Starbucks Test New Size ‘Trenta’ via The Daily Tribune

Starbucks is testing the new size ‘Trenta’, 31 ounce cup. They responded to customer demanding for larger cold beverages, they started testing 31-ounce iced teas and iced coffees in Phoenix and Tampa as part of a limited market test, according to the coffee chain. Starbucks’ current largest size is a 24-ounce “Venti” cup used for serving iced coffee and other cold drinks.

Starbucks introduces a larger “Trenta” drink size via Geek.com via Time

If you enjoy purchasing the largest cup you can get from convenience stores and drive-thru windows, Starbucks would like to have your attention for a moment. For those who enjoy Starbucks on the go, the Seattle-based company is unveiling a new “Trenta” size cup to satisfy your enormous thirst for its caffeine-laden goodness.

Sizing-up the new cup, the Trenta contains 7 more ounces than the current “Venti” 24-ounce cup and will cost about 50 cents more per beverage. The only catch is the Trenta cup is reserved for cold based beverages only like iced-teas, iced-coffees, and lemonade drinks. Probably a wise move by Starbuck’s, considering dumping a 31-ounce cup of hot Joe in your lap would result is a very substantial skin graft.

The new Trenta size drinks will become available starting on Tuesday in 14 states including Alabama, Arizona, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, New Mexico, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Nevada. California will get the new Trenta on February 1st, while the rest of the nation should see the 31-ounce cup by May 3rd.

Starbucks’ new Trenta will totally own your stomach via Below the Scroll

Starbucks announces the Trenta, a 31-ounce drink (almost a quart) that launches in the South this week but probably won’t make its Lincoln debut until May. CNN

National Post has made a discomfiting infographic comparing the size of the Trenta to the size of the human stomach.

The New Starbucks Trenta Cup Is Bigger Than Your Stomach via Gizmodo

To satisfy the unquenchable gullets of America’s brand-name coffee drinkers, Starbucks will introduce a 916ml Trenta cup. That’s more than the average capacity of the human stomach, and enough caffeine to stand in for a defibrillator.

Of course, it’s not much—if any—different from a Big Gulp or any movie theater’s large beverage container. But for some reason coffee’s just that much more insidious. You’ll be able to sample one for yourself when the Trenta rolls out nationwide by May 3rd. [Image credit: National Post via Laughing Squid]

Starbucks Trenta, Illustrated: How The New Size Compares To The Human Stomach

Just how big is Starbucks’ new Trenta size? The Trenta, available only for iced drinks, will be in every U.S. Starbucks by May 3.  The 31oz addition to the Starbucks lineup is 325mL larger than Starbucks’ previous largest size, the Venti. At 916 mL, the Trenta is actually larger than the average capacity of the adult human stomach (900mL). From the National Post

Starbucks Trenta, 31-Ounces, Launches in South This Week via WalletPop

Starbucks may have long prompted ridicule with its Italianisms for “medium” (Grande) and “large” (Venti, or “20″ in Italian) but it made no attempt to relieve the eye-rollers with its newly-announced size, rolling out beginning Tuesday in 14 states and in the rest of the country by May: the Trenta, a 31-ouncer. “Trenta” is Italian for “30″; Starbucks has not yet explained why it couldn’t call the size the more accurate “trentuno.” But for that matter, the company has not yet explained “Tall.”

The size will only be offered in iced coffee, iced tea and iced lemonade beverages, allowing Starbucks to neatly skirt the obvious criticisms that the drinks might contribute to our nation’s obesity crisis; even the sweetened versions, they say, can’t be more than 230 calories. And as these are some of the least expensive drinks on the menu already, the company can’t be criticized for raising prices even further — the prices for the Trenta will be 50-cents more than the Venti. The biggest legitimate criticism comes from the National Post, which has printed a nice infographic showing that the Trenta (916 ml) is larger than the average stomach capacity (900 ml).

So, it’s clear that (as one jokester mentioned) Starbucks in the mostly-Southern states which will get the new sizes first — Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada and Arizona — the major impact to the financial and physical health of its customers will be in their need to use the restroom. Let’s not raise the alarm flags quite yet.

However, it’s one of those moves that certainly leaves the door open for future Trenta-sized beverages whose caloric content could end up rivaling the famously-retired Supersize sodas. At about 410 or 420 calories for a 42-ounce Supersize drink at McDonald’s, many Venti beverages already outdo that number; the Caramel Brulee Latte is 430 calories, an Eggnog Latte is 610, and a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha is 590. You and I can both do the math; even an “ordinary” flavored latte, in a 31-ounce size, would be about 500 calories; the sweetest versions of the drinks would be over 900 calories.

