A serious mistake, Mr. President. You can never have enough planet-sized lasers – nbcnews.to/WZqSvf #starwars
— Darth Vader (@darthvader) January 12, 2013
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Things I keep in my trunk so I am not unprepared: 1) clean shirt 2) razor and toothbrush 3) spare tire 4) blunt instrument 5) two double A and triple A batteries 6) Umbrella 7) Windshield scraper 8) Flare gun 9) Passport 10) Superman cape
Especially Triple A batteries
Join co-founder Jonathan Miller, as well as national dignitaries such as Senator Joe Manchin, Governor Jon Huntsmann, Mayor Cory Booker, and Senator Kelly Ayotte by following the LIVE FEED BELOW. And be sure to sign up for their mission to promote problem-solving, not hyper-partisanship at nolabels.org. Facebook needs to decide what they really want to know about us. Ya know? I mean, when I joined Facebook a few years ago, the empty status box always stared at me with the question, “What’s on your mind?” It was a respectful question that showed interest in my intellect and lured me in initially. Someone (rather “something”) wanted to know what little ole me was thinking. At that moment. And so I’d try to answer best I could. About what I was thinking at that moment. Even if I hadn’t been thinking of anything at all, I’d still come up with something because my intelligence was being respected and inquired about. And I didn’t want to let Facebook down. It was a wholesome and respectful relationship. That lasted for awhile. And then Facebook took an intimate, touchy-feely turn. The status box suddenly started asking, “What are you feeling?” That’s a little too personal for me, to tell you the truth. It felt like being asked, “What color underwear are you wearing?” What happened to all that respect for my mind? It sounds contrived too…. like the kind of line you’d hear if the characters played by Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in Wedding Crashers took over Facebook. The red head in that movie should never have trusted Vince Vaughn’s character. And we shouldn’t trust the new “warm and fuzzy” Facebook solicitousness. I just don’t believe Facebook really genuinely wants to know about my feelings. And that there must be some self-serving motive behind it. And they may even make a funny movie about this question one day starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson….and the laughs could be at our expense. No, thanks, Facebook. My feelings are strictly between me and my mood ring. But now I see we have a Facebook inquiry 3.0. I guess we weren’t the only ones who were “on to them” about the faux feelings “status” line. So Facebook is now trying to put all that behind them and go “Hip.” That’s right, “hip!” As in the new status box inquiry, “What’s happening, John?” Like they know me and are my new bro. It comes off over the top and feels like something akin to “Yo! Whassup John?!!” It’s just too informal and inartfully hip. We all know what Mark Zuckerberg is like. He’s brilliant and tireless and one of the great tech visionaries and innovators of our time. But hip? Nah. As Seth Meyer and Amy Poehler would say without having to even think about this one, “Really, Facebook?”
“What am I doing now? Oh, staring at the Facebook status bar and trying to respond to…..trying to respond to an important social issue or event…I mean, trying to say something that is really, really important about something important that is happening now or just happened recently. I mean….I know not everything I post on Facebook has a socially redeeming value and I’m glad you are asking this tough question in a pointed way to force people like me to be less shallow on Facebook. And maybe a little ashamed if they aren’t doing something socially useful in their status updates. Which is what I’m trying to do right now. And can’t. So, you know what? I just won’t write anything at all then! You want to know what I’m doing? Not writing in my status box on Facebook. That’s what. At least for now. Sign up for the fitness challenge right here: [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]
When I started I knew 15 pounds was a lot of pounds to drop from the same body. That’s why I had “or at least 10” as a back up. A sort of high goal and low goal. What I didn’t anticipate is how hard it would be to lose 10 pounds. This whole weight loss and improving your health thing actually takes work. And change. And change isn’t easy. Especially if it means doing something different, which is kind of what change means, I think. Or not doing something the way you’ve always done it –and frankly enjoy doing it (like eating what you want because it tastes good and not exercising because it hurts). That’s just plain hard! And gives one pause. And makes change seems like a really bad idea. You know? Which means you won’t change. And, of course, change is especially tough if on this journey to change all alone. You’ve heard the saying “There’s power in numbers” I have to. But am not sure why I mention it here. Oh! No, that wasn’t it. It will come to me….
