This Week's Corporate LOSERS...

How would like to work for one of these disorganized organizations. Sometimes,goes to show that a change in management doesn't always mean a change in the 'smarts'

OPED: Obama's Stimulus

I guess there really are two-sides to every story. The New York Times and The New York Post have taken opposing sides on whether or not Obama's Stimulus is working.

Here they are:

What If Everyone Just Stopped Sending Resumes?

I don't know about you, but over the last 10 years I've never gotten a job or a project by applying for it. Those that I did get, came to me...not me to them.

Play Ball! It's My Turn Again...

The last time I worked in professional baseball was for a few years starting around 1985. I was a Vice President of the Houston Astros organization. I think I attended almost all of the 180 game schedule, and coordinated the 1986 AllStar game in Houston.

I remember Jose Cruz, Nolan Ryan. Yogi Berra was a coach. That's about it. I would also chuckle as Yogi would hit the field in the Rainbow colors of the Houston Astros. Yogi was the consummate Yankee, and here he was in Houston...coaching! Not in pin stripes...but in 'rainbows'. How funny.

My young children would roller skate in the 'owner's box' during the games they attended. That 'box' was about 90 feet along, and ran just above the right field bleachers at the Astrodome. Free food too! Frankly, my children had little interest in the games themselves. They were there for one thing: to skate and eat.How much fun is that?

Well, it's about 25 years later, and I've owned my own management firm for a good many of those years. That being said, the closest I've come to professional sports is running a sports publishing firm in Los Angeles. Now, being the owner of this management firm, I can also take time-off to do other things that I consider 'likable'.

So, for six weeks (March/April) I'm going to work Spring Training in Arizona. Yep, I went and applied for a position and I got one. Now mind you, this is not VP of anything. It's managing the broadcast booth, showing people to their seats, taking tickets, etc. Hey, but that's ok. For once, I'm not doing it for the cash flow. I'm doing it because I just want to do it. And it is fun!

And that leads me to the current rationale of just doing things and working with people or companies, that I want to, because I just want to do it. For no other reason.

Call it maturity, mid-life crisis, or even immaturity. The fact is, I'm doing it for no legitimate reason, other then smiling, and having others smile at me. And the 'boss' can just wait for me to return, if ever.

"Hey, that's Smokey Joe Wood. And Mel Ott. And Gil Hodges!
Ty Cobb wanted to play, but none of us could stand the son-of-a-bitch when we were alive, so we told him to stick it!" Field of Dreams


Play Ball!

The Name of The Game: TAXES

Everyone seems to be bemoaning all these new tax proposals, from federal to state to local. Municipalities need to cover 'shortfalls' in their budgets to the tune of millions of dollars. Here, they will start to tax ALL grocery items. Historically, if you ate a product, it wasn't taxed, unless it was 'prepared food'. Now, it will be everything you purchase, whether you eat it or not. This of course, is regressive taxation, but government doesn't care anymore. Regressive. Progressive. No difference.

Here's a few of the taxes I could come up with. And we all pay them. A little more won't hurt. We need to pay our representatives in the Senate and Congress, don't we?

Here goes:

Accounts Receivable Tax
Apartment Rent Tax
Building Permit Tax
Local Bed Tax (hotels)
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
City Wage Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Food Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Garbage Pick-up Tax
Gross Receipts Tax
Hazardous Waste Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Local Wage Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Sales Tax
Special Use Tax
Sports Commission Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service FeeTax
Telephone Federal, State & Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring & Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Toll tag Tax
Transportation Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Water Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

*And there's many, many more taxes not listed above we all pay already.

" And When he's gone, Do not relax,It's time to apply The inheritance tax."

Obama's FAILED Budget Issues?

According to House Leader, John Boehner (R-OH), President Obama' budget has some real 'shortfalls'. These appear to be the most prominent:

President Obama’s budget contains a “secret sequel” to the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ it concedes isn’t working as promised. A majority of Americans oppose the trillion-dollar ‘stimulus’ and nearly three in four say it has wasted taxpayer dollars. What’s worse, President Obama’s budget projects that unemployment will remain near 10 percent through the end of this year. The Obama Administration promised the trillion-dollar stimulus would create jobs ‘immediately’ and keep joblessness below eight percent.

