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Click the leader's name for a short biography.
Tisa Ford
Sandy Carter
Robin Sitver
Executive Director, Business Development
Mary Lou Quinlan
Tom Duffy
Michael Hagan
Sue Temple
Brian Crooks
Joseph F Barstys
Phil Lempert
Laurie Demeritt
Steve Pasierb
Richmond S. Hendee
VP, Marketing Services
Cotton, Inc.
Richmond S. Hendee is Cotton Incorporated's vice president, Marketing Services. Hendee, who is based at the company's consumer marketing headquarters in New York, heads Cotton Incorporated's advertising and public relations activities. He has worked closely with advertising agency, Ogilvy & Mather/NY, to create the highly acclaimed "The Fabric of Our Lives™" television campaign. In addition, he developed Cotton Incorporated's Lifestyle Monitor™, a survey which monitors American consumers' attitudes and behavior toward apparel and home furnishings.
Prior to joining Cotton Incorporated in 1993, Hendee was a principal at Dickison & Hendee Advertising, Inc., an ad agency in Westport, Connecticut. He also spent 13 years with J. Walter Thompson in New York. Hendee began his advertising career with Young & Rubicam in London, England. He is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.
John Wittenbraker
Managing Director, Brand & Communications
GfK Custom Research North America
John Wittenbraker is Managing Director of GfK Custom Research North America, Brand & Communications Practice. His areas of expertise include brand and communication research (development, positioning, evaluation and tracking) and market structure (segmentation and targeting) and product design (choice modeling and optimization).
Trained as a social and quantitative psychologist, John has developed advanced models, analytic systems and proprietary methodologies to support marketing and brand management decisions. He has had broad experience across multiple sectors, including financial services, telecommunications, package goods, retail and consumer services. He is a member of the Board of GfK Custom Research North America. His Ph.D from the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill.
Dee Dee Gordon
Look-Look, Inc.
DeeDee Gordon, renowned youth culture expert and co-founder of youth marketing company Look-Look, Inc. has been at the forefront of trend research for over 15 years. While working as Director of Research and Product Development for So Cal ad agency Lambesis, Gordon and her colleague, Sharon Lee, created the famed "L Report," the first national marketing research report to track trend diffusion among youths. Not long after, Gordon and Lee decided to leave Lambesis and in 1999, the two became true pioneers in the research field with the formation of their own company, Look-Look, Inc.
In taking their youth culture research online, they created a one-of-a-kind research, marketing and consulting company that specializes in the culture of 14-to-35-year-olds. As co-president of Look-Look, Gordon oversees all research analysis, product development and creative direction for client accounts and Look-Look consumer products. Look-Look's proprietary panel and database technology allows it to exceed the capabilities of competing marketing companies by maintaining a constant 2-way dialogue with trendsetting and mainstream young people around the world. Past and current clients, including Coca Cola, Mercedes, Calvin Klein, Nike, Unilever and Sony Pictures, come to Look-Look both for their expertise and instant access to information on the ever-changing world of global youth culture.
Carolyn McKernan
Marketing Research Manager
REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc.)
Carolyn McKernan has over 20 years marketing research experience on both the client and supplier sides of the industry. She has led the marketing research efforts at REI for the past nine years. At REI, she provides corporate strategic planning, research design and analysis, and internal decision support to minimize risk. Her varied skill set includes over 15 years' experience in focus group moderation, as well as customer database management and trend interpretation for the outdoor lifestyle.
Carolyn received her B.S. in Advertising from the University of Washington. She has participated on State of Washington and national Outdoor Industry Foundation research committees to guide the proper use and application of research in the outdoor recreation arena. She periodically serves as a guest lecturer at local and national research and trend-watching conferences. She is a past board member of the Puget Sound Chapter of the American Marketing Association and is an award-winning volunteer for a national teenage women's group.
Richard Heilman
VP Marketing and R&D
Pittsburgh Glass
Richard Heilman has been with PPG Industries, Inc. since 1978 in a variety of positions, including R&D, marketing, sales, strategic planning, and international management. With a Masters in Physics from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA, Mr. Heilman started his PPG career as a research physicist investigating photovoltaic and solar thermal energy systems. After completing his MBA degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1984, his interest in developing new products and markets quickly led him to marketing research, marketing management, and sales positions for PPG's newest commercial and residential glass offerings. In 1997, he became Executive Vice President for PPG-CI, a manufacturing and sales joint venture between PPG and Itochu of Japan. This assignment led to business negotiations and personal explorations throughout Asia. Returning to Pittsburgh in 2001, Mr. Heilman joined the automotive OEM side of PPG's glass business. As Director of Strategic Marketing, he focuses on commercializing new value-added glazing products that enhance driving comfort, reduce fuel consumption, and appeal to the aesthetic-minded automotive customizer and tuner market segments.
338 Ivy Dr. Gibsonia, PA 15044
(e-mail) email@example.com
Michael Hagan
Mr. Hagan is Chairman of the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and President of NutriSystem, Inc. He joined the Company in December 2002 and helped changed the direction of the Company to one more focused on becoming a leading "direct to consumer" weight management company. Over the last year, Mr. Hagan has received numerous awards including the inaugural Ernst & Young Venture Capital Award of Excellence, Ernest & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Retail and Consumer Products category for the Philadelphia Region and voted Entrepreneur of the Year by Forbes Magazine. The Company was ranked #1 of Forbes' 200 Best Small Companies and #20 of Business Week's Hot Growth Companies. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Hagan was the co-founder of Verticalnet, Inc., a business-to-business internet and software company, and held a number of executive positions at Verticalnet since its founding in 1995, including Chairman of the Board from February 2002 to the June 2005, President and Chief Executive Officer from January 2001 to February 2002, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from January 2000 to January 2001 and Senior Vice President prior to that time. While at Verticalnet, Mr. Hagan was awarded the 1999 Ernest & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Retail and Consumer Products category for the Philadelphia Region. Prior to founding Verticalnet, Mr. Hagan was a Vice President and senior manager at Merrill Lynch Asset Management from 1990 to 1995, and worked for Bristol Meyers Squibb from 1988 to 1990. Mr. Hagan is a director of Verticalnet, Inc. (Nasdaq: VERT), a director of Internet Capital Group, and a trustee of Saint Joseph's University. Mr. Hagan was a CPA in the State of Pennsylvania (license lapsed).
Nina Lentini
Media Post's Marketing Daily
Nina Lentini is editor of Marketing Daily at Media Post.com. She has been a journalist for more than 25 years, most recently in the marketing and advertising fields. For seven years, she worked in publication relations at a small, liberal arts college in Connecticut, her home base.
Anne Marie Luthro
VP Sales & Marketing
Envirosell, Inc.
Anne Marie Luthro began her career with Envirosell in 1989 when the company existed of four full time employees who did everything from the accounting and marketing to the in-store tracking and videotaping.
After spending almost ten years in the NYC office, and being an instrumental force in the growth and success of Envirosell, Anne Marie moved to Portland, Oregon where she continues to spread the Envirosell philosophy: understanding why shoppers are behaving in the ways they do is instrumental in understanding how to build a better store for them. As the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Envirosell, it is Anne Marie's responsibility to understand client's wants and needs and to see that they are delivered.
With a host of other clients on her resume, Anne Marie has worked extensively with store planning projects, category management projects, and numerous consulting projects. After almost 15 years of watching people shop. Anne Marie still professes a love of her job and of shopping; some call it a sickness.
Brian Kurtz
Executive Vice President
Boardroom, Inc.
Brian Kurtz has spent over 25 years helping Boardroom Inc. become an industry leader in newsletter and book publishing, in-house list management, and state-of-the-art direct marketing.
Boardroom publishes leading edge newsletters in the categories of consumer information, money, health, retirement, and taxes with a total circulation of over 1 million subscribers. In addition, Boardroom is one of the largest sellers of one-shot mail order books in the country.
Brian's influence spans all aspects of direct marketing including the list industry, the U.S. Postal Service, direct marketing educators, the Newsletter Publishers Association (SIPA), The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), leading copywriters and creative people, government affairs, and many other trade groups and industry organizations.
Brian has been especially active in direct marketing education. He is a Trustee of the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation (DMEF) and eagerly participates in courses at colleges, universities, and various direct marketing programs. In 1989, he taught a full semester undergraduate course in direct marketing at his alma mater, Rutgers University.
Brian is also a member of the DMA'S Ethics Operating Committee and among his numerous awards he is a member of the DMA Circulation Hall of Fame and a recipient of the DMA's List Leader of the Year and the Direct Marketing Club of NY's Silver Apple Award.
Mary Lou Quinlan
Just Ask a Woman
As founder of Just Ask a Woman, Mary Lou has advised over 40 corporations, including Procter & Gamble, GlaxoSmithKline, Citigroup, Best Buy, Farmers Insurance and Westin Hotels, detailed in her bestselling book "Just Ask a Woman, Cracking the Code of What Women Want and How They Buy".
She's also highly sought speaker and writer among professional women, thanks to her second book, "Time Off for Good Behavior, How Hardworking Women Can Take a Break and Change Their Lives," and her "Quinlan & Answers" column for MORE magazine.
Last spring, Mary Lou co-starred in the first season of ABC's hit reality show, "American Inventor" as the only female judge of the best new inventions.
Throughout his technology career, Bryan has designed and implemented innovative online experiences aimed at creating stronger consumer engagements and collaboration. Bryan evangelized and pioneered social media techniques at Intel. He designed and built Intel's external blog platform at blogs.intel.com, developing it into a "best-in-class" venue.
