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• 
  Guy Kawasaki

• How to Avoid Gullibility

  GuyKawasaki

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 pm

  We’ve all been sucked into doing something stupid, right? Fortunately, Steven Greenspan has written a book called Annals of Gullibility. In its conclusion he explains how to avoid gullibility, and I’ve provided a synopsis for you. Read the full story at the American Express Open Forum. More on psychology if you need the advice.

• How to Be Empathetic

  GuyKawasaki

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:24 pm

  By definition, good marketers are empathetic. That is, they have a capacity to understand and care for the needs of others. Bruna Martinuzzi explains how to be empathetic over at the American Express Open Forum.

• How to Not Be Annoying on Twitter

  GuyKawasaki

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:19 pm

  Amber MacArthur explains how to not be annoying on Twitter over at the American Express Open Forum. Sage advice for you to develop a great reputation and following on Twitter. More Twitter tips.

• The Elements of Guyle: British Blogging

  GuyKawasaki

  27 Jan 2010 | 10:06 pm

  Want to make your blog classier? You should blog like a Brit. I explain how to do this in ten easy steps.

• How to follow the Apple announcement

  GuyKawasaki

  27 Jan 2010 | 7:56 am

  Follow the Apple announcement at Apple.alltop. We aggregate over 200 sources there.

• 
  Seth Godin

• TEDthink

  Seth Godin

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am

  Can you factor this? If you're like most people, you get a little queasy at the thought. And when you were in tenth grade, you surely wondered why they were bothering you.(the answer is (x-2) times (x-2), in case you were curious.)It turns out that the real reason you needed to do this work was to be able to play with numbers in your head. Abstract numerical thought is an important skill among educated people.Which brings us to TED, a conference held every year in Long Beach. It's going on right now. Watch a few TED videos and try to get ahead of the speaker. They have an idea...it's probably…

• Frightened, clueless or uninformed?

  Seth Godin

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:57 am

  In the face of significant change and opportunity, people are often one of the three. If you're going to be of assistance, it helps to know which one.Uninformed people need information and insight in order to figure out what to do next. They are approaching the problem with optimism and calm, but they need to be taught. Uninformed is not a pejorative term, it's a temporary state.Clueless people don't know what to do and they don't know that they don't know what to do. They don't know the right questions to ask. Giving them instructions is insufficient. First, they need to be sold on what the…

• The least I could do

  Seth Godin

  7 Feb 2010 | 3:35 am

  One way to think about running a successful business is to figure out what the least you can do is, and do that. That's actually what they spent most of my time at business school teaching me.No sense putting more on that pizza, sending more staff to that event, answering the phone in fewer rings... what's the point? No sense being kind, looking people in the eye, being open or welcoming or grateful. Doing the least acceptable amount is the way to maximize short term profit.Of course, there's a different strategy, a crazy alternative that seems to work: do the most you can do instead of the…

• iPad app of my dreams: the digital talking pad

  Seth Godin

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:10 am

  Here's the spec. If you build it and it's great, I'll use it and I'll blog it.A while ago, I posted about the talking pad and a modern version of it.I think there's a killer app version of this for the iPad, and I hope someone will build it. The talking pad is an interactive presentation tool for smart people.OverviewIt's a very simple concept: a collection of pages (slides, images, type, let's call them pages) that are easy to navigate in a non-linear way. Along with the standard zoom features, I'd like to be able to write on any of them in real time using my finger. I can also call up, on…

• The relentless search for "tell me what to do"

  Seth Godin

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:26 am

  If you've ever hired or managed or taught, you know the feeling.People are just begging to be told what to do. There are a lot of reasons for this, but I think the biggest one is: "If you tell me what to do, the responsibility for the outcome is yours, not mine. I'm safe."When asked, resist.

• 
  Wine Library TV

• The Other 46: PA Wine Tasting with Penns Woods Winery – Episode #813

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:14 pm

  Gary sits down and tastes 3 Pennsylvanian wines with Jason Malumed from Penns Woods Winery. They talk about the “Other 46″ and the future of PA wines. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(251) Post a comment › “great episode. It's good to see that there is some potential in P…” by missatiejacket “Nice episode. Jason is a natural. QOTD: I know we're not s…” by Phredd3 View all 251 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2007 Penns Woods Chadonnay Reserve 2005 Penns Woods Melot Reserve…

• Banyuls Tasting – Episode #812

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  5 Feb 2010 | 12:43 pm

  Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 2 different Banyuls, red dessert wines from the South of France. The Grenache-based Banyuls are great value, under the radar dessert wines. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(243) Post a comment › “I don't remember ever trying a Banyuls before……” by Nik_B “I hate to say it, but I beg to differ on the wine-chocolate combo thin…” by johanisgladivin View all 243 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2007 Casa Blanca BanyulsOther French Dessert Wine 2006 Rectorie Banyuls…

• Head to Head 2007 St Veran Tasting – Episode #811

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:10 pm

  Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 2 St Verans from Burgundy side by side with some interesting results…plus a small trip through Wine Library! Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(295) Post a comment › “I've been transferring all my thunder to you Gary. Hopefully you w…” by Mike in C-town “Ok Gary. Your liking the comments, but here is my question: how to I “…” by Mike in C-town View all 295 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2007 Robert Denogent St Veran Les Pommards Vieilles VignesSt Veran…

• 2000 and 2005 Cahors Tasting – Episode #810

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  3 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pm

  Gary shows some love for the Cahors appellation in France, a region that gave the Malbec grape its start. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(465) Post a comment › “QOTD: LISTENING TO:All things Josh Homme for some reason: Q…” by Bee_Dub “MOTT CAM! MOTT CAM! MOTT CAM! Seriously, Mott Cam. Mott Cam. QOTD – Li…” by jsums View all 465 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2005 Haut Monplaisir Cahors Cuvee PrestigeCahors 2000 Chat Lagrezette Pigeonnier Cahors Cahors Links mentioned in todays…

• Pinot Noir Blind Tasting – Episode #809

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  2 Feb 2010 | 2:32 pm

  Gary blind tastes 4 different Pinot Noirs from around the world, with an interesting twist. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(536) Post a comment › “Love me some blind shows. QOTD – No. I suck. And I don't tweet. Ye…” by jsums “I love the blind shows. “trust your own palate” mantra – I haven't…” by Mike in C-town View all 536 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2006 Valli Gibbston Pinot NoirNew Zealand Pinot Noir 2006 Roco Pinot NoirWillamette Pinot Noir 2006 Tandem…

• 
  Holy Kaw!

• 13 geeky Valentine’s Day gifts

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pm

  Looking for a way to knock the argyle socks off your geeky lover this Valentine’s Day? Skip the computer programmer-themed porn and try gifting your nerdy loved one some HTTPanties or “Tweet Me” Sweethearts candy. The Huffington Post tracked down thirteen geeky gifts that scream “I love you, nerd face.” Full geeky gift list at Huffington Post. Get your geek on. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Google Buzz's official demo [video]

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:25 am

  Google has just unveiled its latest attempt to become more relevant in the social media space—Google Buzz. The product is integrated within Gmail and will be rolled out gradually to all of the webmail service’s users over the next few days. While this development is still unfolding, you can check out Google Buzz’s two-minute demo of Buzz in action both online and via mobile. What are your initial reactions? Another soon-to-be-forgotten Google product like Wave, or a Facebook/Twitter killer? Full story at Mashable. Total Google coverage. Permalink | Leave a…

• Darth Vader’s original wimpy voice [video]

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:15 am

  Imagine a galaxy far, far away where Darth Vader sounded like any other British bloke strolling down the corridors of the Death Star. Before James Earl Jones provided the menacing voice of the Dark Lord of the Sith, English actor and bodybuilder David Prowse delivered the lines from inside the Darth costume. While George Lucas never intended for Prowse’s voice to make the flick’s final cut, it’s weird to imagine how different Star Wars would have been with a different Vader voice. Full story at Huffington Post. Tons of Star Wars tidbits. Permalink | Leave a…

• 7 things you didn’t know about condoms

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:14 am

  Rubbers. Raincoats. Inconvenient. Whatever you call 'em, condoms remain a must-have in the safe sex tool box. Long before the days of Durex and Trojans, men used animal intestines to protect their willies (that sounds lovely, eh ladies?) and still to this day use lambskin condoms for latex allergies and supposed extra sensitivity. Want to learn even more fun facts about condoms that will surely impress your friends and potential lovers? Check out Asylum's seven things you probably didn't know about condoms that includes tantalizing tidbits like: Vaseline + condoms = Disintegrated rubber and…

• Horror flick mirror scare mash-up [video]

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:25 am

  Horror movies love to rely on cliches to scare the bejeezus out of us, but does it really surprise anyone that the axe murderer is going to pop in the reflection of a mirror? Ok, yes, it still totally sparks a few pee-in-pants moments. Check out this mash-up of mirror scare moments (fair warning: don’t watch alone in a big, dark, scary house): Full story at Four Four. Boo! Tons of scary and not so scary movie news. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• 
  Mashable!

• 5 Ways Airlines and Hotels Can Drive Revenue with Social Media

  Shashank Nigam

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:18 pm

  Shashank Nigam is the CEO of SimpliFlying.com, an award-winning blog on airline branding. He tweets at @simpliflying.Social media is no longer the “new” thing, especially for airlines. JetBlue has over one an a half million followers on Twitter. Lufthansa allows passengers to update their Twitter or Facebook status about where they are in the sky. AirAsia drives buzz about its new destinations through custom micro-sites. However, most airlines (and airports and hotels) are still struggling to earn direct revenue from their social media efforts.Yet if Dell can make $6.5 million from…

• Google Buzz: The Official Demo [VIDEO]

  Adam Ostrow

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:08 am

  Google has just unveiled its latest attempt to become more relevant in the social media space: Google Buzz. The product is integrated within Gmail and will be rolled out gradually to all of the webmail service’s users over the next few days.We’re still digesting all of the implications of Buzz (and will have more coverage throughout the day), but in the meantime, here’s the two-minute demo of the product in action both on the Web and via mobile that Google showed off during today’s press conference:This video from Google looks specifically at the mobile features of Buzz:What are your…

• BREAKING: Google Goes Social with Google Buzz

  Ben Parr

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:21 am

  It’s official: Google has just announced Google Buzz, its newest push into the social media foray. This confirms earlier reports of Gmail integrating a social status feature.On stage revealing the new product was Bradley Horowitz, Google’s vice president for product management. While introducing the product, Mr. Horowitz focused on the human penchant for sharing experiences and the social media phenomenon of wanting to share it in real time. These two key themes were core philosophies behind Google Buzz.“It’s becoming harder and harder to find signal in the…

• Facebook Kills Lexicon, Focuses on Analytics for Page Admins

  Samuel Axon

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:20 am

  Facebook has removed its Lexicon analytics app, blogger Steve Rubel noticed last night.Don’t know what Lexicon was? That’s OK, a lot of people didn’t; it was announced very quietly, but it was a neat tool. You could use Lexicon to see how frequently, and when, certain terms were trending in status updates, just like you can use Google Trends to do the same with search terms.For example, our own Stan Schroeder was a bit perplexed a couple years back when the word “sex” had a massive spike in usage on May 30, 2008. It was the launch day of the Sex and the City…

• 7 Ways to Promote Your Offline Event Using Social Media

  Susan Payton

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:10 am

  Susan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an internet marketing firm. She blogs at The Marketing Eggspert Blog, and teaches marketing courses at Marketing EggSchool. Follow her on Twitter @eggmarketing.We all know about Tweetups and online events, but what about events that you didn’t specifically invite the Twitterati to attend? Conferences, meetings and parties are all events that might not have started online, but which can definitely benefit from online promotion and mention.Leverage your offline event with some smart social media marketing. Here are…

• 
  The Bloggess

• This is how my whole life goes

  Jenny the bloggess

  8 Feb 2010 | 2:53 pm

  This is why I shouldn’t be allowed to be on twitter: PS.  My friend MariaMelee is truly amazing and her roach spray review was like the Iliad of roach spray reviews.   She’s awesome.  I’m going to go to bed now.

• It’s been a very long week.

  Jenny the bloggess

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:41 am

  It’s Sunday which means it’s time for my weekly wrap-up: This week on Ask the Bloggess: Sexomnia:  No one’s falling for it, asshole. I was on a lot of drugs when I wrote this but it’s still vaguely valid. This week on my sex column (which is satirical and relatively safe for work if your boss isn’t a douche canoe): How Nina Hartley became my new best friend. This week on the internets: I was on twitter too much. This week on Good Mom/Bad Mom on the Houston Chronicle: My daughter, the scientist Buckle up, buttercup. This week…

• RIP, Aunt Ollene

  Jenny the bloggess

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:04 pm

  My sister, Lisa, just called to tell me that our great aunt Ollene just died and we decided to go in together on a flower arrangement and so I ordered it online from the florist across the street from the funeral home and it was very nice because their website basically pre-populates all the funeral home info since that’s where they do most of their business but then the end of the form left me a little baffled: Huh.  Do I want you to remind me of my dead aunt’s death again next year?  Well, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I want you to bring up this painful event with an…

• It’s like they’re just doing it on purpose now.

  Jenny the bloggess

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:23 am

  Remember a few weeks ago when I fell into a shitstorm because of Dr. Pepper and then the next week the questionable Dr. Pepper was missing and instead that shelf was covered in Bawls? I just got back from Target.  The bawls have been removed.  They’ve been replaced with nuts. I couldn't even make this shit up, y'all. Honestly, it’s like the magical shelf of things-to-make-Jenny-suspect-she’s-being-videotaped. And I actually went and looked for the Bawls since so many people said I should try them but I couldn’t find them anywhere and when the clerk asked me…

• Also, I invented gravity.

  Jenny the bloggess

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:16 am

  People that I’m suing this week: 1. My 10-year-old niece, Gabi 2. The creators of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” 3. Natalie Dee Why?  Remember back in January of 2009 when I invented kitten-mittens? Remember? And you said it was awesome? Fuck. Hang on. Here’s a snippet of the post to jog your memory: …I also came up with another idea to re-purpose used breast-pumps to suck dead kittens inside out because then…TA DA!…fur-lined mittens for homeless people. I told my friend Kregg about it and he was all “That’s…weird” and I’m all “It’s…

• 
  NYT > Technology

• Google Offers Phone Help for Nexus One Owners

  By JENNA WORTHAM

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:21 pm

  After mounting complaints about the lack of customer support for the Nexus One, Google is offering a phone hotline.

• Square Feet: New Jersey, Home of the Servers

  By JOTHAM SEDERSTROM

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:18 pm

  Commercial real estate is experiencing a boom in data center construction, especially in New Jersey, thanks to its proximity to New York’s financial companies.

• Google Gets More Social With Buzz

  By ASHLEE VANCE

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:13 pm

  Google's Buzz service, which ties into Gmail, is another way for people to tell others what they're doing, thinking and feeling.

• App of the Week: Weather for Everyone

  By ROY FURCHGOTT

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:08 pm

  The Weather Underground mobile Web site works on most any Web-enabled phone, and on a smartphone you can set it up to work like an app.

• Mobile Data Traffic Expected to Surge

  By JENNA WORTHAM

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:43 am

  Mobile data traffic is expected to increase 39-fold in the next five years, according to a new report from Cisco Systems.

