Sunday, June 21, 2015

Happy 106th Fathers Day America! Sunday, June 21, 2015


"It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father."
~~ Pope John XXIII
(Latin: Ioannes XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈandʒelo dʒuˈzɛppe roŋˈkalli]; 25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963), reigned from 28 October 1958 to his death in 1963. (photo above right, boy with hand-made gift for his dad, courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com)

"My father could have been a great comedian but he didn't believe that was possible for him. So he made a conservative choice. Instead he got a 'safe job' as an accountant, and when I was 12 years old he was let go from that safe job. Our family had to do whatever we could to survive...I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which, was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."  
~~ Jim Carrey,
Award winning actor, comedian, children's book author, philanthropist, on how his late father inspired him to follow his dreams. Quote taken from his speech at a recent Maharshi University Management Class of 2014 in Fairfield, Iowa, and received an honorary doctorate for his achievements as a comedian, artist, author, and philanthropist. (Photo,You Tube video screen capture; Full speech at http://youtu.be/ajMpfPYlHi4)

Happy 106th Fathers Day America! The first Fathers Day celebration was in the Spokane YMCA on June 19, 1910 (107 events ago and 106 years ago)? Incidentally either plural (i.e., Fathers) or possessive (i.e., Father's) can be used.

Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June, but it is also celebrated widely on other days.

This year, Google's animated Fathers Day doodle by doodler, Olivia Huynh, intends to characterize the “universality of familial love.” In 2013, Google celebrated Father's Day with an interactive doodle that shows dads in many different roles with simple clicks. Last year, Google's doodle celebrates Father's Day and World Cup with an adorable doodle moustached dad with the letter O.

While I'm at it, I have to share a photo of my Grandfather (Angelo Buono) circa about 1908 with a similar moustache like Google doodle. Born in Naples, Italy my grandmother would tell me stories of how he became an engineer and seeked a better life by immigrating to the U.S. Around 7 years later, 1915, he moved to New York, NY and opened a fruit and produce business on Arthur Avenue, the Bronx's Little Italy. The business stayed in the family for over 80 years (1915 - late 1990's).

Did you know that "Father's Day" was created to complement Mother's Day, a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood. In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are not fathers.




For those of us whose dads are no longer with us, (an estimate of about 100 million folks in the U.S.A.) and for the many more who still have their dad, there are so many things to do to keep his memory in your heart. Do things that your dad loved and things that brought out the best as well as visiting your dad's friends and family.
(photo left courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com)

I have so many fond memories as a child with my dad and other family members at the Jersey Shore that I was inspired to write a short story in memory of my dad, “The Painting Ballerina".


The short story (published in 1999) was about a young girl by the sea who with the help of her animal friends, creates a new art form “ paint-dancing.”

TESTAMENT TO ALL FATHERS AND VETERANS OF THE U.S.A.
Enjoy this article originally written years ago and updated and reprinted a few times in a local Il Progresso about my late dad and his fellow veteran brothers who served WWII with honors.
WANT TO GIVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS FATHER'S DAY?
Besides baseball games, brunch in NYC or a beer cruise in NYC, and DadFests, why not celebrate "Father's Day" by donating to NTEN, a membership organization of nonprofit professionals who put technology to use for their causes. This is great especially for all you digital, tech geeks out there.



What things do (or did) your dad enjoy? Are you planning anything special this Father's Day?

Lovingly and appropriately, I did things that my dad enjoyed this FD weekend -- dining out at fine restaurants with friends and having lots of laughs throughout the event. Here's a few photos posted on Facebook - Ladies Night Out to celebrate birthdays of Helen and Rosann.



Things to do and other resources for Father’s Day:
•http://www.active.com/brooklyn-ny/running/races/nycruns-fathers-day-half-marathon-2015
•http://www.fatherhood.gov/pledge Take the Fatherhood Pledge
• http://www.innewyork.com/fathers-day-2015
• http://www.albanyevents.org/events/Dad_Fest_4_event_main.htm
• http://www.newyork.com/events/fathers-day/
• http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best-newyork-ny-top10-fathers-day_1ny.html
• http://www.timeout.com/newyork/fathers-day
• http://parade.condenast.com/303824/leahingram/10-freebies-for-fathers-day-2014/ 10 Freebies for Father's Day
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father's_Day Father's Day on Wikipedia
• http://www.neilchethik.com/writings-fatherloss-fathersday.htm
• www.momanddadday.com
• http://www.ccrny.com/blog/
• http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Fathers-Day.shtml
• http://fathersday2013.net/
• http://www.uncommongoods.com/occasions/fathers-day-gifts/fathers-day-gifts
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/10/bill-clinton-father-of-the-year_n_2447453.html

Monday, June 1, 2015

Tamsen Fadal's book launch party for 'The New Single' at URBO in NYC 6/2/2015


YAY. The "see what you missed" video of the Book Launch Party for Tamsen Fadal's latest book, THE NEW SINGLE, is up and running on YouTube. Enjoy and share with your fellow FB friends, networks and other social media.

