Computer viruses are a well-known threat, but did you know there are many different types of computer viruses? Let's look at the various types and see how they differ and the dangers they pose. We'll examine trojans, macro viruses, polymorphic viruses, and more.
Different Kinds of Computer Threats
The term computer virus is well known. There are different kinds of viruses however, and some of these types are less well known than others. Viruses have been around almost since the beginning of computers. Before almost all computers were networked, viruses would spread much more slowly. They often spread on floppy disks; it was important to scan the disks to ensure that viruses were not present. Viruses can spread much more quickly today with the near ubiquitous connectivity to the Internet.
There are several different kinds of computer viruses. The possible types have expanded as operating systems have grown in features and complexity. The same is true of software programs, scripting languages, and server applications. Programmers are trained these days to work to limit the possibilities of virus infection, and there are programming tools to assist in strengthening code. Still, viruses are prevalent. Let's look at the different kinds of viruses.
Types of Viruses
Boot sector viruses - Computer operating systems use part of the hard disk when starting up after the computer is turned on. This area of the hard disk is called the boot sector. When a virus infects the boot sector it can load itself before the operating system. When floppy disks (which also have boot sectors) were common they could be used to boot as well and were a common vector for infection.
Memory resident viruses - These viruses stay in memory, like the name suggests. Others just move from file to file and program and program.
Polymorphic viruses - These change their "shape" to make them harder for anti-virus software to detect.
Macro viruses - Many business software programs and suites have macro language and scripting features that can be converted to use for viruses.
CSS viruses - Browsers that have scripting functionality enabled can be exploited by cross-site scripting. Web sites with advertisements that come from another source (as most do) can be especially vulnerable.
Cavity viruses - These viruses hide within executable files using the "free space" within the files so that the total file size does not change and arouse suspicion.
Metamorphic viruses - these rewrite themselves each time they infect a new file.
Trojans - A trojan appears to be one type of file or program but is actually a virus.
Worms - Worms do not require user actions to spread, they move from system to system over networks on their own. For more information see my articles on computer worms, specifically the Conficker worm, and how to protect your computers and networks from them.
Forewarned Is Forearmed
The best defense is to ensure you have anti-virus software installed and keep it up to date. Most modern anti-virus software automatically updates, but don't take it for granted that this is happening. Many personal firewalls will also provide protection against viruses and against their spread. I hope this article has broadened your view of computer viruses.
Source of article:http://www.brighthub.com
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
How to Achieve a Flexible Home Based Internet Business
An internet home based business is an appropriate choice if you have played your cards well. The variety of opportunities that can be accessed to work from home is colossal. You can make your selection from active or passive work depending upon your convenience. Jobs can be easily availed depending upon your abilities as well as talents. The amount of investment required for the home based business depends upon the kind of work you select and how much time you can give it on daily basis. So, make your own choice or rather create one you actually enjoy doing. With Internet you attain a great source to make large sum of money. The crucial thing while selecting is a business is to chalk out a perfect strategy for the flourishing of the business.
The active work entitles you to a specific sum of money subsequent to the completion of the task. If you are seeking to earn higher amount of money you must either perform the similar act number of times or you can choose a work which on repetition pays you large sum. An instance of such internet home based business is that you can opt for the completion of directory articles. In such a work negotiations are possible, which are generally are assessed on the way tou write.
Another way of earning through home based business is through passive opportunities. This can be elaborated upon through an example which is by placing the ads of Google AdSense on your personal website. With this the income comes by pay per click. So, if you have your own blog or website then this kind of income will easily add to your regularly earned income. More the traffic your website attracts, the brighter your chances are to earn passive income.
When you are deciding to make your pick from the choices available to you, it is recommended to keep your likes as well as dislikes into consideration. The selection of the job that best suits your experience, education, personality as well as work style should be made. This will lead you to great level of satisfaction from job. Monetary consideration also plays a crucial role while making your choice. For this you have to make a thorough research on the Internet selecting those that match your preferences, which will make you enthusiastic of the choices you have made.
The condition of working is another important factor that will determine your overall growth and success in your chosen business. Working at home renders you free from the stress of daily commuting to your work place, which indeed saves your time as well as money also. The time and money saved could be put into use for other constructive activities, with which you can make more profits. Moreover, your working time depends on the time that best suits your convenience. So, in case if at night you can work with full zeal and enthusiasm than you can take your sleep in the morning hours.
Article Source:Articlecity
The active work entitles you to a specific sum of money subsequent to the completion of the task. If you are seeking to earn higher amount of money you must either perform the similar act number of times or you can choose a work which on repetition pays you large sum. An instance of such internet home based business is that you can opt for the completion of directory articles. In such a work negotiations are possible, which are generally are assessed on the way tou write.
Another way of earning through home based business is through passive opportunities. This can be elaborated upon through an example which is by placing the ads of Google AdSense on your personal website. With this the income comes by pay per click. So, if you have your own blog or website then this kind of income will easily add to your regularly earned income. More the traffic your website attracts, the brighter your chances are to earn passive income.
When you are deciding to make your pick from the choices available to you, it is recommended to keep your likes as well as dislikes into consideration. The selection of the job that best suits your experience, education, personality as well as work style should be made. This will lead you to great level of satisfaction from job. Monetary consideration also plays a crucial role while making your choice. For this you have to make a thorough research on the Internet selecting those that match your preferences, which will make you enthusiastic of the choices you have made.
The condition of working is another important factor that will determine your overall growth and success in your chosen business. Working at home renders you free from the stress of daily commuting to your work place, which indeed saves your time as well as money also. The time and money saved could be put into use for other constructive activities, with which you can make more profits. Moreover, your working time depends on the time that best suits your convenience. So, in case if at night you can work with full zeal and enthusiasm than you can take your sleep in the morning hours.
Article Source:Articlecity
What You Need To Know About Computer Viruses
What, another computer security article? Who needs it? Aren't we tired of all that techie stuff that only geeks can comprehend? Virus my foot! But seriously. Computer security is an important topic and those who neglect it will surely get themselves in trouble sooner or later.
There is much confusion about what exactly a computer virus is. To many people a virus is simply any kind of bad thing that happens to their computer. This would be more or less correct around 1995, but since then several other threats have appeared and using a blanket term like 'virus' for all of them is misleading. Having said that, I don't mean any disrespect to the word 'virus'. After all, it is the granddaddy of all malicious software (or malware for short).
Old School Viruses
At first viruses were rather simple-minded, although dangerous at times. All they wanted was to enter your computer and destroy some data. Their favorite way of transmission was to attach themselves to otherwise harmless programs.
Worms
As "state of the art" viruses developed, a new breed came to the scene: worms. This charming name is used to describe a type of virus that not only infects the host machine, but also replicates itself over the network. In practice that means that a well-written worm can create real mayhem around the world in a matter of days. It is estimated that damage from some famous worms reaches billions of dollars.
Trojan Horses
Many programs, multimedia or other goodies can be found on the Internet. Often they are free and, let's face it, there are very few things that people like more than free stuff. The trouble with some free software is that it also comes with one or more viruses already included free of charge. Hence the name "Trojan Horse".
Are viruses good for my computer?
Absolutely! If you want to get rid of all that data clogging up your hard drive, a virus is a wonderful solution. If you want your spanking new computer to slow down to a crawl, then a virus is the way to go. If you're lucky, you may even get a worm which will not only help you clean up your computer from all those annoying files, but will also send a copy of itself to all your friends that it finds in your Outlook address book. In short, if you think that your computer is too fast and gives you too little trouble, a virus or two can really help!
Thankfully, you don't have to try too hard to get a virus. Simply connect an unprotected computer to the Internet for a few hours and let them come. That's all it takes.
Tips on How to Protect Yourself
Truth be told, viruses are not as hot as they used to be. It turns out that there's not much money in writing them. This of course doesn't mean that you should neglect the virus threat. There are quite a few dangerous viruses roaming the Internet. So keep your hard drive happy and don't let the viruses ruin your day. Here is what you can do:
1) Use a good antivirus program and update it regularly. Unfortunately, some antivirus products inflict more damage than actual viruses do. So, before getting an antivirus program, be sure to read some professional reviews and user feedback.
2) If you download software from the Internet, use only reputable sources. Scan the installation file with an antivirus program before running it.
3) Be very careful about opening email attachments. Be particularly vigilant if you use Microsoft Outlook.
Since you are reading this page, you are already in better shape than most computer users. So keep it this way and visit
Article Source:Articlecity
There is much confusion about what exactly a computer virus is. To many people a virus is simply any kind of bad thing that happens to their computer. This would be more or less correct around 1995, but since then several other threats have appeared and using a blanket term like 'virus' for all of them is misleading. Having said that, I don't mean any disrespect to the word 'virus'. After all, it is the granddaddy of all malicious software (or malware for short).
