The author of this blog, David, is on the right.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton (left) and seated guests (right).
U.S. Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Al Franken Holiday Party
These photos are from the Al Franken Holiday Party in December, 2011. The event was held at the Normandy Inn in Minneapolis. We had a good time with good food and a lot of laughs..
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Francie Nolan Grows Up in Brooklyn
BOOK REVIEW:
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
By Betty Smith
Harper Perennial Modern Classics
I recently finished reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The book is centered on the underclass of Brooklyn, New York, in the years up to World War I. (The tree, itself, is one commonly found growing up between the cracks in the concrete of poorer neighborhoods.)
One passage caught my attention. It was the author's portrayal of the treatment of schoolchildren by their teachers in a Brooklyn school. If the schoolchildren were from wealthier homes, and wore good clothes, they were seated at the front of the classroom. These front-row students had privileges; they were seldom chastised or ignored.
Children were placed in the very back of the classroom if they were poor. Some of the poorest children felt so completely disenfranchised, and were so intimidated, that they didn't dare raise their hands if they needed to use the restroom. Some of these, apparently, urinated in their classroom seats. They went home with wet clothes, chilled to the bone.
Those overcrowded schools in Brooklyn provided the author, Betty Smith, a compelling illustration of how social-class privilege permeated American life at the beginning of the 20th century.
A Tree Grows is Brooklyn is a classic that I am sure many of you will want to read if you haven't already done so.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.com)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Publisher: HarperCollins
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
By Betty Smith
Harper Perennial Modern Classics
I recently finished reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The book is centered on the underclass of Brooklyn, New York, in the years up to World War I. (The tree, itself, is one commonly found growing up between the cracks in the concrete of poorer neighborhoods.)
One passage caught my attention. It was the author's portrayal of the treatment of schoolchildren by their teachers in a Brooklyn school. If the schoolchildren were from wealthier homes, and wore good clothes, they were seated at the front of the classroom. These front-row students had privileges; they were seldom chastised or ignored.
Children were placed in the very back of the classroom if they were poor. Some of the poorest children felt so completely disenfranchised, and were so intimidated, that they didn't dare raise their hands if they needed to use the restroom. Some of these, apparently, urinated in their classroom seats. They went home with wet clothes, chilled to the bone.
Those overcrowded schools in Brooklyn provided the author, Betty Smith, a compelling illustration of how social-class privilege permeated American life at the beginning of the 20th century.
A Tree Grows is Brooklyn is a classic that I am sure many of you will want to read if you haven't already done so.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.com)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Publisher: HarperCollins
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas Day at the Lyndale Park Rose Garden in Southwest Minneapolis
This year, there was no snow for Christmas. It was bright and sunny and my afternoon walk through the Lyndale Park Rose Garden was pleasant.
It is during the summer, however, that I usually enjoy visiting the garden to see all of the beautiful varieties of roses that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has on display. I often sit on a park bench near one of the fountains to listen to the soothing sounds of the water.
My favorite fountain -- there are two -- features turtles. With Lake Harriet being so close, I think turtles fit the theme of this garden well.
The art project was funded by the East Harriet Farmstead Neighborhood Association and Guse Hardware. Just scroll down to see five photos of those panels.
All photos were taken by David Jonathan Malas
Monday, May 30, 2011
An Iowa Republican supports same-sex marriage.
Iowa Republican Jeff Angelo is launching a new group entitled Iowa Republicans for Freedom. Angelo has not always supported same-sex marriage, but says his views have changed over the past few years. Angelo will officially launch his new group, Wednesday, at the Capitol in Des Moines. In addition, two Thursday press conferences are scheduled for Cedar Rapids and Davenport.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Living the Liberal Life
Book Review
538 Ways to Live, Work and Play Like a Liberal.
Copyright 2010 by Justin Krebs
ISBN 978-1-60239-982-2
Skyhorse Publishing, New York, New York
I have a few conservative acquaintances. However, they seem to be very "me" oriented. Conversations tend to be about their own lives, their own careers, their own homes, and their own struggles.
And yet, for all of the self-focus, my conservative friends don't seem to be getting very far. A tract home in some luckless suburb and a life of secretive desperation is the best they can do.
