The San Francisco Giants beat the defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies to claim the 2010 National League Pennant and the right to face the Texas Rangers in the World Series. Giants manager Bruce Bochy is back in the series for the first time since 1998 (when he managed the San Diego Padres). San Francisco… Read more »

After living through near starvation for 17 days, 33 miners had to prepare for the rigors of their rescue. Dr. Jean Christophe Romagnoli developed a training routine utilizing an elastic band that would condition the miners’ muscles to avoid cramps and spasms during their ascent. Dr Romagnoli also monitored the miners’ health and suggested they… Read more »

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera had barely been in office five months when 33 miners became trapped in the San Jose Mine run by Codelco. The president was no stranger to disaster, having ushered the country through recovery after one the strongest earthquakes on record. Once again, the national spotlight was upon him as the country… Read more »

Imagine being trapped underground for more than two months. Difficulties associated with such a plight include food and water availability, personal hygiene, and psychological issues. The Chilean miners were able to overcome these problems through a vast array of technological wonders, including bacteria-killing clothing, cleansing products that required little or no water, and electronics equipment… Read more »

It is not uncommon for a sitting President to experience turnover in Cabinet-level appointments during the mid-term. Presidential administrations go through stages and resignations/replacements sometimes follow mid-term elections, when voters indicate their approval or disapproval of policies enacted. What is a bit unusual is that the present administration is seeing considerable turnover in advance of… Read more »

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay’s masterful performance (hard for this Reds fan to swallow) in Game 1 of the National League Division Series is a gem worth analyzing. While most insiders quickly recognize that a no-hitter involves team contributions, Roy Halladay’s entire season should be evaluated from the perspective of individual behavior. Nevertheless, the article… Read more »

In another example of the viral effects of the internet, a passenger on board a Cebu Pacific Airlines flight recorded attendants dancing their way through the safety briefing. Millions of views generated tremendous publicity both for the fledgling airline and the Phillipines. QUESTIONS: M1. Was this safety demonstration effective communication, efficient communication, both, or neither?… Read more »

When United and Continental merged, the new combined company pushed ahead of Delta to become the biggest carrier in the airline industry. This after Delta assumed the position from rival American two years ago. Another rival, Southwest, is poised to increase its size in a proposed acquisition of Air Tran. The industry is becoming less… Read more »

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer announced the promotion of three high-level company executives last week. The moves were made in response to two key departures from the high tech giant. Kurt DelBene, Don Mattrick, and Andy Lees will run the Office, interactive entertainment, and mobile communications divisions. QUESTIONS: M1. High technology organizations rely heavily on innovation…. Read more »

In recent years, there have been several cases of widespread illness associated with food contamination. There is growing concern about the quality of our food supplies and how these are processed. Monitoring of food processing facilities is limited. The present article suggests that audits themselves are tainted because the companies being audited pay for the… Read more »