Hopefully tomorrow, there will be a few changes here at RhodesSchool. In an attempt to get a little bit smarter about my day job, I've been fooling around with other blogging platforms. I've built out a new WordPress blog and at some point, I'll begin a migration.
Tomorrow, I'll update the feed at FeedBurner and the folks who are subscribing to that won't notice a difference. That's part of the beauty of using FeedBurner. Once folks are subscribed to a FeedBurner feed, you can change the location of your blog and everyone will come along for the ride. Nice.
I haven't totally finalized the plans for the archives. Maybe I'll leave them here, maybe I'll take them with me. I don't think that WordPress will be the final home of RhodesSchool, so taking them over there may not be the way to go.
I've been noodling around Feed.us and what it exactly means to the future of publishing. It's a CMS that just simply outputs a feed. You can take that feed and do all sorts of things to it. In the future, maybe I won't even have a blog - just a subscribe box and you'll get my "stuff" that way. It probably wouldn't get indexed, though, would it?
Over at the "new" RhodesSchool, I'll try to post a bit more frequently (and maybe a bit more professionally!). Not like the old House Republican pace of 2-3 posts a day, but more than once a week. I won't count my YouTube clips in those totals. But...before I go, here's two last shots here:
First one is Rosanne Cash, Shawn Colvin, and Mary Chapin Carpenter performing Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere." Second one is the Clancy Brothers doing "When the ship comes in." Shows you the breadth of Dylan's work.
The Nanny-State strikes again. In a Cincinnati Little League, they're getting rid of "chatter". You know the stuff:
"Heeeey Baaaatttttter.....Sssswing!"
They only want "positive" chatter from now on. Isn't this a bit much? Isn't this "chatter" just part of the game? I remember back in my days of Little League, our coaches were encouraging the stuff. They'd want us to "look alive" and "get active" out there. If the kids can't take a little bit of "chatter", maybe there's something else going on. It's part of playing the game. Dare I say, it's one of the foundations of Little League. That, plus the stop for ice cream after the game, right?
Since I don't have kids yet, I haven't been involved in the local Little League, but when I do, the knuckleheads that have come before me better not have enacted this rule in my town.
Krol asserts that Cross "staged a coup against Lee Daniels, then House GOP leader". While that's how it may seem to an outsider and it certainly makes for a more sexy copy, it just isn't true. I was employed by the Leader's office under Daniels, and participated in a few campaigns through the HRCC (Daniel's campaign arm). The "stink" around Daniels had gotten so strong and his organization (HRCC) had atrophied to the point of failing to fund campaigns, that something needed to be done. It wasn't Cross alone that "staged this coup". It was rather a "falling from grace" that happened, and Cross, along with folks like Carolyn Krause, Pat Lindner, Brent Hassert, Skip Saviano, Renee Kosel, and Eileen Lyons filled the void. Did Cross assume the Leadership role in this group? Sure he did, but to claim that he alone took down Daniels isn't accurate.
Krol then asserts that Cross hasn't done enough to rid the party of Bob Kjellander. He says "then late last year, after the issue had pretty much played itself out, Cross called for Kjellander’s ouster". Ummm....that's just false, Eric. You should know better. A simple Google search would turn up evidence to the contrary. That article is from August of 2005. I won't quote it here, I'll let you guys go read it.
Krol then goes on to say that even if Cross was going to leverage his reach and abilities as House Republican Leader to higher office, he'd face a tough fight for either Governor or AG. That's probably true, but I don't quite know why Krol thinks that Cross taking a Constitutional Office is "unlikely". I guess he thinks Bill Bradey has a better shot, eh? Come on. Cross is THE best Republican leader in the state to lead our party back. He comes from a county that's just outside of the collars, he strikes a moderate approach, and he's willing to build consensus to get things done.
Next, Krol goes after Cross' record of picking up seats in the House. He hasn't won back the majority, that's for sure. If that's what Eric is talking about. He's right. Cross hasn't succeeded. But take a look at what happened this past year. Which way did the state go? Or even...look at the nation. It went democratic. Do you think that's Cross' fault? No, it's not. I'm impressed that he didn't lose more seats. Look at Dave McSweeney. That's a GOP district. Look at Mark Kirk. He barely hung on. Same with Roskam. If you think that next year is going to easier, it won't. Especially if Obama is on the national ticket. Playing defense and picking up a seat or two is the right approach. Just ask Frank Watson. The House Republican's aren't irrelevant.
