Cholesterol Week is Here!

In less than 24 hours, I'll be winging my way to Florida to join in the annual ritual I call Cholesterol Week. I consider it my version of Festivus - the fictional holiday made famous by Jerry Seinfeld.

Cholesterol Week does NOT feature feats of strength, unless you consider hacking our way around the local golf courses, feats of strength.

Each November, my Dad, brother and family friend (Greg) rendez-vous in Pompano Beach Fla for a week of fun and frivolity. Red meat (almost raw) is consumed, along with copious amounts of (preferably cheap) red wine and scotch. Occasionally vegetables make a cameo appearance.

Yes - we go bohemian - at least for a few days.

And while this temporary lifestyle may not be great for our physical health, it is absolutely essential for our mental health!

Made possible by understanding spouses who are likely celebrating the peace and quiet in their own way!

See you in a week!

How to Relate to Joe Sixpack

I just had to share this video I found surfing the web. It's how Political advertising SHOULD BE done.

Enjoy.

Bitter irony

In a bit of unintended irony, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel online posted the headline at the right.

While the article forewarns of an early closing of the Janesville GM plant, the embedded ad is for Mazda cars.

This action is part of a massive effort by GM to save itself from bankrupcy. Losing $1B per MONTH, GM is caught between a rock and a hard place. Even with a handout from the U.S. government, GM has to rectify decades of bad (long term) decisions. They need to build fuel efficient vehicles, alternate energy vehicles, retool their brand and somehow pull this miracle off within the next 18 months (when their bailout gift and their line of credit expire) - without the option of extending credit to potential buyers.

The one thing going in GM's favor? The price of gas has dropped from extremely outrageous to just outrageous.

And now, there's talk of a merger between G.M. and Chrysler.

The notion that you can create one great car company from two troubled companies only looks viable when you have no other options. And GM is out of options.

Prediction: Whether or not this merger happens, without a second bailout, neither company survives past 2011.

I guess we'll still be able to buy a Mazda.

Huh?

Most of you probably don't know this, but in Ontario if you want to buy liquor, you have ONE choice - the LCBO (also known as the Liquor Control Board of Ontario). They are government run retail outlets that offer everything.

And they're the only game in town.

You can't buy wine at grocery stores. There are no independent liquor stores. Just the LCBO.

Which makes one wonder about their marketing.

Because when you purchase your wine and spirits at the LCBO, they have a "rewards program" that helps you accumulate airmiles - airmiles that help you travel to places (like here) where you can buy booze anywhere (and for less money! Oh the irony.

Can you imagine the braintrust that came up with the idea? How can we increase sales? I know! Let's offer airmiles!

PEOPLE! YOU'RE THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN!!!!!! You have no competition. Why spend a cent on marketing or advertising!

And then the answer became evident.

They're run by the government.

The Real Value of Talking Points

During political "silly season" we are overwhelmed with each party's "talking points". Talking points are carefully crafted to form opinions, to reinforce party values or to intentionally obfuscate the rival candidates views, performance or capabilities.

Just the assertions - no data, please. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. Collective brainwashing.

For the most part I ignore them. I find them silly, innocuous. They're a distraction. They're designed for the LIV (low information voter) or for those who always vote along party lines, despite their candidate or their party's record of performance.

But they work.

I heard them coming out of a friend's mouth just yesterday.

The topic was Obama's statement that "knowing what you know now, would you vote for "the surge." To my friend, his answer was reprehensible. I wondered how, as a nation, the topic of whether a military tactic worked or not, had much to do with who should be the next president. Violence in Iraq is down. Violence in Afghanistan is up. The Iraqi government is no closer to reconciliation and self-government than they were 7 years ago.

Did "the surge" work?

I guess it did, because it has otherwise intelligent people talking about this tactic in a war that should never have been waged, during a time of economic and climate crisis, during a period of time where the government's best efforts can't even identify the source of a tainted food supply, let alone Osama Bin Laden. And let's not forget the large financial institutions that are collapsing or the $4 gas.

If I were a Republican, I'd throw all the bums out of office because they have completely forsaken my conservative values. And if I were on the other side, I'd throw Democrats out of office for letting our constitution get hijacked, for delegating war powers to the President and for not prosecuting high crimes and misdemeanors by the Oil companies, Financial institutions and the current administration.

So who's left?

Let me check my talking points......

Oh, the Irony

Today I decided to unsubscribe to all the Amazon spam I was receiving.

And they informed me they were going to send me ANOTHER email confirming my choice NOT to receive emails...

(Sigh)

My Favorite Broadcaster Died Yesterday....

As everyone in the world probably knows by now, Tim Russert of NBC News passed away suddenly at work on Friday. I am among millions of viewers who will miss him greatly.

Likely, you are too.

Tim was older than me, but not by too much.

As all the accolades and personal recollections wafted across the TV screen yesterday (and this weekend) it stuck me that he left us a gift.

His legacy.

Aside from his journalistic skills, his strong work ethic and his leadership skills as recounted by all his co-workers, perhaps his greatest attribute was his authenticity.

He never forgot his roots. He displayed reverence for his Dad in writing a couple of very popular books. He loved (and never forgot) his hometown of Buffalo, NY. He was a Buffalo Bills fan to the end. He wasn't a boss to those who reported to him. He was an advocate - a coach and a cheerleader. He was perpetually enthusiastic. He had a passion for his job.

