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Masters 2009 - Final Results

2009-04-12T18:22:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Fred Tausend who outlasted Taegan Brandsma and Adam Meier to claim the $500 First Price. His team of Woods, Perry, Baddeley, & Katayama finished 34 under as did Taegan Brandsma’s team, but Fred won the tiebreaker -Perry over Stricker. All tie breakers were decided by the scores of the A, B, C, and then D player.

The Top 15, the 2 highest scores (Marcus Rufledt & Carl Ingrum), and the Sunday consolation tourney (won by Joel Behlmer), are published in the EXCEL file.

I won’t be back home until Thursday of this week so I won’t be sure if all the monies are in. I’ll take any shortfall out of the consolation and the last place pools . Notify me of any mistakes before Friday. Results will be final on Friday and I will mail out all checks on Saturday, April 18.

Thanks to all who participated. It was a great final round and hopefully this pool added to your enjoyment of the tournament.

Masters 2009 - Final Results

Masters 2009 - Day 3 Results

2009-04-12T04:35:00.000-07:00

After the 2nd Round, Adam Meier (-26) holds a three stroke lead over Taegan Brandsma. (Last year I had a 7 stroke lead and lost it on Sunday). More importantly, 11 of the top 15 have either Campbell or Katayama so if they go south there is room for others to move up.

The worst score is currently held by Shaun Joyce who is one stroke ahead of Carl Ingrum entering the final round. Remember, these two places will pay $75 and $50 this year.

Saturday’s consolation pool of $100 will be split 5 ways between Jim Urlick, Terry Barker, John Bartoline, Keith Manke, and Kelly Conley. Their three players finished 10 under and the tie breaker was tied as well. Sunday’s consolation pool starts from scratch for all qualifying 3 man teams.

Special props must go to Taegan Brandsma who has four teams in the top 15! Nobody has ever had more than one team place in the money before.

Woods, Ogilvy, Villegas and Couples were the most popular picks, yet only Dan Marple had this team. Amazing.

Let’s hope the final round has some drama.

Masters 2009 Day 3 Results

Masters 2009 - Day 2 Results

2009-04-11T04:59:00.000-07:00

Out of 547 teams entered, 148 have made the cut (27%). Bob Jung (-22) has overtaken Adam Meier (-20) for the lead after two rounds.

The average score per class after two rounds:
A: 2.5 under
B: .88 under
C: .41 under
D - +1.9 over par.

The spreadsheet for Round 2 contains the following workbooks:

Payout levels - $2,200 paid out (subject to all monies being collected). We will pay out 15 places, plus the $100 consolation tourney on Saturday and Sunday. NEW THIS YEAR – For the 148 teams that made the cut, we will pay $75 for the HIGHEST team score and $50 for the 2nd Highest score.
Player scores after the 2nd Round
Team standings
Teams eligible for the Sat and Sun consolation pool (remember, this is actual Sat and Sunday scores, not cumulative)

Let me know of any errors.

The next update will be posted on Sunday morning.

Masters 2009 - Day 2 Results

Masters 2009 - Day 1 Results

2009-04-10T04:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the late 1st round posting, but we have 547 teams, the most ever and it took awhile to enter all teams.

Be sure to check that I correctly entered your players, send me an e-mail @ john.brzana@conagrafoods.com if you see a mistake.

I haven’t had time to completely enter who has paid and who hasn’t, but if everybody pays we will pay out $2,200.

I created four different workbooks: Round 1 scores, team scores by player, standings, and picks by player (first 500 teams).

The four most popular picks were Woods, Ogilvy, Villegas, and Couples.

Adam Meier is leading with a score of 19 under, but a lead after round 1 means next to nothing.

Enjoy the weekend and hope your team makes the cut.
The Round 2 update will be posted Saturday morning before the start of Round 3.

Masters 2009 - Day 1 Results

Masters 2009 - Update

2009-04-09T06:24:00.002-07:00

First round scores and all teams will be posted by this afternoon. We have well over 450 total teams.

Once posted, be sure to inspect your teams and let me know if I made any mistakes entering your players.

In an effort to maintain integrity, John's five teams are as follows:
• Woods-Goosen-Karlsson-Couples
• Woods-Goosen-Mahan-B. Watson
• Woods-Ogilvy-Stenson-McDowell
• Harrington-Poulter-Romero-Imada (non US delegation)
• Mickelson-Kim-Cabrera-Perez

Masters 2009 - Updates Posted Soon!

2009-04-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Less than 1 hour until the first group tees off, and just a little over an hour for everyone who picked Briny Baird as their "D" player to realize they made a bad pick!

Good luck to everyone.

