Open Letter to My Gun-Control Friends... Alas, You Are Right!

This is an open letter to one of my friends who is pro-gun control... Well, that's not exactly true; he doesn’t just want gun control. He wants to make all guns completely illegal.

Dear Jean (his real name),

About gun control: I agree with you. We need to protect the children. I understand that the best entity to do that is undoubtedly the US government. They have a proven record of success that cannot be matched!

Perhaps you should tell everyone who is against gun control about how the U.S. government protected them when they killed about 1 million Native Americans (who, by the way, didn't have guns). Those Native Americans were savages and they had to die to make way for our God-given manifest destiny and us.

Also remind people not to forget the great protection the US government gave its own citizens when it waged a war against them and killed nearly 700,000 of them in a war to protect sanctity of the state between 1861 and 1865? A war that killed citizens that had voted in that government to protect them! 

Or how, as late as about 1890, the US government righteously executed over 150 American Indians (80% were women and children) in a legal gun seizure raid at Wounded Knee? Or freeing those evil Branch Davidians at Waco, TX in 1993, killing 76 men, women and children?

Don’t forget to mention the now rarely disputed view that FDR knew about and encouraged the Japanese to attack Pearl Harbor - and didn't allow his commanders to know about it, so that 2400+ Americans died? FDR did that to save lives!

Sure, sometimes there are tough choices to make, right? But remind everyone that the US government are always the Good Guys, with God on our side. Everyone makes mistakes, but at least our government means well.

Isn’t it wonderful living in the greatest country in the world?

Oh, and don’t forget to mention about how the U.S. government - which would never turn on its citizens - imprisoned about 112,000 peaceful Japanese Americans during WWII? And also imprisoned peaceful German Americans during both world wars (over 2,000 in World War I and over 11,000 in World War II.)

Or, don’t forget to mention shooting peaceful student protestors and killing them at Kent State in 1970! Sure, those things happened... But it was for those students' own protection!

9/11? What? There another 3000 died. But no one could possibly imagine that our benevolent leaders would intentionally allow the world's most powerful, most feared, air force to sit at base doing nothing at the time, right?

Some nutcases will argue that US history is replete with the US government committing gross crimes against humanity (Hiroshima, Nagasaki) and a litany of atrocities against its own people. But these cases are all hearsay. What proof do they have?

Blowing away a few to several hundred troublesome Americans matters to no one except conspiracy nuts and terrorists, right? I mean, if they are troublesome, they can’t be “real Americans,” anyway!

We need to protect the children. We need to take guns out of the hands of the citizens and give it back to the government….

After all, history shows that the US government is our best protector. They've proven, over and over, that they will take care of us!

Thanks to my friend, David Kramer

L5 remote ユニバーサルリモートコントロール iPhoneがリモコンに

Make your iPhone a TV and appliance remote control!

iPhone, iPad, iPod touchに取付 TVやエアコンのリモコン操作が簡単に！

L5は、売り切れ続出　

アメリカで大人気の赤外線リモコンアダプターです。

テレビ、ケーブルテレビ、DVD,オーディオ及びそのほかのデバイスを制御します。

App Storeから無料のアプリケーションをダウンロードして使います。

今だけの超お買い得！自宅のリモコンが沢山あってごちゃごちゃしている方、すべてをこれ１つで統一してはいかがでしょうか？1個のお値段です。

アマゾンの値段：￥４１８９

こちらは：￥２８８０！！！

操作確認済みです。

詳しく：　http://bit.ly/YaYSLF

Incredibly, Over 92% of All Adults Have Bad Toilet Manners. Do You? Here's a Simple Test!

Like many etiquette rules: be conservative in what you do, and liberal in what you accept from others. - Old saying

I want to talk about a pet peeve... Or, should I say, a "Pet Poo-ve"?

The following is a true story.... 

I had known John and Suzie since I was a high school student. In fact, I introduced them. Now, they are living together...

I walk into John and Suzie's apartment and they are fighting again. What are they fighting about? The typical thing that a dysfunctional couple always fights about: The female is complaining that the male never lowers the toilet seat after he is done with his standing up position and relieving himself.

They both ask me my opinion (I guess I look like an expert or something). Suzie says, "Shouldn't the guy lower the seat after he's done so that the woman doesn't have to?" John pisses and moans that it is the duty of whoever enters to set the seat to the position that they need, not the previous person.

I ask, "Who used the toilet last?" Suzie says she did and she's sick of having to put the seat down every time she uses the toilet. I look in the bathroom. Indeed the seat is down.

I walk back into the living room to see the two fuming over this ridiculous nonsense.

"Well?" They both ask me...

"You are both wrong." I say....

-----------------

That was 35 years ago. And from what I see I've taught my children well. Everywhere I go, to offices, homes, where ever only a small percentage of people close the toilet seat lid. I am anal-retentive that way. I notice things like that...

I always close the toilet lid before I flush. I was brought up by a woman that taught us proper manners. Even my eight-year-old son has better toilet manners than, dare I say, 92% of all people reading this blog post.

