Jul 06
Jul 06
Super 8: http://www.super8-movie.com/ 
Pretty good. Predictable, but in an okay way. Very good nostalgic effect if you grew up in the late 60’s and 70’s. Those who gripe about the tribute to Spielberg’s work miss the point that the tribute IS the point.
Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_dark_of_the_moon/
Also, pretty good. Also, formula driven. But… special effects are terrific. And it is surprisingly funny.
Jun 27
My son and I took home 1st (me) and 3rd place (Brian) at the United States Practical Shooting Area 1 2011 Championship. This is in the B Division (sort of like a handicapping system). I did very well, finishing 12th of 90 shooters and beating a bunch of Master, A, and even a Grand Master. Brian did well as well and would have handily beat me except for pistol problems on two stages.
Next stop…. Nationals!
P.S. I like this better than Little League, cause I get to play too!
Jun 13
What are new customers worth? What are loyal, repeat, customers worth? These are the questions cogently raised by Rocky Agrawal’s dissection of the Groupon Business Model.
I’ve either built, or played a key role in building, three successful business ventures. And I’m in the process of making another one. I learned early on that a customer I already have is worth WAY more than one I don’t. have yet. An easy reminder of that is the $7K just sent me via electronic purchase order by a long time customer. By my rough gauge that is 1 of 5 orders given me today from folks I’ve done business with for years. Combined with a couple orders from new customers it was a good day. And just another pleasant reminder that that hard work we did for them 5 years ago is still paying off.
Bootstrapping a startup that lacks loyal customers is hard, frustrating and thirsty work. In the beginning, all customers are new (and expensive to acquire). My approach is to find strategic customers and make them partners. I give them a great deal, free in most cases, in exchange for feedback and their assistance and referrals. Will it work? Time will tell. If it were easy, everybody would do it!
One thing I won’t be doing is randomly letting price focused customers exploit my offerings without a loyalty / feedback relationship. That’s what Groupon provides. Groupon customers remind me of the folks who visit yard sales before the stated opening times. They want bargains but it is better to wait the day out and work with those who arrive when you are packing it in, or to give a great deal on an item that isn’t selling to somebody who just bought your big screen TV and agreed to haul it off for you.
This lack of loyalty is also why I delayed and delayed and regretted putting in a Yellow Page ad for a successful photo business I had through much of the last decade. It was a part-time venture, but it ended up being among the largest (and likely most profitable) photo businesses in my region. Why? I spent time pleasing customers and making money, not answering phone calls from people asking about pricing. 90% of my business was referral based from customers who would think of using no other photographer for their family, wedding, or business.
That’s why when I decided to start a mobile software company my concept focused around customer loyalty apps. I wanted to provide a way to help businesses foster, keep, and expand a reciprocal relationship with customers that are loyal to them. Oh… and keep to my other simple formula – value, value, value, and the best support they have ever received ever period. Simple!
We are 5 months into the project, and perhaps a month or so off from the launch of about 20 apps for companies I’m loyal to, or that I think are strategic for feedback, market exposure, and yes… more feedback!
I wish Groupon the best. But I’m pretty sure it will fade as folks realize that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence, and that they really should be nice to the girl that accompanied them to the dance.
Jun 13
The Goodyear Blimp crashed in Hindenbergesque fashion over the weekend:
This bums me out on many levels. I’ve thought for a long time that blimps could play a role in changing how we move freight and people in this country. Or hoped it could. But if they still explode like this, no thanks. I suppose anywhere you have fuel, you have a fire risk.
Jun 13
I confess to going to New York for a week recently and not seeing any shows. They were expensive and didn’t seem worth the time and money. I did try, belatedly, to get in and see Rock of Ages, but $300 for seats with an obstructed view hardly seemed a good time.
But I like Neil Patrick Harris’ number, so I’m linking it.
Jun 10
Proof that crowds sometimes get it wrong.
Short: This movie sucked.
Long:
I went to this, with my wife, thinking it would be a tolerable chick flick, funny, and give me a chance to eat popcorn and chocolate almonds. I never even thought to consider the rating, which I assumed was PG-13. Shame on me. It was a solid R, bordering on X.
I should have left 5 minutes in, but I stuck it out.
It wasn’t funny. It wasn’t enjoyable. I was glad when it was over.
Definitely one to skip.
Jun 08
TedTalk: We aren’t inventive anymore
Economy, Interesting Comments Off
last 50 years… other than the Internet, not a lot going on.
We did, alas, get very creative with our fiat money and derivatives.
Hint… the basic problem is unproductive investments with too much focus on healthcare services, more expensive ways to provide worse educations, and a focus on innovation in things that please the senses.
Jun 08
The 10-employee park has five pieces of machinery, including a pair of Caterpillar D5 track-type bulldozers and three Caterpillar 315CL hydraulic excavators. Dig This sells three-hour packages that consist of a 30-minute safety and operation orientation followed by two hours of maneuvering either a bulldozer or excavator.
$400 is a bit steep. That model may work in Vegas where people seem to enjoy blowing money, but I doubt their franchise plans will work to other more frugal (read sane) places.
Jun 07
Why? Because CNN doesn’t like him.
http://volokh.com/2011/06/07/exclusion-of-gary-johnson/
I’d say a 2 time governor who has filed for the office should be a pretty much automatic inclusion. Don’t you?
And I like the author, Ron Nielson’s, facts on this:
Consider: In early 1991, then-Governor Bill Clinton was in 11th place in presidential primary polling with 2%. By November of 1991, he was only at 6%, a fact which led one commentator to later observe: “If the front runners in the 1992 Democratic primary had been successful in excluding all the “non-serious” candidates, Bill and Hillary Clinton would have never made it to the national stage.” The “frontrunners” in 1991, by the way, were Mario Cuomo and Jerry Brown.
Here is the difference…. those guys were liberals who loved to tax, spend, borrow, let men marry men, and kill babies. In other words they were “qualified” to be President in CNN’s warped view.
I hope CNN re-considers. Not that I’ll watch it.
BTW: Learn more about his policies here:
http://www.garyjohnson2012.com/issues
Note to Gary… the Economy should be FIRST on your list, not Foreign Policy.
Jun 07
Filming the intro crawl to The Empire Strikes Back. They don’t do it that way anymore…
More backstage shots at http://www.angusrshamal.com/best-of-bts-2/
Jun 06
With NetFlix, Amazon Video, and Hulu+, and a few other services I can’t remember hosted on my Roku box, a large number of these essential films are available to me at my leisure.
Jun 03
These tips, from Popular Mechanics, work. I’ve seen my Expedition get north of 20 using them on longer trips in mountainous areas of Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
May 23
Plus Up for Johnson
Politics Comments Off
Ilya Somin has a short analysis of how Gary Johnson is a better standard bearer for libertarian views than Ron Paul. I agree with that.
The key to defeating the socialists is having a coalition focused on just that. If we let country clubbers like Huntsman, or social policy drive this, then the socialists, with their united “steal from everybody else” front will win.
Johnson ain’t perfect, but he’s the best I see in the field now. And he is a LOT better than anything the Rats have to offer.