And A#1...

OWS App Developed by Tiffany Employee

2011-10-28T09:42:00.001-05:00

How nice that working for capitalist fat cats like Tiffany & Co. and Citibank allow this kid to have the free time to create an app for the folks disparaging capitalism. The irony - or is this hypocrisy - is astounding. Funny how there was no need for "getting arrested" apps during those so-called violent Tea Party protests...

Amplify’d from dailycaller.com

Android app designed for OWS protesters

Jason Van Anden, a software developer for Tiffany & Co. and Citibank, has released a new app in support of Occupy Wall Street. “I’m Getting Arrested” is available for free download in the Android app store.

Van Anden, a self-described “artist/technologist,” created the app after one of his friends was arrested while protesting.
Read more at dailycaller.com

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Maybe this is why Obama's approval rating is now only 40%. Nobody loves him.

2011-07-29T18:05:00.001-05:00

After the GOP win on the debt limit plan in the House today, I think Noonan's article is even more salient. There is no leadership from Obama, just finger-pointing and scare tactics. Now the Democrats in the Senate will become the party of "NO". Clearly, the people want fiscal restraint and belt-tightening. If Senate fails to listen - again, the American people may be even less forgiving in 2012 than they we were in 2010.

Amplify’d from www.wallstreetjournal.com

They've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

nobody loves Obama.

At the height of Bill Clinton's troubles there were always people who'd say, "Look, I love the guy."

There were people who loved George W. Bush when he was at his most unpopular, and they meant it and would say it. But people aren't that way about Mr. Obama. He has supporters and bundlers and contributors, he has voters, he may win. But his support is grim support.

Why is Mr. Obama different from Messrs. Clinton and Bush? "Clinton radiated personality. As angry as folks got with him about Nafta or Monica, there was always a sense of genuine, generous caring." With Bush, "if folks were upset with him, he still had this goofy kind of personality that folks could relate to. You might think he was totally misguided but he seemed genuinely so. . . . Maybe the most important word that described Clinton and Bush but not Obama is 'genuine.'" He "doesn't exude any feeling that what he says and does is genuine."

The secret of Mr. Obama is that he isn't really very good at politics, and he isn't good at politics because he doesn't really get people.

he's good at dismantling. He's good at critiquing. He's good at not being the last guy, the one you didn't like. But he's not good at building, creating, calling into being. He was good at summoning hope, but he's not good at directing it and turning it into something concrete that answers a broad public desire.

And so his failures in the debt ceiling fight. He wasn't serious, he was only shrewd—and shrewdness wasn't enough. He demagogued the issue—no Social Security checks—until he was called out

He never offered a plan. In a crisis he was merely sly. And no one likes sly, no one respects it.

So he is losing a battle in which he had superior forces—the presidency, the U.S. Senate. In the process he revealed that his foes have given him too much mystique. He is not a devil, an alien, a socialist. He is a loser. And this is America, where nobody loves a loser.
Read more at www.wallstreetjournal.com

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Man Booker Prize 2011 Longlist Announced

2011-07-26T13:09:00.001-05:00

I have not heard of any of the authors on this year's long list. I may wait until the short list comes out to choose a new novel to read. Have any of you read these authors before? Any suggestions?

Amplify’d from www.themanbookerprize.com

Man Booker Prize 2011 longlist announced

The longlist for the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction - the ‘Man Booker Dozen' - is announced today, Tuesday 26 July. The 13 books on the list include: one former Man Booker Prize winner; two previously shortlisted writers and one longlisted author; four first time novelists and three Canadian writers. The list also includes three new publishers to the prize - Oneworld, Sandstone Press and Seren Books.

Julian Barnes The Sense of an Ending (Jonathan Cape - Random House)
Sebastian Barry On Canaan's Side (Faber)
Carol Birch Jamrach's Menagerie (Canongate Books)
Patrick deWitt The Sisters Brothers (Granta)
Esi Edugyan Half Blood Blues (Serpent's Tail - Profile)
Yvvette Edwards A Cupboard Full of Coats (Oneworld)
Alan Hollinghurst The Stranger's Child (Picador - Pan Macmillan)
Stephen Kelman Pigeon English (Bloomsbury)
Patrick McGuinness The Last Hundred Days (Seren Books)
A.D. Miller Snowdrops (Atlantic)
Alison Pick Far to Go (Headline Review)
Jane Rogers The Testament of Jessie Lamb (Sandstone Press)
D.J. Taylor Derby Day (Chatto & Windus - Random House)

The shortlist of six authors will be announced on Tuesday 6 September at a press conference at Man Group's London headquarters. The winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize for Fiction will be announced on Tuesday 18 October at a dinner at London's Guildhall and will be broadcast on the BBC.
Read more at www.themanbookerprize.com

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Calculating Magazine ROI

2011-07-25T13:57:00.001-05:00

This is interesting. I would like to read more about their ROI program and methodology. However, my account does not fit within any of the categories they are targeting. If anyone has access to the details about this program, would you mind sharing it with me?

