You Can Trust the Established Media, I Guarantee It!

I try to watch the Sunday morning politically oriented talk shows before I go to church and if I cannot, I try to catch the reruns later in the day. One of the more surprising discussions I heard was Dana Milbank's moratorium on covering Sarah Palin and asking other journalists to not cover her. Dana Milbank is a writer for the Washington Post.  Milbank wrote "I feel powerless to control my obsession, even though it cheapens and demeans me."  I cannot exactly tell if his article is a satire or if it was serious. If it is a serious column, then he is incredibly self-centered. If it is satire, then it is in very poor taste. 

Interesting comment.  I find it discouraging that a DC Beltway reporter has decided he thinks he is a less than stellar reporter because he has written numerous stories about Gov. Palin. And it somehow makes him less intelligent and by his reasoning us less intelligent because we want to read about her and read her comments. 

Further in Milbank's article he writes "Palin clearly isn't going away: "I am not going to sit down. I'm not going to shut up," she on Monday. But if we treat her a little less like a major political figure and a little more like Ann Coulter -- a calculating individual who says shocking things to attract media attention -- it won't matter."

I am shocked and offended at this section of his column.  He compares a columnist (one who writes to provoke) to a former elected official with a vast following and one who appears to have little regard or use for established news outlets.  Just consider this, the columnist’s primary audience is found on college campus. The former governor has a tremendous following that cuts across almost all demographics.  Gov. Palin ran in a primary against an incumbent and beat him. She ran for Alaska governor against a formidable former two term governor and won. She convinced a majority of the voters twice she was a superior candidate.  I would not be fair if I did point out two similarities. Both are accomplished females and both are bestselling authors. Frankly, I found this comment by Mr. Milbank shallow and beneath his other stories.

In all honesty, this whole episode reminds me of why I stopped reading and watching most "established" news outlets. Yes, a long time ago I let my subscription to Time lapse, quit buying Newsweek and stopped going to the Washington Post and New York Times websites. Mr. Milbank symbolizes what is wrong with the established media.  He thinks he knows what is best for us and we should trust his instincts and what he considers his obvious superior intellect.  You see, we need him to help us figure out what we need to know.  And we need him to tell us what to ignore.

My take is different. The establishment media is witnessing a steep decline in viewership and readership. Perhaps most importantly, I think a vast plurality (perhaps majority) do not entirely trust established media.  The public benefits greatly from other sources, many free and on the internet. It was only 30 years ago we had three major networks and one cable news channel to choose from.  You either put up with the bias or did not get your message out. It is far different today. We have numerous media outlets to choose from and several publications that we can tap to be better informed.

I think it really upsets Mr. Milbank and his establishment media friends that Gov. Palin has millions of followers and admirers, regardless how he tries to undermine the former governor. It must gall him and his establishment friends that we do not need him or his friends to follow Gov. Palin. We can go directly to the source; we can read her and other tweets, look on Facebook, blogs, CSPAN, think tank websites, and other sources.  Most importantly, it must really irk him and his friends that Gov. Palin does not need him or his establishment friends to talk to her supporters and followers. Finally, I think it must anger Mr. Milbank and his friends that they need Gov. Palin far more than she needs him and his friends.  It must be hard for Mr. Milbank to finally accept that he gets more irrelevant every day.  In case you think I am wrong, how much was Newsweek sold for? 
Postscript - March 8, 2011

I am somewhat confused. We, the public, experienced Charlie Sheen’s meltdowns, incoherence, rants, and raves again and again and again as the actor appeared on network after network. It is this what Mr. Milbank means by an obsessed establishment media? If so, he may actually have a valid point.  Perhaps Mr. Milbank should concentrate his proposed moratorium on stories (or non-stories) like this.

Final Flights of the Space Shuttle: End of an Era

The shuttle Discovery blasted off on her final mission yesterday. I watched it on CSPAN.  Yes, I watch CSPAN. 

Just a side note and probably largely forgotten by many people is that the first shuttle was the Enterprise. It was a prototype and did not travel into space. 

The shuttle was and still is a remarkable vehicle. The ships constructed for space travel was five, Columbia, Challenger, Endeavor, Discovery and Atlantis.  Most of the shuttles were built during the late 70s and early 80s.   A shuttle is the first reusable launch system ever designed, developed and implemented.  These five ships are workhorses.  We have the international space station, satellites orbiting the planet, rovers exploring other planets in our solar system and a far better understanding of the universe because of these ships and the people of NASA.  The shuttle program has served the U.S. well for decades.

