I hope you all had a happy halloween! We had a great time following Boo around and trying to keep him from diving at every candy bowl he saw with two hands. . .

Anyway, this post is meant to make you smile. But also: I'm looking for some advice!

I would like to have put this picture up bigger and with better resolution. But even cut down to 280 pixel width and degraded to 66% quality as a JPEG, it still has a load time of 2 seconds.

I see large, clear pictures on other sites. But I can't find any info on how to do that and keep my load time down.

For example: look down at the post on the football championship. Those pictures had so much detail in them that they were showing load times of over 10 seconds. So that's why they look so terrible -- I had to just keep making them smaller and cutting the quality to get them anywhere near tolerable load times.

I use Macromedia's Fireworks to edit and compress the pics. I've tried compressing in the Microsoft Office Picture Manager program, but don't get any better results there.

Can anyone help?

Posted at 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Thanks to everyone who participated!

Posted at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (2)

"Off the Record. Deep Background. Not for Attribution." These phrases usually will protect a source. But always?

The recent indictment of Scooter Libby reminded Your Business Blogger that there is one thing you will never get from a reporter.

Loyalty.

The reason anyone would talk with the press is to advance an agenda. The source will tell his story; the reporter will write his story and seldom will they be same.

Most of the time, it is in the interest of the reporter to protect a source.

But don't bet on it. If you have anything -- anything that would make a story, you will be compromised.

The most dangerous spot to be is between a reporter and a Pulitzer.

Ben Bradlee

For example, would you sell out the American soldier for a Pulitzer Prize? No? Ben Bradlee would.

My friend Gary Bauer tells this story:

A number of years ago at the National Press Club I had the opportunity to ask Ben Bradlee, then executive editor of The Washington Post, what he would have done if he found out ahead of time about the D-Day invasion to liberate Europe.

Would the Post have printed the story?

Bradlee's answer took a while, but the bottom line was . . .

"yes."

Now most of what we communicate will not rise above compromising anyone. But take no chances, because the reporter will take no prisoners.

Of course not all reporters are monsters. Some of my best friends are journalists.

But remember reporter Ben Bradlee. Would he compromise his country?

Yes. For a story.

If a reporter cannot be loyal to his country, he will not be loyal to you.

Was this helpful? Do comment.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Mudville Gazette has Open Post.

Basil's Blog has open trackbacks and a new look.

Outside the Beltway has Traffic Jam.

Stupid and Dangerous has Scooter as criminally stupid.

Guide to Midwestern Culture suggests Libby is more like Clinton than Bush.

The Passenger has more on media.

Don Surber has open post.

Posted at 9:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (1)

Charmaine Yoest will be on ABC News Now at 1:35 talking with Sam Donaldson about the Alito nomination. You can watch streaming video live online here.

Tune in and comment on content and style.

Posted at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

I'll be on ABC News Now at 1:35 talking with Sam Donaldson about the Alito nomination. You can watch streaming video live online here.

Posted at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

The President with Judge Alito
AP Photo

The President nominated Judge Samuel Alito for the vacancy on the Supreme Court at 8:00 this morning.

Americablog already has a post up that says "It's War." Then Rob asks: "Ready for hand-to-hand combat?"

That's the subject of my next post: what does it mean to go to war politically? Coming up shortly.

Posted at 8:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pop Warner Football
We won!! The Laurel Hurricanes won the Maryland State Championship and will be advancing to the Regional competition next week in Pennsylvania. The goal -- on to the Superbowl at Disneyworld in December!

In fact, the celebration tonight was tinged with a timeline. "I love you guys," said Coach Bell, "but only 'till Tuesday. Then it's back to work." Tonight was a fantastic win, but these kids have been dreaming of -- no, really working toward -- making it to Florida all season long.

State Champions!!

Though it was hard to say who was happier, the kids or the coaches tonight. They both earned it. It's a privilege to be on this team, and really interesting to watch how these coaches have negotiated between giving each kid a pat on the back when he deserves it -- and a kick in the backside when needed. . . they are ten years old after all.

We asked Coach Bell what he did to produce such winners year after year.