Well, good luck with that. If you are trying to do it alone. There’s no accountability. No sense of commitment. No plan. No mentor. No process. No reliable resource offering guidance. Just a fat, lazy guy who wishes he weren’t as fat and lazy as he feels at this moment. And no matter how intensely you feel that, it’s not enough in itself to lead to any sort of measurable change. So what can help? You have two choices. 1) You can be a miserable overweight and unhealthy person who hates yourself and will fail again trying to diet and get in shape. If you are satisfied with this option, stop here. There’s no need to even go to the other option. I’m going to sleep on it myself (I joke) But if you aren’t satisfied with #1, try #2. 2) Sign on with The Recovering Politician and Jonathan Miller and me to try to make some real, incremental and lasting changes. Not for fun. It won’t be fun. Not for torture, even though it will feel like torture at first. Unless you are in to torture, which is none of my business. But rather because the pain of staying the way you are is greater than the pain of changing. That’s when I get motivated. And you can too. And not have to do it alone. Seriously. Jonathan and I joke a lot and try to have fun with our little weight loss undertaking, but if we had to identify a single silent health problem in America today, few would argue it’s obesity and lack of exercise. And as guilty of both as I am. I’m trying to make some small changes…that could create some pretty big results for me in the long run. I hope you join me in trying too. And, yes, there is power in numbers to go back to that topic…but there’s much more the RP can offer to help you get serious….and then get fit. Or at least fitter. Hey, I will not be part of any health improvement process that allows striving for perfection to undermine small measurable progress. Real change is the most probably with realistic assessments and objectives combined with a liveable plan that has worked for others. Click for details. We have all that here. Read about it. And then sign up: either at the top of this post, or right below here: [contact-form-7 404 "Not Found"]
Peter Elliot Blue Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live and work in a city with so many fantastic style resources. But then I go into a store like Peter Elliot Blue, and in short order I’m reminded of how fortunate I am. The flagship Peter Elliot store opened on the upper east side in 1977 — the first independent retailer to carry the line of another young style pioneer you may have heard of, Ralph Lauren. The store has a superb selection (suits/shirts/ties to outerwear to casual clothes and accessories) and is always gorgeously appointed, as you can see above and below. I love how the each pile of pants at left is cleverly wrapped in a belt.
If you haven’t yet seen my Behind the Scenes video, part of it was shot at Peter Elliot Blue. Here I am, browsing before the shoot. The clients in the video couldn’t get enough of the store either — they each walked out with purchases!
If you haven’t been over to Peter Elliot Blue yet, I encourage you to check it out. It’s a true NYC style experience. The store is located at 997 Lexington Ave, at 72nd St.
WHAT: No Labels, a national grassroots movement of hundreds of thousands of Republicans, Democrats and everyone in between will unveil 25 problem solvers who have committed to regular meetings to build trust across the aisle. Eleven problem solvers (listed below) will be in attendance at the meeting. No Labels, dedicated to a new politics and attitude of problem solving, is hosting its Meeting to Make America Work! on Monday, Jan. 14, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Gov. Jon Huntsman (R-UT) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) will be unveiled as the organization’s honorary co-chairs. Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Sen. Angus King will also be speaking at the event, along with many other notable business and political leaders. Broadway Superstar Deborah Cox, a multi-platinum selling and multi-talented entertainer, will be performing the No Labels Anthem at 12:30 p.m., eastern time. Press availability to follow. WHO: No Labels National Leaders:
Gov. Jon Huntsman (R-UT)
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Friends of No Labels:
Newark Mayor Cory Booker
Sen. Angus King (I-ME)
Deborah Cox, Broadway Superstar and Grammy Nominee
Congressional Problem Solvers:
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY)
Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA)
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT)
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL)
Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)
Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI)
Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA)
Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR)
Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)
No Labels Co-Founders:
John Avlon — Contributor, CNN
Lisa Borders — Former President of Atlanta City Council
Bill Galston — Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
Kiki McLean — Senior Partner, Porter Novelli
Mark McKinnon — Global Vice Chairman, Hill and Knowlton Strategies
Jonathan Miller — Former Kentucky State Treasurer
David M. Walker — Former U.S. Comptroller General
Ron Shaich — Founder and CEO, Panera Bread
WHAT: No Labels is a grassroots movement of Democrats, Republicans and everyone in between dedicated to promoting the politics of problem solving.
