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09 10th, 2011| 
“I want that purple stuff.” This is Dave Chappelle funny. SNL Weekend Update meets Talk Soup. A hilarious version of the news hosted by Mike Moss & Michelle Papillion. Created by Brandon Broussard.
Duration : 0:6:23
Sep
10
Aug
25
2008 Elections
Mr. Bill O’Reilly said it best; we are voting out of Emotions. We are so fed up with President Bush that we are willing to accept any change just for the sake of change!
I have a testimony. Mr. Barack Hussein Obama Jr. or Barry Soetoro is proposing to “Spread the Wealth” which was the same campaign that Mr. Fidel Castro proposed when taking over Cuba as Prime Minister. Castro was successful. He took from everyone and redistributed it. The problem was that Castro kept most of it and the wealth distributed was very thin. Castro confiscated restaurants, working farms, livestock, horses and anything else of value from my family. Today, the restaurant has no food to serve and our property has not been farmed since 1968. Yes, Castro provides free medical. If you go to a hospital in Cuba you have to take your own pillow and sheets and when the doctor’s gives a prescription it is very limited because medications are very limited and mostly un-available.
We migrated to this Great Country because of political differences. I remember arriving here in 1968 and the strong opposition we Americans had with regards to Communism and socialism! It was a joy. What is happening to our basic core morals and values? Or do we just want change for the sake of change?
Barack’s economic plan; consist of increasing taxes for those trying to work hard and get ahead and placing additional requirements for business owners to provide heath benefits to all it’s employees. Oh yes, lets issue checks to citizens that do not pay taxes. What is wrong with this picture? He targets a sector of our population that will net him greater votes but demoralizing to our business sector. This is aimed at destroying the very fabric that makes our country great, to work and be rewarded for our efforts. I would rather work and continue to pay taxes as normal and allow my employer the flexibility to run his company so he can afford to hire me. Yes, we all need help from time to time but do not believe that someone else should support me. This is not consistent with my morals or values.
I really like the Inaugural Address by John F. Kennedy – January 20th 1961 where he said: “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country“. Things have really changed.
It seems fair to me that every citizen in this Country, who is able to do so, should make the effort to work and carry their own weight. Some cannot and I understand that our children and our seniors or disabled citizens need our help. I visited Cuba in 1996 to see my grandmother before she passed away and remember that everyday seemed like a holiday because so many young able men and women would be hanging out not working and or contributing to the success of the country. They complained they did not have clothing or bare necessities like food but also, did not make an effort to earn it. They are dependent on the government providing all of their needs. If you give the citizens hand-outs there is no motivation for them to earn their needs and pride of ownership.
Yes, Barack when you spread the wealth it is a socialist and communist belief, but you already know that it’s your blind followers that cannot see behind the smoke and mirrors. I remember my grandfather and uncles who said the Chinese immigrants warned the Cubans that Castro brought change but it would not be the change we needed and we did not listen.
Nivaldo Masson
Jul
16
Santa Clarita wins top honors for cities with populations greater than 50,000,
while Vernon wins for cities with less than 50,000 residents
***
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) today announced the cities of Santa Clarita and Vernon as the winners of its annual “Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles County” competition at its 13th Annual Eddy Awards on November 17, 2008. The Eddy Awards are attended by more than 700 leaders from the business, government, and education communities.
The City of Santa Clarita emerged as the most business-friendly city in LA County for the cities with more than 50,000 residents. Santa Clarita does not assess a utility user tax, allowing businesses to save up to five percent or more on their electric, telephone, water, and gas bills, and it has recently been designated as a State of California Enterprise Zone. Santa Clarita offers its businesses and residents a highly educated workforce, available land for development, site selection assistance, and expedited plan reviews and permit processing.
It is also a thriving center for industry clusters such as aerospace manufacturing, bio-medical, entertainment, and technology. CNN/Money Magazine calls this city one of the Best Places to Live in California. They also boast the distinction of having the most “Outstanding New Economic Developer of the Year” on their staff, according to the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and have been recognized numerous times for their award-winning marketing materials.
