Regrettably as I progressed through college i became more and more intellectually cynical and insular. Casting judgments towards all that I only wish I could partake in, although sometimes rightly so in the case of last years ACUMEN. I cynically declined involvement in newspaper, literary magazines, and creative writing classes; all the while complaining of my inability to take them and blaming my institution for their lack of consideration for my myriad of interests.

But I have since begun to pull myself our of this self-imposed inadequacy and despondency.

Here is the poem. I wrote last week, polished today, and address the general Austin College community as my homage to the autumnal campus life.

Autumnal Mist

A deep, thick fog shrouds us in gloom

Heavy, as the purple melancholy stifles the moon

No light pierces the thickness,

Instead diffused to an eerie glow,

Disarmed of power, transmuted to doom.

The lone, wail of a distant train

Persistently grows louder

Then suddenly fades, and returns.

Inert, as the burial shroud envelops all

The man-fashioned tombs as buildings.

The steeple, a sepulcher, thrusts the cross

Into an acrid sky, cleaved by an unnatural glare

From a floodlight, between the graveyard gloom

And the purple melancholic tomb.

The fog slows all to a slumbering, half-wakeful droll.

Lethargic glooms entombs us in doom.

As if each breathe inhales an opiate smoke,

Whose tendrils clinging, stinging, binding, winding

Around us in us through us, returning to sod.

With bated breathe never strengthening,

Thick, and moist, evinces its sloth

Under which I can only wince

In dull lethargy, sinking gloom.

No sun finds me in this tomb.

My eyes become aglaze

Transfixed in this eerie haze;

I feel the mortal slumber.

(Oct. 2009)

UPDATE: Emmanuel Jal beat the odds of growing up as a child soldier, watching his friends die of starvation in the Sudan. But today he sings the song of a war child on the TED stage

UPDATE: TED Blog post about TEDx Kibera!

This past Saturday (yesterday) I was invited to speak at what I call the most unique TED stage ever! Suraj, an Acumen Fund Fellow put together a TEDx event in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa! And what an event it was.

The TEDx Kibera Stage

Suraj has this theory that there is an ‘idea gap’. Basically, the idea gap is the fact that mostly the discussions and ideas around Kibera both from within the slum and from NGOs and other organizations that work in the slum, are primarily and almost only about poverty, HIV/AIDS. There is very little else that is associated with this places, nothing inspiring, nothing out of what the environment presents. So Suraj started showing some of the youths in Kibera TED videos, and you could tell the impact that this had had on them. Just showing them the possibility of a different world, of something outside what the slum offers them, which is mostly despair, and mental imprisonment.

Suraj then got together some volunteers from the slum and organized a small 2-hour TEDx, where anyone from the slum was invited. He got three speakers, Tonee Ngungu of Wazimba, Otieno Gomba a founder of an Ghetto Art an art studio in Kibera who is from Kibera himself and myself.

It is quite hard to put into words the experience. I attended TEDx Nairobi a week earlier which was a much much bigger event at a bigger venue. But the interesting thing is, even being in this smaller event being held in the middle of a slum, in a shanty church building, surrounding by the dirt and grime of Kibera… there was still great inspiration (if not greater) and great ideas! And I think that’s the beauty of  TED, the fact that despite where you are, in whatever circumstances, people (if motivated enough) will always come up with great ‘ideas worth sharing’! And that says something very deep about the human spirit and the dignity of human beings. That whether rich or poor we all have that capacity for creativity. Otieno Gomba said it perfectly, we are all created with the innate ability to create!

The even more interesting thing is, I think I who was meant to be a speaker coming to share something with this crowd from Kibera was actually probably way more inspired, and challenged and astounded by the audience. Particularly by the young volunteers. I literally had to take the rest of the day just to recover!

You can find my photos from TEDx Kibera on Flickr.

Because the guy (previously, here) writes more brutally than most high schoolers. Witness this crap. (…and witness Ed’s Denseman, who helps Ed run these ‘Democratic’ organizations.)

Let’s not waste a lot of time on this. After all, it’s not like Ed gets paid to manipulate the English language every day–he’s just a lawyer:

Awake And Smell A Smoldering Health Reform Plan

I think I have this Tea Party thing all figured out.

Liberal Democrats, you know the type, communists, socialists, communitarians, progressives, and all manner of moonbats, want socialized medicine in this country as a means to control the lives of people they consider lesser beings.

