Telling It Like It Is

THE ENTERPRISE--A GIFT OF THANKS

THE ENTERPRISE--A GIFT OF THANKS

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
This edition of THE ENTERPRISE will be an unusual one--one that I hope will enhance your holiday weekend help you savor all those things you have to be thankful for.   The list is a long one.  To properly write about it, I need to use those two words that seem to be either misused or avoided in our society--God and love.

I am, above all else, thankful to God for all the blessings He has bestowed on me.  I am blessed (there I go, another God-related word)...but that Is the right word.  I am thankful most of all for those I love.  I am also thankful for a large group of friends, and a small group of very special friends (you know who you are). I decided a long time ago that the meaning in life was provided by the people in my life.  Thus, to everyone who is reading this, who has touched my life in any way--Thanks to You!

MY THANKSGIVING GIFT TO YOU
I want to spend the rest of this edition to give all of you a Thanksgiving "Gift:   I want to introduce you to Matthew Kelly and his work, his writings and his philosophy--which I can state quite succinctly.  Matthew wants to help you become "the-best-version-of-yourself."

About 6 months ago, I became aware of a Matthew Kelly, when a friend who had met him gave me one of his books, THE RHYTHM OF LIFE, which I found to be wonderful.  After reading the first 1/3 of it, I bought copies for several friends and family members while I finished reading it.  I planned to meet with Matthew Kelly way back then, but his schedule and mine got in the way--and we never met.

These are the first four sentences of  THE RHYTHM OF LIFE:

"Everything is a choice.  This is life's greatest truth and its hardest lesson.  It is a great truth because it reminds us of our power.  Not power over others, but the often untapped power to be ourselves and to live the life we have imagined."

I discovered Matthew was speaking at a local church last Sunday evening, so my wife, Maureen and I went to see and hear him.  He was as impressive in person as his book led me to think he'd be.  I got home and emailed him, hoping to meet with him sometime soon. That sometime turned out to be this past Wednesday.  It's rare that you encounter someone who makes an impression like Matthew did on me.

I recalled the first time I read Bill Byham's great book, ZAPP! (The Lightning of Empowerment) and how impressed I was with Bill's unique approach to educating readers while telling a story.   I bought Matthew's latest book THE DREAM MANAGER and decided to read it last Sunday afternoon, before I saw him speak.  I am so happy I did.  It was as refreshing as a drink of cool water on a hot summer's day.

His presentation that Sunday evening was at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Westerville, OH, where he held a standing room only (sitting in the aisles) gathering mesmerized for about 45 minutes.  Nothing he said was either overly dramatic ... or overtly "radical."  It just all made solid, inspiring, good sense--including the parts about God and the Church.

My motive here is simple--to introduce you to a wonderful new person--one who can add to the riches of meaning in your life.  There are only a few people who could do what he has done, while still in his 30's. He's spoken to 3 million people and sold 1 million books, most of it without a "commercial motive," as the primary reason for what he has been doing.  Matthew is Catholic (as I am) and much of his work is done on retreats, speaking at churches and to youth gatherings.   He has spoken to big convention audiences, and worked with major corporations, too, as the power of his message has been discovered.  He is Australian by birth, and now makes his home in the USA.

It strikes me as ironic how such encounters evolve in seemingly unexpected ways.    I found Matthew just as I was sending my edited manuscript for THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS, off to the publisher.  Back then, I had planned to ask for his help when the launch time was near. Somehow, when I met him I decided not to ask him for help.  I left him a copy of the galleys of my book, and a copy of my first book THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP, so he could get a flavor of my beliefs.  Mostly, the lunch we spent together was fun because  I just enjoyed knowing him and being a small part of his world. And I decided to offer my help to him, instead, if he ever needed it. 

Make no mistake, I think my book's message is very important; it can save hundreds of millions of dollars, improve thousands of companies and make life better for their employees.  These are all important outcomes, But Matthew's message is more important.  His message transcends the world of work and business.   It is about your life, your soul, your spirit, the difference between pleasure and happiness (you'll have to read his work to learn that difference) and about how you can become "the-best-version-of-yourself." 

