Friday, February 11, 2011

Mubarak Stepping Down: Congrats Twitter, Facebook, YouTube & Blogs



That dramatic video was uploaded just minutes ago by AlJazeeraEnglish on YouTube and from a camcorder used just over an hour ago. Twitter's Top Trends list "Congrats Egypt" among the list as this is written. And again and again, Eqyptian protest groups were organized using the social network called Facebook as a base. And when that wasn't the case, the focal point was a blog, most notably, the Young Leaders Social Media Cafe.

The dramatic announcement that after three-decades of rule, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek (really a dictator more than what we think of when the title "President" is used) has stepped down and given way to a new, free Egypt, is both pleasing and shocking. It gives us pause and causes us to look back at what we've created: this giant and growing "digital mirror" on World industrial society. And we're asking ourselves "Do we like we see," and in many cases, we're saying "NO!"

The fall of a dictatorship in Egypt is perhaps the best example of our desire to change ourselves to date. But we can't ignore the impact of digital communications and social media: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, blogs on Blogger, Wordpress, and Tumblr (to name some of the platforms), and photo sharing sites like Flickr.

Wow, what a day.  What a time to be alive!



Mubarak Steps Down Giving Power to Military




President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt is stepping down after holding office for 30 years, and now all the power will be left in the hands of the military, reports ABC News.


The news of his resignation has made the Egyptians feel as though they are now free - which is quite odd, because if the military was given all the power of the government within the United States we would be not be singing the same tune. But ABC News reports:


"Men, women and children alike -- many with tears in their eyes -- flooded into Cairo's streets as the atmosphere turned from one of determination to pure ecstasy. People streamed into Tahrir Square dancing, honking their car horns and waving flags. Fireworks were later held in the square that has become the heart of the uprising."


The Christian Science Monitor reports that many people in Egypt trust that the military will "play a caretaker role and ensure a democratic transition."

Kraft, Mars, Nestle, Hershey - think before you buy that Valentine

The folks at GreenAmerica.org are determined to to promote green and Fair Trade business practices and end corporate abuse -- to make you aware before you buy chocolate and without realizing you might be supporting a company that exploits children, for instance.
You can visit their website, or check out the chart (below) to compare the performance of brands you may or may not know. Of course, as chocolate buying peaks over the next few days...
"More than 35 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold on February 14th, adding to the total 58 million pounds of chocolate to will be sold during the week of the most romantic holiday of the year.

Consumers are expected to purchase more than $345 million on chocolate treats for their beloveds."
...it helps to understand just what the different certifications mean, and to do more than merely making deliberate choices. You can also spread the word, and communicate directly with companies such as Hershey to let them know you consider their business practices before you make your purchases.
"...every time a consumer purchases non-Fair Trade chocolate, they are putting money in the pockets of people who run a system based largely on forced child labor.

The U.S. State Department estimates more than 15,000 child slaves work on plantations in the Ivory Coast. Children are taken from their homes by traffickers for the very purpose of supporting the country's largest export crop: cocoa."

Here are some basic definitions, courtesy of GreenAmerica.org:

Organic certification does not include labor rights standards. The program does not address wages, prices to producers, or management of cooperatives. Organic means 100% of the ingredients of a product be certified organic to earn the label.

Fair Trade prohibits forced labor, child labor, and discrimination, and protects freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. Fair Trade certified farmers are guaranteed a "floor price" for their cocoa beans, as well as a social premium. Fair Trade producers are required to form democratic cooperatives.

The IMO Fair for Life certification guarantees that human rights are protected at all stages of production, with a strong focus on hired laborers, as they are often the most marginalized in the supply chain. Fair for Life guarantees that smallholder farmers receive fair payment and that workers enjoy good and fair working conditions. The Fair for Life system prevents forced and child labor and also includes detailed environmental criteria. Fair For Life certified products must use Fair Trade ingredients if available, and regardless, 50% of all ingredients must be Fair Trade in order for a product to bear the seal.

