Amber Alert

On my way home on Thursday, I was driving back from Santa Cruz and I was thinking about all the things I needed to do this weekend and listing all my concerns for the next quarter as it related to our business. As I drove home, I noticed the Amber Alert system activated on the freeway. (In California we have these giant monitors along the roadway that give traffic info and also alert us when a child has been abducted.) All the sign read was Child Abduction: Blue Chevrolet and then listed the LIC plate.

This just in: We all have problems and worries, but seeing something like that puts things in perspective. I can't think of anything worst than losing a child to an abduction. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Readers of this blog will know that I say this a lot, but I will say it again....Life is precious. Take each day as a gift.

New Facebook Design

New Facebook Design, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Here's a new snapshot of the Facebook design.....

Greek Video Clip

This is from my trip in May. I am working on an updated video clip of photos that Jessaca and I took from our trip to the UK and Greece in March. I hope to finish it this weekend. Enjoy!

Big Spoon in Midtown Sacramento

Big Spoon in Midtown Sacramento, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Along J Street in Midtown there is a great place to grab some frozen yogurt. Its called Big Spoon. Apparently, it is not the little secret anymore because when we walked in there was a line out the door. My Jessaca, Scott and his Jessica couldn't believe it....needless to say though, the wait in line was well worth it. I had my standard vanilla topped with brownies.

If you are in the area, stop by and cool down.

Comcast to Buy Plaxo

I am not a big fan of Plaxo -- I have used their Pulse product, which can be seen down the right hand-side of this blog, but I have found FriendFeed and others to be more useful. Plaxo seems to be struggling to find itself in a very crowded marketplace and now buy announcing that Comcast is buying them I have to say after reading comments posted on the company's website their users were not pleased with the idea of becoming linked with Comcast. Should be very interesting to see how this merger plays out, but I will most likely delete my plaxo account.

5th Annual Elite Soccer 6v6 Tournament

Simon Sheppard from our portfolio company, Elite Soccer Group announced today dates and information regarding their Elite Soccer 6v6 Tournament this June.

Check out www.elite-soccer.com for more details or email Simon directly at ssheppard@esmgroup.org

I will be posting photos of the tourney on our Flickr page. Make sure to check it out.

Buckhorn Branding

IMG00050.jpg, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Everywhere I go in midtown, I see people carrying to-go cups from Buckhorn. Doesn't matter where I am going - I see these cups on every corner. It seems that everyone has lunch at The Buckhorn Grill. Who would have thought that something as simple as a plastic cup can be such a significant marketing tool?

EO GLC

EO GLC, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Had a very interesting day at EO Global Leadership Conference. Will post on this later once it has all sunk in. I did manage to twitter some updates from one of the break out sessions that I attended.

Speed 3: The Movie

Speed 3: The Movie, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Is that Virgin Galactic? Great Branding.....just the simple red background with white font tips you off that maybe it is.....

iPhone #1 on Flickr

Interesting graph that I picked up from tuaw.com

Sacramento Capitol

IMG00053.jpg, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Took this cool pic on Sunday afternoon when I was at the Capitol.

How to get a job in Venture Capital

Great post by Seth Levine on how to get a job in the land of VC. Well worth a read...

This is a great workout....

Thanks to Foad for this awesome video link.

The New Blackberry

(via techmeme)

More on the Wright Controversy

Great posting today by Fred Wilson

The Lessons of Rev Wright

Like many (but not all) of you, I've been attracted to Barack Obama's message of unity and inclusion.

I didn't vote for Barack because I was afraid of what has now transpired. I went for the devil we know over the devil we didn't. But I've been rooting for him.

The notion of a post-boomer political realignment around the challenges that face us instead of the issues that divide us is seductive and powerful

Of course, that message has now been tarnished and we (or at least many of us) are asking 'was it just talk?'

I don't believe it was just talk and I don't believe Obama is a snake oil salesman telling us what we want to hear so he'll get elected. I believe Barack Obama wants to lead this country to a new place and tackle the important problems that our nation is facing in the 21st century.

