Perhaps it is worth noting this weekend one of the seminal events in the history of our country: the completion, on May 10, 1869, of the first transcontinental railroad. The ceremonial final spike was driven in at Promontory Summit, Utah; tourists at a visitors center today can observe the exact spot where the coasts were linked, amidst much hoopla. None other than Governor Leland Stanford, our Founder and guiding force of the Central Pacific Railroad, was on hand to participate. The celebrated 'golden spike' was temporarily tapped in, for ceremonial reasons; it is now housed on the Stanford campus. A final ceremonial tie, made of laurel wood, was lost in the 1906 quake.
Fortunately our benefactor was much better at starting universities than at laying track; embarrasingly, Governor Stanford actually missed when trying to tap in the final iron spike. Nonetheless, the deed was done, and America was one -- a welcome message after the bloody Civil War.
China opened the world’s longest cross-sea Hangzhou Bay Bridge last week running 22.4 miles from the port city of Ningpo across Hangzhou Bay to reach Shanghai. As part of an effort to boost economic integration and development in the Yangtze River Delta, it is designed to slash travel time between Ningbo and the financial hub Shanghai from four hours to two and a half.
Since its opening on May 1, police have fined more than 300 drivers, most for driving too slowly or illegal parking on the emergency lanes while enjoying the ocean view and taking photos. The $1.7-billion bridge’s much publicized sightseeing platforms in the middle of the span will not be ready for tourists for another two years, local media have reported.
Reuters, People's Daily Online
We are saddened to report the passing of GSB Alumnus Claude Rosenberg (MBA '52), financier, philanthropist and friend of the Library. Mr Rosenberg and his wife Louise were well known nationally for their charitable donations. Among the beneficiaries of their benevolence was Jackson Library, whose Rosenberg Corporate Research Center, dedicated in 1992, was the real foundation stone for today's outstanding array of Jackson databases. The Rosenberg gift was the greatest single impetus in the growth of the electronic tools that have become an integral part of the Library. In addition, their bequest changed the look of the Library, making it a much more attractive place to study and collaborate. Jackson Library staff who remember Mr Rosenberg always found him engaged, interested and enthusiastic about the development of resources for future business students. For these and other reasons, we pay tribute to Mr Rosenberg's memory.
I’ve been a fan of taking public transportation for many years (I’ve also lived in places where public transportation is safe and clean), but these days my commuter train is so packed with people it’s hard to find a seat sometimes. A year ago I was often one of five people in a train car which holds fifty. A recent article in Business Week seems to have come across the same phenomenon. Suddenly It’s Cool to Take the Bus takes a look at how people are changing their commuting habits and liking it. It seems like in Boston people are also making the change in the article Gas Prices Pushing Boston Drivers Out Of Cars, Into Public Transportation.
Want to learn about Bloomberg? Don't want to spend time doing it? We have a solution: Bloomberg Bullseyes. 'Bullseyes' are short sessions -- 30 minutes, max -- which give you an opportunity to pick up the basics on a subject when you've little time to spare. Bullseye sessions will be offered to GSB students May 7, 9 and 14 in the Jackson Library Trader's Pit. To save a space, sign up via the CMC registration system. Bloomberg is a vast collection of market information on currencies, commodities, fixed income, interest rates, equities and much more. A Bloomberg Bullseye can give you the simple compass you need to navigate this ocean of financial data. And that's no bull.
How much money should you earn compared to others in your job? That seems the age old question and many people come to the library or search online for salary metrics. An article in the SF Chronicle discusses why there seems to be more salary disclosure online. Within the article is a link to the Chronicle's salary databases which includes salary information and other bay area statistical information. Enjoy.
Got your attention? Sorry, not Da Mayor, but a representative from his brainchild, The Bloomberg System. If you plan to go to Wall Street, you may end up using this product. Penny Lane will be at the GSB Thursday, May 15 to present two sessions on Bloomberg: a basic overview from Noon to 1:00 PM, followed a half-hour later by an advanced session from 1:30 to 2:30. Location will be L-107. Space is limited, so please RSVP. GSB Faculty can do so by contacting librarian Helen Losch; GSB students should sign up via the CMC registration system. Attendees are welcome to bring their lunch, but cookies will be available. Questions? Contact Helen.
I recently lost my cell phone and this article caught my attention.
TryPhone beta has 12 handsets so far, including such popular items as the iPhone and the Motorola Razr 2 for customers to take a look. The company hopes to have between 100 and 150 handsets up by the holiday season, says marketing director Leila Modarres. It also plans to increase the interactivity of the virtual handsets.
Check it out. For someone like me who has used only one model that comes free with a subscription, TryPhone saves time and money in identifying the popular ones and the best ones that are out there. Before I go to an AT&T store in my area to actually try out different phones, I should already have a pretty good idea what I am looking for.
Library friend Michelle Gutman, Program Manager for Global Center & Corporate Governance Research, brings two new corporate governance cases to our attention: Attention Shoppers: Executive Compensation at Kroger, Safeway, Costco and Whole Foods 2008 and Say on Pay: Does the Buck Stop Here? 2008, both authored by GSB Professor David F. Larcker and GSB Alum / case writer Brian Tayan. Members of the GSB community can download these for free; others should contact Case Services.
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