Best Business Books of 2009

2009 has been a year of extreme turbulence in business and the world at large! How have authors addressed this turbulence and its effects on business, individuals and families? In this post I have selected 3 books that might be worthy of your attention, 2 that are making many "best" lists and a surprise selection on maintaining sanity in the workaday world.

The Financial Times and Goldman Sachs (yes, of the bailed out Investment banks) every year make an award for Best Business Book. They announced their 2009 award of 30,000 pound sterling ($48,000 U.S) to Liaquat Ahamed for his Lords of Finance -- The Bankers Who Broke The World. Included here is a video from the Finacial Times of the award to Ahamed.




The New York Times, Time Magazine have acknowledged Lords of Finance as one of the Year's best. Ahamed's book represents an indepth look at the forces behind the Great Depression that swept the world in the 1930s and bankers and others responsible for market collapse. He looks at the role of central bankers, the Federal Reserve, and speculators in gold, the gold standard, the role of bankers in United Kingdom, Germany, France, and the United States, from bubble boom to economic and social collapse. Ahamed's is one view of the Great Depression 70 years after the fact. John Galbraith's The Great Crash, 1929 is closer in time and Galbraith became a significant actor in United States economics in the aftermath of the Great Depression. Ahamed and Galbraith's book are worth a look.

Barry Ritholtz' Bailout Nation -- How Greed and Easy Money Corrupted Wall Street and Shook the World Economy, names names, shows suitable outrage over outrageous extremes, and writes a well researched up-to-the minute book. He puts the current situation into an historical context giving a prior history of bailouts, the founding of the Federal Reserve, and generally makes a case for the emptiness of free markets ideology, noting that large corporate structures are not permitted to fail when perhaps they should fail. This has enboldened unhealthly risk taking and the "too big to fail" syndrome. Ritholz' provides a lively, intelligent account in his book where many books are deadly dull and unresponsive to diverse ideas outside scope of their thesis. Ritholtz gives you the information, lets you know what he thinks, but you can beg to differ. He is responsible for providing a real perspective on the guts of the economic crisis. You know where he stands. Rithotz also writes a very successful daily blog, The Big Picture, where follows up on themes in the book and his current thoughts on economic trends.

Both Ritholtz and Ahamed are finance professionals. Ahamed is a consultant to hedge funds, amongt other things and a former investment manager. Ritholtz heads his own firm as CEO and Director of Equity Research at Fusion IQ. Each of their books will provide "food for thought" and will do so 10 years from now. Interviews with Ahamed and Ritholtz may be found on YouTube.

The 3rd book I have selected might well be called Surviving the ongoing economic decline. And it is that, but what it's really about is presenting a clear eyed view of getting and maintaining a job and weathering all kinds of offenses along the way. It's a refreshing account about getting along in the working world. Title of the book is The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl -- Real Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use. It's by Karen Burns, who by her count had 59 jobs over 40 years in 22 cities and 4 countries. Only problem with the book is its title, The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl, which is a euphemism for a prostitute. That's not Burns' intent here though she is aware of the implications of the term. Burns has learned from her experiences and wants to share what she has found out. Turn to any page and you will find revelation, revealed in concise often funny descriptions. And she hits the mark every time in every chapter. Burns claims she was only fired once of all the 59 jobs. Today she has a very active blog, and has career counseling columns at US News & World Report. She even has her gift shop and tips on marketing yourself. Burns also has an active Twitter account and a presence of Facebook.

While Karen Burns' book is The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl, any gender will benefit from it. She covers the territory, job search, interview, pay checks that bounce, what to wear, developing confidence, negotiating for raises, job changing to job hopping. There are hundreds of jobs books published every year, giving the same advice over and over. They are replaceable parts. Burns book is a keeper and so too is her blog. Check it out.

In fact you can check all these books out at the Berkshire Athenaeum or at your library.

Webopedia -- Guide to Social Media, the Internet and All About Computers

You've heard about Wikipedia, the Online Free Encyclopedia and Investopedia, the Online Dictionary of Business and Financial terms. Today I want to introduce you to Webopedia, the Online Guide to Social Media, All Things Internet, and Dictionary and Encyclopedia of All Things About Computers and Computing Technology.

Here's how Webopedia defines itself: "Webopedia is a free online dictionary for words, phrases and abbreviations that are related to computer and Internet technology. Webopedia provides easy-to-understand definitions in plain language, avoiding the use of heavy jargon when possible so that the site is accessible to users with a wide range of computer knowledge."

Webopedia was founded April 4, 1998. Its parent company is WebMediaBrandsInc with offices in Darien, Connecticut and New York city. WebMediaBrands describes itself as "The leading global provider of events, education, jobs, and content for business, media, and creative professionals." It is a publicly traded company on NASDAQ ( WEBM ). Besides Webopedia, WebMedia provides the news service internet.com, an extensive guide to ECommerce and Small Business Computing.

When you go to the Webopedia, you can search any computer term. For example, what is phishing? (click on term for definition). Or What is an "operating system? URL or "social networking"? Webopedia gives you a basic definition and then provides more detail and related links. This allows the opportunity to get as much information as you want on a topic, to become conversant. It cuts through the jargon, abbreviations, to clearly represent the term and its significance.

Besides term definitions Webopedia provides a Quick Reference area where you may explore a Twitter Dictionary, Instant and Text Messenging and Chat abbreviations, acronyms; social networking tools, search engines and directories, google search tips, step-by-step methods to set up your own Personal or Business Facebook account, How EMail works, Selling on EBay, Small Business Computing essentials, even How to Clean Your Computer. There is a great deal of depth and knowledge, clearly presented on a wide variety of topics in the Quick Reference area. There is even a History of Blogging!

This useful site also includes an extensive "Did You Know...?" area. There you can learn how Affiliate Marketing works, how to protect against Identity Theft, Twitter tools, Windows 7, Firefox, Google Chrome, How to Format a Hard Drive, the difference between a virus, trojan horse and worm, all about Software, Open Source, Setting up a Facebook page for your business, VOIP and the Small Business, Internet Telephony, Internet Grammar, All about Cookies, Are deleted files really deleted?, Static Electricity and Computers, and Tech terms that are strange but true. Like any dictionary you may find the answer to your query but also to others you wondered about.