Last week I bumped into one of these desperate people at the fix-it-yourself store. You know, it's the store that says, "You can do it, we can help." I didn't want to be bad-mannered, so I simply said hello. The conservative acquaintance said, "You must be mistaking me for someone else."
Today, there are conservatives who are too embarrassed that they can't afford union plumbers and that they, the McMansion owners, are going to try to effect plumbing repairs on their own.
So, it ended up: "You must be mistaking me for someone else."
I simply said, "O.K." Then, I quickly went on my own shopping errands having met my social obligation to acknowledge another human being's presence.
A few conservative acquaintances have declared bankruptcy due to high medical bills. A few have lost their homes in foreclosure because multiple, part-time, minimum wage jobs were not enough to make the mortgage payments.
Today, many conservatives are physically and mentally exhausted. They're struggling in additional ill-fated ways too numerous to mention.
There comes a point when I have little left to say to these conservatives whom I call K-Mart Republicans. As with some gays, K-Mart Republicans are people who get down on their knees and beg to belong to Republican organizations that will never represent them. In short, a K-Mart Republican is often a middle class evangelical who offers prayers--prayers that petition God to cut the supplicant's own head off.
On the other hand, there are liberals. Justin Krebs, author, is a proud American liberal. I subscribe to Kreb's view of the liberal described on page 2 of his book, 538 Ways to Live, Work, and Play:
Liberals believe that we are better off when we live
for each other than when we live only for ourselves.
The book does a good job of defining what it really means to be a liberal from a liberal point of view. 538 items are listed in the back of the book. In short, being a liberal is about making the world a better place, but not exclusively for yourself. If you are a struggling and suffering conservative, living a life filled with hopelessness and despair, stranded in a far-suburban wilderness where streets have no sidewalks, after being sold a conservative castle in the sky, this book might be for you.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
538 Ways to Live, Work, and Play Like a Liberal
538 Ways to Live, Work and Play Like a Liberal.
Copyright 2010 by Justin Krebs
ISBN 978-1-60239-982-2
Skyhorse Publishing, New York, New York
I have a few conservative acquaintances. However, they seem to be very "me" oriented. Conversations tend to be about their own lives, their own careers, their own homes, and their own struggles.
And yet, for all of the self-focus, my conservative friends don't seem to be getting very far. A tract home in some luckless suburb and a life of secretive desperation is the best they can do.
Last week I bumped into one of these desperate people at the fix-it-yourself store. You know, it's the store that says, "You can do it, we can help." I didn't want to be bad-mannered, so I simply said hello. The conservative acquaintance said, "You must be mistaking me for someone else."
Today, there are conservatives who are too embarrassed that they can't afford union plumbers and that they, the McMansion owners, are going to try to effect plumbing repairs on their own.
So, it ended up: "You must be mistaking me for someone else."
I simply said, "O.K." Then, I quickly went on my own shopping errands having met my social obligation to acknowledge another human being's presence.
A few conservative acquaintances have declared bankruptcy due to high medical bills. A few have lost their homes in foreclosure because multiple, part-time, minimum wage jobs were not enough to make the mortgage payments.
Today, many conservatives are physically and mentally exhausted. They're struggling in additional ill-fated ways too numerous to mention.
There comes a point when I have little left to say to these conservatives whom I call K-Mart Republicans. As with some gays, K-Mart Republicans are people who get down on their knees and beg to belong to Republican organizations that will never represent them. In short, a K-Mart Republican is often a middle class evangelical who offers prayers--prayers that petition God to cut the supplicant's own head off.
On the other hand, there are liberals. Justin Krebs, author, is a proud American liberal. I subscribe to Kreb's view of the liberal described on page 2 of his book, 538 Ways to Live, Work, and Play:
Liberals believe that we are better off when we live
for each other than when we live only for ourselves.
