Category Archives: General Topics

General topics from Economics, Auto industry, sports, and the occasional tip or two.

Dodge Ram Super Bowl Commercial – So God Made a Farmer – Paul Harvey

Ram Super Bowl Commercial - Paul Harvey - God Made a Farmer

Ram Super Bowl Commercial – Paul Harvey – God Made a Farmer

Greetings,

It’s been almost a year since my last blog post. Guess you could say there was either too much to share, or not enough!

Either way, I wanted to shed some light on the recent Dodge Ram Super Bowl commercial. It seems that it struck a cord with many American’s in and outside of the farming community.

Unlike other Super Bowl spots which were product-centric, the Ram farmer commercial was a metaphorical masterpiece. True grit comes to mind when viewing the spot initially. Every hard working American can relate to the amount of sacrifice it takes to steer through life, and this commercial captured the heart of a nation.

Enough about my opinions… Watch the commercial below, and tell me what you think about it!

Signing off,

Miran Maric

In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these.
– Paul Harvey

Google’s April Fools Joke

Ahhh.. One of my favorite times of the year is upon us. April Fools! The Googleplex has been notorious over the years for being the ultimate prankster in the internet realm! However, this year they’ve taken it up another notch.

Enter Google Racing. Google Racing is Google’s Nascar racing division, solely dedicated to the proliferation of automated vehicles! The attention to detail is incredible! The ten raised to the 100th power is the cherry on top of the cake. For those of you that don’t know what that references — Google means the 100th zero in a number sequence.

Don’t like the weather? Well, here’s your chance to change that! If you Google weather in your local city, you now have the option of customizing your weekly forecast. Just imagine — 11 degrees and heavy snow in Phoenix! I now have the luxury of seeing such a feat come to fruition!

Don’t like the current Earth or street view of Google Maps? How about an 8-bit, NES style map display! Introducing Google’s NES edition map feature.

You might be wondering why Google takes such pride in their yearly April Fools jokes. The answer is more interaction. Each one of the jokes has a business premise behind what product they wanted to push to an end user. For example, the 8-bit map joke had an advertisement for Google Places right underneath the main function. Google Racing wanted to bring more interaction to Google Plus via Nascar. They obviously needed Nascar’s permission to use their logos and create an entire site dedicated towards this joke. Not only was additional traffic being driven to their pages, but the entire world will be talking about these pranks. Myself included.

Nobody else in the world drives traffic to a certain location better than Google. Nobody. Then again, how difficult could it be considering they have the busiest website in the world 🙂

Well done, Googleplex. Hopefully, this April Fools joke will rekindle your innovative spirit to start innovating once again. The only joke since Eric Schmidt vacated his CEO spot has been your lack of innovation. Stagnant times for a company built on cutting edge software isn’t meant to be a long term trend. Better execution on new products, and potentially reengineering old product (Google Wave, Labs, etc) will get them back on track. When you’re one of the biggest companies in the world, you’re allowed to be a little bit complacent. However, there comes a point where enough is enough, and you start innovating once again.

I’m the biggest Google fanboy you’ll find, but I don’t like seeing complacency. As an admirer, I’m irritated. As a shareholder, I’m starting to become impatient. As for Android — I’m still in love!

Long live the Googleplex!

Signing off,

Miran Maric

We want to make sure the thing you’re looking for is on Google 100 percent of the time.
– Eric Schmidt

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2012 Las Vegas Nascar Weekend – Dodge Motorsports


Nationwide Cup… Sprint Cup… Brad Keselowski… Aside from occasionally looking at race results, I never went to or watched a full Nascar sponsored race. Like every sports fan, I knew of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and my absolute favorite — Danica! I’ll happily admit that I had a pre-conceived notion that Nascar was dim-witted and boring. After watching my first race at Phoenix International Raceway in November, I found myself in utter awe!

