I am not old enough to remember party lines (I am not sure they were ever used in the densely populated New York Metropolitan area) but I do remember phone books. Now a relic ignored by all and probably threat to the environment, phone books were at one time revolutionary. Before the invention of the telegraph [...]
I created an email inbox in Outlook to park Blog ideas called Idea Bank. [I know, I am some creative guy]. The concept is simple: when I am in a conference or a meeting or driving and I get an idea, I send myself an email, and later drag and drop. It works well sometimes. Other [...]
Wow, a lot of people grouse about New Jersey. Constantly. It's too congested. The taxes are too high. Everything is so expensive. All of these statements are true. But there is one distinct advantage to living in New Jersey: we are dead center in the Northeast megalopolis. That giant, connected city that runs from Boston to [...]
An homage, a celebration, a shout out, a gesture of respect, admiration and appreciation is now potentially cultural appropriation? Isn't this how art, music, film, food and culture evolves?
This past Saturday was my 56th birthday. Not a particularly special birthday, but I had a lot of fun training to volunteer for the upcoming President's Cup at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City. It was a golf nerd's dream. During the course of the day, my Inbox swelled with well-wishes from well-wishers, which [...]
I recently learned of an online dating site called Bumble. Bumble bills itself as a feminist dating site, because only women can initiate a conversation. Huh, I thought, Bumble nothing new. It is an electronic Sadie Hawkins Dance.* A prize to anyone under 30 who knew what a Sadie Hawkins Dance was without clicking on [...]
I was giving some thought to recent marketing successes and Tito's Handmade Vodka came to mind. Tito's is the fastest growing brand in a very crowded field, full of well-known incumbents like Smirnoff, Grey Goose, Absolut and Svedka. I hate to burst people's bubble, but vodka is ethanol. It is what comes out of the end [...]
Miss Karen and I went on an impromptu pub crawl last evening, exploring parts of the Jersey Shore that we have not visited in some time. The fact that it was early on a Monday night speaks volumes about our thrilling social life. A lot happened in a couple of hours, which I will share with [...]
As you know, The Ol' Prophet is keen on technology and productivity. Here are some recommendations that may help you get more connected and efficient: ToDoist This little gem of a Task Manager is worth its weight in gold. ToDoist works on all platforms: Apple iOS (there are iPhone and iPad apps), Android, Google Chrome, [...]
Hey Guys, I hope is well. Everybody had it tough during the Recession, but you guys had it tougher than most. Nobody was growing their business, so there weren't many new buyers or renters. People who needed to sell didn't want to sell at a loss. Or were just too stubborn to admit they made [...]
I recently took up two new hobbies: golf and sport shooting (i.e., Skeet and Trap shooting). On a metaphysical note, both the golf hole and the clay pigeon are about four inches in diameter. Hmmm. A real Freud beard scratcher. Best I can tell, I have no natural talent for either sport. Yet I keep [...]
I have been keeping up with tech news lately and it occurred to me that there is a whole new language that many of us over 40 really don't understand. So in the interest of bringing the generations together, I have developed the following lexicon of tech buzzwords for easy reference: New Word: Consume Content [...]
I love it when people have greats ideas, especially when they create whole new uses for underused real estate. I like it even more when they make money doing it. It seems that in all the telecommuting frenzy people forgot that they would actually have to get together from time to time. Strategy, brainstorming and creating and [...]
If someone claims to have a "surefire" marketing/sales system, walk the other way. Here's why: The system is unlikely to be a fit for your business. Or for you personally. The system will force you to do and say things that are unnatural for you. Even if she is not conscious of why, a potential customer will [...]
I am a big fan of LinkedIn. It is a great source for news, business and personal improvement tips, marketing, networking and job seeking. But I can't help notice that some people just don't seem to get it. Here are some examples: If you are serious about your business or profession, let me suggest that photos [...]
