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Our insights-driven approach helps consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies grow sales and margins through increased sales effectiveness, while helping to improve interactions with customers and channel partners in developed and emerging markets.
Route to Market combines strategy, operations and technology for commercial intelligence and analytics, commercial strategy and planning, trade investment excellence and sales effectiveness, and are offered as an end-to-end services or as individual components. They are built around the Accenture CAS and Accenture NewsPage software and the Accenture Analytics Platform designed exclusively for the CPG industry, and can be delivered as hosted or on-premise solutions.
Route to Market provides the business capabilities to sense and respond to marketplace demand and improve execution at the point of sale.
The full package. We connect consulting and industry know-how, and leading-edge technology with mature Accenture Delivery Centers and experienced talent who can manage the processes as a service.
Hosted on CPG industry-leading platform. Accenture CAS and Accenture NewsPage software are the foundation of the Business Service, and have consistently earned a "strong positive" rating from Gartner vendor evaluations.
Accenture's focus on the Consumer Goods industry spans 30 years and includes working with 21 of the top 25 CPGs.
Route to Market Services draws from the breadth and scope of Accenture—global scale, Accenture Digital, Accenture Technology (including Accenture Software), Accenture Operations and Accenture Strategy.
Commercial Planning and Performance Management
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Accenture CAS and Accenture NewsPage


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Twitter is buzzing over a series of photos that show U.S. President Barack Obama enjoying himself with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, while a dour Michelle Obama sits stiffly and noticeably apart from her husband.
Were the shared laughs too much, after the famous superpower selfie Obama shot with Thorning-Schmidt and British Prime Minister David Cameron?
Causing the most amusement is a meme that's making the rounds on Twitter showing a trio of photos: Obama and Thorning-Schmidt sharing a laugh; Thorning-Schmidt trying to engage President Obama while Michelle Obama ignores her; and finally, the trio in new seats, with MIchelle Obama sitting between her husband and Thorning-Schmidt.
Did President Obama have a little too much fun with Thorning-Schmidt while in Johannesburg Tuesday for Nelson Mandela's memorial service?
Look at the photos and judge for yourself. If you're using a mobile app, tap the story image and swipe.

subset: commoncrawl


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This is it! You are nearing a visit to the one of the world's greatest cities, Paris! The capital of France is also known as the City of Lights. This enchanting city, at the crossroads of cultures, is the capital of fashion and home to world highlights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Avenue des Champs Elysées, to name but a few. In terms of architectural beauty, art history, events, gastronomy and sheer extravagance, Paris is a milestone ahead of any other city on earth.
Beyond the highlights of the city, the Paris Region also offers a lot of discoveries. With a very efficient transportation network, it is easy to discover monuments and landmarks outside the city. In 2014, the Paris Region will commemorate the bicentenary of the French Campaign of Napoleon I and the centenary of the beginning of the First World War.
Spend the first two days unearthing the history of Napoleon I, a famous French emperor. Visit the prestigious Hôtel National des Invalides, which houses the Army Museum. The collections concerning Napoleon Bonaparte, his armies and his marshals are particularly remarkable. Don't miss the famous painting of Napoleon I on his Imperial Throne and most importantly his monumental tomb in the Dome Church. In the afternoon take a local train from Paris-Gare de Lyon to head to Fontainebleau (1h trip). From there take the bus Line A to discover the Château de Fontainebleau, the "true home of Kings" and today a UNESCO World Heritage site. Afterwards, head back to Paris to take a romantic dinner cruise with the Bateaux Parisiens, while admiring the sparkling Eiffel Tower.
On the 2nd day, take the local train to Rueil-Malmaison, where you can visit the Château de Malmaison, a place where Napoleon used to organise feasts and banquets. An authentic example of the imperial era, the castle is a precious gem from the First Empire. The Château de Malmaison, the residence of Napoleon and Joséphine Bonaparte, has furniture, tapestries, woodwork and paintings which make it a precious gem from the First Empire. In spring 2014, an exhibition about Joséphine's passion for botany will accompany the re-opening of the old rose garden.
When you are in Rueil Malmaison, take time to visit Château de la Petite Malmaison, which has retained the exquisite atmosphere that reigned during the First Empire (visits by appointment all year round) and the Saint-Pierre Saint-Paul Church which houses the tomb of Joséphine.
Once back in Paris, it is time to enjoy a must of the Parisian nights. Head to one the famous Parisian cabarets: the Moulin Rouge, the Lido, the Crazy Horse, the Paradis Latin, or the new Mugler Follies. Each of them have its own style, from the most traditional to the most visionary!
Our tip: To go to the Château de Fontainebleau, you can take an audio guided tour in a comfortable bus from Paris and back with PARISCityVISION.
After culture comes shopping time! At the crossroads of trends and designers with its world famous department stores, Paris has earned the title of the fashion capital of the world. Everywhere in the city, you will find designer shops, famous brands and many friendly boutiques. However, there is one place that stands out for its elegance and wealth of designer creations: the legendary Galeries Lafayette. If you are looking for jewellery boutiques, head to Place Vendôme. Do not forget to have a walk in the Marais district, at the very heart of the latest trends.
Our tip: Non-EU visitors can obtain a tax deduction. Ask a shop assistant about it when you are the Galeries Lafayette or any big shops.
The First World War had a huge impact on Paris and its region. A number of key points in the First World War took place in Paris and its region: the departure of French soldiers from the Gare de l'Est; the Battle of l'Ourcq; the taxis of the Marne leaving Invalides to support the troops on the front lines; the Eiffel Tower intercepting enemy messages; the peace treaty signed in the hall of Mirrors in the Château de Versailles.
Today, there are many monuments that pay tribute to the soldiers. Head to Meaux with a train departing from Paris-Gare de l'Est, to visit the Museum of the Great war where you see all the aspects of the conflict. In the afternoon, visit the Arc de Triumph, found on the famous Champs Elysées avenue. When it's time to eat, you'll be spoilt for choice. Indeed, Paris has a wealth of restaurants serving specialities from every corner of the world and you can choose either to dine in a neighbourhood bistro or in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
With or without kids, a place not to miss is Disneyland Paris® (easily accessible by RER A). If you have a couple of days to spare, don't miss visiting: the Château de Vaux le Vicomte, the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, the Stade de France, the Gourmet Chocolate Museum or the Grévin Museum, to name but a few. Many sites offer tours and events which can be enjoyed as cultural family outings.


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Our Ceres Life-size Statue (Large) is a sculptural masterpiece representing Ceres, in ancient Roman religion, goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships.
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Monday, May 21, 2012
Why Genealogical Data Standards?
How does this apply to genealogy? I think the comparison is transparent. Some manufacturers or developers, either by government mandate or by overwhelming market forces, have managed to establish standards. In the computer industry, standards have been evanescent, witness SCSI and such. But still there are some standards that make life a whole lot easier. For example, USB connectors. You don't have to try to match cables or buy special adapters because all of the major manufacturers of computers have caved in and used USB. Not that some don't try different standards, witness the new Intel Thunderbolt.
In the software industry, the battle of standards is over file types. There are literally hundreds of different file types. It is extremely common to get a message when trying to load a file that the file type is not recognized. This has carried over into the genealogical software industry and virtually every single program has it proprietary, locked up, perfectly incompatible file type designated by its unique extension. This has been carried so far, as an example, the Mac version of Family Tree Maker creates files that are not compatible with the Windows version of the same program from the same company!
Recognizing this issue years and years ago, FamilySearch developed a standard for exchanging genealogical information between programs. We all know about this standard called GEDCOM or Genealogical Data Communication. Fortunately, GEDCOM opened up a pathway to share data from different programs with their own proprietary format. That was the good news. The bad news is that even though there was a "standard" hardly any of the software developers observed that standard completely and when you exchanged information, you frequently got a little message telling you what parts of your file were not included in the transfer.
So who cares about standards? Mostly genealogists who want to share their information with others. Who doesn't care about standards? Mostly any one who wants to sell their own genealogy program. Why is this? Because why would you want to make it easy for people to switch to another program. If you lock up your file formats, then when people try to move from one program to another, they will have to start all over again. Lack of standards promote brand loyalty.
Without picking on any one developer or company, some developers have created ways for competitor's files to be imported or exported into their programs out of self preservation. It is interesting that some of the most popular programs are those that support file imports from other databases. Although this is not necessarily the reason for popularity.
One other issue is the rapidly changing technology. To be quite frank, GEDCOM no longer supports the current technology.
Recently I wrote a post about FamilySearch, Ancestry.com and MyHeritage concerning their recent positions with regard to possibly "new" standards. Back when GEDCOM was first established, FamilySearch (then operating under a different name) was the big kid on the block. Now, FamilySearch is only one of many big kids on the block and there are other big kids waiting on the next block over.
Will the genealogy program developers all magically agree on a common standard? Very, very unlikely. In all the discussion of GEDCOM X, BetterGEDCOM and etc. the developers, for the most part, have been conspicuously absent. Sure, there are some very progressive companies out there (again without naming anyone in particular) but by and large, there are popular genealogy programs for which the developers have never even appeared at a genealogy conference!
It is all well and good to talk about a data exchange standard, but even if Ancestry.com and FamilySearch and MyHeritage and brightsolid and others were to agree, why would that change the proprietary, unique file type mentality of the developers? Remember my comment above, Ancestry.com's Mac and Windows versions of Family Tree Maker are not file exchange compatible without a translation program that is only partially successful.
1 comment:
Once upon a time, long ago and far away, there was a spreadsheet program called 123. It had its own file format. Along came a company with a spreadsheet program called Excel. The Excel company realized that not everyone used the same spreadsheet program and that people want and need to transfer data between programs. So they developed a way to import other programs' spreadsheet data from other file formats AND they included a way to export their spreadsheet data to other programs' file formats.ReplyDelete
What happened was this: People evaluated 123 versus other spreadsheet programs. Some picked 123. Some picked Excel. Some picked yet other spreadsheet programs.
People who picked 123 often found they needed to work with spreadsheets from other people. They could not work with Excel files or other program's files. They ended up buying Excel as well, so they could transfer the data of other programs. While doing so, those people were introduced to Excel. They may have seen some things they liked in Excel. Next time they bought a new spreadsheet program for a new machine, many decided to buy just Excel rather than need to have both.
As a developer, I feel the "unique file mentality" you talk about is the biggest mistake any developer can make. Shareability both ways will be the number one selling feature of any program - especially genealogy software.


