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Brandy Clark picks 10 essential country albums
Brandy Clark picks 10 essential country albums
A lot of people wouldn't be caught dead admitting to listening to, much less liking, their parents' music. But fast-rising country star Brandy Clark isn't like a lot of people. Growing up in the logging town of Morton, Washington (population: 900), she reveled in her folks' vinyl record collection; in fact, many of the discs that she was first exposed to by her parents (and grandparents) remain favorites to this day.
"I know the tendency with kids is to rebel and find your own music, but I was never that way," Clark says. "My parents handed down so much good music to me, and because my grandparents lived right next door, I was hearing what they had as well. I think I was really lucky to absorb all those influences, and they shaped my ears in some important ways."
Clark's witty and keenly observational lyrics helped to make her 2013 debut, 12 Stories, a head-turner. Before that, she scored a fistful of songwriting credits on hits by The Band Perry and Miranda Lambert, among others. According to Clark, her early influences planted the seeds of how she approaches her own songwriting.
"A lot of the greats are exceptional storytellers, as well as being awesome singers and musicians," she says. "That's something that's always stayed with me: 'How do I convey what I'm feeling with words and sounds? How do I tell a story that'll affect you?' There's a real power to an album of songs that casts a spell on you in that way. A great album isn't background music."
On the following pages, Clark talks about her picks for 10 essential country albums. "These aren't things with one or two amazing cuts and the rest is just OK. With each one of these records, I can listen to the whole thing from beginning to end and always come away inspired and enriched."
You can purchase Brandy Clark's 12 Stories at Amazon and on iTunes.
Patty Loveless - When Fallen Angels Fly (1994)
"This might be my favorite record of all time. From start to finish, it's simply amazing. I love every song on it, and I'm just astounded by Patty's performances throughout. It's her best album, without a doubt.
"Only What I Feel was her record before this one, and I thought, 'Oh, well, no way can she top it' – it was so exceptional in every way – but then she did. There are songs that weren't even singles on this album that are just as good, if not better, than the ones everybody knows. The last cut, Over My Shoulder, is absolutely gorgeous."
Dolly Parton - Here You Come Again (1977)
"We had this record on vinyl. When I was growing up, we didn't have TV for a while, but we had music, which was such a blessing. This album was in my parents' collection, and I listened to it a lot.
"The title track is very poppy; the production of it is a little bouncy, so you think it's a happy-go-lucky song. But slow it down and you'll realize that it's such a sad, sad sentiment.
"The record also has My And Little Andy, Two Doors Down and It's All Wrong, But It's All Right – I mean, you just can't find a bad cut on it. I'm always trying to rewrite Two Doors Down. I'll hear other songs that remind me of it a little, so I guess I'm not the only one who's inspired by it."
Reba McEntire - For My Broken Heart (1991)
"I love sad songs, and this is a record full of sad songs, so it really touches me deeply. The title cut is genius in every way, but there's so many other great tracks on the album. It's something that you can really come back to time and time again.
"I remember when the record came out: Many of the members of Reba's band had died in a plane crash, and she said that she just didn't want to sing anything happy. This album really reflected her state of mind at the time. Artistically, I respected that. She wanted to do what was in her heart."
George Strait - 50 Number Ones (2004)
"OK, so how do I summarize everything I love about George Strait with just one album? Of course – a greatest hits record! I might have listened to this album more than anything else on this list, especially during the last 10 years. I listen to 50 Number Ones all the time.
"George is on my iPod, he's on my phone – he's just in my life. The Chair, It Ain't Cool To Be Crazy About You, Nobody In His Right Mind Would've Left Her – so many amazing songs. A lot of them were written by Dean Dillon, whom I just idolize.
"What can you say about George Strait as a singer? He's a legend. I've always loved Merle Haggard too, and to me, there's a little bit of Merle in George Strait. What's funny about George is that he's definitely what you'd call a 'traditional' country singer, but he still sounds very current. He's one of the all-time greats."
Patsy Cline - 12 Greatest Hits (1967)
"When I was nine years old, my mom bought me this record for my birthday – on a cassette – and it changed my life. Had I not heard this record and seen the movie Sweet Dreams, I might have become a totally different person than what I am today.
"I think I fell in love with country music because of this record. I remember the color of the cover, the dress she's wearing – it just stays in my mind. The song Crazy could very well be my favorite song of all time. I know I'm not alone in saying that.
"A few years ago, I went to a record label showcase for a new artist. It was starting late, so I went to a bookstore to kill some time. In the music section was a CD copy of this album, so I bought it. I took it to my car and listened to it, and I got very emotional as it played. It took me right back to being a little girl and listening to it with my mom. It did everything to me that great music is supposed to."
Garth Brooks - Garth Brooks (1989)
"Garth's first two records really affected me. They came along at a time when I had grown tired of country music. I was a young teenager, and I guess it just wasn't cool to listen to country at that age. But when a friend of mine played me Garth's song The Dance, I went, 'Who is this?' It really got to me – it sounded so fresh. My friend was like, 'You don't know who this is? This is Garth Brooks!' I was a little late to the party. But I went out that weekend and bought Garth's first two records.
"He's a brilliant singer, a great interpreter of other people's material, a fantastic writer. He brought me back to country music – and I think he introduced a lot of people to the genre, as well."
The Judds - Rockin' With The Rhythm (1985)
"My first adult record – before this, it was all Mickey Mouse and disco and stuff. I didn't know that I loved The Judds at first. My mom got me this record 'cause she wanted me to love them, but then I heard it and fell for them big-time.
"Have Mercy, Grandpa, Working In The Coal Mine, If I Were You – I can sing you this record in order; that's how many times I've listened to it. I even know when it flips, when you get to the end of side A and you turn it over. I've got it down.
"Two great voices and such wonderful songs. I love, love, love this album."
Garth Brooks - No Fences (1991)
"I got this one and Garth's first album at the same time, but I think this one is my most favorite of the two. It's got The Thunder Rolls and Wild Horses on it – two absolute classics.
"Once again, Garth hooked me back into country music at a time when I'd gotten away from it. I could listen to him and not feel uncool for liking him. He was one of the first guys who crossed over to non-country fans, but I found out about that later. He just hit me like, 'Wow, this is good!' When you're young and something gets to you, you don't' analyze why you love it – you just do.
"When I first moved to Nashville, I had a roommate who would listen to records with me every Friday night. We had, like, five records that we always played, and those first two Garth albums were always part of that group."
Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson - Pancho & Lefty (1983)
"I love honky-tonk stuff. This record takes me back to being a kid in the best way. I'm a huge Merle and Willie fan. They're like peanut butter and jelly to me – you love 'em both separately, but together they're really incredible.
"The title cut is fantastic, but Reasons To Quit and Half A Man are extraordinary. I think one of my strengths is storytelling, and Pancho & Lefty is a great storyteller album. People need to check this one out."
Mary-Chapin Carpenter - Come On Come On (1992)
"Much like When Fallen Angels Fly, I love every song on this record. There's a duet with Joe Diffie called Not Too Much To Ask that just slays me. Why was that not a single? But I think the record had, like, five big hits on it, so she had a lot to choose from.
"Like Patty Loveless, Mary-Chapin Carpenter came along at a time when I knew that I wanted to do music, so this record affected me profoundly on that level – as well as just being a fan. I was thinking, 'Man, how do you write a song liked You Don't Even Know Who I Am'? Or He Thinks He'll Keep Her or I Feel Lucky – how do you write like that?
"She had a few records before this one, but this is the album that really hooked me. She changed my perception of music and gave me something to shoot for."


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The Art of Strategic Laziness
The following is a guest post by Shane Snow, a frequent contributor to Wired and Fast Company. Last year, he wrote about his two-week Soylent experiment, which went viral and racked up 500+ comments.
This post is adapted from his new book, SMARTCUTS, and it will teach you a few things:
- How to use strategic "laziness" to dramatically accelerate progress
- How "DHH" became a world-class car racer in record time, and how he revolutionized programming (they're related)
- A basic intro to computer programming abstraction
Note: the technical aspects of programming have been simplified for a lay audience. If you'd like to point out clarifications or subtleties, please share your thoughts in the comments! I'd love to read them, as I'm thinking of experimenting with programming soon.
Enter Shane Snow
The team was in third place by the time David Heinemeier Hansson leapt into the cockpit of the black-and-pink Le Mans Prototype 2 and accelerated to 120 miles per hour. A dozen drivers jostled for position at his tail. The lead car was pulling away from the pack—a full lap ahead.
This was the 6 Hours of Silverstone, a six-hour timed race held each year in Northamptonshire, UK, part of the World Endurance Championship. Heinemeier Hansson's team, Oak Racing, hoped to place well enough here to keep them competitive in the standings for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Tour de France of automobile racing.
Heinemeier Hansson was the least experienced driver among his teammates, but the Oak team had placed a third of this important race in his hands.
Determined to close the gap left by his teammate, Heinemeier Hansson put pedal to floor, hugging the curves of the 3.7-mile track that would be his singular focus for the next two hours. But as three g's of acceleration slammed into his body, he began to slide around the open cockpit. Left, then right, then left. Something was wrong with his seat.
In endurance racing, a first place car can win a six- or 12-hour race by five seconds or less. Winning comes down to two factors: the equipment and the driver. However, rules are established to ensure that every car is relatively matched, which means outcomes are determined almost entirely by the drivers' ability to focus and optimize thousands of tiny decisions.
