Someplace special

A recent work-related conference placed me within an hour's flight of my hometown of Stockton, California. As the base airfare was less than $40 and opportunities to visit my parents and sister only arise once or twice a year, I jumped at the opportunity.

Some who are familiar with my hometown's many challenges might wonder why I'd bother. Not being a 'Stockton apologist', I recognize said problems and have even sung the blues about them. Problems aside though, there's a lot to like about Stockton that many (read “Forbes Magazine”, among others) either refuse to acknowledge or gloss over. After spending an extended weekend in the nation's easternmost Pacific seaport, I'd like to rectify that oversight.

Valley deliciousness

My first stop upon landing at Stockton Metropolitan Airport (SCK) was Chuck's Hamburgers, a family-run eatery dating back more than forty years. Though Chuck's menu includes a range of delectable options (e.g. milkshakes served up in the metal can, pancakes so large they're nicknamed 'manhole covers', etc), this trip included two of my longtime favorites: A completely loaded club sandwich on sourdough and a half-order of onion rings. Yum!

The visit and related proximity to childhood memories also inspired me to make sopas (a traditionalPortuguese dish often served on or around Easter) for my parents and sister. Sopas made with fresh-baked multigrain sourdough bread from Stockton's Boudin Bakery made for yet another delicious Stockton memory.

Music and the arts

Second stop on this year's spring vacation to Stockton was the Haggin Museum. My parents and I enjoyed wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres and the blues, made possible by Friends of the Haggin (who organized the refreshments) and Ms. Lizzy and Her Cadillac Kings, the evening's talented performers. Sipping delicious, locally grown and produced red zinfandel wine accompanied by fresh California strawberries, all while listening to classics like “Sweet Home, Chicago” (a song about where I now live) made for yet another memorable moment.

The weekend's entertainment didn't end with that first night at the Haggin though. On Friday night, my parents and I enjoyed listening to local band “Bad Habits” while dining on delicious tri-tip sandwiches at Royce's BBQ. My mom and I then headed out to the Elks Lodge to listen to the classic rock n' roll stylings of “RB/X”.

[More]BBQ and Baseball

Yet another Stockton claim to fame is Banner Island Ballpark (aka 'The BIB', a minor league venue once recognized as one of the nation's finest ballparks). A quick stroll around The BIB quickly illustrates why it's a Stockton gem. Nestled alongside the headwaters of the San Joaquin River, just across the water from Stockton's downtown marina, with a host of children's activities and blessed with cool delta breezes and a plethora of dining options (I enjoyed a BBQ'd chicken salad and deep fried Stockton asparagus), I can't think of a better place to enjoy a ballgame... Which is no mean compliment coming from someone who's personally enjoyed 'The Friendly Confines' on a number of occasions.

Boxed wine and bullets

If you've never been to Ripon, California, your only association might be Franzia Winery, the world's largest producer of boxed wines. Having a Stockton upbringing that included a healthy appreciation for shooting sports, my parents and I visited Ripon for entirely different reasons, a mere day before I flew back to Chicago.

Ripon is now home to San Joaquin County's last remaining indoor gun range, Barnwood Arms. As my dad and I both enjoy shooting and he'd never been to an indoor range before (having grown up on local area ranches where facility with a .22 caliber rifle simply meant preserving that year's crop from jack rabbits), Barnwood Arms made for a family outing that nicely bookended my spring Stockton vacation. The range (co-located with a gun shop) was clean and well ventilated, conveniently rents firearms for range use, and their prices were competitive with what I'm used to here in the Chicago area.

Far away home, far away port

Watching the Stockton Ports' batters slam doubles and triples, seeing ocean-bound freighters loading up on molasses and concrete, enjoying warm sun and clear skies... Good times. Does any of that eradicate the specter of bankruptcy, high crime or Stockton's other challenges? No, of course not. That said though, I'd like to remind Stockton's many naysayers that, while the city's challenges are great, a thousand miles of sun-drenched waterways, countless acres of verdant farmland and plentiful vineyards all translate into someplace that, challenges aside, is still pretty dammed special.

