Impact For Good

Idea: A Community-Powered Musical Water Park

2010-03-26T00:23:00.000-07:00

When I was in college, I joined a band. It was the only band I've ever joined, and it was just for a few minutes one morning.

Every Sunday an ad hoc group would form -- some Rastafarian, some street people, some hippy students, artists, and some yuppy-types would gather and "jam" together on drums and various percussion instruments ranging from sticks to pots & pans to trash can lids to cow bells. What a thrill for me, a musically-inhibited pip-squeek, to be part of a real live musical event alongside musical geniuses.

Years later, when I was working in downtown L.A., I would walk over to a food park and buy lunch, and sit along with hundreds of strangers and watch the "dancing waters" fountain perform to music.

When I was building a community network and reading about "neighborhood development" and "community-building," the idea popped into my head to combine those two phenomena into a "community-powered" musical water park, where the play equipment - the swings, see-saws, etc. -- all contribute to the water displays, the kinetic sculptures, and the music.

I've heard of found art and kinetic art (kinetic sculpture), but this is a bit of both, with other elements. The opportunistic, public nature of it makes it almost like "musical graffiti" with elements of water, wind, sun, socializing, civic activity, recreation, collaboration.

The "magic" of the park in my imagination is that the music would be entirely up to the people in the park. No two days at the park would be alike: every "session" would be unique.

Some of the instruments would be easy to play -- percussion instruments, for example: simple drums or cowbells, a "wind chime" with pipes of various sizes hanging down in a row, and "hammers" operated mechanically by foot-levers or teeter-totters or pedals. Streams of water shooting from "water cannons" could ring bells or cymbals.

Various human-powered instruments and displays could also be assisted by wind or solar-power (or wave, or small-hydro).

Cooperation and timing would be required to get the fountains working and the pipes "singing." Some of the instruments would take several people -- a dozen or more -- to get them working, adding a bit of mystery and discovery to each visit.

Rumors would spread of new "levels" of music to be discovered.

It would be a place where all kinds of people, young and old, friends and strangers could get together to play, exercise, listen, watch, rest, perform, explore, jam, get outside, and get away from the TV and the Internet for a while.

Sara Groves: Less Like Scars

2010-03-24T23:32:00.000-07:00

Today I heard this song on last.fm by Christian singer Sara Groves and thought it was brilliant, beautiful, timely. (If you know who wrote it, please comment.)

Less Like Scars

It's been a hard year
But I'm climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle
But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like
Character

Less like a prison, more like my room
It's less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars

Just a little while ago
I couldn't feel the power or the hope
I couldn't cope, I couldn't feel a thing
Just a little while back
I was desperate, broken, laid out, hoping
You would come

And I need you
And I want you here
And I feel you

And I know you're here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad, bad situation
But you are able

And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars (x3)

And more like
Character

Civilry in Public Discourse?

2010-03-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

While searching for good hashtags today, I wanted to include something that connotes what I've been reading lately, and look for people with similar interests. I've been following blogs on civil society, freedom of expression, democracy, government accountability, transparency, gov 2.0, patriotism... and kindness.

But that's way too many terms to include in a tweet, much less at the end of at tweet.

If one wants one's message re-tweeted, one should not use-up all 140 characters!

So, even within the 140-character limit, brevity is key.

So, as necessity is the mother of invention, I stumbled onto the new term "civilry" -- a portmanteau of "civility" and "chivalry."

As a hashtag, it has the advantage of containing the real word "civil" (suggesting the word "civility") and the sound of the word "chivalry." But it has a noticeably incorrect spelling so that it stands-out (not overlooked as a typo or abbreviation or pidgin English). With a hash sign in front of it (#civilry), it looks more "official," if there is such a thing when it comes to Twitter lingo.

Feel free to use the tag #civilry in your civil discourse, noble microblogging pursuits, and odd T-shirt sayings.

I really haven't studied the mechanics of a good hashtag or portmanteau, but it will be interesting to see if this one catches-on. I welcome all feedback. Cheers.

Contractors Respond to Rising Security Concerns in Haiti

2010-03-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - Aftershocks are still hitting in Haiti almost two months after the earthquake struck there. A West Michigan woman just returned from Haiti because of the growing dangers in the country.

Mallery Thurlow (right) is a Cornerstone University graduate who started a foundation in Haiti. She had to return to the United States at the end of February 2010 after violence increased.

More than a month and a half after the earthquake hit Haiti, you would expect things to be improving. But Thurlow says, "The situation has really gone from bad to worse. The earth is still shaking. We've had 3 earthquakes just in the past week. ... The Haitian President has actually stated that this is no longer an emergency situation. ... As panic started to spread, the gangs started to come out at night. And it's made a very dangerous situation." (read more...)

Ms. Thurlow describes gangs armed with semi-automatic weapons going from house to house on her street, breaking in, shooting the residents, and stealing their belongings. Ms. Thurlow hopes to return to Haiti soon along with better security to protect her orphanage and herself.

Kidnapping is apparently another growing concern. Kidnappings for ransom were an ongoing concern before the January 12 earthquake. But now that large numbers of foreign workers have entered the country backed by huge sums of money, officials are expressing concern that the number of kidnappings might increase.

Are the donations we have made to nonprofit agencies actually funding ransom payments to criminals such as those described in the article below?