There is much practical, useful information to be found in Webopedia and there are hundreds of links to more information and detail. For quick reference and gratification Webopedia is hard to beat. It is up-to-date with current trends and news. It is a one stop shop for understanding internet, social networking, technical terminology. It's free and there are many tips for marketing your business, setting up links, creating blogs, and optimizing your business sense with the all the possibilities of the internet and web 2.0.

We have just scratched the surface of what is within Webopedia. I urge you to explore this site and to bookmark it for future uses. Your time will be well spent.

Scary Thoughts on Halloween 2009 -- Libraries Without Books

Here we are; it's already October 31! Halloween 2009! How about some scary thoughts to ponder.

In early September Cushing Academy a private preparatory school located in Ashburnham, Massachusetts distinquished itself with a controversial article which appeared in the Boston Globe. The article was not about its $43,000 per year tuition and board for students in grade 9 through 12. No the article was on Cushing's Library and headmaster, James Tracy's vision of an all Digital Library. The title of the article, "A library without books".

Tracy's view of the 21st Century Library is all digital. His library has a small collection of 20,000 books (hardbound). Those books, collected over time, representing many disciplines, have been discarded. Here's Tracy's rationale, “When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books. This isn’t ‘Fahrenheit 451’ [the 1953 Ray Bradbury novel in which books are banned]. We’re not discouraging students from reading. We see this as a natural way to shape emerging trends and optimize technology.’’Instead of a library, the academy is spending nearly $500,000 to create a “learning center,’’ The Globe report continues, "In place of the stacks, they are spending $42,000 on three large flat-screen TVs that will project data from the Internet and $20,000 on special laptop-friendly study carrels. Where the reference desk was, they are building a $50,000 coffee shop that will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine. They have spent $10,000 to buy 18 electronic readers made by Amazon.com and Sony. Administrators plan to distribute the readers, which they’re stocking with digital material, to students looking to spend more time with literature. Those who don’t have access to the electronic readers will be expected to do their research and peruse many assigned texts on their computers. Tracy summarizes, “Instead of a traditional library with 20,000 books, we’re building a virtual library where students will have access to millions of books.’’

Whatever you may think, Tracy's vision represents one end of a continuum on the Future of Libraries. Tracy sees an all digital future with access to millions of books (and thoughts) in digital form. Beyond whatever reaction you may have there is the question of stability of digital formats. Will a digital format be able to be read 20 years from now; 100 years from now; 500 years from now? A book with all its flaws is archival. Something printed 500 years ago and preserved in bound paper can still be read. Digital formats decay and progress. Backward compatibility is critical.

The Internet, which is 40 years old this month has taken us on a continuing journey along the digital online, virtual path, to the extent that virtual communities such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, MySpace, Google, are all parts of our daily discourse. Do libraries need buildings? Can Public libraries be disconnected from their physical boundaries(and tax bases). Google wants Google Books to provide millions of books currently housed in libraries to all wherever they live. James Tracy's view may be voicing and recognizing trends and their eventual outcomes. Today one may attain degrees from Library Schools without ever setting foot in a physical classroom. Online classes are becoming available in multiple disciplines.

The dreamers of the Internet saw it as breaking boundaries and providing access to all regardless of class background. As a business model entities like EBay, Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn are making money. Entire virtual economies are envisioned through video game simulations like SIMs virtual families and virtual cash becoming real cash in virtual existences such as "Second Life".

Utopian? Maybe, but newspapers and magazines are deep in the thrall of the digital movement and their "old" world has become topsy turvy and unpredictable. Where we are going remains to be seen. James Tracy's vision is just one of multiple visions and possible outcomes. This will inevitably influence the Future of Libraries. Every library, public and private, university and school is being influenced by the continuing technological revolution. Budgets, allocations between books and technology each competing for scarce dollars are all enjoined in this question of The Future of Libraries, with and without books.

Scary? A critical juncture? Simply a transition? Whatever it is libraries will be there to help us understand what is happening.... or will they?

Happy Halloween!

Web 2.0 Workshops Announced @ Berkshire Athenaeum

If you live in the Pittsfield, Massachusetts area, you may want to sign up for one of the Web 2.0 Workshops to be held October/November at the Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield's Public Library. All workshops are 1 hour long, free, and being held at a variety of times, days, evenings and Saturdays.

There will be workshops on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blogs and Blogging (Create Your Own Blog), Google (search strategies), These will be hands-on workshops geared to getting you started on your web journey.

While each of these workshops has a business connection, Business Websites You Should Know About will provide you with strategic websites and support networks useful in starting and maintaining your business. Your marketing efforts can be enhanced by using LinkedIn (the business social networking site), development of your Blog, and by Twitter and Facebook. Social media increasingly is the means of getting the word out about your business and all these sites are Free. For nonprofit business the workshop, the Berkshire Funding Resource Center with it Foundation Center databases will be critical in finding seed money and critical contacts in Foundation networks.

Other workshops will focus on DoItYourself databases, where you can learn about all things automotive and home repair. Workshops on Microsoft applications Word 2007 and Excel will also be held. Finally, there will be an Email workshop, getting you started and answering your email questions.

As you can see October and November will be a busy time. Sign-ups for workshops have already begun, but it's not too late for you. The full schedule with dates and times can be found here. (Just click on the word here.) All workshops are hosted by the Berkshire Athenaeum Reference Department. Register for workshops NOW by calling 413-499-9480 ext. 202 or by visiting the Department.

Labor Day 2009 - Record UnLabor Day

Happy Labor Day! Or is it Happy at all?

It's time to reassess the economy. Labor Day is a special day set aside to celebrate those who do not own the means of production, namely the laboring classes or more specifically anyone who needs to work for money to meet their short and long term needs. Those who labor are not in a position to let money work for them. Those who work for money are subject directly to the upturns and downturns in the economy. Here small businesses are in a similar position simply because they do not own enough money or assets that they can be free of the great economic shifts that have been going on in the last year.

According to the United States Department of Labor in its most recent report, over 15 million people are members of the rank and file of the Unemployed or nearly 10% of the "civilian" work force of 150 million plus as of August 31, 2009. For these 15 million Labor Day is not cause for celebration but another day in an extended forced time without work, an extended forced vacation.

