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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581Wed, 22 Oct 2025 23:16:51 +0000ReviewTR6TR4aTriumphOn the RoadMINIBrakesChrslyer 300Ford FusionVolvo XC70For SaleGeneral Exclaim UHPHyundai ElantraMOTDNews and RamblingsOil1 yearAcura RLApril 1stBeerBent River BrewingBlizzardBugeyeChristmasCooperDatsun 2000Dodge StratusDunlop DirezzaG6IowaKia SportageLexusLucasMaker's Mark AmbassadorMalibu MaxMan CaveMazda 5Mazda 6Mercury Grand MarquisMitsubishi EclipseNissan PatrolPicturesPontiacRantSnowSoldSpyderTR6 for saleTachometerTop 5Toyota CorollaVegasWhiskyAdventures in British Motoring?Car Reviews, projects and more from someone who doesn't mind seeing Lucas parts on his carnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)Blogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-9020746356812878814Thu, 10 Jun 2010 02:05:00 +00002010-06-09T21:15:54.436-05:00Rover still Running StrongNot much too exciting going on with the Rover. Been working on a few projects. Bought and installed a metal Land Rover Badge for the rear of the truck. Looks really good and sets the truck apart even more. Installed a nice CB rig, patched up more water leaks and a few other minor projects. 2 Major projects, headlights and electronic ignition. I'll start with the headlights, they decided to start working only rarely maybe 2 months ago. I finally got a chance to delve into the front wiring harness to try to determine the problem. Turned out that the switch inside the horn/direction indicator switch on the steering column had gone bad. For some reason the contact where the headlight power comes into the switch assembly and where it goes back out again is bad. Luckily the previous owner had a complete extra assembly. Just took out the bad one and installed the spare and everything started working just fine. I did take the chance to clean up some of the wiring, redid a few connections and installed another relay to run the headlights. 2nd project has been to get the engine good and tuned up. I installed a Hot Spark electronic ignition kit, new plugs and plug wires this week. Going to borrow and timing light and get that all dialed in. The inside of the distributor was not near as scary as I thought it would be. It was actually a very easy install. I did have to modify the base plate slightly and ordered a spare dizzy from a supplier in England in case I ever have to go back to points. Anyway, planning on setting the timing Friday this week and then pulling the front wheels off to check the brakes. I'll also do an oil change and top up all the fluids. That is it for now, Happy Motoring!2010/06/rover-still-ruiing-strong.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-3948781167432408935Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:51:00 +00002009-09-30T16:14:23.585-05:00Wire NightmareFinally dived into the one thing I really hate working on in cars, wiring. I had been trying to source the cause of a short in the wiring circuit of the Rover. For some reason, whenever I hit the brakes, my parking lights would come on. This short also worked the other way as when ever I turned my lights on the brake lights came on. This is not a real good thing to have happening when trying to drive the Rover at night as I effectively had no brake lights. Anyway, I started by pulling the steering wheel off and getting to the back of the instrument panel. What do I spy but a wire with the insulation falling off that is not connected to anything. What the? Start pulling the harness apart and it appears that I had found the original culprit behind the non-functioning spot lights. My guess? Who ever wired the spots wired them direct, left them on for a loooong time and the wire melted and shorted out. At this point I figure that this wire has melted the insulation of a few of the other wires and that is the reason for the brake light short. Get through inspecting the harness and repair a few spots in a few other wires but do not find the short. On to the back of the car where all the rear wires are tied together up under the rear bumper, boy that is a fun place to work on wiring. I pull off all the vampire connectors and replace them all with wire nuts. Once done with this I fire the car up and what do you know the problem seems fixed. Excellent. I use some of the self bonding electrical tape my company sells and wrap all the wires up making everything look neat and tidy. A few days later I notice the the short is back. What the heck! Pull the front harness apart again and reinspect, nope nothing wrong there. Pull the rear harness apart and start testing individual lights and wires. I isolate the short to somewhere in the left rear wiring. I test right at the bulb connections. Turns out there was some kind of short in the left rear brake light. Sometimes it would short and other times it would not, I think it was heat related. So, I go buy new bulbs all around and the short problem was fixed. A damn $1 bulb. Isn't electrical work fun? I did manage to get my CB hardwired in along with running new wire to the rear work light and wiring it up to spare switch on the dash. Works well as a reversing light at night.2009/09/wire-nightmare.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-4126188184306186521Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:48:00 +00002009-08-17T07:56:21.680-05:00Weekend Wrenching...Worked on the Rover a bit this weekend. Topped up the oil in the transfer case and overdrive. Going to need to replace the transfer case oil sump gasket sometime soon. Also tooled around with wiring a bit. Still cannot find the rear work light wire inside the truck. Going to give it one more shot and then I am going to run a new power wire (confirmed that the light works by running a temp wire directly from the battery). Also plan on hooking up my cb sometime soon. I do need to source a new antenna as my old magnetic mount will not work with the all Aluminum body of the Rover. That is it for now. Happy Motoring.2009/08/weekend-wrenching.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-2190958719069857001Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:24:00 +00002009-08-03T07:31:14.119-05:00Caffeine and Octane....Headed over to a monthly car show here in Atlanta early Sunday morning. The show is called Caffeine and Octane and is held the first Sunday of every month at the Avenues in East Cobb. It is free for all and is open to pretty much and car. There was a pretty good turnout even with the threat of rain. Kel and I loaded up the twins in the Rover got there around 8:30am (show runs from 8-11am or so). I would say there where close to 150+ cars there. All sorts showed up: new exotics, classic British roadsters, tons of old Porsches, classic American muscle cars, a few trucks and three Rovers (a '65 Series IIa LWB Truck, a mid 90's Defender TDi and my '73 Series III). The 109" got a fair amount of attention. Lots of questions about the right hand drive. I know it caught the younger crowds attention as well as any car there. The twins did well, we broke out the Baby Bjorn carriers for the first time. I took a fair amount of pictures, should have a link to them in the next day or two. Anyway, if you are bored one the first Sunday of the month and want to go see some pretty neat cars head on over.2009/08/caffeine-and-octane.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-6405695536134409426Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:46:00 +00002009-07-31T08:05:14.793-05:00First Rain in the Rover....Ok, I knew going in to purchasing the Rover that they are not know as the most waterproof car out there. Land Rover even printed and released an official "Water Ingress Manual" for the Defender! The previous owner did say that it leaked a little but did not mention where. Well, I drove the Rover to a tennis match last night and it ended up storming quite hard. Walking back to the truck after the match I was fearing water everywhere inside. I get in and and welcomed by a nice splash when my feet hit the floor mat. Great, inside of the car is swamped. Turn the lights on and grab my flashlight to take stock of the situation. Turns out that the only water that got in the car pooled on top of the rubber floor mat on the drivers side. Pull the floor mat our carefully and dump the water, feel the carpet that was underneath and it is bone dry! Look around and try to find the leak but the dripping has stopped. The ingress manual mentions water leaks around the clutch pedal box, this would explain why there was only water on the floor mat. Figure I'll hit the areas described in the repair manual with some clear RTV and see if that takes care of the problem! Great news is that the Rover started up and ran great on the way home. The high-beams and the aux lights really light the road up, glad I got those wired up correctly. This weekend I plan on continuing to try to get the rear work light functioning. Going to try to determine where the rear wiring harness leaves the frame to enter the cab so taht I can continue to trace the power and ground wires. Also hoping to trace the extra wires coming off the spare dash switches.2009/07/first-rain-in-rover.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-6239847341283659555Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:00:00 +00002009-07-27T07:06:30.226-05:00Starting Work on the RoverDived right into the electrical issues on the Rover this past weekend. Turns out that the highbeams where not connected to the correct circuit and the driving lights where wired directly to the higbeam circuit. Switched this around and got the high beams working. I then installed a new 12v 30amp relay to power the driving lights. Had it hooked up and found out that both the bulbs where bad so I need to pick up replacements some time this week. The rear flasher issue ended up just being a slightly loose connection in the rear wiring harness. The last two things to get working are the rear work light (I have another relay that I am going to power this with, I was also thinking of maybe trying to wire it up to use as a reverse light) and the fuel gauge. Work light should be pretty straight forward but the fuel gauge is going to be a bit more difficult. Figure I will start from the gauge and work my way back towards the tank with that one. That is it for now. I am going to hit everything with the grease gun this week and try to find someplace locally to source gear oil.2009/07/starting-work-on-rover.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-8150791599945860329Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:31:00 +00002009-07-21T14:42:10.399-05:00Introducing the Purple People Eater....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360998493555412738" /></a> Here it is. The new-to-me 1973 Series III Land Rover 109" Station Wagon (say that three times fast). Kel and I drove to Nashville, TN and picked it up this last Sunday. It drove surprisingly well on the interstate. With the overdrive and up-rated engine (2.5L 4 cyl out of a mid 80's Defender) it was able to cruise right around 70 at 3100 rpm. I'll be kicking the tires and sorting a few electrical issues out for the next few weeks (left rear turn signal, fuel gauge, aux lights) but it is a blast to drive. Now I just need to find a little dirt to play in! As for the name, the offical color it is painted is actually a '75-'76 Jaguar color called Ocean Blue. Some angles it looks Royal Blue while others it looks dark purple. Thus Kelly dubbed it "The Purple People Eater". It seats 12 so that works for me! A few more pics below. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360998939394437426" /></a> Roof rack is coming off for now so that I can fit the truck in the garage. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360999174978715330" /></a>2009/07/introducing-purple-people-eater.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-7349568947416680569Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:04:00 +00002009-07-13T11:04:00.206-05:00New Ride: A Preview of the Land RoverWell I think I have officially sourced the replacement ride for the TR6. Found a nice 1973 Series III Land Rover that I have agreed in principle to purchase. NOw all I have to do is find a day to go pick it up. Looking forward to getting to know the Rover. I have been wanting a classic off-roader for a bit and having twins somewhat accelerated the process. As longtime readers may remember, I flirted with a project 1969 Nissan Patrol for a bit when I sold the TR4a. After that my attention turned to a Short Wheelbase Series Land Rover, an 88". I looked at a few and was hooked. I also almost picked up a 1970 AMC Jeepster Commando. A very sweet ride that looks like is up for sale finnaly but alas the timing is all wrong and the Jeepster is just not quite what I am looking for in a classic truck. Upon learning my wife and I where having twins, my attention turned to something I could fit the whole family in and have room to spare in the back. That dropped my choices down the the Long Wheel Base Series Rover, a 109". I guess I could have picked an old Jeep Wagoneer or maybe Bronco or an IH Scout. But with my twisted love of all things British I went with the Rover. Right now it looks like I might be able to pick it up next weekend. I'll have some more pictures as well as a trip report next week.2009/07/new-ride-preview-of-land-rover.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-4157003705472550353Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:56:00 +00002009-07-12T15:04:21.229-05:005 Years with the MINIWell, the 5th anniversary of my owner ship of my '04 MINI Cooper S came and passed last month. Why am I just getting around to writing about this? Well life happens, but better late than never. I picked up my first MINI in October 2003. This one was lost under odd circumstances that I won't go into. My second and current MINI is a May 2004 build. I picked it up sometime in the middle of June. In the 5 years that I have owned it I have put just over 75k on the clock. In that 75k I have done some thing I would have never guessed I would get a chance to do in my life, I have also met some great people. I have somewhat lived out one of my childhood dreams of being a race car driver (Autocrossing), I was paid the ultimate complement at a driving school when my instructor asked me to slow up a bit so the guys in the Dodge Vipers behind me can catch up! I have driven all over the Southeast US looking for and finding countless great driving roads. I have carved up the dragon too many times to count and hand motorcycle riders complement my driving ability. I have helped out my fellow motorist, helping with flat tires or overheating cars. Overall, I have had an amazing time in an amazing car and I look forward to the next 5 years and 75k in it as I have no plans to replace the MINI any time soon. I do have a few maintenance things to clear up, I need to get the drive belt replaced and I think the belt tensioner is going bad. I also need new tires and to get the coolant flushed. Other than that she is still driving like a dream!2009/07/5-years-with-mini.