Flipping through the channels and stumbled into our favorite CNN Headline News - 20 something years back when Ted Turner introduced the concept of Live news round the clock and update every half hour - Finance, Sports, Weather- very innovative from the daily dose of 30 minute anchored Network news.
So when I saw a News Break flash on the CNN Headline News- my immediate reaction was may be there is a breaking News- NO - it was just a regular News "Break" for 30 seconds- and back to "REGULAR" program on HeadLine News...Whata concept - NewsBreak on Headline News- Leave anything to Time Warner and they know how to commercialise it and let people forget why they tuned to the channel in the first place- lets see how Ted Turners concept was trashed into a half-baked annoya-tainment( entertainment in the form of annoying nuisance!)
- from news every 30 minutes round the clock it became news every 15minutes round the clock ..mmmm....now try breaking 15 minutes into World news, local news,finance,sports,weather,traffic- mmm...really 3 lines of news in every segment repeated every 15 minutes- started getting stale slowly
- next bravery came in the form of introducing Local News segment given to the local Cable station- wow that takes close to 7-8 minutes in a 30 minute segment - and try breaking it to 12 minute Headline News segment- there goes any meaningful repeatable News format initially - Brilliantly formed by Mr Turner
- then came entertainment in the Form of Nancy Grace- who likes to do some detective work on her own - making the concept of reporting a thing of the past ( remember that poor mother of a child who commited suicide when Grace tried to gracefully accuse her of kllling her own kid??)
- and then Mr.G!! Dont even know what this one is all about- a sick form of commedy ?
Well - my sincere request to the Management of Time Warner-Dear Mr Parsons please change the channel name to something else if you want to go down the path your News staff are taking HEadLine News- because the Road your staff is taking is not even close to being News - let alone HeadLine News.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Waterfall Grille?
Interesting that Buick and Chevy are trying to create a eyecatching standard Grille- Hopefully it will be for the long run!
May be for the first time a car company is actually advertising based on the Grille of the car- see my privious write-up on possible rationale behind keeping the look the same for generations to retain its glamour. I saw a print ad for Buick Lucerne - may be the comback model for the old aged Buick- and they even have given it a name- Water Fall Grille. The Grille in itself has a unique shape - may be not that attractive and if you have a name for it and explained why it looks the way it does - mmmm..not bad for a first step in the right direction.
Also of notable mention is a silver ribbon across many of the new Chevy models- actually spreading from the standard front ribbon from the checy trucks to the back ribbon of a couple of newer models- may be intentional to retain a lasting imagery that can be carried over model year after model year?
Looks like GM is serious about this turn around strategy they are implementing this time around! Bravo and Good Luck GM!
May be for the first time a car company is actually advertising based on the Grille of the car- see my privious write-up on possible rationale behind keeping the look the same for generations to retain its glamour. I saw a print ad for Buick Lucerne - may be the comback model for the old aged Buick- and they even have given it a name- Water Fall Grille. The Grille in itself has a unique shape - may be not that attractive and if you have a name for it and explained why it looks the way it does - mmmm..not bad for a first step in the right direction.
Also of notable mention is a silver ribbon across many of the new Chevy models- actually spreading from the standard front ribbon from the checy trucks to the back ribbon of a couple of newer models- may be intentional to retain a lasting imagery that can be carried over model year after model year?
Looks like GM is serious about this turn around strategy they are implementing this time around! Bravo and Good Luck GM!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
More means to communicate!
Thank God there is no pager anymore! VOIP, Skype, Cell, IM, blackberry data-line,landline, office line,efax - all for one person and we are not done yet? Growing up had more time and more people to talk to- with a good attitude too. However it was tough to find a phone or a calling card to use cheaply. As I get older I find I have more means to communicate and less people willing to listen to!
Monday, April 9, 2007
Fair & Reasonable - Thank you Nokia!
I walked into the new ATT Wireless shop and started browsing at the new offerings from Nokia in the cell phone market. Finally I picked up the Blackberry look alike and walked upto the sales person to pay. I was told to write my name in the sheet and wait my turn. Fair enough I wrote my name waited my turn. Finally a Sales Person called my name and I walked up to the counter. I told the sales person the model that I was interested in. The model was brought and activated to work with my number. I took out my wallet and pulled out a $10.00 bill and laid on top of the counter as I picked up the phone from the counter. The sales person stared me down and grabbed the phone from my hand as he started asking what the hell was that all about? I told the sales person that I thought $10.00 was a Fair and Reasonable rate for the phone as I started pulling out the press statement from Nokia on their recent Qualcom dispute and how Nokia was handling the situation by paying a unilateral fair and reasonable price for using Qualcom's technology in their phones. Well needless to say - it didnt work for me as the sales person said that I might want to try it with a good set of lawyers on my side! Is this just an exception or a pattern that we can expect from EuroZone companies against American companies in the years to come? With what is happening with Microsoft & Apple and other Eurosone interventions it is very possible this might be the beginning of a trend.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Fear of Tomorrow!
In one of my meetings with my start-up Advisor we were discusing what motivates people and makes certain people take the plunge into the Start-up world. We came up with may be a handful of compelling reasons that might qualify as traits for a successful start-up experience...but One point that stuck to my mind is about Tomorrow and Lack of Fear for Tomorrow. At first it appeared very flimpsy and superfluous - but the more and more I thought about it I started seeing why those butterflies in the stomach can be very useful at times but can also handicap a person's ability to take risk. Fear inhibits creativity even though it has the ability to bring seriousness to any activity.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Picking those flyers!
As I was walking out of an electronics shop - I picked up those pamplets & University catalogues. I dropped them in my back seat near the old ones I had picked up previously. As I started the car I realized that I have been doing this for the past 10 years or so - some times I browse through the schedules and course outlines from basic guitar to Learning chinese to ball room dancing & Architecture- but most of the time just throw them only to be replaced by the latest edition. I have never gone past the browsing stage- not even try to see where the nearest classes are- but without fail I pick them up every time I see them no matter where and what time. I turned the car and parked and got out of the car. I picked up those catalogues/books including the old ones. Walked back to the store and put them back where they belonged- Hopefully this time they will not sit in the back seat of a car.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Modern Mail- Pleaze stop them!
