June 11, 2010

Speaking at MIT Enterprise Forum on June 22nd

On June 22nd I will be speaking at the MIT Enterprise Forum in Cambridge, MA.

The overall theme of the evening will be: "Innovation Series: From Disruption to Innovation"

Friends in the greater Boston area can register for the event by visiting: here.

Posted by jeff at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 11, 2009

Missing Howard Pulver...

I wrote the following last year on the 10th anniversary of the passing of my dad. These words resonate even stronger with me tonight.

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It was ten years ago yesterday that my father Howard Pulver passed away after a year long struggle with both Brain and Lung Cancer.

It was my father who first taught me to enjoy life, to live for today, to take having fun seriously and whenever possible to share the fun. He was the one who taught me to experience life and that while school was important, "what you learned is what you know 20 years after school and everything you forgot is what you just studied." He was the one who first told me: “If you don’t ask the answer is no” and the person who continues to have the greatest influence on my life.

The following are the words I read at his funeral service in April 1998:

Reflections from Jeff

“Growing up - my father made it a point to instill in all of his children information and experiences he felt we needed to have in the "real world". He also taught us how important being part of a family is. He instilled values in us which I'm only starting to appreciate now - since I've had the time to reflect back and think about my dad. My dad lead by example and showed us all how to survive.

My dad was a very private person, and he rarely mixed his work activities with his family life. He believed in the separation between work and family.

Those of you who knew my dad will remember him for his generosity, hospitality and his tenderness. He always made himself available to help others. As a child growing up my dad's traits become woven into the fabric which became part of our lives. Reflecting back, I'm only now starting to realize all of the things we really do take for granted. My dad was truly one of the people others went to help solve their problems and seek advise.

Lessons learned from my father:

Family Vacations - My dad felt strongly about family vacations. Each year the entire family went away to spend time together. We had a chance to explored parts of the world together. Even as we all got older my dad tried his best to help teach us about the importance of being part of the family and being there for each other.

It is O.K. to have a strong will - One could say that Howard Pulver was a strong willed and Determined man. The point is that he taught us to stand firm in what we believe in.

S.L.T. - My dad taught us to Stop, Listen and Think before we spoke

Talk Straight. Say what you mean. Be direct and don't beat around the bush

Encouraged Our Creativity - Both my sisters and myself were strongly encouraged to pursue our own interests - whether they were photography, art, computers or ham radio. Most of our family vacations were a haven for our hobbies. Be Adventurous - Go out into the world, explore new places and never be afraid. I still remember a family vacation to Japan when the five of us who were jet lagged took our ten pieces of luggage and took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Think about a family of five taking 10 pieces of luggage on the NY City Subway during rush hour. When we got to the destination, we had less than 90 seconds to get ourselves and all our luggage off the train. This was one of our many family adventures.

Be smart about the life situations you get yourself into. One of my dad's favorite stories is the story he told about two brothers who rented a truck in South Carolina and bought a truckload of watermelons for $2 each. These brothers drove all the way to New York City and setup their truck right by the NY Midtown tunnel. They put up a sign - fresh farm Watermelons - only $2 each. After a hard day of selling these brothers sold out their truck full of watermelons. While counting the money they earned - one brother went to the other and said - Bobby - I told you we should have rented a bigger truck! Moral of the story: Don't knowingly enter into a break-even business.

Give all of yourself to your kids - I have lost track counting the sleepless nights my father spent trying to help us with our school projects and with our business plans. He set an example which I think many people would have a hard time following and I only hope to have the same ability to give of myself to my kids with so much energy and devotion.

Dad I know we are all going to miss you. You will always be a part of our hearts and soul and you have helped mold us into the people that we have become."

Dad, I'm missing you.

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The speeches from my sisters Lauren and Michele are also available online.

Tags: Howard Pulver, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

February 16, 2009

The Seagull

- - -

Tags: seagull, Miami Beach, Jeff Pulver

(photo taken on February 15, 2009 with a Nikon D90 and a 28-200mm lens)

Posted by jeff at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (44)

Song in my Mind: "27 Jennifers" by Mike Doughty

Every once in a while I hear a song and I can't get it out of my head. The current song I am hooked on is "27 Jennifers" by Mike Doughty. I blame WXRP (101.9 in New York) for helping me discover this song. :)

Posted by jeff at 01:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)

January 03, 2009

A New Day Begins: Sunrise

Tags: sunrise, Miami Beach, Jeff Pulver

(photo taken on January 3, 2009 with a Nikon D300 and a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens)

Posted by jeff at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (112)

December 26, 2008

Sunrise

Tags: sunrise, Miami Beach, Jeff Pulver

(photo taken on December 26, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 50mm lens)

Posted by jeff at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (96)

How do YOU Recognize a Need for a Change?

Earlier today a friend asked me: “How does Someone Recognize a Need for a Change?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer the question. But I also didn’t want to ignore the question so this is what I wrote:

When you are working in a job which you know is limiting your abilities or where the stress is too much to handle or for a hundred other reasons, it will be obvious to you and everyone else around you that you are in need of a change of jobs and most likely a change of direction.

But sometimes recognizing it is time to change can also be real difficult. For me, I this something generally felt from the inside. Something I refer to my “gut.” There are times when we feel things from our gut, sometimes our heart and other times our head. And I’ve found that whenever I go against my gut, I am usually going to be on the wrong side of the decision.

I have found recognizing the time for a change presents itself as a strong feeling. And sometimes this is only something that YOU will realize and only something you can make happen. And while you may be feeling it, moving forward on the action is one of the hardest things you may end up doing in your life.

But what about YOU? How do YOU recognize a Need for Change? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (81)

December 25, 2008

Happy Holidays 2008!

"A Day at the Beach"

Best Wishes for the 2008 Holiday Season!

(taken in Miami Beach in December 2007 with a Nikon D70 and a 28-200mm lens)

Posted by jeff at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)

November 18, 2008

Sometimes We Need to Do Things Alone

One day you may wake up and realize that now is the time for you to make your move.

But, when you look around, you may find people who are there to support you, but who really don’t understand what you are trying to do or how you are going to make something happen. One look into your eyes and they know you will be able to do whatever it is you want to do. They see and sense your passion. And that’s where their connection ends.

There comes a time where you need to go out on a mission and do it yourself. This isn’t a time where someone is going to be there to pat yourself on the back and tell you “Job Well Done” or be there in the event you messed things up. When you are on your personal mission to make something happen, you are only going to be able to make that thing happen if you allow yourself to focus on your mission and not get distracted by anything or anyone.

While I enjoy having a team around to support my own efforts, every now and then I need to sit down with myself and work out what I can best describe as a “Life Map” and look for the direction I am missing and then figure out how I am going to go from one point to another without asking anyone else for directions along the way.

I have learned that when I ask for directions while navigating my “Life Map”, I don’t ever get to the destination that I’m looking for. And for the most part every time I receive directions, they are really distractions.

Not every mission is easy and I don’t always get to my own destinations. But I know that deep down inside there is a way to connect the dots of opportunity together and I am the only one I can rely on to make that happen. Sometimes we need to do things alone.

- - -

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. Share a related thought. Share your experience. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 08:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (167)

November 02, 2008

Tel Aviv Sunset:

(photo taken on Nov 1, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Tags: Tel Aviv, sunset, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (50)

October 08, 2008

Life Transitions

There have been times in my life where I found myself lost in the transition between something I used to do and something I would eventually end up doing. This is what I call a “Life Transition.” This isn’t a change I ever knowingly wished for, but something that happens from time to time.

Until recently I never openly spoke about life transitions. But I found it very reassuring that just about everyone experiences these life transitions over the course of their life. It is just that sometimes we don’t realize what is going on while we are having the experience.

One thing I have found to be consistent across my life transitions is the underlying feeling of personal freedom which is unleashed as a side effect of the process.

Over the years, I have learned to take advantage of this new found freedom to explore new ideas and opportunities. This freedom doesn’t appear at first but only after a period of weeks (sometimes months) where I reflect back, clear my mind and accept what is happening to me and then think about what may be next. This isn’t a time to feel sorry for yourself but rather a time to gain internal strength and confidence for what lies ahead.

For myself, I now look at life transitions as a time where I am given an opportunity to reboot myself and redefine who I want to be and what I really wanted to be doing. A time of introspection. A time to grow. A time to transform into the next version of who I am.

Tags: leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Please consider leaving a comment. Please let me know how you deal with your life transitions and what you have learned from the process. What advise would you offer to someone who is experiencing a life transition for the first time?

Posted by jeff at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (126)

September 27, 2008

Making Memorable Moments

“Could you tell me the things you remember about me
and have you seen me lately?” - Adam Duritz

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Sometimes we get lost in our own lives and the lives of others.

Sometimes we lose ourselves in the blur of the world around us and other times we are the blur in our own lives.

And then one day we wake up and try to remember who we are and who we once wanted to be.

Many times we do we don’t remember the things we did the next day let alone a week later. Our daily routine is just that, a routine. A rote memory that repeats itself day in and day out. “Making Memorable Moments” is something I try to make an effort to do when life gives me an opportunity to do so.

When I attended the reunion of my elementary school class earlier this year and walked around the room with my video camera and asked my old friends “What do they remember about me” and they all individually said “nothing” except the one person remembered “my father’s dark room”, I felt pretty devastated. What I thought would be a fun introspective video turned into a personal low I had a hard time recovering from. And on the way home from the event I thought about the Counting Crows song “Have you Seen Me Lately.”

I believe everyone wants to be remembered. Even as kids. As least I did. So not being remembered make me feel invisible and made me question why I was even there.

While I can’t go back in time and change the past, I can change the future. Maybe not every day and not every time, but sometimes I will be someplace and do the unexpected and surprise myself. Every situation is different but I try to do something that will surprise me and that will share something of myself with everyone around me and might have the effect of making that moment into a more memorable moment.

I believe if we make an effort, we can take back our lives and our future and make each moment meaning and special.

Why not try to do something every day that is different? And if not every day, then as often as your schedule allows. Whether you are out doing something with your family or with your friends: at dinner or with new friends attending a corporate event, there is something of yourself that you can share that will make that moment a special one. we can create our own special memories of our live. And we should. Regardless of our age, I believe we owe it to ourselves to go out and not just do something ordinary, but do something memorable and maybe remarkable. How you do it is up to you.

And maybe next time in the forward future there will be someone who can tell you the things they remember about YOU.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

What about you? When you recognize that every day feels the same, what do you do to break out and do something original? Please feel free to share your comments and experiences.

Posted by jeff at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (164)

September 21, 2008

Sometimes you need to Listen to Yourself (and NOT your friends)

After losing my job on Wall Street, pulver.com became my full time focus during the summer of 1996.

For a number of years after starting pulver.com, whenever I had an idea, I would bounce my ideas off of certain people. What I didn't realize until years later was that my profile for taking risks was just different than many of my friends.

What I'm getting to is that your friends are not YOU. And this obvious observation took me a long time to appreciate.

There are times when you ask people for advice, instead of putting themselves in your place, often the people you ask look at things from their own personal perspective and that perspective guides their advice. In other words, there are times the people you go to will tell you what they would do, not necessarily what you need to do or not do. We need to keep in mind that the risk tolerance and safety nets of our friends are not always the same as own.

This meant that I didn't do a number of things I might have otherwise done. In fact for a period of time, I didn't do any of the things I should have done. Even if an idea didn’t work out, I would have had the experience of trying to do it. I believe there is always something to learn and sometimes we learn more from our failures than our successes. I know I have.

And the more failures we experience, the closer we are to experiencing success.

I also believe that there are times we know for ourselves what is the best path to follow.

Sometimes this defies logic. Sometimes we will defy our loved ones, our parents and our mentors. But when no one else but you can feel the opportunity and see the opportunity that no one else can see, then maybe you should be doing it. And understand that your vision and the passion you feel is just different than the people you are talking to.

When this happens to me I just close my eyes and envision my own success. Whenever I'm able to "see it", chances are I'm going to do whatever it was that I was questioning. And whenever I have or feel doubt, it is a time I take a pass.

When you are thinking about whether or not to do something, you need to be the one who decides for you. Your friends can say an idea is a good idea or a bad idea but you are the one who is taking the risk. When other things are moving fast around you, it can be easy to lose your perspective on things like this.

So these days while I still have a great deal of respect for the people around me, just because someone tells me that they don't get what it is that I'm doing, I try to be polite and will make a mental note of what was said. But I no longer stop thinking about doing something just because a friend thought it was a bad idea. However, I will flash back to that conversation and process what was told to me. Why? Because our friends know our blind spots. And sometimes they will prevent us from being blindsided, which is the unspoken reason of why I was asking for advice in the first place.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

How about you? When exploring opportunities how much weight do you give to your friends and family? How often do you just listen to yourself and ignore everyone else around you? How do you balance your personal crowd sourcing for direction? Please share an experience. Please consider leaving a comment.

Posted by jeff at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (105)

September 20, 2008

I’m Back!

It’s been a while, but I woke up the other morning feeling that I was no longer going to watch the world from the sidelines. The time has come for me to re-engage myself with the world and opportunities around me.

Truth be told, I never really left and I was never really away. Yes I traveled and I will continue to travel but I woke up one day six months ago feeling an immediate need to re-engage with the world and then a realization that it was my time to watch and not do. And this was something real hard for me at the time but something I can look back to for my own inner strength. When I started watching the world around me from the sidelines, I remained focused on emerging technologies and used some of my available time to explore face to face social networking and I also spent time with a number of startups in the Israeli Hi-Tech Community. I even helped get a stealth mode startup in the social media space happen. (More about this when they are ready.)

Looking back, I used my time to better get to know myself and looking back at my blog posts during the past few months, I’ve shared pieces of me with the rest of the world. And I’m glad that I have done this. If I didn’t have the available time to sit and think about things, I would have never been able to get to share that part of me. And my hope and plan is to continue to share things about myself that others just never share. Maybe not as often as I have in recent weeks, but I will do so as my available time permits.

At the same time, I now have a plan on how to re-engage myself in the world and I’m excited about the seminar series I will be producing around the United States about my perspective on Social Media and the Future of Communications. Especially looking forward to my first seminar that will be taking place on October 28th at my office on Long Island.

I also have plans for a special UnConference event that I will be announcing soon. In fact I have a few announcements I will be making in the days and weeks ahead.

Just wants to reach out and say hi. And I liked the idea of saying, “I’m Back.”

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment and saying hello.

Posted by jeff at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (92)

September 19, 2008

Being Paranoid is O.K.

When I worked on Wall Street, maybe you have experienced this too - a number of my work "friends" were paranoid about losing their jobs even thought they were miserable. Many of our lunch meetings centered on sharing the office gossip which contributed to even more paranoia about the state of our jobs. Ironic as it was, in the end no one who was part of our regular conversations ever made a move on their own out of the company. They moved only when they were fired. Even after seeing some of their friends let go. We were caught up by knowledge of something going on and our collective unconscious and our collective fear of the unknown. And it seems that for a moment in time none of us were risk takers in real life even though we collectively dreamed about what we would do if were free to live our dreams.

During the work day we took risks in the way we solved an IT problem, but when it came to our on lives, we went soft and were risk averse. In real life, we were enjoying the benefits of having a pretty good job and our ability to support our families and we were not about to be the one to put everything on the line. All of this changed for me one day in 1996 when I went to a group IT meeting (with about 125 people), when I looked at the org chart and saw my name was no longer on it. Maybe it was the loud “Oh Sh*t!” that some of the people around me heard me shout. I knew at that moment that everything had changed and a couple of hours later I was on my way home, having been fired for the first time in my life, at a time when I was least ready for it.

(And in an ironic twist of fate, getting fired in 1996 most likely saved my life since I was working on the 104th floor of One World Trade Center. At the time I was left go I had the kind of job that most other people held on to.)

Looking back at my life, I can point to this wake up call as a time in my life that I grew up. This was in many ways a life defining event that helped transform me a step closer to the person I am today.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. When exploring opportunities how much weight do you give to your friends and family? How often do you just listen to yourself and ignore everyone else around you? How do you balance your personal crowd sourcing for direction? Please feel free to share an experience.

Posted by jeff at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (243)

September 14, 2008

New York City: 10th Ave and W24th St

"A New York Moment."

(photo taken on September 10, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom at 10th Ave and W24th Street in NYC)

Posted by jeff at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

September 13, 2008

A sign on the beach

(photo taken on September 11, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom in Lloyd Harbor, NY)

Posted by jeff at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

September 09, 2008

A Look Back at Jerusalem ROCKS - One Year Ago Today

Jerusalem ROCKS took place a year ago today at the Sultan's Pool in Jerusalem. This happened after 18 months of planning and envisioning a dream together with my friends Jacob Ner David and Carmi Wurtman.

Reality hit the moment Hadag Nachash took the stage together with D.A.M. This was followed by The Commitments, Yehudah Katz and Hanan Elias from Reva Lesheva, Arrested Development and the Black Eyed Peas. This was the biggest musical event the City of Jerusalem had seen in over 20 years and an event I still look forward to see happen again.

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Arrested Development, Black Eyed Peas, Jacob Ner-David, Carmi Wurtman, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)

September 06, 2008

Sometimes You Need to Put Yourself in MOTION

“You have to be in it to win it” - NY Lotto

There are times where you need to put yourself into the mix in order to take advantage of opportunities. Sure, there will be times in your life where an opportunity will seek you out. But for all other times, if you are not around, that chance meeting isn’t going to happen. This is why I make an effort to put myself out there, go to a variety of events, hold meetings in the lobby of certain hotels and why I make an effort to host my own networking events and encourage people to connect with each other.

This is what I call “Putting Yourself in Motion.”

Recognizing this is one thing. Being able to act on this while overcoming your own inertia is the harder part. At least it usually has been for me.

But whenever I’m feeling a little lazy, I remind myself we often need to leave our comfort zones, challenge ourselves, and push ourselves to the edge in order to take advantage of chance opportunities.

“Sometimes you can influence chance by playing along”

Looking back, many opportunities happened because I was in the right place at the right time. Some may consider this being lucky, something which I would not deny, but why not empower yourself to be lucky every once in a while? Why not put yourself in play and put yourself in the right place at the right time too?

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How about you? How often do YOU Put Yourself in Motion? What would you advise others to do?

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. Share a thought. Share your experience. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 05:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (114)

September 05, 2008

A Time to Listen to Yourself

When you find yourself searching for answers and/or direction, while it is easy to ask others for advice, sometimes the harder thing to do is look deep inside yourself and act on what your gut says the answer is.

My friend Joe Mazzeo has an expression: “Shut your f**cking Ears, Listen to Yourself!”

And I think he has a point.

I believe that most of the time we know what it is we need to do. We may lack the confidence to go forward and do it, but we know in our gut what is needed to be done. I know, as I’ve been there myself.

And whenever I ask myself a question and I get conflicting answers from my head, my heart and my gut, the times I have gone with my gut have been the times I have been the most successful.

How about you? How often do YOU listen to yourself and taken action? What have YOU learned from this?

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. Share a thought. Share your experience. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (59)

September 01, 2008

Tel Aviv Sunset

(photo taken on Aug 31, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Tags: Tel Aviv, sunset, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 03:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)

Qik Moments with Dror Gill talking about Haifa

On Saturday while visiting Haifa in search of Humus I had a chance to catch up with my friend Dror Gill. Dror was the creator of Blog2Song project at GeekCon 2007.

Tags: Qik, Israel, haifa, Dror Gill, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)

August 24, 2008

Rowing Alone

“...Well I’m on my way
I don’t know where I’m going
I’m on my way I’m taking my time
But I don’t know where...” - Paul Simon

There are times where the person on that row boat is me and there are times when the person on that row boat is YOU. These are the times where we can find ourselves on our way, we don’t know where we are going and are not necessarily in any rush to get there. But we are on our way somewhere because we recognized the need to do something.

Sometimes we find ourselves in places and in times when we need to do something to introduce a change in our lives. And these are the times we have to get on the boat and start going somewhere.

How often do you find yourself rowing between places and ideas? Sometimes we need to take the time to be alone and reflect. Other times we need the opportunity to think forward and project who we are and where we are going. It all depends upon where your mind is and how you approach the situation.

There have been times in my life where I saw an opportunity and I went for it, alone. I didn’t start out alone but I ended up alone because no one else wanted to take the risk of traveling in my boat. And while not every opportunity I have seen has ended up a success as I see success, I would much rather have tried something and failed then never tried at all. And I recognize everyone sees success in their own way. One of my friends talks about making good mistakes and for him, success is a mistake that is also a learning experience.

I have also experienced the feeling of sitting idle as if I was waiting for something to happen. And when this happens my mind usually wonders over to Newton’s First Law of Motion - “Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.” There are times for me to be idle and other times to put myself in motion. And with that said, I would like to believe I am someone who at times is willing to jump into the boat of life and start rowing myself towards a dream.

How about YOU? How often do you find yourself on that same row boat? Are you someone who keeps yourself in motion or do you also find yourself sometimes sitting idle waiting for someone or something to put yourself in motion?

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. Share a thought. Share your experience. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (63)

August 23, 2008

Luna Farm

Luna Farm is in Sagaponack, NY

(photo taken on Aug 23, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Posted by jeff at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)

Sunflowers in Sagaponack

(photo taken on Aug 23, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Posted by jeff at 07:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)

August 21, 2008

Being YOU

Back when I was in high school, I remember sitting in class and listening to a teacher ask a question and not being the person who raised their hand to answer the question even when I thought I knew the answer. It was only after hearing others in my class get the question wrong when I would consider raising my hand and sharing what I believed was the right answer. If I was called on, I generally knew the answer but I rarely wanted be the one to volunteer it. All these years later I ask myself why did I behave like that in high school? I suspect part of the answer was that I was afraid of being me. I was uncomfortable with who I was and the last thing I wanted to do was to be noticed at a time when I would rather blur myself into the sidelines and be invisible to those people around me rather than be seen. And maybe I was just a “little” shy.

And maybe this is something everyone goes through when they are growing up. I’m not sure about this since I never asked anyone else about it. But given the chance to repeat this experience all over again, if I was going to re-live my high school experience, chances are I would act the same because that is who I was at that moment in my life. I was lonely, I was shy and I didn’t have a clue about a lot of things. (I was a geek and didn’t know it.) O.K., I still don’t have a clue about some things but when I was growing up there wasn’t a book of clues for me to read which informed them about the realities of life. For some yes there was Catcher in the Rye but not everyone in my world could relate to the world of Holden Caulfield. And looking back I don't think I could have really appreciated the power of being able to read "the book of clues" for high school students.

Then one day I woke up and understood that getting noticed is sometimes o.k. It is one of the ways we get to define ourselves. And I was comfortable about it. And I realized these awakenings are all steps in the continuing evolution of how we become the person we are.

Part of growing up included getting comfortable with myself. Understanding my faults, my weaknesses and getting to know myself as a person. And this isn’t something that happened over night or during the course of a day or a week or a month. No for me it is something that slowly transformed me over time. And something I think about even today.

There are times in our lives when we don’t know who we are or what we want to be and this happens for some of us more often than we know. There are times when the only person I ever talk to about this is me. This is the inner dialog in my mind that doesn’t always result in an answered question. Sometimes the person we think we are and the person we want to be are two different people. Sometimes we get lucky and there is a chance to blur our different selves together. Other times we need to deal with the reality of who we are verses who we have become. And along the way we need to be aware of what is going on around us.

My advice is when you find yourself during one of these periods of self discovery is that you should not afraid to be YOU. You are the one person directly responsible for your future. Be proud of who YOU are.

Once you are comfortable with who you are and where you are and where you want to be you are in the best position to assume the responsibility of being yourself. The rest is up to YOU.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. Share a thought. Share your experience. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 07:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)

August 20, 2008

A moment in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Posted by jeff at 06:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)

Crossing over Parallel Lines

(photo taken on Aug 8, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

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August 18, 2008

Turn your Passion into YOUR Reality

A few years ago, a friend told me: “Jeff, sometimes you first need to make a difference before you make money.” Looking back, I know what he said was true.

Several times in my life I have experienced a period of time where my passion for a product, technology or a service became a personal obsession which eventually turned into a revenue producing opportunity for myself (and for others.) Usually I discovered this new found passion when I was totally entrenched doing something else. Looking back, it seems that this just another one of my personality traits, something in my DNA.

I first remember having this happen to me back when I was a teenager where my passion for music drove me to become a DJ which eventually gave me my first source of income in high school and college. It happened again when I was working at an accounting firm and I started using Lotus 1-2-3. While working at the accounting firm, I founded a software publishing and consulting business focused on servicing the financial services industry. Back in those days “Lotus” was my obsession and about every 5th word of mine had sometime to do with Lotus and spreadsheets. In 1995 it was my passion to communicate and my usage of Vocaltec’s Internet Phone as a hobbyist which put me down the path I took which eventually lead to me working full time in the emerging Voice over IP industry.

Never during the transition of passion to obsession do I question myself as to why I am spending my time being obsessive, nor do I ever ask myself “what’s in it for me?” before moving forward in a specific direction. In fact most of the time the direction I go in is never planned. It wasn’t totally random either. I more or less allow myself to respond to the opportunities as they present themselves and from there I just do whatever l feel is the appropriate thing to do.

Yes I do believe in earning a living. And yes I do believe and respect business models. But sometimes what excites me more is the opportunity to be disruptive and to challenge the status quo. Especially when I’m following my heart. Maybe more to challenge the status quo and bring about change than I even realize.

I remember having a big argument with my father during Thanksgiving weekend in 1995 about Internet Telephony and my passion/obsession with it. My father’s feeling that “now is the time you need to cash in on the work that you are doing” and my response that “now isn’t the time to cash in. That time will come later.” And it did.