Santa Clarita was also named a finalist for the LAEDC’s Most Business Friendly City award in 2006 and 2007. Finalists for this category this year included the cities of Cerritos, Glendale, Long Beach, and Pasadena.
The City of Vernon was selected as the winner for the category of 50,000 and fewer residents. Vernon provides its own water and natural gas service, fiber optic system, and its own electric utility company with rates that are consistently ten to 40 percent lower than those outside the City. Vernon does not have a utility user tax and its redevelopment agency has spent nearly $40 million on infrastructure improvements and land for economic development.
The City offers a “one stop” service counter where questions regarding zoning requirements, building codes and/or public works can be answered. Vernon also boasts the distinction of being named Most Competitive among 12 other industrial cities (six in Southern California and six in other states), according to the Kosmont Companies business costs analysis report. Vernon is home to several major brand names including Farmer John, Seven for All Mankind, BCBG, and Karen Kane. This small city of only 100 residents and more than 50,000 employees is home to companies who manufacture everything from hot dogs
to haute couture. Finalists for this category also included Culver City, Santa Fe Springs, La Mirada, and Monrovia.
“We’re delighted to present our third annual award to these very deserving cities,” said Bill Allen,
LAEDC president and CEO. “The cities of Santa Clarita and Vernon best represent what can be achieved
when our city governments work side by side with the business community to create business-friendly
environments where quality jobs can grow. Their success can be attributed to the proactive attitude of their
Mayors, council members, and city staff. We are encouraged that so many LA County cities are being
proactive in their efforts to retain and attract quality jobs and businesses in their communities especially
during these difficult economic times. The ability and commitment of our local governments to attract and
retain good jobs will be absolutely essential if our region is to sustain its economic vitality and quality of life
in the years to come.”
The winners were selected based on the following criteria:
Ø Demonstrated commitment to economic development as a priority
Ø Excellence in programs and services designed to facilitate business entry, expansion, and retention
Ø Economic development activity over the past three years
Ø Competitive business tax rates and fee structures
Ø Availability of economic incentives
Ø Effective communication with and about business clients
In support of the LAEDC’s mission to retain and attract quality jobs to Los Angeles County, the LAEDC announced this award category in 2006 to showcase the cities within the County that are proactively promoting business-friendly programs and services. Last year, the City of Lancaster was name Most Business-Friendly and the City of El Segundo was the inaugural winner for the “Most Business-Friendly City” award in 2006.
About the Eddy
The Eddy Awards® were introduced by the LAEDC in 1996 to celebrate individuals and organizations that demonstrate exceptional contributions to positive economic development in the region. For more information about the Eddy Awards®, including sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.laedc.org/eddy. For past Eddy honorees please visit: http://www.laedc.org/eddy/about.html
About LAEDC (www.LAEDC.org)
The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), the region’s premier business leadership organization, is a private, non-profit organization established in 1981. Its mission is to attract, retain, and grow businesses and jobs for the regions of Los Angeles County. Since 1996, the LAEDC has helped retain or create more than 147,700 jobs, providing $7.3 billion dollars in annual economic impact and more than $124 million dollars in annual tax revenue to support local government and schools.
George S. Mc Quade III
Jul
9
UAW President Bob King’s inaugural speech, part 1. UAW 35th Constitutional Convention, Detroit, 06.17.10
Duration : 0:7:43
Jun
26
Rise of Taliban
Pakistan Nationalism in conflict with Pan Islamism?
