The Power of Magnetic Leadership by Dianne Durkin with Carey Earle - Book review

The Power of Magnetic Leadership

It's Time to Get R.E.A.L.

By: Dianne Durkin, with Carey Earle

Published: May 12, 2011
Format: Paperback, 152 pages
ISBN-10: 1453751238
ISBN-13: 978-1453751237
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform











"While some people may be more natural leaders than others, some of the best leaders I have worked with are men and women who went beyond cultivating their own leadership skills and instead created a culture of leadership in their organizations", write president and founder of Loyalty Factor, Dianne Durbin, with adjunct instructor of marketing at new York University, Carey Earle, in their very concise and hands on book The Power of Magnetic Leadership: It's Time to Get R.E.A.L.. The authors describe how the concept of magnetic leadership will transform an organizational culture, engage and excite employees, and enhance company performance.



Dianne Durkin (photo left) and Carey Earle recognize the often overlooked aspects of leadership are some of the most important ones. The principle of leadership is presented as critical to the health of the organization, and to its employees through its value as an engine of innovation. Dianne Durkin points out that leadership does not simply belong to one person, but through the power of inspiration and contagion, leadership affects the entire company.

As a result, that enhanced and multiplied leadership dynamic propels the organization forward in every way. The authors share the importance of understanding the role of the leaders, and provide the tools and practices



Carey Earle (photo left) and Dianne Durkin understand that leadership may be natural for some people, but that leadership is a skill that can be developed and learned by anyone. Indeed, the book goes beyond simply improving the leadership ability of the individual, but instead offers a guide to transforming an entire company culture into one of magnetic leadership.

To establish the culture and values of authentic and visionary leadership throughout the entire organization, Dianne Durkin presents the principles of R.E.A.L. The concepts that underpin R.E.A.L. as follows:

* Recruitment of the right people for the right jobs and Retaining them
* Engaging, Empowering, and Enriching employees by providing a success Environment
* Appreciating people through valuing, rewarding and recognizing them
* Leadership that leads to loyalty that strengthens performance

For me, the power of the book is how Dianne Durkin and Carey Earle combine a comprehensive examination of the theory and role of leadership, with the practical tools and skills needed to develop both personal and organizational leadership capabilities. The book examines the fresh ground of transforming a company culture into one of organizational leadership. Along with presenting this overarching concept as a viable alternative to traditional leadership models, the book includes the practices that create the conditions to develop that vast leadership culture.

The authors also break down the leadership principles into four readily understood and integrated parts. The ideas are presented as that of R.E.A.L. The various chapters cover each of the concepts, and each chapter contains exercises for a very hands on experience with the book doubling as a workbook for leadership training. There are also self testing and insightful questions to ensure that the leader understands the principles and practices completely.

UI highly recommend the results oriented and very practical book The Power of Magnetic Leadership: It's Time to Get R.E.A.L. by Dianne Durkin with Carey Earle, to any leaders at all levels in any organization who are seeking a clear and effective blueprint for achieving both personal and organizational leadership excellence. This book goes to the heart of the leadership crisis facing many companies today, and provides a road map to a viable leadership cultural solution.

Coldest UK Easter in 100 Years

This is what is called REALITY as opposed to all the lies about global warming. This is what real climate change looks like. Temperatures have been dropping for the last 17 years, especially in the northern hemisphere. In both the U.S. and the U.K. the obscene expenditures on global warming "science" must end. The restrictions on extracting oil, natural gas and coal must end. More nuclear utilities are needed, too. This "cold spell", like the previous little ice age could last for several hundred years.

Into the Storm by Dennis N.T.Perkins with Jillian B. Murphy - Book review

Into the Storm

Lessons in Teamwork from the Treacherous Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race

By: Dennis N.T. Perkins, Ph.D., Jillian B. Murphy

Published: November 1, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0814431984
ISBN-13: 978-0814431986
Publisher: AMACOM









"Having a superb team doesn't guarantee success, and every challenging adventure involves an element of chance. But I believe that the kind of teamwork exhibited by the best ocean racing teams changes the odds", writes writes chief executive officer of The Syncretics Group, Dennis N.T. Perkins, Ph.D., in his fascinating and teamwork lesson filled book Into the Storm: Lessons in Teamwork from the Treacherous Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race. The author describes the epic adventure of the 35-foot AFR Midnight Rambler, an ocean racing boat that sailed into a dangerous hurricane during the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race, and shares the lessons learned through the actions of the skipper, Ed Psaltis and his six member crew.



Dennis N.T. Perkins (photo left) and Jillian Murphy recognize the importance of the victory by AFR Midnight Rambler and its crew as an incredible achievement in a race marred by tragedy and loss of life. The authors look more deeply into how the skipper and the crew were able to transform near death into a successful race result. For the author, not only surviving but winning the coveted Tattersall's Cup, was more than mere chance and good fortune.

Instead, Dennis N.T. Perkins and Jillian Murphy uncover the exemplary practices of leadership and teamwork that outline and accentuate the concept of what he calls teamwork at the edge. The author offers his analysis of the teamwork aspects that created the success of the AFR Midnight Rambler, despite the harshest and most dangerous of sailing conditions.



Jillian Murphy (photo left) and Dennis N.T. Perkins understand the critical importance of teamwork in times of adversity. The authors examine the role of leadership, and how its burden can be shared by the team as a whole. During a crisis, the necessity of leadership is so great that more than one person is required at the time. The very nature of leadership, and the composition of the team, caries with time and circumstances. As a result, the author examines the evolution of leadership during times of crisis.

