The Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour Comes to Philly

John Ellis and Jamaal Warren, two 17-year-olds from Pensacola, Fla., have set out on a 1,100 mile journey riding their bicycles from Pensacola to Philadelphia to help raise awareness of hepatitis B. John was diagnosed with hepatitis B in 2006. Instead of being discouraged by this devastating medical diagnosis, John turned the news into an opportunity to raise awareness about the virus. With a passion for cycling and a desire to help raise funds to find a cure for the disease, John contacted the Hepatitis B Foundation with an idea to organize an East Coast bicycle ride, the Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour. Jamaal, John’s best friend and several family members are joining John on his trek to Philadelphia.

John and Jamaal’s journey began on June 2 at John’s high school in Pensacola and will end in Philadelphia on Monday, June 23 – John’s 18th birthday! On Monday morning, area cyclists and supporters are welcome to join John and Jamaal at the Philadelphia Marriott West in West Conshohocken at 8:30AM to cycle the last leg of the boys’ journey. They will ride 10 miles from Conshohocken to Kelly Drive where Foundation members, Philadelphia dignitaries, John and Jamaal’s family and friends and local supporters will welcome John and Jamaal to Philadelphia. Follow John and Jamaal as they ride up the Atlantic Coast by visiting the Believe in the Cure Cycling Tour blog or to learn about donating to John’s cause, visit www.hepb.org.

If you have any questions about joining John and Jamaal on the last leg of their journey, their journey and John’s story or would like to support the Foundation’s cause – please feel free to reach out to the Hepatitis B Foundation at 215-489-4900 or go to www.hepb.org.

Feldman Shepherd's Mark Tanner on Inside Edition

Feldman Shepherd's Mark Tanner of Philadelphia pushes for justice on Inside Edition. Three years ago, Dean O'Halloran was driving a rental truck, making deliveries, near Scranton, Pennsylvania. He crossed into the opposite lane and crashed head-on into Diane Glynn, killing her instantly. He was drunk and never charged because his step-father is a State Trooper. This is a must-read story.

Philadelphia Radio Ratings Are In!

Philadelphia's radio station ratings are just in. WBEB 101.1-FM was the top rated radio station in Philadelphia in April with an 8.0 rating for listeners six-years and older. WDAS, WOGL and KYW were close runners up. See how your favorite radio station ranked and follow news on Philadelphia's TV and radio industry by visiting Laura Nachman’s blog.

Crafting and Marketing Your Image: Phila 6/3/08

If you're a young lawyer (or your firm employs young lawyers) in the Philadelphia market, here's a progam that you will find beneficial next week.

Philadelphia Bar Association Young Lawyers Division
presents

Crafting and Marketing Your Image:What Every Young Lawyer Needs To Know

Tuesday, June 3, 2008, 12:00 p.m.

Philadelphia Bar Association1101 Market Street, 11th Floor Conference Center

How do you know if your professional image is working for you? Join us for a candid discussion on the do's and don'ts of building your own personal "brand," and learn the secrets of professional persuasion from the experts. Discover how to edit and tailor your own image to "impress for success." From creating your own style, to attire, speech, and developing a realistic, workable marketing plan -- learn the "hot-button" issues and walk away knowing what today's potential clients and business contacts expect.

Featuring Panelists:

Gina Furia Rubel, Esq.
President/CEO, Furia Rubel Communications, Inc.

Brian Lipstein
Henry A. Davidsen Master Tailors and Image Consultants

Jennifer Smuts, Esq.
Director of Marketing, Woodcock Washburn

Maggie Suender, Esq.
Director of Associate Development, Pepper Hamilton LLP

Moderated by:
Natalie Klyashtorny, Esq.
Nochumson, P.C.

********** Detach Here **********
Please print this page and return to: YLD, Crafting Your Image – June 3, 2008 – Luncheon ProgramPhiladelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107-2911 - Fax (215) 238-1159 or register online at http://www.philadelphiabar.org/. The cost of lunch is $3.00 per person and will only be prepared for those that have made reservations and paid in advance either via check or credit card. Checks should be made payable to the Philadelphia Bar Association. To secure your reservation, please complete the from below, including credit card information, unless a check has been included. All reservations that are not canceled 24 hours prior to the event will be subject to a cancellation fee of $3.00.