Port-Au-Prince (AFP, March 12, 2010, Marc Burleigh) - The kidnapping of two female aid workers, a Belgian and a Czech, cast a shadow over the relief operations carried out by more than 300 foreign organizations in Haiti. It was the first abduction to occur in Haiti since the earthquake, Haitian police said. The two were freed Thursday, after spending six days in captivity, according to their employer, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF; Doctors Without Borders). The head of the Haitian police anti-kidnapping unit dealing with the investigation, Francois Dossous, told AFP he was "a little worried" about the case, suggesting it might herald a crime wave against the thousands of foreigners in Haiti. (read more...)

Security Contractors Available to Assist in Haiti

Seattle resident Tony Myhre runs a security and personnel company which offers professional security consulting services, Jet City Consulting. JCC is able to immediately provide licensed and permitted staff for physical security and convoy protection in Haiti. Tony has been using social networking sites like Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter to advertise to relief agencies and to raise awareness among their donors. You can read Tony's postings at the Haiti Earthquake Disaster Relief group on Linkedin.

Support Our Troops... and their families! Click to help these ideas win the $50K Pepsi Refresh Everything contest in March

2010-03-08T23:14:00.000-08:00

I am promoting support for Operation Gratitude to win $50,000 in this contest in March 2010.

Here's how it works: Everyone is encouraged to VOTE EVERY DAY for up to 10 ideas. At the end of the month, the ideas with the most votes win -- 10 from each prize category.*

Here are my favorite Military-related ideas for March 2010 :

* $50K - Send 100,000 Care Packages to troops deployed in Afghanistan this year (Operation Gratitude)
* $50K - Grant wishes for active-duty members of our US military (Wish for Our Heroes)
* $50K - Help children of fallen soldiers deal with the loss of their parent (Our Military Kids)

Remember: come back every day of March to vote for these ideas! Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments below.

Please share this article! http://impact4g.blogspot.com/2010/03/support-our-troops-and-their-families.html Re-post to your own blog or share this at Facebook and other sites. Sharing this with 5+ friends will really help the votes to add-up quickly.

* Only the top 2 ideas in the $250K category will win

Facebook Releases New “Fan Box” Widget to Turn Website Visitors into Facebook Fans

2009-07-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

In a move to increase the power of Facebook Pages, Facebook has just released a new widget that allows brands and businesses to share status updates from their Facebook Page - and get new Facebook fans - on any website.The new “Fan Box” widget, built on Facebook Connect, allows Page owners to put a piece of their Facebook Page anywhere on the web.

Facebook says the Fan Box widget is designed to help convert website visitors into Facebook fans. It’s a smart move by Facebook to make it easier for brands and businesses to encourage more of their customers to become fans of their Facebook Pages.

Unfortunately there is still no API for soliciting fans directly through applications on Facebook. (more...)

Major League Baseball Players and Fans Salute the Military

2009-06-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

I recently learned of a charity that's working with wounded veterans and their families, and did a little background search on them to find out more about their focus and their work.

I came across an article written by Mychael Urban posted on MLB.com which mentions some of the work being done by the charity Strikeouts for Troops, created in 2004 by San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito.

...Zito's ever-expanding roster of big league contributors [to Strikeouts for Troops] is nearly 70 strong, and more than $2 million has been raised since the program's inception, with 100 percent of the funds distributed; Zito covers the administrative costs associated with making sure the money goes where it's supposed to go.

The money comes primarily from the participating players, who donate per strikeout, home runs or RBI or make flat donations. Among them are CC Sabathia, Alex Rodriguez and Nick Swisher of the Yankees, Manny Ramirez and Orlando Hudson of the Dodgers, Albert Pujols and Rick Ankiel of the Cardinals, Jake Peavy of the Padres, Dan Haren and Eric Byrnes of the D-backs, Eric Chavez of the A's, Jermaine Dye of the White Sox, and Tim Lincecum, Brian Wilson and Matt Cain of the Giants...

This March, Zito continued his annual tradition of bringing to Spring Training a large group of wounded Marines who've been recovering at Balboa Naval Hospital in his hometown of San Diego...

Zito had secured for the Marines a section of seats directly behind home plate [at a pre-season game between the Dodgers and White Sox in Glendale, AZ], and when the Marine Corps Hymn was played during the fifth inning, the Marines stood at attention. The crowd followed suit with a standing ovation.

As depicted in the recent movie Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon (excellent movie!), there is a substantial cross-section of America -- people of all ages and political views -- who are not only ready to respond but they are looking for ways to show honor to our service men and women, to embrace their families, to pay their respects.

I was particularly impressed with excerpts from letter sent by Rick Williams of the Marine Corps League of San Diego, which Urban quoted in his article and I've included below.

...What happened next was detailed in a letter that Williams sent to Zito upon getting the troops back to San Diego.

When we all left the game in the seventh inning to get back to the airport, the injured Marines had to walk up, directly behind home plate, about 75 stairs to leave. Of course, it took a while because several had canes, and even more could not walk fast because the guys with the canes were at the head of the line.

As they filed up the stairs out of the stadium, in a single-file line, spontaneously the crowd again all stood up and gave the Marines [another] standing ovation until the very last one reached the top of the stairs. Had to take 3-4 minutes.

It was loud. It was crazy. The players on the field were even clapping. It was truly a proud moment for me. When the Marines got to the top of the stairs, several were crying. It was very, very emotional. Emotional for them, for me, for the crowd.