Shifting attention from the road to, say, a maladjusted driver's seat for even a second could give another car the opportunity to pass. But at 120 miles per hour, a wrong move might mean worse than losing the trophy. As Heinemeier Hansson put it, "Either you think about the task at hand or you die."
Turn by turn, he fought centrifugal force, attempting to keep from flying out while creeping up on the ADR-Delta car in front of him.
And then it started to rain…
When Heinemeier Hansson walked onto the racing scene in his early 30s, he was a virtual unknown, both older and less experienced than almost anyone in the leagues. A native of Denmark, he's tall, with a defined jaw and dark spikey hair. At the time he raced 6 Hours of Silverstone, it had been about five years since he first drove any car at all.
That makes him one of the fastest risers in championship racing.
Despite that, Heinemeier Hansson is far better known among computer programmers—where he goes by the moniker DHH— than car enthusiasts. Though most of his fellow racers don't know it, he's indirectly responsible for the development of Twitter. And Hulu and Airbnb. And a host of other transformative technologies for which he receives no royalties. His work has contributed to revolutions, and lowered the barrier for thousands of tech companies to launch products.
All because David Heinemeier Hansson hates to do work he doesn't have to do.
DHH lives and works by a philosophy that helps him do dramatically more with his time and effort. It's a principle that's fueled his underdog climbs in both racing and programming, and just might deliver a win for him as the cars slide around the rainslicked Silverstone course.
But to understand his smartcut, we must first learn a little bit about how computers work.
Think of the way a stretch of grass becomes a road. At first, the stretch is bumpy and difficult to drive over. A crew comes along and flattens the surface, making it easier to navigate. Then, someone pours gravel. Then tar. Then a layer of asphalt. A steamroller smooths it; someone paints lines. The final surface is something an automobile can traverse quickly. Gravel stabilizes, tar solidifies, asphalt reinforces, and now we don't need to build our cars to drive over bumpy grass. And we can get from Philadelphia to Chicago in a single day.
That's what computer programming is like. Like a highway, computers are layers on layers of code that make them increasingly easy to use. Computer scientists call this abstraction.
A microchip—the brain of a computer, if you will—is made of millions of little transistors, each of whose job is to turn on or off, either letting electricity flow or not. Like tiny light switches, a bunch of transistors in a computer might combine to say, "add these two numbers," or "make this part of the screen glow."
In the early days, scientists built giant boards of transistors, and manually switched them on and off as they experimented with making computers do interesting things. It was hard work (and one of the reasons early computers were enormous).
Eventually, scientists got sick of flipping switches and poured a layer of virtual gravel that let them control the transistors by typing in 1s and 0s. 1 meant "on" and 0 meant "off." This abstracted the scientists from the physical switches. They called the 1s and 0s machine language.
Still, the work was agonizing. It took lots of 1s and 0s to do just about anything. And strings of numbers are really hard to stare at for hours. So, scientists created another abstraction layer, one that could translate more scrutable instructions into a lot of 1s and 0s.
This was called assembly language and it made it possible that a machine language instruction that looks like this:
10110000 01100001
could be written more like this:
MOV AL, 61h
which looks a little less robotic. Scientists could write this code more easily.
Though if you're like me, it still doesn't look fun. Soon, scientists engineered more layers, including a popular language called C, on top of assembly language, so they could type in instructions like this:
printf("Hello World");
C translates that into assembly language, which translates into 1s and 0s, which translates into little transistors popping open and closed, which eventually turn on little dots on a computer screen to display the words, "Hello World."
With abstraction, scientists built layers of road which made computer travel faster. It made the act of using computers faster. And new generations of computer programmers didn't need to be actual scientists. They could use high-level language to make computers do interesting things.
When you fire up a computer, open up a web browser, and buy a copy of my book online for a friend (please do!), you're working within a program, a layer that translates your actions into code that another layer, called an operating system (like Windows or Linux or MacOS), can interpret. That operating system is a probably built on something like C, which translates to Assembly, which translates to machine language (1s and 0s), which flips on and off a gaggle of transistors.
So, why am I telling you this? In the same way that driving on pavement makes a road trip faster, and layers of code let you work on a computer faster, hackers like DHH find and build layers of abstraction in business and life that allows them to multiply their effort.
I call these layers platforms.
At college in the early aughts, DHH was bored. Not that he couldn't handle school intellectually. He just didn't find very much of it useful.
He practiced the art of selective slacking. "Some of my proudest grades were my lowest grades," he tells me.
We all know people in school and work with a masterful ability to maintain the status quo (John Bender on The Breakfast Club or the bald, coffee-swilling coworker from Dilbert), but there's a difference between treading water and methodically searching for the least wasteful way to learn something or level up, which is what DHH did.
"My whole thing was, if I can put in 5 percent of the effort of somebody getting an A, and I can get a C minus, that's amazing," he explains. "It's certainly good enough, right? [Then] I can take the other 95 percent of the time and invest it in something I really care about."
DHH used this concept to breeze through the classes that bored him, so he could double his effort on things that mattered to him, like learning to build websites. With the time saved, he wrote code on the side.
One day, a small American web-design agency called 37signals asked DHH to build a project management tool to help organize its work. Hoping to save some time on this new project, he decided to try a relatively new programming language called Ruby, developed by a guy in Japan who liked simplicity. DHH started coding in earnest.
Despite several layers of abstraction, Ruby (and all other code languages) forces programmers to make countless unimportant decisions. What do you name your databases? How do you want to configure your server? Those little things added up. And many programs required repetitive coding of the same basic components every time.
That didn't jibe with DHH's selective slacking habit. "I hate repeating myself." He almost spits on me when he says it.
But conventional coders considered such repetition a rite of passage, a barrier to entry for newbies who hadn't paid their dues in programming. "A lot of programmers took pride in the Protestant work ethic, like it has to be hard otherwise it's not right," DHH says.
He thought that was stupid. "I could do a lot of other interesting things with my life," he decided. "So if programming has to be it, it has to be awesome."
So DHH built a layer on top of Ruby to automate all the repetitive tasks and arbitrary decisions he didn't want taking up his time. (It didn't really matter what he named his databases.) His new layer on top of programming's pavement became a set of railroad tracks that made creating a Ruby application faster. He called it Ruby on Rails.
Rails helped DHH build his project—which 37signals named Basecamp—faster than he could have otherwise. But he wasn't prepared for what happened next.
When he shared Ruby on Rails on the Internet, programmers fell in love with it. Rails was easier than regular programming, but just as powerful, so amateurs downloaded it by the thousands. Veteran coders murmured about "real programming," but many made the switch because Rails allowed them to build their projects faster.
The mentality behind Rails caught on. People started building add-ons, so that others wouldn't have to reinvent the process of coding common things like website sign-up forms or search tools. They called these gems and shared them around. Each contribution saved the next programmer work.
Suddenly, people were using Ruby on Rails to solve all sorts of problems they hadn't previously tackled with programming. A toilet company in Minnesota revamped its accounting system with it. A couple in New Jersey built a social network for yarn enthusiasts. Rails was so nice that more people became programmers.
In 2006 a couple of guys at a podcasting startup had an idea for a side project. With Rails, they were able to build it in a few days—as an experiment—while running their business. They launched it to see what would happen. By spring 2007 the app had gotten popular enough that the team sold off the old company to pursue the side project full time. It was called Twitter.
A traditional software company might have built Twitter on a lower layer like C and taken months or years to polish it before even knowing if people would use it. Twitter—and many other successful companies—used the Rails platform to launch and validate a business idea in days. Rails translated what Twitter's programmers wanted to tell all those computer transistors to do—with relatively little effort. And that allowed them to build a company fast. In the world of high tech—like in racing—a tiny time advantage can mean the difference between winning and getting passed.
Isaac Newton attributed his success as a scientist to "standing on the shoulders of giants"—building off of the work of great thinkers before him.
Platforms are tools and environments that let us do just that. It's clear how using platforms applies in computer programming, but what if we wanted to apply platform thinking to something outside of tech startups?
Say, driving race cars?
David Heinemeier Hansson was in a deep hole. Halfway through his stint, the sprinkling rain had become a downpour. Curve after curve, he fishtailed at high speed, still in third place, pack of hungry competitors at his rear bumper.
LMP cars run on slick tires—with no tread—for speed. The maximum surface area of the tire is gripping the road at any moment. But there's a reason street vehicles have grooves in them. Water on the road will send a slick tire drifting, as the smooth rubber can't channel it away. Grooved tires push water between the tread, giving some rubber grip and preventing hydroplaning. The slicker the tires—and the faster the speed—the more likely a little water will cause a car to drift.
That's exactly what was happening to the LMP racers. As the rain worsened, DHH found himself sliding around the inside of a car that was sliding all over the race track. Nearby, one driver lost grip, slamming into the wall.
Cars darted for the pits at the side of the track, so their teams could tear off the slick tires and attach rain tires. Rain tires are safer, but slower. And they take a precious 13-plus seconds to install. By the time the car has driven into the pits, stopped, replaced the tires, and started moving again, more than a minute can be lost.
DHH screamed into his radio to his engineer, Should I pit in for new tires?
Like I said, DHH wasn't the most experienced racer. He had gotten into this race because he was skilled at hacking the ladder. A few years into 37signals's success, and with Rails taking a life of its own, Hansson had started racing GT4—essentially souped-up street cars—in his spare time.
