HatTip to Christine. Natalie Portman recently co-founded MakingOf which seeks to bring a behind-the-scenes look into the various creative processes in movie making. Christine Aylward is her Co-Founder and CEO. More from their site:
"MakingOf is a behind-the-scenes Web destination, founded by Natalie Portman and Christine Aylward, that provides an intimate, fresh look into the process of creating entertainment by the insiders themselves. Our mission is to champion the art and craft of entertainment creation. We started MakingOf because we realized that so much of what goes into entertainment creation is unavailable to the people who love and consume it the most. We wanted to give fans a way to experience that creation and learn from the insiders and thus MakingOf was born. When you visit MakingOf you will experience behind-the-scenes content, exclusive access to industry insiders, and an interactive, entertainment-focused community forum. It is your all-access pass to learn from and interact with actors, directors, producers, writers, and more. Film school for everyone! And film is just the start. Stay posted as we add additional features."
Here's a clip from the site, "Directing 201 with Shawn Levy, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN | ON-SET"
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
TEDTalk: Katherine Fulton's "You are the Future of Philanthropy"
"In this uplifting talk, Katherine Fulton sketches the new future of philanthropy -- one where collaboration and innovation allow regular people to do big things, even when money is scarce. Giving five practical examples of crowd-driven philanthropy, she calls for a new generation of citizen leaders."
President of Monitor Institute, Katherine Fulton is also a strategist, author, teacher and speaker working for social change.
President of Monitor Institute, Katherine Fulton is also a strategist, author, teacher and speaker working for social change.
Monday, June 29, 2009
News & Links List
"Does a venture capitalist’s size — and network — matter?" VentureBeat, Matt Marshall
"The Top 100 Networked Venture Capitalists" TechCrunch
"Yahoo Kills Maven: From Acquisition To Deadpool In 17 Months" TechCrunch
"Venture Capitalists V. Founders: Battle At Mochi Media" TechCrunch
Yes, lot from TechCrunch today but it's just because they had worthwhile posts :)
"Extending Google services in Africa" Official Google Blog
"Twitter as the Foundation of Your Business" BNET
"Looking into the Future of Digital Marketing" eMarketer
"The True Story of True Ventures" peHUB
"Solidarity With Iran
Reagan's Polish lesson for Obama and the American left." WSJ
"President Obama Defends Right to Choose Best Care" ABC News
Obama's healthcare plan is good for the general public, but not for his family.
"The Climate Change Climate Change
The number of skeptics is swelling everywhere." WSJ
"The Top 100 Networked Venture Capitalists" TechCrunch
"Yahoo Kills Maven: From Acquisition To Deadpool In 17 Months" TechCrunch
"Venture Capitalists V. Founders: Battle At Mochi Media" TechCrunch
Yes, lot from TechCrunch today but it's just because they had worthwhile posts :)
"Extending Google services in Africa" Official Google Blog
"Twitter as the Foundation of Your Business" BNET
"Looking into the Future of Digital Marketing" eMarketer
"The True Story of True Ventures" peHUB
"Solidarity With Iran
Reagan's Polish lesson for Obama and the American left." WSJ
"President Obama Defends Right to Choose Best Care" ABC News
Obama's healthcare plan is good for the general public, but not for his family.
"The Climate Change Climate Change
The number of skeptics is swelling everywhere." WSJ
Friday, June 26, 2009
Pickup Basketball and Company Crisis, Lenses Into True Colors
(heads up since this post has religious references)
"An entrepreneur shows his true colors in a period of crisis, not in a period when everybody is having success." — Giorgio Armani on the opening of his new $40 million Manhattan store in the middle of the recession.
When I saw this quote in Fortune magazine a couple of weeks ago, I immediately thought of personal experiences seeing people for who they are under intense, competitive athletic contests, such as pickup basketball. The mild mannered guy in my dorm or the well-liked summer intern became complete morons on the basketball court. One of them was a raving lunatic who prompted me to say outloud, "Who are you?"
In some cases you can excuse rude and unsportsmanlike conduct due to ignorance, especially if the offender rarely played basketball. But for those who knew how to play, there was no excuse or cover from the clear lens that pickup basketball provided into the character of people. On the basketball court, tortoise shells disappear and your character is naked for people to see. If someone you knew was already labeled as a prick, playing a few pickup basketball games confirmed these truths and probably enhanced your perception of their character deficiencies. It’s like bad skin in HDTV, pockmarks look like craters and wrinkles like canyons.
The same goes for crisis situations in a company, especially if you’re an owner or executive. The more at risk you feel, the more your raw emotions and character comes out. Are you going to step up and execute or are you going to fade away from the challenge? Are you going to remain a supportive team member or are you going to succumb, pointing fingers and backstabbing your colleagues?
One company I was advising had an executive with a sterling reputation; The ultimate “nice guy” loved by everyone in his past firms. But he never encountered a downturn in his prior companies. When this company came under financial distress, his true colors were revealed. He became like a man in the desert for 40 days without water. Nothing mattered besides his own reputation and stake in the company. Some of the employees were wondering who Mr. Hyde was that was sitting in Dr. Jekyll’s corner office. He shifted his responsibilities to his colleagues as he looked for his next position, which created more distress on the company. The company needed him to step up instead of trying to step out. He left before the company survived and turned the corner from their crisis.
This reminded me of Peter’s denial of Jesus during the intense episode of his arrest. Peter denied his association with Jesus three times because he was fearful of also being arrested and possibly facing death. Peter denied his greatest responsibility and commitment during this time of crisis.
Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.” — Matthew 26: 74-75
Is your company going through a crisis in this downturn? How are you responding? Are you satisfied with your performance? What areas can you improve upon? Are these situations allowing for a period of self-reflection? Would your colleague say these times are bringing out the best in you…or the worst? How do you know that?