Good lord, what a mess. Parentheses anyone? How about…

Liberal Democrats–you know the type: communists, socialists, communitarians, progressives, and all manner of moonbats–want socialized medicine in this country as a means to control the lives of people they consider lesser beings.

Government run healthcare is the human equivalent of raising free range chickens – no real pens needed[,] and the end result is the same,[:] the chickens get the knife.

Here is the sales pitch for this liberal scam:

“Our health care system is broken[,] and we have to DO SOMETHING about it, ANYTHING, and we have to do it NOW!”

Ugh. Someone should do something about ‘ANYTHING’, but it’s a quote.

The ANYTHING part of this equation is pre-determined[,] and citizens who know how progressives work understand it completely. Just as Obama is questioned for saying in Portsmouth, NH[,] that AARP is on board with his plan is not true technically, they know it is a fact AARP will be on board with any Obama plan.

Wow, total nonsense. “Just as Obama is questioned for saying in Portsmouth, NH that AARP is on board with his plan is not true technically, they know it is a fact AARP will be on board with any Obama plan.”

1). Yes, Obama is being questioned for saying that AARP is on board with his plan. He is not being questioned for saying “that AARP is on board with his plan is not true technically.” As if the President said, “To say that AARP is on board with my plan is not true, technically.” Or: “It’s not technically true, my friends, that AARP is on board with my plan,” and that statement caused controversy. He never said anything like those about the technical truth of AARP’s being on board or not, so he couldn’t be questioned about it. This part of the sentence is just gibberish. This is the illiteracy I was talking about.

2.) Who the hell is ‘they’ in the sentence? It’s a mystery. Going backwards: the AARP? Progressives? You meant your ‘citizens’, didn’t you? That was a while back. Try to pay attention, as if you were one of your readers.

3.) This ‘just as’ is a fucking mess here. ‘Just as’ = ’similar condition’? (“Just as the Norwegians feel the chill, the Swedes know Winter is coming.”) ‘Just as’ = ‘in the same time period’? (“Just as Scandinavians feel that winter is coming, New Zealanders notice warming temperatures.”) More loosely–’just as’ = ‘because’? (“Just as they feel that Winter is coming, Scandinavians harbor no illusions about an Indian summer.”)

Yours: “Just as Obama is questioned for saying [something], they know it is a fact AARP will be on board with any Obama plan.”

Yuck, Ed. Try this:

The ANYTHING part of this equation is pre-determined[,] and citizens who know how progressives work understand it completely. Though Obama was criticized for saying in Portsmouth that AARP was already on board with his plan, wise citizens know the Association will eventually be on board with any Obama plan.

Better. You’ve blogged for a long time, but you can’t put together a decent sentence, Ed? I can’t go on forever like this, I’ve got a life of my own, man…

In [directing] the Democrats['] rush to use Chicago tactics of shoving [phantom] socialist heath care down American throats with unwritten legislation and make[-]believe emergency timetables[,] Obama has alienated vast legions of people who care deeply about heath care and its cost.

Phew. I’m working like a son of a bitch here, Ed. Since when, incidentally, is socialist healthcare strong-arming…’Chicago tactics’? Very whacko. If this were a high school essay, you’d be getting a ‘C’ at best. Or a chairmanship with the Young Republicans.

The frustration felt by average Americans with mindless Democrat spending, borrowing taking over of industry, and outright lying has created an odd situation where citizens are taking to the streets in unseen numbers.

We’ve been spending Democrats mindlessly? Borrowing has been taking over industries? (Do I get a factory with my loan?) Or is that meant more generally, as in profitability: borrowing now beats industrial production? But, of all this, you’re right, this is odd: people are taking to the streets, and they’re invisible. Or they’re ‘unseen’ when they’re together, in ‘numbers’.

Here is what I think they want:

Americans want tax and spend politicians out of office and they want them out NOW. They are willing to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING to get this through to Washington elites. If it takes going to Tea Parties, protests, “town meetings” or other stacked, staged events and stand outside with a sign they are willing to do it.

The bussed in pro-Obama supporters to these town meetings like the one in New Hampshire are no match for the sleeping giant the liberal Democrats have stirred.

Like a humongous pitcher of Stoli Rip Van Winkles.

In response to that question, most people would ask “Dashboard? What are you talking about?” In a recent blog, Seth Godin cites examples of dashboards that provide useless data and hidden data (e.g. a tachometer, a Garmin 305 watch) whereas “Acumen, on the other hand, has built a charity dashboard that lets them evaluate projects on cost-effectiveness across sectors. It’s a marvel, and it completely changes the way you think about philanthropy… Or consider the ambient dashboards that have been built in surprising ways. One company put pinwheels on a VPs desk. When sales went up, the pinwheels spun faster.”

