July 2008 Archives

« Previous Archive : Main : Next Archive »

Communism and 2 cows...

COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both cows. The government sells the milk in government stores. You can't afford the milk. You wither away.

You have two cows. The government.... - from TheCapitol.Net

It is not an accident that communism, wherever it has strongly established itself, has always restricted international travel, stirred up spy-mania, and jammed foreign radio stations. Where the USSR led, the People’s Republic of China and Cuba followed. And their example was picked up by North Vietnam, Cambodia, and Ethiopia. Communist leaderships in power repeatedly clamped down on the free flow of information in their countries and used propaganda to indoctrinate whole populations. Official media claimed that poverty and oppression were the universal features of life under capitalism; that capitalism was entering a period of terminal decline; and that the future, the brightest of futures, lay with communism.

"Hoover Archives: What I Found in Mr. Hoover's Papers," by Robert Service, Hoover Digest, 2006 No. 2

The Museum of Communism is an online, "virtual" museum that provides historical, economic, and philosophical analysis of the political movement known as Communism; it may be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan. An overwhelming consensus of historians from a wide range of political viewpoints concludes that the human rights violations of Communist regimes have been enormous - often greater, in fact, than those of the infamous Nazi Germany. Yet public awareness of the major crimes of Communist regimes remains minimal. The purpose of the Museum of Communism is to disseminate this information, combining high scholarly standards with an entertaining format.

Museum of Communism - by Bryan Caplan

. . . . . . . . .

July 31, 2008 08:17 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye ~   Fun ~   Humor ~   You Have 2 Cows    Comments (0)

Nitrogen in tires

Costco uses nitrogen to inflate tires it installs. A green valve stem cap is used to indicate that the tire is filled with nitrogen. Costco will fill your tires for free if you are a member.

• "Nitrogen Tire Scam part 3," by cfeagans, Hot Cup of Joe, July 16, 2008
• "Nitrogen in tires - Q&A," Consumer Reports, October 11, 2007
• "Tires - Nitrogen air loss study," Consumer Reports, October 4, 2007
• "Is it better to fill your tires with nitrogen instead of air?" by Cecil, The Straight Dope, February 16, 2007
• "Fill your tires with nitrogen," by Wayne Cunningham, Alpha, May 1, 2006
• "Nitrogen-Filled Tires & Better Gas Mileage?" Blueprint for Financial Prosperity, October 20, 2005
• "Hot or Cold! Inflate your tires with NITROGEN for FREE at Costco! Membership required!" Fat Wallet.com, August 17, 2004

July 30, 2008 08:27 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye ~   Piaggio MP3 ~   Technology    Comments (0)

Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies - Brad Fitch

We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite books and movies. Their responses are posted in "Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies."

Brad Fitch (bio), author of Media Relations Handbook, shares his favorite books and movies. (You can see some of Brad's favorite things about living in our nation's capital here.)

Favorite Book

The Day Lincoln Was Shot (Jim Bishop, 1955). The first time I read this book it felt so much like fiction that I found myself hoping that President Lincoln might not get killed in the end. (Sorry if I spoil it for you, but Old Abe doesn't make it.) This amazing depiction of one of the most important 24 hours in American history includes rich descriptions of Washington in 1865. You'll "see" streets that are not much different from today, and get a feel for 19th Century political intrigue in a post-Civil War capital. Plus you'll hear the story of how a band of terrorists cooked up a plan to kill the president and his entire cabinet -- and nearly succeeded.

