In The News
IN THE NEWS: Commercial Flights into Space
Posted On: 2010 03 03
IN THE NEWS: My brother on CNN.com!
IN THE NEWS: My brother on CNN.com!
I am a proud sister! My brother was recently featured on CNN.com. Here is the link:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/19/smallbusiness/global_ecommerce_search_engine/Posted On: 2010 02 25
Wall Street Journal- My husband!
WALL STREET JOURNAL: Article about my hubby
Well I can't help myself and brag a little bit about my husbad. A wonderful article appeared last week in the Wall Street Journal.
I believe the article gave an honest depiction on what the Elie Tahari label is, although I have to disagree with the commentary that suggests that we do not design fashion. Our aesthetic is clean and beautiful lines, with a sharp attention to detail. I believe our label to be the perfect balance of understated glamour with the perfect blend of timeless style and sophistication. So to those that deny us the title of fashion designer - I would like to know what your inflated definition of fashion designer is.
Posted On: 2010 02 22
Haiti
HAITI: George Clooney is more than just an actor
I am in awe of George Clooney...and not for the reasons you might think. This man who is known for his good looks and charm on and off the screen happens to be one of the more persuasive political forces coming out of Hollywood. When stars lend their name and image to a charity, one can't help but be a bit skeptical on the true commitment and depth of involvement to the cause. Now George Clooney on the other hand, proves time and time again with his endless lobbying for Darfur and now his huge support for relief in Haiti, that he is a passionate and ambitious man who truly fights for what he believes in.
All the stars were there manning the telephones in an unassuming way while Beyonce, Sting and Wyclef Jean performed. It was Madonna's performance though, that blew me away. Singing "Like a Prayer," her voice sent chills down my spine. Usually criticized as more of a performer than a singer - she proved that she is and always will be unparalleled. Lady Gaga is no comparison - more on that later! If you didn't get to see her performance watch this...
After the telecast for Haiti my husband and I got into one of those conversations that made us reflect on what we are doing to make things right in this world for our children. What would be my legacy that I left behind for them? I lingered in the doorway of my little girl's room and watched her snuggled up under her blankets, her little chest rising and falling from the calm of deep sleep. She looked so small and delicate and it made me so sad as all the images from Haiti came flooding back into my head. I laid wide awake in my bed with my thoughts lingering on the bible quote "charity will save us from death." My children, the children of this world and those haunting images of the devastation in Haiti...if these aren't reasons enough to fuel our passion to be charitable...I don't know what is...We must give back to this world and leave it a better place; if not for us-at least for our children.
To donate to Haiti:
Posted On: 2010 02 22
OBAMA’S NOBEL PRIZE
IN THE NEWS: OBAMA WINNING THE NOBEL PRIZE????
I know there has been much controversial discussion about him winning. I think it would be amazing if they could have posthumous prize for Ghandi (who never won a nobel prize)
Posted On: 2010 02 22
MY BROTHER IS QUOTED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES!
IN THE NEWS: My brother quotes in the New York Times!
My brother, Josh Green, who graduated from Harvard Business School, and then decided to start his own company called Panjiva, has been getting great press. He was even covered in the Harvard Business Review which I was very proud of. In fact he was getting so much press I was becoming used to it. So when this article in the New York Times appeared I didn't email him back and he was mad at me! So I want to make it up to him and put it here on my blog. Not to mention the article is interesting.
New York Times "U.S. Trade Deficit Widened as Imports Rose in June" by Jack Healy 8/13/09
The gap between what the United States imports and what it exports widened in June, the government reported on Wednesday.But economists saw some good news in the larger deficit, which had narrowed in recent months as the volume of trade between the United States and the rest of the world dwindled. The value of imports rose in June for the first time in nearly a year, and American exports increased from a month earlier, though not as much as imports. The $3.5 billion increase in imports primarily reflected rising costs of crude oil, fuel oils and other petroleum-based goods, but businesses and consumers in the United States were also buying more food and beverages from abroad, and demand for foreign-made cars rose.
“Growth in the rest of the world is picking up, and that’s critical to emerge from the worst recession since the Great Depression,” said Joseph Brusuelas, director at Moody’s Economy.com In July, the number of overseas manufacturers sending shipments to the United States increased by 7 percent, according to the private firm Panjiva, which tracks shipping. Still, the number of shipments from overseas was down 10 percent from last July. Over all, the trade deficit widened to $27 billion in June, from $26 billion in May, according to the Commerce Department. The United States imported a total of $152.8 billion in goods and services, and sent $125.8 billion to the rest of the world. Economists had expected the trade gap to widen to $28.5 billion for the month. The figures suggested the worst was over for the global economy, economists said, and that demand for American-made goods was picking up. The United States sent more capital goods like civilian aircraft, semiconductors and industrial machines to other countries, and also exported more industrial supplies.
