smays.com

Electronic Voting Machines

I confess that I have been (until now) secretly worried that the next election will be stolen. And that future elections will in all liklihood be rigged. Once again, Scott Adams has reassured me:

"...there’s a 100% chance that the voting machines will get hacked and all future elections will be rigged. But that doesn’t mean we’ll get a worse government. It probably means that the choice of the next American president will be taken out of the hands of deep-pocket, autofellating, corporate shitbags and put it into the hands of some teenager in Finland. How is that not an improvement?"

"Statistically speaking, any hacker who is skilled enough to rig the elections will also be smart enough to select politicians that believe in . . . oh, let’s say for example, science. Compare that to the current method where big money interests buy political ads that confuse snake-dancing simpletons until they vote for the guy who scares them the least."

When your company screws up, don't hide it. Blog it.

In one of Clyde Lear's early blog posts, he talks about a mistake our company made some years ago. No weasly words, just "we shouldn't have done that."

I flashed on Clyde's post as I read this article by David H. Freedman at Inc.com:

Many corporate blogs are sanitized, public-relations-oriented affairs intended to create bonds with existing and potential customers. Others serve as internal message boards to keep employees up to date. But I'm proposing something else: a blog that encourages employees and managers to tell their peers what they themselves have done wrong. It's an easy step that could quickly effect a large, positive change in your corporate culture.

Will you be missed?

Seth Godin asks: "When you're gone, will they miss what you do?"

Real Lawyers Have Blogs

That's the name of Kevin O'Keefe's blog. He chatted with me today about blogging and lawyers and I could kick myself for not asking how he came up with "Real Lawyers Have Blogs."

The blog is part of LexBlog, a consulting company that helps lawyers with Internet marketing and business development puts a strong emphasis on blogging.

Kevin was a trial lawyer for 17 years but stopped practicing in 1999 and founded an "online law community" called Prairielaw.com (which was later acquired by LexisNexis).

Kevin is my kind of blogger. He thinks every business should be blogging and says all lawyers will have blogs by the end of the decade (even though less than 1% of attorneys currently have blogs).

LexBlog has created some really nice looking blogs for their clients. These are some of the best looking websites I've seen and they got all the blog tools and features.

Kevin pooh-poohed my suggestion that blogging was difficult for some people. They either hadn't found the right tools or weren't ready to blog (yet). He's right of course.

The interview runs about 13 minutes. Listen/Download MP3

After listening to Kevin for a few minutes and looking at and reading the blogs of some of his clients... I can't imagine why every lawyer isn't blogging. I guess the real ones are.

iPods replacing huge 3-ring binders?

Kevin O'Keefe (Real Lawyers Have Blogs) points to an interesting article about benefit managers putting content, such as benefits and wellness updates and bonus guidelines, online without always going through IT. The benefits department can easily become a news publisher of compensation and benefits information.

Pleased to say that we've been doing that at Learfield for some time now.

Kevin also reports at least one of his clients giving iPods to employees so as to keep employees abreast of company human resources matters and training materials. The iPods come preloaded with relevant content with updates streamed to employees via the net.

Now, that is a wired company.

You never hear the bullet that gets you

Chronic worriers are often reassured with, "90% of the things you worry about never happen."

Let's deal with the math first. Chronic worriers can come up with 100 things to worry about without breaking a sweat. So you're telling us ten of them will probably come to pass. No good. Our first thought will be, "They'll be the worst ten things!"

No, even if you improve our odds to 99%, you've simply encouraged us to focus all of our negative thoughts on that one item. Sort of a Hubble Telescope of Anxiety.

If you want to reassure us, remind us that conventional wisdom says we never hear the bullet that finally gets us.

We know --looking back-- that most of the things we worried about did NOT happen. The really bad shit that happens in life is almost always totally unexpected. Out of the blue (or black, if you prefer). Didn't see it coming at all.

See where I'm headed?

The very fact that you are worried about something almost guarantees that it won't happen. It's like a Worry Force Field.