With his latest book, THE DREAM MANAGER, Matthew has crossed over into the field I know best--that of business, organizations, motivation and work life.  Reading one good book can make a huge difference.  I may be able to help him in that area by telling people about THE DREAM MANAGER, and over time, that may help me too ("what goes around, comes around.")  But the real point is to tell all of you--readers--about this remarkable young man and his message.

Once people understand how they can realize their dreams, (and companies understand how to help them do this) and how they can become "the-best-version-of-themselves," then they will be ready for my book--to help them wring wasteful complexity from their company, their jobs and their lives.   

Those insights are my Thanksgiving gift to you.  I hope your holiday weekend was wonderful, and that somewhere in it, you found a few moments to reflect on all the things you have to be thankful for.

I'll close by attaching a little bit of Matthew's message--in his own words--from the opening page of his web site,  I urge you to go there and look around.

Happy Thanksgiving.
John

From http://www.matthewkelly.org/mkf_index.html

Are you becoming the-best-version-of-yourself?

People are always asking me questions like, "When will I know that I have become the-best-version-of-myself?" and "Do I ever become the-best-version-of-myself, or is it one of those things we strive for but never achieve?"

Well, it isn't like we wake up one day and say, "The job is done. I am the-best-version-of-myself!" Everyday we have to celebrate our best self. In every moment we choose between the-best-version-of-ourselves… and a myriad of second-rate-versions-of-ourselves.

In some moments we actively celebrate our best self and in that moment we know that we are indeed the-best-version-of-ourselves. But in the next moment we can lose our best self once again to laziness, impatience, anger, envy, gossip, greed, thoughtlessness, selfishness…

The-best-version-of-ourselves isn't something we strive for and never achieve. It is something we achieve in some moments and not in others.

Your essential purpose is to become the-best-version-of-yourself. This one principle brings clarity to everything else in our lives.

What makes a good book, friend, marriage, job, or movie? A good book, friend, marriage, job, or movie, is one that helps us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves!

Everything makes sense in relation to our essential purpose. The people, experiences, and things we fill our lives with either helps us to become the-best-version-of-yourself… or they don't.

In every moment we simply need to ask ourselves, "Which of the options before me will help me to become the-best-version-of-myself?"

Welcome to The Matthew Kelly Foundation. You have been placed here in this place and at this time to celebrate your best self and to make a contribution. What will your contribution be? I hope that the materials and programs we provide here at the foundation will help you discover the-best-version-of-yourself...

With Warmest Regards,
Matthew Kelly

THE ENTERPRISE --Complexity, Leadership and IT Security

THE ENTERPRISE --Complexity, Leadership and IT Security

BRAND EXTENSIONS ARE EASY, BUT DANGEROUS MOVES--COMPLEXITY IS LURKING
Jack Trout and Al Ries said it 25 years ago in their legendary book, POSITIONING.  Jack has been saying it ever since.  Don't over reach what your brand means to its loyal customers or you'll ruin the brand--and damage it for those things where it built its value.  It's starting to happen again as part of the rampant complexity mistakes  being made around the world.  Bulgari chocolates?  Ralph Lauren everything?  Roberto Cavalli vodka? Virgin everything?  Ferragamo watches?  Pierre Cardin trashed its brand decades ago by over-exposure and over extension.

It seems so easy to transfer familiarity and brand equity to next door products, until that process runs out of gas and damages the core brand itself.  While this is happening, it creates untold complexity as more and more products under more and more names tumble into an already overpopulated market.

WHEN THE WRONG PEOPLE ARE PERCEIVED AS LEADERS
For a couple of decades now, there have been two men posing as leaders of "black Americans," when in fact, what they have been doing is fomenting unrest, creating racial tensions where few existed, and increasing their personal wealth and media stature through sensationalism and thinly veiled extortion. It's time America realized what a bad influence Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are--and it's high time the media quit following their every misguided move like they were real leaders.  They are more like corrupt rock stars or criminals--if only the coverage reflected that. Nuf said.

SUCCESSION PLANNING IS TRICKY BUSINESS
The process of succession planning is a critical part of making sure an organization has the leaders it will need next, being prepared for those jobs above them when they become available.  Some companies do it pretty well, and others don't do it at all.  I spent my share of time in such a process either as the person doing it or the one it was "being done to."  The largest challenge comes at the top where the practice has been that the COO becomes next in line to be CEO. It makes great sense from an organizational and experiential basis. 