"Discipline," said Bell, a former Marine. "[We] teach the boys to listen and learn on the field and listen and learn in the classroom."

He also teaches them to win.

Laurel Hurricanes, Maryland

But teamwork starts with fun. To begin the pattern of listening and learning as a team, Coach Bell taught the boys the Hurricane's post-game celebration chant. The Breakdown.

And here it is. Courtesy of the Dreamer, we've got a 0.41 second clip of the Hurricanes doin' the Breakdown.

Did I mention: the State Champion Hurricanes??!!

Julius Weems and Bob Washington

Mom and Dad at the game

Posted at 1:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Pop Warner Football
We won!! The Laurel Hurricanes won the Maryland State Championship and will be advancing to the Regional competition next week in Pennsylvania. The goal -- on to the Superbowl at Disneyworld in December!

In fact, the celebration tonight was tinged with a timeline. "I love you guys," said Coach Bell, "but only 'till Tuesday. Then it's back to work." Tonight was a fantastic win, but these kids have been dreaming of -- no, really working toward -- making it to Florida all season long.

State Champions!!

Though it was hard to say who was happier, the kids or the coaches tonight. They both earned it. It's a privilege to be on this team, and really interesting to watch how these coaches have negotiated between giving each kid a pat on the back when he deserves it -- and a kick in the backside when needed. . . they are ten years old after all.

We asked Coach Bell what he did to produce such winners year after year.

"Discipline," said Bell, a former Marine. "[We] teach the boys to listen and learn on the field and listen and learn in the classroom."

He also teaches them to win.

Laurel Hurricanes, Maryland

But teamwork starts with fun. To begin the pattern of listening and learning as a team, Coach Bell taught the boys the Hurricane's post-game celebration chant. The Breakdown.

And here it is. Courtesy of the Dreamer, we've got a 0.41 second clip of the Hurricanes doin' the Breakdown.

Did I mention: the State Champion Hurricanes??!!

Julius Weems and Bob Washington

Mom and Dad at the game

Was this helpful? Do comment.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Also posted at Reasoned Audacity as you might have guessed.

Posted at 10:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Roger NadeauBeethoven once said, "Man has no nobler or more valuable possession than time..." Your Business Blogger was reminded of this yesterday. Major General Roger A. Nadeau gave a briefing on his portfolio to business leaders. I asked him his greatest challenge in running a large organization:

Managing time. The time to put resources to where my people need them -- or me...My office is BWI Airport.

Nadeau is the Commanding General, U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command. Nadeau runs, or today, flys to the sound of the guns. General Nadeau was an Armor Officer, before general's stars removed branch designations.

He manages by 'walking (or flying) around.' What was impressive was not his modeling the Army's new stylish combat fatigues, pictured above. It was his emphasis on generating discretionary management time to visit, to counsel, to lead, face-to-face. He manages to make time to do this. He commands and controls his own time.

Ludwig van Beethoven by
Joseph Karl Stieler (1820)Beethoven's quote continues, "...never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." The Army gets it right: Proper management of time can give anyone more of the music of this "valuable possession."

This is your most valuable asset: discretionary time.

Bookmark this site to learn more on getting these time skills.

Was this helpful? Email me.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Mudville Gazette has Open Post.

Common Sense Runs Wild has trackbacks.

Posted at 7:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (1)

So says Red State.

(JRB still ahead here at Reasoned Audacity -- Be sure to VOTE in the poll on the left side-bar!)

LATE-AFTERNOON SCUTTLEBUT UPDATE: Luttig gaining. With some Chris Cox thrown in for good measure.

JRB still way out ahead here, though, with almostover 1,000 votes now cast.

Posted at 1:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

According to his critics, Bush is stubborn. So stubborn that he will never admit to a mistake and change course.

But is he?

The withdrawal of the Miers' nomination proves his critics at least half wrong. And there is a nearly endless trail of instances where they haven't admitted their own far more egregious obdurance -- such as their opposition to Reagan's defeat of the Russians without firing a shot. Likewise the liberals will never admit that Bush's persistence in pursuing the War on Terror in Iraq is not a matter of obstinancy, but one of courage, determination, principle, and, not least of all, a keen understanding of what is at stake if we cut and run.

