Rob's World

Rob's World http://rcommins.wordpress.com Means and technologies to make life easier, work more productive, and myself happier. Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:18:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.png Rob's World http://rcommins.wordpress.com Eleven Reasons to Fear For Your Freedom http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/eleven-reasons-to-fear-for-your-freedom/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/eleven-reasons-to-fear-for-your-freedom/#comments Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:18:57 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/?p=44 ]]>

What would you say if I gave you 11 reasons why the elections in 2010 will be the most important in the history of the United States ?

1. What if I had told you in October 2008, before the last presidential election, that before Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office, the federal government would be in control of both the mortgage and the banking industries? That 19 of Americas largest banks would be forced to undergo stress tests by the federal government which would determine that they were insufficiently capitalized so they must be supervised by the government?

Would you have said, “Cmon, that will never happen in America ?”

2. What if I had told you that within Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office the federal government would be the largest shareholder in two US automakers, GM, and Chrysler? That the government would kick out the CEOs of these companies and appoint hand-picked executives with zero experience in the auto industry and that executive compensation would be determined not by a Board of Directors but by the government?

Would you have said, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

3. What if I had told you that Barack Obama would appoint 21 Czars, without congressional approval, accountable only to him not to the voters who would have control over a wide range of US policy decisions? That there would be a Stimulus Accountability Czar, an Urban Czar, a Compensation Czar, an Iran Czar, an Auto Industry Czar, a Cyber Security Czar, an Energy Czar, a Bank Bailout Czar, and more than a dozen other government bureaucrats with unchecked regulatory powers over US domestic and foreign policy?

Would you have said, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

4. What if I had told you that the federal deficit would be $915 billion in the first six months of the Obama presidency – with a projected annual deficit of $1.75 trillion – triple the $454.8 billion in 2008, for which the previous administration was highly criticized by Obama and his fellow Democrats? That congress would pass Obama’s $3.53 trillion federal budget for fiscal 2010? That the projected deficit over the next ten years would be greater than $10 trillion?

Would you have said, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

5. What if I had told you that the Obama Justice Department would order FBI agents to read Miranda rights to high-value detainees captured on the battlefield and held at US military detention facilities in Afghanistan ? That Obama would order the closing of the Guantanamo detention facility with no plan for the disposition of the 200-plus individuals held there? That several of the suspected terrorists at Guantanamo would be sent to live in freedom in Bermuda at the expense of the US government? That our US veterans would be labeled terrorists and put on a watch list.

Would you have said, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

6. What if I had told you that the federal government would seek powers to seize key companies whose failures could jeopardize the financial system? That a new regulatory agency would be proposed by Obama to control loans, credit cards, mortgage-backed securities, and other financial products offered to the public?

Would you have said, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

7. What if I had told you that Obama would travel to the Middle East, bow before the Saudi king, and repeatedly apologize for Americas past actions? That he would travel to Latin America where he would warmly greet Venezuela’s strongman Hugo Chavez and sit passively in the audience while Nicaraguan Marxist thug Daniel Ortega charged America with terrorist aggression in Central America ?

Would you have said,Cmon,that will never happen in America ?

8. Okay, now what if I were to tell you that Obama wants to dismantle conservative talk radio through the imposition of a new Fairness Doctrine? That he wants to curtail the First Amendment rights of those who may disagree with his policies via internet blogs, cable news networks, or advocacy ads? That most major network television and most newspapers will only sing his phrases like state run media in communist countries?

Would you say, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

9. What if I were to tell you that the Obama Justice Department is doing everything it can to limit your Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms? That the federal government wants to reinstate the so-called assault weapons ban which would prohibit the sale of any type of firearm that requires the shooter to pull the trigger every time a round is fired? That Obama’s Attorney General wants to eliminate the sale of virtually all handguns and ammunition, which most citizens choose for self-defense?

Would you say, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

10. What if I were to tell you that the Obama plan is to eliminate states rights guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment and give the federal government sweeping new powers over policies currently under the province of local and state governments and voted on by the people? That Obama plans to control the schools, energy production, the environment, health care, and the wealth of every US citizen?

Would you say, Cmon, that will never happen in America ?

11. What if I were to tell you that the president, the courts, and the federal government have ignored the US Constitution and have seized powers which the founders of our country fought to restrict? That our last presidential election may have been our last truly free election for some time to come? That our next presidential election may look similar to the one recently held in Iran ?

