How to Use Your Projector

Working with Room Layout

Perhaps surprisingly, room layout affects all aspects of a presentation. Just the physical arrangement of chairs can create a feeling of intimacy and cooperation or authority and hierachy. If possible, you should try to select the room layout that works best for you, depending upon audience size, presentation content, and visuals. Below are common room layouts and tips on how and when to use them.

Room Layout Tips

• Preview the room. You can avoid most pitfalls with room layout if you visit the venue in advance of your presentation. If possible, speak with the venue staff to make sure that your space is adequate and that they can accommodate all of your presentation needs.
• Be sure to plan for visuals. When planning your room layout, make sure you accommodate for your visuals and visual equipment. Leave adequate room to maneuver around all equipment. Test distances for viewing from all angles in the room.
• Use a Photo. Take a photo of a room set-up that you like. When you speak with the venue staff, give them the photo to use as a guide when setting up the room.

Theater Style

This layout is primarily used for large audiences. It is also the layout you are least likely to have any control of — chances are, the space is set up for you. Given the size and formality of this layout, it is especially important that you be sure that your audience can see you and your visuals from all areas of the room.

Classroom Style/U-Shaped Style

These layouts tend to be the most effective for educational and training presentations. Classroom style is primarily used for larger audiences, while the U-shaped style is preferred for more intimate training classes. Both of these layouts allow audience members to take notes and participate in group activities. The challenge for the presenter is keeping movement possible — without causing a great deal of disruption. Try to ensure a large adult can walk through any aisle.

Meeting Style

The most popular room layout for small groups is meeting style. The layout allows the presenter to be as formal or informal as he/she wants. In addition, the presenter has a high degree of interaction with the audience. It is important however, that the presenter still be the focus of attention. So, even in an informal setting, the presenter should sit at the "head" of the table or occupy another position of prominence. This is most important when using visual aids.

from Presenters University

How to Use Your Projector

Using Multimedia Projector Remote Controls Today many multimedia projector companies have developed projector remotes that allow you to integrate all of your audiovisual controls into one remote control. Whether it's running a corporate video, highlighting a key point in a PowerPoint presentation or turning up the sound volume, you may very well need only one remote control. Below are typical features you may find in today's multimedia projector remote controls. Source This feature allows you to switch input sources on the fly. For example, if you were giving a PowerPoint presentation and wanted to show a video clip to highlight a main point, you would need to "switch the source". Using a new remote control, you could simply push the source button on your remote to switch from the computer source to the video source automatically. Special Effects Most projectors, such as the Epson Powerlite Series, allow you to use special effects in PowerPoint presentations. For example, you can highlight a main point on the fly with a simple click of a button. You can pre-program your remote control with the desired special effects you want to use. It's that easy! Mouse There is no need to stand next to your computer and use your mouse to click through slides in a presentation. Most remote controls come with a built-in mouse that allows you to control your computer from anywhere in the room. Projector Controls All remote controls should allow you to make some adjustments to the projector. Whether it's changing the volume, correcting the focus, or adjusting the sync, you probably don't have to go to the front of the room and fiddle with the projector. Bonus Tip! Always carry at least one set of extra batteries for your remote control in your projector carrying case.

from Presenters University

Dennis' News and Views

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks and I thought it was time to fill everyone in on what's been going on. Last weekend, I took my son Tom down to Salem to move him back into the dorm. It's amazing how fast time flies. Tom is entering his sophomore year. He will have a packed year starting with being editor of the school paper this fall and culminating in study abroad in Ireland this spring. We had an uneventful trip down with the car packed with his stuff. That afternoon we went over to visit a few of his friends at their house off campus. Jess and Allison do a great public service project...kitten foster care. They have signed up with a local shelter to take kittens from 6 to 10 weeks old. There job is to house train the cats and play with them so they get used to being around people. When they get to be 10 weeks old, they get moved to another house where they await adoption. This is quite a treat...always to have kittens but never to have to have cats!
We got Tom settled into his room the following day with minimal effort. A couple of his friends showed up (after we offered them free breakfast at the Sassy Onion), unloaded the car, unpacked and set up his room. Tom had requisitioned a couch last spring and hid it away in the newspaper office. We got that moved over and it was the crowning point for his dorm room. What a great school and friendly people.
That afternoon we took off back to Seattle to watch a Mariner's game. It's amazing that the crowds are as good as they are for a team that has done just about everything wrong this year. We left the game in the 9th inning with the Mariners behind. They tied it up and went on to win in the 11th inning. Since then, the team has been on a tear. I guess there is still hope for next year.
This past week had the Democratic Convention taking center stage. After watching the Olympics the previous 2 weeks it was hard to watch any more live programing. The conventions are filled with self-serving diatribes that don't seem to hold my attention for more than a few minutes at a time. I'm forced to remember that I had never heard of Barak Obama 4 years ago before he spoke at the convention. After that, his star rose on such a sharp projectory I thought it would poke the sky out. From what I watched this year, I didn't see anyone who rose to the top.
It's good to know that we are transitioning to winter at a rapid pace. The temp this morning was in the mid-40's. We should have frost any day now. Where is the best weather? I need to know.

