Someone bailed on me, so now I'm scrambling.   

I need a good stenographer this Thursday to record a 35 person discussion group on 21st bet 10th and 11th in NYC.

Basically, each participant will have a name card in front of them and all have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion.  We will try to avoid anyone speaking over each other.

The topic is related to technology, but the jargon will be minimal, because it will be more about how people use technology and what business opportunities there are around user-centric tech. 

They have to be really responsible, show up on time, look professional, etc.  There will be a one hour lunchbreak at the session and they must have all their own equipment.

Please contact me right away either by e-mail:  charlie.odonnell@gmail.com

You could have almost guessed this given my new arrival this weekend, no?

My dad really loved Steve McQueen and that's how I found Bullitt.  It was the Saturday afternoon movie on Channel 5 or something and he was watching it.  Steve McQueen was a very different action hero than I was used to.  Growing up on Sly and Ahhnold, and even catching a bit of Dirty Harry, you think of every action here as a bit larger than life.

Steve McQueen in Bullitt was just a regular guy doing a job.... and he played that perfectly. 

I would have liked to see him last longer than he did... he was stricken with lung cancer and died at 50.  What kind of roles would he have taken? 

Bullitt also has a great cast.  Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Duvall.

Oh... and there's a little car chase in it, too.  :)

By conventional standards, it isn't really much of  a car chase...   but this is really the first real movie car chase.   The Mustang vs. the Charger.  It was so much more realistic than the chases we see now.  They used live sound, and McQueen did a lot of his own driving--screwing up a few times in the process--all caught on film.  And the chase was McQueen's idea in the first place.

The interesting thing was that it also touched off another auto icon.  Had they not used the Charger in the movie, it would have never influenced the use of the Charger as the  "General Lee" in the Dukes of Hazzard. 

Yesterday was the last day of the Downtown Boathouse kayaking season.  The season always ends with a whimper...  it was cold and windy, although we did get a handful of public kayakers.

Yesterday was different, though.  It was also the last day of the Pier 26 Downtown Boathouse.  The Hudson River Part Trust is knocking it down to make way for a new pier--one that will last much longer than the one we have now.  Eventually, we'll probably make it back down to Pier 26, but for now, we've moved up to Pier 96 and we'll probably be doing some kind of a program at Pier 40.  Stay tuned for next season's details. 

The boathouse we have is very special.  Its old and we couldn't identify a lot of the rusted out parts that we tried to sell at our "yard sale" a couple of years ago.  But, it has charactor.  It has taken a little something from every volunteer and public kayaker that has set foot in there for the past nine or ten years or so.  Its been my second home for the past couple of yeras during the summer and I've had the best time there.  I've met so many great people there--people that are tied together by two simple ideas:  They like doing new and different things and they enjoy getting to meet other people.  There's no standard boathouse demographic.  There's nothing about free kayaking that draws in a majority of affluent white men the way something like, um... blogging does.  In fact, by numbers, I think we have a majority of female kayakers.  Here are just a few of the pictures I've taken in and around the boathouse.  If anyone has anymore, feel free to load them into flickr and tag them "dtbh".

Its here.

It arrived Friday.

Its a fantastic to drive...  it definitely has a Mustang "feel".   The front end is a monster and you definitely feel like you've got to corral the 300 horsies in front of you.   I put the top down as soon as I could... even drove around Friday night with it down.  (With the heat on full blast for Adrianna, mind you.)

Weekend car highlights:

I pull up to a light on Flatbush Avenue and two guys in a delivery truck pull up next to me, peering over at my car.  I've got the top down.  One guy beeps the horn and goes, "Yo, dat shit is tight."   

That's good, right?  :)

Then, last night after softball, I went to go get my car and a little kid about nine had his jacket on the trunk.  I said to his group, "Hey, who's jacket is this, I don't want to drive away with it."  He goes, "Hey man, this your car?  This is a cool car, man."     Stay in school kid.  Stay in school.

And the best part is, the chicks love it:

If you haven't noticed, yet, the car is also why I have that new little widget on my sidebar.  Peer produced reporting for gas prices...   Web 2.0 is going to save me some money at the pump.