Here's why: My son knows that after every use of the toilet that it is not just the seat that should be closed, but the top lid too (what's a lid for, anyway?) Women who leave the toilet with the seat down yet do not close the lid have no business calling guys who don't lower the seat as savages... Hell, both, if they don't close the lid, seem like they were brought up under rocks.

Guys, girls, after using the toilet, you might think this is anal, but good manners and proper upbringing dictate closing the toilet lid.

Moms, dads, teach your children manners... Aren't you embarrassed when they go to some one's home and they don't close the toilet lid?

Guys, girls, when you date someone and go to meet the parents the first time, make sure you always close the toilet seat lid. Do it even if their family never does it. Why? Because they will start to notice that after you use the toilet that you always close the cover properly... That shows manners and that your parents were not, as Basil Fawlty would say, "Riff Raff."

------------------

Test your manners!

Which toilet seat position after use shows proper manners and upbringing?:

Hint: For people that don't wash their hands in public toilets because they don't want to touch door handles or toilet lids: Close the lid. Then grab some toilet paper, then wash your hands, then use the toilet paper to shut off the water and open the toilet door. Always carrying extra tissues is a good idea... This is a good way to avoid colds and the flu.

*By the way, before someone jumps on me for some silliness.... Miss Manners completely agrees with me (of course, it's common sense). She discussed this in a column once. When asked about the "seat up or down" issue she said they're both wrong, you're supposed to close the thing entirely including the lid (for both aesthetic and practical and health reasons). Always close the lid before flushing as that prevents dirty water particles from going into the air!

At a Board of Directors Meeting

"It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than open it and remove all doubt" - Mark Twain

I've been to Board of Directors meetings several times. These are the meetings between the top executives running corporations. Many of these top executives are also shareholders and have invested sometimes up to several million dollars. Besides members of the Board (who are elected) some shareholders have observer status and some company executives also have the privilege of being observers.

If I go, I am usually an observer but have been an elected executive member of the Board before (awful duty) and I have also been an observer or member at two other companies.

Let me tell you the difference between a meeting with these people and a meeting with regular appointed middle management at most companies; at a Board of Directors meeting, people aren't afraid to say their opinion. Nor is there any white-lie atmosphere filled with fake niceties. At a Board of Directors meeting, if you f*ck something up or if you are negligent in your duties or unaware of important information, people will ream your a*s. On the other hand, at a middle management meeting, If you criticize middle management, they usually take offense; that's why they don't climb up.

Also at a Board of Directors meeting, people make their dislike for other members well known.

The very first time I was invited to one, it kind of scared me.

I've seen 50-year-old men screaming at each other from the tops of their lungs. I've seen people throwing books and other objects at company presidents and high ranking executives from the other side of the room when plans failed or when they were incompetent. I've seen 60-year-old men crying after meetings when they got repeatedly pummeled by other members of the Board or by Observer Status members.

When people make mistakes, are negligent or are incompetent at this level, they get reamed. 

Of course they do. The people who get upset are the ones who have their own money, sometimes a half million dollars, sometimes one and one half million, sometimes four million dollars on the line. They don't f*ck around. And if you make mistakes, they will crucify you.

Sorry to use such strong language (chuckle) but these people aren't joking.

That's the difference between these sorts of people and middle management that get a salary. The salary guys get their pay no matter what. All they care about is the paycheck at the end of the month. That's why sometimes they make management decisions that fill their pocketbook as a primary purpose. Their priority is protection of their position, not success of the company.

And that's why these sorts of middle management people never graduate to upper management; they don't consider the company money as money out of their own pocket. They don't fight with the tenacity of the folks who are in upper management; of course they don't. The folks in upper management fight like they do for success because it is their own money on the line.

Middle management who put themselves in front of company well being and success would do well to step back and try to be more subjective.

Like I said, if they make the mistakes they make at upper levels, people would be throwing books at them. 

As for me, I try to follow the advice of Mark Twain.

It Doesn't Matter If It's Food, Fashion, Music, Cars or? Branding is a Science

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody - Bill Cosby

I had a meeting with a nice gentleman the other day who is working on the branding of his company. I was a bit alarmed at what he said. It was obvious that this person wasn't exactly clear as to what Branding means.

He is in the restaurant industry and said to me,

"We can't be sure the age of our customers or who they are so we can't decide on what kind of food we will serve, we just have to make sure that the food we serve always tastes great."

Well, yes and no. He can't decide what kind of customers he's going to get or their age. That's true... But if he thinks he is making things to please everyone, he certainly can't do that either. He's wrong there. Also, if he's thinking is that his only competition are other restaurants, then he is dead wrong on that issue too. 

I'll explain why in a moment. 

Just like the old adage that Bill Cosby made into his own above, this kind of thinking is a time proven key to failure. It astounds me that to this day, with all the many example around us on why this sort of thinking doesn't work anymore (please think: Apple, Google, famous fashion makers, etc.) When you try to please everyone, you please no one. This is obvious and has been repeated over and over again throughout history since the Industrial Revolution. The serve-all method is a sure-fire way to fail.

Here's why...

The success of corporations like Coca-Cola, Apple, Google and Mercedes Benz, just to name a few; proves that specialization is the key to success in this day and age.