How to Use Your Projector

Using a Presentation Assistant

Just when you think you are done . . . you have finished writing your presentation, you have created fabulous slides and handouts, you have analyzed room conditions and more . . . What could possibly be left to do? In some cases, it may be time to ask yourself if your presentation would be helped by a "presentation assistant". The more complicated a presentation, the more likely a presentation may prove helpful.

When we speak about an assistant, we speak of someone who can provide an extra set of hands, who knows how to juggle the balls you don't have time to . . . A presentation assistant can pass out handouts, advance slides, or assist with group exercises.

Tips for using a presentation assistant

• Select an assistant with whom you can work: someone you know and trust.
• Select an assistant who is familiar with your presentation or who can get that way. Set up a meeting and walk through your entire presentation, several times. Identify points at which the assistant should go to the next slide, turn up lights, or pass out appropriate handouts.
• Work out unobtrusive signals for communication.
• And most importantly, when you deliver the presentation, make sure to introduce your assistant.

from Presenters University

Book Review-Wait Until Next Year

August and September should be a time of energy and excitement. The weather is warm, the sound of kids playing on a slip and slide, and being riveted to the baseball games and standings. This year has not lived up to those standards. We did have a couple of weeks of hot weather in August, but it was rainy and 58 today as I made my way to work. The kids are all inside playing the last video games of the summer before they head back to school next week. And baseball is anything but riveting here in the Northwest. Read my News and Views for my rant on the Mariners.
Doris Kearns Goodwin is an historian that I got to know originally from her appearances on PBS documentaries by Ken Burns. A couple of years ago I read her book, Team of Rivals about Lincoln and his cabinet. Before that book, she wrote Wait Till Next Year about her growing up in New York in the 1950's. Her dad would head off to work each day in the city and she would wait until he came home at night to discuss the Brooklyn Dodger game. The book looks at life in suburbia in a more innocent time. Community was extremely important in her development. Her growth as a story teller and later an historian stems from the closeness shared by the local shop keepers, friends and family. Memories of baseball are not so much about the final score or the accomplishments of a player, but the feel of the crowd, the images of the ballpark and the excitement generated by hope of a better outcome tomorrow. This is my memory of the 50's and baseball still gives me the feeling of hope. Not much of a story. Not really captivating. The book is about America and what we can do even under adversity.
Enjoy!
Dennis

Intel Developer Forum

The Intel Developer Forum is going on now. There were a few developments that I wanted to pass along.

First, it was announced that there has been significant improvement in a technology first developed at MIT to wirelessly power devices. You would be able to place your device like a laptop or cell phone on a special counter for instance, and have the electricity power the unit without being plugged in. Intel was able to demonstrate lighting a 60 watt light bulb from 2-3 feet away from the source. This will be incorporated into devices in the future.
The other area of interest to me was the Intel Roadmap. Here are a couple of highlights from there.

Next month Intel will ship its six-core Dunnington server processor, the last of the chip giant’s Penryn family of processors. According to Wachovia analyst David Wong Dunnington will offer a big performance improvement over Intel’s 2-chip, quad core Tigerton chip. “We think this should allow Intel to pull significantly ahead of AMD’s Barcelona chip on most applications, especially integer based applications, and equal or perhaps exceed Barcelona’s performance on floating point benchmarks,” said Wong in a research note.