Sure, it’s just a little more ice and caffeine; and it’s not like customers can’t create drinks now that top 1,000 calories if they really want to. A soldier in my husband’s unit would order a Venti mocha with five shots of vanilla; skinny, that ain’t. But do we really need a reason to spend more than we already do on big plastic cups of caffeine and sugar? The answer to that is a resounding “no.”

Starbucks test markets the 31-ounce Trenta for iced tea or coffee via USA Today

Move over Venti. Starbucks is test marketing  the Trenta — a  31-ounce serving of iced teas and iced coffee.

Reuters says Starbucks’ announcement comes as some McDonald’s restaurants continue to offer a 32-ounce sweet tea for $1.

The new 31-ounce Trenta is being tested in Phoenix and Tampa. The iced coffee version sells for $3.30 and the iced tea for $2.60.

Starbucks says unsweetened Trenta drinks have fewer than 5 calories, while sweetened versions have less than 200 calories.

There was no word of the potential impact on nerves.

Starbucks trenta: Because what we really need is MORE CAFFEINE!!! via Chicago Tribune

Word of the day: ‘Trenta’

Starbucks is sampling 31-ounce cold drinks under that name in two markets — Tampa, Fla., and Phoenix. The trenta, “30″ in Italian, is an extra large in Starbucks-speak. The chain coffee retailer currently offers the venti/large (24 ounces cold, 20 ounces hot), grande/medium (16 ounces) and tall/small (12 ounces). All with multiple milk choices, various syrups and sweeteners and …. Ahhhhhhh! They really should not mess with highly caffeinated people this way.

Gulp! Starbucks testing big 31-ounce Trenta size via the Orange County Register

Step aside Venti. Welcome, the Trenta.

Starbucks is testing a bigger drink dubbed the Trenta in two major U.S. markets. The new 31-ounce size is good for only iced coffee ($3.30) and iced tea ($2.60) drinks. The super-size cup is sold in cafes in  Phoenix and Tampa, Fl.

“It is simply a new item we are testing in response to our customers (asking) for larger iced tea and coffee,” Starbucks said in a statement to the Register.

The big drink option comes as McDonald’s challenges Starbucks in the morning with its new McCafe drinks.  It’s unclear if Trenta will come to Southern California.

Starbucks declined to talk about future test markets.

The Trenta is seven ounces larger than Starbucks’ biggest cup, a Venti. Though the size is bigger, Starbucks was quick to point out that unsweetened Trenta beverages are less than 5 calories. Sweetened iced coffee or tea in a Trenta cup would be less than 200 calories, the company added.

Even though Richard Laermer does not agree, I love the new Starbucks logo.

It boils it all down into the essence.

We have all been so completely inculcated in STARBUCKS==COFFEE that the only logo better than the minimalist 2011 Starbucks logo is the original 1971 Starbucks logo — with bare breasts and all!

Then, the 1971 logo circa 2011 could well have updated “Coffee Tea Spices” with “Coffee Hookers Blow” or whatever it evolves into — have you seen Idiocracy‘s take on the ‘Bucks?

Good luck, Starbucks!  I always look forward to a “Venti Mild” or a “Quad” any chance I get so I always want you to be ubiquitous and I hope I will be able to drink more Starbucks on my trip than I will need to drink Truck Stop or Dunkin Donuts coffee, both of which I hate with a passion.

The sales team of my company, Abraham Harrison, has sent me on a vision quest across America via automobile. Part selling, part sharing, and mostly turning social media only and online social network only friends into IRL. It has been hard to plan everything out this far but Sara Wilson’s 9-year-old son has sorted it all out for me and my trusty German sedan. Here’s the concise list:

• Atlanta, GA – Arrive 1/4 and Depart 1/9
• Birmingham, AL – Arrive 1/9 and Depart 1/11
• Lafayette, LA – Arrive 1/11 and Depart 1/12
• Houston, TX —  Arrive 1/12 and Depart 1/18
• Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX – Arrive 1/18 and Depart 1/22
• El Paso, TX – Arrive 1/22 or 1/23 and Depart 1/25
• Phoenix, AZ – Arrive 1/25 and Depart 1/27
• San Diego, CA – Arrive 1/27 and Depart 1/29
• Los Angeles, CA – Arrive 1/29 and Depart 2/6

(In between LA and Seattle – TBD)

• Seattle, WA – Arrive 2/25 and depart March 4th

INTERMISSION: Flight home to DC for about 1 week, then back to Seattle

• 2nd time in Seattle, WA, and Vancouver, BC

Then Return Trip – TBD, expected arrival back in DC is late April/early May. Please comment here in the comments or email me at chris.abraham@abrahamharrison.com if you’re in any of the above cities in any of the above dates and I’ll be sure to make some time for coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks! Many thanks to Priya Malla, Sara Wilson, Ann Place, and Sara’s son for hooking me up with rooms, routes, meetings, and little fridges for my rooms and for Mark Harrison for forcing me to go.

