Problem solved!!! NEXXXXXXT!
(H/T Jan Anderson Moury)
*(cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita - because I had to share!)*
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
War is OVER!!
Problem solved!!! NEXXXXXXT!
(H/T Jan Anderson Moury)
*(cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita - because I had to share!)*
Chicago for Thanksgiving, and Burgers (of course)
Although a recent trip to Chicago was all about turkey and eating massive quantities of food this did not deter me from paying visits to two of my favorites in town - Top Notch Beefburger and the newish MBurger. Pictured above is my regular order at Top Notch, a King Size cheeseburger (1/2 lb.) with sauteed onions. Pictured below is the glorious Double MBurger.
Every time I mention that I'm heading down (way down) to Top Notch I still get the same response from ALL Chicagoans. "Where is it again?" This decades-old burger joint/diner is unquestionably one of the best burgers in the nation and Chicago is basically blessed by its presence. Chicago just doesn't seem to appreciate the Top Notch. Sure, it takes about 25 mins by car to drive there at top speeds but the burgers are truly worth it. I guess heading all the way down to 95th and Western from downtown Chicago is like telling a New Yorker to head out to Flushing, Queens for a burger. Or better, telling a Los Angeleno to drive from Hollywood to Santa Monica for a burger. Me? I would drive hours for this burger, but that's just me..
I also managed to squeeze in a Double MBurger at the burger joint now attached to the kitchen of Tru. Thankfully, I showed up after 2pm and the place was empty (no large feat - MBurger would be filled with 4 people, 5 max). Love that Double M.
Chicago for Thanksgiving, and Burgers (of course)
Although a recent trip to Chicago was all about turkey and eating massive quantities of food this did not deter me from paying visits to two of my favorites in town - Top Notch Beefburger and the newish MBurger. Pictured above is my regular order at Top Notch, a King Size cheeseburger (1/2 lb.) with sauteed onions. Pictured below is the glorious Double MBurger.
Every time I mention that I'm heading down (way down) to Top Notch I still get the same response from ALL Chicagoans. "Where is it again?" This decades-old burger joint/diner is unquestionably one of the best burgers in the nation and Chicago is basically blessed by its presence. Chicago just doesn't seem to appreciate the Top Notch. Sure, it takes about 25 mins by car to drive there at top speeds but the burgers are truly worth it. I guess heading all the way down to 95th and Western from downtown Chicago is like telling a New Yorker to head out to Flushing, Queens for a burger. Or better, telling a Los Angeleno to drive from Hollywood to Santa Monica for a burger. Me? I would drive hours for this burger, but that's just me..
I also managed to squeeze in a Double MBurger at the burger joint now attached to the kitchen of Tru. Thankfully, I showed up after 2pm and the place was empty (no large feat - MBurger would be filled with 4 people, 5 max). Love that Double M.
EPA Fines Waste Management $300,000
Kettleman Hills Landfill in Kettleman City Has Been Controversial For Years
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined landfill operator Chemical Waste Management, a subsidiary of Waste Management, $300,000 for allowing cancer-causing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to leach into the soil. Residents have complained that birth defects have been caused by toxic chemicals from the landfill. State health officials recently released a report that concluded the birth defects did not come from exposure to chemicals from the landfill.
The EPA fine does not confirm the health effects that residents claim caused the birth defects, but fined the company due to the contamination of the soil.
The EPA fine does not confirm the health effects that residents claim caused the birth defects, but fined the company due to the contamination of the soil.
House Passes Claims Settleman Act of 2010
 |
| John Boyd |
Statement by President Obama on House Passage of the Claims Settlement Act of 2010
"I am pleased that today, the House has joined the Senate in passing the Claims Settlement Act of 2010. This important legislation will fund the agreements reached in the Pigford II lawsuit, brought by African American farmers, and the Cobell lawsuit, brought by Native Americans over the management of Indian trust accounts and resources. I want to thank Attorney General Holder and Secretaries Salazar and Vilsack for all their work to reach this outcome, and I applaud Congress for acting in a bipartisan fashion to bring this painful chapter in our nation’s history to a close.
"This bill also provides funding for settlements reached in four separate water rights suits brought by Native American tribes, and it represents a significant step forward in addressing the water needs of Indian Country. Yet, while today’s vote demonstrates important progress, we must remember that much work remains to be done. And my Administration will continue our efforts to resolve claims of past discrimination made by women and Hispanic farmers and others in a fair and timely manner."
2012 House and Senate Races
The Marston Chronicles has completed its analysis for the 2012 House and Senate Races. For a look at what things will be like in the 2012 House elections, see 2012 House Target Districts. Given the big gains in 2010, the Republicans will be hard put to make any real gains and will need to defend their current new seats. Even though there are far more Democrat Senate seats up in 2012 than Republican ones, most of those Democrat seats are in solid blue states. Still we project that the Republicans could pick up 4 seats in Montana, Virginia, Nebraska and Missouri with a total toss-up in Florida. See 2012 Senate Target Races for details.
Hanukkah 2010 Prequel--back to Miami
Hanukkah starts tomorrow night. On a plane to Miami. 8 days and nights of partying.
http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/11/hanukkah-2010-prequel-back-to-miami/
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
http://www.tygrrrrexpress.com/2010/11/hanukkah-2010-prequel-back-to-miami/
eric aka the Tygrrrr Express
Yes, I know we're closing in on winter, and we should all be checking out the latest videos of crazy skiing and snowboarding action, but where I'm at it rarely every snow, and it's still plenty warm for a bike ride. Which is why this cool video from MTB Freeride is so appealing.
This trail looks like a fun ride from start to finish, but things really start to pick up about 1:45 into the movie. Perhaps this will inspire you to get one more great day on the trails in before winter really arrives. Maybe you're already past that point, in which case, we'll see you on the trail in the spring. Enjoy!
Trailcam: „Probeopening“ im Bikepark Hochries from MTB-freeride.tv on Vimeo.
This trail looks like a fun ride from start to finish, but things really start to pick up about 1:45 into the movie. Perhaps this will inspire you to get one more great day on the trails in before winter really arrives. Maybe you're already past that point, in which case, we'll see you on the trail in the spring. Enjoy!
VIDEO- Dem Senator Caught On Hot Mic: Lame Duck Agenda Is 'Rigged'
H/T The Daily Caller for the video below where Colorado Democratic Senator Michael Bennet is caught on a hot mic saying "It’s all rigged. The whole conversation is rigged. The fact that we don’t get to a discussion before the break about what we’re going to do in the lame duck. It’s just rigged."
Ouch.
.
Ouch.
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What A Difference...
By Findalis
A few e-mails and phone calls made. Instead of caving into the BS BDS movements demand that Sabra quit supporting the IDF and specifically their "adoption" of the Golani Reconnaissance platoon, Sabra did an about-face and is not only continuing support of the IDF, but is redoubling its efforts of support.
In order to encourage more companies to follow Sabra's example, it is now asked by everyone to BUYCOTT Sabra. That is right. Go out and buy Sabra Hummas. Show not only the BDS idiots, but the world that you will take a stand with your wallet. Plus it really is the best hummas on the market.
While we are on the subject of BUYCOTT, it is the holiday season. The time of gift giving. The time of pampering yourself and others. Think about putting some Ahava products on your shopping list. With holiday specials and gift sets, you are sure to find a product for everyone on your list. And they make great stocking stuffers.
Ahava products are made exclusively from Dead Sea Minerals. The very same minerals that history says Cleopatra used to snag both Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony.