The Rainforest Alliance (RA) standards prohibit the use of forced labor, child labor, and discrimination. The right to organize on RA-certified farms is not a critical criteria. RA does not require buyers to pay a specific minimum floor price for cocoa beans. Only 30% of the primary ingredient needs to be certified in order to earn an RA label.

And what about Nestle's UTZ Certification? UTZ was founded by Guatemalan coffee producers and the Ahold Coffee Company in 1997 and launched a cocoa plan 10 years later; it prohibits forced labor, however no organizations with a specific expertise in labor rights are included on the Board of Directors. So, while it protects the right to organize and bargain collectively, the price is solely based on negotiations between the buyers and farmers. Paying the legal minimum wage is required only after the first year of certification.
Now, what label is on your chocolate?


Thomas Hayes is an entrepreneur, former Democratic Campaign Manager, strategist, journalist, and photographer who contributes regularly to a host of web sites on topics ranging from economics and politics to culture and community.
You can follow him as @kabiu on twitter.


Super Bowl XLV Ticket Fiasco: Bleachers Under Construction


, originally uploaded by DCVBphotos.

This photo shows the temporary seats installed at the 400 level of Cowboys Stadium that, in some cases, were not signed off by the Arlington Fire Marshall in time for Super Bowl XLV. The photo was taken by DCVBphotos on January 19th, and using an using an Apple iPhone 3G.

As you can see, the temporary seats are metal bleachers and were in the middle of being built. (Notice the back seat stand fence that was placed on the seat in the middle ground.) From experience in heading the Oakland bid for the 2005 Super Bowl that Jacksonville won, I can say they were really playing with some access issues with those seats.

First, the area that the seats were installed in is a corridor; thus the space between the bleacher seats and the blue permanent seats is really narrow. This is what Stu Guskind was referring to in my video interview.

You can see from the photo that each of the sections going down was "filled in" with these bleacher seats. I'd love to see a photo of what it looked like during the Super Bowl game. I'll bet it was chaotic for those people able to even get in the stadium to get to their seats.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a plan to compensate Super Bowl patrons who never got to their seats because the fire marshall didn't approve them. Click here for info on his plan.

Stay tuned.

NFL Commissioner's Super Bowl XLV Ticket Refund Plan Announced

The National Football League posted Commissioner Roger Goodell's plan to refund tickets purchased by attendees of Super Bowl XVL (where The Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 35 to 21) within the NFL Media website.

If you recall, what was reported as 500, but really is a total of 2,000, Super Bowl Patrons were impacted by the Dallas Cowboys plan to break the Super Bowl attendance record by installing bleacher seats. The problem was the action was done at the last minute; the fire marshall had not signed off on the new seats.

One of the patron impacted was my friend Stewart Guskind. He shared his experience in this video:



Here's the NFL press release:

2,000 SUPER BOWL XLV ATTENDEES IN TEMPORARY SEATING SECTIONS TO RECEIVE FACE-VALUE TICKET REFUND OR FREE SUPER BOWL TICKET

Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today that approximately 2,000 fans in the temporary seating sections at Super Bowl XLV will receive a choice of either a refund of the face-value amount of their ticket or a free ticket to a future Super Bowl game of their choice. These 2,000 fans were significantly delayed in gaining pre-game access to their seats due to the problems with the installation of some of the temporary seats at Cowboys Stadium.

Once their Super Bowl XLV ticket is validated, these fans can choose to receive one of the following: 1) a refund of the face value of their ticket, OR 2) one free ticket to one Super Bowl game of their choice. Eligible fans, subject to appropriate review and verification, are those that held tickets in any of the following sections:

Sections 426A, 427A, 428A, 429A -- all rows and all seats

Section 425A -- Row 11 seats 22-33; Rows 12-18 seats 22-31; Rows 19-32 seats 22-33; Row 33 seats 22-36

Section 430A -- Row 11 seats 1-12; Rows 12-18 seats 3-12; Rows 19-33 seats 1-12

Fans who had tickets in any of those sections and rows should go to www.nfl.com/sb45reseating and enter the required ticket and other information. Fans should retain their tickets to help in the validation process.

