David A. Steinberg of Zeta Interactive On Why Big Data is a big deal

If you wait for all the hype to die down, and all the dust to settle, it may be too late. Even as some industries are experiencing a myriad of benefits from Big Data, other businesses are sitting on the sidelines, watching and waiting. Well, that may feel safe to be a bystander, but two things are true about everyone who stands by and watches: first, they never reap the benefits of the action, and, two, they are not protected from danger by not participating.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at why Big Data is such a Big Deal and why you need to be both interested and informed. Data, and the compiling of data, are now an inescapable part of life. Everyone, everywhere is collecting data – from phones, to credit cards, to TV broadcasters, medical professionals, and transportation hubs. The flow is constant, and for all intents and purposes, limitless. Given the sheer immensity of the opportunity, it’s a cinch that someone would figure out how to both profit from the data – and to sell that profitability.

Several years of recorded benefits now prove the worth of Big Data extrapolation, and businesses that seek to realize those benefits are poised to outpace their competition.

But the caveat to all this – and the fact that makes Big Data wonderful – is that the benefit is not in how BIG the data is or how much of it can or is being collected. The major spark of the Big Data revolution is that, finally, all that previously lost data is now actionable, and can be monetized. And, as computing power continues to exponentially increase, the potential for action and profit increase along with it.

Add the human ability to solve puzzles and see patterns, to the ability of computers to crunch data, and you have a powerful recipe for success. But, Big Data also poses some risks and concerns. People wonder about security, about wasting time with frivolous connection exercises, and pattern searches. These are legitimate concerns that paint in vivid relief exactly why businesses should align their efforts with experts in the field.

Businesses have been reaping the benefits of Big Data for years, but the marketplace success has now begun to translate into academic pursuit. Major universities, such as MIT and Harvard, are seeing vastly increased interest in, and attendance at, coursework that involves or centers on data gathering and comprehension. That means the next generation of business leaders, researchers, and marketplace innovators will enter the workforce with a foundational understanding of the basics of Big Data. Big Data application will likely go from “new idea” to “business as usual” in less than a decade.

David A. Steinberg is CEO of ZETA Interactive, a leading big data company. 

How a Beverage Company is creating great PR by Rewarding people for Recycling

Recycling is one of the most important tasks everyone must follow everyday, but did you know it can also create a great opportunity for Beverage PR. With the hustle and bustle of life, it's tough to keep recycled items in the places they need to be. However, one beverage company is changing how this is done by offering to provide gifts and prizes for those who recycle. With recycling being tough to do, Honest Tea is trying to make a change one area at a time.

Honest Tea is the company behind this, and they have come up with a solution to bring the community together. They are providing gifts for every person who brings in enough beverage containers and any cups that can be recycled.

Some of their current gifts is an iPad Mini for every person who is able to collect around 2,500 containers. If you want to earn a Sole Bike, you can do so by giving the company 2,000 containers. Go Pro cameras are also being given away to people who bring in 1,590 containers. Skateboards are given for 750 containers, so they have prizes for nearly any amount you can think of.

Honest Tea is doing this in all kinds of areas. They have events called 'The Great Recycling Tour', and this tour allows them to go to different cities to get more and more people involved with recycling.

This tour and the whole idea has given them massive PR and attention, especially since they are doing good and allowing others to achieve great gifts for their generosity. This entire event started back in 2012, but it wasn't until 2014 where it suddenly became a national prominent event. Their growth over the past few years has enabled them to find the right people, go to the right cities, and promote the importance of keeping our earth clean.

The world is an ever growing vast system. We need to take care of our earth. Their goal by 2020 is to be a national prominent team that has inspired the nation. They're going to change the earth one city at a time. They are providing gifts to help people realize that they can receive rewards for their generous help, but they also want to continue helping the earth and showing them the greater reward of simply helping the world through recycling.

The Greenbrier Classic, Udi Avshalomov, and much more!

The Greenbrier Classic's Twitter, Facebook and Instagram accounts are ideally positioned to complement the newly redesigned website. Fans looking for up-to-the-minute news and information about the tournament can follow The Greenbrier Classic on Twitter and Instagram at @GbrClassic (#GreenbrierClassic) and like the award-winning event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheGreenbrierClassic.

 Udi Avshalomov, CEO of 2 Feet Productions Inc a recent guest of the venue praised Greenbrier for the innovative change. Tournament officials announced today a new design for The Greenbrier Classic website, located at greenbrierclassic.com.

