May 2012
8 posts
Would I invest in something like this again?
The next generation of radiation used to treat cancer - particle accelerators that shoot a very intense yet precise proton beam, causing less damage to the surrounding tissue — is already in the marketplace, but at only about 40 working facilities in the world. The challenge? Design future treatment centers to work in a much smaller space (currently they are housed in a huge warehouse...
WatchLook what recently crossed the driveway - a large Gila Monster!
Jamie Dimon, just what is that on your face?
In my book ‘What I Really Think - The Business Chapters’, in the chapter On Investing, I make the point: “It’s hard enough to make money in the stock market without the inescapable backdrop of the cyclical market and sector crashes due to the greed and incompetence of Wall Street bankers.”
These past couple of days we’ve seen similar ineptitude play out in...
Next time you buy an organic vegetable...
…remember just how much tender loving care goes into growing and harvesting it, and getting it to your market. Today had the opportunity to tour an organic farm run by Nick Lapham, fellow board member at the American Bird Conservancy, prior to our meeting. Wow, is this process labor intensive. I was blown away with the attention and passion of the people on his farm.
April 2012
4 posts
Strutting Their Stuff
Last night heard a chorus of Boreal Owls for ABA #636, then made the pre-dawn trip to see dozens of Greater Sage-Grouses dance and strut in front of six hens. ABA #646. Here’s a photo from Google Images of their display:
Heading back to Walden, at sunrise:
Colorado at sunrise!
After seeing #644 (Gunnison Sage-Grouse) at the crack of dawn at a lek near Gunnison, we headed through the mountains back toward Denver to check out Boulder, before we’ll head north to hopefully see a Greater Sage-Grouse tomorrow morning.
Paris Continued:
Now in London, wrapping up the trip. But first, some photos earlier from Paris:
I’m not kidding, the entrance to the new Abercrombie & Fitch store:
The ever-present pastries:
The dome in Galleries Lafayette:
At Rodin Museum, his works before they were cast in bronze were a couple of my favorites (this one - Burghers of Calais):
Claude Monet painting in Museum...
Back in Paris
Arrived this morning, spending the next few days here:
March 2012
10 posts
'Mad Men' Brings Back Memories
I grew up in a community between Alexandria and Mt. Vernon called Hollin Hills (it has it’s own Wikipedia page (link). All of the 450 homes were designed by Charles Goodman and built by Robert Davenport, mostly in the late 1950’s and 1960’s. The community was sort of the ‘island’ for creative, open-minded types in a sea of conservatism; it attracted artists, writers,...
Why I'm Shorting JCPenney
A few years ago I wrote what continues to be the only book published about Kohl’s Department Stores (paperback). In the chapter reviewing our business model and how our Hi-Lo pricing strategy helped create a ‘wedge’ between then discounter Target and a traditional department store like Macy’s, I spoke of how EDLP (Every Day Low Pricing) was a fool’s errand:
...
Playing with the Pro
Last week had the pleasure of playing with professional golfer Jennifer Song in a pro-am charity event before the RR Donnelly LPGA Founder’s Cup. On the last hole of the round, a par 5, after all of us in our foursome had hit our third shots in the scramble best ball from 89 yards out, Jennifer proceeded to eagle the hole for us! And yesterday, she finished tied for 6th in the tournament,...
Snow in Scottsdale, 80 Degrees in Milwaukee
Egads. Every time I see Sen. James Inofe (R-Oklahoma), I wonder: has he ever been to a place where there are/were glaciers? We are seeing environmental changes in our lives that are moving at warp speed.
Dr. Richard Carmona in the House
It was a privilege to host the former U.S. Surgeon General under President George W. Bush, Dr. Richard Carmona, at our home for a reception. Dr. Carmona, who all of his career was an Independent until recently becoming a Democrat, is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by retiring Sen. Jon Kyl. Team Obama strongly encouraged Dr. Carmona to run, clearly believing that Arizona could be...
