8 Companies Ruined By Their Founders: 24/7 Wall St.

24/7 Wall St.: For every Sergey Brin, there is a Michael Dell. While the Google co-founder and CEO has made his company one of the most valuable in the world with its shares reaching an all-time high, Dell has laid waste to his company.
Dell and financial supporters offered to buy the company for $13.65 a share, 40% lower than what it was when Dell retook the CEO job in early 2007. Investors who bought shares a year ago have taken a haircut of more than 20%. Dell is not alone in his failure. He belongs to a group of founders of large public companies that showed great promise for a time, and then were wrecked by poor decisions, serious legal problems, and lack of innovation.
Click here to see the eight ruined companies
Perhaps the greatest hallmark of founders who ruin their companies is that they — at least appear to — look out mostly for number one rather than the interests of the company and its shareholders. This is reflected largely in their generally excessive compensation. By contrast, it is worth remembering that Steve Jobs of Apple, earned only $1 in salary and bonus in 2010.
Aubrey McClendon, who was recently ousted as CEO of Chesapeake Energy, made over $100 million in 2008, and remarkably large sums in the years since then. Some of his other actions, such as allegedly borrowing against assets that he co-owned with Chesapeake, raised concerns of conflict of interest. Martha Stewart recently received a new contract from her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which has lost money four years in a row. Under the arrangement, she will continue as founder and chief creative officer at the firm until 2017.
That is in addition to the more than $20 million she made over the three years that ended in 2011.
Dov Charney, who drove the company he founded, American Apparel, to the brink of bankruptcy in 2011, made $11.6 million that year. Michael Dell, who in 2010 settled SEC charges that he helped misrepresent Dell’s financials, made more than $21 million during the company’s last three combined fiscal years.

A more complex measurement of these founders’ performance is their lack of vision to transform their companies as the markets in which they operate change. None have shown the foresight Brin did when he moved Google beyond search and into mobile operating systems. And his company is also the dominant force in online video.
Michael Dell did not drive any comparable revolution at Dell. The company never stepped aggressively into the new age of personal computing — tablets and smartphones. The same holds true for Mike Lazaridis, the co-founder of BlackBerry, which did not transform its market share in the corporate smartphone industry into a lead in the consumer sector. Richard M. Schulze, who was the founder, largest shareholder, and de facto head of Best Buy oversaw a period in which the retailer failed to move into e-commerce quickly. In the meantime, Amazon has nearly bulldozed Best Buy under.
Finally, the most maddening, and often damaging, problem with these founders is that they cannot be pushed out. Martha Stewart owns the controlling interest in her company. Andrew Mason and two other shareholders control Groupon. Schulze and Dell own commanding portions of the shares in the companies they founded.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed large, U.S., publicly traded companies that have been irrevocably damaged by their founders or co-founders. We included in our analysis a review of company financials, as well as share price change over time. To reflect the amount of control these individuals have, we reviewed company documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to identify voting share of the founders. If the voting share could not be determined, the total share ownership of the founder was used instead. In the case of Dell, Michael Dell’s voting share reflects his ownership before the completion of the pending move to go private.
HuffingtonPost

How To Flirt With Your Lover

Flirting is one of the most fundamental human behaviors and each of us is hard-wired to seduce prospective partners with flirtatious gestures and expressions.
When you first meet, the flirting meter flies off the charts, but this sèxy  courting ritual wanes with time and can easily disappear even in loving relationships.
This can be catastrophic, as evolutionary psychologists believe that flirting with your own partner is actually a genetic survival tactic. Translation? Flirting leads to more sèx! Here are a few flirting tips to take your prolonged foreplay to new heights:
Touch! Brush your hand against your lover’s thigh in non-sèxual situations to make the blood rush to their pelvic region and give them a taste of what’s to come later on. This isn’t a commitment to “have sèx” when you get home, but just a reminder that your attraction to them is still red-hot.
Be unpredictable. Surprise your honey with sèxy texts, love notes or unannounced lunch dates. Again, sèx doesn’t have to be on the table for you to enjoy some intimacy, romance and sèxual tension. The power of suggestion can sometimes be as hot as sèx itself.