Link: Mashable* � Blog Archive � Discussion: The Google of Social Networks? - Internet Entrepreneur Pete Cashmore on Web 2.0 and the Future of the Internet.

Pete is asking what the "Google of Social Networking" will look like. I wrote a comment on his post:

The power of Google was that it didn't require an actual human being to connect up a page.  No one had to submit their page, add it to a list, etc.

With social networks, there's never going to be a one stop shop.  I use LinkedIn for something, and Friendster for something else, but I can't get on the Facebook.   The real power lies in connecting the LinkedIn people to the Friendster people to the myspace people.

I have a social network.  I e-mail, IM, link tags /for on del.icio.us, Skype, etc. etc. etc...   but nothing ties all the people I contact togethere in a displayable fashion... nor does anything tie me to their friends, etc.  Frankly, nothing even ties in the people to themseves... my computer doesn't know the difference between Fred Wilson the Skyper versus an e-mail to Fred Wilson versus the guy I'm tagging links for. 

Someone needs to do what Google did to the internet, and what Indeed is doing to jobs.

I made a change to something I wrote on my political post the other day, because the post inspired some offline communication and made me realize that I what I wrote and what I thought didn't exactly match.

That happens a lot, not just in political debates, but in focus groups, usability studies, religious discussions.

Often times, when someone argues a point or descibes how they feel about something, its the first time they've actually tried to articulate verbally that particular angle or view.  What happens is that they struggle with the vocabulary they want to use to describe a thought or an emotion, and using the wrong words can confuse, anger, etc.

People don't often know how to say what they feel.  That's why I like writing, and speaking of writing, I'd encourage you to check that post out.  At the moment, not by design, the comments are a bit of a conservative "love-in", but that's because no one has posted any dissenting views yet.  What can I do about that?

I participate in a listserv for my high school's alumni.  Today, someone asked for some career advice and I replied with a note.

Not long after I got this e-mail.

Its so unbelievably obnoxious...   I love every word of it!

"hey, thanks for helping tim out, the dude needs it... i keep forgetting to mention that your blog layout is bizarrely out of sync with your apparent tech-savvy.  that thing looks like an aol member homepage circa 1997.  when i look at something like that i kind of expect the writer to be either barely computer-literate or barely
literate period, which makes for some weird cognitive dissonance given your breezy and confident blogspeak.  maybe you know this already but don't have the time/money to get it fixed.  it might be worth putting just a little time into.  one really important thing is making it more readable--the content just doesn't have enough space."

And you know what?  He's totally right.  My blog layout is for suck.

Here's my issue:    I need/want all this playspace on the side for blogrolls, tags, counters, etc.  Now, Pete gives about half of Mashable to playspace and his stuff is readable.

Is it the black?   Can there be no readability with these colors?  Am I destined to succumb to Ajaxian whitespace?

I think I can still get away with black and perhaps the fix is simpler than that.  I have a feeling that if someone could just play around with the actual posting column, break the grey up into rounded ajax looking boxes (one for each post), and fix my titles and footers, it would go a long way.

I don't have the time to do that at all.  If anyone wants to play with my template, I'll e-mail it to them and give them a shot at it, or they can just view the source.  I'm debating whether I care enough about it to pay someone to do it.  Maybe I'll take them out to lunch for their trouble.

Remember to get tix, originally uploaded by ceonyc.

I gotta go to that!

Did you know Union Square Ventures has a website?

Seriously!  Its not just Fred's blog and my blog.

But websites suck, right?  Stale.  Canned.  Hardly worth visiting.

Not anymore!  I'm pleased to say that *I think* we're the first venture capital firm to turn our website into a blog.  And you know what the best part is?  Brad's written his first blog post on it and he'll finally be sharing his wisdom with the Blogosphere.  (Fred and I asked him in our weekly meeting yesterday if he was done with his post.  He said, "Almost" and we both immediately jumped on it and said, "That means its done!")

So please, go check it out.

I went to WeMedia last week and I listened to Al Gore eulogize intelligent public discourse, especially in regards to politics.  He was dead on.