Sometimes it is your passion which will open up doors of opportunities others who are blinded by just the opportunity to make quick money can never can see. Sometimes you will have the opportunity to do things others either can’t or won’t do. It is what you in these situations that will (sometimes accidently) put you in a position to stand out. In my case, it was my founding of the VON Coalition in March, 1996 in response to the ACTA petition while working full-time on Wall Street that created an opportunity and platform for myself. I started the VON Coalition to defend the nascent VoIP industry because I felt it needed to be defended. No one asked me to do it and no one told me to do it, I just did it. Once I got fired from my day job, I was able to leverage my passion with VoIP and spend time with the community of people who had a vested interested in the future of communications. (In this case, getting fired was a good thing.)

What I’ve learned and experienced is sometimes your next big opportunity doesn’t always present itself clearly. Sometimes you have to make the opportunity yourself. And sometimes you need to put yourself in a position so you can benefit from such opportunities. In order to do this, you need to have a clear perspective on what you truly believe in and then be in a position to allow yourself to act accordingly. This isn’t something you can ask someone else to do for you. And this isn’t something you necessarily need to ask anyone’s advise about because chances are no one will see the opportunity as clearly as you do. This is one of those times where you need to believe in yourself because if you have doubt in yourself, you can’t do it.

When you are able to take advantage of the opportunity you see, be prepared for a pretty amazing ride. And should you get lucky along the way, just accept it. I used to feel defensive about being lucky. I have since learned that “being lucky is o.k.”

Whenever you can find yourself working in the field of your passion, enjoying the work you are doing and in a position to earn a living because of it, for many people this is a great place to be. And a place I look to get to myself whenever I am able to give myself to the opportunity to be there.

And yes, sometimes you first need to make a difference before you make money.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And if you are someone who also discovered a way to turn your passion into your reality, please feel free to share your story. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (134)

August 17, 2008

Sunday Morning: Waiting for the Sun

Tags: sunrise, Miami Beach, Jeff Pulver

(photo taken on Aug 17, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Posted by jeff at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (101)

August 16, 2008

A New Day

Tags: sunrise, Miami Beach, Jeff Pulver

(photo taken on Aug 16, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Posted by jeff at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (195)

August 14, 2008

Thoughts when asked: “What do YOU do?”

When you attend a networking event and are meeting people for the first time, my observation is that the people who are “professionals” who are working in their chosen profession have it easier than others introducing themselves since most people have a general understanding what an: Accountant, Actor, Artist, Director, Doctor, Lawyer, Writer, ... does.

But if your chosen profession is slightly off the beaten path, what do YOU say? How do YOU describe yourself? How do you answer the question, “What Do YOU do?” How much information do you give of yourself to a total stranger when asked?

When attending events in my comfort zone, I generally never have to worry about answering the question about what it is that I do, even if I can’t answer that question with a single word or in two sentences. Mostly because people don’t ask me the question. Most of the time I try to interview the I’m meeting and I don’t always talk much what I am doing.

But when I meet someone new at a social event for the first time and I’m asked the question, “what do I do?”, I ask myself the same question. I say to myself “It is not about what I did but what do I do.” I continue to find these moments humbling. I generally stumble for a moment or two. Even though this is something I feel like I’ve experienced hundreds, maybe thousands of times, I still stumble. At that very moment I think about the various companies that I’m involved with and I think of the one company in my portfolio I want to assume the identity of, and I just go there. These days it means I am chairman of PrimeTimeRewind.TV. Or maybe I will be Chairman of Vivox. Or Maybe Chairman of FreeWorldDialup. Or Maybe co-founder of a super cool stealth mode Israeli startup focusing on the social networking space. Or a maybe a dozen other things. Turns out in real life I am involved with a bunch of companies and I do many things. But not just One thing. And this is a reflection of the reality I’m living in.

Rarely do I tell people that I’m a dreamer. That I love to look into the future and explore the unknown. That I believe in karma. And in having a heart. Instead I may mention Vonage and see if that resonates at all with them. I rarely mention my passion for communications or the fact that I am an active blogger. If asked, I enjoy telling people about my passion for technology innovation and my desire to challenge the status quo but I hardly do. Why? Mostly because depending upon how far I stumbled, most of this really doesn’t really matter because the conversation ended and the person walks away.

So I ask, How do YOU Introduce yourself? How do you answer the question, “What Do YOU do?”

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (66)

August 11, 2008

Sometimes YOU Have to be Remarkable

remarkable (r-mr'k-bl) pronunciation
adj.

1. Worthy of notice.
2. Attracting notice as being unusual or extraordinary.

- - -

There are times in your life when YOU need to make yourself remarkable if you want to be remarkable. This isn’t something that just happens to you, without you making an effort. (Remarkable people will understand this.)

If you don’t do what it takes to stand out, you just won’t.

Sometimes the difference between your success and failure is based on how remarkable you can make yourself be.

Surprise yourself!

What you do to be remarkable is up to YOU.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 08:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (197)

August 10, 2008

An August Afternoon in Southold, NY

(photo taken on Aug 8, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Posted by jeff at 09:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (53)

August 09, 2008

Main Street in Greenport, NY

(photo taken on Aug 8, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Posted by jeff at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (33)

An August Afternoon in Greenport, NY

(photo taken on Aug 8, 2008 with a Nikon D300 and a 28-200mm zoom)

Posted by jeff at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (42)

August 07, 2008

Become the Captain of YOUR Life

Are YOU the Captain of YOUR Life? Or are you just a passenger going along for the ride?

Living can be an ACTIVE not PASSIVE activity. Yet, how often do we let ourselves go with the flow and let others set our own direction without even realizing it? How often do YOU end up giving in against your own best wishes and let others drive your next move? How often do you regret this decision but don’t feel comfortable speaking up and expressing your own feelings?

This is something that can happen in both our work lives and personal lives and often does.

Just being AWARE of your decisions is a big first step. It was for me. It took me a long while to realize it was up to me to become the captain of my own life. Once your mind is off cruise control and you take an active interest in your direction, it is up to you to decide whether to be active or passive in your daily activities. Some days you may just want to be a passenger.

It is up to YOU to take responsibility for your direction and for you to chart your own course.

Take an active role in your future. Take a moment, make it your own and
plan YOUR next move. Put yourself in the direction YOU want to be.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 05:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (81)

August 04, 2008

Focus on the things YOU can control

There comes a time during our lives where we will learn two simple facts:

“There are things that will happen which I have no control over.
There are things that happen which are totally under my control.”

This isn’t meant to be a philosophical discussion about making our own realities or a discussion about our destiny. Just a statement there are some things in our lives we really have no control over and if we were to spend our time focusing on the things under our control and stop complaining about the things not under control, we may end up being more productive, more successful and happier people. Well, Maybe.

When I fall into a hole, chances are I got there because I didn’t apply myself to the things which were under my sphere of influence and control and I tried to change the things which were not.

There are times we can lose our perspective about this. And sometimes these lines are drawn so close no one can tell them apart. Your own personal situations will vary.

At different points of my life I know there were times where I didn’t want to accept these statements.

When I spend too much time, effort and energy trying to control things I have no control over, I lose my focus and the opportunity to focus on the things which are totally under my control.

When we spend our time focusing your energy on things which are under our control we may end up somehow affecting the things which we otherwise have no control over.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 07:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (172)

August 03, 2008

Challenge the Status Quo. Innovate!

Just because everybody always did things one way doesn't mean it was ever the best way of doing something or even the right way. There are times when YOU need to challenge YOUR ways and do things the way YOU feel they should be done.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 01:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (69)

July 31, 2008

Who do YOU want to be today?

A friend of mine starts his days by asking the question: “Who do I want to be today?”

And by doing so, he is able to reset his perspective on life on a regular basis.

When you can empower yourself with the ability to see the world through the eyes of whomever you want to be, you can gain some pretty amazing insights and perspectives.

And with such insights, you can also get a sense of enlightenment.

So I ask, who do YOU want to be today?

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (49)

July 30, 2008

Are you where YOU want to be?

There are times when you need to stop what it is you are doing and ask yourself the question “Are you where YOU want to be?”

Depending upon your answer, you owe it to yourself to make the first move and get yourself to the place where you really want to be. Sometimes we just don’t know where we are going or how to get there. And sometimes we know where we want to be but don’t make the effort to guide ourselves there.

When you realize you have gone off course, make the effort and get yourself to where you want to be. Get there under your own power and under your own control. Don’t wait for the moment for the wind to find your sail and take you there.

And if you are where you want to be, well, just enjoy the moment. :)

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 05:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (70)

July 27, 2008

What do YOU want to do TODAY?

Before you start your day, ask yourself the following questions:

-What is it you want to do?
-What is on YOUR Mind?
-Where are YOUR priorities?
-And What Will you end up doing today?

Only when the answer to the first three questions is the same do you have any chance of making this happen.

We often feel we have many things we need to get done at the same time.

If you ever have trouble getting things done, you might want to consider the fact that you can only have ONE number one priority. This is something which took me a long time to understand despite the fact this now seems like an obvious fact.

Sometimes when you have too many things to get done, nothing actually gets done. Depending upon the circumstances you can end up feeling so overwhelmed that you would rather crawl into a hole and hide than stand up and deal with what it takes to get something done.

To get myself out of this hole, there comes a time when I will stop whatever it is I am doing, sit down and
create a “to do list.” I then ask myself “What is the most important ONE thing I can get done NOW?” Once I know the answer to the question, I do whatever I can to make that ONE thing happen. When I complete the task I cross it off my list and I go back and determine my next number one priority. This gets repeated until all of the things I have to get done, ARE done.

Sometimes the hardest part of managing a “to do list” is recognizing the things which you want to get done but have no means of accomplishing despite a strong desire to get it done. Yes they may be your priority, but they don’t deserve to be on your list of things to do TODAY.

The sooner you understand you can only do ONE thing at a time, the sooner you will find yourself in a much more productive state of mind.

- - -

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 02:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (79)

July 25, 2008

A Time to Make Your MOVE

Thinking about doing something is not the same thing as actually doing it.

You will find there is never that "Perfect Time" to make a move that could change your life.

Sometimes you just have to "go for it" and see what happens next.

I've "been there" and done just that a number of times over the years. I've learned from my own experiences about what it feels like when I didn't go for it and regretted it afterwards. Not every move will be a success but sometimes success comes from within. Your own mileage will vary.

Standing idle is not the answer. Not for this.

Instead of living in a world of "would ofs" and "could ofs" there comes a time for all of us to take a deep breath, dig deep down inside and make that MOVE!

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is the future. Your time is NOW. Make today YOUR day. So make your MOVE now.

- - -

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Please consider leaving a comment about a time in your life when you made your move. And feel free to find me on twitter and continue this conversation.

Posted by jeff at 07:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (59)

July 23, 2008

So Who Are YOU?

There are times when you may look at yourself in the mirror and you may not recognize the stranger you have become.

This is a sign to sit down, take a deep breath and ask yourself "How did I get here?"

What scares me is that I'm not sure if the Jeff of 2008 would even be friends with the Jeff of 1995. But I hope we could find enough things in common to connect and maintain an active friendship.

As we get older our tastes change and we grow. Sometimes from the inside out and sometimes from the outside in. But we are always growing, learning and exploring.

Make the time to get to know the new you. And enjoy the explorations and the discoveries around the way.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (48)

July 22, 2008

A Time to EXTEND Yourself

There comes a time when you need to extend yourself outside of your comfort zone and push out beyond your personal boundaries.

This is something only YOU can do for YOU. You can not buy this and you can not outsource this. This is something only YOU can do.

Once you commit to yourself to extend yourself, pick your moment(s) and just do it.

How you start to extend yourself is up to you. Every situation is different.

Extending yourself comes in different forms. Sometimes you end up doing something you never did before. Other times you do something a different way. Sometimes you take that chance you never would have otherwise taken. You might start by starting a conversation with someone at a networking event you never otherwise would have said hello to. Maybe it just talking with someone you always see but never speak to. You will know the opportunity when you experience it.

We need to push ourselves to try new things. As long as what you do does not put you or anyone in harms way, go for it.

People who extend themselves take a fundamentally different approach to work and life than others. They understand a concept of personal liberation which comes with the freedom to choose what they want to do, when they want to do it. And in many ways, they are free.

Become Free. Extend yourself. And when you can, take the time to inspire someone else to learn from your own discoveries and empower them to extend themselves too.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)

July 21, 2008

Do you know where you’re going to?

“Do you know where you're going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know...?” - M. Masser/G. Goffin (“Theme from Mahogony” )

---

At least once a year, you might want to make the time to take inventory in where you are, what you are doing and where you think your are going. If your life had a built-in GPS, you might want to turn it on and see where on your life map you are.

While sometimes it may feel like we are on the road to nowhere, the truth is we are always on the road to somewhere. The sooner you know where you are and what you want to be doing as compared to what you ARE doing, the quicker you can correct your course and reroute your personal guidance system.

Enjoy your journey, don’t rush it and don’t worry about changing destinations from time to time.

It’s your life. Now make the time to go out and LIVE it!

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

July 20, 2008

Billy Joel / Don Henley: “Boys of Summer” @ Shea Stadium

Don Henley joins Billy Joel for "Boys of Summer" during Billy's "Last Stand" @ Shea Stadium on July 16, 2008. A great night for music at Shea Stadium.

Tags: Billy Joel, Boys of Summer, Don Henley, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)

July 19, 2008

Billy Joel / Tony Bennett: “New York State of Mind” @ Shea Stadium

Tony Bennett joins Billy Joel for "New York State of Mind" during Billy's "Last Stand" @ Shea Stadium on July 16, 2008. A magical night for music at Shea Stadium.

Tags: Billy Joel, New York State of Mind, Tony Bennett, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)

From New London to Orient Point

Yesterday I took a ferry from New London, CT to Orient Point, NY on what was a hazy, hot and humid summer afternoon. These days there is cell phone coverage across the Long Island Sound so I spent the trip talking on my cell phone and taking memories.

Posted by jeff at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)

July 18, 2008

Discover Your Personal Blindspots

Everyone has blindspots.

How often have YOU been Blindsighted?

It is often the people who are the closest to us who can see things that we can’t see.

You owe it to yourself to listen to what they have to say. With their help you will be better prepared for whatever it is that is waiting for you around the corner.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)

July 16, 2008

Know when to Talk Straight

One of the hardest things to do is to know when to “talk straight” and deal directly with things as they confront you.

There are times when you owe it to yourself to be as up front about things as possible.

Taking straight up will help everyone involved feel comfortable, especially in uncomfortable times.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (54)

July 15, 2008

A Life in Transition: Don’t Rush Your Destination

There will be times in our lives when we will find ourselves in between the things we used to do and the things we will be doing. Sometimes this happens because we have a need for a change and we force the change onto ourselves. And sometimes this happens because of circumstances outside of our own control.

These are the moments in our lives where we are given another chance to look back at the person we have become, the paths that we have traveled, take inventory of who we are and who we may want to be next.

While the temptation will exist to quickly figure out what the next BIG thing for us will be, I have discovered there is something to be said about enjoying our new found freedom and not rush into our next destination.

One of the harder things I find when dealing with this situation is giving myself enough time for the next BIG ideas to brew. Spending time on the sidelines watching life go by sometimes is something that we must experience in order to better appreciate and understand the work we will be doing next. For some of us, this is what gives us the perspective we need to better understand what our next destination will be.

And while these are just words, they do influence our everyday lives. Living day by day without a known destination is both a humbling and an empowering opportunity. We have a chance to better appreciate the things we did but with the added depth of focus which over time gives us perspective.

Yes, we do need to make short term tactical decisions, as things will always need to be done. But rather than get consumed by this, I have discovered it is sometimes better to focus on the ideas you have in mind for yourself than just settle on doing something just because it is the easy thing to be doing. “Lazy” is not something you want to find yourself being called when you are in this state of transition.

And while you will also find others who have experienced something similar to what you are going through, meeting other people who are also going through similar life transitions at same time as you are, can give you the feelings of encouragement of not to rush into anything that fast and to once again enjoy the moments and enjoy watching life happen around you.

Enjoy the journey and as your perspective grows, you will see what the best options for you that there are. Friends may offer you advice and loved ones may offer your support but it is up to you to figure this all out.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 06:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)

July 13, 2008

Sometimes we need to S.L.T.

“Stop.
Listen.
Think.

before you speak” are words from my father. Growing up there were a number of times my dad would tell me to “S.L.T.” before I spoke or did something. And for years I carried a piece of paper with the letters SLT in my wallet.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you are a little nervous before attending a meeting or making a presentation or talking to someone, the one thing which has worked for me over the years are the letters: S. L. T.

Taking a moment to collect your thoughts may feel like forever when you are taking to someone in a meeting, but I have never regretted taking the time to process what was just said before speaking or taking action.

If you find yourself in a stressful situation, being aware of the letters S.L.T. may be just what you need to get yourself out of the situation.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 08:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (39)

Another Afternoon in Jackson Hole, WY:

Tags: Jackson Hole, ICUC, ICUC08, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

July 11, 2008

Remember today...and make it special!

No matter how busy you are, no matter how much work there is to get done, take out a few moments/minutes and make today special. Do what you can to appreciate today, because tomorrow it will be gone.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (96)

July 09, 2008

Do it TODAY!

No matter who you are, time waits for no one. Not even You.

Time is one of our most sacred resources and something that doesn’t get replaced or replenished when it gets wasted.

Whatever it is that is on your mind you are thinking of doing, unless you make a forward effort to actually do it, it may NEVER get done.
`
You can be thinking about doing this for a day, week, month or your entire lifetime. Just thinking about it and not taking action does not always get you there.

And life can be funny at times. Something else may happen which then forces you to make your move. This has happened to me more than once or twice. And I know how paralyzing it can be to recognize the need to do something but yet you still find yourself standing by the sidelines.

The hardest part is recognizing a need and then taking the appropriate action.

If you know there is something that you need to just get done, don’t wait to be jolted by something else in your life to make this happen.

Take a deep breath, stop whatever it is you are doing and make the make the time TODAY to Just Do It!

Do it TODAY and never look back.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)

July 07, 2008

Time for a Personal ReBOOT?

One of the things I have learned is that you can always “reboot yourself” and set yourself on a course for a new beginning. This isn’t something you have to tell anyone about, it is just something you just DO. Yes, depending upon where you find yourself in your life it can take a lot of effort to overcome your own internal inertia, but I have found this to be well worth the effort.

As we grow up, there comes a point in our life where we become the one responsible for setting our own direction. And when we get older, sometimes we get set in our ways and become passive about our future. We forget what we did to get to where we are and we forget about what it takes to stay there. While living in the status quo may be great for a number of people, challenging the status quo is something which drives my own passions and sometimes I need to be reminded about this.

As the leader of YOUR life, it is up to you to take charge and the responsibility for setting (and keeping) your own direction. And when you see things are not working out, take a deep breath and be prepared to take another approach to get you to where you need to be.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

July 06, 2008

Never Give Up!

There will be days when it may feel the only sure things are you can count on is that the sun will rise up in the morning and will set in the evening. And you might even have doubts about this. I know. I’ve been there myself.

Sometimes it is the attitude that you bring with you into a situation that makes the biggest difference.

When it is raining outside it is sometimes hard to remember that there is sunshine above the clouds.

Things will get better.

That glass really is half full.

Tomorrow is another day.

Make tomorrow YOUR day!

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 03:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (59)

July 04, 2008

Cleaning and Memories

Ever notice that when you try to clean up a room in your home, you sometimes stumble upon memories of the past? Depending upon the memory represented, the cleaning stops and you can be brought back into the past.

While there are usually things which eventually do get thrown out, the rooms I try to clean almost always end up being left as a job for yet another day. :)

Posted by jeff at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Happy 4th of July!

Happy and Safe 4th of July to all those who are celebrating today. :)

Tags: July 4th, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 01, 2008

Second Chances from First Impressions

While first impressions might be the only impression most people leave on you, you owe it to yourself to give somebody a second chance to make their first impression with you.

Believe it or not, there are others who have given you a second chance and you don't even know it. You owe it to them, yourself and the people you haven't met yet to extend the same courtesy.

Second chances may not exist for many things, but before you give up on somebody for whatever reason, don't always do it based on your first impression of them.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 08:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (86)

June 30, 2008

Discover Yourself!

There are many people who go through life trying to be like somebody else only realizing years later they were never true to themselves. It took me a number of years to discover “me.”

While it is great to have influences, you owe it to yourself to just be yourself. Discover who you are and let it show. Allow yourself to discover your independent own style and tastes.

Be the person you see when you wake up and look in the mirror in the morning. Do whatever it takes to let the real you come out.

Stop living in the shadows of a life. Walk into the sun and just be yourself. Discover your own unique style. Be Yourself. And be proud to be You.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (87)

June 29, 2008

Remember Your friends

There are times when it is YOUR duty to take care of YOUR friends...no matter what.

Friends are just that...friends. They are there for you. No questions asked.

Friends are part of your support system. They listen. They care. They offer advice. They love you. They can help you out of a jam and sometimes even put you in one their own. :-)

Remember their Birthday. Surprise a friend and send a video message. Send a text message. Just remember to reach out every once in a while and let your friends know you are thinking about them.

Remember to take care of your friends...so they can take care of YOU when you need it the most.

Tags: friends, leadership, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (28)

June 27, 2008

Sometimes you just gotta say: "What the f**k, make your move."

Ever since I first heard the line, “Sometimes you just gotta say, ‘What the f**k, make your move’” in the movie “Risky Business”, I have used it to justify taking a chance and/or doing something outside my comfort zone.

During our lifetime, we owe it to ourselves to try out new things, to challenge ourselves and to dare to be different.

As a wise friend told me last summer: “You should always do what you least want to do as long as it's safe. (It’s) How you learn."

And yes, sometimes you really do need say “What the f**k, make your move’” and give that something a try.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (64)

June 26, 2008

Live to Live

There are times when you need to just do it!, whatever the "it" really is.

Don't hold back.

Just go for it and see what happens next.

Life is full of surprises and you need to take full advantage of what's there when you can. Live for today and tomorrow too...and along the way help those people who need help learning how to live to live.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 06:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (119)

June 24, 2008

Getting to know YOU

One person who you owe it to yourself to get to know better is...You. Understand your personal boundaries, know your likes and dislikes and know what it takes to make you happy and bring yourself to both a point of decision and a point of relaxation.

There are times in our lives when we are pushed to our personal limits. Understanding your own boundaries when things are calm can better prepare you to deal with things when you are under extreme pressure.

As we move forward in life, our tastes and personal boundaries change. Whenever you can, try to know where your current 'edges' are and explore yourself from the inside out so that the person you have grown up with and the person you are today have a chance to get together and know each other.

You may be amazed what happens when you get to know the person you have become.

Some of of us may be strangers with ourselves and others might be friends. There is no time better than the present for you to take some time and understand the person you have become.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 06:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (77)

June 19, 2008

Remember to make time for YOU

There are times and places for just about anything, but it seems the one thing some of us forget to do is take time out just for ourselves.

This is not about being selfish. This is just about being smart.

Take a minute, take an hour, take a day. Do something for just yourself. Take the time out from your busy life and treat yourself to something special. No reason to feel guilty or apologize. Do something special for yourself that nobody else can do for you. After all, who knows you better than you? Get yourself that present that no one else knows you want.

You owe it to yourself to take care of YOU.

(and when you do remember to take care of you, the others around you will appreciate it too.)

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (72)

June 18, 2008

Sometimes the Answer Lies Within

There have been times in my life where I found myself lost in the transition between something I used to do and something I would end up doing. And while in the back of my mind I had some ideas for what I thought I would do next, I lacked the confidence to "Just Do It!", so I reached out to people (friends and relatives) and asked them for their advice.

Turns out I could have saved a lot of time, effort, energy and aggravation if I just had the courage to listen to myself.

One thing I didn’t realize or appreciate at that time was the freedom I was actually experiencing while in this state of transition. The freedom to choose to do whatever it was that I wanted to. The freedom to explore new ideas and opportunities. The freedom of being about to reboot myself and my mind and a part of my life. A rare opportunity to redefine where I wanted to be and what I really wanted to be doing. A freedom that doesn’t happen very often. And a freedom that is mostly only appreciated when it is gone.

The only gatekeeper in this situation was me. I was the one who had to open my mind to let myself explore the possibilities. This is never the time to be conservative. This is a time to look up at the bright blue sky above us and explore the possibilities.

From my own experience I have found in many cases, the questions I ask others for advice about, I already know the answer to. It might be that I do not like hearing the answers since it only re-affirms something I already know. Sometimes it might be something I just don’t want to address. The challenge is to know when to listen to yourself and have the confidence to take action and make it so. There are times where we need to learn to better trust our intuition. Intuition is your real self talking to YOU.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

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Posted by jeff at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (138)

June 17, 2008

These are the Good Old Days

These are the Good Old Days. Enjoy them for what they are worth. Yesterday is history and tomorrow is the future. Enjoy today for today and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, leadership, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

June 15, 2008

Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Father’s Day to all of the Dads who may be reading this.

And to my Dad, I’m missing you.

Tags: Father’s Day, Howard Pulver, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

June 11, 2008

Take a Chance Today...

Seems that once somebody is set into their routine, most people enjoy that comfortable feeling and repeat the experience rather than try to explore something new.

When you were in High School how often was it that you sat in the same seat everyday? Once assimilated into a group, many people start to go back to the same comfortable seat whether it was in the back or front of the room. Take the same class and place them in a new room and most people still place themselves in their most comfortable positions.

You owe it to yourself to take a chance on yourself today and a bigger chance tomorrow.

To feel more comfortable with change, try it gradually.

Take 5 minutes today for yourself, tomorrow extend it to 10 and in a few days give yourself 15 minutes for yourself. You are the one in charge of your time and what you do with it. Give it a try and capture the feeling of personal liberation. If it worked for you, please encourage a friend to do the same. Do the things for yourself that nobody can do for you and watch to see what happens next.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (73)

June 09, 2008

Catch up days...

