Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
News & Links List
"Bing! Microsoft Prepares For War With A Revamped Search Engine (Screenshots)" TechCrunch
"Google Wave: What Might Email Look Like If It Were Invented Today?" by Tim O'Reilly
"Google Wave Drips With Ambition. A New Communication Platform For A New Web." TechCrunch
"Google Expects 18 Android Phones This Year: All the Flavors Explained" Gizmodo
"D7 Video: Twitter’s Biz Stone and Evan Williams" WSJ
"The Sultan and the Archbishop" by Michael Gerson
"Aid Ironies" The Huffington Post, Jeffrey Sachs
"Aid Ironies: A Response to Jeffrey Sachs" by Dambisa Moyo
"Is Your Home A Good Investment?
As assets, homes provide only modest annual returns in the long run." WSJ
"Google Wave: What Might Email Look Like If It Were Invented Today?" by Tim O'Reilly
"Google Wave Drips With Ambition. A New Communication Platform For A New Web." TechCrunch
"Google Expects 18 Android Phones This Year: All the Flavors Explained" Gizmodo
"D7 Video: Twitter’s Biz Stone and Evan Williams" WSJ
"The Sultan and the Archbishop" by Michael Gerson
"Aid Ironies" The Huffington Post, Jeffrey Sachs
"Aid Ironies: A Response to Jeffrey Sachs" by Dambisa Moyo
"Is Your Home A Good Investment?
As assets, homes provide only modest annual returns in the long run." WSJ
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Stop Twitter Spam!
I came across Sean Percival's post on "Twitter Spam":
"Twitter Spam is getting worse and worse these days. If you use Twitter like I do, and follow everyone who follows you, then you’ve probably seen a lot of crap like the above tweet... Twitter would probably acquire any company who could help them better filter spam."
This is something I highlighted in my op-ed last May in Mashable when I predicted that Twitter would go mainstream:
"When (and if) this happens, the downside will be revealed. Spamming is already present on these micro-blogging platforms, but just wait until they hit the mainstream. By the time I left Korea in 2004, a quarter of my SMS was spam, and I blamed those online SMS broadcasting services. Let’s watch what happens in the U.S. over the next few years."
Just eyeballing my Twitter stream I would say it hasn't reached the annoying levels I experienced with SMS in Korea, but Twitter penetration isn't even close to South Korea's 90%+ wireless penetration rate and its high SMS usage so the total volume and Twitter usage rate probably isn't attractive to the overall spamming market. Maybe I see 2% or less of my incoming Tweets as spam, whether hard or soft spam (hard or soft sell)? Also I probably come across a similar percentage of spam profiles, which I frequently block to help cleanse the Twitter ecosystem of these toxins.
The uptake of spam in Twitter can potentially be more rapid than SMS networks since Twitter is naturally a broadcast system and where you can accumulate contacts rapidly beyond your circle of close friends. To blast a broadcast-like message through SMS, you have to tediously enter each contact or use a third-party application.
Let's watch to see how Twitter or the Twitter ecosystem deals with the spam problem as it become more ubiquitous.
"Twitter Spam is getting worse and worse these days. If you use Twitter like I do, and follow everyone who follows you, then you’ve probably seen a lot of crap like the above tweet... Twitter would probably acquire any company who could help them better filter spam."
This is something I highlighted in my op-ed last May in Mashable when I predicted that Twitter would go mainstream:
"When (and if) this happens, the downside will be revealed. Spamming is already present on these micro-blogging platforms, but just wait until they hit the mainstream. By the time I left Korea in 2004, a quarter of my SMS was spam, and I blamed those online SMS broadcasting services. Let’s watch what happens in the U.S. over the next few years."
Just eyeballing my Twitter stream I would say it hasn't reached the annoying levels I experienced with SMS in Korea, but Twitter penetration isn't even close to South Korea's 90%+ wireless penetration rate and its high SMS usage so the total volume and Twitter usage rate probably isn't attractive to the overall spamming market. Maybe I see 2% or less of my incoming Tweets as spam, whether hard or soft spam (hard or soft sell)? Also I probably come across a similar percentage of spam profiles, which I frequently block to help cleanse the Twitter ecosystem of these toxins.
The uptake of spam in Twitter can potentially be more rapid than SMS networks since Twitter is naturally a broadcast system and where you can accumulate contacts rapidly beyond your circle of close friends. To blast a broadcast-like message through SMS, you have to tediously enter each contact or use a third-party application.
Let's watch to see how Twitter or the Twitter ecosystem deals with the spam problem as it become more ubiquitous.
Facebook Stop Running Egg Donation Ads!
The Center on Bioethics & Culture's campaign against egg donation ads on Facebook:
"It has come to our attention that Young Women on Facebook are being targeted with ads asking them to "donate" their eggs. Egg "donation" has less to do with donation and sadly more to do with exploitation of women's body. While offering large sums of money, young women are enticed to sell their eggs. Currently in the U.S. there is absolutely no monitoring, tracking or follow-up of young egg donors. And it is a fact that egg donation carries risks! Short terms risks of infection, stroke, bleeding, and myriad symptoms related to Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. Even, in rare instances - death. Longer term risks of cancers are documented in the medical literature as well as negative effects on future fertility."
Join the Facebook group here!
One story on this medical scam, "Woman X: My Story as an Egg Donor" by Woman X
"It has come to our attention that Young Women on Facebook are being targeted with ads asking them to "donate" their eggs. Egg "donation" has less to do with donation and sadly more to do with exploitation of women's body. While offering large sums of money, young women are enticed to sell their eggs. Currently in the U.S. there is absolutely no monitoring, tracking or follow-up of young egg donors. And it is a fact that egg donation carries risks! Short terms risks of infection, stroke, bleeding, and myriad symptoms related to Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome. Even, in rare instances - death. Longer term risks of cancers are documented in the medical literature as well as negative effects on future fertility."
Join the Facebook group here!
One story on this medical scam, "Woman X: My Story as an Egg Donor" by Woman X
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
CHANGETHIS True Team Building: More Than a Recreational Retreat
Presentation by Kevin Eikenberry. Discusses his CARB Model (Commitment, Alignment, Relationships, Behaviors) of team building.
News & Links List
"Facebook Accepts $200 Million Investment From Digital Sky Technologies" All Facebook
"Facebook Takes That $200 Million Investment From The Russians At A $10 Billion Valuation." TechCrunch
"Zune HD Is Real, Has Multitouch Web Browsing, OLED Screen and HD Video" Gizmodo
"Microsoft Announces Zune HD with 3.3" OLED Screen, HD Radio" DailyTech
"When Social Networking Is Not Working
Some clear-eyed perspective on Web 2.0 tools, care of 28 small-business owners." Forbes
"Twitter as a weapon" Politico
"Will Obama Be Good for Business?" BNET
Amusing that most of the commenters are not happy campers.
"Obama gets schooled on terror: Cheney bests him in speech duel — by sticking to the facts" by Michael Goodwin
"We Have A Chinese Problem, Not A North Korean One" Forbes, Gordan Chang
"Former Interrogator Rebukes Cheney For Torture Speech (VIDEO)" The Huffington Post
"Suze Orman Sued For Fraud" Forbes
"America's poor are its most generous givers" McClatchy
"Facebook Takes That $200 Million Investment From The Russians At A $10 Billion Valuation." TechCrunch
"Zune HD Is Real, Has Multitouch Web Browsing, OLED Screen and HD Video" Gizmodo
"Microsoft Announces Zune HD with 3.3" OLED Screen, HD Radio" DailyTech
"When Social Networking Is Not Working
Some clear-eyed perspective on Web 2.0 tools, care of 28 small-business owners." Forbes
"Twitter as a weapon" Politico
"Will Obama Be Good for Business?" BNET
Amusing that most of the commenters are not happy campers.
"Obama gets schooled on terror: Cheney bests him in speech duel — by sticking to the facts" by Michael Goodwin
"We Have A Chinese Problem, Not A North Korean One" Forbes, Gordan Chang
"Former Interrogator Rebukes Cheney For Torture Speech (VIDEO)" The Huffington Post
"Suze Orman Sued For Fraud" Forbes
"America's poor are its most generous givers" McClatchy
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Innovation Business Models
Good presentation on innovation that I came across on Slideshare:
Innovation Business Models
View more Microsoft Word documents from Tim Kastelle.
