I went last week and saw the Occupy Wall Street protest for myself. The protest appeals to the counter culture side of my personality. I’m sure many will not agree with my observations & opinions, but here they are. The Occupy Wall Street movement is not and should not go away. I saw articulate speakers, and a well behaved crowd. It kind of reminded me of a scene from Les Miserables minus the guns (there are barricades). It would be great if they had a more succinct message, but this will change. I don’t think the protesters are against capitalism, or want to close down the US economy. These are people frustrated. Currently over 9% of the US population is out of work, and over 80% of college graduates move back home b/c they can’t earn a living wage and afford a decent place to live. The infrastructure in our country (schools,bridges, & highways) is embarrassing. The US gov’t spent a lot of money bailing out (subsidies/guarantees) banks and financial institutions. It is a reality that we can not continue to provide for the community without everyone paying a fair share of taxes. My opinion is that we as a society must evaluate the long term costs of failing to address problems by avoiding, ignoring, or postponing taking action. We owe it to future generations to figure out solutions. Failure could result in a much more devastating environment to live, work, and raise a family. #society #protesters #infrastructure #protest #lesMiserables #OccupyWallStreet #bailout #counterculture #subsidies #taxes #government #LesMis #guarantees #outofwork #financialinstitutions #banks #wallstreet #unemployed #family #OccupyWallStreet #lesMiserables

Before the burn: Downtowns Life Cube an inviting canvas for artists. By Joe Schoenman, Las Vegas Sun Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014 | 5:45 p.m. The Life Cube Art Piece Launch slideshow » Related news Joe Downtown: Why this giant, burning cube can change your life Downtown’s Life Cube is taking on a, well, life of its own. The 24-by-24-foot wooden cube was built last week on a poured concrete slab in the middle of the “llama” parking lot on the north side of Fremont Street between 9th and 10th streets. As soon as it was done, artists and non-artists started to paint its whitewashed walls. The upper half is being reserved for muralists, perhaps as many as 20 of whom will add their own flourishes to the cube. L.A.’s Christina Angelina began her mural, which will stretch from one wall to another, Monday night. Almost every day, the lower half of the walls, open to everyone, change as new artists paint over old, like intricate mandalas in sand erased as soon as they are done. “That’s the whole point of the ephemeral,” says Scott Cohen, mastermind and energizer bunny of the Life Cube. “If you’re here to see it, cool. But if you’re not, it’s going to be something else tomorrow.” And in less than two months, all the art, along with thousands of wishes and desires, will be burned into the heavens anyhow. That’s the real point of the Cube, which is Cohen’s dream made manifest. Having burned cubes at the annual Burning Man festival in Northern Nevada the past few years, this is the first time he’s brought it into an urban sphere. The Cube is a community and philosophical endeavor. Cohen says it is already drawing hundreds of local artists and non-artists from Las Vegas downtown, and people who would never have otherwise met are seeing new faces. It is also a way to grab hold of something he believes in — that writing down a dream helps make it a reality — and unleash it upon thousands of everyday people and their unmet dreams. JOE SCHOENMANN Scott Cohen signals to the Life Cube Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014. The Life Cube is a 24-by-24-foot wooden cube that will be filled with smaller cubes and thousands of people’s wishes before going up in flames on March 21. When the cube is ready to accept written submissions on Feb. 21, people will be allowed to jot down their wishes or dreams on “wish sticks” — postcards, basically — and put them into slots in the structure. Some 40 or 50 smaller cubes will also have been placed in schools and businesses around the city, where people will be encouraged to do the same with available wish sticks. On March 21, most or all of the smaller cubes will be fitted into the larger cube, which by then will have been adorned with so much light, Cohen says it will be the brightest object downtown by far. Later that night, the whole thing will be set on fire. All the wishes will rise to into the heavens, along with the art. Steve “Mowgli” Moffett, a Las Vegas artist creating a PacMan board on the floor of the structure Tuesday afternoon, has no problem seeing the work go up in flame. “It’s great that so many local artists are getting the chance to be a part of this,” Moffett says. “To bring this aesthetic to a city, especially Las Vegas, is awesome.” It’s cool for Las Vegas Tuesday, low 50s and windy, but people keep streaming in. Harlan Emil Gruber, who makes artistic structures from wood, too, which he’s displayed at Burning Man, stops by on his way from Grass Valley, Calif., to the Tucson, Ariz., Gem and Jam Fest. He and Cohen engage in a mindreader-fast back-and-forth about Burning Man, wood construction, art and what’s to come in the few minutes Gruber sticks around. “I’m just so impressed that he’s able to bring this to the real world” versus the Burning Man world, Gruber says. Then there’s sheet metal worker Anthony Calderone, an HVAC man who has turned his focus increasingly toward painting, but is also looking into the creation of steampunk pieces. His first is a Flash Gordon-esque looking “gun” he pulls out the backseat of his car. And there’s artist Caitlyn Saville, Cohen’s artist organizer, who “lives, breathes and sleeps” the LifeCube — as a volunteer. “Every day I get home, there are 100 emails to answer — people asking how they can help,” she smiles. “It’s almost like a job.” Justin Lepper, who builds pools for a living but also writes books, has been steeped in political operations and is getting more into his own art. JOE SCHOENMANN Sheet metal worker Anthony Calderone, lured by the Life Cube, shows off his the steampunk gun he fashioned from all sorts of discarded items of various shapes and sizes Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014. “There’s a contagion going on,” he says, referring to the connections being made via the Cube. After meeting a month or so ago, Lepper says Cohen’s energy was so infectious, he had to work with him on the project. “When you get the opportunity to do something this cool,” says Lepper, who worked on the Cube until 5:30 a.m., went to work and returned around noon, “you put everything you have into it,” he says. Which is what Cohen, 56, is doing. Though flooded with requests from those in other cities who want him to do the same, he says he has to put those all on the backburner until this one, a 1 1/2-year endeavor, is finished. It’s not just construction of the Cube. Cohen has a growing list of schools, organized on his Blackberry, who have invited him to speak about the Cube. In fact, his wife, Madeleine, of 25 years shows up around noon to whisk him away to just such an engagement. Madeleine is dressed in business attire to her husband’s casual California. “He was a businessman, too,” she says of his past. “Great at team building, brand orientation and with the kind of energy that makes people want to work harder.” In a parking lot empty but for a massive wooden cube, that much is very clear. Joe Schoenmann doesn’t just cover downtown; he lives and works there. Schoenmann is Greenspun Media Group’s embedded downtown journalist, working from an office in the Emergency Arts building. #art #thelifecubeproject #cube #downtownlasvegas #LasVegas #lifecubeproject #dtlv #lifecubeproject #lifecube #lifecube

