25 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi
Don't know
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Yesterday I was trusted with a two-year old for five hours. I can't change a diaper and I have no experience but I got to hang out with the girl for the afternoon. I took her to a place in Pittsburgh has animals roaming around some buffalo a few caged animals in a big pond. There was a family there with a child who is probably my age who was a little bit physically handicapped and mentally slow. He couldn't speak the tried communicating with us and it seem like other kids were afraid of them as he was very social so I just told my little friend to talk to him. I think it made his day. A little while later we saw him again and his mom gave us five dollars for a pony ride for my little friend. I think it may have made her day seeing her son socialize somebody who just treated him normally.
Friends.. life's stories
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When I was 19 or so I went to my dad's townhouse in the burbs to do laundry. I had been gone for about two years and probably went back three per times year, despite living about ten miles away.
I talked to a friend who was also at his parents' house doing similar stuff. He lived a few blocks from me and we both went to Pitt. We had a few classes together. We had been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. I would say best friends since 11 or 12 years old. By that time I was racing a ton of bmx and he started getting into it as well. Within a year of racing, he was winning the 12 year old expert field. He ended up two year streak as age group expert PA stat champion...
We hit our teenage years and dated girls who were also best friends. Lots of double dates, lots of "coupling." We continued riding together, however he was way better than me at dirt jumping. He could do BIG 360's and pretty much had no fear. I had no shortage of fear. I remember once when we were about twenty, upon meeting him a kid went "whoah... I had a photo of you on my wall growing up..." He was good.
Anyway, so we are in the burbs doing laundry and decide to go to the restaurant where we both worked as teenagers with two other good friends. Yeah we even had the same job. It was closing,so we went to a local diner, Eat n Park. The first one that we went to was SUPER crowded with teenagers on a Friday night. We left to go to another one like three miles away. Upon leaving, we were going through a traffic circle and had a weird interaction with another car. The tough guys in the car halted us by pulling in front of us and asked if we, and me in particular, had a problem. I was laughing at the situation and told the driver that yes, I had a tetanus shot the day before and I was really sore. That was my biggest problem... Ive been not funny for a long time.
So we pull out and talk about how weird that was, and how those dudes were dicks. We realized that they were following us after a couple of minutes. We continued on to the less crowded diner. Looking bag, we should have just gone to a police station, or somewhere else, but what could possibly happen.. right?
We pulled into a spot, and they pulled right up to our bumper, parking us in. We kind of collectively decided to fight them. We got out of the car and this big dude gets in my face. I remember the trial where the prosecutor asked him how much he weighed and it was something like 225 and 6'4". I was like 145 at the time. Dude is in my face and pushing me. I just kept saying "dude I am not going to fight you" like it was a mantra. I think this just made him madder. I knew this dude. He was two years younger than me in high school. The other dude in the car lived on my high school girlfriend's street.
So when the giant starts pushing me, my best friend steps between us. He was pretty strong and took the push without moving. Then the giant's friend pushes the giant away and just starts tearing at my best friend with a pretty big knife.
I dont really remember watching him getting stabbed. I do remember watching the big guy pull the stabber off. This probably saved my best friend's life. They jumped in their car and took off. My best friend was dumping blood everywhere. Like fucking everywhere. He had new shoes on and took them off, cause he didnt want to get blood on them. I dont think that he realized that he was maybe going to die. I guess he was in shock. Im not sure where everybody else in the car was at this point. My memories are super tunnel vision. We laid my best friend down and ran to find a phone... remember when there were not cell phones everywhere?
Anyway, when the paramedics said casually "we should get the helicopter"... I knew things were really bad. Anyway, this is going nowhere and is too long already, sorry. My best friend had both lungs punctured, his liver punctured and his stomach punctured. Bile went into his body and made him go septic. Like people are always like so and so "almost died" or "it was on the verge of death" ... but yeah I think he was. He lived. He spent a month or so in the hospital. He had to drop out of college, etc. There was a long shitty trial where the kid delayed the inevitable by like a year with bullshit lawyer stuff.
Like I said, this isnt really going anywhere, but was something I have been thinking about lately. I remember going home and staring at my ceiling until I passed out. I remember sitting on my living room floor calling the hospital to see if he was alive the next morning. I remember thanking him when he came to in the hospital. There is no doubt that I would have fucking died. My friend totally punched the stabber a few times and was limiting the damage as it happened. I am weak. I would have been dead. My friend told me "I would do it again" while he was in the hospital. man
There are not many people like this. Even best friends.
4th grade.
My Wedding 20 years later
I talked to a friend who was also at his parents' house doing similar stuff. He lived a few blocks from me and we both went to Pitt. We had a few classes together. We had been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. I would say best friends since 11 or 12 years old. By that time I was racing a ton of bmx and he started getting into it as well. Within a year of racing, he was winning the 12 year old expert field. He ended up two year streak as age group expert PA stat champion...
We hit our teenage years and dated girls who were also best friends. Lots of double dates, lots of "coupling." We continued riding together, however he was way better than me at dirt jumping. He could do BIG 360's and pretty much had no fear. I had no shortage of fear. I remember once when we were about twenty, upon meeting him a kid went "whoah... I had a photo of you on my wall growing up..." He was good.
Anyway, so we are in the burbs doing laundry and decide to go to the restaurant where we both worked as teenagers with two other good friends. Yeah we even had the same job. It was closing,so we went to a local diner, Eat n Park. The first one that we went to was SUPER crowded with teenagers on a Friday night. We left to go to another one like three miles away. Upon leaving, we were going through a traffic circle and had a weird interaction with another car. The tough guys in the car halted us by pulling in front of us and asked if we, and me in particular, had a problem. I was laughing at the situation and told the driver that yes, I had a tetanus shot the day before and I was really sore. That was my biggest problem... Ive been not funny for a long time.
So we pull out and talk about how weird that was, and how those dudes were dicks. We realized that they were following us after a couple of minutes. We continued on to the less crowded diner. Looking bag, we should have just gone to a police station, or somewhere else, but what could possibly happen.. right?
We pulled into a spot, and they pulled right up to our bumper, parking us in. We kind of collectively decided to fight them. We got out of the car and this big dude gets in my face. I remember the trial where the prosecutor asked him how much he weighed and it was something like 225 and 6'4". I was like 145 at the time. Dude is in my face and pushing me. I just kept saying "dude I am not going to fight you" like it was a mantra. I think this just made him madder. I knew this dude. He was two years younger than me in high school. The other dude in the car lived on my high school girlfriend's street.
So when the giant starts pushing me, my best friend steps between us. He was pretty strong and took the push without moving. Then the giant's friend pushes the giant away and just starts tearing at my best friend with a pretty big knife.
I dont really remember watching him getting stabbed. I do remember watching the big guy pull the stabber off. This probably saved my best friend's life. They jumped in their car and took off. My best friend was dumping blood everywhere. Like fucking everywhere. He had new shoes on and took them off, cause he didnt want to get blood on them. I dont think that he realized that he was maybe going to die. I guess he was in shock. Im not sure where everybody else in the car was at this point. My memories are super tunnel vision. We laid my best friend down and ran to find a phone... remember when there were not cell phones everywhere?
Anyway, when the paramedics said casually "we should get the helicopter"... I knew things were really bad. Anyway, this is going nowhere and is too long already, sorry. My best friend had both lungs punctured, his liver punctured and his stomach punctured. Bile went into his body and made him go septic. Like people are always like so and so "almost died" or "it was on the verge of death" ... but yeah I think he was. He lived. He spent a month or so in the hospital. He had to drop out of college, etc. There was a long shitty trial where the kid delayed the inevitable by like a year with bullshit lawyer stuff.
Like I said, this isnt really going anywhere, but was something I have been thinking about lately. I remember going home and staring at my ceiling until I passed out. I remember sitting on my living room floor calling the hospital to see if he was alive the next morning. I remember thanking him when he came to in the hospital. There is no doubt that I would have fucking died. My friend totally punched the stabber a few times and was limiting the damage as it happened. I am weak. I would have been dead. My friend told me "I would do it again" while he was in the hospital. man
There are not many people like this. Even best friends.
4th grade.My Wedding 20 years later
Johnstown forever
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So if there is any doubt what drives the stats behind this article today: Full home ownership here is nation's best, it really is pretty simple. Of those who did not leave Pittsburgh, we have not had many folks move around. Likely for many depressed home values prevented the type of equity appreciation that fuels normal real estate markets. That along with the lower number of people who have moved into the region translates to fewer newer mortgages out there. I know that sounds a lot less folksy than we just love our neighborhoods, but it really is hard to dispute.
So what has been true a long time is that Pittsburgh, (city, region, or something in between) has long ranked near the top in the percentage of householders who have lived in their current home the longest period of time. It follows that more folks have paid off their current mortgage as a result. The question is why. Is Pittsburgh an anomaly?
So to check that out, I pulled the data on the median year householders moved into their current homes for each and every MSA in the nation. I am getting 366 total MSAs currently defined. Here is the very low end of that ranking. Johnstown PA has, by this metric, the longest tenured folks who have not moved. Pittsburgh last the longest tenured residents among large metro areas, thus the ranking in the article today. But notice the whole Cleveburgh thing going on? Maybe it is just a greater rust belt pattern. In this bottom 11 list is Altoona, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cumberland, Wheeling, Steubenville-Weirton and Johnstown. We have moved past the rust belt history in lots of ways, but there should be no doubt the impacts linger.
MEDIAN YEAR HOUSEHOLDER MOVED INTO UNIT
2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
So what has been true a long time is that Pittsburgh, (city, region, or something in between) has long ranked near the top in the percentage of householders who have lived in their current home the longest period of time. It follows that more folks have paid off their current mortgage as a result. The question is why. Is Pittsburgh an anomaly?
So to check that out, I pulled the data on the median year householders moved into their current homes for each and every MSA in the nation. I am getting 366 total MSAs currently defined. Here is the very low end of that ranking. Johnstown PA has, by this metric, the longest tenured folks who have not moved. Pittsburgh last the longest tenured residents among large metro areas, thus the ranking in the article today. But notice the whole Cleveburgh thing going on? Maybe it is just a greater rust belt pattern. In this bottom 11 list is Altoona, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cumberland, Wheeling, Steubenville-Weirton and Johnstown. We have moved past the rust belt history in lots of ways, but there should be no doubt the impacts linger.
MEDIAN YEAR HOUSEHOLDER MOVED INTO UNIT
2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
| 356 | Altoona, PA | 1999 |
| 357 | Barnstable Town, MA | 1999 |
| 358 | Bay City, MI | 1999 |
| 359 | Danville, VA | 1999 |
| 360 | Pittsburgh, PA | 1999 |
| 361 | Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA | 1999 |
| 362 | Cumberland, MD-WV | 1998 |
| 363 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 1998 |
| 364 | Wheeling, WV-OH | 1998 |
| 365 | Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV | 1997 |
| 366 | Johnstown, PA | 1995 |
Men, migration
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Just for the infographic in itself this is worth looking at from the NYT last week: A migration of unmarried men. Pennsylvania does not seem to show up in those migration stats at all. It makes me wonder about a lot of things. Was there some vast untapped labor resource in Pennsylvania for these jobs. If so then why has the need to replace retiring coal miners been a big issue in the state for so many years now? Hmmmm....
Which is not to mean there are not gender issues here no matter. From the latest data available I get this for the distribution of new hiring across the state for the industries most impacted by oil and gas development. You might think 10% is a Mendoza line of sorts.
Which is not to mean there are not gender issues here no matter. From the latest data available I get this for the distribution of new hiring across the state for the industries most impacted by oil and gas development. You might think 10% is a Mendoza line of sorts.
Pittsburgh makes - the world takes
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Apologies to Trenton on the title. Missed this on Friday... The Bureau of Economic Analysis has new GDP data for the metro region out. For those who like to quote numbers, the Pittsburgh region's gross domestic product (which is a measure of value added) is estimated to have been $117.8 billion in 2011. An increase of 4.8% over the previous year which is a pretty good showing relative to rest of the nation.
So dark blue is good in the BEA's national map:
So dark blue is good in the BEA's national map:
24 Şubat 2013 Pazar
More changes on Tomlin's staff
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The changes continue to come on Mike Tomlin's staff as wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery has left to become and assistant coach at Duke.