• Worried about your mid-term grades? (Your girl friend's pregnant)
• Anxious about the lab tests? (A 14 point Buck will jump in front of your Tercel)
• Dreading a terrorist attack? (You'll be safe inside one of Bush's internment camps)

The more things you're worried about...the less you have to worry about. Got it?

The Library

BBC looking for podcasters

The BBC is recruiting podcasters to help cover the US mid-term elections. They're looking for:

• Personal views of the race from people with an interesting perspective (perhaps you are a recent immigrant or an Iraq vet for example)
• Bloggers, podcasters and vloggers who are covering their local race.
• Anyone with a real interest in local politics and an ability to tell the story of the race in their town and state.
• People from overseas with a real stake in the result.

The BBC blog post suggests some ways to contribute:

• Phone or skype interviews
• Emailing us an audio report
• Emailing a short written report that we can read on air
• Pointing us to a blog, podcast or vlog you've made covering the election.
• Point us to a story you think we should be covering

The BBC says that "by enlisting your help we'll have coverage that isn't just about pundits and experts but gives us a real flavour of what the race is like for ordinary Americans that cuts through some of the stereotypes about politics in the US."

One of the great strengths of our statewide radio networks has been the collaborative efforts of our affiliates. Radio station news directors throughout the states we serve would report on stories of statewide relevance, feed them back to the network, where we would uplink back to all stations on the network. Resulting in a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts.

But as radio station owners slashed their news operations (to reduce operating costs), a lot of "statewide" stories just didn't get covered. It was all the local news folks could do just to keep on top of their "local" stories. No time to feed something to the network. (I should point out that many network affiliates still do an amazing job of contributing stories to our networks.) One can only hope that we'll see a swing back toward strong, well-staffed local news departments.

But perhaps the next network will look more like what the BBC (and others) are putting together. Citizen Journalists (pick another name if you don't like that tag) covering and sharing hyper-local news in an infinite variety of ways.

The tools already exist. A housewife in Joplin shoots 2 minutes of video outside her local polling place, including comments by those standing in line to vote. The Internet means distribution will never be a problem again. All that's missing is some structure to pull it all together in some coherent manner. Perhaps something like the BBC effort.

"Yeah, but how do we make money with this model, smays?"

I'm not sure that is the right question but it's a reasonable question.

First, the costs associated with setting up something like this are relatively small when compared to traditional broadcast networks with satellite trucks and producers and editors and so forth. But it would take time to grow (as did our networks). And you'd probably have competition since this is a game almost anyone can play.

So, is there enough profit in something like this to make it worth the investment of time and money? If you already have a cow that's giving milk (cash), maybe not. If you don't own a cow, this might seem like a good way to start building your herd. [via Podcasting News]

Are Bush and bin Laden on the same side?

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins explains "why God is a delusion, religion is a virus, and America has slipped back into the Dark Ages." The following excerpt is from an article at Salon.com:

We're seeing a rather unholy alliance between the burgeoning theocracy in the U.S. and its allies, the theocrats in the Islamic world. They are fighting the same battle: Christian on one side, Muslim on the other. The very large numbers of people in the United States and in Europe who don't subscribe to that worldview are caught in the middle.

Actually, holy alliance would be a better phrase. Bush and bin Laden are really on the same side: the side of faith and violence against the side of reason and discussion. Both have implacable faith that they are right and the other is evil. Each believes that when he dies he is going to heaven. Each believes that if he could kill the other, his path to paradise in the next world would be even swifter. The delusional "next world" is welcome to both of them. This world would be a much better place without either of them.

"Throw the bums out!"

Tom Chartier's election day advice:

"On Election Day, vote for the candidates who will tie up the system in knots. If enough quarrelsome fools are "elected," the new members of Congress will spend all of their time squabbling amongst themselves and never get anything done. Perfect! That was the Founders’ plan. Government at its finest… unable to function!"

This sounds like a good idea, regardless of which party is "in power." Mr. Chartier's full post is worth a read. I found his quote from Atlas Shrugged especially chilling:

"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?... We want them broken... We're after power and we mean it… There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt."

