Several months ago I found a interesting story at CNN.com about how an American inventor of solor powered bulbs was attempting to both help build third world economies, via building village based businesses, and also change how social aid is handled / viewed world wide. Full post here.

The two most interesting quotes in this story follow –

First, Katsaros had to answer a key question that would determine how he would have the strongest impact: should his company be nonprofit, or for-profit?

Katsaros found inspiration from the 2008 book by Paul Polak, “Out of Poverty.”

Polak, who has worked in developing nations for 30 years, believes that the charity model of aid used by nonprofit organizations doesn’t work — despite its good intentions.

The best way to help people, according to Polak, is to treat them as consumers. If you can sell to them, he says, you can help them.

“In the beginning I was a nut case and nobody paid attention,” Polak says. “The consensus was 30 years ago that this is what caused poverty, and to be involved in business was outrageous and evil.”

Today, that is starting to change, he says. But that doesn’t mean that nongovernmental organizations have rolled out the red carpet for Polak’s ideas.

“Many NGOs say it’s making money on the back of the poor, but I love to make money on the back of the poor,” Polak says.

“You can feel really good about yourself giving stuff away … but if you are going to sell things to people, you need to have respect for them because no one is going to buy something if you have contempt for them.”

“If you have a village that’s used to the dole, it’s very hard to get them off of the dole,” Polak says. “We have to face the fact that conventional development aid has failed.

“It just doesn’t work.”

The New York Times has a interesting piece up today (link here) about how some college dropouts go on to make millions and billons (at times). One of the most interesting points the story makes is that the often quoted about 80% of the jobs created are in small business, actually the vast majority of jobs are created by START UP businesses, not small businesses. This point leads back to the idea that traditional American schooling actually is based on removing some of the key skills required to start a start up business – risk taking, failure, creativity, actual sales, and networking skills.

I agree with those ideas to a point, but I would add that the key point to success is drive (which can be found in college dropouts, college graduates, blue collar workers, illegal aliens, and drug dealers) and if someone has drive and a idea they will succeed.

The point of the article, that we need to develop better entrepreneurs and not stifle so much within the nature of people via standardized education (a point that I only partially agree with), is well taken, but I am concerned that too many people who lack drive will read it and decide that they can be the next Jobs, Gates, and Zuckerburg (all people who were smart enough to go to and succeed at college mind you).

Ray Kurzweil, a man that I have always found to be creative, inventive and genius, but who I disagree with on several major issues, has felt for several years that it is not a matter of if, but a matter of when that computers will become self aware and more intelligent then humans. From this break through will come immortal humans and computer’s which make ethical decisions and evaluate art for example. Much of Kurzweil’s thoughts are covered by his theory of singularity. The wiki for technological singularity states that Kurzweil defines singularity as –

the concept in terms of the technological creation of superintelligence, and allege that a post-singularity world would be unpredictable to humans due to an inability of human beings to imagine the intentions or capabilities of superintelligent entities..

Kurzweil is the inventor of things like the reading machine for the blind, the voice activated typewriter (VAT), and the Kurzweil synthesizer. In the past he has predicted the fall of governments due to increases in technology which allow the free flow of thoughts, and the rise of the internet. Now Kurzweil believes that computers in 2045, if not before, will reach the point of singularity and immortality for humans will occur due to increases in nanotechnology and medical advances.

Regardless of your view of Kurzweil and his ideas, a recent piece in Time is a very interesting story. I would advise everyone to give it a read and a think here.

Kurzweil on “I’ve Got A Secret” in 1965

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Currently the IBM based Watson computer is winning on Jeopardy. Post Here

A friend of mine in the car parts business years ago told me never buy a car named after what you do once your buy it – i.e. SAAB. Today the news broke that GM’s deal to sell SAAB to Spyker feel through and the Swedish automaker will close. (Full story here).

Personally I have known a few people who owned SAAB’s, none complained too much but none raved about them either. To me they always seemed like the Plymouth of the European car set – reliable but never overly respected. Nice but not so nice that people viewed them as a true luxury brand.

I do hate to see the brand end though as I like competition in all forms, all markets, and all areas. Basically, I don’t like to see options decrease for consumers or people loses their jobs in a tough economy, but tough times do weed out weaker players. SAAB never fit GM (or GM never fit SAAB depending on your view), and unfortunately GM’s tough times and a declining market place lead to SAAB’s demise.

[H/T to Overlawyered.com for this one]

The Happy Hospitalist has a nice post (and graphic) up explaining why defensive medicine is practiced, the cost of it and the results of this practice.