I love my big car but I also love American independence more and think that we rely way too much foreign oil and don’t spend nearly enough on energy innovation. Since coal and oil is still plentiful and cheap enough, there isn’t any reason, really, to dump R&D funds into alternative and renewable fuels, energy, and electricity. We need to in-source and work on ways to stop depending so heavily on foreign oil and the whims of kings and their kingdoms.

Congress is working on passing an energy bill that contains two major provisions, one that would up a fuel economy standard to 35 mpg — Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards — and another that would evolve our energy dependence more heavily on renewable electricity to 15% — Renewable Electricity Standards (RES). Together, these would end our Nation’s security-threatening dependence on Middle East oil, stop our money from flowing to terrorists, and keep our dollars at home growing the American economy.

Unfortunately, lobbyists and PACs are working hard to tear the bill apart, rendering it impotent and incremental instead of powerful and transformative.

I am working with a coalition to make sure the energy bill doesn’t get derailed. I need your help in making sure that the final bill makes it through before we get ourselves into even more of a mess. Check out Energy Bill 2007 and sign their petition.

Congress is working on passing an energy bill that contains two major provisions, one that would up a fuel economy standard to 35 mpg and another that would evolve our energy dependence more heavily on renewable electricity to 15%. Together, these would end our Nation’s security-threatening dependence on Middle East oil, stop our money from flowing to terrorists, and keep our dollars at home growing the American economy.

Unfortunately, lobbyists and PACs are working hard to tear the bill apart, rendering it impotent and incremental instead of powerful and transformative.

“The Capital City Market warehouse district could become the site of condominiums, retail shops and a hotel,” says the Post.

“The 24-acre site plan includes office and condominium buildings, a YMCA and an amphitheater that would be converted into an ice skating rink in the winter.”

Much of what I have read about China’s courtship of Africa is shameful. There is a general perception that Africa is a defenseless child and China is a rich opportunist. Not true.

China does not have a culture of noblesse oblige and so does not feel obligated to wag its finger at Africa but rather do trade amorally. The Times nails it, “A neglected continent encounters a suitor with deep pockets and few demands.”

China cares only about business and business promises — contracts and agreements.

At the core, China is Confucian: it is a shame-based culture. To shame a business partner by wagging one’s moral finger or by withholding aid and business until wrongs are made right is not in the Asian culture. And in terms of relationships, it is good advice as well: people, countries, and continents, are what they are and will not change permanently unless they choose to. Unless there is a cultural shift.

Unless Africa’s underlying cultural code changes. Any changes that have ever happened successfully in Africa have been the result of real grassroots changes, such as South Africa. And even South Africa may revert, eventually.

I grew up in Hawaii and the West was always looking down its nose at Samoa. The perception was that they are lazy and stupid, that they steal and don’t work, that they’re hostile and aggressive.

Not true at all. Quite the contrary. Samoans are generous, family-oriented, happy, and smart people; unfortunately, culturally, they just didn’t dance to the tune of the West. The English were frustrated, and America is even moreso: where is the American work ethic? Where is the gusto?

The common perception of Samoans as being hostile is true enough, but only out of desperation. Samoans are proud people with a beautiful tradition when when young Samoan men in Hawaii are underemployed and left behind as amusing cultural artifact, that’s when Samoans get aggressive.

How to motivate? In Samoa, one doesn’t motivate, one collaborates. I believe the same may be said about Africa, too.

I have a feeling that China and Africa will really get each other.It will be more symbiotic than parasitic.

If I were to generalize, both nations are wolves in sheep’s clothing: tremendously proud people wrapped in a culture of modesty. Both cultures aggressively try to nail down protruding nails and tend to be terribly difficult for Westerners to read.

Here is a hint: Both cultures never say no to your face. All true negotiation needs to happen in the back channels. Anything you ask for will be given to you, although this can often be a trap in order to gauge your character and greed. Your true intent.

Consider everything to be an elaborate test to judge your true character. To shake out your true agenda. You will not be judged for what you do to others, but you will be either accepted or rejected based upon these meetings and your behavior.

