We’ve got some exclusive, “breaking” news about Taco Bell. But first, we’ll get you thinking outside the bun as we enjoy an immersive consumer experience with Jennifer Arnoldt , Taco Bell ’s Sr. Marketing Director, Retail Engagement + Experience and Rob Poetsch , their Senior Director, Global Communications and Engagement, the marketing and communications geniuses behind the Taco Bell Hotel & Resort in Palm Springs. https://lnkd.in/e2wwRdC …see more

The hottest new 4K video release? It's the 124-year-old Lumiere Brothers classic Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat, of course -- upscaled using neural networks.

How Do You See the Post-Pandemic Future? I was looking at my list of pre-pandemic theses and it is absolutely frightening how irrelevant most of them are to a post-pandemic future. Worrying about AI taking white-collar jobs, or the fate of commoditized packaged goods, or the adoption rates of IoT devices, or the potential deployment of 5G service seems meaningless if people are worried about being safe and wondering how they are going to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. So, it’s time for some new thinking, and an action plan for 2020 and beyond. Here's how. https://lnkd.in/eje3gQv #coronavirus #covid19 #strategyconsulting #managementconsulting #pandemicplanning #pandemicpreparedness #pandemic2020 #scenarioplanning #postcoronavirus #postcovid19 …see more

Look forward to joining the conversation with Robert Boone, Ed.D., MPA and guests at the upcoming workforce summit. There is no question Navigating COVID-19 is and remains challenging for many employers not only in Kentucky, but across the US, and globally. The Conferance is timed perfectly to strategize and work out how to marshal resources to stabilize business operations and service delivery and look to new and emerging opportunity. Our focus must be to the future, and hope people consider the pandemic as offering employers opportunities to rethink and re-imagine their ideal future workforce. I’m sure during the Conferance we will discuss the interesting fact - that Kentucky businesses are still hiring apprentices during the crisis! Love to see people taking a long range view to skills development. …see more

Deal of the day and beats me how this works. Amazon is selling my new book, Trauma Doesn’t Stop at the School Door, for a steeply discounted price: under $20 for the ebook!!! Makes it very affordable!!! And it is a book that helps schools, colleges and businesses reopen as more trauma responsive entities. I like ebooks — even when I am not traveling. Best to buy now before algorithm changes and price returns to retail of over $30. And when you read the book, share thoughts with me — the book has in the trenches strategies and actions to enable change — at low cost — to ameliorate trauma. And trauma abounds these days — even more since the Pandemic. …see more

I just heard this quote from a Howard Stern interview of Katie Perry: "Gossip and lies take the elevator and move at the speed of an elevator while truth takes the stairs." How true is that with fake news and false data too? Truth, transparency and trust are slower to accept and see and acknowledge. They arrive behind the lies. Bad data, inaccuracies and untruths spread fast and rise like an elevator: quickly. How bad. How sad. We need to get truth, as it relates to COVID and the economy and cybersecurity and drug responses and racial tensions, faster. Otherwise, how can we actually solve the deep problems we confront? …see more

I am boiling mad. Many college campuses are up for sale, and there has been publicity about the auction of Green Mountain College with a starting bid of $3 million. A steal. Then there was an article saying the idea of creating a new college is an impossibility for a myriad of reasons including getting faculty. https://lnkd.in/ezG-a5u . What about imagination and risk taking and new models and novel approaches? The elites aren't changing but there are lots of good minds out there who are willing to re-envision education. New approaches; new pedagogies; new faculty; new systems for student success; a beta site for new ideas. I am disappointed the author had no vision, no imagination, no creativity and is a naysayer. Find a benefactor and create an institution that doesn't complete with the elites but does provide a quality, affordable education to students who can benefit from what it offers. Business people can learn from this too. Imagination, creativity, boldness, risktaking: these are needed now as we reboot America. Same old same old is just that: same old. Try new. Indeed, the current situation begs for new. Thoughtful new. Quality new. Informed new. Bold new. …see more