This holiday season BUYCOTT Israel! Go out of your way to do it too. And remember to let the store's management of why you are doing this.
A few e-mails and phone calls made. Instead of caving into the In order to encourage more companies to follow Sabra's example, it is now asked by everyone to BUYCOTT Sabra. That is right. Go out and buy Sabra Hummas. Show not only the BDS idiots, but the world that you will take a stand with your wallet. Plus it really is the best hummas on the market.
Ahava products are made exclusively from Dead Sea Minerals. The very same minerals that history says Cleopatra used to snag both Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony.
This holiday season BUYCOTT Israel! Go out of your way to do it too. And remember to let the store's management of why you are doing this.
Now available with Google Apps: Google Alerts
Editor’s note: We recently launched an improvement that makes over 60 additional Google services available to Google Apps users. This series showcases what’s new and how your organization can benefit.
Welcome to Google Alerts
No organization is an island. If you’re in business, it’s critical to be connected to what’s happening in your market and to hear what your customers are saying. If you’re in education, you need to stay on top of the latest announcements and innovations within your field. But given the immense amount of data being created every day on the Web, how can you possibly keep track of new information as it's published?
Now Google Apps customers can tackle this problem using Google Alerts with their Apps accounts. Google Alerts is a content monitoring service that notifies you when Google’s search engine encounters new content - such as web pages, newspaper articles, or blogs - that you’re interested in from all across the Web. Simply enter your search terms and Google Alerts will notify you via email whenever Google finds new results that match your terms. To avoid information overload, you can configure Google Alerts to send one email per day or per week, compressing the most important results into a brief message.
Once you’re up and running with Google Alerts, try setting up an alert on the name of your organization or industry. Use quotes if your search term is longer than one word (for example, “small business financing” or “solar power”) - you’ll get more accurate results. Then wait and see what turns up in your inbox. You might be surprised to find out who’s writing about you!
Learn more and get started
Google Alerts can be enabled by your domain administrator from the Google Apps Control Panel at https://www.google.com/a/[your_domain.com] (replace [your_domain.com] with your actual domain name). If your organization isn’t using Google Apps yet, you can learn more and sign up today at http://www.google.com/apps/more.
For more information or answers to specific questions about Alerts, visit our Help Center pages.
Share your story
Have you already started using Google Alerts at your organization, or plan to now that it’s available? Please share your story and your organization could be featured in the next Gone Google ad campaign!
Note: Google Alerts may not be available in all areas.
Improving team collaboration and productivity with Google Sites
Effective collaboration has become a key driver to improve team productivity. Project teams, often located across disparate locations and time zones, produce and distribute content in different formats and platforms. Teams need to consolidate relevant information in one place that’s easy to navigate and retrieve. Contributors and reviewers have specific needs to manage the creative process, maintain the project plan and keep all stakeholders informed.
With Google Sites, you can easily manage projects and create, share, find, and publish content across your organization. Easy to use features such as site and page templates and embedded documents make it easy for any user to create useful sites. Google Sites can be used for company intranets, portals, team project and more. Furthermore, the Google Sites API gives third-party developers a way to access, integrate with, and extend the platform. The To-Do gadget is an example of extending a Google Site with a tool that can enable teams to track and manage tasks.
Join Scott Johnston, Group Product Manager of Google Sites, and me for a live webinar on Tuesday, December 7th to learn more about improving collaboration and team productivity. I’ll start with an overview of Google Sites and highlight features that can help teams be more productive. We will be featuring a live demo.
Register to attend the live webinar on 12/7 @ 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6 pm GMT.
We hope to see you there.
With Google Sites, you can easily manage projects and create, share, find, and publish content across your organization. Easy to use features such as site and page templates and embedded documents make it easy for any user to create useful sites. Google Sites can be used for company intranets, portals, team project and more. Furthermore, the Google Sites API gives third-party developers a way to access, integrate with, and extend the platform. The To-Do gadget is an example of extending a Google Site with a tool that can enable teams to track and manage tasks.
Join Scott Johnston, Group Product Manager of Google Sites, and me for a live webinar on Tuesday, December 7th to learn more about improving collaboration and team productivity. I’ll start with an overview of Google Sites and highlight features that can help teams be more productive. We will be featuring a live demo.
Register to attend the live webinar on 12/7 @ 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6 pm GMT.
We hope to see you there.
Google Apps Marketplace - Project Management highlights, 11/30/10
Editor's note: This is the latest in a series of posts on apps in the Google Apps Marketplace that have caught our eye here at Google. We’ll do this every so often as we see things we'd like to share. Look for the label "marketplace highlights" and subscribe to the series if you'd like to stay tuned.
Today, more than 3 million businesses and thousands of universities not only have access to Google’s core suite of applications, they also get easy access to 200+ of the best apps on the web through the Google Apps Marketplace. These installable Marketplace apps are easy to try and buy, and offer single sign-on and hassle-free access from the Google universal navigation bar. Beyond the convenience of single sign-on, many apps integrate with users’ Gmail inbox, Google Docs, Google contacts, and Google calendar to improve productivity even further.
Across these businesses and schools, there’s one thing all users likely have in common: they have projects to complete. The good news is whether you have a product to build or market, a research study to publish, or an internal project to deliver, there's likely an app in the Marketplace to help you and your type of project succeed.
And since projects come in all shapes and sizes, we’ve categorized the apps in to 5 groups based on their focus, and then further ordered them by most installed first. This should help you better understand which of these 30 apps are right for your projects.
Today, more than 3 million businesses and thousands of universities not only have access to Google’s core suite of applications, they also get easy access to 200+ of the best apps on the web through the Google Apps Marketplace. These installable Marketplace apps are easy to try and buy, and offer single sign-on and hassle-free access from the Google universal navigation bar. Beyond the convenience of single sign-on, many apps integrate with users’ Gmail inbox, Google Docs, Google contacts, and Google calendar to improve productivity even further.
Across these businesses and schools, there’s one thing all users likely have in common: they have projects to complete. The good news is whether you have a product to build or market, a research study to publish, or an internal project to deliver, there's likely an app in the Marketplace to help you and your type of project succeed.
And since projects come in all shapes and sizes, we’ve categorized the apps in to 5 groups based on their focus, and then further ordered them by most installed first. This should help you better understand which of these 30 apps are right for your projects.
Project Management
Project management, with a focus on planning and tracking
Mavenlink - an end-to-end solution for professional services delivery
Gantter - powerful desktop scheduling right from your browser
Smartsheet - online project task sheets w/dependencies, Gantt charts & files
Zoho Project - beyond planning...get your projects done faster
Project management, with a focus on planning and tracking
Mavenlink - an end-to-end solution for professional services delivery
Gantter - powerful desktop scheduling right from your browser
Smartsheet - online project task sheets w/dependencies, Gantt charts & files
Zoho Project - beyond planning...get your projects done faster
Viewpath - manage project tasks and resources with drag/drop simplicity
Cohuman - task-centric communications to synchronize people & teams
Comindwork - fully customizable Gantt views, workflows and to-dos
Cohuman - task-centric communications to synchronize people & teams
Comindwork - fully customizable Gantt views, workflows and to-dos
Teamup - anytime, anywhere project tracking for businesses of all sizes
WorkforceTrack - online collaboration, reporting, time tracking and billing
Project Collaboration
Project management, with a focus on communication and sharing
Manymoon - social productivity, project management & task management
Teambox - project management software and social collaboration
Bright Green - intuitive project collaboration - Agile, Kanban and Waterfall
LumoFlow - project workspaces that motivate people to participate
Glasscubes - organize your day to day work - manage projects, info & people
Emforge - project platform with a wide set of tools for distributed teams
DeskAway - simple yet powerful web-based project collaboration tool
Task Management
Project management, with focus on task list sharing and collaboration
RapidTask - make project management as easy as email
Producteev - turn your emails into tasks
GQueues - share lists, assign tasks, get reminders, stay organized
Thymer - project management and task planning for people who hate it
ToBeeDo - simple online task management service with time tracking
Timesheets
Project management, with a focus on tracking and billing hours
gTrax - simple time tracking app to manage resources & project budgets
Harvest - simple time tracking and timesheets for teams and freelancers
Paymo - easy online project management, time tracking and billing app
BeeBole - a fast timesheet for teams - fully customizable.