Details of Nehalem are emerging. The biggest news was Nehalem’s turbo mode, which can turn cores on and off depending on the workload. John Morris notes:

To make turbo mode work, Intel said it designed “new transistors and silicon technology” so that a power gate at each core can shut down power completely, and added a Power Control Unit–a separate microcontroller with more than 1 million transistors of its own–to control the gates. In a not-so-subtle knock at competitor AMD and its “asset-smart” plans, Rajesh Kumar, an Intel fellow, said the new power management features showed why close cooperation between process technology engineers and chip designers was so important in advanced microprocessors.

And Intel is launching a wide range of solid state drives with various form factors.

Look for Atom based low energy desktop computers soon.

Grant Opportunity

Welcome to the
Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation
Website

TO APPLY FOR A GRANT
Our Mission Statement
Our Programs

Welcome to the Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation Website TO APPLY FOR A GRANT Our Mission Statement Our Programs Our mission is to support educators in developing environmental curricula that integrate field activities and classroom teaching and that incorporate basic ecological principles and problem solving. Read Our 2005 Newsletter! PDF The Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation was founded in April 1996 to continue the work of Melinda Gray Ardia. Melinda Ardia, a middle school science teacher in Newark, NY and a biologist and environmental activist, died in an automobile accident in January 1996. Melinda's dedication, creativity and enthusiasm inspired her family and colleagues to create the Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation to continue her work. How the Foundation Works: We are a Private Operating Foundation, run by a Board of Directors made up of family members and environmental professionals that set both financial and program policy. We have taken a conservative strategy on both fronts. Financially, we have tried to grow our endowment (currently about $75,000) so that we can continue to impact environmental education for longer than any of our lifetimes. Our disbursements to programs have been made from interest and income generated from our investments and the sale of note cards and t-shirts. Programmatically, we have tried to grow slowly so that we make each decision thoughtfully with Melinda's ideals and the ability to make a difference in mind. Through this conservative strategy we have ensured that your donations build our endowment and will provide lasting impacts beyond the face value of your gift. Mission Statement: To facilitate learning and student empowerment, environmental curricula should be holistic and strive to synthesize multiple levels of learning (facts, concepts, principles), often including experiential integrated learning and problem solving. We believe the strongest curricula are founded on basic scientific principles, including hypothesis testing and experimental design. A solid foundation of ecology promotes thoughtful and appropriate analysis and understanding of the natural world. Controversial issues should be presented objectively stressing the development of individual student opinions. In summary, the Foundation supports curricula that empower and encourage students to become involved in solving environmental and social problems as informed decision makers through the emphasis and application of basic ecological principles. The Foundation seeks to facilitate the development and implementation of holistic environmental curricula that incorporate basic ecological principles and field environmental activities within a primary or secondary school setting. Accordingly, the Foundation is interested in contributing to the development, implementation and/or field testing of curricula that are consistent with the mission of the Foundation. For more information about the foundation, and to learn how to apply for a grant. Practice resurrection.. Find work if you can that does not damage... Wendell Berry

How to Use Your Projector

Top Ten Mistakes Made by Presenters

1. No Presentation Objectives
   If you don't know what your audience should do at the end of your presentation, there is no need for you to present. Knowing your objectives is the key to developing an effective presentation.



2. Poor Visual Aids
   Visual aids are designed to reinforce the main points of your presentation. Without effective visuals, you are missing a key opportunity to communicate with your audience.



3. Ineffective Close
   Closing your presentation is extremely important. The close allows you to tie up the presentation and spell out what you want your audience "to do". A weak close can kill a presentation.



4. Mediocre First Impression
   Audiences evaluate a presenter within the first 120 seconds of the presentation. Presenters who make a bad first impression can lose credibility and diminish their ability to effectively communicate.



5. No Preparation
   The best presenters prepare for every presentation. Those who prepare and practice are more successful in presenting their information and anticipating audience reaction. Practice does make perfect!



6. Lack of Enthusiasm
   If you aren't excited about the presentation, why should your audience be? Enthusiastic presenters are the most effective ones around!



7. Weak Eye Contact
   As a presenter, you are trying to communicate effectively with your audience. If you don't make eye contact with the audience, they will not take you or your message seriously.



8. No Audience Involvement
   The easiest way to turn off an audience is by allowing them to remain uninvolved. Use audience involvement to gain "buy-in".



