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Saturday, July 31, 2010

Hamburger Rock


I've been handed some pretty crazy burger-centric gifts over the years, everything from hamburger soap to the now-famous hamburger phone. Every year our Christmas tree is filled with an assortment of hamburger ornaments and my daughter just gave me a burger-shaped eraser from Japan. A recent gift from my father-in-law may have taken the prize however. On a trip to Bolivia last month he spotted this familiar looking rock in a riverbed. He told me, "I immediately thought of you." I wonder why?


Hamburger Rock


I've been handed some pretty crazy burger-centric gifts over the years, everything from hamburger soap to the now-famous hamburger phone. Every year our Christmas tree is filled with an assortment of hamburger ornaments and my daughter just gave me a burger-shaped eraser from Japan. A recent gift from my father-in-law may have taken the prize however. On a trip to Bolivia last month he spotted this familiar looking rock in a riverbed. He told me, "I immediately thought of you." I wonder why?


Changes At Bobcat Bite

Nothing to dramatic here, but since I was at the Bobcat Bite last summer they have made the change to a more substantial bun. Obviously, it saddened me to see the white squishy go away but this large, juicy burger managed to disintegrate the bun in seconds. The new bun actually works. And another change - the burgers are now larger, weighing in at 10 oz. before they hit the griddle (making them a full ounce larger now and the change is noticeable.)


There's one more change that is making John Eckre's life crazy at the grill. They have added the Bacon Green Chile Cheeseburger to the menu (above). I indulged, the bacon was excellent, but something was not quite right. After all of these years eating Green Chile Cheeseburgers I've come to love the simplicity of the burger, the cheese, and the hot green chile. I'm glad to hear the addition of bacon is popular but for me the GCC is king.

Oh, and they have a new website!


Changes At Bobcat Bite

Nothing to dramatic here, but since I was at the Bobcat Bite last summer they have made the change to a more substantial bun. Obviously, it saddened me to see the white squishy go away but this large, juicy burger managed to disintegrate the bun in seconds. The new bun actually works. And another change - the burgers are now larger, weighing in at 10 oz. before they hit the griddle (making them a full ounce larger now and the change is noticeable.)


There's one more change that is making John Eckre's life crazy at the grill. They have added the Bacon Green Chile Cheeseburger to the menu (above). I indulged, the bacon was excellent, but something was not quite right. After all of these years eating Green Chile Cheeseburgers I've come to love the simplicity of the burger, the cheese, and the hot green chile. I'm glad to hear the addition of bacon is popular but for me the GCC is king.

Oh, and they have a new website!


Friday, July 30, 2010

Petanque @ Paris Plages

Last week the Seine river banks were once again tranformed into a narrow, long beach, called Paris Plages. L'Express went to interview the lady in charge of the pétanque courts, from 9 am till midnight. Play and loaner boules are all free, and the non-profit organization makes up for the expenses with the "buvette", i.e. the outdoor bar.
Brilliant idea.



And when Paris police officers have no urgent matters to attend, they keep busy otherwise ...

Petanque @ Paris Plages

Last week the Seine river banks were once again tranformed into a narrow, long beach, called Paris Plages. L'Express went to interview the lady in charge of the pétanque courts, from 9 am till midnight. Play and loaner boules are all free, and the non-profit organization makes up for the expenses with the "buvette", i.e. the outdoor bar.
Brilliant idea.



And when Paris police officers have no urgent matters to attend, they keep busy otherwise ...

Leadership, Not Passivity Needed from the White House on Immigration

A strong opinion piece, maybe the administration people read it too. - - Donna Poisl

by Jim Gonzalez Chairman, Latino Policy Coalition

Americans across the country held their collective breath Thursday morning as President Barack Obama spoke out on the issue of immigration reform. Would he advocate for amnesty? Perhaps he would advocate for the unilateral deportation of 12 million Latinos. Unfortunately, his speech did little for either side.

While rhetorically uplifting, President Obama simply restated the obvious - the system is broken, immigrants are at risk of being exploited, and reform has been held hostage to political posturing. And while the President rightly put the blame squarely on the shoulders of intransigent Republicans for failing to work to pass an immigration law, his speech begs the question, what's next?
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Hails Corporate Initiatives Aimed at Bolstering Growth of Hispanic-Owned Businesses

PRESS RELEASE

WASHINGTON, July 27 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- In light of the new census data which reports a huge growth in Hispanic-owned businesses, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), which represents more than 200 local chambers and serves as the national advocate for nearly three million Hispanic-owned businesses across the country, is pleased to announce the overwhelming support that some of America's leading corporations are providing for our entrepreneurs nationwide.

For example, Visa Inc., a global payments technology company, and the USHCC have formed a new strategic alliance to provide Hispanic-owned merchants with an array of tools to help them improve cash flow, manage payment acceptance costs, streamline operations and grow their businesses. Additionally, USHCC members will receive customized access to Visa's suite of small business solutions and educational resources.

The USHCC and Visa are working together to develop acceptance solutions for USHCC merchants, especially smaller businesses with sales up to $1 million, to help ensure that they have access to best-available interchange rates and other acceptance solutions from Visa.

