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Bud Feldkamp

Bud Feldkamp

Nine members of same family were on Montana plane.

The single-engine plane that crashed in Butte, Mont., on Sunday was carrying nine family members of a prominent Redlands dentist on their way to a skiing vacation near Bozeman, a relative said today.



David Feldkamp identified the family members killed as Dr. Vanessa Pullen, her husband, Mike, and their two children, plus Pullen's sister, Amy Jacobson of St. Helena, her husband, Erin, and their three children. The women are the daughters of Dr. Irving 'Bud' Feldkamp III, who owns a string of dental offices in Redlands and was driving up to meet the family in Montana, according to David Feldkamp, who is Bud Feldkamp’s cousin.

Feldkamp said Pullen was a pediatrician and her husband was a dentist. Their two children, a boy and a girl, were Christopher, 8, and Sidney, 10. Jacobson was a dental hygienist in St. Helena who had three children: Taylor, 4; Ava, 3; and Jude, 2.

The pilot, Bud Summerfield, lived in Highland and had flown the family for 10 years, according to Feldkamp. “He is accomplished and careful, dotting his `i's' and crossing his 't's' and filing his flight plans,” Feldkamp said. “If you were in the position to hire a pilot, this is the guy you would hire. We called him Air Bud. My wife has flown with him. There are none better.”

According to Feldkamp, the plane left San Diego for Redlands, where he thinks the pilot may have picked up some personal gear. From there, it flew to Vacaville, where Feldkamp's relatives got on. It then made another stop at Oroville, where another couple and their two children boarded, he said. The Oroville family was heading for a house near Yellowstone National Park.

News of the crash has devastated the family, David Feldkamp said.

Bud Feldkamp, who is in Butte, lost a grandchild in an accident a few years earlier. “He is an incredible person who is loved by so many,” David Feldkamp said. “His businesses have brought so much good and so much joy. I can’t imagine his thoughts right now.”

Original Source : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/03/---font-definit.html



Cisco Fatty

Cisco Fatty

Here is the tweet by the Cisco Fatty twitter, theconnor! Did that Cisco Fatty twitter post by theconnor loose them their job?

The Cisco Fatty story is reminding people the power of Twitter and the mistake of posting everything about … what they are doing now.

theconnor posted:

“Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

Thereafter, Tim Levad, an alleged “channel partner advocate” for Cisco Alert, responded back:

“Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.”

Thereafter, theconnor’s account was set to private, all information was deleted by the user, and the rest of the social networking site left asking - did Cisco Fatty get fired before even getting hired?

Now the details are reportedly resurfaced in a new website CiscoFatty.com. That site itself is now darkened.

Original Source : http://news.lalate.com/2009/03/23/cisco-fatty-twitter-theconnor/

Wolf Block

Wolf BlockThe partners of Wolf Block voted Monday to dissolve the 106-year-old law firm due to a combination of effects of the recession on the firm’s core real estate practice, the constriction of credit and the anticipated departures of significant partners and practices. The firm said it would remain in business for several months to protect the interests of its clients, employees and creditors.

“The partners concluded that continued efforts to finance the firm’s operations in the face of these obstacles was unwise and could risk greater harm later to firm clients and employees than if the situation were to be managed now in an orderly and responsible manner,” the firm said in a statement.

Wolf Block has engaged the Hildebrandt consulting firm and Leslie D. Corwin, a partner with the Greenberg Traurig law firm, to work with firm leadership “to relocate as many people as possible, as promptly as possible, while liquidating the firm’s obligations.”

Wolf Block Chairman Mark L. Alderman said the firm was “deeply saddened by the decision to unwind, but we intend to conduct ourselves during this difficult time with the pride, focus, humility and determination that have characterized Wolf Block lawyers for more than a century. This result is ironic given that many of our practices and offices continue to perform at a high level despite our difficulties.”

Word of Monday’s scheduled meeting broke over the weekend.

Sources said a large group of Wolf Block lawyers are speaking to Cozen O’Connor about joining that fellow Philadelphia firm. Wolf Block and Cozen had merger talks two years ago that failed.

Cozen business department chairman Michael Heller, a former Wolf Block lawyer, said the firm does not comment on lateral partner negotiations but added that if Wolf Block did indeed dissolve, his firm would no doubt have interest in some of those lawyers.

Wolf Block was once one of Philadelphia’s elite law firms. But two failed mergers with larger firms over the past two years combined with the economic recession’s effect on its bread-and-butter real estate practice has left Wolf Block in a precarious position.

According to information provided by Wolf Block for the upcoming Philadelphia Business Journal Book of Business Lists, the firm has 287 lawyers and 400 support staff, with 156 local lawyers and 255 local staff. The firm has roughly half of its lawyer count in Philadelphia with about 60 lawyers in Roseland, N.J., and more than 40 in New York and smaller sites in Cherry Hill, N.J., Harrisburg, Pa, Boston and Wilmington.

