Jer979's Blog...

9/11 in NYC Remembered…

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:41:00 -0500

I stood on the street corner at Bleecker and 6th Ave. watching the 2nd WTC Tower fall.

Here are my thoughts from that day.

Just how BIG is the abortion issue?

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:34:00 -0500

For some, the mere fact that Sarah Palin is ‘pro-life’ is a litmus test deal breaker. They would never vote for her based on that alone.

But, I am starting to wonder, how important the issue really is to voters across America?

Not that they don’t have an opinion, but WHERE it ranks in their priority scale.

If you had to classify me, I’d be 'pro-choice.’ I think abortion should be available, there are times when it is desirable for medical/hardship reasons, etc., but it pains me to think of abortion as birth control. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t want it outlawed (though by most accounts Roe v. Wade is unconstitutional, which does concern me, but that’s a different topic.)

In probability theory (not that I am an expert), there is the concept of ‘relative weight’ that is certain items get more ‘votes’ than others because of how they are ‘weighted.’

So, for example, I put a higher relative weight on finding a candidate whose views align with mine on foreign policy and economic policy than on social issues, say gay marriage.

That’s not to say I don’t care about gay marriage or don’t have an opinion, but because I put a value of ‘10’ on foreign policy and economic policy and only, say, 3 on ‘gay marriage,” I am content voting for a candidate who may be against gay marriage (if I am for it), if that candidate matches up well on my highly weighted issues.

For example, my weighted priority list might look like this:

Issue	Weight
Foreign Policy	10
Low Taxes	8
Abortion	5
Gay Marriage	3

With me so far?

You may not like my priorities or the “weight” I ascribe to them, which is fine and we can discuss it, but they are what they are.

On abortion, for example, I may say it’s only a 5 because I think that 80% of the country has a view similar to mine, I don’t think Roe would be overturned, I don’t see a threat of super conservative judges getting through a Democrat Senate, I think McCain is pro-choice, etc.

So, for all of these reasons, Palin isn’t a deal-breaker for me.

But, the bigger question is how everybody else weights their issues.

Thoughts?

Is “rolling back the clock” on abortion a reality? or a scare tactic?

Personal Responsibility...Hurricane Ike

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 21:26:54 -0500

There's a part of me that says, "if you voluntary chose to ignore mandatory evacuation orders from the Hurricane's path [and presuming you had some way of getting out]...and you didn't, well then, you should be at the absolute bottom of the list for help."

Why should other people subsidize your stupidity?

From the CNN article on Ike:

Many people, like D.J. Knight of Pearlman, Texas, decided to ride out the storm at home, despite voluntary and mandatory orders issued across the region.

"The windows looked like they would explode," said Knight, a mother of two. "It just wouldn't stop."

Now, without electricity and surrounded by flooded roads and wreckage, Knight wonders whether it was worth enduring a sleepless night as the storm shook her home, located about halfway between Galveston and Houston.

"I didn't think it would be as bad as it was," she said. "It was horrible."

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Raise the price of water…

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:45:00 -0500

Image by kevindooley via Flickr

The winning “World’s Best Presentations” kawasaki presentation was entitled

THIRST

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: design crisis)

It’s a powerful statement of how safe drinking water is become increasingly scarce.

I saw it and thought “ok, what can I do?”

Then, I was reminded of a review I saw in Popular Mechanics about a grey-water toilet system called Aqus (it takes the water you use in your sink and repurposes it for your toilet)

I thought “great, I’ll get one.”

Then, I saw the price tag $279, which is $10 more than I spent on water for my whole house for the first 7 months of the year.

It’s hard to think that a system on one toilet is going to reduce water costs by 50%. It’s not.

So, the question becomes: how much is saving water for others worth it to me?

Crass, but true.

On the other hand, if the price of water goes up (like oil/gas), well, at some point, it’s worth it.

The free market strikes again..

Guy Kawasaki's Truemors Gets Acquired By NowPublic

Negotiating Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:35:00 -0500

B-schools and law schools spend a lot of time teaching negotiation skills.

Whole books and libraries are devoted to the subject.

My suggestion. Forget it all and put these students in a kitchen with a 3 year old during mealtime.

Then, try to convince the 3 year old to eat a balanced meal.

If you can do that, you’re well on your way to the top of the corporate ladder.

Concerned/Interested in Data Privacy Issues?

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:49:35 -0500

Some really great articles in the September, 2008 issue of Scientific American on issues around Privacy.

I particularly enjoyed Daniel Solove’s article called “The End of Privacy” and his assessment of ‘Generation Google.”

