Selected by hotflashnews

• 
  Guy Kawasaki

• The 19 bloggers Inc. thinks you should read

  GuyKawasaki

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm

  Inc. named 19 bloggers that you should read. We’ve aggregated them all in one place: Inc19.alltop.

• How to Get Found

  GuyKawasaki

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pm

  The reality is that people and technology is getting better and better a blocking out unwanted interruptions—aka, “marketing.” Brian Halligan is the CEO of HubSpot, and he explains in my post on the American Express Open Forum “how to get found.” It’s all about creating great stuff and letting Google et al do what they do: find great stuff.

• How I tweet

  GuyKawasaki

  2 Nov 2009 | 8:47 am

  By popular demand (and some complaints), I’ve done a FAQ with myself about how I tweet. Hope this helps you use Twitter for your business too. I explain how I use ghostwriters and why I repeat my tweets among other “unusual” practices.

• Current Twitter Demo Script

  GuyKawasaki

  28 Oct 2009 | 2:26 am

  This is the set of links that I used to demo Twitter by going down through this list to show why Twitter is such a valuable marketing tool. Introduction Home page Profile page Monitor Search Guy Kawasaki or Alltop Starbucks VIA introduction Search for “Prius” or “Civic” Sell Dell Outlet Kogi BBQ Support Comcast Cares Engage JetBlue Virgin America Fandango Prospect Camaro Camaro near Palo Alto Advanced searches Surfing or skateboarding (shows how to eliminate extraneous results such as “surfing the web” How I Tweet - Find Alltop MyAlltop helped me find this.

• How to Avoid Twitter Cluelessness

  GuyKawasaki

  26 Oct 2009 | 4:24 pm

  Over at the American Express Open Forum blog, I explain how to not look clueless on Twitter. The first five ways are: Don’t tell other people how to tweet. Don’t tell the world that you unfollowed someone. Don’t ask people why they unfollowed you. Don’t constantly tweet mundane updates and babble. Don’t use a small picture for an avatar. To read all ten and why they impugn your intelligence, click here.

• 
  Seth Godin

• Take what you can get (?)

  Seth Godin

  7 Nov 2009 | 3:34 am

  When you're just starting out or when your organization is struggling or when the economy isn't hot, it's very tempting to take what you can get.You just graduated from law school and you have a lot of debt and the best job you can get is doing collections work. Should you take it?Your consulting firm is organized around providing high-value work for large corporations, but the only gigs you can get in the consideration set for are small, struggling companies looking to spend a few hundred dollars a day. Should you take them?The list goes on and on.There are two things worth remembering here:…

• Everyone is clueless

  Seth Godin

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:29 am

  The problem with "everyone" is that in order to reach everyone or teach everyone or sell to everyone, you need to so water down what you've got you end up with almost nothing.Everyone doesn't go to the chiropractor, everyone doesn't give to charity, everyone has never been to Starbucks. Everyone, in fact, lives a decade behind the times and needs hundreds of impressions and lots of direct experience before they realize something is going on.You don't want everyone. You want the right someone.Someone who cares about what you do. Someone who will make a contribution that matters. Someone who…

• The unclicking 84%

  Seth Godin

  5 Nov 2009 | 2:36 am

  Mark points us to this great set of stats.Basically, all of the clicks for all the ads online come from only 16% of the surfers, and most of them come from just 4% of all internet users.So, if you optimize your ads for clicks, it means you're ignoring a huge population.If your business is built around the kind of person who clicks, you win. If it isn't, you either need to not buy ads online or buy ads optimized for attention and familiarity, not clicks.Imagine that only left-handed people clicked on ads (it's about the same percent). What are you going to do if you make a product for the…

• When data and decisions collide

  Seth Godin

  4 Nov 2009 | 2:54 am

  Until recently, most of the decisions we were called on to make were based on hunches, insight and a little bit of data. Occasionally, a field like direct marketing would develop into something quite data-driven ("I don't care if you like mailer one, Smythe, mailer #2 did three times, better! Number 2 it is.") but not often.It took Ignaz Semmelweis more than twenty years (he died before it happened, actually) to persuade doctors that washing their hands could save the lives of mothers giving birth. He had the data, he had the proof, but that wasn't enough to change minds.Data mining and the…

• Limited edition boxed set available today SOLD OUT!

  Seth Godin

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:41 am

  [We ended up selling more than three a minute. You guys are so cool. We had a few counter problems, but it didn't effect the number we sold...they're all gone, 800 in total, and I won't be able to sell any more. Thank you for the energy and support!]It seems as though the Apple tablet is unlikely to be ready in time for the holidays... what to get? How about a boxed (a wooden box) set of five of my books? Very limited (only 800 will be sold, ever). Sold at a discount from retail, with cool packaging, assembled by elves, delivered by Martians, blessed by enlightened goats. My goal was to make…

• 
  Wine Library TV

• What Wine Pairs with Chicken Nuggets – Episode #762

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  3 Nov 2009 | 1:40 pm

  Gary Vaynerchuk tastes two wines to pair with the ultimate airport fast food while on his book signing tour. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(189) Leave a comment › “Awesome show idea. I love the random guy coming up to you in this epis…” by Steak Monster “@Grapevine thanks for the props, glad you liked my camerawork. I do c…” by mattsito View all 189 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2006 Angoves Red Belly Black Chardonnay 2006 little Boomey Shiraz Links mentioned in todays episode. The…

• Canadian Wine from a Hotel in Toronto – Episode #761

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  30 Oct 2009 | 1:24 pm

  Gary Vaynerchuk tastes a Canadian wine from the mini bar of his hotel. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(320) Leave a comment › “I really loved visiting Vancouver a few years back. Great city vibe, g…” by MRPysnik “I was born in Toronto and love the city. I am actually thinking about …” by Sean McCann View all 320 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2007 Cave Spring Cabernet / Merlot Links mentioned in todays episode. The “Crush It!” Book Tour Cave Springs Winery

• Expanding Palates with Portuguese Wines – Episode #760

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  28 Oct 2009 | 1:20 pm

  Gary Vaynerchuk tastes 3 Portuguese wines with the crowd at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival in September. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(138) Leave a comment › “Gary Found your show about a year ago and really enjoy it, very g…” by Dennis Frans “My favourite disney character is Mickey Mouse, c’mon who doesn’t like …” by Richard Arblaster View all 138 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2006 Quinta Do CabrizDao 2006 Monte Da Cal RedAlentejo 2007 Quinta Do Castro Douro Links…

• Future of Wine Tasting – Episode #759

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  26 Oct 2009 | 2:52 pm

  While in London for the Future of Web Apps conference, Gary takes time out to tape a show with a fan, Steve Leighton. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(160) Leave a comment › “Awesome episode. It’s great having a guest on the show that is so pas…” by Justin Stewart “Love it! Cabo welcomes GV for your Visit.We’ll have Glasses Cheers T…” by Cabo Wine Club View all 160 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2008 Lorca Torrontes 2007 Gran Opalo Blend 2007 Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir Links…

• 2002 Champagne Tasting – Episode #758

  tv@winelibrary.com (Winelibrary TV)

  23 Oct 2009 | 1:07 pm

  Gary Vaynerchuk tastes two different Champagnes from the incredible 2002 vintage. Having trouble viewing this video? Try the Quicktime version. Comments on this episode(144) Leave a comment › “In the last year or two I’ve really developed a taste for Champagne an…” by Bill from Wine For Newbies “I love all the bubbles… but my favourite lately is Gloria Ferrer Bla…” by alisha View all 144 › Wines tasted in this episode: 2002 Legras Brut Champagne Presidence VvFrench Brut Vintage 2002 Pehu Simonet BrutFrench Brut Vintage Links…

• 
  Holy Kaw!

• My plug is better than yours

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:38 am

  Who’s got the best power plug? Crave UK answers the question with their tongue somewhat in cheek. Could there be any bias with their choice for the #1 plug? I guess the writers don’t travel much and don’t care about size. Also, perhaps anthropomorphism is a bit too highly ranked? More intelligent ways to be shocked. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• 25 wackiest NYC Marathon costumes

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:01 pm

  Running 26.2 miles while sucking down polluted urban air wasn’t quite difficult enough for some jogging fools competing in the New York City Marathon last week, so a handful of creative folks decided to extend Halloween an extra day and run the race while donning costumes. Photogs spotted clowns, super heroes, Uncle Sam, nuns and even an apparently alive Michael Jackson. Lucky for you, you didn’t have to travel all the way to the Big Apple to check out all the shenanigans because Buzz Feed has collected images of the 25 best costumes at the 2009 NYC marathon. Enjoy (and feel lazy…

• Tech that refuses to die

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:26 pm

  Call them the Jason Vorhees of technology—gadgets that just won’t die, no matter how many times you kill ‘em with a chain saw. Tech moves fast,—remember, like 10 years ago you probably had a pager in your pocket—but why is it that some technology seems completely resistant to kicking the bucket? From cables that remain tangled under your desk to the hipsters’ audio format of choice, vinyl, CNet highlights eight tech items that refuse to meet the Grim Reaper. Even Twitter makes a surprise entry on the list. Check out the full list, including why the sans…

• How to change

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:09 pm

  Want to change? Then, according to Peter Bregman, just change one thing. In his case he stopped consuming large amounts of sugar. For me, it would be carbohydrates. But the article isn’t really about dieting—it’s about how to become a better business person, so read it and reap. More Lifehacks. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• Guess who is a Glamour woman of the year?

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:56 pm

  It’s going to be a long time before I post about anything in Glamour, but this is a special occasion. The magazine named Google’s Marissa Mayer as one of the women of the year for 2009. Joining her is “refuse to use Bluetooth” Maria Shriver and others. The only reason Matt Cutts didn’t win is that he’s a man—despite the concerted efforts of SEO consultants around the world to game the voting.. More, albeit less glamourous, news about Google. Permalink | Leave a comment  »

• 
  Mashable!

• POLL: TweetDeck Trounces Seesmic Desktop in Reader Vote

  Barb Dybwad

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:41 pm

  We’ve had a number of close calls here during our Web Faceoff series, but this wasn’t one of them. This week we pitted TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop against each other in a bar room brawl for favorite Twitter client. Now, the results are in. Whereas last week’s Windows 7 versus OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard battle was a close one, with Windows 7 going the distance to outlast the current Mac OS, this week’s showdown had a big winner. …and TweetDeck was it, with a full 71% of the vote (3294 votes) as compared to Seesmic Desktop’s 23% (1055 votes). Six percent or 260…

• iPhone Coming to Verizon in 2010 [RUMOR]

  Adam Ostrow

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:21 pm

  Many signs point to the Apple and AT&T agreement that makes the latter the exclusive carrier of the iPhone within the US coming to an end within the next year. For starters, non-exclusivity has been profitable for Apple in other parts of the world. Moreover, even AT&T’s CEO acknowledges the deal won’t last forever. And while Verizon might be all about showing off what Droid does right now, a new report suggests it could become the first carrier other than AT&T to offer iPhone on American soil, starting in the second half of 2010. According to a report obtained by Apple…

• DocVerse Puts Google Docs-Like Collaboration Inside Microsoft Office

  Ben Parr

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:20 pm

  This post is part of Mashable’s Spark of Genius series, which highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. Name: DocVerse Quick Pitch: DocVerse brings the collaboration functionality of products like Google Docs to the 600 million users of Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Genius Idea: Collaboration is a key to success in any business, especially when you have a scattered team that needs to work on documents constantly. There are already a lot of options,…

• FishVille Launches on Facebook; It’s Like Underwater FarmVille

  Barb Dybwad

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:56 pm

  We were sort of surprised to discover how many of you proclaim your love for FarmVille, the social farming sim game from Zynga. We reported that the company had trademarked the name FishVille last month, and speculated that an aquatic derivative of the wildly popular social game might be in the works. And indeed it was, with FishVille launching in beta today. It’s a bit of a late contender to the aquarium games space, with Happy Aquarium, Fish World and My Fishbowl all getting a head start. Nevertheless, Zynga has enough clout in the social games space to make FishVille a quick winner…

• 5 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Wine Lovers

  Megan Berry

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pm

  Megan Berry is an evangelist for Mobclix, the industry’s largest mobile ad exchange, working on social media and marketing. She also blogs at The Huffington Post and the Mobclix blog. You can follow her on Twitter as @meganberry, or through the @Mobclix handle. Unsure about mixing your iPhone with wine? Well, if you’re a true vinophile, the iPhone is an amazing device to keep you more connected to your wine. The following list of top wine apps on the iPhone will convince you that mixing the two is worth the risk of spilling some pinot noir on your phone. Like wine itself, these…

• 
  The Bloggess

• I’m in Japan and too sleep-deprived to come up with a good title. Also, I’m very, very grumpy.

  Jenny the bloggess

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pm

  So I’m still in Japan.  Day 847.  Or Day 6.  Something like that.  All the days blend together here because my nights and days are still mixed up and I haven’t slept more than 3 hours at a time and it all feels like I’m trapped in a weird Hunter S. Thompson story except that there are less drugs and more puddings that look like boobies and I spent the day disguised as a Japanese prostitute.  Those links both take you to my satirical sex column, by the way, because they’re paying for all the really fucked up parts of this trip.  Thanks, Eden Fantasys!  Now my…

• Sue me. I’m awesome.

  Jenny the bloggess

  30 Oct 2009 | 10:34 am

  So this weekend I leave for Japan.  ”Why?” you ask?  Because it’s there. And also because I got drunk one night and Victor asked me if I’d go to Japan with him and apparently I said yes.  This is what happens when you get drunk around Victor.  You wake up in the morning and need a passport.  Whenever I mention it to people they’re all “JAPAN!  THAT’S AWESOME!” but to be honest I’m a terrible traveler and Japan scares the shit out of me and all I really know about Japan is that Godzilla was born there.  Also, I may be mixing Japan up…

• UPDATED! An open letter to the King of Germany who might actually only be a Prince. I didn’t really research it. But we’re at war now so you’ll probably hear about it on the news.

  Jenny the bloggess

  29 Oct 2009 | 10:00 am

  Dear Mr. King of Germany: It has been brought to my attention that your daughter is either impersonating me or mocking me in her royal portrait.  Exhibit A: I’ve been rockin’ this look for years so I can only assume this is an act of aggression on her part.  That’s why this morning I declared war on Germany.  I try not to judge people for their parenting skills but I can’t help but think this is kind of your fault for not reigning your daughter in (Get it? “Reigning”?  Because you’re a king?  I kill me.) but lucky for you, I am a kind and…

• Twitter will molest you.

  Jenny the bloggess

  28 Oct 2009 | 1:10 pm

  Conversation between me and twitter, who is kind of an asshole: And that’s the reason why I don’t like twitter.  Because it’s judgemental and it never goes away.  It’s like your junior high boyfriend when you’re all “You hang up the phone first” and he’s all “No, you hang up” and you’re like “No, you hang up” and he probably thinks he’s being all romantic by not hanging up but you really want him to hang up because you have to pee and you don’t want him to hear you peeing.  And that’s basically what twitter is all about.  This is like a tutorial for…

• In all honesty, you’d probably be better off skipping this post.

  Jenny the bloggess

  26 Oct 2009 | 3:09 pm

  "Other shit I did this week." (Translation, in case you don't read Dracula.) You know how on Sundays I do a week-in-review about all the shit that happened to me that I didn’t write about here but then sometimes I forget to do it and instead I do it at the beginning of the current week and it gives everyone a headache?  That just happened again.  Honestly, I need an intern to help me with this stuff.  I’d be all “Intern, I need to know what animal has claws and is scary but also has a funny name.  Something with at least two syllables.  And it can’t…

• 
  NYT > Technology

• Chinese Agencies Struggle Over How to Handle Video Game

  By MICHAEL WINES

  7 Nov 2009 | 4:46 am

  Two government agencies are facing off over the right to regulate the popular online game World of Warcraft.

• Virtual Goods Start Bringing Real Paydays

  By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER and BRAD STONE

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:10 am

  It is quickly becoming commonplace for people to spend a few dollars to get ahead in an online game or to give a friend a gift on a social network.

• Activision Posts Profit and Reaffirms Outlook

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:26 pm

  Lower costs and a good response for games such as Guitar Hero 5 and World of Warcraft helped the company in the third quarter.

• Research in Motion Plans Big Share Buyback

  By IAN AUSTEN

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:26 pm

  Stock in the company, creator of the BlackBerry smartphone, has lost about a third of its value since September.

• Founders Win a Piece of Skype From eBay

  By BRAD STONE

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:08 pm

  The founders of Skype will drop their lawsuits against the company and a consortium of buyers who bid to purchase Skype. In exchange, the founders will get a 14 percent share in the new Skype.

• 
  tech news - Google News

• NCAA: Boise State 45, La. Tech 35 - United Press International

  Google Inc.

  Seattle Post IntelligencerNCAA: Boise State 45, La. Tech 35United Press International5 Boise State undefeated with a 45-35 win over WAC rival Louisiana Tech. Kellen Moore threw a 12-yard TD pass to Austin Pettis midway through the quarter Boise State survives LA Tech to remain undefeatedSeattle Post IntelligencerNo. 5 Boise State survives Louisiana Tech 45-35The Associated PressLouisiana Tech faces monumental challenge tonightESPNAHN -Shreveport Times -IdahoStatesman.comall 473 news articles »

• Sweet redemption for Tech's Williams at ECU - Daily Press

  Google Inc.

  Washington PostSweet redemption for Tech's Williams at ECUDaily PressAs Virginia Tech's Ryan Williams went through the mental self-healing process after fumbling away the ball Oct. 29 deep on the Hokies' Sad Days at Virginia TechBleacher ReportGeorgia Tech moves one step closer to ACC title gameAtlanta Journal Constitution#22 Virginia Tech holds off E. Carolina, avoids 3-game skidSan Francisco ChroniclePhiladelphia Inquirer -ESPN -Philadelphia Daily Newsall 675 news articles »

• Wake Forest at Georgia Tech - News & Observer

  Google Inc.

  WJBF-TVWake Forest at Georgia TechNews & ObserverLogic says Georgia Tech (8-1, 5-1 ACC) is going to have a bummer of a game somewhere. It's just a question of when, and this one looked like a prime Keys for Tech vs. WakeAtlanta Journal ConstitutionWFU will face tough test today at Georgia TechWinston-Salem JournalRaised expectations: Tech's Johnson surprises some with rapid Jackets successMacon TelegraphCharlotteObserver.com -Offshore Insiders -GoJackets.com (subscription)all 247 news articles »

• We're live from Georgia: Hello, is anybody home? - Atlanta Journal Constitution

  Google Inc.

