The Agenda

2011-02-07T10:24:00.001-08:00

http://katiespeechofobamy-sea6alice.co.cc/d5r8r2

2011-02-05T10:26:00.001-08:00

http://holiday4cali4shoping6passion.co.cc/c5r6i4

High Stakes High Speed

2009-12-11T04:07:00.000-08:00

Sitting at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and just saw that Google has teamed with Boingo to provide jet setters at this airport free Wi-Fi for the holidays. Now that's progress.

Finding a Wi-Fi network is harder than you think these days. I travel for work, and that work involves throwing events for a technology company. Internet access is a necessity for this - demos, dowloads, cloud computing, community forums, etc. And my choices for hotel accomodation and venue selection are now completely driven by these two criteria:

1) Wi-Fi network (free or not)
2) Personality/fit for the concept of the event

In that order. So in terms of events, hotels are out of the picture for me. All a hotel event does is prompt a passive agressive nerd fit in front of an audience for 6 hours straight. And I say that with love.

Anyone interested in making a load of dough in telecommunications will revolutionize the hospitality industry with reliable high speed network access for their event centers or whatever they call those areas in the basement or former garage of Hyatt's, Sheraton's and Marriott's with ugly carpet, a plethora of podiums and hideous gelee art - for a sensible fee. Amid the guise of corporate security, these areas are usually lacking internet of any kind unless you pay $1000 for a single hard wire with one user allowed, but your guests will hate you as your keynote speaker or his/her technical minion taunts them with the cursor on some demo server projected onto a large screen scrolling down the wall.

And these hotels do not have the personality to make up for the absurdity of their technological irrelevance. See above reference to gelee art.

Now, as a guest, you may get a wireless connection in your room or in the lobby, but it won't last long. Before the next Replay of the piped in orchestral Sound of Music soundtrack, the network will get crowded and drop you. Kinda like the cheerleader clique in high school.

SO here's the call to arms: hotels need to speed up and true up. No more $1000 DSL cable that creates resentment and hostility among guests at events. $1000 should open up a private network for eveyone at my event instead. It's a tiny investment with foreseeably large return.
I'm done with hotels personally, I'm just trying to salvage what little potential they still may have for other corporate events.

Join the I'm Serenity Thompson Club

2009-11-17T20:55:00.001-08:00

Ever do a vanity check? You know, the one where you search on your own name and see how you're ranking?

At Miss A. Goggins' Scratchy Record Dance Party last Saturday night, amid kitchen banter with entrpreneurs in front of the refigerator, I realized my check was due. Guess what I found? Two new Serenity Thompson's! The one in Chicago is loads of fun, from what her Tweets reveal. The other is a real estate agent in Houston.

Is your name Serenity Thompson? Let's start a club! Comment below and let me know you are out there.

Subversion trumps fear

2009-04-19T23:35:00.001-07:00

My fear is all about not wanting to offend anyone's moral code. I'm not questioning or denouncing any culture, belief system or religion here.

The thing about fear is that it stifles all senses, it's limiting, it creates intellectual regression. A point of view is something to be grateful for - whether in agreement or not. Hell, I know this is obvious to many of us and perhaps I speak from a sheltered California bubble. Theo van Gogh was not only shot dead for his film, deemed "offensive," but his throat was slashed to near decapitation and he was stabbed several times, with two knives. That's the kind of anger a point of view, expressed through the mild art of Dutch filmmaking, can stir up, for example.

I don't want to make this into a linguistic exploration. Sure, Theo van Gogh's murderer was subversive and overcame fear in his act of overthrowing. But he overthrew a person in place of an idea or institution, and with violence rather than debate or other intellectual discourse for resolution. I don't have much respect for that.

Theo van Gogh's film was clearly subversive. Did Theo van Gogh know the consequences he would experience? Probably had some idea. Ballsy subject matter, explicit cinematography, absence of fear and disregard for extreme consequence, expressed through art. I can respect that one hundred times over. With glitter.

The Great Suppression

2009-04-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

Suppression, subversion, submission. These were key words for me this weekend, and, all told, are creating circular references in my world.

It all started with the word Suppression on a late, late Saturday PM/early Sunday AM. Thought I'd post/blather about the unemployment rate, the percentage of unemployed MBA's I know, and relate both to U.S. monetary policy, the Stimulus Package (*whistle*), chief econonmic indicators and the like. In my interweb lurkings around "Suppression" to support whatever hypothesis I came up with, I stumbled across this photo from an Iranian fashion show. What do you think?

The word Suppression in this context along with the visual reminded me of the word Subversion, which was related to a few other tasks on my to-do list. These other tasks result in the ability to pay my bills.

Sunday afternoon brainstorming on a theme. Sitting down at my desk with Subversion on my mind, thoughts quickly turned to Subversive people, artists, musicians. Johnnie Rotten, Sid Vicious. Made me think of Submission, on the B side to my red vinyl Sex Pistols import from junior high (Anarchy in the UK on the A side, natch). I decided to listen to every single version on YouTube. That's when I came upon this short film by Theo Van Gogh, also called Submission (WARNING: CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECT MATTER, NUDITY, SOME VIOLENCE). This film brings us back to the fashion show referenced a couple paragraphs ago.

Submission, Subversion, Suppression. Arrived in a completely different place than intended, and hesitant and somewhat frightened to formulate a hypothesis. To be continued: Subversion trumps fear

Happy Valentine's Day from Jail

2009-02-13T23:15:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is very romantic. I should know - I am an expert after contemplating every single one of them alone. Oh wait. There is one exception: the year my boyfriend at the time picked the lock on my front door at 2:30AM to surprise me by sneaking up on me, asleep, and dropping a big pile of hardcandy on my face. Yes, that was a memorable one, and I certainly was not alone. In fact, it was kind of like a late night coffee klatch once the cops showed up to answer the home invasion call.

Ah, so many musings from February 14ths gone by, such as the year my best friend and I had a gig doing the Valentine's Day window display for a certain NYC retailer. That was a stressful window - it involved alot of glass, satin, and an ornery mannequin with a slippery wig. Yea, it was the last time we spoke. R.I.P. 10 year friendship.

Thank goodness for sex toys. That's really what Valentine's Day comes down to for most people. Doesn't matter if you're single, coupled, estranged, celibate, etc. Almost everyone feels a little touchy-touchy on Valentine's Day.

So, all alone? Feeling too much pressure? Boyfriend in Alaska? Buck up Lovey! CES doesn't have the monopoly on all the latest gizmos. Here are a couple gadgets I suggest you gift to yourself for a high tech Valentine's Day that really can be spent at home in front of a pizza and Craigslist.

Vibrating to the beat is Sex 3.0. The OhMiBod music vibrator works with your iPod and/or your iPhone. Hello? Yea this is Serenity. Uh huh, uh huuuuuuuuuuuuuh, yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa okaaaaaaaaaay um um um um um UM UM UM keep talking...

SaSi by JeJoue - how tech-savvy is this!?!? Keep it by your laptop and everyone will think it's a state of the art mouse.

I love you all. Happy Valentine's Day my darlins. xxxoooxxx

January 2009 Rocked - Welcome the Age of Competence

2009-02-08T16:58:00.000-08:00

I usually check out during January. Other than continuing to go to work and do my job well, I indulge myself like Charles Bukowski after a mediocre day at the track.

You see, January is my birthday month, ushered in by bigtime bashes at the top of the month. This year was celebrationally sublime, as the joiner to my monthlong festival of champagne, delcacies, momentary lapses into Jello-O shots and Trash Queendom, and rapid recovery was the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Since I was out for January, let me catch you up on the highlights.