The Life Cube at Burning Man 2013. There are so many photos, but here is a sample of what we created in the Black Rock Desert at Burning Man 2013. #indiegogo #TheLifeCube #brc2013 #ENVISIONTheLifeCube #LifeCubephotos #BM2013 #Burningman #thelifecubeartprojectatburningman #artatburningman #wishcube #artartatburningmanartatburningmanbm2011bm2012BM2012BurningManburningman2011BurningMan2011artburningman2012burningmanartburningmanburningmanlifecubeskeeterTheLifeCubeThe #lifecubethelifecubeprojectlifecubeprojectartburningman #blackrockcity #lifecube #TheLifeCube #BurningMan

The Life Cube V2 #TheLifeCube #burningmanburningman #artatburningman #skeeter #BM2012 #burningman2012 #lifecube #artatburningman #bm2011 #burningman2011

#art #ENVISIONTheLifeCube #blackrockcity #artprojectatburningman #artburningman #artatburningman

What is community? What is art? The Life Cube Project. Their mission is to get people to write down their goals, wishes and aspirations with the belief that there is a better chance of achieving them. I met a brilliant and engaging 7-year-old boy last week at the LifeCube who wrote that he “wished to be safe”. He wrote this in his well-practiced first-grade print on a cube via the high-end, fine art medium known as colored chalk. Everyone’s wishes are welcome here. No age barriers. No socioeconomic barriers. No MFA artistic credentials required to dream. Yes, I totally dig community engagement, vision, and of course, kids like this who get to experience something that just might lay the foundation for a better tomorrow. If you’d like to support this innovative project, read on…. they have 57 hours left. Skip 2 coffees this week. Or 100 this month. Every little bit helps. Not in Las Vegas? Hope to see this project in every city throughout the globe. Energy matters. Thoughts are things, and so are wishes. Cheers! Angela D.