As with any flight program, this one had risks. Two of the five ships were lost, Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003.  These were tragic days, but few questioned the continued value of space exploration. It is testament to the U.S. people that we mourned the loss of brave astronauts, tried to learn from any mistakes, and resumed shuttle launches. 

Humans are naturally curious. We want to know what is at the bottom of the ocean, what is beyond that mountain, what is beyond those stars.  We spend fortunes, invest in new technology, and take great risks to find out. I think we are looking for answers and new sources of, well, just about everything up to and including new life, raw materials, energy, spices, you get the idea. It truly separates humans from all other animal forms on the planet. We are not only curious, we try to figure better and safer ways to explore.

Endeavor's last flight is planned for April 19th.  Atlantis' last flight is tentatively scheduled for June 28th, but has not been funded.

This is the end of an era.  For people around my age, we learned about the space missions of the 60s, we may remember the moon landing in 1969, studied space travel in school during the 70s and truly experienced space travel with the shuttle in the 80s.

Since the beginning of the shuttle program, we have seen over 130 launches.  Please do not get the idea I have watched every one, but I have watched a few. However, this year I will try and watch the final flight of Endeavor and Atlantis, just like I watched Columbia take off 30 years ago.  I will experience a thrill as I listen to the countdown.  My heart will beat faster as the engines start right before takeoff. I will celebrate at the first sign of liftoff. I will watch in awe as the shuttle heads into space and the planet gets smaller.  I will smile as the screen changes to a shot of NASA control.  I will bow my head and say a small prayer for a safe journey. I will marvel at the shuttle. And finally, I will be sad knowing that the shuttle flights are swiftly coming to an end. 

It was beautiful.  First you listen to the countdown. As you listen, you are reminded of the substantial infrastructure needed to launch a shuttle. Second, you got to watch it lift off. Discovery climbed into the atmosphere. From the attached cameras you could see the planet get smaller and smaller.  The ship rotates and then the booster tank is ejected. Off it goes on yet another mission. One we somewhat take for granted.  The first shuttle took off over 30 years ago.

A Pioneer Passes

Ken Olsen, cofounder of Digital Equipment Corp (DEC), died today. He was an entrepreneur. His contributions to the technology and computer industries were substantial and long lasting.  DEC was a high tech leader in building computers with (at the time) unheard of computing power and speed.  At one point, DEC had 125,000 employees.  He, along with others, helped create the infamous Massachusetts Route 128 also known as the High Tech Corridor. DEC was started in 1957 and purchased in 1998 by Compaq.  Mr. Olsen earned his degree at MIT and worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence He was part of the team at the Office of Naval Intelligence that developed a flight simulator.  It is worth taking a moment to remember a giant of the high tech industry and the long lasting impact of his work.

The Fundamentals of a Business Expansion Program - DRAFT

First, allow me to begin by saying the word “retention” in the phrase Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program is a major thorn in my side.  It is the overall context of “retention” within name of the program that gives me trouble. Retention implies old, tired businesses that we are trying to save.  It implies that the community actually has programs and resources to “retain” jobs, to respond to companies with incentives when they threaten to relocate or shut down, and to repeatedly reward those companies that decide to stay for staying put.  We all experienced situations when it is necessary to customize a solution to “retain” a company.  In this case retention means the community’s economic survival hinges on keeping the company, but those events are rare.  I think the types of economic development programs that serve local business and industry should be called Business Expansion Programs (BEP).   The term “Business Expansion Program” communicates that the locality has a program for existing business and industry that their growth plans.  

BEP programs remind me of car insurance.  Everyone knows it is necessary, but it is not always appreciated until it is needed.  This is unfortunate; it can translate into a minimum effort with meager results.  Sometimes local industry executives are incorrectly perceived as complainers. So why makethe effort.  In addition, I suspect it is because existing industry executives could give economic developers lessons on operating a business in the area.  That may be information an economic development professional does not want to hear.

Most economic development board members do not know what to expect or why a vigorous BEP program is needed. The impression is that an industry call program is good because you visit existing customers, but board members cannot really tell you what they expect or the results they hope to achieve.  The best case scenario is expansion announcement.  It comes down to managing expectations.

