4/30/08

The World's Most Valuable Digital Startups

Full Article Here: The SAI 25: The World's Most Valuable Digital Startups!

THE SAI 25: THE WORLD'S MOST VALUABLE STARTUPS

Rank
Company Valuation
1. Facebook
$9 billion
2. Wikipedia
$7 billion
3. Craigslist

$5 billion

4. Betfair
$5 billion
5. Mozilla Corp
$4 billion
6. Yandex
$3 billion
7. Webkinz
$2 billion
8. LinkedIn $1.3 billion
9. Habbo $1.25 billion
10. Oanda $1.2 billion
11. Linden Lab
$1.1 billion
12. Kayak
$1 billion
13. QlikTech
$850 million
14. Ning
$560 million
15. Slide
$550 million
16. TheLadders
$500 million
17. Stardoll
$450 million
18. Ozon
$450 million
19. Thumbplay
$400 million
20. Glam Media
$400 million
21. Rock You
$325 million
22. Tudou
$300 million
23. Efficient Frontier $275 million
24. Zazzle $250 million
25. Spot Runner $250 million
Contenders


Federated Media $245 million

Yelp $225 million

Meebo $220 million

Indeed $200 million

Zillow $200 million

LoveFilm $200 million

Metacafe $200 million

Adconion $200 million

4INFO $175 million

Photobox $150 million

Vibrant Media $150 million

Gawker Media $150 million

Mahalo $150 million

56.com

$150 million

Youku $125 million
Digg $125 million

Etsy $115 million

LinkExperts $100 million

Powerset $80 million

Trialpay $80 million

Huffington Post $75 million

Associated Content $65 million

Live Gamer $60 million

Twitter $75 million

Mint $50 million

Prosper <$50 million

Good to see Zazzle on the list...now where's CafePress.com? My guess is that Zazzle is still viewed as more of a technology company while CafePress is not. Whose advantage is that? I'm not really sure.

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Stop subsidizing rich former presidents

This tidbit came from an article by Gregg Easterbrook, who writes a weekly column for ESPN.com. Find the article in its entirety here: NFL draft as inexact as breaking down tenths of seconds

Stop subsidizing rich former presidents: Last year, TMQ complained that although former chief executives George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton are wealthy, both continue to take large amounts of presidential retirement benefits and other sweetheart payments -- money forcibly removed from the pockets of taxpayers who are struggling to get by. Reader Zach Stanley of Boston points out this Politico story indicating the situation is worse than my 2007 item suggested. Clinton, whose recently released tax forms show he has made more than $10 million per year since leaving office, nevertheless has already claimed $8 million in retirement benefits (and he's not retired), plus $3.2 million for office overhead, plus $420,000 for his phone bill. The later figure is difficult to take seriously; even if you yakked 24/7 on a satellite line to Tajikistan, it's hard to believe you could ring up $420,000 in telephone charges. Is some of this money really going to staffers for Clinton's speechmaking business? In public the very wealthy Clinton wags his finger about how the rich are shafting the average guy. He himself is shafting the average guy by claiming lavish tax subsidies.

All this is doubly vexing because the payments are made under the Former Presidents Act of 1958. That bill was enacted when news broke that former president Harry Truman was living on little more than his Army pension: As a matter of principle, Truman refused to give paid speeches, make endorsements or serve on corporate boards, because he believed such actions demeaned the dignity of the presidency. Phrases like "the dignity of the presidency" and "as a matter of principle" don't seem to have much meaning anymore in politics. But the whole point of the Former Presidents Act was to enable previous White House occupants to live comfortably without having to sell their names. Now Clinton is selling his name like mad, while George H. W. Bush, who was born into wealth, demands subsidies too. Thank goodness the dignified Truman did not live to see this selfish spectacle of ex-presidential money-grubbing.


I'm sure that if Americans knew that this was happening, there would be more outrage...instead, politicians (in this case our former presidents), continue to abuse their power without the public knowing. SAD.
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iTunes Store turns 5: Can anyone break its dominance?

Apple's digital music store just celebrated its fifth anniversary and a Cinderella-like run so far.

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Great Rutgers Football Article

From NJ.com

NFL message to Davis: Take the Long route

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
BY HARVEY YAVENER
Special to the Times

"With the first pick of the (2010?, 2011?) NFL Draft, (fill in a team) selects offensive tackle An thony Davis of Rutgers."

Far-fetched? Hardly. Call it very near-fetched.

Rutgers has never had a first- round NFL draft choice, but the day keeps coming closer. It could happen next April if, say, wideout Kenny Britt has a big junior year, if quarterback Mike Teel doesn't bang his hand into a defensive end's helmet and fracture his throwing hand again, if he and Britt stay on the wavelength they showed this spring they can travel together. Britt at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, is big enough, fast enough and skilled enough to merit that kind of attention and that kind of pro contract.

