Another brush with the iPodless life

Yesterday, my iPod stopped functioning. It was not easy to find repair information on Apple's web site. In fact, I did not find out what to do. It appears, however, that it was my charger that was the problem. When I recharged while driving, the iPod came back to life!

Oops!

My students are not going to like this! Last night, I had a dream that I was going back to school--I think in International Business--at UCLA! It actually did not feel like a nightmare.

Paying attention

My mother once reported an experience riding with a rather obnoxious woman who kept telling her horse "Pay attention!" My mother said that she continuoulsy held her tongue rather than asking, "How much does attention cost?"

In the news today, there is a story about paying attention that does not answer that question, either. It was interesting to hear, however, that some French hotel woman had been given a forty-five day jail sentence for driving with a suspended license. Showing some measure of remorse, the hotel woman allegedly said that "I'm very sorry and from now on I'm going to pay complete attention to everything..."

I'm so blogging about this!

That's what I heard someone saying today. Shows some interesting linguistic developments over the last decade!

Price sensitivity (high, moderate, low)

In a sample assignment I posted to illustrate an assignment on segmentation, targeting, positioning, I included price sensitivity as a variable, listing the values of high, moderate, and low. The vast majority of students seem to have jumpled on the bandwagon, including this variable with exactly these three levels. Does this segmentation division seem to be rather universally applicable, or are we dealing with a strong force of conformity?

Unprofitable social irresponsibility

A very insightful ed-op piece in Forbes, written by two Marshall professors, suggests that paying low wages may not be such a bright idea after all. Right on!
http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2007/04/24/corporate-layoffs-costs-oped-cx_jot_0425jobs.html

No coffee--at Starbucks?

Last week-end, I attended the Marketing Educators' Association conference in San Antonio. (A previous post touchingly detailed my iPodless existence there).

One attendee related his experience of having gone to Starbucks only to be told that they had no coffee. At first we were indignant, finding it difficult to believe that this chain would fail to deliver on its core competency. Of course, one might be prepared for the unusual since a sissy place like Starbucks is not all that congruent with the idea of Texas but then again, there is some diversity in most areas. After thinking about the issue for some time, I started to realize that maybe my "paradigm" may at best a bit traditonal and quite possibly overly too narrow. Wouldn't it broaden a person's perspective to drink some exotic tea, or some imaginary berry mix, rather than the habitual coffee? And if they happen to be out of those beverages, too, what is wrong with a plain cup of water? Isn't Starbucks mostly about the atmosphere?

What was wrong with me? I stand corrected!

CNBC Interview With Dr. Vernon Smith

Those of you who have not yet had the chance to view the 2005 CNBC interview with Dr. Vernon Smith, 2002Nobel Laureate in economics, may want to check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6laOv94VUU .

Personal belongings and eye contact

A new message repeatedly relayed over the PA system at LAX (at least in the American terminal) calls on passengers to "Maintain eye contact with your personal belongings at all times."

This raises two questions:

1. Is this eye contact supposed to be mutual?
2. Is there such a thing as "impersonal belongings?"
   

The iPodless life

Last Wednesday night, as I was waiting for the airport shuttle to pick me up, I realized that I had left my iPod back at my office. Not a particularly unusual thing to happen to a member of my profession, but a matter of some concern nevertheless. This meant that I would not have an opportunity to listen in the airport, on the plane, and during any other appropriate moments during my conference.

Fortunately, I did have some Supreme Court oral arguments on a thumb drive that I could play on my notebook computer. Unfortunately, I did not get the occasion to listen when it would have been convenient to boot up.

The iPodless life is definitely not something that I would like to endure frequently, but I managed this time.

Qualities of a good student

Back in high school, a teacher once posted a list of attributes identified by writers of an essay on the topic of "Qualities of a Good Student." I do not remember most of the entries, but three that I recall are:

1. "Knows how to add and subtract."
2. "Shows a new kid where the bathroom is."
3. "One who is perfect and does no wrong."
   

An occasion of some sorrow

Yesterday was my last class meeting of the academic year. This was a matter of some sorrow to me, and possibly more so to many of my students. Yes, I know some people may consider me rather naive. ;)

Nevertheless, the coming months will allow me time to catch up on a number of things:

• Writing my "un-holiday" letter. I have several years of events and issues to discuss.
• Building up the Autism Education Foundation, whose purpose is to make educational materials on autism, for a variety of disciplines, readily available on the Internet so that instructors at junior high, high school, and college levels will find it convenient to cover the topic. I will now have the chance to send out solicitations for contributions.
  
• Finally making some major updates to my ConsumerPsychologist web site.
• Finishing my book Orbiting the Autism Spectrum: Looking In, Looking Out.
• Catching up on my color research.
• Reading a large stack of books that have been piling up during the academic year.
  
• Preparing for the Fall semester.
• Making more blog entries.

Except for a week in mid July discussed below, please do not call this my "vacation!"

This summer, I also plan to reinstate the "tradition" I started in the summer of 2005 of doing some traveling right after the Autism Society conference in July. The conference can be quite emotionally draining, so I realized that the week after the conference probably would not be all that productive anyway. Last summer, with the move, I did not find time for the diversion.

This year, by the way, will be the first time in many years that will not make any presentations at the ASA conference. It got too busy this fall to submit anything. There is plenty to read on my web sites.

Ever thought of a career in swine science?

Neither have I, but my first teaching job (part time) was at the University of Redlands--actually, in the satellite program in San Luis Obispo. I taught statistics and research methods. To make a sharp point about the power of graphical illustrations, I created a pie chart showing "Student Enrollment by Major" at the University of Pinklands. The chart showed 100% in swine science. (The chart was quite innovative for the time--back in 1991. If Excel was even around then, it was not well known. I used Quattro, a spreadsheet that had its similarities to Lotus 123 but featured much better graphics. The graphics offered by Lotus back then were, to put it mildly, relatively pathetic.)

Occasionally, I have featured the University of Pinklands on exam questions. I also once had a question about Yellowlands National University in Amarillo, Texas, which attracted "the best and the brightest students from around the World who wanted to major in banana science.

A definite attitude problem and quite possibly a parent's worst nightmare

Today, when I turned on my TV to watch a DVRed episode of Gilmore Girls, I caught a piece of an episode from the CourtTV series Cops. Apparently, some bozo had been pulled over for failing to stop at a stop sign. It was then discovered that he was smoking marijuana. The driver did not seem to appreciate the gravity of the situation. The frustrated officer then asked him if he would not be concerned if pilots of a commercial aircraft--a large frame of metal--were "stoned." With only a tiny bit of reflection, the driver replied that--because of "the kind of person" he was--he would not be concerned.

When presented with the citation to sign, the bozo asked whether, if he refused to sign the it, he could just deal with the matter by mail. The officer replied in the negative: "If you refuse to sign, I will haul you off to jail!" That, of course, is where he ought to end up.

Did the bozo learn his lesson? I rather doubt it. He rather flippantly told the officer that next time, he "would do it in the privacy of [his] own home." Sadly, the officer was fine with that idea.

Finals time

Well, the end of the semester is upon us, and I am in the process of creating my final. As some of you know, I like to create somewhat "unusual" questions.

There is something rather appealing about alliteration. Previously, I have had exam questions about the Porky Panda Restaurant. This semester, I am contemplating one about some organization named Sorority Surfers.

Another exam question will be about a rather nerdy country singer named Geek E. Bumpkin. His newest hit is entitled "I Was Drunk When She Broke My Hard Drive."