Debating on the Internet

For Darin and JW

Anniversary #28. Halfway point.

Barb and I dated for six years before we got married so we've been together for 34 years. Looks like a lotta years as I type it but seems like no time at all in my head.

I can't distill my affection down to single blog post but if you dig around here at smays.com, you'll discover how much better life is with a friend and partner like Barb.

Couch Change 10.28.06

:: YouTube takes down Comedy Central clips.
:: A new home for my bookmarks. Amazon killed A9. Tried del.icio.us.
:: PhilTube is a video that I could have created. Did create?
:: The Psychosis of Rush Limbaugh
:: Bravia Paint ad

No tongues!

You know I'm a sucker for chimps. Anything to do with chimps. And this video gets a well-deserved spot in my Hilarious Chimp Videos archive.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Kennett Boy

Back in May, I posted on Jeff McVey and his wife (Deborah) who I live in a martial arts academy in a small village in the mountains outside of Yantai, China... studying Kung Fu from the Shaolin Monks who teach there. (I shit you not)

Jeff's momma points us to a brief video of Jeff performing something called the "3rd fist form." I jumped back to Jeff's My Space page where I found this update:

I had my first kickboxing match this week. I think I did pretty well. They weren't actually keeping points, but I controlled the fight and got in some good hits. It's a little nerve racking to just put on a pair of gloves and go at someone. I know we practice this stuff daily, but it's a different story when someone is trying to knock you out. However, I really liked it. It's the best practice you can do for that sort of thing. I think I'll be a bit more confident the next time we do this.

If I can figure out how to capture or download the video, I'll give it the Bruce Lee soundtrack it deserves.

Can radio go home again?

Jeff Jarvis is doing the Snoopy Dance over this story in the NYT about Clear Channel:

Clear Channel, the poster child for evil media conglomerates, bought up stations and sucked cash out of them but now there’s not much left to suck. Consolidation is the act of a dying industry. Well, broadcast won’t die. But it sure as hell won’t grow.

I was in a lot of small and medium market radio stations before and during the The Great Consolidation. I saw a lot of locally owned stations get gobbled up by Clear Channel. I thought it was a bad idea then and haven't changed my mind. But I'm a "hometown radio" guy. Local ownership. Local programming. I want to see the station owner at Rotary.

But it's all moot now. The Internet and related technologies have changed the media landscape forever. I'm not sure radio can go home again. I hope so.

Large American bottoms

Or, perhaps, a tiny love seat for midgets who like to sit in the back of the theater.

We saw The Departed this afternoon and it was gripping. For two-and-a-half hours. Sombody(s) gets an Oscar for this movie.

The Fog of War

The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara is a documentary film directed by Errol Morris and released in December 2003.

The film depicts the life of Robert Strange McNamara, United States Secretary of Defense from 1961 to 1968, through the use of archival footage, White House recordings, and most prominently, an interview of McNamara at the age of 85. The subject matter spans from McNamara's work as one of the "Whiz Kids" during World War II and at Ford to his involvement in the Vietnam War as the Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson

1. Empathize with your enemy.
2. Rationality will not save us.
3. There's something beyond one's self.
4. Maximize efficiency.
5. Proportionality should be a guideline in war.
6. Get the data.
7. Belief and seeing are both often wrong.
8. Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning.
9. In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil.
10. Never say never.
11. You can't change human nature.

We have learned none of McNamara's lessons. A powerful documentary. And, please, you can't have an opinion about this movie unless you've seen it. Happy to discuss with anyone that has.

ABC World News Webcast

Working late tonight. Had my dinner at my desk while watching ABC's World News Webcast. Ran almost 17 min with no commercials except for a little spot at the beginning and end. Perfect. It had a more relaxed feel but that might have been my imagination. The quality of the video was exceptional and the 320 pixel video is fine when you're 18 inches away. I paused a couple of times while I tended to other business. If you think you're pretty fast on the Blackberry, watch this piece from the webcast.

Our networks are streaming our newscasts but --as Mark Ramsey warns-- simply repurposing your existing programming won't be enough. Not by a long shot.

