Our friend's, Hamid, game just launched on iPhone. "I am Ninja"! 10% of the proceeds will go to the Deep Search Foundation. Check it out!
VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi has a write up here, "The iPhone’s I am Ninja game asks where you learned to blow"
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
News & Links List
"Calpers Is Voting Against Lewis and BofA Board" NYTimes Dealbook
Old news, but good details here.
"Thain Fires Back at Bank of America" WSJ
You'd think you would want to retain the best talent from an acquisition. It seems like many Merrill Lynch executives were fired. Fear? Politics? BofA people covering their backside?
"The Venture Capital Math Problem" Fred Wilson
"Mark Pincus' lessons from Tribe - fail fast" VatorNews
"Twitter is a Fad" BusinessWeek
"Publishers Seize on iPhone as Great White Digital Hope for Print" AdvertisingAge
HatTip to Jim.
"Google’s Multicultural Work Force" NYTimes
"The Sales Profession: Attention Must Still Be Paid" by Ben Stein
"Erotic Intellectual: Christopher Hitchens turns us on--even when he's wrong." Forbes
"Squanderer in chief" LATimes By James Kirchick
Interesting viewpoint from the Left
"One Hundred Polarized Days" by Jillian Bandes
'Barack Obama has the most polarized early job approval ratings of any president in the past four decades,' reported the Pew Research Center.
"The dark side of Dubai" The Independent
"'Flagrants' foul up playoff picture" ESPN
Old news, but good details here.
"Thain Fires Back at Bank of America" WSJ
You'd think you would want to retain the best talent from an acquisition. It seems like many Merrill Lynch executives were fired. Fear? Politics? BofA people covering their backside?
"The Venture Capital Math Problem" Fred Wilson
"Mark Pincus' lessons from Tribe - fail fast" VatorNews
"Twitter is a Fad" BusinessWeek
"Publishers Seize on iPhone as Great White Digital Hope for Print" AdvertisingAge
HatTip to Jim.
"Google’s Multicultural Work Force" NYTimes
"The Sales Profession: Attention Must Still Be Paid" by Ben Stein
"Erotic Intellectual: Christopher Hitchens turns us on--even when he's wrong." Forbes
"Squanderer in chief" LATimes By James Kirchick
Interesting viewpoint from the Left
"One Hundred Polarized Days" by Jillian Bandes
'Barack Obama has the most polarized early job approval ratings of any president in the past four decades,' reported the Pew Research Center.
"The dark side of Dubai" The Independent
"'Flagrants' foul up playoff picture" ESPN
Sagent Advisors and Other Boutique Investment Banks Picking Up Talent
My younger brother's firm, Sagent Advisors just opened a San Francisco office:
"The independent M&A advisory firm has hired David Bain and Michael Wilkins, both formerly at Wachovia Securities, as managing directors, further expanding its technology, media and telecommunications advisory business. Bain, 42, and Wilkins, 35, will open Sagent's new office in San Francisco."
They have also opened offices in Chicago and Charlotte while hiring in an Alternative Capital Markets team from UBS.
Sagent and other boutique (small to mid-size) investments banks are able to pick up good talent due to the huge layoffs on Wall Street and the pay limits tied to TARP money. Can we say bad policy destroying shareholder value?
More from Bloomberg, "Mack, Lewis Blame Pay Limits for Executive Departures"
"The independent M&A advisory firm has hired David Bain and Michael Wilkins, both formerly at Wachovia Securities, as managing directors, further expanding its technology, media and telecommunications advisory business. Bain, 42, and Wilkins, 35, will open Sagent's new office in San Francisco."
They have also opened offices in Chicago and Charlotte while hiring in an Alternative Capital Markets team from UBS.
Sagent and other boutique (small to mid-size) investments banks are able to pick up good talent due to the huge layoffs on Wall Street and the pay limits tied to TARP money. Can we say bad policy destroying shareholder value?
More from Bloomberg, "Mack, Lewis Blame Pay Limits for Executive Departures"
USATODAY Launches New Blogs
I received an email yesterday from USATODAY announcing their "new communities" since I filled out their profile once to comment on an article. I was expecting a news site with social networking elements, but all of them were just blogs. I guess "blog" sounds too casual or beneath them :)
"Wendy Kopp Predicts the Future of Education"
Wendy Kopp, Founder & President of Teach for America, answers the question:
How should Americans change the way they think about education?
How should Americans change the way they think about education?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
News & Links List
"Official who OK'd N.Y. flyby accused of 'felony stupidity'" CNN
"How libertarian dogma led the Fed astray" Financial Times
"The Roubini Recovery. Intelligent Investing with Steve Forbes" Forbes (video)
"Conde Nast Shutters Portfolio. Why It Failed" BusinessWeek's Jon Fine
"'Portfolio' Never Had A Chance" Forbes
"10 Countries in Deep Trouble" by Matthew Bandyk
"Putting the Toothpaste Back into the Tube
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke needs to spell out how he plans to head off hyperinflation." by Andy Kessler
"Venture Capitalists Still Cautious
Despite two new high-tech IPOs, VCs likely won't back more start-ups." Forbes
"Warren Buffett takes charge
Warren Buffett hasn't just seen the car of the future, he's sitting in the driver's seat. Why he's banking on an obscure Chinese electric car company and a CEO who - no joke - drinks his own battery fluid." Fortune
"Should Your Company Have a Social Media Policy?" Mashable
"The Future of the Social Web: In Five Eras" by Jeremiah Owyang
"Pirate Blowback!" by Abe Greenwald
Insightful and amusing: "And by demonstrating that we value one American life more than three Somali lives we’ve turned a handful of desperate thieves into a sympathetic movement with recruitment potential." :)
"How libertarian dogma led the Fed astray" Financial Times
"The Roubini Recovery. Intelligent Investing with Steve Forbes" Forbes (video)
"Conde Nast Shutters Portfolio. Why It Failed" BusinessWeek's Jon Fine
"'Portfolio' Never Had A Chance" Forbes
"10 Countries in Deep Trouble" by Matthew Bandyk
"Putting the Toothpaste Back into the Tube
Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke needs to spell out how he plans to head off hyperinflation." by Andy Kessler
"Venture Capitalists Still Cautious
Despite two new high-tech IPOs, VCs likely won't back more start-ups." Forbes
"Warren Buffett takes charge
Warren Buffett hasn't just seen the car of the future, he's sitting in the driver's seat. Why he's banking on an obscure Chinese electric car company and a CEO who - no joke - drinks his own battery fluid." Fortune
"Should Your Company Have a Social Media Policy?" Mashable
"The Future of the Social Web: In Five Eras" by Jeremiah Owyang
"Pirate Blowback!" by Abe Greenwald
Insightful and amusing: "And by demonstrating that we value one American life more than three Somali lives we’ve turned a handful of desperate thieves into a sympathetic movement with recruitment potential." :)
eMarketer's Twitter Tally
eMarketer has their latest projections on Twitter:
Tweety Bird would never believe this.
If media attention is any indication, Twitter has exploded into an all-out phenomenon. Celebrities, politicians, entrepreneurs, business leaders and everyday users are flocking to the service en masse, generating a frenzy of activity and attention.
Everybody is talking about Twitter, but what do the numbers say?
All I can say is that I predicted Twitter would go mainstream last May :) I would estimate that it really didn't go mainstream until winter of 2008 when major media outlets began using it to interact with their viewers. If I only had more time to write my trend pieces :)
"Twitter, Tina Fey, and the Future of Micro-Blogging" Mashable
Tweety Bird would never believe this.
If media attention is any indication, Twitter has exploded into an all-out phenomenon. Celebrities, politicians, entrepreneurs, business leaders and everyday users are flocking to the service en masse, generating a frenzy of activity and attention.
Everybody is talking about Twitter, but what do the numbers say?
All I can say is that I predicted Twitter would go mainstream last May :) I would estimate that it really didn't go mainstream until winter of 2008 when major media outlets began using it to interact with their viewers. If I only had more time to write my trend pieces :)
"Twitter, Tina Fey, and the Future of Micro-Blogging" Mashable
Under the Radar Winners: Who’s On Cloud Nine?
