The HARD Intelligence

HARDminute Factoid #72, Top Ten Disappearing Car Features

2010-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 72
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

TOP TEN THINGS
BECOMING EXTINCT IN AUTOS

Last week, I showed ten things about to become extinct in America. This week, thanks to YAHOO! Autos, we see ten things that are disappearing in cars. You thought some of these were already gone? Well, maybe not, but they are going, going, soon-to-be-gone.

Disappearing Automotive Features

You probably remember them — maybe fondly, maybe not. The eight-track player. Manual windows. Locks you actually had to lift. As cars get more technically advanced, many of the features we once knew are heading to the dustbin of history.

After reviewing Cars.com's vast data banks and scouring through automaker press kits, we've come up with a list of once-common features now on the way out.

No. 1: Crank windows
These can still be found in entry-level vehicles, but as soon as you step up from the least-expensive vehicle in an automaker's lineup, they disappear. Holding a button to raise a window is easier — and probably safer — when you're pulling away from a tollbooth or drive-through window.

No. 2: Cassette-tape decks
Yes, you can still find them. Many European carmakers still insist on them, and some people have stuff on tape they can't transfer to a CD for whatever reason. But, really, the car world today is one of CDs and MP3s — and that sounds just fine to us.

No. 3: Keys/locks/any mechanical means of getting into your car
We're a nation of fobs these days. Press the button, unlock the driver's door. Press it again, unlock all the doors. If you're really high-end, you don't even know what a key is because of your fob that talks to the car and unlocks the door as you approach. A start button rids you of the trouble of putting a key in the ignition and turning it.

No. 4: Lap-only seat belts for the center rear seat
This one is a marked improvement as far as safety is concerned. Most cars now provide the person sitting in the most uncomfortable seat in the car the same three-point belt the other passengers enjoy. Sure, you could find a car that still offers a lap-only seat belt back there, but why would you want to?

No. 5: Cars priced less than $13,000
Yes, everything is getting more expensive; that's just how the world works. If you want all the latest safety features and amenities, it's going to cost you. Go shopping and it may appear many automakers offer cars less than $13,000, but it's usually just one stripped-down model.

No. 6: 85-mph speedometers
They say optimism is a virtue, and it shows in the car world. Even econoboxes that could probably only shimmy their way to 100 mph with the help of a hill, a tailwind and a brave driver have speedometers that go to 120. (Sigh.) Just as some drivers should not be allowed to drive, some cars should not be allowed anywhere over the posted speed limit ... in a school zone. Rectangular speedometers that span the entire instrument cluster have also gone away, but you never know; they might still return one day.

No. 7: Motorized antennas
These are so rare you might have to ask your parents about them. In many higher-end cars of the 1970s and '80s, a motor would extend the car's antenna to better receive radio broadcasts, then retract it later. That meant drivers didn't have to either manually extend the antenna or just leave it up. Hmm. This from the generation that walked to school, worked three jobs and taught themselves to read on the back of a shovel. Manually extending an antenna must be tougher than it sounds.

No. 8: Three-speed automatic transmissions
Three on the tree means nothing to kids now, and it's not because carmakers have moved the gearshift from the steering column. Three-speed transmissions are at least one speed too slow for nearly all of today's cars. If the current trend toward five- and six-speed transmissions continues, we'll soon be saying the same thing about four-speed models.

No. 9: True compact pickup trucks
Not only are things getting more expensive, they're getting bigger as well. Just as houses are McMansions and drivers are increasingly — ahem — husky, the small pickup of ages past is expanding to what could legitimately be called midsize.

No. 10: Six-passenger, rear-wheel-drive, body-on-frame cars
This used to be the way all cars were made: You built a frame, attached the engine and transmission, slapped on the body and off you went. There was a front bench to carry Mom, Dad and one child, and a rear bench for Grandma, Grandpa and the other child. No more. Only the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car meet all these criteria now. Front bench seats in particular are going the way of the dodo; Buick joins Ford and Lincoln as one of few automakers to put them in their cars. Larger SUVs and trucks are the best bet these days if you really want a front bench.

Honorable mention
These didn't make the list because they're either taking a long time to die off or we just don't miss them:
• Trunk releases in the glove box
• Full-size spare tires
• Floor-mounted headlight dimmer switches
• Completely manual mirrors

Source YAHOO! Autos.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!

HARD

2010-01-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

10 THINGS ABOUT TO BECOME EXTINCT IN AMERICA

Thanks to Randy Hlubik, at RHA Landscape Architects in Riverside CA, for passing these on. The original article can be found at http://www.schargel.com/2009/03/27/25-things-about-to-become-extinct/. It lists 25 things about to become extinct. I have edited and grouped TEN.

These will likely be similar in Canada, but I’d love to hear colleagues’ feedback from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Russia and China as to how they reflect your view of things.

ENTERTAINMENT

1. Stand-Alone Bowling Alleys
Bowling Balls, US claims there are still 60 million Americans who bowl at least once a year, but many are not bowling in stand-alone bowling alleys. Today most new bowling alleys are part of facilities for all types or recreation including laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, video game arcades, climbing walls and glow miniature golf. Bowling lanes also have been added to many non-traditional venues such as adult communities, hotels andresorts, and gambling casinos.

2. Movie Rental Stores
While Netflix is looking up at the moment, Blockbuster keeps closing store locations by the hundreds. It still has about 6,000 left across the world, but those keep dwindling and the stock is down considerably since 2008, especially since the company gave up a quest of Circuit City. Movie Gallery, which owned the Hollywood Video brand, closed up shop. Countless small video chains and mom-and-pop stores have given up the ghost already.

“SOCIAL NETWORKING ‘98”

3. Hand-Written Letters
In 2006, the Radicati Group estimated that, worldwide, 183 billion e-mails were sent each day. Two million each second. By November of 2007, an estimated 3.3 billion Earthlings owned cell phones, and 80% of the world’s population had access to cell phone coverage. In 2004, half-a-trillion text messages were sent, and the number has no doubt increased exponentially since then. So where amongst this gorge of gabble is there room for the elegant, polite hand-written letter?

And, partially as a result:

U.S. Post Office
They are pricing themselves out of existence. With e-mail, and online services they are a relic of the past. Packages are also sent faster and cheaper with UPS.

TECHNOLOGY / EQUIPMENT

4. Phone Landlines
According to a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, at the end of 2007, nearly one in six homes was ell-only and, of those homes that had landlines, one in eightonly received calls on their cells.

And partially as a result:

Answering Machines
The increasing disappearance of answering machines is directly tied to the decline of landlines. According to USA Today, the number of homes that only use cell phones jumped 159% between 2004 and 2007. It has been particularly bad in New York; since 2000, landline usage has dropped 55%. It’s logical that as cell phones rise, many of them replacing traditional landlines, that there will be fewer answering machines.

5. Cameras That Use Film
It doesn’t require a statistician to prove the rapid disappearance of the film camera in America. Just look to companies like Nikon, the professional’s choice for quality camera equipment. In 2006, it announced that it would stop making film cameras, pointing tothe shrinking market — only 3% of its sales in 2005, compared to 75% of sales from digital cameras and equipment.

HEALTH

6. Mumps & Measles
Despite what’s been in the news lately, the measles and mumps actually, truly are disappearing from the United States. In 1964, 212,000 cases of mumps were reported in the U.S. By 1983, this figure had dropped to 3,000, thanks to a vigorous vaccinationprogram. Prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine, approximately half a million cases of measles were reported in the U.S. annually, resulting in 450 deaths. In 2005, only 66 cases were recorded.

AGRICULTURE

7. Honey Bees
Perhaps nothing on our list of disappearing America is so dire; plummeting so enormously; and so necessary to the survival of our food supply as the honey bee. Very scary. ‘Colony Collapse Disorder,’ or CCD, has spread throughout the U.S. and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50% to 90% of the colonies of many beekeepers — and along with it, their livelihood.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

8. News Magazines and TV News
While the TV evening newscasts haven’t gone anywhere over the last several decades, their audiences have. In 1984, in a story about the diminishing returns of the evening news, the New York Times reported that all three network evening-news programs combined had only 40.9 million viewers. Fast forward to 2008, and what they have today is half that.

MISCELLANEOUS

9. The Family Farm
Since the 1930s, the number of family farms has been declining rapidly. According to the USDA, 5.3 million farms dotted the nation in 1950, but this number had declined to 2.1 million by the 2003 farm census (data from the 2007 census hasn’t yet been published).Ninety-one percent of the U.S. FARMS are small Family Farms.

10. Personal Checks
According to an American Bankers Assoc. report, a net 23% of consumers plan to decrease their use of checks over the next two years, while a net 14% plan to increase their use of PIN debit. Bill payment remains the last stronghold of paper-basedpayments — for the time being. Checks continue to be the most commonly used bill payment method, with 71% of consumers paying at least one recurring bill per month by writing a check. However, a bill-by-bill basis, checks account for only 49% of consumers’ recurring bill payments (down from 72% in 2001 and 60% in 2003).

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #70 US Exports

2010-01-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 70
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN Fastest-Growing
U.S. Exports to Other Countries

Not only was American fuel oil among the highest volume exports from the U.S. in 2008, this heaviest form of commercial oil processed from crude led America’s top growing exports in 2008. Four of the other fastest-growing U.S. exports that year were also from the energy sector.

1. Fuel oil … US$34.9 billion, up 124.1% from 2007
2. Metallurgical grade coal … $5.8 billion, up 97.8%
3. Chemical fertilizers … $10.8 billion, up 71%
4. Other coal and fuels … $2.8 billion, up 66.6%
5. Non-farm tractors and parts … $3.4 billion, up 62.2%
6. Rice … $2.3 billion, up 57.1%
7. Oilseeds and food oils … $3.2 billion, up 56.8%
8. Natural gas liquids … $3.3 billion, up 54.7%
9. Natural gas … $4.9 billion, up 54.6%
10. Unmanufactured goods from agricultural industry … $3.3 billion, up 53.8%.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid #69 Formula One Winners

2010-01-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 69
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Top 10 Most Wins
By a Formula One Racing Career

1. Michael Schumacher, Germany – 91 wins
2. Alain Prost, France – 51 wins
3. Ayrton Senna, Brazil – 41 wins
4. Nigel Mansell, UK – 31 wins
5. Jackie Stewart, UK – 27 wins
6 = Jim Clark, UK – 25 wins
6 = Niki Lauda, Austria – 25 wins
8. Juan-Manuel Fangio, Argentina – 24 wins
9. Nelson Piquet, Brazil – 23 wins
10. Damon Hill, UK – 22 wins

If you want to scroll back through the blog posts, looking for a specific Top Ten, I have posted a list of blogs through year-end 2009. Look for the post of Jan 2, 2010.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

Schedule of Posts to Date

2010-01-02T14:41:00.000-08:00

HARDminute Factoids
To December 31, 2009

These are shown in the order of posting.
To find a specific HARDminute factoid, or another post, scroll back in reverse order.

1. Brand values
2. Company values
3. Best selling books
4. Number of movie screens
5. TV channels
6. Number of Universities
7. Dangerous mountains
8. Most expensive office space
9. Most expensive retail space
10. Most number of skyscrapers
11. Tallest statues
12. Tallest structures
13. Largest bankruptcies
14. Oil reserves
15. Oil import and exports
16. Expensive cars to operate
17. Economical cars to operate
18. Wheat production
19. Longest reigning monarchs
20. Coffee drinking nations
21. Longest rivers
22. Social networks
23. City populations
24. Number of airports
25. Boeing 767
26. Manly Cities
27. Hot recording artists
28. ZIP codes & fastest growing sales prices
29. Prisoners
30. USA geog facts
31. OUTSIDE US geog facts
32. Suspension Bridges
33. Misery
34. Social Networking
35. Stephen Wright musings
36. Arizona in July
37. Best High Schools
38. Most Polluted air
39. Blank
40. Popular US cities
41. Longest Road Tunnels
42. Canadian Tidbits
43. Birth Rates
44. Expensive parking
45. Happy countries
46. Expensive car crashes
46.5 USPS facilities.
47. Literate Cities in US
48. Doctors / population
49. Nurses / population
50. Largest religions
51. Christian population;
51.5 Giving blood
52. Spoken languages
53. Muslim population
54. Ice Cream
55. Electricity
56. Newspapers
57. Coal reserves
58. Bananas
59. Beer
60. Canadian / American Olympic temperature conversion chart
Extra Christmas Eve: A Seasonal Visit from St. Dude
61. Failing with dignity
62. Top Retailers
Extra New Words for 2009
63. Top selling drugs
64. Celeb’s earnings
65. Boxing Champs
66. Largest Casinos
67. Sports Stadiums
68. US Exports

HARDminute Factoid #68 US Exports

2010-01-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 68
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Top Ten US Exports
to Other Countries

Five of the top 10 American exports shipped around the world in 2008 were capital goods (aircraft, semiconductors, vehicle parts, industrial machinery and telecommunications equipment). Among the 5 other leading U.S. exports, 3 were industrial supplies (fuel oil, organic chemicals and plastics) while 2 were consumer goods (passenger cars and medicinal preparations).

1. Civilian aircraft … US$74 billion, up 1.3% from 2007 (5.7% of total US exports)
2. Semiconductors … $50.6 billion, up 0.3% (3.9%)
3. Passenger cars … $49.6 billion, up 13.3% (3.9%)
4. Medicinal, dental and pharmaceutical preparations … $40.4 billion, up 15% (3.1%)
5. Other vehicle parts and accessories … $39.9 billion, down 10.1% (3.1%)
6. Other industrial machinery … $38.1 billion, down 0.6% (3%)
7. Fuel oil … $34.9 billion, up 124.1% (2.7%)
8. Organic chemicals … $33.4 billion, up 5.5% (2.6%)
9. Telecommunications equipment … $32.9 billion, up 4.6% (2.6%)
10. Plastic materials … $31.6 billion, up 8.7% (2.5%).

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute Factoid #67 Sports Stadiums

2010-01-02T14:36:00.001-08:00

The HARDminute # 67
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Top Ten
Biggest Sports Stadiums
In The World

#1 - Rungnado May Day Stadium (150,000 capacity)
The monumental Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea was built in 1989 and seats a staggering 150,000 people. Resembling a blossom flower, it has 16 arches arranged in a ring. In 1995, an incredible 190,000 people crammed in for a professional wrestling event. It is not the only large stadium in Pyongyang - the Kim-Il Sung Stadium, with a capacity of 70,000, also resides there.

#2 - Salt Lake Stadium (120,000)
Salt Lake Stadium (officially known as Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Stadium of the Indian Youth) is located in Salt Lake City, a district of Kolkata in India. Built in 1984, the stadium boasts a capacity of 120,000 over a 3-tier construction and is mainly used for football and athletics events.

#3 - Estadio Azteca (114,465)
The Azteca Stadium, located in Mexico City, comes in third on our list of the biggest stadiums in the world with an official capacity of 114,465 people. Used mostly for football matches, it is the home of the Mexico national team and Mexican club team America. It is the only stadium ever to host two World Cup final matches, in 1970 and 1986.

#4 - Michigan Stadium (107,501)
Nicknamed "The Big House", this is the American Football stadium of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Built in 1927, it had an original capacity of 72,000 which has gradually increased over the years through various expansions, maintaining its position as the largest American Football stadium. A very popular stadium, it has incredibly not had a sub-100,000 attendance since 1975.

#5 - Beaver Stadium (107,282)
Smaller than Michigan Stadium by just 219 seats, Beaver Stadium is the home of the Penn State Nittany Lions and is located at the Pennsylvania State University. Assembled in its current location in 1960 with a capacity of just 46,284, Beaver Stadium went through numerous expansions until its most recent expansion in 2001 which brought it to its current capacity of 107,282.

#6 - Jornalista Mario Filho (103,045)
More commonly known as the "Estadio do Maracana", the Jornalista Mario Filho stadium is a soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is difficult to pinpoint the stadium's exact capacity (it seats about 90,000 but also had an official attendance of 199,500 for the 1950 World Cup Final) but recent figures suggest they work to a safe capacity of 103,045. Owned by the State Government, it is mostly used by the biggest football clubs in Rio de Janeiro including Flamengo, Botafogo and Fluminense.

#7 - Ohio Stadium (102,329)
With numerous nicknames (The House Harley Built, The Horseshoe, or simply The 'Shoe), Ohio Stadium is the home of the Buckeyes American Football team at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Originally built in 1922 (having undergone numerous renovations over the years since then) the stadium officially holds 102,329, regularly achieving attendances of over 100,000 at Buckeye games. It also often hosts music concerts, when the stadium can seat up to 110,000.

#8 - Neyland Stadium (102,037)
Another American football stadium, the Neyland Stadium serves primarily as the home of the Tennessee Volunteers football team in Knoxville, Tennessee. While its current capacity stands at just over 102,000, the stadium did in fact hold 104,079 until a 2006 renovation when executive seating was installed. Over the years Neyland Stadium has been used to host large conventions and numerous NFL exhibition games.

#9 - National Stadium Bukit Jalil (100,200)
The Bukit Jalil National Stadium lies 20km south of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the National Sports Complex. Built for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, construction work began in 1992 and was completed 3 months ahead of schedule. The stadium is now the home of the Malaysian football team and hosts a variety of sporting and non-sporting events, most notably the AFC Asian Cup 2007.

#10 - Melbourne Cricket Ground (100,000)
There are numerous sports stadiums around the world that hold 100,000 (Bung Karno Stadium, Indonesia; Azadi Stadium, Iran; Jawaharlal Stadium, India) but we have decided to highlight Melbourne Cricket Ground, due to its great history. The oldest of the stadiums on our list, it was built in 1853 with the first game of cricket played on 30 September 1854. Until the 1970s, up to 130,000 people could be crammed into the stadium - however renovations and safety regulations have since restricted the capacity to its current 100,000.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

2010-01-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute Factoid # 66
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

The TOP TEN
Largest Casinos in the World

I found this fascinating. Not one of the largest casinos is in Nevada. One is in China, two in Canada, and three are in California.

1.) The Venetian Macao (China) – 546,000 square feet
This is the second-largest building in the world and claims to be big enough to hold 90 Boeing 747 jumbo jets. The casino features 6,000 gaming machines and 870 table games, but is just a small part of the property, which is also home to 18 restaurants and a hotel with 3,000 rooms.

2.) Casino de Montréal (Montreal, Canada) – 526,488 square feet
The Casino de Montréal is open 24/7, 356 days a year and has a client capacity of approximately 4,000 people. It features more than 3,200 slot machines, 115 gaming tables, a keno lounge, a Royal Ascot electronic horse racing track and a high-limits gaming area and lounge.

3.) San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino (Highland, Calif.) – 480,000 square feet
Bingo was the main attraction here when the San Manuel opened in 1986 and the casino has stayed true to its roots as it features a 2,500-seat Bingo Hall that has 15 games every night as well as matinee games with low buy-ins. There are also 2,000 slots, gaming tables and a smoke-free poker room with tableside food and beverage service.

4.) Island Resort & Casino (Harris, Mich.) – 408,520 square feet
There's a full variety of table games as well as live poker and keno. Also on the gaming floor you will find close to 1,500 slot machines, including video, reel, wide-area progressives, dual screen bonus games and in-house progressives. The Bingo Hall is open seven days a week and there are weekly and monthly poker and slot tournaments as well as a monthly themed Blackjack Party Pit tournament.

5.) Foxwoods Resort Casino (Mashantucket, Conn.) – 344,000 square feet
With more than 380 table games to choose from and 7,200 slot machines, it's easy to see why more than 40,000 guests visit Foxwoods on a daily basis. There's also a state-of-the-art World Poker Tour poker room that boasts 114 tables and attracts players from around the world as well as the Ultimate Race Book, where you can bet on everything from thoroughbreds and harness to greyhounds and jai-alai. Oh, and don't forget to visit the 3,200-seat High Stakes Bingo Hall.