Top 5 Best Things About January 2009

1. January 20: The Inauguration. Pulled up beanbag chairs around the big screen TV with colleagues at work. Boxes of Kleenex. Applause. Facebook status updates. Smiles, cheer. What a great day for bringing our country back together. My street cred in Paris is now back online. C'est cool.

2. January 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In years of non-inauguration, or a Republican inauguration, this one tops my list. Martin Luther King Jr was a man of the people. Such a visionary, gifted speaker, and a looker - yow!

3. January 1-3: New Year'e Eve/Day/Aftermath. After NYE 2009, been there, done that, done him, done her, done yo mama. With people I love - Thomas, Stacie, Nahid, Luis and new friends TJ and Ruben.

4. January 21: My Birthday. Lunch, cake, flowers, etc etc etc. Dive bar at night with a couple of my favorite people, Jaemin and Jaffa.

5. January 26 and 28: Unexpected Gifts. Flowers showed up at work on Monday, followed by big shiny jewelry on Wednesday. The BEST.

The New Impressionists

2008-12-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

I came to a realization at Paris' Musee de la Arte Moderne: Thomas Ruff has created a new brand of impressionism. (Before you go off and google him, realize that what will come up in the images results are similar to what you'll find for Terry Richardson - porn-like images that dont deliver an artistic message without the benefit of context - don't go there - esp if you're at work. Gawd, mentioning Richardson's name to my boss in that meeting was awful...)

Ruff's large scale jpegs (4x7) at the Musee de la Arte Moderne were pixelated landscapes: gardens, forests, desert encampments. Clashing contrast to his pixelated buildings being destroyed, or the previously mentioned nudes - those works are more about immediate sensory perception and the internet or tv news as a channel for information. The landscapes are simple in their beauty and purpose. These pics dont give them justice - size maters here...

This interview with Ruff in PopPhoto is cool for background on the artist (German, Dusseldorf, Becher school, influenced by fine art no photo, etc)

Artists Looking for a Show? Palais de Toyko!

2008-11-02T07:10:00.000-08:00

Palais de Tokyo showcases contemporay art. we're talking post-2005. Most people I have spoken to about Paris haven't been to Palais de Tokyo, and I recommend it as part of your art beat next time you're there. It's right next to the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. If you are an artist looking for your first show, you should consider Palais de Tokyo:

"...the Palais de Tokyo is a truly vibrant place that unhesitatingly mixes conceptual art and chainsaw sculture contests, Minimalism and zombies, readymades and mutants, to let people see contemporary art in an up-to-the-minute, complex-free way, as often as possible from the point of view of the artists themselves. It welcomes young artistes in residence sometimes offering them their first solo show or entrusts the curating of some of its exhibitions to artists..." Marc-Olivier Wahler is the current director.

Work by William Scott,a Bay Area conceptual artist, was on exhibit. It was fascinating to see his vision for the future of San Francisco and the transformation he has planned for Bayview/Hunter's Point, especially while in Paris. I was an outsider viewing outsider art, but with an ensuing local retrospect. With Scott, San Francisco reemerges as Praise Frisco, a place where his public longing for wholesome, peaceful interactions take place within redeveloped idealized neighborhood landmarks in SF.

I have so many pics of incredible artwork on display there from my day there 10 October 2008. A few of them are below. If you want to see them, email me or comment below and I'll share!

Hotel Everland on the roof of Palais de Tokyo - you can sleep!

The diorama of Hotel Everland

Tar Barrel rolling footage

Garage band

Garage band detail

Eau du Evolucion

2008-10-21T22:21:00.001-07:00

Mimosas are scrumptious. Bubbly champagne and pulpy orange juice. Add a bite of pain au chocolate and you have the perfect continental breakfast. Imagine what Mimosa Parfum must have smelled like!

Jean-Paul Guerlain quoting Pierre Louys said, "When all the laces are undone, when all the petticoats have fallen, the woman is dressed only in her perfume." Guerlain also said, "When a woman is in the arms of a man she loves, in the dark of the night, the perfume she is wearing plays a very important role." "Wear perfume wherever you want to be kissed," advised Coco Chanel. Oh I love France and its love of perfume.

Perfume Museums are always a blast in Europe. The award for the most gorgeous architecture of the European Perfume Museums goes to the Church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy, which also houses Europe's oldest pharmacy. Love!

The award for Prettiest Things in a Perfume Museum goes to the Musee du Parfum at 9 Rue Scribe in Paris (Opera).

Bottles from ancient Sumeria and Egypt right up through the art deco period.

Bottles with labels, bottles without labels.

It is a fun little place to go wander and think about the inspiration behind a scent, the layers of notes, the embodiment of a fragrance spirit in a bottle, the way the wearer interacts with the scent. Just intoxicating.

And there's plenty of contraptionary for any gadget-hounds out there.

Chemistry, beauty, the ethereal and the senses all together in one little bottle, on one delicate pulse point. And not much has changed in the last 5000 years.

"Perfume is ... 'that last and best reserve of the past, the one which when all out tears have run dry, can make us cry again!" - Marcel Proust, Novelist.

31 Rue Cambon: The Infamous and the Insolence

2008-10-13T19:12:00.001-07:00

Exclusivity works well in the way it boils up the curiosity.

I have always admired Coco Chanel and the Chanel brand stewards for their ability to cultivate and maintain this emotional draw and desire for Chanel goods, even if/when the goods are in complete opposition to one's taste. Most if not all Chanel suits will make me look like Margaret Thatcher, but I still dream of having one. The Chanel suit is as iconic as it's inventor, Coco Chanel, and will continue to be coveted as a classic couture mainstay, period. And the brilliance doesn't stop there. Chanel pioneered and legitimized the brand extension in the form of parfum (then makeup).

I've been waiting much of the last 5 years to land in Paris and pay a visit to Coco Chanel's infamous day-time apartment at 31 Rue Cambon, which she used as a study and reception room for friends while also functioning as her main Paris boutique. The eponymous fragrance can only be sniffed and purchased at Chanel boutiques, and as a loyal admirer of Coco Chanel's style, vision, history and impact as a cultural icon and a business woman, I have been saving my first experience of this exclusive fragrance for a visit to it's birthplace.

Chanel parfum bottles are architectural tributes to not only elegance, but to life and to Paris.
The classic parfum bottles are shaped to match the shape of Place Vendome where Chanel HQ is, sitting steps away from 31 Rue Cambon. I love the multi-dimesional significance and meaning behind this design choice. Chanel is Paris, Paris is Chanel. And my date with 31 Rue Cambon - Saturday, 11 October 2008 - turned out to be a day that would live in infamy.

The day started innocently enough in that beautiful Parisian way. Hazy sunlit morning on Rue Rivoli, crisp and fresh air occasionally cut with the nutty smoke stream of a cigarette. Leisurely sipping a double espresso, tiny spoon stirring a sprinkle of sugar, little bites of a petit croissant. I would go to Chanel, have the boutique staff spritz my wrist, take a walk while the fragrance developed, then return to purchase a nice large bottle. Then I would return to my hotel, put on a flirty frock, dab the parfum bottle stopper along my collar bone, behind my ears and behind my knees, then meet up with my British boyfriend who would be arriving shortly.

31 Rue Cambon features notes of bergamot, black pepper, patchouli, cistus labdanum and iris. Sounds lovely, doesnt it? It is a part of Les Exclusifs collection that also includes No 22, Gardénia, Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, 28 La Pausa, Coromandel, Bel Respiro, No. 18, and Eau de Cologne. But guess what? The parfum 31 Rue Cambon smelled terrible on me - and to me as well. I wasn't wild about it when I smelled the stopper - I dont know why I asked to be sprayed with it as well. I told the salespeopel I would let it develop, then come back. On my way out, I passed the doormen, who made a loud "Oof" and fanned their noses. That was a bad sign.