I know, I know what you will say, That will never happen in America .

If we don’t do everything in our power to stop this madness in 2010, may God have mercy on our worthless souls.

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/eleven-reasons-to-fear-for-your-freedom/feed/ 1 rcommins Dear Mr. Axelrod http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/dear-mr-axelrod/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/dear-mr-axelrod/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:49:43 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/?p=41 ]]> Mr. Axelrod -

I strongly disagree with the direction you and BHO are leading this nation. Between the nationalization of private industry; moving America towards a Marxist state and your running amok in the Middle East apologizing to the muslim and Islamo-fascist states for America’s greatness, you are unilaterally destroying the fabric of our nation.

I pray that Americans wake up to the gaffes of our anti-Judeo-Christian president, his loose lipped VP and our CIA bashing speaker, and we get back to the greatness of a Reagan-eque administration through your defeat in 2010 and 2012.

Good day, and please go away.

Rob Commins
San Ramon, CA

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/dear-mr-axelrod/feed/ 0 rcommins The Internet Needs to Kill the Press http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/the-internet-needs-to-kill-the-press/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/the-internet-needs-to-kill-the-press/#comments Sun, 03 May 2009 01:59:07 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/?p=37 ]]> I can’t believe it. The San Ramon Valley School District closed Coyote Creek Elementary School in San Ramon due to a potential case of swine flu. My 10 year old daughter goes there. These things always seem so weird when they hit so close to home.

My opinion? This is overreaction to press driven drama. If the CDC and WHO’s figures were being objectively reported by the press, the 13,000 deaths from seasonal flu already reported in the US since January 2009 would have us bathing in Purell by now. The overcautious state of school districts in the US is getting ridiculous too. What’s worse is that their caution is not focused on the children, it is focused on their fear of litigation.

While we’re on it, what ever happened to the doom-mongers and the bird flu? I though by now that Anderson Cooper would have us all dead by now.

America (and the world at large) needs to grow up and drive some accountability from the press. The press is always after someone’s head with no regard to the implication of their wild goose chases. How about a congressional hearing for CBS NBC CNN and ABC instead of the big three auto makers? How about the press pay for computer based training for my kids’ school while they are incubated at home next week?

The Internet killed the trade show, then the newspaper, I long for the day the Intenret kills the press. Let the ebb and flow of the blogging community self correct the ridiculous state of mass hysteria.

Gotta roll – off to develop a curriculum for my kid next week.

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/the-internet-needs-to-kill-the-press/feed/ 0 rcommins Is Thin + Thin a good thing? http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/is-thin-thin-a-good-thing/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/is-thin-thin-a-good-thing/#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 05:08:35 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/?p=34 ]]> I just read a great post on the Virtual Geek’s blog about the combination of VMware’s VMDK thin provisioning and array based provisioning such as offered by TP leader 3PAR. (disclaimer, I work for 3PAR). It is a fantastic asessment of the potential benefits and risks of using different combinations of thick/thin VMDKs in conjunction with thick/thin arrays.

Lots of people have been asking about the merits of using VMware’s thin provisioning on top of 3PAR’s array based thin provisioning. Virtual Geek said it very well, so I’ll give credit where credit is due:

So… What’s right – thin provisioning at the VMware layer or the storage layer? The general answer is that is BOTH.

The flexibility and efficiencies that are achievable when using both is fantastic. You can cram more VMDKs into a VMFS without consuming tons of disk. Array based TP will very quickly dedicate on write so disk is consumed only when it is actually required.

By reading the disclaimer on Virtual Geek’s blog, he is an EMC employee – I can’t tell if he works for EMC proper or for the VMware “arm” of the company. I only say that because I am impressed with his VMware subject matter expertise. Nice writeup VG!

I was a bit suprised at the end of the article though – it started raising issues that local (or host-based RAID direct attached) has with IO locality and data layout. Anyone considering array based TP must be thinking about a pretty slick networked storage solution, not DAS. I was also suprised by the first comment posted by Storage Anarchist (another EMCer – and that’s 100% OK by me). What surprised me is that Anarchist states: “That latter “exception” [Rob: IO locality] doesn’t really apply to an intelligently cached disk array like the Symmetrix DMX and V-Max.”

