News of the Day 12/14/2009

Avatar-a-go-go, money for video delivery, and the possibility of more layoffs in gaming. Let's see what's up!

Career:
Social Media: Making HR obsolete? And Laurie of Punk Rock HR doesn't seem to mind.

Economics/Geekonomics:
So just why did Abu Dhabi bail out Dubai World – Sounds like more was at stake than we thought – and that the bailout may not fix other issues.

Anime and Manga:
Harlequin's manga debut on eManga – With some deals. So, let's see how this goes both in general, and because it's Harlequin who's seemed awful experimental lately . . .

Media:
With 'As The World Turns' being cancelled, you can imagine that some fans are very frustrated. There's also a petition, obviously. This is a historical event because it's simply a long-running show.

Mobile:
A look at Google's own phone, Nexus One. Helpful links at the bottom too.

Movies:
James Cameron-palooza. Avatar well-recieved and he wants sequels, and he still wants to do Battle Angel Alita. If Avatar does well, perhaps Alita ill get a lot more attention (and cash).

Social Media:
MySpace will stream indie bands – I've asked what will happen to indies with all the technical changes, here's a small part of the answer . . .

Video:
Wildvine raises $15 million – Wildvine does video tracking and delivery, so you can guess why many may be interested in it . . .

Video Games:
A look at layoffs in gaming – A quick overview, a few things you may not know. It appears December sales are going to determine what's happening in a number of companies – and Canada, as usual, is said to be the go-to place.


QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Even if Avatar is a massive hit, are these giant block-busters cost effective to risk?

-Steven Savage

Weekly Challenge – That one little change

It's hard to change.  Sure we talk about it, but we rarely do it, or we don't make it stick.  We'll track the cigarettes we smoke and "try" to cut down – and ignore it when the number doesn't change for months.  We try weight loss and organizational plans and all that and it doesn't work.

Yeah, you're probably nodding, if only in your own head.

Think of change as a skill as opposed to something you have to do.

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