Initially, he finished in the middle of the pack with the other novices. But after studying videos of master drivers, he started placing higher. High enough that after six races, he was allowed to enter into GT3 races (the next level up), despite zero first-place wins. In GT3, he raced another six times, placing first once, third another time. He immediately parlayed up to GTE (the "E" is for "endurance"). While other racers duked it out the traditional way, spending a year in each league, and only advancing after becoming league champion, DHH "would spend exactly the shortest amount of time in any given series that I could before it was good enough to move up to the next thing."
There's no rule that says you have to win the championship to advance from GT4 to GT3. Nor is there a rule saying you have to spend a year in a given league before moving up. That's just the way people did it. Instead, DHH compressed what normally takes five to seven years of hard work into 18 months of smart work. "Once you stop thinking you have to follow the path that's laid out," he says, "you can really turn up the speed."
On the rainy Silverstone course, however, parlays couldn't help him anymore, and slacking was not an option. DHH had to drive as fast as safely possible, and every microsecond counted. In such tight competition, the only edge a racer had was raw driving skill.
Or, as it turned out, a better platform.
SHOULD I PIT IN? The man who hates repeating himself repeated over the radio. I'm going to end up in the wall!
His engineer told him to tough it out. The rain is about to clear up.
G-force pounding his body, DHH cautiously hugged the curves for another lap, and sure enough, the downpour began to subside. By two laps the course was dry. Heinemeier Hansson's slick tires gripped the track with more friction than his competitors' newly fitted rain tires and he sped ahead. The other drivers now had to pit back in for slick tires, for a total of nearly two minutes' delay that DHH entirely avoided.
At the end of his leg of the relay, DHH jumped from the car, having demolished the competition.
The slick tires provided DHH a platform advantage, more leverage to drive faster with the same pedal-to-floor effort. And though driving slick in the rain had been risky, his skill learned by imitating master racers kept him alive.
Reflecting on his rapid ascent in racing, DHH says, "You can accelerate your training if you know how to train properly, but you still don't need to be that special. I don't think I'm that special of a programmer or a businessperson or a race car driver. I just know how to train."
DHH had proven he had the skill to race. Videos of master drivers had helped him to learn quickly. His tire advantage had pushed him ahead of equally skilled drivers, and propelled him to the next level. And the advanced racing leagues themselves became a platform that forced him to master the basics—and faster—than he would have at a lower level.
When DHH returned to visit his home race track in Chicago, the same set of drivers still dominated the lower leagues.
He came back and effortlessly beat them.
Effort for the sake of effort is as foolish a tradition as paying dues. How much better is hard work when it's amplified by a lever? Platforms teach us skills and allow us to focus on being great, rather than reinventing wheels or repeating ourselves.
"You can build on top of a lot of things that exist in this world," David Heinemeier Hansson told me. "Somebody goes in and does that hard, ground level science-based work…"
"And then on top of that," he smiles, "you build the art."
Question of the day (QOD): What other selectively "lazy" innovators can you think of? People who've looked at problems in novel ways, or solved them in non-obvious ways? People who've opted for simplicity when most "experts" are choosing complexity?
Related and Recommended
The Tim Ferriss Show is one of the most popular podcasts in the world with more than 700 million downloads. It has been selected for "Best of Apple Podcasts" three times, it is often the #1 interview podcast across all of Apple Podcasts, and it's been ranked #1 out of 400,000+ podcasts on many occasions. To listen to any of the past episodes for free, check out this page.

subset: commoncrawl


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Monday, June 19, 2006
What You Should Be Reading Instead
of the Rubbish On Offer Here
Must See TV: Required Reading
Myles Palmer: First up is Myles Palmer, a soccer journalist I have been reading for years and one of 2 regular columnists on the site Arsenal News Review. The non-Myles stuff on there is very good, but he is the best soccer writer I have come across, and every one of his articles is informative and insightful. His perspective on England, as well as France, and Brasil over the last week have been just amazing, and if you don't care for Arsenal then be advised that he manages to write about the World Cup without being a total Arsenal homer who only wants to talk about the Gooners in the Cup. I can't say it enough; go to the site, and take a few minutes to read all the WC articles on there, then bookmark it and make sure you check it every day. Can't recommend it enough. If, of all this stuff, you only choose to look at one thing, look at this. It's that good.
The Legend of Bobbeh: Next up is the absolutely legendary Bobby McMahon over at Fox. He is writing a blog that is updated frequently during the day. If Myles is the best soccer writer out there, Bobbeh is the best soccer commentator. Period. And to top that off, dude is Scottish-Canadian, so be sure to see him each night on Fox Soccer Channel's Ticket To Germany show for his outstanding insight. He has one of the most excellent accents you will ever hear. If you like college football, then I am here to tell you that he is better at soccer than Herbstreit is on CFB. Into NCAA hoops? He's better at soccer than Andy Katz is on college roundball. Horse Racing? He is as good at soccer as Randy Moss is at the Sport of Kings. Read his blog and watch him on FSC for the best analysis out there, bar none (FYI: When normal FSC service is resumed after the WC, you can catch Bobbeh's always brilliant analysis on the Fox Sports World Report on Mondays and Fridays).
Two words: The Man.
Goal Post: Plain and simple. The absolute best World Cup blog out there, by Franklin Foer and friends. It is so good that it actually ties Myles for this statement: If, of all this stuff, you only choose to look at one thing, look at this. It's that good. And with 10 contributors there is much more content each day for your viewing pleasure.
Proper Football in the Football Americano Blogosphere
Despite a few haters here and there, I have really been blown away at how many CFB bloggers are not only interested in proper football but are covering it on their sites. I am sure that I am missing some, but here's a rundown.
Ladies' First: Nicole over at Cute Sports is very much into footie, and is writing some good stuff, as well as posting pictures of hott boys (but I must say Nicole - Raul and Reyes are much hotter than Torres in my humble opinion). Always good to get the female perspective on things, so check out her site.
The Sports Economist: Excellent, intelligent writing and commentary not just on the soccer but also about the business and cultural aspects of the tournament. Required reading for the thinking man soccer fan, or dorks like me with Masters degrees in Sports Management who find this type of stuff fascinating.
DC Trojan: Another fine site that I just recently got turned onto. Dude is all over the WC with lots of interesting things to say.
Braves & Birds: Michael is writing lots of good stuff on the WC, in addition to his coverage of sports ITP (Inside The Perimeter for non-ATLiens). I enjoy commenting on his site even though we may disagree, because I really respect people like him who understand the difference between a discussion and an argument.
MGOBlog: On my first foray to the Big House of Michigan blogs, I completely misunderstood something Brain wrote in an otherwise well written article, put my foot directly into my mouth, and made an ginormous ass of myself in the comments. The second time I went over there I was engaging in some respectful debate when I was summarily attacked by a hater, who I had to completely annihilate in a debate that would have been stopped if it was a boxing match. Now we are past the akward phase, and I am so happy that Brian has even joined the ranks of people ditching the US coverage of the WC and joining the Univision Revolution. Oh, and he writes some excellent stuff on the WC between all of the maize & blue lovin' and scarlett & gray hatin'.
Roll 'Bama Roll: Nice site by Nico, just got hipped to it in the last week. Frequent WC posts and diaries in the right hand pane. Official WC headquarters of AL The Elephant.
Burnt Orange Nation: Occasional WC posting and interactive diaries in the right hand pane. I must say that Peter Bean is a gentleman and a scholar. Oh, and if you stop by then take a minute to check out the Texas Longhorn cheerleaders in their buttless chaps.
Sometimes I regret turning down UT for grad school and staying at UGA. This is one of those times.
LD at Gunslingers: After writing informative and interesting previews for all 32 teams, LD is covering the WC like a seal, staying underwater for a while and then coming to the surface to give you his thoughts on things, which are always interesting. Also, widely noted as the first and best articulator of the narrative presented by Disney.
Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: Warren St. John is usually the jump-off for wacky-ass sportsfan behavior, and he always has plenty of footy. For reasons unknown he has been underground for a while, but his site is so excellent that it is worth checking back every couple of days to see if he has emerged from watching the WC in his underground bunker at a Cheney-esque undisclosed location. Where you at WSJ?
Friend of Baconboy: Baconboy has a buddy who is over in Germany travelling, going to matches, and taking it all in. Although both a Gator and a ManUtd fan, he seems a fine lad so we'll offer up his friend for one and all, but Baconboy must vouch for him, just like Matt Damon had to vouch for Ed Norton, Jr. in Rounders. I hope for his sake that this gets him into much less trouble.
The MSM
That's main stream media in blogosphere parlance.
Soccernet: One of the very few things left on earth that ESPN is involved with that is very good. Excellent site with many good commentators. My favorite is Phil Ball, who during the year writes a weekly column on soccer in Spain. They also have columnists who usually write about the German Bundisliga and Serie A in Italy, so they bring a weath of knowledge and show what the Cup looks like through the perspective lens of their respective beats if you will.
World Soccer: Lots of good info, including columns from likable editor Gavin Hamilton and crusty windbag curmudgeon Brain Glanville, who although being a bit of a miserable old prick is required reading because he aas been around forever and you always learn something interesting, usually from way back, every time you read one of his tricky-to-follow columns.
Straight From The Source: Excellent coverage from the English language version of leading German newspaper Der Spiegel.
SI.com: Another good site with some really good columnists, my favorites being The Limey for their great English perspective and wit, as well as Gabrielle Marcotti, whose columns and mailbag pieces I have always enjoyed. His columns are a bit Italy-centric, so if you like the Azzurri then you definitely need to check him out. And Rick Reilly is even entertaining sometimes.