Montgomery had come to the Steelers three years ago after serving as the receivers coach at Duke. He replaced Randy Fichtner, who moved from receivers coach to quarterbacks coach. Fichtner remains on the staff.
Montgomery's move marks the third departure from Tomlin's staff this offseason.
Previously, offensive line coach Sean Kugler left to become head coach at UTEP, while special teams coordinator Amos Jones left to take the same position with Arizona.
And no, Hines Ward will not be taking this job anytime soon.
It is not yet apparent what position Montgomery will serve with the Blue Devils. According to the school, offensive coordinator Kurt Roper remains with the team, though the positions of associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, wide receivers coach, passing game coordinator and special teams coordinator are open.
Montgomery had come to the Steelers three years ago after serving as the receivers coach at Duke. He replaced Randy Fichtner, who moved from receivers coach to quarterbacks coach. Fichtner remains on the staff.
Montgomery's move marks the third departure from Tomlin's staff this offseason.
Previously, offensive line coach Sean Kugler left to become head coach at UTEP, while special teams coordinator Amos Jones left to take the same position with Arizona.
And no, Hines Ward will not be taking this job anytime soon.
It is not yet apparent what position Montgomery will serve with the Blue Devils. According to the school, offensive coordinator Kurt Roper remains with the team, though the positions of associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, wide receivers coach, passing game coordinator and special teams coordinator are open.
GlobalPittsburgh's Role in Creating International Business Opportunities for Pittsburgh Region Highlighted in Article
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GlobalPittsburgh's role in creating international business opportunities for local companies and organizations, including two energy consulting jobs for a local college professor, was highlighted in a recent article in the Pittsburgh Business Times.
The article titled "Firms Eyeing Overseas Shale Opportunities" by reporter Anya Litvak published Oct. 5, 2012 describes how expertise gained in the local Marcellus shale industry can lead to business and commercial opportunities in other parts of the world where shale gas is under development.
"Pittsburgh-based companies that have successfully wedged their offerings into the Marcellus supply chain are likely to find opportunities abroad in countries just beginning the shale game," Litvak writes.
She quotes Gail Shrott, director of GlobalPittsburgh's international leaders program, who explains how GlobalPittsburgh recently has hosted leaders from several countries interested in learning more about shale gas exploration, including Poland, Morocco, France, Canada and Australia.
"Once the delegations leave, they take with them business cards from local companies working in the Marcellus," the article reads. "Shrott’s hope is that connections persist and turn into business opportunities.
"They already have for some. Kent Moors, a professor at Duquesne University and a Scholar in Residence at its Institute for Energy and the Environment, got two consulting contracts with foreign governments following meeting with delegations here. As an adviser to Poland, which is thought to have the largest shale reserves in Europe, Moors sees tremendous opportunities for western Pennsylvania companies to export their services to countries eager to tap their domestic fuel and become less dependent on Russia’s exports."
The article describes how "[l]ocal companies with specialized shale expertise and high-end technical products stand the best chance of competing for shale business abroad," and quotes Steven Murray, a Pittsburgh-based senior international trade specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service.
The article also mentions potential global business opportunities for several other local companies, including MarkWest Energy Partners, Epiphany Solar Water Systems, and Consol Energy.
GlobalPittsburgh hosts several hundred visiting international leaders every year, and is paying closer attention to the continuing economic benefits created by those visits in the form of ongoing business and academic partnerships.
For more information on becoming a resource for visiting delegations, please contact Gail Shrott at 412-392-4513 or gshrott@globalpittsburgh.org.
Business Times subscribers can read the full article at http://bit.ly/RblrZN.
The article titled "Firms Eyeing Overseas Shale Opportunities" by reporter Anya Litvak published Oct. 5, 2012 describes how expertise gained in the local Marcellus shale industry can lead to business and commercial opportunities in other parts of the world where shale gas is under development."Pittsburgh-based companies that have successfully wedged their offerings into the Marcellus supply chain are likely to find opportunities abroad in countries just beginning the shale game," Litvak writes.
She quotes Gail Shrott, director of GlobalPittsburgh's international leaders program, who explains how GlobalPittsburgh recently has hosted leaders from several countries interested in learning more about shale gas exploration, including Poland, Morocco, France, Canada and Australia.
"Once the delegations leave, they take with them business cards from local companies working in the Marcellus," the article reads. "Shrott’s hope is that connections persist and turn into business opportunities.
"They already have for some. Kent Moors, a professor at Duquesne University and a Scholar in Residence at its Institute for Energy and the Environment, got two consulting contracts with foreign governments following meeting with delegations here. As an adviser to Poland, which is thought to have the largest shale reserves in Europe, Moors sees tremendous opportunities for western Pennsylvania companies to export their services to countries eager to tap their domestic fuel and become less dependent on Russia’s exports."
The article describes how "[l]ocal companies with specialized shale expertise and high-end technical products stand the best chance of competing for shale business abroad," and quotes Steven Murray, a Pittsburgh-based senior international trade specialist with the U.S. Commercial Service.
The article also mentions potential global business opportunities for several other local companies, including MarkWest Energy Partners, Epiphany Solar Water Systems, and Consol Energy.
GlobalPittsburgh hosts several hundred visiting international leaders every year, and is paying closer attention to the continuing economic benefits created by those visits in the form of ongoing business and academic partnerships.
For more information on becoming a resource for visiting delegations, please contact Gail Shrott at 412-392-4513 or gshrott@globalpittsburgh.org.
Business Times subscribers can read the full article at http://bit.ly/RblrZN.
Machu Picchu Trip Being Raffled By Group with Ties to Pittsburgh Helping Weavers in Peru's Andes Mountains
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Pittsburghers have a chance to win a trip for two to legendary Machu Picchu and other sites in Peru through a non-profit organization called Awamaki with its U.S. base in Pittsburgh that helps Peruvian women access international markets for their textile goods.
Awamaki is selling only 150 tickets for $100 each (tax-deductible). One grand prize winner will enjoy:
· Roundtrip airfare for two from a major US city to Cusco, Peru
· Ground transport from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
· Entrance fees and train tickets to Machu Picchu
· Seven nights hotel accommodation
· A trip to Patacancha, where most Awamaki textiles are made
· A lesson with a local artisan
· Welcome and departure meals
· Full package value of $5,000+
Second and third prizes are textiles of $100 and $50 value respectively.
Awamaki sells handwoven textiles made by cooperatives of indigenous Quechua women in remote communities in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Profits are reinvested in those communities in the form of healthcare and educational facilities, according to Anne Marie Toccket, who represents the organization in Pittsburgh. Awamaki goods can be found at La Feria and other locations in the Pittsburgh area, she said.
To purchase a ticket, send email to Toccket at aut112@gmail.com or via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NWWCG4M5SGMUN.
Checks, money orders and credit cards are accepted. Buyers will receive their ticket(s) in the mail in 3-5 days, and the drawing will be held on Nov. 7. Tickets are available for purchase until Nov. 2.
Awamaki is selling only 150 tickets for $100 each (tax-deductible). One grand prize winner will enjoy:· Roundtrip airfare for two from a major US city to Cusco, Peru
· Ground transport from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
· Entrance fees and train tickets to Machu Picchu
· Seven nights hotel accommodation
· A trip to Patacancha, where most Awamaki textiles are made
· A lesson with a local artisan
· Welcome and departure meals
· Full package value of $5,000+
Second and third prizes are textiles of $100 and $50 value respectively.
Awamaki sells handwoven textiles made by cooperatives of indigenous Quechua women in remote communities in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Profits are reinvested in those communities in the form of healthcare and educational facilities, according to Anne Marie Toccket, who represents the organization in Pittsburgh. Awamaki goods can be found at La Feria and other locations in the Pittsburgh area, she said.
To purchase a ticket, send email to Toccket at aut112@gmail.com or via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NWWCG4M5SGMUN.
Checks, money orders and credit cards are accepted. Buyers will receive their ticket(s) in the mail in 3-5 days, and the drawing will be held on Nov. 7. Tickets are available for purchase until Nov. 2.
Don't know
To contact us Click HERE
Yesterday I was trusted with a two-year old for five hours. I can't change a diaper and I have no experience but I got to hang out with the girl for the afternoon. I took her to a place in Pittsburgh has animals roaming around some buffalo a few caged animals in a big pond. There was a family there with a child who is probably my age who was a little bit physically handicapped and mentally slow. He couldn't speak the tried communicating with us and it seem like other kids were afraid of them as he was very social so I just told my little friend to talk to him. I think it made his day. A little while later we saw him again and his mom gave us five dollars for a pony ride for my little friend. I think it may have made her day seeing her son socialize somebody who just treated him normally.
Friends.. life's stories
To contact us Click HERE
When I was 19 or so I went to my dad's townhouse in the burbs to do laundry. I had been gone for about two years and probably went back three per times year, despite living about ten miles away.
I talked to a friend who was also at his parents' house doing similar stuff. He lived a few blocks from me and we both went to Pitt. We had a few classes together. We had been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. I would say best friends since 11 or 12 years old. By that time I was racing a ton of bmx and he started getting into it as well. Within a year of racing, he was winning the 12 year old expert field. He ended up two year streak as age group expert PA stat champion...
We hit our teenage years and dated girls who were also best friends. Lots of double dates, lots of "coupling." We continued riding together, however he was way better than me at dirt jumping. He could do BIG 360's and pretty much had no fear. I had no shortage of fear. I remember once when we were about twenty, upon meeting him a kid went "whoah... I had a photo of you on my wall growing up..." He was good.
Anyway, so we are in the burbs doing laundry and decide to go to the restaurant where we both worked as teenagers with two other good friends. Yeah we even had the same job. It was closing,so we went to a local diner, Eat n Park. The first one that we went to was SUPER crowded with teenagers on a Friday night. We left to go to another one like three miles away. Upon leaving, we were going through a traffic circle and had a weird interaction with another car. The tough guys in the car halted us by pulling in front of us and asked if we, and me in particular, had a problem. I was laughing at the situation and told the driver that yes, I had a tetanus shot the day before and I was really sore. That was my biggest problem... Ive been not funny for a long time.
So we pull out and talk about how weird that was, and how those dudes were dicks. We realized that they were following us after a couple of minutes. We continued on to the less crowded diner. Looking bag, we should have just gone to a police station, or somewhere else, but what could possibly happen.. right?
We pulled into a spot, and they pulled right up to our bumper, parking us in. We kind of collectively decided to fight them. We got out of the car and this big dude gets in my face. I remember the trial where the prosecutor asked him how much he weighed and it was something like 225 and 6'4". I was like 145 at the time. Dude is in my face and pushing me. I just kept saying "dude I am not going to fight you" like it was a mantra. I think this just made him madder. I knew this dude. He was two years younger than me in high school. The other dude in the car lived on my high school girlfriend's street.
So when the giant starts pushing me, my best friend steps between us. He was pretty strong and took the push without moving. Then the giant's friend pushes the giant away and just starts tearing at my best friend with a pretty big knife.
I dont really remember watching him getting stabbed. I do remember watching the big guy pull the stabber off. This probably saved my best friend's life. They jumped in their car and took off. My best friend was dumping blood everywhere. Like fucking everywhere. He had new shoes on and took them off, cause he didnt want to get blood on them. I dont think that he realized that he was maybe going to die. I guess he was in shock. Im not sure where everybody else in the car was at this point. My memories are super tunnel vision. We laid my best friend down and ran to find a phone... remember when there were not cell phones everywhere?
Anyway, when the paramedics said casually "we should get the helicopter"... I knew things were really bad. Anyway, this is going nowhere and is too long already, sorry. My best friend had both lungs punctured, his liver punctured and his stomach punctured. Bile went into his body and made him go septic. Like people are always like so and so "almost died" or "it was on the verge of death" ... but yeah I think he was. He lived. He spent a month or so in the hospital. He had to drop out of college, etc. There was a long shitty trial where the kid delayed the inevitable by like a year with bullshit lawyer stuff.
Like I said, this isnt really going anywhere, but was something I have been thinking about lately. I remember going home and staring at my ceiling until I passed out. I remember sitting on my living room floor calling the hospital to see if he was alive the next morning. I remember thanking him when he came to in the hospital. There is no doubt that I would have fucking died. My friend totally punched the stabber a few times and was limiting the damage as it happened. I am weak. I would have been dead. My friend told me "I would do it again" while he was in the hospital. man
There are not many people like this. Even best friends.
