Category Archives: Politics

April 27, 2017 · 1:00 am

THE TRUMP EFFECT

WHAT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION MIGHT MEAN FOR HEALTH CARE

By Erik Clausen

Several months have passed since the U.S. Presidential election, and…we’re still here, folks. After years of political rhetoric and theatrics, and a few months of uncertainty, we are starting to gain some clarity around exactly what the new administration and its policies might mean for the life science industry and, by extension, marketers within it.

Most importantly and as a wise man wrote before the election, “There is no need for panic.” Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under angel, angel investor, Business, Conflict, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Influence, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups, vc, venture capital

Tagged as donald trump, health care, life science, lifescience, marketing, marketing strategies, marketing strategies for health care, med tech, medtech, obama care, obamacare, Panic, pharma, politics, president trump, Trump, trump administration

December 2, 2016 · 7:00 am

TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM

by Mark T Wayne

Howard Brookins Jr, the alderman for Chicago’s 21st ward, was biking along Cal-Sag Trail on Nov. 13, when a squirrel darted into his path. The squirrel wrapped itself in the spokes of the alderman’s bicycle. [The Washington Post.] According to the alderman, “I can think of no other reason for this squirrel’s actions than that it was like a suicide bomber, getting revenge.” [The Chicago Tribune.]

If this is revenge, there is good reason for it. Yes sir! As the Post also reports: “Brookins denounced the eastern gray squirrel in a Chicago City Council meeting and has publicly spoken out about a toothy menace.” He complains of “aggressive squirrels that undermine efforts to overhaul the city’s trash carts.” [Chicago Sun Times] He claims that squirrels are gnawing through garbage cart lids at a cost to the city of $300,000! Continue reading →

Comments Off on TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM

Filed under Characters, Conflict, Death, Jim Kren, mark t wayne, Politics, Story

Tagged as 'Suicide bomber' squirrel hospitalizes Chicago politician who spoke out against squirrels, Ald Brookins, Alderman Brookins, Alderman Howard Brookins Jr, Alderman says 'aggressive squirrels' eat through garbage carts, aldermen, Chicago alderman, Chicago aldermen, cruelty to animals, guilt by association, Howard Brookins Jr, Kamikaze squirrel gets revenge on Ald. Brookings, Mike Royko, mistaken identity, noble savage, politics, revenge, scapegoat, squirrel, squirrel attack, squirrel attacks alderman, squirrel eradication, squirrel menace

November 16, 2016 · 7:00 am

TRUMPED

by John Jonelis

Political outsider elected president! Nationwide shock! Emotions run wild! Markets in turmoil! Worst riots since Orson Wells’ WAR OF THE WORLDS broadcast!

Loop Lonagan watches the mayhem on television. People on the streets shout lewd obscenities—carry hate signs—crawl over cars—destroy businesses—throw bricks at police. “Da theater o’ dee absurd,” Lonagan mutters, “Did deeze folks even vote?” Continue reading →

Comments Off on TRUMPED

Filed under Business, Characters, Education, Influence, Jim Kren, loop lonagan, Politics, Relationships, Story, The Economy

Tagged as benghazi, cheating, chicago politics, Clinton, conspiracy theory, corruption, donald trump, ego, email scandal, ground game, handpicked opponent, Hillary, hillary clinton, liar, lying, machine politics, narcissism, narcissist, politics, president, president elect, rioting, riots, split the ticket, split ticket, stupid voters, the creep and the crook, The Donald, Trump, vote, voters

March 10, 2016 · 6:44 pm

MAY THE FOREST BE WITH YOU

Using Whole Trees in Building Construction

Neil Kane

If there was ever a way to combine high tech and high touch as John Naisbitt stated in High Tech, High Touch, his 1999 follow-up to his 1982 bestseller Megatrends, “embracing technology that preserves our humanness”, WholeTrees Architecture & Structures of Madison, Wisconsin epitomizes it. WholeTrees is an innovative company that has hit it out of the park in terms of innovating on technology while providing a substantial impact return, all while having one of the most gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing product lines you’ll ever see. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Business, Education, Low Tech, Politics, vc, venture capital

Tagged as cleantech, cleantech company, cleantech investing, cleantech startup, commercial wood structures, impact, impact company, impact investing, impact startup, social, social company, social investing, social startup, trees, whole trees, wood, wood products, wood structure

February 26, 2016 · 6:14 pm

CLEANTECH TRUTHS DEBUNKED

Generally Accepted Truths of Cleantech Investing – Debunked

Laurance K. Hayward – The Venture Lab

It is generally accepted in Cleantech investing that:

(1) the companies are capital intensive,

(2) there is a sustainability premium associated with buying the companies’ products and

(3) the adoption of the companies’ technologies requires a change of behavior.