As a result of the lessons learned during the race, and through the teamwork displayed on the AFR Midnight Rambler, Dennis N.T. Perkins and Jillian Murphy share the strategies for teamwork at the edge. Those strategies are as follows:

* Team unity: Make the team as a whole the central focus
* Prepare, prepare, prepare: Decide that failure is not an option
* Balanced optimism: Discover and focus on a winning result
* Relentless learning: Build a culture of learning and innovation
* Calculated risk: Be willing to enter the heart of the challenge
* Stay connected: Keep everyone informed no matter the obstacles
* Step into the breach: Develop leaders and team members able to cover one another
* Eliminate friction: Remove conflict and stop it quickly
* Practice resilience: Recover rapidly from any setbacks
* Tenacious creativity: Never give up as there are always more options to try

For me, the power of the book is how Dennis N.T. Perkins and Jillian Murphy combine the historical details of the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race with the teamwork lessons learned from the crew of the AFR Midnight Rambler. The authors describe the severe weather, high wind, and towering wave challenges faced by skipper Ed Psaltis and his six crew members. The authors take a fresh approach to the race events, and focuses on the teamwork skills that made the skipper and crew so successful despite the overwhelming odds.

The author examines the way the skipper and crew behaved during the race, and how they faced the crisis presented by the ocean storm. Along with the lessons in teamwork, the author also discovered another way of looking at leadership, and how the burden can be shared by various members of the team. For teamwork during times of severe adversity, the teamwork principles demonstrated by the crew were the difference between life and death. In the end, their team concept led to their ultimate success in the race.

I highly recommend the insightful and excellent team development book Into the Storm: Lessons in Teamwork from the Treacherous Sydney to Hobart Ocean Race by Dennis N.T. Perkins, with Jillian B. Murphy, to any team leaders and developers at all levels of ant organization, who are seeking a clear and concise examination of the most effective team building principles for navigating successfully through times of crisis and adversity. The concepts utilized by the skipper and crew of the AFR Midnight Rambler are readily transferable to any team, regardless of the project or circumstances.

How Well Do You Speak Dog?

These awesome videos are originally the find of Mel from No Dog About It. I am happy to include them here also, because I feel there is still a shortage of good visual references of dog body language.





Do you see anything familiar? Have you learned something new?

A Very Bad Idea--Redefining Marriage

By Alan Caruba

An America that abandons thousands of years of tradition and common sense is an America that has set itself firmly on a path toward decline. That is the central issue of gay marriage that the Supreme Court will struggle to determine. A similar experience in social engineering gave us the federal protection of abortion and the murder of an entire generation of the unborn.

What we are witnessing is the tyranny of a determined minority, gays, lesbians, and transsexuals in America, barely three percent of the population, demanding that their particular sexual orientation should be codified in law by redefining marriage for everyone else. This isn’t about equality. It’s about special privileges and the destruction of marriage as solely between a man and a woman.

Imagine if the court had agreed with the early Mormon Church and established polygamy as the law of the land? In 1890, the Supreme Court ruled in The Late Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. United States that “the organization of a community for the spread and practice of polygamy is, in a measure, a return to barbarism. It is contrary to the spirit of Christianity and of the civilization which Christianity had produced in the Western world.”

The Tenth Amendment states that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” If the Supreme Court strikes down the decision of voters in California to prohibit gay marriage, it will have to ignore the Tenth Amendment. At this point in time, 41 States have passed laws protecting traditional marriage.

As one observer noted, if gay marriage is deemed legal by the Supreme Court, what would prevent the North American Man/Boy Love Association from demanding that their claim that sex with children is valid?

A rational society must have rational laws and the Constitution, which limits the powers of the federal government, makes it clear that the states have the right to determine their own response to such issues. Throwing overboard centuries of English law and the Constitution to favor gays and lesbians opens the doors to an “anything goes” society.

As a March 27 Wall Street Journal editorial noted, “The Supreme Court wrapped up its second day of oral argument on a pair of gay marriage cases Wednesday, and the Justices on the left and right seemed genuinely discomfited by the radicalism of redefining the institution (of marriage) for all 50 states.” Make no mistake about it, the demand for gay marriage isradical and would transform our society from one that has respected thousands of years of tradition and practice to one that abandons a religious and cultural norm to one that undermines society.

The cases before the Supreme Court arrive at the same time the nation has reelected a President who made clear that his objective is to “transform” our society from one that became a superpower based as much on its moral leadership as on its military and economic strength. The result thus far has been to impose a huge debt that will impact generations to come, undermines our ability to project strength, and threatens the value of the dollar. The Obama administration is currently trying to deprive Americans of the Second Amendment right to own firearms in the event a tyrannical government should occur.

The result, not surprisingly, has been an increase in the use of nullification by the states as they pass laws making it clear they do not intend to implement Obamacare as in the case of Indiana, South Carolina, and others. Six state legislatures already have bills filed that would prohibit cooperation with any attempt to indefinitely detain people without due process under a provision of the NDAA.

Several states, including Wyoming, will consider blocking any federal actions violating the Second Amendment. Florida, Indiana, and Missouri will look at legislation prohibiting spying by domestic drones. The Tenth Amendment Center has developed a legislative tracking page on its website because of this growing movement to resist federal mandates.

Sexual mores, the devaluation of our currency, and the general decline of moral values has plenty of precedent in history, most notably the decline of the Roman Empire. America fought a Civil War over the moral issue of slavery, ending it. It granted the right to vote to women. It stumbled badly with Prohibition, but abandoned it. All central governments tend to over-reach.

The Supreme Court’s decision on abortion is now being resisted as states begin to pass legislation to limit this practice in order to protect the lives of the unborn.

The President and other politicians who favor gay marriage, supported by a liberal media, will not have the last word. This is not about equality. It is about fundamental morality and, should America abandon that, it will cease to be a great nation no matter what path other nations may take.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART THREE

by Dino Dogan

The Issue of Indoctrination

In this article I will lay out the 3 primary (most popular) schools of thought, explain the pros and cons of each, and talk about that old and very human tendency to follow.