Old School Viruses
At first viruses were rather simple-minded, although dangerous at times. All they wanted was to enter your computer and destroy some data. Their favorite way of transmission was to attach themselves to otherwise harmless programs.
Worms
As "state of the art" viruses developed, a new breed came to the scene: worms. This charming name is used to describe a type of virus that not only infects the host machine, but also replicates itself over the network. In practice that means that a well-written worm can create real mayhem around the world in a matter of days. It is estimated that damage from some famous worms reaches billions of dollars.
Trojan Horses
Many programs, multimedia or other goodies can be found on the Internet. Often they are free and, let's face it, there are very few things that people like more than free stuff. The trouble with some free software is that it also comes with one or more viruses already included free of charge. Hence the name "Trojan Horse".
Are viruses good for my computer?
Absolutely! If you want to get rid of all that data clogging up your hard drive, a virus is a wonderful solution. If you want your spanking new computer to slow down to a crawl, then a virus is the way to go. If you're lucky, you may even get a worm which will not only help you clean up your computer from all those annoying files, but will also send a copy of itself to all your friends that it finds in your Outlook address book. In short, if you think that your computer is too fast and gives you too little trouble, a virus or two can really help!
Thankfully, you don't have to try too hard to get a virus. Simply connect an unprotected computer to the Internet for a few hours and let them come. That's all it takes.
Tips on How to Protect Yourself
Truth be told, viruses are not as hot as they used to be. It turns out that there's not much money in writing them. This of course doesn't mean that you should neglect the virus threat. There are quite a few dangerous viruses roaming the Internet. So keep your hard drive happy and don't let the viruses ruin your day. Here is what you can do:
1) Use a good antivirus program and update it regularly. Unfortunately, some antivirus products inflict more damage than actual viruses do. So, before getting an antivirus program, be sure to read some professional reviews and user feedback.
2) If you download software from the Internet, use only reputable sources. Scan the installation file with an antivirus program before running it.
3) Be very careful about opening email attachments. Be particularly vigilant if you use Microsoft Outlook.
Since you are reading this page, you are already in better shape than most computer users. So keep it this way and visit
Article Source:Articlecity
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
UEFA Championship League Final 2009 Result
The 2009 UEFA Championship League final between Manchester United and FC Barcelona ended a shortwhile ago with FC Barcelona winning by 2 goels to nil.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
2010 Olympic Torch
It’s Spring 2009 and already the 2010 Winter Olympics are a cause for sensation and controversy. The mini-scandal of the day? The 2010 Olympic Torch or — as some are already referring to it as — the 2010 Olympic Toke. This oh-so-clever entendre of course refers to the observation, now made by many, that the official 2010 Olympic Torch sorta-kinda looks like a joint. And you know what, I sorta-kinda have to agree.
Now, not too surprisingly, Olympic officials are hurrying to deny the allegation. According to them, the torch is supposed to look like the snow and ice marks left behind an Olympic skier or skater. Which, to be fair, I can certainly see. Mark Busse, an Industrial designer familiar with the behind-the-scenes making of the torch remarked, “Sure, it may look a little bit like a joint, but I can tell you that what they were going for was ergonomics, sleekness, modernity.”
Still, not everyone is convinced and new interpretations seem to be coming by the minute. In fact, David Schmader of The Stranger just noted how the torch resembled “a pregnancy test that reveals you’re having Satan’s baby.” Another worthy observation I suppose.
So which is it? A joint? Satan’s baby? Or a sleek and modern ski track? Knowing Vancouver, I think I’m going with all of the above.
Courtesy: Stephen Kral
Now, not too surprisingly, Olympic officials are hurrying to deny the allegation. According to them, the torch is supposed to look like the snow and ice marks left behind an Olympic skier or skater. Which, to be fair, I can certainly see. Mark Busse, an Industrial designer familiar with the behind-the-scenes making of the torch remarked, “Sure, it may look a little bit like a joint, but I can tell you that what they were going for was ergonomics, sleekness, modernity.”
Still, not everyone is convinced and new interpretations seem to be coming by the minute. In fact, David Schmader of The Stranger just noted how the torch resembled “a pregnancy test that reveals you’re having Satan’s baby.” Another worthy observation I suppose.
So which is it? A joint? Satan’s baby? Or a sleek and modern ski track? Knowing Vancouver, I think I’m going with all of the above.
Courtesy: Stephen Kral
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mama Pelagai Villaflor Soliven Remembered
MY Mama will always be my idol, a woman whom I strive to emulate even as I realize that I could never measure up to her.
Mama—Pelagia Villaflor Soliven—was born on July 11, 1910, in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos. She was the second of three daughters of Agripino Villaflor, then chief of customs, and Gregoria Tesoro Jaramillo, one of the first teachers recruited by the Americans.
In her autobiography A Woman So Valiant, Mama recounts that her first glimpse of my Papa, the young Atty. Benito Tagorda Soliven, was at the family’s favorite Panciteria Antigua, where her father hosted a lunch in “Bitong’s” honor.
Mama recalls that the photographer made her squat at the foot of the honoree. She was 11 years old and Papa was 23!
It was that summer that the two actually met at a banquet mounted by the Sto. Domingo townsfolk to honor their favorite “son”, Benito T. Soliven, for having passed the Bar.
Mama and Papa got married when she was 18 in December 1928 at the Manila Cathedral. The reception was held at The Manila Hotel. Papa had just been elected representative for Ilocos Sur and so the ninongs were no less than then-Speaker Manuel Roxas and Sen. Elpidio Quirino.
In less than 12 years later, the young couple had 10 children. The youngest, Benito Jr., died, however, as an infant from dysentery during the outbreak of war.
Papa died from complications of malaria. He had fought in the battle of Bataan, survived the infamous Death March, and was a prisoner of war in Capas, Tarlac.
I have never forgiven the Japanese for what they did, depriving me of a father whom I never knew, because I was a toddler when Papa left for the war.
It was the worse time for a young widow (age 33 years!) to be left with nine orphaned children.
Mama, who never went to college, knew only to sew dresses, which she had been doing since she was a teenager. Mama built a wooden box house in Herran near the corner of San Marcelino, Paco, where my parents used to live. The original house had been burned to the ground during the Liberation of Manila.
I loved that house, even though the upstairs “bedroom” was a single room where everybody slept on the floor on mats. I slept on a shelf built over the stairwell. During the day we stored our mats, blankets, mosquito nets and pillows on the shelf.
Mama opened a tiny dress shop in front of the house. She sewed ladies’ dresses for P3.50 apiece and soutanas for the Jesuits at P5 apiece (for which she bought Indian cotton in Divisoria).
We were dirt-poor but we had the happiest childhood that anyone would wish! We had nothing, and yet we had everything. We were nine children plus our cousins, the Cardenas family who lived in the compound, with three kids. When the de Villas moved next door, that added three more playmates. We had a birthday winnie roast every month!
We played games that children play—piko, sipa, cops-and-robbers, hide-and-seek, jumping rope, etc.
The Jesuits from Ateneo Padre Faura, a 12-block walk away, would come to sing along as my brother Willie was a whiz at the small upright piano my Mama purchased.
The Jesuits donated a basketball goal and Mama had a hardcourt cemented in the yard. This later became a favorite venue for class parties, as well as games.
All my brothers’ classmates and even the Jesuits themselves came to play basketball because Mama loved to entertain. It seemed like all that we sisters (her four daughters) did was to make sandwiches and Kool-Aid drinks.
Years later, my brothers’ friends from the Student Catholic Action, a multicollege organization, began meeting and holding parties also in our house in Herran. I learned to dance early because the boys would use me as their dance partner to practice for the parties.
And they all loved “Mommy Soliven”. For many years later, as a journalist I would encounter people from all sectors—the newspaper and broadcast industry, politics, the rich and famous—who would remember the “house in Herran” and “Mommy Soliven”. Inevitably they would say, “And you must have been that little girl making sandwiches....”
So many memories came flooding back yesterday on Mother’s Day, such as when the National Federation of Women’s Clubs of the Philippines named Pelagia V. Soliven as “Outstanding Mother of the Year” on December 3, 1962.
Mama deserved the award, for sure, for every year she singlehandedly raised her nine children. Mama had an unshakable faith in God’s Providence. She would declare that if God took our father away, He would surely provide for us. Through those difficult early years, God must have honored her faith and her perseverance.
I recall waking each morning at the sound of Mama working at her foot-pedaled sewing machine, and going to sleep to the same sound. Before she sat at her sewing machine, Mama would have already gone to the market and cooked the day’s meals for us.
Everything she cooked came in soups and with sauces, the better to spread the ulam. But she was an excellent cook. We loved her picadillos, monggo with alugbati, karne norte with potatoes, higado (bopis Ilocano-style), arroz caldo, atbp. I don’t think I ever saw a whole chicken, because it was always chopped into small pieces.