  Atlanta Journal ConstitutionWe're live from Georgia: Hello, is anybody home?Atlanta Journal ConstitutionThe reasons are fairly obvious: 1) The Bulldogs are 4-4 and possibly headed to a third-tier bowl; 2) The opponent is Tennessee Tech, which generally isn't Georgia Bulldogs v. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Game Day Open Comment ThreadDawg Sports (blog)Bulldogs hope to empty bench against Tennessee TechAnderson Independent MailTurnover-plagued Bulldogs looking for better bounces against underdog WHNTWCTV -Red and Black -CharlotteObserver.comall 94 news articles »

• Ex-New Orleans tech chief, wife, vendor indicted - The Associated Press

  Google Inc.

  NOLA.comEx-New Orleans tech chief, wife, vendor indictedThe Associated PressNEW ORLEANS — A federal grand jury on Friday indicted former New Orleans technology chief Greg Meffert, his wife and a one-time city vendor in an alleged Former NO tech chief and wife, vendor indictedWWL First NewsFormer NO tech chief and wife, vendor indictedWXVTall 83 news articles »

• 
  PhilanTopic

• Sunk Costs and the Need for Social Innovation

  Mitch Nauffts

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:15 pm

  (Farnaz Golshani is director of programs and services at the San Francisco-based Tides Center. This is her first post for PhilanTopic.) I've been thinking a lot lately about the concept of "sunk costs." In economics and business decision-making, sunk costs are unrecoverable past expenditures that, under normal circumstances, should not be taken into account when determining whether to continue or abandon a project, effort, or initiative because costs that are already "sunk" cannot be recovered. Inevitably, thinking about sunk costs reminds me of my "Saab stories." I purchased a used Saab for…

• Foundations' Year-End Outlook for Giving

  Mitch Nauffts

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:32 pm

  Our Research colleagues here at the Foundation Center have issued a new advisory (5 pages, PDF) that looks at how foundation thinking has evolved since the center conducted its last giving forecast survey in January. Based on a follow-up survey of leading funders conducted in September, the advisory suggests that foundation giving will decline by more than 10 percent this year -- toward the middle of the 8 to 13 percent range estimated by that initial survey -- and that overall foundation giving will decline further in 2010. Indeed, consistent with findings from the January survey, a…

• Detroit: Back to the Future?

  Mitch Nauffts

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:51 am

  Yesterday afternoon, I had the chance to speak with a very busy Diana Aviv. Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector, was getting ready for her organization's annual conference, which opens today at the Marriott Renaissance in downtown Detroit and runs through Friday. (With a little luck, I'll post the transcript of our conversation tomorrow.) The theme of this year's conference, "Challenging Times, New Opportunities," couldn't be more timely, and the choice of Detroit as host city -- a decision made four years ago -- was prescient. The pre-conference materials on the IS Web site…

• Weekend Link Roundup (October 31, 2009 - November 1, 2009)

  Regina Mahone

  1 Nov 2009 | 3:03 pm

  Our weekly roundup of news and noteworthy posts from and about the nonprofit sector.... Arts and Culture “I do not think I believe anymore in forcing Eurocentric arts organizations to do diverse works or to put one minority on a board,” writes Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in a recent Huffington Post blog entry. Adds Kaiser: When large, white organizations produce minority works they typically select the "low hanging fruit," the most popular works by diverse artists featuring the most famous minority performers and directors. This almost…

• Quote of the Day (October 31, 2009)

  Mitch Nauffts

  31 Oct 2009 | 2:03 pm

  "We live in tumultuous and challenging times; we can stand on the edge of the precipice. We can fall headlong into an abyss of unprecedented poverty, shrinking opportunities, environmental devastation, and increased social turmoil. Or we can embrace our current set of crises as an opportunity. As we are forced to cope with food shortages, high fuel costs, a shrinking middle class, growing wealth divides, global migrations, and cataclysmic environmental events, so too must we face changing the social world because we cannot afford merely to tinker with the consequences of these problems. We…

• 
  TechnologyStory.com

• Augmented Intelligence

  Scott Klososky

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am

  Being a creative person, I am always on the look out for a way of mixing words that might be a new way to describe something that is not well described today. As I speak to audiences about business intelligence and how it will move us to artificial intelligence engines that run our organizations, I have been struggling to replace the AI moniker. Artificial intelligence was never a good descriptor of a software application that would appear to be able to think. The reality is AI is just a sophisticated set of rules that simulate how a human might process a set of variables. The human brain is…

• Stories From the Road

  Scott Klososky

  21 Oct 2009 | 5:49 pm

  One of the cool things about being a speaker is hearing all the interesting stories of how technology is impacting people. Here are a few I have heard in the last couple of weeks… On gentleman in his 60’s came up today and said he really did not know much about social media, but he was proud of something he has accomplished this year. His wife had picked up a stray dog she had found and had promptly gone old school to find the owner. She put up posters around town with a picture and a phone number. After a week or so, the dog was still at the house and this guy was getting nervous about a…

• Tech Spending – How Much Is Enough?

  Scott Klososky

  19 Oct 2009 | 11:53 am

  One of the most difficult aspects of technology as a tool is deciding how much to invest, when to invest, and then being at peace that you will get a return on the investment. This applies to us individually, and to all organizations. I have been wrestling with both the last few weeks and that inspires me to write this content for you. I have a client that is growing quickly, been in business many years, has the profits to upgrade their digital plumbing, and the need to take a big step forward. We are talking a possible investment of one to two million dollars possibly – maybe more. At the…

• Augmented Reality

  Scott Klososky

  9 Oct 2009 | 7:34 am

  Before you read any future, if you do not understand the concept of Augmented Reality (AR), please watch this video by BMW because it will give you a quick picture in your head: YouTube link. The concept of AR is that with either glasses, a visor, a camera device, or eventually direct to our retina, we can look at anything and have the scene we are looking at enhanced with information driven from the Web, or any other data source. There are starting to be iPhone apps written that use AR to accomplish things like advertising, or scene enhancement for a computer aided tour of a location. Since…

• A New Tech-Enabled Sales Model

  Scott Klososky

  29 Sep 2009 | 7:23 pm

  Just about every organization in the world is involved in some type “selling.” The product could be a widget, a service, donations, or content, and in every case, it has to be “sold” to someone. I happened to start my career in 1980 and in the first few years I was lucky enough to work for a company that sent me to some of the top sales schools of the day, including IBM, Xerox PSS, and 3M sales programs. This was a blessing because I was classically trained in the basics of prospecting, identifying needs, closing and generally learning the psychology of understanding a buyer and how I…

• 
  Nonprofit Online News

• Anti-Abortion Extremism Online

  Sadly, Muslim charities are more often labeled as terrorists in the U.S. than anti-abortion extremists who genuinely organize violent actions. But First Monday has some interesting research into Anti-Abortion Extremism Online that gives us a very good look at the line that gets crossed when activism turns into aggression. The article is also a lesson in the layers and complexities of online organizing and community and the various roles played by different people and sites. This is a worthwhile read.

• Mashable's 2009 Open Web Awards

  Mashable's 2009 Open Web Awards has a range of categories that might be of interest to you. They include: best nonprofit use of social media, social media agency, best social media maven to follow, best blogger to follow, and most inspiring to follow. I'm fairly skeptical of popularity contests masquerading as "best of" anything, but still, I would like to see my readers weigh in on this.

• Policy Project on the Social Economy

  In the context of a range of efforts including new rating and reporting systems and increased citizen participation in publicly accessible data, Lucy Berholz proposes a Policy Project on the Social Economy. She's asking people to help her assess the public policies that affect civil society. She asks the right simple questions, provides a number of ways to participate, and has started a great little mindmap of ideas.

• Small Steps to a Larger Goal

  Steve Anderson's Small Steps to a Larger Goal is a very wise take on what criteria to use when you are working with others toward a large long-term goal. It might not be as applicable to solo projects like writing a book, but it really does apply to what most of us are doing most of the time. In brief, his priorities are: (1) Get other people unstuck. (2) Show visible movement in the right direction. (3) Avoid creating a substantial amount of followup support. (4) Take into account the cost of undoing or fixing the work. (5) Put off decisions you can afford to put off.

• Building Your Online List: A High Integrity Model, Seminar on Dec. 16, 2009

  I spend a lot of time teaching my clients how to deepen their relationships with existing stakeholders. But sometimes, you just need to build or expand that list of stakeholders in the first place! There are lots of weak and disappointing ways to do that. And plenty more ways that are marginally ethical. That's why I'm teaching this workshop, coming up on December 16, 2009: Building Your Online List: A High Integrity Model for Reaching Large Numbers on the Internet. We cover every important list-building method - social media, media transitions, chaperoning, campaigns, etc - and put them in…

• 
  Have Fun • Do Good

• Come On, U.S., Give the Kids Their Rights

  Britt Bravo

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:53 pm

  November 20, 2009 is the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). According to UNICEF, "The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rightscivil, cultural, economic, political and social rights."Only two United Nations member states have not ratified it: Somalia and the United States.Did you just say, "What?" Yeah, me too.I'm not entirely sure why the U.S. hasn't ratified the Convention. It seems like a no-brainer. According to The Huffington Post article, Obama…

• People Powered Movement Photo Contest

  Britt Bravo

  4 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pm

  I'm a big walker. Because of where we live, I can walk to the grocery store, drug store, post office, gym, library, doctor's office, and the BART, which will take me into San Francisco, where I can walk some more.Consequently, I was pretty excited when the Alliance for Biking and Walking asked me to spread the word about their People Powered Movement Photo Contest.The Alliance for Biking and Walking creates, strengthens, and unites state and local bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. One resource its member organizations have requested is high quality images of biking and walking to…

• Turn Your Book Club Into a Social Action Club with Kristof and WuDunn's Half the Sky

  Britt Bravo

  30 Oct 2009 | 3:31 pm

  Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, "lays out an agenda for the world's women and three major abuses: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence including honor killings and mass rape; maternal mortality, which needlessly claims one woman a minute."Even though Kristof and WuDunn focus on solutions as well as problems around these issues, reading about them might feel overwhelming. Why not transform that overwhelm into action by registering your book club with the Mercy Corps Half the Sky Book…

• Have Fun Do Good Link Love: Echoing Green, Jobs for Change, Julia Cameron and 29 Gifts

  Britt Bravo

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:15 pm

  NEWSThis week, Echoing Green partnered with Jobs for Change on a new Be Bold Podcast. In the first edition of this partnership, I interviewed Erin O'Connor Jones, the Director of Candidate Services and Managing Associate at Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group.I talked with Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way, this month for the Arts and Healing Network's podcast: The Artist's Way Every Day: A Chat with author, Julia CameronI have 3 new posts up on the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship blog:Social Media Resources and Inspiration for Independent FilmmakersKickstarter: Funding…

• Connecting Creative Women Entrepreneurs

  Britt Bravo

  27 Oct 2009 | 11:07 am

  Jennifer Lee, Kimberly Wilson, Lisa Sonora Beam and I were on a call the other day talking about how fun it would be to put together an event for creative women entrepreneurs to connect, create, and learn together. We came up with our own description of what an event like that would look like, but we want to hear your thoughts and opinions, too.We put together a six-question survey to find out what your ideal creative women entrepreneur event would look like. By providing your feedback, you can enter in a raffle to be one of four winners to receive either a half hour of social media…

• 
  NYT: Environment

• Rules on Modified Corn Skirted, Study Says

  By ANDREW POLLACK

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:27 pm

  As many as 25 percent of the American farmers growing genetically engineered corn are no longer complying with federal rules intended to maintain the resistance of the crops to damage from insects.

• Democrats Push Climate Bill Through Panel Without G.O.P. Debate

  By JOHN M. BRODER

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:49 am

  The move suggested that President Obama and Democratic supporters of the bill will have serious problems assembling the votes needed to enact it when it comes to the Senate floor.

• California Water Overhaul Caps Use

  By JENNIFER STEINHAUER

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:12 am

  Lawmakers passed bills to address a protracted drought in the biggest water overhaul since the 1960s.

• National Briefing | South: Georgia: September Floods Analyzed

  By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:17 am

  Scientists knew the recent flooding that enveloped parts of Georgia was rare but a new analysis is showing just how unusual the heavy rains were.

• Groups Press U.S. and China on Carbon

  By EDWARD WONG

  4 Nov 2009 | 6:06 pm

  Two research organizations want the two countries to put more money into developing use of carbon capture technology.

• 
  The GiveWell Blog

• Too much attention on the giver’s experience; not enough on the recipient’s

  Holden

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:46 am

  From the recent discussion on Tactical Philanthropy: As philanthropists/donors/funders, we spend so much time thinking about how to maximize social benefit through our activities, that often we lose sight of the personal benefits that we experience from these endeavors. We disagree. Consider the current state of the nonprofit sector. We have practically no information about charities’ effects on the people they serve. Donor misinformation is rampant. Failure to disclose basic facts sets off no one’s alarm bells even coming from the world’s biggest charities. Charities…

• Our process: narrowing the field

  Holden

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:05 am

  One of the aspects of our research process that has generated some objections is our use of “heuristics,” i.e., shortcuts to winnow the field of recommended charities from 300+ to a manageable number for closer investigation. The heuristics we use are described here. A good statement of the objections comes this comment at Hatrack forums: I don’t care if a charity’s evaluation and monitoring reports are on their website, as long as they are publically available in some way. And while I agree with many of thier priorities, 75% of funding or more matching a list of…

• Donor illusions

  Holden

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am

  There’s an persistent conflict in international charity: It feels great to be able to say, “My donation helped THIS person.” But it’s rarely – if ever – practical for that sort of connection to be real. As a result, international charities tend to create “donor illusions” by implying that donations can be attributed more tangibly, reliably and specifically than they really are. Some charities are more purposefully misleading than others, and some have more prominent and clear disclosures than others, but we feel that all of the cases below end up…

• Evaluating microfinance charities

  Holden

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:17 pm

  When we think about microfinance, we don’t ask “which person” or “which story” to fund; we think about which organization to fund. As explained at our discussion of microfinance myths, we don’t think the traditional story donors are told is accurate. We do think microfinance could be helping people in other ways - or hurting them. Here are the questions we’re asking as we consider granting one or more microfinance charities: 1. Are the customers getting “handouts” or “services”? Even if an microfinance charity can’t directly show changes…

• How would a malaria vaccine affect charity?

  Holden

  4 Nov 2009 | 8:00 am

  What happens if a malaria vaccine becomes available - and is far more effective than medicine and perhaps insecticide-treated nets? I hope that all malaria charities will transition, as smoothly as they can, to assisting with immunization programs. But I’m not sure. Immunization-focused charities include the GAVI Alliance, the Measles Initiative and VillageReach. Malaria-focused charities are a different set entirely including Nothing But Nets and the Against Malaria Foundation. Are malaria charities going to be happy to direct their resources toward immunization charities, or will they…

• 
  Feeds

• Twitter Lists will change the social dynamic

  Jennifer Leggio

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:30 am

  Lists will either be the great equalizer, or create a pseudo ‘class’ system within Twitter.

• Nothing is viral, but everything is contagious

  Jennifer Leggio

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:42 am

  We trust George Carlin. We trust the celebrity. We don't trust random, unknown bloggers or Twitter users that no one has heard of.

• Developing government's human voice

  Jennifer Leggio

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:19 am

  Government, unlike private sector companies, has not had a major review of its business processes and corporate culture. We are long overdue.

• Social book reading in the digital age

  Jennifer Leggio

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:28 am

  * Jennifer Leggio is on vacation Guest editorial by Andy Santamaria I know what you’re thinking. You read the title of this post and thought, “Books have always been social, we share them with friends, form book clubs, and bend at Oprah’s will.” That’s all true, but like many things, It’s going to be re-invented for [...]

• 2010 Predictions: Will social media reach ubiquity?

  Jennifer Leggio

  27 Oct 2009 | 9:19 am

  A sampling of social media predictions and forward-looking ideas from thought leaders, entrepreneurs and in-the-trenches workers.

• 
  Jeff Bezos

• Jeff Bezos said that we should be more proud of our hard work and judgements than our God given talent.

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  Jeff Bezos said that we should be more proud of our hard work and judgements than our God given talent.[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/LyndaResnick]

• RT @LyndaResnick: Jeff Bezos said that we should be more proud of our hard work and judgments than our God given talent.

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  RT @LyndaResnick: Jeff Bezos said that we should be more proud of our hard work and judgments than our God given talent.[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/brucenewman]

• RT @pkedrosky: RT @sacca: "The secret to Amazon's success is half luck, half good timing, and the rest is brains." - Jeff Bezos just now

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  RT @pkedrosky: RT @sacca: "The secret to Amazon's success is half luck, half good timing, and the rest is brains." - Jeff Bezos just now[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/joshwex]

• “RT @sacca: "The secret to Amazon's success is half luck, half good timing, and the rest is brains." - Jeff Bezos just now” -@pkedrosky

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  “RT @sacca: "The secret to Amazon's success is half luck, half good timing, and the rest is brains." - Jeff Bezos just now” -@pkedrosky[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/nauiokaspark]

• “There are two kinds of companies, those that work to try to charge more and those that w...” ~ Jeff Bezos #quote http://tinyurl.com/d4rzhq

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:00 pm

  “There are two kinds of companies, those that work to try to charge more and those that w...” ~ Jeff Bezos #quote http://tinyurl.com/d4rzhq[Filtrs in article: "Jeff Bezos" ][FiltrRank: 4][Source: twitter.com/justquoted]

• 
  GreenerBuildings

• Greenbuild 2009 Blazes a Trail to the Southwest

  Leslie Guevarra

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:25 am

  More than 20,000 building and sustainability professionals are heading to Arizona where the U.S. Green Building Council’s annual Greenbuild convention, the world’s largest green building conference and expo, opens next week at the Phoenix Convention Center.

• The Phoenix Convention Center's Green Pedigree

  GreenerBuildings Staff

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:15 am

  The city of Phoenix's revamped LEED-Silver certified convention center will serve as an appropriate backdrop next week for Greenbuild 2009, the vast showcase for green building innovations and ideas.