Every once in a while remember to take some time and catch up with yourself. While this is hard to do, it is also very important. Take time for yourself and give yourself a chance to breathe and relax.

Tags: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneur, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

May 30, 2008

Just Do It!

Sometimes the hardest part in doing something new is overcoming your own internal resistance to make it happen.

And this isn’t something you can outsource...this is something for you to just do. No one said it would be easy.

Now is the time to just get over it and make it so!

So Just Do It!

Posted by jeff at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)

May 24, 2008

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Israel:

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper shares remarks at a celebration marking the 60th Anniversary of Israel.

Please watch this video and share this with your friends. Stephen Harper delivers a message that should be heard.

Tags: Israel, Israel@60, Stephen Harper , Canada, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

May 20, 2008

Tel Aviv Sunset

(taken May 20, 2008 in the Port of Tel Aviv)

Tags: Tel Aviv, sunset, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

April 29, 2008

Travel Times Across America vs. Europe

Last night I took an evening flight from Miami to Los Angeles. While flying to LA I was thinking about the amount of time it takes for someone in the States to travel across the country vs. the amount of time it takes my friends in Europe to travel across Europe.

Friends in Europe who travel by plane within Europe can get to just about any major European city in about 3 hours or less. In fact it takes only a little more than 5 hours to fly from London to Tel Aviv. In the US it takes 3 hours to just get from NY to Miami and 6 hours to go from NY to LA.

I am looking forward for the day when US Airlines will be offering unrestricted Internet Access on airplanes. At least this way there is a chance some of us can be more productive while traveling cross-country.

Posted by jeff at 09:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (235)

April 20, 2008

30 Seconds of Sunrise

(filmed April 20, 2008)

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(The title of this blog post could be the name of a new band..)

Tags: sunrise, Miami Beach, Social Media, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)

Moon over Miami Beach

(taken April 19, 2008)

Tags: moon, Miami Beach, Social Media, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

Sunrise over Miami Beach

(taken April 20, 2008)

Tags: sunrise, Miami Beach, Social Media, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)

April 15, 2008

Missing Howard Pulver...

It was ten years ago yesterday that my father Howard Pulver passed away after a year long struggle with both Brain and Lung Cancer.

It was my father who first taught me to enjoy life, to live for today, to take having fun seriously and whenever possible to share the fun. He was the one who taught me to experience life and that while school was important, "what you learned is what you know 20 years after school and everything you forgot is what you just studied." He was the one who first told me: “If you don’t ask the answer is no” and the person who continues to have the greatest influence on my life.

The following are the words I read at his funeral service in April 1998:

Reflections from Jeff

“Growing up - my father made it a point to instill in all of his children information and experiences he felt we needed to have in the "real world". He also taught us how important being part of a family is. He instilled values in us which I'm only starting to appreciate now - since I've had the time to reflect back and think about my dad. My dad lead by example and showed us all how to survive.

My dad was a very private person, and he rarely mixed his work activities with his family life. He believed in the separation between work and family.

Those of you who knew my dad will remember him for his generosity, hospitality and his tenderness. He always made himself available to help others. As a child growing up my dad's traits become woven into the fabric which became part of our lives. Reflecting back, I'm only now starting to realize all of the things we really do take for granted. My dad was truly one of the people others went to help solve their problems and seek advise.

Lessons learned from my father:

Family Vacations - My dad felt strongly about family vacations. Each year the entire family went away to spend time together. We had a chance to explored parts of the world together. Even as we all got older my dad tried his best to help teach us about the importance of being part of the family and being there for each other.

It is O.K. to have a strong will - One could say that Howard Pulver was a strong willed and Determined man. The point is that he taught us to stand firm in what we believe in.

S.L.T. - My dad taught us to Stop, Listen and Think before we spoke

Talk Straight. Say what you mean. Be direct and don't beat around the bush

Encouraged Our Creativity - Both my sisters and myself were strongly encouraged to pursue our own interests - whether they were photography, art, computers or ham radio. Most of our family vacations were a haven for our hobbies. Be Adventurous - Go out into the world, explore new places and never be afraid. I still remember a family vacation to Japan when the five of us who were jet lagged took our ten pieces of luggage and took the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Think about a family of five taking 10 pieces of luggage on the NY City Subway during rush hour. When we got to the destination, we had less than 90 seconds to get ourselves and all our luggage off the train. This was one of our many family adventures.

Be smart about the life situations you get yourself into. One of my dad's favorite stories is the story he told about two brothers who rented a truck in South Carolina and bought a truckload of watermelons for $2 each. These brothers drove all the way to New York City and setup their truck right by the NY Midtown tunnel. They put up a sign - fresh farm Watermelons - only $2 each. After a hard day of selling these brothers sold out their truck full of watermelons. While counting the money they earned - one brother went to the other and said - Bobby - I told you we should have rented a bigger truck! Moral of the story: Don't knowingly enter into a break-even business.

Give all of yourself to your kids - I have lost track counting the sleepless nights my father spent trying to help us with our school projects and with our business plans. He set an example which I think many people would have a hard time following and I only hope to have the same ability to give of myself to my kids with so much energy and devotion.

Dad I know we are all going to miss you. You will always be a part of our hearts and soul and you have helped mold us into the people that we have become."

Dad, I'm missing you.

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The speeches from my sisters Lauren and Michele are also available online.

Tags: Howard Pulver, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (33)

April 07, 2008

Tel Aviv Sunset

Tags: Tel Aviv, sunset, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)

April 06, 2008

Jeff Pulver on the Art of Packing for Travel

These days whenever I travel, I look to travel with only carry-on luggage whenever possible. By taking only carry-ons, I avoid empowering airlines with the ability to lose my luggage. I also end up packing lighter and end up only taking with me the things I really need.

One mental exercise I have started doing on the day that I am traveling is to allocate time a few hours before I am supposed to leave, close my eyes and imagine myself at my destination and think about the things I brought with me and the things I wish I did. I then open my eyes and make sure that I pack the things that I realized I should had taken with me. I have lost track how many times this simple technique has helped me...This is something that just works.

Tags: Travel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)

March 28, 2008

Quote of the Day: "The Committed Person..."

"The committed person brings an energy, passion, an excitement that cannot be generated if you are only compliant, even genuinely compliant. The committed person doesn't play by the "rules of the game." He is responsible for the game. If the rules of the game stand in the way of achieving the vision, he will find ways to change the rules. A group of people truly committed to a common vision is an awesome force. They can accomplish the seemingly impossible." - Peter M. Senge

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Special thanks to Geo Geller for sharing this quote.

Tags: Peter M. Senge, Geo Geller, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (75)

March 13, 2008

For Jeff Pulver, Today is “Catch Up Thursday”

Today is a day that I have dedicated to catching up with the things around me that I have fallen a little bit behind in. Every once in awhile everyone needs a day where they can catch up on the work and/or other things that matter to them. Today is that day for me.

With my current travel schedule and with Spring 2008 VON.x happening next week, I realized that if I didn’t make an effort and dedicate a day to catching up, I would be living the words of Paul Simon in his song “Slip Sliding Away.”

I highly recommend “Catch Up” days. They are great days to do the things you NEED to get done. They are great days to do things for yourself. And there are times when I use a “Catch Up Day” to do as the great poet Billy Joel once said: “Forget about life for awhile.” This all comes down to your perspective on life, and how you approach things.(If you find yourself so busy that you don’t have the time to make time for yourself, it might be time to reboot yourself.)

The rules that you follow for your Catch Up Day is up to YOU. And you can change these rules at any time. But the point of this exercise is to make an effort to put some time aside just for yourself and for you to use that time to do the things you want to do, without letting the daily distractions of your own life get in the way.

Time is precious. Time waits for no one. This is something it seems we know but sometimes ignore until it is too late. Carve out the time for yourself and just “do life.”

So whenever YOU recognize that you are falling behind in getting the things done that matter to YOU, make an effort to correct that. Stop. Think. Listen to yourself. Pick a day. Any day. And make that day your “Catch up day.”

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Readers of my blog are invited to join me on both twitter and Facebook.

Tags: Catch Up Day, VON, Social Media, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

March 02, 2008

Being 11 Years Old Again...

Last night I had the unique opportunity to travel back in time, at least in my mind. The school I went to until I was 11 had a fund raiser and decided to "honor" the class I was a part of and host a “reunion.”

For more than a moment in time I felt like I was 11 years old again, hanging out in a sea of strangers.

I left the reunion with mixed feelings. I realized that seeing people after all this time who were not really my friends back when I was 11, didn't mean much. I also learned not to expect much from past memories. Seems I confused past memories with past realities. Somewhere in between are song lyrics waiting to be written.

The reunion would have been more exciting for me if more of the people who were my friends from school were also there. But that wasn't the case. So just like that, I was transported back to an awkward time of my life and remembered what it was like to me back then.

I tried talking to people but I quickly realized I had just about nothing in common with them and while it wasn't the same thing as spending time in a place with all strangers, in this case the names of the people were not strangers but only the people who grew up inside of them… and this is coming from someone who had a lot of practice from growing up talking to strangers on his ham radio.

One highlight for me was broadcasting a portion of the reunion live on BlogTV to help a few people, including the person who helped track everyone down, who couldn't join us, have a chance to see some of their friends and chat directly with them.

Once I left the reunion I realized that I enjoyed being the person who I became and I had a greater appreciation for everyone who is a part of my life today.

One of my friends who joined the reunion on BlogTV wrote the following words earlier today that resonated with me: “We are the same people we were as kids. Probably the same intrinsic qualities that made us friends as kids, lets us still want to reach out to each other.” Glenn, I agree. I am looking forward to getting together with you when I’m in Atlanta in early April.

I’m Jeff Pulver and I am just glad I am no longer 11 years old. :)

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Tags: school, reunion, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)

February 21, 2008

Reading the writing on the wall (of a restaurant)

"Work like you don’t need the money, Love like you've never been hurt, Dance like Nobody's Watching" - on the wall at Stir Crazy in Boca Raton, Florida

Tags: Stir Crazy, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

February 03, 2008

Discovered On the Juno Soundtrack: Mott the Hopple / All the Young Dudes

Every once in a while I discover "old new music" - (old music, new music to me) on the soundtracks of movies. I only started listening to Nick Drake after hearing his music on the soundtrack of Garden State.

After seeing JUNO, I went out and purchased the soundtrack and discovered a bunch of new Indie Folk Rock artists as well as the Beatles influenced song: "All the Young Dudes" by Mott the Hopple.

Tags: JUNO, Nick Drake, Mott the Hopple, All the Young Dudes,Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (41)

January 05, 2008

I’m missing CES.

Seems quite a number of my friends are on their way to Las Vegas to attend and be a part of CES 2008.

While I had a great experience attending CES for the past three years, I will not be at CES this year.

I look forward to returning to CES in 2009.

Tags: CES,Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

December 27, 2007

One Foggy Morning in Miami

(Taken the morning of December 26, 2007)

Yesterday morning I woke up, looked outside, and the words from the Counting Crows song Round Here came alive. "Step out the front door like a ghost into the fog, where no one notices the contrast of white on white..."

Tags: Miami, Fog, Round Here, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

December 25, 2007

Happy Holidays 2007!

"A Day at the Beach"

Best Wishes for the 2007 Holiday Season!

Posted by jeff at 09:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

December 13, 2007

Next Stop: New York

After spending time during the past 10 days in: Tel Aviv, London and Paris, I am looking forward to returning to the States later today. And along the way I do hope to catch up with both my email and the blog posts I would have liked to have written while I was away.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Paris, London, LeWeb3, Led Zeppelin, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

December 08, 2007

Tel Aviv Sunset

Tags: Tel Aviv, sunset, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

December 05, 2007

Tel Aviv / Social Media Blur:

I arrived in Tel Aviv late Monday afternoon and I have enjoyed the time I have spent with both Tom Evslin and Daniel Berninger as we are looking to hire for a few great developers to add to the FWD International team.

Since I’ve been here, while I have tried my best to avoid feeling jetlagged, I have managed to fall back into the blur that I usually experience only during my VON Conferences. The price I end up paying for spending a majority of my time in a series of back-to-back meetings from the early morning into the evening is that I have once again fallen behind in both my traditional email and in my daily communication on my preferred social media platforms: (twitter, Facebook and seesmic).

For those of you waiting to get a poke-back, a reply to your email and/or your twitter message, I am trying to catch up. At the moment if you need to reach me you can feel free to send SMS to +972 54 7 001 002 and/or send me a message in Facebook.

Tags: blur, social media, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

November 11, 2007

YOU: A Poem by Dylan Pulver

Last night in Chicago at a family gathering, my cousin Eric Pulver included the words of a poem during a speech he gave. After hearing the words, I had to ask Eric who wrote the poem because I wanted to share the words in my blog. Turns out the words were written by his son Dylan Pulver (yes there are two), when Dylan was 11 or 12.

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YOU

For what you do, is up to you
For what happens to you, is up to you
Not everything is under your control, but everything can be just like a bull
Fearless, and tearless
You must be
Like this bull in life
For you may find much strife
It is the extra thing that you do
That will make up most of you
That thing will seem unnecessary at the time
Undone the time will come where you will whine
Everything is possible though you may think that it is not
If you can picture it in your mind
Think about what you want carefully
Because that is who you’ll be
Don’t leave goals untouched
Because you will be such
Only you can save your date
I am just a dimwitted mate

By: Dylan Pulver

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Tags: Chicago, Dylan Pulver, Eric Pulver, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (53)

October 20, 2007

Tel Aviv: Where Everybody Knows Your Name

As my involvement with the Israeli Hi-Tech Industry has grown during the few years, I have been fortunate to end up with a large number of friends in Israel. In fact, I believe I have more friends in Tel Aviv than in any other city in the world. And for this, I am grateful.

When I visit Israel, I enjoy spending time meeting with friends who represent a combination of: visionaries, dreamers and innovators. I always return from Israel feeling more driven and inspired than before I left. During each visit it seems I meet yet another great startup on the cusp of making it big. While the entrepreneurial sprit is alive and well in a number of cities around the world, as far as I can tell, it is the strongest in Tel Aviv.

On Thursday night I had a chance to catch up with a bunch of friends in Tel Aviv at the Brasserie. The Brasserie is my favorite café in Tel Aviv and offers the best sound track of any café I have visited in Israel.

If I could have chosen a sound track to be played during my recent visit to Israel, it would have been the theme song from the TV Show "Cheers." (Words by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo)

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"Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn't you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,
and they're always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

You wanna go where people know,
people are all the same,
You wanna go where everybody knows
your name.

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got;
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot.
Wouldn't you like to get away?

--

Be glad there's one place in the world
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to go where people know,
People are all the same;
You want to go where everybody knows your name.

Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came..."

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Tel Aviv is in my heart and in my soul and is my second city.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 03:48 PM | Permalink

October 19, 2007

A Sunset in Tel Aviv:

I just returned back to New York after spending the past week in Tel Aviv. While I have some great memories from this trip, every time I visit Tel Aviv, I am always taken back by the beauty of the "everyday sunset" in Tel Aviv. Below is a sunset photo I took on October 15th:

Tags: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

September 27, 2007

Rain, a Rainbow and a Sunset:

After a day of rain in Miami Beach, the rain finally stopped a few minutes before Sunset. On the East side of the sky was this amazing rainbow and in the West was a spectacular Sunset.

Tags: Florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (33)

September 22, 2007

Jerusalem ROCKS! - In The News

Just saw this write up about our September 9th event in Jerusalem. Special thanks to everyone who came out for our event. I'm looking forward to seeing Jerusalem ROCKS 2008 happen.

Jewish Journal: Black Eyed Peas and the Commitments rock the walls of Jerusalem

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Arrested Development, Black Eyed Peas, Jacob Ner-David, Carmi Wurtman, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

September 09, 2007

Jerusalem ROCKS! Pre-Party @ The Ambassador Hotel

will.i.am, Speech, Jeff Pulver

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Arrested Development, Black Eyed Peas, Jacob Ner-David, Carmi Wurtman, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

September 07, 2007

Arrested Development: LIVE in Tel Aviv

Last night I had a chance to catch up with Arrested Development, one of the international artists playing at Jerusalem ROCKS! on Sunday. Arrested Development gave great a one hour live in-studio performance at a very popular Tel Aviv radio station.

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Arrested Development, Carmi Wurtman, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:03 AM | Permalink

September 04, 2007

Jerusalem ROCKS: Venue moved to Sultan’s Pool

Jerusalem ROCKS will now be taking place at Sultan’s Pool in Jerusalem on Sunday, September 9th.

Up-to-date concert information is available at the Jerusalem ROCKS! website.

I am looking forward to being there together with my event co-founders: Jacob Ner-David, Carmi Wurtman and Yehuda Katz. And we are running this as a not-for-profit with support from both the Jerusalem Foundation and Digital Jerusalem.

During the concert there will be a number of artists performing including: The Black Eyed Peas, (as well as individual performances by both: Fergie and will.i.am), Arrested Development, The Commitments, Hadag Nachash with special guests Muki and D.A.M, Reva L'Sheva with Shai Gabso and Geva Alon.

These tickets can be purchased by visiting: http://hadran.co.il/. If you are thinking of going to the show and have not yet purchased your tickets, please do so today as I expect the tickets will be sold out over the next 24-36 hours.

A limited number of VIP packages are still available and they include special seating and access to our special Jerusalem ROCKS! After-party.

I am looking forward to returning to Israel tomorrow and being at Sultan’s Pool on September 9th.

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Black Eyed Peas, Jacob Ner-David, Carmi Wurtman, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

September 02, 2007

Returning to Israel in a Few Days…

On Tuesday evening I’m traveling to Israel for: meetings with early-stage startups, Geekcon 2007 and Jerusalem ROCKS!.

In fact, a week from today I will be in Jerusalem for Jerusalem ROCKS! and I’m looking forward to a great event.

If you are aware of early-early-stage Israeli based hi-tech startups that I should be aware of, please contact me and I will try to setup a meeting during one of my future visits.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem ROCKS!, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:29 AM | Permalink

August 31, 2007

Do the Unexpected. Go outside and enjoy a Sunrise and a Sunset

Yesterday I had a meeting to go to outside of Boston. But instead of flying there from LaGuardia or JFK airports, I decided to drive there from the Hamptons once I realized if I took the Orient Point, NY ferry to New London, CT it was a pretty direct all-highway drive to where I had to get to.

With the meeting scheduled to be from 1-4pm, I took the liberty of booking myself on the 8am ferry from Orient Point so I would have to leave get my home early enough to catch the morning sunrise. And I booked myself to return on the 7pm ferry so that I could catch the sunset on the Long Island Sound on the way back from New London to Orient Point.

As an amateur photographer, my favorite time of day to take photos is during sunrise and sunset. When the weather cooperates, the natural sunlight just radiates on whatever it touches and this in turns offers for some magical photo moments.

While it is easy for all of us to take any sunrise and/or sunset for granted, it is the times we do enjoy the moments that sometimes stand out in our memories. And maybe that is why I enjoyed the moments yesterday and had just fun taking in the natural beauty and just taking photos. Oh, and that meeting I attended, it went pretty good too. :)

Something soon, get up early and go out and treat yourself to a morning sunrise. And when you see a great looking sunset, enjoy that too. In life it is the little things that sometimes can make the difference in many of the things we do.

Tags: Orient Point, Sunrise, Cross Sound Ferry, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (34)

August 26, 2007

Jerusalem ROCKS!: An Update from Jeff Pulver

Jerusalem ROCKS! will be taking place in two weeks, on Sunday September 9th 2007 at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. I would appreciate your help in telling others about the event.

Up-to-date concert information is available at the event website.

I am looking forward to being there together with my event co-founders: Jacob Ner-David, Carmi Wurtman and Yehuda Katz. And we are running this as a not-for-profit with support from both the Jerusalem Foundation and Digital Jerusalem. Our goal is to see this event happen, and not profit from it. In fact, all profits from this event will be put into a special endowment at the Jerusalem Foundation so we will have the seed capital needed to do this event again next year and in future years.

The event is scheduled to run for about SEVEN hours. During the concert there will be a number of artists performing including: The Black Eyed Peas, (as well as individual performances by both: Fergie and will.i.am), Arrested Development, The Commitments, Hadag Nachash with special guests Muki and D.A.M, Reva L'Sheva with Shai Gabso and Geva Alon.

Tickets for the event are now on sale. Ticket prices (in Shekels) are: 229 for bleacher; 249 grass and 199 for Soldiers. These tickets can be purchased by visiting: http://hadran.co.il/. Special VIP packages are available and include backstage access, and access to our special Jerusalem ROCKS! After-party.

We are looking for corporate sponsors for this event. If you or someone you know would like to be an event sponsor, please contact me.

The official Jersualem ROCKS! concert blogs have launched. Visit: Hebrew and/or English. Special thanks to Kfir Pravda for helping with this.

I am looking forward to returning to Israel next week and being at Teddy Stadium on September 9th.

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Black Eyed Peas, Jacob Ner-David, Kfir Pravda, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

August 23, 2007

Photos from the LA Benefit of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding

Last night I was one of the guests who attended the Los Angeles Benefit of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding which was hosted by Rabbi Marc Schneier and Russell Simmons where: Charles D. King (William Morris Agency), Steve Smooke (Creative Artists Agency) and Randy Spendlove (President of Motion Picture Music for Paramount) were honored at the Beverly Hills home of Brett Ratner. The following are photos from the event:

Amit Shafrir
Rabbi Marc Schneier and Jamie Foxx
Jeff and Jamie Foxx
Amit Shafrir and Jamie Foxx
Randy Spendlove and Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
Basya Laye
Charles D. King, Rabbi Marc Schneier, Randy Spendlove, Russell Simmons, Steve Smooke
Randy Spendlove
Russell Simmons

Jeff and Gilad Millo
Jeff and Russell Simmons

Danielle Berrin also attended the event and shares her account of the evening in her blog.

Tags: Marc Schneier, Russell Simmons, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

August 21, 2007

Next Stop: Palo Alto

This morning I am heading to Palo Alto for a couple of days. I am looking forward to having an opportunity to catch up with a number of friends involved in the world of social media and to update a few VCs on the progress of one of my startups.

Tags: Jeff Pulver, jetblue, Palo Alto

Posted by jeff at 05:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

August 20, 2007

Oh the People You Will Meet...At the Beach Bakery

Earlier today I had a chance to catch up with my friend Jacob Ner David who is visiting the Hamptons this week as part of his family's summer vacation. Jacob runs a "seed stage" Venture Fund called Jerusalem Capital. (I happen to be one of his investors.) Jacob is also both co-founder and co-producer of Jerusalem ROCKS!, and I am looking forward to being in Jerusalem with him on September 9th when Jerusalem ROCKS! takes place.

Jacob shared with me his recent Nightmare of the Keys story while we were catching up in the streets of Westhampton Beach. Hopefully he won't lose another set of keys before he has to return his rental car...

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Jeff Pulver, Jacob Ner David

Posted by jeff at 03:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (44)

August 18, 2007

Exercising Judgment:

There are times when I suggest to friends to “Do the Unexpected.”

I recently took my own advice.

As someone who never (ever) exercised much, I decided to “do the unexpected” and exercise some judgment and start walking.

So about a month ago I started to go out on the weekend for short one to two mile morning walks. I found walking to be relaxing and a chance to appreciate some of the small things I drive by all the time but otherwise never really notice. When I started out, I gave myself a goal of one day walking to town (about 4 miles away), visiting my favorite spot for a cup of coffee and then walking back home.

Last weekend I pushed my limits and I went out for a 3.5 mile and then a 5 mile walk the following day. And I followed that up with another 5 mile walk a couple of days later. Yesterday I realized my original goal when I went out for early morning walk which lasted 3 ½ hours and where I walked 8+ miles. In the process I made it to town, had a cup of coffee, relaxed for a few minutes and then walked back home. My goal is now to do try to do this again before the end of the summer and take shorter walks otherwise.

I made mention of this in my blog because I did not want to forget that moment. If you are also someone who never exercised anything but your judgment, please consider giving walking a try. Turns out you can take a walk at just about anytime to anyplace and get credit for exercising in the process. And when YOU go out for a walk, you might find yourself inspired and focusing on something which becomes YOUR next big idea. My goal with all of this is to try to take 30-60 minute walks when I’m on the road and to try to continue with my morning walks in the days and weeks ahead. The way I’m looking at this, I’m walking for life.

The pictures below were taken during my walk yesterday:

”Shadow Jeff”

Tags: walking, Hamptons, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (58)

August 16, 2007

A Tornado in Burlington, Vermont?!

Last month there was a Tornado that hit Islip, Long Island. And then there was a Tornado in Brooklyn. But when spending the day in Burlington, Vermont I had no expectation to see the following warning on Weather.com while waiting at the gate to board my flight:

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My friend said the Tornado passed north of the airport minutes after he dropped me off. I hope the damage, if any, was minimal.

…Just another effect of Global Warming.

Tags: tornado, Vermont, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (72)

Jerusalem ROCKS!: International Music Festival Lineup Announced

Jerusalem ROCKS! is a not-for-profit music festival I have been working on with my friends Jacob Ner-David and Carmi Wurtman which will be taking place on September 9th at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. Jerusalem ROCKS! is focused on bringing international musical events back to Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem have been waiting over twenty years for an event like this and we feel that it is important for Jerusalem to remind its citizens, neighbors and the world that it is a center of pluralism and cultural diversity.

Jerusalem ROCKS! International Music Festival will bring: The Black Eyed Peas, Arrested Development, The Commitments, Hadag Nachash with special guests Muki and D.A.M, Reva L'Sheva with Shai Gabso, Geva Alon to Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem on September 9, 2007.

Websites: http://www.jerusalemrocks.co.il (Hebrew) and http://www.jerusalemrocks.com (English).

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Black Eyed Peas, Jacob Ner-David, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (42)

August 14, 2007

In search of people from Best Buy who CARE about their customers.