2009 Masters Pool - Entry Form

Masters 2008 - Final Results

2008-04-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Mark Rufledt for winning 1st place in this year's pool. His team (Woods, Cink, Stenson and Snedeker) leaped past the chokers on my team to finish 11 under, win by a stroke and collect $450. All winners are summarized on the first workbook. Congrats to my wife who split Sunday's consolation pool with Dave McGarvey @ 3 under. Be sure to double check your teams and my scoring accuracy as all results will not be official until 4/18. I will mail out checks next Sunday 4/20/08. There are few entry fees still outstanding but I am confident that all will arrive in enough time for full payout. Big thanks to Derek Cisler who interrupted a move into a new house to post these results on this website.

2008 Masters Final Results

Masters 2008 - Day 3 Results

2008-04-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

Dom Bartolene and Pam Ingrum's three golfers shot a combined 11 under par on Saturday and they will split the $100 winnings as the tie breaker was also tied.
Good luck to all on Sunday. We will try to get all results posted Sunday night." Be sure to check your teams and the accuracy of the totals. E-mail me with discrepancies.

Masters Day 3 Results

Masters 2008 - Day 2 Results

2008-04-12T11:33:00.002-07:00

Attached is the Round 2 Masters update. 79 of 425 teams made the cut (155/404 last year). The +3 cut eliminated many popular picks. I have also included the tentative payout workbook.I feel confident that all money will be received. This year, we will pay down 12 spots as well as the Sat/Sun consolation tourney for the 173 teams that have 3 players remaining. I have also included a sheet detailing scores by class and most popular and least popular picks. Good luck, enjoy the weekend!

Masters 2008 - Day 2 Results

Masters 2008 - Day 1 Results

2008-04-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

Thank God we posted all teams @ 9:00AM Thursday, because two of my teams are doing very well! However, Round 1 results mean nothing.. Everything can and will change over the
weekend. Just hope your teams make the cut! I added a workbook that
details payout. We will pay down 12 spots as well as the weekend
tournament for those teams that have only 3 players left on the weekend.
The round 2 update will be posted on this site on Saturday morning. Good Luck.

Masters 2008 Day 1 Results

Masters 2008 - Entrants by team

2008-04-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

This year, we have 429 total teams entered, including ten that picked an ex-KC Chief field goal kicker (Nick Lowery). Actually, this player is Steve Lowery who can't kick beyond 20 yards. I also corrected Daniel (not David) Chopra's name. Check your teams against the grid and notify me of any entry errors or omissions. Good luck to all. 1st round scores and team totals will be posted tonight and after the conclusion of every round.

Masters 2008 - Entrants by team

Note: We are using driveway.com to host the spreadsheets for the tournament. After clicking on the link, please click the Download button to view the file.

Masters 2008

2008-04-02T05:40:00.001-07:00

John Brzana's Masters Pool has become an annual tradition. In what can best be termed "April Madness", the rules are simple: pick 4 golfers (1 from each tier) and hope they do well because their cumulative score is your key to success.

Check back here during the tournament for updates.

2008 Masters Pool - Entry Form

Book Review - Beach Road - James Patterson/Peter De Jonge

2007-03-20T10:10:00.000-07:00

Buy Beach Road at Amazon.com

Plot: Tom Dunleavy has a one-man law firm in legendary East Hampton. But his job barely keeps him in paper clips. His principal clients make a living serving the rich. The billionaires and mega celebrities swarming the beaches already have lawyers on their payroll.

Then a friend of Tom's is arrested for a triple murder near a movie star's mansion. Tom knows in his gut that Dante Halleyville is innocent. Dante asks him to represent him in what could be the Trial of the Century.

Tom recruits Manhattan super lawyer Kate Costello to help. She's a tough hire, because Kate is his ex-girlfriend-but she agrees. In their search to find who really executed three locals, Tom orchestrates a series of revelations to expose the killer-and what emerges is staggering.

Review: After a 10 month layoff, I'm back to listening to audio books. I read the lukewarm reviews of "Beach Road", but decided to go ahead and make my own opinion instead of listening to others. The result: it was fair. The average review on Amazon.com is 3 stars, and I'd have to agree with that. Personally, the toughest part to get through was the first 30 or 40 minutes as the stage is set as there were some pretty cheesy cliches and other techniques used that had me thinking, "is this how the entire book is going to be?" It eventually settled down and got into a literary groove.

Liked the fact that each chapter was from a different character's perspective. Especially the courtroom scenes as we see the majority of Tom's performance from Kate's eyes, and vice versa. Also liked the fact that "Loco" was a mystery character you knew you'd been introduced to but couldn't figure out who he really was (the same goes for "BW", as referred to by Loco a few times during the book) because this set the stage for the twist, which I think was executed fairly well.

The majority of the reviews I read bashed the ending saying it was implausible and irrational...since I'm reading a piece of fiction, I'm not opposed to some incredulous things happening...and they were pretty incredulous. To the naysayers, I ask you: did you really want the book to end after the verdict of Dante Halleyville? This would have led to an all to familiar (and overused) ending, and would have been a letdown. I'm OK with the climax of the book.

