Who’s The Greatest Nba Player Of All-time?
Everyone says Jordan, it seems, when I ask this question.
But it seems to me that it’s sort of like how some kids say that The Matrix, was the greatest movie of all-time. It’s just because they haven’t seen anything different.
So, I want to know from people who actually have seen more of the NBA than the last ten years. Who’s the greatest?
It seems like there are some worthy contenders:
Wilt Chamberlain, with his insane ability to score (and also, he got a lot of points in basketball, too). Oh yeah, he once led the league in assists, too
Oscar Robertson. The man *averaged* a triple-double one year… !?
Bill Russell. He takes San Francisco(!!) to two NCAA Championships. Wins 11 NBA titles. Wins Olympic Gold. Coaches the Celtics to 2 more titles. The man is a winner.
There must be others, too. Jordan was great, sure, but he had to wait till the Celtics & Lakers were past their primes to win; (and he also needed Jackson to put together a team). Jordan was overrated.
Who’s Making The Best Of A Bad Economy?
President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus plan is to improve the economy mainly by creating jobs. Forty billion is for creating “green jobs” and most of those will be traditional jobs gone greener. Geothermal, solar and wind energy production will be increased. There will be an increase in the production of biofuels – fuels made from non-food crops like cornstalks that emit 60% less greenhouse gases. The majority of U.S. buildings need retrofitting to save energy and U.S. products need redesigning to reduce or eliminate hazardous substances. Maybe even Kermit the frog will find it easier being green.
It’s not easier for Americans seeking cheap vacations at state parks and campgrounds. They’re likely to find higher fees and reduced hours because of economy-necessitated, budget cuts. Eleven state-run, historic sites in Illinois were closed for 5 months. Utah’s 43 state parks and museums hired fewer workers and eliminated jobs. Georgia’s state park budget was cut by about 40%. New York’s campgrounds opened later and are closing earlier than last year. Nevertheless, the number of state park visits is expected to stay about the same as 2008 – 748 million. State parks are still cheaper than hotels and motels to park vacationing families.
For families taking “staycations” the need for inexpensive, local entertainment during the recession has increased visits to unusual, local sites. In San Francisco the tour of the wastewater- treatment plant is overbooked. The Texas Prison Museum is having more visitors wanting to see things like the state’s first electric chair and toilet-paper roses made by inmates. The Rig Museum, an oil rig in Louisiana’s bayou, is having more visitors in spite of its highway billboard blowing down in 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Of course, for those of us who can’t afford local attractions, there are always guilt trips.
People in Eppelheim, Germany – home of Mercedes Benz – might not go anywhere. The town has been especially hard hit economically. Unemployment is up 70% since 2008 and many employees are working fewer hours. However, the German government provides generous unemployment checks, universal health care and inexpensive university education for all citizens. For employees working fewer hours, their employers pay for actual hours worked and the government pays the difference between those hours and usual hours. Then there’s parental leave. Couples can divide 14 months of paid parental leave and a mother’s job is secure for 3 years per child. In Germany hard times seem softer.
Knight Pierce Hirst has written for television, newspapers and greeting cards. Now she writes a 400-word blog three times a week. KNIGHT WATCH, a second look at what makes life interesting, takes only seconds to read at http://knightwatch.typepad.com
Who’s Doing What to Help the Environment?
Because traveling by plane causes air pollution, San Francisco International Airport offers passengers a way to reduce their guilt. Kiosks are provided that calculate the amount of carbon dioxide an individual’s trip will cause and the cost of offsetting it. After swiping their credit card, customers will get a receipt listing the specific carbon-reducing projects their money will be used for. However, because Delta Airlines has been offering customers an opportunity to charge certified carbon offsets on its Web site, Delta actually led this charge to clean up carbon footprints.
Liquid wood cleans up carbon footprints. Liquid wood is a bio-plastic developed by German researchers. It’s made from lignin, a usually discarded byproduct of papermaking, which is mixed with fibers from flax, hemp or wood, as well as wax. Liquid wood can be used to make everything from toys to car parts. Because it’s a strong, non-toxic alternative to crude-oil-based plastics, its price is unaffected by increases in crude oil prices and it’s free of the heavy metal and phthalate health concerns of plastics. Liquid wood is a promising, renewable, green alternative to plastic – available in colors other than green.
