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Fred Wilson liked the Time cover story re. Twitter and "end user innovation." I'm gonna have to read it now. BTW, if you're at all interested in new media, tech evolution, etc. then you must read AVC.
links for 2009-06-06
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Monthly Archives: June 2009
The Spa My Daughter Will Never See
The Utopia Salon and Day Spa in Clemmons claims that one of its chairs helps women get pregnant simply by them sitting in it. While that might be a positive marketing spin for some people, I can tell you that as long as I have anything to say about it my daughter will never pass through their doors. Nor, for that matter, will my wife.
Fellas, keep this in mind when you're desparately seeking that perfect last minute gift certificate for your significant other's birthday that you completely forgot about. It could end up being the gift that keeps on giving.
links for 2009-06-04
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Yes! Weekly's article on GSO political machinations mentions recently departed TAA membership dude Ray Trapp.
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Technology is having an impact on non-profits much the way that Napster hit the music business according to this thoughtful post. Good food for thought for non-profit execs.
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Nice summary of crisis communications tools in the social media sphere.
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Here's a photo gallery that will help you appreciate your j-o-b.
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Jim Schlosser was one of the folks who provided local history during TAA's bus tour of new apartment properties in GSO. The daughter of Greensboro's mayor in 1905 is still alive and recently visited the home where she grew up, which provides Jim with the opportunity to write this piece that is part political overview of Greensboro in the early 20th century.
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N&R story on developments being built in area where Greensboro's loop is planned.
links for 2009-06-03
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SCIP's Exec. Dir. Ken Garrison provides an update on the merger with FSI.
My Guess? Hummers Will Be All They Can Be
So GM agreed to sell its Hummer unit to someone, but not telling anyone who it is. My guess? The Army is buying it. Why not? That will keep the unit "in the family" since the US Government is the majority shareholder of GM. I also figure the Army can save a ton of money by closing their recruiting centers and moving the recruiters into dealerships (or vice versa) and they can cross train recruiters to be car salesman since the jobs are virtually identical. And of course they can sell to themselves at cost so you have to figure they'll save some change there as well. Yep, I'm liking the idea more and more as I think about it.
Relativity
So a report by the Mortgage Bankers Association says that the number of mortgage applications plummeted thanks to a large jump in interest rates. Sounds bad when you equate economic recovery with housing starts, but on the other hand if you look at where the interest rates ended up, 5.25% for a 30-year fixed mortgage, and if you're old enough to remember interest rates that were double figures, you find it hard to exclaim, "Holy crap that's a high rate!" I can still remember my Mom being happy about her 13%-ish interest rate back in the late 70s or early 80s. After all just a few years earlier rates were closer to 20%. Don't believe me? Check out this table of prime interest rates since 1947 and pay particular attention to the jump in rates from October, 1980 to December, 1980, from 13.5% to 21.5%. Ouch.
AAA Baby
Fitch gives Forsyth County a 'AAA' rating:
The county's 'AAA' GO rating reflects its strong finances and management, increased economic diversification, moderately low debt, and healthy income levels.
Continued expansion of biotechnology, health care, leisure and hospitality, and financial activities is producing a diversified economy that can absorb decreases in manufacturing employment.
Projected population and assessed valuation growth are expected to maintain a manageable debt burden, in spite of infrastructure demands attributable to population growth.Located in the Piedmont region in central North Carolina, Forsyth County is one of the state's major commercial and industrial centers.
First and Life To Go at the West Forsyth 50
Ah, love. It causes people to do the wildest things, like getting hitched on the 50 yard line of your alma mater. I loved this article in the Journal.
Leigh Ellen Joyce and Derek Spencer are getting married at their second home — the football field at West Forsyth High School.
As students at West, both spent a lot of time on the field. Spencer, who graduated in 1996, wore No. 6 playing cornerback and receiver for the football team…
"It's kind of like home out here," Joyce said the other day as she and Spencer sat in the bleachers talking about their plan to stand in the middle of the 50-yard line when they get married later this month. About 300 guests will be seated on the field behind them.
(If it rains, the plan is to move the ceremony to the Joyces' church — Fairview Moravian.)
Magnet Interview with Winston-Salem Natives, The dB’s
An excerpt from Magnet's interview with Winston-Salem natives Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey of The dB's:
Chris and I both went to the same elementary school in Winston-Salem. I remember seeing him waiting to get picked up in the parking lot with his viola case. He and Mitch were in the same class. I was in the same class with Will (Rigby). It was an interesting group of people who grew up together for years and years. I was 12 and Chris was 13. I was a little bit in awe of him because he was really close pals with Mitch. Their moms were even close. And Mitch was a total guitar god, even then. He was playing in a cocktail band somewhere. Chris had gotten into recording. I remember standing with him in the R.J. Reynolds High School auditorium pit, recording another band called Rittenhouse Square with Mitch, the predecessor version to the one we were in. It was a who’s-who of great players in Winston-Salem and one of those moments when you make a connection between what the local band was doing and what the Beatles were doing. It may have been disparate, but I kind of got the feeling from watching that that it was obtainable.
Here's a link to a 2002 story about the 80s' power pop era to which The dB's belonged.
links for 2009-06-01
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Do we make too big a deal about steroids?
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The AG won a court case requiring Peak to secure bonds before accepting pre-paid gym memberships. Move is an effort to guarantee consumers can get their money back if Peak collapses.
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Yellow Pages publisher RH Donnelley files for bankruptcy protection.
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Ben "The Troublemaker" Holder is running for the District 1 city council seat in Greensboro.
Befuddled 