By
M.M.Khajooria
“Pakistan’s immense military power, the stunning intellect of its bureaucrats and the long tradition of accommodation and pragmatism among its politicians have all got together, but still can’t put humpty dumpty back together again. Wrote “ Mosharraf Zaidi in hidspiece titled “Why are we losing war against terror? “This humpty dumpty of sporadic, but increasingly fortified violence from a global gang of cavemen ,” he went on “has fallen off the Durand ‘Wall’ into Pakistan and all over the NWFP. Yet Pakistan seems unable to resist and control its influence.” . “How could …Pakistan be so singularly incompetent in dealing with the virus of cavemen whose mantra is neither Islamic, nor tribal? Beheading journalists, blowing up in the middle of markets, and inciting young children to a black-hole life? He demands and asserts “This appetite for mayhem and destruction would be unrecognizable to Maudoodi, to Hassan Al Banna, even, dare I say, to Sayyid Qutub – whose own rage was tremendous, but whose mastery over Quranic text would have made it impossible for him to endorse the barbarianism and insanity of a terror’ . Wise words which, however tragically went unheard in the loud boom boom of bomb blasts , shrieking cries of the wounded .and breast beating and heart renting wails of mothers , sisters and daughters whose innocent loved ones, breadwinners and future hopes were blown into the void
And yet the Taliban terror wave was surging ahead submerging new and vital areas of Pakistan in ever expanding pools of blood. The blasting of the 0ne thousand kg explosives laden truck bomb driven by a Fidayeen at the entrance to the Islamabad Marriot hotel on 20th September,2008 killed 40)on spot including the Czech ambassador to Pakistan (death toll since gone to 53) and wounded over 150 is still very fresh in peoples’ memory.. This terrorist strike in the capitol of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was rated as one of the worst in country’s history.
The explosion was set off by a suicide bomber close to the Pakistan Prime minister’s house, where all the leaders of government including the three Service chiefs and the Chairman of the Joint chiefs of Staff were dining. President Zardari has claimed that he and other guests in the dinner hosted by the Speaker of Pakistan National assembly were targets. Those targeted owe their lives to the brave , vigilant and dedicated security staff ,( all civilians) deployed at the Security barrier to the hotel . They valiantly blocked the entry of the Dumper to the hotel putting their lives on the line This created the buffer sufficient to place the Prime Ministers’ house and the entire civil and military leadership feasting therein out of harm’s way. Witnesses said security guards and their gate posts were buried under a mound of rubble . By their sacrifice they saved the entire civil and defence leadership of Pakistan from being blown into oblivion.
In a midnight address to the nation on the black Saturday itself , a visibly shaken Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari declared . “The government will continue to fight terrorism and extremism in all its forms and manifestations and such dastardly acts cannot dent the government’s commitment to fight this menace”. The million dollar question was if, how and when would this resolve be translated into real effective action?
According to Abdullah Riar, a former aide to late. Benazir Bhutto. “The Marriott is an icon. It’s like the twin towers of Pakistan..” He may be exaggerating but the fact remains that the Islamabad Marriott was attacked by militants at least twice in the past, including in a suicide attack in January 2007 that killed a policeman. Another reason for the hotel becoming a favoured target of the terrorists was its substantial and semi-permanent occupancy by Americans, many of whom were suspected to be CIA operatives. Coming in the wake of bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan and the Serena Hotel earlier this year , another gathering spot for foreigners, the Marriott attack appeared to flash a strong and renewed a loud and clear message not just to Pakistan but to Washington and other Pakistani allies as well. Signal received but how were and when they going to respond to it?
The terrorist reach was now fast extending far beyond the confines of Fata, Swat and Waziristan. NWFP Governor Owais Ghani has warned Punjab that militancy was gaining strength in its backyard. “Militants in the tribal areas of the NWFP have established firm networking (with jihadi groups) in southern Punjab and most fresh recruits for suicide attacks were coming from there. Militant leaders and commanders were also coming from Punjab. The militants’ field commander in Swat too was from Punjab,” he claimed. .He said that it would be a grievous and costly error to treat the terrorist challenge emanating from the tribal areas as the NWFP specific problem . “It will be ill-advised to think that the militancy will remain confined to the NWFP. Militants’ activities have already shifted to the settled areas and Punjab and they have established strong links with south Punjab. It’s a national issue, a question of survival for (entire) Pakistan”. he asserted.
The fierce clashes between rival Shia and Sunni tribes in different parts of Kurram Agency have added another worrisome dimension to the conflict. For obvious reasons, it would be unrealistic to expect Iran to remain a mute spectator either to the persecution of Shias in the so called settled areas of Pakistan or now in Khuram agency ana adjoining areas According to reports 18 days long clashes upto 24 August, 2008 had cost 400 lives. The efforts of the Hangu peace jirga led by District Nazim Haji Khan Afzal failed to broker a cease-fire. Six Sunni tribes — Para Chamkani, Masozai, Ali Sherzai, Zermusht, Mengal and Sunni Bangash – withdrew on the pretext of discussing the ceasefire proposal with their people and then convey their point of view to the jirga .
