Umm….not great literature? Well, yes, that, but also some funny versions of Pride and Prejudice and Hamlet.

In talking to clients recently, a number of them have talked to us about how Obama’s team was able to capitalize on the Internet to be successful. This article, In Election’s Wake, Campaigns Offer a Peek at What Really Happened over at the  NYTimes.com provides a glimpse into both campaigns and talks about things that went well and not so well.

One thing that struck me was this quote, from Obama’s deputy campaign manager, Steve Hildebrand:

“We’re not supposed to give these numbers out, but I’ll give them out,” Mr. Hildebrand said at another point… “We have 90 people on our Internet team. And they weren’t just doing the Internet. They were producing videos, they were slicing and dicing people who showed up on our Web site to figure who is more likely to give more money.

“We also spent a record amount of money on Internet advertising,” he said. “I want to say in the end $8 million on the Internet advertising alone. That really, really mattered.”

I am not surprised by these numbers: the ability to create and change information at the rate they did, and the ability to raise the type of money they did would required, would require alot of people and resources.

Anyone wanting to duplicate Obama’s success now has a better idea just what it took him to achieve that.

Not yet, according to this article, CDN – Reports: Wal-Mart to sell iPhone with $2 price drop, but it is a possibility. Whatever happens — and I don’t see Blackberry or Nokia being reduced to niche players anytime soon — the smart phones we carry around are going to continue to dramatically change in the next few years.

This is Guiseppe Filanoti. He will not be singing in the leading role of “Don Carlo” for La Scala’s season opening, after having difficulties in the dress rehearsal.

I can appreciate La Scala wanting to yank him: the last time that opera opened La Scala, it was 1982 with Pavarotti in the lead and he was booed. And last year the famed tenor Roberto Alagna was booed offstage during an infamous performance of Aida.

Never a dull moment! See La Scala swaps tenors for season opener at Yahoo! News for the details.

There are a number of articles out, including one in GlobeAndMail.com, about this study that shows that Happiness is contagious. A key section of the Globe’s article said that the study,

“…(u)sing a standard measure of well-being, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale…found that when an individual becomes happy, a friend who lives nearby experiences a 25-per-cent increased chance of becoming happy. And the more centrally located you are in your social cluster of happy people, the more likely you are to become happy.”

You might think, “well, it might have been a small scale, rinky-dink study”. However,

“(t)he research, being published today in the British Medical Journal, is the latest analysis of data gleaned from the Framingham Heart Study, a longitudinal U.S. survey begun in 1948. The researchers, who have previously published similar findings on the spread of obesity and smoking from the data, focused on 4,739 individuals over 20 years, accounting for 50,000 social and family ties.”

Now what has this to do with Web 2.0? Well it could be that social networks supported by social platforms like Facebook, twitter, and flickr, can support the propagation of happiness (or other feelings). I know when I see pictures of family and friends happy, it makes me happy. And when I hear that they are having a difficult time, it adversely affects me. Perhaps not as strongly as it would if I were there in person, but what social networks lack in quality (i.e., directness) they can make up for in quantity (i.e., I am more aware of more of the feelings of family and friends potentially).

It remains to be seen if this is actually happening generally with people. But I am conscious of what I say when I use social platforms, knowing that people are reading what I write and many times responding to it. It affects how people think, not just about you, but how they think about life in generally. Not that you have to try and make people happy with what you say, but knowing that you might be able to is something to seriously consider.

As for me, I am happy you took the time to read this and think about it! I hope your day is a happy one.

(A most excellent photo of “Mel C” courtesy of *SMILING PUG*’s photostream on flickr)

As can be seen by the size and quality of Mark Bittman’s (Bad) Kitchen over at the Well Blog on NYTimes.com. His is really small, and he has some other serious limitations as well, but clearly he can cook some wonderful things. Check it out.

According to this BBC NEWS Story, a UK Surgeon saves boy’s life by text. The doctor, David Nott, received detailed instructions on how to do a critical amputation from a colleague in London via text message.

Incredible.

Why? Because it is flooded: the worst it’s been in 22 years. The always excellent section of Boston.com,  The Big Picture, has the photos to show you just how bad it is. (Bad situation: great photos).