“That’s what gives me a little bit more optimism here,” Mr. Brusuelas said. “That’s what we do — Boeing, semiconductors and telecom equipment. The only thing missing was computer accessories.”Exports of computer accessories dropped $32 million for the month. In July 2008, the trade deficit exploded to $65 billion as crude oil prices soared to $145 a barrel. But the gap between imports and exports later shrank as the global financial crisis rattled economies around the world, sending oil prices to nearly $30 a barrel and reducing consumer and business demand in the United States. Exports have picked up for two months since touching bottom in April, and economists said the figures on Wednesday would probably presage growth during the third quarter, as businesses restart production and restock their depleted inventories. The economy shrank at an annual pace of 1 percent in the second quarter, and most economists expect it to be flat or grow slowly in the third quarter. In June, the United States trade deficit with China grew to $18.4 billion while the deficit with oil-producing OPEC countries grew to $5.9 billion. “Exports should continue to grow in the months ahead because global economic activity is turning positive,” Abiel Reinhart, an economist at JPMorgan Chase, wrote in a research note. “Nonpetroleum imports should also start to recover soon because of rising domestic demand.”
Posted On: 2010 02 22
Robert McNamara- a documentary you must see about him
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT: My favorite documentary- Fog of War
Recently our past Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara died. An academy award winning documentary film director did a documentary with him called "Fog of War." It really is a must see. I love the fact that he was open about the mistakes he felt he had made and was willing to so candidly share them. The movie is based on what he refers to his "10 lessons on War" He felt "Any military commander who is honest with himself, or with those he's speaking to, will admit that he has made mistakes in the application of military power. He's killed people unnecessarily - his own troops or other troops - through mistakes, through errors of judgment. A hundred, or thousands, or tens of thousands, maybe even a hundred thousand. But, he hasn't destroyed nations."
LESSON #1: EMPATHIZE WITH YOUR ENEMY. Kennedy was trying to keep us out of war. I was trying to help him keep us out of war. And General Curtis LeMay, whom I served under as a matter of fact in World War II, was saying 'Let's go in, let's totally destroy Cuba.'"
LESSON #2: RATIONALITY WILL NOT SAVE US.
"I want to say, and this is very important: at the end we lucked out. It was luck that prevented nuclear war."
LESSON #3: THERE'S SOMETHING BEYOND ONE'S SELF.
"I took more philosophy classes - particularly one in logic and one in ethics. Stress on values and something beyond one's self, and a responsibility to society."
LESSON #4: MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY.
"In that single night, we burned to death 100,000 Japanese civilians in Tokyo: men, women, and children."
LESSON #5: PROPORTIONALITY SHOULD BE A GUIDELINE IN WAR.
"[I]n order to win a war should you kill 100,000 people in one night, by firebombing or any other way. LeMay's answer would be clearly 'Yes' . . . Proportionality should be a guideline in war. Killing 50% to 90% of the people of 67 Japanese cities and then bombing them with two nuclear bombs is not proportional, in the minds of some people, to the objectives we were trying to achieve."
LESSON #6: GET THE DATA.
"I was present with the President when together we received information of that coup. I've never seen him more upset. He totally blanched. President Kennedy and I had tremendous problems with Diem, but my God, he was the authority, he was the head of state. And he was overthrown by a military coup. And Kennedy knew and I knew, that to some degree, the U.S. government was responsible for that."
LESSON #7: BELIEF AND SEEING ARE BOTH OFTEN WRONG.
"We spent ten hours that day trying to find out what in the hell had happened. At one point, the commander of the ship said, 'We're not certain of the attack.' At another point they said, 'Yes, we're absolutely positive.' And then finally late in the day, Admiral Sharp said, 'Yes, we're certain it happened.' So I reported this to Johnson, and as a result there were bombing attacks on targets in North Vietnam. Johnson said we may have to escalate, and I'm not going to do it without Congressional authority. And he put forward a resolution, the language of which gave complete authority to the President to take the nation to war: The Tonkin Gulf Resolution."
LESSON #8: BE PREPARED TO REEXAMINE YOUR REASONING.
"Were those who issued the approval to use Agent Orange: criminals? Were they committing a crime against humanity? Let's look at the law. Now what kind of law do we have that says these chemicals are acceptable for use in war and these chemicals are not. We don't have clear definitions of that kind. I never in the world would have authorized an illegal action. I'm not really sure I authorized Agent Orange. I don't remember it but it certainly occurred, the use of it occurred while I was Secretary."
LESSON #9: IN ORDER TO DO GOOD, YOU MAY HAVE TO ENGAGE IN EVIL.
"How much evil must we do in order to do good? We have certain ideals, certain responsibilities. Recognize that at times you will have to engage in evil, but minimize it."
LESSON #10: NEVER SAY NEVER.
"One of the lessons I learned early on: never say never. Never, never, never. Never say never. And secondly, never answer the question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you. And quite frankly, I follow that rule. It's a very good rule."
LESSON #11: YOU CAN'T CHANGE HUMAN NATURE
"We all make mistakes. We know we make mistakes. I don't know any military commander, who is honest, who would say he has not made a mistake. There's a wonderful phrase: 'the fog of war.' What 'the fog of war' means is: war is so complex it's beyond the ability of the human mind to comprehend all the variables. Our judgment, our understanding, are not adequate. And we kill people unnecessarily."
Posted On: 2010 02 22