• 
  PhilanTopic

• Transparency: One Size Does Not Fit All

  Mitch Nauffts

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:06 am

  (Bradford Smith is president of the Foundation Center. In his previous post, he introduced the center's Glasspockets initiative and made the case for why foundations need to be more transparent The Foundation Center recently launched Glasspockets, a free Web portal designed to encourage greater transparency in the world of philanthropy. Among its many features, the one that has raised the most questions is "Who Has Glasspockets?", which profiles the nation's largest foundations according to twenty-two online transparency and accountability criteria. Every one of…

• Weekend Link Roundup (February 6 - 7, 2010)

  Regina Mahone

  7 Feb 2010 | 1:03 pm

  Our weekly roundup of new and noteworthy posts from and about the nonprofit sector.... Communications/Marketing On the Future Fundraising blog, Jeff Brooks explains how irrelevant images in fundraising appeals can "keep [your organization] from raising the funds [it] needs." Disaster Relief Writing on the Harvard Business Review blog, Uncharitable author Dan Pallotta argues that the reason people are giving so much money to Haiti relief efforts is simple: "They are hearing about it." And therein lies an important lesson for nonprofits, says Pallotta. The media is creating a huge market for…

• Financial Ratios, Babies, and Bathwater

  Mitch Nauffts

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:48 am

  (Dahna Goldstein is the founder of PhilanTech, LLC. This is her first post for PhilanTopic.) The nonprofit sector has been abuzz the last few weeks with talk of abandoning financial ratios in favor of program information to evaluate the impact of nonprofit organizations. The renewed focus on program measures was partially spurred by a joint press release issued by GuideStar, Charity Navigator, GreatNonprofits, and others. There's no question that program information is essential in evaluating nonprofit performance and impact. But let's not get carried away. There are good reasons to reject…

• Advice for Nonprofits in 2010

  Mitch Nauffts

  4 Feb 2010 | 2:46 pm

  News that Yale University plans to cut staff and research initiatives to close a $150 million budget deficit and today's 3 percent drop in the S&P 500 should serves as a reminder to nonprofit leaders that it's still too early to run up the "all clear" flag on this economic downturn. As one well-heeled donor told researchers at Dini Partners, a management and fundraising consulting firm with offices in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and Denver: "The economy is like the Grand Canyon. The free fall is over, but there's a river to be crossed before we climb up the other side." Dini has…

• Readings (and Other Stuff) - Feb. 3, 2010

  Regina Mahone

  3 Feb 2010 | 2:05 pm

  Here are a few items that caught our attention today: Benjamin Jealous: Celebrating the Unsung Heroes of Black History (Social Entrepreneurship) The Unsung Hero Project (NAACP) Eric Foley: Are Donors Diverting Their Money From Your Nonprofit/Cause to Haiti? (Transformational Giving) Allan Chernoff: Is the American Red Cross Worthy of Our Donations? (CNN) Holden Karnofsky: Does Haiti Earthquake Relief Have Room for More Funding? (GiveWell) Shawn Escoffery: First Lines on the Second Line (Greater New Orleans Foundation) Michael Hamill Remaley: What Constitutes Transparency? Tamar Snyder: Will…

• 
  TechnologyStory.com

• Cloud Migration Strategy

  Technology Story

  30 Jan 2010 | 10:30 am

  Open any IT magazine today and there will be at least one article, and five advertisements for some new cloud computing product or service. It is not even fun anymore to talk about how big The Cloud will one day be, now how it might change the world. The only interesting things left to think about are what might the uber cloud look like, what will the various flavors of clouds that create it be (public, private, specialized, milspec, etc), and how should organizations migrate to it. Most companies are already headed there because they are using at least one SaaS application, so even if the…

• The Slate/Tablet Option

  Technology Story

  18 Jan 2010 | 8:53 am

  It seems that one of the most popular things for tech reporters to do these days is pass on rumors and prognostications about what Apple might do with their possible tablet product.  At the same time, a number of companies announced their slate/tablet options at CES a couple of weeks ago.  The second most popular thing to write about is dilemma these devices have in finding a home between the laptop and the smartphone.  I suspect I am pretty representative of most technology augmented workers these days as I have a laptop, iPhone and Kindle.  The last thing I really care to do is carry…

• Google’s Nexus One Phone

  Technology Story

  7 Jan 2010 | 6:18 am

  Announcements of new products are always interesting when they come from Google, and concern a type of device to which we are all fairly addicted.  I have had the privilege of watching companies announce new technology products since about 1980 and feel like I am getting the hang of understanding what the meaning might be behind all the features.  So we know that the Nexus One phone has a 1 Gigahertz processor, and to put that in perspective, that is about twice what the current version of Google phone has.  The phone comes an unlocked version so that if you are willing to spend north of…

• Technology Year in Review

  Technology Story

  1 Jan 2010 | 5:37 pm

  I feel as if we need to create a new scale for technology years that is akin to dog years.  In other words, for every normal human year, there are three technology years – at least it seems that way with all the progress we are making in tech these days.   When I look back at what blossomed in 2009, and also what began to emerge, it is hard to believe how much has happened in such a short time.   So without further ado, here is my list of most important happenings in 2009… The emergence of microblogging (Twitter, Facebook, and others) – The  concept of connecting to streams of…

• Social Technologies – Facebook and Privacy

  Scott Klososky

  26 Dec 2009 | 3:30 pm

  If you are a regular Facebook user, you will have noticed that they upgrade the privacy features a couple of weeks ago. We were given a much wider ability to select what we want to expose publicly and to whom. Of course, some people were annoyed because the default setting if you took no action was to make everything you do public. I am not sure why people had an issue with this because Facebook was nice enough to give us the benefit of a more sophisticated privacy model and their choice was either to make the default mode either everything public, or everything private. I suspect had they…

• 
  Nonprofit Online News

• Idealist Needs Our Help

  As you probably know, Idealist.org has done tremendous things for civil society over the years. Their directories, job fairs, the Nonprofit FAQ, and many more projects have touched the lives and careers of tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people working for social change. Their model for supporting most of this was classified ads for nonprofit jobs. During this economic downturn, that revenue has slowed to a trickle. They need our help to weather this recession. I'm a big believer in the organizations, like Idealist, that help make our sector successful. I am familiar with every business…

• "Online Fundraising: You're Doing it Wrong!" Seminar Now Available On Demand

  Sometimes the best way to stay on the path is to have clear warning signs that keep us from straying off of it. That's what we're aiming for with our new series of workshops with the "you're doing it wrong" subtitle. Our first such seminar - Online Fundraising: You're Doing it Wrong! - is now available on demand. Most of us have room for huge improvement in our online fundraising. Find out what your organization's biggest mistakes, and biggest opportunities, are by signing your team up for this one. Taking this workshop is a great way to instigate some renewal in your fundraising program,…

• Nominate an Organization for a Just Award!

  Last week, we made public a new project called Just Awards, brought to you by Nonprofit Online News and Blue Avocado. With your help, Just Awards will be the IgNobel Prizes of the nonprofit sector. We aim to call a little bit of possibly unwanted attention to those parts of civil society that deserve it. We have recruited a stellar group of judges to make the final decision on these awards. We are asking you to participate by submitting nominations for the two "Justies" we will award in 2010: one for most amazing example of narcissism by a U.S. philanthropic organization and another for most…

• "Technology Planning: You're Doing it Wrong!" Seminar on Feb 17th

  I've taught a lot of organizations and consultants how to do communication centered technology planning over the years and a certain lesson has dawned on me: Sometimes we just need to have our mistakes pointed out clearly. That's what we'll be doing with our new seminar, Technology Planning - You're Doing it Wrong!. It'll be delivered live online February 17, 2010. Among other things, we'll cover key warning signs, managerial causes of tech problems, numerous examples, and the costs of doing it wrong.

• How to Say Stupid Things About Social Media

  People often criticize online social network sites like Facebook and Twitter for the wrong reasons and that can get us in trouble. They should be criticized for being closed and proprietary. They should be criticized for teaching people to give up their privacy. They should be criticized for how they are designed to make people obsess. But they should not be criticized for their banal content. We should all be so lucky as to build communication networks that inspire the sort of trivial communication that we all use for social bonding. Cory Doctorow explains all this in How to Say Stupid…

• 
  Have Fun • Do Good

• How to Start, or Join a Social Action Book Club

  Britt Bravo

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:33 pm

  This week two fellow BlogHer Contributing Editors (Virgina DeBolt and Elana Centor), and BlogHer co-Founder (Elisa Camahort Page), and me had a virtual book club call to discuss Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Half the Sky, which discusses sex trafficking, forced prostitution and gender-based violence is a tough read, and we all agreed that discussing it together really helped to process the information.We've decided to read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer together next. If you'd like to join us, email me at…

• Supporting Have Fun Do Good with TranquiliT and the Right Brain Business Plan

  Britt Bravo

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:08 am

  I'm trying out an experiment, and have added a couple digital ads to the sidebar of Have Fun Do Good for creative women entrepreneurs whose work I believe in: Jennifer Lee's Right Brain Business Plan, and Kimberly Wilson's eco-fashion company, TranquiliT. Both women, along with Lisa Sonora Beam and myself, are planning a 2010 creative women entrepreneur retreat together.Basically, if you click on the ads and make a purchase, I get a portion of the sale, which will help support my writing Have Fun Do Good, and my producing the Big Vision Podcast.I took Jennifer Lee's Right Brain Business Plan…

• How Did You Decide to Help Haiti for the Rest of 2010?

  Britt Bravo

  31 Jan 2010 | 8:26 am

  Last week in my post, Keeping Your Balance While Helping Haiti, I suggested that you research organizations working in Haiti that you would like to support by donating, volunteering, or helping in some other way throughout 2010. We need to support the people of Haiti now, but also in the future, when the hard work of rebuilding begins.Although I have a particular interest in grassroots organizations, I decided to donate to a large organization, CARE. CARE is a humanitarian nonprofit that works in poor communities. They focus on women and children. I contributed to their Haiti Emergency…

• Your Feedback Requested on The Have Fun Do Good Guide

  Britt Bravo

  28 Jan 2010 | 12:11 pm

  Hello Have Fun Do Gooders!One of my 2010 New Year's resolutions is to complete either a book proposal, or a self-published e-book that I am tentatively titling, The Have Fun Do Good Guide.You have no idea how scary it is for me to share that with you. Yikes!Anyway, I am writing The Have Fun Do Good Guide because:1. I've always wanted to write a book.2. I want to explore how to add more having fun and doing good into my own life.3. I want to share stories, ideas and resources that are inspiring and useful to other people.I have my own ideas about what I would like to include in the book, but I…

• Keeping Your Balance While Helping Haiti

  Britt Bravo

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:15 pm

  When a tragedy like the earthquake in Haiti happens, and the images and stories are so disturbing, it is normal to feel extreme emotions: despair, depression, anxiety that help isn't getting their fast enough, guilt, even denial. The thing is, extreme emotions are not always the most productive ones. Eventually, Haiti will be out of the 24-hour news cycle, but its people will still need support. Make a commitment this month to do your part to help over the long term, in a balanced way.Below are five ideas for how to keep your balance, while helping Haiti, or any cause you are passionate…

• 
  NYT: Environment

• Skeptics Find Fault With U.N. Climate Panel

  By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:56 am

  Rajendra K. Pachauri and the U.N. panel he leads face accusations of scientific sloppiness and conflicts of interest.

• U.S. Officials Plan $78.5 Million Effort to Keep Dangerous Carp Out of Great Lakes

  By MONICA DAVEY

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:45 pm

  Addressing a threat that has grown increasingly tense throughout the Midwest as genetic material from the fish was found in Lake Michigan.

• Researcher on Climate Is Cleared in Inquiry

  By JOHN M. BRODER

  7 Feb 2010 | 6:27 pm

  An academic board has largely cleared Dr. Michael E. Mann of misconduct arising from the unauthorized release of more than 1,000 e-mail messages.

• Whaler and Activist Ship Collide Off Antarctica

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  6 Feb 2010 | 11:05 pm

  The anti-whaling ship the Bob Barker and a Japanese harpoon boat collided in the icy waters off Antarctica in their second major clash this year.

• Hawaii Senate Says Cutting Back on Paper Has Saved $1.2 Million

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  6 Feb 2010 | 4:04 pm

  By eliminating the use of millions of sheets of paper, the lawmakers said they saved more than 800 trees.

• 
  The GiveWell Blog

• Self-evaluation: GiveWell as a donor resource

  Holden

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:54 am

  This is the first post (of four) we’re planning to make over the next two weeks focused on our self-evaluation and future plans. This post answers the first section of questions we posed to ourselves in January about the state of GiveWell as a donor resource. For each question, we discuss Our progress over the last year (specifically, since our last business plan in 11/2008); Where we stand (compared to where we eventually hope to be); What we can do to improve from here. Does GiveWell provide quality research that highlights truly outstanding charities in the areas it has covered? This…

• Economic empowerment grants awarded

  Holden

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:14 am

  We have completed the process of allocating $250,000 in grants for economic empowerment organizations in sub-Saharan Africa. 49 organizations applied for our grant, out of 157 invited. From these, we felt that two stood out in making a strong, evidence-based case that they are improving the financial situations of low-income people in the developing world. We have awarded $125,000 to each. The Village Enterprise Fund is a microenterprise organization providing cash grants as well as business training and mentoring services to extremely poor business owners in rural Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

• Haiti “room for more funding” at the organization level: not enough information

  Holden

  4 Feb 2010 | 5:39 pm

  In a previous post, we asked whether Haiti earthquake relief has “room for more funding” and concluded that, in general, it isn’t clear. (For more on the general topic of “room for more funding,” see our 5-post series on the topic.) Of course, it probably makes a big difference which organization we’re talking about. We’ve seen a lot of different charities soliciting funds in the context of the Haiti earthquake, and some of them may have greater abilities than others to translate funding into relief assistance. The problem for donors is that by and…

• Does Haiti earthquake relief have room for more funding?

  Holden

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:15 am

  Donors have given more than $560 million to charities “to help earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.” How much of that money has funded/will fund earthquake relief efforts in Haiti? How much should? Money isn’t the only thing needed to deliver relief Reports from the relief effort have stressed logistical challenges, such as blocked roads and limited access for planes and boats. See, for example, this interview on Reuters AlertNet from the 18th: ” The capacity of the Port-au-Prince airport is about to be increased but it is still a small airport. It’s very…

• Haiti earthquake relief seems less cost-effective than everyday international aid

  Elie

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:25 am

  The disaster in Haiti - and the media coverage of it - pull at the emotions in a way that everyday suffering in the developing world does not. However, our rough calculations suggest that in fact, a donor can have a bigger impact for less money by funding top charities’ everyday activities to reduce unnecessary death and debilitation. We estimate a “generous” cost-effectiveness figure for a donation to Haiti is by considering (a) the total amount given and (b) the total number of people affected by the disaster. Total amount given: It’s hard to find definitive figures…

• 
  Feeds

• The art of social redundancy

  Jennifer Leggio

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:42 am

  Arrington wants a fix to social spam and noise, but can a tool really do what we should be doing for ourselves?

• Foursquare as a dating companion?

  Jennifer Leggio

  2 Feb 2010 | 11:21 am

  This could give a whole new meaning to the "Player Please" badge.

• Xerox pushes social media from the inside out

  Jennifer Leggio

  1 Feb 2010 | 8:03 am

  The company works with its employees to spread the word of the Xerox brand.

• Modern communities - no longer exclusive clubs

  Jennifer Leggio

  29 Jan 2010 | 1:16 pm

  The concept of a community is not new. In fact, it is very old.

• Seriously, Apple, are you messing with me?

  Jennifer Leggio

  27 Jan 2010 | 12:05 pm

  The thing is, Apple can do whatever it wants. Like sheep, we will still follow and buy.

• 
  Jeff Bezos

• RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com (via @HarvardSocial)

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:35 am

  RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com (via @HarvardSocial)[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/tamarawebb10]

• RT @HarvardSocial: RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am

  RT @HarvardSocial: RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/jpalier]

• RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:14 am

  RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/johnsonbridge9]

• RT @tweetmyjobs:“Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:10 am

  RT @tweetmyjobs:“Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/ShariRisoff]

• RT @HarvardSocial: RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:08 am

  RT @HarvardSocial: RT @tweetmyjobs: “Your #brand is what people say about you when you leave the room.” – Jeff Bezos, CEO Amazon.com[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/purugovind]

• 
  GreenerBuildings

• A Call to Action on Cap and Trade: The State of Green Business-Chicago

  Jonathan Bardelline

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:35 pm

  By not having a national carbon cap-and-trade policy, the United States is losing out on its chance to become a green and clean technology leader, says Chicago Climate Exchange founder Richard Sandor.  

• Chicago's Green Economy Grows, But Struggles Remain: The State of Green Business Forum-Chicago

  Jonathan Bardelline

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:43 am

  The Chicago area has seen growth in its green economy and exciting action around services for new and small businesses, but hurdles still remain as companies, non-profits and other groups look for resources and funds.  

• Spotlight: Being Honest With Ourselves: Putting Numbers Behind Green Business

  admin

  5 Feb 2010 | 1:25 pm

  This slideshow, a companion to Saul Griffith's lightning-paced presentation at the State of Green Busines Forum 2010, offers a look at the personal and global levels of responsibility for reducing our environmental impacts.

• Geoengineering -- Our Responsibility to the World: State of Green Business Forum 2010

  Jonathan Bardelline

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:45 pm

  Humans have been altering the planet for more than hundreds of years, so it's only our responsibility to actively use geoengineering to avoid catastrophe, said Jamais Cascio in his State of Green Business Forum presentation, “Hacking the Earth (Without Voiding the Warranty).”  