Stubborn, with those stakes, ain't so bad.

Call it resolute. It's a quality he needs for the days ahead.

The President has been attempting to avoid a head-on confrontation with Senate Democrats over the Supreme Court. With good reason. But if my mail today over the poll on the next nominee is any indication, the President's supporters want to see a little stubborn.

There's a time for strategery. And a time for diggin' in.

Now is the time for stubborn.

Posted at 1:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The five-count indictment includes: obstruction of justice, making a false statement and perjury.

He has resigned his position as Vice President Cheney's Chief of Staff.

Posted at 1:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jack has a post up about the latest hit job on WalMart. . .

Posted at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NOTE: Updates added, please scroll.

Who's next? Take a minute and VOTE! Look left (on the sidebar); Vote right.

Ironically, the President this next time needs to nominate a divisive figure: someone, that is, who is drawing fire from the right quarters.

Or actually the Left quarters.

Someone whose name is not anywhere near Harry Reid's short list.

Janice Rogers Brown
Someone like Judge Janice Rogers Brown. People for the American Way hate her. Need I say more? This would be what someone referred to as a "bench-clearing fight." Bring it on.

Ted Olson
Or, someone like Ted Olson. I sat next to Ted at a luncheon honoring his wife, Barbara, shortly after she died on 9/11. He is such a gracious gentleman. I realize that has little to do with qualifications for the Supreme Court. (Or does it?) But there's plenty more that does. The Left hates him too.

Edith Jones
Or, someone like Edith Jones. "I am hopeful that with the debacles of the twentieth century ... we can recover the original intentions of the founders of the Constitution," Jones said in a speech at the University of Texas. She thinks Roe v. Wade was an exercise in "raw judicial power."

More coming. . .

Or someone like Alice Batchelder.

Alice Batchelder

Not sure who she is? Christopher Flannery, from Claremont, makes the case for her.

Michael Luttig

Or, Michael Luttig. Graduated from UVA, worked for Reagan and clerked for Scalia. A triple-threat. And upheld the constitutionality of a partial-birth abortion ban. [corrected] That should be a no-brainer, but in these judicial times, that makes you pretty gutsy.

Michael McConnell

And Michael McConnell. Talk about guts -- and intellectual honesty: he's on the record calling Roe "an embarrassment to those who take consitutional law seriously." PFAW hates "strongly opposes" him too. Still, like John Roberts, even many on the Left concede that he is "one of America's most distinguished constitutional scholars."

Samuel Alito

And finally, Samuel Alito. Another Reaganite who is on the Left's hit list for a ruling in an abortion case. Alito was the sole dissenter in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, in the Third Circuit, arguing in favor of a Pennsylvania law that required wives to notify their husband's prior to an abortion. Again, not exactly, a wild-eyed idea, but enough to get him in trouble.

* * *

UPDATE: For the POLL, use the comments, or email me, with your write-in candidates. . . I will tally and add these in with a final report.

FRIDAY UPDATE: Welcome Powerline readers (Thanks John!) And welcome Captain's Quarters readers; thanks Ed.

Chris Cox

Lowell Brown wrote and reminded me of Chris Cox. At the Hedgehog Blog Lowell makes the case for Chris. As does Quin Hilyer at NRO.

Lee Jenkins writes in with Karen Williams.

MORE WRITE-INS: (The complete list -- links to follow)
Chris Cox



Maureen Mahoney (Background post from law-blogger, A3G)


Karen Williams


Alex Kozinski, 9th Circuit (1995 George magazine profile, via A3G)
Judge Roy Moore
Miguel Estrada


Diane Sykes, 7th Circuit
Richard Posner (A blogger on the Supreme Court!)
Emilio Garza, 5th Circuit
. . . and John Cornyn

And note to the White House: the ultimate stealth strategy is floated in the comments -- both Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham are attorneys. Turn one of them loose on the Judiciary Committee.

* * *

Here are profiles of Samuel Alito, Janice Rogers Brown and others from WaPo.

