Science .. That is like Art Right?

I was sent a link for a recent article in the SF Gate about how 5th graders are getting less than an hour of science on a weekly basis.(link at bottom of post) There are some great points about how this will impact the future of the career choices down the road without an early understanding of the subject.

"Fewer than half of Bay Area fifth-graders (47 percent) scored at grade level or above on last spring's California Standards Test in science. (Only fifth-graders are tested in science at the elementary level.)"

Why is this the case in Bay Area High Schools? Supposedly, the teachers are spending all their time on meeting the requirements of the "No Child Left Behind Act".

I read this article about a week ago and thought about it as an issue. Yesterday, it dawned on me. When did the Act go into place? I knew it was passed during President G.W. (43rd) Bush's first term. My quick research found that it was enforceable July 1, 2002. Um.... My math equates 5 years or school terms ago. Where is the catch up with the fifth grade class? They shouldn't be in the fifth grade if they can't read and add!

I will add to this a comment Gov. Mike Huckabee said about the importance of having Art and Music taught in schools. It is important to open children's minds to art and music at a young age. It is also a way to keep artistically minded children in school with subjects that interest them and they can excel at because of their talents. Yes, he is a conservative Republican running for the Presidency. See, they all don't have horns.

I have a good friend that is teaching music and chorus at a high school in NY. She recently was bubbling about a student that is not well liked by other teachers because he causes trouble. However, he is a great kid in her class. Oh, did I mention the kid can sing? He was terrified to try out for the lead in their musical because he thought the panel of teachers would never give him the part. I look forward to cheering him on as he has one of the male leads.

Science, Art, Music, Reading/Grammar(English), Social Studies and Math... are very important. I will also add gym and a foreign language to the list. All should be taught and explored during elementary school.

I wonder if it is not the "No Child Left Behind Act" or more likely the issue of teachers not being allowed to control their classrooms. Teachers have been stripped of all of the tools to maintain order in the class room without fear of being fired or sued.

Parents learn this.... You aren't perfect and neither is your child. If a teacher risks their job to call your kid over the coals, chances are today they caught them red handed. Wake up... The coddling of the youth of this country is terrifying.

Stace, I don't think this was quite what you expected me to write. I would appreciate your comments....

Article link:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/10/25/MNNKSVFOH.DTL

Sports Weekend - Wow!!! Congratulations to Red Sox Nation

I am now just reviewing the weekend in sport....

1) Red Sox win the World Series !!!!

2) Patriots continue to roll over every team .. Spy Gate ?? Go get 'um Bill!

3) Giants beat Dolphins across the Pond. (Mr. B is happy)

4) GEORGIA beats Florida in the largest cocktail party.

5) UCONN beats Southern Florida.

I need to check on my nephew's pop warner football game... How can you get any better besides Mr. B winning the Amstel Gold race.

Meeting at the Blazer

There will be a meeting at the Blazer on October 27th at 7:30pm for the cycling group. Please rsvp by hitting the comment or emailing Mrs. B.

Nike is Just Doing it with Community

Remembering back to the days, about sixteen years ago when Nike launched the “Just Do It” campaign. I was at New England College in Henniker, NH. The Model UN Group I was a member of was putting together a Model Middle East Summit. It was a lot of work. We found each other screaming “Just Do IT” to each other all the time. It became a mantra for the organization and for many of us in our professional lives as well.

I think that Customer Self Service is basically an evolution of the “Just Do It” campaign. In reality, Nike has created a community to let their running/jogging customers AND PROSPECTS to do it together and better. In a recent NY Times article, Nike’s community was highlighted as their most recent advertising genius. They are enabling their customers to interact and find better ways to “Just Do It” all with the trademark Nike Swoosh neatly but understatedly featured. The community member they feature in the article is also 53 years old not 22 years old.

For those of you that are still looking for the hard data on why communities are essential to business, let me clearly talk to your wallet….

· Nike has dropped their traditional media budget by 22%
· That equates to 149 MILLION dollars.
· Members choose to visit the site 3x a week.

How is that for data?

Here is the crucial quote I found from the section on Nike:

“We’re not in the business of keeping the media companies alive,” Mr. Edwards says he tells many media executives. “We’re in the business of connecting with consumers.” Trevor Edwards, Nike’s corporate vice president for global brand and category management.

I will repeat a profound question recently poised by my colleague Derek Showerman:

“When are you going stop preaching to your customers and start listening to them? A community is the vehicle to JUST DO IT for you.”

Here is a link to the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/business/media/14ad.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

I want to thank the Nike Corporation for my Mantra …

Seamus is gonna get it....

Seamus ... my darling nut bag. He has been really driving us nuts lately. The separation anxiety and shadowing has risen to a level that it is compromising both of our health. He is acting out including destroying things that could poison him. I am getting to the point I am scared to leave the house with him alone. That is just the tip of the iceberg.

Today, we have a dog trainer and behaviorist coming over to "work" with him. It should be interesting. Full report tomorrow.

Weekend in Cape Cod

Courtesy of our great friend and pet sitter, Leslie, we were able to get away for the weekend to the Cape. Uncle Bob's services weren't until Tuesday and she felt confident she could deal with Annie's confinement to the first floor (ACL is totally gone and will need Surgery- OUCH).

We got off late given the trip to the vet in the morning and a lot of back and forth on whether we should leave Miss Annie. BUT Leslie assured me that we should go and have fun. She had nurse duty down for her.

Mr. B had arranged a great suite at the "By the Sea" Bed and Breakfast in Dennisport. I think I gave it 4 stars on TripAdvisor.com. (Lacking parking and a hair dryer). Staff was delightfully helpful. Rooms were well decorated and clean. The only other thing is at this time of year the windows are open. We awoke on Sunday morning about 6 AM to our neighbor doing something with Velcro. So privacy, not so much... Oh well...

Friday night, he had picked out a nice little Irish Pub. The food was traditional and good. The entertainment was delightful. Lots of old Irish pub songs including my domestic favorite, "Charlie on the M.T.A"

The next morning there was a cloud burst only over our part of the Cape. I was close to calling my mother and asking her to make it stop raining.... AGAIN! (inside family joke). That blew ...literately off and we were able to get in a 25 mile ride on trails to trail path. It goes through the interior of the Cape by cranberry bogs and a couple of large lakes. Interesting but I have to agree a bit boring. I think I am ready to stick to the roads .. hills and all. The "freddy" traffic on the rail trails is annoying.

Back to the B&B to shower and change for a drive to Chatham to go to the lighthouse, lunch, and shopping. This is when I discovered a lack of hair drying equipment. However, the shower was amazing. I wish I took a picture of it. I think I would like to do something similar with our Master Bath.

On to Chatham ... We drove by the lighthouse and determined that we were too hungry to stop and went to the Wild Goose Inn for Lunch and a beverage or two. Here is a picture I took for Aunt Sue to paint. The lunch was fabulous. http://www.wildgoosetavern.com/ The beverages set us up for a flurry of irresponsible shopping. Let's just say the shoppes in Chatham had a good weekend.

After the appropriate amount of time and shopping to let the beverages wear off... We drove back to the light house and snapped a few pictures of the beach and lighthouse.

We went back to the room for a bit of a nap and then out to dinner at a restaurant Mr. B. went to during family vacations to the Cape in his childhood. The Swan Lake Restaurant was fun. We had a terrific waitress. It is always fun when you can joke with the help... Basically, "it wasn't her first day" after I gave the in-depth description of how I prefer my martini. The last couple I have been served at various places have been 1/2 Vermouth ... I swear! ... Not this time... Perfection. As was the meal.

The next day, we got up went out for breakfast and back down memory lane or Folger Way. Here is a picture of the house Mr. B's parents rented for several summers on vacation. It looked a bit down at the heels. I think he is wondering if it might be for sale. OY!

We got back good season as we were worried about Annie. I also had to do a turn around and drive back to New Hampshire on Tuesday morning for the memorial service. It was a good and memorable weekend. Seamus liked his present as well!

In Memory of Uncle Robert....