To put these numbers in perspective 15 million represents the number of individuals that are unemployed and seeking full time work. The US workforce is about 154 million. Subtract 15 million who are unemployed and you get the employed workforce of 139 million. Now multiply 15 million by a factor of 3 or 4(dependents, spouses, others) and you get the real effect of these numbers. Anywhere from 45 to 60 million people are directly impacted by the 15 million unemployed. 45 to 60 million people are facing real hardship, not being able to think beyond the next week having to face foreclosure, bankruptcy, unable to meet rental and mortgage payments, forced to choose between paying bills and food, delays in going to college or increasingly reliant on college loans or to put it another way the credit markets, which only recently have started to loosen up. Another part of this working for money is the enormous difficulty individuals and small businesses have in getting out of debt.

So Labor Day represents a cautionary Holiday this year. The Labor Movement in the form of Labor Unions brought us this special day, as well as the 40 hour week and the weekend, itself. Today, organized labor represents only 12.5% of the civilian workforce. Those working in the civilian workforce are 98% employed in the private economy. Only 2% of the workforce is in the public sphere - government employees, public school teachers, police and firefighters. Organized labor represents 36.5% of the public economy and only 7.8% of the private economy. The recent bankruptcies of General Motors and Chrysler led to further weakening of labor contracts for these companies and to the breaking of longstanding agreements. It also led to breaking of business agreements with creditors. To work in a trade union in these companies is to do with less and this is true of the newspaper business, too.

Above we mentioned those who are unemployed are defined as looking for full time work. A trend in the last 15 years has been toward reliance of employers on part time workers and outsourcing jobs to contractors of jobs, whereby people work for short periods of time. Long term full time employment is not readily available.

Looking for more information on the economic and social impact of these trends, see The Future of Work in Massachusetts, edited by Tom Juravich and Pulitzer Prize winning author, David Shipley's The Working Poor: Invisible in America, (not so invisible anymore) both found at the Berkshire Athenaeum and other Public Libraries in Western Massachusetts.

So Labor Day 2009 is really UnLaboring day. It is the end of Summer. It's Back to School. It's time to buckle down and get back to work!

That's true, except for the 15 million out of work and the 45 to 60 million impacted!! For them it's a time of worry and concern!

Top 20 Most Popular Websites

Alexa -- The Web Information Company tracks globally web surfer activity and comes up with daily statistics on most popular websites. As you can imagine this means dollars and cents in the global marketplace. And this puts into perspective the competition between Google, Yahoo. and Microsoft for dominance. Also it allows us to see where social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Craigslist are going.

Alexa is an Amazon.com owned company and, yes, it tracks companies like Amazon, Ebay and their reach across the globe. Besides what sites are being surfed, Alexa also breaks down average number minutes on each site, and who is using the site by age group, education, gender, income and location. These demographic breakdowns are essential in the competitive marketplace.

So what are the top 20 sites for United States websurfers? They are Google, followed by Yahoo, Facebook, YouTube(a Google company), MySpace, Windows Live, Wikipedia, Craigslist, Ebay, Microsoft Network, Blogger (a Google company), AOL, Amazon, Twitter, GO, Bing (Microsoft's new search engine), CNN, Flickr (a Yahoo company), WordPress (like Blogger, a free Blog service), and ESPN Sportzone. LinkedIn appears as number 24, Weather.com 25, and New York Times 28.

Google gets 34% of marketshre globally, Yahoo 26 %, Facebook 25%, and YouTube 24% and MySpace 4.5% and Twitter gets nearly 4%. Individuals spend more time on Facebook, an average of 27.5 minutes compared to Google's 7 minutes and YouTube's 22.5 minutes. Twitter users spend average of 8 minutes a day twittering. Bing, the new Microsoft search engine, is already in the top 20 at number 16 but amount of time spent is only 2.1 minutes. Nevertheless Bing can be seen as up and coming and Microsoft and Yahoo will be using Bing as their search engines, thus providing real competition for Google.

Now statistics such as these are not great for reading, but they do provide the nuts and bolts backdrop to news about Google, Yahoo and Microsoft and web trends. Notably, social media sites are heavily represented in these statistics. People are spending much of their time on these social sites, making friends, sharing photos and information, and exchanging and sharing files. News sites are not represented among the top twenty but they are represented in the top 50 and include the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. Amazon and Ebay make strong showings in the top 20 at 13 and 9 respectively. Internationally Google China is number 4 in China and Google Japan is dominant there. So these companies have taken an international position and are heavily represented there. Baidu, a Chinese search engine is number 1 there and because of this carries 6% world share of surfers.

Are these fleeting trends? Hard to believe but the World Wide Web is only 15 years old. Skeptics then said that money could not be made on the Internet. Today the World Wide Web is a vast economic engine. Amazon is turning profits. Microsoft and Yahoo and have been around for more than 10 years; Google celebrated its 10 anniversary this year. Colleges, Universities, the United States Postal Service and all government agencies are on the web. Any business will need, if it does not already have one, a presence on the web. In a short 15 years the World Wide Web has become a part of our daily discourse and activity. Today there is still skepticism about profitabilty but no question that the world wide web is here to stay. Ignoring its possibilities would be ignoring vast opportunity.

Alexa is a useful marketing and analytical tool in gauging the reach and progress of these critical websites and their positions in the global marketplace.

Are You LinkedIn?

A few weeks ago a patron who had just been layed off from his job came to the Reference Desk at the Berkshire Athenaeum and was seeking resources on resumes and job searching. He'd worked in the same job for the past 10 years and job searching was new to him. It was like starting over. He was professional and used to lots of responsibility.

After showing him some of our resources I asked if he had considered LinkedIn as a possible avenue for his job search. I explained that LinkedIn was an online social network for business where future employers and employees could connect. He had heard of LinkedIn but knew nothing about it or how it worked? I suggested he go to LinkedIn, explore the site and join, that it was free, that he could set up a profile, include pertinent parts of his resume and what he was looking for in a job, Since he had developed web sites, he was web savvy. He thanked me for the information and said he would check it out.

Soon after we spoke I received an email from him (I had given him my business card,) The email was an invitation to join LinkedIn, to be part of his network. That's how LinkedIn works. You join, set up a profile, develop a network by inviting friends, colleagues, associates. It's by invitation only. The first tier is your network. The second tier is the network of your invitees. The third tier is the further associated members and so on. This is how LinkedIn grows and how a most powerful network has developed that includes thousands of companies, all Fortune 500 companies, company profiles as well as individual profiles, and LinkedIn claims over 40 million registered members using their site. This is all free, but there is a premium paid membership level as well.