The White House might be greener because of the White House Organic Food Project, a grassroots campaign to have an organic garden on the White House lawn. Daniel Simon and Casey Gustowarow have driven an upside-down school bus fused to the top of another school bus through 25 states asking people to sign their petition. On top of their vehicle there’s a small vegetable garden to promote organic farming for healthy living, as well as for reducing the amount of fuel used to transport food. Organic farming at the White House is meant to inspire Americans to have organic gardens – but first the idea has to grow on President Obama.
Death Valley’s famous black skies for unspoiled stargazing are growing lighter. Although Las Vegas is 85 miles away, its light pollution – which increased 61% between 2001 and 2007 – makes the city appear brighter than the planet Venus. Theoretically one should be able to see 6,000 stars from Death Valley; but due to the Vegas neon, only about 2,500 are visible. To be the first dark-sky national park, Death Valley must shield or change two-thirds of its 700 light fixtures. As the park covers 3.3 million acres, park rangers are in the dark about how soon that can be accomplished.
Knight Pierce Hirst has written for television, newspapers and greeting cards. Now she writes a 400-word blog three times a week. KNIGHT WATCH, a second look at what makes life interesting, takes only seconds at http://knightwatch.typepad.com
reCareered: Who’s Firing? Layoffs week ended 10-16-09
Who’s Firing is a weekly survey of organizations announcing (or rumoring) layoffs. Not only is this valuable for job seekers, but for business analysts, corporate strategists, marketers, salespeople, investment analysts, financial advisers, and others who are interested in companies that are contracting.
Inclusion on this listing doesn’t mean the entire industry is down, as many from the same sector appeared on the “Who’s Hiring” article published 10/12/09. It is interesting to note that while Federal hiring is on the rise, a number of State and Local governments face continued cutbacks. Also, Verizon has led the top hiring lists, but is also announcing a number of layoffs. Boeing made the layoff list, while competing aerospace manufacturers top the Who’s Hiring lists.
Job seekers: You might want to look in greener pastures than these companies.
Layoffs announced and rumored this week were in the Government, Manufacturing, Automotive, Technology, Publishing and Energy sectors.
Organizations announcing or rumored layoffs week ended 10/16/09:
AM General (250)
State of Massachusetts (up to 2K)
State of Iowa (1000)
Standish Max Prison (Michigan) (100)
Smiths Medical PM Inc. (100)
The Amherst H. Wilder Foundation (260)
Boeing Corp. (200-300)
City of Spokane, WA (200)
SunTrust Bank (YTD 100)
Wilsonart International (120)
Moog Aircraft Group (220)
Onondaga County, NY (133)
State of New Hampshire (300)
Country Financial (400)
Kohl’s Corporation (250)
Team Broadcast Services (96)
HNI Corporation (150)
State of Vermont (160 total jobs lost)
Verizon Communications (200)
City of Moraine, OH (187)
Solvay Pharmaceuticals (450)
Steifel Laboratories (200)
Pilgrim’s Pride (GA) (100)
Hamilton County Public Library (250)
Oral Roberts University (124)
NYC Dept. of Education (714)
Albany County, NY (109)
Bestop (140)
Flour Energy Corp. (500)
Valero Energy Corp. (250)
Boeing Corp. (130)
D&E Communications (280-290)
United States Postal Service (650)
Lafayette Caterpillar (106)
American Cancer Society (140)
Canron Western Constructors Inc. (106)
Fluor Corporation (100-150)
Redcats USA (490)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (150)
Kent County, MI (145)
Boise Cascade (130)
Dell (905)
L.L. Bean Call Center (700)
Sunoco Inc. (400)
ATK Space Systems (550)
Hilton Reservations and Customer Care (176)
Thermo Fisher Scientific (130)
Conde Nast Publications (180)
Atlantic City Casinos (1067)
Metavation (120)
Prairie Correctional Facility (120)
