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Miscellaneous Thoughts
Celebrity ScentsThe Onion's satirical description of Derek Jeter's
new fragrance line: "An oxymoron you can smell."
(The Onion must have a thing for Jeter these days. A headline in
the same issue: "Expert: Derek Jeter probably didn't need to
jump to throw that guy out.")
Steve Yastrow posted this on 08/22/06.
I Love It
One
of my pet peeves is the "dumbed down" conversation. I've
heard too many of them lately. In contrast, the comments on my last
two posts are rich, interesting and thoughtful. Thank you.
I
wrote those posts at O'Hare Airport Friday evening, just before
boarding an overnight flight. After a stop in Frankfurt with friends,
I arrived in Jerusalem before dawn yesterday (Sunday) and spent
the day relaxing away from the online world. I just flipped open
my computer at my favorite Jerusalem coffee shop, Tmol Shilshom,
which is in an old, funky building in the center of town. Central
Jerusalem has free wireless access, so I was able to check in for
the first time in a few days.
What
a pleasure to come back from a few days of "head clearing"
and read those comments. I love it when people think and engage
in good debate and conversation. Let's keep doing it!
Steve Yastrow posted this on 04/10/06.
Learning
through Criticism
A
point in a conversation tonight with friends:
Some
criticism is given incorrectly. Some criticism is taken incorrectly.
We spend a lot of time worrying about the way criticism is given,
but we can learn much more from how we take it.
Steve Yastrow posted this on 03/05/06.
Blue
+ ? = Green
Technology,
culture and behavior seem to evolve together. Years ago, we started
to see people walking through airports talking on cellphones with
headsets. In order not to seem like wierdos talking to themselves,
these folks would routinely hold the headset microphone to their
mouths, so you could clearly see that they were on the phone.
Then
people dropped their hands from their headsets, assuming you'd know
they were on the phone because of the cord dangling from their ear.
After a while, the introduction of the bluetooth headset took away
that cord, but by then nobody was self-conscious anymore, and it
became commonplace to see people walking through airline terminals
talking without shame to an unseen companion.
But
now, at least for men, social norms have relaxed to a new level.
Many times in the past year I've walked into an airport men's room
and seen a lone man standing at a bank of urinals, actively engaged
in a hands-free conversation with someone hundreds of miles away,
presumably with a hidden bluetooth headset in his ear. These people
inevitably speak in extra loud voices, as people speaking on cell
phones in public often do. So, it's hard not to hear about the latest
deal they're trying to close, or the new investment idea they're
discussing.
I
guess the call of the greenback makes it difficult to wait two minutes
to make the call. After all, cash is king. But, I personally refuse
to take part in this latest cultural development. And, I'll hang
up on anyone who calls me if I hear the sounds of the airport bathroom
in the background.
Steve Yastrow posted this on 11/23/05.
Sage Wisdom
Although
she has lived 80 years, my aunt, Roslyn Alexander, is anything but
old. An actress for many years, she can still be seen on stage in
Chicago frequently, doing 3 shows this year alone, and appearing
over the last few years at prominent theaters such as Steppenwolf
and Victory Gardens. So, her comments don't come from one who is
just out of step with the times ...
This
evening, the conversation turned to the avalanche of emails people
face every day at their jobs. She said, "Just because we can
connect, should we? I hear people on their cell phones ask, 'What
did you do today? Nothing? Ok, I'll call you later.' Are we just
afraid that if we're alone we might have to think? If we have a
bad thought, are we afraid we can't face it? Or are we afraid we'll
have no thought?"
Steve Yastrow posted this on 09/23/05.
It
makes you sick?
I'm
not a regular reader of People Weekly, (yes, I feel compelled to
point that out before quoting the magazine) so I'm not sure if the
following is a grammatical blooper or purposeful, yet subtle, satire.
A
blurb-with-picture in People describes Paris Hilton's recent Mediterranean
yachting vacation with friends. Apparently, they suffered 12-ft
seas on the way to Sardinia. The paragraph-long story ended by saying
that the group made it safely to port, but "more nauseous than
before."
Now,
I'm sure the nauseous waves made them feel nauseated, but is it
possible for Paris Hilton to become "more nauseous than before?"