Dear Best Buy,

If you care about the customers who support your store in Riverhead, New York please consider offering service to us “customers.”

2 weeks and 30 days ago I purchased a Samsung TV for a friend as a present. I only had the opportunity to deliver the present this past weekend. Turns out the new TV wasn’t working. So I drove over to Best Buy and wanted to get a replacement. I didn’t try to return it. But because I didn’t purchase an “extended warranty”, no one at your store was interested in replacing the TV and insisted on sending it to Samsung to be repaired. The thing is that when I purchased the TV it was “new” and I wanted to give my friend a “new”, not a recently refurbished TV.

Your manager, “John” (he wouldn’t share his last name) was less than helpful in resolving this issue. In fact, he didn’t care about anything related to issue I was having.

When I realized there wasn’t anyone in your store who cared about customers, I ended up leaving the TV on the counter and left the store in sheer disgust due to the lack customer care and/or understanding. So Best Buy, if there is someone in your corporation who cares about taking care of their customers, please look me up, check out my recent purchase, deal with the attitude of your store manager “John” and then have someone contact me and let me know when I can expect the replacement TV to arrive.

Thanks.

Jeff Pulver

Tags: Best Buy, Samsung, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (249)

August 11, 2007

A Photo Painting from a Watering Hole in North Sea Harbor, NY:

I took the following photo of the water in a local 'watering hole" in North Sea Harbor on my way to Sag Harbor, NY. The texture and the objects in the water gives the feeling of a painting.

Tags: Sag Harbor, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

August 04, 2007

Thanks to Everyone for sharing the news about Jerusalem ROCKS!

Jersualem ROCKS! will be taking place on September 9th at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. Tickets are now on sale. Special VIP tickets are also available for sale. Please contact me for more details.

I would like to thank the following people for spreading the news about Jerusalem ROCKS! during the past week:

- Roi Carthy
- Ofir Leitner
- Schuyler Deerman
- Lior Sion
- Sagi Rubin
- Ouriel Ohayon
- Sabra at Heart

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Black Eyed Peas, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

August 03, 2007

Sunrise Photos from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

While spending this week in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, I took some photos using a Casio Exilim EX-V7 during Sunrise.

I couldn't help but notice the very interesting cloud formations...from clouds that look like a UFOs to clouds that look like a city skyline, it was an interesting week to watch the sunrise. And then were a few shots which reminded me of some of the Impressionistic art that I once studied...all in a week's worth of photos.

Tags: Florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

August 02, 2007

CNN Heroes are Everyday Heroes

CNN: CNN Heroes - Nominate a Hero

Tags: Internet TV, EveryDayHeroes, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

July 31, 2007

Sunrise over Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Tags: Florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (58)

July 30, 2007

Jerusalem ROCKS! mentioned today in MTV News...

...now that's cool. :)

MTV News: Britney And Kevin Finalizing Divorce; Plus Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Jermaine Dupri, Paul Wall, Black Eyed Peas & More, In For The Record

For more information about Jerusalem ROCKS!, taking place September 9th in Jerusalem, visit www.jerusalemrocks.com.

To purchase tickets please visit: www.hadran.co.il

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Black Eyed Peas, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (61)

July 29, 2007

Ian Pulver on AM640 Toronto Radio this Week.

My cousin, Ian Pulver, formerly of the NHL Players Association, is hosting a radio show this week in Toronto on AM640. His show, "Leafs Lunch", can be heard this week from 12-2pm EDT. You can listen to his show by visiting the AM640 website.

Tags: Maple Leafs, NHL, Ian Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (21)

July 24, 2007

Tickets for Jerusalem ROCKS! Now on Sale

To purchase tickets please visit: www.hadran.co.il

For more information about Jerusalem ROCKS!, taking place September 9th in Jerusalem, please click here.

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Black Eyed Peas, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)

July 22, 2007

Fun Summertime Question: Can you tell the temperature by listening to the chirping of a cricket?

Answer: Yes!

"The frequency of chirping varies according to temperature. To get a rough estimate of the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and then add 37. The number you get will be an approximation of the outside temperature."

Today's Fact brought to you courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Tags: Cricket, Library of Congress, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)

July 19, 2007

Jerusalem ROCKS!: International Music Festival Update

Jerusalem ROCKS! is a not-for-profit music festival I have been working on with my friends Jacob Ner-David and Carmi Wurtman which will be taking place on September 9th at Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem. Jerusalem ROCKS! is focused on bringing international musical events back to Jerusalem. The people of Jerusalem have been waiting over twenty years for an event like this and we feel that it is important for Jerusalem to remind its citizens, neighbors and the world that it is a center of pluralism and cultural diversity.

At this time I am looking for bloggers from both Israel and from around the world who would like to cover the show and help us promote the event. If you are interested in joining the blogging team for Jerusalem ROCKS! please email: jeffp@pulver.com and introduce yourself.

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Jerusalem ROCKS! - Fact Sheet

Description: Jerusalem ROCKS! International Music Festival to bring The Black Eyed Peas, Arrested Development, The Commitments and more to Israel on September 9, 2007.

Mission

For the first time ever, an international lineup of artists is being brought together in Jerusalem to perform on one stage in support of peace and unity. This musical event will take place on September 9, 2007 at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem. Jerusalem Rocks will bring a line-up of artists from Israel and abroad, including The Commitments - with original members from the cast of the movie that won “The best Irish film of all time”(Jameson Awards, 2005) - and will be headlined by the Grammy Award winning band, The Black Eyed Peas - one of today’s most popular international acts.

Vision

Music is an excellent way to break down societal barriers. We hope that the international media attention focused on this positive, cultural event and the worldwide resonance of Israeli, Arab and international artists along with tens of thousands of fans celebrating unity will bring the world to explore their own connections and feelings toward the Middle East while reinforcing the image of Jerusalem as a city of peace.

Why the event?

While there have been festivals for peace and unity, there is yet to be an event that specifically brings artists of this caliber together in Jerusalem to support these ideals. We hope that this will be a step towards showing the world that we are dedicated to the ideas of peace and unity.

What does it solve?

As the producers of The One Shekel Festival, we see the importance of making culture available to all rungs of society. Creating an international festival of this size at affordable prices will enable families of all economic status to experience a performance of this magnitude while showing their support for peace. Further, production restraints and venue size have made Jerusalem a difficult place to produce such events in the past. It is important to reestablish Jerusalem as a cultural capital.

The Organizers

Carmi Wurtman: Co-Founder and Producer, Carmi has an extensive resume of productions, including The One Shekel Festival (which he also co-founded) which brings 20,000 people from poor communities every year to see lineups that include the most well known Israeli musicians for only one shekel, A Gift To Israel – a tenshow tour that brought 3 American musicians to Israel teamed with Israeli artists, Unwire Jerusalem – the event that kicked off wireless internet in downtown Jerusalem, WorldPride Jerusalem 2006 and the recently released Sony DVD, Matisyahu “Live In Israel”.

Jacob Ner-David: Co-Founder and Co-Producer, Jacob is Founder and Managing Partner of Jerusalem Capital, a venture fund focused on the Technology-Enabled Services (TES) sector in Israel. Jacob has been a successful serial entrepreneur for more than a decade, creating billions of dollars in shareholder value. He has built, managed, and successfully exited four companies, two of which were considered market leaders in the TES sector. Jacob has been named by Unstrung as one of the top 25 wireless executives in the world, and a "Voice on the Net Pioneer" by pulver.com. Jacob is a co-founder and Chairman of Digital Jerusalem, a non-profit focused on creating projects to advance the city of Jerusalem.

Bryan Steiner: Co-Producer, Bryan is president and partner of 2b Vibes. Besides work on the long list of productions (Matisyahu Live in Israel, The One Shekel Festival, etc.), Bryan has owned and operated a record label and worked extensively with artists in both the U.S. and Israel in areas as varied as personal management - including setting up and managing international tours - and musical production. Jonathan Schwartz: Co-Producer and Musical Director, Jonathan has been working in the music industry in New York City for over ten years. As a partner in the Zenbu Media Group, he manages the marketing department of four separate music magazines including Relix, the second longest running music publication in the U.S. Jonathan also runs the Relix record division, an internationally distributed label including several Grammy Award winners and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees. Jonathan is also a Producer of the “Jammy Awards,” the premier grassroots music award show in the U.S. held annually at Madison Square Garden’s Theater, and was a Co-Producer of the inaugural 2006 Green Apple Music & Arts Festival, the largest Earth Day event in the United States comprised of over 70 concerts in 30 venues around New York City.

Jeff Pulver: Co-Founder and Executive Producer, Jeff is the founder of pulver.com, an incubator for Internet based Innovations started in 1994. Jeff is one of the true pioneers of the VoIP industry, a leader in the emerging TV on the Net industry and a great friend of the Israeli Hi-Tech community. He is known globally as a renowned thought leader, blogger and entrepreneur. Additionally, Mr. Pulver is the founder of: Pulvermedia, Network2, FWD (Free World Dialup), the VON Coalition and Vivox and is the co-founder of Vonage.

Yehuda Katz: Co-Founder and Artistic Advisor, Yehuda has been on the local Israeli music scene for 13 years as the lead singer of Reva L'sheva. He is the founder and musical director of Israel's first traveling festival, Am Yisrael Chai, musical director 10 years running of the annual tribute concert to Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, director and founder of Artists And Musicians for Israel, a non-profit organization, and musical producer of more than 15 albums.

Institutional Partners

Jerusalem Foundation: The Jerusalem Foundation, founded by legendary Mayor Teddy Kollek in 1966, is an independent, non-profit, community foundation, which supports projects in the city in seven key areas: social services, youth and education, diversity and tolerance, arts and culture, parks and recreation, history and heritage and maintaining Jerusalem as a leading cosmopolitan city.

Digital Jerusalem: Digital Jerusalem is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing innovative projects to the people of Jerusalem. Because of their efforts, downtown Jerusalem today enjoys free wireless internet access and will soon enjoy perhaps the biggest musical event in the history of the city.

Contact Info:

Email: jeff@pulver.com

Website: http://www.jerusalemrocks.co.il (launching soon!)

Tags: Jerusalem ROCKS!, Black Eyed Peas, Jacob Ner-David, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 18, 2007

This week: On the Road (Again)

After returning from Tel Aviv over the weekend, this week I am once again “on the road.”

Monday I had a chance to spend a few hours in my office before leaving for the airport and heading up to Toronto. I spent Tuesday in Toronto and returned to New York last night. This afternoon I’m flying out to Los Angeles and then driving to Laguna Beach. (The last time I was in Laguna Beach was for a Min-X investor pitch back in 2000.)

Tomorrow morning I’m speaking at a Panasonic customer event and then spending the rest of my day flying back to New York. And on Friday I make a summertime cameo appearance in NYC where I am attending and speaking at IPTComm 2007.

Tags: jetblue, Toronto, NYC, Tel Aviv, Laguna Beach, Panasonic, IPTComm 2007, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)

July 14, 2007

An afternoon in Tel Aviv:

After a spending much of my time this week in Tel Aviv in meetings, I took some time yesterday to relax and ended up taking in the natural beauty available at the beaches of Tel Aviv. Afterwards I joined a friendly poker game prior to heading to the airport.

Below are some photos from yesterday in Tel Aviv:

Tags: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)

July 08, 2007

Next Stop: Tel Aviv

This evening I am taking a late night flight to Tel Aviv.

While in Israel I have a number of meetings planned (mostly with early-stage startups) and I will be speaking on Tuesday (July 10th) at Cinema-Tech: Brave New World where I will be sharing an updated version of my concept for "Digital Popcorn."

I'm looking forward to what should be a very productive few days in Israel.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Cinema-Tech, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

July 04, 2007

Happy 4th of July!

Happy and Safe 4th of July to all those who are celebrating today. :)

Tags: July 4th, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

July 03, 2007

More fun from Musenet:

Oded Sharon: Yoni Rechter and Oded Sharon Playing Creep with CDizz

Oded Sharon wrote in his blog: “I've had a pleasure testing out a new software called CDizz, it plays your music but also gives you lyrics and chords while it is playing. I learned to play Creep within about 10 seconds while it was running. While it was playing, Yoni Rechter (Famous Israeli musician) joined in with a guitar.”

Tags: Musenet, Oded Sharon, Israel, Yoni Rechter, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

July 01, 2007

Tel Aviv: Returning the Week of July 8th

A week from now I will be heading back to Tel Aviv.

While in Israel I will be speaking on July 10th at Cinema-Tech: Brave New World taking place during the Jerusalem Film Festival. I will also be attending a number of meetings with start-ups, some friends and a few Venture Capitalists.

If you are aware of an early-early-stage Israeli based hi-tech startup that I should be aware of, please contact me and I will try to setup a meeting during one of my future visits.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Cinema-Tech, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

June 23, 2007

Catching up from “June Blur” – Tel Aviv / Stockholm / Chicago over Three Weeks:

There is a time in the days leading up to and during my VON events that I can feel like I am living in a “blur.” For me, VON Blur is a time when I get so consumed in all the things going on around me that I’m not able to stay current on email and/or in any of the online communities I am active in. It is a moment when I get transported from living on the Net back to the days before I knew about the Internet .It is a time when my blogging slows down to almost a halt since I don’t have much time available to think clearly about anything. Yet it is a time that I have learned to cherish.

Now imagine this happening beyond a period of a few days and extending across a few connected weeks. This is what most of June, 2007 has been like for me. From the time I arrived in Tel Aviv on June 3rd to the time I left for New York from Chicago on June 20th it felt like one continuous blur. During this time I spent quality time in three cities, met with some pretty amazing people, spoke at and attended numerous events and I also somehow found the time to host social events in three cities.

The week that I spent in Israel was an amazing one for me on multiple levels. Challenging due to the blur that was happening around me but amazing based on the people and companies that I met with, including a few very exciting pre-seed companies. For me, every day was another adventure. I look forward to continuing the adventure when I return to Tel Aviv in July.

Now that I’m back in New York I am doing my best trying to relax a little and catch up with life for awhile…

Posted by jeff at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

June 20, 2007

Yesterday at NXTcomm 2007:

Yesterday I started my day at the Palace Grill (still a great spot for breakfast in Chicago) and from there headed over to NXTcomm. At NXTcomm I spent a number of hours both walking the show floor and broadcasting live on BlogTV. I found that broadcasting live from a trade show floor added a certain dimension to my overall tradeshow experience and I had fun walking around and catching ad-hoc interviews with friends as I explored the show floor.

Tags: NXTcomm, Palace Grill, House of Blues, Internet TV, BlogTV, Chicago, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

June 17, 2007

Update: Jeff’s Summer Party in Chicago on June 19th – RSVP List CLOSED

On Tuesday, June 19th at the House of Blues in Chicago I will be once again hosting my annual Summer Party in Chicago. I’m looking forward to having another “high energy” party. And for the first time in the history of hosting this event, I had to close down the RSVP list early since we are now “oversubscribed” for the party.

Friends of mine who neglected to RSVP in time should feel free to drop me a line to be put onto the waiting list. If space opens up, you will be notified.

Attending this event will include people in Chicago for NXTcomm, Members of the TECH Cocktail Community, friends and followers from twitter as well my own friends/family from Chicagoland.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday and to welcoming the Herding Cats back for their annual gig at the House of Blues in Chicago.

(photo taking by: skrivanet at Nalen in Stockholm on 12-Jun-07)

Tags: NXTcomm, TECH Cocktail, Herding Cats, Chicago, party, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads in the Blogosphere.

Posted by jeff at 08:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

June 16, 2007

Chris Brogan: Having Fun with a Guitar in Stockholm

Christopher Penn captured Chris Brogan playing a "real life" version of Guitar Hero that requires both the ability to actually play guitar and sing. Glad to see Chris sharing the fun at PodCamp Europe. :)

Tags: Internet TV, Chris Brogan, PodCamp Europe, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (47)

June 15, 2007

Video of Herding Cats from VON Europe Party:

From Patrik Fältström's video vault: watch it there.

Tags: VON Europe, Patrik Fältström, Herding Cats

Posted by jeff at 06:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

June 10, 2007

A Sunday Afternoon in Stockholm:

Over the years, on the Sunday before VON Europe I relax by taking the time to walk around the city of Stockholm and capture "slices of live" photos from in and around the city of Stockholm. Kfir Pravda also participated in today's photo shoot.

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Tags: Kfir Pravda, Stockholm, voip, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

June 09, 2007

A Great Week in Tel Aviv!

Since arriving in Tel Aviv last Sunday, this has been one of my more productive trips. I’ve had a chance to: meet with a number companies including a great group of early-stage hi-tech/media startups, meet an author, meet with a number of VCs in regard to Network2, spoke at: a conference, a meetup, a university and at Amdocs and also enjoyed an opportunity to help the welcome the Summer with people involved the Israeli Hi-Tech, Music and Entertainment industries.

All-in-all, it was a great trip. Next stop for me is Stockholm (via Frankfurt) for the commencement of VON Europe Spring 2007. and PodCamp Europe.

Tags: Yossi Vardi, Thomas Friedman, Amit Shafrir, Ber Sheva, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

June 08, 2007

Congratulations to the Ben Gurion University of the Negev Class of 2007:

On Wednesday I had an opportunity to visit and speak at Ben Gurion University of the Negev on the day that members of the graduating class presented their senior projects. Overall it was an amazing experience and I was totally blown away by the people I met and senior projects that were presented. It became clear to me that one of the reasons why innovation is alive and well in Israel has to do with the great work of Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

Congradulations to: Amir Kolaman, Asaf Sella, Dov Amir, Elhanan Loitner, Eyal Edri, Eyal Felstaine, Eyal Maaravi, Genadi Bruntvin, Ido Priel, Iris Elias, Meital Danziger, Michal Pereg, Niv Gilboa, Oren Braitstein, Radi Bekker, Rami Cohen, Ran Apel, Ron Miller, Sami Cohen, Shtub Guy...and the rest of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev Class of 2007!

Tags: Yossi Vardi, Thomas Friedman, Amit Shafrir, Ber Sheva, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:34 AM | Permalink

June 06, 2007

When Building a Startup…Remember that Chemistry Matters:

One of the things that sometimes gets overlooked when building a startup is the chemistry between the people who represent the “starting team” of a startup.

One of the things that I look for in early stage ventures beyond the vision of the company and the size of the marketplace which is about to become disrupted evolves around the person or people who are responsible for the vision and the way the proposed team appear to be in person rather than just on paper. And as much as the vision matters, so do the people who the investor then needs to make a decision about with regard to whether or not they believe that these are the right people to implement the vision and take advantage of the opportunity in front of them.

In many cases the people who are responsible for starting a company together will end up spending more time with each other in the early years of the company than with members of their own family. And unlike in life where you are not in control of the family you are born into, one of the characteristics of a successful startup is the bringing together of a group of people who get along and really like each other. People who will watch each other’s back and be there for each other. Many times when a serial entrepreneur is starting a new company, it can feel a lot like the “bringing the band back together”

Since 1995, I have watched a number of people “do their thing” and successfully work together time after time and change the world a little bit each time in the process. I have also seen some people try again and again to try to make something happen and just fail. While persistence is a great trait to have, there is something to be said about being able to find the right people to be with you and whose collective abilities as a team offer something much stronger than any of the individual abilities of any one of the people who are part of the starting team.

So yes, when building a startup, the chemistry of the team really does matter.

Tags: Startups, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

June 04, 2007

Innovation is Alive and Well in Tel Aviv…

Since my arrival in Tel Aviv late Sunday afternoon, I have spent the majority of my time in meetings with a number of people involved in various aspects of the Israeli Hi-Tech community.

There are very few places in the hi-tech world where one can find so many passionate and driven tech innovators and entrepreneurs in one location. And while these have been long days, they have been productive ones. I have been enjoying the opportunity of meeting with some of the people and companies that are driving innovation and disruption across the worlds of Communications and Internet TV.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)

Introducing my friend Geo's Blog to the Blogosphere:

My friend Geo is: an artist, writer, photographer, inventor and a film maker and a big supporter of the arts.

Please visit Geo's blog for a "a conscious stream of unconscious conscientiousness" over at diarRHETORICS.com.

Tags: Geo, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

June 02, 2007

Next Stop: Tel Aviv

This evening I am taking a late night flight to Tel Aviv.

While in Israel I will be attending a number of meetings and events around the country. I am looking forward to meeting with a number of early-stage startups and spending time catching up with some of my friends.

If you are aware of an Israeli based early-stage VoIP or Internet TV startup that I should be aware of, please contact me and I will look to schedule a meeting during a future visit.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)

May 27, 2007

Wondering What Tags are for Sale?

Down the street from my home in the Hamptons, someone is selling "Tags."

Just another Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons. :)

Tags: tags, Technorati, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Tel Aviv: Returning the Week of June 3rd

A week from today in the late afternoon I will be returning to Tel Aviv.

While in Israel I will be attending a few meetings with Venture Capitalists with regard to their interest in Network2.

I will also be attending/speaking at a few meetings including: Opportunities to Raise Capital and Achieve Liquidity in the U.S. on June 4th and on June 5th I will help a friend launch a new Meetup, TLV Video which is affiliated with the NY Video 2.0 Meetup.

I am also looking forward to being the host for my second annual summer event in honor of the Israeli High-Tech, Media and Entertainment Industries.

If you are aware of an Israeli based VoIP or Internet TV startup that I should be aware of, please contact me and I will try to setup a meeting during my visit.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

May 26, 2007

Guest Question of the Day: Which Are Your Favorite Blogs & Why?

Yesterday, Blonde 2.0 when asking: Which Are Your Favorite Blogs & Why?, she wrote: "I personally enjoy reading the blogs of those people who not only tell you about the latest social network or software and how to use it, but rather actually have something to say about it."

So Who are your favorites? And why? Please post your replies on her site.

Tags: Blonde 2.0, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

May 25, 2007

A Quick Jeff Pulver Biography:

Following the suggestion of Chris Brogan, the following is my "Quick Sketch Biography" for people who visit my blog but may not be all that familiar with who exactly Jeff Pulver is. (And as my friend Geo always asks, "Who is that Jeff Pulver?")

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A Quick Sketch Biography of Jeff Pulver:

The thing most people know me for is…VoIP. And my passion for Internet TV.

The people I associate the most with are: Dreamers. People who also believe that "Nothing is Impossible." People who support the Entrepreneurial spirit. People who believe in making a difference.

People who have influenced my life include: An on-going mixture of family, friends and strangers. I would never have tried to become a ham radio operator when I was 9 years old if it wasn't for my father and my uncle Fred. And if I didn't pursue this hobby and get licensed at age 12 1/2, I'm pretty sure I would not be where I am today. My father had a great deal of influence on my life and while he passed away in 1998, he continues to influence me today. And my kids today are also a major influence in how I approach technology.

One challenge I took on and overcame was…Fighting back in 1996 when the nascent Internet Telephony Industry was under attack with the threat of the ACTA Petition which lead to the formation of the VON Coalition. I am also pretty proud of the steps that were taken which resulted in the FCC issuing in 2004 what is now known as "The Pulver Order."

My early years, before you probably got to know me were…Classic geek years. My social life was spending 40-60 hours a week on my ham radio. And being a DJ. And at night I was a software developer.

You might not know this, but…pulver.com is one of the first "dot com" companies (1994) which never changed it's name. Since becoming my full-time focus in 1996, pulver.com has served the role of being an incubator for ideas and innovations.

A couple of my own favorite sayings are: “You can outsource many things, but you can not outsource fun.” and “I take fun...seriously.”

I’m passionate about...Charity, Music, Texas Hold'em, Photography, Disruptive Technologies and Entrepreneurship.

In the next year or two, I hope to…Get my next book written and published.
--

A more formal bio of mind which I try to keep up to date is available here.

Tags: Internet TV, VoIP, Chris Brogan, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (51)

May 22, 2007

Question of the Day: How important do you think it is for a young person today to go to a top-level university?

The answers shared last week to the question Do you know more from the things you taught yourself or from what you learned in school? are still resonating in my head.

Given all that was shared, I am wondering more about the where and how we learn the things that matter the most to us.

Which leads me to today's Question of the Day: If you have kids (and/or have an opinion), how important do you think it is for a young person today to go to a top-level university? (and is it required for a young person to have a college education?)

--
(If you have a suggestion for a future question of the day, please drop me a line.)

Tags: Question of the Day, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)

May 21, 2007

Atlantic Broadband: The Epilogue

About an hour ago I received an email from the Customer Care Manager at Atlantic Broadband in Miami who was responding to the message in my blog yesterday.

The Customer Care Manager wrote “.. .I apologize for the difficulty you had this past weekend and would like the opportunity to resolve your concerns.”

I’m happy to report that within fifteen minutes of responding to the email, my service was restored and I even received a follow up phone call to make sure everything was working properly.

I am also glad that someone at Atlantic Broadband reads my blog. :)

Oh, the power of the Blogosphere…

Tags: Atlantic Broadband, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)

May 20, 2007

In Search Of...Customer Support from Atlantic Broadband

At the moment I am visiting Miami and staying in an apartment that is serviced by Atlantic Broadband.

And it seems that the customer support folks at Atlantic Broadband do not work on the weekend.

This is the only conclusion I can come to after trying to contact customer support three times (so far) this weekend and I waited on hold for: 42 minutes, 22 minutes and 36 minutes. It seems the management team at Atlantic Broadband has redefined the meaning of "a moment" since they keep on reminding the person on hold that "they will be with you in a moment." In the meanwhile, I have almost memorized their various recorded promotions.

If by any chance there is someone from Atlantic Broadband that reads this blog, please contact me.

I wonder how tolerant others might be when waiting for customer support to report an issue with their services.

Tags: Atlantic Broadband, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (108)

Next Trip to Tel Aviv: Week of June 3rd

I am looking forward to being in Tel Aviv the week of June 3rd and spending time meeting people from the Israeli Hi-Tech, Media and Entertainment Industries.

