duminică, 1 mai 2011

Seth's Blog : A game theory of NFL negotiations

A game theory of NFL negotiations

Off topic here, a bonus post for those that might be interested:

When two sides are negotiating over something that spoils forever if it doesn't get shipped, there's a straightforward way to increase the value of a settlement. Think of it as the net present value of a stream of football...

Any Sunday the NFL doesn't play, the money is gone forever. You can't make up for it later by selling more football--that money is gone. The owners don't get it, the players don't get it, the networks don't get it, no one gets it.

The solution: While the lockout/strike/dispute is going on, keep playing. And put all the profit/pay in an escrow account. Week after week, the billions and billions of dollars pile up. The owners see it, the players see it, no one gets it until there's a deal.

Seeing and counting money you don't get to touch is a very different story than merely imagining the money you didn't get to touch, money that's gone forever... Change the story, change behavior.

The alternative (if you don't do this) is that down the road, instead of announcing a deal where everyone gets a windfall, you are forced to announce a deal where everyone already starts way behind where they would have been in the first place. That money is gone forever, no one gets it back. The problem with the game of chicken is that someone has to lose.

I'm not even a football fan, but this seems like a clear way to both maximize value and minimize the damage to all those involved. Especially players with short careers and those fans with nothing to do on Sunday afternoons.

 

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Publicat de 1 la 13:33 0 comentarii

Seth's Blog : The $20,000 phone call

The $20,000 phone call

When a homeowner decides to put his house on sale and calls a broker...

When he calls the moving company...

When a family arrives in town and calls someone recommended as the family doctor...

When a wealthy couple calls their favorite fancy restaurant looking for a reservation...

Go down the list. Stockbrokers, even hairdressers. And not just people who recently moved. When a new referral shows up, all that work and expense, and then the phone rings and it gets answered by your annoyed, overworked, burned out, never very good at it anyway receptionist, it all falls apart.

What is the doctor thinking when she allows her neither pleasant nor interested in new patients receptionist to answer the phone?

 

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sâmbătă, 30 aprilie 2011

Oil subsidies, gas prices and you


The White House, Washington


Good morning,

This week, as gas prices hit four dollars a gallon, oil companies like ExxonMobil announced skyrocketing profits -- while still receiving billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies.

There's something wrong with this picture, and in this video President Obama outlines the steps we're taking to make it right:

Watch the Video

A few weeks ago, I emailed you about rising gas prices, and I want to give you a quick update on three important steps:

  • Ending oil and gas subsidies. Oil companies are receiving $4 billion a year in taxpayer subsidies that don't make sense and that we can't afford. That's why President Obama has called on Democrats and Republicans in Congress to stop subsidizing the oil and gas industry so that we can afford to invest in the clean energy economy of tomorrow.
  • Stopping oil market fraud. Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced a working group focused on rooting out the cases of fraud in the oil markets that might affect gas prices (the President discussed this in his Weekly Address last Saturday).
  • Reducing our dependence on oil. Stepping back to look at the bigger picture, President Obama recently unveiled his Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future that set a goal of reducing our imports of foreign oil by a third in a little over a decade. To do this we have to increase our domestic energy production, reduce our demand for oil by building cleaner, more efficient vehicles, and fully utilize alternatives to oil in the transportation sector like natural gas and advanced biofuels.

These are difficult issues to tackle, and it's going to take all of us working together to move forward. For years, politicians in Washington have kicked this problem down the road, but we simply cannot afford the price of inaction any longer.

Sincerely,

David Plouffe
Senior Advisor to the President

 


 
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Publicat de 1 la 08:06 0 comentarii

Seth's Blog : Dreams, princesses and the Disney-industrial complex

Dreams, princesses and the Disney-industrial complex

"Like a dream come true"

Choose your dreams carefully.

Everyone is entitled to a dream. It gives us hope, focuses our energy, makes us human.

Sometimes, though, we get sold a dream instead of creating our own.

Is it really every girl's dream to become a princess, to be chosen by someone of royal birth and to have a $34 million wedding? Or is that the Disney-industrial complex betraying you, selling you short?

I just read that the folks who brought us the Mall of America are going to redo the troubled Xanadu shopping complex in New Jersey and rename it The American Dream. Is this the best we can do? Shop?

Dreams are too important to sell cheap, to give over to some organization trying to make a buck.

Catherine Casey chose a different dream--to move to Accra on her own to build an outpost of the Acumen Fund. It's a dream that scales, that pays dividends, and most of all, that she can make come true.

It's so easy to be sold on the combination of compliance, consumption and approval by the powers that be. Of course, you're entitled to any dream you like, but I hope you will choose a bigger one.

 

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vineri, 29 aprilie 2011

Six things you might not know about WhiteHouse.gov

The White House Friday, April 29, 2011
 

Six things you might not know about WhiteHouse.gov

If you haven’t been to WhiteHouse.gov lately, you’re missing a lot.  To stay current about what’s going on here at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, be sure to sign up for our Daily Snapshot email.  You’ll get the photo of the day, the President and Vice President’s daily schedules, highlights from the White House blog, and exclusive videos like West Wing Week.