He never looked comfortable in a suit. I always expected his shirt to be untucked under his suit jacket.

He was the guy you'd love to have a beer with. And he was the smartest man in the room. He didn't show it off. You just knew.

I have to give a talk to an MBA class on Monday night about leadership.

I suspect we'll talk about Tim Russert.

Goodbye Tim. I'll miss you.

The Price of Gas

It was with some interest this week, that I participated in a discussion at work about the current price of gas. It seems like the volume is being turned up on the debate to allow more domestic oil drilling, in an attempt to increase supply of gasoline and thereby reduce the price of gas for us all.

Seems logical, more supply, less demand, lower prices. Economics 101.

The major oil companies hope to convince enough consumers that expanded drilling rights is the cure to $4 gas. C'mon, Alaska would look great with those oil derricks scattered across it's vista. How about drilling off the eastern and western U.S. coastline... The chances for an environmental disaster aren't that big, are they? What could possibly go wrong with that plan? Those pesky National Parks are hiding the key to cheap gas. Why go camping when you could go drilling?

The ONLY thing holding us back from $2 per gallon gas is expanded drilling rights.

Except that's not the way it works.

We forget that oil is bought and sold in a world market. Even if we produce more gasoline domestically, does anyone really believe that Exxon Mobil, will sell it to us for a reduced price when they can get $4 (or $5 or $6) in the World market? Major markets like China and India are becoming major oil consumers. They're adding to the demand far faster than anyone can supply.

Lobbying by the oil companies is distorting the truth. They know it won't drive prices down. But it will grant them access to additional supply upon which they can generate more profits. Because the name of the game is not to serve its customers, its to serve shareholders.

And they have done THAT, very well.

Want proof?

The U.S. gets most of its oil from ,,,,wait for it......Canada. Not Saudi Arabia, Iraq or Iran. Canada.

If you apply the same reasoning the US Oil giants are pitching, where greater supply equals lower prices, then you also need to explain why Canadians are paying MORE for gasoline than we do HERE! They EXPORT oil, for heavens sake!

Aside from a couple of examples of dictatorships, in whose countries gas is artificially kept inexpensive as a means to staying in power, free market economics are in effect.

The bad news is that gas will never return to 2005 prices. Ever.

The good news is that if we seize the opportunity, perhaps we can rid ourselves of this dependency over the next thirty years.

In the meantime, get ready for higher prices.

I Want an Elitist President.

I'm confused by all the "elitist" criticism of the Presidential candidates. Isn't it time we voted for an "elitist"? Don't we deserve an elitist?

The person I want leading this country is definitely NOT one of the friends I hung around with in college. Don't get me wrong. They were great. It's just that I wouldn't trust them to lead a country. And I'm sure they'd feel the same way about me.

I want a President who is thinking six steps ahead of his rival in Foreign Policy matters. I want a President who connects the dots with respect to cause and effect. Someone who has the vision (unpopular or not) to make longer term decisions and to effectively communicate why we're heading in that direction.

I want a meticulous planner, a brilliant strategist, a uniter, a Mensa level scholar, a brilliant communicator and motivator, a historian, a psychologist. The challenges facing us right now demand that we bring to bear the best and brightest minds in the country. These people aren't everyday, average citizens.

They operate in the intellectual stratosphere. The are among the "elite".

Dictionary.com describes "elite" as "the choice or best of anything, considered collectively".

Those who argue that we should write off any candidate who is considered "elite" are advocating for mediocrity. Perhaps it's because the best candidate from the accusatory group is just average. Perhaps they don't understand the meaning of the word "elite".

Maybe some of us aren't comfortable around smart people.

Get over it.

Would you take advice (or a prescription) from a physician with an Internet "degree", who was working out of his car and who couldn't put a sentence together? Or would you prefer being attended to by an articulate, compassionate doctor with several degrees from a prestigious medical school, operating from a meticulous office?

I like "elite". I trust "elite".

I want to vote for someone I'd like to have a beer with. BUT, I would expect that same person would never be caught dead having a beer with me. They'd have more important things to do.

Pay Up Sucka!

On May 1st I gave my brother a call. He's a CPA and a partner in an accounting firm in Ontario, Canada.

I called him on May 1st, because April 30th is when Canadian income tax is due and his firm processes a LOT of returns.

And so, I waited until the seasonal crush of work subsided before calling him. it wasn't long before our conversation turned to tax rates.

With all the local talk in the US of making income tax cuts permanent and with several of the Presidential candidates talking about gas tax holidays over the summer months, bailing out failing financial institutions, bailing out homeowners affected by raising mortgage rates, lowering corporate income tax rates and somehow paying for universal healthcare, Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid against a backdrop of a declining US dollar, a slower economy and an ongoing expensive war, I thought it was time to inject a dose of reality into the discussion.

In Canada, they have universal healthcare, Social Security and are NOT fighting an expensive war.

My brother reminded me that in Canada, the highest personal tax rate is 46.4% and that it applies to all incomes over $120,000. In Canada, mortgage interest is NOT deductible. And remember too, that Canada has a consumption tax of 15% (Provincial Sales Tax and a Federal Goods and Services tax) on stuff you buy with your after tax dollars! Oh, and gas is currently (the US equivalent) of about $4.25 a gallon.

The Canadian economy is about 10% the size of the US economy and yes, they have a National debt.

The big difference between the approach that the two countries take is that in Canada, they attempt to "pay as you go" for services. In the U.S. we tend to try to keep taxes low, count on a growing economy to make up the shortfall and put the difference on the charge card (increase the national debt).

