Gene Morphis ' View

English: George Hamilton receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on his 70th birthday on August 12, 2009. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) At the height of the cigar boom , George Hamilton came out with a line of cigars.  As I recall, someone in his family had been in the tobacco business, and he is a cigar smoker.  I bought a box.  Candidly, they weren't very good. I don't hold him responsible; at the peak, finding good tobacco and skilled rollers was exceptionally difficult; even the oldest largest and best firms were having difficulty obtaining quality tobacco. I smoked a couple, then stuck them away in one of my humidors.  That was at least ten years ago (I've got to learn to label my boxes with purchase dates).  I came across them the other day and smoked one to see if aging made a difference.  It did.  While still a bit on the harsh side, it tasted pretty decent.  The wrapper is rough - like fine sandpaper.  It burned a little ...

I've been helping  - or rather attempting to help - Serality raise capital.  Full disclosure - I made an angel investment in Serality about two years ago.  As of this moment, I've contacted 143 venture investors. I want to thank fifteen of them.  Those fifteen have turned us down. Obviously I'm not thanking them for that.  But I understand it.  They have a business to run and they need to make a profit.  If our business plan is off-strategy for them, or we are too small or too early-stage or they simply think we've got a bad idea; all that is OK.  I appreciate the straightforward turndown.  Serality is aimed at helping real-world communities that support the over-50 population - which is surging with millions of aging baby boomers.  That has lead to some interesting comments from some firms even though they are decling to invest.  Comments such as: "this isn't appropriate for us, but I've recently been dealing with my aging pare...

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The more I study American history, the more I realize how little I really know. I just completed Doris Kearns Goodwin ’s Team of Rivals in which she explores the inter-workings, personalities and politics of the Lincoln administration.    Every American schoolboy or schoolgirl knows that Lincoln presided over the most difficult period in American history save the George Washington era.   Most know that he struggled with a series of second rate generals until Grant emerged. And that he was tragically assassinated just as the War Between the States ended. But how many of us know that many of the cabinet members opposed Lincoln in the primary?   That many of those thought he was unqualified for the office?   That one of them – Salmon Chase – actually tried to build support to oppose Lincoln in the 1864 election?   Or that Lincoln’s opponent in 1864 was former General Mc...

The market melt-up this summer has been good for me.  As a result, I had a little celebration this weekend with a glass of Sterling Merlot and a Sancho Panza.  That cigar was purchased about a dozen years ago in Dublin, where the rules on country of origin are different than here.... Very nice. I hope that the fall will be good for all of us.  Here's to the best to our country and you for the rest of 2012!

The Wisdom of Crowds (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Daniel Kahneman (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) There are an increasing number of books that provide insight into how our minds work.   Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Coleman and The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki are two good examples.   Daniel Kahneman, in Thinking Fast and Slow , picks up that theme and advances it by an order of magnitude.   In my view, this is the must read book of the year, and absolutely required read for anyone over fifty. Each knows that there are parts of our brain that toil away ceaselessly regulating breathing and blood pressure, managing digestion and keeping our heart beating on schedule without us being consciously aware of it.   From other books like Emotional Intelligence , we know that there is also a high-speed circuit that responds to stimulus far faster than conscious thinking.   There are numerous examples.   Touch something hot with your hand and you’ll...

John Locke has become one of the most successful Kindle authors in the world.   He’s created two popular series with an action hero series (Donovan Creed) and a re-invention of the Western with   the Emmett Love series.   In How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months! he provides practical advice to authors who are writing for eBooks or other self-publishing vehicles.In full disclosure, let me begin by saying that I’m a Kindle author (albeit barely, my book Jobs Over Fifty, the Guide to New Employment for the Experienced Worker , has yet to hit the best sellers list.   But there is still hope).   Locke is a savvy marketer and has given a lot of thought to using data and new media to promote his books.   He links blogs, Twitter and email marketing campaigns to drive purchases and build a following.   He used some very clever techniques, particularly in blogs and emails, to link his brands to other more powerful brands.   While one of his examples ...

