CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-04-25 16:43:46 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Who want's to live forever?  Or at least a few years longer?

2013-04-25 02:47:23 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

So last week Venture Beat ran an article on Sarah Hanson, a 19 year old who sold 10% of her earnings for the next 10 years on an auction website to fund her startup idea.  Cool concept.  

Except it looks pretty certain that Sarah Hanson is a fictional avatar, a construct built for some undetermined purpose.  Perhaps to market the 32 auctions website or the Senior living website?  Perhaps someone really did pay 125K on an auction site to buy the future earnings of someone that did not exist?  You can read the update on whether she is fictional from the link on the original story.

The Senior Living Website returns a ton of what appears to be people's houses when you search for senior living providers in Colorado.  http://www.seniorlivingmap.org/CO/

Not what I was expecting.  Type in your zip code and see if your neighbors are providing managed care out of theirhomes ... more »

2013-04-15 21:24:03 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

The massacre at Sandy Hook hit me pretty hard.  The idea that I share a planet with people who were capable of doing that.  It's all very well to know intellectually that we seem to have some crazy in our DNA that makes a minority of people do horrific things.  But to see it happen just sucker punches you in the gut.  Someone posted this quote from Mr Rogers and it comforted me.  People ran in to help those injured in the blast.  Caring people.  Helpers.  Heroes.  I hope it helps someone find comfort in a similar way now. 
#boston  

2013-04-15 20:53:52 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

We have launched Person Finder to help people caught in the explosions in Boston. Learn more.

http://google.org/personfinder/2013-boston-explosions

2013-03-07 01:17:38 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Anyone have any success stories on building a good quality mobile app prototype for sub 20k?  How did you do it?

You have an idea for an app but you don't have the technical talent to build it.  That's been my life for the last couple of years.  It is great that Denver has become such a startup hub and entrepreneurial haven, but it does mean there is a lot of competition for the tech talent that is here.  For every 4 coding positions advertised here there is only one coder available to fill it.  Entry level positions are 65-75K with no experience.  There's even a company who will charge you 20K for a 6 month course and guarantee you one of those entry level positions as a programmer when you are done.  Local companies are importing a lot of talent from India to fill the slots they can't hire for locally.  All of that makes it a real challenge to get something built on aboot st... more »

2013-02-27 20:28:52 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Seems there is a lot of polarized comment on the web about Marissa Mayer and her recent policy changes at Yahoo.  In general I am pro the idea of remote working or working from home.  I put together the work from home strategy for IT for Credit Suisse in Asia and my role was one of the positions that worked from home.  In our case there were some strong business drivers behind the move.  There was a real estate crunch as a ton of companies were relocating positions to Singapore.  So it gave the company breathing space to secure real estate and drove down costs for a while.  I was responsible for the IT Business Continuity plan and the banks Disaster Recovery program.  From that stand point it is always a bonus to have your risk spread at any one time.  If your main building goes down then it is nice to have folks working remotely and not affected in the chaos the follows.  Assuming you were smartenough in... more »

2013-02-27 19:36:43 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I don't normally share cat pics and it isn't even caturday.  But both the photography and the kitten struck a chord with me.  So here are some great photos of a very cute kitten.

#caturdayeveryday   #photography   

2013-02-05 16:58:37 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Sorry I've been a bit quiet on here lately.  We lost my father in law to cancer on Jan 23rd.  He was 81 and died well if such a thing is possible.  It was a surprise when it happened, but not that it would happen.  He was still playing competitive tennis and bridge six months ago so he was relatively happy how the end played out.  Just a month of being house bound, some hospice medication to make him more comfortable, and a few short weeks on oxygen due to difficulty in breathing near the end.  Heck we live in Colorado.  Some days I feel like I need oxygen!  Being around death makes you appreciate just how precious life is.  