... To be taken out of the hospital, out of rehab and told "Thanks" by the very same people they are fighting for, it is truly overwhelming for them. To watch them hobble up those stairs, with 12,000 to 15,000 people cheering for them and then them having tears streaming down their cheeks, it made me very proud.

... [Barry], I want you to know that you made it possible for them to receive the recognition that they deserve. You should be very proud for what you are doing for our military and, especially, my fellow Marines.

"Baseball is my job," Zito says, "... Strikeouts for Troops is personal. Baseball is a game, and I'm fortunate to be living my dream by playing it for a living. But would any of us be living any of our dreams if not for what our soldiers are doing and have done in the name of our country?

"No, obviously. And nobody should ever lose sight of that. Strikeouts for Troops isn't about me. It's about baseball showing appreciation for the men and women who put their lives on the line."

Barry, you're making a major-league baseball fan out of me. ;-)

To Rick and others in the Marine Corp League, that applause on the way out was for all marines, and for the people who support them. Thanks for what you're doing!

I hope that those 12,000 to 15,000 cheering people will watch to Gratitude Campaign video (70 seconds) and help to spread the message. It only takes a few people living-it-out to start a worldwide movement.

To the ball players involved in Strikeouts for Troops, and to the behind-the-scenes donors, a salute to you.

And to all the American heroes serving here and overseas, recovering in hospitals or at home, separated from loved-ones by distance or time or injury, or back in civilian jobs taking each day at a time... we are standing and applauding you, too.

(Mychael Urban is a national writer for MLB.com. Excerpted story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. Used under GNU public-use license.)

Mozilla Labs Ubiquity

2009-06-07T16:43:00.000-07:00

I’m loving the Ubiquity add-on for Firefox, a (nearly) natural-language command line interface that creates user mashups on the fly. It takes advantage of the power of language and open APIs. Brilliant!If this is their alpha, can’t wait to see the beta!

Ubiquity for Firefox from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

2009-06-04T01:20:00.000-07:00

Brainstorming responses to the Katrina disaster gave me license to research low-cost housing. I had already been musing about the possibility of opening-up and exploiting new markets, finding new ways to use this huge mortgage lending (mortgage banking) machine that was Countrywide.

Nobody around me took the idea of low-cost housing seriously. Nobody wanted to talk about mortgages in developing countries. I was uninformed, they said. "There's no money in it." Hmmm.

Still, I wondered about it.

Well, since that time, lo and behold – microcredit (peer-to-peer lending or P2P lending) has taken-off, and traditional financing has, well… collapsed.

So, uh... I guess I'll bring it up again: where's the money being made these days? What was only a “whacky idea” a few years ago now doesn't look so crazy. (Thanks to Richard Weddle for recommending The Starfish and the Spider.)

When you've got a huge demand, low production costs, ample financing, job-creation, ultimate "portability" (the building system and micro-lending model can be replicated just about anywhere), you’ve got the makings of an economic boom -- or a bonanza, at the very least). This is a great example of “the unstoppable power of leaderless organizations.”

Low Cost Construction Housing Affordable Building System

The man interviewed in the above video is Associate Professor Bernard Lefebvre (Domtec Company Ltd), affiliated with the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand.

Background on Habitech

Conceived at the Habitech Center of AIT the Self-Contained Housing Delivery System is an inexpensive, quickly and easily erected building system, the cost of which consistently undercuts conventional construction systems. Components have been added to create a complete modular interlocking building system especially suited for construction by unskilled labour which eliminates the need for construction equipment as the components are lightweight. The system has been disseminated in Asia since 1987 when research and development started up to 1995 when the building system was made available through private sector equipment suppliers.

The technology was demonstrated through housing projects (75) in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Nepal and Fiji, where small scale building material industries have been set-up creating employment, generating income and producing affordable housing for middle and low income groups.

As the building system spreads through Asia, the beneficial reduction in the consumption of timber products for construction will lead to a salutary effect upon the environment and help reduce the depletion of forest.

Habitech Center was awarded the Matsushita Award by the Japan Housing Association in 1994 "in recognition of excellent achievements in improving human settlements in Asian countries by promoting research and development related to technologies for low cost housing as well as providing educational programs and facilities to disseminate the results of their research efforts".(Source: UNESCO Most Clearinghouse)

2009-06-03T11:53:00.000-07:00

Building sophisticated educational tools out of cheap parts, Johnny Lee demos his cool Wii Remote hacks, which turn the $40 video game controller into a digital whiteboard, a touchscreen and a head-mounted 3-D viewer.

About Johnny Lee

Researcher Johnny Lee became a YouTube star with his demo of Wii Remote hacks -- bending the low-cost game piece to power an interactive whiteboard, a multitouch surface, a head-mounted display ... Full bio and more links

Visualizing 3-dimensional spaces using flat images

2009-05-30T03:52:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the TED demo of PhotoSynth by co-creator Blaise Aguera y Arcas, I was awed and intrigued (not at that unusual).

But, as with so many novel ideas, I didn't really grasp what it was about, didn't fully understand it, didn't know what to do with it at the time.

The idea of simulating 3-dimensional movement using a database of 2-D images intrigued me.

To me it was a novelty, for sure. I imagined it as a way to archive history -- not just to simulate 3-dimensional spaces, but to travel backwards in time.

Virtual time travel -- maybe there's something to that idea. Or maybe not. Forensics? Crime scene investigation? Environmental monitoring?

