ENNIS — Huddled high atop the Ennis No. 1 water tower Monday evening, a venue of black buzzards roosted.
The buzzards, also known as Mexican, silver-tip or white-tip buzzards or vultures, pretty much ignored signs on the fenced enclosure below that prohibited unauthorized access to the city’s water supply site.
Maybe they were waiting for something to die down below; black buzzards have been known to prey on helpless newborn calves and even the upholstery of open convertible autos.
In any case, the Water Tower Buzzard Club seemed oblivious to the consternation they were causing city officials trying to find a way to get them down off their chosen perch at the corner of Sherman and Lake streets.
The birds occasionally lifted off to circle around — in buzzardspeak, that’s called a “kettle” of buzzards, and it’s causing a tempest in the city teapot for Crystal Davis, the director of health services, who has dusted off the animal nuisance sound cannons in efforts to get the pesky birds to buzz off.
For the rest of the story, click here:
http://www.waxahachiedailylight.com/articles/2008/02/26/news/doc47c44eeb74e8a885619308.txt
Friday, February 29, 2008
Remote Control Locomotives: Unmanned Trains Warning in Texas
Remote-control toys have gotten a whole lot bigger on the rails in Ennis since December.
Fluorescent green signs at crossings near Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. and Northeast and Northwest Main tell drivers “remote control locomotives operate in this area. Locomotive cabs may be unoccupied.”
See the rest of the story here:
http://ennisjournal.com/articles/2008/02/29/news/doc47c8c5e374a5e278405910.txt
Fluorescent green signs at crossings near Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. and Northeast and Northwest Main tell drivers “remote control locomotives operate in this area. Locomotive cabs may be unoccupied.”
See the rest of the story here:
http://ennisjournal.com/articles/2008/02/29/news/doc47c8c5e374a5e278405910.txt
Friday, February 15, 2008
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey: Trained border collie has a monkey on his back
When Whiplash comes galloping into the Resistol Arena on his trusty steed on a Saturday night in Mesquite, the Rodeo Capital of Texas, the crowd cheers wildly.
Could be his colorful cowboy duds and his Justin chaps.
Or the fact that he's a seven-pound Capuchin monkey riding a saddled-up border collie.
Trainer Tommy Lucia of Weatherford, said he spent eight months teaching Whiplash to ride. There's western riding, English riding, and then there's monkey riding; Whiplash has his own inimitable style. "He wraps his tail around the dog's middle, and his feet hang onto the dog's shoulder hair. He has a saddle bard that he grips and hangs onto with a hand or two or whatever he feel like doing," Mr. Lucia said.
Each performance is a little different Whiplash has been known to tip the saddle over, or yell at someone as he gallops by. "He's got his own personality and several really unique facial expressions. The camera loves him," Mr. Lucia said.
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey and His Dog Spot is an act with international flair. Known for their diminutive size and sharp intelligence, Capuchin monkeys hail originally from the jungles of Central and South America. The current Whiplash is 20 years old and he's been riding for 17 years. In captivity, the breed has been known to live to 45, so he could have some good career years still ahead.
Spot the border collie is a native of Scotland and the real, if unsung, star of the show as he heeds Mr. Lucia's commands to maneuver three shorn sheep from one side of the arena to the other, before they hop obediently into their trailer. "Right in the pen they go! Whiplash the cowboy monkey!" the announcer yells, and the crowd goes crazy.
For Spot, it's just business as usual. "The dog is acting from herding instincts it's natural. My part is to be able to control those instincts, and make sure they don't get out of hand by overworking. The monkey is along for the ride," Mr. Lucia said. "All the animals are happy and enjoy what they're doing."
Popular attractions at major stock shows and private shows for celebrities and foundations, the duo has been on Good Morning America, on ESPN, and shows including Hannity and Colmes and The O'Reilly Factor.
With 1,000 hits a day on his website, Whiplash is something of a phenomenon, and perhaps one of America's most downloaded monkeys. The diminutive cowboy packs serious promotional power under that teeny-tiny hat. When the Taco John's chain featured him in their ads as a teacher's pet who brings his teacher a taco and as a circuit-riding taco deliverycowboy, they saw a surge of 21 percent, said Mr. Lucia.
He guards Whiplash's image carefully, turning down appearances on Montel, Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel and the Best Damn Sports Show. "Each day, beingon a different program? I don't think that would do him any good," Mr. Lucia said. "We've turned down a lot of TV shows, like Letterman. I don't want to have him making fun of my animals so he gets a higher rating I don't need his sarcasm," he said. "My animals don't deserve that -- I live with them day and night, they're like family. I'd rather have him on something I think is suitable for family, so the kids can enjoy him as well as adults."
