Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Coming Soon: 1,000th Post!
Just a quick heads up that 2 weeks from today -- January 4th -- will be our 1,000th post! In honor of this momentous occasion, we'll be unveiling a proper logo (which looks stunning by the way). Below is a tiny preview. We'll also be switching to a much simpler blog template to compliment the logo and improve scrolling speeds. Hope you'll like the new look and we'll be looking forward to feedback!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
VTA Safety Video
Surprisingly entertaining (intentionally and unintentionally) VTA safety video. "Remember, the lightrail train is electric. It's stealthy like a tiger. It can sneak up on you... silently. So you better keep your whits about you." Thanks Jen!
Monday, December 19, 2011
History San José Receives Funding for its Hidden Collection and Archives
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San Jose, CA – December 15, 2011
History San José learned today that it has received a 2011 Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives award from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) through funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“This is a very prestigious organization that has recognized one of the many culturally significant collections at History San José ,” said Jim Reed, Curator of Library and Archives at the Collection Center of History San José. “These funds will underwrite the important task of cataloging thousands of significant documents and ephemera relevant to the evolution of Silicon Valley.”
Among the hidden collections seldom seen by the public are five significant groups of records from the Perham Collection of Early Electronics. This material is the legacy of Douglas M. Perham (pronounced PURR’ uhm) (1887-1967), an early electronics experimenter and wireless radio pioneer. Paralleling Perham’s career, the collection preserves rare materials from some of the earliest commercial work in electronics in the U.S. and an incubating Silicon Valley from the 1890s to 1960. The Collection augments existing History San José collections, documenting the evolution of Silicon Valley’s electronics industry and the intersection of technology and society in this region.
Volunteers have cataloged some 2,500 Perham artifacts and 1,200 photographs, as well as hundreds of rare books and trade manuals. Received largely unprocessed in 2003, the Perham manuscript and ephemera collections, however, require professional arrangement and description.
This project will focus on five manuscript collections: the papers of radio and motion picture pioneer Lee de Forest, which comprise the largest known collection documenting this award-winning, contentious inventor; research notes and correspondence of Jane Morgan, author of Electronics in the West, a treasure trove of information on early electronics pioneers; electrical engineer Harold Elliott’s papers and drawings which augment rare materials from Federal Telegraph Company (Palo Alto, San Francisco); and Perham’s Historical Files, an all-inclusive collection of ephemera, notes, manuscripts and other items on an array of people, companies and events.
Criteria for this grant includes the potential for national impact on scholarship and teaching, as well as innovative and efficient approaches that maximize the accessibility for scholars and community members.
The announcement by the CLIR, along with History San José, includes such prestigious and diverse recipients as the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Art, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey The New York Archival Society, Center for Jewish History, Mennonite Heritage Center among many others. More detail on this year's funded projects can be found at http://www.clir.org/hiddencollections/awards/index2011.html.
Other previous recipients from the Bay Area include the University and Jepson Herbaria at the University of California, Berkeley in 2008, the California Historical Society in 2008, the California Digital Library in Oakland in 2009, and the Stanford University Libraries in 2009.
San Jose, CA – December 15, 2011
History San José learned today that it has received a 2011 Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives award from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) through funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“This is a very prestigious organization that has recognized one of the many culturally significant collections at History San José ,” said Jim Reed, Curator of Library and Archives at the Collection Center of History San José. “These funds will underwrite the important task of cataloging thousands of significant documents and ephemera relevant to the evolution of Silicon Valley.”
Among the hidden collections seldom seen by the public are five significant groups of records from the Perham Collection of Early Electronics. This material is the legacy of Douglas M. Perham (pronounced PURR’ uhm) (1887-1967), an early electronics experimenter and wireless radio pioneer. Paralleling Perham’s career, the collection preserves rare materials from some of the earliest commercial work in electronics in the U.S. and an incubating Silicon Valley from the 1890s to 1960. The Collection augments existing History San José collections, documenting the evolution of Silicon Valley’s electronics industry and the intersection of technology and society in this region.