• When GreenBiz Meets Cleantech: State of Green Business Forum 2010

  Leslie Guevarra

  4 Feb 2010 | 12:55 pm

  What happens when green business meets cleantech? When those companies are like Best Buy, Autodesk and Serious Materials, you get firms that align their products and services with efforts to foster sustainability -- and in some cases guide the marketplace toward broader and deeper adoption of environmentally responsible practices.

• 
  Ecofriend

• Bentley Aero Ace Speed VI concept betters efficiency with improved aerodynamics

  Jolly

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:41 am

  Eco Factor: Zero-emission concept car designed to be powered by electricity. The Bentley Aero Ace Speed VI is the brainchild of auto designer Gabriel Tam and has been inspired by the original Speed 6 driven to victory by the Bentley Boys of the ’20s at Le Mans. The next-generation Speed VI is an overtly sporting vehicle with the raw aggression of a pure blood racer, while retaining the refined elegance of past Bentleys. During the design process, close attention was paid to refining the aerodynamic properties of the vehicle so as to improve its efficiency and increase its speed.

• Geotectura’s Green Gasoline Station offers solar-powered EV charging

  Jolly

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:59 am

  Eco Factor: Concept gasoline station harvests solar energy to recharge EVs. With the rise in the number of electric and plug-in hybrid cars on the streets, it will be important for gasoline stations to adopt the new trend and equip their stations with EV charging stations. However, since most of the electricity generated in different parts of the world still comes from coal-fired power plants, greening the world will take much more than green cars. In an effort to design a gasoline station that is both green and trendy in Europe, design firm Geotectura has unveiled a station dubbed Green…

• ACU’s new center will be an exercise in sustainable architecture

  Jolly

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:42 am

  Eco Factor: University building designed to harvest renewable energy. Woods Bagot has unveiled plans for the Australian Catholic University’s new Center for Health and Wellbeing, which is being touted to be an exercise in healthy architecture. The sustainable building will adopt active mass cooling concrete slabs, solar hot water heating panels, wind turbines and a rooftop garden terrace. The building will set new standards in energy efficient design without compromising on an attractive social and working environment for faculty. Faculty offices will be accommodated within the northern…

• Zambezi Queen – A five-star floating boutique hotel with green credentials

  Jolly

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:51 pm

  Eco Factor: Fuel-efficient river boat uses solar energy for hot water. The Zambezi Queen is a new 15-foot-long river boat that has been designed to provide all modern amenities to the passengers with minimum impact on the environment. The boat offers a luxurious new way to explore the Chobe River in Botswana, which runs through the Chobe National Park. The luxurious boat is both luxurious and green as it is equipped with solar water heater and uses jet propulsion instead of conventional propellers for better fuel economy. Moreover, the boat doesn’t have any air-conditioners to save on…

• Michigan researchers develop world’s smallest solar-powered sensor system

  Jolly

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:40 pm

  Eco Factor: Millimeter-scale sensor harvests solar energy for nearly perpetual operation. Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed the world’s smallest self-powered sensor that can operate nearly perpetually running solely on solar energy. The system’s solar cells, processor and battery are all located in a tiny frame measuring just 9-cubic-millimeter. The system can be used in new biomedical implants and various home-, building- and bridge-monitoring devices and could improve the efficiency and cost of current sensors designed to detect movement of track air and water…

• 
  ReadWriteWeb

• Can Google Buzz Succeed Where FriendFeed Couldn't?

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pm

  Google just launched Google Buzz, the company's new social networking service which will be tightly integrated with Gmail. There can be little doubt that Google Buzz looks a lot like FriendFeed, the social aggregation service that was acquired by Facebook in August 2009. Today, FriendFeed's developers are Facebook employees and aren't likely to continue to improve the service in any meaningful way, while the active user community on FriendFeed continues to shrink rapidly. Given the similarities between the two services, we can't help but wonder if Google Buzz will be able to succeed where…

• How Google Buzz is Disruptive: Open Data Standards

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:31 am

  Google rolled out a social stream service today called Buzz. It looks on the surface like Facebook, FriendFeed and other stream reading and writing services. It will compete with Facebook and Twitter. Under the covers, though, this major product was built by a team of people taking a radical new approach to online publishing: Buzz is all about open, standardized user data. Google Buzz data can be syndicated out to other services using the standard data formats called Atom, Activity Streams, MediaRSS and PubSubHubbub. That couldn't be more different from Facebook. Google has taken open data…

• Mobile Health: Will Network Applications Help Us Get Healthy?

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:30 am

  Last week, we were at the mHealth initiative conference in Washington D.C. The keynotes were all about the impact mobile health applications are having in shaping the future of the health care system. Nothing demonstrates that more than the iPhone. In the 18 months since it was released, it has been perhaps the biggest thing to happen to health care electronic records, which has seen billions of dollars worth of investment in past decades. Mobile and wireless health applications directly impact the individual's health and have the promise of ensuring that when a patient leaves a doctor visit,…

• Foursquare Partners with Zagat, New York Times

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:17 am

  Foursquare has come out strong in recent weeks with partnership deals that look to put it at the top of the location-based app game. Last week, it announced a partnership with Bravo, the style and fashion-centric television network, and today it has come out with a partnership with Zagat, the restaurant guide, and the New York Times. As we wrote last week, Foursquare is competing in an increasingly crowded space. These partnerships may help it attract a whole new audience and remain competitive against other services like Yelp that are just joining in the location-based arena. Sponsor…

• Live Blogging from Google: Launch of Google Buzz

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:11 am

  This morning, Google is announcing some exciting new features for two of its most popular applications. Team Red, as we affectionately call ourselves, is present at the Googleplex in Mountain View, and we'll be live blogging the event, giving you, dear reader, a fascinating play-by-play. Stay tuned for updates! The event will begin at 10 a.m. Pacific (UTC -8). Just refresh this post to see new content as events unfold. Additional on-the-fly research and images from RWW journalist Frederic Lardinois. Sponsor 11:11: The event is over! Time to chase people down and ask some more pointed…

• 
  JamBase

• Pickathon Lineup: Prince Billy Heartless Bastards, Langhorne Slim

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:36 pm

  Pickathon Lineup Pickathon has introduced the first big lineup installment for 2010, with other notable additions to be announced over the next few months. This year's 12th annual festival taking place the weekend of August 6-8 at Pendarvis Farm near Portland, OR. Discount Weekend Tickets and the 2010 Lineup can now be found at Pickathon.com. Bonnie Prince Billy Bonnie Prince Billy & The Cairo Gang (Sat, Sun) Heartless Bastards (Fri, Sat) Billy Joe Shaver (Fri) Langhorne Slim (Sat, Sun) Frazey Ford (Sat, Sun) The Cave Singers (Fri, Sat) T-Model Ford (Sat, Sun) Black Prairie (Fri, Sat)…

• Spoon: Tour Dates/Video Premiere

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:22 pm

  Spoon U.S Shows Sell Out, Australian Dates Confirmed Spoon "Written In Reverse" Video Premiere The video for "Written In Reverse," the first single from Spoon's recently released seventh album Transference, has been released. The video, directed by Danny Clinch (Tom Waits' "Lie To Me," Bruce Springsteen's Devils & Dust DVD and Foo Fighters' Skin + Bones), documents an actual live performance of the song recorded expressly for the video, expertly rendered in stark black and white. Tickets recently went on sale for Spoon's 2010 North American tour, which commences with a March 17 headlining…

• Leonard Cohen Reschedules Europe Dates Due to Injury

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:03 pm

  Leonard Cohen Reschedules European Performances Due To Injury Leonard Cohen AEG Worldwide has announced that a run of performances by Leonard Cohen have been rescheduled to allow proper time for a sports-related injury sustained by the artist to heal. While exercising recently, Mr. Cohen suffered a compression injury in his lower back. He has been advised by physicians to follow the typical four to six month regime of physical therapy prescribed for athletes with similar injuries. "Doctors have confirmed that Mr. Cohen is otherwise in terrific shape, thanks to years of exercise and careful…

• Mo'Fone Plays The Meters 02/10 in San Francisco

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:01 pm

  Mo'Fone Plays The Meters at SFJAZZ The Meters Hotplate is a new concept from SFJAZZ that features a different Bay Area artist each month, interpreting the music of their favorite jazz legend. This month, Mo'Fone pays tribute to The Meters for a pre-Mardi Gras bash. Mo'Fone's unique instrumentation and lively sound has made them something of a local gem. Featuring a bari sax/alto sax/drums lineup with special guest horn section, Mo'Fone will pay tribute to The Meters, a band that has greatly influenced them and countless other musicians. The trio will augment their sound with an organ, guitar…

• MGMT: Congratulations 4/13

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:02 am

  COLUMBIA RECORDS PROUD TO RELEASE CONGRATULATIONS, 
THE NEW STUDIO ALBUM FROM MGMT Congratulations Available In The U.S. and Canada, Tuesday, April 13 MGMT Columbia Records has announced the North American release of Congratulations, the keenly awaited new studio album from MGMT, on Tuesday, April 13. One of 2010's most eagerly anticipated new releases, Congratulations is the successor to MGMT's Oracular Spectacular, the 2008 debut album which established the band's potential as a visionary force in pop music. Congratulations is a collection of nine individual musical tours de force…

• 
  metaefficient

• The Rainwater Pillow – Rain Barrel Meets Cistern

  benjamin

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:30 pm

  The Rainwater Pillow (photo: Rainwater Collection Systems, Inc.) Utilizing rainwater runoff is a double bonus for homeowners, both in environmental and financial terms.  It reduces the amount of water consumed from the municipal system, and it lessens the strain on wastewater treatment facilities that must process water after it flows down the drain.  A rain barrel is great for small-scale applications like a flower garden, and now there is an option for large-scale rainwater collection without the need for a traditional cistern:  the Rainwater Pillow. (more…) Related posts:A Clever…

• TED 5000 Household Power Meter – Improve Home Energy Efficiency

  benjamin

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:23 pm

  TED 5000 Household Power Meter (photo: The Energy Detective) It’s no secret that cutting your household energy consumption is a great way to reduce your environmental footprint. It’s also a great way to save money on your utility bills. But to pinpoint the best places to reduce power use, you need to know exactly where your power is going – no small task considering the number of devices, appliances, and fixtures in an average home. Enter the TED 5000 energy meter, a nifty tool to precisely track your home energy use. (more…) Related posts:An Energy Producing Home In Disguise…

• Nutrients Are Efficient

  Justin

  30 Jan 2010 | 12:45 am

  Raw Pistachios Enzymes are metaefficient. My top picks are raw pistachios and raw cacao. Both have optimal enzyme levels when unadulterated. (more…) Related posts:Criollo Chocolate: Efficient Food of the Gods Pure Chocolate: Raw Cacao Nibs Heirloom Beans: Efficient Flavor © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2010. | Permalink | No comment

• Southface Energy Institute – A Resource For Sustainable Design

  benjamin

  30 Nov 2009 | 12:48 pm

  Southface Energy Institute Headquarters In Atlanta, GA Energy efficient building designs and technologies are everywhere these days. In fact, the sheer number of options can seem a little overwhelming for those interested in sustainable construction techniques. But Southface Energy Institute, headquartered in Atlanta, can be a valuable resource for homeowners, commercial or residential builders, or individuals who simply want to learn more about environmentally friendly design. (more…) Related posts:Dockside Green Awarded World’s Highest LEED Score GreenFiber Cocoon Insulation:…

• The Best Headphones Under $100

  Justin

  25 Nov 2009 | 5:42 pm

  The Best Headphones Under $100 I’ve tested a lot of headphones in the Reactual Labs. I’ve discovered that there are, in fact, great quality headphones priced under $100. The three stand-out brands are: Sennheiser, Grado Labs and AKG. Other popular brands found in electronics stores tend to have inferior sound at this price level. Here are the some of my favorite headphones for under $100: (more…) Related posts:The Best Studio Headphones: The Sennheiser HD-580 The Best Noise Cancelling Stereo Headphones The Top Rated Headphones: Grado SR-60 © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient…

• 
  9GiantSteps

• Sunday Nerd Out: Apple Scripts in Quicksilver

  George

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:04 pm

  Well, it’s not been a good day; my less-than-six-month-old PowerBook appears to have eaten its hard drive. The good news is that between moving everything up to Google Docs/Gmail/Google Calendar and doing hourly Time Machine back ups very little has been lost (though, I hadn’t done a Time Machine back up since Friday night). Knock Wood. I’m using Marci’s MacBook until my appointment tomorrow with the ill-advisedly named “Geniuses” at the Apple Store. This requires me to get her machine to operate the way I like my machine to operate, which essentially means…

• Song: “Southern Waste”

  George

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:07 am

  Southern Waste Southern Waste These are songs I write to quiet the madding crowd. I do them very quickly - like sketches - and present them warts and all (or all warts). They’re licensed under CreativeCommons, so please feel free to use them. A note about the title/image. One of the hardest parts of writing instrumental music is coming up with titles. Happily, Kristin Hersh, in her genius, posts a new photo to her blog every day. Not only do these images inspire me, but they also provide fantastic titles. With Kristin’s kind permission, I’m attaching my little songs to her…

• Check ins for Sites (frequency currency): The Mayor of Simpleton

  George

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:44 am

  Something I’ve been thinking about for a while, but was really catalyzed by Fred Wilson’s excellent blog post today: With the advent of check ins (and the related possibility that emerges from this) at physical locations facilitated by Foursquare, et al., why have we not seen this applied to Web Sites? Certainly, it’s a good sign to see email-for-content widgets being the transactional element of choice for gaining the all-important currency of email sign ups (as I discussed in my post, “The New Report Card“). However, I think people are still missing an…

• The new Report Card

  George

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:53 am

  I still wake up on Wednesdays with a little shudder. You see, Wednesdays are (and, I guess, always will be) soundscan days. Back when there was still a record business, you got your report card every Wednesday morning. I remember so well hauling my pale ass out of bed and using the sweet dial up modem to log in to SS. 90% of the time, this was immediately followed by an “ugh.” The numbers were rarely what you wanted them to be (for more on SS’s continued irrelevance, read this). Numbers indelibly etched in my brain, off to the office I’d go. I’d hit the fax (yes,…

• Song for Karen

  George

  30 Jan 2010 | 10:17 pm

  I have no words. Song For Karen Share This

• 
  Wired 4 Leadership

• The Age of Accountability

  Kerry Stackpole

  25 Jan 2010 | 8:13 am

  What a striking contrast.  Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs; Jamie Dimon from JP Morgan Chase; John Mack of Morgan Stanley and the newest member of the club Brian Moynihan of Bank of America testifying before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission earlier this month.  For some inexplicable reason they still appear unable to grasp nor fully accept responsibility for their failures in managing America’s financial system.  Too big to fail has metaphorically speaking become “stuff happens”. Meanwhile some six blocks away from the Capitol, Washington Wizards superstar…

• Amazing Things Will Happen.

  Kerry Stackpole

  24 Jan 2010 | 6:22 am

  Closing out his run on the Tonight Show host Conan O’Brien left behind some heartfelt advice to his fans.  “Please don’t be cynical,” he said.  “I hate cycnicism—it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere.  Nobody in life get’s exactly what they thought they were going to get.  But if you work really hard and you’re kind amazing things will happen.  I’m telling you, amazing things will happen.” Don’t be cynical.  Expect the unexpected. Work really hard.  Be kind.  Amazing things will…

• Why Print Matters.

  Kerry Stackpole

  30 Dec 2009 | 8:55 am

  There’s a fascinating discussion going on at the LinkedIn Print Networking Group about the viability of print in the age of web, email and social networking.  While guessing about the imminent death of an industry is always great sport, the death of print is wildly overstated. While print now has numerous competitors for “eyeballs” and attention, it still remains one of the most effective communication mediums on the planet. In a time when only 77% of American households own computers, print narrows the digital divide by providing ready access to books, magazines and other…

• Getting It Right.

  Kerry Stackpole

  27 Dec 2009 | 8:45 am

  What are the tough trade-offs your association never seems to get quite right?  There is no shortage of ways to go wrong.  If every organization exists only to serve and leaders by extension exist only to serve those who are serving others, there is one area that rises to the top pretty quickly.  In the “risks versus rewards” world of being a leader bringing the right talent, to the right project (or problem) at the right time will rank head and shoulders above all the rest in 2010.  Paul Russell Global Head of Learning and Leadership Development at Google makes the…

• No Dues. Just The Experience.

