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Bryce’s Pet Peeves of the Week

Monday, June 21st, 2010

“Never trust a mortal who doesn’t have at least one known vice (e.g., drinking, smoking, swearing).”
- Bryce’s Law

INTRODUCTION

On August 1st of last year, my “Management Visions” (MV) broadcast premiered on the Internet. MV is a free World wide web broadcast (aka “Podcast”) that is updated weekly (on Mondays) and is prefabricated acquirable in MP3, WMA, and RealPlayer file formats (the RealPlayer is accompanied by graphics). During the broadcast, I discuss subjects related to Information Resource Management IRM), review upcoming events of interest, and review e-mails from listeners. I also describe my “Pet Peeve of the Week” which represents items irritating me at the moment. This has turned into a favourite part of the show and, as such, I am including them herein for those of you who missed the broadcast. Hopefully, you will be healthy to relate to some of these peeves. They are meant to offer some humorous insight into current topics of interest. I hope you will enjoy them. Please note that these are my own views and do not necessarily represent the views of my company or any other group.

AUGUST 8, 2005 – BOUNTY COMMERCIAL

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is a Bounty commercial I recently heard on the broadcasting while driving into work the other day. Now as many of you know, Bounty is Proctor & Gamble’s “Quilted Quicker Picker-Upper” paper towels, which I don’t have a problem with as such. We use Bounty in our house. However, the new broadcasting ad described it as having “a new blue-dot quilting” that results in a “high resolution shine.” Frankly, when I heard this I burst out laughing. People in the automobiles next to me must have thought I had lost my mind. “High resolution shine”? I guess it seems funny to me to see something as mundane as paper towels go “high tech”. Ah, you gotta love President Avenue I guess.

AUGUST 15, 2005 – MICROSOFT WINDOWS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is Microsoft’s Windoze operating system. I recently bought two individualized for the office; one a laptop and the other a desktop, both equipped with
the latest version of Windows XP. I had to migrate a lot of data to both machines which offhand, shouldn’t be a huge deal. It was. Now, I don’t think about myself a technical guru by any stretch of the imagination but rather I like to think about myself a “power user” who knows his way around a computer.

I’ve installed a lot of operating systems over the years, both beta and production versions. Now, a lot of you know me as an suggest of IBM’s old OS/2 Warp operating system which I still think about the ideal 32-bit operating system on the block. Nonetheless, my track record of being healthy to crash a Windows operating system remains intact, for I had no end of problems and found it an extremely frustrating experience. I guess I’ve been spoiled by OS/2 with its goal oriented desktop, System Object Model, and preemptive multitasking. I am still at a loss as to why IBM forsaken it.

But in my mind, I can’t envision why anyone would bother wasting their time inventing individualized viruses and worms when you have something like Windoze out there. The only thing that goes uninterrupted is Microsoft’s cash-flow. And no, Virginia, there is no o.s. monopoly out there is there?

AUGUST 22, 2005 – SOFTWARE TESTING

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” Is software testing. As I mentioned in my essay, there is a easy “bottom-up” way to test and install systems. However, I am concerned about the way software vendors are testing their products these days, if at all. The industry has fallen into the nasty usage of letting the customers test the products. For example, it is not unusual anymore for people to get “beta” releases of software products, play with it, and report back to the manufacturer on problems came across with it. Further, major releases of software products are being shipped with the manufacturers knowing
full-well the products are “buggy.” To pacify customers, they offer free upgrades of the next release (which actually represents the final version).

This approach to software testing is offensive to me.

I used to beta-test software products for vendors, but I no longer have the time nor inclination to do the manufacturer’s work for them anymore. Further, I no longer rush out to buy the latest release of “any” software product; I have been burned too many times by the vendors. As far as I’m concerned, the software vendors really need to clean up their act when it comes to testing. If they really want us to test their products for them,
let us know where we should send the bill.

AUGUST 29, 2005 – MICROMANAGEMENT

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” Is something a tiny different: micromanagement. There is a general inclination in the workplace this day for managers to try and control “everything”; that nothing happens without the manager’s individualized stamp of approval. I have also seen this phenomenon occurring in nonprofit organizations, everything from individualized societies, to homeowner associations, garden clubs, tiny leagues, and, Yes, even Masonic Lodges.

Micromanagement represents a Theory X style of management, which means the organization is basically led by a dictator. Now, in some situations, I can comprehend the need for this. But for the workplace in general as well as our volunteer organizations, I am at a loss as to why people are doing this. One nasty byproduct of micromanagement is that people become complacent and will only do what they are told and nothing more. They evolve into robots with tiny loyalty for the institutions they work for.

Having played football on the gridiron years ago, I learned a lot about the concept of teamwork. In any team-type of environment you have several players, but only one coach who is responsible for the game plan. However, trying to control the actions of apiece player on the field is not only infeasible, it can be counterproductive. I have always found it to be more effective to empower people to make decisions and hold them responsible for their actions. People will not seek responsibility and will only place forth the minimum effort if they are not given some latitude. I always liked Ronald Reagan’s comment on his management style when he said, “Surround yourself with the ideal people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.”

In other words, assist up on the micromanagement, empower your people, give them direction, but don’t tell how to do everything in meticulous detail.

Bottom-line: Do more management and less supervision.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2005 – UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” are University programs that profess to offer a systems curriculum, but in reality, concentrate on nothing more than software development. I am often asked to give overviews of “PRIDE” at universities, normally at the MBA level, and am appalled on how superficially the colleges gloss over the fundamentals of true systems work. Normally, the curriculum offers an introductory course on systems but tiny else. Instead, they tend to focus on programming languages, networking, and individualized trends. Small wonder when I start to speak about “PRIDE”, with its engineering/manufacturing concepts, the students look at me dumbfounded. Terms like “Product Structure,” “Blueprinting,” “Bill of Materials,” MRP, and Production Control are foreign concepts to most systems students. Consequently, our universities are spitting out more software people than we really need. A lot of the customers I deal with are looking for students who can grasp business concepts, know how to interview users, know basic math in order to prepare proposals, comprehend work flows and work measurement, and write effectively. Frankly, they are screaming for more systems people as opposed to the software candidates churned out by the colleges.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2005 – THE DEATH OF COMMON COURTESY

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is the death of common courtesy. The other day we had a new FedEx driver make a delivery at our office in Palm Harbor. Since I happened to be by the front door, I opened it and watched him approach. He wore a scowl on his grappling as if he had been having a bad day. I opened the door, greeted him warmly, shook his hand and asked how his day was going. As I signed for the delivery, the driver looked at me strangely. I asked him if there was a problem. He said, No, it was just that I was the first mortal that day to be friendly to him and actually ask how he was doing. He stated in most companies he visits he’s pretty much taken for granted and treated rudely.