Sitting atop the Dodge Motorsports bus, I was able to take in the ambiance of the entire race and all of its glory. You don’t get to appreciate the intricacies that go into team racing until you actually watch it live. From the pit crew to the crew chief, there are no irrelevant positions within a team.

This weekend marked my second ever Nascar event, and I can say that I have so much respect for Nascar racing teams! I have a newfound respect for the sport.

This race was special because the 2012 Ram 1500 ST Express was the official driver parade lap vehicle! 22 Ram’s all lined up on the race track! It was insatiable! We had the honor of driving Brad Keselowski around the track.

Instead of blabbing further, I’ll just post some pictures from the track! You’ll notice an overwhelming trend in my photos. Anytime Danica was around, I snapped a photo… Danica, if you’re reading — Will you marry me? Seriously, though…



Signing off,

Miran Maric

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
– Henry David Thoreau

Occupy Main-Street – Defeating Occupy Wall-Street One Lazy American at a Time.

This post marks my 19th blog entry since I’ve started writing under the Horse Boat alias. My blog is filled with eclectic perspectives on economic issues plaguing our wonderful country. I’d like to dedicate this entry to trying to defeat laziness and inefficiency in the United States of America. — Impossible task, I know!

One issue that’s ignited a plethora of discussion among Americans is this Occupy Wall-Street movement. I’ll try my very best to be as objective about this as possible, but no guarantees.

As I’m sure everyone has seen recently, Occupy Wall-Street is a grassroots campaign that’s organized a large group of people in various cities around the world. These protesters are mainly comprised of middle-class citizens in the 18-35 age range. There was an industry statistic in the Wall-Street Journal the other day, stating that approximately 40% of the protesters were recent college grads. They’re claiming that they’ve graduated from accredited universities, and yet they can’t find work since Wall-Street continually cuts jobs. Hmm… When I heard that statement from these recent grads, I became pretty upset.

Those same people are also the folks who have spent 30 minutes putting a lackluster resume together, and applied to only two different companies. Realistically, with the amount of jobs educated Americans have at their disposal, it shocks me that our college grads have a sense of entitlement. It’s mind-boggling!

Lack of motivation and a sense of entitlement have taken over like a bubonic plague in our society. Just browsing through the Fortune 500’s list of jobs, I’m able to see hundreds of thousands of open positions and a good amount of those being entry-level. Put forth an honest effort to get yourself started in an industry you find exciting. It’s been two years since this country has been in an official recession, and it’s time to start acting like it. It’s not okay to blame others for your own laziness, and start taking action in your life. The world is what you make it, and there’s no other alternative.

What separates our economy from those of Japan, Germany, France and Russia is human capital. We have some of the brightest people in the world, but we also have some of the most incompetent as well. Now, I categorize an incompetent person as someone who’s lazy and unable to find motivation in life. I’ve witnessed some people with very low IQ’s do extraordinary things in corporate America. The common denominator in success has always been effort and motivation, sprinkled with a bit of luck.

I can probably go on for the next page rambling on about how lazy American’s are bringing down our GDP, but I’d rather offer up a solution. The digital age yields many opportunities online for job seekers to network with recruiters and HR personnel from around the country.

Linkedin is the best resource to utilize when looking for a job. It gives you the opportunity to have your resume out in the open for recruiters and HR personnel to find you. However, merely having a Linkedin profile won’t get you a job! It’ll take a lot of time and effort to network with industry people, but you expose yourself to a whole new world. You can search for careers in your local area, or expand your search into different geographical areas. Become a master Linkedin user, and you’ll give yourself a fantastic opportunity to find a career.

Few tips to be successful in your job search:

1. Become Linkedin proficient.
2. Network with HR personnel at Fortune 500 companies.
3. Leverage your relationships with past colleagues, professors, etc to gain recommendations.

Most importantly, be persistent. You might need to apply to 40 different companies in order to receive one or two interviews or call-backs. Recruiters are usually a great way to circumvent the majority of that process, but the key is to enamor them. They receive thousands of requests per month from qualified people all over the country. Stand out and show them how you will affect their bottomline and add value. No major corporation wants to invest in someone who says it’ll be cool to work there. They want someone who will make them more money.

