My husband and I were out walking our dogs with our friend Edie the other morning and passed a small table with a sign on it:

“DUDE! You do not realize how awesome this free table is. Owned previously by A. Jolie and B. Pitt. Can be seen in the background of Mr. & Mrs. Smith as well as Lara Croft: Tombraider. THIS TABLE IS AN UNPLEDGED SUPERDELEGATE! Take it now, you won’t regret it.”

I took it. I couldn’t resist the note. Without the note, I most certainly would have left the table on the sidewalk. I think Edie really wanted the table too, but I grabbed it and we hauled it back. We really wanted to grab the person who wrote the note. That unpledged superdelegate part is brilliant. I love great copy-writing and this person has the knack. Problem was, the table wasn’t in front of a particular place, so hard to tell where it came from. The mystery copywriter will remain just that, a mystery.

But this whole episode reminded my of something I read lately, an article about recycling junk. It’s surprising to me how many junk recyclers are in business around here and the kind of “junk” they recycle. Toilets and cubicles, yes, but koi? IReuse found a home for the koi at a school. The New York Times has an article in the home section about people remodeling their almost-new kitchens (they want the latest styles or whatever) and the companies that recycle those kitchens (to the tune of about $25,000 but it’s still recycling.) There are so many ways to get rid of stuff, there’s just no excuse for throwing something out that someone else might want. But don’t forget about the old fashioned way — sticking something out on the sidewalk. I suggest adding a really clever note. In fact, I have a play structure I’m trying to get rid of. Maybe I’ll give it a shot. Mystery writer, if you’re out there, feel free to give me a hand.

Environment

I’m borrowing from Thomas Mann, but it’s possibly more true today than when he said it 50+ year ago. Especially in this endless season of presidential politics, it seems like we’re surrounded. On the Democratic side, it doesn’t look like things will settle down for awhile. I’m sure we’ll be sick to death of it by this summer, but in general, I think having a choice is a good thing. If I lived in a state that had yet to hold its primary, I would want a choice. I’d probably be offended by people saying we need to unite around a single candidate right now. Yeah, the below the belt politics isn’t productive, but democracy is about choice, right?

If you’re in the tech business, it’s hard to miss the battle that’s going on between TechCrunch and DEMO. I won’t rehash it — just check the blogs (and here) to see where the lines are drawn. It comes down to money and power, just like politics. Different business models for sure, but they’re not in this for altruism. And that’s just fine with me. We advise companies on how and where to launch products, so I like the choice. I realize any company that’s engaged a PR firm like ours for its launch is probably not going to have a problem scraping together the fees for DEMO, but nonetheless, I like the idea of choosing from the launch platform that makes most sense. We certainly had that in the past with DEMO and PC Forum. Each had its own distinct vibe. And the fact that they were held at different times made it easier for a young company, antsy to get its product launched, to get out in the market at the right time. Different timing meant the companies stood a chance at rising about the noise in the press coverage that inevitably resulted from those events.

If I were an entrepreneur weighing TechCrunch50 and DEMO right now and trying to decide what to do, I’d be bummed. Not only is the audience fractured, but it will be even harder to get noticed in the flurry of coverage during those few days. A little breathing room would have given all of us a lot more choice.

Silicon Valley, Uncategorized

Last week I went to the annual fund-raising breakfast for Youth and Family Enrichment Services (YFES,) an organization that provides an incredible fabric of counseling, intervention, education and crisis services to families in San Mateo County. All I can say is thank God for waterproof mascara. I have been involved with this group now for several years but I am still reduced to tears every time I attend one of these events. What got me this time? A short video about The Children’s Place, a Redwood City-based organization that provides services, including summer camps and group counseling for children of parents struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction. The video shown this morning was a clip from a longer documentary called Lost Childhood: Growing Up in an Alcoholic Family produced and narrated by Emerald Yeh. The documentary combines clips of young kids talking about the challenges, fears and sadness that go along with growing up in an alcoholic household. Fast forward these same kids a few years later to middle school - talking about those same struggles, with a maturity and insight far beyond their years. Final fast forward to those same kids in their 20s, facing their own struggles, opportunities and dreams, all impacted by living under the cloud of alcoholism. It’s incredibly moving. Following the video, Jerry Moe, founder of The Children’s Place, took the stage. He clearly understands the power of a good story, well told. He had the audience in the palm of his hand, waiting to hear what had happened to Grace & Juliana, two of the young women profiled in the video.

And the Children’s Place was only part of it. We heard from a panel of teenage girls involved in a youth development initiative at Sequoia High School in Redwood City, talking about how helping their peers and contributing to their community has helped them navigate the high school years with a sense of purpose and hope. These are two glimpses into the many ways YFES helps children and families. Check out the organization and read some of the stories. And if you can find the Lost Childhood documentary on your public television station, its definitely worth a look. But keep the Kleenex box handy.

Community, Uncategorized