6.) Viejas Casino (San Diego, Calif.) – 327,000 square feet
If you can't find something to pique your interest here, you simply don't have a gambler's bone in your body. Not only are there 2,500 slots, 10 different table games and a 20-table poker room that hosts daily tournaments, but there is also a bingo pavilion with smoking and non-smoking areas and electronic touch pads. And for horse racing enthusiasts there's an off-track betting area with a dozen 50-inch flat screen televisions and 45 personal monitors. In addition, the private Turf Club offers table service for food and beverages, 10 personal booths, eight four-person tables and five big screen TVs.

7.) Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel (Morton, Minn.) – 325,000 square feet
Jackpot Junction has two floors and is big on video slot machines, offering more than 1,300 to choose from with a range of penny to $25. In addition to the dizzying amount of slots and table games there is also a live poker room. There are also regular and matinee sessions of Bingo and the new Highstakes Lounge located on the second floor features slot machines and blackjack.

8.) Casino du Lac-Leamy (Gatineau, Canada) – 319,105 square feet
The Casino du Lac-Leamy promotes the fact that it has "an exhilarating atmosphere" thanks to almost 2,000 slot machines and 60 gaming tables. There's also a Royal Ascot electronic horse racing track and a high-limits gaming area and lounge.

9.) Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino (Lakeside, Calif.) – 310,000 sf
This San Diego-area casino prides itself on offering "the best Blackjack rules in the country" with single- and double-deck games and high table limits (up to $10,000 and more). There are also $25 video poker games and $500 slots.

T-10.) Mohegan Sun Casino (Uncasville, Conn.); -- 300,000 square feet
T-10.) Odawa Casino Resort (Petoskey, Michigan) – 300,000 square feet

Mohegan Sun poses a challenge to Foxwoods as the premier casino in the northeast thanks to more than 6,000 slot machines, a race book and a full range of table games.

As for the Odawa, it features 1,500 slot machines – including the newest options like Hot Shot Progressive, Playboy and Deal or No Deal - and 36 different table games as well as a full tournament schedule in its new poker room.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute Factoid # 65 Boxers

2010-01-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 65
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN MOST RECENT
UNDISPUTED
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT
BOXING CHAMPS

1. Mike Tyson: Aug 1987 - May 1989
2. Leon Spinks: Feb 1978 - March 1978
3. Muhammad Ali: Oct 1974 - Feb 1978
4. George Foreman: Jan 1973 - Oct 1974
5. Joe Frazier: Feb 1970 - Jan 1973
6. Muhammad Ali: Feb 1967 - April 1967
7. Cassius Clay: Feb 1964 - June 1964
8. Sonny Liston: Sept 1962 - Feb 1964
9. Floyd Patterson: June 1960 - Sept 1962
10. Ingemar Johansson: Jun 1959 - June 1960

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute Factoid #64 Celeb Earnings

2010-01-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 64
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
The TOP TEN
HIGHEST-EARNING
CELEBRITIES of 2008

1. JK Rowling – $300,000,000
2. Oprah Winfrey – $275,000,000
3. 50 Cent – $150,000,000
4. Jerry Bruckheimer – $145,000,000
5. Steven Spielberg – $130,000,000
6. Tyler Perry – $125,000,000
7. Tiger Woods – $115,000,000
8. Jerry Seinfeld – $85,000,000
9. Jay-Z – $82,000,000
10. Beyonce Knowles – $80,000,000

Source: Forbes Magazine, The Celebrity 100 2008
As of Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute Factoid 63 Drugs

2010-01-02T14:22:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 63
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
The TOP TEN
BEST-SELLING DRUGS

No. / Marketing Name / Pharmaceutical Company / Treatment for / Annual Sales

1 / Lipitor / Pfizer / High Cholesterol / $12.9B
2 / Plavix / Bristol-Meyers Squibb / Sanofi-Aventis / Heart Disease / $5.9B
3 / Nexium / Astra-Zeneca / Heartburn / $5.7B
4 / Seretide / Advair / GlaxoSmithKline / Asthma / $5.6B
5 / Zocor / Merck / High Cholesterol / $5.3B
6 / Norvasc / Pfizer / Hi Blood Pressure / $5.0B
7 / Zyprexa / Eli Lily / Schizophrenia / $4.7B
8 / Risperdal / Johnson & Johnson / Schizophrenia / $4.0B
9 / Prevacid / Abbott Labs & Takeda Pharmaceutical / Heartburn / $4.0B
10 / Effexor / Wyeth / Depression / $3.8B

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

New Words for 2009

2010-01-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

We recently learned that the 2009 Word of the Year comes from the world of social media / new media. “Unfriend” is an embarrassing condition that can e bestowed via Facebook.

In other news, the following are 15 combination words that have come into my own lexicon during 2009. Perhaps you can understand why.

BRAYdar…unerring ability to spot a jackass in any crowd.
Canucklehead…Any Canadian surfers on Northern Vancouver Island…brrr.
Crisis of continence…condition that keeps Depends in business.
Electile dysfunction…condition related to career politicians.
Frog-ulent representation…false assertion that everything French is better.
Gecco di Bupa…insurance company specializing in family-style Italian restaurants.
Loan Mortification…the dead end of expecting good legal result from using non-lawyers.
Mensa rea…guilty mind of an evil genius.
Mickeypedia…an online info page about Disneyland.
Philippeanut…a petite girl from Manila.
Spine Flu…political practice of blaming others for anything going wrong.
Standing OyVayTion…the ultimate Jewish tribute following an excellent speech.
Truce in Lending...successful result when avoiding loan mortification (q.v. above).
VegEgalitarian…trying to prevent anyone eating meat.
Wrathlete…foul-mouthed, ill-tempered, professional tennis player.

Do you have other new words or combinations?

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 62 Top Ten Retailers

2010-01-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 62
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
The TOP TEN
RETAILERS in the WORLD

No. / Retailer / Base / Type / Sales U.S. $MM / Region / % of sales in foreign country
1 / Wal-Mart Stores, lnc. / USA / Discount Store / 163,532 / N.America / Global / 13.90%
2 / Carrefour Group / FRA / Hypermarkets / 52,196.1 / Europe / Global / 37.70%
3 / The Kroger Co / USA / Supermarkets / 45,352 / N.America / Single Country / 0.00%
4 / MetroAG / GER / Diversified / 44,163.37 / Europe / Global / 40.00%
5 / The Home Depot, lnc / USA / Hardlines / 38,434 / N.America-Global / 3.70%
6 / Albertson's, lnc / USA / Supermarkets / 37,478 / N.America / Single Country / 0.00%
7 / ITM Entreprises SA / FRA / Supermarkets / 36,762.45 / Europe / Regional / 36.00%
8 / Sears, Roebuck and Co / USA / Dept Store / 36,728. / N.America / Regional / 10.60%
9 / Kmart Corporation / USA / Discount Store / 35,925 / N.America / Single Country / 0.00%
10 / Target Corporation / USA / Discount Store / 33,702 / N.America / Single Country /0.00%

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!

HARD

A Seasonal Visit From St. Dude 2009

2009-12-24T08:51:00.000-08:00

A Seasonal Visit From St. Dude 2009

Inspired by the festive season, this song will soon be released on CD, performed by

Standard Feature and the Upgrades. It is written by Dave Harding, CMP a national trainer in our

profession and a tongue-in-cheek observer of our business. Dave can be reached via "Elf-Mail"

at HARD@HARDintelligence.com. He wishes his home-building colleagues a wonderful holiday

season and a successful odyssey in 2010.

T'was the week before year end, when all through the sector
Not a sales pro was happy, not e'en the Director.
The drywaller sat on the counter with beer
In hopes that the painter would not soon be here.

The punch men were nestled all snug in their Fords
With visions of plumbers who were out of their gourds.
The moon on the pile of the approved, scattered plans
Gave a picture of sadness round the blue Sani-Kans.

The year that just passed had been one of the worst.
Aside from decorum, Sales just might have cursed.
At start of the year no one would make a guess
That the year just now ending would be such a mess.

The super in his Levis and "Sales" in Hugo Boss
Had just roasted each other for a net fiscal loss.
When out on the lot, there arose such a peal
"Sales" sprang from his Beemer to see what's the deal.
Away from its leather he jumped like a doe
Tore open the door, (and spilled his Merlot.)
When what to their anxious eyes should be viewed?
But a builder's salvation, it must be St. Dude.

With a long repertoire of war stories and tales
They welcomed the Saint of new-home-lost-sales.
"Save Richmond, and Ryland, and Shea, Beazer, Lyon.
And Lennar, and StanPac, and Pul-tex," they were cryin’."

And then in a twinkling they heard on the site
Dude's yearend synopsis, and oh what a fright.
"Performance to date has been such a shambles
Twelve months ago, no need for such scrambles.

"This entire year, disrespect for the buyer;
Now with days left, you are down to the wire.
Your lenders are watching all full of concern.
Considering homebuilders, will banks ever learn?

"Stockholders are looking, their eyes wet with worry.
And vendors expect payment in more of a hurry.
The buyers are nestled all snug in their bed;
To them, warranty work seems a matter of dread.

"The cities approve at the pace of a snail.
NIMBYs? Well, they always want you to fail.
The Feds seem committed to prevent your success
More agendas, and health costs and roadblocks, no less,

"Their shelter secured by government report.
(Your customers' shelter has no such support.)
As your patron Saint, I am here to make certain
The American Dream faces no final curtain.

"Your chosen profession is no easy vocation;
So, I grant you one more year's duration.
But blessings for you require new behavior
Embrace these ideas from your patron and savior:

"Become user-friendly this upcoming year.
Redraw sales agreements to eliminate fear.
Extend your hours to accommodate buyers.
Accurate prices in each of your flyers.

“Driving directions, each and every ad,
Be more co-op friendly; make Realtors glad.
"Sales assets to ask all the customers' names,
Not spending such time on Internet games.
“The sales environment is to be clean and green.
Not a single Kindle should ever be seen.
Models to be so comfy and bright;
Not a cobweb is seen, try as you might.

"Construction crews to clean as they go.
Music volume, if any, should be kept on low.
No dogs or ex-spouses to disrupt the pace.
At every chance, put on your best face.

“The streets to be swept as if someone cares –
Prospects will notice. See how it fares.
As for drinking on site, there can be no excuse:
No sauce for the gander, no sauce for the goose.

“A place for everything, everything in its place
Show a little more leadership and even more grace.
There is no right way to do wrong things.
Sensitivity counts, whether commoners or kings.

"Upgrade all your training, and not just your specs.
Inspect what you expect, then speed up those checks.
Each one of the team has an identified mentor.
Professionalized staff in each design center.

“The goal of the crew is to go extra miles
Measured in currency of customer smiles.
Too often your focus is to tasks, not the goal,
Taking parts of the picture and not of the whole.

“A buyer's sole wish is family refuge at home
Not reading page 80 of your boilerplate tome.
Remember it always, they just want to OWN.
Easing the process is the builders' job alone."

Dude was chubby and plump - a reassuring vision
And they listened intently as they made their decision.
With knowing smile and a twist of his head
Dude let them know they had nothing to dread.

They were happy to learn they had not far to go
And the irony was: they had been their own foe.
No single Saintly suggestion was beyond their scope,
And with St. Dude's help, they renewed their hope.
Homebuilding should be so honored a choice,
At yearend reflection, we're glad of Dude's voice.
He reminds that to make others' lives better
Takes so little extra to be the trendsetter.

Saint Dude then sprang to his feet and opined:
"If you honor that promise, no need to remind
Of the rewards financial, and buyer satisfaction
Of stockholder, lender, and vendor reaction.

“You will become the employer to choose
Of the best of talent who still pay their dues.
I will always be here, ready to lend a hand
To help you achieve the performance you planned.

“As your Patron Saint all that I ask
Is one hundred percent toward next year's task.
Give the customer quality… and not attitudes;
Give your partners respect …and not platitudes.

"Put yourself always in the shoes of the others,
Try to say yes, when given your druthers.
Participate in more industry groups
To prevent even more government hoops.
Choices of shelter should be a citizen's right
Not subject to costly, political fight."

Saint Dude then prepared to say his good byes
He secured his halo and ascended the skies
His visit had been timely, his message compelling
Of designing, and staffing, and building, and selling.

And they heard him exclaim as he rose in his contrails
“Seasons greetings, dream builders, and to all more ‘good sales!’”

HARD Dec., 2009

HARDminute Factoid #61 Failing with Dignity

2009-11-12T15:47:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 61

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

The TOP TEN

Ways to Fail a Test with Dignity

My own classes will be done by month end and I don’t teach any more till Spring Semester. These sorts of answers indicate that we can find humor almost anywhere, even in a classroom of adults. Thanks to my friend Patrick Moore in Tucson for sending these.

HOWEVER, he only provided me with 9 ways.

If you have another dignified way to fail with dignity, please send to me and I may be able to “top up” the list to give a true TOP TEN.

HARDminute factoid #60 Olympic conversion chart

2009-11-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 60
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
The TOP TEN
Official Olympic
Temperature Conversion Chart

In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, American visitors…and TV viewers…should start now to become familiar with Canadian temperatures, which are measured in degrees Centigrade (or Celsius.)

You can reduce this quick reference guide to a business card size by using the appropriate Avery application.

Canadian officials recommend keeping one copy in your wallet, one near your TV remote, and one in your car when tuning in to CBC Satellite Radio, Sirius 137.

1. 75˚ Fahrenheit (24˚ C)
Phoenicians sing John Lennon’s “So this is Christmas”
Canadians sing Elvis Costello’s “This is Hell”

2. 50° Fahrenheit (10° C)

Californians shiver uncontrollably.

Canadians plant gardens.

3. 35° Fahrenheit (1.6° C)

Italian Cars won't start

Canadians drive with the windows down

4. 32° Fahrenheit (0° C)

American water freezes

Canadian water gets thicker.

5. 0° Fahrenheit (-17.9° C)

New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.

Canadians have the last cookout of the season.

6. Minus 60° Fahrenheit (-51° C)

Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.

Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.

7. Minus 109.9° Fahrenheit (-78.5° C)

Carbon dioxide freezes makes dry ice.

Canadians pull down their earflaps.

8. Minus 173° Fahrenheit (-114° C)

Ethyl alcohol freezes.

Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg

9. Minus 459.67° Fahrenheit (-273.15° C)

Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops.

Canadians start saying "Cold, eh?"

10. Minus 500° Fahrenheit (-295° C)

Hell freezes over.

Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!

HARDminute factoid 59 BEER

2009-11-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 55
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
PRODUCERS / CONSUMERS
OF BEER

Country
Millions of hectoliters
1 China
393
2 USA
234
3 Russia
116
4 Germany
105
5 Brazil
96
6 Mexico
81
7 Japan
63
8 United Kingdom
51
9 Poland
36
10 Spain
34

Top ten countries per capita consumption
Country
liters per capita
1 Czech Republic
159
2 Germany
111
3 Austria
108
4 Venezuela
101
5 Poland
93
6 Romania
92
7 United Kingdom
88
8 Belgium
86
9 Australia
85
10 Spain
84

The USA is number 11 at 83 liter per capita
The top 5 largest “brewing groups” in the world (end 2008) make half of the world’s beer!
The World's Top 5 Brewing Groups

Brewing Group
Corporate HQ
Millions Hectoliter
% World Production
1 AB Inbev (1)
Belgium
388.1
21.4%
2 SAB Miller
United Kingdom
174.4
9.6%
3 Heineken
Netherlands
161.5
8.9%
4 Carlsberg
Denmark
109.3
6.0%
5 China Resource Brewery
China
73
4.0%
(1) Anheuser-Busch Inbev(2) South African Breweries Miller (does not include joint venture data with Molson-Coors)

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid # 58 BANANAS

2009-11-12T15:35:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 58
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
BANANA PRODUCERS & EXPORTERS

Top Banana Producing Nations

India ... 16.8 million metric tonnes
Brazil ... 6.7
China ... 6.4
Ecuador ... 5.9
Philippines ... 5.8
Indonesia ... 4.5
Costa Rica ... 2
Mexico & Thailand ... 2.0 each
10 Colombia & Burundi ... 1.6 each

From 10% to 15% of global banana crops are exported.

Top Banana Exporting Nations
Ecuador ... 4.7 million metric tonnes (+2.6% from 2004)
Philippines ... 1.9 (+6.0%)
Costa Rica ... 1.6 (-11.1%)
Colombia ... 1.5 (+7.4%)
Guatemala ... 1.1 (+6.7%)
Honduras ... 0.51 (-3.8%)
Panama ... 0.36 (-10%)
Cameroon ... 0.26 (-12.7%)
Brazil ... 0.21 (+12.7%)
Cote d'Ivoire ... 0.21 (-7.9%)

Four countries (Ecuador, Philippines, Costa Rica and Colombia) generate almost three-quarters of world banana exports.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Ecuador alone exports more than one-third of international banana exports.
The dominant banana importers are European countries (29.2%), U.S. (27.5%), Japan (8.2%), Russia (7.9%) and Canada (3.5%).
Read more: http://internationaltrade.suite101.com/article.cfm/top_ten_banana_countries#ixzz0SSX3TH2D

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid #57 COAL

2009-11-12T15:33:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 57
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
PROVEN COAL RESERVES

If we can just get to more clean coal uses!!

Country
Bituminous & anthracite
SubBituminous & lignite
TOTAL
Share
USA
111,338
135,305
246,643
27.1
Russia
49,088
107,922
157,010
17.3
China
62,200
52,300
114,500
12.6
India
90,085
2,360
92,445
10.2
Australia
38,600
39,900
78,500
8.6
South Africa
48,750
0
48,750
5.4
Ukraine
16,274
17,879
34,153
3.8
Kazakhstan
28,151
3,128
31,279
3.4
Poland
14,000
0
14,000
1.5
Brazil
0
10,113
10,113
1.1
Germany
183
6,556
6,739
0.7
Colombia
6,230
381
6,611
0.7
Canada
3,471
3,107
6,578
0.7

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HARD

HARDminute factoid #56 Newspapers

2009-11-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 56
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
US Newspapers by Circulation*

USA Today Circulation: 2,281,831
Wall Street Journal Circulation: 2,070,498
New York Times Circulation: 1,121,623
Los Angeles Times Circulation: 907,997
Washington Post Circulation: 740,947
New York Daily News Circulation: 708,773
Chicago Tribune Circulation: 643,086
New York Post Circulation: 565,679
Long Island Newsday Circulation: 527,744
Houston Chronicle Circulation: 477,493

*Source: Newspapers.com

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid 55 ELectricity

2009-11-12T15:29:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 55
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
PRODUCERS / CONSUMERS

OF ELECTRICITY

PRODUCTION

Rank
Country
Electricity – production kWh
Date of Information
1
World
18,960,000,000,000
2007 est.
2
United States
4,167,000,000,000
2007 est.
3
China
3,256,000,000,000
2007
4
European Union
3,056,000,000,000
2007 est.
5
Japan
1,082,000,000,000
2007 est.
6
Russia
964,200,000,000
2007 est.
7
India
665,300,000,000
2007 est.
8
Canada
612,600,000,000
2007 est.
9
Germany
594,700,000,000
2007 est.
10
France
537,900,000,000
2007 est.

DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION

Rank
Country
Electricity - consumption(kWh)
Date of Information
1
World
16,880,000,000,000
2007 est.
2
United States
3,892,000,000,000
2007 est.
3
China
2,859,000,000,000
2006
4
European Union
2,858,000,000,000
2007 est.
5
Japan
982,500,000,000
2006 est.
6
Russia
819,600,000,000
2006 est.
7
Germany
549,100,000,000
2006 est.
8
Canada
530,000,000,000
2006 est.
9
India
517,200,000,000
2006 est.
10
France
447,300,000,000
2006 est.

Of the top ten countries/regions, only India must be a net importer of power.