But it's Davis over whom the pros eventually will salivate. If they aren't already. The Piscataway native was the top schoolboy lineman two years ago when he was No. 1 on the Ohio State recruiting list, was probably the best freshman lineman in college football last fall when he stepped into a right guard opening at Rutgers and played like a veteran, and who at 6-6 and anywhere from 330 pounds up that he chooses to play will be the nation's best sophomore left tackle come this autumn. He showed that in spring drills before twisting an ankle and sitting out the spring game to please a coaching staff just as happy to keep him out of additional harm's way.

The key two words in the above paragraph are "left tackle." It has become the most-sought commodity in pro football. The guy who keeps the quarterback upright. It has become the highest-paid position in the game. Ask Jake Long. Jake Long, the Michigan Wolverine left tackle who got a guaranteed $30 million from the Miami Dol phins as the No. 1 choice in Saturday's draft and who can more than double those earnings by playing up to his press clippings over the next decade -- which barring injury he should do. Jake Long at 6-7, 313 pounds, best at his position in a year where the ranks were not deep.

You go back and look at the preseason college football magazines and they're instructive. What, most wondered, was Jake Long doing, turning down certain first- round draft selection to return to Michigan for his senior year? The answer was more than just playing at a school he loved. The multi-million dollar answer was he was be coming the first overall pick, the one at whom the gusher throws millions. He played every card just right, and even if some questioned how great his play was as a senior, no one ever will question any check he ever writes.

Six other offensive tackles were chosen in the first round Saturday, all of whom will get fat bonuses, their reward for sustained growth spurts. Where you played didn't matter. The six come from Boise State, Vanderbilt, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Southern California and Virginia Tech. The names are Ryan Clady, Chris Willliams, Gosder Cherilus, Jeff Otah, Sam Baker and Duane Brown. Names, just names. It's the size of the bodies that count. And the size of the bonuses.

If you're Anthony Davis -- and who wouldn't want to be? -- the only name that matters is Jake Long. The only draft position that matters is No. 1. And if you are wise after your junior year, unless NFL teams are guaranteeing you'll go first of all, you have to weigh carefully coming back to Rutgers for that critical fourth year. Of the seven first-rounders this year, only Clady came out as a junior. The extra year can be critical.

But whether Anthony Davis is a first pick or not, whether he stays at Rutgers two more seasons or three, the local kid who stayed home, the one who earned coach Greg Schiano's undying admiration by not buckling to the recruiting pressures of Buckeye Nation, is going to leave a large legacy on The Banks. He'll prove among other things a New Jersey kid can stay home and hit the jackpot.

That only one Scarlet Knight besides Rice (offensive lineman Jeremy Zuttah) was drafted this weekend was no huge surprise. It doesn't diminish Schiano's stature. In fact, it increases as it proved he could win with ordinary talents and should do even better as the number of future pros grows. Britt and safety Courtney Greene will get long looks this year, and if dynamic Notre Dame High graduate Tiquan Underwood is judged too frail to be drafted, perhaps some team will be wise to give him a bonus to join its front office.

And then there is the question of quarterback Teel. ESPN kept repeating on Saturday's coverage how any team needing a quarterback had better take one this year because the cupboard is empty in the next class. Maybe, but is there a chance Teel could fool them all? Healthy, stronger, more accurate, he looked like a big-time quarterback this spring, able to make all the throws and is blessed with a strong receiving corps.

Somewhere down the line, a talent like the quarterback arriving in 2009, Tom Savage from Cardinal O'Hara of the Philadelphia Catholic League, will keep the Rutgers brand prominent on draft day. And, be certain, there will be other future pros coming from the Schi ano school. He promised he'd build a national program that would get good kids, bring out their football potential, and graduate them as solid ciitzens. The promise is being realized.

And if you're the next Anthony Davis, the message will continue to emerge. Riches can await no mat ter your alma mater. Just keep eating and growing and working, kid.

Harvey Yavener is a Times special writer.





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The Ultimate Act of Sportsmanship

Western Oregon senior Sara Tucholsky had never hit a home run in her career. She hit a home run to take the lead vs. Central Washington, then tore her ACL rounding the bases. If a player on her team touched her the play would result in an out. Then her opponent said 'Excuse me, would it be OK if we carried her around and she touched each bag?'

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4/28/08

Gotta love the NYTimes

This is from this article: Recession Diet Just One Way to Tighten Belt

Such trade-offs were on vivid display last week in Ohio, where layoffs have been rampant. At Save-A-Lot, a discount grocery store in Cleveland, Teresa Rutherford, 51, chided her sister-in-law, Donna Dunaway, 44, for picking up a package of Sara Lee honey ham (eight ounces for $2.49).