Last Friday I attended Dealmaker Media's "Under the Radar: Clarity in the Cloud" event.
They just posted the winners voted on by the judges and attendees:
BEST IN SHOW
Voted as “best startup of the day” by the judges: Zuora
*View their award-winning presentation here.
Voted as “best startup of the day” by the audience: CloudKick
*View their award-winning presentation here.
CATEGORY WINNERS (Click on startups to view their presentations)
Cloud Platform
Audience Choice: Eucalyptus
Judges Choice: Eucalyptus
Cloud Management
Audience Choice: CloudKick
Judges Choice: TapInSystems
Storage Infrastructure
Audience Choice: Virsto Software & Zetta (tie)
Judges Choice: Virsto Software & Zetta (tie)
Web Services
Audience Choice: Zuora
Judges Choice: Zuora
Applications
Audience Choice: Zephyr
Judges Choice: uTest
Development & Platforms
Audience Choice: Heroku
Judges Choice: Heroku
Data Management
Audience Choice: Axcient
Judges Choice: Ctera
They just posted the winners voted on by the judges and attendees:
BEST IN SHOW
Voted as “best startup of the day” by the judges: Zuora
*View their award-winning presentation here.
Voted as “best startup of the day” by the audience: CloudKick
*View their award-winning presentation here.
CATEGORY WINNERS (Click on startups to view their presentations)
Cloud Platform
Audience Choice: Eucalyptus
Judges Choice: Eucalyptus
Cloud Management
Audience Choice: CloudKick
Judges Choice: TapInSystems
Storage Infrastructure
Audience Choice: Virsto Software & Zetta (tie)
Judges Choice: Virsto Software & Zetta (tie)
Web Services
Audience Choice: Zuora
Judges Choice: Zuora
Applications
Audience Choice: Zephyr
Judges Choice: uTest
Development & Platforms
Audience Choice: Heroku
Judges Choice: Heroku
Data Management
Audience Choice: Axcient
Judges Choice: Ctera
Monday, April 27, 2009
Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs 2009 by BusinessWeek
BusinessWeek has their list of the "Best Young Tech Entrepreneurs" for 2009. More from them...
The Finalists
Innovation among startups is alive and well, judging from the crop of entrepreneurs who made it onto this year's list. Herewith, BusinessWeek.com's annual rundown of the most promising tech startups and the young people, age 30 and under, who set them in motion. To arrive at the finalists, we weighed input from readers, investors, and BusinessWeek editors and writers who cover the tech sector. Each slide lists the company name, executives age 30 and under, a business description, and lessons learned amid the recession.
The Finalists
Innovation among startups is alive and well, judging from the crop of entrepreneurs who made it onto this year's list. Herewith, BusinessWeek.com's annual rundown of the most promising tech startups and the young people, age 30 and under, who set them in motion. To arrive at the finalists, we weighed input from readers, investors, and BusinessWeek editors and writers who cover the tech sector. Each slide lists the company name, executives age 30 and under, a business description, and lessons learned amid the recession.
Events in Silicon Valley for This Week
Some interesting events in Silicon Valley this week...
A Case Study of Learning Lessons for Entrepreneurs
By the SDForum
Wednesday, April 29th from 7:30AM - 9:15AM
Frank, Rimerman + Co.
1801 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA
Description:
SDForum, in collaboration with Nixon Peabody and Frank Rimerman are delighted to announce the launch of a unique and innovative breakfast series: Building a Tech Business in Silicon Valley: A Case Study. The Series is NOT a “talking heads” panel program. Instead, the important lessons learned are communicated through discussions centering around detailed case descriptions. Audience members put themselves in the shoes of the company's principals as they suffer and succeed through the rollercoaster life of a startup. The Series will take place across five sessions from Fall '08 to Spring '09 and will trace the lifecycle of a fictitious Silicon Valley technology company.
CSR in a Recession: Doing Well by Doing Good in Not-So-Good Times
by The Good Business Network
Wednesday, April 29, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
540 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Tickets: $10 online/$20 cash at the door
Description:
With the economy in uncharted territory, anyone who cares about values-based business – companies, nonprofits, social entrepreneurs and individuals – must learn how to navigate corporate social responsibility through a Great Recession era.
Join The Good Business Network to discuss how we can all still do well by doing good, in conversation with:
* Nick Aster, Founder, Triple Pundit
* Joel Bashevkin, Executive Director, West Coast, Taproot Foundation
* Christopher Esposito, VP, Recruiting and Sales, Magley and Associates
* Sid Espinosa, City Councilman, City of Palo Alto
* Gil Friend, President and CEO, Natural Logic Inc.
* Mike Hannigan, President and Co-Founder Give Something Back
* Marcy Scott Lynn, Director of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, Sun Microsystems
* Amy Skeeters-Behrens, Head of Marketing Operations, Global Citizenship Team, eBay
Presentation and Product Demo Secrets
by The Good Business Network
Thursday, April 30, from 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
White & Lee
541 Jefferson Ave # 100
Redwood City, CA
Description:
Nathan Gold takes you through the following sessions.
The 3 secrets to making your PPT deck 500% more effective.
PowerPoint is the most common method of presenting information in business. However, most people do not use the power of PowerPoint effectively. Learn the 3 secrets to making your PowerPoint deck 500% more effective. Start using these techniques immediately and you will see a huge change in how your audience responds to your presentation.
1. How to begin every presentation so that people will want to listen.
2. How to design your PPT deck so people will not fall asleep.
3. How to prepare for the unexpected.
4. "Bonus Secret" How to instantly bring the attention back to the presenter.
The 3 secrets to giving more compelling and memorable product demos.
The 3 secrets to know when meeting with venture capitalists.
The 3 secrets to using the WWW to get things done fast and cheap!
A Case Study of Learning Lessons for Entrepreneurs
By the SDForum
Wednesday, April 29th from 7:30AM - 9:15AM
Frank, Rimerman + Co.
1801 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, CA
Description:
SDForum, in collaboration with Nixon Peabody and Frank Rimerman are delighted to announce the launch of a unique and innovative breakfast series: Building a Tech Business in Silicon Valley: A Case Study. The Series is NOT a “talking heads” panel program. Instead, the important lessons learned are communicated through discussions centering around detailed case descriptions. Audience members put themselves in the shoes of the company's principals as they suffer and succeed through the rollercoaster life of a startup. The Series will take place across five sessions from Fall '08 to Spring '09 and will trace the lifecycle of a fictitious Silicon Valley technology company.
CSR in a Recession: Doing Well by Doing Good in Not-So-Good Times
by The Good Business Network
Wednesday, April 29, from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
540 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Tickets: $10 online/$20 cash at the door
Description:
With the economy in uncharted territory, anyone who cares about values-based business – companies, nonprofits, social entrepreneurs and individuals – must learn how to navigate corporate social responsibility through a Great Recession era.
Join The Good Business Network to discuss how we can all still do well by doing good, in conversation with:
* Nick Aster, Founder, Triple Pundit
* Joel Bashevkin, Executive Director, West Coast, Taproot Foundation
* Christopher Esposito, VP, Recruiting and Sales, Magley and Associates
* Sid Espinosa, City Councilman, City of Palo Alto
* Gil Friend, President and CEO, Natural Logic Inc.
* Mike Hannigan, President and Co-Founder Give Something Back
* Marcy Scott Lynn, Director of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, Sun Microsystems
* Amy Skeeters-Behrens, Head of Marketing Operations, Global Citizenship Team, eBay
Presentation and Product Demo Secrets
by The Good Business Network
Thursday, April 30, from 7:30 AM - 10:30 AM
White & Lee
541 Jefferson Ave # 100
Redwood City, CA
Description:
Nathan Gold takes you through the following sessions.
The 3 secrets to making your PPT deck 500% more effective.
PowerPoint is the most common method of presenting information in business. However, most people do not use the power of PowerPoint effectively. Learn the 3 secrets to making your PowerPoint deck 500% more effective. Start using these techniques immediately and you will see a huge change in how your audience responds to your presentation.