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I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid 54 Ice Cream

2009-11-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 54
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
BEN & JERRY’S
ICE CREAM FLAVORS*

Cherry Garcia® Ice Cream
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream
Chunky Monkey® Ice Cream
Chocolate Fudge Brownie™ Ice Cream
Half Baked™ Ice Cream
New York Super Fudge Chunk® Ice Cream
Phish Food® Ice Cream
Coffee Heath Bar Crunch® Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Cup™ Ice Cream
Vanilla Ice Cream

*Source: http://www.americasbestonline.net/index.php/pages/icecreamflavors.html

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HARD

HARDminute Factoid 53 Muslim Population

2009-11-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 53
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
MUSLIM POPULATIONS

Country Muslim Muslim
Population Population
(Source 1) (Source 2)

Indonesia 182,570,000 170,310,000
Pakistan 134,480,000 136,000,000
India 121,000,000 103,000,000
Bangladesh 114,080,000 106,050,000
Turkey 65,510,000 62,410,000
Iran 62,430,000 60,790,000
Egypt 58,630,000 53,730,000
Nigeria 53,000,000 47,720,000
Algeria 30,530,000
Morocco 28,780,000
China 37,108,000

Of these, only Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco are Arab countries. Despite widespread belief to the contrary, only 15-18% (about 195,000,000) of Muslims are Arab.

Sources
1. http://www.godweb.org/whatisislam.htm
2. www.globalsecurity.org/military/intro/islam.htm

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HARD

HARDminute factoid 52 Languages

2009-11-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 52
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
WORLD’S MOST-SPOKEN
LANGUAGES

Mandarin Chinese 13.22%
Spanish 4.88%
English 4.68%
Arabic 3.12%
Hindi 2.74%
Portuguese 2.69%
Bengali 2.59%
Russian 2.20%
Japanese 1.85%
Standard German 1.44%

note: percents are for "first language" speakers only
Source: www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html
2005 figures

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I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid 51A Blood

2009-11-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

HARDminute # 51A
Some factoid / some opinion

GIVE LIFE
Twenty-five Facts about Giving Blood

Several months ago, I learned that a friend and colleague had fought off cancer, very quickly as it turns out. But he had needed aggressive care and lots of platelets or plasma. I don’t know the difference.

I do know that he was recovered and looked great, and that I was thankful.

I left his office and committed to giving platelets or plasma. (I don’t know the difference.)

I had always given blood fairly regularly, but always blanched when I looked to the platelets and plasma (I don’t know the difference.) area of the blood bank. Some people were wrapped in blankets. I thought it must hurt!!!

But I had decided.

I am embarrassed (NOT what I like to admit!!!!!!) that giving P or P was even less of an event than giving blood. What a wuss I had been for years. The needle stick even seemed less noticeable. I’m not sure but it seems like the needle is even shorter than for whole blood. It is absolutely smaller than what is used to draw blood for cholesterol, or diabetes, or all those check ups!! And, while I occasionally would be light headed (Please don’t even bother with the remark…I have heard similar ones for years.) giving whole blood, there was absolutely no reaction at all to P or P.

Apparently some people get tingly lips. (Please don’t even bother with the remark…I have heard similar ones for years.) Tums solves that. Some get cold. They get blankets. That’s IT!!

The ONLY down side is that it takes longer, between and hour and two hours. But I watch a movie in a very comfortable lounge chair. Every two weeks, since that time months I left Lewis’ (not his total real name) office, I have given platelets or plasma. The Red Cross people know which I can give at what intervals.

They take out some liquid, sift out some stuff and return the fluids. It’s miraculous and it’s also a complete non-event.

This is the only way we can help premature babies, burn victims and cancer patients.

I wish “Lewis” had never gotten cancer, but I am glad he is better. It was scary for friends and colleagues, so how bad was it for him and his family? And, it has given me the opportunity…the reminder…to be a better person by donating one of the things that others had donated to save my friend’s life. My wonderful wife says there was lots of room for that improvement.

If you have A+ blood, PLEASE consider giving plasma and platelets. ONLY your blood type is useable for this. PLEASE.

If you have a different blood type, please consider giving whole blood.

In keeping with my TOP TEN format, here are the Top Twenty-Five Facts about giving blood.

Three teaspoons of blood can save a baby's life
One donation has the potential to save as many as three lives
Whole blood donors can give every eight weeks
Today, fewer than four of every ten people in the U.S. are eligible to give blood. Fewer than one in ten actually donate
Approximately one out of every seven people entering the hospital needs blood
Plasma donors can give as often as every three days
Blood lasts only 42 days; platelets last only five days
Approximately 40,000 pints of blood are used each day in the United States
Patients with cancer require blood more frequently than other patients. Patients
with heart conditions are second most likely to require blood.
You must be at least 16 years old (donors who are 16 years old must have
written parental consent) and weigh 110 pounds or more to donate.
Each time you donate, you will receive a mini-physical to check your pulse,
temperature, blood pressure and iron level. Your donated blood will undergo ten tests for infectious diseases.
Your donated blood will be separated into three components – red cells, plasma
and platelets – that can help as many as three patients.
Low iron does not permanently disqualify a donor from giving blood. Iron levels
can be quickly increased by adding iron-rich foods and/or iron supplements.
Donors must wait 24 hours after taking their last dose of an oral antibiotic.
(There are some exceptions to this, however.)
You donate only a small portion of your body's blood supply. The average adult’s body contains about 10 to 12 pints of blood. Within 24 hours, your blood volume is restored.
Manufactured in the bone marrow, red blood cells are continuously being produced and broken down. They live for approximately 120 days in the circulatory system and are eventually removed by the spleen.
Platelets are made in the bone marrow and survive in the circulatory system for an average of 9-10 days before being removed from the body by the spleen.
Plasma is the liquid portion of the blood--a protein-salt solution in which red and white blood cells and platelets are suspended.
Blood transports nutrients and defensive anti-bodies, cells, and clotting factors; red blood cells deliver or release oxygen.
One donation can be separated into components and used to treat several patients. Some uses for blood components through transfusion therapy follow:
Packed red cells are prescribed for anemic patients.
Platelet concentrates control bleeding in leukemic patients.
Plasma from many donors is pooled to make derivatives such as antihemophilic factor, albumin for the treatment of shock, and gamma globulin which may prevent or make less severe certain diseases.
Cryoprecipitate is administered to patients with hemophilia A.
Blood groups are inherited. In our population the following percentages are found for ABO and Rh blood groups:
i. 38% will have group O positive blood.
ii. 7% will have group O negative blood.
iii. 34% will have group A positive blood.
iv. 6% will have group A negative blood.
v. 9% will have group B positive blood.
vi. 2% will have group B negative blood.
vii. 3% will have group AB positive blood.
viii. 1% will have group AB negative blood.
(The actual percentages of blood types may vary from one region to the next. These figures reflect the average of seven Red Cross blood services regions.)

PLEASE consider giving whole blood, or if you are type A+, consider platelets and plasma.

If you are in SOCAL and want me to go with you for the first time, just let me know.

HARDminute factoid 51 Christian populations

2009-11-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 51

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

WORLD’s Top Ten Christian Populations

By Country

USA 252,394,312
Brazil 166,847,207
China 110, 956,366
Mexico 102,956,366
Russia 84,494,596
Philippines 73,987,348
India 68,189,739
Germany 61,833,042
Nigeria 61,437,608
Dem. Rep. Congo 53,370,662
World total 2,135,784,198

Source: World Christian Database

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid #50: largest religions

2009-08-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute Factoid # 50
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

WORLD’S TOP TEN
RELIGIONS

As % of population
1. Christian 33.32
2. Muslim 21.01
3. Hindu 13.26
4. Buddhist 5.84
5. Sikh 0.35
6. Jew 0.23
7. Baha’i 0.12
8. Other 11.78
9. Non-religious 11.77
10. Atheist 2.32

Source: www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xx.html
2007 figures

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HARD

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HARDminute factoid #49: Nurses

2009-08-20T14:43:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 49

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

TOP TEN COUNTRIES

Medical Nurses per 1000 Population

1. Finland 14.7
2. Ireland 14
3. Netherlands 13.4
4. Switzerland 10.7
4. Australia 10.7
6. Norway 10.3
7. Canada 9.9
8. Germany (tie) 9.6
8. New Zealand (tie) 9.6
10. Italy 9.5

Comparisons

12. UK 8.8
14. USA 8.1
Source: http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_nur-health-nurses

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid #48: Doctors per capita

2009-08-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 48

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

TOP TEN COUNTRIES

Medical Doctors

per 1000 Population

Greece 5.4
Belgium 4.0
Netherlands 3.9
Norway 3.9
Switzerland 3.9
Austria 3.8
Iceland 3.7
Italy 3.7
Spain 3.7
Sweden 3.6

Comparisons
16. OECD 3.1
23. UK 2.5
24. USA 2.4
27. Canada 2.2

Source: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/51/30/43220089.xls
3. Netherlands includes all physicians ENTITLED TO PRACTICE, not just those actually practicing
9. Spain includes dentists (and stomotologists)

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #47: Literate Cities

2009-08-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 47

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

TOP TEN

MOST LITERATE CITIES

IN AMERICA

Jack Miller, President of Connecticut State University compiles an annual list of America’s most literate cities. He uses as touchstones, local newspaper and magazine circulation, library data, online news readership, book purchases and resources, and educational attainment.

According to Live Science, Contrary to popular wisdom, Internet use correlates with reading words printed on paper, Miller found. Cities ranked highly for having better-used libraries also have more booksellers; cities with more booksellers also have a higher proportion of people buying books online; and cities with newspapers with high per capita circulation rates also have a high proportion of people reading newspapers online. "A literate society tends to practice many forms of literacy not just one or another," Miller said.

1. Minneapolis (tied for 1st)
1. Seattle (tied for 1st)
3. Washington, D.C.
4. St. Paul, Minn.
5. San Francisco
6. Atlanta
7. Denver
8. Boston
9. St. Louis
10. Cincinnati (tied for 10th)
10. Portland, Ore. (tied for 10th)

Remember that all the Top Tens…and other ideas…are archived at my blog: www.theHARDintelligence.blogspot.com

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 46: Expensive car wrecks

2009-08-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 46

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

TOP TEN

MOST EXPENSIVE CAR CRASHES

A friend and colleague, Scott McLeod at The Ankenbrandt Group, passed this on to me. OUCH!

If you are interested in seeing the pictures, e-mail me. HARD@HARDintelligence.com

Top Ten Single Car Crashes in the World in order of Loss

#10. Bugatti EB110 - $500,000

You know these are expensive crashes when a $500,000 super-exotic barely makes it to #10 on the list. This 1992 Bugatti EB110 was being driven by a mechanic as part of its annual checkup. He claims there was an oil slick on the road which caused him to lose control and crash into a pole. The owner of the Bugatti is a famous "feel good" guru named Emile Ratelband. Not sure how good he was feeling after this wreck.

#9. Pagani Zonda C12 S - $650,000

Only 15 Zonda C12 S were ever built but that didn't stop this owner from driving it like a bat out of hell. He crashed this beauty in the wee morning hours while driving in Hong Kong .

#8. Mercedes Benz SL 300 - $750,000

The SL 300 "Gullwing" represents the very finest of Mercedes. It is THE classic car. Unfortunately, there's been more than one crash involving this masterpiece. You're looking at a car that was once worth nearly a million dollars. The owner thought it would be a good idea to race it on the streets of Mexico . No, not a street race, but the annual "La Carrera Panamericana" race which is limited to classic cars produced before 1965.

#7. Jaguar XJ220 - $1 Million
Here we have our first million dollar crash (and we're only #7 on the list). The XJ220 once held the record for highest top speed for a production car (217 mph).

#6. McLaren F1 - $1.25 Million

The McLaren F1 took over the Jaguar XJ220 not only in price, but also highest top speed at 231 mph. (broken only in 2005). There were only 107 ever produced, and several destroyed. Including this one driven by Rowan Atkinson, the popular actor who plays "Mr. Bean". Atkinson has the unfortunate history of crashing multiple exotic cars, including an Aston Martin.

#5. Ferrari Enzo - $1.3 Million

The Ferrari Enzo sure seems to attract a lot of crashes. This is surprising considering the price tag. You would think the owners would be more careful, but we've documented at least 14 crashes involving the Enzo. That's nearly $20 million worth of crashes! The most famous was the Malibu crash of 2005, when the driver, "Fat Steven" Eriksson crashed the car at 196 mph. Below is the result.

#4. Bugatti Veyron - $1.6 Million

The Bugatti Veyron is the most expensive production car in history. And unbelievably, it didn't even make the top three on this list. Only 300 are expected to be produced and already two have crashed. Below is the first one. The driver thought it was okay to speed at 100 mph in the rain. He only had the car for one week.

#3. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT TDF - $1.65 Million

Now we start getting into the extremely rare classic cars. The owners who are willing to take these machines on the road are just plain crazy. The ones that take them on the track are even crazier. This 1959 Ferrari 250 GT "Tour de France" crashed into a wall at the Shell Ferrari-Maserati Historic Challenge back in 2003.

#2. Ferrari 250 GT Spyder - $10 Million

Just when you thought it couldn't get much more expensive, the damage has been multiplied. The record price for a 1961 250 GT California Spyder at auction was set on May 18, 2008 when a black one was sold for $10,894,900. So what is one doing buried in the sand? The unlucky owner had it stored near the beach when a Hurricane hit.

#1. Ferrari 250 GTO - $28.5 Million

We now present you with the most expensive car crash ever. Touted as the Ferrari that most successfully embodies the traits of the marque, the 1962-64 Ferrari 250 GTO became the most valuable car in the world. In 2008 an anonymous English buyer bought a 250 GTO at auction for a record $28,500,000. The crash below represents a car worth more than the combined value of all 14 Enzos involved in accidents. It is simply unbelievable that an owner would even dare take this car on the road.

After a track event involving historic cars, the owner of this rare beast rammed into the back of another car after traffic slowed down.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #45 happy countries

2009-07-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 45
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
Happiest Places on Earth

Forbes.com rates countries on a happiness scale. The scale takes into account people’s satisfaction with their present life, “predicted satisfaction with future life” (I think this is while on earth!) the gross domestic product per capita and the unemployment rate. While this is a subjective combination of factors, it is based on totally objective data. The first two items are from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the third is from the International Monetary Fund, and the unemployment stats come from the CIA World Factbook.

Denmark
Finland
Netherlands
Sweden
Ireland
Canada
Switzerland
New Zealand
Norway
Belgium

See the story at
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/05/world-happiest-places-lifestyle-travel-world-happiest_slide_2.html?thisspeed=25000.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you. I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid #44: Expensive parking!

2009-07-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 44
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
Most Expensive Parking

Colliers International conducts an annual survey of parking costs. Below are the top ten monthly costs as of last week’s release. Figures are expressed in US dollars.

London, The City $1167
London, West End $1136
Sydney, Australia $775
Hong Kong $742
Perth, Australia $610
Midtown Manhattan $585
Stockholm, Sweden $509
New York, downtown $462
Boston $460
Calgary, Canada $364

*See entire article at:
http://www.colliers.com/Markets/AsiaPacific/News/Global-carparking
Please let me know if this is of interest to you. I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid #43: Birthrates

2009-07-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 43
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
Top 10 Countries’ Birthrates*

India: 24,073,392
China: 17,778,908
Nigeria: 5,428,253
Indonesia: 4,960,256
Pakistan; 4,919,004
Bangladesh: 4,417,163
USA: 4,264,142
Brazil: 3,097,174
Ethiopia: 2,860,779
Congo: 2,798,765

(source: US Census Bureau, International Data Base 2007 est.)

Birthrates do not necessarily translate into long term population growth. “Permanent” population growth is also affected by overall health, life expectancy, etc. The above figures are for live births only. However, there are some results that demographers can already see.

India is now forecast to surpass China in total population by 2030, five years earlier than previously thought.

India’s population is slated to rise by almost 350 million over the next quarter century, twice as fast as the United States, Western Europe and China combined.

China’s population is currently larger than India’s by 182 million, (1,133,900,000 vs. 1,157,000,000) but by 2050 India’s population is expected to exceed China’s by 200,000,000.

India’s urban population is projected to rise from 29 percent of total population in 2005 to 41 percent by 2030.

And, just to put things in perspective, the India mobile subscriber base is set to exceed 737 million connections by 2012.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you. I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid #42 CANADA

2009-07-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

July 1 was Canada Day. To honour (!) the country of my birth, here are a few interesting items about Canada.

1. Canada (The name "Canada" comes from the Huron and Iroquois word "Kanata" meaning "village".) is the second largest country in the world and became independent on July 1, 1867 (Confederation Day)
2. Canada stretches across 6 time zones and borders three oceans (Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic), thus having the world’s longest coastline.
3. Covering nearly half its land mass, Canada’s forests represent about 10% of the world’s forests.
4. One quarter of the world’s fresh water is in Canada.
5. Canada is the world's leader in the production of potash and uranium, and is the third largest diamond producing nation on earth.
6. The Trans-Canada Highway, running from St. John’s Newfoundland to Victoria, British Columbia, is the longest national highway in the world at 7604 KM long.
7. Canada is America’s largest trading partner (both in imports and exports) and its largest export to the US is petroleum products…over 2,300,000 barrels per DAY…but US soybean imports from Canada were up 152% from 2007 to 2008.
8. Canadian life expectancy at birth is 80.34 years (#14 in the world) while US is 78.06 years (and #45.)
9. Canadians have invented many staples of everyday life: the candy bar, the gas mask, SONAR, IMAX, basketball, garbage bags, peanut butter, and the snow plow. I understand why the last one.
10. In 2007, Research in Motion, developer of the Blackberry, passed the Royal Bank of Canada as the largest company in Canada.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you. I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid #41:Longest road tunnels

2009-07-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 41
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
Top 10 Longest Road Tunnels

Location, tunnel / yr. completed / length in KM

Laerdal, Norway / 2000 / 24.51
Zhongnanshan, China / 2007 / 18.04
St. Gotthard, Switzerland / 1980 / 16.918
Arlberg, Austria / 1978 / 13.972
Hseuhshan, Taiwan / 2005 / 12.9
Fréjus, France-Italy / 1980 / 12.895
Mont-Blanc, France-Italy / 1965 / 11.611
Gudvangen, Norway / 1991 / 11.428
Folgefonn, Norway / 2001 / 11.1
Kan-Etsu, Japan / 1990 / 11.01

Please let me know if this is of interest to you. I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute Factoid #40:Most Ppular US Cties

2009-07-23T16:23:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 40
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
Top 10 Most Popular Big U.S. Cities

Pew Research Center ranked cities by the by the % of respondents who say they'd want to live in this city or its surrounding metropolitan area:

43% Denver CO
40% San Diego
38% Seattle WA
34% Orlando FL
34% Tampa FL
34% San Francisco CA
33% Phoenix AZ
31% Portland OR
29% Sacramento CA
29% San Antonio CA

Please let me know if this is of interest to you. I welcome your feedback!
HARD

A Sales Messiah

2009-07-21T09:39:00.000-07:00

“The Home Front” is a newsletter mostly for new home sales & marketing professionals. Mary LeBlanc, a trusted advisor and consultant of many years, operates a mystery shopping business among other tools for builders. I often give Mary some original opinion pieces in hopes that they can add value for her clients. The latest edition of The Home Front came out today. I hope you enjoy ALL the articles. Maybe mine has some value for all…not only new home marketeers. 7/21/09.

Hyperlink follows.

http://www.mleblanc.com/homefront.html

HARDminute factoid 39: TYPOS of TRUTH

2009-06-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

TYPOS OF TRUTH

I suspect I will never know.

Were the authors thinking of two things at once? Did they just hit the wrong key? Or were they consciously making a statement?

This collection is what I call TYPOS OF TRUTH, since there could be a message to the “misclue.”

1. Bruce Springsheen: It IS hard work for anyone, but consider the Boss’ age!
2. Califormula:
(a) Guaranteed method to squander the purportedly-limitless resources of the area formerly known as Golden State;
(b) having unlimited budget…then exceeding it.
3. Collateralized Death Obligations: Unregulated financial derivatives.
4. Credit Default Swamps: Enough said.
5. City Hell: Where they employ people who failed the personality test at DMV?
6. Lotigation: There are far too many lawsuits.
7. Pepto Bizmal: needed to solve work-related heartburn. Or gas.
8. Science friction: Well, sure. It’s always uncomfortable to try refuting FACTS.
9. St. Lousi: Probably a comment on the Cardinals.
But no good can possibly come from my comments. I’ll refrain.
10. Stupuvrerision: I cannot tell from this comment on Facebook.
Was it STUPIDvision, STUPORvision or something else?
The context was:
All ladies’ shoe shopping s/b UNstupervized.