Amplify’d from www.medialifemagazine.com

Meredith to advertisers: Here's a ROI guarantee

Call it a money-back guarantee for advertisers. At a time when return on investment is of greater importance than ever, with lingering worries about the recession prompting advertisers to scrutinize every dollar they spend more closely, Meredith is offering a new program that guarantees an increase in sales for products advertised in the company's magazines, or their money back. The so-called Meredith Engagement Dividend was announced this morning by the company. Meredith employed analytics from Nielsen's Homescan and data from 85 million consumers collected by the company to find that advertisers in the beauty, household goods, OTC drugs, and food categories saw a 10 percent increase in sales over a 52-week period by using high-frequency campaigns in Meredith magazines. There are, of course, some caveats. To receive the guarantee, advertisers have to commit to at least 12 months of advertising across several titles. The number of participants will be limited this year as Meredith perfects the system.
Read more at www.medialifemagazine.com

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What did you accomplish this week? Not much? Here's help.

2011-07-22T16:29:00.001-05:00

I like the idea of assigning time to projects. I need to try a calendaring approach to my tasks. Number 10 would solve most of my GTD problems. Is there a 12 Steps program for social media?

Amplify’d from sg.news.yahoo.com

10 Time-Management Tips That Work

Tip 1: Carry a schedule and record all your thoughts, conversations and activities for a week. This will help you understand how much you can get done during the course of a day and where your precious moments are going. You'll see how much time is actually spent producing results and how much time is wasted on unproductive thoughts, conversations and actions.

Tip 2: Any activity or conversation that's important to your success should have a time assigned to it. To-do lists get longer and longer to the point where they're unworkable. Appointment books work. Schedule appointments with yourself and create time blocks for high-priority thoughts, conversations, and actions. Schedule when they will begin and end. Have the discipline to keep these appointments.

Tip 3: Plan to spend at least 50 percent of your time engaged in the thoughts, activities and conversations that produce most of your results.

Tip 4: Schedule time for interruptions. Plan time to be pulled away from what you're doing. Take, for instance, the concept of having "office hours." Isn't "office hours" another way of saying "planned interruptions?"

Tip 5: Take the first 30 minutes of every day to plan your day. Don't start your day until you complete your time plan. The most important time of your day is the time you schedule to schedule time.

Tip 6: Take five minutes before every call and task to decide what result you want to attain. This will help you know what success looks like before you start. And it will also slow time down. Take five minutes after each call and activity to determine whether your desired result was achieved. If not, what was missing? How do you put what's missing in your next call or activity?

Tip 7: Put up a "Do not disturb" sign when you absolutely have to get work done.

Tip 8: Practice not answering the phone just because it's ringing and e-mails just because they show up. Disconnect instant messaging.

Tip 9: Don't instantly give people your attention unless it's absolutely crucial in your business to offer an immediate human response. Instead, schedule a time to answer email and return phone calls.

Tip 10: Block out other distractions like Facebook and other forms of social media unless you use these tools to generate business.
Read more at sg.news.yahoo.com

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Happy Birthday, Neptune!

2011-07-13T13:33:00.001-05:00

This is super cool. The universe is awe-inspiring. My son Jack is studying space during summer school at his school/daycare. Too bad he does not grasp the concept of time yet - only "right now", "today" and "after this". Anything longer than a day is hard to understand. Still, I'm going to share this with him. Could you imagine if our hot, dry Texas summer lasted 40 years - or that Wisconsin's frigid, icy winter lasted 40 years. Ugh! Don't think I'll volunteer for the colonization of Neptune.

Amplify’d from www.digitaltrends.com

Yesterday was Neptune’s birthday, and Hubble took photos

Neptune completed its first orbit since being discovered 165 years ago. NASA aimed the Hubble Space Telescope at the blue planet to commemorate the event.

That’s 165 years to complete one single orbit around the Sun

The white fluffy streaks are indeed clouds, but not of the Earth variety. Instead, due to Neptune’s low ambient temperature, they’re actually high-altitude swaths of frozen methane.

While here on Earth we switch between pants and shorts every few months, on Neptune each season lasts 40 years.

