hazy stars

Saving The World ...

2008-07-14T12:23:04-04:00

Saving The World ... From Your One Bedroom Apartment?

Is it possible? Can a young professional on a tight budget make an environmental impact on the planet?

Although the title suggests a forum geared towards young professionals an students, it is an educational opportunity for citizens from every walk of life.

Global warming is no longer a theory, it is an accepted fact. We are all very aware of the dire state of the environment. Gas prices are at a record high and there appears to be no relief in sight.

Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with the buzz words "green", "local", "organic", "sustainable" and so on and so forth. But what do they mean? When we buy products with these labels, are we actually having a positive impact on the environment? Or are they just a waste of money?

We are in an energy crisis. But what does that mean? Can one person really help, or hurt for that matter?

Does the carbon footprint of one person really affect the planet? I am not an oil company. I am not producing millions of tons of waste a day. How much impact do my behaviors really have ... and does changing them really make a difference on the future of the planet?

If you have questions like these and live in Greater Columbus, I highly suggest attending the Columbus Metropolitan Club's latest PM forum, "Saving The World From My One Bedroom Apartment."

REGISTRATION COSTS:

Columbus Metropolitan Club Members... - $5.00 (USD)
Young Professionals of Columbus... - $5.00 (USD)
Capitol Club Young Executive Board... - $5.00 (USD)
Guests - $10.00 (USD)
Public - $10.00 (USD)

GraphJam Awesomeness

2008-07-13T11:05:51-04:00

I have a new social media addiction. It is called GraphJam. And it is awesome. I have not made my own graph, yet, but I will in the near future. Here are some of my current favorites:

more graph humor and song chart memes

The Beer Wench

2008-07-12T15:02:16-04:00

Today I spent a significant portion of my day developing my own Sprout Builder application. Now, mind you, it is nothing to write home about yet. However, it is an interesting tool that I look forward to playing around with more. Feel free to post it on your blog or website!!!

Startup Weekend In Dispatch

2008-07-12T09:04:03-04:00

BIG THANKS to Braden Lammers who wrote a really great article about Columbus Startup Weekend (CSW) in The Columbus Dispatch!!! Here is a copy of the original article:

Weekend aims to nurture big ideas
Networking also key in tech-savvy start-up gathering

Saturday, July 12, 2008 3:05 AM

By Braden Lammers

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

It's like camp for tech-savvy adults. Only when the weekend's over, there could be more than new friendships and business relationships to show for it: There could be new businesses.

TechColumbus, a tech- business incubator, will host an event called Startup Weekend July 18-20.

The event -- the brainchild of Andrew Hyde, a Boulder, Colo., interaction designer -- was started in 2007 to bring together a community of developers, ideas and marketers.

The weekends have been held in more than 20 cities.

"(Columbus has) pretty strong IT, technology and business talent and now we get to see how we stack up," said Alvin Borromeo, a contract negotiator with Sterling Commerce, who also helped organize the weekend.

The event starts with a flurry of activity. On the first night of the program, ideas are pitched, with each person taking one to two minutes to sell a concept.

"Anybody who is signed up can pitch an idea," Borromeo said.

After the flood of pitches, groups are formed around the ideas they want to try to develop into businesses in 54 hours, and the rest of the weekend is spent working toward that goal.

Although the weekend focuses on a product or company, organizers say it's the networking, not necessarily the outcome, that is paramount.

"The true goal is to build a community with people that are interested in technology," Borromeo said. "You work with people that you would not work with unless you went to the event."

Building a stronger community in central Ohio will lead to more opportunities to develop a long-term, successful company, he said.

More than 100 people have already registered, and the event is limited to 140, said Chris Anderson, start-up specialist at TechColumbus.

Columbus' start-up event will be a little different than in other cities. Funding is being provided to try to launch the best idea of the conference.

"TechGenesis has provided a grant to help prove the commercial viability of the technology or concept," Anderson said.

TechGenesis, administered by TechColumbus, is a $50,000 grant borne out of Ohio's Third Frontier Program, a $1.3 billion, 10-year initiative enacted in 2002. The grant is evaluated on a quarterly basis and up to three companies can compete for money each quarter.

Startup Weekend sites are chosen through online votes from technology enthusiasts.

"We're big on community," Hyde said. "It's been a really interesting community (for start-ups) even from afar," he said of Columbus.

Borromeo was one person who pushed for Columbus to host the event.

There was plenty of support to land the event.

In Ohio, Columbus received 406 votes, more than 100 more votes than Cincinnati and Cleveland combined.

"Hopefully we can create a company or multiple companies that would be sustainable," Anderson said.

Successful companies aren't guaranteed during Startup Weekend, but the weekends are evolving and now companies are starting to making a go of it in their markets, Hyde said.