While I completely agree with Anarchist’s premise that IO locality is not a material issue for an intelligently cached disk array, I am surprised by the unwritten message that only uber-expensive high-end arrays alleviate this issue. Only Symmetrix DMX and V-Max offer this? I can think of several mid-range priced arrays that are leaders in array based thin provisioning (and have brilliant caching and data layout schema) that perform extremely well in VMware environments. [remember I work for 3PAR ]

What say you? Is Thin Provisioning from monolithic [DMX] or neo-monolithic [V-Max] the only way to go here? I disagree.

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/is-thin-thin-a-good-thing/feed/ 0 rcommins Your prospects are tweeting http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/your-prospects-are-tweeting/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/your-prospects-are-tweeting/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:51:39 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/?p=31 ]]> There has been quite a bit of chatter on blogs about Twitter and whether the microblogging tool carries any value beyond telling the planet what you had for lunch. I have especially heard sales and marketing leaders in B2B organizations argue over this.

Based on my personal experience, Twitter and other social media tools can be extremely effective – if managed properly. How in the world does one manage social media outlets? Hours and days of peoples’ time have been wasted by people staring at tweets pop up on their screen – this is not proper management. There are lots of tools (I use TweetDeck and TweetBeep) to set up a set of search criteria to identify people who are likely using or considering using my product. I don’t stare at these tools indefinitely throught the day – they deliver consolidated views of what’s happening in the twitterverse that I have deemed relevant to me. Based on the alerts I get from these tools, I can choose to respond, forward, re-tweet or ignore. Responding to tweets in a very helpful (not pressure selling) way is an excellent way to develop a trusted advisor position out there. Many times, you will find your assistance rewarded with an “atta boy” or thank you tweet or a re-tweet acknowledging your assistance. That’s just like a referral in the traditional world!

The challenge I run into now is how to make this scale. In a company with 100s or 1000s of sales and marketing people, how does the company choose to engage at a personal level, yet scale the benefits of twitter? That is yet to be seen, but I see very little downside in getting out there and lending a helping hand wherever your expertise lies. Worst case, you make a friendly acquaintance on line.

Have you found ways your B2B firm can scale its presence on Twitter while maintaining a human persona? I’d love to hear your story.

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/your-prospects-are-tweeting/feed/ 1 rcommins Cracking the Sales Communications Code http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/cracking-sales-communications/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/cracking-sales-communications/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:10:28 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/?p=23 ]]> I went to an interesting meetup sponsored by Savo Group and hosted at VMware tonight (thanks to both firms). A group of about 30 sales, sales ops and marketing leaders discussed their challenges in most effectively enabling sales and getting “the word” out to sales team without propagating billions of emails and creating random chaos. All of this while the rep really only cares if he is a hero or a zero this quarter.

A couple of nuggets of useful info came out for me. First, there are lots of good sales communications methodologies. What makes them suck or not is not the methodology in itself, but whether it was executed well. Just like many things in life, even a weak strategy executed well will most likely produce positive results. Conversely, brilliant strategy executed poorly is just a disaster.

So, what does it take to execute a sales communication strategy? I heard three key things:

leadership - the whole leadership team must be bought in and singing the same song every quarter
technology - in order to scale well and not slaughter the rep, a good tool must exist
metrics - a closed loop that tells the content creators what’s good and what blows. (some of this is qualitative, some of it quantitative)

I think so many “corporate types” kill themselves over developing a killer strategy, only to put it on the shelf when the end of the quarter rally comes along. Leadership is by far the killer success factor here – focus on that, and you may have a chance to pull things off.

Another hot topic (for another night) was how to leverage social media tools for sales enablement. Peaople are a bit freaked about it. I have to believe I was the only person in the room blasting tweets out during our conversation.

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/cracking-sales-communications/feed/ 1 rcommins Join the team at SXSW to end hunger http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/join-the-team-at-sxsw-to-end-hunger/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/join-the-team-at-sxsw-to-end-hunger/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:08:00 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/join-the-team-at-sxsw-to-end-hunger/ ]]> Can you us help feed 560,000 kids? Believe it or not, you can do it from right here at SXSW ‘09.

If 5,000 people sign the #HungerPledge by Tuesday at 12 noon CT, Tyson Foods, Inc will donate enough food to feed 560,000 children in need.

