I just raan across a Hitachi had that was covered bck on Nov 16,2006-go back and take a look at A New Breed of  Bloodhound or click bloodhound  When the screen comes up, click full screen and then on the bloodhound story.  My point is that the Dirty Harry of the future is much more likely to carry a USB thumb Drive memory device and a knowledge of SARBOX than a S & W Model 29 .44 Mag pistol.

I will be discussing the importance of Design as an integral part of TQM this semester.  Now Business Week is sponsoring a contest on it, click B/W Design  to learn more.  More at the Dec 3 2006 post on Design.  Also take a look at  Fast Company’s list of design articles.

I have noticed that Orientals start out micmicing US designs but don’t seem to get it right until they open a studio in the US.  The early Subarus were just plain funky, today they are much better, ditto for the first toyotas in the early 1970s.  Anyway, here is a link to Taiwan’s stab at greeting its own Deming Award, at Branding Taiwan   The site is slow and a bit awkard, but gee, that island must be one gigantic manufacturing plant from end to end.  You will certainly be familiar with the names of their top ten companies.  Do you see the link between the Deming Award in Japan, the Taiwan Excellence Award in Taiwan and the Malcoom Baldridge Award in the US?

DLE

BAck on 11/14/06 I wondered about the future of Force Protection.  The firm specializes in armored vechicles.  Since then it reported its first profit and has now listed on the NASD.  Check out this
link for the latest information.

Note that the interviewer asks about SARBOX, hindrance or help at the end of the interview.  Now take a look at FRPT at http://www.finance.yahoo. Now consider the mood of Congress about the war, is this a buy at 22?

Click here to read about the TRS 80 .  Years ago there was a laptop that was a word processor, had a modem, worked in MSFT basic, an address book, and  went for hours and hours on AA batteries!  Why can’t someone do that now?

I want a simple computer like this with

simple word processor, not msft  word with 1,000 functions
simple spreadsheet, like 64 x 300
photo display
maybe wireless web and e mail, but keep it simple

And I want the battery to last, not die in 90 minutes.

Well Radio Shack had most of this back in the early 1980s. Where is the TRS 80 of today?

DLE

One of the reasons for the blog is to integrate and link the real world of business with what we study in class. So, click on this column by George Will  about Boeing.  Notice how many terms, supply chain, cot concerns, strategy of hub versus point to point, appear in this one column.  AIrbus bet big on their huge 550 seat plane wedded to the hub system.  Boeing bet big on the shift to a point to point system.  take a look at the Dubai International Finance Center . 

These guys will want direct, not hub flights.  And if you think these guys are not serious, consider this site for best hotel in the world.

Just a few years back, it appeared that Europe’s bet on beating Boeing would win out, after all they had govt subsidies to the moon. Boeing was worried.  No more.  Thinigs change quickly these days.

There are four levels of probability

• Possible
• Plausible
• Probable
• Certainly True

The quick and the dead in business are determined by how well they can discern the difference between plausible and probable.  Our purpose in class is to provide you with the tools to do just that.

DLE

One of the criticisms of a college business education is that it only prepares one to work for someone else.  Trust me, you may be working for yourself sooner than you think.  Perhaps if Managerial Accounting were re badged ‘Get Rich Running Your Own Business we would have a few more converts, see my post about the accounting curriculum at K State below. 

Click here to learn about Unique Performance .  Yes we are back to the glory days of the 1920s-30s, the era of truly custom made automobiles.  Back then Dusenberg for example would make a chassis, an engine on a frame with transmission.  A custom coach builder would be hired however to design a one off creation of the well to do owner, just the way to say "I have arrived" when in fact you do at the local club or gala event.  The strong stock markets of this era have resulted in a much larger market for semi custom cars, AMG for Mercedes, Ruff for Porsche, etc.  But now we have this happening in the craze for muscle cars right here in our own back yard, Farmer’s Branch, Texas.

Steve McQueen, your new Bullit Stang is ready.  While Ford and other auto makers are constrained by standard parts and Federal laws that prevent much straying from the standard template, that is not the case with the specialty makers.  Re making a 1965 car let’s one abide by the Federal regulations of 1965, bingo, we have the perfect time machine for out 60 year old multi million aire that never got that muscle car he really wanted in high school.  Presto, step into the time machine.

Anyway, my point is that if you are running your own business, understanding standard costs, budgets, target profits and break even is imperative to making a profit.  I will be visiting with some of these interesting firms in the near future for a look at how they control their costs, and of course deliver that time machine in the process.