Tweets by Time of Day & Day of Week
More navel gazing whether yours or mine... Steve Broback, 140 | The Twitter Conference organizer, promoted some random developer's Twitter project during the second session. If you plug in your Twitter account here or someone else's, you can see when he/she tweets during the time of day and days of the week. The panelists were joking that you can see users' sleep patterns too. Here's mine:
@ 140 The Twitter Conference
I'm at 140 | The Twitter Conference over the next couple days. It's held at Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, which is less than 10 minutes from home and right next to Google, where Christine works. The schedule is here and a snapshot here:
Keynote: The Business Value of Twitter
Alex Payne
In his keynote, Alex Payne will provide several real-world examples of how the Twitter API is delivering results for organizations large and small.
Best Practices Panel: I am a Twitter God(dess) and So Can You
Panelists: iJustine, Tara Hunt, Dave Peck Moderator: Steve Broback
Our panel of experts will discuss what strategies, tactics, and tools ahve taken them to the top of the twitosphere.
What Makes a Great Twitter App?
Panelists: Loren Brichter, Britt Selvitelle, Dom Sagolla, Moderator: Sudha Jamthe
This panel of successful developers will talk about the design and functionality choices they made
Keynote: The Business Value of Twitter
Alex Payne
In his keynote, Alex Payne will provide several real-world examples of how the Twitter API is delivering results for organizations large and small.
Best Practices Panel: I am a Twitter God(dess) and So Can You
Panelists: iJustine, Tara Hunt, Dave Peck Moderator: Steve Broback
Our panel of experts will discuss what strategies, tactics, and tools ahve taken them to the top of the twitosphere.
What Makes a Great Twitter App?
Panelists: Loren Brichter, Britt Selvitelle, Dom Sagolla, Moderator: Sudha Jamthe
This panel of successful developers will talk about the design and functionality choices they made
News & Links List
"300 Things I’d Like To See From Twitter Before A TV Show" by Michael Arrington
"Ning: The future of online social networking?" CNN
"Gulags, Nukes and a Water Slide: Citizen Spies Lift North Korea's Veil" WSJ
'With sleuthing and satellite images captured by Google Earth, a dozen or so citizen snoops are filling in the blanks on secretive North Korea's map.'
"Flip-Flops and Governance
Our president isn't quite as advertised." by Karl Rove
"Is Obama Another Jimmy Carter?" Forbes, Bahukutumbi Raman
"Will The Left Apologize To Bolton?" Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
"Update: John Bolton Still Crazy" The Huffington Post, Allison Kilkenny
Allison Kilkenny = genius, NOT!
"Cheney Lost to Bush" NYTimes, David Brooks
"Obama in Bush Clothing" By Charles Krauthammer
"A Crown of Thorns for Miss California?" By Michael Kinsley
"Chinese investors to buy into Cavs" ESPN
"Ning: The future of online social networking?" CNN
"Gulags, Nukes and a Water Slide: Citizen Spies Lift North Korea's Veil" WSJ
'With sleuthing and satellite images captured by Google Earth, a dozen or so citizen snoops are filling in the blanks on secretive North Korea's map.'
"Flip-Flops and Governance
Our president isn't quite as advertised." by Karl Rove
"Is Obama Another Jimmy Carter?" Forbes, Bahukutumbi Raman
"Will The Left Apologize To Bolton?" Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
"Update: John Bolton Still Crazy" The Huffington Post, Allison Kilkenny
Allison Kilkenny = genius, NOT!
"Cheney Lost to Bush" NYTimes, David Brooks
"Obama in Bush Clothing" By Charles Krauthammer
"A Crown of Thorns for Miss California?" By Michael Kinsley
"Chinese investors to buy into Cavs" ESPN
Friday, May 22, 2009
TEDTalk: Pattie Maes Demos the Sixth Sense
This is a very cool demo from this year's TED. Think mobile surface computing with features integrated into your environment. Very cool.
Pattie Maes Demos the Sixth Sense
This demo -- from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some.
Pattie Maes Demos the Sixth Sense
This demo -- from Pattie Maes' lab at MIT, spearheaded by Pranav Mistry -- was the buzz of TED. It's a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
OpenTable's IPO Kicks Ass
OpenTable opened with a bang. It was priced at $20 per share and was at $31.89 as the NASDAQ closed. It's uncertain whether this is a one-time wonder for tech IPOs or a crack in the door.
It looks like Benchmark Capital came out well with 13.29x return on their investment. peHUB has more details on how the other investors fared, "Why it DOESN’T Suck to Be a VC".
More coverage from VentureBeat, "OpenTable wins big with hearty IPO".
It looks like Benchmark Capital came out well with 13.29x return on their investment. peHUB has more details on how the other investors fared, "Why it DOESN’T Suck to Be a VC".
More coverage from VentureBeat, "OpenTable wins big with hearty IPO".
Sample Business Plans for Entrepreneurs
Just sharing these old business plans from the three startups I co-founded. You can click on the top link to go to the Scribd page for each document and download PDF or MSWord versions too.
GoingOn Networks Business Plan 2006
Business plan from my third startup, GoingOn Networks, which is a social media platform for companies & organizations. BusinessWeek recognized GoingOn Networks in their "Best of the Web: Social Networking Tools" list for 2007.
HeyAnita Korea Business Plan 2000
Business plan from my second startup, HeyAnita Korea, which was a voice portal and technology platform. We secured $14.5 million in venture capital that led this company to profitability.
ViewPlus Business Plan 1999
Business plan from my first startup, ViewPlus, which was a video-on-demand company. ViewPlus was admitted into Garage.com's "Heaven" (investor & entrepreneur matching service during the 90s), where less than 2% of companies were accepted. We raised $600,000 in angel funding and $33 million from institutional investors.
GoingOn Networks Business Plan 2006
Business plan from my third startup, GoingOn Networks, which is a social media platform for companies & organizations. BusinessWeek recognized GoingOn Networks in their "Best of the Web: Social Networking Tools" list for 2007.
HeyAnita Korea Business Plan 2000
Business plan from my second startup, HeyAnita Korea, which was a voice portal and technology platform. We secured $14.5 million in venture capital that led this company to profitability.
ViewPlus Business Plan 1999
Business plan from my first startup, ViewPlus, which was a video-on-demand company. ViewPlus was admitted into Garage.com's "Heaven" (investor & entrepreneur matching service during the 90s), where less than 2% of companies were accepted. We raised $600,000 in angel funding and $33 million from institutional investors.
Scribd, Docstoc, Slideshare... Online Document Sharing
I finally put up some documents on Scribd, Docstoc, and Slideshare. I've been taking embeds from other documents on these sites, but never contributed to them.
Since I get various requests for sample business plans and investor presentations, I decided to put up some old documents so that other entrepreneurs can use them as a template or just to gain some ideas as they create their own.
As for my thoughts on each of these services...
Scribd
I give them a thumbs up. They had the most features and best controls. For example, I liked that you could decide whether people could download the original word doc, a PDF version, or both. The vast majority of their site are word documents, manuscripts and the like. Books, catalogs, legal documents, resumes, sheet music, etc. They truly are a document repository for everyone's fancy.
Docstoc
I give them a thumbs down. They position themselves as a place for professional documents with a good mix of word docs and slides. What I didn't like was that there weren't any controls for blocking downloads on public documents, which the other two provided. Also there weren't controls for the type of document you could download, and my GoingOn slides did not upload cleanly. The background color was changed for the worse.
Slideshare
I give them a thumbs up. They focus on slides and do it well. They have the download or not download option for your uploaded documents, but don't have the PDF option.
Anyway, here are a couple of my old pitches on Slideshare:
Since I get various requests for sample business plans and investor presentations, I decided to put up some old documents so that other entrepreneurs can use them as a template or just to gain some ideas as they create their own.
As for my thoughts on each of these services...
Scribd
I give them a thumbs up. They had the most features and best controls. For example, I liked that you could decide whether people could download the original word doc, a PDF version, or both. The vast majority of their site are word documents, manuscripts and the like. Books, catalogs, legal documents, resumes, sheet music, etc. They truly are a document repository for everyone's fancy.