I’ve been added on Linkedin by many different recruiters, so feel free to add me as a connection and I can send you some email addresses. There’s no right way for looking for work, but there is a wrong way —Blaming others for your own situation.

Signing off,

Miran Maric

Always desire to learn something useful.
– Sophocles

Chrysler Super Bowl Commercial – Halftime in America

One year ago today, I wrote a blog post about Super Bowl 45. Now, I didn’t mention anything regarding the game itself, however, I was in utter awe of the Eminem/Chrysler commercial. Fast forward to 2012, I’m in utter awe once again.

Unlike every other car manufacturer that conformed to monochromatic Super Bowl ads, Chrysler came to the table with a fresh offering. The commercial stood for an American revival. Unemployment, higher CPI, and all-time lows in consumer confidence has plagued our GDP in the last few years.

The message was loud and clear to everyone. We’ve seen some very tough times, and many citizens are down in the dumps, but we’re on a path for revival. From major bankruptcy’s in 2009, to a major paradigm shift in the American auto industry in 2012. Chrysler’s enigmatic journey over the past few years is synonymous with what many Americans have gone through as well. This commercial transcends the notion of selling more cars, rather it reaches a level of intrinsic value that no other commercial was able to portray.

The United States of America is the greatest country on Earth, and we do make the best automobiles on the planet. Our citizens are the most resilient individuals in the world, and we will stand up once again as foremost authority in the auto industry.

We are at halftime, America. And, we will prevail like we have always done. There might be some bumps in the road, but we can overcome anything! ANYTHING.

Last years Super Bowl ad made me want to join Chrysler as an employee. 8 months after that commercial aired, I became one. I stand here today, and couldn’t more proud of our corporation. For any individual out there who’s fighting their own battles, we’re with you!

It’s Halftime in America

“It’s halftime. Both teams are in their locker room discussing what they can do to win this game in the second half.

It’s halftime in America, too. People are out of work and they’re hurting. And they’re all wondering what they’re going to do to make a comeback. And we’re all scared, because this isn’t a game.

The people of Detroit know a little something about this. They almost lost everything. But we all pulled together, now Motor City is fighting again.

I’ve seen a lot of tough eras, a lot of downturns in my life. And, times when we didn’t understand each other. It seems like we’ve lost our heart at times. When the fog of division, discord, and blame made it hard to see what lies ahead.

But after those trials, we all rallied around what was right, and acted as one. Because that’s what we do. We find a way through tough times, and if we can’t find a way, then we’ll make one.

All that matters now is what’s ahead. How do we come from behind? How do we come together? And, how do we win?

Detroit’s showing us it can be done. And, what’s true about them is true about all of us.

This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do the world is going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it’s halftime America. And, our second half is about to begin.”

Signing off,

Miran Maric

On the other hand, the American public possesses a great resilience and strength, and good risk communication strategies can tap into and even amplify those assets.
– Patrick J. Kennedy

2013 Dodge Dart

I’ll preface this post by saying this is my personal opinion, and not that of Chrysler Group.

Before Chrysler declared bankruptcy in 2009, the public’s perception of the company’s products were mostly negative. Quality being the biggest issue in their line-up of vehicles.

Then —- Sergio came… The valiant leader of Fiat SPA took on the task of resurrecting a company that was struggling badly. Now, Chrysler had many great employees pre-BK that had to endure bad leadership for several years. Currently, many of those employees still work for Chrysler, but this time, they have great leadership. With these new circumstances, the company is currently the hottest manufacturer in the world. Yes, the world.

The 2013 Dodge Dart finally premiered to consumers and press at the Detroit Auto Show last week. So far, the press has been extremely positive. Aside from the vehicles stunning looks, world-class interior, fantastic fuel-efficiency, and world class engine, the car is the most customizable car in the world. Over 100,000 combinations can be chosen from to customize your very own Dart.

