Rudd's Latest Apology ... who asked him?

First the aboriginals, now the lost Australians, perhaps Kevin 07 should make a point of apologising to someone new every day from now on until his sorry butt is kicked out of government. Kevin if you are listening, here are a few suggestions:

• Apologise to every child who was never allowed to stay up late and watch the late movie
• Apologise to every husband whose wife ever had a headache
• Apologise to every wife whose husband couldn't last more than a few minutes, or worse still couldn't get it up at all
• Apologise to every person who ever had a delayed departure at the airport
• Apologise to every person who ever missed an appointment because the bus was too late.
• Apologise to every Australian that you were ever born

Seriously, with the exception of the last one, all of these apologies would be about as relevant as the one to the aborigines and so-called lost Australians.

You play the cards you are dealt. Over time, you will start to notice that the cards you are dealt become better. Or do they? Perhaps it has more to do with your increased confidence and greater skill at playing the game. Life works in the same way. Stop playing to the weeping and whinging wimps who refuse to take responsibility to make the best out of what they have and create a better life, and who instead would rather blame everyone else but themselves for their situation.

I don't see Silvio Berlusconi apologising to most of Europe and the region for the Roman Empire!!! And although the Germans politicians are still pretty sensitive about their recent history, many Germans rightly feel that it is time to move on.... and it is ... also in Australia. The current generations are not at fault nor are they to blame. The people you need to vent your anger at are six feet under so if you want to connect with them, either find religion or slash your wrists.

Posted via email from Blue Oceans

Freedom suffers thanks to closet sex workers

Every time some out of control judge or politician (let's face it that's most of them) takes it upon them self to make a pathetic ruling or push through some ridiculous legislation, our freedom is reduced a little more. Regrettably this happens hundreds of times every day; even more regrettable is that we rarely hear about it until we need to defend our rights in the same legal arena of lunacy that creates the problem.

A recent ruling in Victoria demonstrates again clearly that all legal professionals really are just glorified sex workers in the closet; they screw everybody indiscriminately and hide behind a veil of self-fulfilling legal protection. If they had any guts whatsoever they step out into the real world and contribute something good and creative to the community instead of pontificating from their pulpits and dressing in robes to mask their insecurity; but like Linus holding on to his blanket, their shortcomings are abundantly obvious.

Erin Maitland of the Three Sisters travel company wanted to create a women only tour company, catering only to women. And why not? I say!! The masons are men only, Fernwood fitness centres are women only, the Amazons are women only and undoubtedly there are many other examples of groups, organisations, and businesses that are specific to one gender or the other. In the ruling against Erin Maitland and her Three Sisters company, the judge (Let's call it 'Voldermord', i.e. the one who must not be named lest they come after me for some ridiculous reason) refused to grant an exemption to the Equal Opportunity Act, ruling that Ms Maitland had not proved it was reasonable or necessary. Seriously!! Reasonable or necessary to have an exemption to the Equal Opportunity Act. Why in God's name should one need an exemption anyway for this??? GET REAL!!!

One might think that the judge was some woman hating male chauvinist. But no it was a member of the sorority, a sister in arms. So what is the motivation? Does this person simply want to prove that she can measure herself with the men? Is she so insecure, more so than the average legal professional, that she doesn't have the chutzpah to allow common sense to prevail (not that there has ever been much common sense or reason or logic to be found in the legal community anyway)? Or is she just trying to make an even bigger name for herself? 

Ether way, this decision is another classic example of legal lunacy. As Australians, and simply decent members of this and global society, we have a right and indeed a responsibility to ensure that this type of madness is halted.

Recently the economies of the world have been re-aligned. Thankfully someone hit the reset button. I suggest it is now time that we hit the reset button on the legal community before they lead us into total annihilation. 

About the author:

I am a serial entrepreneur with business interests in venture capital & private funding, social media marketing, wellness, personal development, and online services. Together with a select group of C-Level executives, I also provide an outsourced interim board service. I am passionate about helping others to achieve success, and lead Mastermind Groups of people committed to bringing about a positive change in their lifestyle. If you have an interest in any of the above areas and are seeking advice or support for a specific issue, send me an email with an overview of what you would like to discuss and we will schedule time to talk by phone or Skype.