Both are appropriate connotations.

BONUS “Typo of Truth:”

11. White Knife: Purported savior of auto manufacturers. Must cut out unproductive activities, plants, brands and models. People, too.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute #38 Worst air pollution, US cities

2009-06-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
MOST POLLUTED
US CITIES

The American Lung Association ranks 25 of America’s worst polluted cities. It measures the total metropolitan population, pediatric asthma, adult asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. It breaks down the pollution into ozone levels and particulate in the air…year round and intermittent. For the full story on Forbes.com see: http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/28/pollution-ozone-air-lifestyle-health-ozone-pollution.html. Take a deep breath and here are the results for 2009.

Ozone / Year-Round Particulates

1. Los Angeles / Long Beach CA / Bakersfield CA
2. Bakersfield CA / Pittsburgh PA
3. Visalia CA / Los Angeles / Long Beach CA
4. Fresno CA / Visalia CA
5. Houston TX / Birmingham AL
6. Sacramento CA / Hanford CA
7. Dallas TX / Fresno CA
8. Charlotte NC / Cincinnati OH
9. Phoenix AZ / Detroit MI
10. El Centro CA / Cleveland OH

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 37, Best High Schools

2009-06-03T16:46:00.000-07:00

A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
TOP TEN
Best High Schools in America

As we come to the end of year in most high schools, maybe we can consider how well students are served. US News and World Report recently looked at more than 21,000 public high schools in 48 states. The following are the 10 schools that performed the best in their three-step America’s Best High Schools analysis. For the full story, go to:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/highschools/2008/12/04/best-high-schools-gold-medal-list.htm

School & location / Quality-adjusted Exams taken per Test-taker / College Readiness %

Thos Jefferson HS for Science & Technology, Alexandria VA / 6.8 / 100

Oxford Academy, Cypress CA / 4.4/ 99.5

Pacific Collegiate Charter, Santa Cruz CA / 4.1 / 98.8

High Technology High School, Lincroft NJ / 3.1 / 98.4

Design & Architectural Senior High / Miami FL / 2.7 / 97.8

International Academy Bloomfield Hill MI / 5.9 / 97.8

Int’l Baccalaureate School @ BHS, Bartow FL / 5.3 / 97.5

Preuss School @ UCSD, La Jolla CA / 1.9 / 97.1

Academic Magnet HS, NO Charleston SC / 4.0 / 95.5

Gretchen Whitney High, Cerritos CA / 4.1 / 94.4

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute 36 Arizona in July

2009-06-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

TOP TEN Signs
it is
July in Arizona*

1. The trees are whistling for the dogs.
2. You actually burn your hand opening the car door, then learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
3. You discover that it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car, but you discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
4. You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
5. Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
6. You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
7. The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
8. Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
9. The cows are giving evaporated milk.
10. The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.

*With apologies to the many friends I still have in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff…

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 35

2009-06-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

My Top Ten Favorite
Steven Wright Sayings

If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the famous erudite scientist who once said: "I woke up one morning, and all of my stuff had been stolen and replaced by exact duplicates." His mind sees things differently than most of us do, to our amazement and amusement. Thanks to my dear friend, Mike Hixson at CADO Real Estate Services for these. I have 24 more and will be happy to send them to you. Just post a reply with the e-mail address to use. Here are my ten favorites of his gems:

1. I'd kill for a Nobel Peace Prize.
2. All those who believe in psycho kinetics, raise my hand.
3. I almost had a psychic girlfriend...

but she left me before we met.
4. How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
5. I intend to live forever.... so far, so good.
6. What happens if you get scared half to death…twice?
7. My mechanic told me, "I couldn't repair your brakes,

so I made your horn louder."
8. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?
9. The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.
10.Everyone has a photographic memory; some just don't have film.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

Ah'm Just Wonderin'.....School Ideas

2009-06-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

One of my brothers, and the wife of another, are both public school teachers. I am a part time professor at a public university. News reports are full of complaints regarding sources of funds…and then allocation thereof for public education. No one seems to be happy. There may be some solutions that we either can’t see or don’t want to embrace. At least for secondary schools can we afford to be so blind…or so intractable?

It makes me wonder.

What do they do with school buses between dropping the kids off in the morning and picking them up later in the day? Ah’m just wonderin’.

Can the buses be used for anything else in those intervals? Ah’m just wonderin’.

How about the drivers? Do they have a half shift, a split-shift or is it two full shifts? Just wonderin’.

Can THEY be used more, better, more efficiently? Again, ah’m just wonderin’.

We have some schools operating year round to better use their physical resources. Is there any value to having some classes start later in the day, ending later in the day and better matching schedules of the parents? With more parents on more non-traditional work shifts and with many people wanting to amass as much work time as possible, is there a social benefit to having the kids start daily classes at a later time when more parents can pick them up afterwards? Ah’m just wonderin’.

While we await a shakeout of property uses, and “moving through” of various demographic bubbles, does it make sense to lease abandoned car lots and install portables to bring some schools closer to some kids? Districts are closing some schools trying to dispose of some sites due to population shifts. In other areas, kids travel pretty far to get to school. SD’s are good tenants; they can establish portables quickly and remove them after a few years. Maybe that’s time enough to help the SD’s and await improvements in the property market that allow owners of car lots to find a permanent use. Ah’m just wonderin’.

Private schools name facilities after benefactors of the school. So do Universities. Cynics can call this “selling naming rights,” but so what? Would it work to sell naming rights to school labs, classroom wings, or playgrounds at public schools? Or is that too “commercial?” Do we think our kids don’t see commercial messages online, on the road, on the bus and even on their shoes, T-shirts, and backpacks? Do we need to protect them from this? If American Airlines wanted to sponsor a classroom wing, is there value to taking their money? If Nike outbid Puma for naming rights for the track, is that a bad thing? Or did we just find a new source of school revenue and I missed the memo? Only wonderin’.

At some churches, some individuals underwrite the cost of prayer books. Is it so bad to find a similar source for school books and allow an imprint or foil, with the name of the benefactor, on the fly leaf page…and even on the exposed sides of the pages? Ah’m just wonderin’.

I keep hearing we should protect kids from the commercial world. What? So they don’t confuse it with the real world??? Shouldn’t we teach kids that commerce is part (not all) of the real world? If we don’t, is that protection…or just procrastination? Isn’t compromise and sacrifice part of the real world? And should we first compromise their education, or maybe our own entrenched positions? Ah’m just wonderin’.

And, by the way, when they try to sell advertising in their annual yearbooks, what is that? Ah’m just wonderin’.

Since this is only wonderin’ I also wonder if any of these make any sense at all.

Jus’ wonderin’.

And wonderin’ if you have any feedback.

HARD

2009-05-18T11:18:00.001-07:00

TOOLS of the trade

2009-05-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Had a chance to address the building industry in the Palm Springs area last week. They always show such a great spirit but the session made me think a bit deeper.

My presentation was about 15 real strategies to power thru this market and beyond 2009. I hope everyone got value from the session.

Of course, we talked about social networking as a tool for a couple of the strategies. Some builders fear the idea. But some fear only the ability to control the message.

My point has always been that, as builders, we don’t control our message as it is. Who knows what people say (NOT just our salespeople, but let’s focus on them) now? What goes into the e-mails we send to prospects, to buyers and to brokers? What control do we have of the remarks made in our sales offices, design studios, mortgage companies? What was said in the follow up cards and letters. What was in the notes we put on the brochures and maps and price lists? In fact, what about the messages given out about us by our team at house parties, baseball games and at other social events? While shopping, or meeting the kids’ teachers, or at church?

The very top tier of exec’s at Lennar are known for wearing their company name badges almost everywhere. There are several good messages there, but one of them has to be that they are brand ambassadors almost everywhere they go. Almost anything they do or say reflects on Lennar.

How many of us would be prepared to take that approach?

But, regarding social networking and controlling the messages there, it’s a matter of training, focus, give-a-damn, and awareness of the brand.

I advise builders and our consultants to train the team what to say, (…the approach, not the actual words…social networking must be authentic. To be authentic, it must be the words of the one posting them!), when to say it, to whom, etc. If we cannot trust people to carry our message online, can we trust them when they are in line…at Starbucks, or on the road, or at the supermarket?

Our customers use these tools, so we must. There simply is no option.

BUT…

I understand the fear of many builders and even others.

When I see the postings of SOME very bright, responsible professionals, I often think “TMI” too much information. Is it appropriate to show every Facebook friend that you hate your job, that you express your political views with a series of rants highlighted with language that would embarrass many of our onsite construction teams? We would fire a framer if such language were heard by prospects. But then we see posted comments for thousands…actually millions…by some of the same professionals on whom we rely to carry our message!! They may be staff or consultants, but what they say reflects on more of us than only the posting party.

And while I confess to reading the posts, and I feel a bit voyeuristic, I wonder about the judgment of those who are compelled to share some of their most intimate activities and private (!!!) thoughts online.

If I am considering a hire or a business relationship, I try to research the people or firms beforehand. Don’t most careful people? And what would I find at Facebook, My Space, Twitter or LinkedIn?

Some people gather up “connections” or “friends”, or “followers” simply to have bragging rights about the number they have. Then they may well provide self-damaging, or others-damaging comments that are impossible to undo once released.

“Drunk dialing” is not the sole province of college students. At least with DD, there is less of an audit trail…other than the memory of others. With social network postings, they have a life of their own…and it is hard to claim we were misquoted.

So…this is an online tool that we MUST use to be more successful. Like the roto-hammers, saws and staple-gun tools we have onsite, they can also be a weapon. Without proper use and training, they can cause damage to ourselves, our colleagues, our employer and even innocent parties.

Abuse is not a reason to avoid the tool…but it may be a reason to avoid the user.

HARD
May 15, 2009

HARDminute factoid 34 Misery

2009-05-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Top Ten Most Miserable
Cities in America

Forbes.com recently released its index of Most Miserable Cities.
They looked at nine criteria:
1. commute times,
2. sales taxes,
3. income taxes,
4. violent crime,
5. Superfund sites,
6. sports teams,
7. weather
8. unemployment
9. corruption

The TOP TEN most miserable cities are:

1. Stockton: 15% college degrees; 15% unemployment. The SAME 15%?? Unsure.
2. Memphis: 9.3% sales tax. FEDEX is largest employer with 30,000.
3. Chicago: 10.3% sales tax. Rumors of corruption!!
4. Cleveland: LeBron is a free agent in July 2010.
5. Modesto: 16.7% unemployed. Highest car theft rate in USA.
6. Flint MI: GM employs 10% of what it did in 1970’s.
7. Detroit MI: Lions go without one win in past season.
8. Buffalo: 90” of snow.
9. Miami: 26% of mortgages in default; crime and corruption.
10. St Louis MO: was in bottom half of all nine categories.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!

HARD

David "HARD" Harding, CMP
HARDintelligence.com
6 Mozzoni Aisle
Irvine CA 92606
tel. 949. 315. 5890
fax. 949. 387. 6328
China: 15017108033
(International, add 01186 first)
www.HARDintelligence.com
HARD@HARDintelligence.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/hardharding

HARDminute Factoid 33, Bridges

2009-05-04T16:07:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 33
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.
Top Ten

World’s Longest

Suspension Bridges

(Bridge / Place, Country / Length m / Length ft.)
1. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge / Kibe-Awaji, Japan / 1991 m / 6529 ft.
2. Xihoumen Bridge / Zhoushan Archipelago, China / 1650 m / 5414 ft.
3. Great Belt Bridge / Halsskov-Sprogo, Denmark / 1624 m / 5328 ft.
4. Runyang Bridge / Yangtze River, China / 1490 m / 4888 ft
5. Humber Bridge / Barton-upon-Humber UK / 1410 m / 4626 ft.
6. Jiangyin Susprension Bridge / Yangtze River, China / 1385 m / 4543 ft.
7. Tsing Ma Bridge / Tsing-Yi Ma Won, HongKong / 1377 m / 4518 ft.
8. Verranzo Narrows Bridge / New York City, USA / 1298 m / 4260 ft.
tie Golden Gate Bridge / San Francisco USA / 1298 m / 4260 ft.
10. Yangluo Bridge / Yangtze River, China / 1280 m / 4200 ft.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.
I welcome your feedback!
HARD

HARDminute factoid #32 Interesting geography OUTSIDE America

2009-05-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 32

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top 10 Geographic

Stats OUTSIDE America

1. The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply. The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon River is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.

2. Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it) Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

3. Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

4. Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village.”

5. Damascus, Syria was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.

5. Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.

6. The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn Island in Polynesia, at just 1.75 sq. miles/4.53 sq. km. But, the actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M.). It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican. It is a sovereign entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.

7. The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C. There is a city called Rome on every continent.

8. Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.

9. In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt, which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years. Technically though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island. There has been no rainfall there for two million years.

10. Spain literally means “the land of rabbits.”

(Thanks to my fishing buddy and bridge partner, John Damgaard in Victoria for these)

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 31. Interesting USA geography

2009-05-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 31

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top 10 Geographic / demographic
Surprise Stats in America

(Thanks to my fishing buddy and bridge partner, John Damgaard in Victoria for these)
1. More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.

2. The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas. It is as deep as 20 Empire State Buildings but only 3 inches wide.

3. Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.

4. The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930's who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple. There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.

5. St. Paul, Minnesota, was originally called Pig's Eye after a man named Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set up the first business there.

6. Los Angeles full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula --and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.

7. There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio; every one is man made.

8. Woodward Avenue in Detroit , Michigan, carries the designation M-1, named so because it was the first paved road anywhere.

9. Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in Canada: 75%

10. The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid #30 Prisoners

2009-05-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 30

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top 10 Countries’

Prison Populations

We already have a pool at the office as to who will respond…and with which names that should be imprisoned. Don’t disappoint me. But, for now, here are the statistics.

Country / Amount of prisoners per 100.000 inhabitants / Total amount
1. USA / 724 / 2,135,901
2. China / 118 / 1,548,498
3. Russia / 518 / 828,900
4. Brazil / 183 / 336,358
5. India / 31 / 322,357
6. Mexico / 191 / 201,931
7. Ukraine / 364 / 170,057
8. Thailand / 264 / 168,264
9. South Africa / 344 / 156, 175
10. Iran / 191 / 135,132

Remember that all the Top Tens…and other ideas…are archived at my blog: www.theHARDintelligence.blogspot.com

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid 29 Top Ten Year-Year home sales

2009-04-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Business Week just released results of fourth quarter sales for last year versus 2007. These are numbers of sales, not prices. However, they do show that the lowered prices have stimulated interest…and several cases of multiple offers.

California has 8 of the top ten, but all are in markets that had risen most quickly, captured many flippers and speculators on the way up, then fallen hardest.

The analysis only used ZIP codes of 10,000 or more households and only one ZIP per metropolitan area.

See the entire article at:
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/106700/Signs-of-Life-From-the-Real-Estate-Market

City & Zip / Increase Q-4 8 vs. Q-4 '07

1. Fairfield CA 94533 / 225%
2. Rialto CA 92376 / 170%
3. Sylmar CA 91342 / 149%
4. Mira Mesa CA 92126 / 119%
5. Cape Coral FL 33914 / 103%
6. Simi Valley CA 93065 / 77%
7. San Jose CA 95123 / 67%
8. Surprise AZ 86379 / 65%
9. Fresno CA 93372 / 61%
10. Elk Grove CA 95624 / 56%

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #28 Polluted Places

2009-04-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 28

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top 10 World’s

Most Polluted Places

1. Sumqayit, Azerbaijan
2. Chernobyl, Ukraine
3. DzerzHinsk, Russia
4. Kabwe, Zambia
5. La Oraya, Peru
6. Linfen, China
7. Norilsk, Russia
8. Sukinda, India
9. Tianying, China
10. Vapi, India

Source: Scientific American

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute #27 TOP TEN All Time recording artists

2009-04-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is not to be confused with top singles, top number of number one hits, etc. Billboard Magazine has separate counts for those. This is from their All Time Hot 100 Artists.

The Billboard Hot 100 chart measures airplay and sales information (and more recently digital downloads).

The Beatles
Madonna
Elton John
Elvis Presley
Stevie Wonder
Mariah Carey
Janet Jackson
Michael Jackson
Whitney Houston
The Rolling Stones

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute #26 Manly Cities

2009-04-09T10:05:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 26

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

TOP TEN

MANLIEST CITIES IN AMERICA

Combos, the cheesy pretzel snack, part of MARS Snackfood US, just released its ranking of the manliness of 50 major metropolitan areas.

They take into account indicators such as the number of professional major league sports teams, popularity of tools and hardware and frequency of monster truck rallies. Other factors include the number of U.S.-made cars, number of sports bars and BBQ restaurants, as well as manly salty snacks consumption.

Breaking a pattern, I will show all 50 and their ranking.

1. Nashville, Tenn.
2. Charlotte, N.C.
3. Oklahoma City, Okla.
4. Cincinnati, Ohio
5. Denver, Colo.
6. St. Louis, Mo.
7. Columbus, Ohio
8. Kansas City, Mo.
9. Indianapolis, Ind.
10. Toledo, Ohio
11. Memphis, Tenn.
12. Richmond, Va.
13. Columbia, S.C.
14. Orlando, Fla.
15. Dayton, Ohio
16. Salt Lake City, Utah
17. Milwaukee, Wis.
18. Minneapolis, Minn.
19. Cleveland, Ohio
20. Detroit, Mich.
21. Jacksonville, Fla.
22. Phoenix, Ariz.
23. Birmingham, Ala.
24. Grand Rapids, Mich.
25. Tampa, Fla.
26. Harrisburg, Pa.
27. New Orleans, La.
28. Las Vegas, Nev.
29. Pittsburgh, Pa.
30. Philadelphia, Pa.
31. Louisville, Ky.
32. Atlanta, Ga.
33. Providence, R.I.
34. Dallas, Texas
35. Buffalo, N.Y.
36. Rochester, N.Y.
37. Baltimore, Md.
38. Boston, Mass.
39. Houston, Texas
40. Seattle, Wash.
41. Sacramento, Calif.
42. Miami, Fla.
43. San Diego, Calif.
44. Oakland, Calif.
45. Washington, District of Columbia
46. Chicago, Ill.
47. Portland, Ore.
48. San Francisco, Calif.
49. Los Angeles, Calif.
50. New York, N.Y.

There is nothing more to say!!

Unless you have a comment….

Remember that all the Top Tens…and other ideas…are archived at my blog: www.theHARDintelligence.blogspot.com

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoids...first 25 postings

2009-03-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

Schedule of

HARDminute Factoids

The First 25

Looking for when we posted which factoid? Here's the schedule to date...as of March 12, 2009 We usually post and release the latest factoids on Thursdays. You can simply scroll back to the posting you want and review.

Have a Top Ten you think may be interesting? Please e-mail me: HARD@HARDintelligence.com

And thanks to Bill Hurme in Seattle and Bob Mirman in Irvine for giving me some material to post!!

1. Brand values
2. Company values
3. Best selling books
4. Number of movie screens
5. TV channels
6. Number of Universities
7. Dangerous mountains
8. Most expensive office space
9. Most expensive retail space
10. Most number of skyscrapers
11. Tallest statues
12. Tallest structures
13. Largest bankruptcies
14. Oil reserves
15. Oil import and exports
16. Expensive case to operate
17. Economical cars to operate
18. Wheat production
19. Longest reigning monarchs
20. Coffee drinking nations
21. Longest rivers
22. Social networks
23. City populations
24. Number of airports
25. Boeing 767

HARDminute factoid #25; the Boeing 767

2009-03-12T11:06:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 25

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top 10 Facts about The Boeing 767

1. The Boeing 767 is the first widebody jet airliner to be stretched twice. The 767-300 is 21 feet longer than the original 767-200; the newer 767-400ER is 21 feet longer than the 767-300.

2. The first Boeing 767, a series 200, entered airline service in September 8, 1982. Since then, Boeing 767s have flown more than 7.5 million flights, and carried more than two billion passengers!

3. It takes approximately 60 gallons of fuel per passenger to get from New York to London on board a 767-400ER. The same volume of gasoline would propel an economy car about half of that distance!