The good folks at Canada Post have put together alot of good material to make sure you get your cards and parcels to their destination on time (even if that destination is Santa Claus / North Pole / H0H 0H0 🙂 ) I think this page in particular, Canada Post – Holiday – Suggested Mailing Dates, is very well done.

Don’t just sit there: get wrapping! 🙂

Twice this year I have seen the metropass kiosk offline on the first day of the month. I find this amazing. I am not sure what the problem is, but it should get fixed.

The old way I used to do it was to go into the store and ask the staff. That’s still a good way to do it, but there is a faster and easier and better way.

The better way to do it is to go here: http://www.vintages.com/frame_results.html?ITEM_NAME=value

By entering that into your browser, you will get a list of the wines at Vintages that are associated with value. Now, not all of them are cheap. For example, this wine, DOMAINE ALAIN JEANNIARD MOREY-ST-DENIS VIEILLES VIGNES 2005, goes for $50. On the other hand, it is….

“… sourced from 80-year-old vines, (and) only five half-barrels of this wine were made.(Furthermore….) From its garnet-hued mantle and openly fragrant nose (reminiscent of crushed red fruits) to its well-structured palate and silky tannins, this lovely wine will charm any Burgundy enthusiast, especially those hunting for superb value.”

I tried this and most of the wines I checked had such phrases as “excellent value” or “outstanding value” associated with them. And while there were some expensive Burgundies, there were a number of wines from the new world for under $15 (and one French dessert wine under $10!).

Times are tough, but life is good. Especially if you get one of these value wines.

Over at the tumblr.com is a great tumble log called 1001 rules for my unborn son. Go see. I like this one:

276. Surround yourself with smart people.

That’s why I have my blog: because I am surrounded by smart people.

After you read it, you might want to start a similar log of your own life lessons. Hey, the world needs your wisdom.

(Tip to Cup of Jo).

There is so much that is great about Google that it is easy to overlook the problems that they have and the problems that they might cause. A very good exploration of that, with regards to free speech and censorship, can be found in this NYTimes.com article: Google’s Gatekeepers.

The article explores how Google –the corporation and the people that work there — deal with the demands around the world to censor or block material provided by Google and YouTube. As for article shows, it is a very demanding job.

I think the article is fair in showing all the sides of the issue. If anything, it gives Google and it’s employees the benefit of the doubt. And that’s the part I have a problem with.

Things I would have liked to seen is an exploration of whether or not there should be an American law for free speech similar to the antiboycott laws in place since the 1970s. If it can be illegal for U.S. companies and citizen to particate in a boycott, a similar law could be put in place to uphold free speech.

Another thing that should be explored is whether or not the approach Google current has in untenable. I believe it is untenable for three reasons. First, I believe that their current piecemeal approach is eventually going to collapse or be unmaintainable as exceptions and contradictions are exposed. Second, I believe that Google as a corporation should not have that much control over what I can see and do.Third, Google as a corporation has a conflict of interest between supporting free speech and growing business is countries that want to restrict it.

Now Google is not the State. I still have freedom of association and the press. If I want to post videos or blog things or search for things, I don’t need to use Google. In fact, I don’t use Google for a number of those things. However, most people do. And that really is the root of the problem.

P.S. There is a semi-hagiographic quality to the article. I am not sure why. I think Google can stand for less of that, not more.

This, believe it or not, is the world’s first digital camera.

According to Oddee.com, it was invented by Steve Sasson from Kodak in 1975. And since it was 1975, the recording device for digital media was a cassette tape. What is surprising is that some of the technology used then is still used in digital cameras now (though thankfully not the tape). For more on this and other interesting firsts, see Oddee.

In the wealthier parts of the world, we take light and illumination for granted. Imagine how much harder your life would be if you could not take it for granted. Light provides us safety and comfort, but it also allows people, especially people who work long hours, to read and educate themselves and improve their lives.

So I thought this project, Portable Light, was a great idea. Not only does it provide for low cost lighting for people who can least afford it and who most need it, but it does it in a very ingenious way. But rather than tell you, I’ll leave it at that and strongly encourage you to go to the site.

(Tip to afrigadget.com for this).

Then go over to the blog AfriGadget and check out this post:  Support AfriGadget’s Young Mobile Reporters.