The Beeb: The best mainstream media coverage based in London-town, courtesy of the BBC.
The Guardian: BBC too old-school stuffy Brit for you? Try the Guardian on for size.
The Gray Lady: If you are one of those people for whom every written word on paper not belonging to The New York Times is hopelessly inferior to what is there, then they have you covered.
Washington Post: If this, not the NYT, is your bag, then here you go.
The Boston Globe: Kanu's hometown paper, for all you chowdaheads who like your WC coverage to be wicked good!
LA Times: If I put the NYT, the Post and the Globe, then I have to put the LAT or risk the wrath of LA native Solon, for whom the LA Times is the best paper in the world at pretty much everything.
Kanu's Book Club: 2006 World Cup Edition
Finally, I highly recommend the following book, which I picked up last week and is very topical. Titled The Thinking Fan's Guide To The World Cup, it has a chapter on each of the 32 nations competing in this World Cup, written by someone from that nation. There is also lots of fascinating facts, figures, and information on all 32 nations. I have only read the Czech chapter so far, which talks about the Velvet Revolution and the resulting changes in Czechoslovakia both on and off the pitch, but I really look forward to reading the rest.
Get it. Today.
I'll tease you with the back cover:
* Former Foreign Minister of Mexico Jorge G. Castaneda invites George W. Bush to watch a game.
* Novelist Robert Coover remembers soccer in Spain after the death of General Francisco Franco.
* Dave Eggers on America, and the gym teachers who kept it free from communism.
* Time magazine's Tokyo bureau chief Jim Frederick shows how soccer is displacing baseball in Japan
* Novelist Aleksander Hemon proves, once and for all, that sex and soccer do not mix.
* The New Yorker's Cressida Leyshon on Trinidad and Tobago, 750-1 underdogs
* Fever Pitch author Nick Hornby on the conflicting call of club and country
* Plus an afterward on Franklin Foer on the form of government most likely to win the World Cup.
I highly recommed that you pick it up; it makes for outstanding and topical reading over the next 3 weeks.
I am sure that there is more good stuff out there that I don't even know is there, so feel free to share you favorites in the comment section.
Enjoy, and thanks again for stopping by.
6 comments:
The Thinking Fans Guide... is a superb read. It's impressive when there's only a few clunkers out of 32 pieces.
I bought it a few weeks before the World Cup started and finished it in Nashville the night of our sorry ass showing against Morocco.
PS - Thanks for the link. I will post more WC goodness once I'm done with this stupid paper that's due on Wednesday. - Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 12:47:00 AM PDT
Hey, thanks for the shout-out; I've been enjoying your posts and the guest stuff from Swindle as well. I must give credit where it's due though and point out that DC Trojan has become a team effort with my brother (known as Thistle71) chiming in... although his access may have to be revoked if he starts posting Oregon stuff when college football starts back up.
- Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 7:38:00 AM PDT
- Astronaut Mike Dexter said...
Ah, Kanu, my good man, you have made the same error made by many writers when writing about girls in chaps. Chaps, which are not the same thing as pants with the ass cheeks cut out, are by definition backless, so any reference to "assless chaps" is a redundancy. Your punishment is to post 10 more pictures of the Texas cheerleaders, with proper captions this time.
Also, I laughed when going back over your explanations of why Univision's soccer coverage is so much better than ESPN's; I was sitting in a restaurant with my mom and dad in the D.C. area Sunday morning, treating pops to a Father's Day brunch, and Univision's World Cup show was on TV. Two of the hottest Brazilian chicks I've ever seen in my life (which is saying something) wearing shorts that just barely qualified as "shorts" beats anything ESPN could put up against it -- including, and it gives me no pleasure to admit this, Erin Andrews. Though it might be close. - Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 8:19:00 AM PDT
- Kanu said...
Thanks Doug. Click on that link just above the Buttless pants for a bigger version of that one and three others. I hope that this can serve as my penance.
FYI I will still erroneously refer to then as buttless chaps just because, although technically it is wrong, it just sounds so right.
You know I've been a big fan for a long time, so I am humbled to have you here.
Oh and one more thing, whic I have been meaning to post on HJS forever:
Although I know your interest in soccer is very low (and that is jsut fine), as a PET SHOP BUYS uber-fan you need to know this:
"Go West" by PSB is one of the single most used tunes for soccer chants in the world, both for national teams and club teams the world over.
Arsenal allege to have "originated" this, but I can only assume that many many others make the same claim and that it sort of spontaneously blew up out of nothing way back when.
Take Arsenal for instance: their most famous song is "One-nil to The Arsenal!" to the tune of the chorus of "Go West", which is a homage to anearlier time when Arsenal's defense was so amazing that if they went up 1-0 then the match was effectively over:
"1-nil! To the Arsenal,
1-nil! To the Arsenal,
1-nil! To the Arsenal,
1-nil! To the Arsenal!"
If you are ever watching and the sound is on you will hear this from time to time in the stands. Other common versions are:
For any tesm that has just won any competition:
"Stand Up! For the Champions,
Stand Up! For the Champions,
Stand Up! For the Champions,
Stand Up! For the Champions!"
If you happen to catch the England match today you will hear a version of this early and often where Champions is replaced by Engerland.
Again, I know you aren't into soccer, but from what I have read you definitely are familiar and like the song GO WEST!, so it is imperative that you know what a commonly used soccer cchant it is all over the world.
So there it is. - Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 9:28:00 AM PDT
- Kanu said...
AS far as wheat you witnessed Sunday between the Brasil & France matches: QUE RIDICULO.
I actually wrote about it extensively on the DAy 10 Random Thoughts / Open thread, and I have it on VHS. I hope to one day figure out how to get it converted to digital, get it on YouTube, and spread the gospel. - Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 9:32:00 AM PDT
- Nicole said...
First, gracias for the mention. We chickadees are few and far between out here and it's damn hard to get any cred. God forbid we should know what we're talking about, secondly, and I will be posting this, but your assertions on Raul and Reyes are off.
And finally, Univision's coverage is horrible for two reasons. 1) Every man on there is 52, hairy as hell and as lascivious as possible. How is it that they employ the most impossibly beautiful women and then pair them with the scariest, most unattractive, stalkers of men. If these guys would come within 100 feet of those girls anywhere but at work, they'd get brutally rebuffed.
2) I speak as much Spanish as a white girl from Wisconsin can speak without ever having spent time in a spanish speaking country. I spoke it at work. But trust me, it's rudimentary. Watching Univision when you actually know what's going on, but not enough to actually keep up, is the biggest headache I've ever had. I tried watching without sound, it's no good. - Friday, June 23, 2006 at 11:45:00 PM PDT


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Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
The Broward County Board of Commissioners approved a countywide Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program, providing an innovative form of financing for clean energy and resilience improvements for residential and commercial property owners across the county. The City of Deerfield Beach Commission voted to oper-in to the Broward County PACE Program, authorizing all County-approved providers to operate within Deerfield Beach jurisdictional boundaries.
The PACE program is a financing option for energy efficiency and conservation projects available to both homeowners and business owners in Broward County.
Property owners have the choice between 6 private finance providers (PACE Providers). Property owners voluntarily agree to the program terms for financing and repay through a non-ad valorem special assessment added to their annual property tax bill. Therefore, however, you pay your annual property taxes (for example, direct lump-sum payment or from an escrow account) is how your PACE project will be paid back.
Qualifying improvements include rooftop solar panels, solar water heater, energy-efficient air conditioning unit, cool roof, impact windows, insulation, and more. In general, most products can be permanently affixed to a property and reduce on-site electric usage, assist in hurricane protection, and/or produce onsite renewable electricity.
For questions regarding specific qualifying improvements, financing terms, and a list of contractors, contact the individual PACE Providers by visiting the Broward County PACE website for the most up-to-date information.
- What is PACE?
PACE is a financing mechanism that allows property owners to voluntarily make qualifying improvements on their property, with repayment through a non-ad valorem special assessment added to their property tax bill.
- What can be funded through PACE?
Most products that can be permanently affixed to a property and reduce on-site electric use, assist in wind resistance, and/or produce onsite electricity are eligible for funding. Qualifying improvements include: rooftop solar panels, solar water heater, wind turbine, energy-efficient air conditioning unit, cool roof, window replacement, impact windows, insulation, and more.
- How do I get started with PACE?
The program is now live for Deerfield Beach property owners.
To get started, interested parties are encouraged to review the Program Guidelines for all approved providers. Like any financial decision, participants should review all available financing alternatives to ensure they are choosing the best option for their own personal financial situation. It is also highly recommended that property owners perform a comprehensive energy audit on their property before committing to any qualifying improvements.
For more information regarding PACE and tips on how to get started, please visit: Boward County's webpage on PACE.


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It's a feast for the eyes: the 107 chair is particularly suited for use in restaurants and cafés, thanks to an excellent combination of elegance, stability and lightness. With its simple form, it also lends itself perfectly for use as a dining table chair in the home.
With the 107 chair, designer Robert Stadler continues Gebrüder T 1819's successful café and bistro furniture tradition. This wooden chair with its elegant form and comfortable feel is almost completely machine-produced, easy to clean and sturdy. Fulfilling both a constructional and aesthetic function, the offset backrest is a particularly striking feature.
Frame solid wood, without armrests, seat and backrest moulded plywood natural or stained beech. Wooden seats or upholstered with leather or fabric. With gliders for hard and soft floors.