From my cold, dead hands - Part deux

The U.S. Senate finally weighed in today on gun legislation and, as someone whose Stockton childhood included a passion for shooting that remains to this day, I'm completely baffled as to what good any parent might find in today's news. To be honest, I had little hope that a.) Congress could achieve a reasoned compromise, or that b.) any reasoned compromise could overcome the lobbying power of the NRA. And, while several pro-gun senators, Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey and West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (not to mention other select Senators from both sides of the aisle) did manage to surprise me by finding common ground, my expectation that the NRA would win the day also came to pass.

That said, let's take a closer look at what today's NRA victory cost Americans......

Today, America's gun owners LOST the opportunity to:

• Specifically outlaw a national gun registry
• Mandate that a gun owner's concealed-carry permit be honored out-of-state and when traveling across state lines
• Ensure that gun transfers between family members and friends be protected and preserved in the future

Today, all Americans LOST the opportunity to:

• Prevent some criminals and the mentally ill from purchasing guns at gun shows (I say "some" because, though the current background check system has prevented millions from illegally purchasing guns, it is a flawed system in need of improvement)
• Reduce some 'straw purchases', illegal gun purchases that currently account for ~60% of the guns used by criminals in the City of Chicago (as "some" likely would have ignored the stricter penalties against illegal sales... Though it's reasonable to believe that "some" would have also been deterred by said penalties)

If winning is simply proof of one's abilities or an acknowledgement of one's power and supremacy, the NRA certainly 'won' the day. And, in a country where "some" prize winning about all else, perhaps that's all that matters. Still, as a long time supporter of the Second Amendment, I can't help wondering what anyone else 'won' today?

From my cold, dead hands

I grew up on the eastside of Stockton, California, in an unincorporated neighborhood labeled "Garden Acres" on maps but called "Okieville" (or more simply, "The 'Ville") by its residents. Our neighborhood was characterized by septic tanks, a lack of sidewalks and the occasional 'lawn car' or 'toilet planter' out front. One characteristic often unmentioned though was, and still is, guns. My friend's parents all had guns, as did their children, as did I. A local canal and acres of farmland meant that childhood hunting and fishing trips were but a short bike ride from home, with either a fishing rod/tackle box or a cased 12 gauge shotgun grasped alongside the handle bars of my old Murray.

Growing up in a semi-rural neighborhood with few friends my own age and no nearby parks, neighborhood pools or little league teams, my childhood was often a solitary one. I can remember many a summer's day spent with a fishing pole or a gun in hand, watching dragon flies dance around the tip of my pole or walking the edges of farm irrigation ditches in search of quail, pheasant, ducks or rabbits (depending on the season, of course). To legally fish in the nearby diverting canal simply required a fishing license. To hunt, however, required the assistance of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

When I was twelve, I took my first NRA course, a prerequisite for gaining a hunting license in California at the time. Though I grew up without pool or little league memberships, my mother always managed to come up with the $8 to $12 dollars I needed to pay for each year's hunting and fishing license renewals. I recall riding that old Murray to the nearby Disco department store, 'greenbacks' in my sweaty hand, to pay for said licenses each season. And it all started (the hunting, at least) with that first NRA class.

What I remember of the class was that it was filled with mostly adults who were quiet and respectful of the NRA-certified instructor, and that most of the course was focused on gun safety. I also remember the feeling of accomplishment, once I had that first hunting license in-hand... The first license I actually had to take a class to get. It's a fond memory, and a positive one specific to the NRA. They still train instructors to teach such classes to this day, and I have no doubt that such classes have saved lives. More recently however, the NRA has placed themselves in the center of a rancorous and vitriolic national 'debate' (for lack of a better word) on gun control, said "rancor" and "vitriol" being the inspiration for this blog.