TrackMyHours - a powerful time tracking & billing solution
Cube - start tracking time and expenses in less than 15 seconds
Product Development Projects
Project management, with a focus on software development
Acunote - enterprise online project management and Scrum software
Jira Studio - software dev tool suite with Subversion and agile management
Gravity - a simple but powerful tool to help you manage agile projects
If you’re looking to improve the way you manage and collaborate on projects, we encourage you to evaluate these apps. We’re adding new apps to the Marketplace all the time, so continue to check back for apps for all your organization’s needs.
Posted by Scott McMullan, Google Apps Partner Lead, Google Enterprise
WorkforceTrack - online collaboration, reporting, time tracking and billing
Project Collaboration
Project management, with a focus on communication and sharing
Manymoon - social productivity, project management & task management
Teambox - project management software and social collaboration
Bright Green - intuitive project collaboration - Agile, Kanban and Waterfall
LumoFlow - project workspaces that motivate people to participate
Glasscubes - organize your day to day work - manage projects, info & people
Emforge - project platform with a wide set of tools for distributed teams
DeskAway - simple yet powerful web-based project collaboration tool
Task Management
Project management, with focus on task list sharing and collaboration
RapidTask - make project management as easy as email
Producteev - turn your emails into tasks
GQueues - share lists, assign tasks, get reminders, stay organized
Thymer - project management and task planning for people who hate it
ToBeeDo - simple online task management service with time tracking
Timesheets
Project management, with a focus on tracking and billing hours
gTrax - simple time tracking app to manage resources & project budgets
Harvest - simple time tracking and timesheets for teams and freelancers
Paymo - easy online project management, time tracking and billing app
BeeBole - a fast timesheet for teams - fully customizable.
TrackMyHours - a powerful time tracking & billing solution
Cube - start tracking time and expenses in less than 15 seconds
Product Development Projects
Project management, with a focus on software development
Acunote - enterprise online project management and Scrum software
Jira Studio - software dev tool suite with Subversion and agile management
Gravity - a simple but powerful tool to help you manage agile projects
If you’re looking to improve the way you manage and collaborate on projects, we encourage you to evaluate these apps. We’re adding new apps to the Marketplace all the time, so continue to check back for apps for all your organization’s needs.
Posted by Scott McMullan, Google Apps Partner Lead, Google Enterprise
VIDEO- Rep. Buyer Is Right, This Is Why Democrats Were Thrown Out Of Power In The House of Representatives
H/T Andrew Malcolm from Top of the Ticket (Reminder, Malcolm will be co-hosting The Ed Morrissey Show today at 3 pm ET)
Video below (email subscribers, click the link to watch video)
It is the complete lack of any type of respect in the House of Representatives, controlled by Nancy Pelosi (until January when Republicans take control)shown in the video above, to which the American people are sick and tired of and Indiana Republican Representative Steve Buyer is 100% correct when he says "This is why he American people have thrown you out of power."
Read about the whole exchange at LA Times' Top of the Ticket.
.
Video below (email subscribers, click the link to watch video)
It is the complete lack of any type of respect in the House of Representatives, controlled by Nancy Pelosi (until January when Republicans take control)shown in the video above, to which the American people are sick and tired of and Indiana Republican Representative Steve Buyer is 100% correct when he says "This is why he American people have thrown you out of power."
Read about the whole exchange at LA Times' Top of the Ticket.
.
FEAT Prepares To Invade Cape Town
It turns out that FEAT was such a success that it's now hitting the road for Cape Town and bringing all the fun and adventure with it. FEAT CT, as it is being called, will take place on February 12, 2011 at the Artscape Theatre on the Foreshore, with tickets going on sale tomorrow from Computicket.
For the Cape Town version of FEAT, director Lisa De Speville has put together an entirely different group of adventurers to speak. Amongst those scheduled to appear are ocean rower Peter van Kets and ultrarunner Braam Malherbe, as well as adventurer Howard Fairbanks, who recently made a 42-day trek to the North Pole.
Want an idea of what to expect at the event? Check out the clip below of mountaineer Mandy Ramsden from the Jo'Berg edition of FEAT. Mandy is the first African woman to complete the Seven Summits, and topped out on Everest this past spring. In the clip, she talks about her experiences on that mountain.
Panama City promotes open government with Google Apps
Editor’s note: Today our guest blogger is Richard Ferrick, Network Administrator for Panama City, Florida, one of the first governments in the country to adopt Google Apps for Government. Join Richard for a live chat on GovLoop this Thursday, December 2 at 2pm ET / 11am PT / 6pm GMT.
Panama City, Florida is a beautiful resort destination on Florida’s Emerald Coast; our white sand beaches attract vacationers year round. We’re also home to 37,000 residents who care a lot about open access to their local government. Our city government makes it a priority to make our operations transparent to citizens, businesses, and visitors alike. At the same time, with a three-person IT department supporting nearly 250 city employees, finding ways to work smarter and conserve funds is essential.
Google Apps has freed our IT team from maintaining email servers and updating websites to focus on important transparency initiatives. We started with a 50-employee pilot of Google Apps in 2007 and gave all city employees the Google email and collaboration tools in 2008. Earlier this year, we became one of the first users of Google Apps for Government to take advantage of its government-specific security measures.
We decided to move our public facing website to Google Sites after experiencing a catastrophic server crash with our old site this spring. We were happy with our previous website, but now we like our site even more. Google empowers people in other city departments to update the website with ease. For example, major changes are underway for Panama City’s Comprehensive Plan. Planning staff post announcements, updates and amendments as they happen. Human resources adds new job postings and other departments collect input from residents using a simple form. IT no longer needs to make every update ─ and when we do, it can be from anywhere. This keeps the website more current and saves valuable time. Plus, we’ve had a lot of compliments from citizens who say everything is easy to find.
Google Apps also simplifies finding information to respond to public records requests. The state puts a high priority on the public's right of access to government information. This daunting task is now simplified with the email archiving capabilities of Google Message Discovery. What would take hours for a single request now takes minutes.
What’s more, mobility limitations for the staff are now a thing of the past. Previously, employees were forced to use a VPN connection and remote desktop. With Google Apps, no VPN is required. Some staff even access Apps securely from personal mobile devices. Employee productivity is at an all time high.
With time savings like these, our IT staff has more time to focus on open government initiatives. In 1967, the state passed the “Sunshine Law” establishing a basic right of access to most public government meetings. This used to mean people could attend these meetings in person, but that isn’t always practical. We wanted to make the proceedings more broadly accessible. So, we added live streaming of all public meetings to pcgov.org. Then we set up our own YouTube channel, making past meetings readily available to the public. We will also start testing video chat for use during city meetings, and look for more ways we can use Google Apps to open up our government.