Robert Stadler born in 1966 in Vienna. He studied design at IED/Milan and at ENSCI/Paris. In 1992 he cofounded the Radi Designers group which was active until 2008. In 2003 he opened his own studio in Paris. Robert Stadler intervenes in very diverse fields, obliterating all hierarchies between industrial product and the artwork. His projects range from product design or interiors for restaurants to exhibition projects and installations. He particularly enjoys to explore the exhibition space in order to scramble up the usual categories of art and design. His work is present in many private and public collections. He is represented by Carpenters Workshop Gallery and Galerie Triple V.
The sensitive selection of the surfaces is decisive for the character of any piece of furniture. Therefore, we offer an almost limitless range of materials, allowing for an individual and special touch for each piece. Create your personal chair or table by choosing from our comprehensive collection of materials for the frame and upholstery. Please note that the materials listed here only represent a small selection of our production possibilities. Our specialist trade partner near you will be happy to offer advice.


text: NNN NNN FFFFFFFFF LLL NNNN NNN FFF FF LLL NNNNN NNN FFF LLL NNN NNNNN FFFFFF LLL NNN NNNN FFF LLL NNN NNN FFF LLL LL NNN NNN FFF LLLLLLLLL SSSSSSSS TTTTTTTTT RRRRRRRR EEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEE TTTTTTTTT SS S TT TTT TT RRR RRR EEE EE EEE EE TT TTT TT SS TTT RRR RRR EEE EEE TTT SSSS TTT RRRRRR EEEEE EEEEE TTT SS TTT RRR RRR EEE EEE TTT S SS TTT RRR RRR EEE EE EEE EE TTT SSSSSSSS TTT RRR RRR EEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEE TTT NFL Street FAQ/Strategy Guide Version 1.00 Created On 2/4/2004 Copyright ¿ 2004 Archangel Sephiroth E-mail: email@example.com (-) Version History Version 1.00 - Updated On 2/10/2004 - Completed FAQ/Strategy Guide (0) Table Of Contents: (-) Version History (0) Table Of Contents: (1) Background (2) Getting Started (I) - Quarterback (QB) (II) - Running Back (RB) (III) - Wide Receiver (WR) (IV) - Offensive Lineman (OL) (V) - Defensive Back (DB) (VI) - Safety (S)* (VII) - Linebacker (LB) (VIII) - Defensive Lineman (DL) (3) Attributes (4) FAQ (5) Helpful Hints --WHO COMES FIRST? --THE BIG D --SPEED, TACKLE, CARRYING --IT IS YOUR TEAM --TO PICK-UP, OR NOT TO PICK-UP --TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM --DON'T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE --MAKING AN IMPACT --JUST DO IT --A QUICK LEAD (6) Impact Gear (7) My Team (8) Acknowledgements (1) Background Since I first got it, I have played this game to the point of exhaustion. I decided to write a FAQ for all the beginners who want guidance in the right direction. Obviously, there might be spoilers contained within this document, so consider yourself warned. If you have something to add or see something that needs to be changed, you can E-mail me. Anybody who contributes something useful will be properly credited for their information. If you want to use any information from this FAQ, ask me first through E-mail. (2) Getting Started So, you want to build a team from scratch? Creating seven unique players to challenge the NFL's cream of the crop in different street challenges can be quite a daunting task. I am not going to get into the specific details of how to upgrade every single character for every single stat, because then all the uniqueness is taken out and you do not have your own team; you have my team with a different look. Just in case you are unsure of which attributes affect which skills, I will list all ten attributes along with short descriptions taken directly from the manual. Here are some basic guidelines for each position in NFL Street: --OFFENSE-- (I) - Quarterback (QB) -Optimal Height: 6'2 - 7'0 -Optimal Weight: 170 - 220 lbs Players To Fill Position = 1 Primary Attributes: Passing Secondary Attributes: Speed, Agility Optional Attributes: Blocking, Carrying Notes: The QB is essential to any football team. Since the passing game revolves around the QB, it pretty obvious why he NEEDS a high passing attribute, first and foremost. Speed and agility are also helpful for Option plays if you want to lead towards a scrambling quarterback, such as Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb. Carrying also comes in handy when the blitz comes hard, as a player with a high carrying attribute is less likely to cough up the football for a turnover. Blocking is useful if you like following the QB up the gut with your RB, because he can take out that extra LB, giving your RB the hole he needs for a bigger gain. (II) - Running Back (RB) -Optimal Height: 5'8 - 6'2 -Optimal Weight: 230 - 290 lbs Players To Fill Position = 1 Primary Attributes: Speed, Carrying Secondary Attributes: Run Power, Agility Optional Attributes: Catching, Blocking Notes: The RB is the backbone of the team in NFL Street. You will not get far in any ladder or challenge without a strong running game to rely on. Speed is obviously mandatory in RUNNING the ball, as is the carrying attribute, so you do not fumble the ball. It is up to you to decide whether to build up your agility, for a RB like Barry Sanders, or the run power attribute, for a Walter Payton wannabe. In either case, the other attribute should still be pretty high, in order to have a well rounded RB, giving you options on how you want to break down the defense. With both attributes, you can break the ankles of bigger players and plow through the smaller defenders all in the same play. Catching is very useful for pitching plays, or if you plan on using your RB for short dump-off passes or on deep plays as a slot receiver, which I highly recommend, due to his ability to gain yards after the catch (YAC) better than either of your main receivers. Blocking is useful only if you plan on staying in the pocket for a long time and using your RB to protect your QB until the WR gets open. (III) - Wide Receiver (WR) -Optimal Height: 6'4 - 7'0 -Optimal Weight: 160 - 210 lbs Players To Fill Position = 2 Primary Attributes: Speed, Catching Secondary Attributes: Agility, Blocking Optional Attributes: Carrying Notes: The WR is the other half of the passing threat. You cannot throw a ball downfield without someone at the other end to catch it. Each team has two WR's, for twice the fun. Receivers need to run their routes and get downfield as fast as possible, so speed is essential, as is catching, because it does not matter how badly the WR beats the DB if he cannot come down with the ball afterwards. Agility helps with jumping to get height over the DB to make those impossible catches and blocking is very useful for holding up the DB's on the outside runs up the sideline. If your WR is extremely efficient at blocking, he can quickly dispatch the DB and move downfield for another block, which is VERY helpful for gaining BIG yardage down the sideline. If your WR's are constantly fumbling the ball right after completing the catch, consider increasing their carrying attribute. (IV) - Offensive Lineman (OL) -Optimal Height: 6'0 - 6'10 -Optimal Weight: 280 - 380 lbs Players To Fill Position = 3 Primary Attributes: Blocking Secondary Attributes: Speed, Agility Optional Attributes: Catching Notes: There is not enough to be said about these three fun, beefy guys. Well, there is, but I am not going to get into details right now. The offensive line is responsible for giving the QB time to get the ball off to one of his receivers, and the line is also in charge of creating lanes for the RB by tying up the defensive linemen while the RB charges through. Obviously, their area of expertise is blocking. Speed and agility are helpful for OL when it comes to quickly getting to their respective blocks and moving downfield for support. Catching is only useful if you are pitch-happy and every player on your team usually gets their hands on the ball at one time or another. --DEFENSE-- (V) - Defensive Back (DB) -Optimal Height: 6'6 - 7'0 -Optimal Weight: 180 - 220 lbs Players To Fill Position = 2 Primary Attributes: Speed, Coverage, Tackle Secondary Attributes: Agility, Catching Optional Attributes: D-Moves Notes: DB's are responsible for shutting down the passing game, as well as moving to stop the run when it gets past the defensive line. There are two DB's per team, and Speed and coverage are required for both DB's to keep up with the opposing WR's and converge to the ball. Tackling is also necessary, in bringing down the player with the ball once they have been caught. Much like agility helps receivers to jump for the ball, agility also helps DB's make aerial miracles occur, snatching the ball in front of the WR before he even has a chance to make a play, as long as he also has catching. D-moves are great if your opponent favors the run, and more often than not, takes the run to the outside where the big, mean LB is not lurking. D-moves allow your DB to quickly get around the opposing WR to make the big play in the backfield for a loss of yards. (VI) - Safety (S)* -Optimal Height: 6'0 - 6'6 -Optimal Weight: 180 - 220 lbs Players To Fill Position = 1 Primary Attributes: See DB Secondary Attributes: See DB Optional Attributes: See DB Notes: The safety acts as the third DB in the backfield. He roams in the backfield and covers any holes the defense might have left. *There is no actual safety position in this game, so you cannot label any one player a "safety," but he is mentioned in the playbook and he does still play the part of the safety, being the last stand of any defense. You will want to build him like your DB's, except the safety can sacrifice agility for tackling. After all, they don't call the position "STRONG SAFETY" for nothing. (VII) - Linebacker (LB) -Optimal Height: 5'10 - 6'2 -Optimal Weight: 240 - 290 lbs Players To Fill Position = 1 Primary Attributes: Tackle, Tackle, Tackle Secondary Attributes: Speed, D-Moves Optional Attributes: Coverage, Agility Notes: The LB is your primary run stopper, and since running is at the heart of this game, he will be well appreciated. If only one broken tackle can lead to a wide open field and a subsequent touchdown for the other team, it is your responsibility to make sure your LB has a high enough tackle attribute so that he rarely, if ever, misses a tackle. Obviously, speed is needed to track down those monstrous running-backs and D-Moves helps to go through the blockers like water to stop the RB in his tracks. Coverage helps if you run pass defenses most of the time, and agility goes hand-in-hand with both coverage and D-Moves for obvious reasons. (VIII) - Defensive Lineman (DL) -Optimal Height: 6'0 - 6'10 -Optimal Weight: 280 - 380 lbs Players To Fill Position = 3 Primary Attributes: Tackle, D-Moves Secondary Attributes: Speed Optional Attributes: Agility Notes: The D-line is responsible for collapsing the core of the offense: the O-line. Whether these three hulks are rushing the passer before he gets the ball off or taking out the O-line so the RB has no place to go, the D-line has a substantial task ahead of them. D-Moves are essential in getting through the O-line and getting to the ball, with tackle necessary to finish the job. It is relatively easy to understand why speed would be helpful in getting to the backfield faster. Agility comes in handy in the application of D-Moves, but is not strictly required. Summary: So, there are fourteen positions to fill. If you do the math, then you'll realize that each player needs to fill two positions, one on each side of the ball. The ability to build all of your players for both offense AND defense is what will eventually set your team apart from every other team in the game, from the top tier All-Star teams to the all mighty Legends team. It is up to you how you set up your players to play both sides of the ball, but some of the transitions are obvious, mostly due to the height/weight recommendations. The D-line and O-line make good substitutes for each other, as do DB's with