  Kerry Stackpole

  16 Dec 2009 | 8:22 am

  A Contribution to Acronym’s Big Ideas theme… If your association couldn’t charge dues, would your members pay you for the experience of belonging? It’s a serious question. The dues value versus member benefit proposition has been thriving for decades.  Associations have been selling it and thankfully there have been an abundant number of buyers.  Until now.  With the economy in the doldrums, the enlightened self-interest of members sends them in search of cheaper alternatives to the services and solutions your association customarily provides.  Dues it seems are…

• 
  GreenSmith Consulting

• The 3 Best Ways to Drastically Reduce your iPhone (Or Any Phone) Bill

  Paul Smith

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  Late last year I got my first iPhone (I know I know! Three words : 2 year contract.) With the increase in monthly bill, I was inspired to seek ways to reduce it. And I found them. Many. I thought you'd like to know too. These days, it seems there's nearly as many ways to save money using your phone as there are types of phones. But they all seem to have a weak spot: Requiring you to do numerical gymnastics, or making your caller i.d. on the other end look like something to avoid. While those may have monetary benefits, they can reduce your productivity, and make you look less professional. So…

• Verterra: A Green Company Effectively Reaching Beyond “The Choir”

  Paul Smith

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am

  I have the pleasure of working for all clients that I admire and respect, and while it’s typically my role to help get them written and talked about by other people, I have to make an exception here. That exception is Verterra.Verterra is a rare find: A green company that goes far beyond the expectations for their product category,  even in ways that aren’t apparent to the end user, while keeping it very affordable, eschewing the “green tax” so many companies presume they can get away with charging the mythical idealized green consumer. It goes like this: They make plates, bowls and…

• 6 Tools You Can Use to make 2010 a More Productive, Enjoyable Year

  Paul Smith

  6 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am

  2010 seems to have come out of nowhere, here and waiting for you to make the most of it. You're ready, right? If you're not quite there, or would like some resources to make it even better, I have several to recommend today. I wasn't specifically looking for tools to start out the year, but a cluster of them showed up on my radar, and I wanted you to know about them.For a long while I’ve been of the mind to seek out all in one solutions to organizing my life, work, plans. I’ve come to realize that’s an unfair burden to try and place on one piece of software. Nothing out there does all…

• GreenSmart Shows How to Have a Truly Sustainable Lunch (video review)

  Paul Smith

  22 Dec 2009 | 2:22 pm

  If you're looking for something unique, sustainable, and affordable for a Christmas present, or want to make your lunch truly green, I may have found just the thing: Work or school can be tricky to do sustainably, as my video below will share. But California based GreenSmart sent me some samples of a line of lunchboxes that eschew what you'll learn are often toxic chemicals contained in many neoprene containing reusable lunch boxes. And they've made them both practical and whimsically styled, the material insulating cold and warm food to maintain temperature, and the style adding some fun to…

• Time to Stop Talking About Going Local, and Doing It. Here's Who Is. (pt 2 of 3)

  Paul Smith

  15 Dec 2009 | 5:03 am

  We’re living in interesting times, and it’s anybody’s guess what the economy, the environment, our society will look, even in the next year. The COP15 UN climate change gathering currently happening in Copenhagen isn’t panning out as many would have wanted, and solutions to unifying the world’s goals look further off. Wayne Maceyka has a single, clear, suggestion: Go local, in all aspects, (re)building robust, agile, stable societies and economies in the process. In part 2 of his 3 part series, he focuses on the organizations currently happening to help support that. I mentioned…

• 
  Topix: SXSW News

• 7 Ways to Promote Your Offline Event Using Social Media

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:49 am

  Susan Payton is the President of Egg Marketing & Public Relations , an internet marketing firm.

• SXSW 2010: Austinist's List Of Day Shows, Afterparties, and More

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:33 am

  Lineup, details and RSVP info on all official and unofficial SXSW week events can be found on this dedicated party page.

• Chevroleta s SXSW Road Trip Challenge

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:32 am

  For many of us, some of the fondest memories of childhood involve the great American tradition of the road trip.

• AHH Stray News: Akon, Ludacris, Paul Wall

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:03 am

  Akon has signed one of Ghanaa s most popular rappers to his Konvict Music Africa imprint.

• Chevrolet Makes Social Media-Style Road Trip to SXSW

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:45 am

  In a different kind of Movement , Chevrolet will send eight teams on a road trip to Austin for SXSW.

• 
  Ecogeek

• Energy Star for Data Centers Launching in June

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:08 pm

  Starting in June of this year, data center operators can apply for Energy Star status.  The new rating system will score data centers based on PUE, or power unit efficiency, on a scale of 1 - 100. The operators will use an online tool that allows them to enter information on energy use and operations to calculate their PUE.  The PUE determines efficiency based on the total power used by the data center, divided by the amount that reaches the IT equipment, not the cooling systems or inefficient power supplies. That information is then compared to peer performance and based on that a data…

• New Bill Would Create 10 Million Solar Roofs in 10 Years

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:11 pm

  A really exciting new bill was introduced to Congress last week by Bernie Sanders of Vermont.  The bill lays out a plan to install 10 million solar roofs and 200,000 solar water heaters over the next 10 years through tax rebates and incentives.  The installations would equal 30 GW of clean energy or the equivalent of 30 nuclear power plants. The "10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Hot Water Act" would build on the success of state incentive programs like those in California and New Jersey and also the rising popularity of distributed solar projects.  The bill would…

• Chicago Area Gets Wind-Powered EV Charging Station

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:17 pm

  The Windy City area is capitalizing on its most famous attribute with a new wind-powered electric vehicle charging station.  Located in Highland Park, 30 miles outside of the city, the charging station uses electricity generated by Illinois wind farms for law firm Emalfarb Swan & Bain. The charging station is the second in the country and the first in the continental U.S. to be powered by wind.  The other station is located in Maui, Hawaii. The charge port was installed by Carbon Day Automotive, a distributor of the EV-charging leader Coulomb Technologies.  Carbon Day has also created…

• Federal Climate Change Agency Being Formed

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:04 pm

  A new federal agency charged with reporting on climate change is being formed.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will set up the Climate Service using members of the National Weather Service and other NOAA offices. Climate operations have been spred out among NOAA offices, but with more and more requests pouring in for information concerning climate change, officials decided to combine those efforts into one main office.  The Climate Service will be headquartered in Washington, D.C. with six regional directors elsewhere in the country. The agency will still have to…

• Vote for Your Favorite Greener Gadget

  5 Feb 2010 | 3:59 pm

  It's that time of year again!  The Greener Gadgets Design Competition has started and 18 cool, eco-friendly gadget ideas are waiting for your votes. This year is the third year for the competition and the Greener Gadgets Conference, which is being held on February 25 in New York City, and I must say, this is the best crop of designs yet.  Some of the highlights include a kinetic-energy-harvesting rocking horse that fuels flashlights or nightlights called Rocco, a USB-outfitted, wall-mounted charger that is powered by indoor light called the Illumi Charger and a system of turbine-run highway…

• 
  Green Tech Media: Cleantech Investing

• “Revenue-neutral”: The last hope for climate change legislation?

  info@greentechmedia.com

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:43 am

  I've picked up on a couple of mentions lately of Senators on both sides of the aisle starting to work on revenue-neutral alternatives to the Waxman-Markey type of cap and trade climate legislation that has been the focus of attention ever since Obama came into office. There's been talk of the GOP staff on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, reporting to Sen. Murkowski of Alaska, possibly working on a revenue-neutral carbon tax proposal. And Cantwell and Collins are proposing a "cap and dividend" plan, also to be revenue-neutral. Gee, sounds familiar. Frustratingly, I could probably…

• Trouble brewing?

  info@greentechmedia.com

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:21 pm

  Haven't had much time to go through the various recent cleantech IPO filings, and so haven't talked about them much.  Also just generally hoping they do well, for the sake of the overall industry. But in a meeting today someone put up some stats that were pretty sobering. Taking a basket of 4 high profile recent IPOs and filings, the total across the four companies was: - Trailing twelve month revenues = $319M - Trailing twelve month EBITDA = -($343M) - Total venture dollars put into all four companies to date = approximately $1.5B Like I said, I hope all of these companies do well and…

• Massachusetts’ big energy efficiency news, and some thoughts on FITs

  info@greentechmedia.com

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:50 pm

  Big news today in the state of Massachusetts, where state officials announced a plan to pour $2.2B into energy efficiency measures, including a target of tripling the number of home energy audits, etc.  On a per capita basis, at least, it would put Massachusetts ahead of any other state in the U.S.  A terrific example, a great initiative...  Great to see!  It will make Massachusetts an even more attractive region for energy efficiency startups, tech or otherwise. On other policy topics... I haven't spoken much about feed-in tariffs here in this column.  For one thing,…

• Yep, that’s right…

  info@greentechmedia.com

  25 Jan 2010 | 6:18 am

  ... a $350M Series B for Project Better Place.  At a pre-money of $900M.  And bear in mind, this doesn't include additional financings that have gone into the company's regional subsidiaries, such as in Israel and Australia. This should really mess up the Q1 cleantech VC tallies when they come out!  Because as longtime readers already know, the headlines are driven by dollar totals, not deals. And we've already got some head scratching results now to think about as Q4 totals continue to come out.  Last week saw the release of the MoneyTree survey (US tally from…

• Best wishes to Ray Anderson

  info@greentechmedia.com

  21 Jan 2010 | 10:29 pm

  Am en route back to Boston from the Clean Tech Investor Summit, which took place in an incredibly soggy Palm Springs, necessitating a lot of diverted and canceled flights. Despite the problems participants had getting to and from the event thanks to freakish weather, it remained the very well-attended, hyper-networking, content-laden event I remembered from the last one I went to, four or five years ago.  A great event for catching up with fellow cleantech investors on the left coast (and not a few east coasters made the trip out as well).  I will attend again for sure. A particular…

• 
  NPR: Pop Culture

• Watching 'Lost' Later Spoils Some Of The Fun

  3 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am

  Last night, ABC presented the two-hour season premiere of Lost, the mystery-shrouded ABC drama that's beginning its final year. The network was so secretive about the show's contents that it made only the first five minutes available for critics to preview. TV critic David Bianculli reviews the premiere and takes a larger look at the Lost phenomenon.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Expanded Oscar Field Makes Room For Big-Money Movies

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:39 am

  If nominating 10 films for Best Picture was supposed to mean more of the potential audience had seen more of the movies, it's probably going to work.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• 'Hurt Locker,' 'Avatar' Lead Oscar Contenders

  2 Feb 2010 | 5:49 am

  The war-on-terror thriller and the sci-fi sensation received nine Academy Awards nominations each, including best picture and director for Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow and her ex-husband James Cameron.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• For 'Lost' Fans In Hawaii, A Premiere With A View

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:19 pm

  The premiere of the final season of ABC's hit sci-fi drama airs Tuesday, but a few hard-core fans couldn't wait. Thousands headed out to Hawaii this past weekend — where the show is filmed — to watch an advance screening on a giant screen erected on Waikiki Beach.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Is Blond The New Black?

  1 Feb 2010 | 1:53 pm

  My mother who is Black asked, "You know you're not a white woman, right?" My mother's comments made me cringe. I protested. I told her - I'm proud of who I am — my brown skin, my brown hair, my race. She rolled her eyes.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• 
  SocialButterfly

• The Fight for Good: Disney vs. Pepsi

  Alex

  7 Feb 2010 | 12:44 pm

  Lots has been said about Pepsi’s Refresh Everything Project. However, not as much has been said about Disney’s “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.” Why? Both projects launched around the same time and both stand to do good. Thus, let’s match them up and see who’s left standing: Disney or Pepsi. Let’s begin. Disney: Give a Day. Get a Disney Day. What: Inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service. How: Individuals can sign-up to volunteer at participating community organizations in their area. In return, that person will be awarded with a 1-day,…

• One Word of Advice for Voters of Pepsi’s Refresh Project

  Alex

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:50 pm

  Sustainability. In a fast-paced, 140-character world, short term and one-hit wonder thinking is rampant. But when it comes to making a difference and solving the great problems of our times, we need to be thinking for the long-term. This is why I hope the voters of Pepsi’s Refresh Everything Project will keep the concept of sustainability top-of-mind. Let me first say that I applaud Pepsi’s jump into social good–and I hope more groups follow their lead. Perhaps if more did, then we’d have more case studies, a deeper set of lessons learned and more refined best…

• How Do You Define Good Journalism?

  Alex

  30 Jan 2010 | 8:56 am

  This is a big question–I realize that.  As, you could dedicate a whole blog to the topic. For the sake of this post, the key point I want to share is: “The supreme test of good journalism is the measure of its public service.” These are not my words, as they were actually written over 100 years ago. Walter Williams, the founder of the world’s first journalism school (Missouri’s School of Journalism), actually penned this statement as part of the larger Journalist’s Creed. It was relevant then, and it’s still relevant today. In a world with media…

• The Pollyanna Principles for Social Change

  Alex

  24 Jan 2010 | 11:04 am

  Have you ever been frustrated about the impact of your efforts? I have–even when we’ve been successful, if not especially then. For example, you may reach the number of donors you set out to reach, but still feel disconnected. You could have a bigger list of e-newsletter subscribers, but still question if what you’re doing is achieving the change you want. You can change the life of one person and wonder how you can change the life of another. This is why I turned to social marketing. Social marketing is something you address, plan and implement at the strategic level. If…

• Change Between the Pages

  Alex

  21 Jan 2010 | 7:57 pm

  The #read4change book club met twice in 2009 to discuss Tom Watson’s CauseWired in November, and Actions Speak Loudest in December. This January, we decided to take a break to take some lessons learned, tweak and plan for the rest of 2010. We hope you’ll join us in gathering and sharing community amongst some good books and great thinkers. What to Expect Once a month–using the Twitter account @read4change and the hashtag #read4change–do gooders, social changers, nonprofiteers and the like gather around the last Wednesday of the month and read a social change-themed…

• 
  The School for Social Entrepreneurs

• O2, social enterprise, and hitting the mainstream

  Nick Temple

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:26 am

  Amongst all the hullabaloo and fall-out from the launch of the Social Enterprise Mark (see previous post for our take), most commentators missed what I think could be a much more important announcement made at Voice 10 last week: that...

• (Social enterprise) mark my words....

  Nick Temple

  1 Feb 2010 | 7:05 am

  One of the (many!) benefits of working at the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) is that we don’t have to spend too much of our time involved in the definition debates about “what is a social enterprise?” Social entrepreneurs start...

• "So long for now" from an SSE intern

  Nick Kang

  29 Jan 2010 | 7:01 am

  And there it goes: my one month internship at the School for Social Entrepreneurs – both physically and experientially a world away from home. What I was hoping to do in my last blog posting for the SSE was to...

• Intern Update: Last Week at the SSE

  Matthew Gallagher

  28 Jan 2010 | 9:59 am

  So tomorrow will mark Nick Kang and my last day at the London School for Social Entrepreneurs and I don't think either one of us can really believe the month is over already. This experience has been a great start...

• Working with Young People: a peer learning session

  Nick Kang

  28 Jan 2010 | 5:00 am

  Just two days ago, the SSE was able to organise a learning session that not only transformed the way individuals thought about young people, but how to work with these young people to define and work towards common goals. This...

• 
  Cause Marketing

• Why Doesn't Your Cause Marketing Generate as Much Money as the Super Bowl?

  Paul Jones is the president of

  8 Feb 2010 | 9:29 am

  An open letter to my friends in the nonprofit world. Dear Nonprofit Marketer:The Super Bowl was yesterday. It attracted the largest TV audience for any TV show ever in the United States with 106.5 million viewers. The Winter Olympics are a few days away. The World Cup is about 4 months from now. So I'm opening up Peabody's Way Back Machine to a post I wrote in 2007 that asks, 'why doesn't your

• Instant-On Cause Marketing

  Paul Jones is the president of

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:29 am

  One of the remarkable things about the Internet is the way it enables you to turn on a cause marketing campaign in about an hour.Old style cause marketing relied on the old media, which is a little like an electric stove. Turn it on and after a while it’s hot.By contrast, cause marketing on the Internet is like a gas stove. Turn the dial and the heat is on.Short case in point. The small website

• Cause Marketing Wiki

  Paul Jones is the president of

  2 Feb 2010 | 1:28 pm

  For about eight years now I’ve been collecting all the cause marketing I come across in a database, mainly expressed as advertising creative.Alden Keene and Associates now has a database of more than 1,500 cause marketing examples.The problem, of course, is that while I probably see more cause marketing than the average person on the street, even with RSS feeds and Google Alerts, I almost

• Green Up Your Cause Marketing

  Paul Jones is the president of

  28 Jan 2010 | 7:54 am

  One of the complaints greens have about cause marketing is that it typically incentivizes and rewards the purchase of more stuff. Stuff that might be useful for a while but eventually ends up in a landfill somewhere.Into this conundrum came Sprint, the mobile service provider, and Samsung, the handset maker.Together they came up with a cause marketing campaign that mitigates some of those usual

• Cause Marketing Efforts in Support of Haitian Earthquake Relief

  Paul Jones is the president of

  26 Jan 2010 | 2:11 pm

  It can’t come to soon for those in Haiti, but cause marketers… including some from smaller entities… are using the power of cause marketing to support relief efforts in the earthquake battered country.What follows is a representative few. But it’s an important list because it demonstrates that you don’t have to be an A-list celebrity, like George Clooney and pals, to do your part.If you see more

• 
  Bizzia » Small Business

• Is Kansas For Real?

