RamblingDyna

I attended HubSpot’s San Francisco Meet Up at Julian’s at Metreon on Monday. HubSpot is the ultimate internet marketing machine powering up small to medium sized online businesses and organizations like the non-profit Future Women Leader’s (FWL) site. The Cambridge based software company is in town for the two day Inbound Marketing Summit, its co-founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah are guest speakers. I say machine in a figurative sense to describe their extensive services such as marketing analytics and lead tracking…and…just for kicks, since it’s such an archaic term that represented the 1ate 18th and early 19th century when great discoveries and inventions, such as coal and electricity, transformed society and was only made possible by an entrepreneurial and capitalistic spirit. Fast forward 180 years… That same spirit was buzzing all night at the mixer as I weaved my way through a reserved corner section of the bar. Approximately 60 or so of the mostly 25-35 year old l...

Filipino welterweight champ, Manny Pacquiao (Pacman) who put his boxing idol, Oscar Del La Hoya into retirement last month, made a special appearance at San Francisco's AT&T Park last Tuesday, as part of the annual Filipino Heritage Night which celebrates Filipino culture and history. In the "Battle of East and West" Pacquiao will fight Great Britain's Rick "The Hitman" Hatton this Saturday on May 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bobble Heads in his likeness were given out to the 11,000 Heritage Night ticket holders and he threw the ceremonial pitch before the San Francisco Giants grand slam victory over San Diego Padres (8-3). Last year 4,000 attended the event. The $50,000 raised from the event will benefit charities in San Francisco and the Republic of Philippines.

I took a City College of San Francisco podcasting class and about nine of my classmates and I had the unique opportunity to shoot, with our college loaned Flip Cameras, a live evening radio show at the Coffee Bar, a two level, industrial and contemporary loft size corner building in the Potrero hood of San Francisco. I used my Canon to shoot the latter half of the show, since the Flip’s zoom feature was inadequate. Unfortunately, since I didn’t return to class the following the week (blame my work schedule) I couldn’t access and use the Flip videos. This video is from my Canon only. Now back to the bar. What it lacks in dessert selection, makes up for it with its healthy sandwiches, good coffee, rich hot cocoa, and generous wine and cheese/fruit pairings. It’s no surprise that a majority of the crowd were sipping red wine on this clear Wednesday night due to the topic of discussion – booze! Get Smart Radio is a monthly 1.5 hour live broadcast hosted by Deborah Pardes who sings and p...

http://blog.futurewomenleaders.net/blog/bid/19763/How-to-generate-business-in-a-recession-for-less-than-50 I've been attending various workshops and lectures in the Bay Area targeting small business owners and current/future entrepreneurs. I wrote a post for Future Women Leaders about one of the lectures conducted by a Business Expert and Marketing Consultant. He shared an inexpensive checklist of strategies on how to stay afloat during these hard times, gain traction and build smart partnerships. Very helpful advice for any business regardless of the size (are you listening Corporate America!) and industry.

I went to Hillsdale Shopping Mall in San Mateo to see what the tea bag protesters were up to on tax day. I missed the one in San Francisco so San Mateo was the only closest site that was still in full force by the time I arrived. There were at least 400 people, a majority were baby boomers. They were not the usual mad as hell Gen X-Z protesters that I've seen at the anti-war and union protests in San Francisco. For some, this was their first protest and they all felt proud and empowered to finally stand up to the Feds, politicians and Socialism - or so their signs read. Take away the signs and you'd think you were attending local community event. Sign carrying people smiled and waved back at honking cars and curious pedestrians. The San Francisco couple drove down right after they attended a baseball game at Pac Bell Park or is it SBC? They keep changing the stadium's name that I lost track. They too missed the San Francisco protest and made their presence known at the cor...

Too many horrifying and senseless crimes are hitting the East Bay and Contra Costa counties. On New Year’s Day, a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police officer, Johannes Mehserle arrested 22 year old Hayward resident, Oscar Grant and several other passengers at an Oakland station as part of their investigation of a fight on a San Francisco bound train. Johannes Mehserle shot Grant in the back as he was sitting face down. Mehserle resigned the same day Grant was buried. Non –violent protests by the community against police brutality followed in wake of the investigation. A month and half later and still reeling from the BART shooting, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the nation, mourned the death of four Oakland police officers killed in the line of duty, the deadliest shooting of California law enforcement in decades. A parolee gunned down John Hege, Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai on March 21 during a traffic stop, later taking his own life. Thousands from law enforcemen...

Straight out of the mouth of an old school, hardnosed, cynical New York tenured journalist, CNN’s Situation Room Host, Jack Cafferty spilled his admiration for the Michelle Obama on air and on his blog. In wake of the First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama’s first G20 summit visit, Cafferty gave a short report on Michelle Obama’s growing popularity in the United States and the European media. He cites statistics and comparisons from year ago, showing the shift has come primarily from Republicans who’ve had a change of heart. His commentary was initially objective, until he threw a surprise wrench halfway in his delivery, smiling and confessing, “I have a crush on her”. I nearly fell out of my chair as I witnessed Journalism 101 thrown out of my television monitor. Walter Cronkite (“the most trusted man in America”) should give Cafferty a good scolding. The late Edward R. Murrow (“Good night and good luck”) is probably tossing in his grave. But wait the gushing a...

Click and check out my video story on H.P. Mendoza's directorial debut musical comedy, "Fruitfly". http://globalnation.inquirer.net/sosy/sosy/view/20090403-197790/Fil-Ams-film-debut-wins-Best-Narrative