WR's. The QB and RB are not as easy to find a place for on the defense, but with some speed, agility, tackle, and coverage, either player makes an excellent safety, with the other one picking up tackle, speed, and D-Moves for the LB position. (3) Attributes NOTE: This information was taken straight out of the instruction manual. Pick your players' attributes wisely if you want them to grow into playground legends. These are the ten players attributes and a description of what they affect: Passing - The speed and accuracy of passes Speed - How fast a player runs Blocking - Run- and pass-blocking ability Agility - Jumping ability and the speed of jukes and spins Catching - Pass- and pitch-catching ability Run Power - Ability to break tackles Carrying - How often a player fumbles Tackling - Tackling ability and the accuracy of pursuit angles Coverage - Defensive coverage skills and reaction to the ball on passes, which leads to interceptions D-Moves - Ability to get through, around, and by blockers (4) FAQ If you have a question that has not been posted, E-mail me or post it on the NFL Street message boards under the Xbox console. Q: Is there an infinite turbo cheat? A: No. Q: Why isn't there an infinite turbo cheat? I want to run forever? A: Because I hate you. Q: Do you think they could add an infinite turbo cheat on an update disk? A: Seriously, all the questions relating to infinite turbo should result in permanent nerve damage in the extremities of all who ask of it. No infinite turbo, period. Get over it. Q: Why is this game so hard? A: Because you did not build your team correctly. See (2) Getting Started and (5) Helpful Hints. Q: How do I get development points? A: Development points are earned through completing different challenges in challenge mode. Each challenge costs a certain number of tokens to attempt, and the reward you receive, such as development points, additional outfits, new plays, impact gear, or even an NFL player, is listed for each challenge. Q: Woah, woah woah, what is impact gear? A: Impact gear is gear, such as shoes, pads, shoes, etc. that increases your attributes by either one, two, or three points. See (5) Helpful Hints and (6) Impact Gear for more information regarding impact gear. Q: Does impact gear affect your attributes past 20/20? A: No. Contributed By Shoeboot Q: How do I get NFL players to join my team? A: You can't. Well, I guess if you really want them, you can try the challenges at the end of any division for a whopping 760 tokens. When you beat the team of your choice, you can select the player of your choice from that team. Before adding anybody to your roster, check the (5) Helpful Hints section for more information regarding NFL pick-ups. Q: Can I get more than one player from the same team? A: Play the challenge twice and ask me later. Q: Wait, I don't have 760 tokens. How do I get more tokens? A: Every division has two parts: a challenge mode that costs tokens and a ladder mode that earns tokens. You guessed it, beat the entire ladder and you will be rewarded 800 tokens. Q: I beat all of the ladders. How do I get more tokens, now? A: You don't. Q: But I didn't get to beat all of the challenges and I wasted a lot of points picking up NFL players. Seriously, how do I get more tokens? A: You still can't. Once you beat all of the ladders and spend all of the tokens, your team is finished, so use your tokens wisely, as you have a limited supply. Q: Can I beef up NFL players once I get them? A: No, you cannot alter any players you did not originally create, hence the debate on whether to pick up players or not. Q: So, should I pick up NFL players for my team? Honestly, my team really sucks and I could really use the help. A: See (5) Helpful Hints. Q: Alright, I've got my team started. What stats should I raise first? A: Speed and tackle. For a more comprehensive guide for each player, see (2) Getting Started. Q: Why do I keep fumbling the ball? A: Your carrying attribute is too low for the person who dropped it. Consider raising the attribute. Q: How the HELL does the computer break for a touchdown EVERY TIME? They are always leaving me in the dust, and it is getting really annoying. Is there any way to stop them? A: Yes. Q: Very funny. How? A: Speed. They have it and you don't. Upgrade the speed of the players constantly getting burned until they are able to keep up with the player they are defending against. Q: How do I beat <insert random challenge here>? It is impossible! A: Until somebody comes out with a Challenges Guide, the best method for finding out how to beat a certain challenge is to post your question on the message boards. If I get enough E-mails about a certain challenge, I might post my method for beating it, here, but you can always quit out and try a different challenge. Also, some challenges just take a few tries to beat with some luck, so don't always give up so easily. Q: How do I do signature style moves? A: Check the Controller Configuration. Q: Okay, I got the buttons down, but I still can't get them to count for this damn challenge! What am I doing wrong? A: You need to be close enough to an opposing player to get credit for a style/signature style move, meaning if you are in the middle of nowhere, spinning just to get dizzy, the game will not register a "stylin' spin." Additionally, for some moves to count, you need to cross the line of scrimmage, first. Q: Who are these alleged NFL Legends I keep hearing about and how do I unlock this amazing team? A: You unlock them after beating any ladder. You should check them out after you unlock them, so you can anticipate what you will be up against later on. Yes, I know they are scary. Q: I unlocked the Legends. Why can't I use them in NFL Challenge? A: You cannot use any team that is not created in NFL Challenge, genius. Otherwise, there would be no challenge. Q: Barry Sanders or Walter Payton? A: In real life, Barry without a doubt, but in-game, Walter steals the show. Q: What about Lester Hayes Vs Ronnie Lott? A: I originally went with Lester Hayes on this one, because he is slightly better in the speed and agility categories, but after playing with both, Ronnie Lott turned out to be the better pick of the two. He is a maniac in the backfield. Q: What is All NFL Pick-Up Mode and how do I unlock it? A: Unlike the standard Pick-Up Mode, which is available from the start of the game, All NFL Pick-Up Mode is unlocked after you beat your final ladder and the Legends at the end. In All NFL Pick-Up Mode, you can choose from any of the players on all 32 NFL teams already in the game, plus the Legends are also available if you want to grab a few. Q: What's a goalline stand? A: Stick to "futbol." All seriousness aside, questions like these relate to the fundamentals of the game, so you should learn the basics before you ask similar questions or try to figure out what the challenge is asking by actually playing it. (5) Helpful Hints --WHO COMES FIRST? ** RB, first. Develop your RB for offense, and build your team around him. You will have a MUCH easier time beating challenges and moving the ball with a beefed up RB. Read the notes in the (II) - Running Back (RB) section of (2) Getting Started for information on how do build a RB. --THE BIG D ** Defense before offense. After you get a decent RB up and running, concentrate on defense before you start worrying about the rest of your offense. Build up speed, tackle, D-Moves, and coverage for the appropriate defenders so you can stay in the game and always have a chance to come out on top with a big defensive stop. --SPEED, TACKLE, CARRYING ** Speed, Tackle, and Carrying. Repeat those three attributes again and again, because all three are going to be either your best friends or your worst enemies. Everybody on your team needs these three attributes to some extent. Everybody needs to be able to move, everybody needs to be able to tackle, and everybody needs to be able to hold on to the ball if and when they recover a fumble at some point in the game. These three things are vital in the formula for a successful team. Remember them well. --IT IS YOUR TEAM ** The main advantage to creating your own team is the fact that you can make every player good on both sides of the ball. Towards the end of the game, this will separate your team from the rest of the teams in the game. Use this to your advantage and fill every player out to play two positions, and you will end up liking your team much more than even your favorite NFL team or the Legends. --TO PICK-UP, OR NOT TO PICK-UP ** NFL Players, for the most part, are a waste of tokens, mostly because you get an NFL Legend for free at the end of the game when you beat them and you can build your players better than most of the NFL players you want, anyway. 760 tokens translates into 5,000+ development points, which is almost the amount they give you to start an entire team. Those same 5,000+ development points you threw away on Randy Moss could easily translate one of your WR's into a taller, faster beast of a receiver who also has high coverage to play DB on defense. All of a sudden, your average "Joe WR" looks like a combination of Randy Moss and Champ Bailey, and he is still fully customizable, so you can still make him BETTER. The main problem with NFL players is that the cost to attain them does not match their value, mostly because you cannot alter them in any way. If you could build on NFL Players, everybody would get them, but since you cannot, your best bet would be to stick it out with your created players. --TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM ** If you feel comfortable enough to manage without one player for most of the game, you will be rewarded with a better team at the end. Basically what I am saying is you should beat your first ladder as quickly as possible to unlock the Legends Team. Since you already know in advance you get your pick from all of the players on that team, go into a Quick Game to scout them out and see which player you want the most. It pays to pick a player that would be good on both offense and defense, so choose wisely. After you finish window shopping, and you are sure about which Legend you want to take home, find one player on your team that plays in the same position and try to build him as little as possible until you get your Legend. The fewer points you pour into your water-boy will translate into the smallest amount of wasted points condemned to sit the bench. --DON'T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE ** Spending your tokens wisely is almost as important as distributing your development points properly. Since you do not get an unlimited supply of tokens, it pays to get the most out of them. The best strategy to get the most for your money is to beat all the legendary challenges and challenges with the +3 impact gear you want, first. Then, go down one difficulty and do all of those challenges. The challenges with higher payoffs always give you more for less, which is why these challenges are usually higher. --MAKING AN IMPACT ** Impact gear is actually very useful. The "Impact Gear +3's" can make the difference between a good team and a great team, the "+2's" are useful if used sparingly in the right places, and the "+1's" are generally a waste of tokens, unless they are being used to max out an attribute and you already have the better version of the same gear on a different player. Basically, before you acquire a piece of impact gear, pick out the player you want it for and make sure you intend to get that attribute up to at least 17/20 development points for that player, or the impact gear is wasted on what could have been more development points. The price of attributes does go up exponentially towards the high end purchases, so lesser impact gear is still useful if you plan on completely building up any attribute for more than one player. --JUST DO IT ** Save the NFC West conference for the last ladder. You can thank me later. --A QUICK LEAD ** When you beat your first