Hello,
I know it has been a while since I last posted something and I apologize for that. I have been extremely busy since I lasted said anything on this blog.
For one thing, work has been really busy lately. It seems 2009 is shaping up to be the year of channel marketing. Although channel activity is always important when it comes to marketing, the recent economic downturns seems to have forced lots of company's to "rethink" the strategic importance channel marketing. I suppose this comes from the fact that when the (world) economy was booming, demand was everywhere. Now that it has shrunk, people are desperate to get in front of customers and now have the time (or will) to invest resources into ANY channel that may boost revenue.
The other thing is that I have been pretty heavy into school for two reasons. The first is that I am almost done and so I am pretty excited about finishing but at the same time, really nervous because I feel I have worked really hard to get his degree finished and don't want anything to screw it up. The second reason is that I chose to do an export plan project by myself and ended up having to crank out over 3000 words and this ended up being on evenings and weekends... oh, and I had an exam in the middle of all that... and oh yeah, another esssay that came in just over 2000 words... and oh yeah, more classes.
So.... hang tight. I'm going to be back really soon posting... I promise.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Twilight
I finally saw the tween smash hit Twilight this past weekend.
Twilight is the first in a long line of movies based on the series of books by Stephenie Meyer. On one level, it is the story of a young vampire who falls for a girl.
On another level, it is about the terrible side effects of being a vegetarian. Meat eaters hate you, and you never feel fully satisfied. Which is why vegetarians often fall in love with the new girl in school and develop skin that looks like diamonds when exposed to sunlight. Which is something most guys would actually want because I guess that diamonds are better than acne.
What I found interesting about the movie is that the romance part is huge, perhaps even bigger than the action part. Really, it's more of a love story than anything else and so the movie seems to take the greatest care setting up the emotional bond between the two main characters. I suppose that because it is a series of books and there are plans for a series of movies, they felt they had to establish as much of that bond in the first movie as possible.
My prediction: You're going to see lots of guys dressed up as Edward Cullen at Halloween next year!
Twilight is the first in a long line of movies based on the series of books by Stephenie Meyer. On one level, it is the story of a young vampire who falls for a girl.
On another level, it is about the terrible side effects of being a vegetarian. Meat eaters hate you, and you never feel fully satisfied. Which is why vegetarians often fall in love with the new girl in school and develop skin that looks like diamonds when exposed to sunlight. Which is something most guys would actually want because I guess that diamonds are better than acne.
What I found interesting about the movie is that the romance part is huge, perhaps even bigger than the action part. Really, it's more of a love story than anything else and so the movie seems to take the greatest care setting up the emotional bond between the two main characters. I suppose that because it is a series of books and there are plans for a series of movies, they felt they had to establish as much of that bond in the first movie as possible.
My prediction: You're going to see lots of guys dressed up as Edward Cullen at Halloween next year!
West Coast Weather
On the whole, I enjoy the weather on the West Coast. We don't have bad winters and the summers are nice and cool. People always talk about rain but the reality is that it doesn't bother you that much.
The problem is snow. And today I woke up to snow swirling outside my window. Actually, it looked like fireflies in the light coming from the street lamp outside my bedroom.
We also got some hail this weekend but here is a video I took at about 7am today on my way to work:
And here is the video I mentioned about the hail on the weekend:
The problem is snow. And today I woke up to snow swirling outside my window. Actually, it looked like fireflies in the light coming from the street lamp outside my bedroom.
We also got some hail this weekend but here is a video I took at about 7am today on my way to work:
And here is the video I mentioned about the hail on the weekend:
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Personal Statement
I was in class all weekend again. We had Leadership on Friday and Saturday, then International Trade on Sunday.
The Leadership class was great and my one piece of advice to any student (MBA or otherwise) is to take HR classes as they are some of the best and most useful classes you will ever take (along with classes about Intellectual Property).
Anyways, we were asked to create a Personal Statements for ourselves that would function to help guide us through the next 3-5 years of our lives. In case you haven't noticed, everything these days is about work/life balance and everything in life is connected. I think personal happiness and professional fulfillment go hand in hand and my personal goals for the next 3-5 years involve maximizing both of them.
I will say that I thought one of the example Personal Statements we were given was REALLY the best one for me and will most likely be using that one. I can't print it here (copyright) but I will post the one I wrote for myself. A few interesting points but here it is:
Danny Starr: Personal Statement
I will choose to live my life in any geographic location and not be afraid to consider new and exciting opportunities, no matter where they may take me.
My family, no matter how far they are, will always know what I am up to. I will talk to them regularly and use technology to make long distances shorter.
I will be an attentive and engaged uncle, brother and son. I will also be mindful of the community in which I live and devote time and energy each month to making it better.
