The United States is Georgia’s closest ally. It maintained about 130 military advisers in Georgia, along with civilian advisers, contractors involved in all aspects of the Georgian government and people doing business in Georgia. It is inconceivable that the Americans were unaware of Georgia’s mobilization and intentions. It is also inconceivable that the Americans were unaware that the Russians had deployed substantial forces on the South Ossetian frontier. U.S. technical intelligence, from satellite imagery and signals intelligence to unmanned aerial vehicles, could not miss the fact that thousands of Russian troops were moving to forward positions. The Russians clearly knew the Georgians were ready to move. How could the United States not be aware of the Russians? Indeed, given the posture of Russian troops, how could intelligence analysts have missed the possibility that the Russians had laid a trap, hoping for a Georgian invasion to justify its own counterattack?

The Russo-Georgian War and the Balance of Power | Stratfor

Vicken Cheterian, a journalist and political analysts who works for Geneva's Cimera group, warns that Georgia's 40-fold increase in military spending is targeted against Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia in US-financed arms race for war on Abkhazia, South Ossetia

Every time someone buys a song you bought, you get a cut.

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This came from Scott Kirsner who has a nice write up of the day via Dharmesh Shah who also has good summary of the event. I know Dharmesh via Steve Derezinski who was in charge of VentureLab before Stephen Fleming showed up on the scene.

I suppose that makes me two or three degrees from Paul Graham depending on how you count them. Well actually I am two because Paul Judge knows Paul Graham. Point of ramble is we are all connected.null

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1732351646

YCombinator Presentation Day: Force of Good: a blog by Lance Weatherby

Republican John McCain’s warning that Barack Obama isn’t ready for the awesome job of commander-in-chief may not be registering with a key constituency: the American military.troops.jpg

According to a study released by the Washington watchdog group Center for Responsive Politics, U.S. troops, and especially those deployed abroad, are talking with their wallets and saying they want Democrat Obama as the next president.

Obama has received nearly six times as much money from troops deployed overseas at the time of their contributions than McCain and the “fiercely anti-war Ron Paul,” another Republican presidential candidate, CRP said.

Through June 31, CRP said contributions from all U.S. military personnel netted Obama $335,536, compared with $280,513 for McCain.

Support the troops. Support Obama.

Tales from the Trail » Blog Archive » American troops put their money on Obama | Blogs | Reuters.com

Investing Criteria

Noro-Moseley Partners invests in the most promising start-up companies and early-growth-stage companies. NMP seeks to invest initially $3 - 5 million in early-stage companies and up to
$10 million in early-growth-stage companies.

As a leader in the Southeastern venture community, NMP targets entrepreneurs in the technology, healthcare and business services industries that meet the following criteria:

Noro-Moseley Partners

ATLANTA--(Business Wire)-- Noro-Moseley Partners, ("NMP"), a leading regional venture capital fund, announced today the addition of Greg Foster to its investment team. Greg will strengthen the firm's focus in technology investments, with a specific emphasis on opportunities in digital media. Already, one of the five investments NMP has made from its new fund, NMP VI LP, is in the digital media space. "Greg's specific expertise in digital media, as well as his experience as a technology entrepreneur, will enhance our ability to aggressively pursue opportunities in both of these dynamic areas," said NMP Managing Partner Mike Elliott. "Greg will be a valuable addition to our team, and we are excited to have him onboard." Foster added that, in addition to the rapid growth the region has experienced in technology investing, advancements in digital media have made the space very attractive for entrepreneurs and venture investors alike. "I am excited about joining the NMP team and look forward to working with entrepreneurs in building high-growth companies here in the region," Foster said. Most recently, Foster was Vice-President of Corporate Development for Turner Broadcasting, where he was responsible for Turner New Media Investments, the company's early stage strategic investment arm, as well as M & A activities. Foster joined Turner after it acquired his company, Southern Direct, a business focused on building branded e-commerce extensions to linear cable channels. In addition to founding Southern Direct, Foster has been a member of the management team of two other start-ups, serving as SVP of Corporate Development at iXL and VP of Business and Corporate Development at Silverpop Systems. null

Noro-Moseley Expands Team with Addition of Greg Foster | Reuters

xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language - By Randall Munroe

My mother's sweet tea was not the best. Perhaps this is because she was from West Virginia, a place where people drink sweet tea with some ambivalence. Or maybe because in Jacksonville, Florida, where I was raised, delicious sweet tea could be found for $1.99 at the local supermarket in sweaty gallon jugs with nothing but the word sweet and the date stamped on the plastic.

She still made sweet tea, of course, being a Southern woman of whom having iced tea on hand is expected. But instead of sugar, my mother used Sweet'N Low, which is kind of like making chocolate cake with dirt. She insisted no one could tell the difference: "They're both sweet."

Garden & Gun? Hahahaha

Garden & Gun Magazine: 21st Century Southern America - Stories & Media - Sweet Tea

War Nerd:

There are three basic facts to keep in mind about the smokin’ little war in Ossetia:

1. The Georgians started it.
2. They lost.
3. What a beautiful little war!

For me, the most important is #3, the sheer beauty of the video clips that have already come out of this war. I’m in heaven right now.

South Ossetia, The War of My Dreams