More than 30 moons are known to orbit Neptune, but the majority orbit much too far away to have fit into this shot.
Read more at www.digitaltrends.com

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Women in tech start-ups - venture capital groups and networking for women

2011-07-05T12:32:00.001-05:00

I sure do wish I had listened to my mother when she begged me to study computer science at Texas A&M. My Spanish degree was not a bad choice for these times, but I can't help but wonder what direction my life might have taken me if I had followed Mom's advice... Too late to learn?

Amplify’d from www.wallstreetjournal.com

Making Strides at Start-Ups

Mentoring Groups, Increased Openness Create a New Generation of Female Leaders

When Marissa Mayer was growing up in the 1980s, she knew only one female computer scientist. Now Ms. Mayer is a vice president at Google Inc.—and a role model for many women entrepreneurs.

A growing number of U.S. female executives, mentoring groups and women investors are helping to crack the glass ceiling in start-ups. The percentage of women among start-up capital seekers grew to about 20% last year, up from 12.6% in 2000, according to the University of New Hampshire's Center for Venture Research. Of those women, the number who received funding grew to 13% in 2010, up from 9.5% in 2008.

women are far from being on equal footing with men, a notable disparity in an industry that prides itself as a meritocracy. Women represent just over 15% of angel investors, and only 5% to 7% of partners at high-tech venture capital investor firms in the U.S.

In an attempt to close the gap, a number of mentoring and investing organizations have popped up or grown significantly over the past few years, such as Women 2.0, Golden Seeds and Pipeline Fund.

Still, many women say that venture capitalists, a male-dominated group that can make or break a company, often don't understand the reason for some female-founded start-ups.

Julia Hu dropped out of the M.B.A. program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to start Lark

she cited research explaining that women are more sensitive to high-pitch frequency noises and cannot fall asleep after hearing them. But male financiers didn't get it—until they ran the idea by their wives. "A day later they would always email me frantically or call me and say: 'What can we do to get one? I talked to my wife, and she said...this has been a problem for the last 10 years,'"

In June, Lark's silent alarm clock made its debut in Apple stores, retailing for $129.
Read more at www.wallstreetjournal.com

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Never watched #TheOffice before, might have to now that #JamesSpader is taking the lead role.

2011-06-27T19:01:00.001-05:00

I have been missing James Spader ever since the Boston Legal-induced addiction I suffered during my pregnancy. Think I might have to tune in to The Office for a fix...

Amplify’d from www.medialifemagazine.com

NBC picks James
Spader for 'The Office

James Spader, who appeared on the seventh-season finale of the hit comedy, will be joining the show as Robert California, who takes over as boss of the entire Dunder Mifflin operation.

Spader has proven brilliant at playing people offbeat enough to fit right in at Dunder Mifflin, and that sort of chemistry will be the key to preserving ratings in Carell's absence.
Read more at www.medialifemagazine.com

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Olbmerman's debut from the basement of cable TV

2011-06-21T10:14:00.001-05:00

Glad I did not tune in. Sounds like nothing new.

Amplify’d from www.medialifemagazine.com

'Countdown With
Keith Olbermann,' ugh

He's back, and the rants are what you'd expect

Olbermann spent most of the episode talking with his new regular contributors. It turns out they’re all people with whom he couldn’t agree more. First he and the documentary filmmaker Michael Moore discussed the current war in Libya.

Olbermann hesitated to call for the end of our support of the bombing there, perhaps because that would align him with the most conservative voices in the Republican party.

Since neither of them had a strong opinion or a fresh angle, and since both of them seemed terrified of saying something that might make conservatives happy, they probably should have picked another topic.

An odder contributor, the Watergate conspirator John Dean

Olbermann and Dean agreed that the majority in the recent Supreme Court decision about class-action suits was voting to protect corporations and weaken the little guy. No one discussed the constitutional arguments for or against the decision.

Olbermann mocked one talk-show host for having a high voice. Later, he would accuse a Republican politician of dyeing his hair.

The “Worst Persons” segment, another holdover from the MSNBC show, criticized Sarah Palin for trying to trademark her name for certain uses, including educational materials. This is funny if, like Olbermann and his audience, you assume that she is stupid.

And the winner was a woman in a viral video who was told to lower her voice while talking on her phone on a commuter train

Olbermann named her and quoted mildly ironic things from her LinkedIn profile.

Another regular contributor, Markos Moulitsas, the founder of the liberal web site the Daily Kos

Moulitsas went on at length about how he had supposedly been banned from MSNBC, including Olbermann’s show, after getting in a Twitter war with the channel’s morning host, Joe Scarborough.

He seemed to think that getting in a spitball fight with another commentator was an accomplishment.

Jon Stewart basically killed CNN’s “Crossfire” when he went on the show and said that its fake arguments were “hurting America.” Moulitsas, by contrast, told Olbermann, “I believe you’re a national treasure.”

