This is a weekly blog that puts forward my thoughts, and my point of view.
You may agree with some. And probably disagree with most. And we can agree to disagree. After all, wouldn't life be boring if we all thought the same way.
I always knew that WordPress was one of the most popular blogging platforms. Recently when Nate of Arete Imagine told me that WordPress had around 50% market share amongst CMS's.
I immediately jumped to the conclusion that of the billions of websites, many of them single pagers, this was not significant. Till he showed me the stats. He wasn't talking about the universe of websites. He was referring to the top million.
And so when he started talking about a gap in the CRM space within WordPress, he had my attention. At the end of a discussion that lasted under an hour in July, Ukuu Logic was conceived. A month later a company was formed. And in under 2 months a product is being built which we hope to launch in January 2015.
Most people don't know what a CRM is. Or why its critical in a business. So should you be running a business or plan to start one, now's a great time to find out more. And hopefully by Jan 2015, you'll start using Ukuu CRM along with Wordpress.
One thing I always knew is that I don't know much. Imagine my surprise when I found that there were books and a site that addressed that exact problem. Not knowing much.
Kenneth Davis is the author and creator of the "Don't Know Much About". Davis, has been dubbed “The King of Knowing” by Amazon.com
To quote Mr. Davis,
" For years, I’ve been writing books that try to make learning fun. I ask questions, bust myths, connect the past to the present and shed light on overlooked stories from History, Geography, Mythology and the Bible, among other subjects. Have a look around my site. And join the journey- LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY. "
I've gone through some parts of the "Don't Know" series. And whilst I learnt a little, I also realized that there's much more that I don't know than I first thought.
There's one area where Mr. Davis is doing a very interesting service. His Free Classroom Skype's.
" Dear Teachers,
Throughout American History, wars have provided the backdrop of some of the greatest crises faced by American presidents. In the spring of 2014, Kenneth C. Davis can Skype® into your classroom to discuss some of these moments in a program called Presidents, Conflict & Crisis.
Among the significant topics he will discuss: •150 years ago Abraham Lincoln faced the possibility of losing the presidency as the Civil War entered a critical and costly period with some of the war’s most deadly fighting at such battles as Cold Harbor, Atlanta and the Siege of Petersburg. At the time Lincoln feared he would not be reelected or even nominated by the Republicans.
•100 years ago, Woodrow Wilson had to confront the possibility of America getting involved in Europe’s “Great War,” later known as World War I.
•70 years ago, World War II entered a crucial phase as the United States and its Allies prepared for the D-Day invasion (June 6, 1944) and Franklin D. Roosevelt had to decide if he should run for an unprecedented fourth term.
•50 years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson was attempting to pass a landmark civil rights law even as he deepened America’s involvement with Vietnam, especially after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in the summer of 1964. Johnson was also facing re-election, having become president after John F. Kennedy’s assassination in November 1963.
•10 years ago, George W. Bush took the U.S. deeper into its war in Iraq even though he had declared major combat operations over a year earlier. As a violent insurgency spread in such cities as Fallujah, Baghdad and Najaf, the Iraq invasion became a costly fiasco..
How did these presidents respond to these crises and what lessons can history teach us today about going to war?
KENNETH C. DAVIS will offer a LIMITED number of free SKYPE® sessions to middle school and high school Social Studies classes, based on his availability. These sessions will be scheduled from APRIL 22 THROUGH MAY 2014.
Each classroom session will last about 30 to 45 minutes and include time for students to ask questions. "
This is a great way to get students to appreciate history in a fun way. These books are a wonderful resource, especially if you have kids going to Middle School.
There's also a song that captures the "Don't Know Much" concept. Sam Cooke's "What a wonderful world". Have a listen.
Freia did her internship at Girls who Code, a non-profit who aims to provide computer science education and exposure to 1 million young women by 2020.
She has a great time and enjoyed her 8 week internship. As she puts it, "Although her role was to help teach, she learnt much more than she taught".