9. Lack of Facial Expressions
   Effective speakers use facial expressions to help reinforce their messages.



10. Sticky Floor Syndrome
    There is nothing worse than a speaker who is glued to the floor. While there is no need to wander about aimlessly, natural movement helps hold an audience's attention.

from Presenters University

Dennis' News and Views

As promised, here is a picture of my house with the new paint. As you can see we have one heck of a time determining if this is gray or blue. The good news is that the job is almost finished. I plan on painting the last of the trim and doing some touch up this weekend. I think the paint job came out pretty good.

Here is a picture of a house across the lake from us. We didn't know that there was a zoo break out until we saw these animals roaming around the yard. Not only are there giraffes and elephants, but we've spotted a tiger, gorilla and a lion on the grounds. The palm trees and grasses have been good cover for these convicts.

I have started a new collection. Not very far along at this point. I was cruising the Internet and came across a baseball All-Star game bat from Toronto at the Sky Dome in 1991. It was fairly inexpensive so I got it. Since then I have added a bat from 1990 in Chicago at Wrigley Field. I just got a bat from Camden Yard, home of the Orioles that hosted the All-Star game in 1993. These bats are all from the Rawlings company with their Adirondacks label. I believe these were all limited edition bats. Adirondacks bats were first popularized after WWII. The Rawlings company set up a mobile bat making truck and took it to Spring Training camps in the 1950's. Many of the stars of the day were impressed with the bats and signed up to endorse them. The bats were a major part of baseball in the 50's and 60's. Pictures to follow soon of my bats.

Green Computing

This is going to be the topic that we hear more about in the coming months. Schools and businesses are in dire need to cut energy costs. One approach is reducing the cost of operating computers and hardware items.

There are more than 1 billion computers in the world. Each is responsible for 1000 pounds of carbon emission annually on the average. According to Allison Cornia, Verdiem's vice president of marketing, "Most people are really unaware how much energy PCs are wasting, and we want to draw a lot of attention to that."
A new product to help with this awareness is Edison by Verdiem. This is a software program you download for free. Download and register the program, and a window pops up. A series of tabs helps you customize your settings. Choose your peak work and non-work hours, and when you want Edison to save more or less power.
The software allows you to adjust your computer settings. Using the "save more" setting while you're working will power down your display and hard drive after 5 minutes, and suspend your PC after 10. "Save less" means your display will be powered down after 30, your hard drive after 45, and never suspends your computer. There are several settings between those extremes as well.

I installed this program on one of my computers. It took less than 5 minutes to adjust the shut off time of the monitor, hard drive shut down and when to suspend the computer from working. Also, you need to set a schedule of when you use the computer normally. After a few minutes, the program gives you an assessment of how much money you will save annually and how much carbon emissions have been reduced. In my case the numbers are an estimated $61.65, 692.66 kWh, and 944.02 pounds of CO2. That is a surprising set of numbers. Here is the link to start saving money: http://www.verdiem.com/edison/

Off-Lease Special-Dell GX520 for $335!

Dell Optiplex - GX520DT Off-Lease

Processor: Pentium D 3.0Ghz (800Mhz FSB - Intel EM64T)
Memory: 1GB RAM (2 x 512MB DDR2 533Mhz)
Hard Disk: 80GB HDD (3.0GB/s)
Optical Device: DVD-ROM/CD-RW
Network: On-board: 10/100/1000 NIC
Graphics: On-board: Graphics
Sound: On-board: Sound
Operating System: Windows XP-Professional
Monitor: None
Keyboard/mouse

$335

Grant Opportunity

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy Announces the 2009 National Grant Competition

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy is pleased to announce our 2009 national grant competition. The Foundation's grant-making program seeks to develop or expand projects that are designed to support the development of literacy skills for adult primary care givers and their children. A total of approximately $650,000 will be awarded; no grant request should exceed $65,000.

In order to be considered eligible for a grant, an organization must meet the following criteria:

• the organization must have current non-profit or public status and have been in existence for two or more years as of the date of the application;
• the organization must have maintained fiscal accountability;
• the organization must operate an instructional literacy program that has been in existence for at least 2 years and includes one or more of the following components: literacy for adults, parent education, pre-literacy or literacy instruction for children pre-k to grade 3, and intergenerational literacy activities (Parent and Child Together time or P.A.C.T. time).

Your completed application package, one original and one copy, should be mailed directly to the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy at the address listed in the application packet. The application package must be received by the close of business, September 5, 2008. No exceptions will be made. Please note that no supporting documentation or letters of endorsement will be accepted under separate cover or at a later date. Due to the length of the application, faxed material will not be sent or accepted.