I went on my way, misery growing as the exclusive scent fully developed on my wrist. I started thinking people were looking at me - smelling me for blocks - all the way to Place Vendome if not further. I'm sure the curiosity in the faces of passers by was more "What was that poor woman thinking, smelling like that in public" and less "I wonder what that fragrance is." Much less the latter. The first order of business was to get back to the hotel and get this off before I met the Brit.

Scrubbed. De-Chanel-ed. Flirty dress yes, Rue Cambon no. Ready for Paris, but guess what...no Brit either. As my dreams of Rue Cambon shattered, so did my dream date. Not a call, not an email, not a word. Not exclusive. QUite the opposite. And that really really stinks.

Jolt 2.0 - Crowdsourcing Gains a Few Notches

2008-10-13T18:12:00.001-07:00

A little while back Joffrey's Coffee reached out to 10,000 bloggers, programmers, gamers, and otherwise sleep-deprived professionals to create a little buzz - physically and promotionaly - with samples of their new coffee Jamaican Me Crazy. This is what I had to say about it.

The folks at Joffrey's then took the feedback from the 1500+ bloggers and upgraded Jamaican Me Crazy into Coffee 2.o ("Java Update"). They sent us the latest Release with a sweet little brief laden with computing metaphor a couple weeks ago: "Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Co.'s Coffee 2.0 java update contains many bug fixes and improvements over your usual blend. To get it, connect your Web browser to Coffee20.Joffreys.com and click Add to Cart." AW shucks that's cute!

This is marketing at it's finest as far as I'm concerned, because it's so SIMPLE:

1) Strong product (cant go wrong with coffee)
2) Beta launch with free stuff soliciting feedback for product refinement with added bonus of free buzz and word of mouth promo
3) Refine and follow up with test market (who now likes you because you care about what they think and are giving them more free stuff)
4) More buzz
5) Extending offer to blog readers, soliciting additional feedback in return for free stuff
6) It's caffeine so everyone gets addicted
7) Brand had gained clout and respect, and this will be a large part of consumer purchase decision

Good job Joffrey's.

Nicked Legs Dont Come Cheap in Paris

2008-10-13T18:06:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately I did the math right the first time around. Each Euro I spent cost me US$1.30. The exchange rate wasn't too bad last week. But the cost of razors in Paris was absurd. So at 20 Euro, the pack of 4 disposable plastic gillette razors that chewed up my legs and spit them down the drain into the bowels of paris cost me US$27.00. Thats almost US$7.00 a razor - 5 Euro each.

I should have checked the carry -on luggage rules ahead of time - turns out I could have taken my Venus. Oh why oh why did I leave my razor at home? 20 Euro extra could have got me any of the following:

4 cafe au lait at my favorite cafe - Cafe Grand Corona
2.5 bottles of pretty darn decent red wine
20 pain au chocolate
10 baguette
4 packs gauloises
3 museum admissions
3 glasses champagne

Sounds so much better than a scabby leg, oui?

This guy TP apparently loves Gillettes, and says they are a great example of getting what you pay for. Hmm, he should buy them in Europe and see what he thinks?

Sexy and Air France

2008-10-13T18:01:00.001-07:00

Paris is romance and mystique. There's alot of effortless sexiness going on in that city - I think it was mandated way back - cro magnon times. Of prehistoric man, cro magnon is the most sexy, non? Just watch/read Clan of the Cave Bear - Ayla was the herald of the Cro Magnon period - and they lived in Paris. Oui, way back. Last week was my first ever flight on Air France, and the experience was steeped in that sexy Parisian vibe. It was the best flight of my life so far for these reasons:

Electrical outlets under your seat - practical and sexy
Electro-trance with light vocals playing over speakers in flight though cabin for red-eye mood setting - ethereal and sexy at a mile high in the middle of the night
In-flight movie was Sex & The City: The Movie - poppy and sexy
Champagne flowing nonstop in coach - celebratory and sexy
Fluffy tabouleh salad with fresh shrimp, ultra-julienne red bell pepper, a tiny cut of flat leaf parsely and a light drizzle of olive oil - delicate and sexy - check out more pics of in flight meals on Air France and feedback here - despite looks, everyone agrees on delicious taste
Free wine with meals - generous and sexy
Gorgeous staff - french and sexy
Sea horse logo (above) - asymmetrical and sexy
Collector's item advertising since 1930's - global and sexy
Christian Lacroix uniforms - sexy, french and fantastique. Lets discuss:

The women's uniforms are beautiful. The Air France Uniform corporate brochure
explains the design theory and approach depth, but highlights include darts for structure and confidence, grey-blue accents for uplifting, happy energy and a flirty thin red belt peeking out from around the waist. Classic chignons for the ladies, longer crew cuts or finger waves for the guys - what a stylish air crew!

C'est Manifique!

My New Plush Toy...with browser interface

2008-08-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

Chumby is mine all mine! Chumby is alot like a bean bag or a one half of a fuzzy dice set, but with a screen and a browser. It's an alarm clock, music, and web interface all in one. I've had it for about a week but am only now getting to seriously play with it. I think Chumby will be a hit.

Alot of people dont "get" Chumby when I explain it. But once they see Chumby, they understand. Chumby takes the place of my laptop while I'm curled up on the couch, or reading a book in bed. Once Chumby goes wireless then it gets into some backyard time. Basilcally, Chumby is there for when I dont want my laptop around. And I love my cellie, but the UI is too darn miniscule. Chumby is better!

It starts with chumby.com, which is Chumby Control Center. Thats where I add my widgets. I have already added widgets for webcams, social networks, news feeds, games, and LOL Cats to my Chumby Channel 1. I think I might add the Perez Hilton widget right now. There did it. All your fave media conglomerates (WSJ to the Onion) and web 2.0 co's have widgets, and NASCAR has one too!

The Chumby client is a Linux-based, open-source platform. Chumby Industries encourages the hacking of the Chumby and has made the Chumby hacker-friendly. That's very considerate of them! Chumby is all good. There is even a cast of characters featuring a planaria (my favorite flatworm!) and a ham, named Hamby.

More on Chumby to come. But for now, check out the job listings for Chumby Industries because Chumby is on the rise.

TAG-ged

2008-07-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Big news in tech conferences! Serena Software's global TAG conference is coming up September 7-10 in the veritable beating heart of Silicon Valley. This year's theme is "Permission to Innovate" - Knowing this group, we are in for something new and awesome. If you go to www.serena.com/tag you can check out all the info.

I know one thing that will be going on are some killer keynotes:

--"PERMISSION TO INNOVATE" by all-time-cool-ceo Jeremy Burton
--"MEGA MASHUP" with dynamique Rene Bonvanie and his masher friends

And I will definitely be at the Monday Evening Mash Fest on Sept 8 from 5:30pm to 9:30 pm, where we can meet up and Eat, Drink & Get Mashed!

Monday Evening Mash Fest will be open to the public! HECK YEA!
[yOU bETTER cOME, cASHMORE!]

And check this out - the Mash Fest features a Mash'n Show (a fashion show for Mashups) and Mash Pits to help you get started on your Mashups or take your existing Mashups the last mile. Two if my fave topics for the Mash Pits are Pimp My Mashup (UI Design) and the Vice Squad (compliance Mashups).

Big fun! After all, these are the folks who's Just@#$%It video hit #1 on YouTube for 2 days and have almost 2 million views of the sequel on Facebook. Watch and learn, watch and learn. And mash of course.

A Slice of Leisure Life

2008-06-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

You guys know how much I love American Apparel for their devil-may-care advertising and Los Angeles manufacturing. Hot. But today I cheated.