Tamsen Fadal, producer, author and ​seven-time Emmy®-winning Anchor, PIX 11 News has launched her latest book "THE NEW SINGLE: Finding, Fixing & Falling Back In Love With Yourself."

The launch party, held on Tuesday, June 2nd, is at NYC's URBO located in the heart of Times Square. Event coverage photos are posted on Facebook, click here and enjoy!

In "The New Single," Fadal shares her experiences and advice for finding, fixing and falling back in love with yourself and aims to empower women all over the country. No stranger to love and dating books, she has already authored 2 previous books on dating and love. Based on her very own steps she took to get herself back after her publicized divorce, "The New Single" explains the importance of finding those small, simple things in life that really matter including loving yourself first. Fadal wrote this book to share what has helped her fall back in love with herself, heal as a person but especially to help others going through the same experiences.


THE FIRST 90 DAYS ARE CRUCIAL

The first 90 days after a split or divorce are so crucial because you are still in pain and not over it -- Fadal believes you are so "raw after a break-up because you don't know what to do ..." "The New Single" is an excellent roadmap for anyone needing to bounce back after a break-up or divorce. “The New Single,” is not just about, dating and relationships or divorce and break-ups. It is more of a self-help guide on how to avoid toxic, repetitive relationship patterns that hold you back combined with Tamsen's real life lessons-learned as well as stories from other women in similar situations. Also included are meaningful tips for moving forward and getting that much needed confidence and feeling of empowerment back.

It's exciting and inspiring to cover this event and interview guests on the red carpet at URBO (located in the heart of NYC's Theater District), and to celebrate Fadal's latest book, "The New Single," among many fellow fans, friends and familiar faces.

YAY, the event coverage photos have been posted on Facebook. Also be on the lookout for the "see what you missed" video which will be posted onto the Examiner.com article and this AllThingsDigitalMarketing blog post. So please visit frequently and stay tuned for more.


SPECIAL GUESTS INCLUDE
◊Tamsen Fadal, seven-time Emmy®-winning Anchor, PIX 11 News at 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. & Author of THE NEW SINGLE: Finding, Fixing & Falling Back In Love With Yourself.
◊Dorinda Medley, “Real Housewives of New York.
◊Shannon Elizabeth, film & television star of “Dancing with the Stars” and “American Pie” fame.
◊Tommy Tune, nine-time Tony®-winning Broadway, film and television star, choreographer, dancer, theatre director and producer.
◊Andrea McArdle, Tony®-nominated singer/actress, Broadway's original Annie.
◊John Muller, Emmy®-winning WPIX-TV Anchor 5, 6 and 10pm news.
◊Scott Stanford, Five-time Emmy®-winning Lead Sports Anchor, PIX 11 Sports Desk & Host, WWE.
◊Mr. G, WPIX-TV Meterologist 5, 6 and 10pm news.
◊Frances Rivera, Co-Anchor, MSNBC Live with Thomas Roberts.
◊Maurice DuBois, five-time Emmy®-winning Anchor, WCBS News & CBS News.
◊Liza Huber, former star of Passions, Founder & CEO, Sage Spoonfuls.
◊Donna Hanover, former First Lady of New York City, author, television personality, and Honorary Co-Chair of Women Who Care.
◊Kathy Wakile, author of national best seller, Indulge, of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” fame.
◊Tim Morehouse, U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist; Founder & CEO, Fencing in the Schools; Goodwill Ambassador, Special Olympics World Games.
◊Rita Cosby, Three-time Emmy® winning Special Correspondent, Inside Edition and Host, WABC Radio & best selling author.
◊Rich Graziano, President & General Manager, WPIX –TV.
◊Kaity Tong, WPIX-TV Weekend Anchor.
◊Diana Falzone, FOX News Correspondent.
◊Jill Nicolini, WCBS -TV Entertainment Reporter.
◊Scott Rappaport, WCBS Reporter.
◊Felicia Finley - Broadway star of Mamma Mia! & The Wedding Singer.
◊Teresa Priolo, Reporter, Fox 5 News & Good Day New York.
◊Felicia Finley - Broadway star of Mamma Mia! & The Wedding Singer.
◊Vikki Ziegler, Host of Bravo's Untying The Knot, Celebrity Divorce Attorney.
◊Chuck Nice, Comedian, television and radio personality, Host, Top 10 Countdown and HGTV’s Buy Like a Mega-Millionaire.
◊Bonnie Fuller, Editor-in-Chief, HollywoodLife.com.
◊Rob Shuter, Host of VH1's The Gossip Table.
◊Shamina Rai, Correspondent for ZEE TV.
◊Narmeen Choudhury, WPIX Reporter.
◊Peter Shankman, entrepreneur, marketer, investor, blogger, Co-Founder of Shankman/Honig & creator of the HARO Project.
◊Steven Scott, actor/comedian/host.
◊Melanie Notkin, best-selling author of Otherhood.
◊Cooper Lawrence, Radio Host & Best Selling Author.
◊Milly Almodovar Thompson, Senior Beauty Editor, Cosmo For Latinas.

