There's an old aphorism that 'Military Intelligence' is an oxymoron; in the current economic environment, it may be said that 'Business Intelligence' is also a questionable phrase.

Naturally enough, I disagree. But even if we do agree that a lack of thinking contributed to the current situation, it remains clear that right now remains the time to act intelligently, to do the thinking. Victor Frankl wrote that "Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose"; I tend to paraphrase this as "Between an action and your reaction, there is choice."

No doubt, the world is acting upon you. Are you simply reacting, or are you choosing a smarter response?

The USB Finger

Not for the squeamish, here's the story (with pictures) of a techie who replaced a finger lost in a motorcycle accident with a 2Gb USB drive. Reminds me of the joke about receiving a fax...

Intelligently Choosing Stupid Mistakes

In the realm of artificial intelligence, you may need to be more intelligent to appear more stupider. So when you encounter stupidity, marvel at the brilliance required.

$300 for the Great Zucchini

Work two days a week for $100 Grand a year. The downside? You have to make kids laugh by eating toilet paper. This award-winning article starts with fun about an interesting businessman, and gradually shows how the darker angels of his nature affect all of those around him.

Responding with your Position

You've been told that re-positioning your products is one of the opportunities that a downturn presents for business. There's more detail in this article here, and remember that your local Shirlaws coaches are always keen to sit down for a coffee and a discussion.

Intranet Joke of the Week

The CEO was scheduled to speak at an important convention, so he asked one of his employees to write him a punchy, 20-minute speech. When the CEO returned from the big event, he was furious.
"What's the idea of writing me an hour-long speech?" he demanded to know. "Half the audience walked out before I finished."
The employee was baffled. "I wrote you a 20-minute speech," he replied. "I also gave you the two extra copies you asked for."

Have a safe and happy Easter 2009,

Jacob Aldridge and the Shirlaws Team

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