Solove is a law professor at GW. I may try and track him down for coffee. I’ll keep you posted.

Comedian: Movie Review and Business Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:29:00 -0500

Image by Getty Images via Daylife It's not often that I can point to a movie and say, "this really helped my professional life."

And you certainly wouldn't expect that from a documentary (Comedian) about Jerry Seinfeld's efforts to re-invent himself from scratch back on the comedy circuit.

But, it did.

You see, I come from the school of thought that presentations are really performances, as Ben Zander would say. That when I stand up in front of an audience to talk about Marketing that yes, they want to be informed.

But, they also want to be entertained.

Seeing how Jerry and the younger comic whose rise (sort of) was profiled, Orny Adams, attacked their jobs made me look more critically at my own.

For example:

Never open with new material.
If you have new material, test it in the middle of the show, see how it goes and if it works, then you can put it first. (This was actually very timely, since I was giving a presentation, er performance, the next morning and had planned-but switched-on starting with new material.)
Take every chance you get.
When you are working on your "act," you should be willing to get up in front of any crowd at any time to try it out. That's the only way to get better. You look at each performance as both a game and a practice round. I do this, but Jerry helped put it in a different perspective for me. Any speaking opportunities for me out there?
Be HyperCritical and Practice
Watch yourself on video (I admit, I don't like to do this). Look at nuances. Words that are used as fillers. Mannerisms. Put yourself under the microscope.

Professional life aside, it was a great movie. Showed that Jerry, even though he's "made it," shares the same concerns and fears that we all do. Puts even more of a human face on him.

NYC on the Day After Meltdown 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 21:44:41 -0500

I woke up in New York to a city in a daze.

Like the morning after a hangover, you could see the confused looks on people's faces.
I overheard snippets of people's conversations.

"Everyone is stressed out!"
"Nobody knows what is going to happen."
"This is just insane."

The great 2008 Market Meltdown had hit the day before and here I was walking through the smoky ruins.
Yet, not.
The energy of New York is eternal.
It is that energy that, once I felt it, I realized I missed it.
Not so much that I would live there again-the city does tend to grate on you-but the vivacity and the speed and intensity....and the beauty.
I've long said that New York is a 'walker's paradise,' and this 75 degree day only served to reinforce that image. With one exception, I walked everywhere over the two days.
It is the people who make up a city, so I focused on them.
Starting out on the East side, I met up with Todd at Discovery. He's a social media guru and we shared stories and ideas.
Next, I headed towards Times Square, but not before seeing both David and Marty whom I called consecutively with the message of "I am going to be walking by your building in 5 minutes, meet me on the street to say hi."
And they did.
As luck would have it, one of the bloggers I read, Robert Scoble, had posted that the first 20 people under the Kodak sign in Times Sq. at noon on Tuesday would receive a free Seagate Hard Drive.
I was #15 and after meeting some great people in line waiting for Scoble, I got my 500 GB portable drive. Yeah, baby!
Meeting me there was David, a social media strategist, whose work I greatly admire. We took the subway down to Union Sq., got some falafel, sat in the park, and talked shop. I had never met him in person, but took the opportunity to reach take a social network based relationship and 'make it real.'
Watching the people and seeing their life stories unfold, I made my way down Broadway to the first of the two FOJ meetups (details tomorrow) before my presentation at Stern business school.
When all was said and done, I was in bed at 1am.
And after three more quick meetings Jeff Siegel (an innovator and businessman in the green roofing arena), Frank (the founder of Outsourcing.com) and Philippe, (a bundle of energy who is going to save the CBC Orchestra), it was back to Amtrak and return home.
36 hours in New York and the opportunity to engage with over 270 people (there were over 250 at the Stern even). Plus, I got to walk everywhere and enjoy the city.
That's high ROI on your time.
And the people of the New York, regardless of financial market meltdown, maintain their incessant drive. Love it, baby!

NYC FOJ Meetups-Connecting FOJ’s is What It’s All About

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:28:00 -0500

The reason why I like the "Friends Of Jer (FOJ) Meetups" is because I get to see people from various parts of my life come together, meet each other, and engage in great conversation.

While the headline for my trip to NYC was a presentation at NYU's Stern School of Business on "Building Your Personal Brand Through Social Media," I took the opportunity to arrange two separate gatherings at Think Coffee in the West Village (yes, the FOJ's are so trendy).

In the afternoon session, I was joined by Abigail (JHU '95), Donna (Microsoft colleague), Michael (Snickelways colleague) and Barak (my brother, not the presidential candidate.)