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-2958736414692036133Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:36:00 +00002009-06-14T15:37:54.531-05:00TR6 is sold!Finally sold the TR6 this weekend. Unfortunately it was a day late as the Rover I wanted was sold the same day. Ohh well, I'll just have to start hunting Series III 109 Station Wagons. If anyone out there reading this knows of one for sale drop me a line! Thanks.2009/06/tr6-is-sold.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-6079600774841444985Thu, 28 May 2009 02:08:00 +00002009-05-28T06:24:47.461-05:00I am a GM owner.....Great, so the US government is going to end up owning around 70% of GM as part of their bankruptcy settlement. Fabulous. Does that mean anyone will be able to get employee pricing on a GM now? I sure hope this goes as well as the British takeover of British Leyland. That turned out great, just ask anyone who owns a new Triumph, MG, Original Mini, Morris, Austin, Rover, Riley, Austin-Healey, and Wolseley. What? There aren't any of these new cars? Why? Because British Leyland pretty much went belly up after the government bailout and all the above marks where split up and sold off. So say good by to even more of our tax dollars as they are flushed away into helping an obsolete company try to stay afloat.2009/05/i-am-gm-owner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-5243549435352151986Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:08:00 +00002009-04-24T14:21:25.340-05:00My long nightmare is over...Yep, the Lexus is now officially sold. Dang that took way longer than I thought but again, it is not exactly the best time to be selling a car. In other news the TR is still for sale. Hoping to get it sold soon, the babies are just a few days out and I was hoping to have the Landy in the garage by now but it has to wait until the TR leaves. A good buddy of mine surprised his wife with an '06 MINI Cooper S Convertible this week. She has wanted one forever and he found a pretty cherry Pepper White / Black one for sale. He asked me to test drive it with him and give input. Car was tight. I have done so much work to mine I always forget just how great the MINI is in stock form. Especially the '05s and '06s with the revised gear ratios, feels very quick in first and 2nd gear. Anyway, it is always nice to welcome a new member to the MINI family!2009/04/my-long-nightmare-is-over.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-7791089358605289286Tue, 14 Apr 2009 21:43:00 +00002009-04-14T16:44:38.532-05:00Being a used car salesman...Is no fun. Still trying to get the Lexus and TR sold. May have the Lexus sold and I have a few more guys coming to look at the TR this week. Unless you couldn't read the date of the last post I don't have a new car. Just a little bit of April Fools fun for the readers.2009/04/being-used-car-salesman.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-5450552277693890016Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:34:00 +00002009-04-01T10:36:01.032-05:00April 1stNew Car!!!!Quick news. Found a guy right around the corner from where we live that has a sweet Austin Healey Sprite that we wants to get rid of. Said he was fine trading me straight up for the TR6! More to come!2009/04/new-car.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-1539782513932140742Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:28:00 +00002009-03-09T21:32:29.007-05:00Dragon Slaying....Ahh, had the opportunity to drive up to Knoxville, TN for week today. Jumped at the chance as I knew that I would be taking the long way via US 129 and the tail of the dragon. Been almost a year since I had gotten some good mountain driving in. Glada I have the chance as it looks like I m going to miss the MINIs on the Dragon event this year due to the twins being scheduled to be born the same weekend as the event. Got a great run in. Plan on getting a few more good ones in on the way home tomorrow. Not much goings on in the car world other than feeling like I should be wearing polyester slacks. Still trying to sell the TR6 and the Lexus. It is amazing what kind of offers you will get trying to sell cars. It is a pain but alas a necessary one. Hoping to get the Lexus sold this month, as for the TR don't really care when it gets sold as long as I get the price I am looking for out of it. I'll have a full dragon report sometime this week when I get back. Happy Motoring!2009/03/dragon-slaying.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-8702252067910174284Wed, 11 Feb 2009 19:20:00 +00002009-02-11T14:26:35.275-05:00It's a hardtop again....Installed the new clutch slave cylinder a week or so ago, I also go the new seats installed. After trying them out my wife asked why I hadn't gotten new seats earlier...... Gee hon, I don't know... Anyway, decided to throw the hardtop back on the car. I had forgotten how great the hardtop looks on the car. My wife and I took it for a spin and out to dinner for our 6th anniversary. It really is a fun car to drive with the hardtop on. Now wouldn't you know it, as soon as I get the hardtop on the weather turns really nice. It has been in or near the 70s here in Atlanta for the past week. Ohh well, a small price to pay for good looks I guess. I have had some more interest in it. Had one guy that came to drive it that liked it mainly because of the hardtop. He has some interesting plans for it if he buys it. Wants to drop a Ford 5.0 liter in it along with a Ford 8.8 rear end. More power to him, it actually sounds like a really cool project. Now if he will only actually buy the 6 from me.....2009/02/its-hardtop-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-8006057359492537266Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:42:00 +00002009-01-23T16:04:25.664-05:00Mazda 5ReviewMazda 5 reviewWow, a new car review! I know I haven't done one of these in a bit but here goes. Rented a car for my quick in and out trip to South Florida this week. When the rental agent gave me my choices (Chevy Malibu, Mazda 6, Pontiac G5 ect.) I went with something new, I said yes to a black Mazda 5 with 2k on the ticker. I have been wanting to check one of the funky styled wagon/van things out for a bit. The styling is a bit strange but I don't mid so much. Interior: Front seats where comfortable but I wish I had been able to raise just the front up in order to support my legs a bit more. Controls are in all the right spots and very easy to reach. Steering wheel controls are nice, and the wheel tilts and telescopes (yeah!). Driving position was nice, dead peddle was a bit close but not as bad as some cars and there was plenty of room to put my foot to the side. Back seats (middle row captains chairs) are comfortable but you have to raise the head rest or else it digs in your back. 3rd row seats where small but could hold kids pretty well. Storage in the behind the 3rd row seats was a joke, my lap top case barley fit back there so I had to drop the seats in order to stow my carry on. Visibility was good but there was one huge problem. With the back seat headrests up (or if someone in the seat) there is a HUGE blind spot. I could not move the side mirrors to a place that I felt comfortable being able to see all around the car. My only solution was to just put the headrest down, problem being if people are riding back there it really isn't an option to have them ride bent over the whole time. This is a serious issue in my mind and would cross this car off my list of cars to buy, it's too bad to since the rest of the car was pretty darn good. Exterior: Is it a wagon or a microvan? Well it looks a bit more like an Aztec or Matrix so I suppose it is more of a wagon, that is until you open the rear doors and they slide like a van. Boooo! I guess the sliding doors give you more access to the rear but I really don't think regular doors would cut down on the access any and they would not look near as minivanish. Those doors are really the only thing I don't like about the exterior. Performance: The biggest thing that kept me from really liking how this car drove was the transmission. It was out and out terrible. 1st gear was much to short. Found myself almost getting whiplash every time I took off from a dead stop. It just lurched if you got on the gas just a tad to much. If you wanted to take off smoothly you had to press the peddle like you where stepping on a grape and didn't want to squash the thing. It handled great, just as I expected from a Mazda, was pretty neutral which was nice. Got to test the handling out on one of those neat spiral parking deck ramps at the airport. But for as much as I liked that it was still stifled by the transmission. 1st gear was awful (as stated above), it couldn't make up its mind on when to shift, would take way too long to downshift when trying to accelerate, would upshift way too early (1.5 to 2k rpms usually) which made city driving a pain in the arse. About the only way to make driving somewhat fun was to use the manual option. Using that you could get the engine into its torque sweet spot (3k+) and have some fun. A manual tranny in this car would probably be great to drive. Overall: I really wanted to like this car. Great handling, pretty peppy when using the manual shift option and keeping the revs up made it a hoot to drive sometimes. Alas, the blind spot issue, non-existent storage space (which really just turned the car into an overweight 4 seater wagon), terrible transmission and quirky sliding doors pushed it away from my good side. I really don't know who would buy this car. I guess if you had to have a small hatchback but needed to be able to really seat 6 instead of 5 then this would be the option for you, but I would suggest it.2009/01/mazda-5-review.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-6046795400440315987Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:25:00 +00002009-01-19T10:35:20.291-05:00TR6Volvo XC70The Good and the Bad.....The Bad: I decided to take the TR6 on a short drive before we headed up to the mountains for the weekend. Car was running great, weather was good but cold and the drive was going quite well until I pulled back into my subdivision. That is when the car decided it just wasn't going to let me put it in gear at all. The clutch peddle went to the floor and nothing but grinding noises would come from the transmission when I tried to put it in gear. Luckily I was able to match revs and get it into 2nd gear which allowed me to limp it home. Got home and took a look, no fluid in the clutch master cylinder and a new spot of liquid on the driveway where I had stopped while pulling out to let the car warm up. I have not gotten under the car yet but I am betting the slave cylinder finally went. Figured as much since it looked a bit rough when I replaced the master last year. Got the new slave ordered today along with a rebuild kit for the front right brake caliper and new seat covers! That will give me a little to do in order to spiff the car up for any potential buyers. Now for the good: The first long road-trip in the new XC70 went great. Car handled the full load well. Cruises very nice on the highway, very comfortable and has enough umpfh with the turbo to make passing easy. Handled remarkable well on the twisties although you can definitely feel the extra weight and higher center of gravity on the car. It was nice to have the AWD for the drive home, roads where a bit slushy from the snow storm Saturday night. Seat are great, much more comfortable than the Lexus and MINI seats. I don't find my self getting as tired driving this car as I did the Lexus, the seating position is just better. All in all a successful shakedown cruise for the new land yacht.2009/01/good-and-bad.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-5409376806544234747Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:20:00 +00002009-01-14T07:27:02.890-05:00Volvo XC70The Swedish Invasion....Well we now have a nice '06 Volvo XC70 Cross Country parked in the garage next to the TR6. The MINI is still relegated to driveway parking and the Lexus sits out front of my wife's uncles house with a for sale sign on it. Really happy with the new Volvo, only has 16k miles and looks new every where. It is a bit creepy how much it drives like my old '87 245 wagon. I drove it around most of the weekend and was having a serious case of dejavu. It handles like the old 240, the way the body leans a bit in the corners is the exact same, the rear view mirror is in the same exact spot, even the clock control is the same type knob. Now, the XC70 is a much more comfortable car than the 240 was, seats and the interior are amazing. I just hope they hold up to 2 kids! Anyway, I'll get some pics up here sometime. Until then, happy motoring!2009/01/swedish-invasion.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-9507553646921458Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:26:00 +00002009-01-09T16:33:36.350-05:00New Cars all around...Ok, looks like we will be picking up a new car for the wife this weekend. We found an '06 Volvo XC70 we really like. Going to go pick it up tomorrow. I guess that mean I finally convinced my wife to buy a wagon! Haha, my wagon fetish has finally rubbed off on her. I'm excited about the new car, always loved my old 240 Wagon and hope that we get as much use out of this one as I did the old silver bullet. Now we have to get the Lexus cleaned up. I put it up on craigslist already and I figure we will stick it out in front of my wife's uncles house for a bit. Now for a new car for me, well not really new. Just a new obsession that has lead to the TR being for sale again. Think I have settled on trying to find a nice Series III 109" Land Rover Station Wagon. Yep, the big one that seats 10 (well not really that big, about the same dimensions as a late 90's Grand Cherokee). Figure it will be a bit more useful than the 88" and easier to haul the twins and other stuff around in if needed. I have my eye on a nice RHD '75 one, just that pesky thing about selling the TR first. Hopefully I can drum some interest up for the TR in the next 2 weeks or so. That's it for now.2009/01/new-cars-all-around.