A rimas tree grew in the yard, and so Mama would make kinalti with this breadfruit and panocha, a favorite merienda.
Mama did push and prod us to become achievers in the tradition of Papa, a brilliant and respected politician, eloquent public speaker and lawyer. Silver was good enough for other students but the Soliven kids had to go for gold, which my brothers and sisters did, mostly in essaywriting and elocution contests. I brought home a few for writing and for English grammar.
There is an advantage to being the youngest. I never had to grab for food, since Mama would always set aside my share before everybody else. Neither did I have many house choirs like the rest.
I wasn’t a beautiful child—scrawny and with big eyes like a “plucked chicken,” as I would tell friends. Yet I knew that Mama loved me as only a mother would, and I miss her to this day.
I guess one never outgrows his/her Mama.
Courtesy: Business Mirror
Mama—Pelagia Villaflor Soliven—was born on July 11, 1910, in Sto. Domingo, Ilocos. She was the second of three daughters of Agripino Villaflor, then chief of customs, and Gregoria Tesoro Jaramillo, one of the first teachers recruited by the Americans.
In her autobiography A Woman So Valiant, Mama recounts that her first glimpse of my Papa, the young Atty. Benito Tagorda Soliven, was at the family’s favorite Panciteria Antigua, where her father hosted a lunch in “Bitong’s” honor.
Mama recalls that the photographer made her squat at the foot of the honoree. She was 11 years old and Papa was 23!
It was that summer that the two actually met at a banquet mounted by the Sto. Domingo townsfolk to honor their favorite “son”, Benito T. Soliven, for having passed the Bar.
Mama and Papa got married when she was 18 in December 1928 at the Manila Cathedral. The reception was held at The Manila Hotel. Papa had just been elected representative for Ilocos Sur and so the ninongs were no less than then-Speaker Manuel Roxas and Sen. Elpidio Quirino.
In less than 12 years later, the young couple had 10 children. The youngest, Benito Jr., died, however, as an infant from dysentery during the outbreak of war.
Papa died from complications of malaria. He had fought in the battle of Bataan, survived the infamous Death March, and was a prisoner of war in Capas, Tarlac.
I have never forgiven the Japanese for what they did, depriving me of a father whom I never knew, because I was a toddler when Papa left for the war.
It was the worse time for a young widow (age 33 years!) to be left with nine orphaned children.
Mama, who never went to college, knew only to sew dresses, which she had been doing since she was a teenager. Mama built a wooden box house in Herran near the corner of San Marcelino, Paco, where my parents used to live. The original house had been burned to the ground during the Liberation of Manila.
I loved that house, even though the upstairs “bedroom” was a single room where everybody slept on the floor on mats. I slept on a shelf built over the stairwell. During the day we stored our mats, blankets, mosquito nets and pillows on the shelf.
Mama opened a tiny dress shop in front of the house. She sewed ladies’ dresses for P3.50 apiece and soutanas for the Jesuits at P5 apiece (for which she bought Indian cotton in Divisoria).
We were dirt-poor but we had the happiest childhood that anyone would wish! We had nothing, and yet we had everything. We were nine children plus our cousins, the Cardenas family who lived in the compound, with three kids. When the de Villas moved next door, that added three more playmates. We had a birthday winnie roast every month!
We played games that children play—piko, sipa, cops-and-robbers, hide-and-seek, jumping rope, etc.
The Jesuits from Ateneo Padre Faura, a 12-block walk away, would come to sing along as my brother Willie was a whiz at the small upright piano my Mama purchased.
The Jesuits donated a basketball goal and Mama had a hardcourt cemented in the yard. This later became a favorite venue for class parties, as well as games.
All my brothers’ classmates and even the Jesuits themselves came to play basketball because Mama loved to entertain. It seemed like all that we sisters (her four daughters) did was to make sandwiches and Kool-Aid drinks.
Years later, my brothers’ friends from the Student Catholic Action, a multicollege organization, began meeting and holding parties also in our house in Herran. I learned to dance early because the boys would use me as their dance partner to practice for the parties.
And they all loved “Mommy Soliven”. For many years later, as a journalist I would encounter people from all sectors—the newspaper and broadcast industry, politics, the rich and famous—who would remember the “house in Herran” and “Mommy Soliven”. Inevitably they would say, “And you must have been that little girl making sandwiches....”
So many memories came flooding back yesterday on Mother’s Day, such as when the National Federation of Women’s Clubs of the Philippines named Pelagia V. Soliven as “Outstanding Mother of the Year” on December 3, 1962.
Mama deserved the award, for sure, for every year she singlehandedly raised her nine children. Mama had an unshakable faith in God’s Providence. She would declare that if God took our father away, He would surely provide for us. Through those difficult early years, God must have honored her faith and her perseverance.
I recall waking each morning at the sound of Mama working at her foot-pedaled sewing machine, and going to sleep to the same sound. Before she sat at her sewing machine, Mama would have already gone to the market and cooked the day’s meals for us.
Everything she cooked came in soups and with sauces, the better to spread the ulam. But she was an excellent cook. We loved her picadillos, monggo with alugbati, karne norte with potatoes, higado (bopis Ilocano-style), arroz caldo, atbp. I don’t think I ever saw a whole chicken, because it was always chopped into small pieces.
A rimas tree grew in the yard, and so Mama would make kinalti with this breadfruit and panocha, a favorite merienda.
Mama did push and prod us to become achievers in the tradition of Papa, a brilliant and respected politician, eloquent public speaker and lawyer. Silver was good enough for other students but the Soliven kids had to go for gold, which my brothers and sisters did, mostly in essaywriting and elocution contests. I brought home a few for writing and for English grammar.
There is an advantage to being the youngest. I never had to grab for food, since Mama would always set aside my share before everybody else. Neither did I have many house choirs like the rest.
I wasn’t a beautiful child—scrawny and with big eyes like a “plucked chicken,” as I would tell friends. Yet I knew that Mama loved me as only a mother would, and I miss her to this day.
I guess one never outgrows his/her Mama.
Courtesy: Business Mirror
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
First Pooch Bo Got Star Treatment
WASHINGTON (AP) — First pooch Bo got star treatment and his first backyard romp at the White House on Tuesday — and even presidential clearance to visit the Oval Office. But he better not get any inflated ideas about doggy sleeping arrangements. "Not in my bed," declared Barack Obama.
The nation got its long-awaited first look at Bo in action as the Obamas showed off the family's new dog on the South Lawn. First lady Michelle Obama did most of the walking while the 6-month-old Portuguese water dog scampered about. Then daughter Malia took a turn, and Bo took off running.
Despite the name of the dog's breed, daughter Sasha pointed out to reporters, "He doesn't know how to swim."
"Yeah, apparently they have to be taught how to swim," Obama added.
The girls grinned as they played with Bo. The wet lawn, chilly air and gray sky didn't put a damper on Bo's debut.
Sasha clapped her hands at one point, calling for the dog's attention. Bo wagged his tail as each of the Obamas bent down to pet him.
Plainly pleased, the president said: "He's a star. He's got star quality."
Obama had promised his daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, a puppy during the presidential campaign. The dog finally arrived Tuesday after the girls came home from school.
The commander in chief laid down some guidelines.
Each family member is going to have to help out, Obama said. "We all have to take turns walking the dog."
Asked by a reporter where the dog would sleep, the president said Bo would have his own spot. A bed? "Not in my bed," Obama said.
The president had a word of warning for the first lady. He said he had heard the breed likes tomatoes, so "Michelle's garden is in danger."
The White House will be the puppy's fourth home. He was born in Texas, then moved to his first owner's home in Washington, D.C., then spent nearly a month with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's dog trainer in Virginia, and now is moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Bo was given up by his first owner because things weren't working out with the family's other dog. Kennedy and his wife, Victoria, who had two Portuguese water dogs from Bo's breeder and acquired a third from Bo's litter, thought Bo would be perfect for the Obamas and gave the dog to Malia and Sasha as a gift, the dog's breeder and a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama said.
At 6 months, Bo is still a "goofy puppy" and, like many Portuguese water dogs, may still be that way up to age 2 or even 4, said Stu Freeman, president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. "A puppy is a puppy and these are very active puppies," he said.
The pup is mostly black, but he has white fur on his chest and front feet. The dog's non-shedding coat also makes him a good pick for the family, given Malia's allergies.
After a reporter reminded him of President Harry S. Truman's line, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog," Obama joked, "I finally got a friend."
Courtesy: The Associated Press
The nation got its long-awaited first look at Bo in action as the Obamas showed off the family's new dog on the South Lawn. First lady Michelle Obama did most of the walking while the 6-month-old Portuguese water dog scampered about. Then daughter Malia took a turn, and Bo took off running.
Despite the name of the dog's breed, daughter Sasha pointed out to reporters, "He doesn't know how to swim."