Favorite Movies

• Mr Smith Goes to Washington The classic tale of good versus evil, innocence versus indulgence, Jimmy Stewart versus Claude Rains. Inspired by the real life Senator Rush Drew Holt of West Virginia (whose son now serves as a congressman from New Jersey), this is the quintessential Washington movie.
• Advise and Consent This sometimes overlooked movie of Congress probably best portrayed the personalities that inhabited that Great Body of the Senate in the middle part of the 20th Century. Great acting by Henry Fonda, as an embattled Secretary of State Nominee; Walter Pigeon, portraying the Sen. Everett Dirksen-like character; and the great Charles Laughton (yes, the Hunchback of Notre Dame) in his last movie role. It also has the historic value of being the last film the Congress allowed to be shot on its premises -- it disrupted government so much they wouldn't allow filming on Capitol grounds in the future.
• All the President's Men Bob Woodward should be paying royalties to Robert Redford for ensconcing Woodward as the archetype journalist-hero. What most people don't know is that this film almost was never made. Robert Redford funded it with his own money.

For more, also see our Political and Government Classics page.

. . . . . . . . .

July 30, 2008 08:07 AM   Link    Faculty Favorites ~   Washington Books and Movies    Comments (0)

The Fifth Amendment - Why you don't talk to the police without an attorney

In a brilliant pair of videos, Prof. James Duane of the Regent University School of Law and Officer George Bruch of the Virginia Beach Police Department present a forceful case for never, ever, ever speaking to the police without your lawyer present. Ever. Never, never, never.

"Law prof and cop agree: never ever ever ever ever ever ever talk to the cops about a crime, even if you're innocent," by Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing, July 28, 2008

Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution - from Wikipedia

Prof. James Duane, Regent University School of Law


Officer George Bruch, Virginia Beach Police Department

. . . . . . . . .

July 29, 2008 09:27 PM   Link    Caught Our Eye ~   Judicial Branch    Comments (0)

Aftermarket tire-pressure monitoring systems

• Tire Minder® Safety Pressure Indicator
• Tire Minder Max Safety Pressure Indicator - also here
• PressurePro - also available from RVPressurePro
• Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems - article from TireRack - systems available at TireRack
• Tyredog: Manufacturer | AutoDax | SigmaAutomotive
• RAM Aqua box

July 29, 2008 06:17 PM   Link    Piaggio MP3 ~   Technology    Comments (0)

Piaggio MP3 Related Stuff

Piaggio USA web site
Little Cars - Jonathan Brickman
Motorcycle Rider Training Program at NVCC
Dealers: Vespa of Arlington (VA), 703-243-8377 | Eastside Vespa (WA), 425 485-7711 | Vespa of DC, 202-333-8212 (Service: 301-562-9611)
Brooks' Cycle Centre, Centreville, VA, Jason Brooks, BrooksCycleCentre -at- yahoo.com, 571-438-1378 | Brooks' Cycle Centre on MonkeyRiders.com
Wikipedia article
2005 MP3 Manual (329 page pdf )
2007 MP3 Manual (335 page pdf )
Mid-Atlantic Italian MotoFest
MP3 Forum on ModernVespa

• Foot peg brackets
• Key blank programming
• emergency trunk release
• Stebel Horn Install and pdf and 500 wiring diagram

Royal Bastards Scooter Club | forum
DC Scoots
Washington Metro Area Scooter Authority (WMSA)
MP3 Scooter Club (UK)

webBikeWorld
ScooterTrap Performance Parts & Accessories
MotorSport Scooters - Scooter West
Corbin - seats
Kisan motorcycle safety electronics
Scooter Trap
PJ's Parts
Akuma helmets
Biker Hiway
CBXMan
rideSafer Store

• Earplugs
• Motorcycle Headlight Modulator - WebBikeWorld
  
• Comagination head- and tail-light modulator | VisiStop Intelligent Brake Lights Flasher
  
• Kuryakyn Iso Grips & Throttle Boss | Two-Way Bar End Indicators #2516 | MV MP3 thread "Bar Ends"
  
• ToolMonger | Siren Padlock (biz home)
  
• Custom Dynamics - LEDs
  
• Turn Signal Buzzer Fitting (Detailed) | Headlight Modulator and Turn Signal Beepers - MV
  
• Black Stebel Nautilus Compact Motorcycle Air Horn - installing
  
• Fabbri Windscreens (fitting the Fabbri)
  