The thing I need to understand is the relationship between JP and Mr. De Jonge...who played what role? I agree with most reviews that Beach Road isn't up to the normal JP writing, but it seems his name is the headliner that gets the book buyers attention and Mr. De Jonge did most of the work. I'm not sure what I think of this...probably a post for another day. It seems similar to buying an Infiniti, but realizing after the fact it had the engine of Ford Focus.

My biggest complaint is some of the extraneous information that didn't contribute anything to the story...my best example is the Steven Spielberg storyline. Still trying to figure out where that came from. Still, enjoyed the book enough to listen to the whole thing.

Verdict: 3 out of 5 stars.

Technorati Tags:books, culture, reviews

The Serious Nature of Sports

2007-03-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

I'm an athlete. Grew up playing all kinds of sports, watching all kinds of sports on TV, and idolizing athletes. In High School, I was an All State Football Player, an above average basketball player, and a 6'8" high jumper on the Track team (OK, I only did that height once...I was a consistent 6'4" high jumper, which is still pretty good considering that's how tall I was in high school). I wound up playing Wide Receiver for a Division II college team, but turned myself into damaged goods from all of the knee, ankle, and collarbone injuries.

Enough about me, here's the point: I'm 10 years removed from athletic competition (Note: "athletic competition" does not mean pick up games at the YMCA) and this has me getting philosophical on the role of sports in our society. The latest issue of ESPN The Magazine arrived in the mail yesterday, and there were three pieces in particular that resonated.

Article #1: Bill Simmons' ("The Sports Guy") piece on Billy Packer and the monopoly he has on announcing the Final Four weekend games. It was a well written piece that begins by applauding Packer for his knowledge, but quickly turns against him for his seriousness. The article makes an excellent point: Packer has an arrogance about him because no one knows more about basketball than he does...is this really important? Last I checked, college and professional sports exist primarily for entertainment (and boundless revenue for the NCAA in the case of college athletics), yet we have a guy who doesn't even know how to crack a joke providing color commentary...boooooring. Loosen up and don't take yourself so seriously, it's a game.

And speaking of Bill Simmons, he kept a diary of his observations over the first two days of the Men's NCAA Tournament...perhaps his best comment was inquiring why CBS didn't have every game in High Definition, yet there were so many blimp shots of the enclosed arenas. Stop spending money on the blimps...every arena looks the same. Spend the money on more HD cameras!

Article #2: Phil Mickelson with Jeff Bradley, writing "Failure Fuels Me". Mickelson is hounded by the media for not winning enough majors and not having enough of the proverbial "competitive drive". He is unquestionably one of the best golfers in the world. Yet, because he plays in the Tiger Woods era, he somehow gets hammered by the media. One of the more revealing quotes of the article reads, "Well, let me ask this: Are Johnny Miller, Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Lee Trevino, Davis Love, and Fred Couples great players? Of course they are. Those are some of the game's most heralded names. And somehow, I've won more PGA Tour events than any of them."

We love Phil because he's human and he doesn't take his job too seriously. We've all had good days and bad days at work...thankfully they aren't in front of millions of people. Yet, most of us like to leave work at work and enjoy life a little...which is exactly what Phil is doing.

Article #3: "Why We Look The Other Way" by Chuck Klosterman, which is about the NFL and steroids. Baseball is in the limelight because of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds with their home run prowess. Track and Field and Cycling have had their controversy. Yet somehow, football escapes the critical eye. It doesn't take a braniac to see who is using steroids, as the article points out Shawne Merriman weighs almost as much as Anthony Munoz and is almost as fast as Jerry Rice (in their playing days). Steroids aren't a new problem, dating back to the Steelers dynasty of the 70s and 80s, dating back to guys like Lyle Alzado. Yet, we continue to turn a blind eye to this activity. Would football be unwatchable if everyone was clean? I certainly don't think so.

The players are on such an elite level of athleticism, they are looking for any edge, legal or not. Loved the comment about Todd Sauerbrun, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, being suspended for 'roids...are we supposed to believe the punter was the only one on the team taking part in these illicit activities? It's sad these athletes think the only way they can succeed is by putting their long term health at risk, not to mention doing so illegally.

This all comes back to the seriousness of sports. They are games. And games are supposed to entertain. Phil Mickelson gets it. Billy Packer and Shawne Merriman don't. We need to loosen up a little and stop taking ourselves so seriously.

Technorati Tags:culture, football, society, sports

Girl Scout Cookies

2007-03-15T09:40:00.000-07:00

It starts with the unexpected knock at the door. In my neighborhood, that usually means one thing: some kids are going door to door with a fundraiser. My wife and I try to find the happy medium, where we buy stuff we think we will use (actually using it is another thing, as we’ve found out) and politely turning away stuff we won’t use.