President Obama’s budget fails to pivot away from costly, job-killing policies that are causing uncertainty and making matters worse. President Obama’s budget accounts for the implementation of both a government takeover of health care and a ‘cap-and-trade’ national energy tax, two job-killing bills the American people have rejected loudly and clearly. The President calls for a new national energy tax to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020 – a proposal which CBO has estimated would increase taxes by $870 billion, a full $224 billion more than President Obama’s proposal in the FY2010 budget.

Economic News UP....Stock Market DOWN!

Let's recap some of the good news from the Economic front from last week(jan2010):

The Commerce Department said the economy grew in the fourth quarter at its fastest pace in more than six years;

The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago said its index of Midwest business activity rose more than expected in January;

Consumer sentiment in January as measured by The Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers hit its highest level in two years; and

Of the 220 companies in the S&P 500 index that have reported fourth quarter earnings, 78% of them exceeded analysts' expectations, according to Thomson Reuters. In a typical quarter, only 61% of companies beat Wall Street targets.

Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? So, how does the stock market respond? It goes down.

I Was Thinking About Retiring...

The word 'retirement' always seems to be so far off in the distance. I never thought about it until recently, when I read that this economic crisis would take five years to recover, or that my home wouldn't see 'black ink' for six years, or that my 401K wouldn't return to 'even' for three years.

I thought that if it takes five years for me to get back to full 'cash flow', I'd be too old to get back in the game. If the home takes six years to get back to even, why go through all the trouble of fixing the water leak or accomplish a kitchen 'redo'. So, the toilet overflows.

Thus, the thought of 'retirement' whatever that means in this 'day and age'. So, I looked at a few celebs who 'retired' and then 'unretired'. I decided that if Frank Sinatra could do it, why not me. So, see you in 2013 when things will hopefully be better, and I can 'unretire' to my 401K, and fix that toilet. The challenge would be what to do between the time I retire and unretire? I have some ideas. And I just might take some hints from the noted people below. I'm thinking about coming back from retirement as a:
Politician
Actor
Singer (crooner,pop, or country)
Prize fighter
Professional Basketball Star

The return of Teddy Roosevelt (1912)
After promising Americans that he would not run again after his second term, which ended in 1909, Roosevelt reemerged from retirement to challenge for the presidency in 1912. Running under the banner of the newly-formed Bull Moose party, Roosevelt placed second in the general election, behind Woodrow Wilson, but ahead of incumbent William Taft. It remains the best showing third-party presidential candidate in U.S. history.

Audrey Hepburn reverts to form (1976)
In 1968, just four years after earning a then-remarkable $1,000,000 for her iconic turn as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady," Hepburn retired from acting to raise a family. In the mid-70s, she announced a high-profile comeback, as Sean Connery's co-star in the acclaimed "Robin and Marian." Though she retired and "unretired" several more times prior to her death in 1993, none of the subsequent occasions drew as much attention.

Richard Nixon's renewed desire to get "kicked around" (1968)
After serving as VP under Eisenhower, Nixon ran unsuccessfully for president in 1960 and governor of California in 1962. Following the second loss, he retired from politics with the infamous remark, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore." But in early 1968, he announced another presidential bid — this one successful.

Frank Sinatra re-ups (1973)
Those disappointed with the Chairman of the Board's decision to call it quits in 1971 didn't have to wait long for his triumphant return—in 1973, Sinatra starred in a comeback television special that was so successful, the singer didn't bother retiring again until the 1990s.

Muhammad Ali, "the greatest" un-retirer (1979)
While still holding the heavyweight belt, 37-year old Ali announced the end of his boxing career in 1979. The next year he developed an itch to fight Larry Holmes (he lost), and in 1981 fought his last bout against a young Trevor Berbick (another loss).

Michael Jordan returns…again (2001)
At the height of his powers on the basketball court, Chicago Bull Michael Jordan announced in 1993 that he was dropping out to pursue a career in professional baseball. But after a mediocre year in the minor leagues, Jordan returned to the Bulls in 1995, leading the team to three more championships. Another retirement followed, as did another 2001 comeback bid — Jordan tried and failed to revive the struggling Washington Wizards at the age of 38.

Barbra Streisand prevaricates (2006)
In 1994, Barbra Streisand said she'd stop touring altogether. Her final, "farewell" concert came in 2000 when she said she was done for good. Yet, in 2006, Streisand embarked on a comeback tour, calling it an effort to raise money for her foundation. Even after the tour ended, Streisand stuck around and has since released her 63rd album which topped British Billboard charts earlier this year.