• RAM Mount for scooters - RAM mount for Brake Reservoir cover
  
• Posi-Tap tap connector
  
• Powelet
  
• Electrical Connection Universal Power Plate 02202 - from California Sport Touring
  
• Garmin Zumo 450 Portable GPS Motorcycle Navigator
  
• Garmin Zumo 550 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Motorcycle Navigator
  
• TomTom Rider 2 GPS Navigator for Motorcycles and Scooters
  
• Roadcrafter riding suite from AeroStitch - review
  

July 29, 2008 11:07 AM   Link    Piaggio MP3    Comments (0)

How to Get a Job with the U.S. Federal Government

How to Get a Job with the U.S. Federal Government

A Telephone Seminar

The U.S. Federal Government is one of the biggest and best employers in the United States. It has some of the most interesting and unique jobs available and has opportunities both domestically and abroad. Within the federal government you can be anything from an accountant, astronaut, cook, criminal investigator, diplomat, doctor, intelligence analyst, IT specialist, to a veterinarian. There is a government job for you.

Landing a federal job is not always an easy process. There is a great deal of competition for many positions. So the question is how do you get the federal job that you want? This audio course teaches you how.

• Where to find government jobs
  
• Developing a government job search strategy
  
• Conducting a self assessment
  
• Matching yourself with the right agencies/positions
  
• Evaluating government positions
  
• Conducting a qualifications analysis
  
• Effectively targeting positions
  
• Developing federal resumes and KSAs that win interviews
  
• Succeeding at the federal interview
  

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Derrick Dortch.

• Thursday, August 28, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

Can't fit the telephone seminar into your schedule? Get this Audio Course on CD!

How to Get a Job with the U.S. Federal Government Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 29, 2008 08:07 AM   Link    Career ~   Training    Comments (0)

When theory is transformed into ideology

When a theory is transformed into an ideology, it begins to destroy the self and self-knowledge.... No one can tell it anything new. It is annoyed by any detail which does not fit its worldview.... Begun as a way to restore one’s sense of reality, now it attempts to discipline real people, to remake natural beings after its own image.

“The Way of all Ideology,” by Susan Griffin, 1982 (from "The End of the Black American Narrative," by Charles Johnson, The American Scholar, Summer 2008)

. . . . . . . . .

July 29, 2008 07:57 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

July - September 2008 Legislative, Communication, and Media Training from TheCapitol.Net

Our latest email update:
http://www.thecapitol.net/PublicPrograms/email2008/email_2008_July28.html

Also see our new Audio Course Bundles, money-saving packages of our popular Capitol Learning Audio Courses.

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

July 28, 2008 12:27 PM   Link    Training    Comments (0)

Lobbying for Dictators

[L]obbying for dictators sounds like a caricature of the lobbying profession as a whole--people with no morals shilling for the world's least savory people. But it isn't that simple. In fact, there may be a darker psychological explanation for why Americans would lobby for such awful governments.

"Devils' Advocates: Despots and the lobbyists who love them." By James Kirchick, The New Republic, August 13, 2008

July 28, 2008 12:07 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

How to Obtain a Security Clearance from the U.S. Federal Government

How to Obtain a Security Clearance from the U.S. Federal Government

A Telephone Seminar

Find out everything you wanted to know about security clearances and the adjudication process used by the federal government and its contractors. Security clearances are required to work for government agencies in the national and homeland security community as well as government contractors supporting their work. This audio course will teach you:

• What are security clearances
  
• What positions require a clearance
  
• How to go get a security clearance
  
• The various types of clearances
  
• The Background Investigation
  
• The Adjudication Process
  
• Factors that can affect getting a clearance
  
• What you should know and do before applying for a job that requires a clearance
  

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Derrick Dortch.

• Wednesday, August 27, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

Can't fit the telephone seminar into your schedule? Get this Audio Course on CD!

How to Obtain a Security Clearance from the U.S. Federal Government Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 27, 2008 06:07 AM   Link    Career ~   Training    Comments (0)

"Society is the same in all large places."