The Faithful Sailor Boy .... The Sailor's Farewell

From North Carolina Folklore, 1920

Twas on a dark and stormy night
The snow lay on the ground,
A sailor boy stood on the deck
The ship was outward bound.
His sweetheart standing by his side,
Shed many a bitter tear.
At last he pressed her to his heart
And whispered in her ear:

Farewell, farewell, my own true love;
This parting gives me pain.
You'll be my own, my guiding star
Until I return again.
My thought shall be of you, my love,
While storms are raging high.
So fare you well! Remember me,
Your faithful sailor boy.

'Twas in a gale that ship set-sail,
The girl still standing by.
She watched the ship clear out of sight
While tears bedimmed her eyes;
She prayed to God in heaven above
To guide him on his way.
The parting words her lover spoke
Re-echoed down the bay:

'Twas sad to see that ship return
Without that sailor boy.
He had died while out at sea;
The flags were half-mast high.
The comrades, when they came on shore,
They told her he was dead;
The letter that they gave to her
The last line sadly read:

Farewell, farewell, my own true love,
We'll meet on earth no more,
But we will meet in heaven above
On that celestial shore,
Up in that land, that glorious land,
That land of peace and joy.
Where you'll no more be parted from
Our faithful sailor boy.

Cartoon Caption Contest - The Boston Globe

Cartoon Caption Contest - The Boston Globe

Damon, Damon.... nope... or.... Clemens, Clemens.. Not on the list

Skye and the rest of the weekend

Unfortunately, Skye lost her battle with renal failure on Saturday. I was holding and petting her as we helped the little bugger across the Rainbow Bridge. I know Emmy and Tess were waiting for her. She has two terrific big sisters to cuddle with and show her the ropes in heaven.

That night my cousins were terrific and invited me to go to dinner with them at the Rainforest Cafe in Burlington. If you have little boys, this is a fabulous place to go. Talk about merchandising!!! I sat next to my nephew Nathan. He was struggling with a cold. There is nothing cuter than him with a headcold. Thank God... Because I got it. From Monday night to this morning, I have spent horizontal on a sofa or bed with a clicker. Better today.


As a side note.... Today would have been my grandmother's 100th birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma! Love you!

Skye Update

I just spoke with the Vet and she is not doing well. Her chances are less than 30%.

Say a little Prayer for Skye

I am up here in New Hampshire while my parents are on a cruise taking care of their dog... my canine sister I guess. Skye has been really sick the past couple of weeks. Last night, the doctor finally found out what was wrong with her. Her kidneys are really badly infected and has caused some Renal failure. Please say a little doggie prayer for her today.

Our trip to Mecha

Thinking I made a stupid typo? Our company has recently merged with another corporation with a large office in Mechanicsburg PA. So, Monday and Tuesday (September 10-11th) we made a pilgrimage together to Mecha not Mecca. Interesting concept... Lots of symbolism.


What was the purpose of the meeting and gathering. Revelations, communication, and the evangelizing of how WE are going to revolutionize and change the way everyone communicates, markets, and conducts business through enterprise social networks.

We have a lot to do and a short time to accomplish our aggressive but important goals.

I can't wait to explore the future, have fun and make money!

For me it is Huckabee!

By George, I have it! I have been listening and reading about the candidates on the right side of the aisle looking for one that excites me and I think has the ability to lead and win. I think that just might be Mike Huckabee (Gov. AK). I had been hearing about him on talk radio from a couple of callers. I checked out his website. (I honestly thought I was going to have to wait until Thompson made up his mind. Even then, I think he will have issues getting elected.)

I liked everything but the one issue I stand apart from the Republican party on and I am never going to fully agree with them on it. Best of all, Gov. Huckabee is a fair tax supporter.

I encourage you to check out his website and positions. Hey, also.... as the Governor that took over after the Clintons.. I bet he has great dirt on the Junior Senator from NY. One thing to also consider.... There are very few cases of Senators that have been elected President without being VP first. It is typically a Governor that gets the final nod.

Finally, this is not a bash about the other candidates. I think they are all good men that want to do something good for the country. None of them simply said .... gosh that is a fresh approach! Check him out: www.mikehuckabee.com





Marc Ambinder, The Atlantic:
"My gut instinct: Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani won. John McCain did very well, too."
Debates are about moments, and this debate belonged to an impassioned exchange between Ron Paul and Huckabee about the Iraq War. Fox News smartly let the two men have their say. Refreshing: an actual substantive debate about core principles.

What do we owe to the Iraqi people? Ron Paul says nothing -- "we" as in Americans didn't make the mistake, the neocon cabal did. Mike Huckabee believes that the war was a mistake. But -- America's honor is at stake. Honor -- a word that Huckabee associated with John McCain. A word that resonates with the Republican electorate. "We have to be one nation. That means, if we make a mistake, we make it as a single country. Even if we lose elections, we should not lose our honor." Huckabee said the country owes to the Iraqi people our best effort to prevent genocide and stabilize the country. "We have to continue the surge. What we did in Iraq is we essentially broke it. It's our responsibility to try and fix it." Huckabee earned the biggest applause of the night. It may have been -- dare we say -- his break-out moment in New Hampshire, where support for the war isn't all that strong. (If this exchange had occurred in South Carolina, it definitely would have been a vote-earning exchange.) Huckabee was also asked tough questions about his immigration stance; he should wear them as a badge of honor. It means that his rise is being taken seriously by the press and by the Republican electorate.

Kudo's to Winston's Mommy - Let me Sing her Praises!

My friend decided earlier in the summer that she wanted to combine her passions of teaching, music, and developing activities to kids into her career. What does that equal... a high school music teacher. She went back to school and plowed through a mountain of course work for towards her second masters ( all post secondary school was done on her own and as a non traditional student.. I might add). She earned a 4.0 average and "scored" a part time position at the local high school as a music teacher. She will finish up the requirements this Fall and get her accreditation. Meanwhile, the students will have a teacher that wants to be there.

I give her a lot of credit for chasing and grabbing her dream. That is life lived like it is your last day.

Roosters coming back to the hen house... Hopefully it isn't being forclosed on.

I am reading and listening to all the reports on the credit crunch in the media. You only have to go back to my June 22, 2006 post. (It would have been done earlier if I had a blog back in 2004). Anyone that went through the S&L crisis in the late 1980's, could have predicted the news today. All you had to do is look at when those 3/1 arms were going to adjust.

I really fault the mortgage and real estate community for not policing itself. It comes from having an industry that is founded on commission only employees and greed. I can say that I am in sales. This needs to change, period. Real estate agents and brokers need to be employees of agencies with salaries and commission. They need benefits. The same is true of the mortgage industry. This also is not something for people to "dabble in real estate". This is a serious industry. Every house is a home. It is also a SIGNIFICANT investment vehicle for every home owner. It isn't a part time job, it is a profession.

The long term real estate professionals need to police there own shop. Down turns like this separate the wheat from the shaft. Learn from the historical information out there. Establish policies and procedures to prepare for this when it goes the other way. It will.

I think the core of the problem this time was the stupidity that mortgage professionals and underwriters applied to approving loans. Creative financing is fiction. It is simple. You can prove your borrowers make "x" based on the formulas they can afford to spend "y". Standard formulas we worked on when I was doing mortgages in the early 1990's were the following.

Your house payment should not exceed 26-28% of your Gross Income. There is a second ratio that takes into account your other debt. Think about this. Your home should cost you NO MORE that your gross check for one week. Week two is taken by Uncle Sam and Aunt State. Week Three & Four = cars, insurance, credit cards, fun, student loans, day care, 401K, utilities, home improvements, other investments, cell phones, clothes, gas, food?

Are you sure that you want to spend that full 26% at this point? Okay, whine at me.. The price of houses demand we spend more than we want to... WHY!

Simple.... people were able to get financing for higher ratios. Salaries have increased but not in the same correlation to home prices. We also have a full generation that expects to be able to purchase a house that has the same size and features as one their parents have after years of working and increasing their net worth.

