Say Cheese! The Danger of Not Keeping Up

Times are a changing aren’t they?  Just this morning I got my Wall Street Journal, opened it up, and saw that Eastman Kodak had filed for bankruptcy.  Yes, the Eastman Kodak, the largest retailer in the film industry for oh I don’t know a hundred plus years, declared that it had finally run out of financial funding.  Kodak got its start in 1881 and invented the first flexible and rolled film.  At its peak in the early 1980s, the company employed 62,000 people in Rochester, NY and over 130,000 people worldwide. Today, Kodak employs only a fraction of that; 17,000 people worldwide, 8,000 of them in the U.S, which is nearly a 90% reduction in work force. To understand that visually, take your body, chop every part, and keep one hand and a little bit of your forearm- doesn’t really work does it?  This got me to thinking about how many other businesses were ultimately doomed because they too failed to keep up with the ever changing world of technology. We all know about the GM fiasco, and how the Japanese Big Three; Toyota, Honda, and Nissan scooped up a majority of the profits due to quick reflexes that adjusted to customer’s ever changing demands.  While GM was throwing money into the 8 mpg Hummer, Toyota was putting the finishing touches on the Prius; while GM haphazardly launched an entire new company in Saturn, Honda was honing its design and developing its premium brand Acura to strike a mighty blow to the likes of Cadillac. GM finally came face to face with the reality that every other American encounters; a nation that has acquired an appetite for financial greed, even if it means their own catastrophic failure.  Thanks to the Good Ol’ Government, GM was allowed to save face and stay in business (I wonder if the President would give me bailout money), meanwhile their CEO’s were busy giving themselves bonuses and raises while their stocks continued to plummet.  Greed and an inability to keep up with the new demands of a savvy consumer market that now demanded higher MPG and safer vehicles is what eventually ruined the profitability of General Motors.  I think the same obstacle of not adjusting to the ever-pressing needs of the consumer is one of the key reasons Eastman Kodak is also now facing financial ruin (again a 90% reduction in employees over 20+ years).

The fascinating part of this is that Kodak was actually the first company to invent, patent and bring to market the first digital camera.  Weird huh? So what happened? Kodak took an overly conservative approach to the predicted needs of digital photography and allowed other companies to move ahead in the race to conquer the digital world.  Companies like Sony and Cannon became the front runners for this new digital method of capturing photos and video, and what profits those two companies left on the table, were taken by other smaller start-up digital companies.  

No one wants to talk about failure, but you have to admit, if you are anywhere under the age of sixty, that we too must recognize the lessons of these two former industry icons and continue to sharpen our minds, adapting to the technology that surrounds us.  I’ll admit, I was one of the last hold outs in the anti-smart phone campaign, however I finally succumbed and now, I stand in awe of just how much my little smart phone can process.  It’s like having a small computer on my hip. Those that elect to close their eyes to this new technology will eventually learn the similar lesson that GM and Kodak are now experiencing.  They have been left behind; whereas only two choices remain; change, or get out of the business.  For us hard-working Americans, we can exercise our rights to enjoy the high-tech world we now live in, or be desperately left in the dark wondering why nobody buzzes our pager anymore (Admit it, you had one at one time.)

Until Next week, Cheers!

-Lou 

Password Soup, and Playoffs vs. the Apple

If you’re anything like me, with any connection to the electronic age either through your workplace or at home, then you are a person of many resources.   What that really means is that you probably have and maintain a ton of electronic accounts and passwords to go with every single one of them just like me like email, work related web sites, bank accounts, You Tube, and don’t forget about the ever overbearing Facebook account (you know it’s true, they kind of play the electronic big daddy, deciding what’s best for us and specifically dictating just how we connect on the social web).  If you are like me, it all can be a lot like password soup.  They all become a huge mental ball of letters, exclamation marks, under scores and asterisks, waiting to be sifted out the next time you log in.   Just the other day, I kept entering what I believed was my password for a work related site, only to remember (on the fifth try) that it was actually my email password.  Of course by then, it was too late to try again because I had gone over the limit of attempts, and now had to change my password to an all together different one, hopefully counting on the fact that next time, I could keep all of these passwords floating around in my brain in such a way that when needed, I would miraculously remember which password went where on my first attempt, and whola! Perfect.  Of course, you and I know that never happens.  God forbid we go over three attempts, for if we do, you and I are stuck trying to come up with a new one (is “Thispasswordthingsucks!9277” taken?). Long gone are the days where one password fits all.  These days, even my Craigslist account password requirements have gotten a little out of control (please use one lower case letter, one upper case letter, one number, a special character, and at least eight letters but no more than twenty-five letters) all this to simply post a free worn out mattress?  Oy vey!