"Society is the same in all large places. I divide it thus:
1. People of cultivation, who live in large houses.
2. People of cultivation, who live in small houses.
3. People without cultivation, who live in large houses.
4. People without cultivation, who live in small houses.
5. Scrubs."
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes (Sr.) (writing while a medical student at Harvard)

More

• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. - from Wikipedia
• Works by Oliver Wendell Holmes at Project Gutenburg
• Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. - from Wikipedia

. . . . . . . . .

July 26, 2008 08:37 PM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell

A Telephone Seminar

Rules and regulations governing the contents and consideration of the budget resolution. Topics include:

• Enforcement by points of order
  
• Implementation
  
• The budget resolution in relation to other budgetary legislation
  
• Reserve funds

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Roy Meyers.

• Thursday, August 21, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

The Budget Resolution in a Nutshell Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 25, 2008 08:17 AM   Link    Budget ~   Congress ~   Training    Comments (0)

Insight

Thirteen smoke jumpers died in the Mann Gulch fire [August 5, 1949]. White crosses below the ridge still mark the spots where the men died. But after several terrifying minutes [Wag] Dodge emerged from the ashes.
. . .
[Mark Jung-Beeman] recommends that, if we're stuck on a difficult problem, it's better to set the alarm clock a few minutes early so that we have time to lie in bed and ruminate.
. . .
One of the surprising lessons of this research is that trying to force an insight can actually prevent the insight.
. . .
Concentration, it seems, comes with the hidden cost of diminished creativity. "There's a good reason Google puts Ping-Pong tables in their headquarters," [John] Kounios said. "If you want to encourage insights, then you've got to also encourage people to relax."

"The Eureka Hunt: Why do good ideas come to us when they do?" by Jonah Lehrer, The New Yorker, July 28, 2008

Hat tip: Tyler Cowen at Marginal Revolution

Compare and discuss "terrifying" and "relax".

See "The Big Lebowski."

More

• Mann Gulch fire of 1949 - from Wikipedia
• "Mann Gulch Fire: A Race That Couldn't Be Won," by Richard Rothermel,General Technical Report INT-299, US Forest Service, May 1993 (14-page pdf )
• Mark Jung Beeman, Northwestern University
• John Kounios, Drexel University
• Earl K. Miller, MIT
• Jonathan D. Cohen, Princeton

. . . . . . . . .

July 24, 2008 04:47 PM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

Congressional Deskbook: "First-Degree Amendment"

First Degree Amendment: Amendment offered to the text of a measure or a substitute offered to a first-degree amendment.

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

July 24, 2008 10:07 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Congressional Pay and Perks

Congressional Pay and Perks

A Telephone Seminar

Are you interested in learning about congressional pay and perks? This program will provide an overview of congressional pay and pay increases; retirement benefits, including pension plans; and perquisites. Topics covered include:

• Current pay for Senators and Representatives and the three basic ways members can adjust their pay
  
• Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), Federal Employees Retirement Act of 1986 (FERS), and Social Security
  
• Retirement under CSRS and FERS
  
• House and Senate perquisites such as parking privileges, free outpatient care at the Naval Medical Center, and the franking privilege
  
• An insider's look at the "small cities" on the House and Senate sides of the Capitol and in the House and Senate Office Buildings

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Ida Brudnick.

• Thursday, August 14, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

Congressional Pay and Perks Informed Citizen Series Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $27 plus shipping and handling

July 23, 2008 07:07 AM   Link    Congress ~   Congressional Operations ~   Training    Comments (0)

Media Tip 32

Media Tip 32: Pitch television feeds to stations before incurring the expense of creating them. They should be created like radio feeds, with raw material sent to stations that can be repackaged into a finished product.

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.