The problem is that the two jobs are hugely different in content, and require different skills and leadership attributes.  The COO, in simplistic terms, is responsible for "keeping the trains running on time," in other words, getting results day in, day out.  The CEO is responsible for "where the trains are going, and whether trains are the right way to get there," and gaining support from the various constituents of the company for that conclusion, whatever it is.  BIG difference.  Perhaps it is not surprising the top level succession doesn't work about half the time.

One example of a company that did it right:  GE, under Jack Welch.  Jeff Immelt was ready. So was Bob McInerny (who has proved it at two companies).  Was Bob Nardelli?   We'll see.  His Home Depot stint leaves us wondering. At Chrysler he is a big question-mark.

CYBER-SECURITY--A HUGE RISK
You read it here again.   Soon some outside agent, probably backed by a rogue nation will attempt to take down our information and communications infrastructure.  They will be at least partially successful.  I raised this threat in my novel THE SILENCE  five years ago.  (It's still available on-line--link below) http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-1145671-7388045?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=THE+SILENCE%2BMARIOTTI&x=9&y=26

Now the attacks by Worms and Viruses are picking up again, with even smarter and more damaging ones than I wrote about.  Anyone who opened Elvis.mp3 or its variations, or been attacked by the Storm Worm (Jan. 2007 with newsy titles like "230 dead as storm batters Europe" have infected their computer.  More important, they have made it part of a million computer network accessible to cyber-criminals.  Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda don't need to fly planes into any more buildings to damage America.

All they need to do is take down the info systems supporting Wall Street, Banking, Air Travel and Civilian/Government Communications (Internet, satellite and cable TV, broadcast radio/TV, telephones, cellular systems, etc.)  ALL of those are controlled by--right, you guessed it--networks of computers.   These new worms and viruses don't want to destroy your computer--they just want to use it.  Storm infected 1 million computers and probably more--because those were just the ones detected with it.  Redouble your security because corporations, individual users, easy access computers (like hotel lobbies, coffee shops, etc.) are all at risk.

TO TORTURE OR NOT--A REAL DILEMMA
The answer is "never say never and always avoid always."  Sometimes torture is necessary.  Sometimes is it cruel, harsh and inhuman.  Sometimes it is both.  There is no way to write a "law" that considers the consequences and spells out the circumstances under which "any means" can be used to preserve the greater good.  There is also no way to legislate against abuse.   It is a part of the human condition to go beyond the rules--good and bad.  All that can be done is to set "guidelines" and elect people of wisdom, honor and integrity to lead.   Use that as your Presidential and Congressional  candidate litmus test and you'll quickly see who to select in and out.

OUR DO NOTHING CONGRESS
We were unhappy with the Republican controlled Congress and its flagrant spending and ineffective legislation---so we elected new people in Congress and put the Democrats in charge.  The result?  it got worse.  If we elect more of them, guess what?   It will get still worse.  Congress needs balance.  It needs leaders we can look up to and believe in.  Run that test on Pelosi and Reid and see where you come out.  Then support candidates accordingly.

THAT'S ENOUGH FOR NOW.
Today was the annual Ohio State-Michigan rivalry game and although the game was in Michigan, OSU won it for the 4th year in a row (14-3) and here in Columbus, that's big news.  As an old friend once said to me, "the OSU-Michigan game is not a matter of life or death--it's much more important than that."  He was being facetious (I hope)....but it is always a big deal.   Now Ohio State has to try to stay in shape for 7 weeks, when they will either go to the Rose Bowl, or--if all the upsets align just right--to the BCS Championship (a real long shot).  Considering that this was supposed to be a rebuilding year, after sending more than 1/2 of last years team to the NFL, this has been a surprisingly good year. 

Best, John

THE ENTERPRISE--COMPLEXITY AND ATTITUDE

THE ENTERPRISE--COMPLEXITY AND ATTITUDE

BURIED IN THE CLUTTER OF COMPLEXITY?  DROWNING IN COMPLEXITY?  HELP IS ON ITS WAY.
Peggy Noonan was a speech writer for President Reagan, and she writes the absolute best thing in the Wall Street Journal--a column in the Weekend Journal.  It is the first thing I go for.  And no, I didn't steal the title of my new book from her column of 16 months ago....in fact I had not seen the column until this week.  I guess it came during my vacation last year, when I suspended the WSJ...but am I sure glad I saw it now.