Offer compliments. This is an easy one! If you’re new to flirting or feel awkward dishing out sèxy talk, begin with compliments of an animalistic nature. Tell your lover how much you love their skin, eyes, thighs, arms or any other feature you’re genuinely attracted to as you look them up and down with lust.
Whisper! Almost anything sounds sèxy when you lower your voice. So the next time you’re eating dinner alone, walk over to your partner’s side and whisper sweet nothings in their ear.
Dress the part. A three-piece suit or five-inch stilettos may not always be practical, but if you want to turn on the flirt, you need to feel sèxy. So make a point of dressing up in outfits, underwear and shoes that make you feel seductive and irresistible. And when your partner goes out of their way to impress you with their attire, be sure to lay on the flattery to show appreciation for the effort.
Be playful! Flirting doesn’t have to be serious business — it should be fun! Don’t worry about saying everything perfectly and make light of any blunders, awkward moments and mishaps. Laughter and sèx actually have a lot in common, as they both are accompanied by a surge in endorphins. And since laughter helps to break the tension, it may just be the relaxant you need to enjoy an evening (or morning) or sèxual intimacy. Say no to pressure. Flirting may lead to physical sèx play, but it doesn’t have to. Anyone who has ever enjoyed a passionate courtship will tell you that the chase can be just as hot as the prize. So enjoy the journey for what it is.
InformationNigeria

Merger: DPP set to join mega party

by Abbas Jimoh

The Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP) is set join the newly formed merger of opposition political parties in the country; the All Progressives Congress (APC).   

DPP national chairman, Major Gen. Bashir Salisu Magashi told newsman after the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja that DPP has also resolved to set up a committee to hold talks with other political parties disposed to merger.

DPP Board of Trustees (BOT) Chairman, Gen. Jeremiah Useni, former gubernatorial candidate; Sir Great Ogboru and acting national secretary of the party, Mallam Abdullahi Danazumi were at the meeting.

Magashi who said the merger process has become imperative prayed that it will succeed to enable the opposition dismantle “a government that is not fair to the people of this country.”

In the communique issued after the meeting, the DPP resolved that “In view of the current political development in the country, the NEC hereby resolved that the DPP should go into the merger. A committee be set up to talk with the other parties disposed to merger with a view to negotiating for the best interest of DPP. The committee is to report back within 21 days to the NEC through the national chairman who shall there upon summon a NEC meeting.

He added that DPP has been in the forefront of having such an alliance in the past. “If you are following the history of the political development of parties you should put us in the pioneer champions of this merger issue. We are 100 percent in support of anything that will bring relief to this nation, anything that will help this nation to develop. As a political party with elected representatives with legislative arms of government, at various levels it is natural that we are interested in the political re-alignment taking place,” he stated.

DailyTrust

Sports Illustrated Called Racist For Using 'Exotic' People In Swimsuit Issue (PHOTOS)

The Huffington Post  |  By Meredith Bennett-Smith

The newest edition of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue is getting a lot of buzz for the wrong reasons this week, with critics charging that the global pictorials are racist and reinforce bad stereotypes.
This year the heralded swimsuit issue decided on a seven continents theme, with its bikini-clad models posing in countries around the world. The problem for some, however, is who the models were posed with.
Instead of sticking to exotic backdrops, some of the models are featured standing next to people allegedly representing the various countries--an editorial decision that makes the "native people" tantamount to exotic props.
Jezebel's Dodai Stewart takes specific offense to two pictures, one from China, and another from Namibia.
In a shot taken in a picture taken on a river in Guilin, Guangxi, model Anne V., who is white and blonde, sits on a raft piloted by an elderly Chinese man:

This photo cements stereotypes, perpetuates an imbalance in the power dynamic, is reminiscent of centuries of colonialism (and indentured servitude) and serves as a good example of both creating a centrality of whiteness and using "exotic" people as fashion props.

Besides which, the picture represents a specific decision to portray China as "non-Western" and "backward." As Shanghaiist notes, in Sports Illustrated's view "China is poverty and 'ethnic' clothing, not the world's second largest economy where the majority of people live in cities rather than the countryside."

The second controversial shot, featuring Emily DiDonato in an African desert, also include a tribal-looking, half-naked man carrying a spear:

These shots tap into the West's past obsession/fetishization with so-called savages, jungle comics and the like. Again: In a visit to seven continents, this image is what Sports Illustrated is using to represent the continent of Africa.

David Leonard, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Critical Culture, Gender, and Race Studies at Washington State University, told Yahoo! Shine he understands why some might find the pictures offensive.

"These photos depict people of color as exotic backdrops," Leonard said. "Beyond functioning as props, as scenery to authenticate their third world adventures, people of color are imagined as servants, as the loyal helpers, as existing for white western pleasure, amusement, and enjoyment."
In contrast, cover model Kate Upton, photographed in Antarctica, has penguins in her background.
Shooting fashion spreads in exotic locales has caused controversy in the past, of course -- remember when J. Crew raised eyebrows with a Bali shoot featuring local kids? Magazines have also found themselves in hot water over exoticizing cultures for the sake of a fashion shoot. Vogue Italia took a serious misstep in 2011 when they decided to call hoop earrings "Slave Earrings" on their website.
Meanwhile, some people have argued the whole Sports Illustrated debacle has been blown out of proportion. Unsurprisingly, a story on Fox Nation titled "Liberals Call SI Swimsuit Issue Racist" was filled with comments in support of the magazine.
Head to SportsIllustrated.com to see for yourself. Do you find any of the photos offensive?