Krol then says that Cross doesn't "lead". Um...Eric...who wants a top-down approach to government? Who wants a dicatator approach? I know I certainly don't. That's the "old way".
Finally, Krol takes exception with Cross straying from Speaker Hastert to back Mayor Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 presidential primary. To me, it's the smartest move Cross and his spokesman David Dring have made (the better story for an enterprising columnist would be to ask how they got hooked up with Rudy. Eric...if you want to go ahead and take that story, I'm ok with that..). If you do have your eyes on the prize for 2010 for Governor or AG, what better way to quietly and soundly build a statewide organization than to run a race for America's Mayor. He'll be able to round up volunteers from every corner of the state. He'll have email addresses, sign locations, volunteers, and donors. Oh yeah...and guess who'll be coming to town to raise money for Cross in 2009? That's right. Rudy.
I've taken a critical eye towards Cross' web and interactive approach, and I think it needs one. They had a great start. They were soooooo far out in front of anyone. They dropped the ball and fumbled a few yards back, but with Rudy's help, and a half-way decent email campaign (with polls), they're on their way to building a successful operation.
They also have some of the strongest pieces in place in personnel. With David Dring and Kevin Artl doing the messaging and media, they'll be as stong an operation in Illinois. They only need to get rid of the small-thinking bureaucratic folks who like to keep everything and everyone buttoned down. Small people with small thoughts who kill ideas aren't good for an organization. They'll ruin you, Tom.
Sirius Backseat TV: Right Time, Wrong Application?
I am as big of a Sirius Satellite Radio evangelist as you will meet. I have 2 units, and listen to them as often as I can. At the office, if I have headphones on, I'm, for the most part, listening to Sirius Streaming (usually Howard Stern). It's an amazing technology that delivers today and yet holds a lot of promise in future. With the impending merger of XM and Sirius, the content choices for us, the consumer, will only expand. (The merger talk is for a whole 'nother post)
Today Sirius took the wraps off of "Backseat TV". It will be factory installed in cars, and they think OEM adoption will grow rapidly. It will only be available to subscribers of Sirius radio. That's a sound business notion, as it will drive subscribers to the radio end.
Backseat TV launched with three content providers. Nickelodeon, Disney Channel and Cartoon Network are all streaming content to the devices starting today.
Maybe it's because I don't have kids, but I am not getting very excited about this. Sure, I see the minivans and grocery wagons all over the place with the tvs on, but this doesn't seem to be the right fit. The content dictates that this is going to be installed to occupy children in the car. That's a great idea. The problem I have with it? Seems that when you are trying to get kids to focus, you need a very controlled environment.
Again...I don't have kids, so I'm only coming to these conclusions based on my nieces and nephews.
If you want to settle your kids into a long car ride, you want to make sure that you know that what is going to be on the tvs is going to satisfy them. With Backseat TV, you are at the mercy of the programmers at Sirius. They'll determine what's on. It's going to be "fresh" content, but is it going to be the "right" content for your kids? I don't know.
If you're a parent and you know that you have 4 hours of quality tv that your kids love and keeps them busy, wouldn't you rather bring that along and guarantee yourself some peace and quiet? I know I would. How would you do that? I don't know. Maybe there's a 3rd party device that takes your movies/shows off of your ipod and displays them on the back seat tvs. Maybe the ipod isn't so much about using it to "watch" tv, but rather as a storage device to deliver content in other places.
Sirius Backseat TV is a very cool product, and it will be useful to some, but if you're in a pinch, I think you'll want to bring your own, just to be safe.
What's that you say, Jake? We're where? The "Golden Age" of Bob Dylan. Come on, now. You can't be serious. You can't compare Bob Dylan of today with Bob Dylan of yesteryear. What about Blood on the Tracks or Blonde on Blonde or Nashville Skyline or Desire.
Good questions, right? I agree. There are a ton, an absolute ton of fantastic Bob Dylan records. There are even a few spectacular "periods" where the output was amazing. Look at the first few years. While some of the tracks weren't his material, from 1962-1967, Dylan put out 9 records. That's almost 2 per year. And they were incredible. (Go here to get the full timeline breakdown of Dylan's records.)