The conversation moved around, but centered on the idea of "finding your true career calling." We discussed people's underlying motivations and passions, how to identify them, and then how to put an action plan in place to realize them.

The evening session brought Roz and Robbie (DC folks), Scott (former roommate), Efrem (UWS guy), Matt (another Snick colleague), Rabbi Jan (former teacher), and Abigail (back for more..she lives around the corner).

Things got intense early as we (actually they, as I just listened) got political and hard core!! Obama, Clinton, Palin, McCain, abortion, abortion, abortion. It was CRAZY, but I loved it.

The best though is seeing the new relationships being formed. Abigail has a friend for Barak to talk with. Matt and Robbie pulled out the laptop and started talking Ruby on Rails.

Anyway, a great chance to reconnect and to help establish new connections. Thanks to all who showed up.

Polite Efficiency

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 07:49:00 -0500

Image via Wikipedia You know who my favorite people are?

People who respect your time and are efficient, but polite in the way they do it.

There are abrupt and efficient.

There are polite and inefficient.

Let's get to the point, but be nice about it.

A Sewage Story...

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:55:00 -0500

Image via Wikipedia Nothing better than having your main sewer line back up and the basement of your house begin to back up with putrid water.

Yep, so it was.

Not pretty, particulary $600 later after the Roto-Rooter guy [Rema from Burma], (who admittedly worked his butt off snaking the drain) showed me the roots that had gotten into the drain.

The good news, the problem was solved.

The bad news, it's a band-aid on a larger problem.

I'm told that once roots get into the drain, you're looking at only a matter of time before the pipes are totally gone...which requires replacing them (digging up the yard, etc.). Won't be pretty or
cheap.

Anyway, further evidence that owning a home is a never-ending money pit.

The $23,000 11 year old...

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 10:39:01 -0500

Image via Wikipedia I'd heard horror stories of the *great business practice* of the RIAA suing their customers, but it had never hit home...until last week.

Was talking to a good friend, Rachel W. who told me the following story.

Despite warning her 11 year old not to download music illegally online, one night a babysitter came over and introduced the 11 year old to Limewire.

In the digital age equivalence of peer-pressure she said, "yeah, it's illegal, but everyone does it."

Well, fast forward a few months and Rachel W. gets a note from Verizon. Her IP address has been identified and the RIAA is coming after her.

Her husband is a lawyer, but from all looks of it, she's got no out.

They get sent to a website, where they fork over $1000 PER SONG.

Yes, that's right, the 11 year old downloaded 23 songs.

And as if that isn't bad enough, she knew of people in her suit whose kids had downloaded hundreds of songs, but paid the same amount.

Needless to say, she's irritated and wants revenge.

She just doesn't know what to do.

Oh, and she's $23,000 worse off for it.

BTW, Joe Biden is one of the RIAA's top-voting Senators and proposed a $1bn bill to monitor P2P ('filesharing') networks to catch people like Rachel W's 11 year old daughter.

Jim Henson and the 3 Kid Family Excursion

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:03:00 -0500

In the latest of our series of Family excursions, my dad and I took the 3 kids to see the Jim Henson traveling exhibit at the Smithsonian.

The heat index that day was 102, so Paco and Tonka cooled their feet in the National Sculpture Garden pool facing the National Archives building.

Without my dad, this day would not have been possible. The NFO was at work and it was the first effort to take all three out.

The exhibition itself was smaller than expected and good. It’s hard to measure ROI, since it was so hot, we had trouble finding parking, it was the day of the DC triathlon and the kids were more excited about the carousel and getting ice cream, but it’s important to take advantage of your hometown, so I felt good about that.

Childhood Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:23:00 -0500

One of those things that makes fatherhood special is seeing your kids do things that everyone knows is silly, but that no one cares about.

Case in point is Tonka.

Every night she sleeps with a diaper box on her bed, full of her books.

It’s funny. She knows it. I know it.

But, we both love it.

The end of political discourse?

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:44:00 -0500

The most commented on post in Jer979 blog history (2466 posts) has created some casualties.

And I am concerned that it is symbolic of a larger issue going on.
Star commenter Tjada says she is on a “blog hiatus” until after the election.
Jdub says he won’t comment on political related posts anymore b/c it gets him too worked up.
Others have sent me notes about their reactions.
I’ve got two thoughts on this.
On a macro scale, I wonder if blogs are just not good for political discourse. Are we really conversing the way a blog is supposed to?
Or are we shouting at each other? Just getting angrier and angrier.
And as a blogger/marketer, I hate to lose readers (or get them to the point where they don’t want to add their $.02, which you know I love.)
On the other hand, the blog is about what I am thinking about, so in theory, even if no one reads it still has value, right?
Wrong.
When I first started, it was way for me to “vent.”
Now, though, I love using it to communicate. To get conversations started. To give folks a frame of reference. To build bonds and bridges.
So, I am not sure what to do?
Create controversy is part of my mantra, yes. But, I want conversation more than anything else.
Maybe it’s time to change the tagline? (aka the mission).