My co-workers will understand that I value integrity because they will see that I embody this in my daily actions. I will work as hard, if not harder, at developing their careers as I have on my own.
I will not be afraid to make, stick buy and implement tough decisions. If those decisions are made by those above me, I will trust that they are in the best interests of the collective and not just the decision maker.
I will be more effective at work because I have taken that necessary time ensure that I am well rested and recharged.
All good things come from positivity and my own personal view of the world will reflect this so much so that those around me will feel the same hope for the future.
The Leadership class was great and my one piece of advice to any student (MBA or otherwise) is to take HR classes as they are some of the best and most useful classes you will ever take (along with classes about Intellectual Property).
Anyways, we were asked to create a Personal Statements for ourselves that would function to help guide us through the next 3-5 years of our lives. In case you haven't noticed, everything these days is about work/life balance and everything in life is connected. I think personal happiness and professional fulfillment go hand in hand and my personal goals for the next 3-5 years involve maximizing both of them.
I will say that I thought one of the example Personal Statements we were given was REALLY the best one for me and will most likely be using that one. I can't print it here (copyright) but I will post the one I wrote for myself. A few interesting points but here it is:
Danny Starr: Personal Statement
I will choose to live my life in any geographic location and not be afraid to consider new and exciting opportunities, no matter where they may take me.
My family, no matter how far they are, will always know what I am up to. I will talk to them regularly and use technology to make long distances shorter.
I will be an attentive and engaged uncle, brother and son. I will also be mindful of the community in which I live and devote time and energy each month to making it better.
My co-workers will understand that I value integrity because they will see that I embody this in my daily actions. I will work as hard, if not harder, at developing their careers as I have on my own.
I will not be afraid to make, stick buy and implement tough decisions. If those decisions are made by those above me, I will trust that they are in the best interests of the collective and not just the decision maker.
I will be more effective at work because I have taken that necessary time ensure that I am well rested and recharged.
All good things come from positivity and my own personal view of the world will reflect this so much so that those around me will feel the same hope for the future.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Picture time
I feel that too many of my posts recently have just been rants about this or that. Here's a few interesting things:
1) Interesting post about iPhone vs. BlackBerry Storm
The media (and marketers) tend to overhype 3G phones and make us believe they will do everything they are marketed to do but this isn't always the case and this quick article ads another opinion to the pile.
2) 200 Flavours of Gelato
There is a great place here in Vancouver that has over 200 flavours of gelato. I'm sure most of us wouldn't be interested in curry flavoured gelato but you have to admit - they certainly know how to put on a show! And this was taken with my HTC Touch Diamond...
1) Interesting post about iPhone vs. BlackBerry Storm
The media (and marketers) tend to overhype 3G phones and make us believe they will do everything they are marketed to do but this isn't always the case and this quick article ads another opinion to the pile.
2) 200 Flavours of Gelato
There is a great place here in Vancouver that has over 200 flavours of gelato. I'm sure most of us wouldn't be interested in curry flavoured gelato but you have to admit - they certainly know how to put on a show! And this was taken with my HTC Touch Diamond...
Monday, February 23, 2009
Death and Taxes
Ufile... where have you been all my life?
Is the only thing I could say to myself on Saturday afternoon and pretty much every moment since then.
Yup - that's right. I did my taxes on Saturday. It wasn't even CLOSE to as hard as I would have thought. Until now, I have managed to go all these years without ever having to do my own taxes. I've had other people do them (my dad, sister, friends) but I have never actually done them myself.
I suppose part of the reason is that I hate accounting/accountants/counting.... the other part of the reason is that I was just a little scared of screwing something up or spending all night slaving over numbers (and then ending up in jail anyways). Lucky for me, it didn't turn out that way.
Wow, the things they can do with technology these days.
I go to ufile.ca and in only a few minutes, I'm using their software and entering the appropriate info. Few minutes later paying only about 20 bucks to use the program to submit and bam, done. Now I did have to call CRA to get some info for my online submission but that was a snap.
Now I all have to do is figure out what I'm going to do with my tax return. Obviously, most of it is going towards my retirement (which won't be for a while). But I am also terribly conflicted about what else I should get.
Part of me wants to get an HDTV but the problem is that I don't watch TV... at least proper TV. I don't have cable and my current TV doesn't fit with my decor so I consume most TV at my friends' places or online. And the truth is that you can watch most TV online, whenever you want. MTV Canada has this down pat.. shows are up only an hour after they are on air and they only have one thirty second commercial each break -at best. Some shows have the commercials less frequently. Afterall, who with the budget for that type of spending is buying up time on Double Shot at Love...
So then I think about computers. I have two laptops. My old Dell, which is only alive by the grace of a new power cord, which cost me $100. I use it in my "beat lab".