What’s his point?

“Building good dashboards isn’t difficult, but it’s an excellent marketing strategy. A few brainstorms:

1. If you can add a digital dashboard to your service, do it.
2. If you can make the dashboard public, it gets more powerful.
3. Highlight data that changes behavior.
4. Allow the user to highlight the information that matters to them.”

The dashboard in a vehicle provides essential information (speed, available fuel, etc.) Our Honda Pilot’s dashboard even lets us know when pressure is low in one of the tires. Think about your company as a vehicle. What are the organizational equivalents of an oil change, alignment, tune-up, GPS, compass, clock, tire rotation, etc.?

1. What is your company’s essential information? How do you obtain it? Can you access it instantly?

2. Can you quantify the value of what your company sells? How can a customer measure the value of its association with you?

It is also possible to devise a dashboard for your career. More about that another time.

In The Dollarization Discipline: How Smart Companies Create Customer Value…and Profit from It, Jeffrey Fox and Richard Gregory explain how to measure that value accurately and consistently. In Q&A #231, I briefly discuss their book.

Meanwhile, here’s a link to Godin’s blog:

blogmailfromseth@yahoo.com

Comments, questions, requests, or suggestions? Please share them. They will be most welcome and I thank you for them. Best regards, Bob

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2009/sb20090615_940089.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+small+business+stories

a good article about the hybrid social enterprise model. focuses on us-based companies. it’d be good to get an int’l perspective…

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/special_reports/20090403social_entrepreneurs.htm

and a special report with several articles on social entrepreneurship.

this one talks about social impact data and theories of change…

http://socialentrepreneurship.change.org/blog/view/a_brave_new_world_of_social_impact_data

these guys at b-corp certify businesses for their social impact. wonder if it’ll catch on…

http://www.bcorporation.net/

someday i really have to read this:

http://www.amazon.com/Money-Tales-Alessandro-Giraudo/dp/2717853499/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247933057&sr=1-23

Iris standards: a preliminary attempt at standardizing the measurement of social impact data.

http://iris-standards.org/

Acumen Fund’s “Pulse” data mgmt. system for measuring impact. Affiliated with the Iris standards? I think so…Google helped out pro-bono with development.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/131/the-acumen-fund-portfolio-data-management-system.html

BeyondProfit magazine’s inaugural issue:

http://www.bcorporation.net/resources/bcorp/documents/Beyond_Profit_Impactinvesting-FINAL.pdf

Awesome. Root Capital is a non-profit that lends to BOP farmers/rural ppl for startup capital. “impact investing”

http://www.rootcapital.org/

Monitor Institute report on “impact investing”

http://www.monitorinstitute.com/impactinvesting/documents/InvestingforSocialandEnvImpact_ExecSum_000.pdf

Global Impact Investing Network website… looks a bit defunct:

http://www.globalimpactinvestingnetwork.org/index.html

Fascinating article about high-impact non-profits. Uses TFA example and pulls from that book, Forces for Good:

What we discovered after closely examining these 12 high-impact nonprofits came as a bit of a surprise. We had assumed that there was something inherent in these organizations that helped them have great impact – and that their success was directly tied to their growth or management approach. Instead, we learned that becoming a high-impact nonprofit is not just about building a great organization and then expanding it to reach more people. Rather, high-impact nonprofits work with and through organizations and individuals outside themselves to create more impact than they ever could have achieved alone. They build social movements and fields; they transform business, government, other nonprofits, and individuals; and they change the world around them.

http://www.ssireview.org/articles/entry/creating_high_impact_nonprofits/

Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs… a membership org.

http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/aspen-network-development-entrepreneurs

From http://socialentrepreneurship.change.org/blog/view/reimagining_value_for_a_post-crisis_economy

What if a free market, instead of focusing its defining freedom on selling, could increase our freedom to discover a more complex and nuanced value, a value that is sourced from constituent parts like raw materials, resources, skills, knowledge, relationships, productivity, reliability, efficacy, desire, love, etc…

So, with this idealized lens on human networks where value acts like a sort of gravity to which we are attracted, we can concentrate our economic efforts on creating value instead of creating demand. We can prioritize health over consumption. We can leverage truth instead of marketing. In this sort of system, the modifier “social” (social enterprise, social impact, social network, social economy) connotes relevance.