They’re both wrong. Left or right, shows like “Countdown” aren’t part of the problem, but they’re definitely not part of the solution.
Read more at www.medialifemagazine.com

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Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss!

2011-05-24T12:02:00.001-05:00

After September 11th, I completely understood the desire for more invasive surveillance, even if it meant giving up some of my privacy. I wasn't doing anything suspicious and could care less if someone heard my boring phone calls or read my mundane e-mails. However, I do see how the powers could be abused. If the "powers that be" are certain that there is still an imminent threat, I would rather be safe than private.

My problem with the news today is the hypocrisy of all of the liberal do-gooders who bashed Bush and Cheney about the Patriot Act relentlessly. Obama obviously misled his base about his intentions to limit/abolish the Patriot Act's abuse of civil liberties. Where are the angry calls for his resignation?? Where are the fired up college kids and professors? Where is the ACLU? Oddly enough, the angry cries are coming from the conservative-leaning Tea Party. More hypocrisy? I don't think so. The Tea Party has always included a strong Libertarian base. Libertarians have been screaming about the Patriot Act (and the "kinetic military actions") from the beginning.

Personal freedom and liberty or a nanny state - what do you prefer?

Rand Paul is still a lone voice in the wilderness. He needs to keep it up.

Amplify’d from www.sfgate.com

Patriot Act extension OKd by Senate

Because of strong support from the Obama administration, a bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate is expected to ensure passage this week, preventing a lapse of the federal enforcement powers. The provisions expire Friday.

The law has troubled civil libertarians and conservatives since its enactment after the Sept. 11 attacks. The debate has drawn new interest from the Tea Party movement, whose supporters argue that the law gives the federal government too much authority to spy on terrorism suspects.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., led opposition to the measure on the Senate floor Monday, arguing that the act allows the federal government to peer too deeply into Americans' private lives. He questioned the wisdom of trading privacy for national security.

"We cannot give up our liberty. If we do, if we trade it for security, we'll have neither," Paul said.

The sections of the law expiring Friday include the so-called roving wire tap provision, which allows investigators to continue eavesdropping even when a suspect switches phones.

Another section allows authorities to conduct broad personal records investigations, a provision that has become known as the library records provision. And a so-called lone-wolf provision allows the government to track foreign terror suspects even if they are not linked to a known terrorist group.

In all cases, a court order is required for monitoring.

Four Democrats voted no - Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, both of Montana; Mark Begich of Alaska; and Jeff Merkley of Oregon. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, opposed it, along with Republican Sens. Dean Heller of Nevada, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Paul.

Several senators are seeking to amend the bill, and a bipartisan amendment from Paul and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., would impose limitations and oversight.
Read more at www.sfgate.com

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Where is Code Pink and the Doves? All OK when it's Obama's war.

2011-05-19T17:48:00.001-05:00

Nobody can match the introduction to this WaPo article than my much-admired Jim Geraghty in today's "Morning Jolt":

"Happy 60-day anniversary, Kinetic Military Action in Libya! You're now . . . pretty much illegal, but almost all of Washington will avert its eyes and pretend you're legal. It's kind of like how all the big people there treat their nannies.

Bruce Ackerman and Oona Hathaway, professors of law and political science at Yale, took to the pages of the Washington Post to point out that for a president who was elected by angry lefties chanting about an illegal war, it's pretty ironic that we're now fighting what is, pretty much, an illegal war:"

Amplify’d from www.washingtonpost.com

Death of the War Powers Act?

This week, the War Powers Act confronts its moment of truth. Friday will mark the 60th day since President Obama told Congress of his Libyan campaign. According to the act, that declaration started a 60-day clock: If Obama fails to obtain congressional support for his decision within this time limit, he has only one option — end American involvement within the following 30 days.

Obama has not only failed but he hasn’t even tried

Obama’s politics of silence contrast sharply with clear and consistent legal pronouncements of the executive branch. Richard Nixon vetoed the act in 1973, precisely because it imposed restraints on presidential warmaking. But two-thirds of both houses of Congress overrode his veto, and the presidency soon fell into line. Jimmy Carter’s Justice Department expressly affirmed the constitutionality of the 60-day clock in 1980 — and its verdict has not been challenged by executive-branch lawyers.

Since NATO is running the show, the argument will go, the War Powers Act no longer applies, and the president doesn’t have to go back to Congress after all.

Since the cost of the mission is at three-quarters of a billion dollars and climbing, it is sheer fiction to suggest that we are no longer a vital player in NATO’s “Operation Unified Protector.”

an active-duty American officer remains at the top of NATO’s chain of command. As supreme allied commander, Adm. James Stavridis “leads all NATO military operations.”

