The Duncan Fremlin Blog

Arlene Zock Died This Morning at 9:15

Grieving is not only a very personal event in our lives but in a way it's a very selfish act.  

Today, many of us will grieve the death of Arlene Zock, each for our own reasons.  Mine are very clear to me.  The ache of her demise will be with me forever and here's why.

She first sang with me and Bob McNiven about 13 years ago.  I was hosting a party at the Naval Club on Hayden Street and she offered to lead the crowd in a singalong of Christmas Songs (she was good at this and did it often).  Bob and I suggested we arrange a few songs that she could sing with Whiskey Jack and she was eager to do that.  We got together and we began with a fun version of White Christmas.  I remember very clearly that moment when we first heard the three voices together.  Bob and I looked at each other and we said with our eyes, "OMG, is this as good for you as it is for me?".  From that moment, the three of us did not stop singing together..  

At first she offered her version of Blue Bayou, Crazy, Harper Valley PTA and then gradually many of the Whiskey Jack tunes we wanted to perform.  She embraced each and every suggestion and made each song her own.  This was clearly a vocal match made in heaven.

We would then make excuses to get together to sing.  In due course, Bob and Arlene got a regular gig at a little cafe in the Junction called L'Arte and I would join them as a guest.  The crowds got larger each week.  Then we were offered a regular gig at Ben Wicks on Parliament Street and attendance there grew quickly.  We would meet weekly, working on the long list of tunes we thought would work well with these voices.   First there was the Willie P. Bennett tune, In A Prayer. I knew she was nuts about the Beach Boys so I suggested In My Room and we had a terrific arrangement in 15 minutes.  Then the Everly Brothers tune Let It Be Me was suggested and wouldn't you know it, it came together in an hour, complete with key changes and the whole bit.  It soon became one of our most requested tunes.  The list is long.  

But, the turning point for me was the realization that no matter what song we sang, Arlene could make it sound fantastic. I'm sorry I never told her this but she gave me the courage to sing a song on my own after 25+ years of only singing the baritone part in the Whiskey Jack trios.  As I began to sing my songs, no matter how many bad notes I hit or no matter how bad my phrasing was, I knew that all was ok.  Soon we would be singing the chorus and once Arlene added her part, all would be forgiven and the lovely harmonies would prevail.  

Whether it was with Whiskey Jack, the George Lake Big Band or her choir, she made us all sound good. 

It is a very sad day for music fans throughout the city.   

 

North America, the privileged continent

This is a glorious summer (the summer we all dream about in February).  Karen and I have had the pleasure of sitting by the lake with good friends on numerous evenings.  Usually, the conversation involves acknowledging and honouring the fact that we are a blessed group.  Those of us born near the end of the Second World War have been living in what is quite possibly the richest era in the history of mankind.  Sounds dramatic I know but we think it's pretty close to being true.  

In light of these conversations, I've been thinking a lot about an article I read recently in Global Brief.  It's called "Changing Luck, North America's 21st Century Wars".

If I may, I'll not quote verbatim but rather will quote a little and paraphrase a lot to outline the general drift of the article.  Hence, there may be a touch of plagiarism here and I beg the author's forgiveness.  The author by the way is Irvin Studin who I know nothing about.  Perhaps you could Google this fellow.  I must do that soon.  Judging by the tone of the article, my guess is he's an academic.

In a nutshell, Irvin states that "in the 20th century, North America was the world's luckiest continent".  Why?   Because it was "exempt from battles on the home front".  "This geopolitical luck meant that we could as a general rule calmly debate, plan, and build prosperous societies" knowing full well we would not be bombed anytime soon.

"The new century however will almost certainly offer up a new strategic reality for the continent."  Irvin offers three reasons:

1.  either a major power (like China or Russia), or perhaps a rogue European state or maybe even a secondary regional powers (such as Iran or North Korea) will have the technical means to strike North American soil;

2.  Arctic ice, in particular Canada's, is melting.  Friendly and hostile foreign ships will begin to pass though the North West Passage.  The resources there will be coveted by all and some will fight to get them.  

3.  "the US, North America's great power, is in relative strategic decline".   Irvin poses an interesting question.  Will a more vulnerable and fragile US be eager to play the role of Canada's protectorate should we be attacked with no immediate interest to the US nation?