"Yeah, apparently they have to be taught how to swim," Obama added.
The girls grinned as they played with Bo. The wet lawn, chilly air and gray sky didn't put a damper on Bo's debut.
Sasha clapped her hands at one point, calling for the dog's attention. Bo wagged his tail as each of the Obamas bent down to pet him.
Plainly pleased, the president said: "He's a star. He's got star quality."
Obama had promised his daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, a puppy during the presidential campaign. The dog finally arrived Tuesday after the girls came home from school.
The commander in chief laid down some guidelines.
Each family member is going to have to help out, Obama said. "We all have to take turns walking the dog."
Asked by a reporter where the dog would sleep, the president said Bo would have his own spot. A bed? "Not in my bed," Obama said.
The president had a word of warning for the first lady. He said he had heard the breed likes tomatoes, so "Michelle's garden is in danger."
The White House will be the puppy's fourth home. He was born in Texas, then moved to his first owner's home in Washington, D.C., then spent nearly a month with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's dog trainer in Virginia, and now is moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Bo was given up by his first owner because things weren't working out with the family's other dog. Kennedy and his wife, Victoria, who had two Portuguese water dogs from Bo's breeder and acquired a third from Bo's litter, thought Bo would be perfect for the Obamas and gave the dog to Malia and Sasha as a gift, the dog's breeder and a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama said.
At 6 months, Bo is still a "goofy puppy" and, like many Portuguese water dogs, may still be that way up to age 2 or even 4, said Stu Freeman, president of the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America. "A puppy is a puppy and these are very active puppies," he said.
The pup is mostly black, but he has white fur on his chest and front feet. The dog's non-shedding coat also makes him a good pick for the family, given Malia's allergies.
After a reporter reminded him of President Harry S. Truman's line, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog," Obama joked, "I finally got a friend."
Courtesy: The Associated Press
Monday, April 13, 2009
Harry Kalas Dies
Harry Kalas, legendary broadcaster for the Philadelphia Phillies and the voice of NFL Films has passed way at the age of 73.
Kalas, who had done the Phillies since 1971, was taken to a hospital Monday after passing out prior to the Washington Nationals-Phillies game in D.C.
Today's game - Washington's home opener - is being played at Nationals Park, but the defending world champions will not go to the White House Tuesday as scheduled.
A moment of silence was observed before the Phils-Nats took the field.
In 2002, Kalas was named the Ford C. Frick Award winner at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Phillies president David Montgomery said "we have lost our voice" in announcing the death.
Kalas, who had been with the Phillies since 1971, was known for his distinctive "Outta here!" home run call, a fact Phillies legend Mike Schmidt knew very well.
“The best way I can sum up Harry’s relationship to me was he gave me my sports name," Schmidt told ESPN shortly after learning of the his friend's death. "People all over the country refer to me by the name Harry actually gave me: ‘Michael Jack.’ Everytime I hear it now the rest of my life, his face and smile will resonate.”
“I think he’ll go down over time as one of the top two or three ever (to) grace a microphone," Schmidt told the cable network. "He had a way with those home runs that was a really beautiful thing.”
Kalas used the 'Michael Jack Schmidt' moniker when he called the Hall of Famer's 500th home run in 1987.
ESPN also reached John Kruk, an analyst for the cable network and a first baseman on the Phillies 1993 NL pennant winners.
“He was the Phillies," Kruk said. "He’s a friend to all of us. He was as big a part of the team as any player, coach, manager.”
Longtime Philadelphia announcer Bill Campbell told KYW Newsradio in the city that Kalas had leg circulation problems and had a heart procedure to address those problems.
Kalas missed most of spring training after undergoing surgery in early February, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. The Phils declined to provide specifics of the surgery at that time, saying only that it was a "minor medical procedure" and that there was no reason for concern, the paper also said.
Courtesy: USA TODAY
Kalas, who had done the Phillies since 1971, was taken to a hospital Monday after passing out prior to the Washington Nationals-Phillies game in D.C.
Today's game - Washington's home opener - is being played at Nationals Park, but the defending world champions will not go to the White House Tuesday as scheduled.
A moment of silence was observed before the Phils-Nats took the field.
In 2002, Kalas was named the Ford C. Frick Award winner at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Phillies president David Montgomery said "we have lost our voice" in announcing the death.
Kalas, who had been with the Phillies since 1971, was known for his distinctive "Outta here!" home run call, a fact Phillies legend Mike Schmidt knew very well.
“The best way I can sum up Harry’s relationship to me was he gave me my sports name," Schmidt told ESPN shortly after learning of the his friend's death. "People all over the country refer to me by the name Harry actually gave me: ‘Michael Jack.’ Everytime I hear it now the rest of my life, his face and smile will resonate.”
“I think he’ll go down over time as one of the top two or three ever (to) grace a microphone," Schmidt told the cable network. "He had a way with those home runs that was a really beautiful thing.”
Kalas used the 'Michael Jack Schmidt' moniker when he called the Hall of Famer's 500th home run in 1987.
ESPN also reached John Kruk, an analyst for the cable network and a first baseman on the Phillies 1993 NL pennant winners.
“He was the Phillies," Kruk said. "He’s a friend to all of us. He was as big a part of the team as any player, coach, manager.”
Longtime Philadelphia announcer Bill Campbell told KYW Newsradio in the city that Kalas had leg circulation problems and had a heart procedure to address those problems.
Kalas missed most of spring training after undergoing surgery in early February, the Philadelphia Daily News reported. The Phils declined to provide specifics of the surgery at that time, saying only that it was a "minor medical procedure" and that there was no reason for concern, the paper also said.
Courtesy: USA TODAY
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Kenneth Faried's 14 Points Help Morehead State Rout Alabama State
Kenneth Faried had 14 points and 21 rebounds to help Morehead State rout Alabama State, 58-43, in the NCAA tournament play-in game last night in Dayton, Ohio.
The Eagles (20-15), making their first tourney appearance since 1984, never trailed and earned a first-round rematch Friday against top-seeded Louisville. The Cardinals pounded Morehead by 38 in November.
Alabama State finished the season 22-10.
In NIT action:
Rhode Island 68, Niagara 62 - Kahiem Seawright scored 20 points in the second half - including 10 in a critical run - and the Rams (23-10) beat the Purple Eagles (26-9) in a first-round game in Lewiston, N.Y.
Jimmy Baron scored 20, including six late free throws, for sixth-seeded URI, which will face Penn State next.
In the College Basketball Invitational:
Northeastern 64, Wyoming 62 - Matt Janning scored 20 points and the Huskies (19-12) surprised the Cowboys (19-14) in a first-round game in Laramie, Wyo.
NU will face either Nevada or UTEP in Monday’s quarterfinals.
In Division 2:
C.W. Post 82, Bentley 76 - Kenny Burkes scored 23 points and the No. 1 Pioneers (30-0) rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat the Falcons (26-7) in Brookville, N.Y., and advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament in Springfield.
Jason Westrol was 7-of-8 on 3-pointers and had 28 points for Bentley.
By Herald Wire Services
The Eagles (20-15), making their first tourney appearance since 1984, never trailed and earned a first-round rematch Friday against top-seeded Louisville. The Cardinals pounded Morehead by 38 in November.
Alabama State finished the season 22-10.
In NIT action:
Rhode Island 68, Niagara 62 - Kahiem Seawright scored 20 points in the second half - including 10 in a critical run - and the Rams (23-10) beat the Purple Eagles (26-9) in a first-round game in Lewiston, N.Y.
Jimmy Baron scored 20, including six late free throws, for sixth-seeded URI, which will face Penn State next.
In the College Basketball Invitational:
Northeastern 64, Wyoming 62 - Matt Janning scored 20 points and the Huskies (19-12) surprised the Cowboys (19-14) in a first-round game in Laramie, Wyo.
NU will face either Nevada or UTEP in Monday’s quarterfinals.
In Division 2:
C.W. Post 82, Bentley 76 - Kenny Burkes scored 23 points and the No. 1 Pioneers (30-0) rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat the Falcons (26-7) in Brookville, N.Y., and advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament in Springfield.
Jason Westrol was 7-of-8 on 3-pointers and had 28 points for Bentley.
By Herald Wire Services
Job Fair To Fill 200 Positions
KENTVILLE — A job fair here today will introduce people seeking employment to about 200 positions available in the Kings County area, which has been hard hit by job losses over the past couple of months.
The Kings Community Economic Development Agency is hosting the fair at the Nova Scotia Community College’s Kingstec campus.
The full-day event starts with information sessions for job seekers between 8:30 a.m. and noon. Colby Clarke, a development officer with the agency, said the sessions will include information on employment insurance programs, health plan coverage and other issues facing people dealing with unemployment.
From noon to 7 p.m., more than a dozen employers with job openings will be on hand to let job seekers know about these positions.
