The growth engine that Dell once was is sputtering. The degree of its troubles was made plain—yet again—on July 21, when the company said this quarter’s earnings would fall far short of analysts’ forecasts. Sales won’t meet expectations either.
It was the fourth time Dell (DELL) said it wouldn’t meet quarterly earnings or sales forecasts since the beginning of last year, and investors were incensed. Some registered dismay at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Austin the same day (see BusinessWeek.com, 7/21/06, “Dell’s Dull Meeting”). Dell shares dropped nearly 10% to $19.91, the lowest level in almost five years, and dragged shares of other computer makers, including Hewlett-Packard. The rout left the Nasdaq at a 14-month low.
Businessweek has more on how Dell could revive its sagging fortunes.
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John Woo and home runs
Most of us would barely see a base ball traveling at ninety miles per hour until it was safely tucked in the catcher’s mitt. Great base ball hitters have revelaed in a study that they have a different experience altogether, which could be best described as ‘elongated’ time. Some said they could see the ball leaving the pitcher’s hand, even seeing the rotation of the body. Small wonder they are able to hit home runs.
In John Woo’s films his heros always hit home runs…period. Just subsititute base ball with whatever the hero can kick or punch.
Infact, the hero sees everything in slow motion and delivers his punches to perfection. He ducks gracefully to gun bullets making precise, making guided missile-like course corrections. If this wasn’t enough, he even comes out victorious in mexican standoff kind of situation. While the hero battles his way out effortlessly, doves and bullets fly together against shimmering pieces of dust, wood, metal…anything that is thrown off the blasts.
John Woo sure does sees the world differently and this has won him a lot of fans not just among the movie buffs but the film makers as well.
According to a conservative estimate, the introduction fight of Van Damme in ‘Hard Target’ has influenced more than a hundred fight sequences, in the south Indian cinema!
Signing note?
Quentin Tarantino has been quoted in reply to a studio executive who said “I suppose Woo can direct action scenes” as saying “Sure, and Michelangelo can paint ceilings!”
Another?
It would be interesting if John Woo directs a base ball flick:-)
Related links
Wikipedia on John Woo
God Among Directors
Wikipedia on Mexican Standoff