Hubble and NASA aside, Galileo would have hated 2009

Long experience has taught me this about the status of mankind with regard to matters requiring thought: the less people know and understand about them, the more positively they attempt to argue concerning them, while on the other hand to know and understand a multitude of things renders men cautious in passing judgment upon anything new."

via kottke, with more Galileo and links to other kewl things rennaissance-y

Structured Investment Vehicle (SIV): Hedge-funder's getaway car

Matt Taibbi fires back at AIG whiner, Jake DeSantis, who wants millions in bonus and retroactive virginity...

Are we supposed to believe that Jake DeSantis knew nothing about Joe Cassano's CDS deals? If your boss and the top guys in your firm were all making a killing selling anything at all -- whether it was rubber kayaks, generic Levitra or credit default swaps -- you really wouldn't bother to find out what that thing they were selling was? You'd really just mind your own business, sit at your cubicle and put your faith in the guys up top to fill you in if there was something you needed to know?

...

I know plenty of people who work in this world, and I've met very few who didn't hate with every cell in their bodies anyone in their own companies who made more money than they did or got bigger bonuses at Christmastime. Gossiping about each others' bonuses, and bitching about each others' compensation, is the national pastime for these people.

Boo-freekin-yah! as Cramer would say, although he's quite the Sgt. Schultz, too.

As a fouro reader, you may already know the Mentorturous bitching Taibbi decribes from the soon-to-be-hard-copy "Executive Lexicon & Big Book of Business Wisdom." How about something from the "S" section: SIV...

Shared Air - Richmond. Come join in

Attended John Sarvay's fun and encouraging Conversation Week group last nite at UR's new downtown building. At once, it was a breath of fresh air and also completely unsurprising: We all know that there's no lack of love nor commitment to Richmond's current and future well-being. (Here's Gayle Turner's new FB group catalyzed by it.)

But, as John and I discussed over lunch last fall, there's something missing. I called it Shared Air, a way to aggregate all the silo'd and off-radar conversations that are the seeds of change in any community, brand or organization. (And yes, it's a fair statement to say that brand is just a another word for community.)

And still, conversation, especially the virtual kind, is only one aspect, however primary.

After last night's 5:30 to 8:00 session (and thank you for it, John!), there was energy left to burn, new ideas left in mid-conversation, possible relationships prompted and yet momentum interrupted. It proved to me the concept: As much as proximity matters, it can be a barrier because of our other obligations and time-limitations. As much as virtuality breaks down barriers and facilitates connection, it still can't replace face-to-face bonded-ness and the energetic chemistry of groups that have been, well, actually Sharing Air. Each needs the other. And Richmond, nor many other cities, does not have that.

In the intervening year or three since first blurting out the name, me and my partners and associates and even clients have been pondering how to launch Shared Air and talking about it's potential and blah-blah-blah...

As usual, the answer is simple: Just start, stupid.

Well, that's what we've done. Go here and register: http://alchemysite.com/sharedair/

That's it. You don't have to be a pro to speak or post on a topic, but you can't be cranky, ill-informed or a ranter-only and expect to be read and respected. The community will sort itself based on merit and some benign admin rules. The idea probably explains itself, and it most definitely will evolve as users expand its content, usefulness and reach. But, for those that like such things, here's the concept from back last year:

Shared Air is a conversational collaborative of citizens, professionals, leaders, and those simply interested in finding new ways to discover and do great things for their communities.

We use regular gatherings and social networking tools to share, test and improve ideas and to connect like-minds. Our goal is to side-step the obstacles to ambitious, innovative and sustainable ideas that many organizations and structures often impose. Our methods are open and inclusive because silos and artificial barriers preclude the creation of broadly beneficial value and growth.

Richmond is full of amazing people and potential. This is a time of unprecedented challenge and opportunity. Shared Air works to catalyze these facts. We bring ideas and energy and curious individuals together in a new environment for the betterment of individual, company, community and region. We care. We explore. We connect. We do. And we share what works.

And here's something I quite like that was a soulful response from my partner Shelli on why she felt the idea needed to push forward...

Frownsize: Number of "personal days" after announcing there will be no bonuses this year

Via CNN Money. How to...

Cut staff hours but keep the morale ... If you need to cut costs, here’s some tips on how to break the bad news to the staff.

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Do you like the "Frownsize" piece above? We'll be posting more of those shortly as our Executive Lexicon and Big Book of Business Wisdom gets closer to press for April.