Docstoc
I give them a thumbs down. They position themselves as a place for professional documents with a good mix of word docs and slides. What I didn't like was that there weren't any controls for blocking downloads on public documents, which the other two provided. Also there weren't controls for the type of document you could download, and my GoingOn slides did not upload cleanly. The background color was changed for the worse.
Slideshare
I give them a thumbs up. They focus on slides and do it well. They have the download or not download option for your uploaded documents, but don't have the PDF option.
Anyway, here are a couple of my old pitches on Slideshare:
HeyAnita Korea 122600
View more presentations from Bernard Moon.
GoingOn Overview 05 2007
View more presentations from Bernard Moon.
News & Links List
"So You Want to Get Funded?
BusinessWeek and startup tracker YouNoodle assess what types of innovation and invention might attract funding dollars in the downturn" BusinessWeek
"10 Things I hate About Your Business Plan" by Tim Berry
"Why Google's One-Trick Pony Struggles to Learn New Tricks" by Charlene Li
"Identifying the Elusive Influencer
And building programs to best leverage your most influential customers" by Auren Hoffman
"Influencers vs. the swarm: Why both views of purchase influence are wrong" by Michael Mace
"Car Crazy
Bankrupt companies making 39 mpg autos. Are we nuts?" WSJ
"The future of private equity" The McKinsey Quarterly
"Sharing the Wealth: Leonard Abess and the $60 Million Gift to His Employees" Knowledge@Wharton
"Capital Goes Where It's Welcome" Forbes' DigitalRules
"The Secrets Of Great Teamwork" Forbes
"The CIA's Questioning Worked" by Marc A. Thiessen
"Obama calls for 'common ground' on abortion at Notre Dame" CNN
"Ten Reasons Why the Pro-life Movement is Winning" by Fr. Frank Pavone, M.E.V.
BusinessWeek and startup tracker YouNoodle assess what types of innovation and invention might attract funding dollars in the downturn" BusinessWeek
"10 Things I hate About Your Business Plan" by Tim Berry
"Why Google's One-Trick Pony Struggles to Learn New Tricks" by Charlene Li
"Identifying the Elusive Influencer
And building programs to best leverage your most influential customers" by Auren Hoffman
"Influencers vs. the swarm: Why both views of purchase influence are wrong" by Michael Mace
"Car Crazy
Bankrupt companies making 39 mpg autos. Are we nuts?" WSJ
"The future of private equity" The McKinsey Quarterly
"Sharing the Wealth: Leonard Abess and the $60 Million Gift to His Employees" Knowledge@Wharton
"Capital Goes Where It's Welcome" Forbes' DigitalRules
"The Secrets Of Great Teamwork" Forbes
"The CIA's Questioning Worked" by Marc A. Thiessen
"Obama calls for 'common ground' on abortion at Notre Dame" CNN
"Ten Reasons Why the Pro-life Movement is Winning" by Fr. Frank Pavone, M.E.V.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
FriendFeed Back On My WidgetBox Badge
A few months ago I took off my FriendFeed account from my Widgetbox badge in my sidebar since it wasn't doing anything for me. It wasn't interesting, it wasn't an active community. I decided to have my blog badge just promote my Linkedin, Digg and Twitter accounts.
Well, FriendFeed is back. They obviously changed their site, became more Twitter-like, and increased the activity within their community. Over the past few weeks, I've been doing nothing and getting several FriendFeed follows a day. It has continued to this day, so I thought it merited a place back on my "ID" badge.
Well, FriendFeed is back. They obviously changed their site, became more Twitter-like, and increased the activity within their community. Over the past few weeks, I've been doing nothing and getting several FriendFeed follows a day. It has continued to this day, so I thought it merited a place back on my "ID" badge.
Shifting Demographics in Online Game Play
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Shifting Demographics in Online Game Play
View more presentations from jradoff.
Crispin Porter + Bogusky Hammering Apple's Image for Microsoft
Crispin Porter + Bogusky's ad campaign for Microsoft is working against Apple so far. It seems that they might turn around Microsoft's image as they did for Burger King. Except from the Fast Company article, "Microsoft's "Laptop Hunters" Campaign Eating Away at Apple":
"A BrandIndex survey of 5,000 people shows that among the 18-to-34 year-old demographic (that's right, young people) Apple's "value perception" has taken a nose-dive. BrandIndex rates a brand on a scale of -100 to 100 (zero meaning the brand is getting equal positive and negative feedback) by simply asking customers whether they feel they get a good value for their money. Apple enjoyed a value rating of 70 as recently as last winter but has plunged to 12.4 since then. Microsoft, meanwhile, has rebounded from an indifferent zero in February to 46.2 today, indicating that its latest attempt to portray Apple as overpriced is hitting home with customers."
"A BrandIndex survey of 5,000 people shows that among the 18-to-34 year-old demographic (that's right, young people) Apple's "value perception" has taken a nose-dive. BrandIndex rates a brand on a scale of -100 to 100 (zero meaning the brand is getting equal positive and negative feedback) by simply asking customers whether they feel they get a good value for their money. Apple enjoyed a value rating of 70 as recently as last winter but has plunged to 12.4 since then. Microsoft, meanwhile, has rebounded from an indifferent zero in February to 46.2 today, indicating that its latest attempt to portray Apple as overpriced is hitting home with customers."
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Worldmapper: The World As You've Never Seen Before
During TED2008, which was our first TED conference, Alisa Miller, CEO of Public Radio International, gave a brief talk about our perception of news and used some very cool maps help us see things in a new way. Later we found out the maps were from an academic research team in the U.K. and U.S. called the Worldmapper Project.
For the first book club mailing for TED2010, we received the Worldmapper team's book, "The Atlas of the Real World: Mapping the Way we Live" along with a couple others. Tom Rielly's, TED's community director, description:
"Some of you remember Public Radio International CEO Alisa Miller’s short talk at TED about using maps to understand the world in a new way. Her talk showed worldmapper.org’s beautiful equal density cartograms, or map based infographics that help you to understand big ideas about the world in a visual way. We’re pleased to share Worldmapper’s beautifully illustrated Atlas of the Real World by site founders Daniel Dorling, Mark Newman and Anna Barford."
Here are some snapshots of "An animation, from the world sized by people living on less than $1 a day, to those earning over $200":
Alisa Miller's TEDTalk:
Alisa Miller, head of Public Radio International, talks about why -- though we want to know more about the world than ever -- the US media is actually showing less. Eye-opening stats and graphs.
For the first book club mailing for TED2010, we received the Worldmapper team's book, "The Atlas of the Real World: Mapping the Way we Live" along with a couple others. Tom Rielly's, TED's community director, description:
"Some of you remember Public Radio International CEO Alisa Miller’s short talk at TED about using maps to understand the world in a new way. Her talk showed worldmapper.org’s beautiful equal density cartograms, or map based infographics that help you to understand big ideas about the world in a visual way. We’re pleased to share Worldmapper’s beautifully illustrated Atlas of the Real World by site founders Daniel Dorling, Mark Newman and Anna Barford."
Here are some snapshots of "An animation, from the world sized by people living on less than $1 a day, to those earning over $200":
Alisa Miller's TEDTalk:
Alisa Miller, head of Public Radio International, talks about why -- though we want to know more about the world than ever -- the US media is actually showing less. Eye-opening stats and graphs.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Obama @Notre Dame on Abortion... John Piper @Obama on Abortion
President Obama gave his commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame, which stirred up some protests, and called for a common ground on the abortion issue. From CNN:
He urged supporters and opponents of abortion rights to "work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term."
One response from John Piper...
He urged supporters and opponents of abortion rights to "work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available, and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term."
One response from John Piper...
More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time
Gallup's latest study...
"A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995."
"Americans' recent shift toward the pro-life position is confirmed in two other surveys. The same three abortion questions asked on the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey were included in Gallup Poll Daily tracking from May 12-13, with nearly identical results, including a 50% to 43% pro-life versus pro-choice split on the self-identification question."
It's interesting to read some of the buzz from the Left on this. Over at The Washington Monthly, Stephen Benen wrote:
Of course, since "certain circumstances" is frustratingly vague, this only tells us that the majority of Americans reject the notion that life begins at conception, but they're comfortable with some state-imposed restrictions on reproductive rights. What kind of restrictions? We'd need a more detailed poll to say with any confidence.
So I responded in their comments:
Your biases are amusing...