That was before I carried a digital camera around in my pocket, before I posted so many images to Picasaweb that I have a hard time managing them, before I became a regular user of a social network on which people are posting new images several times a day.

And then I began to appreciate what PhotoSynth could do with "current" photo. After all, time is just another dimension to consider: all the photos in any database are in a sense "historical" photos. Each photo represents a point in time, a point in 3-dimensional space, a vector (directional view), a magnification factor, etc.

We can intentionally attend to certain dimensions and filter-out others. We can create applications that assist us in filtering-out or enhancing certain dimensions. And we can index or otherwise annotate those dimensions with metadata ("Africa trip", "Capetown", "Eilene", etc.)

Applying for a job at Google

2009-05-29T05:35:00.000-07:00

I applied for a job at Google yesterday that I found posted online. I copied-and-pasted parts of my resume into their forms, and then attached a cover letter and a .doc version of my resume according to the instructions.

“Microsoft Word format, huh?” I thought to myself, “That’s awfully magnanimous of them.”

They could have invented an entirely new Google Resume Format (.GRF) and announced it with great fanfare at the latest SXSW. They could have forced prospective Google applicants to find and purchase and register an entire suite of applications, download a bunch of drivers (along with a development kit) in order to install a special Google Resume Tool (included).

Mac format? Forget it — buy a cheap PC. Or an Android phone for that matter. If you were truly serious about working at Google, you’d do it in a heartbeat, right? Er -- I mean, you'd already be using an Android.

But no. They didn’t do all that.

Google just instructed me to use the common standard .doc format, which I did. Then they asked me a few optional survey questions -- beyond the mandatory racial/sexist questions — which of course I dutifully answered. (What happens if you decline to answer?)

“Have you ever operated a profitable business that was not a technology buisness?” Ha! Good question! Yep, done that.

“Have you ever started a nonprofit?” Hmmm. Another interesting question. Yes — as a matter of fact — yes, I have. (Well, I was part of a group that founded a nonprofit. That counts, right?)

And then they asked me if I’ve ever set a record (local/state/national). And I paused.

And then dread crept over me. “Holy cow -- they caught me! Here I was thinking that this was just a survey, answering the questions candidly from memory." But I now see that they were just messing with me!

Have I ever held a record? Google wants to know if Robert Marston ever held a record? Like they don't know?

For crying out loud, why would Google ask me for information about me in a job application? What more could Google possibly want to know about me that Google doesn’t already know?

“Crud!” Panic started to set in. "This is no job application survey — it's fodder for a new database that they’re building. Or worse, an authentication process to see if I’m really Robert Marston! Oops! The casual wording and ease-of-use lulled me into dropping my guard.

"What have I told them already? Have I said too much? I shoulda recorded every one of my answers. If there's a cross-examination later, I might slip-up under pressure or over-think the answer...”

Ahhh! It's not fair! They're way too good!

Then I calmed down and realized that they're really not asking for information. They're simply measuring variability in my answers and my ability to recall facts. And probably measuring my typing speed, too, to see if I'm hestitating or slowing down. I wonder what they can tell from all that biofeedback? (I saw the The Matrix -- I know how it works.)

They want me to believe that this is a job application like any other. They want it to appear as though it was my idea to apply for this job. And if/when they respond to my so-called application and grant me a so-called interview, I'll go along with the whole charade. I'll pretend like I'm a candidate and that I'm being evaluated against other candidates and all that. (wink-wink, nudge-nudge)

As though Google doesn't already know the outcome.

Awesome. Bring it on -- I'm ready.

Web 2.0 … The Machine is Us/ing Us

2009-05-29T04:40:00.000-07:00

This video is a very clever presentation and whimsical commentary on New Media, posted by Michael Wesch, professor of cultural anthropology at Kansas State University in 2007.Don't read the comments on YouTube -- they're mostly vulgar spam.I find it humorous to see that the YouTube video attracted a storm of comments *protesting* and *correcting* the author on factual matters, leading the author to post a quick revision and promise a new version "soon." Ahem.And now the YouTube video is an epithet to good intentions in a web 2.0 world.Notice that the author was also apparently inundated with inquiries about the music in the background. I wonder if that was their intention. Many indy bands have been made famous over the years by licensing their music to be used in videos that "go viral."Note to self: be sure to prominently credit the source of all content, or at least post a companion website somewhere which leaves a breadcrumb-trail to the information, providing Wikipedia with a verifiable "source." And remember to use a disposable email address.

Note that the project was:

clever

remarkable (literally, inviting a conversation)

incomplete by design (not exhaustive, and therefore arguably obsolete before it was finished)

appealing to a wide audience (multiple cross-sections)

If only they'd used a more "nimble" tool for producing video, they could have responded more rapidly and continued the conversation (affordably, or even profitably) rather than being overwhelmed/bored/whatever (used-up by The Machine).But it's still interesting, effective and fun as anthropology, if not profound.Already, the "crowd" has taken ownership, and is advising, crafting, revising, innovating, and even promoting (as I'm doing here). With 9 million+ views and counting, copied-and-translated into many languages, could this "modern antiquity" become a classic?

2009-05-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

We've passed a historic milestone with more than 50% of North America living in cities. That number is expected to grow -- some say to 80% or more.

Here's a thought: instead of gobbling-up farm land, cutting-down forests, and plowing-up pristine wilderness... why not combine urban renewal with urban farming? Why not use poorly-planned sections of a city, under-performing commericial real estate projects, empty shopping malls and retail storefronts for farming?