Maybe it's because the last 3 Dylan records are the 3 that I "came of age with", but I really think that these 3 can not only "stand up" to any period in his life, I think they are the best collection of 3 records in his career. The three that I am talking about are his last 3 studio records: Time Out of Mind in 1997, Love and Theft in 2001, and the just recently released Modern Times in 2006. The first one came out when I was in college, but I didn't really give it the once over until after I graduated. I fell in love immediately. It has those slower numbers like "Love Sick" and "Trying to Get to Heaven",. "Standing in the Doorway", and the devastating "Not Dark Yet" that are just sooooo enjoyable to listen to.
Then, when I was living with my buddies Neil and Matt, Love and Theft came out. WOW. That shook my musical foundations. I wasn't the only one. It was like things I had never heard before, but that I should have. It was rockin', drivin', dancin' music that just came alive. I just about wore that record out on the turntable. (seriously) Tour with this material, Bob did. I think I must have been to 8 different shows in Chicago where he was relying on this record heavily. It was great sounding live. Slightly rearranged, but still pretty straight forward. Good stuff.
Last fall came Modern Times. I grabbed this one as soon as it was released, but it took me a few months to really warm up to it. There are some really great tracks, and this is great driving tunes. Put this on and **zoom** you're already in Champaign. (or where ever you are driving) I've embedded a few songs from these years below. Yes...the WonderBoys cut Things have Changed isn't from one of these 3 records, but it's from this period.
Is Bob Dylan washed up and is his best music from the '60's and 70's? Nope. I really think that to date, this is the best of his career. Will he put out another record? I sure hope so.
Each of these songs are teriffic. If you have a few minutes, go ahead and strap some headphones on. Give all of these a listen. Play one, then open up a new tab and do the rest of your work. You'll hit "play again", I bet. Have at it. Tell me this isn't some of the best music being made anywhere these days.
If there's one you should watch, it should be the first one, because Bob is playing guitar (which he soooo rarely does these days) and he seems to be having a lot of fun. And...it's a cool video. Oh...and if you have time, check out ScarJo in the last video. Yama-hama.
Rule Changes in the NFL: Technology In, Technology Out
Looks like the NFL has "officially" added Instant Replay to their list of rules. It was just a temporary part of the game for the past few years, but now the owners have added it to the rule book. I love the rule. Sure, it slows the game down, but I'm all for it. They've reversed a few calls on my Bears, but then again, they've made some things happen like the sack/fumble/recovery by Ogunleye in the NFC Championship. In other NFL news, they Rules Committee decided against allowing the coaches to communicate with the defense via a helmet earpiece. They allow the QB's to get the plays that way, but the league thought that because of the high level of substitutions, it's really hard to only have one earpiece on the field. If you give it to the middle linebacker, he might come out on 3rd downs, etc. I think we'll eventually see that brought into the game, but I'm more excited about something that UTEP is demoing in practice: the QB Helmet Camera. Isn't this what Vince McMahon and the XFL had? That league sure flopped, but some of the things he introduced have been brought on board by the NFL. First the in-locker room camera/microphone, then that funky camera that is overhead during the game play, and now maybe the helmet cam.
Technology is changing the way the athletes train, practice, and perform. From the uniforms to the playing surfaces to the training methods, these guys are getting better with technology. I can see some other things coming to the game like that cool digital replay that tennis uses to determine if the ball is in or out. They could utilize that to determine if someone had 2 feet down.
(as a side note, I love a few things about that article in the Sun-Times. 1. The Bengals and the Cardinals always vote against employing Instant Replay. I wonder why? and 2. Teams can put up proposals to change rules each year. It seems way different than baseball where change is greeted with jeers!)
I'm sure that the XFL will be considered a joke or a mere blip on the game of football, but I think they had an impact technology-wise. Now...only if the NFL would introduce that "wrassle for the ball" coin toss, we'd really have something!
Fighting Illini Open Spring Practice: I'm Optimistic!
Spring football in Champaign opened today amid lots of excitement about our Fighting Illini. If there is progress to be made, it HAS to be made this fall. With 15 starters and a top 15 recruiting class, we need results. We've won 2 games the past few years and this year, anything less than a 6th place finish and a moldy Bowl game will be a let down.
I'm excited about the season already and I can't wait for updates as Spring practice rolls along. We had the top rushing game in the Big Ten last year (surprisingly) and our defense finished in the middle of the pack. If Juice Williams (our QB) can connect on a few passes, we'll be rolling. I just wish we would get rid of that silly hurry up (and look over your shoulder at the sidelines) offense.