__Yes, I will attend and buy lunch.
__Yes, I will attend but bring my own lunch.
Name:
Firm/Company:
Address:
Phone:
Fax:
Email:
Credit Card #:
Expiration Date:
Signature: ___________________________
Please check one: ___Amex ___Visa ___MasterCard

Great Legal Networking Event in Philly June 9

If you're going to be in the Philadelphia area on June 9th, The Justinian Society and Foundation are hosting their Annual Meeting, Election and Scholarship Luncheon and honoring Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia. I'm excited about the meeting since I have been nominated to become the Chancellor of the Society. I've included the details here and hope that your can join us. It's a great networking function too as many of the Philadelphia law firms will be represented. So if you do business with attorneys and enjoy good company - come on out and join us.

Monday, June 9, 200811:30 am – Reception; Noon – Luncheon
Proceeds to benefit The Justinian Foundation Scholarship Fund

The Union League of Philadelphia
140 South Broad Street, Philadelphia

Michael A. Nutter is a lifetime Philadelphian, with an accomplished career of public service, business and financial administration. Mayor Nutter served as a City Councilman for nearly 15 years representing Philadelphia’s Fourth District. He has also served as Democratic Ward Leader of the 52nd Ward since 1990.

During his time in Council, Mayor Nutter worked to lower taxes for Philadelphians. He engineered groundbreaking ethics reform legislation, and led efforts to pass a citywide smoking ban, among countless economic and legislative measures to improve the quality of life for people and businesses in the 4th District and citywide.

From 2003 to 2007, Mayor Nutter served as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority Board. He serves on the Board of City Trusts, managing the City’s charitable assets, supporting institutions such as Girard College and Wills Eye Hospital, as well as administering public school scholarship funds.

More Details: For more information or to register contact the Justinian Society at 215-545-0706 or justinian-uta@att.net or go to www.justinian.org/events to place your reservation.

P.S. The best networking is from 11:30 - 12:00 and then after the event so be sure to get there early and stay late.

Comcast to Buy Plaxo Social Network

This just in from the Philadelphia Business Journal - Comcast is set to purchase Plaxo which currently provides a free service that updates and maintains the information in your address book. Plaxo has also become a social networking tool (Pulse) much like LinkedIn. So, as a Comcast user and subscriber, I'm wondering how long the platform will remain free.

Thomas Claburn of Information Week reported an hour ago on the story.

Claburn says:

"For Comcast, the deal provides an opportunity to make use of data about the 50 million people now under its umbrella. This may prove useful not only for marketing, but also for promoting content creation and communication. With a few more Internet-oriented acquisitions or partnerships, the cable service provider could develop a loyal Internet community, making it more competitive in the social arena with the likes of Facebook, Fox Interactive, Google (NSDQ: GOOG), and Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO)."

Here are some links to more of the news coverage:

REFILE-UPDATE 2-Comcast buys social network pioneer PlaxoReuters - 5 hours agoBy Yinka Adegoke and Eric Auchard NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO, May 14 (Reuters) - Comcast Corp (CMCSA.O: Quote, Profile, Research) has agreed to acquire ...

Comcast buys Plaxo websiteguardian.co.uk, UK - 5 hours agoThis article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Thursday May 15 2008. It was last updated at 12:06 on May 15 2008. US cable company Comcast has bought ...


Comcast Buys Social-Networking Site PlaxoTheStreet.com - 6 hours agoComcast CMCSA will acquire social networking site Plaxo in a move aimed at unifying social media across the Internet and television. ...

Comcast Acquiring Social Networker PlaxoWashington Post, United States - 14 hours agoComcast (NSDQ: CMCSA) has acquired social networker Plaxo. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed in a Plaxo blog post announcing the news, but both TechCrunch ...

Comcast And Plaxo Invite You To The Marriage Of Set-top Box ...Washington Post, United States - 14 hours agoJust got off the phone from a tandem interview with Plaxo CEO Ben Golub and Comcast Interactive Media's Sam Schwartz. They weren't willing to talk money but ...

Comcast buys Plaxo: Will social networking and TV fly?ZDNet - 19 hours agoComcast has acquired Plaxo in a move that aims to make the cable giant’s interactive portfolio more social and potentially bring a little Web 2.0 to your ...

Comcast to Buy Plaxo for Social NetworkingPC World - 19 hours agoComcast will acquire social-networking company Plaxo to power upcoming community features on its TV, broadband data and phone services. ...

Confirmed: Comcast Bought Plaxo, Deal Closed TodayWashington Post, United States - 19 hours agoThe rumors were accurate: Comcast will announce their acquisition of social contact list Plaxo today. Financial terms are not being disclosed, ...

