The Media Training Bible by Brad Phillips - Book review

The Media Training Bible

101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need To Know Before Your Next Interview

By: Brad Phillips

Published: November 29, 2012
Format: Paperback, 254 pages
ISBN-10: 0988322005
ISBN-13: 978-0988322004
Publisher: SpeakGood Press












"Media training requires that spokespersons are equipped for traditional and new media", writes blogger at Mr. Media Training Blog and president of Phillips Media Relations, Brad Phillips, in his comprehensive and very hands on book The Media Training Bible: 101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need To Know Before Your Next Interview. The author describes how media spokespeople can prepare for today's complex media world where old and new media are entwined, and how to present your message the right way for both traditional and social media audiences.

Brad Phillips recognizes that media spokespeople must understand the fundamental differences, as well as the similarities, of presenting their message to the various types of media. The author provides the background to working with different types of journalists, including those who work in traditional media, and those who report through blogs and other forms of social media. At the same time, Brad Phillips shares proven techniques for crafting and delivering a positive media message in print, on television, and on radio. The author also demonstrates the importance of the unspoken message given through body language, voice tone, gestures, clothing choices, and a sense of confidence when responding to very difficult and challenging questions.

Brad Phillips (photo left) understands that there is much more to a media appearance than the words spoken by the media representative. The author shares proven techniques for mastering the non-verbal messages carried in the speaker's body language, clothing, and tone of voice. Brad Philips points out that while these cues are very important in any media interviews, they are absolutely critical during a crisis when even the slightest error in message delivery could spell disaster for the media spokesperson and the organization.

Brad Phillips guides media spokespeople through the following main areas of media presentation to ensure a successful interview. Those topics include:

* Eight ground rules for working with the media
* Messages and message supports
* The interview
* Answering the tough questions
* Body language and attire guide
* The different media formats
* Crisis communications: The ten truths of a crisis
* Final interview preparation

For me, the power of the book is how Brad Phillips combines a comprehensive overview of all aspects of media presentations, with the practical strategies and techniques to achieve success in all interview situations. The author demonstrates clearly and concisely how media spokespeople can present their message in a positive and well accepted manner across both traditional and new media. Brad Phillips offers proven advice for ensuring that the interview is handled properly whether on television, radio, print, blogs, or other internet based media format.

The key is that Brad Phillips understands that what is the best form of presentation for one type of media may not be effective with another. This recognition of differences is especially important during times of crisis when the questions become more challenging and the responses are very often incomplete at the time of interview. The author provides real value for the readership by offering a complete assessment and series of recommendations for those crucial interviews given during a crisis. The author enhances the concepts and best practices shared in the book through a series of case studies that illustrate the techniques being used effectively.

I highly recommend the very complete and extremely useful book
The Media Training Bible: 101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need To Know Before Your Next Interview by Brad Phillips, to any business or organizational leaders, managers, executives, entrepreneurs, or anyone who may be called upon to provide an interview in any format of media. This book will ensure that you share your message positively and accurately regardless of the media or the circumstances surrounding the interview.

Jasmine's Neck Setback

Just very briefly today, Jasmine's neck is in trouble again. It looks about the same as it did back in December. And again, no good idea how it happened. She was fine in the morning. Did nothing during the day other than hanging around. And around noon we're back in the ditch.

I think it must be the way she throws her self up sometimes when getting up from sleep.

There is nothing else we could think of. So we're back on the prednisone; so much for the stem cell treatment, which cannot be effectively done unless a dog is at least 45 days off steroids. Looking into setting up some intensive laser treatments, provided she's in good enough shape for getting there and back.

More detailed update later.

xxx

Related articles:
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Jasmine's Disc Injury(?) Day Two 
Jasmine's Disc Injury(?) Day Three 
Jasmine's Disc Injury: Mom, Why Can't I Go For A Walk?
Jasmine's Disc Injury: The Parole Hearing  
Jasmine's Disc Injury: Spanking New Ramp 
Back To Where We Were Last May?
Elbow Problem Or Root Signature? 

How Influential is Conservative Talk Radio?

By Alan Caruba

In the wake of the 2012 reelection of Barack Obama, I began to wonder how influential conservative talk radio is.

Serendipitously, I received a copy of Fred V. Lucas’ new book, “The Right Frequency: The Story of Talk Radio Giants Who Shook Up the Political and Media Establishment” ($18.95, History Publishing Company).

Throughout the 1980s and 90s I was a guest on television and a lot on talk radio thanks to a popular media spoof, The Boring Institute, that offered lists of The Most Boring Celebrities of the Year, the Most Boring Films, et cetera. After 9/11 I put the Institute on hiatus and then ended it.

This was, coincidently, the same era that saw the rise of talk radio and, in particular, the rise of conservative talk radio stars such as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others with audiences in the millions. What has me wondering about their influence, however, is the latest election in which Obama gained a sufficient margin to defeat Mitt Romney despite what is arguably the worst economy since the Great Depression, the passage of Obamacare over the protests of millions of Americans, and similar issues that would ordinarily have rendered him a one-term President.

Perhaps the 2008 election was just an anomaly, given the novelty of a Black candidate and the intense support of the mainstream media. But that pattern repeated itself in 2012 and, despite the 24/7 conservative radio chatter, it did not sway voters.