Javier Palomarez, President and CEO of the USHCC, said: "The entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance and work ethic of our community is indisputable and evidenced by the latest census numbers. However, we are also grateful for the support, generosity and creativity of our corporate partners, who are assisting our small businesses so they will be able to transition from merely surviving to thriving during these tough economic times."

About the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Founded in 1979, the USHCC actively promotes the economic growth and development of Hispanic entrepreneurs and represents the interests of nearly 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States that generate nearly $400 billion annually. It also serves as the umbrella organization for more than 200 local Hispanic chambers in the United States and Puerto Rico.
http://www.ushcc.com/
SOURCE United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
-0- 07/27/2010
/CONTACT: DeVere Kutscher of United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, +1-202-715-0497, dkutscher@ushcc.com/

THIS WEEK IN IMMIGRATION:

Go to this site to read recent news articles about immigration from the
Immigration Policy Center
Click on the headline or go to: www.immigrationimpact.com

Congressional Leaders Challenge Progressives to Keep Pushing for Immigration Reform

Fiery speeches at the Netroots Nation convention urging people to vote. If there are problems with the progressive numbers now, it will not be better with fewer. - - Donna Poisl

By Seth Hoy

In front of more than 2000 progressive bloggers and activists Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Harry Reid and several other keynote speakers urged progressives to “finish what we’ve started” and keep beating the progressive drum for change. After enumerating major Democratic legislative victories this year (health care, financial regulation, and an economic stimulus plan to name a few), Congressional leaders acknowledged the legislative priorities that lie ahead—especially immigration.

While Republicans continue to stall immigration reform efforts in Congress and with harsh anti-immigrant legislation brewing in other states, immigration has emerged as a national hot button issue. And with mid-term elections around the corner, progressives want to know that Democratic leadership is actually going to lead.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Obama, Pelosi urge activists at Netroots Nation to keep fighting for change

Democratic leaders are trying to impress on voters that the mid-term elections are crucial for any change to happen. Many voters think the presidential elections are the most important. - - Donna Poisl

By Philip Rucker, Washington Post Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS -- President Obama and other Democratic leaders appealed to a gathering of prominent liberal activists Saturday, seeking to win back a disenchanted constituency that appears uninterested in helping the party avoid large losses in November's midterm elections.

In a videotaped speech at the annual Netroots Nation convention, Obama acknowledged that for many Americans, "change hasn't come fast enough." He said he shared that frustration, but he asked liberals to stick with him and the party.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Quick Analysis of the Arizona Immigration Law Ruling

This report lists each point (4) that was struck down and why -- and each point (8) that remains and why. - - Donna Poisl

By James Farrell

Arizona immigration law decision:

I. What is enjoined

1. Requiring verification of immigration status: Requiring that an officer make a reasonable attempt to determine the immigration status of a person stopped, detained or arrested if there is a reasonable suspicion that the person is unlawfully present in the United States, and requiring verification of the immigration status of any person arrested prior to releasing that person.

Reasoning: Pre-empted by federal law because it creates an additional burden on the federal government by increasing the number of immigration-verification requests to the federal government.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Immigration: the 250-year perspective

This is a comment about a new book which shows that our immigration story has not changed much in 250 years. You might think we would learn, but we don't. - - Donna Poisl

By Steven E. Levingston

A federal judge on Wednesday opened the latest chapter in the tale of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, ruling on several provisions in favor of opponents of the legislation. As the battle ensues, it seems a good time to look back at U.S. immigration and ask, What’s different now?

Peter Schrag, a visiting scholar at the Institute of Governmental Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, explores the immigration debate throughout American history in his book “Not Fit for Our Society: Immigration and Nativism in America,” recently released by University of California Press.
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Petanque (and a pig) in Prague!

Letenský zámeček is a unique restaurant in the heart of Letná park with wonderful views over the historic centre of Prague. And with a pétanque play area.
On Sept 2nd they're holding their 8th Pétanque Party.
Here's the ad. I wish I could go.... lots of good Pilsner :-)
(Publicis is a French multinational advertising agency, one of the top 3 worldwide)

Petanque (and a pig) in Prague!

Letenský zámeček is a unique restaurant in the heart of Letná park with wonderful views over the historic centre of Prague. And with a pétanque play area.
On Sept 2nd they're holding their 8th Pétanque Party.
Here's the ad. I wish I could go.... lots of good Pilsner :-)
(Publicis is a French multinational advertising agency, one of the top 3 worldwide)

Police sector publication scheme monitoring: follow-up report

In March 2010, the ICO published a second publication schemes monitoring report looking at police forces and police authorities (the first report looked at central government). A brief follow-up report has now been produced, which looks at developments since the publication of the main report.
The most disappointing aspect of our findings was that out of the 90 authorities monitored some 26 (or approximately 30%) were found not to be operating an approved publication scheme. We found various reasons for this. These included missing a class of information out of their adopted scheme (therefore only publishing six classes of information rather than the seven in the model scheme), using an old scheme which was no longer approved and not having any sort of publication scheme in operation.