_______________________________________________

PAUL J. LANGE – BLUE OCEAN STRATEGIST & RAINMAKER

Assuring your success through value innovation and focused attention.

E-mail: paulj@paullange.com.au

GSM: +61 414 317579

URL: http://www.paullange.com.au

Most Connected Management Consultant in Australia on LinkedIn. http://www.linkedin.com/in/pauljlange
Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.paullange.com.au
Connect with me on Ecademy - real people, real business, real outcomes. http://www.ecademy.com/user/paullange

Posted via email from Blue Oceans

Freedom goes further down the gurgler

20 years on, different continent, different circumstances, same old story. Australians need to wake up and smell the stench of over-regulated bureaucracy that is killing freedom in this country. Marius Müller Westerhagen said it well back in the 80's in Germany in the song 'Freiheit' (Freedom). Hopefully Australia will wake up before it is too late and we grow totally numb to the impact that the lunacy of overly-social, cover your ass, and everyone-is-responsible-just-not-me politics and social behaviour is having on the formerly pragmatic and have a go mentality that made Australia great.

Given that Australia is hailed as a multi-cultural society I won't bother translating.

----------

Die Vetraege sind gemacht
Und es wurde viel gelacht
Und was Suesses zum Dessert
Freiheit, Freiheit.

Die Kapelle, rum-ta-ta
Und der Papst war auch schon da
Und mein Nachbar vorneweg

Freiheit, Freiheit,
Ist die einzige, die fehlt.
Freiheit, Freiheit,
Ist die einzige, die fehlt.

Der Mensch ist leider nicht naiv.
Der Mensch ist leider primitiv.

Freiheit, Freiheit,
Wurde wieder abbestellt.

Alle, die von Freiheit traeumen,
Sollen's Feiern nicht versaeumen,
Sollen tanzen auch auf Graebern.

Freiheit, Freiheit,
Ist das einzige, was zaehlt.
Freiheit, Freiheit,
Ist das einzige, was zaehlt.

- Marius Müller Westerhagen

Posted via email from Blue Oceans

Too much communication, not enough connection!!

We build big networks without ever really knowing the people in them!

We subscribe to each others blogs but rarely read them, we read each others tweets ... or not!

We subscribe to each others mailing lists and auto-filter them into archive oblivion in a folder we never open again or they are simply trashed!

We instant message each other and play IM ping pong, or leave voicemails for each other in a game of phone tag!

Sometimes we talk, but rarely if ever do both people in the conversation have a desire to listen, absorb, and contemplate how they can contribute to the other person. Quite often at least one participant has the dominant desire to explain everything there is to know about what is important to them, and they do so in the most minute detail until they achieve information overload.

As a society, in both business and personal affairs, we have reached a noise to level ratio that is communication overload, and it is time we start to understand that less is more. If you want to make a difference in your own life and the life of others, don't communicate ***at*** each other, ***connect with*** each other.

As my good friend Paul Dunn says, we need less communication and more connection. When we connect with people we create action, and through action we gain traction, which in turn leads to attraction.

For those who don't know Paul, he is truly an awesome bloke and deservedly the recipient of the nickname the Wizard of Wow! If you are wondering what the heck I am talking about, connect with Paul and find out for yourself. Paul is the chairman and co-founder of Buy1 Give1 Free (http://www.B1G1.com) so he is really easy to find. B1G1 is an example of how when people connect they can create great things. B1G1 connects people who have a desire to contribute in a meaningful way, directly with people who are less privileged and who, with literally the change you might pick up off the street, can benefit in ways that seem surreal to people like you and I.

Did you know that for USD$0.01 you can give a child clean drinking water for a day or for US$12 you can give a family in Kenya a goat that will help them to earn an income for a year?

This is crazy stuff!!!