4th grade.
My Wedding 20 years later
I talked to a friend who was also at his parents' house doing similar stuff. He lived a few blocks from me and we both went to Pitt. We had a few classes together. We had been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. I would say best friends since 11 or 12 years old. By that time I was racing a ton of bmx and he started getting into it as well. Within a year of racing, he was winning the 12 year old expert field. He ended up two year streak as age group expert PA stat champion...
We hit our teenage years and dated girls who were also best friends. Lots of double dates, lots of "coupling." We continued riding together, however he was way better than me at dirt jumping. He could do BIG 360's and pretty much had no fear. I had no shortage of fear. I remember once when we were about twenty, upon meeting him a kid went "whoah... I had a photo of you on my wall growing up..." He was good.
Anyway, so we are in the burbs doing laundry and decide to go to the restaurant where we both worked as teenagers with two other good friends. Yeah we even had the same job. It was closing,so we went to a local diner, Eat n Park. The first one that we went to was SUPER crowded with teenagers on a Friday night. We left to go to another one like three miles away. Upon leaving, we were going through a traffic circle and had a weird interaction with another car. The tough guys in the car halted us by pulling in front of us and asked if we, and me in particular, had a problem. I was laughing at the situation and told the driver that yes, I had a tetanus shot the day before and I was really sore. That was my biggest problem... Ive been not funny for a long time.
So we pull out and talk about how weird that was, and how those dudes were dicks. We realized that they were following us after a couple of minutes. We continued on to the less crowded diner. Looking bag, we should have just gone to a police station, or somewhere else, but what could possibly happen.. right?
We pulled into a spot, and they pulled right up to our bumper, parking us in. We kind of collectively decided to fight them. We got out of the car and this big dude gets in my face. I remember the trial where the prosecutor asked him how much he weighed and it was something like 225 and 6'4". I was like 145 at the time. Dude is in my face and pushing me. I just kept saying "dude I am not going to fight you" like it was a mantra. I think this just made him madder. I knew this dude. He was two years younger than me in high school. The other dude in the car lived on my high school girlfriend's street.
So when the giant starts pushing me, my best friend steps between us. He was pretty strong and took the push without moving. Then the giant's friend pushes the giant away and just starts tearing at my best friend with a pretty big knife.
I dont really remember watching him getting stabbed. I do remember watching the big guy pull the stabber off. This probably saved my best friend's life. They jumped in their car and took off. My best friend was dumping blood everywhere. Like fucking everywhere. He had new shoes on and took them off, cause he didnt want to get blood on them. I dont think that he realized that he was maybe going to die. I guess he was in shock. Im not sure where everybody else in the car was at this point. My memories are super tunnel vision. We laid my best friend down and ran to find a phone... remember when there were not cell phones everywhere?
Anyway, when the paramedics said casually "we should get the helicopter"... I knew things were really bad. Anyway, this is going nowhere and is too long already, sorry. My best friend had both lungs punctured, his liver punctured and his stomach punctured. Bile went into his body and made him go septic. Like people are always like so and so "almost died" or "it was on the verge of death" ... but yeah I think he was. He lived. He spent a month or so in the hospital. He had to drop out of college, etc. There was a long shitty trial where the kid delayed the inevitable by like a year with bullshit lawyer stuff.
Like I said, this isnt really going anywhere, but was something I have been thinking about lately. I remember going home and staring at my ceiling until I passed out. I remember sitting on my living room floor calling the hospital to see if he was alive the next morning. I remember thanking him when he came to in the hospital. There is no doubt that I would have fucking died. My friend totally punched the stabber a few times and was limiting the damage as it happened. I am weak. I would have been dead. My friend told me "I would do it again" while he was in the hospital. man
There are not many people like this. Even best friends.
4th grade.My Wedding 20 years later
23 Şubat 2013 Cumartesi
Paleofuture Pittsburgh Riverfront
To contact us Click HERE
This is... well, it just is. The caption there says: "An imaginative waterfront snack-bar like this in Oslo, Norway is just as feasible in Pittsburgh"
Who needs Prince Charles? Anyway, this really is from: A Master Plan for the development of riverfronts and hillsides in the City of Pittsburgh (1959) - An analysis of the best possible uses, for the enhancement of its citizens, prepared by Griswold, Winters and Swain, Lanscape Architects, under the direction of the Department of Parks and Recreation. July Cover had Ozzie and Harriet gone dowsing:
Who needs Prince Charles? Anyway, this really is from: A Master Plan for the development of riverfronts and hillsides in the City of Pittsburgh (1959) - An analysis of the best possible uses, for the enhancement of its citizens, prepared by Griswold, Winters and Swain, Lanscape Architects, under the direction of the Department of Parks and Recreation. July Cover had Ozzie and Harriet gone dowsing:
Passive Buildings vs Active Marketing: What's In a Name?
To contact us Click HERE
First published by Greenbiz 2011-08-17 and covered by Treehugger
Part 1
"Passive" construction is an innovative building technique that reduces energy requirements for heating, cooling and ventilating up to 80 percent. The occupants are more comfortable since a passive building provides consistent temperatures, eliminates drafts and circulates fresh, filtered air. Impressive!
Would You Name Your Concept "Inert" or "Inactive"?
The name passive construction is from the German passive building movement -- PassivHaus. The term "passive" is meant to convey that the building uses mostly non-mechanical methods for heating, cooling and ventilation. This is in contrast to the typical modern building where "active" mechanical systems do most of the work.
Although scientifically correct, the name "passive" creates a poor first impression with an English speaking non-technical audience. Passive is usually used when you want to describe someone or something that is submissive, inert or inactive. Not exactly a word that triggers interest. "Passive" extinguishes any thoughts of innovation or quality.
With A Poor Name, the Consumer May Tune Out Before You Can Educate
Some may think that with solid marketing a poor name can be overcome. The effort is likely to be considerable because most of us use shortcuts to manage complexity. A name is one of those shortcuts.
With limited opportunity to gain the consumer's attention, why waste a marketing effort to correct a deficit that can be easily turned into an asset?
But Is Marketing Even Appropriate?
Some may find marketing distasteful since marketing has been used to hard-sell products that may be dubious at best or outright harmful for the consumer and the environment.
Philip Kotler, the father of modern marketing, explains that virtuous "Marketing is the art of creating genuine customer value. It is the art of helping your customers become better off."
The intention is to practice virtuous marketing to get more sustainable practices and products adopted. The term "passive," used in this context, requires a detailed explanation before most people get it. In the long run, poor marketing will likely hinder and great marketing will help the acceptance of passive and other green buildings.
First Things First: Define the Marketing Strategy
The name is just one part of the marketing mix and to be most effective it should complement the overall marketing strategy.
Reis & Ries advised in the marketing classic The Origins of Brands to first find weaknesses in the leading brand. Then show the consumer how the new brand is the next revolutionary step and diverges from the old category. Brands that excelled at this repositioning are:
Let's explore potential brand positions by contrasting the mechanical house --- the current standard to the energy efficient house. This exercise is to find opposing attributes.
In part 2, we will define three brand positions from the set of opposing attributes. Read more >>
Imagine Your Project's Successful AdoptionContact me to understand how to position your project for success claudia@g3biz.com
Part 1
"Passive" construction is an innovative building technique that reduces energy requirements for heating, cooling and ventilating up to 80 percent. The occupants are more comfortable since a passive building provides consistent temperatures, eliminates drafts and circulates fresh, filtered air. Impressive!Would You Name Your Concept "Inert" or "Inactive"?
The name passive construction is from the German passive building movement -- PassivHaus. The term "passive" is meant to convey that the building uses mostly non-mechanical methods for heating, cooling and ventilation. This is in contrast to the typical modern building where "active" mechanical systems do most of the work.
Although scientifically correct, the name "passive" creates a poor first impression with an English speaking non-technical audience. Passive is usually used when you want to describe someone or something that is submissive, inert or inactive. Not exactly a word that triggers interest. "Passive" extinguishes any thoughts of innovation or quality.
With A Poor Name, the Consumer May Tune Out Before You Can Educate
Some may think that with solid marketing a poor name can be overcome. The effort is likely to be considerable because most of us use shortcuts to manage complexity. A name is one of those shortcuts.
- Is "Jennifer" more attractive than "Gertrude"? Yes. Researchers Willis and Henderson found an attractive name makes the person seem more attractive. When showing participants unnamed photos of two attractive women, both received equal votes when asked who is "most attractive". The results changed dramatically when labeled "Jennifer" and "Gertrude." "Jennifer" was then selected 60 percent more frequently.
- Can "free" be a poor offer? Yes. The founders of "free software" movement thought they had the perfect name. But corporate and other customers were wary of a product that was free. Free software took off when it was rebranded as "open source".
- Is "Caverject" a new James Bond weapon? No, it is an injectable erectile dysfunction drug. Three years after Caverject's launch, Pfizer planned a new approach to market directly to consumers. Pfizer's customer focus paid off. The new drug was christened "Viagra."
With limited opportunity to gain the consumer's attention, why waste a marketing effort to correct a deficit that can be easily turned into an asset?
But Is Marketing Even Appropriate?
Some may find marketing distasteful since marketing has been used to hard-sell products that may be dubious at best or outright harmful for the consumer and the environment.
Philip Kotler, the father of modern marketing, explains that virtuous "Marketing is the art of creating genuine customer value. It is the art of helping your customers become better off."
The intention is to practice virtuous marketing to get more sustainable practices and products adopted. The term "passive," used in this context, requires a detailed explanation before most people get it. In the long run, poor marketing will likely hinder and great marketing will help the acceptance of passive and other green buildings.
First Things First: Define the Marketing Strategy
The name is just one part of the marketing mix and to be most effective it should complement the overall marketing strategy.
Reis & Ries advised in the marketing classic The Origins of Brands to first find weaknesses in the leading brand. Then show the consumer how the new brand is the next revolutionary step and diverges from the old category. Brands that excelled at this repositioning are:
- Starbucks robust taste diverges from regular (weak) coffee
- Mercedes / Lexus (next generation of luxury) diverges from Cadillac / Lincoln (your dad's version of luxury)
- Silk soy (nature's perfect protein) milk diverges from traditional (lactose) milk
Let's explore potential brand positions by contrasting the mechanical house --- the current standard to the energy efficient house. This exercise is to find opposing attributes.
In part 2, we will define three brand positions from the set of opposing attributes. Read more >>
Imagine Your Project's Successful AdoptionContact me to understand how to position your project for success claudia@g3biz.comHow SAP's Software Benefits Poor Rural Women In Ghana
To contact us Click HERE
First published by GreenBiz 2012-01-20
Fatima Abdulai is a wife, mother and the first link in the shea supply chain. The fruit she gathers in the northern Ghana bush is the source of shea butter -- the luxurious ingredient in cosmetics and chocolates.
Fatima Abdulai is one of millions of poor rural women who scrape out a living where they find opportunity. In Ghana, the opportunity is the shea nut. In other places, it may be cocoa, cashews, coffee, or hand-made goods. A small loan, efficient technology, and practical advice are the support these women need to help them maximize those opportunities.
Shea trees are also valuable to the global environment. They store carbon and reduce erosion that puts dust in the air. Increasing shea's worth will ensure that the shea trees are not displaced by other cash crops which use more natural resources and create GHG emissions.
Shea has been an important rural food and medicinal for centuries. Gathering and processing shea was always considered "women's work." In the last few years, exporters started selling nuts and butter to manufacturers in the U.S., Europe and Asia. But shea pays poorly for women like Mrs. Abdulai because middlemen take advantage of individual producers.
Opportunities for women are limited in northern Ghana. For her widowed daughter-in-law, shea is her primary source of income. If Mrs. Abdulai earns enough with shea and her other ventures, she is able to continue her children's secondary education. The U.N. reports that secondary school enrollment is about half the national average in northern Ghana where Mrs. Abdulai resides.
After learning about women like Mrs. Abdulai, SAP -- the business software giant -- sought to help as part of its corporate social responsibility program. But SAP wanted to make more than a financial contribution. SAP believed that its business management technology "that helps companies run better" could be applied to the shea trade.
Improved agricultural trade could benefit more than a billion people who live in poverty in rural areas. "Agriculture is an engine for growth and poverty reduction..." states a World Bank report [PDF], "Research has shown that every dollar of growth from agricultural products sold outside the local area in poor African countries leads to a second dollar of local rural growth."