Dilbert's creator regains his voice

Scott Adams shares one of the happiest days of his life. An amazing story. I especially liked the part abaout visualization and affirmations.

More stations, same content

Mark Ramsey on the transitional nature of technology and what it means for broadcastsers: "In a shockingly short span of time - perhaps five to ten years - the Internet and/or other wireless-based audio entertainment and information channels will be widely distributed substitutes for radio as we know it today. And your content will either be there or it will not be. ... If you think all you need is a website and some podcasts and a frequent listener club, you're wrong."

Newsroom cuts and the real problem for newspapers

Juan Antonio Giner: "The real challenge in our industry is not how many people do we need, but to know how to change the rules and traditions of a newsroom management system that does not work anymore. Firtst fix the newsroom management system, and then let´s discuss how many people do we need." Ahem. [via Buzz Machine]

Bush says he uses “the Google.”

BUSH: "One of the things I’ve used on the Google is to pull up maps. It’s very interesting to see -- I’ve forgot the name of the program-- but you get the satellite, and you can -- like, I kinda like to look at the ranch. It remind me of where I wanna be sometimes." [Think Progress via Biz Stone]

Completely, totally nude

On the way to Bridgett and Andy's wedding, we drove past a strip joint in downtown Kansas City. The sign on the front of the building promised "Totally Nude" but didn't say what or who. This prompted Barb and me to speculate on what constitutes "partially nude." Pasties and G-string? Shoes only? Can I leave my hat on? I hope to someday return to downtown KC to take this shot at night. I think it will make a better masthead.

Mud Dawg video

Friend and co-worker Phil has created a short video of highlights featuring his son's baseball team. This is just so much more fun than a shoe box full of prints. Phil has incorporated stills, video and a great soundtrack. I'm guessing he did this on his MacBook Pro. I might have added the Ken Burns effect to some of the stills but that can be overdone, so...

Did you put that thing up on YouTube, Phil?

Life and work interferring with blogging

It does pain me to look at the little calendar to the right and see that entire days have gone by with not a single post here at smays.com. Four days last week! Cripes! What's the point of living if you're too busy to blog about it? What have I been doing that is more important than this?

We relaunched one of our websites last week. WRN.com is the online home of Wisconsin Radio Network. Our news network websites are among the oldest in the company. Almost ten years for a couple of them. Waaay overdue for an overhaul. RadioIowa.com is next and then Missourinet.com.

The Amazing Andy (Gestalt Inc) does all of our sites and he's done a nice job with these. All sites optimized for blogging, RSS, podcasting, etc. Still miles to go but I'm hoping to have all three up and running before the end of the year.

Spending more and more time talking with clients about blogging and podcasting. The vast majority are still clueless about these tools but there are little flashes of "get it" here and there and we're trying to fan these tiny sparks into roaring infernos.

But it's all web-o-licious and I can't remember the last time I heard the phrase "this Internet thing" at Camp Learfield.

Congratulations Bridgett and Andy

Our friends Bridgett and Andy got married Saturday night. The wedding and reception were held at the library in Kansas City and it was just a darn nice wedding.

Somebody put something in the Heineken that made it impossible for me to properly frame my video, but here's a short (5 min) clip.

Clone Wars

On November 7th, Missourians will vote on a constitutional initiative that would, in effect, allow Missouri researchers to conduct any stem cell research that is permitted under federal law. The issue has sparked heated discussion throughout the state. One side believes this is the route to curing numerous diseases. The other sees it as a path to human cloning.

The two sides square off for a little debate this evening and I'm here at the office riding herd on the webcast. Here's a photo of my first human cloning procedure. I didn't feel a thing.

Thinkpad vs. MacBook

Blogging tonight --from home-- via the old Thinkpad R40. Looks like my router is hosed and the only computer that will connect is the Thinkpad. Sure glad I kept it. But after six months (?) on the MacBook, the TP suffers by comparison. Oh, it works fine. But it feels like... like what? I'm not a cyclist, but maybe the difference between racing down the French Alps on a sleek, $3,000 custom racing bike...and peddling yourself to work on a big old fat tire Schwinn. They both get you there, but... (sigh).