Confirm Them has profile links down the right sidebar.

Thanks to Mudville's Open Post. Hey, milbloggers: take a minute and VOTE!

Captain Ed says this is "No Time to Celebrate." He also has a whole post on Maureen Mahoney -- the Drill Sergeant brings up her name in the comments below as well.

GOPUSA did an overnight poll, Bobby Eberle at the Loft reports, of 1,000 conservative Republicans and found the majority felt the Miers withdrawal was the right thing. Who did they want as the next nominee? Janice Rogers Brown.

The Washington Post has an overview of possible candidates this morning.

Posted at 10:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (33) | TrackBacks (10)

She's just withdrawn her nomination, and they are saying that it is because Senators wanted to see papers from her work at the White House.

An attempt at face-saving.

It was the handwriting on the wall that she couldn't avoid. The Indefensible Speech finished her.

Posted at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (4)

The UnHappy Face of the
'Dark Side of
"everyday low prices"'
The November issue of Fast Company tells us that Wal-Mart incarcerates the night shift in some of its stores -- byline Charles Fishman:

We've read that in 10% of its stores, Wal-Mart locks its employees inside overnight, making it difficult even for people who are sick or injured to get out.

We've read? Mr. Fishman, read? You, ace journalist from Fast Company must use a secondary source? You can't pick up the phone, make a long distance call to Bentonville, Arkansas and ask for a comment, a reaction?

Even a supermarket tabloid would call Wal-Mart.

Or a blogger.

So I called Marty Heires, a company spokesman. He picked up the phone -- that's his job, answering calls from journalists bloggers -- and explained the lockdown:

For stores that are not open 24 hours, it is a normal thing to lock entrances for the protection of the associates. We don't want people to walk in [attracted by unattended] by the cash registers. The stores are locked from the inside and the managers have the keys.

Safety? Every Wal-Mart building is subject to, and in compliance with local fire regulations. Employees can get out; rescue can get in.

Please pardon the exasperation of Your Business Blogger. I am disappointed that Fast Company has now become, and is now behaving, like main stream media. Note the childlike scare quotes of "everyday low prices" that would not even be seen in a low-volume blog.

The Fast Company hit piece continued, insulting the Wal-Mart patron:

Shoppers, whether enthusiastic...or just uninformed, continue to buy what Wal-Mart is selling.

And just who would be the "uninformed" [stupid] shopper?

That would be me, Your Business Blogger. Kids, conservative, SUV and a belief in the right-to-work and wealth-creation capitalism.

Not Fast Company. The recent issue of Fast Company looks back to a decade-old cover about a Wal-Mart rant, "The Wal-Mart You Don't Know." The lefty-edgey mag cares little for the big retailer.

In an earlier post, "Why Elites Hate WalMart," I detailed 5 reasons for the discontent, but I left out technology elites in the Fast Company masthead and market segment in New York City.

Fast Company seems to be disappointed that Wal-Mart profits are up. Way up -- 30% in the past two years. Sales increased by a jaw-dropping $56 billion.

I asked Marty, the Wal-Mart spokesman, "Do people buy what Wal-Mart is selling?"

"They certainly do."

Selling at "everyday low prices" -- so low they are scary.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Full Disclosure: I am a Sam's Club Business Member. And you should be one too.

Don Suber has Wal-Mart wanting protection.

Pekin has Econ 101.

Penn doesn't shop at Wal-Mart.

Republic of Heaven wants Wal-Mart to do abortions.

The Merchant Account Blog has law suits.

Mudville Gazette has Open Post.

Outside the Beltway has Traffic Jam.

Basil's Blog has covered dish trackbacks.

Insults Unpunished explains why Wal-Mart wants increase in minimum wage.

Posted at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (1)

Charmaine, The Dreamer,
Jack, c.1995
"Hello Mr. Journalist from the main stream media, I'm glad you called. Am I a target or a source?" Your Business Blogger has had the misfortune of being both.

But not at the same time, like Karl Rove.

In any conversation with a reporter you are either Richard Nixon, or Deep Throat -- a target or a source. You are not a friend.

Repeat after me: not a friend.

