Saturday, December 25, 2010

Monday, December 20, 2010

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Pt Lobos Woods

Tuesday, November 02, 2010

Monday, October 25, 2010

Friday, October 15, 2010

What is Easy to forget about Water



All part of "BlogDay" (see the ad on the right please) from the great folks at Change.org... go there and let's work together for a kinder, healthier Planet. If not us, who?.. if not now, when?

One basic fact:  
Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us.  Charity:Water

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

In Praise of Andriod and some Mobile Thoughts

Have been dabbling.. Love iPhone 4 (see previous post if you dare) and had a Blackberry Torch for 3 weeks... but this is about Android and what I find to be a clear winner. If you use gMail (and why wouldn't you?) there are some obvious winners (like CloudMagic) but setting up an Android phone is as simple as your gMail address and password.. everything is done... sync'd. Instantly in business.. Address book and more. Apps are amazing (for the most part).. I have downloaded over 60.. I use them all ..from wi-fi manager to bar-code scanner. Voice Search and Goggles are especially facinating. And there is a wonderfully helpful crew of users that have made it very simple to Google a problem and get an answer. Blackberry might consider going to Android. At least on a couple of devices. Or make it an option.

While I'm at it, it appears that the best "deal" for mobile is with Sprint here in the USA. I posted a bunch of tweets over the last few weeks to see what people are thinking about mobile and of course the iPhone wins all races... but so does Sprint... They have some great phones. We are still trying to sort out their service here and have brought an Airade in to use Voip technology for mobile via what is commonly refered to as femtocell technology. The rap on it is that you are paying for the call twice as they send your voice call down your broadband line that you are paying for and then they charge you for the call out of your call minutes.  You might as well just use GoogleVoice and Skype when you are at home. Google voice integrated with gMail is certainly the way to fly these days.. you do have a Google Voice number right? Even if you only use your computer and a Mobile Phone to make calls. The best reason to have a Google Voice number is that then you have  a number for folks to call you back on that you can program to work with your computer (through Google Talk) and your Phone.. not to mention any other phones you might have....  the evolution continues. 

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

ATT and Apple-how to really piss off a customer...