As Lucas noted, “Of listeners to the news talk format of radio, 77 percent voted in the 2008 presidential election, according to the 2010 Talk Radio Research Project conducted by Talkers Magazine, which covers the talk radio industry. That does not mean Limbaugh or for that matter Ed Schultz is the reason certain people vote…it is quite likely that the entertainment value of talk radio—a mixture of satire and commentary—has made ordinary Americans more engaged in politics than they would be if talk radio did not have such a large reach, even if some of those listeners are just tuning in to argue with the host.”

Some statistics are helpful. According to the 2010 Talk Radio Research Project, 81% of all news talk radio listeners are 35 years or older. “Interestingly, just 28% identify themselves as Republicans, while 54% identify themselves as independent.” Politically, 40% identified themselves as either conservative or ultra-conservative, while just 15% identified themselves as liberal or ultra-liberal.” Talk radio is essentially preaching to the choir.

The lack of liberal talk radio suggests that liberals are less involved with the medium and the failure of Air America Radio with hosts that included Jeanine Garafolo and Al Franken was impressive. Lucas said it was “a chaotic mess from its launch with changing ownership, a revolving door of management, and worse yet, a corruption charge.” In 2005 it filed for bankruptcy.

For my part, I make a point of listening to the first ten or fifteen minutes of Limbaugh, knowing that he will spend the next three hours exploring a particular theme on any given day. Where I live on the East Coast, WABC radio provides lots of conservative talk and, in the evening, I watch Fox News, but often do not watch for long. Most of the news I absorb daily comes from Internet news sites and my daily reading of The Wall Street Journal.

Is Rush Limbaugh influential? Obama seems to think so because Rush has now replaced George W. Bush as his favorite bogyman and punching bag.

It’s worth noting that Rush does not endorse candidates and was lukewarm towards both McCain and Romney during the past two elections. Lucus quotes him as saying “I don’t say that I have influence. I was totally opposed to the 1990 budget deal and it still happened. I am not an activist…this is entertainment.”

That, I suspect, is Limbaugh’s great appeal. He is very entertaining. It does not, so far as I can see, translate into influence at the polls because many of Rush’s devoted “Ditto Heads” may, as they did in the last election, decided to stay home.

The Obama White House knows it has the mainstream media in its pocket. They have become little more than a megaphone for its policies and, these days, an instrument of liberal propaganda. The White House political agenda is advanced by a no-holds-barred attack on anyone who oppose their policies and, of late, a deliberate effort to undermine the Republican Party that is still reeling from the 2012 loss.

Obama’s thuggish politics these days involves attacking the leading conservative news outlet. In an interview with The New Republic, Obama continues to denigrate Fox News and Limbaugh, claiming that “the more left-leaning media outlets recognize that compromise is not a dirty word.” This is a President who has demonstrated no inclination to compromise on anything and a disdain for Congress and the Constitution.

The end of the FCC’s Fairness Doctrine in 1987 that required equal time for opposing political views marked the rise of conservative talk radio. Today it can be heard locally and in syndication from coast to coast. Reagan vetoed legislation to make it the law of the land calling it unconstitutional.

That does not mean, however, that conservative talk radio is influential because it appeals to an older, better educated audience, a demographic that leaves out those under 35 and low income listeners, an increasing percentage of whom are on some form of government dole.

A significant portion of “low information” voters who elected Obama were not listening to conservative talk radio. The popularity of Fox News does not appear to translate into any effect on Congress or the White House. They were all over the Benghazi scandal and it has fizzled.

Despite dwindling newspaper circulation, despite the rise of the Internet as a provider of news, and despite the popularity of conservative talk radio, it would appear that the mainstream media is winning by parroting the daily White House “talking points” and by burying White House scandals such as the Benghazi cover-up. The recent Sunday “Sixty Minutes” interview with the President and out-going Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is testimony to the slavish support of the mainstream media.

It does not help that the Republican Party is struggling to put forth a cohesive and persuasive agenda or that it lacks the kind of leadership that reflects the kind of adulation and support the President continues to enjoy.

The numbers that do listen and watch to conservative talk radio are impressive, but it is not translating into an impact on Capitol Hill and none in the White House. And that is the definition of influence.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Instant Lifts Tape

Instant Lifts on Shark Tank

Skinnies Instant Thigh and Arm Lift - Season 3 Episode 309 Update

 Nick & Penilopee Larosa have a very interesting invention that gets rid of exposed cellulite in minutes. The Instant Lifts is clear tape that sucks up that unwanted skin and tucks it away in a place that you only know. The Larosa's are asking for $100k for 25% equity in the skin pulling business. Apparently there is a big demand for the Instant Lift's because they have already sold $75k worth in just the last 5 months since they began, the business.

 The problem is reveled when the Sharks find out that the Larosa's have another product in the same category that is not part of this deal. Sound familiar?



Read More Here-->>>

Puppy Bowl Fun With Subaru

What happens when you combine a football field, adoptable shelter puppies and toys? The Puppy Bowl! 

I am not a sports fan but who could resist the cutest sports event ever?

Puppy bowl, the annual two hour overload of cuteness, is coming up live again this Sunday, February 3rd, on Animal Planet. Check out the adorable lineup.

The Puppy Bowl has it all. 

Shelter puppies ready for adoption, the Most Valuable Pup award, a water bowl cam, slow motion cameras, hedgehog referees ... and for some real close-up action, a new lipstick cam mounted on the lips of the dog toys!