Once Obama crosses the Rubicon, future presidents will simply cite Libya when they unilaterally commit America to far more ambitious NATO campaigns.

Make no mistake: Obama is breaking new ground, moving decisively beyond his predecessors. George W. Bush gained congressional approval for his wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Bill Clinton acted unilaterally when he committed American forces to NATO’s bombing campaign in Kosovo, but he persuaded Congress to approve special funding for his initiative within 60 days. And the entire operation ended on its 78th day.

If nothing happens, history will say that the War Powers Act was condemned to a quiet death by a president who had solemnly pledged, on the campaign trail, to put an end to indiscriminate warmaking.
Read more at www.washingtonpost.com

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TX bloggers are not passive victims

2011-04-25T16:11:00.001-05:00

Great article on the potential power of blogs during natural disasters. Tells how Texans with a can-do attitude are taking control of news, relief efforts and community support in area hit hard by disastrous fires. Instead of cowering and whining, these folks have used this crisis to become empowered and take action to improve upon a terrible situation. Of course, having influential and connected followers helps.

This also gave AT&T an opportunity to turn a potential black eye into a positive news story about their speedy response to faulty service.

Amplify’d from www.nytimes.com

Well-Connected Evacuees of Texas Wildfire Turn to Internet

Jackie Fewell, a local real estate agent who had been evacuated to a hotel here from her home at Possum Kingdom Lake, posted complaints about AT&T on a blog that she had started on her company’s Web site.

Other readers wrote to the blog, saying they also had high-level contacts at AT&T and would see if they could help. One reader said he worked there and would get on the case “A.S.A.P.”

Within hours, an AT&T truck with a mobile cell tower had pulled up to the Mineral Wells hotel where Ms. Fewell was staying. The tower has been providing five strong bars ever since.

“We all are feeling really empowered,” Ms. Fewell said

These are people who are used to making things happen, not being passive victims. Their power, combined with that of the Internet, has produced a blog with clout.

Another resident, Mike Rhoden, a former president of the area’s Chamber of Commerce, asked his son, who has a friend who once worked at Google Earth, to see if its satellites could rescan the lake community to provide updated images. On Friday evening at the command center, Mr. Rhoden flashed around his cellphone with a message that Google Earth was “already on it.”

The blog sprang up here in the shadow of the blazing fires that have scorched great swaths of drought-ridden Texas.

At Possum Kingdom Lake, they have destroyed at least 167 homes, 124 outbuildings and two churches and scorched 126,000 acres of ranchland, making it one of the worst-hit areas of the state.

American Red Cross

said Ms. Fewell’s blog was one of the first that she had seen take hold during a natural disaster in the United States.

Ms. Fewell, 53

, started typing from her hotel room nine days ago because she was frustrated by the lack of reliable information and as getting questions from property owners.

The bloggers spend their days on the phone getting notes from the field, trying to sort rumor from fact, and directing help where it is needed.

“We posted that we needed 200 gloves at such and such a location,” Ms. Fewell said. “And someone wrote right back and said, ‘We’ll buy every glove in Fort Worth.’ And we suddenly had 50 people all wanting to bring 200 gloves, and they couldn’t be stopped.”

The blog has already raised $100,000 for the volunteer firefighters. And someone showed up the other day to donate $500 in cash and a 12-pack of beer.

Ira Mercer, Palo Pinto County sheriff, called the blog “a stroke of genius” and said it had helped his office do its job. “We don’t have the time, the staff or, frankly, the wherewithal to do it,” he said. “It’s a very effective tool.”
Read more at www.nytimes.com

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Being Hispanic should not imply illegal

2011-04-22T22:26:00.001-05:00

Those of you who know me and follow my politics, know that I have been a big fan of what the Tea Party movement has tried to achieve - a smaller, leaner government that protects individual freedoms and a free market. However, the movement has also been accused of racism and jingoism. Personally, I have never seen any racism at any event I have attended, but I have sensed a general animosity towards "Mexicans" because of illegal immigration. This needs to stop if the movement is ever going to gain ground as the standard bearer for personal liberty and freedom. First of all, it really gets on my nerves when anyone refers to every person with an accent or darker skin as "Mexican". Also, "Mexican" is not a language. It's Spanish. Secondly, because I read and write in Spanish and love the Latin American culture I am more "Latina" than many of my Hispanic friends who are 4th or 5th generation Americans - all from legal immigrants. Law should be respected and illegal immigration is illegal and should be stopped, but most Hispanics living here are proud citizens and should be accepted as being as American as anyone of Anglo, Asian or African descent. That's the beauty of America.