LinkedIn is the most powerful business social networking web 2.0 website. Now when I was invited to join LinkedIn, I had to join because I was not yet a member. I knew about it. I was aware of it and its possibilities and I was considering joining but had held back. From the viewpoint of being a Business Reference Librarian it made sense to join if only to be able to demonstate first hand information to those inquiring. So I accepted the invitation, joined LinkedIn and developed a brief profile.

Then, shortly after joining LinkedIn and my friend's network, something happened, something that surprised and delighted me. A colleague of 10 years ago, who I had regrettably lost contact with, sent an invitation for me to contact him and to be part of his LinkedIn network. We reestablished contact and our friendship and this happened through his searching for me on LinkedIn and Google amongst other sites. I had searched for him as well. I had lost his email due to a computer crash a couple years ago. Subsequently I have reestablished contact with some other associates and friends, and working colleagues.

So these are a few of the things you can do on LinkedIn -- develop a profile, give basic information and resume about yourself, develop a job search or recruitment strategy, seek people through the search function, join community forums, ask questions, seek funding of your start up. The possibilities are endless. And your contacts have contacts as well. Skills you are looking for may be represented in these networks. Ideas abound. Because everyone is there by invitation, there is also the possibility for personal recommendations, job and business ideas.

One of the more valuable aspects of LinkedIn, attactive to company recruiters and job seekers alike, is the ability to scope each other out. Looking for a job; talk with people at that company or employers may contact people in your network. Major businesses have seen the utility of this approach and human resource professionals are using LinkedIn to scope out candidates. This is much more intimate and useful than a passive resume. Further, many jobs do become available in this manner.

LinkedIn has had 100s of features in Business Week, Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, Inc Magazine, and the New York Times. Business Week and the New York Times has partnered with LinkedIn. So too has CNN, IBM and LexisNexis. If you are starting up a business, looking for contacts and contracts, looking for venture capital, you will want to consider joining LinkedIn! The video LinkedIn For Dummies, below by Adriana Lordan from SiteReference.Com, will get you started on LinkedIn. You will want to make LinkedIn part of your Business Plan and Job Strategy.

With me you'll ask "Are You LinkedIn?"

Wal-Mart Effect Revisited

On July 2, 2008 we reviewed Charles Fishman's The Wal-Mart Effect for About Business. Fishman's book critically evaluated the impact of Wal-Mart on retailers and its suppliers. Wal-Mart's dominance led to many innovations in packaging and in production. Being such a large buyer of supplier's goods and services they were able to continue to reduce prices in products and pass those cheaper prices on to Wal-Mart customers.

In last year's post we also mentioned Wal-Mart's "green initiative" and commitment to sustainability. On July 16, 2009 Wal-Mart President and CEO Michael Duke committed the company to Sustainability for the long term, announcing its Sustainability Product Index and 15 question survey that is being submitted to its 100,000 product suppliers worldwide. Results of the survey will lead to a great transformation in the way Wal-Mart and by inference other retailers will be doing business. Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandiser John Fleming discusses this initiative in the video below. The survey asks what suppliers are doing to cut their carbon byproducts, what they are doing to create more efficient production. Wal-Mart expects answers from suppliers to this survey by October 1 and then will go to the next stage in planning.

It is expected that where unit pricing tags are part of the everyday shopping experience now, that environmental labeling will be added to these tags for each and every product Wal-Mart sells and each consumer buys. Duke calls this the need that every consumer has for transparency so they will know how the product was made, who made the product, its contents and so forth. This is a radical initiative and Wal-Mart invites other companies in join with them in this effort. Sustainability to Wal-Mart is now as important to them as low prices.

After Wal-Mart's announcement the New York Times published an extensive article by Stephanie Rosenbloom, At Wal-Mart Labels to Reflect Green Intent. Rosenbloom quotes Michael Duke, "We have to change how we make and sell products. We have to make consumption smarter and sustainable." Wal-Mart's ability to require suppliers submit to its standards will have a ripple effect throughout industry.

The Wal-Mart Effect by Charles Fishman is available at the Berkshire Athenaeum and other Public Libraries.

Do You Twitter?

You've heard of Twitter. Aside from Facebook, it's the fastest growing social networking site on the web. Business Week and PC Magazine are following Twitter closely, Business Week focusing on business applications. News reporters, White House staff, political campaigns, college and high school students, job seekers and marketers are making connections through Twitter. Major businesses such as Dell are incorporating twitter into their business plans. Everywhere you turn, you hear the term Twitter. Facebook wants Twitter as does Google.

So what is Twitter and how does it affect you? Twitter posts, called tweets, are microblogs. Each entry is 140 characters or less. When you join Twitter, you are asked a seemingly innocuous question, "What are you doing?" and each tweet starts from that question. Your answers to the question become your blog posts and can be followed by your friends or anyone, just as in a regular blog. Tweets at first seem very personal, but they quickly can take on more elaborate objectives. Dell Computers claims to have made $3 million from Twitter.

The video below, Twitter In Plain English is extracted from the Twitter site. Notice that it's appeal is personal, connect to friends, family, co-workers. Nielsen, which tracks Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social networking sites, saw Twitter leap "... 1,448 percent from this time last year... according to Monday data from Nielsen. The micro-blogging site logged 18.2 million unique visitors in May 2009, up from 1.2 million in May 2008, and up 7 percent from April 2009" as reported by Chloe Albanesius in PC Magazine online June 22. Albanesius in the same article also notes the continuing dominance of Facebook with 144.3 million unique visitors in May!

Twitter obviously has broad appeal beyond the personal. 140 characters could be a short poem, a haiku, or it could be the lead sentence of a news article, a series of business marketing slogans or a call to organize around an issue, a vote, a sale. It is attractive to journalists who are taught to write the jist of a story in one sentence (who, what, when, and why?) and to generations raised on Headline News of television and radio. "Chrysler Corporation no longer in bankruptcy, ready to start producing cars again." is perfect as a tweet. or "Berkshire Athenaeum announces Summer Schedule of Workshops starting July 2. Sign Up Now!" or "Gas Prices Increase As Summer Vactions begin, $3 gas prices expected midSummer." or "I am reading Deborah Micek's Twitter Revolution. Found it at the Berkshire Athenaeum. Check it out!"