A number of those lawyers and staff will have a tough time finding work in the current job market unless they are attached to a group than includes lawyers with books of business.

Alderman addressed the firm’s associates Monday afternoon.

Wolf Block was formed in 1903 by Morris Wolf and Horace Stern, two Jewish lawyers who could not obtain work at Philadelphia’s elite law firms. The firm rose in prominence during the first half of the 20th Century along with the local Jewish business community. It was able to attract some of the nation’s top Jewish law school graduates until other firms changed their hiring practices in the late 1960s and provided more competition for their services.

Wolf Block was still among the region’s elite firms until the recession of the early 1990s, when some of its top lawyers such as Alan Davis, Steve Goodman and Sy Kurland left for rival firms. A group of 13 partners left for Cozen O’Connor in 1995. Those familiar with the firm have said it never fully recovered from that series of defections. As other firms grew dramatically in size and geographic scope in the past decade, Wolf Block remained largely a mid-Atlantic law firm that was viewed as a mid-sized firm by current standards.

Proposed mergers with two 500-lawyer firms — Philadelphia’s Cozen O’Connor in 2007 and Florida’s Akerman Senterfitt in 2008 — fell through after lengthy, public negotiations.

After the Akerman deal collapsed after Labor Day, Alderman said the firm would not entertain other merger possibilities until after its fiscal year was completed on Jan. 31. Soon after the end of the fiscal year, when partners collect their year-end compensation, some of the firm’s partners began peeling off. Two labor and employment partners joined Littler Mendelson last week, a litigation partner in Cherry Hill left for Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel and Wolf Block’s 10-lawyer Wilmington, Del., office will reportedly migrate to Drinker Biddle & Reath this week.

A former Wolf Block partner said the year-end distribution of partner profits was “almost non-existent,” creating a loss of confidence in the current management team, which then moved to get the firm back on track with its credit line. Firms need to take a line of credit out with banks to pay operating expenses at the start of each fiscal year until receivables come in from clients.

But more concerns arose on March 1, when former partners said Wolf Block partners did not receive their monthy stipend, called a draw, electronically that day. Instead, it was delivered manually as a check a few days later, indicating the firm might have had some financial problems.

Last fall, Wolf Block announced it was delaying the start dates for its first-year associates from September to November. And in December, the firm laid off 15 lawyers and staff and then made more cuts earlier this year.
Wolf Block decides to dissolve.

Original Source : http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2009/03/23/daily1.html

Obama Punch Drunk

Obama Punch Drunk

PR Gurus Assess Obama's 'Punch Drunk' TV Moment

Should President Obama be laughing right now?

The most memorable moment of the president's interview on "60 Minutes" Sunday night came when reporter Steve Kroft asked, "Are you punch drunk?" That came after Obama, in what could otherwise be deemed a nearly flawless interview, inexplicably chuckled as he talked about the disaster that is the nation's economy.

Watch CBS Videos Online

We asked some of Washington's savviest public relations strategists to weigh in on what they thought of the president's "gallows humor," as he dubbed it. Here's what they had to say:

Rich Masters of Qorvis Communications, who is a Democrat: "The interview was nearly 30 minutes long and the 'punch drunk' segment lasted about 30 seconds, I think it's ridiculous that 30 seconds would come to define an entire interview. That said, in modern public relations those 30 seconds can be the most important if the 'pack' of journalists inside the Beltway focus on them, since most Americans will only watch the reviews of the interview and not the interview itself.

"Is it right to laugh when millions of Americans are mad, sad and unable to find work? Yes, if it's done correctly and I think his laughter at the absurdity of AIG bonuses to the failed 'best and brightest' was appropriate. The president has a good bit of smart-ass in him like most Americans and he could either be mad and blustery about it or he could use ironic humor to poke at the absurdity of the situation we are in. Americans want their presidents to be calm and cheerful in the face of crisis and I think he is accomplishing that. Just so long as he leaves the lame Special Olympics jokes at home."


Marina Ein of Ein Communications, who leans right but has defended many a high-powered Democrat: "Humor is certain to make the laid-off workers, 401K reduced-retirees and Madoff-scammed feel much better! NOT! We don't need a comic-in-chief we need a commander-in-chief! Maybe Favreau is no longer writing his material!"


Jim McCarthy of Counterpoint Strategies, a non-political strategist who represents corporate titans: "Yes, the laughter was off key but it's a great example of how seductive the press can be and how easy it is for even the most polished speakers to let their guard down. If the interview had been conducted by a more obvious adversary, I'm sure Obama would have stayed sharp throughout. But that's the point -- they are all adversaries.