Amplify’d from www.wallstreetjournal.com

Hispanic Values Are American Values

One out of every four children in America is Latino, and 92% of those children are U.S. citizens.

For generations, Latino soldiers have fought and died for this country with valor and distinction. The first Medal of Honor given to a Hispanic soldier was during the Civil War. Latino workers helped build America's railroads and highways. They rebuilt the Pentagon after 9/11. And they have helped raise our children and take care of our elderly.

one out of every six people in America is Hispanic. Moreover, one out of every four children in America is Latino, and 92% of those children are U.S. citizens.

It's time for people to stop thinking about Latinos as "foreigners," "aliens," or "others" and start thinking of us as their fellow workers, classmates, colleagues, worshippers, neighbors, friends and family.

Latinos reinforce traditional American values of faith, family and love of country. And they will reinvigorate the economy with a much-needed influx of younger workers committed to hard work, entrepreneurship and service to our nation.
Read more at www.wallstreetjournal.com

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Public Libraries + Kindle = Genius

2011-04-20T12:23:00.001-05:00

Amazon to Launch Library Lending for Kindle Books: Business Wire Business News - MSN Money

Libraries have been sacred places for me ever since I was a very young child. The hushed atmosphere when you walk in, the smell of paper and glue, the helpful librarians and shelf after shelf of new adventures. Being surrounded by so many books is like being surrounded by your best friends and teachers. Going to the book store is not quite the same feeling. There you feel like the books are pursuing you versus you pursuing the books. However, I must admit that I enjoy being pursued by books.

I resisted e-books for a long time, but my brother gave me a Kindle and now I have embraced e-books and read more than I had been recently. The Kindle is practical. Now I can easily have any number of different books with me whenever I find myself with any unexpected moments of free time. However, at home I still prefer reading physical books.

Now there is even more to love about Amazon and the Kindle. Now they will offer Kindle versions of library books that you can check out for free from your local library. Not only that, but you can now make notes and highlights as you are reading on your Kindle and those notes will be privately captured for you should you decide to borrow the book again or purchase it later. Nobody else sees your notes if they borrow the same e-book from the library. This is genius!

I don’t know how Barnes & Noble and Borders will compete. I will still buy physical books from favorite authors or books with great illustrations, but e-books have taken over my impulse buying for anything that looks remotely interesting.

Progress marches on as it should, but I hope nostalgia and loyalty will allow book stores and the printed page to continue to exist.

"Parenthood" is TV worth watching

2011-04-19T12:18:00.001-05:00

If you have never seen an episode, tune in tonight. You will be touched. The tough situations and this TV family works through should feel authentic to anyone who has a large, dysfunctional family that is full of love and perseverance. If you have not been through any of these trials, you know someone who has. The love and frustration portrayed among the siblings is so honest.

I hope NBC continues to support this series. I love "Parenthood" and can't wait for the next season.

If you watch it, let me know what you think.

Amplify’d from www.medialifemagazine.com

'Parenthood,'

NBC drama's ratings alone don't argue for renewal

As "Parenthood" ends its second season tonight at 10 p.m. with a dramatic season finale, the show actually seems likely to be renewed, despite regularly finishing third in its timeslot.

The main thing "Parenthood" has going for it is quality.

Peter Krause, Lauren Graham and the rest of the "Parenthood" cast have earned kudos for their acting, and the show has tackled serious topics, such as infidelity, single parenthood and autism, in a smart and sensitive manner.

"Parenthood" also has a devoted viewership.

The drama is averaging a 2.1 adults 18-49 rating in live-plus-same-day-DVR playback, according to Nielsen, but that climbs to a 2.9, a jump of 28 percent, when seven-day DVR viewership is included.
Read more at www.medialifemagazine.com

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John Galt Lives!

2011-04-16T13:54:00.002-05:00

After waiting 20+ years to see my favorite novel adapted for film I had goosebumps during the entire movie. Despite the tight production dollars, the quality of the cinematography and the acting was fantastic. I was so worried that the director would try to "Hollywoodify" the novel's message. Thankfully, he did not. This film is remarkably true to the novel and Rand's message sings loud and clear.

The relatively unknown actors and the setting in the near future perfectly sets the stage to see ourselves and the times we are in now. We understand Rand's fear of a government without limits, citizens and big business desperately depending on the government dole, and heroes/producers trying against all odds to break the cycle of dependence, deliver life-changing products and provide opportunities and pride to those who want to work.

For moviegoers who have not read the novel I think the filmmakers did an excellent job of giving just enough detail of the back-story and character development to keep anyone intrigued. For those who have read the book, the film has much more meaning and they will leave the theater eagerly hungering for the next two films.