Religion and the Apple

There is a religious debate going on around the nation right now and no, I am not talking about Mitt Romney and Mormonism (remember, thankfully I don’t get into politics).  I am talking of course about what the rest of the world just can’t leave alone; Tim Tebow and the fact that so many people have ostracized him for his devout and often overly public display of his faith in Jesus. What I wonder about is how people can actually think that because the Denver Broncos lost on Saturday, that Jesus optioned out of helping Tebow on that night, and therefore God must have wanted Tebow and the Broncos to lose.  I can’t really imagine that normal thinking adults do in fact think this way, could they? Of course you and I don’t think that way, of course not.  Just as much as we also really don’t believe that walking under a ladder or in front of a black cat really brings bad luck.  Let’s go way out on a limb for a second,  apart from the mob mentality and try this much less used opinion of Tebow; could it simply be a case of him merely being excited about having a personal relationship with God, grateful for the paycheck that comes with playing in the NFL, and couple that with the fact that he sincerely wants to be a public ambassador for his faith? Stranger things have happened right?  What is the difference between Tebow’s personal and (due to a heavy presence of television cameras) often publicly caught display of prayer and any other commercial we see on tv?  I mean we wouldn’t go as far as to boldly claim that those commercials are insisting we convert to their products would we? Again of course not.  To say that Tim Tebow is “pushing” his faith on us is like saying that Apple is “pushing” their high end (and non sharing) gadgets on us (oh wait a minute, they do do that).  Isn’t it our choice whether we become inspired by a young man that by all rights, should have never been born (The doctor at the time suggested strongly that Tim Tebow be aborted to save the life of his mother due to a foreign bacteria in her system), only to have his brave and courageous mother take a risk of dying during labor and delivery just to have him?  If anything, I think Tim Tebow has a healthy awareness of how close he came to not even existing and now he is living life to the fullest, thankful to a God that he truly believes in, which because he calls the United States home has a right to do so.  Correct me if I am wrong, but didn’t many of our men die overseas fighting for the right that Tim Tebow practices? I am thinking yes.  Far too many men never came home simply to ensure that we had freedom, and that freedom includes what many people have deemed as Tebow’s overtly religious antics, and yes, in spite of all the pomp and circumstance, we still all have the right to appreciate Tim for his genuine belief’s but still say no.. (Did you hear that Apple? I said no!)  Freedom y’all, with liberty and justice for all (That kind of includes Tim Tebow too).  You have an awesome day, see you on the other side, Cheers!

The Cost of “Free”

I have had the privilege and the pleasure over the last few weeks to watch the New Year unravel slowly from the comfort of my leather chair in my office, in a somewhat successful attempt to get my works ready for publishing.  During this time, there are many things I think about, one of those which I want to share with you today.  It dawned on me one particular morning as I was sucking down the last part of a cup of coffee so strong it could have walked by itself out of my cup, that for the first time in almost 10 years, I had actually taken more than 1 week off consecutively. Many of my days away were “mini” vacations; weekend getaways where I hoped to slough away the work related stress, and recuperate my worn out mind in 48 hours or less! That got me to thinking about the amount of people that I have run into both past and present, that have told me that given the chance, they too would want to be “free.” 

The Race for “Freedom”

In almost 40 years of being on this planet, I have seen it all; there are the salesmen “freedom pioneers”, who with a gleam in their eye, chase each network marketing idea they run into, thinking that this is going to be the “real deal” if only they are willing to sacrifice time and stay committed for at least a couple of years.  Much to my chagrin, a few (read a few) have actually made it, and for them I am genuinely excited.  What strikes me as strange regarding these pioneers is that many of them maintain busier schedules than mine; with the numerous meetings, appointments, rally’s, and weekend conferences they attend, I tend to wonder, “Is that freedom?” Their lofty goal is to not have to go to work everyday, spend more time with their family, and make a ton of residual (meaning “not right now”) money to boot. Yet because of a demanding schedule, network marketers tend to put in more hours than a full time job.  

I think of your average John and Jane Doe; the people out there that work hard for a living, enjoy an occasional vacation with the family, but  always have this gi-normous, pie in the sky idea and dream of being “free.”  What does that mean to them? For some it is the hope that they will cash in on the famed lottery, for others it’s having the ability to retire, and yet for others, it’s the chance to live off their investments and pay off their debt.  Whatever the case may be for you, we can all agree we want freedom on the sooner side, rather than later while we are still able to enjoy it. 

Freedom Now?

I am now back to work, finally getting back to the normal hum drum of life, but I did learn one thing in that office chair and I want to pass that on to you: you can have freedom now.  That’s right! You can have freedom right now, and the application of that is simpler than you think.  All you have to do is wake up with the mindset that you will enjoy what you have today, rather than placing your happiness in a perceived and possibly never to be, joy that may or may not come later.  See, while it’s great to have dreams of being the next network marketing superstar, or retiring (and your age doesn’t limit you from the activities you had hoped to enjoy), or even cashing out on a windfall from the lottery, there are no guarantees with any of those. Here is your 1 guarantee.  If you are reading this, it means you are alive right now, and that means you have what it takes to go out and enjoy the world around you today. 

Smell a flower, kiss your sweetie, go for a drive, and experience something today. I’ll leave you with this, it was a statement put up in a California bathroom, and I still have it on my phone today, the message is simple:

“The person who wants to do something finds a way; the person who doesn’t finds an excuse.”  

