The Quadrotor AR Drone 2.0 - Do I Want One? YES!

Quote - "When I saw this at the store, I stopped DEAD in my tracks. I wanted it!! But it seemed expensive. 2 weeks later I had one. Yes, the battery is only about 12-15 minutes, but so are ALL remotes. What do you expect, it runs 4 motors. I highly recommend downloading the ARDrone Sim app and practicing before your first flight. And do not fly without the indoor hull for a while, even outside. Parts can become very spendy if you're not careful. And waiting for them is even worst! Most of all, this is by far the best toy I have EVER owned !!!!"

Tiny Steps - Big Pharmacy Moments

I do believe that creative managers can make any business model work through hands-on, frequent supportive interaction with their employees. Corporate obstacles can be overcome if all employees work together to improve conditions for their own benefit and that of their clients. (Teachers do this all the time with incredibly scarce resources.)

Our local superstore looked and functioned very differently under two different managers. Also, when I worked as a float for a superstore, every place I went had a different culture even in the presence of a monolithic structure that was completely inflexible. I think what I saw was secondary to the local manager's shared human relations skills. Still caring in a planogram nightmare? People notice.

Washington County Democrats - When Thinking Was In Fashion

Before they changed the kibble at coffee. "Oh. They ship that in from West Des Moines. We have no choice in the matter."

Pharmacy - Trust, Quality and Caring for Your Family

There is nothing that can replace the clear signal to the public that your dedication is to their families and that your God demands palpable quality in everything you say and everything you create.  Pure Deming. Pure Pirsig.  Products that one sells should be chosen for the value that one knows is present.

Services should be chosen with the client's needs at the forefront of all considerations.  If one cannot love introducing clients to something within which they can feel your commitment, don't venture there.  I worked with a female technician who experienced tremendous positive emotional upheaval in her life when her training to serve breast cancer patients collided with their real life stories.  She often spent much of her day in tears because of the pureness of her empathy.  She touched every life that was offered to her.  She had no thought of marketing.

Cost effectiveness evolves as one's reputation for honesty and emotional integrity grows.  It is not gleaned from catalogs or won in negotiations with wholesalers.  One's clients and the needs in their lives, all of them, are one's business.  The pursuit is always taxing, often emotionally wrenching and never without reward.

Quality matters.  It is proven over time and lasts a lifetime, as clients' children are born and their parents die, a caring, dedicated pharmacist should always be at the center of their lives.  Does our profession have the appropriate objectives in the 21st century?  It will, if you offer it your life and your heart.

Pharmacists were known for that once.  Shouldn't they be known for that now?

Rocket Board!

You have to watch this. I'd try it on a mile of mattresses but this guy has huevos!

Thank you, Gizmag.

Cara Valente-Compton Will Be In Your Tomorrow

Cara was viciously attacked yesterday by Independent Source PAC, run by private investigator Michael Corwin. A Super PAC created out of the Citizen's United decision! These scurrilous attacks were very personal, accusing Cara of being a Republican puppet. We had expected this campaign to get negative but we did not expect to what lengths our opponent and her supporters would go to stay in power. We definitely never expected that it would get this nasty and vicious, especially from a Super PAC that purports to be fighting against "conservative candidates", something that Cara is most definitely not! Anyone who knows Cara knows these allegations are baseless innuendos and downright falsehoods. Cara desperately needs your help, we know that assaults like these rarely come as one attack and will likely hit again and much harder, much more personal and much more vile than the last. We must counter this! We must have more walkers, more phone bankers and more money to send our own response to the district. In short, we need your help! These Karl Rove-style tactics can not stand. We cannot let a group benefiting from the Citizen's United case make the decisions in Democratic primaries just because they want to keep a long-time entrenched incumbent in office. My question: who is next? Are there other candidates that do not fit with Michael Corwin's "view" of the Democratic Party and his heavily funded Super PAC? Are we going to allow these decisions to be made by one man who has over 100 thousand dollars at his disposal? Do you want to live in a world where a few powerful PAC's make choices for the rest of us? Are we a part of the Democratic Party of New Mexico or the Democratic Party according to Independent Source PAC? Again, this is a call to arms. We need help. Please contact me or Cara with what you can do to help. Don't allow this brand of destructive politics to win out. Make a stand with Cara today!