There’s always that knee jerk “how can I get myself out of this one” reaction when you realize it’s a kid at the door for a fundraiser…except when it’s Girl Scout cookies. The crown jewel of fundraising is what all fundraisers should be like. Forget the frozen pizzas, forget the overpriced knick knacks, forget the coupon cards that no one really uses (despite the fact you see a “Subway”, “Taco Bell”, Pizza Hut” or any other chain restaurant, they are typically only good at only one participating restaurant). I have been scarred by fundraisers…having to go door to door as a high school basketball player selling cheese and sausage (I’m not making this up). Even though I grew up in Wisconsin, where we love our cheese and sausage, it’s still a tough sell. Thanks to my Dad for taking the fundraising sheet to work and helping his Son out.

Consider Girl Scout cookies:
• Are delicious. There are few things better than taking a sleeve of Thin Mints out of the freezer and popping cookie after cookie in your mouth until the entire sleeve is gone (this process only takes a minute or two).
• Are unique. You can’t buy them in a store. Although you can typically buy them just outside your favorite grocery store (Dierbergs here in St. Louis) as some entrepreneurial minded Girl Scouts bought a couple semi trailers of cookies and set up shop by the doors.
• Are relatively inexpensive. I think this year they are something like $4 a box. A bargain considering you get one time a year to buy them.

It also bears mentioning the impact it has on the young girls who are selling the cookies (there’s a great article on MSNBC about a Dad's Observations). These kids are learning marketing, dealing with difficult people (how can anyone have a grumpy disposition towards a Girl Scout?), sales techniques, perseverance, and many other skills/traits. Sure, every other fundraiser does the same thing, but I’ve got to think the success rate is much higher for the cookies than any other fundraiser, which gives them a better introduction to the world with regard to these elements. Sure, a big part of sales is how you deal with rejection, but there’s no need to give kids a product that’s hard to sell (like, say, cheese and sausage) where their success rate is so small they feel worthless.

I never enjoyed doing fundraisers, didn’t like going door to door (felt like I was bugging them), didn’t like the rejection, and didn’t like most of the stuff I was selling. Yet for some reason, I felt the need to spend my first three years out of college in sales, disliking my initial career choice for the exact same reasons.

Technorati Tags:culture, family, society

Book Review- Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury

2007-03-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Plot: Fahrenheit 451 is set in a grim alternate-future setting ruled by a tyrannical government in which firemen as we understand them no longer exist: Here, firemen don't douse fires, they ignite them. And they do this specifically in homes that house the most evil of evils: books.

Books are illegal in Bradbury's world, but books are not what his fictional -- yet extremely plausible -- government fears: They fear the knowledge one pulls from books. Through the government's incessant preaching, the inhabitants of this place have come to loathe books and fear those who keep and attempt to read them. They see such people as eccentric, dangerous, and threatening to the tranquility of their state.

But one day a fireman named Montag meets a young girl who demonstrates to him the beauty of books, of knowledge, of conceiving and sharing ideas; she wakes him up, changing his life forever. When Montag's previously held ideology comes crashing down around him, he is forced to reconsider the meaning of his existence and the part he plays. After Montag discovers that "all isn't well with the world," he sets out to make things right.

A brilliant and frightening novel, Fahrenheit 451 is the classic narrative about censorship; utterly chilling in its implications, Ray Bradbury's masterwork captivates thousands of new readers each year. (Andrew LeCount)

Review: Is there is a higher compliment to a book of this type than "thought provoking"? Considering this book was written over 50 years ago, it is astounding the accuracy with which Bradbury predicts the future. This book is about many topics, the biggest being censorship, but also has plot points that include nuclear war, happiness, and society in general. Many people will read this book and say they can't imagine a world where books are burned, but to Bradbury's point, there's more than one way to "burn" a book. As an example, an editor can make enough changes to a story to make it read differently and have a drastically different impact than the author intended.

Fahrenheit 451 makes references to political correctness and also talks about the dumbing down of society, where intellect isn't highly regarded, which is something that's been happening for years. Books help people think on their own and draw their own conclusions, which is no good in Bradbury's futuristic society.

Throughout the book, Bradbury points out the planes that are flying overhead, one of which eventually drops a nuclear bomb at the end of the book, which is done in excellent fashion (the writing, that is). The quote that sticks in my head is that "the war was over before it began".

A deep book that makes you think about the world and your place in it. Full of metaphors and other literary genius.

Verdict: 5 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags:books, culture, reviews

Buy From Barnes & Noble

Fahrenheit 451

USA, Inc.