While I'm in Israel I will also be meeting with students at a couple of universities and have a number of VC meetings scheduled.

Tags: Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

May 17, 2007

Introducing PAX and the ASK and SPEAK UP Campaigns:

On Tuesday night I attended the 7th Annual PAX Benefit Gala as my friends Michael and Vikki Price were honored by PAX for their dedication to PAX's mission to end gun violence.

While I did not know much about PAX before attending the benefit, I left the event as a supporter of the work PAX is doing and aware of PAX's national campaigns, ASK and SPEAK UP, projects that make the gun violence issue a matter of public health and safety - not politics - and creates the foundation for changes in social attitudes, behaviors and public policy.

PAX, the largest non-lobbying organization dedicated to the gun violence issue, is a nonprofit organization working to help bring an end to gun violence against children and families in America.

PAX's first major program - the ASK (Asking Saves Kids) campaign - was launched in Fall 2000. Based on the fact that 40% of homes with children in America have a gun, with many of those guns left unlocked or loaded, the ASK campaign urges parents to ask about guns before sending their children to play at someone's home. ASK is a simple concept that has far-reaching cultural impact. Parents are now talking with other parents about guns in the home as a routine part of good parenting, bringing the issue out into the open for the first time. Through the ASK campaign, America is changing the way it looks at guns and gun violence, and most importantly, lives are being saved.

Rockford, IL is an example of a town in America which has adopted the ASK campaign and has made it their own. Visit the RockfordASKS home page to see how they did it.

PAX’s SPEAK UP campaign is based on the startling fact that in 81% of school shootings, the attackers told other students about their plans beforehand. In other words, most school shootings are preventable. SPEAK UP features the nation's first-ever national hotline (1-866-SPEAK-UP) for students to report weapon-related threats in their schools and neighborhoods. Since its launch, the SPEAK UP hotline has received more than 20,000 calls. SPEAK UP is also supported by a powerful national media campaign called "Signs," communicating that students can truly help prevent a tragedy by calling PAX's anonymous 1-866-SPEAK UP hotline if they see a "sign" of violence.

Tuesday night’s PAX benefit raised one million dollars for the organization and brought together 600 people in support of their efforts. Below are a few pictures I took at the event:

Michael Price at PAX 2007 Gala Benefit
Click To Play

Tags: PAX, Michael Price, Ted Turner,Richard Belzer, Asks, Speak Up, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)

May 15, 2007

pulver.com PARTY at NXTComm 2007: June 19th in Chicago

For the sixth year in a row, I will be hosting a party during SUPERCOMM GLOBALCOMM NXTcomm. This time the event takes place the night of June 19th at the House of Blues in Chicago and the Herding Cats will be back once again as our special musical guests.

Readers of my blog who are over 21 are invited to attend the party.

For some reason, the SUPERCOMM parties I have hosted at the House of Blues in Chicago have been some of the highest energy parties I remember hosting. Memories of our 2006, 2005 and 2004 parties still echo around in the Blogosphere.

On June 19, 2007 I'm expecting another full house of 1,000+ people, so if you are planning on attending, please be sure to R.S.V.P early for the party.

See you in Chicago!

Tags: NXTcomm, GLOBALCOMM, Chicago, party, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)

May 12, 2007

Another Philip K. Dick reality: The Eyebox

When I read about the Eyebox, I was immediately drawn back into the world of Philip K. Dick.

With the advent of a a $1,000 camera that can track people looking at it, this is another case of a sci-fi vision becoming a reality.

Tags: eyebox, Philip K. Dick, Engadget, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

May 11, 2007

Introducing: The Art Collectors' Guild

Last summer, after the Wall Street Journal published their profile on me, I had the unique opportunity to meet quite a few people who reached out to me as a result of reading the story. Of all of the people I met, I ended up co-founding The Art Collectors' Guild with two very special people, together with a friend of mine.

While art collecting is outside of my direct sphere of knowledge and influence, I was taken by the tremendous amount of knowledge, respect and experience from within the Art World that my new partners had and I was immediately drawn into helping them execute on their vision of bringing the Art Collector's Guild to the Internet. I’m happy to announce the launch of the company.

--

“The Art Collectors’ Guild is a club for collectors of fine, high quality framed artwork. Management of the Art Collectors’ Guild brings to the club a level of expertise and knowledge developed over 40 years that would be difficult to duplicate.

Our artwork is of the highest standards and can grace and enhance any setting. Each of these impressive works of art (up to 30” x 40”) comes delivered in an exquisite, carved wood frame, ready to hang, including the hook and nail.

We at the Guild will always strive to bring our members outstanding works of art. They are on the walls of the great museums and leading private collections, beloved for generations. Each image is strictly licensed and the Art Collectors' Guild is authorized to reproduce these exceptional works of art. We take great care to choose the finest imagery. The process is time consuming, and therefore, selections are limited exclusively to our club members.”

---

In the near future, look for the launch of video blog of Karen Susan Leigh as she provides a walking tour of the great art museums of New York and across the art world.

Tags: Art Collectors Guild, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 09, 2007

How long is a Start-up a Start-up?

When talking about companies that are Start-ups, how do we define a start-up? By age? By revenue? By profitability? By Funding? (pre-seed, seed, Series A, Series B, etc?)

Is a company that was founded in 2000 and producing revenue in 2007 still a Start-up?

Or is a Start-up only a Start-up as a friend says “while it is losing money?”

As a judge in a “Start-up Competition” I am wondering how long a company is considered a Start-up?

Thoughts/Feedback/Comments would be appreciated here.

Tags: IVA, Startup, Israel, Red Herring, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)

May 06, 2007

Verizon KNOWS I'm a FiOS Customer...

As noted in the Verizon Policy Blog: Jeff Pulver Gets FiOS!

--

To date I continue to be a satisfied FiOS customer. I'm confident one day I will be able to be on par with my friends from Stockholm who have 24MB (down) /8MB (up) broadband connectivity.

I am looking forward to the day when my local municipality grants Verizon a franchise agreement so that I can also try out FiOS TV.

Tags: FiOS, Verizon, FiOS TV, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

May 03, 2007

Discovered at Innovation and Technology 2007: Squace

While visiting Innovation and Technology 2007 last week, I had a chance to meet with the Squace team.

Squace has developed a unique interface for cell phones which "makes mobile surfing as interesting, quick and useful as it should be."

After playing with their interface, I would have to agree.

Squace developed a grid interface for cell phones where users can define the functionality of each square in
the grid and establish links to information sources including RSS feeds.

If you have a compatible phone, sign up to be a beta tester and give Squace a try.

Tags: Innovation and Technology 2007, Kista, Squace, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

May 01, 2007

Israeli Start-up Contest 2007: Entries due Today

Red Herring magazine, in conjunction with the Israel Venture Association (IVA), will be hosting the Israeli Start-up Contest 2007. For the second year in succession the internationally renowned American technology magazine will conduct a competition focused on Israeli start-ups. The competition is a wonderful opportunity for Israeli companies to gain international exposure.

I am a member of the IVA and I am one of the judges in this year's competition.

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Focus

This year the competition will focus on identifying companies with the potential to become leaders in large technology markets. The judges will attempt to identify those companies with the potential to become the next M-Systems, Checkpoint, Teva or Skype.

Eligibility

The competition will be split into three tracks: communications, software and life sciences. To qualify for participation companies must:

- be private companies venture-funded by an investor that is a member of the IVA
- have 2006 revenues of less than $20 million
- have a physical presence in Israel

Awards and Benefits

Israeli Start-Up Contest 2007 winners will be featured in Red Herring magazine. Red Herring will also supply the companies with logos to use in their press releases, websites, and any other marketing collateral.

- The winners will also be profiled in the local Israeli press.
- The winners will have an opportunity to deliver a presentation about their company at the IVA Conference, which will take place in Tel Aviv on June 11. Awards will be presented in a prestigious ceremony in front of more than 1,000 international investors, analysts, and industry leaders.

Applications

Forms and guidelines for the competition are available for download. Applications must be submitted to: submissions at redherring.com by May 1, 2007.

Submission Form
FAQ

Tags: IVA, Startup, Israel, Red Herring, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

April 27, 2007

Next Stop: New York

This morning I am taking a late morning flight from Tel Aviv back to the States.

I have been in Tel Aviv since the mid-afternoon yesterday and I made the most of the time that I spent here.

Last night I had a great time attending the GarageGeeks event in Holon and joining the discussion regarding the "Future of TV." There were quite a number of friends in the audience.

While I haven't left yet, I am already looking forward to my next scheduled visit to Tel Aviv which will be taking place in early June.

Tags: Tel Aviv, GarageGeeks, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)

April 25, 2007

Next Stop: Tel Aviv

This morning I am taking an early morning flight to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt I will be heading to Tel Aviv.

Once I arrive in Tel Aviv I will be in a series of back-to-back meetings and I am looking forward to also attending the GarageGeeks event. And on Friday morning I will be heading back to the States.

Looking forward to my visit to Tel Aviv.

Tags: Tel Aviv, GarageGeeks, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

April 24, 2007

Living the Broadband Lifestyle in Stockholm.

Earlier tonight I went out to dinner with most of the people who will be speaking at Innovation Technology 2007. During dinner, I did a quick informal survey about broadband connectivity in people’s homes in Stockholm and I was amazed at what I learned.

I felt comfortable doing the survey since I just had Verizon FiOS installed in my home in the States, and I thought for sure that my broadband connectivity was going to be close to being on-par with the people whom I was having dinner with.

Well, according to my survey, in April, 2007, the “normal” connectivity that most people living in the city of Stockholm have is 24 MB down / 8 MB up. And this costs about 35 Euro a month. People living in some of the newer apartments in Stockholm have access to 100 MB of connectivity and people living in the suburbs have 8MB down / 3MB up. And there was talk about rumors that up to 1 gig of connectivity will be available to some people in the near future.

It turns out that the connectivity that I’m experiencing at home is closer to the 8MB down / 3MB and I’m paying US$ 49.95 /month for my connectivity.

I wonder how many years US residents are going to have to wait until they get to experience 24MB down / 8 MB up of connectivity as the norm.

Tags: FiOS, Verizon, Stockholm, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (64)

April 20, 2007

Now running Verizon FiOS at my home…

Earlier this week I had Verizon FiOS installed in my home. And for a home that has had a T-1 of connectivity since 1995, the experience feels like the difference between dial-up and broadband.

And now that I have FiOS, I hope to be able to convince Verizon that my home should qualify to have FiOS TV installed.

Tags: FiOS, Verizon, FiOS TV, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (43)

April 17, 2007

Back from Miami...

Seems for the past few years my life has been a series of road trips. Some with family and some alone.

Tags: voip, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (41)

April 08, 2007

Sunset in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Sunset in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Tags: Florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)

April 05, 2007

T-Mobile, Sony to create hotspot multiplayer gaming network

Telephony Online: T-Mobile, Sony to create hotspot multiplayer gaming network

Tags: sony, t-mobile, wifi, Gaming Network

Posted by jeff at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

April 04, 2007

Sunrise in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida:

Sunrise in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Tags: Florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

April 02, 2007

Chris Brogan joins the Fry's Nation

Chris Brogan: Small Boxes 21 - Frys Nation

Click To Play

A short documentary on Chris Brogan's first trip to a Fry's Electronics store.

Filmed using a Sony DSC-T50. All of the video games were donated to a local charity in San Jose, CA.

Tags: Frys, Chris Brogan, von07, Network2, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

March 31, 2007

Back in Sunny Isles, Flordia

Looking forward to taking some time to relax, recharge and prepare for the rest of 2007.

Tags: florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

March 30, 2007

Heading to Miami...

After spending the majority of 2007 so far "on the road", I'm heading to Florida to relax, recharge my batteries and catch up with life for a while.

Tags: jetblue, florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Nothing's Rotten in the State of Denmark. May the Same be Said for the State of America?

Leading up to VON Europe, I often take stock of the technological differences between the US and Europe, particularly Scandinavia. I always love going to Stockholm to pick up the latest mobile devices, devices that often don't make it to America, or when they do, they are so severely crippled, they are fairly worthless to any self-respecting gadget freak (case in point, the transformation of the WiFi-enabled Nokia E61 into its poorer, WiFi-deprived cousin, the Nokia E62).

Although it disturbed me, it didn't really come as much of a surprise to me to read that, according to the latest report from the World Economic Forum, "the US has lost its position as the world's primary engine of technology innovation." Particularly coming on the heels of the UK's Ofcom Statement on VoIP Regulation, I have been acutely aware of the US's own flawed regulatory approach to Internet communications.

The report measured the ability of countries to integrate technology into business, the countries' available infrastructure, government policy fostering innovation, and progress and leadership in promoting the usage of the latest information technology tools.

The report ranked the US seventh and attributed the significant decline in the US's rank to a "deterioration of the political and regulatory environment."

The top spot went for the first time to Denmark, followed by Sweden, home to the upcoming VON Europe. Finland ranked fourth, and Norway, a personal favorite destination of mine and home to some of my favorite Internet communications innovators, including Telio, ranked tenth.

I look forward to visiting Stockholm a couple of times over then next few months. Maybe I'll learn something. Maybe I'll bring something back to the States. Maybe some US regulators could join us. Maybe they could learn something. Maybe they could bring something back to the States -- at least an unlocked Nokia E61i, or whatever the next innovative iteration might be.

Tags: voneurope07, voip, Stockholm, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

March 29, 2007

Happy Birthday Carl Ford!

Just wanted to give a “Shout Out” to Carl Ford who has been a fixture at our VON events since 1999 and continues to be a role model for anyone who aspires to be a “Community Developer.”

Carl, Happy Birthday!

Tags: von, Carl Ford, von07, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

March 25, 2007

Guitar Hero playing Robot: Guitar Heronoid

As someone who is a fan of Guitar Hero, I wanted to share this video of Guitar Heronoid taken during Kinnernet 2007. From what I heard at Kinnernet, Guitar Heronoid currently plays with 50% accuracy in Medium mode.

Congrats to GarageGeeks members Rafael Mizrahi and Tal Chalozin for making this project happen.

Tags: Kinnernet, Guitar Heronod,Guitar Hero, GarageGeeks, Rafael Mizrahi, Tal Chalozin, Kinnernet07, Kinnernet2007, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

email-lag: Now catching up with 10 days worth of email

While I really enjoyed being part of both Kinnernet 2007 and Spring 2007 VON communities, between all of the related travel and time spend off-line, I managed to fall 10 days behind with some of my email.

This time around I do feel fortunate that I didn't really suffer from jetlag, even though I did my share of time zone shifting (from NY to Tel Aviv and then from Tel Aviv to San Jose via Frankfurt and then from San Jose back to NY) but it was my email responsiveness that suffered. A phone call turned into being the most reliable way to reach me followed by SMS. And then there were times when twitter was a more effective way to reach me than email.

So...if you sent me email in the past 10 days - or for that matter anytime in March 2007 and haven't heard back yet -- please resend it. :)

Tags: von, email-lag, kinnernet, kinnernet2007, von07, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

March 24, 2007

New Game of Blog Tag: 7 Songs

I was just tagged by Chris Brogan who was tagged by SEVEN year old Aidan Hatch for the following Blog-Tag question: "7 Songs I Like." After thinking about this for 7 minutes, these are the first 7 songs which came to mind:

7 Songs I Like:

- Mustang Sally - The Commitments
- Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
- Round Here - Counting Crows
- Still Crazy After All These Years - Paul Simon
- Tiny Dancer - Elton John
- Vienna - Billy Joel
- Wonderwall - Oasis

And now, I tag: Clintus McGintus, Robert Scoble, Jim Long, Steve Garfield, Jay Moonah and I invite all of you to play along.

Tags: blog-tag, Jay Moonah, Steve Garfield, Jim Long, Robert Scoble, Clintus McGintus, Aidan Hatch, Chris Brogan, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (37)

March 23, 2007

Happy Birthday Dylan and Jake!

My twin sons, Dylan and Jake turn 13 today.

It really is amazing how time flies and how quickly some things just happen.

I am glad that today is one of the days that I'm not on the road so I'm able to spend time with my kids on their birthday.

Posted by jeff at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

March 22, 2007

Heading back to New York

Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of Spring VON and Video on the Net and helped make this happen.

I'm about to board my return flight to New York and I expect to recover from "VON Blur" over the next few days and catch up with the virtual world once again.

Tags: Video on the Net, VON, Von07, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

March 19, 2007

Welcome to VON!

Looking forward to catching up with everyone who will be in San Jose this week for Spring 2007 VON.

I will be using the tag: VON07 for tracking on Technorati, for photos posted to flickr, and for short videos. Also you can also add VON as a friend on twitter for related updates.

Welcome to VON!

Tags: twitter, von, von07, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (33)

Reflections and (more) Images from Kinnernet 2007:

From seeing a Robot play Guitar Hero to being able to directly witness "Burning Man on a Bicyle", Kinnernet 2007 was a special place to be at.

Once again I found myself amongst some of the most creative and interesting people I could possibly meet.

It turned out that my "VON Blur" came early as it became clear to me that from the moment that I touched down in Tel Aviv to the time that I arrived in San Jose, I would not be able to maintain my regular 16-18 hour a day obsession of being "on line." Being "unplugged" worked for me.

I'm posting the rest of my Kinnernet pictures up on flickr and I plan to post some of the short video clips that I took up on blip.tv and on youtube and in my blog..

The following are some of the images I captured during Kinnernet 2007 on days 2 and 3:

Tags: Kinnernet, Kinnernet07, VON, Kinnernet2007, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (42)

March 18, 2007

Getting Ready for Spring 2007 VON

I've finally arrived in San Jose after starting my day in Tel Aviv. For the first time, I can really appreciate how the people who travel to VON from abroad may feel like when they arrive for our events.

Tags: VON, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

View of the Kinnernet 2007 Game Room

Tags: Kinnernet, Kinnernet07, VON, Kinnernet2007, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

March 17, 2007

Amit Shafrir and Chicken George

Tags: Amit Shafrir, Kinnernet, Kinnernet07, VON, Kinnernet2007, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

The road from KinnerNet to VON:

I am now back in Tel Aviv after attending my good friend Yosi Vardi's KinnerNet, a camp-style gathering with some of the best and brightest innovators and geeks the world has to offer. Later tonight I will be flying from Tel Aviv to Frankfurt, and from there straight California in a single flight. I will go from an energetic event where I had a great time being both a guest and had an opportunity to contribute to the event, to another energetic event, where I have been the host for the past 10 years.

At KinnerNet, I got to express my creative side, my "what if" and vision side. I was surrounded by friends new and old who believe in the future, and who active strive to find the next emerging innovation. At VON, I will express my community side, and be surrounded by friends new and old who strive to harness the innovations of IP communications, media, and entertainment and derive value from the disruption. For being worlds apart, the two communities aren't all that different in their passions.

Though I'm sad to see another KinnerNet experience come to a close, I am very much looking forward to connecting with my friends at Spring VON 2007.

I hope you're going, and I look forward to catching up with you there.

Tags: Kinnernet, Kinnernet07, VON, Kinnernet2007, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

March 16, 2007

More Images from Day 1 of Kinnernet 2007:

Tags: Kinnernet, Kinnernet2007, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Images from Day 1 of Kinnernet 2007:

Tags: Kinnernet, Kinnernet2007, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

March 14, 2007

Looking forward to Kinnernet 2007:

On Wednesday night in Tel Aviv I hosted a gathering of some of the "campers" who will be joining me for the next three days at KinnerNet 2007.

Last year was my first year attending KinnerNet and I've enjoyed building upon the friendships that were created last year.

I'm looking forward to the commencement of camp tomorrow afternoon and taking part in the Gadgethon tomorrow evening.

Tags: karaoke, Kinnernet, Kinnernet2007, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

March 13, 2007

Slow Motion Video:

"A compilation of videos shot with high FPS cameras and then put into slow motion"

Tags: Slow Motion, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

Images from the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony:

During the past few years I've been a supporter of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and have been fortunate to have a seat at the induction ceremonies at the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in New York City. ( 2005, 2004 pictures )

Last night I attended the 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. This event continues to offer a totally surrealistic experience...mostly because none of my relatives were inducted last night and I'm not a music industry insider.

The Rock Hall Induction Ceremony is one of the annual events I always look forward to being a part of.

While last night was the night: R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and the Ronettes were honored, the night also belonged to the memory of music industry legend Ahmet Ertegun was the founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Tags: Rock Hall, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (112)

March 12, 2007

Visit Pulveria in Second Life:

The following is a video that was created to promote tourism on the Island of Pulveria in Second Life.

Click To Play

A tour of Pulveria. Narrated by Jeff Pulver. Visit Pulveria today in Second Life

Tags: Second Life, Pulveria, VON, Video on the Net, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

March 11, 2007

Kfir Pravda joins the Blogosphere

Kfir was a guest blogger back in December when he posted the "To Standard or not to Standard?" blog post.

Kfir now has his own blog. Kfir, welcome to the Blogosphere!

Tags: Kfir Pravda, Jeff Pulver, IMTC, VON

Posted by jeff at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

March 10, 2007

So where do we do our best thinking?

Reading Chris Brogan's My Office is a Coffeeshop post reminded me of a question I first explored back in my pre-blog days of 2002 - "Where do we do our best thinking?"

---

In the February 2002 issue of The Pulver Report, I first wrote: "For me, it seems I do most of my thinking for the day while I'm in the shower. Maybe I come up with an idea when I'm driving to work and on a rare occasion, maybe while I'm supposedly sleeping.

I'd appreciate knowing where others do their best individual thinking.

There are times when a brainstorming session during lunch is productive but this happens as a group activity rather than an individual activity.

While I spend the majority of my time either at the office or offsite at events, many commercial environments seem not to be conducive for thinking and this just seems like an oxymoron to me.

What am I missing?"

In the 5+ years since asking the question, not much has changed for me as to where I do my best thinking.

What about you?

Where do you do your best thinking?

Tags: Media 2.0, Chris Brogan, FriendSourcing, friendHelp, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

March 09, 2007

A Journalist Tries to Unwrap the Mysteries of KinnerNet 2007

Joel Leyden: Kinnernet 2007: Israel, Internet and High Tech

---

I am looking forward to attending KinnerNet 2007 next week. Last year as so much fun. (see: 1, 2, 3). This year I will be leading a couple of sessions and participating both the Gadgethon and in something which will be known "Game Band."

Tags: Israel, Kinnernet, Kinnernet2007, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

March 06, 2007

PodCamp: A Great Place to Meet Future Rockstars

Christopher S. Penn: The Spirit of PodCamp: Rockstars

"Everyone who attends PodCamp and participates is a rockstar of tomorrow - even if they don’t know it. One of the central tenets of PodCamp is “everyone is free to participate” - so be sure to attend sessions by people you’ve never heard of. If you have something worth sharing and contributing to the community, by all means please participate!

There are gems to be found in unexplored territory. Make as many new friends and relationships as possible at a PodCamp near you."

---

Words from Podcamp co-Founder Christopher S. Penn. Words that I totally agree with.

And be sure to check out the PodCamp home page for upcoming Podcamps.

Tags: podcamp, Media 2.0, Chris Penn, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

March 04, 2007

The Next Time Someone Says "Good Morning..."

...Return the Morning Greeting and you may end up with a friend for life.

Sometimes people come into your life without reason and then things change and you never see them again for a long time, but when you do run into each other, it is as time never moved forward. How often is it that we tell someone “thanks for being there for me” or that you “appreciated their company?” Sometimes we may think it, but I know I hardly ever say it. And then one day they are gone. And you feel a void in your life. And you know you can’t ever go back. But you can take those memories and reflect back and hope to learn from those experiences.

While friends of mine were working “in the city”, I worked on Long Island. I liked having a reverse commute (or no commute when my office was 5 minutes from home) and then one day I ended up with a job at the World Trade Center and just like that, I joined the world of the rush hour commuter, choosing to take the train and the subway to work each day.

Commuting to Manhattan on the 6.27 AM train on the Long Island Rail Road could have been a lonely experience. And it was for me, for maybe a day or two, until someone said “Good Morning” to me and that person found a way to continue the conversation with me all the way into Manhattan. The person who reached out and to me was a person by the name of Norman Zuller. Norm made my morning commute to NYC an enjoyable experience when I made the commute daily with him from 1993 to 1996.

Norm knew quite a number of the people who were commuting on the early train. The train was his domain. And if he saw someone new, he wasn’t shy, he just went over and said hello. While some people would rather sleep an extra 30 minutes in the morning, Norm was always there to share his presence and smile and talk and just be there.

Norm was a warm and caring man and someone who I was glad to have as a friend. Since I was new to the daily commute, he showed me the ropes and told me the exact place to stand to on the platform to get to where the train doors would be. (Trust me...in the rain and the cold this was important information to have.)

While we first started talking about nothing, somehow we managed to talk about life in general and about work. I was working in Systems at Cantor Fitzgerald Securities and Norm was in the Jewelry business and had a store on 47th street. Over the years, Norm was there when my kids were born and I managed to become one of his customers. While we kept in touch, months and sometimes years would go by in between our visits. When we did speak, Norm always asked about my family and how things were, and he was there as a friend.

A few days ago I heard the news that my friend had passed away. He was 80 years old and as recently as a month ago, he was still making his daily commute. He never believed in retiring. He was a man committed to family and to his friends and to his business. And while I had only met one of his three kids during our daily commute, when I went to his home to pay my respects to his surviving wife and family, I felt a connection to everyone. Turns out that his family knew me even, though we never formally met. And I realized that you just never now how one person’s outward friendliness could turn into a lifetime of friendship. It was while I was visiting his family and hearing about all of his friends who his family didn’t know he had that I realized what an amazing and caring man he really was.

Norm, we miss you.