I asked if he thought this was something one-of-a-kind to him as an individual. He said, No, the other drivers often speak of the callousness of their clientele. Come to think of it, I have seen evidence of this elsewhere. For example, when I go to a restaurant, the waiters and waitresses are often taken aback when I kid with them and ask them about their day. Often they look at me like I might have some ulterior motive. But once they get past this, they warm up to me and we have a good working relationship.

This prefabricated me stop and think about today’s corporate work place. Have we become so exhausted and insensitive as to disregard the interpersonal relationships of our employees, our customers, and our vendors? Have we become so self-centered and aloof that we no longer care how we treat other people?

You know, I learned a long time ago that you can catch a heckova lot more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. A tiny courtesy and hospitality can go a long way with people. For example, I learned the virtues of a firm handshake some time ago. I don’t just give them some wishy-washy handshake and look through the person. I look them squarely in the eyes, shake their hand and tell them how glad I am to see them. Something as easy as a sincere handshake can work miracles.

We must remember that we don’t conduct our business with inanimate objects, but rather with human beings. Sharpening our people skills is incredibly important to accomplish anything worthwhile in life. Easy common courtesy is a huge part of this. Try it. Next time that FedEx or UPS driver comes to
your door or a waitress to your table, look up at them, greet them with a smile and ask them how they’re doing; heck, even often them a handshake. You will be pleasantly surprised with the service you’ll get in return. I’ll tell you this; we have no problems with shipments or deliveries at our office. How about yours?

SEPTEMBER 19, 2005 – THE COMPUTER PRESS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is the Press. No, not the general press as distorted as it might be, but rather, the individualized trade press. Years ago we had numerous publications you could count on to print an unbiased view of the industry. Publications such as “Infosystems,” “Datamation,” “Computer Decisions,” and the “EDP Analyzer” were healthy to give balanced reporting while still generating adequate advertising dollars to sustain
themselves. But something happened along the way in the 1990’s with the propagation of the individualized in the workplace. Suddenly, new interests and allegiances were formed and the trade press basically sold its soul to upstart vendors who now command the market. This resulted in exhausted reporting and, unfortunately, the credibility of the various publications have diminished. So much so that circulation of the publications are at an all time low. Even “InfoWorld” and “Computerworld” are mere shadows of themselves.

What is missing is a tiny integrity in the trade press. Instead of trying to invent the next fad, how about some honest reporting on what is actually going on in this industry, both right AND wrong. I’ve got news for you, not everything is as peaches and cream in this industry, regardless of what the press tells you.

SEPTEMBER 26, 2005 – WORKAROUNDS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” Is the word “workaround” as has been commonly used in the IT field for the last ten years. I tried looking up “workaround” in both Webster’s and The New Heritage Dictionary and, of course, I couldn’t find it. As
we all know, it has come to mean finding a way around a technical problem. It doesn’t mean its a correction to a problem but rather, a way of addressing a problem. But make no mistake about it, “workarounds” finally represent errors or bugs in the system and we should refer to them as such. I’m astonished by programmers when they proudly proclaim they’ve found a “workaround” as opposed to admitting they have a problem and don’t know how to fix it.

An IT Department should refrain the term “workaround” as it tends to irritate end-users and causes them to lose establishment in the development staff’s capability for solving their problems. A bug is a bug, I don’t care what you call it; don’t try to sugarcoat it, fix it.

As an aside, I was finally healthy to find “workaround” defined in one dictionary, the Redneck Dictionary. Its typically used to determine the location of employees. For example, “Hey Y’all workaround here?”

I don’t know, I guess I’m getting exhausted of the sloppy language in this business.

OCTOBER 3, 2005 – MICROSOFT

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” Is Microsoft, whom I refer to as the Howard Johnsons of the individualized business (with apologies to HJ). We call them this because they offer products that are never state of the art, but they are not the worst either; just mediocre and very predictable.

Recently, I read that Microsoft announced its Windows Workflow Foundation (or WWF – which sounds remarkably like the World Wrestling Federation). Nonetheless, WWF is a Windows technology that will enable developers to stitch together MS Office applications and in-house developed software into workflow applications. Here again is another example of “bottom-up” system design. Instead of first determining stipulations and designing the overall system architecture, they are proposing a means to assemble programs bottom-up. Vintage Microsoft. Frankly, I think they should stick to wrestling.

OCTOBER 10, 2005 – CORPORATE DRESS CODES

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” Is corporate dress codes. Back in the 1970’s it was generally expected that a man wear a suit and tie to work and women dressed well. During the 1980’s this code was relaxed and you would see “dress down” days on Fridays. By the 1990’s suits and ties had been replaced by golf shirts and slacks. But now, in 2005, we see t-shirts, blue jeans and shorts in the workplace.

Ben Stein recently wrote an interesting piece in the New York Times complaining about the slovenly appearance of corporate USA which I have to concur with. I think we have gone too far. Dress codes have an impact on the corporate culture of any business. If we dress sharp, we tend to think smart. If we dress sloppy, we tend to be lazy in our work habits. Show me a workplace without a dress code and I’ll show you a pigsty that produces questionable results. I know we like to promote
rugged individualism in this country, but there is nothing wrong with a tiny uniformity and teamwork either.

When we started our company in the primeval 1970’s, our dress code was “business casual” except when we knew customers were coming into the office where we were then expected to spruce up and dress professionally. Over time, we forsaken business casual and mandated at least a shirt and tie for men and proper attire for women. This had a positive effect, particularly on our IT staff. What I found interesting though was while we, as a small business, were learning to “dress up”, corporate USA began to “dress down.”

Ben Stein was right in criticizing today’s corporate dress codes. After all, who would you rather do business with, someone who looks like a bum or someone dressed for success and has their act together? I think the answer is rather obvious.

OCTOBER 17, 2005 – CELL PHONES

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is cell phones. As you will remember, cell phones first became favourite with physicians and other members of the medical community who rightly saw it as a vital link between their patients and themselves. Next came business people who needed mobility to speak with their office and clients. This included realtors, salesmen and service people. But then it landed in the hands of housewives and children under the clever ruse that it was a great way to get in touch with our loved ones in the event of an emergency. And this is when all hell broke loose. Now, it seems everyone has one, not only on their hips or in their ears, but in their cars, on their motorcycles. I’ve even seen children speaking on them while skateboarding, riding bicycles, and, Yes, even tricycles. Its now more of an annoying usage than a working tool or position symbol.

What I find entertaining is how it has affected our social skills. Its now common to find people travel alone on a street or in a store seemingly speaking to themselves. Maybe they are and the cell phone is nothing but a clever ruse. But what disturbs me more than anything is how people gibber away on the phone while they’re in traffic. Now you know darn well not everyone has something vital to communicate all of the time. It is now common to see 16 year old girls speaking to their boyfriends and making plans for the weekend; mothers chatting with their girlfriends, guys speaking with their buds, and so on. We’re doing everything but paying attention to the road. Have we become so bored with our lives that we find it necessary to speak to someone just to kill time while in traffic? I guess so.