The possibilities of Twitter are endless. It's free and easy to join. I have a Twitter account. You can view my Twitter profile and twitter entries by going to http://twitter.com/aboutbizness.

See Business Week's article, Twitter: Building Businesses Tweet By Tweet and their handy guide to TwitterSpeak. See how it may fit into your own business plan and strategic thinking.




Want to learn more about Twitter? Sign up for our Technical Services librarian, Jeremy Goldstein's Thursday, July 16 workshop on Twitter. It starts at 6p.m. Sign up at the Reference Desk or by calling 413-499-9480 ext 202.

Marketplace Whiteboards On The Financial Crisis

Marketplace is National Public Radio's Business program. It is broadcast Monday thru Friday at 6:30 p.m. on public radio stations nationally. In the Berkshires it may be heard on WFCR and WAMC, each on FM. As with newspapers and magazines Marketplace has a multimedia presence online, where its programs, special reports, podcasts and videos may be downloaded and heard as well as viewed. The program is uniformly informative and worth listening to if you're trying to understand what's going on behind the headlines in the business, financial and working worlds.

For the past year Marketplace online has had a continuing feature, "The Whiteboard", on getting behind the financial crisis and taking the mystery out of Credit Default Swaps, Collatoralized Debt Obligations, Write Downs, Mortgage Backed Securities, and other arcane terms and making them clear. "The Whiteboard" features Marketplace Senior Editor, Paddy Hirsch, in short, graphic, 5 to 10 minute presentations. In this posting I am including 1 of these Whiteboards, as an example, for you to view:

"Uncorking CDOs (Collatorized Debt Obligations)" from October 3, 2008 (Marketplace online) .

When viewing this 6 minute presentation, you may need to watch more than one time. These are after all complicated matters. But Paddy Hirsch does an excellent job. The presentations are never boring. If fact they only got better the more I repeated them. You may understand them quicker than me. But Paddy Hirsch has provided us with an excellent reference backdrop. If you have RealPlayer or Windows Media Player you should be able to view. If not viewable you may need to download a recent version of Quicktime.




After viewing this and other Whiteboards you'll have a better understanding of the financial system and how it works, relation to mortgages, credit card debt, student loans, General Motors bankruptcy and their impact, or, as Paddy Hirsch puts it, "the financial mess we're all in". For the full list of Paddy Hirsch's Marketplace Whiteboards click here. You won't regret time spent.

Another website that continues to illuminate with clear explanations, is Investopedia, which we have featured in the past and continue to consult for accurate, informed discussion. Marketplace and Investopedia are worthy of your Bookmarks.

The Berkshire Athenaeum has 2 dictionaries of finance and banking you may want to consult:
1) Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms by John Downes and Jordan Goodman; and 2) Dictionary of Banking and Finance by P.H. Collin.

Upside To The Economic Downturn

With all the bad news about Banks in this last year, it seems that local Berkshire Banks are doing pretty well.

That's the news Berkshire Eagle Business reporter, Tony Dobrowolski, wrote about in the Saturday May 23 and Tuesday May 26 issues of the Berkshire Eagle. In his Saturday article, Berkshire Bank To Return $40 Million To Treasury, Dobrowolski reports:

Berkshire Bank has received approval to return $40 million that it received last fall as part of the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program. Following approval from the U.S. Treasury Department, the bank said it expects to return the money by the end of the month, drawing funds from its cash assets. It does not expect to sell additional stock to repay the government. Berkshire received the funds as part of the Capital Purchase Program, which was a core component of the Troubled Asset Relief Program — or TARP — that set aside $787 billion to help keep the country's credit flowing. The Capital Purchase Program was only available to banks that already had strong reserves."

Legacy Bank had earlier requested $20 million from TARP and then its Board turned it down. Apparently they didn't like the requirements that went along with accepting the money. Turnabout from Berkshire Bank appears to be for similar reasons. The reason for the loan originally was to release credit to other needy banks. The May 23 report indicates they can expand credit without the TARP. National controversy surrounding TARP appeared to have its impact on Berkshire Bank's decision as well.

Dobrolowski's Tuesday article, Local Banks Make The List, reports,

"Berkshire County's two largest banks are the only county companies included in the Boston Globe's recent rankings of the top 100 publicly traded corporations in Massachusetts. Berkshire Hills Bancorp of Pittsfield, the holding company for Berkshire Bank, is ranked 41st. Legacy Bancorp of Pittsfield, the holding company for Legacy Banks, is 84th. Berkshire Bancorp was 78th in The Globe's top 100 rankings last year. This is Legacy's first time on the list, said the bank's President and CEO J. Williar Dunlaevy."I'm proud for the bank," Dunlaevy said on Friday, adding that companies that make the list usually benefit from their size. "I have to give credit to the bank and the community. I think it's great that Berkshire County would have two banks among the top 100 firms in the state."

Last November we wrote a blog post about Berkshire Bank, Berkshire Bank Applies For Bailout Money. Conditions in November involving banks indicated that "bailout" meant unsound. Berkshire Bank and Legacy did not believe themselves unsound. In the case of Berkshire Bank they wanted to expand credit lending to area banks and businesses. Their recent statement indicates they can do this without either government help or stockholder help, that sufficient cash reserves exist. Their turnabout is also to restore whatever lack of confidence local consumers may have had in the bank with their initial acceptance of government funds.

This represents a glimmer of good news in an otherwise large ocean of bad news about banks. Thought you would like to hear a little good news for a change!!

Memorial Week 2009 - A Time For Reflection And Review

Today is Memorial Day. Yes, yes, I know. The"official" holiday of Memorial Day is celebrated the last Monday of May; this year May 25. But May 30 is the original day set aside by the United States Congress in 1868 to remember the dead of both sides of the Civil War. It was then called "Decoration Day". It was since much later changed to Memorial Day -- a day of remembrance for of those no longer with us -- friends, family, and others. It is also a time for reflection and review. (For an informed overview, history of Memorial Day, see Wikipedia's entry here.)