Volunteers have cataloged some 2,500 Perham artifacts and 1,200 photographs, as well as hundreds of rare books and trade manuals. Received largely unprocessed in 2003, the Perham manuscript and ephemera collections, however, require professional arrangement and description.
This project will focus on five manuscript collections: the papers of radio and motion picture pioneer Lee de Forest, which comprise the largest known collection documenting this award-winning, contentious inventor; research notes and correspondence of Jane Morgan, author of Electronics in the West, a treasure trove of information on early electronics pioneers; electrical engineer Harold Elliott’s papers and drawings which augment rare materials from Federal Telegraph Company (Palo Alto, San Francisco); and Perham’s Historical Files, an all-inclusive collection of ephemera, notes, manuscripts and other items on an array of people, companies and events.
Criteria for this grant includes the potential for national impact on scholarship and teaching, as well as innovative and efficient approaches that maximize the accessibility for scholars and community members.
The announcement by the CLIR, along with History San José, includes such prestigious and diverse recipients as the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Art, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey The New York Archival Society, Center for Jewish History, Mennonite Heritage Center among many others. More detail on this year's funded projects can be found at http://www.clir.org/hiddencollections/awards/index2011.html.
Other previous recipients from the Bay Area include the University and Jepson Herbaria at the University of California, Berkeley in 2008, the California Historical Society in 2008, the California Digital Library in Oakland in 2009, and the Stanford University Libraries in 2009.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
BART to San Jose in 2016?
It looks like we may be getting BART 18 months early! Last week the VTA approved spending $772 million to start construction of the first phase of the BART extension to San Jose. Originally slated for 2018, it looks like the developer may be able to pull it off by late 2016 (and receive performance bonuses as an added incentive for completing it early). For more info click here.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Saturday Stats: South Bay Leads Nation in Job Growth
Wow, now here is some good news for you. During the 12 month period ending in October, our job market grew by 3.2% making it the national leader in job creation. That is nearly triple the nation's average and double the California average. San Francisco--our frienemies up north--only managed to swing 1.8% job growth. Los Angeles did even worse with 0.8%.
Even better, this article is bullish on the South Bay's ability to continue to add jobs and even thinks it will bring up surrounding job sectors across the entire Bay Area. Unlike the .com days, there are substantial companies hiring here that are adding real value and have rock-solid revenues (Google, Apple, eBay, etc.).
To read the full Merc article, click here.
Even better, this article is bullish on the South Bay's ability to continue to add jobs and even thinks it will bring up surrounding job sectors across the entire Bay Area. Unlike the .com days, there are substantial companies hiring here that are adding real value and have rock-solid revenues (Google, Apple, eBay, etc.).
To read the full Merc article, click here.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wine Walk - Japantown San Jose
Another monthly San Jose event kicked off last weekend. Every 2nd Saturday, you'll be able to do a wine crawl in Japantown featuring 15-20 different wineries! More info below, or click here to buy tickets for future wine walks.
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SOLD OUT ONLINE- TIX CAN BE PURCHASED AT JACKS BAR STARTING AT 130PM
Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month in Japantown, San Jose where retailers and restaurants open their doors for fun seekers & wine enthusiasts alike from 2pm to 5pm.
Every month, Wine Walk Japantown will have 15 to 20 different wineries, with two local wineries exclusively featured. A portion of the proceeds benefit a different local non-profit every month and the Japantown Business Association. Hosted by Jack's Bar & Lounge.
MISSION Wine Walk Japantown aims to provide a great monthly event for the community and neighborhood, bring new and additional foot traffic and business to the area, and help support local non-profits and wineries.
PRODUCTS
RSVP your tickets here! Tickets can also be can be purchased by visiting Jack's Bar or any of the participating businesses.
Print out your tickets and redeem the day of the event for a signature wine glass and 15 to 20 one ounce tasting pours (depending on the number of participating businesses).
