Thursday, July 30, 2015
Walker’s Philadelphia cheesesteak mockery
Several Philly tourists not amused with Scott Walker crashing their lunch. Overheard: “Stand in line with the rest of us.” “Who is that?” — Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) July 28, 2015 This is silly but sometimes you just gotta stop, smell the roses, and indulge in some mockery of Scott Walker’s cheesesteak choices. It’s the standard more »
Walker’s Philadelphia cheesesteak mockery
Several Philly tourists not amused with Scott Walker crashing their lunch. Overheard: “Stand in line with the rest of us.” “Who is that?” — Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) July 28, 2015 This is silly but sometimes you just gotta stop, smell the roses, and indulge in some mockery of Scott Walker’s cheesesteak choices. It’s the standard more »
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
WI Supreme Court “went well beyond what any court has ever held in opening the floodgates to secret money in politics”
Brendan Fischer of PRWatch was recently interviewed by Janine Jackson of Fair.org. A couple of exerpts: JJ: Well, it sounds as though the charge was that Walker actively sought to skirt finance laws and that the ruling is: Yes, he did, but it’s OK? I mean, help us to understand exactly what happened here. BF: That’s about right. more »
Monday, July 27, 2015
Republican presidential candidates cluster accounts at bank with only 1 branch in McLean, Virginia
Hmmmmm. From Bloomberg: “According to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings, Chain Bridge is the sole bank serving Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign, which reported raising $11.4 million as of June 30, and his allied super-PAC, Right to Rise, which says it’s raised $103 million so far. Donald Trump’s campaign banks at Chain Bridge, and it’s more »
How To Recruit The Most Talented People In The World
“No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for someone else.” In the 1990s, Sun co-founder Bill Joy thus challenged leaders to face the Knowledge Revolution. His quip later became “Joy’s Law.” Joy was not talking about the old “war for talent”—hiring better employees–but a newer one: tapping networks of smart non-employees for innovation and problem-solving horsepower.
Today network-savvy companies are doing just that. They’re co-creating products with customers, building virtual communities of enthusiasts to burnish their brands, running open competitions for new ideas from anywhere on the planet. They’re building smart-people networks to create whole new businesses, like TopCoder, Gerson Lehrman Group, LiveOps and so many others.
What’s the new leadership blueprint for all this? When a network opportunity arises, and you want to call on talent that in no way reports to you, how should you lead?
Think Different
FORBES’ Rich Karlgaard, blogging a few years ago, signaled what Joy intended: “Create an ecology that gets all the world’s smartest people toiling in the garden for your goals.” Think about the metaphors: the organization is not a bounded and structured talent machine but a porous living system; not to be commanded and controlled, but instead cultivated organically. So how on earth do you do that?
It starts with a mindset that’s not your father’s version of “taking charge” or “supervising employees.” You’ll have to step back from absolute authority, and accept that all answers won’t come from you—they’ll be found in the network. You’ll have to change your thinking about people whom you want to engage–they’re not employees, they’re volunteers. You don’t fire them; they fire you. You’ll have to be more transparent about your ideas and desires. Hidden agendas thrive in hierarchies but kill the trust on which a network thrives.
As a network leader, you will still need to be clear about strategic goals and getting results—but you’ll have to guide patiently. Cultivation takes time, learning and flexibility.
Transform A Network To A Community
Adopting the right mindset gets you into the game. But as a leader you also have to take action. Stated simply, your task is first to assemble a network, and then turn it into a community. Members of a community have more commitment and accountability for collective work than loosely linked contributors.
Here’s a starter playbook to get the network-community transition going:
1. Make Belonging Meaningful. Though volunteers join networks for many reasons—recognition, learning, fun and more tangible benefits—building a community of world class contributors speeds along when a higher purpose is at stake. They give heart and mind if they’re not just “doing a job.” Apple’s envied ecosystem of developers, evangelists and licensees was built on economic returns– but also by Steve Jobs’ mythmaking about technology for social revolution. Best Buy VP Julie Gilbert stoked a pioneering innovation community of women employees and customers with members’ enthusiasm for developing more female leadership at work. Wikipedia’s legions of volunteers are animated by a purpose that knowledge should be free and shared with the world.
2. Make Belonging Cool. Talented people want to be part of setting trends. So take a lesson from Bill Taylor and Alan Webber’s explosive launch of Fast Company in the 1990s. They pioneered a network business built on an “in-the-know” cohort of “Friends.” “It’s not a magazine,” they said, “it’s a movement”—of business radicals and futurists who wanted to change corporate workplaces. Cool was another part of Steve Jobs’ success. Apple blew by once dominant Nokia in building the smart phone business when the sexy new iPhone attracted a much bigger community of app developers.
3. Make Belonging Productive. A lot of network strategy emphasizes technology—creating the all-important “platform.” But to build a community, you need to create a culture of more than just electronic exchange. Would-be members need personal benefits too. Yes, money moves people—but strong communities provide tools and data to help members work better, forge relationships with other smart colleagues, find opportunities to grow. Rating systems in on-demand and sharing networks (Task Rabbit, Airbnb, Uber, et al) help members increase their value in the community and markets they serve. Viki’s open video business thrives thanks to the global community of users who create foreign language subtitles for their products. The members are rewarded with access to the newest shows, and the chance to improve their linguistic skills. Red Hat funds Opensource.com to create knowledge and opportunities for the community on which its business depends: Linux developers and users, Red Hat employees and other sector entrepreneurs.
4. Make Belonging A Shared Responsibility. If you want to build a community of members they have to care about their own and each other’s performance. Networks that become communities begin by adopting membership standards; and they employ member and customer rating systems to make everyone’s performance more transparent. That in turn spurs members to compete for excellence—but also to help one another get better. You can do that by setting up forums and internal exchanges to enable contributors to share techniques and answer each other’s questions (thus Uber, Task Rabbit, et al).