Garth Brooks gets back into his boots (2009)
After announcing his retirement in 2000, Garth Brooks did stop touring, but has remained a face of country music and a force in merchandising sales. This week he begins a much-hyped series of shows in Las Vegas which led him to profess: "If we ever do tour again, if we ever do make new music again, it's still going to be another five years."

Southwest Air: A Class Act Event

Now generally, I'm not complimentary of corporate America. They take too much, and give too little. However, Southwest Air was an exception.

Last year, I sent my mother a 'free ticket' (Rapid Rewards) from SWA to visit us in Arizona. She was to fly from Philadelphia to Phoenix non-stop. She arrived at the airport about two hours ahead of time, settled into a wheel-chair and was taken to the departure gate.

My mom doesn't fly often. She's 86. She doesn't need a wheel-chair, but prefers someone take her to the departure gate. Oh, and without her hearing aids she can't hear a thing.

The problem on arriving that early to your departure gate is that there is generally an airplane sitting there. But it's not your flight. Nevertheless, she gets to the gate, and they roll her wheelchair onto the flight that was there. She takes her seat. Normal announcements come on as to where the flight is going, but she can't hear them.

Then Off she goes into the wild blue yonder, sitting there...smiling. Not to Phoenix...but to Tampa! She's never been to Florida. She didn't know about the mixup until 30 minutes into the flight. Not exactly the 'non-stop' we had anticipated, but a 'non-stop' nevertheless. In the wrong direction, to the wrong place!

Obviously, SWA recognized this mistake early on, but there are no parachutes here...just a ride to Tampa. During the course of that flight, my office phone must have rung a dozen times, with updates from the group at SWA.

Subsequently, SWA puts her up in a Marriott hotel, and personally takes her to WalMart for clothing, toothpaste, etc. She gets the run of the menu at the Marriott as well. She phones me and says, "I'd like to stay a little longer here".

Even better, SWA gives her $400. in vouchers for free, and we didn't even pay for the trip to begin with. Nor did we request compensation.

So...here's a compliment to Southwest and their staff. Instead of a potentially nasty situation, they addressed it early-on. No argument, no fanfare...just a pro-active, professional response to an incident that any other airline would have done little about, let alone offer her $400. in free tickets.

Thanks to Southwest Air for being corporately responsible...and responsive without me having to ask. It would have been nice for my mom to stay in Tampa for awhile longer. But no. She's here in Arizona dreaming of the Tampa Marriott.

New Client: Chequed.com (SaaS)

We have recently taken on a new project in developing markets for Predictive Analytic Software (SaaS). Chequed, based in New York, is at the forefront of this 'software as a service' technology. www.chequed.com

The Market: The market for HR assessment market is estimated to be over $1 billion in annual revenues and is experiencing a 15% year-over-year growth. Today, 70% of companies – large and small – use some assessments to improve hiring and performance of their team. Not until today has there been a solution – the Chequed solution – that combines a world-class behavioral assessment with the power of technology-based competency reference checking supported by intellectual property that is unmatched and created by a leading University.
In addition, interest in finding technologies to streamline, improve and make more effective hiring processes is strong as companies recognize the cost of making a poor hiring decisions – estimated to be 2 to 5 time salary and benefits – or $12,000 to well over $100,000. That cost on a reoccurring basis will put a company out of business for sure.

RCI GLOBAL PARTNERS LLC SELECTED AS AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR CHEQUED.COM

Scottsdale, Arizona and Saratoga Springs, NY – 5 January 2010 – Chequed.com announced the selection of RCI Global Partners LLC today as an Authorized Dealer for the company’s web based behavioral assessment and automated reference checking technology. As an Authorized Dealer for Chequed.com, RCI Global Partners will be delivering Chequed’s Predictive Employee Performance™ web based technology to the Central and Western US markets.

“Our dealer program is a critical component to accelerate Chequed.com into the market. We are very serious about the type of dealers selected into our program and have total confidence that RCI Global Partners will be a terrific addition,” said Greg Moran, President of Chequed.com, Inc.