My Filson extra-large duffle and Original Briefcase in maximum travel mode!

(This is a reenactment of what my experience was like)

I just discovered that Ricochet ist tot, according to Boing Boing Gadgets, WiFi News, and TechDirt. Wow, I had both the original Ricochet (the brick) and then the later “Crickochet” (because it was much smaller — shown above) and ran it on my Compaq Aero as well as my Apple Mac Duo 230. It connected via serial cable. I lived and worked in Washington, but also was able to spend a lovely Summer in the cafes of Seattle, Washington as well as San Francisco, because they were two other hot zones — the Ricochet Network, which was based on simple wireless antennas affixed to light posts and other placements — the earliest wireless mesh networks. This is back in 1996 through 1998. Maybe it was earlier, I forget. The devices were powerful, fast — was it 128k or so? — at least faster than 28.8-56, anyway. And very very few people would stop to see what I was up to even though having someone web-browsing online in the mid-90s wasn’t that common. Wow, I am a serious geek. It always makes me wonder how come Wi-Max and other wireless solutions are so rare when Ricochet could do this back in 1996. Check out more over on Wikipedia.

(This is the original Ricochet modem, which we called “the brick” and it is attached to a Psion palm-top which is totally what I did — and I was able to to telnet from that little Psion 3a and Psion 5!)

History

Service began in 1994 in Cupertino, California and was quickly deployed throughout the Santa Clara Valley by 1995, the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area by 1996, and to other cities throughout the end of the 1990′s. By this time, the original network had been upgraded, via firmware improvements, to almost twice its original throughput, and was operating at roughly the speed of a 56 kbit/s dialup modem; in addition, Ricochet introduced a higher-speed (nominally 128 kbit/s, in practice often faster) service in 1999; monthly fees for this service, however, were more than double those for the original service.

At its height, in early 2001, Ricochet service was available in Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City and surrounding New Jersey, Philadelphia, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. Over 51,000 subscribers paid for the service. In July 2001, however, Ricochet’s owner, Metricom, abruptly ceased service. The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in August 2001. Like many companies during the dot-com boom, Metricom had spent more money than it took in and concentrated on a nationwide rollout and massive marketing instead of developing select markets (similar to Webvan).

Technology

The technology, deployed by Metricom Inc., worked as a wireless mesh network: packets were forwarded by small repeaters (typically mounted on streetlamps, for the use of which Metricom negotiated agreements with municipal governments) and might “bounce” among several such units along the path between an end-user’s modem and a wired internet access point; hence the name of the service. The wireless ISP service was an outgrowth of technology Metricom had developed to facilitate remote meter reading for utility companies. It was originally inspired by amateur packet radio, but differed from this technology in many respects: for instance, Ricochet used spread spectrum (FHSS) technology in the low-power “license-free” 900 MHz ISM band of the RF spectrum. In addition to the eavesdropping resistance offered by FHSS, modems offered built-in encryption, but this was not turned on by default.

Throughput was originally advertised as equivalent to, and in practice was often somewhat better than, that of a standard 28.8 kbit/s telephone modem. In addition, Ricochet could be treated as an “always-on” connection (in the sense that, once connected to the network, it could stay connected even when not in use without tying up scarce resources, unlike a dialup connection), much the way broadband is today. It was also marketed for a flat monthly fee (the original Ricochet service was $29.95 a month, less than the cost of dialup plus a second phone line). As a result, a significant number of users in the Ricochet service area adopted it as their primary home Internet connection.

Ricochet’s main draw, however, was that it was wireless; at the time, there were almost no other options for a wireless Internet connection. Cellular phones were not as prevalent as today, and wireless data services such as GPRS had not yet been deployed on US cellular networks. It was possible to use specially adapted dialup modems over cellular connections but this was slow (typically topping out at 9.6 kbit/s), expensive (per-minute charges applied), and often flaky. In contrast, Ricochet was fast, flat-rate, and very reliable.

Equipment

Ricochet equipment can sometimes be found on the surplus and used market. The consumer equipment uses license free 1W 900 MHz FHSS encrypted radio modems which respond to standard Hayes “AT” commands. They include a packet-based mode of operation called “star mode” and it is possible to create a point to point connection or even a small independent network with data speeds greater than 256 kbit/s. Some of the infrastructure equipment used 900 MHz for the link to the consumer and used 2.4 GHz for the backhaul link. (A third option, the licensed 2.3 GHz WCS band, was used only in heavily loaded parts of the network and is seldom mentioned in literature.)