The ink that never was

I confess I was surprised by the number of readers that --even for a moment-- entertained the idea that I got real tattoos for my little video project. (You are the people that open the spam email)

It wasn't Magic Marker. It wasn't Photoshop magic (I should be so talented). Simple nylon sleeves that come in all sorts of designs and prices (from expensive to cheap. You can even get full-body faux tattoos.)

You pull these on and you start fantacizing about walking into a biker bar and GETTING IN SOMEONE'S SHIT, MAN!!

Everett reports you can still see plenty of jailhouse tattoos in Kennet.

"The L-O-V-E H-A-T-E across the tops of the fingers in ballpoint ink is most common, though the Dagger Dripping Tears on the forearm is a close second. Then there's the guy who started on the wrong finger and got LOVE HAT."

Everett loves hats.

Sonic guys spoof

You've seen the series of Sonic Drive-In spots with the two guys in the car? The ads spawned lots of spoofs you can see on YouTube. In a brilliant bit of meta marketing, the Sonic folks (I assume they're responsible) posted their own video on YouTube, featuring two of the actors from the commercial series, talking to all the spoofers.

As I watched it, I was reminded again how simple it is to create something like this. Technically simple. Coming up and executing a clever idea is as hard as it ever was. But I think it's going to be increasinly important as we move from captive audiences to free range chicken audiences. Some day soon (today, for many of us) the only ads we'll watch will the be the clever/interesting/informative ones. And, as Dave Winer wrote, at this point they stop becoming ads and become ...something else.

No net access at home

Despite 90 minutes of trouble-shooting by a very nice tech support lady at Embarq. This lady really gave it her all and was pleasant and supportive throughout. A new modem is one the way and we'l see if that solves the problem. But for those of you wondering whether I'd rather live without indoor plumbing or Internet access... I'd rather poop in the woods than be off-line. I've chosen to accept this as a sign that the Digital Supreme Conciousness wants me to spend a little more time with the dogs and... and... what the hell is her name? ... Barb! More time with Barb.

Related story: Study finds US full of Internet addicts

My first tattoo

I was going to start with a wee little microphone or something but figured, in for a penny... I needed the ink for this little four minute video (6 meg Quicktime).

If this is turns out to be the only episode of Tattoo News, I'm gonna have egg on my face and hours of expensive and painful Japanese art on my arms. Fingers crossed. If you don't have Quicktime, you can watch it at Google video. Keep window small for best quality.

Feedback: Thanks to Andrew for this informative piece on tattoo removal.

Couch Change: 10.14.06

:: Scott Adams on the Economics of War
:: Josh Quittner on why journalists should blog
:: David Blaine Street Magic (YouTube parody) - This 4 min video goes a long way in explaining YouTube's popularity.
:: 11 tips for managing a good blog entry
:: More creative ads from around the world.

The Cleopatra Effect

Hugh Macleod explains why he doesn't do corporate blog consulting.

My take on this goes something like this: If you have what it takes to blog, you really don't need much guidance or consultation. If you do not have what it takes, no amount of either will help.

Many years ago a wise and patient man named Hoyt Wooten gave me some guitar lessons. In answer to my question, "Think I'll ever learn to play this thing?", Hoyt answered: "Depends on how long you live."

How Fox streamed live video from cell phone

Lost Remote reports Fox News had some of the first live video on the air from the scene of the NYC plane crash, thanks to a cell phone held by a Fox photographer. Turns out it was a Treo running CometVision software, which is set up to broadcast live video and audio with a touch of a button — even automatically alert newsroom staffers with an email.

