One more example – “HP uses third party to sell printers in Iran” :
http://www.boston.com…HP…Iran

A wish for a peaceful holiday for everyone.

Robert J. Berger posted on his blog “Cognizant Transmutaion” about the poor ranking of US broadband compared to other countries:
http://blog.ibd.com/how-the-world-works/national-shame-swaths-of-non-rural-us-without-broadband-time-for-re-divestiture/comment-page-1/
He proposes divestiture – separate, perhaps municipal, ownership of the physical cable, fiber, poles, rights-of-way, etc. ISP’s and various content providers would then all have equal opportunity for access to the infrastructure, allowing true competition. [...]

The huge inflatable Santas, reindeer, and snowmen adorn many lawns at Christmas.   When the power is turned on at night, they inflate, and glow spectacularly.  Some have moving arms, which wave at those passing by.  However, during the day, they deflate into heaps of dead creatures, more appropriate to Halloween.  It is noble to save [...]

This is not an endorsement, but this post from the CEO of Crutchfield is how a business should be run: http://www.crutchfield.com/S-qlKxRaBXokn/mediarelations/20081026-BillLetter.html

A basic business principle, fundamental to capitalism, and for hundreds of years the main driving force behind innovation and wide availability of goods and services, has increasingly been eliminated by governments worldwide, led by the US.  That principle is competition.  In the traditional model, a company that saw their income level off, or decline, had to find more [...]