Dave's Blog

The Secret of Golf

2009-06-06T07:11:00.003-05:00

Those of you who play golf understand the false promise of the title of this blog. There are probably 10,000 tips out there on how to play golf well.

And they are as easy to execute as those two famous diet tips - Eat properly and exercise.

Last week I had the game of my life. For me, shooting an 88 was pretty exciting news. I shot 41 on the front nine and 47 on the back. My front nine was a "best ever" score.

And I did it by remembering three things. My Dad calls it "the Canadian Football rule". For those of you unfamiliar, in Canada, football is played using 3 downs instead of the 4 we're used to here.

Here are the "3 downs".

1. Slow down. Practice your swing in slow motion. When you're ready to hit the ball, swing even slower.

2. Hit down. Hit down at the ball to help insure good club contact and to use the club loft correctly.

3. Head down (or stay down, if you prefer). Watch the club head strike the ball. Don't be in a hurry to admire your shot, else face disappointment.

Those rules worked for me (once in a row). I'm heading out for another round this weekend to try out the 3 Downs rules once again.

The good news is that if they don't work this time out, I have another 9,997 tips to try.

Arlen Specter and Brett Favre

2009-05-07T08:48:00.002-05:00

Who knew that such diverse people would find their stories intertwined?

A year a go, Brett Favre was faced with losing his "primary". His team was no longer going to support his candidacy as the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. And so he changed "parties" and moved to New York. Similarly, Arlen Specter, faced with losing his Republican primary in Pennsylvania, changed teams and moved to the Democrats.

Brett never intended on becoming a Jet - he simply wanted to continue working - to prove that he could still do the job. And so he ran unopposed, in New York. Specter's plan? Run as a Democratic candidate (hopefully) unopposed in his home state of Pennsylvania.

While his new teammates welcomed Brett's experience with open arms, in the locker room, he remained aloof and by the end of the season, his teammates felt that he didn't live up to the hype. His performance was uneven and many of the younger players were suggesting that he be benched.

Spector brings a wealth of experience and a grudge against some of the leadership of his former party. All indications are that he's not really a Democrat and plans on voting against many of the major upcoming legislative initiatives, like Universal Healthcare and EFCA. I suspect that over the course of the next 12 months, he too, will alienate himself from his new teammates.

In the end, it's not about the constituents or the fans.

It's about being selfish. It's all about Arlen Specter and Brett Favre.

Thank you for your service gentlemen. It's time to retire (or be retired).

The Media's Hallmark Holiday

2009-04-28T07:59:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is a "Hallmark Holiday" for most of the media. It's Day 100 in the President's 4 year term - an arbitrary date in which to evaluate how well our new President is doing. One network even has a countdown clock to 100 Days.

How ridiculous is this?

Imagine that this is a football game.

It's the equivalent of evaluating your team's performance at the 4 minute, 7 second mark of the first quarter of the game.

I've watched a lot of football in my time and not once has any network paused at the 4 minute mark to give each team a report card.

Why?

Because it's stupid and provides no insight whatsoever in how the balance of the game will play out. Perhaps the time for reflection is best left until after the game is over. Only then will be have the proper perspective for analysis.

77 Wins

2009-03-31T06:29:00.002-06:00

I do love our Milwaukee Brewers. My bride bought me a 4 pack ticket package for Christmas and I'm looking forward to attending each one.

My joy for the upcoming season however is somewhat tempered by reality. Unfortunately to win in the major league, your team needs a solid, injury free, highly talented starting rotation.

We don't have that.

And as much as I want to see our Brewers succeed, it ain't gonna happen.

I love our team pride and our team ownership. But we don't have (and shouldn't spend) the amount of money required to be really competitive.

My prediction for this year? 77 wins. No playoff appearance.

Go Brewers!

Media Prediction

2009-03-21T07:19:00.002-06:00

Here's my Media Prediction.

Within six months, David Gregory will frequently be "on assignment", allowing NBC to audition his Meet The Press successor.

These days MTP is almost unwatchable. It should only take the network another 180 days or so to figure that out.

March Madness

2009-03-21T04:50:00.001-06:00

It's that time of year again! Spring is in the air. Our March Madness Hoops brackets are all completed.

It's the annual reminder of how stupid the NCAA college football playoff system is.

Track Changes

2009-03-20T06:28:00.002-06:00

With all the wrangling going on in the Federal Government these days about who added or deleted legislation in the TARP legislation, I thought it was my civic duty as an I.T. professional to point out to members of Congress, that the United States has the technology to solve that problem.

It's called Track Changes.

Perhaps they should consider using it the next time they write any legislation.

I'm just saying.

Cholesterol Week is Here!

2008-11-01T14:03:00.003-06:00

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

2008-10-25T08:17:00.005-05:00

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

Enjoy.

Bitter irony

2008-10-11T06:49:00.006-05:00

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?

2008-08-10T09:22:00.003-05:00

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

2008-07-27T06:58:00.002-05:00

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

2008-07-04T08:01:00.002-05:00

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....

2008-06-14T07:00:00.004-05:00

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

2008-05-25T07:39:00.008-05:00

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.

2008-05-17T05:50:00.008-05:00

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!

2008-05-03T09:38:00.005-05:00

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

2008-04-26T12:07:00.002-05:00

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

2008-04-19T05:48:00.006-05:00

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?

2008-04-09T06:15:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-04-06T08:30:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-03-21T08:34:00.004-06:00

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

2008-03-21T07:47:00.004-06:00

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

2008-03-19T06:07:00.003-06:00

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

2008-03-15T06:26:00.004-06:00

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

2008-03-13T09:54:00.004-06:00

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

2008-03-05T08:41:00.005-06:00

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

2008-03-03T14:37:00.002-06:00

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!

2008-02-25T08:17:00.002-06:00

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

2008-02-22T07:35:00.006-06:00

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

2008-02-21T13:09:00.004-06:00

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

2008-02-21T06:51:00.005-06:00

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

2008-02-20T17:21:00.003-06:00

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

2008-02-20T08:03:00.003-06:00

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

2008-02-17T07:42:00.007-06:00

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?

2008-02-15T08:25:00.004-06:00

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

2008-02-08T13:54:00.000-06:00

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

2008-02-07T11:15:00.000-06:00

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?

2008-02-05T06:54:00.000-06:00

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

2008-02-03T08:29:00.000-06:00

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!

2008-02-02T07:31:00.000-06:00

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

2008-02-01T07:15:00.000-06:00

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?

2008-01-30T10:15:00.000-06:00

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.

2008-01-28T12:21:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-24T07:59:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-22T08:30:00.000-06:00

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?

2008-01-19T10:52:00.000-06:00

Engineering even I can understand.

Today's the Day

2008-01-15T07:48:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-10T14:28:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-08T13:32:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-05T14:15:00.000-06:00

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!

2008-01-04T14:51:00.000-06:00

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!

They Played Football Last Night

2007-12-21T08:05:00.001-06:00

Friday mornings have now become a gentle reminder that the NFL played the previous night. In case you missed it (and statistically, you probably did), the Steelers beat the Rams.

In the greedfest that has become the NFL, the Thursday night games played since Thanksgiving are all presented on the NFL Network - a satellite only feed for subscribers.

Which means that 70% of the country couldn't watch even if they wanted to.

Now, I'm not a huge fan of either team, but had it been presented on any of the major networks, I would have watched last night.

And I bet hundreds of thousands of you would have done the same. Ironically, the writers strike have drained primetime of any watchable shows, with original programming exhausted several weeks ago.

So during a time where there is scarce viewing competition during prime time, when any NFL game would be welcomed, the games are played in relative obscurity.

For me, the only reminder that the NFL "lives" outside of the Sunday and Monday night schedule, are the sports headlines each Friday morning.

While I'm sure the owners are congratulating themselves over the additional revenue provided by the NFL Network, I think that they're earning a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings from many fans.