Hardly perfect video but sure to get better and better. Now here's a question for the men and women who work in Learfield network newsrooms: Can you think of any notable stories you could have better covered were you so equipped? A lot of what we cover is "talking head" stuff that doesn't make for good video, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. [via Buzz Machine]

Pod Fade

I hesitate to call it that since it was always our intention to do the Living Healthy Podcast for a year. On Tuesday, Dr. Domke and I will record our 50th show and we're making it our final regular podcast. Let's just call it the end of our first season. We might produce a few "specials" or bring the podcast back with a different format. But, for now, it's time to take a break. Our last two topics were Shingles and Irritable Bowel Syndrome so, yeah, it's hiatus time. I think LHP #50 will be pretty interesting so watch this space for a link.

Scott Adams: Knowing when to quit

You usually have to try a bunch of things before luck has an opportunity to find you. So how do you know when to bail out of a losing idea? ... I heard a useful rule about predicting success during my (failed) attempt at creating a hit Dilbert animated TV show: If everyone exposed to a product likes it, the product will not succeed. The reason that a product "everyone likes" will fail is because no one "loves" it. The only thing that predicts success is passion, even if only 10% of the consumers have it. ... Great ideas catch on immediately, and passionately, at least with the early adopters. [Full post at the Dilbert blog]

Starbucks' Hear Music now on iTunes

I spend most of my XM Radio time on two channels, The Loft and Hear Music, aka the Starbucks Channel. Today I learn that I can scoot over to iTunes' newly created Hear Music section and purchase the music I hear on XM. And I will.

New Get a Mac ads

If you haven't seen the new series of Get a Mac ads you probably will. The Better Results ad hits close to home for me because I used Windows apps to create videos for the three or four years. It worked, but...

Counselor and Self Pity both make their respective points very cleverly. I have never seen a campaign bring out so many different versions of an ad, so quickly, and keep the quality so high.

This American Life Podcast

I love This American Life, Ira Glass' public radio show. I don't think there' anything better on the radio. Period. I hate it when I miss it on the local NPR station. Starting Monday, each show will be available to podcast subscribers on the Monday following its national broadcast. After seven days, the shows wil migrate to the program’s online archives. The price for downloads of these archived shows is $0.95 cents per show. Each is available at Audible.com and at the iTunes Store. [Podcasting News]

John Reeder: 1924-2006

John Reeder (known on-air as Johnny Mack Reeder) passed away in Mt. Ida, Arkansas on October 10, 2006, at the age of 82. John was living in a nursing home at the time of his death. He'll be buried in Blytheville, Arkansas. John helped put KBOA on the air in 1947. He and my father worked together until John left Kennett (in the fifties sixties?). John Reeder was a great broadcaster. He established KBOA's reputation for local news coverage. You can hear John's great pipes in the brief interview segment on KBOA830.com. John was a talented and avid photographer and took literally hundreds of photos of the early days of KBOA. Almost every image on the KBOA830.com site was taken by John. I pulled a few shots of John for this Flickr set.

What Happens to Your body if you stop smoking Right now?

The folks at Healthbolt think one of the main reasons it’s so hard to quit smoking is because all the benefits of quitting and all the dangers of continuing seem very far away. So they've provided a little timeline about some of the more immediate effects of quitting smoking and how that will affect your body. Why not put these on the back of every pack of smokes?

Here's the link to the "Last Cigarette" video I posted earlier.

Videocue: Your very own teleprompter

Videocue is a clever little application that puts a teleprompter right on your Mac (I'm sure there are similar apps for Windows). Just type in your script and position it under the (built in) iSight camera on the MacBook and start recording. Drop in still images; control the scroll speed of the text... all for $29.00. The pro version includes Chroma Key (I can't wait to do my first stand-up in front of the White House). I'm telling you, this thing is too cool for school. I usually just ad lib my videos but there are times you want to work from a script and this makes it a snap.

Here's a little 3 minute demo I did last night. [9 meg Quicktime]

Broadcasting on the web

Interesting analysis of TV station websites by Graeme Newell (602 Communications). The piece is buried in a long, no-way-to-deeplink post on ShopTalk, so I'm posting the full article after the jump.

"The problem is our mindset. We're trying to recreate broadcasting on the web. We do the web just like we do TV - broad. There is just a little bit of everything and not enough of anything. Because of its very nature, TV news has evolved to become a headline service. Our web sites mirror our on-air broadcast. You usually leave our web sites still hungry, wishing for a little more meat on the bone."