Back at the trailer after the show, Whiplash enjoys a snack and goes to sleep but sometimes, keyed up after a performance, he chatters away. "He will talk and talk and talk and talk I'm thinking, Am I married to you or what?'" Mr. Lucia quipped to a videographer.
The Mesquite Rodeo doesn't disappoint. Friday and Saturday nights at the rodeo offer a tightly-packed program of entertainment chuckwagon races, barrel racing, team roping and steer wrestling events. There's the toughest payday of the week, the popular "cowboy poker," where the last cowboy seated at a card table when an angry Mexican fighting bull comes into the arena wins a $400 jackpot. For the kids, there's mutton bustin', where the littlest cowpokes try their hand at hanging onto wily, bucking sheep, and the calf scramble, where hundreds of young buckaroos try to nab the ribbon off an evasive calf.
The rodeo's public relations director, John Painter, said from frequent appearance through the years, Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey and His Dog Spot have become the attraction's single most requested event.
"They may not remember the name Whiplash, but they remember the Cowboy Monkey," he said.
-- J. Louise Larson http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/ See Whiplash's official site here: http://www.whiplashrides.com/ Watch video, see Whiplash's Taco John's commercials: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3716656868007810218
Could be his colorful cowboy duds and his Justin chaps.
Or the fact that he's a seven-pound Capuchin monkey riding a saddled-up border collie.
Trainer Tommy Lucia of Weatherford, said he spent eight months teaching Whiplash to ride. There's western riding, English riding, and then there's monkey riding; Whiplash has his own inimitable style. "He wraps his tail around the dog's middle, and his feet hang onto the dog's shoulder hair. He has a saddle bard that he grips and hangs onto with a hand or two or whatever he feel like doing," Mr. Lucia said.
Each performance is a little different Whiplash has been known to tip the saddle over, or yell at someone as he gallops by. "He's got his own personality and several really unique facial expressions. The camera loves him," Mr. Lucia said.
Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey and His Dog Spot is an act with international flair. Known for their diminutive size and sharp intelligence, Capuchin monkeys hail originally from the jungles of Central and South America. The current Whiplash is 20 years old and he's been riding for 17 years. In captivity, the breed has been known to live to 45, so he could have some good career years still ahead.
Spot the border collie is a native of Scotland and the real, if unsung, star of the show as he heeds Mr. Lucia's commands to maneuver three shorn sheep from one side of the arena to the other, before they hop obediently into their trailer. "Right in the pen they go! Whiplash the cowboy monkey!" the announcer yells, and the crowd goes crazy.
For Spot, it's just business as usual. "The dog is acting from herding instincts it's natural. My part is to be able to control those instincts, and make sure they don't get out of hand by overworking. The monkey is along for the ride," Mr. Lucia said. "All the animals are happy and enjoy what they're doing."
Popular attractions at major stock shows and private shows for celebrities and foundations, the duo has been on Good Morning America, on ESPN, and shows including Hannity and Colmes and The O'Reilly Factor.
With 1,000 hits a day on his website, Whiplash is something of a phenomenon, and perhaps one of America's most downloaded monkeys. The diminutive cowboy packs serious promotional power under that teeny-tiny hat. When the Taco John's chain featured him in their ads as a teacher's pet who brings his teacher a taco and as a circuit-riding taco deliverycowboy, they saw a surge of 21 percent, said Mr. Lucia.
He guards Whiplash's image carefully, turning down appearances on Montel, Ellen, Jimmy Kimmel and the Best Damn Sports Show. "Each day, beingon a different program? I don't think that would do him any good," Mr. Lucia said. "We've turned down a lot of TV shows, like Letterman. I don't want to have him making fun of my animals so he gets a higher rating I don't need his sarcasm," he said. "My animals don't deserve that -- I live with them day and night, they're like family. I'd rather have him on something I think is suitable for family, so the kids can enjoy him as well as adults."
Back at the trailer after the show, Whiplash enjoys a snack and goes to sleep but sometimes, keyed up after a performance, he chatters away. "He will talk and talk and talk and talk I'm thinking, Am I married to you or what?'" Mr. Lucia quipped to a videographer.