Why?  Because Noonan's 2006 column not only reinforces the message of my book--there is too much unrecognized complexity in our "world"--in business and in government.  It also explains more about why the political winds are blowing the way they are, and why the American people can be so critical of their legislators.

NO WONDER WE STRUGGLED
This year at our 11th Reunion Conference in Sept. we discussed many of the issues plaguing our country, our society, our government and thus all of us--as citizens.  When we tried to condense our discussions into an agenda or a platform, it was incredibly difficult.  There were so many, with so many nuances and slightly to wildly differing opinions on the right path to take.   It felt a lot like what our government--or our corporations--must feel like when they are drowning in complexity.  With arm outstretched, they should all be calling for help.

But help is on the way...  I won't even attempt to claim that a simple book will solve our government's curse of complexity.  But for those in business, here is a life-preserver in a stormy sea.  THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS is now available for preordering.  In the next week or two, I'll provide more  info on how and where to preorder it, as I appeal to you to preorder MORE copies than you think you'll need--and hand them out liberally to your friend, cohorts, clients, customers, suppliers, and anyone else that needs help!

Here are some excerpts from Peggy's WSJ column that are so right, they bear repeating over a year later:
--------------------

The Complexity Crisis
We are asking too much of our politicians.
Thursday, July 13, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT

I am thinking about the huge and crushing number of issues we force politicians to understand and make decisions on. These are issues of great variety, complexity, and even in some cases, many cases in a way, unknowability.  All of us, as good citizens, feel that we must know something about them, study them, come to conclusions. But there are too many, and they are too complicated, or the information on them is contradictory, or incomplete.

For politicians it is the same but more so. They not only have to try to understand, complicated and demanding questions, they have to vote on them.

We are asking our politicians, our senators and congressmen, to make judgments, decisions and policy on: stem cell research, SDI, Nato composition, G-8 agreements, the history and state of play of judicial and legislative actions regarding press freedoms, the history of Sunni-Shiites tensions, Kurds, tax rates, federal spending, hurricane prediction and response, the building of a library annex in Missoula, the most recent thinking on when human life begins, including the thinking of the theologians of antiquity on when the soul enters the body, chemical weaponry, the Supreme Court, U.S.-North Korean relations, bioethics, cloning, public college curriculums, India-Pakistan relations, the enduring Muslim-Hindu conflict, the constitutional implications of McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform, Homeland security, Securities and Exchange Commission authority, energy policy, environmental policy, nuclear proliferation, global warming, the stability of Venezuela's Chavez regime and its implications for U.S. oil prices, the future of Cuba after Castro, progress in gender bias as suggested by comparisons of the number of girls who pursued college-track studies in American public high schools circa 1950 to those on a college-track today, outsourcing, immigration, the comparative efficacy of charter and magnet schools, land use, Kelo, health care, HMO's, what to do with victims of child abuse, the history of marriage, the nature and origin of homosexuality, V-chips, foreign competition in the making of computer chips, fat levels in potato chips, national policy on the humanities, U.N. reform, and privacy law.

And that was just this week. Just seven days in the modern political world. ...  We are asking too much. Of ourselves and of the mere mortals who lead us. ...

Why are we asking so much of them? Because everything comes down to law and law comes down to politicians. Because everyone's watching, and trying to pin everyone else down--"But Congressman, the little girl lived in your district and all the local authorities had been alerted, don't you think your office should have done something about the daily abuse to which she was being subjected?"....

[my emphasis added to this next 3 paragraphs]
The Increasing Complexity of Everything is good for liberalism (government should be vital, large, demand and bestow much) and not conservatism (government should be smaller, less powerful, less demanding of the treasure and liberty of the citizenry). When everything is a big complicated morass, regular normal people, voters, constituents, become intellectually disheartened. They can also lose sight of core principles. A leftist who is Machiavellian in his impulses just might look at the lay of the land and think, Good, snow 'em under, they'll get confused. Keep hitting them with new issues and they'll start to make mistakes. They may stop us on gun control, but while they're busy fighting that we'll get Congress to mandate limits on CEO pay.

