Morning Coffee: "Web Technology Trends for 2008 & Beyond"

Source: ReadWriteWeb
Post: PowerPoint Presentation, "Web Technology Trends for 2008 & Beyond"

Richard MacManus, editor at ReadWriteWeb, recently linked a great presentation (embedded below) that he gave summarizing were we currently are (and where we might be headed) with regards to Web 2.0 and beyond.
This may be new to some, so get to learning and start building your digital identity! Why? To simplify the clutter and organize your life.

Morning Coffee: The Master & Student Ideal

Source: New York Times
Article: "Yogi, Take Me To A Higher Place"

The Master & Student ideal has always interested me ever since my brief study, in Grad School, of its literary relationship with the Bildungsroman. The article below is not all that gripping, but it touches on the importance of finding and sustaining great teachers--in this case: Yogi masters. Anyone these days can become a certified (fill in the blank), but to find a mentor--someone you trust; someone who is a true master of their profession--has never been more important. A higher standard is needed--of people, in general; of our so-called leaders; of ourselves. The goal: to avoid the watering down of values and ideals; progress; the teaching of what it means to be truthful; the simple. The nightmare: the growth of insignificance; apathy; the increasing importance of stuff--of things that distract; the common.

The duality below: the practicing of and passion for health and yoga vs. the perceived need to spend and accumulate in order to achieve its progress...

"Part of the problem, say many teachers and practitioners, is a scarcity of instructors capable of guiding students into a more-advanced practice. These days, they say, many master teachers travel around the world giving workshops, another result of the profitable explosion in yoga's popularity. Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes, products, equipment, clothing and media, up 87 percent from 2004, the Yoga Journal study found"... (full article)

Morning Coffee: "The Value of Independence" and "My Goals in Life"

I've linked to him before, but enough Fountainhead references and a new realm of attention is needed: who is Scott H. Young and what is he doing that is revolutionizing the concept of getting paid to "work"?

Why is Scott successful? Because he is contributing to conversations that resonate with a whole bunch of us. His recent posts, "The Value of Independence" and "My Goals for Life" touches an intrigued cord with a generation(s) of people trying to understand better themselves and the world flying by around them. In general, Young writes about independence, religion (or the lack thereof), literature, health--these are universal topics that have and will always bring natural interest if presented in an informed way; Scott does exactly that. His posts are not drenched in stale clichés like "everything happens for a reason" (if I read that on your blog: I'll rarely come back...sorry) but instead, he presents simple dialog that pushes the conversation forward: Young is branding himself (successfully) as a young, smart, ambitious, entrepreneur who is determined to live life on his own terms.

I've never thought about blogging to make money; on a good day, I might get 1000 eyes looking at my blog. The two primary reasons why I blog: to sift through and help consolidate the mass amounts of information I come across every day; to be truthful in capturing what's going on in my head--whether that be confusion, disillusionment, excitement, passion...whatever. I've been contributing to these general conversations (more from the sidelines) for awhile now and because of people like Scott, I'm starting to think about taking a more active role in the sphere.

I look forward to what Scott will contribute to the next conversation.

UPDATE: included a reference to SHY's other post "My Goals in Life"

Memorial Weekend '08: Hiking, Trails, and More Hiking

Saturday: climbed to the top of Little Mt. Si and down to the bottom of Snoqualmie Falls.

Sunday: hiked 8+ miles to the top of Big Mt. Si; once we got to the top we scaled the "Haystack." An incredible weekend with my Cousin!



(click on any picture to be re-directed to all my public albums--plus a short video at the end of this one)

morning coffee: "Reagan Aids See Echo of the Gipper..."

Source: Huffington Post
Post: "Reagan Aides See Echo Of The Gipper In Obama Diplomacy"

My Take: One of the interesting side-effects of following this presidential campaign is the re- introduction (and given my 28 years, more like an introduction) to President Reagan's policies and influence. While politics wasn't usually a topic at the dinner table growing up, Reagan was always hovering in the background... slowly establishing his legacy (my extremely vocal, conservative grandfather may have had something to do with this).