I bought my first house for 91K. It was a 3 bedroom and 1 bath house built in 1906. The kitchen had metal cabinets. I lived with it. It was mine. Since selling that home, I have purchased and moved four times. The house I live in today is a lot nicer than that first house. However, I have firmly believed in the lessons I learned at Colonial Mortgage and Paul Speiss about how to qualify myself for affordability.

The other thing. Don't use a mortgage officer because they have a relationship with your realtor. They will be more loyal to the realtor than you. It is okay to pay a bit more in rate or for services to work with reputable people.

Would we be in trouble if we lost a job or something happened that we weren't able to work? Sure. It would be tough but we aren't going to lose our shelter, credit, and investment because of the mortgage type we signed on for 30 years.

Think about that ... what else do you commit to for a 30 year term besides your spouse and being a parent? Be really sure about the mortgage and home prior to jumping.

Can you Unplug?

With many of the changes that have been occurring with my company, still known as (idk.com = I don't know), I have found myself unplugging from my own personal community. I have began to sympathize with JK Rowling as a result. I keep getting asked what my world is going to look like in month, six month, or a year. Regardless of my lineage, I never was great at the crystal ball thing. At least, I can sympathize with Harry about that as well.

Ms. Rowling has had the world at her throat.... "What is going to happen? Who lives? Why are you stopping?, Please don't kill, Hermione, Harry, Ron, etc."

If she retreated to her home in Scotland and yanked the telephone cord out of the wall, I would get it. Meanwhile, it has to be business as usual in both circumstances. We have a product to ramp up, new ones to be flushed out, QA'd, and Customers to serve. She had a movie in production and the entire merchandise market around the Harry Potter series. While the scale is significantly and dramatically different, I get it.

The point is... you never can truly unplug from your community. A robust and lively community needs to be communicated with fresh content and information. Even if that information is... I don't know yet.. I am still working through to get to your answer.

Feed your grapevine with the right nutrients for success. Communication and content are king and queen of developing your own socialized network. However, the fairy godmothers are honesty and integrity. Those words are bantered around today by every person that is running for office and most businesses. The key is to walk the narrow road and your community will respect you and honour you with their attention and contribution.

thought of the day

“Selling to people who actually want to hear from you is more effective than interrupting strangers who don't.”Seth Godin

Comic Relief

I pulled these off a a Stumble Upon link... I think everyone could use a good laugh

A little boy was doing his math homework. He said to himself, "Two plus five, that son of a bitch is seven. Three plus six, that son of a bitch is nine."His mother heard what he was saying and gasped "What are you doing?"The little boy answered "I'm doing my math homework, Mom.""And this is how your teacher taught you to do it?" the mother asked."Yes", he answered. Infuriated, the mother asked the teacher the next day, "What are you teaching my son in math?"The teacher replied, "Right now, we are learning addition."The mother asked, "And are you teaching them to say two plus two, that son of a bitch is four?"After the teacher stopped laughing, she answered, "What I taught them was, two plus two, THE SUM OF WHICH, is four."

Next .........

One day the first grade teacher was reading the story of Chicken Little to her class. She came to the part of the story where Chicken Little tried to warn the farmer. She read, ".... and so Chicken Little went up to the farmer and said, 'The sky is falling, the sky is falling!' ".The teacher paused then asked the class, "And what do you think that farmer said?".One little girl raised her hand and said, "I think he said: "Holy Shit! A talking chicken!".The teacher was unable to teach for the next 10 minutes.

Great Quote

Have you ever read a quote... Then gone back because your mind wasn't clear and then the light of the genuis of the statement blared through like a fog horn in central London.

I am pulling this from an article on MSN.com... I haven't double checked it.. but it is brillant:

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."

Example:

1) Believing in the Constitutional Right of a Woman's right to choose.
2) AND believing that it is morally wrong and against one's own religious beliefs.

Defending both positions.

This is a simply wonderfully put... I love the quote...

In Memory.....

Life just knocks people hard sometimes and you just don't know how people make it through difficult points. My dear friend lost her mother over the weekend. I have clipped a picture here from their wedding last fall. Nancy's mom was so so proud of her daughter and adored her new son in law. You can purely see this in the smile on her face that night at the reception.

Her passing was sudden and while she was away from home. None of this helps ease the pain that the family is going through. It is hard to find the right words to express your sympathy.

Unfortunately, their pain hasn't stopped here. Last night, their dog was tragically taken from them when a speeding car struck and killed poor little Milo. Losing a parent is hard and tragic. Compound that with the loss of a dog that was their child. I know many people bock at those of us that choose canines for kids but they are our children. This was a safe neighborhood where pets and children call the Street their playground.

I am beyond knowing what to say to them. Perhaps, in a perfect world... Mom has Milo to sit in her lap now and keep her safe, be a warm blanket, and be her companion. They, together, can watch over Nancy ... one with an inner voice of advice and the other to growl at anyone trying to cause them further pain. They are two angels that I would want on my side. Bless both their memories.

Book Club

I just got a response from my local library. I had emailed them back in March about book clubs. They had several that met during the day. Ouch. (How do you live in Litchfield County and not work?) Well, that isn't going to work for me. This is not to be said I couldn't ask if it was a problem for me to take an hour a month to attend a book club. I really don't think that would have been an issue with my employer given my role and hours I typically work. My boss might have been relieved that I had an outside interest from my customers. For me, it was the principal of the thing. A public library should be able to serve all of the community interests. There is that word again, community.

I am happy to announce they kept a list of us ramble rousers that wanted a book club in the evening or on a weekend. I received communication this morning that there were 4 of us with a suggestion of a book that might be of interest as a jumping off place.

Being a supposed "expert" (cough or laugh or giggle) on "community", I quickly looked up the book on Amazon. Read the reader reviews, an excerpt from the book, and sent it all off to the other potential book club members. I also suggested we exchange profiles for each other to "Get to Know" one another. One positive response so far!

Essay 2.0

I have a vivid memory of the first time I realized the short text language used in SMS or text messaging. I was taking Megan somewhere... it was probably to work. We were on US-41 in Kennesaw when I tried to read a text message that she received from a friend. It was not quite gibberish to me. I also noticed the speed that she sent a reply and received one. The teenagers had created a "new language". We had "Basic, Fortran, and COBAL". They have a new shortened script. I thought... "Was this the dawn of the end of modern English and many other languages?" (Let's be real... people text in other languages)

I was sad that about another beloved thing, the art of writing, was going to disappear with the rise of TTFA and BFF. However, I hadn't been introduced to the art of the "BLOG". This is essay writing 2.0. Remember when we used to dread the essay on, "What I did this Summer". Well, today's teenager only needs to look back on their MySpace or Facebook account for a blow by blow account along with rich media content to accompany it. Photos, Streaming video and comments from their friends. Generation Y will be better versed in the writing art than my Gen X or the Boomers. They email, blog and update wikis. Don't worry, just blog!

Community observed ....

This morning, I was at Starbucks... (shocking to y'all, I know). A woman was struggling over the coffee makers they have there for grande or perhaps in this case Venti D'argent! I cornered her at the fixin's bar and said. Those Saecos are a ton of money. I suggested my Cuisnart. There is now about 4 of them in the family. We love them! Grinds beans. Stainless pot. Things she had said she liked about the Saeco. Told her Kohls has them on sale a lot. Then.. wait for it... We started discussing "Amazon.com and Shopzilla.com" The coffee pot lady said.... hmm... I think I will check out Amazon.com. THEY HAVE GREAT REVIEWS! She not only wanted my opinion but that of the Amazon community.

Multi channel community! It is here to stay.

Tour Scandal - By Phil Liggett

Yup.. I am being lazy. I pulled this article off of the Versus site. I think Phil does a great job at saying what needs to be said. I look forward to today's stage. I believe in clean riding. I also think that the tests and facilities have huge issues. This needs to be solved without self promotion. If you race dirty, you impact:

• Yourself
• Your family
• Your country
• Your sponsors abd their shareholders and employees
• Your teammates as well as their country and families
• Every professional cyclist and team
• Ability to secure other sponsors
• All other professional clean atheletes
• Amateur racers
• Freddies like me that just pedal around the lake for exercise
• Businesses that make money off cycling - Media Sponsors - Broadcasters and everyone that makes a living as a result of cycling

The list goes on... Race fair, Race Clean, Race Fast ....




