Miscellaneous Rambling: Hollywoodrow and Retail
You thinking the LAPD is going to crack some skulls in Hollywood? Don't hold your breath. From that Dave Thomson book on the history of Hollywood:
When the studio was still at Keystone, [director Raoul] Walsh was surprised to discover the studio closed one Saturday. . . The gateman told Walsh that the closure was an emergency. Some months earlier, a very pretty seventeen-year-old had come to work as an actress. But when she got pregnant, the outraged mother called the
district attorney. Whereupon that officer of the court quietly called Keystone and advised that if anyone had anything to do with the girl to make themselves scarce, whereupon the whole studio emptied out.
"Charlie?" asked Walsh.
"He was the first to leave," said the gateman.
I dig Amazon, and I believe heartily in the inevitability. and desirability, of Joseph Schumpeter's Creative Destruction, but it bums me out to see the traditional retailers getting squished. I rail against retailers for invading Thanksgiving, but then realize, "Heck, they're just trying anything, everything, to make some money as Amazon demolishes their sales." So I was happy to see this article: The Future Of Retail In The Age Of Amazon: As Jeff Bezos's juggernaut continues to grow, forward-thinking competitors are finding creative ways to succeed–and be what Amazon can never be. Excerpt:
“Retail is under huge pressure, but the death of stores is greatly exaggerated,” says Galloway, who believes that while Amazon will continue to disrupt the market, an increasing number of competitors will discover new ways to respond. “In the age of Amazon, retailers must leverage assets that [Bezos] doesn't have: When Amazon zigs, retailers must zag.”
There's too much discussion about Target, but otherwise, it's a good and optimistic piece.
This is a great game. It moves fast--two people can play in less than two minutes--requires a scintilla of intelligence and a lot of luck. It's great for gambling, small stakes or large stakes, or just for funzies. You can come up with all sorts of different ways to play it. I've been rolling dice with this game for over twenty years. Lots of fun.
