Uneven Chopsticks

Earth Day is coming

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:47:37 -0700

Mario Lazo

New Facebook HQ Poster: Done is Better than Perfect

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:30:35 -0700

Perfection is a moving target. If you want to create the perfect product for everyone, you will end up with vaporware.

You cannot please everyone... The trick is to find the right balance between getting things done and meeting expectations.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Richard Branson launches journeys to the center of the Earth through Virgin Volcanic

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:13:00 -0700

Richard Branson lauches Virgin Volcanic. Crazy it might seem, Branson wants to take us to the center of the earth.

From the Virgin Volcanic website:

In its first three years of operation, Virgin Volcanic's VVS1 will target the five most active volcanoes in the world:

•   Etna - Sicily, Italy
•   Stromboli - Aeolian Islands
•   Yasur - Republic of Vanuatu
•   Ambrym - Republic of Vanuatu
•   Tinakula - Solomon Islands

Save your spot with a $1 million deposit... you might have a chance to travel with Seth Green, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stephen Hawking.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Love this : The Most creative and interesting advertisements for 2011

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:06:00 -0700

There is nothing like leaving an indelible mark on people's minds. Check out these most creative ads for 2011. If you want to leave a strong impression, be prepared to shock and amaze. Draw out the common with an uncommon twist. Check out http://ow.ly/a0hXM

Permalink | Leave a comment »

YouTube has announced that they have banned kittens

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:44:00 -0700

Oh no! According to the One Campaign, YouTube has announced that they have banned kittens from their website!

Click here to take action: http://t.co/k89UL6ZY

Here's a list of other cool things happening today.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Hacking Your Email inbox with Fluent.io

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:49:00 -0700

Here is where email becomes more social. Instead of reading messy inbox emails, Fluent.io transforms the inbox into a conversation, much like a tweet or a Facebook post.

Here is how... Disgruntled Ex-Googlers Rethink The Way Gmail Works, With Fluent.io http://ow.ly/a0hUZ

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Pride leads to conflict; those who take advice are wise. Prov 13:10

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 06:45:31 -0700

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Morph Problems into Projects

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:11:00 -0800

Source: google.co.uk via Mario on Pinterest

One way to truly kill a great relationship is to constantly talk about the mistakes of the past. Instead of focusing on the possibilities and find a common ground, both parties feel burned with a bitter after taste. In order to truly move ahead, great people talk about ideas, ideas that turn into possibilities, possibilities turn into action items, which in turn becomes a project.

Morph problems into projects. Ask. Just simply ask and seek ways to move ahead. Whether it be a steering committee or a public quorum, ideas spark creativity.

Creativity is the power to morph even bad projects into the next big thing... Here is Google/Marissa Mayer's take.

She lives by the old adage that if at first you don't succeed, try again, and Mayer pushes aspiring business thinkers to breathe new life into failed ventures, as opposed to just cutting the cord. Repackage, rejuvenate, re-market, and re-examine those products or practices you thought would fly, and craft them a new set of wings.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

On perseverance: I start where the last man left off. – Thomas Edison

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:19:40 -0800

Permalink | Leave a comment »

~ A problem well stated is a problem half solved. ~ Charles F. Kettering

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:16:47 -0800

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Wikipedia gone dark

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:17:00 -0800

This is the first time I've seen major internet websites like Wikipedia, Craigslist, Mozilla and Google protest on such a massive scale.

One word: SOPA.

It affects you, me and everyone.

Find out more: why and why...

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Re-branding The Philippines : It's More Fun In the Philippines

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 09:12:00 -0800

How does a country like the Philippines re-brand itself? My homeland... the land of promise has finally unveiled a new advertising campaign, designed to draw distinct experiences unique to Filipinos.

It's More Fun in the Philippines.

It's all about having fun. Filipinos for sure are experts in having fun in the midst of poverty, never ending tropical cyclones and realpolitiks. We are a resilient group. Under-resourced in technology but abounding in positivity and creativity. We are a ragged bunch who know how to make a good time out any desperate moment.

It's all about being real. Mon Jimenez, the top honcho in Philippine tourism got it right... to attract foreigners, we got to start where the Filipinos are. Instead of the old school, spray and pray style of marketing, the key is to generate buzz through social media.

Most importantly, Filipinos should own it, love it and promote it.

Jimenez pointed out: "What differentiates the Philippines from every [other place] in the world, as we said from the start, is the Filipino. [It's] his special gift for transforming what is already a beautiful place into an unforgettable special place. You take two identical islands, put Filipinos in one, it’s going to be more fun there."

Filipinos make the country like no other. It's our God-given knack to improvise, adapt and be creative. From Daly City to Dubai, Honolulu to Hong Kong, Saudi to Sydney, Filipinos are well known for our warm hospitality, genuine heart of service and contagious smile. We make the world more interesting. Heck, we even made our own Pinoy Siri.

Social media is the place, product and presence. Social is all three-in-one. It's the place where Filipinos from all the world can gather... share their collective experiences and foreigners get a taste of our own culture. It is a product in itself... where we showcase the very best through the power of story. Filipinos love to tell stories virtually about anything. It is where we can show our collective presence. 24/7, every day, every hour, every nano-second, we can tweet, buzz and share our likes for everyone in the world to see.

---

Side note. Some suggestions to improve branding:

1) The Twitter handle @DOTPhilippines with the name "Tourism Department" is very limiting. Think about Filipinos overseas. Think about the Foreigners who do not have a clue what DOT means. Remember, your target market. How about changing the handle to @PhilippineTourism with something more identifiable like the name "Philippine Tourism."