The updated site has been completely revamped to include a bold new look that captures the essence of the tournament while providing new features and increased functionality across smartphones, tablets and computers. The fifth annual Greenbrier Classic is June 30 - July 6 at The Greenbrier, the classic American resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV. In today's fast-paced society people are constantly on the move. Now, more than ever before, people are getting their news and information on smartphones, a variety of tablets and of course traditional desktops or laptop computers.

 The new GREENBRIERCLASSIC.COM works seamlessly across all devices to enhance your tournament experience, delivering content and site features specifically for the screen size of the device you're using.

Ronn Torossian On Media Bias

Ronn Torossian of the Algemeiner asks: Imagine that this week, Jews got angry and hundreds attacked Palestinian Arabs with rocks at the holiest Muslim site in the world.  Imagine that this violence came after a handful of Muslims came to pray peacefully at the site, and even though hundreds of Jews attacked police officers, only seven were arrested.  Can anyone imagine the endless news stories and media reports which would emanate as a result? The New York Times would have three front-page stories; there would be countless United Nations and European Union condemnations, and CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on site.  Media coverage would be non-stop.

But, in reality Arabs attacked Jews repeatedly over the last few days at the Temple Mount, the holiest site for Jews, so it is barely a news story.  Palestinian Arab violence against Jews is a regular occurrence, and as the media seemingly expects the Arabs to throw rocks, they don’t afford it much media coverage. 

A few weeks ago, Stockwell Day, who served as Canada’s Minister of Public Safety between 2006 and 2008 visited the area and was refused admittance by Muslims.  On the Temple Mount, Jewish religious artifacts and symbols are not permitted and visitors report being strip searched before being allowed admittance.  Imagine if in the Vatican, people weren’t permitted to bring religious artifacts?  World media would jump all over themselves to cover the story.  But, since it is Jews being attacked, the world’s media is silent.

The Temple Mount is Judaism's holiest site and the location of the two Holy Temples of Jerusalem, the latter of which was destroyed by the Romans in 70CE. Despite the fact that this area is the holiest place on Earth for the Jews, Jewish visitation is restricted. Pretend there was an area in Washington, DC which had important political or religious significance to America – Could anyone envision a scenario where Americans were kept out? And police officers were attacked regularly at the site?

Of course, if the Israeli police were to adopt the position of the American border patrol police which says they “consider rock-throwing to be deadly force which sometimes demands the same in response”, then the world headlines would criticize Israel for shooting at “unarmed” young protestors.  Ignoring the fact that rocks kill people, the media would describe “tit for tat violence” if Israel responded. Talk about a no-win situation.

Israel is simply always wrong and can do no right for the world’s media. This bias leads to Jews being killed and is simply despicable.

Ronn Torossian is one of America’s most prolific and respected public relations experts. Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading NY PR Agency.

Bullets Fly After Random Driveway Turnaround

Have you ever found yourself feeling a little, well, infringed upon, when a random driver uses your driveway to turn around? Conversely, have you ever felt like maybe it wasn’t so cool to be turning around in a random home owner’s driveway? Does it feel a little like trespassing on private property? Especially because you didn’t exactly ask permission?

You may have had good reason for feeling a bit uneasy. It seems that on July 21, 2013, a 72-year-old woman shot at a car for turning around in her driveway. This was in Hawkins County on Bays Mountain Road in Rogersville, Tennessee, near Knoxville. The good news? No one died.

Five Children

The car’s passengers included a couple from Virginia and their five children.

According to the arrest report (you didn’t really think she’d get away with it, did you?) it was a peaceful Sunday and Oscar Scott was looking for a scenic route by which to take his family back to Virginia. Just after his car crossed the Hawkins County line, Margie Rhea Ramey began shooting. In speaking with the local Kingsport Times-News, Mr. Scott reported that one of the bullets hit the running board on the passenger side of the car. This was a mere couple of feet from where his five children were seated, in the back of the car.

(We’re thinking the sight of that car may be traumatic to the kids in future. The Scotts may want to consider a donation to Kars forKids. They probably need a bigger car anyway, what with all those kids.)

She Confessed

Naturally, Hawkins County deputies arrived on the scene to arrest Ms. Ramey. She confessed she’d fired the shots because she just hates it when people tear up her driveway.

