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As a biased Obama supporter, I realize that my opinion is subject to scrutiny. However this graph from Pollster.com reveals the truth that McCain has only led Obama twice in the national polls. A fact which may come as a shock for anyone who firmly believes that Obama is a Muslim, the Anti-Christ, a typical "tax and spend" liberal, a celebrity, etc...
The first lead came in March thanks to constant scrutiny by the press over the Reverend Wright issue, and the second of course came briefly thanks to Governor Palin's nomination to the ticket (someone who even conservatives seem to now be running from). What this tells me is that this race is now firmly back in Obama's hands, and is essentially his to lose. Friday's debate therefore, no matter how you scored it, will most likely do nothing more than be used as fodder for future campaign commercials.
UPDATE: I wrote that last sentence while watching the debates on Friday. Then today, John McCain gives us this head-scratcher. The problem that the McCain campaign will have to deal with however is that America seems to disagree with his tactic (or is it a strategy?).
2008-09-27
Obama's to Lose
2008-09-25
"Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. " - Berthold Auerbach
Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby
UPDATE: I had the Young Coyotes video posted twice, and forgot to include the Panda Bear video. My apologies.
2008-09-22
A Blogger’s Manifesto
Back in July I decided to start a blog... clearly. What may not be as clear is that it was a decision driven primarily by the realization that the right side of my brain had begun to atrophy after 3 years working as a CPA. Since then the response can perhaps best be described as irrationally exuberant, as friends begin to find this site and most begin to wonder why someone with a 9 – 5 job (or 8 – 8 as the case may be) would decide to undertake something so personal and potentially time consuming. I mean we all work enough as it is, right? Still others have asked what I possibly hoped to accomplish in the few hours a week that I could conceivably hope to devote to the site. To answer all that requires an exploration of a word that I have always sought to avoid; passion.
Who am I?
I have previously provided a more thoroughly ridiculous answer to that question here , however I will only further add that I would characterize myself as someone who is continually overwhelmed by what is required of my time, yet someone who actively seeks to carve out time for the real passions of my life. The concept of passion has always frustrated me though. I don’t know if it’s because I have never been absolutely sure what my passions were or simply my unwillingness to repeat the all too common responses of “people” or “new experiences”. What I do believe however is that not having an answer to that question has led me down the path of least resistance, and plopped me down smack dap in the middle of Corporate America.
Passion, in my opinion, is the ethos of high school or college thanks in part to a plethora of new and exciting experiences which virtually define that chapter of our lives. However once graduation passes and the excitement of starting your first job begins to wane, the reality of the working world is left in its wake. A reality that for many, leads to a near state of depression as a result of a job that they either don’t enjoy, or a career in which they feel trapped.
This realization led me to conduct a case study whereby I tested the correlation between a person’s happiness and their work experience. This study was performed on my immediate group of friends, and the results ended up looking identical to a demand curve (i.e. as you increase the number of years at a specific job, inevitably demand for that job decreases). What's worse is that it took on average two years for someone to go from day 1 at their first job to beginning the process of looking for another one. Business owners take note.
So what does this mean to someone still at the very beginnings of what some experts have described as a “Career destined for greatness” (ok maybe only I say that)? It means that it should come as no surprise that the #1 casualty of starting out in the working world is losing the passion which defined our lives up to that point. A truth that is further exacerbated if our paths were set without fully considering the consequences of where we would ultimately end up. It seems that the financially secure path, may in fact end up costing more in the end.
Why “One Stop Schop”
“For every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.”