2) Who owns Philippines.com? It's a shame that a prime URL like this does nothing to promote the Philippines. Take a note from NewZealand.com.

3) The main Philippine tourism website takes forever (about 30 seconds) to load from a viewer in the US. Plus it is NOT mobile friendly. If you cannot scale, skip the website. Go all out on Facebook, Twitter, Tripadvisor and Pinterest. Be different, spark conversations. Entice the Filipinos from all around the world to share stories on what truly makes the Philippines a magical place. We need legends.

This is a great start... can't wait to see what's to come.

Mario out.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Ring out the old, ring in the new

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:50:00 -0800

Ring out the old, ring in the new,

Ring, happy bells, across the snow:

The year is going, let him go;

Ring out the false, ring in the true.

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

For sure, 2012 will be a blast. We are in an age of continued disruption...

Facebook will have its golden IPO. No doubt, the iPad3 and iPhone 5will be launched. New startups on social media and cloud computing will rise. Perhaps, even the electric car will go mainstream (after seeing how the Chevy Volt and Think faltered). With the pervasiveness of Facebook, Twitter and the next big thing, flash mobs, big PR failures (lots of examples from Ocean Marketing and Delta Airlines ) will continue to make us laugh and sigh. China and India (and the rest of the BRIC economies) will continue to be bigger and stronger, paving the way for a new wave of massive disruptions. It's the time to take risks and pursue dreams.

And one more thing...

One resolution I have made,

and try always to keep, is this:

To rise above the little things.

-John Burroughs

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Move With the Cloud

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 18:07:00 -0800

Cloud and the Future of Networked Systems

View more presentations from jurquhart

One of the best presentations I've seen on why we gotta MOVE with the cloud.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Power up: Stanford is offering several free online courses.

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:06:00 -0800

Wow! Stanford is offering several free online courses. Most of them are Computer Science related (yea, geeks!).

Take advantage of this opportunity to learn from one of the very best, where undergrad tuition alone costs about $52,000 a year. Classes start Jan 2012.

Here are my faves:

Cryptography – Encryption... all the fun stuff to protect yourself from hackers.
Technology Entrepreneurship – Sun Microsystems, Google and other tech startups were started at Stanford... learn from the best in tech entrepreneurship.
Game Theory – Remember John Nash from "A Beautiful Mind"? Enjoy using mathematical models... in practical ways.
Human-Computer Interaction – What sets Apple apart... User friendly Design.
Lean Launchpad – Turning an idea into a company without selling your house.
Software as a Service – All the buzz words are here: Agile SaaS & Ruby on Rails

I've signed up classes in Game Theory, Software as a Service and Tech Ent.

Let me know if you signed up as well. I would be nice to share notes if we are on the same class.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

On Controlling Change

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:26:09 -0800

You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you. ~ Sri Ram

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Reverse Cyber Monday: Sell some of your stuff on Amazon and Ebay

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:05:00 -0800

It's Cyber Monday. As early as 7 am, I recieved 25 emails on Cyber Monday offers, not to mention daily deals sites like Groupon (with Grouponicus), Living Social and Google Offers.

The statisics are compelling.

How to keep your budget in check? For every item (or junk) that I purchase, I am going to sell a corresponding product/book of the same value on Amazon or Ebay. Better yet, use the money generated to connect with family and friends. After all, Americans are rethinking what prosperity means, with focus on life satisfaction than consumption.

Have a reverse Cyber monday.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Tiny Dogs are not afraid to take on things Bigger than themselves.

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 21:42:00 -0800

Tiny dogs know how to fight, not with the swagger and size of the big dogs. They are nimble and quick.

Speed, baby. They win with speed.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Giving Thanks is the Highest Form of Thought

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:53:00 -0800

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. ~G.K. Chesterton

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for:

1) Social Media - Believe it or not, social media is here to stay and it has forever changed how we receive, process and consume information. I am grateful for my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and UnevenChopsticks (Posterous) friends.

I've learned to share and learn new things with people from all around the world. To connect with 3000 Twitter mentors, 1200 Linkedin co-leagues and 500 Facebook friends has truly enriched my life.

In the virtual world, we are all co-learners, co-creators and co-curators. Relationships matter.

2) GoSO and Urban Farming - Even before organic became cool, GoSO has been at the forefront of Urban Farming in Chicago. Setting up new plots of land and transforming a whole city block into urban farms have been no small feat. To see how a non for profit accomplish great things has inspired me to pursue bigger dreams and goals in life.

Dream big. Kudos to GoSO Org!

3) Crazy Projects - Nothing prepares me like hardship. I've learned a great deal professionally from the craziest IT projects. As a project manager, tech consultant and business analyst rolled into one, the most difficult engagements give me the deepest insights and provide me the most creative solutions.

I've stuck through challenging projects because they provide fuel to my passions and enkindle my creativity. Less passionate folks do not last enough to translate problems to greater opportunities.

Perseverance pays off.

Permalink | Leave a comment »

Words to Live by

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 09:14:00 -0800

Some words that I've learned to live by:

Actions trump words.

People trump things.

Big Picture trumps the parts.

(inspiration provided by Joel Peterson.)

---

Action - The best way to silence the critiques and skeptics is through my actions. Show do not tell.

People - The best way for me to win is to make others successful. I live in an ecosystem, not just an economy.

Big Picture - I can only be effective in so far I can see the big picture. Go beyond analysis. Connect the dots into synthesis.

Permalink | Leave a comment »