No, I don't have a "beat lab". I just wanted to use that sometime/somewhere.
And I have an IBM ThinkPad which is a total tank but nearing the end of it's useful life. I could erase everything on it, wipe it and donate it to a good cause. To replace it, I either buy a netbook (which I want to so bad) or a media type computer to run my new HDTV. I want the netbook really badly because it will do everything I need - surf and turf - in a package the size of a daybook and weighing in at just over a pound. Most notebooks are over 4 pounds. Perfect for somebody that's on the go - except I am finishing school in the spring and don't plan to get into that mode again for a while.
Lastly, I could get a bike. Now, I could get a sweet bike and splash out some money or I could get a cheapo. Afterall, I plan on moving to the East side soon and bikes there last as long as Frosty the Snowman in Miami. But I recently saw an awesome conversion project. An old high school friend of mine converted a cruiser into an electric bike. Complete with battery and lights, it will so close to 30 km/h.
The dark horse 5th option - dj equipment. I could go all out and get a pair of Pioneer CDJ 1000's but they tend to be a pretty penny and I need two. But part of me has been enjoying djing the most I ever have recently and why not start getting more serious about it?
Anyways, the new Beyonce song "Halo" is on the radio so I better go cry.
Seriously though - listen to the words of the song. "Baby you're my saving grace... I can see your halo". Those are some pretty high expectations to live up to. For almost any guy who's not an angel or wearing a lighbulb under his hat.
What happens when he cheats on her with her best friend or runs off with some younger girl? Can he just pull out his halo and make it all better?
Is the only thing I could say to myself on Saturday afternoon and pretty much every moment since then.
Yup - that's right. I did my taxes on Saturday. It wasn't even CLOSE to as hard as I would have thought. Until now, I have managed to go all these years without ever having to do my own taxes. I've had other people do them (my dad, sister, friends) but I have never actually done them myself.
I suppose part of the reason is that I hate accounting/accountants/counting.... the other part of the reason is that I was just a little scared of screwing something up or spending all night slaving over numbers (and then ending up in jail anyways). Lucky for me, it didn't turn out that way.
Wow, the things they can do with technology these days.
I go to ufile.ca and in only a few minutes, I'm using their software and entering the appropriate info. Few minutes later paying only about 20 bucks to use the program to submit and bam, done. Now I did have to call CRA to get some info for my online submission but that was a snap.
Now I all have to do is figure out what I'm going to do with my tax return. Obviously, most of it is going towards my retirement (which won't be for a while). But I am also terribly conflicted about what else I should get.
Part of me wants to get an HDTV but the problem is that I don't watch TV... at least proper TV. I don't have cable and my current TV doesn't fit with my decor so I consume most TV at my friends' places or online. And the truth is that you can watch most TV online, whenever you want. MTV Canada has this down pat.. shows are up only an hour after they are on air and they only have one thirty second commercial each break -at best. Some shows have the commercials less frequently. Afterall, who with the budget for that type of spending is buying up time on Double Shot at Love...
So then I think about computers. I have two laptops. My old Dell, which is only alive by the grace of a new power cord, which cost me $100. I use it in my "beat lab".
No, I don't have a "beat lab". I just wanted to use that sometime/somewhere.
And I have an IBM ThinkPad which is a total tank but nearing the end of it's useful life. I could erase everything on it, wipe it and donate it to a good cause. To replace it, I either buy a netbook (which I want to so bad) or a media type computer to run my new HDTV. I want the netbook really badly because it will do everything I need - surf and turf - in a package the size of a daybook and weighing in at just over a pound. Most notebooks are over 4 pounds. Perfect for somebody that's on the go - except I am finishing school in the spring and don't plan to get into that mode again for a while.
Lastly, I could get a bike. Now, I could get a sweet bike and splash out some money or I could get a cheapo. Afterall, I plan on moving to the East side soon and bikes there last as long as Frosty the Snowman in Miami. But I recently saw an awesome conversion project. An old high school friend of mine converted a cruiser into an electric bike. Complete with battery and lights, it will so close to 30 km/h.
The dark horse 5th option - dj equipment. I could go all out and get a pair of Pioneer CDJ 1000's but they tend to be a pretty penny and I need two. But part of me has been enjoying djing the most I ever have recently and why not start getting more serious about it?
Anyways, the new Beyonce song "Halo" is on the radio so I better go cry.
Seriously though - listen to the words of the song. "Baby you're my saving grace... I can see your halo". Those are some pretty high expectations to live up to. For almost any guy who's not an angel or wearing a lighbulb under his hat.
What happens when he cheats on her with her best friend or runs off with some younger girl? Can he just pull out his halo and make it all better?
Oscar Recap
I have been gettings lots of messages about the Oscars last night.... so I figured I would save us all the time and put them down here.
