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Just before Christmas, I installed one of the new Sonos S5 zone-players in our dining room, thus expanding the reach of music through the house. Now, the beauty of Thomas Blug’s Blue Valley can snake after me across the house or the Grateful Dead’s irrepressible Bertha can shake every room in unison.
The sound-quality from the compact little S5 is incredible; full, deep and rich. The unit was supplied by Andrew Cherry of Digital Living Solutions and, although he set it up for me, installation is beautifully simple as an add-on to my existing system.
It’s just good for the soul :-).
I’ve just discovered the Argentinian artist, Fabian Perez and in particular, this painting: Tinto II.
In general, Perez’ art in mostly of shady men and beautiful women although he has some other themes including Venice, bullfights, flamenco and wine, all evocatively Latin, and Japan, where he lived for a year. This picture is currently released as a limited run of 195 prints and speaks volumes. I love it.
I have just finished Chris Anderson’s latest book which explores the impact of the digital world on the price we pay (think advertising-funded Google, obviously, but also everything from free samples to counterfeit handbags). It’s a nicely written narrative and a thought-provoking subject but somehow, I’m not entirely convinced.
In places, Anderson’s arguments are over-extended and his economics feel flawed. The overall tone of the book is of the kind of hype which precedes the bursting of bubbles. And yet, at core, I think he is largely correct: the ability to extend a “free to user” model that we all know from commercial TV to a vast array of business models will be a true paradigm shift. Many things will go down in the flood. Largely, I think he is right about the bits vs atoms argument: delivering digitally drives marginal cost close to zero. But his arguments seem not wholly robust.
Nonetheless, it’s a worthwhile read.
My guitar teacher/coach/guru for the last five years has just launched his new website, nickhollings.com. As well as being a great teacher, Nick is a fantastic guitarist and the site gives a little insight into his approach and his background. The site also includes testimonials from a variety of players with whom he works from struggling amateurs like myself through to professional musicians.
Well worth a look.
A little after the event, but here is coverage of the Basingstoke Bluefins’ win at the Hampshire and South Coast Junior Cup on 24th October.
Young Fins strike gold (From Basingstoke Gazette)
As one of the youngest in the team (a last minute request to stand-in), James was asked to collect the winners’ shield and is holding it here (on the right).
The answer is probably, “No”.
Sometimes, if you have to ask, then you already know the answer.
Taking the step to abandon the safe predictability of corporate life is enormous and life-changing. Often, by the time you have built the experience you feel enables a “yes”, you have acquired the responsibilities which demand a “no”.
You can’t expect the world to line up the contracts you need to make for a riskless transition. If you want to make the leap, then it is – unavoidably - a leap of faith.
This resonated.
I have reached an age where I possess a fine collection of tools, many of which I don’t know how to use. I even own two hammers. One is what I’m sure my family and forebears would call a “real” hammer: a claw hammer with a fine wooden handle, where the interface between wood and steel is milled to a single, smooth surface. I use this to hit things. A wide variety of things. Hit with relish. I also own a small, delicate, “ladies” hammer with a slim, plastic handle and a head which falls off. I use this for the gentle tapping of small, delicate things held in less small, delicate fingers. And I know of the existence of such exotica as the ball-peen hammer, though in fairness I wouldn’t recognise one if it fell on my toe.
More relevantly, I recently encountered exactly this situation where an organisation which had grown fat and happy pounding nails with its claw-hammer could not even countenance the existence of other hitting devices.
Especially tough when you’ve started trying to sell screws.
It’s a hard life. I came across this article on a music blog and although I’ve not come across Peter Wolf before, I was impressed – not so much by the interview but by the previous columns Wolf had written.
Photo credit: Michael G. Stewart.
After a 19 year relationship with PRS (Paul Reed Smith Guitars), Wolf has recently established his own consultancy, Brandwolf Consulting, to help “music instrument makers with sales, marketing and related strategic concerns such as branding and distribution”. What a cool role!
Actually, what a tough market. Guitar players are notoriously conservative. The top-selling (electric) models remain the preserve of the two leading brands Fender and Gibson. All of those models originated in the 1950s: Fender Telecaster (1950), Gibson Les Paul (1952), Fender Stratocaster (1954), Gibson 335 (1958). Look at the Fender website today (as an example) and there are 57 distinct Fender Stratocaster models and 38 Telecasters. In a recession, how do you convince the market to buy more of the same? Hobby players and professionals alike will make do. Arguably though PRS have been the most successful of the other makers, establishing their high-end models and original designs in the face of conservatism.