"Some have a pretty significant number of jobs," Mr. Clarke said. "There are 200 positions available; that’s a pretty good number for these days."
The jobs include full- and part-time employment and seasonal work. Mr. Clarke said even a six-month job could be enough to give some people the "buffer zone" they need for better EI benefits.
Employers with jobs on offer include Larsens, Frito Lay, call centre Online Support, seniors facilities, and some trades.
He said a group of seniors facilities is also receiving funds to train continuing care assistants.
"We’re doing what we can so people are aware of the options that are out there," Mr. Clarke said.
He said the last time the agency held a job fair like this was two years ago, when Maple Leaf Foods closed its chicken-processing plant in Canard.
More than 700 people turned out for those sessions.
This one was organized in the wake of more job losses in the Valley.
About 300 people lost their jobs last month when ACA Cooperative closed its Eastern Protein chicken plant in Kentville and cut more jobs at its main plant in New Minas. KLJ Field Services, a Windsor call centre, closed at the cost of 90 jobs and Michelin laid off 95 flex workers at its Waterville plant
Reported By: Ian Fairclough
The Kings Community Economic Development Agency is hosting the fair at the Nova Scotia Community College’s Kingstec campus.
The full-day event starts with information sessions for job seekers between 8:30 a.m. and noon. Colby Clarke, a development officer with the agency, said the sessions will include information on employment insurance programs, health plan coverage and other issues facing people dealing with unemployment.
From noon to 7 p.m., more than a dozen employers with job openings will be on hand to let job seekers know about these positions.
"Some have a pretty significant number of jobs," Mr. Clarke said. "There are 200 positions available; that’s a pretty good number for these days."
The jobs include full- and part-time employment and seasonal work. Mr. Clarke said even a six-month job could be enough to give some people the "buffer zone" they need for better EI benefits.
Employers with jobs on offer include Larsens, Frito Lay, call centre Online Support, seniors facilities, and some trades.
He said a group of seniors facilities is also receiving funds to train continuing care assistants.
"We’re doing what we can so people are aware of the options that are out there," Mr. Clarke said.
He said the last time the agency held a job fair like this was two years ago, when Maple Leaf Foods closed its chicken-processing plant in Canard.
More than 700 people turned out for those sessions.
This one was organized in the wake of more job losses in the Valley.
About 300 people lost their jobs last month when ACA Cooperative closed its Eastern Protein chicken plant in Kentville and cut more jobs at its main plant in New Minas. KLJ Field Services, a Windsor call centre, closed at the cost of 90 jobs and Michelin laid off 95 flex workers at its Waterville plant
Reported By: Ian Fairclough
Monday, March 16, 2009
Free Napkin Is Online Trading Without the Trade
I recently wrote about the online bartering trend. Now there's a site getting tons of hits, Free Napkin, that is a similar idea to online bartering sites in terms of creating a profile, leaving feedback, etc, just without the actual trade--you just give some stuff away for free. Here's an example from the site's FAQ:
Registered freenapkin user Bob has a father who owns a farm. His dads farm has a lot of old equipment. Much of the equipment is old and non-functional and takes up a lot of space. Bobs dad is old and he himself does not have enough money to hire movers to come haul away some of the big equipment. He decides its better and more lucrative if he registers a free account on freenapkin so that his father can get rid of his equipment that he needs at will. His 80 yr old father was able to take a photo of his farming equipment and then with no help at all upload the photos onto his freenapkin account. The items were claimed within a few days. See how simple and easy a freenapkin account is. Senior citizens might not be able to help lift heavy objects but they can take a picture.
I haven't been able to find many testimonials from people about how they have liked using this site. But assuming it's legit, the idea is a bit strange. People who want to donate items for humanitarian purposes would probably prefer to do so at a place like Goodwill or Salvation Army where they know their donation is going to support the needy--not just someone who wants free stuff. For people looking to unload unwanted items, Craigslist (or any of the online bartering sites) seem just as easy to use, but with the added bonus of getting something in return.
Courtesy: Mark Bandyk, US News
Registered freenapkin user Bob has a father who owns a farm. His dads farm has a lot of old equipment. Much of the equipment is old and non-functional and takes up a lot of space. Bobs dad is old and he himself does not have enough money to hire movers to come haul away some of the big equipment. He decides its better and more lucrative if he registers a free account on freenapkin so that his father can get rid of his equipment that he needs at will. His 80 yr old father was able to take a photo of his farming equipment and then with no help at all upload the photos onto his freenapkin account. The items were claimed within a few days. See how simple and easy a freenapkin account is. Senior citizens might not be able to help lift heavy objects but they can take a picture.
I haven't been able to find many testimonials from people about how they have liked using this site. But assuming it's legit, the idea is a bit strange. People who want to donate items for humanitarian purposes would probably prefer to do so at a place like Goodwill or Salvation Army where they know their donation is going to support the needy--not just someone who wants free stuff. For people looking to unload unwanted items, Craigslist (or any of the online bartering sites) seem just as easy to use, but with the added bonus of getting something in return.
Courtesy: Mark Bandyk, US News
Saturday, March 14, 2009
DESIREE ROGERS, WHITEHOUSE SOCIAL SECRETARY SETS A NEW STANDARD
WASHINGTON — Desiree Rogers once made millionaires of a lucky few everyday people. Now she plans to give Americans dinner invitations to the White House.
Rogers, a svelte, stylish Chicago business executive and socialite—and a former Illinois lottery director—is turning again to Lady Luck in her new role as social secretary for a White House that hopes to balance glamor, history and an urban sensibility with plenty of populism.
"Something that we've talked about from early on is making it the people's house," said Rogers, sitting at a table in her East Wing office, a view of the Truman Balcony behind her. "How can we salute—encourage the American spirit? That means many different things to many different people."
Her vision includes inviting ordinary citizens chosen by lottery to join in a social life that reflects the eclectic interests of a sophisticated, young First Couple, Barack and Michelle Obama. Along with glittering state events and intimate dinners hosting artists and intellectuals, the calendar she plans includes edgy poetry slams and an egalitarian ball celebrating everyday American heroes.
Obama's FDA leader, food safety plans You can already see changes. The R&B band Earth, Wind and Fire was the entertainment at the Obamas' first formal dinner, hosting the nation's governors, and soul legend Stevie Wonder was honored with a White House concert. The black-tie governors' dinner had a more casual, modern feel with mixed-china place settings.
Among the first events have been a Super Bowl party and a dinner for congressional committee chairmen and their Republican counterparts. It was the first time even many of the GOP members of Congress had been invited to dinner at the White House despite their party's control of the presidency for the past eight years. The Super Bowl party included a children's play area featuring Nintendo Wii.
The traditional White House Easter Egg Roll this year is planned to be the largest ever, with tens of thousands of visitors and tickets distributed to the public online for the first time. The idea is that an assured spot will make it easier for families to come from across the country to join the egg hunt on the South Lawn; in the past, tickets were distributed in Washington the previous Saturday, making it less likely people would travel a long distance.
For many, the Obamas evoke John and Jacqueline Kennedy and Camelot, a presidency surrounded by an enduring mystique and sense of possibility. That image was created in part by an elegant White House social life that included a storied dinner with Nobel Prize winners and a performance by classical cellist Pablo Casals marking his celebrated return to America. Even before the election, Vogue editor at large Andre Leon Talley dubbed the Obama era "Black Camelot."
Whatever epithet ultimately sticks to the Obama White House, Rogers will be its impresario. And she, for one, rejects comparisons with Camelot: "This is not necessarily a presidency that duplicates, or copies. The Obamas have their own style," she said in an interview.
That style is livelier than the Bushes, more hip than the Reagans, more multicultural than the Clintons and more accessible than the Kennedys.
In an office that derives its greatest power from the opportunity to forge a direct relationship with the American people, and amid a celebrity culture that elevates the details of personal life, style can be critical.
"To have a successful presidency, the social life of the White House has to match the times. That's when it becomes such an added benefit to the presidency. It happened in its greatest form with the Kennedys," said Kennedy biographer Laurence Leamer. "There's no book that tells you how to do this. You have to feel your way through what you want to do."
The woman who will be helping the Obamas feel their way is a poised 5-foot, 10-inch Wellesley graduate with fashionable, close-shorn hair and a flair for designer clothing. Long before Rogers was associated with the White House, she was profiled in the September 2004 issue of Vogue, which praised her as "proving that chic and executive can co-exist."
A native of New Orleans and two-time queen of the Zulu Mardi Gras krewe, the 49-year-old Rogers has been a prominent presence on the Chicago social scene since her marriage to (now ex-husband) John Rogers, an Obama confidant and founder of Ariel Investments.