In 1967, saint Coburn starred in a motion picture called “The President’s Analyst” which has become a cult classic. If you haven’t seen the picture, Coburn uncovers a plot by the telephone company to implant a chip into everyone’s head whereby everyone can send and receive telephone calls (I’d love to see how they would handle faxes). Nonetheless the motion picture is very prophetic in terms of where cell phones are heading. I’m just worried about the social implications.

Please do me one small favor though, if you find it totally necessary to speak to someone on the phone while you’re driving around, please pull off to the side of the road and speak to the mortal like a rational human being. And Yes, I am very much in favor of legislation regulating the use of cell phones.

OCTOBER 24, 2005 – BLOATWARE

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is “Bloatware.” Ever notice when you get a new individualized how fast it runs, Yet, over time it starts to slow to a crawl. This is primarily attributed to
what is called “bloatware” in the industry. Years ago, programmers were very careful in how they wrote software. The code was very tight and there was concern over efficient use of organisation resources. But as disk space, memory, and processor abilities grew, programmers became less and less concerned with organisation efficiency. I remember just a few years ago I was healthy to install IBM’s OS/2 operating system on a individualized with 50mb of disk space, and it ran just fine with plenty of room to spare on my hard drive. But the times have changed; hardware improvements and the World wide web have seen to that. But the programming is getting sloppier and sloppier. If you have tried to install a word processor or a graphics package lately you know what I mean.

I can’t help feeling this is all a grand scheme to build-in obsolescence into our computers. Slowing down software means purchasing additional hardware. Comprehend this, a individualized is considered an antique when it reaches three years old. We would probably hold onto our individualized longer if we didn’t have so much bloatware running on them. But I guess that wouldn’t be good for the economy.

OCTOBER 31, 2005 – GUESTIMATE

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is the word “Guestimate.” I have been involved in the IRM field for a long time now and it has always bugged me how people try to invent new words in an attempt to appear adorable and clever. One such word is “Guestimate” which tries to imply that performing an estimate is simply a guess, to which I have to give a huge DUH. Estimating is fundamentally an effort at projecting the future. Like all projections, the more facts and information available, the superior the estimate will be, but rarely is it ever perfect. There is a natural human tendency to refrain making estimates because estimates are expressions of commitments, and people tend to shy away from commitments and accountability, particularly when they are not sure of the facts. Look, lets keep it simple, an estimate is an estimate and a guess is a guess, let’s not create any more 3rd grade words such as “guestimate.”

Another word that bothers me is “reiterate” and you hear it just about everywhere these days. Think about it; what does it mean? The word Iterate refers to the repetition of something. So what do we mean when we state RE-iterate? An infinite loop? The language in the IT industry is sloppy enough without us having to add new words to our vocabulary. But I guestimate I am reiterating myself.

NOVEMBER 7, 2005 – COMPLICATIONS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is entitled, “Why do we make things more complicated than they really are?” Over the last 30 years I have been fortunate to travel the world, visit with
many corporate customers, and hobnob with gurus in the field. One thing I’ve always found fascinating is how the IT industry tends to make things more complicated than they really are. For example, building systems and software is really not as complicated as they appear to be. Systems consist of business processes, procedures and programs. We also have inputs for collecting data, outputs for transmitting information, files for storing data, records, and data elements. Period. It has always been this way and it will always be this way. But the IT Industry seems to reinvent itself apiece five years or so. We now like to speak about apps, agile programming, data mining, SOA, business rules, meta data, and things that go bump in the night. The only rationale I can give for changing the vocabulary so often is that it must sell a lot of books and magazines. Either that or people use it to make themselves look smarter than they really are. The depressing part is that this new vernacular is creeping into college studies and we then have to spend the next several years debriefing the kids. I don’t know, as I get older, I find the superior things in life are the easy things. I guess I’m surprised that more people don’t challenge needless complexity.

NOVEMBER 14, 2005 – SNOWBIRDS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is entitled “Snowbirds.” November marks the beginning of the snowbird migration. This is where northerners, predominantly retirees, start to make their annual trek down here to Florida. Sure, their money is nice for our economy but we have to contend with some God-awful drivers. There are New Yorkers in SUV’s who think they own the road, people from Ontario who believe they are always driving in a school zone, and others from the midwest who are just plain lost. It sure would be nice if we had a national driving standard. It would make it a heckova lot easier and safer down here for all of us if we did.

NOVEMBER 21, 2005 – SMOKING

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is the Great American Smokeout sponsored by the American Cancer Society last Thursday, November 17th. As many of you know I enjoy a good cigar. I never acquired a taste for cigarettes but I definitely enjoy a good cigar when I’m going about my business. I don’t bother anyone with it. Its just something I do on my own time. Yes, I am aware of the dangers of smoking, as I am sure all smokers are. And, No, I do not think about myself a smoking advocate. Having stated all this, let me just state to all the Anti-smokers out there: Will you please get off our backs! Being a smoker doesn’t mean we’re demons or some misguided fools, but we sure get characterized this way. The Anti-Smokers are making it harder and harder to find a venue for us to enjoy our pleasure, everything from airplanes and airports, to restaurants and bars, the workplace, even cars. Next, will be our homes where I definitely draw a line and tell them to mind their own business. I will continue to enjoy my cigar regardless of the browbeating I might take from the Anti-Smoking lobby. I don’t think they realize that as they become more offensive in their campaign, it stiffens my resolve to enjoy a good smoke.

I will also remind you of one of my more memorable Bryce’s Laws that says, “Never trust a mortal who doesn’t have at least one known vice (e.g., drinking, smoking, swearing).” I have always found that such a lily white mortal always has a dark side or something they are trying to hide. As for me, I’ll continue to enjoy my cigars and keep my vices aboveboard.

NOVEMBER 28, 2005 – MICROMANAGEMENT

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is “Micromanagement.” This day we live in a Theory X world where managers like to dictate the specifics of any given task which is commonly referred to as “micromanagement.” Employees are told what to do and when to do it, without any interest in their input. Such an approach is basically saying to the worker, “Look, you’re not smart enough to do this right so I’m going to tell you how to do it.” Consequently, micromanagement tends to irritate and alienate people. More recently, I’ve noticed this same phenomenon occurring in nonprofit volunteer organizations, such as homeowner associations, clubs, school organizations, sports associations, and even church groups. The people that run these groups might have the ideal intentions, but rarely do they know how to actually manage. Sadly, some people get involved with such organizations to satisfy a petty power trip they are on. They have tiny regard for organization and adherence to policies and rules. Instead, they try to micromanage everything. People, particularly volunteers, have a natural aversion to micromanagement and swiftly lose interest in their work.