2007-03-07T04:17:00.000-08:00

First, a disclaimer: I'm not Republican, I'm not Democrat, I'm somewhere in the middle (which I think is the case for most Americans). I don't follow politics that much because the day to day drivel gets to be a little much for me.

Here's what it seems America needs at this point in time: a CEO...a Chief Executive Officer. We could avoid many of our current day problems if we starting running the country like a business.

Focus
Businesses focus on what matters. I already see the Republican Presidential candidates like John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Sam Brownback trading barbs about abortion, which has been a hot topic for Republicans for the last few elections. It seems it would take a Herculean effort to overturn Roe v. Wade...my intuition says it probably won't happen. Yet, these candidates continue to take valuable time to talk about their opponent's views on this lightning rod of a topic that most likely won't change. This would be like IT Departments around the country spending a month of their time on something like Daylight Saving Time...oh wait, bad example. A side note: did the government take into account the impact this seemingly innocuous decision would have on technology? Apparently, all we had to do was convince Al Gore to turn off the electricity in his Tennessee home for a week to get the same energy savings as this DST change. OK, I wrote that because I thought it was funny...climate change is bigger than Al Gore's house, sorry to deliver that message to all of the detractors.

Adapting to Change
Businesses, both large and small, usually go through a restructuring at some point to adapt to the current state of the market. When was the last time the government had a restructuring? Today's environment is vastly different than even 10 years ago, yet there has been little adaptation to change. Our government isn't run with cost as a primary consideration, and because of this, the financial future of the country is compromised. Yet, with the personal tax cuts from a few years back, we are led to believe everything is so good that the government is giving money back to us! It was purely a surface maneuver to make us feel good about the state of finances in America, yet behind the scenes there are stories of record deficits, future Social Security shortfalls, and the like.

A Government restructuring could mean a more efficient country, which could lead to significant cost savings, which cures a lot of problems for the future of the nation.

Pricing
The citizens of America are the customer in this scenario, and customers need a simple pricing structure. What if, the next time you go to Target, Best Buy, Dierbergs (a St. Louis shout-out), or wherever, it took you 20 minutes to check out (even though you only had 15 items) because the pricing was so complex? Ladies and Gentlemen...the US Tax System! The taxes we pay on cars, groceries, clothes, etc, are simple. Yet, when it comes to personal income taxes, you need a PhD in Accounting to figure it out. There's no one who could convince me that income tax needs to be as complex as it is...of course H&R Block, TurboTax, and the like would die trying. A business-like government that is focused on their customers would give us an uncomplicated pricing structure that was a lot easier to understand.

Bonuses
Leaders of most companies have some piece of their compensation tied to performance. It's well known that the President's salary is $400,000 a year...why not put some incentives in there with some bonus money tied to it? There are a million ways to quantify the job the President is doing (and I'm not talking about approval ratings, which seem to have some merit, but still seem so random) that would make this possible. I know there are many of you who say money shouldn't be a motivating factor in leading the free world, but if there are rewards for meeting specific objectives that better the country and the world, I can't imagine this technique would do any harm.

Succession Planning
I'm not talking about the government here (most of us have had enough of the Bush family) with regards to succession planning. I'm talking about the future of America...its youth. Here we are, spending billions of dollars for a war half a world away, yet public schools are in shambles. The struggles of the St. Louis City Public School System in particular give credence to this point. How can education not be one of the most important pieces of this country? And for those of you say, "oh, but it is", where are the results? You may find pockets of good schools and school systems (the Rockwood School District in the St. Louis Metro Area comes to mind), but for every success story, you have 3 or 4 negative stories about schools that need a lot of work. We owe it to the youth of America to give them a solid education, which will set them up for a lifetime of success, whatever "success" means to them. Start with paying teachers more...these fine people are trying to shape the future of our country, but are tremendously underpaid. Better pay means more peeps (and more qualified peeps) to choose from, which ups the ante in the classroom, which leads to a better education for our kids. I would love to be a high school teacher, but when I see the pay scales for educators in my area, I would have to teach for 15 years to get to my current salary...that's nuts.

Understanding Our Role In The Marketplace (aka "the world")
Imagine a 40 year-old person being told by a 10 year-old kid what to do with regards to their beliefs, their lives, and everything surrounding it. That's pretty much what we are doing in Iraq...your type of government stinks, ours is great, so let's go ahead and change the foundation of your country to make you like us. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery, is less than 150 years old. America still struggles with minority rights today, in 2007, yet we have the gall to tell countries that are centuries older than us how to do things. I firmly believe this is why so many countries in the world resent the United States. We are that cocky kid that thinks he has all of the answers...nobody (well, except his mother) likes this kid.

Customer Service
Quick question: when is the last time you heard about a positive experience when dealing with any department within the Government? A business exists because of their customers (we already know this). A business typically has customer service...the good businesses have excellent customer service. Why is it so hard to the Government to provide good customer service? I don't know the answer, but am most certainly interested.