Resources
♦ How Tamsen Fadal got over her nasty, public break up, NY Post http://nypost.com/2015/05/30/how-tamsen-fadal-got-over-her-nasty-public-breakup/
♦ Tamsen Fadal on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tamsenfadal/posts/10153260102413879
♦ TamsenFadal.com, http://www.tamsenfadal.com/
♦ WPIX's Fadal seen looking 'cozy' with Steve Guttenberg http://pagesix.com/2015/01/15/wpixs-fadal-seen-looking-cozy-with-steve-guttenberg/
♦ Tamsen Fadal on Wikimedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamsen_Fadal

To purchase "The New Single" on amazon click here. Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks for visiting.

Photo of Tamsen Fadal and book cover courtesy of James Grant PR.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Happy 148th Memorial Day America, Monday, May 25, 2015

Happy 148th Memorial Day Weekend America!


“We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies."
~~ Moina Michael (aka Poppy Lady)
U.S. professor and humanitarian who vowed to always wear a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who served in the war. In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem, We Shall Keep the Faith, November 1918


In Flanders Fields by John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.


We all seem to forget that we celebrate Memorial Day for the many service members who have lost their lives serving our country. Memorial Day is one of the special times of the year to honor loved ones who have passed and "In Flanders Fields" reminds us of those who have died protecting our country and freedom.
FASHION TRENDS ON MEMORIAL DAY
Memorial day marks the first day of the year for white-wear. The traditional fashion trend, “no white before Memorial Day or after Labor Day” gained popularity as the wealthy began wearing white in the summer. Light clothing was the symbol of leisure and black and navy were always the norm for the working class. This fad continued until years later as many began replacing white pants with the likes of bold solids and floral prints, pastel jungle prints, red jumpsuits, neon pink and cobalt sun dresses.


FASHION FOR MEN TOO THIS MEMORIAL DAY
For all you men out there, check out GQ for ways to wear white on Memorial Day, Three Ways to Wear White on Memorial Day http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2015/05/memorial-day-three-ways-to-wear-white.html


What to do in NYC on Memorial Day weekend

Memorial Day weekend events in NYC, TimeOut http://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/memorial-day-weekend-events-in-nyc?package_page=36341
Best beaches near NYC http://www.timeout.com/newyork/attractions/best-beaches?package_page=36341
The best NYC parks, TimeOut http://www.timeout.com/newyork/parks?package_page=36341
Memorial Day Weekend NYC Events 2015: 10 Free, Fun Things To Do In New York City, IBT, http://www.ibtimes.com/memorial-day-weekend-nyc-events-2015-10-free-fun-things-do-new-york-city-1933176
Memorial Day Weekend Events, NYC Official Guide http://www.nycgo.com/articles/memorial-day-weekend-events-2015
New York Memorial Day Weekend Events https://www.eventbrite.com/d/ny--new-york/memorial-day-weekend/
Memorial Day 2015 in New York http://www.partyearth.com/new-york/holidays/memorial-day-7/
Memorial Day Weekend Events: Concerts, Services, & More, wfmy2news.com, http://www.wfmynews2.com/story/news/local/2015/05/21/memorial-day-weekend-events/27748405/
How to Observe Memorial Day , http://www.usmemorialday.org/observe.htm


HISTORY OF MEMORIAL DAY
The first Memorial Day celebration traces back to May 30, 1868 and today marks the 148th Memorial Day celebration in America (147 years ago). Memorial Day honors men and women who fought for our country so that we can all be free.

