Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and beginning to the Holiday season.
I look forward to seeing our OCTANe "Family" for our Holiday Party on Dec 2nd. However I have gotten a few comments on "why aren't you cancelling your party given this environment." Certainly a legitimate question; so I thought about it, thought about it a little more and then decided to give my ..."Top 10 reasons OCTANe did not cancel its Holiday Party." (In semi-random order).
10. It is a FREE reception for our members, partners, supporters who have been working with us for years to develop OCTANe into a true, national "innovation development" best practice that continues to grow and get results. PLUG INTO something special if you haven't yet.
9. We tucked the costs into the AIG bill at the St. Regis (and still weren't a line item)
8. Related to #9, the reception will be bare bones and modest ... exactly how OCTANe is run (we don't do hype, BS or overhead here! ... everything supports our mission).
7. I like Mistletoe better than garlic.
6. There is never a #6 (please someone get this one).
5. The show must go on... innovation and bringing talented "minds and money" together to network, form new companies etc. IS our primary economic driver in this country. One day soon I hope we (as a country en masse) invest in Science and Tech instead of saving dinosaurs who ride on corporate jets. I am a dog lover (my 2 labs are 10 and 12) but sometimes a dog ain't sleeping; it's dead.
4. I saw Bolt recently with my kids and got all misty...then watched Bad Santa after they went to bed to balance and remind myself I will not have to wear a Santa Suit.
3. OCTANe had double digit growth AGAIN in 2008 (thxs to our supporters/members! This reinforces the notion that if you stay laser focused on creating value and results, you will always rise at the end of the day), so we will be lowering our membership price next year...stay tuned!
2. It's been a "dramatic year" on all accounts; from Wall St. stock drops, to real estate drops to Obama being elected (incredible on so many levels) to recession, to well, you get the picture. Taking a step back to spend a little time with friends to celebrate the fortune we STILL have is both warranted and healthy as we head into a challenging 2009.
1. OC venture capital investments in 2008 is already the highest in four years!!!! ... and OCTANe absolutley played a tactical role; certainly worth at least one glass of egg nog.
A safe and happy holiday season to all.
Gary
Showing posts with label economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label economy. Show all posts
Monday, December 1, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Friends,
I sit here one week before the Presidential election and am thinking about the state of the country, but not so much the candidates to be honest. Not sure what that means but here is what I see (and do not see):
1. We are going through the worst economic mess since...well before I was born.
2. The US is the 3rd best performing country stock index over last year...ouch.
3. We are throwing around TRILLIONS of dollars like they are pennies...twelve 0's in a trillion.
4. Over 20+% of US mortgages are “under water”...but long-term, is this a bad thing?
5. Unemployment should be at 7-8% within 9 months...and those numbers don't include people NOT looking.
6. States are on the cusp of bankruptcy...or “pulling an Iceland” as it is now called.
7. Goodbye Princeton, hello University of Illinois...college fund/401K drops and Risky Business reference for everyone my age.
8. The Fed will be lowering borrowing rates to at or BELOW 1% tomorrow...and it is irrelevant due to credit blockage.
9. I attended my first home auction in my “McNeighborhood” recently...auctioneer was from Oklahoma City, the least expensive city in US. Go figure.
10. And on and on and on...it really is amazing the amount of news every day that matters.
But one thing I don’t see...where is ANY government help and investment in what REALLY drives the US: education, innovation and infrastructure? We are quick to bail out the mortgage industry (don’t think we aren’t) and Detroit (now there is a great return) and aggressively throw into the bailout ridiculous things about arrows and other stuff I am too insulted to comprehend. Some say that this is the democratic process....well I think it’s [editor's note: explicative removed].
Therefore, I am calling for a 1% “Innovation Tax” for the US effective immediately. Imagine what that could do to spur growth. Did you know we could have seeded 700,000 entrepreneurs and start-ups (at $1 Million each) with that 700 Billion dollar (which is now about double by the way) bailout? Think that would create more high-paying jobs than the bailout? Think we could invest 10X more in University commercialization and tech transfer and get a better return? Think we can train more people in science and technology? Yes I know we have some STEM initiatives going on and they are helpful, but why not THINK BIG and develop an innovation platform for which the NEXT generations can prosper? 1% should do it.
Oh well, enough of my soapbox, just some random musings on what I consider important, I guess more than who the next President will be.
Gary
I sit here one week before the Presidential election and am thinking about the state of the country, but not so much the candidates to be honest. Not sure what that means but here is what I see (and do not see):
1. We are going through the worst economic mess since...well before I was born.
2. The US is the 3rd best performing country stock index over last year...ouch.
3. We are throwing around TRILLIONS of dollars like they are pennies...twelve 0's in a trillion.
4. Over 20+% of US mortgages are “under water”...but long-term, is this a bad thing?
5. Unemployment should be at 7-8% within 9 months...and those numbers don't include people NOT looking.
6. States are on the cusp of bankruptcy...or “pulling an Iceland” as it is now called.
7. Goodbye Princeton, hello University of Illinois...college fund/401K drops and Risky Business reference for everyone my age.
8. The Fed will be lowering borrowing rates to at or BELOW 1% tomorrow...and it is irrelevant due to credit blockage.
9. I attended my first home auction in my “McNeighborhood” recently...auctioneer was from Oklahoma City, the least expensive city in US. Go figure.
10. And on and on and on...it really is amazing the amount of news every day that matters.
But one thing I don’t see...where is ANY government help and investment in what REALLY drives the US: education, innovation and infrastructure? We are quick to bail out the mortgage industry (don’t think we aren’t) and Detroit (now there is a great return) and aggressively throw into the bailout ridiculous things about arrows and other stuff I am too insulted to comprehend. Some say that this is the democratic process....well I think it’s [editor's note: explicative removed].
Therefore, I am calling for a 1% “Innovation Tax” for the US effective immediately. Imagine what that could do to spur growth. Did you know we could have seeded 700,000 entrepreneurs and start-ups (at $1 Million each) with that 700 Billion dollar (which is now about double by the way) bailout? Think that would create more high-paying jobs than the bailout? Think we could invest 10X more in University commercialization and tech transfer and get a better return? Think we can train more people in science and technology? Yes I know we have some STEM initiatives going on and they are helpful, but why not THINK BIG and develop an innovation platform for which the NEXT generations can prosper? 1% should do it.
Oh well, enough of my soapbox, just some random musings on what I consider important, I guess more than who the next President will be.
Gary
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