When the fact that they were not meeting their legal obligations was pointed out to these authorities, most responded in a positive manner and took steps to meet the requirements imposed by s19 of FOIA. As a result of this by the end of June 2010 all but Northumbria Police Authority, Staffordshire Police Authority and Merseyside Police Authority (in this last case a class of information was missing) were operating an approved publication scheme.
...
For all the authorities we checked (who were operating an approved scheme) we wrote to them with our findings and recommendations. The feedback that we have had from this was often from senior level staff (including from Chief Constables) and has on the whole been very positive.

At the same time a few issues have been identified where some public authorities thought that we had not been fair to them.

Nottinghamshire Police insisted that they did respond to our request for information. Unfortunately (and as we said in the original report) we did not receive this response. Humberside Police Authority got in touch with us to ask that we make it clear that they do recognise the difference between responding to an application for information from their scheme and dealing with a full FOI request. We are happy to do this.
Publication Schemes Police Sector Monitoring Report March 2010 here (pdf) 
Follow-up report here (pdf).

Portland Bouligans on Channel 8 KGW

The Portland Bouligans - the downtown Portland, Oregon club that plays on Jamison Square- made it on the 6 o'clock news.
Good show!

Portland Bouligans on Channel 8 KGW

The Portland Bouligans - the downtown Portland, Oregon club that plays on Jamison Square- made it on the 6 o'clock news.
Good show!

SIC's 1,000th decision orders Scottish Government to release meeting data

News release
30 July 2010
Freedom of information in Scotland reaches a new landmark today [Friday 30 July] as the Scottish Information Commissioner publishes his 1000th decision, ordering the Scottish Government to release information about the meetings of its Council of Economic Advisers (CEA), and to carry out further searches for relevant information.

The decision deals with a request made by a journalist from a Scottish national newspaper, for information about the costs and administrative arrangements for the first five meetings of the CEA - the group of economists and industry figures that advises the Scottish Government on economic affairs.

In his ruling, the Commissioner finds that the Government failed to put forward an appropriate justification for the non-disclosure of data, while also failing to confirm to him that officials had appropriately searched for all relevant information.

Publishing his decision, Kevin Dunion, the Scottish Information Commissioner, said:
"I have now issued a substantial body of rulings in the five and a half years since Scotland's freedom of information laws came into force. This 1000th case is not untypical. Around two thirds of my decisions find in favour, or partially in favour, of the applicant.

"By now, all public authorities should be fully aware of their duties when responding to FOI requests. They should understand the need to present clear arguments when they decide to withhold information and those arguments should stand up to scrutiny in the event of an appeal. Where, as in this case, a public authority fails to make an appropriate case, I will order the release of information. With all this experience behind us, I expect authorities to get their responses - to FOI requesters and to me - right first time."

The Commissioner requires the Government to release the withheld information by 6 September 2010.
Full press release here.
Decision 129/2010 Mr Tom Gordon of the Sunday Herald and the Scottish Ministers here

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Immigrant rights groups adjust focus to passage of AgJobs, Dream Act

Maybe getting pieces of immigration reform into law is better than holding out for the whole package and getting nothing now. - - Donna Poisl

By Krissah Thompson, Washington Post Staff Writer

Some immigrant rights groups are shifting the strategy in their so-far unsuccessful push to overhaul immigration law: They're calling the new tactic the "down payment" approach.

"We are aware that the clock is running out, and there are no guarantees that a Congress that is supportive of immigration reform will be returned in November," said Antonio Gonzales, president of the William C. Velásquez Institute, a Latino public policy group. "We took a deep breath and said, 'Okay, we need a Plan B.' "
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

LDS Church issues statement on immigration

Another church group is pushing for immigration reform, asking for careful reflection and civil discourse. - - Donna Poisl

By Carole Mikita

SALT LAKE CITY -- In advance of Gov. Gary Herbert's meeting on illegal immigration, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have issued a new statement on the issue.

Scott Parker will represent the LDS Church's Salt Lake Public Affairs Council and will represent the Church at the governor's immigration meeting Tuesday. Church leaders issued a new statement that says the complex issues surrounding immigration are a matter of increasing concern.

It reads in part, "Elected officials have the primary responsibility to find solutions in the best interests of all whose lives will be impacted by their actions."
Click on the headline above to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Let's play 'boules'

This one is cute!
We have a lot of schools here in the US using pétanque during French classes.
Here you have the opposite: a high school in Grasse (the world's capital of perfume, 12 miles NW of Cannes) decided to make a simple movie in English to teach pétanque to foreign students!
Bravo for a job well done!
(there's one tiny error at rule # 3: should be 6 meters i.s.o. 3)

Let's play 'boules'

This one is cute!
We have a lot of schools here in the US using pétanque during French classes.
Here you have the opposite: a high school in Grasse (the world's capital of perfume, 12 miles NW of Cannes) decided to make a simple movie in English to teach pétanque to foreign students!
Bravo for a job well done!
(there's one tiny error at rule # 3: should be 6 meters i.s.o. 3)

Security First: Google at the International Conference on Cyber Security

The Google Enterprise team is excited to be participating in the International Conference on Cyber Security (ICCS), on August 2nd-5th, at Fordham University in New York City. ICCS brings together global leaders in emerging cyber threat analysis, operations and enforcement. More than 700 IT, business and law enforcement professionals from over 50 countries will gather to discuss the most significant emerging cyber threats and how the security and law enforcement communities are responding to them.

