Stupid Question of the Week

I get annoyed quite easily. Over the years I've learned many a coping strategy so I can live my life as normally as possible, without the consistence desire to slap someone across the face. But there's certain things that are beyond any kind of coping method I've utilized. For example, I had an eye doctor appointment a few days ago which I had scheduled for 4PM, knowing there would be a 15-30 minute window of waiting/pretending to read Eye Care Today magazine. Not only did this eye doctor keep me (ME!!) waiting for 45 minutes, but she then had the audacity to blast obscene amounts of air into my defenseless eyes. This almost pushed me over my daily volume of allotted annoyance. I reached this point again last night when I was asked an offensively dumb question.
I walked out of my fraternity house with my bag full of clean laundry (and before you poke fun of fraternities *cough ryan cough* just relax...it's free and I am extra extra careful to ensure no items of clothing touch the floor). Anyway, a random girl and her redneck guy friend are engaged in a conversation by the bottom of the stairs. As i walk by the girl grabs my arm (big no no right there) and asks "Does your mom still do your laundry".

Does my mom still do my laundry??!??!?! My mouth did not move at all, but i feel like my lowered brow and glaring stare effectively conveyed what I was thinking: You, Ms. Stupid Question Asking Drunk Girl, are lucky that both my hands are in use right now. First of all, my mom hasn't done my laundry since middle school. And I am very proud of that!!! Second of all, I just walked out of a fraternity house. And that is no place for mothers! I hope you enjoy the rest of your stupid question asking existence. And you, Mr. Jean short wearing stupid question asking accomplice...well, you just have excellent taste in women don't you. Hick

Moral of the story: The world would be a much better place if people were born with a stupid question censor.

PS - I would never hit a woman....unless she use to be a man.

Making the Most of a Rainy Day

Today is a rainy day. Typically, this would piss me off and make me feel like a bitter old man who's rocking chair got stuck on a pebble. Oddly enough, I am feeling fairly optimistic about the crappy weather - due probably to the absolutely beautiful weekend we just had and the even better forecast for the upcoming weekend. That being said, I have come up with a list of things that would make rainy days a more tolerable experience. Hopefully some, if not all of these items will be available to our children when they reach the age of weather knowledge


(This also brings up the question of when is the age when kids are able to acknowledge a difference in the weather. Is it innate or is it learned? If a kids parents had some weird enjoyment of nasty weather would their kids have it too? Or if a certain culture worshiped the god of rain would everyone look forward to it? My assumption is that it's a little bit of both and that "weather knowledge" probably happens sometime between an infant's first step and their first word - which in my child's case will undoubtedly be "dada".) But enough of that, here's a few things which would help everyone turn those frowns upside down during rainy days.


Allotted Rain Days - It might just be me, but the majority of the time, I'd much rather go into work if I was sick and it was nice out than if I was perfectly healthy but it was raining out. Therefore, I think employers should allot a certain number of "rain days", allowing employees to work from home if the weather is crappy. By decreasing the amount of time employees spend feeling miserable in the office, you can totally increase company morale! The only problem with taking a "rain day" is that it is in direct opposition to my other proposed day off - "80 degrees and Sunny Days"


Slip n' Slide Sidewalks - Just imagine the most serious person you know cruising down the sidewalk via slip n'slide, waiving as they pass by. If that doesn't put a smile on your face I don't know what will. I think people would stop taking themselves (and everyone else) so seriously if Slip n' Slides were more widely used - especially on rainy days.


Flavored Rain - If we can build skyscapers and atomic bombs, why the hell can't we make the rain flavored. I for one would be much less depressed about the rain if I knew I could lay some empty water bottles outside and stock up on a tasty beverage. Sure...it might get a little sticky icky icky, but a little stick never hurt anyone. To be frank, I'm fairly sure the technology to make flavored rain exists, but companies like Glaceau (Vitamin Water) and Gatorade have paid millions to keep it silent.


Goggles - If these tight fitting, protective spectacles ever find a place in modern day fashion, I hope it is during rainy days. It would give people a reason to look forward to going out during a shower - "Oh, its a gonna pour today?...Great, I've been looking for an opportunity to sport my Gucci Goggles". I might be a bit biased though. My 7th grade role model, Seth Green, flawlessly pulled off the goggle look in the movie Can't Hardly Wait. I've been secretly praying they make a comeback (both Seth Green and goggle wearing) every since.


Waterproof Matches - This would just be cool. And it would give me even more of a reason to laugh at the physic majors...except Samantha, she's such a cutie pie.

And there it is. A few simple things that could better the lives of our children during rainy days. And its all about the children.