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-6392099635715644669Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:40:00 +00002009-01-05T10:45:58.113-05:00Ahh, that New Year Smell....Welcome to 2009 here on Adventures in British Motoring. The possibility of the TR being joined in the garage by a member of the Swedish Bikini team are increasing every day. We have a few Volvo XC70s pegged to look at this week, just hope one of them is the right one. That leaves selling the Lexus. Figure I will throw it up on Craigslist this week and see if anyone bites. News on the TR6 front, not much doing right now. Heck, I haven't even had a chance to drive it since I got back in town from the Christmas vacation. I am planning (and more importantly have received the ok from the wife) to do the front brakes and recover the seats by March. Taking the seats out to recover will also give me a chance to clean up the under dash area and fix a few things on the interior. It looks like the transmission and rewiring project may be put off until next winter. It is a big project and one that will require me taking the car off the road for a few months. Hopefully I can stage everything well and just spend a few nights a week on it when I decide to start.2009/01/ahh-that-new-year-smell.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-485454473090201447Mon, 15 Dec 2008 20:07:00 +00002008-12-15T15:27:20.966-05:00Man CaveVolvo XC70The new car search and a man cave...Well, not every car that I look at is for my use only. My wife and I recently found out that we are expecting twins sometime in April. This has lead to a new car search. My wife's Lexus IS300 isn't going to be big enough to haul two youngsters around and the MINI isn't exactly kid friendly either. Since my wife will be the primary driver of the new car I have let her lead the way on what she wanted. Everyone has been telling us to get a Minivan. Umm, that would be a no. At least my wife and I finally agree on something car related, neither of us wants a Minivan and we really are not too fond of SUVs either. After throwing out a few wagon and cross overs that I thought we should go look at it was decided that we go test drive a Volvo XC70. I like the XC70, heck I like most Volvo's (something about the funky chuckiness of them, that and they still make a good wagon and I am a wagon fan, owned a 240DL wagon, great car), and the car did not disappoint. Very comfortable, back seats are managable, tons of cargo room in the back. Kel really liked how it drove like a car (this was reinforced after we test drove a Nissan Murano later in the day and she commented that it felt like she was driving a dump truck) and was easy to see out of and maneuver. That pretty much settled it, so we are now in a hunt to find a nicely used XC70. We did look at one this weekend (a pretty base 2006) and I got the chance to drive it this time. Kel was dead on in her assesment, doesn't feel all that large, has good pick up once the turbo kicks in (has a turbo 5 pot under the hood), handles well. It is kind of funny in that it feels like a very nice car but you happen to be sitting up a bit (way different from the low slung cars I am used to), but this isn't a bad thing. Figure we will resume the hunt after the holidays. I'll post update on our hunt as thed develop. And now for something completely different... If anyone of my readers (all 6 of them....) have visited my <a href=" blog</a> (plug) then you may have seen the pictures of my basement bar. I will admit it is pretty awesome, big tv, beer on draft, pool table ect. makes it a great man cave. Well, I have now seen what I have to match when I build my Man Cave Auto Annex... Check this out: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280114906936832226" /></a> Yep. This is a picture of the car cave of a good friends brothers house. Yes that is a Land Rover Series II in the back, sitting next to it is a Triumph GT6+ (that he literally stole he got such a good deal on it) and in the fore ground is his Triumph Spitfire race car. Drool..... Maybe one day I'll be able to post a similar picture with my TR6 in the place of the spitfire, a Landy or Nissan Patrol in the Landy spot and a Bugeye Sprite in the GT6 spot (or a GT6 if I can find one for the same deal he got..) That is it for now.2008/12/new-car-search-and-man-cave.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-3876122280333269751Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:32:00 +00002008-12-08T13:49:02.051-05:00Reflections on the US Auto Bailout....Ok, this is a car blog and I do have some thoughts on the impending bailout of the US Auto industry. I guess I should start by saying I am against the current format of the bailout. I know you cannot let the US auto industry just collapse but I don't think throwing money at them is really a good idea. The government didn't bailout the airline industry when it was hit hard by skyrocketing fuel prices and decreased passenger loads after 9/11. Most of the struggling companies worked their way through filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy and have emerged in better shape. Why not force the Auto companies to go this same route before tossing billions of dollars at them? If they make it out of Chapter 11 and still need some help then maybe give them a loan. Right now does it make any sense that any of them will some how completely turn around their declining sales trend? Each has been losing market share since the early 90's. They all staked their futures on the booming SUV market while letting their small car segments get destroyed by foreign competitors. Can anyone honestly name an American sedan that they would buy over it's foreign competitor? The US automakers have allowed themselves to be pushed out of every segment but Large SUVs and Trucks. This was fine when the fastest selling cars where SUVs but they had to know that sales wave would not last. At this same time, several scrappy Korean car companies continued to improve their product using Honda as the benchmark. Base your business on small, extremely well built cars and then expand from there. You know that the Americans are in trouble when Kia's and Hyundias are looked at as being higher quality that Chevy or Ford. The problem with the current domestic designs is they aren't the best in their segments. In economy cars the Japanese and Koreans make them better, cheaper, with more options and better looking than anything Ford, GM or Chrysler can offer. If someone gave you 15k to spend on an economy car would you buy a Chevy Aevo or a Honda Fit? Case closed. In cars a little larger it again comes down to quality and design. People buy Toyotas and Hondas because they are going to be bullet proof transportation. Start counting how many 15+ year old Honda Accords and Toyota Camry's you see driving around and compare that to how many Ford Escorts and Chevy Cavaliers you see..... The Domestics again get killed in the luxury segment. The Euros all make cars that drive extremely well and always have great looking designs and the latest gadgets. The Japanese again rest there sales on build quality. The Americans? Do they even make a car that can compete with a Lexus or a BMW? Only Cadillac can come close and surprisingly it is about the only place that GM makes a profit. I just think the Domestics lost there way in the late 70's. Way too many models, crazy contacts to the unions, lackadaisical designs are just a few of the many nails in the coffin. Does GM really need 4 versions of the same car? Every other car maker makes 1 (2 at the most if you count the Luxury brands) car for each segment. Does GM really need to keep pouring money into GMC, Pontiac and Buick? Why not downsize you line up and try to make some really good cars. Have Chevy and Cadillac, Ford and Lincoln, Chrysler...well they may need to just go away. One really good stat kind of sums up the mess that is the US auto industry: Toyota has one supplier and one design for their cruise control system. Get in any Toyota or Lexus and it is the same controls. 1 part for every single model. They found a high quality part they like and stuck it in every car. Thus you get the same quality controller in your Toyota Corolla as you would find in a Lexus LS600. What does GM us for their cruise control? They have 20+ versions. 20+! Do you need more than 2? Anyway, I can only see the current handling of the bailout ending badly. Throwing good money after bad never ends up well. Having government get involved in the auto industry usually ends badly. Anyone remember what happened to the British Auto Industry? Healey, MG, Aston Martin, Lotus, Triumph, Jaguar, Morris, Austin, Rover, Jenson, Land Rover, Mini, and others all used to build great cars. For a time in the 50's and 60's they built some of the worlds best sports cars. What happened? Shoddy build quality, terrible labor issues and labor contracts and a lack of updated designs all lead to big problems. Companies merged and consolidated products lines in a effort to save themselves but just couldn't. The British government Nationalized the industry in the 80's and ended up losing even more jobs and money. Most of the above companies are out of Business. The ones that have survived as independents (Aston Martin, Lotus, Morgan) have all done so by finding a niche that they can sell into and then making the best car for that niche. The others have all gone by the wayside or had their names gobbled up by other companies. That is my rant.2008/12/reflections-on-us-auto-bailout.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-4478681735793087340Mon, 01 Dec 2008 12:23:00 +00002008-12-01T07:29:10.848-05:00Looked good from 20 feet....Went and checked out a 1964 Land Rover Series IIa this past weekend. Here is a picture: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274796591428850786" /></a> Looks ok right? Well the seller had told me it was not currently running because he had removed the radiator and the rear drive shaft but never got around to installing new bits. For the price he was asking I figured, I'll take a look and if it is in good order who knows. Well, from the outside the truck looks pretty good. Nice color combo, wheels look ok. Interior is so-so, bulkhead rust is there but not terrible. Then I go stick my head under the rear of the truck to check out the frame. Yikes! Both rear frame members are completely rusted through. I didn't even bother to look at the frame under the front of the car. I tried to be nice and ask a few other questions about the truck but I knew I wasn't going to hassle with it. Now, if I had someplace to store this thing for a few years and I could talk him down to about $500 (all the thing is worth really) then maybe I would think about pulling a full resto on it but I don't have that much time or money.....2008/12/looked-good-from-20-feet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37011581.post-7322810963773011849Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:12:00 +00002008-11-20T07:14:42.614-05:00Rover Infatuation Continues...Well I know that I swore of looking for a Series Rover a few weeks ago but.... I can't help myself sometimes. Found one that is listed at a pretty cheap price near by. The one catch being that it has not run in 2 years, yes the dreaded "ran when parked" description. Figure I will go take a look at it and see if the engine turns freely by hand. If that is the case and I can talk the guy down even more, maybe I'll have a new project sitting in the yard...2008/11/rover-infatuation-continues.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)0

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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:24:46 +0000designsocial mediablogsengagementmarketingmobiletrendsAmerican Expressad systemsarthritisbannersbloggercrowdsourcingdesignersfunctiongaminginspirationalmicroblogspollradioretailsearchseosmall businesssocialsocial media linkedin twitter facebookspec worksubject matter expertstechnologyuser interfacewinner2cre8noreply@blogger.com (2cre8)Blogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136.post-1705728095404238458Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:47:00 +00002009-08-02T23:44:20.681-04:00crowdsourcingdesigndesignerssocialspec work"Crowdsourcing" Continues To Be a Hotly Debated Topic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 310px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364457451730355858" border="0" /></a>Some of you may have read a hotly debated topic on "crowdsourcing" or also referred to as "spec work" where designers bid for a design job online with the likes of "<a href="; target="_blank">crowdSpring</a>" and "<a href="; target="_blank">99designs</a>". It has created quite a controversy to the point a group called <a href="; target="_blank">No!Spec</a> (Twitter account <a href="; target="_blank">@nospec</a>) was created. Recently I stumbled upon an article written by Jeremiah Owyang entitled "<a href="; target="_blank">Designers: Why Spec Work Is Not Going Away – How You Should Respond</a>". Jeremiah's article was simply stating a social media trend. He actually started off his career as a UI designer. However, it wasn't so much his article that had taken me aback, but what had gotten my attention was the lively discussion that ensued at the end of the article. So of course, being a professional interactive manager/designer (one of many hats), I commented the following: <blockquote>"What’s not reflected in the conversation is the value Experienced Designers bring to the table. It’s not just about a design that’s aesthetically pleasing, but how strategic design can enhance a brand campaign and product positioning, as well as heighten a brand’s perception. Experienced designers are also strategic creative business partners for the brand and their products. Spec work may be a venue/channel for a new designer just starting out in the field. I believe there are other options out there, but it takes time to build. I think they need to consider the time they spent vying after spec work vs. creating and building up their personal brand from scratch, i.e., portfolio sites, WOM marketing, etc."