My (early) predictions for the 2007 campaign:
09/01/07 vs. Missouri - WIN 09/08/07 vs. WESTERN ILLINOIS - WIN 09/15/07 at Syracuse - WIN 09/22/07 at Indiana - WIN 09/29/07 vs. PENN STATE - LOSS 10/06/07 vs. WISCONSIN - LOSS 10/13/07 at Iowa - LOSS 10/20/07 vs. MICHIGAN - LOSS 10/27/07 vs. BALL STATE - WIN 11/03/07 at Minnesota - WIN 11/10/07 at Ohio State - LOSS 11/17/07 vs. NORTHWESTERN - WIN
7-5. Maybe the wins against Mizzou and Minnesota are a bit agressive, but we should win the rest of the games. Indiana will probably (sadly) be without their head coach, Western is I-AA, we shoulda beat Syracuse last year, Ball State is Homecoming, and NU is still without a stud on offense.
Starbucks Making Moves: First Macca, then Radiohead (maybe?!?)
First it was Paul McCartney signing with Starbucks to distribute his new records, then news came that Radiohead might be following suit. (that has since been denied by the band) It's an interesting trend and one that I think has merit. To me, the artists aren't so much signing up with a new label, as they are signing up to be distributed and therefore "co-branded" by Starbucks.
As Lenore Skenazy wrote this week Starbucks, even through some of it's missteps, is still the "third place" we all seek. Its the place we linger, she says. I agree. I look around (even in my own family) and I see those white cups as status symbols. You have the fancy diaper bag, the Range Rover, the over-sized sunglasses, and the white cup. Soon, they'll have Radiohead. What's not to like if you're the artist? You get this great association with a solid, if not down-right great brand. Under the old system, your records would sell good and you'd have a following, but the closest the women I described above (Range Rover, over-sized sunglasses, etc) ever would get to your records was either if one of them hit the radio airwaves, they had a younger, cooler, more hipster sibling, or if they were at a party. Now, they're going to walk up to the cash registers with their Starbucks card, buy a Camel Macciado maybe a muffin, and probably grab your record. Your fans will still get the record. There still will be folks downloading your stuff, but now your audience has a much wider reach. As demonstrated by bands like Wilco, you don't so much need a label for the production reasons, as you do a place and system for distribution. More and more of that is moving online, but having a retail operation is very helpful. Just by going into a Starbucks, you declare to the world that you have disposable income. Why else would you pay 4 bucks for a cup of coffee? So, to me, you are a great fit for a targeted record buyer.
Starbucks thinks (as evidence by the Schultz Memo) that they're in trouble with their brand, but I would guess that many American's think that it's still riding high. Adding the record label, and the right artists, will go a long way towards a bright future. What's next? "Fill-er-up Stations" for your ipod? How about some free wi-fi first, then we can get to the rest of that stuff.
This whole dog and cat food recall thing is weird, right? They don't really know why there's a problem, but dogs and cats are dying. Really sad. When we got Maisy, Nat decided that we're going to make sure that we feed her a more natural dog food - one without a lot of "fillers".
Turns out, that was a great choice. We use Innova Little Bites (dry food), and they're made by Natura Pet, who bills themselves as: The maker of the Healthiest Pet Foods in the World.
They've posted a big note at the top of their site that provides some piece of mind:
SPECIAL NOTIFICATION: Natura pet foods are NOT affected by the recent Menu Foods recall.
I'd recommend it to just about anyone. They sell it at most of those silly upscale dog stores like Barker and Meowsky.
Up until this week, I had never watched Dancing with the Stars. That all changed Monday, as Natalie had it on, and I came across the wretched Heather Mills. There's some who say she's brave and graceful for dancing with her one leg. It *should* be a "good" story. It's not.
Too bad she's a gold digging-Beotch. I can't stand her. They listed her "occupation" as a philanthropist or something when they introduced her. I agree with Howard Stern when he said it should have said: "Banged Paul McCartney". That's why she's on that silly show.
Just seeing her trot herself out there makes my blood boil. Padon my french, but I'm not the only one who thinks so.
When you search for "Hillary + Apple" on YouTube you get a bunch of results including the clip that's been viewed almost a million and a half times.