External links

• Cupertino deployment
• 1996 technical article on Ricochet’s operations
• Ricochet hackers’ wiki, technical specifics on the network’s hardware and software

This just in over the news wire, just in time for me to become a resident of Berlin, is news that the “open-skies agreement” will make it easier, cheaper, and simpler for me to share my time between Germany and the United States; Berlin and DC! Via NY Times

AIR travel to Europe is about to undergo a significant change, one that is likely to spell more choices and cheaper fares for travelers.

On March 30, the so-called open-skies agreement goes into effect, allowing airlines based in the United States and Europe to fly across the Atlantic between any two airports in each region. Before the pact, trans-Atlantic flights were governed by separate agreements between the United States and individual European nations. The pacts required airlines to take off or land in their native countries, and limited which airlines could serve certain airports.

For example, British Airways flights bound for the United States had to originate in Britain. And only two United States carriers were permitted to land at Heathrow Airport, near London: American and United.

When the open-skies agreement kicks in next week, those restrictions will be lifted, essentially letting the open market dictate all trans-Atlantic routes between the United States and Europe. For instance, Continental, Delta and Northwest will be able to serve Heathrow for the first time.

This year, San Francisco, Orlando and Washington all received their first scheduled nonstop flights to Dublin on Aer Lingus under a related transitionary arrangement. And Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, the Irish no-frills carrier, has said he plans to start a new airline that will fly from secondary European markets like Liverpool or Birmingham to a half-dozen American cities like Baltimore or Providence, R.I., for a base fare as low as 10 euros, or about $16 at $1.59 to the euro.

“We don’t even begin to get a glimmer of the possibilities of open-market competition yet,” said Jerry Chandler, who writes Cheapflights.com’s travel blog and has been tracking the new open-skies flights. “There could be a lot of flourishing of routes in markets that currently don’t exist, especially from smaller U.S. cities to European hubs.”

The new pact is expected to be game-changing for Europe-bound travel. More routes are expected to open, and prices could fall thanks to the new competition. The agreement is also likely to encourage European carriers to compete more aggressively with one another across the Continent. Lufthansa, the German airline, for example, could set up a hub in Paris; or Air France could set up a hub in Frankfurt.

So far, though, most United States airlines are simply looking to open service to Heathrow — a strategic hub that offers connecting flights not just across Europe, but to the Middle East, Africa and Asia, too. Flights from the United States to Heathrow are expected to increase 31 percent, to 2,932 flights in July from 2,233 this month, according to OAG Back Aviation Solutions.

Northwest plans to add daily service later this year to Heathrow from Detroit, Minneapolis and Seattle. Beginning on March 29, the New York area will get four new flights a day to Heathrow: two from Continental out of Newark and two from Delta out of Kennedy Airport. Travelers in Atlanta will have a new direct flight to Heathrow aboard Delta (as opposed to connecting through Chicago or some other city), as will travelers out of Dallas-Forth Worth and Raleigh-Durham — both aboard American by March 30.

European carriers like KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are also getting into the act with new service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Heathrow. Likewise, Air France will begin operating a daily flight between Los Angeles and Heathrow on March 30.

For many travelers, a direct flight to Heathrow is long overdue. For instance, there are currently no nonstop flights between Dallas-Fort Worth and Heathrow, forcing many passengers to land at other London airports — like Gatwick or Luton — even if they have a connecting flight to catch in Heathrow. “It has been an absolute nightmare,” said Terry Denton, president of Main Street Travel, a Carlson Wagonlit agency in Forth Worth that specializes in missionary trips to Africa and elsewhere that usually require a connection through Heathrow.

Getting from Gatwick to Heathrow involves hauling luggage through passport control, taking a bus or cab across town and going through check-in and security anew — a process that could take three hours. The new routes will allow travelers to bypass that ordeal.

It’s not just Heathrow, however, that’s getting new service. British Airways is planning a subsidiary called OpenSkies that will skip London altogether, beginning with Brussels-New York and Paris-New York service as early as June. And some airlines, anticipating increased competition, are expanding their trans-Atlantic networks. Delta will begin flying from Kennedy Airport to Paris Orly on June 2, cutting out a three-hour-plus layover in Madrid, Nice or elsewhere.

KLM will start a daily flight between Dallas-Fort Worth and Amsterdam on March 30. Previously, Dallas passengers had to change planes in Memphis, New York or another city before arriving in Amsterdam. The new flight will cut at least two hours off the total flight time.