ladder, which will be the AFC West conference, you get a choice of which conference you want to open up next. They give you that choice for a reason. Go ahead and open up the AFC North conference, first. The reason for this is the option to pick up some GOOD impact gear for your RB early in the game, which will dramatically increase your team's offensive performance early on and keep you going strong in the later ladders when the pressure is on. Make sure you pick up the +3 Speed shoes and the +3 Run Power Pads. Then, if you have not already gotten the +3 Carrying Gloves from the AFC West conference, go ahead and do that, now. Those three items, combined with the high attributes you should have started your RB off with, and you should have a monster of a RB after completing only one ladder. Later, if you want, you can swap out the +3 Speed Shoes for +3 Agility Shoes, which can be attained in the AFC East conference, for a RB that can juke out of control AND run people over if he has to. Just make sure your speed attribute is high enough on its own, so that you are still able to turn corners fast enough to get downfield. (6) Impact Gear This is a short list of only the "+3 impact gear" and which conference each piece can be located in. Picking up the pieces early will keep your building process flowing smoothly and your players will max out better in the end because of it. This should help you decide which conferences to unlock, first. I will fill in the holes when I find the time. -NFC West- +3 Catching Gloves N/A -AFC West- +3 Carrying Gloves ??? -NFC North- ??? ??? -AFC North- +3 Run Power Pads +3 Speed Shoes -NFC South- +3 Passing Wristbands ??? -AFC South- +3 Coverage Headband +3 Blocking ??? -NFC East- ??? ??? -AFC East- +3 Agility Shoes N/A (7) My Team This is it. This is my team. THE team. The maximum number of points for any given attribute is 20. If you see two names on one position, that is because I created two different teams, and I decided to list both player names. The attributes listed will be those of the second name for any given position, being my second team is better. If a second position is listed, that means that the first position listed is the players primary position, and the second position listed is alternate position I built the player to play. Keep in mind, I left one player worse than my sister with no attributes at all on both teams, because I hate being wasteful. Especially, with development points. I will name both of the Legends I picked, but I am not going to bother listing all of their attributes. Just know that they are freakishly good. Here they are, in no particular order: ---------------------------- | The Brothas/The **** | ---------------------------- Khan Hennessey/Don King Position: QB/S Height: 6'6 Weight: 202 lbs Passing - 20/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]| Speed - 19/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]--| Blocking - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Agility - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Catching - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Run Power - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Carrying - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Tackling - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Coverage - 17/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]------| D-Moves - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Dan Nightmare/Tryan Stop Me Position: RB/LB Height: 5'11 Weight: 242 lbs Passing - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Speed - 20/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]| Blocking - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Agility - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Catching - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Run Power - 20/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]| Carrying - 20/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]| Tackling - 18/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----| Coverage - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| D-Moves - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Joe Default/**** Head Position: Water-Boy/Benchwarmer Height: 5'5 Weight: 160 lbs Passing - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Speed - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Blocking - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Agility - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Catching - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Run Power - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Carrying - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Tackling - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Coverage - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| D-Moves - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Randy Sanders/Deion Moss Position: DB/WR Height: 6'8 Weight: 174 lbs Passing - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Speed - 19/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]--| Blocking - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Agility - 19/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]--| Catching - 17/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]------| Run Power - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Carrying - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Tackling - 19/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]--| Coverage - 19/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]--| D-Moves - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Method Man/Jack Knife Position: DL/OL Height: 6'2 Weight: 289 lbs Passing - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Speed - 18/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----| Blocking - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Agility - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Catching - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Run Power - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Carrying - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Tackling - 18/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----| Coverage - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| D-Moves - 18/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----| Redman/Inmate X644291 Position: DL/OL Height: 6'4 Weight: 294 lbs Passing - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Speed - 18/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----| Blocking - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Agility - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Catching - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Run Power - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Carrying - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Tackling - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Coverage - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| D-Moves - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Planet Hollywood/Karl Worthington Position: OL/DL Height: 5'5 Weight: 380 lbs Passing - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| Speed - 18/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----| Blocking - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Agility - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Catching - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Run Power - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Carrying - 05/20 |[][][][][]------------------------------| Tackling - 15/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]----------| Coverage - 00/20 |----------------------------------------| D-Moves - 11/20 |[][][][][][][][][][][]------------------| Acquired Legends: Lester Hayes Ronnie Lott (8) Acknowledgements I would like to thank EA Sports and Players, INC for making this game, the first of many. I would also like to acknowledge all of the GameFAQ's board members who made me decide to write this FAQ. I will not list them all, but you are a good group of guys, nonetheless. I would not like to thank stupid people. I hate stupid people.


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Rove is an atheist
I heard it from Matthew Yglesias who got it from Christopher Hitchens. According to Chris, it's no secret that when Rove is questioned about his religiosity he replies along the lines of, "I'm not fortunate enough to be a person of faith." The ensuing discussion seems to center around whether that's a reflection of a condescending mindset.
Generally, I don't think it is. I'm not an atheist but neither would I be considered a person of faith in this context. I don't believe in churches or in any particular religion. I believe in a universal source of power but I don't think it can save my soul. My spirtual beliefs are so complicated that I envy those people who can fully commit to a simplistic faith and find comfort in a God they believe can save theirs. But I don't find either position superior - morally or intellectually. It is what it is.
In Karl's case, there's probably an element of condescension in his pat answer but more likely it's a just a convenient politic response to a question that's bound to come up because he's surrounded by fundies.
I'm not at all surprised to learn he's atheist though. It's clear the man believes in nothing but power. If he was a "person of faith" he would have to believe he was going straight to hell for a lifetime's worth of deceit and outright malevolence. How on earth would he even drag himself out of bed in the morning, if he believed in the evangelical God?
(Cross-posted at The Impolitic.)


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Lyonel Feininger
The White Man
In July 1906, Feininger left Berlin for a protracted stay in Paris. Having worked as a caricaturist for a succession of mainly humorous or satirical German magazines, it was perhaps natural that he should again gravitate towards literary and journalistic circles. Among the Parisian magazines for which he provided illustrations was Le Témoin, founded the same year by Dagny Björnson-Langen and the designer Paul Iribe. One of these illustrations was a drawing, compositionally identical to The White Man, entitled "Les regrets de M. Hearst, " which appeared in one of the first issues of Le Témoin in autumn 1906.
The White Man, which incorporates even the smallest details of this drawing, was completed in Paris a year later, in autumn 1907. It is among Feininger's earliest paintings in which he takes the human figure as his theme. In a letter written shortly after his arrival in Paris, he affirmed his determination to devote himself henceforth more to painting and less to drawings and caricatures. According to an old inscription, the artist considered this to be the second painting of his Parisian period, by which he presumably meant his second painting on canvas, discounting an earlier series of small-scale, Impressionistic landscapes done earlier the same year.
The title given to the published drawing has provoked speculation about the meaning of the painting but was almost certainly invented by the magazine's editor. Although the figure of the man in a white suit with hat and pipe may well have suggested the image of an American newspaper baron, it is most unlikely that Feininger intended it as a portrait of his compatriot William Randolph Hearst. More plausible is the suggestion that the "white man" may have been a satirical self-portrait. There is an undeniable resemblance between the spindly figure with its exaggeratedly long legs and enormous feet and the artist's own depiction of himself in the Chicago Sunday Tribune (29 April 1906) introducing the paper's new "comic supplement" The Kin-der-Kids. On the other hand, Ulrich Luckhardt, the most recent author to have written extensively about Feininger, emphasises that there is "no supporting evidence" to prove that the artist painted The White Man as a representation of himself.