Other network businesses invest the community with direct responsibility for the quality of its products: the open publisher Medium stewards content contributions through self-governing user-editors who select and promote the best stories. Red Hat’s CEO Jim Whitehurst gives wide latitude to his engineers and experts who collaborate with the Linux community in creating (and evaluating) software products and programs.
Members of particularly strong communities continuously hold each other accountable for results. General Stanley McChrystal created a networked community of intelligence units and operatives to fight Al Qaeda in the early years of the Iraq War. For the sake of speed, he empowered every member to decide when to strike against the terrorists, without normal approvals. But McChrystal also insisted that: major operational decisions (including his own) were discussed afterwards in a daily community video briefing. His leadership approach enabled the community to develop its own decision-making guidelines, and members supported each other in making the best judgments.
Who Will All The Smart People Really Work For?
So, once more Joy’s Law into the future: if all the smart people will never work for you, your new leadership agenda is to create a network of as many great contributors as you can–and transform it into a community. But, remember, if you’re successful, they won’t only be working for you. As a community, they will also be working for themselves. And each other. All at the same time.
This article was written by Brook Manville from Forbes and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Trump nails Walker on crumbling roads, deficit, underfunded education, Common Core flip-flops
Times are strange when you’re pleased to hear from Donald Trump, eh? What’s really wild is not only do I enjoy hearing Trump slam Walker, I have to admit that Trump is essentially telling the truth about the state of affairs in Wisconsin and about Walker’s flip-flops on Common Core. Donald Trump says he wasn’t more »
Wisconsinite dissents in chalk: “WEASEL WHORE HOUSE”
The dissent: The chalker, who prefers to remain anonymous, gave me permission to upload this photo here. If you have questions about the use of the word “whore” in Wisconsin see this. You just finished reading Wisconsinite dissents in chalk: "WEASEL WHORE HOUSE"! Consider leaving a comment!Visit bluecheddar.net for more news and opinion. You can more »
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Professional Development Tip of the Day: Understanding the Training Calendar
The Training Calendar found on The Nevada Registrys website helps you find professional development to meet your annual training requirements for Licensing. The trainings you see are not offered or sponsored by The Nevada Registry...
“Scott Walker is not Joe McCarthy, but his technique is similar”
This is a bit from an opinion piece by Dana Milbank in the Washington Post: “Scott Walker is not Joe McCarthy, but his technique is similar: He suggests that the nation’s ills can be cured by fighting labor unions (foremost among the “big government special interests” hurting America), even though unions represent just 11 percent more »
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
One of the shady recipients of Walker’s WEDC welfare faces criminal investigation (finally)
As blogger lufthase puts it, “If WEDC had done a simple search on Green Box chairman Ronald Van Den Heuvel before making this loan, they’d have found at least 8 six-figure judgements from 2008 to 2011 against him or the many, many companies he has registered at the same address as Green Box.” Basically, Scott more »
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Round-up of Wisco news: Walker puzzled by gayness, Walker v. G.A.B., 20 wk. abortion ban, MORE
These seem like the key WI political stories from the last 3 or 4 days. If I missed something, please do leave it in a comment. WALKER AND GAYNESS This is how conservative blog NewsMax frames it: Gay marriage opponent and Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker said in a CNN interview broadcast on Sunday he more »
Monday, July 20, 2015
“Governor Walker, why are you trying to break my family apart?” – Leslie Flores
Because a new poll shows that Donald Trump polls nationally at 24% among Republican registered voters while Walker polls 13% I have to admit that I have no idea whether Walker’s comments to this family have an impact positive or negative within the Republican Party base. This guy’s tweet sums up their bigoted wingnuttery: "Obama's more »
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Iowa is smelling the BS around Walker’s Kohls speech
Iowans are learning that Scott Walker doled out over $68 million to Kohls. It’s undermining his “brown bag government” schtick. Excellent! If they keep pulling at loose threads on his stories they’re going to turn up tales of unaccountable millions in corporate welfare he gave out through WEDC. Des Moines Register has the story: Some more »
Friday, July 17, 2015
Looks like my governor is cruisin’ through Iowa in a big gay RV
I sent this to George Takei Dear George: This is a photo of Scott Walker’s new RV. I must say, all I can see is an equal sign with those two red bars on the right. And when I see a red equal sign I am reminded of the red equal sign which you encouraged more »
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Appeal of John Doe decision to SCOTUS unlikely according to Hasen
This is from Hasen’s “Analysis of Wisconsin John Doe Ruling: Bad News for Campaign Finance Laws” U.S. Supreme Court review? The dissent notes that under the U.S. Supreme Court’s Caperton decision, the failure to recuse in this case could be a due process violation. At least theoretically, that’s an issue which could go to the more »
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Notice of Upcoming Meeting!
You are invited to attend the next: WASHOE COUNTY CHILD CARE ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGWHEN: July 30, 2015TIME: 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.PLACE: Washoe County Commissioners ChambersWashoe County Complex, Building A1001 East 9th StreetReno, Nevada
Knockout Sale: Deals on Fighting Games and Movies
Hi everyone! Just in time for the EVO Championship Series, we’re celebrating the world’s largest and longest-running fighting game tournament with deals on some of our favorite fighting games and movies.
Starting right now, pick up titles like Mortal Kombat X, Ultra Street Fighter IV, and Guilty Gear Xrd, as well as films like Foxcatcher, Fight Club and more – all for up to 60 percent off. PlayStation Plus members receive an additional discount of up to 75 percent off.
But these hard-hitting deals won’t last forever, so head over to PlayStation Store soon. Our Knockout Sale ends Monday, July 20.