So...what do you do if you're in the Clinton camp? One thing I learned last week at the Politics Online Conference is that campaigns will look to "flood the zone" on YouTube. One of the panelists said that if they were involved in a campaign that had a "YouTube moment", they would put up a ton of stuff and tag it all with whatever the "hot" clip was tagged. It's pure "muddy-ing of the waters", just like they do with mail and tv spots. It's a good idea and one that Clinton's folks need to take to heart. If they're concerned about the Obama/Apple spot, they need to get a bunch of stuff up there, so when people search for "Hillary + Apple", they get their stuff, too.
This strategy won't help for the "embeded" clips that people are viewing (like the ones I posted of Artie Lange on Jimmy Kimmel yesterday), but it will affect peoples usage at YouTube.com. I believe we'll see more of this "flooding", but just like with any sort of content, the good stuff tends to rise to the top.
Mitt's MySpace Page: All it Needs is a Little Tuneup
Coming back from the Politics Online Conference at the end of last week, I have begun to do a lot of thinking about what a candidate (mostly on a large level) should be doing online. There's plenty of places to look for criticism and ideas like TechPresident among them, which wasn't the case 4 years ago. By utilizing the "throw a lot of stuff up there and see what sticks" method, most candidates will have built out a MySpace page. I think that's a sound idea, and one, with some tools (many of them supplied by FeedBurner) can be done with little effort.
Where would I begin? Let's look at Mitt Romney's recently launched MySpace page. David All at Tech President thinks it's done well. It is hard to do a MySpace page well, and come off as authentic. I agree that Mitt's is good, but it could be better.
How you ask? Here's a few things.
1. He's put up some 150X200 graphics that you can embed into your Space or your blog. That's fine, but what about using FeedBurner's Headline Animator and make that graphic animated? Put your latest headlines in it. Here's one from our Publisher Tips Blog.
2. The headline widget Romney has embedded in his Space is weak. Really weak. First it looks kinda weak and next it doesn't off that "viral" capability that the little images do. No "get this widget" for your Space. It's also not branded. It should have a picture of MItt's face or something in the title bar. Check out my buddy Eric's widget:
3. Sure...by adding someone as a "friend", you make MySpace "sticky", but why not offer the folks who stop by a chance to sign up to get emails from the campaign. Use FeedBurner's email (it's free!) and you can just get your feed items sent out without much effort. Here's the box that we're using on our wedding site:
4. Contribute charts? Hmmm...why not let your folks take their "fundraising widget", you know...the one you let them grab from your site and embed anywhere, and place it on their Space. Use your site as an example. Create a goal, take the "meter" and place it. Have a link that says "Get a Chart for your own Space". This has nothing to do with FeedBurner, but it's something that I would do.
5. Petitions. Why not have whatever you are crusading against/for up there and grow your list. Point to the petition or a place on the web where you want your readers to focus their attention (an article in which they could comment for instance)
I have a Space and I'm a political candidate (even though I don't have an opponent), I should be using these very tools. As we move closer to 2008, I'm getting more excited about keeping tabs on what's doing with the Tubes of the ole' internets and how the politicians are using them.
Lookie Here.....I'm Jake Parrillo. This is a collection of stuff that I'm interested in. It's mostly politics, pop culture, technology stuff, and music. It's also a place to share what's going on in my world with all of you. I'm a Village Trustee in Frankfort, Illinois, so if you came here for Frankfort news/views, you'll be disappointed. Check out my Trustee Blog for that stuff.
You're wondering why it's called 'RhodesSchool', right? Well, that's a long story. I once 'wrote' for the JoinCrossBlog under the name 'Chris Rhodes'. It's mostly explained here.
Anyway, I'm not exactly sure why you're here, but for whatever reason, welcome.
Looking to reach me? 708.275.8257.
I'm with Rudy Giuliani in 2008 and Todd Scalzo in 2007. You can contribute towards my fundraising goal by clicking on the picture below.
Bottles and Cans, Just Clap Your Hands, Clap Your Hands Where it's at
You're visiting RhodesSchool.com. All content by Jake Parrillo. This isn't his Village Trustee site. This is. Scratching your head? Confused? Have some time to spare? Have a look at the archives. If you've reached this point by accident, I suggest panic.
This whole 
Lookie Here.....I'm Jake Parrillo. This is a collection of stuff that I'm interested in. It's mostly politics, pop culture, technology stuff, and music. It's also a place to share what's going on in my world with all of you. I'm a Village Trustee in Frankfort, Illinois, so if you came here for Frankfort news/views, you'll be disappointed. Check out my 