I will end this blog with a semi-relative quote from jazz icon Billie Holiday:

"Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain"

What to Wear on an Interview

So I just went to a career fair hosted by Drexel University. Besides walking away with a new aresenal of clicky pens, I didn't get much out of it. But what truly baffled me was the inability of the fairs attendees to properly dress themselves for such an event. From loose tie knots to wide-striped gangsta suits to wrinkles shirts and coats, it seemed like I was at a northern pa community college career fair. Offended and embarrassed, I have decided to start a blog series on what to wear, and more importantly, what not to wear, on a job interview. My hopes are that someday some poor soul from that job fair will see this and have his life drastically changed. So, my fashionably challenged job seeker, this blog is for you!
First and foremost, wear a suit. This seems like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many people think khakis and a blazer constitutes a suit. I saw one too many kids like this at the fair.
Now, what kind of suit to wear, you ask? Good question. Let’s start with what to avoid. Pinstripes. Unless you plan on lighting up a stogie with your interviewer and chit chatting about the latest episode of Growing up Gotti (is that show still on?), stay away from the wide pinstripes. But if you insist on the verticals, make sure they’re only noticeable from 10 feet away or less. Those 10 feet are the threshold between confidence and cocky. The safe bets, in the business world, are plain black or navy suits – both timeless classics. You can’t go wrong with these. But I’d recommend either a grey or a charcoal color suit, both of which are expected to be big players in offices across the northeast this fall (according to the bible..er GQ). Combined with a light blue dress shirt and a dark red tie, you’ll be looking quite qualified. The Men’s Wearhouse in center city has some decently priced suits (just avoid the tailor with the khaki suspenders; he tried to put that measuring tape in places that did not need measuring).
Next, we have the tie. Put one on. A suit without a tie is like Andre 3000 without Big Boi, Angelina without Brad, the Eagles without B-Dawk – oh wait. The only time period friendly to foregoing the tie was the late 1980s, thanks to the hit TV series Miami Vice. Judging from the measly $15 million the remake made in 2006, I think it’s safe to say ties are presently a must. For an interview, keep the tie somewhat simple. Anything too crazy and the interviewer is going to think you’re making up for something else. In terms of the knot, I’d recommend the half Windsor. A skinny knot has no place in an interview room and a fat, thick knot says you think you’re the one in charge. Yes, we all are impressed with Ari Gold’s signature double Windsor knot, but you’re not Vinny Chase’s agent and you sure as hell can’t come up with those tantalizingly witty one-liners. For those that have issues with hand-eye coordination, or if you are just one of those kids that still needs his roommate to tie his tie, here’s a step to step guide for the half Windsor - http://www.tie-a-tie.net/halfwindsor.html.
So we've just covered the two essentials to the interview attire, the suit and the tie. Keep an eye out for the next blog in this series - shoes.

Venture Capitalists say yum yum to Clean Technology, but it's Back in the Tupperware for Software Industry

Is the recession really over? Probably not. With earnings reports right around the corner, it would not be surprising to see at least two more straight months of negative growth. But thankfully there is no recession on great minds and provocative ideas. The preceding typically appear within the venture capital industry and here's a prediction of which industries will be the winners and the losers of the 2009 venture season.

Before jumping into the details of this thesis, it is important to establish a connection between this recession and periods of similar economic distress. Last year venture capital invested $28.3 billion in start-up companies in need of financing. This amount was the highest it had been since 2000, when VC’s invested a whopping 104.76 $billion . The dot.com bubble burst, coupled with the September 11^th attacks of 2001, sent the country into a recession which saw a 80% decrease in 2001 and a 2002 4th quarter investment dollars of only $4.52 billion. In 1^st quarter 2003, venture capital fell to its lowest point since 1998, before beginning the long journey to steadily increase its investment dollars.

If this country’s last recession is any indication of what to expect in the current situation, the outlook for 2009 cannot be good. Venture capital investments reached its lowest point in 2003, approximately two years after the recession began. Two years from the start of the current recession means venture capital will not see a comeback until mid-late 2010. According to the third annual National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) Predictions Survey, “most VCs predict a recovery in 2010 when the IPO market is expected to re-open and those companies and venture firms that weathered the storm will emerge strongly”. Furthermore, an 80% decrease in venture capital dollars means that only $5.6 Billion (28.3*20%) will be invested by venture firms in 2009. In the same survey mentioned above, over 60% said they believed venture capital investments to be below $27 billion (2009 NVCA Venture Capital Predictions Survey Report). It is important to note that just because things happened a certain way in 2001, it means they will happen the same way now. For example, Rory O’Driscoll of Scale Venture Partners believes 2001 and the recession today differs because in 2001 it was the companies that were broken, whereas today it is the world that is broken. Companies still have efficient business models and once the world “bounces back” they will prove to be a lucrative investment for those who got in at the right time. Even though O’Driscoll makes solid points, just as analyzing a different company’s financials can help evaluate one’s own company, so can looking at past events, such as a recession, help prepare and predict for current situations.