Interestingly, in counting up the models for this blog, I see that the much-lauded, innovative Roland computer-ready VG Stratocaster was discontinued earlier this year.
It’s a tough market.
A nice post from Mike Pegg’s Strengths Academy blog which is very relevant not only for freelancers everywhere but for everyone. I particularly like the Christopher Vogler / Joseph Campbell resonance of the imagery.
Where are you now? Where do you aspire to be? The Cottage, the Castle or the Cathedral?
Personally, right now I am very happy in my Cottage providing services to a variety of Castles. But that is no excuse to avoid including a photograph of one of my favourite castles (with a small “C”), Castle Stuart.
This subject was brought somewhat close to home last weekend, when I discovered that my neighbour, Les, was actually Dr Les King, the foremost expert on drugs misuse and a former head of the Drugs Intelligence Unit in the Forensic Science Service. On Sunday, the street was parked up with impatient satellite vans and news crews awaiting their turn.
Jerry Fishenden makes a broader point lucidly on his blog. Just because you don’t like the science doesn’t mean you can say it’s not science. It doesn’t work like that.
And, of course, it was highly amusing to read about Alan Johnson so ably and unwittingly demonstrating the inherent weaknesses in his own Identity Card programme. All praise to the LSE’s Dr Edgar Whitley.
Alan Johnson reveals the design of the British national identity card. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA
The name change is official and henceforth my company will be known as Burning Pine Ltd (rather than Andrew Munro Associates Ltd).
Why Burning Pine?
The image formed before the words.
A wind-carved Japanese Black Pine, tenacious, timeless but vital, touched by a jagged finger of lightning.
There is something wonderfully timeless about trees, amongst which are the oldest living entities on earth. In myth and legend, they symbolise wisdom and a deep, slow but immutable power. In life, they are often restless but always still, always grounded.
In the lightning touch, there is a little bit of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam and a little bit of the Lightning Struck Tower from the Rider-Waite Tarot; the visceral fear and fascination of the power of nature; the explosive energy of inspiration, of new ideas.
All rendered into life by the talented illustrator, Nicole Urquhart.
In the main, the image represents transformation powered by inspiration. Ideas Words Numbers.
A couple of years ago, I read Room Full of Mirrors, Charles Cross’s excellent biography of Jimi Hendrix. On one of my last trips to Seattle before leaving Microsoft, I took a trip to Hendrix’s grave. It struck me as somewhat distasteful that the family which had so rejected the man during his life could use his legend to aggrandise themselves. The white stones in the picture are various members of the Hendrix family. The book notes that Jimi’s beloved mother remained in a paupers grave at the boundaries of the cemetery.
The “Experience Hendrix” organisation is renowned for its fierce defence of the Jimi Hendrix trademark legacy and the stewardship by Jimi’s step-sister Janie has long been controversial so perhaps this latest wheeze shouldn’t be a surprise. However, I can’t help feeling that it says something about Gibson’s lack of confidence in their own heritage. Hendrix was, of course, most famous for playing a Strat but he also played a particularly iconic Gibson Flying V – just witness the photographs in the latest release of his greatest album, Electric Ladyland.
It’s of little consequence, but I was disappointed that music fans, especially the beginners at which this offering is targeted will be somewhat cheated by a package that has all the branding but none of the honesty of the original.
Guitarist
A couple of weeks ago, I was the guest of Gordon Donkin and Andrew Knight at an introductory discussion session for a research paper which the Chartered Institute of Marketing is developing in association with accenture. Titled, as above, “Marketing Capability 2010 – 2020”, the paper looks at the position of the marketing profession today, and the opportunity which recovery from recession presents.
The basic premise of the research is that business is in a new era, initiated in part by the global recession and I was reminded by a speech Steve Ballmer gave back in January, "We’re certainly in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime set of economic conditions. The perspective I would bring is not one of recession. Rather, the economy is resetting to a lower level of business and consumer spending based largely on the reduced leverage in economy,”
The CIM argues, quite rightly, that this has implications for Marketing as a function.
As part of their thinking, Thomas Brown, the CIM’s Research Projects manager, presented three Strategies for Change and five Pillars for Growth.
Strategies for Change
Pillars for Growth and Value
1. Customer Centricity
2. Customer Experience Management - "the last source of differentiation"
3. Digital and Social Media
4. Strategic Insight - This is more than simply a re-branding of research
5. Value Proposition Development - "Stop making products and services and start making value propositions"
Two things struck me.