Eric Davis, Policy Manger and Director of Anti-Malvertising at Google will be giving a talk entitled: “Welcome to Malvertising” on Thursday, August 5th at 1:30 PM. “Malvertising” is the intersection of malware and advertising, where ads install malware or redirect users to sites that install malware. Eric will discuss how malvertising occurs over ad networks. He will discuss incident response, as well as available systems, tools and best practices for preventing malware in ads.

If you'll be at the conference, please join us for our talk and stop by our booth to learn more about Google’s cyber security efforts as well as to learn more about how Google secures the data stored in our data centers. If you’re not going to be at the conference, you can find lots of information about cyber security in our Online Security Blog and information about the security of our data centers here.

Posted by Adam Swidler, Sr. Manager – Google Enterprise

Updated EIR guidance from DEFRA

DEFRA has issued the following updated guidance on the Environmental Information Regulations:

28 July 2010 – Updated guidance on Charging for environmental information under the EIRs (PDF 100 KB)

6 July 2010 – Updated guidance on Handling requests for environmental information and Records management and offences. See our Detailed guidance page below for all the detailed guidance.

Petanque vs Boule Provençale

A bit of controversy on French TV channel LCM yesterday.
A guest came on to present the merits of the old game "Jeu Provençal" and the "Provencal 13" tournament going on right now in Marseille. That's wonderful, except that he kept stating that pétanque was the older game, and that "la longue" - as it is also known - was actually derived from pétanque. I couldn't believe my ears!
The host herself doesn't buy it either but allows him carry on. By the end of the program she relates that many people called in to the station to protest his version of history.
No analogy is perfect, but imagine a reporter on a London program claiming that rugby was in fact derived from American football :-)
Sorry, it's all in French, but some of the player action in the first minute is worth watching.

Petanque vs Boule Provençale

A bit of controversy on French TV channel LCM yesterday.
A guest came on to present the merits of the old game "Jeu Provençal" and the "Provencal 13" tournament going on right now in Marseille. That's wonderful, except that he kept stating that pétanque was the older game, and that "la longue" - as it is also known - was actually derived from pétanque. I couldn't believe my ears!
The host herself doesn't buy it either but allows him carry on. By the end of the program she relates that many people called in to the station to protest his version of history.
No analogy is perfect, but imagine a reporter on a London program claiming that rugby was in fact derived from American football :-)
Sorry, it's all in French, but some of the player action in the first minute is worth watching.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Off On An Adventure

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I won't be updating the site for the next few days. I'm off to the Florida Keys and the Everglades for a writing assignment, and will most likely be out of touch. It's a short trip though, and updates will resume on Monday as usual.

Yes, the trip will be a bit of work, but it's the best kind of work. Visiting one of the greatest natural environments on the planet in the Everglades, snorkeling the Keys, sea kayaking, and staying at an amazing resort. It's going to be brutal! ;)  Have a great weekend everyone, and I'll be back before you know it. In the meantime, here's a glimpse of the views I'll be dealing with over the next few days.

ECC Coalition Applauds Release of Reid Energy Legislation

The following statement is from the Energy and Climate Change Coalition regarding legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Reid.

The Energy and Climate Change (ECC) Coalition applauds Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and his colleagues for their hard work and leadership in developing a bipartisan proposal for national energy policy and job creation. ECC is a broad coalition of organizations representing people of color, low/fixed income persons and minority-owned business on matters related to energy and climate policy. The members of this coalition and the communities they represent have coalesced around two key concerns related to energy and climate policy:

1) containment and mitigation of energy costs, particularly for vulnerable communities that spend a disproportionately higher share of their incomes on energy; and

2) job creation in minority communities and expanded economic opportunities for minority-owned businesses.
The ECC Coalition members agree that any energy and climate program must include:
Measures to reduce and mitigate cost impacts to low/fixed-income consumers;

Policies that create jobs and ensure small business opportunities for minorities in the energy and clean technology sectors, including federal and state incentives and requirements to promote diversity in hiring, procurement, contracting and access to capital.

Education and training programs to prepare minorities for careers and business ownership in the array of services and technologies necessary to develop and deliver cleaner, more diverse, domestic energy sources.
Public awareness and outreach initiatives aimed at developing energy efficiency and conservation programs for minority and low- and fixed-income communities, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Resources and incentives for vulnerable communities to help them adapt to climate change impacts and transition to lower-carbon economies, while ensuring environmental justice protections.
The ECC Coalition plans to examine the proposal closely in the coming days and weeks, with a focus on the opportunities and implications for people of color and low/fixed income persons. This perspective is one that is not often directly represented at the decision making table. We look forward to working with Senator Reid, his colleagues in the Senate and other Members of Congress and the White House, to shape this important legislation and to make our voice heard.

August 29th Is The 5 Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina‏

Message from Rev. Lennox Yearwood, Jr.