A program called skribit, a Web widget for bloggers that was developed in Atlanta, and an iPhone application developed in Boulder are both successful applications that were envisioned during the weekend.

Companies that have jumped on board including sponsors dynamIt, Sterling Commerce and Sun Microsystems.

Borromeo said he hopes the Startup Weekend ultimately will lead to more good jobs and successful companies in Columbus.

blammers@dispatch.com

Getting On The Ball

2008-07-10T10:04:22-04:00

This blog is literally about getting on the ball.

I am talking about the exercise ball.

Those of you who have been with me since the beginning of this blog may remember my post about sitting on an exercise ball. This was months before my company went through a merger and moved offices from downtown to the suburbs.

When I worked downtown, I got crazy looks the day I brought in my big exercise ball to replace sitting on a chair. I became so loyal to my ball, that I would bring it with me to all of our company meetings. In time, two of my other coworkers (including the founder and president of my company) also began sitting on balls. And then we moved and merged with a larger company. Once again, people looked at me like I was missing a few marbles. But I stood strong and loyal to my ball.

Why sit on the exercise ball instead of a regular chair? I had read several articles about others sitting on balls during the work day and drastically improving their posture and strengthening their core muscles. After about seven months of sitting on this ball, I can tell you that my posture has seen significant improvement.

And how do I know this? Well, 15 years of competitive swimming (complete with a dislocated rib and torn bicep) has had its share of wear and tear on my shoulders. In fact, I was beginning to look more like a hunchback than an normal upright human being. Now? I stand pretty damn tall. I rarely hunch.

And the core muscles? Well folks, just sitting on a ball won't give you a six pack. That requires actual exercise, which I unfortunately have not done seriously in many years. Actually, I've put on around 15 pounds over the course of the year. Going from working on your feet to a sedentary desk job will do that to you.

The purpose of this blog is actually to tell everyone of something really neat that happened to me today. I decided to extend my 4th of July vacation three extra days. Today was my first day back at work. When I first came in, I could not find my ball. In trying to find my ball, I realized that all but one of my surrounding coworkers in the "cubicle pit" had replaced their chair with an exercise ball. One of my coworkers pointed to his ball and exclaimed, "see what you've done to us!!!"

Another coworker raved about how much better his golf game had become, just after a few days of sitting on the ball. He stood taller and his swing was more controlled.

Today is a beautiful day. My coworkers have inspired me to continue inspiring others. Regardless of how eccentric or bizarre my habits and behaviors may be, I will continue to stay true to myself and hope that others will see the method in my madness and follow suit.

And to all of my company's competitors, beware. We are standing taller than ever!

Next step ... start exercising. This is going to be a challenge ...

I Heart Gary Hall Jr.

2008-07-05T22:41:47-04:00

Tonight one of swimming's greatest sprinters has declared his retirement.

This evening, Gary Hall Jr. was only one lap away from qualifying for his 4th consecutive Olympics. And as fate would have it, that one lap will be his last. Garrett Weber-Gale touched first with an American record of 21.47, while defending world champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner took the second Olympic spot in 21.65.

Cullen Jones, who set the previous U.S. mark of 21.59 in Friday's preliminaries, was third in 21.81, while Hall settled for fourth in 21.91. He slapped the water in disgust and dunked his head, but had a big smile on his face when he climbed from the water after perhaps the final race of a brilliant career.

"It was a hell of a race," Hall said. "I placed fourth, and it's not an effort that I should be disappointed with. In fact, I'm really proud of it. The future of sprinting in the United States is a bright one, and it'll carry on a long tradition of sprinting that I'm honored to be a part of."

He then announced his retirement intentions ... or did he?

"This is my last race," Hall said. Then, after a long, dramatic pause, he added, "until I race again."

Gary Hall Jr. was born September 26, 1974 in Cincinnati, OH. (I guess awesomely hot men can actually come from Ohio ... go figure). Gary competed in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics and has won ten Olympic medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze).

For those of you who may not know, I grew up engrossed in the world of competitive swimming. Unlike most girls, I did not have crushes on the typical celebrities. Jonathan Taylor Thompson ... eh no big deal. Unknown and off most people's radar, my "celebrity crushes" were usually Olympic athletes. I will never forget when I got to meet and take a picture with Tom Dolan. Never heard of him? Yeah, I figured.

One of my all-time favorite swimmer, hands down, no questions asked ... is Gary Hall Jr. My obsession with him started in my pre-teen years and has lasted all the way through my mid-twenties. The man is timeless. His beauty (and rock hard body) has remained resilient to change and age. (The only person that can rival my obsession with Gary Hall Jr. is Russian sprinter, Alexander Popov. And trust me, I was utterly consumed by Popov).