Originally posted at InsideWork.
"An entrepreneur shows his true colors in a period of crisis, not in a period when everybody is having success." — Giorgio Armani on the opening of his new $40 million Manhattan store in the middle of the recession.
When I saw this quote in Fortune magazine a couple of weeks ago, I immediately thought of personal experiences seeing people for who they are under intense, competitive athletic contests, such as pickup basketball. The mild mannered guy in my dorm or the well-liked summer intern became complete morons on the basketball court. One of them was a raving lunatic who prompted me to say outloud, "Who are you?"
In some cases you can excuse rude and unsportsmanlike conduct due to ignorance, especially if the offender rarely played basketball. But for those who knew how to play, there was no excuse or cover from the clear lens that pickup basketball provided into the character of people. On the basketball court, tortoise shells disappear and your character is naked for people to see. If someone you knew was already labeled as a prick, playing a few pickup basketball games confirmed these truths and probably enhanced your perception of their character deficiencies. It’s like bad skin in HDTV, pockmarks look like craters and wrinkles like canyons.
The same goes for crisis situations in a company, especially if you’re an owner or executive. The more at risk you feel, the more your raw emotions and character comes out. Are you going to step up and execute or are you going to fade away from the challenge? Are you going to remain a supportive team member or are you going to succumb, pointing fingers and backstabbing your colleagues?
One company I was advising had an executive with a sterling reputation; The ultimate “nice guy” loved by everyone in his past firms. But he never encountered a downturn in his prior companies. When this company came under financial distress, his true colors were revealed. He became like a man in the desert for 40 days without water. Nothing mattered besides his own reputation and stake in the company. Some of the employees were wondering who Mr. Hyde was that was sitting in Dr. Jekyll’s corner office. He shifted his responsibilities to his colleagues as he looked for his next position, which created more distress on the company. The company needed him to step up instead of trying to step out. He left before the company survived and turned the corner from their crisis.
This reminded me of Peter’s denial of Jesus during the intense episode of his arrest. Peter denied his association with Jesus three times because he was fearful of also being arrested and possibly facing death. Peter denied his greatest responsibility and commitment during this time of crisis.
Then he began to call down curses on himself and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”
Immediately a rooster crowed. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.” — Matthew 26: 74-75
Is your company going through a crisis in this downturn? How are you responding? Are you satisfied with your performance? What areas can you improve upon? Are these situations allowing for a period of self-reflection? Would your colleague say these times are bringing out the best in you…or the worst? How do you know that?
Originally posted at InsideWork.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Term Sheets 101 by Justin Fishner-Wolfson
Great overview by Justin Fishner-Wolfson, who is a principal at Founders Fund. Timely too since I'm finishing up my own overview of startup financing due to various requests I get. I can point people to these slides too.
Jon Stewart & Mike Huckabee Discuss Abortion
Jon Stewart impresses me with a thoughtful discussion on abortion with Mike Huckabee. He's better than Larry King and many other "journalists" in interviewing, discussing and capturing the core points of a hot button issue.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mike Huckabee Extended Interview Pt. 1 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mike Huckabee Extended Interview Pt. 2 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mike Huckabee Extended Interview Pt. 3 | ||||
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009
News & Links List
"Persian Paranoia: Iranian leaders will always believe Anglo-Saxons are plotting against them." by Christopher Hitchens
"The Koran and the Ballot Box" NYTimes, Reuel Marc Gerecht
"The June 12 Revolution: Whatever happens in Tehran, there's no going back to the Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Republic." The Weekly Standard, Reuel Marc Gerecht
"Iranian protester pleads for U.S., world to intervene" CNN
"The Power Of Not Being Positive" Forbes Entrepreneurs
"Chris Anderson’s Free Contains Apparent Plagiarism" Virginia Quarterly Review, Waldo Jaquith
"Wired Editor Steals Content for Book About How Content Should be Free" Valleywag
"Chris Anderson Lifted Wikipedia Passages for 'Free'" Fast Company
"The Real Lessons From Twitter" Stubbleblog
"Big fine could be big trouble in downloading case" AP
"Attacks continue on Romanians in Northern Ireland" AP
"Walpin Speaks, Obama Administration Clams Up" Power Line
"The Koran and the Ballot Box" NYTimes, Reuel Marc Gerecht
"The June 12 Revolution: Whatever happens in Tehran, there's no going back to the Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Republic." The Weekly Standard, Reuel Marc Gerecht
"Iranian protester pleads for U.S., world to intervene" CNN
"The Power Of Not Being Positive" Forbes Entrepreneurs
"Chris Anderson’s Free Contains Apparent Plagiarism" Virginia Quarterly Review, Waldo Jaquith
"Wired Editor Steals Content for Book About How Content Should be Free" Valleywag
"Chris Anderson Lifted Wikipedia Passages for 'Free'" Fast Company
"The Real Lessons From Twitter" Stubbleblog
"Big fine could be big trouble in downloading case" AP
"Attacks continue on Romanians in Northern Ireland" AP
"Walpin Speaks, Obama Administration Clams Up" Power Line
Comments Are Back... Hopefully
After almost of month of my comments being down, they are back. I'm still not sure if they will work properly though. Blogger/Google did something with their templates, so my Haloscan comment system was not showing up. After several back and forths with the Haloscan team, they couldn't help me. I was resolved to use Blogger's commenting system, turned on the switch and then Haloscan's commenting system shows up. Weird.