Instead, I advocate an approach where you delegate responsibility and hold people accountable for their actions. I refer to this as managing from the “bottom-up” as opposed to
“top-down.” By treating workers like responsible adults, there is a tendency to accept responsibility and see a task through to its successful completion. As President Ronald Reagan said, “Surround yourself with the ideal people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.”

Basically, Reagan said, “Don’t micromanage; empower your staff and get out of the way.”

DECEMBER 5, 2005 – RERUNS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is “Reruns.” Last week it was announced that the Rolling Stones were going to perform the half-time show for the 40th Super Bowl next February in Detroit. I found this declaration somewhat entertaining in that Paul McCartney of the Beatles provided the half-time entertainment in the last Super Bowl. Its not that I have anything against these aging rockers, as I have been a huge Beatles and Stones fan for the last 40 years, I’m just wondering where the new talent is or if there really is any talent to replace my generation’s music. We hear a lot about Rap, Hip-Hop, and Country, but who are the musicians who truly define this generation? Frankly, they’re not our there. Oh, I’m not suggesting the talent doesn’t exist, for I believe it does, but it is being tightly controlled by marketers who engineer apiece note being recorded today.

In the old days, it was not unusual for artists to write their own music, sing their own songs, and play their own instruments. This is hardly the case any more. Instead of developing a generation of craftsmen like the Beatles and the Stones, the current wave of musicians are simply marketing “flash in the pans” that have no staying power. The Beatles and the Stones are great, but finally their music represents reruns which is indicative of the artistic void that has been created by the media moguls. Take Hollywood for example; How many times are we going to remake King Kong, the Pink Panther and just about apiece TV show from the 1960’s? Instead of individualized generated graphics, how about some creative plots and well written scripts? I can’t believe we’ve run out of ideas in Hollywood, so much so that they find it necessary to reproduce old stories. Does the younger generation really demand any form of creativity? I seriously doubt it. They’re just not being granted to express it and, instead, we have to sit through reruns. I’m becoming increasingly concerned what effect this stagnation in our culture will finally have on us. To me, it represents complacency and signals a decline in our capability to strive to achieve. It also represents another indication of the “micromanagement” going on in the corporate world. Think about this, if the Beatles and Stones were to emerge in today’s world, they probably wouldn’t be granted to practice their craft.

Oh well, I guess I’ll go home, turn on the TV and listen to Led Zepplin sell Cadillacs.

DECEMBER 12, 2005 – SERVICE (THE LACK THEREOF)

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is “Service” (the demand thereof). Recently I stopped by a new cigar shop to buy some cigars. I went into their humidor and checked their inventory. There were several custom-rolled cigars prefabricated on the premises as well as the usual commercial cigars from the Dominican Republic and the Honduras. I happened to find my favorite (which is a Hoyo de Monterey, Sultan/Maduro) and took a dozen of them up to the cashier for purchase. Ahead of me in line was a gentleman also purchasing a dozen cigars all of the same kind. I noticed the cashier was painfully slow in scanning and recording apiece cigar. Next to her at the counter was the shop owner who was preoccupied reading a magazine. There were other customers also in the shop, all of which were of no concern to the cashier or owner.

What should have been a easy transaction for the guy in front of me took at least ten minutes. Fortunately, I was in no hurry, but I was starting to become impatient nonetheless over a easy purchase. When she finally completed the transaction, the cashier greeted me, took my cigars and began the laborious task of scanning and recording my order (again, a easy transaction turned into a lengthy task). As she processed the last cigar, I pulled out my notecase and presented her with my credit card. She looked at it and said, “Oh, I’m sorry our credit card organisation is down right now, do you have cash?”

Of course, I didn’t and suddenly I realized that after inactivity twenty minutes to make a easy buy I had come to loggerheads with her over the purchase.

I said, “Is there nothing that can be done?”

“No sir, we need cash.”

Interestingly, the shop owner who had been listening to our banter simply kept flipping through his magazine.

I asked, “Can’t you take an imprint of my card and process it later when the organisation is back up?”

“Oh, no sir, we can’t do that.”

“In other words, instead of trying to find a way to make this understanding happen, you’re telling me that I just wasted twenty minutes of my time in your store.”

She looked at me dumbfounded and the owner turned another page in his magazine.

I told them this was the last time I would frequent their establishment and stormed out without any cigars. Frankly, I don’t think they cared one bit.

I’m sure we have all seen similar situations where there is a demand of decent service, whether it be in a retail shop, restaurant, automotive repair, in the corporate world, or wherever. People are becoming less and less sensitive to customer service. Its like they come down with a bad case of the stupids when dealing with customers.

As I was growing up, I was always taught that the customer was king; that if you took care of the customer they would return the favor with repeat business and wage sparkling references of your business to others. But evidently, the times are changing and teaching good customer service is becoming a rarity. For those of you who really don’t care about the customer, I would
remind you that everything begins with a understanding and the customer should never have to move to pay the bill. Instead of finding ways not to make a sale, here’s an idea; why not try to find ways to make it happen. But I guess that would require a tiny individualized initiative which is something that is also sorely absent these days.

DECEMBER 19, 2005 – HOLIDAY MADNESS

My “Pet Peeve of the Week” is entitled “Holiday Madness.” December is the month where we celebrate a lot of things:

Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, even though the exact date of His birth is questionable.

The Jews celebrate Chanukah which represents a lengthy effort where the Syrians were driven out of Israel.

Kwanzaa has been around since 1966, and unlike Christmas and Chanukah that are religious in nature, Kwanzaa celebrates African culture.

We then celebrate the end of one year, and the birth of a new one.

There is so much to celebrate during December that I always felt sorry for those people who were born during this month and are typically gypped out of the celebrations and presents they deserve.

Comedian Lewis Black recently commented on the encroachment of Christmas on other holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Halloween, that the retailers won’t be happy until the Christmas season encompasses Labor Day and the 4th of July. Lewis has a point. It is easy economics that drives this year-end holiday frenzy and tiny else. You don’t really believe those people fighting in WalMart over a DVD player, digital camera, or iPod are really thinking about “peace on earth, good will towards man” do you? Hardly. The holidays bring out both the ideal and worst in all of us, which is a shame as this is not what they were intended for. It is supposed to be a time of reflection and renewal, not traffic jams and chaos in the shopping aisles. Ever wonder what these year-end holidays would be like if the exchange of gifts were removed from the formula? They would probably be as subdued and respectful as Veteran’s Day or Memorial Day. But this will never happen as the retailers and the media holds us in their tight grip. We’ll now spend the next 90-120 days paying everything off. I’ll just be happy when the tinsel comes down, the home is cleaned up, the relatives go home, and everything returns to normal. At least until April 16th which is Easter Sunday and the income cycle starts all over again.