Pakistan was created as the home land for Muslims of the Indian sub continent. Religion was the very basis of its existence. This was enshrined in the constitution of the the Mumalkit-I-Khudad , the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The mantra of nationhood taught to every Pakistani child in the school had become the national epitome On the other hand, the chain of Madrssas which churn out armies of students each year nearly bypassed the Pakistani national narrative but subjected the students to a heavy over-dose of the Islamic chronicle. The products of the madrasas were therefore driven by the larger Islamic concept which defined the whole Muslim people as one nation , the Ummah. In the process the Pakistani nationalism was diluted and dwarfed by Pan-Islamism. The conflict between the Pakistani identity and that of an indivisible worldwide Ummah caricatured , to put it mildly a split nationalism in Pakistan It is this fractured vision of nationalism which is tearing the nation and the country apart. . Today Pakistan’s divide encompasses not only ethnic entities , sectarian groupings but infests the country’s Islamic fabric itself
The on-going war on terrorism impacts the national identity crisis in two ways. . Firstly, a large number of Pakistanis oppose the governments’ policy of aligning with the USA and its allies in what they perceive as the Christian war against Islam . Secondly, the ruling elite who have committed Pakistan to the international anti terror coalition. and the leadership of the security forces are consequently obliged to wage war against their own kin in the terrorist ranks. This creates a dilemma for an average Pakistani. whereas a Pakistani soldier felt no hesitation in shooting at an Indian or an Afghan unmindful of religious denominations , he had serious mental reservation in fighting his own people in Swat, Bajaur or Waziristan. The dilemma was particularly unbearable when he was required to kill those claiming to be Mujahids fighting for the sake of Islam. Remember , the Pakistan army itself is groomed as an Islamic force! . And then there were nagging doubt ( sometimes more that doubts) about the sincerity and commitment of sizeable and powerful segments of military hierarchy especially the ISI ,believed to still be working in cohorts with Taliban on both sides of the Durand.
AS the time passed the very concept of a nation state constructed on the foundation of religion proved a mere mirage., But leaders mostly Military Dictators who imposed themselves on the luckless nation refused to learn the lesson. Musharaaf , the last Dictator did resort to some half hearted course correction measures after he dumped the Afghanistan Taliban and jumped on the USA driven anti terrorist band wagon. His simultaneous patronising of Islamic fundamentalists at home and abroad with a view to fuel the terror in Jammu & Kashmir , however placed him in the precarious position of simultaneously riding two boats with predictable consequences . His legacy – the economy in shambles, the polity fractured , social structure torn asunder by poisonous sectarianism and a power vacuum at the top where the grave responsibility for the custody and operation of the nuclear button resides- stares the nation in face . To add to the misfortunes of Pakistan at this critical juncture in its history, a strong coalition between PPP and ML(N) which ousted Musharraf came un struck earlier than expected Line
The creator of Pakistan ,Quaid-J-Azim Mohd Ali Jinnah himself recognised this reality in his inaugural speech on 14th of August, 1947 to the Pakistan Constituent Assembly. If any further proof was needed to establish that ethnicity not religion provided an enduring adhesive that kept a nation in tact and on the move , it was conclusively provided by the break up of Pakistan and creation of Bangla Desh .But Jinnah’s assorted successors kept on parroting the discarded theme. Their hypocritical adherence to the rule by Islamic edicts (translated by the fundamentalist in to their peculiar version of Nizam-1-Mustpha) was accorded official recognition by Zia ul Haq , The “Mullah in Khaki”. It was now being exploited by the Taliban with significant success. The deadly brew was not only creating operational chaos but also poisoning the minds and hearts of the people .