  Lyndsey D'Arcangelo

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:42 am

  Now that the pro football season has  come to end (shout out to the Saints — Who Dat!), we can concentrate fully on basketball without any needless distractions. There is so much parody in college basketball this season. Every time a new team reaches the number 1 spot in the polls, they get beat. The movement between the top 25 teams has been so fluid that you can’t really figure out who’s got a leg up on who? Kansas protected the number one spot on Monday with a win against Texas. That’s why when Kansas took over at number 1, I thought, “this is only going to last…

• PSA Screening Detection: U.S. versus Europe

  Marijke Durning, RN

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:05 am

  Detection of prostate cancer using PSA blood levels (prostate specific antigen) is significantly lower in the United States than in Europe, say researchers. Prostate cancer screening using the PSA levels is being encouraged to detect early prostate cancer, but who is screened and how often depends on individual physicians or clinics. The U.S. National Institutes of Health site notes that higher risk men are usually recommended to be screened starting at the age of 40 or 45 years. For men with no risk factors for prostate cancer, such as family history, some doctors are not actively…

• Fallout 3: New Vegas Coming Fall 2010

  Amy Tucker

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:25 am

  I haven’t played Fallout 3 in months – maybe even a year. OK. I don’t think a whole year but it has been so long I can’t remember the last time Iplayed the game. Why is this important? Because Fallout 3 was amazing and wonderful and I LOVED it but after a while, I got incredibly bored with it. I also saw the ending of it while watching Tucker play his save and was so damn disappointed in the crap ending that I didn’t see a reason to keep on playing. BUT, now I’ve seen the New Vegas trailer and while I can’t exactly put my finger on why, New Vegas gets…

• “Bioshock 2” Is Now Available!

  Jeanne Dupuis

  9 Feb 2010 | 2:48 am

  The highly anticipated Bioshock 2 was released today and I can imagine that hundreds of copies are flying off the shelves as I type.   The original Bioshock was released back in 2007 and they’ve already got a great-looking follow up to the acclaimed game. The sequel is set about 10 years after the events of the first game and it all unfolds in the underwater city of Rapture.  A monster has been kidnapping little girls and you can’t exactly let that continue, can you?  In order to help them, though, you’re going to have to survive which might be easier said than done. Here are some…

• Ellen to Make “American Idol” Debut Tonight

  Jeanne Dupuis

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:38 am

  In a season filled with controversy, Ellen DeGeneres will be making her debut as the new judge on American Idol.  After Paula Abdul quit, it was a scramble to find someone to fill her seat and considering the fact that Ellen is such a huge fan of the show, I thought it was a good choice. image: Michael Becker / FOX Of course, there’s been all kinds of drama and there have been reports that Ellen is already clashing with fellow judge, Simon Cowell.   With viewership down, I’m sure they are hoping she can bring back the ratings and a feud with Simon would definitely help that. Post from:…

• 
  Nonprofit Leadership 601

• Confessions of a Third-Year Doctoral Student: Interpersonal Skils Matter the Most

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:26 pm

  An interesting exchange happened on the ARNOVA listserv a couple of days ago. A heated discussion started after someone asked what was appropriate to post on the listserv. Then there were a series pleas and replies where all sorts of emotions run rampant. This was not the first time this has happened on the listserv. This actually happens quite frequently.I read each reply and started to wonder, do I really want to pursue a career in a place where these types of heated discussions are the norm rather than the exception? Where at certain times egos and credentials are more important that…

• New to Nonprofit Finance and Accounting: Here's a Brief Overview

  20 Jan 2010 | 9:51 pm

  This will be the second year that I'll be co-teaching (as a Doctoral Teaching Assistant) the Nonprofit Finance course at University of San Diego. For those of you interested in understanding nonprofit finance here's a brief overview: The Unified Chart of Accounts was developed for nonprofits to use in their accounting practices. This chart of accounts makes it easier for nonprofits to file their annual 990 tax form. Introduction nonprofit financial terms (From Nonprofit Principles and Practice - Michael Worth - Chapter 12 Financial Management) Financial Accounting: “financial information…

• Donations to Haiti

  20 Jan 2010 | 6:03 pm

  I've been really busy with school right now to write a blog post about Haiti, however I just received an e-mail from my colleague Meg Busse who works for Idealist aka Action without Borders. Her e-mail provides info on how to donate to Haiti. Thanks Meg for the info!I've been getting lots of emails from friends about the best org to donate to to help in Haiti. While there's not a "best" org...there are lots of great ones to choose from. However, there's also a lot of clutter to cut through to figure out the options. That said...no pressure to do anything--it's really a personal decision. This…

• How will we measure impact in 2010?

  5 Jan 2010 | 11:13 pm

  I was in the middle of writing a blog post about a community impact study when I saw that Give and Take featured a lively discussion (hosted by Ken Berger) about organizational impact and community impact. I agree with Ken and Hildy in their discussion of impact. As Ken stated, many nonprofits do not incorporate evaluation methods in their organizations. This is important to keep in mind when we (researchers and consultants) study impact within nonprofit organizations, we must present evaluation tools that nonprofits will understand and use (See Carmen's research about nonprofit evaluation…

• American Humanics Management Institute - preparing college students to change the world!

  3 Jan 2010 | 1:19 pm

  American Humanics (the premier organization that equips college and university students to become skilled professionals and leaders in America's nonprofit organizations) is holding its annual Management Institute (AHMI) this week in Phoenix, Arizona. AHMI is an intensive educational symposium that provides college and university students their capstone experience in nonprofit management and leadership education. I attended AHMI many years ago and really benefited from the experience. You can follow blog updates from there conference here and tweets here. (Hash Tag #AHMI2010) Go AHMI!!

• 
  Connections

• Online Giving and Rapid Response Trends

  Steve MacLaughlin

  4 Feb 2010 | 8:54 am

  The recent Haiti earthquake disaster has once again brought to the forefront the role that new giving channels play in helping those most affected. The combination of online giving and mobile giving were the first response channels of choice by donors. I will save the pros and cons of mobile giving for another blog post. I did some research to look back at previous major events and the volume of online giving that took place. Blackbaud has online giving data going back to 1999 and that allows us to look at some historical trends. USA Today referenced some of these trends in their recent…

• Blackbaud NetCommunity 6.15 - Release Preview

  Steve MacLaughlin

  1 Feb 2010 | 9:03 am

  Blackbaud NetCommunity 6.15 represents a major step forward for our Internet Solutions based on thousands of hours of research, customer feedback, usability design, application development, testing, and validation. The updates and new features in this release are another sign of Blackbaud’s commitment to improve our online solutions. From a technology perspective, BBNC 6.15 also represents a major milestone as the entire application has been migrated to Blackbaud’s next generation Infinity platform. There are a few high level requirements for this upcoming release. BBNC 6.15 is a PA-DSS /…

• Independent Fundraising Event Trends

  Steve MacLaughlin

  22 Jan 2010 | 11:00 am

  Blackbaud and Event 360 have released a new white paper based on a joint research project to better understand the common denominators of a successful programmatic approach to third-party fundraising. Independent fundraising events (IFE) are activities designed and run by volunteers to raise money on behalf of a specific nonprofit organization. You can download a copy of "Raising More Money Online with Independent Fundraising Events" and register for a free webinar on February 3rd at 2pm EDT. The research team analyzed data from nearly 30,000 donors and…

• Support Disaster Relief in Haiti

  Steve MacLaughlin

  14 Jan 2010 | 5:05 am

  The images coming out of Haiti following Tuesday's earthquake are heartbreaking. It is comforting to know that so many nonprofit organizations are already helping on the ground and more relief is on the way. People are using the Internet to stay informed about the disaster, help communicate what's happening, and to donate to charities. The volume of online donations on January 13th was 3 times that of December 31st and growing. There are several organizations accepting online donations to support their relief efforts in Haiti: Doctors Without Borders Medical Teams International…

• Is the Fundraising Pyramid Really a Lie?

  Steve MacLaughlin

  13 Jan 2010 | 10:01 am

  The nonprofit sector needs more spirited debate. Mark Rovner over at Sea Change Strategies blogged some strong opinions about the state of fundraising. So I asked Lawrence Henze, managing director of Target Analytics, to write this guest blog post in response: Mark Rovner recently offered up the opinion that the fundraising pyramid is a lie because "most major donors at most organizations do not rise up through the ranks of $15 donors, who become $100 donors, and then ultimately become $100,000 donors." My 30 years of experience in the fundraising world give me a very…

• 
  Entry Level Living

• Follow Friday: What Has Haiti Shown Us About Nonprofits?

  ajlovesya

  5 Feb 2010 | 2:40 pm

  With the immediate impact of the earthquake fading from people’s memories, many are beginning to focus on the nonprofits providing services to Haiti.  Below are some of the interesting conversations I have read regarding nonprofits and their involvement in helping Haiti.  I definitely recommend you follow these folks for powerful insight. Marketing:  What has the millions of dollars raised shown us about public engagement in disaster relief? Dan Pallotta (@danpallotta), social entrepreneur, author of Free the Nonprofits, and blogger at Harvard Business Review, states that there is a…

• Reader Response: Inexpensive Professional Development Resources

  ajlovesya

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am

  Welcome to the fist edition of  Reader Response!  Do you have a question about developing a career in the nonprofit sector, navigating life in NYC, or working with social media?  Send me an email!  ajlovesya [at] gmail [dot] com. I might feature it here! Today, I’d like to tackle a question I get regularly: What free or low cost resources can a young person interested in a nonprofit career tap into for professional development? Understandably, as a nonprofit newbie, you’re focused not only on finding your passion but also on developing important skills to make you competitive…

• News and Notes

  ajlovesya

  2 Feb 2010 | 1:21 pm

  Sometimes my inbox is flooded with so many interesting opportunities, I figured I’d share! New additions to my blog: Reader Response: I get quite a few emails from readers with questions that range from how do I start a nonprofit to what kind of books should I read for my career?  I think those kinds of questions would benefit lots of people if I addressed them and solicited input from other readers.  So on Thursdays I will post a question I received, give my response, and hopefully others will chime in.  I hope this will be helpful!  If you have any questions you would like…

• Help Save Idealist.org

  ajlovesya

  1 Feb 2010 | 2:37 pm

  I was floored when I read this tweet by Ami Dar, founder and executive director of idealist.org.  While we are all aware of the impact the weak economy is having on many nonprofits, some organizations seem invincible because of the sheer impact they have on the entire sector.  Idealist.org has become such integral part in how we create, share, and search for opportunities for social change that I couldn’t fathom it enduring the level of distress indicated above. In fact, my growth in the nonprofit sector has been fueled by idealist.org.  Aside from finding my first job opportunity in NYC…

• When it Comes to Executive Pay, Numbers Arent Enough

  ajlovesya

  24 Jan 2010 | 8:46 pm

  While much of the conversation about nonprofit pay focuses on how we are not paid enough given the work we do, every now and then someone will attract the wrath of the public for having what is considered a salary that is too high.  Honestly, I generally don’t share the indignation because there is never any context given to the numbers.   There are a few questions I think we should answer when deciding whether or not pay is excessive: What percentage does this take of the organization’s budget? We accept that, as a rule, the larger the organization, the larger the salary but have we…

• 
  Brave New Words

• Links on Children’s Literature

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:03 pm

  My last post discussed what it means to study children’s literature, so here I want to offer a few links that might be useful or interesting.Outside In is about children’s literature and translation and Deborah Hallford and Edgardo Zaghini, who run the site, edited a collection of articles about and summaries of children’s literature in translation.Write Away has many reviews of children’s literature and runs a conference and other activities.Two organizations dedicated to the study and promotion of children’s literature are IRSCL and IBBY (note that I’ve given the link to IBBY in…

• Studying Children’s Literature

  31 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  As some of you may know, my PhD dissertation was on the translation of children’s literature and I do a lot of research on children’s lit. I have to deal with a lot of misconceptions about what this means:-People ask me if I sit around, reading children’s books, and they assume that this must be easy. No, actually, I don’t spend hours reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and Judy Blume and Lewis Carroll and Lemony Snicket and nothing else. I do read them, and I read them very closely, but I also have to read around them, which means studying literary theory, psychology, anthropology,…

• Translation as a Profession

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:05 pm

  I am always quite excited when it seems that more attention is paid to translation and to translators. Our profession needs more understanding and recognition. And it needs more talented people. I encourage people to learn more about translation. But sometimes I wonder about some of the people who join the field, or who attempt to join it, or who show interest in it.I get many emails asking for advice about how to become a translator. In the past year or so, perhaps along with the economic crisis, I’ve been disturbed to see an increase to the number of messages I get where people tell me…

• Dryden Translation Competition

  22 Jan 2010 | 4:17 pm

  You might want to submit work for the Dryden Competition, which is run by the British Comparative Literature Association and administered here at the University of East Anglia, in part by yours truly. You can find more details on the BCLA site or on the Dryden's Facebook page.

• Books on Language

  18 Jan 2010 | 4:03 pm

  Last year, Brave New Words had our first giveaway. As part of this, we asked readers for suggestions for books on language. Here is the compiled book list:Maya wrote: There was a classic book on language called The Mother Tongue. It must be out of print by now, but it was what started my passion for language and its history, way back in the early seventies.Pennifer suggested: How about Horace Lunt's "Old Church Slavonic Grammar" one of my bibles when I took an OCS graduate seminar back in the day?From Debs: I recommend David Crystal's "Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language". Covering…

• 
  Stuff White People Like

• #131 Conan O’Brien

  clander

  13 Jan 2010 | 12:28 pm

  The recent news that Conan O’Brien will be replaced by Jay Leno has caused white people to erupt with rage and hostility. You might even expect them to lash out and do something about it like take to the streets or write a letter to NBC to voice their dissatisfaction with the network. But no, white people will solve this problem the way that they solved the election crisis in Iran – through Facebook and Twitter status updates. In 2009, millions of white people took 35 seconds to turn their twitter profiles green, and consequently sent a very powerful message to the leaders of Iran.

• #130 Ray-Ban Wayfarers

  clander

  22 Dec 2009 | 3:03 pm

  White people can do powerful things with their eyes: casting judgment, indicating scorn, and obnoxiously rolling them when someone says something they don’t agree with. Yet in spite of these powers, they are not immune to the dangers of the sun. So white people must wear sunglasses. But what may surprise you is that while white people will spend upwards of three months finding a perfect pair of unique prescription glasses, they have no such requirement for sunglasses. Right now, all white people are either wearing or coveting a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarer sunglasses. These sunglasses are…

• Stuff White People Like Book Available in UK Today, author to talk at LSE on October 22nd.

  clander

  5 Oct 2009 | 1:55 pm

  Hardie Grant UK has just released Stuff White People Like: The Definitive Guide to the Unique Taste of Millions in the UK on Monday 5th October (Retail price £7.99).  It is available from Waterstones, Borders and at Amazon.co.uk. Also, Stuff White People Like author Christian Lander will be giving at talk at the London School of Economics Title: STUFF WHITE PEOPLE LIKE – How to find social success with the urban-dwelling middle classes Date and Time:  Thursday 22nd October, 6.30pm Location: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE, 54 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2…

• #129 Banksy

  clander

  4 Oct 2009 | 8:06 pm

  Keeping up with art is hard; trips to galleries, enormous books, and costly bi-annual magazines are just a few of the many expenses you will incur during the process of attempting to stay current with art. While the challenge and difficult of this proposition would seem to actually attract more white people than dissuade them, the amount of work required to become and remain an expert on art is simply too much for the majority of white people. Of course there are exceptions such as the people who have invested both their money and their lives into the appreciation of art: people with Art…

• #128 Camping

  clander

  14 Aug 2009 | 2:13 pm

  If you find yourself trapped in the middle of the woods without electricity, running water, or a car you would likely describe that situation as a “nightmare” or “a worse case scenario like after plane crash or something.” White people refer to it as “camping.” When white people begin talking to you about camping they will do their best to tell you that it’s very easy and it allows them to escape the pressures and troubles of the urban lifestyle for a more natural, simplified, relaxing time. Nothing could be further from the truth. In theory camping…

• 
  Sustainablog

• Americans Want to Know: “How Do I Recycle My Computer?”