What I like best about Obama is that I trust him (yes, I know he's a politician and yes that's another wide-eyed, naive statement). While throwing out Reagan's name will attract attention and hopefully lead to some sway votes, I don't feel like pondering is his endgame. I honestly believe he wants the best people on his White House Team--Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, alike. Talking to our enemies should not be synonymous with weakness (e.g. Reagan: Russia).

(Another reason why Obama is grabbing my attention: Team of Rivals.)

Suffice to say, I'm hooked on articles like the below (the connection is one I plan on studying intensely throughout the next eight years)...

- - - - - - - - -
"An unexpected if not remarkable component has emerged in this still developing general election race: both candidates are, in one way or another, trying to claim the mantle of Ronald Reagan. This past week, as the political world immersed itself in a debate over the efficacies of diplomatic engagement, Sen. Barack Obama claimed that his pledge to meet with world leaders, whether friend or foe, was more in line with the Gipper than the foreign policy of John McCain, a self-proclaimed "foot soldier" of the Reagan Revolution." (Full Post)

Branding and History

Random:
The branding of history is everything. Film will always be synonymous with the glitz, glamor, and the golden age of Hollywood; because of its branding of history, no other country or region will ever be able to truly compete with Hollywood. It's the same reason Paris will always be one of the destinations for people around the world.

Robert Scoble recently published an great blog post capturing his documentation of The New York Times' new Time Machine. The Times' investment in re-defining (as well as sustaining) their brand is nothing short of brilliant; they are the Hollywood of publishing.

The same goes for New York: it will always be the most popular destination in America. Its branding (art, culture, progress) and history will never be matched. Other cities may, within time, establish their own history and unique branding, but they will never rival the original.

daily coop: Predictions and the Future

What Oregon's saying about America...

Gen Y has no culture?

Change is coming...

Don't know much about Geography...

A 1925 prediction...

Preview of next post topic: The new New York Times' Time Machine...

morning coffee: "Game-Changer: How the Online News Revolution is Altering the Media Landscape"

Source: Huffington Post
Post: "Game-Changer: How the Online News Revolution is Altering the Media Landscape" by Arianna Huffington

Arianna offers a glimpse of a new article Business Week will be re-publishing soon. A quick read about one of the most interesting topics on the table today:

"...The growth of New Media journalism has served as a wake-up call. A wake-up call the industry, after years of yawning and repeatedly hitting the snooze button, has finally started to heed. The result will be a journalistic hybrid combining the best aspects of traditional print newspapers with the best of what the Web brings to the table. We're getting a glimpse into this hybrid future with the many changes afoot at Old Media places like the Washington Post and the New York Times, and from New Media players like, well, like the Huffington Post." (full post)

Focused

Obama responds to McCain about the Iranian threat...

"...And you can vote for John McCain and nothing will change. We'll keep fighting a war in Iraq that hasn't made us safer. We’ll keep talking tough in Washington while countries like Iran ignore our tough talk. Or we can turn the page. We can restore the tradition of tough, disciplined and principled direct diplomacy that we've always used to protect the American people and advance America's interests. That's what Kennedy did, that's what Reagan did, and that's what I will do as president of the United States of America. That's a fundamental difference between myself and John McCain."

The full post is certainly worth a read; this is a great preview of what's to come in the debates.

morning coffee: "The Fall of Conservatism"

Source: The New Yorker
Article: "The Political Scene: The Fall of Conservatism" by George Packer

Quick Take: America's Conservative wing is important to study. As much as I want to reject the annoying rhetoric spewing from the radio waves, there's a huge part of me that wants to really understand the arguments (at least from those willing to speak rationally, instead of speaking down). I've been following Obama closely for months and the more I hear him speak, the more proud I am to be part of this moment in history. However, does it make me crazy to agree with M. Savage or Glenn Beck every so often? There are a lot of smart critics out there--liberal, center, conservative--and understanding the issues and the arguments presented for and against a position, is the only way I will be able to take a position myself. I need to become more informed. Why? Because I want to have an opinion that contributes to the dialog.