Anyway, my blog doesn't have a culture of commenting, so this really isn't a big deal, but it's nice to have the option :)
Anyway, my blog doesn't have a culture of commenting, so this really isn't a big deal, but it's nice to have the option :)
Enquisite Seeks to Change the SEO Market
Enquisite seeks to increase the organic search traffic of a website. It fills the gap of the SEO market that lacks good metrics. I've recently seen a sprouting of SEO technology solutions whether analytics or automating optimization, so this is another entrant into this growing space. Here is a description of their solution:
"We offer an unprecedented level of rich, deep, automated keyword potential analysis and detailed segmentation that allows SEO practitioners to achieve orders of magnitude higher degree of organic search optimization. Algorithms take into account multi-variable optimization potential, not just query volume.
Bounce rate. Time on site. Actions. Conversions. And a host of other variables are woven into our optimization technology. It ensures that you spend your time and energy on optimizing the high potential keywords, not the ones that don’t matter."
Richard Zwicky is the Founder and President. He came up with the idea to create an algorithm that predicts consumer search behavior. Enquisite's technology seeks to predict who is most likely to buy a product, and then aggregates this data in a formula for pricing organic search results.
Mark Hoffman is the Chairman and CEO, who I assume Enquisite's investors brought in and a big catch for the company. As you may know, he was the Founder and CEO of Sybase and Commerce One, which were both billion dollar companies. Most recently he was CEO and President of Everdream, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) desktop management provider, which was acquired by Dell.
It will be interesting to see how effective their technology and analytics are, and how it will affect the SEO market. While their literature states it's for SEO practitioners, I assume it will be a threat to traditional SEO agencies and consultants. If you have the tools in-house with a decent marketing team, why would you need to outsource out your SEO effort? Enquisite is one of a few new companies that seeks to open the curtain behind the wizards of SEO. Let's see how this plays out.
"We offer an unprecedented level of rich, deep, automated keyword potential analysis and detailed segmentation that allows SEO practitioners to achieve orders of magnitude higher degree of organic search optimization. Algorithms take into account multi-variable optimization potential, not just query volume.
Bounce rate. Time on site. Actions. Conversions. And a host of other variables are woven into our optimization technology. It ensures that you spend your time and energy on optimizing the high potential keywords, not the ones that don’t matter."
Richard Zwicky is the Founder and President. He came up with the idea to create an algorithm that predicts consumer search behavior. Enquisite's technology seeks to predict who is most likely to buy a product, and then aggregates this data in a formula for pricing organic search results.
Mark Hoffman is the Chairman and CEO, who I assume Enquisite's investors brought in and a big catch for the company. As you may know, he was the Founder and CEO of Sybase and Commerce One, which were both billion dollar companies. Most recently he was CEO and President of Everdream, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) desktop management provider, which was acquired by Dell.
It will be interesting to see how effective their technology and analytics are, and how it will affect the SEO market. While their literature states it's for SEO practitioners, I assume it will be a threat to traditional SEO agencies and consultants. If you have the tools in-house with a decent marketing team, why would you need to outsource out your SEO effort? Enquisite is one of a few new companies that seeks to open the curtain behind the wizards of SEO. Let's see how this plays out.
Donald Fehr Stepping Down as Head of MLBPA
Good riddance. Fehr was part of the steroid problem along with Bud and others. Story from ESPN here.
Monday, June 22, 2009
More Than Money Conference, July 17th-19th
One of our companies, InsideWork, is a niche media company focused on the intersection of faith and business and is hosting an event called More Than Money in San Francisco July 17th-19th. A summary is here:
"More Than Money is a major professional finance event focused on the global economy. The keynote presentations feature top flight private fund managers, economists and experts in international finance with first rate insights into the impact of current global economics on your business and investments and your intentions to transfer those assets and responsibilities to your business successors and heirs.
InsideWork® has constructed the More Than Money conference on a robust platform of spiritually enlivened business intelligence—the Financial Times in one hand; the ancient wisdom of the Bible in the other. That’s the context in which More Than Money presents a rich understanding of strategic risk management that encompasses the whole range of capital issues, including the multigenerational relationship of capital with our emergent company leaders and children."
We have an excellent line up of speakers that includes:
- Ted Lucas, Founder & Managing Partner at Lattice Capital.
- Os Guinness, Senior Fellow at EastWest Institute, who is an excellent commentator on culture, public policy and how it intersects with faith.
- Jay Richards, Director of Media, Acton Institute & Author of Money, Greed, and God
The event is crafted to be intimate and limited to 120 attendees. It's open to all and ideally targets boomers dealing with various issues around wealth management. If you're interested in attending, register here.
"More Than Money is a major professional finance event focused on the global economy. The keynote presentations feature top flight private fund managers, economists and experts in international finance with first rate insights into the impact of current global economics on your business and investments and your intentions to transfer those assets and responsibilities to your business successors and heirs.
InsideWork® has constructed the More Than Money conference on a robust platform of spiritually enlivened business intelligence—the Financial Times in one hand; the ancient wisdom of the Bible in the other. That’s the context in which More Than Money presents a rich understanding of strategic risk management that encompasses the whole range of capital issues, including the multigenerational relationship of capital with our emergent company leaders and children."
We have an excellent line up of speakers that includes:
- Ted Lucas, Founder & Managing Partner at Lattice Capital.
- Os Guinness, Senior Fellow at EastWest Institute, who is an excellent commentator on culture, public policy and how it intersects with faith.
- Jay Richards, Director of Media, Acton Institute & Author of Money, Greed, and God
The event is crafted to be intimate and limited to 120 attendees. It's open to all and ideally targets boomers dealing with various issues around wealth management. If you're interested in attending, register here.
2010 Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest
From the Independent Institute...
The Independent Institute is pleased to announce the 2010 Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest. The Independent Institute, in cooperation with the John M. Templeton Foundation, will award a total of $26,500 in prize money to the contest winners.
The Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest is open to college students (undergrads and grad students) and untenured college teachers from around the world. All entrants must be under 36 years old on the May 3, 2010, contest deadline.