Yes, the planet is changing and life for our kids will differ dramatically from our own.

Newsworthy Realtors

What is it about real estate agents?  Why are we so newsworthy?  And why does the story have to be sordid?  Would it be as newsworthy if the victim wasn't  Realtor?  Not likely.  We're kind of fair game for this kind of stuff.

First a lady dies during her liposuction operation.  Some ladies in my profession have a reputation for being diva's so the vanity part of this story fits the mold.    Just for the record, not only did I not know this person, but I had never heard of her.

Then there was the Asian Realtor found dead and decayed after going missing many months ago.  Just for the record, I had nothing to do with that.  Kidnapping is not part of my business plan.  

There's often lawsuits that make the news.   Who are these people?  Why can't they bahave themselves?  This never happens to anyone that I know.

Just for fun, I went looking on the net to see what else is going on in Realtor's lives around the world.  As it turns out, we're pretty active profession and a hot topic in many newspapers, even in mainland China.  

The public should rest assured that Realtors can't get away with anything, unlike hockey players who can cripple and maim people with impunity.  

That's just not fair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/11_07/b4215033159758.htm

 

 

Managing an Unhappy Customer

I'm a reasonable customer.  I seldom complain.  However, when I get burned, I yell loudly.  

I was an unhappy customer recently.  I paid $25.00 (tax in) for an in-and-out car wash and they did a lousy job.  I made them stay after school and fix the problems and they didn't like it.  For example, they left dog hair on the seats and dead bugs on the front window. This car wash is called the Eastern-Leslie Car Wash at .... where else... Eastern and Leslie.  They're more expensive than the best car wash in the city, Splash and Shine at 1901 Danforth Avenue.  I would have gone there but I didn't have time.  Next time, I'll leave the car dirty rather than use a second rate company.

It's not that they did a lousy job... quality control is tenuous at best in an industry like this.  The annoying part of this was the way they dealt with the complaint.  They were annoyed that I complained.

So, if I complain to a printing company (which I did recently), I think it's a bad idea to reply by email.  Take it from me that a phone call is the best way to deal with an unhappy customer.  

I do as much of my business by phone or in person as possible.  There's no room for misunderstanding if you're face to face with a customer.   If there's ever any doubt about anything, email is bad.  I would suggest that if Jane Austen was alive today, she would be the exception.  Perhaps Ian McEwan might be able to get away with a well drafted email.  The rest of us?  Pick up the phone.

Our Favourite Felon

A few years ago, I wrote a short blurb in this blog (short was all the subject deserved) that if Conrad Black didn't exist, we'd have to invent him.  I stole this from Frederick Nietzsche who suggested that if God didn't exist, we'd have to invent him.  Given Black's God complex, this is a particularly good analogy.  Canada needs a cartoon character and old Conrad is "it".  The only other celebrity Canada has produced who we'd have to invent if he didn't already exist is Stompin' Tom.  Too bad we couldn't un-invent Don Cherry but that's for another day.

Black was interviewed for a magazine I subscribe to.  
 
The magazine is Global Brief, a rather academic publication that my lovely wife gave me for my birthday.  Sadly, I'm not smart enough to appreciate much of it.  It is rather lofty and they use really big words, most of which I do not know the meaning of.  However, the Black interview was quite readable and I worked my way through it without a dictionary.

Of all the celebrities that are in jail (or about to return to jail), he's the most predictable.  In fact, he's so predictable, he's no longer fun to read.  I know what he's going to say before he does.

For example, this month's issue of Global Brief  is about "how we talk to one another".  Black was asked what political actors and leaders impressed him as good communicators.  His answer was totally predictable.  Who else would he list but his heroes, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, both of which suffered from Alzheimer's disease, an illness particularly harmful to self centred people apparently.  Black was then asked who is to blame for the poor communication skills, that is illiteracy of the masses (i.e. his fellow inmates).   Of course he had to blame the teacher's unions (how he came to that conclusion I'll never figure out). 

