Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurs made little effort over the last year to conceal their distaste for Donald Trump, a candidate whose social media savvy belied what they saw as a staggering disregard for the innovation economy and the tech culture that has fostered it.
Now comes the reckoning.
Some of the nation’s top tech CEOs will find out how much of a grudge Trump holds when they ride the elevator up to his office in Trump Tower on Wednesday.
Tech titans including Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook, Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX and Larry Page of Alphabet, the corporate parent of Google, have been summoned by Trump as firms scramble to adjust to a reality for which they had not prepared — a potentially hostile president-elect indebted to almost no one in Silicon Valley, save for an idiosyncratic fellow billionaire they don’t particularly like.
PUBLISHED: 19:10 EST, 13 December 2016 | UPDATED: 19:10 EST, 13 December 2016
US technology giant IBM said Tuesday it would hire 25,000 people in the country over the next four years, a day before President-elect Donald Trump meets with tech industry leaders.
About 6,000 of those hirings will occur in 2017, IBM chief executive Ginni Rometty said in an opinion article published in the newspaper USA Today.
IBM, which has undertaken in recent years a restructuring of its activities, will invest $1 billion on employee training and development in the next four years, said the IBM president, chairman and CEO.
Have you heard of The 12 Nights of Christmas? Also known as Secret Santa, I came across this concept years ago while reading “In Search of the Real Spirit of Christmas” by Dan Schaeffer. In the back was a chapter describing his family tradition modeled after the 12 days of Christmas. Beginning on December 13 and ending on Christmas Eve, the family left a treat along with a cute poem on a neighbor’s porch every evening. The whole idea was to teach kids that giving was just as fun as receiving.
Twelve nights sneaking around the neighborhood playing ding dong ditch? How fun! I especially loved the idea of helping my kids learn the joys of giving at such an impressionable age. And so that December gave birth to a new family tradition for the Fells.
Now our oldest daughter was away at college and our teenage son was busy with high school activities, so that left our two youngest as santas. As I explained what we were embarking on and why, they were thrilled with the idea of sneaking around the neighborhood for any reason. At age 10, our daughter much preferred to be an elf as she was female and Santa was, well, male. But with her 8-year-old brother as Santa, an elf’s superior, that wouldn’t do either. To keep the village peace, we became elves instead of Santas.
Now as a family of six, we were on a budget. Armed with a shopping list, my first stop was our local dollar store. Thankfully, this was our only stop—everything we needed was there. Taking home our supplies, we got to work printing the poems and preparing the bags while the kids giggled at the notion of 12 nights of mischief over Christmas vacation.
It was already December, and the first night was fast approaching. Fairly new to the neighborhood, we discussed who should be the lucky neighbor. A couple months earlier, I heard that Neighbor Tom had lost his wife to cancer. She was well loved by all who knew her, and I couldn’t imagine what the holidays must be like for Tom and their two children. To my mind, it was clear that Tom’s home could use small doses of nightly cheer. The kids quickly agreed, and the matter was settled.
On the evening of December 13, my two elves giggled nervously as we bundled up and headed out into the night. Sneaking through the quiet snow-filled streets of our neighborhood with a flashlight was as magical for the kids as it was for me; I treasured our memories in the making. Also, I had never realized just how quiet—and beautiful—the cold, deserted streets were at night. It was like another world waited for us each evening, a peaceful, enchanting winter wonderland that could only be experienced on foot. The magic was heightened when the kids giggled over my clumsiness in the dark. Note to self: Get more flashlights.
T’was the first night of Christmas
And all through your house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
Except suddenly one little soul did appear
It’s your Little Elf, and he brings holiday cheer!
Tonight it’s a partridge for your pear tree
And tomorrow, who knows, You must wait and see
So turn on your porch light each evening with care
And know that your gift soon will be there
But don’t try to catch him or he’ll disappear!
Upon returning home from our adventure each evening, we warmed our hands around a mug of hot cocoa, and warmed our hearts around the whim that our nightly surprises might bring cheer to Tom’s family.