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Chicago's Chris Sale bounced back from a career-worst performance.
But it wasn't enough to beat knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.
Dickey threw six shutout innings before leaving with soreness in his neck and back, Rajai Davis had two hits and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Sale and the White Sox 3-1 on Thursday.
Sale (1-2) allowed a career-high eight runs in his previous start on Sunday at Cleveland, but was sharper in this one. The left-hander gave up three runs, two earned, and four hits over seven innings. He walked one and struck out six.
"He threw fine, gave up a couple hits here and there, but stuff-wise he was good," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Against R.A. that's just tough luck, because he had it going."
Sale is 2-7 with a 5.83 ERA in his past nine road starts going back to last season.
"I felt like I had a little bit better stuff than my previous outing," he said. "Location was good for the most part."
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons felt fortunate to beat Sale.
"It's early in the season, but it was a game we really needed against one of the top pitchers in baseball," Gibbons said.
Dickey (2-2) allowed two hits, both singles. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner walked one, struck out a season-high seven and lowered his ERA from 5.82 to 4.30.
"I had a knuckleball tonight where I would have thrown a complete game," Dickey said, "so it was unfortunate that (the injury) acted up on me."
White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers had never faced a knuckleballer before, and didn't fare well in his two at-bats against Dickey.
"For me it was kind of like someone turned off the lights every couple feet as it was coming to you," Flowers said. "It was moving that much, at least the ones to me were."
Dickey said his back first felt sore during his start at Kansas City last Saturday
"It got better over the course of the week, enough so that I felt comfortable taking the ball," he said. "Hopefully it will continue to get better in between these starts."
Gibbons called Dickey's start "outstanding," and said he didn't think the knuckler would have to miss any time.
"He's a tough guy," Gibbons said. "I'm sure we'll see him in five days."
Dickey retired the first 11 White Sox batters before Alex Rios hit a two-out single to center in the fourth. Rios went to second on a wild pitch and Paul Konerko walked, but Adam Dunn struck out to end the inning.
Gibbons and Blue Jays trainer George Poulis came to the mound after Dickey struck out Dewayne Wise for the second out of the sixth. After a brief discussion, Dickey remained in the game, getting Jeff Keppinger to fly out to left.
Dickey appeared to be rubbing his upper back as he left the dugout and walked to the clubhouse at the end of the inning.
"I hadn't gotten up and sat down so many times since I first felt it, so it was just getting tighter and tighter," Dickey said.
Esmil Rogers pitched 1 1-3 innings, Aaron Loup got two outs and Casey Janssen finished for his fifth save.
Davis led off the first with a single and stole second and third on consecutive pitches before scoring on Edwin Encarnacion's two-out hit to left.
Toronto added two more runs in the fifth. Emilio Bonifacio was hit by a pitch and went to third on an errant pickoff throw by Sale.
"I made a stupid throwing error," Sale said. "I'd like to believe I had him picked off."
One out later, with the infield drawn in, Bonifacio scored when Dunn couldn't handle a grounder by Munenori Kawasaki. Davis followed with an RBI double.
The White Sox spoiled Toronto's shutout bid in the eighth. Alexei Ramirez chased Rogers with a one-out single and scored when Flowers hit a two-out double off Loup. Wise grounded out to end the threat.
White Sox outfielder Dayan Viciedo left in the eighth with a strained muscle in his left side, suffered when he swung and missed on a pitch from Rogers. He'll be evaluated Friday when the team returns to Chicago to begin a three-game series with Minnesota.
Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista missed his fourth straight game with a sore back. Gibbons said Bautista is "showing progress" and could return Friday against the New York Yankees.
NOTES: Toronto RHP Sergio Santos will not throw for seven days after an MRI confirmed a strained muscle in his throwing arm. Santos was placed on the 15-day DL Monday, retroactive to April 14. ... White Sox OF Alejandro De Aza got the day off. ... Attendance was 18,015.


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Had a rope wrapped around it and may could have been lowered into the 18-inch gap
UK Daily Mail
April 27, 2013
Police have found a sizable piece of one of the engines from a plane that crashed into the World Trade Center, more than 11 years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The piece of landing gear was found wedged between two buildings just blocks from Ground Zero- in between the buildings at 51 Park Place and 50 Murray Street in downtown Manhattan.
The location is particularly noteworthy because 51 Park Place is the site of the Islamic Cultural Center that stirred up controversy and months of protests two years ago when the site developers wanted to turn it into a mosque.
New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that the investigation will look at the possibility that the part had been somehow lowered down into the narrow space. The gear has a serial number visible next to the word 'Boeing.'
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Books of condolences mark Mandela's passing
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed a book of condolences in the Centre Block rotunda on Parliament Hill on Friday, against a backdrop of Canadian flags and a portrait of Nelson Mandela. Harper's handwritten note said: "We have witnessed a life for the ages and mourn the loss of an example for us all."
Members of the public may also sign books of condolence in the Centre Block from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. every day, or online at Commemoration.gc.ca. The South African High Commission at 15 Sussex Dr. in Ottawa has also opened a book of condolences, available for signing 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday. South African High Commissioner Membathisi Mdladlana, a former labour minister who served in Mandela's cabinet, was in his home country and unavailable to share memories of the South African leader on Friday.
All of Canada's former prime ministers have been invited to join the Canadian delegation that will attend Mandela's memorial early in the week with Prime Minister Stephen Harper. (Canada's living former prime ministers are: Paul Martin, Jean Chretien, Kim Campbell, John Turner, Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney.)
Several members of Parliament were also talking about Mandela.
Liberal MP Ralph Goodale recalled Mandela wearing a Metis sash as he addressed Parliament in the House of Commons in 1998. Goodale said that Mandela by chance encountered the group, which had come to hear him speak. "As a spontaneous gesture of affection from a group in Canada who had felt the sting of discrimination and disadvantage, one of the Metis took off his traditional sash and presented it to the South African icon. A short while later, Mandela honoured the Metis by wearing that sash in the Canadian Parliament while he delivered his speech. He knew how much that would mean."
"He touched people who were looking to see politicians live up to their principles, who would reject cynicism," NDP MP Paul Dewar told reporters. Mandela's fight against apartheid not only united South Africa, but meant that Canada broke ranks with the United States and Britain to speak out against South African white rule. "That was a defining moment for us as a country that had an independent foreign policy," Dewar said. "In other words, Nelson Mandela helped unite Canada."
During House of Commons question period, independent MP Maria Mourani asked the government to consider having a national Nelson Mandela Day to help future generations remember the "profound friendship and ideals that have united and continue to unite Canada and this great man." The request was sidestepped by Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Deepak Obhrai, who noted Mandela had already been given honorary citizenship and was a Companions of the Order of Canada.
Inner city students in Toronto paid tribute to Mandela at the school that bears his name. Strains of "Inkozi Sikele Afrika," South Africa's post-apartheid national anthem, filled the hall at Nelson Mandela Park Public School, which the country's late president visited more than a decade ago.
More Mandela-Canada trivia: Mandela was given his honorary Canadian citizenship in 2001 by Prime Minister Jean Chretien, making him part of an elite group that includes:
Raoul Wallenberg: He was the first person awarded honorary citizenship in 1985, by then-prime minister Brian Mulroney. The Swedish businessman and diplomat is credited with saving 100,000 Hungarian Jews from Nazi death camps during the Second World War. He disappeared in the Soviet Union in 1945.
Dalai Lama: The granting of symbolic Canadian citizenship to the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, in 2006 by Prime Minister Stephen Harper provoked an angry reaction from China.
Aung San Suu Kyi: The leader of the democracy movement in Myanmar lived under house arrest most of the time between 1989 and 2010. She was granted citizenship in 2007 for her non-violent fight for democracy. Foreign Minister John Baird presented her with the certificate during a visit to Myanmar in 2012.
Aga Khan: The spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims around the world, his honour was based on his support for pluralism and tolerance in the world.
Malala Yousafzai: The Pakistani teenager was shot by the Taliban because she wanted an education. Yousafzai survived and is now an advocate for the rights of girls and education. The government announced the intention to grant the honour to her in its October throne speech.
– With files from Lee Berthiaume, Kirsten Smith and CP.