Image by vasta via Flickr

Gallup Organization=Data Mercenaries

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 09:23:00 -0500

The other night the Gallup organization called me to get my thoughts on various issues (McCain/Obama, Economy, healthcare, where I bank?).

At first, I was excited.
Then, as the questions progressed, I started to feel irritated and angry.
The guy on the phone (Phillip Jackson out of the Houston office-call him at 402 952-4444 to say hi ; no he's not the LA Lakers coach) was nice enough.
It was the questions...and how they were framed.
I've spent enough time with data to know that the old adage of "lies, damn lies, and statistics" is a truism and I found these questions to be perfectly suited for manipulative interpretation.

Are you currently satisfied with your entire standard of living? Can you afford everything you want to afford?

Well, yeah, I’m not depressed about it, but sure there are things I’d like to buy that I can’t

Do you feel empowered by your supervisor?

Uh, I’m self-employed, so yes, I guess I do.
Anyway, a series of questions that, over time, just made me less and less impressed with the whole process.
I don’t remember all of the details now (I was managing the 3 kidios at the time), but I remember thinking “Man, these questions are just ridiculous. You can do whatever you want with this data to tell whatever story you want.”
Now, when I hear Gallup, I will hear “data mercenary.”

Best Wedding Invite Ever…

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:04:00 -0500

My sister and future brother-in-law have done it again.

First, they put out one of the best wedding websites ever. Ok, I’m biased.

And now, the most humorous and remarkable wedding envelope.

Over on my Igniting The Revolution blog, I talk about ‘building your personal brand.” Here’s proof that your personal brand extends to all aspects of your life.

Going Into a Board Meeting...with God

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:03:42 -0500

For the next two days, I will be in intense negotiations with my single biggest investor- God.

The annual review process (aka Rosh Hashana-the Jewish New Year) is a time for God to assess my performance against the goals we set at last year’s annual meeting.

As Chairman of the Board, God looks at all of the details, leaving no stone unturned.

Typically, these are long sessions.

I am cautiously optimistic about God approving my ongoing operations for another year, but you can’t take these things for granted.

You may lobby on my behalf by emailing God directly or connecting to Him via the social network of your choice (He’s big on Facebook now, I’m told)

You Look Tired...

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:01:00 -0500

Image by denis collette via FlickrHow do you respond when someone says "you look tired?"

Chuck asked me this. His take: it's a nice way of saying 'you don't look so good."

My take: people trying to express sympathy for the challenges of day to day life management.

Thoughts?

Movie: Juno

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:12:00 -0500

Image by sick-sad little world. via FlickrWith so much hype, I was expecting to be disappointed by Juno.

I wasn't.

It exceeded it. Did a great job "telling a story" and had a number of good life lessons in there. Acting and soundtrack was superb.

Now, I get it.

Kids and Basements...

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 04:09:00 -0500

Image by jer979 via FlickrFor the past few weeks, my two kids have come home from school, disappeared into the basement for 2 hours, and then re-emerged for dinner time.

What is it about basements that attract kids?

Growing up, my brothers and I also cherished the privacy of the basement.

Is it "out of sight" of parents? The feeling that you are 'under ground.'

For the psychologists out there, is there some part of our psyche (a la 'man cave') that cherishes relative seclusion?

The imaginary world they are building is fantastic. I am cherishing this part of parenting.

All because of a basement.

Twitter won the VP debate...

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:53:00 -0500

I couldn't agree more with my friend David Almacy's assertion below.

View almacy&ampampamprsquos tweet

here's the link cited above

Here's why...

I enjoyed watching the debate, but I really enjoyed listening to the 'tweets' put out by my friends and network regarding the debate.

Sure, there were some stupid comments out there, but most of the people were making fun and insightful remarks.

Between Twitter and Facebook Status Updates, it is like I was in a room with 50 people, sharing comments and observations. I attended a debate party and didn't even have to leave my living room.

Sewage Pipes and Why I Love Blogging...

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:57:01 -0500

Image via WikipediaThe skeptics and naysayers often ask me "why do you put so much useless stuff on your blog? Who wants to read about your sewage problem?"

