Summer Learns Photoshop

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Originally uploaded by Summer Brown.

My wife is discovering the joys of Photoshop. She's getting really good at it and took one of my existing photos and turned it in to a Scarface tribute. Very cool. I think I'll have to put this on a t-shirt one day...

Lack of Patience

I suffer from a major lack of patience. I go from calm to infuriated in about .5 seconds. Since January 1st I have made it my goal to be more patient and a nicer person. So far I think its worked but I can feel it wearing off. Where did my patience go? I used to have a lot of it. I used to think patience was a good thing, now I wonder if I was just being a spineless pussy. I am sure there is a balance to be struck somewhere.

I go back and forth on this. I believe my former patience was me really just putting up with a bunch of crap and bottling it all up inside. Now my lack of patience is a new found outlet and like a new instrument I'm learning how to play it.

Maybe my patience is like two tectonic plates and letting off a little steam here and there is better than one big earthquake. Or maybe I just enjoy being agitated? For now I'll keep riding the patience wagon and let you know as soon as I break my New Year resolution. The over/under is March 1st.

This Just In...Chris Daughtry

I guess the American Idol guy I was complaining about in an earlier post has the number one album in America right now. Still, him singing the National Anthem before the Bears/Saints game was a blatant plug for the new Idol season and it still pisses me off. I think I'll boycott his music just to make me feel good about sticking to my earlier spouted beliefs.

iTunes Annoyances

Is it just me or is iTunes infuriatingly difficult to use? Finding and organizing music is a pain in the ass. Creating playlists to group your tunes in a somewhat cohesive manner is cumbersome. So now my digital music collection is as scattered and useless as my actual one. Instead of my CD collection stolen and strewn about many different friends' apartments, I now have music on 4 computers. Of course I can't get it all on one and when I play music on my iTunes it plays either all the same artist or some jumbled uncomfortable set of music that you might here on the terrible 93.1 JACK FM. I admit my music tastes are not great, but iTunes is sending me in reverse. I now have all of the impulse buys of the catchy singles that have been released in the last few years with a few complete albums. It has made my music experience disjointed and more importantly disappointing.

I wonder if I felt the same way after I tossed my VCR and bought my first 4 DVDs; realizing that it was going to take forever to get a collection that satisfied my movie needs.

Attorney's are not marketers

Apprentice is amazing. Not amazing in like "wow, that is great television!" amazing; but more along the lines of "wow, how the fuck are these people the top of the business food chain?" wow. Case in point is the week's loser (I am not an avid watcher of the show - I missed the last two episodes) Marisa who is an attorney. My regard for the bar has been diminished.

The task simple. Make a new chicken bowl for El Pollo Loco, market and sell the hell out of it. Most sales win. Marisa was in charge of marketing. Her idea? Two chickens on a busy intersection waving in business. That was vetoed by the team. Her other idea? Oh wait, did she mention the chickens?

Her one dimensionality would scare the crap out of me if she was defending me, or if I was her lead prosecutor. "The case has to be argued this way." I can hear her whining repeatedly like a neighborhood four year old.

She kept saying the "chickens were an out of the box idea" except when the idea is vetoed where is the rest of the marketing plan and strategy? This is a slam dunk challenge - a softball - you get traffic to the store and then you close with a good pitch. One, two, done. But she had no backup. Once the dancing fowl were vetoed she tanked. No balloons, no banners, no handouts and fliers, nothing.

On the other hand, maybe she is a research type attorney who's one dimensional approach gets to the details that wins cases. I doubt it. Watching this ineptitude makes me think that I should be president of the world, or at least the Donald's apprentice.

On Tipping - this is perfection

I am reading a new book I got for my birthday called Dark Star Safari by Paul Theroux. It is excellent so far and he has a great take on tipping during his travels:

"Tipping confounds me because it is not a reward but a travel tax, one of many, one of the more insulting. No one is spared. It does not matter that you are paying thousands to stay in the presidential suite in the best hotel: the uniformed man seeing you to the elevator, inquiring about your trip, giving you a weather report, and carrying your bags to the suite expects money for this unasked-for attention. Out front, the doorman, gasconading in gold braid, wants a tip for snatching open a cab door. The bartender wants a proportion of your bill, so does the waiter, and chambermaids sometimes leave unabmiguous messages with an accompanying envelope, demanding cash. It is bad enough that people expect something extra for just doing thier jobs; it is a more dismal thought that every smie has a price."