The Mesquite Rodeo doesn't disappoint. Friday and Saturday nights at the rodeo offer a tightly-packed program of entertainment chuckwagon races, barrel racing, team roping and steer wrestling events. There's the toughest payday of the week, the popular "cowboy poker," where the last cowboy seated at a card table when an angry Mexican fighting bull comes into the arena wins a $400 jackpot. For the kids, there's mutton bustin', where the littlest cowpokes try their hand at hanging onto wily, bucking sheep, and the calf scramble, where hundreds of young buckaroos try to nab the ribbon off an evasive calf.
The rodeo's public relations director, John Painter, said from frequent appearance through the years, Whiplash the Cowboy Monkey and His Dog Spot have become the attraction's single most requested event.
"They may not remember the name Whiplash, but they remember the Cowboy Monkey," he said.
-- J. Louise Larson http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/ See Whiplash's official site here: http://www.whiplashrides.com/ Watch video, see Whiplash's Taco John's commercials: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3716656868007810218
Sunday, February 10, 2008
The oldest Big Sister in the world
How old is too old to do some good?
Well, there's a nine-decade gap between Iva Broadus and DeAngela Williams. Other than making Ms. Broadus – who will turn 99 in two weeks – the oldest Big Sister in the nation, according to the organization's records, that little fact doesn't seem to matter much.
At Cockrell Hill Elementary School in DeSoto, 10-year-old DeAngela enjoys social studies and science. But the highlight of her week is the school bus ride to Grace Presbyterian Village, where she visits her Big Sister.
In the give-and-take over cards or lunch, there are other kinds of teaching and learning between Ms. Broadus and DeAngela. Social protocols, manners that are best passed from older to younger – the same things Ms. Broadus learned, in turn, as a little girl from her Aunt Edna.
"People are going to like people who like them," Ms. Broadus told her young charge in a recent discussion. "That's why I'm here, to tell you little things you don't know."
Read more in the Dallas Morning News story that also ran in the Denton Record Chronicle:
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011308dnmetbigsister.23183b6.html
Well, there's a nine-decade gap between Iva Broadus and DeAngela Williams. Other than making Ms. Broadus – who will turn 99 in two weeks – the oldest Big Sister in the nation, according to the organization's records, that little fact doesn't seem to matter much.
At Cockrell Hill Elementary School in DeSoto, 10-year-old DeAngela enjoys social studies and science. But the highlight of her week is the school bus ride to Grace Presbyterian Village, where she visits her Big Sister.
In the give-and-take over cards or lunch, there are other kinds of teaching and learning between Ms. Broadus and DeAngela. Social protocols, manners that are best passed from older to younger – the same things Ms. Broadus learned, in turn, as a little girl from her Aunt Edna.
"People are going to like people who like them," Ms. Broadus told her young charge in a recent discussion. "That's why I'm here, to tell you little things you don't know."
Read more in the Dallas Morning News story that also ran in the Denton Record Chronicle:
http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/011308dnmetbigsister.23183b6.html
Friday, February 8, 2008
Billionaire Mark Cuban: The BlogMaverick who knows when to hold 'em
When Dallas Mavericks owners and so-called billionaire bad boy Mark Cuban read my Dallas Morning News article about Jason McCully returning home with a closed-head brain injury and epilepsy from a mortar attack in Iraq, he wanted to help. His Fallen Patriot Fund made a very generous donation. (See controversial filmmaker Michael Moore's publishing of my DMN story here http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9428). Mark's brother, Brian Cuban, helped make it all happen, and he helped me connect with Mark to do a story for MyMidwest, the in-flight magazine of Midwest Airlines.
When Forbes ranked Mark Cuban as the 428th richest person in the world in 2006, his net worth was valued at $1.8 billion. He has a portfolio of dizzying diversity and a knack for being in the right place at the right time, with skills that remind me of the Kenny Rogers song, “The Gambler”—he knows when to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, walk away and when to run.
From advice on grad school to owning a basketball team, one single guiding principle seems to dominate Mark Cuban. Is it fun? When he bought the Mavericks, he put three ideas into motion -- and at the core of each was fun.
“I made people aware that we were going to change the culture from one of survival to success. We couldn't control our win/loss record, but we could be great at everything else. I increased our sales force and made it clear that we didn't sell basketball, we sold fun. That parents taking their kids, people on dates, business people didn't care about jumpshots, they cared about having a memorable time. I would always ask people to tell me about their first sports experience with family. Then I would ask for the score. No one remembered the score. They all remembered who they went with and the fun they had. So we immediately changed from selling the game, to selling fun,” he says.