Besides saving time, the new competition should put pressure on airlines to reduce fares. A 2002 study by the Brattle Group, a consulting firm, estimated that an open-skies agreement between the United States and the European Union would generate a 10 percent increase in passenger traffic in formerly restricted markets, which could reduce fares 4 to 10 percent.

Routes to watch include Denver-Heathrow and Seattle-Heathrow, which were previously served by only one nonstop carrier: British Airways. But thanks to the open skies agreement, United will begin flying between Denver and Heathrow on March 30, with introductory fares starting at $570 round trip for travel before May 15. British Airways, by contrast, has been offering that same route for $1,461, according to an online search.

And Northwest Airlines will start flying between Seattle and Heathrow on June 1, with fares for $1,288, compared with $1,302 on British Airways, based on a recent online search.

But don’t expect a full-on fare war just yet. With the price of fuel so high, pricing on trans-Atlantic travel has been “pretty brutal,” said Rick Seaney, the chief executive of FareCompare.com. “Base prices are at an all-time low, but fuel surcharges are up.”

Der Reichstag Berlin, originally uploaded by Chris Abraham.

It is pretty rainy this morning. Not real rain, more like Seattle rain. Berlin rain. So, its gray and wet but also bright. Though it is a hazy gray day in Berlin town, it is still pretty enough to take the classic photo of the Reichstag.

I just posted my latest-and-greatest resume onto Craig’s List: San Francisco, Washington, DC, Seattle, and New York City

Social Media, New Media, Web2.0 Strategy, and New Marketing Expert

Interested in remote projects and contracts. Also interested in Washington-area on-site consulting and contract opportunities

MISSION
My passion is to use my experience and expertise in online community outreach and advocacy to promote and protect client online brands using my years of blogging, SEO, PR, marketing, and CGM professional experience.

PROFILE
I am an expert in online outreach, advocacy and marketing with over 10 years of online experience. My experience focuses on web strategy, including SEO strategy, technology strategy, and online marketing strategy. My skills include:

- Blogger: online outreach, advocacy, conversation, and messaging, blogger relations
- Technologist: expertise in community technologies, blogs, wikis, message boards
- Salesman: entrepreneurial nature with a very strong business network and web of personal relationships
- Marketer: Over three years of online buzz marketing, online buzz marketing, and online word-of-mouth marketing
- Producer: experience in designing and developing hardware and software solutions
- Strategist: design, develop, and implement web strategies and marketing plans to reach online consumers
- Promoter: online brand promotion, virals, organic SEO (search engine optimization), and paid advertising (SEM)
- Protector: online brand protection, defensive SEO, online crisis response, and online brand management
- Teacher: Blogging instructor, guest lecturer, and online teacher since 1996

CLIENTS

- Technology Strategy reports commissioned for Deutsche Telekom
- Web Strategy document commissioned by Diversion Media for Travelistic launch
- Web Strategy document commissioned by Friendster
- Word of Mouth campaign commissioned by HostNuke for EggDisk file storage service
- Online buzz marketing proposal commissioned by Red Bricks Media for their client’s use
- Client contact for Wal-Mart’s innovative blog outreach campaign, including prospecting and messaging (Edelman)
- Co-produced successful online advocacy proposals to GE, Nissan, Shell, the American Petroleum Institute (API), and Wal-Mart Realty (Edelman)
- Developed, deployed, and launched client and internal corporate blogs, marketing blogs, vertical industry blogs, PR blogs, promotional blogs, public affairs blogs, social networks, and podcasts, including Club TomTom, New Media Sense, Extreme Mortman, and others. (NMS)
- Client service work included Sci-Fi Channel (Mad Mad House, Tripping the Rift, Battlestar Galactica), Buena Vista (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), TomTom, Paramount Pictures, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Disney, Reebok, EA (UXO, Sim-City Online), RCA (American Idol CD), and NBC (Revelations), etc. (NMS)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Founding Partner, Abraham Harrison LLC — 10/2006-Present
- On-site training, briefing, and client pitching as online buzz marketing and SEO expert
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert, focusing on both brand promotion and protection in search
- Online Buzz Marketing, Online Word-of-Mouth Marketing, and Online Viral Marketing expert
- Consulting and guiding PR and Marketing firms in their creation of Online Marketing practices
- Technology Strategy reports commissioned by COMTEG for Deutsche Telekom and T-Online
- Work and expertise partnership collaboration between crayon LLC and Abraham Harrison LLC
- Online buzz marketing proposal commissioned by Red Bricks Media for their client use
- Designed and developed opt-in membership Email and messaging campaigns
- Developed online word-of-mouth marketing strategy and tactics used on Usenet, message boards, social networks, and blogs
- Developed online advocacy and outreach campaigns for clients’ products, services, and message
- Produced internal and client protective and promotional SEO campaigns and search strategy to highlight positive online conversation and suppress negative conversation on popular search engines
- Developed in-house expertise on blogging, new media, podcasting, technology, citizen journalism, and CGM, including training, teaching, and the development of blogging and online marketing strategy
- Managed online advertising campaigns using Yahoo and Google contextual ads
- Fully-monetized network of blogs and affiliate web sites
- Affiliate keyword marketing and contextual advertising
- Search engine optimization (SEO) and online promotion
- Administration of multiple WordPress, Moveable Type, and Drupal blogs on dedicated server
- Blog strategy and planning for high-traffic, high-profile blog relaunch
- Customized Moveable Type installation on CentOS dedicated server
- Transition from TypePad to newest Movable Type 3.34 install
- Monetization of blogs, including BlogAds and Google AdSense placement
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of blogs
- Manage Google Apps Premier hosting of Email for Abraham Harrison LLC
- Manage CentOS dedicated server hosting Drupal, WordPress, and Movable Type installations