Looking at someone else's life choices and accomplishments makes you reevaluate your own.  I'm not done doing that yet but I will suggest you take some time to call or visit your parents if they are still around.  The day you can't will come fartoo soon. ... more »

2013-02-05 16:43:55 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

This article is a month old but still scary as hell.  The fact that some folks think teachers need to be armed to defend themselves at work shows just how insane this has gotten.  The fear mongering is totally out of control.  If you are a teacher you are much more likely to die from a stress related illnesses than from a bullet. http://money.howstuffworks.com/10-most-stressful-jobs-in-america6.htm#page=7. Being fearful enough that they want to carrying a gun surely can't make someone less stressed!?  What happens when you are armed and that pain in the backside student finally makes you snap?  I saw a teacher throw a pre-teen classmate across several desks as he forcibly evicted him from his classroom back in the 80's.  Different times perhaps since the teacher carried on working.   But if things were stressful enough back then to make a teacher snap like that I am sure they are much worsenow.more »

2013-01-24 16:13:06 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Normally I love melted cheese but this...

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/22/us-norway-cheese-idUSBRE90L0LP20130122

2013-01-02 22:08:36 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Okay well the kids are keeping themselves occupied for a few minutes so finally a chance to check out G+.  I hope everyone had a great Christmas and has kicked off 2013 in an awesome way.  Also that it continues like that!  Happy New Year!

#newyear2013

2012-12-22 09:26:37 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Silencing the Science on Gun Research - http://bit.ly/Tdl4AE truly shameful obstructionism (v @williamheath)

2012-12-22 08:44:11 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Brief message from the world:  "As you can see the reports of my end have been grossly exaggerated"

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

#mayancalendar   #endoftheworld2012  

2012-12-18 10:16:47 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Mitt to media: please pay my bill.

Seriously?!

2012-12-15 23:35:21 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 2 +1s)

Ensure your end of the world prep includes a contingency plan just in case it doesn't end.  Perhaps some sort of bug back in bag?

#endoftheworld2012   #preppers  

2012-12-14 21:40:36 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Thanks to all the helpers.  You make the world a better place in times like this.

2012-12-14 21:11:10 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

A Kindergarten classroom!  I'm really struggling today.  I'm taking my kindergartner and his first grade brother out after school.  To see Rise of the Guardians I think.  And for frozen yogurt.  My heart is like lead.  But life is precious and short and we need to find a way to go on and live it.  To even celebrate and have fun.  To give our kids a childhood and not pass our own fears on to them.  We need to live good lives that make a difference in memory of those who no longer have the opportunity.  That's how I'm trying to cope with it.  My heart goes out to the families and all who are suffering right now.   #prayfornewton  

2012-12-12 02:55:14 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Should Yahoo buy Myspace?  Or partner with them?  Yahoo is weak on social.  Myspace just did a pretty innovative redesign.  Yahoo is looking to acquire talent and strategic acquisitions.  Just a thought.

#yahoo   #myspace  

2012-12-06 16:52:10 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 3 +1s)

Why do I fail?  Why do you fail?  Some of these come across a little harshly but that doesn't make them less true.

#entrepreneurship   #success   #motivation  

2012-11-07 07:59:07 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

You may have missed Mitt Romney's concession speech.  I did as I fell asleep on the couch before he conceded.  It was a hard fight and someone had to lose.  I can't even imagine how hard he and his team worked over the course of the race and they have my respect for a long hard battle and my sympathy that they lost.  But as I've said before I think Barak Obama is a safer choice for the country and I am glad he won.

America's success is going to require all the elected officials to be a lot better than they have been in the last four years.  There have been some really appalling politics.  Here's hoping they can put aside their differences and focus on what they can agree on to really get some traction going.  For me it is a focus on the economy, education reform, immigration reform, environment issues, and on balancing the budget.

It's also going torequir... more »

2012-11-06 17:00:11 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

So newb questions from someone who has never voted in the US.  How many people really know that their local candidates are all about as well as they know what the national presidential candidate is about?  Or are people naturally more informed on that front?  I don't even recognize some of the names I see on signs in our neighborhood.  I have to do a double take and see if they are for a politician or a way to get my house painted.

Also my wife said there were multiple amendments on the ballot, like legalizing marijuana here in Colorado.  Are people informed on those issues as well?

I'm just curious whether the smaller votes get kind of glossed over as less important or if people are as informed on the issues at that level as they are at the national level?

