Thursday, January 15, 2015

India 1, Argentina 0


"The Government’s tight policies on imports have come under fire from supermarkets, pharmacies and the media alike in light of the recent disaster. It doesn’t help that there is an grand total of zero tampon manufacturers in Argentina, and that the majority are therefore shipped in from Brazil and Colombia."

In India: The Indian sanitary pad revolutionary

"he succeeded in creating a low-cost method for the production of sanitary towels. The process involves four simple steps. First, a machine similar to a kitchen grinder breaks down the hard cellulose into fluffy material, which is packed into rectangular cakes with another machine.
The cakes are then wrapped in non-woven cloth and disinfected in an ultraviolet treatment unit. The whole process can be learned in an hour.
Muruganantham's goal was to create user-friendly technology. The mission was not just to increase the use of sanitary pads, but also to create jobs for rural women"
Looks like somebody should stop thinking about importing products, and start importing processes.

Friday, January 9, 2015

While the bosses are watching


In China: Hacked emails reveal China’s elaborate and absurd internet propaganda machine

"Shi Wenqing, an affable 60-year-old, was appointed secretary of the Ganzhou branch of the Communist Party—a position akin to mayor—in 2011. [....] Shi wants to present himself as a fresh thinker to his superiors in the party [....] During Shi’s [online] town halls, people are paid to post comments that make him and the government look as good as possible."

In the US: At Sears, Eddie Lampert's Warring Divisions Model Adds to the Troubles

"Word got around that Wexler was [Eddie] Lampert. Bosses started tracking how often employees were 'Pebbling.' One former business head says her group organized Pebble conversations about miscellaneous topics just to appear they were active users. Another group held 'Pebblejam' sessions to create the illusion they were using the network."
Believe only half of what you read, none of what you hear, and assume everyone on the internet has an ulterior motive.