Firstly, that the theme of “representing the voice of the customer” percolated all through the session. It’s so easy for businesses to pay lip-service to this apparent truism. Too few businesses actually “get it”.
Secondly, “serious” marketers often complain that senior management doesn’t understand marketing; and too often it’s true. However, there is also an onus on marketers, especially in this newly focused business climate, to ensure that they understand business – not the woolly crayons and jargon stuff, but the hard-edged, commercial, numbers-driven, bottom-line stuff too.
If marketers can truly be the ambassador of the customer inside the business, translating the customer voice into numbers, then marketing can begin to become the strategic function which it so often aspires to be.
… in the household. This weekend was the Basingstoke Bluefins Winter Championships which meant a hot, noisy weekend by the poolside for Mum and Dad. All much more than simply worthwhile though as James came away with a Bronze medal, a Silver medal and – with his last race – his first Gold medal. Oh, and and an incurable smile from ear to ear. One verrrrrry happy boy….
Two enormously proud parents.
One of the advantages of having a wife in the hotel business is the occasional weekend away.
Janet works with Logical Venue Solutions and last weekend we were guests of the Vale Hotel, Golf and Spa Resort in Wales. We had a great weekend in a very fine hotel and, chatting with Ben the manager and his sales team Lou and Linda, I had a real nostalgia for the hotel industry. Momentarily, I was one with those innocent fools who decide it would be really cool to open their own hotel. And then reality bit and I remembered years tumbling out of bed – disturbing my four hours allocation of sleep – because of an armed robbery in reception or a suspected terrorist resident (actually a poor Irishman who had upset a cabbie); innumerable fire alarms; finding the basement flooded one morning and the maintenance man struggling to close a mains valve whilst shouting “Joe!, Joe! I’ve lost my teeth!” Guests collapsing into their pate from alcohol and their soup from a heart-attack. Ah, happy days.
I take my hat off to Ben and his ilk. And have re-established my contempt for the idiot vanity that leads the inexperienced into the industry. No dear, it’s not just like having friends to stay.
More coming soon, but I wanted to say that I just love this image. It’s a rough draft and I should have the final version very soon…
Fair’s fair and it’s time for a whinge.
Way back, about two years ago I was all aglow about my new Sony Vaio, the VGN-NR11Z. It is a great looking laptop with the requisite fantastic screen quality which you expect from Sony.
It’s had 22 months of actually not very hard wear but it now has a battery life of 20 minutes (and it seems to be impossible to get a replacement), the chrome has worn off the mouse button, the silver weave finish is discoloured and the DVD drive won’t burn or format discs.
Yes, I know it’s TWO YEARS old. And yes, it probably was more of a consumer than business model. But still…
I love Sony’s products, I really their seemingly unmatchable screen quality but I’d hoped for a bit more durability.
I’ve been back at Shoebox360 taking at look at their official launch version. Since I looked back in February, the interface has improved and the overall look and feel is much crisper.
Shoebox360 is a great concept (the clue’s in the title); it’s a great way to collect and share photos from your special events, to dig them out from their virtual shoebox under the bed, dust them off and share tem around with those that were there.
For me, the 3d photo-wall is still one of the highlights.
I think Alistair, Alfred and the team have done a great job and apparently 6 terabytes of other pics think the same…cos I don't have that many photos of holidays and guitars.
I went to see this guy last night at the Camden Underworld. It’s ages since I’ve been out in London and I had a great night. The area (and the people) reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s book, Neverworld.
Nevermind. it was a great gig: very crowded, very sweaty, very loud and very, very good. Before going along, I only really knew Richie Kotzen from his excellent 1994 album, Mother Head’s Family Reunion. Of course he started in Poison and was also in Mr Big. Either way, a great guitarist with phenomenal speed and some amazing stretches. He also has a fine blues-rock/soul voice.
I was introduced to Kotzen by my guitar tutor, Nick Hollings and, by strange coincidence, I’ve just spotted that his son, Tom’s, band The Arusha Accord are playing at the Underworld in November. Their debut album, The Echo Verses, is out on Monday.
Apologies to anyone – probably everyone – who received a piece of spam from me purporting to tell you who has blocked you from their Messenger list.
I first realised from a string of bounce-backs. Sorry to everyone impacted.
On the plus side I got to speak with a number of folks I haven’t heard from in ages.