Enjoy the revenue while you can. You're developing a cadre of fans who are developing a "slow burn" over the decision.

And worse yet, like me, some are starting to ask "Who cares?".

Postulating on Airline Travel Tradeoffs

2007-12-20T10:25:00.000-06:00

Is the government onto something?

I just recently heard that in an effort to reduce nationwide air traffic congestion, the government is going to reduce the number of flights out of JFK.

Hmm. I wonder whether they'll actually improve more than they bargained for? What if they also reduced the flights out of Boston, Ohare, L.A., Minneapolis, Atlanta and Detroit as well?

Let's see how this might work. Here's the potential upside.

1. Fewer delays, both departure and connections.
2. Fewer empty seats per plane.
3. Fewer lost bags? (Fewer flights with which to mishandle luggage).
4. Less airplane maintenance costs per traveller.
5. Lower fuel costs/passenger.
6. Safer ground operations (fewer runway incursions because of fewer flights).
7. Safer air operations (reduced burden on air traffic controllers).
8. More predictable passenger loads leading to more predictable inventories for service items (lunches, dinners for sale).
9. Better crew scheduling opportunities.

On the downside.

1. Less departure/airline choice
2. Probably higher fares (less capacity, fewer choices).
3. Cancelled flights might be tougher to rebook (fewer options).

If the "upsides" came true, as a passenger, would you be willing to accept the "downsides"?

37Signals (unintended) Advice to the Candidates

2007-12-18T11:09:00.000-06:00

The guys at 37Signals blogged today about self-promotion. Seth Godin adds his two cents here.

While the original sentiments were designed to describe ways to promote your product, service or company, it strikes me that during Political "silly season" with caucuses only weeks away, that all the candidates would be well served by reading their posts.

Adherence to their advice might explain why some (non-traditional?) candidates have such a loyal following and are able to raise unbelievable amounts of cash.

An inside perspective of Goodwill

2007-12-17T12:03:00.001-06:00

Many of us are familiar with the Goodwill store located on Watertower Rd in Menominee Falls.

Most of us only know the store from the outside - specifically the donations doors, where we drop off clothing, electronics, furniture, knick knacks and whatever other treasures are taking up space in our basements or garages. For many of us, we see Goodwill as the means to a charitable donations tax receipt. For the more saintly among us, donating is simply the right thing to do.

Recently I was introduced to Goodwill from a brand new perspective - the front door.

I have to credit my son, who currently works there, for opening up my eyes to what they have for sale. Our family is pretty well off and I admit that I've always held a bias against shopping there. I'm not sure whether I was "too proud" or "too snobby" or perhaps both.

All this time I was depriving myself of some fun. I've found that the Goodwill shopping experience is a little like an organized rummage sale without all the price haggling.

What Goodwill doesn't really advertise, is that they also offer new (overstocked) items from many of the Big Box stores. They pull off the garment tags, so you can't tell the store of origin, but nevertheless there are tremendous values for astute shoppers.

Other examples include stuff you need everyday. Just in time for Christmas they were selling AA battery packs for less than half the price of Wal-Mart! Who doesn't need batteries? Other recent purchases included a cell phone car charger and additional memory for a digital camera.

Last October we purchased some clothing for Halloween costumes there.

And remember that all proceeds go for a worthy cause. They also have an online auction store. Check it out for yourself.

Next time you're at Goodwill, try something different. Try the front door.

3 Marketing (Advertising) Pet Peeves

2007-12-14T09:14:00.000-06:00

Three examples to prove Seth Godin's assertion that All Marketers Are Liars. (Within the book he actually he calls them "storytellers".)

Gripe #1: Bottled water
Yesterday I stepped off the treadmill and reached for a flavored water. As I quenched my thirst and cooled down from the exercise, I noticed the message on the front of the label. The product was "Naturally Flavored".

Spurred by a sense of well being I continued to read on.... The backside of the label contained all the "ingredients" in the water and the declaration: Contains 0% juice.

Huh?

How can something "naturally flavored" contain 0% juice? I didn't come across the word concentrate - just a bunch of chemicals...

I wonder whether the bottled water company has Marketing write the front part of the label and an attorney write the reverse.

Gripe#2: Car ads
Any and all TV ads for cars that contain the caption "Professional driver. Closed course."
Stop trying to sell me a driving experience that I can't possibly (legally) have!

Gripe #3a: Pharma ads
All ads for medicines that contain the phrase: "Ask your doctor if [insert drug name here] is right for you!"

As comedian Bill Maher points out.. "If you're asking your doctor for drugs, doesn't that just make him your dealer?" At what point in our history did we decide to start taking medical advice from Pharma companies over the advice of our personal physicians? If my doctor isn't willing to listen to your sales pitch, why should I?

Gripe #3b: Pharma ads
Ads for medicines where the potential risks and side effects are longer than the symptoms they're trying to alleviate.

I admit it. I am now officially a curmudgeon.

Skip this Ad

2007-12-12T08:43:00.000-06:00

I've been noticing a plethora of landing page ads on some of my favorite websites.

You know, those full screen, unwanted, irritating, 20 second ads that interfere with your browsing experience. I can't imagine that these ads ever actually work - unless their sole purpose is to drive you to a "premium membership" (read: ad free, at additional cost) experience.

What's really happening, of course, is that Marketers are teaching me to immediately look for those 3 words that usually appear in the upper right corner of the "web litter"...."Skip this Ad".

And while the hosting sites must benefit financially (at least in the short term), I can't imagine that this tactic engenders long term site readership loyalty.

If your website includes the words "Skip this ad", it's time to think about what you're really accomplishing - continuing the work of B.F. Skinner..

As a typical reader, I can now recognize a site ad and hit the "Skip this Ad" link in under 1 second.

And I'm betting you can too.

Call Me Old Fashioned.....

2007-12-11T08:09:00.000-06:00

Today, in my email was a friendly reminder from Plaxo, to select and queue my e-Christmas Cards for just in time delivery.

I understand the appeal of a service like this - first, it's FREE. Second, it's fast.

Its drawback of course is that it's lacking in sincerity. I have spent most of my life in technology and I can't think of any friends or colleagues who use e-cards.

I think people appreciate the effort made to send season's greetings "by hand". You have to purchase the cards (or make them yourself), hand write season's sentiments, address the envelopes, purchase and apply the stamps and mail them in time for Christmas.

And I for one, appreciate the fact that old friends and colleagues make the effort. It places value behind the words. The effort underscores the sentiment.

You simply can't accomplish sincerity with a mail merge.

Merry Christmas!

Closing the Vista Landfill.

2007-12-06T10:43:00.000-06:00

This post on Gizmodo features a funny Microsoft error message that proves that landfills (real or virtual) have limitations.

My Tom Sawyer Moment

2007-12-02T08:03:00.001-06:00

Late last winter, (in April for those of you NOT from the Midwest), I purchased a snow blower - virtually guaranteeing the end of snowfall for the season.

I was right. You're welcome.

Yesterday a big storm blew across the state and dumped about 4-5 inches of snow, sleet and freezing rain on us.

It was the best gift ever.

I fired up the snowblower and away I went. And I immediately understood why, in my old neighborhood, whenever someone got a new snowblower, they were so eager to "help me out" by snowblowing my driveway.

It's a LOT of fun.

Yesterday I found myself staring out the window, anxiously waiting for a couple of inches of accumulation before I could jump outside and get started. Mother Nature didn't fail me and soon I was blowing streams of snow into my neighbor's driveway, our lawn, into the cleared areas of our driveway and into my face....

Note to me: Check wind direction before starting.

I don't quite have the hang of it yet.

However, as a public service, I would like to share this fantastic experience with all my friends and neighbors. Next time snow is in the forecast, come on by and I'll let you have the time of your life, clearing out my driveway.

I'll even provide the gas.