Below is the recent posts on the best buy facebook page…I think they have some serious problems. The Best Buy Saga…. Scott Cohen posted to Best Buy Buying a digital camera. After all the research selected a Cannon. Best Buy if you’re going to be a brink & motor store, you need to stock merchandise. In 5 years, your stock (price) has gone from $50 to $25! I see something like a BORDERS in your future. Scott Cohen and to think that you could have made this so easy after I called your customer service and asked for free next day delivery5 hours ago Best Buy Hi Scott -From my understanding of your post, you’re concerned that the item you were looking to purchase was only available online and not in-store. Is that correct?-Coral4 hours ago Scott Cohen first – it was only online. then you could not ship 2 day and waive the ship cost. So basically, for me the cost of the camera & extra battery would be more expensive than amazon by a lot.4 hours ago Scott Cohen Amazon price is $290 for the camera4 hours ago Scott Cohen and amazon offers free 2 day shipping4 hours ago Scott Cohen if you prefer to take this offline — tell me where to email my contact or where I can call you4 hours ago Best Buy Sure Scott – please email us details from your personal email account to facebook@bestbuy.com.-Coral4 hours ago David Slavet then why not just buy from amazon if you think they’re giving you a better deal. bby isnt going to match free 2 day shipping, so dont waste your time.4 hours ago Scott Cohen they asked – i answered3 hours ago David Slavet what?3 hours ago Scott Cohen actually can run to b&h and get it tomorrow — just a pain to run into the city as opposed to heading to the bb 5 miles away3 hours ago Scott Cohen Coral – I emailed contact details.3 hours ago Jen Hendon There are a lot of stores that only have products online. What is the problem here?45 minutes ago David Slavet jen- there is no problem, this person just doesnt know what he’s talking about.28 minutes ago Scott Cohen David, are you an employee of Best Buy? So what you are saying is that after over 15 years being involved in media, technology, advertising and running sales, business development, and client services for an eCRM company I do not know what… I’m talking about…well, that;s a pretty huge statement. With regard to your stock price, last I looked, 5 years ago it was over $50 per share, and today it closed at $24! But you go with your gut on this…it is a perfect case study for the next conference I speak at on eCommerce.See More7 minutes ago Scott Cohen comments from some of my friends on facebook: “I went in to my local BB store to buy a computer a few weeks ago. It took me 30 minutes to “track down” a salesperson to help me. After I asked him a series of questions he couldn’t answer (or guessed at…) he took off to work with another customer. I left the store like the AFLAC duck leaving the barber shop ad after listening to Yogi Berra…” and “Best Buy??? Come on Scott…B&H is camera…” and “Amazon with overnight shipping is the ticket” and “Harrison does all of his shopping at BU through Amazon. It shows up in his room the next day or two days later, no additional charge. As he points out, “It costs me way more to go to the store.”” #bestbuy #digitalcameras #ecrm #commerce #ecommerce #socialmedia #bestbuy #brickampmortor #cameras