Sales Representative, Visible Technologies — 1/2007-Present
- Sell and promote TruCast and TruView SEO and online advocacy ASP solutions online and in Washington, DC

Associate, crayon LLC — 3/2007-Present
- Work and expertise partnership collaboration between crayon LLC and Abraham Harrison LLC
- Audited all crayon LLC sites and blogs for SEO, UI, architecture, branding, and marketing strategy

Senior RSS Consultant, Hinchcliffe & Company — 1/2007-Present
- On-site syndication strategist for T. Rowe Price Information Technology (TRPIT)
- Research and development towards deploying a public, consumer-focused RSS product
- Solution included a customized ATOM 1.0 feed supplying daily mutual fund pricing
- Solution included a Google Gadget and a Live.com Microsoft Gadget alternative
- Solution included subscription strategies for Bloglines, Google Personalized Home Page, etc.

Director of Social Media, COMTEG.COM — 12/2006-Present
- Web2.0 strategy analyst for major European telecom company
- Produced case studies on Web2.0, Revver, digg, Google Reader, Google, YouTube, Helio, VOX, Dodgeball, Second Life
- Produced case studies on prediction markets: Inkling Markets, PROTRADE, Blogshares, Washington Stock Exchange (WSX), The simExchange, newsfutures, RealityMarkets, Consensus Point (Foresight Server, Foresight on Demand), NewsFuture (Prediction Trader)
- Produced case studies on online personal and public calendars: Google Calendar, Yahoo! Calendar, AOL Calendar, Apple iCal, Microsoft Live, Upcoming, Eventful,
- Produced case studies on blog and feed search engines: Ask.com, Technorati, Google Blogsearch
- Produced case studies on social networking sites: VOX, YouTube, digg
- Produced detailed studies and corporate recommendations on Web2.0 (web 2.0), RSS, widgetization (widgets, Google Gadgets, desktop gadgets), long tail strategy
- Produced case studies on online address books and online contacts and networks: Plaxo
- Direct engagement and recommendations for web2.0 strategy

Consultant, Travelistic.com, Diversion Media — 8/2006-10/2006
- Web strategy document commissioned by Nicolas Butterworth
- Word-of-Mouth and buzz marketing strategy document and hiring recommendations
- Search engine optimization (SEO) strategy document

Independent Web Strategies Consultant — 8/2006-Present
- On-site training, briefing, and client pitching as online buzz marketing and SEO expert
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) expert, focusing on both brand promotion and protection in search
- Online Buzz Marketing, Online Word-of-Mouth Marketing, and Online Viral Marketing expert
- Consulting and guiding PR and Marketing firms in their creation of Online Marketing practices
- Web Strategy document commissioned by Nicholas Butterworth and Diversion Media for Travelistic.com launch
- Web Strategy document commissioned by Friendster
- Word of Mouth campaign commissioned by HostNuke for EggDisk file storage service
- Online buzz marketing proposal commissioned by Red Bricks Media for their client use

Senior Account Supervisor, Online Advocacy, Edelman — 5/2006-8/2006
- Client contact for Wal-Mart’s innovative blog outreach campaign, including prospecting and messaging
- Spearheaded Working Families for Wal-Mart blog, newsletter, and activation list
- Developed online word of mouth outreach for Taylor Hicks webcast from Wal-Mart shareholder’s meeting
- Co-produced Exposing the Paid Critics blog for Working Families for Wal-Mart
- Co-produced successful online advocacy proposals to GE, Nissan, Shell, the American Petroleum Institute (API), and Wal-Mart Realty
- Designed and developed opt-in membership Email and messaging campaigns