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Honey Yogurt Body Wrap
If you've ever been to a fancy spa, you've probably seen body wraps on the menu. Although they might conjure up the image of being rolled up like a human burrito, I promise you he benefits are totally worth it. As your body heats up under the wrap, your skin drinks up the treatment, leaving it super soft, toned and firm. This moisturizing wrap does its best work after a warm shower or bath. Since it can be a little on the messy side, best to "marinate" in the bathroom. You'll look like take-out for 30 minutes, but afterward your skin is going to look ah-MAY-zing! –Hannah
Honey Yogurt Body Wrap
4 c. plain yogurt (not Greek-style)
2 c. honey
2 c. aloe vera
8 – 10 drops each lavender & rose oils
1. Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Using your hands, spread mixture over skin, paying attention to dry patches.
3. Tightly wrap masked areas with plastic wrap. This keeps your body heat in and pores open, allowing the mask to penetrate.
4. Wrap body in a towel or light blanket and relax for 30 minutes (I suggest laying in a clean tub).
5. To remove, rinse with warm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
6. Drink lots of water to rehydrate!


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Top Items:
Jyri / Jaiku | Your Conversation:
We're joining Google — Exciting news: Google has bought Jaiku today. — What does that mean? First and foremost, we're of course continuing to support our existing users. So fear not: your Jaiku phone, the Web site, IM, SMS, and API will continue to work normally.
Jordan McCollum / Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim: Google Buys Jaiku: GooKuTwo?
Barry Schwartz / Search Engine Land: Jaiku Bought By Google
Kevin C. Tofel / jkOnTheRun: Six ways to Jaiku on the run. Can you add more?
Podtech / John Furrier: Tim O'Reilly - Platform Wars? …
Dave Winer / Scripting News: Today is Jaiku Day in TwitterLand
Rudy De Waele / mTrends: Google acquires Jaiku
Sam Harrelson / CostPerNews: Google Acquires Jaiku
Hugh Macleod / gapingvoid: NEWSFLASH: GOOGLE BUYS JAIKU
Adam Ostrow / Mashable!:
Breaking: Google Acquires Jaiku, Why Not Twitter? — Jaiku has announced that it has been acquired by Google. Jaiku is the Twitter-like service for keeping up with your friends via the Web or SMS. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed by the companies. — According to Jaiku:
Allen Stern / CenterNetworks: Breaking: Google Acquires Jaiku
Terrence Russell / Epicenter: Google Buys Microblogging Site Jaiku — Wait, Jaiku?!
Dan Farber / Between the Lines: Google takes out Jaiku
Ewan Spence / blognation: Google heart Jaiku - Where Now For Twitter?
Philipp Lenssen / Google Blogoscoped: Google Buys Jaiku
Tim O'Reilly / O'Reilly Radar: Why Jaiku, Not Twitter?
Joseph Weisenthal / paidContent.org: Microblogging Platform Jaiku Acquired by Google
Nik Fletcher / Download Squad: Google buys Jaiku
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer: Dodgeball? Jotspot? Jaiku!
Tony Hsieh / Official Google Blog:
Reach out and message someone — Technology has made staying in touch with your friends and family both easier and harder: living a fast-paced, on-the-go lifestyle is easier (and a lot of fun), but it's more difficult to keep track of everyone when they're running around at warp speed.
Nathan Weinberg / InsideGoogle: Google Buys Jaiku, a Twitter Competitor
Nancy Gohring / InfoWorld: Google buys Finnish social-networking company
Marc Orchant / blognation: Why Jaiku, not Twitter was bought by Google (IMO)
Donna Bogatin / Insider Chatter: YAY! Twitter, NOT Jaiku, Can BE the Next Google
Farhad Manjoo / Salon: Machinist: Funny-name acquisition: Google buys Jaiku
Elinor Mills / CNET News.com: Google to buy Twitter rival Jaiku
Linda Rosencrance / Computerworld: Google buys Jaiku, a software application for mobile phones
Doug Caverly / WebProNews: Google Acquires Jaiku
Adario Strange / MARS Magazine: THE MUSIC BUSINESS IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE MUSIC BUSINESS
Chloe Albanesius / AppScout: Google Acquires Twitter Rival Jaiku
Ewan Spence / blognation UK: Google Acquires Jaiku; Terms Not Disclosed
Justin Mann / TechSpot News: Google acquires Jaiku
Marshall Kirkpatrick / Read/WriteWeb:
Google Acquires Microblogging Service Jaiku — Finnish short messaging and microblogging service Jaiku has been acquired by Google, the company says. That Google bought this competitor of Twitter, the service founded by Blogger founder Evan Williams, instead of Twitter is notable.
Discussion: Google Operating System, Good Morning Silicon Valley, PDA and Searchviews
Ionut Alex Chitu / Google Operating System: Google Buys Jaiku, a Lifestreaming Service
John Murrell / Good Morning Silicon Valley: Google invites Jaiku to prom; Twitter left to commiserate with friends
Kevin Anderson / PDA: Google buys Jaiku
Sepideh Saremi / Searchviews: Google Buys Twitter-like Jaiku
Mike Butcher / TechCrunch UK:
Jaiku bought by Google — BREAKING NEWS: Jaiku, the Twitter-like service from Finland, has been bought by Google. — Jaiku Founders Jyri Engeström and Petteri Koponen today posted this on their homepage: … The terms of the acquisition have not been released.
Discussion: Guardian Unlimited, Googling Google, Liberate Media and broadstuff
Bobbie Johnson / Guardian Unlimited: Google sweeps up Jaiku
Lloyd Gofton / Liberate Media: Here is the Google news... It's been a busy day in the world of Google.
Alan Patrick / broadstuff: EXEUNT JAIKU, STAGE RIGHT. WHO IS LEFT....
Mike Butcher / TechCrunch:
Google buys social mobile startup Jaiku — BREAKING NEWS: Jaiku, the Twitter (and Pownce)-like service from Finland, has been bought by Google. — Jaiku Founders Jyri Engeström and Petteri Koponen today posted this on their homepage: … The terms of the acquisition have not been released.
Discussion: CyberNet and WebMetricsGuru
Ashley / CyberNet: Google Ready to Take on Twitter
Marshall Sponder / WebMetricsGuru: Google buys Jaiku, a mobile startup based in Finland
Robert Scoble / Scobleizer:
Google: making big social media moves — I was talking with a Google employee last night at the Graphing Social Media conference. — Aside: why are there more Google employees there than Facebook ones? I think Facebook's attitude toward the community is saying volumes to all of us.
Discussion: A Media Circus
Ross Mayfield / Ross Mayfield's Weblog:
Google Acquires Jaiku
Google Acquires Jaiku
Discussion: Bruce Clay, Inc. Blog, bub.blicio.us, Vacuum and innovation Creators
Lisa Barone / Bruce Clay, Inc. Blog: Google Buy Reveals Social Media Focus
Brian Solis / bub.blicio.us: Google Hearts Jaiku
Om Malik / GigaOM:
Google Buys Jaiku
Google Buys Jaiku
Discussion: Things That
Andy Greenberg / Forbes:
Brightcove Unleashes A BitTorrent Stream — BitTorrent, a company whose name has long meant digital piracy to content owners, now wants to be the online media industry's humble servant. On Tuesday, the company debuted tools on the video service, Brightcove, that spread the work …
Discussion: Silicon Alley Insider, Read/WriteWeb, CNET News.com, Daily Feed and CinemaTech
Dan Frommer / Silicon Alley Insider: BitTorrent To Storm The Big-Media Online Video Market? Not So Fast
Caroline McCarthy / CNET News.com: BitTorrent jumps into enterprise market with content delivery service
Business Wire:
BitTorrent's Delivery Network Accelerator (DNA) Service Improves …
BitTorrent's Delivery Network Accelerator (DNA) Service Improves …
Discussion: The Latest from Brightcove, NewTeeVee and Contentinople
Jeremy Allaire / The Latest from Brightcove: Brightcove Show - Raising the bar on Internet TV quality
Chris Albrecht / NewTeeVee: BitTorrent Moves into B2B with DNA
Frank Smith / Contentinople: BitTorrent to Power Brightcove Show
Ryan Hayward / Inside AdSense:
Introducing video units — AdSense isn't just for ads anymore; it's also a place to get video content for your site — and earn extra revenue at the same time. — We're excited about the launch of video units — a new way to enrich your site with quality, relevant video content in an embedded, customizable player.
Discussion: Profy.Com, Digital Media Wire, Rough Type, mathewingram.com/work, Download Squad, Digital Daily, New York Times, WebMetricsGuru, Contentinople, Screenwerk, GigaOM, Publish2 Blog, Online Media Cultist, TechSpot News, Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, Bloggers Blog, HipMojo.com, Official Google Blog, paidContent.org, Compiler, gSpy, Google Blogoscoped, Insider Chatter, TechCrunch, Howard Lindzon, The Utube Blog, MarketingVOX, Read/WriteWeb, AppScout, The Blog Herald and Search Engine Land
