Guest

Liberals Drinking Liberally at Riverbank in Hamilton, Ohio

2010-08-23T16:02:54Z

On the first Monday of every month, Liberals gather at Riverbank Cafe in Hamilton to get together and talk about....nothing in particular. Because of Labor Day, Liberals Drinking Liberally will be congregating on Monday, August 23 at 7:00.

If your a Liberal, this is a great opportunity to meet other Liberals/Progressives. If you're not, it's probably a good idea to stay away from the bar area of Riverbank that night!

Our Soldiers Are Coming Home

2010-08-19T14:42:06Z

From my good friend Sean Rhiney:
"Last combat troops leave Iraq. Over 4,000 lives lost. I don't care about the politics of it all, that's husbands, wives, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, friends, just...gone. Makes me appreciate that I wake up every morning and get to carry a briefcase to work and not a gun. Take a moment to remember them this a.m. And I'll let Tom have the last achingly, beautiful word on this one..."

"Day After Tomorrow" from the Tom Waits album "Real Gone."

Welcome home, Soldier.

RFPs, Sales and Building Relationships

2010-06-30T16:27:36Z

From my blog over at Liferay.com.

I'm a fervent reader of business books and blogs. Seth Godin is one of my favorites, and in a recent post entitled "A Sad Truth About Most Traditional B2B Marketing", his wisdom shines through. Seth highlights how many organizations, in an effort to save money and gain efficiency, become dispassionate about the relationships they build along the way. RFPs are his main target.

RFPs dehumanize the sales process. From the buyer's perspective, they can get a great deal of information from a number of vendors quickly. However, I think that those efficiencies come at the cost of understanding who you will be working with once a product is selected. How does the sales organization treat you? Are they responsive to your needs? Do you feel valued as a prospective customer, and do you think that feeling will continue once you become a customer?

These questions are, arguably, more important than price (Liferay always wins on price, by the way). When you buy anything of value (a cell phone, a car, an enterprise portal), you're making an investment in a relationship. My car is great, but how does the dealer treat me when it needs service? My cell phone is amazing, but what is the reliability of the network that I'll be using for the next 2 years. My portal rocks, but will the company that makes it support me when things go bad and continue to innovate in ways that I can't imagine?

RFPs tend to be about the short-term "here are my requirements -- can you fulfill them and what will it cost?" They don't speak to the longer term relationships that are built.

From my perspective, the best relationships are built early in the sales cycle. When I demonstrate Liferay, I do my best to understand what people need to accomplish and answer questions to the best of my ability. Sometimes my style takes people aback because they are used to being "sold to." I don't do that. I try to help them envision how Liferay can help them reach their goals. I tell them what works out-of-the-box, what doesn't and potential gotchas that they might encounter.

Once people become our customers, they have a comfort level with the product and company in which they have invested. They know who to call or email when they need something. They know that we will do our best to keep them happy and to realize their goals. They know that relationships are just as important as bottom line for Liferay. They know that we value integrity in our interactions above all else. They know that we're human.

To me, those factors are some of the most important considerations when buying a product. And one of these days, I would like to see this question on an RFP:
"Please detail your company's core values as the pertain to integrity, vision, personnel development and community involvement."

Half As Amazing

2010-06-21T15:53:09Z

Thanks, Post Secret.

Cynicism is a Lousy Running Mate

2010-05-14T01:02:37Z

Since the polls closed last week, I have been sensing a growing urgency from area Democrats to make substantive changes to how our party operates here in Butler County. Many people have spoken up and spoken out about what is broken. They have cried foul about areas where progress should have been made. They have mentioned cronyism with levels of venom reserved for John Boehner.

One of our greatest opportunities lies with our ability to re-form and reform the party every four years. We should be ready to throw out what hasn't worked and build on what has worked well. We should identify progressive leaders in our community and ask for their help. We should work with each other's inherent strengths. We should be a party based on the hopeful optimism that we can and will create a better community for our peers.