So, this is really Memorial Week, the official start of Summer tourism in the Berkshires and throughout New England resort area. The annual migration to Pittsfield and surroundings has begun. Tourism is a major part of the economy of the Berkshires. How summer develops will reflect the economy. Will people still vacation here or stay at home? Labor Day signifies the end of Summer tourism, although for some, the true end of Summer tourism is October 12, Columbus Day.

Already gas prices have started to climb again. They really began creeping up Mother's Day. Now gas prices in the area are averaging near $2.50 per gallon rates. A year ago we were entering the $4 range with no end in sight. The prices broke in November, going down below $2 for the first time. They stayed down until May 2009. (See Motor Trend's Gas Price Locator for Pittsfield area prices and AAA's fuel gauge report on daily state and region prices.)

Reflecting on oil and gas increases to sustained $4 + prices, we see immediate and far reaching effects that have thrown the US economy into one continuing crisis after another, making it especially difficult for small businesses to stay afloat, but also major Fortune 500 companies. Witness the bankruptcy of Chrysler Corporation and the coming bankruptcy of General Motors Monday June 1st. Of course, it was more than gas prices that led to the collapse of the automotive industry in the United States, but for the consumer it was the key. Companies with large inventories on dealer's lots, inventory that did not move, together with crisis in credit financing, the bank bailouts and bailouts of the auto industry. Great losses have occurred. Even Toyota experienced billion dollar losses and Toyota has very diversified offerings, something that could not be said for either Chrysler or General Motors. Auto dealers not moving inventory are offering "going out of business" sales now. Long term relations between dealers and the auto industry are being severed through the bankruptcy restructuring process. The automobile industry will survive but not as the mega-giants they once were.

Another impact of the automotive industry collapse has been on parts suppliers and credit financing agencies such GMAC (General Motors Assistance Corporation). Part suppliers Delta and Visteon are in bankruptcy. (See Business Week article on this). For consumers availability of parts is always a problem Meanwhile the taxpayers are guaranteeing Chrysler's warranties.

Collapse of the automotive industry has been impacted by its inability to confront major trends in the manufacturing economy -- the larger context of the problem. Forbes Magazine has just published a major special report, Made in America, focusing on major manufacturing trends since 1979. These articles represent an informed analysis of what has happened and what needs to happen for the "second American century." The manufacturing sector has changed dramatically. Currently there are 12 million Americans in manufacturing where it was once 19.5 million in 1979. The 12 million that still have jobs have advanced in productiviy and efficiency. Much more is produced with 12 million than the 19.5 milion. The reason for increase in productivity in two words: the Techological Revolution. The effective mating of computer and machinery together with robots and increased sophistication. This has led to manufacturing productivity at the highest level ever $1.6 trillion, according to John Engler, President of the National Association of Manufacturers, in his Forbes article, "Forging a Second American Century", Economist Robert Reich, author of Supercapitalism, foresees in his article, "Manufacturing Jobs Are Never Coming Back" a different scenario. According to Reich unskilled jobs are not coming back and this is a worldwide phenomenon. Instead manufacturing is calling for highly skilled jobs with machines and robots doing the repititive and and even skilled work. Whatever you think this report represents a significant attempt at understanding our current predicament. It is education and continuous training that is needed.

While we're reflecting on these trends and the reemergence of increased gas prices, hopefully you'll take a moment or two to enjoy your summer vacation, wherever you take it. Even in the great recession we're going through, there are positive developments and opportunites to be had.

During this Memorial Week I hope you've taken time to Remember. Remember those no longer with you and those who are still living. And have a happy Summer! Enjoy the beautiful Berkshires!

Create a Blog With Blogger

Some people have asked me, "How can I create my own free Blog?" Google Blogger provides a handy Video Tutorial on how to create your very own Blog. There are many types of blogs but this video is sure to help you get started. I have included Google's Blogger Video Tutorial below to assist you in this process. Play it as many times as you want to go over any point in question. Thanks Google!

April & May Business Workshops at the Berkshire Athenaeum

The Berkshire Athenaeum Reference Department has announced its schedule of Workshops to be held in April and May of 2009. Among these workshops are several that are Business oriented and will be of interest to those involved in starting up and/or managing a small business and to those with a general interest in the impact of business on all of us.

A full list of all workshops to held can be viewed here on the Athenaeum web site. All workshops are 1 hour long and free to all. The schedule of workshops with a Business focus are listed here. These include:

Tuesday, April 7 @10a.m and Wednesday, May 13 @6p.m.
Berkshire Funding Resource Center - Of special interest to non-profit businesses, this will be an "Introduction to the Foundation Center website and its resources, using the Foundation Center databases to locate foundation grant funding resources and in utilizing Athenaeum resources that support grant research. (taught by Madeline Kelly)

Saturday, April 11 @10a.m. and Saturday, May 23 @10a.m.
Business Websites You Should Know About - "Keeping informed and up-to-date is always important in business. Workshop will focus on best business websites and how they may provide a one-stop-shop for all aspects of your business. (taught by pittsfieldbizlibrarian Dick Fairfield)

Wednesday, April 15 @10a.m., Wednesday, April 22 @10a.m., and Wednesday, April 29 @10a.m.
Blogs and Blogging Series - A 3 part series dedicated to creating your own weblog.
Part 1: April 15: Introduction to Blogs and Blogging. What blogs can and cannot do. Personal and Business Blogs. Developing your Blog Plan. Setting up a blog email account with gmail. (taught by Dick Fairfield)

Part 2: April 22: Create and Manage your own Blog. Using Google's Blogger, you will create your own free Blogger account. Creating your first Blog post. (taught by Dick Fairfield)

Part 3: April 29: Managing Your Blog. Discussion of Blog maintenance and growth. Resources available to support and grow your Blog. (taught by Dick Fairfield). Plan on attending each part of the Blog workshop.

Tuesday, April 28 @6p.m. and Tuesday, May 12 @6p.m.
Free Business Resources on the Web: This workshop will cover FREE online resources available to start-up, maintain, and grow your business. Focus will be on operational tools you'll be able to use right away. Develop online contacts and support. (taught by Dick Fairfield)

PreRegistration is Required for All Workshops. You may Register by calling the Reference Department at 413-499-9480 ext 202 or In Person at the Athenaeum Reference Desk, Berkshire Athenaeum, One Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield, Mass. We look forward to you attending our workshops. There are, however, limited spaces, so, Reserve your space now.