What do we talk about as a society?

Runaway brides.  A family of 18.  One missing white girl in Aruba.  iPods.

Once in a while a small group of us very loudly debates Iraq, gay rights, abortion or the death penalty...  once in a while.  But its far from mainstream.

Why?  Because we live in a culture of personal attacks.  Political discussion in our country today is devisive.  It doesn't seek solutions.  Ideas aren't exchanged... they're used to club others over the head.  Either you're red or blue.  You watch Fox or you read the Times.  Screaming ended Howard Dean's run for President.  Screaming.  We all scream.  Fuckin' screaming...   No, we don't want a screamer for President.  We pointed fingers and were agast.  In that world, what politician in their right mind would ever be transparent about their actual beliefs versus what a strategest told them pissed off the fewest people?

When's the last time you got into a political debate with someone where you actually felt like they a) were listening to your point b) were open enough to new ideas to actually have a change of changing their mind or c) didn't constantly bash you over the head with a canned comeback like, "but Kerry was a flip flopper" or "Bush is an idiot."

This has got to stop.  We're not getting anywhere.  I don't know if we just personalize everything to the point where we can't even think clearly or seek solutions but I think its choking our culture and dumbing us down.

It really came to a head for me personally on the issue of gay rights.  I'm quite sure what I'm about to write will anger somebody but that's kind of the point.  Instead of getting into an open, calm, exchange with me, I'm sure I'll just get called a name or just generally accussed.

One of my fundamental core philosophies is that everyone needs to make lifestyle decisions on their own, but moreover they need to accept that what's right for them isn't necessarily what's right for everyone.  In order to have your choices respected, you need to respect the decisions of others.  I learned that from a girl who does fetish modeling now.  Go figure.

That's how I feel about gay rights.  If two consenting adults want to get married, that's fine with me.  They should love each other and think it through, and not waste money on expensive food at the wedding that no one ever eats anyway.  I don't want to tell anyone who not to marry the same way I don't want to be told who not to marry.

Therefore, I disagree with the president...  the guy that I voted for.  The marriage amendment is ridiculous and I thought it was ridiculous when I voted for him.  I didn't vote on morals, though, the way some pundits tell me that we all voted.  I didn't believe that morals were on trial.  Maybe I'm just not politically savvy, but I honestly didn't believe that such an amendment would ever pass, so, to me, it was kind of a non-issue.  I also don't think Roe vs. Wade would ever get overturned either, regardless of how I feel about it.  (For the record, I'm against unwanted kids...  my personal preference for eliminating unwanted kids is through education, protection, etc...   my utopia is where no one gets an abortion because there are no unwanted pregnancies.  I wouldn't vote to overturn it, but I don't really like it... overturning doesn't solve the unwanted kid problem.)

HOWEVER, I don't support a national law allowing gay marriage either *correction:  I don't think a national law right now at this very second as the way to get to the goal of national support of gay marriage, because too many parts of this country just aren't ready for it*, and this is where its all going to break down.  This is the statement that will get people yelling at me and upset some people that I'm close to and some other people I'm really fond of.  What's going to happen is that their personal views are going to cloud their ability to actually listen to my reasoning, be open to my ideas, and respect them.  I'll just get lashouts and that doesn't accomplish jack.  That stifles me.  That makes me not want to discuss it and when we're not discussing it--not identifying causes, exchanging ideas, understanding we're just going to succumb to atrophy and apathy and move backwards as a society.

But, well, fuck it, here goes:   

I want to see gay marriage get nationally accepted, but in a peaceful way.  I hate division and that's why I hate politics.  I feel like the best way to do that is state by state.  I feel like, just a few years from now, all the "blue" states will have ok'd it... and that will be the tipping point, because of how interconnected our society is.  When half of the states are marrying gays, we'll see a gay marriage on television, just like when Ellen came out.  Remember, Ellen came out on TV just a few years ago and now?  Well, jeez, the whole damn country loves her and why not?  She's the blue fish in Finding Nemo... she speaks whale!  Put a really likeable gay married couple in a sitcom and boom, there go the rest of the dominoes.  Maybe it takes ten years... but what you won't have is bussing from the late 50's. 