1. How to begin every presentation so that people will want to listen.
2. How to design your PPT deck so people will not fall asleep.
3. How to prepare for the unexpected.
4. "Bonus Secret" How to instantly bring the attention back to the presenter.
The 3 secrets to giving more compelling and memorable product demos.
The 3 secrets to know when meeting with venture capitalists.
The 3 secrets to using the WWW to get things done fast and cheap!
Congresswoman Jackie Speier Speaking at "Banking On Life" Conference
Update on the "Banking On Life" Conference that is sponsored by the Center for Bioethics & Culture. Congresswoman Jackie Speier of California's 12th Congressional District will be attending and giving some remarks. This is important since she is sponsoring cord blood legislation which will be introduce in Congress in the coming weeks. More...
Congresswoman Jackie Speier to Appear at May 2nd Bay Area conference, BANKING ON LIFE
San Francisco, CA – With the Obama administration recently announcing its policy change on the issue of stem cell research & regenerative medicine, the questions surrounding this issue are many. Promising to deliver some answers, perhaps the most comprehensive one-day conference with cutting edge leaders from around the world will take place in the City by the Bay on May 2, 2009.
Hosted by The Center For Bioethics and Culture Network, a noted Bay Area institution, and Cord Blood Registry, a leader in cord blood banking, this conference will focus on bringing to light the potential future uses of stem cells for treatment of disease and their impact on medical care. Congresswoman Jackie Speier is scheduled to address the conference as an advocate for banking cord blood. Other scheduled conference speakers are world leaders in their fields of umbilical cord blood stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
"This is THE place to be if you really want to gain an understanding of this issue.
This conference will be the place to ask hard questions as we also explore the progress in regenerative application with cord blood stem cells," explains Jennifer Lahl, Founder and National Director of the CBC.
"If we can fearlessly address some of the questions surrounding the issue of cord blood stem cell research and regenerative medicine, we can put aside many of the stem cell research debates! This area of research is a place where we can all agree." says Lahl.
Cutting edge leaders from around the world in the field of umbilical cord blood stem cell research and regenerative medicine will be at the Sheraton Gateway- San Francisco Airport on May 2nd to promote, inform and educate attendees on up to the minute successes and advances in cord blood research. These key voices will convene to share information that will shape the future direction of progress in cord blood banking and advances in patient treatments.
"Bottom line is we all need to better understand this issue – and do a better job of raising awareness of the progress being made in this field and bank more cord blood", concludes Lahl.
Visit www.cbc-network.org/bankingonlife/speakers.htm to see list of Conference Speakers)
For details on the Banking on Life Conference, call 510.504.5123.
For more information about The Center for Bioethics and Culture click here.
To schedule an interview about the conference, contact Wanda at 209.430.4688 or via email at Wanda@MediaAces.com.
Congresswoman Jackie Speier to Appear at May 2nd Bay Area conference, BANKING ON LIFE
San Francisco, CA – With the Obama administration recently announcing its policy change on the issue of stem cell research & regenerative medicine, the questions surrounding this issue are many. Promising to deliver some answers, perhaps the most comprehensive one-day conference with cutting edge leaders from around the world will take place in the City by the Bay on May 2, 2009.
Hosted by The Center For Bioethics and Culture Network, a noted Bay Area institution, and Cord Blood Registry, a leader in cord blood banking, this conference will focus on bringing to light the potential future uses of stem cells for treatment of disease and their impact on medical care. Congresswoman Jackie Speier is scheduled to address the conference as an advocate for banking cord blood. Other scheduled conference speakers are world leaders in their fields of umbilical cord blood stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
"This is THE place to be if you really want to gain an understanding of this issue.
This conference will be the place to ask hard questions as we also explore the progress in regenerative application with cord blood stem cells," explains Jennifer Lahl, Founder and National Director of the CBC.
"If we can fearlessly address some of the questions surrounding the issue of cord blood stem cell research and regenerative medicine, we can put aside many of the stem cell research debates! This area of research is a place where we can all agree." says Lahl.
Cutting edge leaders from around the world in the field of umbilical cord blood stem cell research and regenerative medicine will be at the Sheraton Gateway- San Francisco Airport on May 2nd to promote, inform and educate attendees on up to the minute successes and advances in cord blood research. These key voices will convene to share information that will shape the future direction of progress in cord blood banking and advances in patient treatments.
"Bottom line is we all need to better understand this issue – and do a better job of raising awareness of the progress being made in this field and bank more cord blood", concludes Lahl.
Visit www.cbc-network.org/bankingonlife/speakers.htm to see list of Conference Speakers)
For details on the Banking on Life Conference, call 510.504.5123.
For more information about The Center for Bioethics and Culture click here.
To schedule an interview about the conference, contact Wanda at 209.430.4688 or via email at Wanda@MediaAces.com.
News & Links List
"Mexican Swine Flu pandemic breaks out on Twitter" broadstuff
"Swine flu: Twitter's power to misinform" Foreign Policy's net.effect
"The Technology Generation Gap at Work is Oh So Wide" ReadWriteWeb
"Silicon Valley's Wired Race for Governor" Fast Company
"No Man Is an Island: The Promise of Cloud Computing" Knowledge@Wharton
"IGN Presents the History of SEGA"
"Gavin Newsom Uses Social Media to Announce Governor Run" Mashable
"An Innovation Conundrum: Entrepreneurs can build future prosperity. But we first need to fix capitalism's systemic cultural problems." by Sramana Mitra
"NY Kickback Scandal Spreading Like A Virus: CalPERS, CalSTRS Involved" PEHub
"58% Say Release of CIA Memos Endangers National Security" Rasmussen Reports
"Obama and the CIA" WSJ
"Re: Not Pro-Torture, Just Pro-Facts" by Cliff May
"Spies Come Out to Criticize Memos' Release" ABCNews
"Will Americans Turn Inward?" by Rich Karlgaard
"Teach for (Some of) America" WSJ
Great op-ed. Talk about education shooting itself in the foot
"The ReEducation of Tim Geithner" Portfolio.com
HatTip to Patrick P.
"Swine flu: Twitter's power to misinform" Foreign Policy's net.effect
"The Technology Generation Gap at Work is Oh So Wide" ReadWriteWeb
"Silicon Valley's Wired Race for Governor" Fast Company
"No Man Is an Island: The Promise of Cloud Computing" Knowledge@Wharton
"IGN Presents the History of SEGA"
"Gavin Newsom Uses Social Media to Announce Governor Run" Mashable
"An Innovation Conundrum: Entrepreneurs can build future prosperity. But we first need to fix capitalism's systemic cultural problems." by Sramana Mitra
"NY Kickback Scandal Spreading Like A Virus: CalPERS, CalSTRS Involved" PEHub
"58% Say Release of CIA Memos Endangers National Security" Rasmussen Reports
"Obama and the CIA" WSJ
"Re: Not Pro-Torture, Just Pro-Facts" by Cliff May
"Spies Come Out to Criticize Memos' Release" ABCNews
"Will Americans Turn Inward?" by Rich Karlgaard
"Teach for (Some of) America" WSJ
Great op-ed. Talk about education shooting itself in the foot
"The ReEducation of Tim Geithner" Portfolio.com
HatTip to Patrick P.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sound of Music @ Central Station Antwerp (Belgium)
Yes, I have a soft spot underneath my snarkiness :)
"More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of 'The Sound of Music'."
"More than 200 dancers were performing their version of "Do Re Mi", in the Central Station of Antwerp. with just 2 rehearsals they created this amazing stunt! Those 4 fantastic minutes started the 23 of march 2009, 08:00 AM. It is a promotion stunt for a Belgian television program, where they are looking for someone to play the leading role, in the musical of 'The Sound of Music'."
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Under The Radar's Cloud Computing Event
I'll be at Dealmaker Media's Under The Radar: Cloud Computing event tomorrow. The one day event seems to have a good line up, so I'm hoping that I can gain some good insights into this overall space and the players involved.
It will be held at Microsoft's office in Mountain View, CA. Great location since it's a local 10 minute drive from home.