Mr. Rhoads led a 4-year research project with MIT Sloan to build greater user trust online, entitled "WebTrust". Through adaptive experimentation, Bryan's Intel and MIT researchers designed innovative approaches to increase user confidence and trust in online experiences and communications.
He sits on the Executive Board of the Internet Strategy Forum, is a member of the City Club of Portland and its New Leaders Council, and considers himself a grassroots Bio-fuels advocate as well as an urban farmer in his backyard in Portland, Oregon.
Chris McCarthy
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Landis Strategy & Innovation, LLC
Chris brings to the broad Landis client base more than 20 years of market research experience and a strong background in the integration of information systems design with high-level mathematical applications. Chris has been deeply involved in all aspects of consumer research, including study and questionnaire design as well as analytics. He was directly involved in shaping the proprietary Landis MATRIX™ model, and part of the team that defined the structure and functionality of the system and its measures. Chris has managed all the staff, hardware and software systems in Landis Strategy & Innovation's MIS department, and authored the first versions of the MATRIX™ software and Cross-Tab system. Following his responsibilities as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in which he managed all operational aspects of the business, Chris has evolved to a new senior post responsible for all company R&D, focusing on the perpetual advancement of Landis' proprietary capabilities.
Kay Unger
Kay Unger New York
She blends her own personal philosophy with a unique corporate ethic that drives the success of Kay Unger New York. She designs clothes for today's women with a balance of comfort, femininity, and strength reflected in all of her collections. As Co-founder and Head Designer of her company, and sporting over 38 years of fashion experience, Kay has emerged as an industry leader possessing a positive connection with her customer, and the respect of her peers in the fashion industry.
As a designer, Kay's initial inspiration grew out of her couture background. After graduating from the prestigious Parsons School of Design, she was embraced into the fashion industry as Geoffrey Beene's apprentice, where she discovered her love and appreciation of detail. Today, her exquisite signature prints and intricate hand beading pay homage to the glamour and sophistication of Hollywood's golden era, while reflecting her customer's modern strength expressed in femininity and individuality. Her simple cuts and fresh, inventive fabrics are all about the busy lifestyle of today's American woman. All of her clothing pays close attention to the contours of a woman's body, making the most out of every curve and line, showing her keen understanding of ladylike luxury.
Her career and her personal lifestyle have always taken symmetrical paths. At home in her artist's loft, Kay thrives on mixing a palette of people and personalities with the same natural ability as she would blend colors and textures in her studio. She approaches entertaining with unrivaled flair, as a forgotten art. Kay is adored as a hostess because of her magical ability to ignite stimulating conversation, creating a relaxed and comfortable environment.
In addition to her commitment to her career as a designer, to her creativity in the studio, and to an active social life, Kay has also devoted herself to several philanthropic organizations. Through her involvement with the Epstein Fine Arts Fund, endowed by her late father, Kay was one of the first women ever appointed to the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. She is an active member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), and a former President of the Fashion Group International. During her term she was responsible for raising more than $250,000 for breast cancer research. Kay was recently named one of the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World, and is a founding member of the Committee of 200, a business organization representing the top female entrepreneurs in America. Kay was also recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Parsons School of Design.
Peter Bongers
Living Tomorrow, Inc.
Peter is the Co-founder and Co-Chairman of Living Tomorrow. He is known as a conceptual thinker and a convincing motivator and communicator. He approaches strategy from a human centric perspective, simplifying and making it useful for new business and social models.
His 15 years of experience in leading the highly successful Living Tomorrow platform proved him to be an expert in innovation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. He sees the ability to think forward as the most valuable asset one can have in business, science and politics.
Michael Gilman
Data Mining Technologies
CEO of Data Mining Technologies Inc. a computer software publisher and consulting firm specializing in data mining projects. He is the architect of Nuggetsâ, a data mining toolkit, and other business and technical software.
Over 20 years experience in the areas of corporate management, computer consulting, business consulting, project management, systems analysis, and university teaching. Vice President of Strategic and logistic planning and Director of Management Science at Hoechst Celanese. His clients include Ernst and Young, Chubb Insurance, General Electric, Celanese Corporation, American Express, Warner Communications, Texaco, Con Edison, Chase Manhattan Bank, US Navy and numerous other companies. He served as Adjunct Professor of Business at Hofstra University where he has taught business, mathematics and computer courses. He is a frequent speaker on data mining subjects to business and academia. He holds a Ph.D. in Management Science from Polytechnic University of New York, a Masters degree with a major in Computer Science from New York University and a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering from CUNY. He has also published articles and papers and presented seminars to the business and scientific communities.
Betsy Book
Makena Technologies/There.com
Betsy Book is the Director of Product Management at Makena Technologies, parent company of There.com. She has participated in, managed, and developed a wide range of online community-focused products over the past decade, from text-based forums and chat rooms to 3D virtual worlds.
Book began her career at iVillage in its pre-IPO days where she produced and managed co-branded web sites for clients in the consumer goods, automotive and health industries. She served as VP of Product Development at the ecommerce site Flooz.com, where she was responsible for front-end web production and feature development. At BBI Systems, Book managed large-scale community moderation and reporting programs for entertainment industry clients including AOL, MTV, The-N, Showtime, Country Music Television, and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Over the course of her career, Book has provided consulting services to a wide range of new media, telecommunications and entertainment industry clients.
Danielle Blugrind
Director, Consumer and Brand Insights
Taco Bell
Danielle joined Taco Bell as a Director in the Consumer Insights group just over seven years ago. She began her Taco Bell career with one analyst on her team, running initiatives such as the QSR Tracking Study and Value research. Since then, her team has grown to two managers, two associate managers and one analyst, and she and her team have greatly increased their responsibilities to cover four Trackers, all Advertising and Creative Development research, Late Night, Value, Beverages, Brand Equity and Brand Strategy, Consumer Trends – with responsibility across the entire Yum organization – and more recently, Service and Operations initiatives including the Drive-Thru Center of the Future.
Prior to joining Taco Bell, Danielle worked at Mattel for eight years, primarily on the Barbie account worldwide. Her responsibilities at Mattel were also within the Consumer Research function. Research has been her passion and her vocation since she graduated with her MBA from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate Management School at the Claremont Graduate University. Previously, she attended the University of California at Irvine, where she earned her B.A.
Paal Fure
Managing Director
Vizeum (Norway)
After 10 years in different brand consultancy primarily working with scenario modeling, strategic research, business intelligence and trend forecasting, Paal Fure now manages a "new school" media agency called Vizeum, based in Norway. The media agency is global and owned by Aegis Media and has offices in 59 countries. Travelling 100 days a year takes Fure to everywhere from Syracuse, NY to Syracuse in Sicilia, Italy.
Fure has worked with most of the strongest brands coming out of Scandinavia (such as H&M) and has managed international projects with focus on brand futures and business environments.
Steve McCallion
Ziba Design, Inc.
Steve McCallion leads the creation of meaningful brand experiences for a range of clients including KitchenAid, Sirius Satellite Radio, Federal Express, Umpqua Bank and Johnson & Johnson. From consumer electronics to branded environments, he brings a rare balance of design sensibility and strategic thinking to create products, services and spaces that people crave. By gaining a deep understanding of a company's DNA and the motives of its potential customers, McCallion connects brand and consumer – and makes wallets fly open. He was the founding director of ZIBA's award-wining research and design planning group, an eclectic mix of social anthropologists, cultural ethnographers, user-experience wizards, trend trackers, brand translators, and cool hunters. He has developed many proprietary methodologies that have won awards and market success. He has published several papers, won numerous design awards, and is a respected lecturer, design juror and member of Fast Company's 2006 Masters of Design Class. Prior to joining ZIBA, Steve was a designer, an architect and an entrepreneur.
Jordan Stanley
Stanley Marketing Works, Inc.
During a 17-year career at Young & Rubicam, Jordan launched many memorable campaigns for popular packaged goods brands including Jell-O, Kentucky Fried Chicken, PAM Cooking Spray and Advil—and was first to license video game characters in the packaged foods business (Pac-Man Pasta). In 1990 he established the first in-house TV production unit at Y&R. As marketing consultant to McGhee Entertainment, Jordan was among the first marketers to use traditional research techniques to market a performing artist (Bonjovi). And as writer, producer & marketing consultant to the DRTV industry, Jordan has produced and/or written dozens of direct-response commercials for both traditional advertisers (Downy, Febreze, Dryel, Tide) as well as new products (Edgemaster paint roller, Micro Touch hair remover, Auto-Cool car cooler).
Joseph F Barstys
Manager, Retention Marketing
Subaru of America
Joe Barstys is Manager of Retention Marketing for Subaru of America, Inc. headquartered in Cherry Hill, NJ. Since 1984 he has held positions of increasing responsibility in consumer affairs for Subaru. He presently is responsible for all relationship-building owner communications.
He holds a BA in philosophy from St. Francis College, Burlington, Wisconsin and an MS in Marketing Communications from Temple University in Philadelphia. He is a recognized author and lecturer in the area of consumer affairs and owner loyalty. He presently serves as Immediate Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business (SOCAP) and chaired the SOCAP Information Technology Committee. He has presented papers at national SOCAP conferences, and, more recently, he has also addressed several American Marketing Association and American Society of Quality national conferences. He currently serves on several Boards of Directors in the business and academic communities in the Philadelphia area. He was a charter member of the New Jersey Coalition for Consumer Education and is the past chairperson of the Customer Relations Committee for the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers, Inc. In 2001 the Arts and Business Partnership of Southern New Jersey recognized him as the Business Volunteer of the Year.