This year, the Puppy Bowl experience gets even better with Subaru's new Puppy Bowl Co-Viewing App!

Every year, Subaru of America celebrates the bond between owners and their dogs with the Dog Tested. Dog Approved.™ campaign. This year, the Puppy Bowl Co-Viewing App will pull in Subaru’s Dog tested. Dog approved.™ content based on the spots airing on TV, bringing the “co-viewing” element to life.

As you watch the Puppy Bowl live on TV, the application will offer additional cool content to interact and engage with!

The application is available for both tablet and mobile devices and will work live during the live event as well as re-air.You can also join in on more fun on Twitter, using hashtags #SubaruBP and #PuppyBowl to interact with other viewers.

So don't hesitate, go and download the Puppy Bowl Co-Viewing App now!



This year Subaru is proud to introduce Grant Weber, Subaru Canine Sales Associate. Having sold Subaru vehicles to only dogs, there’s simply no better friend to man’s best friend. No matter size, breed, or temperament, he’ll find the right Subaru for your needs. So if you’re a dog, and you’re looking for a Subaru, head on down to see Grant Weber. You’ll leave with your tail held high.

xxx

Official disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Subaru. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the Dog Tested. Dog Approved.™ campaign, but Dawg Business only shares news for things we support.

Personal disclaimer: Before agreeing to taking part in this campaign, I actually asked my hubby, "What do you think about Subaru?" He said they make good, safe vehicles, which seem designed to comfortably and safely accommodate canine passengers.

I also found out that our vets each drive one. So that is good enough for me, because I won't pretend to know anything about cars myself.

Vinamor Wine Aerator

Vinamor Wine Aerator on Shark Tank

Vinamor Aerator Season 3 - Episode 309 - Update

 Gary DeJohn is the inventor of the Vinamor wine aerator system to properly breathe a glass of wine within seconds. By pouring your wine in the Vinamor sitting on top your wine glass it creates the greatest amount of surface area to breathe much faster then traditional aerators. DeJohn came into the Shark Tank with this invention that he was sure he could snag at least one shark on, specifically Kevin O'Leary, who is a connoisseur of wines and even owns his own Winery in Canada.

The Perfect way to pour a glass
of wine every time

 Gary started with his presentation asking $75k for the wine aerator business in exchange for 30% of the equity. To demonstrate how fast his aerator works he gets O'Leary to come up and taste test the same wine but one poured Thur a Viamor. Kevin confirms it does indeed work and decides to keep his sample of wine as he walks back to the Shark Tank. Another neat built-in feature that would appeal to any Bar, Night Club or Winery that sells wine, is the ability to pour exact portions every time, thus making the Vinamor pay for itself in a short amount of time.
Read More Here-->>>

Miso Media App

Miso Media on Shark Tank Show

Instrument Learning Apps - Season 3 Episode 309 - Update
 

Aviv Grill on the Shark Tank Show

The New iPic For
Misco Media Music

 So you want to learn how to play a new instrument? Yep, there really is an App for that! Not just any App. but one that will have you playing like a Pro in no time. The Miso Media App is like playing Guitar Hero anywhere at any time you want, with a lot more song choices to choose from. This is really one cool way to learn how to play a variety of instruments using your iPhone, iPod or iPad. What kinds of instruments can you play with a Miso Media App? What started out as an App to learn how to play the guitar has expanded now into several other instruments, song's and sheet music when playing a real musical instrument.

Miso Media before the Shark Tank Show

Aviv Grill is the Inventor of Miso Music and is not stranger to success. His invention Won the Audience Choice Award at Tech Crunch Disrupt in September 2010. Later that same year Grill received $600k in seed money led by Google Ventures
Read More Here-->>>

Tower Paddle Boards

Tower Paddle Boards on Shark Tank

Stand Up Paddle Boarding - Season 3 Episode 309 - Update

Stephan Aarstol on the
Shark Tank Show

  Stephan Aarstol from San Diego, CA. and the SUP are making waves again in the Shark Tank. The Stand Up Paddle Board is kind of like surfing but a whole lot easier. In fact, Aarstol claimed on the Shark Tank Show that you can master a Tower Paddle Board in about 20 minutes and be out hitting the waves in no time. The new Tower Paddle Boards are sold exclusively online which helps keeps the overhead low and the retail price's very competitive for a quality stand up paddle board.

Stephan came into the Shark Tank looking for $150k investment in exchange for 10% equity which puts the initial valuation at $1.5 million for the Tower Paddle Board Company. He stumbles a bit in the beginning of his presentation but soon gets back on track
after Kevin O'Leary reminds him not to worry "It's only the biggest moment in your life". Stephan quickly regains his composure and gets Robert Herjevic talking about the Paddle Boards which he is already familiar with the sport.
Read More Here-->>>

Anthony Flynn & Emily Flynn Vencat: Custom Nation - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Founder and CEO of YouBar, Anthony Flynn, and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, co-authors of the revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It, describe how customization of products and services is the trend of the future, replacing the traditional mass production business model. The authors provide the background to how customization is transforming the marketplace in every industry, while also returning domestic manufacturing from offshore locations. The authors demonstrate how entrepreneurs can establish and market a successful custom based business. They also share ideas for existing firms to move toward customization as well. The authors show business people how customization will differentiate brands and their parent companies from the competition. At the same time, you will learn how customization increases market share, boosts profit margins, and enhances customer loyalty.

Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, January 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Founder and CEO of YouBar, Anthony Flynn, and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, co-authors of the revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It, describe how customization of products and services is the trend of the future, replacing the traditional mass production business model. You will learn:

* Why customization is such a fast growing trend

* How to establish a custom based business

* How to add a custom based division to an existing company

* What the future holds for custom based and traditional manufacturing firms

Anthony Flynn (photo left) graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree in 2006, and founded YouBar, the world's first customized nutrition bar company, with his mother, Ava Bise. Since then, Flynn has grown YouBar to seven-digit annual sales and employs 30 people in an 8,000-square-foot facility in downtown Los Angeles.

Flynn frequently gives television, radio, newspaper, and magazine interviews about YouBar and food customization. He has appeared on Fox, ABC, the Cooking Channel, and NBC, among dozens of other television stations. He has also given interviews for The New York Times, Women's Health, DailyCandy, the Today show, E! News, the Nutrition Business Journal, Good Morning America, and National Public Radio's Marketplace.

In addition to this, Flynn gives lectures on how customization is changing the food industry, and he consults to companies launching customized food products. Among his numerous talks, he has been a guest speaker at USC, UC Berkeley, and UCLA.

Emily Flynn Vencat (photo left) graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a degree in English Literature, and moved to London in 2002, where she began her journalism career at Newsweek. Vencat worked as a London-based Newsweek correspondent for five years, where she covered major economic trends, including the international housing market, the global luxury trade, and the effects of global warming and the green movement on big business.

After taking over as Newsweek's London-based business writer in 2006, Vencat wrote more than 100 articles in two years, including five cover stories. Later, as a business writer on staff at The Associated Press, Vencat wrote blow-by-blow coverage of the 2008 global economic meltdown, with her articles being picked up by newspapers around the world, including the International Herald Tribune and USA Today.

Vencat has interviewed some of the biggest names in the business world, including Virgin boss Richard Branson, Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll, Celtel founder Mo Ibrahim, Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, and The Carlyle Group founding partner David Rubenstein.

My book review of Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It by Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Founder and CEO of YouBar, Anthony Flynn, and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, co-authors of the revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It, describe how customization of products and services is the trend of the future, replacing the traditional mass production business model. The authors provide the background to how customization is transforming the marketplace in every industry, while also returning domestic manufacturing from offshore locations. The authors demonstrate how entrepreneurs can establish and market a successful custom based business. They also share ideas for existing firms to move toward customization as well. The authors show business people how customization will differentiate brands and their parent companies from the competition. At the same time, you will learn how customization increases market share, boosts profit margins, and enhances customer loyalty on Blog Business Success Radio.

Show No Towels

Show No Towels on the Shark Tank Show

Changing Towels Season 3 - Episode 13 - Update



Shelley Ehler and Her Two Son's
Clark and Max on the Shark Tank Show

 Shelley Ehler the inventor of the Show No Towels has been on a path with success since the first day as one (so called) coincidence has led to another and eventually leading Ehler on the Shark Tank Show. It all started one day at the swimming pool trying to help both her boy's, Max and Clark, change at the same time. Shelley's mother instinct's took over and she came up with a very unique towel that solved all of her concerns. It was such a unique design that Shelley could get a patent on the invention but finances were slim at the time. Paying for the patent on the Show No Towel was not an option, until another coincidence miraculously gave Shelley what she needed.
Read More Here-->>>

Migration is as Old as Mankind

By Alan Caruba

I was fortunate to know both sets of grandparents, people who immigrated from Russia and Italy. It was not until they had passed on and I was older that I realized that they never spoke of their nations of origin. In the late 1800s they were nations that offered little opportunity and America was all about opportunity.

In the “Atlas of Human Migration” it says that “The message of this book is so important that it bears repeating here at the outset: migration is the history of the world. Humans are born migrants; human evolution is linked to the very act of moving from one habitat to another and then adapting to that new environment.” Migration scholars have called the last twenty years the “age of migration.”

“Some people—mainly the residents of the rich countries of the world—are allowed, even encouraged, to move. Others—the nationals of poor countries—are not. This exposes the stark social inequities that result from globalization and migration control policies.” The result for the United States and Europe has been the rise of “illegals”, people who find a way to access a better life in a better place. Some, however, have brought with them a variety of social problems. Some—Muslims—have demanded changes to their adopted nation’s laws to accommodate the oppression they experienced in their home countries. Quotas worked in the past, but are rejected today.

Since 1986 when President Reagan signed an amnesty act—which he regarded as one of the worst mistakes he made—America has been grappling with a migration of illegal immigrants that includes not only those from Latin America, but also from Islamic nations.

As a recent Wall Street Journal editorial noted of the previous effort to address immigration that the reform “offered citizenship to (then) current illegal immigrants but it failed to set up a process for future legal immigration to meet the needs of fast-moving labor markets. Thus it created an incentive for foreigners to arrive illegally and never leave lest they never be able to return to the U.S. if they did go home. Avoiding that mistake should be one of the main goals of this or any other immigration reform. On that point, the Senate framework has promise, but also has a long way to go.”

The current bipartisan bill owes much to the fact that Hispanic immigrants voted three-to-one against Republican candidates in the last election. Politically, that changing demographic cannot and should not be ignored. The Republican sponsors of the proposed bill are the now-classic “RINOs”—Republicans in Name Only—as comfortable with Democratic initiatives as any of their own party.