The book does a good job of defining what it really means to be a liberal from a liberal point of view. 538 items are listed in the back of the book. In short, being a liberal is about making the world a better place, but not exclusively for yourself. If you are a struggling and suffering conservative, living a life filled with hopelessness and despair, stranded in a far-suburban wilderness where streets have no sidewalks, after being sold a conservative castle in the sky, this book might be for you.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
538 Ways to Live, Work, and Play Like a Liberal
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Entertain Your Friends Outdoors This Summer
Book Review
The Dean Bros. Get Fired Up
Grilling, Tailgating, Picnicking, and More
By Jamie and Bobby Dean and Melissa Clark
Copyright 2011 by Dean Brothers Enterprises, LLC
Photographs copyright 2011 by Ben Fink Photography
Ballantine Books, New York, New York
ISBN 978-0-345-51363-2
Summary: "The Deen Brothers present 100 all-new recipes and entertaining ideas for outdoor gatherings" -- provided by the publishers.
Politically active people take advantage of the outdoors by entertaining during the summer months. Jamie and Bobby Dean and Melissa Clark have put together an attractive book on the subject. The full-page photography by Ben Fink Photography is great. I've talked to other authors and publishers and they tell me they use professional designers for the food presentation in their books. I'm assuming the Dean Brothers hired such a designer because the food looks like someone with some expertise has carefully arranged it for the photographer. For instance, the cilantro is very artfully sprinkled on the fajitas--fajitas which, themselves, were not merely dumped on a platter. The fajitas were arranged the way you will want to arrange them, yourself, when your friends stop by. Be sure to complete the picture with the matching green tablecloth underneath the platter to bring out the green in the cilantro because presentation is a big part of the formula for success.
This is the book I'm going to be using this summer when I discuss the issues with other politically-minded people. I have my eyes on the Charred Tomato Salad with Peppers and Onions because we always need to have something for the vegans.
No doubt, the Dean Brothers' expertise and experience at running their restaurant has taught them how to combine inspiration with practicality. If you have read the book Martha Rules, which I reviewed previously (see Martha Stewart: On Starting and Running Your Business), you'll note that Stewart mentioned that her first catering experience was successful, but that it was the work of a novice. She, too, has learned a lot since then.
I don't have as much time--or energy--as Martha Stewart to complete an extensive learning curve in the kitchen, so this book provides me with a dependable shortcut to successful summertime entertaining.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up: Grilling, Tailgating, Picnicking, and More
The Dean Bros. Get Fired Up
Grilling, Tailgating, Picnicking, and More
By Jamie and Bobby Dean and Melissa Clark
Copyright 2011 by Dean Brothers Enterprises, LLC
Photographs copyright 2011 by Ben Fink Photography
Ballantine Books, New York, New York
ISBN 978-0-345-51363-2
Summary: "The Deen Brothers present 100 all-new recipes and entertaining ideas for outdoor gatherings" -- provided by the publishers.
Politically active people take advantage of the outdoors by entertaining during the summer months. Jamie and Bobby Dean and Melissa Clark have put together an attractive book on the subject. The full-page photography by Ben Fink Photography is great. I've talked to other authors and publishers and they tell me they use professional designers for the food presentation in their books. I'm assuming the Dean Brothers hired such a designer because the food looks like someone with some expertise has carefully arranged it for the photographer. For instance, the cilantro is very artfully sprinkled on the fajitas--fajitas which, themselves, were not merely dumped on a platter. The fajitas were arranged the way you will want to arrange them, yourself, when your friends stop by. Be sure to complete the picture with the matching green tablecloth underneath the platter to bring out the green in the cilantro because presentation is a big part of the formula for success.This is the book I'm going to be using this summer when I discuss the issues with other politically-minded people. I have my eyes on the Charred Tomato Salad with Peppers and Onions because we always need to have something for the vegans.
No doubt, the Dean Brothers' expertise and experience at running their restaurant has taught them how to combine inspiration with practicality. If you have read the book Martha Rules, which I reviewed previously (see Martha Stewart: On Starting and Running Your Business), you'll note that Stewart mentioned that her first catering experience was successful, but that it was the work of a novice. She, too, has learned a lot since then.
I don't have as much time--or energy--as Martha Stewart to complete an extensive learning curve in the kitchen, so this book provides me with a dependable shortcut to successful summertime entertaining.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
The Deen Bros. Get Fired Up: Grilling, Tailgating, Picnicking, and More
Friday, April 29, 2011
America's Missing Liberal Class
Book Review
The Death of the Liberal Class
Copyright 2010 by Chris Hedges.