On August 28, 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit the shores of the Gulf Coast, and in the morning of the 29th, the levees broke flooding the city of New Orleans. As we know, due in large part to government's failed response, an estimated 2,000 plus people died, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced.This August 29th, 2010, will be the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As many Gulf Coast residents continue to cope with an uncertain future, we are mobilizing for the 5th Annual Hurricane Katrina Commemoration March and Rally in honor of those who passed in the storm and the community that was abandoned by a failed government response.

The Commemoration March and Rally will also serve to call for the comprehensive rebuilding and restoration of the Gulf Coast, and the undeniable right to return of those who are still displaced.The organizers of the Commemoration March and Rally are seeking solidarity support from around the country, for a national remembrance and call to action. Here are the 5 things you can do in solidarity:

Join us for the March and Rally on August 29th in New Orleans, find out more about the event and RSVP here.

Make a tax-deductible DONATION to the support the Rally and March.

SIGN OUR PETITION to restore and rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Have your organization ENDORSE the March and Rally.

Spread the word through TWITTER and FACEBOOK.

Yesterday I published this article about why we should all get involved in the 5 Year Hurricane Katrina Anniversary. August 28th, 1963 was the historic March on Washington, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I have a Dream" speech. August 28th, 1955 was the day Emmitt Till was murdered in Mississippi, which catalyzed the Civil Rights movement. Then, on August 28th , 2005 we had Hurricane Katrina hit the shores of the Gulf Coast, and on August 29th the levees in New Orleans broke. This is our moment. It has been 5 years, and the damage of Hurricane Katrina and a failed government response has not been made right. Help make it right. Take actions 1 through 5 above, or whichever you are able to do. Spread the word - For Future Generations.

Paddling South Korea

Five 2 Nine Productions produces a regular series of videos called Currents that it uses to educate viewers about various rivers and waterways from around the world. In their  most recent video, they pay a visit to South Korea, a country that has more than its fair share of rivers, but according to the video, all but one of them has been dammed, most many times. In fact, Five 2 Nine reports that although the country is roughly the same size as the state of Indiana, but has more than 18,000 dams. To make matters worse, the rivers there are so contaminated, they can't even be used for agriculture.

But, the country has a comprehensive plan for moving forward, and opening up those waterways. Known as the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, this plan is likely to have a dramatic and indelible impact on the people of South Korea. This video shares details of the plan and how the country hopes it will aid them moving forward. It also has some great shots of the kayaking there as well.

Thanks to Canoe & Kayak for the tip!




Currents - Episode 4 - South Korea from Five 2 Nine Productions on Vimeo.

Yukon River Quest Race Report From Robyn Benincasa

The Yukon River Quest took place a few weeks back, with dozens of top endurance paddlers descending on Whitehorse, in the Canadian Yukon, to make the 460 mile run along the Yukon River to Dawson City. The annual event is one of the top paddling races of the year, offering up plenty of great competition and spectacular scenery, along one of North America's best river ways.

Racing in this year's event was Robyn Benincasa, one of the best adventure racers and endurance athletes around. Robyn has filed an excellent race report over at Adventure World Magazine in which she talks about her own win in the women's solo category, as well as the impressive showing from the rest of her Merrell/Akali teammates.

Robyn does a great job of sharing what it is like to sit in the cockpit of kayak for more than two days (her winning time was officially 51 hours, 43 minutes), while managing your eating schedule, staying focused on paddling, and trying not to get to cramped up in a boat she had rented the day before the race. Nothing she hasn't seen before however, as she is one of the most decorated adventure racers in history.

In the end, Robyn says she may have found a new sport that calls to her adventurous spirit, and obviously she's off to a great start, winning the first endurance paddle she entered. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's easier on the hips than Primal Quest, huh Robyn? ;)

Alberto Contador No Longer Rides For Team Astana

The post-Tour de France news continues today, with VeloNews reporting that three time Tour champ Alberto Contador and Team Astana were at a contract impasse. That was later followed up with a story at Roadcycling.com that Contador has parted ways with the team that escorted him to victory the last two years.

Apparently, the 27-year old rider and Team Astana were not far apart in their negotiations, but there were some philosophical differences that were preventing them from moving forward. To add insult to injury, Contador informed the team via his press service, not even bothering to call the manager or sponsors himself.

On the open market, Contador is sure to be in line for quite a hefty pay day. But Road Cycling is speculating that he'll end up Bjarne Riis' new team, which is believed to be called Team SunGard-Specialized. That makes a lot of sense, as Contador, along with his chief rival Andy Schleck, have been featured prominently in advertising for Specialized bicycles in recent months.

Obviously this is a pretty big shake up in the world of competitive cycling and it comes just three days after the end of the Tour. It's hard to tell exactly what went on here, but reading the statements from Team Astana, it seems that Alberto blindsided them with move, and seems to be acting in a selfish manner that has become his pattern. He is the most talented cyclist in the world without a doubt, but he is also a huge prima donna, and it shows through regularly. It'll be interesting to see who joins him on the new team and whether or not he can compete with out the Astana squad around him.

Lisa Simpson goes to Dhaka; Professor Yunus to visit Springfield


Grameen America’s microloan programs are no laughing matter, but just for a moment allow me to direct your attention away from the United States to Dhaka, Bangladesh where a member of one of America’s funniest TV shows is seeing firsthand how Professor Yunus is changing the lives of low-income entrepreneurs.

Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson of The Simpsons cartoon fame has been a longtime supporter of Professor Yunus and the work of Grameen Bank. In the past, she has visited Grameen operations in other countries, such as Haiti, but this week marked her first trip to the country of Grameen’s origin.

This won’t be the last time this year that The Simpsons, the longest running sitcom in American history, and Professor Yunus will be mentioned in the same sentence. Professor Yunus has been invited to the iconic town of Springfield, USA, the animated home of The Simpsons. He will be featured on an episode devoted to the theme of Grameen and microfinance. Professor Yunus has already recorded his voice for the show.

Although the episode doesn’t air until October, you can bet we will have updates on it as more information becomes available. You can read the official Grameen Bank release here and the BBC story here. No word yet on if Lisa will be applying for a loan.

Further consultation on extending the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act

The Scottish Government has published a consultation paper seeking views on whether the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act should be extended to cover the following bodies:
  • contractors who run privately managed prisons and provide prisoner escort services;
  • leisure, sport and cultural trusts and bodies used by local authorities;
  • the Glasgow Housing Association;
  • the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland;
  • contractors who build and maintain schools;
  • contractors who build and maintain hospitals; and
  • contractors who build, manage and maintain trunk roads under private finance contracts.
The consultation paper states:
At this stage the Scottish Government has not reached firm conclusions on which bodies it would be appropriate to extend coverage to. We are particularly mindful of the importance of establishing whether coverage would place undue financial burdens upon bodies at a time of economic difficulties. Creating additional regulatory or financial requirements must be appropriate and proportionate.

This consultation paper therefore formally seeks the views of the bodies listed above (or their representative bodies) on their coverage by the Act, and the views of any other interested parties. Each section explores the issues raised with us to date about covering a particular type of body, presents our rationale for extending coverage, and asks certain questions.

The responses we receive to this consultation paper are therefore key and will directly contribute to the evidence base on which a decision will be reached. 
The consultation is open for 14 weeks until 2 November 2010. The Government will then consider whether to bring forward an Order under section 5 of the Act. The consultation paper suggests that the Order would come into force after 12 months, to allow the bodies concerned to make the necessary preparations for meeting the Act's requirements.

The Scottish Information Commissioner welcomed the consultation:
In my response to the consultation I will be encouraging the Scottish Government to press ahead with extending the Freedom of Information Act to the contractors, trusts and other bodies which now deliver public services.  At a time when economic circumstances may affect the quality of health, education and leisure services, the public will undoubtedly have questions about spending decisions and performance.  The scope of bodies covered by freedom of information laws needs to keep pace with the changing landscape of public spending and so I generally welcome the proposals being made by the Government and will submit my formal response shortly.
The consultation paper is available here. Further background material about the Scottish Government's decision to consult on bringing these particular bodies under FOISA is here.

Steps to The Summit - Step 26: Simple Solutions

The Expedition Hanesbrands team delivers another Step to the Summit today, and as usual, it provides a great lesson mixed into an entertaining message. In this case, team leader Jamie Clarke tells us about how simple, and elegant, solutions can often lead to great benefits, and in his example he talks about how his team overcame the always precarious issue of exploding bags of potato chips at altitude.

The video opens with Jamie talking about how many calories a climber consumes while on the mountain, often in excess of 10,000 per day. He points out that it is often quite difficult to eat that much food, so the teams look for tasty, but not always nutritious, snacks. Potato chips are always a favorite, but when carrying them in those nice, tidy little bags, they tend to blow up. The simple solution? Chips in a can! Of course, Jamie is far more eloquent talking about the subject, so you'll have to watch the video to get the full story, but as a side note, this explains why Pringles were so popular on the trek to EBC!



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Petanque in Zanesfield, Ohio

Mike and his friends in Zanesfield, a town of 220 active souls, along the Mad River, thought pétanque would be a nice addition to the town's social activities.

He must have a lot of friends - some with nice equipment, to boot - because in a matter of hours the new club had its regulation size court, with ample room for more. Play times will be Wed & Sat at 2:00 and Thu at 6:30.

Welcome to Zanesfield, another new marker on the Petanque in the USA map!











Petanque in Zanesfield, Ohio

Mike and his friends in Zanesfield, a town of 220 active souls, along the Mad River, thought pétanque would be a nice addition to the town's social activities.

He must have a lot of friends - some with nice equipment, to boot - because in a matter of hours the new club had its regulation size court, with ample room for more. Play times will be Wed & Sat at 2:00 and Thu at 6:30.

Welcome to Zanesfield, another new marker on the Petanque in the USA map!











Boules are cool!

The Guardian ran an article today about how petanque is catching on in the UK.
We definitely - I've said it before - owe thanks to Karl Lagerfeld whose event in St Tropez in May has attracted the attention of many journalists.


How boules got cool - Guardian - July 28

Boules are cool!

The Guardian ran an article today about how petanque is catching on in the UK.
We definitely - I've said it before - owe thanks to Karl Lagerfeld whose event in St Tropez in May has attracted the attention of many journalists.