There has been some push-back on why we are paying so much attention to the tragic death of Kobe and his daughter Gigi and not paying attention to the many individuals who die tragically and "out of order" in everyday life. People think the attention to Kobe is undeserved. Here are some reasons so many are touched: 1) We may not have known Kobe but he has been in our home for decades (on television); 2) He started playing as a teenager and we marveled at but questioned his lack of a collegiate education -- so we wanted to "see" if he made it; 3) He was a rare talent who worked harder than anyone else, despite his abilities -- first to the gym, more reps than most; 4) He had commitment and passion for his sport and winning was his goal and he kept his eyes on the prize; 5) He was NOT a saint in many ways and had enough problems to sink most athletes (physically and with assault charges and marital woes) but he persevered; he apologized; he reconstituted his life; he built back his reputation from the sewer; 6) He cared about kids, his own and others; 7) He was a once in a generation talent, rarely seen and rarely encountered; and 8) He was a model for kids -- sort of like Be Like Mike (whose personal life was hardly in order and gambling etc.). How's that for starters? …see more

A business proposition (although he is the subject of a forthcoming children's story): Meet Wrinkles. He is a pure bred basset and is one year old. He is quite the ham. Easy temperament. Anyhow, he visits Orange Theory regularly and they got him an orange bandana and now he is their mascot. He could be your mascot too! Facebook is using bassets. Hush Puppy did. If you are interested, he's available and comes at relatively low cost as long as you smile and offer biscuits. …see more

I just finished Sister Kathleen Ross' amazing book, Breakthrough Strategies: Classroom-Based Practices to Support the New Majority College Students. For teachers everywhere, at any level, this is a book filled with creative, insightful and wise tips and approaches for teachers to enable their students to grow and flourish. Buy it. Read it. Share it. Here book is truly a gift to the reader. I want to share (literally quote) two lines from the end of the book as we approach 2019 and as I approach a visit to the college Dr. Ross founded, Heritage University: "Throughout my collaborations over the past several years with research assistants -- all of whom are New Majority students -- I have a much deeper belief in the mostly-still-hidden potential of this national resource...By uncovering and publicizing these potential new strategies. we can enable the New Majority leaders of tomorrow to envision and engage in creating a world where all people can confidently belong and work together to prepare a better future for the generations to come." …see more

Please don't forget that some of us are still trying to save the college as a going concern. And phoenixes do rise from the ashes. I appreciate that most folks around this table pictured here seem to think SVC is dead and gone and are thinking of post-death solutions. I for one have not put the final nail in the SVC coffin. Try to remember that that option still is there --- and some of us are not giving up. Be assured we will fight til our last option is closed. And, these ideas are not Quixotic or fraudulent as some have alleged. Please be serious -- Fraud is not what's being proposed. Innovative bold creative long range ideas for a new SVC are well in the works, staying true to its mission, not trying to be "elite," preserving nursing and rad tech, refinancing with the bank, contributing to the community, athletics, graduates from near and far and staying alive. Plans will be forthcoming we hope -- including ones that enable faculty and staff to be paid and even a summer program. Don't kill the goose before its time. No promises but there is a promise to keep trying. So, folks, no funerals. No obituaries. Drs don't give up easily on their patients. We won't either. …see more

#fraud #colleges #admissions #payoffs #elite #cypres #funds #accreditation #students #Pell #lowincome

I just want to say as the sun rises, what if Judge Kavanaugh had told a diff story about his GT Prep HS/ Yale days. Suppose he indicated that, given his background, he was overtaken by the freedoms before him and drank and partied too much and in over-the-top ways. He was like an unstuck drawer. As he's matured, he has seen how his behavior was misguided (how much vomiting does one need to experience), and he hopes that his own children can grow up in a way that does not require that level of rebellion to find their way. Now assuming no sexual assaults in this period (a huge leap of faith for me as I believe the victims), he would not have lied. He wouldn't have had former classmates crawling out of the walls; he wouldn't have had his yrbk words to defend; he wouldn't have done a FOX interview (when winning, silence is better; when offense is weak, put up a loud defense). He wouldn't be discussing his virginity (or anything close to intercourse), and he would have been honest. I repeat: he would have been honest. Painting oneself as a saint is a surefire method for people coming to destroy that image. Who's a saint after all? Once you lie, the lies keep growing. That's, sadly, the story of a lying nominee. He exhibited poor lawyering too. …see more

