What About Paris? ™

« January 15, 2012 - January 21, 2012 | Main | January 29, 2012 - February 04, 2012 »

January 27, 2012

In Progress: Bennet Kelley's 2012 Working World Hacklist.

Steal a peek: Hack Exchange 2012 through January 27, 2012, courtesy of the founder, B.G. Kelley.

Posted by JD Hull at 05:03 PM | Comments (0)

January 26, 2012

That's what I'm talking about.

How often have you felt like this? We hope it's a lot.

Injured 2 weeks ago, Rafael Nadal celebrates beating Roger Federer yesterday in the Australian Open semifinal in Melbourne. (Photo: Daniel Munoz/Reuters)

Posted by JD Hull at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)

At TechRepublic: Anonymity in Social Media.

Two days ago at TechRepublic Jason Falls wrote about "The case of anonymity in social media". One lawyer Falls interviewed said that courts are just starting to police anonymous commenting on websites, but that it's a "growing trend". Excerpt:

Anonymous comments are often the bane of every community manager’s existence. Even the website editorial staffs for major newspapers - perhaps the biggest perpetrators of allowing anonymity online - hate the fact random people can leave random anything on their websites.

Gannett, one of the largest publishers of newspapers and media properties in the world, introduced article comments in 2006 and, according to social media director Jodi Gersh, the company’s dismay with comments has grown. Now the media giant is pushing toward holding commentors accountable for their words.

With thanks to Kevin Driscoll (not pictured above).

Posted by JD Hull at 12:32 AM | Comments (1)

January 25, 2012

At CorporateCounsel.net: UK considers shareholder Say-on-Pay and performance-based Bonus Clawbacks for execs.

See one of today's posts at Broc Romanek's TheCorporateCounsel.net. Excerpts:

The United Kingdom has been on a path to revise its executive compensation laws to rein in excessive pay. Yesterday, the UK announced a slew of proposals that would push the envelope in the executive pay area...:

- Say-on-pay votes would be binding
- Approval threshold increased to 75% from 50%
- At least two compensation committee members would have no prior board experience
- Clawbacks of bonuses if executives failed
- Enhanced disclosures

Posted by JD Hull at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2012

WAP Guest Writer Mike O'Neil: "National Spotlight to Turn on Arizona: Four Reasons Why."

Political consultant and on-air commentator Mike O'Neil has written and talked about national politics for three decades. In this WAP guest post, he writes on why his adopted state of Arizona has become thrust into the national limelight.

National Spotlight to Turn on Arizona: Here Are Four Reasons Why.

By Mike O'Neil

1. The Special Election for Gabrielle Giffords' seat may be a very early indicator for the mood of the entire country in 2012: The primary for the special election will be in April and the general special election will be in June. A vote in a tossup district with no incumbent in the middle of a Presidential election year? You don't get a better early indicator of the national mood than that.

2. The February 28 Arizona Presidential primary looks like it will matter--and there will be an extended period in the national limelight. In the week after the Florida primary, there are four caucuses. Then there are three weeks (February 8-27) with no primary or caucus. For those three weeks, Arizona and Michigan (that also has a primary on the 28th) should be a major focus of national attention.

3. President Obama is coming to Arizona tomorrow, Wednesday, January 25--the day after his State of the Union address. His trip also includes Iowa, Nevada, Colorado and Michigan, all battleground states. Why Arizona? Except for Missouri (which was a virtual tie in 2008), Arizona is probably the only state Obama did not carry in 2008 that he has a prayer of carrying in 2012. And the state has had more than its share of national newsworthy events (probably why the New York Times assigned a full time reporter to the state last year). While Arizona might be a stretch for him to carry, even making the attempt may be important. Otherwise the political narrative is exclusively about him playing defense, trying to hold on to enough of his 2008 states to get re-elected. Arizona represents almost his only opportunity to play offense-and change the narrative.

4. Competitive Districts without Incumbents. Perhaps 10% of the congressional districts in the country are truly competitive --and most of these have incumbents. Giffords district is competitive. (It was held by a moderate Republican, Jim Kolbe, for many years). Interestingly Arizona now will now likely have three of these rarities (truly competitive and without an incumbent): Giffords' District (CD2), the newly created central CD9, and (if Paul Gosar moves to the Western CD4 as he has indicated), the Northeast/Flagstaff CD1 will also be vacant. Three very competitive districts, each without an incumbent. A rarity.

Stay tuned. Should be fun.

--Michael J. O'Neil, PhD

(Copyright MJO. All Rights Reserved.)

Posted by JD Hull at 01:22 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2012

Nigeria as Battlefield: "Western education is sacrilege."

Over sixty years after gaining independence from European rulers, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, and home to Africa's largest population, continues to be a battlefield. Yesterday in Kano, Nigeria, in northern Nigeria, over 150 people were killed in a coordinated terrorist bombing claimed by the Islamist sect Boko Haram. Nigeria's current government is widely regarded as inexperienced and weak. But, as news reports rarely emphasize, one of the more troubling aspects of recent attacks by Boko Haram and other groups is that, since independence in 1960, traditional tribal and religious leaders in Nigeria have seen their power and influence weaken in times of crisis and violence. Increasingly, and in most circumstances, they can no longer be counted on or trusted to step in. See this AP article. Excerpt:

On Monday, Emir of Kano Ado Bayero and Kano state Gov. Rabiu Kwankwaso sat together at the front of a mosque typically full of worshippers during Friday prayers in this dusty, sprawling city. However, the special service to commemorate the dead and ask God for peace and justice drew much smaller crowds than usual, with half of the prayer mats unoccupied.

"I call on people from all groups to pray for this place," Bayero said.

Meanwhile, secret police officers stood guard outside with assault rifles.

Bayero is one of the premier rulers of the emirates of Nigeria, a system of governance that dates back to the 1800s and still carries spiritual importance to Muslims. British colonialists used the emirates to rule the north by proxy until Nigeria gained its independence in 1960.

Many believe Nigeria's corrupt politicians now do the same, as the vast majority of those living in the north deal with crushing poverty in a nation where most earn less than $2 a day.

The influence of traditional leaders in Nigeria has waned in recent years and the 81-year-old emir himself showed his age as he walked slowly away from the mosque, leaning heavily on his cane.

Such leaders previously promised to intercede for the government to stop the increasingly violent sectarian attacks of Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language.

Sky News

Posted by JD Hull at 11:56 PM | Comments (0)

January 22, 2012

H.R. 3261 and S. 968: "Congress, can you hear us?" This Social Media Groundswell worked pretty well.

E.g., at PC World, "SOPA, PIPA Stalled: Meet the OPEN Act". And thank you, Peter Friedman.

Posted by JD Hull at 07:19 PM | Comments (0)