Please join Thursday’s live chat on GovLoop to learn more.
by Richard Ferrick, Network Administrator / Web Development, Panama City, Florida
Panama City, Florida is a beautiful resort destination on Florida’s Emerald Coast; our white sand beaches attract vacationers year round. We’re also home to 37,000 residents who care a lot about open access to their local government. Our city government makes it a priority to make our operations transparent to citizens, businesses, and visitors alike. At the same time, with a three-person IT department supporting nearly 250 city employees, finding ways to work smarter and conserve funds is essential.
Google Apps has freed our IT team from maintaining email servers and updating websites to focus on important transparency initiatives. We started with a 50-employee pilot of Google Apps in 2007 and gave all city employees the Google email and collaboration tools in 2008. Earlier this year, we became one of the first users of Google Apps for Government to take advantage of its government-specific security measures.
We decided to move our public facing website to Google Sites after experiencing a catastrophic server crash with our old site this spring. We were happy with our previous website, but now we like our site even more. Google empowers people in other city departments to update the website with ease. For example, major changes are underway for Panama City’s Comprehensive Plan. Planning staff post announcements, updates and amendments as they happen. Human resources adds new job postings and other departments collect input from residents using a simple form. IT no longer needs to make every update ─ and when we do, it can be from anywhere. This keeps the website more current and saves valuable time. Plus, we’ve had a lot of compliments from citizens who say everything is easy to find.
Google Apps also simplifies finding information to respond to public records requests. The state puts a high priority on the public's right of access to government information. This daunting task is now simplified with the email archiving capabilities of Google Message Discovery. What would take hours for a single request now takes minutes.
What’s more, mobility limitations for the staff are now a thing of the past. Previously, employees were forced to use a VPN connection and remote desktop. With Google Apps, no VPN is required. Some staff even access Apps securely from personal mobile devices. Employee productivity is at an all time high.
With time savings like these, our IT staff has more time to focus on open government initiatives. In 1967, the state passed the “Sunshine Law” establishing a basic right of access to most public government meetings. This used to mean people could attend these meetings in person, but that isn’t always practical. We wanted to make the proceedings more broadly accessible. So, we added live streaming of all public meetings to pcgov.org. Then we set up our own YouTube channel, making past meetings readily available to the public. We will also start testing video chat for use during city meetings, and look for more ways we can use Google Apps to open up our government.
Please join Thursday’s live chat on GovLoop to learn more.
by Richard Ferrick, Network Administrator / Web Development, Panama City, Florida
The Secret Liberals Don't Want You To Know: A Billion Saved Here And A Billion Saved There, Adds Up
Taxes, earmarks, federal pay freezes and government expenditures are all topics of discussion these days and I continue to hear one loud, annoying concentrated chorus from the left; tax the rich.... earmark bans are only a drop in the bucket so why bother, spending freezes for federal workers will only save a couple billion and only save $50 billion over 10 years...etc, etc, etc..Starting with taxing the rich more than they already pay. Recently it was reported that for every "new dollar of new taxes led to more than one dollar of new spending by Congress."
In the late 1980s, one of us, Richard Vedder, and Lowell Gallaway of Ohio University co-authored a often-cited research paper for the congressional Joint Economic Committee (known as the $1.58 study) that found that every new dollar of new taxes led to more than one dollar of new spending by Congress. Subsequent revisions of the study over the next decade found similar results.
We've updated the research. Using standard statistical analyses that introduce variables to control for business-cycle fluctuations, wars and inflation, we found that over the entire post World War II era through 2009 each dollar of new tax revenue was associated with $1.17 of new spending. Politicians spend the money as fast as it comes in—and a little bit more.
We also looked at different time periods (e.g., 1947-2009 vs. 1959-2009), different financial data (fiscal year federal budget data, as well as calendar year National Income and Product Account data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis), different lag structures (e.g., relating taxes one year to spending change the following year to allow for the time it takes bureaucracies to spend money), different control variables, etc. The alternative models produce different estimates of the tax-spend relationship—between $1.05 and $1.81. But no matter how we configured the data and no matter what variables we examined, higher tax collections never resulted in less spending.
Our politicians spend too much money that we do not have, more than we take in.
This is why conservatives are pushing to cut spending rather than raising taxes or letting the Bush era tax cuts expire. Congress doesn't need more money to spend, they need to stop trying to take more just so that they can spend even more.
Which brings us to earmarks and the recently reported proposal by Republicans which is now being echoed by Barack Obama about freezing federal pay, just as two quick examples.
Because it is in the news today, I will start with the proposed Federal pay freeze which Republicans are for and liberals are coming out, almost in one voice against.
The NYT article reporting on the federal pay freeze proposal showed this:
The number of federal workers making more than $150,000 a year has grown ten-fold in the past five years and doubled since Mr. Obama took office, according to a USA Today study earlier this month. Since 2000, federal pay and benefits have increased 3 percent annually above inflation, compared with 0.8 percent for private sector workers, according to data cited by the newspaper.
From the White House website we see what the proposed savings would be:
This will save $2 billion over the remainder of this fiscal year, $28 billion in cumulative savings over the next five years, and more than $60 billion over the next 10 years. The freeze will apply to all civilian federal employees, including those in various alternative pay plans and those working at the Department of Defense – but not military personnel.
The liberal argument, it is just a drop in the bucket compared to out deficit.
The media starts the chorus, via The Politico:
If Congress endorses the idea, the freeze would save $2 billion in 2011 and roughly $6 billion a year over the next 10 years – a drop in the bucket of the federal budget deficit, which is expected to top $1 trillion this year and next year....
AmSpec expands on the chorus line:
In his press conference, Obama claimed that the move would save the government $28 billion over five years. Taking that number at face value, that would represent a sixth-tenths of one percent reduction in the projected $4.52 trillion deficit over that same period (2011 through 2015). It would be the equivalent of a person who expects to rack up $10,000 of of credit card debt over the next five years touting the fact that he's found a way to reduce his expenses by $60 over that time period. In football terms, it would be like a kickoff return that gains about a half of a yard.
Other liberals hop on the same bandwagon, via TPM:
Michael Linden, a budget expert at the liberal Center for American Progress calls it "small potatoes", and says it doesn't "don't reduce the deficit very much," saying it saves less that the "discretionary spending freeze."
(Side note- Liberals were against the discretionary spending freeze as well because it would only save $35 billion (5%):
Freezing non-defense discretionary spending at current levels would therefore only produce a total savings of $35 billion in 2015. That year, the budget deficit is expected to be around $760 billion. Saving $35 billion would solve less than 5 percent of the problem.(End side note)
Back to the TPM quotes from liberals against the federal pay freeze.
Larry Mishel, director of the liberal Economic Policy Institute, calls the savings "chump change".
The examples of the progressively liberal left go on endlessly with the same song, drop in the bucket, small in comparison with the deficit, just a fraction of our debt as they try to claim that raising taxes on the rich would help more... I refer you to the above study which already shows the more new tax dollars Congress gets, they spend it, they do not apply it to the debt.
These are the same arguments that were used regarding the Freezing of non-defense discretionary spending and then we move along to the liberal argument on earmark bans.