You can sign it and then share #HungerPledge with your network. After we reach our goal, the three states with the most people signing #HungerPledge will each get a truckload of food sent to a food bank in their state.

What are you waiting for? 560,000 kids need you.

Just use the form above to sign The Pledge and then share #HungerPledge with as many people as you can!

Chris Brogan and Beth Kanter
Co-Chairs, Pledge to End Hunger

Twitter: @HungerPledge
Hashtag: #HungerPledge
Facebook Event: SXSW ‘09 Pledge to End Hunger

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/join-the-team-at-sxsw-to-end-hunger/feed/ 0 rcommins We can still have fun in this screwed up market http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/we-can-still-have-fun-in-this-screwed-up-market/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/we-can-still-have-fun-in-this-screwed-up-market/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:15:00 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/we-can-still-have-fun-in-this-screwed-up-market/ ]]> I recently joined the marketing team at 3PAR. We make large scale storage systems for lots of different commercial markets – from social media giants to global banks. Most of the players in our market seem to be retrenching and not having fun these days. At 3PAR, we are getting creative about how to cost effectively deliver our message and have some fun in the meanwhile. Today, one of our marketing pros, Marc Farley, posted a home-brewed video of a rapper he created, named 3P, who competitively talks smack to one of our storage vendor brethren, NetApp.

We were crying from laughing so hard in our offices today, and the video is getting some nice takeup in the analytics results.

I encourage you to turn off CNN, get your butt off the couch, and find ways to have fun in your marketplace, and make a customer or prospect smile – it will be a nice change in their day. They’ll remember you for it.

Check it out:

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/we-can-still-have-fun-in-this-screwed-up-market/feed/ 0 rcommins Four Hour Workweek http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/four-hour-workweek/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/four-hour-workweek/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:34:00 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/four-hour-workweek/ ]]> Hi,

I want you to take a look at: Exclusive Interview: Leo Talks With Tim Ferriss of 4-Hour Workweek

I’ve read Tim’s Book Four Hour Workweek several times. While the title may throw you, there is a lot to learn about how to focus your efforts, work more efficiently, and live a healthier, happier life.

Tim has inspired me to simplify my life, eliminate clutter and become more fit. I have a long way to go to make the changes I am capable of – Tim’s guidance from his blog help me get there faster.

Rob

]]> http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/01/26/four-hour-workweek/feed/ 0 rcommins Social Media’s Blurring Lines http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/social-medias-blurring-lines/ http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/social-medias-blurring-lines/#comments Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:41:00 +0000 rcommins http://rcommins.wordpress.com/2009/01/24/social-medias-blurring-lines/ ]]> I’ve been lightly poking around w/ blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for a year now. One thing I tried to do early on is to separate work/personal personas. Facebook was for family and friends while LinkedIn was for professional relationships. Over the past several months, I have found the lines blurring out there. I am getting more Facebook friend requests from co-workers while the circle of connections surrounding me on LinkedIn is less concise. What really woke me up to this was the news of a picture of Barack Obama’s newly-designated chief speechwriter, Jon Favreau, groping a cardboard cutout of the administration’s newly-designated secretary of State, Hillary Clinton – on Facebook. How in the world could such a brilliant young man let this happen?

Herein lies the problem – you can’t control who posts what about you. I seriously doubt Mr. Favreau posted that picture on his own accord. The word transparency has been used quite a bit lately in corporate governance and politics. I think it is going to enter our personal lives as well. At the end of the day, we’re all people, and we sometimes do things and say things that we are not particularly proud of. In the past, we’ve been able to put those things in the past and move on. Will our skeletons follow us online for the rest of our lives? Will we gratuitously post our good deeds to bias others’ perceptions of who we are? What if we piss someone off and they post a bunch of unfounded nastiness about us that we can’t tear off the Net?

I am not a Big Brother conspiracy freak or anything, but I am very curious how our online presence will impact how we behave, what we say and whether first impressions really turn into validations of impressions already made. I recently met someone for a job interview and she told me that she found/researched my Facebook and LinkedIn profiles. I didn’t have a problem with that, but I wondered throughout our meeting what her impressions were of me before we even met.

What do you think? Have you had any positive or negative experiences by being preceded by your online profile? I’d love to know. And, of course, I’ll be looking into your profiles after you post.

Rob

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