Sane Advice for the Green Bay Packers

2007-11-30T09:29:00.000-06:00

As today's King Kaufman column at Salon.com suggests, perhaps its time to break Brett Favre's consecutive starting streak to allow him time to adequately heal from his encounters with the Dallas Cowboys defense, last night.

It won't happen of course. But it does make some sense.

I'm as rabid a GBP fan as the next Wisconsonite, but perhaps the TEAM would better positioned 5 weeks from now, if Brett were allowed to heal and Aaron Rogers allowed to gain some playing experience.

In this smoke and mirrors season, where some way, somehow, the Packers have rolled up an impressive 10-2 record, the youngest team in the NFL has been playing above expectations - buoyed by a defense that is proving itself one of the best in the league and supported by a young receiving corps and a new running back that from time to time, show signs of brilliance.

I thought that last night was a pretty impressive show by Aaron Rogers. Perhaps we should give Brett a well deserved couple of weeks off and start thinking about getting everyone healthy for the playoffs.

Treasure Map (to cheaper gasoline)

2007-11-30T08:50:00.000-06:00

I just discovered a service from Mapquest that shows gas prices across the country. Try it for yourself. You can specify a local address and be presented with all the stations in your area with their prices.

Hope it saves you some money.

The Best Christmas Gift Ever

2007-11-29T17:21:00.000-06:00

As we approach the Christmas season, there's one gift you can give this year that epitomizes the spirit of the season.

They are Kiva Gift Certificates.

In case you aren't aware, Kiva is an organization that facilitates micro-loans to underprivileged entrepreneurs in developing countries. They have an amazing loan repayment rate of 99.6%. No interest is charged on the loans, but when they are repaid, you can reinvest your gift by lending again to another deserving person.

Wouldn't this be a cool gift for your children? Introduce them to the gift of giving - year round.

To learn more, click here.

And Happy Holidays.

In the Best Interest of the Game..

2007-11-29T10:13:00.000-06:00

On the eve of the biggest game (so far) in the Green Bay Packer's season, (which will only be seen locally by Green Bay and Milwaukee markets and anyone who owns a satellite and a subscription to NFL network), it causes me to wonder out loud whether the NFL is acting in the best interests of the game or in the best interest of the owners.

If you're attempting to optimize short term revenues, they're probably on the right track... auction off broadcasting rights to the highest bidder - regardless of the impact on the fans.

Let's not take into account the fact that by hosting the game on the NFL Network, you automatically exclude 66% of the country from watching. After all, it's all about the money and (if you're the NFL Network) forcing fans to subscribe to your service or worse yet, migrate from cable to satellite AND subscribe to your service. Here's ESPN explaining the situation.

In the short term, there will be griping and grumbling, but if you really want to watch the game I'm sure you can find a bar willing to broadcast it.

NFL games are already divided up among CBS, ESPN, NBC, FOX and the NFL Network. If the trend continues, watch for the birth of the NFC Central channel or the AFC East channel or maybe the Kansas City Chiefs channel.

Yes folks, there's no end to the market segmentation that this trend could produce. Taken to the extreme, the NFL could eventually migrate to an entire pay per view model.

Tomorrow morning, fewer than half of the normal number of Wisconsonites will be talking about the big game after having watched it.

And I cannot understand how that is in the best interest of football.

XP Makeover

2007-11-29T08:09:00.000-06:00

For those of you who currently run Windows XP, but lust after the look and feel of Vista, the folks at makeuseof.com have written an article about 5 free software downloads to enable you to put lipstick and mascara on your Windows XP operating system.

Or perhaps you're one of those people who are downgrading from Vista (as recent Apple ads suggest), but want to preserve the pretty user interface.

Now, I have to admit that I haven't used any of these yet, so I can't personally testify as to how well they work or if they cause any unexpected system problems, but if the article's comments are any indication, they appear to work quite well.

Good luck with your XP makeover!

My Christmas Gift to Culvers

2007-11-26T07:38:00.000-06:00

This weekend we travelled back to Canada for a family pre-Christmas party.

Whenever we make the trip we always have three "to-dos". We visit Swiss Chalet (a franchise that specializes in roasted chicken). We visit Tim Horton's (Canada's most famous coffee and donut chain) and finally we try to drop in at Harvey's (a burger chain that features my favorite hamburger in the entire world.)

Yes - our lives revolve around food.

One of the menu items at Harvey's is Poutine - an unfamiliar (to Americans) but delicious mixture of french fries, cheese curds and beef gravy.

As soon as I saw it on the menu, the idea struck me.

This would be a perfect menu addition to Wisconsin's favorite local food chain - Culvers. Think of it. Culvers originated in the heart of cheese country. We love our Green Bay Packers.

Introducing Packer Poutine. Mmmmmm.

I think it's time Wisconsin adopted this delicious treat and made it it's own. Philly has cheese steak sandwiches. Chicago has deep dish pizzas. We have beer and brats. But we need a great side dish.

By the way, in case you don't know, this dish isn't heart or diet friendly - which makes is soooo good.

C'mon Culvers. Let's introduce Packer Poutine before the playoffs!

The REAL Price of Black Friday

2007-11-22T07:48:00.000-06:00

Brady Forrest of O'Reilly Radar writes about a recent trip to China where he discovered a treasure trove of product knock-offs. iPhones, iPods etc.

Now that China is becoming the manufacturing center of the world (and some would say stealing American manufacturing jobs), they've also long been taking something arguably more precious.

Our intellectual property.

China is quickly becoming America's largest economic threat. And perhaps the world's as well. They are poised to become the world's largest consumer of oil and seem to have little regard for (or any interest in) developing and/or following responsible environmental policies.

Never mind our massive Chinese trade deficit.

Never mind China's human rights record.

Never mind the recent news filled with manufacturing horror stories from China - tainted pet food, lead painted toys, Plastic aqua dots made from the same chemical found in date rape drugs..

Because tomorrow, millions of us will line up outside Wal-Mart - China's single largest product distributor, to buy cheap stuff for Christmas.

In America, Black Friday celebrates the most profitable retail day of the year. We revel in all our cheap holiday purchases.

In China, they celebrate Black Friday for a different reason. Every Black Friday symbolizes another nail in the U.S. economic coffin.

It's tough to fight an economic war when your citizens are providing aid and comfort to "the enemy".

Believe it or not, I'm NOT a protectionist. I don't believe that we should necessarily impose restricted trade or tariffs on goods from China.

I do believe that we need a public discussion and debate about the price we're really paying for those $1100 50" LCD TVs.

"Have a great day and thank you for shopping at Wal-Mart."

Rush to Judgement

2007-11-21T08:27:00.000-06:00

Amazon just announced a brand new reader called Kindle. Click the link to see a short video explaining it's features. Over the past 24 hours I've been reading countless reviews of the new device.

Let me save you some time. Depending upon who's review you're reading, it's either "been there, done that" or the "next big thing".

One thing is certain. We're in a rush to judgement. And that's a mistake. Books and magazines have been around for hundreds of years. With all their drawbacks (weight, storage, environmental impact, lack of search, time to purchase) we're used to them. We know how they work. They're part of our everyday lives. They're familiar.

And it's for these reasons we should wait several weeks before reading any meaningful reviews. If there's one thing for certain, many people resist change - until they've tried it or been exposed to it for a period of time. And we're suffering from a lack of experience with the product.

On the face of it, Kindle offers the advantages of (virtually) instant delivery of your reading material, be they newspapers, magazines, blogs or books. It's lightweight and doesn't take up much space. It has a battery that enables it to last a long time.

It's biggest disadvantage? It's new.

Another disadvantage? It has hit the market after the iPhone. Now iPhone customers are suggesting that their phones would also be a good place to read books. While I understand the desire to consolidate a book reader into the iPhone (after all it already has a browser), I'm not sure how well it would work as a book reader. Smaller screen, shorter battery life etc.

So my advice? Keep an open mind and judge slowly.

Start reading the reviews mid December after early adopters have gained the wisdom of having actually used the product!

AdSense of Humor?