We should not begin anew with division in our hearts. Our peers did not elect us to grab power or to weaken our foundation. They put their trust in us to lead, advise and make decisions based on the greater good. Historically important and impactful leaders did not practice division -- they were about inclusion. Their pulpit wasn't anger -- it was hope. They understood that anger only perpetuates and amplifies anger.

Being a newbie to the process, perhaps my optimism is foolish. However, I hope that we can collectively take a queue from some of the great leaders of the past -- Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, John Kennedy -- and be a foundation of positivity for our community.

Cynicism is a lousy running mate.

Campaign Music: Rocking In The Free World

2010-05-06T19:32:25Z

I love political music. This is the first in a series of posts of songs that I would use for campaign music because they speak to my political ideology.

First up is Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World."
"There's one more kid that will never go to school, never get to fall in love, never get to be cool."

Politics, Butler County and Me

2010-05-06T10:55:17Z

On Tuesday, my name was on the election ballot for Hamilton's 9th Precinct. I ran for the Butler County Democratic Central Committee and won by a slim margin against my opponent -- a whopping 22 votes vs. her 21 votes. By way of comparison, the Republican candidate from our precinct ran unopposed and received 29 votes.

Before continuing, I would like to thank the folks who voted for me. Having your faith is a real honor, and I intend to serve our precinct well over the next 4 years. Periodically, I will post updates to this blog about county activities and events that impact us here in Hamilton. As soon as I get my bearings about this new role, I will create a space online where we can share ideas about how to make Hamilton, Butler County and Southwest Ohio more progressive.

I'd like to close this post out by speaking to momentum. It is well known that we live in one of the most conservative areas in the nation. Heck, John Boehner won 84% of the Butler County vote for the Republican primary. But look at the voting numbers that we had in our precinct. 43 Democrats from our precinct cared enough to be informed and vote for the Central Committee compared to 29 Republicans. 2 candidates worked to become the representative for our precinct while the Republican candidate ran unopposed.

What does this say? Democrats in our community care about making an effective change in our area's politics. We are currently outnumbered, outstaffed and outgunned -- but we are engaged and want to make a difference. My gut tells me that area Republicans are frustrated with the recent ethical lapses of their party leaders and have, to a degree, checked out emotionally. While unfortunate, this presents a great opportunity for us to build on our momentum and work together to put some great new people in office who are more concerned with the good of the community vs. their own personal agendas.

Take a look at this Hamilton Journal News article. Voter turnout is way down. People are losing interest. My favorite piece of the article, though, is in the comment by Ethics Watch:
"Here is what voting Republican has done for Butler County:
Google: Fox, Dynus
Google: Boehner, Foley, sex scandal
Google: Jolivette, Furmon, nepotism
Google: Butler County Ohio ethics violations
Google: Boehner, Tobacco lobby checks
Google: Lang, Jag's, Dynus
Google: Ellis, GOP Headquarters, commission
Google: Butler County Ohio, cronyism
Is this really what we want Butler County, more of the same? Stop bending over and let's take our County back."

We can, and will, do better.

From NPR: Get Your Groceries at the Library

2010-05-04T15:06:26Z

Many poor communities are considered a food desert with no quality grocery stores within walking distance of their residents. So, people are left to purchase food for their families at convenience stores where a bag of chips and a Slim Jim constitute dinner.

In a very timely story for our area, NPR had a story yesterday highlighting a program hosted by Baltimore's Public Libraries that allows underserved communities order healthy foods online. The Virtual Supermarket Project is a part of Baltimore's push to make food available to people where supermarkets are scarce.

This comes at a time when Kroger is shutting down a branch in Roselawn, and Hamilton's Lane Public Libraries are asking the community for funding to stay open on next week's ballot. Think about the services that a library provides for a community over and beyond books, and try to convince yourself that they are not essential resources for the longterm health of a community.

My Brother

2010-02-22T02:52:40Z

This weekend, my family converged on a water park in Sandusky, Ohio to bid my younger brother farewell. He is leaving next week for Duluth, Minnesota to be the lead pastor at a church. While we are very sad to say goodbye to him, we're happy that he is happy and excited to be starting a new adventure.