He sat in the top row, to let everyone know that he thought every seat in the house was fun. “I put myself in the fans shoes. I am a fan. I wanted to make sure that I knew what fans were thinking, no matter where they were in the arena," he says. “I tried to make it fun for people to go to work and to make it clear my job was to put everyone, player or receptionist in a position to succeed. It may have been individualized coaching for players, even if I got torched in the media for having more coaches than players. It may have been having concerts for fans and employees after games. Whatever it took." (The team eventually achieved a fun milestone: in 2006, they made it to the NBA finals. Now, that was fun.)
Whether it's about reviving a sports franchise, investing in a technology or partnering in a bidet company, billionaire Mark Cuban's an idea guy. He gets ideas all the time. The key to making ideas work?
“I always ask myself if there is a better way. The challenge really isn't coming up with ideas. Its remembering that there are a lot of people smarter than me out there and I have to always do my homework and remember what I’m not very good at,” he says. “I do so much preparation and work with people that are very, very smart. I haven’t had any big failures ....yet."
For him, a naysayer is just a point of transition, a reminder to do his homework -- the old Southern saw of, “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.”
“Most breakthroughs have a point where everyone tells you that you are wrong and you have to re access to make sure you are right and they wrong. No question that it’s easy to doubt yourself. Some people turn to confidence to get through. I try to do more preparation to make sure I'm right,” he says.
One final piece of advice to entrepreneurs?
“Stay ahead of the curve, and don't let ‘em bite you in the ass.”
Check out one of my two Cuban articles in MyMidwest:
http://mymidwestmagazine.com/2007/07/01/the-making-of-a-maverick/
Check out Mark Cuban's blog here:
http://www.blogmaverick.com/
When Forbes ranked Mark Cuban as the 428th richest person in the world in 2006, his net worth was valued at $1.8 billion. He has a portfolio of dizzying diversity and a knack for being in the right place at the right time, with skills that remind me of the Kenny Rogers song, “The Gambler”—he knows when to hold ‘em, fold ‘em, walk away and when to run.
From advice on grad school to owning a basketball team, one single guiding principle seems to dominate Mark Cuban. Is it fun? When he bought the Mavericks, he put three ideas into motion -- and at the core of each was fun.
“I made people aware that we were going to change the culture from one of survival to success. We couldn't control our win/loss record, but we could be great at everything else. I increased our sales force and made it clear that we didn't sell basketball, we sold fun. That parents taking their kids, people on dates, business people didn't care about jumpshots, they cared about having a memorable time. I would always ask people to tell me about their first sports experience with family. Then I would ask for the score. No one remembered the score. They all remembered who they went with and the fun they had. So we immediately changed from selling the game, to selling fun,” he says.
He sat in the top row, to let everyone know that he thought every seat in the house was fun. “I put myself in the fans shoes. I am a fan. I wanted to make sure that I knew what fans were thinking, no matter where they were in the arena," he says. “I tried to make it fun for people to go to work and to make it clear my job was to put everyone, player or receptionist in a position to succeed. It may have been individualized coaching for players, even if I got torched in the media for having more coaches than players. It may have been having concerts for fans and employees after games. Whatever it took." (The team eventually achieved a fun milestone: in 2006, they made it to the NBA finals. Now, that was fun.)
Whether it's about reviving a sports franchise, investing in a technology or partnering in a bidet company, billionaire Mark Cuban's an idea guy. He gets ideas all the time. The key to making ideas work?
“I always ask myself if there is a better way. The challenge really isn't coming up with ideas. Its remembering that there are a lot of people smarter than me out there and I have to always do my homework and remember what I’m not very good at,” he says. “I do so much preparation and work with people that are very, very smart. I haven’t had any big failures ....yet."
For him, a naysayer is just a point of transition, a reminder to do his homework -- the old Southern saw of, “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.”
“Most breakthroughs have a point where everyone tells you that you are wrong and you have to re access to make sure you are right and they wrong. No question that it’s easy to doubt yourself. Some people turn to confidence to get through. I try to do more preparation to make sure I'm right,” he says.
One final piece of advice to entrepreneurs?
“Stay ahead of the curve, and don't let ‘em bite you in the ass.”
Check out one of my two Cuban articles in MyMidwest:
http://mymidwestmagazine.com/2007/07/01/the-making-of-a-maverick/
Check out Mark Cuban's blog here:
http://www.blogmaverick.com/
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Katrina evacuees find rest, hope at Waxahachie church / Good News Magazine
Mary Gibson was a homemaker in New Orleans when the city flooded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. As the waters rose, she climbed out of a second story window at her apartment building.