Check out the full lineup of Knockout Sale titles:
Games
| Title | Platform | PS Plus Price | Sale Price | Original Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- | PS4 | $29.99 | $34.99 | $49.99 |
| Kickbeat Special Edition | PS4 | $4.00 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| Mortal Kombat X | PS4 | N/A | $44.99 | $59.99 |
| Mortal Kombat X Premium Edition | PS4 | N/A | $67.49 | $89.99 |
| Towerfall Ascension | PS4 | $6.00 | $7.50 | $14.99 |
| WWE 2k15 | PS4 | $23.99 | $35.99 | $59.99 |
| Arcana Heart 3: Love Max!!!!! | PS3 | $10.00 | $12.50 | $24.99 |
| Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma | PS3 | $12.00 | $15.00 | $29.99 |
| Capcom Fighting Evolution (PS2 Classic) | PS3 | $4.00 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion Xl | PS3 | $8.00 | $10.00 | $19.99 |
| Darkstalkers Resurrection | PS3 | $6.00 | $7.50 | $14.99 |
| Darkstalkers Resurrection | PS3 | $3.00 | $3.75 | $7.49 |
| Digimon All-Star Rumble | PS3 | $19.99 | $23.99 | $39.99 |
| Girl Fight | PS3 | $4.00 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| Guilty Gear Xrd –SIGN- | PS3 | $23.99 | $27.99 | $39.99 |
| Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle | PS3 | $20.00 | $25.00 | $49.99 |
| Kickbeat | PS3 | $4.00 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection | PS3 | $2.50 | $4.00 | $9.99 |
| Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition | PS3 | $5.00 | $8.00 | $19.99 |
| Pocket Fighter | PS3 | $1.50 | $2.40 | $5.99 |
| Saint Seiya: Brave Soldiers | PS3 | $24.00 | $30.00 | $59.99 |
| SoulCalibur V | PS3 | $8.00 | $10.00 | $19.99 |
| SoulCalibur II HD Online | PS3 | $8.00 | $10.00 | $19.99 |
| Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike: Online Edition Complete Pack | PS3 | $5.00 | $8.00 | $19.99 |
| Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition | PS3 | $3.75 | $6.00 | $14.99 |
| Street Fighter X Tekken | PS3 | $12.00 | $15.00 | $29.99 |
| Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix | PS3 | $2.50 | $4.00 | $9.99 |
| Tekken Tag Tournament 2 | PS3 | $8.75 | $14.00 | $34.99 |
| Ultra Street Fighter IV | PS3 | $16.00 | $20.00 | $39.99 |
| Under Night In-birth Exe: Late | PS3 | $23.99 | $27.99 | $39.99 |
| WWE 2k15 | PS3 | $23.99 | $35.99 | $59.99 |
| Street Fighter Alpha | PS3 / PSP / PS Vita | $1.50 | $2.40 | $5.99 |
| Street Fighter Alpha 2 | PS3 / PSP / PS Vita | $1.50 | $2.40 | $5.99 |
| Street Fighter Alpha 3 | PS3 / PSP / PS Vita | $2.50 | $4.00 | $9.99 |
| Def Jam Fight For New York: The Takeover | PSP | $2.50 | $4.00 | $9.99 |
| Blazblue: Continuum Shift II | PSP / PS Vita | $2.50 | $4.00 | $9.99 |
| Fight Night Round 3 | PSP / PS Vita | $2.50 | $4.00 | $9.99 |
| Power Stone Collection | PSP / PS Vita | $2.50 | $4.00 | $9.99 |
| SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny | PSP / PS Vita | $6.25 | $10.00 | $24.99 |
| Arcana Heart 3: Love Max!!!!! | PS Vita | $10.00 | $12.50 | $24.99 |
| Blazblue: Chrono Phantasma | PS Vita | $12.00 | $15.00 | $29.99 |
| Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend | PS Vita | $3.75 | $6.00 | $14.99 |
| Kickbeat | PS Vita | $4.00 | $5.00 | $9.99 |
| Mortal Kombat | PS Vita | $5.00 | $8.00 | $19.99 |
| Street Fighter X Tekken | PS Vita | $10.00 | $16.00 | $39.99 |
Movies
| Title | SD Original Price | SD Sale Price | HD Original Price | HD Sale Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300.00 | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| 12 Rounds | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| 12 Rounds 2 Reloaded | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| Against The Ropes | $9.99 | $5.99 | $17.99 | $10.99 |
| Badges Of Fury | $9.99 | $2.99 | $12.99 | $3.99 |
| Bangkok Assassins | $7.99 | $5.99 | $9.99 | $5.99 |
| Blades Of Blood | $5.99 | $4.99 | $7.99 | $4.99 |
| Bodyguards And Assassins | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| The Boxer | N/A | N/A | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Brawl | $7.99 | $5.99 | $9.99 | $5.99 |
| Champions | $12.99 | $5.99 | $14.99 | $5.99 |
| Cinderella Man | N/A | N/A | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Circle Of Pain | $7.99 | $5.99 | $9.99 | $5.99 |
| Clash | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Cold War | $12.99 | $8.99 | $14.99 | $8.99 |
| Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | $9.99 | $7.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Dragonball: Evolution | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| Empire Of Assassins | $7.99 | $5.99 | $9.99 | $5.99 |
| Enter The Dragon (original) | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Fight Club | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| The Fighter | $9.99 | $5.99 | $12.99 | $10.99 |
| Fire Of Conscience | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Foxcatcher | $12.99 | $8.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| Green Street Hooligans Underground | $12.99 | $8.99 | $14.99 | $8.99 |
| Gymkata | $9.99 | $6.99 | N/A | N/A |
| The Hurricane | N/A | N/A | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| I Am Bruce Lee | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Jackie Chan: Police Story | $9.99 | $4.99 | N/A | N/A |
| Jackie Chan: Police Story 2 | $9.99 | $4.99 | N/A | N/A |
| Jackie Chan’s First Strike (Jing Cha Gu Shi IV: Jian Dan Ren Wu) | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $6.99 |
| Kiss Of The Dragon | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| Kundo | $9.99 | $2.99 | $12.99 | $3.99 |
| Kung Fu Elliot | $12.99 | $8.99 | $17.99 | $8.99 |
| The Last Supper | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Life Without Principle | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Machete | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| The Marine | $14.99 | $9.99 | N/A | N/A |
| The Marine 2 | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| The Master | $12.99 | $8.99 | $14.99 | $8.99 |
| Mexican Fighter | $7.99 | $3.99 | $9.99 | $4.99 |
| Mortal Kombat | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Mortal Kombat- Annihilation | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $6.99 |