You can tune into “Management Visions” at:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/mv.htm

Tim Bryce is the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida, a management consulting firm specializing in Information Resource Management (IRM). Mr. Bryce has over 30 years of experience in the field. He is acquirable for training and consulting on an international basis. His corporate web page is at:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/

He can be contacted at: timb001@phmainstreet.com

Copyright © 2006 MBA. All rights reserved.

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Can Investing Be Learned?

Monday, June 21st, 2010

You might have asked yourself if investing is a skill that can be learnt by you or if it is something that only works for people with sound instincts and good luck. Probably one of the most famous answers to this question are the results from an experiment conducted during 1984 by successful trader Richard Dennis who taught a trend-following methodology to a group of non-investors that he later nicknamed the “Turtles”.


Dennis strongly believed that investing capabilities could be broken down into a set of rules that could be passed on to others. Here is an extract from the Wall Street Journal article outlining the results:


Can the skills of a successful investor be learned? Or are they innate, some sort of sixth sense a lucky few are born with? Richard Dennis, the legendary Chicago trader who turned $400 into $200 million in 18 years, has no doubt. Following an experiment with a group of would-be investors, he’s convinced investing can be learned. Over the past 1 1/2 years, a group of 14 traders he taught attained an average annual compound rate of return of 80%. In contrast, about 70% of all non-professional investors lose money on a yearly basis.


How long does it take to learn to trade successfully?


Of further interest is the time it takes people to learn to invest successfully. Market Wizards, the best-selling classic reference book by Jack D. Schwager, delves into the minds of some of the world’s most successful investors finding that they took up to a decade to learn to trade effectively.


Al Weiss, who pioneered the development of the urethane skateboard wheel, spent four years developing his trading before he averaged 52% per annum between 1982 and 1991 with his fund AZF Commodity Management.


In a current audio interview Larry Williams, famous for winning the 1987 Robbins World Cup Trading Championship where he managed to turn $10,000 into $1.1 million, stated it took him 6 to 12 years working out how to invest.


Christopher Tate, the famous Australian author on trading, actually claimed it took him around three years just to break even.


Why does it take so long?


You can see that some of the most successful investors took many years to master trading. Why does it take so long? There are a few good reasons:


Firstly, the students of Mr. Dennis had a distinct advantage since they were shown how to invest by a successful investor, demonstrating that one of the most successful ways to learn to invest is to get instruction from a professional, notice what they do, ask questions and have a go yourself. Of course, many of the classic trading books were acquirable at the time of the Turtles experiment, yet the participants were not successful until the expert knowledge and investing experience of a successful investor was imparted to them.


Secondly, investing is a practical skill set. A theoretical understanding doesn’t make a successful investor. The gaining of experience is a vital ingredient to trading as demonstrated by the length of time committed by some of the world’s most successful investors above. Having the discipline to implement your trading plan is perhaps one of the most important elements of gaining practical experience.

Phil Wengier, VIC, Australia

More details about Successful Investing can be found here . Phil Wengier has been successfully investing in financial markets for over 30 years and is the owner of several companies. In particular, Saratoga Pty Ltd has been on the World wide web since 1996 helping many who wish to discover how to invest safely and successfully. If you would like to subscribe to my Savvy Investor newsletter please click here

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A Look At Some Of The Best Classified Ad Writing Strategies

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Don’t be daunted by having to write a classified ad to sell your product or service. It’s really not all that hard. Here are some classified ad writing strategies you can use now to sell your product or service and begin making money:

First of all, study what successful marketers are doing. There’s no superior way to learn how to be successful at anything than by following what successful people do. Obviously can’t copy a successful classified ad word-for-word but as you study these ads you’ll begin to see common elements which you can utilize in your own classifieds. Study the ads in the newsletters, newspapers, magazines, etc. which you’re subscribed to or read regularly. Browse the world wide web and look and the text ads you see all over the place. Think about the ones you like and think about why you like them. Respond to the ads you like and see what response you get in turn. This will further enhance your understanding of the classified ad process and increase your chances of success.

Don’t just look at classified ads, though. Larger scale ads can be educational, too. Look at what the huge guys are doing with their conventional “junk mail”, advertising inserts, and big, bright, colorful ads. While you’re not looking to advertise on that scale, there are important tips and tricks you can learn by closely studying such campaigns.

There are plenty of web sites which grant you to place classified ads for free. This is a great way to practice writing ad copy. You have nothing to lose!

Don’t sell costly items directly from classified ads. Instead, wage basic information which encourages the reader to visit your web site or to email you. Then you can find the specifics on your site or through an auto-responder email message.

Advertise in more than one place at a time. It’s not good to rely on just one publication to sell your product or service. By placing classified ads in multiple locations, you’ll increase the number of eyeballs on your ads and increase the likelihood of success. Don’t just place your ads willy-nilly, though. You need to target your ads. It doesn’t make sense to sell skateboards on a fishing site site, or offer business advice in a children magazine. Common sense can be your guide here.

Pay attention to who’s responding to your classified ads. Never forget to follow up on inquiries. Be professional. Slow or non-existent responses will completely defeat the purpose of what you’re trying to do. Don’t just respond, but also keep records of your correspondence. Knowing who you’re attracting with your classified ads will help you superior target your readers. Keep track of which of your ads are finding success. Be aware of who they’re attracting and where they were placed.

Perhaps most important of all, change your classified ads if they’re not working for you. Don’t ever give up! If you’re not finding success, then do something different with your ads. If you place the same ad over and over again, you’ll increase the chances that people will just ignore it. People love novelty, so change your ads periodically. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Placing classified ads is an excellent, cost-effective method for selling your product or service.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as newspaper delivery subscriptions at http://www.newspaperdeliverysubscriptions.com

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Defeating Crime With Digital Camera Cell Phones

Monday, June 21st, 2010

The Digital Picture Camera 3G Cell Phone is reshaping the way people interact. As they become more and more popular, especially among teenagers, and higher bandwidth and video compression technologies are introduced, we will see a whole new realm of communication.

As more people communicate on cell phones with video and photos we could very well see a decrease in crime. Criminals will realize they might be caught on phone if they attempt any criminal activities because of the prevalence of these camera phones. The eyes and ears of society will expand in scope and with that we might likely see random acts of theft, violence, and other crimes decrease.

Of course there will always be the smart criminal who tries to figure out in advance a specific plan to evade detection, but the common criminal element we generally see will increasingly be caught on camera and brought to justice. As more and more criminals are convicted in this manner, it will serve as a deterrent to others as they think about the very real possibility that they too might be caught on camera. This will eventually help to restore order and improve crime statistics.

Mobile phones that integrate digital cameras are sold much more often than stand alone digital cameras. Those areas where people have more cash to spend and are more tech savvy, such as the suburbs of massive cities or in the Downtown techno sector, should see lessened crime, as there would be a high percentage of people carrying these phones. However, this could cause a “Criminal Divide” to develop in areas where less techno savvy people reside.