Officer Kyle Jones, La Porte, Texas Cop, Stops Traffic In The Rain To Help Lost Dog (PHOTO)

The Huffington Post  |  By Hayley Hudson  

All together now: AWWW!
On Monday, a Reddit user posted this image of a police officer reaching out to a tiny dog who appeared to be lost. The photograph was taken by MissEmKay, who told The Huffington Post she encountered the scene while driving.
"It was a really rainy yucky morning and I saw something in the street so I slowed way down," MissEmKay said. "The police officer pulled up, turned his lights on, stopped traffic and walked toward the little guy."
Story continues after photo

The dog was a little skittish, she said, but eventually let the officer scoop him up and put him in his back seat. Later, La Porte Police identified the cop as Officer Kyle Jones.
"No task is insignificant for Officer Jones," Sgt. John Krueger told The Huffington Post. "Moreover, the event was nothing but significant for the family."
A few hours after the rescue, police received a heartfelt email:

Just wanted to send a big thanks for the kindness shown to my "4 legged" son this morning! As I raised my garage door to let our cat out this morning I left back door cracked and my little old guy ran out. When I discovered he was missing minutes later it had started raining. I drove up and down street with no luck seeing him. My son joined my search. He drove around in his car as I walked around neighborhood and park.
As I was walking on Farrington side of park my husband drove up and said that Animal Control had just brought him home. He said an officer had seen him in the middle of Spencer Hwy. and the officer had stopped traffic to help our little guy! Words cannot describe how grateful I am for this wonderful, caring officer and his kind deed!! It is a wonderful feeling to know we have people like him looking out for us...

I kept reminding myself that he had his tag with his name, address & phone number. Then I would think of how small he is and worry all over again... After a bath and his arthritis medication he has been resting all day. Safe, warm, and home again. All because someone did care!
Again, our sincere thanks:
Don and Diwanna Zapalac and Family

Officer Jones normally rides a motorcycle, but opted for a patrol car on Monday due to the rain, police said.

How Mobile Phones Affect Sleep (INFOGRAPHIC)

Most people who own iPhones use them as their alarm clock — making it all too easy to check email one last time before falling asleep and hard to ever feel unplugged from work and social networks.
Several years ago my boss, Arianna Huffington, passed out from exhaustion after staying up late to catch up on work. She banged her head on the way down and ended up with five stitches — and became what she calls a "sleep evangelist." Now she leaves her phone charging in another room when she goes to bed and encourages friends to do the same.
"I sent all my friends the same Christmas gift — a Pottery Barn alarm clock — so they could stop using the excuse that they needed their very tempting iPhone by their bed to wake them up in the morning," she said.
If your phone wakes you up in the morning, it may also be keeping you up at night. A 2008 study funded by major mobile phone makers themselves showed that people exposed to mobile radiation took longer to fall asleep and spent less time in deep sleep.
"The study indicates that during laboratory exposure to 884 MHz wireless signals components of sleep believed to be important for recovery from daily wear and tear are adversely affected," the study concluded.
And that's just a physical symtom of sleeping near the phone — "sham" exposure to a phone without radiation failed to produce the same effect. The itch to check in at all hours of the night or wake up to the sound of a text message disrupts our sleep, too. A quarter of young people feel like they must be available by phone around the clock, according to a Swedish study that linked heavy cell phone use to sleeping problems, stress and depression. Unreturned messages carry more guilt when the technology to address them lies at our fingertips. Some teens even return text messages while they are asleep.
Most of us choose not to set limits on our nighttime availability. Nearly three-quarters of people from the age of 18 to 44 sleep with their phones within reach, according to a 2012 Time/Qualcomm poll. That number falls off slightly in middle age, but only in people 65 and older is leaving the phone in another room as common as sleeping right next it.


HuffPost

Now That Goldie Is Dead, This Is What Gonna Happen In Days To Come By Ahaoma Kanu