University of California Riverside (425)
Pilgrim’s Pride (640)
Emerson Network Power Connectivity Solutions (135)
United Space Alliance (258)
Dow Roofing (100)
Tomasco Mulciber Inc. (213)
Delta, Eagan, MN (unknown)
Aramark Health Support Services, Huntsville, AL (163)
Chevron Mining, Gallup NM (80)
Electric Boat, Groton, CT (96)
Sylvania Yarn Systems (145)
Trojan Battery Co., Sandersville, GA (50)
HON Co., Owensboro, KY (144)
Aramark Sports & Entertainment, Deer Creek Resort, Mt. Sterling, OH (112)
Phoenix Health Systems, Pittsburgh, PA (50)
GE Oil & Gas Operations, Bethelehem, PA (81)
Parsons, Pittsburgh, PA (90)
Alliance One Inc., Trevose, PA (63)
Richfield Hospitality, Charlottesville, VA (146)
FreightCar America Inc., Roanoke, VA (33)
Lockheed Martin, Fairfax, VA (65)
Educational Credit Management Corp., Richmond, VA (60)
Wells Fargo Mortgage, Kirkland, WA (60)
Brandrud, Auburn, WA (104)
Corhart Refractories, Buckhannon, WV (26)
Care Wisconsin First, Madison, WI (77)
Eppendorf Inc., Westbury, NY (44)
Avant-Garde Optics LLC, Washington, NY (137)
Matthews International Corp., Seneca Falls, NY (33)
Tavern on the Green LP, NYC (405)
Dominion Enterprises DBA Interco Print, Ontario, CA (31)
Telecare Corp, Lemon Grove, CA (102)
Duane Morris LLC, Carpinteria, CA (126)
USS-Posco Industries, Pittsburg, CA (827)
Bassett Furniture Industries Inc, Bassett, VA (45)
Summit Holdings, Lakeland, FL (70)
Frontier Oil Corp., Cheyenne, WY (28)
NCH Healthcare, Naples, FL System (66)
Freudenberg-NOK, Spencer, IA (65)
Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, Lacrosse, WI (25)
McCann Erickson, San Francisco, CA (40)
Jeld-Wen, Bend, OR (31)
Foley & Lardner LLC, Milwaukee, WI (39)
Crothall Services Group, Valhalla, NY (235)
Aramark, Huntsville, AL (163)
Mueller Industries, Fulton, MS (37)
Miller Brothers Mining, KY (85)
Baker Hughes Inc., Houston, TX, (62)
Hamilton Sundstrand, Hartford, CN (30)
City of Loveland, CO (5.9%)
Comcast, Wellesley, MA (64)
Rensselaer County, NY (24)
Midcoast Aviation, Cahokia, MO (150)
TomoTherapy, Madison, WI (10%)
Boston Globe, Boston, MA (unknown)
Police Department Kansas City, MO (16)
Clear One Health Plans, Bend, OR (25)
Save – A – Pet, Greyslake, IL (40%)
Microtune, Plano, TX (10%)
Viking Range Corporation, Greenwood, MS (30)
Current Media, San Francisco, CA (unknown)
NH Department of Corrections (37)
Bossier City, LA (88)
Calumet City IL Schools (57)
Lackawanna County, PA (30)
Verizon, Newark, DE (66)
Bistol Meyers Squibb, National (355 of Abilify sales force)
MetLife, Lackawanna County PA (34)
Stanley Furniture, Stanleytown, VA (unknown)
North Providence, RI (35)
Louisiana State Department of Education, Baton Rouge, LA (50)
Yuba Community College, Clearlake, CA (56)
Chelan County, WA (50)
City of Kingston, NY (28)
AOL, NY, NY (2,000)
EBay, San Francisco, CA (several dozen)
LCN Closers, Princeton, IL (47)
NC Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, NC (thousands)
City of Aurora, CO (50)
Ohio State Prisons, Ohio (41)
Osceola County, FL (40)
University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH (50)
Volvo Trucks North America, Dublin VA (50)
Zillion TV, Sunnyvale, CA (1/3)
Victor Valley College, Victorville, CA (28)
DaySpring Inc, Siloam Springs, AR (53)
CNN, Atlanta, GA (unknown)
Source: Google, Twitter, AllPinkSlips.com, Telonu.com, TechCrunch.com, CoStar.com, Gawker, Screwedd.com
Readers – If you know of employers announcing significant layoff plans, or employers reducing large numbers of employees, please comment below to add to this list.
Trackback: http://www.recareered.blogspot.com/2009/10/whos-firing-layoffs-week-ending-10-16.html
Phil Rosenberg is President of reCareered and runs Career Change Central, recently named one of Linkedin’s top groups that job seekers must join. An active blogger about career transition, Phil’s articles have been republished by Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, CIO, FastCompany and dozens of job/recruiting sites.
