Minter Dial

Times are a changin’ – In Search of Moments of Change

by Minter Dial | May 1, 2007 | Marketing

A convert of the “tipping point” concept, I am most interested in the exact elements that bring about change in a person’s personality or career. In particular, I think of how certain people in my circle have gone from "super popular" to super drop-out, or from super...

Travel pleasures… another improvement on the road

by Minter Dial | May 1, 2007 | Travel

Sometimes, when traveling, you want to just be able to pick up all the good things and bring them back to your home country… like food specialties or quaint cultural traditions. So, on this trip, speaking as a frequent traveler, I found yet another “good thing” to...

Text versus Image

by Minter Dial | Apr 27, 2007 | Marketing

Went to a seminar held by ANVIE in Paris. We discussed in general the changing landscape of the new media. Joseph Jaffe's book "Life after the 30 second spot" was cited at the beginning, along with the Ries' and Zyman's book on the end of advertising (as we know it),...

Smoking leads to more sick time at work!

by Minter Dial | Apr 24, 2007 | Business, Health

The International Herald Tribune article entitled "Study finds difference in smokers' sick time" [by Nicholas Bakalar] made for a solemn read for smokers...and businesses (if not HR departments). The study of 14,000 Swedish workers determined that smokers would take...

Biker’s lane – a French right?

by Minter Dial | Apr 24, 2007 | Travel

When driving in France -- whether in cities or on highways -- there is an invisible bikers' lane. You drive as far over on the left side of the lane you are in to let motorcyclists pass. In France , the bikers have now come to expect this from all drivers. Last night,...

Getting Strung Along… String Theory II

by Minter Dial | Apr 23, 2007 | Branding, Podcast

I heard a segment out of a Robin Sharma podcast that struck a chord, as they say. It was about a poem, written in sanskrit, that goes like this: "Spring has past, summer has gone and winter is here. And The song that I meant to sing has remained unsung. I have spent...

Educating the children on democracy

by Minter Dial | Apr 22, 2007 | Politics

I must say that my wife, Yendi, has taken the elections as a great opportunity to "teach" the children (Oscar 10 and Alexandra 7) the interest of the right to vote. Without bias, we have asked them to judge the candidate's pamphlets (inevitably a visual assessment) as...

Secret voting

by Minter Dial | Apr 22, 2007 | Politics

I just came back from the voting "urn" in the 17th arrondissement in Paris. I must say that, were I to have voted, I might have found the process somewhat "shocking." After arriving at the designated locale, you are asked to pick up white paper (equal sized squares)...

French Presidential Elections: Greater use of the internet in the political debate

by Minter Dial | Apr 21, 2007 | Politics

In these French elections, as an American, I do not vote. Nonetheless, I must applaud several internet-based initiatives, enabling voters to evaluate which candidate best corresponds to one's own opinions via a series of questions. The computer simulation then spits...

European competitivity, French competitivity

by Minter Dial | Apr 20, 2007 | Politics

We are 24 hours away from the French elections and I feel compelled to add a new comment. I read an article by Cyrille Lachevre entitled "La faiblesse de la compétitivité française," in the Figaro on April 12, 2007. Other European countries are making strides to...

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