One of my definitions of Filmanthropy is shining a light on a difficult subject and activating discussion. When I first came upon the story of Nanking, there wasn’t much public information to review. We made a film to explain — through eyewitness testimony — what happened in Nanking. Following our film’s premiere at Sundance, we heard of a number of new films that would now be produced on the same subject. Check it out. Lots of new movies are a-coming and we are so proud that this time in history is now being explored from so many angles.

I have to smile and chuckle when I read petroleum-based products such as the NY Times sneer and call AOL “troubled” or “irrelevant” or “lacking a clear future”.

I have to smile and chuckle when I read petroleum-based products such as the NY Times sneer and call AOL "troubled" or "irrelevant" or "lacking a clear future". Hmmm. AOL has 200 plus million unique monthly visitors around the globe. AOL and its subsidiaries reach 95% of all US-based internet users. We have a hundred million unique visitors in the US alone and great brands such as AIM, MapQuest and Moviefone. AOL has billions and billions and billions of page views. AOL has billions of annual profits. AOL has a billion plus dollars of free cash flow. AOL has growth rates in double digits for ad sales. AOL has a growing audience. AOL has a huge lead in building out third party ad networks via Advertising.com. How is that newspaper growing up there in NYC? Are ad sales good? Is circulation booming? Are revenues up? Are investors happy? I am just saying

Why, Allen?  Why?

Here is Allen Morgan, one of my favorite business associates; counsel to my startup Redgate Communications while at Wilson Sonsin; and big time VC investor from Mayfield, partying in a limo at TechCrunch20. Too funny.

Here are more reasons to love hockey and the NHL:

 Last season, there were 446 fewer power play goals than the year before and 154 more even strength goals. The players decide the outcome of more and more games on a 5-on-5 basis. There were 400 come from behind victories. Never leave a NHL game when your team is behind. There were 150 shutouts (up from 119 the year before) so great goaltending and team D is still rewarded.  There were 45,000 plus hits last season. There is nowhere to hide on a NHL rink.

I was at the NHL Owners meetings yesterday in Chicago where it was announced that this game had sold out — 75,000 tickets — in less than one hour. Tickets range in price from $10 to $225. Both Buffalo and Pittsburgh as franchises look to be totally sold out on regular season tickets as they enter the new season. What a great set of circumstances here for the NHL and for these two franchises.

Here is an interesting panel discussion on new media and how to measure streaming video in a broadband world. Robert Seidman and Bill Gorman did a good job in herding cats and getting so many people in the industry to comment on this important subject.