Bill Simmons on the Celtics-Bulls Series
I love ESPN's Bill Simmons. He has some of the best lines in sports journalism.
"Celtics-Bulls is one for the ages"
This is a lengthy piece and here are a few great lines:
"3. The Inefficiency
... I wish real life had inadvertent whistles.
• "Whoops, I'm drunk and I just told someone I've hooked up with four times, who has a small kid and a tattoo of poison ivy covering the bottom half of her back, that I loved her. INADVERTENT WHISTLE! Let's do that conversation over."
• "Whoops, I'm the President of the United States and I just made a Special Olympics joke on the "Tonight Show." INADVERTENT WHISTLE! Ask me that question again, Jay."
10. The Agitator
...Joakim Noah: He's like a cross between Bill Laimbeer, Marcus Camby and Lisa Bonet."
"Celtics-Bulls is one for the ages"
This is a lengthy piece and here are a few great lines:
"3. The Inefficiency
... I wish real life had inadvertent whistles.
• "Whoops, I'm drunk and I just told someone I've hooked up with four times, who has a small kid and a tattoo of poison ivy covering the bottom half of her back, that I loved her. INADVERTENT WHISTLE! Let's do that conversation over."
• "Whoops, I'm the President of the United States and I just made a Special Olympics joke on the "Tonight Show." INADVERTENT WHISTLE! Ask me that question again, Jay."
10. The Agitator
...Joakim Noah: He's like a cross between Bill Laimbeer, Marcus Camby and Lisa Bonet."
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
BT Chief Says People Don't Need Fibre To The Home... Please Fire Him
BT (formerly British Telecom) Chief executive Ian Livingstone recently stated that people don't need fiber to the home. I love this quote by Livingstone:
"Of course a Ferrari is faster than a Ford," Livingstone said. "But most people are happy with a Ford."
Genius. What a brilliant, forward-thinking person. Can we say, "Fire now? Save BT!"
While typically a "build it and they will come" strategy doesn't work, when it comes to technology a lot of cool things come about when you just build it. Consider the iPod. Steve Jobs didn't want to listen to the market. He didn't care. He had a vision, executed and told consumers what they would like and it happened. They built it and a fanatical culture was born.
A more relevant example is South Korea. They built out the high-speed Internet infrastructure without specific businesses in mind. From this cesspool of broadband came innovation from online gaming to virtual worlds that leads the world.
So Mr. Livingston, why don't the people of the UK need Fiber to the home?
Anyway, his quote reminded me of some other great quotes in history...
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olson, Founder and President of Digital Equipment, 1977
"This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" - H.M. Warner, 1927
"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'" - Steve Jobs on his and Steve Wozniak's attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in their personal computer
"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." - New York Times editorial on Prof. Goddard's revolutionary rocket work, 1921
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
"640K ought to be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates, 1981
"Of course a Ferrari is faster than a Ford," Livingstone said. "But most people are happy with a Ford."
Genius. What a brilliant, forward-thinking person. Can we say, "Fire now? Save BT!"
While typically a "build it and they will come" strategy doesn't work, when it comes to technology a lot of cool things come about when you just build it. Consider the iPod. Steve Jobs didn't want to listen to the market. He didn't care. He had a vision, executed and told consumers what they would like and it happened. They built it and a fanatical culture was born.
A more relevant example is South Korea. They built out the high-speed Internet infrastructure without specific businesses in mind. From this cesspool of broadband came innovation from online gaming to virtual worlds that leads the world.
So Mr. Livingston, why don't the people of the UK need Fiber to the home?
Anyway, his quote reminded me of some other great quotes in history...
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." - Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM, 1943
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." - Ken Olson, Founder and President of Digital Equipment, 1977
"This telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." - Western Union internal memo, 1876
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" - H.M. Warner, 1927
"So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'" - Steve Jobs on his and Steve Wozniak's attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in their personal computer
"Professor Goddard does not know the relation between action and reaction and the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react. He seems to lack the basic knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." - New York Times editorial on Prof. Goddard's revolutionary rocket work, 1921
"Everything that can be invented has been invented." - Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of U.S. Office of Patents, 1899
"640K ought to be enough for anybody." - Bill Gates, 1981
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
LoopNet Raises $50 Million Through PIPE Deal
Calera Capital led a $50 million investment along with Trinity Ventures and Rustic Canyon Partners into LoopNet. This was a PIPE (Private Investments in Public Equity) Deal that I believe was a good investment since I used LoopNet before and think during this downturn their revenues will increase.
Even on the consumer side, I'm pretty sure you'll see an increase in revenue for online apartment rental sites during this recession.
Even on the consumer side, I'm pretty sure you'll see an increase in revenue for online apartment rental sites during this recession.
Global Financial Losses at $4.1 Trillion Dollars!
Can we all say this with a pinky to our mouths?
"Four point one TRILLION DOLLARS!"
"IMF puts financial losses at $4,100bn" Financial Times
Monday, April 20, 2009
News & Links List
"4 Reasons Apple Should Share the iPhone With Verizon" WIRED's Gadget Lab
And because AT&T service sucks in Silicon Valley, home of Apple. My iPhone gets dropped faster than a hot coal.
"Ashton Kutcher Punks Twitter: A Giant Million Follower PR Stunt" NowPublic
"Oracle to Buy Sun" Sun
"Our Full Analysis of the $7.4B Oracle-Sun Deal" Gigaom
"The Twitter Revolution" WSJ
"Forget the G1, the Android invasion is landing in Asia" VentureBeat
"Venture offers charging system for news sites" Financial Times
"The venture game: What investors want" Fortune Small Business
"Online Ad Growth Comparisons" eMarketer
"New bill may give president ability to shut down Internet" VentureBeat
"The Failure of #amazonfail" by Clay Shirky
"Opinion: Private sector must be partners in national cybersecurity" by Pascal Levensohn
"Scientists warn of rapid -fire media dangers" CNN
Stop Twittering!
"Antarctic ice is growing, not melting away"
"I am just a poor boy though my story's seldom told: How poverty passes from generation to generation is now becoming clearer. The answer lies in the effect of stress on two particular parts of the brain" The Economist
"Gutter Journalism: Angry Mainstream Media Reporters Use Nasty Sexual Slang to Describe Tea Party Protesters (Video)" Gateway Pundit
"One protester's handwritten notes from behind the tea party lines" LATimes Top of the Ticket
"The President Ties His Own Hands on Terror
The point of interrogation is intelligence, not confession." WSJ by Michael Hayden and Michael B. Mukasey
And because AT&T service sucks in Silicon Valley, home of Apple. My iPhone gets dropped faster than a hot coal.
"Ashton Kutcher Punks Twitter: A Giant Million Follower PR Stunt" NowPublic
"Oracle to Buy Sun" Sun
"Our Full Analysis of the $7.4B Oracle-Sun Deal" Gigaom
"The Twitter Revolution" WSJ
"Forget the G1, the Android invasion is landing in Asia" VentureBeat
"Venture offers charging system for news sites" Financial Times
"The venture game: What investors want" Fortune Small Business
"Online Ad Growth Comparisons" eMarketer
"New bill may give president ability to shut down Internet" VentureBeat
"The Failure of #amazonfail" by Clay Shirky
"Opinion: Private sector must be partners in national cybersecurity" by Pascal Levensohn
"Scientists warn of rapid -fire media dangers" CNN
Stop Twittering!