July 22, 2008 03:27 PM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Practical Web Research in a Nutshell

Practical Web Research in a Nutshell

A Telephone Seminar

Learn how to search more efficiently and effectively in this course designed for professionals who want practical techniques for conducting Web research on the job. In this course, you gain an overview of:

• How search engines work, and how to make them work for you
  
• Advanced, but easy, search techniques
  
• How to use the best of the free websites for legislative, legal, regulatory, factual, state, and international information
  
• What to do when you do not know where to start
  
• What you will not find on the Internet

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Peggy Garvin.

• Tuesday, August 12, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

Practical Web Research in a Nutshell Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 21, 2008 04:17 PM   Link    Real World Research ~   Research ~   Training    Comments (0)

Advanced Legislative Strategies

Advanced Legislative Strategies

This advanced 3-day course in Washington, DC builds on the skills of those who have already learned the legislative process and basic congressional operations. In this course, participants learn how to develop high-level strategies and tactics to help educate Congress and influence legislation.

• August 6-8, 2008
• 9:00 am to 4:00 pm all three days
• More information here

. . . . . . . . .

July 19, 2008 12:27 PM   Link    Congress ~   House ~   Legislative Process ~   Senate ~   Training    Comments (0)

Congressional Deskbook: "Public Law"

Public Law: Act of Congress that has been signed by the president or passed over his veto. It is designated by the letters P.L. and numbers noting the Congress and the numerical sequence in which the measure was signed; for example, P.L. 107-111 was an act of Congress in the 107th Congress and was the 111th measure signed by the president (or passed over his veto) during the 107th Congress.

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

July 18, 2008 08:27 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Time for Some Campaignin'

Time for Some Campaignin' - from JibJab on YouTube

• Capitol Hill Workshop: 2008 Election, November 12-14, 2008, in Washington, DC - from Congressional Quarterly (CQ) and TheCapitol.Net
  
• The New Congress 2009: Understanding The 111th Congress, January 27, 2009, in Washington, DC
  
• The President's Budget, February 24, 2009
  
• The Defense Budget, February 27, 2009
  

July 17, 2008 10:37 AM   Link    Humor    Comments (0)

Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies - Jim Bayless

We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite books and movies. Their responses are posted in "Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies."

Jim Bayless (bio), a veteran legislative and regulatory attorney who has lived in Washington for more than 25 years, shares his favorite books and movies. (You can see some of Jim's favorite things about living in our nation's capital here.)

Favorite Books

• Manhunt, a thrilling, detailed account of the assassination of President Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth and his several co-conspirators, aiders, and abettors and the frenzied chase and capture.
• Team of Rivals, a masterpiece of how Abe Lincoln prevailed against his much more qualified rivals for the presidential nomination and integrated this extraordinarily accomplished group of political adversaries into his own Cabinet.

Favorite Movies

• Mr Smith Goes to Washington-a Frank Capra-produced classic starring Jimmy Stewart and portraying the fundamental role and operation of the U.S. Senate.
• Advise and Consent (1962)-a classic political novel portraying zealots in the president's party resorting to blackmail to insure the approval of their nominee for Secretary of State; demonstrates the advise-and-consent role of the U.S. Senate; starring Henry Fonda.
• The Seduction of Joe Tynan-another portrayal of the ideological and moral conflicts of being a member of the U.S. Senate; straining his already part-time family life. But it could be a big boost to his career, so he takes it on. Starring Alan Alda.
• No Way Out-a tense thriller starring Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman; a tale of national security and blackmail filmed at the Pentagon and elsewhere around Washington.
• Executive Action (1973)-A group of powerful and wealthy men hires mercenaries to assassinate John F. Kennedy.
• All the President's Men (1976)-True story of how two Washington Post reporters uncovered the Watergate scandal that led to the resignation of President Nixon; starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford.

For more, also see our Political and Government Classics page.

. . . . . . . . .