Love Rao’s — and Yes, it is that good.  Below is a recent article from the Wall Street Journal. Snagging a Dinner at Rao’s By MARSHALL HEYMAN As everyone in this city knows, it’s impossible to get a reservation at Rao’s, the old-school Italian joint in East Harlem. So when an invitation comes for a dinner there sponsored by Bon Appetit, you take it, if only to be able to truthfully answer the question, “What did you do last night?” with “I had dinner at Rao’s.” The magazine took over the small restaurant on Tuesday to celebrate Vegas Uncork’d, a food festival held each Mother’s Day weekend that crosses over several of the city’s major resorts. Why does Uncork’d have an apostrophe (usually symbolized by a popped cork) instead of an “e”? “Trust me, it’s the bane of my existence,” said a spokeswoman for “the four-day epicurean extravaganza, “but it’s a wonderful event.” Several chefs who are represented in Las Vegas, including Francois Payard and Jet Tila, came out for the dinner of pepperoni rrrostiti, frito misto, orecchiette with broccoli rappe and sausage, and, of course, Uncle Vincent’s famous lemon chicken. Jean-Georges Vongerichten stopped by for cocktails—he had Donald Trump coming in for dinner that night so he couldn’t stay for the breaded little neck clams and shrimp scampi—but he’s been to Rao’s before. “I love the meatballs,” Mr. Vongerichten said, as “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin played over the speakers. “The seafood salad is amazing. The roasted pepper, you have to have it. The pasta with the cabbage and the sausage and the lemon chicken? Unbelievable. My business partner has a table here every last Thursday of the month, and he brings me three or four times a year. Woody Allen is always here. No, I can’t come on my own. It’s impossible.” Photo: Frank Pellegrino Jr., Frank Pellegrino Sr. and Ron Stosky Did Mr. Vongerichten think that he could reproduce something like Rao’s? “It would take a long time. They have two seatings, 90 people a night, five days a week,” he said. “I don’t think it’s possible. The younger generation just isn’t as loyal.” Adam Rapoport is the new editor of Bon Appetit. He’s eaten at Rao’s twice before but emphasized he had “no idea” how the magazine was able to secure the facilities. “They told me, ‘We’re having an event at Rao’s.’ I said, ‘I will be there,'” he said, eyeing the Santa and Mrs. Claus dolls hanging on the walls. “Here, you feel like you’re at someone’s house. It’s not like you come for the parmesan foam. It’s not a restaurant obsessed with food editors and bloggers. I respect that.” Mr. Rapoport explained that since taking over the magazine a few months ago—his first issue will be the one dated for May—his stockbroker friends have come calling for last minute restaurant reservations. Not for Rao’s, however. “It’s in a different stratosphere. Most people wouldn’t even ask.” And then it was time for the festival meal: the antipasti, the primi and the secondi, accompanied by a soundtrack featuring “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” by Frank Sinatra. There may have been a replay of “That’s Amore,” or it could have been the meatballs. Just before dessert—Rao’s famous New York Style cheesecake and Frutti Di Bosco—Frank Pellegrino Sr., one of the restaurant’s three owners, appeared with a microphone. It was time for a sing-along. At this point, Mr. Pellegrino and the entire restaurant broke out into a rendition, a la “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” of “My Girl” by The Temptations. “We’re going to do ‘Hey, hey, hey,'” Mr. Pellegrino said, “I want to see how loud you get.” He then closed with, yes, “That’s Amore.” After the second “Tippi-tippi-tay,” he asked, “Has anyone ever seen a gay tarantella?” Then he introduced his kitchen staff, including Rosie the dishwasher, “who’s as important to this place as anybody else in the kitchen.” Mr. Pellegrino said that giving his restaurant over to the magazine was “a great honor.” He started notifying Tuesday regulars a month and a half ago. “All of my customers were very gracious,” he explained. “They said, ‘Absolutely, Frankie.'” He added that every table at Rao’s has been booked “for the last 34 years” and he booked the last standing reservation five or six years ago. Will another one come up soon? “No can never say never,” he said. “But the odds are it’ll be a long time.” Ok, so Mr. Pellegrino’s food was great. The atmosphere was better. We loved the singing. When do we come back? “You should stop by sometime in November,” Mr. Pellegrino said. “And hopefully then, I’ll be able to tell you if I’ll have a table for you in 2012.” Write to Marshall Heyman at marshall.heyman@wsj.com