"We were rescued by canoe-they were Good Samaritans, just somebody trying to be helpful, a man and his wife. I'd never seen them before in my life. They said they had come to get us out, that they didn't want us to remain. Our steps had floated away from the house, so we had to be lifted out," she said.
The kind canoeists took the home's occupants, one at a time, to higher ground, Gibson said. From there, they went to the New Orleans Convention Center. She shook her lowered head as the memories came back.
"It was overcrowded-we were in the dark, for the most part. We went to the front of the convention center, and we thought we would go inside, but it had a stench like dead people," she said, recalling images of unspeakable horror. "For three days, we had to inhale that, and we had to scavenge and hunt for food wherever. Between the heat and the hunger, really frail, frail people just didn't make it..There was a body that just sat there for three days-and we were told it had already been sitting there for three days when we got there."
Evacuee Carolyn Robinson had high praise for the volunteers at First United Methodist Church in Waxahachie. "They took us in when nobody else would. They hustled up some beds and some food, and they took us in," she said.
For the whole story, see Good News Magazine: http://www.goodnewsmag.org/magazine/NovemberDecember/nd05hurricane.htm
Read my Entrepreneur Magazine story about one businesswoman's struggle after Katrina swamped her home and clinic:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2006/march/83612.html
Read my Entrepreneur.com piece about SBDC efforts to help displaced businesses after Hurricane Katrina:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/entrepreneurextra/features/article80076.html
Read my Entrepreneur article on the hurricane-ravaged business outlook six months post-Katrina on Investors Hub:
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=10111999
-- J. Louise Larson http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/
"We were rescued by canoe-they were Good Samaritans, just somebody trying to be helpful, a man and his wife. I'd never seen them before in my life. They said they had come to get us out, that they didn't want us to remain. Our steps had floated away from the house, so we had to be lifted out," she said.
The kind canoeists took the home's occupants, one at a time, to higher ground, Gibson said. From there, they went to the New Orleans Convention Center. She shook her lowered head as the memories came back.
"It was overcrowded-we were in the dark, for the most part. We went to the front of the convention center, and we thought we would go inside, but it had a stench like dead people," she said, recalling images of unspeakable horror. "For three days, we had to inhale that, and we had to scavenge and hunt for food wherever. Between the heat and the hunger, really frail, frail people just didn't make it..There was a body that just sat there for three days-and we were told it had already been sitting there for three days when we got there."
Evacuee Carolyn Robinson had high praise for the volunteers at First United Methodist Church in Waxahachie. "They took us in when nobody else would. They hustled up some beds and some food, and they took us in," she said.
For the whole story, see Good News Magazine: http://www.goodnewsmag.org/magazine/NovemberDecember/nd05hurricane.htm
Read my Entrepreneur Magazine story about one businesswoman's struggle after Katrina swamped her home and clinic:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2006/march/83612.html
Read my Entrepreneur.com piece about SBDC efforts to help displaced businesses after Hurricane Katrina:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/entrepreneurextra/features/article80076.html
Read my Entrepreneur article on the hurricane-ravaged business outlook six months post-Katrina on Investors Hub:
http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.asp?message_id=10111999
-- J. Louise Larson http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/
Call a Doctor! Small businesses hope for cures to ailing health coverage system / Entrepreneur Magazine June 2007
Entrepreneur Jim Henderson, 43, is tired of seeing his employees' health coverage whittled away. The owner of St. Louis-based Dynamic Sales Co. Inc., has become visible at governmental round table discussions and is something of a poster child for small-business frustration over rate hikes.
Henderson has grappled with insurance costs for his seven employees for 17 years. As the second-generation owner of a construction and industrial supply firm with annual sales of $1.5 million, he remembers when his employees had a zero-deductible, 100-percent coverage plan.
This year, Henderson went to a deductible of $2,000--with employees responsible for the first $1,000. "It's a solution, but it's not one I'm happy with," he told me.
Double-digit hikes in the cost of health care every year have business and government leaders looking for a silver bullet--and entrepreneurs saying that it's about time.
Of the nation's estimated 46 million uninsured, 27 million are either small-business owners, employees or dependents.
For more on the health care crisis among entrepreneurs, see this JLL article in the June 2007 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/june/178358.html
J. Louise Larson http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/
Henderson has grappled with insurance costs for his seven employees for 17 years. As the second-generation owner of a construction and industrial supply firm with annual sales of $1.5 million, he remembers when his employees had a zero-deductible, 100-percent coverage plan.