“We can’t afford that!” she said. “Get the cheap stuff.” They settled on a 16-ounce package of Deli Pleasures ham for $3.29, or 34 percent less an ounce.

The women said that soaring prices for food and fuel had changed what they buy and where they buy it. “We used to eat out at Bob Evans or Denny’s once a month,” said Ms. Rutherford, who works in an auto-parts factory. “Now we don’t go out at all. We eat in all the time.”

Ok, I'm not trying to be mean here (ok, maybe a little) but really? REALLY!? The New York Times is interviewing a woman who used to be able to eat at Denny's once a month? I don't even know what to say to that...I'm sure there's a great joke in there somewhere but I'm just dumbfounded right now.








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Forgetting Sarah Marshall


The fiancee and I had a nice little date yesterday afternoon and went to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I'm not one to normally do movie reviews but I figure what the hell, might as well share with the world what I thought about it. So...here goes.....

If you were ever curious as to what Jason Segel's penis looks like, go see Sarah Marshall and you'll know.

Sarah Marshall was funny, and yes, even cute...a perfect date movie. Both the fiancee and I enjoyed it and although it might not be as funny as Superbad or Knocked Up, it's still a great movie and one I definitely recommend seeing.

It's also quite raunchy which makes me pretty uncomfortable now knowing that my parents also went to see this movie. There are certain movies that you never want to see with your parents, and this is one of them. I wonder how many of the jokes my mother actually even understood.

All in all, good movie, thumbs up, go see it. Oh, and just so you know, you'll want to take a vacation to Hawaii as soon as the movie is over, so be prepared.




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4/24/08

Kip Kedersha earned $102,000 from MetaCafe last year.

Instructional videos on stuff like turning a flashlight into a laser earned Kip Kedersha $102,000 from Metacafe last year. Kip should thank all the diggers for all the video views he got on Metacafe.

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Mother's Day Gifts from Apple

Apple is getting into the Mother's Day spirit as well!

This Mother's Day, surprise Mom with a gift she'll be sure to show off. Help her enjoy and share photos, music, and more with the best Mac gear and iPod gifts.

The Apple Store Mother's Day Gift Guide is live and the shopping has begun! Help find the perfect gifts for Mom!

  • Free Shipping
  • Free Laser Engraving on iPods
  • Signature Gift Wrap available for iPod, iPhone, and Apple Software
  • Mac, iPod and accessories Guides
Apple Online Store


Apple Store





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Zazzle Presents Mother's Day

Just sharing this email I received from Zazzle re: Mother's Day.

Zazzle wants to help your customers create gifts that every mother will love for years to come by offering Free Shipping on $75 or more! Simply enter MOMDAYZAZZLE upon checkout. Offer ends May 6.










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4/23/08

The BurnTees forum

ok, the BurnTees forum is not progressing as quickly as I had hoped and I blame all of you. So, get over there and start some conversations!

Link to the BurnTees Forum



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4/18/08

New forum subjects at the BurnTees Forum

Obviously the new BurnTees Forum is still a work in progress, but I think things are going well so far. We have new users signing up and some interesting conversations going on.

I just added a new thread called Help Me With My Site. It's a place for help (obviously!). Need SEO help? web design help? graphic design help? Post here and the community will try to help out. I know that there are similar threads on the CP and Zazzle forums, but I think those are very restricted because people's feelings get hurt, but for now, I'm going to try and keep things as open and honest as possible. If you ask for a review of your site, be prepared for an honest answer...but hopefully that honest answer can really be a positive thing for your shop. Does your SEO suck? if it does, improvements can really help your sales.

So, take a look around and feel free to post!



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4/17/08

The 125+ People, Places and Things Ruling the Rock Universe

Rolling Stone's 125-plus picks, from Best Festival Band Radiohead to Best Producer Danger Mouse to Best MC Lil Wayne, plus books, venues, Beatles remasters and more.

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4/14/08

Crazy Carl's update on the toughest athlete in sports

In case you missed it, Crazy Carl and I recently had a conversation about the toughest athlete in sports. Below is the original post.

Recently Sports Illustrated ran an article called The 25 Toughest Athletes (link to article). Carl and I had some discussions about this list and about how absurd it is. How can you name an athlete who plays in a non-contact sport the toughest athlete?

Anyway, here's the first IM I received from Carl today:

(that's Carl's real screen name. Feel free to IM him and call him names)

RUCameron77 (11:02:27 AM): the masters started today. already one golfer had his arm broken, another got paralyzed, and another broke his leg so badly that the broken bone came through the skin and was sticking out.
RUCameron77 (11:02:58 AM): oh wait, that didn't happen in golf... because golf isn't tough, isn't a "sport", golfers aren't tough, and tiger is a big fat pussy

Oh Crazy Carl, you're crazy!