</blockquote> This whole topic spurred me to ask a question on LinkedIn in the 2 design groups I belong to, AIGA and ADCNJ. I wrote 'Do you think "crowdsourcing" devalues designers and design in general?' I wrote a brief description then added, 'I'm curious to hear your thoughts about this issue and what you would recommend as other alternatives for designers.' The intent of the post was to draw out recommendations and alternatives from other designers. Besides committing to not follow this trend, we all need to find a solution and become proactive in our own personal branding. Here are some ideas that were listed:<ul><li>Non-profit organizations for designers just getting their foot in the door </li><li>Get involved with your city's Chamber of Commerce </li><li>Cold calls </li><li>Referrals (this should include friends, family, colleagues and old acquaintances) </li><li>I haven't heard of too many people having luck with these, but it's possible: Elance, Guru, Odesk, iFreelance, RentaCoder, etc. </li><li>"The Artist's & Graphic Designer's Market" (book listings) </li><li>Craigslist </li><li>Branding/Identity/Marketing yourself </li><li>Advertise </li><li>Find design firms that have overflow work that can use your assistance </li><li>Join communities like <a href="; target="_blank">No!Spec</a> (Twitter account <a href=";>@nospec</a>)</li></ul> Then a fellow designer posted just a link with no comments to this video, which I have to say, really made my day. (Thanks <a href="; target="_blank">@kenlange</a>! :D) <object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object> I'll continue to follow this hotly debated topic and may update the list above from comments provided. What could we do collectively and what could we do for our own personal branding and WOM marketing? <script type="text/javascript">var _sttoolbar = {}</script><script src="; type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">stBlogger.init(";);</script> <div id="dsq-recentcomments" class="dsq-widget"><h2 class="dsq-widget-title">Recent Comments</h2><script type="text/javascript" src=" href=" by Disqus</a>2009/07/crowdsourcing-will-continue-to-be-hotly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (2cre8)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136.post-5485511913234148832Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:59:00 +00002009-07-28T17:21:04.448-04:00arthritisbloggerinspirationalwinnerA Woman's Story: Growing Up To Be a "Winner"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 255px;" src="; border="0" alt="Melinda Winner" title="Melinda Winner" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363007703961871042" /></a>I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to an amazingly determined woman, Melinda Winner. She is about to embark on a journey across the United States to raise awareness about the crippling effects of arthritis to children and adults alike. Melinda herself suffers from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fibromyalgia, reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), osteoarthritis, and degenerative disk disease. The National Arthritis Foundation Western PA chapter, <a href="; target="_blank">Creeky Joints</a>, and Melinda's Web site will also be following and posting photos and stories about Melinda’s journey across the United States. While on her journey Melinda will be speaking at events, hosting cooking demonstrations for the physically challenged, speaking with the media in the form of television, print and radio. Melinda has recently completed her first radio/podcast spot that will air on Monday, July 27, 2009. You can listen by <a href="; target="_blank">clicking here</a> or download from iTunes by going to arthritis radio. She is also a <a href="; target="_blank">featured guest blogger</a> for Arthritis Foundation Western PA chapter. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 60px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363004376821223362" /></a> Melinda's Story Melinda came into this world 47 years ago not breathing. When revived, it was quickly realized she had a serious birth injury that could not be repaired. Being born to a diabetic mother, Melinda weighed in at 12.6 at birth. She had extensive nerve damage and deformity to her right arm. At age 26, she began experiencing traveling pain. Melinda was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. It did not stop there. A few years passed and she was diagnosed with reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), also called complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis. She faught a personal battle gaining then losing over 100 pounds and keeping it off, all the while enduring pain that is unbearable and still embracing life. She continues her life mission to help others not only survive this disease but live a productive life filled with hope, happiness and joy! Melinda believes in her plight so much that she has branded herself. She had a tattoo placed on her back at the jean line that states she is “On A Mission”. When asked about the reason for the placement of her tattoo, she laughs, “Men are always looking at my backside when they shouldn’t be, so what better place to get my message across? When people ask me what “on a mission” means, I tell my story of hope for others.” <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 170px; height: 240px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363033348564022306" /></a>No, the story does not end here. About four years ago, Melinda was watching the constant news reports about Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast. Everyone she spoke with had well wishes for the victims of the storm but not many actually got involved. Melinda did. Not only did she give up her holiday to visit the ravished coast, she moved her entire family there to help with the rebuilding the only way she knew how…through food. She prepared gourmet meals for the out of town workers complete with an entrée, fresh baked breads or rolls, cakes, pies and strudels made from scratch and a drink or two, then delivered to their job sites. Melinda also helped in the rebuilding of a playground, cleaned streets, volunteered at the Red Cross in the shelter, and attended the public speaker workshop at Camp Mash in Alabama. She became an Ambassador for the National Arthritis Foundation for her Congressional District. Melinda befriended strangers in need, helped with painting, paperwork, cooking and was a much needed friend to those in need. She allowed a homeless man to move in with her family until he could get back on his feet. To the residents Melinda proudly earned the name “The Cake Lady”. She not only cooked for neighbors, but baked daily and shared. All this with pain levels exceeding level 8 each and everyday. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 228px;" src="; border="0" alt="Food Network '2008 Ultimate Recipe Showdown'" title="Food Network '2008 Ultimate Recipe Showdown'"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362989119213849554" /></a>Where she is today Melinda has followed her dreams all the way to the Food Network. She competed on the Ultimate Recipe Showdown in 2008. She has also authored two books: The first, Yankee Cooking with Southern Charm was released in 2008. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10pt 10px 10px; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 314px;" src="; alt="Cooking With Arthritis" title="Cooking With Arthritis" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362983958004472674" border="0" /></a>The Second, A Complete Illustrated Guide to Cooking with Arthritis*, is scheduled to be released in September of this year. The second book is the first of its kind. This book was designed to help the physically challenged regain their independence in the kitchen. The color step by step photos and delectable recipes take the reader on a culinary journey around the world pain free and fearless. The target market for her latest release is suffers of chronic pain, arthritis (all 100 + forms), people with injuries (may it be temporary or permanent), disabled and people who simply enjoy food and cooking. Melinda will take her book on her journey across the US, in hopes of offering a bright beacon of light to the sufferers of disability, young and old alike. *Book is being offered at $22.99. Mention the CODE: 2CRE8 and receive a 10% discount. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 75px; height: 96px;" src="; border="0" alt="Melinda Winner" title="Melinda Winner" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362989831250925362" /></a>Melinda on the web: <a href="; target="_blank">www.cookingwitharthritis.com</a> Melinda’s contact information: <a href="mailto:melshomecorner@aol.com">melshomecorner@aol.com</a> On Twitter: <a href=" />Cell on the road: 228-265-2928 Thank you Melinda for sharing your inspirational story with me. I'm humbled and deeply honored. Despite it all, you've truly grown up to be a "winner!" I hope this story inspires you as it has for me. Comment below and tell me one thing you'll do to overcome a seemingly unsurmountable obstacle or a challenge you're going to try and face head on. <script type="text/javascript">var _sttoolbar = {}</script><script src="; type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">stBlogger.init(";);</script> <div id="dsq-recentcomments" class="dsq-widget"><h2 class="dsq-widget-title">Recent Comments</h2><script type="text/javascript" src=" href=" by Disqus</a>2009/07/growing-up-to-be-winner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (2cre8)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136.post-7126575880269969156Sat, 18 Jul 2009 01:22:00 +00002009-07-25T00:17:53.546-04:00designmarketingmobileseosmall businesssocial mediaJuly 2009 "Best Tweets" List: Small Business/Marketing/Social Media/Mobile, etc<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359803804890881154" /></a> And the winners for July 2009 are: <ul> Small Business <li><a href="; target="_blank">Seniors as Entrepreneurs: Their Time Has Come</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Small Biz Growth Secret: Creative Partnerships</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">The Customer Knows Best</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Recession can't stop entrepreneurial spirit</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Capital Strategy: About Bootstrapping</a> Social Media/Communities <li><a href="; target="_blank">Is your social media expert really an expert? The top 25 ways to find out</a> @PRsarahevans <li><a href="; target="_blank">Five rules of thumb for social media advertising | VentureBeat</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">5 Business Models for Social Media Startups</a> @mashable <li><a href="; target="_blank">10 Ways to Use Social Media to Pick a College</a> @mashable <li><a href="; target="_blank">ULTIMATE Guide for Building Your Social Network</a> One of the best lists! @rgbroitman <li><a href="; target="_blank">Excellent super-guide to Facebook for Business</a> Great list! @mcrosson <li><a href="; target="_blank">SuperFan: The Super-Charged Alternative to Facebook Fan Pages</a> @mashable <li><a href="; target="_blank">Where Social Media and Shopper Marketing Merge to Reach Moms</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">3 Powerful Free Apps to Monitor Your Small Business in Social Media</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">July's Top 25 Facebook Games Topped By Zynga, MindJolt Titles</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Innovative advertising systems are luring cautious brands like the Gap and GM to social sites</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">List of tools to Monitor and Measure your Social Media efforts</a> @SocialMediaComm <li><a href="; target="_blank">Smart Social Networking For Your Small Business</a> Blogs/Microblogs <li><a href="; target="_blank">Twitter tips for marketers (do's and don'ts)</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Twitter Social Networking - Marketing Your Business</a> @smmguide @Tweet_Business <li><a href="; target="_blank">Gigaom: Twitter for Business FAQ</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">How to Attract and Influence People on Twitter (The Ultimate Twitter Resource)</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Twitter for Business FAQ</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Approval by a Blogger May Please a Sponsor</a> Interesting article! <li><a href="; target="_blank">The Search Engine Twitter Accounts that Matter | Digital Marketing</a> @ashwanibhasin <li><a href="; target="_blank">Great Ways to Grow Your Business Using Twitter.</a> @5eo <li><a href="; target="_blank">10 Ways to Find People on Twitter</a> @mashable <li><a href="; target="_blank">Power Tips For WordPress Template Developers</a> @smashingmag Mobile/Gaming/Etc. <li><a href="; target="_blank">40 Exceptionally Well Designed iPhone App Websites</a> @webupd8 @webdesign_news <li><a href="; target="_blank">Can apps succeed without Apple endorsement?</a> @iphone_diaspora <li><a href="; target="_blank">Cellphones: The New Billboards</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">iPhone Apps That Make the Grade. What Sets Them Apart From All the Rest?</a> @timcascio <li><a href="; target="_blank">Cellphones: The New Billboards</a> (...marketers are calling) <li><a href="; target="_blank">Getting Noticed on the iPhone App Store</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">IPhone Apps to Organize Your Life</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Six Tools For Testing Designs On Mobile Devices</a> @sitepointdotcom <li><a href="; target="_blank">The Future of the iPhone: Intelligent Object Recognition</a> @mashable <li><a href="; target="_blank">EA Stepping Up In-House Social Gaming Efforts</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">This Week in iPhone News - July 3/2009</a> @lemonkey Marketing/PR <li><a href="; target="_blank">Entrepreneurs: The Single Greatest Marketing Tool</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">When does a product launch end? Or does it?