  Jeff McIntire-Strasburg

  8 Feb 2010 | 11:53 am

  Aluminum cans? Plastic bottles? Newspapers? Though recycling statistics show that we’ve still got some work to do on diverting wastes away from landfills, you’ve probably got a good idea of how to recycle these common household items. But what about computers and televisions? Paint? Used motor oil? Earth 911’s search statistics for 2009, released today, [...]

• First Earth: Watch this Earthen Building Documentary Online

  ziggy

  4 Feb 2010 | 3:18 pm

  There’s a growing ecological awareness in all aspects of daily life, but some of our newfangled environmental actions have already been in practice for hundreds (or thousands) or years. “Green building” is an architectural movement that attempts to take the environment more closely into account in designing buildings, but the movement is generally very commercial. Natural [...]

• Solar Irrigation Increases Food Supply, Economic Opportunity in Benin

  Jeff McIntire-Strasburg

  4 Feb 2010 | 6:38 am

  If you live in the developed world, you likely take turning on the lights or the water for granted. So, it may be difficult to imagine the lifestyle (if you can call it that) of people in sub-Saharan Africa without these kinds of luxuries. Lack of infrastructure to deliver these services doesn’t just create inconvenience; [...]

• Plan B 4.0 Book Byte: Rescuing Failing States

  Earth Policy Institute

  3 Feb 2010 | 12:15 pm

  By Lester R. Brown One of the leading challenges facing the international community is how to rescue failing states, those countries most at risk of collapse due to a combination of weak governance, internal violence, and social upheaval. Continuing with business as usual in international assistance programs is not working, as evidenced by the continuing deterioration [...]

• Sandhill Farm: Eating Homegrown

  ziggy

  1 Feb 2010 | 3:51 pm

  Sandhill Farm is a small agricultural intentional community located in northeastern Missouri, neighbors of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage. The community has been farming organically for 35 years and provides most of their own organic food* through a combination of gardens, field crops, raising poultry and bees, growing mushrooms, sugaring, and more. Sandhill’s six members grow food [...]

• 
  The Onion

• Slideshow: The Week In Review

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:42 am

  Slideshow

• Vegan Unaware Pineapple Hes Eating Once Used To Beat Cow To Death

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:04 am

  News In Photos

• In Focus: Anti-Chewing-Tobacco Activists Speak Out Against Secondhand Spit

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:58 am

  RALEIGH, NC--The ever-embattled tobacco industry suffered another blow Monday, as citizens' groups challenged the major smokeless-tobacco companies to confront the quality-of-life issues associated with secondhand spit.

• Opinion: There Should Be No Secrets In Our Relationship Excluding The Events Of March 2, 2004 (by Craig McKay)

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am

  We've been together quite a while now, and I truly believe that if our relationship is going to last—if we're really going to commit to a...

• Family Concerned After Aging TV Show Has Another Terrible Episode

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  ROANOKE, VA—The Stashwick family of Roanoke was "alarmed and saddened" to see a beloved-but-aging TV program suffer yet another terrible...

• 
  Young and Frugal

• What We Used to Have

  Daniel

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:26 pm

  When was the last time you looked at the world through the eyes of a child? The eyes of curiosity that see everything with an innate sense of wonder? The eyes it seems we all used to have. As we grow older everything seems to move at a faster pace, and in the interest of time we begin to accept things instead of wondering about the intricacies of why. We easily forget our curiosity that once wasn’t even satisfied by answers; we lose the curiosity we all used to have. As adults we all too often look at the simplest items and see them for what they are; a pencil is a pencil. We forget…

• Thinking Aloud

  Daniel

  14 Jan 2010 | 11:11 am

  You know that horrible mental state that you get in when you haven’t gone out of your way to spice up life in a while? Call it a slump, a funk, or a rut…I’m in one; it’s not just writers block either, it’s my entire mental state. I feel like I have to do something to get out of it, and for me this typically means creating something to look forward to…entrepreneurially. Seth Godin say’s that “you can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate a lot of bad ones,” and while I’ve generated a lot of bad ones,…

• Live Like No One Else

  Daniel

  23 Dec 2009 | 11:05 am

  In school my favorite professor would always preach “live like no one else now, so that you can live like no one else later,” this phrase seemed to always get lost amongst a crowd of in the now college students, but he kept saying it with the true heartfelt emphasis of a teacher who really loved his students. In a moment of self reflection today I looked back and remembered this and it was as if the dots all connected. While this phrase can be applied to almost any aspect of life, it really hits home on the financial front. Think about what it would mean to live like no one else…

• The Art of What Not to Post

  Daniel

  22 Nov 2009 | 6:12 pm

  Recently I read a blog post by a young woman who had been fired from her job. She went to lengths to complain about how she felt betrayed by the company, then somehow backtracked and explained how she understood why the company fired her…because she was a horrible employee. She didn’t say it in those exact words, but she lead me to believe that she was a horrible employee. As I read her post, I repeatedly asked myself “what is this girl thinking!?” She might as well just write “Horrible Employee, Don’t Hire Me” on her resume. All it takes is for one…

• Why I Blogged a Tweet

  Daniel

  30 Sep 2009 | 6:14 pm

  On Monday I posted the following: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” -Antione de Saint Exupéry All 135 characters of this quote fits snugly into the 140 character limit of Twitter, but instead of just tweeting it (which I did), I blogged it. I think it’s fairly obvious why, but at the risk of having excess I will explain. I had a whole blog post centered around the quote, but the rest wasn’t an improvement on what he wrote, it was excess. All I can say is that throughout our lives we surround ourselves…

• 
  TheWayoftheWeb

• Why I won’t be signing up to Blippy…

  Dan Thornton

  8 Feb 2010 | 3:48 am

  A fair number of tech luminaries have been writing about Blippy recently – a new service which tracks your on and offline card purchases and shares them with followers. Not surpising with investors including Sequoia Capital, Jason Calacanis and Evan Williams. And Louis Gray has been publishing his experiences with the site. I’m not averse to sharing my purchases and recommendations, and I’m fairly realistic about online security. Despite taking precautions, I’m aware that all banks and ecommerce sites have to transmit data, and that phishing and scam sites will always…

• How much to launch a new title online?

  Dan Thornton

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:44 am

  I’ve often wondered, and indeed directly questioned, why traditional publishers pondering new markets haven’t tested the water by launching an incredibly cost effective online trial for a new idea? I suggested it quite a lot in the past – especially using external hosting and services to launch something for a total cost that’s less than a day’s pay for the lowliest of staff writers. And don’t claim that your market doesn’t use the internet – there are more than enough people from any demographic to give you a better idea of what they’ll…

• Speaking, presenting, writing, and catching up…

  Dan Thornton

  29 Jan 2010 | 10:42 am

  I’m finally able to do something to assuage my blog guilt, after a week of some great meetings and working hard on a lot of cool stuff which unfortunately I can’t share just quite yet… But I can share a very nice testimonial from Julian Thorne, Managing Director of Dovetail after they kindly let me present at their client conference recently… ‘Dan is incredibly knowledgeable about the social networks in all their myriad guises. He also has that rare ability to enthusiastically inform the uninitiated without ever being patronising’ You might not have heard, but my blogging absence…

• Forget e-readers, I just want a CC-reader

  Dan Thornton

  23 Jan 2010 | 6:17 am

  I’ve been doing a bit of research into ebooks and e-readers recently. Partly as I was kindly invited to speak at a client conference for publishers (more on that in the future), and also to keep up with the technology on a professional and personal level. I’ve heard two major criticisms about the format as a whole so far. The first is that the technology isn’t a direct equivalent replacement for paper – the feelings,sensations and effect of reading in print can’t be replicated by an electronic device, and that’s completely true. But at the same time, as…

• Last night a cloud saved my life…

  Dan Thornton

  20 Jan 2010 | 11:32 am

  Cloud-based computing is a popular topic at the moment, and it’s opening up a plethora of possibilities for ways to interface with data. But to be honest, the way it’s helped me in the last 24 hours is much more important at the moment. Tomorrow I’ve got the pleasure of speaking at a conference and everything was well-organised and prepared until a small error resulted in the saved presentation file being wiped off the face of the earth… And in a long story of unwise decisions cut short, there was no backup available. All presentation and all notes gone… Except… While I didn’t…

• 
  Entrepreneur.com

• Dirty Jobs: the Secret to Success in 2010

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  If you're searching for a recession-proof franchise, consider getting into the business of 'dirty jobs.'

• Don't File for that Patent Yet

  7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Instead of a utility patent, a provisional patent or a trademark could be a better first step.

• Focus on 'User Experience Optimization'

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  Driving traffic to your homepage is important, but making the destination worthwhile is vital.

• Which Features Should Your Website Have?

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  If you're taking things up a notch, consider these factors.

• Soup Up Your Social Sales Channels

  4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm

  If you make time for it and know your stuff, you can chat your way to more Web traffic.

• 
  digg.com: Stories / Comedy / Popular

• What English Sounds like to People in other Countries

  9 Feb 2010 | 8:10 am

  Here are a few videos to show what English sounds like to people around the world. As English speakers, we have a lot of fun imitating what certain languages sound like to us, such as French, Italian, and Chinese.

• What could go wrong? [PIC]

  9 Feb 2010 | 7:30 am

  *****

• Stephen Colbert: Sarah Palin Is F***ing Retard

  9 Feb 2010 | 4:23 am

  *****

• Hilarious Professor Frink Inventions You’ll Never Get to Use

  9 Feb 2010 | 3:40 am

  Professor Frink has enriched our tv-watching lives with some of the greatest inventions we will never get to experience in real life, including the language known as “Hoyvin Glayvin.” The following is a tribute to these inventions, inventions he created using Thermodynamics, Hypermathematics, and of course, Microcalafragalistics…..bulv-gayvin.

• Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robromance

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:50 pm

  After years of fighting, these 2 Rock Em Sock Em toys decide to throw down the gloves and call it a game of love

• 
  Small Business Labs

• Low Cost, Easy to Use Technologies Changing Industries

  Steve

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:01 am

  A couple of good articles over the last few days on low cost technologies impacting industries in different ways. Apple Takes On Intel, from Forbes, covers Apple's use of their own chip in their new iPad tablet computer.  The article describes the trend towards cheaper and easier to use technology: "One of the fundamental rules of technology is that things that start out hard and complicated, able to be tackled by only a few people, eventually get easier to do, allowing more people to handle them." It then describes chip design as an example.  Instead of buying chips…

• Siri: A Cloud Based Digital Assistant for the iPhone

  Steve

  8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  Siri is a new generation virtual, digital assistant that is meant to act just like a human assistant.  It understands what you say, accomplishes tasks for you and gets better at understanding what you want as you spend more time with it.    Initially available as an iPhone application, Siri can make reservations at restaurants, find movie times, provide weather forecasts and accomplish other relatively simple tasks.  Siri uses speech recognition software, so you have the option to speak or type commands. Siri is a new product with limited capabilities.  The…

• Good Summary of Small Business Hiring Sentiment

  Steve

  6 Feb 2010 | 10:25 am

  Jan Norman's On Small Business column in the Orange County Register has an excellent summary of various surveys on small business hiring plans.  It's no surprise that small businesses continue to be hesitant to hire. 

• Steve Rubel on Facebook Eating the Web

  Steve

  5 Feb 2010 | 9:49 am

  Steve Rubel's Facebook Could Eat the Web expands on a theme we've been examining over the last 6 months or so, which we call Is Facebook Taking Over the Web?   Since Steve is a communications professional, it's not surprising his title is better.  For those not familiar with Steve, he is an SVP at the giant PR firm Edelman and one of the most influential and thoughtful thinkers on the impact of social media and connective technologies on communications, media and marketing.  Key quote from his post: "In short, I believe Facebook…

• Baby Boomers Flocking to Facebook, Twitter

  Steve

  4 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  eMarketer is reporting that the number of baby boomers using Facebook increased 107% from 2008 to 2009 and Twitter usage jumped 714%.  The chart below, from an eMarketer email, shows the growth for a number of social networking sites.    Other interesting observations about this data include:  - There are about 78 million baby boomers, so almost 30% of all baby boomers are on Facebook.  This is an impressive number and reinforces our view that Facebook may be taking over the Web.  - I'm not surprised to see Myspace losing visitors, but I am a bit…

• 
  Small Business Trends

• 3 Reasons Contractors Should Register with Angie’s List and the Better Business Bureau

  Diane Helbig

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am

  You may be asking yourself why both. Frankly, I wondered if these organizations competed with each other. So I set out to do some research and find out what the true value of each is to a contractor in today’s economy. Angie’s List is an online resource for consumers to find reputable contractors. Members rate their experiences with contractors and any contractor who wants to advertise on Angie’s List must have a rating of B. Angie’s List was and is set up from the consumer’s point of view. As stated in a US News and World Report article, Angie’s List is “an invaluable…

• Getting Bloggin’: Customers Trust Transparent Experts

  Lisa Barone

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am

  Every year Edelman releases its Trust Barometer report (Executive Summary) to measure consumer confidence in business and, if we’re taking a cue from Chris Brogan and Julien Smith, identify the biggest ‘trust agents’ helping them to make their decisions. This year the findings are getting some people wondering about the overall impact on social media. Social media has always “worked” because people trusted the advice and recommendations of people ‘like them’ over the cold marketing they were accustomed to. They trusted that their friends and people who valued the same things…

• Win a Copy of “Build A Green Small Business” Book

  Staci Wood

  8 Feb 2010 | 7:15 pm

  Everyone loves getting something for free, right?  Of course you do. So we’ve decided to implement a new feature here at Small Business Trends.  Each month we plan to hold a drawing and give away stuff to you. There will be something different every month.  Whatever it is, it will be something of interest to entrepreneurs and small business leaders. This month, we have 8 copies of the book, “Build a Green Small Business: Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur” by Scott Cooney.  We’ll hold a random drawing and choose 8 people.  Each will receive a book.  This…

• Small Business Cash Flow Problems Still Not Declining

  Scott Shane

  8 Feb 2010 | 6:29 am

  Many small businesses continue to experience cash flow problems – the majority, in fact, according to a survey by the Discover Small Business Watch. That cash flow is an issue right now for small businesses might sound obvious to most of you that run your own businesses, but a worsening trend might not be. So here’s a chart that shows what has been going on with small business cash flow over the past three years. The figure plots the percentage of respondents to the Discover Small Business Watch monthly survey of a random sample of 750 small business owners who answered “yes,”…

• Musician Makes over $18k in 5 Days with Social Media

  Janet Meiners Thaeler

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:27 am

  I’ve always loved jingles. I’ve always wanted one for my web site. I found one that I thought was perfect for Ancestry.com once. I sung it to myself every time I heard their name. So I was inspired by a small business that started over the holidays. People like case studies about how small businesses succeed with social media. Here is an example of a business that was started with social media. It was started, get this: over this Christmas and New Year’s, by a musician in Sweden who has never had a business online. His name is Love Harnell and he’s a musician I found out about Love…

• 
  Duct Tape Marketing

• PR is Only Dying If It Isn’t Evolving

  John Jantsch

  9 Feb 2010 | 5:51 am

  SharePR is Only Dying If It Isn’t EvolvingThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with Brian Solis (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes For this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast I asked Brian Solis, Principal of FutureWorks and co-author of Putting the Public Back in Public Relations, about the future of the PR industry as we know it. There’s plenty of doom and gloom surrounding the practice of public relations in the social web world, but Solis suggests, and I totally agree, that there’s a…

• 5 Questions You Should Ask Every Customer

  John Jantsch

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:33 am

  Share5 Questions You Should Ask Every CustomerThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Constantly seeking feedback from your customers is a great way to learn how to market your business more effectively. If you’ve never done this before, do it immediately as it is one of the best ways to discover what you do that actually differentiates you from your competition. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with a small business that had no idea what its competitive advantage was until we heard it right from the mouths of happy customers. Seeking feedback is also a great way…

• Weekend Favs February Six

  John Jantsch

  6 Feb 2010 | 8:14 am

  ShareWeekend Favs February SixThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve added a weekend post routine that I hope you enjoy. Each weekend I write a post that features 3-4 things I read during the week that I found interesting. Generally speaking it won’t involve much analysis and may range widely in topic. (Flickr image included here is also fav image of the week) Image credit: Dr Swan Enjoy! Good stuff I ran across this week: Siri – An iPhone app that acts like a personal assistant – you can ask to find things by name – nearest Starbucks or by broad category –…

• Extending Your Presentations Through the Backchannel

  John Jantsch

  5 Feb 2010 | 5:18 am

  ShareExtending Your Presentations Through the BackchannelThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing The term “backchannel” was coined in the field of Linguistics in the 1970’s to describe listeners’ behaviors during verbal communication. It is commonly used these days to describe the behavior or conversation going on in social media while a speaker is making a presentation. In some conferences the majority of the people listening may be actively Tweeting throughout a speech. Like it or not, managing the backchannel has become a part of presenting, in person or online.

