'Uncategorized' Category
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Summertime reading
July 31, 2012Today, the last day of July, represents a crossroads of vacation periods. Northern Europeans are largely finished with their summer holidays, while the Dutch and Belgians are just winding theirs down. Italy is preparing to shut down for the next month. And here in France, we’re still ramping up too. In the vacation spirit, here’s […]
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Before I hire you, tell me about your problems
June 19, 2012I’ve noticed a typical recruiting occurence in the States sadly creeping into hiring processes in Europe, even among startups. I’m referring to the dreaded question during a job interview of: “What are your weaknesses?” “Tell me about your weaknesses” is an interview question with which I’ve always struggled. Without a doubt, it is far less […]
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Laboring over the weekend
September 5, 2011The irony was not lost on the timing of its release just before Labor Day weekend of Friday’s unemployment report showing the U.S. unemployment rate unchanged at 9 percent. Relative to historical standards, this is catastrophic. Here in France, unemployment improved slightly in Q2 but still hovers between 9.5 and 10%. Relatively speaking, the figure […]
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AMEX France insults my intelligence
July 27, 2011I’m certainly not the sharpest tool in the shed, but some gifts are so insincere that even I can smell them a mile away. The recent policy change presented by American Express France to their Air France Amex Gold card stinks. According to a recent mailer, starting November 18 this year, my Air France Amex […]
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The 177,000-year repayment schedule
October 6, 2010Not many people expected him to be found totally blameless, but Jérôme Kerviel’s verdict yesterday astonished even the most buttoned-up bourgeoisie of Paris’ finance-centered 8th arrondissement. A French judge found Kerviel, Société Générale’s infamous « rogue trader » who manipulated €50 billion worth of false trades which almost brought about the French bank’s demise, solely responsible for […]
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A modest proposal for the retirement age debate
May 31, 2010Saturday, Martine Aubry, head of France’s Socialist Party created a stir when she expressed her impression that « when Nicolas Sarkozy gives us lessons in budget control, it’s a bit like Mr. Madoff administering accountancy courses. » Madame Aubry’s trenchant remark came in retort to the Head of State’s recent attacks on François Mitterand’s « legacy » of the […]
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Mobile internet potential in Africa
May 19, 2010Today’s Wall Street Journal Europe cites Google’s recent investments in sub-saharan Africa (Google’s keyword for Africa: growth). Google aims to encourage adoption of its search, mapping, and mobile phone technologies in the region, attracted by the high growth-potential in a continent of 1 billion people. Broadband internet penetration in sub-Saharan Africa remains incredibly low today. […]
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Another mobile phone donation drive
March 5, 2010My wife and I recently spent a week in Eritrea for a combination of holiday and humanitarian project. As some of you know, we try to escape once a year to sub-saharan Africa for one of our few hobbies that genuinely impacts in a deeply transformational way human lives. Our project, AfriqueConnect, began with a […]
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How David beats Goliath
May 12, 2009This week’s New Yorker offers a fantastic article from Malcolm Gladwell, author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers, on how underdogs can win. Once again, Gladwell shows that success does not have to come only to those who are advantaged or naturally talented – but can be achieved by adopting a different approach, and […]
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Signs of the apocalypse
September 17, 2008Events from this past Sunday suggest the apocalypse may be upon us. Carlos Zambrano, the ace of the Chicago Cubs’ pitching staff, threw a no-hitter against the Houston Astros, a first for a Chicago Cub pitcher since 1972. On the same day, Lehman Brothers, a bedrock of Wall Street since 1850 announced that it would […]