4. The Boeing 767 flies across the Atlantic more frequently than all other jetliners combined.

5. The 767-400ER flight deck instrument panel has 82 percent fewer parts than other 767’s. By using cast parts, the part count was reduced to 53 from 296. Production hours plummeted to 20 hours from 180 hours!

6. If General Electric’s CF6-80C2B8F turbofan engines were attached to your automobile, at takeoff power it would accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than half a second!

7. There are 3.1 million parts in a Boeing 767 provided by more than 800 suppliers.

8. The 767-300ER and 767-400ER each hold 23,980 gallons of fuel - enough to fill approximately 1,200 minivans.

9. The noise level of a Boeing 767 taking off from a 1.5 mile long runway is about the same as the average street corner’s traffic noise.

10. There are approximately 90 miles of electrical wiring in a Boeing 767-200ER, 117 miles in a 767-300ER and 125 miles in a 767-400ER!

Source : Christopher Weyer, Flight Simulator Technician Atlanta, GA Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #24: Airports

2009-03-12T11:03:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 24

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top 10

Countries with the Most Airports

1. United States: 14,695
2. Brasil: 3365
3. Russia: 2743
4. Mexico: 1852
5. Canada: 1419
6. Argentina: 1369
7. Bolivia: 1109
8. Colombia: 1056
9. Paraguay: 899
10. South Africa: 740

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #23: City populations

2009-03-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute # 23

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top 10

Largest Cities in the World

City / Country / Population
1.Tokyo / Japan / 33,800,000
2. Seoul / South Korea / 23,800,000
3. Mexico City / Mexico / 22,800,000
4. Delhi / India / 22,200,000
5. Mumbai / India / 22,200,000
6. New York / USA / 21,900,000
7. Sao Paulo / Brazil / 20,900,000
8. Manila / Philippines / 19,000,000
9. Los Angeles / USA / 18,000,000
10. Shanghai / China / 17,900,000

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

2009-02-19T18:07:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 22

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top Ten

Social Networking Websites

Expressed as:

site/unique visitors/monthly visits / average visits per person per site per month

1. facebook.com / 68,557,534 / 1,191,373,339 / 17
2. myspace.com / 58,555,800 / 810,153,536 / 14
3. twitter.com / 5,979,052 / 54,218,731 / 9
4. flixster.com / 7,645,423 / 53,389,974 / 7
5. linkedin.com / 11,274,160 / 42,744,438 / 4
6. tagged.com / 4,448,915 / 39,630,927 / 9
7. classmates.com / 17,296,524 / 35,219,210 / 2
8. myyearbook.com / 3,312,898 / 33,121,821 / 10
9. livejournal.com / 4,720,720 / 25,221,354 / 5
10. imeem.com / 9,047,491 / 22,993,608 / 3

Notice how loyal facebook.com’s “friends” are. They visit more than every other day.

Compare that with classmates.com at once every couple of weeks.

I am surprised about myyearbook.com. To visit every three days is some sort of message but I cannot see it.

Watch for twitter.com to gain popularity.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

2009-02-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 21

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top Ten

Longest Rivers in the World

Nile 6693 km’s
Amazon 6436
Yangtze 6378
Huang He 5463
Ob-Irtysh 5410
Amur 4415
Lena 4399
Congo 4373
Mackenzie 4241
Mekong 4183

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid #20 Coffee

2009-02-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 20

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top Ten

Coffee Drinking Nations

Displayed in cups per person per year…

Finland 1686
Denmark 1374
Norway 1372
Belgium 1354
Sweden 1249
Austria 1065
Switzerland 1017
Germany 986
Netherlands 915
France 831

Thanks to Bob Mirman at Eliant for sending me a few “Top Tens!!”

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 19: Monarchs

2009-02-19T17:57:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 19

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top Ten

Longest Reigning Monarchs

1. King Louis XIV of France, 72 years of reign
2. Prince Johan I of Liechtenstein, 71 years
3. Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, 67 years
4. Queen Victoria of Great Britain, 63.
5. Emperor Hirohito of Japan, 62
6. Emperor Kangxi of China, 61.
7. King Sobhuza II of Swaziland, 60.
7. (tie) Emperor Qianlong of China, also 60
9. King Christian IV of Denmark, 59
9. (tie) King George III of Great Britain, tied at 59.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

ANOTHER idea from Jet Blue to help Sell New Homes TODAY

2009-02-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

In January, I started blogging about Hyundai’s “job-loss insurance program.”

I thought it was a real tool to get prospects off the fence. And commented builders should try it.

Now Jet Blue has rolled out a similar tool. If passengers lose their jobs before the trip, they get a refund of the fare.

Smart!

Take the fear out of buying and get more sales.

Builders should do the same. Recently, John Burns’ webinar pointed out that the biggest impediment to buying was fear about employment, the economy, etc. So, we should work to minimize that fear, rather than roll out more of the same old tools.

Toll Bros. recently got very aggressive about an old idea, mortgage buydowns. I compliment them for trying something, but let’s look at the results.

They offered a permanent, 30-year buydown to 3.99%. They estimate that they made 70 gross sales in the three-week period of the “deal.” The deal period is over so they sure won’t get more, and we have yet to learn what cancellations would apply. And, even if that velocity continued, they would only accomplish 1213 sales for the year.

$20,000 to $25,000 is the per-unit cost of the buydown.

And it didn’t work very well.

I just have a suspicion that the job-loss “insurance” cost in our business wouldn’t be $25,000 per sale.

Hyundai eliminates some reasons to buy. And, SURPRISE, more people buy Hyundais.

Jet Blue, is dealing with smaller prices, but they are risking 100% of their revenue per passenger. If they refund a fare, and are unable to resell the seat, it’s all lost.

Hyundai at least closes the sale and has a performing car loan for a year. If the buyer loses his job, Hyundai takes back the car…and can resell it at SOME price.

Jet Blue doesn’t get the passenger part way to the destination. They either get the seat revenue or not. But they are being creative to remove one more barrier to discretionary travel. Good for them.

We COULD have a program like Hyundai that gives buyers some protection if they lose their jobs within a year of closing. It’s not even fear of the value dropping in the short term that is holding people back. They knew of that issue before they visited the sales offices. By their own actions, they are telling us that they have reconciled the possible VALUE EROSION problem.

So, if they don’t buy, what was UNresolved?

The biggest issue holding people back, as John Burns shows, is not interest rates. So, if it was not the #1 problem, we solved something that was less important. Why not solve the most important issue?

If our kids were having trouble at a lemonade stand, we would look at the reasons people were not buying, they suggest solving THEIR issue. A bigger sign, or a lower price, or more sugar would not solve warm drinks on a hot day. Ice would!

How about the same thinking about the big kids’ world of housing??!!

Many years ago I saw a great quote from a sales manager at (then) US Home: “People don’t go to the butcher shop just to look at the pork chops.”

It has stuck with me since then.

People coming in are on a mission! We need to help them improve their current housing situation. We need to solve their problem. When we do so, we solve ours.

They are worried about losing their jobs. Free granite countertops won’t solve that!

Job loss insurance might. And just having that tool would empower our sales teams with confidence.

If we had more confidence, we could sell more homes.

If we had more tools, we could sell more homes.

If we had more tools, we would also have more confidence…and we’d sell even more homes.

I believe this is something for builder associations to tackle. Get a price for several thousand policies each year for the next 2-3 years. Bid the prices down. Give the tools to the members.

But some builder associations are getting involved in more signage programs, arguing with the press and thinking of more websites. (And competing with some of their dwindling membership.)

Here’s my question.

HOW IS THAT WORKING FOR US?

Maybe, they should try and help their members solve the buyers’ reluctance. Simply sending more traffic is incomplete at best and ineffective at worst. (Toll reported a 34% increase in traffic, because of their buydown. People came. They just didn’t respond very well.)

I suspect there is one creative national builder who won’t wait for someone else to solve the problems. I suspect that right now, they are thinking about a Kick Butt job protection plan to stimulate home sales.

I bet I know which builder it will be.

I bet you do, too!

HARD

I welcome your feedback.

Apparently it Worked!!

2009-02-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

On January 17, I mentioned the Hyundai Assurance Program, and how the idea might be useful for homebuilders.

Please go to : http://www.ocbj.com/enews_article.asp?aID=2656445.8460757.1740492.4580308.267124.342&cID=Z&page=1

Thank you to Orange County Business Journal.

When other auto manufacturers' sales are still falling, Hyundai's sales increased.

Maybe it's coincidental.

Maybe NOT!!

Hyundai took the risk out of the buying decision for many of its prospects.

They sold more vehicles.

Maybe it's coincidental.

Maybe NOT!!

They rolled out the program in December. Sales increased in January.

(And these sales were obviously BEFORE their Super Bowl commercials':

"Hyundai...like Sunday.")

Maybe it's coincidental.

Maybe NOT!!

HARDminute Factoid 18 WHEAT

2009-01-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 18

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

Top Ten

Wheat Producing Countries

Thankfully, wheat, rice, corn, cotton and lumber are renewable resources. We can re-grow them. Unlike coal, natural gas and oil, these basic commodities, needed for food, clothing and shelter, are resources we continue to produce year after year. Water, and hydro-generated electricity, are also assets that are not necessarily gone once they are used.

In North America, we can take comfort from this!

Below are production figures as of 2006.

They are shown in metric tones PRODUCED. In brackets are the amounts consumed domestically for the same period. In some cases, countries will maintain small stores of wheat, but typically, excess capacity is exported. Wheat producers know they can grow more next year and it is not necessary to store all excess production. Look at all the excess production available just from USA, Canada and Australia! Now imagine if wheat were traded like oil is!

Food could be a trading weapon just as oil is.

China 96.2 (101.5)
India 72 (70)
USA 57.1 (31.3)
Russia 45.5 (38.4)
France 36.9 (22)
Canada 25.5 (8.2)
Australia 24.1 (5.6)
Germany 23.6 (19.7)
Pakistan 21.6 (20.9)
Turkey 21 (16.1)

Resolve why homebuyers hold back!

2009-01-17T10:58:00.000-08:00

ONE Solution

to the

New Homes Market?

Try taking different things out of the toolkit!

Based in Irvine, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, represents almost all of the major builders in the nation. They are a housing market analyst. The really don’t use the term “economist.”) Every week, they survey up to thousands of builders and sales platforms around the country. Because they are retained by so many, they get a high level of cooperation and consumer reaction.

It is worth seeing John’s webinar at: http://www.realestateconsulting.com/video/housingrecovery.aspx

Their most current data show us that we are providing solutions to problems that don’t exist…and are ignoring some solutions that are available to us.

As reported by 240 nationwide housing executives, the reasons given for consumers not buying…

36% say concern about the economy and jobs
29% cannot sell their existing house
20% fear that home prices could decline further
10% worry about credit and qualification issues
5% lack the necessary down payment.

So, our attempts to solve the problem by creating more down payment assistance programs (DPA’s) will have a marginal impact, if any.

To many builders, DPA is the solution because it is something they understand. And, maybe because it is something where the cost can be off-loaded to someone else. Usually government.

Could home builders not follow the lead of Hyundai Motors?

Hyundai has a program that will protect its buyers if they lose their jobs and cannot make payments on a new car purchased from Hyundai. There is fine print, etc., but the essence is that you have coverage if you make the first two payments. If you lose your job after that, you cover the first $7500 of loss, turn the car back in and suffer no harm to your credit status.

As of New Year 2009, our unemployment rate was about 6.9%. It will certainly grow in the first half of 2009 and maybe beyond. But in the meantime, how many of the employed freeze their major purchases by wondering?

Some homebuilders had similar programs for homebuyers in the late 1990’s and it looks like they should come back. These are steps that builder associations could tackle, particularly if their member builders are too small to get decent pricing from insurance companies. Right now, builder associations don’t really need to spend political capital on holding back cities’ and counties’ regulation of new developments that may come out of the ground in five years.

We are trying to manage our way out of what we have. TODAY!

What we may build in a few years is a theoretical exercise. If we don’t solve our current problems, easier zoning, quicker building inspections, and contained permit fees are totally irrelevant. We may not be alive to see them.

Someone has to pay the “premium.” I believe it becomes a cost of the sale, borne by the seller. Builders would need to promote and advertise the program, but the best news is that only the successful sale needs to pay the premium. User pay.

And, there is some risk to the insurer, of course. But will our unemployment grow to 10%? 11% Perhaps. Will all of them be homebuyers…or even Hyundai buyers? The carriers can evaluate the risk and determine the premium.

So, the solution is to bring more confidence to the market, and more reasons to the lending community to provide purchase money loans.

Think about this.

If we/someone/someone ELSE/they provide(s) down payment assistance, we are asking a lender to make a loan to someone with an insufficient down payment. Pretty obvious. And, which lender wants to take on more risk with someone who has little or no skin in the game?

And, even at that, we MAY solve the purchase resistance in 5% of those presently looking at new homes.

However, if we provide some sort of job loss insurance, by definition, we are dealing with people that have jobs. And 36% of the people in sales offices who are not buying today.

We have come to the place that solutions shouldn’t (maybe musn’t!) be limited to one builder who looks at a competitive advantage. If many builders are failing, too often, the consumer reaction is to pause in the buying cycle. Pause from buying from ANY builder.

If the new home industry provides job loss “insurance” it will immediately gain a competitive advantage over existing houses. Standing inventory will be absorbed.

Neighborhoods will “gel.”

Please watch John Burns’ webinar for some macro solutions.

Think about flexing your muscle with politicians to use those ideas in resolving the housing market.

And, leverage the builder associations to find some job loss coverage and resolve the issues holding back 36% of the people in the sales offices.

Let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback.

HARD

Why Not #2: Fiscal Ideas for Government

2009-01-16T08:03:00.000-08:00

Exactly six months ago, on July 16, 2008, I posted "Why Not."

It’s time for another.

All governments are short of money. Businesses are also strapped, but at least business can justify expenditures if they see a return. They can also operate more efficiently. And they can decide if they want to spend more private money to help public institutions. Maybe these ideas spur some thinking.

1. Why not co-locate all public libraries into schools? As we see in the Solano Beach branch of the San Diego library system, it’s a fabulous combination. It is multi-generational. It uses real estate more efficiently. It brings people to fewer locations. Siblings and parents can listen to a story, watch a movie, or check the online news while waiting to pick up the kids. Schools have plenty of parking and most of their facilities are unused on weekends. They still need to be chilled or heated so why not populate them?

2. Then why not sell off the free-standing library locations to generate cash for the various public entities? Isn’t the entire concept of “bricks and mortar” libraries giving way to “clicks and mortar” anyway? Will we need BUILDINGS to store and distribute books, magazines, movies, etc. forever? Won’t most go the way of the buggy whip anyway?

3. So, if we need the money now, and we have BUILDINGS now that we can dispose of, without harming our ability to store and distribute, why not sell them off and use the proceeds elsewhere?

4. Every library probably has a Gray’s Anatomy, a Blacks’ Law Dictionary and several hard copies of different encyclopedias, but do we need every one of them? Aren’t most of these also found in school libraries? Why not eliminate UNNECESSARY duplication?

5. Wouldn’t consolidation reduce the aggregate space needed and still provide excellent resources? So wouldn’t that mean less energy to heat and chill, less janitorial, less repairs and maintenance? Doesn’t that minimize enviro-impact? Why not take that approach?

6. Why not sell multi-year naming rights agreements for libraries to search engines? The YAHOO John Smith Memorial Library could still honor civic heroes. And, in return for naming rights, don’t we have the technology to use (e.g.) Yahoo search engines to the exclusion of Google? Wouldn’t that translate into advertising revenue to Yahoo allowing them to pay more for their naming rights? Or vice versa, Google instead of Yahoo.

7. Why not have all playground-parks wi-fi enabled? Then parents, nannies and babysitters could use their laptops while minding the kids. They would be more likely to linger at the playground, get more work (or social networking) done and the kids would burn off more energy.

8. If that makes sense, again, why not sell naming rights (to wi-fi operators or others) in order to get this service free to the users?

9. One bank used to have a program called something like “keep the change.” It rounded UP credit card purchases and put the change into a savings account. Why not have similar opportunities for charities? Why not for a political party? The technology is there to block political contributions above the legal limits. And, it certainly gives a good audit trail to the donor.

10. Why not follow the example of Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, AZ? Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over, and the County Supervisors said okay.

The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.

The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. A couple who wrote me adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost: $78. The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals. Why not follow that example? Why not?

11. Why not follow the example of the Rancho Bernardo calculus teacher who sold advertising space on exams? Why not lionize Tom Farber rather than debate the issue? Not only did he raise new money, he did so from those who were willing. No tax increases. I would name a library after him for free since he showed such creativity. What a good example to politicians, bureaucrats, and students. (Predictably, those who never came up with this idea, (perhaps not any ideas) wanted to second-guess it! The Superintendent, one Don Phillips, “said district officials are weighing whether to set guidelines, especially for business ads,” according to CNN.

12. Why not trust Farber’s judgment on the matter? Why not? We trust him to educate our children. Why not trust him and other teachers to resist ads from drug dealers, coyotes and brothels? He first cleared the idea with parents. He encourages inspirational quotes as well as local “mom & pop” commercial ads. Why not recognize his good judgment?

13. And why not free up those district officials to do something creative and useful?

14. And, finally, why not get involved in finding solutions, rather than complaining? Why not…for all of us?

HARDminute Factoid 17 Economical Cars

2009-01-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 17

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

TOP TEN
MOST ECONOMICAL
CARS to OPERATE

Last post, I distributed the top ten most EXPENSIVE 2008 cars to operate. (They are reproduced below.) According to Edmunds.com, the following are the most ECONOMICAL 2008 cars to repair and maintain. Their figures are based on 15,000 miles per year for five years.

(tie) Suzuki SX4; R&M $3211, &
(tie) Honda Element; R&M $3211
3. Nissan Versa; R&M $3241
4. Hyundai Accent; R&M $3293
5. Kia Sedona; R&M $3355
6. Honda Pilot: R&M $3381
7. Hyundai Veracruz; R&M $3398
8. Suzuki XL7; R&M $3403
9. Honda CR-V; R&M $3410
10. Mazda Tribute; R&M $3455

TOP TEN
MOST EXPENSIVE
CARS to OPERATE
Dodge Viper; R&M = $10,323
Jaguar XK-series; R&M= $9,449
Jaguar DXJ-series; R&M = 9449
Land Rover Range Rover Sport; R&M = $9227
Land Rover Range Rover; R&M = $8996
Mercedes Benz SL-Class; R&M = $8756
Mercedes Benz CL-Class; R&M = $8730
Land Rover LR3; R&M = $8637
Audi RS4; R&M = $8606
BMW Alpina B7; R&M = $8534

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

Homebuilders Leveraging with Retailers

2009-01-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

Playa Vista is the uber-hip urban master planned community near LAX. Its residential developments are fairly dense although the net dwelling units-per-acre is modest. Development has been scaled down and buildings concentrated into smaller areas to maximize green space, amenity areas, etc.

The product is mostly podium construction, block-style condominium. No swings in the back yard. No fenced back yard. NO BACK YARD!

There are no unfinished bonus rooms or developable basements.

Nevertheless, next to Playa Vista is the world’s busiest location of The Home Depot. Home Depot’s sales have shot through the roof once residents started moving into Playa Vista. The sales cannot be attributed to the other, limited residential developments nearby. Even owners of fully-finished, new condos buy lots of “home improvements.”

New homeowners, even if they have ultra-modern condos, are good for the retail giant. Even though their homes are covered by the various builders’ warranties, buyers find ways to spend money at a home improvement store despite the lack of “repair” work done in older communities.

New homes bring new commerce. But not every company understands this concept.

In Irvine CA, Westpark Dry Cleaners has an affinity program for owners at the nearby Villages of Columbus. VOC is a LENNAR master plan of 2000 homes with guest builders, KB Home and William Lyon Homes. The dry cleaners recognize that new residents at VOC will frequent local services. Offering a discount to new residents helps them establish new shopping patterns for those local services.