Salesforce.com’s 1/1/1 concept.

http://www.salesforcefoundation.org/about

Creative community hubs:

http://socialentrepreneurship.change.org/blog/view/web_30_and_the_emergence_of_creative_community_hubs

two web 2.0ey seed capital firms:

http://www.launchboxdigital.com/

http://www.sproutbox.com/

decision making platform! cool

https://decidealready.com/

but this is the coolest of all. music for change.

http://playingforchange.org/

Just forwarded to me:

Hey Hub

Robert set up my new laptop on Tuesday and all is good.  I also asked if I could keep my extra power cord – since I travel so much, and extra cord is so helpful.

Thanks so much

Kerry

Please send a formal request to me for an additional power cord we like to keep the cords with the original equipment for inventory purposes

Sure – what would a formal request look like?  Is there a form?

No just a e-mail to me requesting and additional power cord

May I have an extra power cord.

Apologies for the sound issues in this video. The location was not exactly ideal

Look at these little level letters, each one with an opening facing one way or another – left, right, up, down and down, right, down. Ready to receive opportunities as they come, perhaps, whatever is a-comin’ in. Ironically, the letters are without points, unless you accept the ends of the lines – the tines on the m, n and u and the open tips on the c, a and e. No v or w here, though the shape of the u in the original Latin was v. This in spite of the meaning of the Latin: “sharp thing,” from acuere, “sharpen.” Now in English it’s not the acumen that’s the sharp thing but the person who possesses it. The word may sound like some Japanese borrowing (like salaryman, or rather sarariman) to refer to men who are accurate – or who drive Acuras. Or, since it’s a flexible, pragmatic word and allows stress on either the first or the second syllable, it could sound like a Syrian spice plant. But a person with acumen, though he or she may indeed be accurate and spicy, is one whose mind is a sharp instrument. And these days the word’s most constant companion by a long chalk is business (other occasional pals are intellectual – redundant, that – financial and political). Perhaps this is because the word itself reveals its true sharpness when it, like a strong business, is fully capitalized: ACUMEN. (Write it in Latin style, pre-half-uncial, and you get even sharper vision: ACVMEN. All it needs is a K for the C and it’s like a yard of broken glass.)

Like sands through the hourglass… wait, that’s a little too soap-opera for this occasion. It’s a big night for Storyline, but not a night for melodrama. Instead, the local power-pop band plays The Outland Ballroom tonight for its CD release party, along with opening act Escape From Maya. (If you haven’t heard the band’s new EP Welcome Home, by the way, it’s quite the enjoyable listen.) The rest of your live-music Thursday, of course, is after the break.

* Madahoochi at Lindberg’s. Same astounding St. Louis-based band, intriguing new location to play. We can’t wait to see the results.

* LemonDrop Records Night at The High Life Live Martini Lounge with special guest AcuMen

* The Detectives and The BoogeyMen at The Outland

* Eddie Gumucio & The Electrics at Patton Alley Pub

* Trash Angels at The Daily Pub

* Devlin Moyers at Mixology

* Art Bentley at Roadhouse Saloon

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

Why alphabet soup, DeRosh? You got something against Alpha-Bits?! You’re so prejudiced…

Well, whether you prefer your food that makes you spell things in breakfast or dinner form, there’s no disputing the number of consonants being tossed around in tonight’s shows. KG (of Acumen) and DJ P (of DJ P) are back in action tonight–one for tonight only, the other every Thursday–and we’re feeling a bit nostalgic as a result. And what’s more nostalgic than food you look forward to playing with more than eating?

We’ll do nothing but look ahead–as far as tonight, anyway–after the break.

* AcuMen and Merr at Tipsy Turtle Pub

* DJ P at The High Life Live Martini Lounge

* House show! Through the Fire, Hester Prynne, IDWTDIT, Only the Brave and Killing Your Allegiances at 530 E. Grand St. Starts at 7 p.m.

* Tuck & Abney at Cartoons

* The Detectives at The Outland

* EgoMagnet at Patton Alley Pub

* Art Bentley at Roadhouse Saloon

* Gas Pump Talent at Ebbets Field

* Vortex at Lindberg’s

From left: The Mayor, the apparition known as KG and Tang451

It’s not often we get word of developments with local hip hop group AcuMen. Though it is now arguably Springfield’s longest-active hip hop group, Tang 451 (aka Allen Vaughan) and The Mayor (aka Brett Johnston) keep a decidedly low profile these days thanks to family and work obligations. For longtime fans of the group, however, there is just such news: The group returns to its old days as a threesome tomorrow night at The Tipsy Turtle Pub when former member KG (aka Kyle Green) returns from Florida for his first performance with the group in about a year. The scheduled opening act is longtime friend of the group and standup comedian Merr. It all gets rolling at about 10 p.m.