US Mail delivers once a day - and some times even on Saturday; I can pick them up when I want and decide to read when ever! The sender doesnt expect an immediate reply!
Fed EX: If some one is willing to pay they can be there when you want it and how you want it. Still you can read when you want it and there is no rush to reply. Nobody gets hurt by not replying.
Phone Mail: If someone calls you can choose to ignore the call and the message- still can decide to call them when you want to . People expect you to respond some time but never immediate!
eMail/IM : what is wrong with this world - every one wants every one to read and reply IMMEDIATELY! Every one wants to have 10 different emails- each flowing real time and aimlessly knowick on people's life to tell them that they have a mail from viagra ads to from some one near and dear. From outlook to Blackberry every one wants to see the mail and respond NOW! Why? Imagine your postman knocking every ten minutes to tell you you have a mail and keeps reminding you that the sender is expecting a reply!
What is wrong with every day mail and everyday email? Do we need it in our phone & in our lap top & in our PDA and may be tomorrow in our fridge & microwave? WHY ??
Fed EX: If some one is willing to pay they can be there when you want it and how you want it. Still you can read when you want it and there is no rush to reply. Nobody gets hurt by not replying.
Phone Mail: If someone calls you can choose to ignore the call and the message- still can decide to call them when you want to . People expect you to respond some time but never immediate!
eMail/IM : what is wrong with this world - every one wants every one to read and reply IMMEDIATELY! Every one wants to have 10 different emails- each flowing real time and aimlessly knowick on people's life to tell them that they have a mail from viagra ads to from some one near and dear. From outlook to Blackberry every one wants to see the mail and respond NOW! Why? Imagine your postman knocking every ten minutes to tell you you have a mail and keeps reminding you that the sender is expecting a reply!
What is wrong with every day mail and everyday email? Do we need it in our phone & in our lap top & in our PDA and may be tomorrow in our fridge & microwave? WHY ??
Once every 100 Years or so....Re-inventing America!
Its exactly 100 Years ago that Ford Motor company & Henry Ford revolutionized the way cars were manufactured and how cars became an integral part of every day America. Also what is amazing is how the cost of car was slashed in half in 1909 and again slashed in half in 1924- Sharing of wealth with workers in the form of $5 a day and attracting the best of breed talent - set the tone for the Industrilization and eventual global dominance of the American Automotive Industry- which spread like wild fire into other Industries. This so called Innovation engine keeps re-inventing itself one Industry after another.
The back drop for Mr Kerkorian and his Investment firm Tracinda couldnt have been better. A time when America is in a stateless war with a terrorism, witheroding global dominance in both economy & popular culture - the American car companies after 100 plus years of global dominance have started faltering and imploding the last decade or so. Japanese cars - what started off as a cheap alternative to American cars are threatening to overtake the great American cars and may take othe manufacturing industries with it.
Mr Kerkorian's failed attempt to give a shock treatment to General Motors if giving him and Chrysler another chance to make America a dominant force again. This move by Tracinda corp with the labor participation will re-ignite the American Automotive Industy in the form of renewed enthusiam and innovation with participative labor and management force. With GM well on its way to reviving its financials and image with consumers with renewed branding in the like of Cadillac and Buick - its will be only a few months befor Ford starts delivering as well.
It is a welcome sign that UAW has endorsed Tracinda corporation's ESOP - a significan move as most of the current trouble can be attribuited to the split in the management & labor force in the form of legacy cost issues and labor pool during forced lay offs. This might be the begining of a new eara where the old and once dominant Manufacturing industrieas will take a leaf from the newer world of Technology - sharing wealth through equity participation making productivity and innovation sky rocket.
Given Mr Kerkorian's track record this is one for the history - as THIS IS THE NEW BEGINNING FOR THE RENEWAL OF AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE & MANUFACTIRUNG DOMINANCE!! Thank you Mr York for fulfilling Mr K's and my dream to come true!
The back drop for Mr Kerkorian and his Investment firm Tracinda couldnt have been better. A time when America is in a stateless war with a terrorism, witheroding global dominance in both economy & popular culture - the American car companies after 100 plus years of global dominance have started faltering and imploding the last decade or so. Japanese cars - what started off as a cheap alternative to American cars are threatening to overtake the great American cars and may take othe manufacturing industries with it.
Mr Kerkorian's failed attempt to give a shock treatment to General Motors if giving him and Chrysler another chance to make America a dominant force again. This move by Tracinda corp with the labor participation will re-ignite the American Automotive Industy in the form of renewed enthusiam and innovation with participative labor and management force. With GM well on its way to reviving its financials and image with consumers with renewed branding in the like of Cadillac and Buick - its will be only a few months befor Ford starts delivering as well.
It is a welcome sign that UAW has endorsed Tracinda corporation's ESOP - a significan move as most of the current trouble can be attribuited to the split in the management & labor force in the form of legacy cost issues and labor pool during forced lay offs. This might be the begining of a new eara where the old and once dominant Manufacturing industrieas will take a leaf from the newer world of Technology - sharing wealth through equity participation making productivity and innovation sky rocket.
Given Mr Kerkorian's track record this is one for the history - as THIS IS THE NEW BEGINNING FOR THE RENEWAL OF AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE & MANUFACTIRUNG DOMINANCE!! Thank you Mr York for fulfilling Mr K's and my dream to come true!
SOX Impact on Earnings!
Q2 earnings are around the corner- Starting next week we will see a parade of companies reporting their March ending period's performance.
In the past several years we have seen most of the S&P 500 companies and almost all Bell weather companies report their numbers during the 2nd and 3rd week of the month after the period. Options expiry being on the third Friday usually works well for those speculative investorys trying to make a buck or two before Options expiry!