I'm over this just enough to have a little perspective.. ATT really Sucks and Apple really Rocks.. I should have taken a picture, but suffice to say I smashed my iPhone. I was Wazing around Salinas Golf and Country Club this afternoon working on getting my index above 10 for the Senior Championships later this month ( I got a chance folks ;)).. and I used to be a 3 so this is upsetting and I am not getting any younger..but... Back to story... I'm pretending to be road munching (blazing the new trail for Wazers) when all I'm doing is driving all over the golf course.. cart signs? common this is a very private club. So up I go over the curb on 4 and the iPhone of our dreams slips through the cup holder and onto the concrete and hits said curb and has a nice big crack across the back and two snowflakes on the front.. I whine and finish the 9 holes and think that ATT will take care of this no problem. I do a lot of business  with them (unlimited domestic calling, DirecTV, Internet/DSL, two blackberries and an iPhone for $350 a month plus any International roaming I might do now and then) and have been a very loyal customer for over 20 years and I've got insurance..BUT: they very politely (too, Too, TOO f'ing politely) explain I have no insurance because I didn't buy something they never told me about called "mobileprotect". They keep calling me Sir and this nice looking young lady keeps nodding her head as this Puke of a sales rep does absolutely nothing to try to help me except explain the brutal facts and about how little he could care about "my problem" and then at about the point I'm ready to hit him and spit in his face, he offers up that maybe apple could help.. Have had an iPhone for nearly 3 years (maybe?.. there are some posts back a bit about my first iPhone 3G) and this is the third time some jerk from ATT has told me the same thing.. Maybe they could help if I were willing to drive to Monterey in rush hour traffic (not too bad here really) and ask them (someone else who might give a ship), but he couldn't have cared less and ATT really hires jerks and trains them to be worse.. didn't used to be this way friends.. they were better.. I think.. So I email my Good Buddie RR who is an Apple Expert in one of their sweet stores and ask when they close and explain el problemo. 2 minutes later I know I have enough time and am on my way. I roll into Del Monte mall and head to the store. I just happen to have to walk by the ATT hole in the wall and get to see some fake concern by another ATT employee while their customer shakes his head in disbelief.. I might mention I have a Buddie who loves Blackberries and would have a Torch were it not for the fact that you can "only get one from those F%$ks at ATT"... "never again for those 'holes" ..so in I go to a nicely lighted, good vibe of a store and am greeted. Can we help? I show the patient. Genuine sadness. I can get you together with someone who can explain your options to you in 10 minutes. OK..I'll amuse myself with iPads and MacBook Pros. I walked out of there 20 minutes later with a brand new iPhone. ..a one time good guy we love you and hope you love us please come back Bro 32GB iPhone.. set-up with my gMail account and my sync'd contacts just waiting for me to sync it up with the master playlist on iTunes when I get home. The guy was tired and distracted by a very good looking 20 something on her way to a concert who had spilled nail polish on her keyboard and we hoped she took a lot of time to explain the problem to us, but he was gonna take care of me.. Next time It'll set me back $200. But this time, it's a Bro deal.. I will buy an Apple laptop the next time I need a laptop. No doubt.. and questions remain unanswered, but I hate ATT with a passion. They are corporate pukes... and apple are corporate pukes too, but they have the good sense to keep most of their CPs (I know you guys ...remember? ..we used to be friends.. we may still be) in Cupertino kissing the feet of Steve ..who really could change the world someday. I've heard the rumors...(spying?) OK. But I don't care. A Great Big Thanks. I have been down the road with Apple before and know all there is not perfect.. but compared to ATT , Sony and Dell? Wow.. It's not so much the lesser of evils. It's that at this moment of truth when I had made a mistake, these guys were willing to feel my pain and help me out...we could use more empathy in business these days. Today I found it. ATT got the first shot and missed by a mile.. then Apple hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer for the Championship.
I'm typing this on a custom PC made by a guy named Evan.. no one will ever approach his level of service and I'm not female, good looking or a gamer.. just a guy who really wants to do business with "friends"... partners to patronize.. I found some today. Thanks Apple!
BTW: all apple stores are not equal.. it's not 5th Ave or SF, and whoever runs the Monterey store gets my vote for Exec of the year.. it's the unsung hero who takes the time to build a great team that has the right attitude when it counts.. Go see them the next time your here.. easy to find. Worth the trip!
 

Friday, August 06, 2010

Net Neutrality? Really Now...

As the issue begins to surface again, I'm taken back to my days building the internet (putting the fiber in the ground, switching it and setting up access points for the internet etc..). Let's be realistic.. When Earth-link came to us and said, "we'll take all the bandwidth you can give us from LA to SF and as many local lines as you have anywhere you have them" you don't exactly treat them like the garage down on the corner with 4 lines and no dedicated data links... this is silly. Google and other great users are going to get treated different... the internet is not a "project" anymore. Some great stories in the New York Times and on GigaOm. My have we ever grown up. If you are feeling like you want to tell Google to stop being evil, here's the link to Credo: Click It.

Monday, July 12, 2010

In Search of Courage in Politics In California..and In Basketball.

Headline in today's NYT: Governors Voice Grave Concerns on Immigration. And I have one thought.. Our Governors are concerned that the wrong choice(s) will be made and re-election will be hampered ("...worrying that it could cost a vulnerable Democratic Party in the fall elections.").. Can we go on a search for a wealthy politician who doesn't care if he or she gets re-elected? Let's for once admit that most of the people are too ill-informed to develop a reasonable opinion about anything.. we need some leaders but our education system and corporations are determined to keep people dumb. Please watch TV and get you brains sucked out...Where is the next John Kennedy? 

We have a roomful of Republicans who just bitch about everything as if none of it is their fault with no plan to fix anything..Are they part of? IWill a canoe sink in one end. Let's get the straight. We are in  this together. All for one and one for all.. Brotherhood and Love is the only answer. California two ex-ceo's (who did terrible jobs turning great companies into impersonal awful and fear filled organizations) are talking about how the unemployment in California is all the Democrats fault.. One of them purged jobs in their last job faster than anyone could remember while she used company money to spy on the bosses who hired her. She attempted to run off some of the finest philanthropic individuals of her board. The heir of their once great companies' founder.