All three can slow adoption and negatively impact scalability and internal rate of return. Certainly this can be true for many Cleantech companies, but it isn’t true for many others. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under angel, angel investor, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups, vc, venture capital

Tagged as cleantech, disruptive technology, doing well by doing good, efficiency, impact investing, Social venture, sustainability premium

October 19, 2015 · 9:53 pm

APPLESAUCE AND APPLE

THE FINANCIAL MINDSET OF A NEW GENERATION

Tom McBride and Ron Nief

The students who began college this past fall have a forty percent chance of graduating in four years, and a seventy percent chance of graduating in six. Having grown up in the Great Recession they can rarely take money for granted. They are more interested in money than in love, unlike their parents, who may have grown up as hippie advocates of free love during the far more prosperous 1960s. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Business, Characters, Conflict, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Games, High Tech, Low Tech, mobile, mobile internet, Politics, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, The Economy

Tagged as Bill Gates, college debt, college kids, college students, great recession, k-mart, kids, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Zuckerburg, Mark Zukerberg, market crash, medicare, money and love, money or love, money vs love, Mort Zuckerburg, outsourcing, outsourcing jobs, pensions, social security, stock market, stock market crash, Target, Wal-Mart, wall-mart, Walmart

August 25, 2015 · 9:49 pm

THE DRAGON LADY AND THE BIG BAD DUCK

By John Jonelis

■

“Tell me a story, Uncle Loop.”

“Okay Princess, that’s what I’m here for. First let’s get you all tucked in and ready fer bed.” Loop Lonagan sits back in the chair and opens the news app on his phone. “Let’s see what we got here.” He runs down the headlines.

“GANG SHOOTING ON HALSTED—No that’ll just get ya all riled up.”
“TERRORISTS ABDUCT CHILDREN—Nope. Too scary.”
“LOCAL REP ACCUSED OF EMBEZZLEMENT—”

“What’s ‘bezelment, Uncle Loop?”

“Ferget it kid. Way too boring . Here’s another one.”

“TRUMP IN BED WITH CLINTON—”

The small voice turns suddenly shrill. “That one! Read me that one, Uncle Loop. It’s a bedtime story.” Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Characters, Conflict, Education, Influence, loop lonagan, Politics, Relationships, The Economy

Tagged as conspiracy, conspiracy theory, donald trump, elections, false flag, false flag candidate, hillary clinton, national elections, president, presidential race, primaries, primary, run for the presidency, split the ticket, splitting the ticket

July 14, 2015 · 5:43 pm

CROSSTOWN CLASSIC

by John Jonelis

Here in Chicago, we’re blessed with two professional baseball teams. I root for them both—yes, for me it’s Chicago against the world. But how many fans do that? Almost nobody, right? Whenever I betray my crosstown allegiance, people look at me cross-eyed. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Business, Characters, Conflict, Games, Influence, Politics, Relationships, Story

Tagged as cubs vs sox, cubs/sox, fans, interdivisional rivalry, long standing rivalry, major league baseball, pro ball, professional baseball, rabid fans, rivalry, sox vs cubs, sox/cubs, team rivalry

February 17, 2015 · 2:30 pm

OIL FROM WATER

by John Jonelis

What if you can make oil out of water? What if, you also end up with more water? A discovery like that will benefit our country and the world.

The technology now exists. Commercialization is beginning. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups, Story, The Economy

Tagged as dirty water, drilling, drilling for oil, drinking water, environment, epa, federal regulation, fracking, fracking for oil, hydraulic fracking, hydraulic fracturing, industrial water, nano, nano bubbles, nano gas, nano gas bubbles, oil, oil drilling, oil well, pollution, slurry, state regulation, wasted water, water in industry, water purification, water shortage

January 9, 2015 · 10:28 pm

UNDERESTIMATING THE COMPETITION

by Robert Jonelis

Ever face a crisis situation? Raw panic? Of course you have. We’ve all been burned by miscalculation, greed, and shoddy research. People have been making the same mistakes for quite a long time and a young woman from the 10th Century can teach us a pointed lesson about the importance of accurately sizing up the competition. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Biography, Characters, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Influence, Low Tech, Politics, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups, Story

Tagged as bankrupsy, belly up, best practices, business lessons, busniess mistakes, case study, consequences, crisis, Greed, miscalculation, Panic, Princess Olga, research, shoddy research

May 27, 2014 · 3:51 am

ARISE 2.0

by Loop Lonagan

Whadaya think happens when 15,000 people get behind the entrepreneurs in their own neighborhood? Good things—that’s what happens! Energy. Enthusiasm. Stuff gets done! Lemme tell you about it: Continue reading →

6 Comments

Filed under Characters, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Politics, Poverty, Relationships, Startup Companies, Startups

Tagged as Bootstrapping, Church, Community, Neighborhood, new ventures, Private equity, risk capital, Small business, startup, Startups. Venture, Ventures

March 19, 2014 · 1:23 am

THINK FAST

Brain Tech – Part 3

Adapted from the Journal of the MIT Enterprise Forum – Chicago

John Jonelis

“I must’ve walked down that alley 100 times, but for some reason something told me I shouldn’t go down there.” But the Marine dismisses the thought and carries on with his mission. Next, he gets blown up. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Conflict, Death, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Games, High Tech, Low Tech, Politics, Startup Companies, Startups

Tagged as Armed forces, Army, combat, combat decision, combat decisionmaking, combat tactics, faster thinking, IED, Marines, speeding up the brain, speeding up thinking, tactics, tactics of war, thinking faster, thought processing, training, war