Game Changing

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Creating, or disrupting informational asymmetry (one party knows something important that the other does not) in the marketplace is a game changing strategy. Pick one.

Creating:
Some businesses withhold the details on purpose. A good example of an important detail "the price". They force the customer to take the next step which usually means establishing a more isolated exchange; away from immediate comparison or the opportunity for competitive rebuttal. This is clearly an advantage for the seller. Without any interference, this works quite nicely.

Disrupting:
When the standard strategy for any business / industry is based on the seller's withholding of details, finding a way to provide the details can undo the sellers advantage. If the change in the process and the easy access to information matters (to the customer) enough, the game changes. The Internet looms large here.

Maybe it's good

Maybe it's good that your new approach will make some people uncomfortable, threaten the status quo (one in which much money has been made by many), and require broad cultural change in the workforce.

Naaaaa...

Bonds

I bought the book "Game of Shadows" a couple of weeks ago and decided that I would read it when Barry Bonds hit number 756.

Wow! Barry... this is bad news Barry. You are not a nice fellow. Some people are just nasty. That's the way they are. They can't change, They won't change. I think that's Bonds. He has always had amazing talent. If he was a good guy and didn't do the drugs, he would have been awesome, but he has turned himself into a clown. Too bad.

Enough pain to go around

Alrighty then... Let's just say that easy credit terms and conditions turn out to be not such a good thing for the lenders. They were happy when they booked all that "on-the-way-here" income, but now...not so good. As lenders pinch their puckery standards tighter and tighter, the sellers of real estate, cars, and even replacement windows - are going to feel real pain. When these businesses feel pain, they may find it difficult to stay in the game. If they depart, they'll probably not pay all the bills. The creditors feel pain. Yes indeed... there could be enough pain so that we all get a taste. Nice huh?

Lucidity and the facts in the way

We'll search for, find (whenever possible) and use the impressions, emotions or facts in our experience that serve us best or support our current view of "reality". We'll also shape that reality - without even knowing - to be as kind as possible. As it turns out, we humans are naturally quite good at kidding ourselves. This applies to our view of the past, present and future. In particular, our ability to see (predict) the future and make choices about the future, are completely affected by this condition. In other words, we consistently mispredict. It’s really quite amazing how well and how consistently we do this.

We'll find a logical basis for dismissing objects that don't fit. This is an extremely important thing to realize. Accepting this condition and using it to help prevent us from acting on a distorted (bordering on delusional) reality, and knowing that others do, represents a competitive edge.

More later...

That's good

Sure, fine, okay, alright, yes, pick it up, no sweat, please, oh how nice indeed, thanks, really special... really.

Storing Experiences

Our brains store our experiences. If we were to record and retain complete detail of every event (the whole movie), all that information - including color, sound, time sequence and dialogue - would occupy a lot of storage space. Instead, we store key objects, emotions and enough detail so that we can recall the set and piece together our recollection of the experience as if it were complete.

Can we manage to plant, generate or influence the key objects stored by customers and in so doing, program a memory?

Take a Left

We navigate with great intensity toward a location that is uncertain at best and at worst - unknown.

What?

The Leap?

Rigorous and careful study, weighing all known factors, generating detailed plans, forecasts and probabilities for success - the venture appears to have significant risk. The decision is made to stop. The search continues. You're smart enough to have avoided the chance of failure.

The back of the napkin essentials looks reasonable. After investigating a few of the key elements, the evidence suggests that the idea is good enough to be in the zone where "you really won't know till you do it, because some things you have to do on the fly." Issues of certainty, confidence and consequence remain. The decision is made to go ahead. You're engaged in the effort and apply your abilities as required. You're dumb enough to find success.

Hmmm... Recognizing the power of the leap, its influence can be calculated (considered).

Liquid & Patient

The markets sold off heavily today and it feels like there's more to come. Maybe not the end of the world type of selling, but certainly a downward move that will shake off the froth. Yup - a 10% moonwalk may be in the cards. That won't be fun. It looks like housing is weaker than anticipated and the "bottom" has not yet arrived. In spite of relatively low interest rates, buyers are in short supply and inventories continue to climb. Hmmm... Prices have fallen a bit more with some areas (even those previously resistant) in real pain. It's really a lot about credit, and greed, and denial. The extension of credit to those less qualified and the creativity of the terms are unraveling. Somebody somewhere must have known that not all these silly loans would get paid as agreed. Pain... Real pain is likely here. Well, I guess you can call it real pain - even though it's essentially the head being blown off the brew (froth). There's probably more selling to come. The ill feeling and the underlying concerns are heavy thought s to carry into business.

This yuck is spilling over into autos as AutoNation and a few other big fellows seem to be coming up short. The stale mortgage environment (especially sub prime) is sure to catch up with cars. When people struggle to pay their mortgage, they are likely to struggle with their car payment as well. Lenders will quickly tighten. If dealers can only sell cars to people with good credit, they will struggle. They've had a steady diet of "finance anyone" that will soon dry up. Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation Inc., said last week that business conditions have created "one of the toughest environments I've ever seen." In the northeast auto business there are stories about some suffering. It looks like those who were surviving in a strong market (1998 - 2006 was an extended period of good times) are now bleeding in the soft one. You can no longer be clueless and still get by. Some situations; sinking franchise in beefy real estate, or maybe a dealer who moved his awareness and involvement to the periphery when things were easy pickings - are causing more problems. The tighter lending standards (forced by years of easy paper) are coming you guys. Don't think it won't happen - it will. Some dealers will try to survive and fail. Some will be fortunate to recover their working capital and get out. Some will take advantage of the herd thinning, and do just fine.