</a> @launchclinic <li><a href="; target="_blank">16 Things You Can Do Yourself to Create Word-of-Mouth for Your Business</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Luring local traffic to your Web site</a> @jamisonfirst <li><a href="; target="_blank">Click by Click, Reviewers Gain Clout</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Marketing to the Social Web and the New Rules of Engagement</a> @smmguide @smallbizbee <li><a href="; target="_blank">Innovative Ways to Reel in Cash</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Online Video Contests Can Help Marketers Listen To And Energize Their Customers</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Internet Marketing | Affiliate Marketing | Network Marketing</a>@TopMarketing411 Interesting... <li><a href="; target="_blank">Why “real” marketing is done before the product is created</a> @designdamage <li><a href="; target="_blank">3 Super Simple Ways To Increase Your Visitors, 40 New Places to Spread Free Your Articles</a> @brandonacox <li><a href="; target="_blank">10 Rules for Quick and Easy PR</a> @DiscoverTN <li><a href="; target="_blank">50 Ways to Get Your Site Noticed</a> @iniwoonet <li><a href="; target="_blank">Cool Idea Hits it Big with Publicity</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">You Can't Beat Habit - Learning how to alter customers' routine</a> Design/UI/HTML/CSS <li><a href="; target="_blank">Great Collection of Code Snippet Resources</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Freebies: 20 Interesting PSD Files to Download</a> @iniwoonet <li><a href="; target="_blank">Best Websites to Download Free JavaScript Code Snippets</a> @bkmacdaddy <li><a href="; target="_blank">5 Free Online Banner Makers to Aid Your Web Marketing Campaign</a> @greggluhring <li><a href="; target="_blank">33 Promising Web Development & Social Network Firefox 3.5 Plugins</a> @mayhemstudios @1stwebdesigner <li><a href="; target="_blank">Best CSS Resources to Become a CSS Guru</a> @brandonacox <li><a href="; target="_blank">100 Outstanding Login Forms | Design Reviver</a> @webupd8 Simplicity at its best! <li><a href="; target="_blank">120 Best Free Blogger Templates Around</a> @mikeperras <li><a href="; target="_blank">Best Practices For Effective Design Of “About Us”-Pages</a> @KeithDriscoll Search/SEO/SEM <li><a href="; target="_blank">Razorfish proposes social influence score to measure sentiment around brand/industry</a> @whatworks Great idea! <li><a href="; target="_blank">33 Mobile SEO & Mobile Analytics Resources</a> @SEOptimise Excellent! <li><a href="; target="_blank">Collection of Social Media Statistics and Tracking Sites</a> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Decoding the Formula for Link Building | LetsTalkSEO.com</a> @5eo <li><a href="; target="_blank">How To Use Google Product Search To Promote E-Commerce Websites - View official Google video</a> @GetOnFast </ul> Keep checking back as this list will be expanding until the end of July. Do you have additional articles you'd like me to add? Comment below or let me know at <a href="mailto:2cre8@2cre8llc.com" target="_blank">2cre8@2cre8llc.com</a>. Enjoy! <script type="text/javascript">var _sttoolbar = {}</script><script src="; type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">stBlogger.init(";);</script> <div id="dsq-recentcomments" class="dsq-widget"><h2 class="dsq-widget-title">Recent Comments</h2><script type="text/javascript" src=" href=" by Disqus</a>2009/07/july-2009-list-marketingsocial.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (2cre8)7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136.post-2091069072310278157Sun, 12 Jul 2009 05:47:00 +00002009-07-12T10:38:24.648-04:00ad systemsbannersengagementRethinking: Banner Ads and Ad Delivery SystemsLinkedIn.com recently conducted a poll and asked "Of the ads you see in a typical day, how many engage your attention?" 66% respondents answered "a small minority of them", 25% none of them, 5% many of them and 1% most of them. Majority of the comments specific to web media banner ads say they're typically ignored. I agree...if it's not relevant, however creative, it will get a 1/2 a second glance. So it begs the question—should we continue to put our advertising dollars towards this media? Of the ads you see in a typical day, how many engage your attention?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 211px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357446638735447186" /></a> Innovative advertising systems Forbes.com recently published an article about how big brands are fearful of placing ads on social sites that will appear next to offensive and inappropriate content. Facebook, using a novel ad delivery systems called RockYou, assured giant marketers such as General Motors, VW and The Gap that this would not happen and has seemingly squelched that fear. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 193px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357452992607995458" /></a>But we need to go beyond that. Take it a step further and allow consumers an option of what type of ads they want to see and how many. Keep it open-ended so they can change their selections at any time. Let your consumers choose if they want to see ads even down to a local level. It's all about empowering your audience and giving them choices. Creative engagement Beside strategic ad placement—content and how content is delivered is key. Flash banners are only as good as the design and content. But where's the creativity and interactivity? Create something wildly different. Pose an interesting question with a fun, interactive component. Challenge them, pique their curiosity. Allow users to vote, comment or share the ad. Include a random drawing to engage your audience even further. Just create a unique feature that stands out from the traditional banner ads. <a href="; target="_blank">Pringles</a> created a small, square banner ad that makes you want to consistently click on it...where it goes, I don't know. But it's definitely unique. Post engagement Now that you've converted your audience to followers, don't stop there. Several companies are rewarding their followers like Klymit, who rewards their Facebook followers with special discounts and early access to products. Starbucks recently offered Facebook fans 280,000 pints of ice cream where users can redeem a coupon or send one to anyone in their network. Crate & Barrel sent out a Crate & Barrel Product Review "A penny for your thoughts could win $1000 for your home" e-mail to current registrants for a chance to win a randomly-selected $1,000 shopping spree by posting comments on previously purchased items. Take away The opportunities are endless. Remember, it's all about your customers. Think creatively. Think interactively. Once you build traction, don't forget to empower and reward your loyal followers. And for social sites developing an ad delivery system, it's not just about contextually relevant placement, but also about empowering your audience and giving them choices. Please feel free to share and add your own comments about this topic. Are there other examples you can think of? <script type="text/javascript">var _sttoolbar = {}</script><script src="; type="text/javascript"></script>2009/07/thinking-creatively-banner.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (2cre8)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136.post-3143412051237893317Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:50:00 +00002009-07-14T17:55:12.450-04:00blogsradiosubject matter expertstrendsBlogger AM Radio: Turn Up The Volume!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 226px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356792419857684674" /></a>I've been reading some of the most informative and well-written blogs aimed to truly motivate and educate the mass population out there in the blogsphere. Having an affinity for social media trends, technology and marketing, it dawned on me that it would be truly monumental to actually hear these wonderful and informative bloggers live on AM radio. Sure there's the SIRIUS Blog Radio, but not all of us have (or want) to pay for satellite radio. There's also the popular <a href="; site with an average of 680K+ unique visitors every month. No, I'm talking about a syndicated broadcast on AM radio where I can listen without having to search online or wait for a podcast. Imagine being able to hear "subject matter experts (sme)" such as Chris Brogan, Jeremiah Owyang, Seth Godin, the G-man or Guy Kawasaki? They could invite opinion or thought leaders in various industries, celebrity Twitterers, reporters and other sme's as guest speakers. Imagine the sponsorships that would line up to support this new radio venue covering everything from social media, future marketing and technology trends, and more. I know I would definitely be tuned in! What's your thoughts? <script type="text/javascript">var _sttoolbar = {}</script><script src="; type="text/javascript"></script>2009/07/blogger-am-turn-up-volume.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (2cre8)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136.post-6691488397879103715Thu, 18 Jun 2009 01:07:00 +00002009-07-07T20:33:25.843-04:00blogsdesigngamingmarketingmicroblogsmobilesearchsocial mediatechnologytrends40+ Terrific Articles/Resources for June 2009And the winners for June 2009 are: <ul> Technology <li><a href="; target="_blank">Chris Hughes: Augmented reality made easy</a> @TED <li><a href="; target="_blank">Cannes Attendees Find Future Is Now for Touch-Screen Tech</a> Social Media <li><a href="; target="_blank">300+ helpful tips on using social media</a> Thx @AlVinKoay! Great resource! <li><a href="; target="_blank">Why Brands Need To Engage In Social Conversation</a> (Includes a funny, but valid video.)</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">The 5 newest interactive trends: How will they affect you?</a> @scheyney</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Is there such a thing as social media etiquette?</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">From Social Media To Social Business Design</a> @peterkim</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">10.5 Tasty Tips: Social Media Etiquette | The Brand Chef</a> @swoodruff</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Whose Word-of-Mouth Matters?</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">10 Reasons to use Social Media When Launching a Hotel</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Report: Social networking up 83 percent for US</a> @GbrilliantQ</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Social media advertising strategy: six profiles you must have</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Will brands be ready when every web page is social? Find out what they should do</a> @jowyang</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">The Top 10 Social Networks for Creative People</a> @phaoloo</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Do Teens Tweet? And Other Social Media FAQs</a> Blogs/Microblogs <li><a href="; target="_blank">Here are the newspapers that are using Twitter, with their Twitter accounts</a> @1websurfer</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Local Tweets: 9 Ways to Find Twitter Users in Your Town</a> @mashable</li><li>Excellent! <a href="; target="_blank">Free Twitter backgrounds</a> via @twitround Mobile/Gaming/Etc. <li><a href="; target="_blank">50 Ways to Promote Your iPhone App</a> Excellent List! <li><a href="; target="_blank">Gaming Market Could Reach $90 Billion By 2015</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">15 Free iPhone Healthcare Apps</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">IPhone 3.0 Excels at Wi-Fi Hotspots</a> @iphonerocker</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">How To Use The Best 40 Features of #iPhone 3.0</a> @prebynski</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">The Awesome Potential of iPhone In-App Purchases</a> Marketing <li><a href="; target="_blank">Build Awareness For Your Biz In Your Community</a> Good list! <li><a href="; target="_blank">6 common sense tips on how to go viral</a> @bkmacdaddy <li><a href="; target="_blank">Get Free or Low-Cost Publicity (10 tools)</a> (via Entrepreneur.com) <li><a href="; target="_blank">Link Building Worksheets - Organize Your Campaign</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Top PPC Tactics To Increase Customer or Professional Leads--An Innovative PPC Model</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Traditional CRM vs. Social CRM</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Excellent Example of Mobile Marketing Integration into a Multi-Channel Brand Campaign</a> @BuzzThreeSixty</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Marketing on the Web</a> Great list!