"She's a wonderful person to have in a room. She's fun and witty and lovely to look at," said Linda Johnson Rice, chairwoman and CEO of Johnson Publishing, a longtime friend and frequent guest at Rogers' Art Deco duplex in Chicago's Gold Coast. "When you walk into her home, everything is perfect: the candles are the right scent, the flowers are perfect and she's very welcoming."
Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, the top-ranking Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, who sat next to Rogers at a recent White House dinner, gushes, "She's someone who puts you at ease instantly. You feel like you've known her a long time."
Though Rogers now has an apartment in Washington, she still shuttles back and forth to Chicago, returning three weeks ago for a surprise party for interior designer and Table Fifty-Two co-owner Julie Latsko.
Not only is Rogers the first African-American to be White House social secretary but she is the first with a Harvard MBA. She's spent much of her career at the intersection of politics, business and marketing.
After working as state lottery director, Rogers was a communications executive at People's Energy Corp. and then president of its two regulated utilities, steering them through a political backlash against rapidly rising gas prices. Before coming to the White House, she worked in another highly regulated industry: insurance. At Allstate, she was in charge of creating a social network to connect with customers.
Rogers is bringing some corporate marketing techniques to her new job. As she looks for ways to incorporate more modern touches in the Easter Egg Roll, she plans to test ideas with a focus group of children, said Cynthia Torres, a business school roommate who remains a close friend.
"She's investigating and trying to think through each event," Torres said.
Though Rogers approaches planning events with an eye toward imagery that will reinforce Obama's vision of the presidency and help him build relationships with the capital's other political players, she said her job ultimately is about "creating environments where people can kind of relax a little bit and experience a tiny slice of what America has to offer."
Like the conga line at the governor's ball.
"In the course of the evening, I looked up and they were doing a conga line," said White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. "That's the perfect example of how comfortable people were able to get very quickly. And, you know, when you've done the conga line with somebody, it's very hard to have a heated dispute with them the next day."
Reported By: Mike Dorning, Chicago Tribune
Rogers, a svelte, stylish Chicago business executive and socialite—and a former Illinois lottery director—is turning again to Lady Luck in her new role as social secretary for a White House that hopes to balance glamor, history and an urban sensibility with plenty of populism.
"Something that we've talked about from early on is making it the people's house," said Rogers, sitting at a table in her East Wing office, a view of the Truman Balcony behind her. "How can we salute—encourage the American spirit? That means many different things to many different people."
Her vision includes inviting ordinary citizens chosen by lottery to join in a social life that reflects the eclectic interests of a sophisticated, young First Couple, Barack and Michelle Obama. Along with glittering state events and intimate dinners hosting artists and intellectuals, the calendar she plans includes edgy poetry slams and an egalitarian ball celebrating everyday American heroes.
Obama's FDA leader, food safety plans You can already see changes. The R&B band Earth, Wind and Fire was the entertainment at the Obamas' first formal dinner, hosting the nation's governors, and soul legend Stevie Wonder was honored with a White House concert. The black-tie governors' dinner had a more casual, modern feel with mixed-china place settings.
Among the first events have been a Super Bowl party and a dinner for congressional committee chairmen and their Republican counterparts. It was the first time even many of the GOP members of Congress had been invited to dinner at the White House despite their party's control of the presidency for the past eight years. The Super Bowl party included a children's play area featuring Nintendo Wii.
The traditional White House Easter Egg Roll this year is planned to be the largest ever, with tens of thousands of visitors and tickets distributed to the public online for the first time. The idea is that an assured spot will make it easier for families to come from across the country to join the egg hunt on the South Lawn; in the past, tickets were distributed in Washington the previous Saturday, making it less likely people would travel a long distance.
For many, the Obamas evoke John and Jacqueline Kennedy and Camelot, a presidency surrounded by an enduring mystique and sense of possibility. That image was created in part by an elegant White House social life that included a storied dinner with Nobel Prize winners and a performance by classical cellist Pablo Casals marking his celebrated return to America. Even before the election, Vogue editor at large Andre Leon Talley dubbed the Obama era "Black Camelot."
Whatever epithet ultimately sticks to the Obama White House, Rogers will be its impresario. And she, for one, rejects comparisons with Camelot: "This is not necessarily a presidency that duplicates, or copies. The Obamas have their own style," she said in an interview.
That style is livelier than the Bushes, more hip than the Reagans, more multicultural than the Clintons and more accessible than the Kennedys.
In an office that derives its greatest power from the opportunity to forge a direct relationship with the American people, and amid a celebrity culture that elevates the details of personal life, style can be critical.
"To have a successful presidency, the social life of the White House has to match the times. That's when it becomes such an added benefit to the presidency. It happened in its greatest form with the Kennedys," said Kennedy biographer Laurence Leamer. "There's no book that tells you how to do this. You have to feel your way through what you want to do."
The woman who will be helping the Obamas feel their way is a poised 5-foot, 10-inch Wellesley graduate with fashionable, close-shorn hair and a flair for designer clothing. Long before Rogers was associated with the White House, she was profiled in the September 2004 issue of Vogue, which praised her as "proving that chic and executive can co-exist."
A native of New Orleans and two-time queen of the Zulu Mardi Gras krewe, the 49-year-old Rogers has been a prominent presence on the Chicago social scene since her marriage to (now ex-husband) John Rogers, an Obama confidant and founder of Ariel Investments.
"She's a wonderful person to have in a room. She's fun and witty and lovely to look at," said Linda Johnson Rice, chairwoman and CEO of Johnson Publishing, a longtime friend and frequent guest at Rogers' Art Deco duplex in Chicago's Gold Coast. "When you walk into her home, everything is perfect: the candles are the right scent, the flowers are perfect and she's very welcoming."
Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, the top-ranking Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, who sat next to Rogers at a recent White House dinner, gushes, "She's someone who puts you at ease instantly. You feel like you've known her a long time."
Though Rogers now has an apartment in Washington, she still shuttles back and forth to Chicago, returning three weeks ago for a surprise party for interior designer and Table Fifty-Two co-owner Julie Latsko.
Not only is Rogers the first African-American to be White House social secretary but she is the first with a Harvard MBA. She's spent much of her career at the intersection of politics, business and marketing.
After working as state lottery director, Rogers was a communications executive at People's Energy Corp. and then president of its two regulated utilities, steering them through a political backlash against rapidly rising gas prices. Before coming to the White House, she worked in another highly regulated industry: insurance. At Allstate, she was in charge of creating a social network to connect with customers.
Rogers is bringing some corporate marketing techniques to her new job. As she looks for ways to incorporate more modern touches in the Easter Egg Roll, she plans to test ideas with a focus group of children, said Cynthia Torres, a business school roommate who remains a close friend.
"She's investigating and trying to think through each event," Torres said.
Though Rogers approaches planning events with an eye toward imagery that will reinforce Obama's vision of the presidency and help him build relationships with the capital's other political players, she said her job ultimately is about "creating environments where people can kind of relax a little bit and experience a tiny slice of what America has to offer."
Like the conga line at the governor's ball.
"In the course of the evening, I looked up and they were doing a conga line," said White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett. "That's the perfect example of how comfortable people were able to get very quickly. And, you know, when you've done the conga line with somebody, it's very hard to have a heated dispute with them the next day."
Reported By: Mike Dorning, Chicago Tribune
Sunday, March 8, 2009
THERE IS NO SLOWING CHEIFTIANS.....
Paddy Moloney, founder of The Chieftains, long has been credited as an ambassador of Irish music.
He could just as easily be described as an ambassador of Galician, Scottish, American country or rock 'n' roll music, to name just a few of the varieties he has explored with The Chieftains.
Moloney digs up Celtic roots in unexpected places. Currently, he is delving into the musical influence of the Irish diaspora in Mexico, focusing on the presence of the "Batallon de San Patricio" during the Mexican-American War of the mid-1840s.
The St. Patrick's Battalion consisted primarily of recent Irish immigrants who deserted the U.S. Army to fight alongside the Mexicans. Many were caught and executed as traitors. Some historians view these soldiers as mercenaries or opportunists, while others think their status as a religious minority, as well as class issues, played a role in their desertion.
"It seems they didn't like the Protestant generals telling them to shoot their fellow Catholics," is how Moloney sees it.
The as-yet-untitled Chieftains album, which features Linda Ronstadt, still is a work in progress.
"We hope to have it finished by the end of April and to have it out by September," Moloney said.
Audiences who see The Chieftains during their jam-packed St. Patrick's season won't have to wait that long, as the band will preview new material. The Chieftains' tour includes concerts Thursday at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, March 15 at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and March 16 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
"The first tune in the set is from the new album, about a Galician musician who went to Mexico," Moloney said. "And in the second half, we go berserk altogether with a full pipe band doing the march I wrote, and a lament for the Irish battalion."
Moloney, who plays uilleann pipes and tin whistle, is joined on this tour by longtime members Kevin Conneff (bodhran and vocals) and Matt Molloy (flute).
