The revenge of the Blackberry

Let me articulate my long-held Law on the subject of vacation: Every minute of interruption for a business reason requires an hour of time to re-establish equanimity. I refer to this, modestly, as Bing's Law. It means, for instance, that a one-minute phone call produces anxiety, aggravation and thought that demands a full hour to burn off.

PR Kudos of the day... (First of a series)

The award goes to the communications executives for the oil industry both here and abroad, reeling from the common perception that their rapacious greed is destroying our way of life. Nevertheless, there is a brilliant graphic in today's USA TODAY Snapshots, which outlines the fact that oil is "cheaper than other liquids."

Gas prices: An alternate scenario

It's clear to me that the price of oil is irrational and opportunistic, based on what the producing countries and their running dog global distributors think they can get away with. As evidence of this, I will offer the fact that gas is now significantly more expensive in neighborhoods where the companies think they can get away with it; affluent towns and portions of cities where people have more money. In poorer places, prices are lower.

It's Friday, and I'm done

Rather than rail at American Airlines for the wiring in its planes, or poke at Gentle Ben about the bullish Bear bailout, or give a huge shout out to the Dalai Lama, or wonder about what's up with this recesso-deflagstation, I'll just say have a good weekend.

10 Things I like about business travel

1. Seeing the sun rise over the smoking city, a pale pink disc hanging in the misty haze above a blessedly-empty bridge.

2. That first cup of fatally-hot Pete's Coffee standing with rest of the cattle still asleep on our feet.

3. Not talking with anybody until you get there, and even then maybe not for a couple of hours.  In the silence there is a Zen repose. 

4. Being out of electronic MORE

100% written by thumb

5 AM in San Francisco and I'm already late. Everybody is in full battle gear in New York by now. By the time I get to LA they'll be thinking about lunch and the first things that are aggravating me will be history to them. Something good about that.

Pitch black out. A tiny, sharp crescent moon presides over a starry sky. The discrepancy between this peaceful scene and the MORE

Ten things you don't want to happen on your first day back in 2008.

 1. You find that your hard drive has been taken away to be copied by Office Services so that your brand new computer can be installed upon your return from the holiday break, complete with all your files and set-up materials. Yes, your hard drive is gone.
 2. On your desk is a note that spells your name wrong and has indecipherable information on it, including strange IP addresses and log-in MORE

Blow your own horn without being a blowhard

In her Nov. 12 Ask Annie column Fortune's Anne Fisher describes how difficult it can be for some people to boast about their accomplishments at work.  How easy (or not) is it to get recognized where you work? Have you managed to take credit for a job well done without coming across as a know-it-all? How did you do it?