Should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me pittsfieldbizlibrarian@gmail.com

Dow Up, Dow Down -- What does it all mean?

It's no secret! We're in an economic crisis of great proportions. But it's really hard to get an uncluttered answer about what essentially needs to be done to bring about stability.

In politics we get an overwhelming Republican No on the President's stimulus plan. An almost equally overwhelming Yes from Democrats on the plan. Result: Well there are more Democrat votes than Republicans. So a stimulus plan exists. That works both in sports and politics.

Does that cure the situation? We'll have to wait and see. Meanwhile other initiatives to stimulate banks and release of credit do not appear to be working. General Motors and Chrysler have once again asked for more billions and AIG is back asking for more government assistance.

Meanwhile, yesterday, February23, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation) fell to lows not seen since 1987. Today they are going up once again. Are these indexes accurate measures of the state of the economy? The answer is not self evident. What the Dow and NASDAQ show is Investor Trends and investor confidence or lack of confidence in the marketplace. All are looking for answers and coming up with more questions. (There are no simple answers.)

Meanwhile companies listed in The Dow may give us some idea of the strength of the economic recession. The Dow is made up of a select group of companies numbering just 30, whose growth and decline are critical to the marketplace, according the editors of the Wall St Journal, who select these companies for inclusion in the Index. (For a discussion of how the Dow is composed and points calculated see Investopedia's article here)

What companies, listed in The Dow are in trouble? They are names in the news -- General Motors, currently trading at $1.77, Ford Motor Company at $1.73, General Electric at $8.85, Bank of America at $3.91, Citigroup at 2.14, Alcoa at $5.81. Faring not much better are Intel at $12.08, American Express at $12.20, Pfizer at $13.41, Walt Disney at $17.56, Microsoft at $17.91 and Home Depot at $19.97. Other companies such as Proctor and Gamble, IBM, Wal-Mart, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Exxon and United Technologies are doing quite well. These companies form the Dow Jones benchmarks for the economy. As these companies trade lower and lower so too does the Index itself go lower. A little over a year ago The Dow was over 14,000 points; today it's at 7100. A company by company, minute by minute watch of the Dow Jones Index, may be viewed and monitored on Bloomberg. (Just click on the link.)

These are bargain basement prices for these companies. Obviously millions of investors have shed their stocks in these companies and have experienced great losses. For those who have never owned stocks due to high prices, now might be advantageous. In this kind of climate it takes a bit of courage to put your own money on the line. Do you think GE, Ford and GM will be around, that the banks are still critical? When stocks cost less than coffee, they do provide an option. With prices this low, it becomes a little easier to see why government involvement is necessary and practical, if not mandatory.

Two books from the recent past can now be seen as cautionary in the wake of the former bubbles that have now been burst thoroughly: Robert Shiller's Irrational Exuberance and Maggie Mahar's Bull! A History of Boom and Bust, 1982 to 2004; What 21st Century Investors Need to Know About Financial Cycles. Both of these books may be found at the Berkshire Athenaeum and other public libraries.

Small Business Outlook For 2009

The National Small Business Association just released a major report on the outlook for Small Business in 2009. Its press release is printed below. The National Business Association is an advocate for the interests of small business owners and lobbies for their interests in state and national legislatures and agencies. It represents more than 150,000 small businesses nationally. Founded in 1937 it is the oldest national advocate for small businesses. In 1980, 1986, and 1995 it took the lead in initiating White House Conferences on Small Business. Their report reflects the impact of the Recession on their members. As we have previously mentioned in our posts this traditionally optimistic group is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain that optimism. Altogether the outlook for 2009 is bleak. The complete report may be accessed through the "major report" link above.

NSBA Year-End Economic Report

Jan 12, 2009

NSBA today released a report detailing how small business is faring in the recession, and things aren’t going well. According to the NSBA 2008 Year-End Economic Report, 91 percent of small businesses surveyed over the last two weeks in December said the national economy today is worse off than five years ago, up significantly from 68 percent in August 2008.

The report found significant decreases in anticipated economic growth for the coming year with a mere 3 percent anticipating growth for the U.S. economy—down from 21 percent in August. The number of small-business owners who cited economic uncertainty as one of their top three challenges was up from 53 percent in August to 75 percent—a 42 percent shift in just four months.

“Beyond the significant concerns small-business owners expressed about the overall U.S. economy, more than one-third are not confident about the future of their own business,” stated NSBA President Todd O. McCracken. “Coming from traditionally up-beat entrepreneurs, this number ought to send a strong message to Congress—as they craft an economic stimulus package—that small business is struggling.”

Small businesses are dealing with dramatic decreases in growth of revenues, profits and employee size. Each of these key indicators declined between August and December with the number of small businesses hiring new employees in the past 12 months dropping from 30 percent in August to just 18 percent in December, creating an overall net job loss. Projected job growth didn’t fare any better.

Financing continues to be a problem for small-business owners who reported increased reliance on credit cards—nearly half (49 percent) used credit cards in the past 12 months to finance their business. Making matters worse, respondents who reported worsening credit card terms increased from 63 percent in August to 69 percent in the December. Although regulations have recently been approved that will address some of the problems small businesses are facing, the new rules failed to include business-specific credit cards, making broad reform a critical issue.

“NSBA’s Year-End Economic Report exemplifies the difficult position in which we small businesses find ourselves today,” said NSBA Chair Keith Ashmus. “Given the historic role we have played in job creation, any impediment to our ability to create jobs could make for an extended recession and more difficult recovery.”

2009 Berkshire Athenaeum Workshops

With the new year and the newly renovated Reference and Local History departments, computer and business workshops have been announced for January and February. You can view the entire schedule of workshops by going to the Berkshire Athenaeum's home page and clicking on Computer Class Schedule for January & February.

I am scheduled to lead many of these workshops. My schedule follows:
1) Email Workshops: January 8 and 22, February 5 and 25;
2) Finding Business Resources Online: January 15 and February 12; and
3) Free Websites Useful to Small Business: January 29 and February 26.

All workshops start at 10 a.m. and will end 1 hour later at 11 a.m. They will be held in the Athenaeum's new Computer Lab, which shares space with the Berkshire Author's Room, directly off of the Local History department. These are our first workshops in the new computer lab. Starting times are based on workshops held previously. The times are on a trial basis. If we find these times are inconvenient for whatever reason, we may change them in the future. Let us know whether these times are good or inconvenient for you. I personally may be reached at 413-499-9480 ext 110 or 202. Also PreRegistration is necessary. Just give the Reference Department a call at 499-9480 ext 202.