There are those pairings among bands that are rare and yet perfect, where two acts from different sides of the Springfield Music Scene team up for a unique and thoroughly entertaining show. One of the more unusual examples was the marriage of local hip hop group AcuMen with the two-man acoustic-metal comedy band Whoreberry Cobbler, a combo show not seen in two years… until now. 

The two acts finally reunite on a stage–and by “stage” we mean “floorspace”–in familiar confines, the building where most of the previous shows took place: The Tipsy Turtle Pub, known then as the original Bugsy Malone’s. Not only is this the first show the two groups have played together in two years, but it’s one of the very few times–perhaps the only time–Cobbler has performed since FourFourFest in November. A truly entertaining show will ensue tomorrow night, and it should get started between 9 and 10 p.m.

Some men wish they looked better but don’t realize that women fall easier to sharp wit and a good sense of humor. Why don’t these statistics get published? Wit or humor is not necessarily related to intelligence or knowledge which take years in college to acquire. It’s all about training and practice. Men make the mistake to spend too much time at the gym pumping up muscles.

Why not pump up muscles and wit in a gym? A sports gym that promises to train wit and muscles would be value for men’s money, time and acuMen. Would women support this initiative?

http://www.thinkaloo.com

When we help others, lives change. Or do they? This assumption, which most of us buy into without question, is the reason there are still 1.4 billion people in this world living on less than $1.25 a day.*

For more than a decade, the World Bank invested over $20 million dollars in an irrigation project in Gambia, Africa. Created to enhance rice productivity, expected results included a lower death rate for children and a better income for rice farmers. Ten years later, the child death rates had risen and rice production had declined. Why? Because the assumption that “helping” would change lives was not enough. Lasting change requires much more.

In her new book, The Blue Sweater – Bridging the Gap In An Interconnected World, Jacqueline Novogratz boldly shares what is necessary to effect lasting change. The founder of the Acumen Fund, a nonprofit venture capital organization that uses entrepreneurial approaches to solve the problems of global poverty, writes an authentic and thoughtful account of her journey to identifying what is required create a vivacious and prosperous world.

Once an international banker with an open heart who wanted to change the world, Novogratz’s dream to work in a developing country in Latin America was not to be. Instead, she landed in Rwanda by way of Nairobi, and began a life-changing and sometimes death-defying journey that led her to understand what true philanthropy is all about.

The stories she shares are riveting and colorful. Her love of Africa reaches out from the pages and gently takes your hand as you follow her down dusty roads, through lush mountains and cool lakes, and into the community and courage that is the Mother Land. The book is worth reading for this alone. But there is so much more.

Novogratz’s honesty about her naiveté, choices, and experiences brings a bracing edge to the book and the concept of charity. More importantly, she allows you to be a part of her awakening as she begins to understand that true service requires us to look past the surface of statistics to see that traditional charity has not really “helped” this world nearly as much as we would all like to believe.

As Novogratz delicately insinuates herself in the organizations she works with in Africa, and develops relationships both with the women receiving funds and those integral to their disbursement, she gradually learns the lessons of process and patience. She wakes up to the importance of observation, listening, authenticity, and mitigating ego in serving others.

From a business perspective, she comes to see that “giving” money to someone is not nearly as empowering as “lending” it to them in the way Muhammad Yunus pioneered. She realizes that patient capital – money invested without expectation of immediate return – often creates the confidence necessary to build profits.

Traveling her path with open eyes, Novogratz releases her ego to the point where she no longer needs to determine what’s right for others, and instead provides the tools and means for them to learn how to fish for themselves. This realization bucks years of charity protocol and she becomes a bit of a rebel as she points out that good intentions often result in merely paving the road to hell.

For some, it may be difficult to fathom that traditional charity, ancient in its origins, has actually prevented people from knowing their power and worth. For that recognition to occur, we must all look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we really want a world where everyone is equal. Do we really want to help create an environment where we all have what we need? Or do we each have too much invested in being a rung above?

The stars aligned for Novogratz to have the experiences, mentors, and relationships necessary for her to write this book. She is poised to effect lasting change in this world by quietly asking each of us to examine why we “help” others and to be courageous and honest about our motives. Do we want to help or to we want to be seen helping?