The answer is: I don't know.

But what I do know is that IF I write about it in an interesting way, then people will read about it, but the BEST part is when I get valuable input as a result.

"Why do you have to tell the world?"

I don't, but the thing is, I don't know what my network knows.

By putting information out there, the people who do know will tell me what I need to know. And this happens...A LOT. Which is why I keep doing it.

So, for the rest of you, here is Steve's note:

We had a similar problem. You need to put copper sulfate crystals in the system every 6 months or so. The crystals inhibit the growth of roots. You can buy it at Home Depot or online, and you just flush a jar of the stuff down the basement toilet twice a year. There also are some other stronger products that can kill off small roots before they grow. We had a similar blockage years ago and the plumber recommended this treatment. So far, so good.

I'm done with political blogging and tweeting...

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 01:12:00 -0500

Image via WikipediaI'm tired of the snarkiness.

I saw one tweet during the debate tonight (I didn't watch it) that said,

"Four corners of the earth? Doesn't McCain know the earth is round?"

Tell me, does that really add to the debate?

Do you think that by highlighting for your network, that McCain uses a common phrase that we all use that he is somehow unworthy of office? Or stupid? Come on.

I've long preached that it's ok for people to share their opinions about politics on the 'social web' because I didn't think one would 'get punished' for their political views.

And that is still true...I think it is a sad day when someone says, "oh, you're a Republican, so I won't buy from you."
Image via Wikipedia

But, HOW you choose to present your and your opinions DOES make a difference.

If you keep putting out updates/posts/tweets telling me "how stupid Sarah Palin is," I am going to start thinking that you are small-minded.

There are smart marketing minds out there for whom I've lost a lot of personal (even though I don't know them personally, of course) respect by the way they've presented their cases for their candidates (on both sides).

Seriously, I don't care that you want to vote for Obama. Great. You should. You should argue your case. But, do it on the merits. Don't make your point with little comments that are the hallmarks of 4th graders.

Leave that to the campaign manager and their "I approve this message" ads.

Their brands will be gone in 4 weeks. Yours will last forever.

As for me, I'm done for now. People get too emotional and the rational discussion is gone.

One day, we'll figure out how to have good political discussion online/virtually and I'll keep looking for the right tools to do it.

Dear Jewish Charities....

noreply@blogger.com (Jer979) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:14:00 -0500

Image via WikipediaI know it is High Holiday season.

I know that people are more likely to give donations now than any other time of year.

So, yes, it is a good idea to send solicitations now. We're in a repenting sort of mood.

But, you know what is stupid?

Selling the names on your list to other charities.

Yes, times are tough...and for those who do work in Israel, a dollar doesn't go as far. That's for sure. But, you are cutting yourself off at the knees. Penny wise, pound foolish.

You see, you're not on the receiving end of 5, 10, 15 pieces of direct mail per day. By selling my name to other charities (with whom I have NO relationship), you are just clogging up my mailbox, and losing the war for my attention.

And, everybody loses. Including you.

I don't even bother to read your well-crafted 5 page letter about whatever it is you do or who you help.

So, they all go in the trash, er, recycling.

Yours...along with the ones to whom you sold.

Instead, I figure out who respects me enough not to bombard me...and I give them my charitable donations.

We're entering an era where it is going to easier and easier for me to prevent your communications (of all types) from ever showing up if I don't want to hear from you.

So, you need to respect my wishes, build the relationship with me, and not contribute to spamming (yes, I know it's not kosher, but so are your stupid marketing practices) my mailbox.

IF you don't, you're going to get even less donations (from everybody) over the long haul.

Sincerely,

a Marketer who generally cares about your mission

Jer979's Blog...

9/11 in NYC Remembered…

Just how BIG is the abortion issue?

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Personal Responsibility...Hurricane Ike

Raise the price of water…

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Negotiating Skills

Concerned/Interested in Data Privacy Issues?

Comedian: Movie Review and Business Tool

NYC on the Day After Meltdown 2008

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NYC FOJ Meetups-Connecting FOJ’s is What It’s All About

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Polite Efficiency

A Sewage Story...

The $23,000 11 year old...

Jim Henson and the 3 Kid Family Excursion

Childhood Moment

The end of political discourse?

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Gallup Organization=Data Mercenaries

Best Wedding Invite Ever…

Going Into a Board Meeting...with God

You Look Tired...

Movie: Juno

Kids and Basements...

Twitter won the VP debate...

Sewage Pipes and Why I Love Blogging...

I'm done with political blogging and tweeting...

Dear Jewish Charities....