Now, the reason I chose to write about this particular vehicle is because it has a chance to become a social media phenomenon. Similar to the strategy Toyota implemented with Scion years ago, the 2013 Dodge Dart has the potential to become a brand of its own. The auto industry as a whole is still lacking in the digital space, but everyone is slowly catching up. The 2013 Dodge Dart has the capability of overtaking the Civic and Elantra by simply being itself. The social media realm is ready for a new product to drool over. The Dart is exactly what the Twitter and Facebook God’s prescribed!

Strategy and execution will be key over the next two quarters, but look out for the Dodge Dart to take off.

Signing off,

Miran Maric

“We attribute to this car a great part of our ambition and our efforts to win new customers.”
– Sergio Marchionne

The Top 10 Influential Business Figures in American History

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1. John Davison Rockefeller – Oil magnate and founder of Standard Oil. Often regarded as the richest person in history. Offspring companies include: The Seven Sister oil companies. ie. Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and etc. Estimated net worth in adjusted dollars: $500 Billion.

2. Henry Ford – He gave us the assembly line, the Model T, and sparked America’s love affair with automobiles. Estimated net worth in adjusted dollars: $178 Billion. 

3. Andrew Carnegie – Forged America’s industrial might, and founded the Carnegie Steel Company (Which later merged to form US Steel). Had the biggest impact on the industrial revolution. Estimated net worth: $297 Billion. 

4. John Pierpont Morgan – Financial magnate, and paved the way for Wall Street barons. He financed several big mergers and acquisitions, some of which include: General Electric, US Steel, AT&T, and US Railways. He advised and funded Charles Schwab, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Grover Cleveland, Thomas Westinghouse, and many more. Estimated net worth: $100 Billion.

5. Cornelius Vanderbilt – Gained the majority of his wealth from the shipping and railroad industry. A renegade pioneer. Estimated net worth: $160 Billion.

6. Warren Buffett – The Oracle of Omaha. Greatest investor in world history. Took the knowledge given to him by Dr. Benjamin Graham, and paved the way for a new generation of value investors. Estimated net worth: $50 Billion. 

7. Bill Gates – Business magnate, co-founder of Microsoft and the Gates Foundation. He was at the helm of the personal computer revolution, and helped make Microsoft the juggernaut it is today. Estimated net worth: $57 Billion.

8. Sam Walton – Entrepreneur, business magnate, and founder of Wal-Mart & Sam’s Club. One of the most innovative retail entrepreneurs in world history. Estimated net worth: $92 Billion.

9. Larry Ellison – Business magnate and founder of Oracle. He created Oracle as a project that was originally funded by the CIA for massive data collection. He revolutionized database systems, and currently runs one of the most powerful companies in the world. Estimated net worth: $40 Billion.

10. Steve Jobs – Hardware entrepreneur and Co-founder of Apple Computers. From his humble beginnings, to the hardships of 1997, Steve resurrected his own company. 14 years after accepting a $150 million loan from Microsoft, Apple managed to surpass Exxon Mobil as the world’s most valuable company. The iPod, iPhone, iPad, iMac, and many other products have revolutionized the way we communicate. Steve was not only a great leader, but he had foresight and the wherewithal to pick an excellent predecessor in Tim Cook. Arguably, the greatest leader Silicon Valley has ever known. Estimated net worth: $8.3 Billion.

I’d love to hear what you think about my list.

Signing off,

Miran Maric

No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.
– Andrew Carnegie

Apple’s Rise From Near Bankruptcy To Dethroning Exxon

In 1997, Apple was on the verge of bankruptcy. Now, they stand as the most valuable publicly traded company in the world. What a difference 14 years and a $150 Million loan from Microsoft makes.