In a meaningful practice we learn to do the next right thing, not consider all the likely personal implications of our selfish motives... and then there was LeBron... I hope the Celtics whip you butt.. and if they don't, Orlando does.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Hands Across The Sands.. Join us at a Beach Near You on June 26th


Hands Across the Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, and fishing industry.  Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting all of the above from the devastating effects of oil drilling.

A Message To The World

Hands Across the Sand is now international. Any person in any country may plan events on this website. This is a peaceful gathering of the people of the world. Planning an event is as simple as this:
  • Go to your beach on June 26 at 11 AM in your time zone.
  • Form lines in the sand and at 12:00, join hands.
The image is powerful, the message is simple.  NO to Offshore Oil Drilling, YES to Clean Energy.

The Movement Started In Florida

In Florida on Saturday, February 13, 2010, a statewide gathering against offshore oil drilling occurred. Thousands of Floridians representing 60 towns and cities and over 90 beaches joined hands to protest the efforts by the Florida Legislature and the US Congress to lift the ban on oil drilling in the near and off shores of Florida. Florida’s Hands Across The Sand event was the largest gathering in the history of Florida united against oil drilling. Thousands joined hands from Jacksonville to Miami Beach and Key West to Pensacola Beach, each against oil drilling in Florida’s waters.

Mission Statement

  1. To organize a national movement to oppose offshore oil drilling and champion clean energy and renewables. These gatherings will bring thousands of American citizens to our beaches and cities and will draw metaphorical and actual lines in the sand; human lines in the sand against the threat oil drilling poses to America’s coastal economies and marine environment.
  2. To convince our State Legislators, Governors, Congress and President Obama to stop the expansion of offshore oil drilling and  to adopt policies encouraging clean and renewable energy sources.   America needs legislation that creates tax incentives and subsidies to encourage the growth of clean energy and renewable industries for America’s future.

An Opportunity of National Importance

Now is the time for America and our leaders to join hands and steer our country’s energy policy away from our dependence on fossil fuels and into the light of clean energy and renewables.
Join hands with us and draw a line in the sand against offshore oil drilling.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Thursday, April 01, 2010

Sunset Tonight at the Treehouse

Tiger at Augusta..this has nothing to do with Buddhism

I have to write this for my own sanity. Too many emails and so forth.. I understand recovery. I started the journey almost 30 years ago.. seen 'em come and go and I have no idea what Tiger should or should not do..BUT I do know this. When I was free of the things that brought me to my knees I was not free of the things that troubled me and I had to find peace. The easiest way to do that was to be decent in all my affairs. 
I met an old man.. Near 80 at the time who had been sober for nearly 40 years. He was willing to spend time with me. A lot of time with me.. and he showed me by his actions how to find the comfortable way of living that seems to elude so many who come in for a break in the action.. So if Tiger asked for my help, I'd know what to do with him... the same thing that kind old man (well there were times he was not so kind) did with me.. and as he used to say, "if you stop doing what you were doing, 85-90% of your troubles will go away in time. The steps will fix another 5% of your troubles and the rest you are going to have to learn to live with and be a man about it.".
But there's another Problem. Brad Faxon wrote on Golf.com that he was "much more concerned about Tiger's being treated by the Toronto doctor, Anthony Galea, who was arrested in Canada last October on drug charges, a doctor who admits to using human growth hormone.". Tiger needs to square up and be a man about everything.. He needs to fire Stevie and his management team and hire decent human beings with good manners. As we say, "if you want what we have and are willing to go to any length to get it, you only need to change one thing.. and that's everything." Good for Tom Watson  and Arnold Palmer for explaining their thinking about Tiger.. He's needs to take the questions and start to humbly act like a gentleman.. no more F-bombs on the course.. We've heard enough.. what a talent he is.. time to grow up.
Amazing to see the newcomers. Some say they are the most important people in recovery. That's not true. They do not know how to be yet and they all get very spiritual very quickly.. this all takes time and Tiger can't do it by himself. Elin is in need of a lot of help as well..the whole team needs help. That's how it works. and then as Brad says.. he needs to be a player among players.. that will sound very familiar to those who know.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Spring and The Weather! Sand in the Shower...