Rasmussen Pulled From Race
By Phil Liggett
July 25, 2007

So, the Tour de France is punishing into chaos tonight after both, the French team and the Dutch Rabobank have packed their bags and headed home. The seal of 189 riders in London are now down to 135 to final days heading into Paris. Just what the millions of spectators will make of this, remains to be seen. They certainly will not see the race leader for the past nine days and today’s stage winner, Michael Rasmussen. He was sacked by his Rabobank team for lying about his whereabouts when he failed to make himself available for the now well-documented out-of-competition drug test. His team manager, Theo de Rooy, said that Rasmussen had told him he had been in Mexico with his wife. We all know now that Rasmussen has been seen training in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy. The team then withdrew because of the Code of Ethics, which is now agreed within professional teams.Earlier in the evening, I had also dreaded to go home for the same principles after former Italian champion, Christian Moreni, had tested positive during a spot check on Stage 11 for synthetic testosterone. Moreni finished this afternoon and was then taken away in handcuffs by French police.The new leader of the race will be young Spaniard, Alberto Contador, 1:53 ahead of Cadel Evans and Levi Leipheimer who is plus-56 seconds in third. Thank heavens none of these three riders have ever been remotely suspected in dealing with drugs and could now turn out to be the race’s saviors.Tomorrow is going to be a strange day.

Double Down on Enterprise Social Networking

I mentioned the "We are Smarter than Me" project in a blog entry a couple of months ago. Well, the first revelations are in the process of being fine tuned into a book that was written by the crowds. I am extremely privileged to have an copy of the compiled book. My prediction is it will be the Fall 2007, "Good to Great" for the business world. I am not going to give away the end or even a sample of the case studies that are included. You are just going to have to read it for yourself. Remember, the proceeds of the book are going to charity.

I was working on a project today with the manuscript while getting a pedicure and manicure. It got me to thinking about the history of community and the Internet. It made me want to "double down" on my bet of the future of enterprise social networking. I feel like my company has two aces with a dealer on a bad luck streak. Time to double down!!

Having moved around the past couple of years, I have consistently had to depend on the members of the new community to provide counsel and advise on EVERYTHING. I ask colleagues, neighbors, and strangers for recommendations on landscapers, doctors, nail salons, hairdressers, mechanics, and restaurants. I relied on the community for my immersion into a new environment.

I observed a small example of this while in the nail salon today. I had just finished reading a small blurb in the text about people have historically depended on their communities for direction .... think of the bazaars and farmers markets still in existence in the third world. This is a place for shopping for information and goods and services.... Don't by fish from him for x reason or the stall over two has a great price on widgets.

Today, three perfect strangers were swapping restaurant reviews about area restaurants. The top spoons go to Good News Cafe in Woodbury and Thomas Moran's Petite Syrah and Forsythia's in Washington and New Milford respectively with a communal nod that the Cookhouse was certainly a great establishment. Weren't we all lucky to have so many great options? Then it happened! The oldest member of this gaggle of women and the youngest started talking about Restaurant.com. "Isn't it great? You can rate the restaurants, read reviews, see menus and make reservations." said the Matriarch EUREKA! This is socialized networking and enterprise networking .. and more than that a multi channel community that restaurant.com had in a nail salon.

There are people which believe that this is a bunch of hooey. I know them. As a person that respects and consults history to predict future social behavior, I bring up the history of email.
Question, did you have a personal or professional email first? Most people had an AOL or CompuServe account? Before your time? Sorry, I am an old timer for personal computers. I had one of the first TRS-80's from Radio Shack prior to getting out of middle school. I also one of the first email accounts of my friends. I wasted more time than I want to admit in the 1990's waiting for the words "You've Got Mail". My husband and I developed our relationship through emails prior to meeting in 1999 and spent hours "IM'ing" each other during the day. My love notes disappeared into the oblivion when I closed the conversation...

In 1999, the company I worked for did not have corporate email. This was all done on a laptop and email account I personally funded. My boss was nice enough to have a data line installed in my office when she realized the impact of Monster.com on the recruiting industry was starting to have. Imagine someone trying to do placement and HR recruiting today without email? Role forward just eight years. EVERYONE has email.. personal and professional. I get my email on my Blackberry. I have a crackberry problem. I am not looking for therapy or sympathy. I love it. The non corporate environment demanded access to email from their companies. The same will be true of the people that are accustom to FaceBook, Friendster and My Space for companies to employ Social Networking as part of their overall customer communication, product development and customer retention.

My mind went nuts about other examples of communities that have spread like a virus on to the Internet. I am sure you can all think of examples. Do tell! Hit the comments link and share. Be part of my community. I dare you...

TdeF Favorite Phil-ism "Spot of Bother"

Okay ... Some of you will know what the acronym for tdef stands for... It has a Mellow Johnny or Maillot Jaune as the premium prize. It is July and if I were independently wealthy. I would traipsing around France on a bicycle cheering on the Tour de France. Instead, my life is full of 5 men and a tv station call VS. or Versus. My nights are spent drifting off to sleep to the sounds of Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwin, Bob Roll, and the unnecessary Al Troutwig. While my husband controls the volume and remote. I personally am beginning to hate the DVR. We now have the 4 + hour coverage from during the day rather than the 2+ hour coverage at night. It is saving me from hearing the lovable putz Bob Roll from saying TOUR DAY France every two minutes. The past seven years I have stood in the kitchen making dinner listening to that. Bob should be grateful of two things... I think he is a lovable soul and if he were a dog he would be a yellow lab and I haven't been able to reach him with the Knife that is in my grasp making a salad.

Then there is Phil Liggitt. He can only be described as a "cheeky fellow" and "crusty Brit". This year I have been walking around the kitchen exclaiming.. "Oh no... Stuie O'Grady seems to be in a Spot of Bother!" I love that. Those Brits and their infinite way of making serious problems sound like you just spilled tea.

Paul Sherwin has a steady tone. One of my friends that is willing forced to watch it as well says he puts her to sleep. This is so extreme with her that if she is having issues sleeping at any point in the year she plops in an old tour dvd. Okay - This is another question the non cycling population is asking ... Yes, we all spend the entire month of July plastered to the TV watching it.... only to by the 12 hour dvd set for our husbands for Christmas. So they can sit in the basement or cycling room (you have a playroom we have a cycling room) and watch stages while the pedal away the winter doldrums on a trainer. Personally, I would rather tape and watch Oprah.. But that is another entry.

Al Troutwig for me is the un comic comic relief. This guy has covered the tour for the past oh... 4-5 years and still asks the stupidest questions. But that is his "job" to make sure the "Freddie's" or newbies to the Tour understand the sport cause we Americans are slow on anything that doesn't have a stick or a ball involved.

The best part of the coverage beyond the racing, sprints, incredible mountain stages is the pure beauty of the countryside. This year from London to Paris, we will see an amazing amount of great scenery and European history. The mountain top lakes in the Alps and the Cote D'Azur in Marseille bring tears. Beyond this, realize this is a 20+ day super bowl of cycling and it is free to all that want to attend. Sure you can pay for a "tour and guide" or you can simply walk out of your house and watch the best athletes in the world battle against the clock, themselves and the other elite riders... not to mention the pavement and those spectators that can cause you to crash and abandon the race you train for all year. Just see how close they are to this T-Mobile rider. Understand he has been riding up hill for MILES. I can barely make it up to Ridge Road. When I did it on Tuesday, I thought my heart was going to explode!!

Photo - Copyright A.S.O. / Amaury Sport Organisation

For all I complain about the TV set being dominated by the boys of July, I wouldn't change it. I get to see the best sporting event and the rest of the world gets re-runs. I am also not quite sure about all this press around the "doping" in the sport. If this were American Football, Basketball, Baseball or Wrestling... Would the we care? I guess not because if Floyd Landis or Tyler Hamilton were Barry Bonds they would be in Southern France on a bike screaming through the countryside and not spending their life fortune defending themselves on very questionable evidence that would have been thrown out in an American criminal court for procedural error.