Let me give you a brief breakdown of the Workshops I will be leading.

Email - Email is one of the most popular activities on the Reference Department computers. This workshop will have a "hands-on" approach to creating a basic free Email account and will distinquish between different providers. We'll look at Yahoo and Gmail. The aim of the workshop is to get you started. This is an introductory workshop, for beginners. It will be a "no frills" introduction. Bring your questions and be prompt.

Finding Free Business Resources Online - There is a host of Business and Finacial sites online. How to distinquish between quality information and junk. We will look at several resource rich sites; sites that prove useful time and again in providing access to quality business and financial information. A list of these sites will be provided. It is expected that this workshop will focus on 2 or 3 sites, due to their depth and resources provided. Bring your questions, observations, and suggestions of other sites that you may want me to cover in the future. PreRegistration is necessary. Call the Reference Department at number listed above. Workshop will start promptly at 10 a.m.

Free Websites Useful to Small Business - This workshop could be considered part b to the other business workshop, though this is a stand alone workshop and the other is not a prerequisite. There are many free tools online to aid you in running your business, obtaining contacts, and providing such things as free Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Calendars, Business Reference, Tools for Mailing lists and so forth. We will look at several of these free business utilities; provide a list of sites for further reference, and look at your needs. PreRegistration is necessary. We start promptly at 10 a.m. and anticipate follow-up with regard to any questions you may have.

I look forward to your participation in these workshops and to your suggestions for others that we may have.

Thanks for your support of our Business Blog. Call me, Richard Fairfield, with any questions you may have.

The Berkshire Athenaeum and the Reference Department is located at 1 Wendell Avenue, in Downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Happy New Year 2009.

Happy New Year Or Is It?!!

We start 2009 with a question, is it truly a Happy New Year or is it just a continuation of the disaster that was 2008? Another way of saying this is Where are we going in 2009? Will things continue to get worse?

Several things have caused us to frame this first post of the New Year this way.

1). The Business Press and Business itself has been relentlessly optimistic in the past. This is especially true of entrepreneurial supporting magazines such as Entrepreneur and Inc. The daily news does not always enter into these magazine's topics. That is no longer true. Both these magazines have bleak prognoses for 2009. Along with the rest of the Business Press, 2009 is to be the "year of recovery". The situation has gotten so bleak, that Mark Hendricks wrote an editorial for Entrepreneur's January 2009 issue calling it "Crappy New Year", and there was no "tongue in cheek". Hendrick's focuses on the credit crisis, its impact on small and large business enterprise. He cites the the July 2008 Senior Loan Office Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices. Their report noted "65% of senior bank loan officers reported that they recently tightened standards for small business seeking loans during the second quarter of 2008. That's an all time high since record keeping began in1990." (You can read the entire editorial by clicking on the highlighted "crappy new year" above or at the Berkshire Athenaeum, where we have many subscriptions to Business magazines or online at entrepreneur.com.) Hendricks also emphasizes that 69% of small business have cut back on operating and capital expenses. This is true also for States where the economic crisis has caused continuing severe economic cutbacks. In President-Elect Obamas infrastructure plan may end replacing money's States have lost in cutting back their budgets. Locally, the town of Pittsfield has experienced cutbacks and job freeze, KB Toys declared bankruptcy December 10, Linens and Things closed and Berkshire Bank applied for and received $40 million from the national bank bailout fund.

2) Speaking of President-Elect Obama, he has been saying with great frequency to anyone who will listen that things are going to get worse before they get better. Whatever National Recovery plan engendered by the new Obama administration may be operating on very fragile ground. The events of 2007 and 2008 will not be ended by chronological end of year 2008. They will remain in the foreground and impact any Obama plan.

3) This gets us to our third point. We all want a return to an optimistic future and will be impatient to see change, real change, one that benefits all, not just a few. So far there has been no plan, no central organizing vision that unites business, labor, the overall public. A plan and vision are a necessary part of National Recovery. The current situation has been non reflective crisis management, trying to "put a finger in the dike" when there are only flood conditions. A national commission, like the commission of civil disorders constituted during the 1960s by President Johnson. That commisslion examined the very soul of America and was controversial. A new rexamination is needed. This is not just credit fallout, housing crisis, or bank and automotive crisis. This is a system breakdown and crisis of historic proportions. Our very daily assumptions about the role of the economy, government, priivate and public sphere need to reexamined. Who are we as a people? What happened and how was it allowed to happen? A critical eye should look under every stone? What is government to be in the 21st century? How are sectors to be united in a comprehensive and comprehensible fashion? What ideas, if any, need to be discarded? What new ideas will be brought forward to determine the road ahead? Inevitably, we are talking about the remaking and reordering of our society and who will benefit. Have laws been broken? If so what redress will be needed. This national commission should be independent and of the highest integrity. It should generate new ideas and a no holds barred critical analysis of what has gone wrong and why and provide the foundation for future directions. Whether a commission of some other form, a comprehensive national plan requiring sacrifice and commitment from all is necessary. It is these kinds of plans in the past that restored hope international, whether it was the New Deal, the Marshal Plan or the New Frontier or the Great Society. It is vestiges from these plans that have kept the United States from total collapse, agencies such as the FDIC, Social Security, and Unemployment are still critical ideas that originated during the Great Depression. The Works Progress Administration may be the model for Obama's infrastructure plan but so too was Eisenhower's National Highway Transportation plan, which created the Interstate Highway system and led to unparalleled economic and social development of the United States during the post World War II and Korean War. There is pullback now from that development.

What will the National Recovery be? Will it be genuine promise or more of the same. And what role for small and large business, labor and government. At the very least, we are living in interesting times. The central issue: What outcome is expected and will we survive?!! What are the basic needs of society and how should they be met? If basic needs cannot be met, how will we survive as a people. The sign in the road ahead suggests "New Directions Needed". As in the end of a year, it will be out with old ideas and institutions that no longer work and in with the new which will bring forward old institutions and ideas that do work along with genuine new ideas and vision that provides the basis for building a new "society" that all can buy into.

Happy New Year!!