| Ninja Assassin | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Punished | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| Raging Boll | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $6.99 |
| The Raid 2 | $9.99 | $7.99 | $14.99 | $8.99 |
| The Raid: Redemption | $9.99 | $7.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Ready To Rumble | $9.99 | $6.99 | $17.99 | $8.99 |
| Sacrifice | $9.99 | $4.99 | $12.99 | $4.99 |
| The Sheik | $8.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 |
| Street Fighter: The Legend Of Chun-li | $14.99 | $9.99 | $14.99 | $9.99 |
| Swelter | $9.99 | $2.99 | $12.99 | $3.99 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret Of The Ooze | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3 | $9.99 | $6.99 | $12.99 | $8.99 |
| Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing | $9.99 | $6.99 | N/A | N/A |
| Vengeance Of An Assassin | $9.99 | $2.99 | $12.99 | $3.99 |
| Wrath Of Vajra | $9.99 | $2.99 | $12.99 | $3.99 |
Whether you’re a combo king or a master button masher, your thumbs are in for it this weekend. What looks good?
Kobese publishes Xhosa chess book!
Chess has now been written in yet another language… the language of Xhosa. Author IM Watu Kobese has made chess available in this language again showing the game’s universality. It will aid in reaching the rural areas of South Africa.
The first time I heard the language of Xhosa was at an International Conference at my alma mater, Chicago State University. During one of the workshops, a man from South Africa was demonstrating a language that was accented by a series of different, syncopated clicks. I sat there amazed at how he was able to perform these sounds so effortlessly and rapidly.
Years later, I took an International Education class during graduate studies and on the first day a classmate introduced herself with a loud click! Her name began with an “X” which is one of the Xhosa clicks. Of course legendary singer Miriam Makeba made famous this click language in her songs.
Miriam Makeba in “The Click Song” at 1966 performance in Sweden.
Xhosa is one of the languages widely spoken in South Africa. International Master Watu Kobese decided to write “Masidlale Uthimba” in this language to reach rural children who are not functionally literate in English. The book was launched a few days ago and follows the Zulu version which was written several years ago.
IM Watu Kobese at 1998 U.S. Masters in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He had beaten Judit Polgar in Cap d’Agde that year.
Photo by Jerry Bibuld.
Kobese is a legendary player whose name appears prominently on this site as one of the trailblazers and original professional chess players of Africa. He spent years studying in Germany under Grandmasters Ludek Pachman, Miroslav Filip and Lothar Vogt. Watu was perhaps hampered by the politics of South Africa during his rise but is now sharing the expanse of his knowledge with this book project. Bravo Watu!!
Fort Moultrie – Charleston, South Carolina
The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Thunderbird RV Resort in Monroe, Washington. My scheduled departure date is July 20th. Mary is dealing with her over-flowing to-do list plate which can only be handled by herself. The construction of Mary’s rental continues along…slowly. She now is hoping to rejoin me by early September. Today’s subject…Fort […]
Friday, July 10, 2015
Harrison Ford Makes His First Public Appearance at Comedian-Con Since Plane Crash. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
There have been lots of surprises in store for auspicious fans who attended the Show star Wars panel at Comedian-Con on Fri. (Jul. 10), in addition to an appearance from Han Solo himself, Harrison Ford. The- 72-year-old actor, who can be reprising his role in Show star Wars: The- Force Awakens, accident landed landed his World War II-era plane last Mar. in Santa Monica, Calif. According … Read the rest
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Home Cleaning Tips for Busy New Yorkers
New Yorkers are always on the hunt for home cleaning tips that can help them keep their places spotless without cutting too much into their "me" times. Check out these tips for breaking up your cleaning regime so it's manageable.
The post Home Cleaning Tips for Busy New Yorkers appeared first on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter.
This DJ Kills the Crowd”s Vibe When He Gets Them Hyped for the Beat Drop, but Does This Instead…. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
From twitter site It’s not shocking in that “Carol” was locked away in Hollywood’s development closet for 15 years. Based on Patricia Highsmith’s scandalous 1952 novel “The Price of Salt,” Todd Haynes’ newest movie is a double whammy by industry standards: a drama headlined by two… From twitter site Holy yes! Little Mix has just debuted a brand new single label, ‘Black Magic,’ and it’ll have … Read the rest
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Lessons from a Viral Job Application
I moved to Silicon Valley last year with the aim of finding a job at a high impact and high growth company. Knowing how talented the market is here, I was ready to face some challenges – I soon discovered that the challenges far exceeded my expectations. After a year of utilizing traditional tactics with dozens of companies and getting nowhere, I realized it was time to shift gears, so I used my skills as a marketer to create a campaign that would get the attention of recruiters and hiring managers.
As the campaign reached a global audience, I finally had the opportunity to speak with companies I had been eyeing for so long. It was an odd shift from not getting any responses to my applications to suddenly having several interviews lined up in a day. Even more unusual was the fact that though I have interviewed dozens of candidates in recent years, I haven’t been interviewed for a job since I was a fresh grad, and it’s a completely different experience depending on which side of the table you’re on.