SAP partnered with PlaNet Finance, an international non-profit that specializes in microfinance and technical assistance. PlaNet welcomed SAP's hands-on approach.
"We find that companies that put sweat equity into their social projects", said Ivana Damjanov, deputy director of operations, PlaNet Finance, "are more engaged and stay with it for the long-term."
Both partners found the basics were in-place in rural Ghana for the project to succeed; political stability, growing mobile communications infrastructure, and a product with demand on the global market.
SAP recruited a few of its top employees for 6-month fellowships on the Ghana project. During field visits, they learned from Mrs. Abdulai and other women that providing solutions would require more than technology to succeed.
Mrs. Abdulai typically gathers at dawn so she can help her husband on his small farm and manage the household. It is a 15 minute walk to the shea trees where she collects 30 to 35 pounds of fruit before she heaves her basket to her head and trudges back to the village. In the course of the season, she collects almost a ton of fruit.
Vipers, mambas and scorpions lurk in the elephant grass where Mrs. Abdulai collects shea. 1,040 snakebite cases were recorded last year by Northern Regional Ghana Health Service, but incidents are believed to be underreported. Mrs. Abdulai is lucky; she has avoided a snake bite, so far. Unlike her daughter, who was bitten and others who perished.
When she returns home, the next step is to remove the skin and fruit pulp to expose the shea nut, which resembles a spherical avocado pit. Mrs. Abldulai saves some of the fruit, which sustains the family in the "hungry season" when crops have just been planted.
It takes up to two months of drying before the nuts are ready to be transformed into butter. Rushing the drying may also reduce quality. During bad years, Mrs. Abdulai was forced to sell the shea nuts prematurely. She was desperate for cash to buy food, school supplies and other essentials.
The value of shea nuts are diminished considerably with an early sale: A Stanford University study found that the price differential is as much as 82 percent [PDF] for premium nuts that are dried properly.
Because of poor record keeping, Mrs. Abdulai worried that not all of the nuts would be accounted for and she would be short-changed. She has good reason to worry, it turns out: "Some three-quarters of all adults in the north are illiterate," reports the U.N. -- including Mrs. Abdulai and the women in her village who do shea work.
Brokers come to the villages since it is difficult to get to the market. The brokers buy the small batches of butter and nuts and then sell at a large mark-up to the exporters or other manufacturers. Mrs. Abdulai's cache of nuts in past seasons was only enough to partly pay for one child's tuition. She heard that manufacturers pay much more than what the brokers offer the small producers, but what could she do.
Working with SAP and PlaNet Finance colleagues around the globe, the project team developed a holistic solution to resolve the core issues.
The program also cultivated Mrs. Abdulai's leadership skills. She said, "I used to be very shy, but now I educate my colleagues, organize the association leaders and assist them in carrying out their roles."
Imagine Building an App to Connect With Your Customers and StakeholdersContact me to understand how to develop a simple app that compliments your brand strategyclaudia@g3biz.com
To learn more about other IT Green services >>
Fatima Abdulai is a wife, mother and the first link in the shea supply chain. The fruit she gathers in the northern Ghana bush is the source of shea butter -- the luxurious ingredient in cosmetics and chocolates.
Fatima Abdulai is one of millions of poor rural women who scrape out a living where they find opportunity. In Ghana, the opportunity is the shea nut. In other places, it may be cocoa, cashews, coffee, or hand-made goods. A small loan, efficient technology, and practical advice are the support these women need to help them maximize those opportunities.
Shea trees are also valuable to the global environment. They store carbon and reduce erosion that puts dust in the air. Increasing shea's worth will ensure that the shea trees are not displaced by other cash crops which use more natural resources and create GHG emissions.Shea has been an important rural food and medicinal for centuries. Gathering and processing shea was always considered "women's work." In the last few years, exporters started selling nuts and butter to manufacturers in the U.S., Europe and Asia. But shea pays poorly for women like Mrs. Abdulai because middlemen take advantage of individual producers.
Opportunities for women are limited in northern Ghana. For her widowed daughter-in-law, shea is her primary source of income. If Mrs. Abdulai earns enough with shea and her other ventures, she is able to continue her children's secondary education. The U.N. reports that secondary school enrollment is about half the national average in northern Ghana where Mrs. Abdulai resides.
After learning about women like Mrs. Abdulai, SAP -- the business software giant -- sought to help as part of its corporate social responsibility program. But SAP wanted to make more than a financial contribution. SAP believed that its business management technology "that helps companies run better" could be applied to the shea trade.
Improved agricultural trade could benefit more than a billion people who live in poverty in rural areas. "Agriculture is an engine for growth and poverty reduction..." states a World Bank report [PDF], "Research has shown that every dollar of growth from agricultural products sold outside the local area in poor African countries leads to a second dollar of local rural growth."
SAP partnered with PlaNet Finance, an international non-profit that specializes in microfinance and technical assistance. PlaNet welcomed SAP's hands-on approach.
"We find that companies that put sweat equity into their social projects", said Ivana Damjanov, deputy director of operations, PlaNet Finance, "are more engaged and stay with it for the long-term."
Both partners found the basics were in-place in rural Ghana for the project to succeed; political stability, growing mobile communications infrastructure, and a product with demand on the global market.
SAP recruited a few of its top employees for 6-month fellowships on the Ghana project. During field visits, they learned from Mrs. Abdulai and other women that providing solutions would require more than technology to succeed.
Mrs. Abdulai typically gathers at dawn so she can help her husband on his small farm and manage the household. It is a 15 minute walk to the shea trees where she collects 30 to 35 pounds of fruit before she heaves her basket to her head and trudges back to the village. In the course of the season, she collects almost a ton of fruit.
Vipers, mambas and scorpions lurk in the elephant grass where Mrs. Abdulai collects shea. 1,040 snakebite cases were recorded last year by Northern Regional Ghana Health Service, but incidents are believed to be underreported. Mrs. Abdulai is lucky; she has avoided a snake bite, so far. Unlike her daughter, who was bitten and others who perished.
When she returns home, the next step is to remove the skin and fruit pulp to expose the shea nut, which resembles a spherical avocado pit. Mrs. Abldulai saves some of the fruit, which sustains the family in the "hungry season" when crops have just been planted.
It takes up to two months of drying before the nuts are ready to be transformed into butter. Rushing the drying may also reduce quality. During bad years, Mrs. Abdulai was forced to sell the shea nuts prematurely. She was desperate for cash to buy food, school supplies and other essentials.The value of shea nuts are diminished considerably with an early sale: A Stanford University study found that the price differential is as much as 82 percent [PDF] for premium nuts that are dried properly.
Because of poor record keeping, Mrs. Abdulai worried that not all of the nuts would be accounted for and she would be short-changed. She has good reason to worry, it turns out: "Some three-quarters of all adults in the north are illiterate," reports the U.N. -- including Mrs. Abdulai and the women in her village who do shea work.
Brokers come to the villages since it is difficult to get to the market. The brokers buy the small batches of butter and nuts and then sell at a large mark-up to the exporters or other manufacturers. Mrs. Abdulai's cache of nuts in past seasons was only enough to partly pay for one child's tuition. She heard that manufacturers pay much more than what the brokers offer the small producers, but what could she do.
Working with SAP and PlaNet Finance colleagues around the globe, the project team developed a holistic solution to resolve the core issues.
• Dangerous working conditions: Provide boots, gloves and coats to protect women gathering shea fruit.
• Uneven cash flow: Make microloans to support families until nuts are sold at full market value.
• No data: Build an order management tool --- Rural Sourcing Management (RSM) --- to capture and share key data about the product and market prices. The tool uses mobile technology, cloud computing and SAP software. The RSM tool is used by field officers, who are literate and able to use the technology after training.
• Product quality: Educate women on how to improve quality to satisfy the standards set by highest paying customers.
• Weak position as sellers: Set up an association, Star Shea Network, among small shea producers to eliminate the brokers. Recruit a more educated person in the community to record notes from meetings and assist with bookkeeping. Negotiate a long-term contract with a manufacturer seeking organic, fair trade and high-quality shea nuts and butter. The detailed product data provided by the new system and consistent quality were key factors in closing the deal.Under the new program, Mrs. Abdulai joined the association. She qualified for loans to purchase additional tailoring machines for her small business and protective gear for picking. She has repaid these loans. With the additional income she earned, Mrs. Abdulai paid school fees for her three children. Mrs. Abdulai is grateful that the program "opened up her shea business to the world."
The program also cultivated Mrs. Abdulai's leadership skills. She said, "I used to be very shy, but now I educate my colleagues, organize the association leaders and assist them in carrying out their roles."
Imagine Building an App to Connect With Your Customers and StakeholdersContact me to understand how to develop a simple app that compliments your brand strategyclaudia@g3biz.com
To learn more about other IT Green services >>
What's the Right Model for Acquiring Professional Services Contractors?
To contact us Click HERE
Is acquiring a paperclip the same as acquiring an IT specialist? Many large companies acquireprofessional service contractors --- such as IT, marketing and HR --- using asimilar program as they use when buying supplies, equipment, raw materials ormerchandise.
Yet many hiring managersand contract recruiters find the hiring process is unsatisfactory due to timespent vetting candidates or removing contractors that are a poor fit.
So why is the suppliespurchasing model not as effective for professional contractors? An importantprinciple of systems thinking is to apply the right model for the environment.What fits for one context when transplanted to a different context --- evenwhen they appear similar --- may cause problems.
This article exploresthe rationale for the current model, issues and a better approach.
Rationale for Paper Clip Purchasing Model
The solution to such amess is to consolidate the number of vendors and products, leverage the firm's buying power to negotiatevolume discounts and insert a strong centralized purchasingfunction. Often systems are implemented to manage the process.
Given the success ofthis approach, it is natural to apply it to a similar looking mess as theacquisition of talent. The purchaser / product user is the hiring manager.The providers are the professional services contract recruiting firms. Theproduct is the IT, marketing or HR expert. The mess is created whenindividual hiring managers develop relationships with their favorite providers.
How are Paper Clips and IT Specialists Different?
1. Product
Hiring managers providefuzzy specs. Either the specs are too vague that too many ill-suited candidatesare presented; or so narrow and specific that few candidates can be found.
Each candidate is aunique combination of experiences, skills and personality quirks. The good recruitersinterpret the fuzzy requirements to find the right talent.
When purchasing puts awall between recruiters and hiring managers, the dynamics change fromrelationships to checking the box that the candidate meets the requisitionrequirements often leading to disappointing results.
2. Negotiations
3. Cost Structure
Unlike paper clips, consolidatingto fewer providers may create less incentive for the contract recruiter.
Acquiring more talentfrom a particular contract recruiter does not reduce costs dramatically sinceeach new search incurs its own set of costs. Also the professionals have amarket rate and are not under the control of the contract recruiter.
Contract recruiters havesome flexibility on price. They may reduce their margin. The best way to reduceprice is to remind providers that there is a competitive pool of other vendorswaiting to replace them.
What Model Works Better for Talent
Russell Ackoff, apioneering system thinker, cautioned against using mechanistic type models suchas the purchasing of paper clips to humans. “In the long run, such mismatches produce lessdesirable results because critical aspects of the social system are omitted.”continues Ackoff “The more skilled the workers, the harder they are to replace.”[2]
A better model forcontract talent acquisition is a hybrid approach. Specifically:
References
2. Systems thinking is highlighted in Russell Ackoff’s book Re-creating the Corporation.
Is acquiring a paperclip the same as acquiring an IT specialist? Many large companies acquireprofessional service contractors --- such as IT, marketing and HR --- using asimilar program as they use when buying supplies, equipment, raw materials ormerchandise.Yet many hiring managersand contract recruiters find the hiring process is unsatisfactory due to timespent vetting candidates or removing contractors that are a poor fit.
So why is the suppliespurchasing model not as effective for professional contractors? An importantprinciple of systems thinking is to apply the right model for the environment.What fits for one context when transplanted to a different context --- evenwhen they appear similar --- may cause problems.
This article exploresthe rationale for the current model, issues and a better approach.
Rationale for Paper Clip Purchasing Model
The solution to such amess is to consolidate the number of vendors and products, leverage the firm's buying power to negotiatevolume discounts and insert a strong centralized purchasingfunction. Often systems are implemented to manage the process.