Steve Yastrow posted this on 08/08/05
Is
mega-discounting good?
A
recent article in the Christian Science Monitor's Ethical Investing
section asks the question "Who benefits from rock-bottom pricing?"
Discount
retailers are known to pay low wages and force local shops to close.
But, they give people with limited means access to a broad range
of products at low prices. On balance, are they good or bad for
society?
The
article points out that it's not easy to answer this question, saying
that, "discount retail is a complex business with more winners,
losers, and tough ethical tradeoffs than public debate routinely
acknowledges." Although many workers and entrepreneurs are
worse off, a much larger number of consumers are better off. What
do you think?
Steve Yastrow posted this on 06/05/05.
Stalled
Mobility
Some
people are born great,
Some
achieve greatness,
And
some have greatness thrust upon them.
I've
written previously on tompeters.com about how our modern take on
these lines from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night is so different from
that of the Elizabethan audiences who originally heard them. They
believed you had to be born into greatness, we believe that people
can pull themselves up by their bootstraps to a higher station in
life.
A
fascinating—and somewhat disheartening—series this week
in the New York Times challenges our current beliefs about "Class
in America." Class is defined as the combination of education,
income, occupation and wealth. The first installment, published
Sunday, told how, in the last three decades, there is far less movement
up and down the economic ladder than economists once thought. People
of all economic strata, including those less fortunate, believe
that it's possible to rise to a higher station in life through your
own initiative, but the fact is that it has become less common in
our society. Why? Well, it may be that the most important choice
you ever don't get to make is who your parents are, and what kind
of opportunities they make possible for you. What does this say
about the "American Dream?"
Monday's
article showed how healthcare is not distributed equally by class,
but in fact has become a good that is disproportionately distributed
to the wealthy, similar to "BMWs and goat cheese." The
story follows 3 New York heart attack victims, a wealthy architect,
a Con Ed worker, and a cleaning woman, describing the astounding
differences in their experiences.
Do
these findings surprise you? Is there a gap between perceived and
real equal opportunity in our society?
The next installment is tomorrow (Thursday).
Steve Yastrow posted this on 05/18/05.
Television
Freedom Day
Each
year in May we read stories about the approach of "Tax Freedom
Day," the day when the average American has earned enough to
pay their income taxes and can start working for himself.
This
year, the average American will watch 1760+ hours of TV, which is
about 5 hours per day, or about 74 24-hour periods. That makes March
15 "TV Freedom Day." Yes, 2 1/2 months in front of the
tube! Another 4 months spent sleeping, and people can wake up from
the TV and the bed in the second half of the year and start doing
other stuff—like interacting with other humans!
Steve Yastrow posted this on 03/08/05.
Most
Beautiful Words
If
you don't subscribe to "A word a day" from wordsmith.org,
you don't know what you're missing! Every day provides an interesting
word, organized into weekly themes.
The
monthly newsletter adds some extra features. The latest issue told
of a survey of 42,000 non-native speakers of English in which they
voted for what they thought were the most beautiful words in English,
with the top 10 being mother, passion, smile, love, eternity, fantastic,
destiny, freedom, liberty, and tranquility. Peekaboo and pumpkin
weren't far behind. Another article described an issue that is really
just the tip of the iceberg—the linguistic consequences of
global warming. The article shows how Arctic peoples don't have
the words for the new species they are seeing as polar ice thaws
and wildlife can live farther north.
Yesterday's
word: Profluent, an adjective meaning "flowing smoothly."
Steve Yastrow posted this on 11/28/04.
To
Who It May Concern
Watching
CNN Europe from Germany this weekend, I noticed the anchor, obviously
a native English speaker, saying, "... as Americans are now
deciding who gets their vote, or, should I say 'whom' gets their
vote."
Her
fellow anchor was confused, and said, "Thank you, for helping
us use 'whom' properly."
I
wonder whom told them they got it wrong.
Steve Yastrow posted this on 10/25/04.
Certainty
and Leadership
Ok
... I hope this doesn't turn into a political or religious commentary.
Let's focus, if possible, on the business implications of what I'm
writing.