Neal Stephenson speaking at Google, (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) I’ve been wondering if Neal Stephenson has decided to write a best seller of every genre’.   Diamond Age is cyberpunk. The Baroque Cycle is picaresque. Reamde and Crytonomicon are action/adventure.   Anathem is science fiction/fantasy.   If we see a romance and a murder mystery come from his inventive pen, we’ll know that my conjecture is indeed correct. In a way, Mr. Anderson is crowdsourcing his latest work, with the first book of The Mongoliad Trilogy recently published with co-authors Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBirmingham, Erik Bear, Joseph Brassey and Cooper Moo.   Or perhaps he has seen the commercial success of Game of Thrones, and is creating the script writing team for the series.   (His books would be rather complicated to turn into a movie.   A Lord of the Rings series would be more appropriate.   The Baroque Cycle would have to be a series.) I continue to view...

English: Jim Collins (James C. Collins), an American business consultant, author of "Built to Last" and "Good to Great". (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 27: Clayton M. Christensen Founder of Disruptive Innovation Theory attends the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards during the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival at the NYU Paulson Auditorium on April 27, 2012 in New York City. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife ) Cover via Amazon As I’ve said repeatedly in previous reviews, there are certain business-book authors that are automatic purchases for me including Tom Peters , Geoffrey Moore , Gary Hamel , Ram Charan, Adrian Slywotzky , Clay Christensen , George Stalk and Jim Collins.   Since I buy all their books, I get behind, pile other books on top and later find a book that I’d forgotten.   Such is the case with How the Mighty Fail by Jim Collins which I recently discovered in my stack of books to get to.   Collins dramatic...

Nice post by positive corporate culture guru Ron Potter on the importance of leaders asking questions and listening carefully and thoughtfully on the answers.  Supports and amplifies Jim Collins' research for How the Mighty Fail. http://www.tlcllc.com/

Recently, I have been assisting a start-up in preparation for raising Venture Capital.   At the recommendation of a friend, I bought The ART of the START The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki.   Mr. Kawasaki is a venture-capitalist.   Prior to becoming a VC, Mr. Kawasaki worked at Apple.   Mr. Kawasaki set as his goal for the book to help entrepreneurs and others starting enterprises reduce the preparatory time and move straight into development.   (Prep time including visiting with various experts to collect ideas, learn potential problems that can be avoided, etc.) Mr. Kawasaki writes with style, verve and an appealing since of humor. He starts with a summary of five things that each new effort should include.   One of the intriguing concepts is to avoid developing a mission statement, but instead develop a very short mantra.   Having been in some very unproductive, long, painful, meetings where...

Dave Scarangella writes about sports in VA - Hokies, Skins, etc., none of which I really care about.  However, when he covers high school and local sports, he writes from the heart.  Here is a recent post: http://www.dullesdistrict.com/?q=blog

Seth Godin is a publishing machine.   He deserves credit for (to use Tom Peter’s term) re-imagining publishing.   I’m not aware of anyone else close to his skills at channel- linking: Kindle books, hardcover books, free books, blogs, Twitter.   And most recently with Kickstarter.   Very inventive indeed. Graceful follows the style of many of his books, that is, very short chapters, each making a single point to support and develop the theme of the book. One of George Gilder ’s recommendations in the early days of the Internet and the PC explosion was to determine which resources are scarce and which are abundant.   Then design to exploit the abundant resource.   Mr. Godin updates that concept with gracefulness being in short supply, along with leadership.   In his view, in the new economy is based on abundance.    I would label that a network effect.    From his chapter on Abundance and scarcity: “If I benefit when everyone know...