• New AIA Contracts Offer Tools for Integrated Design to All Developers

  GreenerBuildings Staff

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:41 am

  The release this week of a new contract developed by the American Institute of Architects aims to help bring a collaborative effort to building construction and enable integrated design in buildings of all sizes.

• YKK Boosts Green Product Line with Window Additions to enerGfacade Line

  GreenerBuildings Staff

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:59 am

  Just in advance of the Greenbuild conference, YKK AP America this week unveiled a new aluminum window designed to boost energy efficiency by as much as 30 percent over standard windows.

• Greenbuild 2009 Job Fair: USGBC Offers Job Seekers a Lifeline

  Leslie Guevarra

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:05 pm

  Job hunters seeking to break into the green building field or looking for new opportunities will have a chance network with destination companies and organizations at the upcoming Greenbuild 2009 conference in Phoenix, where the U.S. Green Building Council will conduct the first job fair at its annual gathering.      

• 
  Ecofriend

• Eco Gadgets: CLOVERS – A renewable energy education system for eco-conscious kids

  Jolly

  7 Nov 2009 | 2:48 am

  Eco Factor: Solar-powered system teaches the simple principles to go green. Designed by Valeria Bianco, the CLOVERS is a renewable energy education system that uses flexible solar panel technology to teach teenagers about the electricity usage of their entertainment devices and also allows them to help lower their family’s energy costs. While small portable solar panel systems have been available for some time, this is the first that addresses the energy consumption of playtime devices such as TVs and video games. By installing a simple “fun” meter in teenagers’ rooms, they…

• Eco Architecture: 3XN and Nord Architects to design sustainable complex in Denmark

  Jolly

  7 Nov 2009 | 1:59 am

  Eco Factor: Sustainable complex to feature energy-saving systems and roof gardens. Nord Architects and 3XN have won a competition to design a sustainable masterplan in Denmark that will be a cultural hub for visual arts, literature and scenography. The cultural center takes inspiration from natural elements and uses them to reduce the energy demand and the related emissions. The masterplan for the Northern Goods Railway in Aarhus, Denmark, is a layout of a number of triangulating construction sites that will have open and transparent ground floors, terraced houses and roof gardens. The roof…

• Eco Cars: McLaren F1 designer plans to build the world’s most efficient electric car

  Jolly

  7 Nov 2009 | 1:21 am

  Eco Factor: Zero-emission electric car to be developed by Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive. The designer of the world’s renowned supercar, McLaren F1, is up to a new challenge. Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive have announced an all-electric three-seater city car, which has been made possible by a £4.5m investment from the government-backed Technology Strategy Board. With a total cost of £9m, the new research and development project will allow the team to develop four prototypes by February 2011. Dubbed T.27, the vehicle is expected to be the world’s most efficient…

• Eco Cars: Renault partners with L’Oreal for Zoe Z.E. electric concept vehicle

  Jolly

  7 Nov 2009 | 1:02 am

  Eco Factor: All-electric concept car harnesses solar energy. Renault has announced that the company will be partnering with L’Oreal to develop an all-new 100% electric “spa” concept car dubbed ZOE Z.E. The electric car is aimed at people who need a clean car for short-distance commutes. The roof of the car has been designed as an intelligent protective membrane that insulates against heat and cold. The roof also carries a honeycomb array of photovoltaic cells that recharge the vehicle’s batteries on the move. The car also boasts the finest in air filtration and purification…

• Eco Cars: WCI students create solar-powered Ford Model-T replica

  Jolly

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:15 pm

  Eco Factor: Prototype electric vehicle powered by solar energy. A student team at the Waterloo Collegiate Institute has designed a Model-T replica that doesn’t drink gas but harnesses the abundant energy of the sun for power. The truck was built on a challenge by the Reduce the Juice Foundation that promotes projects that reduce emissions. Working on a sponsorship of just $4300, the student team had to hit up local companies to donate some parts that include tires, a golf cart gearbox, a computer joystick and a “suicide switch” that automatically stops the truck if the driver falls off.

• 
  ReadWriteWeb

• Weekly Wrapup: Mega Content Sites, Gen Y on Twitter, iPhone App Recommendation Services, And More...

  7 Nov 2009 | 5:00 am

  In this edition of the Weekly Wrapup - our newsletter summarizing the top stories of the week - we analyze a new breed of content site that is rapidly gaining momentum, look into recent statistics showing that Gen Y is using Twitter more, compare five recommendation services for iPhone apps, review the new-look MSN, and more. We also check in on our two main channels: ReadWriteEnterprise (devoted to 'enterprise 2.0' trends and products) and ReadWriteStart (dedicated to profiling startups and entrepreneurs). Sponsor Subscribe to Weekly Wrapup You can subscribe to the Weekly Wrapup by RSS or by…

• Straw Man Argument About Enterprise 2.0 Doesn't Fly

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:05 pm

  Dennis Howlett got the attention of the Enterprise 2.0 community today, with his continued skepticism about "social" technologies and their place in the business world. Here's a quote from his post entitled Enterprise 2.0 - the non-debate: "Why am I not surprised? I've argued for years that the notion of anything that has 'social' attached to its moniker is about as welcome as breaking wind in a spacesuit." Sponsor While Howlett makes a few good points in his post, we think that he's making a straw man argument - that the Enterprise 2.0 community is somehow involved in a big lie. The reality…

• Clicker: A One-Stop Shop For Online Video (1000 Invites)

  6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

  Finding specific online videos from TV networks and independent producers can often be a daunting challenge. Some TV shows are on Hulu, some can only be found as paid downloads on iTunes or Amazon and some are only available for streaming on the network's and producer's own sites. Clicker wants to change this by making it easier to find shows from TV networks, music videos, and web videos from across the Internet. Clicker is currently in private beta and only available in the US. The company gave us 1000 invites for our readers. Read on to find out how you can get yours. Sponsor Clicker…

• Layar Tells CNN: Augmented Reality Will Be Second Only to Voice On Phones

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:17 pm

  When you've got a global audience, maybe it's good to make sweeping, ambitious statements. Maarten Lens-Fitzgerald, co-founder of Augmented Reality browser company Layar, was interviewed by CNN today and took the opportunity to claim that AR on phones is going to be so big in the future that only voice will be more popular. Maybe. Many people in the Augmented Reality world are rolling their eyes at Layar's incredible media exposure. They worry that relatively simple implementations of this technology paradigm will create such a bubble of hype that software developed over decades will suffer…

• Remixing Via iPhone: 5 Tools for the Pocket DJ

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am

  In 1906 John Philip Sousa criticized the gramophone saying, "These talking machines will ruin the artistic development of music in this country." Nevertheless, because Sousa did not forsee user-generated culture proliferating alongside "mechanical music" he could not have been further from the truth. Not only have machine technologies aided in musical development, but there are a variety of mediums to choose from. While audio engineers may scoff at the idea of making music on the iPhone, there's no denying that a number of options exist for the pocket DJ. Below are a few tools to get you…

• 
  JamBase

• Las Tortugas IV | 10.29-11.01 | Yosemite

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:50 pm

  Words by: Dennis Cook | Images by: Chad Smith Las Tortugas - Dance of the Dead IV :: 10.29.09-11.01.09 :: Evergreen Lodge :: Groveland, CA Las Tortugas More days than I care to admit, I find myself empathizing with the Devil, wondering if humanity is, at best, a flawed experiment run amuck. It's an unattractive perspective but one that's cropped up for me more and more in recent years as wars, tea-bagging, general pettiness, and greed whittle away at our shared humanity. But it takes only four days each Halloween weekend to bring me around to a considerably more copacetic, hopeful outlook.

• Hamsa Lila, Airto Moreira: S.F. Green Fest After Party

  6 Nov 2009 | 2:12 pm

  CHART-TOPPING WORLD MUSIC BAND HAMSA LILA TO PERFORM WITH AIRTO MORIERA FOR OFFICIAL GREEN FESTIVAL AFTER PARTY BENEFITING COMMON VISION Hamsa Lila World music band Hamsa Lila will be returning to the San Francisco Bay area after a three year hiatus to headline a gala event benefiting Common Vision and featuring the legendary Brazilian drum master Airto Moreira. The event is an official Green Festival SF After-Dark event at the renowned Regency Ballroom on Saturday, November 14, 2009. Hamsa Lila blew up the West Coast world music scene with their hypnotic world fusion sounds back in 2004,…

• Cascadia Yulegrass Dates Anger, Nershi, Moseley, Butler

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:33 pm

  Cascadia Yulegrass Tour: Inaugural Acoustic Holiday Bluegrass Celebration Darol Anger to direct players including Sharon Gilchrist, Scott Law, Bill Nershi, Keith Moseley Darol Anger Looking for an alternative to traditional holiday entertainment this season? Acoustic holiday bluegrass visits the Pacific Northwest December 16-20 with the inaugural Cascadia Yulegrass celebration. Featuring world-renowned musicians and regional favorites including Darol Anger, Sharon Gilchrist, Bill Nershi and others, Cascadia Yulegrass is a contemporary, family-friendly, and affordable holiday alternative that…

• Gov't Mule | 10.31 | Philadelphia

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:08 pm

  Words by: Jake Krolick | Images by: Jake Krolick & Allison Murphy Gov't Mule :: 10.31.09 :: Tower Theater :: Philadelphia, PA Gov't Mule :: 10.31 :: Philadelphia by Krolick Chaos from the previous evening had yet to be stuffed back into the hole that it crawled out from. You could gauge the craziness of this year's Halloween in several ways. One way was hop into the back seat of a cab early the next morning and find it filled with the putrid stink of an evening of over-indulgence and what appeared to be the remains of some spooky rice dish regurgitated in the vilest of manners. The cabby…

• Friday Playlist: Beat Science

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:23 am

  WE DO GIVE A BLIP This week we have a smattering of robot rock that clutch modernity and machine-mindedness with a certain degree of lustiness. Beginning with LCD Soundsystem's sly hipster mirror "I'm Losing My Edge," we run through a bit of inspired cymbal banging by Hot Chip, some classic electro from Morgan Geist, a nifty remix of a vintage Rockers Hi-Fi track, a flash of electrical imagination from BLVD, and wrap up with recent beat killers from Bomb The Bass featuring Jon Spencer and Asian Dub Foundation. May it lively up your blood a touch as this long week wraps up. And check out last…

• 
  metaefficient

• An Energy Producing Home In Disguise

  benjamin

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:24 pm

  The Energy Producing Home (image: Neumann Developments) Who says that a home with cutting-edge energy efficiency has to look like an ultra-modern pod? This recently completed Wisconsin home packs so much energy tech that it makes money by selling electricity back to the grid, and it still keeps a low neighborhood profile. (more…) Related posts:“Low-E” Windows Maximize Buildings’ Energy EfficiencyNew World Record Set For Solar Efficiency: 31.25%SolarDucts: Heating Air and Generating Power © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments

• The Best Shower Filters Of 2009

  Justin

  26 Oct 2009 | 3:04 pm

  I just replaced my shower filters, so I thought I’d update my best shower filter review from earlier this year. Each update to the review generates a lot of useful comments. So I’m incorporating what I’ve learned from those comments into this latest review. (more…) Related posts:How To Filter Your Shower Water Very EfficientlyThe Best Shower FilterNatural Bath Dechlorination © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2009. | Permalink | One comment

• Kite Gen – The Future Of Wind Power?

  benjamin

  21 Oct 2009 | 10:22 am

  Kite Gen Wind Power Generator (photo: Kite Gen Research S.r.l.) Wind power holds great promise as a clean energy source, but current windmill generators aren’t appropriate for all locations.  Italian firm Kite Gen hopes to change that with its innovative new generator designs, which use “kites” to capture strong high-altitude winds. (more…) Related posts:WindSpire: An Attractive Wind Turbine For The HomeFalcon Wind Turbine: Versatile & Efficient Power GenerationIs This The World’s Most Efficient Windmill? © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2009. | Permalink | 6…

• The Best iPhone Battery Pack

  Justin

  28 Sep 2009 | 9:54 pm

  The Best iPhone Battery Pack The iPhone can be power-thirsty. For many people a battery extender is an essential iPhone or iTouch accessory. Here are four of the best backup iPhone battery packs. Note: iPhone battery performance times vary widely based on individual usage habits and applications. Wherever possible we have tried to give details of a backup battery’s capacity relative to an iPhone’s full charge. (more…) Related posts:The PowerGorilla: Flexible Portable PowerNiMh Battery Charger: POWER 2000 XP444AC-DCSolar Powered 12 Volt Battery Charger © Justin Thomas for…

• Liquid-Filled LED Bulbs: 360 Degree Light

  Justin

  13 Sep 2009 | 1:53 pm

  Liquid-Filled LED Light Bulbs: HydraLux I’ve been testing a new LED bulb called the HydraLux. These unique bulbs are filled with a clear liquid coolant (a non-toxic paraffin oil). Other LED bulbs use large metal fins or fans for cooling purposes. The advantage of using a liquid coolant is that the LED bulb can produce 360° light like a regular incandescent bulb. (more…) Related posts:New LED Light Bulbs Can Replace 100W IncandescentsEcoLEDs: Mercury-Free LED BulbsIcelight: LED Desk Lamp © Justin Thomas for MetaEfficient Reviews, 2009. | Permalink | 16 comments

• 
  9GiantSteps

• Coin a Phrase: The “Downsell”

  George

  4 Nov 2009 | 12:09 pm

  We all know about the upsell: Mass Merchants, etc. lure you into their store with a low-cost item (too often, CDs) in the hopes that you leave with some high-margin item like a washing machine. The “Downsell” is different. As I’ve discussed, the music business is now the merch business, and the way to go is to create a vast and sometimes over-the-top (like the awesome Josh Freese campaign) product array with some big-ticket (and high-margin) items that create awareness and drive people to the artist’s Site. The reality, of course, is that most customers will look at…

• Reflections on the 2009 Future of Music Policy Summit

  George

  10 Oct 2009 | 9:50 am

  OK, a day or so after my panel at the fantastic Future of Music Policy Summit, and I want to try and toss out a few thoughts. First off, while I’m typically not real big on conferences, I can enthusiastically recommend this one. The values of the conference and the caliber of speakers/workshops makes this - in my mind - the go-to conference. Get yourself registered for 2010 asap. So, my panel was entitled New Musician’s Toolbox. I moderated, and the panelists were: Duncan Freeman, founder, Band Metrics; Charlie McEnerney, Host + Producer, Well-Rounded Radio/Musicians for Music…

• Californication: I do love me some trademark squabbles

  George

  22 Aug 2009 | 7:37 pm

  OK, confession time: During a recent night of insomniac action (brought to bear by some jackasses whom, while they shall remain nameless, as I am indeed a gentleman if nothing else, will some day soon face the inevitable karmic retribution that their myopic, ego-driven actions certainly merit) I came across the show Californication on Netflix Instant. While my instant queue is full of all sorts of, shall we say, more staid films of which I could have availed myself, none of these were particularly compelling (remember, I was tossing and turning and mad). So…Californication it was. The…

• More on loving music: Can’t Hardly Wait

  George

  12 Aug 2009 | 4:52 pm

  Yesterday I twittered out a pretty unvarnished sentiment about my love for music: I was delighted by all the “@” responses I got - I ain’t alone. One of the reasons I shot that tweet out was because I was - after a long day of meetings and travel - so very excited to listen to some of the new jazz records I’ve recently been obsessed over. What I like about them is that these records are endlessly fascinating to me. I don’t feel like I can sort of figure them out on first listen in the same way as I - rightly or wrongly - do with so much non-jazz stuff these days.

• Artist Managers must understand their role is now business development

  George

  3 Aug 2009 | 2:32 pm

  I had an interesting conversation with Lauren Markow today, which helped me come to terms with something I’ve been wrestling with for a while. Like everything else in the music business, the role of the artist manager is changing. In the good old days (you know, a year or so ago), artist managers largely concerned themselves with helping the artists with whom they worked get record deals, and then - post deal - acting as a liaison between the label and the band. This is, of course, a radical oversimplification, and certainly neither getting an artist a deal or working with a label is an…

• 
  GreenSmith Consulting

• U2, Oxfam America, New York MTA: Green Hypocrites?

  Paul Smith

  4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  If you're looking for an example of someone who walks their talk, Mike Lieberman would be your man. Best known as CanarsieBK on the web, this Brooklyn man is a living, breathing demonstration of how one can live sustainably, anywhere. He proves anything is possible, growing a thriving vegetable garden on his fire escape, and demonstrating actionable steps, daily, on how to be personally sustainable. And he's definitely not afraid to speak his mind.Today Lieberman takes aim at those who don't seem to be walking the talk, balanced with options they could choose to align their actions better…

• Coming soon...

  Paul Smith

  28 Oct 2009 | 11:50 am

  I've got something bubbling up inside me, and it's all Chris Brogan's fault. The man who I'm sure has a stunt double or two for all that he does, issued a challenge in a recent video, Overnight Success Part 2 - A Call to Arms. In it, he said that it's time for us to stop just playing small, playing remedial when it comes to using social media to its full potential. Time to level up, together, as it were. It knocked something loose in me.I began to write all sorts of thoughts, not necessarily focused on social media, but instead on sustainability, and how I see people and businesses practicing…

• Do You Know Your Community? Does the Community Know You?

  Paul Smith

  21 Oct 2009 | 5:00 am

  I believe that we learn best by hearing from many different voices. And in this case, I'm learning along with you in our latest guest post. Like many of you, I use my deep, broad online resources almost exclusively for getting new business, and with the exception of one client, all are from other parts of the country, or even out of the country. Here we have Victoria Klein reminding us to pay attention to and make best use of what's going on right in our local communities, in terms of business, and gives several excellent resources to best explore it. Please share any we've missed, of which…

• Modwalls Green Tiles Video Review - Taking Junk and Creating Beauty

  Paul Smith

  1 Oct 2009 | 11:56 am

  Being on Twitter, I come across a lot of interesting finds. Like Modwalls, that makes some gorgeous, thoroughly sustainable tiles, made from things like recycled car windshields, reclaimed building glass, tumbled soda bottle pieces, and wine corks! They spin gold from these modest sounding origins, as you'll see in the video review I did, below. I was impressed with the depth of their sustainability, as even their packing materials are these innovative triangle shaped pieces of paper. I suspect they're much more likely by people to be recycled then, say, soy or corn starch based "popcorn" are…

• The Best Feature of Snow Leopard: What it's Missing

  Paul Smith

  15 Sep 2009 | 4:00 am

  In recent weeks there have been several articles on the best and least known features of Apple's new operating system, Snow Leopard. From Quicktime's ability to record and edit audio, video, and screencasts, to its Exchange support, to the small but pleasing ability to minimize documents to their respective app icons in the dock (rather then to the side of the dock in a messy jumble) there has been a lot covered. But perhaps the best and least heralded feature of Snow Leopard is what it's missing: 10% of its energy use, compared to its predecessor, Leopard.Among the factors contributing to…

• 
  Topix: SXSW News

• The Slammin' Salmon Trailer: The Movie is Better, We Promise

  6 Nov 2009 | 11:53 pm

  Anchor Bay Entertainment has released the first official trailer for the upcoming Broken Lizard comedy The Slammin' Salmon , which they will release in limited fashion in December.