"Antarctic ice is growing, not melting away"
"I am just a poor boy though my story's seldom told: How poverty passes from generation to generation is now becoming clearer. The answer lies in the effect of stress on two particular parts of the brain" The Economist
"Gutter Journalism: Angry Mainstream Media Reporters Use Nasty Sexual Slang to Describe Tea Party Protesters (Video)" Gateway Pundit
"One protester's handwritten notes from behind the tea party lines" LATimes Top of the Ticket
"The President Ties His Own Hands on Terror
The point of interrogation is intelligence, not confession." WSJ by Michael Hayden and Michael B. Mukasey
Friday, April 17, 2009
Rosetta Stone IPO
Details from PitchBook PE:
"Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST) and its stockholders raised $112.5 million in the company's initial public offering of 6.25 million shares priced at $18 per share. The company's investors sold half of the shares raising an estimated $52.3 million net of expenses. ABS Capital Partners sold 2 million of its 7.5 million shares for a total of $36 million, well above the $29 million of equity it originally invested in the company. Norwest Equity Partners sold 1.5 million of its 5 million shares for $27 million. The stock closed the day at $25.12, valuing ABS' reaming stake at around $135 million and Norwest's stake at about $90 million. The two PE firms acquired the company in a management buyout in 2006 for $62 million.
There have been nine other education companies backed by private equity firms that have gone public since 2001, according to the PitchBook Platform. The biggest offering was Apollo Investment Management backed Educate's 2004 IPO for $165 million. The company has since been acquired by Sterling Partners and Citigroup Alternative Investments. The recent cluster of PE-backed education company IPO's (three in the past five months) may show that private equity firms are taking advantage of the counter-cyclical nature of education companies to exit them for a profit during the current recession. The GS Capital Partners and Providence Equity Partners owned Education Management Corporation is no doubt watching Rosetta's and Bridgepoint Education's offerings to gauge how its $500 million IPO might fare."
More from Bloomberg, "Rosetta Stone Jumps in First Day of Trading After IPO"
ZDNet, "Dear Facebook: If Rosetta Stone can go public so can you"
"Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST) and its stockholders raised $112.5 million in the company's initial public offering of 6.25 million shares priced at $18 per share. The company's investors sold half of the shares raising an estimated $52.3 million net of expenses. ABS Capital Partners sold 2 million of its 7.5 million shares for a total of $36 million, well above the $29 million of equity it originally invested in the company. Norwest Equity Partners sold 1.5 million of its 5 million shares for $27 million. The stock closed the day at $25.12, valuing ABS' reaming stake at around $135 million and Norwest's stake at about $90 million. The two PE firms acquired the company in a management buyout in 2006 for $62 million.
There have been nine other education companies backed by private equity firms that have gone public since 2001, according to the PitchBook Platform. The biggest offering was Apollo Investment Management backed Educate's 2004 IPO for $165 million. The company has since been acquired by Sterling Partners and Citigroup Alternative Investments. The recent cluster of PE-backed education company IPO's (three in the past five months) may show that private equity firms are taking advantage of the counter-cyclical nature of education companies to exit them for a profit during the current recession. The GS Capital Partners and Providence Equity Partners owned Education Management Corporation is no doubt watching Rosetta's and Bridgepoint Education's offerings to gauge how its $500 million IPO might fare."
More from Bloomberg, "Rosetta Stone Jumps in First Day of Trading After IPO"
ZDNet, "Dear Facebook: If Rosetta Stone can go public so can you"
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Maureen Dowd is Clueless About Google and Media
Wow. Not only is Maureen Dowd pretty stupid about politics (yes, i'm biased here:), she's very clueless about technology and media. Did you read her op-ed, "Dinosaur at the Gate"?
"... Firms, like Google here and Craigslist in San Francisco, have hijacked journalism, making us feel about as modern as the Tyrannosaurus rex model that sits on the Google campus.
Google is in a battle royal over whether it has the right to profit so profligately from newspaper content at a time when journalism is in such jeopardy..."
How clueless are these statements? I bet Dowd thinks she was clever in delivering this analogy, but it only highlights her misunderstanding of Google's role as an aggregator of news. Did she ever visit Google News? I do everyday. I rarely see a Google ad where Google profits from any newspaper content. Sure there are the AP articles with Google Ads, but what percentage of news links are these? I assume single digits. How much revenue is this for Google? Hardly a dent on the newspaper industry. Most of the news links are outbound to hundreds of media sites. Direct links, Maureen. Do you know what this means? Google makes money for the newspapers and sites that make it on Google News. It actually drives traffic to them. After this step, it's really up to the newspapers to monetize this traffic.
Yeah, Maureen, the sorry state of the newspaper industry is Google's fault as much as the Big Three auto manufacturers' demise was at the hands of the Segway.
"... Firms, like Google here and Craigslist in San Francisco, have hijacked journalism, making us feel about as modern as the Tyrannosaurus rex model that sits on the Google campus.
Google is in a battle royal over whether it has the right to profit so profligately from newspaper content at a time when journalism is in such jeopardy..."
How clueless are these statements? I bet Dowd thinks she was clever in delivering this analogy, but it only highlights her misunderstanding of Google's role as an aggregator of news. Did she ever visit Google News? I do everyday. I rarely see a Google ad where Google profits from any newspaper content. Sure there are the AP articles with Google Ads, but what percentage of news links are these? I assume single digits. How much revenue is this for Google? Hardly a dent on the newspaper industry. Most of the news links are outbound to hundreds of media sites. Direct links, Maureen. Do you know what this means? Google makes money for the newspapers and sites that make it on Google News. It actually drives traffic to them. After this step, it's really up to the newspapers to monetize this traffic.
Yeah, Maureen, the sorry state of the newspaper industry is Google's fault as much as the Big Three auto manufacturers' demise was at the hands of the Segway.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
VeggieTrader? Can Someone Start MeatTrader?
I just came across VeggieTrader, which is a free resource for people to trade, buy, or sell local homegrown produce.
First question I have, why isn't there a MeatTrader?
"One full slab of pork ribs for my lamb shanks?"
"Done. Deal. Hey, do you have any beef tongue?"
Second, how are they going to make money? Start a corn cartel through backyard farmer associations?
"Red & White" Charity Wine Tasting Event, April 18th
Reposting about our upcoming charity wine tasting event! Inviting everyone in the Bay Area to the "Red & White" wine tasting fundraiser on April 18th from 6:00PM - 10:00PM.
Also Christine kicked ass in getting raffle and silent auction prizes. Here is the list:
RAFFLES PRIZES
*$10 for 3 raffle tickets
- 3 month club membership to Monterey Bay Sailing (valued at $550)
- Gift certificate to Talent Mosaic's networking workshop in May (valued at $400)
- Ravenswood Monte Rosso Zinfandel 1994 magnum (valued at $330)
- Private tour and tasting package for up to 30 people at Byington Winery (valued at $300)
- Portrait photoshoot on the beach by AK Rowland Photography (valued at $300)
- Semi-private kiteboarding lesson by NorCalSurfShop.com (valued at $200)
- Private wine tasting for 4 people at Ledson Winery & Vineyards (valued at $100)
- Intro to Sailing for 2 by OCSC Sailing (valued at $80)
- 2005 Chateau Dassault Grand Cru Classic (valued at $70)
- 2004 Ponzi Dolcetto Oregon Pinot Noir
- Gift certificate to dine at Pampas (Palo Alto)
- Gift certificate to dine at Palomino (SF)
- Lunch for 2 at Swan Oyster Depot (SF)
- One hour bay cruise by Monterey Sailing
AUCTION PRIZES
- Casey O'Connell art, critically acclaimed SF based artist (valued at $6,000)
- A case of custom wine labeling of 2006 Merlot, Napa Valley by WineFornia.com (valued at $1020)
- The Crew Course - a full two days of sailing on the Bay by OCSC Sailing (valued at $445)
- Feng Shui consultation by Kali Design (valued at $450)
- Photoshoot session by Annie Tao Photography (valued at $250)
- Digital painting by Gabriela Hernandez Lepe
- Discover Sailing package for 2 by Club Nautique (valued at $270)
WINE OFFERINGS
Audelssa Estate Winery 2000 Carbernet Sauvignon
Banyan Wines 2008 Monterey County Gewürztraminer
Ca' Del Solo, Albarino 2006
Charles Krug Winery 2006 Chardonnay
Chateau St. Jean, Sauvignon Blanc
Cinnabar Vineyards, Mercury Rising Red
Donkey & Goat Winery, Four Thirteen 2007
Dunning Vineyards Estate 2007 Chardonnay
Ravenswood Monte Rosso Zinfandel 1995, 1996
Quady Winery dessert wine selection (2007 Essensia – 100% Orange Muscat, 2007 Elysium – 100%) Black Muscat, 2007 Electra – Orange Muscat, n/v Starboard Batch 88 – Tinta Roriz) - will be paired with Dagoba Organic Chocolate* (Dark, Eclipse, Lavender Blueberry, Super Fruit, Xocolati flavors)
and more wines offered by Michael-David Winery and others.
