Archive for the ‘Off Topic’ Category

Can advertising add value to a product? I think it can, if our perception of the value of the product is changed by the advertising, then it has added value, and this is the assertion of Rory Sutherland, a self-described “Ad Man”.

Ted.com comes up with yet another interesting video interlude with Rory Sutherland: Life Lessons from an Ad Man.

Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself. Rory Sutherland makes the daring assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider “real” value — and his conclusion has interesting consequences for how we look at life.

I think this is dead right, since many things have pretty much the same technical value, but why is it that iPods are so valued, when most other MP3 players can do most of the same things? Why do folks buy Pepsi instead of Coke (and vice versa)?

The Ted folks have got a fresh set of very interesting videos, and one jumped out at me, which is a talk by Temple Grandin about how the world needs all kinds of minds to thrive.

Temple Grandin, diagnosed with autism as a child, talks about how her mind works — sharing her ability to “think in pictures,” which helps her solve problems that neurotypical brains might miss. She makes the case that the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers, and all kinds of smart geeky kids.

A very interesting talk, well worth watching (yes it has very little to do with Personal Finance, but remember if your child is diagnosed as having a different mind, you may be able to get a Disability tax exemption for them).

After watching the “interesting” opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics, I remembered some of the great Canadian Olympic moments and managed to find a short vignette from the National Film Board about Kathy Kreiner and her surprise Gold Medal run at Innsbruck in 1976. Given we didn’t win any gold in Montreal (the FIRST Canadian Olympics (which was finally paid off a couple of years ago)), Ms. Kreiner’s victory sticks in my mind.

I wish all the Canadian Athletes good luck, and let the games begin! Hopefully it will snow in Vancouver, before the games are over!

Cliff Stoll is an interesting “hero” for techno-geeks like me, and seeing that he did a talk for Ted, made me want to share it with you, good reader. His book The Cuckoo’s Egg is a very interesting read.

He found a KGB hacker, even though his expertise is in Astronomy, but he decided to figure out how all this Internet thing works, and became a techno-sleuth while doing it. His frenetic pace and stacato delivery is both wild but also refreshing to hear (OK I don’t think I could work with him, he might drive me nuts, but he is still an amazing person to listen to).

Clifford Stoll captivates his audience with a wildly energetic sprinkling of anecdotes, observations, asides — and even a science experiment. After all, by his own definition, he’s a scientist: “Once I do something, I want to do something else.”

So we start the second decade of the new century and the new millenium, so it is an exciting day today, that is for sure. It is astounding to think that the first decade of the 21st Century is over, but it is and time continues to speed up in my life rather than slow down.

I am very thankful for all the amazing things that have been given to me in the year 2009.

• A new career start
• A new niece
• Good Health
• Good Friends

My life has always been blessed and this year was another great year for me.

What comes for 2010? I have no idea, but I pray it is a good one.

Happy New Year 2010!

Man that was a tiring year