• You Say Party! We Say Die! Plot U.S. Return

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:59 pm

  You Say Party! We Say Die! are working with lawyers in hopes of returning to the United States in time to play Austin, Texas' South By Southwest Music Festival in March.

• Rocks Off's Picks for This Weekend's Fun Fun Fun Festival

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:51 pm

  You can think of this weekend's Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin as the indie, metal, and hip-hop little brother of the more staid Austin City Limits Music Festival.

• Beer Cycle

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am

  This site is edited by Coudal Partners, a design, advertising and interactive studio in Chicago, as an ongoing experiment in web publishing, design and commerce.

• Q&A with Nathan McGarvey

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:23 am

  Hearts of Palm started out in the winter of 2006 as a pop song writing collaboration between former Roper and Black Black Ocean guitarist Stephen Till and longtime friend Nathan McGarvey.

• 
  Ecogeek

• Desklamp Powered by a Phone Jack

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:25 pm

  From my perspective, they very fact that this is possible is the news here. It's a "reading" lamp that can be powered by a phone jack. That's right, your phone jack has a tiny amount of power that comes through along with the phone signal to power things like ringers and speakers and microphones. I imagine that the light output of this thing is pretty pathetic, honestly. I haven't seen any in use, but just looking at the price (less than $6) and the LEDs the thing has got makes me think this isn't going to assist all that much with reading, unless it's very dark out and you REALLY want to…

• US Government Surpasses Google for Geothermal Funding

  5 Nov 2009 | 5:09 am

  More than $300 million in funding for research and development of geothermal energy has been announced by U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu. This now pushes Google.org into second place behind the government in domestic geothermal R & D funding. The projects funded by this program address a number of issues which are needed in order to further develop geothermal energy, including advanced mapping and drilling research, coproduced power (such as utilizing hot water produced in some oil wells), and exploration of low temperature geothermal (under 300 degrees F, and down to as…

• Solar Projects Battling for Water

  28 Oct 2009 | 5:34 pm

  Construction of renewable energy projects has revealed some serious environmental issues that will have to be dealt with as we speed toward a clean energy future.  We recently wrote about the conflict between land conservation efforts and renewable energy projects in deserts out west.  Land that is ideal for solar energy production is also pristine land in need of protection. In California, a similar conflict is arising between solar projects and water conservation.  Solar farms demand a lot of water, a resource that is stretched very thin in the arid areas where they're being developed. …

• Bright Doling Out Advice to Army, Automakers

  28 Oct 2009 | 4:44 pm

  Bright Automotive, best known for its 100-mpg IDEA plug-in utility van, announced a new $1.4 million contract with the U.S. Army to build a plug-in hybrid for non-combat use.  The PHEV will be designed to cut Army fuel consumption as well as to demonstrate how an EV could potentially feed power back to the grid.  The project is part of an Army initiative to explore how bases could eventually run off-grid. The Army contract isn't the only way that Bright is lending its expertise these days.  The company has also launched eSolutions, a consulting program where they will provide automotive…

• Dell Plants Solar Trees in the Parking Lot

  27 Oct 2009 | 3:27 pm

  Dell is doing it again, this time on-site, with a series of solar trees that will not only help power it's headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, but also serve to charge electric vehicles parked there. Of course, there aren't currently any electric vehicles parking in the Dell lot, but hopefully that will change in the next few years. The solar trees were put in place by Envision Solar, who's work we've seen at Google Headquarters previously.The Dell installation will provide 130,000 kW/h per year and shades the parking spots of the 56 employees who get to the lot first. Everyone else gets…

• 
  Green Tech Media: Cleantech Investing

• Friday follies

  info@greentechmedia.com

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

  Some random links and observations on a Friday: Apparently not every reader picked up on the fact that my last post was tongue-in-cheek.  Guess you had to be there.  Fortunately, Scott was in fact there... David Gold wrote recently on some of the same issues, wondering why solar and the like have gotten so much attention from VCs while technologies like geothermal have gotten much less attention.  His answer is that in large part "much of the bias has to do with the fact that not many VCs have strong networks of geologists, drilling technologists, heat pump engineers and steam…

• Conventional wisdom and cleantech venture capital

  info@greentechmedia.com

  4 Nov 2009 | 2:02 pm

  I had the pleasure of speaking as part of a panel this morning at the Mid-Atlantic Capital Alliance's conference in Philadelphia.  Here's a taste of what I told them: 1.  Cleantech only happens in Silicon Valley and MIT.  If you look at the dollars flowing into cleantech from venture capitalists, and read the sunday NYT, that's the natural conclusion you would draw.  So my apologies to everyone in Philly (or the rest of the country outside of northern California and Boston), there's clearly very little good entrepreneurial activity in cleantech in your region. 2. …

• Friday folderol

  info@greentechmedia.com

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:37 pm

  Some random items, including some administrative housekeeping:   1.  If you haven't seen it, it's worth reading DOE Secretary Chu's op-ed on weatherization and all of the governmental support being thrown toward that part of energy efficiency.  Heady times for residential and commercial energy efficiency efforts.  Side note:  The Secretary of Energy is publishing his op-eds in the Huffington Post now?  Wow, this Internet thingy might actually be catching on.   2.  How the government "picks winners and losers" is a topic of much conversation these days,…

• Great returns from cleantech

  info@greentechmedia.com

  28 Oct 2009 | 12:11 pm

  Did you see the Q2 venture returns report from Cambridge Associates and the NVCA (note: pdf)?  If so, you were probably as intrigued by the chart on page 7 as I was. On that page is a chart of "US Venture Capital Dollar-Weighted Internal Rate of Return on Vintage Year Companies" broken out by sector.  They don't break out cleantech as a category, but they do break out Energy.  And the numbers are pretty noteworthy. Energy category IRRs vs. All Companies IRRs 2002  Energy = 43.0%, All = 8.75% 2003  Energy = 46.0%, All = 12.3% 2004  Energy = 10.4%, All = 12.8%…

• “ARPA-E! ARPA-E!”

  info@greentechmedia.com

  26 Oct 2009 | 6:44 am

  Okay, so maybe I jokingly tried to start an "ARPA-E" chant at Obama's MIT speech on Friday, simply because I thought it might be the only crowd ever wonky enough to get it. But acronymical joking aside, it's a potentially valuable DOE program that could end up helping one of the major capital gaps that's emerging in cleantech venture capital:  Seed stage and early stage development of ideas that are promising but will take too long to commercialize than most VCs can handle. So it's great to see the news release today with $151M of grants to 37 efforts.  Including: Sadoway's…

• 
  Breaking Tweets

• DC Comics to launch first Islamic superheroes comic book

  Fahad Zuberi

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:35 am

  DC Comics will be launching a new comic book series called The 99, the Islamic superheroes created by a Kuwaiti psychologist. Gulf News reports, the creation of the Islamic superheroes is mainly intended to curb stereotypes associated with people of the Islamic faith. The characters fight evil and personify the 99 attributes of Allah. Twitter users are fascinated by the first Islamic superheroes, but some feel it’s not a good idea. leilangod (Toronto, Canada) loves that “DC Comics will launch a new comic book series depicting Islamic superheroes” http://bit.ly/hHziO. My…

• TwitPics: Twitter users ‘Remember, remember the 5th of November’

  Bryan Simpson

  6 Nov 2009 | 10:34 am

  Twitter users in the United Kingdom and in former British colonies took part in annual festivities on Thursday, November 5 to commemorate Guy Fawkes Night. Usual festivities include fireworks, bonfires, and burning effigies of Guy Fawkes. Calling for religious toleration, Guy Fawkes and other conspirators on the evening of November 5, 1605 tried to carry out a plot, known as the Gunpowder Plot, to blow up the British Parliament building and kill King James I. Ultimately, the plot was unsuccessful. Fawkes was captured, tried and executed. Reuters and The New Zealand Herald on Thursday…

• Fort Hood shootings: Seven dead at army post outside Killeen, Texas

  Fahad Zuberi

  5 Nov 2009 | 1:28 pm

  At least seven people were killed and several others injured in a shooting at the Fort Hood military base outside Killeen, Texas on Thursday afternoon. Local television station KXXV reported, “We’ve learned an incident has taken place at the sports dome, now known as the soldier readiness area. Temple ISD Schools Have Been locked down as part of this incident. The district’s spokeswoman tells News Channel 25 the district is on soft lockdown.” People in and around Fort Hood were worried and shared their concerns on Twitter. RicoRossi (Fort Hood, Texas) if your…

• Israel claims to have stopped Iranian arms ship

  David Adams

  5 Nov 2009 | 9:51 am

  Per BBC, the Israeli Navy has seized a ship reportedly headed by Iran carrying weapons disguised as civilian cargo, yet Iran has denied the allegations. The Israeli Navy has reported that the arms ship was on its way to Hezbollah, where fights between Israeli and Iranian forces has been active. Several hundred tonnes of weapons were seized making it the largest involving Iran since 2002 when the Israeli military found 100 tonnes of arms. People in the Middle East reacted to the news through Twitter. petitedov Smthg nice to wake up to: Israel seizes Iranian ship bound for Hezbollah loaded with…

• Brazilian man surprises family, shows up at own funeral

  Bryan Simpson

  4 Nov 2009 | 9:23 pm

  BBC News reports that Ademir Jorge Gonclaves,a 59-year-old bricklayer from Brazil surprised his family by showing up to his own funeral alive Monday morning. Gonclaves had been identified by his family as the victim in a car accident the previous day in Brazil’s southern state of Parana. However, it was later revealed that Gonclaves had spent the previous night drinking ‘pinga’ with friends. Police even reported that the family had trouble identifying the body due to its disfigurement. Twitterers were amazed and confused with Gonclaves’ surprising appearance:…

• 
  NPR: Pop Culture

• NFL Fashions A Plan To Dress Up Female Fans

  7 Nov 2009 | 4:22 pm

  For nearly 90 years, the NFL has sold hats, jerseys and other gear for male fans, but the game is changing. Realizing that women — who make up more than 40 percent of the NFL's 200 million fans — are an untapped market, the NFL is rolling out downsized apparel, from jerseys to handbags to a dress signed by the Arizona Cardinals.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Good, Bad And Ugly Meet In 'Life On Mars'

  7 Nov 2009 | 11:10 am

  Actor Philip Glenister relishes his role as a fast-talking, chauvinistic boss in Life on Mars. The classic British sci-fi series features a detective who is hit by a car in 2006 and awakens to find himself in 1973.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Joe Jackson Seeks Slice Of Son Michael's Millions

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:18 pm

  Michael Jackson's father is seeking an allowance from his son's estate to help cover expenses that exceed $15,000 a month, according to court documents filed Friday. The entertainer's 2002 will made no reference to his father, with whom he had an often strained relationship.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• Come And Play: 'Sesame Street' Celebrates 40 Years

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pm

  Four decades after its premiere, Sesame Street is the same happy neighborhood it always was. TV critic David Bianculli takes a look at the newest episode — which features special guest Michelle Obama — and assesses the show's enduring legacy.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• The Man Behind Miss Piggy

  6 Nov 2009 | 7:22 am

  Film director Frank Oz was one of the defining creative forces behind the Muppets. He joined The Muppet Show creator Jim Henson in 1963 and went on to provide the voices of Miss Piggy, Cookie Monster, Fozzie Bear and Bert.» E-Mail This     » Add to Del.icio.us

• 
  SocialButterfly

• Building a Web Site: Easy as 1, 2 OR 3?

  Alex

  3 Nov 2009 | 7:14 pm

  Today, I heard that fundamentally there are three main purposes of a Web site: 1) informational, 2) transactional and 3) community-based. AnInformationalWeb site is one that is primarily a resource. A transactional Web site has a desired action, which is usually associated with e-commerce. And lastly, a community-based Web site is one that is designed to encourage people to interact, network and share. I’m not one to put things into boxes and draw hard boundaries, but at first I liked this concept. It’s simple. It’s easy. But, after pondering for a second, I got to thinking:…

• Why Advocacy Is an Important Social Marketing Tool

  Alex

  1 Nov 2009 | 6:54 pm

  Concerned about obesity? Either personally or within your community? You are not alone. One way to combat obesity is by promoting and advocating for more fruit and veggie consumption. Your mother may have always told you to eat your fruit and veggies. If so–consider yourself fortunate. According to new data from the CDC in the first ever State Indicator Report on Fruits and Veggies, more us need to dish up. The CDC report provides information for each state on how many fruits and veggies people are eating and importantly, it highlights three key areas within communities and schools that…

• Where Have All the Social Products Gone?

  Alex

  28 Oct 2009 | 7:39 pm

  The debate between marketing and sales is not an old one. In fact, we’ve looked at this debate here at SB before. But one thing both sides can agree on: is that both have a relationship with products and services. Thus, if we are talking about social marketing, you don’t have to go far before you start wondering: Where are all the social products? I’m not the first to ask this question, as I was inspired a bit back by Bill Smith of AED who challenged us social marketers to balance the scales more between the promotion side of marketing and the product side of marketing. And…

• Just in–Causewired’s Tom Watson Will Join Us and #read4change

  Alex

  1 Oct 2009 | 9:58 pm

  The other week, I announced a new way for us book lovers to connect in a fun and meaningful way–through an online social change book club named #read4change. After a week of collecting votes, and a battle between Allison Fine’s Momentum and Tom Watson’s Causewired, Causewired came out on top and will be the first book we discuss. Bonus What’s better than friends, social media and books? Imagine getting to go to your book club–and the author shows up. That’s right. Tom Watson has agreed to join us and be available for our comments, feedback and our…

• Who Pooped in Your Cereal?

  Alex

  29 Sep 2009 | 9:53 pm

  Sometimes, you have bad days. When those bad days hit, those are the days you could use some inspiration. Yesterday, I woke up and was inspired. This image is taken from Franke James’ book “The Real Poop on Social Change.” In it, James delivers an important message regarding awareness vs. behavior. It’s an excellent read, and it’ll take you less than five minutes. (Warning: The text below is a bit provocative, but I think is presented just right–especially in the context of the whole story. One more reason to read it…) Hope the image brought a smile…

• 
  The School for Social Entrepreneurs

• Video-tastic: social entrepreneurs in Melbourne + New York

  Nick Temple

  1 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am

  Whilst SSE's focus has been resolutely on the UK over the past 6 months (hello Cornwall, Yorkshire, Devon, Hampshire to the growing franchise), there's also been a bit of international expansion and work going on as well. By all accounts...

• Residential wrap: can social entrepreneurs work in teams?

  Nick Temple

  30 Oct 2009 | 10:32 am

  Following Colin Crook's witness session, the SSE residential in Dartington took an unexpected turn (ok, so the staff were expecting it, but anyway). London SSE Director of Learning Marcia sounded the siren from the middle of the Dartington lawn (see...

• Transparency and (green) social entrepreneurship

  Nick Temple

  15 Oct 2009 | 10:04 am

  So on Day 2 at the SSE residential, 140 social entrepreneurs packed into the Great Hall at Dartington to hear from Colin Crooks, social entrepreneur and founder of Green-Works, the furniture recycling social enterprise It takes quite an individual to...

• What is the collective noun for social entrepreneurs?

  Nick Temple

  13 Oct 2009 | 6:38 am

  So I'm at Dartington Hall in Devon, in 1500 of the UK's finest leafy acres. But no time to enjoy the peace and quiet, or the view. Because I am here with 150 social entrepreneurs from across the UK: all...

• Forces for Good: a brief review

  Nick Temple

  8 Oct 2009 | 10:26 am

  Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High Impact Nonprofits by Leslie Crutchfield & Heather McLeod Grant (Jossey-Bass) [review originally in Social Enterprise Magazine with a strict word limit: hence the brevity...] This book could not come more heavily garlanded...