Today I tasted a slice of some new big time basics also manufactured in LA, and with an edge: ANKH by Jennifer Grossman. And I liked this stuff. I liked this stuff alot. In fact, I came home, took off my American Apparel miniskirt, and put some of this new stuff on instead. I'm wearing it now. It's clear ANKH is a big time contender in the basic ready to wear and sportswear spaces.

This stuff is so comfortable - and that's always big time as far as I'm concerned. Comfortable elegant rock n roll basics with a softened edge - oh yes, that's life. These tees, sweats, hoodies and dresses are made from soft combed cotton and sometimes other innovative fabrications such as bamboo that feel like silk. Fabrics incorporate fresh dye techniques, original graphics and understated embellishments. Guys, men's stuff may be coming soon so don't be jealous!

ANKH APPAREL will be at Las Vegas MAGIC August 27-30, so if you're retail industry and buying at MAGIC, stop by their triple-wide!

Tie One On

2008-06-04T19:51:00.000-07:00

Big biz is awash in hardship. Profit sullied by Loss. The Widgets 2.0 aren't selling. And - brace yourself - guys don't like ties anymore. Yes - this is a fact. Gone are the days of neckties. Seriously! When was the last time you saw a tie at the office? On someone other than the intern - a mod hipster type ?

Us girls still like ties - and I mean wearing them. I made this halter dress from a man's necktie - and sold it (and 20 just like it) for about $100 bucks each. The profit margin was 30%. But that was for the ladies. The guys...well, even the tie guys aren't even wearing ties anymore.

The Men's Dress Furnishings Association, who represents American tie manufacturers, has lost 85% of their membership in the last 20 year (since the 1980's, when power suits needed power ties.

Unless you were Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas

The scoop is that U.S. tie companies have been consolidating and overseas competition has taken half the market share that used to belong to US necktie manufacturers. Why? A recent Gallup Poll revealed that 6% of men wore ties every day to work in 2007, down from 10% in 2002. Worse, NPD Group reports that US sales plummeted from $1.3 billion in 1995 (who knew?) to $677.7 million by March 31, 2008 from their peak of $1.3 billion in 1995.

Well, fashion evolution is necessary, even in the workplace. I better get out the sewing machine; I sense a tie sale.

A Brief Look at Ties Through the Ages (WSJ, June 4, 2008)

The Dream Machine

2008-05-10T18:49:00.001-07:00

Somebody try this!!!

Top 10 Big Time Favorite hits at 12:30am on a Sat AM

2008-04-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

10. Turkish cab driver in SF reminiscing about Istanbul food, the Bosphorous and shipping lines
9. Cassidy, bartender at Le Club (1250 Jones St., SF, CA)
8. Older gentleman who knows how to help the ladies with their coats
7. Dubai skyline
6. Marseilles port stories
5. My mini skirt
4. Champagne
3. Everything Seeded Flatbread (like an everything bagel, but flatbread)
2. Ushering in a new era of Big risk, Big reward
1.Smiling, waving, laughing and looking hot.

Joffrey's Coffee Looks for a Jolt from the Blogosphere

2008-04-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

What a week. When you start working after interviewing from the couch for 3 months, the transition is drastic. One huge change is my rate of personal coffee consumption. Interviewing from the couch required one cup in the morning, followed by a series of green tea jolts for the incremental yet healthy boost of alertness.

So I received my blogger java beta test sample of Jamaican Me Crazy coffee from Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company, and I am chugging it right this second. Jamaican Me Crazy is ground from caramel, vanilla and coffee liquer flavored Arabica coffee beans and though I am not at all a fan of flavored coffees, the coffee is MUY FUERTE -which is a crucial characteristic in my book.

Joffrey's is based in Tampa, Florida. I love that they have reached out to caffeine-fueled bloggers, hackers and entrepreneurs for this promotion. Smart word of mouth tactic. Vee see vat happens.

Sometimes You Just Stop Hitting it Big

2008-03-28T01:33:00.000-07:00

The fashion show marathon covering New York, London, Milan and Paris for the last month is finally over, and the bulk of attendees had NOTHING to wear by the end of it. Buyers hated the clothes and sales were nonexistent.

Wondering what was so hideous about the clothes?

Too expensive. Fast fashion has proven itself a rival to designer tags. These days, fashion sales (like professional services) fall into a natural cycle of self-regulated cost based on simple rules of supply/demand. When designers get too greedy, us fashion slaves easily move to H&M, Zara, Target, etc.

No color. Boring. Blah. Not everyone lives in New York, London, Milan and Paris where people only wear black, and maybe white if its hot outside. The rest of the world loves color.

People don't want to wait until Fall 2008 to buy this stuff when the media is hyping it right now. Zara and Target will have similar stuff in about 2 weeks.

Clothes are are not a high-return investment. Leather goods, yes. Jewelry, yes. Homes, yes. People want to spend elsewhere.

Do You See a Resemblance?

2008-03-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

American Apparel China

2008-03-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Updates to my February post discussing American Apparel, When in "Rome" Get a T Shirt:

As promised, American Apparel is finalizing leases for new stores in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou. The stores are scheduled to open next month, timed perfectly for the influx of tourism and spending associated with the Beijing Summer Olympics. Contrary to my previous post and interviews given by American Apparel execs, product manufacturing for the China market will continue in Los Angeles. Interesting reversal to the current cross-Pacific flow of manufactured apparel - China currently leads share of apparel imports in the US (1/3 of apparel sold in the US is manufactured there).

The company's LA headquarters will be home to even more jobs to support increased operations. That's a good thing and rare in the fashion industry. Also rare in the industry is American Apparel's commitment to livable wages in an effort to reverse the trend in sweatshop labor practices, domestic and abroad. Workers in the Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou stores will be guaranteed, in the very least, hourly wages equivalent to the US federal minimum wage - currently $5.85/hour (Andrew Harmon for DNR, March 17, 2008). Currently. minimum wages in China are determined at the local level and on a monthly cycle. As of April 1, 2008, the highest minimum wage in China will be in the capital city (Guangzhou) of it's richest province, Guangdong, at $120/month (860 yuan). Chinese Labor Law restricts one day's working time to eight hours, and to an average of 44 hours per week, so rough calculations result in an hourly wage of $0.68/hour in Guangzhou. And wages are lower in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, where the stores will be. No matter how you slice it, the $$/time ratio on jobs at these stores cannot be beat.

Another fascinating prospect is American Apparel's future advertising campaigns in China. The Chinese government's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television banned ads for women's underwear (among other intimate products) in September 2007. Radio/film/TV industry regulators feel strongly about the effects of sexually suggestive ads on China's society, morals and public health. Meanwhile, back in LA, American Apparel employees must sign a standard HR document declaring: “American Apparel is in the business of designing and manufacturing sexually charged T-shirts and intimate apparel, and uses sexually charged visual and oral communications in its marketing and sales activity.” It's likely that American Apparel will launch their brand in China softly and slowly, but CEO Dov Charney says he's planning on testing the waters. High leg kicks everyone!!!

Beautiful Dubai

2008-03-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

Beauty is blooming in the United Arab Emirates. With substantial and tax-free per capita income, 65% population between the ages of 20 and 40, and dramatic growth in retail development, the UAE -and Dubai in particular- is now a haven for local, regional and international beauty brands. In 2005, the cosmetics and personal care market in the UAE alone was worth more than $414 million in retail sales an increase from $382 million in 2004. And get this: the 2007 cosmetics and toiletries market in the UAE was valued at $725 million; Dubai accounts for 70% of that UAE total, or (WWD, Vol. 195, No. 55, March 14, 2008),or $507.5 million.