 Don’t let those lofty dreams of “Hopefully Tomorrow” step in the way of your “Absolutely Today”. 

Enjoy the rest of your week, Cheers!

-Lou 


BTW- here's a link to a powerful video that might help put things in perspective in regards to enjoying those freedoms (read blessings) today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D38S9o_6qnc&feature=share

Climbing the Corporate Ladder, Clay Aiken Doubles as Horror Movie Doll, and Check your Daddy’s Ears

Only a week into the New Year and already we are back at it, running the perpetual rat race, striving to climb the ladder to success. One would think that because of all the fancy gadgets we have, we may have invented a different way by now to climb the corporate ladder.  

You could of course, try the Water Propelled Jet Pack. A ride to the top will cost you about $100 an hour or you can buy one new for only $10,000. 

Of course if you are afraid of heights, you can take a Bugatti Veyron Super Sports car. The car that tops out at an unbelievable 270 mph, is available for only $2,400,000. that right two million, four hundred thousand dollars.

Or lastly, you can try the world’s most strangest type of transportation, the Magic Wheel, very easy to understand; no seat, one big wheel, one small wheel and no brakes. The skateboard, uni-cycle hybrid (hybrids are hot right now) is available only in Hungary and in Switzerland much to your disappointment I am sure... looks like that could be a little painful.

Clay Aiken is the latest American Idol crooner to be featured on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice.  New photos made me do a double take.  Is it just me or with the new plastic surgery, does he look a little like Chucky? You decide. 

Since we are on the subject of Celebrity Doppelgangers, thought I would throw a couple more at you:

Russell Brand and Beetlejuice. 

You have to admit that there is a slight resemblance. I will admit that Beetlejuice has the better razor, but after all he does have a few more years of shaving experience doesn’t he?

                  Lady Gaga and Brahm Stoker’s Dracula. 

Now this photo just cracks me up.  How did the famous Undead One be able to look so far into the future and copy his favorite singers hairdo.  Remarkable. 

Finally, I want to end on the ever so important subject of ear hair. What used to be a monthly plucking has now become a weekly ritual for me of looking for, and asking other people to look for of all things, stubborn ear hair that keeps popping up like stalks of corn every time I see myself in the mirror. I used to see men like that and wonder to myself, "What in the world is going on inside their ear?"  I am now sad to report, one of those guys.  In doing some heavy research on this subject, it turns out that genes for this trait are passed from generation to generation, just like family rings and recipes only in this case, its ear hair!  Let me take this opportunity to say a heartfelt, "Thanks Dad!" 

I hope I made you smile today, Cheers!

Ring the Bell!

A new year is here, and with it the hopes of accomplishing all the little things we didn’t get a chance to tackle in 2011.  One of the things I am reminded of as I see my children growing is that time is all too often shorter than what we wish for.  It seems like only yesterday that I was living out my ordinary life, riding the school bus (the nightmares I could tell you about those adventures) and hoping that my schooling would be over so I could begin “the real life.” If any of you out there are like me, you too wished that time would speed up its hands so that you could be free from whatever laborious chores you were up against and you would be released upon the world to pursue what you really wanted to do in life. 

Time does speed up for all of us doesn’t it? I have always found that intriguing that although the summers I spent as a child riding bikes (we used to do that sans helmets, mind you) until the streetlights came on, played a what would be foreign today game of Kick the Can (rules were simple, kick the can), and hung out thinking the summer had no end, has now become a lightning speed cataclysmic world, where 8 am turns immediately into high noon, followed by an immediate 3 o’ clock rush hour on the highways and byways home.  How did it all happen?

One thing we must mind is that those times that were slow to us then, but disappointingly and frustratingly sped up now, must be taken advantage of; we no longer have the option that we did as adolescents, saying that we will put off tomorrow what we should have done today. We now are faced with the stark reality that what should be done today, must be done today.  That goes for as much the tasks that are put before us as the many opportunities we have to enjoy the world around us.  This brings me to the question I have twirling like a somersaulting ballerina in my head today; what are your priorities for the New Year?  I am not asking about your resolutions; I can only imagine that it is to be better than you were the previous year and ranges from some sort of diet regimen that you will try to stay on top of (until mid February) to the financial resolutions of cutting your debt, saving money, get a promotion (oy vey!).  More importantly, what are your priorities? There is a difference because unlike resolutions, priorities take the form of what you place at the top of your list, things you will embrace, not just carry out to benefit you.  Priorities sometimes will benefit you, but many times also take sacrifice, devotion and dedication to fully encompass those priorities you have targeted as most important to you.  Resolutions are a way to better yourself where as priorities hang a huge banner that say out loud and confidently, “This is who I am, and what I care about most!”  

Don’t let another year slip by where you are caught playing the “Could of, should of” game.  Take those priorities, shave off a few less important resolutions, and LOL… no, not laugh, Live Out Loud. I’ll be the first to tell you that the kind of priorities we set for our lives is directly indicative of what or who we care about most.  What are those to you?

There is a difference between merely existing, and actually living.  My hope is that we all experience the Latter. Cheers!

-Lou