Technology Strategist, New Media Strategies, Inc. — 9/2003-5/2006
- Developed online word-of-mouth marketing strategy and tactics used on Usenet, message boards, social networks, and blogs
- Developed online advocacy and outreach campaigns for clients’ products, services, and message
- Produced internal and client protective and promotional SEO campaigns and search strategy to highlight positive online conversation and suppress negative conversation on popular search engines
- Developed in-house expertise on blogging, new media, podcasting, technology, citizen journalism, and CGM, including training, teaching, and the development of blogging and online marketing strategy
- Developed, deployed, and launched client and internal corporate blogs, marketing blogs, vertical industry blogs, PR blogs, promotional blogs, public affairs blogs, social networks, and podcasts, including Club TomTom, New Media Sense, Extreme Mortman, and others.
- Managed online advertising campaigns using Yahoo and Google contextual ads
- Client service work included Sci-Fi Channel (Mad Mad House, Tripping the Rift, Battlestar Galactica), Buena Vista (Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), TomTom, Paramount Pictures, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Disney, Reebok, EA (UXO, Sim-City Online), RCA (American Idol CD), and NBC (Revelations), etc . . .

Consultant, Blog Production and Strategy, BoldMouth — 8/2006-Present
- Blog strategy and planning for high-traffic, high-profile blog relaunch
- Customized Moveable Type installation on CentOS dedicated server
- Transition from TypePad to newest Movable Type 3.31 install
- Monetization of blog, including BlogAds and Google AdSense placement
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of blog

Director of Sales, eResources, LLC — 9/2002-9/2003
- Managed sales force and new business for the ITonDemand and the eResources Content Management System products

Senior Web Developer, National Legal Aid & Defender Association — 2/2002 – 9/2002
- Developed Web applications and content management system (CMS) developer using Zope, Python, and MySQL

Managing Director, beehive North America — 7/2000-2/2002
- President, co-owner, and co-founder of beehive North America, the North American office of Berlin-based beehive elektronische medien GmbH
- Sold and marketed software Zope application development training and services
- Clients included College of Exploration, The Nature Conservancy, and Space Telescope Science, and Pfizer Global Research and Development (PGRD)

Online Community Builder, Caucus Systems, Inc. — 7/1999-6/2000
- Online community, online conference, and online event facilitator and host
- Linux/Unix system administrator (LAMP SA)

Senior Information Engineer, FCBS — 12/1997-7/1999
- On-site consultant for US Department of Treasury Chief Information Office (CIO)
- Core duties included HTML, scripting (Perl, SSI), programming, graphic design, management, development, and deployment of the CIO Intranet and public website

Teacher, Education for the Arts (EFA), KRESA — 8/1996-6/1998
- High school teacher of the first fully accredited virtual online high school creative writing course for Kalamazoo, MI, Public Schools arts magnet program

Software Engineer, Proxicom, Inc. (Proxima in 1996) — 1/1996-8/1996
- Internet web application developer for the seminal web application company

Technical and Customer Support, Picture Network International (PNI) — 7/1993-8/1995
- Help desk for Industry’s second dial-up online stock photo agency
- Start-up funded and supported by SRA and Tribune Media Company

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Guest Lecturer on History Blogging, History in the Digital Age, American University — 1/31/2007

Guest Speaker, “What is RSS? And How can it change my life?,” AOL University, AOL — 2/8/2007

Blogging Instructor, The Writer’s Center — 2/2006-Present

Blogger, Because the Medium is the Message — 1999-Present

Stock Photographer, Pacific Stock — 1990-Present

Stock Photographer, Corbis — 1990-2004

Guest Lecturer on Public Affairs Blogging, SIPA, Columbia University — 10/15/1005

Emergent Technologies Advisor, Communications Advisory Board, Urban Institute.

Participant Member, Moderator and Speaker, Renaissance Weekends, Renaissance Institute

Partner of Counsel, Haft, Harrison & Wolfson, Inc.

Associate, Howard Rheingold Associates

Founder and Organizer, DC Zope Python User Group (ZPUG)

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The George Washington University, Washington, DC
- BA, American Literature, Minor Creative Writing, 1993

University of Hawaii, Manoa Campus, Honolulu, HI
- Intensive course work, French, 1992

University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
- Junior year abroad, English and American Studies (EAS), 1990-1991

Missive from Roger Wolfson announcing that Kinship II with Captain Mark Harrison is approaching the Panama Canal:

Happy New Year, everyone! Kinship II is sailing through the Panama Canal at this moment. She’ll be visible on the following webcam — only for a few moments — at some point later today (Thursday the 2nd) or tomorrow (Friday the 3rd):

Her projected arrival in Los Angeles is still Febuary, 2003. If you need to reach me, by the way, I have a new cellphone: 310-721-0855.