Again, these are some of my surface observations. As I stated at the beginning of this post, I don't follow politics that closely. My hope with this post is to provide a sort of "everyman" perspective of the current state of our country...the way it looks from most peep's eyes. Do I really think turning the government into a business is the right thing to do? No way. Although, there are plenty of business principles that could be applied to get this thing to work better.

Technorati Tags:business, culture, society

Longaberger Baskets - A Guy's Perspective

2007-03-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

This is a re-publish of a post from May 11, 2006 that I've received requests to make more accessible:

Feel the need to give some preliminary information before my observations to maintain my masculinity. Here are the facts:

-My Mom loves Longaberger Baskets
-Some of my Wife's family lives in Newark, Ohio
-We were traveling to Newark to celebrate my Grandmother-In-Law's 90th birthday
-It was four weeks before Mother's Day, 2006

My sister, who lives in Wisconsin, was aware of the abovementioned facts, and sent me an e-mail asking if I could pick up the "2006 Woven Memories" basket for our Mom. I'd seen enough of my Mom's baskets to know they all had a name that was on a badge of sorts affixed to the basket, so my mission was straightforward.

It is 16 hours round trip from Dardenne Prairie, Missouri to Newark, which didn't leave a lot of time for anything outside of the birthday festivities. I asked my sister if I could buy it online in case we didn't make it, and she told me that you could only get this basket at the Longaberger store located 20 minutes east of Newark. And that's when it hits me; the business model of this company is pure genius! On the surface, it looks like it's all about the fancy baskets. A basket is a basket, right? Not by Longaberger's standards. You've got the intricately woven basket. You've got the interchangeable liners that you can change with the seasons. You've got the plastic liner to protect your investment....err, I mean basket. You've got the lid to top it off. Longaberger has taken a seemingly bland product and made it unique and exciting. But, dig deeper and you see a carefully crafted business that is different than many of the other businesses that rely on house parties like candles, cosmetic products and the like that tend to fizzle out over time.

The Destination
So, my wife, son, sister-in-law and brother-in-law leave a little bit early for a lunch over at a relative's house so we could drive by "The Basket," otherwise known as Longaberger's Headquarters. We saw the basket, which was pretty impressive. But, instead of turning around and getting to lunch on time, which was the plan, we kept on driving. And 20 minutes later we were in Dresden, Ohio, taking the exit off Highway 16 to see the spectacle known as Longaberger Homestead. This place is a little city, complete with store, restaurants (yes, that's plural), welcome center, golf course, a furniture store, a place to make your own basket and more. Longaberger has made this place a destination, a place to share an experience with friends or family. We were only there for 30 minutes, but we created a memory by going there and getting my Mom a memorable Mother's Day gift. That may sound a little sappy, but it is something the five of us will talk about from time to time.

Supply
If you've taken an Economics class, you are familiar with the concept of supply and demand. For products that rely on home based sales (Longaberger calls them "Home Consultants"), it's critical to find the balance between the two. If the products are too easy to purchase, you've lost the allure due to market saturation and will most likely have poor sales. If the products are too difficult to purchase, potential customers will get frustrated and could stop buying your product. Also, take a look at the price of a basket...keeping in mind that it isn't gold plated. Oh, and you can't forget to buy a liner a lid and plastic insert, that's crazy talk.

There are essentially two ways to get your paws on a Longaberger Basket, either go through one of these "Home Consultants" or make a pilgrimage to Dresden, Ohio. The fact that you can only buy the Woven Memories baskets in Dresden is a core component of the Longaberger model, because it generates demand. The Homestead has an entire section where that's all they sell...current and past Woven Memories Baskets, complete with liners, lids and trays. Even more astounding, this is the only basket you can buy here. Want another basket? You'll have to talk to a "Home Consultant." Sure, you can find baskets on eBay, but you'll find yourself trying to outbid other people that must have this basket. I must have asked my sister half a dozen times to clarify which specific basket to get Mom, and she always responded with, "it's the only one you can get there." Until I witnessed the spectacle, I didn't understand what she was saying.
Status Symbols and Branding
This is why I mentioned earlier in this article that under the surface it's not about the baskets. Longaberger has created a brand that is a status symbol. You can find a basket at your local Target, Wal-Mart or whatever, but they aren't Longaberger baskets. Most people are aware that it's not easy (or cheap) to get a Longaberger Basket. An amusing side note: 2 miles before the exit for Longaberger Homestead, we saw a basket store (“store” is being generous) with a home made spray-painted sign that said “Baskets” out front. What is this store’s goal? Do they think they will trick people into thinking they are Longaberger Homestead? Do they think people who have traveled hundreds of miles to visit Dresden will stop 2 miles short of the Holy Grail and buy their baskets? We need answers to these questions!