How boules got cool - Guardian - July 28

Is it Time for the Tour de France to Come to North America?

In my post-Tour de France haze, I've been working through my withdrawal by surfing the web and wishing I could find something – anything, that could possibly fill the void. So far I haven't had much luck, and I've pretty much resigned myself to waiting another year before the world's best cycling event returns. But thanks to Jeff Doran over at HikinginTheSmokys.blogspot.com, I've at least got something to ponder.

In a blog post this morning, Jeff wrote an open letter to Tour Director Christian Prudhomme suggesting that he consider bringing Le Tour to North America, with the justification that the race has already visited 10 other countries, albeit all European nations. He even suggests a possible itinerary, with the Prologue being held in Quebec City in Canada, and Stage 1 being run  between Quebec and Montreal. Stage 2 would then jump over to the States and run from Albany to New York City, with the following day being a rest/travel day back to France. Jeff even goes so far as to suggest that the Tour make the jump for the 100th anniversary, which will be run in 2013 as well. He further bolsters his argument by saying that bringing the Tour to North America would increase its popularity in the States, and bring in more fans in the post-Lance Armstrong era.

This is a very compelling case, and as a fan of cycling and the Tour, I'd love to see it here in North America. Heck, I'd probably even try to make the trip to watch it in person myself. Unfortunately, I doubt it would ever happen, as the travel back across the Atlantic to France would probably incite a riot amongst the cyclists who are a touchy bunch as it is. I do think it would be great for the sport, and give the Tour great exposure outside of Europe, and while I support this idea whole heartedly, I think realistically it'll never happen. Still, it is fun to think about and speculate some. So? Who else would love to see the Tour her in North America?

Dangerous Suburbia

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Dangerous Suburbia

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.

Ski the Himalayas - Season 2, Episode 1

We followed along with Ben Clark and Jon Miller when they headed to the 23,390-foot tall Baruntse last year and had their Ski the Himalayas climb chronicled on the Rest of Everest video podcast.  It seems the duo returned to the  mountain this past spring, and have launched their own video series to share their adventures.

In the first episode, which you'll find below, we follow Ben and Jon from their home in Colorado to Nepal, where they hit the streets in Kathmandu for a little shopping before heading out to the mountains. This season also promises a little bit of drama, as a portion of this episode also deals with Jon's doctor explaining to us how a cyst on his brain may or may not impact his ability to climb. We'll have to stay tuned to find out.

This looks like it should be a great new series to follow, and is brought to us by Mountain Hardwear and Osprey Packs.



Ski The Himalayas Season 2 Episode 01 from Ben Clark on Vimeo.

WideWorld Mag Interviews Pen Hadow on the Changing Face of the Arctic

WideWorld Magazine has posted an interesting interview with polar explorer Pen Hadow in which he talks about a number of great topics, including the continued importance of exploration in the 21st century, his approach to organizing and conducting an expedition, and his thoughts on the impact of global climate change on the polar ice caps.

Pen has visited both the North and South Pole, and back in 2003, he became the first person to make the solo, unsupported journey to 90ºN via the Canadian side of the Pole. He was also a member of the ice team on the 2009 Catlin Arctic Survey and served as the project director for the 2010 survey as well.

Needless to say, he's logged plenty of time in very cold places, and talks about how those places are now changing, with the ice caps shrinking dramatically thanks to an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is in turn absorbed by the oceans. As a result of this increase, and due to a general warming of the planet, the ice is disappearing from both poles, but especially the North. Pen says that in another 20-30 years, the North Polar Icecap will cease to be a year round fixture at the top of the world, and will be replaced by open water for a good part of the year.

The interview is a good one for a number of reasons, and offers some great insights into travel in the polar regions, both now and in the future. As the headline says, we may all be going to the North Pole by kayak in the years to come.

Nat'l Black Chamber of Commerce Opposes Calif AB 32

AAEA Supports AB 32

Our good friends at the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) are opposing California's AB 32 (The Global Warming Solutions Act), which, in our opinion will ensure that state greenhouse gas emission reductions are achieved while maintaining the competitiveness of California businesses and protecting the interests of consumers and workers. We believe the law will unleash that good old American ingenuity that will actually increase the creation of jobs and spur economic activity.

Of course, our good friend Harry Alford, President of the NBCC, disagrees with us, stating that:

"...the implementation of AB 32 would cost tens of billions of dollars in higher electricity bills, gasoline, food and other products. The average California family would end up paying $3,857 more every year for housing, transportation, food and energy. Businesses would be severely affected as well, including the small firms that create the vast majority of new jobs. The cost of AB 32 would average out to almost $50,000 per small businesses in California, a hit many of them couldn't survive."
Harry and the NBCC are concerned about potential job losses, particular for minorities:

