AOL buys The Huffington Post for $315 million | Poynter.

Jim Romeneskoby Jim Romenesko Published Feb. 7, 2011 7:32 am Updated Feb. 7, 2011 2:49 pm

New York Times
Arianna Huffington will take control of all of AOL’s editorial content as president and editor-in-chief of a newly created Huffington Post Media Group. “The deal carries a risk for The Huffington Post, which has had none of AOL’s troubles and is widely viewed as a business success with its own unique voice and identity,” write Jeremy Peters and Verne Kopytoff. “Now that it is to become part of a large corporate entity, what becomes of that unique character is an open question.” || Read Arianna’s post about the deal, and the press release. || Kara Swisher interviews Huffington and AOL CEO Tim Armstrong.
> Read Armstrong’s memo to AOLers (Deal “is core to our strategy”)
> Fineman: Possibilities are exciting, responsibilities challenging
> Paul Carr: “For once, I find myself applauding Armstrong”
> Parr: “AOL has catapulted itself back into relevancy”
> Jarvis: Why didn’t a big, old media company buy HuffPo?
> Read what HuffPo, AOL CEOs told analysts in a conference call

via poynter.org

AOL? hmmmm

Congrats Capische is one of Open Table's @opentable Top 50 Most Romantic Restaurants, and they will feature a 5 course dinner on Valentines

Open Table, www.opentable.com, the online reservation workhorse for restaurants has just released their Top 50 Romantic Restaurants in the nation, and Maui's very own Capische in Wailea has procured a spot. Hawaii has a great showing with two restaurants, the other in Honolulu. Open Table dishes out these awards based on their own diners feedback. California dominates the list with ten restaurants. Capische's romantic attributes, intimate dining settings and amazing Italian menu by Brian Ethredge, trend defying cocktail menu and award winning wine list has made Capische the it place to be for Valentines. They are rewarding their followers with an incredible 5 course extravaganza for Valentines Day.




(see the list of the Top 50 Romantic Restaurants here http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?pid=433)

Press Release Details

 
Capische? captures national honor as “Most Romantic Restaurant”
 
Award-winning Maui restaurant at Hotel Wailea impresses customers
 
WAILEA, Maui, Hawaii – Hotel Wailea Maui announced that Capische? Restaurant, located at the resort, was recently voted one of the 50 “Most Romantic Restaurants” of 2011 by Open Table diners.
 
Based on more than 7 million restaurant reviews over the last year, Capische? was one of two restaurants statewide chosen by people reviewing their dining experiences on Open Table, a leading provider of free online restaurant reservations.  Michel’s at the Colony Surf on Oahu was the second Hawaii restaurant honored.
 
“Guests tell me all the time what a romantic and wonderful dinner they enjoyed at Capische?,” said Markus Schale, General Manager of Hotel Wailea. “The food is number one and the ambiance unbelievable.  Dining at one of their garden tables under the stars, or in the restaurant with picture perfect sunset and panoramic ocean views visible from every table creates beautiful memories that last a lifetime.”
 
This accolade is added to Capische?’s many local and national awards including “#1 Italian Restaurant in the State of Hawaii 2009 – Zagat, Maui’s Best Kept Secret 2008 - Fodor’s and Chef of the Year 2008 - Aipona Awards of Maui No Ka Oi.  For more information on Capische?, visit http://www.capische.com/.
 
“We congratulate Chef/owner Brian Etheridge on his latest well-deserved accolade,” added Schale.  “Brian has exceptionally high personal standards and he, and his expert staff, continues to impress diners every day.”
 
Hotel Wailea an all-suite resort located in the luxury resort community of Wailea Maui.  For reservations, see your preferred travel agent or call Hotel Wailea Maui reservations toll free at  1-800-800-0720 or book online at www.hotelwailea.com. 

6 vie to becomes next chief of UN Food Agency Via AP

6 vie to becomes next chief of UN Food Agency

(AP) – 2 hours ago

ROME (AP) — Six candidates are vying to become the new chief of the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization, including a former EU commissioner, a former Iraqi minister and Spain's former foreign minister.

The new director-general, to be elected late June, will replace Jacques Diouf of Senegal, who has held the position since 1994.

The FAO, the largest U.N. agency, was founded in 1945 to raise nutritional standards and living conditions around the world. Since 2007 — when an independent panel found the agency was inefficient due to its centralized bureaucracy, high administrative costs and unclear priorities — the FAO has undergone reforms, including reducing term of its chief.

The new agency head takes over at the beginning of 2012, remains in charge until July 31, 2015, and is only eligible for one additional four-year term. Diouf has been elected three times for six-year terms.

The candidates are: Franz Fischler of Austria, previously an EU agriculture commissioner; Brazil's Jose Graziano da Silva, assistant general-director at FAO; Indroyono Soesilo, an Indonesian government official; veteran Iranian diplomat Mohammad Saeed Noori Naeini; Abdul-Latif Jamal Rashid, a former water minister for Iraq; and Spain's ex-foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos.

The new chief will be elected with a majority of votes during the next FAO conference, held June 25-July 2 in Rome. Each of FAO's 191 member nations has one vote and the ballot is secret.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

via google.com

State Legislature introduces bill to hide salaries of public servants-Honolulu Civil Beat - Masters of Secrecy - Post

 

 flickr: Anonymous9000

"Welcome to your new job with the government of the state of Hawaii."

That is the first thing any new state employee is required to be told under new procedures implemented by the 2011 Hawaii Legislature. Here is the remainder of the text of the form new public employees are required to review and sign on their first day of work:

"You should consider yourself a very lucky person. You have been hired to serve the citizens of Hawaii. They are grateful for your service and as a sign of appreciation, they would like to give you certain privileges.

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"Nobody shall ever know your name. The law requires that your name, compensation, job title, business address, business telephone number, job description, education and training background, previous work experience, dates of first and last employment, position number, type of appointment, service code, department, division, branch, office, section, unit and island of employment be kept confidential.

"Nobody will ever be able to know where you work or what you do. Your new ID badge will not have your name on it. Nor will it have a picture. A number is good enough, although it will not be your position number. Your voice mail will use that same number. As will your business card. Use that number to answer the phone when somebody calls and to introduce yourself when you meet members of the public.

Please read the full article at http://www.civilbeat.com/posts/2011/01/28/8454-masters-of-secrecy/

via civilbeat.com