Michael Garrett / Profy.Com: Google Officially Announces AdSense-Embedded YouTube Video Units
Brad Linder / Download Squad: Google YouTube AdSense units are here
John Paczkowski / Digital Daily: New From Google Labs: Google Big Friggin' Video Ad
Miguel Helft / New York Times: Google to Put YouTube Videos on Its Ad Network
Marshall Sponder / WebMetricsGuru: Google monetizing YouTube with Video Units
Frank Smith / Contentinople: YouTube Unveils AdSense Program
Greg Sterling / Screenwerk: YouTube Video Content Syndication via AdSense
Om Malik / GigaOM: YouTube AdSense or AdSnore
Scott Karp / Publish2 Blog: The New Media Consolidation
Justin Mann / TechSpot News: Google introduces AdSense video units
Ashkan Karbasfrooshan / HipMojo.com: Google Just Monetized the YouTube Universe, and Extended it to the Web via Ad Sense
Christine Lee / Official Google Blog: AdSense goes straight to video — units, that is
Scott Gilbertson / Compiler: Show Me The Money: Google Is Bringing In-Video Ads To A Site Near You
Keith / gSpy: AdSense Video Units
Philipp Lenssen / Google Blogoscoped: Google AdSense Video Units
Donna Bogatin / Insider Chatter: YouTube Video AdSense: NO Prime Time Debut
Duncan Riley / TechCrunch: YouTube Videos Coming To Google Adsense
Marshall Kirkpatrick / Read/WriteWeb: Here Comes the Money: YouTube Videos Coming to AdSense
Mark Hachman / AppScout: Google Video Ads Open for Business
Darnell Clayton / The Blog Herald: Google Launches YouTube Video Ad Units For Adsense
Danny Sullivan / Search Engine Land: Google AdSense For Video Goes Mainstream
AT&T Acquires Wireless Spectrum from Aloha Partners — AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced its board of directors has approved an agreement to purchase spectrum licenses covering 196 million people in the 700 MHz frequency band from Aloha Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership.
Cynthia Brumfield / IP Democracy: AT&T Buys Aloha's 700 MHz Spectrum for $2.5 Bil.
Donald Melanson / Engadget: AT&T snaps up Aloha Partners' wireless spectrum stash
Glenn Fleishman / Wi-Fi Networking News: AT&T Buys Aloha Partners's 700 MHz Spectrum
Om Malik / GigaOM:
AT&T Buys 700 MHz Spectrum Licenses
AT&T Buys 700 MHz Spectrum Licenses
Jason Lee Miller / WebProNews: AT&T Sets Spectrum Price, Buys Out Aloha
Matt Ford / Ars Technica:
Hard drive technology wins the 2007 Nobel Prize for physics — Albert Fert of the Université Paris-Sud in Orsay, France, and Peter Grünberg of the Forschungszentrum in Jülich, Germany, have been awarded the 2007 Nobel Prize in physics for their discovery of the phenomenon known as giant magnetoresistance (GMR).
Discussion: Digital Daily, Engadget and The Register
John Paczkowski / Digital Daily: [1,000 Songs in Your Pocket] Fert and Grünberg Changed Everything
Darren Murph / Engadget: European duo awarded Nobel Prize for HDD-related discovery
Lucy Sherriff / The Register: Hard disk innovators get physics Nobel
Albert Fert / Nobelprize.org:
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2007
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2007
Discussion: Wired, Insider Chatter and Slashdot
Wired Science / Wired: Hard Drive Technology Pioneers Win Nobel Physics Prize
Donna Bogatin / Insider Chatter: The Future of Technology VC is Now in Research Triangle
Staci D. Kramer / paidContent.org:
NBCU To Acquire Oxygen For $925 Million; Multi-Platform Net For Women Never Met Hyped Expectations — This has been in the works for a bit and is a natural fit ... NBC Universal (NYSE: GE) is acquiring women's cable net Oxygen Media for $925 million, $875 million net of financial assets.
Discussion: Los Angeles Times and Mashable!
Meg James / Los Angeles Times: NBC Universal buying Oxygen Media
Kristen Nicole / Mashable!: NBC Universal Gets Oxygen for $925M
Discussion: alarm:clock, Deal Journal and Business and financial news
Wall Street Journal:
As Tech Heats Up, Sages Dust Off Bubble Indicators — Goofy-Names Index Rises, — Perks Gauge Glows Red; — A 5th-Grader as Founder — SAN FRANCISCO — The Federal Reserve monitors things like inventory levels and housing starts to gauge the economy's direction.
Discussion: TechCrunch, Insider Chatter, The Open Road and Screenwerk
Erick Schonfeld / TechCrunch: Bubble Indicators — Goofy names, retread startup ideas …
Donna Bogatin / Insider Chatter: CNET Founder Latest to Jump on Web 2.0 Aggregator Bandwagon: Political Base
Matt Asay / The Open Road: Open source and anti-hype
Greg Sterling / Screenwerk: Making Sense of 'Bubble 2.0′
Oasis, Jamiroquai to follow Radiohead — Some of the music industry's biggest names are considering offering their music free online following the success of the experiment by the band Radiohead to let fans download their new album without charge. — The band's website topped the chart …
Discussion: Techdirt, The Globe and Mail, chartreuse, BloggingStocks and Times of London
Mike Masnick / Techdirt: Bands Rushing To Ditch Labels And Embrace Free; Are The Floodgates Opening?
Mathew Ingram / The Globe and Mail: Radiohead maybe not so revolutionary?
Richard Driver / BloggingStocks: Nine Inch Nails ends relationship with record label
Robert Sandall / Times of London: The day the music industry died
Ashshy / Ars Technica:
Record label defections by major acts a troubling sign for recording industry
Record label defections by major acts a troubling sign for recording industry
Discussion: Download Squad
John Bowker / Reuters:
Skype co-founder says eBay overpaid for firm — BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Niklas Zennstrom, co-founder of Internet telecoms company Skype, said on Tuesday he agreed the original valuation put on the company by purchaser eBay was too high. — "We had to chart the trajectory of growth and how fast …
Discussion: Epicenter and IP Telephony, VoIP, Broadband
Julie Sloane / Epicenter: Skype Co-Founder Admits The Obvious: Ebay Overpaid
Stephane Lafon / Google LatLong:
More Street View cities to explore — For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting new cities to be added to Street View in Google Maps, your patience is about to pay off. Today, we're announcing the addition of Street View imagery in not one or two but six new cities!
Discussion: Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim, WebProNews, Webware.com and Google Blogoscoped
Jordan McCollum / Andy Beal's Marketing Pilgrim: Google Maps Expands Street View
Doug Caverly / WebProNews: Google Street View Gains Six New Cities
Elinor Mills / Webware.com: GOOGLE ADDS SIX NEW CITIES TO STREET VIEW
Philipp Lenssen / Google Blogoscoped: Google Street View Adds Chicago, Phoenix, Tucson...
Daniel Terdiman / CNET News.com:
Google tools to power virtual worlds — Get ready for online games set in your favorite Google Earth locations. — Virtual-worlds platform developer Multiverse Network is set to announce a partnership Tuesday that will allow anyone to create a new online interactive 3D environment …
Discussion: WebMetricsGuru, Ogle Earth, RealityPrime, Virtual Worlds News and Mashable!
Marshall Sponder / WebMetricsGuru: Google Virtual World - using Google's virtual-world production tool …
Joey Seiler / Virtual Worlds News: Multiverse Partners with Google
Jeff Smykil / Infinite Loop:
Rocks found in place of girl's brand new iPod... twice — Nearly every teenager either has an iPod or wants one. There are a few exceptions, but the vast majority of teens sport (or pretend to sport) Apple's wildly-popular digital audio player. So imagine yourself, for a moment …
Discussion: Engadget, Good Morning Silicon Valley, iLounge, TECH.BLORGE.com and Gizmodo
Darren Murph / Engadget: Birthday girl gets two rock-filled iPod boxes
John Murrell / Good Morning Silicon Valley: Dumber than a box of rocks
Charles Starrett / iLounge: Mix: Harrison, Rocks, Jailbreak, Ringtones, Luna
Jonathan Schlaffer / TECH.BLORGE.com: iPod boxes found at Target with rocks but no iPod in packaging
Mark Wilson / Gizmodo: Apple: Girl Finds Rocks Where Her iPod Should Be, TWICE
Jim Puzzanghera / Los Angeles Times:
Google logo tweak sends critics into orbit — WASHINGTON — Should the world's most-used search engine be more of a Yankee Google Dandy? — Google Inc. occasionally features light-hearted doodles on its colorful home-page logo to commemorate special occasions.
Doug Caverly / WebProNews: Google Logo Honors Soviet Accomplishment