Sign up for the Daily Snapshot

In the meantime, check out some of the things you may have missed on WhiteHouse.gov.
 
Rate the Commencement Challenge Finalists
As part of the Race to the Top Commencement Challenge, public high schools from all over the country submitted an application to have President Obama speak at their 2011 commencement. We’ve narrowed down the schools to six finalists, and now it’s your turn to help decide who will get to have President Obama as their commencement speaker.  You can review and rate each school on a scale of 1-5 (5 being the highest) before 11:59 p.m. EDT tonight. Visit WhiteHouse.gov/Commencement to weigh in.

Your 2010 Taxpayer Receipt
In his State of the Union Address, President Obama promised that this year, for the first time ever, American taxpayers would be able to go online and see exactly how their Federal tax dollars are spent. Just enter a few pieces of information about your taxes, and the taxpayer receipt will give you a breakdown of how your tax dollars are spent on priorities like education, veteran’s benefits, or health care.



White House Mobile App
This month we launched the official White House app for the Android operating system. We also released a new upgraded White House iPhone app that has the option to send you an alert when the President is about to speak and gives you the ability to watch it live, right in the palm of your hand.  Download the new apps here. 

 
 
WhiteHouse.gov Photos

  • Photo of the Day
    Each day, new photos of the President, Vice President and First Family are posted in the Photo of the Day gallery.  In addition, there are periodic photo galleries of important events and trips.  Check out the Photo of the Day and other galleries.
  • Behind the Scenes Photos
    The White House Photo Office just released their latest batch of behind-the-scenes photos, this time following the President from town halls across the country to the Situation Room to a moment alone reading on the patio outside the Oval Office.

West Wing Week
West Wing Week is our exclusive look at what’s going on at the White House each week. Check out this week’s episode. 

Inside the White House
Thousands of visitors tour the White House each day, but now you don’t have to travel to Washington, D.C. to get a peek inside the White House.  Check out our interactive tour with some incredible behind-the-scenes photos and our best "Inside the White House" videos.  


Stay Connected

Every week, WhiteHouse.gov has new videos, photos and other features.  You can stay updated on what’s happening in the Obama Administration by following the White House on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 
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West Wing Week: "Final Adjustments"

The White House Your Daily Snapshot for
Friday, April 29, 2011
 

West Wing Week: "Final Adjustments"

Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This week, while the White House celebrated Easter, holding the traditional egg roll on the South Lawn, President Obama kept his focus on the nation's finances, working on short term and long term ways to get away from high gas prices. He also pledged support for Alabama and other states in the South hit by devastating storms and announced new key members of his National Security team.

Watch the Video.

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog.

The President on Devastation in Alabama
The President joins the First Lady in offering his deepest condolences and pledges continued help.

President Obama Announces New Members of his National Security Team
The President sends prayers, and help, to Alabama and the other Southern states hit by devastating storms as he announces new names for Defense Secretary, CIA Director, and the civilian team for Afghanistan.

Knowing Where We Stand to Save Money, Improve Efficiency, Reduce Pollution, and Eliminate Waste
The Obama Administration releases the first-ever comprehensive Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventory for the Federal Government, which accounts for the GHG emissions associated with the Federal Government's operations in 2010.

Today's Schedule 

All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

8:00 AM: The President meets with participants in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike

8:30 AM: The First Family departs the White House en route Andrews Air Force Base

8:45 AM: The First Family departs Andrews Air Force Base en route Alabama

10:00 AM: The Vice President meets with Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner, Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jacob Lew, and Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling to discuss fiscal policy

10:50 AM: The First Family arrives in Alabama

11:10 AM: The President and the First Lady view the damage as well as meet with Governor Bentley, state and local officials and families affected by the storms

12:45 PM: The First Family departs Alabama

2:10 PM: The First Family arrives in Cape Canaveral, Florida

2:45 PM: The First Family tours the orbiter processing facility

 3:30 PM: The First Family views the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour WhiteHouse.gov/live

 5:40 PM: The President arrives Miami, Florida

 6:55 PM: The President delivers the Miami Dade College commencement address

9:05 PM: The President departs Miami, Florida

11:30PM: The President arrives at the White House

WhiteHouse.gov/live  Indicates events that will be live streamed on White House.com/Live

Get Updates 

Sign Up for the Daily Snapshot 

Stay Connected  

 
 
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Seth's Blog : Headroom

Headroom

The only thing worse than being able to say, "my boss won't let me," is having to acknowledge, "my boss will let me."

Over the last fifty years, the amount of headroom offered to white collar workers has dramatically increased. Piece work and time clocks have been replaced with self-policing and keep-your-own-calendar in many organizations. It's entirely possible to do very little, very often, particularly in a big company.

When we say, "my boss won't let me," what we're often saying is, "my boss wants great results, but she's not willing to let me take initiative without responsibility."

I'd be shocked if any smart boss took a different approach. Who's going to give you authority without responsibility?

Just about everyone I meet has far more ability to move up and to make an impact than it's easy or comfortable to admit. Once you do admit it, of course, you have to do something about it.

 

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