Manufacturing and building things seems to be trendy these days. Reality/documentary shows like How It’s Made, Myth Busters and American Chopper have large followings of people fascinated by the industrial arts in a similar manner to the cooking enthusiasts who religiously watch the Food Channel. The difference between those programs however, is that the aspiring chefs can conveniently go into their kitchens and try to create the risotto they’ve just seen prepared, but the average American Chopper viewer can only imagine the experience of customizing a motor cycle, because he or she usually does not have the tools, the space…
Author: Noah Graff
Is it always a good idea to admit your mistakes preemptively in business? Recalls are the thing to do these days—the latest one is from Southwest Airlines, who now must double check the fuselages on all its planes after cracks were found in three of them. Toyota’s recall over a year ago started the recall craze. After its media explosion, everyone wanted to know what their own car brand wasn’t telling them about the potential rattles under their hoods. I bought a Hyundai Sonata a year ago, not too long after the infamous Toyota recall. Since then, my car has…
I just interviewed Eric Golden, CEO of Equipois Inc. Equipois, whose slogan is “Defy Gravity,” just introduced the x-Ar, an exoskeletal arm that attaches to a human arm providing it dynamic support throughout its natural range of motion. A person puts his arm inside the x-Ar, which looks like a long mechanical arm attached to a chair or wall. The mechanism is entirely powered by springs (no motors, hydraulics or pneumatics). Inside the mechanical arm one has the ability to easily hold an arm up steady in one place for long periods of time, or hold and move objects up…
A recent article on thestreet.com discussed a study, done by TrueCar, of retail car buying behavior in the U.S. 50 states in 2010. The study shows some intriguing trends that shed light on cultural/political differences and commonalities throughout America. The study found that America truly does have a national vehicle. Ford’s F-Series truck was the No. 1 selling vehicle in 35 of 50 states, while the Chevrolet Silverado was No. 2 to the F-Series in 20 states. It ranked first in Arkansas, Iowa, Maine and North Dakota. Twelve states had all five top selling vehicles made up of either pickup…
Wednesday, NPR interviewed Dr. Robert J. Baker, biology professor at Texas Tech University. In 1994, Dr. Baker began a research study on the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster on the wildlife surrounding the nuclear plant. His team studied the genetic effects of radiation exposure on small mammals specifically. They discovered that the 30-km zone, since being evacuated by all humans after the disaster, has become a wildlife preserve. Baker reported that mammalian populations were vibrant and species diversity did not appear to be reduced, in even the most radioactive environments. Baker also reported that during his visits large…
I went to the PMPA Management update in Orlando the last week of February, and one of the speakers was an expert demographer named Ken Gronbach. The lecture made me feel quite grateful to be an American, and bullish about America’s position as a future global economic power. Gronbach says that the labor force of United States has a bright future because we have a positive birthrate and a steady influx of Latinos coming into the country which keeps the U.S. population growing. Latinos have a strong work ethic, and assimilate relatively well into American culture. Spanish and English languages…
NPR’s All Things Considered recently interviewed Charles Seife, the author of a new book entitled Proofiness: The Dark Art of Mathematical Deception. The book discusses methods used by advertisers and politicians to spin polls to make them seem convincing. One of the methods the book covers is claiming specific numbers when stating “the facts.” For instance, Seife brings up the example of Senator Joe McCarthy identifying exactly 205 communist infiltrators in his first report. Shortly after, McCarthy raised the number to 207, and then decreased it by a few people the next day. By giving a specific number his statements…
For the September 2010 issue of Today’s Machining World I did a short interview with Jim Chiodo, a Tea Party leader in Holland Michigan (I also quoted him in Tuesday’s Swarfblog). According to Chiodo there are a lot of misconceptions about what the Tea Party actually is. He suggested I ask the following questions to readers to find out what they think the term “Tea Party” means. 1. Are you a member of the Tea Party? 2. What do you think the Tea Party represents? 3. If you think you know what it represents, what is your source of info?…
By Lloyd Graff I just spent a week doing the most inefficient, labor-intensive, stupidly expensive, appallingly large carbon footprint use of my time I can think of. I schlepped to California and knocked on doors. It was one of the most satisfying weeks I’ve spent in 10 years. Every face-to-face call I made was productive. Each client and potential client I met with spent more time with me and was more open than I could’ve anticipated. I realized that old school active listening face-to-face was still magical. Two of the clients I visited were Tony Maglica and Ray Fish, who…
By Lloyd Graff This weekend I’m celebrating my 40th wedding anniversary with my wife Risa. We’re spending the weekend in Chicago, having dinner with our children tonight and catching a play on Saturday. Does anybody have a suggestion for a unique and memorable way to celebrate a milestone occasion like a 40th? My wife is not into helicopters or blimps. We are foodies to some degree but we both have some dietary restrictions. Cubs are out of town.