There are three main schools of thought when it comes to dog training.

1. The (William R.) Koehler method, or as it’s commonly referred to “yank and crank” training method.
2. The Positive Training method popularized by Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson and many others.
3. The Pack Structure method popularized by The Monks of New Skete and Cesar Milan.

There are of course other (smaller) factions but these are the 3 big ones.

So what’s the problem?

What I’m about to say is beyond the most dog owner’s radar since most dog owners simply don’t care, but these three factions have been involved in a war of words for decades.

The battle lines are drawn, the positions have been taken, and fox holes are filled with dog professionals preaching only their method as the ultimate, the best, and the only way to train the dog.

I think the method that receives the most criticism is the “yank and crank” method.

Since it’s brutal in many ways and offends today’s sensibilities, it is demonized and punished especially by the Positive Reinforcement crowd.

Isn't that the definition of irony?

If we examine methods Mr. William R. Koehler used on Lassie and Rin Tin Tin (yes, William Koehler was the trainer for Disney Productions) we do learn that some methods were very aversive.

Example:
If a dog is digging up a yard, you are to fill the hole with water and shove the dog’s snout in it. He’ll learn.

Do we now know better, more humane ways of dealing with issues such as digging up a yard? Of course.

So is the Koehler method all bad?

I don’t think so.

One of the principles of  Koehler method training is to apply well timed corrections with conviction.

Example:
For people having problems on a walk, they often are pulled by their dog. The person may pull-back on the leash, but the pull-back is only strong enough to slow down the dog. What Mr. Koehler suggest is that we apply one (if you do it right the second correction may not be necessary) correction that the dog will remember.

This is then much more humane than thousands of small, weak, nagging corrections that are ineffective in fixing the “problem”.

This is one small example of Mr. Koehler’s philosophy on training that I believe is very useful and practical.

Another thing that most dog trainers (myself included) can learn from Mr. Koehler is timing. His, they say, was impeccable.

The next faction is the Positive Reinforcement crowd, led by such greats as Dr. Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor and Jean Donaldson.

They maintain that only Positive methods are sufficient in dealing with every situation. You will recognize them by their use of clickers, the use of treats to shape behaviors, and generally sunny and pleasant disposition.

While I am very much in favor of positive training methods, we must recognize its shortcomings as well.

Positive training methods (clickers and all) were first implemented on dolphins and orca whales. Only then did those methods make their way over to the dog world.

The argument that this camp will make as to the effectiveness and superiority of their training method is that corrections can’t be applied to whales and dolphins; you can’t put them on a leash, so all you have to rely on is positive shaping alone. And so, the argument goes, “if you can train a dolphin in this way, you can train a dog in this way as well”.

While this is true most of the time, there are two flaws in this logic.

1. The behaviors expected from dogs are infinitely more complex then that of a dolphin. Dogs must be obedient, track, protect, fetch, etc, etc. Dolphins on the other hand must jump out of water on cue.
2. And second -and I think the most important reason- is that at the end of the day, dolphins stay at the Water World, while dogs actually live with us.

So if I want a dog to jump over an obstacle, I’d be well advised to use a treat to shape that behavior. However, if a dog has a bad habit of chewing on electric cables in the house (something a dolphin is unlikely to do) then the use of a shock collar may be advisable.

 Moving onto the third camp.

There is a lot of jealousy (imho) directed at Cesar Milan and The Monks of New Skete.

The Positive method crowd was on a fast track of ubiquitous acceptance when The Dog Whispered swooped in and stole their thunder, audience, and (to some extent) credibility.

This school emphasizes the similarity between dogs and wolves and wolves are used as a model to fulfill domestic dog’s needs for pack structure and alpha dog leader.

If you were to give wolf and dog strand of DNA to a Genetic Engineer, he would be unable to differentiate the two. Food for thought.

The effectiveness of this method is showcased every week on Cesar Milan’s Dog Whisperer as well as Divine Canine (now canceled) by the Monks of New Skete.

So what’s the problem?

I guess it’s still too rough for the Positive crowd (especially the use of the alpha roll, physical correction, etc.). So much so that The Monks have capitulated and in their later works (books, DVDs) recommended against the alpha roll.

What are the shortcoming of this method?

I think the biggest shortcomings of this method is that most people are unable to apply it effectively.

Cesar Milan is great at it, but most dog owners he works with on his show are wholly unaware WHY it works. This is despite his best attempts to explain the “energy”, posture, attitude, etc.

Another issue I see with this method is its emphasis on Alpha-Dog concept. Not because it’s wrong but because of the way it’s perceived by most people.

When I say “Alpha-Dog” most people think of the “big man on campus”, the boss, the CEO, the quarterback football jock, the aggressive “take no prisoners” type, and all manner of other nonsense.

In dog (or wolf) world, alpha dog is something entirely different. Alpha dog is NOT aggressive, he is not overbearing, he is not angry, mean and nasty.

In dog (or wolf) world, alpha dog’s first job is to keep order and tranquility inside the pack.

He is caring, playful and kind to the young, patient, even loving, and so many other things people usually DO NOT associate with alpha-dog behavior.

What does all this mean to the dog owner receiving instructions from a dog trainer?

Well, this brings us back to the issue of indoctrination.

If I, as a dog trainer, belong to one camp, then I am unlikely to consider other camp’s methods as valid.

Perhaps one of the other camps has a very effective method of dealing with a particular issue, however, if I’m closed off to the possibility that my camp is “wrong” then I’m unlikely to know or consider other camp’s methods.

This in the end harms the dog and it harms the dog owner.