"We can't afford to lose more jobs here, particularly for African-Americans, Hispanics and other people of color who have already suffered greatly during the economic downturn. The California economy has shed 1.3 million jobs since 2007, and our unemployment rate is the third highest in the nation, at 12.4 percent. More than 900,000 job seekers have been out of work at least 27 weeks, the largest number of long-term unemployed registered since record keeping began in 1990. But African-Americans and Hispanics are out of work in much larger numbers, hit hard by the housing market collapse and other factors. The unemployment rate for California Hispanics is estimated at 17 percent. Last March the National Urban League estimated that nationwide unemployment among African-Americans was nearly twice that of whites."
We empathize with Harry's concern about the high unemployment numbers among minorities, but, Mr. Alford, we have to respectfully disagree with you about the effects of AB 32. Again, we believe it will stimulate job creation. We believe it will create innovative manufacturing jobs and stimulate the creation of numerous small businesses that are the engines that can drive the California economy back to health. AAEA is registered in EPA's Acid Rain Program and the Northeaster Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). We supported Cap-and-Trade legislation at the national reason for the same reason we support AB 32, we believe it will be a net job creater. We have created our own carbon dioxide (CO2) trading house (Carbon Mercantile Exchange) to directly participate in a carbon marketing economy. We simply need mandatory programs that will give the market-oriented solution some teeth. And we are prepared to implement our innovative solutions just as we believe that other entrepreneurs would in California. (Mercury News, 7/27/2010)

Google Apps Marketplace - CRM highlights, 7/27/2010

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 few weeks or as we see things that we'd like to share. Look for the label "marketplace highlights" and subscribe to the series if you'd like to stay tuned.

Businesses that use Google Apps not only get access to Google's applications, they also get easy access to some of the best business apps on the web through the Google Apps Marketplace. These Marketplace apps are easy to try and buy; once more, they integrate with Google Apps "out of the box," making it simpler for businesses to run more of their systems in the cloud. You can learn more about the Marketplace and watch a short video on how it works here.

For this highlights post, we decided to focus on the top seach term for installable apps in the Marketplace: CRM. The lifeblood of all businesses, customers come in all shapes and sizes, and have different needs when interacting with businesses. We’re excited to have 13 different installable CRM apps in the Marketplace that can integrate with Google Apps in just a few clicks, each with a unique approach to helping you manage customer relationships. And because things are easier to digest when they come in 3’s, we’ve taken the liberty to present them in 3 different groups: CRM, Social CRM, and Project-based CRM.

>> CRM: apps with a focus on internal processes around selling and serving customers.

Zoho CRM is a complete customer relationship management solution for managing leads, contacts, customers, marketing activities and more. Integrations include:
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Gmail
  • Google contacts import
  • Google Docs attaching and sharing
Applane CRM is an enterprise grade CRM that supports complete sales cycle and customer relationship through an efficient user interface and advanced features. Integrations include:
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts import
  • Gmail (contextual gadget)
  • view actions in Google Calendar
Capsule CRM is a simple, flexible CRM for small businesses and sales teams that makes it easy to keep track of customers and other contacts, sales opportunities and follow-ups. Integrations include:
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts auto-update
  • Google calendar sharing
TimetoNote is a simple, fast, elegant tool to collaborate and share contacts, emails, notes, tasks, projects and more with your co-workers. Integrations include:
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Gmail (contextual gadget)
  • Google contacts synchronization
  • Google Docs attaching and sharing
Tactile CRM is an easy to use CRM to track the people and companies you do business with, the opportunities in the pipeline, and what needs to be done next. Integrations include:
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts import
>> Social CRM: apps with a focus on collaborative customer conversations via social web sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Google Buzz. (For more on Social CRM, see posts by Brent Leary, Paul Greenberg, and Michael Faucette)

Batchbook is a lightweight but powerful CRM that allows you to easily organize contacts, monitor social networks and track leads and deals. Integrations include:
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts synchronization
Bantam Live provides a social CRM workspace for business teams to collaborate internally and build relationships across the web. Integrations include:
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts import
  • Google calendar sharing
  • Google Docs attaching and sharing
  • Google Buzz feeds in contact records
Gist provides the full view of the contacts in your professional network by creating a rich business profile for each one that includes news, status updates, and work details. Integrations include:
  • Gmail (contextual gadget)
Rapportive searches the social web to find information which helps you establish rapport, grow your network, and be more productive.
  • Gmail (contextual gadget)
Etacts is a complete customer relationship management solution for managing leads, contacts, customers, marketing activities and more. Integrations include:
  • Gmail (contextual gadget)
>> Project-based CRM: apps with a focus on project collaboration before and after the sale.

Insightly lets you track leads, proposals, opportunities, projects and manage files, all through an easy to use interface.
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts import
  • Google calendar sharing
  • Google Docs attaching and sharing
Solve360 CRM is a modern CRM that integrates features to manage client projects that is ideal for small teams in service based companies that need a flexible solution.
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts synchronization
  • Gmail
Smartsheet pipeline gives you the core features of a CRM built into a familiar Google Spreadsheet format or with one of their sales, service, and marketing templates.
  • single sign on from Google Apps
  • Google contacts import
  • Google calendar sharing
  • Google Docs attaching and importing
If you’re looking to improve the way you manage and converse with prospects and customers, we encourage you to evaluate these apps. But also know we’re adding new apps to the Marketplace all the time, so check back if these don’t suit your needs.

Posted by Kevin Gough, Sr. Product & Marketing Manager, Google Enterprise
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