"Of course, since "certain circumstances" is frustratingly vague, this only tells us that the majority of Americans reject the notion that life begins at conception, but they're comfortable with some state-imposed restrictions on reproductive rights."
I read this as the majority of Americans accept the notion that life begins at conception, but they're not comfortable with situations of rape or incest.
And if you looked at the poll results, 15% stated "Legal under most circumstances" while 37% stated "Legal only in a few circumstances" in addition to 23% stating it should be "Illegal in all circumstances".
I believe the science behind when life begins supports the pro-life viewpoint. Of course, I assume you're more about politics than science.
"A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995."
"Americans' recent shift toward the pro-life position is confirmed in two other surveys. The same three abortion questions asked on the Gallup Values and Beliefs survey were included in Gallup Poll Daily tracking from May 12-13, with nearly identical results, including a 50% to 43% pro-life versus pro-choice split on the self-identification question."
It's interesting to read some of the buzz from the Left on this. Over at The Washington Monthly, Stephen Benen wrote:
Of course, since "certain circumstances" is frustratingly vague, this only tells us that the majority of Americans reject the notion that life begins at conception, but they're comfortable with some state-imposed restrictions on reproductive rights. What kind of restrictions? We'd need a more detailed poll to say with any confidence.
So I responded in their comments:
Your biases are amusing...
"Of course, since "certain circumstances" is frustratingly vague, this only tells us that the majority of Americans reject the notion that life begins at conception, but they're comfortable with some state-imposed restrictions on reproductive rights."
I read this as the majority of Americans accept the notion that life begins at conception, but they're not comfortable with situations of rape or incest.
And if you looked at the poll results, 15% stated "Legal under most circumstances" while 37% stated "Legal only in a few circumstances" in addition to 23% stating it should be "Illegal in all circumstances".
I believe the science behind when life begins supports the pro-life viewpoint. Of course, I assume you're more about politics than science.
News & Links List
"Facebook raises $150 million more to cash out employees" VentureBeat
"Tour Asia With GeeksOnAPlane, Get To Know Half The World’s Internet Users" TechCrunch
"Why Economists Failed to Predict the Financial Crisis" Knowledge@Wharton
"Green Shoots Or Yellow Weeds?
A still-disheartening survey of the world's major economies" Forbes, Nouriel Roubini
"The Almighty Renminbi?" NYTimes, Nouriel Roubini
HatTip to Patrick P.
"Social Security and Medicare: Trying to Tackle Two 800-pound Gorillas" Knowledge@Wharton
"Ink-Stained Politicians
Newspapers shouldn't get -- or want -- a government bailout." WSJ
"Pelosi's Self-Torture
The speaker is engulfed by her own game of political retribution." WSJ
"CIA Chief Rebuts Pelosi's Charges
Panetta Says Lawmakers Were Told About Use of Interrogation Methods" The Washington Post
"Now the Lady Doth Protest Too Much" by Debra J. Saunders
"Meltdown With Keith Olbermann!" CityFile New York
"Maureen Dowd Admits Inadvertently Lifting Line From TPM's Josh Marshall" The Huffington Post
Inadvertently? Please. The Left's best attempt at criticizing their own :)
"Tour Asia With GeeksOnAPlane, Get To Know Half The World’s Internet Users" TechCrunch
"Why Economists Failed to Predict the Financial Crisis" Knowledge@Wharton
"Green Shoots Or Yellow Weeds?
A still-disheartening survey of the world's major economies" Forbes, Nouriel Roubini
"The Almighty Renminbi?" NYTimes, Nouriel Roubini
HatTip to Patrick P.
"Social Security and Medicare: Trying to Tackle Two 800-pound Gorillas" Knowledge@Wharton
"Ink-Stained Politicians
Newspapers shouldn't get -- or want -- a government bailout." WSJ
"Pelosi's Self-Torture
The speaker is engulfed by her own game of political retribution." WSJ
"CIA Chief Rebuts Pelosi's Charges
Panetta Says Lawmakers Were Told About Use of Interrogation Methods" The Washington Post
"Now the Lady Doth Protest Too Much" by Debra J. Saunders
"Meltdown With Keith Olbermann!" CityFile New York
"Maureen Dowd Admits Inadvertently Lifting Line From TPM's Josh Marshall" The Huffington Post
Inadvertently? Please. The Left's best attempt at criticizing their own :)
Friday, May 15, 2009
TEDTalk: Louise Fresco on Feeding the Whole World
"Louise Fresco argues that a smart approach to large-scale, industrial farming and food production will feed our planet's incoming population of nine billion. Only foods like (the scorned) supermarket white bread, she says, will nourish on a global scale."
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Geeks on a Plane East Asia Tour!
George Godula, who I worked with on the Open Web Asia conference, is putting together a tour of Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai with Dave McClure and The Founders Fund. More from their site:
Geeks on a Plane is inviting international investors and tech entrepreneurs on a 10 day orientation tour of Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai's Internet, Mobile & Gaming sector.
For more details please visit http://www.geeksonaplane.com and follow us on Twitter @geeksonaplane
Itinerary:
· Tokyo, June 8th - 10th 2009
· Beijing, June 11th - 12th 2009
· Shanghai, June 13th - 16th 2009
Objectives:
· Gain insight into tech & innovation trends coming out of East Asia.
· Meet the startup & tech community in Tokyo, Beijing & Shanghai.
· Understand the current investment climate in each respective city.
· Participate in a pro-entrepreneur and pro-investment initiative
during a tough global economy.
Each tour stop in Japan and China will offer the opportunity for our tour attendees to connect with the hottest local tech companies, start ups, entrepreneurs and investors via the following formats:
· Tokyo 2.0
· Startonomics conference
· Startup2Startup dinners
· Geeks On A Wall (Great Wall of China Hike, Beijing)
· Barcamp Shanghai
· TEDxShanghai
· VIP dinners and cocktail receptions
· Break out sessions & individual appointments
· Geeks & Glamour After Party - Geeks On A Plane, TEDx Shanghai and the Shanghai International Film Festival. By Invitation Only.
This tour is supported and co-organized by plus8star, KDDI Web Communications, the Tokyo 2.0 Team, Tudou, cilantromedia, Chinameme and many others.
Local startups, entrepreneurs and investors in Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai: Please do also contact George at george@web2asia.com if you would like to get involved in this tour as speaker, moderator, supporter or sponsor. This tour is all about you and will be a unique platform for you to show case your services or portfolio companies.
For sponsorship opportunities please visit here or send an email to george@web2asia.com for further details & pricing.
Geeks On A Plane Overview
View more presentations from Christine Lu.
Geeks on a Plane is inviting international investors and tech entrepreneurs on a 10 day orientation tour of Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai's Internet, Mobile & Gaming sector.
For more details please visit http://www.geeksonaplane.com and follow us on Twitter @geeksonaplane
Itinerary:
· Tokyo, June 8th - 10th 2009
· Beijing, June 11th - 12th 2009
· Shanghai, June 13th - 16th 2009
Objectives:
· Gain insight into tech & innovation trends coming out of East Asia.
· Meet the startup & tech community in Tokyo, Beijing & Shanghai.
· Understand the current investment climate in each respective city.
· Participate in a pro-entrepreneur and pro-investment initiative
during a tough global economy.
Each tour stop in Japan and China will offer the opportunity for our tour attendees to connect with the hottest local tech companies, start ups, entrepreneurs and investors via the following formats:
· Tokyo 2.0
· Startonomics conference
· Startup2Startup dinners
· Geeks On A Wall (Great Wall of China Hike, Beijing)
· Barcamp Shanghai
· TEDxShanghai
· VIP dinners and cocktail receptions
· Break out sessions & individual appointments
· Geeks & Glamour After Party - Geeks On A Plane, TEDx Shanghai and the Shanghai International Film Festival. By Invitation Only.
This tour is supported and co-organized by plus8star, KDDI Web Communications, the Tokyo 2.0 Team, Tudou, cilantromedia, Chinameme and many others.
Local startups, entrepreneurs and investors in Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai: Please do also contact George at george@web2asia.com if you would like to get involved in this tour as speaker, moderator, supporter or sponsor. This tour is all about you and will be a unique platform for you to show case your services or portfolio companies.
For sponsorship opportunities please visit here or send an email to george@web2asia.com for further details & pricing.