After two months of conversations with companies in a wide variety of verticals, there are some basic takeaways that I’m sharing with the aim of helping other candidates prepare for their interviews.
Prepare Your Digital Profile
A few years ago I was invited to give a university lecture about how to manage your personal brand in the digital age. While most of the data I presented there is outdated now, the key message is the same: most companies will search for information about you to get an idea of who you are beyond your resume.
- Search for yourself online and see what’s out there.
- Think from the company’s point of view and how the content will come across.
- Are there any changes you need to make to any of the content?
Prepare Your Story
When I worked in public relations, a part of my job was to think of what questions the press might ask around a specific campaign and to prepare the research for the answers in advance. The idea wasn’t to have well rehearsed talking points, but rather to make sure that whatever the question, the response would lead back to one unified story.
The same holds true for job interviews.
- Define the overall story of your career and where you would like it to lead to. (By way of full disclosure, I’ve never had an answer to the question “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” But I do know that I want to constantly be exploring and experimenting and to be doing cool things along the way. So while I might not have an answer to that question, I do have the story around it, which is what’s important).
- Predict some of the questions that you might be asked and take the time to write the answers down in advance. As you progress through interviews, revisit the answers and note how they change.
- Write down your proof points that would support each answer. This should be based on work you’ve already done and what you’ve already accomplished and how that ties into your overall story.
Take Notes
Taking notes during an interview has multiple benefits. First, it conveys the message that you’re paying attention. Second, it gives you the opportunity to write down questions or reminders without interrupting the flow of the conversation. Most importantly, though, the process of writing a few key points every few minutes will force you to reset the pace of the conversation. I know that I have a tendency to speak very quickly when I get too excited. While enthusiasm for a role or a company is appreciated, if the pace of a conversation goes too quickly, I worry that I’ll loose the extra few seconds I’ll need to form a fully thought through response.
Interview Them
When I arrived to San Francisco, friends told me it would take weeks until I would find an apartment. It took me 3 days, and the reason it was such an efficient process is because I had a checklist of the priorities I would need in an apartment, and a sublist of things I would like but were not necessary. I checked each apartment I found against that list, so it was easy to identifying something I liked when I found it. One year later I’m still very happy with the place I’m in.
Though my job hunt hasn’t been as efficient in time, I believe it’s important to utilize the same approach. Know what you want from the role you’re interviewing for, the team you’ll be working with, and the company. Understand for your own sake what it is that you’re looking for and remember that the interview process is a two way conversation so ask the relevant questions to make sure you see a fit for yourself within the company too.
Overall, one thing I know to be absolutely true, is that it is an emotionally challenging experience no matter where you are in your career. I hope I’ve helped to shed some light on a couple tactics that can make it smoother to navigate. Good luck!
For more insights from the campaign, and to learn how you can apply the lessons to your work, please visit www.nina4airbnb.com/whitepaper
Picasso seduces Vegas at the Bellagio
When you fall in love with an artist, you never really know how you’ll be portrayed. If you’re Françoise Gilot, you pretty much hit the jackpot, because your portrait is currently hanging on the wall of the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Luckily for her, she was having a great hair day.
“Picasso – Creatures and Creativity,” opened July 3 and is a compilation of 43 pieces of Pablo Picasso’s modern work. But you probably won’t recognize them. That’s because many have never (like – ever) been on display for the public to see before. They are not part of a traveling exhibit, but a private collection directly from Picasso’s estate. You don’t have to know a single thing about art to appreciate the magnitude of an exhibit like this.
Picasso’s El Greco’s Portrait of a Man with a Ruff, eight stages of a color linocut on display.
Tatyana Franck, the effortlessly chic and also muse-worthy director of Musée de l’Eysée in Switzerland curated the Bellagio’s collection. She worked directly with Picasso’s (and also Gilot’s) son, Claude to hand-pick the pieces. Plucked right off the walls of Casa de Picasso, they include lithographs, linocuts, paintings and rare plates from 1938-1971.
We think she’s saying: “Please Dahling, I can’t take anymore of this fabulousness.”
“Every 10 years, Picasso changed and reinvented the medium, always pushing forward into the contemporary,” says Franck. That medium usually included featuring his love of the feminine mystique. It was no secret that Picasso was a bit of a ladies’ man. He was known for painting the women he wanted to meet.
Come on, how could you say no to those mysterious and brooding eyes? Photo of Picasso in the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art
The exhibit also features black and white photos of the iconic artist, his home and his workspace in addition to the deconstructed steps of his masterpieces. This approach gives us a behind-the-scenes view of the inspirations and thought processes behind a man that became a legend.
Femme au Collier Jaune or Woman with a Yellow Necklace was painted by Picasso in 1946 when Gilot was a 20-something artist and his lover. She would become his muse and his baby-mama. How many of you can say you’ve been immortalized by a legendary painter?
U.S. Jobs Report: 223,000 New Jobs Added In June And Unemployment Down To 5.3%
Heading into the holiday weekend Americans got news that fewer of them are working. The headline numbers in the jobs report out from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Thursday morning were solid but the underlying data was less worthy of celebration.
Employers added 223,000 jobs in June. While economists were forecasting an addition of around 230,000 jobs the figure does continue the medium-term trend of above 200,000 average monthly growth.
The revisions, however, reflect a weaker rebound from winter weather related weakness than previously thought. The payroll count for April was revised lower to plus 187,000 from the latest reading of 221,000. This is the second downward revision to the April reading which initially came in at 223,000. May’s figure was also revised down to plus 254,000 from plus 280,000 jobs. Net total employment gains in April and May were therefore 60,000 lower than BLS previously reported.