How do I know this? Well, the Economist wrote, ” China helps African governments ignore Western nagging about human rights: its support has allowed Sudan to avoid UN sanctions over Darfur. And some Africans look on China as a development model, replacing the tough Washington Consensus with a “Beijing Consensus”: China’s economic progress is cited by statists, protectionists and thugs alike to “prove” that keeping the state’s grip on companies, trade and political freedoms need not stop a country growing by 8%-plus a year.” To the Economist, this is deplorable. The title of the article is, “Wrong model, right continent.”

How do I know, personally? Well, I am a lot like that, having grown up in Hawaii, which to this day acts this way. Folks will never be rude to your face, but if you offend, be ready for blowback: colder receptions, slower response, less outreach, poorer quality, and then — if you don’t get the hint and work to repair the relationship through generous concessions and gifts — alienation, rejection, and finally, destruction. No joke. Yes, I am a very large, very big, very white, Asian man, culturally speaking. Do I make more sense now? “Aha!,” you say.

I guess the West calls it Passive Aggressive. Unfortunately, a great amount of the globe works this way, including the South. Also, Arabia, Africa, and Asia. Ha!

Call it passive aggressive, call it shame-based. Truth is, it is called honor-based behavior by the locals.

I hate to say it, and know I will get a lot of heat from my friends, most of whom are going to change the world through their devotion to protecting and rehabilitating African children soldiers, but the secret to Africa is letting Africa be Africa. As a continent, Africa is wiggly. Africa just wants to be Africa and is essentially universally tribal and never really cottoned to the Nation State.

China will win in Africa because it knows what it wants, it is open with its intent, is willing to ask for what it wants, and will not make Africa feel ashamed, judged, or victimized, for energetically participating. I think that the two cultures are so alien to each other while still being from old cultures, cultures that, at any and all cost, still reward honor and smite insult.

In the end, the New York Times on behalf of Wenran Jiang says it better than I can, “African leaders see China as a new kind of global partner that has lots of money but treats them as equals,??? said Wenran Jiang, a political scientist at the University of Alberta who has studied Chinese-African ties. “Chinese leaders see Africa, in a strategic sense, as up for grabs.???

China is up for grabs because America and, for the most part, Western Europe, has abandoned Africa as a bad investment, both politically and financially. Africa is too much of a hot potato for investors, not just because of its volitility but because too many uninformed Westerners are making so much noise about perceived wrongs in Africa that many investors are unwilling to risk the exposure.

To be honest, there are much easier, less high-profile nations with which to do business than Africa. At least until Africa becomes less polarizing. Unfortunately, by that time, China will be Africa’s management company.

Small business owners in the tech world, be we web developers, applications developers, or marketers, need a staff. We can’t do it all on our own. But we also can’t afford to hire folks. Outsourcing is the way to do it, and offshoring is the way to afford it. Sagewing is a great example of the staff you can afford. I want to spend my time serving my clients and working on relationships. I also want to spend time working on the bigger-picture. Sagewing offers offshore programmers, shopping and e-commerce services, business services, and CMS customization, among other things. The hardest part of offshoring is not getting ripped off and getting good product and services and I think I am going to give Sagewing a go.

I am pleased to announce that the hallowed Urban Institute has launched their new website.

Best part: comprehensive RSS feeds. Kudos to Sheryl Stein and Kathleen Courrier, among other.

I am most certainly proud to be an emergent technologies advisor for the Urban Institute Communications Advisory Board. What did I advise? Syndicate, syndicate, syndicate! What did they do? They syndicated big time.

Last week I was given a new title and position at my company, Technology Strategist.

Technology Strategist

• Defining and implementing processes that help us collect and act upon business intelligence and promote and protect our client’s brands and services.
• Demonstrating a clear understanding of the technical and social forces that determine the movement of information and opinion across the internet.
• A deep understanding of the uses and power of Word of Mouth Marketing, Usenet groups, message boards, and weblog technology is needed. Working in conjunction with campaign managers, the Strategist will be able to implement client focused solutions using all of these components.
• Working with Client Services to define new processes and procedures that enhance our ability to serve our customers while reducing risk and exposure. For example, the explosive growth of weblogs requires a new and well defined messaging strategy that is cost effective and produces measurable results.
• Manage and enhance the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) program, insuring that our client’s web pages and web sites are highly ranked. This program also helps to reduce search engine ranking of pages that are detrimental to our client’s interests.
• Contribute to the development and enhancement of the RSS syndicated data collection system. Our need to collect and organize data via RSS syndication will grow in proportion to our client base. The Strategist will be responsible for identifying and integrating additional data feeds and sources.
• Serve as a scout – observing and evaluating technological and social trends as they develop. The Strategist must always be positioned at the vanguard of marketing technology, especially as it relates to word of mouth and buzz marketing systems.