This is the Central Coast. Monterey, Salinas, Moss Landing, Pebble Beach, Big Sur...We have had more rain than anyone can remember here this winter (if you are one of my friends from Canada, I'm not really complaining mind you :)). Hard to get out and play golf or do much of anything..BUT... this morning the shower had Beach Sand in it... Beach Sand in the shower is a sure sign that someone had walked on the Beach and brought enough home to make a bit of a mess... So thoughts turn to spring and it's daylight savings and everyone at the Treehouse starts thinking about the Beach and water sports... We also think about Surfrider at the Treehouse and all the cool events that are coming up. Please visit the site and maybe do a little shopping for the good cause:


Onr Make plans to help the 100,000 pieces of litter pick up... Our Oceans and beaches deserve out help..


surfrider foundation search on Amazon


Monday, February 22, 2010

GOP hates Obama Health Care Plan; GOP refuses to offer own plan

"GOP hates Obama Health Care Plan; GOP refuses to offer own plan"... Sooo that's the kind of headline that stops me in my tracks. I lost a friend last year. A father. A business owner. A decent guy who had coverage by an insurance company that debated his life over a technicality in his coverage... while they debated.. he died.. he left a wife and 3 lovely children, employees and friends to wonder why.. I will never forget getting that phone call.. the Plan that the Dems had put forth at the time might have helped have save his life.. Any Democrat or Republican that is so ignorant of the fundamental need in society to provide decent healthcare to it's citizen's is walking on the wrong side of life. They are evil.. This is an issue of compassion... pure and simple... Others have learned this lesson the hard way as well.. I have blogged about it here and we dedicated a site to it:  and everyday decent people compose tweets and letters to editors. Responsible journalists write articles in newspapers around the world... we jump on Haiti and other natural disasters to help our Brothers and Sisters in times of need but stick to our silly sides when it comes to long term solutions for our people.... anyway here's the link to the article.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Bill Gates at TED on Climate and Energy Policy

Bill Gates on energy: Innovating to zero! | Video on TED.com



...this is so impressive. To see the often noted most wealthy person in the world take up this critical cause is indeed heartening...what do you think? (if the video does not start please click Here. You'll be taken to the TED site.)

Thursday, February 04, 2010

a Bit Confused Today? Me Too!... and where are the good guys?

Downright fascinated (again) by this morning's financial market activity....first thing (starting at 3am) the feeds and alerts all looked about like this: "Stocks (will) open(ed) lower Thursday after a surprise jump in jobless claims, a disappointing signal on the employment front ahead of Friday's jobs report. But Cisco shares rose. The networking-gear maker beat earnings expectations and CEO John Chambers said on CNBC this morning that business spending is "way up." www.cnbc.com/id/35234593.

It seems we really can't trust the job numbers that come out as the follow-up from CNBC looked like this: "Correction: Jobless Claims Unexpectedly Rose Last Week Up 8,000 to 480,000; Survey expected Down 10,000 "..is the unemployment number 20%? Is there recovery or is Chambers really just being John with the good word?

The market moves on these"numbers" (of course)and then we find out the market responded to incorrect numbers and all I can think is "give me a break"... maybe time to take a walk... the conspiracy crowd is right after-all. My old partner Dan used to say (he was an investment partner), "of course it's corrupt, but we are making money. No excuses". Well we did for a bit and then?... was that ugly? Yup.

and next? well BofA is having a few more problems: "the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a motion Thursday seeking court approval of a proposed settlement where Bank of America will pay $150 million to settle SEC charges that the company failed to properly disclose employee bonuses and financial losses at Merrill Lynch before shareholders approved the merger of the companies in December 2008." www.cnbc.com/id/35237218

..my answer to this? Go find a friend and take a walk. If the friend is a wonderful Dog you better put him on a lease it seems... maybe embrace humanity, pick up some litter, try some graceful behavior ("may I please" instead of "gimme" at lunch).. what we do really does matter. jazzmonk.blogspot.com/2010/01/..

