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January 2008 Archives

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What's wrong with this picture?

What's wrong with this picture?


Caution: this is a professional actor. Do NOT attempt this at a business meal!

There are at least eight things in this picture that demonstrate bad business etiquette.

For a link to the answers, see our training course, "How to Walk, Talk and Network in Washington: Presentations, Briefings, Business Etiquette, and Networking Skills for Washington: Cmmunication Skills for the Professional".

Also see our Capitol Learning Audio Course, "Business Etiquette: Keys to Professional Success," with Jill Kamp Melton.

January 31, 2008 04:07 PM   Link    Career ~   Dining ~   Fun ~   Training    Comments (0)

Amazon reviewers and Web 2.0

I had imagined Amazon's customer reviews as a refuge from the machinations of the publishing industry: "an intelligent and articulate conversation ... conducted by a group of disinterested, disembodied spirits," as James Marcus, a former editor at the company, wrote in his memoir, Amazonia: Five Years at the Epicenter of the Dot.Com Juggernaut.

Given Amazon's lack of greater transparency, it's hard to judge the merits of the vote-swapping claims. What is clear is the corruptibility of democracy, Web 2.0-style.
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This is not to say that a Top 10 ranking doesn't come with some sub rosa incentives for the reviewer. Free books, first and foremost; in an e-mail, Grady Harp told me he was "inundated with books from new writers and from publishers who know I love to read first works." This fall, when it invited select Top Reviewers to join its Vine program--an initiative, still in beta-testing, to generate content about new and prerelease products--Amazon extended the range of perks. "Vine Voices" like Mitchell and Harp can elect to receive items ranging from electronics to appliances to laundry soap. As long as they keep reviewing the products, Amazon's suppliers will keep sending them.

"Who Is Grady Harp? Amazon's Top Reviewers and the fate of the literary amateur." By Garth Risk Hallberg, Slate, January 22, 2008

More




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January 31, 2008 09:27 AM   Link    Technology    Comments (0)

Dogblogging


Ollie is digital: ON or OFF, no in between.



Baxter is analog: a mix of hot and cold. Maybe it's the lousy haircut I gave him....


Useful Yorkie stuff

January 31, 2008 07:57 AM   Link    Pets    Comments (0)

Media Tip 82

Media Tip 82: Monitor all interviews. Pay attention for factual errors made by the principal and correct them immediately after the interview is completed.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations.

Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media.  An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media.
4 x 9 inches, 15 pages

Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch.

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.


January 29, 2008 08:17 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

May your worst enemy....

Moral: May your worst enemy have a lawsuit in which he knows he is right.

"The Perfect Case," by Jacob Stein, The Washington Lawyer, February 2008


Legal Spectator & More, by Jacob Stein
Legal Spectator & More, by Jacob Stein

January 28, 2008 03:37 PM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

Congressional Deskbook: "Views and Estimates"

Views and Estimates: Annual report of each House and Senate committee on budgetary matters within its jurisdiction to respective chamber’s Budget Committee; submitted in advance of Budget Committees’ drafting of a concurrent resolution on the budget.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook.

Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms.
Learn how to translate words that are used every day on Capitol Hill.
4 x 9 inches, 16 pages

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider.

TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM


January 25, 2008 07:27 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Detroit Public Schools Book Depository

Sweet Juniper’s photos show the ruins of the Detroit Public Schools Book Depository.

"Abandoned hope," Joanne Jacobs, January 21, 2008

"It will rise from the ashes," Sweet Juniper! November 26, 2007

"Rotting textbook warehouse in Detroit," boingboing, January 19, 2007

flickr photos: sweet juniper, flickr search

Detroit Public Schools

January 23, 2008 09:07 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

Media Tip 65

Media Tip 65:
Abide by the following rules to get e-newsletters read:
• Keep the content subject-oriented, not self congratulatory;
• Build a relationship with the receiver with a unique sender email address and a unique or helpful subject line;
• Keep email short--no more than three screens;
• Link to the web site;
• Provide details not available in off-line media;
• Send emails frequently--no more than one month apart;
• Strive to provide HTML versions; and
• Avoid spamming. Encourage receivers to “opt-in” to receive the e-newsletters.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations.

Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media.  An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media.
4 x 9 inches, 15 pages

Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch.

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.


January 23, 2008 07:07 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Dogblogging

Gratuitous Yorkie pics

Ollie
Ollie


Baxter
Baxter - embarrassed by a recent trim; it will grow back


Useful Yorkie stuff

January 20, 2008 09:07 AM   Link    Pets    Comments (0)

Useful Yorkie Stuff

Books and helpful accessories for the lucky Yorkie owner



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January 20, 2008 08:37 AM   Link    Pets    Comments (0)

"Humanity, thou art sick"

"In my mother’s generation, shy people were seen as introverted and perhaps a bit awkward, but never mentally ill."