Plug This

Why is everything a plug these days? It is almost to the point of absurdity. Watching the NFC Championship game last weekend on FOX we had the following: Chris Daughtry from American Idol singing the National Anthem, then actors from the various FOX series like 24 either in the stands, on the field or in the booth and of course game MVPs getting a Chevy Silverado.

Then, today at the Buick Invitational (where Tiger won his 7th in a row, BTW) they had an interview with the Buick Golf director who went on and on about: how proud they were that a Buick partner (Tiger) won the event, how Buick just finished its latest rounds of commercials for their newest vehicle featuring Tiger, how Buick has sponsored the event for 16 straight years, and how Buick is the official car of the PGA.

How has this become acceptable? It's like give me my 3 minutes back for watching an ad for Buick in the pretex of an interview. And to Fox, way to lessen our national self-esteem by pimping out the National Anthem to an Idol wannabe runner-up to highlight your new season of American Idol. You're already getting 37 million viewers per episode - can't we just leave the National Anthem out of it - what are you looking for - 38 million?

I am all for marketing and trying new ways to reach the audience - but what's next? Are we going to have Nascar logos on Bibles and Mont Blanc logos on reproductions of the Constitution? Stop, please, and send more spam!

Hospitality

On Mad Money last night Cramer talked to Danny Meyer who is a big time restaurateur and author of a new book titled Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business where he emphasizes that delivering service is no longer enough to make a business great. Everyone says they deliver great service, every customer expects great customer service. Great customer service is no longer remarkable and no longer enough to succeed in business.

The answer is now hospitality. How you are able to make the customer feel. How hospitable you are at every point in the transaction with you customer is what determines if you win or if you lose.

I think its a great way to look at how to differentiate yourself in a world where everyone is screaming service. To get beyond is to be hospitable.

Thirty...and One

Well happy birthday to me. Tonight while I sleep my biological clock will tick forward to 31 years of age. Normally, I get pretty depressed on my birthday, well maybe just grumpy, but this birthday I don't really feel that way. I feel like its a good birthday - like I can't believe I've made it this far and have produced so much. I have accomplished some too, but not as much as I want. I have made with my wife the most wonderful boy in Banks. He truly is a miracle and I believe his success is my biggest success.

My birthday also marks a milestone of putting the last 3 years of turmoil behind us and gives our family a fresh start to again pursue happiness together. I take 31 and reaffirm to myself all that I want to accomplish in life for my family. It truly has become about us and not me and it is an incredible transformation. Everything I want I now want for my son, my wife and myself, and it is an unbelievable feeling.

So cheers to me at 31 - a great birthday, milestone and launching point for the days and years ahead. For all that I will acheive in my 30s and all that I will provide for my family, and most importantly the experiences that I will share with the people I treasure the most.

31 is a good number and no matter what 2007 brings I will know that I have been blessed.

Effort

What is with the phenomenon that the older you get and the more success you have, the harder it becomes to improve on that success? When you're young and playing intramural soccer you win a few games and get a trophy. Go to high school and log a couple of study hours and get good grades. Go to college, you have to study a bit more to succeed. Get in to business and then it gets infinitely harder.

Our company has been open for two years now, and each step to improve the company has gotten harder and harder. We most recently got our correspondent lender approval with Countrywide - this by far has been our hardest undertaking yet. The success of getting it felt great but the effort and amount of time to achieve it has been enormous. And even when you get a huge win like this there are a million other pressing issues that keep you from resting and enjoying the success. It's like on to the next thing before we get eaten alive...

While I enjoy the big victory after a lot of work it would sure be nice to get a few easy wins here and there instead of feeling like each new initiative requires every ounce of energy and wit you can muster for 8 months before 'winning.'

Drive Thru Follies

Oh, the joy of living in Southern California where our ethnic diversity is a blessing. I went to Del Taco for an unexpected morning snack and sat in the drive through lane watching a lady in front of me repeat her order 4 or 5 times becoming increasingly agitated before pulling up to the window. Once at the window this rotund ball of fire was handed a drink, apparently the wrong drink, got her money back, tossed the soda on the drive through counter and sped off.