Comcast to acquire contact manager PlaxoThe Associated Press - 20 hours agoPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Comcast Corp. is buying contact management company Plaxo Inc. and plans to incorporate into all its offerings features intended to help ...

Comcast to acquire networking Web site Plaxo: reportForbes, NY - 21 hours agoSAN FRANCISCO (Thomson Financial) - Comcast Corp. is acquiring privately held social networking Web site Plaxo, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web ...

Comcast acquires social network pioneer PlaxoReuters - 21 hours agoNEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Comcast has agreed to acquire pioneering Web start-up Plaxo, which first sought to turn address books into social ...

Comcast to Buy Networking Site PlaxoWall Street Journal - 21 hours agoBy VISHESH KUMAR Comcast Corp. said Wednesday that it will acquire high-profile networking Web site Plaxo, in an effort by the cable operator to broaden the ...

Furia Rubel Wins Awards for Public Relations Service

The results of a first-of-its-kind Top Corporate Givers in Greater Philadelphia list were debuted on April 30, 2008 which included Furia Rubel among the top 60. I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am because this is a true testiment to the core values of every member of the Furia Rubel Team.

We received awards for ranking number one for In-Kind Donations Per Employee and number two among the region’s small companies for Community Impact and Top Volunteer Hours.

The Philadelphia Business Journal hosted the inaugural Partners in Corporate Philanthropy Summit designed to give credit to the region’s companies that give back to the community. As the owner of Furia Rubel, I am thankful for our core team - each member of whom has truly given back.

At the summit we heard an inspiring keynote by Joe Banner, President and COO of the Philadelphia Eagles and Co-chair of the Philadelphia City Year Board. Banner invited a local City Year man on stage who share his awe-inspiring story of being a drug dealer turned community activist, volunteer and college student. There wasn't a dry eye in the place.

Then, a CEO panel discussion was moderated by Andrew Swinney, President of the Philadelphia Foundation. The panelists included Pamela Browner-Crawley, Senior VP & Director of Public Affairs, Citizens Bank; Chuck Pennoni, Chairman, Pennoni Associates Inc.; Jim Rudolph, CEO, Rita's Water Ice; Rosemary Turner, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Metro Philadelphia District, United Parcel Service (UPS).

Additional sponsors of the event included The Philadelphia Foundation, Community Foundation of South Jersey, Citizens Bank, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, FOX 29, KYW, PECO, Comcast, Deloitte, Sovereign Bank and US Airways; and in association with: Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, Delaware Valley Grant Makers, Greater Philadelphia Cares, The Nonprofit Center La Salle University, and United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Status of Our Philadelphia Attorneys

Daniel A. Cirucci, a public relations professional and former associate executive director of the Philadelphia Bar Association, recently wrote an article titled the Sad tale of Philly lawyers in the Philadelphia Daily News.

Cirucci discusses how a well-known Philadelphia-area magazine cover recently posed the question, “Who killed the Philadelphia lawyer?” Cirucci takes a moment to disagree with the cover by demonstrating how neither greed, mergers nor ego have killed the Philadelphia lawyer. “To the contrary, legal business in the city and the region appears to be booming. There are nearly 16,000 lawyers in Philadelphia now and the magazine points out that one in five Center City offices are occupied by law firms.”

Cirucci goes on to address a laundry list of falsities and realities within the Philadelphia legal realm. Cirrucci concludes the article by reminding his readers, “Don't worry about Philadelphia lawyers. They'll be around as long as humans are imperfect. And that's not such a bad thing. In fact, it's good for the city because, for better or worse, these lawyers are vital to the local economy. Without the tax revenue that the lawyers, their employees and their firms generate, the city would probably go under.”

This article is a must-read - check it out!

Dealing with Sky Rocketing Gas Prices - Improve Your Gas Mileage

In today’s Inquirer, Tony Gnoffo taps the issue on everyone’s mind – improving gas mileage. With Philadelphia region’s gas prices hitting new highs of $3.50 and in South Jersey $3.35, everyone is looking to cut costs and improve their gas mileage any way they can.

Gnoffo suggests trying techniques like hypermiling or ecodriving. According to Gnoffo, they both involve a radical approach to driving in a society that seems to view speed limits as minimums. The approach simply involves slowing down.