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Visual Studio Industry Partner program member Syncfusion is shipping its Essential Studio 2012 Volume 3 with Microsoft's release of Visual Studio 2012.
The software includes a "cloud-ready" report designer and viewer that can work with Windows Azure as well as any cloud that supports a Windows-based deployment environment. In addition, it is 100 percent Report Definition Language (RDL) compliant.
Essential Studio 2012 Volume 3 includes iOS and Android mobile web application themes; an OLAP grid framework intended to enable developers to deploy business intelligence solutions using the ASP.NET MVC framework; an enhanced PDF viewer with bar code display; and a PDF display framework with no external dependencies or software development kits (SDKs) needed.


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In his seminal book, Paix et guerres entre les nations, Raymond Aron chose to take a particular stance vis à vis the Cold War: he stated that, in order to survive, the West had to win. By that, he did not mean achieving a clear victory in the traditional sense, that is by compelling the Soviet bloc to accept a peace that would end the global confrontation of his time. On the contrary, that sentence, widely discussed and debated at the time, meant that the West had to manage the threat. Put otherwise, he thought that winning could be equated to not losing or, more accurately, to preventing the adversary to achieve a decisive victory. Of course, during the Cold War, any confrontation would certainly have led to a global nuclear struggle, with no winner in sight.
That assessment remains true today, where western countries and the international liberal order they managed to build is put at risk by extremists movements threatening to either destabilize a given area or to wage a campaign of attacks against western or western-supported societies. Furthermore, the rise of the « rest » – while not a threat – is giving birth to a world in which we have to recognize the plurality of cultures, norms and values.
An important caution is needed before outlining my main argument. I was raised in a country mostly secure in the sense that no external state threatens it (to be fair, I remember having been scared by the risk of a nuclear armaggedon when I was a child). I'm aware of the fact that today's threats are also a matter of perception. But I would not discard them, since the actors behind those threats are real, and have the capabilities to strike. But, make no mistakes: I'm not an alarmist and I despise those so-called « pundits » who raise the specter of catastrophic attacks in order to gain more audience. I despise them just as those who demonstrate constant blindness and indulgence toward the risk of real attacks.
Deterrence: Managing threats
In the April issue of Contemporary Security Policy, Thomas Rid wrote a highly scholarly and insightful piece about the way deterrence functions in Israel's security strategy. Basically, deterrence is a way for Israel to manage « current security » threats, i.e. bomb attacks or rockets lobbed by the Hezbollah, Hamas or other non-state organizations. Thomas explains that Israel is experiencing for a long time a kind of 'postmodern' deterrence, relying on punishment and reprisals designed to enforce several norms. By making its action both more predictable and more unreasonable (or, more accurately, by shaping perceptions toward those conclusions), Israel is able to establish and enforce « rules of the game » which guarantee that threats to its security remain relatively low and manageable. Of course, that strategy is not free from contradictions. But the whole strategic realm is made of contradictions which strategists and policymakers alike are tasked to balance.
The main problem of that particular approach is its interference with the mainstream western strategic culture which values decisive victory and a subsequent strategy of annihilation. There are many reasons which could explain that preference. I do not aim to explore here its many historical, societal, cultural and political roots. Suffice to say that it is deeply internalized and plays a great role in shaping strategic choices.
Nevertheless, the US is experiencing a shift toward a more coherent and comprehensive approach to deal with « extremists » threat. The very notion of deterrence itself has been used by strategists and policymakers since 9/11. In the war against Al-Qaeda and its affiliates, a strategy of attrition has been progressively adopted and implemented. In a sense, the so-called « shadow wars« , their other political opportunities notwithstanding, are a first step toward the perception that threats can only be managed and not totally and decisively defeated.
In that context, it is important and critical to emphasize the discrepancy between values and actions in France's strategy to counter « extremists » in the Sahel (and mostly in Mali). Values are certainly a good point of departure to make political choices. Unfortunately, they often conceal the lack of political will or, worse, poor strategic thinking. Of course, I consider France to have a particular ability to pursue its own national interests on the international stage. But I'd like to underline the importance of the way we perceive threats and the way to manage them. In a sense, we are still locked to an old fashion view of deterrence as mainly a characteristic of the nuclear threat. We conceive the use of force in a sophisticated way, but we avoid to consider that coercion still plays a role in order to prevent further threat. Put otherwise: we consider that, if force is used, deterrence failed.
Of course, context and the way it is perceived matters: neither France nor the US have stakes higher than those raised by the Israeli government. But that doesn't invalidate the opportunities set up by deterrence. On the contrary, given our perceived interests to remain an influential actor in West Africa, and given our means, such a strategy would be well suited.
In short, Aron remains relevant precisely because he underlines the importance to recognize that a realist alternative is not between winning and losing, but between winning and preventing the other to achieve its political goals (when those goals are opposed to ours). Maybe it is worth remembering that being aware of that is not cynicism. On the contrary, Aron never gave up his hope in a more peaceful world. But that world could not emerge either through the temptation of Empire or through complete abdication. That's why deterrence, either through attrition, reprisal or interdiction has still a future. Aron once wrote that one of the main way to demonstrate power and to remain in peace is for an actor to honor his bill or to keep his promises.


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Saying Thank You to a Special Teacher
The end of a school year is always exciting, and also comes with a touch of bittersweet reverie. Marking the ever turning carousel of time, the last day of school is a very symbolic event. Teachers are a vital part of our children's journey. In between learning about cursive and tadpoles, multiplication and music, teachers also deliver life wisdom, and negotiate social dynamics. Acknowledging the dedication and time that a teacher has spent over the year is a wonderful gesture, one that shows appreciation, and gives your child a chance to express a gracious goodbye. WallPops are a beautiful thank you gift for a teacher. A lot of teachers use WallPops in their classrooms to add a fun, personal touch without damaging school walls. The dry-erase boards and calendar decals are also handy for making daily notes, practicing math, spelling, and handwriting, and keeping track of things like science experiment results. The peel and stick alphabet decals are an awesome addition to any classroom! They can be arranged as a beautiful, educational alphabet. Or, since the set comes with multiples of each letter, these decals can be arranged to label areas with messages like "wash your hands!" and "library books". Here are a few of our favorite ideas for perfect teacher's gifts!


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My name is Simran Shah and I am in Grade 11 at the Billabong High at Malad.
I have undertaken this campaign because I think wearing footwear is something that is a basic need for anyone. I cannot imagine me walking kilometres to school barefoot every day. These children who are being supported are doing well at school despite adverse circumstances & conditions. The fact that raising 20000 INR can give footwear & transform the lives of 100 children is something that I am very excited about.
Please support my campaign and let us together bring confidence and change into the lives of these fellow students in rural areas of Maharashtra. Please fund this campaign and also share it on social media. After all it's us only who together can impact lives of people.


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April 8th, 2013
Roger Ebert's last review: Three-and-a-half stars
The last film Roger Ebert filed a review for was also one that he enjoyed.
On April 6, two days after he died at age 70, Ebert's critique of Terrence Malick's "To the Wonder" was published to his website, Rogerebert.com.
Starring Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem, Malick's "To the Wonder" is billed as a romantic drama, one that centers on Affleck's Neil and Kurylenko's Marina, a couple who fall in love in France and then move to Oklahoma. There, Ebert writes, trouble arises as McAdams' Jane renews her bond with Neil, who was once in love with her. The film also introduces Bardem's Father Quintana, a European priest there who's facing questions of faith.
In his trademark style, Ebert reviews "To the Wonder" with an accessible honesty, frankly admitting that he at first wondered if he was "missing something" when Malick's film began. The actors are less the "stars" of the story as much as they are models, and while there is dialogue, it's "dreamy and half-heard," Ebert says.
But the power of Ebert's work was that his status as "the everyman's critic" didn't make his writing was pedestrian, and this review is no different.
"A more conventional film would have assigned a plot to these characters and made their motivations more clear," Ebert writes, but he found himself in the end won over by Malick's offering. "There will be many who find 'To the Wonder' elusive and too effervescent. They'll be dissatisfied by a film that would rather evoke than supply. I understand that, and I think Terrence Malick does, too. But here he has attempted to reach more deeply than that: to reach beneath the surface, and find the soul in need."
Ebert gave the film three-and-a-half stars.
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High standards and client-focused services for your customers
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What we offer - the best broker and employer group products available
What you need - to be in the know.
When and where - you should join us there.
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Here is another 3 jewellery creations I have been playing with lately. I am loving playing with Tim Holtz's idea-ology range of findings. They lend themselves perfectly to my obesession with those little faces made from polymer clay.
All going well in the next couple of weeks I shall reopen my etsy store with some new books and jewellery (if I can part with it LOL). I will let you all know when it happens here on my blog.
Love Sarah


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Dine on the freshest seafood straight off the trawler or hop on a fishing charter to catch your own. Mooloolaba is home to the largest trawling fleet in the region and a favourite anchorage for ocean cruisers and leisure boats. Whether it's a simple serve of fish and chips at the beach, or king prawn cocktails at a five-star restaurant - Mooloolaba can dish up seafood to suit all budgets and palates.
There are several patrolled beaches in this part of the coast. Alexandra Headland is a great place to find a perfectly peeling wave if you're keen to go for a surf while you're in town. When it comes to dining, Mooloolaba is home to a range of cosmopolitan cafes and family restaurants - as well as a shopping precinct by the water where you can buy everything from beach towels to designer label clothes.
Mooloolaba is approximately 100 kilometres north of Brisbane.
Note: Information on listed products and services are provided by the operator and were correct at the time of publishing. Rates are indicative based on the minimum and maximum available prices of products and services. Please visit the operator's website for further information. All prices quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD).


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All information provided by the listing agent/broker is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Lot 23 West End Ave, Centerton, AR, 72719 is a lots and land listing of ? sqft on a lot of 1.47 acre. This lots and land listing has 0 bedrooms, and 0 baths. The map for this location is located at https://maps.google.com/?q=Lot+23+West+End++Ave%2cCenterton%2cAR%2c72719.
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This is tasty and I want it in my recipe file. It's by Tyler Florence.
- Yield
- people
- Dry Rub:
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 3 tablespoons coarse salt
- 1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt
- Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
- 1 cup yellow or brown mustard
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 hamburger buns
- 1 recipe Spicy Slaw
- Pickle spears
- Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F. To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat. To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hamburger bun, and top with the spicy slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.