As for me, everything I believe that is going to matter in the 21st century is tied up in this project, so how could I not contribute? You can too. It’s sounds like a worthwhile initiative.

BTW, this blog was rated one of the 50 best web sites of 2008. A very good addition to your bookmarks or RSS feeds.

It looks like Starbucks is joining Apple, the Gap, and others,  on the (RED) campaign to help save lives in Africa. You can too. See Starbucks and (RED) – Do Something Good Everyday

Hey, you were going to buy that latte anyway, so do something more with your purchase. Click the link to see how.

The web site HeadRoom has a wealth of information on anything regarding headphones. Ratings, prices, lots of photos, and very detailed reviews. I’m looking at these Grado 60s, for example: great value “cans” for under $100 (Canadian).

I am not an audiophile, but I love the look of this “dock” for the iPod. I am sure it sounds alot better than most iPod docking stations most of us are familiar with.

Like the name of the product too.

In Toronto, you can get this line at Bay Bloor Radio.

For more information on the product itself, surf on over to Fatman iTube Red-i with Speakers

There are lots of sources of information on the Internet regarding home electronics. (For example, I am in the market for a wireless-N router like this one.) What I like about amazon.com is the clear yet thorough reviews that I came across. Perhaps some are not, but the ones I read were very informative. If you are shopping for gear (or, or course, books!) then consider going there.

For folks outside the U.S., it is hard to appreciate the craziness that happens during the “Black Friday” weekend in the U.S. I am sure that even people who experience it must at least shake their head when reading the story about the Wal-Mart Employee Trampled to Death (in the NYTimes.com).

To get a sense of what it must be like, here is a snippet of the shopping frenzy here:

(No, I didn’t film or caption this…)

(Found on LolFed.com)

Honestly, the pictures alone are worth the visit. See LOLFed. Emo Bernanke, LOLTraders and Schadenfreude, Oh My

(Tip from Paul Krugman’s blog)

There’s a great review of “Everything but the Squeal,”  by John Barlow Pursues in the NYTimes.com. The book tracks the author as he tries to eat every part of the pig. It’s not an easy thing to do. Fortunately, he lives in Galacia, where they know how to do this sort of thing and there are a splendid variety of pork dishes. (Ok, some are not so splendid…but there IS a wide variety.)

 Vegetarians might not warm to this book, but it promises to be funny in the Bill Bryson style of writing, which could make it a great holiday read.

So…enjoy! (The book or your pork chop..or both!)

This was a great song when Tom Petty did it. John Mayer slows it up a little and makes it more poignant somehow. Give it a listen:

YouTube – John Mayer – Free Fallin’

I got this email this morning. It looks very legitimate:

Dear Capital One Bank customer,

We recently reviewed your account, and suspect that your Capital One Online Banking account may have been accessed from an unauthorized computer. This may be due to changes in your IP address or location. Protecting the security of your account and of the Capital One Bank network is our primary concern.

We are asking you to immediately login and report any unnoticed password changes, unauthorized withdrawals or deposits, and check you account profile to make sure no changes have been made.

To protect your account please follow the instructions below:

* DO NOT SHARE YOUR PASSWORD WITH OTHER USERS

* LOG OFF AFTER USING YOUR ONLINE ACCOUNT

Please click the following link, to verify your account activity:

https://onlinebanking.capitalone.com/capitalone/login.aspx

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and appreciate your assistance in helping us maintaining the integrity of the entire Capital One Bank system. Please login as soon as possible.

Thank you,
Capital One Bank Security Advisor.

Unlike alot of obvious fraud, this one looked pretty legitimate. Still, I was suspicious. So I did a little test.

I ran my mouse over the hyperlink (the “https”) part and looked at the status area at the bottom left of my screen. What I see is that the hyperlink does not go to “https://onlinebanking….” but another hyperlink (http://70-46-123-20.wpb.fdn.com/CapitalOne/index.php”) which appears to have no connection to the Capital One web site. (Plus, it is a non-secure PHP page as opposed to a secure ASP page, making it even more suspicious).

So, I marked it as spam and notified Capital One.

If you were to try to login to this fake site, they would have your userid and password and they would rip you off.

So beware.