2007-11-08T15:46:00.000-06:00

There's something about this story on The Raw Feed, and the embedded ads that struck me funny....

The "Big 10" Economy

2007-11-08T07:20:00.000-06:00

The Big 10 Network is the gift that keeps on giving - to local bars.

While the majority of Badger fans hate the fact that they can't see all their beloved Badgers football games on cable TV from the comfort of their own homes (because Time Warner and Big Ten Network couldn't reach an agreement on broadcasting rights), local establishments with satellite TV are enjoying a tremendous benefit.

Last Saturday, my wife and I journeyed to the Marcus' Majestic Theatres, because they were going to show the Badger's game in hi-def in their Palladium theatre. For the uninitiated, the Palladium theatre features a huge screen along with food and (alcoholic) beverage service within the theatre itself.

We were running late, and showed up about ten minutes before game time. Fans were streaming into the theatre. As we entered the lobby, we heard the staff telling people that they had sold out (tickets were free) - even after opening a second theatre. They did allow a few fans to sit/stand in the lobby to watch the game on the screens there (but without any sound).

Apparently fans began lining up outside the lobby doors at 9:30am (for an 11:00 am kickoff). The lobby doesn't even open until 10am!

Marcus Theatres must be jumping with joy. Their best promotion ever - thanks to the greed of the Big Ten Network.

On our journey home, it was pretty easy to tell which bars featured satellite TV. As we passed by several local haunts, their parking lots were jammed to capacity.

Maybe the Big Ten Network is a blessing in disguise - for the local economy.

Go Badgers! You'll be in my thoughts - if not on my TV.

Getting the Priorities Right....

2007-11-06T07:30:00.000-06:00

Is it me or is the current Writers Guild Strike getting waaay too much coverage on TV? This morning as I write this, the TV coverage continues with up to the minute "person on the street" interviews with the disgruntled scribes.

The hosts are talking about the "first casualties" of the strike - David Letterman, Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, Steven Colbert. Sounds like someone needs to organize a bake sale. Each of these shows uses somewhere between 5-20 writiers for their nightly comedy content. With all that brainpower, you'd think they'd be funnier.

"Next up...Pakistan".

Huh?

You just transitioned from a 12,000 member union strike (that no one I know cares ANYTHING about) to equally brief coverage of the suspension of rights (martial law?) in Pakistan - an alleged ally in the fight against terrorism. The same place that (allegedly) hosts the summer home of Osama Bin Laden. A country with at least 20 nuclear bombs in its arsenal.

Oh - now we have breaking news that this has been the deadliest year ever for our soldiers in Iraq and Mary Matalin is now stating this is proof that "the surge" is working.

And now, back to the ongoing strike in New York....

Maybe the networks have it right. Now is the time we need a few laughs.

Reach

2007-11-05T07:19:00.000-06:00

Taking a look at Google Analytics this morning helped really underscore something about Web2.0 technologies - Reach.

I write blog entries as if I'm talking to a neighbor over coffee. I envision the audience as local and familiar. I never really saw the communication in any other way. I'm grounded in the physical world with my local network of friends and business associates here in Wisconsin.

This morning I looked at who was visiting my blogs and was shocked to see that people in seventeen different countries/territories were reading my work!

Seventeen countries!

I suppose for some bloggers this discovery seems pretty trivial, but I've been working in technology for more than two decades and while I understand that people in virtually every country on Earth have browsers and internet access, I never expected any of them to actually visit my blogs and read my work!

After 18 months of blogging, I've discovered "reach".

And it makes me wonder how many companies have yet to learn about "reach" - the chance to craft a unified coherent message (marketing, communication, or whatever) around the world.
Or how many companies understand how that message can be crafted FOR you - by unsatisfied customers, or by competitors in other countries, you may not even be aware of.

Understanding reach and putting strategies in place to leverage (or respond to) the reach of the Web, needs to be a vital component of corporate strategy. Now, you need to manage your message - everywhere.

You never know who's listening - or where they're listening from.

Web2.0 Lessons (So Far)

2007-11-02T07:44:00.000-06:00

Over a year ago, I began my Web2.0 experiment. I decided to find out what all the fuss was about and so I signed up for a free blogger account and wrote my first blog entry. That was in June of 2006.

In the past 18 months, I've experimented with a second blog (Liquid Canuck) , a Squidoo lens, an e-book published on Lulu.com, an instructional video on YouTube (for our 5Rules company) and I occasionally write for our company blog at the 5Rules website.

I use sites like Technorati, Del.icio.us, Flickr, StumbleUpon, Digg, Reddit and Truemors.

Here's what I've learned so far.

1. When writing for the web, having a subject focus will help set expectations for your readers. My first blog, is a mixture of personal stuff about my family, living in Germantown and business and technology lessons learned. This mix makes it difficult for readers to know what to expect from day to day and this impedes reader loyalty. So I started a second blog to try to separate business lessons from family, friends and home life - (I'm still not very good at it!)

2. Readership improves when I write something I'm passionate about or hold a strong opinion about. Readers like to be with you or against you.

3. I try to write everyday, but if I'm uninspired, I'd rather not write anything at all. The lack of frequency hurts readership, but crappy articles hurt readership more.

4. We're a nation of watchers. My experiments with YouTube and video demos prove this out (at least in my case). Our instructional demo video gets several views per day on YouTube. Our video demos at 5Rules are viewed about 8x more than the same information in screenshot format on the same website. Average length of visits DRAMATICALLY improved when we added video.

5. YouTube videos work like ice fishing. You bait the hook and position the rod over the hole in the ice and wait for nibbles. They're out there working like bait 7x24x365. Provide an interesting value proposition, valuable information or entertainment and you will be seen.
In my opinion, web based video is the single biggest underutilized marketing and communications opportunity for business today.

6. The rules for success in the web world are no different than for the brick and mortar world. The rewards go to those who provide the best value (information, services, entertainment, networking, products or services). And the web allows the word about great companies to spread fast! (and bad ones too!)

7. The web puts everyone on equal footing. No longer do huge marketing dollars guarantee an advantage. Viral videos on YouTube probably sold more Mentos and Coke than did their respective company's huge ad budgets - even if the result was that their products were used in combustion experiments rather than being consumed!

Need another example? Look no further than how Captain Jim, a Charter boat fishing captain, competes with Cabella's.

8. The Web2.0 world really offers you the opportunity (at virtually no cost) to build a networked fanbase - to connect with customers and colleagues in a way that is far more difficult, expensive and time consuming in the "real" world.

And we're all just getting started.

Great Data Visualization Example

2007-10-30T07:06:00.001-06:00

Here's an interesting mashup brought to you by O'Reilly's Radar blog. It's called wikipediavision. This mashup enables you to watch Wikipedia edits in (near) real time.

While this isn't something that the average Joe will do for hours on end, it is a powerful example of data visualization - something that every business should be experimenting with.

Want to reinforce your image as a Global company? Why not show an interactive map demonstrating each realtime sale around the world? Are you a locally based company trying to build a local business? You could do the same thing to help reinforce the message that lots of local customers trust your products or services.

Want to visually demonstrate how a cross-selling campaign is working? Show companies that are purchasing (for the first time) from multiple product lines. Flag telemarketing sales as they occur and show them to your internal call center.

There are thousands of ways data visualization (in the form of mashups) could impact your business.

The Perfect (Geek) Storm

2007-10-26T09:03:00.000-05:00

Last night my son returned from work just as a Boston Red Sox player had stolen second base. In case you weren't aware, Taco Bell promised America a free taco should anyone steal a base in the World Series. (You can collect on Oct 30th from 2pm to 5pm).

When he heard the news, my son, who is a picky eater and seems to exist on Taco Bell (how's that for an oxymoron?) declared "This is the best day ever!" A free Taco from Taco Bell and tomorrow Leopard (Apple's new O/S) is released!

I guess for a geek - it's a perfect storm.