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We're just hours away from The Colossal Tussle XIX and the wrestling world is abuzz. Wait a minute. Colossal Tussle?
According to George Scott, who was the booker for the first two WrestleManias, that was the name that was almost used.
About six months before the March 31, 1985 mega-event, Scott remembers a meeting in Vince McMahon's office. The gatherings there were sometimes free-flowing idea sessions, and office staff who were wrestling fans often were invited to participate. On this occasion, everyone was brainstorming for a name for a big event that would further marry pro wrestling with mainstream culture. Someone piped up with the name 'Mania', and Scott remembers immediately saying 'WrestleMania.' Later, The Colossal Tussle came up and won McMahon's vote.
A final decision was not made that day. The next morning, Scott further argued against The Colossal Tussle, doing funny voices to mock the way the words rolled together. Eventually, McMahon relented to Scott, who had been involved in wrestling since 1948.
In Basil DeVito's WWE-produced WrestleMania: The Official Insider's Story, the close-call on a bad name isn't mentioned. "Credit for the name, incidentally, is generally given to Howard Finkel, known to many fans as one of the World Wrestling Entertainment's announcers. Howard is the unofficial company historian and fact-finder and the nuggets he unearths are affectionately called 'Finkel Facts'," DeVito wrote. "It's sort of a Finkel Fact about Finkel that in a legendary meeting in the winter of 1985, while a roomful of staffers were trying to think of a name for their big closed-circuit event, Howard Finkel blurted out..'There's Beatlemania, right? Why not WrestleMania?' And that was that. WrestleMania was born."
It's just part of the fascinating stories you get when you talk to some of the people, like Scott, who were involved backstage at the early WrestleManias. The stories don't always match the official company line.
Jim Barnett was a long-time promoter in Chicago, then Australia, then Atlanta who joined the WWF in 1983 as Senior Vice President and stuck around until 1987. How did WrestleMania come about? "They got the idea in 1985 when they were on a trip, a vacation for a week in Martinique, maybe it was St. Maarten. They came back and said they like to do this big show in Madison Square Garden with talent-like people to ring the bell, referee, all kinds of celebrities," Barnett said.
In the following years, Barnett was one of the key people in the WWF and for the WrestleManias. "Vince got the locations, but I worked real hard on it. It was a five, or 10-people show and I did a lot of work on it," he said. "The third show was in Pontiac, and I worked very hard on that. I got the biggest bonus of anyone for that show. I left their employment later and went to work for Jim Crockett."
George Scott is quick to credit his hard-working staff for the success of the WWF in the early days of national expansion. "I had some great guys working with me," he said. Terry Garvin was his assistant, and Jim Barnett and Rex Jones were all part of his team. To Scott, Howard Finkel is "a genius" who has a great memory -- "unreal. I couldn't believe it."
Scott's memories of the first WrestleMania are almost exclusively about what happened backstage before and afterwards. It was Scott who was sent to Atlanta to talk to Mr. T about appearing. "What a big shot. I told him where to get off!" Scott laughed. Obviously, things got worked out in the subsequent weeks. According to Scott, a Hamilton, Ontario, native, Mr. T had $22,000 in expenses during the WrestleMania I week.
Backstage at the event, it was chaotic. "I remember Vince McMahon at WrestleMania I where I had to grab him by the shoulders and say, 'Stop. You're driving us nuts. Go in your office,'" recalled Roddy Piper. "Some guy's taking pictures of my feet. Get this guy out of here! Guy's name was Andy Warhol. I'd never heard of him. Liberace with the Rockettes. What's wrong with this picture. Little Richard ... Dr. Ruth Westheimer."
Out in the arena, things weren't all that different. When Muhammad Ali started shadow boxing in the ring as the special referee for the main event, Scott ran to ringside, grabbed his ankle and got him to calm down o all off camera.
In the end, it was a special time where all the elements lined up properly. I think that we were all lucky to be there. Timing is everything. In my opinion, WrestleMania was not as premeditated as people believe today," Roddy Piper told SLAM! Wrestling in a chat a few years back.
George Scott agrees. He recalled a conversation with Vince McMahon after WrestleMania. McMahon told him later that "if we had not been successful at it, we would not have been in business."


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You Still Can't Buy Plastic Logic's Que E-Reader. Want to Buy Plastic Logic? [UPDATED]
UPDATE: Plastic Logic investor Hermann Hauser says the company is not for sale. His statement, forwarded to me via Plastic Logic: "My comments were taken out of context. I was talking about partnerships we are working on, the value of Plastic Logic technology and its potential for the future–not a sale of the company. The Company is not for sale."
Want to buy an e-reader from Plastic Logic? You will have to wait until "sometime this summer." Want to buy the whole company? That's a different story.
That's the message U.K. investor Hermann Hauser is delivering via the Financial Times (via Engadget). Hauser, who owns a chunk of Plastic Logic via his Amadeus Capital Partners, doesn't come out and say the company is for sale. But he spends a chunk of the story explaining why someone would be smart to take the investment off his hands.
Why would that be? Plastic Logic, after all, has been in the e-reader business for years, but has yet to actually start selling one. It finally showed off its Que Reader in January and promised delivery in April. But last month, the company told customers the Que would be delayed until summer–practically daring them to buy a competing product from Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL), Sony (SNE) or Barnes and Noble (BKS).
Hauser's pitch: Plastic Logic is a technology company whose real value is the plastic chips that power the Que.
"Plastic Logic is using the simplest invention in plastic electronics, a single transistor that switches a particular pixel on or off," says Mr Hauser. The real potential, he explains, is in creating plastic integrated circuits capable of complex functions, a feat that Plastic Logic co-founder Henning Sirringhaus has just achieved. Mr Hauser says: "Plastic electronics will spawn dozens of companies taking advantage of different aspects of integrated circuits in the same way that silicon has."
How much is that worth? The FT helpfully suggests a buyer should pony up a multiple of the $200 million Hauser and others have bet on the company. But if that's above your spending limit, you should be able to get a Que for less than $800 in a couple months.


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From HaskellWiki
< ZuriHac2010
Revision as of 11:46, 19 January 2010 by JohanTibell (talk | contribs)
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At Day 2 of the USGP Mercer Cup in New Jersey, the typical men's team tactics of Kona and Cannondale-CyclocrossWorld was replaced by the one-two punch of the Todd Wells and Troy Wells duo. Although riding on separate teams, Todd (GT) and Troy (Clif Bar) defeated the two usually-dominant 'cross teams with some brotherly love.
With series leader Tim Johnson (Cannondale-CyclocrossWorld) watching from the sidelines, the leader's jersey was up for grabs. Johnson injured his knee while racing to victory the day before, and could only exercise his forearms ringing a cowbell to cheer on his teammates Jeremy Powers and Jamey Driscoll.
Yesterday's sloppy conditions remained, but without any rain, the mud proved to be thick and sticky, making running an essential skill for the day. Todd Wells, Jeremy Powers, and previous points leader Jesse Anthony (Jamis) got a fast start, but the conditions did not lend themselves to group racing, and soon Anthony couldn't keep the pace. Wells, known as a mud specialist, battled with Powers up front, as his younger brother Troy made his way up through "the field," although there wasn't much of one as riders were split apart, riding alone and trying to find the quickest lines.
Once Troy reached the two leaders, the younger Wells brother wasted no time in moving to the front, and quickly gapped the former leaders. After Powers couldn't close the gap, Todd bridged to his brother, and a two-man team time trial was underway, and the two extended their lead to Powers to over 40 seconds.
Entering the last lap, heading into a running section, Todd applied the pressure, and Troy was slow to respond but wouldn't give up. Chasing the entire lap, Troy gained back time, but ran out of course, finishing seconds behind his brother but happy with the family's 1-2.
In the women's race, it was a familiar scene at the front of the race, with the Luna teammates of Georgia Gould and Katerina Nash running away with the race again. Just like yesterday, Georgia Gould used a late lap surge to distance herself from Nash to take the victory and secure her hold on the leader's jersey. Behind, the big battle of the race was for third, with Rache Lloyd (Cal Giant) powering away from Wendy Simms (Kona) and Maureen Bruno-Roy (MM Racing – Seven Cycles) on the last lap to take third.
In a new variation to the common practice of putting dollar bills in beer bottles or cans for racers to try to grab while riding by, spectators stuck bills directly into the mud in a running section. Racers not in a rush had an easy way to earn back gas money.
Elite Men:
- WELLS Todd (Team GT)
- WELLS Troy (Team Clif Bar)
- Powers Jeremy (CROSSWORLD/CANNONDALE)
- DRISCOLL Jamey (Cyclocrossworld/Cannondale)
- JACQUES-MAYNES Andy (Specialized/KMC pb Cal Giant)
- TREBON Ryan (Kona)
- WEIGHALL Nicholas (Rad Racing/Hagens Berman)
- WICKS Barry (Kona)
- SHRIVER Matt (Jittery Joe's Pro Cycling Team)
- SUMMERHILL (Daniel Team Clif Bar)
Elite Women:
- GOULD Georgia (LUNA)
- NASH Katerina (Luna Women's MTB Team)
- LLOYD Rachel (California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized)
- SIMMS Wendy (Kona)
- BRUNO ROY Maureen (MM Racing p/b Seven Cycles)
- WINFIELD Deidre (Velo Bella – Kona)
- JACQUES-MAYNES Josie (Specialized/KMC pb Cal Giant)
- BUTLER Sue (MonavieCannondale.com)
- ELLIOT Natasha (EMD Serono/ Stevens)
- VAN GILDER Laura (C3 Sollay)
Photo Gallery:
Full Results:


