This has to be the translation of the year:

“It shoule be grateful to use the phone if the camera lens at the center, on the direct absorption in the Ring to use. (see chart 4)”

It is part of the instruction set that came with an add on lens for the camera on an iPhone.  Good idea, nice gift, beautiful packaging, terrible translation.

In this the age of the internet there is no good excuse for bad translations.  There is a business opportunity for multi-lingual people to work at home and do overnight translation confirmations for say a dollar a word payable through Paypal.  The confirmation should be done by a person whose native language is the destination language.

So it has happened again.  What I started as having a laugh at somebodies mistake has morphed into a business idea.  This is why my new title is ideapreneur.

Somebody could also propose a word for “bad translation.”  Naming rights available.

We are going to the UK in March and Lillian and Rebecca got in a few practice calls:

Life is Good

Happy New Year to one and all

“The democratic process is like a vehicle.  If you don’t get in it and drive, it doesn’t go anywhere.”

Myron Payes

(Recycled Christmas Card)

Sell your Hallmark card stock.

 ”I like winter because

I can stay indoors

without feeling guilty.”

Teressa Skelton

Happy Christmas eCard

“I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks.”

Daniel Boone
1734-1820

with a tip of the coonskin cap to Oscar G.

This comparison was in the WSJ Notable & Quotable section a few weeks ago:

“The reason why a bachelors degree on its own no longer conveys intelligence and capability is that the government decided that as many people as possible should have bachelors degrees.

There is something of a pattern here.  The government decided to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing thing that middle class people have: If middle class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle class people.  But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let your enter and stay in the middle class.

Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything it undermines them.  One might as well try to promote basketball skills by distributing expensive sneakers.”

the quote is from Glenn Reynolds who blogs on instapundit.

Well Said.  

(Recycled Christmas Card)

Happy Holidays

 ”Historically the word

“peace” has been

defined as a period

of rest and rearmament

before the next war.”

Terry Pratchett (British Author)

Burrow Family Holiday eCard

I just finished The Ascent of Money by Niall Ferguson.  He has an interesting new spin on the current financial crisis.  I again failed in my quest to find a way to guarantee the preservation of assets at this point in the economic cycle.

When I ran Brandon (1981-2003) I was often asked how a current financial crisis (Mexico, Asia or Carters stagflation for instance) would effect our business.  My response was that financial shocks were like the giant ground swell waves in the ocean.  We would rise and fall along with everyone else to those.  What concerned me, because we were such a small boat, was the Chop.  The little waves that could capsize us or one of our major customers, technologies or suppliers.  How we acted could effect or results relative to the Chop.

I also used to say since we can’t effect the broad economy why bother to pay much attention to it.  Colloquially I put it: “Don’t try to effect the weather.  Just bring along an umbrella.

I suppose putting these two together I should spend less time paying attention to global finance and politics and more time making local investments.  Good idea.  Now I need to think about Chaos theory as explained in Deep Simplicity by John Gribbin and how it applies to this idea.

What we need is a coffee shop that caters to old people.  It would be like Starbucks but would focus on an older clientele.  Why because my guess is that it is an under-served market segment.  Most Starbucks type coffee shops have clients who tend to be students, people on the way to work or shoppers.  But the fastest growing demographic in the country right now is old people.

food court

How does Geezers (this is a working name only) appeal to an older clientele and as importantly keep the store from being over-run by students.  It wouldn’t require much.  Here are some ideas:

• Carefully select locations for retiree access
• Play classical music
• Have much higher quoted prices with large senior discounts
• Frequent buyer discounts
• Early bird specials
• No low or banquette style seating
• Milder coffee choices
• Small meeting spaces for book clubs and knitting groups
• Enforce a buy something for wifi ethic.
• Delicious small foods
• Super handicapped accessible.
• Afternoon Tea?
• Table Service?
• Buffets?

Would seniors pay for this service?  Some would.  Look at motor home communities, golf courses and cruise ships.

“Good minefields make good neighbors.”

Norman L

Phoenix AZ 2011