Iman Jalali

We currently have roughly 150,000 troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We’ve lost 5,000 soldiers since the war has started. Over $700 billion dollars have been spent on the war in just Iraq, another $200 billion in Afghanistan. The media barely covers the war anymore… we don’t hear about soldiers being killed unless they’re local. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about Lindsey Lohan, Miss USA or Lebron in the last week. This is bullshit…

In 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil spill, considered one of the worst environmental disasters ever, spilled an estimated 11 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Alaska. Since April 20th, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has spilled an estimated 50-75 million gallons of oil… conservative estimates. Some estimates put it at as high as 120 million gallons (source). That puts the current oil spill at five to ten times worse than the Valdez spill and it’s not even close to being stopped. The government and BP are treating it like it’s a fraction of the Valdez spill. When will people start caring…when they can’t order their favorite seafood? Can’t go scuba diving in the Florida Keys? Again, bullshit…

What will it take for us to start caring about this country? Not just care for a month or two… caring isn’t putting a ribbon sticker on your car. It’s funny how people start supporting things when it becomes “trendy”.

How do you motivate your employees? Do they feel like they have purpose?

I’ll be heading to New Orleans this Saturday for business and while I’m down there I’m going to drive into the hardest hit areas of Louisiana to get a firsthand view of the oil spill. Latest reports say dozens of species of fish could be wiped out because of this oil spill. BP’s latest attempt at stopping the leak was a “top kill” procedure, which has failed. The new estimates of stopping the leak is now set for August. Two months from now… millions and millions of more gallons into the ocean. I for one will be boycotting BP including their retail brands: AM/PM, Arco and Castrol.

As we all know on April 20th the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded killing 11 people and sending thousands of gallons of oil into the ocean every day. Since then we’ve seen a horrible response to the oil spill, finger-pointing by BP, Transocean and Halliburton and another case of the government being bullied by lobbyists. BP (British Petroleum) initially quoted an estimated 5,000 gallons being spilled into the ocean daily, but from what we’re learning everyday it’s far from the truth. An estimated 50-70,000 barrels of oil, roughly 2-3 million gallons of oil are closer to the true amount of oil being spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

As reported on 60 Minutes, Transocean and BP knew the safety measures to curtail an oil spill, including the blowout preventor, was damaged weeks before the explosion. Michael Williams, chief electronics technician on the oil rig reported that BP was pressuring them to speed up the drilling to unsafe levels. When the drilling was sped up multiple systems failed and the rig couldn’t control the amount of pressure in the well ultimately leading to the explosion and spill.

As BP is trying to slow down and stop the oil spill they’ve started using oil-dispersing chemicals to help break up the spill… sounds normal, except here comes the greed of BP again. Not only is the dispersant that BP is using more toxic than alternatives, it’s also known to be about half as effective as other dispersants. So why use this specific chemical oil-dispersant? Well the company who makes it, Corexit, is fully stocked with executives from BP and Exxon. Based on EPA data, Corexit ranks far above dispersants made by competitors in toxicity and far below them in effectiveness in handling southern Louisiana crude. Source: NY Times

BP acted carelessly and put the environment at risk and now they should be held accountable and pay for the cleanup and the years of environmental damage. With over $6 billion in profits in just the first quarter of 2010 this shouldn’t be much of a problem. Except for the fact that BP, Transocean and Halliburton have so many Washington D.C. connections and so many lobby groups working in their favor that it wouldn’t surprise me if the taxpayers got stuck with part of the cleanup.

BP has acted without any regard to the environment so many times in the past and it’s time for the people to hold them accountable for their actions. We can’t leave it up to the government to hold them accountable, it’s our duty to speak up as citizens.

It’s time we boycott BP…

Hospitality Industry: Companies within the food services, accommodations, recreation, and entertainment sectors.

Those involved in restaurants, hotels, bars and clubs use the term “industry” often, but unfortunately it seems that hospitality has been stripped away from the industry. Building relationships used to be a huge part of the hospitality industry, but it has been replaced by turnover, profit and greed. Restaurants are looking for ways to get patrons to eat faster and leave quicker. Clubs are packing in the tables for bottle service and charging in excess of $300 for a bottle of liquor. While some owners and operators within the industry have gone down this road, there are others who have stepped up and are building long lasting relationships with their patrons.

Months before the Elysian Hotel opened up in Chicago I was invited by David Pisor, the owner of the hotel, for a sneak peak of the property. It’s a very common thing for a hotel to have sneak peeks and events before the hotel opens to build buzz around the property, but generally these events are for those who are in the press or in the industry. I’m in neither of the two… David Pisor had actually invited people involved in Chicago social media for this special night. Interesting and very smart… They had the entire kitchen staff there to create samplings of their menu, we toured the entire hotel, met the executive chef and GM of the hotel and David Pisor himself. It’s a beautiful property and I highly recommend trying one of their great restaurants, better yet stay at the Elysian.

I spoke with Mr. Pisor about his vision of the Elysian and what sets the Elysian apart from the many other ultra luxury hotels in Chicago. His answer couldn’t have been more perfect… He wants to make you feel at home at the Elysian, it’s not just about a place to sleep for a night. One unique fact about the Elysian is that the staff doesn’t accept tips. Mr. Pisor explained, imagine arriving to the hotel from traveling and you’ve got bags, but unfortunately you forgot you have no cash… he doesn’t want you to stress about tipping the bellhop. You should arrive and feel like you’ve arrived at home where the entire staff is ready to help you with your every need, without the thought of tipping. There are so many little elements like that in the Elysian that it truly sets itself apart from other hotels.

The Elysian isn’t just about how nice the rooms are or how good the food is… it’s about the personal touch. Of course the rooms and food are above any other hotel, but it’s the staff, the management and the owners who truly make the Elysian what it is.

The rest of the industry can learn a thing or two from David Pisor and the Elysian…