July 17, 2008 10:07 AM   Link    Faculty Favorites ~   Faculty and Authors ~   Washington Books and Movies    Comments (0)

PAC Management: Advanced PAC Strategy

PAC Management: Advanced PAC Strategy

A Telephone Seminar

If you want to take your PAC to the next level, this program is for you. Topics covered include:

• Competitor / Benchmark Analysis
  
• Champion Development
  
• Differentiation among candidates
  
• Finding and implementing effective ways to measure and perhaps predict contribution performance
  
• Top ten strategies

Open Q&A with the faculty included: DSteven Billet.

• Thursday, July 31, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

PAC Management: Advanced PAC Strategy Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 16, 2008 08:57 AM   Link    Training    Comments (0)

Media Tip 14

Media Tip 14:Find an organization or boss who shares your values. You will be a much stronger advocate for the mission if you believe in it.

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.

July 15, 2008 03:27 PM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

Advanced Federal Budget Process

Advanced Federal Budget Process

In this 2-day course in Washington, DC you learn how the federal budget process really works from faculty members with years of subject-matter expertise. Study important terminology and get tips to protect your budgetary interests.

We provide a comprehensive overview of current budget politics and the federal budgeting process, so you gain the awareness and guidance necessary to increase your chance of boosting funds and minimizing cuts. Understand the budget resolution process as well as the differences between authorizations and appropriations.

Learn how to recognize various budget documents so you can use them most effectively. Students also discover performance-based budgeting principles and issues and OMB's tools for program performance assessment. Finally, we explore professional online budget research tips.

• August 4-5, 2008
• 8:30 am to 4:00 pm both days
• More information here

. . . . . . . . .

July 14, 2008 08:37 AM   Link    Budget ~   Congress ~   Training    Comments (0)

The Federal Budget Process

The Federal Budget Process

A Telephone Seminar

Phil Joyce provides an introduction to the federal budget process. Topics covered include:

• Federal budget process chronology
  
• The President's budget
  
• Players in the congressional budget process
  
• Key federal budget terms
  
• Three different processes
  
• The budget resolution and reconciliation

Open Q&A with the faculty included.

• Tuesday, August 5, 2008
  
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
  
• More information here

The Federal Budget Process Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 13, 2008 01:07 PM   Link    Budget ~   Budget Training ~   Training    Comments (0)

Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony

Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony

You know your issue better than anyone else. This 1-day course in Washington, DC, gives you the information and confidence necessary to testify before Congress, effectively presenting your case to Congress.

Our experienced faculty explores all aspects of testimony preparation including research, persuasion and the proper structure of both written and oral testimony. Participants learn delivery and listening techniques, ways to deal with anxiety and best practice techniques for addressing both Q&A sessions and challenging situations. You learn how to prepare congressional testimony and how to testify before Congress.

This course provides ample time to discuss concerns with faculty members while helping participants feel at-ease as they prepare testimony or actually deliver testimony on the Hill.

• Wednesday, July 30, 2008
• 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
• More information here

. . . . . . . . .

July 11, 2008 06:37 AM   Link    Advocacy ~   Congress ~   Congressional_Oversight ~   Training    Comments (0)

Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies - Peter Loge

We asked our faculty and authors to share with us some of their favorite books and movies. Their responses are posted in "Faculty Favorites: Books and Movies."

Peter Loge (bio), a public affairs professional, shares his favorite books and movies. (You can see some of Peter's favorite things about living in our nation's capital here.)

Favorite Books and Movies

My taste in DC fiction tends to run to campaign ads and public assurances of 100% support. One terrific political thriller that takes place largely in Washington is Executive Actions by Gary Grossman – among other things there is scene in one of my favorite restaurants, Tabard Inn.

Of all the DC-centric movies, my favorites include The Day the Earth Stood Still, a classic for so many reasons, and Strangers on a Train, which is a terrific film. I like The American President mostly for the joke about getting lost in Dupont Circle.

For more, also see our Political and Government Classics page.

. . . . . . . . .