Missing this year will be the fiddler Sean Keane, who still is with The Chieftains and recorded with the band for its upcoming album, but who cannot tour right now for "personal family reasons," according to Moloney.
Courtesy: Kelly-Jane Cotter, Music Writer
He could just as easily be described as an ambassador of Galician, Scottish, American country or rock 'n' roll music, to name just a few of the varieties he has explored with The Chieftains.
Moloney digs up Celtic roots in unexpected places. Currently, he is delving into the musical influence of the Irish diaspora in Mexico, focusing on the presence of the "Batallon de San Patricio" during the Mexican-American War of the mid-1840s.
The St. Patrick's Battalion consisted primarily of recent Irish immigrants who deserted the U.S. Army to fight alongside the Mexicans. Many were caught and executed as traitors. Some historians view these soldiers as mercenaries or opportunists, while others think their status as a religious minority, as well as class issues, played a role in their desertion.
"It seems they didn't like the Protestant generals telling them to shoot their fellow Catholics," is how Moloney sees it.
The as-yet-untitled Chieftains album, which features Linda Ronstadt, still is a work in progress.
"We hope to have it finished by the end of April and to have it out by September," Moloney said.
Audiences who see The Chieftains during their jam-packed St. Patrick's season won't have to wait that long, as the band will preview new material. The Chieftains' tour includes concerts Thursday at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, March 15 at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and March 16 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.
"The first tune in the set is from the new album, about a Galician musician who went to Mexico," Moloney said. "And in the second half, we go berserk altogether with a full pipe band doing the march I wrote, and a lament for the Irish battalion."
Moloney, who plays uilleann pipes and tin whistle, is joined on this tour by longtime members Kevin Conneff (bodhran and vocals) and Matt Molloy (flute).
Missing this year will be the fiddler Sean Keane, who still is with The Chieftains and recorded with the band for its upcoming album, but who cannot tour right now for "personal family reasons," according to Moloney.
Courtesy: Kelly-Jane Cotter, Music Writer
IT'S LATER THAN YOU THINK; DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME RETURNED THIS MORNING
It's Later Than You Think; Daylight Saving Time Returned This Morning
Christine Bellini
You get an extra hour of daylight starting today so use your time wisely as Spring and its wiles are just around the corner.
Southampton - If you are just waking up this Sunday morning and thinking you have nabbed yourself a little extra time before the bustle begins, chances are my friend you are already an hour behind schedule. Daylight Saving Time arrived at 2 a.m. and snatched a hour of your precious time while you were sleeping.
The good news is, days will seem longer and daylight will advance the late afternoon and evening hours, allowing for more post-work activities.
First proposed by Englishman William Willett in 1907, he continued to unsuccessfully lobby for the time alteration until his death in 1915. Germany was the first to implement the system on April 30, 1916 as it served as a means to conserve fuel during the campaigns of WWI. Britian, the Allies and most of neutral European countries soon followed suit. Russia got on board in 1917 and the United States made it official on March 19, 1918.
Daylight Saving Time (DST) was subsequently repealed in 1919 and it wasn't until Feb. 9, 1942 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt reinstituted the time change for the duration of WWII, running to Sept. 30, 1945.
And for nearly 30 years Americans didn't alter their time clocks until President Richard M. Nixon signed the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act in 1973 during the height of the fuel crisis, officially making DST law. The act has been amended several times in the years that followed.
Father Time was readdressed yet once more by an act of congress in 2005 when the Energy Policy Act, which standardized the DST period from 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March to 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, went into effect.
Courtesy: Christine Bellini
Christine Bellini
You get an extra hour of daylight starting today so use your time wisely as Spring and its wiles are just around the corner.
Southampton - If you are just waking up this Sunday morning and thinking you have nabbed yourself a little extra time before the bustle begins, chances are my friend you are already an hour behind schedule. Daylight Saving Time arrived at 2 a.m. and snatched a hour of your precious time while you were sleeping.
The good news is, days will seem longer and daylight will advance the late afternoon and evening hours, allowing for more post-work activities.
First proposed by Englishman William Willett in 1907, he continued to unsuccessfully lobby for the time alteration until his death in 1915. Germany was the first to implement the system on April 30, 1916 as it served as a means to conserve fuel during the campaigns of WWI. Britian, the Allies and most of neutral European countries soon followed suit. Russia got on board in 1917 and the United States made it official on March 19, 1918.
Daylight Saving Time (DST) was subsequently repealed in 1919 and it wasn't until Feb. 9, 1942 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt reinstituted the time change for the duration of WWII, running to Sept. 30, 1945.
And for nearly 30 years Americans didn't alter their time clocks until President Richard M. Nixon signed the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act in 1973 during the height of the fuel crisis, officially making DST law. The act has been amended several times in the years that followed.
Father Time was readdressed yet once more by an act of congress in 2005 when the Energy Policy Act, which standardized the DST period from 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March to 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November, went into effect.
Courtesy: Christine Bellini
Thursday, March 5, 2009
GAS EXPLOSION AND FIRE DESTROY BUSINESSES
BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — A natural gas explosion and fire rocked downtown Bozeman Thursday morning, collapsing three buildings and prompting evacuation of a two-block area, officials said.
Crews were allowing the fire to burn because officials hadn't been able to completely shut off a natural gas line.
Assistant City Manager Chuck Winn said there were no reports of casualties, but said the rubble of the collapsed buildings was not yet safe to search.
"There's so much damage there and so much fire still that we cannot get our crews in," to search the rubble, Winn said.
City officials said four businesses were destroyed — a restaurant and bar, two other bars and a gallery.
The blast shook ceiling tiles at Schnee's Boots and Shoes three blocks from the explosion and knocked down shoes that were on display, said Dawn McClelland, who had just reported for work.
"The whole building shook," she said. "I thought somebody had rammed (a car) into the back of the building. The people up front thought the ceiling was falling in."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Crews were allowing the fire to burn because officials hadn't been able to completely shut off a natural gas line.
Assistant City Manager Chuck Winn said there were no reports of casualties, but said the rubble of the collapsed buildings was not yet safe to search.
"There's so much damage there and so much fire still that we cannot get our crews in," to search the rubble, Winn said.
City officials said four businesses were destroyed — a restaurant and bar, two other bars and a gallery.
The blast shook ceiling tiles at Schnee's Boots and Shoes three blocks from the explosion and knocked down shoes that were on display, said Dawn McClelland, who had just reported for work.
"The whole building shook," she said. "I thought somebody had rammed (a car) into the back of the building. The people up front thought the ceiling was falling in."
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
D.C.'S CTO, VIVEK KUNDRA APPOINTED CIO
President Barack Obama today appointed D.C.’s Chief Technology Officer Vivek Kundra to the new administrative position of federal chief information officer.
As the nation’s CIO, Kundra will direct the policy and strategic planning of federal information technology investments.
Lowering the cost of government operations through the use of technology, interoperability of technology across government agencies, and security are other major objectives.
“Vivek Kundra will bring a depth of experience in the technology arena and a commitment to lowering the cost of government operations to this position,” Obama said in a statement.
“As chief information officer, he will play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible.”
Kundra will work with Obama’s yet-to-be-named chief technology officer to promote the president’s technology agenda.
Kundra was rumored to be in the running for several tech-related positions that Obama promised to create, including the chief technology officer position for which newly tapped Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski also was said to be considered.
In D.C., Kundra was responsible for the city’s telecommunications and IT infrastructure. He was appointed the city’s CTO on March 27, 2007, by Mayor Adrian Fenty and has implemented technology-based programs to streamline government procurement and make citywide data more transparent and accessible to citizens.
Before serving in the District, Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine named him assistant secretary of commerce and technology, the first dual cabinet role in the state’s history.
In the private sector, Kundra was vice president of marketing for Evincible Software, a company focused on electronic signatures and identity management for the financial services and defense sectors, and as chief executive officer of Creostar he advised government and industry clients on IT governance and strategy.
Courtesy: Darlene Darcy
Washington Business Journal
As the nation’s CIO, Kundra will direct the policy and strategic planning of federal information technology investments.
Lowering the cost of government operations through the use of technology, interoperability of technology across government agencies, and security are other major objectives.
“Vivek Kundra will bring a depth of experience in the technology arena and a commitment to lowering the cost of government operations to this position,” Obama said in a statement.
“As chief information officer, he will play a key role in making sure our government is running in the most secure, open, and efficient way possible.”
Kundra will work with Obama’s yet-to-be-named chief technology officer to promote the president’s technology agenda.
Kundra was rumored to be in the running for several tech-related positions that Obama promised to create, including the chief technology officer position for which newly tapped Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski also was said to be considered.
In D.C., Kundra was responsible for the city’s telecommunications and IT infrastructure. He was appointed the city’s CTO on March 27, 2007, by Mayor Adrian Fenty and has implemented technology-based programs to streamline government procurement and make citywide data more transparent and accessible to citizens.