Additional wine and drinks can be purchased during the event at locations that already sell drinks during normal business hours and at the end of the event at Jack's Bar during and after the raffle. Every participant receives one entry in the raffle. Must be present to win.
*********************************
SOLD OUT ONLINE- TIX CAN BE PURCHASED AT JACKS BAR STARTING AT 130PM
Join us every 2nd Saturday of the month in Japantown, San Jose where retailers and restaurants open their doors for fun seekers & wine enthusiasts alike from 2pm to 5pm.
Every month, Wine Walk Japantown will have 15 to 20 different wineries, with two local wineries exclusively featured. A portion of the proceeds benefit a different local non-profit every month and the Japantown Business Association. Hosted by Jack's Bar & Lounge.
MISSION Wine Walk Japantown aims to provide a great monthly event for the community and neighborhood, bring new and additional foot traffic and business to the area, and help support local non-profits and wineries.
PRODUCTS
RSVP your tickets here! Tickets can also be can be purchased by visiting Jack's Bar or any of the participating businesses.
Print out your tickets and redeem the day of the event for a signature wine glass and 15 to 20 one ounce tasting pours (depending on the number of participating businesses).
Additional wine and drinks can be purchased during the event at locations that already sell drinks during normal business hours and at the end of the event at Jack's Bar during and after the raffle. Every participant receives one entry in the raffle. Must be present to win.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Investors and Startups Crawl Through Downtown San Jose
Sounds like another awesome event from Dischcrawl co-founder Tracy Lee! This is exactly the type of scene that we need to nurture to keep the creative juices flowing in San Jose.
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from San Jose Metblogs
Thursday night was what I think will be the first of many PitchCrawls in downtown San Jose. Created by the energetic Tracy Lee of Dishcrawl fame, the event brought together investors and startups in a crawl through some of downtown’s innovation centers, with a break at each for startups to pitch their ideas in 3 minute sessions to investors who offer everything from funds to technology for the companies they invest in. We heard ideas for everything from affordable tech support and iphone apps to the next hot sports drink company founded by a scientist and a well known athlete and an outsourced HR company. Ideas were flowing and so was the banter as we moved from place to place.
This is a refreshing change from the usual pitch events, that’s for sure. Instead of gathering in a room to hear elevator pitch after pitch and then the frantic rush to speak to “the” investor, startups and investors had a chance to mingle and talk more casually, eat some great food and tour some of San Jose’s downtown innovation centers at the same time. Everyone I asked was delighted with the format, even in the chilly winter weather as we worked our way from venue to venue.
The first stop was at the San Jose Tech Shop. I’ve been wanting to venture in here for months. They soft-opened in July and the place is amazing. If you’re wanting to do anything requiring very cool and expensive toys, this is your place. They offer classes to expand your knowledge for using everything from CAD programs and 3-D modeling to a sophisticated machine shop, industrial sewing equipment, a powder coating booth and a huge water cutting table that can slice through marble or steel like a hot knife through butter. Very impressive. We noshed on tacos from Juanita’s and had a tour of the facilities, then stopped for round 1 of the pitches.
Stop 2 was at the home of DishCrawl and several other burgeoning startups housed in Next Space, a co-working space on 2nd St. While we sampled the amazing concoctions provided by Raw Daddy (find him at the Sunday Campbell and Palo Alto farmer’s markets) we met more founders and toured the space with manager Gretchen Baisa. If you’re looking for a drop-in space to work or a friendly office environment that’s not in your garage, you should be checking this space out right in the heart of downtown San Jose.
The 3rd stop was–in classic DishCrawl style–a food truck. This time from House of Siam for some yummy roti wrapped around satay pork with peanut sauce. It was a quick stop but gave us more energy for the busy networking scene going on at our last stop, the Irish Innovation Center. The Innovation Center had a full-on networking event going on already in the Silicon Valley Holiday Mixer, complete with a mini trade show and music, and the place was packed. Add a pile of Pichcrawlers and you’ve got a fantastic networking opportunity. The center partners with the Kauffman Foundation, Microsoft Bizspark, IDA Ireland. and Price Waterhouse Coopers to name a few, and offers members office space, mentoring, education and the opportunity to connect with potential funders.