Google ties bonuses to social media.

2011-04-08T14:26:00.001-05:00

I imagine it must be pretty scary to have 25% of your bonus tied to your company's success - but shouldn't it be? The folks at Google are so smart. They know who their competition is. They put their money where there vision is. They empower their employees to contribute to their own personal financial success. They know that it is not enough to put the pressure on only those employees with direct involvement in the R&D of their own social products. They need ALL of their employees to get behind the effort. They have tens of thousands of employees all over the world. If they can all get their friends and family to use and promote Google's social products - and so on and so on - that helps, too. It must be great having a clearly stated corporate goal with actionable steps toward that goal that will benefit you financially.

Amplify’d from www.businessinsider.com

Larry Page Just Tied ALL Employees' Bonuses To The Success Of Google's Social Strategy

25% of their annual bonus will be tied to the success or failure of Google's social strategy in 2011.

Page tells employees that are not directly involved in Google's social efforts that they, too, will be held accountable. He writes that employees must test the products and give feedback.

Page wants these employees to push Google's social products on their "family and friends."

Earlier this month Google launched its latest social effort, called +1. It's a button next to the blue links on Google Search results the users can click on to say, in Google marketing's words, "this is something you should check out."

Increasingly, people are finding content to consume and things to buy online on Facebook (and to a lesser degree, Twitter) before they ever get a chance to search for it on Google. +1 is Google's effort to get in on that action.

And that's why Google's so paranoid about social that it's tying ALL employee's bonuses to the social strategy's success.
Read more at www.businessinsider.com

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China hearts Capitalism 10% more than US

2011-04-06T17:09:00.001-05:00

#Unbelievable. Brazil is Communist Lite and China is all-out Communist. Both countries are now more bullish on capitalism than the US. How sad.

Amplify’d from www.economist.com

Which countries are most in favour of the free market?

59% of Americans asked by GlobeScan, a polling firm, agreed "strongly" or "somewhat" that the free market was the best system for the world's future.

support for the free market is now greatest in Germany, just ahead of Brazil and communist China

See more at www.economist.com

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Top 50 Digital Earners - #SuperMedia 36

2011-04-05T12:44:00.001-05:00

No surprise that Google was far and away the top earner in digital ad revenue - more the 3 times its nearest competitor (Yahoo). Nice to see that our TM Advertising client SuperMedia made the list at Number 36. Way to go, TM and Supermedia!

Amplify’d from paidcontent.org

The paidContent 50: The Most Successful Digital Media Companies In The U.S.

1

U.S. 2010 digital revenue: $14.1 billion

36

SuperMedia

U.S. 2010 digital revenue: $270 million

Snapshot: Like fellow yellow pages publishers Yell Group and AT&T, both of which are also on our list, SuperMedia has a growing online advertising business.
Read more at paidcontent.org

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¿Hablas español? Good for you!

2011-04-04T16:33:00.001-05:00

When I graduated from high school and was headed off to college everyone asked me what major I had chosen. When I told them "Spanish" they laughed and asked what I hoped to do with a major like that. I was not sure, but just knew that I loved the language, the food, the music, the warm Latin culture, the exotic countries and the beautiful people. Well, as it turns out, perhaps I was onto something. I've never regretted it. My career in advertising has been pushed forward largely because of my Spanish speaking skills. Although I wanted to study Spanish so that I could do business and work with people in Latin America it looks like the U.S. may also have a use for my Spanish speaking skills.

Amplify’d from www.wallstreetjournal.com

Fox Networks Targets Hispanic Audience

As Census Bureau data show that Latinos continue to dominate U.S. population growth, television networks are scrambling to capture that booming audience.

News Corp.'s Fox Networks Group is expected Monday to form Fox Hispanic Media

The new division also will include Fox's two existing Spanish-language networks: sports channel Fox Deportes and women's lifestyle channel Utilisima

Nat Geo Mundo, set to air in July, will feature content from Fox's international array of National Geographic channels, including a Spanish-language version of the reality show about dog rehabilitation, "Dog Whisperer."

For a week last fall, the audience of Spanish-language network Univision among viewers 18- to 49-years-old for the first time surpassed that of English-language broadcasting rivals, such as Fox, CBS Corp. and Comcast Corp.'s NBC.