- Arthur Schopenhauer
A quick background story about the origins of this site begins when I finally decided to take the leap into the highly intellectual (debatable I know) world of blogging. The bug first bit me after reading Bill Simmons’ marathon pop culture and sports related posts (still convinced he has one of the best jobs around) and Andrew Sullivan’s professionally crafted political commentary. But it wasn’t until I found sites like Tech Crunch, AVC, TedTalks (the #1 Podcast hands down), etc… however that I decided I needed a place to track my thoughts. Currently, as my friends and family love to point out, politics seems to consume much of my conversations outside of work, yet my passions extend well beyond the realm of whether or not Obama is elected in November. Although I do apologize if the focus of this blog is severely skewed in one direction until the election is over, especially since “free time” has gone the way of the condor with increased demands at work, planning a wedding, playing in a city softball league, and various other "important" tasks on my plate.
The first hurdle I had to clear, once the decision was made, was the obvious; what word or phrase could possibly convey all the thoughts that were swirling around in my head? The site I wanted to create would link / comment on news varying in degree from what new start-up Union Square is backing, to what is currently consuming Matt Chandler’s (my Pastor) thoughts and prayers, to what music the good folks here, here, and here are listening to.
Through that brain-storming session, I came upon hurdle #2; Google Blogger is free. Now don’t get me wrong, I love things that are free. Free is almost always the preferable choice. The unfortunate truth about “free” in the context of blogging though is that it creates a world with no personal incentives. In fact I challenge any of you to type:
http://(insert_witty_phrases_here).blogspot.com/
See how long it takes before you find an unclaimed site. It's ridiculous.
The more I thought about a concept however, the more I kept coming back to my original idea of creating a site that encompasses the multitude and diversity of my pursuits… a “one stop shop” if you will (also taken). I then came across the Schopenhauer quote above which fit nicely into the theme and thus the title "The One Stop Schop" (for “Schop”enhauer) was born.
My fiancé gives me a hard time about my many theories on life, but one such theory (we’ll call it The I'm Right, Your Wrong Theory) is that each of us continually operates under the assumption that we are 100% justified in our actions, while others are not. A belief innocent enough in a vacuum, yet one that poses intense problems when confronted by another opposing set of beliefs (i.e. my continual bout with road rage) . If this is the result of living in a free-market society that preaches the value of pursuing one’s own self-interest or simply human nature, I’m not sure, but what I do know is that we all too often fail to see the inherent limitations created by our own lack of understanding.
Enough Already!
Ok so while some people believe that the purpose of blogging is to reap various physiological benefits, the purpose of this site will ultimately be to start a conversation of sorts with whoever chooses to join in (anyone... anyone... Bueller...?). A conversation that despite being framed by the contributors of this site, will be one that continually entertains, challenges, and occasionally enlightens (though highly doubtful) everyone who decides to listen in and occasionally partake.
However, due to the aforementioned constraints on both my time and intellectual aptitude, this blog will never portend (SAT word of the day) to provide any expert opinions. Because quite frankly, opinions are overrated and everybody’s got one. Or as Andy Swan eloquently points out, “Information used to be power. Now it is pedestrian.” Google it seems is the great equalizer.
Welcome and enjoy!
Mike
2008-09-04
2008-08-31
Prosumer Report
Lucky you. You have stumbled upon the second of The One Stop Schop's reoccurring posts - PROSUMER REPORT. Where we run through all the weird, cool, smart or unusual products out there that are well on their way to funding the next Bill Gates (or Bill Murray).
It is left for you to decide whether the author is presenting extreme sarcasm or heralding sheer genius...
1. Toastabags. 
2. Tooth-brush Couch
3. Nose Shower Gel Dispenser
4. Super Hero Socks
One must think that if only Superman would have secretly always had his hero leggings on under his business attire he probably could have cut about 3.5 minutes off changing in the phone booth... Always be prepared, Mr. Kent. It is the first rule of the Boys Scouts.
2008-08-28
The Post - DNC Bump Spin
The McCain campaign set the expectation early and extremely high at 15 - 16%, mirroring the bump received by the last young politician competing in a change election (Bill Clinton). Therefore we can all expect the McCain camp to announce a "victory" over the next few days if it falls below this number.