And it is often difficult to determine hidden agendas. But you can be prepared by knowing what kind of person is on the other end of the phone.

Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball, named his show after his book (for which he received a well deserved $75k book advance). Chris tells us how most reporters get started in their careers.

Their entry-level job begins with covering the police blotter on the night shift. This is where journalists become inhuman.

Whenever there is a tragedy -- a death, a dismemberment, anything that bleeds -- the cub reporter is dispatched to the home of the grieving family.

He knocks on the door of the home of the dead one and secures a picture of the recently deceased from the crying mother/father/widow/spouse/sibling.

"I'm sorry about your dead daughter. Can I have a picture or two of your girl for gawkers and trolls?"

Thank you for the picture. Have a nice day.

Three days later the girl's face in the newspaper looks up from the bottom of a bird cage.

The reporter on the other end of the phone does this for a living. He does not care about you -- only the story -- the journalist soon becomes calloused and cynical. And look for blood even if they have to do the cutting.

Which is (one reason) why the mainstream media hates Karl Rove. He won't bleed.

And reporters hate bloggers: we still have our humanity.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Chris Matthews

Mahablog has updates.

Betsy's Page rightly asks why?

Pundit Guy also has questions.

Outside the Beltway has Traffic Jam.

Basil's Blog has Matthews praising Fox.

Mudville Gazette has Open Post. And while you're there visit Chromed Curses with Casualty Notification Officer. A positive reverse image of a journalist.

WizBang has more links.

Adam's Blog has trackbacks.

The Political Teen has Open Trackbacks.

Stop the ACLU has mid-week party.

(Something good from print media: Don Suber) writes on perjury.

The Heretic has cat rove.

Legal Fiction has view from the Left.

Sic Semper Tyrannis says indictments are coming -- Richard Sale is a vector for a source.

Best of Me Symphony has the best blogs.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 9:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Harriet Miers

In 1993, Harriet Miers gave a speech to the Executive Women of Dallas. The Washington Post reported this morning that she referenced abortion.

Here's the relevant passage:

The ongoing debate continues surrounding the attempt to once again criminalize abortions or to once and for all guarantee the freedom of the individual women's right to decide for herself whether she will have an abortion.

Read for yourself the whole speech.

More later.

* * *

Meanwhile, take a second to VOTE in the Reasoned Audacity Miers poll on the left sidebar. . .

And here's the longer question I'm interested in. Drop me a note in the comments: does this speech Miers gave influence your opinion?

* * *

UPDATE: How explosive was this speech? The big news of the day was the Ed Whelan piece on NRO in which he called for Miers' withdrawal after holding a neutral stance. This was followed late in the day by a press release from Concerned Women for America, joining the Withdraw Miers coalition.

And now, an interesting development at Powerline. Earlier today, Paul Mirengoff responded to Ed by saying (loosely quoting here), "Hey, the speech is 12 years old, give the lady a break." He has now updated that post, after reading the speech carefully, and he, too, is calling for Miers to withdraw.

I've also been curious to see how Hugh Hewitt would respond. The speech is "a mess" he concedes, while still maintaining that "under no circumstances" should Miers resign.

Read the speech.

Posted at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (7)

Patrick Fitzgerald,
Special Prosecutor
Steve Clemons of the Washington Note says that sealed indictments will be filed tomorrow, with a press conference to come on Thursday. His commenters are wishing each other "Happy Fitzmas." Via Fishbowl DC.

But hey, note to lefties: don't count your Fitzmas presents till they, um, hatch.

Erick, at RedState, says it (looks increasingly likely, maybe, possibly) won't be Rove.

Posted at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Baltimore/Washington
Corridor
Chamber of Commerce
Your Business Blogger has been on both sides of the table as buyer and seller in government procurement. Today I worked with a client selling to the public sector, working at the Baltimore/Washington Area Government Procurement Fair.

Follow-up and persistence is key for selling in any market. But are the rules different in government sales? In particular, when are you making a pest of yourself?

Gloria Berthold, President of TargetGov gave a compelling presentation, reminding small business owners that some government selling has lengthy, challenging sales cycles. What is needed?