According to an analysis by Taxpayers for Common Sense, earmarks account for, at most, about $9 billion in projects in the fiscal year 2011 spending bills. Taxpayers for Common Sense identified 3,011 earmarks worth $3 billion in the FY2011 House spending bills and 3,742 earmarks worth $6 billion in the Senate bills.
Liberal politicians, especially those that have benefited from earmarks, like Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who secured $160 million in earmarks this year for 140 projects including hurricane-protection and flood-control needs, stated "I know the Republican caucus is focused on earmarks but that is just one very, very small part of the problem. It not only represents less than 1 percent of the budget; it represents just a fraction of the problem."
Back to that drop in the bucket song.
The sound we heard then and there were liberal bloggers joining in the chorus.
John Cole referring to earmarks as "a nothing-burger when it comes to the budget- less than 1% of the federal budget," ombwatch calls cutting $50 billion a year in earmarks "small in scope," Lou Kaye calls banning earmarks a "complete joke" and again tries to compare it to tax cuts for the wealthy (again I refer her/him to the above study blowing that comparison right out of the water), Rachel Maddow calls banning earmarks "less than one-half of 1 percent. That is a dot on a freckle. That is a fork in an atom."
Her argument is the money is already being taxed, so it saves nothing, just determines where it goes... ummm... if it isn't going to pet projects via earmarks, then it is being spent on essential items so other monies are not having to be slated for those items... hence, saving money Rachel dear.
Those examples too go on and on and on.
Seeing the liberal pattern here? Any cuts in spending are just a drop in the bucket according to them. Liberals want you to look at any cuts as a separate issue, they will use any means, any distraction, to not add them all together and let their readers or constituents know that when you add a billion here a few billion there, tens of billions elsewhere.... wow, it adds up.
Sure individually some of these actions are just a drop in the bucket, but what liberals don't want you to think about it is when a bucket it placed under a leaking faucet, the drip, drip, drip eventually fills that bucket up if it isn't emptied.
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Monsoon Rains Stall Bhutan Kayaking Expedition
A couple of weeks back I posted a story about a kayaking expedition to Bhutan during which explorer Gary Moffatt was hoping to complete a 14 year quest to paddle all of that country's major rivers. At the time, the team was gathering supplies and gear and were preparing to make the journey to the remote Phunakha Valley to begin the expedition, but according to their latest dispatch, heavy rains have prevented them from getting under way.
Moffatt and the team have posted a couple of updates to the Born Out There Blog, which is the official blog of First Ascent gear. In their latest video dispatch, which you can watch below, you'll see how beautiful and mysterious Bhutan is, but the clip ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, as Gary and the crew are unsure when they'll be able to get out on the water, as the river is currently swelled to capacity thanks to recent monsoon activity.
I've always been fascinated with Bhutan. It is one of the most remote countries on Earth and the landscapes are incredibly breathtaking. On top of that, its people are amongst the happiest on the planet, and Buddhist culture is evident in every aspect of the place. It is one of those places that I feel compelled to visit some day, and videos like this one just make that more evident. Hopefully the team will get to begin their paddle soon, and we'll get more updates on their progress.
Moffatt and the team have posted a couple of updates to the Born Out There Blog, which is the official blog of First Ascent gear. In their latest video dispatch, which you can watch below, you'll see how beautiful and mysterious Bhutan is, but the clip ends on a bit of a cliff hanger, as Gary and the crew are unsure when they'll be able to get out on the water, as the river is currently swelled to capacity thanks to recent monsoon activity.
I've always been fascinated with Bhutan. It is one of the most remote countries on Earth and the landscapes are incredibly breathtaking. On top of that, its people are amongst the happiest on the planet, and Buddhist culture is evident in every aspect of the place. It is one of those places that I feel compelled to visit some day, and videos like this one just make that more evident. Hopefully the team will get to begin their paddle soon, and we'll get more updates on their progress.
Glenn Beck, Soros & political paranoia
For such a small minority, it is amazing that Jews figure prominently on all sides of great economic and political debates. We've got Murray Rothbard, Ludwig von Misses and Milton Friedman on the laissez-faire right; we've got Jewish neocons; we've got Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernancke at the Federal Reserve; and Bob Rubin and Larry Summers left over from the Clinton administration--with Robert Reich, also a Clinton alum, on their left flank. I've almost forgotten the left-liberal Nobel Prize-winning economists, Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz. Then we've got the old-line Jewish banking families: Rothschild, Lehman, Goldman, Schiff, Warburg, Loeb and a few others--not to mention Jewish commies like Trotsky, Luxembourg and Marx (at least at his birth).
Since these Jews are of all colors (politically speaking), shouldn't this refute Jewish conspiracy theorists? Instead, it likely reinforces antisemitic notions of Jews as all-powerful. And antisemitic tropes are again seeping into anti-Federal Reserve and anti-Wall Street attitudes.
Glenn Beck's analysis is quite nutty and inadvertently borders on antisemitism (I believe it's inadvertent). His attacks on the "demonic" influence of George Soros are truly idiotic, and his notion that this boyhood survivor of the Holocaust worked with the Nazis is outrageous. For one thing, Jewish collaborators were virtually all eventually murdered (it was just a matter of when for the Nazis). For another, what on earth could a mere boy do for them anyway?
Haaretz columnist Carlo Strenger has just posted a new piece on the Huffington Post that addresses right-wing populist conspiratorial thinking. While focusing upon Beck's obsession with Soros, Strenger also touches upon other international manifestations, including Lieberman in Israel:
".... Glenn Beck is telling America that there is a man about to bring down the world's only Superpower, to undermine the United States of America. He will topple it, as he has toppled currencies and governments in the past. He is the puppet master who pulls all the strings. It is the foreign-born Jew George Soros.
".... Beck's claims veer between the ugly (Soros is really an anti-Semite who cooperated with the Nazis) and the incoherent: after showing a number of instances in which Soros was indeed active in undermining communist regimes through his Open Democracy network, Beck concludes that this is proof that Soros is now trying to undermine the US. Could it be that he missed the simple facts that Soros indeed tries to undermine autocratic regimes, and that his network is called 'Open Society Network'? Or is Beck so busy trying to paint Soros as a dangerous alien that he just counts on his viewer's ignorance about the difference between fighting for democracy and 'undermining regimes' in general?
"Beck's targeting of Soros, whether knowingly or not, feeds on the most common tropes of anti-Semitism since the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the notorious anti-Semitic forgery from the beginning of the twentieth century. The Protocols depict Jews as a cosmopolitan network that controls the world; they don't really belong anywhere, and that's why they try to control the world by manipulating it. With an elegant sleight of hand, Beck avoids the anti-Semitism charge by standing it on its head, and accusing Soros of being an anti-Semite who stole Jewish property in WWII. Again, the question is whether this is a devilish sleight of hand, or whether Beck doesn't see what he's doing.
"Beck is riding on a sentiment that has served right-wingers in many countries: the humiliation caused by ignorance. There are indeed many, and not only in the US, who feel humiliated by the vast systemic forces that threaten their jobs and livelihood. They don't quite understand what went wrong; they don't really know what needs to be done.
".... And they are taking it out on Barack Hussein Obama, even though he has averted a total meltdown of the economy and probably saved American capitalism. ...
"Underlying this is what even the Tea Partiers and Glenn Beck don't really feel comfortable saying: he's black. And to top it, he has the chutzpah of being Harvard educated. He's not one of ours, and hence he should not claim, as he does, that he is really the embodiment of the American dream. Like Soros, Obama is a foreign element. He's too cosmopolitan; he's too rationalist; he's too cool. He doesn't remind many Americans of themselves. They feel governed by an outsider.