It allows us all to live "the American dream".

Question is: Which of the Presidential candidates will have the courage to wake us?

Missing in Action

My apologies to loyal readers who have patiently waited for a blog post for the past couple of weeks. I've been spending most of my time consulting at a terrific local company, helping them with I.T. support and development projects.

Unfortunately, that has allowed me precious little time to sit down at my laptop and reflect, think, observe and bitch!

More soon! (And thanks for reading.)

The Story of Stuff

Thanks to the Presentation Zen blog, I discovered this tremendous video about environental sustainability and over consumption.

Sounds boring.

Sounds complicated.

This presentation disproves both assumptions. Annie Leonard may have just won a place on my "Hero Wall".

How Many Countries?

If you had just landed in the U.S. with a mission to understand the political geography of the planet, could you determine how many countries exist in the world?

Not by reading the news.

Based upon mention in mainstream U.S. media, after Iraq, Iran, North Korea and China, it would seem that few other countries exist.

As we debate who has the best foreign policy credentials in the run up to the presidential election, perhaps we should ask our candidates a basic question: "How many countries are there in the world?"

I wonder how many would know the answer.

I didn't. I had to look it up.

There are 195.

When you consider how much focus we invest on Iraq, it seems we have precious time left for any other country (including our own). It also strikes me as odd, that all the bad guys would hole up in one or two countries - when they have a choice of 195.

It's a big world out there. Perhaps its time we recognized that fact.

Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

It's that time of year again. The temperatures are beginning to rise. Daylight is coming earlier and staying later. Birds are busy building nests around my downspouts.

But there is no more mistakable sign of Spring that the roar of gas engines, that permeate the neighbourhood.

And I'm not taking about lawn mowers. I'm talking about snow blowers.

That's right, snow blowers.

As anyone can tell you, it's not a great idea to store gas powered tools with the gas still in them.

And so the passage into Spring is announced (in my neighborhood, anyway) with a chorus of idling snow blowers, burning off the remaining gas.

I'm becoming a little more environmentally conscious as I get a little older. I never struck me as environmentally responsible running the gas tanks dry of all my yard tools, before putting them away. I have enough guilt using gas powered equipment in the first place. But running gas tanks dry is adding insult to (environmental) injury.

And so, with my new found treehugger conscience (and with gas approaching $4 a gallon), this year I decided to try something different.

No, I'm not going to leave the gas in the tank. That would be engine suicide.

This year I invested in a fluid pump. For a few bucks, FleetFarm provided me with a way to transfer my snow blower gas and avoid adding to the engine choir each Spring.

Too bad it took a city boy thirty years to figure out what every farmer already knows.

Why aren't these things on sale each Spring and Fall? It makes great environmental sense and trust me, there are a LOT of people (at least on my block) who don't know they exist!

It's White Out There.

As I write this, our local Channel 12 "Weather Center" has wall to wall coverage of snow falling in Wisconsin in March.

Not exactly an unusual event.

Now I'm certain that some small segment of their viewership are really appreciative of Channel 12 telling them that driving will be more difficut than normal, or that there may be some delays on major highways and at the airport or that we should all bundle up because of the weather.

I have a name for this segment of their viewership.

Idiots.

Note to Channel 12: Just scroll event closing information at the bottom of the screen and show us the expected snowfall amounts. And broadcast regular programming.

You're embarrasing yourselves.

We don't need to see the classic TV image of the junior reporter standing in a field, with a ruler, measuring the snowfall. These people went to college for this? It strikes me that meteorologists don't specilize in Weather forecasting. Their true skill is taking the maximum amount of time to tell you the least amount of information. And getting as much "face time" on local TV as possible.

There is far more important television that they could be broadcasting.

Like Regis and Kelly.

Brilliant Simplicity

Today's post on Seth Godin's blog is a great example of why he's so popular. He's a master of suggesting "obvious" solutions to everyday marketing problems.

His true skill of course is in cutting to the chase - by looking to turn a problem into an advantage, or eliminating the problem altogether.

The rest of us take our business environment for granted. We look for ways to "tweak" solutions - to work around or control known "deficiencies", rather than eliminate them. We work in a world where "you can't do that" and "every restaurant has a few bad tables".

His brain works on an entirely different plane.

The answer of how to solve the problem of a bad table at a restaurant, is brilliant in its simplicity. (To discover the answer, follow the link).

The NEW U.S. Metric System

I don't know how many of you remember when America was considering switching to the metric system. It was decades ago.

As a Canuck, we were immersed in learning all about centimeters, millimeters and celcius. Frankly, the change was difficult for me because I was at the age where I already was familiar with miles and farenheit.

You all know the ending of the story. Canada switched and the U.S. decided not to.

And the result are expensive speeding tickets for Americans driving through Canada, driving in miles per hour instead of kilometers per hour. (Aside: When the switch from mph to kmph was made, they kept the fines the same - so driving at 10 kph (about 6 mph) over the speed limit cost you the same as if you hade been driving at 10 mph over the limit on the day before conversion! An overnight 40% increase in all speeding fines!)

But I digress.

I wanted to talk about a brand new measurement system invading the U.S. - the 100 Calorie Pack. This brilliant marketing scheme has completely invaded the grocery store shelves, in the same way that bottled water did years ago.