For me, this position is bespoke. Hopefully, this description will help you get a better grasp on what I do.

“They tend not to be bloggers themselves, but CEOS think blogs are a good tool for communications, says study.” Via CNET

There are so many new books on blogs, blogging, the blogoshpere, corporate blogging, business blogging, Movable Type, and WordPress.

Back in the day, coders and geeks wouldn’t touch my doppio espresso, wouldn’t touch anything from my stovetop Bialetti Moka Express, my Bodum French Press, or my Francis! Francis! X1!

Now, everyone fancies himself a coffee connaisseur. Yeah right. Poseurs. Via eStrategyOne Buzz and Wired.

Those of you who use Plone (like me) know that it likes to crash all the time. Hopefully no more.

My modest Plone sites always die.

There is a solution in Create, configure, and maintain a robust Plone and Zope installation on plone.org

A fast-paced, INC 500, Washington, DC, based online marketing and public relations firm is growing fast enough that it is aggressively recruiting for the following positions: Political Online Brand Manager, Web Developer, Graphic Designer, Business Development, Online Brand Manager, Project Manager, and Online Analyst.

A thriving (triple digit growth over past 5 years) Arlington, VA- based Marketing/PR firm is growing and is aggressively working to fill job openings, offering the opportunity to work in a fun, creative environment with a top-notch client roster that includes Fortune 500 Companies, leading brands and major Hollywood Studios.

Please let them know I sent you!

Political Online Brand Manager:
Currently we are seeking an experienced and highly motivated government affairs/public policy professional for our Online Brand Manager position. Brand Managers are responsible for the overall creation, development and execution of online marketing, communications and business intelligence campaigns for our clients.

Web Developer:
The Web Developer will have overall responsibility for working on a variety of projects primarily involved in web site design and development. The candidate will also be responsible for designing the user interface and overall customer experience for a variety of web sites and applications. This includes overall navigation flow, layout of specific pages, and creation of individual graphic elements.

Graphic Designer:
The Graphics Designer will be responsible for the design and creation of high quality web sites and web pages for clients and for various internal initiatives. The Graphics Designer will interact with programmers, developers, and project managers to determine appropriate page layouts and functionality. Other responsibilities include working independently to create prototypes, working models, and final products based on evolving specifications.

Business Development:
The candidate will be responsible for contacting new business development opportunities, selling products and services and closing deals. Other responsibilities include acting as a member for the sales force, reaching out to new BD opportunities, conducting Market/Industry/Company research, tracking industry developments and trends, writing proposals, attending conferences, etc.

Online Brand Manager:
We’re looking for Online Brand Managers who will manage and develop client relationships and create online marketing, communications and business intelligence campaigns for our blue-chip client base.

Project Manager:
Project Managers are an integral part of client teams. They serve as ambassadors to the internal operations of client campaigns and provide the foundation for growing personnel management, client interaction and both client and team expectation setting. They work directly with managers to execute, advise on, and manage the core components of client campaigns. Project Managers also lead the day-to-day internal management of assigned client campaigns, instructing teammates as to the goals and needs of specific client service projects.

Online Analyst:
We’re looking for dedicated personnel with a desire to contribute, learn and grow their experience in the fields of market research, communications and online marketing.

Its one thing to be an expert blogger and blogging strategiest, its another thing to be an expert blog designer and programmer.

It is so difficult to keep up to date with the latest plug-ins, extentions, tools, strategies, techniques, and template hacks (I have yet to make all the technorati tags hacks work on my blog, for instance).

Now there is a central database for blog designers. Via Problogger.