Before serving in the District, Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine named him assistant secretary of commerce and technology, the first dual cabinet role in the state’s history.
In the private sector, Kundra was vice president of marketing for Evincible Software, a company focused on electronic signatures and identity management for the financial services and defense sectors, and as chief executive officer of Creostar he advised government and industry clients on IT governance and strategy.
Courtesy: Darlene Darcy
Washington Business Journal
STARS TRYING TO HELP DIEING GIRL FIND DONOR
Top News
Alfred Giancarli, NY Daily News (March 4) – Celebrities have stepped up to help a 6-year-old New York City girl who is suffering from a rare and particularly deadly form of leukemia.
Doctors fear Little Jasmina Anema could die unless she receives a bone-marrow transplant soon, according to the New York Daily News..
Singers Kelly Rowland and Rihanna and NBA star Paul Pierce are spreading the word about a bone marrow drive to be held Saturday in hopes of finding a match for Jasmina.
The best bets for donors are usually family members and, in the case of Jasmina, a donor who is African-American like her. But Jasmina was adopted, and her mother is white.
"I need thousands of people to come," Theodora Anema, Jasmina's mother, told the newspaper.
The "One for Jasmina" Web site has information about the donor drive, as well as how to become a donor by requesting a simple kit.
Courtesy: Black Voices
Alfred Giancarli, NY Daily News (March 4) – Celebrities have stepped up to help a 6-year-old New York City girl who is suffering from a rare and particularly deadly form of leukemia.
Doctors fear Little Jasmina Anema could die unless she receives a bone-marrow transplant soon, according to the New York Daily News..
Singers Kelly Rowland and Rihanna and NBA star Paul Pierce are spreading the word about a bone marrow drive to be held Saturday in hopes of finding a match for Jasmina.
The best bets for donors are usually family members and, in the case of Jasmina, a donor who is African-American like her. But Jasmina was adopted, and her mother is white.
"I need thousands of people to come," Theodora Anema, Jasmina's mother, told the newspaper.
The "One for Jasmina" Web site has information about the donor drive, as well as how to become a donor by requesting a simple kit.
Courtesy: Black Voices
RADIAT TUMMY TUCK CREAM REVIEW
I was lucky enough to get picked for a panel of mums to try out some tummy toning products for one of the famous Parenting magazines earlier this year.
The options were a diet, exercise or this cream, and luckily for me, I got to use the cream! I didn’t actually know what cream it was, so I went into with an open mind…until my curiosity got the better of me! I found the cream was made by Rodial and that it was rather expensive….100 a bottle! So I began to use it and carried on doing so for 4 weeks. So here goes my review.
Rodial is a company which uses the best of nature’s ingredients in order to make wonder creams and treatments which claim to make drastic changes to your body when you use them regularly.
Apparently Rodial uses Pomegranate Ellagic Tannin in all of their products, as this is an anti-ageing firming product with collagen boosters in it. Their slogan is “Nature-Science”Skincare”.
After having a browse through their website, I could see that they offered many different products for different areas of your bodies, and each of them did a different thing as well.
The main categories of products available are skincare, which is mainly products for the face, Bodycare for all areas of the body and Suncare. The products are not cheap, in fact some of the most expensive I have seen in a while!
Courtesy: Night-Surfer,Latest News
The options were a diet, exercise or this cream, and luckily for me, I got to use the cream! I didn’t actually know what cream it was, so I went into with an open mind…until my curiosity got the better of me! I found the cream was made by Rodial and that it was rather expensive….100 a bottle! So I began to use it and carried on doing so for 4 weeks. So here goes my review.
Rodial is a company which uses the best of nature’s ingredients in order to make wonder creams and treatments which claim to make drastic changes to your body when you use them regularly.
Apparently Rodial uses Pomegranate Ellagic Tannin in all of their products, as this is an anti-ageing firming product with collagen boosters in it. Their slogan is “Nature-Science”Skincare”.
After having a browse through their website, I could see that they offered many different products for different areas of your bodies, and each of them did a different thing as well.
The main categories of products available are skincare, which is mainly products for the face, Bodycare for all areas of the body and Suncare. The products are not cheap, in fact some of the most expensive I have seen in a while!
Courtesy: Night-Surfer,Latest News
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
TERM ASSET BACKED SECURITIES LOAN FACILITY
The Term Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF) will start disbursing funds March 25. The Term Asset Backed Securities Loan Facility was created back in November 2008.
Now today the Fed said $1 trillion in TALF will be given as it accepts securities backed by vehicles and equipment. The hope of TALF is to improve the credit crisis.
The Fed issued a statement today:
“The expanded program will remain focused on securities that will have the greatest macroeconomic impact and can most efficiently be added to the TALF at a low and manageable risk to the government.”
Back in November, the FED announced the creation of TALF with the following statement:
The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced the creation of the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), a facility that will help market participants meet the credit needs of households and small businesses by supporting the issuance of asset-backed securities (ABS) collateralized by student loans, auto loans, credit card loans, and loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Under the TALF, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) will lend up to $200 billion on a non-recourse basis to holders of certain AAA-rated ABS backed by newly and recently originated consumer and small business loans. The FRBNY will lend an amount equal to the market value of the ABS less a haircut and will be secured at all times by the ABS. The U.S. Treasury Department–under the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008–will provide $20 billion of credit protection to the FRBNY in connection with the TALF. The attached terms and conditions document describes the basic terms and operational details of the facility. The terms and conditions are subject to change based on discussions with market participants in the coming weeks.
New issuance of ABS declined precipitously in September and came to a halt in October. At the same time, interest rate spreads on AAA-rated tranches of ABS soared to levels well outside the range of historical experience, reflecting unusually high risk premiums. The ABS markets historically have funded a substantial share of consumer credit and SBA-guaranteed small business loans. Continued disruption of these markets could significantly limit the availability of credit to households and small businesses and thereby contribute to further weakening of U.S. economic activity. The TALF is designed to increase credit availability and support economic activity by facilitating renewed issuance of consumer and small business ABS at more normal interest rate spreads.
COURTESY: LALATE(USA) NEWS
Now today the Fed said $1 trillion in TALF will be given as it accepts securities backed by vehicles and equipment. The hope of TALF is to improve the credit crisis.
The Fed issued a statement today:
“The expanded program will remain focused on securities that will have the greatest macroeconomic impact and can most efficiently be added to the TALF at a low and manageable risk to the government.”
Back in November, the FED announced the creation of TALF with the following statement:
The Federal Reserve Board on Tuesday announced the creation of the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), a facility that will help market participants meet the credit needs of households and small businesses by supporting the issuance of asset-backed securities (ABS) collateralized by student loans, auto loans, credit card loans, and loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
Under the TALF, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) will lend up to $200 billion on a non-recourse basis to holders of certain AAA-rated ABS backed by newly and recently originated consumer and small business loans. The FRBNY will lend an amount equal to the market value of the ABS less a haircut and will be secured at all times by the ABS. The U.S. Treasury Department–under the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008–will provide $20 billion of credit protection to the FRBNY in connection with the TALF. The attached terms and conditions document describes the basic terms and operational details of the facility. The terms and conditions are subject to change based on discussions with market participants in the coming weeks.
New issuance of ABS declined precipitously in September and came to a halt in October. At the same time, interest rate spreads on AAA-rated tranches of ABS soared to levels well outside the range of historical experience, reflecting unusually high risk premiums. The ABS markets historically have funded a substantial share of consumer credit and SBA-guaranteed small business loans. Continued disruption of these markets could significantly limit the availability of credit to households and small businesses and thereby contribute to further weakening of U.S. economic activity. The TALF is designed to increase credit availability and support economic activity by facilitating renewed issuance of consumer and small business ABS at more normal interest rate spreads.
COURTESY: LALATE(USA) NEWS
TODAY IS SQUARE ROOT DAY
Redwood City (AP) - Today is a big day for math fanatics. It's Square Root Day today, a special day that comes only nine times during every century.
The odd calendar event makes today Square Root Day because it falls on 3/3/09. In Redwood City, teacher Ron Gordon has started a contest meant to get people excited about the event. The winner gets -- of course -- $339 for having the biggest Square Root Day event.
The last such day was five years ago, Feb. 2, 2004, which coincided with Groundhog Day. The next is seven years away, on April 4, 2016.
COURTESY:SILICON VALLEY NEWS
The odd calendar event makes today Square Root Day because it falls on 3/3/09. In Redwood City, teacher Ron Gordon has started a contest meant to get people excited about the event. The winner gets -- of course -- $339 for having the biggest Square Root Day event.
The last such day was five years ago, Feb. 2, 2004, which coincided with Groundhog Day. The next is seven years away, on April 4, 2016.
COURTESY:SILICON VALLEY NEWS
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