Nation Books, New York, New York
ISBN 978-1-56858-644-1
In his latest book, Chris Hedges explains how the United States is descending--or has descended- into a neo-feudal state controlled by corporations. Today, big corporations are America's royal family, so to speak. Liberals discover that speaking against corporate America is equivalent to speaking against the king. Hedges makes the case that liberals, in order to avoid being rejected by the power elite, compromise to the point of being totally ineffectual as a counterweight to the influence of the big corporations.
I found the section on the art world especially worthy of note since I studied art in college. Hedges' insights into the power elite's control of the art world are accurate but surprising to people on the periphery of that influential community.
Chris Hedges, a former journalist at the New York Times and a Pulitzer Prize winner, has also written the following books:
Empire of Illusion (2009)
Collateral Damage (2008)
I Don't Believe in Atheists (2008)
American Fascists (2007)
Losing Moses on the Freeway (2005)
What Every Person Should Know About War (2003)
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002)
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Death of the Liberal Class
The Death of the Liberal Class
Copyright 2010 by Chris Hedges.
Nation Books, New York, New York
ISBN 978-1-56858-644-1
In his latest book, Chris Hedges explains how the United States is descending--or has descended- into a neo-feudal state controlled by corporations. Today, big corporations are America's royal family, so to speak. Liberals discover that speaking against corporate America is equivalent to speaking against the king. Hedges makes the case that liberals, in order to avoid being rejected by the power elite, compromise to the point of being totally ineffectual as a counterweight to the influence of the big corporations.I found the section on the art world especially worthy of note since I studied art in college. Hedges' insights into the power elite's control of the art world are accurate but surprising to people on the periphery of that influential community.
Chris Hedges, a former journalist at the New York Times and a Pulitzer Prize winner, has also written the following books:
Empire of Illusion (2009)
Collateral Damage (2008)
I Don't Believe in Atheists (2008)
American Fascists (2007)
Losing Moses on the Freeway (2005)
What Every Person Should Know About War (2003)
War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning (2002)
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Death of the Liberal Class
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis--Her Life in Books
Book Review
Reading Jackie
Her Autobiography in Books
Copyright 2010, by William Kuhn
Doubleday, New York, New York
ISBN: 978-0-385-53099-6
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis never wrote an autobiography. However, William Kuhn proves that we can gain insights by looking at her life as an editor of almost a hundred books, first at Viking Press, and later, at Doubleday. This is the first book to approach her life through her own work. Therefore, because we see her interacting with her clients, we get a glimpse of her from an angle other biographies have missed. William Kuhn, unlike others, impressed me as an author who based his book on real events, rather than on tea-leaf interpretations. Note that the book is published by Doubleday which is one of the employers where she worked. For that reason, too, I think the book has a bit of honesty, mixed with equal measures of grace and dignity, which one would expect. I enjoyed this book and I think you will, too.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books
Reading Jackie
Her Autobiography in Books
Copyright 2010, by William Kuhn
Doubleday, New York, New York
ISBN: 978-0-385-53099-6
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis never wrote an autobiography. However, William Kuhn proves that we can gain insights by looking at her life as an editor of almost a hundred books, first at Viking Press, and later, at Doubleday. This is the first book to approach her life through her own work. Therefore, because we see her interacting with her clients, we get a glimpse of her from an angle other biographies have missed. William Kuhn, unlike others, impressed me as an author who based his book on real events, rather than on tea-leaf interpretations. Note that the book is published by Doubleday which is one of the employers where she worked. For that reason, too, I think the book has a bit of honesty, mixed with equal measures of grace and dignity, which one would expect. I enjoyed this book and I think you will, too.(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Explaining the Gap Separating the Rich from the Middle Class
Book Review
Winner-Take-All Politics
How Washington Made the Rich Richer--And Turned Its Back on the Middle Class
Copyright 2010 by Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson
Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, New York
ISBN 978-1-4165-8870-2
This book goes a long way in explaining what's happened to the middle class in the United States--and why. I learned about "drift" in the Democratic Party and the role it plays.