So, stop the nonsense, stop looking for ways to separate from one another, stop thinking you’re always right, and start allowing for a possibility that other camps have something valid to teach.

Yeah yeah yeah...whatever Dino. Thats all find and dandy but where do you stand?

OK, thats a fair question.

As a trainer, I am committed to doing whatever works for this dog and this owner in this environment at this time. And I promise not to stop looking for a solution (to whichever methodology the solution might "belong") until a solution if found.

That's where I stand.

I should add that marketing is a factor as well.

“Positive training methods only” looks really good on a business card. No?

In PART FOUR, we talk about detachment.

Dog professionals are detached from the process of dog training.  

You’ll find out WHY this is a good thing.

***

Dino Dogan is a blogger, writer, biker, dog trainer, singer/songwriter, Martial Artist. Dino is now busy with his DIY Blogger Net blog. He is also behind the great social media tool, Triberr. Hopefully one day he'll return to dog blogging. Meanwhile, you can connect with Dino on Twitter or Facebook.

Related articles:
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART ONE
Human-Dog Problem Tree - PART TWO 

Happy Easter

Cartoon Round Up

Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley & Roger L. Martin - book review

Playing To Win

How Strategy Really Works

By: A.G. Lafley, Roger L. Martin

Published: February 5, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 142218739X
ISBN-13: 978-1422187395
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press









"Strategy can seem mystical and mysterious. It isn't. It is easily defined. It is a set of choices about winning", write former chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble, A.G. Lafley; and dean of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Roger L. Martin, in their brilliant and winning results oriented book Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works. The authors describe how to devise and execute a winning strategy, that will transform and company and its brands through a fresh and readily understood approach to business strategy.



A.G. Lafley (photo left) and Roger L. Martin recognize that not all companies have an effective business strategy. The authors point out that the problem is multiplied by a failure of many business leaders to understand the difference between a vision and a strategy. For the authors, a strategy is for winning, and it's about choice. Instead of simply playing, the authors provide the blueprint for actually winning.

They also describe how to make the best choices to ensure that winning is final outcome. This overall approach to strategy, by combining winning with choices, forms the foundation of the book. The authors delve into the very deepest and most fundamental aspects of strategy, ensuring that leaders incorporate their critical elements into their thinking and decision making process.



Roger L. Martin (photo left) and A.G. Lafley present a complete and readily applicable process for establishing a winning strategy. The choices based approach to strategy is composed of five fully integrated choices. Those five choices are as follows:

* What is your winning aspiration? The firm's purpose.
* Where will you play? Where that aspiration will take place.
* How will you win? The method of winning on the chosen field.
* What capabilities must be in place? The skills and resources needed for winning.
* What management systems are required? The systems and metrics to support the above.

For me, the power of the book is how A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin combine a thorough examination of the theoretical elements that comprise a winning strategy, with the mutually reinforcing choices necessary to put that strategy into action successfully. The authors present their ideas in an easily understood format, where each of the principles blends seamlessly into one another. Each of the five choices add to the overall goal of winning as the ultimate goal.

The authors also offer a complete guide to better understanding the deeper and underlying meaning of the very idea of a strategy for an organization. The authors also provide real world examples of the five strategic choices in action to illustrate their effectiveness. Each chapter also includes valuable and useful hands on questions and takeaways that assist in the overall understanding of the principles being discussed in each chapter.

I highly recommend the game changing and real world proven book Playing To Win: How Strategy Really Works by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin, to any business leaders and decision makers who are seeking a clear and concise guide to establishing a winning strategy, and for making the appropriate choices to make that strategy an effective one. This book will change the way business leaders think about and apply strategy forever.

Veterinary Highlights: DNA Vaccines?

Where do you think the future of vaccines might be going? Using vaccines based on actual infectious agents is logical and has been working for our dogs for a long time, though there are risks associated with it, like with everything foreign introduced into a body.

Could a vaccine be created without the use of the actual viruses or bacteria?

The future might belong to DNA vaccines.

DNA vaccines are not a new idea, but remain a controversial one. So why consider it at all?

Playing with live, thought weakened, viruses is in a way like playing with fire. All is good, until things get out of control.

DNA vaccines, as you'd imagine, contain only DNA and not any actual infectious agents. Instead of sending the actual criminal, it's like sending a mugshot only. "Watch out for any guys who look like this." Just like the police, the immune system would receive the mugshot and be ready in case the real criminal showed up. Though, clearly, it's not exactly like that, because there is still the physical presence of the DNA that gets introduced into the body.

Sounds good on paper, doesn't it?

Resulting vaccines should be more stable at a wide range of temperatures and new vaccines could be created faster in response to rapidly emerging new threats.

However, only one DNA vaccine has been licensed for the use in dogs so far, the melanoma vaccine. Why is that?

Perhaps because playing with fire is easy enough, even kids can do it. Starting a fire isn't really the trick, controlling it is.

There is a good reason we don't want our kids play with matches.

The further we move away from the natural—in this case simply meaning "as found in nature"—the further we move into the realm of unpredictability.

The precise metabolic machinery that leads to a favorable immune response is not fully understood.

So far, with some modifications, we were really just copying what happens naturally.

There are many variables to be dealt with. So should we really play with things we don't fully understand? Or should we try to get better understanding first?

I think we ought to play, that's how we learn. But let's play responsibly.

Because I don't think that they all do [play responsibly]. Monsanto for one. Let's play and learn but let's not forget Jurassic Park.

Would I consider the melanoma vaccine for my dog?

Yes, I would consider it. Would I consider DNA vaccine against, say, Parvo? No, I don't think I would at this time.

Source article:
DNA Vaccines: The Future Of Disease Control

Hillary's Burdens

By Alan Caruba

Am I the only one who thinks that speculations and predictions about whether Hillary Clinton will run for the presidency in 2016 are premature?