Originally coined "Decoration Day," Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Memorial Day is less about barbecues and more about celebrating our nation’s veterans. Don't forget -- raise your flag half-staff -- honor more than one million Americans who gave their lives in service of this country for our freedom.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states.

The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Memorial Day Fashion Trends

► Enjoy the Long Weekend with Memorial Day Fashion Finds on Glamour.com http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2015/05/memorial-day-fashion-sales-2015
► What To Wear For Every Kind Of Memorial Day Weekend http://www.luckyshops.com/article/memorial-day-outfits
► Do You Have to Wait Until After Memorial Day to Wear White? | http://ksoo.com/do-you-have-to-wait-until-after-memorial-day-to-wear-white/?trackback=tsmclip
Moina Bell Michael: the Idea for the Flanders Fields Memorial Poppy

Other Resources

USmemorialday.org
Memorial Day Calendar
Memorial Day History
How to Observe Memorial Day
Buddy Poppy
The Story Behind the Poppy
InflandersFields-YouTube
InflandersFields-YouTube


Please share this on your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks you enjoy! Thanks for visiting.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

All photos courtesy of Wikimedia unless otherwise indicated.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Facebook went NASDAQ, three years ago today, May 17, 2012


Happy 3rd Year on NASDAQ Facebook! Three years ago today (Friday, May 17th) Facebook listed with Nasdaq and sold 421.2 million shares at $38 per share.

The initial public offering raised $16 billion (60% more than the expected $10 billion). (source: bloomburg.com).




There was so much hype months before Facebook's IPO.

When Facebook finally went public on May 17, 2012 (NASDAQ:FB) it would become infamous for having the worst stock disaster ever in the history of the U.S. equities market.

There was a computer glitch which forced thousands of independent investors to sell their stocks at a loss. Big institutional investors were not impacted as they were able to sell quickly. Unfortunately, that was not the case for small retail investors (everyday folks like me and you) who were unable to put in sell orders. Instead they watched helplessly as their FB stock share prices plummeted.

Quoteable Quote about Facebook choosing Nasdaq:
“Facebook on NASDAQ due to cultural fit" ~~ Charles Gasparino, senior correspondent Fox Business Network, prior to FB's IPO in 2012


RESOURCES:
- FB: Summary for Facebook, Yahoo Finance http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=FB
- The Immaculate IPO: What Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) Did Differently From Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) During Their IPO, IB Times, http://www.ibtimes.com/immaculate-ipo-what-twitter-nysetwtr-did-differently-facebook-nasdaqfb-during-their-ipo-1461108
- Why the Facebook (Nasdaq FB) Stock Price Will Double by 2018, Money Morning; http://moneymorning.com/2015/03/05/why-the-facebook-nasdaq-fb-stock-price-will-double-by-2018/
- Facebook IPO Makes Zuckerberg Richer Than Google Founders, Bloomberg.com; http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-05-17/facebook-ipo-makes-zuckerberg-richer-than-google-founders

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Happy 101st Mother's Day America! Enjoy this easy 1-2-3 cookie recipe



"A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy!

You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment."
~~ Anna Jarvis, Founder of the Mother's Day holiday in the United States, on the true meaning of mothers.







Photo left, photo collage of my mom to celebrate Mother's Day.







Photo right (courtesy of Wikipedia) of The International Mother's Day Shrine was designated a National Historic Landmark October 5, 1992. The Shrine, constructed in 1873 is located at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church at 11 E. Main Street in Grafton West Virginia. Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church also called the "mother church" of Mother's Day, was incorporated as the International Mother's Day Shrine on May 15, 1962, as a tribute to all mothers.



Google celebrated Mother's Day with lovely, bicycle-themed doodle (May 2014). Will be updated with 2015 doodle when ready.
Happy 101st Mother's Day America

Mother's Day, this year is Sunday, May 10th and always a great day to celebrate love, friendship and moms.

Did you know that U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in his 1914 presidential proclamation, by the U.S. Congress proclaimed the very first Mother's Day celebration?

Mother's Day was originally created by Anna Marie Jarvis in 1907 when she had a memorial to celebrate her Mother, Ann Jarvis who passed away on May 12, 1905. Anna's mother Ann Jarvis had founded Mothers' Day Work Clubs in five cities to improve sanitary and health conditions. The Mothers' Day Work Clubs also treated wounds, fed, and clothed both Union and Confederate soldiers with neutrality. Anna Marie Jarvis never married and had no children. She and her sister Ellsinore became disappointed with the commercialization of Mother's Day. They spent their family inheritance campaigning against what the holiday had become. Both died in poverty.

