October, 2011

Occupy Wall Street

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Laugh of the Moment (click here)

Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations in New York City^--]based in Zuccotti Park, formerly "Liberty Plaza Park" encouraged by the Canadian activist group Adbusters. Occupy Wall Street participants cite the Arab Spring movement (particularly the Tahrir Square protests in Cairo, and the Spanish Indignants as inspirations.

The protesters have taken issue with social and economic inequality, corporate greed, and the influence of corporate money and lobbyists on government. By October 9 similar demonstrations in the U.S. were either ongoing or held in 70 major cities and over 600 communities. Internationally other "Occupy" protests have modeled themselves after Occupy Wall Street.

 

Perceptions vary as to the specific goals of the movement.^[36] According to Adbusters, a primary protest organizer, the central demand of the protest is that President Obama "ordain a Presidential Commission tasked with ending the influence money has over our representatives in Washington". Liberal commentator Michael Moore had suggested that this is not like any other protest but this protest represents a variety of demands with a common statement about government corruption and the excessive influence of big business and the wealthiest 1% of Americans on U.S. laws and policies. The belief is held by some protesters that the President has become irrelevant, stressing the importance for the 99% to lead and inspire change.     [Wikipedia]

 

We Want To Be Free from Sonic Realm on Vimeo.

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Steve Jobs:  1955-2011 

On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs passed on in California at the age of 56, seven years after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. On his death he was widely described as a visionary, pioneer and genius—perhaps one of the foremost—in the field of business, innovation, and product design, and a man who had profoundly changed the face of the modern world, revolutionized at least six different industries, and who was an "exemplar for all chief executives". His death was widely mourned and considered a loss to the world by commentators across the globe.

In 1984, Apple launched its famous "think different" campaign, using the voice of Richard Dreyfuss.  Jobs, himself, tended to shy away from being the marketing face of the company.  However, in 1997, he almost jumped into the media spotlight.  This version of the ad, included below, seems ever more poignant following Steve's passing last Wednesday.   

 

In 1976, Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded Apple, with later funding from a then-semi-retired Intel product-marketing manager and engineer A.C. "Mike" Markkula Jr.. Prior to co-founding Apple, Wozniak was an electronics hacker. Jobs and Wozniak met in 1971, when their mutual friend, Bill Fernandez, introduced 21-year-old Wozniak to 16-year-old Jobs. Friends for several years, Jobs managed to interest Wozniak in assembling a computer and selling it. As Apple continued to expand, the company began looking for an experienced executive to help manage its expansion.

Jobs was a fan of The Beatles. He referred to them on multiple occasions at Keynotes and also was interviewed on a showing of a Paul McCartney concert.  He was inspired to name his company after the Beatle's "Apple Studios" in Britain. When asked about his business model on 60 Minutes, he replied:

"My model for business is The Beatles: They were four guys that kept each other's negative tendencies in check; they balanced each other. And the total was greater than the sum of the parts. Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people."  (Wikipedia)

Some of his innovations to the business world include the Mac Computer, NeXT Computers, (during a time when Jobs had been temporarily forced out of Apple, due to conflicts with business partners).  He was also a powerful founding force behind Pixar Studios, with Disney.......and more recently the innovator for the "I" Products:  I-Phone, I-Pad, the I-Pod, and the tremendously popular I-Tunes.

Jobs will be greatly missed.  We love you, Steve. We will continue to build upon a foundation you laid for years to come!