IBM selects Louisville with Asthmapolis technology
A startup I’m involved in, Asthmapolis (www.asthmapolis.com), tracks inhaler usage and the location of asthma attacks. IBM today announced that it has selected Louisville to receive one of their Smarter Cities Challenge Grant; the city will be using our inhalers that are fitted with GPS systems and microchips:...
Scenes from Recent Travels
Right after the performance:
Black truffle stash at the restaurant (!):
Back in Phoenix - Carvin Jones wailing on his guitar playing Stevie Ray Vaughan in the audience:
In Tonto National Forest on the top of a mountain with Roger:
WatchProud Papa watching Brent perform with Allen Stone on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thanks Tim for risking expulsion from the show in this ‘no camera zone’!
ABA Lifer #643
Wrapping up my California trip involved heading down this afternoon to the San Elijo Lagoon north of San Diego to see what turned out to be a beautiful male California Gnatcatcher. While common in Mexico, only about 2000 pairs breed in the U.S.; the photo below shows the short coastal sage shrub where I found the bird. Way back when we lived in LA in the late 1980’s I passed this area...
L.A.
I flew in today to attend the world launch party of a new premium rum called ‘Caliche’. I took a few photos of my travels. I started with a first-time visit to the J. Paul Getty Museum. I’ve heard over and over that this is a must-see, but it far, far exceeded my expectations. What a complex, what a piece of real estate, what a collection of art:
Coming toward the end of...
February 2012
6 posts
Seriously, a Money Manager Wrote This to Me!
I am on the board of a non-profit in Milwaukee that is in great financial shape with a lot of cash that can be invested, and we regularly get financial performance updates from the professional money managers we’ve hired who oversee some of our investments. These managers are with a well known, national brokerage firm. Here is what they wrote in their most recent letter:
“It is...
New Window Tape Reduces Bird Collisions at Home
Every year, up to a billion birds die in the U.S. crashing into glass windows. For the last couple of years we’ve been working to design, manufacture and distribute a window tape at a reasonable cost to significantly reduce bird collisions at home. Supported by the Rusinow Family Foundation, a new tape is now available through the terrific efforts by the folks at the American Bird...
Allen Stone on Jimmy Kimmel Live March 13!
Well, they’ve already performed late last year on Conan; next up: Jimmy Kimmel!
1 tag
Live Video of New Death's Door Distillery
I’m on the board and lead investor of Madison, Wisconsin based Death’s Door Spirits. The company has begun building a new distillery, as well as launching an aged whiskey production program, to complement the current stable of award-winning gin, vodka and white whiskey:
Video
Four States, Four New Birds
Lots of travel this past week, resulting in four new birds to my ABA life list. Last Wednesday, Nutting’s Flycatcher near Lake Havasu, Arizona (at this spot):
A break on Friday in Washington, D.C. for a meeting with the President:
Then off to Ocean City, Maryland to see Purple Sandpipers feeding along this shore:
Had to take a photo of what real lump crab cakes look like:
Then...
Meeting with the President
This afternoon I was part of a group who met with President Obama. An incredible experience. This photo was kindly taken by a really nice guy to my left as the President was beginning to respond to a question I had just asked:
January 2012
1 post
Dimitri, a 76 and a Deal Closed!
Last week’s highlights included a lifetime low round of 76 (at Renegade), seeing one of the top singers in the world - Dimitri Hvorostovsky (below) - perform at The Orpheum in Phoenix, and closing the sale of ModernMed to Paladina Health (link).
December 2011
2 posts
October 2011
5 posts
WatchBrent on Conan!
Save the date: next Wednesday night!
How big of a hoot is this? The best bass player I know performing as part of Allen Stone’s band on a national stage!
Birdgasm!
Okay, maybe that’s stretching it. But when you see hundreds of raptors fly over your yard over the course of the day (with some peak times of a rate of over 100 per hour!), it’s pretty darn exciting. I am slowly getting back into bird photography and took some photos toward the end of the day. Here’s one photo of a Merlin; these guys are often like bullets zipping through the...
