Lots of interesting articles and columns cross my desk every week that will never make it into the blog. This week I'm pointing you to pieces about leaving a company you built, the shift to service jobs on a global scale, Jim Press and his move from Toyota to Chrysler, board responsibility for CEO pay, and Apple and the iPhone pricing gaff.

From the Wall Street Journal: How Do You Quit Your Life's Work?
"A Retiring Boss Struggles with Transferring Control of His Texas Food Maker"

From the Christian Science Monitor: Great global shift to service jobs
"Move over agriculture, according to the International Labor Organization, service is where the growth is."

From the Detroit Free Press: Another daring move at Chrysler
"In a move that shocked the auto industry, Jim Press, Toyota Motor Corp.'s North American president, on Thursday was named president and vice chairman of Chrysler LLC -- titles he will share with onetime Chrysler Chief Executive Officer Tom LaSorda. It is the second time in the past month that Chrysler, under new ownership, has lured a senior executive from Toyota. The Japanese company has sold more cars in the United States this year than Ford Motor Co. and is on its way to surpassing General Motors Corp. as the world's biggest automaker. Once called Toyota's secret weapon, Press was most often the American face of the world's most profitable automaker: the man who unveiled the Tundra pickup in Detroit (and stuck a hybrid tag on it), and the one who calmed the storm after a sexual harassment incident rocked the New York headquarters."

Wally's Comment: The story of Chrysler is one to watch. Now that they're private, they're bringing in lots of talent from elsewhere. It will be interesting to see how the company does at making basic improvements without the burdens that go with being a public company. Will Bob Nardelli redeem himself? What will the unions do? And remember, the purchase of new cars is often tied to a perception of wealth which, in turn, is tied to the housing market. It looks to me like Chrysler will be doing its thing at the very toughest of times.

One more thing. Watch the differing fortunes and actions of the American "Big Three" automakers. Each has taken a different route to averting disaster and recapturing success. There's a business case just waiting to be written here.

From Business Week: Nonperforming CEOs
"Boards are irresponsible if they guarantee pay regardless of performance and such boards put themselves and employees at risk."

From the San Francisco Chronicle: Apple CEO Jobs offers early iPhone buyers a $100 credit
"Apple CEO Steve Jobs, flooded with e-mails from angry customers after the company lopped $200 off the price of the iPhone just two months after its premiere, on Thursday apologized to early buyers and offered them a $100 credit."

Wally's Comment: This is the first time that I can remember the Apple faithful rising up at crappy treatment by their beloved company. Usually Apple and Jobs get a pass because, supposedly, the Apple gear is so much better than anything else. Imagine what the reaction would have been, though, in the popular press if Microsoft, instead of Apple had announced a price cut that basically screwed the early adopters of their product.

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