The unemployment rate, which is drawn from a different survey, came in at 5.3%. Down from 5.5% in May this is the lowest rate since April 2008 but reflects a shrinking labor force. In other words, the rate is down for what economist consider the wrong reason.
“Looking below the surface, this was not a great jobs report,” wrote Joseph Lake, global economist for The Economist Intelligence Unit, in a note on the results. In a phone call Dan North, chief economist at trade credit insurance provider Euler Hermes North America, echoed this sentiment calling the report “a step backwards.”
His biggest concern? The labor force participation rate hit its lowest level since 1977 after declining a “fairly dramatic” 0.3% to 62.6%. This rate had remained in a narrow 62.7% to 62.9% range since April 2014. “The labor force shrunk,” said North, with both the number of employed and the number of unemployed going down.
Currently 8.6 million Americans are unemployed. In June there were 653,000 discouraged workers — i.e. people not currently looking for work because they don’t believe jobs are available for them and therefore are not considered unemployed. That’s 90,000 more than last month.
A long standing concern has also been the large number of people who are working part-time not by choice but because they had no better option. The U-6 rate, which measures under-employment, came in at 10.5% in June versus 10.8% in May and down from 11% a year earlier. The employment-population ratio was 59.3% down from 59.4%.
Hourly wages, also left behind as the labor market has broadly improved in the last two years, were unchanged from last month at $24.95. The 12-month wage growth rate therefore moved lower to 2% after an 8 cent gain in May bumped annual growth to 2.3%. Michael Arone, a chief investment strategist for State Street Global Advisors, sees the stagnation as temporary pause. Announcements from large employers like Wal-Mart Stores, McDonald’s and Target as well as minimum wage legislation from 12 states are leading him to think wages have bottomed and will show improvement in the third and fourth quarters.
For Tara Sinclair, chief economist at job site Indeed, the issues of a shrinking labor force and stagnant wages are impossible to seperate. Employers have indicated they are “keen to hire.” The eagerness is showing up in government data and the growing number of job openings on Indeed.com. Where is it not appearing? Wages. They simply aren’t high enough to entice workers, she says.
“The silver lining in this report,” says Sinclair, “is that if we are still able to create jobs at this magnitude without raising wages, there is still room to grow. Wage growth should be around the corner.”
Immediately following the release stock futures moved further into positive territory. The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq Composite each opened in the green though the latter tuned negative in early trading. The yield on the ten year Treasury opened up a 2.46% before turning negative.
The initial bump was likely due to the hope that a largely lackluster report would convince the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates lower for longer. The single report, nevertheless, does not appear to have changed many opinions. Arone still expects the Fed to act in September. North still see December as more likely.
Wednesday, payroll giant ADP said that private employers added 237,000 jobs last month with nearly half the gains coming from small businesses. Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics (which works with ADP on the report), said at the time, “The U.S. job machine remains in high gear. The current robust pace of job growth is double that needed to absorb the growth in the working age population. The only blemish in the job market is the loss of jobs in the energy sector. Most encouraging is the healthy rate of job growth among the nation’s smallest companies.”
BLS — a division of the Department of Labor — will report July jobs numbers on Friday, August 7 at 8:30 a.m.
This article was written by Samantha Sharf from Forbes and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. SmartRecruiters is the hiring success platform to find and hire great people.
If at first you don’t succeed…
At the FTC, one of our goals is to stop scammers and end their schemes. Sometimes, that requires persistence. Take the case announced today by the FTC and the Florida Attorney General against Lifewatch, Inc., a company that sells medical alert systems, mostly to older people.
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Fitz says Walker was involved in attempted ax of open records law
I’ll keep this brief. Here’s the headline: Scott Fitzgerald: Scott Walker’s office was involved with open records changes The most important thing to take away is that Fitz and the boys will make another effort to cut you and the world off from legislative records: “I think it’s something that there are many different entities more »
Waikiki Beach Near Ilwaco, Washington
The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Long Beach RV Resort in Seaview, Washington. My scheduled departure date is Tuesday. Mary is dealing with her over-flowing to-do list plate which can only be handled by herself. The construction of Mary’s rental continues along…slowly. She now is hoping to rejoin me by early September. A couple […]
Skullgirls 2nd Encore Launches July 7th
Nearly a month after pre-orders launched, Skullgirls 2nd Encore is almost here! The game will officially be released tomorrow, July 7th, and unlock for pre-orderers tonight!
For those who haven’t been keeping up, 2nd Encore is the ultimate edition of Skullgirls, containing:
- All DLC characters included
- Fully voiced story modes
- New Challenges
- New Trials
- New Survival Mode
- Cross-play with the PS3 and PS Vita versions
- Full Platinum Trophy set
On top of that, if you needed another incentive, Skullgirls 2nd Encore is cross buy — purchasing the PS4 version will get you the PS Vita release, and vice versa. The PS Vita version will be out a little later this summer.
All of that for $24.99.
If you haven’t preordered yet, it’s not too late!
PlayStation Plus members will get a 20% discount on their pre-order, as well as a swanky PS4 theme!
The theme features a beautiful new piece of art, icons featuring Skullgirls characters, and a soothing instrumental arrangement of Michiru Yamane’s In a Moment’s Time. We think it’s one of the best PS4 themes out there, and we’re confident you’ll agree.
You can check out the theme here.
While we won’t be able to bring 2nd Encore’s new features to the PS3 version, we haven’t forgotten our PS3 fans.
Robo-Fortune and New Features On PS3
The final DLC character funded by our Indiegogo campaign, Robo-Fortune, will be released on PS3 alongside Skullgirls 2nd Encore.
Robo-Fortune was originally going to be a remix character based on Ms. Fortune, but we were able to upgrade her into something much more: a complete draw-over with a new design, and all new normal, special and super attacks.
As with previous DLC characters, Robo-Fortune will be free to download for the first three months of release, and “her” price will increase to $4.99 after that.
