by bgetch.

The power of humility.

Frank Blake, the new CEO of Home Depot, understands it.

Here’s a few quick takes following a story on how he’s quickly winning valuable credibility points in all corners of Home Depot — customers, managers, Wall Street, and more than 355,000 employees. (Home Depot boss takes page from founders’ book, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/25/07) Read the rest of this entry »

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by bgetch.

Ted McKenna, Nicole Zerillo PR Week

November 26 2008

WASHINGTON: While President-elect Barack Obama’s team transitions to the White House, a number of groups are using the interim to build campaigns directed at the new administration and Congress.

One effort aiming to give Obama’s millions of grassroots supporters post-election input into the 2009 leadership in DC is “Ideas for Change in America” from Change.org and MySpace. The effort launched November 24.

Visitors to either Change.org or MySpace can submit ideas on specific public policy areas, such as energy, the environment, and gay rights, as well as vote on their favorite ideas. The initiative will create a list of top 10 and top 100 ideas, which will be presented to an Obama administration representative prior to inauguration day, January 20, 2009, and supported by grassroots lobbying efforts by various partners, including Public Citizen and People for the American Way. Read the rest of this entry »

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by bgetch.

A bit of comedic relief: Attractive Girls Union Refuses To Enter Into Talks With Mike Greenman

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by bgetch.

EHarmony Settles Dispute Over Gay Matches

WSJ: By NATHAN KOPPEL and SHIRA OVIDE

A settlement Wednesday between eHarmony Inc. and the New Jersey attorney general requires the online heterosexual dating service to also cater to homosexuals, raising questions about whether other services that target a niche clientele could be forced to expand their business models.

The settlement stemmed from a complaint, filed with the New Jersey attorney general’s office by a gay match seeker in 2005, that eHarmony had violated his rights under the state’s discrimination law by not offering a same-sex dating service. In 2007, the attorney general found probable cause that eHarmony had violated the state’s Law Against Discrimination.

As part of the agreement, the Pasadena, Calif.-based company will develop and market Compatible Partners, a Web dating service for same-sex couples, and will allow the site’s first 10,000 users to register free. EHarmony will also pay $50,000 to the attorney general’s office and $5,000 to the man who first brought the case.

In a statement Wednesday, eHarmony denied violating discrimination law and said its business had been based on years of researching opposite-sex marriages to understand what makes such couples compatible. Read the rest of this entry »

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by bgetch.

WSJ: November 19, 2008, 11:53 am

eHarmony Settles With NJ AG; Will Offer Matching Service for Gays

Posted by Nathan Koppel

eHarmony, Inc., which runs an online dating service for heterosexual couples, must now cater to a gay clientele. That is the upshot of a settlement the California company reached today with the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

In what seems like a novel claim to our ears, the Garden State asserted that eHarmony violated the state’s Law Against Discrimination by not offering a same-sex matching service. New Jersey got involved following a complaint by Eric McKinley, a gay match-seeker in the state.

eHarmony has denied violating the law, claiming that its business model has been based on its expertise to date. The company says it has researched thousands of opposite-sex marriages to understand what makes opposite-sex couples compatible.

But, as a result of the settlement, eHarmony next year will launch a same sex matching service called Compatible Partners, which will be marketed in gay and lesbian media outlets, according to a FAQ that the company released today. The document makes clear that users of eHarmony.com will not be matched with users of the new site, compatiblepartners.net.

“I applaud the decision of eHarmony to settle this case and extend its matching services to those seeking same-sex relationships,” said J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, director of the New Jersey AG’s Division on Civil Rights.

Here’s a statement from the AG’s office and here’s a copy of the settlement.

eHarmony faces a similar discrimination claim in California. It’s unclear how this settlement will affect that case. “Now that we’re entering the same-sex matching market, we fail to see what the [California] plaintiffs could achieve through further litigation,” says Antone Johnson, a vice president of legal affairs at eHarmony.

(Permalink: http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2008/11/19/eharmony-settles-with-nj-ag-will-offer-matching-service-for-gays/)  Read the rest of this entry »

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by bgetch.

HOUSES OF WORSHIP
WSJ: NOVEMBER 27, 2008, 10:29 P.M. ET

Discordant Voices Among eHarmony’s Customers

Amanda Brophy and J.P. Duffy met on eHarmony.com in 2006. Each appreciated the dating site’s dedication to facilitating long-term relationships — and the Christian background of the founders. Mr. Duffy, media director at the Family Research Council in Washington, and Ms. Brophy, an art teacher from Annapolis, Md., married last fall.

But now the Duffys are disappointed with eHarmony.com because the Pasadena, Calif.-based company just capitulated to an anti-discrimination lawsuit and agreed to launch a separate site aimed at matching homosexuals with suitable partners. A gay match-seeker in New Jersey filed a complaint, and the state’s attorney general found probable cause that eHarmony had violated New Jersey’s nondiscrimination statute. Read the rest of this entry »

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