Those clever marketers at all the major food brands are cleverly repackaging their products in increments of 100 Calories and selling them as snacks. They take all the guesswork out of figuring out "serving sizes" based upon the required calorie labelling on the back of all products.

Yup - just dive in. You'll only consume 100 calories.

These companies prey upon those of us (including me) who constantly battle their waistlines - at about twice the price (per portion) of the regular family sized packaging.

Brilliant.

Election Math

Seems like there are two major discussion threads helping decide who will run for President in the Fall.

The first thread is the rush to outrage and judgement about campaign surrogates who in their zealous support of their preferred candidate, firmly insert their feet into their respective mouths (Geraldine Ferraro from Hillary's camp, and several different religious leaders supporting McCain and Obama.)

The second major discussion, on the Democratic side, is all about math. Mostly delegate count, super-delegate counts and popular vote. To the media's glee, the numbers change daily, presenting yet another news cycle of speculation, parsing candidate comments, body language analysis and a review of what the Late Night Talk Shows are saying about each candidate.

Of course, there's very little discussion of the actual issues. Frankly I'd be surprised if most Democrats could cite the differences between Clinton's and Obama's policy plans. We are all guilty of letting the candidates get away without enough policy specificity.

And we completely let them off the hook when it comes to "election math".

Like how are you planning to pay for all of this?

Last I heard, Social Security was in trouble. Medicare and Medicaid will run out of funding. National Guard troops located at the Mexican border, will begin to be withdrawn as a result of dwindling budgets. There's that war in Afghanistan and Iraq (and soon coming to Iran?) that is draining the life out of future generations of Americans (both literally and figuratively). There's the required infrastructure investments in America's roads, bridges, energy infrastructure and the required investment to address Global Climate change. We're going to require substantial investment in our military simply to rebuild and re-equip our soldiers, sailors, air force and marines.

For our National security sake, we're also going to have to find a way to become energy independent (no oil imports) and that will require significant investment.

And, if we are considering universal healthcare, we will need fat wallets.

So Barack, Hillary, John.... how are you going to pay for all this? Let's have you put on a class in "Election Math".

And may I remind you that the cost of oil is now around $110 a barrel and the number of employed Americans is going DOWN each day.

Let me remind you of the current economic realities, shown at this site, In the past 8 years, our National Debt has grown from $5.7 Trillion dollars to a whopping $9.4 Trillion dollars. Every year we purchase more than we export, currently at a rate in excess of $700 Billion dollars per year!

If you had a family member in these financial straits, you'd recommend credit counselling.

But no one is talking about it.

Because for the Democrats, getting elected is about keeping people focused on change, on hope and dreams and a wish list of social initiatives. For the Republicans it's about trying to scare people into believing you're the only people who can protect America from the bad guys.

In case the past eight years haven't taught you the lesson, let me spell it out for you. Getting elected and governing are two very different skill sets. It's one thing to make it to the Oval Office.

It's quite another to be "Ready on Day 1" with a maxed-out credit card.

Hillary? Barack? John? Your responses?

The New Five

As a Canadian living in the U.S. friends tease us mercilessly about Canadian "10 month Winters", our passion for hockey (which we actually don't watch in our household) and our "funny" colored money.

As of this morning, the mighty U.S. dollar is now worth 99 cents Canadian and as as I write this, another change is happening..... the introduction of a more colorful U.S. five dollar bill.

I understand that the new format has more to do with forgery security than it does with fashion, but i wonder...

Can U.S. looneys and twoneys be far behind?

Thanks, Brett

My first recollection of Brett Favre, was in mid October 1995, when I first moved to Milwaukee from Toronto. Until then, I had no idea what all the "Packer fuss" was about.

While in Toronto, I was a Buffalo Bills fan (and endured the four Jim Kelly Super Bowl defeats!).

As anyone can tell you there's something about Wisconsin that makes it almost impossible NOT to become a Packers fan. Monday morning water cooler discussions make it manditory that you watch Sunday's game. Packer fan devotion is contageous.

And so, it was on Sunday October 15th 1995, that I began to become a Brett Favre fan. The first game I watched, Brett led a win over the dreaded Detroit Lions.

And I've been watching (and cheering) for the Green and Gold ever since.

Like virtually everyone in Wisconsin, I was shocked at yesterday's news of Brett's retirement. Last year was very successful - we were an overtime loss away from going to the Super Bowl. And no one could argue that Brett still had the talent to compete at the highest levels.

But to be successful in the NFL, it requires a tremendous amount of mental toughness to endure, to prepare, to win week after week.

And after 17 seasons, Brett simply got tired.

And to his credit, he realized that without a 100% mental commitment to the effort of one more campaign, it simply wasn't worth the personal sacrifice. He would run the risk of letting down his team and his fans.

What a great way to leave the game - as a folk hero, as a living legend, a genuinely down to earth, humble, nice guy.

And with virtually every record in the record book.

And with the fans wanting more.

Congratulations on a fantastic career and thanks for a great ride!

My Pet Peeve

Recently I've found myself extremely frustrated at the local video store. The woman that runs the place is great and the selection is outstanding. No complaints there.

But I have one HUGE problem.

I can't read the friggin 2pt type on the back of the DVD cases. C'mon really - is someone actually supposed to be able to read this stuff without magnification?

I realize that reading glasses are the scourge of the middle aged, but I truly believe that Hollywood and all the major film studios have it out for me.

