Free Republic

As a graduate of KU, imagine my dread when Obama picked the Jayhawks of The University of Kansas in his (ill-famed) NCAA bracket. Sigh. The curse, once applied took its toll last night when KU went down 59-64 to Villanova, albeit a great team, but aided by the less-than-golden touch of Obama. As an author, I have this recurring nightmare that one day he'll walk down the steps of Air Force One carrying one of my books in his hand, sending it directly from the publisher to the remainder table.Is there anything this man can't wrench into disaster?

BlackBerry Ltd. is planning major staff reductions before the year is out, according to a published report citing unnamed sources. The Waterloo, Ont.-based smartphone maker has an employee base of about 12,700 while the cuts would come from across the company’s entire operations, a report in the Wall Street Journal published Wednesday said. “Organizational moves will continue to occur to ensure we have the right people in the right roles to drive new opportunities in mobile computing,” a BlackBerry spokesman told the newspaper. The cuts—if true—would be the deepest and most extensive in the company’s history, eclipsing the 5,000 jobs...

Wind energy equipment manufacturer Siemens Energy Inc. will lay off 615 workers in Iowa, Kansas, and Florida in part because Congress has not renewed a tax credit for wind energy, the company said Tuesday. Siemens said the biggest job losses will come in Fort Madison, Iowa, where 407 workers at a wind-turbine blade factory will be out of work. About 220 workers will be retained at the plant to support ongoing operations, spokeswoman Melanie Forbrick said in a statement. About 146 workers are affected in Hutchinson, Kan., leaving 152 still working. In Orlando, Fla., about 62 workers will lose their...

Forgive me if I’ve told this one before. I sold more Christmas wreaths than any other Cub Scout growing up in my suburban Chicago troop. My reward was tickets for my dad and I to see the Artis Gilmore, Tom Borwinkle and the rest of the Chicago Bulls on a wintery evening at the old Madhouse on Madison Chicago Stadium. As I remember it, the Bulls were down by 8 with only 10 seconds to go. And they came back an won, making me a lifetime Bulls believer and in overcoming impossible challenges. Many felt it was an overachievement for...

Massimo d'Amore, the divisive figure at the center of many of PepsiCo's biggest marketing campaigns over the past several years, is retiring. -snip- Mr. d'Amore has cast a long shadow at PepsiCo and in the marketing world. A charming Italian, he has been lauded as both innovative and creative, but has also been a lightning rod for controversy. He oversaw the creation of new logos, packaging and marketing campaigns for several brands, including Pepsi, Tropicana, Gatorade, Mtn Dew and Sierra Mist.

Another one of our Glorious Leader's picks flamed out... the Kansas Jayhawks. His Bracket is toast!