This year, Henderson went to a deductible of $2,000--with employees responsible for the first $1,000. "It's a solution, but it's not one I'm happy with," he told me.
Double-digit hikes in the cost of health care every year have business and government leaders looking for a silver bullet--and entrepreneurs saying that it's about time.
Of the nation's estimated 46 million uninsured, 27 million are either small-business owners, employees or dependents.
For more on the health care crisis among entrepreneurs, see this JLL article in the June 2007 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneur/2007/june/178358.html
J. Louise Larson http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 3, 2008
One 'Giant' leap for marketing: Something We Could Have Used: A Crystal Ball
Giants won! So let's go buy a Waterford Crystal Commemorative Football at Macy's. That's what I'm talking about!
Seriously -- within three hours of the New York Giants astonishing 17-14 upset Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots, Macy's online was emailing ads to crystal-collecting football buffs, inviting them to get their own Waterford Crystal XLll Super Bowl Champion Football for $185.
"Larger than life! On football's ultimate proving ground, one team stands alone – the New York Giants have won it all! Commemorate every bone-crunching tackle and triumphant touchdown with this limited edition Waterford Crystal football."
In case you were concerned about imitations, no worries: each individually engraved and numbered piece includes a certificate of authenticity, certifying that it is a real, authentic, genuine, top of the line crystal football from Waterford. http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=298539&EXTRA_PARAMETER=ZOOM&CURRENT_PAGE=0
It is lovely -- engraved with the Giants' M&M-looking logo and "Champions", it looks kind of like a real expensive two-ended pineapple. http://www.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=298539&PartnerID=email
Now, if you could get your hands on it, the real collector's item might be the New England Patriots version -- it's crystal clear they must have had two made up just in case, one for each team, especially considering the Patriots were heavily favored to win by everyone.
You don't suppose the real reason it will take 6-8 weeks to get the commemorative crystal football is because Macy's went with the pundits and only pre-made ones with the Patriots inscribed as champs?? Naaah...
(In case you haven't heard, here's a message to you now that you're back from outer Mongolia, which is the only place on the planet you could have managed to evade the news:
Seriously -- within three hours of the New York Giants astonishing 17-14 upset Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots, Macy's online was emailing ads to crystal-collecting football buffs, inviting them to get their own Waterford Crystal XLll Super Bowl Champion Football for $185.
"Larger than life! On football's ultimate proving ground, one team stands alone – the New York Giants have won it all! Commemorate every bone-crunching tackle and triumphant touchdown with this limited edition Waterford Crystal football."
In case you were concerned about imitations, no worries: each individually engraved and numbered piece includes a certificate of authenticity, certifying that it is a real, authentic, genuine, top of the line crystal football from Waterford. http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=298539&EXTRA_PARAMETER=ZOOM&CURRENT_PAGE=0
It is lovely -- engraved with the Giants' M&M-looking logo and "Champions", it looks kind of like a real expensive two-ended pineapple. http://www.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=298539&PartnerID=email
Now, if you could get your hands on it, the real collector's item might be the New England Patriots version -- it's crystal clear they must have had two made up just in case, one for each team, especially considering the Patriots were heavily favored to win by everyone.
You don't suppose the real reason it will take 6-8 weeks to get the commemorative crystal football is because Macy's went with the pundits and only pre-made ones with the Patriots inscribed as champs?? Naaah...
(In case you haven't heard, here's a message to you now that you're back from outer Mongolia, which is the only place on the planet you could have managed to evade the news:
With half a minute to play, the Little Football Team That Could ruined a perfectly good season for the New England Patriots, 17-14. There was no getting stunned and jubilant fans and well-wishers off the field for the final two seconds of Super Bowl XLII. See the New York Times account: http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na Read it in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/03/AR2008020301882.html?referrer=email)
Giants fan John Travolta, who gave 34-24 odds on the Patriots prior to the game, must have been delighted by the Giants win. Unless, of course, he actually cash bet on those more likely odds.
Where's a crystal ball when you need one?
-- J. Louise Larson http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/
See an early version of this blog online at The Arizona Republic's site:
Eat Bertha's Mussels: Fell's Point is more charming than its 'Homicide: Life on the Street' image
An eclectic mix of earthy charm and history, the seaside Baltimore neighborhood of Fell's Point is in a state of permanent renaissance. The filming site for the TV series, Homicide: Life on the Street, it's actually more charming than the gritty underbelly the show portrayed.