Average luxury and mass channel growth rates are between 10% and 15% in the UAE, but Dubai's leading luxury retail chain, Faces (similar to Sephora in concept), is logging 55% growth. However, Faces is owned and operated by the Chalhoub Group, who has been leading the luxury retail and beauty business in the Middle East since 1955. They have a head start on you.

The Chalhoub Group holds about 35% of total regional beauty market share. With Dubai home to 140 nationalities, competition among brands is fierce-natural kohl eyeliner from Saudi Arabia will give Benefit's Bad Gal mascara a run for its money any day. Still, color cosmetics and skin care have the highest forecast growth (50/55%) in the beauty category; haircare and fragrance currently lead. Euromonitor forecasts beauty sales for the UAE to exceed $900 million by 2010. For Dubai that's $630 million. Projected value of the same market in the United States is $7.6 billion for 2010.

Tempting.

The Real-Time Enterprise

2008-03-07T10:54:00.000-08:00

I'm watching the televised House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on CSPAN, with testimony from Charles Prince, former CEO of Citigroup Inc.; Stanley O'Neal, former CEO of Merrill Lynch & Co.; and Angelo Mozilo., chief executive of Countrywide Financial Corp.

Mozilo has just stated that reports on the high rate of borrowers missing their first mortgage payments in early 2006 didn't reach his desk until 1st quarter 2007. My CEO's have always received reports on business performance on a weekly basis. Furthermore, the top industry for real-time BI reporting solutions is Financial Services (this from my tech marketing research and experience over the last 3 years). I don't believe that it took a full year for Mozilo to get this news. If it's true:

Quick! Oracle, SAP, JasperSoft or Cognos need to call up Countrywide and sell some products
Mozilo's staff held back the bad news to save their own behinds

Hitting It Big, But Not Right This Second

2008-03-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

Drat this 7 year recession. I was hiding out in grad school for the worst of it, then toiling away my days in high tech during the ++ temporary spike from '05-'07 (which resulted in everyone buying houses with subprime variable rate mortgages, oh jeez). Until recently, I have remained unscathed.

No more. Today's weak employment report has really hit home with me, since I have not signed on any dotted lines regarding my own employment (though will be doing so shortly). The report, though more dismal than expected, actually gives an very bright and rosy employment picure, compared to the true reality of the situation. See, due to a few technicalities with the data used in its construction, the unemployment rate is likely much higher. Ditto the oh jeez.

The true unemployment rate is higher than today's reported 4.8%. As you may know, the unemployment rate is based on people who are reporting themselves unemployed and looking for work via Unemployment Insurance programs through their local Dept of Labor or equivalent (and the data is collaborated by JOLTS, Challenger, etc). EXAMPLE OF WHERE CALCULATIONS FALL SHORT: Though between jobs since January when my high tech contract ended, I am not counted as unemployed because I was paid as a 1099 in 2007. Even though the 1099 was forced and without option for W2, I am considered self-employed and not counted. Technically, I'm considered an inactive participant in the labor market. I am not the only one in this predicament. And there are other ways the calculations do not fully capture the unemployment rate: In today's WSJ (you may have to log in), Naroff Economic Advisors speculates "With all the news about a recession, people may be giving up looking for work." Plain and simple: waiting it out, going back to school, living off their girlfriend/boyfriend/trustfund, etc.

There are no massive layoffs right now. Rather, hiring just isn't keeping pace with labor market growth. I have experienced this, too, first hand, in my many weekly interviews (and this as an "inactive participant" - LOVE IT!!!). I'll hold off on the details of this routine; lets just say that the "Hurry up and Wait" strategy is alive and well in the HR dept of the Fortune 500 tech companies. I guess it's just proof that nobody really knows what to expect with this, or how to respond. My response will be to eat more ramen. At 4/$1.00, this strategy is sure to increase my consumer confidence.

The Man and Ralph Nader

2008-03-02T08:35:00.000-08:00

We have two generations of new talent in the workforce and the think tanks to redefine principles of economics and commerce - and there's no better time, now that the economy and the web have proven that old standards are not going to carry us forever. This is the reason I got my MBA. It is our time now - Generation X and Generation Y can give capitalism a conscience, a new edge, and start the movement away from the pathological, psychotic corporate profile that is the face of what we currently call "Big Business," which many critics say is run by The Man.

To be honest, I wasn't alive yet when it was Ralph Nader's "time" in the 1960's and early 1970's. In school we learned he paved the way for consumer advocacy and protection, but until he reappeared in 1992 as a green party presidential candidate pick, I thought he had died. Now that Ralph Nader has joined yet another presidential race, I have several questions for him:

Mr. Nader, where were you during the 1980's anyway? There is virtually no information available on you in that decade.
Mr. Nader, you say Hilary and Barack are too beholden to big business and won't set a finite timeline for withdrawal of our combat troops in the Middle East. Yet based on previous disclosure forms, your stock portfolio includes: Halliburton, Occidental Petroleum, the Limited, the Gap, Wal-Mart, Exxon-Mobil, Shell Oil Company, Sunoco, Texaco, Chevron Corporation, Raytheon (a major missile manufacturer), other various defense contractors, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Come on Mr. Nader, HALLIBURTON? 5 OIL COMPANIES?
Mr. Nader, are you a closet Republican, or would you rather have a Republican president than a Democrat?

We all have agenda, and Nader's is complicated.

P.S. If you believe in and like to keep tabs on The Man, this is a great resource for you - http://stickingittotheman.com/establishment/index.html

Sandhill Road Just Got a Fashion Injection

2008-02-21T11:56:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness for Venture Capital Wear. Just launched yesterday, go here to get a shirt your VC friends will like in one easy installment of $100 (per shirt). They just need 1% of VCs with torsos to buy their shirts. Or what the hey buy the whole company -here's the pitch- for 100K

More on this from Mashable

Update: Due to great interest, the price of VCWear has now gone up. Hurry and get it while it's still affordable!!

When in "Rome" Get a T Shirt

2008-02-17T09:03:00.001-08:00

The last stop worth noting on my Las Vegas retail tour was the Forum Shops at Caesars. Like all my stops except for the Fashion Show mall, these shops hock luxury brands, and you can cover almost every major player plus smaller fringe-y favorites in this one single stop. Unlike the tiny Wynn and the work-in-process Venetian-Palazzo, Caesars has my favorite designers Christian Lacroix and Dolce and Gabbana. Versace and everyone else is there, too.

Not all of Caesars is in the 4+ digit range. People on a budget will be interested in American Apparel. I know I was. I picked up a black mini skirt and my friend picked up a hoodie. Then we went over to Sushi Roku next door to replenish ourselves after Caesars' sensory overload.

It was at Sushi Roku where we discussed what American Apparel meant by its "Vertically Integrated Manufacturing". This means the company doesn't outsource its production, everything happens under one roof - knit, dye, design, cut, sew, advertise, market, ship. Everything takes place in a seven-story pink warehouse in downtown LA. My fashion industry cohorts sniffed between sips of champagne, doubting the company holds 100% true to this model.

I am a believer in American Apparel, though. Everything there is a tshirt, or a variation on the underwear theme - some people call these "Basics." Indeed, the design of these items are basic, and zero technical designers are needed for American Apparel styles. Thats' why its possible for them to vertically integrate in downtown LA.

"The problem is there's no standardization in apparel," says Dov Charney, the founder and CEO of American Apparel. The fashion industry changes styles every three months, he says, giving artists and designers too much freedom and flexibility. And as long as apparel producers keep churning out new product lines, the industry will continue to depend on a subcontracting model. "We keep feeding consumers these ridiculous choices," Charney says. "But it's on the backs of inhumane labor."