I watch those videos of black teens getting bussed into white schools and the hate that it generated and I feel like that's what's going to happen with a federal mandate on gay marriage.  Do you think Arkansas is going to take well to federally legalized gay marriage?  Personally, I think they'll take better to it if it just kind of seeps unnoticed into their hyperconnected media culture without them realizing it.  Sure, ideally they'd all be ok with it on day one, but the reality is that they're not.  Why force them if they'll just get assimilated by the next generation of MySpacers, IMers--kids who have friends all over the world who grow up digitally tolerant/agnostic about such things. 

What sucks is that I've yet to be abliged in an intelligent exchange on this.  No one who believes in a federal gay marriage support law has been willing to just level with me, be open to my points and show/explain (not cry/yell) theirs.  And of course, it happens both ways.  Its not like people who are against it have been that open to sitting down and having a dialogue on it either.

Perhaps I'm wrong.  Perhaps I'm misguided.  I didn't say I was right.  I said this was what I believed, and as an analyst, I'm a truth seeker.  Show me where my logic is flawed, but don't cry out because of what I believe and refuse to engage me.  If you just say, "I can't believe you think like that, I can't even talk to you" what good does that to?  How does that solve anything?  Help me ask the right questions of myself and the world around me.

We're making it so that people are afraid to admit how they really feel.  They're afraid to say, "Hey, I'm wearing khaki's today, not because I'm anti-gay, but because I just don't want my clothing to become somebody else's political rallying tool, regardless of whether I agree with them or not."   

So, if you want to talk and discuss, feel free.  Let's share ideas... change/influence each other's perspective--something different than what goes on with most poltical blogs.  Most political blogs aren't true conversations, they're either love-ins for people who all think the same way or targets for people who disagree.  Where's the conversation there?  Do you spend more time debating others to affect them or debating internally with yourself because you're actually affected by what someone else said?

We might disagree, but if you can't respect the fact that we disagree, this isn't going to go anywhere...

Delivery Rivalry, originally uploaded by ceonyc.

USPS truck in front of our building...

Before the playoffs, I made some predictions.   Here's how they fared:

Padres vs. Cardinals:  Cardinals in 1.

The Cardinals are going to win the first game 23-1.  The Padres will concede the rest of the series and apoligize for even being in the playoffs with an 82-80 record. 

Result:  Amazingly enough, this actually happened.  I was spot on.

Astros and Braves:  Astros in 4.

The Braves, too, will apoligize for continuing to win the National League East.  Roger Clemens will nail Chipper Jones in the face intentially, ruining a division series perfect game but then get the next guy to preserve the no-hitter.  Clemens will use age and dementia as an excuse for the wayward 97MPH fastball.  Nobody buys it.  Doesn't matter...  everyone's tired of the Braves anyway.

Status: I called this one.  'Stros in four.  No face knocking, though, but Clemens did come up big in the last game, making up for his first effort.

Yanks and Angels:  Angels in 5. 

Garret Anderson will drive in 10 runs.  Still, he will be drafted in the 12th round of most fantasy leagues next year.  He will legally change his name to "No respect."  Arod will go another year without a ring.  Yankee stadium will be packed with fans who got corporate seats and have never been to a baseball game before.  They'll wonder why that Ruth fellow isn't playing.  Mariano Rivera will not give up a run in his 5 appearences.  Neither will K-Rod.

Status:  Called this one, too!   I was off, though.  Garret only drove in 7, but still lead the team.  No one could have called Bengie Molina, though.  K-rod gave up runs and so did Mariano.

Sox vs. Sox:  Red Sox in 4.

Podsednick will steal 8 bases in the series.  Both teams will combine for more than 8 runs in every game.  Red Sox fans won't even watch or attend, because, after last year, everything else is gravy.  I can't seriously pick the White Sox here, mostly because, as Brian pointed out, they're throwing out Jose Contraras in the first game.

Status:  Boy, did I blow this one.  Contraras came up big and the Red Sox didn't.  As for the run scoring, every game had at least 8 runs in it...  almost got that one at least.  Pod:  1 stolen base. 