</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">OPEN Book: A Practical Guide to Online Marketing</a> (PDF download)</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Email Marketing Success Is About Relevance</a> Design/UI/HTML/CSS <li><a href="; target="_blank">How-To-Guides: Building a Better Web Site</a> Good tips from Inc.com <li><a href="; target="_blank">Minimalism in Web Design - Tips and 59 Examples</a> @webupd8 @wpstudios @brandonacox <li><a href="; target="_blank">10 Tools to Improve Your Site's Usability on a Low Budget</a> @hashdesigns @GabriellaSky <li><a href="; target="_blank">A complete social network icon pack (40 icons)</a> @smashingmag <li><a href="; target="_blank">Superb Examples of Form Design</a> @superbwebdesign <li><a href="; target="_blank">10 Rare HTML Tags You Really Should Know</a> @phaoloo</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">60 Beautiful & Creative Web Interface Designs</a> @tweetmeme</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Motherload Collection of Inspirational Website Design Collections</a> @PerryBelcher</li> <li><a href="; target="_blank">Informative And Usable Footers In Web Design</a> @smashingmag</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">25 Examples of Cool Coming Soon Pages</a> - Part II | Dzine Blog Search/SEO/SEM <li><a href="; target="_blank">The Top 10 Twitter SEO Tips</a> @mashable <li><a href="; target="_blank">The Intricate Relationship between Search Engine Optimization and Social Media Marketing</a> @SeanSEO</li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Google Crawls Flash Files Even Better Now</a></li><li><a href="; target="_blank">Learn some quick new Google search tricks today</a> @google </ul> And last, but not least...another extensive list: <a href="; target="_blank">50 Top Noise-free Twitter Tips & Links in Marketing, SEO, Design & Writing</a> @AlVinKoay @amerkawar Do you have additional articles you'd like me to add? Comment below or let me know at <a href="; target="_blank">;. Enjoy! <script type="text/javascript">var _sttoolbar = {}</script><script src="; type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">stBlogger.init(";);</script>2009/06/my-favorite-resource-list-for-june-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (2cre8)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6071853390821708136.post-1786410437579715695Sun, 07 Jun 2009 13:14:00 +00002009-06-23T21:17:07.608-04:00designengagementfunctionsocial mediauser interfaceSocial Media Communities: Rules of Engagement<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 212px;" src="; alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345429992096045410" border="0" /></a> Balance of design, function and engagement As an active social media advocate, I've found some sites are so much more intuitive to navigate and engaging than others. I'm a firm believer that the quality of engagement is sometimes a lot more important than quantity. I would encourage social media and community networks to "listen" to your audience and apply some basic user-experience fundamentals: Registration Why ask for everything upfront? You risk losing a potential customer and avid follower. <ul><li>Implement an Open ID platform instead...just the basics...e-mail address as the user name and a password that has already been established with other community/social sites. You've made it so simple to register and that much faster to now engage a new follower.</li> <li>Facebook and LinkedIn allows you to complete your full profile at your leisure. Sites that require a birth date upfront really is annoying. Sites that make it optional, even partially filled, is much more empowering to the user. Even better is choosing what information I want made public. MySpace offered that option but it was very difficult to find.</li></ul> User Interface This is a critical factor. Even more so when you have a complex architecture with lots of features. Simplicity is the key word here. There are some community sites whose pages are sooo busy and confusing, I rarely go back to visit. Here are other issues that come immediately to mind: <ul><li>Branding - Do you really need a massive logo or header that explains the site on every single page? Once a value proposition was explained in the pre-registration process, the meat of your site should be all about engaging your users with your brand. The design, functions and features should also resonate your brand hallmarks. If your brand claim is innovation, then show some feature, content or functionality that's innovate. Remember...the "user experience" also equates to the "br

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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:45:43 +0000nokiainternetmobileinnovationservicessocial networkingmososo5staradvertisingcrmdatagoogleheathrowmarketingtrendsvrmweb2.0web3.0EconomistHoliday InnLondonNEFFamerican golfannoyancesawardsbackupbankingblogsbob iannuccibureaucracybusiness weekcar alarmchildrencitibankcommentscompetitioncraigs listcustomer-centricdisruptiondld07ebayeducationeducation2.0eggs benedictelectionengineerenterprise2.0eosexpensivefacebookfinlandfoolishfriendfeedftfuturegrumblehackersheathwoehornblowingidentityimityiphonejobs 2.0 HR internslatitudemailing listsmarketplacemobile internetmobile2.0mobile3.0new yorknycpablospressprinciplesprovenancerandomrecipereflectionresolutionride-sharingrisottoroom servicerubbishsatisfactionsearchseattlesemanticsemantic webserviceshoeshinesingapore airlinessjsocial networkssocietyspamspeaker seriestaxitooltwittertyler bruleunicornusavotingwebwestinyasnsThreeDimensionalPeopleHello, this is now an archive. The current blog is at threedimensionalpeople.com.noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)Blogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-5592180023271004898Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:33:00 +00002009-07-17T05:35:33.609-07:00Moving on upGreetings. This is to say that I've finally got tech savvy and got my own domain, called surprisingly, <a href=";. Please go there for the latest. Thanks for the good times, Mr. Blogger. Stephen2009/07/moving-on-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-1657850805613534762Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:33:00 +00002009-07-01T11:36:53.795-07:00educationeducation2.0mobileMobiles in the classroom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 234px; height: 350px;" src="; border="0" alt="" /></a> <div> </div><div> </div>Nokia has <a href=" off</a> an initiative to start thinking about how mobiles can be used to improve the classroom learning experience. Together with the Pearson Foundation they are sponsoring the "Mobile Learning Institute, which delivers engaging, personalized, project-based learning right to classrooms and community centers across the United States." It goes on to talk about the need to help teachers and students develop the "21st-century skills they need to design, develop, and complete the collaborative digital arts projects that will shape their future."<div><div> </div><div>Not much more detail yet, but definitely a step in the right direction. There hasn't been nearly enough fresh thinking in this area. A novel idea I heard recently was the <a href=" progamme</a> - a radical idea championed by Harvard's uberkid <a href=" Fryer</a> and carried out by the funky NYC ad house <a href=";, the folk responsible for <a href=" Great Schlepp</a> and Unicef's <a href=" project</a>. The hypothesis is that you can give phones to kids in schools that help them during the school day, as a learning-centric communication platform (quizes, prizes, research etc) which then double as their personal devices at night. All sorts of knee jerk reactions to the idea of giving more techno toys to kids, bribing them with rewards for good grades, and some relevant questions about whether a device given by the school could ever be cool enough to use at home. </div><div> </div><div>However, the reality is that i) kids are watching <a href=" hours of TV a day</a>, and ii) US pre-university education standards are as <a href=" puts it</a>, awful and slipping further. Kids today are so hard to reach through normal channels, so getting into a conversation with them where they are already today (the phone), rather than where they're not (the classroom) has some merit. Looking forward to seeing these ideas evolve.</div><div> </div><div> </div></div>2009/06/mobiles-in-classroom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-2107524399815026615Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:13:00 +00002009-06-06T10:51:00.237-07:00advertisingtwitterThe ice cream cart brings us from advertising to subscriptions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 470px; height: 365px;" src="; border="0" alt="" /></a> <div> </div><div> </div>Loic <a href="; to what seems to be an increasing trend as Twitter fundamentally improves the efficiency of communications -- companies using broadcast publish and subscribe models as ways to interact with their customers and provide service updates. <div> </div><div>This is very much in early alpha stage today - tech savvy, barbeque, ice-cream & crème brûlée cart-wielding chef-geeks send off tweets in a fairly curt shorthand to their followers, who then turn up salivating, with wallets open. </div><div> </div><div>This turns the hoary advertising adage of "I'm wasting half my advertising money, but I don't know which half" on its head. These guys aren't spending any money on advertisting, and they know exactly what is being wasted - none of it. It all goes to existing customers. </div><div> </div><div>I think that next steps in this evolution will be particularly interesting in three areas: First, semantic data, such as machine readable location info for the trucks, or - and probably not done today - a markup to describe food that's on offer. Second, integrating to mobile, so you can more easily publish (e.g. upload content) and subscribe (integration of your favourite twitterers into your core mobile apps). And third, perhaps the toughest - a business model that extracts some of the value accruing from the vendors and amplifies it, to make a professional service, rather than the tasty, but hacked and ugly mashup it is becoming today.</div>2009/06/ice-cream-cart-brings-us-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-682584214564173949Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:15:00 +00002009-04-24T10:15:45.283-07:00reciperisottoTommaso's Risotto<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="; border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5328303635728269746" /></a> </div> One of the many benefits of marrying an Italian (ok Italian American) is the fantastic food. Now, my mum's a great cook, but inevitably growing up in a country like England anesthetizes one to the finer arts of the palate. This was compounded by a stint in Finland; a number of my colleagues said they learnt from their days of military service that "food is fuel" and no more. To me Italian food has always been pizza and pasta - from a box at Tescos. Now enter Uncle Joe, Anna, Mum Rodin and my fair wife, and I realize I've been missing a trick. We're learning a lot from the ancien Italians such as how to make fresh pasta with Uncle Joe, but the latest excitement came when our friends <a href="; and Francesca visited last week, and showed us how to cook risotto. We made it ourselves last night for my colleague <a href=" style="">Here's the recipe - in the Italian tradition, amounts are approximate. <div> </div><div>Heat about 1.5pints stock (water + stock cube) with half a glass of white wine and a crumbled pinch of saffron. In another saucepan, saute onions, then garlic in olive oil for a few minutes, then add a cup of arborio rice (don't use normal rice). Saute this for about 5mins, then add the stock, half a cupful at a time, stirring well at medium heat. Then let it simmer for about 15mins, and add portobello mushrooms (we use dried ones that you have to soak for a few mins beforehand). When it's done stir in a bunch of fine grated parmesan, and throw some italian parsley on as garnish. We served it with grilled John Dory and asparagus, and a couple of bottles of Ed's fine vino - and it came out a treat. Now I just have to work on the air of insouciance that Tommaso has perfected to make it look easy. </div></div>2009/04/tommasos-risotto.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-8997680398593298492Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:43:00 +00002009-04-09T05:52:40.695-07:00Slightly surreal email marketingHad to do a double take on this email i just received: "Dear Mr Johnston, Apologies for the intrusion. According to our records we don't have permission to contact you by email. If you're happy with this arrangement, you need not do anything. To encourage you to reconsider, please take a look at Your Preferences (based on past purchases) - a new service designed to help us look after you better." And signed off: "Contact us if you want to contact us!" by the MD of the London based wine store that was sending this note. While it certainly has chutzpah, its brazen flouting of my earlier stated preferences just looks dumbass. Bin.2009/04/slightly-surreal-email-marketing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-8936822566849874714Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:53:00 +00002009-02-05T11:56:28.858-08:00facebookgooglelatitudemobilesocial networkingBackslashing - the upcoming tests for Google and FacebookOne of the quaintest garbled Finglishisms from my time in Helsinki, and there were many, was when my colleagues would warn of the dangers of a backlash, and call it a backslash. Don't know why, and maybe it was a localized phenomenon, but it conjured up in my mind some kind of fevered robed, masked assassins scything at a cowering hoard of alphanumeric symbols. Anyway, this is the season of the backslash. At the macro level of backslashery, Obama is shooting fish in a barrel, with his <a href=" top rate salary</a> for officers of companies taking public funds. Though an admirably attractive idea for mass market politicos seemingly frustrated that <a href="; are no longer a valid punishment for errant execs, this is unlikely to be effective, since the most capable executives will presumably head elsewhere, leaving a second division in charge of doing the right things. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 308px; height: 436px;" src="; border="0" alt="" /></a> More to the point though, are the upcoming backslashes in the worlds I inhabit - social networking and mobile. Within hours of it being launched, colleagues and friends were inviting me to share my location with them courtesy of <a href=";, Google's considerably important foray into mobile social networking. Hundreds of other startups have been trying to be The Network for mobile social networking, not realizing that there's very little point in having a separate network for mobile social networking that involves other people than in your other networks. Unsurprisingly, privacy advocates have been <a href=" up and down</a>. Google has done some elegant things to make it easier for people to not be too obvious about their location, enabling people to lie about it (something that my friend <a href="; has always maintained was a crucial essence of humanity that social networks would avoid at their peril). The problem however, is that people are inherently lazy, and the middle ground of people like me are most at risk. The youth have time on their hands and care not a jot about privacy - happy to bare all to any who stumble across their myspace page. The old fogies will be appalled and won't use it. Those in the middle such as me will fancy playing with the technology, then forget they left it on (it asks you if you want to keep it on when you leave the app, but out of sight, out of mind). We'll then be embarrassed by it - not necessarily today, but at some later point. This level of discomfort willbe magnified the first time there's an abduction or murder linked directly to it. Google up to now has been a B2B play, with their only customer interface a plain white box. Let's hope they ramp up their service with a smile. The other backslash coming our way was something i just glimpsed on CNN. The case shown was a family guy whose Facebook account was compromised and a hacker changed his status updates to say he urgently needed help. This hacker than contacted the victim's friends saying he was held captive in London, and one friend obligingly wired over $1200 to get him out of trouble. The same kind of thing can happen on any network. However, as Facebook becomes the most relied upon identity layer for many people, they'll need to rapidly scale their capabilities to deal with the aftermath of the life-wrecking that happens when something so intimate goes wrong. The massed ranks of users and their backlslashes will probably prove to be a force more humbling and educational to these pillars of the new Internet economy, than even Obama's majesty is to the pillars of the old.2009/02/backslashing-upcoming-tests-for-google.