Steve Chambers’ blog

I heard an advertisement on the radio today, (Rush Limbaugh) by T. Boone Pickens.  In it he describes his plan to wean America off it's oil dependence.  I already knew he was building the world's largest wind farm in Oklahoma, but I had no idea of the extent of his ideas.  So I checked out the web site for Pickens Plan.

I was very impressed.  Finally someone is proposing ideas that will actually fix some of the problems we face in the future.  This video describes his plan in great detail.  It is worth a look:

So, is your bank safe?  Most people don't have any idea of the solvency of their bank until it is too late, then they join the rush to get their money out, causing what is know as a "Bank Run".

You want to get your money out first, before the news that your bank is failing hits the press.  But how do you know?  The banking industry, and the government both do not want to tell you that your bank is in danger of imminent collapse.  Making this public knowledge would cause...a bank run.  It would be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What you need to do is to evaluate the financial condition of your bank right now, and if it looks financially weak, transfer your money to a stronger financial institution.  Here are two websites you can use right now,

Veribanc provides safe and sound bank ratings on all U.S. federally insured financial  institutions in "plain English". It costs some money, not a lot, but it can tell you exactly how strong your financial institution is to weather the upcoming financial storm.

A second source, not as detailed but free, is bankrate.com.  You can quickly and easily check out how financially solvent your bank is.  This literally takes less than 3 minutes to complete.  Surely a worthwhile investment of time considering what is at stake.

What you do with this information is up to you.  Most people don't do anything.  Inertia takes over and things just get...in...the...way.  But at least you'll know why bad things are happening.

Steve Chambers

Mental models have always fascinated me.  Everyone walks around with a mental model in their heads about how the world works. For instance, we all have a mathematical model that structures how we think about things.  For most of the people in the world this model is based on Newtonian thinking.  You know, every action has an equal but opposite reaction...stuff like that.

These models we use often are not based on reality.  Let's look at the mathematical model again.  While Newtonian assumptions will serve us well in most situations they are slowly being replaced by a new mathematical model, one  based on quantum mechanics.  This simple model change will have a profound impact on future generations.  In fact it already has, witness the effect of the theory of relativity on common philosophical thought.

As interesting as models are, what I really wanted to talk about were the three games of life.  Now I am sure that with a little effort you can think of many more games, but for my purposes there are three primary games that are played in life.  I learned this from James Dale Davidson.

First is the Economic Game.  This is the game where you try to get ahead by following all the rules.  You see this game played out mostly in business.  You have competitors and you try to outdo them by offering better pricing, faster delivery and the usual business value options.  To the majority of the population, at least in the United States, this is the game they think is always being played, or at least played the majority of the time. Because this game involves fair play and, we hope, an even playing field, most people want to believe this is how the world operates.

The second game is the Political Game.  This is where you try to get ahead by changing the rules.  For instance, if you can have the government pass a law that says people have to use your product, like car Insurance or, as seen recently in California, a Cell Phone headset you can win in business and get ahead.  It is even better if you can get competitive businesses and products outlawed.  As businesses, governments, institutions and the like grow old and bureaucratic this game comes more and more to the fore.  You see this game being played in the United States today.

The third game is the Megapolitical Game.  In this game brute force determines the winner and the rules.  The best illustration of this is the old saw that when a man with Gold meets a man with a gun the man with the gun ends up with both the gun and the gold.  An example I was given that illustrates this game is that, if you were a Korean in South Central Los Angeles you had the right under the first two games to own a liquor store.  But when the riots hit in 1992 if you weren't there on site with superior force to defend your property it was burned down. In most of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as many inner city ghettos throughout the world this is the game they play.

The world is operating under all three of these games right now on some level or the other.  So, which game are you playing?

Steve Chambers

It's Canada Day!  And now, for your viewing pleasure...

I like pizza.  I think pizza, which has one hell of a history, is one of the greatest foods in terms of versatility and convenience.   It comes in so many different varieties that you can always try a new one, and if you stay away from the national chains (which I highly recommend) every pizza is different.  Here are some different varieties:

New York Style Pizza

Chicago Style Pizza

Greek Pizza

Hawaiian Pizza

St. Louis Style

California Style

Taco Pizza

Grilled Pizza

The list goes on.  The point is that pizza never gets boring because you can try a different pizza wherever you happen to be.

Pizza is also territorial.  Everywhere I visit has it’s own “Best Pizza” that everyone seems to swear by.  Trisha and I are both big fans of pizza and we make it a point to try something different whenever we travel.  It is rarely bad and sometimes it’s fantastic.

So my question is, what is your favorite pizza and pizza place?

