State & Lake

I was pleasantly surprised last night when I loaded Cydia to find an update to the DreamCatcher’s iPhone Video Recorder.  Unfortunately, there were no instructions with the update and there is nothing listed on DreamCatcher’s site that hints at this new version 3.0.  [UPDATE:  Instructions and info on v.3.0 are now available on the site.]  [...]

BusinessWeek’s Bill George goes straight to the heart of how the election was won with Obama’s management and/or leadership style.  He says Obama now ushers in the “We Generation.”
I know in the beginning of his campaign I was not there yet.  Of course, coming from a generation that encouraged proving yourself first or earning your [...]

I liked this story immediately because it involves a business breaking the rules.  I have never heard of this store but, according to Business Week, the store is quite popular and its base is in Spain.  It’s parent company is Inditex and the chain, according to the article, pioneered cheap chic.  Revenues for the Zara [...]

I’m running out of time today but I wanted to post this video which has taken the internet by storm. The 15 minute viewing was a bit shocking for me and not for the obvious reasons. Gary Vaynerchuck employs some wild language throughout this video

Obama / McCain[/caption]
I’m sure neither of these candidates wants the job as President of the United States.  They are probably rethinking their strategies because our economy is in the tank.  Clinton inherited Bush I’s mess, Bush II inherited Clinton’s mess and the next president will inherit Bush II’s mess and what a mess it is.
The [...]

As Bloomberg accidentally published an obituary for Steve Jobs in August, many began wondering if Jobs was sick, still alive, possibly dead.
Today, prior to introducing Apple’s newest iPods at the “Let’s Rock” event in San Francisco, Jobs flashed a quote from Mark Twain on the screen: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”
Digital [...]

Race & Enterpreneurship[/caption]
Stay tuned to BusinessWeek Online for an article by John Tozzi.  Tozzi will interview Robert Fairlie, a UC Santa Cruz economics professor and co-author with Alicia Robb of a new book called Race and Entrepreneurial Success. The book contains extensive research and access to Census data.  Some of the information for me was [...]

According to Wikipedia, Labor Day originated in 1882 “as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create “a day off for the working citizens”.  Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894.  All fifty states have made Labor Day a state holiday.
In keeping with the day, Professor Kim Pearson has penned [...]

A brilliant example of guerrilla marketing[/caption]
After reading another story in the Pasadena Star News — AGAIN — about the Lincoln Crossing fiasco, I’m done.  A businesses success or failure begins and ends with the business owner.  You cannot blame or credit someone else for your failure or success.
I will admit, from what I’ve read about [...]

Shepard Fairey stands in front of his poster. Courtesy of Studio Number One[/caption]
A few businesses need to take a tip from this young man.  The story behind the Obama posters (pictured here) begins with a Los Angeles-based street artist, Shepard Fairey.  Fairey designed the posters for Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign and as he says, his [...]

Nothing stirs the ire of most today than to hear the words “boomer”, “Gen-X” and “Gen-Y”.  Many boomers fear the young people will run out of “billable hours” sooner than later at the rate their going.  One friend said she hears her Blackberry going off after she’s gotten herself into bed for the night.  “They [...]

A Pacoima man was arrested Saturday by Crescenta Valley Sheriff detectives after the man allegedly attempted to pay for a Domino’s Pizza with a counterfeit $50 bill.  When the clerk refused to accept the bill, the man began shouting at her, told her the bill was real and then jumped over the counter and began [...]

After reading articles by economists on the economy, I almost feel the need to put blood over the door and pray the curse passes quickly.
In an economy so badly shaken stores are looking for unique ways to stay afloat.  Customers, unfortunately, don’t understand a retailer’s need to “lean it down” a bit in order to [...]

My lupus sorors (and frat brothers) often talk about employment rights, disability insurance, etc.  Today I ran across the following article, “Lupus And Employment Rights: Knowing Your Options” at EmaxHeath.
Since those of us living with lupus struggle to maintain full-time employment, our health problems might require we take time off from work for doctor’s appointments [...]

A beautiful design by Eric Lloyd Wright, grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright.  It’s a shame all he intended for the project was scratched when he died.  Unfortunately, the project as it stands is flawed in so many ways.
The Pasadena Star News has an article on Lincoln Crossing entitled “Altadena development still struggling“.  In the article [...]

With a capital “R”.  Technically, recession takes place during a period of general economic decline; specifically, a decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters.  Last quarter we showed growth of one percent.  On Thursday, analysts believe the economy could come in at an annualized 2 per cent.  Technically this would [...]

According to Business Week, the deal is done.  XM Radio and Sirius Satellite have been given the go ahead by the FCC to merge provided they take care of a few issues.
News of the merger did not help my stock portfolio as XM’s stocks fell 40% to 9.28 per share and Sirius — the one [...]

I am sure Thomas Kuhn is rolling in his grave with me using his scientific phrase as a commentary on society or a change in personal beliefs but I am and will continue to use it.
Today, we are experiencing a paradigm shift as we hit a familiar wall — well, for me anyway — called [...]

The US housing market has been rocked by the sub-prime mortgage crisis. (ABC File photo) (AFP: Jeff Haynes)
Yes, it’s coming, more bad news for the housing industry and Business Week is reporting “the worst may be yet to come as forces battering the market gain strength. And the remedy coming from Congress? It’s likely to [...]

I’m sure that’s the question on the lips of those worth billions, like Oprah or John Travolta whom, by the way, keeps a collection of private planes parked on his Florida Estate (pictured above).  With that kind of money gas prices will mean nothing to you and something called a foreclosure is the farthest from [...]

I certainly hope so.  In 2004, Jobs battled pancreatic cancer.  Typically, a diagnosis like this would be grim and the outcome, not a good one.  Jobs, in his announcement to staff, stated he had a rare, far less aggressive type known as islet cell neuroendocrine tumor.
According to Wikipedia, Jobs opted to resist conventional medicine and [...]

I wondered when this would happen.  When I started accepting credit cards in my business some years ago, I was shocked to discover I had to pay an interchange fee (about 2%) on the charges I received.  In order to recoup that charge, I had to adjust my fees.  I was also shocked to discover [...]

I cannot remember when I last stepped foot in a Kinkos or FedEx Kinkos. After upgrading my home office to incorporate faxing, scanning and color printing, I no longer had a need for the corner Kinkos. Started in the 1970s by Paul Orfalea, whose nickname was Kinko because of his curly hair, [...]

For those who have seen this story, forgive my being late to the bar. For those who have not seen this story and in keeping with bad pun, grab a stool and belly up.
On April 30, 2008, Shinyung Oh, a commercial litigation associate with the San Francisco office of Paul Hastings, was fired — [...]