• 
  Cause Marketing

• Asymmetry in Cause Marketing

  Paul Jones is the president of

  3 Nov 2009 | 3:54 pm

  Research shows that when there is asymmetry in cause marketing between the sponsors and the cause, the entity that gains the most from the relationship is the smaller brand.But there’s an asymmetry continuum of sorts.For instance, when Yoplait yogurt and Susan G. Komen for the Cure link up, the brands which are arguably equivalent in their respective spheres, the benefits confer

• Non Breast Cancer Cause Marketing in October

  Paul Jones is the president of

  27 Oct 2009 | 11:26 am

  Clients ask me all the time: have the breast cancer charities sucked out all the oxygen out of the atmosphere for cause marketing during October? That is, can anyone else do cause marketing during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?I can't give a categorical answer, but here are three quick takes on cause marketing campaigns going on in this month that aren’t about breast cancer, plus a forth

• Injecting Emotion into Your Cause Marketing

  Paul Jones is the president of

  23 Oct 2009 | 3:43 pm

  Successful cause marketing appeals not only to your head, but to your heart as well.The head part comes easier for me and probably for many of you as well. So how do you inject heart into a cause marketing campaign?Ulta’s answer is to ask people to write their breast cancer stories in a letter and then post them in the front windows of their stores.They call it 'Windows of Love.'Ulta supports The

• GlaxoSmithKline Throws John McEnroe Under the Bus

  Paul Jones is the president of

  1 Oct 2009 | 1:35 pm

  It has been my pleasure (and, occasionally, my displeasure) to work with celebrities in cause campaigns over the years. Shannon Miller, the most decorated US female gymnast ever, told me scary stalker stories on a long drive together on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson was not quite lucid the night I escorted him through a charity cocktail party. I once put $5,000

• Cause Marketing Fun and Games

  Paul Jones is the president of

  22 Sep 2009 | 10:09 am

  GamesThatGive.net allows you to play common video games like Solitaire, Sudoku, and Blackjack for free, while making a sliver of a donation to one of 13 nonprofit charities. Here's how it works. Behind each of the games a static advertisement runs for sponsors like Domino's Pizza, Dial, Pepsi or others. GamesThatGive.net donates 70 percent of ad revenue to those charities, including the United

• 
  Bizzia » Small Business

• Goodbye From Small Business

  Linette Gerlach

  28 Oct 2009 | 1:26 pm

  Bizzia Small Business will be going away and merging with some of the content at EveryJoe starting tomorrow, so I wanted to bid you all a fond farewell since I will not be writing here any more. You can still find me several other places online, give me a shout out on Twitter sometime I’m @Linetteg there. I’d love to hear from you. You can also stop by and visit me at one of my other blogs. Mostly I blog about parties and entertaining, with a little kid’s stuff thrown in for fun. So, if you like parties or kids (and who doesn’t like kids!) stop by The Kid’s…

• 5 Advantages Running a Small Biz From Home

  Linette Gerlach

  28 Oct 2009 | 7:18 am

  I run my small business from home, and I love it! There are advantages and disadvantages to running your small business from home. Today I’m going to focus on the advantages, because it’s more fun to think of the positive, right? One of the biggest advantages is working in your slippers if you want to. When you’re not meeting with clients or customers you can hang out in comfortable clothes and your slippers if you want to. I do always try to get dressed for the day when I get up in the morning. I think that sets the tone for the day. When I’m up and dressed I’m…

• Seasonal Small Business Ideas

  Linette Gerlach

  28 Oct 2009 | 6:49 am

  Some small business ideas are seasonal in nature. If you pick the right business you can work really hard for a couple months out of the year and take it easy the rest of the year. That doesn’t usually mean you’re not working at all, there’s usually quite a bit of preparation the rest of the year for those few months of crazy business. Some businesses are just slow certain times of the year, but you still have to be there open for business. Seasonal businesses do have their draw backs, one of the biggest drawbacks is cash flow. It can be hard not to spend when you have cash…

• Small Business False Starts

  Linette Gerlach

  27 Oct 2009 | 8:56 pm

  Have you ever thought of starting your own small business but never quite got it off the ground? Many small businesses don’t even make it off the drawing board. They may look good on paper, but for some reason or another aren’t practical in the real world. Are you someone who’s got a great idea for a small business? Maybe you’ve thoght of  a new product, or a new way of doing things, or cutting edge technology? Will you be able to get it off the ground, or will it be just an idea in your head? How can you get your dream business from ideas to reality? If you…

• Resources To Help With Your Small Business

  Linette Gerlach

  26 Oct 2009 | 10:15 am

  When you’re starting a small business it can be frustrating to get all the information you need. You may not even know where to look, or what you need to get your small business off the ground. Here are a few online resources to help you get the information you need to get your small business up and running. The government has an excellent resource for businesses of all sizes at Business.gov, and if you don’t like to read you can check out some of the information at the Business.gov YouTube channel. They have a ton of helpful resources for new business owners. Another excellent…

• 
  Nonprofit Leadership 601

• Advice for moving from a regional nonprofit job to a national nonprofit job

  30 Oct 2009 | 2:13 pm

  I recently received an e-mail from someone looking to get a marketing position at a national nonprofit. I'd like to think I know a little about this since I have worked for several national nonprofit organizations during my career and I have been active in the national nonprofit sector for some time now.Here is the advice I provided to get a national nonprofit job:Get involved in some national nonprofit committees and attend national conferences to get your name out there and build your reputation. Network, network, network. Revise your resume to target the national nonprofit that you would…

• Stuck in the Middle

  21 Oct 2009 | 12:38 pm

  Yesterday was a normal day of work for me until my friend and colleague posted a U Tube video on Facebook. Normally I ignore politics and political shows because I usually get stuck in the middle of a political tug of war between family and friends. This time was no different because Glen Beck was complaining about TV's service campaign (IParticipate) and how Obama's pushing of volunteerism is equal to communism. I immediately called my husband who watches every possible political show out there liberal and conservative. I was frustrated. How could Glen Beck state that volunteerism equals…

• Introspection on Life, Love, and Nonprofits

  12 Oct 2009 | 2:40 pm

  As many of you read in my post last month I had quite a transformational summer and I've being doing a lot of introspection lately. Last week when I arrived in DC for the Nonprofit HR Conference and sat down for a delightful dinner with my dear colleague Rosetta Thurman, she inspired me and reminded me that I can still blog even if my posts are more introspective.So here it goes, here are some of the things I'm reflecting on right now.I've spent so many years trying to prove myself and get a ton of work experience, I've often sacrificed my personal needs in the process. I am starting to take…

• Attending Cottey College changed my life

  9 Oct 2009 | 2:20 pm

  Last month I attended and volunteered at the PEO international convention here in San Diego. Over 3,000 women traveled from all over the US and Canada to come to this convention. Being a part of this convention made me reminisce about all the wonderful support I have received from PEO over the past twelve years.P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization where women celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship of Cottey College; and motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations.I became a member of PEO when I was 18 years old…

• Nonprofit HR Conference: The Future of Nonprofit Recruitment

  5 Oct 2009 | 1:37 pm

  I love discussing the future of the nonprofit sector because the sector is going through a shift. James Weinberg CEO of Commongood careers and Gretchen Anderson from On-ramps Recruiting Firm shared the future of nonprofit recruitment and hiring.They said:1. Recruitment in the future done with social media. Yeah!!! LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Ning, etc.2. Organizations will take full advantage of ALL the people that apply for a job. Organizations will add these candidates to their database and newsletter. These candidates are future donors, volunteers, and supporters of the organizations.3.

• 
  Connections

• NTEN Webinar Links - The State of Online Fundraising

  Steve MacLaughlin

  4 Nov 2009 | 8:05 am

  Later today I'll be hosting a webinar called "The State of Online Fundraising" as part of NTEN member appreciation month. It's free to NTEN members and Blackbaud customers. My presentation is full of lots of information, metrics, benchmarks, and more. Below are some of the reports, research, and links that I reference during the session: 2008 donorCentrics Internet Giving Benchmarking Analysis Giving USA Report for 2008 and Online Fundraising Estimates 2008 Online Giving Trends 2009 Online Giving Trends - Q1 2009 Online Giving Trends - Q2 2009 Online…

• Creating a Social Networking Strategy (Part 1)

  Steve MacLaughlin

  23 Oct 2009 | 8:15 am

  This is a follow-up to Creating a Social Networking Strategy (Part 0) that originally appeared on this blog and also as a guest post on Beth Kanter's blog. One of the key takeaways from Part 0 is that once you stop just playing around with social media then you need to start putting together a strategy. The first place to start is a proven and solid framework for your strategy. That bad news is that most people don't like "strategery" stuff. The good news is that a lot of the heavy lifting has already been done for you. Charlene Li and  Josh Bernoff's book…

• NTEN Webinar - The State of Online Fundraising

  Steve MacLaughlin

  22 Oct 2009 | 8:12 am

  November is NTEN member appreciation month and they are having several free webinars for members. I am fortunate enough to get to host a session called "The State of Online Fundraising" on Wednesday, November 4th from 2pm to 3:30pm EDT / 11:00am to 12:30pm PDT. The State of Online Fundraising webinar will be free for NTEN members. You can learn more and register by visiting the NTEN website. Blackbaud customers can also attend the webinar for free. Please look for registration details in the October issue of the NetWits Think Tank enewsletter and The Connector enewsletter. This…

• Generation Thumb

  Steve MacLaughlin

  15 Oct 2009 | 2:05 am

  A popular topic at conferences and water coolers in recent months has been how different generations engage with nonprofits. This is a subject that I've covered in my presentation "The Changing Nature of Online Fundraising" over the past year. This week at the Blackbaud's 2009 Relationship Management Conference here in London the topic of generations came up once again. I had the chance to sit down with some people from Sponge, our mobile messaging partner in the UK, to talk to them about what they are seeing in the sector. Roger Jones from The Good Agency also brought up…

• Blackbaud's 2009 Relationship Management Conference - Day 2

  Steve MacLaughlin

  12 Oct 2009 | 10:54 pm

  It's the second full day of Blackbaud's 2009 Relationship Management Conference here in London. You can follow the conference on Twitter using the #bbeconf09 hashtag. I'm doing a sessions today called "The Changing Nature of Online Fundraising" that covers a variety of topics. Lots of stats, trends, and information from across online giving, email, social media, etc. in this session. There are 30 different sessions today and here are some that might be of interest: Email Marketing For Fun(draising) & (Non) Profit! – Margaret Farmakis, Return Path Cool Tools – How…

• 
  Entry Level Living

• Keeping My Fire-Lessons Learned

  ajlovesya

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:56 am

  Last week I wrote about my current struggle in maintaining the passion that brought me to the sector. The comments and feedback have been wonderful and really pushed me to reflect more on what I do and why I do it.  Here are a few things I now know to keep in mind: Be deliberate about keeping and adding fire to your work: I think my biggest mistake is assuming that my passion does not need TLC.  But it’s easy to get caught up in your professional work and get out of touch with your original inspiration for pursuing a career in social change. So take time to nurse your soul and get in…

• Keeping My Fire

  ajlovesya

  26 Oct 2009 | 5:15 am

  Elisa Ortiz recently wrote a great piece about her journey into the nonprofit sector.  It got me thinking about mine and the challenges I am facing.  So for this Nonprofit Milleninal Bloggers Alliance post, I’m reflecting on why I’m in the sector. I didn’t get into the nonprofit sector because of a desire to feel warm inside.  In fact becoming a nonprofiteer was never a goal of mine.  I got involved in social justice work because I was angry.  I was angry at the blatant inequalities I saw every day on my way to my posh prep school in downtown Brooklyn from my family’s tiny…

• 20Under40: A Week Long Conversation about Leadership Changes in the Arts

  ajlovesya

  20 Oct 2009 | 1:49 pm

  Some time ago I posted about the call for submissions for the 20Under40 anthology which will feature 20 essays by emerging leaders in the arts about the future of arts and arts education.  To follow up with this amazing project they are hosting a week-long discussion for emerging leaders in the arts to talk about generational changes in leadership and the value young people bring to the arts field: Emerging Leaders Blog Salon Join the Emerging Leaders Network of Americans for the Arts and the 20UNDER40 anthology for the Emerging Leaders Salon on ARTSblog the week of October 19-23. Nearly 20…

• Introducing the Nonprofit Millenial Bloggers Alliance

  ajlovesya

  13 Oct 2009 | 5:30 am

  In the almost two years that I have been blogging I have learned so much about the nonprofit sector and the challenges that young employees face.  This has motivated me to act and to connect with those who share my passion for creating a culture in the sector that values and actively supports young employees. However, I always wondered how we could include more voices from the next generation in the conversation about the future of the nonprofit sector.  Then I came across this article in problogger about forming a blogging alliance.  While he talks about it being a secret mainly to…

• Lessons on Social Change from Mayor Cory Booker of Newark, New Jersey

  ajlovesya

  9 Oct 2009 | 11:43 am

  Last night I had the opportunity to attend a talk hosted by Dean Ellen Schall of NYU Wagner and Newark Mayor Corey Booker about the challenges—both cultural and systemic—in bringing about reform.  While he was speaking primarily about government, his words are of great use to organizations and individuals working for  social change. Organizations: Coordinate the systems: Mayor Booker used a great example to point out how the real challenge is in making sure whatever systems are in place are on the same page: gather a group of people, ask them close their eyes and point north.  When…

• 
  Brave New Words

• A Magnificent Give-Away

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:02 pm

  Brave New Words is pleased to present our first give-away. In order to win a copy of John McWhorter’s book Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.In your comment, please recommend a book about a language. Give the name of the book and its author, and write a couple of sentences about why this is a book worth reading. You do not have to use your real name and you should definitely not post your address, but you do need to include your e-mail address, so I can contact you, and you have to be prepared to give me your…

• A Magnificent Book Told in a Magnificent Bastard Tongue

  2 Nov 2009 | 4:04 pm

  This past weekend, I read what I quickly realized was my favorite language book of the year, John McWhorter’s Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English. This fascinating book is not about words, as interesting as they are. Instead, it is about grammar. Why is English grammar different from that of the other Germanic languages? As Mr. McWhorter puts it:“English’s Germanic relatives are like assorted varieties of deer-antelopes, springboks, kudu, and so on-antlered, fleet-footed, big-brown-eyed variations on a theme. English is some dolphin swooping around underwater,…

• Translations by Cedric Barfoot

  31 Oct 2009 | 5:01 pm

  I saw the poem "Translations" by Cedric Barfoot featured in the book Drama Translation and Theatre Practice, edited by Sabine Coelsch-Foisner and Holger Klein:Glosses, interpretations, versions,adaptations, reversions – wetranslate ourselves from oneplace to another, from onethought to another, from oneself to another. Furnishingan equivalent of self, abbreviating,burnishing, augmenting or abandoningits bawdy, to authenticate our selvesas glosses on interpretationsor creative plagiarisms of self,versions and reversions of self.Selves adapted to different companies,in different places to…

• A Collection of Pseudotranslations

  25 Oct 2009 | 5:02 pm

  During my last holiday (a busman’s holiday, but never mind), I read The Beijing of Possibilities by Jonathan Tel. It’s a collection of short stories with an interesting premise.His preface talks about how he was in touch with the Chinese poet Helan Xiao and then lost touch. But then she contacted him “to assist with the translation of her acclaimed collection of stories set in contemporary Beijing…Helan has contributed a foreword to this edition, and I have taken the liberty of adding a concluding chapter, narrating certain episodes in her life. For any misrepresentations, and for any…

• Fun Vocabulary Words

  19 Oct 2009 | 4:03 pm

  The Wonder of Whiffling is an enjoyable website on unusual vocabulary words.

• 
  Sustainablog

• Plan B 4.0 Book Byte: Three Models of Social Change

  Earth Policy Institute

  5 Nov 2009 | 8:55 am

  Lester R. Brown Can we change fast enough? When thinking about the enormous need for social change as we attempt to move the world economy onto a sustainable path, I find it useful to look at various models of change. Three stand out. One is the catastrophic event model, which I call the Pearl Harbor model, where a dramatic event fundamentally changes how we think and behave. The second model is one where a society reaches a tipping point on a particular issue often after an extended period of gradual change in thinking and attitudes. This I call the Berlin Wall model. The third is the…

• Rehabilitating Bio-Fuels Part 2: Interesting Second Generation Options

  Steve Savage

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:54 pm

  My previous post retraced the precipitous decline in the reputation of biofuels that occurred between 2006 and today.  In this post I’m going to talk about just a few of the activities going on for “second generation” biofuels (beyond corn, soy and palm oil, wheat…).  One of the key features of these initiatives is that they reduce the competition with food crops - something which will only become a more significant issue in the future.  I’ll be talking about several Universities and companies who have hung in there through the ups and downs of oil prices…

• Simran’s Eco-Friendly Home Makeover Comes to Oprah.com

  Jeff McIntire-Strasburg

  4 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am

  Buying your first home is both nerve-wracking and exhilarating. Imagine the heightening of both of those emotions if you choose to 1) buy an older house full of character, and 2) jump right into green updates and renovations upon purchase. You’ll then have a good sense of what journalist, professor, and good friend of sustainablog Simran Sethi is going through right now… she recently purchased an 84-year-old home in her adopted home town of Lawrence, KS. Unlike the rest of us, though, Simran’s inviting the world in to watch the process of greening her new house: on Monday,…

• Rehabilitating The Concept of Bio-Fuels: Part One

  Steve Savage

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:49 am

  In 2006 I attended a BIO meeting in Toronto focused on the new bio-based economy.  Oil had just risen to $70/barrel and it was a time when environmental NGOs, biotech companies and even oil companies seemed to be on the “same page” in terms of their enthusiasm for moving to plant-based feedstocks as the perfect alternative to oil dependency.  With the very obvious international security costs of the oil economy, and what were then thought to be unimaginable energy costs, it was a remarkable sort of celebration event for all the alternative energy and materials folks who has…

• Climate Change Conference Calls on US for Reduction Targets

  SolveClimate

  3 Nov 2009 | 9:35 am

  This post was written by Stacy Feldman (reporting from Barcelona, Spain), and originally published at SolveClimate. The United States must deliver concrete mid-term greenhouse gas reduction targets by next month or it will destroy efforts to achieve a framework for a global climate change deal in Copenhagen, United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer said Monday as a week of international talks on global warming began in Barcelona. “I do not think the international community will accept an agreement that lacks clarity from the U.S. on targets,” de Boer said. The Barcelona talks are…

• 
  The Onion

• Sexualized Octogenarian Flapper Girl Still Earning Living For Someone

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:09 am

  News In Photos

• Sports: Shaq, Cavaliers Start To Bond After Rollerblading Around Cleveland

  7 Nov 2009 | 7:39 am

  CLEVELAND—After strapping on inline skates for the first time ever Monday, Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal and his new teammates bonded while Rollerblading through the streets of Cleveland.

• College Freshman Makes Triumphant Return To High School

  7 Nov 2009 | 6:05 am

  COCONUT CREEK, FL—"I'm back, Bayshore High," 18-year-old Henry Doyle announced as he pulled his mother's Toyota Camry slowly into the parking lot normally reserved for faculty, emerging with a knowing grin. "Bet you never thought you'd see the likes of me again!"

• [audio] Scientists Dissect Coworker To Find Out More About Scientists

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:02 pm

  Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland

• In Focus: Kids Excited Mom Learning To Swear

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am

  PESHTIGO, WI--After a lifetime of assiduously avoiding the use of foul language, Helen Chernak, 59, is finally learning to swear, her delighted offspring reported Monday.

• 
  TheWayoftheWeb

• FriendsReunited advert – wtf?

  Dan Thornton

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:14 am

  I’m almost speechless. Where to start? So FriendsReunited is now owned by Brightsolid, a subsidiary of comic publisher DC Thompson, which paid £25 million in August but still hasn’t added the sites to the official website. (edit: This is due to the fact the purchase is being looked at by regulators, and is therefore not complete). And their first move is to buy traditional TV advertising? Unless… The fact that Brightsolid owns findmypast.com and the advert clearly positions GenesReunited on an equal footing to FriendsReunited gives one indication where things are going. And…

• UK Govt – tackling piracy but in court on privacy!

