(re) blog: dialogue with Redemtech

You wanna see something really scary?

“You wanna see something really scary?”
That’s my favorite line from a fairly benign horror movie released in 1983 as a tribute to beloved Twilight Zone television series of the 1950s and ‘60s. The clever line, however, was fresh material at the time, used to segue into the bizarre world of Rod Serling, one of the most brilliant television writers to live in this or any other plane of existence.

E-Wasted, But Planning for a Better Day

I attended the E-Scrap conference in Atlanta last week, where 900 of my colleagues and I spent two days debating the state of electronics recycling. Redemtech is not itself a recycler, but uses partners to process many millions of pounds of electronics each year. So we are part of the industry by association, and we stay in close touch to ensure our downstream vendors are compliant with industry best practices. The various sessions completely ignored a glaring deficiency in the trade: the majority of electronics owners choose NOT to recycle their old computers and other e-junk when they are done with it. Stated more bluntly, the customer doesn't like, or think they need, what we are selling.

Business Week Highlights Our IT Recycling Partner, TechSoup

Influential Business Week Magazine, which recently underwent a significant redesign, last week published this interesting article on the benefits of dealing with professional refurbishers when companies recycle used IT equipment. Like most general business publications, it stressed the obvious environmental concerns that socially conscious businesses should take into account to avoid adding to the waste stream.

Tomorrow’s News Today, Part 2

DATELINE: Southeast Oklahoma, Oct. 29, 2027 – Autumn came and went today as the last leaf on the last tree in the U.S. spiraled dramatically to the ground at Ouachita National Tree, formerly Ouachita National Forest. A crowd of 300,000 visitors cheered the event while a dozen impatiently waiting bulldozers prepared to demolish the 70-foot-tree to make room for another landfill to accommodate electronic waste.

Tales of Beer and Stolen Laptops are Brewing

Covering the off-network data security news beat for Redemtech, I’ve seen a lot of newspaper and trade magazine articles about the financial losses suffered by companies that had a laptop computer containing valuable information stolen out from under them. Sometimes rewards are offered for the safe return of a laptop, but I’ve never seen an offer quite like the reward offered by a New Zealand brewery.

My Life With Mascots

I made a new friend the other day. He’s a real nut.

Like Our Environment, Columbus Day is Changing

The ghost of Columbus Day wandered by this week, giving some people a day away from work, but otherwise providing little more than apparitional recognition for Christopher Columbus.

IAITAM Conference A Chance to Exchange ITAM Ideas

Wow, how time flies! It's already October and less than a month away from the annual International Association of Information Technologies (IAITAM) Conference in Rancho Mirage, Calif. I can hardly wait to connect with old and new colleagues to catch up on the latest innovations in their IT Asset Management programs.

What Business Leaders Could Learn from Pumpkin Farmers

A pumpkin farmer was asked how he maintained a successful business. “It’s not difficult,” he replied, looking out over acres of orange globes. “I just keep track of every pumpkin I grow.” That sounds like a daunting task to me, but it must be the correct business model. Every October, the fields are covered with the makings of pumpkin pies and American front porches are filled with grinning jack-o’-lanterns.

Reality TV is a Far Cry from Reality

A new reality TV show recently captured my attention, because it features a bunch of adorable children working together to rebuild a western ghost town into a viable community – at least from the unfocused viewpoint of reality TV.