Archive for September, 2011

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Judge me based on my potential, not on my promises or my performance … huh?

September 6, 2011

Punch line: You  be an inspirational leader by simply making excuses and ducking blame.  Period..

Excerpted from Wash Times: “From ‘yes we can’ to ‘it takes time’”

Pres, Obama’s is now having difficulty finding the right inspirational tone for his stump speeches — making the transition from blameless candidate to culpable leader.

“He’s having his own teachable moment between campaigning and experienced governing.”

First, he blamed the Bush administration, then he blamed Congress, …  and now he’s saying [to voters], ‘It’s your fault for (not spending) and for expecting too much of me.’”

The last thing voters want to hear are excuses or whining.

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Posted in Obama | Leave a Comment »

Spend more on education?

September 5, 2011

From a survey reported in the WSJ …

When asked “Should the U.S. spend more money on education?” …

65% of the public says “yes” spend more on our schools.

When told that current spending is $12,922 per student annually …

The number drops to only 49% who say they want to pony up more dollars.

When told that higher education spending means higher taxes…

Only 35% support an increase on education spending..

More specifically, a majority doesn’t want to pay more taxes to support their local schools. Only 28% think that’s a good idea.

Bottom line That’s the nation’s debt crisis in a nutshell … if people aren’t reminded that there is no such thing as a free lunch, they can be persuaded to root for higher spending on education … and practically everything else.

If they’re asked to ante in, well, that puts a different paint job on it.

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Posted in Education - Academics | Leave a Comment »

One of the uncelebrated blessings of American capitalism …

September 5, 2011

Interesting snippet from a WSJ tribute piece on Steve Jobs:

Steve Jobs both created the PC revolution and was created by it.

The PC era can be seen as the extension of the superhuman will of this one brilliant, mercurial and far-seeing figure.

Every generation produces a few individuals whose will to restructure the world in their own image is so powerful that they seem to distort reality itself.

They change the world …

That in the U.S., they often choose to pursue entrepreneurship and industry rather than politics is one of the uncelebrated blessings of American capitalism.

Ken’s Take: I’ve often said that – in my business career – I worked with dozens of men & women who are far more capable to lead than those who get elected to Congress or the White House.  Too bad that the Potomac has become so polluted that they can’t be lured to high gov’t positions and we’re stuck with hacks …

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Posted in Government & Politics, Leadership | 1 Comment »

Another gov’t funded green energy company bites the dust …

September 2, 2011

Punch line: A big chunk of the Stimulus money was thrown at the development of green energy technology. Unfortunately, the recipients have proven to be non-competitive.

Excerpted from SFGate.com: Solyndra closes Fremont plant – stimulus hopes dim

Solyndra received $535 million of stimulus money in 2009 to build a solar panel plant.

This week, Solyndra announced that it will close its last remaining factory, lay off its 1,100 employees and file for bankruptcy.

The bankruptcy also represents a high-profile failure for a federal stimulus program that gives loan guarantees to green-tech manufacturers.

Solyndra, whose solar modules are thin tubes rather than flat panels, struggled to compete against a flood of low-priced solar cells pouring out of China.

Solar module prices have plunged more than 40 percent in recent years, squeezing companies’ profit margins even as sales of solar systems grow. Two other U.S. solar companies, Evergreen Solar and SpectraWatt, filed for bankruptcy protection in August.

The administration’s response: “We have always recognized that not every one of the innovative companies supported by our loans and loan guarantees would succeed, but we can’t stop investing in game-changing technologies that are key to America’s leadership in the global economy,”

Full article: Solyndra closes Fremont plant – stimulus hopes dim

Ken’s Take: I’m all for green energy alternatives, but I certainly don’t think that the Feds should be in the venture capital business.

There’s a reason that these companies couldn’t raise private capital: they’re not competitive in the world market.

Think about it: Would you put your company’s manufacturing plant in China or California?

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Posted in Green Energy, Stimulus Plan | 1 Comment »

Grab your wallet … here comes Starbuck’s in a K-cup.

September 2, 2011

Punch line: First VIA. Now the K cup. Starbucks deepens its entry into the near $2 billion single-cup coffee market through a partnership with Green Mountain Coffee.

Excerpted from WSJ, “Starbucks coffee to be offered in Keurig K-Cup Packs in November”

Last year, Starbucks entered the single cup coffee market with the launch of VIA Ready Brew.

In November 2011, Starbucks coffee will be sold in Green Mountain Coffee’s Keurig K-Cup single-serve packs in grocery stores and specialty retailers in the U.S. …

The agreement provides for the manufacturing, marketing and selling of Starbucks and Tazo-branded K-Cup portion packs throughout the U.S. and Canada …

Also, Starbucks ended speculation that it will debut its own single-cup brewer, though it hasn’t ruled out such plans in the future.