The sushi-ya is good at what they do. "But they can't be sure of the customers or their age!" Should the sushi-ya now add Chinese Food, Hamburgers, Indian Curry, etc. to the menu? Of course not!

There are lessons around us everywhere. Let's look at the restaurant industry for an easy example. Quick name one highly successful and profitable family restaurant? Denny's? Nope. They are rumored to be on the verge of bankruptcy. How about in Japan? What others are there? There's Gusto and Jonathans and Skylark to name a few. All rumored to be nearing bankruptcy. Skylark did go belly up.

How about Royal Host and Sizzler? Well, the Royal Host chain isn't doing well, but is better off financially than Gusto and Jonathans... Why? They own Sizzler in Japan.

Sizzler?! Well, yes, folks, Sizzler is doing well in Japan, thank you. Why? They specialize. They realized years ago that they needed to set themselves apart from the others in their market space. Sizzler is a steak house and its steak meals start at over ¥3,190 a plate! (about $35.77). Sizzler may be considered a family restaurant but they are doing all they can to destroy that image and change to a higher end steak restaurant.

That's Branding. That's smart. That niche marketing.

Branding is doing thorough market research and then focusing on one part of the market.

The example above I gave where the boss said, "We can't be sure the age of our customers so we can't decide on what kind of food we will serve, we just have to make sure that the food we serve always tastes great." He is so completely wrong on that point that it makes me wonder if he has ever bothered to read any books on Branding and Marketing? Or, does he even understand the concept? I don't think so, that sort of thinking is like something out of the 1950s.

Let me get back to that point and prove to you why the other restaurants are not his only competition in this day and age and why trying to please everyone will fail with a simple example.

Imagine: It is your free time, say lunch time. You have one hour. There are so many things for you to do and to choose from on how you spend your one hour. You could go shopping or you could go to the gym, or for a walk, or to a coffee shop. You could go to a book store or meet friends, you could listen to music on your iPod or iPhone or Android or at a record store nearby. You could eat your own homemade lunch or, you could go to a restaurant. The choices are endless.

But, since it is lunch time, and you didn't bring your own lunch, you are hungry. 

In your immediate area there are 5 family restaurants. There's the Denny's, the Skylark, Gusto, Jonathan's or Royal Host... Those restaurants have everything, but I'm sure you'll agree that even though they do have everything, everything is not particularly delicious.

Besides the above, there's also a plethora of choices. There's a McDonalds (Definitely a niche restaurant), a standing soba shop, a delicious sushi restaurant, Chinese food, Indian food, Korean Barbeque, Japanese lunch of baked fish and miso soup, Wendy's, Pizza, etc...

Now, it's not rocket science but most people would go to the specialty shops. 

"How to triple your users and sales by doing just one thing..."

This movement of the market and people's tastes have dictated why this science of Branding is so very important.

Once again, take Apple Store for example. What if they thought that, "...there's all sorts of people who come here of all different ages. We need to please them!" Do you think Apple store would then start carrying Epson printers and ink cartridges? How about printer paper and office supplies? Should Apple start carrying Android phone or old-fashioned cell phones to please the older crowd? See? If one were to stop and think about this for just one second, they'd realize the absurdity of not specializing towards a niche market...

And, I'm sorry, food, music, fashions, etc. are all very broad topics. Anyone who thinks they can't be treated in a scientific fashion for Branding purposes simply just hasn't been paying attention.

For more on the Scientific Method and how Branding is a science, may I recommend: Brands and Brand Management - Contemporary Research Perspectives  

From the publisher review: "Very few books exist that meaningfully integrate the rich and vast body of scientific research and theories that have accumulated in the field, relating to both traditional and contemporary topics in branding. This book accomplishes that task, with contributions from leading experts in the science of branding, national and international. The book should appeal to all students, faculty, and marketing professionals with an interest in research findings about brands, and an interest in deepening their understanding of how consumers view brands."

Thanks to Kevin Riley for the TED link.

Why a $1.8 Million Dollar Tuna is Dirt-Cheap

This blog post is about a very misunderstood topic recently. Of course you heard about the tuna that was sold for a record $1.8 million dollars at the first auction of the New Year in Japan? That price of $1.8 million dollars set a record. It was the top story on all the Japanese networks, the Internet and even on TV and media across the globe: it was one of the top stories and big news all over the world. People couldn't believe that anyone would pay that much money for one fish...

This fish was huge but the chef told me that it sold for about ¥40,000 (about $454 USD)

But, my friends, that $1.8 million dollar price was dirt cheap. Those folks who bought that Tuna didn't really buy a fish, actually, they bought an advertising campaign. The tuna was a prop.

Lots of people seem to misunderstand this.

Japanese Government Will Spend ¥17,166,666 (about $193,333.33 USD) Per Job to Create Jobs! I Want That Job!

The government in this country is leading us to financial catastrophe. You can't make this stuff up.

I can't believe that the people - as well as financial commentators in Japan -aren't up in arms about the latest financial plan from prime minister Shinzo Abe. I can see how the average person couldn't figure this out, but it is simple math. How could most commentators on economics in Japan be so clueless that they can't see the glaring problem with this latest plan? 

First let's look at the plan.