As just one example, the Huffington Post recently reported that “Hispanics for the first time will become California’s largest ethnic group by the end of the year, according to a report on California’s shifting demographics contained in Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2013-2014 budget proposal.” Hispanics now represent 20% of California’s electorate. There were 5.9 million eligible Hispanic voters in 2012. As reported in The Hill, “Comprehensive immigration reform could make millions of people suddenly eligible for assistance under President Obama’s healthcare law, assuming a final deal paves the way for undocumented immigrants to receive papers.” 

What was true in 1986 is true today. Illegal immigrants will continue to come to America and clearly legislation to address this is likely to fall short of deterring them. The expansion of the federal government to address the problem has failed and we’re told that a larger one will be needed to process the newly empowered illegals with a means to work here and gain citizenship.

There is little discussion of building a fence long enough and high enough to deter the traffic across our southern border and even less of the well-worn trails and areas that are known to provide access.

The cliché is that “America is a nation of immigrants”, but those who arrived before and since the 1800s were different in ways than today’s. They were eager to assimilate, learn English, and to prosper. They brought skills and labor necessary to the expanding industrial base of the nation. They did not have a panoply of government programs to provide them with healthcare insurance, food stamps, financial assistance for housing and other benefits. Today’s do and that puts further pressure on a nation that is already in serious financial trouble.

The reality is, however, immigrants—legal and illegal—will keep coming and some effort must be made to integrate them into our society. We cannot send eleven million people back to their home countries. We cannot export their children who have been born and grown up here. We must address the problem of “anchor babies” born here for the purpose of securing citizenship for their entire families.

As the Wall Street Journal editorial says, “A path to citizenship would also assist the process of assimilation that has been one of America’s historic strengths. The U.S. should not want a permanent class of residents who can never be citizens and thus have less incentive to adapt to U.S. cultural mores, speak English, or move out of segregated ethnic enclaves.”

With or without immigration reform, history demonstrates that people will migrate, so our response to the current population of illegals and some kind of reform is now a priority.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Boot Illusions Update

Boot Illusions on the Shark Tank Show

Boot Illusion - Season 3 Episode 313 

Queenie Davis on the Shark Tank Show

 Boot Illusions transforms from a shoe to a boot, and back to a shoe again. No it's not an illusion, it's a Boot Illusion. Andrew Goodrum and Queenie Davis walked into the Shark Tank seeking a $100,000.00 investment for 30% of the boot business. They do not actually make the product themselves, instead Queenie had a dream to go to Turkey to seek a manufacture. So what does every good Entrepreneur do when they have a dream, they follow it, and off to Turkey she went. Fortunately that dream paid off and she found the person she was looking for to make the Boot Illusions a reality.

At the time of the Shark Tank taping Goodrum and Davis had  invested approx. $40k of their own money with a 50/50 partnership in the venture. The average boot illusion cost's $25 to make and retails for $79 per pair. Daymond John  being the obvious Shark to invest in this invention

Read More Here-->>>

Custom Nation by Anthony Flynn & Emily Flynn Vencat - Book review

Custom Nation

Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It

By: Anthony Flynn, Emily Flynn Vencat

Published: November 15, 2012
Format: Paperback, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1937856100
ISBN-13: 978-1937856106
Publisher: BenBella Books










"America is becoming a nation of customizers. And the new rule for successful businesses across the country is simple: Customize for your clients", write YouBar founder and CEO, Anthony Flynn; and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, in their revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It. The authors describe how companies are moving from the long established mass production model to one based on customizing products and services to fit the needs of individual customers and clients.

Anthony Flynn (photo left) and Emily Flynn Vencat recognize that era of mass production, and one product for every customer era is drawing to a close. The authors point out that the older business model, that long considered customization to be too small scale and suited only to niche markets, is now the outdated one. in its place, is a growing sense of customization to fit the individual needs and desires of the finely targeted and segmented customer based. in this new long tale oriented marketplace, the custom product is big business. The authors also make a very compelling case that customization is a model that is applicable to any industry, product, or service regardless of the size of company.

Emily Flynn Vencat (photo left) and Anthony Flynn understand the important and game changing fact that in the custom demand based economy, any entrepreneur can enter the customized product marketplace. Whether an existing company or a start up venture, the opportunity for customization creates a built in product advantage for brands. With customization comes automatic differentiation for products to stand out in the marketplace from their competition. The authors demonstrate how to establish a custom based company, or how to add a customization component to an existing company.

The custom business can be developed with ease and with a boost to the bottom line and the overall customer experience: The authors share the following principles for becoming part of the customization nation:

* Launching your new custom business
* Adding customization to your existing business
* The seven crucial lessons of customizing
* Customize your marketing
* Keep growing your custom business

For me, the power of the book is how Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat combine a strong theoretical background of the new reality of customization, with the practical strategies and techniques for building a successful custom based company. The authors structure their assessment of the changes in consumer demand and tastes well, as they demonstrate how the twentieth century mass production model is losing viability in the twenty-first century. The authors provide proven techniques for building either a new company based entirely on customization, or for adding to and even transforming an existing organization to one based on custom products and services.