So writes the Chicago-based research professor, Christopher Lane, in his fascinating new book Shyness: How Normal Behaviour Became a Sickness. ‘Adults admired their bashfulness, associated it with bookishness, reserve, and a yen for solitude. But shyness isn’t just shyness any more. It is a disease. It has a variety of over-wrought names, including “social anxiety” and “avoidant personality disorder”, afflictions said to trouble millions’, Lane continues.

Lane has taken shyness as a test case to show how society is being overdiagnosed and overmedicated. He has charted - in intricate detail - the route by which the psychiatric profession came to give credence to the labelling of everyday emotions as ‘disorders’, a situation that has resulted in more and more people being deemed to be mentally ill.

"Humanity, thou art sick: Shyness is now ‘social phobia’, and dissent is ‘Oppositional Defiant Disorder’. How did everyday emotions come to be seen as illnesses?" a review by Helene Guldberg of "Shyness: How Normal Behaviour Became a Sickness," by Christopher Lane, in spiked, December 2007



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January 19, 2008 08:57 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

Congressional Deskbook: "Adjourn Sine Die"

Adjourn Sine Die: Final adjournment of a session of Congress.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook.

Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms.
Learn how to translate words that are used every day on Capitol Hill.
4 x 9 inches, 16 pages

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider.

TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM


January 18, 2008 08:27 PM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Faculty Favorites: Dining and Places - Jill Kamp Melton

We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite things about living in our nation's capital. Their responses are posted in "Faculty Favorites"

Jill Kamp Melton (bio) shares her favorites.

Five most interesting places to visit

Five most favorite “fun” things to do

Five favorite restaurants


For more, also see our Visiting Washington DC pages


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January 17, 2008 09:37 AM   Link    Dining and Things to Do & See ~   Faculty Favorites    Comments (0)

"Wi-Fi Users, Beware"

Next time you are sitting in a hotel lobby checking email on your laptop, be careful: The "businessman" in the next lounge chair may be tracking your every move.

Many Wi-Fi users don't know that hackers posted at hot spots can steal personal information out of the air relatively easily. And savvy criminal hackers aren't settling for just access to credit cards, bank accounts and other personal financial information; they love to sneak into your company's network, too.

Whether you're using a Wi-Fi hot spot at a hotel, airport or cafe, "you've got to assume that anything you are doing is being monitored," says Shawn Henry, deputy assistant director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's cybercrimes division.

"Wi-Fi Users, Beware: Hot Spots Are Weak Spots. That Guy Across the Lobby May Be Invading Your Laptop; How to Go Online More Safely," by Joseph de Avila, The Wall Street Journal, January 16, 2008 ($ - subscription required)




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January 16, 2008 09:07 AM   Link    Technology    Comments (0)

Media Tip 42

Media Tip 42: Debate the facts, not the person. Never argue with a reporter.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations.

Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media.  An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media.
4 x 9 inches, 15 pages

Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch.

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.


January 15, 2008 06:57 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Yorkies

Two happy little campers...

Ollie

Sir Barks A Lot (soon to be Sir I Used To Bark A Lot), aka Baxter, aka Mr. B



Ollie

Sir O I Love You I Love You Yes I Do, aka Ollie



Baxter and Ollie at rest

Baxter and Ollie at rest



Baxter and Ollie at work

Baxter and Ollie at work





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January 14, 2008 12:27 PM   Link    Pets    Comments (0)

Congressional Deskbook: "Amendments in Technical Disagreement"

Amendments in Technical Disagreement: Amendments agreed to in a conference but not included in the conference report because they may violate the rules of one of the chambers and would open the conference report to a point of order.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook.

Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms.
Learn how to translate words that are used every day on Capitol Hill.
4 x 9 inches, 16 pages

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider.

TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM


January 11, 2008 07:27 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

C-SPAN 1 Viewer's Guide: Making Sense of Watching the House of Representatives

If you frequently watch House floor action on C-SPAN 1 and you don't always understand the floor process, this audio course will demystify House floor proceedings, explain the physical layout, and clarify Congressional jargon and phrases.

Informed Citizen Series Audio Course: C-SPAN 1 Viewer Guide
C-SPAN 1 Viewer's Guide
Making Sense of Watching the House of Representatives:
Legislative Procedure, Congressional Jargon, and Floor Plan
Informed Citizen Series Audio Course


January 10, 2008 09:17 PM   Link    Congress    Comments (0)

Congressional and Judicial Salaries, 2008

The 2008 salaries for Members of Congress and federal judges have been published. See our "Pay and Perquisites of Members of Congress" for details.