Perhaps the store should offer plastic magnifying glasses with every ten rentals. Or maybe they could install one of those bar code readers (like some of the retail stores have for price checking) except that in this case, they could provide a plot synopsis for those of us who can't see microscopic print.

In fact, the only narrative I CAN read on these cases are the headlines and they're usually lies!

Hilarious! Riveting! Non-stop action!

In hindsight, perhaps closing my eyes and picking randomly would work just as well.

You Can't Do That!

It's interesting how people react to the phrase "You can't do that!".

Some of us heed it as a warning. Danger - imminent threat. A strictly enforced rule. Perhaps a declaration of lack of confidence in your abilities. This group falls in line - doesn't make waves. They heed convention. They listen to pollsters. They follow the rules.

Others see it as a challenge. Just because no one has done it before, doesn't mean it can't be done. Because someone has failed at this doesn't mean we won't be successful. Just because we're breaking a convention doesn't mean it is still a good practice.

Challenging the status quo isn't always wrong. Sometimes it's the only right thing to do.

What's your reaction to "You can't do that!"?

The Business Card that Changed Our World

Over a decade ago, my team changed our world - with a business card.

We migrated a locally run, non-standard, international I.T. organization into a regional support model, running on a globally standardized infrastructure.

And it all began with a meeting, a business card and a philosophy of team empowerment.

Fortunately for each of us (in about 8 different countries), shared similar pain. Our systems were difficult to support, we didn't have any support depth at any single site.

It was difficult to share processes or learning, since the sites were so different from each other. And the other thing we all had in common? - universal user dissatisfaction with the support we were providing (or not providing) to our end users.

And so, it was under these circumstances we began the journey.

It started with the understanding that WE were a big part of the problem.

Once our team met, and understood that we all faced common challenges. It was relatively easy to identify the pathway to better systems and improved support. We had to get to "common" and we had to "watch each other's back", by sharing stories, identifying and adopting our best internal processes, learning from our mistakes and by standardizing on technologies, so we could develop expertise across multiple sites to back each other up.

And so it was that the 5 Rules were born.

We didn't specify up front what had to be implemented, only that we do it together and not make our problems any worse by adding to our computing complexity. (To be honest, many of the team had a shared vision about which technologies we should leverage, we just had to agree on hardware and service products and vendors.) And we had to talk to each other like never before.

Our 5 Rules were:

1. Common and Fewer (initiatives, platforms, processes)

2. Global and cross divisional teams vs. local initiatives

3. Package vs. Custom (software)

4. Need vs. Want ("concrete business benefit" trumps "cool to have")

5. Communicate, communicate, communicate!

The idea of putting our 5 Rules on business cards came from one of my Directors (thanks Dave) and the idea was to spread the word throughout I.T. (and the rest of the company) via the 5 Rules cards.

We mandated that any technology being considered or deployed, had to fall within the 5 Rules.

Any proposed exceptions had to be brought to my attention.

In this way, our entire team was empowered to make it happen. We avoided the typical "have everything approved by Corporate" because our team clearly understood the rules. And the rules could fit on a business card.

It took us three years, but in the end, the team built one of the best and well run computing platforms I've ever come across. Global vendors were consolidated. Data communications were globally monitored. All networks were visible around the world. Standard computing images were developed. Common routers, switches and firewalls deployed, 5 data centers consolidated into one, a DR center built, all mid range computers managed by just a couple of people, common email, KM applications and universal Internet access to Corporate applications, anytime, anywhere.

It was quite an accomplishment. I couldn't be more proud of that team.

And it all started with a business card.

Beautiful Blogging

I just came across a beautiful presentation on my favorite presentation sharing site slideshare.net.

This presentation provides practical advice for people who write blogs (or want to). It's an example of beautiful design and effective communication.

Enjoy

| View | Upload your own

Welcome to Bizarro World

This morning the NY Times ran a non-story about an unsubstantiated, implied, inappropriate relationship that John McCain may or may not have had, with a lobbiest, 8 years ago.

This isn't news, it's gossip.

And, if untrue, the NY Times need to be hauled into court and forced to pay a steep price for giving voice to an unsubstantiated rumor.

To make things worse, all the TV pundits this morning are doing their usual schtick - amplifying the non-story by repeating it endlessly and expressing their fake outrage from both sides of the aisle.

He (and WE) all deserve better. If you thought the media learned anything from their 6 year haitus during the years when we launched a war and began losing all our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, think again.

It appears they'll publish whatever generates readership.

The old adage "If it bleeds, it leads." should be amended to; "If it doesn't bleed, throw ketchup on it, imply it's bleeding and lead with it."

Must have been a slow news day.

iTunes Artwork Screensaver for Windows

Yesterday I wandered into my son Jeff's room. Both his Macs were in screensaver mode and were displaying album art from his iTunes library.

I thought it looked pretty cool (just like Apple to do something like this) and I asked whether there was a version for Windows.

He didn't know, but his intrepid Dad found a free downloadable copy for Windows users thanks to Canyon Room. It has been available for well over a year, but I never knew about it until now.

Enjoy.

The EST Test

If you asked your customers to describe your company, your products or your services, using adjectives ending in "EST", what superlatives would they use?

Are you the coolEST, smartEST, cheapEST, friendliEST, fastEST, costliEST?

If this exercise stumped you, perhaps it's time to begin thinking about how you can stand out - about how you can become remarkable.