Additional information about the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available underneath the National Grants Program tab. Should you have questions, please call (202) 955-6183 between the hours of 1:00-5:00 p.m. or e-mail questions to krichardson@cfncr.org, please include your telephone number.

Book Review-The Other

David Guterson is a northwest author who I have enjoyed since his first book, Snow Falling on Cedars. This was a lovely book that about racial conflict on Orcas Island. The images mirrored the area well. The book became one of my favorites of a couple of years ago. His last book was about a girl on the Olympic Peninsula that has a remarkable religious experience. The book drew me in and wouldn't let me go. I couldn't put that one down. Guterson's latest book is The Other. The novel takes place a couple of years ago with flashbacks to the 1970's and 1980's in Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula again. Two high school kids compete at a track meet. One comes from a wealthy private school and the other from a middle class high school in Seattle. They become friends with a passion for hiking and camping. John Berry (the one from the wealthy family) ends up dropping out of college and becoming an ascetic. He moves to the Olympic rain forest and lives his life by the Gnostic philosophies. Neil (the one from the middle class) continues his life as a normal working class person. He becomes a school teacher, married with kids and passionate about literature still hoping to write his novel. His secret life is supplying John with food, medicine and other supplies in his hidden home on state property. Neil doesn't agree with his friends choices, but supports him.
The book appealed to me with its historical references to Seattle 30 years ago. There was a touch of Kerouac and his Desolation Angels in the beginning of the book. Later, the book reminded me of Hemingway and his love for nature with a disdain of people. I knew people who could have been rolled together to make these characters. For instance, when I was in college, I knew a guy that dropped out of school and moved to the peninsula to live in a tree house. Getting back to the simpler life was a big draw. Most didn't take it to the extremes these characters do.
I liked the feel of the book, the references to local landmarks and the love for the Cascades and Olympic mountains. The story starts quite promising. Unfortunately, it peters out before the end. Anyone from the Seattle area should appreciate this book.
Enjoy!

Intel Roadmap

Here is some of the latest Intel Roadmap as it appeared on www.techarp.com.


It shows Intel introducing three Bloomfield models in the Extreme, Performance and high-end Mainstream levels by the 4th quarter (October-December) of this year. The 3.2 GHz Bloomfield XE will immediately replace the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and QX9650 processors, while the 2.93 GHz Bloomfield P1 will start supplanting the Core 2 Quad Q9650 (3.0 GHz) and completely replace it by the first quarter of 2009.

Much earlier than that though, in the next three months, Intel plans to introduce two new quad-core processors - the Core 2 Quad Q9650 and the Core 2 Quad Q8200. The Q9650 will be nothing new - just a multiplier-locked version of the Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 processor but it will be much cheaper so hooray...

Those on a budget (like us!) will be more enthusiastic about the Core 2 Quad Q8200. This 2.33 GHz part will have just 4 MB of L2 cache but it will be cheap, quoted at just US$ 203 in quantities of 1,000. It will not support the Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT) and Virtualization Technology though, but they are unlikely to be of any great importance to those who are actually looking to buy it - cheapskates like us!

Finally, Intel will cut the price of the dual-core E8400 in this coming quarter (July-September) and drop it to the low-end mainstream (MS1) tier. It will replace the slower E8xxx models and completely phase out the 65nm Core 2 Duo E6xxx series.

In the next 3 months, Intel will start replacing their remaining 65 nm E4xxx processors with 45 nm E7xxx processors in the Essential tier. Even the Value line will see the introduction of the 45 nm E5200 which will slowly replace the E2220 as the highest-end Value-line processor. However, the Pentium Dual-Core E2xxx and Celeron Dual-Core E1xxx 65 nm processors are set to remain in production way into 2009.

from http://www.techarp.com

Mac Memory Upgrades

Great time to add extra memory to your Apple products from Crucial. Call today with your model for up to the minute pricing.
Here is an example:

MacBook Pro 2.5 GHz
4GB kit (2x2GB)
$95.99

Netbooks Are Here

According to Amazon.com, 9 of the top 20 selling notebooks are netbooks. These are small low-powered notebooks that are very inexpensive. Most models are in limited supply. Cloud computing is here now. Take advantage of it with these machines.
$459.99