"In the future, successful stations will have a hundred different broadband channels, all of them geared towards a specific demo. Give up your need to be a broadcaster. We are now nichecasters and the web gives us a whole new way to bring new audiences to our door."

It's worth a read because I think it applies to a lot of radio station websites as well as TV. Maybe even some radio network websites?

What the foosball?!

I posted/whined previously how annoying and silly I find it when cable channels air movies with "objectionable" words (I don't object to ANY words) and substitute some non-sense word for the naughty one.

The folks at AMC have taken an interesting approach to this tactic. While showing Fargo, they broke for commercials by putting up a graphic with a bunch of non-sense words beginning with the letter F (announcer voice-over saying these words). The announcer then says something along the lines of "Steve Buscemi said the F-word ten times in that last scene...but that's okay."

Almost as though they're embarrassed by the need to make the silly substitutions and poke a little fun at themselves. Interesting.

Colbert reports from inside the Republican brain

Excerpt from New York magazine cover (via Eat the Press) story on Stephen Colbert, written by Adam Sternbergh:

"Of course, I'm not trying to equate Coulter with Colbert. For starters, Coulter is a shrill, abusive demagogue and Colbert just plays one on TV. But with Coulter, there's always been a sturdy suspicion that she is playing a character (like Colbert) and amping up the obnoxious rhetoric for maximum effect (like Colbert). When I mention the comparison to Colbert, though, he seems surprised, even unnerved. "I don't really think about her much," he says. "She's a self-generating bogeyman. She's like someone who wants attention for having been bad." Given that he's hosted right-wing true believers like Joe Scarborough before, and has often said he'd love to have Bill O'Reilly on the show, would he ever invite Coulter as a guest? "My sense is that she's playing a character," he says. "I don't need another character. There's one character on my show, and that's me."

And here's an amusing list of statements by either Stephen Colbert or Ann Coulter. See if you can tell who said what:

1. "Even Islamic terrorists don't hate America like liberals do. They don't have the energy. If they had that much energy, they'd have indoor plumbing by now."

2. "There's nothing wrong with being gay. I have plenty of friends who are going to hell."

3. "I just think Rosa Parks was overrated. Last time I checked, she got famous for breaking the law."

4. "Being nice to people is, in fact, one of the incidental tenets of Christianity, as opposed to other religions whose tenets are more along the lines of 'Kill everyone who doesn't smell bad and answer to the name Muhammad.'"

5. "I believe that everyone has the right to their own religion, be you Hindu, Muslim, or Jewish. I believe there are infinite paths to accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior."

6. "[North Korea] is a major threat. I just think it would be fun to nuke them and have it be a warning to the rest of the world."

7. "Isn't an agnostic just an atheist without balls?"

You can read the full Eat the Press post here.

Colorado images by Henry Domke

Henry shares some beautiful (a poor adjective in this instance) images from his recent trip to Colorado, where he concentrated on Lichen and of the Aspen trees.

"At first glance the colors of the skies, leaves and lichen appear to be too saturated to me, but that is the color they were."

You'll also find some amazing new images at Henry's website.

"Success" should not mean "Management"

This post by Kathy Sierra (blogging at Passionate) strikes lovingly close to home for smays:

"...we should wean ourselves from evaluating professional success on management level (even if it's within a company we started and own). Rather than asking about someone's rank, position, job title, number of direct reports, power, etc. we should focus on one simple question: how closely does the work you do match the work you want to do? We should start thinking of ways to make sure that kick-ass individual contributors can be compensated just as well as managers, so that they aren't torn between getting a promotion that sucks (into management) or sticking with what they're good at and love, for less pay."

How closely does the work I do match the work I want to do? On the money. Just a lot less of it.

10 seriously cool workplaces

This post by The Chief Happiness Officer asks, "Where would you do your best work?" and goes on to look at "10 seriously cool workplaces." My favorite is the trailer. [via C|Net]