  Dan Thornton

  31 Oct 2009 | 2:08 am

  Quite funny seeing which stories followed each other on PaidContent this morning – one story is following the response from UK ISPs to Lord Mandelson’s proposal to disconnect illegal filesharers – but that immediately followed that the EC has set a two month deadline to overhaul UK rules on digital privacy.Or the UK Govt will end up in court. Interestingly, it appears the EC are reacting fairly strongly to the UK passing of behavourial-targetting technology, e.g Phorm, but meanwhile France already has a law forcing ISPs to identify filesharers and using a three-strikes rule…

• Bit late in sharing this brilliance – perfect for a Friday

  Dan Thornton

  30 Oct 2009 | 4:50 am

  I’ve seen this posted elsewhere (Hat tip to Rax and Dave) but it’s too good not to share on the off-chance you haven’t seen it. It’s a lovely Flash app monitoring stats on social media compiled original in September by Gary Hayes, and is very good, entertaining, enlightening, and potentially scary if you’re nervous about what’s happening in digital. Make sure you also check the Mobile and Gaming tabs… And it ties in brilliantly with a recent quote from Leo LaPorte’s Net@Night Show (I always listed to This Week in Tech, but missed this episode of…

• My most popular posts for October…

  Dan Thornton

  28 Oct 2009 | 9:03 am

  There’s just a few days left in the month, and a combination of work, family illnesses and Forza Motorsport 3 are limiting my blogging, so I thought I’d take a look at which posts were most popular this month: Taking first spot was my theory that the Nokia N97 is the ultimate geek phone. Which obviously went down well with iPhone and Android fans as well as N97 owners. Strangely a post from January of this year got picked up for a bit of a resurgence – The best G1 application , augmented reality and Moore’s Law. I guess everyone else has finally caught onto this…

• Valentino Rossi wins 9th world title – lessons for everyone

  Dan Thornton

  26 Oct 2009 | 12:36 am

  Valentino Rossi secured his ninth world championship title yesterday, cementing his position as the greatest motocycle racer of all time.  He’s claimed titles on five different types of motorcycle (125cc,250cc,500cc two strokes and 990 and 800cc four-strokes), lapped 0.5 seconds slower than Michael Schumacher in an F1 car and won events in a WRC rally car. What’s also important is that since 2000, when Rossi arrived in the premier class on a 500cc GP motorcycle, he has been teamed with probably the best chief engineer in motorcycling, Jeremy Burgess, and a tightly-knit pit crew…

• 
  Entrepreneur.com

• Refranchising: Should You Buy In?

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Consider these factors before buying a company-owned franchise unit.

• Take Advantage of Electronic Communication

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Texts and e-mails could be more effective and less invasive for your collections.

• Market With Meaning

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Don't offer your customers products--offer them solutions, connections and satisfaction.

• The Intersection of Awareness and New Media

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Social media and sustainability converge to create consumers who are more knowledgeable than ever.

• The Irony of the Safe Bet

  4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 pm

  Michael Kahan became a successful entrepreneur after walking away from a 10-year career on Wall Street.

• 
  digg.com: Stories / Comedy / Popular

• Should I Buy Her A Drink? (Flowchart)

  7 Nov 2009 | 12:30 am

  If you end up hitting the bars tonight, we'd like you to be prepared. Sometimes knowing when and who to buy a drink for can be a challenging task for young men. We’ve developed an extremely basic reference guide to help you step up the plate and score some (probably married) tail. Good luck young Jedi.

• How Everything Goes to Hell During a Zombie Apocalypse (PIC)

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:10 pm

  An funny depiction of what NOT to do during a zombie outbreak

• Awkward Internet Family Photoshops

  6 Nov 2009 | 5:00 pm

  As Awkward Family Photos and My Parents Were Awesome have shown us, family portraits should be cherished. You can look back at photos years from now and say, "I can't believe I'm so depressed that I'm looking at old photos. Of other people's families." Well lucky for you, Memes and your favorite internet crazies have families, too.

• 6 People Who Faked Their Own Death (For Ridiculous Reasons)

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:40 pm

  We can admit that sometimes it might make sense to fake your death. You know, like if you're on the run from the mob, or something. Or you could go a totally different route and fake your death for a really asinine reason. Kind of like these people...

• Old People on the Internet Live Forever [VIDEOS]

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:40 pm

  There are puh-lenty denizens from way "over the hill" who have wheeled and walk[er]ed their way into this crazy town we call the Internet. Here are some of our favorite senior citizens on the web:

• 
  Small Business Labs

• Intuit Trends - Social Data on Small Businesses

  Steve

  5 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  "Social data" is the buzzword that describes sharing aggregate or summarized data collected from or contributed by large numbers of users.  A good example of social data is Intuit Trends, an early alpha product available on Intuit Labs.  Trends uses aggregated company financial data collected from the online version of the accounting package Quickbooks.  The application lets small business owners, managers and their advisers explore industry financial trends, share observations, and compare their performance with their peers and/or competitors.

• The Growth of Small Business Analytics

  Steve

  4 Nov 2009 | 1:06 am

  There were two very interesting blog posts related to the use of analytics by small businesses over the last week.  Both caught my eye as interesting examples of the trend towards analytical software and automation. The first comes from Tim Berry's blog via MyVenturepad.  Tim writes about the Huffington Post using A/B testing to pick article headlines.  Online A/B testing is a process where different people are randomly shown different versions of a web page, or in this case different article headlines.  After testing with a number of people, the…

• When Do Megatrends Matter?

  Steve

  3 Nov 2009 | 8:45 am

  An interesting part of the trends business is trend identification is easy.  The hard part is figuring out when a trend will have broad impact and matter to businesses.  iMedia Connection's article 5 Marketing Megatrends You Can't Ignore looks at megatrends that marketers should care about.  The author defines megatrends as: "What's a megatrend, you ask? It's something big. I'm talking really big. Think of a giant unstoppable tsunami of change transforming society as we know it. Think global warming scale -- then apply it to mass human…

• Traditional Business Media Cuts; New Media Grows

  Steve

  2 Nov 2009 | 9:00 am

  Good article in the NY Times about traditional media business publications reducing staff and coverage.  The usual reasons - lack of advertising, readers fleeing print publications for online, etc. - are given for the decline.  The article goes on to talk about readers being less interested in business news.  This simply isn't true.  If you add in business coverage coming from new media companies like TechCrunch and others, you find that overall business related media coverage and readership has increased over the last decade. What is true is there much less…

• Is Facebook Taking Over the Web?

  Steve

  30 Oct 2009 | 2:00 am

  With Twitter getting so much attention these days, Facebook almost seems to have drifted into the background.  But the more you look at data on web traffic, the more you realize how big a force Facebook has become.  The chart below is from Mary Meeker's presentation at the Web 2.0 conference a few weeks ago.  It clearly illustrates Facebook's rapid rise to key web player status.   Marketing Charts has another angle on the growth of Facebook.  Their chart (below and sourced from Nielsen) shows the top 10 U.S. Web brands by unique visitors and time…

• 
  Small Business Trends

• Take the “Leap” to a Richer, More Fulfilling Life and Career

  Ivana Taylor

  7 Nov 2009 | 7:12 am

  Every now and then I’ll open my e-mail to find a personal note from an author who is a regular reader of one of my blogs or the book reviews I do here on Small Business Trends. This is how I came across “Leap: How 3 Simple Changes Can Propel Your Career From Good to Great.” Rick Smith, the author, contacted me.  He asked if I was interested in reviewing his book and sent me an autographed copy. Rick Smith is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal and Business Week bestseller The 5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers, which has been sold into 13 languages. But before any of…

• Is the Economy Really Improving for Small Business? You Decide

  Denise O'Berry

  6 Nov 2009 | 8:20 am

  As the economists declare we are coming out of the recession, I bet your bottom line tells a different story. After all, they declared the recession months after you had already been knee deep in the throes of the struggle to keep your head above water for many months. But the good news is that the talking heads are discussing a positive outlook on the horizon. That alone helps people feel better about the future. There are plenty of groups talking about how the signs for small business are improving. Let’s take a look at a few of the statistics. PNC Economic Outlook Survey According to the…

• Jumping Through Hoops of Red Tape

  Mark Anderson

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  Every company has those rules or policies that just make no sense. I was in sales and wanted to send some promotional items to a promising potential client. I grabbed some golf balls from the supply room and was heading back to my desk when I met my supervisor in the hallway. Excitedly I talked up my great lead and was immediately rebuffed. “Are you crazy?! Do you know how much those cost? We can’t send those out!” I persisted, and after 20 minutes was told I’d have to fill out some paperwork. I’d know in a few weeks. After muttering about jumping through a hoop…

• New IRS Site Simplifies Small-Business Retirement Plans

  Anita Campbell

  5 Nov 2009 | 11:40 am

  The average American’s retirement plan isn’t worth as much as it was a few years ago — but offering such plans is still a huge perk that helps small businesses attract potential employees. No longer are retirement plans just for big companies. You’ll find a good selection of plans out there for companies with only a few employees and even for sole proprietors. However, wading through all your options can be intimidating. To help, the IRS just launched a new Web site, IRS Retirement Plans Navigator, that simplifies the process of choosing and managing a retirement plan by putting…

• How to Be a Renegade At Home

  Lisa Barone

  5 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am

  If you don’t know Jonathan Fields, he’s the author of a book called Career Renegade that shows people how to become entrepreneurs and make a career out of something the love. He’s also a wonderful blogger. In a recent post, Jonathan talks about the renegade employee — basically, how to love what you do in the confines of working for someone else – and outlines eight qualities that must exist. In reading the post, there were a couple of things that struck me. First, I noticed that many of the factors outlined by Jonathan on how to love your job were dependent on your…

• 
  Duct Tape Marketing

• 3 Sources of Grammar Inspiration

  John Jantsch

  6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 am

  3 Sources of Grammar InspirationThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing About once a week I amuse the grammar troops by torturing some aspect of the language in my writing. Hey, I don’t do it on purpose and I love that I’m able to provide an otherwise cuddly group of individuals with a steady flow of chuckles. I’ve had this post in the back of my mind for some time, but I was prompted to write it today by a LinkedIn status update I saw yesterday. (Name of victim withheld) – “Excited to attend my first titter conference today.” In the always on, say…

• Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma

  John Jantsch

  5 Nov 2009 | 3:16 am

  Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and CharismaThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with Nick Morgan (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes Trust – can’t get enough of that as a brand, business, or person these days. Everyone knows that, but what they may not know is that there are things each of is doing that may be unintentionally eroding trust – particularly when it comes to the topic of speaking and presenting. In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast Nick Morgan, author of Trust Me, talks…

• Social Media Training Course Beta Testers Needed

  John Jantsch

  3 Nov 2009 | 5:03 am

  Social Media Training Course Beta Testers NeededThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing This whole social media thing for small business can be confusing, I know, I speak to groups of small business owner routinely and hear things like – “I’m overwhelmed, I’m tired of the hype, what do I do first, how do I find the time.” Update: The good news is a lot of people really want to beta test this program – over 125 left comments for the 10 spots, but I guess that’s the bad news too. Here’s what I’ve decided to do – I will choose 20 beta…

• Biznik Blends High Tech with High Touch

  John Jantsch

  2 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm

  Biznik Blends High Tech with High TouchThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Fortunately, it’s starting to feel like the wave of social media hype has crested and small businesses can turn their attention to understanding social media “best practices” rather than obsessing over next week’s new tool. Today’s greatest small business opportunity awaits those who learn to skillfully blend the awareness creating, automating, and filtering aspects of social media platforms with the trust and customer building aspects of education based, face-to-face networking.

• Weekend Favs October Thirty-One

  John Jantsch

  31 Oct 2009 | 5:20 am

  Weekend Favs October Thirty-OneThis 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 doesn’t involve much analysis and may range widely in topic. (Flickr image included here is also fav image of the week) Enjoy! Good stuff I ran across this week: Twitter Gallery - Nice collection of free twitter backgrounds. This is an asset that should be branded, but at least dress it up a bit. KnowEm – Search over 340 popular social…

• 
  StartupNation

• Why you should pay for this content

  Rich Sloan

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:10 pm

  Weird that I’d write a blog post about paying for content in a free content world, isn’t it?! Weirder yet that StartupNation has for years on end been a STRICTLY free content site and hosts many tens of thousands of pages of free content and features. So why have we recently launched a paid content offering (in our new Quarterly Marketing Trends eReports)? Because they’re worth it. Our experts and co-authors spend weeks amassing research and drawing out takeaways and distill those down into clear trends and action items that could have a profound impact on your business. For…

• Exceed Expectations to Boost Sales

  Melanie Rembrandt

  6 Nov 2009 | 3:35 am

  If you want to increase your level of returning customers, there is one major thing that you need to take care of at the very beginning of every relationship - Expectations. This may sound simple, but if you don’t spell out what you are going to provide for the money, you can run into major confusion and complications in the future. And it goes both ways. Your customers need to tell you what they expect too. With this in mind, here are three key tips to think about when you begin to work on any new projects or customer sales: 1. Communicate goals. Before you exchange funds, products…

• Make Your Website Stand Out in 30 Minutes or Less

  Tom Now

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:44 am

  In the time it takes you to shop at your local grocery store, you could implement simple and easy changes to your website to make it stand out from the crowd. Online competition is fierce. Consumers and B2B (Business to Business) buyers have many choices. Checking out your competitors is merely a click away. So it’s more critical than ever that your website is remarkable and compels your site visitors to take notice. Either you are going to be different than your competition, or you are going to lose many prospective customers who just can’t seem to remember your company’s…

• Secrets to Accelerating Your Business Success

  Rich Sloan

  3 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pm

  As a business owner, I love being my company’s “evangelist.” I get huge kicks from educating and exciting people about becoming a customer. But frankly, there’s an even more important—though arguably less exhilarating—aspect to closing new business. We call it, the art of follow up. My feelings about this were confirmed and further fueled at a recent networking event in Phoenix where Clate Mask, CEO of Infusionsoft, presented his thoughts on the way to make following up work for you. Because entrepreneurs like me are among the most passionate people on earth, and we love pitching…

• Target is re-branding to “Real MOMS”…..Bye-Bye Bullseye!

  Kim Babjak

  31 Oct 2009 | 3:05 pm

  Is that bull’s-eye logo going bye-bye to survive the Wal-Mart effect? What does Wal-Mart know that may save business everywhere? Is it true- is Target steering away from their famous Bullseye logo? Since March of 2009, they have been pulling it to implement an ARROW; that is being targeted right to “Real MOMs” and how they are saving real money at Target. The MOM demographic just happens to be the largest growing consumer base, next to the Hispanic market, which both carry allot of weight behind their dollar buyer power. Target has been under pressure from its largest majority stock…

• 
  Ideablob News

• Healthcare for Haiti wins $10k

  11 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Healthcare for Haiti wins $10k. For more news see http://www.ideablob.com/posts.

• National Marriage Boycott wins $10k

  14 Sep 2009 | 10:00 pm

  National Marriage Boycott wins $10k. For more news see http://www.ideablob.com/posts.

• 5 Top Trends to Turn into Business Ideas

  12 Aug 2009 | 10:00 pm

  5 Top Trends to Turn into Business Ideas. For more news see http://www.ideablob.com/posts.

• CollaborAid Wins $10k

  4 Aug 2009 | 10:00 pm

  CollaborAid Wins $10k. For more news see http://www.ideablob.com/posts.

• Play For Hope Wins $10k

  12 Jul 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Play For Hope Wins $10k. For more news see http://www.ideablob.com/posts.

• 
  BIG marketing for small business

• Banner Ads Are Better Than Clicks Suggest

  Rajan Sodhi

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pm

  I attended the ad:tech Digital Marketing event in London back in September and sat in on an intriguing presentation by ComScore about online banner advertising and how more and more people are clicking on less and less of them. In fact, only 8% of Internet users account for 85% of all clicks according to their study. Compared to search engine marketing (SEM), click-through on banner ads seem pitiful and almost a waste of resources and money. But wait. Before you decide to kill your banner ad campaign, consider this: using just click-through to measure the performance of your banner ad…

• Cloud Hosting Still Cloudy for Many Businesses

  Rajan Sodhi

  26 Oct 2009 | 11:48 am

  Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison believes cloud is just water vapor. All the buzz in web hosting these days is around cloud hosting. From large providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) to the Rackspace Cloud, to a whole bunch of tiny providers, you can’t find a corner on the Internet that isn’t talking about or trying to offer up a cloud service. But what exactly is cloud? If you aren’t quite sure, you’re not alone. A recent independent cloud hosting study of 200 IT decision makers showed that 88 percent of them do not use cloud technologies, while 39 percent said that…

• Make Your Website Your Best Salesperson

  Ryan Kelly

  23 Oct 2009 | 12:35 pm

  While stacking up your sales department is a good way to drive inbound leads and sales, I find that many businesses are overlooking the potential for a rockstar salesperson: their website. Don’t be afraid to invest in your website just as you would a training and education budget for a salesperson. You may be tempted to throw a lot of money into paid search, but investing in organic search will last much longer, making it the most effective way to drive leads for your business. That means once the ad budget runs out, the leads and the traffic stops, but the work you put into organic…

• Early Bird Tickets Available for Malcolm Gladwell in Vancouver

  Rajan Sodhi

  6 Oct 2009 | 3:34 pm

  Lindsay Smith announced today on her blog that early bird tickets are now available for the F5 Expo featuring bestselling author of Tipping Point and Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell. As I mentioned in an earlier post, F5 Expo will focus on future trends in the online space including social media, digital media, SEO, and mobile apps. I’ve seen a preliminary list of additional speakers being added to the event, and it looks very impressive. Vancouver is starving for this type of an event. The first block of etickets released are available for $220 and includes: Malcolm Gladwell’s keynote…

• Google Wave Reinvents Email

  Rajan Sodhi

  5 Oct 2009 | 11:27 am

  Just watched the demonstration of the new Google Wave. Very impressive product that I can’t wait to try out! Does someone out there have an invite they can send me? (Thanks for the hook up Summit Media!) It takes the best features of online communication – social media, instant messaging, and email – and integrates them into a seamless stream of communication rather than the traditional back and forth, piling on of messages. Watch the video to see how it works.