The case is bolstered through interviews and the real world experiences of industry innovators and leaders who have applied the principles of customization to their own firms. In many ways, the authors share the concept of customization as a leading edge form of disruptive innovation that can take over a market while the traditional mass market company is left behind and rendered irrelevant. With the younger generation of customers already seeking out customized products, the trend toward customization will only increase in the future. This trend also bodes well, according to the authors, for domestic manufacturing and production.

I highly recommend the the strategy packed and fresh thinking based book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It by Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat, to any business leaders, marketers, and entrepreneurs seeking a clear and concise guide to building a profitable and innovative company based on the premise of customization. This book will change the way you think about custom products, and about mass production, forever.

Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Suffixes (-blast)

Remember the Spelling Bee? Big words are easier to tackle when you understand how they're put together. Veterinary terms are composed in the same way. Just like with other words, the main parts of a veterinary term are a prefix, a root, and a suffix. The difference is that they typically come more directly from Greek or Latin.

The suffix is the bit that will tell you about what procedure, condition, disease or disorder you're dealing with.

-blast [blast] from Greek - sprout, immature or embryonic cell

The odds that you might encounter words ending with this suffix in the vet's office are quite low. But since we talked about cells last time, I thought it would be interesting to include this one also. The first time I came across a word like this was when I was researching stem cells for treatment of Jasmine's arthritis and knee injury.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells, meaning they don't have any defined purpose other than to sit quietly and wait for instructions. Once they receive their instructions, they can turn into specialized cells, such as blood cells, muscle cells and so on. Adult stem cells are vital for body's tissue repair and maintenance.

The cells important in tissue repair of joints are osteoblasts and chondroblasts.



Very simply put, osteoblasts are cells that make bone, and chondroblasts are cells that produce cartilage.

Myeloblasts are immature cells found in bone marrow, that develop into white blood cells. Erythroblasts give rise to erythrocytes, red blood cells.

***

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The Economy is a Lot Worse Than You Think

By Alan Caruba

Most Americans know the economy is in bad shape even if a majority voted to reelect the man most responsible for making a bad economy worse. And, no, it was not George W. Bush who is responsible for the 2008 financial crash. It was the government with its housing programs that encouraged giving mortgage loans to those who could not afford them and then bundling those “toxic assets”, and selling them to banks who then found themselves in trouble for investing in them.

Another partner in the nation’s financial woes has been the Federal Reserve, a banking cartel given the right to literally print money. The Fed recently released the fact that its holdings in U.S. government debt has increased by 257 percent since President Obama took office! Those holdings are at an all-time record of $1,696,691,000,000 at the close of business on Wednesday, January 23. The other major holder of our debt is China at $1,170,100,000.000.

It’s worth taking a few minutes to see how the policies of President Obama, whether a deliberate effort to ruin the economy or just the result a lack of understanding of how the U.S. economy works, has put the U.S. on the precipice of failure comparable to what is occurring in Europe. It is a global, as well as national problem as the central banks of the EU desperately transfer billions among themselves to stave off a catastrophe that will destroy the wealth of their citizens.

The federal government ran a deficit (the difference between what it owes and what revenues it takes in) of $292 billion for the first two months of fiscal year 2013—October and November 2012—amounting to $4.8 billion of borrowed money every day. The Congressional Budget Office reported that federal revenues rose by $30 billion—a ten percent increase over last year—but spending increased even more, going up by $87 billion (16%).

Spending on Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security was about 7% higher--$8 billion than last year. For years, Congress has resisted reforming these “entitlement” programs and Obamacare has only exacerbated the problem. In order to fund its establishment, the Obama administration took $716 billion from the Medicare funds. The Social Security funds have been “borrowed” by Congress for years while the numbers of eligible senior citizens has steadily increased as “baby boomers” come of age.

The call for higher taxes on “millionaires and billionaires” has fallen hardest on the middle class, in reality increasing taxes on them. The reality is that the middle class taxpayer pays 25% of their income in federal income tax these days, but when you add in 13.3% in the federal Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, it adds up to 38.3%. According to the Tax Foundation, the average state’s income tax rate on the middle class is 4.82% (not all states have an income tax in addition to the federal government.) That brings the total to $43.12% of middle class income drained off to pay taxes.

Add in all the other taxes we pay on gasoline, telephones, and other necessities, and the middle class is being tapped for half their earnings.

The Republican Party, in power in the House of Representatives, has offered legislation to bring some relief to middle class and other taxpayers. It has sent annual budgets to the Senate where they have died for the past three years.

All this has been happening during the first term of the Obama administration. In a January 25th commentary posted on AmericanThinker.com, Steve McCann noted that “As of the end of 2012, the United States has experienced the worst five-year period—which includes, as the end of the final four years, Obama’s first full term—since 1928-1932 and the start of the Great Depression.”

McCann cited that fact that, since January 2008, the employment age population has increased by 11.7 million, yet there are 3.0 million fewer Americans employed. “Factoring in the population growth and 2008 labor participation rate, the unemployment rate for December 2012 would be 11.4% as compared to 4.9% in December of 2007.”

“At the end of 2007, the median household income was $54,489 (inflation adjusted); at the beginning of 2012, it had dropped to $50,020—a decline of nearly 9%.” During this same time, while incomes were eroding, the cost of living increased 20% from December 2007 to September 2012.