I'm not sure where my vote will go in November, but this process of deciding is one for the history books. In the end, I'll be able to tell my kids that I contributed. Naive and wide-eyed: maybe...but, when it's all said and done, at least I'll have an informed (and more times than not, passionate) stance.

"...Yet the polarization of America, which we now call the “culture wars,” has been dissipating for a long time. Because we can’t anticipate what ideas and language will dominate the next cycle of American politics, the previous era’s key words—“élite,” “mainstream,” “real,” “values,” “patriotic,” “snob,” “liberal”—seem as potent as ever. Indeed, they have shown up in the current campaign: North Carolina and Mississippi Republicans have produced ads linking local Democrats to Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama’s controversial former pastor. The right-wing group Citizens United has said that it will run ads portraying Obama as yet another “limousine liberal.” But these are the spasms of nerve endings in an organism that’s brain-dead. Among Republicans, there is no energy, no fresh thinking, no ability to capture the concerns and feelings of millions of people..." (full article)

First Time

Just wanted to welcome all the new readers. I know there are a ton of places out there to grab info, so thanks for spending a little bit of your time, today, here.

Check out the file cabinet for, what I think (!), are some pretty good posts.

75,000 Strong For Obama in Portland

Are you serious? A crowd in Portland

We are in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime moment of cultural and political insanity; and I'm proud to be part of it.

morning coffee: "Why Gen Y Is Going to Change the Web"

Source: Read Write Web
Post: "Why Gen Y Is Going to Change the Web"

This is a great article about the characteristics of Gen Y. Remember: this is the very generation that has changed the entire political landscape. Obama's meeting with Google a few years ago, began the catapult to the nomination: 1.5 million donors (most giving online) later, he is on his way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Every facet of our culture is changing and Gen Y is leading the way.

"Gen Y is taking over. The generation of young adults that's composed of the children of Boomers, Generation Jones, and even some Gen X'ers, is the biggest generation since the Baby Boomers and three times the size of Gen X. As the Boomers fade into retirement and Gen Y takes root in the workplace, we're going to see some big changes ahead, not just at work, but on the web as a whole..." (full post)

morning coffee: "Paradise Lost and Found and Lost Again"

Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Article: "Paradise Lost and Found and Lost Again" by Thomas Cooney

Thomas Cooney, my English professor and friend, from Saint Mary's has a new article up in the Chronicle:

"To know how things are going in Haiti, stick around at sunset. If all's going well, U.N. representatives and other foreign employees and a handful of privileged Haitians will be chasing the sun down with rum sours; meanwhile the rest of Port-au-Prince wanders the streets looking for a good buy on Prestige beer, and the Mormon missionaries buy fresh fruit at the open-air market. When it's going badly, as it often is, everyone hunkers down for the night: U.N. employees stick to their curfews, tourists with their rum sours stay on the grounds of their hotels, Mormon missionaries in the hotel pools." (full article)

I absolutely love Thomas' writing style. He's always been my (probably unknowing to him) distant mentor. I hope to work with him again someday in the future.

Photo Vault: Comillas, Spain Trip 2008

Four years later...

Photo Vault: Paris Trip 2008

An amazing trip in one of the world's greatest cities:

Video Vault: An Ode to Bush, by K. Olbermann

If nothing else, we all should be fortunate to live in a land where freedom of speech reigns. In a lot of places, this type of speaking would soon be followed by a mysterious disappearance:



The Conservatives have O'Reilly; the liberals have Olbermann. It's obvious that Keith is passionate about our country--through passion we hope for sound dialog; through discussion we get change and progress. I respect those with an opinion of what it means to unify--even if those opinions are of the extreme variety.

Edwards to Endorse Obama?

Is Edwards finally coming around? If so, I think he waited too long.