But this could easily change as the price of the technology and cell phones comes down due to economies of scale, numbers of units sold and number of participants on the 3G or 3G plus systems. Many times new technologies have disruptive effects in our economy or society at large. In this case the technology’s unintended consequences might be a more virtuous society and decreased crime, which is a good thing.

If you plan on buying a new phone, getting one with a camera in it is smart. Smart Phones can decrease crime. For more ideas on decreasing crime why not contact your local police department’s community based policing officer or volunteer to begin a Neighborhood “Mobile” Watch Program.

Who knows, a teenager on a skateboard might actually get a picture of an International Terrorist taking photos of important infrastructures, or the license plate of a car, which seems to be out of place, and prevent the next attack. Technology has its advantages, but all too often we discuss the problems and complain about the issues of privacy. Millions of teenagers cruising around with cell phones could prevent abductions from pedophiles, rapists or child molesters. Camera cell phones might prevent shopping mall automobile thefts as more of the perpetrators get caught.

Camera Cell phones are here to stay and they are getting superior all the time. Soon we will have full video feed phones, and wireless PDA’s all with GPS instant coordinate tracking. One call brings it all to the authorities: Video, location, time and your basic: “Who, What, When, Where and How”. It’s growing and it is growing fast. The rule of Law will prevail and crime not only doesn’t pay, it can't last.

By Brian Lee

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Is it Time to Hug a Hoodie?

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Hoodies, or hooded sweatshirts as they used to be known, were first developed for labourers but were soon picked up by the sports market. Spurred on by Rocky, the trend persisted but not before fashion designers had realised that hoodies were an extremely flexible item of clothing. For one, they could be prefabricated into a great symbol of isolation, saint for the hip-hop crowd whose angry lyrics about their outsider culture meshed well with half-hidden faces.

Surfers and skateboarders, the self-consciously cool crowd who spend a lot of time outdoors catching waves or grinding curbs, are also keen hoodie wearers. They see the tops as practical and trendy, with funky slogans or quirky designs. Most Californian golden boys have at least one hoodie in their wardrobe and would be surprised at the amount of bad press that this item has received in Britain. Then there is the frat boy trend; the wearing of hoodies with university logos by students who take pride in their place of study.

Unfortunately, the criminal element still receives far too many column inches for their hoodie preference. Hoodies have been at risk of being ostracised for their association with unruly groups of men or intimidating criminals, but this hardly seems fair. Their history is long, varied and filled with happy customers. Even the Bluewater shopping centre, which illegal people from wearing Hodded tops inside a few years ago, still continued to sell them. Despite Tony Blair’s distaste for them, David Cameron balanced the political picture – even if Labour politicians derided his speech as ‘hug a hoodie’ propaganda.

But away from the froth of news and the raw edges of society are millions of ordinary men who do not want to carry an umbrella. After this year’s terrible summer their attitude is quite understandable. Umbrellas are hopeless in winds and simply not very ‘manly’, unless you take John Cleese as a role model. Men’s hoodies are superbly practical, comfy and trendy.

A new line of fashionable designs have filtered down to the high street from the catwalk, featuring bright colours, original designs, retro prints, and – occasionally – no sleeves. They are the garment in which the comfort of sport and the desirability of fashion collide. Isn’t it time that you hugged a hoodie?

Elisha Burberry is an online, freelance journalist and keen movie-goer from Scotland. Her interests include travelling, cooking and photography.

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How to Run a Retail Store

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Retail businesses sell all types of merchandise and are not limited to what is sold in a five and dime or a dollar store. The items sold could be clothes to skateboards to motorcycles. Any store at a fixed location that sells similar items apiece day could be considered a retail store. There are several facets to a successful retail operation.


Location

Location is the critical element for nearly all retail outlets. A store needs traffic passing by it apiece day. In a shopping center with other good retail outlets, there is a synergistic effect between them that helps apiece capture customers. Most centers are anchored by a prominent store, which gets a lot of traffic. This is of prime importance when looking at locations. A new store needs traffic to get off the ground and develop a following.


Merchandise

The next two important factors are the merchandise and the staff that waits on the customers. Both are critical to success of the store after the traffic situation is resolved. Attractive merchandise is needed or tiny or no income will be made. If you get the people in the store, you need merchandise that gets attention and will be captivating enough that people want to purchase the items. The store will also need to constantly have new items for understanding or the customers will start to think that there is never anything new to look at or buy. Marketing and merchandising of products is an ongoing challenge to the retail merchant. How they do this and how often depend on what the general store image is to the public. Special times of the year will dictate some of the merchandise on display and offered for sale.


Employee impact

Customers desire well-trained and helpful employees. They want to deal with store employees that know where items are in the store and can answer other questions. A store employee should know the main items the store sells and should be continually brought up to date on new merchandise or specials the store is currently marketing. If you run weekly specials the store people should be versed on the special and it’s pricing. Customers should not have to remind people inactivity on them that the merchandise has a special price this week. When a customer has to do that apiece time they shop at your store, they will start to believe it is on purpose and not an accident.

Employees that are idle should not keep a customer inactivity when they are ready to be helped. There is nothing more irritating to a customer than being ignored by the store help. A store owner would be wise to get a report by a secret shopper of their experience with the store. Being aware of what is happening in the store is part of good management. Never adopt all is well as many owners are the last to know what is really going on between the customer and the store employee. Customers will complain by not coming back and you will never know they feel mistreated. Not being helped by a knowledgeable employee is a common complaint by store customers.


Displaying merchandise

The art of displaying merchandise in an captivating manner is an entire course in retail store management. If items are not seen or displayed properly, you will not sell many of them. Merchandise needs to look fresh and crisp at all times. Shop-warn items should not be displayed except in a bargain section. Impulse items should be on display near the cash out area. Items should be displayed in the appropriate sections. Similar items should be collected in the same area of the store.

Attractive displays also might need special devices so the items can be shown to advantage. Stacking or hiding items is not a good way to get the customer’s attention. When thinking of a display try to get into the customer’s mind and envision what they will see with the display. If it does not draw attention, it is probably not doing the job. Eye level or slightly lower is the optimum position to show specials. Signs and placards are another way to grab the customer’s eye.

Newspaper ads, television and broadcasting will help to get them in the store, but the displays are what sells the merchandise. It is a terrible waste of money to get customers to come to your store, only to achievement out when they can't find what they came in to see. Putting the customer first in your ideas will help you make the correct display decisions.


Ordering

Ordering in a timely manner needs to be automated some how. Inventory levels need to be monitored and kept at the right level at all times. Being out of sought after items just sends the customer to another store. The store owner and the store manager should be aware of inventory all the time. This is a prime area of responsibility in running the store correctly.


Other business concerns

A retail business has to operate like any other business as far as income tax, payroll taxes and quarterly reports to meet say and federal requirements. This part of the business is like many other businesses and is just part of owning a business. Time must be scheduled for these activities or hire it out to an expert on a part time basis. For some owners this is the ideal way to handle this needed function. There are dates that must be met and these reports must be filed on time. Hiring this out might solve this problem with expert help.