Take another popular brand name, Hummer. St. Louis has a ton of Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Chevy, Ford, etc. dealerships. But, we have only one Hummer dealership. If you drive a Hummer, it isn't necessarily about it being a better ride; it's about owning a status symbol. There, I feel better after writing about something manly (and posting a picture of a manly truck)...now back to baskets! The badge on each Longaberger basket epitomizes this train of thought as it's something you can only find on a Longaberger basket, which helps for quick identification. There's no one asking, "Is that a Longaberger basket?" They're saying, "That's a Longaberger basket!"

So there you have it: a unique product that is a status symbol, controlled supply, and a destination for your raving fans. Pure genius.

Yes, we were late to lunch, but it was worth it.

Technorati Tags:business, culture, society, travel

Status Symbols

2007-03-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

My previous post got me thinking about status symbols and the assumptions we make. You see someone driving a BMW, a Mercedes Benz, an Infiniti, you usually think they are big time and have a great life. It's the clothes people wear, the shoes they own, the malls they shop (here in St. Louis it's the aforementioned Plaza Frontenac), the stuff they own.

Products that can make that leap to "status symbol" are destined for greatness, at least in the short term. And, they usually have prices that reflect this status. Take iPod as an example...they are the most expensive mp3 player on Earth, and the most popular. You may even catch peeps with other mp3 players referring theirs as an iPod...another way you know you've got a status symbol on your hands...they have become the generic name for a product class(think "Coke"). How about that Starbucks coffee? There's something about carrying that cup (and the magical sleeve it comes with) that screams status symbol...as you scream about how much you just spent on cup of coffee. Status symbols get to our emotions as we make bad decisions and overpay for something because of what it represents. Or is it what we think it represents? Other status symbols off the top of my head: Sirius Satellite Radio, Motorola RAZR Phones, In-Ground Sprinkler Systems, paying a company to fertilize your lawn. The list could go on for days.

The interesting thing: we all know these are status symbols, for some of us it is subconscious. And, when it gets down to it, all it does is project an image of you that is entirely surface, nothing deeper. So, the next time you are driving to work and you see that person in that fancy car, realize they might not be in such a great situation...remember that a crazy amount of peeps in the world are deep in debt. One of my first blog posts was about a neighbor that freely admitted he bought an in-ground sprinkler system because everyone else in the neighborhood was doing it, despite the fact he had to "rob Peter to pay Paul" (his words) to get it installed. And there's the problem, put yourself in a dire financial situation for a sprinkler system.

It's time to wake up and smell the coffee (I'm not talking the $8 a cup Starbucks variety)...and start watering your lawn the old fashioned way.

Sports and Butt Slaps

2007-03-03T04:46:00.000-08:00

March is here, which means March Madness is not far away. NCAA Basketball is having its conference tournaments, which ultimately leads to the NCAA Tournament and its 65 teams. While watching one of these games, I noticed a most curious way of congratulating a player on a good play...a good old slap on the butt. Really? That means, "good job"? It's not limited to basketball...baseball and football (NFL players are among the most notorious offenders) are in on this celebratory ritual as well. I'm not a big hockey fan, so I can't speak for them. And, I can't say I've ever seen a NASCAR driver give or receive a butt slap, although it's entirely possible member of the pit crew might do this after a butt kicking (or should I say "butt slappin"?) pit stop.

Among my questions/comments:

How did this become acceptable in sports? You try this in any other walk of life and the least you will get are some strange looks, not to mention the fact that bodily harm may be inflicted on you.
What's the genealogy of the butt slap? Who first tried this technique? What was the recipient's response? Did other people notice this technique and say, "hey, that's a great idea...slapping someone on the bottom when they've done a good job"?
As a high school and collegiate athlete, I have been the recipient of a butt slap or two. I'm not sure I would say I felt violated, but it's just plain bizarre to me that the thought would cross some one's mind to do that to someone else.

Personally, I stuck with the high five or a fist bump (which requires the other parties cooperation). If I decided I wanted to give some one sided appreciation, it was a slap on the back, making sure I didn't get any lower than halfway down the back...just want to make sure there wasn't any confusion.

The Concept of the Cover Charge

2007-03-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

I have a friend at work that introduced me to the following topic and feel the need to share it here. It's the concept of the cover charge, similar to getting into a club, but it's applied to stores like Target or the Home Depot.

Take Target as an example, when is the last time you left there spending less than $50? Exactly. And there's the entire concept, there's a minimum amount you will spend at most of the stores you frequent. The Home Depot's cover charge is a little steeper at $100, particularly because of the more expensive merchandise like ceiling fans, electric fireplaces, lawnmowers, and other similar items. And, home improvement stores only work in increments of $100...once you break that first hundie, two hundie is only a blink of the eye away.