The next eleven nights flew by and soon it was Christmas Eve, the 12th day when we had to reveal our identity. I suddenly became nervous. I had never actually met Tom, and worried that maybe our nightly gifts had been a bit too much for the family’s fragile emotions. But there was no backing down now; we had to finish. That afternoon we arranged a dozen homemade treats on a small holiday plate, covered it with red plastic wrap, taped the final poem to the top and—not trusting my children to walk two blocks with a plate of goodies—we drove to Tom’s house. We climbed out of the car, gathered on his front porch, and I rang the doorbell.
Twelve drummers drumming,
they play a happy beat
For this should fill your tummy,
it’s your Christmas treat!
We had such a good time,
being your friend
We’re really sorry our visit must end.
So we wish you a wonderful Christmas day
And a year free of troubles, for this we’ll pray.
When Tom opened the door, we nervously started singing:
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas
We wish you a merry Christmas,
and a happy new year!
Well, I ended up singing that cheery first verse by myself because my elves stood glued to the porch with mouths frozen shut. Realizing I was on my own and because my children say I’m tone deaf, I quickly decided that one verse was more than enough for this poor family.
As soon as I stopped singing I realized that Tom and his two children had tears in their eyes! Oh, dear. Was my voice that bad, or was our entire mission just one big flop?
Quickly, I decided the best way to handle this was to explain that we were the Little Elves responsible for the nightly treats, and then leave the poor family alone. After all, it was Christmas Eve and here we were intruding on their fragile emotions.
But I soon discovered that I had nothing to fear at all: they were crying because of how much they loved the little gifts, and now it was coming to an end! It turns out that Tom and his children not only enjoyed the element of surprise, but the nightly anticipation was a wonderful respite from the constant sadness, and lifted their spirits. Mission accomplished!
That first year proved a wonderful experience and we continued the tradition, choosing a different neighbor each year, until tragedy struck our own family. In 2009, my 15-year-old elf, Aly, died in a car accident while coming home from a swim meet. Caught in my own fog of grief, I had no reserve left in my tank to carry on our family fun with our youngest. With a broken heart, our once beloved tradition came to an unexpected end.
In the years since losing Aly, in fits and starts our family has learned to laugh and feel joy again but I’ve never forgotten how bleak those first holidays felt.
I’ve also learned that helping others helps my own heart to heal.
Now that our grandson is 9—the perfect age to become an elf—reinstating the old family tradition will offer both giver and receiver a nightly dose of good cheer, and enrich our holidays in magical ways just as it did in years past. I already know who this year’s lucky neighbor will be, and our gift bags are assembled and ready for delivery starting December 13.
Project Little Elf was inspired by that first year with Tom and his children. Having faced loss since then, I now fully understand how the holidays can feel less than cheery, and how a little kindness can go a long way. And nobody needs it more than the bereaved facing their first holidays.
If you too would like to teach your children how to be givers of kindness and learn the joys of giving, all the instructions and printables to begin your own family tradition can be found at www.GriefDiaries.com.
Above all, the nightly trips to a neighbor’s porch is more than just a little fun. It holds the promise of magical memories for children of all ages, and gives the bereaved the priceless gift of a heart full of cheer they’ll treasure all year.
Ridgewood NJ, The New Jersey Choral Society is holding auditions for two youth choruses, treble and SATB, for students in grades 6-12. Auditions will be held Monday, January 9 from 4-6 pm at St. Elizabeth’s Episcopal Church, 169 Fairmount Road, Ridgewood, NJ. Treble voices are accepted from grades 6-12 and SATB voices from grades 9-12. Audition requirements, including a memorized solo, and registration details are available on the New Jersey Choral Society website at www.njcs.org under “About”. Interested students, parents and educators can contact Festival Youth Chorus Director, Noelle Dachis, at [email protected] for more information.