Here are some photos from our weekend together.

Days with My Father

2010-02-18T13:08:33Z

Earlier today, I came across a site called Days With My Father. It is a photo journal by Phillip Toledano that is "an ongoing record of [his] father, and of [their] relationship." The photos, imagery and text are stunningly beautful. The site is a wonderful display of how technology can be effectively used to communicate pure emotion. More than that, though, DaysWithMyFather.com is a reminder to its visitors about the beauty love and the importance of family. Phillip, if you ever come across this site, I would like to profusely and publicly thank you for sharing your journey.

New U2 Album Will Cost $96 - Indie Music Snobs Rejoice

2010-02-18T12:33:37Z

Do you want to know why the music industry is struggling? Look no further than the comments section of Sterogum's post about the new U2 album. The historically important, though increasingly irrelevant, top-shelf Irish band will release 3 different limited edition versions of its new record "No Line On The Horizon" on March 3.

By releasing limited editions of their album, U2 is following in the footsteps of Nine Inch Nails and Radiohead who released free and limited editions of their latest works to the great adulation of their fans. In the post-Napster world, people don't want to pay for music -- but they will pay for exclusivity. They will pay to have something that no one else (or at least very few people) has. The problem for U2, though, is that they, as a band, are not as exclusive as NIN and Radiohead. U2 is much more accessible, and therefore, are an easy target for the wrath of the indie snobs.

My prediction is that the limited editions of "No Line On The Horizon" will sell quite well. People who love U2 are older, have more disposable income and remember a time when buying records was an important experience. Going to the record store, thumbing through album covers, learning about new bands from the people who work there....the very act of buying a new release from a band involved some personal sacrifice (time) but was rewarded with the feeling of making a real connection to other humans working and shopping at the record store. By releasing limited editions of their albums, bands are necessitating that buyers make a level of personal sacrifice (go to stores) to purchase their records.

The problem that U2 faces, though, is that the social nature of buying music has changed with the advent of Napster. Music has become a commodity that people expect to get for free. People no longer visit record stores just to browse and feel a connection -- they visit Pitchfork or Stereogum, download a few freebies and make anonymous comments on articles. The record store club hasn't really changed -- music snobs have always existed -- it's just the members' reaction to music has changed. Bands that have the financial ability to release limited edition sets are trying to combat the commodity mentality of the post-Napster music fan, but as U2 has proved, they can't make in-roads to the new generation of music snobs because they, as a band, aren't indie enough (and aren't willing to give their music away for free).

Personally, I dread the day that record stores stop existing. At age 34, I look forward to going to Galaxy CDs or Shake-It Records, thumbing through CDs, making a purchase, bringing it home and ripping it for consumption on my iPhone/iPod. Buying digital music is certainly easier, but it doesn't have the soul of buying a new record from a record store. I don't know how the music industry can combat the free mentality of the majority of its consumers (law suits aren't the answer), but as a lover of music, I pray that they find a way.

Uncle Jay Explains The News

2010-02-18T12:22:35Z

Brilliant, funny and topical from UncleJayExplains.com

Mac vs. PC

2010-02-18T12:27:29Z

Brilliant.

A Case For Optimism

2010-02-18T12:14:14Z

I read this Associated Press story the other day about George W. Bush and was impressed. Bush says "I will leave the presidency with my head held high" and "Every day has been pretty joyous."

Think about that for a second. Here is a man who has struggled mightily as president, shot himself in the foot on multiple occasions and has (by many accounts) hurt the prestige and reputation of America -- yet he remains optimistic. President Bush could wallow in the horrible approval ratings, look back with regret on bad decisions and perhaps feel self-pity for himself as the country and world eagerly await new leadership.

But he doesn't. George W. Bush has the strength of character to look forward with optimism. If he dwelled on the past or put much weight on the thoughts of others, odds are, he would fall into an insurmountable depression.