A nation that had eight years of the Bill Clinton administration, her years (2001-2009) being a Senator from New York, and four years of her serving as Obama’s Secretary of State may just be a little tired of hearing about Hillary Clinton at this point and the prospect of a Hillary presidency may be just too much to take except for those so besotted by the Clinton’s liberal aura.

A lot will depend on the outcome of the 2014 elections and if there is a shift in power from Democrat control of the Senate and increase of Republicans in the House—leaving Obama as a very lame duck—Hillary will likely read the writing on the wall. She was considered a shoe-in for the presidency in 2008 until a virtually unknown first-term Senator won the election. Her appointment as Secretary of State was intended to keep her wing of the party inside the tent.

As a recent Washington Post article, “Hillary Clinton’s Legacy of Mismanagement Abroad”, was a scathing review of her failures by the largely liberal newspaper that continues to distance itself from the Obama administration. It listed ten significant failures from the Russian “reset” to her inability to secure a status-of-forces agreement with Iraq. Hillary touted Syria’s Bashar Assad as a “reformer” and, of course, there is the Benghazi scandal in which the U.S. ambassador’s pleas for greater security were ignored, resulting in his death at the hands of al Qaeda terrorists. Her response to the ambassador’s assassination, “What difference does it make?” would come back to haunt her.

By any measure, her service as Secretary of State is a warning against a second President Clinton.

This is not to dismiss the Democrat’s capacity for self-delusion when it comes to selecting its next candidate for the presidency. The never-ending Obama campaign machine will be at her disposal, but Hillary is no spring chicken and the physical toll of the campaign will quickly become evident if she chooses to run.

Then, too, there was the aborted effort during her husband’s term to impose a health care program that resembled Obamacare. It was rejected and Obamacare is losing public support (if it ever had any). When it is fully implemented in 2014, the backlash will be enormous in purely political terms. Many states have refused to implement the “exchanges” and the rise in the costs of insurance premiums, bureaucratic denial of medical services (particularly for the elderly) will severely harm any run for the presidency she might contemplate.

There are so many things that could derail a Hillary candidacy that the current speculation should be taken with a grain of salt. The only good news for her at this point is Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential ambitions. The man is a walking gaff-machine, saying more stupid things in an hour that any Democrat opponent in a month.

Meanwhile, over in the Republican camp, there are a number of rising stars who are contemplating a run in 2016, but the one I regard as having the least chance is Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida. The reason is simple. His name is “Bush” and the idea of a third Bush presidency may not sit well among a new, growing cohort of younger Republicans. There is something about family political dynasties that is antithetical to the way American politics should be practices.

It is too early, as well, to speculate about who the Republican candidates will be in 2016. Events could intervene to affect the outcomes for both Hillary and the GOP hopefuls. The political demographics, however, favor a younger candidate than an older one. As noted, much depends on the outcome of the 2014 midterm elections.

A Hillary presidency is likely to be an extension of the Obama presidency and that has not served the nation well. The huge national debt is beginning to penetrate the dull minds of liberals, the “sequester” has generated many news articles and reports about the government’s enormous waste of taxpayer dollars. Rising prices of everything are affecting Americans, no matter their political orientation. Foreign policy will be affected by events in the Middle East and elsewhere. None of this bodes well for a Hillary run for the presidency.

So Hillary, if she would run for the Democratic Party nomination, would do so with an enormous amount of political “baggage.”

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Primer On Bites, Puncture Wounds, And Abscesses

Written and reviewed by John A. Bukowski, DVM, MPH, PhD
and Susan E. Aiello, DVM, ELS 

Bites and puncture wounds can both lead to abscesses.

Puncture wounds can be caused by fights with another animal, stepping on a nail or other sharp object, or even running into a broken branch or stick. These problems are most common in dogs that roam free outside.

Unlike simple lacerations or abrasions, bites and punctures tend to carry material into the wound, which can seal over and trap bacteria inside.  

When this happens, the wound often becomes infected and can develop into a large, pus-filled abscess.  Punctures that penetrate completely through the wall of the chest or abdomen are rare, but they are especially serious problems that require emergency treatment and surgery.

Abscesses are especially common in fight wounds.  

Numerous bacteria are found in the mouth, and they are carried deep into the skin and underlying tissues by the teeth. The small wounds left by the bite on the skin surface seal over quickly, trapping the bacteria deep inside. Within a day or two, a large pus pocket develops, which may be warm and fluctuating to the touch.  Yellow, gray, or greenish pus may ooze from the wound, and the pus pocket may rupture spontaneously after several days.

The signs of illness depend on the area affected and the nature of the bite or puncture.  

Punctures on the foot or leg can cause lameness and swelling of the limb. Nearby lymph nodes, such as those in the neck, the front of the chest, or behind the knee, can become swollen in response to infection.

Your veterinarian will examine your dog closely, looking for any signs of a puncture or bite wound, including a deeper abscess.  In some cases, x-rays may be recommended to look for foreign material and to gauge the depth and severity of the puncture or wound.

Antibiotics are needed to fight infection. Anesthesia and surgery are often necessary to open, drain, and flush out the abscess.

In some cases, your vet will place a drain in the wound to prevent the skin opening from sealing over and to allow continued drainage during healing.  Warm compresses can be used to stimulate drainage and blood flow. Puncture wounds on the feet often respond well to foot soaks in warm, antiseptic solution.

***

Visit WebVet for a wealth of information about the health and well-being of pets. All content is rev

A Very Old Congress

By Alan Caruba

It struck me the other day that every time I see some member from the Senate on television that I am often looking at an elderly person. Recently, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said, “I think the legislature is about ten years behind the public. I would argue that the Senate is not up to date with what the people want.”