But If I Were Dating!

Thank you, Tim!

Thai Red Curry & Coconut Milk Vegan Soup

Today's lunch was something I just kind of threw together. It was chilly outside and I was hungry for something quick yet satisfying.

Thank you, Melissa!

High Flight - This Concludes Our Broadcasting Day

I was trying to describe this engram to Melissa.  Here it is.

Tribute to Shelby - Simply Awesome

2011 Marching Band Competition - WHS performs at Waukee, IA.
Daughter Shelby was Captain of the color guard.  Hard work and dedication pays off for my star (bottom right end at timestamp 1:47).

Tribute To Melissa

Kendall for Council

Photo Ben Stanton - KCII Radio

I have known Mark Kendall as a citizen, accountant and friend since he first arrived in Washington. Never wavering, Mark has supported a vision of Washington as a community with the potential to be a destination for visitors and for those seeking a safe, viable and culturally complete home for their families.

Mark supports a balanced budget that allows for planning and growth. He has the courage of his convictions and the requisite knowledge to rationally and responsibly discuss the issues that confront our community.

While many in Washington were bemoaning its perceived decline and preparing for its extinction, Mark Kendall was fostering a vision of community development linked to volunteerism and a solid structure for long-term commitments from new and traditional benefactors.

Mark is an indefatigable friend of all who will set aside their fear and insecurity to embrace a new paradigm for Washington, a Washington worthy of investment and cooperative enthusiasm. Mark has involved himself and will continue to dedicate himself in every forum in which our future as a community is discussed. He is energetic yet reasonable, responsible and cautious.

Citizens can once again feel secure and hopeful that Washington is on the right track. Your vote is required now. Your promise of continuing support is required now. Support candidate Kendall and then Councilman Kendall. Gift him the loyal corps that ensures that his personal commitment to Washington is also the resurgence of a new generation that tirelessly serves the advancement of our opportunities and the solidity of our infrastructure.

Let Them Eat Cake

Crocs We Hardly Knew Ye

A number of well-known brands disappeared in the last year in large part due to economic forces. Many of them were in the retail industry, led by Circuit City. ATA and Aloha airlines are gone. Gateway Computers has effectively disappeared after being bought by Acer. It still has a website, but the brand is no longer marketed.

As the recession deepens and stretches out quarter after quarter, more companies will close or will shut divisions. More brands will disappear because their parent firms fold or can no longer afford to support them. Other brands will be obliterated by mergers.

Here is a compiled a list of the top brands that are in danger of disappearing. Some you may be able to capitalize by purchasing products which may soon be extremely rare and valuable.

Crocs (CROX) Borders (BGP) Avis/Budget (CAR) Saturn (General Motors GM) Esquire Magazine (The Hearst Corporation) Gap (GAP) Architectural Digest Magazine (Condé Nast Publications - subsidiary of privately-held Advance Publications) Eddie Bauer (EBHI) Palm (PALM) AIG (AIG) United Airlines (UAUA) American Airlines ( US. AMR - AMR) US Air (LCC) Yahoo! (YHOO) Motorola (MOT) Old Navy (GPS) Countrywide Financial Corporation (CFC) E*Trade (ETFC) KMart (KMRT is no longer valid. It has changed to SHLD) Dodge (Owned by privately-held Chrysler company) Gateway (GTW) Vonage (VG) Circuit City (CCTYQ)

Hummer(General Motors GM) Six Flags New Orleans (SIXF) Gleem (Procter & Gamble Co PG) Pioneer's Kuro TV (PIO) Minneapolis Star Tribune Ore-Ida Fun Shape Tater Tots (HJ Heinz Co HNZ) Pontiac (General Motors GM) Handi-Snacks pudding (Kraft Foods Inc KFT) Saab (General Motors GM) Kool-Aid gels (Kraft Foods Inc KFT) The Checkout Channel (Turner Broadcasting System TWX) Ambi Pur (Sara Lee – SLE)

Thank you, GreyorGray!

