Monthly Archives: October 2010

October 29, 2010 · 9:14 am

Tweakers

What it looks like when something tastes bad.

For this Foodie Friday, I want to continue yesterday’s theme on the Power of Better.  I’m sure we all know someone who can walk into your kitchen, look at or taste what you’re making and offer up a suggestion to improve it.  This may be the same person with whom you share a recipe and when you taste it as they prepare it the dish is better than when you cook it.  Inevitably you ask them about that and they say  “Oh, I made a few changes to your recipe.”  They “tweaked” it a bit and it’s better.  But it raises a corollary to yesterday’s theme and I want to share it. Continue reading →

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October 28, 2010 · 10:42 am

The Power Of Better

An incandescent light bulb.

I was sitting in a local tech meet-up last evening watching a demo of a new video service. One criterion I always use to evaluate new stuff is “does it solve a problem and is that problem of a size that’s big enough to support a business?” This does (note to self – a post soon on SWAP’s – Solutions Without A Problem) but so do the other 20 or 30 solutions addressing the issue. So what makes this one a winner?

Simply put – The Power of Better. I think there is great power in innovating but I also think there is just as much – arguably more – power in being better and I can prove it. Continue reading →

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October 27, 2010 · 11:42 am

Tit For Tat

Image representing News Corporation as depicte...

I was reading something yesterday which, on the surface, seems pretty innocuous but which, in my opinion, can herald the start of a really dangerous trend.  Then again, given the state of some parts of the media today, maybe I’m just late to the dance.  As usual, I’ll let you guys decide.

The article was written in the Sydney Morning Herald (you have to love the way we all can read any paper in the world!) and features everyone’s favorite media baron, Rupert.  It’s not so much as what’s here but where the road leads. Continue reading →

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October 26, 2010 · 11:00 am

Bitch Loudly

A couple of weeks ago the Vice President told his fellow democrats to “stop whining” and do something.  Now, long-time readers know that we avoid politics in this space (you think business issues are polarizing – try getting people to keep an open mind when you write about politics!).  However, that comment made me think of something and I want to share it with you guys.

Many supervisors share the VP’s thinking.  People should stop whining and get to work.  If you don’t like something, change it.  I disagree and here’s why. Continue reading →

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October 25, 2010 · 12:46 pm

People Are Talking About You

elephant talk

We start the week with something that won’t tax our brains too badly.  Today it’s a report that confirms something I think we probably all know but of which it’s nice to have confirmation.  In a nutshell, we learn that people are the best brand ambassadors and that many folks tell their friends when they’ve had a great experience as well as when they’re unhappy.  While there may be a tendency to assume that only the negative stuff gets talked about, that’s just not the case. Continue reading →

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October 22, 2010 · 11:20 am

I Am Iron Chef

Iron Chef

We’ve made it to Friday and our food-themed post of the week and this time it’s about one of the seminal cooking shows Iron Chef.  The first time I saw this show I was blown away.  Yes, there was the whole dubbed kung-fu movie vibe but more than anything was just the notion of walking into a kitchen, being handed a theme, and having an hour to do your best work creating as many different dishes as you can cook.  Frankly, the American version doesn’t hold a cleaver to the original from Japan although the cooking skills are just as impressive.  The bonds between the two, besides the format and the references to “The Chairman”,  are Masaharu Morimoto, a chef from the original show who has moved to the US and runs some very fine restaurants, and the ubiquitous Bobby Flay who actually was on the Japanese program twice (the first time to great controversy) and now is an American Iron Chef.

Oh, and me, of course. Continue reading →

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October 21, 2010 · 10:28 am

Oy Vey – A Survey

Citizens registered as an Independent, Democra...

As one might expect a couple of weeks before an election, the air is filled with the sound of pollsters. I don’t know about you but we get called almost every day (and night) to answer some poll about our voting intentions (absolutely), our choice of candidate (not you if you don’t stop calling), and our basic demography (I’m a 29-year-old woman with blond hair and a deep voice as far as they know).
Political polls aren’t the only kind you read about, and involve in your business, every day. TV ratings are polls, as are almost all media data. So it’s good to keep a few things in mind as you see the data. Continue reading →

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