Happy Memorial Day! As many of you know today the United States of America celebrates Memorial Day. However, what is this holiday truly for? Is it just another excuse for companies to put things on sale? While it may seem like that today, it was originally celebrated to remember the fallen soldiers.
Originally popular among formerly enslaved African-Americans as a way to remember the fallen soldiers of the Union, 1868 marked the first Memorial day. Not until after World War I and the decision to have the holiday as a memorial to all fallen American soldiers did everyone begin to celebrate Memorial day. Not only do we use Memorial day as a way to remember our fallen, but it strangely is also the weekend with the highest death toll in America.
Whether you are patriotic or not our soldiers deserve our respect and thanks today. After all it is because of them that we are able to enjoy the freedoms we have come to take for granted today. Enjoy today and be safe! [via]
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Social media companies have always been valued much higher and much quicker than most other industries. I believe this is because of the sheer number of users on these sites. Although there isn’t anything to sell these users, just their presence builds value.
This infographic talks about a company called Color. Color raised over 40 million in funding without any revenue or users. This is something new in the social media realm. Before a website ever received real funding it would always need to build a user base. Now a good social media idea is all you need for 40 million bucks.
I believe the strategy of these investment firms is to build up these companies value, and contribute to over-valuing them, until a big gun like Microsoft or Google buys it up for billions. Hey, it is a good strategy. Building users is easy when there is millions of dollars to make a free site better.
Linked-in just went public and the market when crazy for it. Think about it if Facebook pulled that. Facebook has made it clear they want to be a forerunner in the tech industry. This is looking like a great way to do that. [Via]
I’m sure you’ve been filling out a RFP, or some mundane company information form, when you see the section that asks if your company is a Women-Owned Business. My company is not run by women, however, I work with several companies that have women owners and key stakeholders. There are some advantages to being a women-owned business, but according to this infographic, women still only hold 3% of c-level positions.
This is changing though. This infographic shows some positive numbers around salaries and GMAT numbers. I have a feeling that women will continue to move towards men in salary, position, and authority. [Via]
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The recent Bradley Cooper vehicle, “Limitless,” is still making rounds in many theaters, presenting a tantalizing picture of unlimited potential. Sure, for Cooper’s Eddie Morra, that potential comes by way of a small clear pill known as NZT with a laundry list of negative side-effects, but watching Morra transform from a greasy loser to a sparkling genius is like a Cinderella story (with a lot of guns, blood hungry loan sharks, and dying junkies). As the credits rolled, I wondered how much accuracy there was to the movie’s science. Today’s infographic tackles the myth that we only use 10% of our brains, the actual possibility of an NZT-like drug, and other brainy tid-bits. (For another awesome infographic on the brain, see the previously posted 15 Things You Didn’t Know About the Brain.)
The middle section gives an interesting numerical snapshot of the brain. According to the infographic, the brain weighs 3 lbs. and contains 100,000 miles, yes miles, of blood vessels. The bottom portion examines the current possibility of several key “Limitless” plot points. Just how likely is a drug that unlocks a hidden cache of brilliance? At this point, it looks like much of the plot is rooted in a combination of science and science fiction.
Whether the movie’s science is 100% plausible or not, “Limitless” is definitely worth a watch. If nothing else, it presents a compelling scenario: at what price would you take unlimited personal potential? [Via]
Luckily, I happen to be an Xbox fan and didn’t have to worry about my identity being stolen. Playstation really screwed up and their customers are not happy campers. I hope Sony has learned their lesson about digital security and will not let it happen again. [Via]