Joe lives with his wife Carmen and daughter Ana in Cherry Hill.
Jan Zlotnick
President, Creative Director
The Zlotnick Group
Jan Zlotnick is strategic-creative director at The Zlotnick Group, a marketing insight & advertising agency located in New York City. TZG specializes in creative solutions, whatever the category or customer. Services include customer insight and brand positioning, market strategy, media, and creative. Jan created campaigns for Ilford, Time hotel, I Love NY, BMW Motorcycles, Guess, Bacardi, Bertolli, Countybank, and a delivery room of healthcare brands, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Hackensack University Medical Center, New York Presbyterian, and AmeriHealth. Zlotnick believes the greatest human desire is our craving for Authenticity. That which rings true, in the relationships we seek in life, love, and career. In the brands we not just buy, but buy into. This guides TZG's own brand culture and purpose: ReThink-Ring True.
Florian Haller
Serviceplan Agenturgruppe
Florian Haller was born in Munich in 1967. After his study in St. Gallen and his first station as customer consultant in the advertising agency Lintas in New York, he decided to go to Proctor & Gamble for 5 years. At first he worked there as category manager dish washing in the European headquarter in Brussels and later he was brand manager for household products in Geneva. In 1996 he joined as director of the third advertising agency at Serviceplan. In 2000 he changed as director in the holding company of the Serviceplan Agenturgruppe. In July 2002 Mr. Haller took up the job as CEO of the Serviceplan Gruppe.
Bill Bieberbach
Vice President, Corporate Development
RonJon Surf Shops
Walt Disney World Marketing and Finance, Taft Broadcasting Marketing and Development, Consulting and Ron Jon Surf Shop Corporate Development.
Predominantly worked on mass attended attractions in the tourism industry, i.e. Walt Disney World, Worlds Fairs, Madison Square Garden, large resort developments, etc. Involvement in all aspects of management with a concentration on marketing, finance, and master planning.
Lee Zeidman
Zeidman – Corporate Communications Consultants
Lee Zeidman is a recovering broadcast journalist. A member of the team that launched CNN in 1980, Lee logged thousands of hours on-camera, as a sportscaster for CNN, SportsChannel America, ESPN and CBS Sports. As a Prime Time producer, Lee's credits include "60 Minutes" (where he worked with the legendary Mike Wallace), and "48 hours" as well as the Olympic Winter Games of Albertville, France (1992) and Lillehammer, Norway (1994). In January of 1996, after more than twenty years in the news business, Lee launched Z=C3. Since then, he has helped some of the most recognizable names in corporate America manage controversial issues.
Art Stewart
President & Chief Strategy Officer
Stewart Strategies Group, LLC
Art Stewart's twenty-five years of experience extends across the spectrum of his profession, including posts in broadcasting, television/film production, corporate communications, marketing agencies and market research. He has headed his own consulting firm since 1993. His strategy expertise extends across several management disciplines and is strengthened by an array of client engagements that has enabled uncommon exposure to a diversity of organizations, industries and 'publics'.
Stewart Strategies Group helps organizations and their leaders integrate leadership practices, corporate and social responsibility, green policies and innovation, brand integrity, and stakeholder values into strategies for sustainable competitiveness. Through customized strategic analysis and planning, alignment of resources, and transformational marketplace behavior and communication, they navigate organizations along the best path to responsible and durable improvements in enterprise performance. Art holds a mid-career graduate degree from Georgetown University's Public Policy Institute, a post-graduate certificate in Senior Executive Leadership also from Georgetown, and an undergraduate degree in communications from Emerson College.
Joe Chernov
Vice President
Bzz Agent
Joe Chernov is the director of communications for BzzAgent, the advertising industry's only word-of-mouth media channel. In this role, he has presented to The Federal Trade Commission and been interviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Economist, BBC News, Investors Business Daily and The Associated Press. Chernov organized the research and editing of a Harvard Business School case on BzzAgent.
Chernov has more than 12 years' experience in public relations and marketing communications. A regular lecturer on marketing and communications at several the country's top business schools, including Fuqua (Duke), Stern (NYU) and Wharton (Penn), Chernov co-directed a global industry analyst relations practice for one of the world's largest public relations firms, Fleishman-Hillard (delivered through Lois Paul & Partners), and directed the launch of CMGI's portal site MyWay.com. Prior to joining BzzAgent, Chernov was the principal of Upper Right PR, an "insourced" public relations firm.
Tim Dunphy
Sr. Marketing Manager, Consumer Insights
Black & Decker
Tim Dunphy is a University of Florida graduate with 8 years marketing research experience in the consumer packaged goods and durables categories. His expertise includes evaluating, optimizing and forecasting new product propositions prior to introduction in-market.
Dunphy is currently leading the Consumer Insights/Marketing Research Department for Black & Decker Consumer Products Group encompassing the Power Tools, Outdoor Power Equipment, Home Products, and Automotive & Electronic categories for the U.S. and European markets.
Rocco Cardinale
Franklin Foods
Rocco Cardinale has over 10 years of experience in strategic marketing, new product development and branding within the F&B and CPG industries. His background stretches from founding a specialty coffee company in California to his current role as director of marketing with Franklin Foods, a key player in the U.S. dairy industry and a leading innovator in modern probiotic dairy technology. In this role, he has applied his passion for identifying emerging consumer trends and understanding of new media with his consumer-centric approach to building brands.
Rocco's marketing successes have appeared in Bon Appétit (Best of the Year), MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and his current brand portfolio has received multiple national and international awards. Rocco is an MBA candidate in Saint Joseph's University Food Marketing program and lives in South Burlington, Vermont with his wife and two sons.
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Jeff Shelstad
Flat World Knowledge, Inc.
In January 2007, Jeff Shelstad co-founded Flat World Knowledge, a higher education business school publisher focused on providing more value for the student learner through very innovative product, pricing, and distribution models. Shelstad has almost 20 years of experience in the higher education publishing space, most recently serving as Editorial Director for Prentice Hall's Business and Economics division.
Shelstad received his undergraduate business/marketing degree from the University of Minnesota and his MBA from Duke University. Shelstad resides in Mahwah, NJ with his wife Heather and children Jackson (5) and Ava (3).
Julie Cordua
Vice President of Marketing
Julie is currently the vice president of marketing at (RED), a new brand created by U2 lead singer, Bono, and Bobby Shriver to engage business in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Prior to joining (RED), Julie was the senior director of buzz marketing and part of the start-up team at HELIO, a new mobile brand for young, connected consumers. Before returning to California, Julie spent five years in Motorola's mobile devices division where she led the global category marketing group and was part of the team that orchestrated the RAZR launch in 2002. Julie holds a B.A. in Communications, with an emphasis in Business Administration, from UCLA and an M.B.A. from Kellogg.J. Alison Bryant, Ph.D.
Senior Research Director
Nickelodeon/MTV Networks
Dr. J. Alison Bryant is Senior Research Director of Brand & Consumer Insights and Digital Analytics for the Nickelodeon/MTV Networks Kids & Family Group. She leads Nick's efforts to understand the digital lives of kids and families, conducting research on a variety of digital platforms (online, console and handheld gaming, interactive television, mobile), and manages research for the magazine group. Her Ph.D. is from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California and before joining Nickelodeon she was an assistant professor of Telecommunications at Indiana University. She has published and presented extensively on media, kids and families, including two edited books – The Children's Television Community and Television and the American Family (2nd Ed) – and is associate editor for the Journal of Children & Media.
Jim Multari
Director of Research
PBS KIDS Sprout
Jim Multari manages all consumer and programming research for PBS KIDS Sprout, the first and only 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers. Sprout's programming is designed to foster parent-preschooler interaction through gold-standard, curriculum-based shows and short-form original programs. Sprout is an active television viewing experience; it inspires conversation, activities (i.e., making crafts), exploration/discovery, play, learning, exercise, and healthy eating habits.
Prior to joining Sprout, Jim led the marketing and communications efforts for Research for Better Schools (RBS), an educational research nonprofit located in Center City Philadelphia. Jim also has over seven years of supplier-side market research and consulting experience, working for GfK, Harris Interactive, WirthlinWorldwide, and TeleSpectrum.
Jim received a B.A. in Communications and Psychology from Marymount University and an M.B.A. from Saint Joseph's University's Haub School of Business. Jim also serves on the leadership team of the Greater Philadelphia Net Impact Professional Chapter.
Marcia K. Mogelonsky, Ph. D.
Senior Research Analyst
Mintel International, Chicago
Marcia Mogelonsky has more than 15 years' experience in consumer demographics, behavior, and culture. Among her areas of interest are the kosher, specialty, natural/organic, and vegetarian markets and the interface between culture and food. She served as a consultant to a USAid project in Egypt, providing manufacturers in that country with strategies for selling their products in the west. She has also served on the Advisory Board of Gate Gourmet (Zurich) and the International Food Futurists Panel of TrendWire (Springfield, MO).
Dr. Mogelonsky holds a B.A. and M.A. in archaeology from McGill University in Montreal and a Ph. D. in archaeology from Cornell University. She is the author of three books on consumer behavior and food and a former Associate Editor of American Demographics Magazine as well as the author of more than 75 reports and over 100 articles on consumer demographics and behavior. Before embarking on her current career she spent 10 years as a field archaeologist in Europe and the Middle East.