Your Customer Tribe

My son, Jeff, alerted me to the fact that MySpace now broadcasts Amber Alerts to it's members, based upon their zip code. The amber alert people are taking advantage of the MySpace community to get their message out. He found it remarkable enough to tell me about it. And I'm sure he'll be talking about it with his friends.

Time-Warner now sends my kids text messages when their school is cancelled or delayed due to weather. They are starting to build a subscriber base around what matters to (their younger) consumers. After all, a day off, or a couple extra hours of sleep on a school day, rank pretty highly on any teenager's wish list.

This begs the question.

Is your business providing a service that your customers (or potential customers) absolutely have to have?

And if not, how are you trying to build a customer community around your product or service, igniting or fostering a passion for the thing your company does? How do you reach out to your customers?

If you're just trying to sell stuff or to sell services, and you're NOT cultivating a "customer tribe", you're missing the point... and a huge opportunity. After all, a tribe is all about "kinship", shared values and shared dreams. Tribe members look out for one another. They share stories.

One very recent example. Apple's MacBook Air, was essentially marketed by Apple's customer "tribe" - the community of customers who appreciate sleek design and superb, simple, intuitive functionality. Sure, Steve Jobs officially kicked off the product launch at MacWorld, but long before that event, the Apple "tribe" was talking about the possibility, speculating about the product, building anticipation. And soon after the launch, the same group was busy blogging about the product, singing it's praises, pointing out it's shortcomings. Do your products command the same tribal attention that Apple's do?

Allpost links to no fewer than 34 newsites and blogs that focus on Apple products, design and culture.

The event was remarkable on two fronts. First the product itself, was the lightest, slimest full sized notebook ever. And secondly, the Apple "tribe" did most of the selling.

If your products are not the brightest, fastest, lightest, most flavorful, energy efficient, long wearing, coolest, 100% reliable or unique, what are they?

They may not be worth talking about.

Open for Business?

Are you "open" for business?

I'm not talking about unlocking the door and turning on the lights. I'm talking about attitude.

Open - as in honest, transparent, authentic. Do you communicate to your customers without pretense? Does your "personality" come through? Or do you sound (and act) like a big corporate entity, absent emotion and passion for what you do?

Open - as in receptive to new ideas, processes, opportunities from both your staff and your customers.

Open - as objective about your performance, markets and customers. Honest with yourself about shortcomings and failures.

Open - as embracing workforce diversity. Leveraging cross cultural work experiences and ideas to the benefit of your company.

Open - as in (open books), sharing results with your staff - helping them own responsibility for the success of your business.

Open - to criticism, when something goes wrong. Or do you hide behind policies, procedures or assigning blame?

Open with partners and suppliers. Working towards win/win outcomes, better (mutual) supply chain performance, not simply better pricing.

Al Gore, Stand-up Comedian

During the writers strike, you may be craving new entertainment.

I recently came across this TED talk by Al Gore.

The first 6 minutes of his talk are funnier than anything you'll see on Letterman, Leno, or Conan tonight.

And, if you're so inclined, you can stay tuned and listen on how you can help address climate change.

Enjoy.

The Power of Social Media

Thanks to Garr Reynolds' blog, I discovered this incredible video. It's a tribute to Barack Obama, by will.i.am, founder of the Black Eyed Peas.

The video is an incredible example of the power of web based social media.

Enjoy.

For Your Consideration.....First Independent President?

I'm fascinated by the Presidential candidate nomination process currently underway. It's interesting so see how each state handles the allocation of delegates (some representational, some winner take all) and then how the entire process is morphed by the impact of super-delegates.

Super-delegates number 842 of the Democratic delegates. They comprise leaders and influencers from within the party. And this year, they'll decide the nominee.

It seems to me that this mix might traditionally lean heavily towards "traditional" candidates - to well connected "establishment" candidates - to those who have the longest history within the party.

The process seems designed to reinforce the status quo.

If I'm right, this will make for a fascinating convention against a campaign backdrop where the buzzword is "change".

The public polling on the Democratic side appears to predict a dead heat between Clinton and Obama. After today (Super Tuesday), many anticipate the the Democratic nomination will still be up for grabs.

While all this is very exciting for the country (at least for Democrats), it seems to me that the eventual candidate will be determined by these super-delegates.

Why is it that this isn't getting more press? Why isn't the main stream media polling these super delegates to see which way they're leaning?

And let me pose one other scenario.

How might the race for the Presidency be changed if Clinton wins the Democratic nomination as a result of the super-delegates and perhaps the best funded candidate (Obama) decides to run as an independent?

Conceivably this is an option for him.

He is extemely well funded. The current dissatisfaction with all the Republican candidates could cause some to defect to an independent candidate - even if that candidate was Barack Obama.

If you're a Democrat, don't worry, this scenario has as much chance of coming true as the Giants have of winning the Super Bowl.

If you're a Republican, you might root for this to happen. An independent Barack Obama competing against a Democratic nominee could easily split that vote, enabling a Republican to win, in a year when they're not supposed to.

This could be great theatre.

[Note: As a permanent resident, I don't have a vote. I'm just a fascinated observer of the process.]

Perfect Gift for the Avid Fan

This weekend marks a significant event for avid fans.

And no I'm not talking about football fans. I'm talking about Beatles fans.

This weekend marks the opening of the Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool, England. Located adjacent to the famous Cavern Club where the Beatles were introduced to the world, this high end hotel offers Beatle themed accomodations for travellers.

Reuters features a slideshow of the renovated building.

