Summation

Book review: Geronimo: A Biography

Geronimo: A Biography by Alexander Adams

i listended to the book on tape. this is a sad tale about the fall of the Apache people (in southwest US and Mexico). it is a good history of the conflicts between native americans and the white men.

Michael Moore beats Bush as a "Miserable Failure"

The campaign Internet wars continue ... as of today, Michael Moore is in first place when you search for "miserable failure" on Google.

the Google bomb wars show (as of 5:22pm on Fri, Jan 30) Michael Moore as the biggest miserable failure followed by President Bush (the original target) and then Jimmy Carter coming in third followed by Hillary Clinton in fourth place.

given the targets of the Google bombing, we can see that Bush-haters are not the only ones organized on the Internet ... even though they did "invent" the Internet...

Republicans have ceded television and the newspapers to liberal bias, but they have been extremely well organized in alternative medium like talk radio and the Internet.

Sonia Arrison: Tech's Immediate Future

Sonia Arrison writes another terrific piece on Tech Central Station - Tech's Immediate Future -- worth reading.

Clay Shirky on Is Social Software Bad for the Dean Campaign?

Clay Shirky writes in Many-to-Many: Is Social Software Bad for the Dean Campaign?

Shirky gives a very interesting analysis of not just the Dean campaign but its supporters. Too often people tend to support a candidate because of a candidate's tactics rather than what the candidate will actually do in office.

Many Dean supporters liked Dean because he was anti-war and tough. But many others like Dean because he used the Internet to get support. The later, a tactic, is the wrong reason to like a candidate.

In 2000, many CEOs in Silicon Valley supported Gore because "he gets the Internet." And its true, Gore was personally a lot more tech savvy than Bush. But Gore was on the wrong side of almost every major tech issue. Now you can still support a candidate that is against all your business interests -- that is admirable -- but you shouldn't support someone based on a tactic.

Fundraising Director for Steve Poizner for Assembly

My friend Andy Hoar, campaign manager for Poizner for Assembly, is hiring for the following help:

Fundraising Director for Steve Poizner for Assembly (www.joinsteve.com):

We are a political campaign looking for a multi-talented and experienced Sales Professional with strong sales and sales mgmt skills, who's organized, and has a track record of delivering success. This person will
build a pipeline of qualified donors from campaign internal lists and such by:

- Pre-qualifying donor prospects according to criteria such as: current ability to give, donations history, and interest in the candidate's platform
- Contacting and "warming up" prospects for the candidate to close (via email, letter, and phone)
- Organizing and coordinating "Meet and Greet" events and fundraisers for potential donors to hear directly from the candidate

This is a full-time, paid position. Salary range will be $4-6K/month and/or based on a commission tied to campaign fundraising success (expecting to raise $1-1.5MM). The contract will run through Nov of 2004
and the position will involve working some nights and weekends. Interest in/understanding of politics and/or political fundraising desired but not required.

We are looking for a resourceful and capable individual who is a quick learner, a self-starter, and a creative problem-solver. 5 years minimum successful sales experience (preferably including inside sales/telesales
experience).

Contact: andy@joinsteve.com

Director of E-Commerce at Elie Tahari

From my friend Jason Epstein, CTO of Elie Tahari:

Elie Tahari, a high-end women’s apparel company is seeking a Director of E-Commerce for its successful electronic retail boutique, www.elietahri.com. Position in NYC.

This position will be primarily responsible for increasing profitability of our web-based sales efforts. Candidates must have experience managing promotional/merchandising activities on Web sites, marketing/selling high end luxury products through online retail outlets. Candidates must be seasoned in marketing and e-commerce management with a proven track record of creating, developing and launching web based sales programs.

Additional responsibilities include overseeing and managing marketing campaigns, business development, customer service and financial analysis.

Must have 5+ years' experience with a background in marketing (specifically search engine optimization and related areas) and business development, preferably in the ecommerce realm, as well as a track record of outstanding web-based sales, or P&L track record in growth opportunities. The qualified applicant will possess strong analytical skills with the ability to analyze and target opportunities from both a market and customer perspective. Must be a hands-on, results-driven person. Excellent project management, financial analysis, and communications skills, both written and verbal, are required. Must be a team player and a self-starter. BA in Business/Marketing preferred.

Location:
510 5th ave 3rd floor
new york, ny 10036

Marketing Manager at BabyCenter

From my friend Ellisa Feinstein:

There is an opening in our San Fran office for a
marketing manager. If you know anyone who might be
interested, please pass along. Please reference Mitch Weinstein.

COMPANY BACKGROUND:
San Francisco-based BabyCenter, LLC is searching for a
seasoned Marketing Manager who will be responsible for
managing online marketing efforts and overseeing the
company’s market research initiatives.

BabyCenter is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson &
Johnson, and the leading online content and e-commerce
company specifically serving the needs of expectant
and new parents. Launched in 1997, BabyCenter is a
three-time Webby Award recipient, providing
exceptional online content, an online baby store
featuring thousands of products for maternity and
baby, and the largest online parents community.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Oversee online marketing efforts including strategic
planning, vendor negotiations, creative development
and measurement. Work with cross-functional teams to
maximize registration conversion.
· Lead and coordinate consumer research projects
including tracking key company metrics, qualitative
and quantitative user research and product-related
surveys. Responsible for formulating and fielding the
research (working with outside vendors as necessary)
and disseminating the results around the company.

*** The Marketing Manager must have prior experience
managing successful online advertising campaigns and supervising substantial consumer research projects from start to finish. ***

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 5 years
experience in marketing, a proven ability to work
independently and with cross-functional teams, and has
prior success in a fast-growing, fast-changing
environment. Excellent communications skills are a
must.

HOW TO APPLY:
E-mail us at jobs@babycenter.com and write in the
subject line "Marketing Manager." Please include a
cover letter and resume.

STABILITY, SECURITY, AND SOVEREIGNTY in the REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA

David L. Phillips, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Center for Preventive Action, in conjunction with the Council on Foreign Relations, recently put out a very good report on the future of Georgia.

David collaborated with 18 people, including myself, to put together this report for Georgia's newly elected President.

Bruce Daley on Will 2004 be the real year of the customer?

CRM guru Bruce Daley asks: Will 2004 be the real year of the customer?

I met Bruce when I was in Denver over Christmas. He is always thinking one to two steps ahead.

Professor Nagl’s War -- NY Times Magazine

Peter Maass puts together another terrific article in tomorrow's NY Times magazine: Professor Nagl’s War

it outlines the history of counterinsurgency and goes in detail about our efforts in Iraq today. this is a must read (but very long) article.