Does the idea of a farm in a shopping mall sound silly to you? This video may change your thinking:

I suspect that if we're shipping fresh California produce across the Pacific Ocean to Japan and elsewhere, and bringing tomatoes in from Mexico and grapes from Chile... there has got to be a pretty good profit margin on organic produce that can be reliably grown year-round near or directly within

densely-populated
residential areas
downtown and retail centers (with offices and restaurants)
airports, railroads, and ocean ports

The recession is hurting shopping malls and the recent string of big-box store closures have blighted otherwise high-traffic areas across America.

One draw-back to urban farming -- the creative re-use of retail or warehouse space for farming --is job density. Indoor farming is not very labor-instensive (not like a retail store, anyway).

But a farmer's market does provide some jobs. And it could enhance a community, and it could help to revive foot-traffic in an otherwise sluggish strip-mall or shopping district.

So, despite minimal job creation, a suburban farm supplying organic produce to local stores, restaurants, and food services could help to increase the tax base of a community. And the location might also be used for adult education or recreational gardening classes.

Is there a big empty warehouse or stand-alone building in your town that might make a good indoor farm? Would you like to turn a portion of your property into a demonstration farm? Are your solar panels generating more power than you can use? Please let me know.

If you're interested in the latest on this topic, or if you'd like to educate me on this topic, please follow @grownupfoods on Twitter.

What transparency can do

2009-05-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

There is a growing demand in America for government transparency, and Obama is promising to come through. But transparency is useless if nobody is watching. Data, by itself, is usually not very interesting until someone turns it into information.

"Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants..." (Louis Brandeis, What Publicity Can Do, Harper's Weekly, 1913)

Sunlight Foundation Intern Andrew Berger looked to the career and early writings and public speeches of Louis Brandeis to understand how Brandeis idea of publicity and sunlight relates to the current government transparency movement and citizen engagement.

"The Web has also made possible types of information sharing and citizen engagement that did not exist even a few years ago, much less in Brandeis’ time. It has become easier for a person to turn from passive reader to active participant in politics. But it remains just as true today that a person has to become 'sufficiently interested' in order to do so. To an extent, techniques like data visualizations, which really seem to have taken off in recent years, are important not just for the specific content they present, but for their potential to drive interest in government information..."

When people get a taste of good open information from the government, they're not going to be easily satisfied with whitewashed rhetoric and idealistic speeches. Get ready, folks: with transparency comes accountability... and a bigger appetite for information.

The “Bullseye Gives” $3M Challenge proves to be challenging

2009-05-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

I've been tracking the dollars in the $3 million give-away and thought I'd share an interesting graph. It tells a story about the organizations involved... but perhaps you see it differently?

Here's what I did. Each time I voted at Target's Facebook profile, the site replied with a tally of the current stats. The first couple of days I didn't bother to grab the numbers. But after a while (as is my custom) I started to get curious about how the numbers are changing over time, and what it might mean. So I started to collect samples.

Now, these are not scientific samples -- the samples are not evenly-spaced. That is, they were taken at different times of the day, sometimes with a day-and-a-half inbetween.

FYI, the sampling interval is roughly between 24 and 30 hours.The above Fig. 1 shows a sample of performance data from the Target Bullseye Gives Challenge on Facebook, in which Target is splitting $3 million between 10 organizations.

Sample 1 was taken at about the 4th day of the challenge (40K+ votes). Box 1 suggests that even after 40K votes, the Red Cross shared climbed steeply for 2-3 days while all other organizations declined in %-share. Box 2 shows that St. Jude CRH surged back to regain the largest share of votes. The number of total daily votes at Sample 1 was about 10K, and it has increased to about 20K per day.

The chart clearly shows that 2 of the organizations stand out from all the rest.

The top 2, St. Jude and Red Cross, have demonstrated the ability to rally Facebook voters. There are interesting implications, and it would be very telling to map spikes in actual votes against campaign pushes (emails, ads, etc.). Hopefully, Target or Facebook will release the statistics.

Without the details, some assumptions must be made. We may assume, for example, that some people are "one-time-voters" and other people continue to vote every day, at every opportunity. Since we don't know exactly how that plays-out, we can assume that the ratio/trend is constant across all organizations. But it would be interesting to know.

Is the daily increase in votes due to a growing base of "repeat" voters, or lots of "one-time" voters?

In boxes 1 & 2 above, the slope of the lines indicates that one of the top 2 organizations was adding new votes very quickly during those periods. The other organizations show a gradual decline, suggesting that most organizations are "holding steady" while the organizations with a larger voting base are taking a bigger and bigger share.

Implications for Operation Gratitude At this point, with the gap in total votes so wide (and widening), it would take a SIGNIFICANT boost in daily votes for OpGrat to make much of a dent in the final "% share" of total votes. For example, at the current pace, OpGrat will end-up with about 7.1% of the total ($214K). (The top 2 are on pace to capture more than 26% each.)

If OpGrat were to add 10,000 new votes over the Memorial Day weekend (all other trends holding steady), it would increase OpGrat's share to roughly 7.8% ($297K). At that rate, each new vote is worth approximately $8!

Jacqueline Novogratz on patient capitalism

2009-05-20T05:14:00.000-07:00

Jacqueline Novogratz founded and leads Acumen Fund, a nonprofit that takes a businesslike approach to improving the lives of the poor. In her new book, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World, she tells stories from the new philanthropy, which emphasizes sustainable bottom-up solutions over traditional top-down aid.