May every blessing be yours in 2003,

Roger

– Roger S. Wolfson, J.D.* Founding Partner Haft, Harrison, and Wolfson New York . Washington, D.C. . Los Angeles . Seattle . San Francisco . New Haven . Charleston . Atlanta . Boston . Vancouver . Toronto . Montreal . Sao Paulo . Berlin . Tokyo www.hhwinc.com rwolfson@hhwinc.com 310-721-0855 (day) 917-685-8492 (night)

*admitted to the Bars of Connecticut, New York, Washington, D.C., and the United States Supreme Court _____________________________________________________________________ Kinship mailing list Kinship@lists.urban.net http://lists.urban.net/mailman/listinfo/kinship

The small apartment smells a little from the windows being closed against the humidity. I don’t have any place to put the butts from the ashtray and I really don’t want to waste my time doing domestic things anyway. Time seems too valuable for that.

But the job of cleaning now has become overwhelming. I hate living in an apartment and not on the road because messes remind me of stagnation. I am stagnating and the garbage reminds me, the ashtray, and the clothes I have to smell before wearing. This is wearing thin. My writing is going just fine, but I am not following Eastern Daylight Time, but Hawaiian Time. I have been awake since bright and early at 2:11 PM and shall go to sleep in an hour or so, around 4:30 AM. It’s certainly the typical hours for work in downtown Honolulu. Maybe Los Angeles. Okay, LA, but I’ll never admit to having to do anything with that place.

Seattle then. A place called never-never-land. A place so unlike Washington. Washington looks so deeply into the mirror. Washington is like a teenage girl. She notices every flaw and every ounce gained; she worried about everybody’s opinion and fears rejection, always believing herself (no matter how gorgeous) to always be the homelier. New York is her older sister, the prom queen, the forever more popular to the studious insecure Washington.

Seattle just is. Whether the mecca for new technology or sustainability; or, as it is better know, for the romper room of the Generation X (and also the Generation Why as well as for Old Hippies and middle-aged Punkers). Seattle just is. The people explore their own trendiness with great seriousness and commitment. Whereas people from the seventies laugh off their bell bottoms and feathered hair, Seattle youth of the nineties (much more so than their suburban “Club Soda” brethren) shall be unable to secret their past shame in the attic, but shall be wearing it across their backs in inky faded wings. Or in a tribal tattooed arm band, in the scar of a clitoral piercing, brands, scarification — this is commitment, this is power.

But here, Washington looks at herself in the mirror and doesn’t want to be one-hair out of place; she doesn’t want to stick out; she doesn’t want to be snickered at by her friends. She doesn’t know what she is missing, the freedom of showing off the downy gleaming blond hairs of the tummy, the ellipse of the navel; to show the movement and form of the breast; to let the length of the body move under sunshine, under rain, beneath the incessant tirade of base and guitar. Pressed and exposed; excited and rosy from the blood coursing in the veins, breaking near the surface of the cheek.

And the ashes are constricting my chest. The smoke is no good for the chest. Seattle is cast under cloud by day, but at night the mist is nicotine and clove. Seattle is a Camel town. New York is Marlboro. Washington is a Marlboro Light town, by default to New York.

The pale flanks of Seattle, tight from starvation. Striations of muscle, the glint of the rings, the glitter of the disco makeup, the high camp. The bell bottoms taken for a steal at a flea market, from the folk’s attic. The nosebleed platforms and ubiquitous coffee jitters.

Dimpled erotica painted on flesh with needle, wrapped like tentacles along the arm and down the back. Once, my head way held tight during a freedive. By a giant octopus, I shit you not. It took hold and its eight tentacles, each as big as my wrist. The suckers reeled down my arms and bare back. On one breath, I fought it. I used my knife to tickle it away and it disappeared in a cloud of ink.

I had been hunting for him so it was a fair loss, but when I arrived on shore, there were terrible welts where the genius had taken hold. They were read and indelible for quite some time, having broken the blood vessels, creating bruises.

The mark of the octopus from that day were as flowing and dynamic as the patterns dancing on the flesh of the Seattlite. Half-shirts, tank-tops, halter-tops, no shirt at all. The dancing of the image on the flesh; the tinkling of rings and jewelry. The clicking against the teeth as the boy absentmindedly plays with the silver barbell in his tongue as he pulls you off a shot of espresso.

Where can you get a good cup of coffee at 4 AM on Capitol Hill?

– (1997) text by Chris Abraham, illustrations by Maya Drozdz