• Internal memory: 16 GB solid state disk
• Memory expansion: Slot for MMC/SD(SDHC) cards
• RAM: 1 GB DDR2
• Processor: 900 MHz Intel Mobile CPU
• Operating system: Linux
• LCD: 8.9 inches, 1024 x 600 pixels
• Networking: 54g Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), 10/100 Fast Ethernet
• Peripheral connectivity: Three USB 2.0
• External video: One VGA
• External audio: One headphone and one microphone port
• Webcamera: Yes, 1.3 megapixels
• Battery life: up to 3.5 hours
• Weight: 2.2 pounds (35 ounces)
• Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.7 x 1.33 inches

Back to School

This is the time for back to school planning. For students heading to college or getting a new computer for high school, "over 80 percent" of computers sold are notebooks, according to Stephen Baker, vice president of industry analysis for the NPD Group.

Here is an entry level model that has lots of features

• 15.4" Wide WXGA+ (1440 x 900)
• Windows® XP Professional
• 1.6GHz, VIA C7®-M Processor
• 1GB DDR2-667 SODIMM Memory
• 80GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
• DVD/RW Super-Multi Optical Drive
• Integrated 802.11 B/G Wireless LAN
• Modem, 10/100 LAN, Hi-Def Audio
• VGA Out, 3 USB 2.0, Audio In/Out
• 1 Year Nobilis System Warranty
• 14" x 10.7" x 1.5" , 5.5 Pounds

$699

The must have accessories for your computer are:

HP Color LaserJet Printer

•	Black (best): Up to 17 ppm
•	Color (best): Up to 17 ppm
•	Resolution: Up to 600 x 600 dpi
•	Monthly duty cycle: Up to 50000 pages
•	Recommended monthly print volume: 1000 to 3000 pages
•	Paper trays: 2
•	Paper input capacity: 350 sheets Network Ready

$349 through 8/31/08

Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combination

• Ergonomic Split-key Design: Enjoy more comfortable typing experience.
• Detachable Soft-touch Palm Rest: Get extra support for your wrists.
• 3-Way Adjustable Tilt Legs: Customize your keyboard angle.
• Zero-Degree Tilt™: Reduce fatigue with a remarkably natural typing feel.
• Sculpted Laser Mouse: Rest your hand on gently contoured sides and soft rubber grips.
• Laser Engine: Get accuracy in all applications on virtually any surface.
• Tilt Wheel plus Zoom™: Go side to side or in and out on photos and spreadsheets alike.

$99.99

Maxtor 1 TB USB Hard Drive

• 1TB maximum storage capacity
• USB 2.0 interface
• Maximum data transfer rates up to 480 Mbps via USB 2.0
• 16MB cache buffer
• 7200 rpm for fast read/write times
• 8.5 ms average seek time
• Simple Maxtor user interface; automated scheduling and restoring options
• Auto Updater helps keep your software current
• Customizable OneTouch button for quick and easy access to specified drive functions
• PC and Mac compatible

$249.99

16 GB Kingston USB Flash Drive

$69.99 or $29.99 with purchase of a laptop

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Here is something that is really catching on this year.