“As a company that has been in business for 10 years with over 30 client engagements, we rely heavily on new, emerging, cutting-edge technologies to empower our clients to do more… intelligently. We believe that Chequed.com meets that criteria”, stated Robert Carsia, Partner with RCI Global Partners LLC.

About Chequed.com
Founded in 2008 by some of the foremost experts in employee selection and development, Chequed is an emerging leader in the rapidly growing market for Predictive Employee Performance™ technology. Specifically Chequed delivers a software as a service (SaaS) technology used for behavioral assessment and automated reference checking. Chequed’s revolutionary Performance EngineTM delivers rapid, accurate predictions of a new hire’s performance.
Chequed has commercialized innovative research developed in partnership with The Research Foundation of The State University of New York and The University at Albany’s world-class Department of Psychology. Complementing these research innovations is the software’s practical, real-world emphasis. Chequed’s experienced management team, board of directors and advisory committee have helped hundreds of startups and growing companies hire talent that made them industry leaders. Their extensive expertise has fortified the Chequed software to meet the day-to-day challenges of human resource managers facing competitive markets for human capital. Further information can be found at www.chequed.com.
About RCI Global Partners LLC
With Over 10 years experience in helping build 'top line' revenues and pipelines, RCI Global Partners has created the market strategy and tactically developed the business/partners, alliances, and customers for over 30 clients, within an outsourced marketing and sales firm.
RCI Global covers multiple vertical markets and geographies, from technology to 'brick and mortar'. The work includes clients in software, computer hardware, retail, digital media, satellite telecommunications, e-commerce, entertainment and sports.
Clients have included Lockheed, GE, Marconi, Digital Equipment Corp, Disney, Globecomm, EMS Technologies…among others.

On Federal Government Bailouts...

Did you know that The Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroad companies received massive loans from the U.S. government to build the First Transcontinental Railroad— However, Collis P. Huntington persuaded a friendly member of Congress to introduce a bill excusing the companies from repaying the money, amounting to $130 million (nearly $3 billion+ in 2009 money). Circa: 1866

Collis Potter Huntington (April 16, 1821 – August 13, 1900) was one of the Big Four of western railroading (along with Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker) who built the Central Pacific Railroad as part of the first U.S. transcontinental railroad. Notice also that Stanford, Hopkins, and Crocker were all Silicon Valley boys, before it was Silicon! The University, The hotel, and the bank...?

Huntington then helped lead and develop other major interstate lines such as the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, which he was recruited to help complete. The C&O, completed in 1873, fulfilled a long-held dream of Virginians of a rail link from the James River at Richmond to the Ohio River Valley. The new railroad facilities adjacent to the river there resulted in expansion of the former small town of Guyandotte, West Virginia into part of a new city which was named Huntington in his honor.

And so...the bailouts started long before Obama came into power. Something to think about. Perhaps.

The Christmas Tree Indicator

One of the popular parlor games on Wall Street these days is trying to predict how the holiday shopping season will fare. If sales rise from last year, that may bode well for the economy heading into 2010. If sales drop, well, that's not such a good sign.

Like many things related to Wall Street investing, you could do exhaustive, detailed analysis to come up with a prediction, or, you could pick one indicator that has some historical significance and run with that. As it relates to predicting holiday sales, it turns out that, "Christmas tree sales can be a good gauge of the strength of the holiday-shopping season," according to The Wall Street Journal.

So far, this simple indicator looks positive. Christmas tree sales were up 6% the weekend after Thanksgiving and 3% the following weekend when compared to the year earlier period, according to ISI Group survey data as reported by the Journal.

Helping to corroborate the Christmas tree indicator, the Commerce Department reported last Friday that retail sales rose 1.3% in November, which was double the rate expected by economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Consumers also seemed to be feeling a bit cheerier as the Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary index of consumer sentiment for December rose to 73.4 from 67.4 the month before, according to Bloomberg.

The good news doesn't stop there. Credit Suisse and JPMorgan Chase & Co. both raised their fourth-quarter GDP forecast to a gain of 4.5% from the 3.5% pace projected at the start of the week.

The recommentation: Go out and buy two Christmas trees. But wait until Christmas Eve.
You can go to Home Depot and buy that $60. tree for $5.00...and there's no limit.

More Yada from the White House to Wall Street...