In his first Olympics at the age of 21, Hall had only 6 years of swimming experience yet he already had a well-known rivalry with Russia's Alexander Popov. At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Hall won two individual silvers and two team relay golds at the games including helping set the world record in both the 400m freestyle and medley relays. I was lucky enough to have been at those games, as both of my parents were official Olympic volunteer employees. Although I did get to see swimming, I did not have the honor of seeing Gary Hall Jr. or Alex Popov swim in person.

In 1999, Gary Hall, Jr. was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, commonly referred to as childhood or juvenile diabetes. Upon his diagnosis, Hall took a short hiatus from swimming, but returned in time to compete in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials. His 50m time, at 21.76 seconds set a new American record, beating the ten-year old record set by Tom Jager. He won the gold medal in the individual 50m freestyle, tying with his fellow American teammate Anthony Ervin. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Hall took yet another gold medal in the 50m freestyle.

Hall is well known for his unique "pro-wrestling like" antics before competition. He typically would strut out onto the pool deck in boxing shorts and robe, "shadow" boxing and flexing for the audience. A regular old ham. For this evening's Olympic Trials, Gary wore a silky red, white & blue robe adorned with crystals that spelled "The Godfather of Swimming." And a Godfather he is.

Well, Gary. I will miss watching you compete, however ... I have a wonderful plan for your retirement. Rumor has it that there is a fun, beer-loving chick aimlessly wandering around Columbus waiting for prince charming (read: Gary Hall Jr.) to sweep her off her feet. Hey, I'm just saying. The option is there. (Wife ... what wife?)

In all seriousness ... CHEERS to Gary Hall Jr. -- one hell of a swimmer with a kick-ass personality!!!

CMC Social Networking Forum

2008-07-03T16:27:35-04:00

Two fellow social media geeks (and good friends) are on the docket for next week's Columbus Metropolitan Club lunch forum. Both Tim J Eby, WOSU Station Manager & founding member of the Columbus Social Media Cafe, and Walker Evans, owner and founder of the Columbus Underground, will be serving as panelists for the Social Networking themed forum on Wednesday July 9th at the Athletic Club in downtown Columbus.

Registration information can be found by visiting the CMC website. Cost is $17 for members, $27 for guests of members and $35 for the general public. (I am a member so if you want to attend feel free to register as my guest!)

Startup Weekend Columbus Update

2008-06-26T10:21:13-04:00

Last night marked the very first Startup Drinks. About 25-30 local citizens from diverse backgrounds and career experience met up at the Surly Girl Saloon to enjoy some great beer, really good food and even better conversation. Many of the attendees were already signed up for Startup Weekend Columbus and hopefully those who have not yet signed up, will do so in the near future (before we reach our cap!!!)

Now on to the update!

WE HAVE A BRAND SMANKING NEW LOGO. Lucky for us, the wife of one of the organizers happens to be a talented graphic designer. She was able to tweak an already existing logo that was created for San Fransisco into an awesome design refelcting the Columbus skyline.

In my personal opinion, this logo is HOT. Like SUPER HOT.

Now picture this snazzy logo on a T-shirt! Total hotness. And everyone who participates in Startup Weekend Columbus will receive one!!! That alone is worth the entrance fee!!!

For those of you who may not know, Startup Weekend Columbus is a non-profit event run by volunteers. The entrance fee in combination with sponsorship money and food donations will be used to fund all of the operation and food costs for the weekend. We have been lucky enough to have a few really generous sponsors step forward already, however, we are always in the market for more. The more sponsors = the greater success of the event. SO. WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SPONSOR, you ask?

CHECK OUT THE STARTUP WEEKEND COLUMBUS BLOG -- for information on the four different ways to sponsor and the perks that accompany each sponsorship!!! By sponsoring this event you can join the ranks of Sterling Commerce, TechColumbus, Sun MicroSystems, dynamIT, Dell Equal Logic and Melody Management, LLC.

Are you ready to sign up? Well, registration is getting close to being sold out. Make sure to secure your ticket HERE before it is too late!!!

Keep your ears and eyes open for some more "primer" events like Startup Drinks!!!

Birthday Disco

2008-06-11T10:19:50-04:00

Friday June 13th marks an important landmark in my life. It is my birthday (spooky) and I will be turning a quarter of a century. I also share my birthday with the Olsen twins and my good friend Richard (who is sadly moving to Cleveland in the near future).

In honor of our birthdays, my friend Tim created a rather hilarious video at a website called JibJab. Since the video is not offensive, I have decided to post it on my blog. Enjoy! (I almost peed my pants).

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Startup Drinks @ Surly Girl Saloon on Wed. June 25

2008-06-10T13:53:09-04:00

Startup Drinks @ Surly Girl Saloon on Wed. June 25

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