One thing is certain above all else. Apple’s commitment to hardware was the greatest hedge of all time. They didn’t become enamored with trendy software, and they kept their fundamental business based on hardware. iPod’s, Mac books, iPads, and of course iPhones. Apple clearly had competitors throughout their rise to power, but their brand managed to eclipse everyone else’s. The question is why? My theory is that they were able to enamor Generation Y. They appealed to the consumers vanity, and gave them an aesthetically pleasing device that was unequivocally different from any PC in the marketplace. Secondly, the iPhone.

Not talking about the iPhone in a post like this would be a travesty since it accounts for more than 50% of Apple’s total revenue. I consider myself a cell phone buff, so that’s why I don’t like the iPhone. Strictly speaking from a technological standpoint, it’s good but not great. It revolutionized the app world, and brought forth the generation of people who need access to thousands of apps or they’ll die! If you follow the pattern from 2000 until now, you’ll see that there was a paradigm shift in the mobile industry. Phones that didn’t have an easy pass-through access point were rendered obsolete. Companies that were too late to the draw saw their marginally run businesses dwindle away. Nokia stood as the world’s juggernaut phone maker until technology and consumer demand changed. They had ample time to prepare for this, but simply chose not to. That decision has also led them to the financial woes they’re currently seeing.

The business model itself around the iPhone created consumer demand as well. Once app makers saw an opportunity to make money off of apps, they began tailoring their apps to the consumers needs. They were able to capitalize on the 3G revolution that started captivating Europe a couple of years before it hit the United States.

Now, Apple’s leadership is 100% responsible for their success. People tend to mention Apple’s poster boy, Steve Jobs, but Apple’s real superhero is Tim Cook.

One thing is for certain. Economic swings will naturally happen in the cyclical and non-cyclical sectors, but strong sales of tangible products will always keep you afloat. When Silicon Valley Tech Bubble 2.0 bursts in the next three years, many of the artificially inflated companies will cease to exist. Apple will be standing stronger than ever. Apple is approximately worth $340 Billion, and their stock is still undervalued in my opinion. With that being said, I’m going to go on record as saying the following:

Prediction: The iPhone 5 (4G) and the iPad 3 will break previous records domestically and internationally. Bold prediction, right! Here’s my prediction. Apple will be worth more than $450 Billion by Q2 of 2012.

Signing off,

Miran Maric

No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.
– Niccolo Machiavelli

Google Plus Invites

So unless you’ve been living under a rock, trapped in the dungeons of IBM, or kidnapped, you know about Google Plus. To be completely honest, I’ve never seen more people hassle others about receiving an invite to a program they have no idea about! I don’t want to publicize any of the features, but my intention is to let everyone know of the unequivocally high demand for this social media outlet. My Facebook and Twitter feeds have been inundated with either Silicon Valley folks talking about the program, or their friends begging for invites.

This should act as a warning for Facebook. It’s too early to analyze what the life cycle of Google Plus will be, but if early demand tells us anything, it’s that Facebook shouldn’t become stagnant in this crucial time period. The general outlook from early adopters has been mostly positive.

The one individual that surprised me the most was my buddy Robert Scoble. Robert is a great guy, with an abundant passion for start-ups. However, when he does analyze products from Blue Chip companies, it’s usually Apple that he praises. Let me preface this by also saying that Robert knows the internet space VERY well. I’m friends with Scoble on Facebook, and he’s been raving about Google Plus the past two weeks. He of course has his own reasons, but just to see a SV heavy hitter like him so enamored with this product, tells me that it has a long life cycle ahead.

The Valley sometimes puts products out there just to say they were the first, or they’d like to show off their coding skills. The reason people are so bullish on Google Plus is because it’s good. Correction, damn good. As with any program, tweaks and updates will need to be made.

Speaking of social network launches, what happened to Diaspora? Weren’t they supposed to dethrone Facebook with their open source enabled social environment? Guess not.

Signing off,

Miran Maric

I respectfully decline the invitation to join your hallucination.
– Scott Adams