President Obama told CBS' "60 Minutes" that "the people on Wall Street still don't get it. ... They're still puzzled why it is that people are mad at the banks. Well, let's see. You guys are drawing down $10, $20 million bonuses after America went through the worst economic year ... in decades and you guys caused the problem," Obama said in an excerpt released in advance of Sunday night's broadcast of his interview.

In his address, Obama contended that the worst economic downturn since the Depression wouldn't have happened if the rules governing Wall Street been clearer and enforcement tougher.

"Americans don't choose to be victimized by mysterious fees, changing terms and pages and pages of fine print. And while innovation should be encouraged, risky schemes that threaten our entire economy should not," he said. "We can't afford to let the same phony arguments and bad habits of Washington kill financial reform and leave American consumers and our economy vulnerable to another meltdown."

Obama has scheduled a meeting Monday (14 Dec) at the White House with financial services industry leaders to seek support for his effort to tighten federal oversight of the industry and to limit pay for top executives at institutions that accepted billions in bailout money from the government. Now, just read that paragraph again. He is meeting with financial industry leaders to get support to tighten federal oversight of...their industry! Now, what do you think the outcome of that meeting will be?
Break out the Jack Daniels on this one. Fact is, I don't get it. Do you?

And The Beltway Bandits Continue to Rake in the Dough!

These statistics should make you stand up and take notice. If you're like me, I'd sit down and have a Jack Daniels.

There may be 7.3 million Americans out of a job in this economy (in real terms, it's more like 20 million), but it’s happy days for federal employees. The number of civil servants making $100,000 or more has jumped over 46 percent since the start of the recession.

The most dramatic increase came in the Transportation Department, where the number of employees earning salaries of over $170,000 jumped from one to a whopping 1,690 in just a year and a half. The growth was triggered by rules that prevent top employees in a given department from making more than their bosses. In this case, when Congress raised the Federal Aviation Administrator's salary, it triggered raises for nearly 2,000 of his subordinates.

The Defense Department also saw a salary explosion when new merit-pay rules took effect—and there turned out to be a whole lot more merit around the Pentagon than Congress expected. The result was a five-fold increase in the number of defense officials earning $150,000 or more.

Across the board, the salary bonanza has pushed the average federal worker's pay to $71,206, compared with $40,331 in the private sector.

Overall, the recession has been a boon for the Beltway crowd. The Washington metropolitan area received nearly 10 times as much stimulus money per capita as the national average, keeping the unemployment rate in the area at 6.2 percent, far below rates of other large cities—9.3 percent in New York; over 10 percent in Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles—and the national average of 10.2 percent.

Recovery Act funding alone has fed the creation of 407,000 government contract jobs—or two thirds of all jobs "created" under the Act—according to one independent analysis. And during a time when most businesses are downsizing, the federal government itself actually grew by 13,000 employees in the last year—the first increase since the 1970s.

And the trend continues. Last week's jobs report wasn't nearly so positive as it looked (because the stats were juked), but what little real job creation there was occurred almost entirely in the government and education sectors.

Another case were selfishness is not a VIRTUE. Make that two Jack Daniels...and hold the water.

From "Mentee" to Mentor...

During most of my career, I have attempted to reach out in a professional manner to people I considered 'mentors'. They were the people that, when I was young, just stood out. You probably know them too, from your experience. They had grace and humor. Oh, and they were smart. Not 'in your face' smart, but intelligent, pro-active, sensitive to their environment. A sense of humility without being a 'saint'.

They simply looked good, had presence, and seemed to know what they knew in an extraordinary fashion. They looked you 'in the eye'. They took only personal credit when it was appropriately due, and most often gave credit where it was not. They wore ties and drank beer (the local stuff). They spent time with you, even if you were not on their radar screen. And when they helped you get that first job, that promotion, that recognition, you responded with a 'thanks'. And you kept it up over the years.

Then, all of a sudden, you became the 'mentor'. People asking you for that same assistance, that contact, that introduction, that morning coffee.
And you accomodated them. You 'reached out' and attempted to help just like your mentors had done with you. Most times successfully. And they rose in the 'ranks'. They became VPs and CEOs and Partners. And then, you never heard from them again.

Simple Professional Communication

Can you figure out how professional business people think? I can't? I guess that's part of the challenge.

We recently (well, about a month ago) made a presentation to a major sports facility to assist them in generating 'off season' events/sponsorships for their venue.
Understand also that we are fully capable of accomplishing this task, and producing significant results.