Vive La France - Vive La Tour.... Go Hinacapie!!!

My Biological Alarm Clock Isn't YOUR Business!

Today’s entry comes straight from the headline articles on MSN.com that was pulled out of Newsweek. It is an article written by Carrie Friedman. Here is the link to it for reference:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19762056/site/newsweek/?GT1=10150

Many of my friends, family and business associates are so hip on this issue. I especially appreciate “the parents” that have come to my defense when witnessing or hearing about an incident. First, please understand I realize the following… I get that having children and the joys of that are tremendous. I also get that I will probably never know the joy of being a parent or fully understand the joys of holding your own child. I struggle with that a lot. Most women that make this decision do. If they don’t, they certainly SHOULDN’T PRO CREATE.

There are many other things I will never experience that are common for society. I will never know what is like to be raised by a single parent. I will never know what is like to be abused as a child. I will never know the joy and challenge of being a brother or sister. I will never know what it is like to be a size two. Some people will never understand the joys of having a dog or being married to a wonderful man. Life is full of choices. That is why I try very hard to bite my tongue when commenting on parenting choices that others make. I don’t always succeed. I am sure the parents of the world are sick of us “DINKS” making snide remarks about their parenting skills when we haven't had to walk a mile in their pumps carrying an out of control two year old with a lollipop stuck in their hair.

I just really resent the people that push their choices on me and then make me feel horrid because I haven't gone down that path. As a result, I am the first to congratulate someone like my two cousins which have kids and have made the sacrifices to be stay at home moms. I also will tout the choice that an HR Director I know made to be a great mom to twin girls and a dedicated career woman.

Would anyone say to a single mother, "I can't believe you actually work. A real woman would find a way to stay home with that child. You are neglecting your child!" Boy is that the farthest from the truth!

I guess it strikes a cord because I can't be at a social function without this being thrown in my face by someone. I finally have taken to using the following statement, "My husband and I are the proud parents of Annie and Seamus, our two bird dogs. The Lord has not blessed us with human children and that is fine with us. We like our lives just the way they are. If God chooses us to be parents, we will accept it as a blessing" If that doesn't shut them up, then I get rude or emotional. I know that another dear family member really hates this question. She went through all the hurt of miscarriages. They decided that it was enough to be married and they didn’t need children to complete their lives. I never ask but I bet this nasty line of questioning really hurts her.

You might think I am over reacting and this doesn’t happen so often. Well, I have had to go through this twice since June 30th. Is that enough for you?

To be clear, I certainly don’t mind people telling me I would a great mom or asking IF I have children. The point you stop is asking “why”. If you must do that, take the answer at face value. Don’t press someone. Isn’t the last thing our society needs is people having children that don’t want them? If you think their choice is trivial or a mistake. That is fine but, you aren’t the child that wasn’t wanted but whose parents felt pressured to have to meet society’s expectations. This is another thing I will never know what is like to be an un-wanted child. I am very lucky to have loving parents.

Beyond this, I pay my fair share of taxes to pay for schools, teachers, and DCF that I will only have a secondary use of by hopefully believing that the public school system and social services does the job they are intended to do for society. I don't know many social services I benefit from that a mother the same age and income level doesn't.

I don’t resent paying for the public school system. I come from a Masonic family. One of the founding principals of Masonic teachings is that free public education is the cornerstone of every great society. I have friends and family that work in and for DCF. I am proud of them and thank them for doing an unfortunately necessary job. Just a note, these donations called taxes are my gift to your children. Perhaps a thank you once and awhile for it?

The choice for me not to have children is one I will struggle with for the rest of my life. I see the disappointment in my parents and in-laws eyes when it brought up. I know that I will have to pick out and have the funding for long term healthcare and housing. I will do this rather than pay for college and weddings. I will always be the one that covers the office during "school vacations and Christmas" because I don't have kids or grandkids. I don't mind covering for someone to go to their son's soccer game or stay at home with them when they are sick. Just don't have a hissy fit if I need to run to pick up Annie at the groomer or want to go to my nephews’ and nieces’ games in the future.

It is all about balance and respect. People should respect our choice to not have kids. We will try not to scream when the future generations wipe their dirty hands on my drapes, kick the back of our seats on flights, and interrupt a nice dinner out at 9 PM outside of the Christmas shopping season.

Thanks for always being there to hear my rants. As for being a mommy, I have a fur baby shaking in my lap. It is beginning to rumble thunder. Poor baby, mommy is here…..

Magic 8 Ball

Most of my know readers are of the age to have had or know someone that had a Magic 8 Ball when they were younger. I find my self wishing I had one again. Moreover, that I could trust the results.

So as I do know with everything, need information, answers, and advice ... I go to the Internet. There is actually a site out there that is a virtual Magic 8 Ball. This was the answer to the dying question on my mind. Boy this was the answer I wanted from my beloved Magic 8 ball.

Perhaps, we do have a crystal ball. Is everything accessible on the Internet? Absolutely.

The only thing that has been lacking is the personal interaction. Well the youth has totally moved the "hang out at the mall" to hanging at in MySpace or Friendster. Seems like everything is 2.0 ... We are about to have the future of the Internet be the present. Get ready for Community!

Check out the Magic 8 Ball on line:

http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~ssanty/cgi-bin/eightball.cgi

Weekend Pictures

This guy sat down in front of me at Mr. B's race on Sunday in Nagatuck. Who is kidding? A comb over with a visor? Time to graduate to a full baseball cap and lose the visor and the comb over...

The rest of the race .... went on ... Here is a picture of Mr. Badger as he made his move.

My new life at IDK.com

Last week was very hard to say the least. Probably, the less said the better. It will be announced today that the global leader in events has purchased the event and event community assets of my company. They did not take the people just the assets for the most part. I sat in my home office wondering if I had a job for a while on Tuesday. I was one of the lucky few that would be staying on to grow the enterprise community business.

While it was tough, VERY TOUGH to say goodbye to extremely good hard working people last week, I know they will all find themselves in positions that will give them more room for growth and making a lot more d'argent than was possible.

In retrospect, we were a company that was a conjoined twins. Having different futures, thoughts, and products while sharing vital organs. We have the possibility of thriving and growing to our full potential as individuals but would stagnate while sharing common assets but not a vision.

In the end, regardless of my employment status, it was the correct move for the company. We could not longer flounder on the verge of turning the corner. Each business unit was holding back the other from a bright future.

My future is a bit undefined as of this post. I have accepted a role in the new company as part of the sales team. What that exactly means - IDK (I don't know). What is my title? IDK ... Will I be traveling to Boston more frequently? IDK! Is this the right choice? IDK!

I do know this. "IT" is a cutting edge idea. We have a tremendous pipeline. We are nimble and have a team dedicated to success. I know that my VP wouldn't be sticking around if he didn't believe this was going to be great for his career and family. I trust that to be the case. If it isn't ... I may be right where I thought I was last Tuesday. However, I will have a new experience and great story. It is both a leap of faith and perhaps the safest course. It is both the path less traveled and with the surest footing.

I am excited about the new horizons. My life certainly hasn't been boring in the past years. Stability is only for the dead and the dying. I am neither.

New Flash!! Don't throw that Shrimp on the Barbie!

By ANDREW BRIDGES Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON Jun 28, 2007 (AP)
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var addthis_pub = 'abcnews';

Farmed seafood has now joined tires, toothpaste and toy trains on the list of tainted and defective products from China that could be hazardous to a person's health.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=3327048&Business=true

Perhaps my entry yesterday was a bit too timely!

Ni How MA?

My wonderful mentor and college professor strongly encouraged those of us Saycians to take and learn Chinese in college. He even went to the trouble of making the College find and hire a professor to teach the class. A number of my classmates and I took the class. I also took it when I went to Oxford. I probably did it more to make him happy than my interest. I regret not paying more attention and actually getting into the language. I can remember a bit of the language. I am disappointed in my lack of interest in the class now with the emerging giant in the Far East. Dr. Sayce's point then was "1/5 of the world's population speaks Mandarin not French" My friends that poured themselves into the language did well with it. A number of them went to China after graduation to teach English.