Yellow roses are very popular on Mother's Day as they indicate joy, gladness, friendship and "I Care?" Our way of remembering and celebrating is sharing our photo of beautiful bouquet of 2 dozen yellow roses my husband and I presented to our mom in May 2011. And I like to share her special cookie recipe.

As a child my mother would often bake all sorts of foods, pies, desserts, cakes and cookies. One of my favorite, all time cookies is a famous Italian cookie called "Anginette" (aka Anginetti), in the USA popularly called "Lemon Drop Cookies." The great thing about this cookie is that it is popular all year round and with just a few ingredients, anyone can prepare and bake this great cookie in less than 30 minutes. {Photo left, mother and photo below right me and mom on our Wedding Day, March 2008)
I use to always enjoy rolling the dough into extra long cigar shapes and coiling the cookie into 2 and 3 tiers high with my mother. The sky is the limit in regards to creativity; although Anginetti are delightful plain they are lovely and appetizing garnished with frosting and sprinkles. The prep time including rolling the dough into cigar shapes was slightly less than 15 minutes and it baked in 8 minutes. I try to bake these as much as I can. I once baked Anginettes and decided to bring in a tray for an early meeting where I was leading a direct marketing presentation to a group of about 30 people. The cookies were a big hit as was my presentation. Besides adding a personal touch, they were a surprise breakfast treat especially while sipping coffee and tea.

INGREDIENTS:
► Eggs 6
► Baking Powder 4 - 6 teaspoons max
► Baking Soda 1/2 teaspoon
► Flour 6 cups
► Vanilla 1 - 2 teaspoons
► Sugar 1 - 2 cups (can substitute with alteratives, e.g., splenda, equal, etc.)
► Butter 4 sticks (can substitute with vegetable oil)

OPTIONAL ICING:
► Powdered Sugar (aka Confectioners Sugar) 3 tablespoons
► Milk, Lemon Juice or Water (just a dash, about 1/2 teaspoon)

OPTIONAL OTHER:
► Lemon or Orange Skin (grated or peeled, optional with flour mix)
► Caraway seeds, almonds, walnuts, cream cheese, etc.
► Be Creative

Step 1 : Make Dough (5 min)
► Prepare oven at 375°; In large bowl combine ingredients
► Eggs
► Baking Powder
► Flour (put about half and add the remaining flour while mixing in bowl)
► Vanilla
► Sugar (or alternative, e.g., splenda, equal, etc.)
► Butter


Step 2 : Knead, Cut & Shape Dough (10 min)
► Knead dough when ready divide into amounts enough to roll into long cigars (about 6" to 8 inches); Then create circular coil shapes. Place in baking tray. Makes about 36 cookies or so depending on shape and size of cookies. You can make many more if you use a simple flat, round conventional shape cookie, but then again, it won't have the look and feel as a true, anginette.

Step 3 : Place tray in 375° oven (8 - 18 min)
► Depending on your oven, bake anywhere from 10to 20 minutes, keep watching and when the cookies are golden brown color on the bottom it is done. If you want to have frosting, mix the powdered sugar and water and stir until paste like. Wait at least 10 minutes for baked cookies to cool and dip cookies into frosting mix, or simply pour a little on each. Should set within 15 minutes. Can serve plain or with the traditional sugar frosting. Be creative, try cutting a few plain ones and adding cream cheese in the middle.
► Don't forget to wait at least 10 minutes before adding the icing and sprinkles or serving without icing.


Total time - 23 - 33 Minutes




These cookies are great plain or with icing. There are different textures and styles. The neutral-colored frosting was made using lemon instead of milk with powdered sugar.



“The sweetest sounds to mortals given. Are heard in Mother, Home, and Heaven” -- William Goldsmith Brown (1902-1982);
Survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic. Later he wrote a book about his experiences on the ship, and had his story featured in the documentary, Titanic: The Legend Lives On, as well as a children's book about the disaster, Inside the Titanic.



Monday, May 4, 2015

Happy 12th to LinkedIn May 5, 2015


World's most professional networking site, LinkedIn, turns 12 today.
Founded in December 2002, it launched May 5, 2003 for the sole purpose of a professional business network site and had an initial membership of 4,500.

LinkedIn was founded by Reid Hoffman with fellow founding team members from PayPal and Socialnet.com (Allen Blue, Eric Ly, Jean-Luc Vaillant, Lee Hower, Konstantin Guericke, Stephen Beitzel, David Eves, Ian McNish, Yan Pujante, and Chris Saccheri).