The second component is that it takes more work than non ED professionals and ED board members realize.  It takes far more time than simply meeting with an existing company.  The follow-up and researching issues raised by local company executives can take 2 or 3 times longer than the actual meeting/interview.

On the other side, when you call on an existing industry, no matter how much prep work the ED professional does, the local industry executive is still wary for the reason of the call.   It is understandable.  It is not uncommon for existing industry executives to think the request for a meeting is a fundraising request or some other issue non-germane to the business operations.

A BEP good program requires the following:

·                     ED staff must have a general understanding about the basics of business.

·                     Calling on local executives at their facility is a fundamental requirement.

·                     An open ended questionnaire is preferred. The more the client talks, the more you learn.

·                     Follow-up is critical to the future relationship and the reputation of the program. 

·                     It takes perseverance to address a client’s concerns and challenges. 

·                     Patience is essential.

·                     ED staff should consider themselves an extension of the company’s staff.

·                     A confidentiality agreement may be requested by the company.  Take it as a good sign.

·                     Contrary to popular belief, “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer, IF it is followed up by a timely response to the question or issue.

·                     No is an acceptable answer if you can tell the industry executive why.  It helps if you can offer alternatives.

Economic development professionals walk a fine line when working with existing industry.  A confidentiality request must be handled with the greatest respect.  A break in confidence can result in rumors or worse, articles in the local newspaper or nightly news.  The company executive team has an internal process to work through and it usually takes time. 

The basic goal of a BEP is to begin building a relationship with existing industry executives. As the relationship grows you will be able to gain valuable economic trend data and primary intelligence.  In addition, as you interact more with your local company executives you will be able to bring to their attention programs and resources they may not be aware of.  Only through this type of effort can you build a successful program.  With every communication to an existing industry executive ask yourself am I adding value to their operation?

Resources

An economic development professional has two main organizations and two service providers to help build a viable business expansion program.  The list of associations is not by any means comprehensive, many state economic development organizations have active programs.

National Associations

Business Retention & Expansion International (BREI)

P.O. Box 3212

Bismarck, ND 58502-1852

(800) 677-9930

http://www.brei.org

International Economic Development Council (IEDC)

734 15th Street NW, Suite 900

Washington, DC  20005

(202) 223-7800

http://www.iedconline.org

Service Providers

Blane, Canada Ltd.

1506 Cadet Ct., Suite 100

Wheaton, IL  60189-7380

(630) 462-9222

http://www.blanecanada.com/

ExecutivePulse, Inc.

11 East Fourth Street

Erie, PA  16507-1439

(866) 397-8573

http://www.executivepulse.com/

Background Assistance

University of Minnesota Extension Service

http://www.extension.umn.edu/BusinessRetention/index.html

When More is Less

Over the years I have watched CBS “Sunday Morning.” It is a unique morning program.  Perhaps it is the interviews or the segments. Or, it has only one host, so you do not experience useless chatter. Host Charles Osgood is having a conversation with you.  If you watch the show, I think you will agree with me that the segments are longer and more interesting. 

For example, the past two weeks have featured segments on communication. The first one was two weeks ago and it was about the decline of penmanship. We do not write nearly as much as we used to and it shows. When I took my certification test 14 years ago computers were not allowed. One component was an essay exam and you had to write your response in blue books.  For several months preceding the exam I would write long letters to my family so my hand would not get tired. My family loved it.  When I passed the certification exam, the letters stopped.  Now be honest, who does not like to receive a handwritten letter in the mail? Today, we send emails and texts instead. Interesting fact later.

By the way, the link to the penmanship segment is http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/01/23/sunday/main7274525.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

The second segment this week was on thank you notes (handwritten not emailed).  We send far fewer thank you notes than ever before. I remember sending thank you notes after Christmas for all the gifts I received. When I started my career a couple of decades ago I sent thank you notes when people were very helpful.  Some notes I would receive had beautiful penmanship.  Today, it is thank you emails.  That is not necessarily bad. For those who know me and have seen my hand writing, well let me say that I could be chief of staff at the Mayo Clinic.  So emails are easier.  Thank you notes come down to penmanship and time. Frankly, writing is far harder to write a note and envelope than typing emails and texts.  Besides, you can cheat with emailing.  You know what I mean, alter part of a letter or email and send it to a different family member.  You cannot do that with a handwritten letter.  Also, Word helps you clean up you spelling and prose. I welcome the day Facebook offers that service. By the way, Twitter does.

