openpresswire.com » Economy

Social Media takes AIG reputation to it’s knees

joelmackey — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:15:23 +0000

A lot of people don’t like to believe that the people have any power. Social Media may be changing that as the world has taken hold of an idea and had noticeable effects on company reputations, stock prices and news coverage. Check out this slideshow that details exactly how sites like Digg, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and the blogosphere powered action and influenced market moves and annihilated any standing reputation of AIG.

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Baraka a third world experience

joelmackey — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:15:34 +0000

This is one of my favorite documentaries. You have to chilled out a bit to probably sit through the entire thing. But it takes you from one end of the world to the other and takes an interesting view on each part. Produced in 1992.

In a way some parts of this movie are sad but I think they are good reminders of what you have to be thankful for too. Smile! Life is good.

I included three trailers below because they each have something to offer.

Baraka a documentary experimental film directed by Ron Fricke – USA 1992

Film includes footage of various landscapes, churches, ruins, religious ceremonies, and cities thrumming with life, filmed using time-lapse photography in order to capture the great pulse of humanity as it flocks and swarms in daily activity. The film also features a number of long tracking shots through various settings, including one through former concentration camps at Auschwitz (in Nazi-occupied Poland) and Tuol Sleng (in Cambodia) turned into museums honoring their victims: over photos of the people involved, past skulls stacked in a room, to a spread of bones. In addition to making comparisons between natural and technological phenomena, Baraka searches for a universal cultural perspective: for instance, following a shot of an elaborate tattoo on a bathing Japanese yakuza mobster with one of Native Australian tribal paint.

The movie was filmed at 152 locations of 24 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Nepal, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States. It contains no dialogue. Instead of a story or plot, the film uses themes to present new perspectives and evoke emotion purely through cinema. The film was the first in over twenty years to be photographed in the 70mm Todd-AO format.

The title Baraka is a word that means blessing in many different languages. The score by Michael Stearns and featuring music by Dead Can Dance, L. Subramaniam, Inkuyo, Brother and David Hykes. The film was produced by Mark Magidson. A sequel to Baraka, Samsara, is planned to be released in 2009.

Baraka Trailer with Spanish Subtitles – another good look at the movie

Full Spanish Trailer of Baraka

Documental filmado en 24 países que narra, en términos eminentemente visuales, aurales y musicales, la evolución de la Tierra y de la Humanidad, al mismo tiempo que señala las formas en que el ser humano se ha relacionado con su medio ambiente. La aparente fragilidad de la vida humana es contrastada con la grandeza de sus obras, al mismo tiempo que se subraya la desigual relación entre hombre y naturaleza. En medio de estos contrastes, la espiritualidad de la Humanidad surge como el elemento más importante que la distingue de otras especies.

YouTube doesn’t allow embedding on this first trailer
Click Here to see the Baraka Trailer

ATA urges Bush to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves

joelmackey — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:28:08 +0000

Only hours after a “solidarity shutdown” in Pennsylvania the American Trucking Associations delivered a letter to President Bush urging him to release oil from the SPR (Strategic Petroleum Reserve). It is expected even more trucking shutdowns will follow as high diesel prices are pushing trucking companies and owner operators out of business. The first shutdown was carried out in Vandergrift, PA with about 35 trucks and 60 people in attendance and was covered by Landline Magazine. Before this shutdown discussions have been going on at places like the Social Truckstop debating a nationwide trucking shutdown to save the entire trucking industry.

With those discussions brewing and small shutdowns taking place the ATA President and CEO Bill Graves on Monday released a press release and delivered a letter that urged President Bush to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an attempt to break the current run-up in crude oil prices before they further constrain the U.S. economy.

In a letter to President Bush, Graves cautioned that skyrocketing diesel prices will magnify the current economic slowdown and delay an economic recovery. Graves advocated for the Bush Administration to implement policies that will ensure a steady, affordable supply of oil for the nation’s 3.5 million truck drivers and all American consumers.

“We are very concerned that out-of-control energy prices will greatly magnify our current economic slowdown and delay our economic recovery,” Graves said. “If households have to spend their forthcoming tax rebate checks on energy, the stimulus will be significantly limited. The more consumers spend on fuel the less they have to spend on other goods or services.”

Rising fuel prices have been a significant burden on the trucking industry. The industry is on a pace to spend an unprecedented $135 billion on diesel fuel this year, $22 billion more than a year earlier.

The trucking industry is experiencing the highest prolonged fuel prices in history. Historically, fuel represented the second-highest operating expense for motor carriers. For many motor carriers, however, fuel is surpassing labor as their largest expense. This ultimately will increase the cost of everything delivered by truck.

More than 750,000 motor carriers in the United States transport nearly 70 percent of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation.

To view a copy of the letter please go to: Letter from ATA CEO to President Bush Urging SPR Release.

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States.

SOURCE: American Trucking Associations (ATA) and Social Truckstop

American Trucking Associations (ATA) Clayton Boyce, 703-838-7902