This is the first step in participating in change. Motive is where it all begins. Whether you’re volunteering with a local organization or going halfway around the world, if you’re doing it for ego-based reasons, the results will reflect that. The irrigation project in Gambia proves that point. Millions of dollars invested. Sicker children. Lower revenue on exports. What happened? Go buy the book.

*(Source: World Bank Poverty Estimates for the Developing World-2008).

Word: acumen [uh-kyoo-muhn, ak-yuh-] n. keen insight; shrewdness: remarkable acumen in business matters

Birthday: Thomas Jefferson (1743), F.W. Woolworth (1852), James Ensor (1860), Butch Cassidy (1866), Samuel Beckett (1906), Don Adams (1923), Paul Sorvino (1939), Al Green (1946), Christopher Hitchens (1949), Ron Perlman (1950), Peabo Bryson (1951), Max Weinberg (1951), Davis Love III (1964), Caroline Rhea (1964), Rick Schroeder (1970)

Occurence: 1997 – Tiger Woods becomes the youngest golfer in history to win The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. Too bad Woods couldn’t get it together this year. He finished T-6th with a -8 under par. Angel Cabrera eventually won the four-day tournament after a sudden-death playoff with Kenny Perry and Chad Campbell. All three players were tied after 72 holes at -12 under par.

Standpoint: It’s been over five weeks since I’ve started the daily euneJeune. So far, the response to this blog has exceeded my expectations. It’s averaging about 125 hits per day and has ammased over 4,000 total hits. I’m constantly looking to learn. Not only do I learn a lot from the research I do for each post, but I learn from those of you making comments – both on here and Facebook – who expand on what I’ve written. I appreciate it greatly when you take the time to do this. After actually writing each edition, reading the comments being made each day has been the most fulfilling part of what I’m doing.

That’s why I’m asking everyone who reads today to make a comment. What parts of this blog do you like the best? What parts do you skip over? The overall sentiment so far is that a lot of you like coming here everyday. But I’d like to hear more. While I really dig the current format (and based on your feedback, so do a majority of you), I’m unsure if it will sustain itself long-term, which is obviously my ultimate goal. I’ve some exciting plans for the future of the daily euneJeune. But hearing your ideas will help me further achieve my goal of taking this blog to higher levels.

So, leave a comment today. (Note: Don’t worry about hurting my feelings or offending me. I assure you – I can take it.)

Thanks for reading. I look forward to hearing from you.

Quotation: People will accept your idea much more readily if you tell them Benjamin Franklin said it first. - David H. Comins

Tune: I’m not the biggest Ben Harper fan in the world but “Ground on Down” is probably one of the most kick-ass songs I’ve ever heard.

Link: Sporno: 20 Picture In Which Sports and Porn Collide – With the number of people taking pictures all over the world, I’m guessing situations like what’s happening in these photographs occur more often that we think. (Note: Don’t worry about the title. There are no naked people in any of the pictures.)

Gallimaufry: Normally, I’m not the kind of person who reads something like, “The First Puppy Makes a Big Splash,” and wonders if The Washington Post needed to exert all the time and energy that obviously went into the article. But this time was different. All the puns about dogs didn’t help matters…With the sports world being what it is these days, I’m pretty confident writing the next sentence. Most likely, I’m one of 20 people who care that the Philadelphia Flyers are in the playoffs (thanks to Anthony J. SanFilippo for the link)…Thankfully, I’m no longer on the dating scene. But for those of you men who still are, The Saucy Single Life has published “Don’t Do This on a First Date.” Pretty helpful, I think. My favorites are #22 and #29.

Incoming: Among this week’s topics will be more of your Annoying Sayings/Misused Words suggestions, “5 People I Wish Lived On Another Planet” and much much more.

I watched a video today from TED that I thought would be interesting to share. It’s a talk by Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of the Acumen Fund, a non-profit renown for its use of entrepreneurial, market-oriented approaches to alleviating poverty. I’ve heard many talks before on the topic of poverty in Africa, and usually they follow the story of a specific family and highlight the hardships of their lives, before giving a call to action. This talk, although it also follows the story of a Kenyan woman named Jane, is different in that it highlights the success of micro-credit, and focuses on the hope that permeates even the poorest regions on earth. I think World Vision (and other charities that have hour-long segments on TV) can learn something about how to format their fundraising pitches; a shorter message focused on the lasting change created by a donation works much better on me than tear-jerking segment that leaves me wondering what a the African family will do when donations run out.