Well, Well, if last quarter - if it was not just a year end event, was any indication- gone are those days. No option play for the earnings season with a 24 hrs expiry options anymore.
We have started seeing companies reporting period spreading past the usual two week window and slipping into the 4th & 5th week after the quarter ends- well past the 3rd Friday.
May be SOX reporting & compliance requlations are making it tough on companies to report quickly - or its just a temporary phenomenon till the programs and reportings are updated to reflect the new regulations.
Till then - if you want to play the Options before earnings season - got to go a lot longer and may be a bit deeper in the pocket too!
In the past several years we have seen most of the S&P 500 companies and almost all Bell weather companies report their numbers during the 2nd and 3rd week of the month after the period. Options expiry being on the third Friday usually works well for those speculative investorys trying to make a buck or two before Options expiry!
Well, Well, if last quarter - if it was not just a year end event, was any indication- gone are those days. No option play for the earnings season with a 24 hrs expiry options anymore.
We have started seeing companies reporting period spreading past the usual two week window and slipping into the 4th & 5th week after the quarter ends- well past the 3rd Friday.
May be SOX reporting & compliance requlations are making it tough on companies to report quickly - or its just a temporary phenomenon till the programs and reportings are updated to reflect the new regulations.
Till then - if you want to play the Options before earnings season - got to go a lot longer and may be a bit deeper in the pocket too!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Ted Turner - We Really need a NEWS Channel!
I never thought I would turn to Fox News to get news these days! What ever happened to Ted Turner's dream of 24 hour live news round the clock?
It was trending towards that when he has still in charge of the News Network Management and not managing the news production!
What was news worthy a couple of years agao is not news worthy anymore- Lets take a look at where we are today-
CNN/CNN Headline News: Time Warner is trying to make a non-biased news channel into another Sex in the City or a News of the HBO world- Nancy Disgrace/G! dont even know why in the world we call this channel 24 hr news channel- What are we trying to see? Sitcom style production?
Anderson360 - and other productions on CNN - they call it live : good thing most of the time they are not time sensitive so it really doesnt matter whether it is rerun or live! Mr Dobbs - the bad luck streak is still running from his dot com bust days- please stick to your expertise and may be we will come back! Yes immigration & border crossing is important - but every day ? every show? to a point most of the time it looks like reruns.
MSNBC: Might as well call it the contemporary History Channel. From Microsoft to NBC/GE ownership didnt quite do any good. Is there any news content here?
FOX: the no spin news channel from the FOX knows how to sensationalise news- 60seconds clip and everything Republican - they know how to make a lost election a hopeful recount! Where did they round up all the characters- from Greta to No spin hero Bill? Interestingly enough this seems to be the only channel that even has a news reel once in a while.
CNBC: YEs Financial reporting channel - used to be independent prior to GE-NBE/WSJ take over. Now its not about reporting - its more editorial type of broadcast- PLEASE we dont need to have the same WSJ/Barrons opinion pushed every hour in the tube as well. All the programs that we have in CNBC is moving towards stock picking and sensationalism- what ever happened to Bloomberg style unbiased 'REPORTING' on financial NEWS happening in Wall street and around the globe? Oh well - somebody has to pay the bill - may be more shows like Kramer and Kudlow will do it.
What is the story behind all this- Hey may be the 24 hour news networks have had their hey days like the Dot com boom- Now we better turn back to 6 O'clock news to the network channels and the morning programs from the usual 3 networks for a clean news and some editorial with some class!
Or we just pray that Mr Turner gets pissed off and comes back and starts the News Channel all over again!!!!!
It was trending towards that when he has still in charge of the News Network Management and not managing the news production!
What was news worthy a couple of years agao is not news worthy anymore- Lets take a look at where we are today-
CNN/CNN Headline News: Time Warner is trying to make a non-biased news channel into another Sex in the City or a News of the HBO world- Nancy Disgrace/G! dont even know why in the world we call this channel 24 hr news channel- What are we trying to see? Sitcom style production?
Anderson360 - and other productions on CNN - they call it live : good thing most of the time they are not time sensitive so it really doesnt matter whether it is rerun or live! Mr Dobbs - the bad luck streak is still running from his dot com bust days- please stick to your expertise and may be we will come back! Yes immigration & border crossing is important - but every day ? every show? to a point most of the time it looks like reruns.
MSNBC: Might as well call it the contemporary History Channel. From Microsoft to NBC/GE ownership didnt quite do any good. Is there any news content here?
FOX: the no spin news channel from the FOX knows how to sensationalise news- 60seconds clip and everything Republican - they know how to make a lost election a hopeful recount! Where did they round up all the characters- from Greta to No spin hero Bill? Interestingly enough this seems to be the only channel that even has a news reel once in a while.
CNBC: YEs Financial reporting channel - used to be independent prior to GE-NBE/WSJ take over. Now its not about reporting - its more editorial type of broadcast- PLEASE we dont need to have the same WSJ/Barrons opinion pushed every hour in the tube as well. All the programs that we have in CNBC is moving towards stock picking and sensationalism- what ever happened to Bloomberg style unbiased 'REPORTING' on financial NEWS happening in Wall street and around the globe? Oh well - somebody has to pay the bill - may be more shows like Kramer and Kudlow will do it.
What is the story behind all this- Hey may be the 24 hour news networks have had their hey days like the Dot com boom- Now we better turn back to 6 O'clock news to the network channels and the morning programs from the usual 3 networks for a clean news and some editorial with some class!
Or we just pray that Mr Turner gets pissed off and comes back and starts the News Channel all over again!!!!!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Yet There is no Second place in this country !!....
Being a road warrior in the early stage of my consulting career - have to find ways to make people accept an outsider. Sports always makes it easier to bring Almost all guys to a conversation- as we have a league of its own for every month it is always easy to convers.
Also If you like any NY teams- bless your heart! Everyone outside NY hates those damn yankees and well you have a hot topic to strike a conversation. One thing I find amazing in this country is we love the game, we love the team - but NEVER EVER fight for a team! Rest of the world we see fans burning stadiums, flags and beating each other- In this country - we never hold a gun for another person's cause!