One feels as a voter not argued into agreement or persuaded into support but complicated into submission.  How do politicians themselves feel about it? I would like to think many of them, and I know some of them, occasionally have a drink with friends at night and let out their surprise and dismay. "I'm just a guy who loved politics! I buy my suits at Moe's Big and Tall! I'm not a theologian, I'm not a scientist! Don't make me make these decisions! I'm stupider than you understand!" ...

What is the answer to all this? I don't know. But there must be one, even though it's probably complicated. I have only three thoughts. One: It is good to keep in mind, at such a time, that we must let as many questions devolve into the private sphere as possible. Not all can but many can, and on so many issues it's better to err on the side of individual freedom than the authority of the state. Two, in making big decisions do not lose simple common sense, which is common human sense, which is, for instance: If you start to clone humans it will have an ugly end. Three: Do not let go of your faith. Do not lose it. In the age in which too much is demanded of the slim wisdom of politicians, it is our only hope, and theirs.

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That, my friends and readers is why I wrote a book---THE COMPLEXITY CRISIS--intended to both publicize and expose rampant complexity and  propose what to do about it.  Otherwise complexity is debilitating, demoralizing and discouraging.  And in our difficult modern world, that is not what we need.  What we need is hope, optimism, ideas, solutions and most of all a positive mental attitude that we can, and will find the best solutions to the thorniest problems.  No one of us will.  not even a few of us will.  But many of us, if we start reading, thinking and seeking solutions--will find them.  I've seen it happen. 

To keep this "attitude" in mind, I'd like to close with something a friend sent me today.  It is NOT about me.  (The choice of the name "John" is purely coincidental.)  But it inspired and encouraged me, and I hope it will do the same for you. God knows we all need it.
------------------------------
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!

John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator.

If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!

You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood.

I choose to be in a good mood."

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations.

You choose how people affect your mood.

You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

I reflected on what he said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it.  Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower.

After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.  I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins..  Want to see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

"The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," he replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground , I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live  or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked

He continued, " ..the paramedics were great.

They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'."

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything.

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When you read the Economic Week in Review (if you persist to read it), you'll wonder how we can think things are so bad in the USA, when the results we are seeing in our own numbers are so good.  Could it be our attitude about it all is wrong?  Maybe, just maybe we should all be more like that other John.

Best, John

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Economic Week in Review: Trade deficit hits two-year low

The week's economic releases were decidedly positive. The top story was the continuing reduction of the U.S. trade deficit, which fell for the fourth straight month in September and reached its lowest level since May 2005. Meanwhile, nonfarm productivity grew at the fastest pace in more than four years and activity in the services sector improved in October.

The U.S. balance of trade—the gap between the total value of imports and exports—shrank to $56.5 billion in September from a downwardly revised $56.8 billion in August. This was in contrast to expectations of an increase to $58.2 billion and marked the fourth consecutive month of improvement. Exports increased $1.5 billion, while imports grew $1.2 billion. The U.S. dollar's ongoing weakness is playing a significant role in the deficit reduction, because it makes American goods and services more competitive abroad. Compared with a year ago, the trade deficit is down 12%.
Nonfarm productivity rose sharply in third quarter; labor costs fell

U.S. nonfarm productivity jumped at a 4.9% annualized rate in the third quarter. This gain—well above expectations of 3.3% increase—marked the fastest pace in over four years and was more than double the second quarter's 2.2% rate of growth. Meanwhile, unit labor costs, a key inflationary gauge, fell an annualized 0.2% in the third quarter, in sharp contrast to an anticipated gain of 0.8%. It was the first decline in labor costs since the summer of 2006. Compared with year-ago levels, productivity was up 2.4% and unit labor costs were 4.3% higher.