2012-11-06 16:35:08 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I've been trying to figure out if I am republican, libertarian, green, or a democrat.  Since I seem to share some ideological principles with all those parties.  This linked opinion piece is perhaps some of the answer.  I come from a land down under where our entire political spectrum, including our 'right' leaning national party, apparently fits in the US equivalent democratic spectrum.  Back in NZ I voted for both parties at different times according to the candidates and the issues the country was facing at the time.  I'd do the same here in the US if I could vote.  To me it's about who will do the best for the country and it's citizens.  Both short and long term.  It requires a lot more research and trying to understand the facts behind the rhetoric but its worth it to me.

The comments on this piece are almost as interesting as the article itself.  Someonethinks N... more »

2012-11-05 07:18:50 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

May your life be filled with laughter and the odd dance or two or several hundred.

#wherethehellismatt  

2012-11-05 05:23:44 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

I agree with almost all of this except the last point.  Change the Politics.  Where Clayton argues that taxing the wealthiest American's won't help the economy.  I believe that the aging population is a big part of the economic headache we've been having.  As we age we generally become more scared of risk.  With the economy problems and social changes of the last couple of decades the balance of wealth has shifted towards the baby boomers.  They generally don't have a long term investment horizon.  They are interested in protecting their wealth, minimizing their risk, and not outliving their money.  They are only going to buy so many houses, cars, and other toys.  Basically that mind set has been a withdrawal on the economic engine.  The worse the news, and we've had plenty of that since 2008, the more likely they will spend less.  The young people struggle to find a marketfor their ... more »

2012-11-01 19:56:06 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

I'm running 2 businesses, doing 3 online courses, learning to program, trying to be a good dad and husband, spending more time than I have on social media, and I just impetuously signed up for #nanowrimo2012  

I see even less sleep in my future.

2012-11-01 14:55:09 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Big picture photos from Sandy are a must-see

2012-10-26 02:43:28 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

The best advice I ever got was if it's worth doing, it's worth doing properly.  From an old boss when I was 15 and working in a fish and chip shop.  It got me to the level I got to in my career in the corporate world.  Now I am in the process of teaching myself that sometimes speed is sometimes better than quality to get where I need to in the entrepreneurial world.

#changeyou   #changeyourworld   #reformedperfectionist  

2012-10-25 06:25:27 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 3 +1s)

Last time I did this I sided most with Gary Johnson.  Not sure if I've changed or the candidates have.  It is interesting to go through the answers of each of the candidates and see you have more in common with many of them than you thought you would.  I'm 52% in line with Mitt Romney as well.  I think this quiz just told me more about his policies than he has!

#election2012  

2012-10-23 22:03:24 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Thinking of a new phone?  I went from AT&T to Sprint a couple of years back to get their 4G.  On a Galaxy Epic II.  I've never had decent 4G and the handset has been swapped out once (at a $50 charge at my expense) and is still buggy as hell.  My call quality is adequate but calls drop for no reason I can figure out and the phone frequently calls the last person I was talking to back when they hang up.

So I am excited that I am out of contract and I am thinking of heading back to AT&T.  Sadly I've heard that the Sprint 4G network in Denver is better than AT&T's.  That's pretty damning news.  Should I give up and go back to smoke signals?

Verizon doesn't offer the Galaxy note2 yet.  I think I am going to take that phone rather than wait around for the Nokia 920 Lumia as I first intended.

So if you are in Denver and had to pickbetween Sp... more »

2012-10-23 21:25:44 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

So there seems to be something wrong with my Chrome setup.  In IE I can post and use G+ fine.  In Chrome for every long post or response I write I get "problems with your post" messages and having to put captcha verification in.  Now I even get locked out altogether for a while.  Anyone aware of any Chrome extensions that Google doesn't like causing this type of problem.  So annoying to write a long post or comment and then deal with these headaches when I try to post it.

2012-10-23 16:39:43 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

So the whole post might sound like an ad to Trello, but there's a measure of wisdom in it.