B1G1 takes nothing out of the donations and 100% of the money donated goes straight to the charity. Most of the time you would be lucky if 40% of your donation made it to the charity but B1G1 is different. VERY different!

Also, the B1G1 system is based on either transactional based donations or impact based donations. That is to say, donations are directly related to the sale of one or more of your products or services. Imagine the impact when you sell a cup of coffee for $3.50 and donate $0.01 or $0.10 or more to provide 1, 10, or more children with clean drinking water for a day for every cup of coffee you sell. Imagine the difference you can make if you have a hotel, and for every room night you sell you provide a person with a roof over their head for several months, or if you sell sunglasses or prescription glasses, or televisions or digital cameras and with every purchase you give a child the gift of proper vision.

Alternatively you might simply elect to donate a lump sum for the purpose of contributing to a specific activity that will impact the life/lives of a person, group, or community, for example building a school, community centre, providing education, food, water, shelter.

Irrespective of whether you prefer to use transaction based donations or impact based donations, using B1G1 you are creating a direct connection between the sale of your products or services and the betterment of people less privileged.

In a few weeks I am proudly co-hosting a webinar with Paul to assist people in understanding how, through connecting their products and/or services to a worthy cause, they can leverage the B1G1 system as an awesome marketing tool for their own business and at the same time make a significant contribution to improving the world and it's economy, one child, one family, and one community, at a time.

When I last spoke to Paul a couple of days ago, he said to me, "Paul, we don't care how much people give, so long as they give.". Remember givers receive, so join Paul and the other great giving companies that have joined B1G1. Be someone that gives.

When we communicate ***at*** each other we achieve little more than a dry mouth, or RSI in the wrist, and a headache from the noise. It is far greater and abundantly more effective to connect, take action, create something through your connectivity and contribution, and then leave OTHERS to communicate ***about*** what you have done as they are inspired by you and what you have helped achieve.

Be awesome, and help some one feel the same way today.

All the best,

Paul

About the author:

I am a serial entrepreneur with business interests in venture capital & private funding, social media marketing, wellness, personal development, and online services. Together with a select group of C-Level executives, I also provide an outsourced interim board service. I am passionate about helping others to achieve success, and lead Mastermind Groups of people committed to bringing about a positive change in their lifestyle.

If you have an interest in any of the above areas and are seeking advice or support for a specific issue, send me an email with an overview of what you would like to discuss and we will schedule time to talk by phone or Skype.

-- 

PAUL J. LANGE – BLUE OCEAN STRATEGIST & RAINMAKER

ASSURING YOUR SUCCESS THROUGH VALUE INNOVATION AND FOCUSED ACTION

paulj@paullange.com.au | GSM: +61 414 317579 | URL: http://www.paullange.com.au

Most Connected Management Consultant in Australia on LinkedIn.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/pauljlange

Follow me on Twitter - http://twitter.pauljlange.com.au 

Join my Blue Oceans Mailing List - for today's leaders and those who aspire to be
tomorrow - http://eepurl.com/bKqO

Connect with me on Ecademy - real people, real business, real outcomes.
http://www.ecademy.com/user/paullange

Posted via email from Blue Oceans

Hello World

Starting my new Posterous account with a classic :-)

Posted via email from Blue Oceans

Nine Key Points of Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS)

I am often asked what is Blue Ocean Strategy or what is a Blue Ocean Strategist. The most effective way to explain this is to take you directly to the source at www.blueoceanstrategy.com and offer the following nine key points of Blue Ocean Strategy. If you have not bought the book, do so. If you would like to understand how to create a blue ocean for your business contact me.

• BOS is the result of a decade-long study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than 30 industries over 100 years (1880-2000).
• BOS is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost.
• The aim of BOS is not to out-perform the competition in the existing industry, but to create new market space or a blue ocean, thereby making the competition irrelevant.
• BOS offers a set of methodologies and tools to create new market space.
• While innovation has been seen as a random/experimental process where entrepreneurs and spin-offs are the primary drivers - as argued by Schumpeter and his followers - BOS offers systematic and reproducible methodologies and processes in pursuit of innovation by both new and existing firms.
• BOS frameworks and tools include: strategy canvas, value curve, four actions framework, six paths, buyer experience cycle, buyer utility map, and blue ocean idea index.
• These frameworks and tools are designed to be visual in order to not only effectively build the collective wisdom of the company but also to effectively execute through easy communication.
• BOS covers both strategy formulation and strategy execution.
• The three key conceptual building blocks of BOS are: value innovation, tipping point leadership, and fair process.