Chrysler came out with a lifetime powertrain warranty today. What? Yup - lifetime, whatever that means. It's an act of desperation. We'll see more of these.

This shake out should produce some opportunities for the liquid and the patient. Hmmm...

"Not a Problem" - Eeeeeeh!

I just don't like it when you thank someone and they respond with "Not a problem". Maybe it's just me, I don't know. Why would that bother me? It probably shouldn't. I mean the responder isn't trying to be a wiseguy or anything. It's just something people say. This is particularly common in service situations - like a waiter etc. where patrons often say thank you. I will suggest that you just go with "You're welcome", or perhaps "My pleasure". Maybe it's just me. Maybe for you it's not a problem.

Wide Turn

I'm makin a wide wide turn, a wide wide turn
I'm makin a wide wide turn and then back to square
I'm seeing a little baby southern to the geo metro
I'm not thinking tempo, just doin it tempo slow
I'm makin a wide turn and then back to square
I'm hangin inside a hair cause it falls that way
Not press'n, not stress'n, just let - set - go

Systems - Go figure

All businesses - make that successful businesses, are systems or sets of systems. A quality system design includes the ability to change. When a business makes a change to a system(s), how it manages the change is yet another system - at least it should be. Go figure.

Fiddy

Whoopdeedoo.

The Newspaper - ba bye

This isn't a stretch, but I have to join those who believe the printed daily newspaper will not survive. It lives because it remains a "business" that can money - lots of it sometimes. Still, it is a highly inefficient use of resources and and equally as inefficient as a tool. You can't line the bird cage with it, but digital media (www) is hands down a better method for managing the same information. It isn't all bad. Picking up the paper and turning the pages - scanning the ads (or not) and noticing things you might otherwise have not, isn't painful - it's just not going to survive. The paper will be replaced by a better thing. Indeed it will.

Even if we just work with a newspaper's web site and assume that all the printed material is presented online, it offers so much more. Searchable and easily archived, the digital versions offer significantly more utility.

Information (searchable or delivered by request) on your device will retire the newspaper. I know this isn't a bold claim, but the pile in my garage is silly. I feel sort if stupid having it there. I'm not sure how long it will take, but at some point we'll look back - perhaps with fond memories - and remember the newspaper.

Well then... I'm sure you'll sleep better now.
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If you have not read them - please do

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If you haven't read "The Catcher in the Rye" (JD Salinger), or "On the Road" (Jack Kerouac), you should. Written and set in another time in America - both are captivating and interesting works, unpretentious and enjoyable. Good books.

Enjoy!
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The case for straight!

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Golf equipment (clubs and balls) makers have invested a lot in developing ways to make the ball go straight. There are balls that actually make it difficult to shape your shot. Yes, you can still do it, but it takes more effort. Lower spin rates and higher trajectories contribute to greater distance off the tee. This has become the "way to approach the game". Hit hit big. It does however require that you adapt the rest of your game to the characteristics of this type of ball flight, feel and ground behavior.

I've always played the game with a shape in mind for every full shot. Whether it was a fade or a draw - even just slightly - I've always felt more comfortable having a shape intention. It was part of my image of how the shot would be played.

I'm now suggesting that the ball and the clubs may have reached the point where "straight" needs to become the idea, the intention and the new image to employ. The equipment is such that (if necessary) you can create a shape. I still think you need this capability in your game. However, the margin for error (unintended shape / side spin) is wider than ever. You can choose to just go ahead and try to hit it straight at your target. With the minimized side spin effect, this may be the path to better golf.

Or not.
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Compete or don't play

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I enjoy playing golf - usually. I like to compete. If I'm not competing, I feel like it has to be treated as practice or it's just a waste of time. I've played some pretty bad golf. It's usually accompanied by a lack of focus. Sometimes I find myself unable to stay interested and I don't really care. I just "go through the motions". That's not much fun and it produces poor results.
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Painting

• Advice for exterior painting:
  
  Scrape and wire brush your surfaces. Don't think you can just seal the old paint in. If it's loose - even just a little - it needs to come off.
  
  Use a healthy drop cloth. By healthy I mean one that isn't going to rip and certainly not made of nonabsorbent plastic (oh no). Get a big one and toss that bad boy between you and anything that doesn't want to get painted.
  
  Have an absorbent rag handy. You'll need it.
  
  Use latex only. You are not qualified to use oil based paints. No - you're not. Trust me.
  
  Don't paint from the can. The can is awkward and not ideal for the purpose. Get a lightweight container well suited for the purpose - one that you can easily handle. Fill it to 1/3 only. That's it.
  
  Use a brush with angled bristles. This will help you cut along lines more carefully.
  
  When painting, dab trouble spots first and then: load that brush tip with paint. Don't be a wussy. Get some paint up there. The paint should not be dripping from the brush, but almost. Let your first few contacts with the surface deposit the most paint and then work it with your strokes. Yeaaaa... there you go. Nice!
  
  
  Painting can be quite fun. Fun for a couple of hours on day number one. Anything beyond that starts to be not fun. I suggest that unless it is a reasonably small project or if you are bored and have nothing else to do. Hire someone to paint.
  
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The Dunes

Erosion of the dunes puts the properties along the beach at risk. In an attempt to capture the sand and allow it to restore the dune, snow fence is installed on the seaward side of the dune. The wind blows the sand through, up and over the fence. Since the deposit of sand is protected by the existing dune behind and the wind direction predictable, the sand collects at the base of and behind the snow fence. In as few as 10 weeks, the sand level can rise to cover half the fence or more. Additional rows of fencing placed in front of each other can be installed to continue the process. By doing this, and by planting vegetation (American Sea Grass: Ammophila breviligulata) to hold the sand in place and to help continue the process, we can rebuild a substantial dune.