"Persistence, Persistence, Persistence," she says.

Gloria reminds us that sales reps often quit too soon. They will bail out before they get tossed out.

Persistence. I was fortunate to have a trainer over two decades ago who taught how to measure persistence. In the high-pressure elite cadre of medical sales:

If you're not getting thrown out of an account once a month, you're not working hard enough.

This is always a challenge: balancing being nice, with being good . . .and persistent.

Sorry. Being nice is over-rated. Your Business Blogger always recommends being good.

Email me and let me know what worked for you. Nice gets nothing. Good gets the gold.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Mudville Gazette has Open Post.

Stop the ACLU has a trackback party.

Cao's Blog has trackbacks.

The Political Teen has Open Trackbacks.

Posted at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took a week off from Hillary 2008 Commander-in-Chief live-blogging, and I was roundly chastised. So, in just over an hour, come on back and join us for the Collagen Commander in action.

Tonight, according to the website: "Mac is caught off guard by breaking news of a terrorist smuggling explosives across the Canadian border." Oooh. Good opportunity to show how tough Hillary, sorry, I meant "a woman president" would be on terrorists. Bilaterally though of course.

9:00 One thing we haven't talked about yet: they hired SANDY BERGER as a consultant on this show. Seriously. That's amazing.

9:02 Nice suit. Maybe Geena Davis and I can work together on bringing back the long skirt suit.

9:03 Terrorist coming across the Canadian border. (Hey, those are my glasses, too. I'm liking this show better. Kidding.)

9:07 Commercial break. So back to the Sandy Berger thing. What DO you have to do -- if you're a Democrat -- to lose the lucrative TV gig??

Continue Reading »

Posted at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Cotillion Carnival is up, thanks to the good work of Girl on the Right(for Girls with Pearls).

And the suspense is over: the King of the Cotillion has been named over at My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy, and the winner is. . .

Posted at 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Greyhawk posts today results from a survey of Utah's National Guard reporting why they are reenlisting, or not.

Why are you staying in? Here's the one answer that really got me:

"Lisa."

Posted at 7:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

John Hawkins polled 200 conservative bloggers and asked them who should rule the world. Today, he posts the top 15 from the 38 bloggers who responded.

Here's one interesting part: Condi is number ONE. While her boss is, well, further down the list.

Okay readers! I want to know what you think. Give us your list in the comments, or send it to me.

This is the list I sent to John:

Todd and Carol Bassett: Commanders of the Salvation Army -- they do everything the Red Cross does, better, without the overhead.

Joe Gibbs: He takes a bunch of unruly guys guys, melds them into a team and turns them into Superbowl Champions. Then turns his attention to Nascar racing and wins there too. This is a man who understands organizational dynamics and using them to win. The world needs that.

Victor Davis Hansen: In order to influence the future, you need to understand history.

Margaret Thatcher: Hey, she's still alive!

Gilbert Crouse: My dad. The wisest man I know.

Luis Palau: World-wide evangelist

S. Truett Cathy: Founder and Chairman of Chick-fil-A. An honest businessman who closes his stores on Sunday. "Nearly every moment of every day we have the opportunity to give something to someone else-our time, our love, our resources. I have always found more joy in giving when I did not expect anything in return."

Lee Scott: CEO, WalMart. #1 company in the Fortune 500. "Every day low prices."

* * *

UPDATE: From reader Chuck Bloomer, suggestions that just beg to be posted!

My choices to rule the entire world.: My wife, Connie -- the smartest woman I know. Plus, she rules my world and does a great job of it.

Mona Charen -- another smartest woman I know.

Laura Ingraham -- another smartest woman I know (but haven't actually met yet)

You -- obviously smart since you have a Ph.D., plus I met you and you are a nice person.

[Wait a minute! So far my list only has women. Hmmm -- gotta think of a guy.]

Sen George Allen -- a tough yet personable conservative.

John Kerry -- Just kidding! I threw that in there to see if you were paying attention. (Did you know he served in Viet Nam?)