Given the success ofthis approach, it is natural to apply it to a similar looking mess as theacquisition of talent. The purchaser / product user is the hiring manager.The providers are the professional services contract recruiting firms. Theproduct is the IT, marketing or HR expert. The mess is created whenindividual hiring managers develop relationships with their favorite providers.
How are Paper Clips and IT Specialists Different?
1. Product
Hiring managers providefuzzy specs. Either the specs are too vague that too many ill-suited candidatesare presented; or so narrow and specific that few candidates can be found.
Each candidate is aunique combination of experiences, skills and personality quirks. The good recruitersinterpret the fuzzy requirements to find the right talent.
When purchasing puts awall between recruiters and hiring managers, the dynamics change fromrelationships to checking the box that the candidate meets the requisitionrequirements often leading to disappointing results.
2. Negotiations
3. Cost Structure
Unlike paper clips, consolidatingto fewer providers may create less incentive for the contract recruiter.
- Each search for a contract recruiter is a new competition, whilepaper clips are bought in bulk.
- With centralized purchasing, the contract recruiter is likely to competewith many more firms for that search. Previously the hiring manager had a fewfavorites.
- With more competition for each opening, there is less incentivefor the contract recruiter to work diligently on the opening since many otherfirms are going after the same pool of candidates. It becomes a race to presentas many candidates as possible rather than a few quality candidates.
Acquiring more talentfrom a particular contract recruiter does not reduce costs dramatically sinceeach new search incurs its own set of costs. Also the professionals have amarket rate and are not under the control of the contract recruiter.
Contract recruiters havesome flexibility on price. They may reduce their margin. The best way to reduceprice is to remind providers that there is a competitive pool of other vendorswaiting to replace them.
What Model Works Better for Talent
Russell Ackoff, apioneering system thinker, cautioned against using mechanistic type models suchas the purchasing of paper clips to humans. “In the long run, such mismatches produce lessdesirable results because critical aspects of the social system are omitted.”continues Ackoff “The more skilled the workers, the harder they are to replace.”[2]A better model forcontract talent acquisition is a hybrid approach. Specifically:
- Centralized purchasing to resolve the issue where product users are on average poorer negotiators than the purchasing professionals. Centralized purchasing would define consistent contract terms / conditions and rate structure. Systems are useful to manage.
- The hiring manager and contractor recruiters would build strong relationships to facilitate matching the best talent for an opening.
References
2. Systems thinking is highlighted in Russell Ackoff’s book Re-creating the Corporation.
Machu Picchu Trip Being Raffled By Group with Ties to Pittsburgh Helping Weavers in Peru's Andes Mountains
To contact us Click HERE
Pittsburghers have a chance to win a trip for two to legendary Machu Picchu and other sites in Peru through a non-profit organization called Awamaki with its U.S. base in Pittsburgh that helps Peruvian women access international markets for their textile goods.
Awamaki is selling only 150 tickets for $100 each (tax-deductible). One grand prize winner will enjoy:
· Roundtrip airfare for two from a major US city to Cusco, Peru
· Ground transport from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
· Entrance fees and train tickets to Machu Picchu
· Seven nights hotel accommodation
· A trip to Patacancha, where most Awamaki textiles are made
· A lesson with a local artisan
· Welcome and departure meals
· Full package value of $5,000+
Second and third prizes are textiles of $100 and $50 value respectively.
Awamaki sells handwoven textiles made by cooperatives of indigenous Quechua women in remote communities in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Profits are reinvested in those communities in the form of healthcare and educational facilities, according to Anne Marie Toccket, who represents the organization in Pittsburgh. Awamaki goods can be found at La Feria and other locations in the Pittsburgh area, she said.
To purchase a ticket, send email to Toccket at aut112@gmail.com or via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NWWCG4M5SGMUN.
Checks, money orders and credit cards are accepted. Buyers will receive their ticket(s) in the mail in 3-5 days, and the drawing will be held on Nov. 7. Tickets are available for purchase until Nov. 2.
Awamaki is selling only 150 tickets for $100 each (tax-deductible). One grand prize winner will enjoy:· Roundtrip airfare for two from a major US city to Cusco, Peru
· Ground transport from Cusco to Ollantaytambo
· Entrance fees and train tickets to Machu Picchu
· Seven nights hotel accommodation
· A trip to Patacancha, where most Awamaki textiles are made
· A lesson with a local artisan
· Welcome and departure meals
· Full package value of $5,000+
Second and third prizes are textiles of $100 and $50 value respectively.
Awamaki sells handwoven textiles made by cooperatives of indigenous Quechua women in remote communities in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Profits are reinvested in those communities in the form of healthcare and educational facilities, according to Anne Marie Toccket, who represents the organization in Pittsburgh. Awamaki goods can be found at La Feria and other locations in the Pittsburgh area, she said.
To purchase a ticket, send email to Toccket at aut112@gmail.com or via PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=NWWCG4M5SGMUN.
Checks, money orders and credit cards are accepted. Buyers will receive their ticket(s) in the mail in 3-5 days, and the drawing will be held on Nov. 7. Tickets are available for purchase until Nov. 2.
22 Şubat 2013 Cuma
Breaston, Steelers seem like a good match ... but
To contact us Click HERE
When Steve Breaston was released by Kansas City earlier this week, the questions immediately started to come.
Wouldn't Breaston and the Steelers be a perfect fit?
In an ideal world, certainly. But the Steelers aren't currently dealing with ideal circumstances.
Because the salary cap did not increase this year, the Steelers find themselves some $14 million over the cap with the free agency period set to begin in a couple of weeks.
In other words, to sign Breaston, the Steelers would have to part ways with some veterans.
The Steelers will likely rework the contracts of Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Antonio Brown and maybe even LaMarr Woodley to help them get under the cap.
They could also ask James Harrison and Willie Colon to take pay cuts - though Harrison's would probably have to come in the form of at least a one-year extension.
But that's a lot of movement of contracts to work out and still figure out a way to sign a free agent or two.
And Breaston, who had 61 catches in 2011 with Todd Haley as Kansas City's coach before falling off to seven in 2012, might not want to wait for the Steelers to sift through their salary cap mess to sign a new deal. He'll have other suitors, some who might even offer more than the minimum wage deal the Steelers would likely pony up.
Then again, Breaston has already followed Haley from Arizona to Kansas City and is known to have a good relationship with the Steelers offensive coordinator. So maybe he'll wait until the Steelers have room before the former Woodland Hills star signs with his old team.
Wouldn't Breaston and the Steelers be a perfect fit?
In an ideal world, certainly. But the Steelers aren't currently dealing with ideal circumstances.
Because the salary cap did not increase this year, the Steelers find themselves some $14 million over the cap with the free agency period set to begin in a couple of weeks.
In other words, to sign Breaston, the Steelers would have to part ways with some veterans.
The Steelers will likely rework the contracts of Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller, Antonio Brown and maybe even LaMarr Woodley to help them get under the cap.
They could also ask James Harrison and Willie Colon to take pay cuts - though Harrison's would probably have to come in the form of at least a one-year extension.
But that's a lot of movement of contracts to work out and still figure out a way to sign a free agent or two.
And Breaston, who had 61 catches in 2011 with Todd Haley as Kansas City's coach before falling off to seven in 2012, might not want to wait for the Steelers to sift through their salary cap mess to sign a new deal. He'll have other suitors, some who might even offer more than the minimum wage deal the Steelers would likely pony up.
Then again, Breaston has already followed Haley from Arizona to Kansas City and is known to have a good relationship with the Steelers offensive coordinator. So maybe he'll wait until the Steelers have room before the former Woodland Hills star signs with his old team.
Colbert speaks
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Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert doesn't speak publicly often, so when he does, it's usually newsworthy - even though Colbert is often very guarded with what he says.
Today was no different.
Colbert addressed the media today in Indianapolis at the combine and did his usual dance of saying a lot while really not tipping his hand too much. It's truly an art form.
What he did say, however, was that he and head coach Mike Tomlin have their finger on the pulse of the team's locker room and he really doesn't see a fracture there as some players have suggested after linebacker LaMarr Woodley was ripped by an anonymous player earlier this week in a story in the Post-Gazette.
Was their some "me first" stuff in the locker room this year? Certainly.
But really, that wasn't any different than any other year. People have been quick to rip Mike Wallace for that perceived attitude forget that Hines Ward once held out as well.
And Ward was also a player who got upset when he didn't get the ball as much as he thought he should - though he handled it a different way, making veiled comments in the media.
Who could forget all of the Roethlisberger and Ward don't like each other stuff? True or not, they coexisted because both men knew they needed the other.
* Colbert also said that the Steelers haven't opened any negotiations with players on contract restructures or extensions, but will do so once they return from Indianapolis.
The Steelers are about $14 million over the 2013 cap and must be under it by March 12.
Picking up that $14 million won't be as difficult as some have said.
The Steelers can extend some key veterans - Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller and even Ryan Clark - and restructure some others such as Antonio Brown, Woodley and Lawrence Timmons to clear space.
Colbert did mention Woodley by name - especially after he was ripped anonymously earlier this week by a teammate - as a player the Steelers would have no problem restructuring or extending. They feel Woodley will bounce back after an injury-plagued last season and a half.
There is some evidence to back that up. Woodley was a beast in training camp last season, so much so that head coach Mike Tomlin was using him as the measuring stick for the tight ends on backers vs. tight ends drills.
Woodley manhandled all of the team's tight ends.
But with James Harrison out early, opponents were able to focus their blocking schemes on Woodley. And by the time Harrison returned, Woodley was dealing with ankle and hamstring issues.
Today was no different.
Colbert addressed the media today in Indianapolis at the combine and did his usual dance of saying a lot while really not tipping his hand too much. It's truly an art form.
What he did say, however, was that he and head coach Mike Tomlin have their finger on the pulse of the team's locker room and he really doesn't see a fracture there as some players have suggested after linebacker LaMarr Woodley was ripped by an anonymous player earlier this week in a story in the Post-Gazette.
Was their some "me first" stuff in the locker room this year? Certainly.
But really, that wasn't any different than any other year. People have been quick to rip Mike Wallace for that perceived attitude forget that Hines Ward once held out as well.
And Ward was also a player who got upset when he didn't get the ball as much as he thought he should - though he handled it a different way, making veiled comments in the media.
Who could forget all of the Roethlisberger and Ward don't like each other stuff? True or not, they coexisted because both men knew they needed the other.
* Colbert also said that the Steelers haven't opened any negotiations with players on contract restructures or extensions, but will do so once they return from Indianapolis.
The Steelers are about $14 million over the 2013 cap and must be under it by March 12.
Picking up that $14 million won't be as difficult as some have said.
The Steelers can extend some key veterans - Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller and even Ryan Clark - and restructure some others such as Antonio Brown, Woodley and Lawrence Timmons to clear space.
Colbert did mention Woodley by name - especially after he was ripped anonymously earlier this week by a teammate - as a player the Steelers would have no problem restructuring or extending. They feel Woodley will bounce back after an injury-plagued last season and a half.
There is some evidence to back that up. Woodley was a beast in training camp last season, so much so that head coach Mike Tomlin was using him as the measuring stick for the tight ends on backers vs. tight ends drills.
Woodley manhandled all of the team's tight ends.
But with James Harrison out early, opponents were able to focus their blocking schemes on Woodley. And by the time Harrison returned, Woodley was dealing with ankle and hamstring issues.
Don't know
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Yesterday I was trusted with a two-year old for five hours. I can't change a diaper and I have no experience but I got to hang out with the girl for the afternoon. I took her to a place in Pittsburgh has animals roaming around some buffalo a few caged animals in a big pond. There was a family there with a child who is probably my age who was a little bit physically handicapped and mentally slow. He couldn't speak the tried communicating with us and it seem like other kids were afraid of them as he was very social so I just told my little friend to talk to him. I think it made his day. A little while later we saw him again and his mom gave us five dollars for a pony ride for my little friend. I think it may have made her day seeing her son socialize somebody who just treated him normally.
Friends.. life's stories
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When I was 19 or so I went to my dad's townhouse in the burbs to do laundry. I had been gone for about two years and probably went back three per times year, despite living about ten miles away.
I talked to a friend who was also at his parents' house doing similar stuff. He lived a few blocks from me and we both went to Pitt. We had a few classes together. We had been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. I would say best friends since 11 or 12 years old. By that time I was racing a ton of bmx and he started getting into it as well. Within a year of racing, he was winning the 12 year old expert field. He ended up two year streak as age group expert PA stat champion...