Told You So.

2007-10-26T08:32:00.000-05:00

Back in July I wrote a post called Color Me Cynical about how we were going to start seeing nature's colors used by the world's biggest polluters, in an effort to market themselves as environmentalists. Isn't the logo pretty? Doesn't it remind you of daisies?

Today BBC reported that BP has been fined $373 million for fraud and environmental transgressions.

Doing the Right Thing for the Wrong Reason

2007-10-26T07:50:00.000-05:00

If people like Seth Godin can't convince you that permission marketing is the path to take to grow your business in the 21st Century, you may be persuaded by Catalog Choice.

As reported in Guy Kawaski's blog, Catalog Choice is an organization funded by environmental groups to help reduce the tremendous waste and environmental impact caused by the printing and distributing of 9 Billion (that's with a "B") catalogs per year.

The service is free.

It acts as a slightly more cumbersome "unsubscribe" button - for paper catalogs. The website handles the communications with the catalog publisher. You simply sign up for the service and list the catalogs you no longer want to receive. After about 10 weeks, the catalogs should stop - or you can report "abuse".

I hope the service is effective in forcing those "old school" Direct Mail Marketers to begin to really embrace Web2.0 "permission marketing" - even if they're doing it because they have no choice.

The Bullshit Poll

2007-10-25T09:57:00.001-05:00

A couple of days ago, I wrote how Chris matthews is Joan Rivers, complaining about how the political pundits are talking about everything BUT the issues.

Thanks to Jeff, who provided me a link to a video from the Onion News Network, who feel the same way.

Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters

eWeek's Subscription Blunder

2007-10-23T09:50:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure which genius developed the subscription process for eWeek, but I do know that they should be shot.

Today I received an email from eWeek, offering me a free subscription. Of course, the fee for subscribing is divulging information about your position, buying influence, industry and I.T. budgetary information. It takes a minute or two to complete all the questions.

I'm fine with that.

But don't position your publication as a trusted source for I.T. decision making - a source that will help me be more successful in my career, and then, within seconds of my subscription, undermine that sales pitch with a poor cross-sell.

Case in point.

No sooner had I signed up for eWeek, when I received a confirmation email and an offer to subscribe (for free) to CIO Insight and Baseline magazines, from the same publisher.

Less than 60 seconds earlier, I had just completed their subscription application and when I clicked on the subscribe button, they were asking me to provide the same information again!

With processes like these, I don't know you're going to help ME be more successful.

Any thought to a one click subsciption for other Ziff-Davis publications after I've completed the application? Or a chance to subscribe to other Z-D publications within the original subscription process?

Note to Z-D: If you're wondering why the cross-selling efforts aren't yielding the desired results, put yourself in your customers' shoes and try out the subscription process for yourself.

Chris Matthews IS Joan Rivers

2007-10-22T07:49:00.000-05:00

I used to be a fan of the Sunday morning political talk shows. I watched MSNBC nightly to see Chris Matthews and his guests dissect the political landscape.

But recently I've come to the conclusion that Chris (and all the other pundits, liberal and conservative alike) are as relevant to the political scene as Joan Rivers is to the Oscars. They're all part of the same circus and their commentary has no affect on the outcome.

I think the final straw was when I saw comedian Steven Colbert make an appearance on Meet the Press and get treated like a serious Presidential candidate.

If you've watched recently, the pundits debate "issues" like "Is Obama Black Enough" and spend time talking about Hillary's "cackle" or her cleavage or John Edwards hair or whether Ann Coulter's vile remarks are helping or hurting a democratic candidate. They talk about which Republican can court the religious right or which candidate is most like Reagan.

High school stuff.

They aren't covering a United States presidential race. They're treating this like an election of the High School Prom Court. Now I ordinarily wouldn't have a problem with that, except that the High School Prom court won't be leading the country after they're elected.

The political pundits have the same informational impact on the 2008 Presidential race as Joan Rivers has on who wins Best Actor - none. It's all about style, swagger, who's hot and who's not. It's about who is buzzworthy. "Who are you wearing dahling?" It's a friggin' popularity contest instead of a contest of ideas.

I understand that to win, people need to vote for you. They need to like you.

Our parents used to vote for people who proposed ideas to make each of our lives a little better, healthier, safer, more prosperous, more free. It seems like our generation pulls the lever for they person they'd most like to have a beer with.

And it's a shame. Because I think that if the political pundits scratched below both parties talking points, they could help move the debate on the issues forward. They could help clarify where each candidate stands. They could help the nation actually decide on a candidate based on what they would DO when they got into office. They could hold people accountable for policy details and for action.

But that would be harder than commenting on style.

I want to know how any candidate can accept special interest donations and claim to be unaffected by them.

I want to know how any candidate who proposes that private health insurers are the answer to our health insurance crisis, will offer coverage to everyone, affordably - including people with pre-existing or chronic conditions.

I want to know how no-bid government contracts for services are in the best interest of the American people and why we have to out-source Iraq security to Blackwater or our port security to Dubai.

I want to know how we will transition from oil based energy to alternate fuels.

I want to know how we will address global warming, border security, illegal immigration, outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, the declining dollar, torture, trade deficits, the national debt, the future of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.

And I want to know that before November 2008.

Chris Matthews et al, can continue to cover breaking news - like how many 9/11 references Rudy has made in a recent speech or whether Obama is wearing his lapel flag pin.

Or they can drive discussion and debate to help us elect an effective President.

Otherwise stop wasting my time.

Sneaky Buggers.....

2007-10-19T14:25:00.001-05:00

This afternoon I happened to have my IM window open when I noticed a friend's IM record with a headphones icon and the name of a song listed. I thought he was trying to sell something using his IM profile.

When I IMed him, he was unaware that anything was going on. In fact, he had been listening to a song on his iTunes. But he was unaware that I knew that! He hadn't made any changes to his profile settings, the information had just appeared.

Not only that, but the artist and song was also an active link... to MSN Music, where you could purchase the song!

My friend had provided an unwitting endorsement of the music he happened to be playing. When we finally figured out what was going on, I think he felt his privacy had been invaded. Perhaps this "feature" has been around a long time. But we'd never noticed it before.

Microsoft you sneaky buggers.

The 2 Minute Drill

2007-10-19T07:35:00.000-05:00

Football fans are very familiar with the term "2 minute drill". The term refers to the strategy employed by teams (usually playing from behind) to maximize effectiveness during the final 2 minutes of a football game.

They use a "no huddle" offense, signalling plays using gestures or audible calls. The entire team rushes to the line of scrimmage. They run plays designed to preserve time on the clock - running the ball out of bounds or passing sideline routes.

The pace of play is dramatically increased. The defense has little time to react to offensive formations and no time to substitite players.

An effective 2 minute drill can be a game saver or a game winning strategy.

And so teams practice the 2 minute drill all the time. You never know when you'll need it and you have to be ready, just in case.

The 2 minute drill shows you how well your players perform under pressure. They help distinguish the players who come through in the clutch. The practice takes performance to a higher level (just when you need it most).

In business, we don't have the equivalent of the 2 minute drill. We can't practice performing at a higher level for a short duration. There's no way to know in advance which employees will rise to a stressful challenge and who will fold under stress.

Or is there?

A couple of years back, we were faced with an ERP version upgrade. Typically these can take 6 months or more to complete. They require much of the same testing, documenting, training efforts of the original implementation. They are a tough challenge.

We couldn't stand the idea of spending the next 6 months of our lives going through that hell.

So we decided to do it in 8 weeks.

It was our version of the 2 minute drill.

I must confess, not everyone believed in the mission. A couple of very good functional analysts said it couldn't be done. But we started anyway.

The time constraints caused us to work much smarter, and much faster. But we couldn't sacrifice quality. The system had to work properly, documentation had to be completed and training materials updated. No shortcuts on the results.