May is Military Appreciation Month

2009-05-13T06:49:00.000-07:00

May 2009 is the 11th annual "Military Appreciation Month" in the USA.In honor of Military Appreciation Month, here's a plug to help raise a good chunk of money for Operation Gratitude:

http://beam.to/vote_for_operation_gratitude_on_facebook

Target Corporation donates $3 million each week to their communities. In a clever Facebook campaign, Target has setup a challenge to Facebook users to vote for one of 10 charities. The split of the votes will determine the portion of the $3 million that each organization gets.

Here are some suggested ways for businesses to participate, from the National Military Appreciation Month organization website:

Offer specials, incentives, and discounts to active and retired military ID Card holders.

Offer special discounts to the public in honor of NMAM.

Display the Flag and POW/MIA flag during May through June 14, Flag Day.

Interview military personnel for in-house newsletters.

Recognize veteran and/or active duty employees and their families.

Offer bumper stickers, flags, pins and ribbons for employees and customers.

Make use of Chamber of Commerce, city business committees, and organizations – get them to participate.

Recite Pledge of Allegiance before meetings.

Decorate with patriot themes.

Luncheons to honor employed Guard, Reservists and Retirees.

Use military themes during meetings.

Display large banners at employee entrances to reflect pride and thanks for employees called to active duty.

Place NMAM banners to your website, flyers newspaper ads and inserts (See links page).

Contribute to the Armed Forces Children's Education Fund, Inc.

Contribute to FreedomPens.org

Seek media recognition regarding your NMAM events – Let others know what you are doing.

National Military Appreciation Month (NMAM), as designated by Congress, provides a period encompassing both the history and recognition of our armed services with an in-depth look at the diversity of its individuals and achievements. It allows Americans to educate each generation on the historical impact of our military through the participation of the community with those who serve encouraging patriotism and love for America.

This month gives the nation a time and place on which to focus and draw attention to our many expressions of appreciation and recognition of our armed services via numerous venues and also to recall and learn about our fast American history.

National Military Appreciation Month (May 2009) includes Loyalty Day (1st), VE Day(8th), Military Spouse Appreciation Day (8th), Armed Forces Day (16th), and Memorial Day (25th).

This very important month honors, remembers, recognizes and appreciates all military personnel; those men and women who have served throughout our history and all who now serve in uniform and their families as well as those Americans who have given their lives in defense of our freedoms we all enjoy today.

It recognizes those on active duty in all branches of the services, the National Guard and Reserves plus retirees, veterans, and all of their families - well over 90 million Americans and more than 230 years of our nation’s history. Let us celebrate them just as we celebrate the other important entities that make up this wonderful country of ours.

“Witt’s Daughter” screening in Beverly Hills to raise money for Operation Gratitude

2009-05-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a shameless plug for two causes that I support. If you're in the Los Angeles area on May 29th, make a point of seeing Witt's Daughter at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills. The tickets are $10 online or at the door. $2 of each ticket will be donated to Operation Gratitude, so bring a big group of friends!

A representative from Operation Gratitude OpGrat Founder & President Carolyn Blashek will address the audience and give an update on the 2009 fundraising, care-package, and letter-writing effort.

Cpl. Lex McMahon will MC, and lead Q&A afterward with the cast and crew.

Operation Gratitude is the nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that sends care packages and letters of support to troops deployed overseas. Its mission is to lift morale, put a smile on a service member's face and express the appreciation of the American people for the sacrifices of the men and women defending our freedom.

Egypt Should Invest in Low-Tech Waste-To-Energy Technology in Cairo

2009-04-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

I just heard a radio report on NPR in the Global Health section:

Egypt To Slaughter Pigs As A Flu Precaution by Peter Kenyon

(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103642533)

The growing Swine Flu epidemic has got a lot of people scared. But knee-jerk policy decisions can sometimes have dangerous consequences.

In Cairo, where the Muslim population does not eat pork (or even touch pigs), hogs are farmed by the Coptic Christian population, a small minority. So it's not a tough political decision for Egypt to simply say "kill all the filthy animals" before Swine Flu breaks out.

'Problem is... many of these pig-farmers in Cairo are the garbage collectors -- they go from house to house and busines-to-business collecting garbage, bringing it back to their homes, separating it, and feeding the food scraps etc. to the hungry hogs. That's their livelihood.

Without the hogs, they will certainly not want to bring the garbage back to their homes. The pig-farmers warn NPR that the garbage will quickly pile-up, and Cairo will be a filthy place (er, even filthier).

But of course, Cairo won't let that happen, will they? They'll burn their trash. They'll pile up the trash, pour kerosene on it, and light it up. Somebody will. If the government won't do it, civilians will.

Swine Flu is an immediate public health issue in other countries, and is threatening Egypt. But Egypt's reaction is creating a different urgent public health issue in Cairo. And they may soon export an even bigger environmental issue in the form of pollution and noxious fumes.

Instead of simply burning trash and putting filth into the air, they could use the trash to generate electricity while at the same time getting rid of all kinds of municipal waste. It's called Waste-To-Energy (WTE or W2E).