I guess it would help if the guy at the drive through could actually speak and understand English. Maybe just understand? I'm not being biggoted here, I think that anyone that can fulfill the basic duties of the job should have the right to work, but come on, putting someone who can't speak English on the drive through during the morning crunch is insanity.

The poor guy was so rattled that by the time I got to the window my order was, of course, wrong. I had to correct him as he was putting it together from what I could see of his operation (no, that was a Diet Coke). And I had to remind him 1) that I needed to pay (seriously, he gave me the food and then looked at me with a blank stare), 2) for hot sauce and 3) for napkins.

Finally he said $5.88 as my total and I gave him $20. I received $14.52 in change. Thank you Del Taco and God Bless America!

Give Me Nuke

The Guardian comes out on DVD on January 23rd, which reminded me - when is Kevin Costner going to stop making movies? I mean has he made a good movie since Field of Dreams? Field of Dreams and Bull Durham are two of my all-time favorite movies. Dances with Wolves was good when making epic films wasn't cool and Tin Cup can crack my Top 100 on an off day - but since then he's really gone down hill.

Some of the worst Costner movies of all time: Waterworld, For Love of the Game, Rumor Has It, 3000 Miles to Graceland, The Postman, The Bodyguard.

I think Guardian will be in the second, growing list. Please stop Kevin and let me enjoy Bull Durham.

Caller ID

Is there an invention that has been any worse yet any better for mankind at the same time than caller ID? I mean, it has completely put you in control of who you talk to and thus how you spend your time, which is great. At the same time allows you to decide how, on a case-by-case basis, big an asshole you feel like being. Mom calling for the fourth straight day? Send it to voicemail or pick it up? Voicemail. Unknown number=autoVM. If you have any doubt about this phenomenon call my brother.

(LUV)

LUV is the stock symbol for Southwest Airlines. Southwest is known for their extraordinary management, customer appreciation/care and employees first approach to business. It's amazing to me as a small business owner that Southwest can carry the "we care" theme all the way to their stock symbol. Talk about being consistent and living the message all the way from the ground level to the board room and beyond. Now that's a company to emulate.

Why Banks? 'Cause he's money!

Banks Morgan Brown, will be 1 on February 5, 2007. He is the most amazing kid I know. Summer, my wife, does an incredible job capturing photos of him like this. She takes hundreds of him and they are all amazing. One day I'll tell the story of Mr. Banks but for today I just want to say I love my wife and my son. My family is the best thing to ever happen to me and they are my foundation. I love you!!!

Mad Money

I have to say, Jim Cramer got me. Jim Cramer is host of CNBC's Mad Money. This is a show where he analyzes stocks, takes phone calls on the fly in the Lightning Round and pretty much entertains you while teaching you about the stock market. His book "Mad Money Watch TV, Get Rich" is a light, easy read that really explains to you what is going on in the market and how to educate yourself on the stocks that can help you make money by investing.

Since I love learning new things Jim has inspired me to learn the stock market. My grandfather always held a lot of stock and seemed to do well with it. Since it took me 16 years to pick up golf, the sport he loves, I guess 30 to pick up stocks, the investment he loves, seems to make sense.

I have no idea what I am doing by the way. But, I'm sure I'll pick up a level of understanding enough to earn a decent return while not losing my shorts. (Is it weird that I debated using shorts or pants to end that sentence for almost a minute?) I'll keep you posted as I go...

Hello World

Why do I know what "Hello World" means? Why do I know the history behind it? Why am I using it to start my blog? Because I like to know just enough about everything to make it seem like I know everything about everything - but in reality I know just enough for a 15 minute conversation on the matter and then well, lets switch subjects.

"Hello World" is what tech guys use to launch a new program or application out to the world. It's the test output for the first transaction of many software and tech products. I have no idea why. But it works for my first post of my blog.

To be honest, I'm motivated to blog because my brother started one and so it must be a good idea. I am 30, happily married with a beautiful 1 year old baby boy. I own a mortgage company which provides for my family and provides me with plenty of stress and enjoyment.

I'll probably make about 4 posts and call it quits so enjoy it while it lasts - but I have a few things banging around in my head that I might feel like posting just for posterity - if it interests anyone else well then that's a bonus.

Hello world.