In a speech to recent to Columbia Business School MBAs, PepsiCo President and CFO Indra Nooyi compared the continents of the world to fingers of a hand with the United States as the middle finger. All she had to do was overlook Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Antartica in order to for his silly little analogy to fit. PepsiCo's PR has since stated that "Indra loves America", but then, so does Jane Fonda.

I've never help Pepsi (the product) and PepsiCo (the company) in high regard. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Howard Johnson's is close to extinction with only eight locations remaining, and one more expected to close next month. At one point, the orange-roofed clam and ice cream chain had nearly 850 locations across the US. Thank God Friendly's is doing OK.

Those wishing to reminisce might enjoy HoJoLand.

The Texas Tech Board of Regents announced last Thursday that Tech will focus groups before moving foward on planned changes to the school seal.

Note that they said "before moving foward" and not "before making any changes". This, coupled with the fact that the announcement was made by former Lubbock Mayor turned Regent Windy Sitton, tells me that the focus groups are a smoke screen and will be used to shield the University from criticism when succeed in removing cotton from the Texas Tech seal.

Hey Tech! Why didn't you start by asking for the alumni's at the beginning of this process? That's what the University of Kansas is doing right now, and that approach seems to be working.

Under extreme pressure from alumni, Texas Tech has decided to return cotton to the university seal. They still plan to abandon the seal they've used for the last 82 years, but the new seal, which will be unveiled next week after a quick re-design, will continue to honor the contribution cotton has made to Texas Tech.

Disclaimer: I'm both a Tech alumnus and an employee of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association.

Texas Tech is setting aside 79 years of tradition by removing cotton from the school's seal. The new seal was designed by an Austin, Texas firm and is part of a broader marketing campaigned designed to give Texas Tech a more national profile.

Chancellor David Smith said yesterday that the goal was to eliminate Tech's dozens of departmental logos and pull all seven campuses together under a single, unified design. That makes sense, but it does not explain why the seal has to change in the process. I personally believe the answer is ignorance. I doubt an Austin marketing firm realized that those fluffy white splotches in the seal were cotton and they simply removed them to stream-line the design.

"Change is inevitable," said Don Harris, a Lubbock appraiser and Tech alumnus. "On the other hand, if it isn't broken, why fix it?"

Eddie Smith, chairman of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association and a Tech alumnus who was recognized by Tech as a Gerald W. Thomas Outstanding Agriculturalist last year, said the ommission ignored the contributions cotton made to Tech.

"I think it's a mistake, and I wish they would ask the people who've supported the university through the years."

Eddie Smith, Chairman, Plains Cotton Cooperative Association

Tech threw together a press conference yesterday to answer an email and message board campaign rallying opposition to the revisions.

"A lot of people had a lot of extra time today. It was kind of ridiculous."

David Smith, Chancellor, Texas Tech University

Disclaimer: I'm both a Tech alumn and an employee of Plains Cotton Cooperative Association.