It takes a whole season of brutal fight,determonation and effort - by players, coaches, fans and the media to get to the final minute of the championship-as unlike any other games of the world - every game and championship in this country can and most of the time WILL come to the FINAL lap or pitch or kick or a basket! Now one would think if the decision is so razon thin and it is so orchestrated by a team with strategy involving skill,strength,smarts and time management - the fight of the equals should be treated that way- NO!! Once the buzzer is over - they is no winner and runner-up there is Only Winner who stands tall and the loser goes home- When the Beatles forced Nike to pull the Revolution advertisement off the air- it might sound and look flimsy at first - But a deeper dig in the spirit of this competitiveness one can see how strong a stament Nike was making when they finish the Olympics theme song with a bold statement - There is no gold or silver there is only winners and losers!! Strong yet so American- the world was then and even now and will in future never be ready for such an outlook!
Also If you like any NY teams- bless your heart! Everyone outside NY hates those damn yankees and well you have a hot topic to strike a conversation. One thing I find amazing in this country is we love the game, we love the team - but NEVER EVER fight for a team! Rest of the world we see fans burning stadiums, flags and beating each other- In this country - we never hold a gun for another person's cause!
It takes a whole season of brutal fight,determonation and effort - by players, coaches, fans and the media to get to the final minute of the championship-as unlike any other games of the world - every game and championship in this country can and most of the time WILL come to the FINAL lap or pitch or kick or a basket! Now one would think if the decision is so razon thin and it is so orchestrated by a team with strategy involving skill,strength,smarts and time management - the fight of the equals should be treated that way- NO!! Once the buzzer is over - they is no winner and runner-up there is Only Winner who stands tall and the loser goes home- When the Beatles forced Nike to pull the Revolution advertisement off the air- it might sound and look flimsy at first - But a deeper dig in the spirit of this competitiveness one can see how strong a stament Nike was making when they finish the Olympics theme song with a bold statement - There is no gold or silver there is only winners and losers!! Strong yet so American- the world was then and even now and will in future never be ready for such an outlook!
StarBUX stop Play those XM Music!!
It is amazing how Starbuck has turned America into a coffee drinking place! 20 years back it wil be difficult to see people drinking any caffeine drinks after lunch- now you can see starbucks open past mid-nights- in some places they are round the clock!
When do you know they have one too many starbucks- When they have more than one outlet in the same wing in every floor of a building-
RANDOM MUSING: Why Did Starbucks switch to XM Satellite Radio?? I find it amazing that they can make such a mistake by switching to a satellite radio which play songs that cannot be bought in the shop. Prior to XM I have found opportunities to buy CDs that they play as they usually play the albums they carry! Now they have lost an incentive to buy impulsively those not so popular albums that they carry in their shelves- May be Starbucks Management is getting a bit tired and making small small mistakes?? If Mr Starbucks reads this PLEASE turnback to your original way of playing music- Play the songs that you sell so that people will find a reason to buy them...and may be reward those shareholders int he process!
When do you know they have one too many starbucks- When they have more than one outlet in the same wing in every floor of a building-
RANDOM MUSING: Why Did Starbucks switch to XM Satellite Radio?? I find it amazing that they can make such a mistake by switching to a satellite radio which play songs that cannot be bought in the shop. Prior to XM I have found opportunities to buy CDs that they play as they usually play the albums they carry! Now they have lost an incentive to buy impulsively those not so popular albums that they carry in their shelves- May be Starbucks Management is getting a bit tired and making small small mistakes?? If Mr Starbucks reads this PLEASE turnback to your original way of playing music- Play the songs that you sell so that people will find a reason to buy them...and may be reward those shareholders int he process!
Testing the Time of LUXURY!!!
Its amazing how boring & predicatable a car has to be to make it to the TOP rank in Luxury branding. Looking back at the last 100 years of automotive advancement one thing that is common is the face of luxury hasnt changed.
Obviously its not the money that differentiates- as most of the ultra rich dont count the dollars when they buy these cars...as for most of them a few hundred thousand dollars is a dounding error as their favorite toy is more a Lear Jet!
Is it quality? These days almost all are comparable!
If one studies carefully the successful branding and positioning of all successful luxury cars - from Ferrari to Porshe to BMW - most of tehm have retained their look for the last several decades. They have not changed the look for anything.
Every car company has a standard look that everyone can immediately associate with and remember over generations- naturally they stick to it wiht extreme pleasure!
BMW: From 20k low end to the high end they all have the smae 2 square boxy look in the grille- interestingly BMW is the only one which can be recognized fromt he side - as the remarkable logo is still visible through its wheels.
Porshe: Have they changed the look & will they ever change them in future?
Mercedes Benz: It will be end of its brand the day they getr rid of the middle eye which is so prominent in its design.
With Lambargini & Ferrari one doesnt have to differentiate as they have a unique design which is very difficult to imitate.
Aston , Rolls and others are also very unique in their lookand have stuck to their original look. If they change it is only marginal.
The latrest example is the Audi clan- after failing several years I think they have finally found the majic touch in their Goatie style look - which sticks to your mind and lingers long after the car has passed by.
Now taking Cadillac and going through the last century - they have defined luxury over decades and have stayed on top of engineering and luxury. But during the same period the look and shape of the car has under gone severlal layers of shapes & colors and thus one cannot get a grip on how a cadillac will look like when you see one. Even a Hummer hits the nerve- as all Hummer look the same - may be in different sizes.
Lets look at the SUV family under Cadillac- interestingly they have attached a uniqueness to its look and shape - as there is no other Luxury branded SUV ( Lets not call that Toyota look alike Lexus a luxury car) in the market. Even the BMW & Bexz versions of SUV are more of a low end conversion.not even close.