This is a unique and exciting opportunity for young choral singers to perform with the New Jersey Choral Society and Maestro Eric Dale Knapp, and a rare experience to include on college applications, especially for students heading into a music study. Students selected for the chorus are expected to attend weekly rehearsals, held at St. Elizabeth’s Church on Monday evenings, and all performances. The Festival Youth Chorus will be singing in the NJCS Masterworks performances of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 in June 2017. As well, participating students may have the opportunity to sing in a Festival in Lake Como, Italy, with other youth choral ensembles in July 2017.
Established in 1980, the New Jersey Choral Society is one of the state’s most prestigious choral groups, well-known for presenting outstanding and unique programs. Under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, NJCS performs three major concerts annually in Bergen and Essex counties. They have performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House and have toured internationally in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, China, Australia, England, and France.
Ridgewood NJ, President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to nominate Mr. Rex Tillerson, Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, to serve as Secretary of the United States Department of State.
Among the most accomplished business leaders and international dealmakers in the world, Mr. Tillerson has spent his career protecting the jobs of his employees, who number more than 70,000. Guiding operations around the world that include more than 200 offices, Mr. Tillerson knows how to manage a global organization and successfully navigate the complex architecture of world affairs and diverse foreign leaders. As Secretary of State, he will be a forceful and clear-eyed advocate for America’s vital national interests, and help reverse years of misguided foreign policies and actions that have weakened America’s security and standing in the world. The American people will once again have a world-class leader working on their behalf, enhancing the prospects for peace and prosperity among nations.
“Rex Tillerson’s career is the embodiment of the American dream. Through hard work, dedication and smart deal making, Rex rose through the ranks to become CEO of ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest and most respected companies,” said President-elect Donald J. Trump. “His tenacity, broad experience and deep understanding of geopolitics make him an excellent choice for Secretary of State. He will promote regional stability and focus on the core national security interests of the United States. Rex knows how to manage a global enterprise, which is crucial to running a successful State Department, and his relationships with leaders all over the world are second to none. I can think of no one more prepared, and no one more dedicated, to serve as Secretary of State at this critical time in our history.”
“I am honored by President-elect Trump’s nomination and share his vision for restoring the credibility of the United States’ foreign relations and advancing our country’s national security,” said Mr. Tillerson. “We must focus on strengthening our alliances, pursuing shared national interests and enhancing the strength, security and sovereignty of the United States.”
Rex Tillerson is a native Texan who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. He began his career at Exxon Company, U.S.A. in 1975 as a production engineer.
After years of hard work and dedication to his company, Rex then became general manager of Exxon Company, U.S.A.’s central production division, responsible for oil and gas production operations throughout a large portion of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas.
In 1992, Mr. Tillerson was named production advisor to Exxon Corporation. Three years later he was named president of Exxon Yemen Inc. and Esso Exploration and Production Khorat Inc., and in January 1998, he was promoted to vice president of Exxon Ventures (CIS) Inc. and president of Exxon Neftegas Limited. In those roles, he was responsible for Exxon’s holdings in Russia and the Caspian Sea as well as the Sakhalin I consortium operations offshore Sakhalin Island, Russia.
In December 1999, he became executive vice president of Exxon Mobil Development Company. Mr. Tillerson was then named senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation in August 2001, and was elected president of the corporation and member of the board of directors on March 1, 2004. Nearly two years after he was elected, Mr. Tillerson was named as chairman and CEO of the board on January 1, 2006.
Mr. Tillerson is not only a stalwart in his professional life, but also in the community. He is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is the vice chairman of the Ford’s Theatre Society and a recipient of the Lincoln Medal; immediate past national president of the Boy Scouts of America, a Distinguished Eagle Scout, and a former director of the United Negro College Fund. He was recognized as a distinguished alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, and in 2013, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Ridgewood NJ, President-elect Donald J. Trump today announced his intent to appoint Gary D. Cohn as Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council. A renowned business leader, Mr. Cohn will help to both design and coordinate the President-elect’s America First economic agenda and make sure increasing wages for American workers will be a top priority. He will also work closely with the President-elect’s economic team at the Treasury and Commerce Departments.