Release!
Big thanks to Crystal and Scott with the Wisconsin Humane Society for their help yesterday. Here’s a photo in the yard of the ‘release’ of a just-banded, rehabilitated Cedar Waxwing, which was joined by three other waxwings that were also just returned to the wild:
September 2011
2 posts
The storm has passed, but the raptors are just...
We’ve endured an unusual cut off low pressure system that hung around for over a week, with winds from the east almost the entire time. And incredible amounts of rain. But now, a strong front from the north has arrived, and with it, heavy winds………and RAPTORS zooming down the coast. Finally!
Trips Recap
Been traveling on both coasts the last few weeks. Some highlights, with photos taken from my iPhone:
At chef’s table at Rioja in Denver; terrific meal with head chef Jennifer Jasinki frequently roaming food prep stations and clearly in charge:
Located new life bird ABA #635 at Salton Sea - Yellow-footed Gull:
In NYC during Hurricane Irene weekend:
Radio City Music Hall (seeing...
August 2011
3 posts
The Pack at the White House
Yesterday flew to D.C. to attend President Obama’s welcoming of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers at the White House. Some gentle trash-talking between the President and Charles Woodson! The President, an avid Bears fan: ”This hurts a little bit…you guys coming into my house to rub it in…enjoy it while it lasts!”
WatchLast week I was part of an extraordinary four day birding trip in California hosted by The American Bird Conservancy, which started in San Benito County (Prairie Falcon, California Condor, Golden & Bald Eagle) and culminated in an 8 hour boat trip 18 miles off of Monterrey looking for pelagic birds (my six new lifers: Black-footed Albatross, Pink-footed Shearwater, Ashy and Fort-tailed Storm...
July 2011
1 post
Fly fishing in the Northwoods
Last weekend learned how to fly fish for trout and bass in the Wisconsin Northwoods, with some limited success! Thanks Andrew and Diana for a great time.
June 2011
2 posts
Now Available on Kindle, iBook, Nook and Amazon!!
My book ‘What I Really Think - The Business Chapters’ is now available on Kindle; here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/What-Really-Think-Business-ebook/dp/B0056B6IOA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1308537102&sr=1-1
The book will soon also be available on iBooks and Nook. It’s companion book, ‘What I Really Think - The Deep End Chapters’,...
Great Music Out of Seattle
Please check out this link on BandCamp of a terrific new album release by Andrew Vait, with support from one of the best bass guys in the country (!):
http://andrewvait.bandcamp.com
May 2011
2 posts
Yesterday at Miller Park
Jen and I had the opportunity to meet and talk with David Axelrod:
The Book of Mormon and Two 29's
I can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a Zagats 29 food rated restaurant, if at all, but I was lucky to enjoy incredible food with great company at the following two places these past few days: Sasabune, a sushi place that looks like a dive on the Upper East Side in NYC, where there’s no menu and you basically eat whatever fantastically fresh fish the guys put in...
April 2011
1 post
A 20 Year Project Coming to a Close
I never intended to write a book that would take over twenty years to complete. Started in the late 1980’s, when I embarked on the casual task of compiling hand-written notes, article clippings and ‘epiphanies’ that I thought would be helpful for my kids to eventually read as they were preparing for their adult lives, it has become a far more more time-consuming and...
October 2010
4 posts
And to think this all took off after a meeting in...
I had my annual warehouse tour ‘fix’ today with the CEO of BUYSEASONS, Jalem Getz; the company now has over 500 full-time employees, cranking out an incredible number of orders for costumes and party supplies every day:
Vegas
A city of hoots. Went to see Rick at his shop on “Pawn Stars”, Beatles/Cirque ‘Love’, and then this guy at the Bellagio, using my new Pro HDR iPhone app:
301 Steps and 8 Bridges
The trails are now complete, from the bluff. Thanks Steve and James!