July 9, 2008 07:57 AM   Link    Faculty Favorites ~   Washington Books and Movies    Comments (0)

July - August 2008 Legislative, Communication, and Media Training from TheCapitol.Net

Our latest email update:
http://www.thecapitol.net/PublicPrograms/email2008/email_2008_July8.html

Also see our new Audio Course Bundles, money-saving packages of our popular Capitol Learning Audio Courses.

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

July 8, 2008 06:47 PM   Link    Training    Comments (0)

Media Tip 51

Media Tip 51: Realize the power of television. It is the dominant method used to influence public opinion and convey a message.

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.

July 8, 2008 07:57 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

"Guide for Congressional Pages"

It is a common notion that Congressional pages should be neither seen nor heard. But this is a lie. Pages were accepted into this prestigious program and so should bring attention to themselves in all situations possible. This guide for pages will help you become the best page possible, at least for this semester.

Get up as late as possible and don’t bother to set an alarm. Promptness is not valued at the Page School. If you are not present at school it will be assumed that you are conducting important federal business. This may include, but is not limited to, prank calling the Senate pages, watching R-rated movies in the cloakroom, and campaigning for Ron Paul and/or Dennis Kucinich.

Don't sweat the uniform either. The teachers and supervisors have greatly lowered their standards after seeing teenage fashions such as navy blazer-style halter bikini tops and dark grey cut-off slacks. Black flip-flops are acceptable, so long as you wear the 100% silk Italian page tie, girls included.

If you happen to appear at school and decide to go to work, you must walk. All page scooters have been retired after the scandalous scooter races last semester. It is essential that you jaywalk because it is in the sprit of the rule “All page duties must be performed quickly and efficiently.” If drivers become irate, merely flashing your page ID should assuage their road rage.

The elevators are the fastest way to get down to the page cage, unless you use the Speaker’s secret tunnel. If you happen to get on an elevator with an intern, crowd around him/her because interns love to become better friends with pages. Make sure to strike up a conversation with him/her; ask the intern about his/her wages and what s/he does throughout the day. Then proceed to compare it to a page’s pay and jobs. Loudly. It would also be beneficial to comment on their lack of uniform and/or professional attire.

If you’re ever confused about your job, simply look to the Members for examples. Show up for work three-fifths of the time. Carry your cell phone and constantly check your email; it’s essential that you’re kept in the know about the current celebrity nincompoop. When the House is in session, don’t hold back if you have a thought to share; shout out comments, especially if they're of the dissenting opinion. “Don’t be such girls,” “Nay,” high school insults, and grunts are all acceptable forms of dissent.

When the Members are not in session, the House is your domain. Try out the Speaker’s chair, test the microphones by singing your favorite song, and run up and down the aisles. But remember the number one rule: follow the Members' example. Feel free to read a newspaper, put your feet up on the historic leather chairs, or take a nap. Your page supervisor won’t mind.

If you’re ever confused, remember these two rules: 1) Follow the Members’ example, and 2) Bring attention to the navy blazers.

"Guide for Congressional Pages," Anonymous

See also

• "T-shirt: Congressional Totem Pole"
  
• "The Manolo he recommends the shoes for Congressional pages"
  
• "What's the deal with . . . Congressional Pages?"

July 7, 2008 09:17 AM   Link    Fun    Comments (0)

Globalization and Its Discontents

Red State Update: Budweiser Bought By Foreigners? - YouTube

"Country Boys Can Survive: The Boys of Red State Update have Risen from Murfreesboro Obscurity to National Fame," by Jim Ridley, The Nashville Scene, September 20, 2007

. . . . . . . . .

July 6, 2008 09:27 AM   Link    Economics ~   Fun    Comments (0)

Strategies and Tactics That Will Help You Impact Congressional Action

Strategies and Tactics That Will Help You Impact Congressional Action:

How Knowing the Congressional Environment and Congressional Procedure Will Help your Lobbying Efforts

A Telephone Seminar

As a government affairs professional, you not only have to be an expert in your field, you also need to know how Congress works and how you can work with members of Congress and their staff to advance your efforts. This program will cover these topics:

• How to identify clear goals
  
• Who are your sponsors, friends, and opponents
  
• How to prepare for your first Congressional meeting
  
• Follow-up and outreach
  
• Working each step of the process
  
• Defining success

Open Q&A with the faculty included: David Grimaldi.