It should be noted however that while there are similarities between Clinton in '92 and Obama in '08, the media coverage, the constant polling, the right-left divide created over the last 8 years , and the interest from all Americans place this year's election in a category all by itself.
2008-08-25
The Schop Ten
1. McCain lost count of how many homes he owns, calls Obama an out of touch elitist.
2. The IOC launched an investigation into the allegations that He Kexin (see picture below) is below the legal age (16) to compete in gymnastics at the Olympics. 5 minute Google search confirms not only the power o of the internet, but also that everyone should fear the Chinese government.
3. In honor of American dominance in women's gymnastics, and in light of the fact that we will most likely be awarded the team gold medal (see #2 above), here is a song that is sure to get everyone all nostalgic about the 1996 games and excited about London in 2012. USA! USA! USA!
4. 80 year old billionaire T Boone Pickens claimed in a recent interview with Texas Monthly that he and his new 61 year old wife Madeleine Paulson (the widow of Gulfstream Aerospace founder Allen Paulson) are “having such a good time that we’ve been talking about starting a family.” Texans cringe
6. Chuck Klosterman claims that he manufactures opinions; wonders if anyone cares. He weight in on many issues including gravity, the civil war, swallowing one's own vomit, and bricks:
Brick (object): Symmetrically designed and eminently throwable at police cars, the brick is both a literal cornerstone of society and a keen metaphor for postholiday abortion within the music of Ben Folds Five. Though still ideal for building cathedrals and/or describing a specific shade of red, its limitations have become more evident over time -- bricks do not make good boats and are utterly useless as foodstuffs. 4 of 5 stars
7. Dave Berry offers travel advice on what to expect from a Chinese cab ride. Here’s some insight:
I've found the taxi drivers to be friendly, although usually they speak very little English. Here's a transcript of the longest conversation I've had with a driver:
DRIVER:America?
ME: Yes.
DRIVER: Michael Jordan! Number One!
ME: Well, he . . .
DRIVER: Shaq!
ME: Yes. Shaq.
DRIVER:Kobe!
ME:Yao Ming?
DRIVER:Yao Ming! China!
ME: Yes.
DRIVER: Baseball!
ME: Basketball?
DRIVER: Baseball.
8. The Large Hadron Collider is about to be turned on in
1. The Higgs Boson: 95%
2. God: 10-20%
3. Stable Black Holes That Eat Up the Earth, Destroying All Living Organisms in the Process: 10-25%
For a more detailed analysis of what the LHC is, check out this video from one of the scientists behind the project.
9. Do you live in
10. Fred Wilson over at AVC.blogs.com describes how to make it to the top in the Venture Capital world. I wish I had that kind of luck...
2008-08-11
The China Syndrome
Were you one of the 15% of the world (~1 billion) who watched the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics? If not, then I feel for you, for nothing I say can do it justice. Roughly 15,000 performers, a quarter of a mile long LCD screen, and thousands of fireworks were all orchestrated into a four hour long spectacle of China's history, it's future, and it's potential by famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou. Held in the newly constructed and acclaimed "Bird's Nest", the ceremony was seemingly less an Olympic opening as it was a country's welcoming into the global arena. As Napoleon once said, "Let China sleep. For when China wakes, it will shake the world." 8.08.08 will perhaps go down as the day when the world took notice that it had indeed begun to shake. So if you missed the opening ceremony (and odds are you did) then you should definitely check out this highlight video.
America currently leads the total medal count (China leads the gold medal count), but if Michael Phelps has anything to say about it we will soon possess the most Gold medals as well. Case in point, Sunday night Phelps and the American 4x100 freestyle relay team held an exercise in something that America always loves to do... dominate the French.
Andrew Polk (unofficial US ambassador to China and Karaoke artist extraordinaire) was recently tapped to provide commentary on his experiences at the 2008 Olympics to the illustrious Amarillo.com. For continual updates be sure to check back to the Schop, but as for now, here is his commentary on how the opening ceremonies played out on the streets of Beijing. Enjoy.