The essay topic for the 2010 contest pertains to a quotation from the French political economist Frederic Bastiat:
"Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone." --Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850)
Assuming Bastiat is correct, what ideas or reforms could be developed to make people better aware that government wants to live at their expense?
Junior Faculty Division:
1st Prize: $10,000
2nd Prize: $7,500
3rd Prize: $4,000
Student Division:
1st Prize: $2,500
2nd Prize: $1,500
3rd Prize: $1,000
In addition to the cash prizes, winners will receive assistance in getting their papers published and two-year subscriptions to The Independent Review. Selected winners will be given assistance to present their paper at a professional meeting or other public forum. The winners will be announced in October, 2010. (Winners of the 2009 Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest will be announced in October, 2009.)
More information about the 2010 Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest, including rules, bibliography, and winning essays from previous years here.
The Independent Institute is pleased to announce the 2010 Sir John M. Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest. The Independent Institute, in cooperation with the John M. Templeton Foundation, will award a total of $26,500 in prize money to the contest winners.
The Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest is open to college students (undergrads and grad students) and untenured college teachers from around the world. All entrants must be under 36 years old on the May 3, 2010, contest deadline.
The essay topic for the 2010 contest pertains to a quotation from the French political economist Frederic Bastiat:
"Everyone wants to live at the expense of the state. They forget that the state wants to live at the expense of everyone." --Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850)
Assuming Bastiat is correct, what ideas or reforms could be developed to make people better aware that government wants to live at their expense?
Junior Faculty Division:
1st Prize: $10,000
2nd Prize: $7,500
3rd Prize: $4,000
Student Division:
1st Prize: $2,500
2nd Prize: $1,500
3rd Prize: $1,000
In addition to the cash prizes, winners will receive assistance in getting their papers published and two-year subscriptions to The Independent Review. Selected winners will be given assistance to present their paper at a professional meeting or other public forum. The winners will be announced in October, 2010. (Winners of the 2009 Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest will be announced in October, 2009.)
More information about the 2010 Templeton Fellowships Essay Contest, including rules, bibliography, and winning essays from previous years here.
Google Fusion Tables
Out of Google Labs is Fusion Tables where you can share and discuss data that you upload here. Very cool.
They started with a table of Country GDPs in the world, Global Climate Change Projections, and some others. Check it out.
They started with a table of Country GDPs in the world, Global Climate Change Projections, and some others. Check it out.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Guy Kawasaki's 10 Ways to Use Linkedin
Good overview by Guy.
Linkedin
View more Microsoft Word documents from Guy Kawasaki.
Friday, June 19, 2009
"Lines That Divide" Documentary Preview Clips
Some great clips from the "Lines That Divide" documentary.
Chuck Colson, Founder of Prison Fellowship:
"Lines that Divide is a much needed tool for equipping concerned citizens with a comprehensive view of the science and ethics shaping the stem-cell debate today. The film spotlights the breakthroughs being made by adult stem-cell therapy — breakthroughs which are not receiving equal funding or equal media coverage. All of us who believe in supporting life should see this film and recommend it to others."
Leading experts, William Hurlbut (Stanford University), Philip Schwartz, Wesley J. Smith, and Samuel Wood on the use of human embryos for research.
Christopher Reeve on Charlie Rose discussing human cloning. William Hurlbut on arguments made from suffering and the "greatest good for the greatest number".
Chuck Colson, Founder of Prison Fellowship:
"Lines that Divide is a much needed tool for equipping concerned citizens with a comprehensive view of the science and ethics shaping the stem-cell debate today. The film spotlights the breakthroughs being made by adult stem-cell therapy — breakthroughs which are not receiving equal funding or equal media coverage. All of us who believe in supporting life should see this film and recommend it to others."
Leading experts, William Hurlbut (Stanford University), Philip Schwartz, Wesley J. Smith, and Samuel Wood on the use of human embryos for research.
Christopher Reeve on Charlie Rose discussing human cloning. William Hurlbut on arguments made from suffering and the "greatest good for the greatest number".
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Q&A with Clay Shirky on Twitter and Iran
TED's Chris Anderson interviews Clay Shirky:
NYU professor Clay Shirky gave a fantastic talk on new media during our TED@State event earlier this month. He revealed how cellphones, the web, Facebook and Twitter had changed the rules of the game, allowing ordinary citizens extraordinary new powers to impact real-world events. As protests in Iran exploded over the weekend, we decided to rush out his talk, because it could hardly be more relevant. I caught up with Clay this afternoon to get his take on the significance of what is happening. HIs excitement was palpable.
What do you make of what's going on in Iran right now.
I'm always a little reticent to draw lessons from things still unfolding, but it seems pretty clear that ... this is it. The big one. This is the first revolution that has been catapulted onto a global stage and transformed by social media. I've been thinking a lot about the Chicago demonstrations of 1968 where they chanted "the whole world is watching." Really, that wasn't true then. But this time it's true ... and people throughout the world are not only listening but responding. They're engaging with individual participants, they're passing on their messages to their friends, and they're even providing detailed instructions to enable web proxies allowing Internet access that the authorities can't immediately censor. That kind of participation is reallly extraordinary... (full post)
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
New & Links List
"Private Equity and Venture Capital To Be Regulated" PEHub
"The Young Entrepreneur Myth" by Paul Kedrosky
Very cool demo of the new Xbox gaming technology.
"'#CNNFail': Twitterverse slams network's Iran absence" CNET's Webware
"The Greatest Company in the History of the World" The Motley Fool
"Durbin cashed out during big stock collapse" Chicago Sun-Times
"Why I went on 'The O'Reilly Factor'" Salon's Joan Walsh
"“Conservatives” Are Single-Largest Ideological Group" Gallup
"The Young Entrepreneur Myth" by Paul Kedrosky
Very cool demo of the new Xbox gaming technology.