Marc Ambinder is reporting a huge endorsement later today...

morning coffee: "Be Unique, Be an Uber-Geek"

Blog Source: Scott Y Young
Post: "Be Unique, Be an Uber-Geek"

I've been swamped since arriving back in the States but I came across an interesting blog post this morning: another solid Scott H. Young post. I have been thinking a lot about this topic lately and this should be a good place to begin developing my own take on the subject:

"...if you can separate yourself by picking your unusual passions and focusing on them, it is easier to be a winner. Unusual passions are the essence of geekyness, so embracing your inner geek is a good strategy.

Diagonal skill building involves taking the same reasoning a step further. If you have a pretty normal combination of skills, you face a lot of competition. However, if you have diagonal skills, or skills that don’t normally go together, you have an opportunity to build strengths other people can’t" (full post)

Brake in the Action

Just wanted everyone to know that I´m traveling through Paris and Spain and will be bloggiing more as soon as I get back. Access to the Internet is not exactly easy in Comillas :)

It looks like Obama had a huge day on Tuesday. While I can barely understand the French, a lot of people seem to be very interested in America´s election. Obama is an inspiring figure over here--an inspiring American: an uncommon sentiment the last 7 plus years.

I think Spain might be one of the my favorite countries: perfect pace, amazing food, ancient landscapes, beautiful everything.

I hope you come back soon...

Video Vault: Tom Hanks' Endorsement

Well delivered (especially the end:)

morning coffee: An Introduction to Axelrod

A great read about one of the major players steering the storyline that will prove to be one of the greatest in American history: pulling an upset over the Clinton near-dynasty and leading a new generation of Americans into an Era of... (yes, it's become clichéd and yes, often times on Friday, I have moments of inspired optimism) ... Hope.

Source: Washington Post
Article: "The Player at Bat"

"David Axelrod first showed signs of chronic fan syndrome in the early 1960s in his native New York City. The initial symptom involved baseball. His dad had recently allowed the New York Mets (born 1962) to occupy the place in his heart long filled by the New York Giants (moved to San Francisco, 1957), and began taking his precocious son to games -- lots of them. "I was a big Mets fan," Axelrod reports. From the age of 8, when his parents separated, he spent weekends with his father, a ballplayer turned psychologist. "Most weekends we'd spend one or both days out at the ballpark," Axelrod remembers. A fan was born..." (Full Article)

daily coop: Treasures, Silence, Berlin 2.0

Sometimes we find 500-year-old sunken ships with treasures...

In the right setting, with a few inspiring monks--I'm in...

Berlin Wall Experience 2.0; I've been there and it's definitely an amazing tour (with or without GPS navigation)...

VodPod: Video Aggregation Tool

I've started using a new video collection/aggregation system: VodPod. Depending on effectiveness and value, check back regularly for updates. I've also added a widget to the sidebar.

Homework: RSS Awareness Day

The greatest achievement, so far, of the Digital Era:



Full post via Scoble's Shared Items...

I have about 150 daily RSS feeds--they are all public so let me know if you want access...

morning coffee: Inspired Endorsement

Source: Politico's Ben Smith
Post: "A Pre-emptive Strike from [Joe] Andrew"

"... I write this letter from my mom's dining room table in Indianapolis, Indiana. Four generations of my family have argued and laughed around this table. But what I humbly believe today is that we, as Democrats and as Americans, face what Dr. King characterized and what Senator Obama reminds us is the fierce urgency of now. As a nation, we are at a critical moment and we need leaders with the character and vision to see us through the challenges at hand and those to come. I can't guess what will happen tomorrow, so I can't tell you what kind of experience our next President will need to have to deal with those challenges. But I can tell you what kind of character and vision they will need to have--and that is what inspires me about Barack Obama"... (full letter)

The letter is quite long, but definitely worth the time. I've never even heard of Joe Andrew; now, I want to ask him to be my Facebook friend.

Nothing like getting inspired on a Thursday morning: I wonder if it's too late for me to get into politics. If more people had the guts to do what Andrew just did, our country would not only morally be what it once was, but undoubtedly better: American Values 2.0