Congratulations Nate Westheimer!

Nate Westheimer, for those who don’t know is not only a super nice guy, but he’s the founder of BricaBox and entrepreneur-in-residence at Rose Tech Ventures and this week will take over Meetup CEO Scott Heiferman’s position as organizer of the New York Tech Meetup. Nate was recently interviewed by Mary Kathleen Flynn of The Deal to talk about his role running one of New York’s hottest meetups. Read more

Ellis Henican: Uncle Ted, is it payback time yet?

Ok…I admit it…I have my favorites…people who are close friends, advisors and people who I trust..both personally and professionally and the feeling (I hope) is mutual. I don’t need to name them…just check my blog on a regular basis and you will notice I use terms like “my good friend,” “my dear friend,” “my advisor” and my Rabbi (or shall I say Rabbis?).

Anyway, one of the newest members of the mishpacah (extended family in Yiddish) is Ellis Henican…Newsday Columnist, Fox News Analyist, radio show host (WOR, Fox Radio Network to name a few) and one of our favorite NY:MIEG moderators.

Henican’s column in today’s Newsday is one of the best I’ve read about this whole Caroline Kennedy For Senator business.

How they elected a Kennedy

Caroline Kennedy isn’t the senator. Not yet. But even now, it isn’t a minute too soon to look at the facts as we know them and tease out the backroom politics. I may be getting ahead of myself here. But believe me, there’s an awfully juicy backstory… Read more

Is Governor Paterson Beginning to Crack?

From NewYork Magazine Daily Intel

Recently, Mayor Bloomberg - the same guy who wavered on a presidential run for about three years - told David Paterson to hurry up and make a decision about filling Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat already. Then yesterday, Sheldon Silver, the most intractable personality in the world, indicated that he would support Caroline Kennedy’s bid for the spot, supposedly because he thinks she’ll get it anyway, but perhaps because he simply wants to speed things along. Paterson, meanwhile, is dismissing suggestions that if he can’t make a real decision, maybe he should just appoint a caretaker senator to run out the clock on the seat (that is, until the 2010 special election). Someone like Bill Clinton, or Mario Cuomo, because we know only three families in this state of 20 million people are truly eligible. Read more

Digital TV Program Running Out of Money

From the Associated Press via wcbs880.com

Digital TV Program Running Out of Money

WASHINGTON (Associated Press) — The Feb. 17 transition from analog to digital television broadcasts looms and as many as 8 million households are still unprepared, but the government program that subsidizes crucial TV converter boxes is about to run out of money.

People who still rely on analog TV sets to pick up over-the-air signals _ whether it is through rabbit-ear aerials on TVs or antennas on the roof _ will see their screens go dark when the changeover happens. To avoid that, those people have to switch to cable or satellite TV, buy a television set with a digital tuner or buy a converter box that can translate digital signals from the airwaves into analog. Read more

Happy New Year!

I came across this logo for 2009 and wanted to share it…as well as the story of the company behind it. Read more

Layoff List for December 2008

All I can say here is OUCH!

Pink Slips
December 2008 Layoffs
Compiled by Klaus Kneale/Forbes.com

December 30, 2008
December layoffs have exceeded 100,000 at America’s largest companies.

Layoffs for December 2008 at America’s 500 largest public companies: 106,988

Total announced layoffs at America’s 500 largest public companies as measured by a composite ranking of sales, profits, assets and market value during December 2008. Includes layoffs at subsidiaries, joint ventures and majority-owned companies.

FOR THE COMPLETE LIST FROM FORBES CLICK HERE

Poll Reveals Men More Likely Than Women to Keep Their New Year’s Resolutions

Over the next few months you will be hearing alot from my friends at Dorthy.com, a new destination site that provides people with the relevant content, connections, and tools needed to achieve their dreams.

Here is a great story they commissioned recently.

Dorthy.com Survey Reveals Findings Around New Year’s Resolutions
Poll Reveals Men More Likely Than Women to Keep Their New Year’s Resolutions

NEW YORK - A study commissioned by Dorthy.com and conducted by Harris Interactive® reveals that, while women are more likely than men to make New Year’s resolutions (74% of women versus 58% of men) among adults who have ever made a resolution, men are more likely than women to always or often keep them (22% of men versus 14% of women). Men who have ever made a New Year’s resolution are also more likely than their female counterparts to always or often share their resolutions with their spouses (41% of men versus 29% of women). Read more

Job Information for the Media Saavy courtesy of The Fair Media Council

A few weeks ago I received an email from Jaci Clement, Executive Director of The Fair Media Council about a new iniative she is planning after the holidays and I wanted to share it with you.

The Fair Media Council is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization that advocates for quality local news and educates the public on issues affecting news coverage. To join the 200-plus companies that are members of the Fair Media Council www.fairmediacouncil.org.

Hi All,

Call it a bail out or an economic stimulus plan if you want, but we’re starting a job board after the holidays to help all the good people we know find work and workers. Read more

2008’s top interactive mergers and acquisitions

By Lori Luechtefeld

iMedia Connection

Two experts discuss the implications of this year’s M&A activity within the online media and marketing services sectors, as well as their predictions for the consolidation we’re likely to see in 2009.

Despite the slowing economy, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity within the online media and marketing industries continued at a steady pace in 2008. And although we may be seeing fewer billion-dollar-plus deals in light of the ongoing recession, there’s little doubt that 2009 will witness its share of interactive industry consolidation as well. Read more

Google Joins NORAD To Track Santa Claus

Since 1955, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has helped track Santa Claus’s movements on Christmas Eve. Now Google is joining in the search.

Google has developed a downloadable iGoogle gadget for Google Earth to help track Santa’s movements in conjunction with NORAD, according to Google. The tool, “an enhanced 3D Santa-tracking experience,” will be available at 4 p.m. EST on Christmas Eve at noradsanta.org, wrote Carrie Farrell on Google’s corporate blog. Read more

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