Aster, Nick (http://www.646industries.com): San Francisco, CA. Moveable Type Specialist. Some highlights include my personal blog (http://www.triplepundit.com) I set up the Gawker family of websites, Treehugger (http://www.treehugger.com) and many more Skype: milohoss AIM: nickaster MSN: ngaster@hotmail.com

Bunch, Kyle (http://www.kylebunch.org) – Pinacol, Inc. (http://www.pinacol.com), Southern California. Design & development highlights include Blogebrity (http://blogebrity.com), The Listen (http://thelisten.net), The Edge City Chronicle (redesign) (http://chron.edgecity.net), Athens not sparta (http://athensnotsparta.com), HOOPLOG (http://www.hooplog.com), The Gawp Network (redesign) (http://togawp.com/), Cloudlog (http://cloudlog.com), and KyleBunch dot org (http://kylebunch.org), amongst others. 888-600-1030

Clark, Jeff (http://www.vacantcanvas.com): Stillwater, Oklahoma. Blog, web and graphic designer. Some highlights include my personal blog (http://www.vacantcanvas.com/blog) and attorney Stephen Jones (http://www.stephenjoneslaw.com) law destination + blog, amongst others. Bored? View the entire portfolio (http://www.vacantcanvas.com/portfolio). Skype: JeffClark

Davis, Nick (http://www.nickdavis.com): Blog, Wiki, and CMS/Portal design, customization and hosting in PHP and .NET technologies. Versed in Drupal, .Text, MediaWiki, Wikka, .NetWiki, DotNetNuke. I just left the corporate world (http://www.nickdavis.com/index.php?q=node/69) to do this on a full time basis. 816-419-6748.

[3] (http://designablog.blogspot.com): Design-A-Blog by Gem and Lisa. Fresh personal blog designs for a great price, specializing in Blogspot redesigns and animated headers. UK and US based. Design-A-Blog (http://designablog.blogspot.com/)

Fawkes, Piers (http://www.psfk.com/2004/06/about_piers_faw.html): Blog development and management. Publishes PSFK blogs: PSFK (http://www.psfk.com), IF (http://if.psfk.com), eco.psfk (http://eco.psfk.com) (in development), Guy Brighton (http://www.uknyc.net), New York Guide (http://newyorkguide.blogs.com). Also manages Seattle brand agency Modo Group’s blog (http://modogroup.blogs.com), runs 2 private knowledge PSFK style blogs for well known brands. NYC based Brit.

Frost, Kevin (http://www.frostopolis.com/) – San Francisco (and Europe). I’m really more of a web software designer+architect+developer, but I also do some graphic design and occasional freelance work. My blog, frostopolis (http://www.frostopolis.com/), uses entirely hand-coded Movable Type templates and a couple of custom plug-ins. For a more techie view, please check my profile (http://frost.biztos.com/). Like (hopefully) most people here, I’m a CSS+WebStandards junkie. If you like my style and think our interests intersect, or if you’ve got a sisyphean urge to build an entire blogging system from scratch, feel free to get in touch via my contact form (http://biztos.com/frost/contact).

Melvin, Matt (http://www.shiftermedia.com) Shifter Media, web and graphic design, San Diego, CA. Highlights Explosm.net (http://www.explosm.net), theDigested.com (http://www.thedigested.com), LaughMachine.com (http://www.laughmachine.com), Master Sports (http://www.masteryoursports.com), and RCI Asset (http://www.rciassetsales.com). View full portfolio at ShifterMedia.com (http://www.shiftermedia.com)

Martine, Michael (http://www.michaelmartine.com): Blog and Web Design for Specialty Markets. Designed Denise Martine (http://www.denisemartine.com), Cloud Alliance (http://www.cloudalliance.com), and currently working on Eat More Kale (http://www.eatmorekale.com/new). Process blog for Eat More Kale redesign Here (http://eatmorekaleupdates.blogspot.com). I’m located in beautiful, contrarian Vermont, USA. I’m accepting new work at the moment.