It's not just any YMCA, it's the Central YMCA that is helping many underprivileged youth and seniors living in the Tenderloin District, which is the poorest area in San Francisco. Especially in these tough economic times, they need your help to keep programs going as many members rely on financial assistance from the Y. Please consider attending the wine tasting fundraiser (tickets can be purchased online here).
For $50 ticket, you will get unlimited tastings from various wineries from Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Cruz Mountains. Also, each attendee will get a $15 gift certificate from Bottlenotes.com.
Even if you cannot attend, consider donating to the Central YMCA by clicking here and please enter "wineevent" in the reference box.
Thanks to your support:
* 250 teens find a healthy, safe refuge with academic support in our youth program here in the Tenderloin, a community struggling with drug use and violence.
* 500 Seniors come into our YMCA and participate in our wide range of programs, including fitness, language, and life skills classes.
* 700 low income individuals from all walks of life gain access to our facility and become socially involved in our YMCA, supported by our Financial Assistance program.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Also Christine kicked ass in getting raffle and silent auction prizes. Here is the list:
RAFFLES PRIZES
*$10 for 3 raffle tickets
- 3 month club membership to Monterey Bay Sailing (valued at $550)
- Gift certificate to Talent Mosaic's networking workshop in May (valued at $400)
- Ravenswood Monte Rosso Zinfandel 1994 magnum (valued at $330)
- Private tour and tasting package for up to 30 people at Byington Winery (valued at $300)
- Portrait photoshoot on the beach by AK Rowland Photography (valued at $300)
- Semi-private kiteboarding lesson by NorCalSurfShop.com (valued at $200)
- Private wine tasting for 4 people at Ledson Winery & Vineyards (valued at $100)
- Intro to Sailing for 2 by OCSC Sailing (valued at $80)
- 2005 Chateau Dassault Grand Cru Classic (valued at $70)
- 2004 Ponzi Dolcetto Oregon Pinot Noir
- Gift certificate to dine at Pampas (Palo Alto)
- Gift certificate to dine at Palomino (SF)
- Lunch for 2 at Swan Oyster Depot (SF)
- One hour bay cruise by Monterey Sailing
AUCTION PRIZES
- Casey O'Connell art, critically acclaimed SF based artist (valued at $6,000)
- A case of custom wine labeling of 2006 Merlot, Napa Valley by WineFornia.com (valued at $1020)
- The Crew Course - a full two days of sailing on the Bay by OCSC Sailing (valued at $445)
- Feng Shui consultation by Kali Design (valued at $450)
- Photoshoot session by Annie Tao Photography (valued at $250)
- Digital painting by Gabriela Hernandez Lepe
- Discover Sailing package for 2 by Club Nautique (valued at $270)
WINE OFFERINGS
Audelssa Estate Winery 2000 Carbernet Sauvignon
Banyan Wines 2008 Monterey County Gewürztraminer
Ca' Del Solo, Albarino 2006
Charles Krug Winery 2006 Chardonnay
Chateau St. Jean, Sauvignon Blanc
Cinnabar Vineyards, Mercury Rising Red
Donkey & Goat Winery, Four Thirteen 2007
Dunning Vineyards Estate 2007 Chardonnay
Ravenswood Monte Rosso Zinfandel 1995, 1996
Quady Winery dessert wine selection (2007 Essensia – 100% Orange Muscat, 2007 Elysium – 100%) Black Muscat, 2007 Electra – Orange Muscat, n/v Starboard Batch 88 – Tinta Roriz) - will be paired with Dagoba Organic Chocolate* (Dark, Eclipse, Lavender Blueberry, Super Fruit, Xocolati flavors)
and more wines offered by Michael-David Winery and others.
It's not just any YMCA, it's the Central YMCA that is helping many underprivileged youth and seniors living in the Tenderloin District, which is the poorest area in San Francisco. Especially in these tough economic times, they need your help to keep programs going as many members rely on financial assistance from the Y. Please consider attending the wine tasting fundraiser (tickets can be purchased online here).
For $50 ticket, you will get unlimited tastings from various wineries from Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Cruz Mountains. Also, each attendee will get a $15 gift certificate from Bottlenotes.com.
Even if you cannot attend, consider donating to the Central YMCA by clicking here and please enter "wineevent" in the reference box.
Thanks to your support:
* 250 teens find a healthy, safe refuge with academic support in our youth program here in the Tenderloin, a community struggling with drug use and violence.
* 500 Seniors come into our YMCA and participate in our wide range of programs, including fitness, language, and life skills classes.
* 700 low income individuals from all walks of life gain access to our facility and become socially involved in our YMCA, supported by our Financial Assistance program.
Look forward to seeing you there!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
2009: Entrepreneurship is IN, Corporate is OUT
Many conversations I've had over the past few months centered around an expected increase in new businesses and technology startups. Whether a new fast casual restaurant, a new online social sofware company, or whatever else, these vast cuts across corporate America will create new ventures. Thousands from Yahoo!, Lehman, HP, and others will look at another corporate position, but hundreds will seek to become entrepreneurs.
Initially, some people might think the opposite trend since being risky during a downturn seems crazy. Less disposable income, decreased corporate spending and the tightening of investors' wallets. But downturns produce excellent entrepreneurs since the stakes are higher, expenditures are carefully watched and the immense pressure can lead to thoughtful planning and a flood of creativity.
If you have a great idea, started to plan it out, and have the necessary resources to get your venture going, I say DO IT! Don't wait too long, but also know when to fold.
Here are some recent articles I've come across related to this topic:
"New Economy Means New Entrepreneurs" TheStreet.com
"Launching a New Venture
With the current economic storm raging, can a better understanding of business models make for smoother sailing for today's entrepreneur? What strategies can entrepreneurs adopt to help them weather this storm? John Mullins has researched entrepreneurial ventures and offers some valuable insights" London Business School
"The Art of Raising Venture Capital" by Guy Kawasaki
"Chickens Vs Butterflies: Raising Venture Capital in a Down Economy"
"Cover the basics before you raise capital" BeyondVC
"The United States of Entrepreneurs" The Economist
Initially, some people might think the opposite trend since being risky during a downturn seems crazy. Less disposable income, decreased corporate spending and the tightening of investors' wallets. But downturns produce excellent entrepreneurs since the stakes are higher, expenditures are carefully watched and the immense pressure can lead to thoughtful planning and a flood of creativity.
If you have a great idea, started to plan it out, and have the necessary resources to get your venture going, I say DO IT! Don't wait too long, but also know when to fold.
Here are some recent articles I've come across related to this topic:
"New Economy Means New Entrepreneurs" TheStreet.com
"Launching a New Venture
With the current economic storm raging, can a better understanding of business models make for smoother sailing for today's entrepreneur? What strategies can entrepreneurs adopt to help them weather this storm? John Mullins has researched entrepreneurial ventures and offers some valuable insights" London Business School
"The Art of Raising Venture Capital" by Guy Kawasaki
"Chickens Vs Butterflies: Raising Venture Capital in a Down Economy"
"Cover the basics before you raise capital" BeyondVC
"The United States of Entrepreneurs" The Economist
Comments Down
My blog doesn't get many comments, but my comments are down. Trying to fix my Haloscan/JS Kit comment system that's integrated with Blogger. I think someone at Blogger doesn't like it that I use an outside comment platform :)
Monday, April 13, 2009
News & Links List
"DiggBar is a Howl of Desperation" by Ted Dziuba
"Twitter Traffic Explodes...And Not Being Driven by the Usual Suspects!" comScore blog
"Moldova: Romania to blame for Twitter riots" CNN
"Elevator Pitch Friday: Smallaa Lets You Sort Your Activity Stream By Topic (Invites)" TechCrunch
"Entrepreneurial Communities" by Brad Feld
"Spam overwhelms e-mail messages" BBC
"Do Study Sites Make the Grade?" WSJ
"Empire State Building's $20 Million Green Makeover" Fast Company
"Oil co. Terralliance runs out of cash — should have reconsidered the Russian jets" VentureBeat
"Destroy the Internet with a hacksaw?" BitGravity Blog
"Pete Waterman: 'I was exploited by Google'" Telegraph
"Union Position Undermines Detroit" Forbes
"For Obama, politics may be hard to avoid in auto bailout" LATimes
Nah, really?