Carl had some things to add to this discussion this morning so I thought I'd share that with you.

RUCameron77 (10:32:36 AM): in the meantime... tiger woods is mad about all the shit i've been saying about him being not tough, and a pussy.
me (10:32:45 AM): oh really?
RUCameron77 (10:33:03 AM): so, he announced yesterday that he's going to prove to me that he's tough.
me (10:33:24 AM): i'm listening
RUCameron77 (10:33:25 AM): and he's going to prove it by carrying his own golfclubs around the course at the next tournament
RUCameron77 (10:33:31 AM): hahahahahaha.
me (10:33:44 AM): lol, yea, wouldn't that be something?
me (10:33:53 AM): although, he's still tougher then pitchers who wear a jacket when they get on base
RUCameron77 (10:33:59 AM): hahahahaha.
RUCameron77 (10:34:35 AM): however... if a pitcher is on base with a jacket on, it means he got a hit.
RUCameron77 (10:34:45 AM): he hit a ball moving 90 miles at hour at him...
RUCameron77 (10:34:58 AM): as opposed to pussy woods who is hitting a ball thats not even moving.
RUCameron77 (10:35:25 AM): in fact, tiger is such a pussy that he can't hit that standing still ball if anyone makes a noise.


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4/13/08

The new BurnTees Forum

Check out the new BurnTees.com Forum. A place to discuss t shirts and whatever the hell else you want.



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4/11/08

Crazy Carl 11:38am Rant

RUCameron77 (11:38:45 AM): NBA youth adidas Utah Jass Deron Williams Jersey on Ebay

RUCameron77 (11:39:01 AM): seriously, who would buy this? they should just give it to a mexican day laborer and get it over with

Um, yea, thanks for that Carl.



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North Jersey Dad

My brother just started his own blog, North Jersey Dad. He's not nearly as funny or witty as me but please check out his blog anyway. Leave him a comment, let him know that people are reading what he's writing, and let him know what you think so far.

Thanks!

4/10/08

Crazy Carl - Toughest Athlete in Sports?

Recently Sports Illustrated ran an article called The 25 Toughest Athletes (link to article). Carl and I had some discussions about this list and about how absurd it is. How can you name an athlete who plays in a non-contact sport the toughest athlete?

Anyway, here's the first IM I received from Carl today:

(that's Carl's real screen name. Feel free to IM him and call him names)

RUCameron77 (11:02:27 AM): the masters started today. already one golfer had his arm broken, another got paralyzed, and another broke his leg so badly that the broken bone came through the skin and was sticking out.
RUCameron77 (11:02:58 AM): oh wait, that didn't happen in golf... because golf isn't tough, isn't a "sport", golfers aren't tough, and tiger is a big fat pussy

Oh Crazy Carl, you're crazy!

4/9/08

Before Marriage / After Marriage

Before Marriage - - -

He: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.
She: Do you want me to leave?
He: NO! Don't even think about it.
She: Do you love me?
He: Of course! Over and over!
She: Have you ever cheated on me?
He: NO! Why are you even asking?
She: Will you kiss me?
He: Every chance I get!
She: Will you hit me?
He: Are you crazy! I'm not that kind of person!
She: Can I trust you?
He: Yes.
She: Darling !

After marriage - - - simply read from bottom to top !!

Gurgles and Growls? How to Decode Your Body Noises

Your jaw pops like a bowl of Rice Krispies, in meetings, at mealtime, even during candlelight moments. Is it a joint that needs fixing, or just an annoying sound you can live with? Most body noises, although embarrassing, are harmless. Occasionally, they’re a signal that something’s not quite right.

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4/7/08

What should BurnTees design next?

Please help us decide what we should design next. Below are some ideas we've been throwing around. Let us know what you like, don't like, would love to see us design and if there's anything you love so much you'd just have to buy it! Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

  1. That’s Unpossible!
  2. Time to pull the switcheroo
  3. Don't I look familiar?
  4. Puck Folitics
  5. I'd Rather be Pooping
  6. Dicks before Chicks
  7. New Jersey – We’ll Take Anyone
  8. New Jersey – You should probably just take our word for it
  9. SuperGuido
(please note that these are our copyrighted ideas and we'd appreciate it if you didn't steal our ideas in order to design your own t shirts)

4/3/08

MySpace: New ITunes-Killer?

MySpace today said it will enter the increasingly crowded digital music business with a new service, MySpace Music, that will offer free streams and sell downloads of tracks without digital rights management software.

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