Californians, Vote NO on Prop 1A!
For those of you that live in California, remember to vote NO on Prop 1A on May 19th!
Read more here. From the site:
"On May 19, Vote No on 1A to tell the Governor you’re tired of budget gimmicks and send him back to the drawing board to get it right.
Prop 1A is not the solution it is promised to be. It won’t do anything to fix this year’s budget or even next year’s. In fact, if it does take effect it will make our budget problems worse, not better. "
Good op-ed by Hugh Hewitt, "Here comes California's May 19 Rebellion"
Read more here. From the site:
"On May 19, Vote No on 1A to tell the Governor you’re tired of budget gimmicks and send him back to the drawing board to get it right.
Prop 1A is not the solution it is promised to be. It won’t do anything to fix this year’s budget or even next year’s. In fact, if it does take effect it will make our budget problems worse, not better. "
Good op-ed by Hugh Hewitt, "Here comes California's May 19 Rebellion"
News & Links List
"Megacities Threaten to Choke India" WSJ
"Europe gets medieval on Intel’s assets" Good Morning Silicon Valley
"SproutBox: an incubator that wants you to make money now" VentureBeat
"Zynga’s Virtual World YoVille Generating Real Donations" Inside Social Games
"How About SAP + Salesforce.com?" by Sramana Mitra
"The Post Mortem of a Venture-backed Start-up" Time To Get Started
"Howard Sosin's Plan to Return Insolvent Banks to Financial Health" BigThink
"Capitalism Goes Out Of Tune" by George Will
"The Deadly Sins Of The Chrysler Bankruptcy" Forbes, by Richard A. Epstein
"Big Labor's Investment in Obama Pays Off" by Michelle Malkin
"L.A. Unified pays teachers not to teach" LATimes
"What Was the CIA Up To?
There's one way to find out: Obama should release the intelligence gained from the interrogations." by Reuel Marc Gerecht
"Europe gets medieval on Intel’s assets" Good Morning Silicon Valley
"SproutBox: an incubator that wants you to make money now" VentureBeat
"Zynga’s Virtual World YoVille Generating Real Donations" Inside Social Games
"How About SAP + Salesforce.com?" by Sramana Mitra
"The Post Mortem of a Venture-backed Start-up" Time To Get Started
"Howard Sosin's Plan to Return Insolvent Banks to Financial Health" BigThink
"Capitalism Goes Out Of Tune" by George Will
"The Deadly Sins Of The Chrysler Bankruptcy" Forbes, by Richard A. Epstein
"Big Labor's Investment in Obama Pays Off" by Michelle Malkin
"L.A. Unified pays teachers not to teach" LATimes
"What Was the CIA Up To?
There's one way to find out: Obama should release the intelligence gained from the interrogations." by Reuel Marc Gerecht
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Weak Asses From the Left... Wanda Sykes & Perez Hilton Rips on Rush and Prejean But Not Obama?
Growing up many bullies that I saw were insecure, dumb or both. They would typically pick on people they knew were weaker than them and would avoid those that were stronger. The notion of a challenge would strike fear in their hearts, but an encounter with the weak would bring out a nastiest commonly seen in "The Lord of the Flies."
So the recent actions and words from Wanda Sykes and Perez Hilton remind me of the bullies I saw during childhood. Bullies that would avoid a normal but confident kid like me, but prey on the weak.
I personally didn't have an issue with Sykes' jokes about Rush Limbaugh. They just seemed tasteless. I had more of an issue with her going soft on Obama. Isn't the White House Correspondents Dinner where you're suppose to rip on the President not kiss his ass so much that your lips get skin burns? And especially since she is an outspoken lesbian. Ben Shapiro has a good summary:
"Well, apparently she’s not so proud to be gay. Because when given the opportunity to make jokes about the nation’s leading proponent of opposite-sex marriage, President Barack Obama, she said precisely nothing. Instead, she chose to gently stroke his ego with jokes about his pecs, his dog, and his basketball skills."
WSJ's James Taranto also has a great commentary on Sykes, "The Two Jokes: What makes Wanda Sykes's witless vulgarity amusing to the president?"
Also Donald Trump allows Carrie Prejean to retain her title and calls it as it is by saying:
"It's the same answer that the president of the United States gave,” Trump said. “She gave an honorable answer. She gave an answer from her heart."
Does Perez Hilton had any intestinal fortitude? Why doesn't he criticize President Obama? Maybe he could have brought further pressure on the White House? Why didn't he think about these avenues? Because he's... WEAK. A weak, little bitchy bully.
So the recent actions and words from Wanda Sykes and Perez Hilton remind me of the bullies I saw during childhood. Bullies that would avoid a normal but confident kid like me, but prey on the weak.
I personally didn't have an issue with Sykes' jokes about Rush Limbaugh. They just seemed tasteless. I had more of an issue with her going soft on Obama. Isn't the White House Correspondents Dinner where you're suppose to rip on the President not kiss his ass so much that your lips get skin burns? And especially since she is an outspoken lesbian. Ben Shapiro has a good summary:
"Well, apparently she’s not so proud to be gay. Because when given the opportunity to make jokes about the nation’s leading proponent of opposite-sex marriage, President Barack Obama, she said precisely nothing. Instead, she chose to gently stroke his ego with jokes about his pecs, his dog, and his basketball skills."
WSJ's James Taranto also has a great commentary on Sykes, "The Two Jokes: What makes Wanda Sykes's witless vulgarity amusing to the president?"
Also Donald Trump allows Carrie Prejean to retain her title and calls it as it is by saying:
"It's the same answer that the president of the United States gave,” Trump said. “She gave an honorable answer. She gave an answer from her heart."
Does Perez Hilton had any intestinal fortitude? Why doesn't he criticize President Obama? Maybe he could have brought further pressure on the White House? Why didn't he think about these avenues? Because he's... WEAK. A weak, little bitchy bully.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Google Dumps Naked Juice For Odwalla
The title sounds like a Valleywag post, but with juice companies instead of people :)
Anyway, Christine comes home with a bottle of Odwalla's B Monster (I happened to be called "B" sometimes). At first I didn't catch it, but realized that it wasn't a bottle of Naked Juice. Naked Juice is everywhere on Google campus. Well, was.
Now Odwalla has replaced Naked Juice on Google campus. Their food service team did a survey and Googlers liked Odwalla over Naked Juice. Not sure if it was a close vote or not.
Since I'm a frequent visitor to Google campus, I would say either one was a good call. I like both, but I drink anything.
Anyway, Christine comes home with a bottle of Odwalla's B Monster (I happened to be called "B" sometimes). At first I didn't catch it, but realized that it wasn't a bottle of Naked Juice. Naked Juice is everywhere on Google campus. Well, was.
Now Odwalla has replaced Naked Juice on Google campus. Their food service team did a survey and Googlers liked Odwalla over Naked Juice. Not sure if it was a close vote or not.
Since I'm a frequent visitor to Google campus, I would say either one was a good call. I like both, but I drink anything.
VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) Worldview
Common phrase and viewpoint discuss within our office. Great perspective and insight by Denise Caron:
"Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity – that’s the world we live in – it’s a VUCA world. This talk will explore how IT can provide strategic vision and dilemma management that will enable their companies to maintain sustainable growth during this tumultuous economic downturn.
The process of strategic leadership and decision making is more vital than ever, companies will either succeed or fail and it will happen faster than ever. As leaders, we cannot predict the future, but we can certainly provoke it by using a “foresight-to-insight-to-action” approach in sensing the future to compete in the present."
"Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity – that’s the world we live in – it’s a VUCA world. This talk will explore how IT can provide strategic vision and dilemma management that will enable their companies to maintain sustainable growth during this tumultuous economic downturn.
The process of strategic leadership and decision making is more vital than ever, companies will either succeed or fail and it will happen faster than ever. As leaders, we cannot predict the future, but we can certainly provoke it by using a “foresight-to-insight-to-action” approach in sensing the future to compete in the present."
It's A Vuca World!
View more presentations from Denise Caron.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
News & Links List
"Media Still Covering Up The $400 Billion Fannie And Freddie Scandal" ClusterStock
"Billionaire Donors Split With Obama on Law That May Hurt Hotels" Bloomberg
Buyer's remorse?