"'#CNNFail': Twitterverse slams network's Iran absence" CNET's Webware
"The Greatest Company in the History of the World" The Motley Fool
"Durbin cashed out during big stock collapse" Chicago Sun-Times
"Why I went on 'The O'Reilly Factor'" Salon's Joan Walsh
"“Conservatives” Are Single-Largest Ideological Group" Gallup
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Things A Venture Capitalist and Startup Founder Will Never Say
Two very amusing slide decks were posted at TechCrunch.
"Things A Venture Capitalist Will Never Say"
"Things A Startup Founder Will Never Say"
"Things A Venture Capitalist Will Never Say"
VC Non Admissions
View more Microsoft Word documents from vcobserver.
"Things A Startup Founder Will Never Say"
Founder Non-Admissions
View more OpenOffice presentations from Chris Yeh.
Monday, June 15, 2009
"Lines That Divide": A Documentary on the Stem Cell Debate
The "Lines That Divide" website is up, so that you can get a preview of the documentary and considering purchasing the DVD.
About the Film
Stem cell research: A potential miracle cure for diseases or a form of biological colonialism? The debate still rages over this controversial science. Supporters argue that it is our moral duty to pursue scientific progress that provides healing hope for humanity. Detractors argue that the ends don't justify the means in harvesting some human life to save others. This documentary seeks to educate the public on the scientific basics of stem cell research and the moral issues surrounding it as we enter the 21st century.
First, the viewer is introduced to the basic science of stem cells and how they are gathered for medical use. Embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells are both explained along with their similarities, differences and methods of procurement. Scientific issues are examined, such as the benefits, drawbacks, and scientific and medical results of both.
The documentary also introduces the moral issues being argued in the public square ñ issues of human life and the medical utilization of embryos, as well as womenÃs health issues that arise from the procurement of eggs used in much of the research. Scientists, doctors and ethicists on both sides weigh in with their views.
One of the solutions to achieving the mass amount of stem cell lines needed for this burgeoning stem cell industry is cloning. The documentary examines cloning, what it is, what it isnÃt, as well as the current scientific, moral and political issues surrounding this volatile issue in the debate.
Lastly, the film looks at the horizon of scientific and medical research in stem cells. New and alternate forms of creating or accumulating stem cells seem to be making breakthroughs monthly around the world as scientists explore the vistas of possibilities, while seeking to address the ethical issues surrounding the lines that divide.
About the Film
Stem cell research: A potential miracle cure for diseases or a form of biological colonialism? The debate still rages over this controversial science. Supporters argue that it is our moral duty to pursue scientific progress that provides healing hope for humanity. Detractors argue that the ends don't justify the means in harvesting some human life to save others. This documentary seeks to educate the public on the scientific basics of stem cell research and the moral issues surrounding it as we enter the 21st century.
First, the viewer is introduced to the basic science of stem cells and how they are gathered for medical use. Embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells are both explained along with their similarities, differences and methods of procurement. Scientific issues are examined, such as the benefits, drawbacks, and scientific and medical results of both.
The documentary also introduces the moral issues being argued in the public square ñ issues of human life and the medical utilization of embryos, as well as womenÃs health issues that arise from the procurement of eggs used in much of the research. Scientists, doctors and ethicists on both sides weigh in with their views.
One of the solutions to achieving the mass amount of stem cell lines needed for this burgeoning stem cell industry is cloning. The documentary examines cloning, what it is, what it isnÃt, as well as the current scientific, moral and political issues surrounding this volatile issue in the debate.
Lastly, the film looks at the horizon of scientific and medical research in stem cells. New and alternate forms of creating or accumulating stem cells seem to be making breakthroughs monthly around the world as scientists explore the vistas of possibilities, while seeking to address the ethical issues surrounding the lines that divide.
Twitter Spam: 3 Ways Scammers are Filling Twitter With Junk
My op-ed at Mashable is up, "Twitter Spam: 3 Ways Scammers are Filling Twitter With Junk"
My first tech op-ed in 6 months! This correlates with our newborn girls sleeping through the night :) One of my hobbies had to give over these past six months.
Anyway, there were some minor edits to my piece, but one that I was sad that was taken out was my second poke at "joint venture marketing":
(Mashable post)
Do they even realize a joint venture is just a type of partnership a company might form with another company? That it isn’t a concept that deserves a whole category within marketing or corporate development? I was thinking of some equivalents to “joint venture marketing” in other fields. It would be like a chef trying to sell “deep fried cooking” or “charbroiled cooking” in an infomercial.
(original draft)
Do they even realize a joint venture is just a type of partnership a company might form with another company? That it isn’t a concept that deserves a whole category within marketing or corporate development? I was thinking of some equivalents to “joint venture marketing” in other fields. It would be like a chef trying to sell “deep fried cooking” or “charbroiled cooking” in an infomercial. Or claiming a “new” concept such as “foreplay sex.”
:)
Twitter Bubble?
Last week there was some buzz on Twitter hitting a plateau. Maybe Twitter has hit its peak?
"Has Twitter (Gasp) Hit a Ceiling?" BNET
"Twitter hype punctured by study
Micro-blogging service Twitter remains the preserve of a few, despite the hype surrounding it, according to research." BBC
"Has Twitter (Gasp) Hit a Ceiling?" BNET
"Twitter hype punctured by study
Micro-blogging service Twitter remains the preserve of a few, despite the hype surrounding it, according to research." BBC
Friday, June 12, 2009
News & Links List
"Angels Go Where VCs Fear To Tread" BNET
"Does the Venture Industry Need to Shrink by Half?" Bits from The NY Times
"After 25 years, Tetris has sold 125 million copies" VentureBeat
"A Really Interesting Online Education Company in Korea: Megastudy" AboveTheCrowd.com
"Smart Social Networking For Your Small Business" Forbes
"The Start-up Guru: Y Combinator's Paul Graham" Inc.