...and then get one of these: www.mnn.com/the-home/building-... "One part garden shed, one part eco-clubhouse and one part home office, the Archipod gives work-at-homers a chance to step out of the house ... and into the backyard.".. a place to meditate. We all need some Peace.

























..Oh and btw: we still need healthcare reform!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Jane Goodall on what separates us from the apes | Video on TED.com

Jane Goodall on what separates us from the apes | Video on TED.com

 

Jane Goodall hasn't exactly found the missing link, but she's come closer than just about anyone else on Earth. Her extensive research into the behavior of chimpanzees, which started in Africa in the 1960s and continues today, fundamentally altered scientific thinking about the relationship between humans and other mammals.
Goodall, who founded a research institute in her name in 1977, is an internationally recognized authority on the primate world. She's written books for adults and children, contributed to documentaries, and serves as a National Geographic explorer-in-residence, a United Nations peace messenger, and the president of Advocates for Animals. For her efforts to observe and preserve all species, Goodall has received honors and accolades from governments, nonprofits, universities, and professional organizations, including a medal from UNESCO and the French Legion of Honor in 2006.

It really is "up to us". What We do Matters... a lot. We can change the World.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

iPad arrives and some thoughts...

So I watched... yup.. Live Blogging from Engadget and the New York Times . Here's the official video from Apple.  ..and I am going to let all the smart guys figure this out... but I'm not buying one... I like my 13-14" dell laptop and I like not having to be concerned with compatibility issues. After a half dozen of cupertino's finest devices (other than my iPhone and Apple TV and a music express system that streams music through the house) I use a PC...I use Quicken and I have been sorely disappointed with nearly every Apple product I've bought (including the iPhone but not AppleTV and the Extreme/Express Music System)... 17" MacBook Pro (loaded) spent weeks getting new parts put in it... Hard drive problems... iPhone battery is slow and so forth.. They command top dollar and the service better be good because you'll need it... But I'm not here to bash them.. I love what Apple does for technology lovers... They energize the on-line community. Steve is cool.. The culture is weird and immature but so what? I know 75 year old Apple fanatics... they love the design and ease of use... they have nothing to compare it to...so will you buy one? Answer here: Mashable.

Today we get the latest version of Apple Pie..

"They’re (Apple)  capable of raising people’s expectations and restoring a sense of joy and delight in technology". How True.. and there is  more of where that came from Here. A great article about the Apple tablet and what may be expected of it... Technology should be useful, fun and help the world get along better... communicate great ideas to a lot of people quickly. When we were building the Internet we only thought about network design and how much money we were spending to put the fiber in the ground and under the ocean... who might connect and how much they'd spend to do that. Eventually we thought of applications that would require bandwidth so we could sell more capacity and raise more money based on projections of what folks would pay for that privilege. So things have changed of course and today we'll get a look at what will no doubt be considered somewhat revolutionary. Gotta have... or Gotta have when it gets this must have feature it doesn't have yet... It's a first gen product. an Kindle killer? Some say so.. Hearing it has dual camera  (or lens) for video conferencing. Sounds neat... no cost to connect... hard to believe but read this:  Thoughts on what an Apple tablet should be – or not. And you can follow the fella who wrote these articles here: Andy Ihnatko . So I'll get some sleep between now and 10AM  PST tomorrow when I will be like my friend Kyle Reimer who will be   ..."paying way too much attention to Twitter and Wired and not enough attention to my (his) job". Think we are waiting for Jobs to really deliver something special... I'm finding it hard to believe anything could fulfill the promise, unless he adds speed, better battery life, a good network (no dropped calls) and a keyboard to my iPhone... for me the best thing yet while digging around for the latest spy fotos was to be told about an iPhone app called WAZE: Real-time maps and traffic information based on the wisdom of the crowd.  Gonna try it... maybe join me..

...and in the morning, I'll be tracking Engadget and Twitter.








Friday, January 15, 2010

Charity: Water


The story of charity: water - The 2009 September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

Please also see Fresh2O.