Now hip and colorful, this largely restored historic community just east of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor showcases Federal and Georgian architecture spared from the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. It’s an appealing destination for young urban professionals and empty nesters alike, with cobblestone streets hosting festivals and events that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Looking for some classic harborfront ambiance, Bertha’s Restaurant & Bar (www.berthas.com) is a block from the pier.
“Eat Bertha’s Mussels” has become one of the more famous bumper sticker slogans among foodies of the East Coast. Local mussels shine as the menu’s spotlight—along with international delicacies like paella and at least six different ways to enjoy crab. Traditional Scottish afternoon tea is available by reservation.
For more seaside bar fare, check out www.alemarys.com or www.thewharfrat.com. For historic accommodations and perhaps a ghost story or two, check out www.admiralfell.com.
For the full scoop on Fell's Point, see the article in AirTran's Go magazine here:
http://airtranmagazine.com/contents/2007/09/hip-baltimore/
Now hip and colorful, this largely restored historic community just east of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor showcases Federal and Georgian architecture spared from the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904. It’s an appealing destination for young urban professionals and empty nesters alike, with cobblestone streets hosting festivals and events that attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
Looking for some classic harborfront ambiance, Bertha’s Restaurant & Bar (www.berthas.com) is a block from the pier.
“Eat Bertha’s Mussels” has become one of the more famous bumper sticker slogans among foodies of the East Coast. Local mussels shine as the menu’s spotlight—along with international delicacies like paella and at least six different ways to enjoy crab. Traditional Scottish afternoon tea is available by reservation.
For more seaside bar fare, check out www.alemarys.com or www.thewharfrat.com. For historic accommodations and perhaps a ghost story or two, check out www.admiralfell.com.
For the full scoop on Fell's Point, see the article in AirTran's Go magazine here:
http://airtranmagazine.com/contents/2007/09/hip-baltimore/
Trump partner Louis Cappelli sees things differently
While others gaze at trees, White Plains developer Louis Cappelli sees the forest of opportunities.
An occasional partner with Donald Trump, White Plains, NY-based Cappelli has almost single-handedly transformed the skyline along the Long Island Sound with plans for some of the tallest structures between New York and Boston.
It's a matter of how you look at things, he said when interviewed for an October, 2007 article for AirTran Airline's in-flight magazine, Go.
“When I drive my car in a city, I’m not just gazing out the front of the car daydreaming, I’m looking at what’s there. If I see something and I like it, I come back and figure out how I could do that.”
If you ask Cappelli how to achieve business success, he’ll tell you to think less about what you want. “Walk into negotiations with a completely open mind, with a goal of getting something accomplished,” he says. “Listen to everyone, then try to figure a way to compromise.”
In a nutshell, here's some of his best business advice:
• Know what the other party wants
• Create consensus
• Be credible
To read more about Louis Cappelli, see the original article in Go:
http://airtranmagazine.com/contents/2007/10/above-and-beyond/
An occasional partner with Donald Trump, White Plains, NY-based Cappelli has almost single-handedly transformed the skyline along the Long Island Sound with plans for some of the tallest structures between New York and Boston.
It's a matter of how you look at things, he said when interviewed for an October, 2007 article for AirTran Airline's in-flight magazine, Go.
“When I drive my car in a city, I’m not just gazing out the front of the car daydreaming, I’m looking at what’s there. If I see something and I like it, I come back and figure out how I could do that.”
If you ask Cappelli how to achieve business success, he’ll tell you to think less about what you want. “Walk into negotiations with a completely open mind, with a goal of getting something accomplished,” he says. “Listen to everyone, then try to figure a way to compromise.”
In a nutshell, here's some of his best business advice:
• Know what the other party wants
• Create consensus
• Be credible
To read more about Louis Cappelli, see the original article in Go:
http://airtranmagazine.com/contents/2007/10/above-and-beyond/
Published at 97, No Signs of Stopping
PublishAmerica author June Wetherell Frame is one well-published woman. And at 97, she's still at it, having just written On With the Dance, along with co-author Pat Pratt. http://www.publishamerica.com/shopping/shopdisplayproducts.asp?Search=Yes
June started writing early -- it was her crayoned words, not pictures, her parents (both in the news business at The Bellingham Herald) put up on the fridge at home. Once an editor at Family Circle, she sold her first book for $150 in 1941, and used the proceeds for a trip to New York with her husband.