Quote from page 292: "Recall the startling facts revealed by the DNA evidence on American incomes: From 1979 until 2006, the top 1 percent received 36 percent of all the income growth generated in the American economy, while the highest-income 1/10th of 1 percent--one out of every 1,000 households--received nearly 20 percent, even after taking into account all federal taxes and all government and employer-provided benefits."
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer--and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class
Winner-Take-All Politics
How Washington Made the Rich Richer--And Turned Its Back on the Middle Class
Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, New York, New York
ISBN 978-1-4165-8870-2
This book goes a long way in explaining what's happened to the middle class in the United States--and why. I learned about "drift" in the Democratic Party and the role it plays.
Quote from page 292: "Recall the startling facts revealed by the DNA evidence on American incomes: From 1979 until 2006, the top 1 percent received 36 percent of all the income growth generated in the American economy, while the highest-income 1/10th of 1 percent--one out of every 1,000 households--received nearly 20 percent, even after taking into account all federal taxes and all government and employer-provided benefits."
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Winner-Take-All Politics: How Washington Made the Rich Richer--and Turned Its Back on the Middle Class
Monday, April 25, 2011
Inside the United States Senate with Terence Samuel
Book Review
The Upper House
A Journey behind the Closed Doors of the U.S. Senate
Copyright 2010 by Terence Samuel
Palgrave Macmillan, New York, NY
ISBN: 978-0-230-62361-3
Terence Samuel takes us inside the U.S. Senate to get a glimpse of how it functions. The book is highly informative and includes chapters that focus on six senators: Harry Reid, Amy Klobuchar, Jon Tester, Chuck Schumer, Bob Corker, and Jim Webb.
You will find that Samuel sprinkles highly-perceptive insights throughout the book. On page 15 Samuel writes: "He [Barack Obama] came to the Senate not as a place to do things, but as a place to be someone." That's a significant statement which illustrates Samuel's outstanding ability to observe and analyze the political animal.
Other observers have voiced the opinion that President Obama sees himself as a man who has risen to the ranks of World Citizen and that he does not see himself as merely an American Democratic Party politician. As a result, observers think that President Obama has left many people in the Democratic Party bewildered by his willingness to give away the store rather than arm wrestle with the Republicans on a number of important issues. Therefore, I can see where Samuel's comment could dovetail with these other observations.
I especially enjoyed the chapter on Minnesota's Senator Amy Klobuchar, since she seems to be a real go-getter, and I feel I know her a bit better now.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
The Upper House: A Journey behind the Closed Doors of the U.S. Senate
The Upper House
A Journey behind the Closed Doors of the U.S. Senate
Palgrave Macmillan, New York, NY
ISBN: 978-0-230-62361-3
Terence Samuel takes us inside the U.S. Senate to get a glimpse of how it functions. The book is highly informative and includes chapters that focus on six senators: Harry Reid, Amy Klobuchar, Jon Tester, Chuck Schumer, Bob Corker, and Jim Webb.
You will find that Samuel sprinkles highly-perceptive insights throughout the book. On page 15 Samuel writes: "He [Barack Obama] came to the Senate not as a place to do things, but as a place to be someone." That's a significant statement which illustrates Samuel's outstanding ability to observe and analyze the political animal.
Other observers have voiced the opinion that President Obama sees himself as a man who has risen to the ranks of World Citizen and that he does not see himself as merely an American Democratic Party politician. As a result, observers think that President Obama has left many people in the Democratic Party bewildered by his willingness to give away the store rather than arm wrestle with the Republicans on a number of important issues. Therefore, I can see where Samuel's comment could dovetail with these other observations.
I especially enjoyed the chapter on Minnesota's Senator Amy Klobuchar, since she seems to be a real go-getter, and I feel I know her a bit better now.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
The Upper House: A Journey behind the Closed Doors of the U.S. Senate
Friday, April 22, 2011
U.S Senator Scott Brown. His Book.
Book Review
Against All Odds
By Scott Brown
Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown has written an autobiography, Against All Odds. Brown was elected to the seat previously occupied by the late Democrat, Ted Kennedy, of Massachusetts.
I looked for the spot in the book where Brown specifically stated why he identified with the Republican Party.