Similarly, looking at the industries that received venture capital during the 2001 recession could help predict which industries will receive venture capital during the current economic recession. One sector that did not receive as much capital during the 2001 recession was the software industry, though it had well outperformed other industries in prior years. It is true that this could be related to the dot.com bubble burst, but investments in software companies tend to be the most risky and many firms are not willing to take that risk in times of economic hardship. For example, Spatial Technology ended up selling for a measly $3 per share at the end of 2000, in part because they could not secure additional capital due to uneasy attitudes towards the software industry. Many companies may meet the same fate in 2009 and 2010 even though last year saw 881 venture deals in the software industry for a total of almost $5 billion invested (2009 MoneyTree Report). In the same survey mentioned before, 59% of those surveyed said they thought the software industry would receive less venture capital in 2009 than in prior years (2009 NVCA Venture Capital Predictions Survey Report).

Though most industries experienced the same misfortune as the software industry, there were two in particular that did not suffer such substantial losses. First, the medical device and equipment industry had approximately $2.5 million invested in it in 2000 and $2.1 million invested in it in 2001 (2009 MoneyTree Report). This may seem like a steep drop but it is a small pothole compared to the losses other industries took. Second, the energy industry, which encompasses clean technology, also did not incur debilitating losses. It dropped from $2.1 million to $1.7 million and would eventually start moving up the venture chain quickly in 2006 and 2007 (2009 MoneyTree Report). This past historical data may help in predicting clean technology and the medical device industry as the two to strive in 2009. VC’s tend to agree with this prediction. In the VC Predictions Survey Report, 62% said they believed the Medical device industry would either remain unchanged or increase and 80% said they thought the clean technology industry would remain either unchanged or increase (2009 NVCA Venture Capital Predictions Survey Report).

But analyzing the past is only part of the equation. It is also imperative to look towards the future and determine how current events will affect potential investing. As the new administration takes over the White House, there are many new issues President Obama wishes to accomplish. Two of these issues are the health services sector and green initiatives, or clean technology. Healthcare has always been an issue plaguing new administrations. Though many in the industry are nervous about Obama’s plan to put more healthcare control in the government’s hand rather than the private sectors, there is still good reason to think the health sector, more specifically the medical device industry, will be one of the few industries to increase its venture capital investment. Stephen Krupa of the Psilos Group believes universal healthcare will actually bolster venture capital in the industry by creating a need for products and services that provide the same level of quality at a reduced cost. He continues by stating, “There are high quality companies seeking to meet this challenge, which is essential to address as healthcare commands a greater and greater share of our GDP. The opportunity for us is to ensure we continue to identify the highest quality companies that have effective business models and management teams to deliver the kinds of returns we want for our investors while contributing positively to the healthcare economy as a whole.” (NVCA 2009 Prediction Quotes)

An article from the San Francisco business journal adds that “Next-gen” health-care services, new health-care information technology, and personalized devices will be among the areas to receive venture capital in 2009. Last year, the health sector received less than 1% ($195 million) of all venture capital invested. With Obama's economic stimulus proposal of $20 billion for the health sector industry, it is likely that many more companies will get the funding they need in 2009 (Rauber). As Michael Goldberg, general partner at Mohr Davidow Ventures claims “Personalized medicine, based on advances in genetics, will be a central tenet of President–elect Obama’s health-care reform proposals. By translating scientific innovation to clinical practice improved patient outcomes and reduced system costs can become a reality. This is good news for all involved.” (NVCA 2009 Prediction Quotes).

Clean Technology is another sector that will be the recipient of large government funding. Statements taken right from Obama’s campaign website, such as “create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future” and “Deploy the Cheapest, Cleanest, Fastest Energy Source – Energy Efficiency” (Barack Obama Official Site) show that the energy sector, more specifically clean technology, is in line for a venture blast off in 2009 and proceeding years. In fact, while President Obama was on the campaign trail, he championed the creation of a Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund backed by an outstanding $10 billion annual investment over five years (Fehrenbacher). Most likely, this fund would be a hybrid between venture investing and a government grant. It is still unclear whether the fund would be headed by a government official or a typical VC firm or if they would be looking for standard venture returns.