The interesting fact I alluded to earlier? We send 294 billion e-mails and nearly five billion text messages EVERY DAY.  This is from CBS “Sunday Morning.”

I find this staggering.  As a father with two teenagers I suspect I should not be.  My son lives to text.  He has sent/received as many as 27,411in one month. To a lesser degree he also uses Facebook. My daughter uses Facebook and texting as her primary means of communication.  One tally that I read a few months ago (and I posted) is 1,460,000,000,000 messages (chats & private messages) sent through Facebook each year (yes, that's trillion). I can assure you my kids certainly contributed more than their share.

I text, post updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and blog.  But I ask you, has your communications improved? I posted the interesting fact on Facebook and one of my friends said yes. When her boys were babies, texting and emailing helped her feel less alone. Now she is a writer and a talented one at that. Most of my writer friends prefer email; it allows them to send longer messages. Besides, you can thumb for only so long.

Side note: blog is an interesting word. It is both a noun and a verb. As in I have a blog or I blog. Blog is short for web log and is defined as read, write or edit a shared on-line journal.  Since I started one it occurred to me I was not exactly sure what blog meant.  It is exactly like the word text, both a noun and a verb.  For example, text me or I just got a text.  Sometimes language is so interesting.

Tweeting and texting are unique forms of communication. You can only put in 140 characters in one post.  It sure makes you cut excess words.  If you want help editing your comments and getting right to the point, then I suggest you set up a Twitter account and try to get your thoughts or Tweet in 140 characters (and do not abbreviate words).   However, as we all know, sometimes you cannot get your thoughts in 140 characters. For that you set up a blog or send emails.

What bothers me about the new communication formats is younger people now talk like texts or Tweets. I am not sure this is good. If you have a teenager you know what I mean.  For example when I am in the car with my daughter and ask do I know so and so, her answer is IDK (or I don’t know).  That will not go over well in the professional world. Texts, tweets and emails are rather impersonal.  With texts, tweets and emails you send your response and may not get an immediate response. You may not want an immediate response. More importantly, texting, tweeting and emailing limit the conversation.  It is unlikely you will go too far off the discussion when engaged in these formats.  When you talk to people you gain the added advantage of voice inflection and body language.  If you are talking to someone via phone at least you get the advantage of voice inflection.  The conversation is longer and may go to other subjects.  That is not necessary bad.  The biggest advantages of texting, tweeting and emailing are mass distribution, speed and the ability to respond when convenient. The biggest drawbacks of texting, tweeting and emailing are mass distribution, speed and the ability to respond when convenient.  It is an additional communication mode, not an entire way of life.

As you read, you may think this blog post rambles. I can hear it now; you should have emailed it, texted or tweeted it.  Perhaps, but sometimes an (edited) stream of conscious exercise is more for the writer than the reader.  Hence, the advantage of a blog. 

In part I think it comes down to this, we are so busy telling everybody what we are doing, I am not sure anybody is reading/listening.  Texting, tweeting and emailing are speedy, so it is more efficient.  An increase in speed usually corresponds to a decrease in personal attention.  I sure could be wrong, but I do not think so.  Perhaps less is more. 

Wonderful Way to Spend a Sunday Afternoon

Usually on Sunday afternoons I am reading and listening to jazz or classical music, or watching an old movie on TV. The kids are with friends and seldom in the house.  In essence we are all off in different directions.   Last Sunday we did something different.  We went to a play at the Market House Theater.  It was a comedy called “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare:  Abridged.”  Yes, it is a comedy.

Please allow me to offer some background.  I am not much of a comedy fan and really don’t know much about Shakespeare.  My exposure to Shakespeare’s plays is very limited. In summary it goes back to my college days when we would go to Shakespeare in the Park in Fort Worth, Texas.  Every summer a comedy and drama would be performed for free in a local park.  Courtesy of Netflix I watched several of Lord Laurence Olivier’s Shakespeare performances produced in the 1940s and 1950s. Lord Olivier’s productions were serious plays with serious themes. 