The upshot? Ramey was charged with 7 counts of felony reckless endangerment. So the next time you’re thinking about using a random person’s driveway to turn your car around, you may want to rethink things a bit.

Car Safety Solutions From Chrysler

Safety is our number one expectation of the cars we purchase. Unlike vanity plates or white wall tires, safety is a foregone conclusion. And when our cars become too old to drive safely, it’s time to donate them to a car donation program like Kars for Kids where they will be safely refitted or recycled, with the proceeds going to help kids in need.

So it’s kind of a shock when we read about a massive recall of cars due to safety reasons. We expect new cars to be safe. On the other hand, most of us know the old saying about “assume.”

Yes. We’re in the midst of yet another recall. This time it’s Chrysler, recalling some 667,000 vehicles due to passenger safety restraints that may malfunction as a result of electrical issues. In fact, Chrysler has two recalls going on for this reason, for different models and faulty parts.

More Bad News

That’s piling bad news on top of bad news as far as Chrysler is concerned. Just last month, the car manufacturer had to fight federal safety officials over a demand to recall 2.7 million Jeep Liberty and Grand Cherokee SUV’s after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the design of these vehicles made them vulnerable to catching fire, should they be rear-ended.

Just in the nick of time, the CEO for Chrysler Group, Sergio Marchionne, reached a compromise with NHTSA administrator David Strickland in which “only” 1.56 million vehicles needed to be recalled. The solutions for remedying the cars were uncomplicated and relatively low-cost. This agreement between Chrysler and the NHTSA was made over the phone just minutes before a June 18^th deadline for the recall. Had an agreement not been reached, Chrysler would have been brought before federal court.

Updated Recall List

Here is a list of Chrysler vehicles currently under recall:

The smallest recall involves 224,254 2013 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Ram C/V Tradesman minivans produced May 10, 2012-June 7, 2013. A possible electricity polarity issue might result in airbags inflating on the wrong side of the vehicle should there be a side crash. In other words, if the van is hit on the left side, the right-hand air bag would inflate, and vice versa.  The issue here is that the occupants taking most of the impact during the crash would be left unprotected. In addition, as the airbags deploy on the other side of the vehicle, this may serve to push the occupants on that side of the vehicle toward the site of impact. Dealers can reprogram the airbag systems of these cars for a free and easy fix, once the recall begins in August.

A recall involving 442,481 cars is due to the 2011 natural disasters in Japan which resulted in interruptions for car supplies and components, leaving a possibility of faulty microcontrollers in these cars. These microcontrollers may stop active head restraints on front seats from yielding slightly forward during a rear crash which is meant to minimize the possibility of the occupants sustaining whiplash during a car accident. Starting in August, car dealers will, free of charge, either reprogram control systems or replace control models, depending on what is needed.

Here are the affected cars:

2011-2013 Chrysler Sebring and Chrysler 200 vehicles manufactured June 28, 2011-December 13, 2012.

2011-2013 Dodge Avenger cars created June 25, 2011-January 14, 2013.

2011-2012 Dodge Nitro SUVs made June 17, 2011- December 15, 2011.

2011-2012 Jeep Liberty SUVs produced June 17, 2011- August 15, 2012.

Healthbridge and Daniel Straus Raise Hopes and Cash for Marathon Terror Victims

After the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15, 2013 that killed 3 people, injured 264 others and shocked the New England city and unsettled a nation, people and businesses set out to find meaningful ways to help the victims and help the city heal.

At Boston’s HealthBridge Managed Nursing and Rehabilitation Centers, CEO Daniel Straus and director Elizabeth Straus designed a silent auction to honor the victims.  They set out to find items to auction and gifts to raffle, and they landed some nice contributions.  Among the prizes were art, tickets for Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots and Boston Celtics games, fancy dinners and many more.  Guests also were offered an opportunity to take a photo with Boston Red Sox's 2004 and 2007 World Series Championship trophies.

Ultimately, more than 300 guests attended, including Boston Marathon Director Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon Medical Director Aaron Baggish and Dr. David King. What is remarkable is that Dr. King finished the marathon on tax day and then headed straight to Massachusetts General Hospital to assist with the mass influx of patients.

Straus and Healthbridge raised $275,000 and it was donated to causes that are established specifically for the victims of the bombing.  It was their goal to see that the bombers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev did not rule the day, and the spirit of the event and money raised showed that goodness ultimately wins out.