Maverick

Vice President MILF

John McCain announced his VP running-mate today, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. I love the pick - and what a great chess move. This lady is hard nosed, sincere, likeable, and believable in all the ways that Hillary isn't. She's got an 80% approval rating, and arguably more experience than the Dem's Presidential pick.

I must admit I had a sentimental hope that Governor Tim Pawlenty of my home state of Minnesota would get the nod - but I knew he was never the best pick for the ticket.

Sarah Palin is a slam dunk, and what away to put a foot on the neck of the 'Obama Superstar Spectaular' that went down in Denver last night. I think the VP debate is going to be more intersting than the Presidential debates.

A few notes from Wikipedia:
Palin was the point guard and captain for the Wasilla High School Warriors, in Wasilla, Alaska, when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship in 1982; she earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" because of her intense play. She played the championship game despite a stress fracture in her ankle, hitting a critical free throw in the last seconds. Palin, who was also the head of the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes, would lead the team in prayer before games.

In 1984, after winning the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, Palin finished second in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant which won her a scholarship to help pay her way through college. In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.

Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho where she also minored in politics. She married her high school sweetheart, Todd Palin, on August 29th, 1988, and briefly worked as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations while also working as a commercial fisherman with her husband.

She hunts, eats moose hamburger, ice fishes, rides snowmobiles, and owns a float plane. Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association.

Right Now!!


And Craig Ferguson...who was ahead of the pack on this...

Golden Girls

Tiger Walks on Water

Apparently some huge flaming nerds video game enthusiasts discovered a glitch in EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour '08 which allowed Tiger to play shots out of a water hazard. Well, EA Sports has responded with a new promo for the '09 version of the game.



Sure Tiger can walk on water, but did Jesus ever win the Jerusalem Open on a broken leg with jacked up tendons? Tiger: 1, Jesus: 0.

As Nastia as She Wants to Be

My new favorite past-time is to try and come up with puns regarding the Olympics. You gotta be pretty quick - because ESPN is always on the case. For example, Michael Phelps wins a gold medal? "Golden Boy" or "Good to Gold". You get the idea. Feel free to post your own gems in the comments section.

After watching Nastia Liukin take the Gold Medal on Thursday night, I came up with the gem you see above. Puns!

I've also probably heard the story about what Michael Phelps eats for breakfast about 10 times in the last day and a half. Pretty solid stuff, tubby. He eats more in a day than the entire U.S. Women's gymnastics team has eaten in their entire lives.

*Dibs on Nastia Liukin

**Dude, she's 18. It's cool.

***Fine. But people were calling dibs on the Olsen Twins when they were 16. Just saying.

****When does Track and Field start? It's like I'm stuck in the movie Groundhog Day - and I keep repeating swimming and gymnastics over and over, day after day.

*****James Blake. Tennis anyone?

Still The Best

Watching the USA clean up in the pool at the Olympics has been pretty awesome to watch. And that men's relay where they powered from behind was easily the best swimming race I've ever seen. In fact, it's probably the only Olympic moment I can recall where I've jumped out of my chair and started yelling at the TV.

Anywho, whenever I see the medal ceremonies - I can't help but think of the best version of the National Anthem ever - Whitney Houston at the 1991 Super Bowl.



Goosebumps every time.

"Look"

I'm fascinated by interpersonal communication. Being in Sales for a living, I find I'm very aware of the way people try and sell you on their idea. People 'sell' each other all day long - even if they don't realize they're doing it. For example: you want Mexican for dinner, but your girlfriend wants Chinese. It's up to you to sell her on the benefits of tortillas vs. the pitfalls of MSG.

One of the latest trends I've noticed people using to make their point is to start a sentence with the word 'Look'. It's everywhere. I bet I hear it 5 times a day - especially during this election season where the candidates are pitching us all day long. The jury is still out - but I think 'Look' is here to stay, mostly because it's just so effective.

When you start a sentence with the word 'look', especially in an argument or debate - it's very final and declarative. It's a way to say 'this is the final answer to this discussion' - and it's very hard to continue a debate after you've been 'look'ed. However, you do need to be cautious in your tone - because if you're not careful, it can come off a bit rude. Still, in the hands of a silver-tongued charmer..the 'look' is a knockout.

John McCain, and more so Obama, are huge users of the 'look'. Just listen to either one of them in an interview, and I guarantee you'll start to notice it more and more. Or anytime you see a couple talking heads debating a point on TV - I guarantee you'll see this trend play out as well.

So as a little experiment - I tried working 'Look' into a few different Sales visits last week, and the results were amazingly positive. As a 'close' (as we say in my business), I found it was very effective because 'look' in essence gives me the last word - and I'm giving the final outline as to how things are going to play out.

"Look, if you don't make a commitment to furthering your research by evaluating my technology - you're going to be passed by your competitors who are."

It's so final. The 2 different people I tried it on were putty in my hands - because it's so hard to come back from a 'Look'. I watched closely to gauge their responses, and the best way I can describe it was "Well, I guess you're right." And who doesn't like to be right?

So, try it out. And keep your ears open - I think you'll be surprised where it pops up - Machiavellian as it may be.