"Israel Cries Wolf" NYTimes
Please remember there really was a wolf.
"Government opts for secrecy in wiretap suit" SF Chronicle
Ah, when you're behind the veil with full information, the world looks different.
"Keith Olbermann's scathing criticism of Obama's secrecy/immunity claims" Salon
"Rove Calls Biden 'Liar' After VP Boasts of Scolding Bush" Fox News
"Lessons From the Recovery of 2001" by Peggy Noonan
"Obama's Recovery Is Not Your Recovery" by Rich Karlgaard
"Nice-guy image buys Obama only so much goodwill" Financial Times
"Tony Blair tells the Pope: you're wrong on homosexuality"
"When A Woman's Right To Choose Results In Fewer Women" Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
"Building a Reputation" by Andrea Emerson@InsideWork
"Twitter Traffic Explodes...And Not Being Driven by the Usual Suspects!" comScore blog
"Moldova: Romania to blame for Twitter riots" CNN
"Elevator Pitch Friday: Smallaa Lets You Sort Your Activity Stream By Topic (Invites)" TechCrunch
"Entrepreneurial Communities" by Brad Feld
"Spam overwhelms e-mail messages" BBC
"Do Study Sites Make the Grade?" WSJ
"Empire State Building's $20 Million Green Makeover" Fast Company
"Oil co. Terralliance runs out of cash — should have reconsidered the Russian jets" VentureBeat
"Destroy the Internet with a hacksaw?" BitGravity Blog
"Pete Waterman: 'I was exploited by Google'" Telegraph
"Union Position Undermines Detroit" Forbes
"For Obama, politics may be hard to avoid in auto bailout" LATimes
Nah, really?
"Israel Cries Wolf" NYTimes
Please remember there really was a wolf.
"Government opts for secrecy in wiretap suit" SF Chronicle
Ah, when you're behind the veil with full information, the world looks different.
"Keith Olbermann's scathing criticism of Obama's secrecy/immunity claims" Salon
"Rove Calls Biden 'Liar' After VP Boasts of Scolding Bush" Fox News
"Lessons From the Recovery of 2001" by Peggy Noonan
"Obama's Recovery Is Not Your Recovery" by Rich Karlgaard
"Nice-guy image buys Obama only so much goodwill" Financial Times
"Tony Blair tells the Pope: you're wrong on homosexuality"
"When A Woman's Right To Choose Results In Fewer Women" Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
"Building a Reputation" by Andrea Emerson@InsideWork
Friday, April 10, 2009
Boston Councilor Sam Yoon on Betty Brown’s Remarks
More on state Rep. Betty Brown's remarks from Boston City Councilor-at-Large and first Asian American to hold elected office in Boston, Sam Yoon:
“It is insulting and simply wrong to suggest that Asians should deny their heritage in order to participate in the electoral process. Asian Americans have a proud and diverse ethnic heritage that prominently includes our language and our names. I join John Liu’s call for a full apology for the insensitive remarks of Representative Betty Brown.
As this incident in Texas shows, there are many obstacles in the way of racial tolerance. I’ve been fighting a battle in Massachusetts to ensure voting rights for Chinese Americans who are denied a fully transliterated ballot. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before Asian American citizens in this country are treated equally.”
“It is insulting and simply wrong to suggest that Asians should deny their heritage in order to participate in the electoral process. Asian Americans have a proud and diverse ethnic heritage that prominently includes our language and our names. I join John Liu’s call for a full apology for the insensitive remarks of Representative Betty Brown.
As this incident in Texas shows, there are many obstacles in the way of racial tolerance. I’ve been fighting a battle in Massachusetts to ensure voting rights for Chinese Americans who are denied a fully transliterated ballot. Unfortunately, we have a long way to go before Asian American citizens in this country are treated equally.”
Ignorant Betty Brown Suggests Asian Voters Get Easier Names to "Deal With"
HatTip to Joyce. Texas State Rep. Betty Brown is incredibly ignorant and probably pretty dumb too. Practically speaking, Polish, Swedish and Norwegian are much more difficult to read and spell out than Chinese names.
texas rep. suggests asian voters get easier names to "deal with" Angry Asian Man
texas rep. suggests asian voters get easier names to "deal with" Angry Asian Man
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Clueless Tim Geithner Says Venture Capital Is A Systemic Risk
The Wall Street Street came out with this op-ed that had me scratching my head:
Is Silicon Valley a Systemic Risk?
Treasury decides to treat venture capitalists like hedge funds.
... The confusion began when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently told Congress that large venture capital (VC) firms should be forced to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and submit regular reports on their investors and portfolios. Data collected by the SEC would then be shared with a new risk regulator to ensure that VCs aren't "a threat to financial stability."
Since then, venture investors have been trying to solve the mystery of how they could possibly threaten the financial system. Their work involves very little banking. Venture firms raise equity from wealthy investors to buy ownership stakes in small companies. The VCs and the companies in which they invest use little or no debt.
"I cannot imagine any venture fund being of a size to pose 'systemic risk,' so they either don't understand the nature of the business, or by including this provision they are sharing that their agenda is not the overt one disclosed," says Jack Biddle of Novak Biddle Venture Partners. What Washington needs to understand is that bank-style regulation could destroy the culture that created the microprocessor... (full article)
I'm sure Geithner is a smart man, but I agree with Jack Biddle above that he probably doesn't understand the nature of the business. Many smart people I met don't know the difference between venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and other types of investment funds. It can get confusing, but Geithner is our Treasury Secretary! Either he doesn't get it and needs a "Venture Capital 101" class along with "Our Nation's Greatest Wealth and Job Creation Engine 101", or his staff must be really stupid or overworked and provided very poor research to him.
Is Silicon Valley a Systemic Risk?
Treasury decides to treat venture capitalists like hedge funds.
... The confusion began when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently told Congress that large venture capital (VC) firms should be forced to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and submit regular reports on their investors and portfolios. Data collected by the SEC would then be shared with a new risk regulator to ensure that VCs aren't "a threat to financial stability."
Since then, venture investors have been trying to solve the mystery of how they could possibly threaten the financial system. Their work involves very little banking. Venture firms raise equity from wealthy investors to buy ownership stakes in small companies. The VCs and the companies in which they invest use little or no debt.
"I cannot imagine any venture fund being of a size to pose 'systemic risk,' so they either don't understand the nature of the business, or by including this provision they are sharing that their agenda is not the overt one disclosed," says Jack Biddle of Novak Biddle Venture Partners. What Washington needs to understand is that bank-style regulation could destroy the culture that created the microprocessor... (full article)
I'm sure Geithner is a smart man, but I agree with Jack Biddle above that he probably doesn't understand the nature of the business. Many smart people I met don't know the difference between venture capital, private equity, hedge funds, and other types of investment funds. It can get confusing, but Geithner is our Treasury Secretary! Either he doesn't get it and needs a "Venture Capital 101" class along with "Our Nation's Greatest Wealth and Job Creation Engine 101", or his staff must be really stupid or overworked and provided very poor research to him.
Clueless Old Media... AP Needs to Go to School
This seems like it's out of a Will Ferrell movie. The Associated Press' executive team must be a bunch of Ron Burgundys. Just read the first few links and you'll get the picture. You can't get dumber than these rocks.