The reason I bring this up is two fold:
1. You must be aware of this phenomenon. You may think you are going to Target for "a couple of items" that will only run you $10, when in reality you should know better.
2. You've got to use coupons when possible (you can find some good Target coupons and Home Depot coupons online).

Take note of this concept, for you will begin to notice your own "cover charge" stores, where it's guaranteed you will spend a minimum amount. It might only be $20, it might be $100...no matter the amount, it's important to be aware.

Disclosure Policy

Hand to Hand Combat

2007-02-13T05:40:00.000-08:00

Wow. I thought I was doing OK by visiting Target the Monday before Valentine's Day to get a card for my wife. I did not expect the throng of peeps (maybe 20 of them) milling around the card area, some looking for cards more seriously than others. I was one of the serious lookers, and had to use some age old Jedi techniques to weasel my way into the front row.

First you try to get within a person's space. The point is not to violate them and make bodily contact, but to merely let them know you are there. You may be behind them, and they can't see you, but they can feel you encroaching on their space. More times than not, the person will move out of the way, and let you proceed, not even knowing what they did and why they did it...like I said, Jedi Mind Tricks.

If the above mentioned technique doesn't work (sometimes you've got to give it a good 15 seconds), more drastic measures must be taken. Sometimes the fake reach for a card you have no intention of getting will let the peeps in your way know you mean business, and they will part ways for you (basically you are saying, "There's my card! And I would be able to get it if it weren't for you heathens in my way!"). Sometimes a little sigh or cough or some other noise just to let them know you are there helps. And if nothing else works, you always have the "accidental" nudge, as if to say "oops, I'm sorry for bumping into you...now get out of the way".

I would hope it doesn't get violent, but the closer we get to Valentine's Day, the holiday about love, the crazier peeps get when looking for cards or gifts...be prepared!

Book Review - A Walk In The Woods

2007-01-20T18:09:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't heard of Bill Bryson, you are missing out on one of the great authors of our time. I just finished my second Bryson book, which was "A Walk In The Woods"...the first was "A Short History of Nearly Everything", which I need to read again because it was so good.

"Woods" is about Bryson and an old buddy, Stephen Katz, hiking the Appalachian Trail. It is told extremely well with timely details, relevant (and sometimes astounding) history, and, of course, humor. I gravitated towards this book because nature intrigues me to a significant degree, and when I saw Bryson was the author, I was in. I also really liked the book because I am not an expert hiker, heck, not even an intermediate hiker, but someday hope to be, and Bryson is cut from the same cloth, spending the first small section of the book writing about hiking gears and the different types of hikers.

The history of the trail was excellent, bouncing back 100s of years at some times, and only a few years at others. And, because the trail is so darn long, it has multiple personalities (a la Sybil), especially at the end of the book with the treks in Pennsylvania and Maine. At times it is frustrating to read about the degradation of the trail because of man (and government). The wildlife is sparce because of hunting and the foliage is suffering because of man's influence. I guess some of this inevitable to a degree, but to hear Bryson tell it, it makes you want to be a better citizen of Planet Earth.

For anyone that's visited a national or state park and loved the experience, this is an excellent read.

You Should Not Operate Heavy Machinery...

2007-01-20T04:13:00.000-08:00

Holy smokers. Been feeling a bit under the weather (just a little cold, nothing huge) for the past few days with the biggest annoyance being the fact that I haven't been getting a good night's sleep. My instructions to my wife were really simple as she left for Target...get something that's going to knock me out so I can sleep good...and boy did she find the thing that did the trick...Alka Seltzer Plus Night Time Cold.

I must say the "Soothing Lemon" was quite delicious as I drank the fizzy concotion. I do not remember much after that. I remember working on a new t shirt design for my Cafepress store, I remember starting to feel drowsy, and I remember quick shutting down my computer.

It is not 6:20 in the morning and I got a good night's rest. I don't know what magic ingredient in there helps you sleep, but thank you to the person who invented it.

Disney - The Logistics

2007-01-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

One more post about Disney before I let it go. As I've already stated, it is super interesting to look at Disney through an adult's eyes.

After the business side of things, the next most interesting has got to be the logistics of the place. I don't know who and how many, but the peeps running the show do an awesome job. From the peeps that pick up garbage on the "streets" of Disney World to the indivduals working behind the counters at restaurants and stores to the people maintaining order in the park, it's astounding to me how well the machine runs...a joy to observe.

It's even more amazing when you look at this in the aggregate...it's not just one park (like the Magic Kingdom or ECPOT), it's multiple parks, multiple lodging choices, multiple transportation options (I still think the monorails are the coolest things going, even after my 20 year layoff from Disney), multiple meal choices, all working together as one.

If you happen to be at Disney any time in the near future, take a few minutes (or longer if you want) to watch the machine work.