If GM and extend their success from Hummer & Cadillac SUV segment and define a very unique look ( most of the look is around the Grills and the symetric nature from teh upfront look) that stays over decades - I think GM can regain this war and will reach the much deserved destiny of success in Luxury!
It looks people like to see the same Face for a LOOONG time if it has to test the time of Luxury!
Obviously its not the money that differentiates- as most of the ultra rich dont count the dollars when they buy these cars...as for most of them a few hundred thousand dollars is a dounding error as their favorite toy is more a Lear Jet!
Is it quality? These days almost all are comparable!
If one studies carefully the successful branding and positioning of all successful luxury cars - from Ferrari to Porshe to BMW - most of tehm have retained their look for the last several decades. They have not changed the look for anything.
Every car company has a standard look that everyone can immediately associate with and remember over generations- naturally they stick to it wiht extreme pleasure!
BMW: From 20k low end to the high end they all have the smae 2 square boxy look in the grille- interestingly BMW is the only one which can be recognized fromt he side - as the remarkable logo is still visible through its wheels.
Porshe: Have they changed the look & will they ever change them in future?
Mercedes Benz: It will be end of its brand the day they getr rid of the middle eye which is so prominent in its design.
With Lambargini & Ferrari one doesnt have to differentiate as they have a unique design which is very difficult to imitate.
Aston , Rolls and others are also very unique in their lookand have stuck to their original look. If they change it is only marginal.
The latrest example is the Audi clan- after failing several years I think they have finally found the majic touch in their Goatie style look - which sticks to your mind and lingers long after the car has passed by.
Now taking Cadillac and going through the last century - they have defined luxury over decades and have stayed on top of engineering and luxury. But during the same period the look and shape of the car has under gone severlal layers of shapes & colors and thus one cannot get a grip on how a cadillac will look like when you see one. Even a Hummer hits the nerve- as all Hummer look the same - may be in different sizes.
Lets look at the SUV family under Cadillac- interestingly they have attached a uniqueness to its look and shape - as there is no other Luxury branded SUV ( Lets not call that Toyota look alike Lexus a luxury car) in the market. Even the BMW & Bexz versions of SUV are more of a low end conversion.not even close.
If GM and extend their success from Hummer & Cadillac SUV segment and define a very unique look ( most of the look is around the Grills and the symetric nature from teh upfront look) that stays over decades - I think GM can regain this war and will reach the much deserved destiny of success in Luxury!
It looks people like to see the same Face for a LOOONG time if it has to test the time of Luxury!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Bond....James Bond! Taking a wrong turn!!
Licensed to Kill! Dressed to Seduce!
Casino Royale?? Imagine a B rated movie with a soap opera hunk changing his name to Bond and the produceders put a campaign to convince people that the movie is actually the same Character that we have adored and enjoyed over the decades.
Looks like the magic formula worked- Great reviews on the movie by critics; Raving accolades for the new Hunk! Looks like the magic formula worked at the box office as well.
After reserving most of my Bond experience in the past decade to DVDs on a small screen- I was very tempted to indulge myself to the new Bond -as the reviews and collections were enticing.
Decided to go cheap on the ticket and ended up for the discounted matinee show- still forking out a cool $6.75.
Entered the theatre and waited patiently for the main event to arrive. Looked around - there were TWO other people scattered arount the cinema. Trailers - one after the other and the long awaiting moment finally arrived.
The title song- nice the usual Bond tango to it - less the usual formula. mmm....may be they want to be different this time. Looking for the credit - looks like they forgot to pay royalty to the bond theme after deciding to go cheap on the budget!
Action - very manly! A long couple of fights and we finaly get introduced to the REAL Bond! Manly-Sexy-Well connected through the wireless world of Sony gadgets.
Waited for the moment for Mr.Bond to arrive!
The story line was very evasive- keeping me in the dark as to where he his headed next or Why!
mmmm...M looks familiar. Yes it is the bond movie alright.
Vroom Vroom... wow the usual car chase - now the action begins: False alarm- looks like they hired the Bond not for his driving skills as he left his License to drive somewhere else. Where is Q when we need him the most.
Sex element- this is not the usual MCP movie. May be just the opposite- attracting the wrong side of the audience- as we see more flesh - only this time More of Bond's flesh either naked or otherwise. Tights bulging in all the places and the camera man or is it the camera woman- seem to have done justice to the body!!
Then we get to see Mr Bond the softee....Falling in love and not able to save his flame who betrays him along the way!
Finally the climax comes and goes- the bond gets lucky a couple of times along the way. Also we find that HIS life was Spared!!! It sounds funny when M rubs in asking Mr Bond if he knew why his Life was spared???
Just when I was wondering if they had a mix-up switching the titles and the film- there comes the sound/music making me freeze for a moment. The usual, familiar and mesmerizing TUNE - THE TUNE - tantaratanta tan ..tantaratanatra tan..the standard Bond music. I start hoping that it was just a LOOONG trailer & the real Bond movie is just starting - as there were only two other people in the theatre when the whole shananigan started. No such luck...as the credit started rolling!!
I guess it all boils down to one thing and only one thing- Great Expectation! Lets see where I went wrong-
Title music and theme: typically the current day popular music with lot of bond and bond girls. Music not so upto date and it was definetly missing the girls!!
Gadgets: Mr Q usually comeup with some futuristic gadgets which typically takes wild imagination to concoct- this time around No Mr Q and no gadgets- only a couple of Sony PDA/ Camera Phone & a Sony Laptop!!
Cars: Typically a multi-mode amphibious vehicle with gadgets, gadgets & more gadgets making it a REAL thrill to watch it- movie after movie as they get creative and innovastive every time . But this time Bond is seen driving a low end Ford rental car- oooh la la..was it a night mare!
Casino: Typically en every Bond movie Bond plays one or at best two hands - where he cheats the villain and walks away with every penny in a slick fashion- this one may be because it is the main theme - goes on and on and on and finally in a very drawn out battle he wins?? Looks like MGR & Nambiar fight!