Techico, Sherwin (http://www.sherwintechico.com) San Francisco, CA. Design/Develop. Yahoo! Messenger: stechico. Portfolio @ www.sherwintechico.com

Van Buren, Garrick (http://www.workingpathways.com) Working Pathways. Minneapolis, MN. Built MNteractive (http://mnteractive.com), AbsurdMurmurs.com (http://absurdmurmurs.com), First Crack Podcast (http://firstcrackpodcast.com), The Work Better Weblog (http://workingpathways.com/workbetter/), and Garrick Van Buren .com (http://garrickvanburen.com).

Vincent, Tiffany (http://www.brilliantignorance.com) Blog, wiki, Web and multimedia design, information architecture and database development.

Weblogs Work (http://www.weblogswork.com) Dallas, Tx. Blog consultancy focused on the development and management of corporate blogs.

57% of the readership of this blog are reading via RSS, RSS2, and ATOM.

I am not including the folks who come in through incoming links, trackbacks, search engines, or article mentions; rather, I am looking for the visits that result from just “checking out Chris’ blog to see what’s up” which is to say, coming to the main index page.

Of course, the results are interesting but obviously inexact and imprecise.

So far this month, July 1-21, Chris Abraham – Because the Medium is the Message, snagged 8,457 browser-based web visit the main index page. In the same time, combining RSS, RSS2, and ATOM readership — 6,192, 2,300, and 2,865 respectively — we come up with 11,357.

In my read of the numbers, the majority of recurring visitors keep up-to-date with this blog via aggregators and RSS readers.

To compare, from July 1-21, chrisabraham.com received 24,514 visits from 15,298 unique visitors.

Piracy aside, BitTorrent is a phenomenal tool that is an exercise in paradox.

Traditional methods of large file distribution require that “the more popular the file, the slower the download” (from divying the bandwidth); “BitTorrent‘s architecture means that the more popular the file is the faster it downloads” — and more cheaply because every downloader becomes an active host (for bandwidth and storage). Via Wired Magazine.

Here is another well-written article from Podcasting News aimed at educating the neophyte on RSS (Really Simple Syndication). Highly-recommended.

CNET has it that Amex “has started a beta program to offer credit card customers services delivered via RSS.”

This is a comprehensive list of the ping server URLs that you need to add to your blog. I will discuss ping servers and why you need them in a future article. (Note: this ping server list is now maintained on Wikipedia)

They are listed as URLs so that you can easily copy-and-paste them into your Preferences under Notify the following sites when I update my blog

Included in every Movable Type install:

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping

http://rpc.weblogs.com/RPC2

http://ping.blo.gs/

Not included but a must-add:
(Note: this ping server list is now maintained on Wikipedia)

http://api.feedster.com/ping

http://www.a2b.cc/setloc/bp.a2b

http://api.moreover.com/RPC2

http://api.my.yahoo.com/RPC2

http://api.my.yahoo.com/rss/ping

http://www.bitacoles.net/ping.php

http://bitacoras.net/ping

http://blogdb.jp/xmlrpc

http://www.blogdigger.com/RPC2

http://blogmatcher.com/u.php

http://www.blogpeople.net/servlet/weblogUpdates

http://www.blogroots.com/tb_populi.blog?id=1

http://www.blogshares.com/rpc.php

http://www.blogsnow.com/ping

http://www.blogstreet.com/xrbin/xmlrpc.cgi

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/XMLRPC

http://bulkfeeds.net/rpc

http://coreblog.org/ping/

http://www.lasermemory.com/lsrpc/

http://mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatt

http://www.mod-pubsub.org/kn_apps/blogchatter/ping.php

http://www.newsisfree.com/xmlrpctest.php

http://ping.bitacoras.com/

http://ping.bloggers.jp/rpc/

http://ping.cocolog-nifty.com/xmlrpc

http://ping.feedburner.com/

http://ping.rootblog.com/rpc.php

http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php

http://ping.weblogs.se/

http://www.popdex.com/addsite.php

http://rcs.datashed.net/RPC2

http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/

http://rpc.pingomatic.com/

http://www.snipsnap.org/RPC2

http://topicexchange.com/RPC2

http://www.weblogues.com/RPC/

http://xping.pubsub.com/ping/

http://xmlrpc.blogg.de/

http://bblog.com/ping.php

Tip of the hat to Elliot Beck for providing his ping list as a launchpad.

(Note: this ping server list is now maintained on Wikipedia)