Posted at 12:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Lyndon LaPlante
The good that comes out of Texas: George Bush, Friday Night Lights and now, coach Kevin Atkinson. The Dallas Morning News reports:

Keller Senior with Down Syndrome Fulfills Dream

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

By TIM MacMAHON / The Dallas Morning News

The home crowd at Keller ISD Stadium rose to its feet as soon as Lyndon LaPlante jogged onto the field during the fourth quarter Friday night.

The fans went wild during LaPlante's 99-yard touchdown run, which ended with him being mobbed in the end zone by his Keller teammates.

Never mind that the pre-arranged play didn't count. It fulfilled a dream for LaPlante, a senior who has . . .

Update: Sept 9, 2008, Watch the video clip here.

Continue Reading »

Posted at 10:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Do you live near a sex offender? This database is amazing: just type in your zip code and you get a MAP of where the registered sex offenders live near you.

Plus their names and pictures.

And the crime for which they were convicted.

Big thanks to Jay Tea at Wizbang.

Some of Jay's commenters object to the listings. Not me.

Though I will give it to one commenter, Synova, who wrote:

I *do* have children and quite frankly, I don't trust *anyone*. The people I've known who have been abused have been abused strictly by people in positions of trust. Not strangers.

Good point.

Nevertheless, I like the fact that moving in this direction -- publically identifying sex offenders -- takes seriously the problem of high levels of recidivism for these kinds of crimes.

Posted at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (1)

A new book from Texas judge Janice Law argues that Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark Supreme Court case that declared anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional, was a staged set-up. . .

This you've got to read. I always wondered about the factual details behind that case. It never made sense to me.

Turns out that's because there were no real facts. And it didn't make sense.

Posted at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Ben Bernanke

Posted at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dr. James Dobson

Senator Specter said on Face the Nation yesterday that he will probably summon Dr. Dobson to testify to the Judiciary Committee about his conversations with the White House about the Miers nomination.

Posted at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

George Will

Yesterday, George Will intensified the drumbeat against Miers with "Defending the Indefensible."

Here's the bare-knuckled conclusion:

. . .any Republican senator who supinely acquiesces in President Bush's reckless abuse of presidential discretion -- or who does not recognize the Miers nomination as such -- can never be considered presidential material. . .

While getting to that conclusion, he made a point that I think is essential to emphasize. Liberals who make this confirmation debate All-About-Roe are being far too simplistic, and seriously misunderstand conservative reasoning:

Thoughtful conservatives' highest aim is not to achieve this or that particular outcome concerning this or that controversy. Rather, their aim for the Supreme Court is to replace semi-legislative reasoning with genuine constitutional reasoning about the Constitution's meaning as derived from close consideration of its text and structure. Such conservatives understand that how you get to a result is as important as the result.

Now. While I found Will's piece to be typically sharp and bracing, others read something else entirely. Over at Big Lizard, Dafyyd thought it was "yawn-inducing" and evidence that Will has entered his "dotage," arguing that, "This column is a sad chapter in the long twilight denouement of George Will's career."

Via John at Powerline, who thinks Dafyyd sends Will's column to "the trash heap of history."

Posted at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Dude with Coach Giddy

The score yesterday was 24-0. We're headed to the 'ship! As in champion-ship.

But from the coaches' post-game fire-and-brimstone lecture, an onlooker would have thought we had lost.

A part of me wonders if they are being too hard on the boys. Another part of me remembers the gut-wrenching loss from last year. After an undefeated season, watching nine-year-old boys walk off the field in tears, the trophy eluding them.

And as I watch some of the other teams wander onto the field, while ours marches out crisply, I see that the emphasis our coaches put on discipline makes a crucial difference. Maybe the fundamental difference.

Win or lose, that's a lesson that translates to life.

A win in this coming Saturday's game gives us a ticket to the regional brackets. . . the prize at the end of our trek through the Eastern Region of Pennyslvania, NJ and New York, is a berth to the Pop Warner Superbowl at Disneyworld the first week in December.

The boys are talking about sunscreen; some of the parents are singing "M.I.C. . K.E.Y. . ."

But what does it take to get there?

I'll let you know what I find out.