My good friend that is Eurasian now lives outside of Shanghai and owns a hotel and more. She constantly is trying to get me to come out there for vacation.

Okay nice trip down memory lane but what is my point? Why don't I just go find a Mandarin class and start over? I have a growing concern about the amount of products and services being manufactured and created in China. Moreover, the amount of issues with the quality. We have thousands of pets that have died because of the Chinese putting in an additive into a food by product to make it seem better even though it was poisonous. Do they care - nope.

Next case - Tooth paste has been poisoned.

Last night, I saw a case about the tire recall. This is what got me thinking.

Do you remember back in the early 70's when it was "Jap Crap". Now the Japanese make the best of everything. I wasn't old enough to know if there was issues with quality that was dangerous from a health prospective. I have to think the difference is the land mass. It is difficult to have an impact on the food industry when you are an island that imports food.

What do you think the impact of the emerging nation of China will be.... We have already seen the gas price impact. Did you know the busiest Best Buy store is in China? Think about it.

Illegal Aliens Defined

Illegal =
1.forbidden by law or statute.
2.contrary to or forbidden by official rules, regulations, etc.: The referee ruled that it was an illegal forward pass. –noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Alien =
Owing political allegiance to another country or government; foreign: alien residents.
Belonging to, characteristic of, or constituting another and very different place,
Dissimilar, inconsistent, or opposed, as in nature: emotions alien to her temperament. n.
An unnaturalized foreign resident of a country. Also called noncitizen.
A person from another and very different family, people, or place.
A person who is not included in a group; an outsider.
A creature from outer space: a story about an invasion of aliens.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth EditionCopyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Now that we have defined the two words.... Illegal Alien... Why would we give amnesty and citizenship to individuals that have done something forbidden by law and by definition have allegiance to a foreign government? I can't get over this. We have lists of people that want to come to this country LEGALLY. Why should they take a back seat to those individuals that take short cuts, commit crimes (being an illegal alien is a crime), and drain our government resources.

Who would do the work? Perhaps the teenage obese population would be less fat and facing diabetes if they had to, vacuum, mow the lawn, weed, babysit their brothers and sisters or neighbors' kids, work an entry level job at a fast food restaurant. Remember when it was cool to work at McDonald's. Remember when kids had summer jobs? They learned the value of a dollar and why it was important to get an education rather than spend a life time making minimum wage digging ditches.

I developed my work ethic doing yard work and then holding a full time summer job starting at the age of 14. My parents didn't force me to do it. I wanted to. Where is that drive gone?

Send the law breakers back to their countries i.e. -HOME!! Re-open Ellis Island type facilities ... if it worked prior WHY NOT NOW?

definitions pulled from dictionary.com

Driving Miss Daisy through Litchfield County

I spent the weekend doing a number of things I have wanted to do for a while. Friday, I scooted out from work and went to cheer on a family member that was doing a tri-athelelon up in New Preston at the lake. Believe me .... He was a the talk of the event when he decided to do the run pushing his twins ( 2 1/2 yr olds) in the run. Which was nothing but up hill and then down hill. Now that is the way to inspire fitness and competition!

Saturday morning, I spent cleaning the house finally. I hadn't dusted or really vaccuumed in combination since prior to going to Florida. I had cleaned a bit here and a bit there. It didn't take tooo long and felt good to get it done. I then enjoyed creating a menu for our friends to come over and enjoy. My goal is always to cook stuff that can be made ahead and doesn't take much time to ready to serve ...especially in the summer. It is very hard to be at the stove and at the grill, and behind the bar at the same time. We had a great time catching up with our NY friends! I know there is no easy way to get here from there considering it would only be about 20 minutes as the crow flies but you have to go over hill and dale. North to go South again.

Sunday I drove up to Kent to go to this Dog gift shoppe up by the Falls. Not impressed. It had been featured in Yankee Magazine and it was awful. It looked like a bunch of stuff found at yard sales featuring dogs with some bad handmade crafts. Avoid it in the future. I then went down into Kent center and walked around the shops. I found some cute toys for my nephews in a toy store and a wedding shower present. It is always so tough to find something original and pratical when you haven't seen their home.

I stopped at the Covered Bridge and took some pictures. I am beginning to enjoy having this small digital in my bag to snap away at stuff. I wish I had my grandmother's ability to paint.

That is the nagging question someone asked me this weekend. The family member was so happy that we came out to cheer them on with the Tri-Race.. He asked what he could do to support something I did and was into doing. I found myself saying I used to... fill in the blank (skate, ski, dance) Now the only thing I think I do and excel at is working and selling. How do you cheer that on? What does that say at the end of a life time... She really knew how to hock stuff. Perhaps, it is time to find a passion. Any ideas ??? I think I would like it to be either creative or sports related. I feel like I have let a part of me get thrown in the compactor.

Beautiful CT weekend

It was a beautiful weekend here in Litchfield County. We went out for a late dinner on Saturday night. Went to a family BBQ on Sunday. Gardening was done in the rock yard and a stroll through the art show on the green.

It is a lovely area. Annie had a hard weekend. The arthritis is giving her a ton of pain. She has caused sores on her joints from licking them so much. We have finally had to put her on medication for it today after a quick trip to the vet for the baseline blood work. She is just getting old and it is hard to take.

June is Busting Out All Over

It seems the past couple of weeks have flown by! I was so encompassed in work with the Annual Retreat last week and getting the Customer Self Service Conference program and brochure out the door with the rest of my team... I haven't had a chance to write an entry. Again... Bad blogging behavior. So what is new in the world of the Branny's?

Well I finally did it. I am now a red head or strawberry blond. I love it. I wasn't sure at first but it is definitely grown on me. I have lost a couple of pounds doing the WW point system. Seamus is getting more walks as a result.

Annie has celebrated her 11th Birthday in May. She is doing okay for a gal of 77 years old. I think her joints are really beginning to bother her. I don't like what I read on the medication for it. I am trying to balance getting her the appropriate amount of exercise to keep her moving and managing the pain I believe she is in with the shaking of her legs occasionally.

My nephew Jamie is graduating from high school today. I am so proud of him. He is off to University of Lowell next year in the engineering school. He has accomplished so much in 18 years. I can't believe what this young man has gone through and fought to be the success he is today. The sky is the limit I hope for him.

This weekend's plans just got cancelled so... I think the gardens are beckoning to be planted with both perenials and annuals. I don't know why I really haven't done it yet. I guess the digging I have done to date has hit rock after about 3 inches of topsoil and hasn't inspired the type of gardening I have done at my previous homes.

I think Mr. Branny has a race next weekend and then we have plans around the Fourth as usual. Not sure about other vacation time as we just got back from going to Florida to see the Sr. Branny's and spent a couple of days of RR in Naples. I highly recommend the LaPlaya Beach Resort in Naples. Incredible property!! The Boca Resort not so much!

The GNO Month and the Weekend Transport

This month has been a month of fun Friday's. A family member and friend have planned out the past three Friday nights and had a blast. We saw "RENT" at the beautiful Waterbury Palace Theatre. Then the next week to a charity fashion show. Miss Connecticut, Heidi Voigt was there and can I tell you she is a lovely lady, country singer, and all around fun person. This past Friday was a wine tasting for the benefit of the New Milford Mammography Program. Just a great way to bring in summer. The yard is looking great and Spring is definitely here with the return of my allergies. Funny how I didn't really have a issue with them in Georgia of all places.

Back to work today. I am trying desperately to fight the Spring Fever and go for a long walk with the puppies. They deserve it as I abandoned them yesterday to do a transport for the American Brittany Rescue. Attached are some pictures of the puppies that are now in foster care with the organization. I have to say Miss Tansy is a doll! (Pictured above ) This is Shasta below. ..

http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org/

In Memory of the First Amendment

I am drawn to re-write the lyrics to the Don McLean song "American Pie". Yesterday, the first amendment died. As I type this on Friday the 13th, the date sticks in my head. Finding out that the "right" thing to do is fire a man with a long term career over a fire storm on a slow news day. Yes, he had an error in judgement and said the wrong thing that was awful, nasty, and hurtful. Sexism and Racism should not have a place in society. However, until we reach that utopian society, I am afraid a lot worse is said daily.