In the talk Ms. Novogratz made 2 points which I find to be especially important when considering poverty:

1. Wage cannot be used as the sole factor to determine that an individual is below the poverty line – poverty is also about lack of dignity, freedom, and opportunity
2. Poverty alleviation must be more than just providing enough monetary aid to the poorest of the poor – it has to be about giving support to individuals and families as they make the journey

And if you want more, there’s a whole series of videos at TED on the theme of  “Rethinking Poverty”. Worth a watch, and definitely thought provoking, even if you don’t agree with what’s said.

Since Research In Motion was among the first stocks I was looking into when seeking to get into the market, I found this piece in the Globe and Mail very interesting to read.

“RIM realizes its future hinges on winning consumers over to the BlackBerry. The company has taken several leads from Apple, the king of consumer technology, that go beyond winning the affections of one of the world’s greatest rock stars. RIM has recently introduced touch-screen technology with the BlackBerry Storm and an online store for games and software known as App World, similar to what Apple has already perfected for using with the iPhone. But RIM has yet to attempt what Apple does best: sell its brand to consumers.

Experts warn that if RIM doesn’t quickly fire up a global marketing machine of its own, the company will be pushed to the wayside by bigger brands such as Apple, Google and Microsoft and will be forgotten by the fickle consumer.“

What further intrigues me about the RIM [ TSE:RIM ], is that its owner, Jim Balsillie, had twice made an attempt to buy an America hockey team (The Pittsburgh Penguins and later, the Nashville Predators), only to be thwarted by anti-Canadian NHL commissioner, Gary Bettman. Just what is Bettman still doing at the head of OUR table?

In other technological news, expect Google to find their stock climbing this week,  

[ NASDAQ:GOOG ] after it was announced that they are looking into buying Twitter.

Acumen has developed a remote kit for their ‘intelligent’ chain oiler. Normally the can of chain lube screws onto the solenoid, which squirts it through a tube and onto the chain, and both would be mounted out of sight under the seat. However this ingenious new kit contains everything required to mount the solenoid and lube elsewhere on the bike, either together or separately.

Acumen even produce anodised alloy sleeves in a range of exciting colours to fit over the exposed chain lube can to make an attractive feature of it. Driven by the motorcycle’s speedometer, the CL10 automatically pumps out more chain lube the faster the bike is ridden and uses a PTFE-based lubricant that acts like regular chain spray. Riders control the rate of flow from a handlebar-mounted display unit, so they can alter the intervals at which lube is squirted to suit the conditions.

This remote mounting kit comes with the required adaptors for the can and solenoid, with low-loss tubing to connect the can to the solenoid should you wish to mount them in separate locations, anodised alloy mounting bracket and stainless steel mounting screws. The bracket can be bolted to the motorcycle or attached to the frame tubes using silver cable ties provided in the kit. The Acumen CL10 intelligent chain oiler sells for £99.99 inc. VAT; the remote kit retails for £49.99 and alloy sleeves cost £49.99.

Advice & Sales: 0870 240 3257 www.acumen-electronics.co.uk

About Me:

I’m Carmen Parnos,

I’m a single mother of two adorable girls. I have been in my own business for over 20 years, I love what I do because I do what I love. During this time I have developed a broad range of skills and implemented unique business ideas that have been a somewhat ‘trial and error’, it has enabled me to build a unique brand one that is quickly recognised within the Australian corporate sector.

I have been profiling Australia’s top business leaders, and developing up and coming leaders to a level of greatness for over a decade through my business Super Leaders of Australia . I have authored two books:  Super Leaders of Australia and Apprentice to Business Ace – your inside-out guide to personal branding; I speak in front of budding CEO’s I love what I do!

Times have changed the global economic downturn forces us into making decisions we don’t want to make and now we have to rethink how we move forward, me included! I have experience and knowledge of the amount of work that goes into making a business a success and how quickly it can all fall apart.

The Company:

 A global leader in personal development that has a proven track record of outstanding success over the past 8 years.

We offer individuals and families a home-study seminar system that allows you to lead the way to a superior lifestyle with financial strength and reassurance.

All the research and hard work has already been done for you, processes, templates and anything else you could think of to start a successful small business is in place!

There is a team of qualified, successful business professionals reaching out to help you and give you every possible level of support so you have all the tools to ensure your success.

The Opportunity:

MAKE YOUR ANNUAL SALARY IN JUST ONE MONTH!

Here is an opportunity to make great use of your entrepreneurialand networking skills and generate an annual income in one month.

Personal Development is an $19 billion dollar industry, even in this tough economic climate, it is thriving and projected to run over $23 billion by 2010.