You see, I don't hate the NRA, any more than I hate fellow Americans who also happen to be NRA members. My intention, via this blog, is to illustrate that I truly believe the NRA has done, and continues to do good works. That said though, the current 'debate' surrounding gun control (IMHO) has  descended into a media-fueled cesspool exemplified by personal attacks on privileged presidential progeny contrasted against pro-gun politicians putting all our lives at risk by opposing comprehensive background checks, assault weapons/high-capacity clip bans, or interstate concealed-carry.

Like many (if not most, if you believe the polls) Americans, I feel the status quo vis a vis gun laws vs gun ownership is unacceptable. On the one hand, as someone currently living in the Chicago area who grew up with guns, I sympathize with Chicago gun owners who, though subject to some of the nation's most stringent gun control laws, are witnesses to the nation's worst gun-related crimes. On the other hand, as a father and someone who, as a young college student, volunteered for an entire school year as a teacher's assistant (TA) at Cleveland Elementary School in my hometown of Stockton, California, I also feel extreme sympathy for the bereft parents of Newtown, Connecticut. Finally, as a moderately well-informed and well-educated American, I resent being talked down to by organizations on either side of this current 'media debate' who apparently expect me to abandon all reason and unquestionably embrace soundbites like "the president's going to take away all our guns", or "she's a gun-toting fanatic because she's supported by the NRA".

I strongly believe that the time has come for thoughtful discussion, not vitriol. Research needs to be done and statistics considered. Serious questions need to be asked about why existing gun laws aren't working (or aren't being enforced), just as serious questions need to be asked about how new gun laws will (as proponents claim) make us safer. Related issues such a mental illness and the reporting of a mental patient's [potentially]violent tendencies need to be addressed. The effectiveness of social 'safety nets' and related programs aimed at addressing the fundamental causes of gun violence need to be evaluated. An open, reasoned dialogue needs to take place that addresses the gamut of issues related to gun violence.

Because, to be blunt, until that happens, and regardless of whether the tattoo on your arm or the sticker on your car reads "NRA" or "MoveOn.org", you don't give a damn about the safety of this nation's children. That may sound harsh to some, but not as harsh as the funerary sobs of America's mothers, or the presents that remained unwrapped under Connecticut Christmas trees this past December. America has a disease with lethal symptoms. I'm not labeling guns, crime, poverty or anything else as either a symptom or the disease itself. I am saying that, until we stop shouting at each other and single-mindedly protecting our own 'sacred cows', children will continue to die... Which is a reality I firmly believe no sane American finds acceptable.

My favorite Weight Watcher's recipes

I've blogged in the past about cooking for the local shelter, including a blog about one of my own recipes. Often though, the dishes I prepare are based on [relatively]healthy Weight Watchers recipes. As a co-worker recently asked me to share some of my favorites, I thought it made sense to post them to my blog, just in case anyone else is interested (or wants to share them with others). Here they are:

• Roasted Vegetables (This is one of my FAVORITE recipes, easy and delicious, and it goes with practically anything. Here's a pic.)
• Spaghetti Pie (Note: I use whole grain spaghetti to make it healthier, and I substitute egg beaters for eggs and also substitute a little butter-flavored cooking spray and an extra 1/4 c, of egg beaters for the margarine to make the recipe even more low-fat. Here's a pic.)
• Pot-Luck Pasta Salad (Here's a pic).
• Sweet Potato and Squash Bake (Here's a pic).
• Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya (Note: I substitute butter-flavored spray for the margarine, and Uncle Ben's Converted Brown Rice for the white rice to reduce the fat even more and make it healthier)
• 15-Minute Chicken Gumbo (A recipe I like to make in advance and keep individual servings of in the freezer as a quick warm-up after cold Fall and Winter outdoor astronomy observing sessions).

Enjoy!

