Match your Toyota Car with a. . .Toyota Home?!?

That's right, Toyota makes prefabricated homes. They're on track to manufacture 5,000 homes this year growing to 7,000 homes in the next couple years. Not bad, considering the average price is $227,000. Do the basic math, and that's a $1.1 billion business!! Not bad! The article, found in the Detroit News, states that a typical home can be assembled by cranes and a roof placed on top in less than 6 hours!! Not too shabby. Just if I could start importing these bad boys.

Check out these images courtesy of The Seattle Times article:

Seth Godin, Creative Funding

Check out this post from Seth Godin, suggesting a creative, and good, way to fund a new project within a business. It's not totally clear how this funding solution would work in a true start-up that has yet to produce anything (other than the funding received would be exclusively for the original product, and not spinoffs therefrom). Traditional VC or angel terms can be, as Connect magazine warned, stifling to management attaining true greatness with the organization. As such, funding the project, instead of giving up the whole company may make sense.

Check it out: Seth Godin's Blog

BYU Business students win at the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge

Well, here's another article regarding our big, 1st place finish at the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. Get ready for "Mountain Life Comfort".

Link to article: BYU students win at UEC

WE WON!! WE WON!!

First, we were announced as finalists in the Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, or UEC. Then, we prepared our pitch, presented to the judges approximately two weeks ago. And, what happens?!?

First, we arrived, rather belatedly, to the Awards Banquet which was held on Thursday, April 27. And, when I say belatedly, I mean 40 minutes late. You know, my mom purchased this book for me titled "Never Be Late Again" and, you'd think after having read half of the book, I would begin to implement some of the techniques and principles from it. The only reason I haven't completed the book is because I figured I would be better off stopping where I was and trying to implement some of the techniques, rather than read the whole thing, with some unreasonable hope that I'd actually remember everything I'd read. But, I digress. . .

So, we show up at the banquet/mixer, and begin chatting with the big shots. We're talking the movers and shakers of Utah. The investment community of Utah is growing, and maturing into a much better environment to raise capital. So, we're networking the floor, trying to become further acquainted with all the folk. Dinner is served, which was very underwhelming. Nothing like cold Beef and tasteless mushroom sauce drizzled over the top. We were hoping our Advisor, John Knab of Phonex Broadband, who has rendered incredible support and feedback thus far, was going to make it. But, alas, he had family duties to attend to.

So, we're sitting at the table, getting progressively more nervous as they prolonged the announcement of the winners by recognizing all the sponsors, supporters of the program, etc. At last, 35 minutes after the planned announcement, they bust out the top three winners. And, the third place winner was Precision Surveying Solutions. A great company with a very promising technology for surveyors. The second place winner, Five Star Painting, a franchising concept. And. . . . .

At this point, I was nervous but, as a team, we were confident as we felt our presentation was solid. And the Grand Prize winner of the 2006 UEC Challenge is. . . Core Footwear^TM!!

Needless to say, we were pretty excited with this result. Not only does this award validate the direction we are headed, but we feel it's a reflection of the solid team we have assembled. Keep posted, as we continue to develop Core Footwear^TM and bring our patent-pending technology to market. Soon, you will be able to learn more at CoreFootwear.com.

We just want to thank all our mentors, advisors, and those who have rendered incredible support in helping us get this far. We would like to especially thank John Knab for his amazing insight and feedback. Truly, without him, we would not have gotten this far.

Amazon.com: JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank: Everything Else

Are you ready for your personal tank?!? Get it now at Amazon.com. Do people really buy this stuff? Come on, it has a 6 hp Tecumseh engine, claiming 40 mph top speed, with up to 5 passengers. Yeah right!!!

.:Design for Africa:.

I just stumbled upon this project, and find it incredibly inspiring. Design for Africa is a project by two recent Design graduates, one from Germany, the other from Sweden, who are on a quest to leverage design principles to improve the lives of impoverished people. After almost 2 years of preparation and fundraising, they are finally on their way. Their goal is to meet with local communities, villages, governments, etc, to identify ways where design can improve the lives of the people. Traditionally, design is expensive, and therefore inaccessible, to poorer people. But, Design For Africa has a goal to find ways to solve problems with cost effective solutions. It will be interesting to see what they come up with; but, check out the site, and read their Diary.

CouchSurfing - The world is smaller than you think!

Are you ready to get your travel on?? Check out Couchsurfing.com. This is one of the coolest websites of which I'm a member. Basically, it's a networking site for all you frugal travellers that love to meat new people in new places. You go on couch surfing, and you can find other people that have a spare couch, floor, room, bed, or otherwise virtually anywhere around the world. So, say you are travelling to New York and want to stay somewhere. Well, go to couchsurfing.com, do a search, and find someone with a spare couch. Then, you get to crash at their place and get to know some locals in the whole process. I've already hosted a few different people and have had a positive experience. So, check it out:

CouchSurfing - The world is smaller than you think!

State of the Union Address 2006, the Best Yet!!

This is perhaps the best parody on Bush yet!! As the good man says himself, "For those of you who say we don't need the patriot act, I say, I have to question your patronism". Or, better yet, Bush lets us know that he "won't put all his eggs in one biscuit."

OK, these are just a couple teasers, so do yourself a favor and click on the link to view the video for yourself. I don't want to spoil it for you.

Come on, click the link.

Why? "Because our children must be literized".



WARNING: Do not watch this video with food, fluid, or anything else in your mouth, unless you want to shower your computer screen with masticated food.

The REDNECK ROLLERCOASTER is Hilarious!!

I can't explain it, but you need to watch this. I couldn't help but laugh like a litte kid. I wish I had this when was a kid. Then again, if I had it, I probably wouldn't be alive today to write this.







Click here: REDNECK ROLLERCOASTER