The company does plan to go global, opening plants in China and India to start. They say product manufactured in those plants will be sold locally. I predict incredible success - American brand cache around casual classics popularized by the iconic rebels, athletes and go-go girls of the American 1950's and 1960's. And these basics have proven staying power - just look in your bureau, and the bureaus of everyone you know, fashionable or not. Cant miss with that.

The Strip's New Palace

2008-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

As long as we're talking Vegas Strip shopping, the new and under-construction Palazzo Shops at the Venetian (where Barneys is) deserve attention. In Italian, a palazzo is "a grand building of some architectural ambition that is the headquarters of a family of some renown or of an institution," the equivalent to the English "palace". There's a definite difference between the stores at the Canal Shoppes in the Venetian, and those on tap to open at Palazzo. The schmaltzy "streetmosphere" along the Grand Canal gives way to clean and modern minimalism surrounding one central grand foyer in the heart of the Palazzo. The business implications of this $1.9 billion building are staggering. Las Vegas Sands executives said that the property, catering to a high-end clientele of course, will have major volume — more than 7,000 rooms. The company has been successful with its focus on filling rooms at midweek with conventioneers and vacationers on the weekends. Now, the company will have one more advantage: a single back-of-the-house operation servicing and supplying two resorts.

Once the company goes forward with its next major project — a new convention center just south of a parking garage across the street and to the west of the existing Sands Expo & Convention Center — the company will have the ability to run conventions nonstop. While one show is under way at one hall, another is moving in behind an event that is moving out at the other. A staggered schedule should keep the resort busy all the time.

Micahel Kors, Chloe, DVF, Ferragamo, Tory Burch, Bottega Veneta, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin and Thomas Pink are open for shopping, along with the Barney's. Annie Creamcheese is opening soon.

Fall 2008 Fashion for Regular Joe's and Jane's

2008-02-16T20:51:00.000-08:00

With Magic, Project and NY Fashion Week out of the way, here's the net net on Fall 2008 fashion trends that will be felt/noticed by the regular person who is, in fact, NOT a slave to fashion:

Totally New and Fresh:
Two tone corduroy - yea!

Continuations from 2007:
The Color Purple - Prominent in Fall Designer Collections
Black and white
Studded, blinged menswear
Caps adorned with embroidery and hardware (and sometimes fur) for texture
Recycled wool
Organic cotton

Replays from sometime in the last 5 years:
Hard denim
Straight leg cuts
Thin belts

Fashion Vids for Kicks:
For the Gals: Diane von Furstenberg

For the Guys: Armani

Silhouettes are relaxed - menswear is more casual, loungey and less buttoned up; womenswear in soft with some waist definition rather than totally flowy or puffy like in 2007.

Pantone Color Report (top fall 2008 colors for women):
View the shades
The Blue Hues
* Blue Iris - This is Pantone’s color of the year for 2008, according to their report. A rich beautiful blue with purple undertones which has been a firm favorite amongst such designers as Leger, Costello Tagliapetra, Diana Von Furstenberg and Oscar De La Renta. Combining the regal richness of purple with cool and calming aspects of blue.
* Royal Lilac - a combination of bluish purples and cheerful red undertones. undertones.
* Shady Glade - a mossy green base color which is a departure from the more traditional greens of the past.
* Caribbean Blue -Evokes memories of tropical vacations which adds intensity to its color companions.
* Twilight Blue - a twist on a classic navy, a strong, powerful steady color.

The Red Hues
* Aurora Red - Reds and purples are a keynote combination for Fall 2008. Given its dash of energy and vitality to the palette Aurora red is not exception.
* Withered Rose - a dusky brownish pink that blends with almost any shade.
* Burnt Orange - Powerful and robust, Burnt Orange is subtle enough to be worn by most skin tones, but steady enough to be a backdrop and strong enough to be at the fore front of an outfit.
* Ochre - Adding a touch of lightness traditional autumnal color is Ochre with a hint of mustard against mellow yellow.

Understated Shitake
* Shitake - "The color of a Japanese mushroom, this complex yet modest shade is intriguingly understated," states the Pantone report, "especially when teamed with the robust colors of fall" '08.

The MAGIC of Las Vegas

2008-02-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

The MAGIC and Project shows have hit Vegas this week, so I have too. Rather than focus on the trends on expo at the Convention Center, I'm checking out the shopping on the Strip, where alot of these styles and trends will end up in some form or another.
Today I started with Fashion Show, the big new-ish shopping mall on the strip across from the Wynn. I had great expectations for Fashion Show, maybe because it had a Neiman Marcus. In truth, Fashion Show is curated like any mall in any city, but WITH a Neiman Marcus, and thats the only difference. Nevertheless, there are some things I really like about Fashion Show:

---the club atmosphere of the sidewalk outside with 1/4 mile of shadow dance videos accompanied by Grammy hits
---the Star_ucks was an international scene with a bridal shower in from Spain
---architecturally it looks like a Moon Station, which is actually quite unattractive but it brings the whole Vegas/Elvis/Beehive/aliens-in-the-desert vibe out of the 1950s and close to the 2000's

All of this left me feeling like I might as well be shopping at the Hillsdale Mall or The Grove LA, so, just for kicks, I moved on to something completely unattainable: the luxury shopping at the Wynn.
If you have the allowance, this is a peaceful, pretty place for procuring a Chanel ensemble, the Cartier love bracelet, a Dior shirt/tie, a Rolex for your honey, or any small leather goods from the hallmark classics of luxury. I am on a strict budget confined to freeloading this week, so all I did was leche vitrine. As I headed down the strip to Caesars's for a review, the BRAND NEW Barneys New York stopped me dead in my tracks.Barneys in Vegas is a solid shopping choice. As always, the stock is well curated and rare, and the merchandising is sublime with a sophisticated sense of humor, irony and elegance. And the salespeople are awesome - no attitude, helpful, and a wealth of info about the product you are perusing (you have to ask for the info, though, because they keep a friendly yet respectable distance while you browse). I fell in love with a pair of Alaia gladiator bootlet sandals in hazlenut leather, which apparently were 1 pair in 50 in the whole United States. Still unemployed :(

Caesars peek and the full trend report for Fall 2008 coming up!

Promenade Yer Pardner

2008-02-11T09:57:00.001-08:00

Want to go square dancing tonight? No, really, square dancing! Its totally fun I swear!

Is your face still registering horror, disbelief, disdain, or rejection? That's what mine did, too, when this option for Saturday night was put on the table. But after considering the international audience's interpretation of Super Bowl Sunday menus (see last post, Meat Me at the Super Bowl), I decided to continue my Cultural Interpretation Studies and check out the SF Hipster interpretation of this barn dance classic. See below!

The attendees were on average age 24 to 35 - they embraced the theme and there was plaid, gingham and prairie clothes a-plenty. Stetsons and even a straw hat were on several guys - and they tipped 'em on the "Bow to yer pardner, bow to yer corner" bits. Cowboy boots were on most of the ladies, with prairie skirts. I was happy that there were no pleated bermuda shorts with boots at the square dance, ala Miss Amanda Jones in Some Kind of Wonderful. I was wearing a suede-clad Brigitte Bardot look.

I definitely recommend this Square Dance at the Swedish American Hall (above Cafe DuNord in SF) - mainly for good ol' fashion fun and stripping away the hard and bitter shell easily acquired on that 101 commute. International friends who are visiting should also be treated to this slice of American life. Pop in at with Lucky 13 down the block before/after to readjust with a Rock N Roll injection.

Meat Me at the Super Bowl

2008-02-04T11:24:00.000-08:00

If my team doesn't make it to the finals, I always put my money on the underdog. It's a good feeling to be at a crowded table with my pals, cheering, yelling, having moments of silent prayer, eating hotdogs, hot wings, sliders, ribs. That last part is the best part next to the underdogs winning the game. All the food. All the meat.