It’s worth noting that Sen. Paul (age 50) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL, age 41), along with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX – age 42) are among the rising stars in the Republican Party. Rep. Paul Ryan who ran on the 2012 ticket is 43.

There only a dozen Senators in their forties. The youngest Senator is Chris Murphy (D-CT) at age 39. In the House, the youngest is Patrick Murphy (D-FL) at age 29 who was elected in 2012. The average age of Senators, however, is now higher than in the past.

The Constitution bars anyone under the age of 25 from serving in the House and under 30 from serving in the Senate.

The Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV) 73 years old and it should be noted that the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is 71.

My home State of New Jersey has the distinction of being represented by Frank Lautenberg (D) who is 89 years old, the older member of the Senate. He was succeeded in age by the late Robert Byrd (D-WV) who was the longest serving Senator. Byrd died at age 93 in 2010 having served from 1953 to 2010. My most enduring memory of Sen. Byrd was watching him on C-SPAN in his final year, assisted by an aide seated beside him as the befuddled Senator struggled to speak from his chair and deal with the papers before him.

At age 75, I can testify to the toll that time takes on anyone reaching an advanced age, so the question of a Senate in which 21 members are in their 70s raises some questions about their ability to cope with the complex issues on which they must vote. I think the greatest problem that people of that age encounter is being out of touch with the present, particularly with all the advances in communications technologies that can be a challenge to those who may have mastered the typewriter, but now must adjust to computers, texting, tweeting, and other inventions that speed up the need to process an ever-growing torrent of information.

Many of the issues with which the Senate must engage relate to a very different era than the one in which older members were born and in which they grew up. Social issues, in particular, involve the current debates over same-sex marriage, illegal immigration, environmental and energy issues, to name just a few.

A recent article on Slate.com, “Democracy or Gerontocracy?” by Brian Palmer noted that “The 111^th Congress, which took office in 2009, was the oldest in U.S. history, with an average age of 57 in the House and 53 in the Senate. The previous 112^th was only slightly younger.” Historically, however, the average age in Congress “has remained within a rather small range since World War II” with the House aging more substantially than the Senate whose average age was 62 in 2011.

“Congress is decidedly older than the populace it represents” said Palmer, noting that “only ten percent of House members have been under the age of 40 in recent years. By comparison, 22 percent of the general population and 30 percent of registered voters are between 25 and 39 years old. The average American is more than 20 years younger than the person who represents him or her in the House.”

This brings me to the Millennials, also called Generation Y, born in the early 1980s to the early 2000s. Along with a previous generation, they are also known as “Generation Me.” There have been many surveys of the Millennials that indicate personality traits such as narcissism.

Millennials have distinctly different behaviors, values and attitudes from previous generations and much of this is due to technological and economic implications of the Internet. A survey by the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future, conducted continuously since 1975, and the American Freshman survey conducted by UCLA’s Higher Education Research Institute, reveal that the proportion of students who said being wealthy was very important to them increased from 45% for Baby Boomers to 70% for Generation X and 75% for Millennials.

By contrast, the percentage who said it was important to keep up to date with political affairs fell, from 50% for Boomers to 39% for Generation X and 35% for Millennials. Too many are clearly not paying as much attention these days than former generations. This may have been a factor in the election of Barack Obama in 2008 and again in 2012.

Maybe they should begin to pay more attention. A think tank called Generation Opportunityissues a Millennial Job Report for those aged 18 to 29. In February 2013, their unemployment rate was 12.5% and when you factor in the 1.7 million young adults that are not counted as “unemployed”, the rate rises to 16.2%. For African-American youth, it is 22.8% while Hispanics come in at 13.4%.

Millennials are in for sticker-shock when Obamacare goes active in 2014, but an estimated 11% to 13% have already migrated into the conservative political sphere, so there is hope.

The vast gap between those in Congress and the rest of the population is likely to have an impact on future elections and could result in younger members being elected. For now and for the foreseeable future, a much younger population is going to be victimized by the decisions of a much older Congress.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

Shark Tank Casting Season 5

Casting for Shark Tank Season 5 

Get on the Shark Tank Show

 With the huge success of season 4 there was never a question if there would be a season 5 of the Shark Tank Show but how many new episodes and who will be the Next Shark Tank Contestants. You have seen the show and you just know your idea or invention will be a huge success but you just need a chance. We'll you chances just got much better. A 1 in 2500 to be exact. Not the best of odds but a whole lot better then playing the lottery HOPING that some day you might strike it rich. The day has come to stop dreaming and start PLANNING on how you will be in one of 5 cities and prove that your invention has what it takes to succeed.

This Is Your Chance To Get On The Shark Tank!

The Shark Tank Producers just announced they will be on a Nation Wide Open Casting Call in 5 major cities across the country. Each city only has 500 tickets
Read More Here-->>>

Nettie Reynolds: Using The Power Of Story To Create Content - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Digital strategist, author, and marketing consultant Nettie Reynolds describes how to put the power of story to work to create effective content. Nettie Reynolds provides ideas for using narrative to enhance and transform ordinary marketing content into exciting stories that boost sales. Nettie shares her proven advice for adding a blog and social media to your marketing mix. Nettie also presents the additional concept of gaining the experience of journalists for building narrative. Nettie offers ideas for combining the experience of authors with your marketing department to establish more story ideas. Nettie also shares the concept of ebooks as a market builder. She also presents ideas for writing and marketing an ebook to boost your business. Learn how to creatively add content through story to your marketing writing.