There are other stark statistics that the mainstream media tends to under-report. In December 2007, there were 26.5 million Americans on food stamps at a cost of $30 billion. By December 2012, 47.4 million were using this program and the federal government was running advertising to get more to apply for it. During Obama’s first term, food stamp recipients increased at a rate of 11,133 per day!

No matter how one measures the U.S. economy, the news is bad and holds little promise of improving. Economic growth is anemic as Obama increased debt $50,521 per household in his first term, more than the first 42 presidents in 53 terms combined.

An excellent monthly publication, Budget and Tax News, published by The Heartland Institute, is a very good way to gain the information and insight you need to understand these issues.

No need to wonder why Obama wants to increase the debt ceiling and no need to wonder why his policies continue to cripple the economy, whether it’s the failure to approve the Keystone XL pipeline or to rein in an avalanche of economy-killing regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency. Obamacare contained 18 hidden taxes when it was passed by a Democrat-controlled Congress that didn’t even read its more than 2,000 pages.

At some point this combination of increased taxes, low employment, and stagnant economic growth has to implode. That outcome can be avoided, but the nation is running out of time.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

W.H. Auden - Musée des Beaux Arts

W.H. Auden - Musée des Beaux Arts

Musée des Beaux Arts

By: W. H. Auden

About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.

In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

Walks Like A Splenic Tumor, Quacks Like A Splenic Tumor ... It Must Be A UTI?!?!

Mandy was about nine and a half years old, about the same age as Jasmine. She was showing some signs of aging but overall seemed to have been doing well enough.

German Shepherd Dogs are one of the breeds susceptible to
developing hemangiosarcoma

She had fallen very ill during the Christmas holiday.

She was very lethargic; didn't want to get up, didn't want to eat. She was drinking and urinating a lot and started having pee accidents at night.

The first business day after holidays, first thing, she was taken to the vet's.

Strangely, she seemed to have been feeling much better that day, even wanted to play. But because she looked so sick before, getting her checked out was the right thing to do.

The vet examined Mandy, checked her urine and diagnosed her with a urinary tract infection (UTI).

She was put on antibiotic, Deramaxx (apparently often used to decrease inflammation and discomfort), and a Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) for urinary incontinence.

It is true, that the meds seemed to have remedied the urinary accidents.

However, the next day, Mandy crashed hard again. She wouldn't get up, and when she did, she'd walk with extreme difficulties and looked very ill.

After a call to the vet, he took her off the PPA but didn't seem to have made any difference.

Meanwhile, there was another holiday. In desperation, Mandy's parents decided to lower her dose of antibiotics, convinced that must have been doing it to her. I warned them I didn't think it was a good idea to play around with antibiotics but it did seem to have bought Mandy another good day.

As Mandy resumed her full dose of antibiotics, she crashed once again.

By now convinced that the meds were making her ill, they took her off them. I did try to point out that Mandy's days of extreme lethargy were the original reason why they took her to the vet in the first place, so perhaps the meds are not to blame. If I was to pick a suspect, I would have picked the NSAIDs, having a horrible experience with that ourselves. It is true, that antibiotics can upset the digestive system, but I wasn't feeling it that they would cause such a havoc.

Either way, Mandy was now off the meds and seemed to have been doing much better again, even bringing toy to play with.

Her parents took Mandy back to the vet the moment they opened, to get the situation re-evaluated.

She was given a different antibiotic and was to remain on the Deramaxx. Overall, though, the vet admitted that he hasn't seen a case like this and didn't really understand what was going on.

Well, it's OK not to know. It is not OK not to find out.

As Mandy started her meds again, she crashed even harder then before. Her parents were devastated, because they felt that "they were doing this to her."

They were unable to convince her to get up at all for thirty six hours! She'd just lay there. She also hasn't urinated that whole time.

All else aside, the not peeing was now Mandy's biggest problem.

A dog should not be going longer than 24 hours without urinating. They needed to get her to pee or to the emergency vet. It was the first priority. I asked whether they'd be able to carry her outside to see if they might be able to get her to go.

Thankfully, even though with extreme difficulties and very unstable, they got Mandy to go out and urinate. 

With that emergency out of the way, I strongly suggested they see a different vet about all this. I appreciated that they liked their vet and trusted him, but this was not going anywhere good. The situation needed another pair of eyes.

In the light of the recent events, they agreed that getting a second opinion might be a good idea and made an appointment with another vet.

It was Friday evening, and the new vet examined Mandy and having a clear suspicion, ran some tests and took x-rays. She has seen this before.

Mandy had a splenic tumor!

The vet felt very strongly that this should have been recognized, she felt that Mandy was showing textbook signs.

Oh, and btw, Mandy DID NOT have a UTI at all, it was a contaminated sample!

She booked Mandy for surgery first thing Monday. 

The biggest concern was that the tumor could rupture in the meantime and cause rapid internal bleeding. It was a VERY LONG weekend ...

Mandy did make it till Monday and went in to have her surgery done, while her parents were waiting, filled with worries. Finally the vet came out.

"You still have a dog," she said.

That was the good news. The bad news was, that the spleen was already bleeding quite heavily when she went to remove it, and Mandy's abdomen was filled with "nodules."

Now there was the wait for the biopsy results.

The vet was talking about chemotherapy ... would the nodules mean it was a malignant tumor that had metastasize then?

However, after her surgery Mandy perked right up and seemed to have been feeling quite good. Unfortunately, it didn't take very long for the urinary accidents to return.