PS: Here's a tweet you can use if you'd like to share this recipe blog with others via social media: 

• Favorite recipes of a shelter volunteer: http://bit.ly/VIvGZW #DuPagePADS #recipes #cooking #healthy #WeightWatchers #Homelessness

Trouble in River City

River City, Chicago, Illinois

Downtown Stockton, California

An open letter to Michael Fitzgerald, Record columnist

Dear Mike,

I've given your recent blog post, “On the waterfront”, quite a bit of thought. As the varied though largely (and understandably) negative reader comments in your post illustrate, Stockton's woes are significant and complex. Are they insurmountable? No, I don't think so... Not as long as people still care... Which many still do, the purely negative naysayers aside. Still, I think most Stocktonians (even expatriates like myself) agree there are no easy answers.

Specific to the delta, yes, it's an asset, and yes, Stockton's already deriving significant economic benefits from it in the form of jobs at the Port of Stockton. There are also Stocktonians - yourself included, I believe - who view delta recreation as an essential part of their lives, lifestyles, maybe even their psyches. But Stockton is no Sacramento with it's 'old town', nor is it still named "French Camp" with it's associated trapping industry. Stockton is a bankrupt city with failing infrastructure, high crime, an understaffed police dept., an overcrowded jail, substandard public schools, limited higher education options... The list goes on and on. My intention here isn't simply to be negative or sing the blues though, but rather to show empathy and agreement that, while the challenges are great, said challenges are accompanied by dangers too great to risk inaction. That said, a few thoughts......

Crime will not decrease overnight, it's primary drivers are economic, and improvement can't await the more significant turnaround I believe is coming. So how about taking a page from my favorite Stockton film, "Cool Hand Luke"? What if, instead of building more empty houses, Stockton's rich soil was used for a new self-sustaining, low security work farm? While the idea of another Stockton-area prison rankles, such a facility could provide benefits in the form of produce to the entire California prison system (which might help it get funded), and could help address the short-term problem of a full jail.

Another thought is inspired by Chicago's River City. Yes, such a development bears some similarity to Stockton's exclusive, gated community, Brookside, but it could provide a starting point for future development... A safe, self-contained and secure place for boaters to live and commute from, that would bring in revenues and leverage the waterfront/delta locale. And, before anyone poo-poos such an idea out of hand because of the old adage, "Location, location, location" (or the equivalent naysayers response of, "No one in their right mind would ever choose to live in downtown Stockton!"), River City was developed in one of downtown Chicago's least attractive neighborhoods (the riverfront aside... And, actually, even the riverfront wasn't a slam dunk initially due to significant water pollution issues that have since been largely addressed).

One more idea I'm guessing the Stockton Chamber of Commerce might embrace... Real, powerful, effective PR in the form of more public events. While seemingly at odds with the challenges of crime and bankruptcy, I think most Stocktonians would agree that our fair (though tarnished) city sure cleans up pretty. Televised events like the bass derby and Amgen's Tour of California, both of which leveraged Weber Point instead of the controversial downtown Arena, show off the beauty of Stockton's delta locale and communicate to the wider world that there's more to the city than can be found between the pages of Forbes Magazine. Such events also foster civic pride, allowing citizens to see their hometown's glittering waters on TV and hear event attendees from across the globe comment on Stockton's beauty.

In closing, I'm fully aware that I don't have complete (or likely even significant) solutions to my hometown's woes. Still, to stop proposing solutions is to stop caring... To give up, to lose all hope. And, if there's one thing Stockton - and Stocktonians - can't afford to lose, it's hope.