In
yesterday's New York Times Magazine, Ron Suskind writes a brilliant
article called "Faith, Certainty and the Presidency of George
W. Bush." It shows how GWB's unflagging certainty about all
of his opinions has shut down debate and discourse in his inner
circle—and even beyond his inner circle. There is a story
of a meeting with a group of Senators where the president got Switzerland
and Sweden mixed up and argued that Sweden is "the neutral
one" without an Army. He refused to be corrected, and everyone
shut up. In addition to this article, Suskind wrote "The Price
of Loyalty" about what happened to Paul O'Neill when he began
to question W.
What
are the implications for leaders who don't question their beliefs,
and consider challenges from their advisers as disloyalty? (My best
boss ever had a credo for his direct reports, telling us not to
be yes-men: "Don't let me f--- up!")
Steve Yastrow posted this on 10/18/04.
Sanely
Civilized Country
Tom
and I are both (coincidentally) criss-crossing Northern Europe at
the same time. Tom wondered in an earlier post if he'd get the same
warm treatment in Denmark he got in Sweden—I arrived in Denmark
today and it took me less than 10 minutes in the country to be reminded
that this is one of the most friendly, most "civilized"
places on the planet. (I didn't suffer any GWB guilt by association.)
And,
it's a great business community. Looking forward to 3 days of speeches
and seminars with audiences hungry for new ways to look at marketing.
Steve Yastrow posted this on 10/18/04.
Talk
Amongst Yourself
You
may have seen me before—I'm the guy in the airport departure
lounge using a hands-free headset with my cell phone, but holding
the phone to the side of my face anyway. Why? So I won't look like
a weirdo talking to myself.
Ah—but I think I can stop worrying about how this looks, if
observed practice is a sign of social acceptance. In my first half
hour in the Frankfurt, Germany, airport this morning I saw people
walking through the terminal talking to themselves in at least 3
languages, with their inconspicuous headset cords and cell phones
hidden in pockets and the folds of jackets.
Do
you feel funny talking to yourself like this in public?
Steve Yastrow posted this on 10/18/04.
Accidental
Genius
I
spent the day today with a fascinating guy named Mark Levy, the
author of Accidental Genius. Mark has an intriguing concept called
"private writing" that involves free, uncensored writing
that you mean nobody but yourself to see.
The
idea is to get out of your own way and just write non-stop with
no editing, no self-judgment and, importantly, no worry about the
judgments of other people. This allows you to let your "creative
quirks" come out as you see things from different angles. Mark
says this process creates wonderful "accidents," resulting
in "bursts of exceptional insight, or—genius moments."
Need
to generate some new ideas today? Try private writing!
Steve Yastrow posted this on 09/20/04.
Sunday
A.M. Word Fun
It's
Labor Day weekend here in the U.S., and many of you are still laboring
instead of relaxing—checking your email or voicemail, or working
on a project. So here's a little word fun to give you a short respite
from the new world of work.
Aptronyms
are personal names that reflect a person's occupation. For example,
I knew a woman in advertising, whose husband was in sales. Their
family name is Liebig. Or, the Buffalo NY funeral home run by the
Amigone family. Here's an amusing list of medical aptronyms, where
you can read about Dr. Aikenhead (allergist), Dr. Yankum (dentist)
and Dr. Ow (pain management.)
Steve Yastrow posted this on 09/05/04.
If
You Can't Laugh at This
......
then you're way too politically correct!
A
client walked into a meeting with me this morning wearing a t-shirt
that had picture of a pirate on it. Underneath the picture it said,
"We prefer to be called Buccaneer-Americans."
Steve Yastrow posted this on 09/03/04.
How
Things Change
I
was listening to Steely Dan on my iPod today, and heard a familiar
line in a new way:
"Rikki
don't lose that number, you don't want to call nobody else. Send
it off in a letter to yourself."
In
1974, sending a letter to yourself seemed a very odd and obscure
thing to do. But how many of us today send ourselves voicemails
or emails? We all do!
I've
even noticed different styles people use when leaving themselves
messages. I'll admit to a quick, curt, no-frills monotone on reminder
voicemails I leave to myself ("Call Larry, get dog food"),
while other people (like my wife!) are much more polite to themselves,
saying "hi" and "bye" and using warm vocal inflections.
Which style are you?
Steve Yastrow posted this on 08/31/04. |
