Did we Really Get Health Care Reform Today?

December 19, 2009

Remember me?  I'm the person who has been arguing that any bill is better than no bill at all, and that we have to start somewhere on reform. That doesn't mean I can't have mixed feelings about this particular piece of legislation, or that I can't see it as part of a bigger, sicker picture […]

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Imaging and Health Care Costs

December 17, 2009

Next time you go to a doctor and she sends you for X-rays, scans, or an MRI, give some thought to it before you go. My late husband, a radiologist whose wisdom constantly returns to me during the debate on health care reform, used to say "don't let anyone do an MRI on your back […]

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Underground Economy: Cybercrime on the Internet

December 12, 2009

Over a fancy lunch today in a Scottsdale, AZ restaurant filled with other people’s office Christmas parties, I heard a hair-raising presentation about an Underground Economy of organized criminals and cybercrime on the internet. The speaker, the owner of Packet Forensics, a company started in 2002 to provide dedicated equipment for cyber-surveillance to telecom companies, […]

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Ten Things to Consider about Facebook Privacy Issues

December 11, 2009

For the past few days, I've been reading about Facebook's new privacy settings. I've got mixed feelings about them, but on balance I believe  the ultimate tradeoff of privacy for information as a good thing. I also believe it's an unstoppable thing, no matter what the ACLU and EFF say. So we have to coalesce […]

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Corporate Venture Investing: What is it and what’s it looking for?

December 9, 2009

(This is rough, because it's a live blog from the Silicon Valley Venture Summit. Think of it as notes) Why do corporations invest in ventures anyway? Corporate investors look not only for ROI, but for where the puck is going, so they don't get trampled by the next disruptive technology. SAP is especially concerned with […]

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What are Corporations Buying in 2010?

December 8, 2009

Corporate buyers see a stablization in the environment, with a bias toward optimism. Cisco sees this environment as an opportunity and Hilton Romanski (VP Corporate Development)sees this as very different from last year. Corporate buyers have more ability to do things because they have a clearer idea of what's going on in their own businesses. […]

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At the Silicon Valley VC Summit, Scary News Followed by Optimism

December 8, 2009

I asked Bill Gurley whether a new model for early stage funding would emerge now that the VC industry is "slimming down" (perhaps shrinking by 50%) due to the rebalancing of university endowments out of "alternative assets" (illiquid stuff like VC funds) .He answered that the top tier VCS on Sand Hill Road still routinely […]

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“Precious” A Non-Intuitive Christmas Movie

December 6, 2009

Precious is showing in limited release in Phoenix.  I guess that's code for "we don't have a very large black population." But at the mall where I saw it today, it has been playing in three theaters for a month. And although I went to see it on one of the biggest Christmas shopping days […]

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Why GeoLocation is so Addicting

December 5, 2009

When I started on Brightkite, it was only because I try every piece of software I can. I couldn't believe it would be something I'd want to use. After all, why tell people where you are? However, it wasn't long before I was posting photos of my dogs from the beach at Half Moon Bay. […]

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Job Summit

December 3, 2009

The past few days have been my personal Job Summit. One of my former foster kids, now a mother with a husband and three children, called me on Dec. 1. "Do you know anyone who needs house cleaning?" she asked. "Not offhand," answered. "What's the matter?""The rent is due today and we can't make it," […]

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