Iowa Legislature Invites Drunk Driving

Dear Governor Branstad,

I just heard that the Senate has passed the Class "E" liquor bill to allow gas stations to sell hard liquor as a part of their gas station. PLEASE DON'T SIGN THIS BILL! Iowa is in the top ten for binge drinking in the nation. This is not something to be proud of. If we allow more access to hard liquor, we will see an even bigger increase in binge drinking rates and all the state's costs that go into dealing with these issues in our communities. Right now I believe there are 71 gas stations that have built on the separate or divided a room with a separate door making it legal for them to sell hard liquor in their convenience store. If you sign it, there are 1,890 gas stations/convenience stores that currently have only a Class B (beer type) liquor license—most of them will likely sell hard liquor too if they are easily allowed! The current law loophole that allows separate or divided rooms are NOT a good idea, either. Any place you put alcohol that effects your body and combine it with a place to gas up your car is NOT good. By signing this bill, we will be taking a big step back in Iowa to prevent teens (and adults) from abusing alcohol. I recently talked with Lt. Governor Reynolds about alcohol abuse in Iowa, and I believe she agrees that something more needs to be done to prevent it. This will increase access to hard liquor tremendously all at once in Iowa if passed, as well as be a dangerous combination of buying hard liquor at the same place as purchasing a tank full of gas for the car! Please choose NOT to sign this bill. It will save Iowans' lives.

Thank you, SAFE Coalition!

Walker Budget Endangers Wisconsin Veteran's Trust Fund

The Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs says the 2011-13 budget proposed by the governor would endanger the Veterans Trust Fund.

In a letter to Governor Scott Walker released Monday, Secretary Kenneth Black said Walker's budget plan would "not provide additional support to ensure the solvency of the Veterans Trust Fund."

The statement also says the Walker budget does not fix the structural deficit in the Fund. Black says the proposal would divert money dedicated to Veterans Homes to fill the deficit and subsidize veteran benefit programs.

Parents Can Prevent Underage Drinking

Photo by Action Press / Rex Features

Parents are the #1 influence on adolescents and there proven strategies parents can use to prevent their teenagers from drinking.

1. Talk to your children early and often about alcohol and discuss your family's rules about underage drinking. Set clear and specific expectations that they not drink alcohol and explain the risks to them. The “forbidden fruit” theory is a myth. There is a growing body of research showing that youth are less likely to drink when alcohol is less available and when there are clearly communicated rules stating they should not drink alcohol.

2. Be involved. Research indicates that children are less likely to drink when their parents are involved in their lives and when they and their parents report feeling close to each other.

3. Monitor your children. Know where they are going and with whom. Network with other parents, especially the parents of your child's friends. Don’t fall prey to the line “but Mom, everyone is doing it!” Despite this strongly held belief, most teens aren’t drinking.

4. Set consequences and follow through on them.

5. Set a good example for how to use alcohol moderately or by not drinking at all.

Thanks, Sarah!

Open Letter to Iowa Speaker Kraig Paulsen

While you've been worrying about whether the obscenely rich and environmentally irresponsible are gorged enough to regurgitate into your campaign funds; education, healthcare and child safety have been compromised to the extent that no socially conscious employer would think of settling here. Where are the potential employees going to be nurtured? I don't think most technology companies will consider the penitentiary to be a reliable conduit for human resources.

The art of governing is about providing balanced opportunities for citizens while insuring their security and their rights. Your party's abysmal record of embracing any thoughtful approach to governing for the people is a masterpiece ablaze in neon.

I ask of you the same thing I asked of Representative Klein; stop spending your time trying to find ways to abrogate Iowans' rights. Elevate the level of discourse when deciding our future. I do realize that slashing education and healthcare funding will create more opportunities for you to sell your political agenda to the unwitting. History, however, will record your assault on reason accurately. Alas, those very books will make a nice bonfire to keep your party's fatted calves toasty warm and dually serve to ensure that the populace remains unaware of your real motives.

Social Justice - It's Not Just for Sunday

Thank you, Phil Carver!

Janis Joplin Tribute - Cry Baby

Thank you, Dan!