I doubt that even one of VOC’s hundreds of buyers chose that terrific community in order to have shirts laundered for a monthly saving of a few dollars. BUT…they have to get dry cleaning anyway…somewhere… and this one merchant helped convince them to bring that business to them. They realize that the extra revenue does not require more space, more staff, more machines, etc. They had the business capacity and moved to fill it!! I believe that the adjacent nail spa and other personal service businesses get more business simply by being there…next to someone who has self-generated more business.

In Tucson AZ, KB Home had a successful entry level community, Arizona Heights. The local pizza operator approached us and literally begged for the opportunity to deliver a free mega pizza to every single buyer on the day they moved in. We could not give the name, the price paid, etc. etc. But we could say that 123 Cactus Crescent would have people moving in on November 26. The pizzas would arrive just behind the moving truck. Hot pizzas. A nice note of welcome from the restaurateur. A fridge magnet with the restaurant’s name and phone number. Take a guess on how successful this was.

The merchant knew that the new resident was very likely to need a new pizza location. They knew that buying behaviors would change. They also did everything in their power to take advantage of the change. They did not need more ovens, more space, more staff, or more phone lines. They just used more intensely the resources they had. (I do believe they make more dough, but it’s mostly the dough that goes into bank accounts.)

Katsuya Restaurant, part of nightlife impresario Sam Nazarian’s SBE Restaurant Group, has co-sponsored events with John Laing Homes for their ultra-chic Hollywood condos at Madrone. Katsuya knows that new residents will look for new places to spend. Whether they are on a tight budget or are unaffected by external economic forces, they will go SOMEwhere for cocktails and meals. Maybe less frequently. But everyone new to Madrone is…new to Madrone!! They might still travel thirty miles for a dinner party. But are they more likely to rest and entertain closer to their new home? Of course. And Katsuya will have made an impression before other establishments. They have a realistic right to expect better patronage. Again, they don’t need to buy more chairs, lease more space or add more ovens. And the probably have excess staff capacity built in. They use their existing assets more intensely.

Whole Foods has a successful program of co-branding with homebuilders in Southern California. Not known as a discount supermarket, Whole Foods knows its niche is high quality, organic foods, green household cleaners, etc. and outstanding personal service. It is no wonder they want to participate even in pre-sales events…in order to build more awareness generally, but also remind home shoppers that they have a location near the new community being presented. Whole Foods stores are not as large, and hence not as visible as the super stores. They do not have the advertising budgets of Kroger or Safeway. Their customers will travel a little further for the Whole Foods experience, but first need to know the store locations. They may not easily find them if they are strangers to an area of new homes. Thus the co-branding is clever. The builder looks to Whole Foods to provide snacks etc. for buyer events. This allies / aligns the builder with another market leader, gives a power message to home shoppers and reduces the cost of events. Even those guests who do not buy a new home…or buy from another builder…have had a Whole Foods experience, and may build (or reinforce) a relationship with Whole Foods. Again, for Whole Foods, their success in co-branding does not require more shelves, longer hours or extra carts. They use all these resources more intensely and would only need to turn their inventory more often. Nice!

The 1-2 year spending spike, from new homes to furniture purchases, is well-known. But many many more retailers benefit from additional neighbors. This is quite different from the turnover of existing housing stock. New homes mean additional households. New homes mean more consumers.

How many businesses have the initiative and creativity shown by Arizona Hts. Pizza and Westpark Cleaners? Is this lack of initiative caused by a budget constraint? I doubt it since the pattern was evident when retail budgets were flush.

Is it complacency? Is it arrogance? Perhaps. Are some merchants so sure of their business that they don’t look for opportunities to widen their nets? Or avoid doing so until someone with initiative takes market share away from them?

Is it lack of interest in new business? I doubt it!!

Is it because they don’t know how to build a relationship with the provider(s) of new homes? I hope not! Homebuilders are visible. Their goods are very obvious! Theirs is no underground economy.

So why the reluctance? Why don’t more businesses see the value of being FIRST to engage additional customers? Who doesn’t want to turn their inventory more often? To use their people and facilities more intensely? Is it usually the little guy who sees opportunity first? This person has a vested interest in the retailer’s success? But, are we not ALL interested in our companies’ successes?

Hello, Staple Depot of Max Office Supplies. How many homes do NOT have plenty of business equipment and supplies these days? When would be a good time to look for new business? When should you help new neighbors establish new shopping venues and habits? After your competitor has already secured it? Strong outreach campaigns, leveraging with homebuilders, may also drive more business to the retailer’s online channels. Meaning more efficient use of resources. Better energy management. After-hours sales. It’s all good!

Wake up, Sleeping Company USA! Maybe there are co-branding opportunities, generally. Maybe there are specific opportunities for MORPH-y beds that change into a wall unit, use square-footage and volume more efficiently, and make those smaller new home spaces more attractive. And reduce the home cost. And increase the marketability and target audience. It’s all good!

I’m not sure about anyone else, but I REALLY do want to try VOIP. I just don’t have time or inclination to figure it out. What if…? How about…? Etc. But if a new home would include the equipment, the installation and a bit of a tutorial, I’d take that option. I would NOT buy a new home to get Spyke or Novage, but I would want it included in my new home.
And a builder who offered it would be sending me several messages:

1. They live in THIS century;
2. They are ahead of the curve;
3. They are giving me more opportunities to save costs;
4. They ally / align themselves with other known winners;
5. They know I am buying a lifestyle, not only sticks and bricks.

What if…a local bank gave every new owner of a new home at Acme Meadows…every single one…two years’ free safety deposit box? What’s the cost? Would they get everyone’s banking business? NOPE. But wouldn’t they get some? Safety deposit boxes can’t be accessed online. Users must come in…see the team, in the case of my California Bank & Trust, have a coffee and cookies, and be engaged. See customer service in action!! An opportunity for the bank to generate goodwill and new business.

What a nice thing for Acme Homebuilders to “include” for their new owners. Again, giving the message of giving a damn, respecting the buyer, being woven into the greater community and allying / aligning with another market leader.

As the housing market starts to come back, buyers will be in the looking process longer. They will qualify for smaller loans. Credit granters will look at income, something that FICO scores do not measure. There will be some, but not many low-down or no-down payment programs. Buyers will need real down payments. To save up these down payments will take longer as interest rates are lower and unemployment is higher. They will only be able to buy lower priced homes. But the dream of ownership continues. People’s life situations will still change and they will still look to move.

When they do, they will be forced into more compromises. They will either wait longer…or they will forego some of the features that would have been non-negotiable to a buyer in 2004. Builders should be looking for tactics to expedite the buying process. By improving the offering, upgrading the experience, if not the home.

Many times this can be done in collaboration with retailers.

In turn, these retailers, and even others, will benefit as new homeowners spend on things for their new home.

Many can benefit from the same creativity as Katsuya, as Westpark Cleaners, as Arizona Heights Pizza and as Whole Foods.

Once again, when is the best time for retailers and builders to co-brand and show initiative? Only after someone like Whole Foods and Westpark Cleaners, and Lennar and Laing and KB have done so…and taken market share from those who kept doing what they’ve always done? What's the worst to happen by doing more business??!!

HARD

January 10, 2009

From the 2009 HARDintelligence.com Dictionary

2009-01-09T09:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings friends.

As we head into the New Year (this week in the west, and in a month in China) we will need to be on top of the latest economic trends, the most recent building materials and the most current demographics.

Since the markets in the US, Canada, and China have different dynamics, the one thing we share with each other is a common lexicon.

But it, too, is evolving.

Attached are some important new words and their definitions that should help us all stay at the leading edge of the business.

Please let me know if they are useful to you. I welcome your feedback.

Happy New Year and (an early) Gung Hay Fat Choi. 恭喜發財

Excerpts From The 2009
HARDintelligence.com
Dictionary Of Homebuilding*

DesigNerds…the backroom of every outstanding marketing and advertising firm;

Doo diligence…the real value of much market research into the acquisition of new sites; (“More doo, less diligence” was the operating principal of many builders.);

“E”-conomical…using the Internet to convince prospects that our homes are much less costly to operate;

Blame duck president…the previous boss, upon whom ALL the world’s problems, from faulty floor plans, to missed markets to scurvy to global warming, are heaped; need NOT be limited to an actual company president;

Guess parking…where condo visitors’ cars are supposed to be…at least 1000 yards away. From anything;

Hind-lick maneuver…the technique for breathing new life into a promotion opportunity for a junior staff member; must include a promotion-decider who does not recognize brown noses; promotion is never based on merit;

Humilitarian aid…the housing assistance that is only available if Eyewitness News is on scene and is able to embarrass and insult the recipient in an attempt to ingratiate with the donor;

Innocent bystandard…the nosy, noisy, neighborhood busybody who just watched that someone ELSE got a concession that he was told NO ONE EVER gets;

Kopa-skeptic…“It’s NOT OK, no matter how nicely you say it.”

Masquerading permit…ability of earthmovers to convert Mt. Everest to Topeka KS…by obtaining approval under a “clearing & grubbing” approval;

Math-alogical liar…the person who provides typical calculations of useable square footage, energy savings and value appreciation; Seldom in writing, never accurate.

Office Admonish-straighter… the assistant to the president who thinks that his / her job is to berate anyone else on the team. And thus destroy the team the president is trying to build.

Public Fallations Campaign…disseminating inaccurate information…many elevations, most renderings, every photo, and all driving directions that show proximity to anything important;

Small Flames Court… the forum where disgruntled owners typically add value to their claims by disclosing that the builder has 27 parking tickets and that there have been 42 flat tires in the new community, thanks to the orchestrated campaign to drop nails where the Plaintiff’s blind, crippled grandmother is guaranteed to drive. (Blind people don’t drive? Then explain Braille keys at drive-through ATM’s.)

Status-tician…that buyer who wants to know the profession / vocation makeup of the community and what kinds of cars they drive before he will buy.

Taint by numbers…step by step use of work product from mathological liar. (qv.)

Truth decay…the tendency by some buyers to forget all the warranty documents, discussions, and disclosures as time passes. Filling in by remembering “promises” of a new amalgam that includes coverage of the classic ’66 Mercury in the garage, burned out light bulbs, dirty air filters, and anything caused by the canines in the household;

Water cheat-ment system…poor quality plan for managing downstream flow, catchment, biofiltration, etc. Presented as if a benefit to unsophisticated buyers.

HARDminute factoid # 16; Expensive Cars to Operate

2009-01-09T09:18:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 16

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

TOP TEN MOST EXPENSIVE
CARS to OPERATE

According to Edmunds.com, the following are the most expensive 2008 cars to repair and maintain. Their estimates are based on 15,000 miles per year for five years.

Dodge Viper; R&M = $10,323
Jaguar XK-series; R&M= $9,449
Jaguar DXJ-series; R&M = 9449
Land Rover Range Rover Sport; R&M = $9227
Land Rover Range Rover; R&M = $8996
Mercedes Benz SL-Class; R&M = $8756
Mercedes Benz CL-Class; R&M = $8730
Land Rover LR3; R&M = $8637
Audi RS4; R&M = $8606
BMW Alpina B7; R&M = $8534

Next edition: the TOP TEN most efficient to operate.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute Factoid 15: Oil Imports & Exports

2009-01-09T09:13:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 15
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

TOP TEN Countries
For Importing and Exporting Oil

Last post, I circulated the factoid about oil RESERVES. It is reproduced below. This post, I am showing who actually ships and receives oil.

Oil Imports PER DAY

USA imports 11.8 million barrels per day.
Japan brings in 5.3 million barrels.
China needs 2.9 million barrels per day.
Germany drinks in 2.5 million.
South Korea has an appetite for 2.1 million.
France takes in 2.0 million barrels.
Italy imports 1.7 million.
Spain imports 1.6 million barrels.
India’s imports are 1.5 barrels.
Taiwan takes in 1.0 million.

Oil Exports PER DAY

Saudi Arabia exports 8.73 million gallons per day.
Russia sends out 6.67 million.
Norway exports 2.91 million barrels.
Iran’s contribution is 2.55 million.
Venezuela exports 2.36 million.
United Arab Emirates exports 2.33 million.
Kuwait’s exports are at 2.20 million barrels per day.
Nigeria’s contribution to others’ uses is 2.19 million.
Mexico exports 1.80 million.
Algeria sends out 1.68 million gallons per day.

Imports and exports are based on 2004 figures and have certainly changed, but detailed data are difficult to collect. The relationships, however, are pretty consistent. In the US, we import more oil than the next three importers combined. Reserves are 2005 estimates.

To put this in perspective, a barrel contains 42 US gallons of oil. Originally there were 40 gallons to a barrel however, that was changed in the mid 19th century to give a little extra so consumers wouldn't feel "cheated". A little over 23 gallons of gasoline can be refined from a barrel of oil. Other products (jet fuel, lubricants, etc.) make up the rest.

Oil Reserves

1. Saudi Arabia has 264.3 billion barrels proven as of 2006
2. Canada can provide 178.8.
3. Iran has 132.5.
4. Iraq has 115.0.
5. Kuwait has 101.5 of its own, but also is a contracted refiner for others.
6. United Arab Emirates has 97.8.
7. Venezuela holds 79.7. Venezuela and Hugo Chavez own Citgo.
8. Russia checks in with 60.0.
9. Libya shows 39.1.
10. Nigeria has 35.9.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #14 Oil Reserves

2009-01-09T09:11:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 14
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

TOP TEN COUNTRIES WITH
GREATEST OIL RESERVES

Saudi Arabia has 264.3 billion barrels proven as of 2006
Canada can provide 178.8.
Iran has 132.5.
Iraq has 115.0.
Kuwait has 101.5 of its own, but also is a contracted refiner for others.
United Arab Emirates has 97.8.
Venezuela holds 79.7. Venezuela and Hugo Chavez own Citgo.
Russia checks in with 60.0.
Libya shows 39.1.
Nigeria has 35.9.

To put this in perspective, a barrel contains 42 US gallons of oil. Originally there were 40 US gallons (35 Imperial gallons to readers in UK and Canada) to a barrel however, that was changed in the mid 19th century to give a little extra so consumers wouldn't feel "cheated". A little over 23 gallons of gasoline can be refined from a barrel of oil. Other products (jet fuel, lubricants, etc.) make up the rest.
Future posts will show who imports the most and who the largest exporters are.

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

The SERVICE Department that Means What it Says

2008-12-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

Everything about Fletcher Jones Motorcars is memorable. It is the largest Mercedes dealer in the world. There is no doubt why.

The sales team is outstanding.

The ownership is always interested in our experience.

They survey customers incessantly…and they give us a gift certificate to encourage responses.

They provide free parking and a shuttle service to / from John Wayne Airport. This alone is remarkable. Avoiding the cost and possible damage in the airport parking lot…possibly arranging regular maintenance while we travel…it’s all good.

They provide a free courtesy Mercedes or other car whenever service is required.

The customer lounge is an internet café, with free coffee and several TV’s tuned to different channels. It’s clean, comfortable and welcoming.

Get your nails done while getting an oil change? Of course.

Shoeshine bar? Of course.

Putting green? You bet!

Mercedes gift store? You got it.

Free car wash for life? Yes!

Regular maintenance costs? Always fixed. No misunderstanding or surprises.

Absolutely stellar telephone manners all round. Every time. Without fail.

Cashiers dressed professionally and unfailingly polite.

Today, I had yet another great experience. My low beam bulb burned out. I called FJ Motors for a replacement. Response? Come in. We’ll do it while you wait. Have a coffee if you like.

But, no mention of the cost.

Now I know why.

Cost of the bulb? $12.12.

Total cost including smile, warm welcome, instant service, coffee and a holiday greeting? Uhh…that’d be $12. 12.

Why would I EVER buy a car elsewhere?

HARDminute #13 Largest US Bankruptcies

2008-12-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 13
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

TOP TEN
U.S. BANKRUPTCIES

Company/ Date / Pre-bankruptcy Assets $MM

1. Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. 9/15/2008 $691,063
2. Worldcom, Inc. 7/21/2002 $103,914
3. Enron Corp. 12/2/2001 $65,503
4. Conesco, Inc. 12/17/2002 $61,392
5. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. 4/06/2001 $36,152
6. Texaco, Inc. 4/12/1987 $34,940
7. Financial Corp. of America 9/9/1988 $33,864
8. Refco Inc. 10/17/2005 $33,333
9. IndyMac Bancorp, Inc. 7/31/2008 $32,734
10. Global Crossing Ltd. 1/28/2002 $30,185

HARDminute #12 Tallest Structures

2008-12-14T12:33:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 12

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

HARDminute #10 listed the ten cities with the highest number of “skyscrapers.”

HARDminute #11 listed the ten tallest “statues.”

In this HARDminute, you’ll see the ten tallest “structures.”

Because the bragging rights for biggest/tallest/best, etc. are always hotly contested, you are probably NOT surprised that there is actually an international body that determines whether a tall structure is a tower, a statue, a building, etc.

This Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, the organization that determines the title of the "World’s Tallest Building," recognizes a “building” only if at least fifty percent of its height is made up of floor plates containing habitable floor area. Structures that do not meet this criterion, such as the CN Tower, are defined as "towers."

Due to the disagreements over how to measure height and classify structures, engineers have created various definitions for categories of buildings and other structures. One measure includes the absolute height of a building, another includes only spires and other permanent architectural features, but not antennas. The tradition of including the spire on top of a building and not including the antenna dates back to the rivalry between the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street. A modern-day example is that the antenna on top of the Sears Tower are not considered part of its architectural height, while the spires on top of the Petronas towers are counted.

Category Structure City & Country Ht. M’s Ht. Ft.

Skyscraper Burj Dubai Dubai, UAE 707 2320
Guyed mast KTLY-TV mast Blanchard ND USA 628.8 2063
Concrete tower CN Tower Toronto ON Canada 553.3 1815
Skyscraper Sears Tower Chicago IL USA 527.3 1730
Skyscraper Taipei 101 Taipei Taiwan 509.2 1671
Skyscraper World Financial Ctr. Shanghai China 492 1614
Tower BREN Tower Nevada Test Site USA 462 1516
Mast radiator VLF transmitter Lualualei HI USA 458.11 1503
Twin Towers Petronas Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 452 1482
Chimney GRES-2 Power Stn. Ekibastuz Kazakhstan 419.7 1377

Notes
1. Under construction. Actual height is still secret to protect bragging rights and thwart other structures hoping to be taller. This is minimum estimate.
4. To top of antenna
5. To top of spire
6. To top of roof
7. For scientific research
8. Insulated against ground

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #11; Tallest Statues

2008-12-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

Last posting was the tallest livable structiures over 500 feet. This time are shown statues. Notice how many are in Asia.

TOP TEN Tallest Statues

1. Spring Temple Buddha in Lushan China is 128 meters high.
2. Laykun Setkar Standing Buddha in Khatakan Taung, Burma is 116 meters high.
3. Ushiku Daibutsu in Ushiku, Ibraki Prefecture, Japan is 110 meters high.
4. Nanshan Haishang Guanyin in Sanya, Hainan, China is 108 meters high.
5. The Emperors Yan & Huang in Zhengzhou, Henan, China is 106 meters high.
6. Sendai Daikannon in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan comes in at 100 meters high.
7. Peter the Great in Moscow Russia is 96 meters high.
8. Grand Buddha at Ling Shan in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China is 88 meters high.
9. Dai Kannon of Kita no Miyako Park in Aishebetsu Hokkaido, Japan is also 88 meters high.
10. Rodina-mat Zovyot! in Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd, Russia is 85 meters high.

HARDminute #10: Skyscrapers

2008-12-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

This is a topic where there are many disagreements. Future Top Tens will have the tallest structures, tallest statues, tallest free-standing structures, etc. many groups all want to claim bragging rights so I will circulate opportunites for many to claim them! And more opportunites for debate. This is a start. "Skyscrapers" are livable buildings higher than 152 meters, or 500 feet. Source is "De top 10 van alles" Russell Lash.

Top Ten Cities with the Most Skyscrapers

1. HongKong, 188
2. New York City, 183
3. Chicago, 87
4. Shanghai, 68
5. Tokyo, 61
6. Singapore, 34
7. Houston, 29
8. Seoul, 26
9. Sydney, 24
10. Kuala Lumpur, 23

Most Expensive Retail Space

2008-12-11T10:21:00.000-08:00

The HARDminute # 9
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Last time, we showed the most expensive OFFICE space in the world. THIS factoid shows the most expensive RETAIL streets and cities. I am amazed by the success of Grafton Street in Dublin . That says something about the Irish economy.