But the whole Rev Wright fiasco tells me that our country is not yet willing to move behind the racial hate and anger, the religious divisions, and the bitter resentments that cynical politicians play upon to attain and retain power

I am not sure even Shakespeare could have concocted such a potent tragedy. A good and kind man who attempts to unite a divided land is stabbed in the back by the preacher who married him and baptized his children. And then the man of god calls him a "a politician" just to throw some salt in the wounds.

I believe in god but not in relgion organized by man. And I think the men (and women) who have cloaked themselves in the name of god have often done great harm. Religion is not the root of all evil but the people who traffic in it sure can be..

And Rev Wright is just one more in a long line of them.

Apple vs. IBM

CNN needs to get a clue

Today the only thing CNN has been looping over and over is the coverage of Obama's friend Rev. Wright and his crazy comments that he made at a NAACP convention. I am sorry, but in the midst of a national election is this the information CNN really wants to spend hours covering. There are so many more important issues that need to be fleshed out before we choose the next President of the United States. Just another great example of the how the hyper looney media is trying to shape public opinion.

Happy Birthday Ryan

IMG00042.jpg, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Birthdays are precious. Remember each one because they grow up fast.

Leveling the playing field....

Great post today from James Siminoff, Founder of SimulScribe (soon to be PhoneTag)...

When I was flying back to LA last week there was a guy sitting next to me who is some famous guy in the “Buy US/Pro Union” movement. I am not sure who he was but people kept coming up to him and telling him thanks for “helping America”. What made me laugh is that every-time someone came up to talk to him he had to take his headphones out from his Chinese made iPod and look up from his Lenovo (Chinese company that bought IBM’s notebook business) to talk to these people. I loved the irony. The way to fix the trade issues is to create an even playing field for manufacturing. If you want to bring goods into the US they need to be made in factories that uphold to our standards of environmental, OSHA, etc. Doing that would balance things out very quickly and American factories would be able to compete in market where the base rules are the same. Its like taking the steroids out of sports.

When I was flying back to LA last week there was a guy sitting next to me who is some famous guy in the “Buy US/Pro Union” movement. I am not sure who he was but people kept coming up to him and telling him thanks for “helping America”.

What made me laugh is that every-time someone came up to talk to him he had to take his headphones out from his Chinese made iPod and look up from his Lenovo (Chinese company that bought IBM’s notebook business) to talk to these people. I loved the irony.

The way to fix the trade issues is to create an even playing field for manufacturing. If you want to bring goods into the US they need to be made in factories that uphold to our standards of environmental, OSHA, etc. Doing that would balance things out very quickly and American factories would be able to compete in market where the base rules are the same. Its like taking the steroids out of sports.

What would you do without the internet?

L Street Lofts Night

L Street Lofts Night3 2008-02-04 sm, originally uploaded by wr_downing33.

Great Photo!

Cingular now ATT

I have to say I am really disappointed with Cingular (and Apple)....

Have you ever tried to get a telephone off the Cingular (now ATT Wireless) website? Impossible.

Then you find it and you call it. "We're sorry, please call back during business hours." Lame.

When are these guys going to realize that Skype and Gizmo and Google are coming for them, and just like Toyota took over the car industry, the mega smart companies are going to squash ATT, T-Mobile etc unless they get their product, customer service and deliverables on point.

I own a blackberry and an iphone, both with ATT and I can't stand the customer service or the rate plans. Its a joke. Here's what I want: a phone that works and a rate plan that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to have even if I travel 200+ days out of the year.

Google hurry up with the gphone.

Highway Patrol

There is never a cop when you need one.

Too bad you couldn't send an sms message to 911 or the CA Highway Patrol notifying them of a crazy driver on the freeway.

It would be simple, just SMS:

"White Ford Mustang doing 105 mph on 680S near Danville"

Create an army of citizen officers with just a cell phone.

Presidential Election

The more and more I watch B-roll on CNN of Clinton and Obama fighting it out over who said what, and who did what a hundred years ago, the more and more McCain looks like a winner.