Ad rates on Spanish-language programs have increased more than 25% from two years ago,

Fox's Mr. Lopez said ad spending on Spanish-language television has increased around 10% a year over the past five years. Over the same period, Fox Hispanic Networks has almost doubled its revenue, he said.
Read more at www.wallstreetjournal.com

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Book Review

2011-03-31T17:41:00.000-05:00

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Normally, I do not read short stories. I like the character and plot development of longer novels. How much I really enjoyed reading Olive Kitteridge surprised me. The rating should be 3.5 stars. It was interesting how the character of Olive very unobtrusively weaves her way through each of the stories. She may not be physically present in all of the vignettes, but her influence is creatively revealed. This was a great slice-of-life read with characters you may recognize from your own life story.

View all my reviews

Looking for a new author to follow?

2011-03-29T23:27:00.001-05:00

Every time I get updates for Man Booker long lists, short lists, finalists and winners I am reminded how much I love reading and how little time I set aside for it. This just gave me an idea for two items on my "Bucket List".

- Read all the Man Booker Prize winners.

- Read the body of work for Man Booker International winners.

Hope my eyesight will be up for the job in my golden years.

Amplify’d from www.themanbookerprize.com

Finalists announced for Man Booker International

Thirteen writers have made it on to the judges' list of finalists under serious consideration for the fourth Man Booker International Prize, the £60,000 award which recognises one writer for his or her achievement in fiction.

The authors come from eight countries, five are published in translation and there are four women on the list. One writer has previously won the annual Man Booker Prize for Fiction and two have been shortlisted. Famously, another, John le Carré, asked that his books should not be submitted for the annual prize to give less established authors the opportunity to win.

Wang Anyi (China)
Juan Goytisolo (Spain)
James Kelman (UK)
John le Carré (UK)
Amin Maalouf (Lebanon)
David Malouf (Australia)
Dacia Maraini (Italy)
Rohinton Mistry (India/Canada)
Philip Pullman (UK)
Marilynne Robinson (USA)
Philip Roth (USA)
Su Tong (China)
Anne Tyler (USA)

The Man Booker International Prize is awarded every two years to a living author who has published fiction either originally in English or whose work is generally available in translation in the English language.

The Man Booker International Prize winner will be announced at the Sydney Writers' Festival on 18 May and the winner will be celebrated at an awards ceremony in London on 28 June 2011.
Read more at www.themanbookerprize.com

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Twitter creating the next P.M. of #Japan

2011-03-21T13:54:00.001-05:00

URL: http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2011/03/21/chorus-le...

Interesting article about how social media has helped a lackluster politician gain nationwide (and global) recognition as a straight-shooting, trustworthy, tireless civil servant. Mr. Edano may now be a real contender for the Prime Minister post in Japan.

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Andy Rooney ponders e-books - 60 Minutes - CBS News

2011-03-16T14:45:00.001-05:00

Andy Rooney ponders e-books - 60 Minutes - CBS News

I agree with Andy. I love looking at the books on my shelves. I love thumbing through them, smelling them. I love libraries and seeing row, upon row of books. I love bookstores and the people who like to hang out in bookstores. It would make me sad if e-books took over print publishing.

My Kindle is convenient. Having free classics forever at the ready for an impromptu moment of education is wonderful. Not having to lug the 3 or 4 books I might want to read on a trip is prudent in this world of expensive checked baggage fees. However, the Kindle is impersonal. It's cold, uninteresting. Something about an old, yellowing page that has a wine stain from a reader's glass, a smudgy fingerprint or some scribbled notes makes a book more like an old friend or at least a mysterious acquaintance than just a book with words on a page.

For Andy Rooney and all aspiring authors out there, I also hope that the growth of e-books will not financially prohibit them from taking the time and energy it takes to write great books. Creativity should be rewarded with fair compensation. Perhaps the publisher will disappear and it will be up to the authors to market themselves and to establish how they will charge for their work.

In the meantime, I will continue to buy both print (unique books or books I know I will want to lend and/or read over and over again) and e-books (free classics and bestsellers).

Facebook privacy concerns? Try frid.ge

2011-03-16T11:28:00.001-05:00

Facebook may be "thrilled" to work with the White House on functionality that will allow school principals, administrators and teacher to spy on their students (http://goo.gl/wiQwi), but I am not.

This is the last straw. The privacy concerns that have been raised continually about information that Facebook may have shared with game makers and advertisers did not concern me too much. However, allowing the government to spy on children is the last straw. I'm boycotting Facebook.

If you want to boycott with me, here's an alternative social networking site. Any chance that #Amplify will provide an #Autopost button for The Fridge? That would be nice.

Amplify’d from keepitfresh.frid.ge

The Fridge

Fridge Bookmarklet: Post anything from the web to your specific groups!

Step 1. Drag this button up to your BROWSER toolbar

Step 2. Click this button when you are on any website you want to share

Step 3. See your post in your specific group on Fridge!
Read more at keepitfresh.frid.ge

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