Tags: Norman Zuller, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 03, 2007

Oh the People you will Meet...in New York City

Yesterday started out as a dark rainy morning in Manhattan and ended up a bright, sunny pre-Spring Afternoon. Like everything else this past week, I ended up compressing a total of 7 meetings in the course of a 9.30 to 4.30 pm work day. Prior to leaving for NYC I was the guest on the morning radio talk show Bulldog and The Rude Awakening, and was interviewed again by Alessandro Longo for a story he is doing on Internet TV. (He was the one who wrote that great story about me in L'espresso.)

My day started out with a breakfast meeting at Barney Greengrass where I spent time with my friend Dan Dubno.

From that meeting I headed to midtown where I had a "walking meeting" starting on the corner of 50th and 5th with
Trey Gaskins of DAVE.TV.
In the lobby of the "Palace" I met with
both Mike Ramke of Modeo and Manish Jha of Vantrix. For lunch I headed over to a meeting where
Amit Shafrir joined me. After lunched I headed over
to 240 Madison and spend an hour catching up with Andrew Baron. My day
wrapped up with a meeting with Richard Laermer, author of "Full Frontal PR."

Tags: Dan Dubno, Barney Greengrass, Dave.TV, Modeo, Vantrix, Andrew Baron, Richard Laermer, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

March 01, 2007

Chris Brogan on Geo Geller and Insultants and Consultants

Chris Brogan: Another Term for Consulant

"a consultant gets paid and tells you what you want to hear an insultant doesn’t get paid and tells you the truth” because they have no vested interested other then in seeing that the project works and not in changing the facts to fit somebodies needs - nor in creating propaganda that you start out knowing is pure bull and then because so many people start quoting and believing it you start believing in your own propaganda - advertisers, governments, the media have perfected this form.”

Geo Geller
photo by Chris Brogan

Tags: Chris Brogan, Geo Geller, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Gilbert Arenas: A Curious Person

New York Times: Vote for Gilbert

“Sometimes you have to create your own legacy, and that is what I have done. There is no quirkiness about me. I just lash out at things, but it’s lighthearted. The freak part of me is not that I’m going to take 60 pills to get attention. I’m not that kind of freak. I just like to watch the Gummi Bears on TV. I’m not Ron Artest. I’m a character. The things I do, the things I say — these are things I sit in my house and think about. I know what I’m doing.”

---

Tags: Gilbert Arenas, Basketball, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

February 28, 2007

Images from Mexico City...

...from my drive on the way back to the Mexico City airport.

Tags: Mexico, VON, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)

February 27, 2007

Images from MIT/Sloan: "MIT Sloan Sales Club"

Earlier today I spoke at the MIT Sloan Sales Club about several things including "Passion" in the context of selling an idea and in terms of selling a product or service. Overall, I had a much better reception at MIT/Sloan today as part of their "Executive Speaker Series" than I did the last time I spoke at a class at Sloan back in October, 2004.

Turns out I really enjoy speaking to students on campus and having an opportunity to reflect back and discuss things like "how to disrupt an industry." :)

Photos mostly taken by: Chris Brogan

Tags: voip, Internet TV, MIT, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

February 26, 2007

Track Worldwide Flight Status on FlightStats

Thanks to Dan York via Twitter, I just learned about FlightStats which offers real-time status on scheduled flights from around the world and offers the ability to set alerts regarding specific flights.

Looks like a great site to also discover air routes when planning flights.

Tags: Twitter, FlightStats.com, Dan York, Media 2.0, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

February 25, 2007

Beach Bakery in Westhampton NY: A Sunday Tradition

..Still having fun with my new Sony DSC T-50.

Tags: DSC-T50, Beach Bakery, Westhampton, Sony, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (55)

February 24, 2007

Sony DSC-T50: Great things sometimes do come in Small Boxes

I first rediscovered the Sony CyberShot cameras when I was the DLD conference in Munch last month. When I arrived home I made it a point to go out and purchase a Sony DSC-T9. The DSC-T9 was the camera Chris Brogan used when he recorded our ad-hoc Apple Store Video.

What impressed me the most about the T9 was the quality of the recorded audio when shooting video. I’ve been in the market for a while for what I call a “spy video camera” – a camera that shoots video but looks like a small, slim camera and I wanted something different than a camera phone (even though the Nokia N93 does a GREAT job recording video)…I wanted something that actually looked like a camera.

When I returned from our LA/SFO trip, the positive experience of using the DSC-T9 lead me to purchasing the newer Sony DSC-T50 with a 4gig memory stick. Talk about a “Wow” experience. The T50 comes with a 7.2 megapixel Sony CCD imager, an internal Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 3x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch Touchpanel TFT LCD display and can shoot in VX Fine movie mode (640x480 w/audio at 30 fps). I also have been enjoying the ability to “draw” on the pictures.

If you are in the market for a new pocket video camera, the Sony DSC-T50 should be considered.

The Sony DSC-T50 is my pocket video camera.

Tags: DSC-T50, Internet TV, Sony, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

February 20, 2007

jetBlue Goes to YouTube to Share "Customer Bill of Rights"

Earlier today I noticed that a video of David Neeleman, CEO of jetBlue appeared on YouTube where he shared the jetBlue Customer Bill of Rights.

And while I remain a fan of jetblue, what's up with their statement: "For customers who experience a Ground Delay for more than 5 hours, JetBlue will take necessary action so that customers may deplane." Humm. Considering that 5 hours is more time then it takes to fly from San Jose to New York, I would hope that jetBlue would reconsider this 5 hour rule? How about making the rule relative to the expected duration of the flight? For a flight from New York to Boston which takes around 30 minutes of flying time, I could not justify spending 5 hours on a flight with a "Ground Delay."

Tags: email-lag, jetblue, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (35)

February 19, 2007

Only in the Hamptons: Man Found Dead a Year Later Watching TV

Newsday: Dead for a Year

"Southampton police responding to burst water pipes in a Hampton Bays home found the mummified body of the owner - dead for more than a year - sitting in a chair in front of a television...

...The television was still on."

===

Just heard about this story. Sometimes truth IS stranger than fiction.

Tags: Bizzare, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

February 17, 2007

Me and My Shadow:

Tags: Geo Geller, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

February 15, 2007

Looking forward to Kinnernet 2007!

In less than 30 days I will be back in Israel and will be amongst the group of people attending, contributing to and participating in Kinnernet 2007.

Last year was a GREAT event (see: 1, 2, 3) and I met quite a number of people at Kinnernet who are now amongst my circle of friends. This year I'm looking forward to leading a couple of sessions and participating in something which I can refer to only as "Game Band."

For a sense of what one can expect to experience at Kinnernet, please take a look at the letter my bunk mate Tom Evslin wrote back to his Mom.

Tags: Israel, Tom Evslin, Kinnernet, Kinnernet2007, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

February 13, 2007

iTunes New Music Tuesdays: My kids’ Alarm Clock

During the school week, when I’m not on the road, I play the role of “alarm clock” to make sure my kids are up early to get ready for school. Thanks to “iTunes New Music Tuesdays”, on Tuesdays, my kids are generally my alarm clock.

Tags:, itunes, Apple, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

February 09, 2007

Another jetblue Morning…

After spending the past couple of days on the West Coast, I am taking the morning jetblue flight from Oakland back to New York. It is on days like today that I wish jetblue already provided in-flight wi-fi access…mostly so that I could avoid getting affected by email-lag.

Tags: email-lag, jetblue, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Apple Store doesn't Sell:

On Wednesday during my visit to Los Angeles, I took the time to visit an Apple Store in Century City. While there was a long wait for people to speak with one of their resident "Geniuses", there was an even longer wait for someone who wanted to actually pay for something.

Tags: Internet TV, Video on the Net, Apple Store, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (123)

February 04, 2007

Upclose with Senator Barack Obama:

This weekend I met Senator Barack Obama in a small gathering in NYC.

Tags: Senator Barack Obama, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (226)

February 03, 2007

Perceptive Pixel: Sci-Fi or Reality?

Once again, images that were once special effects in sci-fi movies are now real.

"Perceptive Pixel, Inc. was founded by Jeff Han in 2006 as a spinoff of the NYU Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences to develop and market the most advanced multi-touch system in the world."

Tags: Perceptive Pixel, Video on the Net, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (49)

"Jazz Dispute"

"A heated debate between Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie."

Posted by jeff at 05:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)

Just started to Twitter

There was a time years ago when I was working on Wall Street when I used to use the UNIX command finger to check on the status of friends and share "state" information about myself. And then I remember using Yahoo! Instant Messenger and Live Journal to capture my "state" when Blogging or IMing. Fast forward to the present and now there is Twitter.

After watching Chris Brogan Twitter about life, I decided to add Twitter to my blog and join the community of people who Twitter.

One of the things I like about Twitter is that no special software is needed. And in fact I can Twitter from my cell phone just by sending SMS or I can Twitter whenever I have a browser open.

If you would like to give Twitter a try click here.

See you on Twitter.

Tags: Twitter, Chris Brogan, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

February 01, 2007

Evening in Washington, D.C.

Tags: DC, Network2, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

A Day in Washington, D.C. (Part III)

After attending the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding event I headed over to attend the 10th Annual ICAC Tech Fair where Network2 was one of the companies chosen to participate. Once again this event brought together the community of people who have a vested interested in the advancement of hi-tech in and around Washington, D.C.

Tags: ICAC, Network2, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

A Day in Washington, D.C. (Part II)

After the OECD meeting we went over to the Hyatt on Capital Hill for a Network2 VC meeting and then headed over to Capital Hill to the Rayburn Building to attend an event hosted by The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding hosted by Rabbi Marc Schneier and Russell Simmons.

Tags: Marc Schneier, Network2, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

A Day in Washington, D.C. (Part I)

Yesterday I spent the day in Washington, DC attending a few different events. Below are a few photos from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) meeting that took place at the National Science Foundation. I attended my first OECD meeting back in June, 1996 at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland just three months after the founding of the VON Coalition. This time around Sam Paltridge once again pulled together another amazing event.

Tags: OECD, Network2, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

January 29, 2007

My 3 Moments at DLD07: Interviewed by: Anna Sebestyén

Anna Sebestyén: 3 Moments at DLD07

"A mini interview to Jeff asking what his top 3 moments were at DLD07.

What would be your choice for the top 3 moments?

1. The Hacker, Inc. Presentation when Pablos Holman announced and demonstrated to everyone in the room that he was able to hack into my mobile phone. [lots of witnesses, no exaggeration]

2. Swimming in the pool and playing Water Polo during the BUNTE DLD NIGHTCAP. [need for proof and illustration]

(ok - here is some proof:)

3. Playing Poker during the BUNTE DLD NIGHTCAP Afterparty. Also - meeting some of the people whom I’ve had an email relationship with over the years but never before met in person. [so typical of web-based friendships. I wonder when we will first read about a Second Life virtual friendship getting ‘real’ in this way and conveyed in a Finnish SMS novel] Together with sitting in the sessions and being inspired by the talks and the opportunities and the collective vision.

What comes into your mind first?

Amazing people. A “Pre-Davos Gathering of Leaders effecting the worlds of Digital, Life and Design.

…and at the same time has a long lasting effect on you?

The relationships and bonding that took place during the various ad hoc meetings."

Tags: DLD07, Anna Sebestyén, DLD07, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

The Week Ahead: CFCA and the 2007 Internet Tech Caucus

Later today I will be heading to Orlando where I will be giving the Keynote Address at the Communications Fraud Control Association conference on Tuesday.

From Orlando I'm heading up to Washington, D.C. to attend parts of the State of the Net Conference and to join the Network2 team where we will be demonstrating Network2 at the at the 10th Annual ICAC Tech Fair.

I've attended the Internet Tech Caucus events in the past (2006, 2005, 2004) and have made it a point to be in Washington, D.C. to attend this annual gathering.

Tags: CFCA, Network2, ICAC07, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

January 28, 2007

New Word for 2007: email-lag

Every once in a while a new word enters my Internet vocabulary.

“email-lag” is the term I’ve been using lately to explain the delay in getting back to people due to my month of business travel. Over the years I’ve somehow managed to respond to emails almost as quickly as they were received. During the past few weeks, I’ve had trouble keeping up with responding to people as quickly as I would like to.

“email-lag: While I may be current with emails received today, but I am still catching up with emails sent to me a week ago.”

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email-lag: defined

1. Falling behind in email.

2. “When the jetlag goes away, email-lag lingers on” – When traveling, some people experience moments of being disconnected. When people reconnect, if they respond to their most recent emails, then emails that get ignored/trapped/dropped suffer from email-lag.

3. Responding to an email in a time frame that is significantly much longer than the email response time you are known for.

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Tags: email-lag, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (33)

Jeff Pulver meets Steve Rubel:

Last week while I was in NYC I had a chance to catch up with Steve Rubel at his office.

Steve will be joining us as a speaker at Spring 2007 Video on the Net.

Jeff Pulver and Steve Rubel. (Photo by: Chris Brogan)

Tags: Steve Rubel, MicroPersuasion , Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

January 27, 2007

Alx Klive reports on a Van "Having a Bad Day"

Weekend Humor from a friend in London.

Tags: Alx Klive, WorldTV

Posted by jeff at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

January 24, 2007

Next Stop...New York

In an couple of hours I will officially be “in transit” back to New York. DLD 07 was a great event.

"DLD (Digital, Life, Design) is Europe's conference for the 21st century; covering digital innovation, gaming, arts and science and bringing together thought leaders from Europe, the Middle-East, America and Asia."

DLD 07 was everything it was billed up to be and more.

More images from DLD 07 available on flicker

Tags: DLD07, Munich, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

January 23, 2007

Wintertime in Munich:

Last night it snowed. During lunch today, David Kirkpatrick suggested that I go outside and take a look around. I’m glad that I did. The following images were captured as a result of his suggestion:

Tags: DLD07, Munich, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Images from DLD07: Day 3

All-in, DLD 07 was an amazing event. Below are some pictures taken earlier today.

Tags: DLD07, Munich, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

January 22, 2007

Images from DLD07: Day 1

DLD 07, Hubert Burda and Yossi Vardi's "Digital, Life, Design" event, opened yesterday and brought an audience of more than a thousand pretty amazing people to Munich. While I spent as much time as I could networking with everyone, the following are some of the pictures I took in between handshakes, pitches and trying to get in and out of their fleet of Mini Coopers:

DLD07: Setting Started

The DLD Car Shuttle

Clemens Fetzer
Niklas Zennstrom pitched by Avi Schecter

David Sifry

Opening of DLD 07:

Hubert Burda, Yossi Vardi
Hubert Burda & Yossi Vardi

Thierry Antinori, Niklas Zennstrom, Caterina Fake, David Kirkpatrick

Yossi Vardi + Friends
Yossi + Jeff

Dan Dubno
"Back from the 80's"
"The Pitch"

Hjalmar Winbladh
Alexander Straub

"Cocktails & Flying Dinner"

Steve Katz and Amit Shafrir
Walt Mossberg
John Markoff and Craig Newmark
Rob Glaser
Matt Cohler & Friend and Hjalmar Winbladh
Martin Varsavsky + Lars Hinrich

Tags: DLD07, Munich, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

January 21, 2007

Just arrived in Munich...

After being "in transit" for about 12 hours, I've made it from the friendly confines of Long Island, NY to Munich, Germany for DLD. I'm looking forward to a great event.

Tags: DLD, Munich, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

January 20, 2007

On my way to DLD…

In an hour when I leave my home, I will officially be “in transit” to Munch for the 2007 DLD Conference.

"DLD (Digital, Life, Design) is Europe's conference for the 21st century; covering digital innovation, gaming, arts and science and bringing together thought leaders from Europe, the Middle-East, America and Asia."

There are some pretty amazing speakers and guests attending this event.

I'm looking forward to being part of the DLD session focusing on "Disuptive Connections" together with Hjalmar Winbladh, Marko Ahtisaari, Alexander Straub and Christoph Braun.

Tags: DLD, Munich, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (43)

When 7.23 PM is an Approximate Time:

Last night after arriving from Boston on the Delta Shuttle, the passengers on the plane heard the familiar message: “Welcome to New York. The approximate time is 7.23 PM”

So how exactly is 7.23 PM an approximate time? And why do they announce the time? It isn’t like we have a time difference between Boston and New York…and even if someone like myself wasn’t wearing a watch, we would know the time the moment we turned on our cell phones.

Tags: Delta Shuttle, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

January 19, 2007

Stephen Colbert explains Cingular/AT&T:

"A little Telecom humor..."

Tags: cingular, AT&T, Stephen Colbert

Posted by jeff at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

January 18, 2007

Alec shares another Jeff Pulver Secret...

...that I still write my blog entries in manual HTML. :)

Alec Saunders: A visit to Melville, NY

Tags: Iotum, Alec Saunders, Howard Thaw, Talk-Now, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)

January 17, 2007

Steve Smith's iPhone Blog Post

Just ran into Steve Smith checking in at jetblue at the San Jose Airport and he just shared with me his Obligatory iPhone Blog post.

Nice post Steve!

Tags: iPhone, Steve Smith, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (109)

25 Hours in Silicon Valley...

Just arrived in San Jose on the evening jetblue flight from New York. Tomorrow I am spending the day catching up with friends in Menlo Park and in Palo Alto.

Tags: Jeff Pulver, jetblue

Posted by jeff at 01:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

January 16, 2007

Looking forward to the DLD Conference

This weekend I will be heading over to Munich for the DLD Conference.

DLD has a pretty amazing list of speakers and I'm looking forward to catching up with a number of people who will be attending DLD.

"DLD is an exchange between international thinkers, leaders, visionaries, entrepreneurs, designers and artists. We will talk about changes in markets, society and personal lifestyle caused by the next decade's central fields of innovation."

I expect this will be a great event.

Tags: DLD, Munich, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)

January 14, 2007

Oh, the people you'll meet...at the CES Bloghaus:

Just saw this blog post from Jason Minard.

After meeting Jason at the CES Bloghaus, Jason joined: Jeremy Pepper, Chris Brogan, Jonathan Askin and myself for breakfast at the Cafe Bellagio.

Tags: Jason Minard, Jeremy Pepper, Chris Brogan, Jonathan Askin, Bloghaus CES, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Rock Hall Class of 2007 includes: R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and the Ronettes

During the past few years I've been a supporter of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and have been fortunate to have a seat at the induction ceremonies at the annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in New York City. ( 2005, 2004 pictures )

Each of these events are totally surrealistic for most people who don't have relatives who are insiders of the music industry. This has become one of the annual events I always look forward to being a part of.

Congratulations go out to the artists, their families and the fans of the artists who will be inducted in the Class of 2007: R.E.M., Van Halen, Patti Smith, Grandmaster Flash and the Ronettes.

Images from past Rock Hall events:

Tags: Rock Hall, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

January 13, 2007

My hidden cost attending Tradeshows and Events: Falling behind on email

While I have been back from CES 2007 for a couple of days, today is the first day that I have the time to sit down, get some coffee, launch PINE and rescan my email inbox and respond to the emails that I may have seen but did not reply to when they hit my Blackberry during the week. What I missed the most during my recent trip were my daily “connected mornings” (where I spend 2-3 hours each day connected to the internet just doing email.) And this isn’t an issue of just being at CES, but being away at any tradeshow or conference.

And for those people who sent me multiple emails during the past week, you should be hearing from me shortly. :)

Tags: email, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

January 12, 2007

At CES Bloggers Ruled at Podtech’s Bloghaus

bub.blicio.us: At CES 2007, Bloggers Rule at Podtech’s Bloghaus

"Traditional press have their press room at the convention center, we have the Bloghaus"

---

And I would have to add there were some great people hanging out in the Bloghaus suite at the Belliago and I appreciated their 24/7 Open Door Policy to members of the Blogosphere.

Tags: voip, Bloghaus CES, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Sunrise / CES 2007

View from my room, Rio Hotel, Las Vegas:

"A different kind of sunrise"

Tags: Las Vegas, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

January 10, 2007

Chris Brogan: Pioneer Rocks Video

"This was the coolest thing I saw at CES. It’s a VIDEO turntable setup from Pioneer, and it was so cool. It let you mix and scratch video sources. I’m told that one model has a composite out, so you could even port your mix to something more recorded and permanent.

But I tell you what: it’s just a cool gadget."

Click To Play

Tags: Chris Brogan, Pioneer, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)

My CES 2007 Moment…

…took place yesterday afternoon at the food court at the Venetian Hotel where I had a chance to catch up with former FCC Chairman Michael Powell and then spend an hour catching up with Vinod Khosla.

Tags: Michael Powell, Vinod Khosla, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

January 09, 2007

Turns out that I am now "Famous in Italy..."

According to Steve Smith, L'espresso provided me some great visibility in Italy after publishing an interview I gave right after VON Italy regarding the future of Video on the Internet.

"Last week the Italian news magazine L’Espresso had a great two page spread interviewing Jeff Pulver about video on the net. It’s part of their annual look ahead issue “Challenges for 2007″ and contains interviews with 15 or 20 visionaries including Steve Jobs, Vint Cerf, Robert Reich, and others."

Steve - thanks for noticing and thanks for sharing the very kind words.

Tags: Video on the Net, L’Espresso, Italy, Allesandro Long,Steve Smith, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

January 08, 2007

@CES -- Waiting to Walk the Show Floor

I'm now in Las Vegas, waiting for the show floor to open up.

Last night I dropped by Bloghaus CES and caught up with a number of people who have shows on Network2. If you are a blogger visiting CES, make it a point to drop by Bloghaus CES and say hi to everyone. There are some great people hanging out in their suite at Belliago.

Tags: voip, Bloghaus CES, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

January 07, 2007

jetblue Travel Tip: Know your Confirmation #

The past couple of times that I have traveled on jetblue I was not able to use the self check-in using my TrueBlue login. The first time this happened it resulted in having to actually having to wait on a line for assistance. The same error happened again to me today when I got to JFK but this time I had my Confirm # with me and a boarding pass printed immediately. I saved at least 15-20 minutes on what looked like a very long line of others who were having the same problem.

Of course all of this could have been avoided if I printed out a boarding pass before I left my home.

Tags: jetBlue, CES

Posted by jeff at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

January 06, 2007

Andy Abramson on CES and "Instant Journalism"

Seems Andy was feeling video inspired this morning with his blog post: "Creative Video Blogging and The New "Instant Journalism".

"With all that is going on this year at CES, an event I'm going to for the next few days it's going to be the independent news sources, not the main stream media where a lot of the "breaking news" and more interesting stories get told. With blogging, podcasting and video blogging from anywhere there's an IP connection, we have entered an era of "Instant Jouralism" and of "just in time" distribution of news content."

---

2007 may very well be the year of the blogger at CES. I'm heading out to CES tomorrow and while I will be mostly there for meetings, I do hope to spend some time walking the show floor and at times being a part of the "Instant Journalism Corps."

Tags: Andy Abramson, CES, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (32)

January 05, 2007

Tom Evslin on Vermont: The First E-State

Tom Evslin: Vermont: The First E-State and More on Vermont, The First E-State.

“Vermont Governor Jim Douglas in his inaugural address today in Montpelier: “I propose that by 2010, Vermont be the nation’s first true ‘e-state’ – the first state to provide universal cellular and broadband coverage everywhere and anywhere within its borders. When you turn on your laptop, you’re connected. When you hit the send button on your cell phone, the call goes through. There would be no more endless downloads, no more hopeless hellos, and no more ‘can you hear me now.’”

If your business or business idea involves serving a fully online population, you should consider field trials here in Vermont; we’re going to be the first “e-state” but the others are sure to follow You might even want to consider locating here. This is already a great place to live; now it’ll have great connectivity as well. You can easily get out of sight of civilization in Vermont; whether you’re also out of touch is your choice.”

---

For the past few years, I’ve looked to Iceland as the place people who had a business idea which involved “living in an always-on world” should locate their businesses. Looks like I soon will have to look no further than Vermont.

As the vision of Vermont Governor Jim Douglas becomes a reality, I expect that in a few years, Vermont will become home to an amazing cottage industry of hi-tech companies.

Vermont is now my favorite State. :)

Tags: Tom Evslin, Vermont, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (36)

Seems Google Adwords Needs a Context Engine too!

Turns out that it isn't just Yahoo! that needs a context sensitive ad delivery system.

Google is serving up Adwords associated with Senator Obama and the Bill Clinton Foundation against a digg story regarding my post yesterday 2008 and the YouTube Presidency.

Tags: Google, AdWords, John Edwards, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (36)

January 01, 2007

So Which Superhero are You?

This morning I was catching up with the blogosphere and saw that a number of people were "superhero tested." Like both Mike Arrington and Jason Calacanis I am also "Green Lantern" but more so with an 85%.

I can deal with being 80% Spider-Man and 80% Hulk but what's up with the 70% Catwoman?
---

Your results:
You are Green Lantern

"Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination"

Green Lantern...85%
Spider-Man...80%
Hulk...80%
Iron Man...75%
Catwoman...70%
Superman...65%
The Flash...45%
Batman...40%
Robin...40%
Supergirl...30%
Wonder Woman...15%

---

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Tags: Mike Arrington, Green Lantern, Jason Calacanis, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Sunrise over Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Happy New Year from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida!

Tags: Happy New Year, 2007, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Happy New Year 2007!

Happy New Year!

Best Wishes to everyone for 2007!

Tags: Happy New Year, 2007, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

December 30, 2006

2006 Year End Questions:

No, this is not another game of blog-tag; but I am looking for short comments about the following points for 2006:

1. Most Useful application
2. Best Web site
3. Worst Web site
4. Hottest Trend
5. Favorite Gadget

Please feel free to either leave your comments here or drop me a note at: jeffp@pulver.com

Thanks!

Tags: blog-tag, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (48)

December 28, 2006

Say Goodbye to Connexion and Blogging at 35,000 Feet

Since the Connexion in-flight Internet service will be terminated on December 30th, the El Al flight that I am about to board is my last chance to air-blog for the foreseeable future. Having access to the Internet has had a positive effect on my own air travel and I hold out hope that someone will come to the rescue at the last minute.