During this period I came across several programs on television which covered the programs as well as personalities such as Hilary Clinton giving the program a mention.
I was curious to know why such a specific gender based program should get so much attention. When Freia returned I asked her, especially since I've always felt that the world in general and the US specifically has managed to have a level playing field across diverse sections of society, whether its gender, ethnicity, beliefs or preferences.
When Freia returned after completing the internship, I asked her about this. she mentioned several things including the vast gender gap in engineering generally and computer science specifically. I wasn't sure that this was accurate. Until I checked and found that strangely enough women today represent just 12% of all computer science graduates. Ironically, in 1984, they represented 37%.
Studies have shown that 74% of girls express interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), but only 0.3% choose Computer Science as a college major. Girls Who Code aims to correct this imbalance.
What's encouraging is that several of the large IT companies, Square, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Uber and even other corporates like Goldman Sachs, At&T amongst several others are hosting, sponsoring and most of all encouraging not only Girls who Code, but also Girls to Code, for them. And that is the beginning of bringing back equal opportunities.
August 15 marked India's 68th Independence Day. In keeping with tradition Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke from the Red Fort. Everything after that was what makes Mr. Modi one of the most interesting Prime Minsters we've ever had. His speech began by calling himself "Pradhan Sevak", the prime server and not "Pradhan Mantri", the Prime Minister. He outlined specific tasks for himself and for all of us.
Some or maybe even many of us may not agree with Mr Modi or his style of politics, but this is a speech that each of us must view. And do our part in making our nation a better place for all of us.
Several people want to start blogging, but very few end up actually doing it. There are several free options available, but all of those including this blog are sub domains and work well when its a kind of a diary or thoughts you want to pen down.
A friend recently checked about blogging and whilst checking out options the one that I found most impressive was BlogPress. The company is a "Full-Service" blog hosting provider. http://theblogpress.com/
A Full Service provider is like white glove service. They provide everything from setting up the website, to running it.In the words of BlogPress, 3 reasons to use them.
" Incredible ‘Real’ Support We are here to help! Whether you need help setting up your blog or just have a general blogging question, let us know. The knowledgeable and friendly Customer Success Team at BlogPress will help you with anything related to your blog and were just a click away.
Step-By-Step Training Our exclusive 90-Day Blogging Success Plan will ensure that you start your blog the right way. We’ll guide you step-by-step through the critical things you need to do in the first 90 days to ensure that your blog is successful. Have a question? Feeling stuck? Just ask... We'll be happy to help!
Full-Service Blog Hosting Other blog hosts are only ‘self-serve’. They keep your blog running, but beyond that, you’re on your own. With BlogPress, we’ve got your back... We’ll show you how to start your blog, how to write your posts, and how to make money with it! "
I've come across Stephen Hawking on a few occasions. A brief history of time was my encounter with his writings. I saw a program with him and was pushed towards learning a little more about the person and his work.
Its a story that in a fiction setting would be rubbished as unrealistic. Hollywood is making a movie that's expected to release in November. Ironically for someone who doesn't believe in a God, its nothing short of a miracle.
At the end of a fair bit of reading and viewing, I realized that you needed more than a brief slice of time to even get a glimpse of the genius of Prof. Hawking. So I've put together a few videos that give a feel for the person and his genius. And if you like it enough, you can go ahead and read his books and view some of his lectures online.
10 Things You May Know About Stephen Hawking
Questioning the universe
And he also has a sense of humor
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Stephen Hawking Interview
You may want to also check out 2 of his most popular books
A Brief History of Time Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history, wrote the modern classic A Brief History of Time to help non-scientists understand fundamental questions of physics and our existence: where did the universe come from? How and why did it begin? Will it come to an end, and if so, how?
A Briefer History of Time Although “briefer,” this book is much more than a mere explanation of Hawking’s earlier work. A Briefer History of Time both clarifies and expands on the great subjects of the original, and records the latest developments in the field—from string theory to the search for a unified theory of all the forces of physics.
And finally Prof. Hawking has some of the most memorable quotes.