Brown explains this on page 224: "I believed in a strong military and in service, and in standing up to those who wanted to do harm. But beyond that, I had largely identified with Republicans as the party fiscal responsibility and fiscal restraint."
I have Republican friends who say the same. However, if I mention out-of-control military spending in relation to that fiscal restraint, my Republican friends become a bit irritated.
However, Brown's book is a good business card for a rising star in the Republican Party, even if I completely reject the Republican agenda. Most Republicans writers would be lucky if they could do as well.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Against All Odds: My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances [ AGAINST ALL ODDS: MY LIFE OF HARDSHIP, FAST BREAKS, AND SECOND CHANCES ] by Brown, Scott ( Author ) on Mar, 01, 2011 Hardcover
Against All Odds
By Scott Brown
Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown has written an autobiography, Against All Odds. Brown was elected to the seat previously occupied by the late Democrat, Ted Kennedy, of Massachusetts.
I looked for the spot in the book where Brown specifically stated why he identified with the Republican Party.Brown explains this on page 224: "I believed in a strong military and in service, and in standing up to those who wanted to do harm. But beyond that, I had largely identified with Republicans as the party fiscal responsibility and fiscal restraint."
I have Republican friends who say the same. However, if I mention out-of-control military spending in relation to that fiscal restraint, my Republican friends become a bit irritated.
However, Brown's book is a good business card for a rising star in the Republican Party, even if I completely reject the Republican agenda. Most Republicans writers would be lucky if they could do as well.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
Against All Odds: My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks, and Second Chances [ AGAINST ALL ODDS: MY LIFE OF HARDSHIP, FAST BREAKS, AND SECOND CHANCES ] by Brown, Scott ( Author ) on Mar, 01, 2011 Hardcover
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Exploring Why Some Kansas Residents Cheerfully Put Their Own Heads on the Political Chopping Block
DVD Review
What's the Matter with Kansas?
"One of the ten best documentaries of the year." -- Roger Ebert.
This DVD, a documentary film by Laura Cohen and Joe Winston, is based on the book by Thomas Frank. Frank, a Kansas native, documents how Republican conservatives use the political issues of guns, God and gays to encourage blue-collar workers in Kansas to vote against their own self-interests.Time and time again, the willingness of Kansas residents to give away the store, metaphorically speaking, leaves many outsiders asking, "What's the matter with Kansas?"
The issues presented are compelling and relevant to the continuing culture war against middle-class Americans in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
(The following link goes to the DVD at Amazon.)
What's the Matter With Kansas
What's the Matter with Kansas?
"One of the ten best documentaries of the year." -- Roger Ebert.
The issues presented are compelling and relevant to the continuing culture war against middle-class Americans in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
(The following link goes to the DVD at Amazon.)
What's the Matter With Kansas
Martha Stewart: On Starting and Running Your Business
Book Review:
The Martha Rules: 10 Essentials for Achieving Success as You Start, Build or Manage a Business
When Martha Stewart--a woman with a net worth of over a billion dollars--presents ideas regarding success in business, people take notice. In this book Stewart presents ten business concepts that she believes are crucial.
Here are a few of the subjects she covers:
Rule 2: What's the Big Idea.
Rule 4: Teach so you can learn.
Rule 6: Quality is everything.
Rule 7: Build an A-team.
Here are a few of the subjects she covers:
Rule 2: What's the Big Idea.
Rule 4: Teach so you can learn.
Rule 6: Quality is everything.
Rule 7: Build an A-team.
Stewart's book is written in an upbeat, confident, and optimistic style. It would be a good one to keep on the shelf for those times when you want something positive and encouraging.
Stewart says: "Being an entrepreneur is not easy, but it is exciting, fun, and amazingly interesting and challenging. As you will read in the following chapters, being an entrepreneur requires a person to do more than just "go to work," much more than just "do a job." It requires eyes in the back of one's head; constant learning; curiosity; unflagging energy; good health, or at least a strong constitution that will ward off illnesses; and even the strength and desire to put up with sleep deprivation and long hours of intense concentration."I enjoyed the book and I plan to put one or more ideas presented into practice.
(The following link goes to the book at Amazon.)
The Martha Rules
Friday, April 15, 2011
Persecution Politics: The Wisconsin Republican Formula for Success?