 A word about the Market House Theater.  Market House Theater (MHT) is a unique playhouse. It does adult and child theater, and offers numerous classes.  MHT produces comedies and dramas.  My family and I have been to numerous productions and every play is a treat.  The staging, acting, and set designs are outstanding.  If you want an example of a stellar local playhouse, MHT is what you would come up with.  (Disclosure note:  My wife works part time for MHT and we have several close friends that serve on the board and/or act in plays).  This does not change my opinion.

My son, my wife, a good friend, and I went to the play.   We saw a few friends at the theater (you just have to love the way that sounds).  My daughter did not go, she was not feeling well.  I laughed, a lot. Shakespeare abridged requires only 3 actors, but they do the work of a large ensemble cast.  Each actor had a dresser backstage.  In essence, the play covers many of Shakespeare’s greatest works in 2 (yes, 2) hours.  These three men gave my family, my friend and me a wonderful afternoon. 

This essay is really about family and children growing up.  When our kids were younger, we would go see children plays. They were well done, but not overly stimulating.  The kids loved it and that was the reason to go. You shared their joy and enthusiasm.

Now, my son is 16, he studied a couple of Shakespeare plays in high school. He laughed almost as much as I did.  It is rewarding to share an adult play with your child and hear him laugh.  He laughs because he thinks it is funny and not because everybody else is laughing.  We shared several humorous moments.

I have given this a lot of thought; it occurred to me that when my family watches a movie we do not get the same effect as a live play.  I am not sure, but I seldom laugh as much at a movie as I do a play. (Airplane and Monty Python and the Holy Grail are the exceptions).   I think you experience a bonding moment, but I cannot easily describe it. Perhaps it is because plays do to have distractions like phones or computers (or my Kindle).  Perhaps it is the live aspect of a play.  Perhaps at a play you see firsthand how hard actors work.  When you watch a movie at home you can stop it, wait for a commercial or text. When you go to movie plex you can get up to get refreshments and I have seen kids texting.  Of course in my family takes a diplomat to determine a movie we all can agree to.

I could be on to something about live productions.  To this day my daughter remembers seeing the Rockets in New York City several years ago.  She may vaguely remember a movie we saw during the same time.  However, her Rockets experience is vivid.  It also reminds me of the time I took her to Swan Lake in Columbia, SC.  She stared at the stage throughout the entire production. Now I thought she had a bad time. My wife told me she was intensely watching.  My entire family thoroughly enjoyed Spamalot (based on Monty Python materials).  We saw it twice. My son and I are Pythonites.  My wife and daughter enjoyed the play.  We saw it in St. Louis and talked about it on the way home.

Just remember the last time you went to a movie.  It appears to me most movies today are shown in a large multi-screen theater. This theater can house 8 or more screens. It is loud, crowded and somewhat detached.  You go to the ticket takers when the name of your movie is called (like a cattle call). People rush to get the best seats.  The refreshments are expensive.  In fairness, some productions are destined for the big screen. Movies that come to mind are Star Wars, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Citizen Kane, Gone With the Wind, and Airplane to name a few. It is not a highly personal experience.   Several movies rely on special effects.  By and large most movies, in my opinion, are designed for an almost pure entertainment purpose.  In fact, family members can go to separate movies and meet in the lobby when it ends. 

Contrast this to a play. At the theater seats are reserved. You have an usher to help you to your seat. You have an intermission and can mingle with family and friends in the lobby. Nothing feels rushed or hurried. It can be a calming experience.  I even dress better when I go to a play (no tennis shoes).  A play is dependent on good dialogue, acting and directing. Sets add to the story. No second takes.   A good play will stimulate thought and conversation.

I am very grateful to the MHT staff and volunteer actors. MHT offers a highly enjoyable and different entertainment opportunity.   Family members have the chance to ask each other what was the best part of the play.  It is amazing how similar the answers are and how different. 

Plays are more expensive, but well worth the money.  If you have a choice between a movie and a play, I suggest you occasionally go to the play.  You may have a memory building (as my wife calls it) experience with your kids.

How a Smart Phone Made Me Less Smart

I recently got a smart phone. It is a Droid and I love it.  The phone calls are clear. We bought a data package so I have internet service and other advantages.  It was quite a change from my previous phone. In fact, both my business and personal phones were mainly for telephone conversations, but both had internet/email service.   