Big televised American sports finals like the Super Bowl are my favorite days for deviating from my normal, healthy culinary patterns and embracing the many varieties of grilled, fried and sauced up meats (french fries and onion rings on the side). This is big news for someone like me, who is -truthfully- half bunny rabbit. On Big Game days, however, the fluffy tail comes off and the fangs come out. Regrettably, my tummy is too small to really go nuts, but I made a decent killing yesterday while cheering the NY Giants.

As the NFL builds its international audience, I am imagining Super Bowl parties around the world--platefuls if Tandoori chicken, platters of lamb kebab, heaps of prawns in garlic sauce, bratwursts galore, and piles of prosciutto-wrapped veal burgers. Sounds good to me, though at odds with the movement toward soy as a more sustainable crop (needs less water and less land than cattle for more volume, crops mature in 8-10 months where cattle matures in 2 years). Then again, soy farming also has its downfalls (alleged contribution to deforestation, high fat content).

If worse comes to worse and we devote more acreage and water to fields of soy, I suggest letting the meat flow freely on Big Game day, as we do with candy on Halloween. Trick or Meat!

The Newest Media Musical : "Recession!"

2008-01-28T22:04:00.000-08:00

For the last 2 weeks, the media is talking about the US economy like it's Britney Spears. I'm thankful for the focus on something a bit more, um, relevant to our day-to-day lives, so lets talk Recession!

At first it freaked me out to get apocalyptic-sounding emails from my news sources about how the end was upon us in the form of a Recession because consumer credit is ridiculously high as always, and the S&P and the other stuff was losing big time points in single days as always in January. And then I spoke to my neighbor who felt that we were in a Recession because his favorite stocks were tanking.

At brunch on Sunday, I began to formulate a viewpoint on the Recession in the US. I've summarized in layman's terms below - and if you're an economist, please comment:

Q3 2007 GDP = 4.9 % (an astounding high)
There is speculation that we may be in the first quarter of a recession, meaning that GDP will have negative real economic growth as of Q4 2007, and then again as of Q1 2008.
Our last recession ended Q1 2003 (though some people dispute that you can call 2001-2003 a recession because it does not fit the classic def - though all the other econ indicators weakened drastically)
If indeed we find we are now in a recession, there have been 2 recessions under President George W. Bush.
To get out of the last recession, Greenspan wielded the big ol' monetary policy; concurrently we began to see strengthening economic indicators like consumer confidence, more housing starts, less than 5% unemployment, etc. Oh, and government spending went through the roof with the war, and foreign investment continued to rise.
The stock market picked up that summer and everyone who bought was happy for the next 4 years
The stock market went nuts on '06-'07 and everyone started making tons of money in oil, tech and steel - heck YEA!!!
Then the stock market went down after '07 holidays, and the credit card bills from the holidays arrived in the mailboxes and everyone got really sad
Recession!
I am suggesting that under President George W. Bush we have been experiencing one long stretch of extreme economic slowdown that has been punctuated by a big ol' spike of (temporary) upturn, felt by investors in 2006-2007.

We are measuring the state of the economy today against extreme highs we have felt over the last few years. GDP and the markets have experienced ridiculous high growth in those years - of course they will glow growth and approach a normal, average rate - happening now.

Update: There is another issue that adds to the fear factor coming over the wire - that of IPO's. Lots of IPOs to be postponed this year? Maybe. There are several fashion industry IPO's set for 2008: Tommy Hilfiger, Prada and Ferragamo. Hilfigers roadshow was set to start last week and was delayed at the last minute due to "volatile market conditions". Ferragamo's is still on for latter 2008, thought Ferragamo is not commenting on their IPO. Prada is working to "determine the best timing." What is interesting about this news (from WWD, Friday, January 25, 2008) is that Prada has postponed its IPO 3 times since 2001 due to "market volatility." Again - one long stretch of economic downturn and chaos under one President.

Update: Q4 2007 GDP has come in at .6% growth. Certainly much slower that expected - again, remember that both Q2/Q3 2007 came in at 4.9% - extreme high. We'll see what the Fed does. Haven't heard the R word in a couple days.

Live from post and fillmore

2008-01-25T19:12:00.001-08:00

The sundance kabuki cinema in sf is boss. My favorite thing to do right now.

Impolite Mealtime Conversation Topics #1

2008-01-25T11:28:00.000-08:00

Access to YouTube has resumed in Turkey as of late yesterday (Pacific time). Since January 17, 2008, anyone attempting to access YouTube from within Turkey had been greeted with notices in English and Turkish saying it was banned under an Ankara court order. This was a replay of the same ordeal from last March 2007, and based on the same video clip, which, according to the Turkish government and likely to millions of Turks, is disrespectful to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ataturk is considered the founding father of modern Turkey, and insulting him is illegal.

I am waiting to hear what's up with all this on a local level from my friends in Istanbul, who I met last June/July while on vacation there. I spent several afternoons with my travel agent friend drinking coffees and watching AC/DC and Madonna videos on YouTube in his smoky office.

There may be differing opinions on everything else in Turkey, but one thing was very clear while I was there - most Turks living in Turkey will never criticize Ataturk. It isn’t just because it is against the law to do so (don't laugh at the paradox if you haven't been there). It seems to me, as an outsider looking in, that insulting or in any way depreciating the value of the man who founded modern Turkey is experienced as a deeply personal assault on actual identity. Ataturk’s image is everywhere - bills, coins, streets, airports (the one in Istanbul is his namesake)etc. You see the same iconography treatment in other countries with the likes of Queen Elizabeth II, Abraham Lincoln, Fidel Castro (but Fidel is not on Cuban money), etc.

I bring up Cuba because of a similar attitude - Cubans living in Cuba may have differing opinions with the government these days, but everybody respects Fidel to a certain degree. Afterall, he rescued Cuba from Fulgencio Batista, and the Cubans living in Cuba are not the people that profited and got rich with the Batista regime. They couldn't afford to leave for Florida once Fidel and his 11 friends started garnering popular support.

Anyway, back to iconography - It seems that, in these images, there is a reminder of what it means to be a __________ (fill in the blank - Turkish, Brit, American, Cuban, etc). From that, in Turkey, we get the notion of insulting Turkishness, the zeitgeist of the law under which the YouTube ban was reinstated.

No, it should not be illegal to insult Turkishness. Yes, international freedom of expression and access to that expression is a concept I endorse. Yet, every country struggles with this issue, and no culture should be too quick to pat themselves on the back. Remember the 14-year old girl and her myspace page.

Let's Get Personal

2008-01-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

Reputation Management is an area my friend Emma McGrattan and I wondered aloud about at the Red Herring Global 100 event last December 2007 in Seattle. Andrew Wyant of LifeLock was also part of the conversation. We hit on some big time ideas and I don't doubt these ideas are worth ~~million$~~ billion$ so I can't go into it here. But I would be happy to share F2F over coffee or champagne.

I will disclose that I need to do some Reputation Management myself, and it must focus around a site called mary.com. I believe they've got some SEO spamnology in place that identifies when someone searches a name, and them incorporates the name into a mary.com blurb in the search results. I found out about this today when I started thinking it strange that a couple people asked me why I never talk about how I'm Canadian (not, I'm a NorCal native), how I'm so mature for my mere 24 years (a-HEM), why I'm so into Personality Tests (as if answering 500 questions is fun), etc.

So, in my opinion, Mary.com is way way uncool and I'm not signed up with them. Could be the up-n-coming track star that I have my eye on. Watch it ST!