Girls: Blonde- nude and a toy in Bond's hand! Wow looks like they have updated the concept to reflect the new emerging trend in Women!!! Blone, Nude & a Sex/Emotional toy and Dumb - allright !! Only this time around it is the Bond who takes that role!
Love: What Love? Bond and Love?? Man oh man - Bond falls in Love and gets dumped by the Villy bond Girl- and he goes into an emotional Roller coaster- costing the Great fall for the Magesty!
Story: Very simple- In every movie we are told upfront what the plot is- who the villain is and we also have an indication on how it will play out in the final Grand Finale! No not this time- looks like they took the script straight out of Bollywood!
Ending: Usually M callying Mr Bond who is usually in a bed crawling with a blond- this time - what ever happened to our Hero or is it the Heroine who will be taking over in the next Bondie Movie- well atleast they the curtains with the titles rolling to the usual Bond movie- making you want to go and see any of the old Bond Movies to wipe out the taste from your mouth.
Why ??
- may be because the real Mr Q died and the creativeness for the formula - cars and gadgets went with him?
- MGM for the first time lets some one else share the production credit- this time its with Sony- that will explain why Bond is handicapped with Sony PDA/cell phone and Laptop- good thing Sony doesnt make cars - otherwise we will be looking at Bond driving one of the 700 miles a gallon car which is made of thin sheets and drives at 10 miles/hr but will last for ever!!!!
Casino Royale?? Imagine a B rated movie with a soap opera hunk changing his name to Bond and the produceders put a campaign to convince people that the movie is actually the same Character that we have adored and enjoyed over the decades.
Looks like the magic formula worked- Great reviews on the movie by critics; Raving accolades for the new Hunk! Looks like the magic formula worked at the box office as well.
After reserving most of my Bond experience in the past decade to DVDs on a small screen- I was very tempted to indulge myself to the new Bond -as the reviews and collections were enticing.
Decided to go cheap on the ticket and ended up for the discounted matinee show- still forking out a cool $6.75.
Entered the theatre and waited patiently for the main event to arrive. Looked around - there were TWO other people scattered arount the cinema. Trailers - one after the other and the long awaiting moment finally arrived.
The title song- nice the usual Bond tango to it - less the usual formula. mmm....may be they want to be different this time. Looking for the credit - looks like they forgot to pay royalty to the bond theme after deciding to go cheap on the budget!
Action - very manly! A long couple of fights and we finaly get introduced to the REAL Bond! Manly-Sexy-Well connected through the wireless world of Sony gadgets.
Waited for the moment for Mr.Bond to arrive!
The story line was very evasive- keeping me in the dark as to where he his headed next or Why!
mmmm...M looks familiar. Yes it is the bond movie alright.
Vroom Vroom... wow the usual car chase - now the action begins: False alarm- looks like they hired the Bond not for his driving skills as he left his License to drive somewhere else. Where is Q when we need him the most.
Sex element- this is not the usual MCP movie. May be just the opposite- attracting the wrong side of the audience- as we see more flesh - only this time More of Bond's flesh either naked or otherwise. Tights bulging in all the places and the camera man or is it the camera woman- seem to have done justice to the body!!
Then we get to see Mr Bond the softee....Falling in love and not able to save his flame who betrays him along the way!
Finally the climax comes and goes- the bond gets lucky a couple of times along the way. Also we find that HIS life was Spared!!! It sounds funny when M rubs in asking Mr Bond if he knew why his Life was spared???
Just when I was wondering if they had a mix-up switching the titles and the film- there comes the sound/music making me freeze for a moment. The usual, familiar and mesmerizing TUNE - THE TUNE - tantaratanta tan ..tantaratanatra tan..the standard Bond music. I start hoping that it was just a LOOONG trailer & the real Bond movie is just starting - as there were only two other people in the theatre when the whole shananigan started. No such luck...as the credit started rolling!!
I guess it all boils down to one thing and only one thing- Great Expectation! Lets see where I went wrong-
Title music and theme: typically the current day popular music with lot of bond and bond girls. Music not so upto date and it was definetly missing the girls!!
Gadgets: Mr Q usually comeup with some futuristic gadgets which typically takes wild imagination to concoct- this time around No Mr Q and no gadgets- only a couple of Sony PDA/ Camera Phone & a Sony Laptop!!
Cars: Typically a multi-mode amphibious vehicle with gadgets, gadgets & more gadgets making it a REAL thrill to watch it- movie after movie as they get creative and innovastive every time . But this time Bond is seen driving a low end Ford rental car- oooh la la..was it a night mare!
Casino: Typically en every Bond movie Bond plays one or at best two hands - where he cheats the villain and walks away with every penny in a slick fashion- this one may be because it is the main theme - goes on and on and on and finally in a very drawn out battle he wins?? Looks like MGR & Nambiar fight!
Girls: Blonde- nude and a toy in Bond's hand! Wow looks like they have updated the concept to reflect the new emerging trend in Women!!! Blone, Nude & a Sex/Emotional toy and Dumb - allright !! Only this time around it is the Bond who takes that role!
Love: What Love? Bond and Love?? Man oh man - Bond falls in Love and gets dumped by the Villy bond Girl- and he goes into an emotional Roller coaster- costing the Great fall for the Magesty!
Story: Very simple- In every movie we are told upfront what the plot is- who the villain is and we also have an indication on how it will play out in the final Grand Finale! No not this time- looks like they took the script straight out of Bollywood!
Ending: Usually M callying Mr Bond who is usually in a bed crawling with a blond- this time - what ever happened to our Hero or is it the Heroine who will be taking over in the next Bondie Movie- well atleast they the curtains with the titles rolling to the usual Bond movie- making you want to go and see any of the old Bond Movies to wipe out the taste from your mouth.
Why ??
- may be because the real Mr Q died and the creativeness for the formula - cars and gadgets went with him?
- MGM for the first time lets some one else share the production credit- this time its with Sony- that will explain why Bond is handicapped with Sony PDA/cell phone and Laptop- good thing Sony doesnt make cars - otherwise we will be looking at Bond driving one of the 700 miles a gallon car which is made of thin sheets and drives at 10 miles/hr but will last for ever!!!!