PRESS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING MUST REGISTER FOR PRESS CREDENTIALS.
Please contact Maggie Simpson at simpsonmas@comcast.net or 301-657-2298 to register for credentials to cover this event.
Press interested in scheduling interviews with a No Labels co-founder or Congressional speaker should also contact Maggie Simpson to arrange interviews in advance.
To learn more about No Labels, please visit http://www.nolabels.org/. You can also visit http://Facebook.com/NoLabels and http://Twitter.com/NoLabelsOrg
The beautiful emptiness of brevity. In texting. I am still guilty of “over-texting” or texting like one would write formally. I think secretly I imagined at my funeral someone referencing my last text message and wanted it to at least be grammatically correct. But verbosity and adherence to grammatical rules (and even the rules of spelling) misses the point of the texting medium. It is to convey information rapidly –without all the constraints of formal written or spoken dialogue. The “K” response in texting used to really irritate me. It seems so dismissive and meaningless.
K. And it’s empowering. Notice this next time you are texting with someone. The person who texts less is almost always the more powerful one in the relationship. Which means I am now going to try to find a way to reduce all my text responses to a single letter. I just have to figure out the right letter.  The Politics of Tech Kingston has announces the world’s first 1TB Flash Drive. It seems they will also release a 500GB model and they will be priced for consumers. I can’t wait for pricing to be released. [TechGage] Check out these “StickNFind” Bluetooth stickers that allow you to locate lost objects using your phone’s Bluetooth connection. [engadget] Undeterred by having a few of the most pirated shows of all-time HBO has signed a new contract that will continue to make it difficult for people to access their content. [TechCrunch] Next-generation LTE chips to reduce power consumption by 50%. LTE chips cut the power required for newest cell phones in half, allow quality and data transfer rate improvements [Yahoo! News] This 10.7in paper-thin e-ink tablet is pretty damn amazing. The future looks quite good for e-readers. [Stuff] Our nation prides itself on intellectual achievements. We seek rational solutions. We live in an “information age” where knowledge is king. Yet we are not solving drug addiction, violence, or war. After a record eleven years, war is routine. Mass gun murders occur monthly. One-third of us take anti-depressants. We have the biggest gap between rich and poor, and the smallest middle class, in three-quarters of a century. In a country that prided itself on education, debt increasingly precludes college and our international ranking is at new depths. Chronic disorders including autoimmune, intestinal, brain disorders at all ages, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and diabetes, are growing rapidly. Is this where intellectualization leads? We glamorize the brain and its abilities. The future, we insist, will be the result of technology, the product of a vast brain trust. But is that a future we want? Will that bring more social ineptness and alienation, more mass murders, more routine war? Sage Mohammed Nasser says we must “speak from our heart, not our brain.” Can the heart be the next plane of evolution? Energetically, the electromagnetic field created by the heart extends 15 feet, and is 5000 times more powerful than the brain. The heart is mostly nerve tissue! It has a deep memory and a consciousness. When we interact, do we assess the heart more than brain? Deep inside, we know the heart’s worth. We have watched Ebenezer Scrooge, and vowed that would never be us. We know baby monkeys given nourishment, languish and die without a mothers love. Alienation and loneliness shorten longevity. Read the rest of… |
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You just never know when you’ll need these.
RIGHT NOW, until 2:30 PM, nearly 2000 Democrats, Republican & Independents have joined in New York for No Labels’ Meeting to Make America Work.
It’s a numbers game, right? Of course, it is.
Oh, I remember now. Yes, if you are …fat or overweight and lazy, like me, you may decide you want to change.
Eleven of the problem solvers will join 1,300 citizens and No Labels Honorary Co-Chairs Gov. Jon Huntsman and Sen. Joe Manchin at No Labels Meeting in New York City