Advertising is another area that needs to be considered in the retail business. What is done in this area is related to the items sold. How often it is needed and the type will depend on the business. This can also be contracted out, but it must be kept under control, as it is simple to purchase more than is useful. An experienced ad bureau might be needed for a while until the business can become stable. This is a learning situation and what works must be found.


Conclusions

Location, location, and location is the critical bourgeois in apiece retail business. Walk by traffic or automobile traffic is needed to be successful in the retail business. Once this bourgeois is covered, the merchandising and employee management can be place in place. If people do not come in the store, then it will not matter what you do as far as employees or merchandise is concerned.

Excellent customer treatment is the result of well-trained employees and does not happen automatically. This has to be part of the planning by the management. Trained employees help to bring back customers and make them the ideal customers of all. A repeat customer is worth a great deal of money over time. Also repeat customers will refer other people to your store. This is word of mouth advertising that all business want, but have to acquire the hard way.

Displays need to be eye catching and help to sell the product. Posters and placards can be used to direct attention. Once the customer is through the door, you have a chance to make a sale. A successful retail store puts all of these factors together.

Bill Henthorn formerly was principal broker and owner of a resort / commercial real estate brokerage in Honolulu which specialized in representing sellers in transactions up to $50MM.He currently serves as the marketing director of http://www.acquireo.com

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What to Do When the Weather Doesn?t Cooperate

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Mother Nature does not always cooperate with pass plans. A trip to the beach can turn soggy or even cold all at her whim. Instead of panicking when this happens, plan for the inevitable. If the weather turns foul, you’ll have something to do. If it doesn’t, then you can use your planning for another day.

1. Look for indoor attractions. An interactive, hands-on museum or an aquarium tour can keep your group occupied for the whole day (and out of the elements).

2. Go to the movies or arcade. There are few “tourist” areas that don’t have one or two of these somewhere in each town. Find one that offers $1 features or combo packages and make a day of it.

3. Pack some games or activities of your own. Bring along the family’s favorite board games or some cards and have a family tournament. Be sure to include great celebration finger foods (like chips and dip) to make the experience complete.

4. Bring along some skate or skateboards and find an indoor park. There might also be an indoor pool nearby so that the children can still splash about even if the weather isn’t all it’s supposed to be.

5. Have a bake day. If your lodging offers you the use of a kitchen then bring along the things necessary for you to bake cookies or cupcakes that the children can then decorate before they eat.

6. Create some gifts and keepsakes. Use the seashells you’ve been picking up along the beach (or bring some scrapbook materials for the photos you’ve already accumulated) and spend the day making them into great gifts and keepsakes for your family and for others that weren’t healthy to come along.

7. Have a read-a-thon. Read together with everyone taking turns reading out loud or taking on different characters. You could even make the story into a tiny play.

8. Make some crafts. Pack some string and socks to make sock puppets or use paper and scissors from your lodging to make snowflakes, origami and other cutouts or paper crafts.

Bad weather doesn’t have to ruin your pass plans. With just a tiny creativity and some pre-planning you can still make the most of your time together. In the end, a family pass is really about the time spent together and the memories prefabricated and not so much about the location where it happens.

Cameron Van also writes for Low Fares. The easiest way to book flights to a number of travel destinations, Low Fares .

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A Short Guide To Snowboarding Holidays For Beginners

Monday, June 21st, 2010

A sporting winter holiday that is most favourite amongst families and individuals are skiing and snowboarding holidays. These sports are more suited for people looking to keep fit and ride out the winter blues. Snowboarding is a sport that has not been around for as long as skiing and is a more modern way of skiing catered more for the younger generation. This was formally known as the Snurfer, created in 1965 by Sherman Poppen in Muskegan, Michigan.


Beginners will be interested in the origins of snowboarding holidays. I feel for those looking for a challenging experience will be enlightened by how it became a favourite sporting event and has now turned into an international competition. It was known as the Snurfer because of the intent of it involving surfing on the snow. It was initially designed for his children, but then was subsequently manufactured as a toy as the year followed on.


Its popularity grew during the 1970’s and 1980’s whereby young people were beginning to pick up this sporting skills and snowboard designing was becoming a fast huge business for many. The first ‘World Snurfing Championships’ was held in 1979, at Pando Ski Lodge in Michigan. This was the start of many more competitions sealing it as the new wave in extreme sports. This was essentially seen as surfing on the snow, or skateboarding without wheels, so it was relatively new to people and somewhat unfamiliar.


Snowboarding holidays have grown in popularity over the years that is reflected in its world renowned sporting event, having seen snowboarding tricks develop over the years from professionals and young people. This had become both a serious and recreational sport that attracts thousands of people ever year. Many start from as young as 12 and develop their skills to compete in the championships. Holidays include tuition for beginners and activity exercises for avid snowboarders.


Of course, snowboarding will expose beginners to various levels of danger, therefore it would be wise to prepare and take extra precautions when choosing to go snowboarding. Such precautions include taking enough warm clothing to keep you fortified from the elements. It is always a good intent to wear layers, as often you might feel cold to start with but you will then warm up very swiftly which will help you get rid of any extra layers keeping you warm.


Insurance is vital with any snowboarding trips, without which you could grappling hefty fines caused by sudden accidents. Your insurance will not be the costly thing to purchase, when comparing it to the fines you would need to pay if you had no insurance, as it will cover for all medical expensive, third celebration injuries and any equipment replacement. There are always special deals for people snowboarding for the first time or for families.


One final thing to think about is choosing the most suitable ski resort that will cater for newbie snowboarding. The last thing any newbie would want is to share the slopes with advanced or professional snowboarders; this will place anyone off from learning to snowboard. Most of all, you should travel with a view to experience something new, learn a new skill and have fun. You will find that all of your preconceptions about the holiday will be forgotten.

Anna Stenning adores to take part in snowboarding holidays and is currently learning to snowboarding picking up new easy tricks.

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Physical Disabilities Can’t Stop People From Snowboarding

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Non-profit organizations are helping to disprove the common notion that disabled people can't participate in sports. They are actively training disabled people to develop skiing and snowboarding skills and to compete in competitions.

For those that still believe that the loss of a limb makes someone unable to play sports, I strongly advocate that they see the film “Murder Ball”, a tiny seen 2005 documentary about wheel chair rugby, where athletes missing one or more limbs go all out in full contact mode to win a championship. I guarantee that anyone after seeing this motion picture will have a lot more respect for those with disabilities among us.

Snowboarding is widely considered an “extreme sport.” It gained mass exposure and popularity in the U.S. during the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Park City, Utah. Snowboarding can be a difficult sport to master as it combines elements of surfing, skateboarding and skiing. Yet, these days, we’re finding more and more people with disabilities on the snowboarding slopes.