On a personal level, I spent eight years as VP/Director Six Flags theme parks, two years as VP Marketing/Broadcasting for the Houston Astrodome and Houston Astros; two years as VP for a Hollywood production studio. All before I accomplished 10 years in Interim CXO of 10 emerging technology companies, including a Sports Publishing company in Los Angeles, where I was the President. And finally, another 10 years working in over 30 engagements in the development of new business opportunities.

After all of that experience, and spending the time and effort to develop the presentation, make the presentation, and answer the questions, we heard nothing. No 'thank you', no response.

Now, this goes against my grain. I respond to everyone either via phone or e-mail within 24 hours of the request. I expect...no, I demand the same attention that I offer.

In a minor way, it's simply another inconvenience, that goes with the territory. However, from a personal perspective, it goes to the heart of why American business is on the decline. It's nonsense at work, as a friend of mine would say...and does.

Here, we have a fully capable group of professionals with years of experience in the space,willing to put a major effort into the project, and you get no response and no follow from the potential client. Nada. On the other hand, I have potential clients in Asia, Singapore, who respond to my queries "overnight". Yes, overnight. Not always what I want to hear...but communicating nonetheless. Something tangible. Something 'real'. And Something is wrong. You should know what that is. American business in disarray. Disjointed. Selfish. Me too'ism. Selfish...and not in a virtuous sense.

And for the moment, that is disheartening, until it happens all over again...next time, next week, next year.

Tech Firms Working to Reduce Energy Costs Via Green Initiatives

Our Firm, RCI Global Partners LLC, is starting to take a pro-active role and a position in developing business opportunities for those companies involved in producing technology that will enhance the 'green initiative' opportunities for enterprise customers. We find opportunity here today. Here's why.

According to Andrew Johnson, writing in the Arizona Republic, sustainability, already a buzzword in the real-estate and construction industries, is getting more attention from high-tech manufacturers.

Producers of computer components, radio equipment, solar panels and other high-tech equipment are among the world's largest resource users.

They eat up billions of gallons of water and kilowatt-hours of electricity to make semiconductors, display panels and other parts that make their way into millions of consumer electronics, appliances, industrial tools and automobiles.


For years, the high-tech community has strived to reduce consumption of resources, emissions and chemical usage. But those efforts are getting renewed attention as industry leaders look for ways to share best practices with each other and as guidelines for programs such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, become more defined for manufacturers.

Attention to global warming and climate-change issues also is driving the focus, said Sanjay Baliga, a senior manager who focuses on environmental, health and safety issues for SEMI, a San Jose-based trade group for semiconductor equipment and materials suppliers.

General Dynamics C4 Systems, a defense contractor that designs and manufactures networking equipment, radios and computer systems for the military, is pursuing LEED certification for one of two main buildings on its campus at Hayden and McDowell roads in Scottsdale.

The company is seeking certification under the "LEED for Existing Buildings" rating system, which focuses on the maintenance and operations of facilities already in use.

In 2005, General Dynamics received LEED certification for its other main facility, an existing 650,000-square-foot building. It plans to recertify that building under updated LEED standards next year, facility manager Patrick Okamura said.

That building was the first of its size to obtain LEED certification for existing buildings.

"When you consider the amount of square footage in the U.S. (of industrial buildings) that consume the amount of energy that they do . . . that's why we're starting to see this impetus toward the high-tech industry," Okamura said.

Such efforts also have proved financially prudent, allowing manufacturers to reduce costs at a time when many technology companies are trying to shore up their balance sheets.

Intel Corp., the world's largest semiconductor manufacturer, analyzes its projected returns when investing in environmental endeavors, said Brian Krzanich, vice president and general manager of manufacturing operations.

"We try to make sure the actions we do have a positive return on investment," he said.

Thus, as more and more industrial and high tech firms move to a more 'green initiative', either for profit, brand image, or conservation, it's time to look at those technologies that will assist in reaching those objectives.

Investing in Andy Warhol...

WHEN IS MONEY A GOOD INVESTMENT? Back in 1962, artist Andy Warhol completed a hand-drawn silkscreen painting titled "200 One Dollar Bills." True to its title, the massive 7½-foot wide painting depicted 200 one dollar bills reproduced in tones of black on grey, according to Bloomberg. The owner of the work, Pauline Karpidas, a London-based collector, purchased the painting with her husband back in 1986 for $385,000. Last week, Ms. Karpidas sold the painting for - are you ready for this - an incredible $43.8 million! And we all thought the dollar was depreciating.