We hit our teenage years and dated girls who were also best friends. Lots of double dates, lots of "coupling." We continued riding together, however he was way better than me at dirt jumping. He could do BIG 360's and pretty much had no fear. I had no shortage of fear. I remember once when we were about twenty, upon meeting him a kid went "whoah... I had a photo of you on my wall growing up..." He was good.
Anyway, so we are in the burbs doing laundry and decide to go to the restaurant where we both worked as teenagers with two other good friends. Yeah we even had the same job. It was closing,so we went to a local diner, Eat n Park. The first one that we went to was SUPER crowded with teenagers on a Friday night. We left to go to another one like three miles away. Upon leaving, we were going through a traffic circle and had a weird interaction with another car. The tough guys in the car halted us by pulling in front of us and asked if we, and me in particular, had a problem. I was laughing at the situation and told the driver that yes, I had a tetanus shot the day before and I was really sore. That was my biggest problem... Ive been not funny for a long time.
So we pull out and talk about how weird that was, and how those dudes were dicks. We realized that they were following us after a couple of minutes. We continued on to the less crowded diner. Looking bag, we should have just gone to a police station, or somewhere else, but what could possibly happen.. right?
We pulled into a spot, and they pulled right up to our bumper, parking us in. We kind of collectively decided to fight them. We got out of the car and this big dude gets in my face. I remember the trial where the prosecutor asked him how much he weighed and it was something like 225 and 6'4". I was like 145 at the time. Dude is in my face and pushing me. I just kept saying "dude I am not going to fight you" like it was a mantra. I think this just made him madder. I knew this dude. He was two years younger than me in high school. The other dude in the car lived on my high school girlfriend's street.
So when the giant starts pushing me, my best friend steps between us. He was pretty strong and took the push without moving. Then the giant's friend pushes the giant away and just starts tearing at my best friend with a pretty big knife.
I dont really remember watching him getting stabbed. I do remember watching the big guy pull the stabber off. This probably saved my best friend's life. They jumped in their car and took off. My best friend was dumping blood everywhere. Like fucking everywhere. He had new shoes on and took them off, cause he didnt want to get blood on them. I dont think that he realized that he was maybe going to die. I guess he was in shock. Im not sure where everybody else in the car was at this point. My memories are super tunnel vision. We laid my best friend down and ran to find a phone... remember when there were not cell phones everywhere?
Anyway, when the paramedics said casually "we should get the helicopter"... I knew things were really bad. Anyway, this is going nowhere and is too long already, sorry. My best friend had both lungs punctured, his liver punctured and his stomach punctured. Bile went into his body and made him go septic. Like people are always like so and so "almost died" or "it was on the verge of death" ... but yeah I think he was. He lived. He spent a month or so in the hospital. He had to drop out of college, etc. There was a long shitty trial where the kid delayed the inevitable by like a year with bullshit lawyer stuff.
Like I said, this isnt really going anywhere, but was something I have been thinking about lately. I remember going home and staring at my ceiling until I passed out. I remember sitting on my living room floor calling the hospital to see if he was alive the next morning. I remember thanking him when he came to in the hospital. There is no doubt that I would have fucking died. My friend totally punched the stabber a few times and was limiting the damage as it happened. I am weak. I would have been dead. My friend told me "I would do it again" while he was in the hospital. man
There are not many people like this. Even best friends.
4th grade.
My Wedding 20 years later
I talked to a friend who was also at his parents' house doing similar stuff. He lived a few blocks from me and we both went to Pitt. We had a few classes together. We had been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. I would say best friends since 11 or 12 years old. By that time I was racing a ton of bmx and he started getting into it as well. Within a year of racing, he was winning the 12 year old expert field. He ended up two year streak as age group expert PA stat champion...
We hit our teenage years and dated girls who were also best friends. Lots of double dates, lots of "coupling." We continued riding together, however he was way better than me at dirt jumping. He could do BIG 360's and pretty much had no fear. I had no shortage of fear. I remember once when we were about twenty, upon meeting him a kid went "whoah... I had a photo of you on my wall growing up..." He was good.
Anyway, so we are in the burbs doing laundry and decide to go to the restaurant where we both worked as teenagers with two other good friends. Yeah we even had the same job. It was closing,so we went to a local diner, Eat n Park. The first one that we went to was SUPER crowded with teenagers on a Friday night. We left to go to another one like three miles away. Upon leaving, we were going through a traffic circle and had a weird interaction with another car. The tough guys in the car halted us by pulling in front of us and asked if we, and me in particular, had a problem. I was laughing at the situation and told the driver that yes, I had a tetanus shot the day before and I was really sore. That was my biggest problem... Ive been not funny for a long time.
So we pull out and talk about how weird that was, and how those dudes were dicks. We realized that they were following us after a couple of minutes. We continued on to the less crowded diner. Looking bag, we should have just gone to a police station, or somewhere else, but what could possibly happen.. right?
We pulled into a spot, and they pulled right up to our bumper, parking us in. We kind of collectively decided to fight them. We got out of the car and this big dude gets in my face. I remember the trial where the prosecutor asked him how much he weighed and it was something like 225 and 6'4". I was like 145 at the time. Dude is in my face and pushing me. I just kept saying "dude I am not going to fight you" like it was a mantra. I think this just made him madder. I knew this dude. He was two years younger than me in high school. The other dude in the car lived on my high school girlfriend's street.
So when the giant starts pushing me, my best friend steps between us. He was pretty strong and took the push without moving. Then the giant's friend pushes the giant away and just starts tearing at my best friend with a pretty big knife.
I dont really remember watching him getting stabbed. I do remember watching the big guy pull the stabber off. This probably saved my best friend's life. They jumped in their car and took off. My best friend was dumping blood everywhere. Like fucking everywhere. He had new shoes on and took them off, cause he didnt want to get blood on them. I dont think that he realized that he was maybe going to die. I guess he was in shock. Im not sure where everybody else in the car was at this point. My memories are super tunnel vision. We laid my best friend down and ran to find a phone... remember when there were not cell phones everywhere?
Anyway, when the paramedics said casually "we should get the helicopter"... I knew things were really bad. Anyway, this is going nowhere and is too long already, sorry. My best friend had both lungs punctured, his liver punctured and his stomach punctured. Bile went into his body and made him go septic. Like people are always like so and so "almost died" or "it was on the verge of death" ... but yeah I think he was. He lived. He spent a month or so in the hospital. He had to drop out of college, etc. There was a long shitty trial where the kid delayed the inevitable by like a year with bullshit lawyer stuff.
Like I said, this isnt really going anywhere, but was something I have been thinking about lately. I remember going home and staring at my ceiling until I passed out. I remember sitting on my living room floor calling the hospital to see if he was alive the next morning. I remember thanking him when he came to in the hospital. There is no doubt that I would have fucking died. My friend totally punched the stabber a few times and was limiting the damage as it happened. I am weak. I would have been dead. My friend told me "I would do it again" while he was in the hospital. man
There are not many people like this. Even best friends.
4th grade.My Wedding 20 years later
Seeing about 150,000 in furniture..
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One cool thing about my job is seeing neat houses, neat buildings and cool renovations.
I was in a house a few days ago. It was built around 1910. It looks like a standard Pittsburgh house from the exterior. Probably about 3400 sq ft, brick, Victorian...
The current owner is an architect, or was an architect and is now retired. He gutted the house to studs in 1960 and made it "mid century modern" inside. This was neat, because you would never expect it from the outside.
Anyway, all of his furniture was period correct. My buyers were wandering about the house as we were wrapping up and I started talking to him. Usually Sellers leave, but sometimes when they are old, they just hang out and answer questions.
I asked who made his table, chairs and a few other pieces in the dining room...
He tells me that George Nakashima did. I asked him where he got them. "From George" he said in a matter of fact manner.
I can go on the record as saying that I dont give a fuck about expensive stuff, especially furniture. I dont harp or DWELL (get it) on it. I really do not care. However I was really into this stuff, and I was pretty sure that I knew who he was, but didnt want to put my foot in my mouth...
Anyway, I went home and googled him a bunch to find out that some of his dining tables alone are selling for 100k. He also made the Peace Table at the Hague. It was more art than furniture and it did stand out in such a way.
Yes this is one of the most exciting things that has happened to me recently
Looked very similar to this, with super rad chairs.
I was in a house a few days ago. It was built around 1910. It looks like a standard Pittsburgh house from the exterior. Probably about 3400 sq ft, brick, Victorian...
The current owner is an architect, or was an architect and is now retired. He gutted the house to studs in 1960 and made it "mid century modern" inside. This was neat, because you would never expect it from the outside.
Anyway, all of his furniture was period correct. My buyers were wandering about the house as we were wrapping up and I started talking to him. Usually Sellers leave, but sometimes when they are old, they just hang out and answer questions.
I asked who made his table, chairs and a few other pieces in the dining room...
He tells me that George Nakashima did. I asked him where he got them. "From George" he said in a matter of fact manner.
I can go on the record as saying that I dont give a fuck about expensive stuff, especially furniture. I dont harp or DWELL (get it) on it. I really do not care. However I was really into this stuff, and I was pretty sure that I knew who he was, but didnt want to put my foot in my mouth...
Anyway, I went home and googled him a bunch to find out that some of his dining tables alone are selling for 100k. He also made the Peace Table at the Hague. It was more art than furniture and it did stand out in such a way.
Yes this is one of the most exciting things that has happened to me recently
Looked very similar to this, with super rad chairs.
21 Şubat 2013 Perşembe
Nigerian Governor Visiting Pittsburgh to Discuss Potential Partnerships & Opportunities; Connect with Local Programs
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Government officials, business and community leaders from Allegheny County and Osun State, Nigeria will gather this week to strategize about ways the two areas can work together and learn from each other.
Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and high-ranking members of his delegation are scheduled to meet this week with Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Marie C. Johns, SBA Deputy Administrator who also will be visiting the region, as well local business representatives, faith-based groups and community organizations.
The governor will visit La Roche College, Manchester Bidwell Training Center and the Braddock Pot Shop, a ceramic water filter factory. The visit will end with a Black History Month Celebration and dinner at the Kingsley Association in East Liberty.
A highlight of the visit will be a Roundtable Business Forum scheduled for 5 p.m. Feb. 21 also at the Kingsley Center. Co-hosted by Christian Evangelistic Economic Development (CEED) and the Allegheny County Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, the Forum will provide the opportunity to discuss current business opportunities in Nigeria and possible international trade partnerships, and investment opportunities for small businesses.
"The Roundtable is the second in our series of meetings to connect Southwestern Pennsylvania small businesses and institutions to the dynamic global market," said Rufus Idris, Executive Director of CEED.
To register for the Forum, call 412-450-8070 or send email to ridris@usaceed.org.
Gov. Aregbesola's visit has been preceded by visits from high-ranking members of his administration to explore ways to learn from Pittsburgh’s transformation from a heavily polluted smoky city to a city now globally recognized as a green leader that has successfully managed to improve its economy and environmental stewardship.
With this visit, Gov. Aregbesola plans to continue establishing partnerships in the areas of transformational leadership practices, business-to-business partnerships and win-win investments opportunities, educational exchange programs, import and export relationships, green technology and environment, health care, agriculture and cultural exchange and tours.
A rising star in Nigerian politics, Gov. Aregbesola is an engineer and political activist who between 1999 and 2007 led the bold beginnings of the infrastructural transformation of Lagos, one of the world’s largest megacities. Widely acknowledged as an exceptional grassroots campaigner and mobilizer, he has served as Governor of Osun State since 2010.
As Governor, he has focused on strengthening the state in the areas of agriculture, economic development, youth employment, education and security. His vision for the state is encapsulated in a Six Point Integral Action Plan to banish poverty, hunger and unemployment; to restore healthy living; to promote functional education and to enhance communal peace and progress. His plan seeks to ensure that the fruits of economic development positively impact as many lives as possible. The various meetings and events throughout the two days are hosted by CEED, Allegheny County MWDBE Department, the Kinsley Association, Union of African Communities in Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Osun State Government.
CEED is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free micro-enterprise and small business start-up support to area businesses, both in the City of Pittsburgh and the ten surrounding counties. The organization
works to create opportunities for community growth and economic sustainability throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania using a small business assistance program called SKILLS TO WEALTH.