"It must be emphasized, once again, that there is nothing original, and nothing particularly American about Beck's tactics. Jean-Marie le Pen has made a long-standing political career for himself feeding on xenophobia in France; the late Joerg Haider did very well in Austria riding on the same sentiment; and Israel currently has Avigdor Lieberman, who is amassing political power by fanning hatred of Israel's Arab citizens. ..."
Since these Jews are of all colors (politically speaking), shouldn't this refute Jewish conspiracy theorists? Instead, it likely reinforces antisemitic notions of Jews as all-powerful. And antisemitic tropes are again seeping into anti-Federal Reserve and anti-Wall Street attitudes.
Glenn Beck's analysis is quite nutty and inadvertently borders on antisemitism (I believe it's inadvertent). His attacks on the "demonic" influence of George Soros are truly idiotic, and his notion that this boyhood survivor of the Holocaust worked with the Nazis is outrageous. For one thing, Jewish collaborators were virtually all eventually murdered (it was just a matter of when for the Nazis). For another, what on earth could a mere boy do for them anyway?
Haaretz columnist Carlo Strenger has just posted a new piece on the Huffington Post that addresses right-wing populist conspiratorial thinking. While focusing upon Beck's obsession with Soros, Strenger also touches upon other international manifestations, including Lieberman in Israel:
".... Glenn Beck is telling America that there is a man about to bring down the world's only Superpower, to undermine the United States of America. He will topple it, as he has toppled currencies and governments in the past. He is the puppet master who pulls all the strings. It is the foreign-born Jew George Soros.
".... Beck's claims veer between the ugly (Soros is really an anti-Semite who cooperated with the Nazis) and the incoherent: after showing a number of instances in which Soros was indeed active in undermining communist regimes through his Open Democracy network, Beck concludes that this is proof that Soros is now trying to undermine the US. Could it be that he missed the simple facts that Soros indeed tries to undermine autocratic regimes, and that his network is called 'Open Society Network'? Or is Beck so busy trying to paint Soros as a dangerous alien that he just counts on his viewer's ignorance about the difference between fighting for democracy and 'undermining regimes' in general?
"Beck's targeting of Soros, whether knowingly or not, feeds on the most common tropes of anti-Semitism since the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the notorious anti-Semitic forgery from the beginning of the twentieth century. The Protocols depict Jews as a cosmopolitan network that controls the world; they don't really belong anywhere, and that's why they try to control the world by manipulating it. With an elegant sleight of hand, Beck avoids the anti-Semitism charge by standing it on its head, and accusing Soros of being an anti-Semite who stole Jewish property in WWII. Again, the question is whether this is a devilish sleight of hand, or whether Beck doesn't see what he's doing.
"Beck is riding on a sentiment that has served right-wingers in many countries: the humiliation caused by ignorance. There are indeed many, and not only in the US, who feel humiliated by the vast systemic forces that threaten their jobs and livelihood. They don't quite understand what went wrong; they don't really know what needs to be done.
".... And they are taking it out on Barack Hussein Obama, even though he has averted a total meltdown of the economy and probably saved American capitalism. ...
"Underlying this is what even the Tea Partiers and Glenn Beck don't really feel comfortable saying: he's black. And to top it, he has the chutzpah of being Harvard educated. He's not one of ours, and hence he should not claim, as he does, that he is really the embodiment of the American dream. Like Soros, Obama is a foreign element. He's too cosmopolitan; he's too rationalist; he's too cool. He doesn't remind many Americans of themselves. They feel governed by an outsider.
"It must be emphasized, once again, that there is nothing original, and nothing particularly American about Beck's tactics. Jean-Marie le Pen has made a long-standing political career for himself feeding on xenophobia in France; the late Joerg Haider did very well in Austria riding on the same sentiment; and Israel currently has Avigdor Lieberman, who is amassing political power by fanning hatred of Israel's Arab citizens. ..."
Chinese Scientists Organizing Search For Yeti
The researchers are seeking volunteers and funding to launch this latest expedition to go in search of the elusive creature which has had more than 400 sightings in the Hubei Province over the years, although there has never been any hard evidence to suggest that the beast actually exists. Previous expeditions to find the creature took place back in the 70's and 80's, but other than a few strange, and sometimes lurid, tales, there was little to report. Those search teams did find hair and footprints, but the studies of those samples were inconclusive. The new search will use five teams to cover a wider area and will employ the latest technology in the hopes of capturing hard evidence that the Yeren actually does roam the remote and lightly inhabited region.
While I have my doubts about the actual existence of the Yeti, Bigfoot, or the Yeren, these stories still spark a bit of interest. After all, we're still finding new species all the time, and the world has some amazing things still hidden away from us. Chasing myths is usually in vain, but then again, sometimes just taking that leap is its own reward.
The Obama Administrations Utter Failure To Stop Wikileaks
Last week I awoke to a story about how ICE and the DHS had seized domains, without prior warning, without domain owners receiving even a notice of intent and in one of the many articles reporting about it, the New York Times quoted the owner of one Torrent finder, Waleed A. GadElKareem, who operated Torrent Finder from Egypt in regards to his site being shut down with no warning.Sunday night, the largest military leak in US history was published by major newspapers because the owner of the site Wikileaks, Julian Assange, was given over 250,000 embassy cables containing private transmissions of frank and open diplomatic discussions involving information gathering, intelligence and much much more.
Wikileaks provided a download of those cables on the Wikileaks site after having given then to major media outlets throughout the world.
Background
This information dump was not a surprise. Months ago our government, in fact, all of us, knew he had those cables and that he planned to release them.
We knew because the man that allegedly gave the information to Wikileaks, Bradley Manning, is in a military prison, to make a long story short, he bragged about leaking the "Collateral Murder" video of the July 12, 2007, Baghdad airstrike, in addition to a video of the Granai airstrike and around 260,000 diplomatic cables, to the whistleblower website Wikileaks.
Bottom line here is we knew, but more importantly, the Obama administration knew, that Julian Assange and Wikileaks had those cables and was planning to publish them.
In the case of Torrent Finder, the Obama administration was able to seize the domain and prevent the site from running in it's normal functioning capacity, but yet Wikileaks is up and running and has been, except for a short period on Sunday where they suffered DOS attacks and went dark.
Not only that, but Julian Assange is still roaming free, despite what many believe to have been an act of Espionage.
Not only were these cables damaging and dangerous to the U.S. but these cables also provided evidence of what many could only speculate about before, that it was not Israel that pushed the hardest about a strike at Iran, but was the surrounding Arab states that pushed even harder.
The Middle East just became much more dangerous for more than American soldiers.
This brings about many questions, some of which Sarah Palin has taken to Facebook to ask:
First and foremost, what steps were taken to stop Wikileaks director Julian Assange from distributing this highly sensitive classified material especially after he had already published material not once but twice in the previous months? Assange is not a “journalist,” any more than the “editor” of al Qaeda’s new English-language magazine Inspire is a “journalist.” He is an anti-American operative with blood on his hands. His past posting of classified documents revealed the identity of more than 100 Afghan sources to the Taliban. Why was he not pursued with the same urgency we pursue al Qaeda and Taliban leaders?
What if any diplomatic pressure was brought to bear on NATO, EU, and other allies to disrupt Wikileaks’ technical infrastructure? Did we use all the cyber tools at our disposal to permanently dismantle Wikileaks? Were individuals working for Wikileaks on these document leaks investigated? Shouldn’t they at least have had their financial assets frozen just as we do to individuals who provide material support for terrorist organizations?