"I Can Only Hope This Proves To Be Inflammatory Nonsense" finem respice
Scary. Negotiation Chicago-style. I wouldn't be surprised if Obama's administration believes this to be the norm since they don't have business experience, but political and cut on the streets of Chicago.
"New Allegations Of White House Threats Over Chrysler" Clusterstock
"The Chrysler Fallout: Obama Takes Sides" The New Ledger
"Nuts: Twitter Inventor About To Launch His Next Project, Code-named Squirrel" TechCrunch
"Why $700 Million Is Too Much For Twitter" by Rory Maher
"Execs reveal why newspapers don't block Google" CNET
"Hedge Fund Start-ups: A Whole New Generation of 'Gekkos'" BNET
"Life After Wall Street
Nearly half a million jobs in the financial sector have disappeared. Here's how seven people are moving on." Forbes
"Finding Your Next Gig In Your Garage" Forbes
"What Congress Knew: Congress got 40 briefings from the CIA on interrogations." WSJ
"Torture? No. Except . . ." By Charles Krauthammer
"Jon Stewart: Truman Was a War Criminal, Too" The Weekly Standard
"Jon Stewart's Extended Interview with Cliff May"
May is the President of The Foundation for Defense of Democracies
"Billionaire Donors Split With Obama on Law That May Hurt Hotels" Bloomberg
Buyer's remorse?
"I Can Only Hope This Proves To Be Inflammatory Nonsense" finem respice
Scary. Negotiation Chicago-style. I wouldn't be surprised if Obama's administration believes this to be the norm since they don't have business experience, but political and cut on the streets of Chicago.
"New Allegations Of White House Threats Over Chrysler" Clusterstock
"The Chrysler Fallout: Obama Takes Sides" The New Ledger
"Nuts: Twitter Inventor About To Launch His Next Project, Code-named Squirrel" TechCrunch
"Why $700 Million Is Too Much For Twitter" by Rory Maher
"Execs reveal why newspapers don't block Google" CNET
"Hedge Fund Start-ups: A Whole New Generation of 'Gekkos'" BNET
"Life After Wall Street
Nearly half a million jobs in the financial sector have disappeared. Here's how seven people are moving on." Forbes
"Finding Your Next Gig In Your Garage" Forbes
"What Congress Knew: Congress got 40 briefings from the CIA on interrogations." WSJ
"Torture? No. Except . . ." By Charles Krauthammer
"Jon Stewart: Truman Was a War Criminal, Too" The Weekly Standard
"Jon Stewart's Extended Interview with Cliff May"
May is the President of The Foundation for Defense of Democracies
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | M - Th 11p / 10c | |||
| Cliff May Unedited Interview Pt. 3 | ||||
| ||||
Friday, May 8, 2009
Dick Hoyt, Hero and Loving Father
I love the story of Dick Hoyt and his disabled son, Rick.
"This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time." (more from Sports Illustrated on the first video's YouTube page)
I remember when Hoyt was asked why he doesn't try it alone just one time to see how he would do against such world records, and he said it was meaningless without his son.
Story on the Today Show
"This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time." (more from Sports Illustrated on the first video's YouTube page)
I remember when Hoyt was asked why he doesn't try it alone just one time to see how he would do against such world records, and he said it was meaningless without his son.
Story on the Today Show
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Cooliris... Very Cool Photo Browsing
Cooliris has been around for a few years and steadily improving their product and features. They recently added Facebook support, so I decided to give it a try. It was a quick download into my Firefox browser.
They say they're the fastest way to browse photos and videos. Probably true and I love their interface. The 3-D wall is cool, and scrolling and zooming is the way to go even if it sometimes gives me a headache :) Here are some pictures from my Facebook account:
Just browsing through the Sports section:
They say they're the fastest way to browse photos and videos. Probably true and I love their interface. The 3-D wall is cool, and scrolling and zooming is the way to go even if it sometimes gives me a headache :) Here are some pictures from my Facebook account:
Just browsing through the Sports section:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
THE POWER OF ONE, multiplied Event by LAUNCH, May 7th
HatTip to Jeremy.
InnerCircle1 is hosting their Launch series event this Thursday, May 7th in Oakland. The event is featuring Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and inventor of PONG. Also speaking on the combined subject of gaming and social media platforms will be Ariel Polar, Nicole Lazzaro, and Andrew Mayer.
Spring 2009: THE POWER OF ONE, multiplied
With today's world the power of one individual can become truly transformational and revealing. Serendipitous relationships are created, nurtured and evolve to form greater meaning in our lives and lead to other connections and friendships.
Yet how do we help users truly unleash this power to advance career, social and possibly romantic interests? How can game play and interaction shape and encourage these experiences and results? To help guide our thoughts and ideas in this area LAUNCH, spring 2009 will focus on the power of one, multiplied - to empower users and ourselves in a connected society. Our speakers are uniquely qualified to speak on how the new world of social media and gaming is changing the way we interact.
InnerCircle1 is hosting their Launch series event this Thursday, May 7th in Oakland. The event is featuring Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and inventor of PONG. Also speaking on the combined subject of gaming and social media platforms will be Ariel Polar, Nicole Lazzaro, and Andrew Mayer.
Spring 2009: THE POWER OF ONE, multiplied
With today's world the power of one individual can become truly transformational and revealing. Serendipitous relationships are created, nurtured and evolve to form greater meaning in our lives and lead to other connections and friendships.
Yet how do we help users truly unleash this power to advance career, social and possibly romantic interests? How can game play and interaction shape and encourage these experiences and results? To help guide our thoughts and ideas in this area LAUNCH, spring 2009 will focus on the power of one, multiplied - to empower users and ourselves in a connected society. Our speakers are uniquely qualified to speak on how the new world of social media and gaming is changing the way we interact.
News & Links List
"Bill Gates v. Warren Buffett On Competing With Google: Charge The Moat!" TechCrunch
"Former MySpace Chairman Richard Rosenblatt’s Advice To The New Executive Team" TechCrunch
"iPhone Outsold By BlackBerry Curve In U.S. Last Quarter" Silicon Alley Insider
"The End Of The IPO Drought Is Coming" by Fred Wilson
"Who's Right on Wells Fargo: Buffett or the Government?" The Motley Fool
"We Can't Subsidize the Banks Forever" WSJ by MATTHEW RICHARDSON & NOURIEL ROUBINI
"The End Of Conspicuous Philanthropy?" Forbes
"Rethinking the American Dream" Vanity Fair
"Interactive: GM’s fall from grace" Financial Times
"Google Maps Incite Racial Unrest in Tokyo" Fast Company
"Mission Impossible: The Code Even the CIA Can't Crack" WIRED
"Criminal charges filed against ACORN, two employees" Las Vegas Sun
"Goldman Sachs Foreshadowed UAW’s Chrysler Coup" by Kevin Hassett
"A Bully In the White House" Power Line
"World's 20 Best Places To Live" Forbes
"Church Lessons from HGTV: What our design says about our values." by Dave Gibbons
"Former MySpace Chairman Richard Rosenblatt’s Advice To The New Executive Team" TechCrunch
"iPhone Outsold By BlackBerry Curve In U.S. Last Quarter" Silicon Alley Insider
"The End Of The IPO Drought Is Coming" by Fred Wilson
"Who's Right on Wells Fargo: Buffett or the Government?" The Motley Fool
"We Can't Subsidize the Banks Forever" WSJ by MATTHEW RICHARDSON & NOURIEL ROUBINI
"The End Of Conspicuous Philanthropy?" Forbes
"Rethinking the American Dream" Vanity Fair
"Interactive: GM’s fall from grace" Financial Times
"Google Maps Incite Racial Unrest in Tokyo" Fast Company
"Mission Impossible: The Code Even the CIA Can't Crack" WIRED
"Criminal charges filed against ACORN, two employees" Las Vegas Sun
"Goldman Sachs Foreshadowed UAW’s Chrysler Coup" by Kevin Hassett
"A Bully In the White House" Power Line
"World's 20 Best Places To Live" Forbes
"Church Lessons from HGTV: What our design says about our values." by Dave Gibbons
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Influencers On IT & Tech 2009 Trends & Predictions
Yes, once in a while, probably every few months, I Google myself :) And I came across Trendsspotting's slides that aggregated various trends and predictions for 2009, which included mine. Thanks, dudes!