2008-08-04
The Golden Ticket
From the stop-motion savants, PES, comes the latest video sensation "Western Spaghetti."
Inspiring, creative and just plain fun to watch, it makes me think that looking low budget has never been more profitable.
And big corporations are beginning to take notice. It's amazing that little projects like this done on your own dime can eventually land you accounts with Sprint, Sony and Nike. In an article in the Seattle Times Jeremiah Owyang (Forrester Research) predicted 2008 to be “the first time, you will start to see budgets set aside for social-media strategies and processes." And his projection is ringing true.
Even underground phenomenon Ask A Ninja is now sponsored by Verizon.
The market for online video ads is growing crazy big. According to Jupiter Research, it will generate $768M this year in the US alone, and by 2012 will reach over $8B worldwide (eMarketer).
Ford Motor Company has recently realized the upswing of online media in a big way by putting together a 6-person Social Media Marketing Team to head up its own endeavors. Dell even has a position called "Chief Blogger."
Last night over a couple mojitoes and a basket of plantain chips, I equated this time in history to the golden age of advertising and the large Madison Ave firms. Anyone who has seen Mad Men knows what I'm talking about.
Huge budgets. Expense accounts. Scotch. Cigarettes. Sexism.
Ok, it’s good that last one went away, but the rest are fine by me. Huge companies sought after these guys because they had the Golden Ticket. A direct pass to the heart of the population at large through the latest technology, at the time being radio and TV. They were creating something the world had never seen before, and knew how to leverage it for the clients’ benefit. They created a form of art (yes, art) that used witty repartee, double entendres and dramatic imagery to get people to feel emotionally connected to a brand to believe in its’ superior quality. And they had the right connections to get that message out.
Things are definitely different now with the agencies trying to break through the clutter every way they can, but the core of it is the same. Instead of white married couples pushing plastic, our tools are monkeys playing drums and other seemingly random videos to get people to feel socially connected to a brand. With thousands of companies out there pushing in many cases the exact same product, the difference is now people want to have something to blog about, forward to their friends, or post on their Facebook wall so that they can be the ones in on the latest trend. And it moves at a lightening fast pace.
The medium began with Joe Consumer posting a home made video of his buddy dancing on stage for fun… then almost 100 MILLION people tuned in to watch it. And they CHOSE to tune in. This lean-forward, opt-in eagerness for consumers to actively pay attention for 6 straight minutes is something that brands have been trying to tap in to since the dawning of advertising. And now they have it – but only if done right. Otherwise the backlash could be huge (prediction: Chris Brown + Wrigley).
In a recent Adweek article, Brian Morrissey says there’s “a new breed at Fortune 500 companies. Social-media experts are in high demand as companies attempt to figure out how to adapt how they talk to customers and even among themselves.” And states that “Once thought of as an interesting new media channel, social media is increasingly seen as a catalyst for changing how companies operate.”
Just as TV was in the early days, the internet has a mystique, a huge doorway into the heart of the consumer, and large companies aren’t quite sure how to tap into yet. So they go to the experts who hold the Golden Ticket.
And those companies not leveraging social media now will quickly see their competitors gaining what has become the biggest results indicator for their marketing efforts – web traffic.
We have seen the ups and downs of companies basing their existence on web trends. But now that the dust has settled, we may just find ourselves in 30 years watching a show about the golden age of internet marketers, with their t-shirts, baseball hats, beer and tattoos.
Here’s to hoping so. Cheers.
2008-07-30
Does Colbert Write for Conservapedia?
Call Al Gore. From Conservapedia, on "liberal hypocrisy" and the environment:
"Leonardo DiCaprio, actor
Well known Hollywood actor turned environmentalist is highlighting the plight of polar bears and global warming however, in doing so, is using reams and reams of unrecycled paper."