Posted at 9:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Seth Godin's
Purple Cow
In his bestseller, Purple Cow, Seth Godin says that your marketing campaign must stand out from the herd of common "brown cows" to be noticed.

A "Purple Cow" would be eye-catching.

Today's products and services must "be different, remarkable, extraordinary, exciting...challenging" to standout. To succeed.

So how would you know if you got it right?

Seth Godin reminds us that:

For decades, mass marketing through television worked wonders and it sold billions of dollars worth of products. It even worked for the internet...for awhile.

But no longer. Seth, once the President of Direct Marketing for Yahoo, gives a number of benchmarks for success today. One that caught my attention was parody.

An advertising and marketing program might be labeled a success when it is cited as comedy or satire. If Saturday Night Live makes fun of your brand -- you've got a winner. Seth writes:

If you can show up in a parody, it means you've got something unique, something worth poking fun at.

It means there's a Purple Cow at work.

By this parody definition, Your Business Blogger has become a "success." And wife Charmaine. We got hit by Tbogg.

Quite an honor. I think.

Tbogg, was the winner of the 2003 Koufax Most Humorous Award for left/liberal blogs. He gets over 7,900 visits daily. (And to his credit he unmasks his sitemeter.)

A link from Tbogg is almost as good as an insta-launch from Glenn Reynolds in the blogosphere.

The anonymous Tbogg described one of my posts as paste-eating stupid and Charmaine as a fat drunken cow. Funny.

It'd be funnier if Tbogg called her a purple fat cow.

Later, Tbogg criticises Charmaine's spelling. For comparison, Michelle Malkin is merely a crazy-a** bi*ch.

Parody, as I think Seth would correctly describe, is a bit different from being the butt of a joke.

But it sure feels the same. In any event, Seth is right: Sales and marketing and advertising these days requires being a Purple Cow, with a thick hide.

Thank you (foot)notes:

Seth's Blog has more with his new book, The Big Moo. Good reviews from readers. I will be joining fellow Seth supporters and reviewing also.

Mudville Gazette is running a test on Open Post.

More Than Fire has more on Cow and Moo.

Outside the Beltway has Traffic Jam.

The Indepundit has Liberty Call.

Posted at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (6)

"Safety First" is a slogan in Your Business Blogger's household. Which made the trade show hosted by the Georgia Department of Labor on Safety, Health and Environment actually fun.

Being in Savannah helped.

The first goal of the conference was to:

To provide a quality, comprehensive and convenient forum for the education, training and empowerment of those entrusted with the welfare and safety of Georgia's workforce.

One of my favorite speakers was Ron Newton who runs Peak Training who begins with, "What do you want from people in supervisory positions in your company?"

Ron outlines the basics:

Correct

Knows the rules, follows the rules, skills

Consistent

Does it time and again, a known value

Complementary

A team player, not a loose cannon.

Safety, just like quality and sales is the result of managing behaviors not numbers. Those behaviors, those people skills are seldom taught.

Ron continues:

Nearly all managers and supervisory personnel come up through the ranks of most organizations. The process of on-the-job training is a long accepted business practice that transcends industry bounds.

More often than not...an organization will look to an employee who has tenure, has a good attendance record, and perhaps has demonstrated some leadership skills.

This individual is given a "white hat," put in charge, and sent out in the organization with instructions to make things happen. What "tools" have these individuals been provided to insure he or she will be a good manager?

Far too often the first line manager has not the knowledge, skills or abilities to perform.

Educators like Ron Newton are filling the gap.

What this helpful? Please comment.

Don Stuber has Cute Puppy trackbacks. Five, count 'em, 5.

Outside the Beltway has Traffic Jam.

Mudville Gazette has Open Post.

Posted at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cafe du MondeOn a recent trip across country with wife and Penta Posse we evaluated restaurants on kid-friendly accomodations. Five kids can trash up an eatery in a hurry.

New Orleans, in a city where anything goes, kids can come. Cafe Du Monde was one of the most kid-friendly.

What child in any of us could turn down the beignets and the chicory- laced coffee?

Good news. The Wall Street Journal reports that the outdoor cafe opens today.

Posted at 7:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)