I trust this has been valuable.

Make your day exceptional.

Kind regards,

Paul

About the writer Paul J. Lange:

I am a serial entrepreneur with business interests in venture capital & private funding, social media marketing, wellness, personal development, and online services. Together with a select group of C-Level executives, I also provide an outsourced interim board service. I am passionate about helping others to achieve success, and lead Mastermind Groups of people committed to bringing about a positive change in their lifestyle.

If you have an interest in any of the above areas and are seeking advice or support for a specific issue, send me an email with an overview of what you would like to discuss and we will schedule time to talk by phone or Skype.

_______________________________________________

PAUL J. LANGE – BLUE OCEAN STRATEGIST & RAINMAKER

Assuring your success through value innovation and focused attention.

E-mail: paulj@paullange.com.au

GSM: +61 414 317579

URL: http://www.paullange.com.au

Most Connected Management Consultant in Australia on LinkedIn. http://www.linkedin.com/in/pauljlange
Follow me on Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/pauljlange
Connect with me on Ecademy - real people, real business, real outcomes. http://www.ecademy.com/user/paullange

Posted via email from Blue Oceans

The difference between social media marketing and social media meat markets

The Twitter phenomena, following hot on the heals of Facebook and MySpace, has created the impression with many otherwise savvy business people that they can achieve great value simply by joining the respective communities and blasting their advertising out to a waiting world. Those who understand social media, it's culture, power, edification and relationship building potential realise how misguided this impression is. This ignorant approach to social media makes the clueless perpetrators worse than the most abhorrent spammers in existence.

Albeit I am confident that the social media communities will eventually naturally weed out these cyber-ignoramuses, in the meantime the level to noise ratio has become quite deafening, and a real risk exists that instead of being weeded out they grow out of control until there is very little left worth hanging around for.

What is it about the online world that turns normally intelligent, respectable business people into such vulgar bottom feeding scum?

Now a new industry has been spawned that caters to this market of ignorance and helps the cancerous attitude fester. Sites that offer to sell you 1,000 5,000 10,000 or event 100,000 Twitter followers are springing up and offering what appears to be A Grade Prime Rib for the price of cheap hamburger mince. As the saying goes, if you buy a diamond for $10, chances are you are the not-so-proud owner of an expensive piece of shattered glass.

I have no doubt that the people who set up these services know exactly what they are doing and how very little value indeed their service offers to either their clients or the social media communities in general. However their clients are obviously misguided at best and morons at worst if they believe the pitch of these people to be the great Valhalla of social media marketing. Whilst I am all for capitalism and free markets, do these idiots not understand the total and utter irrelevance of spamming their message to a community that by nature is an opt-in, follow by choice environment.

The challenge for the rest of us is to assist these people to understand the nature of this media and show them the benefits that can be derived from approaching it with the correct frame of mind. The question they will have to ask themselves is do they see value in investing time in building such relationships. I suspect the stats for the answer to that question will map pretty closely with the stats of which of those businesses take a relationship building approach to their off-line customer engagements.

Whatever you do, BE amazing!

Kind regards,

Paul

About the writer Paul J. Lange:
I am a serial entrepreneur with business interests in venture capital & private funding, social media marketing, wellness, personal development, and online services. Together with a select group of C-Level executives, I also provide an outsourced interim board service. I am passionate about helping others to achieve success, and lead Mastermind Groups of people committed to bringing about a positive change in their lifestyle.

If you have an interest in any of the above areas and are seeking advice or support for a specific issue, send me an email with an overview of what you would like to discuss and we will schedule time to talk by phone or Skype.