Sincerely,

T.R. Nunes

Marketing, the Betamax, & Idiot Son-in-Laws

As some of you may know, I'm a writer & editor currently working in marketing. Historically rooted in the early print advertising of the late 19th and early 20th century, marketing is sometimes considered synonymous with Madison Avenue (as most recently dramatized in the A&E TV series "Mad Men"). Marketing is about far more than advertising, though. While still intended to influence behaviors and opinions, the modern discipline of marketing requires practitioners to visualize 'the big picture'. For example, throughout most of the last century, people thought that selling something to someone who didn't need it, either via advertising or direct sales, was the height of marketing. A hotel chain (La Quinta Inn, maybe?) actually ran a TV ad recently where a salesman successfully sold ice cubes to Eskimos, proving himself to be a great salesman, right? Wrong. Modern marketers research what people want, help bring new products to market, price/package/promote[advertise] said products in the most effective fashion, and [hopefully]end up with happy and loyal customers.

Now you're probably asking yourself, "Why is he boring me to death with all this stuff about marketing???" Please allow me to explain. To visualize 'the big picture', we must first look beyond our own preferences, biases, or areas of expertise. For example, just as an 'ad man' might immediately decide that the best way to increase a product's sales is to launch a new and innovative ad campaign (versus also examining said product's life cycle, competition, pricing, packaging and distribution/sales channels), a technically savvy person might recommend one solution as better than another without fully considering the needs of those who'll end up using said solution. Case in point: The Sony Betamax.

When I was working for Sears back in the early 80's, my new in-laws wanted to buy one of the new video cassette recorders (VCRs) that were all the rage at the time. Knowing I worked in the appliance repair department at Sears, they came to me and asked which would be better, a Betamax unit (which were sold only by Sony) or a VHS unit (which were sold by everyone else). To get them what I thought would be the best possible VCR advice, I talked to our most knowledgeable service technician. He advised me (truthfully) that the Betamax units had the best recording quality (at the time, at least), and the least expensive tapes to record on. He also added a caveat, though. As Sony was the only company selling Betamax units, if you wanted to rent tapes, you probably needed to go with a VHS unit. I then passed on all the 'expert' advice I'd collected to my in-laws, thinking I was doing the right thing.

As time passed, the fact that Sony kept their Betamax technology proprietary and refused to license it (i.e. prevented anyone else from using said technology, versus VHS technology that could be licensed by practically anyone), meant that Betamax could never be as competitive as VHS and would eventually be doomed to failure. Though Betamax originally did have the best picture, so many companies started building VHS-based VCRs that VHS units eventually surpassed the picture quality of Betamax units. And, while Betamax tapes were originally less expensive, the fact that so many more VHS tapes were now in demand caused their prices to drop below that of Betamax tapes. Finally, while my in-laws originally said they never wanted to rent tapes, when video rental stores started popping up on practically every street corner, none of which carried Betamax movies, I guess you could say that was 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. Eventually they went out and bought the latest VHS unit, and I was labeled from then on as their "idiot son-in-law who'd recommended they buy a Betamax" (pained smile).

Anyway, while that's probably way more information than anyone wants to read (or re-read) about 'the VCR wars', I do think it effectively exemplifies how, if you just focus on one aspect of a solution, product or service (e.g. the best technology, the cheapest to build, the smallest, etc) without looking at 'the big picture', you may be on the path to failure.

Yet another customer service failure

In 2010, Discover Card launched it's popular "My name is Peggy" ad campaign, featuring an ineptly handled customer service call routed to a bearded male operator in what appeared to be an eastern European call center. The initial ad was followed by multiple sequels and the now popular campaign has since 'grown legs' (as we say in marketing circles), generating hundreds of thousands of YouTube views, television satires and more.

Some months after the launch of Discover's now infamous campaign, I personally experienced what I felt to be the virtual equivalent of "Peggy", courtesy of Amazon.com. If you examine the text of the Amazon chat session closely, I think you'll agree that I probably wasn't chatting with a native English speaker (hence the "Peggy" analogy). What really frustrated me about my Amazon experience however (which is also analogous to Discover's "Peggy" example) was that I was left with the impression that, while Amazon was willing to invest in living and breathing human beings to provide customer service, said 'customer service' appeared (to me, at least) to primarily be focused on placating, versus actually serving the customer.