You DO NOT need to have a background in Personal Development, all the training and support is provided for you.

Imagine making a multiple six figure salary from the comfort of your own home and working around the hours that suit you best.

There is no selling required in this business and you can do this from anywhere in the world!

This business is a viable option for individuals with disabilities, particularly for those that have excellent verbal communication skills and a strong entrepreneurial streak.

If the answer is YES then please call our

24 hour hotline 1800 600 959

International callers : (61) 427 126 717

or send me an email carmen@superbiz.com.au

FAQ’S

How do I know if I am qualified to do this business?

If you are looking to change your financial situation immediately then read on. For those that are seeking a little extra money here and there then there are other internet opportunities that would be a better fit.

Is this MLM?

No it is not MLM. I came into this business to earn serious money instantly not build up to it over 2-3 years.

Are there any other costs in running this business?

Of course there is, you get nothing for nothing in this life, the ROI far outweighs most businesses that I have researched, the profit is substantial and the expenses minimal, just the way it should be, forget about paying franchise fees of $10,000+

Will this business work in a recession?

YES it is the key reason I chose this business, I was looking for an opportunity that would thrive in a recession riddled world, I found it!

Is training and support provided?

Absolutely, your success is my priority, I will personally mentor you, additionally there are conference training calls and support from other entrepreneurs who have already achieved financial success while working from home in this business, we are all here to support you. Additionally all the marketing materials will be provided to you, you don’t have to start from scratch,  then it is up to YOU!

How much time does this business require?

Leverage your time, choose your own hours, work around school times and take holidays whenever you wish.

How hard to I have to work?

The marketing system does most of the grunt-work for you! There is NO personal explaining involved. We have ELIMINATED most of the things that people struggle with in their own business.

· No cold calling.

· No selling

· No personal explaining

· No “recruiting” friends and family

· No stress!

There is work to do and a system to follow. The money doesn’t just materialize in your bank account. This isn’t a ‘get rich quick’ opportunity.

What can I expect to make in my first year?

If the world was your marketing demographic then anything is possible. I didn’t come into this business to make less than a multiple six figure income, I knew I had to use the system and support that was in place to achieve this result. The only variable is YOU, what are you prepared to do to earn this level of income?

This sounds ‘too good to be true’ is it?

Having been in my own business for over 20 years and built a solid and credible profile within the Australian Corporate market I knew I had to do my home work and make sure that this business delivered exactly what it promised. Well it didn’t, it delivered SO MUCH MORE! This is a real, legitimate, Internet marketing business. The system has been researched and proven and it works perfectly as long as you follow it EXACTLY….. there is work involved, your tenacity and perseverance will hold you in good stead in this business.

Download your FREE GIFT my e-Book: LOOK@ME!-executive branding guide for business professionals

Se ha publicado en The Mackinsey Quarterly un vídeo de una entrevista a Jacqueline Novogratz, autora del libro ‘The Blue Sweater’ y fundadora del Fondo Acumen, una institución que gira en torno a la innovación social

13/03/2009 ENTRINNOVA – Este mes de marzo, The Mckinsey Quarterly ha publicado en su página web un vídeo de una entrevista a Jacqueline Novogratz, creadora del Fondo Acumen y autora del libro ‘The Blue Sweater’, publicado recientemente.

A mediados de los ochenta, Jacqueline Novogratz dejó su trabajo en Wall Street para marcharse a trabajar a Kenia, y más tarde a Ruanda, en el mundo de las microfinanzas. Allí se dio cuenta de la importancia que podían tener los mercados a la hora de ayudar a las personas a salir de la pobreza.

Después de varios años en África, Novogratz comenzó a trabajar en la Fundación Rockefeller, donde asesoró a personas de altos ingresos en el modo de orientar sus actividades filantrópicas.

En el año 2001, creó el Fondo Acumen, una institución de capital riesgo que gira en torno a la innovación social. Esta organización pretende resolver problemas relacionados con los bienes y servicios esenciales, como la salud, el agua o la vivienda, mediante enfoques empresariales.

‘The Blue Sweater’ son las memorias de una mujer que ha pasado su vida tratando de entender las causas de la pobreza y en el que habla de las nuevas medidas que se pueden llevar a cabo para mejorar este problema, compartiendo historias relacionadas con la innovación social. En el siguiente enlace podéis acceder al vídeo de la entrevista.

Vídeo de la entrevista a Jacqueline Novograntz, The McKiney Quarterly

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