This "crisis" forced us all to re-examine the standard processes. We looked for ways to shortcut the process - to do things in parallel. So we installed the new system in its own environment. We began unit testing while our application developers re-integrated customizations we had made. Original test scripts were used and slightly modified. We developed training materials simultaneously with testing. Because the entire team was focused on getting this done quickly we adapted.

We didn't make our 8 week deadline.

We took 12 weeks. But we did it in half the time a typical upgrade takes to do. And the results were spectacular.

We learned several things from the exercise. We discovered who worked smarter and who didn't. We discovered how individuals handled the self-imposed pressure. We saw people "watching each other's back" and helping out where it was required.

Most importantly, we learned that it could be done. We had done an upgrade in 12 weeks. Three months earlier, only a few thought it was possible.

Now I'm not advocating that this be done all the time.

No team can run a 2 minute drill throughout the game. The players would be exhausted, your team incapacitated.

But if you pick and choose the right task or project, and try your version of the 2 minute drill, you'll end up discovering who the star players really are. You'll know your team's true potential and show them what's possible, in the process.

And if your team begins to think that anything is possible. It is.

Ahead of their Time

2007-10-15T15:07:00.000-05:00

Apparently Silicon Valley is rethinking the office cubicle. Funny, that's something my team did about 7 years ago.

We were moving into a new building. For the first time, all my local I.T. staff would be under the same roof. As part of the planning for the new building, we had to figure out where cubicles would be located and how they would be configured.

To keep everyone happy, I delegated the cubicle layout task to the various team managers (Helpdesk, Knowledge Management Team, Infrastructure & Networking Team, SAP Team and Application Development Team). The only constraint was that each group could only utilize 64 sq feet per employee.

While most teams stuck with the traditional rows of cubicles, our Knowledge Management group took a different approach.

Since they typically hired interns and teamed them up with full time developers, they chose an arrangement of side by side desks (no barrier in between). Where there were walls, they were only about 4 feet tall. Their space also included a common, open concept meeting area - conference table with whiteboard and network connections for impromptu meetings - only steps away from their desks.

The open "communal" concept fit their work style perfectly. Communication and interaction were maximized and no one seemed to suffer from a lack of privacy.

After about a year in the building, I heard laments from others outside this group that the KM area was far "cooler" than the standard cubicles everyone else was using.

They were ahead of their time. Seven years later, Silicon Valley is catching on.

Radiohead Needs a Lesson from Steve Jobs

2007-10-14T07:05:00.000-05:00

Seth Godin blogs this morning about Radiohead's new album. He may have jumped the gun. While Radiohead is adopting a "new" marketing strategy with a "pay what you want" for the album download, it may be more a classic case of buyer beware.

As reported this week, many fans are disappointed with the quality of the .mp3 files. Apparently produced with low bitspeed, audiophiles are starting to report that they're feeling ripped off - that the quality of the art is suffering from it's digital production.

Cynics believe that is new marketing ploy is simply a way to get early adopters to buy the downloads, then be forced to purchase the higher quality physical CD at a later date - morphing a "pay what to want" campaign, to a "pay me twice" outcome.

If this is the case (fans would argue that this would be highly unusual for Radiohead to do), they had better take a lesson from Steve Jobs recent iPhone price slashing debacle, and figure out a way to make higher quality downloads available at no extra charge, or somehow generate an online coupon to allow download purchasers a shot at buying the physical CD at a discount.

One thing is for certain. In a Web 2.0 world, they had better address the issue quickly, because the word is out - everywhere.

Four More Ideas - How to Create a great Website

2007-10-11T09:45:00.000-05:00

Seth Godin has a quick read blog this morning on How to create a great Website.

Good ideas all. We (3 of us) just finished (for now) the 5Rules website, complete with Forum and company Blog. All 10 of Seth's principles rang true.

Here are a few more suggestions.

1. Steal ideas shamelessly. Don't copy! I mean take a look at your favorite websites and determine WHY they're your favorites (easy navigation, graphics design, simplicity, complexity, whatever...). Then morph those ideas into your own unique site. Our 5Rules site was inspired by 3 or 4 other sites in completely different businesses.

2. Buy/rent/Open Source vs. Build. For the sake of speed and cash, if your site requires things like a blog or a discussion forum, there are plenty of open source options for you out there. For 5Rules, we used Wordpress for our blog and are using Vanilla for our Product Forum. Our web development team (okay, it is one very talented guy) modified some designs we liked, to better brand our sites.

3. Give credit where it's due. If you're going to use someone's design and modify it, make sure you acknowledge the original designer. It's only right. Our modified blog design was based on Talian designed by VA4Business. And we say so in the blog footer.

4. With respect to Seth's idea #10 - Never Settle... Understand that websites grow, morph. You're never done. Make certain that the critical aspects work well, but perfect is not the launch criteria. Otherwise you'll stay in development forever.

Beware Renovators Remorse

2007-10-10T16:16:00.000-05:00

After almost a lifetime in the Information Technology world, I've learned a few things. One of them is; Beware of Renovator's Remorse.

Renovator's Remorse is a condition that intrepid homeowners occasionally succumb to. A condition that has them saying "While we're at it, we might as well..... (insert unplanned improvement here)".

The temptation is almost unavoidable. Once you're tearing out a wall, you "might as well", upgrade the electrical or redo the plumbing... and in an instant your project goes from a room remodel to a major renovation. Your budget and timeline go out the window.

It's the same way with I.T. projects.

You begin with the mission to add some new functionality to a program. Once you're looking at the code, there's an almost irrestible temptation to fix it all. Rewrite code to make it more efficient. Clean up ugly or incoherant sections. Build better subroutines, take advantage of new technology, re-engineer the application...

And you do so at the peril of your project.

And your reputation.

It may make perfect sense to do all these things as long as you build them into your project estimates. After all, in the case of I.T. it's not YOUR money you're spending. And while you may be the beneficiary of more sustainable/supportable programs, the business may not be willing to pay the price or wait that long.

So be honest with your customer. If you sense a huge advantage in rewriting code instead of just adding it, explain it up front and get agreement before you dive in.

And next time, build in some time and expense into your job estimates to cover the "while we're at it" moments.

The "Truth" Is Out There

2007-10-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

I hope that every business knows that the bar has been raised.

It used to be that if you had a dissatisfied customer they would tell ten people. With Web 2.0 tools, they can now tell ten thousand. Google shows 13,700 hits for the phrase "Best Buy sucks".

In my previous post, I complained about Best Buy's warranty return process. Just for fun, this morning I tried a search on Technorati. Here's what I found.

Companies had best be warned to pay attention to their process and performance more than ever. Because it's no longer possible to "control the message" or "contain the crisis", once it's out in the web world.

If you haven't yet aligned yourself around customer focus or choose to proactively address service or product issues, it'll be done for you.

And not in a way you'll like.

Your strategy will have to be better than buying up all the "yourcompaysucks.com" domains. You may actually have to search out these people, examine your processes, critique your staff.

Sometimes you'll have to "fire a customer".

Regardless, now would be a very good time to sit down and decide whether you need someone trolling the web, searching for naysayers - to ferret out the unsatisfied and proactively address their concerns.

Because you don't want your reputation to be placed in the hands of others.

Slow Learners

2007-10-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

For the SECOND TIME in a year, our family is shipping another Xbox 360 back to the people who manage Best Buy's warranty program.

My first experience wasn't particularly enjoyable.

It was partially my fault. I was stupid enough to return the product to the store where I bought it. The salesperson thanked me for visiting, but told me that I had to return it to the 3rd party warranty claims provider - as stated in my extended warranty.

Okay - that's on me.

But then I went to their website to enter a claim. Pretty easy, except that as I was completing the claim, I was given the option of having a postage paid mailing label mailed to me or I could choose to get one via email. Since I was already online, which do you think I chose?

That's right -except the email never came that day. Or the day after. Or the day after that.