This also illustrates another point, don’t hesitate to do what you want to do, someone is much more likely to achieve success working at their dream job than plodding through some ‘thank goodness it’s Friday paper shuffling mind numbing routine.  Read more about boutique car makers here.

Ladies, what gets your interest, custom dresses, jewelry, boats, houses, dinnerware?  It’s all the same thing, an appeal to the unique, that’s why Joan Rivers et al are out there interviewing the stars with their one off designs on Oscar night.  Indeed, I recently read that Laura Bush and two other ladies showed up at a White House Event in the same designer dress, Laura went upstairs and changed……..

So, ladies and gentlemen, start your spreadsheets, these courses could be your ticket to a successful entrepreneurship.

DLE

Most accounting programs are totally structured for training for the CPA exam. However  the majority of students do not become CPAs.  Hence many are turned off by the assembly line procedure of intermed accounting texts. 

Click here to read about an innovative accounting program.     This will be a great starting point this semester for your first post in the discussion area-read the article and tell us what you think should be in an accounting curriculum. 

Surprisingly there is little mention of this on the K State site.

DLE

Classes are called off due to bad weather.  While officials usually hit the bad weather panic button a bit eraly, in this case, the roads are completely iced over and this is a good call.  By the way we had quite a nice dedication ceremony yesterday, I will post some photos in the album today but the ribbon cutting is shown below.

WEB CT has been created for all classes including the Systems class.  If you are registered you should be able to log on.

The syllabus  and assignment sheet for Intermed II and Cost 4270 are posted on WEB CT.  Please start your reading per the assignment sheet for Monday and attempt the problems assigned for that day. 

I finally received the 7 e edition of the Hilton book this week and was working on the assignemtns forthe graduate  class yesterday. Not anticipating yet another day of bad weather, I left the book and material in my office and school is closed today.  Hence I have not posted the assignment syll there.  However. several of you have asked about the assignments, and here is what you need to look at for Saturday

Please read Chapter 16 on Capital Budgeting
Read Appendix I on Compound Interest
Read the Appendix on SARBOX

I will post this same message and some links to websites on WEB CT for this class today.

IF you have questions, e mail me at home at

denniselam@rr.tx.com

Hopefully the ice will clear and I will be back at school tomorrow.

My office is 355 if anyone wants to come by, e mail delam@unt.edu or call 972 780 3007 to make sure I am in.

Dennis Elam

Click on the CcATS photo or go to click on CcATS  to go to the companion blog I have created about the upcoming symposium.  As you know UNT Dallas is dependent on Community College Students entering to finish a university degree.  Frankly I think CCs are overlooked in the higher ed spectrum.  So I have planned a symposium just for Community College Accounting Teachers-CcATS.  It will be held here at the new campus Feb. 9, 2007.  Working with textbook reps, the invite list now runs some 150 teachers.  I am hoping to cast a wide net from Weatherford on the west to Grayson (Sherman) on the north to Trinity Valley and Navarro on the east and Hill College to the south.  It is the intention to have one in the spring and one in the fall.  A half day is planned to give everyone time to get here.  Four hours of free Continuing Professional Education will be offered.  Attending such a conference overnight can easily cost several hundred dollars. Our initial fee will be nothing-so we are hoping for a good turnout.  Take a look, ideas and your participation are welcome.

Dennis Elam

ALERT

My new home e mail address is

denniselam@tx.rr.com

The cell number is awaiting re activaiton this next week.

Communication is important.  Everyone assumes that high tech has improved communication, and that is true, when it works.  However, that has not been the case with yours truly due to two unrelated but out of my control incidents the last few weeks.  To cut to the chase, Time Warner decided to change their customer e mail over the holidays, omitting the old comcast server, hence I finally determined I had hundreds of e mails backed up on the comcast server. Note the new e mail address.

I also made the important scientific discovery, again completely by accident, that cell phones, while solid state, are not waterproof.  I was also taken aback at Cingular’s lack of interest and sympathy, as well as their hostile attitude.  They are determined that I will not have my same number if I switch to a a different provider prior to my contract ending, the week will tell the story on that one.  In the meantime, if you are making the decision, I urge you to consider a carrier that does not require a contract.

So e mail me at the new address and I will send you the syllabi.  Systems will be taught by an excellent Lecturer who has taught at Denton and is an IT professional.  I will get his syllabus for you ASAP this next week.

Otherwise the move to the new building has gone smoothly, my office number is 355.

Dennis Elam