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Kabalah the ancient Jewish practice of mysticism
Posted 30 April 2013 - 10:03 AM
does anyone have any thoughts on this. I Wil add more as soon as I can sit comfortably at the desktop
SHALOM my friends !
Posted 02 May 2013 - 02:08 PM
I know more about the Kaballistic (Chaldean) Numerology, and the effects of various Chakras and all.
So, where do we start and how?
Take my hand and we'll go riding through the sunshine from above
Posted 02 May 2013 - 04:07 PM
meditation is the key, to bring focus whether it's in this realm or the next.
there is lots of info out there, but for me I go straight to the source. being Chabad the most religious entity in Jewish Movements.
SHALOM my friends !
Posted 02 May 2013 - 06:34 PM
yes I wear one
Edited by no1plumbrr, 02 May 2013 - 06:34 PM.
SHALOM my friends !
Posted 03 May 2013 - 05:25 AM
There is nothing written in any Kabbalistic source that Rabbi Moss had seen. The red string is an old tradition...
" A thread is wrapped seven times around the tomb of Rachel in Israel, and then cut into little cords. It is then said to give protection from the "Evil Eye" for one who wears it on his or her wrist."
The Rabbi goes on to say that the "Evil Eye" is in reference to negative energy, created by people looking at you with envy or ill feelings. The string is suppose to deflect such energies.
He says that it is written in the Talmud, the Evil Eye can only affect you, if you worry about it. The best thing to do is just forget about it.
He goes on to say the best tool against such negative energy would be acts of goodness.
Edited by no1plumbrr, 03 May 2013 - 05:26 AM.
SHALOM my friends !
Posted 03 May 2013 - 05:41 AM
Take my hand and we'll go riding through the sunshine from above
Posted 03 May 2013 - 05:45 AM
I am working on a report about LIllith... should be interesting lol
Yes can be very powerful, the power of the mind is very strong.
SHALOM my friends !
Posted 15 May 2013 - 08:26 AM
You can find similar road maps in the neo-shamanic concept of the Three Worlds and the more developed 9 Worlds system used by some in Asatru. Regardless, the idea is the same - magical practitioners of all sorts are walkers between the worlds and, when they first begin their journey, like anyone going to a new place, they need a map.
Glyphs like the Tree of Life in Kabalah provide the practitioner with that map and a graded method of moving through the "planes" toward a richer union with the Divine (whatever you want to call that). I think of it something like a river bed. When the water first begins to flow in an area, there is no channel for it to travel in and it is "unfocused", spreading where it will. As time passes though, the water carves a channel that it can flow in and, as that channel gets deeper and more defined, the water flows smoothly through it.
The same thing happens with the energy put into a system like Kabalah. Many people have used this system since its creation and the energy channel there is deep and defined. The energy flows smoothly in it and those who work in a dedicated manner with it have similar experiences and results. They can follow these "paths" or trails in the Otherworld and know what they are working with has been tested over time by countless practitioners.
A study of the Kabalah alone is more of a mystical path moving from Malkuth (the earth plane, ordinary reality) through to Kether (the Sphere where the Unknowable first begins the manifestation of the Universe). It needs to be undertaken with great care and no little dedication to really bear fruit. Remember always that you are working with energies (in whatever way you see them) that have been worked with and "fed" with the energy of countless practitioners before you. I wish you well in your studies.
Posted 15 May 2013 - 08:13 PM
SHALOM my friends !
Posted 13 June 2013 - 09:29 AM
All is well
SHALOM my friends !
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Dying to Meet Him: Anorexia and Grace
Gabrielle "Elle" Devenish, a 30-year-old single Christian woman, was told by doctors that she has 6 months to a year to live.
"My heart, lungs, bones and muscles have all deteriorated beyond repair, according to doctors. My white blood cell count continues to match that of a last-stage chemo patient and my electrolytes are always on the edge."
For Elle's full Bio, click here.
Written on March 31, 2012
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.'"
There's been tension in my family starting 17 years ago, with this horrible disease named anorexia. It's unpredictable, sneaky, malicious, deceptive. I know the pain and hurt it's caused emotionally and psychologically, and I know I can never erase those scars. You can patch and repatch a threadbare blanket but you can never take back words, lies, actions and impulses.
However, God, in His mighty Grace, gives us new garments. No patches, not a seam out of place. And we don't have to EARN it. There's no purchase price, save for the cross. As Palm Sunday approaches I thank God for His grace in dealing with me and pray that I can show that grace to others, even after the sewing machine has broken.
Support Elle Devenish here
Check back with CP soon for more updates on Elle's condition in "Dying to Meet Him."


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I reckon the Warriors forwards are going to put the young Roosters through the wringer.
- Roosters 16 - 0 Warriors
I reckon the Warriors forwards are going to put the young Roosters through the wringer.
[24] I find that there is a seriously arguable case that the actions of the defendant in allegedly threatening to and then deciding to contract out the work on which the union employees were engaged under the expired collective agreement whilst collective bargaining was on foot for a new collective agreement was likely to undermine and arguably has undermined the bargaining. It will also, arguably, undermine the bargaining in the future. It is therefore seriously arguable that those actions have breached s 32(1)(d)(iii) of the Act.
...even under the Employment Contracts Act 1991, mass dismissals for bargaining purposes had been found to be unlawful in McCulloch v New Zealand Fire Service Commission3 and New Zealand Seafarers' Union Inc v Silver Fern Shipping Ltd (No 2).
[30] Finally, there is an issue that by progressing the dismissal proposal and engaging the contractors, their employees will be performing the work of striking employees in breach of s 97 of the Act. That will be equally arguable, even though the strike has ceased, if the dismissal proposals are pursued while the threatened lockouts apply. I find that all these issues are arguable and they will be dealt with in the substantive hearing commencing on 16 May.
Public organisations have paid about $90 million to their chief executives in a year - with some receiving rises of more than 20 per cent, and one getting a 55 per cent increase.Here's what Labour had to say on it:
Labour Party state services spokesman Chris Hipkins saw the increases as a "slap in the face" to public sector workers fearing redundancy amid the Government's public sector reforms.
"There does need to be restraint. It has got out of control and, at a local government level, I think some of these CEOs' salaries are very hard to justify."Here's what Labour did in 2005:
Mr Rennie said the pay rises flowed through from a decision in 2005 to increase the overall funding for chief executives by 5 per cent a year for five years.Of course 2012 is more than five years later than 2005. And so one cannot blame Labour for this. But Hipkins speaks with a forked tongue and out of both sides of his mouth when arguing for restraint in public sector pay rates.
|Queensland MMP
|Vote %
|MMP seats
|Seats Won
|List members
|Liberal National
|Katter Party
"this beginning has given me that terrible feeling that plagues NZ cricket fans . . . Hope?"
Unfortunately for Gillard, as the economy continues to sag and the threat of Chinese collapse looms, the only arrow federal Labor has left in it's quiver is the personal attack on Tony Abbott.
One area that...has changed over the race's 30 year history is the paperwork, particularly in the area of health and safety...Judkins insist that this has always been his focus and points out that his was the first event to insist on competitors holding a kayaking certificate and wearing helmets and lifejackets.Now this, from Auckland's cycling scene:
What he objects to, and he's certainly not alone here, is the "stifling" level of bureaucracy now surrounding the multisport and adventure racing industry. "I'm safety conscious anyway, I always have been, I just don't like being told what to do...[T]he risk is the same it was thirty years ago. The risk hasn't increased but where we started out with 22 officials, now it takes 400 officials to run the same race."
The bottom line is that "all the red tape makes events more expensive to run" which is bad news..."[P]rice has become a huge factor".
An illegal "underground" road racing movement has taken root in Auckland as traditional cycling clubs have been forced off the roads by rapidly rising council costs.There are many who question complainers like me on stifling bureaucracy, especially in the area of sport and recreation. A lot of those on the Left just love more regulation and bureaucracy - without it we are all doomed. Every facet of our lives needs a law to control it. Sport and recreation is no different.
Auckland Transport outlined in a statement to the Weekend Herald, that "traffic management costs for all types of events have changed over time as traffic and pedestrian growth and development of Auckland has required improved levels of service for safety".
There are now a number of unlicensed, essentially illegal, races, including the long-standing Tamaki Drive Time Trial and a less regular event in Mangere's industrial fringe. The biggest trend has been the creation of Cannonball Run-type events promoted through social media and cycling message boards.Of course, none of this ever occurs to pen-pushing, sandal-wearing, pen-behind-their-ear officianados. Maybe they can pay for the funeral caused by their nonsensical regulations.
The courses are secret until the night before the race. They are popular, but come at the cost of the clubs. "It's great having an underground because it suits a lot of people, but eventually something is going to happen and dare I say it, someone's going to get killed," Cornelius said. "Who does it fall back on then?"
Ikaite crystals incorporate ocean bottom water into their structure as they form. During cooling periods, when ice sheets are expanding, ocean bottom water accumulates heavy oxygen isotopes (oxygen 18). When glaciers melt, fresh water, enriched in light oxygen isotopes (oxygen 16), mixes with the bottom water. The scientists analyzed the ratio of the oxygen isotopes in the hydration water and in the calcium carbonate. They compared the results with climate conditions established in Northern Europe across a 2,000-year time frame. They found a direct correlation between the rise and fall of oxygen 18 in the crystals and the documented warming and cooling periods.
"Typically, you get a response that it's not possible to design something like that, because this is so difficult. Well, I don't agree," Ms Parata said.
Rewarding teachers differently creates too much high stakes stuff that actually stops collaboration, stops people working together and that is counter-productive to trying to make a better education system doing more for more kids.
Teachers Council director Peter Lind said there was a "tension" between building a collegial team and recognising success.
New Zealanders continued to abandon their home country for Australia, with the speed of annual departures accelerating to a record 53,000 last month.
Bill English is confident we're not about to see another housing boom.John Key this morning:
Property prices have been rising...especially in Auckland...with real estate agents saying there aren't enough houses on the market.
New Zealand's housing market is set to take off again, particularly in Auckland, as slow planning processes, lack of development finance and internal migration forces up rents and prices, Prime Minister John Key said this morning.For the record, Key is 100% right. And this one will be big. It's very evident. It will make Labour's capital gains tax look very attractive politically, but all the policy and handwringing in the world won't stop it. That's because the market is bigger than government intervention. The only policies that will help cure it won't be enacted because neither large party, and certainly not the Auckland Council, are prepared to release large areas of land and reduce compliance costs. The number of people versus the amount of land will drive it, including pent-up demand from years of no development.
The month of the election triumph she wrote in her diary: "What am I to do? Stay in a cage - wide open to view, of course - and say nothing? That's not on, but if I can do something good I'll certainly try."
She had soon taken on a television program and started writing a column for the Women's Day magazine. Those activities sat alongside her continued advocacy of women's rights and social issues.
She told biographer Susan Mitchell: "I came to represent all the ungainly people, the too-tall ones, the too-fat ones, and the housebound, as I had once been, who'd never get the chance to go to China or Buckingham Palace, and who experienced it through me."
There are concerns that merging four Government ministries into one with a strong business focus will come at a cost to hundreds of state sector jobs.
There is widespread relief that merging four Government ministries into one with a strong business focus will eliminate hundreds of duplicated state sector jobs.
Between the four departments there is about 3200 workers.
LONDON — Building a skyscraper is the ultimate expression of economic confidence, and more than half of the 124 skyscrapers currently under construction in the world are being built in China. But confidence is often based on nothing more than faith, hope and cheap credit, and a frenzy of skyscraper-building is also the most reliable historical indicator of an impending financial crash.