Because of the discrepancy in scale between the two figures, it is easy to overlook altogether the smaller "black man" who appears in the background scurrying along between the legs of the purposely striding principal figure, as if bent on distracting him or tripping him up. If, however, the suggestion that the "white man" was conceived as a self-portrait is at least plausible, then the "black man" surely represents some sort of alter ego, perhaps signifying the darker side of the artist's personality. That Feininger's drawings and caricatures of this pre-war period did sometimes have a more profound psychological significance is shown by other, stylistically related works, for example the ink drawing Melancholy of 1911.
As Luckhardt points out, the background against which the figures are set depicts a specific Parisian location: a view along the rue Clovis, with the distinctive outline of the Tour Ste. Geneviève seen in the middle distance. It is based on one of Feininger's rapidly executed "nature notes, " a pencil study dated 8 November 1906, in which the artist has faithfully captured the same architectural details.
Peter Vergo


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Glenn Beck blames the Holocaust on Charles Darwin
Written by Simon Maloy
Last night, Glenn Beck blended his anti-progressive polemics with anti-evolution dogma, attacking Charles Darwin as "the father of modern day racism" who "plant[ed] the seed that leads to progressivism, eugenics." He expanded on this critique on the radio this morning, saying that Darwin wrote about "the savages" and announcing: "I understand why Darwin has to be taught in schools now. You have to teach evolution, because if you don't teach evolution, progressivism falls apart." According to Beck and his cohorts, a direct line can be drawn between Darwin, eugenics, and Hitler: "Charles Darwin is the father of the Holocaust."
Much of what Beck is referring to can be found in Darwin's The Descent of Man, published in 1871 -- in particular Chapter 5, titled "On the development of the intellectual and moral faculties during primeval and civilized times." And, indeed, Darwin's writings are peppered with terminology and assertions that, to modern sensibilities, are offensive. That Darwin was writing at a time in which theories of racial superiority were widely accepted -- the United States had just wrapped up a war predicated on the notion that blacks were inferior to whites -- is not exculpatory but does add some needed context.
But to lay blame for "modern racism," eugenics, and the Holocaust at Darwin's feet is not only wrong, it's phenomenally lazy and an act of profound cowardice from a self-styled "thinker" like Glenn Beck.
Let's take a look at Darwin's thoughts on natural selection and the human race. In the Descent of Man, Darwin argued that the "civilized" trait of caring for the weaker members of the species appears to contravene the natural selection observed in the rest of the animal world:
With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated; and those that survive commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health. We civilized men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws; and out medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of the every one to the last moment. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to small-pox. Thus the weak members of civilized societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man. It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a domestic race; but, excepting in the case of man himself, hardly any one is so ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed.
This is hardly what one would call politic, and most people would recoil at such a dispassionately cruel assessment of the human capacity for benevolence. However, Darwin immediately went on to explain why we, as a species, are obligated to care for the weakest among us, and that to shirk that duty would be "evil":
The aid which we feel impelled to give to the helpless is mainly an incidental result of the instinct of sympathy, which was originally acquired as part of the social instincts, but subsequently rendered, in the manner previously indicated, more tender and more widely diffused. Nor could we check our sympathy, even at the urging of hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself while performing an operation, for he knows that he is acting for the good of his patient; but if we were to intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could only be for a contingent benefit, with an overwhelming present evil.
This passage would seem to run counter to the idea that Darwin was the "father" of eugenics.
But Beck insists that Darwin's writings provided the justification for the Holocaust. Using his own standards for culpability, however, I can do him one better and make the (unfounded) argument that real blame actually goes much further back -- to Jesus Christ.
After all, the Gospel of John contains a passage in which Jesus appears to refer to an assemblage of Jews as children of Satan:
Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don't you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God."
This, of course, is counterbalanced by the many passages in which Jesus exhorts love and tolerance. Would I be intellectually honest to seize on this Biblical excerpt to claim that Jesus was the father of modern anti-Semitism and laid the groundwork for the Inquisition and the Holocaust? Absolutely not, and I'd be rightly excoriated for doing so.
The legacy of Darwin is not racism or eugenics or genocide. It is the ongoing quest, as humans, to figure out where we came from and, hopefully, who we are. The science of modern biology, the Human Genome Project, and many wonders of modern medicine can be traced back to Darwin's five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle. And Beck is trying to tear down those monumental contributions to humanity by speciously linking Darwin to humanity's worst moments.


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[blakebevin]'s sister shattered the screen on his Amazon Kindle, so he decided to try replacing it with the screen from a Sony Reader. He disassembled the Sony Reader and used a Dremel to mill down most of the aluminum tabs on the E Ink screen. The screen plugs into the same harness as the original Kindle screen the only problem is fit. The new screen interferes with some of the button movement and without trimming the case will bulge a little. Performance wise the screen ghosts on page turn and [blakebevin] assumes this is due to older technology. We'd hope to never have to do this, but it's good to know the transplant option is there and not very difficult.
4 thoughts on "Kindle Screen Transplant"
Way cool and very inventive.
Good news now is that Amazon is offering $100 off a Kindle if you sign up for a Chase Credit card. Brings the price down to $250 — A kindle with wirelesss access in perpetuity for $250. Now we;re talking!
I think he is a she …
the ghosting is most likely do to the fact that each batch of e-ink has slightly different magnetic properties and needs a different switching algorithm to eliminate this ghosting effect
@ #3: I'm not sure about that, my Motorola F3 has an older e-ink display that ghosts like crazy, and it's being used in the device it was designed for.
What I'd like to know is why the kindle's screen shattered in the first place… I thought one of the benefits of e-ink was that it doesn't require glass. I've never handled a kindle, but the screen on my phone is pretty much indestructible, and is only protected by a thin layer of plastic. Seems like an odd design choice.
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I'm back from my family vacation in Canada. While I was away, Convince & Convert featured 11 guest blog posts from friends, clients, and colleagues. Some of the guest writers blog on occasion at their own sites. None of them blog routinely.
You might expect that this blog that has been written almost entirely by me for two years would experience a bit of a lull during this period, as different authors with less blogging experience took over.
You would be entirely wrong.
Instead, traffic here on Convince & Convert is actually UP since I went on vacation. Visits are up. Page views are up. Retweets are up. RSS subscriptions are up.
First of all, tremendous thanks to the incredible team of guest bloggers who did an amazing job keeping the content fresh, and the conversation lively.
Second, this circumstance raises an important question: Are You Growing Your Voices?
Certainly, there is a benefit to creating content on a daily basis. Whether it's blog posts, video blogs, Powerpoint presentations, podcasts, haiku, or graffiti art, practice makes the production process easier. But, it doesn't make the ideas any better. Don't mistake experience for expertise. Those words are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. The former is based on repetition, the latter on mastery. Blogging every day doesn't make you a better thinker or consultant, it makes you faster at WordPress formatting.
Spread the Love
It's easy to fall into the trap of relying on one or a few persons in your organization to be the content creation mules. They like it. They're pretty good at it. Nobody else is that eager to wear the thorny blogging crown. But remember, every successful content creator starts the same way – with no audience, and a blinking cursor. Chris Brogan started with zero posts and zero readers. Same with Gary Vaynerchuk, who started his uber-popular video blog because he's not a very good writer. Before Permission Marketing, how much audience did Seth Godin have?
To continue invigorating your content, you have to always be recruiting new voices. They'll bring a different perspective, tonality, and topical focus to your content initiatives. What I really appreciated about the C&C guest bloggers is that almost across-the-board they wrote about topics that I never would have thought to have tackled. I couldn't write Katie Van Domelan's post about social media listening tools. I don't have the chops to write Mike Corak's piece on the role of language in content marketing. Josh Lysne contributed a social marketing management process (and companion document) that I'd never seen. Indra Gardiner covered social media law in a way that I cannot. Mike Cassidy made me (and a lot of other people) think differently about the intersection of social media strategy, and business objectives. And so on.
Whether it's finding other people in your company to contribute an occasional post, recruiting guest bloggers from within your industry, or encouraging your customers to let you interview them for a podcast, make finding and supporting new content creators a mandatory part of your content digital marketing strategy. It will pay off.
How have you found and incorporated new voices into your content? The comments are yours.


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As the Vikings stadium bill continue to be debated on the floor of the Minnesota Senate, a stream of amendments is being proposed.
And some surprising ones are being adopted.
The latest to pass would prevent any and all local TV blackouts of Vikings games played in the new stadium, according to Tom Hauser of KSTP-TV.
The Vikings may not have a problem with that provision, but the league surely will.
Still, the idea has merit. If significant public money is going to be devoted to the construction of a football stadium, the public should have the ability to watch from home any games played there, regardless of whether all non-premium tickets have been sold at least 72 hours before kickoff.


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A Montana teacher convicted of raping a 14-year-old student who later committed suicide will serve just 30 days in prison after a judge suspended almost his entire 15-year sentence.
The student's mother, who had previously testified that the rape was a "major factor" in her daughter Cherice Morales's suicide, repeatedly screamed "you people suck!" during sentencing on Monday before storming out, the Billings Gazette reports.
The teacher, Stacey Dean Rambold, was charged in 2008 with three counts of sexual intercourse without consent. He pleaded guilty to one count, but the case was complicated by the girl's suicide just weeks before her 17th birthday. Rambold was ordered to complete a sex-offender treatment program to have the charges dismissed, but prosecutors revived the case when they learned he had been terminated from the program.
The judge, who said Morales was "as much in control of the situation" as Rambold, said that the teacher's termination from the program did not warrant the lengthy imprisonment. He suspended all but 31 days of the 15-year sentence — and gave Rambold credit for one day already served.


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