Nine Key Points of Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) from www.blueoceanstrategy.com

Nine Key Points of Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS)

I am often asked what is Blue Ocean Strategy or what is a Blue Ocean Strategist. The most effective way to explain this is to take you directly to the source at www.blueoceanstrategy.com and offer the following nine key points of Blue Ocean Strategy. If you have not bought the book, do so. If you would like to understand how to create a blue ocean for your business contact me.

BOS is the result of a decade-long study of 150 strategic moves spanning more than 30 industries over 100 years (1880-2000).

BOS is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost.

The aim of BOS is not to out-perform the competition in the existing industry, but to create new market space or a blue ocean, thereby making the competition irrelevant.

BOS offers a set of methodologies and tools to create new market space.

While innovation has been seen as a random/experimental process where entrepreneurs and spin-offs are the primary drivers - as argued by Schumpeter and his followers - BOS offers systematic and reproducible methodologies and processes in pursuit of innovation by both new and existing firms.

BOS frameworks and tools include: strategy canvas, value curve, four actions framework, six paths, buyer experience cycle, buyer utility map, and blue ocean idea index.

These frameworks and tools are designed to be visual in order to not only effectively build the collective wisdom of the company but also to effectively execute through easy communication.

BOS covers both strategy formulation and strategy execution.

The three key conceptual building blocks of BOS are: value innovation, tipping point leadership, and fair process.

PAUL J. LANGE - BLUE OCEAN STRATEGIST & RAINMAKER

E: plange.verify@gmail.com

T: http://twitter.paullange.com.au

B: http://blog.paullange.com.au

N: http://newsletter.paullange.com.au

L: http://linkedin.paullange.com.au

Productise Your Knowledge: Business Hell to Business Heaven - Free Networking Breakfast

This is a personal recommendation without any commercial interest beyond seeing more people gain the benefit of Leela's Skills and Experience.

Take this opportunity to find out how to productise your skills and create additional income for you and your family.

You have invested many years to become good at what you do. You help others every day by passing on what you know. Is it worth the investment of a few hours of your time next week Saturday 25th July to find out how Leela can help you take what you know and create a new stream of income by helping others to learn what you know?

If you are in Sydney on Saturday 25th July, invest a few hours and register for this amazing event. Breakfast is included compliments of Leela.

Places are limited! Book your seat NOW!

www.overyourbusinessbootcamp.com.au

Still Seeking Lifestyle Business Breakthrough
and Financial Freedom Salvation?

At the Over-Your-Business Bootcamp
we'll teach you the twin secrets of
Productisation and Systemisation
so you can put $100k
in your business
in 12 months
working no more than 2 hours a day

Over 3 days, the Over Your Business Bootcamp will show you how to use the twin skills of Productisation and Systemisation to create $100,000 income in your business over the next 12 months while working no more than 2 hours a day. This isn't MLM or network marketing - we will take the business you have NOW and reincarnate it into something that pays you while you do what you love!

Join us for a FREE networking breakfast and 3 hour preview, during which we will cover the 7 DEADLY BUSINESS SINS. Are you committing the sin of Business Lust? Of Business Sloth? Of Business Wrath? Do penance and break free from your sins! Hallelujah!

Places are limited! Book your seat NOW!

www.overyourbusinessbootcamp.com.au

About Leela Cosgrove & Business Writers Anonymous

Business Writers Anonymous is Australia's #1 Intellectual Property Development Company, built on a solid foundation of sales and marketing expertise, multi award winning creative writing and a unique understanding of the needs of the speaking, coaching and business development industry, BWA takes your fixer-upper Intellectual Property and renovates it into a luxury home, penthouse or mansion that will make you $$$'s while you sleep.

Business Writers Anonymous was formed in 2009 by Leela Cosgrove. After 5 years spent creating Information Products for some of the biggest names in the Personal and Professional Development industry in Australia, Leela realised that there was a hole in the market - it was one thing for those who had already 'made it' to be creating Information Products, but those starting out were struggling to understand and afford this crucial element of their business. She formed BWA to ensure that people at all stages of their business had access to the same ideas and product development skills that the Big Names use.