Dennis' News and Views

The dog days of summer are upon us. Of course here in Bellingham, the temperature is in the low 60's. I decided to take the day off today and try and finish up painting the outside of my house. Last weekend my lovely wife Sheri and I got most of the painting done. We had a couple of false starts and finally stumbled upon a color that looked good. My first choice I was convinced that it would be the perfect color. I got home with the paint, brushed it on a few boards and realized I was clueless. The nice sand color I had chosen turned out to be orange. If I put some black triangles on the wall, the house could have been a giant Jack-o-lantern. The next day I went back to the store and decided a nice light brown would be the correct color. This time I jumped into the painting with full gusto. After work one day, I painted an entire wall of the house working until about 9:30. The next day, my neighbor came by and said the paint doesn't match the roof. After some agonizing considerations, I realized she was right. So off to the paint store again. This time, we settled for a steel gray with undertones of blue. From the response, it looks like we have success. The trim is still in process, but I'll post a picture when the house is done.
This has been a disappointing season for the Mariners on a grand scale. All of the hype before the season began was that the Mariners were going to compete for the division and possibly go all the way. Of course as we all know now, the season fell apart after the first couple of weeks. Nothing improved and in fact things got way worse. By the All-Star break, the Mariners had the worst record in baseball and even with the wholesale changes of new manager, hitting coach and general manager, the team was going to languish there the rest of the year. Yesterday was the trade deadline, and the Mariners did very little here. I really expected them to trade for Ken Griffey Jr if for no other reason than he is a crowd favorite and it would have been fun to go out to the games to see him. Instead, he was traded to the White Sox who hope to use his power to get them to the playoffs. This is a tough year to be a fan. I was thinking about where the team had gone wrong. It seems to me that the chasing after big name free agents has not been a great success. These players have done very well leading up to their free agent year and have been productive for their teams. When they get the $40 or $50 or $100 million contracts, they may not be as hungry to put up huge numbers the following year. Lots of things can play into this. A relief pitcher who saves 50 games may be tired out and not able to compete the following year. The slight nagging injury may get aggravated in spring training and never fully heal. Whatever the reasons, most of the Mariners moves in this direction have been a flop. Richie Sexson was being paid over $14 million and couldn't get out of his own way. The Mariners released him (still owing him his salary) and the Yankees picked him up. He may not do much with the Yankees, but they have plenty of other power hitters than can carry the team. The other thing the Mariners have done the last few years is to trade their best players from their farm teams hoping to get that star that will put them over the top. This has been a dismal failure with most of the "stars" not panning out and the young players we trade away hurting us when we face those teams. Seattle has another problem that it has to face now. Many players have already shied away from playing here because of the extra travel the team does. The Mariners put on more miles than any other team in baseball. This is an issue that needs to be addressed by the commissioners office. If that means longer east coast road trips, or playing less games in the east or even reorganizing the leagues, so be it. Now the Mariners have another problem with recruiting players. Most players want to play for a winner. They know they only have a few years of playing time and they want to be on a competitive team. The Mariners have not been competitive for a few years and it's any ones guess when they will be competitive again. In the meantime, the Ms have to pay a premium to retain and attract players to play in Seattle. Money may be no object according to the ownership group, but us fans end up having to pay the bill. Our seat prices are bound to go up again next year. Of course there will be an excuse about fuel prices or the cost of team meals. The bottom line is that the team needs to have a new focus and win games.
I haven't been out of town for a couple of months. Because of that, I haven't had any restaurants to write about from around the country. One restaurant we have been going to recently in Bellingham is Mambo's Italiano. Located in Fairhaven, this restaurant has become an anchor of the restaurant scene in this neighborhood. The restaurant has an older bistro style. The furnishings are modest and the art on the walls is eclectic. The kitchen is open to the main room of the restaurant and the energy is felt throughout. The menu features a wide range of dishes that allows us to always find something new to try. I really enjoy the ravioli they make there. Portions are large so my wife Sheri and I usually split a meal. Summertime offers the option of sidewalk dining. This is a great location to people watch. always a crowd walking by. Casual, relaxed with decent service and good food.
Enjoy!
Dennis

Book Review-Charlie Wilson's War

A friend gave me a copy of the book Charlie Wilson's War, by George Crile for my birthday. This isn't the kind of book I would normally pick up, but it was entertaining.
Charlie Wilson was a congressman from Texas from the 1970's to 1990's. He learned early on how to make the most of his position to gain favors for his favorite causes. Some of those causes were womanizing, booze and drugs. These could have easily led to his downfall if he didn't have the right political connections in Washington.
Charlie is persuaded by one of his constituents to look into helping the Afghans with their battle against the Soviets who were occupying their country. Charlie connects with one of the CIA people working on the clandestine operation to defeat the Soviets. The 2 work together to vastly increase the funding for the Afghans and try to find a weapon to bring down the Mi-24 helicopter gunships that were terrorizing the mujaheddin. Taking the CIA budget from $5 million per year to over $1 billion was amazing. Charlie knew how to ask for money. This was the height of the Reagan era where the final push was on to destroy the Evil Empire. Any way to attack the Soviets was welcome. The huge influx of weapons and the training of the tribal leaders, let to a humiliating defeat of the Soviet army. This helped lead to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
Charlie Wilson later regretted that some of the weapons fell into the hands of the Taliban and the followers of Osama Bin Laden. "I feel guilty about it," he said. "I really do." "Those things happen," Wilson said of wartime weapons that wind up in the wrong hands.
The story is a dramatic telling of one man's dream of defeating communism and how he was able to dramatically change the world he lived in.
Enjoy!
Dennis