"Ten Commandments from Entrepreneurial 'Evangelist' Guy Kawasaki" Knowledge@Wharton
"How Hyundai Sells More When Everyone Else Is Selling Less" Knowledge@Wharton
"Miracle Biofuel Plant Jatropha Reveals Its Achilles Heel" BNET
"On Hardball: Journalist Links Rush Limbaugh to Holocaust Museum Shooting" NewsBusters
"Trust on Issues: Voters Now Trust Republicans More than Democrats on Economic Issues" Rasmussen Reports
"Does the Venture Industry Need to Shrink by Half?" Bits from The NY Times
"After 25 years, Tetris has sold 125 million copies" VentureBeat
"A Really Interesting Online Education Company in Korea: Megastudy" AboveTheCrowd.com
"Smart Social Networking For Your Small Business" Forbes
"The Start-up Guru: Y Combinator's Paul Graham" Inc.
"Ten Commandments from Entrepreneurial 'Evangelist' Guy Kawasaki" Knowledge@Wharton
"How Hyundai Sells More When Everyone Else Is Selling Less" Knowledge@Wharton
"Miracle Biofuel Plant Jatropha Reveals Its Achilles Heel" BNET
"On Hardball: Journalist Links Rush Limbaugh to Holocaust Museum Shooting" NewsBusters
"Trust on Issues: Voters Now Trust Republicans More than Democrats on Economic Issues" Rasmussen Reports
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Google China: The Chinese Internet Overview
A presentation by Kai-Fu Lee, President of Google Greater China, during the Geeks on a Plane Tour this week. My wife, Christine, introduced Kai-Fu to George Godula, one of the organizers for Geeks on a Plane, last year for another one of his events since she worked with Kai-Fu.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Feedmil, A Long Tail Search Engine
Catching up on "long tail" startups I know of :) Feedmil is a startup out of Seoul National University in Korea led by Prof. John Park. More from their site:
"Feedmil is a feed search engine featuring a spam-free, topic-focused search for a variety of feed types including blogs, microblogs, public and social media feeds as well as podcasts. Feedmil’s goal is to help people search feeds of interest in the most efficient and easiest possible way through the use of innovative technologies and user interfaces.
Feedmil improves the entire feed search process. In the search interface, feedmil allows users to specify not only the query but also the popularity range of feeds, enabling them to quickly discover high quality but less popular feeds located in the long tail of millions of feeds. On the search result page, feedmil gives a new feed search experience that is focused on quality and topic relevance beyond just popularity. With powerful slider controls for adjusting topic significance, users will be able to get more accurate results and at the same time explore the feeds they like serendipitously."
"Feedmil is a feed search engine featuring a spam-free, topic-focused search for a variety of feed types including blogs, microblogs, public and social media feeds as well as podcasts. Feedmil’s goal is to help people search feeds of interest in the most efficient and easiest possible way through the use of innovative technologies and user interfaces.
Feedmil improves the entire feed search process. In the search interface, feedmil allows users to specify not only the query but also the popularity range of feeds, enabling them to quickly discover high quality but less popular feeds located in the long tail of millions of feeds. On the search result page, feedmil gives a new feed search experience that is focused on quality and topic relevance beyond just popularity. With powerful slider controls for adjusting topic significance, users will be able to get more accurate results and at the same time explore the feeds they like serendipitously."
AC360: North Korea Encounter
Jim Butterworth, producer and director of "Seoul Train", and Mike Kim, author of Escaping North Korea, were on AC360 last night.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
"Top Conservative Pundits on Twitter"
Red County has kindly included me in their "Top Conservative Pundits on Twitter." I'm sitting at #88 out of 100, but rapidly declining since last week I was at #73.
Sort of feel like Danny Ainge, who played professional basketball and baseball but primarily known for his NBA days, since this blog is primarily about technology & entrepreneurship but getting a little recognition in the political realm. And I definitely wouldn't use a Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders comparison since there is no superstar action going here :)
Sort of feel like Danny Ainge, who played professional basketball and baseball but primarily known for his NBA days, since this blog is primarily about technology & entrepreneurship but getting a little recognition in the political realm. And I definitely wouldn't use a Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders comparison since there is no superstar action going here :)
Monday, June 8, 2009
News & Links List
"The Morality And Effectiveness Of Process Journalism" by Michael Arrington
"Product v. process journalism: The myth of perfection v. beta culture" by Jeff Jarvis
"Playfish excels with quality cross-platform games" VentureBeat
"E3 2009 with Gaming Expert Dean Takahashi - Day 2 (video)" Ooyala's Blog
"Time Magazine Explains Twitter" Mashable, Adam Ostrow
"Newsweek, Around the Bend" Power Line
"Newsweek’s Evan Thomas: Obama Is ‘Sort of God’" NewsBusters
"Rising Interest on Nations’ Debts May Sap World Growth" NYTimes
"The Bond War
Why Paul Krugman and Niall Ferguson are hammering each other about T-Bill interest rates." Slate
HatTip to Patrick P.
"Poll: Most oppose closing Gitmo" USAToday
"Sacrifice and the Greatest Generation
These are the young Americans who went thousands of miles and defeated the mightiest military empires ever unleashed against us." by Tom Brokaw
"The TED Commandments - rules every speaker needs to know" by Tim Longhurst
"Product v. process journalism: The myth of perfection v. beta culture" by Jeff Jarvis
"Playfish excels with quality cross-platform games" VentureBeat
"E3 2009 with Gaming Expert Dean Takahashi - Day 2 (video)" Ooyala's Blog
"Time Magazine Explains Twitter" Mashable, Adam Ostrow
"Newsweek, Around the Bend" Power Line
"Newsweek’s Evan Thomas: Obama Is ‘Sort of God’" NewsBusters
"Rising Interest on Nations’ Debts May Sap World Growth" NYTimes
"The Bond War
Why Paul Krugman and Niall Ferguson are hammering each other about T-Bill interest rates." Slate
HatTip to Patrick P.