Founder Reid Hoffman, previously CEO of LinkedIn, is now Chairman of the Board. LinkedIn is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with additional U.S. offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Omaha, San Francisco, Sunnyvale and Washington D.C.
Linkedin also has International office locations in Amsterdam, Bangalore, Barcelona, Beijing, Dubai, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Melbourne, Milan, Mumbai, Munich, New Delhi, Paris, Perth, São Paulo, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.

Within three years (by 2006) usage increased to 20 million members (an increase of 4,444% in 3 years).

LinkedIn is also available in 20 languages including Chinese, English, French, German, Italian,Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Romanian, Russian, Turkish, Japanese, Czech, Polish, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, and Tagalog.

In March 2015, an article by About LinkedIn reported LinkedIn as having over 111 million unique U.S. members.

Not surprising that in the 4th Quarter of 2014 more than 75% of new members came to LinkedIn from outside the United States -- currently 347 million registrants globally from over 200 countries and territories. Additionally LinkedIn revenue reported total revenue for Q4 at $643 million (an average increase of 44% year-to-year).


LinkedIn Enhancements and Acquisitions Over the Years

April 2013, a new streamlined tool was featured to enable LinkedIn users to tag each other in posts and comments

In January 2011 LinkedIn traded its first shares on May 19, 2011 -- NYSE symbol "LNKD" with an IPO price of $45 per share. LinkedIN is currently valued at 261.52, nearly a 600% increase.

In 2010, LinkedIn began acquiring companies and to date has acquired 14 American companies (below is a chronological list).
• August 4, 2010, mspoke, an adaptive content personalization for $0.6 Million
• September 23, 2010, ChoiceVendor, Social B2B Reviews, $3.9 Million
• January 26, 2011, CardMunch, Social Contacts, $1.7 Million
• October 5, 2011, Connected Social CRM, price not available
• October 11, 2011, IndexTank Social search, price not available
• February 22, 2012, RapportiveSocial Contacts, $15 Million
• May 3, 2012 SlideShareSocial Content, $119 Million
• April 11, 2013, Pulse Web / Mobile newsreader, $90 Million
• February 6, 2014, Bright Job Matching, $120 Million
• July 14, 2014, Newsle Web applicat, $175 Million
• April 2, 2015, Refresh.io Web application, price not available-
• April 9, 2015, Lynda.com, eLearning, $1.5 Billion
• April 20, 2015, Hoaxbuster Club, Fact check and truth monitoring service, price not yet available

Latest resources:

• LinkedIn Joins the HoaxBuster Club, Buys Patent for Fact-Checking System, FACTUALLY, A Gizmodo Blog, http://www.techradar.com/us/news/internet/stop-lying-on-linkedin-because-soon-you-won-t-be-able-to-1291702
•http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/03/04/8-mistakes-you-should-never-make-on-linkedin/
•8 Mistakes You Should Never Make on LinkedIn, Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/03/04/8-mistakes-you-should-never-make-on-linkedin/2/

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Happy 45th Earth Day America ! NASA wants you to share your favorite places EARTH and use #NoPlaceLikeHome


Share videos & photos of your favorite places on EARTH & use hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome to celebrate Earth Day and to also be a part of NASA's social media campaign.

“The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard." ~~ Gaylord Anton Nelson (June 4, 1916 – July 3, 2005) Founder of Earth Day, American politician from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. Photo right courtesy of Mark Fisher, http://mustermark.co.uk, photo also on Wikimedia.org

WHAT WILL YOU BE SHARING?
NASA wants you to post your videos and photos using hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome on all your social media especially Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Facebook, Google+ and Flickr. NASA has been posting images and videos in preparation for Earth Day since the beginning of April.

Here are my #NoPlaceLikeHome favorite places on earth: There are plenty more at the FB links below. Enjoy!

☺ My home sweet home on #Facebook from the Winter Snow Storm on January 24, 2015
☺ Hilarious turkeys visiting my home sweet home on Palm Sunday (March 29, 2015)
Autumn leaves beneath the iced Bronx River along the pedestrian trail sometime in November, 2014
☺ This Egret has no egrets atop the beautiful cadcading waterfall at Bronx River one Saturday morning June 28, 2014
☺ Photo of my backyard after the blizzard February 13, 2014
☺ On my way to work after one of the blizzards February 13, 2014

Would you believe it, today is Earth-Day’s 46th event and 45th B-Day (April 22, 2015)?