Not all are convinced Clean Technology will be leading the venture world in 2009. Alan Salzman, CEO of Vantage Point Venture Partners argues that “Despite an overall optimism for Clean Tech among the incoming administration, because traditional energy companies have larger, secured capital stores, they will further use their influence to expand drilling measures. Likewise, because young Clean Tech companies lack the same financial resources, they will see their energy policy hijacked, leading to overall frustration among their numbers as well as with the Obama cabinet and policy leaders." (NVCA 2009 Prediction Quotes). Salzman, though he brings up valid points, fails to consider the dedication the new administration has to the development of clean technologies. In addition, it is likely to assume the administration may put limits on efforts to expand drilling measures, greatly hindering the traditional energy companies. Lastly, the world is constantly changing and evolving. It is only a matter of time before traditional energy goes through a metamorphosis. And with over $50 billion in clean technology funding, Obama seems to be pushing for change.

The new President recently put into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, intending to promote speedy expansion of renewable energy sources and to enhance energy efficiency in buildings, appliances, and other sectors of the recessionary economy. New government loans will help companies actually commercialize their ideas by being able to afford a manufacturing facility to produce their products. Once the product is produced, these companies will be much more likely to receive venture capital as they have already proven to be fairly successful. President Obama hopes “this investment will ignite our imagination once more in science, medicine, energy and make our economy stronger, our nation more secure, and our planet safer for our children," (LaMonica).

After analyzing both past historical trends and future investment possibilities, it is important to look at the present to see what has currently received funding throughout the first quarter of 2009. One such company within the medical device industry is Primaeva Medical. By the end of February 2009, the company had secured $6 million in third round venture capital. Over three firms were involved in the deal, including Affinity Capital, showing that many VCs are still willing to invest, especially if they see a unique opportunity. (Venturedeal.com).

Another medical company to receive third round venture financing is Avantis Medical. In mid-January they received $10 million from a total of 4 separate investors, all of which had already invested money into the company. This may touch on the notion that investors will be much more willing to lend money to companies they already have a stake in, in order to help keep them afloat in tumultuous times (Venturedeal.com).

Though this may be true overall, a few small companies have received first round venture capital. OrthAlign, another medical device company, recently secured $7.2 million through angel investors, one VC firm, and founders’ capital. The company stated that this first round of financing would finish the manufacturing process and bring the product to market. Typically, investors, specifically VC firms, like to see the product already active in the market before giving venture capital. Luckily for OrthAlign, they were an exception to this rule (Venturedeal.com).

One clean tech company that has received a large amount of venture funds in 2009 is Borrego. The solar energies company secured $14 million of venture capital in their most recent round of financing which closed at the end of January 2009. Rated as the eleventh fastest growing solar companies, Borrego had over $60 million in revenues last year and just recruited two industry leaders to sit on their board of directors, suggesting the company has no plans of slowing down in 2009. In fact, this is the highest amount of venture capital received by any company in any industry so far in 2009 – further proof that 2009 will see a substantial increase in Clean Technology venture capital.

Through the analysis of past historical trends, future governmental actions, and current investment activities, evidence exists for the medical device and Clean Technology industries to be among the leaders in venture capital funding in 2009. Though the facts lend themselves to this statement and though many industry leaders agree with it, it should still be taken as nothing more than an educated guess. If one thing can be learned throughout the past few months, it is that even the most thorough analyses cannot always accurately predict the future. Clean Tech and the Health Sector may very well be the most lucrative investments in 2009. But as Michael Greeley so optimistically states, “Ultimately, backing passionate talented people will generate superior returns. In five years from now, some of the best returns will be from companies that were founded and funded in 2009 which puts a premium on creativity and resourcefulness in the near term.”

To Blog or Not to Blog

Ok, so I've finally succumbed to starting a blog. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but after consulting with a variety of blogging intellectuals i feel like i made the right decision. In my road to bloghood, I weighed many of the pros and cons of starting and maintaining a blog and figured sharing these findings would be the best way to start things off. So without further ado....

Con #1
There's no way around it. If you blog, you're a geek. But hey, geeks are the jocks of the internet, so maybe it's not that bad.

Con #2
Will my employer somehow stumble upon this? I mean, I guess it wouldn't be that bad, but i dont want him to think "flippy floppies" every time he sees me.

Con #3
Blogging could infringe on my realty tv watching time. Tool Academy and The Real World keep me sane.


Pro #1
Spending time blogging seems much more productive than me and my roomate's weekly discussion on whether he should wax his butt or not. I'd post a picture here to exemplify why this is such a pressing issue in his life but I'm still a bit nervous about con #2.

Pro #2
I can finally post a link in my facebook account! hooray

Pro #3
I have a bad habit of defining a person's worth by how many results are received from googling their name. I'm currently at 14 legitmate results and I figure this blog will get me one step closer to Brad Pitts number of 2,364, 890.