Bling gets G'd

2008-01-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

This is a follow-on to my last post. I G'd Bling because I couldn't resist the pull of the double oo's. After various dictionaries, jewelry sites, gold teeth links, bottled water (you've heard about this on InsideEdition), various weblogs, a skateboard competition, and the Killers video, I realized what was missing. One thing that did not come up in the first 5 pages of my organic search results was the beautiful company BioBling. I've had my eye on this white hot Cadillac El Dorado for a couple months.

Ain't she purty?

Big Time Words

2008-01-23T12:06:00.001-08:00

I was thinking about Google as a verb, 10 years of popular usage under it's belt. People really like to say it. The double oo's are key and the bookend g's remind us of fun words that make us laugh, like goober and goofy. Everyone says it, no, COMMANDS it! Even my parents are demanding I google everything under the sun...even myself. Yea, ok, I'll pretend I haven't tried that.

Bling is another word that has hit the big time in the last 10 years. Everything is blingity bling bling. Can't hate the bling. In fact, I saw the perfect window display for Red Hat, if they ever decide to bling. Or better yet, if they decide to launch a fragrance (a Musk, of course). What should we call it?

The Power Lounge - mojito included

2008-01-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

There are too many wires in my life. With the miracle of wireless technology, I'm only counting 1 less wire than before (buh-bye dsl cable), but counting several new potential wires in the form of solar-power adaptors.

Here in Northern California we've been talking about solar power since Solid Gold was on Friday night TV at 8pm and Donna Summer had that 1 hit record. Now in 2008 it's a semi-affordable option to put in your home. That's progress. I am hoping that eventually I can get rid of all my chargers and adaptors and just leave my pda, ipod, camera, laptop, etc laying around charging in the sun (behind the solar-power high security shock-fence, of course). I can pull up a chaise lounge right next to them and have a mojito. Maybe at my house I'll call this area the "Power Lounge", the "Solar Pavilion", or maybe just "The Cabana". First I need a house, and then I need a pool, but regardless, I want to see some solar panels slapped down right on my gadgets, just like a solar power calculator I have (that never seems to charge). Eliminating all the other wires will make my purse and/or luggage a good 3 lbs lighter.

Now, that might call for a renaming of CES. The Consumer Innovations and Sustainable Technologies show, aka CIST? Well, here's the low-down of what was at CES 2008 in the way of Sustainable Technologies:

Meraki's solar-powered mesh Wi-Fi
NGR's solar-power device dock
Solio solar-powered universal charger
Voltaic's solar-powered backpacks

The 3lbs I thought I might lose in the weight of my luggage will come back in Voltaic's backpack. Howevs, the backpack is a step in the right direction. But it IS the manifestation of some theoretical ramblings during undergrad, that day-to-day life will include toting around bags of personal electronics. Being a glamour puss fashion victim, I can't succomb to that. That's why I have my cute little Media Mogul - a one stop shop. Now slap on some of those solar stickers and lets go!!

Go Ahead, SearchMe

2008-01-15T12:39:00.000-08:00

When the Mavericks Surf Contest was announced last week I dropped everything and searched for details - go time, parking sitch, surfer stats. I typed "Mavericks" into Google and what came up was alot of stuff on the Dallas Mavericks and a country music band called the Mavericks (around since '89 - who knew!?). I searched, I sifted, I filtered and then I eventually found all the juicy stuff I needed to know about the Mavericks Surf Contest.

If only I had known about SearchMe's Wikiseek at the time. Wikiseek classifies your term so you dont have to do so much eyeballing and filtering. AWESOME!!! Turns out they are hiring so I checked out their technology, natch. Cool.

I ended up watching the surf contest at AT&T park. The staff searched my purse at the entrance, didn't find anything of interest this time around.

Live from the Golden Globes

2008-01-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

Where is Ryan Seacrest when you need him? Oh, right, he's showing solidarity with the writers. Like every other drop of union talent in The Business tonight, he's at home on his couch.

I was already saying Aye for giving the writers what they want, but it needs to happen tonight because this "Golden Globes" "coverage" is a fiasco. Finding the inspiration and imagination needed to make it into a semblance of an awards show is impossible, since watching the paint dry is more exciting than the scab hosts on Channel 7, reporting the list of winners in awards show attire.

I'd like to thank my couch for supporting me day in, day out. Without it, some of our most important projects would never have reached fruition. The walls would never have been painted without the support of the couch. I also want to thank my carpet. My carpet absorbs so much of the stress of my projects and is always there for me. The carpet was there even before I moved in, that's how dedicated it is. Finally, to the entire ensemble of living room furniture "I love you all". Now where's the remote?

This is a Test of the Emergency Blogging System

2008-01-12T06:45:00.001-08:00

This could be very dangerous, but must be attempted. SF style sighting last saturday the day after the big storm in the bay area: a windbreaker, nylon running shorts (waterproof !), nylon knee highs and flip flops.

Geek Speak

2008-01-10T23:12:00.001-08:00

Props to Lyle Troxell who, in my world, officially coined the term Geek Speak 12 years ago when he launched his radio show on KUSP 88.9FM. The Beastmaster's antitrust case in 1998 was not the originator.

Speaking of the Beastmaster, the 2008 International CES (Consumer Electronics Show) was in Vegas this week. There was a Guide to Geek Speak floating around to help attendees fully understand the stuff on the expo floor.

Is "multi-touch screen" really a geek term? Dude, that's mainstream these days. Who are these people covering this stuff on behalf of Dow Jones & Co Inc? Raise your hand if you needed to understand what the megapixel count on your digicam meant... Personally, I'm more confused about how we're going to reconcile android, windows and mobile linux platforms among the device manufacturers and telco carriers. A Geek Speak guide to translating the nuts and bolts of THAT issue would be awesome for future planning of my next phone plan and pda selection.

Clashing Cashmere

2008-01-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

India wants to register a Geographical Indicator tag for "Kashmiri Pashmina" but Pakistan wants to be included, and its a drama, as the business of fashion always is.

It is time to differentiate true pashmina (woven from the ultra fine and delicate hairs on a goat's tummy)from all those big scarves out there people generically call pashmina, which can be a poly/cotton blend. VIBHUTI AGARWAL of the WSJ uncorked the perfect metaphor in likening this wool war to the Champagne region of France's claim to the bev (my fave btw).

SO, what to do? I say India and Pakistan get snobby about it, join scarves and x-out the rest of the world in the quest to swathe the population in delicate goat belly fibers. Let's face it, the law is not on the side of all the luxury goods companies suing counterfeiters, so we need to stake out regional claims on luxury materials, and begin certification of authenticity that way.

On the subjects of cashmere and champagne: I am not so hot on the new "Cashmere Mafia" show. My POV in the near future.

Red-eye, SF to Beijing

2008-01-09T08:28:00.000-08:00

I think I resolved the fashion issue. Think "red-eye, SF to Beijing", and then put on a head scarf and some Prada shades. All set to hit the big time.

The Glamour of the Resume

2008-01-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

I'm between jobs this week. While this is, in many ways, a luxury, the fact is that I'm a glamour puss, and work is my big excuse to dress up each day and go show everyone how sharp my style is. It's only been 2 days, but they have been 2 very long sweatpant-clad days filled only with my laptop, my resume, and my imagination...

Have you ever seen one of those resumes created in purple ink on paper emblazoned with rainbows and unicorns, with a swirly cursive font? They are rare, but can be seen at Career Centers in most high schools and colleges. The fabled "first drafts," so evocative of kindergarden that you just want to scratch n sniff the page because it looks like a big sticker?

Today, for a fledgling moment, I wanted my resume to be like that. There's no reason for me to dress up while I search the depths of the internet and my networks from my couch in front of the Food Network, looking for a lead. And my rezzie was just asking for something, anything, to happen.

I am taking fashion tips for at-home job searching. Goals are comfort, productivity, and doorbell readiness.