Entertainment is provided by Beatles tribute bands, the hotel gallery features Beatles themed artwork by Shannon as do the guest rooms. Yes, some of the suites even feature white pianos, the icon made famous by John Lennon's video, "Imagine".

And so, if you're looking for the perfect gift for that avid Beatles fan, perhaps a trip to the U.K., a visit to the Cavern Club and a stay at the Hard Day's Night Hotel would make for a once in a lifetime memory.

Linked Back IN!

Hurray!

I just checked LinkedIN and their customer service has restored my current profile and correctly deleted my obsolete account!

I am now LinkedIN once again.

About a week ago, I blogged about my experience trying to get LinkedIN to delete my old LinkedIN account. Unfortunately, my updated account was deleted instead.

I had requested the deletion using my newest account (because I had long forgotten the password to my old account and the email userid was obsolete, so I couldn't use the password retrieve feature). I'm certain that this led to the confusion.

But I'm sure that this happens all the time.

I'm grateful to have things back, but have a couple of suggestions for LinkedIN.

1. On your website, you should let customers know that you can restore accounts deleted in error. Until I found a blogger who reported that you had done this for him, I experienced a few agonizing days waiting for a response to my email.

2. Tell customers how long an account restore takes to do.

3. Once the account has been restored, please tell me! I only found out that things had been corrected because I decided to sign into LinkedIN to check!

At any rate, it's great to be connected once again.

Pretending to Solve a Problem I Don't Have

Yesterday I received an email from McAfee, offerring me a FREE auto-renewal of my PC Security subscription.

Their pitch was "Too bad everything couldn't be renewed automatically!"

For THEM, maybe.

They went on to say that auto-renewal eliminated the risk that I would go one day without having my PC protected.

Excuse me, but I really don't see what's in it for me. Auto-renewal is designed to help one person. YOU.

Today, when my subscription is about due, you already remind me by email. If I don't respond, you remind me again. At some point in the process, if I don't want to do business with you, the service simply lapses.

Each year I get to assess whether your service is a good one or not. Each year I get to decide whether you've earned my loyalty for another year. And for me, the renewal process is quick and easy.

Obviously you're counting on subscribers to forget about their renewal subscriptions. You're addressing a problem YOU have - non renewing customers. And what if my auto-renewal takes place and I decide I don't want the service?

Are you going to give me a pro-rated refund?

Not likely.

So stop with the transparent pitch. Stop pretending to solve a problem I don't have. It's insulting.

Perhaps you might have tried this:

Make the pitch when my renewal is DUE, not before.

"Each year as your subscritpion renewal approaches, we remind you to renew. If you prefer to have your subscription continue automatically, we are pleased to offer a NEW auto-renew plan for you.

Under the NEW plan we'll automatically process your renewal on your credit card and will send you an email acknowledgement. If you choose this option, you can even save on your annual subscription rate!

If at any time, you wish to cancel your subscription, we'll credit your card with a pro-rated (to the nearest month) refund. No questions asked.

If you wish to continue under the current renewal reminder plan, that's okay too. Either way, we appreciate your business and thank you for being a McAfee customer!"

Just a thought.

What Does It All Mean?

Just for fun, today I visited Digg the Candidates - a spot on the popular social networking site that ranks the current Presidential candidates.

It would seem that although online supporters are very passionate about their candidates, they simply don't reflect the "real world" - and by that I mean the general results (to date) in the Primaries. While Web2.0 helps those who are passionate about a candidate, spread the word, it doesn't necessarily mean that anyone is listening.

I think what the chart above tells us is how younger voters are leaning. Watch the exit polls from the coming primaries and see if you don't spot the same trend - especially in the Democratic race.

I think it's no surprise that the leaders from each party (on this list) seem to have the easiest time raising money online, which is then (ironically) spent on traditional media (TV, radio) to get their campaign messages out to the rest of the population.

But watch this trend over time. If Obama doesn't win the Democratic nomination this year, he's already garned huge support online (at sites like this as well as his own candidate site). This is a huge asset that he can reuse in another four years - an asset that some of the other candidates simply don't have.

If I was a member of congress, I'd be spending time building an online community, whether my re-election was imminent or not. In future, I bet it'll be the fastest and most efficient way to raise money and to keep a potential campaign team constantly "engaged".

It's all about "reach". And garnering each constituent's permission to conduct a conversation.

Top Ten Things to Do Waiting for Next Packers Season.

Top Ten Things to Do Waiting for Next Packers Season

1. Play Jeopardy theme song in your head after asking yourself, will Favre return?
2. Put HGH in Al Harris' cereal to help him keep up with tall receivers (like Plaxico Burris) next year.
3. Recite the Mike McCarthy mantra. "We didn't take advantage of the opportunity we were presented. We'll learn from this and continue to develop".
4. Practice "off season" tailgating skills at Brewers games.
5. Thank God you're not an avid Milwaukee NBA basketball fan.
6. Launder your Ryan Grant jersey.
7. Begin calling sports radio shows with your Packer's NFL draft selections.
8. After losing a bet, stick your tongue to Vince Lombardi statue on coldest day in Green Bay.
9. Practice for next post season at Lambeau by watching the SuperBowl outside, shirtless.
10. Refurbish worn out cheesehead.

The Hero Wall

Many years ago, I had an idea. I wanted to dedicate a wall in our office to "Heros" - pictures of people who provided each employee with inspiration in their daily lives. The photos might have been of family, friends, community leaders, military, sports, business or political leaders.

