via Over half your news is spin – Crikey.

via The State of Social Media Around the World 2010.

“It was a community, Calthorpe decided, because it was walkable.“

Article continues..”The magic of squatter cities is that they are improved steadily and gradually by their residents. To a planner’s eye, these cities look chaotic. I trained as a biologist and to my eye, they look organic. Squatter cities are also unexpectedly green. They have maximum density—1m people per square mile in some areas of Mumbai—and have minimum energy and material use. People get around by foot, bicycle, rickshaw, or the universal shared taxi.”

via Slums Urban Living « Prospect Magazine.

About Google HealthProduct OverviewLearn how to get started using Google Health todayGoogle Health allows you to store and manage all of your health information in one central place. And its completely free. All you need to get started is a Google username and password.Google believes that you own your medical records and should have easy access to them. The way we see it, its your information; why shouldnt you control it?Keep your doctors up-to-dateStop filling out the same paperwork every time you see a new doctorAvoid getting the same lab tests done over and over again because your doctor cannot get copies of your latest resultsDont lose your medical records because of a move, change in jobs or health insuranceShare your health information securely with a family member, caregiver, or doctorWith Google Health, you manage your health information, and you can access it anywhere, at any time.

via Google Health.

Check out Givv.org support all your favorite charities with one monthly donation.

Givv.org Overview, v2 from givv on Vimeo.

Today is Boulder Beer Meetup at the Grand opening of Boulder’s newest brewery. Asher Brewing. Looking forward to checking it out.

Little more trivia about meetup I learned at the organizers meeting. They spent 18 million dollars building the system, just broke even about 6months ago. They are expanding into Europe. 5.7 million members. 11,507 cities. 8340 topics. There is a meetup for just about anything.

Social media is here. Companies are just starting to get onboard.

http://socialnomics.net/

meetup

Social media transforms Boulder business networking

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/aug/17/boulder-social-media-business-networking/

My Meetup got some good coverage in the Boulder paper the Daily Camera. I hold these twice a month one in Longmont and one in Boulder.  They are a good way to network and get feedback and learn from other entrepreneurs.  We usually have anywhere from 10-25 people show.   This is the first real marketing for the group.  I have so far only posted the group on meetup and once or twice on craigslist.

The group is about a year old and has gone through some growing pains and format changes in that time. Currently the format I have found to work well is that we meet around 6:30 for informal social networking time before the meeting officially starts at 7:00.  We introduce ourselves, including our elevator pitch and pass out business cards or coupons and usually we will have a question to answer to get to know everyone a little better.  Such as “What is the most recent business book you’ve read?”  or “How do you follow up with leads you meet in social settings?”

From there the pitching stops this is not a platform but a social support setting.  We learn and share with one another.  We had to set that boundary cause some people tried to use it to sell their products. You will get a chance to make a contact but follow up one on one outside the meeting.

Around 7:30 once the introductions are done there is a brief 20 minute presentation on current business topics.  This will help steer the conversation later in the meeting.   Once the presentation is done the forum becomes a round table or mastermind group.  People are encouraged to bring up their latest challenge or ask the group for feedback on business related issues.   As entrepreneurs bootstrapping our businesses we tend to work in a vacuum and the feedback helps to make informed decisions.

These discussions often turn to marketing and business development or startup questions we all face in business.  The meeting is officially closed around 8:30  but people often hang around to continue the round table or to break off again to more social time.

I usually charge $5.00 per meeting.  This goes to cover my cost of the meetup and any expenses on the room.  I would like to thank Cantina Laredo in Boulder and Dickens Tavern in Longmont for supporting my meetings.