Envirepel™ gasification uses a brick oven design which is not new: it was patented over 100 years ago. They do not burn the trash -- they heat the trash to the point that everything melts, all the microbes and disease "bugs" are cooked. They use the waste heat from the process to generate eletricity. And they use the gases that come off of the trash to fuel the system and to produce methane, ammonia, and other good stuff. The "ash" that comes out the other end can be used for making bricks, concrete, roads, roof shingles and other useful products.

Now there's a good thang! See http://envirepel.com/

Selling Vs. Selling Out : Social Investing

2009-04-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

An interesting article by Kevin Jones of Good Capital, which appeared in the Stanfurd... I mean Stanford Social Innovation Review:

The real question is not whether social investing will become real, or whether it will become a more important asset class. Social investment is growing, and its growth is in line with societal trends that are both on the rise in their acceptance and in line with the realities of limited environmental resources and economic transformation.

Based on the trends I’m seeing, I’m declaring the question settled. Yes, social venture capital is both a valid emerging asset class and in the forefront in its ability to deliver scalable social impact at low cost and provide an actual financial return that helps support the mission and the enterprise.

About the Writer

Kevin Jones is a cofounding principal of Good Capital, an investment firm that accelerates the flow of capital to enterprises that use market forces to create large-scale social change. Jones is a successful serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and cofounder of Social Capital Markets, the groundbreaking conference on social venture investing. (Source: same as above, Stanford Social Innovation Review:)

Starting Up: Nonprofits Launch Social Sidelines

2009-04-28T12:37:00.000-07:00

"...A new generation of changemakers is emerging that sees for-profit ventures as intrinsically more scalable than nonprofit entities." -- John Elkington, co-author of The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World

...Consider Rubicon Programs, a Richmond, Calif., nonprofit that provides jobs, housing, and life skills to poverty-stricken, formerly incarcerated and disabled individuals. The organization, which was founded in 1973, has started two businesses and helped more than 40,000 individuals find jobs and live independently... [and] helped Rubicon build 200 units of affordable housing and operate mental health and workforce services in a dozen cities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area ...

Thinking outside the box? Now is the time to disregard the box, and start thinking creatively and practically. Nonprofits are in a great position to create small enterprises (tax-free, with low break-even), take limited risks, and create jobs.

In Iraq, a green idea for saving lives of troops

2009-04-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

"The key is fuel: The more of it a base uses, the more soldiers are exposed to deadly roadside bombs on fuel convoys." (Source: LA Times article, Doug Smith and Saif Rasheed, Nov 22, 2007)

I love how crowdsourcing innovation can lead to unexpected benefits. The military expected to get some high tech, expensive gadgets. But instead, they got barrels of goop.OK, so "barrels of petroleum-based goop" is not such "green idea" and it's not cheap. But it's innovative.How could it be improved? Maybe use lightweight re-inforced concrete foam instead of "plastic" foam. Maybe use materials that are readily-available onsite. Or, sink the tents 4 ft. down into the ground (i.e. in rows, with the excavated dirt/sand piled at both ends). Prefab steel-reinforced concrete walls (poured onsite) could provide quick snap-together construction.The temperature is usually more mild underground, providing passive cooling during the day and heating at night. Keeping a low profile provides added protection from flying shrapnel/debris.

The Cost of Doing Business in California

2009-04-22T02:21:00.000-07:00

Ouch! We need to protect small businesses in California! This particular story made me angry: others at Faces of Law Suit Abuse.org might make you cry. A seven year old boy sued over a minor skiing accident? Outrageous! A $47 million dollar suit over a pair of pants? The dry cleaner eventually won the suit, but only after years in court, after shutting-down 2 of their 3 businesses. What a tragedy!

From the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR): Small businesses pay $20 billion in tort liability costs out of their own pockets each year.

Tort Liability Costs for Small Business

Small businesses are responsible for 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S economy. More jobs, higher wages, and better benefits could be provided if the average small business earning $1 million in revenue didn't have to spend $20,000 each year on an out of control lawsuit system.

Tort Liability Costs for Small Business

The growth in U.S. tort costs since 1950 has exceeded growth in GDP by an average of approximately two percentage points annually.

2008 Update on U.S. Tort Cost Trends

America's civil justice system is the world's most expensive, with a direct cost in 2007 of $252 billion, or 1.83 percent of the U.S. GDP.

2008 Update on U.S. Tort Cost Trends

Tort costs were $835 per U.S. citizen in 2007, meaning a family of four paid a "litigation tax" of more than $3,300 for the U.S. civil justice system, a cost driven up due to increased costs from lawsuits and other liability expenses that force businesses to raise the price of products and services.

2008 Update on U.S. Tort Cost Trends

The cost of the U.S. tort liability system as a percentage of GDP is more than double the average cost of any other industrialized nation.

Who Pays for Tort Liability Claims? An Economic Analysis of the U.S. Tort Liability System

Financing Wind Energy Projects

2009-04-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

In many school cases schools and other public entities have unique opportunities to help finance wind projects because they qualify for low interest loans, can issue bonds, have lower required rates of return, and generally can get longer financing terms. Pictured [right] are the Spirit Lake Community School District's 250 kW and 750 kW wind turbines. The 750 kW wind turbine was financed through a zero interest loan from the Iowa Energy Center's Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program and a low interest loan approved by the Iowa Energy Bank. (Article and photo from the Windustry Community Wind Toolbox) Photo credit: Iowa Energy Center

Introducing Peer to Peer Lending

2009-04-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

This is a nice CNBC report from 2007, saying that Kiva went from $1 million in loans in 2006 to over $15 million in 2007. But it's interesting that the CNBC website misses the whole point of Kiva. (Apparently the person who posted it onto the CNBC website did not actually watch the video! What a shame!) The server is slow (overloaded?), but it's still worth watching.