The idea was, that eveyone in the office could identify three people who inspire them the most, and put their images on the Hero wall.

I was going to create an "inspiration gallery". It was to be a conversation starter - to provide each employee the opportunity to explain to their co-workers why the photos were especially meaningful to them - a personal daily reminder to "be all we can be".

I wondered whether personal inspiration could be contageous.

And it would have been a way to encourage my staff to look for inspiration all around them.

In the end, I never tried the experiment. Frankly, it might have made some of the staff uncomfortable and I didn't want to run afoul of HR, in case the staff wanted to post religious photos or controversial figures. It might have been a distraction more than an inspiration and in the end I decided that didn't want to take the risk.

Had I had the courage to proceed, Bill Strickland might have been one of my photos. Until yesterday, I had never heard of Bill Strickland. Thanks to Guy Kawasaki's blog, I was introduced to him via his inspiring talk at TED.

After watching the 30 minute video I dare you to be uninspired.

LinkedOUT

Late last week I noticed that I had inadvertently created two accounts at the popular business networking site LinkedIn.

One was a very old account I had created at a former employer just to try out the service and had forgotten about. I had long abandoned that account (it only had 3 contacts).

About a year ago I created a new account, where I cultivated loads of contacts and even got four or five recommendations from colleagues. Over the past year I've recognized the benefits of building up an electronic network and LinkedIn was my preferred provider.

And so to clean up the two accounts, I sent an email to LinkedIn customer service (the ONLY way they can be contacted) and requested that my old account be deleted. LinkedIn doesn't allow you to manage (delete or merge) your accounts. They have to do it for you.

You can guess what they did.

That's right. Instead of deleting the old account, they deleted the new one. All my contact information lost. All my recommendations gone.

They never sent any verification email - is this the right account? They just deleted it.

I had a bad feeling about the request from the beginning. I had sent the email request from my active account (because my old account was created using a (now) obsolete email address). I specifically mentioned that I wanted the account with all the contacts KEPT and the one with the three contacts deleted.

And so now I get to see whether LinkedIN can recover my data.

Until then, I'm LinkedOUT.

Engineering Made Easy?

Engineering even I can understand.

Today's the Day

My son, Jeff has the afternoon booked off work.

He requested the time off several weeks ago - the moment he learned Steve Jobs' Macworld Keynote address would be available later today at the Apple website.

What is it about the Apple brand that would cause my 16 year old to interrupt his life to take notice?

Perhaps it's the aura of rebellion that the "Think Different" brand evokes. Perhaps it's the fact that he already owns a Mac Mini and several iPods. Perhaps it's his experience with OS X, purchased the first day it was available at the Mac store. (In fact, Dad still has the T-shirt given out to the first 500 customers who waited outside in line, that chilly evening.)

I remember that same feeling once before.

It was at Lotusphere many years ago, during the launch of Domino 5.0.

Over 12,000 avid fans attended the event in Orlando, late in January. I led a contingent of about a half dozen of my developers, managers and engineers. Our company had, years earlier, made the decision to use Lotus Notes enterprise wide. And we were happy with the decision.

Some very bright team members made Lotus NOTES so much more than email. We built knowledge management applications, project management applications and employee review applications with the platform. Our corporate intranet was built on the Domino platform.

We hung on every word of each conference session. The keynotes were like rock shows. You could feel the energy in the crowd. People believed in the product and the applications it made possible. Lotus was innovating at light speed. They had features and capability that Exchange just didn't have.

Not only did Lotus have customers, they had fans.

Perhaps it was a sense of community, rising up against the Microsoft machine. Perhaps it was a sense of adventure. Whatever it was, it was exciting.

And I plan on recapturing some of that feeling this afternoon - when Jeff and I listen to the Macworld Keynote together.

Biting the Hand That Feeds You

Today, Gizmodo bragged about disrupting the CES show in Las Vegas, by using a handheld IR device to shut off display screens throughout the trade show.

The boast was made by way of a video they shot while disrupting the presentations of the very vendors who they rely upon for new product updates or advertising revenue.

Was this an example of blogging suicide or a funny prank?

You decide.

The Dawn of Helpdesk

Since the beginning of time, man has struggled with change. This is hilariously exemplified in this video.

I recently rediscovered the video on my PC and forgot where I originally discovered it. If anyone can cite the original source, I'd be pleased to include the information here.

The example is priceless.

[Update]: I did find this video on YouTube here.

Dave's Despair

Despair is one of my favorite websites. If you've never been there, the site features business related cynical (tongue in cheek) artwork, calendars, mugs etc.

The site is the antithesis of the upbeat, motivational Successories products.

On a recent visit to Despair, I discovered their DIY section, which enables you to upload photos and create your own posters.

Here's what I came up with. What do you think?











This site is fun and VERY theraputic!

Smile!

Getting a little paranoid about being observed? We're watched at the ATM, at the mall, at the gas station. in office elevators, in traffic.... pretty much everywhere.

It's not going to improve anytime soon. Look no further than this site which searches the internet for video cameras and then posts the images on their site.

Each video feed is identified to some degree. And locations are searchable.

Just for fun I searched on Wisconsin video cameras and found I could observe several University of Wisconsin cameras in Madison as well as many DMV Emissions Testing facility cameras.

When Google starts offering a video feed search engine (they aren't planning this - as far as I know) then whatever semblance of privacy you thought you had, will be completely lost.

Smile!