From $385,000 to $43.8 million in 23 years translates into an average annual return of nearly 23%. Not bad for a painting. By contrast, the S&P 500 index rose at a modest-by-comparison average annual rate of approximately 6.5% from mid-1986 to today, according to data from Yahoo! Finance.

As the stunning value of the Warhol painting shows, investment opportunities may show up in places you wouldn't normally think of.

"Money is neither my god nor my devil. It is a form of energy that tends to make us more of who we already are, whether it's greedy or loving." --Dan Millman

Is a "Digital Concierge" Good for the Hotel Industry?

Hospitality Design Magazine stated that "As digital technology becomes further integrated into hotel design and guest experience, an increasing number of hoteliers are tapping a "digital concierge" to fulfill guest requests. These interactive displays allow users to order amenities and search for entertainment and restaurants. In short, they take care of a variety of tasks that had previously been handled by an attentive person at the front desk. As technology becomes easier to use and better able to meet a wide range of guest needs, hoteliers and designers are determining how to balance a sense of self-service while still providing a full-service experience."

One school of thought says 'yes' as long as the software integrates well into tht overall feel of brand, and there is a reasonable ROI. Still another school, says 'not so fast'. Does this 'digital signage' type of technology take away from the personal attention from the staff, that in this day-and-age seems to be missing at many locations. Is the technology in fact, a 'fad' or a trend? Can all but the most premium hotel sites even afford it, when calculating ROI on such an investment? And will other future, emerging technologies surpass what is presently available? Will these companies still be in business five years from now?

Then there is the question of IPTV/VOD (video on demand) as part of the digital concierge service. What's the eco-system's functionality, is there 'last mile' connectivity? Can the software companies even acquire the proper licensing for the entertainment content? Is there 'localization' in that content?

Not everyone is jumping on this bandwagon. With present economies and the downturn in occupancy-rates, it would appear that the investment in such technology will continue to be challenging for both the hotel and the software providers, let alone be able to embed the IPTV/VOD/linear programming into the offering, at a reasonable cost. And finally, do I really want to order my dinner from a flat screen panel?
Perhaps 'yes'.

"It's Not Easy Being Green", said Kermit

Sally, you've never seen a street like Sesame Street. Everything happens here. You're gonna love it!

"Sesame Street" has educated and efficiently mesmerized children for 40 years now.
There are a lot of parallels to real life situations over those 40 years, and the people I've met "on-and-off" of Sesame Street.

The early years
In 1969, Grover smoked a pipe and hippies were part of the show. It had grown-up content for little people. Today there are no pipes or hippies that I am aware of.
Doesn't mean they don't exist. Just not in my business world.

Oscar the Grouch
Caustic and cantankerous from day one. He lives in a trashcan. He was the same then as he is now. Can't say that I'm any different. I've also found myself in the 'trash can' a number of times, personally and professionally. I've also encountered the 'rudeness' of some people. Too many "Oscars" to mention.

Elmo
Elmo's English in referring to himself always in the third person is reminiscent of some of the people I come in contact with. Improper grammar, poorly written papers,etc

Bert and Ernie
Critics say the two are 'gay'. They share the same bedroom and wear color-coordinated clothing. The fact is, who cares. They are fun to watch. I surmise you can be 'gay and smart' at the same time, without it affecting your audience.

A muppet with AIDS
Did you know that there was a muppet, Kami, who was HIV-positive. He wasn't shunned.
He wasn't stereotyped. He became an integral part of the cast.

"Sesame" gives kids ADD
There was this fear that the show caused an increase in ADHD diagnoses. Blaming the show for triggering attention-deficit problems is like a business blaming the janitor for a decrease in profitability (which probably does happen)

Cookie Monster
Blame obesity on Cookie Monster eating cookies. The addiction to baked goods would lead you to believe that an entire generation of Americans grew up with a cookie in their mouth rather then fruits and vegetables. Which may be true.

The program's "liberal bias"
Trashing "Fox News" is just funny, if not somewhat liberal. And Fox complained about it. Sounds a bit "over the top" to me.

Kermit the Frog: "It's not easy being green."