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As of today, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner says he will remain in office despite women accusing him of sexual harassment. For the mayor, this is the most damaging of several recent scandals that include a mysterious trip to Paris, a generous complimentary refurbishing of the mayor's office reception area, and alleged demands for payments in exchange for project approval.
While some of Mayor Filner's staff have resigned in recent weeks, other people are coming into his administration to fill the power vacuum. And who better to become entrenched in this scandal-ridden administration than union officials?
Jennifer Badgley, Director of Special Projects and Labor Affairs
Apparently the mayor has brought on a former (or current) professional organizer and political director of San Diego's International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union No. 569. Jennifer Badgley has recently become the "Director of Special Projects and Labor Affairs" for Mayor Filner, according to her Linked In profile.
Jennifer Badgley – San Diego Mayor's Office and IBEW Local Union No. 569
According to a lobbying report filed by the IBEW Local 569, Badgley had lobbied Mayor Filner and staff on a few issues during the second quarter of 2013 (April 1 to June 30), including "good green local jobs and career pathways for local workers," Community Choice Aggregation, and "responsible construction and development," including on the San Diego Convention Center Expansion. She also "sat in with business" concerning a "potential San Diego energy project."
She arrived just in time! A vote at the San Diego City Council is scheduled on July 30, 2013 to adopt a union-backed ordinance proposed by Mayor Filner to require construction companies with city contracts to pay wage rates ("prevailing wages") set by the State of California. Since 1980, the City of San Diego has exercised its authority as a charter city to issue contracts for most purely municipal projects without state-mandated wage rates, as a result saving money for taxpayers. Filner's proposal would submit the City of San Diego to state law regarding wage rates on public works projects.
Circumstances have now allowed the mayor's Director of Special Projects and Labor Affairs to be the coauthor of a July 16, 2013 propaganda memo to the San Diego City Council arguing why city taxpayers should pay more for construction and why the city bureaucracy should be entangled in $250,000 worth of monitoring and enforcement of cumbersome unfunded state mandates per $100 million spent on construction. Some of the highlights of this memo:
- It disparages the city's Office of the Independent Budget Analyst, which issued a Review of Proposal to Require Compliance with the State's Prevailing Wage Laws on All City Public Works Projects. The review estimated a cost increase of 5 to 10 percent on projects and noted "the likely trade off in the form of higher capital project costs and the resulting impact to infrastructure programs which are a high priority for the City."
- It claims that the state exempts volunteers from prevailing wage requirements, but doesn't note that the exemption has an expiration date and that certain unions have objected to this exemption.
- It cites and provides text of the 2010 Azusa Land Partners v. Department of Industrial Relations California appellate court decision that expanded prevailing wage to certain private housing developments, but it doesn't mention the much more relevant 2012 California Supreme Court decision in State Building & Construction Trades Council of California v. City of Vista. Unions lost this case badly when the California Supreme Court upheld the right of charter cities to establish their own policies concerning government-mandated wage rates for purely municipal contracts.
- It reports that "staff presented this proposal to construction industry stakeholders at their quarterly meeting on June 20, 2013," apparently through a presentation by Murtaza Baxamusa, City of San Diego, Office of the Mayor, Special Advisor for Public Policy. (See more about Baxamusa below.) The association representatives at the meeting were reportedly delighted about the proposal; of course, the groups listed as attending the meeting represent and provide contract negotiation and administration services to companies that choose to be bound under the requirements of union collective bargaining agreements. They have a financial interest in government increasing project costs.
Such an rigid approach to public policy as reflected in Badgley's memo is consistent with her history of advancing the union agenda. In the summer of 2009, at a time when 20% of IBEW Local 569 members were unemployed, Badgley expressed pride in what she identified as her greatest accomplishment: derailing the plan of Gaylord Entertainment to build a $1.2 billion hotel and convention center in Chula Vista because the company wouldn't sign a Project Labor Agreement guaranteeing 100% of the construction trade work to unions. A July 6, 2009 profile on the now-defunct San Diego News Network web site reported her perspective as part of an interview to reveal her "journey" as she sought to "create broader social change."
Badgley is or was married to Tefere Gebre, the executive director of the Orange County Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, who is expected to become the next Executive Vice President of the national AFL-CIO. In 2012 he proclaimed The Truth About the Right-Wing's Latest Scheme to Punish Workers in Costa Mesa, and in 2009 he decried "The assault on Orange County by Colorado-based zealot Eric Christensen (sic) and Supervisor John Moorlach." Gebre caused a stir in August 2007 when he sent Eric Christen of the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction a bizarre email claiming that he saw Christen "on TV as a gay whitehouse corspondent." (sic)
Murtaza Baxamusa, Special Advisor for Public Policy
Murtaza Baxamusa used to churn out policy reports for the union-backed Center on Policy Initiatives in San Diego. He was a founder of the phony Middle Class Taxpayers Association, which advocates for union-backed initiatives that increase costs to taxpayers. In 2011 he was hired as Director of Planning and Development for the San Diego County Building Trades Council Family Housing Corporation. The San Diego County Building Trades Family Housing Corporation contributed $85,000 to the November 2012 campaign to pass Proposition Z, a $2.8 billion bond measure with a Project Labor Agreement for the San Diego Unified School District. It's unclear if Baxamusa is still employed at the union housing corporation.
Mayor Bob Filner's Support for the Union Political Agenda
Bob Filner, the Mayor of the City of San Diego, has long supported the political agenda of construction trade unions. Eric Christen of the Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction wrote in an opinion piece in Voice of San Diego on July 20, 2007 that Filner had "an almost canine affection for doing the unions' bidding."
In 1999, then-Congressman Filner recognized Art Lujan of the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO for his leadership in the San Diego labor movement. He noted that "Art successfully secured a Project Labor Agreement with the County Water Authority resulting in over $700 million in construction projects throughout the next eight years." This was the first government-mandated Project Labor Agreement in San Diego County.
As a member of Congress in 2007, Filner blamed Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox for the decision of Gaylord Entertainment to withdraw its proposal to build a $1.2 billion hotel and conference center on the Chula Vista Bayfront. Unions were threatening to block the project with environmental objections unless the company signed a Project Labor Agreement to build the project. Filner apparently felt that Cox should have pressured Gaylord to give the unions what they wanted.
A letter to the editor in the July 15, 2007 San Diego Union-Tribune explained Filner's political attack:
So now the finger-pointing begins. And the show is being led by Rep. Bob Filner, who demonstrated political grandstanding at its finest by swooping in to defend the unions. How much has he been involved in this process before now? And without demonstrating any personal effort in advancing the project, how does he justify a self-appointed role as the arbiter of who did what wrong?
In 2010, Filner wrote a letter on Congressional stationery (in apparent violation of U.S. House of Representatives ethics rules) to the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce telling them to oppose Proposition G. Prop G was a "fair and open competition" ballot measure to enact an ordinance prohibiting the City of Chula Vista from entering into contracts that required construction companies to sign a Project Labor Agreement as a condition of work. Filner claimed that it would be a "fool's errand" to obtain federal funding for the City of Chula Vista if voters approved Proposition G. On June 6, 2010, 56% of Chula Vista voters supported Proposition G, and Filner subsequently played the fool and continued to send federal money there.
Of course Filner supported the Project Labor Agreement that the board of the San Diego Unified School District imposed on $4.9 billion in construction (not including state matching grants) approved by voters as Proposition S in 2008 and the subsequent Proposition Z in 2012. And citing arguments from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), he wrote letters to the U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 and 2010 opposing Sempra Energy's construction of an electricity transmission line between Mexico and San Diego County.
And notably, he recognized Murtaza Baxamura in 2012 in the Congressional Record. Now Baxamura is on his staff, pushing for government-mandated construction wage rates.