August 23rd, 2009 by Alec

Coney Island… Still sucks

With great attractions like “shoot the freak” and karaoke on the beach, how could one think that coney island sucks? Don’t go.

August 8th, 2009 by Alec

Tampa

A few days ago I drov to Tampa to scout locations for another business expo. I was impressed with the city, and it reminded me a lot of Atlanta. The small business climate seems great, but they’re really in need of some more business networking activities, and certainly a business expo. Most business owners I spoke to were overwhelmingly receptive to the idea of networking, but weren’t aware of the tools and resources at their disposal…. We’re on our way to help! I snapped this picture along the way into the city off rural roads in middl florida.

July 9th, 2009 by Alec

The coolest game in outer-space

Multitouch Space Invaders Demo from Multitouch Barcelona on Vimeo.

July 8th, 2009 by Alec

The beginning of the end of Democratic Healthcare

While “socialized” or government run healthcare has been prominent in American News, and very controversial – it seems that the system in place now is lending itself to a full-on-breakdown. Biz Journals Reports that Hospital Associations have agreed to a Medicare Pay-cut – this could lead to an even more significant difference in care (as if it didn’t exist before) between those on medicare and those with private insurance. The Chicago Tribune reported in April of this year that one in three medicare patients are re-admitted to the hospital within 90 days of being discharged!! The disparity in care could be a significant detriment to those on Medicare with Medical reimbursements plummeting. We’ve known as early as 1986 that deaths have been escalating among patients with medicare vs. private insurance.

Tending to our sick should be the primary concern for our doctors, not whether or not they’ll get paid for doing what they’ve sworn to do. Imagine if our government representatives were looking out for their pockets over the welfare of their constituencies…. oh. Regardless, this sacrifice of Medicare proceeds will undoubtedly leave hospitals searching for fresh capital – hopefully it will spur serious competition between hospitals and lead to new equipment and well-trained staff to inspire confidence in patients – more than likely it will lead to a government bailout and serious reform of the healthcare industry. If only there were real capitalists left!

June 30th, 2009 by Alec

Business Expo

I wanted to let everyone know about my Business Expo – July 21, 2009 at the Marriott in Palm Beach Gardens. General Motors’ Jim Thompson will be delivering the keynote address. Find out more about the expo by going to www.networksouthflorida.com

June 1st, 2009 by Alec

Bad Banks = Bad VC’s

It occurred to me that Banks giving loans to people whom they knew couldn’t afford them was a lot like VC’s funding companies who would be monetized by the ambiguous blanket statement “ad revenue.”

It would be logical that VC’s and Angels would be seeding new companies (geared towards a recession conscious nature) like crazy, but they’re not. Why? Just like the banks VC’s have been burned by bad investments – or an army of apps they’ve been funding for years with no clear path towards ROI. Their investors have also likely taken a huge hit in other sectors, and are requiring a more conservative investment style.

Why this is bad: Webapps should be getting micro-funding like nuts! The most vertical growth is still being seen on the internet – and the internet still has the lowest barrier for entry costs in any sector. After all, people are flocking to the internet looking for coupon sites and ways to get discounts more and more frequently.

But instead of the standard comparison engines, niche-targeted sales sites, or better ad networks – VC’s and Angels are sitting idle as other countries take the reigns of web development.

Going back to my model of traditional banks, VC’s are following the same principals as the bankers- they’ve got burned in their primary method of driving revenue by their own bad decisions, and now they’re sitting idle instead of attacking and diversifying into new markets!

Hey VC’s, Angels – I’ve got a bunch of great projects for you – just call me.

May 21st, 2009 by Alec

Visit to the NYSE

Thanks to everyone who helped Marcie and I get on the trading floor! It was amazing to see how the cornerstone of America’s financial sector operates.

While I was really excited to be privileged enough to check out the exchange, I was a little disappointed knowing that most people won’t be afforded the opportunity to see how everything works. In my opinion, touring the NYSE is crucial for everyone at some point in their life.

We toured the trading floor, met with several traders & specialists, and learned a lot about the history of the market. The ‘Garage’ as the traders refer to it, is where the traders in the early days of the market, came to park their horse and buggies – today its over-run with large kiosks filled with computer equipment.

As recently as last month, the AMEX was moved onto the floor of the NYSE, and now the two are both housed at 8 Broad Street. Interestingly, the NYSE and the AMEX are not in separate rooms, however options trading and stock trading are. (Incidentally, the options traders didn’t look all that busy!).

I can’t say enough great things about the people at Triad Securities and Bluepoint Securities, who gave us the opportunity to check out the trading floor, and get a feel for the real Wall Street. Thanks!

– Post From My iPhone

May 8th, 2009 by Alec

S. Res. 118 – The data is coming, the data is coming….

SRES 118 IS

May 6th, 2009 by Alec

Dear 1-800-Flowers.com

Dear 1-800-Flowers.com,

I am an avid flower purchaser. I think its nice to buy flowers, for my family members, my girlfriend, or just to be cordial when I’m going to a dinner, etc. I am writing to you today because I believe your marketing department has lost their mind. While I understand that the economy has been tough on sales, and I know that one of the largest flower-purchasing holidays of the year is upon us, I still cannot stomach the multitude of disruptive emails I have received from you.

As I am an analytical person, I like to gain some perspective on others actions, I critically assessed your motive for this email blitz. I assume that your marketing department is comprised of smart people. I further assume that you have a protocol for email blasting. Therefore, I know you must be aware that the average email user does not check their email two and three times a day. So, why would you send multiple daily emails!

Okay, lets assume that you have micro-targeted me. You KNOW that I check my email every five minutes for business. So, why would constantly “remind” me to purchase flowers from you- thereby disrupting my day? If you really KNEW me, you’d know that when I order flowers from you, I spend less than 5 minutes from selection to checkout. I purchase quickly, and I always buy baskets – furthermore you’d know by my pattern of purchasing, that I always buy WAY in advance of the occasion I’m shopping for.

1-800-Flowers, my friend, I think you may need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing department, and discern which of their tactics are beneficial and which work against you. Internet marketing is a science, don’t throw everything you’ve got against the wall and see what sticks, examine your customer base empirically, and work towards a more effective marketing campaign. If you need some help, I’m a scientist, call me.

Your friend,

[AH]

May 6th, 2009 by Alec

Universities at the Center of the Universe