Some past air-blog posts:

May 20, 2005: Flying to Stockholm with Internet Access...
May 20, 2005: Just had my first Skype Call at 35,000 feet!
Jan 2, 2006: Flying to New York with Internet Access and Cable TV!

Tags: connexion, air-blogging, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

December 27, 2006

Hard to be “On Vacation” in Tel Aviv:

Tomorrow morning I will be leaving Israel after having spent a week in Tel Aviv “on vacation.” The thing is, while it is never really easy for me to ever be “on vacation” regardless wherever I travel to, it is especially hard for me to be “on vacation” in Tel Aviv as I am friendly with more people in Tel Aviv than in New York or in any other city in the world.

There are not too many places outside of Tel Aviv or Silicon Valley where one can walk into a hotel lobby and meet any number of successful hi-tech serial entrepreneurs. I was reminded of this fact every morning when I walked into our hotel lobby.

While I haven’t left yet, I already have spent time planning my return trips to Israel in 2007. I know I will be back in March 2007 for KinnerNet, in June for VON Israel and in August for a special musical event which will be announced in the near future.

In the early 90s the Hi-Tech industry of Israel took the lead in the IP Communications space when they were the first to successfully commercialize the VoIP space. I fully expect the Israel Hi-Tech sector will have an equal if not more significant role in the evolution of TV/IP during 2007.

Tags: Israel, VoIP, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Stormy Day in Tel Aviv:

(hail)

Tags: Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Lizard from Afar:

Photo taken in Kfar Chabad in one of the Chabad's Children of Chernobyl classrooms.

Tags: Kfar Chabad, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

December 26, 2006

Yahoo! "Sponsored Ads" Needs a Context Relevancy Engine:

I just visited the Videoblogging discussion list page on Yahoo! which includes a reference to FireAnt in the sentence: "Use FireAnt or mefeedia to subscribe to and watch other people's work. Don't forget to comment and link to the videos you like."

But what caught my attention were the ads at the bottom of the page.

---

YAHOO! SPONSOR RESULTS

Fire Ants Terminated Naturally - Use kleen free enzymes to drench fire ants mounds. Super concentrated natural enzyme make ants vanish. No more toxins, no more poisons, no more ants.
www.naturalginesis.com

Fire Ant First Aid Cream - Effective relief for fire ant bites. 30 day money back guarantee. We can eliminate nasty blisters when properly applied. Natural ingredients. Finally relief for fire ant stings.
hortonsfarm.com

Fire Ant - Save on Fire Ant. Compare Products, Prices and Stores.
www.dealtime.com

---

Hummm....somehow I think the people who are visiting this page may be interested in alternative ways to watch internet videos and most likely have little interest or problems with real Fireants.

Tags: videoblogging, Yahoo!, fireant, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

December 25, 2006

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes for the holiday season to the readers of this blog.

Best regards, Jeff

Posted by jeff at 10:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (19)

Off-Road Driving in the Golan Heights:

A couple of days ago I visited Northern Israel and spent time in the back of a 4x4 for a drive across the Golan Heights. After experiencing the steep slopes and elevated views we continued driving to Metula and the former site of "The Good Fence."

View from Golan Heights
Former Syrian Bunker

@ Syrian Border

@ Lebanese border

Tags: Golan Heights, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

December 24, 2006

Blog-Tag: Making the Rounds on TV Station websites around the USA...

Little did I realize that when I first posted about blog-tag as "a game for a Virtual Cocktail Party" at 6.13 am on a Sunday morning two weeks ago when I was on Long Island that the game would be gaining momentum across the Blogosphere and still be played two weeks later when I was visiting Tel Aviv.

I've enjoyed watching this social sculpture evolve and grow into something much bigger than I ever imagined it would be.

Yesterday I received a Google News alert that I should have paid more attention to. It seems that there is a story about this version of Blog-Tag that has been reported on the websites of TV stations from around the United States including: WPXI, KPRC, KIRO, KTVU, WSOC, WHIO, WSB, WRTV, WDIV, KERO, WJAX, KMGH, KSAT, WFTV, KGTV, WEWS, WRC, WISN, WJAC, KXAS, KSBW, KNBC, KCRA, WMAQ, KFOX, KMBC, WBAL, WESH, WTOV, KNTV, KRXI, KETV, KCCI, WTAE, WISC.

For those of you who haven't been tagged yet and would like to play along, I encourage you to start your own game and join this evolving social sculpture.

Tags: Rick Ellis, Blog-Tag, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

From Jerusalem: Lifeline for the Old (Yad Lakashish):

Earlier today I visited with Nava Ein-Mor who is the Executive Director of Lifeline for the Old, also known as Yad Lakashish.

I first met Nava a year ago and published the following account in this blog:

---

After visiting Yad Lakashish, I was a bit taken back by the tireless efforts of Nava and all of the volunteers in Jerusalem who give their time and expertise to this organization whose mission is to provide a "Lifeline" for the elderly of Israel. In essence, every day, Nava's team gives a quite number of elderly people a reason to get up in the morning and a place to go and share their artistic talents in a productive and meaningful way. While I was not aware of the work of Yad Lakashish until yesterday, this organization has been servicing the elderly of Israel since 1962.

"Lifeline's philosophy and programs are based on the principles that through work, purposeful recreation and activities of self-help can the elderly and disabled lead a life of meaning and dignity. Founded in 1962, Lifeline is a voluntary community agency in Jerusalem that integrates the needy elderly and disabled, especially recent immigrants, into the mainstream of Israeli society.

Presently, several hundred men and women come to Lifeline daily from all over Jerusalem. They are from varied ethnic and social backgrounds, speaking many languages, and include immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Ethiopia and South America. All the elderly workers receive a small stipend for their work and benefit from a wide-ranging social support network. A unique feature of Lifeline's programs is the unrestricted acceptance of individuals, regardless of their difficulties and problems, and the emphasis on adapting the work environment to the capacities and limitations of each individual. “

In my tour of the workshops I saw quite a number of people working on various products, all of whose projects end up for sale in the Yad Lakashish gift shop. After being around since 1962, I was surprised that this organization hasn’t gotten more recognition from the outside world. I was told that part of this had to do with the fact that they were a “private charity.” I have to believe that the work they are doing reflects a model that can be used as a reference for others to serve the needs of the elderly in other cities around the world. To learn more about the work of Lifeline, you can visit their website.

---

Well, another year has gone by and the work at Yad Lakashish has continued. The next time you visit Jerusalem, please add Yad Lakashish to one of the places you plan to visit. And when you visit, please ask for Nava and tell her, "Jeff sent you."

Tags: Israel, charity, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

December 23, 2006

Images from in and around Jerusalem:

Tags: Jerusalem, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Seen in Jerusalem: Blair Levin

Ever have one of those days when you ran into the same person in different places around town? Yesterday was my day with Blair Levin as I ran into Blair and his family four different times during the course of the day yesterday in and around Jerusalem. Call it what you will but it was a little too coincidental for it to be anything less than "interesting" for me.

Tags: Blair Levin, Jerusalem, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

December 22, 2006

Our Game of Blog-Tag now extends 18 Generations!

Phoneboy sent me a heads up that the genegology of one of his branches in our game of blog-tag has now reached 18 Generations!

Pretty amazing...

Happy Holidays to all!

Tags: PhoneBoy, Blog-Tag Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

December 21, 2006

CatBlogging (again) at 35,000 Feet; Flying over the Atlantic to Israel

Once again I'm online while I'm in transit to Israel using the Connexion in-flight Internet service.

While it is great to be connected to the net, there is something to be said about sleeping at some point during this 10 hour flight. ;-)

Tags: connexion, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

December 20, 2006

Blog-Tag: Start your own Virtual Cocktail Party in the Blogosphere

After since announcing this version of “Blog-Tag” ten days ago, the game has taken on a life of its own after first “tagging” friends representing people in the Voice and Video side of the Blogosphere. Two days after the game started Dave Gale started a rogue offshoot in another corner of the Blogosphere To date, well over 100 people have played the game and it has been a great way to get to know something more about the people we read daily and relate to in the Blogosphere.

And now that we are in the middle of the holiday season, even if you haven’t been tagged, why not go out and start your own game amongst your friends? There is no need for you to wait to get tagged yourself in order to play the game. Just take the lead and see where it goes. You may be surprised as you watch the genealogy of the game as it evolves.

To play, simply share five things about yourself that relatively few people know, and then tag five other bloggers to be "it." Turns out to be more effective if you also email the people who you are tagging so that they know they were tagged

For example, five more things that relatively few people know about me:

- pulverradio is the only Internet-Only Radio station that uses Selector.

- When I was 11 years old I was the youngest comic book “dealer” at a comic book show at the Hotel Mcalpin in NYC. First TV interview took place at the same venue and was done by Judy Licht when she worked for WNEW-TV

- I started a DJ Entertainment company when I was in high school. I can still hear some of those 80s music mixes in my head.

- When the world was going nuts over the Sony PS3, I went out and purchased my first PS2 just the other week so that we could play Guitar Hero in my office.

- When I grow up I hope to be more like Yossi Vardi.

Five people who I would like to see join our game of blog-tag include: Mike Arrington, Mark Cuban, Fred Seibert, Ted Leonsis and Alan Meckler. Happy Holiday’s to all of you, as you are now “It!”

Tags: Dave Gale, Mike Arrnington, Mark Cuban, Ted Leonsis, Fred Seibert, Alan Mecker, Blog-Tag, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

December 19, 2006

Jeff Pulver RESTORED in Wikipedia

During the past 24 hours the Jeff Pulver entry in Wikipedia was first removed and then recreated during the course of the day.

Special thanks to everyone who helped get my name restored.

Tags: Wikipedia, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

Jeff Pulver REMOVED from Wikipedia!

Well, sometime during the past six hours, someone removed the Jeff Pulver entry in Wikipedia.

While I wasn't the one who created the entry in Wikipedia, I've enjoyed being listed in it since January 2005.

Sometime yesterday someone requested that I should be "speedily deleted" from it. And now I'm gone.

Tags: Wikipedia, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (35)

Somebody is trying to delete Jeff Pulver from Wikipedia!

While I wasn't the one who created the Jeff Pulver entry in Wikipedia, I just noticed that someone recently requested that I should be "speedily deleted" from it. I hope this just an oversight.

Tags: Wikipedia, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)

December 17, 2006

Dave, it really only does take one tag (or 5):

The game of Blog-tag that I started over a week ago is still going strong in various parts of the blogosphere. Two days after my game started on December 10th, Dave Gale started his own version on December 12th. Michael Jensen has been closely tracking the genealogy of Dave's game of blog tag and has published and is maintaining this blog-tag tree.

Dave Gale: it only takes one tag (or 5)...

"Amazing how an action, like the well used analogy of the stone lobbed into a pond) can ripple out far into the world - in this case, across the blogosphere. On a whim, I started a rogue offshoot (Sorry if a I screwed up the exercise for you Jeff, but could not resist) of a game started in another corner of the blogosphere...Most people I see have good humouredly entered into the spirit of the game, and I am now have a slightly better insight into the soul as well as the brain behind the words I read on some blogs."

Tags: Dave Gale, Blog-Tag Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (16)

December 16, 2006

Things to do in a Diner: Work on the Pitch

And in the case of Chris Brogan, Jonathan Askin and myself, a place to work on the Network2 Pitch.

(photos by: Geo Geller)

Tags: NYC, Network2, Chris Brogan, Jonathan Askin, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

15 Dec 2006: 4:29:47 PM on the LIE

A view from the road:

Heading West near exit 43.

Tags: LIE, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

December 15, 2006

The Cheyenne Diner / NYC: My "Office" for Dec 14 2006

After the NY:MIEG breakfast, a few of us ended up spending the day in Manhattan. And as usual, we adopted a local diner and made it our own. Yesterdays "office of the day" was the Cheyenne Diner on 9th and 33rd street. Not all that close to where the breakfast took place but across the street from one of the "must visit" spots in NYC - B&H Photo.

(photos by: Geo Geller)

Tags: NYC, NY:MIEG, Chris Brogan, Jonathan Askin, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

December 14, 2006

Next speaking Gig: DLD Conference in Munich January 21-23

I was recently invited to speak at the 2007 DLD Conference taking place in Munich, Germany January 21-23, 2007.

"DLD is an exchange between international thinkers, leaders, visionaries, entrepreneurs, designers and artists. We will talk about changes in markets, society and personal lifestyle caused by the next decade's central fields of innovation."

Many of the people speaking at this event will also be seen at Davos a few days later. I expect this will be a great event.

---

Tags: DLD, Munich, Davos, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

December 13, 2006

My Game of "Blog-Tag" Continues...11 Generations so far and still going...

Since starting the game on Sunday morning at 6am EST, it has been great watching quite a number of people join our virtual cocktail party. So..Thank You! To date, I've been watching the genealogy of the blog-tags evolve and at the moment it seems that in one circumstance the blog-tag chain has evolved for 11 generations.

Jeff Pulver-->Andy Abramson-->Peter Csathy-->Luca Filigheddu-->PhoneBoy-->Irwin Lazar-->Peter O'Kelly-->Karen Hobart-->Richard Monson-Haefel-->Pete Lacey-->Anil John-->Brenda Michelson --->????

It is great to see this "social experience" gain momentum and get a life of its own. It has also been a great way to get to know some of the many bloggers that I have been reading over the past few years.

Special thanks to everyone in each of the blog-tag legs of this for taking the time to share some information about yourself and for finding other bloggers to nominate to keep this moving forward.

Tags: Andy Abramson, Peter Csathy, Luca Filigheddu, PhoneBoy, Irwin Lazar, Peter O'Kelly, Karen Hobart, Richard Monson-Haefel, Peter Lacey, Anil John, Brenda Michelson, Blog-Tag Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

December 12, 2006

Use FeedBlitz and Receive my Blog Posts via email

At the suggestion of Tom Evslin, a few months ago I started using FeedBlitz.

Readers of my blog can now fill out the form below and subscribe to this blog.

Enter your Email


Preview | Powered by FeedBlitz

Just another way to make sure you are keeping in sync with these posts.

Tags: FeedBlitz, Tom Evslin, VoIP, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

December 11, 2006

My Game of Blog-Tag - 24 Hours Later...

My post yesterday regarding "Blog-Tag" has been an interesting social experiment that has most definitely taken on a life of its own. As of this moment, I've seen the blog-tagging reach out as far as 5 generations:

Jeff-->Andy Abramson-->Peter Csathy-->Luca Filigheddu--->Pat Phelan--->Michael Cerda-->

Another set of Blog-Tag links have gone 4 generations so far:

Jeff-->Steve Garfield-->Zadi Diaz--->Casey McKinnon-->Michael Tyas-->

And I have confidence that some of others identified in this game of Blog-Tag who are not 24/7 bloggers will catch up over the next few days.

In the process I've learned something about the people who responded to being tagged.

So, in an effort to give back, here are 3 more things that few people know about Jeff:

1. I am a gainfully unemployed accountant. And I managed to never get involved with the paperwork associated with an audit even though I worked for a public accounting firm for a few years. And that was a good thing for everyone.

2. I still use VI to edit web pages. Such is life.

3. It was VoIP that replaced my obsession with Spreadsheet development and design.

And since I shared some more information about myself, I'm reaching out to include one more person in this iteration of the game, Mike Arrington.Mike, consider yourself It!.

Tags: Andy Abramson, Steve Garfield, Mike Arrington, Peter Csathy, Michael Tyas, Michael Cerda, Luca Filigheddu, Pat Phelan, Zadi Diaz, Casey McKinnon, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (45)

December 10, 2006

Another Kind of Pod:

As in “Portable On Demand Storage”

(Taken in Remsenburg, New York)

Tags: Pod, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Blog-Tag: A Game for a Virtual Cocktail Party

As a blogger, people may know you, but how good does anyone ever really know anyone? During the past few weeks I've attended a number of charity events in and around New York City and I've run into people who otherwise would be total strangers to me except for the fact that they recognized me from my blog and spoke to me as if they knew me. Most of the time they picked a relevant topic of conversation based on what I had recently blogged about and kept me engaged in an idle chit-chat.

And this experience put me down a path of thinking about some of the people I only know of in the blogosphere and for a moment I looked at them as under developed characters in a novel. And I asked myself, "How would we get to learn some additional information about these characters?" And then I stumbled upon a bubble of people talking about "Blog-Tag."

Turns out there is a game of Blog-Tag going around the blogosphere in which bloggers are sharing five things about themselves that relatively few people know, and then tagging five other bloggers to be "it."

While I'm not sure how open some of my Blogosphere friends are to a game of Blog-Tag but here goes:

[Five things about Jeff that relatively few people know:]

1. While I'm not an avid reader of novels, when I do read, chances are that I'm reading something from Michael Crichton or John Grisham.
2. Years before getting involved with VoIP, I was the CEO of a software company which published Fixed-Income Software.
3. I had a walk-on role on two TV shows: Spin City and Law and Order. And you can look for me in a future episode of Medium.
4. Three Broadcast/Cable TV Shows that matter to me these days are: Heros, House and Entourage.
5. Three of my own favorite quotes are: "You can outsource many things but you can not outsource fun!", "If you don't ask, the answer is No!", "Being Lucky is OK!"

Now it's my turn to tag!

Andy Abramson, Steve Garfield, Andrew Baron, Justin Kownacki, Jacob Ner David...Your It!

Tags: Andy Abramson, Steve Garfield, Andrew Baron, Justin Kownacki, Jacob Ner David, Jeff Pulver

###

Posted by jeff at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (29)

December 06, 2006

Will Smith on Luck:

From USA Today, December 6, 2006:

"What we call luck, what we call chance, is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. If you stay ready, you ain't gotta get ready." - Will Smith

Tags: Will Smith

Posted by jeff at 10:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (36)

December 02, 2006

eWeek: A Comdex Hangover

eWeek: A Comdex Hangover

"Opinion: You don't have Comdex to kick around anymore. But don't you wish you did? Here's wishing the big enterprise trade show will rise again.

Was there something missing from your technology experience last week? Did you get the strange feeling that you should really be wandering around garish, over-the-top trade booths listening to vendors spew promise after false promise?

Did you think that the only appropriate way to get from one convention site to another was to wait in a cab line for an hour? And did you think that what was really missing from your week was walking from booth to booth with the type of massive hangover that only cheap booze, endless buffets and clockless casinos can produce?

You were clearly suffering from the Demise of Comdex dementia, which—although lessening with each passing year—is still upon us.

I was reminded once again of the departure of Comdex a week earlier when, on a late-evening and much-delayed JetBlue shuttle from New York to Boston, I had a brief meeting with fellow delayed flier Jason Chudnofsky..."

Tags: VoIP, VON, pulvermedia, Jason Chudnofsky, Comdex, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)

November 30, 2006

6:30 to 8:00 AM: My Most Consistently “Connected” Part of the Business Day

While this is relative to my physical location of being “somewhere” on the East Coast of the USA, I have been finding that I’m the most productive on email each business morning between 6:30 am to around 8.00 am. For whatever the reason, the people with whom I have a need to communicate with in the morning are mostly “always on” people and each day on average around 100 emails are sent both ways during this time frame.

These days I try to check email 15-18 hours a day. But when I am tied up in meetings or in transit, I am generally only able to scan emails and I reply only later in the day during a quiet moment. And while I am not a fan of having to “time shift and place shift” my email writing, I do so out of business necessity. So, it is only in the morning that I’m able to just about be 100% online all the time, every day (even on weekends). People who know me can bet that I’m getting their early morning emails and when a response is in order, they get their replies from me usually in a lightning fast manner; This in turn changes the metaphor and emails move from being lengthy to becoming most chat like in nature.

One part of the early morning on-line experience that I enjoy is on any given weekday, as soon as I’m awake, I find myself communicating with people on the West Coast who are the night-owls, communicating with the early risers on the East Coast as well as friends in Europe who are in the middle of the business day, generally online and available to communicate.

And it is in between these morning messages that I’m generally focused on creating my first blog entries for the day. So the internal pressure mounts if I get too engaged on email and I haven’t allocated enough time to focus on my blog.

Being online in the morning brings back memories of operating my Ham Radio in the early morning back late 70s and early 80s. Back then the people whom I was able to speak with were dependant upon the ham band that I was on and things like: the position of the sun, the state of the sunspot cycle and other things that effectet ionosphere conditions like the time of year. So in reality, I know I have been communicating in the early morning hours for a good part of my life. It is just that the default channel for communication has moved from my ham radio to the Internet. Oh, and the context of the communication has changed from communication between radio enthusiasts to mostly business communication.

Tags: Ham Radio, email, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

November 26, 2006

Sunset over Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

"Catblogging" continues from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Tags: Sunset, Florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

What do people do with Business Cards these days?

Do people scan business cards, collect them, or just throw them away? And how many people really care about the street address of where the person is from? How often is it that we are sending letters to a location rather than sending an email, SMS or just calling the person? Should more people include their IM identity? Wouldn’t it be great if people noted on the back of their cards where we met and what the context was so we didn’t have to remember ourselves? Or even better, could share their preferred method and means of communication?

How often do we exchange cards with someone and never look at their card again? But we continue to exchange cards out of politeness and business etiquette. How long will this continue?

Yet, over the years, one of the first things someone requests after joining pulver.com is “a business card.”

For me, every few months I seem to accumulate some of the higher profile business cards of the people whom I’ve met in my analog PDA (my wallet) and the rest seem to be scattered amongst my bags, desks, drawers and where I happen to be at any given moment. And then when I go on vacation and I am looking for something to do, I “reboot” my wallet and think about the ongoing usefulness of business cards.

Tags: Business Cards, cardscan, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)

November 25, 2006

Sunrise over Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

"Catblogging" from Sunny Isles Beach, Florida

Tags: Sunrise, Florida, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

November 24, 2006

Still Looking for a post-Thanksgiving “Black Friday” on the Net:

In the United States, while the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the largest retail shopping day of the year, my bet is that within a year or two, this spike in sales traffic will move even more significantly to the Internet.

Now while I am pretty confident there will always be some group of people (including some relatives of mine) who seem to have nothing better to do with their time then to wake up before dawn and drive to various retail stores, then proceed to wait in long lines for the stores to open, personally I try to do everything I can to avoid the traffic, the people, and the really long lines.

The challenge for the retailers will be to find a way to report daily retail internet sales in a way that can be monitored and measured just as easily as what happens when a TV station sends a lazy reporter to a shopping mall and then reports on the buzz of crowds in the stores and how busy the parking lot looks. Otherwise, as we reach the tipping point for retail sales on the Internet, the media may misinterpret what it means when there are smaller crowds in the shopping malls on “Black Friday.”

Welcome to “Black Friday” on the Net. Now you can just stay at home and shop. Enjoy!

Tags: Black Friday, Thanksgiving, shopping, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (52)

November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving Day in the United States is a day that I’ve traditionally known as a day where: families gathered, upon reflection we offer thanks, the day I listen to "Alice's' Restaurant", a festive holiday meal is shared, and a time to watch a football game or two.

Looking back at 2006, the Worldwide IP Communications Industry has a lot to be thankful for and I can’t help but appreciate how much has changed in a good way during the past twelve months. Of course with our worldwide growth, does come the continued challenges. I can only imagine how interesting and exciting the next twelve months are most likely going to be. I've also enjoyed watching the world of Video on the Net come of age during 2006.

Today is also one of those days when I really miss members of my own extended family who used to be there to share in our Thanksgiving Day festivities.

Happy Thanksgiving Day to All!

Tags: voip, thanksgiving, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

November 22, 2006

Dave Marsden's Thanksgiving Blog on pulverradio

pulverradio: Thanksgiving

"It’s time for Thanksgiving! For you does that mean line-ups at the airport? Or spending hours in the kitchen getting everything prepared for your friends and/or family? Perhaps it’s about getting up really early in the morning to stand in line to buy something for a ridiculously low price? For others its about football.

Whatever Thanksgiving is for you please don’t forget that the holiday is called Thanksgiving. So go ahead and give some. We’ve all heard about the stuff we have, that we should give thanks for. But that always sounds so maudlin to me. You have things to give thanks for - so I won’t be reminding you what that stuff is. But I will remind you to says thanks for something.

Mostly I hope you will each say Thanks to someone you love. Those we love play such important roles in our lives and way to often we forget to say thanks. We say how much we love each other but this is a great time to say thanks. Thanks to the person for just being. Sometimes its just nice to hear and nicer to say..."

Tags: Dave Marsden, pulverradio, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Children at Heart: Pier 60 NYC (Nov 20, 2006)

The other night I attended with my family "Children at Heart" at Pier 60 in New York City which was a gala fundraiser in support of Chabad's Children of Chernobyl.

To date, during the past twenty years, Children of Chernobyl has been able to save the lives over 2,500 children. The funds raised Monday night will help treat and care for another 100 children.

Steven Spielberg and his family have been one of the driving forces of the organization over the years and it was great to see him and his family at the event Monday night.

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg and family

Nancy Spielberg

Cindy Adams

Judge Judy

Jon Voight

(photos by: Jeff, Jake and Dylan Pulver)

Tags: Steven Spielberg, Children of Chernobyl, Children at Heart, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

November 21, 2006

Still Searching for a Viral Marketing Expert..

I still have an immediate need to hire an expert in viral marketing for one of the companies that I am currently incubating at pulver.com in Melville, New York.

If you are a known Viral Marketing Expert or have played one on TV, or can recommend someone, please drop me a note. Thanks!

Tags: Viral Marketing, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

November 19, 2006

Two Events, Two Nights. TechCrunch NYC and pulver.com/Network2

This past week, on back-to-back nights I attended two "networking" events in Manhattan. One that I co-hosted with Chris Brogan on behalf of pulver.com/Network2 and the other where I was a guest at TechCrunch NYC.