The cobwebs need to be cleared from minds and a positive religious and cultural inputs hearts of the Muslims of Pakistan provided. The former dictator and retired General Mushaaraf had taken a good initiative by focussing on the Sufi vision and practices of Islam which predominate in the sub continent. He himself became the Patron of the Sufi Promotion Council and involved electronic media and cultural organizations in the campaign in a big way This was the only available and viable counter to the fundamental extremism.. The present dispensation will do well to carry forward the campaign in a more innovative and forceful manner. Once the people recognise the extremist interpretation of Islam as alien to their traditional beliefs and time honoured practices , they were bound to reject both the Taliban and fundamentalism. The realization that they were fighting a home-grown terrorist minority holding the entire nation to ransom, and recklessly inflicting death and destruction in their quest to impose its will by force must dawn before they can be mobilized to not only out rightly reject . the Taliban but also massively participate in the war against terror . Therein lies the hope for the nation and the nation state of Pakistan..
Mohan.Khajooria
Jun
10
There is a strategic marketing lesson to be learned in the following words uttered before a rapt audience of Congressmen and United States Senators: “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
This line was the most famous quote from Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), regarded by many historians as one of the two or three most effective American chief executives in the history of our republic. It also represents a piece of marketing strategy that was so effective, it was credited with playing a major role in pulling the United States economy, circa The Thirties, out of a ditch the likes of which have not been experienced until this day. Indeed, it was also an unprecedented gem of public relations.
It was delivered in his 1933 inaugural address, in the depth of The Great Depression, at the start of his first term. Reading a bit further into Roosevelt’s address, we realized that he was referring to the economic conditions of the time; a time when 13 million were unemployed, and almost every bank was closed. FDR was essentially saying, “If we can’t shake our pessimistic economic outlook, it will be tough to turn things around.” Yes, Roosevelt, a hard-nosed realist was calling for a little irrational exuberance.
Were these the words of a blathering idiot . . . a political Pollyanna who couldn’t see reality through his rose colored glasses? Hardly. Indeed, Roosevelt was a practical person, one who earned his historical stripes by being the author of The New Deal, an unprecedented program with the goal of putting people back to work and setting the stage for the post WWII boom. The impact of Roosevelt’s words rode America to victory on the back of a brilliant piece of copy writing of which any advertising agencies or marketing agencies of the day could have been proud.
Dealt a short straw in a physical sense since young adulthood, the 32nd President, who suffered from debilitating polio throughout most of his political life, was a gamer who never admitted defeat, leading the US and its allies during what was perhaps the darkest period of our history, the “terrible twins” of a world war waged simultaneously in, both, the Pacific and Europe. That we won the war and righted the gravely wounded economy are as much a testament to his strength and resolve as perhaps any other single factor.
Roosevelt must have been an inveterate optimist; else how would he have been able to strap on those weighty, iron leg-braces every morning, stick out that jutting jaw, and, often with a smile on his face, lead the free world through the shambles of WWII and an economic firestorm? That he died with his boots on, early in his fourth term, was perhaps the ultimate indicator of his spirit and legendary determination. And that he was a man with a specific marketing strategy is, likewise, undeniable.
The President was a man with specific marketing plans on this occasion, but more than anything, he was a man of action. If he was able to press ahead, working energetically and with inventiveness during times of turbulence, arriving as he did at a momentous ultimate victory, is there a lesson in it for you and for me? I think so. Scaled down to the scope of our own burdens, these, too, are terrible times. But like those Americans in the first half of the Forties, those of us who choose not to be victims, who persist against all odds, ultimately, will survive, succeed and prevail.
Allan Starr
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/marketing-in-a-recession-lessons-from-fdr-675648.html
May
9
(Part One) January 21, 1957: President Dwight David Eisenhower delivered his second inaugural address.
Duration : 0:9:22
Apr
22
Pleeaaase help me with this I’m having some difficulty figuring it out.
I believe it was William Henry Harrison. He caught pneumonia, and died 30 days later.
Apr
8
On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States.
Public Domain
Duration : 0:21:22
Mar
18
(Part One) January 20, 1953: President Dwight David Eisenhower delivers his first inaugural address.
Duration : 0:10:44
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