Ban announces independent review of UN-backed climate body

Ban announces independent review of UN-backed climate body

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Ken Harney -- Charging "admin" fees on top of commissions garners industry scrutiny | The Real Deal | New York Real Estate News

Ken Harney -- Charging "admin" fees on top of commissions garners industry scrutiny | The Real Deal | New York Real Estate News

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TechCrunch

TechCrunch

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TechCrunch

TechCrunch

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Individual Blog Post #5

I listened to the Michael Savage show on Monday and he was talking about hybrid cars. He said that the one thing no one is talking about about hybrid cars is that the batteries cannot be recycled and they have to make special dumps for these batteries to be deposited. He went on to say how he despises people who drive these hybrids because they feel like they are better than everyone else and drive like maniacs. The most controversial thing he said was when he called out the liberals who live in San Fransisco County and Marin County saying that if they lived anywhere else in the country they would be killed for their behavior behind the wheel. Everything he said he has a right to say, this is the principal behind the first amendment. If you don't agree with what he is saying then just don't listen to it. If this were a liberal station saying similar things about conservatives it would be just as protected by the first amendment. Obviously some people want to hear what Michael Savage has to say or he wouldn't have a job doing what he does. If you start censoring when people can and can't say on the radio then you start to cross a dangerous line. The loss of freedom of speech is the first step away from democracy and towards fascism.

Individual Blog Post #4

If you walk into the kitchen of Alexander's Steakhouse you will find head chef Jeffery Stout cranking out masterpieces of culinary art work. Stout has been working at Alexander's since it opened in 2005. The kitchen is Stout's domain, and at Alexander's he is with out question the king of his domain. What makes Alexanders so special? According to their website “Its fine dining interpretation of the classic American steakhouse with hints of Japanese influence in the menu.”
The steakhouse was opened in the Valco shopping center on Wolfe road in Cupertino. It seemed like a risky business move because Valco was and is going through a re-building phase. Whether or not the restaurant would have enough clientèle was a concern, especially considering the steep pricing of fine dining, however Jeffery and JC were determined to make it work. Now a few years later they have regular business including some high profile customers such as Jerry Rice and Ronny Lott of the San Fransisco 49ers.
One of the prime features of Alexander's is their offering of 4 different cuts of Japanese Kobe Beef including new york, filet mignon, and ribeye (eye and cap). The most prized of which being the filet mignon, which will set you back $250 for a eight ounce portion of the meat, and that does not include any side items which are and additional eight dollars.
While $250 seems like a lot for a single steak, the reason behind it is in its rarity. Kobe beef is one of the finest beefs in Japan and is of such quality that it shoots of the top of any American beef rating system. Kobe beef is from the Wagyu cattle of the Tajima region of Japan, of which Kobe is the capital. The Wagyu cattle are fed on the highest quality feed, they are also given beer to entice them to eat more. The cows are also massaged daily with sake, they who theory being happy cows taste better. With this kind of attention, on top of the expensiveness of land and property in Japan all leads to the price for the meat. The end result is a meat that is very well marbled and extremely tender. In Japan the prized meat sells for around $100 a pound.
Some of the Wagyu herding has been outsourced to America, but the meat has to be send to Kobe to be processed to earn its official title of Kobe beef, with double the international shipping this does little to put a dent in the cost.
The staff at Alexander's are just as impressive as the food they serve. The entire front of house staff(waiters and bussers) are dressed in clean pressed suits and most knowledgeable about every aspect of the restaurant. Alexander's has recently changed its hiring policy so all new servers who are hired must be at least entry level Sommeliers. Sommelier are people who have gone through an extensive training in wines and spirits. There for any server at Alexander's can advice you precisely which wine you should order to pair with each course of your dinner.
“Jeffery Stout is an amazing chef,” said Roland Micu, a server at Alexander's “his creations are one of a kind, you definitely get your moneys worth, plus an experience you can remember for a life time.”
So what does all this mean to Jeffery Stout? It means he has the means to work his magic with the best available ingredients available and there for give his guests the best experience possible when they visit Alexander's Steakhouse.

Individual Blog Post #3

This is a response to a blog post found at:

http://publishing2.com/2007/08/23/propping-up-declining-traditional-media-businesses/

This article focuses on how people are spending a greater amount of time on the internet than they are watching TV and now that that has taken place it is time for advertisers to switch over to this the on line media for a large portion of their advertisement budget. The logic here is that if that is where most of the viewers are then that is where the advertisement money should be spent.
This article has 20 comments attached to it, and reading though it you find not every one agrees with Mr. Karp. One post that should be highlighted was written by Hashim Warren. Warren states that while Internet is a far reaching media. It can't beat the appeal of a sexy prime time TV ad. One of the reasons cited for this claim are that the visibility is so high and the ad's creators bosses might be watching and if it looks good then that lines them up for a promotion.
Karp fires back at Warren with a somewhat immature post where he says “The purpose of advertising is for the people who buy and create ads to advance their careers by showing that they are sufficiently risk averse and lacking in savvy to thrive in a large corporation.” Karp believes that advertising is to sell products, not so the creators look good and make more money.
In this situation they are both right on some level. Karp is right that the purpose of advertising is not to make the creators money but to make the company money by selling more product. However Warren is also right because the sexy prime time ad still will move more product than a mass of on line advertising. This is because on line advertising is so easily ignored.
Sure more people are on the internet then the ones who are watching TV, but that doesn't mean the people on the internet are paying attention to your ads. A well put together TV ad that is dramatic, funny, and most importantly memorable will place a much bigger stamp on audiences minds than a click on this on line ad that will most likely only be clicked on by accident.