Kim Richmond
Richmond Marketing + Communications
Kim Richmond is a senior marketing executive with over 25 years of marketing and branding experience. She was Executive Vice President, Marketing at FAO Schwarz and a member of the senior management team that successfully repositioned and relaunched FAO Schwarz after the sale of the company. Richmond has also held senior marketing positions at other major retailers including Zany Brainy, The Right Start, Charming Shoppes and Sears. In addition to her extensive retail background, she also spent 7 years at Kraft Foods.
Richmond is currently a principal at Richmond Marketing & Communications. Her engagements include multi-channel customer acquisition plans; catalog feasibility study and new product launch plans. She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Marketing at Saint Joseph's University and a member of the Advisory Board. She serves on the Scholarship Committee of the Philly Ad Club.
David Bishop
President, Worldwide
SONY Pictures Home Entertainment
David Bishop is currently President, Worldwide of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE). Bishop oversees all aspect of the worldwide home entertainment division, including sales, marketing and operations. Previously, Bishop was President of North America for SPHE, where he oversaw all aspects of the North American business as well as the international operations of the MGM catalogue. Before that, he was President of Worldwide Brand Integration for Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), responsible for the integration of MGM assets over the various SPE worldwide distribution entities.
Prior to joining SPE, Bishop was President and Chief Operating Officer of MGM Home Entertainment, where his career spanned more than 15 years. At MGM, he oversaw worldwide operations for the home entertainment division which included home video and DVD, consumer products, on-line, interactive games, video-on-demand, pay-per-view and emerging technologies groups as well as MGM's international theatrical marketing and distribution unit. Before joining MGM Home Entertainment, he spent three years at LIVE home video where he was responsible for US and Canadian home video operations and eventually became President and Chief Operating Officer. As the head of LIVE Home Video, Bishop built the company into the largest independent distributor in the industry.
During his tenure at MGM, Bishop helped lead the industry in the initial launch of DVD as the first President of the DVD Video Group. With Bishop at MGM Home Entertainment's helm, MGM received numerous prestigious customer service awards from top retailers, including Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target. In the video game category, the company garnered critical acclaim and unprecedented success with the launch of huge hits like Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and The Great Escape. Additionally, Bishop led the company's major expansion efforts in worldwide sales, marketing and distribution in over 90% of the global DVD marketplace. In 2002, Mr. Bishop was inducted into the Video Business Hall of Fame.
Jay Minkoff
President and CEO
First Flavor, Inc.
Jay Minkoff is a serial entrepreneur with a specialization in creating innovative marketing solutions. Currently, Jay is President and CEO of First Flavor, which provides the patented Peel 'n Taste® taste sampling platform for marketing the food, beverage and flavored medicine industries using edible film technology. Prior to this, he co-founded HomeBuilder.com, an online marketing and listing site for the home building industry, which was sold to Homestore, Inc. in 1999 and which he continued to manage until 2003. His prior business, Tri-State Publishing & Communications, publisher of the Apartment Shoppers Guide and New Homes Guide consumer real estate magazines, was sold to Primedia in 1996. This company was recognized in 1990 as the 91st fasting growing company in the country on Inc. Magazine's Inc. 500 List. Prior to this, he was a successful commercial real estate broker at Strouse Greenberg Financial Corporation, having sold or financed over a quarter billion dollars of institutional properties.
Jay Minkoff spends a significant portion of his time doing pro-bono work for numerous Jewish and healthcare charities in the Delaware Valley. A graduate of Tufts University majoring in Civil Engineering, he holds an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management and Real Estate Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Jay lives in Wynnewood, PA with his wife and daughters. While not working or raising money for charities, Jay spends his free time on golf courses, ski slopes and scuba diving.
John D. Feehan
Chief Financial Officer
Virgin Mobile USA
John Feehan joined Virgin Mobile USA in January of 2002 as vice president of finance and was promoted to chief financial officer in August 2006. He is responsible for the company's overall financial activities and planning. Prior to joining Virgin Mobile, he served as chief financial officer of SAGE BioPharma. Feehan previously worked for Faro Pharmaceuticals as vice president - financial and operational planning and as director of finance for Stadtlander Drug Distribution Co. Feehan began his career at Price Waterhouse in Philadelphia and holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from St. Joseph's University.
Tim Davis
Director of Knowledge Leadership
Daymon Worldwide
Tim Davis is a career business journalist with 30 years experience in consumer and trade publishing. He has held positions at The Village Voice, Frozen Food Age, Supermarket News, Beverage World and HFD (Home Furnishings Daily). His writing has also appeared in Cosmopolitan, Supermarket Business, AdWeek, Convenience Store News, Convenience Store People, Snack World, Marketing News, Sales & Marketing Management and SCIENCE of the SKU MAGAZINE (Gladson Associates). He is a 1977 graduate of Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH with Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism and a minor in Marketing.
Tim joined Daymon in 1995 to publish the company newsletter The Daymon Associate, which is now called The Daymon Difference, and to manage the organization's other internal and external communications. He is the founding editor of DayNews – for which he was honored with a PDS award in 2001 - and was an active participant on the first Knowledge Management committee, where he collaborated in creating an addendum to the company's confidentiality agreement designed to simplify and standardize the knowledge sharing decision-making process. In 2003 he was promoted to Director of Knowledge Leadership and today is responsible for all internal and external corporate communications, media relations, Daymon.com content management (extra and intra); the Information Research Center, and the company's global "Knowledge Leadership Network." He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Tom Duffy
Vice President, Industry Services
The Nielsen Company
Tom Duffy serves as Vice President, Industry Services for The Nielsen Company, the world's largest marketing information provider. In this role he is responsible for all key relationships with industry trade associations and key partners in order to develop, strengthen, and expand our relationships and provide access and insight to the broad array of Nielsen solutions and expertise. Tom works closely with the Nielsen Marketing, Professional Service and Communication teams.
Tom has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, industry relations and business development, with a demonstrated track record of developing strategies that strengthen market position and enhance revenue growth. Tom has held senior marketing and business development positions in both consumer package goods and technology companies. He is a board member of the Student in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and participates as The Nielsen Company Ambassador for the Network of Executive Women (NEW).
Tom is a graduate of Rutgers, The State University, and resides in Marlton, NJ with his wife Susan and their two children.
Sue Temple
Director of Insights
PepsiCo International
A languages and business studies graduate from Bristol with post graduate in Marketing from the CIM, Sue has worked within the FMCG industry for the duration of her 14 year career across a number of food & non-food categories with blue chip companies like Allied Domecq, Reckitt Benckiser & Coca-Cola Enterprises in a variety of sales and marketing roles but specialising in recent years around the category management and shopper insights disciplines.
Sue's brief at PepsiCo is to step change the insights function to further enhance PepsiCo's reputation as a leading edge supplier to its customers and works across all channels & categories with specific emphasis on 360 insights by integrating consumer, shopper, customer and PepsiCo insights into sustainable growth platforms.
Phil Lempert
SupermarketGuru.com/Consumer Insight Inc.
For more than 25 years, Lempert, an expert analyst on consumer behavior, marketing trends, new products and the changing retail landscape, has identified and explained impending trends to consumers and some of the most prestigious companies worldwide. Known as The Supermarket Guru ® , Lempert is one of America's leading consumer trend-watchers and analysts, Phil Lempert is recognized on television, radio and in print. He makes regular appearances on the TODAY Show, ABC's The View , and has appeared numerous times on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 20/20, CNN, CNBC, Discovery Health and MSNBC, as well as on local television morning and news programs throughout the country.
Lempert is a monthly columnist for Everyday with Rachel Ray, Progressive Grocer magazine and Gourmet Retailer magazine, and he blogs twice a week for iVillage.com and Today.MSNBC.com. Phil is the founder and editor of the monthly e-publications " Facts, Figures & the Future" and "Food Nutrition & Science".
Robin Sitver
Executive Director, Business Development
Johnson & Johnson Healthcare, Products Division of McNEIL -PPC , Inc.
Robin Sitver is Executive Director, Business Development for Johnson & Johnson Healthcare. She is responsible for licensing, acquisitions and divestitures for the global topical health and eye care franchises. She joined J&J in December, 2006 with the acquisition of Pfizer Consumer Healthcare after a 27 year career with Pfizer where she held a variety of positions in finance, systems, marketing and international operations in the Pharmaceuticals, Animal Health Divisions and Consumer Healthcare divisions. She has been involved with numerous license, acquisition and divestiture transactions at Pfizer. She was the lead division finance person for the $1.45 billion acquisition of SmithKline Beecham Animal Health. She led the team responsible for the acquisition of Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer and was awarded the Licensing Executives Society Deal of Distinction for the innovative nature of the transaction. She also negotiated the license and manufacturing agreements which led to the launches of Visine Pure Tears, Rolaids Softchews, Benadryl Fastmelts and Sudacare Vapor-Plugs. Most recently, Robin led the FTC mandated transactions to divest Zantac, Coritzone, Kaopectate and Unisom.
Robin is an active member of the Licensing Executives Society. She was awarded the YMCA Woman Achiever of the Year Award in 1994. She represented Pfizer at Women Unlimited's Forum for Executive Women in 2005 and continues to be actively involved with the Women Unlimited mentoring program. Robin holds an MBA in Accounting and Decision Sciences from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Computer Science from Brandeis University.