The world's most expensive shopping streets; Source: Cushman & Wakefield
Rank 2007 / Country / Cities Location / Rent €/sq.m/year / Rent US$/sq.ft/year
1. US / New York / Fifth Avenue / 11,983 / 1,500
2. Hong Kong / Hong Kong / Causeway Bay / 9,688 / 1,213
3. France / Paris / Avenue des Champs Elysées / 7,364 / 922
4. UK / London / New Bond Street / 6,498 / 814 /

5. Japan / Tokyo / Ginza / 5,459 / 683 /

6. Ireland / Dublin / Grafton Street / 5,340 / 669
7. Switzerland / Zurich / Bahnhofstrasse / 3,926 / 492
8. Australia / Sydney / Pitt Street Mall / 3,905 / 489
9. Greece / Athens / Ermou / 3,600 / 451
10. S. Korea / Seoul / Gangnam Station / 3,441 / 431

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

HARDminute factoid #8 Office Space

2008-11-20T15:16:00.000-08:00

HARDminute Factoids
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
From You to Read

HARDminute #8

Cities with
Most Expensive
Office Space

City / Country
London UK
Tokyo Japan
Paris France
Moscow Russia
New York USA
Hong Kong China
Frankfurt Germany
Geneva Switzerland
Bombay India
Milan Italy

HARDminute #7 Dangerous Mountains

2008-11-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

HARDminute Factoids
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
From You to Read

HARDminute #7
Most Dangerous Mountains
To Climb

Mountain Country Height in feet
Annapura Nepal 26545
Nanga Parbat Kashmir, India 26657
Siula Grande Peru 20814
K2 Pakistan/China 28251
Kangchenjunga India/Nepal 28169
The Matterhorn Switzerland/Italy 14691
Everest Nepal/China 29029

Washington New Hampshire, USA 6288
Denali Alaska, USA 20320
Fuji Japan 12388

(Source www.mensvogue.com)

HARDminute factoid #6 Universities

2008-11-20T14:58:00.000-08:00

HARDminute Factoids
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
From You to Read

HARDminute #6
Top Ten Countries
with most universities

Country Number of Universities
1.India 8407
2. USA 5758
3. Argentina 1705
4. Spain 1415
5. Mexico 1341
6.Bangladesh 1268
7. Indonesia 1236
8. Japan 1223
9. France 1062
10.China 1054

Cinema Screens...now we know!

2008-11-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

In HARDminute #4 & #5 I wondered why India had so many cinemas but so few TV stations. It caused a response from my youngest brother in Canada. As he says, “pretty cool.”

"One reason for the large number of movie screens in India is that, following independence, the central government saw movies (and news reels) as an indispensable part of state control. India has some hundreds of ethnics groups, religions, languages. All controlled by the Hindu, Urdu and English speaking, British trained central authority. India embarked on a massive campaign to build movie theatres in every village in India. Movies showing friendly relations between ethnic groups and across religion were encouraged by the state.

Pakistan did the same thing.

My father-in-law Les Russell had a large hand in India and later Pakistan (originally through RCA Victor) in building village theatres. Quite an undertaking, really. Most of these villages had no electricity. So a building had to be erected, a generator installed, projectionist trained, delivery of movies set up, etc. Some movies would be screened with a hand (or bicycle) crank and an acetylene lamp for light. All to bring the messages of “One India” to every little hamlet. And don’t forget, the movie reel news would have to come from Delhi – traveling thousands of miles by train and bicycle – reaching each tiny village to spread the message. But, there’d only be ONE theatre per village. Propaganda does not need competition.

It may have worked. For all its problems, India has never had a military coup. It has managed to make progress as the largest democracy on earth. No significant ethnic violence (when compared even to the US and the black-white lynchings and burnings – forget about most African nations, Germany, Serbia, etc.). More religions than France has cheeses. More races than Asia. More languages than the whole New World. Stitched together with cellulose film. Pretty cool."

Thomas Harding

Trial Lawyers Advocacy Group
#200 - 8459 - 160th Street
Surrey, B.C. V4N 0V6
ph.(604) 635-1330 fax (604) 635-1340
tharding@stargate.ca

HARDminute factoid #5 TV Channels

2008-11-20T14:49:00.000-08:00

HARDminute Factoids
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
From You to Read

HARDminute #5
Top Ten Countries
With most TV channels

Last factoid was the top-ten of movie screens, by country. I’ll re-run (great play on words!!) below. I suppose there is a relationship with, and explanation for, THIS factoid.

COUNTRY No. of Channels

1. Russia 7306
2. China 3240
3. USA 2218
4. Serbia & Montenegro 771
5. Turkey 635
6. France 584
7. India 562
8. South Africa 556
9. Germany 373
10.Norway 360

HARDminute #4
Top Ten Countries
with most cinema screens

Country Screens
1. China 42,400
2. USA 36,594
3. India 11,000
4. France 5,294
5. Germany 4,870
6. Spain 4,388
7. Italy 3,566
8. Great Britain 3,474
9. Mexico 3,197
10. Canada 2,974

HARDminute factoid #4, Cinemas

2008-11-20T14:45:00.000-08:00

HARDminute Factoids
A Series of “Top Tens”
That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
From You to Read

HARDminute #4
Top Ten Countries
with most cinema screens

Country Screens
1. China 42,400
2. USA 36,594
3. India 11,000
4. France 5,294
5. Germany 4,870
6. Spain 4,388
7. Italy 3,566
8. Great Britain 3,474
9. Mexico 3,197
10. Canada 2,974

It’s Called The Hospitality Industry…For A Reason.

2008-10-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Just the Facts…

Dateline: San Francisco CA, Sunday October 18. Time: 1615 . I was working the daywatch out of AT&T Park. My partner was Salmon. My name’s HARD.

We had an appointment in Foster City at 7PM and felt like a cocktail before returning to AT&T for our unmarked unit. My partner called ahead to The Salt House to see if they were open for a drink and a snack. The subject answering the phone said they were setting up for 1700 dinner service, gave us directions from 24 Willie Mays Drive and explained we were only five minutes away.

We hailed a cab.

In under five minutes we were in front of The Salt House. There was no one on the street, but we let the cab go. I covered Salmon as we proceeded to the door. On entry we were accosted by one of the non-busy staff. No, they were NOT open…not for another 30+ minutes, not for drinks, not for bar snacks. Not for called-aheads. Just not. Not at all. Not. I deduced that they might not be interested in us.

Reception: rude. Atmosphere: cold. Service: not applicable. Likelihood of return: none.

We exited the establishment and surveilled the neighborhood. Salmon observed Roy’s, just a few steps to the South. My partner and I covered each other as we proceeded to their location. My fellow officer entered and I watched the door.

Two hostesses were preparing for their opening time…also at 1700 hours. (Are donuts the only thing hard-working servants of the law can get before dinner time?) Nonetheless, they seated us quickly at the bar and made us feel welcome. Jacob did the same. He showed that his “time behind bars” had given him valuable lessons on life. His pour was friendly, his measure generous. He explained that the kitchen wasn’t yet fully-prepped, but he would take care of us.

Our preferred snack, the hamachi, would not be ready immediately, but we were presented some complimentary lumpia while we waited. Everything was worth the walk from The Salt House. And worth the pace of service.

Reception: prompt and welcoming. Atmosphere: warm and friendly. Service: trained, hospitable, focused on the guest. Likelihood of return: guaranteed.

Several members of the Roy’s team made us feel like we were the reason that Roy’s was in business. They recently celebrated their 20th anniversary.

This Officer’s Opinion...

The Salt House should NOT get the same sentence! Not.

HARDminute #3; Best Selling Books

2008-10-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute #3
A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile
But Requires Only Sixty Seconds
for You to Read.

Top 10 best sold books in the world;
(Source: Top 10 of everything 2007)

The Bible, 6,000,000,000
Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, 900,000,000
J.R.R. Tolkein-The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, 100,000,000
Noah Webster, American Spelling Book, 100,000,000
William Holmes McGuffey – The McGuffey Readers, 60,000,000
Benjamin Spock – The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care, 50,000,000
Betty Crocker’s Cookbook, 45,000,000
Elbert Hubbard – A Message to Garcia, 40,000,000
Rev Charles Monroe Sheldon – In his Steps: ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ 30,000,000
Jacqueline Susann – Valley of the Dolls, 30,000,000

HARDminute 2: Top Ten Companies by Market Value

2008-10-22T11:55:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute #2

A Series of “Top Tens”That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds for You to Read.

Last factoid was about the value of the BRAND. Below is the market value of the entire company. Many will be surprised by the growing importance of Chinese companies.

Are you?

The Top 10 most valuable companies worldwide
(Source: Ernst & Young – Quality in Everything We Do)

PetroChina CO (China)
Exxon Mobil (USA)
General Electric (USA)
China Mobile LTD (China)
IND & COMM BK of China (China)
Microsoft Corp (USA)
Gazprom (Rus)
Royal Dutch Shell PLC (The Netherlands)
AT&T INC (USA)
China Petrol & Chemical (China)

HARDminute 1, the top ten brands in the world

2008-09-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

The HARDminute #1

A Series of “Top Tens”

That Took Forever to Compile

But Requires Only Sixty Seconds

for You to Read.

The Top 10 most powerful brands

BRAND / BRAND VALUE $M
Google 86,057
General Electric 71,379
Microsoft 70,887
Coca Cola 58,208
China Mobile 57,225
IBM 55,335
Apple 55,206
McDonald’s 49,499
Nokia 43,975
Marlboro 37,324

Please let me know if this is of interest to you.

I welcome your feedback!

HARD

September 26, 2008

Do you know everything about urban condos in LA?

2008-09-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

I am recommending an event that will open your eyes regarding successful condo development in downtown LA.

If you are going to be in Los Angeles on October 7, I recommend you attend the Annual Urban Infill Event. This is the fourth annual and will take the form of case studies for Market Lofts, the Lee Homes / CIM development at 9th & Hope downtown.

Harlan Lee, one of the pioneers of the LA urban experience will be a presenter. Lee Homes (www.leehomes.net) literally re-wrote the urban LA book when they developed Flower Street Lofts. Since then, they have been a major force in urban developments from LA to San Pedro to Hollywood to Playa Vista.

The organizers recently arranged for a second case study to be part of the program.

AEG, part of worldwide sports and entertainment behemoth, is the owner of The LA Kings, LA Lakers, etc. They own more sports teams and events than any other company in the world. They developed Staples Center, Nokia Center, Grammy Museum. (See www.lalive.com). Their Ritz Carlton Residences at LA Live are setting a new standard of luxury for urban condos in Los Angeles. Talk about an exciting place to live!!

And they are not far from Market Lofts, which is the venue for the event. Market Lofts is the condo tower where Ralph’s is on the ground floor.

For details of this important event, see http://www.rethinkurbanliving.com/.

It will certainly be worth your time!!

SALES-Centric Attributes

2008-09-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

Continued from last blog posting...

Sales-centric homebuilders intuitively understand that without sales, nothing else matters. When a CEO of a public company makes a presentation, she/he always mentions deliveries very early…often first. In a robust market, it may be partially based on bragging rights. In normal markets, it is the ultimate test of how they understand the buyers…their own, their competitors’ and the buyers of resale houses. In depressed markets, it is a matter of survival…even if there is no profitability per sale. A sale that closes at least repatriates some capital…and pays down some debt. Better than the alternative.

Our business always awaits with anticipation the May edition of Builder Magazine, when the “report card” is issued. The Builder 100 ranks builders based on numbers of annual deliveries. Sure, there are other metrics, but they all follow deliveries. How many were there?

Members of the KB Home team often say theirs is a sales and marketing company…whose commodity happens to be housing. That sums it up!!

Let’s start with three principles:

If it does (eventually) not contribute to a sale, should any activity be continued?

If it contributes to a sale, which activity should be abandoned?

If there is something that could contribute to a sale, and we are NOT pursuing it, when will we start?

With those as overriding concerns, we can then fine-tune our processes, value-engineer many components, and find better, faster, more economical ways to support 2 and 3 above.

The great companies ALWAYS consider the buyers.

Not first.

Not mostly.

ONLY!!

If we take the position that we want to attract more sales, we will have better marketing advice. We will have designs that buyers will accept, not that sellers love. We will keep our sites clean and green. We will have proactive customer care programs. We will...all of us…understand that the days of we/they are over. (They should never have taken root, originally, but anything that gets in the way of sales is a mistake. Those members of our team who cannot embrace that attitude should be discharged to impose their bad attitude on someone else.)

Below are some ideas.

Products / plans must be based on buyers needs, balanced with their limits of affordability;

Model merchandising must be based on showing our buyers how and why they may live in our homes;

Our hours of sales office operation must be based on when the greatest number of buyers can visit our community, engage our sales professionals, tour our models, and see a specific location that could best suit their needs and affordability;

Everyone is in sales. Whenever possible, even when we DON’T think it is possible, we ask for a referral. Referral sales are less expensive and are less likely to cancel. Referral sales increase profitability. Profitability affects survival.

It is the responsibility of sales management and senior leadership to train everyone…including non-staff trade partners…how to ask for referrals.

It is then the same responsibility of sales leadership to have an immediate, and effective, system for following up referrals. And, to report back to the source of the referral, both the members of our team and the “civilian” who put her own credibility on the line for us.

It is also the responsibility of sales management to celebrate and say thank you to both if a sale results. And, to encourage more referrals. Referral sales are less expensive and are less likely to cancel. Referral sales increase profitability. Profitability affects survival.

If everyone IS in sales, then, everyone also needs to be part of several other teams.

Everyone is in market intelligence.

Everyone tries to shop the competition;

Everyone is a clipping service and forwards news articles of interest to the marketing leadership;

Everyone collects resales fliers from the nearby neighborhoods.

Everyone is on signage patrol.

When our A-boards are knocked down, everyone is deputized to pick them up;

When our signs show graffiti, everyone is accountable to either remove it or let the marketing leadership know immediately.

When anyone sees a potential signage location, they make it known;

Everyone should be prepared to give a bottle of cool water to the human arrows;

Everyone is in HR.

While shopping the competition, anyone who spots great sales talent lets the sales leadership know the details;

In a professional, non-accusatory way, anyone who sees our own team
missing sales opportunities, owes a duty to the entire team to call out that failing to the appropriate manager. It is mis-placed loyalty to hide the facts if the sales team does not even have the office and models ready for “show time” during 100% of the posted hours of operation. Those failings affect the income, the job satisfaction…even the employment…of the entire team;

Everyone tries to improve our own human capital…by helping to develop our own and by looking for great talent elsewhere. When we have better salespeople, our closing ratios increase. Our metrics improve. Our profitability goes up. Profitability affects survival.

d. ANY improvement in our talent pool will speed up our turns on capital,
increase our absolute sales, or reduce our cost of sales. All of these improve profitability. Profitability affects survival.

10. Everyone reduces litter on site. This is a multi-faceted matter:

No more tossing burger wrappers that land close to…but not in…the appropriate trash containers;

Trade partners clean as they go;

On site construction management inspects what it expects. The supervision always includes finding ways to reduce the construction debris in the first place and it always requires the source of the construction debris to own the responsibility for managing it;

Our sub-contracts normally require the trade partners to clean as they go. That means we never, ever, reinforce bad behavior and hire clean up crews to make up for any failures in that regard…unless that cost is back-charged to the offending trade.

None of us is beyond picking up litter. It is OUR community, OUR business plant, our source of income and pride. We will treat it as if the litter were in our neighborhood retail store, our living room or our classroom.

Everything and anything that “trashes our community” reduces sales. Those that disagree may be better off in a new career.

When closings are happening, everyone can be a courier for escrow documents. This doesn’t mean that everyone is a notary or a certified document signer, but we can all pitch in, save some costs…or some time…and deliver documents if such is necessary / helpful. Closings pay the bills!

When sales are closed, everyone celebrates. When metrics are achieved celebrations include the entire team.

Everyone, including trade partners, knows our fiscal year end. No one plans a vacation immediately before FYE. When we meet our metrics, our lenders and equity partners are happy. When they are happy, they are likely to do business with us again. When they know we are reliable, that our closings are predictable, they consider us as less risky. When we are less risky, the cost of “renting money” is reduced. When renting money costs less, profit increases. Profitability affects survival.

Everyone is in customer care…and recognizes that happy customers make for more referral sales, at a lower cost, thus improving profitability. Profitability affects survival. Sometimes it is easier to oil a hinge than it is to send a memo to the hinging oil department! It is certainly faster!!!

When we have grand openings, topping-off, phase releases, VIP previews, etc., everyone is on the promotions team. Beazer-Los Angeles has a great spirit in this regard. Their operations team arrives shortly after dawn. They look for ways to improve the presentation, rather than excuses to stay away and reasons to snipe at others. They know that successful events result in more sales or earlier sales. Each of these contributes to profitability. Profitability affects survival.

Everyone is in Marketing & PR. We can take a lesson from the very highest levels of management at LENNAR. If they wear name badges at the supermarket, at the movies and at the hockey game, they show a real pride in themselves and their builder. I dare say it has an impact on their conduct in these places, and results in a wider, but also, better impression of LENNAR. If we consistently consider ourselves to be “brand ambassadors” our brand improves. Our sales increase and our costs of sales decrease. Our profitability increases. Profitability affects survival.

Everyone is in land acq…looking for opportunities. If there are sites that come available, where any of us believe we can be successful in making sales, we must advise the land acquisition / forward planning leadership of those opportunities.

CONCLUSION:

Sales-centricity means that everything revolves around sales. In the absence of sales, no other metric matters. Indeed, we don’t matter and we don’t survive. Some have tried to impart this attitude for years, but too many of us were too preoccupied. We were too busy with “our jobs” to worry about sales.

How is that attitude working for us in 2008? How is our job security if there aren’t sales? Maybe, just maybe, this market can be the time when we all embrace that sales and closings are results. Everything else is simply a process.

Jeff Brotman, founder of Costco, is quoted as saying “Reward results and not efforts.”

What do we want more of…results? Or processes and efforts?

No matter what else we do, if we don’t make sales, we don’t survive.

Sales-centricity. It’s time to embrace it! MAKE time to embrace it.

"Sales-Centric" companies

2008-09-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

What does it take to be successful in sales? Is it (only) a great sales team? How well would that sales team perform if they had an inferior, outdated, or discredited product? Is it the advertising, marketing, web-tools team? How well would the company do if the website was superb, if the ads of whatever type generated plenty of visits, and the consumer was well-qualified, but the product was simply too expensive for the buyer? What impact does a terrible reputation have…even when the product, price, value, timetable, etc. are excellent?

I was impressed by the comments of Centex’ CEO, Tim Eller, where he said that his company was paring down its products from 4500 different plans to 700. He used the term “manufacturability.” Mr. Eller sees that he can improve quality by having fewer variables in his “manufacturing plant.” There is a shorter learning curve for everyone involved. Less opportunities for error. Likely an improved “manufacturing time.” Certainly, he looks forward to some cost savings by purchasing more construction components of fewer different versions. And, with good architecture, there can certainly be 4, 5, 6 or 7 elevations of each plan, so that the street scene is still varied and offers prospects a “one-of-a-kind” combination of location, home style, orientation on the site, etc.

Centex is certainly not abandoning its constituency. They still prize their strong showings in customer satisfaction. See http://www.bigbuilderonline.com/industry-news.asp?sectionID=0&articleID=771316

They must believe that they can still take very good care of their customers as well as their shareholders by heading to “manufacturability.”

Centex is certainly one of the firms that understands that we are here to serve the customer. In the business of new home sales, there can be many metrics, ROI, IRR, turns, return on capital, pre-tax income, stock price, etc. But unless there are enough sales, there are not many things to measure. In the absence of sales, survival is questionable.

By streamlining the building process, Centex should expect to deliver better-built homes to its customers, with fewer defects, and take less time to do it.