Monday, May 4, 2009
ChristianityToday and 'Joe the Plumber' Misrepresent the Christian Faith
This is embarrassing. ChristianityToday decides to post an interview with Samuel Wurzelbacher, or 'Joe the Plumber'. What transpired were idiotic statements by Joe that misrepresented the Christian faith to the general public.
First, what were the editors of ChristianityToday thinking? Maybe the question is, who are they? Are they holed up in the caves of Kentucky? Somewhere hidden in the Smokey Mountains? Have they ever lived outside the bubble of Christianity and the confined walls of a church? Maybe they are living in the catacombs of some large cathedral in NYC? Second, I don't really expect much of Joe but I have to point out his dense and narrow-minded thinking.
To clarify for some readers, I am politically moderate and conservative in my faith. I believe that the Bible is wholly inspired by God, in the deity of Christ, and in his death and resurrection. I became a "Christian" through an exercise of analysis and pretty much a cold, logical thinker in many situations. And I'm snarky like a badger :)
When I read Joe's interview, I initially thought about how ignorant he was, but my words were in reality harsher.
"What a tool. I don't believe he believes this... What a complete idiot! And what was the interviewer thinking when she included this part? That it would enhance Christianity's image? It would encourage more people to learn about Christ??"
The following is the question and answer that brought up this intense reaction from me...
In the last month, same-sex marriage has become legal in Iowa and Vermont. What do you think about same-sex marriage at a state level?
At a state level, it's up to them. I don't want it to be a federal thing. I personally still think it's wrong. People don't understand the dictionary—it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do—what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing.
Joe, "queer" is a slur. Calling you an "idiot" isn't. And you have "friends" that are homosexual? How do you define "friends" since you won't let them near your children? I really want to be friends with you, dude. And are you concerned that they will become gay through osmosis? What are your reasons for not letting "those" people near your children?
Oh, "preach against the sins" and "accept people"? Just like those "Christians" that hold up signs that say "God Hates Fags"? Yeah, that's loving them dude. I want to be part of your family with all that love. I might make it through half a day during a Chicago winter with all that warmth and agape love.
Joe, loving people that you're really friends with is easy. Try loving those that you don't know, that you're enemies with, and those that make you feel uncomfortable. Come back in a few years and try this interview again.
First, what were the editors of ChristianityToday thinking? Maybe the question is, who are they? Are they holed up in the caves of Kentucky? Somewhere hidden in the Smokey Mountains? Have they ever lived outside the bubble of Christianity and the confined walls of a church? Maybe they are living in the catacombs of some large cathedral in NYC? Second, I don't really expect much of Joe but I have to point out his dense and narrow-minded thinking.
To clarify for some readers, I am politically moderate and conservative in my faith. I believe that the Bible is wholly inspired by God, in the deity of Christ, and in his death and resurrection. I became a "Christian" through an exercise of analysis and pretty much a cold, logical thinker in many situations. And I'm snarky like a badger :)
When I read Joe's interview, I initially thought about how ignorant he was, but my words were in reality harsher.
"What a tool. I don't believe he believes this... What a complete idiot! And what was the interviewer thinking when she included this part? That it would enhance Christianity's image? It would encourage more people to learn about Christ??"
The following is the question and answer that brought up this intense reaction from me...
In the last month, same-sex marriage has become legal in Iowa and Vermont. What do you think about same-sex marriage at a state level?
At a state level, it's up to them. I don't want it to be a federal thing. I personally still think it's wrong. People don't understand the dictionary—it's called queer. Queer means strange and unusual. It's not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that. You know, God is pretty explicit in what we're supposed to do—what man and woman are for. Now, at the same time, we're supposed to love everybody and accept people, and preach against the sins. I've had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn't have them anywhere near my children. But at the same time, they're people, and they're going to do their thing.
Joe, "queer" is a slur. Calling you an "idiot" isn't. And you have "friends" that are homosexual? How do you define "friends" since you won't let them near your children? I really want to be friends with you, dude. And are you concerned that they will become gay through osmosis? What are your reasons for not letting "those" people near your children?
Oh, "preach against the sins" and "accept people"? Just like those "Christians" that hold up signs that say "God Hates Fags"? Yeah, that's loving them dude. I want to be part of your family with all that love. I might make it through half a day during a Chicago winter with all that warmth and agape love.
Joe, loving people that you're really friends with is easy. Try loving those that you don't know, that you're enemies with, and those that make you feel uncomfortable. Come back in a few years and try this interview again.
Go Wisconsin! Most Fortune 500 CEO Alums... Well, A Tie With Harvard
In this week's Fortune 500 issue, it has a short post on the leading alma mater of Fortune 500 CEOs. My alma mater, University of Wisconsin, is tied with Harvard University for having 11 CEO alums on the Fortune 500 list. Go Badgers!
Admittedly, it's quantity vs. quality. Wisconsin's sheer numbers plus excellence versus Harvard's higher excellence on average :)
UPDATE: I answered a related question over at Peerpong, which I've copied below...
Which MBA programs are known for producing Operations all stars?
Harvard Business School (HBS) is one of them. In terms of producing marketing executives, Northwestern's Kellogg is considered the leader.
Additional data that I'm aware of is that for undergraduate programs, Harvard and Wisconsin have the most Fortune 500 CEOs in the current list. And I remember an older study from the 90s that showed for companies, McKinsey and GE alumni made up the highest number of Fortune 500 CEOs.
Admittedly, it's quantity vs. quality. Wisconsin's sheer numbers plus excellence versus Harvard's higher excellence on average :)
UPDATE: I answered a related question over at Peerpong, which I've copied below...
Which MBA programs are known for producing Operations all stars?
Harvard Business School (HBS) is one of them. In terms of producing marketing executives, Northwestern's Kellogg is considered the leader.
Additional data that I'm aware of is that for undergraduate programs, Harvard and Wisconsin have the most Fortune 500 CEOs in the current list. And I remember an older study from the 90s that showed for companies, McKinsey and GE alumni made up the highest number of Fortune 500 CEOs.
The KYOPO Project Fundraiser Benefit in SF This Wednesday, May 6th!
Some of our friends are involved in an art & culture photography project related to Korean Diaspora called THE KYOPO Project. The artist is Cindy Hwang, which you can read more about here.
The fundraiser for the project is this Wednesday, May 6th, in San Francisco. It will be held at VESSEL, which is located at 85 Campton Place.
Registration starts at 5:30 and the event starts at 6 pm and continues until 9 pm.
Cost:
$100/Entrance Ticket (100% Tax Deductible)
$200/Vip Ticket, $1500/Table (100% Tax Deductible)
$50/Entrance Student Ticket (Valid Id Required) or for those 21-25 Yrs Old (100% Tax Deductible)
More from the event site...
Attend this night of entertainment and festivity to support the first project of its kind. Help realize a publication on multiculturalism and immigration illustrated visually and textually through the lens of the Korean Diaspora.
Guest Emcees And Keynote Speakers:
Yul Kwon, CBS’s “Survivor” Winner: Cooks Islands, Community Leader
Sue Kwon, Reporter, CBS5 Eyewitness News
Guest Performers:
Bobby Choy (Big Phony) – Singer, Songwriter
Maggie Kim - Singer Songwriter & Her Band
Susie Suh - Singer, Songwriter
Silent And Live Auction:
Meals With Mayor Jun Choi, Yul Kwon, Actress, Comedian Suzanne Whang, Author, UC Berkeley Professor Elaine Kim, Autographed Original Jersey By Hines Ward, Fine Art By Casey O’Connell, Ski Chalet One Week Vacation At The 5-Star, 5-Diamond Stein Erickson Lodge, Special, Exclusive Meal With Wine Pairing In The Kitchen Of The French Laundry, Meet And Greet With Chef De Cuisine Corey Lee, Meal For 2 At Gary Danko Restaurant, Meal For 4 At Laiola Restaurant, HBO Dvd Sets, Whistle & Flute Cascade Collar Coat, Jennifer Loomis Photography, Peekadoodle Kidsclub 1 Year Family Membership, Etc.