Brian Crooks
Executive creative Director
Brian Crooks is VP Creative Director of the Experience Design Group (EDG) in the Philadelphia office of Avenue A | Razorfish, the world's largest interactive agency. There, he manages a staff of 16 copywriters, art directors, designers and IA/UX prfessionals that are responsible for clients' entire brand presence across all interactive channels. These fully integrated, response-driven creative efforts address consumer and b-b targets from web site development through to interactive media campaigns.
Brian comes to Avenue A | Razorfish from Ryan Partnership, where he served as SVP Creative Director for the direct and interactive divisions and developed multimedia programs for Nestle' and Unilever's Dove brand. Before that he was in charge of Agency.com's creative group in their Boston 0ffice and worked for such diverse clients as The Monitor Group, Sallie Mae, and American Skandia. Prior to Agency.com, Brian led teams at Digitas for numerous clients including Neiman Marcus and General Motors. He has a broad background in visual design and creative services and more than 20 years of experience. He has worked at leading general agencies such as Y&R, Grey Advertising, and Mezzina /Brown. He has been the lead creative in a diverse range of clients and media that include broadcast, print, direct mail, out of home, and point of sale. His clients have included Camel Cigarettes, Harper Collins publishers, Chandris Cruise Lines, and American Movie Classics among others.
Laurie Demeritt
President and COO
The Hartman Group, Inc.
Laurie Demeritt is President and COO of The Hartman Group, a leading consulting and market research firm. The Hartman Group specializes in the analysis and interpretation of consumer lifestyles and how these lifestyles affect the purchase and use of health and wellness products and services. As President, Laurie is responsible for the quantitative and qualitative market research and client services departments, and is the team lead on all consulting projects, including brand development strategies, retail services, and new product market analysis. Her background includes a B.A. from Cornell University and MBA from University of Washington.
Steve Pasierb
President & CEO
The Partnership for a Drug-Free America
Steve joined the Partnership staff in 1993 and became president in October 2001. The Partnership is a national nonprofit that unites parents, renowned scientists and communications professionals to help families raise healthy children. Best known for its research-based national public education programs, the Partnership motivates and equips parents to prevent their children from using drugs and alcohol, and to find help and treatment for family and friends in trouble.
Steve is an engaging public speaker and continually travels the nation making thought-provoking presentations. He is a frequent commentator in national and local news media on issues including the changing landscape of illicit drug use and childhood drinking in America, effective prevention strategies for families, addiction treatment and recovery, and both public service media and cause related marketing. This aspect of Steve's work has included appearances on most every national media outlet. Steve holds a M.Ed. degree with honors in communications media and a B.S. in criminology. He is a member of the national Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi for scholarly distinction. In November 2003, Steve was honored by the American Advertising Federation and elected to the Advertising Hall of Achievement. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Treatment Research Institute, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania and the advisory committee of Darkness To Light, a national child sexual abuse prevention organization based in Charleston, SC.
Tisa Ford
Sr. Consumer Insights Manager
General Mills
Tisa Ford has over 14 years of primary & syndicated Consumer Insights experience within the CPG industry including work on multiple brands, categories and channels. Additionally, her research experience includes methodological expertise on consumer behavior within the food retail-shopping environment and topic expertise on health & wellness.
Beyond her CPG background, Ford is also a veteran entrepreneur in the hair salon industry.
Sandy Carter
Vice President, SOA, BPM & WebSphere Strategy, Channels and Marketing
IBM Corporation
Sandy Carter is Vice President, SOA, BPM & WebSphere Strategy, Channels and Marketing for IBM Corporation. She leads a global, award-winning marketing organization for IBM Software Group. In 2009, Fast Company named Ms. Carter one of the most influential women in technology. Ms. Carter orchestrates IBM's cross-company, worldwide SOA marketing initiatives, setting the direction for IBM's SOA marketing strategy across software, services and hardware. Under her leadership, IBM's SOA marketing efforts have resulted in 64 percent market share for SOA, and IBM WebSphere® has become a market leader, receiving more than 34 industry awards. Ms. Carter has grown the SOA IBM Business Partner ecosystem to more than 5,000 companies. She led the development of the Smart SOATM approach, a set of guiding principles built on the SOA experiences of more than 7,000 IBM customers. She defines the role of SOA in IBM's new smarter planet initiative.
Ms. Carter is the author of "The New Language of Business: SOA and Web 2.0" and a new book on social media marketing, titled "The New Language of Marketing 2.0: How to Use ANGELS to Energize Your Market." She explores SOA topics in her blog at: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/SOA_Off_the_Record. Ms. Carter is a frequent speaker at industry events sponsored by organizations such as Forrester, Gartner, IDC, Women in Technology (WITI), and InfoWorld magazine. She is an active member of WITI, serves on the WITI Executive Advisory Council and is a founding member of WITI GEN. She is also a board member of the Forrester CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) Group, and is listed in Madison's Who's Who. Ms. Carter holds a Bachelor of Science degree in math and computer science from Duke University and an MBA from Harvard, and is fluent in eight programming languages.


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Disco Nixon
Jack MacAskill
Celebrate diversity and inclusiveness at your next protest by not calling Donald Trump a nasty little-hands pisspig bitch.
A true patriot has exactly seven t-shirts, with seven slight variations on a single phrase that tell one powerful story. This is that tale.
Corey Haim faces off against roller hockey gangs and computer chess viruses of doom!
Political figures, mashed up, with photoshop [or other image editing software]!
May your YouTube recommendations always infer the worst about you
Photoshop Phriday showcases the tremendous image manipulation talents of the Something Awful Forum Goons. Each week they tackle a new theme, parodying movies, video games, comics, history, and anything else you can think of. If you want in on the action, join us on the Something Awful Forums!
Copyright ©2017 Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka & Something Awful LLC.

subset: commoncrawl


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Erik was born July 9, 1978 in Price, Utah to Walter and Diane Oviatt. He was reunited Oct. 8, 2010 with his beloved sister Holly Oviatt, cousin Jennifer Erickson, grandparents Gerald Oviatt and Maxine Henningson, after a short illness.
Erik was a gentle giant with big bear hugs for those he loved. He always had a big smile and gentle nature that attracted many friends. He loved walking in the desert hunting for unique rocks. He loved campfires. He always looked forward to when it would snow.
Erik is survived by his parents, sister Valerie (Glenn), very special niece Shanice, Grandma Oviatt, many aunts, uncles and cousins.
Erik's wishes were to not have a funeral, but to celebrate his life at a camp-side fire where his family and friends can honor his memory by sharing thoughts and stories. A date for this event will be posted on Erik's facebook page at a later date.


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Joy DivisionRock Band
Born: 1978
Died: 1980
Birthplace: Manchester, England
Best known as: Post-punk English band who did "She's Lost Control"
Joy Division was a rock band from the United Kingdom made up of vocalist Ian Curtis (15 July 1956-18 May 1980), guitarist Bernard Sumner (b. 4 January 1956), bassist Peter Hook (b. 13 February 1956) and drummer Stephen Morris (b. 28 November 1957). In the wake of punk rock of the 1970s, Joy Division's first release, Unknown Pleasures (1979) was an underground classic, with rhythmic beats and eerie melodies and themes influenced by David Bowie, Iggy Pop, William S. Burroughs and J. G. Ballard. During the recording of their second studio album, Closer (1980), Curtis hanged himself, which in a grim way enhanced Joy Division's cult status. After Curtis' death, the remaining band members went on to form the band New Order.
Extra credit:
The term "joy division" referred to the Nazi name for concentration camp brothels during World War II.
Copyright © 1998-2017 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.


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CARBONVILLE-Our devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend to all, Leola Mae Byrge Callor, age 90, passed away April 5, 2011 at the Beehive Home in Price.
She was born Sept. 1, 1920 in Hima, Ky. to W.R. "Bill" Byrge and Florida McCloud. Leola was one of the oldest of 12 children and she learned mothering at an early age. She had a hand in raising her younger brothers and sisters and was the last surviving member of the Byrge family. Although she was born in Kentucky, she spent her childhood in Eastern Tennessee where years later she earned the nickname of "Tennessee."
Leola graduated from Nashville General Hospital School of Nursing in 1946. After graduating third in her class, she moved to Utah where she met and married her love Americo "Rico" Callor. On Sept. 5, 1946, she married "Rico"in Helper, Utah and they had two children Ricky and Dougie. While residing in Carbon County, Leola worked as an RN at the Carbon Hospital for five years and the Dragerton Hospital for three years.
She was dedicated to serving as a Sunday School Teacher for the Assembly of God Church for more than 32 years. She loved to read the Bible and prayed daily for everyone. She was always willing to help others and gave generously to anyone in need. Leola loved baking and cooking of all sorts. She made the best fried chicken, homemade biscuits and everything she made was delicious. Leola loved canning the harvest from their huge vegetable garden and she took great pride in preparing her food. Her greatest enjoyment was cooking for her family and sharing the bounty with all to enjoy. We will miss her, but we know she is surrounded by angels and reunited with "Rico" who passed away on March 12, 2011. Leola enjoyed crossword puzzles and she had a beautiful and amazing talent for embroidery work. Her stitches were flawless and she was the glue that held her family together.
She is survived by her son, Rick (Carol) Callor, Eagle, Idaho; grandchildren, Cally (Dean) Davis, Price, Carrie Callor, Salt Lake City, Doug (Misty) Callor, Lehi; six great-grandchildren, Kenny, KayLee, Andrew, Americo, Ayden and Andon; sisters-in-law, Colleen and Beverly Byrge; and many loving nieces and nephews.