Which brings me to my most recent 'Peggy encounter', experienced today courtesy of 1800Flowers.com...

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Thank you for choosing 1-800-flowers.com. A representative will be with you shortly.

You are now chatting with Laxmi.

Laxmi: Hello! How can I help you with your order today?

You: Hi. I'm an [OMMITTED COMPANY NAME] employee who's been shopping w/1800flowers for years using the [OMITTED COMPANY NAME] discount/promo code "[OMITTED PROMO CODE]". I'm now trying to place an order, and the promo code's not being accepted.

Laxmi: I'll be happy to help you with that!

Laxmi: One moment please while I find that information for you.

You: thank you

Laxmi: You're welcome.

Laxmi: What is the error you have on the order?

You: "We’re sorry, the promotion code [OMITTED PROMO CODE] you entered is not valid for any items in your cart."

Laxmi: May I have the product code for the item you are ordering?

You: 96123

Laxmi: Thank you very much.

You: You're welcome.

Laxmi: I am very sorry for the inconvenience this issue have caused.

Laxmi: What you would need to do, is complete the order on the web site with out the promotion code then make contact with 1-800baskets.com at 1-800-994-3457.

Laxmi: They will be able to apply the 20% discount on the order for you.

You: The order bills to me card when it's placed. That would require multiple charges/credits, as well as additional time spent on the phone (beyond the time spent in this chat). I'd prefer a more convenient solution, else I might need to investigate alternative sources for my [OMITTED COMPANY NAME] co-worker's get well gift.

Laxmi: I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused.

You: Are you saying you have no other alternative to offer?

Laxmi: I am very sorry, that is the only way you can order order that item and get the discount on the order.

Laxmi: If you like you can select another item and try the promotion code with that item.

You: The solution you're proposing will require more effort on the part of the customer and 1800Flowers. I'm afraid I'll need to investigate alternative vendors. Thank you for your time.

Laxmi: I apologize for the inconvenience.

Laxmi: If you like you can complete the order without the promotion code and I can place the call for you to 1-800 baskets.com.

You: My preference would be an alternate promo code, voucher, etc that would otherwise enable me to conveniently complete the transaction with a single charge to my account.

Laxmi: It is not the promotion code that has the problem.

Laxmi: The problem is with the product you are ordering. Once the order is placed I cannot access that order since it is handled by a 1-800 baskets.com specialist.

Laxmi: Due to that fact, we will need to make contact with them to have the discount applied manually since there seems to be a problem with the product not accepting the promotion.

You: Purely from a customer service standpoint, I fail to see why any of that should be the problem/additional inconvenience of a 1800Flowers.com customer. Further, while we've been discussing this, I've found an equivalent product for less from a competitive vendor. Unless you have an alternative solution to offer, I'm afraid I'll be ordering from one of your competitors. I'm sorry, but I did provide 1800Flowers with every opportunity to save the sale.

Laxmi: I am very sorry, I do wish to keep you as a satisfied customer, unfortunately, as I explained above the only way I can have this discount applied for you, is have you complete the order with out the promotion code and then have it manually taken off the order.

You: Thank you for your time and effort. Have a nice day.

Laxmi: Have a nice day! Bye.

Laxmi: Thank you for chatting with 1-800-Flowers.com. We value your feedback. Please click the END CHAT button at the top right to answer a few questions about your experience with us today.

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If you agree that companies like Amazon and 1-800-Flowers need to put more emphasis on actually serving (versus simply placating) their customers, I would encourage you to share this blog posting as widely as possible via social media. And guess what? I just happen to have a sample tweet handy to help you do just that...

Frustrated by virtual "My name is #Peggy"-like #customer #service from #Amazon, #1800Flowers or others? http://bit.ly/xbKnEn. Retweet if so

Oh, and, most importantly, have a nice day! ;-)