It was on April 22nd, 1970 when the very first Earth Day event was celebrated nationwide. A time when the norm was hippy-happy flower-child culture, psychedelics, the passing R&B icons Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, Simon & Garfunkel “Bridge Over Troubled Water" song, college students streaking across campuses protesting the Vietnam war, etc. Also a time of top network TV programs "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In," "Gunsmoke," "Captain Kangaroo," "The Carol Burnett Show," and "I Dream of Jeannie."


Who would think Earth Day would also mark the modern environmentalist movement? It was April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day, that led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.

#EarthDay 2015 marks the 2nd year of NASA's global social media campaign. Earth Day is not just about water and sustainability." Earth Day 2014 marked the first #GlobalSelfie SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN from NASA. This year, NASA's theme is #NoPlaceLikeHome. NASA wants everyone to post videos and photos of their favorite places on EARTH and to use hashtag #NoPlaceLikeHome for the latest #EarthDay



Earth Day 2014 NASA celebrated a milestone -- the first time in more than a decade of launching five Earth-observing missions in a single year. Photos above right and below left snapshots taken from NASA promotional video on RedOrbit.com

Click here to view NASA's promotion video for Earth Day from 2014 #GlobalSelfieEarthDay #EarthRightNow #EarthDay Social Media Campaigns.

BELOW ARE EXCERPTS FROM MY BLOG FROM EARTH DAY 2014


Do you think our leaders are capable of implementing a realistic, sustainable climate control program?

Some are (hopefully most), and I hope they put government spending into perspective and stop subsidizing the ultra-rich for their quaky, snake-oil programs. "We the people" need to know the real facts behind the outrageous ultra-rich alternative fuel subsizing.

"It's nice that someone managed to run his car on liposuction leftovers, but that doesn't mean he needs to be subsidized ... But why not at least agree that governments shouldn't pick losers to be winners? Unfortunately, that's exactly what is happening. The world is rushing to promote alternative fuel sources that will actually accelerate global warming, not to mention an alternative power source that could cripple efforts to stop global warming ... This is not just a climate disaster. The grain it takes to fill an SUV tank with ethanol could feed a hungry person for a year; biofuel mandates are exerting constant upward pressure on global food prices and have contributed to food riots in dozens of poorer countries. Still, the United States has quintupled its ethanol production in a decade and plans to quintuple its biofuel production again in the next decade. This will mean more money for well-subsidized grain farmers, but also more malnutrition, more deforestation, and more emissions. European leaders have paid a bit more attention to the alarming critiques of biofuels -- including one by a British agency that was originally established to promote biofuels -- but they have shown no more inclination to throw cold water on this $100 billion global industry ..." ~~ Michael Grunwald, writer, journalist, author; and a senior national correspondent at Time magazine. Quotes taken from his article "Seven Myths About Alternative Energy"
Obviously, according Grunwald's article on ForeignPolicy.com article (2009) titled "Seven Myths About Alternative Energy, the energy alternatives aren't magic tickets and they are not sustainable.


WILL YOU BE CELEBRATING EARTH DAY BY SHARING YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON EARTH USING #NoPlaceLikeHome ?

Share your #NoPlaceLikeHome with your favorite social media and show support for "sustainable environmental programs" that cost significantly less and are more effective than the current government subsized programs that are unsubstantiated.

My #NoPlaceLikeHome will be posted soon Where's yours?

Earth Day is a national holiday created to celebrate the Earth and environment. The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970, and was a response to the environmental crisis at the time, which included extremely polluted water and air.

The Environmental Protection Agency was created the same year as a result of activism and widespread popular support for cleaning up the environment. Children became very aware as many school programs brought about awareness of pollutants in the air and the importance of caring for the planet we live on.

Earth Day is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network, and is celebrated in more than 175 countries every year. The Earth Day Logo, above right, became the Official Earth Week logo that was used as the backdrop for the prime time CBS News Special Report with Walter Cronkite about Earth Day beginning 1970 through 1996.

In 2009, the United Nations designated April 22 International Mother Earth Day. Earth Day is planned for April 22 in all years at least through 2015. It may or may not change thereafter. Earth Day is credited to Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. Inspired by the student anti-war movement, he called for an environmental teach-in, or Earth Day, to be held on April 22, 1970.


Over 20 million people participated that year, and this Earth Day is now observed on April 22 each year by more than 500 million people and several national governments in 175 countries. Ecology Flag, photo to the right, was created by cartoonist Ron Cobb in 1969.




Google Celebrated Earth Day 2012 with an animated Flower-power Doodle on its home page, photo left.
For 2014, Google created a lovely doodle with many different eco-creatures from the lovely humming bird to the not-so-lovely beetle dung; I was pretty grossed out by that portion of the animated doodle. To view go to google.com and share what you think.