A prime example of organizations working with disabled persons to help them achieve their full potential is Challenge Alaska which has worked with disabled athletes in Alaska for over twenty years. They are a non-profit organization that provides sports and therapeutic recreation opportunities for those with disabilities. This past winter, they worked with developmentally disabled students of all ages, instructing more than one thousand lessons, to instruct them skiing and snowboarding skills.

A type of snowboarding that is becoming more favourite for those with physical disabilities is Adaptive Snowboarding. Similar to the rugby sport mentioned above, adaptive snowboarding grants partially disabled sportsmen and women to participate in their sport. Even though Adaptive Skiing has been around for a while, many people are just starting to become aware of Adaptive Snowboarding.

The sport is relatively new but manufacturers are already beginning to develop specialized snowboards and equipment built around the sport. Counts vary as to how many adaptive riders there are in the country with no one having a hard number, but everyone concurs that it’s popularity is growing rapidly. The short term goal is to eventually have Adaptive Snowboarding included as an athletic competition in the Winter Paralympic Games, possibly as soon as the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Whistler.

One organization at the forefront of teaching the sport of Adaptive Snowboarding is the non profit U.S. Adaptive Recreation Center at the Bear Mountain Ski Resort in California. They have a full staff of recreational therapists on board to lead and monitor the training. They accept people with disabilities of all types including blindness, autism, spinal cord injuries, missing limbs, partial paralysis, and many others. Adaptive Snowboard Training, consisting of one-on-one sessions, costs less than $100 a day which includes the cost of lift tickets and equipment.

Organizations like the Adaptive Recreation Center and Challenge Alaska are true to the intent that we can do anything if we place our minds to it and that our abilities are more than our physical limitations. They have proven that snowboarding and other extreme sports can be enjoyed by people with a wide variety of disabilities if they are simply given the confidence to try and the equipment and opportunity to shine.

Jim Garza is the owner and webmaster of www.snowboardingmarketplace.com, a winter sports web site specializing in articles and information on snowboard sizing guidelines and other snowboarding topics.

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Hoodie

Monday, June 21st, 2010

A hoodie (or hoody), short for hooded sweatshirt, is a heavy upper-body garment with a hood. The characteristic design includes massive frontal pockets, a hood, and a drawstring to adjust the hood opening. The term “Bunny Hug”, is also commonly used in the Canadian prairies. Hoodies with zippers are called fix hoodies or zip-ups.

The history of the specific garment began in the 1930s, but historical precedent dates the style and form of the hoodie back to the Middle Ages. The formal wear for Catholic monks included a cowl, a long, decorative hood worn in addition to the standard tunic or robes.[1] The modern clothing style was first produced by Champion in the 1930s for laborers in the frozen warehouses of New York.[2] Its popularity spread as sportswear designers such as Claire McCardell developed entire collections based around the clothing.

The hoodie took off in the 1970s as several factors contributed to its success. Hip hop culture developed in New York City around this time, and the hoodie’s element of instant anonymity, provided by the accessible hood, appealed to those with criminal intent.[2] High fashion also contributed during this era, as Norma Kamali and other high-profile designers embraced and glamorized the new clothing.[1] Most critical to the hoodie’s popularity during this time was its iconic appearance in the blockbuster Rocky film. His attire embodied the patient spirit of the American Dream at the time, and simultaneously appealed to workingmen, street thugs, and athletes. By the 1990s, the hoodie had evolved into a symbol of isolation, a statement of academic spirit, and several fashion collections.The association with chavs in the UK developed around this time, as their popularity rose with that specific demographic. Young men, often skateboarders or surfers, sported the hoodie and spread the trend crossways the western United States, most significantly in California. The rise of hoodies with university logos began around this time. Tommy Hilfiger, Giorgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren, for example, used the hoodie as the primary component for many of their collections in the 1990s.

In the UK, hoodies have been the subject of much criticism; some shoplifters have used the hood to conceal their identities from CCTV cameras in shopping centres.[3] Particularly when worn with a baseball cap, the hoodie has become a trademark of “chavs”: it has been called the “chav-style” in an Oxfam report.

Angela McRobbie, professor of communications at Goldsmiths College in the UK, states the appeal of the hoodie is because of its promise of anonymity, mystery and anxiety. “The point of origin is obviously black American hip-hop culture, now thoroughly mainstream and a key part of the global economy. Leisure and sportswear adopted for each day wear recommends a distance from the world of office suit or school uniform. Rap culture celebrates defiance, as it narrates the experience of social exclusion. Musically and stylistically, it projects menace and danger as well as anger and rage. The hooded top is one in a long line of garments chosen by young people, usually boys, to which are ascribed meanings suggesting that they are ‘up to no good’. In the past, such appropriation was usually restricted to membership of specific youth cultures – leather jackets, bondage trousers – but nowadays it is the norm among young people to flag up their music and cultural preferences in this way, hence the adoption of the hoodie by boys crossways the boundaries of age, ethnicity and class.”

In Might 2005, Bluewater shopping centre in Kent caused outrage by launching a code of conduct which bans its shoppers from sporting hoodies or baseball caps, even though the garments remain on sale. John Prescott welcomed the move, stating that he had felt threatened by the presence of hooded teenagers at a motorway service station.[5] Former Prime Minister Tony Blair openly supported this stance and vowed to clamp down on the anti-social activity with which hoodie wearers are sometimes associated. London-based rapper Lady Sovereign published a single titled “Hoodie” in oppose as part of a “Save the Hoodie” campaign.[6]

In February 2006, a 58-year-old instructor who was wearing a hooded top was asked to remove it when entering a Tesco store in Swindon. According to the teacher, he was wearing the hood because “my hair’s a mess”. The shop apologized and said it was taking action to “make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

In 2005, Coombeshead College in the south-west of England, granted the hoodie to become part of the school uniform, but the hood could be place up only when it rained. The principal, Richard Haigh said that the move would help to calm some of what he called the “hysteria” surrounding the garment.

street”>http://www.himfr.com/buy-street_shirts/”>street shirtsIn July 2006, David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, prefabricated a speech suggesting that the hoodie was worn more for defensive than offensive purposes.[9] The speech was referred to as “hug a hoodie” by the Labour Party. Cameron also perpetuated the mistaken use of the word ‘hoodie’ to refer to a wearer of a hooded garment, rather than the garment itself, a mistake that many older Brits now continue to make.

“National Hoodie Day”, a pro-youth initiative to challenge youth stereotypes, was launched in Might 2008 in New Zealand.[13] The campaign resulted in criticism at a number of levels within government,[14] including a local council member donning a Ku Klux Klan outfit in protest, citing the hoodie as “not an appropriate article of clothing to celebrate”.

I am a professional editor from himfr,which is a top B2B search engine .

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