See her vintage books for sale on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-6603814-6267242?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=June+Wetherell
See a link to my Dallas Morning News article about June on the website for PublishAmerica here:
http://www.publishamerica.com/Press/junison.htm
June started writing early -- it was her crayoned words, not pictures, her parents (both in the news business at The Bellingham Herald) put up on the fridge at home. Once an editor at Family Circle, she sold her first book for $150 in 1941, and used the proceeds for a trip to New York with her husband.
See her vintage books for sale on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/002-6603814-6267242?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=June+Wetherell
See a link to my Dallas Morning News article about June on the website for PublishAmerica here:
http://www.publishamerica.com/Press/junison.htm
Two Women, Two Vintage Hairdryers, An Idea That Changes Their World
You never know when that big idea might surface. The Lake Highlands Women's League in Texas was born when two heads in curlers put their thinking caps on -- and their idea blossomed into more than $1 million worth of scholarships and real help for schools in Richardson, Texas.
Barbara Hunt was in on the first meeting of the curlered minds. She called 12 strong personalities in the community. The first year's fundraiser was a dinner theater that raised about $500. There's a waiting list to join the 85-member group. The group's sole fundraiser, a December home tour, features four well-adorned homes and bake sales, a luncheon and vendors.
See my piece in The Dallas Morning News about it:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/richardson/stories/DN-ricfocus_11met.ART.North.Edition1.2a0dfe4.html
Barbara Hunt was in on the first meeting of the curlered minds. She called 12 strong personalities in the community. The first year's fundraiser was a dinner theater that raised about $500. There's a waiting list to join the 85-member group. The group's sole fundraiser, a December home tour, features four well-adorned homes and bake sales, a luncheon and vendors.
See my piece in The Dallas Morning News about it:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/richardson/stories/DN-ricfocus_11met.ART.North.Edition1.2a0dfe4.html
Crochet is cool: Dallas Morning News Piece with a Hook
There's a very social group of craftspeople who are anything but crochety in Crochet Texas! They meet at the Jo-Ann fabric and craft store at Forest Lane and Preston Road in Dallas for fellowship, education and charity. Each month they contribute handmade items for a good cause.
Member and crochet blogger Jerry Rigdon http://sdosas.blogspot.com/ has won blue ribbons at the State Fair in both pattern crochet and free-form crochet – and he's on a long-term quest to create the perfectly unbulky crocheted sock. Mr. Rigdon's a rare breed: the male crochet buff. He's in good company – famous crocheting men include football player Rosey Grier, President James Buchanan and inventor George Washington Carver.
Check out my story about them in The Dallas Morning News here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/northdallas/stories/DN-ndfocus_25met.ART.Central.Edition1.37db953.html
J. Louise Larson
Member and crochet blogger Jerry Rigdon http://sdosas.blogspot.com/ has won blue ribbons at the State Fair in both pattern crochet and free-form crochet – and he's on a long-term quest to create the perfectly unbulky crocheted sock. Mr. Rigdon's a rare breed: the male crochet buff. He's in good company – famous crocheting men include football player Rosey Grier, President James Buchanan and inventor George Washington Carver.
Check out my story about them in The Dallas Morning News here:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/northdallas/stories/DN-ndfocus_25met.ART.Central.Edition1.37db953.html
J. Louise Larson
Yes, THAT Michael Moore
Thanks to Michael Moore (yes, that Michael Moore) for publishing my article, originally done for The Dallas Morning News, online. The piece about a soldier returning home from service in Iraq with partial complex seizures and epilepsy from traumatic brain injury, a closed-head injury caused by a mortar attack.
Also, thanks to Denise Smotek for doing a fundraiser for the McCullys, and to Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and his brother, Brian Cuban, for their help.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9428
Also, thanks to Denise Smotek for doing a fundraiser for the McCullys, and to Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, and his brother, Brian Cuban, for their help.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=9428
USA Today blog picks up piece on Arquilla Smith
How cool is that -- Gene Sloan of USA Today's Cruise Log put a link to my story this weekend in The Dallas Morning News in his Cruise Log. This was the quote he liked, 90-year-old community activist and general wonder woman Arquilla Smith, who told me this about when she got her degree at age 80.
"I thought, 'I'm the oldest one here!' but the kids didn't think about my age. I don't think anybody was paying any attention to my age but me!"
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=quote"e_id=03B57ix5071iy&tid=09Po4kO2EtdEz&pn=0&aid=02PY51H9v0935
"I thought, 'I'm the oldest one here!' but the kids didn't think about my age. I don't think anybody was paying any attention to my age but me!"
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=quote"e_id=03B57ix5071iy&tid=09Po4kO2EtdEz&pn=0&aid=02PY51H9v0935
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