Saturday, December 9, 2006
Oakland A's and The Cisco Kid!
When was the last time Mr Chambers sounded exuberant? Anybody recall $1 Trillion market cap gloating? Well, Well you can never discount even a wounded Tiger. Cisco has consistently outwitted its competition and redrawn itself during the past several years after that fall from sky. Even after the apparently meteoric rise from $17 to its recent high of $27.50 it still looks very sexy and attractive-
Lets look at the recent foray into the world of sports- Cisco masterminded a crafty deal with Oakland A’s and the City of Fremont in California. At the outset it appears like another side-y move by Cisco to off-load its not-so appreciating plot in Fremont which it acquired during its pursuit to $1 trillion market cap!
Headline coverage:
> Oakland A's to move to Fremont
> Stadium to be called Cisco Field
> Stadium size 32k-35k
> Veri Veri High Tech – video streaming, RFID, broadband wireless, HUGE flat screens and what not!
> Total cost $400-500 Million!!
With other recent High Tech – Sports love affairs (Oracle Arena, McAfee Stadium, AT&T Park and other options driven gazillionaires buying teams- ) at the outset this looks like a yawner- THINK NOT!
Lets peel the onion-
35,000 seat enterprise fully capable of video streaming and wireless broadband capability- Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching!! Sound like a $60-100 Million worth of Cisco gears and services!
The last count there are close to 200 Professional Sports team – NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA & MLS!!! On top of this there are 200 plus Tier 1 Universities and their sports teams and possibly 1000 plus Universities with great sports teams. Now this is only in US of A- what about Europe, Asia and the rest of the world! Now we are talking Cisco and Mr Chambers kid of numbers- year after year!
If the invasion of the home turf through Linksys and Scientific Atlanta along with the triple play of Web 2.0 didn’t quite attract enough to people to the Chambers Mantra- may be they better start looking deeper when he talks the next time- as the Cisco Kid is back with a vengeance!
Lets look at the recent foray into the world of sports- Cisco masterminded a crafty deal with Oakland A’s and the City of Fremont in California. At the outset it appears like another side-y move by Cisco to off-load its not-so appreciating plot in Fremont which it acquired during its pursuit to $1 trillion market cap!
Headline coverage:
> Oakland A's to move to Fremont
> Stadium to be called Cisco Field
> Stadium size 32k-35k
> Veri Veri High Tech – video streaming, RFID, broadband wireless, HUGE flat screens and what not!
> Total cost $400-500 Million!!
With other recent High Tech – Sports love affairs (Oracle Arena, McAfee Stadium, AT&T Park and other options driven gazillionaires buying teams- ) at the outset this looks like a yawner- THINK NOT!
Lets peel the onion-
35,000 seat enterprise fully capable of video streaming and wireless broadband capability- Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching!! Sound like a $60-100 Million worth of Cisco gears and services!
The last count there are close to 200 Professional Sports team – NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA & MLS!!! On top of this there are 200 plus Tier 1 Universities and their sports teams and possibly 1000 plus Universities with great sports teams. Now this is only in US of A- what about Europe, Asia and the rest of the world! Now we are talking Cisco and Mr Chambers kid of numbers- year after year!
If the invasion of the home turf through Linksys and Scientific Atlanta along with the triple play of Web 2.0 didn’t quite attract enough to people to the Chambers Mantra- may be they better start looking deeper when he talks the next time- as the Cisco Kid is back with a vengeance!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Cars! Cars !! Cars!!!
Recent rage in automotive market is how Toyota is beating every American manufacturer- targeted mainly towards GM. I strongly believe that Automovtive Industry has been and will always be the most important economic driver for any economy. Looking at the most advanced and deveoped economies- USA, Germany, Japan, Italy, UK, France- all have a dominant role in the automotive segment. Even the emerging economies like China and India are developing a strong blue print in the automotive segment.
I have been loyal to Japanese manufacturers for a more than a decade and still feel most of the JD Power and other reports are worth reading and believing. Having said that I started looking deeper into those studies and the market perception over the last several quarters after the troubles in GM spiraled out of control- spreading meaninglessly into the parts suppliers as well.
Every one said GM is gone to dogs and will eventually be bankrupt. Then came a little excitement with Mr Kerkorian and Mr York's entry. High stakes game and a couple of quarters later the downward momentum accelerated - making GM worth less than 10% of Toyota and every one was ready to pull the rug out of GM - ! Things have changed a bit the last few months with GM going through several changes and the stock stabilising a bit.
In trying to put the whole thing in perspective I started digging deeper into the whole GM situation and I was amazed to see what I learned in the process-
- As of today GM is still the number one car company in the World which they have never lost since they were founded!
- Over the last several decades GM has dominated several industries and have even been instrumental in creating many of those, outside car-
- Information Technology (EDS)
- Finance (GMAC)
- Aerospace ( GM was the largest supplier for WWII )
- Transportation
- Satellite communications
- Car Rental
- Electronics
- Probably the only car company that has a good chance of Rolling out the Billionth car soon!!
- Has several brands that invokes passion and excitement from teen agers to retires alike-
- No other car company has a brand mentioned in so many songs
The more I read about the company the more I find it fascinating. Once I even got the courage to rent a GMC Yukon to see how it feels! After a week-end of driving I was convinced that I wanted it. Yet I was very reluctant to trade in my Lexus. So went a few more weeks of research- started reading more about the new models - Pontiac Solstice, H2 and H3 ( as the original Hummer was too radical, decided to ignore it!), Cadillacs and even Buick Lucerne- I was amazed to see what variety and what feelings each one of those cars evoked. Started reading more into the cars - pricing , capability and quality. Started checking with people around- every one talked about Quality being a problem! And GM cars are very expensive and bland!