"For as much as I dislike his policies I've been very impressed with Obama's poise and delivery during interviews. But in a perverse way, that confidence actually sets him up for the gotcha punch that last night's interview delivered. He may seem poised but, look, he can't keep a straight face! He appears serious but, stop the presses, he may be in over his head! That counter-intuitive frame can trip up just about anyone and it's one of the cheapest tricks in journalism.

"Overall I thought he came off very well last night and I somehow doubt that the American public will psychoanalyze the minor laughter gaffes as much as the Beltway crowd will. My only advice would be a PR method that the Vatican uses called an 'advocatus diaboli.' As practice for an interview, have a staffer play the role of the devil (in this case, the press) and have a sharp colloquy on the image vulnerabilities that are currently being perceived. It's tempting for the White House to become a cloister of yes men but what they need most right now is an appointed naysayer."

Unnamed Democratic political public relations specialist: "While Obama is gifted in so many ways, humor is not of them. Whether it was Leno on Thursday or '60 minutes' last night, humor is not something that is he seems to be comfortable with, he does not come across as a funny guy. We are only blessed with so many gifts. Obama has many, humor isn't one of them."

And the Sleuth welcomes your comments, especially from those of you - and we know there are lots - who are in the world of communications and public relations. We'll do a follow-up posting picking the best of the (non-abusive and thoughtful) comments. Real names and affiliations preferred though if you insist, we'll respect your anonymity.

Original Source : http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2009/03/_the_most_memorable_moment.html?hpid=news-col-blog

University Suffers From Paper Cuts

University Suffers From Paper CutsHumanities professor Debra Maukonen can no longer allow students to keep their tests as study tools because she has to collect them due to the recent cut in paper.
Samantha Dandridge, a freshman event management major, now takes tests on the projector for her English class.

These changes are part of an effort to cut back on office supplies because of decreased budgets.

The lack of office supplies “makes it more difficult for instructors to do their jobs,” Maukonen said. “In the larger picture, it’s more than paper — it’s people.”

She said a smaller budget means just what students are seeing now: reduced faculty, staff and services; reduced course offerings; reduced face-to-face classes and more online classes; larger class sizes; and an higher student-teacher ratio.

“I know we are saving trees and money by going paperless, but I am seeing a difference in teaching,” Maukonen said.

According to numbers from UCF News & Information, the school spent nearly $20,000 less on paper this year than last year, spending only $9,500. For the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the total spent on paper products was about $29,400. Desk supplies, such as staples, paper clips, and tape, totaled about $65,800 in the same period. That number was cut almost in half to $35,600 for the 2008-2009 fiscal year.

Maukonen and other professors are dealing with the problem in different ways. She said she and her colleagues have increased their use of technology by creating curriculum Web sites and also sometimes pay for copies themselves.

She said the shift to technology may change consumer patterns and create new and sometimes better ways of teaching; however, technology support can also add up, she said.

Last year, office desk accessories, such as organizers and calculators, totaled around $164,500, and mailing supplies totaled about $34,000. This year, the totals dropped to about $83,800 and $11,900, respectively.

Print, copy and fax supplies had the biggest budget for the two years. Last year, they cost the university about $182,800. That number was nearly cut in half for this year to about $94,600.

Mathzza Belance, a history and legal studies major, said the budget cut in paper has really affected her classes. She said she also has to take tests on the projector for her history class and does not receive any printouts for her classes.

“It is such a disadvantage and not an effective way of taking a test because you have to wait for the class to finish before moving on to the next question,” Belance said.
The library’s budget has decreased as well, said Frank Allen, Associate Director for Administrative Services for the library.

He said in an e-mail that the library will spend about $37,000 on office supplies and specialized materials this year, down from $44,000 last year.

Original Source : http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/university_suffers_from_paper_cuts-1.1622673

Missingmoney.com

Missingmoney.comMissing money? Head to missingmoney.com to see if the government has it.

Money's tight these days. But maybe you have a little more of the green stuff than you think you do.

All you need to do is search for it. No, not under the car seats or between the couch cushions. Online.

The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators has a Web site called MissingMoney.com where people can search for funds that may be owed to them. Or you can head directly to the Illinois CashDash database.

According to the Wall Street Journal:

"You may be entitled to some of the nearly $33 billion in unclaimed property sitting in state governments' coffers.

"These are sums that businesses were required to turn over to the states after no activity or contact with the owner after a period of a year or more.

"Items can include dividend or payroll checks that haven't been cashed, refunds, trust distributions, unredeemed money orders, insurance payments or refunds, annuities, certificates of deposit, customer overpayments and the contents of safe-deposit boxes."

All you have to do is head to MissingMoney.com to access state records (most states are included) for free.

And you can search to see if a deceased relative of yours has unclaimed property as well. To claim those accounts, you have to be able to prove you're the legal heir.

Original Source : http://www.suntimes.com/business/1490879,w-missing-money-search-032309.article