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-4351812077996688958Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:13:00 +00002009-02-03T11:26:02.816-08:00Event ad, NYC: The Hatchery goes MobileI met <a href=" Blumenstein</a> recently at a schmooze-fest in New York. He's one of the founders of <a href=" Hatchery</a> - a mashup of <a href=" Den</a> and a traditional tech meetup. He circulated this flyer- thought I'd post. Am planning to attend, so ping me if you are too. _______________________ Stephen, Please alert startups in the mobile space to The Hatchery and please pass on the information below: The Hatchery is calling for submissions to the next mobile technology event on March 25. Submissions are due February 11. If selected, you must be available for event preparation and advisory the 4 weeks prior to the event. Please read and submit <a href=";. Hatchery is a New York based venture collaboration group focused on creating opportunities for the technology community. The Gauntlet is a forum in which start-ups, investors and corporate America converge, and has been likened to American Idol meets Venture Capital. It is an interactive platform at which emerging start-ups and developing companies present their ideas and themselves to a high-caliber audience and expert panel. A team of Hatchery experts review submissions and applications from the pool of emerging start-ups and early-stage companies, months prior to the events. Three presenters are chosen in line with the respective Gauntlet theme to appear before the panel of experts and general audience. The expert panel participants are chosen for their level of experience and skill in each Gauntlet’s respective theme/category. General audience attendance is strictly invitation-only to ensure that the chosen theme is of relevance to the audience and maximizes deal-making opportunities. Each presenter is given 7 minutes to make their case, and is followed up by 15-20 minutes of interrogation by the expert panel. Finally, the panelists are given 1 minute to sum up and analyze what they have seen and heard. For those who have prepared, it is uplifting, for those presenters who have not, it can be a train wreck. Either way the audience is engaged and entertained and come away with a clear sense of the presenters’ mission, objectives and market viability. It is a mutually beneficial ecosystem for all, and one we refer to as Venture Collaboration. To learn more about The Hatchery and see previous presenters please visit The Hatchery website - www.hatchery.vc Thanks in advance.2009/02/event-ad-nyc-hatchery-goes-mobile.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-2822440936103561229Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:33:00 +00002009-01-12T16:22:25.655-08:00eggs benedictroom serviceseattlewestinThe towering room service bill at Westin Seattle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 256px;" src="; border="0" alt="" /></a> Stayed at the westin in december while there for a short trip. youch. my advice, avoid breakfast in bed. $18 eggs benedicts + 9.3% tax + 18% service charge + $4.5 delivery charge + $6 convenience charge. Ooops, sorry the last one was wrong -- thought i was talking about Ticketmaster. Either way, these are the kind of games that give big hotel chains a bad name, and leave the innocent delivery guy shuffling embarrassed and tip-free.2008/12/towering-room-service-bill-at-westin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-2164028324379838494Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:37:00 +00002008-12-03T07:47:20.157-08:00iphonenokiaservicesplease, stop the killing, and make babies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="; border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275585978378280162" /></a> I saw yesterday that we <a href="; a very nice looking phone the n97, but was dismayed that it was <a href="; <a href="; an iphone killer. At least we had the good sense not to officially invoke comparisons, but we didn't discourage them. Being described as a category killer is bad for two reasons. First, it just buckets us into a follower role - our moves are seen as defensive responses. But more important, it misses the point - the value is increasingly in the services and experiences, not the hardware. So, as the technologists froth over hardware porn such as 5MP cameras, buckets of RAM and the ability to play Flash videos, the real competition is in the service innovation. How will our new products reinvent old fashioned applications like the music player, contacts books and calendar and connect these to the web, and your friends and locations in truly unique ways? We shouldn't be making category killers, we should be making category babies and launching entirely new species. My friend and visionary <a href="; put it like this in an email to me this morning about the iPhone: "It is the first time for years that people have overt behaviours around the applications and it is a focal point of conversation. There is a shift in the conversation since the 90’s when people last talked about their choice of phone." So, the big test for me will be when we roll out our innovations targeted at our lighting a fire under the developers and application makers, in light of the very real stat of <a href=" iphone applications</a>.2008/12/please-stop-killing-and-make-babies.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-53628262136539823Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:05:00 +00002008-11-04T15:13:35.355-08:00electionnycvotinghow i voted in the us elections<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 320px;" src="; border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264943863988149458" /></a> ok, well i didn't really vote but i went in the booth with my wife who is a bona fide american citizen and witnessed the process - quite sobering and perhaps of interest for those observing from across the seas. first impressions of our polling station in upper west side manhattan was good - was clearly marked (a local school) and there were no lines. cnn is reporting 3 hour queues in florida and apparently the whole of pennsylvania is becoming one enormously long line of frustrated mewling wannabe votees. the process of voting in us elections involves being registered, finding your local voting station, knowing your precinct number (ours was 74, courtesy of a lady in the building), and then registering at a table inside. there were probably double the number of staff to voters in our station, and so we didn't have a hard time finding where to go. but it did take a full 5mins before the lady found rita's name on the list and filled out a slip which gave her a voting number - hers was 211. there was a bit of back and forth between the staff about whether she'd filled out the form correctly, and whether it was neat enough and whether registering people on the list was more important than dealing with questions. not exactly slick, but i guess they only do this once every 4 years and these are unpaid volunteers. the slip of paper was then given to us and we got into a queue to give that to another lady a few feet away, where we stood waiting for the chap to leave the booth. there was a set of lights on the booth with little obvious functionality - the lady told us to go in, but the guy was still inside. so we go in to the booth area, shrouded in heavy black plastic bag material for secrecy, and are presented with a vast machine. i suspect these were designed by an epileptic monkey let loose in a tool shed at some point towards the end of the nineteenth century. there is a Big Grey Box, a Big Red Lever, and instructions. very mechanical, very retro. no chance of those nefarious electronic machines being tampered with in this outpost. you have to flip the BRL over to the side to allow your vote to count then flip various mechanical switch from UP to SIDE next to your choice for president. there was one for obama and 3 for mccain -- he was also confusingly on the conservatives and independent columns. then there was another set of levers for supreme court justices. and then, randomly positioned on the bottom right hand side was another choice - it was a proposition 1 amendment or something about veterans rights. i could hardly understand the issue or figure out what i wanted, but thankfully the voting was done by the lawyer in the family who knew what to do. and we were done - after spending about 5mins within the plastic bin liners. not exactly the white heat of technology, all rather manual, amateur and not really clear, but it did seem to work ok. we were in an affluent well educated neighborhood and the process was neither smooth nor transparent for the workers and voters alike. i can see how more people needing to vote would cause huge delays. we then went over to starbucks and claimed our rightful free cup of coffee that they give to all voters. let's hope that's just the start of the good times rollin. so, in the end i didn't vote in the us elections. but if i had done, i'd have flipped barack's switch with pride.2008/11/how-i-voted-in-us-elections.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-1412429653423693717Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:52:00 +00002008-11-03T14:25:31.407-08:00bob iannuccinokiaFarewell to Bob Iannucci, Nokia CTOGot back from honeymoom to discover that our CTO Bob Iannucci has <a href=" down</a> - great shame. Was lucky enough to work with Bob on a number of projects, most recently the various internal Nokia2.0 <a href="2007/10/nokias-innovation-story-part-1-key.html">innovation activities</a> which helped drive the '<a href=" company</a>' thinking and cool projects like <a href=" Labs</a> as well as a bunch of stuff still under the covers. <div> </div><div>I always enjoyed working with Bob - he's super smart and knew what was needed to get stuff done. He could geek speak and get his hands dirty with code as well as being one of our most eloquent and <a href="; <a href=" how we're helping the future unfold. He's a fellow non-Finn who spent time working at the mothership, and recently transferred back to the West Coast. I can sympathize with the regular travel and 10hour Palo Alto-Helsinki time difference that makes being a senior exec particularly tough, and wish him all the best. I've no doubt he'll reappear on our (small) screens before long. </div>2008/10/farewell-to-bob-iannucci-nokia-cto.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-1131408902008985659Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:23:00 +00002008-09-12T11:48:33.301-07:00craigs listebaymarketplacenew yorki want a "mylist", not craig's listso here's a thought. my best man christian is coming to new york next weekend, and is finding it impossible to find anywhere decent to stay for less than $400/night. i have loads of friends in the city who'd probably be willing to put him up for free, or for less than $400/night, given that i can vouch for him. but i can't really spam them all with an email for this, and then something else in a few weeks. he's surfing on craigslist to try and find places, but neither party then has any independent reputation. <div> </div><div>why not merge craigs list with my contacts book, and add in a publish and subscribe element. so that way i can subscribe to topics that i might be interested, and know who the people are - as my friends, or friends of friends. obviously this is the kind of thing that social networks could enable but i) none of them are comprehensive enough to include all the people in my contacts book ii) doesn't have good integration with contacts books and ii) doesn't have a publish-subscribe element apart from the status update, which is rather a blunt instrument. </div><div> </div><div>we need a way of brokering interesting connections between people based on their collective set of interests that delivers a marketplace with enough liquidity (ie most people participate), but also keeps privacy and spam at bay. another thing for the boffins to work on. </div>2008/09/i-want-mylist-not-craigs-list.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-2931626244570992532Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:27:00 +00002008-09-11T10:49:18.665-07:00bankingbureaucracycitibankrubbisha month to get citibank to pay itselfone of the problems with coming to america is having to remember to pay off my credit cards in time. got stung last month as i just forgot to pay one of them off - citibank mastercard. whenever i went to the site it just showed some balance and some faroff date. when it stopped working i went to the site and it looked completely normal - no message such as - you're late. i then phoned them up and they said i was in arreas. i guess i was, but they didn't make much of an effort to let me know, apart from a monthly statement email - who reads that stuff? anyway, i asked how i could "switch on" automatic debiting as i had in uk. presumably going from my citibank current account to my citibank mastercard should be a breeze. oh no. they had to send me a form - which took a week to arrive, and then fill in loads of fields and sign it and send it back (which of course i've failed to do so far). they say it'll take about 2-3 weeks once received to process. so well over a month to allow me to pay me. this fascination with the mail and paper pushing is rather 1970s. c'mon citibank - get with the programme, and send some of your folks to see how europe has weaned itself off the paper monster.2008/09/month-to-get-citibank-to-pay-itself.