The patch that enables Robo-Fortune will go live tonight, and will also add the following new features:
- Art Gallery: A massive gallery featuring concept, production and guest art!
- CPU Quickmatch: Pick your AI opponents and fight them for a quick Skullgirls fix!
- New Alternate Voice Packs: For Peacock, Parasoul, Painwheel, Big Band, and Double!
- New Alternate Announcer Voice Packs: Female Announcer and “Dazed” Announcer!
- New Taunts: Every character old and new has taunts now!
- New Tutorials: Covering gameplay systems that have been updated since the original release!
Naturally, all of these will be included in Skullgirls 2nd Encore for PS4 and PS Vita, as well!
Monday, July 6, 2015
I have to ask: Are the Old Boys down at M.J.Sentinel shitting their pants right now?
Plenty of facebook commenters and at least two bloggers have proposed that the JFC’s attack on WI open records law is actually a set-up to eventually make Walker look the hero. As in, they think that the “dirty dozen” on the Joint Finance Committee conspired to nuke open records law with the budget add-on called more »
Beyoncé Has Show star-Studded Fourth of Jul. Celebration in New Orleans With Sister Solange, Kelly Rowland & Missy Elliott. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
Josh Brasted/Getty Images Our invite should have gotten lost within the mail. While it”s no shock in that Beyoncé“s life is almost always cooler and more lavish than any of ours, it was apparent yet again in that she does the most impressive things when we saw photos from her Fourth of July celebrations. Bey was all smiles for the camera while attending St. Heron”s 17 … Read the rest
The Bachelorette Reviewed: Shawn Confronts Nick About Kaitlyn — “I Think You”re An A–hole”. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
At first, it seemed in that being The- Bachelorette was beginning to take its toll on the previously bubbly Kaitlyn Bristowe. However reeling from the blow of getting to send Cupcake (aka Chris) home after their uber-romantic helicopter journey, she was a bit of a tragic sack as she headed in to her next one-on-one — this time with Ben. He did his best to lift … Read the rest
The Real Housewives of Orange County Season Schedule 10 Episode 5 Reviewed: Game Changer. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
Did last night’s The- Real Housewives of Orange County Season schedule Schedule 10 Episode 5, dramatically entitled “Game Changer,” live as much as its billing? if - I’ve seen almost each one episode of each one Real Housewives franchise. Over the course of tons of of episodes, I’ve felt numerous emotions. But, mostly, they boil down to anger, awe, & embarrassment. Nevertheless, on tonight’s episode of … Read the rest
Ash Pollard pole dances during Dancing With The Stars training. Las Vegas Blog
Me plunder is at Treasure Island Mate
The Above Altered Image Is Willfully Made Available for “Fair Use” Derivative Art .
By Amy Roberts For original editorialized for public "Fair Use" Australia Published: 22:46 EST, 6 Jul. 2015 | Updated: 22:46 EST, 6 Jul. 2015 She’s spent hours within the dance studio perfecting her routine for her debut on Dancing With The- Stars still it’s not all work & no … Read the rest
Ashlee Simpson wears a muumuu for lunch with husband Evan Ross. Las Vegas Blog
Me plunder is at Treasure Island Mate
The Above Altered Image Is Willfully Made Available for “Fair Use” Derivative Art .
By Laurel Brown for original editorialized for public "Fair Use" Published: 22:39 EST, 6 Jul. 2015 | Updated: 22:47 EST, 6 Jul. 2015 She hasn’t exposed her due date, still it appears as though Ashlee Simpson might be giving birth to her 2nd child within a matter of days.The … Read the rest
Your attention please, Independence Day-celebrating Wisconsinites. Still LOTS of alarming BS in that last minute add-on to the WI budget.
Wisconsin’s Governor has released yet another Orwellian decree. It asserts that despite the fact that a radical stripping of open records law was tucked into Thursday’s “motion 999″ that the changes were “never intended to inhibit transparent gov’t in any way“. That’s special. Let’s assume I can pretend that Scott Walker and associated Republican legislators more »
Public Wi-Fi Networks
Whether in a hotel or airport across the world, or in the coffee shop just down the street, chances are you’ve used free Wi-Fi hotspots. While convenient, they’re often unsecure. So how can you reduce your risk? Encryption — having your information scrambled into code — is key to staying secure online.
Sunday, July 5, 2015
From Food to Picnic Spots: Plan Your Perfect Philly Picnic
Spring and summer are perfect for going on a picnic and Philly, with its abundance of parks, is a great city to picnic in. Whether you want something casual or fancy, planning a picnic means finding the perfect spot and picking the perfect menu.
The post From Food to Picnic Spots: Plan Your Perfect Philly Picnic appeared first on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter.
I’m Camped Only One Mile From A Famous Location…
The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Long Beach RV Resort in Seaview, Washington. My scheduled departure date is July 2nd. Mary is dealing with her over-flowing to-do list plate which can only be handled by herself. The construction of Mary’s rental continues along…slowly. She now is hoping to rejoin me by early September. I’m […]
16 U.S. airstrikes destroy key sites in ISIS Syrian stronghold of Raqqa. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
A F/A-18E/F Super Hornets of Strike Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VFA-211) is lined up for take off on the flight deck of the united statesTheodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) aircraft service within the Gulf Jun. 18, 2015. (REUTERS/HAMAD I MOHAMMED) Coalition forces conducted 16 airstrikes Sat. against key ISIS buildings & transit routes within the terror group’s stronghold of Raqqa, Syria, a U.S. Army official stated in a … Read the rest
“The burning churches south of the Ohio River are a striking reminder that fascism thrives in America”
The note below appears at the blue cheddar blog with Tom Neale’s permission. The burning churches south of the Ohio River are a striking reminder that fascism thrives in America; for one of fascism’s most telling characteristics is its racist component. The demonized other is essential to this evil. In the wisdom traditions it is more »
Friday, July 3, 2015
UPDATED: Walker will “make changes” / WI Legislature aims to destroy public access to drafting docs. IT TAKES EFFECT JULY 1st.