Most importantly, serious questions must also be asked of the U.S. intelligence system. How was it possible that a 22-year-old Private First Class could get unrestricted access to so much highly sensitive information? And how was it possible that he could copy and distribute these files without anyone noticing that security was compromised?
The White House has now issued orders to federal departments and agencies asking them to take immediate steps to ensure that no more leaks like this happen again. It’s of course important that we do all we can to prevent similar massive document leaks in the future. But why did the White House not publish these orders after the first leak back in July? What explains this strange lack of urgency on their part?
These are all very good questions that we should expect answers to. How could our administration have known for months what was going to happen, be able to seize domains like Torrent Finder without notice, and yet do nothing more than send a letter... a freaking letter, to Assange, appealing to him to not release sensitive, secret diplomatic information?
The largest military and diplomatic breach in history, which could cause countries to lose vital intelligence gathering abilities in wartime and we send the man a letter, yet we can shut down a search engine because it brought up results that might infringe on copyright laws.
Where the hell are Obama's priorities?
[Update] H/T The Right Scoop- I see I am not the only one using this comparison. Video below is Hannity and Marc Thiessen.
Previously:
Wikileaks Releases Largest Classified Military Leaks In History
Examples Of Progressive Liberal Wikileak 'Fawners'
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Monday, November 29, 2010
Karen Bowlding: New Blog and New Book
She has published two books:
1) "Say No! With A Smile"
2) "Living In Autumn While Preparing For Spring: The Journey Towards Marriage.
Karen Bowlding says:
“I love editing. I’m a researcher. My passion is to see people grow. I take pleasure in working with a raw document and then after hard work seeing the result. My mind constantly runs with ideas to better a project. As long as I’m in His will at this time, I will continue to help others get their work done.”The books are available on Karen Bowlding's Website.
In "Say No! With A Smile," Mrs. Bowlding writes:
Too many women, including the author, don’t sit still, Women are constantly doing things for other people… listening to folks problems; taking on other people’s burdens; driving someone somewhere; loaning out money to people they know can’t afford to give it back; and being places she doesn’t want to be.
Bowlding says, "Saying no with a smile is an internal, not an outward expression. It is not a grin or smirk on your face when you decline an offer, but a private high-five because you were able to say no without self-reproach. It is contentment within yourself at your ability to overcome by saying what you truly feel; being pleased in your spirit."
The book will give readers information on when to say no, how to say it, and do it without feeling guilty. The book also provides tips on what to do with the “free” time once someone learns the art of saying no. Bowlding wrote the book to help her deal with her own issues, and hopes that she will help other women grow into saner, and less harried women.
At present she, her husband Andre and young daughter reside in Maryland. Education: Springfield College, BS; University of Maryland University College, MS.
Andrew Malcolm From Top Of The Ticket Co-Hosting Ed Morrissey Show On Hot Air, Tuesday
LA Times' Top of the Ticket Columnist Andrew Malcolm will be co-hosting the Ed Morrissey Show over at Hot Air at 3 pm ET on Tuesday, November 30, 2010.
Discussions usually revolve around current events. Make sure to tune in.
Enjoy!!
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Discussions usually revolve around current events. Make sure to tune in.
Enjoy!!
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20 Teams Registered For Raid The North Extreme
You can check out the list of teams that are currently scheduled to take part in the RTNE by clicking here. Included amongst them are such veteran teams as CheckPointTracker.com, the Dancing Pandas, and Team Bones, who were particularly impressive at Primal Quest a few years back. There are plenty of other good teams in the mix already too, with some competitors local to British Columbia and others from as far away as Australia, France and Switzerland.
With this many teams already signed up for a race that is still eight months away, it appears that 2011 should be an excellent year for the sport. Perhaps the economy is finally turning around and we're seeing the return of the big, expedition races that are costly but oh-so-much fun. Lets hope so!
Rock Climbing In Chad
The expedition dispatches are worth checking out for the photographs alone, which show of a stark, yet beautiful, landscape with some surprisingly great rock climbing opportunities including a number of massive rock towers. At the moment, there are at least a half-dozen dispatches to sift through, with Renan giving us some great insights into what it is like to be on an expedition of this nature. The team has been exploring the deserts of Chad, and finding plenty of unclimbed sandstone walls to tackle. While sandstone is not the best rock to climb, it seems that there are rewards to be found at the top, as the climbers are discovering amazing views with breathtaking vistas in all direction.
For those who don't know, Chad is located in north central Africa and is an interesting mix of deserts and fertile savannah. It is considered one of the poorest, and most corrupt, countries in the entire world, and most of its citizens live well below the subsistence level. It seems that much of its landscape remains untouched by explorers and climbers, and there are still plenty of adventures to be had in the remote corners of the country.
These are really interesting dispatches to read and as I said, the photos are spectacular. They'll inspire you to want to visit Chad for yourself and witness these spectacular places.
Thanks to The Goat for the tip on this one.
Now available with Google Apps: AdWords
Editor’s note: We recently launched an improvement that makes over 60 additional Google services available to Google Apps users. This series showcases what’s new and how your organization can benefit.
Welcome to Google AdWords
Every business wants to connect with its customers and this is often one of the goals that a business spends the most time on. Now, your business can more easily use the power of Google AdWords to connect with your customers using your Google Apps account.
AdWords gives you the ability to reach more than 80% of Internet users* as they are actively searching for information about products and services on Google and Google’s advertising network. AdWords enables you to connect with your potential customers at the right time with the right message, by letting you select Google search keywords related to your product or services so that users searching for these keywords can see your advertisements.
Setting up an account takes only minutes and controlling costs is easy - you only pay when people click on your ad and land on your site, and you can set a daily budget to limit your total spend. AdWords also offers great flexibility, allowing you to change your budget on the fly. Plus, if your business serves certain geographies, you have the ability to target your ads only to people searching in a particular state, city, or region.
Now that AdWords works with Google Apps, collaborating with other people in your organization to manage campaigns in AdWords is simple as well. You can invite colleagues to access your AdWords account with their existing Google Apps accounts and grant them differing levels of access depending on how much or little control you’d like them to have. Whether your business has one person that handles all of the online marketing or a team that works collaboratively, AdWords can accommodate your needs.
Also, in addition to collaborating in AdWords itself, tight integration with Google Apps lets you export your reports to Google Docs in a single click. This lets you share your campaign data with colleagues and collaborate in real-time in the same way that you already collaborate on other documents and spreadsheets using Google Docs with your Apps account.
Be sure to check out some success stories from businesses of all sizes, including First Crush Restaurant, which was able to increase traffic to its website by 400%, or Happy Hound dog daycare and boarding facility, which gets over 90% of its business through AdWords.
Learn more and get started
Google AdWords can be enabled by your domain administrator from the Google Apps Control Panel at https://www.google.com/a/[your_domain.com] (replace [your_domain.com] with your actual domain name). If your organization isn’t using Google Apps yet, you can learn more and sign up today at http://www.google.com/apps/more.
For more information about AdWords you can visit our information page or you can find the latest news and tips at the AdWords Blog.
Share your story
Have you already started using Google AdWords at your organization, or plan to now that it’s available? Please share your story and your organization could be featured in the next Gone Google ad campaign!