4 Children die every minute from dirty water. You can help change that!

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Project Kaisei

Project Kaisei is a non-profit organization based in San Francisco and Hong Kong, established to increase the understanding and the scale of marine debris, its impact on our ocean environment, and how we can introduce solutions for both prevention and clean-up.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

The Pacific Ocean's Garbage Patch/Charles Moore on The Colbert Report

The Colbert Report
Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Charles Moore
www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes
Political Humor
Economy

Some attempts at humor here, but important to know a bit about what's going on... did we really think that "out of sight, out of mind" was going to be a sustainable strategy for our beautiful planet?

Saturday, January 02, 2010

Another Tip of the Hat To Bono...Ten for the Future

"IF we have overindulged in anything these past several days, it is neither holiday ham nor American football; it is Top 10 lists. We have been stuffed full of them. Even in these self-restrained pages, it has been impossible to avoid the end-of-the-decade accountings of the 10 best such-and-suches and the 10 worst fill-in-the-blanks.
And so, in the spirit of rock star excess, I offer yet another.
The main difference, if it matters, is that this list looks forward, not backward. So here, then, are 10 ideas that might make the next 10 years more interesting, healthy or civil. Some are trivial, some fundamental. They have little in common with one another except that I am seized by each, and moved by its potential to change our world." (link to Bono's Op-Ed in the New York Times)

So Bono gets the floor at the New York Times (sub link for Kindle) and makes news talking about intellectual property rights and what has happened to the Music industry and what might happen to the Movie business.... but there  is a lot more here and it's worth plowing through I think... not just because I'm a fan but because there is a lot of next decading going on and this list has a couple of surprises... what do you think?

I think Bono remains relevant because of his faith, his  sense of wonder  and  his tremendous curiosity about all things good.... not just because U2 rocks!... and they do!

newMedia Advisers...Social Media Consultants

Seems the Ventures always start the same way... minding someone else's business I was discussing how to structure a joint venture/partnership with a client and at the end of our conversation, that had gone rather well, he cleared his throat and said, "after we do this deal I want to ask a favor of you. I have an online presence (or is it a personality?) going back a couple of years but it is fragmented and ineffective and I'd like to create a cohesive, easy to find and understand online Brand of One as you say. Will you help me?" He went to ask if I had the time to work with him as a Senior Adviser and of course the answer was "sure"...He's a Great Guy with a Heart of Gold. (it's really possible to run a big organization and tell the truth and be compassionate). Every venture has a humanitarian thread or two in it's basic fabric...  "when you are back out on the Coast come by and we'll walk through it and then off you go"... never thought of doing this, but I started counting the Blogs (Mine are listed over there on the right side with all the Affiliates) and profiles and so forth... I'm a regular Gman... Google and Goss..


Hardly an online personality. I do have 20,000 followers on Twitter (would Love to have you Follow Me and I auto follow back btw)  and have a purpose to it all. Been suspended a few times as I sorted out what you can and are discouraged from doing on what I believe will be the most powerful personal and professional medium when integrated with Wave (still have a couple of invites for the asking: pegoss@gmail.com ...with a "why you" please) for the foreseeable future.... and then there is my partner Richierich who has a few thousand devout followers as well.. We have done some promos and driven some traffic to various sites and causes and at this point we've tried a few of the get rich quick scams (STOP IT!!!) and all the "get thousands of followers" jive programs ... somewhere in this blog is the story about how we got here, but suffice to say for a lot less than my client was willing to pay me we can help an individual out with the personal technology and ways to go about creating a presence on-line for individuals and Execs... and We are a nice mix.. and then there is Facebook where I have some friends and family but have not done a lot of networking... OK for "sharing".


Richie is 30 and a Mac (Genius actually) and I'm a soon to be 60 ex-corp exec and former Mac and now a PC... and then there is Ali who, though less visible, has a wonderful business sense (Commercial Real Estate on the Monterey Peninsula) and one of the world's biggest hearts  as well as more service commitments in the areas of Ecology and Social Services than anyone I know (Mother Teressa in a Business Suit)... So we get what it means to be relevant and responsible and can help guide anyone through the maze that at first seems confusing.. Let's make some sense of it... Next thing is the one man  Your Board of Directors... and I think I'm doing that again... gratis! Love to Help... Safe Travels!... a Sort of Social Media Mentor..hmmm. Feel free to call or write.