Ventura County Now Open to Small Wind Turbines

2009-04-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Among the many “good thangs” I could write about here, I am particulary pleased to report that Ventura County now has its first wind turbine. And I am tickled to be able to say that my work with Prevailing Wind Power, LLC (PWP) was instrumental in making that first installation happen. Here’s a front page story from the Fillmore Gazette (Fillmore, CA) dated Feb. 11, 2009: http://www.fillmoregazette.com/front-page/farming-wind Sales for wind turbines are not rolling-in quickly (yet), but I am confident that in the 2009 we’ll see several more turbines installed.For many months, I fielded phone inquiries from residents in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties asking for information about turbines from Southwest WindPower (SWWP). SWWP is one of the oldest and most popular brands of “Small Wind” turbines, and has tens of thousands of turbines installed worldwide. Yet, there were no turbines in the local area to which I could point prospective customers. The closest (to my knowledge) were in the Big Bear / Arrowhead area, over 100 miles away.These “residential” turbines like the SkyStream 3.7 are larger than Air-X turbines common with boats and RVs. But they are far smaller than thewind turbines that most people associate with Palm Springs or Tehachapi in Southern California or Altamont Pass in Northern California.Concerns over noise or performance or maintenance costs are real and legitimate. Assuring a prospective buyer that the wind in the trees is louder than a SkyStream, or that ‘we have plenty of wind here’ in California, or that ‘these things last and last’ only goes so far. For my money, I would want to see/hear for myself. So, being able to point to a local Skystream unit and an owner that is high-profile and approachable is fantastic. It’s going to really help sales here in Ventura County, CA. The SkyStream website has a link for “SkyStreams Near Me” which lets you see if there are any units in your local area. The new owner, like so many others, is happy to show off their new residential power plant and to tell about the process. Hats-off to the Hammonds for pressing Ventura County, writing letters to local legislators and getting the local media involved. And hats-off to the Fillmore Gazette for following-up on the issue and getting local legislators “off the dime” and getting the wheelsblades turning.

Could You Use a Cow-Fattening Loan?

2009-04-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

For many, this video will be a fun introduction to the concept of peer-to-peer lending, and Kiva.org. The video was made by a Kiva Fellow doing development work in a beautiful place with beautiful people. The camera is a bit shaky, but, hey -- the soundtrack is great! ;-) Great stuff.

Development: Corporate Social Responsibility or Exploitation?

2009-04-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Many companies are scrambling to demonstrate their "social responsibility" and even to involve their employees and clients in charitable activities as a way to build their brand. But when businesses try to "pluck the heartstrings" of their customers and employees, they quickly run into uncomfortable grey area. This blog article, "Poverty Isn't Always Pretty," was written Kiva Fellow RobC, wrapping-up his six-month fellowship in the Philippines. It's clear from the context that he considers his work philanthropy ("giving" as opposed to "investing"). Nevertheless, the article deals directly with difficult issues that are pertinent to corporate investment, private charitable donations, and even family relations.

"The greatest thing I see in Kiva and its lenders is the ceding of decisions to the borrower. Making a loan in essence conveys a trust in the borrower and preserves the dignity of the relationship. But it also means that borrowers may make decisions at odds with your own thinking. A recent borrower in the Philippines took a loan to raise fighting cocks. This is a very popular and legal activity which provides an income for many families throughout the country. While many lenders may not want to fund such a loan (and exercise their own free will through such a choice), is it appropriate to deny this borrower access to Kiva since we may not agree with how she chooses to legally pursue her livelihood?This is one of the more difficult questions we face when we engage in charity of any sort. Do we give with the expectation of control? Or do we give with the acknowledgment that we are empowering others?"

It reminds me of when grandparents give money to their grandkids. Is it purely a gift? Or is there an expectation of Return on Investment (ROI)?Certainly the PETA crowd would say that Kiva is funding the abuse of animals. Such controversy will limit the growth and breadth of organizations like Kiva, which depend on crowd funding. If donors don't like the projects that Kiva is funding, Kiva could lose a huge customer/investor base. So it makes sense for Kiva to poll their donors, "choose their battles," and steer clear of "torpedo issues" that could sink them in a high-profile ethical controversy.

Outrage over AIG bonuses is a ruse

2009-03-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

I can't help rolling my eyes when I hear sound bytes of legislators bickering and fomenting over the "outrageous" bonuses paid to AIG execs after AIG received huge amounts of taxpayer money. I love this quote from Tom McGuire in his JustOneMinute blog:"bashing highly paid Wall Street financiers peddling products no one understands is a lot more fun than bashing a bunch of collateral clerks doing something or other about which no one cares."In the words of Armed Liberal, "Fewer pitchforks, more calculators please."

Welcome to my workshop

2009-03-12T13:44:00.000-07:00

I've started this blog as a place to record and post ideas that come along faster than I can distribute them. I am juggling many ideas and topics at the same time, and email just isn't efficient enough (er -- I'm just not efficient enough) to get the ideas out to everyone that might be interested. And sometimes I actually bug people by repeating myself. Oops!So I'll start putting my ideas into writing and let people browse at their convenience or subscribe.

Featured Content

2006-04-16T18:00:00.000-07:00