Leola is preceded in death by her parents, husband, son, Doug; brothers, George, John, Harmon, Elvin, Chuck, Frank and Luke; sisters, Elizabeth, Daisy, Bessie and Edith.
Funeral service was held Friday, April 8, 2011, 2 p.m., Mitchell Funeral Home. Family was at Mitchell's Friday at 12 noon. Interment, Mt. View Cemetery, Helper. Friends are welcome at Mitchell Funeral Home daily and may share memories of Leola at www.mitchellfuneralhome.net.


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The Pope owns 51% of General Motors, and the stock exchange is all he's really qualified to quote us.
The Pope owns 51% of General Motors, and the stock exchange is all he's really qualified to quote us.
It's not that I don't believe in Jesus christ...its just that I care bout other things...
the world could certainly use some mircles, untl then I'll put my faith in human beings.
Also, Im not sure Id label myself as "atheist" even if it may be true to a degree IMO. I think atheism is a lack of belief in a God, which would describe how I feel. Most people interpret it as an active belief that there is no God, and I dont really fully feel that way. I suppose Im more of an agnostic if we are gonna label me. I just think organized religion is hogwash.
Would it surprise you Tyler if I told you that you were God? You're not special though, everyone and everything else is as well. Nothing is not God. What you are, is what the entire universe is doing at the place and time you call 'here & now'. You are congruent with the entire cosmos, not separate from it. You are something the entire universe is doing, in the same way that a wave is something the whole ocean is doing.
Achintya-Bheda-Abheda - Simultaneous oneness and difference.
If that doesn't appeal to anyone however, you can always go back to being poor little me.
The funny thing for me is how much the findings of Quantum Physics seem to parallel or correlate with some of the notions that people's of the east have been telling for thousands of years.


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Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Hearts High-Top Sneaker - Womens
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 266301
The nostalgic retro styling of the high-top classic Converse® Chuck Taylor® All Star sneaker will never go out of style and this one has a whole lot of love. Incorporate the vintage shoe with colorful hearts print into your casual wardrobe and make it your own.
- Canvas upper with original Chuck Taylor® patch logo
- Accent foxing strip that ties back to the color of the shoe
- Vulcanized rubber outsole for increased traction and flexibility
- Imported
- More colors available
- View more Converse
Tell us what you think!
Everyone has an opinion. Here's your chance to share yours! Be the first to write a review of this product and help your fellow shoppers pick the best of the best.


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l5l Excellent
l4l Great
l3l Average
l2l Bad
l1l Terrible
Would be se epic if he beat them all, the illusion ends and then see everyone's WTF-faces.
But will we get to see this much juicyness? I hope so...
Raven Tail is still the first, got the highest scores! But Fairy tail A & B also did good!
but i found something did wrong, now Fairy tail A and Mermaid Heel are in the fourth, but the Next, fairy tail B is in the sixth?
where is the fifth????
I believe in the power of Laxus, he has the ability to beat Crown Tail! He own the power to beat his father!
火影忍者 狐忍
Anyway, I will love to see them defeated by Luxus too and it will fit since they are not the main villains of this arc but what makes me think that won't happen is the fact that Iwan stated explicitly that they RT are a specialised anti-FT guild. You would think they would have done their homework on FT and won't go down easy (thus if they would at all, not at the hands of one man).
__________________________________________________ __________________________
Currently planning war strategies at a tea party with Madara, Kabuto, Zetsu and Sasuke.
Actually cross, I think Natsu is the one who already can tell; however, Iwan's comment on how not a single person has noticed may simply conclude that no one has seen or can see past this illusion. Maybe Luxus can send out a bolt of lightning ot alert the real deal which is going on.


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HOUSTON – Two years ago, who knows how LeBron James would have answered the question.
But we know his answer today.
Already weary and leery of the Michael vs. Kobe vs. LeBron debate, James knew the question was coming – not only because of Michael Jordan's 50th birthday but also because Jordan opened his mouth and said he would take Bryant over James because Bryant has five titles and James has just one – entirely missing that James is six years younger and until recently never had as much talent around him as Bryant did for his five titles.
MORE: Sit back and enjoy LeBron's show
Bryant, for his part, hasn't gotten into the debate directly, but did agree with one aspect of Jordan's comments.
"I think the message is winning is above everything else," he said. "That's what drives (Jordan). Same thing that drives him now, win as many as you can. And it's really that simple."
James does want to win. It's the reason he left his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and led the formation of the Miami Heat super team three seasons ago. He finally got his elusive title last season and his team is the top seed in the Eastern Conference and appears to be primed for another run.
Still, James knows that there are some of the game's best players who don't have several championships or any, so he's not buying into Jordan's argument completely.
"At the end of the day, rings don't always define someone's career," he said. "Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest of all-time. Reggie Miller is one of the greatest of all-time. Sometimes, it's the situation you're in, the team that you're on and it's about timing as well."
Asked if Jordan's comments provided bulletin-board material, James replied, "What do I need bulletin-board material for? My inspiration is the game that I love."
What drives James?
"I want to be the best of all-time," he said.
He's on his way.
The three-time NBA MVP has the credentials to be considered for a fourth. He is averaging 27.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.7 steals and is shooting career highs in field goal percentage (56.5%) and three-point percentage (42.4%). As much as he handles the basketball, James is on pace to average less than three turnovers for the second time in his career.
James makes it look so effortless with grace and strength and he does it with such consistency, it's easy to take what he does for granted and not appreciate it as much as possible.
His game is compact and efficient and more and more difficult to defend. He puts intense pressure on defenses to make tough decisions, and then exploits them.
"If guys are playing up on me, then I'm driving," he said. "If guys back up, I'm shooting. If my teammates are open, I'm going to pass the ball, but I'm trying to be more aggressive and not letting guys off the hook."
PHOTOS: LeBron's highlights and lowlights
James' play has been the focus the past seven games – all Heat victories. In that stretch, He has averaged 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists and shot 69% from the field and 53.8% on three-pointers. He became the first player in NBA history to score at least 30 points and shoot at least 60% in six consecutive games.
For a guy as good as he is, it's hard to believe that he could have been better..
"I'm just a better player and as a result, a higher shooting percentage," James said. "I'm confident in my ability out on the floor. I don't feel like there's a shot I can't make that I take. It's not like I went to the offseason saying, 'OK, I'm going try to shoot 50% from the field.' I'm going to work on my game. I'm going to get better at what I do. What I do in the offseason and what I do in practice, I implement that into a game situation. This is the result."
Visions of spreadsheets and advanced statistical data must be dancing in Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's head when James mentions "efficiency." James maximizes his production in the minutes he plays.
In the past seven games with James on the court, the Heat have scored 125.6 points per 100 possessions, better than their league-leading 110.4 points per 100 possessions for the season.
"What he's doing now more than he's ever done is dominate games with his IQ and experience," Spoelstra said. "Now he's really starting to get it, and as the best player in the game, he's not letting teams off the hook. He's going to get the play he wants to get. If it's not available, he has the trust to let somebody else make the play or have the poise to still get what he wants to get."
Now here's where we get back to the original argument. If James' greatness has to be defined with winning, he appears to be making that happen as well,
"The best thing about what I've been able to do (in the past seven games) as a result is us having seven straight wins," he said. "That's more important than what I'm doing individually."
It's just that what he's doing individually is, as Spoelstra said, being a team player. The NBA ranks a player's playmaking ability and James is fourth in the league. He's also ranked fifth in efficiency and fifth best as the clutch player.
He also ranks 12th in the league in assists, a stat mostly resevered for guards. Why does a guy who is seemingly unstoppable offensively feel the need to share the ball?
KOBE: Greatest in NBA All-Star Game history?
James said it began as a kid with the coaches who shaped his vision of what the game should be. First Frank Walker Sr., in little league basketball, then Keith Dambrot and Dru Joyce in high school and AAU.
"If team is what it's all about and you're winning, why would you think differently? That was just my DNA," James said. "I've never changed my approach. It's who I am. It's how I was brought up. It's just how I play."
James' game has transcended into the Jordan-Bryant stratosphere, and it's a compliment, if not just a sports bar argument when James is compared to the greats. But James is his own player, unlike Jordan – just as Bryant is unlike Jordan and Magic Johnson unlike anyone else.
Here is the part that scares opponents and is exciting for basketball fans: Spoelstra believes James can improve.
"We don't want to want to put a ceiling on him. Why would we? And why would he?" Spoelstra said. "Most people would have said last year when he helped lead us to a title and had a career year, that's the best he can play. And yet, he's reinvented himself and found a way to go to another level."
So what does James think? Is this the best he's ever played?
"t's just right now we're witnessing it, so it's easy to say 'This is it,' " James said. "But I don't know. I've played some great basketball over my career. But as far as efficiency, I haven't played like this."
PHOTOS: NBA All-Star Saturday


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USA TODAY markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a different reader question every weekday. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at email@example.com.
Q: How much return can I expect if I take no risk?
A: Return is the payment you get for taking risk. What that means is simple: Little risk, little return.
The moves by the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates down have been brutal on the risk-averse. Low-risk savings tools, such as certificates of deposit and savings accounts, have seen their interest rates plummet. Falling interest rates are pushing investors to take more risk if the want any chance to get a shred of return, at least enough to try to keep up with inflation.
TRACK YOUR STOCKS: Get real-time quotes with our free Portfolio Tracker
There's really no place to put your money that's completely safe, but when it comes to safety, an FDIC-insured savings account is about as safe as you can find. But you pay a steep price for that safety in the form of a rock-bottom return. Currently, the national average savings rate on money market and savings accounts is just 0.1%. And it's not hard to find banks that are paying even less. Some online savings accounts are paying slightly better at about 0.5%.