And finally, just to prove once and for all that he's been spending way too much time with illiterate ne'er do wells, here's what he had to say about Twitter and Facebook:  "Twitter and Facebook and all that - I would have no idea how to connect to it, and I will not do it.  It is an outright boycott."  If I may paraphrase here and translate for my readers...what he really means to say is.."they do not allow iPhone and Blackberries in my new home so I haven't a clue what these things are all about however I may be moving to new digs in about 14 months so maybe I'll figure it all out then."

Rest assured everyone that this man will go away sometime.  He'll be shipped back to his homeland, Great Britain and we'll nevet hear from him again (yeah, right).

 

Laminate Flooring is Cheap

I can't recall the exact year that I first encountered laminate flooring in a condo but I do remember saying to myself, "what the hell is that?".  

The manufacturers have come along way.  It's still cheap and it's still plastic and it still is based on the dental technology invented in the 1930's but at least it looks a lot more like hardwood than it used to.  I'll say that much for it.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT TO OTHER REALTORS:  "laminate is not a selling feature!"  Please stop including it in the feature section of your listing as though it's something my buyer will covet and pay large money for.  It just won't happen.  Hardwood is the only way to go.  That lovely product will add value to your property any day of the week.  I know hardwood won't survive a nuclear melt down as well as laminate but neither will you so give it up.

Funny though how these things change over time.  In the 1960's, parquet was installed as an alternative to hardwood, even though it was hardwood only shaped differently.  It had the same reputation that laminate does today.  It was a cheap alternative to hardwood.  In today's market however, though it still doesn't have the status of good hardwood, parquet is valued as a good flooring with some visual appeal, at least in terms of real estate.  

Keith Richard's Diet

I just finished one of the best autobiographies ever, Life by Keith Richards.  Man, did I read this guy wrong.  I watched Weird Al Yankovic's interview with him a few years ago and that's the image I had in my head about this guy.  I couldn't have been more wrong.  This guy's a Renaissance man.  The wisdom in that book is endless.  I learned a lot about life and my vocabulary has been expanded beyond my wildest expectations.  

 

 

He shares his diet that has kept him skinny and fit as a fiddle for his 65+ years:

1.  he was a junkie for 15 years and,

2.  he doesn't conform to the eating schedule created by the factories during the industrial revolution.  It was dictated during that period that people were to eat when the horn sounded so they wouldn't disturb themselves as they were manufacturing things.  Keith, being the non conformist that he is,  eats a little bit, quite often through out the day hence his sleek figure.  

Oh, and he shares his recipe for bangers and beans,  a must have in every kitchen.

 

Come on People, Manage Expectations

Realtors perform many functions as they work their way through the negotiation of a transaction.  We hold hands.  We suggest.  We advise.  We draft.  We talk.  We drive and on and on.  Simply put, we grease the wheels of commerce.  Perhaps one of the most valued skills we offer is managing expectations.  Sounds innocent enough unless you're a stressed seller having been promised something only to be pissed off when it didn't happen.  

This is happening too often and it's not a pleasant experience for a Seller to go through.  Come to think of it, Buyers can also be annoyed and inconvenienced big time!  For example:

1.  Seller lists for 499,000.00 and is told by his agent that he will get multiple offers with a final sale price of $575,000.00.  They market and open house for a week and eureka, they have 4 offers on offer day.  The highest of the four is $550,000.00.  Seller refuses this and re-lists the next day for $579,000.00.  This is stupid and dumb.  The highest of four offers is always true market value and it's unlikely they'll see that number again.  Also, the agent didn't properly manage the Seller's expectations.  Best advice is always "never list at a price below what you're willing to accept".  and as a real estate story goes, it stinks.  

2.  Seller number two lists for $499,000.00 with no indication that offers will be considered at a later date.  Client views house and offers on it.   Hours later the Seller's agent informs offering Realtor that they will in fact be delaying viewing offers for over a week.  Good grief.  Week goes by and first offer is the only offer on the table.  Seller's not prepared to sell for 499,000 even though the listing still reads $499,000 days later.  In fact, Seller signs back a full price offer and changes the price to $540,000.00.

Imagine how the buyer feels.  Perplexed?  Yes, at the very least.  Again, no one is happy and again the agent did not manage the expectations of the seller.

By the way, both these scenerios happened to our buyers last month.