Gnoffo’s tips include:

- Taking your foot off the gas and coasting to red lights.
- When the light turns green, go easy on the gas pedal.
- On the highway set the cruise control to the speed limit or perhaps even lower.
- Observe the speed limit.
- Remove excess weight and roof racks when they are not being used.
- Keep tires fully inflated.

To see more gas mileage improving strategies, check out sites like cleanmpg.com, ecodrive.org, ecomodder.com, fueleconomy.gov, greenmpg.com and hypermiling.com.

Philadelphia Bar's Chancellor's Reception Means Great Networking

Last night I had the pleasure to attend the Philadelphia Bar Association's Annual Chancellor's Reception in honor of A. Michael Pratt, only the third African American to serve as Chancellor in the 206-year history of the13,000 member Philadelphia Bar Association.

The event took place in the Grand Ballroom of the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue from 5 to 7 p.m. but it went on much longer. When I arrived at 6 p.m. the receiving line was snaked through two hallways and the hotel security were holding individuals on the first floor waiting for the line to subside. I just kept thinking, "Go Michael." It was great to see such a large and diverse turn out at such a great networking event.

Networking is the quintessential public relations tool. And what a night it was. I ran into colleagues that I haven't seen in many years - as far back as grade school!

Some of the other notables that I had the chance to see were Immediate-Past Chancellor Jane Leslie Dalton, Chancellor-Elect Sayde J. Ladov and Vice Chancellor Scott F. Cooper, Past Chancellors Carl Primavera, Abraham C. Reich, and Andrew A. Chirls, my dear friend and legal PR pro, Dan Cirucci, and my loving father Richard F. Furia, just to name a few. Needless to say, it's a must attend event!

According to a press release issued by Mark Tarasiewicz of the Philadelphia Bar Association, "The annual Chancellor's Reception has been a longstanding Philadelphia tradition. Even the city's busiest and most successful legal luminaries as well as community, city and state leaders patiently wait in a long line to wish the Chancellor good luck in the year ahead. At times, the line of nearly1,000 well-wishers will flow through the ballroom foyer, around corridors and down the escalator that leads guests to the ballroom level." How right indeed.

Dick Polman Remembers Judge Lisa Richette - A Perfect Tribute

Dick Polman, a national political colomnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer tells the most brilliant story of the life of Judge Lisa Richette in Obit Magazine. He tells the story of Judge Richette who was a trailblazer for women, attorneys, jurists, Italian-Americans, Philadelphia Justinians, children and the homeless! She was truly one of the most brilliant and yet extremely flamboyant women I've had the pleasure to know. She embraced life and law.

I remember a particular homicide case more that a decade ago when I worked for the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Jude Conroy was the Philadelphia prosecutor. The case was against a couple who left their disabled young child in a crib inside their house - only heated by kerosene - to go out and sell crack and induldge themselves. The house caught on fire and by the time the child was rescued, he was burned over a large percentage of his body. The child lived for months (perhaps seven if my memory is right) in severe pain and then died. It was a bench trial (no jury) and the judge found the couple guilty of homicide. I remember crying in the back of the room for the child and knowing that the judge did the right thing. She came down so hard on those parents - her words stung deep - but she was right - she was brilliant - she was passionate - and she followed the letter of the law.

Judge Richette was the first woman judge in Philadelphia and an active member of The Justinian Society. As stated so nicely by Rudolph Garcia, Chancellor of The Justinian Society:

"Judge Richette epitomized the ideals of The Justinian Society and was an inspiration to all of us. In 1994, we selected her as the first recipient of the Beccaria Award. Since then, the award has been presented annually by the Justinian Society and the Criminal Justice Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association to a legal jurist, scholar or practitioner for outstanding contributions to the cause of justice and the advancement of legal education. Judge Richette also was the first recipient of The Justinian Society’s Outstanding Women in the Law Award, in June 2000."

Thank you to Dick Polman for remembering Judge Richette. She truly deserves the accolades.

"Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus" - KYW 1060 Christmas

If you haven't heard it before, the KYW 1060 Newsradio reading by former Philadelphia anchor Vince Lee in his December 1976 recording of ''Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus,'' is just wonderful. I heard it tonight while my husband and I were driving home from my mother's house. It is so beautiful and truly captures the spirit of Christmas. Her'e the link to the KYW page http://www.kyw1060.com/pages/1375695.php and here's the link to the audiocast: http://www.kyw1060.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=1241068.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Happy Holiday and New Year from Furia Rubel

At Furia Rubel, the holiday season is a time for giving back and showing appreciation and thanks to those who make a difference and impact in our lives; both personally and professionally.

