“Today is the exact day we launched…..February 4, 2002.  Incidentally, right before Feb. 4, 2002, I had just had the bags under my eyes fixed and because I was still swollen, I did still look a bit like the Pillsbury Doughboy, didn’t I?     I got so much media attention for being open about plastic surgery that ON THE RECORD at 10pm got a huge media launch.  Everyone one was talking about it.  It was incredible – even the cover of People Magazine!  Although it was certainly not planned to be a marketing ploy, it ended up being a phenomenal to launch a show.  Even when the critics had something to say about me they mentioned our new show…and mentioning the new show – regardless of what was said – was big for our launch!  It is buzz!  It didn’t matter what they were saying – it mattered that they were saying it and paying attention and telling everyone else about the new show.  Buzz gets everyone paying attention.   No other cable news show has ever gotten a media launch like that and the funny thing?  It did not cost Fox a dime.  It was total luck.  At the time I thought – if only I were smart enough to have planned it to work out this way…but it was just plain luck.

Besides working with great people, and having great friends, I have had lots of luck.  I was extraordinarily lucky to have been chosen by Roger Ailes to anchor the new Fox cable show at 10p.   Frankly, he could have picked a lot of people – there are a lot of good people out there – but he picked me.

I also know and have told ALL OF YOU many times here on GretaWire, you are a GIANT part of the success of ON THE RECORD at 10pm for 10 years straight.  Without you, we would not be successful – and we sure would not be #1 for 10 straight years without you.

And, of course, with GretaWire, I feel like I know many of you and that you are my friends – even on those occasions when you are clobbering me for something I said or did  (and yes, many times I may deserve it.)  But, what is fun is that even when we get into the occasional dust up with each other we all get over it and move on.  I love good strong debate.”

Read the full profile here.

Steve Clemons with writer Dustin Lance Black and Andrew Oros

Read the whole article here.

One of the opportunities is to showcase the products of Hawaii with an incredible “Gift Bag”. Here is the RFP.

The APEC 2011 Hawaii Host Committee is seeking qualified vendors to supply and showcase their products or services for distribution in the form of hospitality gifts to 11,000 government officials, business leaders and global media during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week events. A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was issued by the Host Committee on July 12, 2011.

“In addition to showcasing Hawaii as a premier global meetings destination, APEC 2011 will present an opportunity for us to introduce Hawaii products and services to an international audience,” said Peter Ho, Hawaii Host Committee Chair.  “Through this RFQ, the individual products and services supplied will further highlight Hawaii businesses and industries, as well as represent the aloha spirit and hospitality of our islands.”

The scope of work desired for this procurement is as follows:

Qualified and reliable suppliers must be able to supply goods or services in tangible product form in the following categories, including, but not limited to:

• Coffee;
• Chocolates/macadamia nut products;
• Hawaii snacks;
• Beverages;
• Soaps, lotions, oils and other bath products;
• Arts and crafts;
• Sports and/or beach items;
• Music;
• City guides (containing no third party advertising); and
• Gift certificates for goods or services ($50 minimum retail value amount, with no purchase required).

Product Specifications:

• Packaged goods must bear no loose-leaf collateral;
• No promotional trial size items; and
• Items are to be no larger than 22”L x 18”H x 3”D (Size of Hospitality Gift Bag).
• The selection of suppliers will be based on overall bids received and how each item contributes to the aggregate of products to be inserted into hospitality gift bags. Suppliers must be able to supply a minimum quantity of 500 items to be considered.

Interested suppliers can obtain a copy of the RFQ by emailing the APEC 2011 Hawaii Host Committee at rfq@apec2011hawaii.com. Please indicate the company name, contact name, contact phone, facsimile, address and email address. The deadline for RFQ submissions is July 29, 2011 at 4:00 p.m., with supplier selections being announced on August 15, 2011.

Here is some background on the Conference from from Wikipedia.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a forum for 21 Pacific Rim countries (styled “Member Economies”) that seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Established in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence of Asia-Pacific economies and the advent of regional economic blocs (such as the European Union and the North American Free Trade Area) in other parts of the world, APEC works to raise living standards and education levels through sustainable economic growth and to foster a sense of community and an appreciation of shared interests among Asia-Pacific countries. Members account for approximately 40% of the world’s population, approximately 54% of world GDP and about 44% of world trade.

An annual APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is attended by the heads of government of all APEC members except the Republic of China (Taiwan) which is represented under the name Chinese Taipei by a ministerial-level official. The location of the meeting rotates annually among the member economies, and a famous tradition involves the attending Leaders dressing in a national costume of the host member.

History
In January 1989, Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke called for more effective economic cooperation across the Pacific Rim region. This led to the first meeting of APEC in the Australian capital Canberra in November, chaired by Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Gareth Evans. Attended by political ministers from twelve countries, the meeting concluded with commitments for future annual meetings in Singapore and South Korea.

With New York Rep. Anthony Weiner’s political future unknown, perhaps the most interesting development is the possibility of actor Alec Baldwin trading in “30 Rock” for the Gracie Mansion. NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not running in 2013 and now that Weiner, the leading candidate, is in texting turmoil that leaves the field wide open. Read The Daily exclusive here to see what the actor’s friend said about Baldwin stepping in as a high profile Democratic candidate.

Former presidential candidate and NBC star Fred Thompson commented on former presidential hopeful and NBC star Donald Trump’s aborted bid for the GOP nomination saying it may have been a brilliant business decision.  Trump got tons of publicity because of the move, he says, and stands to  potentially receive an even bigger contract from NBC for the next season of his hit show The Apprentice.  He also says that the financial disclosure that comes along with being a public figure may have been a significant deterrent for Trump.  Read Ted Johnson’s full story from Variety.