When it is uttered, we would hope that the person in error would conduct themselves the way Mr. Imus did. He has apologized. As a result, I see him as a man willing to admit his mistakes, own up to the responsibility and ask how to make it right. It seems that tries to use his fame and privilege of position to raise money for children... I am confused.

I am also grateful I don't have to explain this to my kids. I feel for any parent that is having to explain the entire situation to a child. Here is the Aesop solution to this Fable:

Sometimes doing the right thing frees you from the constraints of a morally corrupt system, but damages the communities ability to have the freedom it deserves.

Freedom of Speech and the Press is officially dead. Long live the freedom of consumerism and to be a coward.

So here is my attempt at the obituary:

The first amendment was conceived along with its' nine other amendments in September 1789 when the congress approved their adoption to the Constitution. Being born in 1791 after the ratification of the States, they have become the most quoted and recognized parts of the Constitution in the 216 years of existence.

Yesterday, the First Amendment finally succumbed to it injuries and illnesses from it life time. It is not clear how many of the rest of the Bill of Rights are still really in existence. Services will be a private matter and donations can be made the Imus Ranch in New Mexico.

http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/funddocs/billeng.htm

Slippery slope ... free speech?

I written several other blog posts about the Imus situation. I have deleted them as I was concerned about the message that was next to my name. I think Imus made a mistake and said something that wasn't funny and hurtful. Just like Stern, Opie and Anthony and others do every day. Have I been offended by blond and degrading comments regarding female anatomy on these radio programs, absolutely. I find Howard Stern to be obnoxious. By the same point, I kind of like O & A. If they have a radio bit on I don't like, guess what! I change the channel.

Nothing in the statement was against the FCC regulations (to my knowledge). He used language that is commonly used in the community that is railing against him in music and common day vernacular.

Free speech is a right. He should only be fired if:

1) He violated the terms of his contract with CBS and MSNBC
2) His ratings drop and that is in accordance with his contract with his employers.

This is a bit different than arrangement most people have with their employers. He has a contract with his employer and most people work at the pleasure of their employer. (Right to Work States)

For example, if it is against your company's policy to use office equipment for personal use, the following are offense that would justify discharge:

• Sending personal emails
• Visiting web sites for non work related activity (are you reading this at work)
• Using the copy machine to photocopy filers for your personal training side business (Yup, this has happened)
• Making personal phone calls on company telephone lines

So, If Imus violated his contract. Dismissal may be appropriate. (oh btw, he will probably be paid the balance of his contract without working as with Opie and Anthony). Mr. Imus apologized and that should stand for something. He admitted he was wrong, tried to make amends for it, and probably has learned his lesson.

If you really think Don Imus should be fired, what have you said in jest (your mind) that could have been taken wrong, hurt co-workers and caused you to be dismissed?

US Constitution, Bill of Rights....

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances

Wednesday's Child is full of Woe....

Yesterday was one of those day's I should have either stayed in bed and pulled the covers over my head and said, " Today was not meant for me" or Seized the day and decided to have it be an anti technology day. Of course with the second choice, I probably would have sprained my ankle on mile 3 of a five mile hike or Seamus would have gotten away or the Quiznos Coyote would have decided I was lunch.

I will give you a quick sample of the three things that should have given me pause:

1) Woke up at 4 Am with my previous night's dinner causing upper GI pain. Honestly, this is an incredibly rare thing for me and usually with a pepperoni pizza not a quiche.

2) Finally got a call back from a client that said, not now check back in two months. Totally surprised me. Well, I shouldn't have been in retrospect at least it wasn't no and this does follow their buying habits that coincide with their fiscal year. (This was made better later in the day when I heard a former customer of theirs bashing the heck out of their customer service). Internal giggle.

3) Received a call from a wife of one of my husband's former racing buddies. They came to our wedding and complained the entire time they were there ... even to my Maid of Honour about the accommodations they chose! I had reserved them a suite in the nicest b &b in town not the ski motel they decided to stay in. I haven't talked to this woman since the wedding ... I think. However, we have been on each other's Christmas card list. Monday, I mailed to everyone on the Christmas card list a pre-printed change of address card. In the truest form of the "ME" and 1980's new money society, I obviously had sent this to her exclusively. Sorry babe... I thought twice about even bothering. She called to inform me that she and her husband were separated and had been for three years. She didn't know where he lived, he wasn't riding, he had other issues, and only cared that he made the mortgage payment and sent her money to live on. ( I believe their residence would be valued over the million dollar mark). Say it with me people " GOLD DIGGER" ... I nicely asked for her personally... seemed like the "lady" had been going through a rough time. By the end of the call, I simple said... " I can understand that you have been going through a tough time and hearing from your husband's friends is troubling. I will save you the grief and remove you from my address book and mailing list, best of luck to you and your dogs." I will be more than happy to testify to this conversation if they ever do get divorced. Quite frankly, handing her over 1/2 would make me not want to provide her my address either.

Let's just say the day when down hill from there...

Weekend in Review ..

This weekend we did a lot around the new homestead. One of the faucets in the master bedroom drips. Duchess thinks it is her personal water fountain. We think it is annoying at 2 AM. So off to Home Depot for the necessary supplies.. along with the required rakes, light bulbs, pansies, and a shelf for the laundry room to get the bleach and detergent out of the formal living room, and picture hangers.

We were standing in the bath room fixture aisle having DeJa Vu. I couldn't help thinking it might not be the last time buy them either. Remodeling that bathroom will be on the agenda at some point.

Question, if you were a restaurant today and on a Saturday night you had two tables occupied... would you continue to think not taking plastic was a good idea?

End result is a trip to Costco, Home Depot, car washed, ride in for JB, lots of stuff knocked off the to do list. Next weekend is Easter.. hop hop

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble .... It will be May and Bathing Suit Trouble!

Witch 1" When Shall we three meet again... In thunder, Lightning, or in Rain?"

Witch 2 "When the Hurlyburly's done, When the battle's lost and won."

Witch 3 " That will be ere the set of sun."

Act I, Scene i - MacBeth, William Shakespeare....

Have I gone off my rocker? Nope, I just realized that Memorial Day, Bathing Suits, Sleeveless tops, and shorts are 8 weeks away... (insert music from any Hitchcock movie).

The second realization is that I have been writing this blog for close to ten months and I still haven't found a way or the sustained motivation to kick butt with getting in shape. I do think I am eating better. However, motivating to exercise is my biggest challenge. I am not sure why?

I guess I will get my legs in gear and go for a walk after our sales meeting today. One, it will clear my head and two put some mileage on my feet. As I have said before, I step forward and 2 back.

Fairtax.org

I spent last night doing our 2006 taxes... Or at least pulling the information together into a spreadsheet for our CPA. (Who is terrific if anyone wants a referral in Georgia, Robert Skinner, CPA). I, like many in the States, put this off each year as a dreaded task.

I do prepare all year by throwing receipts into the "Yearly Tax Folder" to be kept safe until the day each year I pull them out to sort into Client expenses, charity giving, office expenses/home office deductions, investment income etc. Each year, I curse myself saying ... I know I gave more to charity... where is that damn receipt!!!

The last two years it has been even more tasking as I have been educated to the "FAIRTAX PROGRAM". A radio talk jock on WSB in Atlanta, Neal Boortz, is one of the prime promoters to this bill that has been introduced into the US Congress year after year. While our elected representatives boast they want to overhaul the tax code, most of them are .. well... Sissies! There! I typed it. It takes guts to say, abolish the IRS. The fact many IRS agents agree this is a fairer and better system is proof this can work! I was against it. I didn't understand how this would work. Real estate values would drop. I would be paying more ... 25% more every time I bought something, went to the doctor, or ordered something online Yikes!! That is a tough pill for a Republican.. but I continued to listen after all, Neal is a Libertarian and somewhat more conservative than Attila the Hun.

Well, I discovered a couple of interesting points. Take out that W2. Total up the amount of tax you paid last year to the State, Federal government, social security, medicare etc. What is the percentage of your income? Mine came to about 26% but that was in Georgia. I am scared to do it in CT.