Bing Celebrated Earth day 2012 with a picture of Nevada Solar One at sunrise in the Mojave Desert near Boulder City, Nevada, photo right.


Earth Day Timeline

1968 - Morton Hilbert and the U.S. Public Health Service organized the Human Ecology Symposium, an environmental conference for students to hear from scientists about the effects of environmental degradation on human health. This was the beginning of Earth Day.
1969 - John McConnell first introduced the idea of a global holiday called "Earth Day" at the UNESCO Conference on the Environment
1969 - The Ecology Flag was created by cartoonist Ron Cobb and published on November 7th in the Los Angeles Free Press, then placed in the public domain. The symbol is a combination of the letters "E" and "O" taken from the words "Environment" and "Organism," respectively.
1970 - The first Earth Day proclamation was issued by San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto on March 21, 1970. Nelson chose the date April 22nd in order to maximize participation on college campuses for what he conceived as an "environmental teach-in". He determined the week of April 19–25 was the best bet as it did not fall during exams or spring breaks. Also, it did not conflict with any religious holidays.
1971 - UN Secretary-General U Thant supported McConnell's global initiative to celebrate this annual event; and on February 26, 1971, he signed a proclamation to that effect, saying: “May there be only peaceful and cheerful Earth Days to come for our beautiful Spaceship Earth as it continues to spin and circle in frigid space with its warm and fragile cargo of animate life.”
1972 - United Nations secretary-general Kurt Waldheim observed Earth Day with similar ceremonies on the March equinox in 1972, and the United Nations Earth Day ceremony has continued each year since on the day of the March equinox (the United Nations also works with organizers of the April 22 global event).
1978 – American cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead added her support for the equinox Earth Day, and declared: "Earth Day is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space…”
1990 - The Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb was led by Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mt. Everest (many years earlier), and marked the first time in history that mountaineers from the United States, Soviet Union and China had roped together to climb a mountain, let alone Mt. Everest. The group also collected over two tons of trash (transported down the mountain by support groups along the way) that was left behind on Mount Everest from previous climbing expeditions. The master of ceremonies for the Columbia Gorge event was the TV star, John Ratzenberger, from "Cheers", and the headlining musician was the "Father of Rock and Roll," Chuck Berry.
2000 - Earth Day 2000 combined the ambitious spirit of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. This was the first year that Earth Day used the Internet as its principal organizing tool, and it proved invaluable domestically and internationally. Kelly Evans, a professional political organizer, served as Executive Director of the 2000 campaign. The event ultimately enlisted more than 5,000 environmental groups outside the United States, reaching hundreds of millions of people in a record 183 countries. Leonardo DiCaprio was the official host for the event, and about 400,000 participants stood in the cold rain during the course of the day.
2009 - May 5, 2009 editorial in The Washington Times contrasted Arbor Day with Earth Day, claiming that Arbor Day was a happy, non-political celebration of trees, whereas Earth Day was a pessimistic, political ideology that portrayed humans in a negative light.
2010 - Billion Acts of Green (Beta) – Official Earth Day Network's "Billion Acts of Green" website for students and young adults
2011 - A Billion Acts of Green (®) – A "people-powered campaign to generate a billion acts of environmental service and advocacy before Rio +20" (as well as a registered trademark).
2012 - Earth Day 2012 – Mobilize the Earth 2013; Google Celebrated Earth day 2012 with an animated Doodle on its home page; Bing Celebrated Earth Day 2012 with a picture of Nevada Solar One at sunrise in the Mojave Desert near Boulder City, Nevada.
2013 - The Face of Climate Change.
2014 - Earth Day 2014 – Green Cities + Mobilizing Millions of People to Create a Sustainable, Healthy Environment by Greening Communities Worldwide. First Earth Day 2014 "SOCIAL MEDIA SELFIE CAMPAIGN" launch.


Earth Day Resources

Earth Day Network
The Canopy Project
Washington Post, Celebrating Earth Day around the world
History of Earth Day http://www.earthday.org/earth-day-history-movement
Voice of America, Earth Day Prompts Calls for “Green Acts
If you have additional resources please list them in comments and I will add to post. Thanks.
Please visit this blog frequently and share this with your social media. Follow me @gbdaly Thanks.


All photos courtesy of Wikimedia; If any screen shots were taken from video and websites credit will be mentioned. All other photos will be credited as required.
#NOPLACELIKEHOME + NASA SOCIAL MEDIA, April 22, culture, earth day, environment, global green, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, pollution, technology,