Amazing that nobody from Best Buy reached out to end this….in any event, I do expect that a few years from now they will be out of business like Borders Books and asking why? Jen Hendon There are a lot of stores that only have products online. What is the problem here? about an hour ago David Slavet jen- there is no problem, this person just doesnt know what he’s talking about. about an hour ago Scott Cohen David, are you an employee of Best Buy? So what you are saying is that after over 15 years being involved in media, technology, advertising and running sales, business development, and client services for an eCRM company I do not know what… I’m talking about…well, that;s a pretty huge statement. With regard to your stock price, last I looked, 5 years ago it was over $50 per share, and today it closed at $24! But you go with your gut on this…it is a perfect case study for the next conference I speak at on eCommerce.See More about an hour ago Scott Cohen comments from some of my friends on facebook: “I went in to my local BB store to buy a computer a few weeks ago. It took me 30 minutes to “track down” a salesperson to help me. After I asked him a series of questions he couldn’t answer (or… guessed at…) he took off to work with another customer. I left the store like the AFLAC duck leaving the barber shop ad after listening to Yogi Berra…” and “Best Buy??? Come on Scott…B&H is camera…” and “Amazon with overnight shipping is the ticket” and “Harrison does all of his shopping at BU through Amazon. It shows up in his room the next day or two days later, no additional charge. As he points out, “It costs me way more to go to the store.””See More about an hour ago Jen Hendon So? A lot of online only stores have merchandise cheaper than other stores. What’s your point? You expect Best Buy to offer you free 2 day shipping just because they don’t carry the item in their store? I guess Walmart, Target, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and several other stores should do the same? That’s just not realistic. Some stores are less expensive than others…what’s hard to understand about that? 50 minutes ago Scott Cohen OK Jen — I will take a moment to share my thoughts…though I have to disclose that DAvid does not think I know anything about eCommerce. Yes, you are correct, online can be cheaper and if you are just shopping price, there is usually som…e online retailer that will sell at close to cost. But there are people that actually like t go into a store, check out different products, talk to a well trained sales person (think APPLE or REI), and buy from the store b/c if they have a problem, they can come back. If they have questions, there is someone they can see…If Best Buy wants to just compete on price, then they should close their stores and become an online store. They have a brand that they have invested a lot of money, and probably a few leases (over 1000 stores in 2011). The point is that a store (brick & mortar) should have selection and qualified sales and customer service — otherwise, there is no difference other than price and online wins. Happy to share more if you do not understand.See More 40 minutes ago Scott Cohen From Best Buy’s Investor Relations: We have four values that guide our actions: 1. Have fun while being the best. 2. Learn from challenge and change. 3. Show respect, humility and integrity. 4. Unleash the power of our people. 38 minutes ago Scott Cohen so I think they have proven today, 1 – they are not the best, 2, they have not learned, 3, respect — if I was running the customer care department I would have picked up the phone or emailed — never letting it get to the point that someone like me posts on facebook, blogs, g+, and twitter, and 4…well see #3 36 minutes ago Jen Hendon Scott, while I understand what you’re saying, almost every store carries merchandise online that they do not carry in the store. Most, if not all. Secondly, Best Buy employees are just people. They are not superhumans who know everything… there is to know about electronics. Go and survey the different stores in your area, and you will probably conclude that the employees in all different types of stores have the same amount of knowledge of their products. Not much. Why? Because they are usually between the ages of 18 and 25, and are making $10 an hour.See More 27 minutes ago Jen Hendon I personally don’t think your complaint is valid. You’re not a unique snowflake, and Best Buy doesn’t care about your “you owe me something” attitude. If you find a better price somewhere else, then buy it from them. That’s competition. 23 minutes ago Scott Cohen call REI — ask about any product (tents, sleeping bags, back packs, etc) and there is someone on staff that will help, or they will get someone that does. Go into an Apple store and see what it is like to speak with a knowledgeable salesp…erson. Hit a good shoe store, or a car dealership. It is not that people that work at these places are superhuman, they are trained. There is a constant and significant investment in training. And customer service is not product knowledge, it is an attitude. It is empowerment. With unemployment at near 10% BB should be able to get good people and make sure they are trained.See More 22 minutes ago Jen Hendon To be honest, I’ve never been to a store, nor a car dealership, where I felt that the person I was speaking with was completely knowledgeable in their area. Actually, at my local best buy there was a young man who showed me a camcorder and… I felt that he knew what he was talking about, and was able to educate me. But other than that one time, I can’t think of any. Customer service is obviously going to vary from store to store. My local BB always has horrible customer service, but the one 25 minutes away has always provided great service. But the real point is that, if you called me and told me that you wanted free 2 day shipping because Amazon had a camera at a lower price, I would probably laugh at you. Amazon also has great deals on diapers, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to walk into Walmart and demand a lower price. If I did, I’m sure that they would have a good laugh.See More 13 minutes ago Scott Cohen Jen — Thanks for your help. You are correct. Just ordered it online and will have it before I leave town. It is interesting to me that nobody from Best Buy even tried to resolve it…but I’m sure they have a lot of inventory to count. Have a good night a few seconds ago #bestbuy #ecrm #ecommerce #customerservice #bestbuy #bordersbooks

Shortly after noon on July 8, comes the moment that can be called 12:34:56 7/8/9. Happens only once…in history – ding!  I believe it will not happen for another 1000 years. Actually, this Cosmic Variance will not happen again till 2090, another 81 years, when the number is 12:34:56 7/8/90

#TheLifeCube #burningmanburningman #artatburningman #skeeter #BM2012 #burningman2012 #lifecube #artatburningman #bm2011 #burningman2011