For of you that didn't notice, they made lots of changes to the show last night. Presenters didn't walk the red carpet, as they were supposed to be revealed only when they presented. Also, they shortened some elements and extended others. For example, they devoted more time to categories of awards and less to the individual awards. For example, the whole "art" part got it's own section, the whole screenplay part got it's own section... and so on.
I think one of the biggest changes this year was intimacy. I know, I know.... it sounds weird for a show this big to be described that way but the stage was lower the audience down front was much closer to the podium than I have ever seen it. As such, those down front were right there... and this made for a wonderful exchange of energy between the presenters and the audience. Also, they brought out past winners to present the big awards.... which each past winner talking about one of the current nominees. In many cases, they spoke directly to the nominee. I thought that was a nice touch.
Then there's the fashion. I thought many people seemed to be playing it safe - which is fine. The whole night seemed to have an air of class not often seen at awards shows anymore. In fact, I have come to really hate how awards shows starting to turn into a series of jokes at other people's expensese. Hugh Jackman actually had a great joke about him not being nominated because he is an Australian, who played in an Australian in a movie called Australia. Plus, he also did it all - he was funny, he could sing.. he could dance... in many ways, I think it was a performance you don't often see anymore - hitting on all levels.
Which brings it all back to old school class. As I have said before on this blog - the 1950s and 1960s are certainly coming back... last night showed much of the grace and style of the 1930s and 1940s. I like how people are starting to look back to a time when Hollywood was really something to bring it forward.
And for that these Oscars definently get an "A".
For of you that didn't notice, they made lots of changes to the show last night. Presenters didn't walk the red carpet, as they were supposed to be revealed only when they presented. Also, they shortened some elements and extended others. For example, they devoted more time to categories of awards and less to the individual awards. For example, the whole "art" part got it's own section, the whole screenplay part got it's own section... and so on.
I think one of the biggest changes this year was intimacy. I know, I know.... it sounds weird for a show this big to be described that way but the stage was lower the audience down front was much closer to the podium than I have ever seen it. As such, those down front were right there... and this made for a wonderful exchange of energy between the presenters and the audience. Also, they brought out past winners to present the big awards.... which each past winner talking about one of the current nominees. In many cases, they spoke directly to the nominee. I thought that was a nice touch.
Then there's the fashion. I thought many people seemed to be playing it safe - which is fine. The whole night seemed to have an air of class not often seen at awards shows anymore. In fact, I have come to really hate how awards shows starting to turn into a series of jokes at other people's expensese. Hugh Jackman actually had a great joke about him not being nominated because he is an Australian, who played in an Australian in a movie called Australia. Plus, he also did it all - he was funny, he could sing.. he could dance... in many ways, I think it was a performance you don't often see anymore - hitting on all levels.
Which brings it all back to old school class. As I have said before on this blog - the 1950s and 1960s are certainly coming back... last night showed much of the grace and style of the 1930s and 1940s. I like how people are starting to look back to a time when Hollywood was really something to bring it forward.
And for that these Oscars definently get an "A".
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
In case you didn't know...
People tend to over-think things.
I admit that I might be somebody that has a tendancy to UNDER-think things, but I came to the realization last night that people often OVER-think things.
I am not advocating that things shouldn't be planned or well thought out, but there is a point at which the marginal benefit of additional brainpower only decreases the final product. And I think people often spend some much time THINKING, that as they approach that over-thinking point - they completely miss it.
Which comes down to learning point #2: You have to know when to say when.
This is what bothers me about type A personalities. They NEVER know when to say when because they are so high strung all the time.
Also, type A personalites are not fun for me to be around because they bring the SAME energy to every interaction you have with them. Going into a meeting with a type A is like watching a bad tv show over and over... you know what exactly is going to happen at the end and you're not going to like it one bit.
Of course, I wanted to title this post "Women tend to over-think" things... but perhaps we can't and shouldn't generalize. Or should we?
I admit that I might be somebody that has a tendancy to UNDER-think things, but I came to the realization last night that people often OVER-think things.
I am not advocating that things shouldn't be planned or well thought out, but there is a point at which the marginal benefit of additional brainpower only decreases the final product. And I think people often spend some much time THINKING, that as they approach that over-thinking point - they completely miss it.
Which comes down to learning point #2: You have to know when to say when.
This is what bothers me about type A personalities. They NEVER know when to say when because they are so high strung all the time.
Also, type A personalites are not fun for me to be around because they bring the SAME energy to every interaction you have with them. Going into a meeting with a type A is like watching a bad tv show over and over... you know what exactly is going to happen at the end and you're not going to like it one bit.
Of course, I wanted to title this post "Women tend to over-think" things... but perhaps we can't and shouldn't generalize. Or should we?
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