In contrast to last week's disappointing report on October activity in the manufacturing sector, the Institute for Supply Management's gauge of activity in the services sector surpassed analysts' expectations of a decrease by posting a modest increase in October, from 54.8 to 55.8. Forward-looking indicators, particularly new and backlogged orders , seemed to suggest that the improvement may continue in coming months. The employment component of the index weakened a bit. Despite the overall positive tenor of the report, sentiment among survey respondents remained mixed about the future strength of business conditions. Also, the index remained below its 12-month average.
September consumer credit increase smaller than expected

American consumers seemed less reluctant to use credit for their purchases in September, as outstanding consumer credit increased $3.7 billion, or an annualized 1.8%. Revolving debt, primarily credit card debt, grew at an annualized 4.4%. It was the smallest change since April. Continued slowness in auto sales led to a tame 0.3% annualized increase in nonrevolving debt, of which auto loans are the dominant component. On a year-over-year basis, total credit usage grew a modest 5.1%.

COMING SOON--HOW COMPLEXITY CRIPPLES COMPANIES AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE INFO ON: The Complexity Crisis—Why Too Many Products, Markets & Customers Are Crippling Your Company-And What To Do About It   

THE ENTERPRISE--SHORT TAKES

THE ENTERPRISE

LOTS OF SHORT TAKES--BUT BIG NEWS:

CONGRESS CONTINUES TO FLEECE THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS
$1.8 BILLION IN EARMARKS IN MILITARY SPENDING BILL ALONE--THROW THE CROOKS OUT & MAKE THE SENATE DISCLOSE WHO SPONSORS THEM
Some members of the US Congress have so badly abused the earmark process and to render it unusable.  Earmarks were created to fill in for mistakes and omissions on funding bills.  Now it has become the "honey pot" and "pork barrel" for outspoken Congressional miscreants like John Murtha (D. PA--$166MM), Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House (D. CA--$32MM), C. W. "Bill" Young (R. FL--$117MM), Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader (D. MD--$26MM)

ARE YOU READY FOR THE PUNCH LINE?  THIS IS AFTER KEEPING THEIR PROMISE OF THE NEW ELECTED DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY TO CUT THEM IN HALF!  THEY WERE TWICE AS BAD BEFORE. 

I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE ELECTING "ROYALTY" TO CONGRESS, BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE WHAT IS HAPPENING.  THERE MUST BE SOME HONEST PEOPLE IN OUR GOVERNMENT THAT CAN REIN IN THIS CRIMINAL INSANITY.

NEXT BIG NEWS: FORD GAINS, TOYOTA SLIPS--IN QUALITY ACCORDING TO USERS
Consumer Reports showed that two redesigned Toyota models, the V-6 Camry and V-8 AWD Tundra  pickup(and the AWD Lexus GS!) were no longer on its "Recommended" list due to user reported quality problems.  Toyota now ranks 3rd behind Honda and Subaru.  Ford, however, has risen considerably, with 93% of models rated average or better in reliability and the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan among the most reliable vehicles in their class.  WAY TO GO FORD!    NOW UNLOAD THOSE LOSS LEADER LUXURY LINES AND GET ON WITH BUILDING GREAT CARS IN ALL SEGMENTS.  (I drove a Fusion, and didn't buy it, but it was the best riding and handling mid-sze of the four brands I drove.  Only the Acura TL at a $7k premium beat it, and that was more on quality history and features than on core function.)

THE ECONOMY--UP, DOWN, ALL AROUND --MOSTLY "FLAT" (NO FIZZ) FOR 2008
Jobs are up; consumer confidence is down.  Housing is down and debt is up, but the Fed has cut rates twice, and may do it again before year end.  Inflation is not bad except for oil prices, which will drive heating and gas prices up, taking significant money out of consumers' discretionary spending.  Christmas sales are already starting, which means deals abound.  Prices will be lower, thus comp sales for the same amount of goods will be down.  2008 forecast--not a recession--but four quarters of very low growth--1-2%+/- depending on Iraq and the election.  Time to tighten the purse strings and be ready to weather a challenging year in 2008.  While you are at it, wring out every bit of COMPLEXITY that has crept into your business--and life.   It just sucks money away and you don't realize it until it's gone.

EARMARKS CLOSE COMPETITOR: FARM SUBSIDIES THE BIGGEST OBSOLETE TAXPAYER RIPOFF
Led by lobbies from agricultural states, the debate to sustain the $286 billion...that's right $286 BILLION in farm subsidies, many of which go to the profitable (corporate farms) and prosperous (wealthy farm owners like a couple of Rockefellers, Edgar Bronfman (Seagram's wealth)...and the Arkansas Department of Corrections, (to the tune of $1,966,597 for it's contribution to agriculture).  This is TOTAL BS--it is government THEFT from taxpayers, and wealth redistribution of the most obsolete and onerous kind.  WHO CAN STOP THIS?  ONLY YOUR CONGRESSMAN AND SENATOR...WRITE TO THEM.