Now, think about who doesn't pay that percentage but uses a ton of the services you just paid for and by the way you have worked for exclusively this week as we have hit tax freedom day yet.

• Illegal immigrants


• Criminals (drug dealers, pimps, thieves, etc)


• Tax evaders (including some very proper business people that think it beneath them to pay .. taxes - Yes, I am talking about GS.


• Foreign tourists (that stay for ever)

And the list goes on...

There is clear documentation that moving to a federal flat sales tax will also solve the social security issue. Check it out at Fairtax.org or read John Linder & Neal Boortz's book The Fair Tax Book" - Very - short, funny, and mind changing.

Blogging Pulpit

Mr. B and I have been trying to plan a couple of days after my next conference to see his parents and to take a couple of days vacation on a beach. Since my airfare is covered, it all makes sense. How do we go about doing this? Well, the first thought was the Keys. I have never been there and tis himself hasn't ventured out there in close to 30 years.

We researched a couple of great places on line. I decided to see what might be going on in Key West those couple of days. Guess What!! That seems to be "Pride Week". Perhaps, we would be better off going out to the keys another time. I put away the Hemingway novels I had thought about reading.

Next idea, I am a gorgeous resort for our event... why not just stay on there? Himself read the reviews.... yikes .. The reviews on Tripadvisor and epinnions were not so great. So my question is..... DO YOU BOTHER TO RATE PLACES AND EXPERIENCES THAT ARE GOOD?

I am guilty .. I don't. I only use the "Blogging pulpit" many times for ranting about horrid restaurants, experiences, bad customer service, and more.

As I was sitting here, I wanted to share a recent great experience. I have been shopping for new places since the move. A new drycleaner, groomer, nail salon, liquor store, carpet installer, you name it .. We need to find it all over again.

Kudos to the following:

• Tiffany Nails - Great people, awesome value, and clean
• Kovac Carpet - Family business, on time, great advice, and good follow up (they install the runner on the stairs tomorrow
• Ne Jaime Beverages - Have an email newsletter, invited me to a tasting, and have a charity wine tasting event to help buy mammogram machines for the New Milford Hospital.
• Village Green Drycleaners - Have a bin to recycle wire hangers and the plastic, tons of coupons and very welcoming staff

The difference may be I ask questions. I ask politely for recommendations and I tend to like to do business with locals rather than large chains if possible or I just shop the Internet. It was difficult to do this in Georgia with the multitude of strip malls and chains.. but some great local businesses are:

• The Biscuit (homemade biscuits open mornings Wednesday - Saturday - cash only)
• Rose Cottage - Home Decor and gifts
• The Big Shanty Barbershop - my dad loved that place

Okay... that is enough "Do Gooding for the Day"

Vernal Equinox

I was about to attribute the line " Spring has Sprung" to ee cummings. However, it a quick quote search, I discovered it is part of an unknown poet's words.. I checked my Bartlett's quotations. Published in 1937.. that didn't help.

If you noticed the comment on my posting about my Vegas trip, my darling friends in Atlanta are reminding me that the gardens I spent 4 years planting, weeding, bark mulching and paying for have begun to bloom. The wild bradford pears in the common land and along Hackamatack are in full bloom. The azaleas are ready to burst with pinks and pomegranate colours.





On St. Paddy's day, we receive over 10 inches of white stuff and not the petals from the pear trees. We didn't get out to conduct our plans until after 3PM when we were plowed out. Mr. B was beside himself. As St. Paddy's day on a Saturday doesn't happen too too often.





So technically, tomorrow may be the Vernal Equinox. However, it may be April before the flowers signal spring. The original quote and poem seem to be unknown. So I will leave you with thoughts of Spring with this....

"If we had no Winter, the spring would not be so pleasant;

If we did not sometimes taste the adversity,

prosperity would not be so welcome."

Anne Bradstreet

Cead Mille Failte!!!

It is St. Patrick's Day ... or the last work day prior to it. I love St. Paddy's day. Here is Seamus dressed up (for Halloween) as my little leprechaun! Oh.. and is he ever....

Cheers and Slainte to all!

Branny

What happens in Vegas - Ain't Staying There!!!

I am still recovering from my recent trip to Sin City this week for my company's inaugural "C 2.0 Conference / C20". Not for the reasons so many visitors have returning from the LV. Being part of the conference production team is always a challenge. You are up and working prior to your audience and leaving conference floor long after the audience is off having fun at a variety of activities. I have been working at events like this since 2000. I love it! For the first time, I have been able to get honest feedback from the audience, attendees and our sponsors.

Why do you say? Because they have been blogging their hearts out!! We have been able to read opinions, feedback, and comments. That haven't been written on the conference survey forms for just a few to read. They have put it out into the atmosphere for everyone to read. They are posting pictures as well on Flickr.

You will never understand how wonderful it is to be able to read these blogs. Am I tired! Yes, I am exhausted as are my team mates. Half of them are off to do it all over again for our EA Community and Conference next week in New Orleans. Bless their hearts!

Moreover, I am beaming. I learned a ton about communities, blogs, tagging, photo sharing, and the benefits to business along with the challenges and bogs to avoid.

We are becoming a more interwoven fabric of society with the new technology. The "me" society is being heard and is developing into a "We" - hence the "we are smarter" project.

I feel like the last couple of months has been a roller coaster ride with the event. I didn't know what to expect. Their was a ton of ups and downs and corkscrews. The end result was a great ride and I can't wait to be back in line to do it again! WEEEEEE...........

So if you are in the business of selling community and web 2.0 services and products, get ready. I will be calling you shortly to discuss how to reach this passionate audience of enterprise individuals wanting to bring communities to their customers.

http://www.futureofcommunities.com/2007/03/13/community-20-conference-discussion/

ps. Aaron, I tagged this and outed myself.

and now a word from Boomer ....

Stacy P sent this to me. I did it and it is simple and not a information grabbing experience. Stacy has witnessed this first hand as a social worker in Boston, New York and San Francisco. She is my resident social issues queen. So happy clicking

You probably never thought of this, but women's shelters in the U.S. go through thousands of tampons and pads monthly. Assistance agencies generally help with expenses of "everyday"necessities such as toilet paper, diapers, and clothing, but one of the most BASIC needs is overlooked - feminine hygiene products. "Every month" necessities seem to have fallen throughthe…ahem - well, they've been overlooked Seventh Generation, a green paper products and cleaning products company, has a do-good attitude and will donate a box of>sanitary> > > >products to a women's shelter in your chosen state - just for clicking the link (or copying and pasting). Talk about easy, and, yes, it is legitimate!http://www.tampontification.com/donate.php

Thanks for helping out. Please pass this on.

Interesting Search engine

Hey, did you know about www.goodsearch.com ? Everytime you are tempted to "google" something.... check out the above link. They donate to a charity of your choice each time you use them. Am I giving up Googling? Nope, I just try and balance it with goodsearch. My searching pennies are going to the American Brittany Rescue. There are scads of charities and schools on it.

So when you are feeling down and are tempted to google something ... remember good search.

Introducing the Duchess of Brannydoon!

Well, I haven't mentioned the Duchess as she was under house arrest in the townhouse. We were limited to two pets. Now, I have never heard of anyone getting busted for indoor cat that didn't impact anyone, given the issues with the dogs, she was "Clandestine Kitty" for 9 months. She wasn't mentioned in the blog as a result.

This is her coming out entry !! Duchess was adopted by Annie and I from the Bedford NH Animal Shelter in November of 1998. I think the staff thought I was nuts because I insisted on bringing Annie into the interview room. I wanted to make sure they got along. She is a dog loving cat. Duchess is not as friendly with her own kind.

She, along with her canine brother and sister, are loving being in the new house. The human care takers are as well. The move went smooth. We had a bit of a rough period with the furnace and a getting a part but all is well and we are slowly going to make it our own. The impulse is to rush out and order curtains, new lighting fixtures etc. We are forcing ourselves to live in the space for a time to figure out what right for the next 20 years. There you have it! You can start placing bets now.