"Poll: Most oppose closing Gitmo" USAToday
"Sacrifice and the Greatest Generation
These are the young Americans who went thousands of miles and defeated the mightiest military empires ever unleashed against us." by Tom Brokaw
"The TED Commandments - rules every speaker needs to know" by Tim Longhurst
PJ Kim for NYC District #1
Our friend, PJ Kim, is running in the Democratic Primary for New York City Council on September 15, 2009. PJ's seeking to represent City Council District 1, which covers all of Lower Manhattan, including: Chinatown, Tribeca, Soho, Little Italy, Battery Park City, the Financial District and parts of the Lower East Side and Greenwich Village.
We've known PJ since he was in high school. He's brilliant, thoughtful and a person of character. For the people living in District #1, he would be great representative. More on PJ here.
We've known PJ since he was in high school. He's brilliant, thoughtful and a person of character. For the people living in District #1, he would be great representative. More on PJ here.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Everyday Genius: 9 Steps to Awaken Your Creative Genius
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
"Human being are gifted with an unlimited potential for learning and creativity. The problem is that we spend most our lives living and working in a flawed system that results in many people never really learning to embrace creativity and never connecting with their true talents and potential. In this mini-workshop you will find out ways to learn some new ways to "think differently" and harness your own creative genius."
"Human being are gifted with an unlimited potential for learning and creativity. The problem is that we spend most our lives living and working in a flawed system that results in many people never really learning to embrace creativity and never connecting with their true talents and potential. In this mini-workshop you will find out ways to learn some new ways to "think differently" and harness your own creative genius."
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
News & Links List
"CrunchPad: The Launch Prototype" TechCrunch
"Intuit’s SaaS Roll-Up Begins With PayCycle" Sramana Mitra
"An open letter to Jason Calacanis" The Fluther Blog
Calacanis stealing Fluther users' content.
"Why Are the Most Creative People in Business Skipping Out on Web 2.0?" Fast Company
"Why China Isn’t 'The Next Silicon Valley'" TechCrunch, Sarah Lacy
"At Publishers' Convention, Is the Writing On the Wall?
Book Industry Braces For Paperless Future" The Washington Post
"Tim Draper unveils the XChange marketplace
As VCs look for liquidity, private-company stock exchanges are emerging on both coasts." VatorNews
"GM CEO: Higher Oil Prices + Fuel Economy = Business Plan" BNET
"The 31-Year-Old in Charge of Dismantling G.M." NYTimes
"As JP Morgan, AMEX, Morgan Stanley & BoA Raise Billions, Barclays Fires Warning Shot" BNET
"Can Andrew Breitbart Save Hollywood?" by Ned Rice
"Faith in the Poor: Grameen CEO Sees an Entrepreneurial Path from Poverty" Knowledge@Wharton
"Intuit’s SaaS Roll-Up Begins With PayCycle" Sramana Mitra
"An open letter to Jason Calacanis" The Fluther Blog
Calacanis stealing Fluther users' content.
"Why Are the Most Creative People in Business Skipping Out on Web 2.0?" Fast Company
"Why China Isn’t 'The Next Silicon Valley'" TechCrunch, Sarah Lacy
"At Publishers' Convention, Is the Writing On the Wall?
Book Industry Braces For Paperless Future" The Washington Post
"Tim Draper unveils the XChange marketplace
As VCs look for liquidity, private-company stock exchanges are emerging on both coasts." VatorNews
"GM CEO: Higher Oil Prices + Fuel Economy = Business Plan" BNET
"The 31-Year-Old in Charge of Dismantling G.M." NYTimes
"As JP Morgan, AMEX, Morgan Stanley & BoA Raise Billions, Barclays Fires Warning Shot" BNET
"Can Andrew Breitbart Save Hollywood?" by Ned Rice
"Faith in the Poor: Grameen CEO Sees an Entrepreneurial Path from Poverty" Knowledge@Wharton
5 Best Stanford Tutorials in Financing
VentureBeat's Entrepreneur Corner has some good videos on startup financing:
How Much Money to Raise?
Five Metrics for Venture Success
The Dynamic Relationship Between an Entrepreneur and VC
Silicon Valley: The Capital of Venture Capital
Angel Investing Revealed
How Much Money to Raise?
Five Metrics for Venture Success
The Dynamic Relationship Between an Entrepreneur and VC
Silicon Valley: The Capital of Venture Capital
Angel Investing Revealed
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Candlelight Vigil for Laura Ling and Euna Lee in San Francisco & Los Angeles!
For those of you that haven't heard, here is the background story:
"Laura Ling and Euna Lee, their cameraman Mitch Koss and their Korean Chinese guide had entered China to interview North Korean defectors living along the PRC-DPRK border near the Tumen River. According to JoongAng Ilbo, a Seoul based newspaper, they were detained by North Korean border guards on March 17 as they were walking along the shallow Tumen River into North Korea. Although Koss and the Korean Chinese guide were able to escape captured by the North Korean, Koss was detained by Chinese Border guards, and released.
North Korea has stated “they’re suspected of hostile acts”, and has charged them with spying and illegally crossing the border. Their trial date is set for June 4. If found guilty, they could be served a sentence of five to ten years in prison.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been held in seperate cells, in North Korea, since March 17th. We are asking for your help. Will you?"
