you've got a customer.

This article over at Fast Company hit the nail on the head on why I've grown to love Google so much recently. I agree with almost everything written in this article, and the reasons brought up in the article comprise a large part why I chose to cover Google for BloggingStocks.com as a blogger/writer on the AOL Money & Finance network. Check Google's services out -- then you'll understand why I'm a Googleperson (yes, that's one word). Maybe you should become one also.

Blogging and editing next to paradise

This is where I've blogged recently on the weekend. This is a boat slip at Lake Texoma (Soldier Creek resort) owned by my dad. The first picture is looking back into the slip -- now that hammock looks inviting for a mid-70s day at the lake with a great breeze going by. If you look hard, you can see my truck at the top of the photo, way back there on actual land.

The second picture is on the same second level of the slip overlooking the calm waters of Lake Texoma. That "line" out in the water is the tire wake breaker. This is definitely not a bad place to be blogging and doing some freelance editing work on the laptop, which is perched on that table you see. Now, if I could only find a WiFi connection there in the boat slip!

We're all changing -- our DNA is, that is

X-Men may be closer than you think | CNET News.com

I guess this makes sense, since we're eating mostly junk, processed non-foods (at least in most Western cultures) and driving Hummers back and forth to the gas station every day (or every few hours). Where is the ozone layer when we need it? Growing holes every year, that's where.