My Droid opened up a world that I knew existed, but not experienced in real time and 24/7.  Before that I relied on my laptop or business computer.  You see my old phone required me to log in and access all my accounts, in other words I to take the initiative. It was not touch screen so maneuvering various sites was cumbersome and time consuming at best.  My smart phone brings all my accounts to me 24/7.  I received constant notifications, and posting updates and Tweets are simple.

Before I go too much further, some background. The phone I am writing about is for personal use. I have three Twitter accounts (an economic development account, a business account and a personal account).  The business and personal accounts are more like news feeds.  I track my favorite companies, think tanks, writers, and columnists.  In fact, Twitter reminds me of the old stock ticker tape machines.  For those of you unfamiliar with a ticker tape, it was a machine that communicated changes in stock prices via the telephone lines.  I tried to include a photo of a ticker tape, but ran into "user error". My apologies.

I follow 1,318 people, columnists, economic  development professionals, companies, organizations, and authors.  It is an invaluable tool that allows me to catch up on headlines and breaking news.  Now please understand, I do not read every post, but do take a brief glance from my computer via TweetDeck or on my smart phone. Incidentally a new app came out that puts TweetDeck on my smart phone.

In addition to all three Twitter accounts, I have a LinkedIn account for professional purposes, a Facebook account for personal use, a Plaxo account for professional purposes, and texting.  My phone does not have any games, but I do have numerous news outlets I access like Bloomberg, the New York Times, Fox Business, CNBC, BBC, the Politico, and The Hill.  For a news/political junkie like me, this is nirvana. 

As I alluded to earlier, with a smart phone, I can manage all social network accounts, keep track of updates, and post relevant comments.  All email accounts go into a universal inbox so account switching is unnecessary.  Many news organizations are formatting stories for a smart phone. 

My family thinks I am addicted, and I agree with them.  I used to laugh at Crackberry addicts, now I experience the same thrill.  When standing in a line, I will check my phone. When I am at a stop sign in my car and my phone buzzes, I will take a look at it (not while driving).  My battery would last one day and that includes power consumed for phone calls. You feel you may miss something so you keep checking it or glancing at notifications.   It just reminds me of what my response when I was asked about the internet. It is a big library without Dewey decimal system. Every day more and more information becomes available and formatted for a smart phone.  Trying to track, add, read and organize is a monumental task.  By the way, if you do not know what the Dewey decimal system is, google it.  Better yet, visit your local library.

The result? On Sunday I decided not to use my smart phone, except for phone calls. I accessed only LinkedIn and Facebook once during the day from my laptop, did not access TweetDeck.  In addition, I greatly curtailed my smart phone use on Monday, a holiday. What a difference it made. First, I my smart phone went 2 days, 10 hours, and 58 minutes before it needed a charge.  I usually set my battery for maximum savings.  Second, I really enjoyed time with my family. Third, I enjoyed really reading a book and magazines. 

As I stated earlier, I am convinced my wife and kids are right, for a while I could not let it go.  It is hard to concentrate when the phone goes off or you think you may miss an interesting post. A more valuable lesson for me, my smart phone affected my reading habit and ability to concentrate. I know and always knew , at least for me, that a smart phone does not replace a book or magazine article. If you are not careful you can just read the highlights and not the entire article.  My smart phone beckons and teases me.  I think I relied on my smart phone to keep me entertained and stimulated.  It also means I can avoid human interaction by “checking my phone.”  Upon reflection, that is a really weak crutch.  In one respect, we are more connected than ever before and in another sense we are less connected on a face-to-face level.  

A side note. My previous personal phone had the best ring I ever had. It was a one beep. If someone was in my office and my personal phone beeped once, I knew it was family contacting me about something and I would call them as soon as I could.  Even the vibrating mode is distracting, it just keeps going.  The single beep is my choice for a personal phone.

So what is the answer to my growing addiction? Put my smart phone down for a reasonable length of time (yes, a couple of hours) and silence most of the notifications, which I have done.  Twitter has taught me that if a truly interesting post or article goes up, it will be retweeted, again and again. My social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, and Plaxo) let you check updates going back several days.  These are important, but not critical.  Smart phones are a technological marvel, but like with new technology, I must discipline my use and remember I do have a whole world that does not require technology to communicate.

Finally, something for you and me to consider.  Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana schedules an hour a day to read, write and concentrate. I think this is something we should all consider. No phones, TVs, or anything else.  Just classical or jazz music and my Kindle.  I will try it.