In all, it took 4 calls to finally receive a mailing label - by snail mail! Once I got over the hurdle of getting to the starting line....the rest of the process went pretty smoothly. About 2 weeks later, I received a Best Buy card, with the amount of my purchase loaded on it.

Needless to say, this time I was hoping for a better experience - after all I had spoken with BB's people four times on the last return - surely they have made some improvements in the process!

As it turns out, they have. And they haven't.

Once again, I submitted my warranty claim online. Good news! They knew who I was and what I had purchased. This time I was offered 3 options for receiving a mailing label.

I could print one out immediately or I could have one emailed to me (which I would have to print out later) or I could receive a mailing label by snail mail.

I chose to print a return mailing label immediately. Lo and behold, everything worked!

Sort of.

On my previous return, I had instructions to photocopy my receipt and my warranty registration brochure and to include them in the box with the defective goods. No such instructions this time. Just a mailing label. No instructions in the brochure. No instructions on the website.

Given my last experience, I thought I had better call - just to be sure.

I got through pretty quickly and was informed that there must have been some sort of "glitch" and that YES, they still required all the photocopied documentation to be returned with the damaged goods...

Does Best Buy ever test their processes? (or third party processes?) Since they seem to be such slow learners, here's a couple of suggestions.

1. If I'm submitting a claim online, give me two options - save the mailing label to my PC or print the mailing label. If I'm online, I'm not a candidate for snail mail.

2. Get rid of the requirement to photocopy or mail in copies of receipts. You already know how much I paid for the damn item and you've already accepted my warranty as being valid. Stop with the additional paperwork.

3. Give me two refund options - either send me a Best Buy card via snail mail or better yet, once you've received the damaged goods, setup a Best Buy certificate to be picked up at the local store (about 1 week faster than snail mail). Then you have me IN THE STORE with money in hand.

Oh, and tell Microsoft that they make crappy Xboxes...

Beating Expectations

2007-10-01T07:42:00.001-05:00

My beloved Brewers closed out their season this past weekend, with a come from behind win against the Padres.

As a fan, it was an entertaining year. The Brewers had a winning season for the first time (in what seems like) forever. They set a new team record for home runs - 228. Fans showed up in droves, setting a new attendance record (2.876 million).

Our team featured the NL home run champ (Prince Fielder) who just might be the National League MVP and we witnessed the exceptional play of (hopefully) the Rookie of the Year, Ryan Braun.

The Milwaukee Brewers held onto first place for something like 131 days during the season.

Although we missed the playoffs (due to the dreaded Cubs), the Brewers put on a pretty entertaining show. This year, fans turned out in droves and stayed until the last pitch, because you never knew when the Brewers would pull one out.

Next year will be an entirely different story. They will face their toughest challenge yet.

Our expectations.

You see this year, no one could have predicted the success the Brewers would have. Sure, we knew Prince Fielder was going to be a star and that the team featured a very young and talented group.

But after 15 non-winning seasons, expectations at the start of the season were pretty low - perhaps non-existent. The Brewers are a young team - talented, but not seasoned. And so, all the Brewer's accomplishments came as a VERY pleasant surprise.

It's what made this year's second place finish almost bearable.

But in the wake of such tremendous success, they've created expectations - for their fans and for themselves.

For the first time in a quarter century, next year the fans will fill the seats - not with the hope that the Brewers will win, but with the expectation that they will win. Next year it won't be about setting personal records, success will be measured by team performance in October.

Next year won't just be about beating the Cubs. It'll be about beating everyone's expectations. Next year could be their toughest challenge yet.

The Corn Broom Story

2007-09-28T07:39:00.000-05:00

I was watching one of those home improvement shows on cable yesterday. During a shopping expedition to furnish a log cabin, the TV Host came across a vendor who crafted corn brooms from scratch.

"How long does it take you to create a corn broom?" was the first question.

"Five months and 45 minutes." came the reply. "Five months to grow the corn and 45 minutes to attach the handle."

A small country vendor thought of his broom making processes in the same way that some of the most sophisticated manufacturers think about theirs - from the generation of raw materials through finished goods.

Many of us might have just answered "45 minutes".

But thinking in terms of the overall process is what will help us generate "green goods" - with environmentally low (or no) impact. It will force realistic accounting of all the energy and environmental impact of the end to end process. It also helps identify process "waste".

For many of us, it's a whole new way of thinking.

Dissed by YouTube

2007-09-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

I recently uploaded my first video to YouTube.

I'm working with some partners on a new software company and we thought we needed an instructional video. Somehow I was volunteered.

At any rate, I recorded and narrated a Powerpoint presentation and uploaded it to YouTube. My relationship with the popular video site was going well, until I took a look at my account and came across this message.

Now that's a bit judgemental.

Would it have killed YouTube to say something a little more positive? Like "Tell your friends!" or "Invite your friends!"?

I'm just saying......

Lessons of our Forefathers

2007-09-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

I hope we all learned a lesson yesterday.

Despite 24 hrs of almost universal condemnation of Columbia University for inviting the President of Iran to speak to a group of 750 students, the event went off as planned.

Outside the venue, were thousands of protesters; some protesting Iran's poor record of human rights, some protesting Ahmadinejad's denial of the Holocaust, some decrying Iran's support of terrorism.

The University's president opened the speech, highly critical of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The university staff and students were able to ask pointed questions of the leader and to listen to his vague, evasive, rambling responses.

They allowed him the opportunity to expose himself for the fraud he is. And this event made a much more convincing argument against his beliefs and actions than would have been made had he been prevented from speaking at all.

America was extremely lucky to have founding fathers that understood this lesson and had the foresight to embed Freedom of Speech into the Bill of Rights. It's no accident that this freedom is contained in the First Amendment.

Perhaps it's time we revisited the beliefs of our forefathers. They were pretty smart.

Rinse and Repeat

2007-09-21T06:56:00.000-05:00

Need to sell more shampoo? Add the instructions "Shampoo, Rinse and Repeat" to the label. In spite of the fact that these actions to not make your hair any cleaner, a certain portion of consumers read and follow directions.

And the result is, you sell more shampoo.

In Government, if you want to make a case for a position or promote passage of a new law, the strategy is eerily similar. Make up a number and repeat as required.

Don't believe me?

How many illegal aliens are in the country? If you answered 12 million, you're right.

And you're wrong.

You're able to quote the number that the media and Government keeps repeating. In fact, no one actually knows how many illegal aliens are in the country. Not the governement. Not the media. Not me. Not you.

They're illegal, remember? It means that they've crossed the border without documentation. Unnoticed, uncounted.

Yet somehow, we know how many there are. Because the number is quoted and repeated, over and over, by politicians, by media "talking heads" - without any scrutiny of the number's origin. Repeating it makes it "fact". Once it becomes a "fact", then you can justify building a huge 2000 mile (or 720 mile, or 15 mile - how long is it supposed to be?) fence across the border with Mexico. Or you can use the fact to villify all hispanics, both legal and illegal.

Rising crime. Blame it on the "illegals". There are 12 million of them, don't you know. Long wait in the Emergency room? You're waiting behind 12,000,000 "illegals".

Making up numbers isn't the sole pervue of the United States.

In Canada, the RCMP, in an effort to draw attention to software piracy estimated the cost to the country at $30 Billion dollars. They now admit the number was made up.

I finally understand why my 7th grade English teacher was so insistent about essay footnotes.

It's time we learned that before we can begin to solve a problem we need to understand the problem. We need actual facts. And we need to hold those "number quoters" accountable for their accuracy.

Thank God for O.J.

2007-09-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

In case you've just awakened from a coma, O.J. Simpson is back in the news. Apparently, in an effort to recover sports memorabilia, he invaded a hotel room, complete with armed thugs. To his surprise, the police were called, and he, along with several accomplices, were arrested.

In an ironic twist of fate, he faces more years in prison than he did during his last brush with the law, when "someone" murdered his wife and her companion.