- Diane I. Daniels
 |
| Gov. Aregbesola |
The governor will visit La Roche College, Manchester Bidwell Training Center and the Braddock Pot Shop, a ceramic water filter factory. The visit will end with a Black History Month Celebration and dinner at the Kingsley Association in East Liberty.
A highlight of the visit will be a Roundtable Business Forum scheduled for 5 p.m. Feb. 21 also at the Kingsley Center. Co-hosted by Christian Evangelistic Economic Development (CEED) and the Allegheny County Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, the Forum will provide the opportunity to discuss current business opportunities in Nigeria and possible international trade partnerships, and investment opportunities for small businesses.
"The Roundtable is the second in our series of meetings to connect Southwestern Pennsylvania small businesses and institutions to the dynamic global market," said Rufus Idris, Executive Director of CEED.
To register for the Forum, call 412-450-8070 or send email to ridris@usaceed.org.
Gov. Aregbesola's visit has been preceded by visits from high-ranking members of his administration to explore ways to learn from Pittsburgh’s transformation from a heavily polluted smoky city to a city now globally recognized as a green leader that has successfully managed to improve its economy and environmental stewardship.
With this visit, Gov. Aregbesola plans to continue establishing partnerships in the areas of transformational leadership practices, business-to-business partnerships and win-win investments opportunities, educational exchange programs, import and export relationships, green technology and environment, health care, agriculture and cultural exchange and tours.
A rising star in Nigerian politics, Gov. Aregbesola is an engineer and political activist who between 1999 and 2007 led the bold beginnings of the infrastructural transformation of Lagos, one of the world’s largest megacities. Widely acknowledged as an exceptional grassroots campaigner and mobilizer, he has served as Governor of Osun State since 2010.
As Governor, he has focused on strengthening the state in the areas of agriculture, economic development, youth employment, education and security. His vision for the state is encapsulated in a Six Point Integral Action Plan to banish poverty, hunger and unemployment; to restore healthy living; to promote functional education and to enhance communal peace and progress. His plan seeks to ensure that the fruits of economic development positively impact as many lives as possible. The various meetings and events throughout the two days are hosted by CEED, Allegheny County MWDBE Department, the Kinsley Association, Union of African Communities in Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Osun State Government.
CEED is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides free micro-enterprise and small business start-up support to area businesses, both in the City of Pittsburgh and the ten surrounding counties. The organization
works to create opportunities for community growth and economic sustainability throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania using a small business assistance program called SKILLS TO WEALTH.
- Diane I. Daniels
Pittsburgh Asked by U.S. Olympic Committee About Interest in Hosting 2024 Summer Olympics
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Could Pittsburgh host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games? The U.S. Olympic Committee wants to know.
The Associated Press news service is reporting that the USOC sent letters to the mayors of Pittsburgh and 34 other U.S. cities this week to gauge interest in a potential bid to bring the Summer Olympics back to the country for the first time since 1996.
"Our objective in this process is to identify a partner city that can work with us to present a compelling bid to the IOC and that has the right alignment of political, business and community leadership," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in the letter.
Following failed bids by New York and Chicago for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, the USOC is taking a measured approach before moving ahead with a new campaign and wants to be sure it has a good chance of winning.
"This letter does not guarantee that the USOC will bid for the 2024 Games, but rather is an initial step in evaluating a potential bid," the committee said.
The letters were sent to mayors of the country's 25 largest cities — including New York, Chicago and former Olympic host cities Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis — and 10 others.
The USOC has also said it would consider whether to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, although the bigger and more prestigious Summer Games would seem to be the preference.
The U.S. hasn't hosted the Summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996; Salt Lake City was the last American city to stage the Winter Games in 2002.
Los Angeles, Dallas and Tulsa, Okla., are among the cities that have expressed interest in hosting the 2024 Games. New York, Chicago and San Francisco have either bid or expressed interest in bidding in the past and could also get in the mix.
New York finished fourth in the international bidding for the 2012 Olympics, which went to London. Chicago suffered a stinging first-round exit in the vote for the 2016 Games, which were awarded to Rio de Janeiro.
Chicago's defeat was blamed partly on the revenue-sharing feud between the USOC and IOC. The two sides have since resolved the dispute and signed a new agreement that clears the way for a U.S. bid. USOC leaders have also worked hard to improve the committee's standing in the international Olympic community.
"Now more than ever, we need to use the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to encourage our youth to be active and engaged in sport," Blackmun wrote.
Other cities around the world that have expressed interest in bidding for the 2024 Games include Paris; Rome; Doha, Dubai; and Durban, South Africa. The IOC vote on the 2024 Games will be held in 2017.
The USOC is skipping the bidding for the 2020 Olympics. The three candidates for those games are Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo, with the IOC to vote Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The USOC said Tuesday it has 2½ years to decide whether to submit a 2024 bid and would do so in an "economically efficient way."
While New York and Chicago were selected by the USOC after a domestic bid process that cost up to $10 million, the USOC said it would embark on any new bid through "a thoughtful but more efficient process."
The USOC letter sought to remind the mayors of the huge undertaking involved in hosting the Olympics. Blackmun noted that the operating costs would be in excess of $3 billion, a figure that does not include venue construction and infrastructure costs.
The city would also require 45,000 hotel rooms, an Olympic village for 16,500 athletes and officials, an international airport and a workforce of up to 200,000, the letter said.
"The games have had a transformative impact on a number of host cities, including Barcelona, Beijing and London," Blackmun said.
The Associated Press news service is reporting that the USOC sent letters to the mayors of Pittsburgh and 34 other U.S. cities this week to gauge interest in a potential bid to bring the Summer Olympics back to the country for the first time since 1996."Our objective in this process is to identify a partner city that can work with us to present a compelling bid to the IOC and that has the right alignment of political, business and community leadership," USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said in the letter.
Following failed bids by New York and Chicago for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, the USOC is taking a measured approach before moving ahead with a new campaign and wants to be sure it has a good chance of winning.
"This letter does not guarantee that the USOC will bid for the 2024 Games, but rather is an initial step in evaluating a potential bid," the committee said.
The letters were sent to mayors of the country's 25 largest cities — including New York, Chicago and former Olympic host cities Los Angeles, Atlanta and St. Louis — and 10 others.
The USOC has also said it would consider whether to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, although the bigger and more prestigious Summer Games would seem to be the preference.
The U.S. hasn't hosted the Summer Olympics since Atlanta in 1996; Salt Lake City was the last American city to stage the Winter Games in 2002.
Los Angeles, Dallas and Tulsa, Okla., are among the cities that have expressed interest in hosting the 2024 Games. New York, Chicago and San Francisco have either bid or expressed interest in bidding in the past and could also get in the mix.
New York finished fourth in the international bidding for the 2012 Olympics, which went to London. Chicago suffered a stinging first-round exit in the vote for the 2016 Games, which were awarded to Rio de Janeiro.
Chicago's defeat was blamed partly on the revenue-sharing feud between the USOC and IOC. The two sides have since resolved the dispute and signed a new agreement that clears the way for a U.S. bid. USOC leaders have also worked hard to improve the committee's standing in the international Olympic community.
"Now more than ever, we need to use the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to encourage our youth to be active and engaged in sport," Blackmun wrote.
Other cities around the world that have expressed interest in bidding for the 2024 Games include Paris; Rome; Doha, Dubai; and Durban, South Africa. The IOC vote on the 2024 Games will be held in 2017.
The USOC is skipping the bidding for the 2020 Olympics. The three candidates for those games are Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo, with the IOC to vote Sept. 7 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The USOC said Tuesday it has 2½ years to decide whether to submit a 2024 bid and would do so in an "economically efficient way."
While New York and Chicago were selected by the USOC after a domestic bid process that cost up to $10 million, the USOC said it would embark on any new bid through "a thoughtful but more efficient process."
The USOC letter sought to remind the mayors of the huge undertaking involved in hosting the Olympics. Blackmun noted that the operating costs would be in excess of $3 billion, a figure that does not include venue construction and infrastructure costs.
The city would also require 45,000 hotel rooms, an Olympic village for 16,500 athletes and officials, an international airport and a workforce of up to 200,000, the letter said.
"The games have had a transformative impact on a number of host cities, including Barcelona, Beijing and London," Blackmun said.
Passive Buildings vs Active Marketing: What's In a Name?
To contact us Click HERE
First published by Greenbiz 2011-08-17 and covered by Treehugger
Part 1
"Passive" construction is an innovative building technique that reduces energy requirements for heating, cooling and ventilating up to 80 percent. The occupants are more comfortable since a passive building provides consistent temperatures, eliminates drafts and circulates fresh, filtered air. Impressive!
Would You Name Your Concept "Inert" or "Inactive"?
The name passive construction is from the German passive building movement -- PassivHaus. The term "passive" is meant to convey that the building uses mostly non-mechanical methods for heating, cooling and ventilation. This is in contrast to the typical modern building where "active" mechanical systems do most of the work.
Although scientifically correct, the name "passive" creates a poor first impression with an English speaking non-technical audience. Passive is usually used when you want to describe someone or something that is submissive, inert or inactive. Not exactly a word that triggers interest. "Passive" extinguishes any thoughts of innovation or quality.
With A Poor Name, the Consumer May Tune Out Before You Can Educate
Some may think that with solid marketing a poor name can be overcome. The effort is likely to be considerable because most of us use shortcuts to manage complexity. A name is one of those shortcuts.
With limited opportunity to gain the consumer's attention, why waste a marketing effort to correct a deficit that can be easily turned into an asset?
But Is Marketing Even Appropriate?
Some may find marketing distasteful since marketing has been used to hard-sell products that may be dubious at best or outright harmful for the consumer and the environment.
Philip Kotler, the father of modern marketing, explains that virtuous "Marketing is the art of creating genuine customer value. It is the art of helping your customers become better off."
The intention is to practice virtuous marketing to get more sustainable practices and products adopted. The term "passive," used in this context, requires a detailed explanation before most people get it. In the long run, poor marketing will likely hinder and great marketing will help the acceptance of passive and other green buildings.
First Things First: Define the Marketing Strategy
The name is just one part of the marketing mix and to be most effective it should complement the overall marketing strategy.
Reis & Ries advised in the marketing classic The Origins of Brands to first find weaknesses in the leading brand. Then show the consumer how the new brand is the next revolutionary step and diverges from the old category. Brands that excelled at this repositioning are:
Let's explore potential brand positions by contrasting the mechanical house --- the current standard to the energy efficient house. This exercise is to find opposing attributes.
In part 2, we will define three brand positions from the set of opposing attributes. Read more >>
Imagine Your Project's Successful AdoptionContact me to understand how to position your project for success claudia@g3biz.com
Part 1
"Passive" construction is an innovative building technique that reduces energy requirements for heating, cooling and ventilating up to 80 percent. The occupants are more comfortable since a passive building provides consistent temperatures, eliminates drafts and circulates fresh, filtered air. Impressive!Would You Name Your Concept "Inert" or "Inactive"?
The name passive construction is from the German passive building movement -- PassivHaus. The term "passive" is meant to convey that the building uses mostly non-mechanical methods for heating, cooling and ventilation. This is in contrast to the typical modern building where "active" mechanical systems do most of the work.
Although scientifically correct, the name "passive" creates a poor first impression with an English speaking non-technical audience. Passive is usually used when you want to describe someone or something that is submissive, inert or inactive. Not exactly a word that triggers interest. "Passive" extinguishes any thoughts of innovation or quality.
With A Poor Name, the Consumer May Tune Out Before You Can Educate
Some may think that with solid marketing a poor name can be overcome. The effort is likely to be considerable because most of us use shortcuts to manage complexity. A name is one of those shortcuts.
- Is "Jennifer" more attractive than "Gertrude"? Yes. Researchers Willis and Henderson found an attractive name makes the person seem more attractive. When showing participants unnamed photos of two attractive women, both received equal votes when asked who is "most attractive". The results changed dramatically when labeled "Jennifer" and "Gertrude." "Jennifer" was then selected 60 percent more frequently.
- Can "free" be a poor offer? Yes. The founders of "free software" movement thought they had the perfect name. But corporate and other customers were wary of a product that was free. Free software took off when it was rebranded as "open source".