• Analytics from a Really Smart Guy

  John Jantsch

  4 Feb 2010 | 1:19 pm

  Analytics from a Really Smart GuyThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with Avinash Kaushik (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes Avinash Kaushik, author of Web Analytics 2.0 is one of those rare people who can take a somewhat dry and mathlike subject of web analytics and make it sound easy and even fun. I got to spend a few minutes with Avinash for this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast for some tips about this important, but often overlooked topic. Web Analytics can seem like a scary subject, but it’s…

• 
  StartupNation

• What’s Your Story? How to Get Publicity

  Melanie Rembrandt

  5 Feb 2010 | 4:22 am

  Want to know how to get some free publicity? Well, in the last couple of weeks, we’ve covered the first two steps in our “7 Steps to Successful Public Relations.” Now, it’s time for Step 3 – Develop Your Story Idea. As a new business owner, it’s easy to rush through publicity efforts in order to concentrate or core business activities and priorities. But before you contact the media or post a press release, ask yourself if the information you’re about to send is really newsworthy. Will a reporter really care about what you have to say? If you can’t answer this question…

• Reflections On A Year Of Weight Loss

  Kevin Harmon

  30 Jan 2010 | 2:00 pm

  Hi gang, One year ago today, I woke up. THE BAD That’s really the best way that I can describe it.   I’ll try to explain.  When you are 383 pounds, your entire life is foggy.  You are tired all the time.  You cannot think very well.  Your brain automatically finds reasons not to move, and the irony of it is that your brain is trying to help you.  Because you CAN’T move.  Not very well, anyway.  It is hard to get out of a chair.  It is hard to walk upstairs.  It is hard to walk around your office. You are, in a way, sleepwalking through your day. You may certainly…

• Who Are You Pitching?

  Melanie Rembrandt

  29 Jan 2010 | 5:55 am

  Last week, we looked at the first step to getting some free publicity to help your business boost sales. Now, here’s the second step in our “7 Steps to Successful Public Relations.” “Who Ya Gonna Call?” Once you have a PR Plan in place, it’s time to get smart with a good dose of research. In this day and age, the media are constantly bombarded with hundreds of emails, faxes and phone calls. The challenge for you is figuring out how to stand out and get noticed. This is something that may be broadly achievable, but more than likely, it’s achievable only on a case-by-case basis,…

• How to Lose Credibility Immediately (Hilarious Huckster!)

  Rich Sloan

  27 Jan 2010 | 9:59 pm

  I was checking in on StartupNation before I headed to bed the other night. A ritual. I remembered one little task I had to do for a cool new StartupNation initiative that will be very video intensive, and in the process I happened across this video. I laughed so hard the neighbors must have heard me! And it’s a great example of how NOT to try to establish credibility with your audience. Click the image below. here’s the link if you didn’t click the image: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YBxeDN4tbk (Word for the wise: Be sure to be careful when uploading your own promo…

• 4 Smart & Sensible Marketing Tips for 2010!

  Kim Babjak

  27 Jan 2010 | 4:51 pm

  Are your eyes much bigger than your wallet, or your ability to focus and execute effective marketing in 2010? Has your New Year’s Resolutions come and gone already? How can you ensure you’re not biting off more than you can chew with your aspirations and actions?  Here are four tips that you can apply to a fresh, doable mini plan in 2010! Be Realistic:  The list of what could or should be done is always long.  As much as you want to do it all, be realistic about what can get done today, and in the near future.  Make sure you have your plan on paper, and do not over plan. Be realistic…

• 
  BIG marketing for small business

• Sun Life Naming of Stadium Brilliantly Timed For Super Bowl

  Rajan Sodhi

  7 Feb 2010 | 2:30 pm

  I’ve become a fan of Tom Mayenknecht of The Sport Market. I catch his morning show on Team 1040 Radio almost every Sunday, and enjoy the business and marketing angle he brings to major league sports. Today, he talked about Toronto-based Sun Life Financial who, in a deal announced January 19th, acquired the 10-year naming rights for the Miami Dolphins’ football stadium for $40 million. The timing of the name change to Sun Life Stadium could not have been any better. Introduced last week as the stadium played host to the NFL Pro Bowl, it enjoyed a coming out party to the largest Pro…

• Cisco Rewards Heroes in Small Business

  Rajan Sodhi

  3 Feb 2010 | 3:27 pm

  Network and communications technology giant Cisco Systems has teamed up with Brickfish for a unique program called Heroes of the Human Network which celebrates and rewards small business operators. To enter the program, you’re asked to describe your small business and how technology has helped you to advance or how the right technology could help your small business advance. Your profile will then be posted on their site where it will be ranked amongst other profiles by site visitors. A winner will be drawn after March 3rd, and will be awarded over $10,000 worth of Cisco product in network…

• F5 Expo Launch Party Introduces Malcolm Gladwell to Packed Audience

  Rajan Sodhi

  27 Jan 2010 | 5:21 pm

  Malcolm Gladwell takes live questions through Mingleverse at F5 Expo Launch Party. I was in attendance at the F5 Expo Launch Party yesterday, January 26th. What a great turnout! The place was packed with over 200 people – and all eyeballs were fixated on the many screens around the V Lounge as Malcolm Gladwell appeared within the Mingleverse online universe (think Second Life) to take questions from the live audience. If this party was any indication of what we can expect of the main event on April 7th, the Vancouver business and tech scene is in for a special treat. F5 Expo is all…

• BIG Ideas For Your Small Business Website

  Andy Hayes

  26 Jan 2010 | 12:17 pm

  The Internet, and the communications technology that has come with it, has handed small business owners an amazing marketing tool. No longer do middlemen wield a lot of control; instead, the small brands with remarkable products and services have the tools (namely search engines and social networks) to connect them with their ideal customer. But that means having a great website, because first impressions count. Here are a few BIG ideas for making your website a better marketing tool. Make it a One Stop Shop. You’re putting in a lot of work and effort to keep your brand top of mind with the…

• Find Out How Great Your Service Is By Asking This One Question

  Rajan Sodhi

  16 Jan 2010 | 12:23 pm

  Ask anyone running a small business or large enterprise, and chances are they will cite the quality of their customer service as one of the key reasons people buy from them – often based on verbal feedback they get from internal staff and customers. This is fine, but it lacks a universal measurement that would quantify just how great the customer service is, where it needs to improve, and how it stacks up against competitors. And you don’t need a 30-question survey to find out. In fact, you just need to ask one important question: “How likely are you to recommend <insert…

• 
  OnStartups

• 9 Quick Tips Learned While Raising $33 Million In Venture Capital

  Dharmesh Shah

  7 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm

  As the market improves, my guess is that many of you will likely be thinking about raising funding for your company.  With my latest startup, I’m now a venture-backed startup founder (I’ve raised $33 million in three rounds of capital for my marketing software company).  So, I’ve got some direct experience with the process.  Several of the companies I’m an angel investor in or otherwise involved with have also been in the fund-raising process.  So, along the way, I’ve learned a few things, and I’d like to share them with you.  There’s…

• Prehistoric Steve Jobs Introduces The New Apple iRock Tablet [cartoon]

  Dharmesh Shah

  27 Jan 2010 | 3:07 am

  Though it's easy to get caught up in Apple's new tablet announcement, let's not forget the original idea that sparked the whole thing.  It's the iRock -- it transformed how people chiseled. Looking for other startup fanatics?  Request access to the OnStartups LinkedIn Group.  100,000+ members and growing daily.Oh, and by the way, you should follow me on twitter here (that's @dharmesh).

• A Geek's Guide To Hiring Marketing People

  Jason Cohen

  26 Jan 2010 | 2:02 am

  The following is a guest post by Jason Cohen. Interviewing developers is easy. OK, not easy. You have to generate resumes, you have to sift through the deluge of candidates, you have to pound your network continuously, you have to develop a phone-screen, you have to schedule interviews, you have to ask them questions and get them to write code and be fair. But still, you're a great developer and you've worked with enough other developers that you can tell pretty quickly whether someone else is also a great developer. Do they say the right things? Do they make reasonable mistakes? Do they…

• Startup Advice In Exactly Three Words - #StartupTriplets

  Dharmesh Shah

  8 Jan 2010 | 5:35 am

  This article is a bit out of the ordinary.  But, it's a Friday so I'm hoping you'll cut me some slack.  For some reason, I like wordsmithing and trying to make phrases smaller (but still have some meaning).   So, late at night, I tried to come up with some of my best startup advice and see if I could reduce it down to exactly three words (which is why I call them "triplets").  One thing led to another, and I became obsessed with it. So, then I made 47 before I had to make myself stop.  And, to ensure that you didn't take this too seriously, I included a photo of some…

• Releasing Early Is Not Always Good? Heresy!

  Jason Cohen

  21 Dec 2009 | 7:21 am

  The following is a guest post by Jason Cohen. Jason's got a knack for stirring pots and getting us thinking a bit.  And, thinking is a good thing.   Even when the thinking makes me awfully uncomfortable and goes against my strongly held beliefs.  I couldn't be a stronger advocate of "Release Early, Release Often", so it took a bit of effort to post this article "as is".  But, as I hope you'll see, Jason does make some pretty good points.  Well worth debating -Dharmesh[UPDATE: I originally stated that Eric Ries was a proponent of "Release Early," but I was…

• 
  Solutions Are Power

• Bad weather on the East coast may play spoil sport to our Call Center.

  Shashi Bellamkonda

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:50 am

  It is very rare that we have to notify our customers of situations like this but tomorrow ( February 10th 2010) the weather may not play nice with us here in the US east coast (DC and Northern PA). We are making exigency plans but you may experience longer wait times when calling Network Solutions Customer Support. We do apologize for the inconvenience and recommend using online support at http://www.networksolutions.com/support to utilize community forums, or to submit an online support ticket. We are also on Twitter to answer questions @netsolcares

• Big Game Shuffle Domain Transfer for $6.99 Offer

  Steve Fisher

  7 Feb 2010 | 5:00 am

  The Superbowl Shuffle I remember when I was a kid the Bears won the Superbowl and everyone was crazy for the Chicago Bears. So much was the love for “da Bears” across the country that they made a record that immortalized the team and made household names of Mike Ditka and William “Refrigerator” Perry. This record was called “The Superbowl Shuffle“. According to Wikipedia, “The idea for “The Super Bowl Shuffle” came from record producer Randy Weigand, who was a friend of Willie Gault’s. They had met through Randy’s girlfriend,…

• Your patience is appreciated

  Shashi Bellamkonda

  6 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm

  We are investigating reports of latency  that may be impacting some of our international customers’ access to websites.  Only certain  systems are affected and we are taking traffic management  measures to help the situation. The hosted sites are up and visible on the internet even though they are not visible to some of you. We anticipate full customer access resuming shortly.  We apologize for the inconvenience –  updates will be forthcoming.  Circumstances external to our network cause  this and we continue to make every effort to employ and implement market-leading…

• 
  The Happiness Project

• Are You in a Book Group? Want a Reading Group Guide?

  GretchenRubin

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:27 am

  Happiness is a great book group meeting! I'm in three book groups -- one in which we read books aimed at adults, two in which we read book aimed at children and young adults. Being part of these books groups is among the joys of my life. So I'm a big fan of book groups. In general, I've heard, book groups don't choose books that are only available in hardback, so I've been surprised to hear from a lot of people that their groups have read The Happiness Project. It's thrilling to imagine a book group reading my book. Zoikes! If you do choose The Happiness Project, if you'd be interested, you…

• "There Is Certainly No Greater Happiness..."

  GretchenRubin

  8 Feb 2010 | 5:44 am

  “There is certainly no greater happiness, than to be able to look back on a life usefully and virtuously employed, to trace our own progress in existence, by such tokens as excite neither shame nor sorrow.” -- Samuel Johnson * A reader sent me the link to this fabulous item on etsy -- a great, stylish way to track resolutions. I love it! * Want to launch a group for people doing happiness projects together? I'm in a group like that myself, and I love it! If so, read more here and sign up here for a starter kit to help get you going.

• Schedule Time for Play.

  GretchenRubin

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:54 am

  I’m working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone’s project will look different, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday’s post will help you think about your own happiness project. One of my favorite resolutions – but also kept with great difficulty – is to Schedule time for play. I often get teased about this resolution, because people think it sounds incongruous, and even silly, to schedule time for play. Play should be spontaneous, right? Aren’t we naturally alert for…

• Happiness Is…A Great Book Event in Toronto.

  GretchenRubin

  5 Feb 2010 | 11:38 am

  I had such a great time in Toronto – I’d never been to Toronto, or even Canada, before this trip. I met a lot of interesting people during the day, and last night the famous Heather Reisman of Indigo Books and I had a conversation at one of the wonderful Indigo bookstores. Interesting note about Toronto: I saw a street sign that said, “Pedestrians obey your signals.” You don’t see this in New York City! We dart out the minute we see a break in traffic. * Interested in starting your own happiness project? If you’d like to take a look at my personal Resolutions Chart, for…

• "Marriage is About...Tea, Doctor's Appointments, Trivia, Quirks."

  GretchenRubin

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:39 am

  From time to time, I post short interviews with interesting people about their insights on happiness. During my study of happiness, I’ve noticed that I often learn more from one person’s highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do from sources that detail universal principles or cite up-to-date studies. I’m much more likely to be convinced to try a piece of advice urged by a specific person who tells me that it worked for him or her, than by any other kind of argument. The relationships among love, marriage, and expectations are some of the most complex and important issues within the…

• 
  Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen Shapiro

• Three Innovation Distinctions (Part 3): Diversity not Homogeneity

  Stephen Shapiro

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:16 am

  This is the third of my “innovation distinctions” entries. In the first part of this series, I wrote why you should focus on “Challenges, not Ideas.” Next, I addressed the distinction of “Process, not Events.” In this final entry, I discuss why innovation requires “Diversity not Homogeneity.” Be sure to read the previous two articles before [...]

• More Blog Entries Coming Soon

  Stephen Shapiro

  25 Jan 2010 | 12:01 pm

  I have been working ’round the clock to finish my Personality Poker manuscript.  It goes to the publisher Feb 1.  After that, I will be back and blogging in full force…

• R.I.P. Robert B. Parker

  Stephen Shapiro

  19 Jan 2010 | 3:40 pm

  Today I learned that one of my favorite authors, Robert B. Parker, passed away. He is probably best know for his “Spenser” books.  These fast-paced crime stories are based in Boston (my hometown) and were the  inspiration for the ’80s TV show, “Spenser: For Hire.”  I read every book and loved them all. He is also the [...]

• Three Innovation Distinctions (Part 2): Process Not Events

  Stephen Shapiro

  18 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am

  In the first part of this series, I wrote why you should focus on challenges, not ideas. You should read that article before proceeding. In this second entry, I will focus on “Process, not Events.” I first shared these three distinctions with a bunch of speakers and authors.  In the speaking industry, conferences/conventions are the primary model [...]

• I Need Your Help: Personality Poker Book Subtitle

  Stephen Shapiro

  8 Jan 2010 | 9:21 am

  I need your help! I am in the process of finishing the manuscript for my next book, “Personality Poker.”  The book will be published by Penguin’s Portfolio books and is expected in stores September 2010. We have been working on a subtitle for the book – and I would love your input. I realize that you don’t know [...]

• 
  Jef Menguin Seminars

• I welcome invitations from campuses. I b…

  Jef Menguin

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:16 am

  I welcome invitations from campuses. I believe that students too deserve to hear my message. I look forward to every opportunity to be with them. However, I also found that dealing with students who organize seminars are my main time waster. Last week, I met with some students from college of nursing in Manila (sorry, I will not include the name of the school). They requested to get my resume, the outline of the program, the schedule, and the opportunity to talk with me (about two hours). We have agreed upon the specific time and date and the manner of promoting the event. They said that they…

• I am now preparing for a teambuilding re…

  Jef Menguin

  3 Feb 2010 | 11:14 pm

  I am now preparing for a teambuilding retreat which I will facilitate for GMA Kapuso Foundation. I am thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to spend my time with this wonderful organization and very dedicated people. When was the last time you have donated to GMA Kapuso? The banks are still open. Why not now?Filed under: status Tagged: GMA Kapuso Foundation, Philippines, Teambuilding retreat

• “The true leader serves. Serves people….