BWA works with a stable of 20 writers, many of whom have won awards for their creative writing skills and have now turned their hand to providing businesses with something that is sorely lacking - interesting, innovative, information that moves people to take action.

Working exclusively with the speaking, coaching and business development industry, Business Writers Anonymous have a unique blend of business focused writing with a distinctively creative edge and a very strong sales and marketing background, allowing for explosive results for their clients.

Where most writers focus on ensuring your spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct, we focus on results, on the clients beating down your door, on the cash flowing into your bank account. Business Writers Anonymous will show you how to turn your information into dollars while leveraging your time so that you can STOP working for money and set money to work for you.

Secure your place NOW!

www.overyourbusinessbootcamp.com.au

Social Networking Websites: How to Find Them

Every day across the world hundreds of millions of people communicate with each other online. In addition to communicating with other people in their own country, many are communicating with those on the other side of the globe. This communication is due largely in part to the explosion of online social networking websites over the last 10 years and more. If you are interested in joining the growing number of Internet users who use social networking websites, you will have to find a network to join.

When it comes to finding the social networking websites that are right for you, you have a number of different options. Perhaps, the easiest way to find a social networking website is by performing a standard Internet search on Google, Yahoo, or one of the many hundred different search engines that exist on the Internet. You may want to search with the words social networking or social networking websites. Whichever search phrase you choose, there is a good chance that you will be presented with a long list of websites with both broad general focus and more specific focus. The latter can become annoying when the focus of page after page of search results returns only dating sites. So perhaps specify the type of networking site you are interested in. For example social business networking, social sports networking website, social scrap-booking networking website. I’m sure you get the idea.

You can also find and familiarize yourself with social networking websites by talking to those that you know. The Internet, as well as social networks, has rapidly increased in popularity. That popularity means that there is a good chance that one of your relatives, friends, co-workers, or neighbours has used a specific social networking website in the past, and indeed is probably still active. If they are not, find someone who is because the chances are the people who only dabbled and gave it up will not be in the best position to advise you accurately. Many of the people you know may have even used more than one networking website based on different specific interests that they have. If you know someone who has, you will want to ask them their recommendations. You will find that most social networking websites come highly rated, but there are some out there that may not even be worth your time.

In addition to speaking to those that you actually know, you can also seek recommendations from those that you do not personally know. You can do this online. Online, you should be able to find a number of websites that discuss social networking sites. Many of these websites have reviewed a collection of social networking sites. Warning….unless you are analytically inclined and love research, do this at your own peril as you could find yourself behind the computer clicking from one page to the next to find out more when the hearse comes to take you away. Basically keep it real and reasonable. In addition to reviews and other articles, you should also be able to speak with other Internet users on online message boards. Like speaking to one of your friends, many Internet users would be more than willing to let you know what social networking websites are worth the time and which ones are not. Again, beware of your time. Whilst online message boards and instant messaging programs (IM) are a great tool, they can suck the life out of your schedule like a black-hole.

Although it is nice to receive recommendations from those that you know or other Internet users, you should ultimately make your own decision. Whether or not a social networking website comes highly recommended, you should still to check it out first yourself. A large number of social networking websites are free to use; therefore, there are no risks associated with giving the site a try. Despite the fact that most online social networking sites are free to use, there are some that you must pay for. A large number of these websites offer free trials. Even if the trial period is only for a few days, you should easily be able to get a feel of the site’s environment and determine whether or not it is right for you.

In your search for a social networking website, whether you perform your own Internet search or rely on recommendations from others, you should be able to find a number of popular websites. Personally I find Ecademy the most effective for business, LinkedIn is a great Rolodex and others such as Xing & Internations are also very good indeed. You’ll find me on these and feel free to come on up and say “hi”. The good news about this is that if you are not satisfied with the social networking website you joined, you don’t have to worry; there are many more available for you to choose from.

I hope this was valuable

Until soon.

PJL