Nettie Reynolds is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, March 28, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Digital strategist, author, and marketing consultant Nettie Reynolds describes how to put the power of story to work to create effective content. You will learn:

* Why story is so important to content creation

* How to create narrative to boost your marketing content impact

* How to add the abilities of journalists and authors to your marketing team

* How ebooks can help with marketing and story based content



Nettie Reynolds (photo left) is a digital strategist and teacher. Nettie works with wonderful individuals and companies from all over the world, helping them create and convey their messages to the online world. She prides herself on her diverse base of clients and her customized and unique approach to each client’s needs. Nettie provides training to kick-start e-outreach for companies and individuals and fine tuning of social media initiatives and presence.

Nettie’s clients have seen millions in YouTube views, features on DailyKos, Daily Candy, NYTimes, MSNBC.com, Entreprenuer.com, Pink Magazine, Inc.com, Allbusiness.com, Wall St. Journal, BlogCritics and other leading online sites. Her clients have also been featured in notable business, fiction and non-fiction podcast shows including Total Picture Radio, Mark Amtower Direct, Blog Business World, blog Busines Success, Cranky Middle Manager and others.

isLten 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 digital strategist, author, and marketing consultant Nettie Reynolds, as she describes how to put the power of story to work to create effective content. Nettie Reynolds provides ideas for using narrative to enhance and transform ordinary marketing content into exciting stories that boost sales. Nettie shares her proven advice for adding a blog and social media to your marketing mix. Nettie also presents the additional concept of gaining the experience of journalists for building narrative. Nettie offers ideas for combining the experience of authors with your marketing department to establish more story ideas. Nettie also shares the concept of ebooks as a market builder. She also presents ideas for writing and marketing an ebook to boost your business. Learn how to creatively add content through story to your marketing writing on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tackling The Veterinary Terminology: Prefixes (spondylo-)

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.

A prefix is placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning by providing additional information. It usually indicates number, location, time, or status.

spondylo- [spän′də lə] - from Greek - vertebra(e)

Since I mentioned cervical spondylomyelopathy (Wobbler syndrome) last time, why don't we examine what the prefix spondylo- stands for.

When you find the spondylo- prefix at the beginning of your veterinary term, it means that the problem involves vertebra(e).

(Vertebra being the bones or segments forming the spinal column)

Cervical spondylomyelopathy, then, means that it's a disease which involves both the vertebrae and spinal cord of the neck. In this case, malformation of the vertebrae, or disc protrusion(s), push on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots, causing neck pain and/or neurological signs. The typical symptom being the characteristic wobbly gait, thus Wobbler syndrome.

Spondylopathy is any disease affecting the vertebra(e). We discussed this under suffixes.

Other term which you might encounter is spondylitis, inflammation of the vertebrae. This one is usually caused by infection, typically bacterial. For example, diskospondylitis, inflammation of the intervertebral disk and adjacent vertebrae.

Spondylosis, on the other hand, is a degenerative condition, caused by aging or injury. Resulting abnormal bony growths/bone spurs, the result of the body trying to fix itself, can actually lead to fusion of the adjacent vertebrae.

Spondylosis. Image Puppyer

To best remember the difference between spondylitis and spondylosis, one is inflammation, usually due to infection, and the other is presence of abnormal bony growths.

Note the difference: arthritis is inflammation of the joints. It could be caused by infection but usually is of degenerative/wear and tear origin. Spondylitis is inflammation of the vertebra(e), just about always caused by an infection

***

Related articles:
Veterinary Suffixes (-itis)
Veterinary Suffixes (-oma) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-pathy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-osis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-iasis) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-tomy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-ectomy)  
Veterinary Suffixes (-scopy) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-emia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-penia)
Veterinary Suffixes (-rrhea) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-cyte) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-blast) 
Veterinary Suffixes (-opsy)
Veterinary Suffixes (-ac/-al)

Veterinary Prefixes (hyper-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (hypo-)
Veterinary Prefixes (pyo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myo-) 
Veterinary Prefixes (myelo-)

A Carbon Tax Would Destroy America

By Alan Caruba

If you want to know what a carbon tax on emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) would do to America you need only look at the destruction of industry and business in Australia, along with the soaring costs for energy use it imposes on anyone there.

“The carbon tax is contributing to a record number of firms going to the wall with thousands of employees being laid off and companies forced to close factories that have stood for generations”, Steve Lewis and Phil Jacob reported in a March 18 issue of The Daily Telegraph, a leading Australian newspaper.

“Soaring energy bills caused by the government’s climate change scheme have been called ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’ by company executives and corporate rescue doctors who are trying to save ailing firms.”

The passage of a carbon tax in America would have the exact same results and it remains a top priority for the White House and Democrats in Congress who see it as a bonanza in new funding for the government.

As Paul Driessen says in a Townhall.com commentary, “More rational analysis reveals that dreams of growth are nothing more than dangerous tax revenue hallucinations. They would bring intense pain for no climate or economic gain.”

Too many Americans still believe that CO2 is causing global warming, but CO2 plays no role in climate change and is barely 0.038 percent of the Earth’s atmosphere. More to the point, there is no warming and hasn’t been for the last seventeen years as the Earth is in a natural cooling cycle that has prolonged the advent of spring with severe snow storms throughout the nation.

There is no scientific justification for such a tax, but those advocating it don’t care about the science. They care about raising revenue for an ever-growing government to spend and waste.

Driessen points out that “Hydrocarbons (coal, oil, and natural gas) provide over 83% of all the energy that powers America. A carbon tax would put a hefty surcharge on everything we make, grow, ship, eat, and do. It would put the federal government in control of, not just one-sixth of the economy, as under Obamacare, but 100% of our economy and lives. It would make the United States increasingly less productive, less competitive globally, less able to provide opportunities for our children.”

The case for a carbon tax simply doesn’t exist, but there are powerful forces in Congress and the support of the White House to impose such a tax. The power of the environmental movement and its long history of lies about the climate, primarily the global warming hoax, cannot be dismissed or ignored.