Investors willing to take on additional risk might considered investing in an exchange traded fund that owns a basket of Treasuries and other fixed-income investments. The Vanguard Total Bond market ETF yields 1.7%, but investors are taking on additional risk, mainly with the risk bond prices will fall if interest rates rise.


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L'ANZA Healing ColorCare Trauma Treatment
- Overview
- Features
- Longer lasting hair color
- Revolutionary formula heals over-processed hair
- Color attachment technology improves color uptake, deposition and adherence
- Full spectrum color protects and shields hair color from the elements
- Triple UV color protectors
- UV/UVB color guards to prevent damage and fading
- About the brand
L'ANZA Healing ColorCare Trauma Treatment restores softness, elasticity, and shine to traumatized hair. Clinically proven to extend the life of hair color. An ultra-healing leave-in hair prescription that provides full spectrum color protection and contains triple UV protectors to guard against future color fading. Color attachment technology improves color adherence and deep penetrating emollients rich in essential fatty acids deliver soothing protection and hydration with a light floral fragrance.
A leader in professional hair care products, L'ANZA was the first company to offer shampoos, conditioners, styling products and treatments designed to heal the hair. L'ANZA combines all natural ingredients including botanical extracts, vitamins, amino acids and moisturizers.
The Best ProductI have been using this product for at least 6 years now and have tested a couple of others since. This the best product I have ever used for my fine straight hair. You need so little to accomplish so much. It completely stops that winter frizz and static that we get from our extreme weather. It never drags my hair down or feels heavy. The only other styling product that I use in my hair is hairspray. Absolutely no other product needed!!! My twin daughters use this too for their thicker naturally curly hair. They love it too.Oct 20, 2011Norleen / Warman SK CanadaHAIR TYPEBlonde / Normal Hair / Color Treated Hair / Fine or Thin Hair
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Fabulous!I have been using this for several years. I usually get it at the salon. I went on vacation and forgot to bring it with me. i was really glad to be able to order it online and have it shipped to me.Apr 26, 2011Marilyn K. / HoustonHAIR TYPEBlonde / Fine or Thin Hair
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Great Product!I love this product so much because it actually did what it said it would do and more! I have really long, platinum blode (colored) hair with moderate damage. My hair is full, fine textured and dry but I have to wash it everyday because even though the majority of my hair is dry, my scalp tends to be oily. Its always a disaster getting out of the shower and trying to get the knots out of my hair and trying to avoid breakage. My hair dresser used this product on me for the first time as a de-tangler and for the treatment after getting my base color and foiled highlights done. I have been using for about a month at home. Not only did it make it easier to comb through my hair, but actually improved the condition of my hair and made it softer and smoother. Finally a product that works great and smells fabulous!!! I love it!!!Jun 10, 2008Jenny / Emerald Isle, NC
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Soft, Bouncy Hair.....I got this leave-in conditioner as a gift, and it certainly has been one for me. My hair is dry, fine, and color treated, and had no life left in it. As soon as I used this, my hair actually felt bouncy,smooth and healthy. I use it about 4 times a week now. You only need a very small amount, and yes, it is very thick, but the easy solution to that is to wet one of your hands,put a pea size amount of the product in the other hand, then rub them both together before applying. If you have lots of hair, Im sure you should use more, but this is a good amount for fine, shoulder length hair. I liked this product so much that I bought the color care shampoo and conditioner too, and they are also great.Mar 21, 2008E. / Houston
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Not All That Glitters Is Gold!Well i had bleached my hair twice in 3 months...I had fragile hair to begin with, and the salon recommended this leave-in. The cream was way too thick - I would say for any texture. The smell was nice and thats about it. It didnt work miracles and I actually ended up returning it. $26 poorly spent.Feb 8, 2008Brunette BlunderHAIR TYPEColor Treated Hair
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Lanza TreatmentThis product truly stands up to its purpose and smells amazing. After using this product I decided to test other brands but nothing compares to Lanza leave in treatment. I have seen results like no other product. They say "seeing is beleiving". Give it a try.Dec 8, 2007Mirella / Montreal , Canada
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This Is The End, My Only Friend...
John Lofranco
April 07 2012 09:02PM
"Be more specific," I told him. No one got it.
If you want a more specific recap, it's after the jump. But I understand if you are not interested. I won't take it personally. It gets kind of weepy.
The Leafs lost to the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the final game of the 2011-12 regular season. It was a season that brought us hashtags such as #firewilson (and subsequently, the firing of Ron Wilson). It was a season where Phil Kessel scored 37 goals and had 82 points in 82 games played, but he didn't score any last night. The goaltending was not good enough, and while it was not horrible tonight, it was still not good enough. The special teams were decidedly un-special (Tomas Plekanec scored short-handed on a 5-3 tonight, so that continued.) As with many of these last few games, there is not much good to say. Read the standard fare here. It was, as Paul McCartney said, "a suitable ending, I think."
What was more suitable about the evening was the strange dynamic in the Bell Centre, or at least what might have been a strange dynamic, if Ellen Etchingham is to be believed. She's not. I've written before what I think of tanking. It's moot now, as we know the Leafs will draft at least 5th overall, so there is that to look forward to. But what was supposed to happen was that in a fabric of the universe ripping move, Leaf fans would be cheering for the Habs, and Habs fans, for the Leafs, in order to hope that such urgings would gerrymander the draft order in their respective teams' favour. It didn't happen, at least not at the arena. True, most fans in our section were blasé at best, the usual grammatically incorrect chants of "Leaf sucks" not lasting very long, and not having their usual gusto; the unoriginal sing-song "67" was met with a resounding "69" from the Leafs fans in the area, which either confused or delighted the clever Habs fans into shutting up. Well played. The usual banter was there, but not in full force. Everyone agreed that we hoped better for our respective teams next season, as the rivalry is much more fun when both teams aren't horrible. But we stuck to our sides. There was no tanking in the stands.
Another funny thing happened. The Habs fans were there, cheering and supporting their last-place team. I, for one, was shocked at this, because it is well-documented that while Leafs fans are fools who mindlessly support their team no matter how bad, with the direct result of the team remaining bad, Montrealers will not stand for a loser. (try not to puke when reading those links) No sir, the Bell Centre empties right out when the team is poor, sending a message to management to shape up, or ship out! Yet, as their team gathered at centre ice to give some lucky fans the shirts off their backs (What self-respecting Habs fan would want them? Send a message!), the crowd stood, and cheered! And applauded! And it seemed as though they did not want to leave. Maybe they were waiting to send their message directly to the players, I don't know, but from the perspective of my little Leaf-sized brain, it looked like they were just hockey fans who loved their team, through thick or thin, were sad about the season, though happy to have beaten their rivals in the final, meaningless game of the year. Respect.
The Leafs, make no mistake, were listless and bad. This was not fun hockey game to watch. I actually had a moment, at the end of the second period, when the ice cleaning staff came out on the ice, where I thought, wow, they have a lot of commercial breaks. I hadn't even noticed the period was over.
But this poor play might be ok, I think, for the long run (not for draft pick reasons). It wouldn't do for the Leafs to go out on a high note because, well, it would not be a true note. The team is not that good. And now, they have the summer to think about that. I'd rather that, then have them think, well, we won that last game, maybe we are not that bad. Do hockey players think such things? I don't know. Will management look at the post-Wilson part of the season differently from the Wilson-era? How do you judge this team?
It seems to me an aggregate look at the season is meaningless. Without going into the Fenwick numbers etc., (I know they have not been good all year), what seems a more likely representation of the team? 4 months of play that saw them sitting in 6th in the conference? Or two months where they could barely win a game, a level of futility so low it couldn't possibly be sustained for an entire year? Certainly the team's true ability lies somewhere in the middle, and by the magic of statistics we can say that with league average goaltending, this team could have made the playoffs. Coulda woulda shoulda.
Where do we go from here? As fans, to the Rogers Centre, perhaps. Some will say that if management does not recognize a big problem, not limited to goaltending, the Leafs are going nowhere. Indeed, every team would like to add players, shed salary, and find a diamond in the rough. Oh, and competent goaltending, can we get some of that, too? It is often repeated, either as an excuse for poor play, or as an example of management doing something right, that the Leafs are (depending on the lineup) the youngest team in the NHL. Presumably this means they will get better. There are stats for this too, ages when forwards peak and ages when defencemen peak, and if we had goaltenders, I'm sure they peak sometime, as well. Will it get worse before it gets better? Will the kids grow or stunt? That's for management to sort out. As a fan, we can't know. All we can do is hope.
And hope is something Leaf fans know all too well. Optimism is a good quality, in case you were wondering.
Wait'll next year! Go Leafs Go!
On the positive, our two best players played their best against the best teams, and down the stretch Kessel and Phaneuf were as good as any forward/defence combination in the league.
Yes, I'm being sarcastic. When your best defenceman plays like your 4th best over the last 20 games, and Kessel (oh,we all love the stat chasers) was his best in October/December, you won't win. Or, to put it in other Leaf fans terms, it's all the goaltenders and Schenn's fault.
April 09 2012, 10:27PM
Wow, you're bagging on the league's 6th leading scorer and the 12th highest scoring (yes, defensively he fell off but still let's not pretend he did nothing well) and giving the goaltending a free pass?


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Do you think Mitt Romney will run for president again in 2016?