JUST TO MAKE YOU FEEL SAFE--NOT!
Recent tests at O'Hare and LAX proved that our airport security does not detect explosives most of the time.  The failure rates for screeners were 60% at O'Hare and 75% at LAX.  The TSA chief could only offer the excuse that some of the undercover agents were concealing explosives as small as  pen cap.   Great, as if that wouldn't blow a hole in the fuselage of an airplane leading to catastrophic decompression and a huge emergency--if not a crash--especially if detonated on takeoff or landing, the two most critical times, where recovery from a mishap is near impossible.  You know the old line about "locks keeping out the honest burglars?"  Scares me...and once again...the government run functions FAIL TO WORK!  And the Democrats want to turn more of our life over to the government?  THIS SHOULD SCARE THE HELL OUT OF ALL OF US WHO USE AIR TRAVEL.

HOAXES IN THE FORM OF MARKETING
Tests reported by the New Scientist have concluded that inexpensive ($80-$90) running shoes actually absorbed more shock and protected the runner from painful injuries like shin splints, better than the very expensive ($140-150), feature laden ones.  So much for trading up for any reason except status.  Another mistaken consumer perception is that "bagless vacuum cleaners'" (including the very expensive Dyson Cyclonic) do a better job of cleaning than older "bagged" models.  They don't.  In fact, many do worse, and often they do so because people either don't realize or don't bother to change old, dirty filters.  It's ironic that one model (I don't recall which brand) claimed a "lifetime filter" and then supplied an extra one with the cleaner!  And dumping that dust cup is like shaking out the old cloth bags--you get a snoot full of dust.  That's why disposable,  replaceable, filter-material bags were "invented."  They work and are easy to use. MARKETING IS NOT ALWAYS "THE WHOLE TRUTH" OR EVEN CLOSE TO IT

MULTI-TASKING CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH--AND JOB
Today's electronic age allows people to always be "ON", and that includes when driving.  Do I need to say more. Text messaging while driving is incredibly dangerous.  Talking on a handheld phone is about as dangerous as driving drunk.  Talking on a hands free phone is only a little less dangerous--since you often devote more of your attention and brain power to the conversation than to driving.  You know this is true--you've either seen it or been guilty of it.  Walking in heavy traffic areas while on the cell phone is equally hazardous.  Doing multiple things at your job similarly insures you'll do a lousy job at all of them.  IT'S YOUR LIFE...LIVE IT HOWEVER YOU CHOOSE--BUT FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED.

SOMEONE WILL SHUTDOWN OUR CYBER-SYSTEMS ONE OF THESE DAYS
Five years ago I wrote a novel titled THE SILENCE still available at amazon.com.  It was about an international conspiracy to use cyber-terrorism in combination with other proven approaches (military jamming, to name just one) to completely "SILENCE" all forms of electronic communications at once.  The more convergence, the more inter-networked our communications systems become, the greater the threat.  The government is just now starting to allocate money to "police" this area.  Talk about "closing the barn door after the horse is gone."  it happened (sort of) in Estonia in May.  it could happen here.  Imagine, Wall Street, Banking, Air Traffic Control, Phones, Networks, Radio, TV, etc.  all shut
down.  Incredible.  If you want o read about how it could happen, get THE SILENCE.
http://www.amazon.com/Silence-John-L-Mariotti/dp/0595744591/ref=sr_1_1/002-0730596-3529632?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194137990&sr=1-1

Businesses are among the most vulnerable to attacks, so smart CIOs are paying attention to security and backup routines.  The worst problems--disgruntled former employees who get out with their passwords and do great harm.

I didn't start this edition of THE ENTERPRISE to frighten or worry you.  I just had accumulated these interesting (and I guess, alarming in some cases) tidbits.  In any case, now you know about them.  Finally, how about a big smile for Ford and GM starting to move up and challenge the Japanese in auto quality.  Could it be the start of a new era?  Maybe!

Best, John