When the biopsy results came back the vet gave recommendation to oncology specialist, talking about a year or two that chemotherapy could buy.

I was confused—if it was hemangiosarcoma, this prognosis would not be adding up.

Perhaps it was something else? I never did succeed getting Mandy's parents to acquire what the biopsy results actually said. I was worried about false hopes, though.

Earlier last week, they had their appointment with veterinary oncologist.

They were told that with chemotherapy Mandy MIGHT have up to six months. Without, probably two weeks.

What happened to a year or two? 

This new prognosis, though, would have been consistent with the hemangiosarcoma diagnosis ...

Mandy's parents decided not to pursue the chemotherapy, since the benefit didn't seem that substantial...

Mandy took a turn for the worse and crossed the Rainbow Bridge later that week.

***

The nasty thing about hemangiosarcoma is that it typically develops slowly, with no signs of the disease at its early stages. 

By the time the dog is showing symptoms, the disease is already advanced.

Dogs with splenic tumors might develop a bloated abdomen, as the spleen enlarges. Mandy was a heavy girl, this wouldn't be something one would really notice on her. Other sighs might be lethargy and loss of appetite.

I believe that one can never be paranoid enough when their dog is lethargic or doesn't want to eat.

But the truth is, that with hemangiosarcoma, when you see a problem, it's usually already too late.

RIP Mandy.

Related articles:
Are Splenic Tumors Always Malignant? 
Veterinary Highlights: Can A Mushroom-Derived Compound Lengthen Survival in Dogs With Cancer? 

Further reading:
Cancer: Imagining the Worst, and the Best 
Hemangiosarcoma in Dogs
More on Hemangiosarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma
Canine Splenic Hemangiosarcoma: How a Simple Diagnostic Test May Save Lives

The "Chickification" of America

By Alan Caruba

Rush Limbaugh has predicted the end of the National Football League and sees its demise drawing closer.

Is it really any surprise that Obama is leading the charge to make football “safe”, given that it is a sport where there is a lot of physical contact, often resulting in the occasional injury? Americans do not watch football to see players get injured. They watch because it is a version of war. It is fought in stadiums. The field of battle is well defined. And men outfitted like gladiators engaged in a modified version of combat.

The key word here is “men.” Nobody wants to watch two teams of women play football. 

  

Obama is a girly man. When you think of Reagan, he is astride a horse at his ranch. When you think of Obama, he is riding a bicycle.

The latest manifestation of an effort that pre-dates Obama, the “chickification” of America, is the decision by the Department of Defense to allow women to engage in battle alongside their male counterparts. There are few ideas more idiotic than this. Forget the usual arguments put forth about upper body strength and such, even the Israeli Defense Force, famous for including women in its ranks, uses them auxiliary functions in order to free up the men to do the actual fighting.

No civilized nation wants to send women into combat. No military that depends on unit cohesion and morale wants to put the two sexes together in close proximity because the two sexes tend to do what comes naturally in close proximity. They’ve been holding hearings in Congress about the problems this has created in our military services. We have, however, compounded this idiocy by opening the ranks to openly gay service members. There have always been gays in the military, but in the pre-Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell days, they kept that to themselves.

In an earlier era, the roles of men and women were well defined. Women, indeed, had fewer choices and, to the degree that they now have more, that is a good thing. To the degree that they are in the workplace it also means that both marriage and children are impacted in ways that the 50% divorce rate and the numbers of single mothers were predictable.

It is troubling to me that women in films and on television have been increasingly portrayed in roles where, rather than being the damsel in distress of former times, they are now gun toting, karate smashing characters on a par with men. This undermines traditional values from chivalry to the instinct of men to come to a woman’s aid, to be protective.

I fully understand that culture is always subject to change, but some aspects of culture are worth retaining and this is particularly true in light of the glaring fact that women are different than men. Even women know that!

What bothers me is the creeping effort to turn men into women in terms of their attitudes. Part of the push to permit gay marriage, an element of the Democratic Party agenda, is the constant pressure on heterosexual men to “accept” homosexuality as “normal”, when it has never been regarded as normal. Homosexuals are approximately 3.5% of the population. The Obama administration has made it clear it has no intention to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act and now openly advocates gay marriage. It tears at the sinews of a society that knows that marriage is between a man and a woman.

As I was thinking about the changes occurring in our culture, I was reminded of a list of Communist goals that were read into the Congressional Record by Rep. Albert S. Herlong, Jr, (D-Florida) in 1963. There were 45 of them, based on a book by Cleon Skousens, “The Naked Communist.”

One was “Present homosexuality, degeneracy, and promiscuity as ‘normal, natural, and healthy.’” Another was “Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.” And “Discredit the American founding fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the ‘common man.’”

The Communist goals included taking over the nation’s educational system and infiltrating the press as well as gaining control of key positions in radio, television and motion pictures.

If these goals, revealed just over fifty years ago, sound familiar it is because they are being accomplished. They represent life in America today.

How football is played may seem insignificant. Encouraging gays in the military and women in combat may seem odd at best and idiotic at worse.  

The bigger problem is the way the news and entertainment community, along with the capture of our educational system all conspire to undermine values that worked very well from the days of the U.S. Revolution to around the 1960s when the progressives, the liberals, and—yes—Communists began to gain positions of influence and power.

In 2008 and 2012, Americans even elected one.

© Alan Caruba, 2013