Angels - White Sox?

Angels in 7...

Garret Anderson:  More RBI.  Series MVP.

Click to see Video

I found this on the del.icio.us Mustang+cars tag. 

So now that the couches are in and the walls are painted, it was time for detailing.  Like, for example, my bare gray walls.  I called in an expert...   Adrianna and I went to Bed Bath and Beyond to look for framed pictures, mirrors, etc.  I had a bunch of postcards of Pike Floyd album covers that I wanted to put up as well, but how to put them up and where to put them? 

We found a few items that we liked and started brainstorming right in the store:

Here's the final product:

Friendster has just added a tool that allows people to see who has viewed their profiles.  In the last week, my profile has really become popular.  The interesting thing is that where its become popular is a bit fishy.

3/4 of these clicks are coming from Malaysia and the Phillipines.  Now, of course I realize the power of my universal appeal, but perhaps we might consider something else going on here.

Clickfraud?  I think that's a real possibility.

There are advertisements on my profile...    I mean, seriously, why the heck would straight Phillipino guys click me... and a lot of them, too. 

Unless its a case of my head looking like the logo of some Asian product, like Homer in the Simpsons.  Maybe I'm the next Mr. Sparkle!

I'm certainly not trying to knock Friendster here, because they've done a lot in the last few months to revamp the service, but this is just kind of weird.

I want to learn some basic MySQL and PHP in order to build a wikipedia-type wiki...  I have a great idea for one.

I want to sit down with Ning for a little while.

I'm curious about Second Life.

Its STILL on my to do list to collaborate with Sean on a new blog about younger VC analysts.

I also really need some more time for original research.

And then there are the people who take my wacky ideas, combine them with their own much better ideas and run with them...   I've got to add a "Don't try this at home" disclaimer.

So much to do.

Will all of you people stop innovating and creating and give me a chance to catch up, try out, and possibly create some stuff on my own?

Or, at least just invent another day.  I'd invest in that. 

Pete Cashmore's Mashable and Chris Baum's User Experience Blog. 

I've been ranking all my blogs... well, most of them little by little, in FeedDemon by title, renaming the titles 0-5. 

My important front line reads are 1's.  This includes Fred's blog and Rob May's Businesspundit.

My 2's are solid.  They fill out the rotation with quality...   but I don't need to read them everyday.  That includes Alex Barnett and Charlene Li. 

3's are things I need to pay attention to, but aren't really part of regular content consumption, like the blogs of our companies, who we hear from anyway, and some MSM feeds.

4's are for something else...  4's are del.icio.us feeds of fun stuff to do and restaurants, and PubSub feeds.

5's are friends.

Then, there's the 0 category.  That's a test.  0's are short lived...   for like a week.  Its a watchlist of stuff I might want to read.  Pete and Chris have graduated from the zeros.

Maybe they're specifically targeting 26 year old Mustang drivers with tattoos, but AIG Auto just quoted me a rate that's about 35% of what I got from Esurance and Progressive.   

Check them out.

Esurance wanted to insure me for a price that was about 30% of the value of the damn car.

If you haven't picked up on this yet... I got a surprise call from the Ford dealer yesterday... my car is in.  :)

Listening to Al Gore talk about the lost "marketplace of ideas".  TV stations used to (it doesn't seem like they do anymore... at least I can't find it) have some requirement for educational programming?

Should MySpace, Friendster, and the Facebook have the same thing?  Especially when it comes to news.

In fact, I wonder whether or not Newscorp is interested in MySpace to reengage youth from a news a political perspective.  MySpace News...     pump a bunch of news stories into those kinds of networks... an opportunity to research facts, etc...   give them the tools to collaborate and discuss.  That's the way to engage the youth...  not with a young people's version of Fox News or MSNBC.

Need some market testing here.  Has anyone taken out an auto loan in the past 6 months?  What rate did they get?  Leave an anonymous comment with just the number...  :)

I just got quoted 7.8...   was hoping for more around 7.

I guess resale value is why autoloans are so much more expensive than mortages, huh?