“As my top economic advisor, Gary Cohn is going to put his talents as a highly successful businessman to work for the American people,” said President-elect Donald J. Trump. “He will help craft economic policies that will grow wages for our workers, stop the exodus of jobs overseas and create many great new opportunities for Americans who have been struggling. He fully understands the economy and will use all of his vast knowledge and experience to make sure the American people start winning again.”
“Being chosen to serve in the President-elect’s administration is a great honor,” said Gary Cohn. “I share President-elect Trump’s vision of making sure every American worker has a secure place in a thriving economy, and we will be completely committed to building a nation of strength, growth and prosperity.”
In addition to his incredible business history, Mr. Cohn has an inspiring personal story. Growing up in Shaker Heights, Ohio, he was diagnosed at age seven with dyslexia, which made it difficult for him to read and spell. After receiving his bachelor’s degree at American University in Washington, D.C., Mr. Cohn worked for U.S. Steel and at the New York Mercantile Exchange. Since 1990, Mr. Cohn has worked at Goldman Sachs. His legendary toughness and tenacity, which helped him rise over a quarter century at Goldman Sachs to ultimately become the company’s president, will now be put to work on behalf of the American people.
Glen Rock NJ, Bear was sighted in the area of Diamond Brook/lower Doremus Avenue around 11am. It did not appear aggressive to the person that reported it to the police. Police checked the entire area, and was unable to locate the animal. All schools were notified. If anymore sighting, please call the police immediately to report its location.
Glen Rock Police Department
1 Harding Plaza
Glen Rock, NJ 07452
The overseers of the U.S. intelligence community have not embraced a CIA assessment that Russian cyber attacks were aimed at helping Republican President-elect Donald Trump win the 2016 election, three American officials said on Monday.
While the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) does not dispute the CIA’s analysis of Russian hacking operations, it has not endorsed their assessment because of a lack of conclusive evidence that Moscow intended to boost Trump over Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton, said the officials, who declined to be named.
The position of the ODNI, which oversees the 17 agency-strong U.S. intelligence community, could give Trump fresh ammunition to dispute the CIA assessment, which he rejected as “ridiculous” in weekend remarks, and press his assertion that no evidence implicates Russia in the cyber attacks.
Trump’s rejection of the CIA’s judgment marks the latest in a string of disputes over Russia’s international conduct that have erupted between the president-elect and the intelligence community he will soon command.
WEYAM RUSHDI OF JERSEY CITY CHARGED WITH MULTIPLE CRIMES RELATED TO AGGRAVATED SEXUAL ASSAULT IN MIDLAND PARK, NJ
December 13,2016
the staff of the Ridgewoood blog
Midland Park NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal has announced the arrest of WEYAM RUSHDI (DOB: 09/22/1980; single; and a student) of 33 Hudson Street, Apt. 2202 West, Jersey City, NJ on multiple charges in connection with an aggravated sexual assault that took place in Midland Park, NJ during the early morning hours of December 11, 2016. The arrest is the result of a joint investigation conducted by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert ANZILOTTI, and the Midland Park Police Department under the direction of Chief Michael POWDERLEY.
On Sunday, December 11, 2016, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office received information that an adult female victim walked into Midland Park Police Department and reported that she was physically and sexually assaulted in her residence by an intruder. An investigation by members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Unit and Midland Park Police Department ensued.