• 
  OnStartups

• Startups: How To Build A Barrier To Entry With Inbound Marketing

  Dharmesh Shah

  20 Oct 2009 | 1:16 am

  I’ve been doing a fair amount of speaking lately.  It’s partly driven by my recently released book, Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media and Blogs (which is doing exceptionally well -- more below on this). The topics I usually speak on are startups (surprise) and marketing (surprise, surprise).  And, when I’m really on a roll and feeling adventurous, I talk about startup marketing. First off, a quick confession.  I’m not really a marketer, and I don’t play one on TV.  I’ve never had the word marketing in my job title, ever.  The closest…

• Holy Crap! HubSpot Has Now Raised A Total Of $33 Million

  Dharmesh Shah

  19 Oct 2009 | 2:12 am

  It has been a little over a year since I announced the news that my marketing software startup closed it’s Series B round of funding.  The article, “Insanity? Why A Bootstrap Entrepreneur Raised $17 Million in Venture Funding”, was a candid glimpse into the rationale for raising what seemed like a huge amount of money to me at the time (it seemed huge, because it was — at least to me). Today, we’ve released news that HubSpot has just closed on another $16 million funding round (our Series C) bringing our total capital raised to a whopping $33…

• Answers.OnStartups: Community Q&A For Startup Entrepreneurs

  Dharmesh Shah

  8 Oct 2009 | 3:14 pm

  I’m a big fan of a site called Stack Overflow.  It’s a surprisingly useful Q&A site for posting programming questions, and getting answers from the community.  The site has been immensely successful and is now often the first place I go to find answers to those vexing questions.  One of the things I like most about it is that both the questions and answers get voted on by the community.  As a result, the best stuff surfaces to the top.  You have to really use it to appreciate it. In any case, I’m a big fan of the site.  So, I was thrilled…

• 12 Facts About Entrepreneurs That Will Likely Surprise You

  Dharmesh Shah

  21 Sep 2009 | 2:29 am

  I have a picture in my head of what the average entrepreneur is like.  I’d guess pretty young (think Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.) living the red beans and rice lifestyle and working 80+ hours a week and sleeping under their desk.  On some parts, I’m probably right — but on many, I’m flat-out wrong.  This is demonstrated by a recent report from the Kauffman foundation for entrepreneurship.  The report is titled “The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur”.  It’s based on a survey of 549 company founders across a variety of industries (that’s my first…

• Why Raising Venture Capital Requires Helmets and Shovels [cartoon]

  Dharmesh Shah

  18 Sep 2009 | 5:16 am

  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).

• 
  Solutions Are Power

• Lessons from the VCR Clock Flashing 12:00

  Joe Loong

  6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  So, continuing some thoughts I started in my earlier entry, “Things That I Don’t Understand” (a limitless topic, to be sure), I revisit the VCR Clock Flashing “12:00″ Scenario (where the inability to program one’s VCR, as demonstrated by the flashing 12:00 on the VCR display, was an indicator of other forms of technological incompetence.) Now that I think about it… you don’t really hear about this anymore. I forget sometimes that VCRs are obsolete; I guess it shows my own generational and technological bias (I still use mine occasionally to…

• #140conf – Day 2 Recap from 140Conf LA

  Steve Fisher

  5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  Starting out on Day 2, my brain needed some caffeine fuel so once I hit a very popular chain and got my Cafe Americano to jump onto the 140 Conference here in LA. This day started with some intense topics – education, public health and the mainstream media.  So let’s get to the recap of day 2. Highlight #1 – Twitter and Education On of the first panels was on education and was comprised of Aparna Vashisht (@Parentella) – Founder, Parentella, Eric Sheninger (@NMHS_Principal) – New Milford High School, NJ, Shelly S Terrell (@ShellTerrell) – Educator and…

• PSA : Network Solutions Email Latency Nov 4th

  Shashi Bellamkonda

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:32 am

  Update Nov 5th, 2009 12.38 p.m The  email services for customers impacted from yesterday’s issue should be back to normal. In cases where customers are still having issues we are advising them to contact our 24/7  Network Solutions Customer Support at 1-800-333-7680 or open a ticket on our support page at http://www.networksolutions.com/help/email.jsp Update : Nov 4, 2009 @ 14:34 The email issue has been isolated to incoming email which is temporarily queued.  Network Solutions is working to restore inbound mail to normalcy. We have resolved any issue with outbound email or the…

• Get Your Message Across Better With Presenter Pro.

  Kenneth Yeung

  4 Nov 2009 | 7:00 am

  Several weeks ago, I met with an an interesting company that produces perhaps a most useful product…all currently available on the iPhone. Remarkably, this is perhaps one of the most important apps out there right now that provides useful and business-specific help to professionals who often times may have to go out and talk in front of colleagues, investors or conference attendees. Just what is this modern miracle that has some real day-to-day applicability? It’s Presenter Pro and it’s created by Rexi Media, available now on the Apple iTunes Store. Some of the cool features…

• #140conf – Day 1 Recap from 140Conf LA

  Steve Fisher

  4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

  I arrived on Monday in Los Angeles to attend the “Very Important Characters (VIC)” event and got to see some old friends and meet some new ones. After a great evening I got a great night’s sleep and got to the Kodak Theatre early to see everything kick off. I have been to LA more times than I can count but I had never been to the Kodak Theatre which is where they hold the Oscars every year. What was really suprising was that it was connected to a kind of outdoor California mall but the place has so much history and our event co-host Jeffrey Hazlett along with the Kodak…

• 
  The Happiness Project

• Act the Way You Want to Feel.

  GretchenRubin

  6 Nov 2009 | 12:07 pm

  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 the most surprising, and useful, things I’ve learned from my happiness project is my Third Commandment: Act the way I want to feel. Although we presume that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. More than a century ago, philosopher and psychologist…

• Which Websites and Blogs Boost Your Happiness?

  GretchenRubin

  5 Nov 2009 | 12:19 pm

  On the Inspiration Board of the Happiness Project Toolbox, people have posted a staggeringly interesting array of happiness-related quotations, images, book suggestions, and website recommendations. It seems like a good idea to create a place here where people can shine a spotlight on happiness-boosting blogs and websites. Voila, here's a chart. To suggest one, list your favorite here! And don't feel shy about adding yourself to the chart. There is such a treasure trove of material out there; it's hard to keep up with all the great sites to visit. I hope this list will be a good resource. *…

• Eight Tips for Feeling More Energetic.

  GretchenRubin

  4 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pm

  Every Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday: Eight tips for feeling more energetic. Feeling energetic is a key to feeling happy. Studies show that when you feel energetic, you feel much better about yourself. On the other hand, when you feel exhausted, tasks that would ordinarily make you happy—like putting up holiday decorations—make you feel overwhelmed and blue. When my energy feels at a low ebb, I try one of these techniques (well, first I drink something with caffeine in it, but if I feel like I need to take further steps, I try these strategies): 1. Exercise—even a quick ten-minute…

• Hugging Kids and Drinking Pinot Noir -- But Not Going Blonde.

  GretchenRubin

  3 Nov 2009 | 11:39 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. I’m a new fan of the hilarious blog Mom-101, so I was curious to hear what writer Liz Gumbinner had to say about…

• A Secret to Happiness That I Overlooked -- Until Now.

  GretchenRubin

  2 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pm

  A significant factor in happiness is the hedonic treadmill, or hedonic adaptation. People are adaptable. We quickly adjust to a new life circumstance—for better or worse—and consider it normal. Although this helps us when our situation worsens, it means that when circumstances improve, we soon become hardened to new comforts or privileges. Scoring air-conditioning, a bigger house, or a fancy title gives us only a brief boost in happiness before we start to take it for granted. As Aldous Huxley wrote, “Habit converts luxurious enjoyments into dull and daily necessities.” That’s the…

• 
  Inspire Minds

• Success story of Poacha who saves Lives

  changeminds

  24 Oct 2009 | 3:32 am

  For over ten years now, Khushroo Poacha has stood by the sole belief that to do good work you don’t need money. Poacha runs indianblooddonors.com (IBD), a site that lets blood donors and patients in need of blood connect with each other almost instantaneously. He also does not accept cash donations. The site has been live for almost ten years and with over 50,000 donors in its database, IBD is perhaps a classic example of what the Internet is truly capable of. But more importantly, it is a reflection of a single human being’s desire to make a difference to this world. It all…

• Dr.Tulsi aged 21 becomes India’s youngest Doctorate holder

  changeminds

  31 Aug 2009 | 1:35 am

  It’s not very often that you attach the title ‘Dr’ to the name of a 21-year-old youngster. Meet Dr Tathagat Avatar Tulsi, who is on top of the world today after joining an exclusive club of scientists with a doctorate at the age of 21. Dr Tulsi is the youngest person in India to hold a doctorate and with this feat he has joined an eminent club of greats like Dr John Forbes Nash, an American mathematician who competed his PhD from Princeton University, US at the age of 21. His faculty at the Indian Institute of Science is truly inspired by his research on software for next…

• Inspiring Interview of Dr.Abdul Kalam

  changeminds

  28 Jun 2009 | 6:01 am

  ‘A clear aim, knowledge, hard work and perseverance spells success’ A vibrant octogenarian — that’s what describes Dr Kalam best. For a man of 80 summers, Dr Kalam is extraordinarily full of life even at 8.15 pm when we sat down for a freewheeling chat, nay an experience. We ask him about his famous ‘thinking hut’ at Rashtrapati Bhawan. “It is a great place,” he says. “Two books came out of there. Here, I don’t have sufficient area — but everywhere I capture thoughts.” His infectious enthusiasm overpowers us all as we…

• Inspiring Life of Henry Ford

  changeminds

  20 Jun 2009 | 8:55 am

  Irish ForeFathers The Ford family had its roots in Ireland though they had traces of English and Scottish blood in them. Its main occupation was agriculture. In 1862, a young couple moved a house located at some distance to the south of the other Ford families. They were William and Mary Ford. ‘Grandma’ Holmes, was directing affairs and it was with her help, that this male child was born into the household. The infant was named Henry after his uncle. Henry was one of the eight children. The Eternal Habit The first few years of Henry’s boyhood were spent at home under his mother’s…

• Inspiring story of Stephen Hawking, great scientist

  changeminds

  14 May 2009 | 8:53 am

  On January 8, 1942, Stephen Hawking was born to Frank and Isobel Hawking in Oxford, England. Frank was a researcher specializing in tropical diseases. He later became the Head of the Division of Parasitology at The National Institute of Medical Research. it was at this research center that the two met and got together for a meaningful future. She had got in to odd jobs before she ended up as a secretary at the institute. Isobel returned to London with the two-week old Stephen, who later began schooling at Highgate where they resided. In 1950, Frank Hawking joined the Institute for Medical…

• 
  Business Innovation Speaker and Consultant Stephen Shapiro

• Content is No Longer King…Long Live the King (Part 2)

  Stephen Shapiro

  21 Oct 2009 | 1:05 pm

  In an earlier blog entry on content, readers provided a number of interesting comments. If you haven’t already read that article (and the comments), you may want to do so in order to understand this new article. Many did not agree with my point of view. And that is great. I only wanted [...]

• Win a Trip to our Gala Casino Book Launch Party

  Stephen Shapiro

  14 Oct 2009 | 8:23 am

  As you know by now, I just signed a 2 book deal with Portfolio Penguin. The first book to be published is Personality Poker. When the book hits the stores in Fall 2010, we are going to party in style!  Given the poker theme, we are holding the book launch party in either Las Vegas, Atlantic [...]

• Content is No Longer King….Long Live the King (Part 1)

  Stephen Shapiro

  4 Oct 2009 | 9:58 am

  We often hear that content is king.  But I wonder if this is still true. Let’s take some very simple examples. I am sure most of you know that the iPod was not a revolutionary invention.  It was merely a new spin on the already existing MP3 player.  The real innovation was the integration of the iPod [...]

• GCLS Quotes – Day 1

  Stephen Shapiro

  23 Sep 2009 | 4:24 pm

  I am in NYC participating as a delegate in the Global Creative Leadership Summit led by the Louis Blouin Foundation. Attending are 100 fascinating people ranging from Prime Ministers to business leaders. Over the course of 3 days there are a number of conversations on topics related to improving the world. Here are some of the [...]

• Two Book Deal with Penguin’s Portfolio Books

  Stephen Shapiro

  22 Sep 2009 | 3:20 pm

  Today I signed a two book deal with Penguin’s Portfolio imprint.  They are the publishers of excellent books including all of Seth Godin’s books and “The Back of the Napkin.” The first book, “Personality Poker,” is scheduled to be in book stores September 2010. The book will be packaged with a deck of cards. The commercially [...]

• 
  Jef Menguin Seminars

• Let it be clear

  Jef Menguin

  26 Oct 2009 | 1:38 am

  Funny how it happened. I listened to an applicant for half an hour, then explained how my business works. Of course she was interested to know how she will work. And I am interested to show how my business works. I thought knowing how the business works can help her see how she can be successful when she works with me. But then, the magic word came. She said she was confused. I stopped. I have wasted my time. All the time, she was concerned about the the details. She wants me to explain how she will spent her day working for me. I was showing her the big picture, because I like her to see the…

• I am happy facilitating my workshops and seminars

  Jef Menguin

  25 Oct 2009 | 5:48 pm

  Last Saturday I conducted a teambuilding workshop for the officials of a Barangay in Pasay. I have conducted workshops for government agencies, but never for barangay officials. One friend told me that the most difficult group to handle are barangay officials. He said that many are know-it-alls, people who seemed to know all the answers and reasons why answers cannot be done. That comment was of course not encouraging. The teambuilding was scheduled to start by 8.30am but the only two participants arrived on time. I was informed that there are 25 expected participants. The rest, 17 more,…

• more seminars and workshops, more friends, and more prayers

  Jef Menguin

  21 Oct 2009 | 8:57 am

  They said that they are going to refer me to various companies. They offered prayer for me and for the success of my training programs. They asked God to use me so that I can inspire more people every time I conduct seminars and workshops. WIN Atrium is truly a blessing. For four Wednesdays, they inspired me while facilitating the Speak with Confidence workshop. It was moving to see them stand and hear them speak. They did not have the skills of toastmasters. But they have shown the seeds of passion and purpose. So, being reminded of what they “learned from Jef Menguin”was not only…

• What I have learned from my business writing seminar last Friday

  Jef Menguin

  17 Oct 2009 | 5:44 pm

  My Observations: 1. Most of my audience are serious guys. I am not sure why, but maybe because there were those who didn’t know how to laugh. Three guys were very serious as if the business writing workshop was a factory procedure they need to master every step so no lives will be lost. There are only 13 participants, so more than 20% were really serious guys. 2. We were able to do more activities this time (the third batch) than the last two batches. The third batch, however, was less creative and enthusiastic than the first and second batches. Creativity and enthusiasm makes the…

• Simplify, Simplify

  Jef Menguin

  12 Oct 2009 | 5:38 am

  What are the skills I need to learn this week? I will try the skill of simplifying things in my life. I have just read Four Hour Work-week. Wow, that means that there are just 29 more books that I need to read at the end of this year. I have placed in 43 Things this one goal of reading 30 more books before 2009 ends. I can begin in my room. I know I will have enough space before this week ends. There are many things there which I can already throw and even give to charities. There are many unused materials that I keep and not used. Some of my books will have to go too. I am looking for two…

• 
  TEDTalks (video)

• TEDTalks : Stefana Broadbent: How the Internet enables intimacy - Stefana Broadbent (2009)

  Stefana Broadbent

  2 Nov 2009 | 7:43 am

  We worry that IM, texting, Facebook are spoiling human intimacy, but Stefana Broadbent's research shows how communication tech is capable of cultivating deeper relationships, bringing love across barriers like distance and workplace rules.

• TEDTalks : Matthew White gives the euphonium a new voice - Matthew White (2009)

  Matthew White

  29 Oct 2009 | 11:00 pm

  The euphonium, a tuba-like musical instrument, is rarely heard outside of traditional brass bands. Young euph prodigy Matthew White uses hip-hop rhythms and a wild new vocal technique to bring a fresh sound to this underappreciated horn.

• TEDTalks : Marcus du Sautoy: Symmetry, reality's riddle - Marcus du Sautoy (2009)

  Marcus du Sautoy

  29 Oct 2009 | 7:04 am

  The world turns on symmetry -- from the spin of subatomic particles to the dizzying beauty of an arabesque. But there's more to it than meets the eye. Here, Oxford mathematician Marcus du Sautoy offers a glimpse of the invisible numbers that marry all symmetrical objects.

• TEDTalks : Becky Blanton: The year I was homeless - Becky Blanton (2009)

  Becky Blanton

  28 Oct 2009 | 6:29 am

  Becky Blanton planned to live in her van for a year and see the country, but when depression set in and her freelance job ended, her camping trip turned into homelessness. In this intimate talk, she describes her experience of becoming one of America's working homeless.

• TEDTalks : Rachel Armstrong: Architecture that repairs itself? - Rachel Armstrong (2009)

  Rachel Armstrong

  27 Oct 2009 | 7:03 am

  Venice, Italy is sinking. To save it, Rachel Armstrong says we need to outgrow architecture made of inert materials and, well, make architecture that grows itself. She proposes a not-quite-alive material that does its own repairs and sequesters carbon, too.

• 
  The Practice of Leadership

• Leaders Take Risks!

  George Ambler

  1 Nov 2009 | 12:01 pm

  Photo by schoschie   The act and practice of leadership is a risky undertaking. Leadership is the act or bringing about positive change. This requires leaders to initiate, to blaze new trails, to venture into the unknown and unexplored terrain. All of this entails risk. Kouzes and Posner in their bestselling book, “The Leadership Challenge” describes it this way: “Leaders are pioneers – people who are willing to step out into the unknown. They are people who are willing to take risks, to innovate and experiment in order to find new an better ways of doing things.” Leaders take…

• 10 reasons why you’re going to fail!