On behalf of the entire Furia Rubel team, we wish you peace, joy and positive publicity in this New Year.

In Memory of DeAnn White - A Special Recognition

Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” I can’t agree more – and one of those thoughtful, committed citizens was DeAnn White.

On December 6, 2007, I was honored by my peers in the public relations industry with the PRSA Philadelphia Chapter award named in DeAnn White's memory. I began my acceptance speech with the amazing words of Margaret Mead. I wish to share my thoughts of DeAnn as I am so blessed to have been touched by her story and memory.

My words were as follows:

The DeAnn White Achievement Award honors the memory of a Philadelphia journalist and PR professional whose life was cut short at age 25 in the tragic Pier 34 collapse. DeAnn was not only one of our peers, but she was a trailblazer for African-American women . . . a true role model. She was an advocate for education, children, her Baptist ministry, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society -- to name a few. Just the thought, let alone the reality, of being bestowed this honor humbles me.

And while I am delighted and honored to be the 2007 recipient of the DeAnn White Award, it is not about me – it is about others. It is about the people who work in public service. It is about the countless hours we all donate to our community. It is about remembering the legacy of DeAnn White. And it is about fostering the ideals of giving back in our community. I share this recognition with everyone in this room – as so many of you give back in so many ways. Since this award is only given once a year, I hold it in trust on behalf of our profession.
….

This honor is a true testament to how much local public relations professionals value philanthropy and volunteerism. This is an award in memory of a fallen hero, DeAnn White and of our industry’s shared commitment to giving back.

I will keep DeAnn's family and friends in my prayers as I know that love is a true gift from God and her family's loss is one that is incomprehensible.

Mobile Monday Comes to Philly

I received an email today from my brother-in-law, Brad Blumberg, who owns and operates http://www.smarteragent.com/. He said that they're starting a Mobile Monday in the Philly region.
It’s a global grass roots organization for people involved with mobile technologies. He blogged why he thinks we need one in Philly at http://www.momo-ma.com/. You can read about the organization, which started in Helsinki, in the “About” section of the site. Their inaugural event is Monday, September 24 at the Union League in Philadelphia.

ALM Sold to Incisive Media

It was announced last week that Incisive Media, a London-based publishing company recently paid $630 million for American Law Media, the parent company of several U.S. law publications including, IP Law & Business, the Minority Law Journal, the Legal Times, the National Law Journal, the New York Law Journal, Texas Lawyer, and Philadelphia’s own, Legal Intelligencer.

The multi-million dollar deal is set for the end of the third quarter and will keep ALM’s management in place while doubling the size of Incisive, a quickly growing, global publishing company with publications in Hong Kong, New York and London.

What does this mean for ALM publications’ readership?

It’s hard to say what this really means for legal publications in the U.S.A. It’s one of those “only time will tell” situations. Just like the Philadelphia Inquirer’s purchase by Brian Tierney last year, this is another “wait and see” game.

The goal of the merger is of course to grow Incisive, but also to bring legal publications to Europe and Asia. However, Incisive Media CEO Tim Weller and ALM CEO William Pollack say the merger will not affect the integrity of the legal publications ALM currently offers. The idea of the merger is to expand business for both companies according to Weller and Pollack, not to alter the content and spirit of the publications.

To paraphrase Alison Frankel of American Lawyer Media, U.S. readers shouldn’t see a change in any of ALM’s 30 national and regional publications.

In Europe though, Parisians could soon be reading a new Légal Journal, Romans, a new giornale legale, and Berliners, a new zugelassene Zeitung, modeled after any of ALM’S U.S. publications.

It’ll be interesting to see how Law.com plays out in all of this too. Keep your eyes and ears open for more change.

U Wish U Nu

If you're planning an event, opening a new business, networking or socializing in Philadelphia, there's a new blog called Uwishunu that is cornering the market on social info.

According to their site, Uwishunu is "written by a diverse group of in-the-know Philadelphians," and an "online source for an insider’s look at the Philadelphia scene. Whether it’s eating, drinking, music, culture, fashion, the outdoors, shopping, design or any other Philly secret, uwishunu is the place to get the real deal from real Philadelphians." Their mission is to "enable visitors to hang like locals and locals to hang like insiders."

Created and fully moderated by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, they are looking for Philly insiders and visitors to have a voice. So if you have something happening in Philadelphia or just have something to say about my home town, you can submit your ideas to iknow@uwishunu.com.