The media circus is back in town (well, Las Vegas). Even Marcia Clark (remember her?) has been seen lurking around the proceedings. Local news has aerial footage of Simpson and lawyer driving to the airport, where he departed for a little R&R in Florida.

And so the mindless 24 hr "news" coverage begins. I fully expect a new evening cable show to be spawned as a result. Conan, Letterman, Kimmell, Leno, Stewart are wringing their hands with glee. More comedy material!

And I say "Thank GOD for O.J."!

Finally we get a break from that boring war in Iraq, with all those people dying. No more stories about "out of control" Blackwater security consultants (aka mercenaries) killing those pesky Iraqi civilians.

No more stories about GM on the verge of a major strike (and on the verge of bankruptcy) as a result of soaring health care costs.

No more stories about our government treating our troops like crap - with their extended tours, short leave time, lack of up-armored vehicles and poor health services upon their return.

No more stories about that boring Presidential campaign, with all the talking heads berating each other instead of solving our country's problems.

We have illegal immigrants pouring over the southern border. We have a financial crisis in the mortgage markets. We have China poisoning our pets and our children. We have Iran making a nuclear bomb. We have a 50% dropout rate in our high schools. We have a vanishing middle class. We have tens of millions of people without healthcare. We still have a dysfunctional New Orleans not yet recovered from Katrina. We still have a big hole in the ground where the World Trade Center used to stand. We have massive debt. We have a government and a President with the lowest public opinion ratings in history. We have weekly examples of government leaders' scandals. We don't even have an Attorney General!

Thankfully we don't have to worry about all that.

Because now, we have O.J.!

Lessons Not Learned

2007-09-17T07:30:00.000-05:00

By 7:00 am yesterday, the news was spreading like wildfire. Both my kids were awakened by their cellphones - a highly unusual event, since their crowd spends most Sunday mornings sleeping. So we knew the news wasn't going to be good.

And we were right.

For the second time in nine months, a classmate was killed in a single car drunk driving accident.

Seb was one of those kids who was liked by everyone. But he had a problem that no one addressed. He was a big partier.

He had just turned 17.

The circumstances of his accident were almost a cliche. Drunk. Speeding. At night. Not wearing a seatbelt. Lost control. Crashed into a tree. Ejected from the vehicle.

It's a story that is repeated over and over in the United States every night. It barely gets a mention on the news. Ironically, it happens too often to be newsworthy.

And so, all yesterday, Seb's classmates gathered to console one another and to share stories about what a great kid he was. An impromptu memorial was conducted at church. Last night, about 60 kids held a candlelit vigil at the place where he died.

As parents, we resisted revisiting the standard lecture about drinking and driving - opting instead to wait until the immediate sorrow cleared... Until the message could be absorbed.

I think every one of us went through the same list of questions in our minds... Where were the parents? How did he get the alcohol? Why didn't a friend stop him from driving?

It's easy to be critical of the circumstances when the tragedy happens to someone else. Until you've raised teenager's, you can't appreciate the challenge. You hope that your lectures are heeded. You hope that the kids can't get their hands on booze. You hope their friends would take away his keys. You hope that everyone would learn from the tragedy.

But it seems not to be the case.

I mentioned that this is was the second time this happened in the last nine months.

The very same story played out last January. And that time, the victim was Seb's best friend.

The Experiment

2007-09-15T07:57:00.000-05:00

Just over a year ago, I started writing this blog. I started it as an experiment. I've always been interested in technology and especially interested in knowledge management, sharing and innovation. I wanted to find out more about what Web 2.0 was all about.

And so I signed up for a free Blogger account and started writing.

I've learned a few things about the experience.

First, my writing sucks. But I think it's getting better. I'm trying to use 5 words where I used to use 10. I check my spelling. And I've learned that errors jump off the page only after I hit the "Publish" button.

Writing a blog (on an almost daily basis) is a selfish thing to do. It's my alone time. This is my time to reflect on the day's events, what's going on in my life and what's going on all around me. It's time set aside for me to reflect - to assess what I've learned or observed that day. Frankly, it's a habit I've only recently developed. It's for me.

As I write this, I'm the only one awake at our house.

As a product of the TV generation, I've invested a large portion of my life in front of a television. While much of that time was enjoyable, it was time spent emotionally reacting to content, laughing, crying, getting angry - not much time spent thinking or analyzing. Blogging has helped me appreciate the power of reflection and introspection. (I call it Webtrospection.)

Maybe I'm just getting old.

At the same time, blogging is a selfless act. I'm sharing these thoughts with subscribers and anyone else who happens to trip over my blog. I don't have any expectations. I don't expect anything in return.

If someone finds a thought or observation useful, fantastic. If this entry encourages someone to start blogging themselves, that's terrific.

Our grandparents used to relax on the front porch, observe their world and converse with neighbors as they walked by. To some extent, blogging is today's equivalent of sitting on the front porch. You meet some new people, enjoy some old friends, share some stories.

I've also learned that the blogosphere (I hate that word) contains some fascinating characters with radically different lives and disparate points of view - an infinite number of "channels", waiting to be discovered. My number of RSS feeds grows with each passing week.

There are a lot of interesting people out there.

And so the experiment I started a year ago, to better understand blogging and the Web 2.0 experience will continue.

It's been an interesting experience with many unexpected benefits.

Video Doesn't Forget

2007-09-14T07:58:00.000-05:00

I watched in stunned silence.

Last night, the President announced he was going to begin to withdraw troops from Iraq to pre-surge levels. The "talking heads" on one of the cable news networks summed up the move by saying that George Bush was "kicking the problem down the road" - to the next President, in an effort to shape his legacy.

Are you kidding me?

Perhaps this might have worked 35 years ago. Not in the digital age.

The problem with trying to shape one's legacy in the digital age.... Video doesn't forget. Digital content doesn't "forget". The internet has seen to that.

Bush 43 has been the most digitally documented President in history. The blogosphere exploded on his watch. The government is run on email. More citizens are weighing in (pro and con) on the internet than ever before.

Individual blog content links to online news articles, which links to MSM (main stream media) digital news content which links to online video sources. All the news shows are being archived in digital form.

Now leaders' legacies will be shaped by email, blogs, DailyKos, VoteVets.org, YouTube, all the major networks, the cable networks MSNBC, CNN, FOX, The Tonight Show, The Daily Show and on and on..... all just a click away...

For this President, these impressions and images can't be muddied with time.

The Iraq War may be a "comma" in America's history. But it will be a well documented one.

Bush's strategy to leave office with head held high, ensconced in the belief that the war is just and "winnable" and that history "will treat him kindly", is completely out of his hands.

Certainly there have already been a large number of books written on his Presidency (pro and con) and there will be more to come, but the digital archives will remain universally available. His legacy, perhaps for the first time, will be left to future observers of massive digital archives, rather than be shaped by kind autobiographers, failing recollections and time.

Like never before, all of our descendants, will have first hand access to mountains of digital forensics with which to interpret a President's legacy.

And all future Presidents would be well served understanding that.

Breaking News: Assholes Bad for Business

2007-09-11T09:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, this may be one of the seven signs of the Apocalypse....

A Harvard Business Review article states that Assholes are bad for business. As reported by 1-800-CEOREAD, The book based upon the article has just received a Quills Award (Business category).

Who knew?

Google and Amazon to the Rescue?

2007-09-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

This report by the BBC describes how Google and Amazon are participating in the search for adventurer Steve Fossett.

As you may recall, Fossett's single engine airplane has gone missing since Sept 3rd. So far, land and air searches have come up empty.

And so Google recently updated the Google Earth satellite photos of Nevada. And with Amazon's Mechanical Turk project, are enlisting volunteers to scan the photography searching for plane wreckage, which should appear as a 21x30 pixel size on your computer screen.

People can simply do a better job of recognizing potential clues better than computers, at least for now.

Suspicious images can be reported to Mechanical Turk for followup analysis and investigation.

Kudos to Google and Amazon for coming up with the idea.