When that happens, there is a higher level of customer satisfaction. (The latest, J.D. Powers survey shows a close connection between the markets most impacted by lowered prices, and overall satisfaction. Respondents do link a great value to a great experience.) Better customer satisfaction means less call backs, lower costs, and more referral sales. Marketing costs are reduced by every referral sale. Even the number of pages of a brochure is reduced. Fewer renderings may be needed to be in the sales office displays, requiring less wall space in the sales gallery, less frames and less spotlights placed above them. Indeed the artists’ rendering costs can be reduced. Renderings might be bulk produced in Dallas and sent to the various divisions.

The plan reviewers at the municipalities should be quicker to respond. They will build a body of knowledge about the plans…and have fewer of them! They will see the same basic plans more frequently. In some jurisdictions, once a plan is approved, it may be used extensively and we may approach the municipality with a “K-revision” showing only the changes from the master approval.

Less management time is required for fix-it work, freeing up the brainpower for other creative ways to improve the customer experience and the company performance.

With fewer different plans, the sales team gets more familiar with each and is less likely to make errors in the presentations. If there are fewer, and by definition only the best remaining, plans, there are fewer models needed and the enormous costs of models can be contained.

If a customer is likely to want the Centex experience, they have fewer basic homestyles to choose from…and may well make a decision sooner. They will still have plenty of choices of elevations, garage-handing, perhaps the color palettes of body-trim-door-roof colors.

It looks like everything is focused on make more sales, making smoother sales…and expediting the sales they would already be likely to achieve.

Look at the auto manufacturers. Each year, in the US alone, we sell about 8,000,000 new cars. (In great years, we may sell 1,200,000 new homes.) Can we imagine that one manufacturer could have 4500 models? Overall quality of motor vehicles has been growing, not only in third-party evaluations of safety, mileage, etc., but in customer satisfaction as well. Customer satisfaction, and vehicle quality, do not need to mean a one-of-a-kind, custom built vehicle. And, vehicles are decidedly portable, unlike homes!

This is a good sign. I expect we will see the same trends in homes as we see in cars. Continuously-improved quality. More “manfacturability.” Better overall value perception. Then, there will be the truly tiny niche manufacturers like Bentley which sold 10,000 new cars worldwide for the first time in 2007.

By and large, car manufacturers are closer to their consumers. They respond more quickly. They are quicker to innovate. They streamline systems. They build in controlled environments to improve quality and reduce building time. And, at the end of the day, they think about what the consumer will buy in future. They are not infallible, but they avoid a mistake we see all too often in new homes…many designs and processes are established for the preference of the manufacturer and not for the convenience of the consumer.

Automotive manufacturers are more “sales-centric” than homebuilders. It’s time we learned from them.

Next edition: “Attributes of a Sales-centric Builder”

Why NOT?

2008-07-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

1. This week, some airlines have decided to collect extra revenue by allowing third party ads on their online boarding passes. This allows them to delay/avoid further fare increases. Why NOT have other ads on the bin-covers of the overhead racks? I remember busses used to have placard ads. Why NOT planes? Planes could use all that beige-gray “canvas area” for even more revenue. And, added color would contribute visual interest to liven up the ride.

2. While we are talking about air carriers, I recall a story from my economics professor regarding Playboy Magazine offering to supply magazines to (some) airlines. They were rebuffed. OK. But the lame excuse was that passengers might steal the magazines. Playboy, according to Professor Gerry, was even more interested since their ads would be carried away by their target demographic! Little old ladies and the blind would not be as likely to take the magazines. Now, there are perhaps more reasons to avoid Playboy on board but why NOT be thinking how other amenities can be added without cost? Why NOT get a stronger marketing and brand ambassador program at the airlines?

3. Why NOT sell naming rights to the planes’ exterior? Politicians and sports teams see the value and the air carriers seem to enjoy the extra value of being associated with a candidate…for President or for the Super Bowl. Why NOT?

4. It has been a hotly-debated issue for years. Gas pumps show how much of the cost of a gallon goes to various taxes. Some involved in the housing industry have wanted to post similar information about the fees, costs, set asides, etc. that contribute to the cost of housing. Some say it is inflammatory. But how have we done in tempering these costs? And, we have very sophisticated mechanisms (that I support) to mobilize housing stakeholders when new fees and costs are contemplated. Why NOT involve the consumer? I think the time has come to cancel the conspiracy of silence. If consumers knew what the fees were…and then learned that they did not necessarily result in a benefit to the new owners of this home, they might just take action. School fees are accelerating at a time when districts are disposing of their excess property. And, the fees paid on a home next door to a school do not guarantee that the kids will be able to attend this school! Why NOT tell the buyers that it’s not the sellers who are the sole cause of increasing shelter costs?

5. Supermarkets have ads on the floor of their aisles. Some young entrepreneurs in Los Angeles have made a business of pasting mylar-type ads on the white “canvas” of wall-to-wall appliances in coin-op Laundromats. Why NOT use a similar approach on parking structure interior walls?

6. KB Home had a Homer Simpson house, co-branding with Martha Stewart and Pokemon, and a home in the model complex that was branded by a major paint manufacturer (I THINK it was Sherwin Williams)…and then demonstrated several daring colors in the home. Why NOT learn from their marketing moxie and look for opportunities to co-brand more of the home-selling process?

7. Hard hats are required in many spots. Why NOT sell ad space to some major brand partners, Whirlpool, Bank of America, Mohawk Carpets, or Milgard Windows? Maybe that would discourage the graffiti we often see and instill some pride-of-partnership? Why NOT?

8. A detention basin in our community? A requirement? Why NOT turn it into a benefit? Call it a permanently-protected wildlife corridor. Why NOT post a sign identifying the birds, butterflies, and small animals that will use the water, the foliage and the separation from the (human) residential areas. Why NOT have a naturalist help with the description?

9. Why NOT eliminate Braille keys on drive-through ATM’s?

10. But why NOT have more crosswalks with audible guides for the visually-impaired?

11. Why wouldn’t homebuilders make a deal with local freight haulers to add mylar-wrap ads to the trailers as we already do with busses? Why NOT use that steel-gray canvas? If it works with busses…

12. Why is Lennar so passionate about wearing their name badges at the movies, the supermarket and the stadium? Why do others remain incognito? Why NOT show the same evangelical pride in their company, their colleagues and their product as does Lennar? Why NOT?

13. We see Michael, Kobe and other sports figures’ names used to “brand” footware, etc. Ducks’ goalie J. S. Giguere has a condominium residence named after him. Ford once co-branded an Explorer as the Eddie Bauer edition. Why NOT use sports or other celebs to co-brand, or identify a beverage, a cigar, a vehicle? Car sales are slow, but consumers follow the lead of celebrities. This could help.

14. My computer keyboard had several stickers installed before delivery to me….Bluetooth, Intel, Microsoft, etc. But NONE of them shows a website or a (toll free) telephone number so I can order more or ask for service of what I already have. Why NOT make it easy for me to contact a company with whom I already have SOME sort of relationship?

Good Thinking!!

2008-07-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Loews Hotels decided to "credit" their guests for that pesky luggage charge. On checkout, guests get a credit of up to the $30 many / most would have paid. Now, Loews Hotels are always at least a Four Diamond property. They are not inexpensive. I suspect guests stay for more than one night on average. So a "credit" of $10-$15 per night is insignificant. The marketing genius of the idea is to understand their guests, recognize that we are ticked off at the surcharge by the airlines (despite the carriers' own need to find revenue) and solve our problem. Even better is that their strategy was newsworthy and they received plenty of free press. What a different result if they had reduced their rack rate by the same $10-$15!!! Someone was thinking at Loews.

In the packaged cereal business, the boxes have typically been auxillary billboards inside the various stores that carry the products. The cereal companies used bigger boxes to get more linear feet of shelf space, even though the boxes were not full. Wal*Mart apparently realized a new win-win. Because of their size, they can more easily convince their suppliers so here's what they did... They told the cereal companies to shrink the box, but fill it up more. It reportedly told its suppliers, though, that they would still receive as many linear feet of shelf space. If the shelf used to have, say, 16 feet of General Foods, that same 16 feet would just have more boxes. No loss to anyone. Wins: The suppliers don't have a "need" to use too-large boxes. They save packaging cost. Warehousing is more efficient. Wal*Mart has fewer trucks arrive with the same weight of products...since more boxes that are more full can fit on the trucks. Less truck miles! Less fuel costs. Fewer drivers for the same weight. Less road congestion. Someone was thinking at Wal*Mart.

In the same vein, it was reportedly Costco and Wal*Mart that "convinced" (by their buying power) the large milk companies to repackage for the same reasons. Now milk containers will hold the same volume but use less space. And less materials. Someone was thinking at Costco, too.

I am a member of LinkedIn , http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=23289279&trk=tab_pro one of the largest social networking groups, particularly valuable for business. There are some members who treat it almost as a cult. They rack up connections almost to no purpose other than bragging rights. Sometimes I wonder if I am one of them. I have hundreds of connections and regular requests to connect with more. I have asked to join a few groups...so far no one has "rejected" me...but recently I was reminded why we network. I asked to join a group. Several responses immediately linked me up. But one person, Jay Davis from Atlanta http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=12507352&authToken=gOLU&authType=name&goback=%2Eait%2Emid_641661122 used the opportunity to actually ask for the order right up front. Here is his reply: Thank you for the invitation to connect. Please keep me in mind for ANY type of project that you are involved in. One of my clients or ever growing list of contacts could be just the right person for you. Pretty basic. But, so far, Jay is the only one to use the network right away...as a network to do business. I have not met Jay...don't know if I ever will, or if we will ever do business. But he reminded me of a lesson in networking. Think of him if you have needs in Atlanta!! He's agressive enough to be of service. Good thinking, Jay.

Another Sales Team?

2008-07-01T14:25:00.001-07:00

I just saw a great quote by Dana Kovach of Kovach Marketing in Newport Beach.

Dana was commenting on the program of some clever builders to combine buyer-retention events with prospect-motivation events. The idea is to have them attend the same venue, at the same time, and allow the buyers-in-backlog to bond with each other as well as their potential new neighbors and give them their own, personal reasons for deciding to live here.

This has an obvious leverage impact on the events budget. But it also adds another tool to the sales process.

Dana's quote:

Buyers are the best sales team you can inspire.

WOW!! That's as simple as it is profound.

How often do we tap into that resource...one that is likely just waiting to be asked?

Of COURSE, there are bound to be cancellations. If we have no cancellations, we are not serving our prospects well enough. But we should not simply give up on those who might cancel.

Keep them involved. All buyers-in-backlog. Having a predicable book of business will make you noticeable to lenders, equity partners, etc. It also reinforces your (normal) sales team and the trade partners who rely on closings to be successful. Every buyer-in-backlog is a precious commodity.

Take their buying temperature often.

Ask for their help in making new sales...by referrals and by their own comments to the prospects they will meet at your events.

They can be involved in choosing their own neighbors!

Keep in touch and keep in business. It's that simple.

Thanks, Dana, for a wise observation!!

Why OWN?!! Better to rent???

2008-06-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

A recent YAHOO editorial purported to show that owning a home is not necessarily a great investment, and therefore, not a very great decision. I won't even get into where he got his data, how he selected what cities and what timetables to "examine" what is his agenda, etc.

The point is that OWNING is not only a financial decision. Sales professionals, be prepared to serve your prospects better by reinforcing these motivations. Sales managers and sellers, make sure your sales assets have the tools to help their customers.

Here are SOME rerasons to own. Let me know of others and I'll add them.

Tenants can usually be evicted…for cause or not in most markets…in 30 days.
(And the 30 day notice is almost always at a bad time for the tenant.)

Tenants then have little choice when to move.
New phone numbers? New cable carriers? More deposits to the utility companies?

Even paying your rent timely doesn’t prevent a forced move.
If the landlord has not paid the mortgage, tenants can be evicted by the lender in a foreclosure
action, receivership etc.

In almost all cases now, owners know exactly what their monthly mortgage payment will be in one, three, five and ten years.
And usually, it will be the same then as it is now.
Renters can only anticipate increasing rents.

Communities of owners have more stability or residents.
Other owners have a stake in keeping the community safe.

Owners don’t need to ask permission to hang pictures…ANYwhere.

Owners’ kids get to know the neighbors’ kids; we get to know their parents.
There’s a better chance of a better overall kid experience because we all know we’ll likely be
neighbors for some time.

Owners can do their laundry at 3AM, and in the nude, if they want.
Apartment dwellers often can not.

Owners can control more where they park each car, and can usually avoid neighbors’ cars chipping their own car doors.

Owners can paint the kids’ room “Pooh Bear Yellow” if they want.

Owners can glue mirrors to the walls or ceilings if they want.
Owners can build in a window seat, add a bidet, or upholster a wall if they want.

Owners decide for themselves if it is time to add a pet to the household.

Owners can do a house swap for vacations if they want.

Owners determine who has keys to their home.
Owners know who has a door opener for their garage.
Owners can change the locks, codes, door openers, whenever they want.
They don’t need to wonder if a previous resident still has access.

Owners determine who can stay over…for a week, a month, a lifetime.

Owners decide if they want to knock down a wall, combine rooms, convert a closet to a
desk-bookcase, etc.
Owners can remove cabinets, replace them and allow for a larger refrigerator, a second dishwasher, or larger sinks.

Buyers of NEW homes can choose colors, flooring materials, shower enclosures, door peepholes,
light fixtures, etc.
And NONE of them have to be beige, boring and gray!!!

Buyers of NEW homes get the latest technology, best energy efficiency and most modern designs.

Buyers of NEW homes get a warranty. And no lead based paint, no asbestos, no urea
formaldehyde foam insulation, no lead in the water.
In a NEW home, the popcorn is in front of the television and not in the ceiling texture.

Buyers of NEW homes have a built in mechanism to resolve any purported defects in the home.
Buyers of NEW homes, because of their builders’ relationships, have access to the best
trade contractors to remedy any legitimate claims. Try that with a landlord or a used house.

Buyers of NEW homes decide on whether to have built in sound or theater systems…and where
to put them. And get a warranty from the builder in many cases.

Rent vs Buy is not the question. Rent vs OWN is the question.

What is your answer?

Good News...is this the sign we needed?

2008-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

I don't know about anyone else, but I am greatly comforted by yesterday's announcement about StanPac. A private equity firm has made a major investment in StanPac, which Standard & Poor's calls the worst performer of 15 homebuilders for the year through Memorial Day 2008.

MatlinPatterson effectively paid a 37% premium over the closing price before the weekend. They are placing 3 people on the board of 11 directors. The deal leaves management in place.

And, Wall Street responded with a further run-up in StanPac's share price, as much as a 60% premium on the day, before settling at ONLY a 48% premium, still more than the value used for MatlinPatterson.

So...a savvy investor pays a big premium and other, follow-on traders respond by valuing the company at a premium over the premium.

Can this indicate the bottom has been reached?

The worst of the bigs has a HUGE vote of confidence from investors.
The newest major stakeholder says it will not acquire more than 49% of the stock.
The newest major stakeholder wants some say, but not controlling votes.
It seems to like the company's leadership.
Or, maybe it likes the position of being the worst of the bigs...maybe that's a spot that will lead to the greatest growth in its value.

I am looking for more positive news from StanPac. Their salespeople can be re-energized. Their prospects can be more confident that the builder will deliver a good home and be there during the customer care period. Their leadership can concentrate on homebuilding, and home selling, and home closing, not just crisis management and rumor-quashing.

By the way, the company made a brilliant move by including their salespeople in a conference call about this news...almost in real time. That speaks volumes about their realization that the major/sole source of revenue to a homebuilder is generated from the sales team. And, the sales team is the group that is closest to the consumer.

On a related front, new home sales were up in April, but prices were down.

DUH!

How can we be surprised that lower prices yield more absorption?

The buyers always understood. Just not many of the sellers! It took a while, but the market forces seem to be getting into balance.

I suspect we still have lots of pain to go through, but there are some early signs of progress.

Great news about StanPac.

Let's hope for more.

Asleep at the Switch in Laguna

2008-03-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

I needed a new sofa-sleeper for the cabin.

Because I watched their humorous commercials and remembered their radio jingles, I went to Sleep County, Laguna Beach.

As I walked in Saturday morning at 9AM sharp, I passed someone on the sidewalk in front of the store. He ground out his cigarette and blew the smoke into the store as he followed me.

“Welcome to Sleep County. Is this your first visit?” he asked. When I said it was, he told me he was Sylvester but his friends called him Sly and that they had some great incentives today. He didn’t ask my name and didn’t comment on why I was waving my hand in front of my face. (Sly smelled like stale tobacco!)

“If you buy today, we will throw in a terrific bed frame/roller combination. Have you been prequalified?”

I told Sly that my budget was about $800.

“But have you been pre-qualified?” he insisted. “And for people who buy today, we will also throw in two king size pillows. Why dontcha look around and see what ya like? I’ll be at the podium or maybe outside for a smoke. But please let Rafe know you are working with me since he sometimes tries to steal my clients and get an unfair commission.”

I left.

Sly had not asked anything about what I had in mind. He asked irrelevant questions and then ignored their response. He “threw in” some incentives that were completely useless to me since I wanted a foldout bed not something that would be on a frame and rollers. The king sized pillows didn’t matter.

In fact, on reflection, I didn’t matter at all to Sly. He didn’t ask my name. Or where the bedding selection would go. If I had any space constraints. If a color, pattern, style, or firmness was important to me.

He made clear that I interrupted his day and forced him to shorten his smoke break in front of the store. Then, he let me know he may need to return to his smoking position and that I should wait for him!!

And I should give myself a tour and try to inform myself about relative merits of different offerings in the store. Warranty, delivery issues, any assembly problems, etc. etc.

People typically buy a bed as infrequently as they buy a home. We can hardly know all the questions much less the answers. We need someone to give us service. When they don’t we are likely to leave.

Our budget intact.

Our needs unmet.

I wonder what Sly will report…or even remember…if the owner of the store asks how the customer reaction was.

And, since I was there as the store was opening, I was on a mission.

Mission” UNaccomplished.

Solely because of the poor salesperson.

Debriefing #2 from What do YOU Have in Mind?

2008-02-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

Incentives. Calculating payments.

Using the vehicle purchasing experience, we can examine our own sales practices for new homes.

Immediately introducing incentives that matter to you may not matter at all to me. By doing this, you only cheapen your offering and tell me that you are not selling many cars.

Or selling very well according to what the buyers have in mind. How can we ever know the buyers’ agenda? By asking about them, not telling them about us! By actually probing as Dani did. Turns out, I didn’t actually NEED a SUV. By listening to me, by asking good questions, and by knowing her products, she helped me find an alternate solution I hadn’t even considered.

And, how sweet that it was a vehicle that I could drive home that day.

The financing wasn’t the biggest part of my motivation. In some cases, it very well could be and great salespeople know how to discover when that is. Here’s how:

ASK!!
Shut Up!!!
And Listen!!

You’ll learn what I have in mind.

There’s a great saying in these situations:

“I am income; you are overhead. Which does your boss want more of? Whose agenda should matter more?”

Many of us have met the new home salespeople who say they MUST “prequal” every prospect first to be sure they are not wasting their time with a flake.

This was never a best practice, but it is foolish now.

Where are those sites where salespeople don’t have enough time? What would they do if there were not a prospect with them?

And, by the way, even the lenders don’t always get it right, anyway. We all know of sales that were made when another lender repackaged the proposal. And, we have seen “sure sales” evaporate because of poor lenders. So let’s not delegate this matter so soon.

If the payments ARE the most important thing, great. And, for that matter, the site sales professionals should have a pretty god idea of what it takes to afford their homes. They should know the income most likely needed to qualify. And the cash probably needed to close. Maybe the FICO scores. But to simply push away a prospect to a lender is madness.

They buyers NEVER want a loan. They’ll probably need one if they get their problem resolved with our help.

Consider. Why would someone borrow money against an asset that depreciates (some say 30% as you drive off the lot) over time, probably is worth less than the loan amount for much of the repayment period? The reason is what the loan does…it allows the purchase of the vehicle that solves a specific problem. For the prospect.

For the income part of the transaction.

· ASK!!
· Shut Up!!!
· And Listen!!

You’ll learn what I have in mind.

I am income.