  George Ambler

  1 Nov 2009 | 11:50 am

  I can across a really stunning post on failure by Tony Morgan, “10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail” that is really worth sharing, so here is Tony’s list… 10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail It’s not your passion. If it doesn’t make your heart beat fast or cause your mind to race when you’re trying to sleep, you’re probably doing the wrong thing. You don’t have a plan. You need a vision, and you need to identify specific steps to make that vision become reality. That includes a financial plan. (I happen to believe you need direction from God on…

• The 2009 Most Influential Business Thinkers

  George Ambler

  1 Nov 2009 | 11:45 am

  Forbes.com released their 2009 “The Most Influential business Thinkers”  results. The consulting firm CrainerDearlove compiled this list of today’s top thinkers, by surveyed 3,500 people and a panel of experts to determine the 2009 edition of the Thinkers 50, the fifth edition of a biennial list of the most influential living management thinkers. This years results are listed below.   Rank Name 2007 Rank Country Day Job 1 C.K. Prahalad 1 India/U.S. University of Michigan Academic 2 Malcolm Gladwell 18 Canada New Yorker Columnist 3 Paul Krugman U.S. Princeton Academic 4…

• Keeping your goals in focus

  George Ambler

  30 Aug 2009 | 1:39 pm

     Photo by kevindooley The article “For This Guru, No Question Is Too Big” from the NY Times discusses the work of the best selling business author Jim Collins. Given the popularity of Jim Collins the article discussed how he allocates his time, which is as follows: “… in a corner of the white board at the end of his long conference room, Mr. Collins keeps this short list: Creative 53% Teaching 28% Other 19% That, he explains, is a running tally of how he’s spending his time, and whether he’s sticking to a big goal he set for himself years ago: to spend 50 percent of…

• Do you have a personal leadership vision?

  George Ambler

  30 Aug 2009 | 1:30 pm

  Photo by maessive Stew Friedman writes a great post titled “Define Your Personal Leadership Vision” in which he provides some guidance on how to go about defining your personal leadership vision. He describes a personal leadership vision as… “… an essential means for focusing attention on what matters most; what you want to accomplish in your life and what kind of leader you wish to be. A useful vision has to be rooted in your past, address the future, and deal with today’s realities. It represents who you are and what you stand for. It inspires you, and the people whose…

• 
  Management Craft

• The Four Conversations: Communication That Gets Results

  Lisa Haneberg

  4 Nov 2009 | 3:23 am

  Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to get caught up on my business book reading - I was SOOO behind. I will be out of the country for the next three weeks, so I have cued up several posts about great books. These posts will be about books I recommend, because I don't have time to write about a book I would not recommend you buy.Sixty percent of all management problems result from faulty communication. ~Peter DruckerThis post is about a unique book called, The Four Conversations: Communication That Gets Results by Jeffrey Ford and Laurie Ford. I first met the Fords about 15 years ago.

• The Unforced Error - Why Some Managers Get Promoted While Others Get Eliminated

  Lisa Haneberg

  2 Nov 2009 | 3:55 am

  Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to get caught up on my business book reading - I was SOOO behind. I will be out of the country for the next three weeks, so I have cued up several posts about great books. These posts will be about books I recommend, because I don't have time to write about a book I would not recommend you buy.This post is about a very fun and helpful book called The Unforced Error by Jeffrey Krames (you can listen to the podcast I did with Jeffrey about his last book, Inside Drucker's Brain, here). I love this book - it is written with such style and texture -…

• The Market Has Changed, Have You? A Great Book for the Salesperson in Us All

  Lisa Haneberg

  28 Oct 2009 | 2:51 am

  Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to get caught up on my business book reading - I was SOOO behind. I will be out of the country for the next three weeks, so I have cued up several posts about great books. These posts will be about books I recommend, because I don't have time to write about a book I would not recommend you buy. This post provides a quick appetizer for the book, The Market Has Changed, Have You? Sales Strategies That Work by Paul D'Souza. If you have any kind of revenue generation responsibility (who doesn't?) this is a great book for you. And it is out at a great…

• Give an Employee Five Precious Minutes

  Lisa Haneberg

  27 Oct 2009 | 3:15 am

  Management is a social act and every minute you spend with your employees is precious. That's why I have always loved the 5-minute management practice from pal and fellow management author and blogger Rosa Say. Here is a quick explanation of the habit from Rosa:The SIMPLE partIf you are hearing about it for the first time, The Daily 5 Minutes (D5M) is a simple habit. Each day, without fail, managers give five minutes of no-agenda time to at least one of their employees. What they are giving is whole listening time, and their undivided attention to whatever that person has on their mind.Check…

• Living in More than One World - Drucker for Everyday Life

  Lisa Haneberg

  25 Oct 2009 | 4:37 pm

  Over the last few weeks, I have been trying to get caught up on my business book reading - I was SOOO behind. I will be out of the country for the next three weeks, so I have cued up several posts about several great books. These posts will be about books I recommend, because I don't have time to write about a book I would not recommend you buy.This post is about a very cool book called Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker's Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life by Bruce Rosenstein. There have been many books written about Drucker's work and impact, but this is the first book…

• 
  ManagingCommunities.com

• Social Media Business Forum: One Day Only: Today in Durham, NC

  Patrick

  23 Oct 2009 | 1:00 am

  Conferences, conferences, conferences! Well, after IZEAFest and Blog World Expo, this should be my last one for a while. Social Media Business Forum is today at the North Carolina Central University School of Education in Durham, North Carolina. I’m going to be on a pair panels during the first half of the day. From 9:00 AM [...]

• See Me at Blog World & New Media Expo 2009!

  Patrick

  15 Oct 2009 | 1:00 am

  photo credit: Nick Bastian Tempe, AZ Blog World & New Media Expo starts today at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’re coming, I’d love to meet you. I’ll be around during all conference hours (here’s my BWE sched), but there are three scheduled events that I’ll be taking part in. Friday, [...]

• Announcing the Winner of the “Social Media: The Bad and The Ugly” Blog World Expo 2009 Conference Pass Giveaway

  Patrick

  13 Oct 2009 | 11:00 am

  On Sunday, I launched the “Social Media: The Bad and the Ugly” Blog World Expo 2009 conference pass giveaway, offering up a free full access pass to Blog World & New Media Expo (a $1,195 value). To win? You had to come up with the most interesting blog post about a trend in social media [...]

• “Social Media: The Bad and The Ugly” Blog World Expo 2009 Conference Pass Giveaway

  Patrick

  11 Oct 2009 | 11:19 am

  photo credit: Nick Bastian Tempe, AZ Update 2: The giveaway is now closed! Winner to be announced shortly. Update: The pass has now been upgraded to a Full Access pass! On October 16 at 4 PM in Las Vegas, I’ll be speaking at Blog World & New Media Expo on the “Social Media: The Bad and The [...]

• IZEAFest at SeaWorld 2009 Recap

  Patrick

  8 Oct 2009 | 1:06 pm

  From October 1-4, I attended the IZEAFest conference at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. It was somewhat of a last minute booking because I was lucky enough to win a pass from Table for Five and be able to share a room, for the first three nights, with my unbelievably gracious friend Wayne Sutton, who was [...]

• 
  Coaching Tip: The Leadership Blog

• What Record High Dollar Volume of Trading Says About Confidence

  John Agno

  7 Nov 2009 | 7:18 am

  By Guest Authors Steve Hochberg and Pete Kendall When Wall Street’s total value of assets rose to a “mind-boggling 36.6 percent of GDP” in late 2006, The Elliott Wave Financial Forecast published a chart of U.S. financial assets literally rising off the page.  The picture of the mania was clear. Now, new research shows that dollar trading volume has -- gulp -- surpassed the euphoric extremes of 2007.  Examine these two eye-popping charts and read the analysis behind them now -- they're yours for free during FreeWeek. Read More

• This S&P 500 Chart Tells the Two-Part Truth

  John Agno

  4 Nov 2009 | 10:46 am

  Have you seen or read ANYTHING like this in the past two weeks? The following text is courtesy of Elliott Wave International. Until Nov. 11, EWI is allowing non-subscribers to download their latest market analysis and forecasts for free, including Robert Prechter's latest Elliott Wave Theorist and Steve Hochberg's and Pete Kendall's latest Elliott Wave Financial Forecast. Learn more about FreeWeek, and download your free reports here. By Guest Author Robert Folsom, Senior Writer for Elliott Wave International As you read and look at this page, please know that the chart is the star of the…

• Leadership Through Sharing

  John Agno

  30 Oct 2009 | 12:02 pm

  No doubt you have heard "The Cookie Thief" poem by Valerie Cox from "A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul" Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen that goes like this: A woman was waiting at an airport one night,With several long hours before her flight.She hunted for a book in the airport shop,Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.She was engrossed in her book, but happened to see,That the man beside her, as bold as could be,Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between,Which she tried to ignore, to avoid a scene.She read, munched cookies, and watched the…

• Black Monday: Ancient History Or Imminent Future?

  John Agno

  29 Oct 2009 | 9:11 am

  By Guest Author Nico Isaac The following article includes analysis from Robert Prechter’s Elliott Wave Theorist. For more insights from Robert Prechter, download the 75-page eBook Independent Investor eBook. It’s a compilation of some of the New York Times bestselling author’s writings that challenge conventional financial market assumptions. Visit Elliott Wave International to download the eBook, free. Once upon a time, the term "Black Monday" was to Wall Street what the name "Lord Voldemort" was to Hogwarts. It turned the air freezing cold and sent traders flinching around every…

• Group Think Stifles Creativity

  John Agno

  28 Oct 2009 | 8:26 am

  The noted physicist David Bohm used to say, "Normally, our thoughts have us rather than we having them."  That is why when we're learning something new outside the programming of our brains, we can feel awkward, incompetent, and even foolish. "Group think" is the continual, albeit often subtle, censoring of honesty and authenticity in a group of people.  Groups are naturally coercive: they need shared norms and shared ways of thinking and seeing to function effectively.  But problems arise when the collective censor goes unrecognized by theteam members. When an individual within the…

• 
  A List Apart

• Can You Say That in English? Explaining UX Research to Clients

  3 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  It's hard for clients to understand the true value of user experience research. As much as you'd like to tell your clients to go read The Elements of User Experience and call you back when they’re done, that won’t cut it in a professional services environment. David Sherwin creates a cheat sheet to help you pitch UX research using plain, client-friendly language that focuses on the business value of each exercise.

• You Can Get There From Here: Websites for Learners

  3 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

  "Content-rich" is not enough. Most websites are not learner-friendly. As an industry, we haven’t done our best to make our content-rich websites suitable for learning and exploration. Learners require more from us than keywords and killer headlines. They need an environment that is narrative, interactive, and discoverable. Amber Simmons tells how to begin creating rich content sites that invite and repay exploration and discovery.

• Getting to No

  20 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am

  A bad client relationship is like a bad marriage without the benefits. To avoid such relationships, or to fix the one you’re in, learn the five classic signs of trouble. Recognizing the never-ending contract revisionist, the giant project team, the vanishing boss and other warning signs can help you run successful, angst-free projects.

• The Myth of Usability Testing

  20 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am

  Usability evaluations are good for many things, but determining a team’s priorities is not one of them. The Molich experiment proves a single usability team can’t discover all or even most major problems on a site. But usability testing does have value as a shock treatment, trust builder, and part of a triangulation process. Test for the right reasons and achieve a positive outcome.

• Discovering Magic

  6 Oct 2009 | 3:00 am

  Wouldn’t it be a little magical if, when you signed up for a new site, it said something like, “We notice you have a profile photo on Flickr and Twitter, would you like to use one of those or upload a new one?” Glenn Jones created a JavaScript library called Ident Engine that can help you do just that.

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  Publishing 2.0

• High-End Brand Publishers Need to Sell Scalable Premium Ad Solutions, Not Commodity Ad Space

  Scott Karp

  26 Oct 2009 | 9:26 am

  Newspaper online advertising has not benefited greatly from the recent upswing in online ad spending, according to the New York Times and most of the recent newspaper company quarterly results. This is no surprise because most newspaper websites sell SPACE for commodity advertising — display ads and classifieds — and thus are hard pressed to compete with ad networks that specialize in selling commodity ad space by the megaton (or giving it away for free, in the case of Craigslist). Back when newspapers where the only game in town for ad space, they could charge whatever they…

• Content Doesn’t Matter Without the Package

  Scott Karp

  16 Sep 2009 | 8:25 pm

  In response to the launch of Google’s Fast Flip, I observed that Google is correctly focused on creating a new user interface for news, when most media companies are not. A lot of people responded that Fast Flip is not an innovative or effective UI for news — which may be true, but that misses the point entirely. It doesn’t matter so much whether Google succeeds or fails with this particular experiment. What matters is that they are trying to solve the right problem. The challenge for media companies is not to figure out what to do with their content — content in and…

• What Google Understands About the Future of News and Publishing That Publishers Do Not

  Scott Karp

  14 Sep 2009 | 5:37 pm

  Google knows a lot about the future of news — more than many publishers. It’s evident in Google’s new product, Fast Flip, which allows news consumers to “flip” through news stories. What’s striking about Fast Flip is that Google is innovating precisely where publishers used to lead innovation. Fast Flip is a new package for news. The publishing business has always been about packaging content. Newspapers. Magazines. Newsletters In digital media, on the web, the news package is now a function of software — which is why Google is innovating precisely…

• The Briefing: Start at Y Combinator, finish at EveryBlock

  Ryan Sholin

  17 Aug 2009 | 1:54 pm

  It was a busy Monday morning in two corners of the hacker journalist community: EveryBlock is acquired by MSNBC, and Y Combinator announces a “request for startups” to address that whole “future of journalism” question hanging out there in the open air. Want to catch up? Start here: Msnbc.com acquires local news Web site MSNBC.com | August 17, 2009 Ryan Sholin says: MSNBC acquires Everyblock. This brief includes a reminder that they bought Newsvine some time ago. Not a bad stable of news sites to have around. Tags: Media & Journalism, EveryBlock, msnbc, Adrian…

• What I Read Today: Facebook Buys FriendFeed Edition

  Scott Karp

  10 Aug 2009 | 5:17 pm

  Why Facebook Wants FriendFeed GigaOm | August 10, 2009 Scott Karp says: Om Malik calls it “the problem of plenty.” Facebook is trying to solve it by acquiring FriendFeed. Will news orgs compete? Facebook Takes FriendFeed To Take On Twitter TechCrunch | August 10, 2009 Scott Karp says: M&A, as always, is driven by startups building what incumbents should have but couldn’t. karaswisher: Now That There’s FaceFeed, Does That Make Twoogle More Inevitable?: http://bit.ly/fET9I Twitter | August 10, 2009 Scott Karp says: Winner – Best FF/Facbook Post Title mathewi:…

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  SmartBrief on Social Media

• How remote employees can build community

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Employees who work remotely can use social networks, both online and off, to ensure they are getting enough human contact to  -More- 

• Employers are split on traits of texting generation

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  The generation that grew up on text messaging, chatting and holding multiple conversations at once is growing up, and some be -More- Are You Managing Keywords to CTR Alone?5 Tips to Make You More Effective with Your Ad Dollars This complimentary guide and webinar cover: - How to manage large keyword lists - How to make profitable decisions using deep-funnel metrics - How to close the revenue gap with micro-conversions Download Now

• Air America turns to social sites to engage listeners

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Talk radio can use social media to increase its fan base and stay relevant in a Web-focused world, Air America Media's Jen Ne -More- 

• The big re-tweet

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Like sharing great articles, ideas and resources on Twitter?  -More- 

• Honk brings social media to car buying

  5 Nov 2009 | 10:00 pm

  Honk is inviting users to bring along their friends when they go car shopping on its site.  -More- 

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  TechCrunch

• Services Made Flesh: 10 Weird – and Not So Weird – “Avatar” Gadgets

  John Biggs

  7 Nov 2009 | 9:01 am

  The dawn of the 21st century brought us a problem: we had lots of data, but no real way to bring that data into the real world. We could feasibly lug laptops and phones around, but did they ever do exactly what we needed them to do? Don’t answer that. Manufacturers, in their wisdom, decided to do something about it and so devices like the Peek - for email - and the CueCat - for nothing - were born. Here's a look at ten "avatar" gadgets, gadgets that brought a web service into the real world, for better or worse. Twitterpeek - We should be nicer to the Twitterpeek. This standalone device,…

• The Font Kingdom: Search, Explore, Create, and Download Fonts for Free

  Orli Yakuel

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:07 am

  Being a blogger, I often find design elements on the web for my posts or my blog in general. It’s becoming a very common experience for bloggers to know a thing or two about web design. I’m guessing it is the web that taught us to be quasi-designers by offering us lots of easy-to-use tools that help us create just about everything we need: photo-editing, widgets, logos, buttons, and yes, fonts as well. Fonts are a big focus of the Web2.0 era—they are now bigger, cleaner and smoother, especially when it comes to logos. Can you imagine Techcrunch’s logo looking like this?

• Skype Founders Assembling Killer Team For New Online Music Startup

  Robin Wauters

  7 Nov 2009 | 7:16 am

  Now that they got what they wanted – a renewed stake and board representation in the Skype that will be spun off eBay soon – the Scandinavian duo Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis can divert more of their attention again to the latest Internet venture they’re putting their weight behind: Rdio. The yet-to-launch digital music startup was first talked about publicly a couple of weeks ago when the New York Times unveiled plans for its imminent online music subscription service but it’s been pretty quiet ever since. I’ve been keeping busy this weekend doing some very…

• Snoop Dogg, Entrepreneurship and Rajasthan

  Vivek Wadhwa

  7 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

  I’m in India this weekend with fellow TechCrunch/BusinessWeek writer Sarah Lacy. After we’re done with the elephant rides in Jaipur, we’re going to be meeting local tech startups. Then we head back to New Delhi to meet more aspiring entrepreneurs. Sarah is writing a book on how startup culture has gone global and I’m researching how R&D has globalized. It never ceases to amaze me how you can find brilliant entrepreneurs everywhere—whether in the middle of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan or Santiago Chile (where local entrepreneurs showed me life-sized holographic images…

• YouTube Is Falling Apart Again

  Erick Schonfeld

  6 Nov 2009 | 9:37 pm

  The ads are destroying YouTube. At least this one is. It is a video ad for sustainable energy company from Spain called Acciona. Yeah, I had never heard of them either. The video starts with this Euro-dude in a suit starting to blow up and crack apart like he’s made from plaster. Halfway through, the actual video player crack in half, and all of the surrounding parts of the site shake and fall away, while an annoying voiceover is saying something about rebirth. I don’t know, maybe it makes more sense in Spanish. The visual effect is interesting, but feels like a gimmick since…

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  Delicious Tag: Anthropology

• Sumer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  rarehero

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:52 am

• Claude Levi-Strauss Obituary

  number9

  7 Nov 2009 | 8:02 am

• MYTH BUSTED: Internet Use Doesn’t Lead to Isolation

  pamoroso

  7 Nov 2009 | 6:08 am

• The Human Brain - New Scientist

  dojau

  7 Nov 2009 | 4:29 am

• SMILING FACE FILM by Yoko Ono

  jguterman

  7 Nov 2009 | 4:26 am