On JUNE 3rd, there will be candlelight Vigils for Laura and Euna nationwide. For San Francisco and Los Angeles, here is the information:
SAN FRANCISCO
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Front Steps of San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA
Organizers: Lynn Perkins, Mike Shen, Gibson Pearl
LOS ANGELES
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:
Wokcano
1413 5th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Organizers: Teddy Zee, Welly Yang, Kelly Hu and Dina Morishita
We have changed the time of the Los Angeles Vigil to 6:30 because CNN's Anderson Cooper will be feeding live with Lisa Ling. This will coincide with the beginning of Laura and Euna's trial so it's very important that they have all the support we can possibly muster!
Please come out on Wednesday, June 3rd! Let's all tell the world we want Laura and Euna to come home!
Message from Dina Morishita:
"As many of you may know, Laura's family and Euna's husband and their 4 year-old daughter were on the Today Show this morning. I know it's hard to watch TV in the mornings so I am forwarding you the link.
Please take a moment to watch their families' heartfelt pleas to get their loved ones home."
"Laura Ling and Euna Lee, their cameraman Mitch Koss and their Korean Chinese guide had entered China to interview North Korean defectors living along the PRC-DPRK border near the Tumen River. According to JoongAng Ilbo, a Seoul based newspaper, they were detained by North Korean border guards on March 17 as they were walking along the shallow Tumen River into North Korea. Although Koss and the Korean Chinese guide were able to escape captured by the North Korean, Koss was detained by Chinese Border guards, and released.
North Korea has stated “they’re suspected of hostile acts”, and has charged them with spying and illegally crossing the border. Their trial date is set for June 4. If found guilty, they could be served a sentence of five to ten years in prison.
Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been held in seperate cells, in North Korea, since March 17th. We are asking for your help. Will you?"
On JUNE 3rd, there will be candlelight Vigils for Laura and Euna nationwide. For San Francisco and Los Angeles, here is the information:
SAN FRANCISCO
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:
Front Steps of San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA
Organizers: Lynn Perkins, Mike Shen, Gibson Pearl
LOS ANGELES
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location:
Wokcano
1413 5th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Organizers: Teddy Zee, Welly Yang, Kelly Hu and Dina Morishita
We have changed the time of the Los Angeles Vigil to 6:30 because CNN's Anderson Cooper will be feeding live with Lisa Ling. This will coincide with the beginning of Laura and Euna's trial so it's very important that they have all the support we can possibly muster!
Please come out on Wednesday, June 3rd! Let's all tell the world we want Laura and Euna to come home!
Message from Dina Morishita:
"As many of you may know, Laura's family and Euna's husband and their 4 year-old daughter were on the Today Show this morning. I know it's hard to watch TV in the mornings so I am forwarding you the link.
Please take a moment to watch their families' heartfelt pleas to get their loved ones home."
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Monday, June 1, 2009
News & Links List
"Republican PR Director Calls Facebook’s Randi Zuckerberg “totally full of sh*t”" TechCrunch
"Web Trends: What's New in 2009, Part 2" ReadWriteWeb
"Is There a Glass Ceiling for Asians in Silicon Valley?" by Chris Yeh
HatTip to Patrick P.
"They Can Build Them; Why Can't We?
Stubborn unions, a culture of conflict, poor quality and bad political decisions helped cripple Detroit." Forbes
"Seven Fascinating Stories About Human Nature" Fast Company
"The Truth About ObamACORN" by Michelle Malkin
"Would You Slap Your Father? If So, You’re a Liberal" NYTimes
HatTip to Dave L.
"TILLER'S KILLER ARRESTED! ...Update: Scott Roeder Arrested- Has Record ...Update: Member of Anarchist Group" Gateway Pundit
"On the Street and On Facebook: The Homeless Stay Wired
Mr. Pitts Lacks a Mailing Address But He's Got a Computer and a Web Forum" WSJ
"Web Trends: What's New in 2009, Part 2" ReadWriteWeb
"Is There a Glass Ceiling for Asians in Silicon Valley?" by Chris Yeh
HatTip to Patrick P.
"They Can Build Them; Why Can't We?
Stubborn unions, a culture of conflict, poor quality and bad political decisions helped cripple Detroit." Forbes
"Seven Fascinating Stories About Human Nature" Fast Company
"The Truth About ObamACORN" by Michelle Malkin
"Would You Slap Your Father? If So, You’re a Liberal" NYTimes
HatTip to Dave L.
"TILLER'S KILLER ARRESTED! ...Update: Scott Roeder Arrested- Has Record ...Update: Member of Anarchist Group" Gateway Pundit
"On the Street and On Facebook: The Homeless Stay Wired
Mr. Pitts Lacks a Mailing Address But He's Got a Computer and a Web Forum" WSJ
CHANGETHIS A Creative Manifesto: Why the Place You Choose to Live is the Most Important Decision of Your Life
Presentation by Richard Florida, author of "The Rise of the Creative Class"
Florida has identified some compelling themes and trends about our future. Check out the slides and here are some extracted points:
- Why the Place You Choose to Live is the Most Important Decision of Your Life...
- The world is moving to a creativity based economy...
- Why Some Cities Are Creative Winners: Talent, Technology, and Tolerance...
- The World is Spiky... Talent, economic growth and innovation are becoming increasingly concentrated in a few dozen regions around the world..."
Florida has identified some compelling themes and trends about our future. Check out the slides and here are some extracted points:
- Why the Place You Choose to Live is the Most Important Decision of Your Life...
- The world is moving to a creativity based economy...
- Why Some Cities Are Creative Winners: Talent, Technology, and Tolerance...
- The World is Spiky... Talent, economic growth and innovation are becoming increasingly concentrated in a few dozen regions around the world..."
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