A Golf Story
A friend of mine relates the following story. He swears that it is a true story and I believe him. It goes like this:
At the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000, Tiger Woods pull-hooked a driver off the 18th tee into the Pacific Ocean. There followed a burst of profanity, for which Mr. Woods was later fined. That's the part of the story everyone remembers.
The part that followed, however, is astonishing. Picture the scene. Woods is standing there on 18 tee. His tee shot rests on the ocean floor. His caddy, Steve Williams, hands him a reload. As he does, he suggests that Tiger hit his two-iron. Tiger says no, he'll stripe the driver, knock it on the green in two, two putt and make the bogey 6. Williams says: "I really think you should hit the two-iron." Tiger says no, the driver is fine. Williams says: "I really, really think you should hit the two-iron." Tiger dismisses him, stripes the driver down the center of the fairway, knocks it on the green in two, two putts, makes his six.
And so the matter died, until a couple of weeks later, when Williams reminded Woods of their debate. "What was that all about?" asked Woods. "It was your last ball," responded Williams.
Incredible as it may seem, Woods only had two balls in his bag that day. Had he hit the reload into the sea, he would have been disqualified from the US Open, a tournament he ended up winning by 15 strokes.
Friday, August 01, 2003
The Terrorism Futures Market
Asymmetrical Information has a useful discussion of the pros and cons of DARPA's (now dead) proposal to create a futures market for terrorism. Click here.
Bill Barr's War
Former US Attorney General and now Verizon General Counsel Bill Barr has been on the warpath about MCI for many years. He has called the company a "criminal enterprise" and has campaigned ceaselessly to block it from receiving US government contracts. Today's Wall Street Journal has an excellent report on the story behind Mr. Barr's campaign.
Thursday, July 31, 2003
Ellisblog Returns
I've decided to restart the blog. It'll be slim pickings for August, but by September I hope to post a couple of items most every day. Forbes magazine asked me to participate in a panel on Blogging, so I'd better be a Blogger again.
Fast Company Adieu
My days (and nights) as a Fast Comany columnist are now officially over. I joined the magazine in July of 1999 at the invitation of the founding editors, Alan Webber and Bill Taylor. When they left a couple of months ago, it was only a matter of time before I would follow.
I'm joining Tech Central Station as a regular columnist. I'll be writing there every other week.
Digital Squared
Digital content delivered across digital networks is a business whose time has come. Or so I argue in the latest edition of Fast Company.
Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Gigot on Iraq
Paul Gigot was one of many press people who covered Paul Wolfowitz's visit to Iraq. His report on the trip is excellent and can be found by clicking here.
Either It Is or It Isn't
Are venture funds opening up their purse strings? Yes, says one survey. No, says another. I think the former is true.
N.B.: A reader (there aren't so many of you left!) notes that I should have credited Corante for gathering this information. I sort of assume that readers of this blog also read Corante, but if you don't, do. You can bookmark it by clicking here and then doing the rest.