Kyopo Consultants:
Joy Yi Boatwright, Linda Kang Chong, Joseph Chong, Yul Kwon, Kevin Kim, Clara Chung, Eunyoung Byunn, Bibiane Choi, June Choi
Host Committee:
Claire Chang, Sunwoo Hwang, Bill & Mary Kim, Michael & Letitia Kim, Sarah Kim-Lee, Sophia Kim, Andrew D. Ko, Consul General Koo, Daniel S. Lee, Teresa Lim, Phillip F. Shinn, Jiin Son, Juliana Youn
RSVP to kyopoproject@gmail.com
**If you cannot attend the event but wish to contribute a donation online, instructions can be found on the KYOPO website at www.kyopoproject.com
The fundraiser for the project is this Wednesday, May 6th, in San Francisco. It will be held at VESSEL, which is located at 85 Campton Place.
Registration starts at 5:30 and the event starts at 6 pm and continues until 9 pm.
Cost:
$100/Entrance Ticket (100% Tax Deductible)
$200/Vip Ticket, $1500/Table (100% Tax Deductible)
$50/Entrance Student Ticket (Valid Id Required) or for those 21-25 Yrs Old (100% Tax Deductible)
More from the event site...
Attend this night of entertainment and festivity to support the first project of its kind. Help realize a publication on multiculturalism and immigration illustrated visually and textually through the lens of the Korean Diaspora.
Guest Emcees And Keynote Speakers:
Yul Kwon, CBS’s “Survivor” Winner: Cooks Islands, Community Leader
Sue Kwon, Reporter, CBS5 Eyewitness News
Guest Performers:
Bobby Choy (Big Phony) – Singer, Songwriter
Maggie Kim - Singer Songwriter & Her Band
Susie Suh - Singer, Songwriter
Silent And Live Auction:
Meals With Mayor Jun Choi, Yul Kwon, Actress, Comedian Suzanne Whang, Author, UC Berkeley Professor Elaine Kim, Autographed Original Jersey By Hines Ward, Fine Art By Casey O’Connell, Ski Chalet One Week Vacation At The 5-Star, 5-Diamond Stein Erickson Lodge, Special, Exclusive Meal With Wine Pairing In The Kitchen Of The French Laundry, Meet And Greet With Chef De Cuisine Corey Lee, Meal For 2 At Gary Danko Restaurant, Meal For 4 At Laiola Restaurant, HBO Dvd Sets, Whistle & Flute Cascade Collar Coat, Jennifer Loomis Photography, Peekadoodle Kidsclub 1 Year Family Membership, Etc.
Kyopo Consultants:
Joy Yi Boatwright, Linda Kang Chong, Joseph Chong, Yul Kwon, Kevin Kim, Clara Chung, Eunyoung Byunn, Bibiane Choi, June Choi
Host Committee:
Claire Chang, Sunwoo Hwang, Bill & Mary Kim, Michael & Letitia Kim, Sarah Kim-Lee, Sophia Kim, Andrew D. Ko, Consul General Koo, Daniel S. Lee, Teresa Lim, Phillip F. Shinn, Jiin Son, Juliana Youn
RSVP to kyopoproject@gmail.com
**If you cannot attend the event but wish to contribute a donation online, instructions can be found on the KYOPO website at www.kyopoproject.com
5 Most Influential Entrepreneurs of the Past 30 years??
Inc. asked six "experts": Who are the five most interesting entrepreneurs of the past 30 years?
Most of them were not surprising and some were insightful. An example is Tom Peters' list:
Wendy Kopp, Teach for America
She built an enormous public-service organization from the ground up. She's a hell of a lot more entrepreneurial than 70 percent of people I lived around in Silicon Valley.
Taddy Blecher, CIDA City Campus
Suddenly, out of nowhere, he left the world of consulting and started a free thousand-person university for underprivileged students in South Africa.
The women recipients of microloans from Grameen Bank
The men who borrow from Grameen usually squander the proceeds. But the women have turned the process of borrowing and investing money into a larger effort of community development.
Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai
Dubai is going through a rough patch, but President Obama would love to have the sheik as an employee. He could get people building the next day.
Larry Janesky, Basement Systems
I love the notion that you can have a fabulous business based on cleaning mold out of basements. Larry has a saying, "You don't have to love what you do; you have to do what other people hate." He executes like a champ.
But Y Combinator's Paul Graham's list had me scratching my head. He listed Steve Jobs, TJ Rogers, and Larry & Sergey. Okay. And then he lists Paul Buchheit and Sam Altman? Paul is living in his own world. And it's a small one. First, Altman's Loopt isn't a success yet. Maybe it could become Y Combinator's poster boy, but please stop the crack and don't call Altman one of the most influential entrepreneurs of the past 30 years.
Second, Paul Buchheit's Friendfeed isn't out of the woods either. They're still following the yellow brick road and lost in Twitter Forest. While Buchheit was at Google I don't think Adsense was completely his. Many people try to take credit for its development including Marissa Mayers. Many people outside of Google don't know that Google bought a company that became the basis of Adsense so it's lame for anyone to take sole credit for it. Anyway, Paul Graham's list is lame. He's definitely lost some credibility here.
Most of them were not surprising and some were insightful. An example is Tom Peters' list:
Wendy Kopp, Teach for America
She built an enormous public-service organization from the ground up. She's a hell of a lot more entrepreneurial than 70 percent of people I lived around in Silicon Valley.
Taddy Blecher, CIDA City Campus
Suddenly, out of nowhere, he left the world of consulting and started a free thousand-person university for underprivileged students in South Africa.
The women recipients of microloans from Grameen Bank
The men who borrow from Grameen usually squander the proceeds. But the women have turned the process of borrowing and investing money into a larger effort of community development.
Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai
Dubai is going through a rough patch, but President Obama would love to have the sheik as an employee. He could get people building the next day.
Larry Janesky, Basement Systems
I love the notion that you can have a fabulous business based on cleaning mold out of basements. Larry has a saying, "You don't have to love what you do; you have to do what other people hate." He executes like a champ.
But Y Combinator's Paul Graham's list had me scratching my head. He listed Steve Jobs, TJ Rogers, and Larry & Sergey. Okay. And then he lists Paul Buchheit and Sam Altman? Paul is living in his own world. And it's a small one. First, Altman's Loopt isn't a success yet. Maybe it could become Y Combinator's poster boy, but please stop the crack and don't call Altman one of the most influential entrepreneurs of the past 30 years.
Second, Paul Buchheit's Friendfeed isn't out of the woods either. They're still following the yellow brick road and lost in Twitter Forest. While Buchheit was at Google I don't think Adsense was completely his. Many people try to take credit for its development including Marissa Mayers. Many people outside of Google don't know that Google bought a company that became the basis of Adsense so it's lame for anyone to take sole credit for it. Anyway, Paul Graham's list is lame. He's definitely lost some credibility here.
News & Links List
"The Future Of E-Commerce" by Sramana Mitra
"Google Begins to Make Public Data Searchable" ReadWriteWeb
"Soon TVs and PCs May Work Like the Wii" BusinessWeek
"How Bernie did it" Fortune
"A Prescription To Fix VC-Backed IPOs?" PEHub
"Why Small Companies Will Win in This Economy" Harvard Business Publishing
"Marketers Moving to Digital Media" eMarkter
"The Venture Capital Math Problem (continued)" by Fred Wilson
"The UAW in the Driver's Seat" WSJ
"Gettelfinger Motors: The mauling of GM's bondholders reveals Treasury's political hand." WSJ
"Jack Kemp in His Own Words" WSJ
"Specter Defection Will Haunt Dems On Souter Replacement" Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
"The Top Ten Moments of the Boston-Chicago Series" TrueHoop
"Google Begins to Make Public Data Searchable" ReadWriteWeb
"Soon TVs and PCs May Work Like the Wii" BusinessWeek
"How Bernie did it" Fortune
"A Prescription To Fix VC-Backed IPOs?" PEHub
"Why Small Companies Will Win in This Economy" Harvard Business Publishing
"Marketers Moving to Digital Media" eMarkter
"The Venture Capital Math Problem (continued)" by Fred Wilson
"The UAW in the Driver's Seat" WSJ
"Gettelfinger Motors: The mauling of GM's bondholders reveals Treasury's political hand." WSJ
"Jack Kemp in His Own Words" WSJ
"Specter Defection Will Haunt Dems On Souter Replacement" Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
"The Top Ten Moments of the Boston-Chicago Series" TrueHoop
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