As a result of the investigation, Weyam RUSHDI was arrested on Sunday, December 11, 2016 in Waldwick, New Jersey, and charged with the following offenses: one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault with a weapon, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14- 2a(4), a 1st degree crime; one count of Aggravated Sexual Assault during the commission of a Burglary, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2a(3), a 1st degree crime; onecount of Kidnapping, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:13-1b(2), a 1st degree crime; one count of Armed Burglary, N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2b, a 2nd degree crime; one count of Aggravated Assault, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1), a 2nd degree crime; one count of Terroristic Threats, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3a, a 3rd degree crime; one count of Terroristic Threats, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-3b, a 3rd degree crime; one count of Possession of a Weapon with an Unlawful Purpose, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4d, a 3rd degree crime; and one count of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5c, a 4th degree crime. The Honorable Walter F. SKROD, J.S.C. of Bergen County set bail at $2,000,000.00 with no ten percent option. As conditions of bail, RUSHDI is to have no contact with the victim and surrender his passport. RUSHDI is scheduled to appear in Bergen County Central Judicial Processing Court for a firstappearance on Friday, December 23, 2016 at 8:30 a.m.
Bergen County Prosecutor Grewal states that the above charges are merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Grewal would also like to thank the Midland Park Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
Why does it seem that Ridgewood only hires friends and family? The same names always come up in the police, fire ,and BOE lists.
Why is it that you care If they are tested by the state and meet the other qualification of employment they should been give the same chance as anyone else.
First of all this is not true. They don’t ALWAYS hire family members. Second, it is a proud tradition that firefighters and police officers are often the sons and daughters of them. Just like doctors often have kids who go into medicine and people who own their own businesses often have their children join them. I was a teacher and my daughter is a teacher. She grew up observing my career and she aspired to do the same. There is nothing wrong with this and your comments are inflammatory.
Ridgewood NJ, it was reported on News 12 that Fish Urban Dining abruptly shut down its Asbury Park location closed in early October.
Fish opened in Asbury Park in 2010 and followed with great fanfare a second location in the summer of 2015 in the Village of Ridgewood in the Citizens bank or Bank of America building depending on how old you are. Both locations are owned by the DeGilio’s City by the Sea Hospitality Group. DeGilio’s City also closed Cibo e Vino in Asbury Park in October as well.
Both restaurants were considered “popular ” and seemed to close abruptly leaving the shut down as a mystery.
There is some truth to this observation. Many years ago I was Chair of a Village committee. We did some good work in the first couple of years, but eventually we ran out of meaningful things to do. As a result, the committee started “branching out” and dreaming up projects to tackle. As Chair, I felt I needed to support and encourage the Committee in its enthusiasm, but eventually I scheduled fewer meetings and quietly told the Mayor I felt we had outlived our mandate. This is the nature of project teams or committees–they need to justify their existence. Village committees should have a limited mandate to discourage the sort of mission creep that makes a Library Committee believe that it needs to build a community center or performing arts center.
As an old-timer, I love our Library the way it is. It’s not broken–don’t “fix it”.
Ridgewood Nj, Two (2) adults, a teenager, and a toddler all escaped injury following a two (2) vehicle collision at the intersection of North Monroe Street and West Glen Avenue, Ridgewood on Monday afternoon, 12/12. Both vehicles, a Toyota Camry and a Mercedes SUV were removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. Ridgewood FD personnel addressed a crash related fluid spill while Midland Park and Ridgewood PD officers provided traffic control. Although witnesses reported that a driver involved in the crash ignored a red traffic signal, Ridgewood PD did not issue any summonses at the crash scene (but may at a later date).
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey ranked dead last in the nation in economic growth last year. The latest Census data shows that while the household median income in 2015 went up by 5.2 percent nationally, the household median income in New Jersey remained flat to stagnant.
The ugly reality is that New Jersey’s median income hasn’t increased or decreased in a statistically significant way since 2011. Before then, it had been in freefall since 2008 thanks to the recession.
In Bergen County Medium Household Income dropped from $89,452 in the 2005-2009 period to $85,806 or down -4.1% in the 2011-2015 period. That still beats the state average of a drop of 5% during the same period statewide and at the Federal level a decline of -4.7% .
While many young people are leaving the state for better job opportunities and lower cost of living environments the state still has the highest percentage of millennials living with their parents.