Steve Chambers

Most of us travel a lot for either business or pleasure and, like Road Warrior Scott Bell has pointed out, air travel is getting more expensive and frustrating.  At the end of August I wil be taking a 10 day vacation to Cabo San Lucas, similar to what Rob Northrup, developer of Corporate Veil Pro, is doing right now in Florida.  (If you remember, and I tend to remember everything, Newport Beach Dermatologist Dr. Peter Helton was just there, staying at the world-class Palmilla).

Anyway I haven't purchased my airline tickets yet because I am trapped on the horns of a dilemma.  I can't seem to decide whether or not I want to drive, which has been a longtime goal of mine, or to fly.  Flying has the advantage of speed, I mean you get there in one day, but the disadvantage of expense and inconvenience.  When you fly you have to take a cab everywhere and that adds up.

I am going to admit that I distrust Mexico, which I feel is on the verge of, if not already, a "failed State".  That means crime in rampant, the police and army are corrupt and there is no dependable legal system nor protection.  In other words you are taking your life in danger to a greater extent than normal.  Five years ago I would not have hesitated to drive but today kidnapping, rape and murder, often by members of the police and army, are rampant.

I am going to keep away from a political discourse here, but the political and economic conditions in Mexico are the main concern I have about making the drive.  Are my fears unwarranted?  Does anyone reading this blog have any experience recently in Mexico that might point me in one direction versus the other?  Oh yeah, gasoline in Mexico is $2.50/Gallon, so the cost round trip is about half the air fare cost, plus I avoid taxi fare except when I'm drinking. Come on, I'm in Mexico...everyone drinks.

I finally arrived home last night from my combination business trip/inner circle weekend.  I decided to combine the two in the interest of efficiency.  It had been a long time since I had visited my Arizona territory in any depth so, since I was in Vegas anyway, I drove down through Sedona and Phoenix after the IC meeting concluded on Sunday night.

As always, the Inner Circle meeting was rewarding and thought provoking.  The only bummer about doing the AZ thing afterwards was that it caused me to lose some momentum in terms of follow-up, but I do have job responsibilities to attend to.  Now it is back to my regular schedule...after I play catch-up with all my e-mails and other responsibilities.

I have neglected the blogs in the interest of time, but I did visit everyone's web sites and will continue to do so of course.  I will catch up on everyone's blog over the weekend.

Have a great day...sell something.

Steve Chambers

How much do you tip the guys at the car wash who dry and detail your car?  Maybe this is California thing, but when you get a full service wash they have a guy (or gal) dry off and clean your windows before you pick up the car. In my usual experience they spend 1 - 2 minutes toweling off your windows and wiping down your dash.  The effort is often half-assed and I usually tip $1 - $2 and take off.

Today in Vegas I stopped by a full service car wash and bought the minimum wash.  My truck is old and beat up so I rarely (read "Never") pay for all the bells and whistles with the "Ultimate Package".  I just want them to blow the dirt off the truck so it looks presentable and off I'll go.

I expected the usual perfuctory service but was amazed when three guys climbed onto my car and started wiping every square inch of it. They literally took over 15 minutes and effectively detailed the truck right in front of me.  Watching the three guys work on it was like watching car porn, they serviced it from every angle. Now that is what exceeding customer expectation is all about.  Excellent customer service

Needless to say, there was a much bigger tip involved.

Steve Chambers

How much do you tip the guys at the car wash who dry and detail your car?  Maybe this is California thing, but when you get a full service wash they have a guy (or gal) dry off and clean your windows before you pick up the car. In my usual experience they spend 1 - 2 minutes toweling off your windows and wiping down your dash.  The effort is often half-assed and I usually tip $1 - $2 and take off.

Today in Vegas I stopped by a full service car wash and bought the minimum wash.  My truck is old and beat up so I rarely (read "Never") pay for all the bells and whistles with the "Ultimate Package".  I just want them to blow the dirt off the truck so it looks presentable and off I'll go.

I expected the usual perfuctory service but was amazed when three guys climbed onto my car and started wiping every square inch of it. They literally took over 15 minutes and effectively detailed the truck right in front of me.  Watching the three guys work on it was like watching car porn, they serviced it from every angle. Now that is what exceeding customer expectation is all about.  Excellent customer service

Needless to say, there was a much bigger tip involved.

Steve Chambers

Greeting from Las Vegas.

Here is an article from Information Week detailing solo entreprenuers who earn over $1 million yearly working by themselves and for themselves. Most of us here are seeking this for ourselves so I'm posting it.

Good article.  Shows what can be done with the internet and some ingenuity.

Steve Chambers