• Thursday, July 24, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

Strategies and Tactics That Will Help You Impact Congressional Action: How Knowing the Congressional Environment and Congressional Procedure Will Help your Lobbying Efforts Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 5, 2008 09:37 AM   Link    Advocacy ~   Training    Comments (0)

Congressional Deskbook: "Joint Resolution"

Joint Resolution: Similar to a bill, though limited in scope (for example, to change a minor item in existing law). Becomes law when passed in identical form by both chambers and signed by the president. It also is the form of legislation used to consider a constitutional amendment. A constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds vote in each house but does not require the president’s signature. Designated as H. J. Res. or S. J. Res.

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

July 4, 2008 09:17 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)

T-shirt: Congressional Totem Pole (as Drawn by a Former House Page)

T-shirt design from an anonymous former House Page: Congressional Totem Pole

See also

• "Guide for Congressional Pages"
  
• "The Manolo he recommends the shoes for Congressional pages"
  
• "What's the deal with . . . Congressional Pages?"

July 3, 2008 04:37 PM   Link    Congress ~   Fun    Comments (0)

Researching Federal Legislative Histories: Bills, Resolutions, Committee Hearings, and Committee Reports

Researching Federal Legislative Histories: Bills, Resolutions, Committee Hearings, and Committee Reports

A Telephone Seminar

If you are researching legislative histories, you need a thorough understanding of federal legislative documents. During this program, you will learn about:

• Bills, resolutions, and the print and Internet sources for them
  
• Committee hearings—types and sources to locate published hearings
  
• Other miscellaneous documents and publications

Open Q&A with the faculty included: Bob Gee.

• Wednesday, July 23, 2008
• 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/11 am PT
• More information here

Researching Federal Legislative Histories: Bills, Resolutions, Committee Hearings, and Committee Reports Capitol Learning Audio Course Includes seminar materials. Audio Course on CD: $47 plus shipping and handling

July 2, 2008 12:47 PM   Link    Legislative Process ~   Research ~   Training    Comments (0)

"Sources Warn Miley Cyrus Will Be Depleted by 2013"

The Onion: Sources Warn Miley Cyrus Will Be Depleted by 2013

. . . . . . . . .

July 2, 2008 06:37 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

"Global Warming as Mass Neurosis"

Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the mass hysteria phenomenon known as global warming. Much of the science has since been discredited. Now it's time for political scientists, theologians and psychiatrists to weigh in.
. . .
The Arctic ice cap may be thinning, but the extent of Antarctic sea ice has been expanding for years. At least as of February, last winter was the Northern Hemisphere's coldest in decades. In May, German climate modelers reported in the journal Nature that global warming is due for a decade-long vacation. But be not not-afraid, added the modelers: The inexorable march to apocalypse resumes in 2020.
. . .
A light carbon footprint has become the 21st-century equivalent of sexual abstinence.

"Global Warming as Mass Neurosis," by Bret Stephens, The Wall Street Journal, July 1, 2008

More

• EPA's Climate Change Site
• "Don't fight, adapt. We should give up futile attempts to combat climate change." Open Letter to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, December 12, 2007
• Global Warming: Frequently Asked Questions - from NOAA
• GlobalWarming.org - from the Competitive Enterprise Institute
• Global warming - from Wikipedia

. . . . . . . . .


. . . . . . . . .

July 1, 2008 07:47 AM   Link    Caught Our Eye    Comments (0)

Media Tip 74

Media Tip 74: Set up “unofficial” interactions with reporters and your principal, such as lunches or off-the-record conversations. Every conversation between your principal and a reporter doesn’t have to result in a story or quote.

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.

July 1, 2008 07:27 AM   Link    Tips and Terms    Comments (0)