Man Yahoo is just solid. The other day they released a Design Pattern Library that has a blog component to it. It seems like a bottom – top approach has been the theme for the Web 2.0 and Yahoo is trying to include itself into that culture. Let me explain. From what I hear Yahoo created it’s standards by first seeing what all their products are using and even created incentives for people to submit the design patterns. This is the first way they included themselves. Instead of creating a body of standards and disseminating, they looked at what was already been done and built on that. I’d like to think that, internally, the products appreciated that. The second thing that Yahoo did was to create a blog…verry Web 2.0, but what’s nice is now they have opened up the floor to the public and anyone. I am glad to see Yahoo becoming Web 2.0 in their actions. To me they have always been very clean in their design that gave it a bit of a rigid feel, lacking an experience or a *ghettoness* to it, but if they can pull this conversation off and build a community around it, the rigid feel is only one minor detail.

Bubble vs. Boom
Originally uploaded by niallkennedy.

Is 2006 really what the .com Boom should have been in 1999? It would be interesting to think if we never had a 1999 boom and bust…I bet money would be flowing a little freer. On the one hand it’s smart for VCs to wait until the market is proven. On the other hand, VC funding may be exactly what is needed to get the product/startup to a revenue generating state…

This video was sent to a listserv that I’m on. It’s a fantastic spoof of the Back Street Boys by two Chinese students in Guangzhou Arts Institute. “Their spoof music videos have been selected by Motorola China to promote mobile phones”.

What amazes me about all this is the amount of participation from the masses to create and broadcast to a wide audience. This not a new concept, but for me I’m wondering if this is a step towards also breaking down stereotypes. Let me explain….

In the past, when I have seen Asian Males portrayed in American Media, they are mostly seen as effeminate and awkward. When people laughed at stereotypes (e.g. Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles), I was always hard-pressed to laugh with them because I knew people were laughing at them.

When William Hung came along with his rendition of Ricky Martin’s “She Bang’s”, it was the laughing stock of America because people were laughing more *at* him. And of course this has happened whenever Chinese/Asians have tried to take American pop culture and seriously imitate or make it their own. Most people have just laughed at their efforts. But, here is the first time that I have seen Chinese folk deliberately making fun of American Culture and turning it on it’s head.

This citizen journalism stuff ain’t so bad … Especially when underrepresented minorities (in the media) can take back their image/identity and make fun of the perpetrators of those stereotypes.

More info on the Asian Backstreet Boys can be found here:
Asian Backstreet Boys

Man kids have it so easy these days! It even rocks. I can’t believe it.

Image_04.jpg
Originally uploaded by Hollyster.

Went to the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, and thought this was a funny sign. I didn’t know inflatiion of the 99 Cent Store has added $12. Man I need a raise.

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

One of the things that I love when visiting China is their novel use of the English Language. This is a picture that my friend took when he was over there. This was at an HP Site in China. The last time I was there (1997), there were a lot of these. It’s amazing how things can be syntactically correct when strung together never makes a lot of sense, or is not very nice . Ah language…so many nuances…that’s why humans love it so much!

I saw this awesome post on Craig’s List. It’s interesting how people are using devices as a reflective of who they are:

“Dear Ipod:

After spending a few weeks with you, I am beginng to fear you think I am a gay man. (of course, not that there’s anything wrong with that)

I recognize that there are several up tempo dance songs on my playlist, along with a few Madonna and Britney Spears tracks. However, I am curious why whenever I choose the shuffle mode, you select these songs and these songs only to play. I like Madonna, I do… I just don’t need 10 consecutive hours of her. And yes, the Pet Shop Boys are fun, but I don’t really want to hear “West End Girls” on a 30 minute loop.

The first time I thought it was just a coincidence, but lately I have been wondering if perhaps you think I spend my entire day singing and dancing like some flamboyant queen or like Ellen on that ridiculous American Express commercial. (Again, not there’s anything wrong with that)… ummmm, because I really don’t dance and sing that much, and sometimes just like to listen to a depressing song about suicide.

Anyway, if there is any chance you could include a little Wilco or Arcade Fire, next time you choose the mix, I would be very appreciate.

Sincerely,

-Your Listener”