Book Review:
Blowing Smoke: Why the Right Keeps Serving Up Whack-job Fantasies about the Plot to Euthanize Grandma, Outlaw Christmas, and Turn Junior into a Raging Homosexual.
Michael Wolraich, a contributor to Talking Points Memo Café.
© 2010
De Capo Press
Cambridge, MA
ISBN 978-0-306-81919-3
Michael Wolraich makes the strong case that conservatives use an oft-repeated formula that succeeds in getting their right-wing wacko candidates elected to public office. Wolraich uses observations of Pat Buchanan, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly to clarify and his ideas.
Quote from page 21: "I call this movement and the tactics employed by its leaders persecution politics. Persecution politics did not begin with the Tea Parties. It did not even begin with Fox News or Rush Limbaugh. Its roots go back to the 1970s, when the election of a black president seemed like an impossible dream."
Here's the Persecution Politics formula in a nutshell:
1. Present the slippery slope argument.
2. Expose a secret plot being conducted by your adversaries.
3. Present yourself as the persecuted party.
I would add a fourth tactic mentioned in the book: Identify the scapegoat.
(Select the "read more" link below to continue.)
Blowing Smoke: Why the Right Keeps Serving Up Whack-job Fantasies about the Plot to Euthanize Grandma, Outlaw Christmas, and Turn Junior into a Raging Homosexual.
Michael Wolraich, a contributor to Talking Points Memo Café.
© 2010
De Capo Press
Cambridge, MA
ISBN 978-0-306-81919-3
Michael Wolraich makes the strong case that conservatives use an oft-repeated formula that succeeds in getting their right-wing wacko candidates elected to public office. Wolraich uses observations of Pat Buchanan, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly to clarify and his ideas.
Quote from page 21: "I call this movement and the tactics employed by its leaders persecution politics. Persecution politics did not begin with the Tea Parties. It did not even begin with Fox News or Rush Limbaugh. Its roots go back to the 1970s, when the election of a black president seemed like an impossible dream."
Here's the Persecution Politics formula in a nutshell:
1. Present the slippery slope argument.
2. Expose a secret plot being conducted by your adversaries.
3. Present yourself as the persecuted party.
I would add a fourth tactic mentioned in the book: Identify the scapegoat.
(Select the "read more" link below to continue.)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
The Rich are Getting Richer -- An Astonishing Chart Shows How Much
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive research organization, has published an amazing chart showing how the inequality gap between average Americans and the extremely wealthy has grown.
The differences between 1946- to 1976 and for 1976-2007 are presented in graphical form so that most everyone should be able to easily understand the information presented.
The differences between 1946- to 1976 and for 1976-2007 are presented in graphical form so that most everyone should be able to easily understand the information presented.
A Professor is Blaming the Collapse of the Roman Empire on Homosexuality
The headline in the newspaper this morning reads, "Outrage as top Italian history professor blames fall of Rome on rise of homosexuality." Apparently, there's a prominent professor, Roberto De Mattei, who is attempting to blame homosexuals living in the city of Carthage for the destruction of the Roman Empire. So, let's talk about the Roman Empire for a few moments.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After.
Book Reviews
Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After.
Bella DePaulo, Ph.D.
St. Martin's Press
New York, New York
Copyright 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34081-0
ISBN-10: 0-312-34081-8
Let me begin with my own personal story.
I had worked with a person, we'll call this person Mitch, for several years. I was willing to work late hours, weekends, holidays, and jump through any number of hoops necessary to keep things running smoothly in Mitch's department. Mitch treated me well with both dignity and respect. At least that's what I thought.
Singled Out: How Singles Are Stereotyped, Stigmatized, and Ignored, and Still Live Happily Ever After.
Bella DePaulo, Ph.D.
St. Martin's Press
New York, New York
Copyright 2006
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-34081-0
ISBN-10: 0-312-34081-8
Let me begin with my own personal story.
I had worked with a person, we'll call this person Mitch, for several years. I was willing to work late hours, weekends, holidays, and jump through any number of hoops necessary to keep things running smoothly in Mitch's department. Mitch treated me well with both dignity and respect. At least that's what I thought.
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