English: Box of Partagas Coronas Deutsch: Kiste Partagas Coronas (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Courtesy of friend Eduardo Fertman, I enjoyed a delecious cigar from famed cigar house Partagas. It was a Coronas Senior.  First, I'll admit to being a fan of Partagas.  In the great cigar boom, it seemed to me that they maintained their quality standards, even as new entrants bid up tobacco prices, and in some cases purchased entire crops, limiting the availability of tobacco to older, longstanding firms. The Coronas Senior makes my short list of cigars that I'll continue to purchase.  A new favorite! Thanks Eduardo!   Related articles Cigar Aficionado: Best Cigars of 2011

For those of you who are interested in social media or CRM, here is the latest from guru Paul Greenberg:  http://the56group.typepad.com/pgreenblog/2012/06/a-guide-to-influencers-chapter-2.html

Dear Mr. Bernanke: I hate to be critical of Fed policy.   Really.   Because   the fiscal policies of both the current and prior administrations, and eleven consecutive years of totally feckless behavior by Congress, has done more than tie one hand behind the Fed’s back; it’s tied both hands, shackled a leg and blindfolded it. But the time has come for the Fed to face its egregiously destructive policies and change them.   Deflation was a threat.   In some ways it still is.   Housing went from a bubble to decline to free fall.   Millions of jobs have been lost, fueling deflation.   Your response was to attempt to create inflation and thereby resurrect housing.   Reasonable theory.   The supply chain for housing is gigantic; if it were to be restored millions of jobs would return: not just sheetrock hangers, cabinet installers, plumbing contractors, roofers, electricians, tile layers, carpet layers, carpenters, HVAC installers, la...

Take the Lead by Betsy Myers with John David Mann, is her treatise on leadership.   The byline is “Motivate, Inspire and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You”. Ms. Myers has an underlying concept: that there is a need for a new kind of leadership.   Changing times, the Internet, the mobility of society has erased the prior, up the organization ladder method of leadership development.   Her statement: “The emerging need is not simply for a better leadership but a new kind of leadership…”   (Italics are hers).   The book takes the reader through the experiences that gave her a point of view on leadership.   Those experiences, while varied, are heavily weighted to public service.   That includes stints in the Clinton administration, working in the Obama campaign and at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard.   All of these led to contact with famous and successful people, whether cabinet level or contributors to Harva...

Paul Greenberg is one of, if not the, leading voice on CRM.  And a social media guru.  He is also a no-holds-barred, long-copy blogger.  Here is his treatise on reaching influencers. http://the56group.typepad.com/

Chuck Woolery is emerging as the new conservative spokesman. Humorists, edgy writers and comedians have long been influential in shaping the trend of thought.  Mark Twain, H.L. Menken from prior generations.  Carl Hiaasen and preservation in FL.  A Dennis Miller rant. The impact of Saturday Night Live skits. But I didn't expect a former game show host.  However, I'll admit I support every single thing in this video. http://www.youtube.com/embed/KV-RqPtT2PU

Geoffrey Moore is a very successful author and has also started multiple consulting and speaking businesses.   He is also a partner in a venture capital firm.   Mr. Moore writes extensively about strategy and marketing, particularly in technology markets. In  Escape Velocity Free Your Company’s Future from the Pull of the Past Mr. Moore sets up circumstances in which businesses struggle with a transition from existing products and services to the products and services that will replace them.   I have two quick observations: first, this book is clearly about business-to-business marketing.   If you are in the B2B space, there are some lessons here, but this book clearly is not aimed at you.   Second, since Mr. Moore is involved with tech companies, his examples are almost exclusively tech examples.   Not so narrow as not to be interesting, but perhaps limited for readers who are in, say, insurance or construction. Moore’s theme is that ther...

Can America Be Saved? No. It is too late. Background Let's set the stage. While most of the news reports and political talk focuses on the deficit, the real issue is the accumulated debt. About $15.5 trillion and compounding. (For a fascinating, but spooky view see: http://www.usdebtclock.org/ ). If you have a copy of Excel, there is a very handy mortgage calculator. I plugged in $16 trillion - the debt is very likely to get at least that large before anything to change it happens - and got the following: amortizing that balance like a traditional 30 year mortgage requires a monthly payment of $76.4 billion, or $917 billion per year. I guess one could argue we are paying about one-fourth of interest today. Effectively half of our spending is covered by borrowing not by tax revenue. If we pay just the interest portion alone and don't try to reduce the principal - a major step forward from where we are - would require an annual interest payment of $640 billion. That'...