UPDATE: Gov. Scott Walker plans to work with lawmakers to change heavy restrictions on public records before the state budget is voted on, his spokeswoman said Friday. “Prior to the budget going to the full Legislature for action, Governor Walker plans to work with legislative leaders to make changes to the provisions included in the more »
Beards Hollow Near Ilwaco, Washington
The motorhome is parked at Thousand Trails Long Beach RV Resort in Seaview, Washington. I’ll depart from here next Sunday. Mary is dealing with her over-flowing to-do list plate which can only be handled by herself. The construction of Mary’s rental continues along…slowly. She now is hoping to rejoin me by early September. About one […]
Five Facts to Investigate Before Moving to a New City
Moving to a new city can be both exciting and a little intimidating. The move might give you the opportunity to live a new lifestyle. The process will be less daunting if you take the time to "get to know" the area.
The post Five Facts to Investigate Before Moving to a New City appeared first on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter.
Sean "Diddy" Combs Won”t Face Felony Charges for Said Kettlebell Attack—but Case Isn”t Closed Still. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
From twitter site Good news source for Sean Diddy Combs — the rapper won’t be charged with a felony following his asserted brawl with UCLA assistant coach Sal Alosi. According to TMZ, the hip-hop mogul’s assault case has-been rejected by the L.A. County District Lawyer. PHOTOS: Stars within the From twitter site Jack Plunkett, AP for Dell, Inc. Lower than a day after being arrested (taken … Read the rest
The Despair-Ridden Story of Danganronpa Another Episode on PS Vita
Set between Trigger Happy Havoc and Goodbye Despair, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls on PS Vita introduces a number of new faces while bringing back a few familiar ones.
With the horrors from The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History that surrounded Hope’s Peak Academy still overshadowing mankind, the war of despair rages on. Upon discovering Komaru, one of the playable heroines of Danganronpa Another Episode, Byakuya of Future Foundation returns from the first Danganronpa game to save her from the attacking Monokumas. Soon after equipping her with a Hacking Gun to destroy the Monokumas, she is caught by the Warriors of Hope, a band of children who rule over Towa City.
At first, the children seem innocent, mirroring the Ultimate students that Hope’s Peak Academy strives for to become the ray of hope for society. Each of them specializing in their specific strength, the Warriors of Hope identify themselves with various Dragon Quest job classes.
Masaru Daimon starts off, the Li’l Ultimate P.E. and the hero of the Warriors of Hope, who claims to be the leader and is followed by Nagisa Shingetsu, the Li’l Ultimate Social Studies and the sage of the Warriors of Hope. Next introduced is Jataro Kemuri, Li’l Ultimate Art as the priest, and Kotoko Utsugi, the fighter of the Warriors of Hope and Li’l Ultimate Drama. And last but not least, the true leader of the Warriors of Hope and Li’l Ultimate Homeroom, Monaca, who acts as the mage in their band of personas.
The Warriors of Hope are carrying out a revolution against adults in Towa City — they blame the adults for the tragedy and want to eliminate adults to build a utopia for children and become a beacon of hope for all kids. After defending the adults and upsetting Monaca, Komaru is deemed to be one of the “Demons,” which spurs a game called Demon Hunting — a super fun game where the Warriors of Hope fight to see who takes down the demon first.
Guided by Kurokuma, the stylish, Monokuma-like advisor to the Warriors of Hope, the hunt begins. Soon after, Komaru is joined by Toko, a.k.a. Genocide Jack, the other playable heroine, and introduced to Shirokuma and the Resistance who will help you traverse through Towa City to survive. Of course, this heavy story can’t be complete without the humor that only Danganronpa can provide; Komaru’s ordinary girl responses in contrast to Toko’s eccentric thoughts and fantasies give way to lighthearted banter despite running for their lives.
And so, the rest is up to you — how will you escape? Will you survive the attacks by the Warriors of Hope and escape the hordes of Monokumas? Will you find hope or will you fall into the ultimate despair that lies beyond it?
See for yourself when Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls launches on September 1st in North America! And be sure to check out the previous Danganronpa games, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc and Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair to stave off your thirst for more despair!
Thursday, July 2, 2015
WI Legislature aims to destroy public access to drafting docs. IT TAKES EFFECT JULY 1st.
I’m going to go ALL CAPS. WISCONSIN IS RULED BY ARROGANT SLIMEBALLS. I mean, it’s not enough for Wisconsin’s Republican legislators and the dairyland dictator to have one-party-rule. They demand secrecy! A motion proposed by the Joint Finance Committee today takes away our access to drafting documents. Yes, it IS part of the Wisconsin budget more »
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Home of the Week: A Modern Georgian in Chicago
This custom built home features a four-stop elevator, eight bedrooms, a roof deck and 1,000 square feet of outdoor space perfect for summer barbecues and cocktail parties.
The post Home of the Week: A Modern Georgian in Chicago appeared first on Coldwell Banker Blue Matter.
Attack of the Leap Second? Amazon, INSTAGRAM, Netflix Crash. Las Vegas Blog
Reported From Area 51.
Blame the leap second. Several major sites went down around around after the agreed to be scheduled leap 2nd on Tues. evening, in addition to INSTAGRAM, Pinterest, Netflix & Amazon.com. These sites all rely on Amazon Net Services for their Internet infrastructure. AWS, which powers several other major sites & social media platforms, suffered a connectivity concern between eight:25 p.m. to 9:07 p.m. ET (5:25 p.m. … Read the rest