I figured there has to be some truth to them - so I started comparing prices - I was amazed to see an entry level Corolla or a Civic going for 17k or more and a Camry or an Accord north of 24k- if you want a meaningful configuration. Started looking at Lexus and Acura - 40k-90k Some of the models had eerie similarity to their poor cousins. After doing the math - I figured that I could get a comparable GM model for 60% or less. So it can not be the price- may be Quality?? Started comparing JP Power reports on initial quality and Consumer reports obout life time cost- they all have GM ranked lower- but only MARGINALLY. But RANK is a RANK!!
I decided to start asking co-workers and friends who drive GM cars about their maintenance history. I was amazed to find one thing that was common with GM car owners- all they did to their car was change oil - mostly by themselves or at best go to a Jiffy Lube or another drive through joint! No dealer or manufacturer recommended service routines. Not much different in troubles from their cars.
While I was going through this exercise - my wife's Accord - Dealer serviced and garage maintained - with less than 65k miles developed ABS problem - $1700.00 later that problem was complimented by another $800 brake drum job! I am sure it was an exception.
After talking to more people - found that most of the Japanese or German car owners are also like me- dutifully take it to the Dealer for services!!
When I started counting the dollars spent on services and the initial premium on the car - I realized that even if the GM car drives only 75k miles trouble free- I can still save a lot as I can buy a new car with the money saved.
When my wife started complaining about the mileage on the Accord - I was convinced that it was time for me to trade in and buy a GM car! After some more research I settled for Buick Lucerne- so one day deided to walk into a Buick dealer to see the car- on a week day around 4 PM - I was the only person the lot. not a soul - not even the sales lobby! looked around and was very impressed with the new batch of Buicks. 35k fully loaded and very comfortable - a full 15k cheaper than a comparable Lexus or an Acura ( dont even want to go to BMW or Mercedes!!).
Came home looked at the GM website to see if there was any sale! Unfortunately as GM was staying firm on pricing to boost its margin there was only a $500 rebate on the model I was looking at. I used that as an excuse to delay the decision and still waiting for the year end clearance sale to buy them.
I have been loyal to Japanese manufacturers for a more than a decade and still feel most of the JD Power and other reports are worth reading and believing. Having said that I started looking deeper into those studies and the market perception over the last several quarters after the troubles in GM spiraled out of control- spreading meaninglessly into the parts suppliers as well.
Every one said GM is gone to dogs and will eventually be bankrupt. Then came a little excitement with Mr Kerkorian and Mr York's entry. High stakes game and a couple of quarters later the downward momentum accelerated - making GM worth less than 10% of Toyota and every one was ready to pull the rug out of GM - ! Things have changed a bit the last few months with GM going through several changes and the stock stabilising a bit.
In trying to put the whole thing in perspective I started digging deeper into the whole GM situation and I was amazed to see what I learned in the process-
- As of today GM is still the number one car company in the World which they have never lost since they were founded!
- Over the last several decades GM has dominated several industries and have even been instrumental in creating many of those, outside car-
- Information Technology (EDS)
- Finance (GMAC)
- Aerospace ( GM was the largest supplier for WWII )
- Transportation
- Satellite communications
- Car Rental
- Electronics
- Probably the only car company that has a good chance of Rolling out the Billionth car soon!!
- Has several brands that invokes passion and excitement from teen agers to retires alike-
- No other car company has a brand mentioned in so many songs
The more I read about the company the more I find it fascinating. Once I even got the courage to rent a GMC Yukon to see how it feels! After a week-end of driving I was convinced that I wanted it. Yet I was very reluctant to trade in my Lexus. So went a few more weeks of research- started reading more about the new models - Pontiac Solstice, H2 and H3 ( as the original Hummer was too radical, decided to ignore it!), Cadillacs and even Buick Lucerne- I was amazed to see what variety and what feelings each one of those cars evoked. Started reading more into the cars - pricing , capability and quality. Started checking with people around- every one talked about Quality being a problem! And GM cars are very expensive and bland!
I figured there has to be some truth to them - so I started comparing prices - I was amazed to see an entry level Corolla or a Civic going for 17k or more and a Camry or an Accord north of 24k- if you want a meaningful configuration. Started looking at Lexus and Acura - 40k-90k Some of the models had eerie similarity to their poor cousins. After doing the math - I figured that I could get a comparable GM model for 60% or less. So it can not be the price- may be Quality?? Started comparing JP Power reports on initial quality and Consumer reports obout life time cost- they all have GM ranked lower- but only MARGINALLY. But RANK is a RANK!!
I decided to start asking co-workers and friends who drive GM cars about their maintenance history. I was amazed to find one thing that was common with GM car owners- all they did to their car was change oil - mostly by themselves or at best go to a Jiffy Lube or another drive through joint! No dealer or manufacturer recommended service routines. Not much different in troubles from their cars.
While I was going through this exercise - my wife's Accord - Dealer serviced and garage maintained - with less than 65k miles developed ABS problem - $1700.00 later that problem was complimented by another $800 brake drum job! I am sure it was an exception.
After talking to more people - found that most of the Japanese or German car owners are also like me- dutifully take it to the Dealer for services!!
When I started counting the dollars spent on services and the initial premium on the car - I realized that even if the GM car drives only 75k miles trouble free- I can still save a lot as I can buy a new car with the money saved.
When my wife started complaining about the mileage on the Accord - I was convinced that it was time for me to trade in and buy a GM car! After some more research I settled for Buick Lucerne- so one day deided to walk into a Buick dealer to see the car- on a week day around 4 PM - I was the only person the lot. not a soul - not even the sales lobby! looked around and was very impressed with the new batch of Buicks. 35k fully loaded and very comfortable - a full 15k cheaper than a comparable Lexus or an Acura ( dont even want to go to BMW or Mercedes!!).
Came home looked at the GM website to see if there was any sale! Unfortunately as GM was staying firm on pricing to boost its margin there was only a $500 rebate on the model I was looking at. I used that as an excuse to delay the decision and still waiting for the year end clearance sale to buy them.
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