- Is "Caverject" a new James Bond weapon? No, it is an injectable erectile dysfunction drug. Three years after Caverject's launch, Pfizer planned a new approach to market directly to consumers. Pfizer's customer focus paid off. The new drug was christened "Viagra."
With limited opportunity to gain the consumer's attention, why waste a marketing effort to correct a deficit that can be easily turned into an asset?
But Is Marketing Even Appropriate?
Some may find marketing distasteful since marketing has been used to hard-sell products that may be dubious at best or outright harmful for the consumer and the environment.
Philip Kotler, the father of modern marketing, explains that virtuous "Marketing is the art of creating genuine customer value. It is the art of helping your customers become better off."
The intention is to practice virtuous marketing to get more sustainable practices and products adopted. The term "passive," used in this context, requires a detailed explanation before most people get it. In the long run, poor marketing will likely hinder and great marketing will help the acceptance of passive and other green buildings.
First Things First: Define the Marketing Strategy
The name is just one part of the marketing mix and to be most effective it should complement the overall marketing strategy.
Reis & Ries advised in the marketing classic The Origins of Brands to first find weaknesses in the leading brand. Then show the consumer how the new brand is the next revolutionary step and diverges from the old category. Brands that excelled at this repositioning are:
- Starbucks robust taste diverges from regular (weak) coffee
- Mercedes / Lexus (next generation of luxury) diverges from Cadillac / Lincoln (your dad's version of luxury)
- Silk soy (nature's perfect protein) milk diverges from traditional (lactose) milk
Let's explore potential brand positions by contrasting the mechanical house --- the current standard to the energy efficient house. This exercise is to find opposing attributes.
In part 2, we will define three brand positions from the set of opposing attributes. Read more >>
Imagine Your Project's Successful AdoptionContact me to understand how to position your project for success claudia@g3biz.comHow SAP's Software Benefits Poor Rural Women In Ghana
To contact us Click HERE
First published by GreenBiz 2012-01-20
Fatima Abdulai is a wife, mother and the first link in the shea supply chain. The fruit she gathers in the northern Ghana bush is the source of shea butter -- the luxurious ingredient in cosmetics and chocolates.
Fatima Abdulai is one of millions of poor rural women who scrape out a living where they find opportunity. In Ghana, the opportunity is the shea nut. In other places, it may be cocoa, cashews, coffee, or hand-made goods. A small loan, efficient technology, and practical advice are the support these women need to help them maximize those opportunities.
Shea trees are also valuable to the global environment. They store carbon and reduce erosion that puts dust in the air. Increasing shea's worth will ensure that the shea trees are not displaced by other cash crops which use more natural resources and create GHG emissions.
Shea has been an important rural food and medicinal for centuries. Gathering and processing shea was always considered "women's work." In the last few years, exporters started selling nuts and butter to manufacturers in the U.S., Europe and Asia. But shea pays poorly for women like Mrs. Abdulai because middlemen take advantage of individual producers.
Opportunities for women are limited in northern Ghana. For her widowed daughter-in-law, shea is her primary source of income. If Mrs. Abdulai earns enough with shea and her other ventures, she is able to continue her children's secondary education. The U.N. reports that secondary school enrollment is about half the national average in northern Ghana where Mrs. Abdulai resides.
After learning about women like Mrs. Abdulai, SAP -- the business software giant -- sought to help as part of its corporate social responsibility program. But SAP wanted to make more than a financial contribution. SAP believed that its business management technology "that helps companies run better" could be applied to the shea trade.
Improved agricultural trade could benefit more than a billion people who live in poverty in rural areas. "Agriculture is an engine for growth and poverty reduction..." states a World Bank report [PDF], "Research has shown that every dollar of growth from agricultural products sold outside the local area in poor African countries leads to a second dollar of local rural growth."
SAP partnered with PlaNet Finance, an international non-profit that specializes in microfinance and technical assistance. PlaNet welcomed SAP's hands-on approach.
"We find that companies that put sweat equity into their social projects", said Ivana Damjanov, deputy director of operations, PlaNet Finance, "are more engaged and stay with it for the long-term."
Both partners found the basics were in-place in rural Ghana for the project to succeed; political stability, growing mobile communications infrastructure, and a product with demand on the global market.
SAP recruited a few of its top employees for 6-month fellowships on the Ghana project. During field visits, they learned from Mrs. Abdulai and other women that providing solutions would require more than technology to succeed.
Mrs. Abdulai typically gathers at dawn so she can help her husband on his small farm and manage the household. It is a 15 minute walk to the shea trees where she collects 30 to 35 pounds of fruit before she heaves her basket to her head and trudges back to the village. In the course of the season, she collects almost a ton of fruit.
Vipers, mambas and scorpions lurk in the elephant grass where Mrs. Abdulai collects shea. 1,040 snakebite cases were recorded last year by Northern Regional Ghana Health Service, but incidents are believed to be underreported. Mrs. Abdulai is lucky; she has avoided a snake bite, so far. Unlike her daughter, who was bitten and others who perished.
When she returns home, the next step is to remove the skin and fruit pulp to expose the shea nut, which resembles a spherical avocado pit. Mrs. Abldulai saves some of the fruit, which sustains the family in the "hungry season" when crops have just been planted.
It takes up to two months of drying before the nuts are ready to be transformed into butter. Rushing the drying may also reduce quality. During bad years, Mrs. Abdulai was forced to sell the shea nuts prematurely. She was desperate for cash to buy food, school supplies and other essentials.
The value of shea nuts are diminished considerably with an early sale: A Stanford University study found that the price differential is as much as 82 percent [PDF] for premium nuts that are dried properly.
Because of poor record keeping, Mrs. Abdulai worried that not all of the nuts would be accounted for and she would be short-changed. She has good reason to worry, it turns out: "Some three-quarters of all adults in the north are illiterate," reports the U.N. -- including Mrs. Abdulai and the women in her village who do shea work.
Brokers come to the villages since it is difficult to get to the market. The brokers buy the small batches of butter and nuts and then sell at a large mark-up to the exporters or other manufacturers. Mrs. Abdulai's cache of nuts in past seasons was only enough to partly pay for one child's tuition. She heard that manufacturers pay much more than what the brokers offer the small producers, but what could she do.
Working with SAP and PlaNet Finance colleagues around the globe, the project team developed a holistic solution to resolve the core issues.
The program also cultivated Mrs. Abdulai's leadership skills. She said, "I used to be very shy, but now I educate my colleagues, organize the association leaders and assist them in carrying out their roles."
Imagine Building an App to Connect With Your Customers and StakeholdersContact me to understand how to develop a simple app that compliments your brand strategyclaudia@g3biz.com
To learn more about other IT Green services >>
Fatima Abdulai is a wife, mother and the first link in the shea supply chain. The fruit she gathers in the northern Ghana bush is the source of shea butter -- the luxurious ingredient in cosmetics and chocolates.
Fatima Abdulai is one of millions of poor rural women who scrape out a living where they find opportunity. In Ghana, the opportunity is the shea nut. In other places, it may be cocoa, cashews, coffee, or hand-made goods. A small loan, efficient technology, and practical advice are the support these women need to help them maximize those opportunities.
Shea trees are also valuable to the global environment. They store carbon and reduce erosion that puts dust in the air. Increasing shea's worth will ensure that the shea trees are not displaced by other cash crops which use more natural resources and create GHG emissions.Shea has been an important rural food and medicinal for centuries. Gathering and processing shea was always considered "women's work." In the last few years, exporters started selling nuts and butter to manufacturers in the U.S., Europe and Asia. But shea pays poorly for women like Mrs. Abdulai because middlemen take advantage of individual producers.
Opportunities for women are limited in northern Ghana. For her widowed daughter-in-law, shea is her primary source of income. If Mrs. Abdulai earns enough with shea and her other ventures, she is able to continue her children's secondary education. The U.N. reports that secondary school enrollment is about half the national average in northern Ghana where Mrs. Abdulai resides.
After learning about women like Mrs. Abdulai, SAP -- the business software giant -- sought to help as part of its corporate social responsibility program. But SAP wanted to make more than a financial contribution. SAP believed that its business management technology "that helps companies run better" could be applied to the shea trade.
Improved agricultural trade could benefit more than a billion people who live in poverty in rural areas. "Agriculture is an engine for growth and poverty reduction..." states a World Bank report [PDF], "Research has shown that every dollar of growth from agricultural products sold outside the local area in poor African countries leads to a second dollar of local rural growth."
SAP partnered with PlaNet Finance, an international non-profit that specializes in microfinance and technical assistance. PlaNet welcomed SAP's hands-on approach.
"We find that companies that put sweat equity into their social projects", said Ivana Damjanov, deputy director of operations, PlaNet Finance, "are more engaged and stay with it for the long-term."
Both partners found the basics were in-place in rural Ghana for the project to succeed; political stability, growing mobile communications infrastructure, and a product with demand on the global market.
SAP recruited a few of its top employees for 6-month fellowships on the Ghana project. During field visits, they learned from Mrs. Abdulai and other women that providing solutions would require more than technology to succeed.
Mrs. Abdulai typically gathers at dawn so she can help her husband on his small farm and manage the household. It is a 15 minute walk to the shea trees where she collects 30 to 35 pounds of fruit before she heaves her basket to her head and trudges back to the village. In the course of the season, she collects almost a ton of fruit.
Vipers, mambas and scorpions lurk in the elephant grass where Mrs. Abdulai collects shea. 1,040 snakebite cases were recorded last year by Northern Regional Ghana Health Service, but incidents are believed to be underreported. Mrs. Abdulai is lucky; she has avoided a snake bite, so far. Unlike her daughter, who was bitten and others who perished.
When she returns home, the next step is to remove the skin and fruit pulp to expose the shea nut, which resembles a spherical avocado pit. Mrs. Abldulai saves some of the fruit, which sustains the family in the "hungry season" when crops have just been planted.
It takes up to two months of drying before the nuts are ready to be transformed into butter. Rushing the drying may also reduce quality. During bad years, Mrs. Abdulai was forced to sell the shea nuts prematurely. She was desperate for cash to buy food, school supplies and other essentials.The value of shea nuts are diminished considerably with an early sale: A Stanford University study found that the price differential is as much as 82 percent [PDF] for premium nuts that are dried properly.
Because of poor record keeping, Mrs. Abdulai worried that not all of the nuts would be accounted for and she would be short-changed. She has good reason to worry, it turns out: "Some three-quarters of all adults in the north are illiterate," reports the U.N. -- including Mrs. Abdulai and the women in her village who do shea work.
Brokers come to the villages since it is difficult to get to the market. The brokers buy the small batches of butter and nuts and then sell at a large mark-up to the exporters or other manufacturers. Mrs. Abdulai's cache of nuts in past seasons was only enough to partly pay for one child's tuition. She heard that manufacturers pay much more than what the brokers offer the small producers, but what could she do.
Working with SAP and PlaNet Finance colleagues around the globe, the project team developed a holistic solution to resolve the core issues.
• Dangerous working conditions: Provide boots, gloves and coats to protect women gathering shea fruit.
• Uneven cash flow: Make microloans to support families until nuts are sold at full market value.
• No data: Build an order management tool --- Rural Sourcing Management (RSM) --- to capture and share key data about the product and market prices. The tool uses mobile technology, cloud computing and SAP software. The RSM tool is used by field officers, who are literate and able to use the technology after training.
• Product quality: Educate women on how to improve quality to satisfy the standards set by highest paying customers.
• Weak position as sellers: Set up an association, Star Shea Network, among small shea producers to eliminate the brokers. Recruit a more educated person in the community to record notes from meetings and assist with bookkeeping. Negotiate a long-term contract with a manufacturer seeking organic, fair trade and high-quality shea nuts and butter. The detailed product data provided by the new system and consistent quality were key factors in closing the deal.Under the new program, Mrs. Abdulai joined the association. She qualified for loans to purchase additional tailoring machines for her small business and protective gear for picking. She has repaid these loans. With the additional income she earned, Mrs. Abdulai paid school fees for her three children. Mrs. Abdulai is grateful that the program "opened up her shea business to the world."
The program also cultivated Mrs. Abdulai's leadership skills. She said, "I used to be very shy, but now I educate my colleagues, organize the association leaders and assist them in carrying out their roles."
Imagine Building an App to Connect With Your Customers and StakeholdersContact me to understand how to develop a simple app that compliments your brand strategyclaudia@g3biz.com
To learn more about other IT Green services >>
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