Note: Google AdWords may not be available in all areas.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix (US, May 2009)
Z Gallerie goes Google and moves its 55 retail stores to Google Apps
Editor’s note: Today our guest blogger is Howard Kolodny, CIO of Z Gallerie. To learn more about other companies “going Google” check out our community map or test drive life in the cloud with the Go Google Cloud Calculator.
Z Gallerie is a Southern California-based home furnishing and accessories retailer with 55 stores in 19 states. We were started in 1979 by 3 siblings as a poster shop and have grown into a national furnishings store with over 1,000 employees.
We started looking at Google Apps to solve a key problem. In our stores, the only computers we have are also cash registers, so data security is definitely a concern. We didn’t want any confidential information stored on store computers. Moving to a 100% web option with Google Apps instantly improved data security at our retail stores. Now we don’t have to install software on hundreds of computers all over the country, and there is no need to worry about data being accessed on those computers, because it’s all safely stored and protected in the cloud. Plus we’re able to offer a greatly improved email service for our employees.
In addition to added security, we’ve also seen improved productivity since moving to Apps. Before we switched to Google Apps, we had an antiquated email system that made it hard to find emails, and word processing software that hindered collaboration and forced us to do a lot of manual work. Because of the lack of functionality of our previous tools, we often resorted to using paper request forms and faxing information back and forth between corporate offices and retail stores.
Supply ordering has completely changed after moving to Google Apps. Each store used to print out a form, fill in what they need for the store, and then fax it in, only to have someone in the office manually add it all up. Now we have a spreadsheet with all available supplies and each store enters what it needs. We use a similar process for our modified holiday hours. Previously each store would send in their updated hours and someone at headquarters would enter them all into a spreadsheet and send it out to everyone. Shared spreadsheets have saved us hours of tedious manual work, not to mention a lot of paper.
Employees have enthusiastically embraced the new technology and their extra time is put to good use. Many already used Gmail outside of the office so the transition was easy. Google Apps partner, SADA Systems, helped with training and deployment to get employees up to speed. Since deployment, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much positive feedback we’ve received from employees. They’ve been particularly appreciative of the speed of search in Gmail. Knowing that they can always easily find something in their inboxes has made it easier to follow up on consumers’ questions about promotions that ran months before, or emails from headquarters. Everything is right at their fingertips.
Google Apps provides a more secure way to store and access data, an easier and cheaper way to maintain our information systems and has increased employee productivity tremendously. This change has also improved morale by giving our employees faster and easier ways to do their work and allowing them to work together. With the holidays approaching, it’s comforting to know that we’re ready to handle anything that comes our way because we have the right tools in Google Apps.
Z Gallerie is a Southern California-based home furnishing and accessories retailer with 55 stores in 19 states. We were started in 1979 by 3 siblings as a poster shop and have grown into a national furnishings store with over 1,000 employees.
We started looking at Google Apps to solve a key problem. In our stores, the only computers we have are also cash registers, so data security is definitely a concern. We didn’t want any confidential information stored on store computers. Moving to a 100% web option with Google Apps instantly improved data security at our retail stores. Now we don’t have to install software on hundreds of computers all over the country, and there is no need to worry about data being accessed on those computers, because it’s all safely stored and protected in the cloud. Plus we’re able to offer a greatly improved email service for our employees.
In addition to added security, we’ve also seen improved productivity since moving to Apps. Before we switched to Google Apps, we had an antiquated email system that made it hard to find emails, and word processing software that hindered collaboration and forced us to do a lot of manual work. Because of the lack of functionality of our previous tools, we often resorted to using paper request forms and faxing information back and forth between corporate offices and retail stores.
Supply ordering has completely changed after moving to Google Apps. Each store used to print out a form, fill in what they need for the store, and then fax it in, only to have someone in the office manually add it all up. Now we have a spreadsheet with all available supplies and each store enters what it needs. We use a similar process for our modified holiday hours. Previously each store would send in their updated hours and someone at headquarters would enter them all into a spreadsheet and send it out to everyone. Shared spreadsheets have saved us hours of tedious manual work, not to mention a lot of paper.
Employees have enthusiastically embraced the new technology and their extra time is put to good use. Many already used Gmail outside of the office so the transition was easy. Google Apps partner, SADA Systems, helped with training and deployment to get employees up to speed. Since deployment, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by how much positive feedback we’ve received from employees. They’ve been particularly appreciative of the speed of search in Gmail. Knowing that they can always easily find something in their inboxes has made it easier to follow up on consumers’ questions about promotions that ran months before, or emails from headquarters. Everything is right at their fingertips.
Google Apps provides a more secure way to store and access data, an easier and cheaper way to maintain our information systems and has increased employee productivity tremendously. This change has also improved morale by giving our employees faster and easier ways to do their work and allowing them to work together. With the holidays approaching, it’s comforting to know that we’re ready to handle anything that comes our way because we have the right tools in Google Apps.
Jessica Watson Banned From Sydney To Hobart Sailing Race
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is an annual event that routinely attracts a number of top sailors. In fact, the website says that they had 102 applications for this year's race, which will get underway on December 26th at 12:30PM local time. The race has a strict age requirement however, and because of that rule, Jessica won't be allowed to compete. Race officials have mandated that all competitors be at least 18 years of age at the start of the race, which means Watson will have to wait until next year.
According to this story from SyFy.com, Jessica had hoped to set sail in the 66th iteration of the race with a crew of other teens and young sailors, who would get to join in on her latest adventure, which is considerably shorter than her last one. The Sydney to Hobart sail usually takes about three days to complete, although it is through treacherous waters that have caused accidents in the past. Back in 1998 an accident claimed the lives of six men, which was the impetus for the age limitation to begin with.
It is a bit ironic that a young woman who sailed solo around the world isn't allowed to compete in this race, but I applaud the race organizers for sticking to the rules and not allowing any exceptions. The race will still be there next year, and Jessica can enter than. I'm sure she'll be accepted and give a good showing for herself.
How Much Time Will Congress Waste On Bush Tax Cut Fight When Everyone Knows What The End Game Will Be?
It appears that Democrats will be playing a little political theater for their liberal base, the whole time knowing what the outcome will be and what the end game will result in.The lame duck session is now in session and there are issues to be dealt with before next year where Republicans take control of the House of Representatives and the weakened Democratically controlled Senate comes back from vacation to start work again.
From recent comments from Democratic sources such as Harry Reid, it appears that the Bush tax cuts will be extended temporarily for everyone, middle class and the wealthy, yet media is touting a "battle" before such a compromise is had.
Congressional Democrats, under pressure from their liberal wing, are preparing to put up a fight over tax relief for wealthier Americans before they agree to any compromise with Republicans that could extend the Bush-era breaks.
If the compromise position to extend all Bush tax cuts temporarily is proposed immediately, Republicans have already indicated they will vote for it and in order to stop the tax cuts from expiring on everyone, Democrats indicate they also will vote for it.
But nothing is that easy in Congress, so they are going to pretend to battle it out just to temporarily extend them all anyway.
The focal point on taxes will be breaking the impasse between Republicans who want all the Bush-era tax cuts to be made permanent and Democrats who, like Mr. Obama, want to make them permanent only for families with income under $250,000. Although both sides are digging in now, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D., N.D.) said the compromise path was clear.
"What's likely to happen is there will be an extension of the tax cuts for everybody for a period of time," Mr. Dorgan said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
Why waste what little time Congress has during the lame duck session fighting over an issue that most already have said they have a compromise for?
Answer, so Democrats can tell their liberal base "we tried."
(Corrections made to this post)
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