Favorite 43 Best List? Presidents!

My favorite 43 best list has to be the 43 Best Presidents.  Check it out here.  It is hard to argue this one…

Lists? How about one more? 43 Best Blogs in the Universe!

A friend of ours is starting a new blog network and he launched a new ‘Top Blogs’ list (I won’t mention who is doing it or what it is called) and it reminded me of a post Josh Hallett wrote last August titled, "List of Blogs Nobody Reads by Should and Other Lists."

His point? He was tired of all of the talk about blog lists and rankings such as the Technorati Top 100, Feedster 500, BlogPulse and so on. He suggested some alternative lists:

• Bottom 100 Blogs Nobody Reads but Should
• Top 1000 Overrated Blogs
• Top 10 Blogs from Bloggers who Shouldn’t Blog
• Blogs I don’t read anymore and why
• Blogs I’ve Never Heard of (kinda tough to make that list)

Eran commented on the issue today in his blog in a post called "The Great Web 2.0 Joke List 2.0." I was joking with Brian that Weblogs Work should start its own "Top Blog" list. He threw up on the idea as completely transparent and self-serving. But since I have access to some of his developers I secretly got one of them to create something I call the "43 Best Blogs". Instead of a tightly controlled list, I decided that the fairest way to do it would be in the form of a wiki. This way anyone could feel free to delete, add or reorder any blog on the list. We created a couple of blog badges so you can show off the fact that, at least at one point, your blog was considered one of the 43 Best Blogs in the universe. Also, while we are at it, why not create various lists of the 43 best? I created a few extra jut for fun. Hopefully, everyone who ever wanted to be the best will be able to get on this very exclusive list…

YouTube, great source for parodies!

Ever wonder what YouTube was good for?  Parodies.  This one gave me a chuckle.  Great production values!  Almost makes me want to go out and by the Microsoft iPod.  Thanks Brian for pointing it out.

Making a difference in my life . . .

Periodically people will ask me why I have been successful in business. This question is funny to me because I don’t actually feel all that successful - mostly I feel like I am a work in progress. But nevertheless I do get the question. I normally joke with the questioner and move on to another topic. Today I thought I would offer a real answer. What has made the difference in my life? In 2001 I was Baptized and the resulting relationship I formed with Jesus Christ has made all the difference.

Throughout my life I never really looked forward to going to church until Michele asked me to go to church with her. I soon learned that she wanted me to go to a BAPTIST church. Anyone who knows me would think that I might have problems at a Baptist church. Soon I learned that Wilshire Baptist Church is not your typical Baptist church; rather it is MY type of church. Why?

I think it starts at the top. Our pastor, George Mason, is one of the best narrative preachers in the United States (according to lots of folks I have talked to). George was Parade Magazine’s high school football player of the year and he went on to quarterback for Miami in college. Evidently he was the last Miami QB not to join the NFL. I have started loading his sermons on PodServe so that you too can enjoy the sermons we have come to love. Here is one I especially liked called Get You Up. If you want to find out more just give me a call or shoot me an email.

WTF Russell Beattie

I just spent a few minutes reading the lastest post from Russell Beattie titled "wtf 2.0." He spends 15+ paragraphs ranting about how "The worst thing about all the Web 2.0 hype is the complete loss of business perspective."

I guess I am not sure what all the fuss is about. I am not sure why Russell is taking the Web 2.0 businesses (or lack of businesses) so personally. It would be like me ranting on about how everyone is crazy for buying BMWs. There is no reason everyone needs a BMW when a VW would work just as well. Why spend the extra money?

If Russell had invested his money in a specific Web 2.0 company and they were really "features parading as businesses" he would be justified in railing against his investment. But why rail against the neat features we (universal we) are building? Right now our silly little Big in Japan projects are just features, tools or toys depending on your point of view. Why is this bad? To justify ourselves we need to build a business case? Why not just enjoy the cool map mashups, free web services and other web 2.0 parade members and leave worrying about the business case to the owners/investors?

(FYI - I enjoy your blog Russell - keep it up - hope you don’t mind my POV)

BarCamp Austin

We will be down for SXSW so stopping in at BarCamp Austin seems like a good idea. 

Mashing up PodServe, FrankenFeed & InstantFeed

I came up with a quick tool mashup that I thought I would share with you. Weblogs Work have several managed podcasts for clients on PodServe. I used FrankenFeed to combine each of the podcast feeds into a single “monster” feed. Then I took that “monster” feed and used InstantFeed to deliver updates to any of the podcasts to my IM client (I use AIM mostly).

SimpleTicket Organizational Meeting

Starting next Tuesday (2/28/06) the SimpleTicket team will be holding a standing conference call at 10:00AM Con Bridge: 214.550.3540. The calls will last between 10 minutes and an 30 minutes as needed. We will be discussing the future of the project, ongoing initiatives, and division of duties. The calls will be open to anyone interested in the project.

Can’t make the call? Don’t worry, we will be recording them and will make them available via a public podcast we call the SimpleTicket Podcast. Oh and if you miss the call, but want to make a comment, suggestion or offer just record your thoughts (in an mp3) and insert them into the podcast.