It is no secret that I am not a George W. Bush fan, but I find myself admiring his optimism. For a minute, let's leave politics behind and look at this leadership quality for what it is -- amazing. As a small business owner, I have to make some pretty tough decisions. Some of my decisions have been good, and some have been bad. Some that I made 2 years ago have not held up well against the test of time. That's OK. If I were to constantly look back and second guess myself, then I would a) be depressed and b) be paralyzed with fear about making mistakes in the future.

So, I choose to look forward with optimism. I deal with past decisions without regrets and try to make the best of what has been given to me today. This moment is really all that I can control anyway.

Merry Christmas. Be Happy

2010-02-18T12:33:18Z

As we celebrate Christmas this year, it is easy to focus on all of the negative stuff happening. Recessions, wars, political scandals, bankruptcies, layoffs and bailouts permeate the headlines. It is easy to look at our situation and feel absolutely miserable. It is easy to look at our world and feel hopeless. It is easy to look past anything positive and feel only negativity.

Sometimes, though, we need to be reminded of the power that we have to feel happiness. If we approach life without the trappings of MODE (Memory, Opinions, Desires, Emotions) and are present in our current state -- appreciating what we have and what we have been given -- then the feeling of happiness isn't too much of a stretch.

Wayne Coyne is the lead singer of the Flaming Lips and is one of the great artists of our generation. He recorded an essay for NPR's "This I Believe" series that you need to listen to. From the segmant:

"I believe normal life is extraordinary....Try to be happy within the context of the life we are actually living. Happiness is not a situation to be longed for or a convergence of lucky happenstance. Through the power of our own minds, we can help ourselves. This I believe."

So, this Christmas, I wish all of you happiness. I hope that everyone finds themselves in a place of appreciation and gratitude where they can put away the trappings of longing. Put aside the uneasiness that you probably feel, and focus on the good stuff. We can't control the world, but we can control our reaction to it. This I believe.

I Believe

2010-02-18T12:08:47Z

I haven't been shy about my political leanings on this blog, and happy doesn't begin to describe my feelings about Tuesday's election. I have heard from many that they never thought they would see an African American elected in their lifetime. They are proud of America, and they are proud to be Americans.

My house was a staging location for the Barack Obama campaign. Beginning Saturday morning and ending around 10:00 election night, we had about 100 people through our doors working together to get out the vote, making calls, canvassing and taking part in democracy. It was beautiful.

Dennis Kurlass, owner of River Bank Cafe in Hamilton, OH, solidified what this election was all about. He received a call from the Obama campaign that an older gentleman needed help voting. He was blind and had no form of identification, and he desperately wanted to vote. Dennis picked him up at his house, drove him to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to have an identification card made and drove him to the polls. Once there, Dennis went into the booth with the gentleman, read the choices to him and placed his finger on the button of his choice allowing the blind man to push the button. Dennis relayed this story to me through tears of pride -- in himself and in our country.

This election wasn't momumental because we elected an African American. It was monumental because people who had never been politically active before felt enoughh passion for their country to sacrifice their time and homes to become involved. The felt a sense of duty to become involved in democracy. They realized that their voice could be heard, and they worked tirelessly to ensure that it happened.

I am so proud of what we accomplished on Tuesday. I am proud of my new friends. I am proud of our country. Mostly, I am proud and in awe of the dedication that people showed to organize and stage a revolution. A revolution where we loudly and clearly stated that we are tired of the way things have been going. We believe we can be a better country. We believe we can and should provide health care to people who can't afford it. We believe that opportunities await us. We believe that good things are ahead. We believe that our government is accountable to the people. We believe that community is stronger than isolation.

Tough times are ahead, and Barack Obama has his work cut out for him. He doesn't have to go it alone, though, because he has created a community of supporters that will work with and for him. We who have worked so hard for the Obama campaign realized during the past months and years that our voice is loud. We own this country. He is accountable to us. And we are energized, strong and willing to chip in and make our country, and world, a better place.

"I Believe" From R.E.M.'s Lifes Rich Pageant

"When I was young and full of grace and spirited--a rattlesnake.
When I was young and fever fell My spirit, I will not tell
You’re on your honor not to tell

I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need, there’s the key,

Your adventure for today, what do you do Between the horns of the day?"