January 8, 2008 11:07 AM   Link    Congress    Comments (0)

January-February 2008 Legislative, Communication, and Media Training from TheCapitol.Net



Our latest email update, with information about our upcoming courses, is available:

http://www.thecapitol.net/PublicPrograms/email2008/email_2008_January8.html



The 2008 Congressional Directory will be available in mid-March.

Congressional Directory
Congressional Directory 2008




TheCapitol.Net, Inc.
>> Exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences.
>> Non-partisan training and publications that show how Washington works. TM


January 8, 2008 06:47 AM   Link    Training    Comments (0)

"Congressional Deskbook" by Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider

The 5th Edition of the Congressional Deskbook is now available.


Congressional Deskbook, 5th Edition, by Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider
Congressional Deskbook, 5th Edition
By Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider
Contributing Authors: Eugene Boyd, Peggy Garvin, Bill Heniff Jr., Henry Hogue, and Robert Keith



The Congressional Deskbook is the comprehensive guide to Congress, now in its Fifth Edition. This 15 chapter publication explains the legislative and congressional budget processes along with all aspects of Congress.


January 7, 2008 06:27 PM   Link    Congress    Comments (0)

Media Tip 94

Media Tip 94: Handle an image crisis by fully disclosing all information, possibly in a marathon news conference; advancing facts to friendly reporters; and engaging in an end-run around adversaries by releasing negative information before they do.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations.

Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media.  An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media.
4 x 9 inches, 15 pages

Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch.

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.


January 6, 2008 04:14 PM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

The shopping mall

[Victor] Gruen got an extraordinary number of things right first time [with his first shopping mall, Southdale in Minnesota]. He built a sloping road around the perimeter of the mall, so that half of the shoppers entered on the ground floor and half on the first floor--something that became a standard feature of malls. Southdale's balconies were low, so that shoppers could see the shops on the floor above or below them. The car park had animal signs to help shoppers remember the way back to their vehicles. It was as though Orville and Wilbur Wright had not just discovered powered flight but had built a plane with tray tables and a duty-free service.

"Birth, death and shopping: The rise and fall of the shopping mall," The Economist, December 19, 2007



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January 6, 2008 09:37 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

Girl Band - Minority Orchestra





Hat tip: Astronaut Love Triangle

January 5, 2008 07:37 AM   Link    Fun    Comments (0)

Congressional Deskbook: "Budget Authority"

Budget Authority: Authority in law to enter into obligations that normally result in outlays.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This definition is from our Congressional Deskbook.

Perfect reference tool of Congressional jargon and procedural terms.
Learn how to translate words that are used every day on Capitol Hill.
4 x 9 inches, 16 pages

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

The Pocket Dictionary is based on the Congressional Deskbook, by Michael Koempel and Judy Schneider.

TheCapitol.Net offers training and a Certificate Program in Congressional Operations and Federal Budgeting, we show you how Washington and Congress work. TM


January 4, 2008 03:27 PM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

"People are generally happier with decisions when they can't undo them"

In 2002, Jane Ebert and I discovered that people are generally happier with decisions when they can't undo them. When subjects in our experiments were able to undo their decisions they tended to consider both the positive and negative features of the decisions they had made, but when they couldn't undo their decisions they tended to concentrate on the good features and ignore the bad. As such, they were more satisfied when they made irrevocable than revocable decisions. Ironically, subjects did not realize this would happen and strongly preferred to have the opportunity to change their minds.

Now up until this point I had always believed that love causes marriage. But these experiments suggested to me that marriage could also cause love. If you take data seriously you act on it, so when these results came in I went home and proposed to the woman I was living with. She said yes, and it turned out that the data were right: I love my wife more than I loved my girlfriend.

"The Benefit of Being Able to Change My Mind," by Daniel Gilbert, Edge World Question Center, 2008




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January 3, 2008 09:27 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

Media Tip 86

Media Tip 86: Consult legal experts before developing strategies or releasing sensitive information. Lawyers are often poor public relations advisors, but can be valuable in avoiding major errors. However, sometimes in a crisis, following a legal strategy instead of a public relations strategy can be disastrous.

Booklets customizable for your organization

This tip is from our booklet, Media Relations Tips: 102 Secrets for Finding Success in Public Relations.

Practical tips for anyone who works with the media, works with someone who works with the media, or who works at an organization that is covered in the media.  An easy handout for everyone in your group to make sure that they are prepared and confident if they ever have to deal with the media.
4 x 9 inches, 15 pages

Based on the Media Relations Handbook, by Brad Fitch.

The cover and inside pages of this booklet can be customized with your logo and information. For more information, see our Booklets page.

TheCapitol.Net offers Media Training and Communication and Advocacy Training, and is the exclusive provider of Congressional Quarterly (CQ) Executive Conferences.


January 1, 2008 01:27 PM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)