USPTO issues patent to Neil for Internet (Al Gore is pissed)

So you can get a patent for just about anything.  Just ask Neil Balthaser, he got a patent for internet applications that use Flash, Flex, Java, Ajax, and XAML.  The smart people at the USPTO wouldn’t know a rich-media applicaiton if it bit them on the ass.  Check this one out:

The patent, No. 7,000,180 or 180 for short, is entitled Methods, Systems, And Processes For The Design And Creation Of Rich-Media Applications Via The Internet. It contains 83 claims that encompass a wide range of rich-media Net application methods, systems, and processes.  The patent–issued on Valentine’s Day–covers all rich-media technology implementations, including Flash, Flex, Java, Ajax, and XAML, when the rich-media application is accessed on any device over the Internet, including desktops, mobile devices, set-top boxes, and video game consoles, says inventor Neil Balthaser, CEO of Balthaser Online, which he owns with his father Ken. “You can consider it a pioneering or umbrella patent. The broader claim is one that basically says that if you got a rich Internet application, it is covered by this patent.”

Bola Rotibi, an analyst at Ovum stated, “It’s kind of unbelievable that [the patent] has such a wide ranging use because it covers so many technologies," If the patent is enforced broadly, she says, “anybody who does anything with rich applications will have to pay royalties to the company.”  My thoughts?  Al Gore deserves more credit for the Internet than Neil does. 

[via Aviran] 

Canadian University bans Wi-Fi, Sweet’N Low will Stay!

Fred Gilbert, the president of Lakehead University in Canada has decided to limit Wi-Fi on campus.  He made the order "on the basis of possible health risk from the technology, especially to young people. Inconclusive studies into possible links between radio transmissions and leukemia and brain tumors from, among others, scientists for the California Public Utilities Commission, led Gilbert to make the "precautionary ban".  Check out the story here.

I love this, let’s ban Wi-Fi because we are not sure if it will cause cancer.  Now the Lakehead cafeteria offers Sweet’N Low on each table.  If you have taken a look at a Sweet’N Low package you might have read this: "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin, which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."

So Fred, why the double standard?  There has been ZERO linkage between Wi-Fi and cancer and actionable linkage between Sweet’N Low and cancer. 

From the gapingvoid: COLOR!

Leonard said it first, "Hugh discovers Colour !!!!!"

Relax it is just a podcast . . .

I was listening to David Parmet’s post on the Naked Conversation Discussion Podcast (a public podcast on PodServe) where he describes his involvement in Shel and Robert’s book and it occured to me that I have certainly expectations regarding production values.  For some reason I think that podcasts should have a radio-level production value.  But does that make sense?  People call me all the time on the telephone and I don’t expect any production value.  Why should I expect more from a podcast than a telephone call?  I am chilling out.  Feel free to just relax and podcast.  If you have read the book feel free to insert your own episode into the feed.  Cheers!

Elevator Pitch Podcast

First, we renamed the Investment Pitch Podcast, it is now the Elevator Pitch Podcast. We have lots of folks who want to upload their elevator pitch, but are not looking for money right now for various reasons. I think the new name reflects the purpose of the podcast better than the old name.

What is the Elevator Pitch Podcast? Simple, it is a public podcast where anyone can upload their 3 minute elevator pitch. Today I checked and there are more than 700 iTunes subscribers (the only ones we can track right now) to the podcast so if you upload your pitch more than 700 folks will receive your pitch in their iTunes and potentially on their iPod. Even my Dad subscribes to this podcast and he NEVER listens to podcasts.

Want to know how to create an Elevator Pitch? Robert Pagliarini explains that it must answer these six questions:

• What is your product or serve?
• Who is your market?
• What is your revenue model?
• Who is behind your company?
• Who is your competition?
• What is your competitive advantage?

He then explains that your pitch must include the following:

• A "hook" (a statement or question that piques your interest)
• No longer than 60 seconds (we say 90 seconds)
• Passion
• A request (if you don’t want money, do you want a referral? a lead? a customer?)

Fast Company has a good article on Elevator Pitches found here. Bill Joos from Garage.com gives his lessons. Check it out. Richard MacManus gives us a great primer on Web 2.0 elevator pitches found here.

eBay + LinkedIn = Prosper Marketplace

At least according to VentureWire.  They describe Prosper as a mix of both types of companies.  Prosper’s goal is to connect borrowers with money lenders, while leaving banks out in the cold.  Brrr…

The company just closed a Series B investment of $12MM lead by Fidelity Ventures (including Accel, Benchmark, Omidyar Network).  Accel and Benchmark invested $7.5MM in the Series A last April.  Chris Larsen, the founder of E-Loan, is the CEO and founder.  Here is the explaination of the model b VentureWire:

The company’s Web site, launched two weeks ago, uses eBay-style auctions where individuals bid to fund all or part of a personal loan. With the technology, borrowers create a loan listing for up to $25,000, to be paid over three years, and set a maximum interest rate that they are willing to pay to a lender. Lenders - who have set a minimum interest rate for themselves - begin bidding on loans, investing from $50 to $25,000, and judging applicants based on credit history, income-to-debt ratios and self-written profiles.   Lenders can mitigate their risk by investing small amounts in a number of loans. Once the auction ends, Prosper takes the bids with the lowest rates and combines them into a single loan, handling all the loan administration, including loan repayment and collections. Prosper generates revenue from a one-time 1% fee on loans from borrowers, and from a 0.5% annual loan servicing fee to lenders. 

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