Do you think the Boston Marathon will be incident free on Monday?
Do you think President Obama lies on important matters
Today the federal judge allowed the Boston Marathon Bomber access to the victims autopsy photos. Do you agree with the ruling?
Was the New York Time article on the Marathon Bombers appropriate to publish today?
James Carville says if Hillary wins the 2016 election the GOP will become extinct. Do you agree
Do you agree with Senator Sessions the White House is trying to collapse the U.S. law enforcement system?
Should the Duck Dynasty Congressman resign?
Do you agree with Attorney General Eric Holder's plan to make gun owners wear bracelets?
Should an Illegal Immigrant who recieves an honorable discharge from the Military be granted citizenship?


text:
pygame is
pygame.org is
pycurve - 1.0.2
Chandler Armstrong (omnirizon)
Python implementation of LaGrange, Bezier, and B-spline curves. The algorithms use their respective interpolation/basis functions, so are capable of producing curves of any order. The B-splines use Cox-De Boor and support knot insertion. 2-d only. see examples, in the download, for a runnable example To use this library on your own, you will need to know a little bit, but I've done most of the hard work, OK? This library includes LaGrange, Bezier, and B-spline curves. Lagrange and Bezier are mostly just for educational purposes, what we really want are the B-splines. B-splines are really just Bezier curves glued together. To make a B-spline you need three things: a set of control points, a vector of knots, and a degree. The control points guide the curve, and the knots direct the curve via these guides. The more knots you have in a curve, the more control you have over how it behaves via the control points. The degree of the curve is actually the order of the comprising Bezier curves (an order 3 Bezier curve is made using three control points). For certain reasons, high order Bezier curves don't behave very well (thus the reason to use B-splines!). This means you should keep the degree low, usually 3 is good enough (in fact, most other B-spline algorithms, including those on this site, just hardcode the algorithms to degree 3, or cubic B-Splines). There are certain relationships between the number of control points, knots, and the degree, such that if you set two of these numbers, the third must necessary be some value. Look inside my example code for a quick example on how to use these identities to start making B-spline curves. Usually, you will set your control points and degree, and then let the knots be generated automatically as the necessary number of evenly spaced values between 0 and 1 (once again, see the example code). However, this is not necessary, you may want to make your knots not be evenly spaced, in which case you must provide them yourself. Ok then, just run the demo, inspect that code, and try making your own curves. (no need to worry about diving into the algorithm code, unless you want to learn it, and if you do it is pretty well documented)
minor release. Thanks to Frank for finding this error: corrected error on line 96: if not k: k = m - n - l changed to: if not k: k = m - n - 1 silly l's that look like 1's
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Coldwater outlasts Hawks
Despite several runs in the second half, the Hawks were unable to defeat Coldwater for the second time in a row, as they lost 73-71 in the 1A State Championship Thursday night.
After watching the Cougars miss both free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining, the Hawks had an opportunity for one final play to try to tie or win, but a broken play is all Myrtle would have after the timeout, as they lost for the second time in three years for a state title.
Myrtle found themselves coming from behind, as Coldwater built a 10-point halftime lead, 40-30. Jeremy Scott was 2-for-3 from behind the arc to lead the Cougars with 14 at the break. Myrtle struggled, shooting 35 percent from the floor compared to Coldwater's 53.8 percent.
"Down 10 at the half, I thought mine could have quit, but I've got warriors, and they battled back," Myrtle head coach Jonathan Ashley said. "All we wanted was a chance in the fourth quarter, and we had that chance. Eventually, one of these days, we'll be on the right side of that."
Jimel Judon scored the first four for the Hawks to open the third, forcing the Cougars to call a quick timeout. Myrtle would cut the deficit to six, 46-40, but a sequence of fouls, including a technical on David Wilson, placed Scott at the line and he put the Cougars back up by 10.
After going ahead by 12, Myrtle would go on a 7-0 run, including five from Judon. Beau Cummings' free throws made it 52-47. A three by Wilson made it 55-50, and Justin Jordan would make it a one-point game late in the frame, 55-54. Free throws by Scott gave Coldwater the three-point advantage heading into the fourth.
"That's just them, they're a bunch of warriors," Ashley said of their comeback in the second half. "There's no quit in a Myrtle kid. Could have done it a long time ago, could have done it tonight. Throughout the playoff run, they could have done it, but they don't know the word quit."
The Cougars would run the clock while going on a 5-2 run in the early part of the quarter going ahead 63-56. Judon would cut the lead to three, while free throws by Wilson made it 64-63. Both teams would battle, as the lead would not go above five for Coldwater. Jordan hit a three with 12.3 seconds left to cut the deficit to one, 72-71, setting up the final events of the game.
"We were trying to get it to David. He's so unselfish that he sees J.J. breaking open on the backside. Only thing I wish he would have done differently was get it on the rim," Ashley said of the final moments of the game. "I think going for the tie, he should have just pulled up and shot it, but he's unselfish and looking to tie it and send it to overtime. You can't blame him."
Judon finished with 19 to lead Myrtle, along with eight rebounds. Cummings and Jordan each had 15, while Wilson finished with 13 and seven rebounds. One of the biggest stories of the playoffs was the return of Jordan for the final two games.
"Ours is a good story, and with three more points, it would have been a great story, but that doesn't change what our kids accomplished," Ashley said of his team battling back from injury. "I'm proud of them. I've got warriors that have a lot of heart. The fact that we're still here is attributed to them and their character."
Scott was the player of the game with 22 points and four steals, while Sanchez Hunt added 13 and Dominick Major 10 with six rebounds.
The Hawks will only lose two members from this year's squad, Justin Jordan and Cody Daniels, and will look to make another run to state next year.
"I got a lot of them coming back. It's a tribute to our kids how they've fought and come back," Ashley said. "We got to this point, so you have to credit their heart."
About Chris Elkins
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U.S. Senate Rejects Minimum Wage Bill
In 1998, the Senate voted to reject a $1 increase in the federal hourly minimum wage. The vote fell along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor of the proposal and Republicans voting against it. Interview your classmates to find arguments for and against.
Demand, Economic Equity, Economic Freedom, Full Employment, Incentive, Price, Supply, Unemployment, Unemployment Rate
Last week the Senate voted to reject a $1 increase in the federal hourly minimum wage. The vote fell along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor of the proposal and Republicans voting against it. Interview your classmates to find arguments for and against the proposed increase in the minimum wage.
According to an MSNBC article Senator Kennedy, the originator of the proposal said, "Giving low-wage workers an additional 50 cents an hour can make all the difference. It can help to buy groceries or pay the rent or defray the cost of job-training courses at the local community college. The need is real. Raising the minimum wage can keep families out of soup kitchens and homeless shelters."
Opponents said an increase would hurt small businesses and cause unemployment.They said that increasing the minimum wage, "could actually have an adverse impact upon our economy" and could cause unemployment "that hurts the low-income workers the hardest." -Sen. Rod Grams, R-Minn., said before the vote.
- Wage and Hour Division: This U.S. Department of Labor page provides historical data on the value of the Federal Minimum wage (adjusted for inflation.
Take a look at some historical data on the value of the Federal Minimum wage (adjusted for inflation) at the U.S. Department of Labor page named "Wage and Hour Division ."
What has the trend been for the last several years?
In what year was the real minimum wage the highest?
1. What is the issue?
[The issue is whether to increase the minimum wage.]
2. Draw a supply and demand graph that illustrates the situation when a minimum wages is involved. Does the situation involve a price floor, a price ceiling, or neither?
[A price floor.]
3. What broad social goals should you consider as you decide how to vote on this issue?
[Some relevant broad social goals are full employment for teenagers, full employment for others, economic freedom, economic fairness, and economic equity.]
4. What are some alternate means of achieving these goals?
[Some alternatives are to raise the minimum wage, to keep the minimum wage the same, to eliminate the minimum wage, or to eliminate the minimum wage for teenagers.]
5. What are some advantages and disadvantages of each alternative? Be sure to consider who gains and who loses by each alternative.
[Minimum wages affect labor markets only when the mandated minimum wage is above the equilibrium wage. When the minimum wage is above the equilibrium wage, more people will want to work and employers will want to hire fewer workers. This causes unemployment. You can illustrate this with a supply and demand graph. Under these circumstances, teenage unemployment increases the most because employers would rather hire skilled adults than the less skilled teens when the price of labor in each case is the same or nearly the same. In general the minimum wage tends to make the broad social goal of full employment more difficult to meet. According to those who support it, the minimum wage reduces freedom but promotes fairness and equity.]
6. Would you vote to raise the minimum wage?
[People who think that they can get a job will probably favor raising the minimum wage. People who anticipate the higher minimum wage will prevent them from getting a job will probably oppose it.]
Based upon what you see in the chart:
Is an increase in the minimum wage justified? Explain.
[Answers vary. The real value of the minimum wage is significantly lower now than in past decades, so one might feel inclined to boost the wage to make its current value comparable to its value in earlier years. Another argument may be that the decision to raise the wage is always a political one, not determined by markets, thus historical data may not provide a valid basis for setting an appropriate level. The value of the minimum wage now, according to this argument, might be high, according to market standards, even if it is low in comparison with past rates.]
Imagine that you are a U.S. senator:
How would you have voted? Why?


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Save for Retirement Infographic
When it comes to retirement do you have a date in mind? More importantly, do you know if you're on the right track to reach your retirement goals? Planning for retirement isn't easy, because a lot of factors go into planning the right retirement for you.