P.S. I missed this earlier, but there was also a typo: “you account profile”. Typos are a good sign of phishing too.

A quote that often comes up in discussions during a financial crisis is “company X is too big to fail”. Companies that big are determined to be in need of assistance from the public.

Given this, I think companies should be banned from getting that big. All companies should be able to get as big as they want as long as they can fail. After that, they should divest.

They have to divest anyway, but at the worst possible time for them and the public.

An independent agency could determine what limit of companies that hit the limit and force them to sell. Failure to do so would result in jailtime for executive management.

Sharesholders could be reimbursed via dividends, who could then invest in other companies.

No one should be too big to fail.

They are both great papers, but the former has an advantage over the latter: nytimes.com recognized that I am viewing it on a mobile device and switches the page to make it readable to me. So does WSJ.com and the GlobeAndMail.com. Not to mention talkingpointsmemo.com.

I think any major news or business magazine or newspaper needs to do this ASAP or lose readers in the process.

Speaking of Sean Paul, this is my favourite version of “Get Busy”. I am not sure where this video was filmed, but this seems quintessentially Canadian to me, what with the parkas, the winter setting, the unfinished basement, the references to the furnace (!) and the split party going on (young people downstairs, older people upstairs). I love the little kid who sneaks down and gets down (before being whisked back upstairs), and I think the older man complaining about the banging on the “furnace” is priceless!

Sean Paul: Get Busy

This song is hard for me to take seriously. (Maybe if I was younger I would.) Fortunately, with this mashup that incorporates a very funny Justin Timberlake, I don’t have to!

is anything by Estelle, it seems. Here she is with Sean Paul with “Come Over”

Estelle has a nice groove going here and a sweet soulful sound.

It is interesting to compare this to her American Boy video with Kanye West. There’s alot of similarities even though visually they are superficially different.

Estelle reminds me of Amy Winehouse in how she seems to be channeling much older styles of singing but making it fresh and contemporary.

Anyone who is using twitter should consider this. Andy Piper has put together a list of rules for users of twitter that I think are bang-on. I try to follow them myself, and like Andy, I tend to drop people who break them often.

Besides Andy’s blog, you should also follow him on twitter: if you do, you will learn alot. Trust me.

P.S. BTW, he works for IBM, not Moo. I just thought I should point that out. 🙂

Perhaps someone can explain why they have ANY corporate jets, given the trouble they are in. After all, if you were close to bankruptcy and people found out you had 5 sports cars, do you think just giving up 2 of them would be sufficient? I didn’t think so, either.

As I said before, these guys need to try alot harder. Or perhaps someone else should take the job who is willing to try harder.

For more details, see Think Progress » GM execs give up some private jets after embarassing hearing.

…is Coffee Drink Machines Blog. Anyone who loves coffee will enjoy the posts there, including this brilliant YouTube video of a very talented barista making illustrations:

Not only can the UC Men’s Octet sing, but they have a great sense of humour too! Look no further than:

They have lots of videos on YouTube. Check ’em out. And let’s hope they get some quality recordings out soon.

(Found at the fashionable blog, Fazed-girl who also has Tom Jones doing this!)

To see what I mean, go to the blog Aviary and see Redesigning America 2.0. To be fair, I think it is in jest. I hope! I like this idea, though:

America should be a positive experiment, always changing.

Have a blog? You have to try the Typealyzer! When I gave it this blog, it came back with this:

“The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generelly prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.”

I think that is just about right for the first part. I am not sure about the action and risk part: perhaps my blog is partially a form of wishful thinking! 🙂

Try it out! (Thanks to andrewSullivan.com for the tip)

One thing I love about my blackberry is the camera. While it is a 2 megapixel camera, the quality is only so-so. (Compared to my 6 year old Kodak digital camera that is also 2 MP and takes much better pictures). The photo quality may be so-so, but the blackberry camera has some excellent features:

1. It’s always with me, partly because I rely on it heavily, partly because it is easy to carry (unlike some cameras).
2. I can email images that capture as soon as I capture them. This allows me to do things like post them on Twitpic or my Tumblr tumblelog immediately.
3. I can capture images at work. This is very valuable when working on a whiteboard or some other temporary work environment. I can easily go back and review my “notes”. (Something I am doing right now! 🙂 )