If you are still getting to know about the news of the passing on of the Nigerian musical artiste, Oluwabimpe Susan Harvey, popularly known as Goldie, then you are either too busy in your work or travelling thousands miles by road; or simply put, you are not a fan of the Nigerian music entertainment industry.
The 31 year old singer who represented Nigeria last year at the popular TV reality show Big Brother Africa (BBA) last year died recently at Reddington Hospital in Victoria Island after landing from the USA where she attended the Grammy Awards which held on Sunday along with duo of Kennis Music Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye. Maverick TV presenter, Denrele Edun, is very prominent to be among those that were with the deceased in her last moments.
While the wait for the autopsy result expected to be carried out to ascertain the cause of death lingers on, so many writers, bloggers and journalists have turned to speculating what the cause of death might be; I have written one and suggested it may be Thrombosis, a condition leading to the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel thereby obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system.
That is not the only suspicion for the cause of death;   sources from Reddington hospital where Goldie died last night postulated Pulmonary Embolism while what would be regarded a “negative” revelation made headlines in the publication, PM News, which claimed she may have died as a result of doping complications.  Well, the good development is that an autopsy will be carried out as it is necessary as contained in the laws guiding Lagos State where she passed on but whether the result will be made public will be another issue to be dealt with. With the kind of influence being wielded by some music labels over the entertainment writers’ leaves one to be afraid that should the autopsy report prove otherwise, chances that it would be reported credible are slim; there is bound to be conflicting reports.
Traditionally, as no evil is not supposed to be said about the dead, the media show do what is right; you decide that.
Goldie is dead and she will be remembered in the coming weeks, months and maybe the rest of the year by some friends, fans, colleagues and all sorts but be sure that the government will in no way be among those that would be visible in this category.
First among what you will start noticing and which has started is that Goldie’s twitter account would have more followers; her Facebook page would witness more likes to the extent you will start asking; where the hell were all these people? As of the time of penning this piece, it stood at 86, 610 and still counting.
Many will post some ugly tweets and make reference to her BBA moments and also try to measure her career in the negative but, she will have fighters that would attack every silly comment; trust artistes, they protect their own.
If Google could be kind enough to furnish us with the frequency of downloads and searches done on Goldie since the announcement of her death, then you will see that Goldie became more popular in death than she was when she was in the Big Brother House.
Her picture has since replaced those of many as display pictures (dp) on Blackberry Smartphone’s BBM app and her songs and interviews have hit the highest since she came on stage as an artiste in both print and electronic media including the internet not to talk of ringtones across Nigeria.
Her albums will start selling and Alaba marketers may have started mass-producing the albums including the present three   singles from her forthcoming African Invasion album entitled Skibo, Miliki and Got to Have it; the pirates are already seeing a gold mine in Goldie’s work and they will surely smile to the bank and rob her of her royalties.
The regulatory bodies for copyright infringements will send their investigators and collectors out to all hotels, joints and relaxation spots with calculators and all to start tabulating the amount accruing from the airplay of her songs which has risen astronomically since her Valentine Day demise.
Fellow artistes are already trying to get their voices heard with tributes for her and they would be calling themselves and planning on a splendid way to have a befitting burial ceremony; a committee will be formed, Nollywood stars of course will be involved and they may toy with the idea of visiting the Ekiti State governor to donate some fund towards what they may call A Golden Farewell to Goldie.
The artistes are all going to start recounting their relationships with Goldie and then, you will see some collabo videos staring Goldie that may have been dropped some years back on your entertainment channels. Also, tribute songs especially in the form of singles will soon start hitting the airwaves and the lyrics will speak so much of what an Angel Goldie was; the kind of praises always reserved for the dead never for those living.
The media is already digging and will keep nosing. Soon stories about Goldie’s escapades in the BBA would dominate the stage and the main focus will be Prezzo who she was romantically attracted to and said officially that she was in love with. Then, more stories will come out; soft sells will be digging and they would be asking a question nobody ever asked; who is Leo Harvey?  A brother, a husband? I rather not go there.

Then would be some music video collaboration by artistes in tribute to Goldie; it may be haphazardly done and presented and some of the stars would sing about their love for Goldie and all she did not do for them while alive.
The burial will be a celebrity show; whether in Lagos or her home state of Ekiti State. It will sure be a show for the best of the best in the industries. All class of artistes will be there whether A,B,or C-List and wannabes will not be left out. Goldie might have a golden casket and be sure to see some ladies that would dress up like her; blonde hairs, extra long eye lashes and tight fitting diva apparels, just to immortalize Goldie.
Tears will flow definitely, Denrenle would cry, Omawumi too; Don Jazzy would be too moody to show his emotion while Banky-W will appear on black with his EME crew. Don’t be surprised if you see Kenny Keke Ogungbe and Dayo D1 Adeneye shed tears; she was signed to their record label and they were together at the 55th Grammy Awards held in Los Angeles some days before her death.  Posters of Goldie will fly across Nigeria and some parts of Africa and her blonde hairstyle will be immortalized with her name; Goldie.
Many music award organizing bodies will give her post-humous awards and maybe some corporate bodies may try to do a movie about her and her diva nature; I am lost for a title but something like The Golden Diva will sure be considered.
The reality show she was planning to roll out next month called, Tru Friendship alongside Denrele and Kenyan housemate Prezzo, who have since departed Nairobi to Nigeria, might still stand a chance to see the daylight; somebody gotta have a mind to keep the dream alive. She wanted to launch it next month.
Goldie will remain in the hearts of Nigerians as one young lady who came and did her thing; she may not have been the best but she did give her best. In any way you may have perceived her, take a moment of silence and celebrate her life. She was indeed golden.
 Rest in Peace Susan.
  Saharareporters