All in all, the event was a huge success and I heard quite a few meetings being scheduled. What a unique and fun way to get in front of some interesting investors with your startup or find the next startup before anyone else! The next PitchCrawl is to be held in San Francisco on January 10. At last check there were just a few tickets left, but I expect they will be back in Silicon Valley soon. Big congrats to the DishCrawl team for another well executed concept!
************************************************************
from San Jose Metblogs
Thursday night was what I think will be the first of many PitchCrawls in downtown San Jose. Created by the energetic Tracy Lee of Dishcrawl fame, the event brought together investors and startups in a crawl through some of downtown’s innovation centers, with a break at each for startups to pitch their ideas in 3 minute sessions to investors who offer everything from funds to technology for the companies they invest in. We heard ideas for everything from affordable tech support and iphone apps to the next hot sports drink company founded by a scientist and a well known athlete and an outsourced HR company. Ideas were flowing and so was the banter as we moved from place to place.
This is a refreshing change from the usual pitch events, that’s for sure. Instead of gathering in a room to hear elevator pitch after pitch and then the frantic rush to speak to “the” investor, startups and investors had a chance to mingle and talk more casually, eat some great food and tour some of San Jose’s downtown innovation centers at the same time. Everyone I asked was delighted with the format, even in the chilly winter weather as we worked our way from venue to venue.
The first stop was at the San Jose Tech Shop. I’ve been wanting to venture in here for months. They soft-opened in July and the place is amazing. If you’re wanting to do anything requiring very cool and expensive toys, this is your place. They offer classes to expand your knowledge for using everything from CAD programs and 3-D modeling to a sophisticated machine shop, industrial sewing equipment, a powder coating booth and a huge water cutting table that can slice through marble or steel like a hot knife through butter. Very impressive. We noshed on tacos from Juanita’s and had a tour of the facilities, then stopped for round 1 of the pitches.
Stop 2 was at the home of DishCrawl and several other burgeoning startups housed in Next Space, a co-working space on 2nd St. While we sampled the amazing concoctions provided by Raw Daddy (find him at the Sunday Campbell and Palo Alto farmer’s markets) we met more founders and toured the space with manager Gretchen Baisa. If you’re looking for a drop-in space to work or a friendly office environment that’s not in your garage, you should be checking this space out right in the heart of downtown San Jose.
The 3rd stop was–in classic DishCrawl style–a food truck. This time from House of Siam for some yummy roti wrapped around satay pork with peanut sauce. It was a quick stop but gave us more energy for the busy networking scene going on at our last stop, the Irish Innovation Center. The Innovation Center had a full-on networking event going on already in the Silicon Valley Holiday Mixer, complete with a mini trade show and music, and the place was packed. Add a pile of Pichcrawlers and you’ve got a fantastic networking opportunity. The center partners with the Kauffman Foundation, Microsoft Bizspark, IDA Ireland. and Price Waterhouse Coopers to name a few, and offers members office space, mentoring, education and the opportunity to connect with potential funders.
All in all, the event was a huge success and I heard quite a few meetings being scheduled. What a unique and fun way to get in front of some interesting investors with your startup or find the next startup before anyone else! The next PitchCrawl is to be held in San Francisco on January 10. At last check there were just a few tickets left, but I expect they will be back in Silicon Valley soon. Big congrats to the DishCrawl team for another well executed concept!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
San Jose 2040 General Plan
Last month the San Jose City Council unanimously approved a general plan for the city that emphasizes jobs and improved transportation. Specifically, we're looking at potentially 470,000 new jobs and 120,000 new homes over the next 30 years. Growth will particularly be concentrated in North San Jose, Coyote Valley, Evergreen, Edenvale, and Downtown. The new development model will feature the creation of urban villages with a very dense mix of housing, office, and retail close to public transit.
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