Edit by KJM

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Posted in Beverages - Soft Drinks, Mktg - Packaging, Mktg - Product & Innovation | 1 Comment »

DOJ stops T-Mobile – AT&T combo … my view may surprise you.

September 2, 2011

The WSJ headline: U.S. Sues to Stop AT&T Deal … Justice Department Says $39 Billion Purchase of T-Mobile Threatens Competition.

The Justice Department sued to block AT&T proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile, a surprisingly swift move that dealt a blow to AT&T’s ambition to build the largest U.S. cellphone carrier.

The government said the combination of the second- and fourth-largest cellphone companies in the U.S. would harm competition and likely raise prices for consumers.

Ken’s Take:   As a marketing strategist, I preach “identify or induce market imperfections and seize the associated monopoly profits”.

As a schooled economist and citizen, I root for “perfect competition” – nobody big enough to control a market.

I think the gov’t has been misdirected and lax on anti-trust enforcement.

Yeah, the DOJ needlessly hassled XM and Sirius until they were both sufficiently wounded that the merger didn’t matter much.

But, there used to be about a dozen substantial oil companies. There used to be a lot of ‘major’ banks … now there are a couple.

Think “too big to fail”.

I want more cell phone competition.

Then, maybe, someday I’ll get reception in my home.

* * * * *
Great graphic from the WSJ on the structure of the telecom industry click for interactive chart

A Tangled Family Tree

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Posted in Anti-trust, Monopolies | 1 Comment »

Woulda been perfect if the prof had gotten tenure …

September 1, 2011

Yesterday, I went on the limb and predicted the 5 AGT finalists …

4 of my 5 picks made it … Anna the superkid, Landon the magician, Eugene the crooner, and the daredevil Smage brothers. Videos

Only miss: Prof Splash — who learned what life is like without tenure.

The good news is that Silhouettes – the artsy shadow dancers – got Splash’s spot.  They’re fun to watch, too.

Finals are next Tuesday … stay tuned

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Posted in Entertainment | 1 Comment »

Another reason why taxes are higher in New York… paying to stick it to da man

September 1, 2011

Punch line: New York is lone state to provide compensation in labor disputes.

So, striking Verizon union members have  filed for jobless benefits.

Excerpted from from Marketwatch

U.S. workers are usually denied jobless benefits when they go on strike. After all, they walked off the job.

Except in New York. The state is the only one in the U.S. that allows striking workers to receive unemployment benefits.

So, about 21,000 union members filed applications for unemployment compensation, according to the U.S. Labor Department.

Based on the average salary of Verizon workers, they might be eligible for the $405 maximum weekly benefit New York provides.

The costs will be borne by Verizon – which would be forced to pay more into the New York’s unemployment insurance fund — and the residents of New York. .

And, New Yorkers wonder why their taxes are so high …

Thanks to SMH for feeding the lead

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Posted in Taxes, Unions - UAW | Leave a Comment »

Don’t call them spinsters … women DJs are hot!

September 1, 2011

TakeAway: Women disc jockeys are the newest trendsetters for music, fashion and popular culture. So, Unilever hired 3 of them for its new “Fresh Spin” campaign, aimed at young female consumers for its Rebalance branded deodorant products.

* * * * *

Excerpted from NY Times, “She hopes to help a Dove campaign become a hit”

Dove is working with MTV for its new “Fresh Spin” campaign, whose first big event occurs at the Video Music Awards … targeting females ages 12 to 34 …

The brand is showcasing three young women D.J.’s in a new video series, social media and a new Web site. The D.J.’s also are engaging fans in an interactive music game on the Internet site …

“Women disc jockeys are the newest trendsetters for music, fashion and popular culture,”…

This month, Dove introduced its “Fresh Spin” campaign, which focuses on social engagement and not a strong product sell, reaching out to targets with a Web site, commercials on MTV and social media, including Facebook and Twitter.

The Web videos are behind-the-scenes looks into the lives of three D.J.’s — Jessica Who, Chelsea Leyland and Diamond Kuts — showing them in some sweaty situations, suggesting the need for deodorant …

This week, Dove began running commercials on MTV to introduce the trio. Ms. Who will report live from the video music awards, interviewing musicians on the red carpet and sharing her take on the music scene. The video will be available on dove.mtv.com after the awards …

“As a brand, Dove does not want to focus on celebrities … The D.J.’s are real girls who are culturally relevant. They aggregate ideas about movements, fashion and, of course, music.”

Edit by KJM

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Posted in Mktg - Promotion, Mktg - Social Mktg | Leave a Comment »

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