Looking back on our event, since the core focus was to facilitate networking with the people who were there, I made it a point when we first got to Proof to ask the manager to turn off the music playing in the background and to bring up the lights as far as they could go. This approach worked well for a while, until the noise from the people networking became a background roar on its own...but at least we tried to adjust the setting for the environment we wanted to have.

The following night I made the trek back into Manhattan on a rainy night to go with Chris Brogan to the TechCrunch NYC Meetup at BED New York. BED was an interesting choice of a venue for a tech networking party. Within a few minutes of arriving I realized it was going to be a different kind of networking event since the lights were dim and the background music was playing pretty loud in the foreground. Looking around the room, two sides of the room were full with people giving pitches of their web 2.0 products from their PCs. This turned out to be the reason why there were so many PR folks in the room...they were there to support their clients. While I wasn't sure who else I would see at the TechCrunch party, within minutes of arriving I ran into Kevin Werbach. Moments later I caught up with Ken Berger and then Brooke Hammerling who was the first of a few PR executives whom I met during the night. While I was there I briefly met Mike Arrington and ran into about a dozen or so people who I had just met the night before at my event. Seems there are communities of people who enjoy going to NYC tech events…

The positive side of the blaring music was that I couldn't hear the people who were giving their pitches as I walked right past them in the room. And the room was so dark in places that I doubt anyone even noticed that I was there. On the plus side, everyone who I did meet who was pitching a web 2.0 product or service said they were having a great evening and they were happy to be there. Very hard to argue with happy customers. :)

Before leaving, I caught up with Frank Gruber and Eric Olson who produced the very successful TECH Cocktail 2 in Chicago last month. And I guess I also met was spotted by someone named Kevin because he mentioned me in his blog.

Tags: Chris Brogan, Kevin Werbach, Tech Crunch, Ken Berger, Brooke Hammerling, Mike Arrington, Jeff Pulver, Frank Gruber , Eric Olson

Posted by jeff at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

So Who Writes Memos Anymore....

…besides Brad Garlinghouse? (“WSJ: The 'Peanut Butter Manifesto'”)

Interesting move by Brad. And how exactly does such a memo get “leaked” to the Wall Street Journal?

Tags: Yahoo!, Brad Garlinghouse, Jeff Pulver, Peanut Butter

Posted by jeff at 08:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

November 18, 2006

Guitar Hero II: Rocks Until Your Fingers Fall Off

Quad-City Times: ‘Guitar Hero II' rocks until your fingers fall off

'Anyone could tell this was “Guitar Hero II” week just from my groans of pain as I attempted to use my stiff and sore fingers in everyday tasks.

“Guitar Hero II” is so good that I played for four hours straight the first night, and as a result crippled use of my fingers for a good two days. Even my leg muscles were sore from standing up while “strumming” the guitar controller.

The sequel to “Guitar Hero” takes everything that made the first game great and expands on it to make it even greater, so that a little pain is worth it.'

-----

The writer of the story above could have been me. I've been playing Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II non-stop since returning from my trip last week.

This was the week that I introduced Guitar Hero II in my office and this morning my fingers are also feeling the effects of it. Playing Guitar Hero all day does take its toll...

I strongly recommend Guitar Hero as a way for people to get "aerobic exercise" who normally don't get involved any other form of exercise.

Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero II are one of the most fun and addictive games I've ever been involved with. I highly recommend it for any would be rocker in the Blogosphere.

Tags: Guitar Hero, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 07:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

November 17, 2006

The Other Night at Madison Square Garden: Knicks vs. Wizards

A couple of nights ago a friend of mine made me an offer I couldn’t refuse – courtside tickets at Madison Square Garden next to the Knicks bench for a game against the Wizards. Watching the game from courtside provided a much different perspective of the game and there were a few times it felt like we were in the game. (Thanks again Chris!)

The Knicks beat the Wizards 102 to 82.

Below are some of the images captured by my Nikon D70:

Tags: neulion, Chris Brogan, Knicks, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

November 14, 2006

In Search of…A Viral Marketing Expert

Turns out that I have an immediate need to hire an expert in viral marketing for one of the companies that I am currently incubating at pulver.com in Melville, New York.

If you are a known Viral Marketing Expert or have played one on TV, or can recommend someone, please drop me a note. Thanks!

Tags: Viral Marketing, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

November 13, 2006

pulver.com / Network2 Networking Event in NYC on Nov 15th

pulver.com and Network2 are hosting a Networking event in NYC on Nov 15th at the Proof Bar & Lounge from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

If you will be in NYC on Nov 15th and would like to meet with people interested in the state of Video and TV on the Net, please join us. To RSVP, please click here.

Tags: network2.tv, video on the net, VON, network2, Network2, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Chris Brogan Recaps Podcamp Pittsburgh:

Chris Brogan: PodCamp Pittsburgh After the Fact

"Justin Kownacki of Something to be Desired and his fine team of helpers pulled it off in style. The event knows as PodCamp Pittsburgh was a raving success as far as I’m concerned. From the first pre-pre event meal at a little Mexican hole in the wall to the official meet and greet at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, to the actual PodCamp sessions, this went well."

(photos by Chris Brogan)

Tags: Chris Brogan, podcamp, podcamp pittsburgh, Justin Kownacki, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

November 11, 2006

Seems so far Away from New York...

Taken only a week ago in the Judean Desert:

Jeff and the Camels

(Taken by Jacob Ner David)

Tags: Judean Desert, Israel, Jeff Pulver, Jacob Ner David, Lior Lifshitz

Posted by jeff at 05:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (48)

My Favorite Video Game: Guitar Hero II

During my recent trip to Israel, while attending a “Garage-LAN-Party” I had a chance to get addicted to playing Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero offers those who play a “guitar karaoke” experience and will bring out the best “Air Guitar” in most players. While I was away, Guitar Hero II was released and this is the only game getting any playing time on my PS2.

For someone who has been hosting “Karaoke Fridays” in their office for the past couple of summers, Guitar Hero has found a new home.

Tags: Guitar Hero, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

November 10, 2006

2006 FourSquare Conference: An Interesting Place to Be

The FourSquare Conference was everything I had hoped it would be and more.

I enjoyed reading Andrew Sorkin's accurate accounting of this years's FourSquare Conference in the New York Times story he wrote. I also enjoyed catching up with Andrew as the last time we met was right before the Bill Gates Keynote at COMDEX in 2001 when Andrew was writing a profile of Fred Rosen.

While the entire event was "off the record", the only session that was "on the record" was the final session during lunch yesterday when Katie Coric interviewed Jerry Seinfeld and Howard Stringer.

Tags: FoureSquare, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

November 08, 2006

Yossi Vardi Hosts a Gathering at Telecom Israel 2006:

Yesterday Yossi Vardi moderated a panel at Telecom Israel 2006 on “Digital Content” that included: Gary Shainberg, BT; Amit Shafrir AOL; Fernando Alfaro Aguila-Real falfar, BankInter Group and myself.

Of all the panels and sessions that I can ever remembering participating in during the past 10+ years, yesterday’s session stands out because the session was so full that we ended up with more people sitting on the floor than those who sat in chairs. (see pictures below). Overall there was a pretty amazing vibe in the room and Yossi hosted quite the memorable gathering.

Nimrod and Yossi

Tags: VoIP, Telecom Israel, Yossi Vardi, Tel Aviv, Israel, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Seen at Telecom Israel 2006 (07-Nov-06):

Yesterday I spent the day at Telecom Israel 2006. While I was there, I took part in a very special panel discussion lead by Yossi Vardi, walked the show floor, had a few meetings and was interviewed live on the Internet by Israel High Tech.tv.

Communications Minister Atias
Yossi Vardi
Martine Lapierre
Alon Barnea
Yaakov Ringler
Lior Lifshitz and Jacob Ner David
Avi Hasson
Yosi Turkaspa
Sandy Hammer, Erez Manhaimer and Sagi Rubin
Klieger (center)
Jonathan Canis + friend
Gilli "The Ambassador"
Gary Shainberg
Effi Atad
Avi Gabbai
Fred Pulver (cousin)

Tags: VoIP, Tel Aviv, Israel,

Posted by jeff at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Jacob Ner David: Water, Water, Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink!

Jacob Ner David: Water, Water, Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink!

"...Jeff and I tried to go on-line from the conference floor with my laptop (so he could update his blog...), and an incredible thing happened. I "saw" literally over 20 WiFi networks running in the conference room, and a good 5-6 unsecured, but I could log on to stable IP connection from a single one -- and Jeff remarked, wow, in the middle of the ocean of technology but no "water" to drink. How true."

(posted @ 35,000 ft on return flight from Tel Aviv)

Tags: Israel, Jeff Pulver, Jacob Ner David

Posted by jeff at 12:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Blogging at 35,000 Feet; Flying over Atlantic

While the Connexion in-flight Internet service will be terminated on December 30th, having access to the service influenced my decision in which airline to fly on my return flight back to the States.

Tags: connexion, Jeff Pulver

(c) 2006 Jeff Pulver. All Rights Reserved.

Posted by jeff at 12:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

November 06, 2006

Next Stop: Tel Aviv (via Frankfurt)

In an hour I will be taking a flight from Berlin to Frankfurt and then from Frankfurt to Tel Aviv for the final leg of this road trip.

I am looking forward to catching up with friends in Tel Aviv tonight and speaking at Telecom Israel 2006 on Tuesday. On Tuesday night I will be returning back to the States to attend the Foursquare conference in New York City on Wednesday and Thursday.

Tags: VoIP, Tel Aviv, Israel,

Posted by jeff at 04:02 AM | Permalink

November 05, 2006

Jacob Ner David joins the Blogosphere:

My friend Jacob Ner David runs a "seed stage" Venture Fund called Jerusalem Capital. (I happen to be one of his investors.) Jacob has recently joined the Blogosphere. Hey Jacob, Welcome Aboard! :)

I first met Jacob back in September, 1996 when he was responsible for co-founding the first Internet Telephony Service Provider, Deltathree.

Jacob Ner David

Tags: Israel, Jeff Pulver, Jacob Ner David, Lior Lifshitz

Posted by jeff at 06:13 AM | Permalink

November 04, 2006

Off-Road Driving in the Judean Desert:

After week full of meetings, it was suggested by my friends Jacob Ner David and Lior Lifshitz of Jerusalem Capital to take a few hours and join them in some off-net, off-road driving in the Jeudean Desert. After having my first Off-Road driving experience with Ami Giniger last weekend in Rosh Pina, I thought it would be cool to follow that up with a drive in the desert and a stop for some desert espresso.

Jeff and the Camels

Jacob Ner David
Lior Lifshitz

Tags: Judean Desert, Israel, Jeff Pulver, Jacob Ner David, Lior Lifshitz

Posted by jeff at 02:32 AM | Permalink

November 01, 2006

Matt Lauzon and Jason Reuben: One of Business Week’s Best Young Entrepreneurs under 25

Congrats to my friends, Matt Lauzon and Jason Reuben of the Babson College on-campus startup online retailer of certified diamonds and customized fine jewelry, known as “Paragon Lake." They have just been recognized by BusinessWeek as one of their Best Young Entrepreneurs.

Matt and Jason are amongst 25 young entrepreneurs who can be voted on on the BusinessWeek website as the "25 Best under 25."

Please take a look at all of the companies that made the BusinessWeek list and cast your vote.

Tags: Paragon Lake, Matt Lauzon, Jason Reuben, Babson College, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 30, 2006

Meeting with MICE Start-ups in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

Since arriving in Israel last Thursday, I have spent the majority of my time meeting with startups across the world of Media / Internet / Communications / Entertainment (MICE). Innovation is alive and well here in Israel.

Tags: MICE, VoIP, Israel, Video on the Net, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 11:16 PM | Permalink

October 29, 2006

Images from the 2006 Rosh Pina TV and Film Festival (28-Oct-06):

Yesterday at the Rosh Pina TV and Film Festival:

Tags: Rosh Pina, Israel, TV Festival, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 28, 2006

Off Road Driving with Ami Giniger

Ami Giniger, the founder of the Rosh Pina TV and Film Festival, took me for an “Off Road” drive down Rosh Pina on our way to the festival this morning. Ami pointed out some of the spots which were on fire back in July as a result of the rocket attacks. The views on Rosh Pina were nothing short of amazing. Rosh Pina has such natural beauty:

Ami Giniger

Tags: Rosh Pina, Israel, Jeff Pulver, Ami Giniger

Posted by jeff at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)

October 27, 2006

Where in the World is Jeff Pulver?

...sometimes I lose track of this myself.

VoIP Blog: Where in the World is Jeff Pulver?

Seems someone else is also keepings tabs of my activities. And since today is Friday, I am getting ready to leave Tel Aviv and head north to Rosh Pina. I'm looking forward to speaking at the TV Festival this afternoon where I may make an announcement or two while I'm there.

Tags: Video on the Net, TV Festival, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:31 AM | Permalink

October 26, 2006

Next Stop: Tel Aviv

In a few minutes I will be taking a flight from Rome to Tel Aviv for the second leg of my road trip. I'm looking forward to speaking at The TV Festival in Rosh Pina tomorrow afternoon and spending time catching up with the Israeli hi-tech community.

Tags: VoIP, Tel Aviv,

Posted by jeff at 03:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Images from Rome, Italy (Day 2)

Special thanks to Steve Smith for recommending his friend Alan Epstein, author of "As the Romans Do" as my tour guide yesterday afternoon.

Tags: Italy, Rome, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)

October 24, 2006

Images from Rome, Italy:

Tags: Italy, Rome, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

October 22, 2006

TECH Cocktail 2 on TechCrunch

Frank Gruber: Midwest Startups Unite for Second TECH cocktail

Tags: Tech Cocktail, Frank Gruber, Eric Olson, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Justin Kownacki visits the Sweet Hollow Diner

Justin meeting with Chris Brogan and David Kowarsky

As every visitor to pulver.com learns, the Sweet Hollow Diner is our "home away from home." I caught up with Justin, Chris Brogan and David Kowarsky when Justin dropped by the pulver.tv studios.

Tags: pulver.tv, Chris Brogan, network2.tv, network2, David Kowarsky, Justin Kownacki, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (63)

October 20, 2006

Images and URLs from the 2006 ISB Conference in Barbados

Yesterday during my speech, some of the sites I referenced included:

- Sony Pictures - Ghost Rider
- network2.tv
- Viewing TV on the Net

My talk yesterday was recorded by the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and referenced in this story

Special thanks to everyone at ISB for putting together a great event. I am looking forward to returning to the Caribbean in 2007.

Tags: Barbados, isb2006, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)

October 19, 2006

Images from the 2006 ISB Conference Reception

Photos from the opening reception in Barbados last night at the Sherbourne Conference Centre.

Turns out that a number of people at the reception last night attended Fall 2006 VON last month in Boston. :)

Tags: Barbados, isb2006, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Purple Skies in Barbados

Tags: Barbados, isb2006, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)

October 18, 2006

Next stop: Barbados

Later today I will be in Barbados to take part in the Information Society of Barbados Conference which takes place tomorrow and Friday.

Tags: Barbados, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

October 15, 2006

Jeff Pulver: “On Being Plugged In: 2006 Edition”

I feel most productive when I am connected to the Net. And I don't just mean in the "getting things done" way, but being in sync with the emails and blogs of my friends, family, business associates and the ability to just know what is going on around the internet at any given moment. Being connected gives me a rush that I never want to have taken away. While "no man is an island," when I am by myself, but connected to the net, I feel much better then when I am in meetings all day but otherwise offline. This in turn creates an ongoing conflict for me in how to best spend my time when I have the choice to either be in meetings or spending time online and connected.

Given the choice, I prefer simple lightweight clients over anything else. For me, a blackberry/PDA is a great device to scan incoming email but I prefer to respond to email using PINE on my laptop. Just give me a Wi-Fi enabled PC and let me get to my email and I'm one happy camper. At the moment while I have multiple IM identities, I am using none of them. I use both email and SMS as my “IM” clients of choice due to their ubiquitous nature. And getting that “connected feeling” can take place just about anywhere -- whether it is lying in bed, sitting in a coffee house or sitting in my seat on an international flight. So the location doesn't matter as long as the connectivity works.

And I do not attempt to address how many hours a day that I am online (“many” on a good day), or whether I am compulsive about email, because I am. I do wonder how much time some of the other members of the Blogosphere spend on Technorati or Blogsearch.google.com looking for references to themselves or their past blog posts. That's perhaps a side-effect of the connected feeling. While every once in a long while I can find myself offline, "disconnected", and proud of it, most of the time it is when I am connected to the net that I am feeling the most productive and feeling my best.

Perhaps somewhere in between lays the correct balance for our "internet metabolism." I like feeling the pulse of the internet. It's not that I'm a workaholic. It's not really about work. (Ok, maybe I am an Internet-holic.) I consider this connectedness to be about the people I care about, people that interest me, friends, and colleagues. I do wonder sometimes how this internet metabolism will be served in the future.

Tags: Technorati, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (25)

October 13, 2006

About Last Night: TECH Cocktail 2 in Chicago

Last night I attended TECH Cocktail 2 together with about 300 other people. The event delivered everything it promised to and more. The Gramercy was buzzing with technology enthusiasts, VCs, bloggers and entrepreneurs. Standing in the super packed room (glad the Fire Marshall didn't drop by) one could not help but feel the energy and the buzz in the air. I enjoyed catching up with people from a number of startups including Feedburner, Sightspeed and Liquidtalk. I also enjoyed being interviewed by the folks from Technology Evangelist.

Congrats to both Eric Olson and Frank Gruber for producing a great event.

Frank Gruber and Eric Olson

Tags: TECH Cocktail 2, Frank Gruber, Eric Olson, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)

October 12, 2006

Heading to Chicago for TECH Cocktail 2

Later this morning I am heading to Chicago to attend TECH Cocktail 2 taking place at The Gramercy.

I am looking forward to catching up with Eric Olson and the other "technology enthusiasts, VCs, bloggers and entrepreneurs" attending TECH Cocktail from the Mid-West.

Tags: Tech Cocktail, Eric Olson, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

October 08, 2006

Another Artist that Crosses Generations: Weird Al Yankovic with "White and Nerdy"

Turns out that Weird Al Yankovic is another artist that bridges generations at the pulver.com home.

While I remember Weird Al from years ago, his latest video, "White and Nerdy" is a lot of fun and hits pretty close to home.

Dylan and Jake ask that you consider voting his video to #1 on the Vh1 VSPOT Top 20 Video Countdown.

Tags: Weird Al Yankovic, White and Nerdy, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (15)

October 07, 2006

This week in my corner of the Blogosphere: network2.tv and Vivox/Second Life

After posting an update on the evolution of network2.tv, it was nice to see some friends in the blogosphere, including: Justin Kownacki, Eric Olson, JCriquet, Erik Burckart and Mike Masnick help spread the word about our evolving guide to TV only available on the Internet.

This week Vivox announced they were giving away a million minutes to residents of Second Life. Special thanks to Ted Wallingford for going back into Second Life, giving Vivox a try and for blogging about it.

Tags: network2.tv, vivox, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Andy vents his frustration with T-Mobile and his BlackBerry

Andy Abramson: RIM & T-Mobile-Why Does It Have To Be So Hard

"Bottom line if you are a BlackBerry user on T-Mobile ALWAYS ASK FOR A REAL RIM PERSON and avoid the loss of time."

Tags: Andy Abramson, T-Mobile, Blackberry

Posted by jeff at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

October 05, 2006

From Adelaide, Australia to Chicago, IL: Network2 is getting Noticed

Special thanks to both JCriquet and Eric Oson for giving network2.tv attention in their blogs this week.

Tags: Eric Oslson, JCriquet, networks2.tv, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 06:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 03, 2006

TECH cocktail 2: October 12th in Chicago

During Podcamp in Boston a few weeks ago, I met Eric Olson who invited me to attend TECH cocktail 2.

The event looked interesting enough for me to justify a quick trip to Chicago, so I'm now booked and confirmed to be there. I look forward to catching up with "technology enthusiasts, VCs, bloggers and entrepreneurs" from the Mid-West.

Tags: Tech Cocktail, podcamp, Eric Olson, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 08:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Just say No! to “News Embargos”

One old-school tactic that doesn’t work in a Web 2.0 world are “News Embargos.” The word “embargo” just does not work in the Blogosphere. To date, my experience regarding embargos has been that those people who break the embargo are the ones credited for “breaking the story” and everyone else who honored the embargo are left sitting with a timed-dated “me too” story. So…what is the point?

Signed, Jeff “Grumbles” Pulver.

Tags: Jeff Pulver, VoIP

Posted by jeff at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

In support of Entrepreneurship at Babson College:

During the past year I spent time mentoring a group of students at Babson College in Wellesley, MA. Two of these students, seniors Matt Lauzon and Jason Reuben are the founders of an on-campus startup online retailer of certified diamonds and customized fine jewelry, known as “Paragon Lake.” Matt and Jason asked me to reach out to the Blogosphere to help them find a few people who might have the time and interest in being an Online Marketing advisor to them.

While Jason and Matt are in need of some online marketing advise, they have recently received honorable mentions in both the New York Times and Boston Herald.

If you think you can help out the team at Paragon Lake, please drop either Matt or Jason a line.

With a little help from some friends, Paragon Lake is well positioned to be another success story hatched from the Babson campus.

Tags: Paragon Lake, Matt Lauzon, Jason Reuben, Babson College, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 01:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

October 01, 2006

Tom Evslin on New Product Inspiration

“If I’d asked people what they wanted they’d have said faster horses.” Henry Ford.

Anyone who has ever been involved in the software development process can appreciate the wisdom and experiences captured and shared by Tom Evslin.

Tom Evslin / Classic: Great New Product Ideas – DON’T Ask the Users What They Want!
Tom Evslin / Classic: DON’T Ask the Users What They Want! (Continued)

Tags: Jeff Pulver, Tom Evslin

Posted by jeff at 07:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (21)

Ted Wallingford on Second Life

Ted Wallingford: Second Life? How ’bout getting a First Life

"I’ve heard a few odds and ends about the Second Life software over the last probably year or so, and I was prompted to try the experience out for myself, especially after having read about its integration with the VON keynote by Jeff Pulver..."

Nice to see Ted is discovering Second Life. Ted, you are invited to drop by Pulveria.

Pulveria

Tags: Second Life, Pulveria, VON, Ted Wallingford, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (116)

September 24, 2006

Another Person who "Gets Me": Carol Wilson of Telephony

I just listened to Telephony’s Jason Meyer’s interview Telephony’s Carol Wilson about her impressions of Fall 2006 VON, the state of IPTV and where she feels we are going with Video on the Net. Like Luca, Carol gets it, gets what is going on in the broader communications revolution, and gets me. That, in and of itself, is once again refreshing. :)

Tags: Broadcast 2.0, disruptive broadcasting, VON, Video on the Net, VoIP, Carol Wilson, Jason Meyers, IPTV, blip.tv, Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)

September 17, 2006

Leaving Boston (Again)

I have spent the past eight nights in Boston and in a few minutes I will be heading back to Long Island. This is actually my second trip back home during my stay in Boston.

Last Friday after VON, I left my hotel in Boston for a short jetBlue flight back to Long Island. You see, after spending a week in Boston for VON, my sons Dylan and Jake convinced me to take them to the “ Yu-Gi-Oh Shonen Jump Championship” taking place at UMass/Boston which to them was their “World Series of Poker.” And after the fun that I experienced recently playing in the 2006 World Series of Poker, I figured “Why not?”

So much for a short trip home. My trip from Boston to Long Island took 8 hours door-to-door thanks to air traffic delays at JFK. After finally arriving, I spent less than 20 minutes at home, packed the car and the kids and headed back to Boston. The return trip only took 4 hours…driving.

Yesterday morning at 9 AM we headed over to UMass/Boston for the “Yu-Gi-Oh Shonen Jump Championship.” Turns out 510 other people also registered to compete. The judges decided to schedule 10 rounds, lasting 40 minutes each, which meant that yesterday was going to be a very long day (for me). On the plus side, once I was told the secret password to accessing the UMass Wi-Fi network, I had a chance to finally catch up with the Blogosphere and read and respond to some of the emails that I received during VON Week. And I had the time to write what turned into 7 blog entries.

During the past couple of summers, my kids have spent time playing Yu-Gi-Oh! Against kids more or less their same ages. What surprised me was that the tournament was dominated by both high school and college students. While there were groups of other 12-14 year old kids playing in the tournament, they were by far the minority age group.

Dylan and Jake played great against people at times twice their age and they won quite a number of their matches. (I would hate being the 22 year old who lost to a 12 year old.) While they didn’t leave Boston being a Yu-Gi-Oh Shonen Jump Champion, they managed to keep up their stamina to last what turned into a 13 hr day of tournament play and they now have the experience to build on to one day become a Yu-Gi-Oh Shonen Jump Champion.

Tags: Jeff Pulver

Posted by jeff at 10:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

September 16, 2006

A Boston Sunrise: View from my Window

Sunrise, Sept 12th in Boston

Tags: VoIP, VON, Jeff Pulver

(c) 2006 Jeff Pulver. All Rights Reserved.
(This blog posting is copyright protected by Jeff Pulver. Portions of this blog posting may be quoted or abstracted if attributed.)

Posted by jeff at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

September 14, 2006

A Very Special Happy Birthday Greetings from the world of Video on the Net...

...to me!

I Just received this bithday greeting from the community of people who have spent the past few days with me at Video on the Net and at podcamp Boston.

To Everyone on the Video...Thank you!!!!!

Best regards, Jeff

Tags: Broadcast 2.0, disruptive broadcasting, Chris Brogan, Jeff Pulver

(c) 2006 Jeff Pulver. All Rights Reserved.
(This blog posting is copyright protected by Jeff Pulver. Portions of this blog posting may be quoted or abstracted if attributed.)

Posted by jeff at 08:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

September 12, 2006

So Today's my Birthday..

So today's my birthday and I'm one year older.

While