This was in an article over at CNN: “Facebook calls this new social paradigm the “Open Graph,” and Zuckerberg called the shift “the most transformative thing we’ve ever done for the web.”"  We’ve been talking about this “Social Graph” on the blogosphere for what I feel like is at least 3 years now. And now Zuckerberg decides to talk about it in a press conference and everybody is all over him for his GREAT idea.  Oh, and Facebook added a “LIKE” button. Uhm.. you mean like the folks over at Digg and Stumbleupon did years ago? This whole shpeel that Zuckerberg went on about at his latest press conference is a guy just repeating what everyone else online has been talking about or doing for years, but because he’s an “icon” people NOT online are treating it like it’s fresh and new.  Same thing as Steve and the iPad.  Yes, it’s a cool device, yes, it is getting great reviews. But is honestly a large iPod Touch with a few new features, it is NOT a rocket car, or a transporter.

Sorry for this rant, but I really don’t like Zuckerberg.  His assertions that Facebook is going to topple Google is just for the moment absurd.  You have a social network. Yes, it is the most popular but let’s not trick ourselves into believing things that aren’t true.  Google has a sound biz plan with the assumption that someone searching for a product type might actually want to buy it.  Facebook? Just because I throw up a status update that “I loved my bike ride up Blue Mountain yesterday” does not mean that I’m in the mood to buy a new book.  I just do NOT see how social networks are going to become the next Amazon, or hulu.  Heck, I use Hootsuite and almost never even log in to Facebook to see

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To start, some people may have noticed that I took the Business out of the subtitle of this blog. This is because I have decided to expand the thoughts that I’m writing about beyond JUST business. There will still be business elements mentioned on this site so please check back for those, but I will also be talking about movies, books, events, games, and other thoughts. I have also started up alteredgames.com which will be focusing more on the ARG industry and how it is evolving and how I am getting involved there.

I thought I’d start off with the movie “Whip It” that I decided to grab from the red box last night (by the way, LOVE the Redbox! Especially the iPhone App for it).  It’s the one directed by Drew Barrymore and starring Ellen Page.  It was a fun little flick about a teen growing up in a small town in TX with a mom obsessed with pageants and how she discovers roller derby.  This movie was fun, nothing amazingly stellar, I didn’t immediately begin to question my own life, future, relationships or any of that. But it did help to reinforce my love of movies (and also books, comics, etc).  Because no matter how bad your day was, how the bills are piling up, etc. You can come home open that book, turn on that tv program and forget about it for a bit.  These things build even if temporarily a little protected sub universe where we can just enjoy the moment without the stress of everything else. And if we move beyond this we start to look forward to it.  Sitting at your office desk, dealing with stressed out coworkers, and whiny clients, there can be a certain reassurance in knowing that there is a new episode of Castle on that night. Which means curling up on the sofa with someone you care about and getting a chance to laugh, cry, or whatever your particular evening poison is.  So what am I trying to say? I guess a few things: 1. you creative types, keep on doing what you’re doing. Whether it’s writing, filming, broadcasting, what have you. Keep doing it to give us that escape and that Hope we so desperately want. 2. Take time to smell the roses. As they say: man, does not live by bread alone.  If you’re at work and stressed, just remember there is that simple pleasure of a book at home, or a store full of movies waiting for you to lose yourself in their action, drama, relationships, loves, jokes, et cetera.

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