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-3907074868121271242Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:09:00 +00002008-09-12T20:15:02.962-07:00blogscommentsfriendfeedfriendfeed acquiring my comments is like republishing adsaggregation space is a hot. but am not yet convinced. i got an email notification from friendfeed that someone (hi Timo) has commented on one of my not recent and particularly insightful blog posts (timo was being generous). however, that comment -- generated from the content of my blog -- is now attached to friendfeed, and doesn't show up here. i have to go to friendfeed if i want to see the comments? seems a bit like a dirty trick - akin to republishing someone else's content to get the advertising revenues. <div> </div><div>i'd be interested to know more about whether the content sites that the aggregation engines visit are happy for this to happen. do they use an API, or just crawl? why would blogger be happy to have this happen? </div>2008/08/friendfeed-acquiring-my-comments-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-2253889633840160202Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:37:00 +00002008-07-23T08:37:48.150-07:00Impressive new york taxis<a href="; title="photo sharing"><img src="; alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a> <a href=";>Impressive new york taxis</a> Originally uploaded by <a href=" clear="all" />have to say am impressed with the consumer facing technology installed recently in the new york cabs. it's a in car TV + credit card consoles. impressive stuff. ok you have to put up with the anodyne vapidity of the talking heads talking about non stories, but the technology is good in that it i) works everytime ii) is super simple to use and navigate. this means i can see the weather forecast and pay a cab with a credit card relatively painlessly. i've noticed that the interface in ny transport related machines is as good as i've seen it anywhere. in the cabs, the credit card payment is quick, and cheekily suggests (optional) a minimum fare of $2, even on a $4 ride. no doubt this was to keep the cab drivers from complaining about credit cards losing them tips. also when buying a ticket for the trains or the subway, the interfaces are easy to grok and lightning fast, and have only rarely seen them out of order. they do smart things like suggest common routes, whereas the ticket machines in london profess no knowledge whatsover of where someone in waterloo might be likely to want to go, despite legions of hapless and similar commuters having provided reams of data. it's the kind of simple yet complex challenge google would love. perhaps they're providing some of the secret sauce behind the big apple's splendid transport infrastructure?2008/07/impressive-new-york-taxis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-274314198541695869Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:23:00 +00002008-06-22T18:31:38.962-07:00annoyancescar alarmrandomProduct request: car alarm fryer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a> Would be great if someone would invent a high powered directional-microwave-tazar-thingy that could be used to fry car alarms from a distance. From where i write this - the intensely populated uppper-west-side - there has been a car alarm going off intermittently for about the last 2 hours. It is probably stressing out the several hundred people who are in range, hence inflicting thousands of dollars of pain and suffering. Taking a sledgehammer to the car is very tempting, and as far as i'm concerned absolutely justified, but it would have the downside of probably putting me in jail. How much more satisfying to fry a car's innards from a 5th floor window.2008/06/product-request-car-alarm-fryer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-2025837073001238376Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:21:00 +00002008-06-09T19:44:47.764-07:00The American service paradoxAmerica is a wonderful place that revels in its leading edge technologies and superior service culture. Much of that is, much of the time, perfectly valid. But it seems there are various blackholes into which the latest techno wizardry and service with a smile disappears with a poof. Healthcare, finance and telecomms industry are three not insignificant industries where my recent experience as a fresh off the boat new yorker suggests much could be done to improve the situation with a dose of scandinavian efficiency. My darling fiancee (more to come in future installments) has been witnessing first hand the need to improve the service experience in healthcare. Not only is the quality of the advice for her badly mashed up foot particularly patchy and inconsistent, but the process reeks of inefficiency. Having had a number of surgeries in the hospital, last week she had to fill out a whole bunch of additional paper forms about some other procedure, all requiring the same mind numbing and time consuming repitition of standard info such as address, insurance providers etc. This is not only inefficient it can also affect the service experience - one of the times she noticed that the basic dates for the operations had been entered wrongly on a bit of paper, potentially resulting in all sorts of trauma. My own experience of US finance is poor. Coming from First Direct in the UK, am staggered to find myself swimming in paper and a morass of expensive and impenetrable fees that are applied to you by banks for most of the functions associated with merely being alive. Getting my salary paid direct debit rather than by cheque is harder than it should be (can't remember when i last saw a cheque before arriving to the US). And perennial favourite telco rounds out the list for my triple waaaaammy. As the nation crowded round their sets trying to watch Big Brown cheat history on Saturday we were frustrated as the local monopoly provider Time Warner had blackouts over the whole of the upper west side. We ventured out to a local bar which mysteriously seemed unaffected. On both the broadband and mobile side (Apple's singlehanded efforts notwithstanding) the US is a lumbering giant - an embarassment to this nation of nation builders. Whenever I can I interact with these guys via their website, as to dial an 800 number is to consign yourself to a desperate game of eternal loops, bereft of logic, feedback and feeling, where the winning prize is a date with a bored and surly operator with interest in nothing except churning your call. Lots of room for these companies to start decentralizing the service experience back out to the edges and figure out how to let us better help ourselves, and each other.2008/06/american-service-paradox.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-1530245865425788660Fri, 09 May 2008 09:33:00 +00002008-05-09T02:53:01.861-07:00Holiday InninternetserviceWhat business is the Holiday Inn in?Greetings from the <a href=" Inn Express</a> in Hammersmith - in the twilight zone between living in London and living in New York. Flat is packed, bags are bulging & Heathrow beckons. But I couldn't pass an Internet connection without asking the question - what business is Holiday Inn in? I think it's the "affordable business travellers" market. The problem is that a customer segment is not an experience. The Internet connection here provides the example. They have a plug in cable, but the browser the opens up a page asking that you enter in your credit card details and address in order to pay £15 for 24hrs access. That experience is terrible - they do not even allow you to bill to your room. The hotel have outsourced Internet provision to an intermediary as they don't think they're in that game. Nothing else is obviously outsourced - hot water, bed and food are considered core. Sure, go ahead and price discriminate for movies or the mini bar (or the Internet) if you must, but make it as simple as typing in your room number on the screen or just grabbing a bottle. an easy and integrated Internet experience is not a fundamental requirement of today's travelling business exec on a budget, I don't know what is.2008/05/what-business-is-holiday-inn-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-5632252710873052838Sat, 03 May 2008 21:06:00 +00002008-05-03T17:03:31.210-07:00eosftservicessingapore airlinestyler bruleNote to Tyler Brûlé and departing EOS employees: Service is relative<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor: pointer; width: 124px; height: 197px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a> I was happy to see the return of Tyler Brûlé's Fast Track <a href="; in today's weekend <a href=";. It provides breezy opinion-rich accounts of the life of business travel of the black credit card variety - no <a href=" Chefs</a> here. Despite regular <a href="; from an unbelieving public that Tyler's column, which charts the antics of a diva-like jetsetter stomping carbon footprints around the globe, must be the handiwork of one of the FT's relentless <a href=" takers</a>, the man does actually exist. Tyler made his name founding <a href="; magazine and is now back with <a href="; - a cross between the Economist and, well, Wallpaper*. He does indeed live a colourful life, bouncing around the globe with boundless enthusiasm. I've met him several times and enjoy his company - though can't keep up with his travel tales, since Nokia's travel policies make me turn right at the plane door. And business travel is the subject of his column today. He is shocked by the failure of EOS, an all-business-class airline that jetted execs between "London" (or Stansted, 40 miles north) and New York. He provides some lessons in hindsight, but I think he misses the most important one that applies to just about any "all elite" service such as an all business airline. It's an oxymoron. Elite is relative. It's not just about having more leg room. It's about having more legroom than you. Of course, I'm humble (see above note about turning right) and can't afford to have an ego or let such superficial, competitive thoughts enter my mind, but how many fat cat businessmen are as charitable as me, St. Stephen? These people eat babies for breakfast and oneupmanship makes them tick. They're unhappy with a million dollar bonus if their mate gets more. So I'd suggest that a good part of the value they receive when their secretary pays several thousand pounds for a flight ticket is comprised of exhibitionism and the feel good sense that comes with attaining what others can't get, and want. Gore Vidal put it well, "It's not enough that I succeed. Others must fail." And there's no point in succeeding if you're hidden from view in a separate airplane and a separate airport. I'd hazard a guess that the Venn diagram of people rich enough for such premium services, and those immune to such posturing has not much by way of overlap. With that in mind, am interested in how Singapore Airlines will manage the experience for their customers of their new <a href="; product. It uses the massive space on the A380s to take first class to a new level of exclusivity, providing enclosed cabins for those paying £6k each way to escape from the crowd. But, as a word of advice from me - don't cut them off too much. Give the execs the joy of jealous looks from those traipsing to economy class, or the ability to share a smug smirk with their fellow cabin-travellers. After all, if good service was everywhere, it wouldn't be good any more.2008/05/note-to-tyler-brl-and-departing-eos.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-8406760819586368360Fri, 02 May 2008 06:59:00 +00002008-05-02T00:35:05.161-07:00engineerexpensivefoolishNEFFStephen's Charitable Foundation for Household Appliance Engineers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a> Continuing to document my service experiences good, bad and downright ugly, today's gas stove engineer was probably among the most expensive experience on a per minute basis. £70 for approximately 600 seconds (most of which involved opening his magnificent toolbox and displaying his wares). I really felt like a chump - scared off by the fiddly screws and 50,000 volt mini lightning strikes that the ignition switch creates that can floor a rhino (maybe). However, I blame Google - I tried various terms relating to "sticking ignition on NEFF stoves" hoping to find some forum of technically-adept housewives chatting endless about modding their domestic appliances, but oddly the cupboard was bare. So, who needs to be a lawyer earning $700/hr - you can double that by just grabbing a toolbox and finding dopes like me wrestling with domestic appliances.2008/05/stephens-charitable-foundation-for.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Anonymous)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16862808.post-4253309410033058571Tue, 29 Apr 2008 22:12:00 +00002008-04-29T15:43:36.750-07:005starnokiaservicessjusaComing to America. With thanks to the US Embassy.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a> (Pic from National Geographic, link embedded) This blog has been ambling along with no particular theme - an aide memoire of things that make me go aha or err. But I have noticed within me in the last few weeks an urge to reach for the keyboard when confronted with especially good service. And for regular readers, my Heathrow inspired frenzies suggest that I love documenting bad service too (if only to save on medical bills). So, this blog is developing a service-related theme, and that suits me fine. More about that in future. Well today's experience of submitting my US visa application was a case in point. I have been transferred to the USA with my employer Nokia and need to get a US work visa, with a view to heading over to US in the next few weeks. So goodbye London, hello New York City. Should be a relatively easy transition with Big Co supporting me, but I had mentally prepared myself for turmoil and trauma - from the lawyers processing the case in the bowels of our corporate bureaucracy to the steely faced unflinching staffers behind perspex in the Embassy who would rip your painstakingly created application to shreds for not documenting every <span sty

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