  Jef Menguin

  2 Feb 2010 | 8:42 am

  “The true leader serves. Serves people. Serves their best interests, and in doing so will not always be popular, may not always impress. But because true leaders are motivated by loving concern than a desire for personal glory, they are willing to pay the price.” — Eugene B. Habecker in The Other Side of LeadershipFiled under: quote Tagged: leader, Leadership quotes, motivation, service

• I am now working on Customer Service mod…

  Jef Menguin

  2 Feb 2010 | 6:46 am

  I am now working on Customer Service module for a company, This one will be for seven batches, three days for each batch. I need to give it my 100 percent attention. have also created a new blog for this purpose.Filed under: status Tagged: customer service excellence

• Speak with Confidence seminars on February 26

  Jef Menguin

  1 Feb 2010 | 10:13 pm

  Only 13 seats left for the Speak with Confidence workshop on February 26. Speak with confidence is my first seminar for this year. Please spread the great news. Details Summary Date             : February 26, 2010 Time            : 8am to 4pm Venue        : Mercedes Room, Max’s Restaurant, Gateway Mall,   Cubao, Quezon City Investments: Individual              : 2800 pesos Group of three      : 7500 pesos Group of five         : 11,500 pesos Group of ten          : 21,500 pesos Students                  : 30% discount…

• 
  TEDTalks (video)

• TEDTalks : Peter Eigen: How to expose the corrupt - Peter Eigen (2009)

  Peter Eigen

  8 Feb 2010 | 8:40 am

  Some of the world's most baffling social problems, says Peter Eigen, can be traced to systematic, pervasive government corruption, hand-in-glove with global companies. At TEDxBerlin, Eigen describes the thrilling counter-attack led by his organization Transparency International.

• TEDTalks : Tom Shannon: The painter and the pendulum - Tom Shannon (2009)

  Tom Shannon

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:08 am

  TED visits Tom Shannon in his Manhattan studio for an intimate look at his science-inspired art. An eye-opening, personal conversation with John Hockenberry reveals how nature's forces -- and the onset of Parkinson's tremors -- interact in his life and craft.

• TEDTalks : David Agus: A new strategy in the war on cancer - David Agus (2009)

  David Agus

  4 Feb 2010 | 7:00 am

  Traditionally, David Agus explains, cancer treatments have had a short-sighted focus on the offending individual cells. He suggests a new, cross-disciplinary approach, using atypical drugs, computer modeling and protein analysis to treat and analyze the whole body.

• TEDTalks : George Whitesides: A lab the size of a postage stamp - George Whitesides (2009)

  George Whitesides

  3 Feb 2010 | 7:01 am

  Traditional lab tests for disease diagnosis can be too expensive and cumbersome for the regions most in need. George Whitesides' ingenious answer, at TEDxBoston, is a foolproof tool that can be manufactured at virtually zero cost.

• TEDTalks : Jamie Heywood: The big idea my brother inspired - Jamie Heywood (2009)

  Jamie Heywood

  2 Feb 2010 | 7:37 am

  When Jamie Heywood's brother was diagnosed with ALS, he devoted his life to fighting the disease as well. The Heywood brothers built an ingenious website where people share and track data on their illnesses -- and they discovered that the collective data had enormous power to comfort, explain and predict.

• 
  Management Craft

• Undercover Boss - Reinforcing Bad, Fake, Management? #management

  Lisa Haneberg

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:39 am

  The new show, Undercover Boss, debuted after the Super Bowl. I did not watch it because I am almost NEVER interested, intrigued, or impressed by so-called reality TV shows. But two bloggers who I respect offered their thoughts. Check out Wally Bock's sharp-as-a-butcher-knife assessment in his post called, Undercover Boss: A Repellant Piece of Trash (come on, Wally, tell us what you really think).And check out what the HR Capitalist has to say in his post called, Undercover Boss: You Wish That's All It Took to Change Your Business...What drives me crazy about these programs is how they…

• Are they extraordinary? Do you see beauty at work? Training Salons #Management #ASTD

  Lisa Haneberg

  6 Feb 2010 | 6:43 am

  OK, so the word "beauty" is not often paired with the words "your employees" unless you are having a difficult harassment-related conversation with your HR manager.... but that is not the type of beauty I am talking about.And before I get into the main point of this post, let me throw out a few other words: love, fan, admiration, extraordinary.I was training in Wash DC this week (got out just in time to avoid getting stuck!) and I noticed that whenever I talked about believing in employees, my training participants looked and acted differently. (beauty in our back yard in Cincinnati)We want…

• Invite a Challenge and Zoom Forward

  Lisa Haneberg

  31 Jan 2010 | 5:03 pm

  I am a big fan of welcoming naysayers and devil's advocates into the conversation. I reminded myself of this last week and enjoyed the outcome, so I thought I would share the concept with you. Not only is inviting a challenge a great way to unearth diverse ideas, it helps enroll people into the process and improve their acceptance of my work. Naysayers make great evangelists! Inviting a challenge means asking others to critique our work – really critique it. If you are coachable – highly coachable – you might be ready to invite a challenge. Give it a try yourself and then you will have…

• Another Comment on the Daniels-Pink Debate Post - More on Motivation #management

  Lisa Haneberg

  30 Jan 2010 | 5:12 am

  Bret is a reader of Management Craft. He tried to leave a comment (on this post about the Aubrey Daniels slam on Dan Pink's book Drive) but was unable due to length (again!). I looked at my Typepad settings and could not find anything I could check or uncheck to change the allowable length of comments, sorry! I don't quite know why this is happening. Here is Bret's comments, my thoughts at the end:Hi Lisa:Great series you have going over there! I hate to be negative, but your blog platform is not facilitating conversation. It is VERY hard to leave anything but a short comment at your blog. …

• A response from Aubrey Daniels to my post about his Dan Pink Slam Post

  Lisa Haneberg

  29 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pm

  A couple of days ago, I wrote a post called: http://www.managementcraft.com/2010/01/aubrey-daniels-versus-dan-pink-bam-management.html Aubrey Daniels tried to leave a comment on that post, but the system did not let him because of its length. He emailed his comment to me and I said I would share it here. See Aubrey Daniels' post about Dan Pink's book Drive here. Find Dan Pink here. See my original post here. Now here is the comment from Aubrey Daniels. Thanks, Aubrey, for taking the time to share this! Lisa, Thanks for the comments about my blog post about Pink. I would love to have a…

• 
  ManagingCommunities.com

• Fair Use for Forums (and How to Explain to Your Members That They Can’t Quote Entire Articles)

  Patrick

  7 Feb 2010 | 8:34 am

  photo credit: Horia Varlan It’s important to be proactive on matters of content theft and copyright infringement. A large part of this is text quoted from other sources. With some exceptions (public domain works, works by the Federal Government, works released under alternative licenses to copyright, and more), you can’t allow your members to post [...]

• Poachers Are the Bad Guys (or “Poaching Community Members is Like Building Your Community on an Ancient Burial Ground”)

  Patrick

  3 Feb 2010 | 6:46 pm

  photo credit: Gusjer You’ve got a brand new community on basket weaving. You badly want people to come to your site. So, you go to the largest basket weaving community on the internet and start discreetly inviting members. Maybe you instant message or e-mail them off site, so that the people running the established community [...]

• Video: “The Art of Responding to Feedback From Your Community” Presentation at South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive 2009

  Patrick

  31 Jan 2010 | 1:57 pm

  At last year’s South by Southwest Interactive (see my recap), I gave a solo presentation titled “The Art of Responding to Feedback From Your Community.” The basis of this talk was a blog post made on this site in January of 2009. The presentation is based around my three steps for responding to feedback. In short, [...]

• I Speak at Conferences and Events

  Patrick

  29 Jan 2010 | 8:22 am

  photo credit: BuzzShift For what seems like forever, I’ve been working on my just launched about and speaking pages. Probably the biggest reason I did it was because I’m hoping to speak more. Since finishing “Managing Online Forums,” I’ve done 11 engagements at 7 different events. While this doesn’t make me a veteran, it means I’m not [...]

• ManagingCommunities.com Turns Two Years Old!

  Patrick

  27 Jan 2010 | 9:04 am

  photo credit: kiewic It was two years ago today that I launched ManagingCommunities.com. Once you reach a certain age, time just seems to fly by! In light of this milestone, I wanted to take a moment to thank all my loyal readers. I appreciate your support and your contributions. I hope that I’ve provided value to [...]

• 
  Coaching Tip: The Leadership Blog

• America: The New Entrepreneur Nation

  John Agno

  9 Feb 2010 | 6:59 am

  More Americans are working as consultants or freelancers, either having given up or been forced out of the salaried world of 9 to 5.  It's a trend that began after the economic downturn of the late 1980s, when I became a management consultant like many other laid-off professionals who became consultants. Evidence now suggests that this is our new economic condition.  Today, in fact, 20% to 23% of U.S. workers are operating as consultants, freelancers, free agents, contractors or micropreneurs.  Current projections see the number only rising in coming years.  Imagine one in four workers,…

• Leadership Lessons

  John Agno

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:57 am

  Leadership is the art of accomplishing more than the science of management says is possible...a leadership primer of eighteen lessons from General Colin Powell, Chairman (Ret), Joint Chiefs of Staff and former U.S. Secretary of State. Lesson 1: "Being responsible sometimes means pissing people off." Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It's inevitable, if you're honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: you'll avoid the tough decisions, you'll avoid…

• Lincoln on Leadership

  John Agno

  5 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am

     Lincoln on Leadership: Executive Strategies for Tough Times  by Donald T. Phillips People, Character, Endeavor and Communication Part 1: People Chapter 1: Get Out of the office and Circulate Among the Troops "His cardinal mistake is that he isolates himself, & allows nobody to see him and by which he does not know what is going on in the very matter he is dealing with." Lincoln's reason for relieving Gen. John C. Fremont from his command in Missouri (September 9, 1861) Lincoln Principles Explain yourself in writing and offer advice on how to solve problems. It is important that the…

• The Law of Reciprocity

  John Agno

  5 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am

  Relationships between people or institutions are based on exchange in which all parties have a mutual understanding of their rights and obligations. Relations between members of an immediate family or between spouses are based on obligations such as obedience or respect. Relations can be forged through gifts or personal favors and bring with them obligations and expectations. For every action, something is expected in return. Those who do favors are highly esteemed; they are recognized as people who have respect for those around them. Every previous or current situation produces expectations…

• Are You Practicing the Law of Love?

  John Agno

  4 Feb 2010 | 10:50 pm

  Divine Law can neither be ignored nor put aside. Perhaps, the most important of these laws is the 'law of love.' Put simply, "Love is Law, Law is Love." This amounts to the same thing as "the gift of giving" without the "hope of reward or pay," or serving others.For how the Law of Love works in business, go toLawofReciprocity.com What is this thing called love? Every religion teaches the Law of Love. Buddhism Hurt not others with that which pains yourself. Udanavarga 5.18.Christianity Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the Law and the Prophets. Bible, Matthew…

• 
  A List Apart

• Words that Zing

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  When someone consults a website, there is a precious opportunity not only to provide useful information but also to influence their decision. To make the most of this opportune moment, we must ensure that the site says or does precisely the right thing at precisely the right time. Understanding the rhetorical concept of kairos can help us craft a context for the opportune moment and hit the mark with appropriately zingy text.

• The Problem with Passwords

  9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 am

  Abandoning password masking as Jakob Nielsen suggests could present serious problems, including undermining a user’s trust by failing to meet a basic expectation. But with design patterns gleaned from offline applications, plus a dash of JavaScript, we can provide feedback and reduce password errors without compromising the basic user experience or losing our visitors’ trust.

• Using SVG for Flexible, Scalable, and Fun Backgrounds, Part II

  26 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am

  In Part II, dig deeper into the technology behind using SVG for your site design. Explore how to incorporate SVG in a cross-browser friendly manner, including using SVGWeb to ensure that the SVG shows in Internet Explorer. And discover the unique characteristic that makes SVG ideal for page backgrounds: scalability.

• Using SVG For Flexible, Scalable, and Fun Backgrounds, Part I

  26 Jan 2010 | 1:00 am

  Many of us think of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as an also-ran: fine for charts and tables, but not much else. Yet SVG can actually enhance a site’s overall design, and can be made to work in even the most stubborn browser. In Part I of a two-part series, Shelley Powers covers important basics of working with SVG, including browser support and accessibility.

• The Survey, 2009

  15 Dec 2009 | 2:00 am

  For the third year in a row, good citizens of the web, we ask that you take a few minutes to tell us about your professional skills, educational background, career prospects, job benefits, and more.

• 
  SmartBrief on Social Media

• What can Twitter lists do for your company?

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  You need to be able to draw the right people to your Twitter account if you want to get the most out of the service, writes C -More- 

• Your turn: What does the future hold for e-mail?

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

   -More- 

• How to turn social buzz into sales

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  As social marketing matures, it's time to stop thinking solely in terms of buzz, and start figuring out how to use social too -More- 

• The Oscars aim for a social revamp

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Hollywood's biggest award ceremony is hoping to harness the power of social media, with the Academy launching a Facebook page -More- 

• Google fights back against Facebook

  8 Feb 2010 | 10:00 pm

  Google is preparing to announce the addition of social-networking tools, possibly including a status stream, to its Gmail ser -More- 

• 
  TechCrunch

• TED: Now with More Elitism?

  Sarah Lacy

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:33 pm

  Let me say upfront: I have never been to TED, mostly because I have never been invited and I can’t imagine a world where I justify paying $6,000 for a conference. But I live in Silicon Valley so every year leading up to the star-studded event, I have to hear about it from nearly everyone I know: People who love it and people who hate it. For the last few years, these conversations have gotten ugly. What I’ve seen and heard from the outside depicts the sad transition from what used to be an inventive, elite industry conference that cross-pollinated experts from the worlds of technology,…

• Microsoft Slams Google Buzz

  Michael Arrington

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pm

  “Busy people don’t want another social network, what they want is the convenience of aggregation. We’ve done that. Hotmail customers have benefitted from Microsoft working with Flickr, Facebook, Twitter and 75 other partners since 2008.” – Microsoft statement on Google Buzz. When one of the big guys launches a new product, competitors generally just sit it out and let the press do its thing. But Microsoft made a point of reaching out today with the quote above, criticizing Google Buzz as “another social network” and noting that Hotmail has aggregated Flickr,…

• Yahoo Not Pleased With Google Buzz’s Buzz

  MG Siegler

  9 Feb 2010 | 12:18 pm

  Google officially unveiled Buzz, their major step into social statuses through Gmail today at an event held at 10 AM PT. Within the hour, Yahoo PR was set in motion to let everyone know that they actually did this first, almost a year ago. Here’s the humorous email that was sent out: It’s been almost a year and a half since we first launched Yahoo! Updates – a social feature that lets people share their status, content and online activities and stay connected to what their friends and family are doing on Yahoo! and across the Web – and we wanted to share the latest on what’s…

• Sergey Brin Used Google Buzz To Write His NYT Op-Ed On Google Books

  MG Siegler

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:54 am

  During the Q&A session today following the Google Buzz event, Google co-founder Sergey Brin revealed something both humorous and interesting. When asked a question about practical uses for Google Buzz, Brin noted that he actually used the service to help him write his op-ed about Google Books that ran in the New York Times last year. Brin noted that he was having difficulty with the article because it’s just his one point of view. So he put out his draft on Google Buzz (which Google was testing out internally within the company at the time), and quickly got dozens of comments. Brin…

• Screenshots: Google Buzz In Action

  MG Siegler

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:17 am

  Now that the Google event is over, the company has started turning on Buzz for Gmail users. Here are some quick screenshots of it in action. CrunchBase InformationGoogle BuzzInformation provided by CrunchBase

• 
  Delicious Tag: Anthropology

• Food Allergies and Modern Life | Savage Minds

  celiemme

  9 Feb 2010 | 11:13 am

  interesting theories on food allergies

• BARA :: Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology

  somerut

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:58 am

• BBC News - Last speaker of ancient language of Bo dies in India

  pavolk

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:13 am

• BBC News - The tragedy of dying languages

  pavolk

  9 Feb 2010 | 10:11 am

• *Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology: USC Department of Anthropology

  rswknight

  9 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am