I also care about conservation.  Giraffes --- yes giraffes --- are facing extinction and we cannot sit on our hands any longer. Time to step it up.  Co-authored a book w/ giraffe jokes and facts where % of net profits go to Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Here's a sample page.  Available on World Giraffe Day -- June 21.  Lady Lucy's Laugh Giraffe Journey.  Laugh2Learn. …see more

My #hurricane trip to read to children (La Saga de la Señorita Sofia) was postponed due to the blackout across the entire island. It's sad really that Americans get re-traumatized by a new set of hurdles, and we are only 43 days away from the start of hurricane season.  The power grid had a single point of failure --- unacceptable.  Really.  And, many schools are closing and let's see who is taking over the existing schools -- private charters perhaps. Preservation of community in a disaster is key. Schools can provide comment for kids.  Shutting neighborhood schools can be devastating.  We need to do better here -- recognizing what is needed and responding well and with compassion and with quality and with all due speed.   #closings …see more

I am not against lists.  But, here's a thought with respect to them: they reflect the perspective (and bias) and orientation of those who make the list.  And, whatever the topic on which lists are made, there is no one list. So, when Branson's list of best books to read was re-printed, I looked at the list.  I noted its limited focus -- in terms of subject and in terms of authors and broad perspectives.  https://lnkd.in/eRXnipr This list may be good for Branson but I think many of us might have a different list.  Many moons ago, as part of my becoming a college president, I launched a challenge: if you were a new college president, what books would you reference in your Inaugural address.  I listed mine (and promised to include them in my remarks). Other presidents chimed in.  So did faculty and provosts. There was a radio show too. Ask here: what 8 books should everyone read and WHY. The why matters. I'll work on a list. I can assume you already it will include women writers and diverse writers and fiction including poetry. …see more

2020 went low, but we’re finishing it on a high note. To usher in an exceptionally wonderful 2021, Ark Republic is ending the year with a series of mixed-media stories, creative works and profiles that vibrate with good energy, in general, but with a focus on how we got through 2020. We're accepting submissions, all good things and people need to apply. …see more

Being an entrepreneur is not an easy road. The glitz and glamour seen in media is a far cry from the daily business owner. That's why a portion of The Light Series on Arkrepublic celebrates the courage of being a small-to-medium business owner. To kick of the life of an entrepreneur, business analyst, @JoeDafney writes in a think piece for Ark Republic, "What I learned is that entrepreneurship is an exercise in faith. You must do an insane amount of work upfront and do it well—then hope your bet was right." . . To all of the entrepreneurs out there, we feel you, we are you, thus we salute you. So it is an honor to highlight these entrepreneurs over the next 10 days. They deserve the shine. Read more of Joe Dafney's piece today: http://ow.ly/Ksb350xvPOT If you want your story heard in The Light Series drop us a line: thelight@arkrepublic.com . #arkrepublic #venture #company #businessowner #thelight #shineyourlight #thislittlelightofmine #shinebrightlikeadiamond #entrepreneur #hustle #grind #smallbusiness #holidayhustle …see more

I live in Newark and for years there has been much discussion of the lead levels in the water. Now, we know that not only lead contaminates the drinking water, but other chemicals that cause serious diseases have been found. As people attempt to access clean water, there are more who are holding the administration accountable. Unfortunately, this situation has been known in two or more Administrations of Newark. Check out the article: https://lnkd.in/dNZ_N5E …see more

Let me tell you about the beauty of having a partner who had a #barbershop . He knows everybody in Newark. One of his clients is Judner Aura, a tech savvy reviewer who always would come to the shop with some gadget or electric scooter. The funny thing is, we actually met Judner or he met us when he interviewed us for his podcast one weekend while we were relaxing at Branch Brook Park. Years later, I linked up with Judner to use his tech review site, UrAvgConsumer, as the main staple for Arkrepublic and our #Tech Talk. …see more