In Australia, “The Australian Securities & Investments Commission reports there were 10,632 company collapses for the 12 months to March 1—averaging 886 a month—with the number of firms being placed in administration more than 12 percent higher than during the global financial crisis.” It represents “a record high…led by widespread failures in manufacturing and construction, which accounted for almost one-fifth of collapses.”

Greg Evans, the chief economic economist for the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that “It defies logic to adopt a policy which even the Treasury acknowledges will lower our standards of living and be harmful to national productivity.” Adding to Australia’s struggling companies, the carbon tax and one on mining were showing up as “sovereign issues” in discussions with foreign investors.” Who would want to invest in Australia if these two taxes were destroying the economic strength of the nation?

Politics in Australia is no less a battleground than here in America. Australia’s Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, who introduced the carbon tax, just beat back a bid by her Labor Party’s dissidents to reinstall former leader Kevin Rudd who lost to her in 2010 and 2012. Much of the opposition to her comes from the harm being inflicted by the carbon and mining taxes.

Marlo Lewis is a senior fellow in energy and environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. During the 2012 campaign, he described a carbon tax as “political poison for the Republican Party.” Mitt Romney opposed it, but ‘the big attraction of carbon taxes these days is not as a global warming policy but as a revenue enhancer. In both parties, deficit hawks and big spenders (often the same individuals) are flailing for ways to boost federal revenue.”

That is precisely the problem afflicting a nation whose Congress and President could not find a reason to cut anything from the federal budget. The result was the “sequestration” that imposed cuts neither party could agree upon.

In a Fox News article, “Here comes Team Obama’s carbon tax”. Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment and author of “Democracy Denied” reported that “The Treasury Department’s Office of Environment and Energy has finally begun to turn over documents about its preparations for a carbon tax in response to transparency warrior Chris Horner’s Freedom of Information Act request. The documents provide solid evidence that the Obama administration and its allies in Congress have every intention of implementing a carbon tax if we fail to stop them.”

President Obama’s nominee to be the next Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, is on record wanting to double or triple the cost of energy, much as his predecessor wanted.

A carbon tax, if enacted, would totally undermine a nation that has a debt climbing toward $17 trillion and millions unemployed in an economy that is struggling to inch its way out of the depths of the financial crisis.

If you wanted to destroy America, you could do it with a carbon tax. Australia is reeling from the cost to its economy and the higher energy costs its people are paying. We don’t want that here.

© Alan Caruba, 2013

I Always Thought That A UTI Would Scream It's Presence

I always thought that a UTI (urinary tract infection) would scream it's presence loud and clear.

Frequent urination, but usually small amounts at the time, difficulty urinating, urine dribbling, urinary accidents, smelly urine, maybe some blood in it ... you know, what you picture when you're thinking about a UTI.

As it turns out, a UTI doesn't have to come screaming with any of those.

Firstly, there are things that can cloud the issue, such as if your dog is on steroids.

Being on steroids on its own causes increased drinking and urination. 

How would that be different from a urinary tract infection? On steroids, Jasmine would pee somewhat more frequently, quite large volumes each time. With an infection, you'd expect smaller amounts more frequently. But with Jasmine, this was not the case.

Being on steroids increases the chances of your dog getting an infection, a UTI being one of them.

So now you have a situation which makes it more likely for your dog to get an infection and makes it harder to tell what is going on at the same time.

Here is how it played out with Jasmine.

While on the steroids, her drinking was somewhat increased but nowhere near to what I expected. Her urination also increased but more in volume rather than in frequency. She'd typically ask to go out once or twice more often that normally.

Once she was weaned off them, we assumed this to go away but didn't expect it to go away over night.

Couple days after she was off the steroids Jasmine started drinking more than usually; even more than when she was on the steroids. That was strange and alarming, so I talked to the vet about it right away.

He said we should start with urinalysis to see what might be going on.

He did mention UTI but it was not adding up with the symptoms to me at all. She was not showing any of the typical symptoms ...?

After a day and a half of increased drinking, it suddenly stopped and went back to normal. False alarm? Body adjusting to getting off the meds?

After another talk with the vet we all figured it was a false alarm.

"We don't need to do the urinalysis if she's not sick," he said.

Was she sick or wasn't she?

Jasmine was still urinating somewhat larger volume and the urine looked somewhat more dilute than normally, but not more than when on the steroids. So the question was, how long should it take for things go back to normal? Blood work would show a dog on steroids for between two weeks to a month. For the sake of the stem cell therapy it is recommended to wait 45 days, so clearly, the body might not be back to normal before that...

Jasmine also had some stomach upsets and stool trouble before, which was believed to be an effect of the meds, perhaps this was part of that also?

The symptoms were as vague as you can come up with.

Jasmine seemed kind of under the weather.

There was nothing one could put their finger on. Her appetite was lower that I'd expect, and no, it wasn't because she was so hungry while on the steroids. I wasn't comparing her appetite to that on steroids, but to that before. It was still lower than that.

Mostly it was just a feeling I had, that something wasn't right.

Could it all be just her coming of the steroids? Perhaps. But a worried mom that I am, based on the funny feeling, I decided to do the urinalysis after all.

And what do you know, the urinalysis results did point to a UTI quite clearly.

Seriously? With such a lack of the signs you always read about? Frankly, though, I was glad it was something simple; I was worried about her kidneys.

Jasmine was put on antibiotics, the signs had resolved and the follow up urinalysis says the infection is gone.

So it seems there is one we can cross of the board. Her blood work also didn't show anything alarming. I am still keeping a watchful eye on Jasmine.

Did you dog ever had a UTI with vague symptoms? How did you figure it out?