The plan announced today is separate from the one announced on Tuesday by Commissioner Goodell to the approximately 400 fans that were denied a seat. Those 400 fans can choose one free ticket to next year's Super Bowl game plus a cash payment of $2,400 or one free ticket to any Super Bowl game plus round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations provided by the NFL. In the event of a work stoppage that impacts next year’s Super Bowl in Indianapolis, the fan would have a choice of one free ticket to the next Super Bowl.

NFL senior staff members so far have personally contacted 260 of the 400 fans to explain their options and how to confirm and fulfill their choice.

There were 13,000 temporary seats installed at Cowboys Stadium for Super Bowl XLV. The Arlington Fire Marshall inspected and cleared for use 11,740 of those seats.

Commissioner Goodell has initiated a complete review of the matter, including all seating and stadium entrance issues.

18 hours ago, Brian McCarthy of the NFL sent this tweet (@nflprguy) that has an email for fans to use:


NFLprguy Brian McCarthy
We've spoken to nearly 250 of 400 fans who didn't receive seats @ #sb45. Pls email SBXLV@nfl.com if u haven't heard from us

Stay tuned.



Taylor Corley Playboy Pictures Gets VH1 Reality TV Show



Well, a month ago Taylor Corley was just your average Mississippi State Cheerleader who posed for Playboy Magazine. Then, bloggers who read Playboy took note of her college affiliation and started, you know, blogging. The result is Taylor Corley's quit not just the Mississippi State Cheerleader squad, but Mississippi State, got famous, and will have her own VH1 Reality Show called Girl Swagg.

But doesn't this all smack of the greatest hypocrisy? College Cheerleaders are basically showing it all, or most of it. Playboy models are showing it all, or most of it. So why is it that Taylor Corley has to make a decision between college and modeling, rather than the University itself making a little coin?

Think about it.


A really good cheerleader calendar and reality TV show effort could put money in the athletic coffers of programs around America. In the case of the Mississippi State Cheerleader squad, they'd have a star who posed for Playboy.

To take advantage of this, all of the cheerleaders below 18 would have to quit, just to be on the safe side. And those remaining would have to get parental consent to be involved. And the cheerleaders would get a cut of the money earned.

This is the logical thing to do, but America's puritan ethic is a hard deal to overcome. Still, no one can say it's not worth a try, in some way.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Cal Athletics Cut Decision Never Had Thursday Deadline - Mogulof

The World of Cal Athletics - students, student-athletes, alumni, and fans - expected Thursday to be the day that we learned the fate of five Cal sports: baseball, rugby, and men’s and women’s gymnastics and women’s lacrosse.

It didn't happen.

Instead, UC Berkeley spokesperson UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof told the blog Berkeleyside not only that Thursday wasn't the date, but...



"I also need to state in no uncertain terms that the anonymously sourced stories claiming that the process has been completed and a final decision rendered are categorically false. If that was the case we would have had news to share today."


What?

Ok, to briefly recap, last fall Cal Chancellor Robert Birgeneau and athletic director Sandy Barbour were expected to have some statement on the future of the sports on the hook, as well as what the impact of the Save Cal Sports effort, said to have raised between $12 million and $14 million of the $25 million needed.

Which at one point last year was $80 million.

From a systems standpoint, at a university where the systems approach was born, it's unfortunate to see a that such thinking has no role in decision-making.  Or to put it another way, and I ask this again, why isn't raising the $25 million the focal point for a University-led funding drive?

I still get the impression Cal doesn't really care to save the five sports beyond the hue and cry of the alumni who formed the "Save Cal Sports" movement.

Let's do some reverse engineering and take that effort out of the picture.  There would have been no advocate for the Cal sports in question within UC Berkeley and enough to fill the void the Save Cal Sports effort is itself filling.

The Chancellor needs to get on the phone and make some calls, not just the alums. Robert needs to start "The Chancellor's Fund," and not let a bunch of alums beat him. I'm sure Sandy's doing that herself, but Robert needs to do that too.

He can't be the person who's on the field when we win The Big Game...



But won't roll up his sleeves and get involved in building a champion by dialing for dollars.

We've got to see that Chancellor B's right in their, too.

GO BEARS!