2012-10-23 16:31:02 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Barak Obama plan for the 2nd term.  Someone link me to something similar from Romney / Ryan so I can compare.  Thanks.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/10/23/jobs.plan.booklet.pdf

#mittromney   #election2012  

2012-10-23 16:06:35 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

A lovely illustration that breaks down policy comparisons between #2012candidates . Rarely this simple, but it's a great starting place:

2012-10-21 15:34:41 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Tired of getting your A$$ burned in the stock market?  Help us change that.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dG45YU9hc1g1d2FMQ2xMcDZTZlZTQmc6MQ

2012-10-20 23:47:20 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 2 +1s)

Hi everyone.  I am on a startup weekend here in Denver.  Basically working all weekend to build a company from scratch.  If you are a share / stock trader then you are our target market.  I'd really really appreciate if you would complete this short 8 question survey today or tomorrow at the latest (judging and Venture Capital pitch is Sunday night).

 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dG45YU9hc1g1d2FMQ2xMcDZTZlZTQmc6MQ

Also forward it on to any other share traders in your networks.

Like our facebook page if you would like to hear more as we build this.  www.facebook.com/crystalballtrades.  Our website is partially built at www.crystalballtrades.com and we will have twitter as well once I set it up.  Thanks a bunch!!

#denverstartup   #startupweekend   #stocktrading  

2012-10-20 21:30:00 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Working hard to change the world at Denver Startup Weekend 4

2012-10-19 21:39:51 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Salt Lake Tribune endorses Barak Obama.  Basically says the Mitt they know is not one of the Mitt's present on this campaign.

#mittromney   #election2012   #barakobama   

2012-10-19 17:17:05 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

State governments are awesome.

2012-10-19 16:00:25 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Barak Obama speaking live at the moment.

2012-10-19 15:08:17 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

This is actually a little old.  But still a lot of funny moments and cringe moments.  Those that didn't go over my head.

Cover your ears Mr President - if that is physically possible.

#roast   #jimmykimmel   #presidentobama  

2012-10-19 07:22:40 (7 comments, 4 reshares, 4 +1s)

Want some extra time to live and to die without regrets?  Jane McGonigal has an idea for you.

#gamification   #health   #lifeextension  

2012-10-19 15:09:20 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

My favorite memory of the 2008 election race.  Obama and McCain at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation roasting each other.  Being human and funny.  Coming together for a common cause and goal.  Same with this year between Obama and Romney. It's worth 45 minutes of your time.

#roasting   #roast   #presidentialdebate2012  

2012-10-18 23:22:22 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 2 +1s)

The third debate in song.  You might have missed it if you were distracted by all the traffic on  #BindersOfWomen  yesterday.

2012-10-18 21:49:16 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

What do Richard Branson and other entrepreneurs see as the biggest risks to an economic recovery? Check it out: http://cnnmon.ie/RX1Iwp 

2012-10-18 20:37:29 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Unfortunately, babies are high in cholesterol and trans fats.

2012-10-18 19:34:21 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

I just use rescue time.  It strikes me as less painful <pun intended>

2012-10-17 20:18:53 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

We're about to hangout with +salman khan of Khan Academy (khanacademy.org) at 1pm PT. We'll have 8 lucky fans asking the education icon questions. Salman will also be responding on air to viewers like you, so tune in and share your best questions in the live hangout here: goo.gl/tqYEZ. #khanhangout #salmankhan #khanacademy  

2012-10-16 19:26:12 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 1 +1s)

I got this in an email this morning.  Although I work in Disaster Recovery / Business Continuity email marketing of body bags still creeps me out.

2012-10-16 05:38:28 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

I love popsci.  Always something that blows my mind in it.

The July 2012 had a great series of articles on what we could do to Survive and Prosper on a a Warming Planet.  

There's a section called By the Numbers - Four Futures.  Unfortunately it will not come up on the web that is definitely worth a read.  It has 4 possible scenarios for the future.  Business as usual, Policy Reform, A Fortress World, and A Great Transition.  For each they propose timelines and numbers on resources etc.  The big take away item for me is that in the  Fortress World and Market Forces scenarios, Crude Oil will run out by around 2034 and Natural Gas by 2047 / 2049.

Our world runs on energy.  We better get some decent replacement in place before then if we intend to keep running.

2012-10-16 05:01:24 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 1 +1s)

Love this kind of out of the (cold) box thinking.  Go Kiwi ingenuity ;)