"Behind The A.P.’s Plan To Become The Web’s News Cop" TechCrunch
"A.P. Exec Doesn’t Know It Has A YouTube Channel: Threatens Affiliate For Embedding Videos" TechCrunch
"1. Solve journalism’s data problem. 2. Kill the AP. 3. Invest in the next market." BuzzMachine
"Does AP know how its YouTube channel works?" CNET
"Techmeme founder: WSJ, NYT are aggregators" CNET
"Online news aggregators – friend or foe?" Hitwise Intelligence
"Behind The A.P.’s Plan To Become The Web’s News Cop" TechCrunch
"A.P. Exec Doesn’t Know It Has A YouTube Channel: Threatens Affiliate For Embedding Videos" TechCrunch
"1. Solve journalism’s data problem. 2. Kill the AP. 3. Invest in the next market." BuzzMachine
"Does AP know how its YouTube channel works?" CNET
"Techmeme founder: WSJ, NYT are aggregators" CNET
"Online news aggregators – friend or foe?" Hitwise Intelligence
Colorado Springs, Kissing Camels, NORAD
Yes, I'm surfacing after being in Colorado Springs, CO for a few days at a board meeting. Thought I would share some random pictures with you...
Glen Eyrie Castle and Conference Center, which is located on the grounds of Navigators HQ.
Kissing Camel rock formation.
Cheyenne Mountain in the distance where NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) is located. You can't see it in the picture, but there are antennas sticking out of Cheyenne Mountain. During the Cold War, if events escalated this would have been a primary target.
Glen Eyrie Castle and Conference Center, which is located on the grounds of Navigators HQ.
Kissing Camel rock formation.
Cheyenne Mountain in the distance where NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) is located. You can't see it in the picture, but there are antennas sticking out of Cheyenne Mountain. During the Cold War, if events escalated this would have been a primary target.
Monday, April 6, 2009
DocVerse Launches Collaboration Plug-in for MS Office
DocVerse is a pretty cool product I came across a couple weeks ago. It was written up in GigaOm here, so obviously I don't read everything out there :)
It allows to you collaborate online with MS Office software. The initial focus is on PowerPoint which is an obvious starting point and something that was needed. Especially as travel budgets get cut, online collaboration will become more commonplace and PowerPoint is a good market to target. It's in private beta, but you can download their plug-in here.
It allows to you collaborate online with MS Office software. The initial focus is on PowerPoint which is an obvious starting point and something that was needed. Especially as travel budgets get cut, online collaboration will become more commonplace and PowerPoint is a good market to target. It's in private beta, but you can download their plug-in here.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
News & Links List
"So Now Everything Is Google’s Fault" by Michael Arrington
"15 Roles Every Startup Needs Filled" by Micah Elliot
Decent list and not really every startup, but every consumer Internet startup.
"Rumor: Zynga making more than $50 million on virtual goods" VentureBeat
"Jacek Utko: Can design save the newspaper?" TEDTalk
Jacek Utko is an extraordinary Polish newspaper designer whose redesigns for papers in Eastern Europe not only win awards, but increase circulation by up to 100%. Can good design save the newspaper? It just might.
"Giving Capitalism Its Due
The head of the Kauffman Foundation on the importance of entrepreneurship."
"Obama Wants to Control the Banks" by Stuart Varney
"Obama's Attack Machine" WSJ
"Bigmouth Tweets Again : Kos Says Conservatives Like To Shoot Cops" The Huffington Post
"The Untold Story: Radical Obama Also Rescinds Executive Order for Alternatives to ESCR" by Welsey Smith
"Science's Stem-pede Part 1 : Utility vs. Moral Reality" by Evan Rosa
"The Cultural Reject: How new leaders destroy performance and careers" InsideWork
"15 Roles Every Startup Needs Filled" by Micah Elliot
Decent list and not really every startup, but every consumer Internet startup.
"Rumor: Zynga making more than $50 million on virtual goods" VentureBeat
"Jacek Utko: Can design save the newspaper?" TEDTalk
Jacek Utko is an extraordinary Polish newspaper designer whose redesigns for papers in Eastern Europe not only win awards, but increase circulation by up to 100%. Can good design save the newspaper? It just might.
"Giving Capitalism Its Due
The head of the Kauffman Foundation on the importance of entrepreneurship."
"Obama Wants to Control the Banks" by Stuart Varney
"Obama's Attack Machine" WSJ
"Bigmouth Tweets Again : Kos Says Conservatives Like To Shoot Cops" The Huffington Post
"The Untold Story: Radical Obama Also Rescinds Executive Order for Alternatives to ESCR" by Welsey Smith
"Science's Stem-pede Part 1 : Utility vs. Moral Reality" by Evan Rosa
"The Cultural Reject: How new leaders destroy performance and careers" InsideWork
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Road Rage Against Traffic Cameras
Hilarious article. Road rage against all these traffic cameras.
Get the Feeling You're Being Watched? If You're Driving, You Just Might Be
Cameras to Catch Speeders and Scofflaws Are Spreading -- And Sparking Road Rage
Again the U.S. is years behind Asia/Korea in terms of technology and its adoption. I'm uncertain to the exact date, but traffic cameras were implement in Korea during the late 90's. Back in 2000, when I lived in Seoul the big backlash against these traffic cameras were photos taken of traffic violators which were mailed to their homes. Some spouses would open up the envelopes to find a photo of their husbands driving some young, unknown woman in their cars. This was the typical scenario. In response, the government agency starting to blackout the passenger side of the snapshot.
Anyway, amusing video tipped to me by Shawn C...
Get the Feeling You're Being Watched? If You're Driving, You Just Might Be
Cameras to Catch Speeders and Scofflaws Are Spreading -- And Sparking Road Rage
Again the U.S. is years behind Asia/Korea in terms of technology and its adoption. I'm uncertain to the exact date, but traffic cameras were implement in Korea during the late 90's. Back in 2000, when I lived in Seoul the big backlash against these traffic cameras were photos taken of traffic violators which were mailed to their homes. Some spouses would open up the envelopes to find a photo of their husbands driving some young, unknown woman in their cars. This was the typical scenario. In response, the government agency starting to blackout the passenger side of the snapshot.
Anyway, amusing video tipped to me by Shawn C...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
News & Links List
"Facebook Sure Does Have Trouble Keeping Execs" TechCrunch
"Is Twitter Turning Into MySpace?" by Mrinal Desai
"Why hiring is paradoxically harder in a downturn" by Auren Hoffman
"Microsoft makes an ad for people who were going to buy a PC anyway" VentureBeat
"How Microsoft put Apple owners on the defensive" Fortune
"Hunch!" by Caterina Fake
"Does Hunch Have All The Answers? We Take Flickr Founder’s New Startup For A Spin" TechCrunch
"Google Ventures Invests in Silver Spring's Smart Grid Technology" Fast Company
"The Internet Industry Is on a Cloud -- Whatever That May Mean" WSJ
"Obamanomics Isn't About Big Government" WSJ by Robert Reich
"Europe Syndrome" WSJ by Charles Murray
"A Biblical Political Move" by Kathleen Parker
"Funniest Keith Olbermann Thing You'll Read Today" NRO
"New Revelations In Case of Olbermann v. Twitter" RedState
"The Quiet Coupe" The Atlantic
"Is Twitter Turning Into MySpace?" by Mrinal Desai
"Why hiring is paradoxically harder in a downturn" by Auren Hoffman
"Microsoft makes an ad for people who were going to buy a PC anyway" VentureBeat
"How Microsoft put Apple owners on the defensive" Fortune
"Hunch!" by Caterina Fake
"Does Hunch Have All The Answers? We Take Flickr Founder’s New Startup For A Spin" TechCrunch
"Google Ventures Invests in Silver Spring's Smart Grid Technology" Fast Company
"The Internet Industry Is on a Cloud -- Whatever That May Mean" WSJ
"Obamanomics Isn't About Big Government" WSJ by Robert Reich
"Europe Syndrome" WSJ by Charles Murray
"A Biblical Political Move" by Kathleen Parker
"Funniest Keith Olbermann Thing You'll Read Today" NRO
"New Revelations In Case of Olbermann v. Twitter" RedState
"The Quiet Coupe" The Atlantic
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