Greg Hartnett

Last week, Illinois Senator Barak Obama announced that he will be running for President in 2008. In the months to come, if his campaign manager does his job correctly, you’ll see commercial after commercial extolling the virtues of Mr. Obama. And if the Clinton camp does it’s job, you’ll see no shortage of commercials focusing on why Mr. Obama should not be your next Commander in Chief. One thing is for certain: nobody will be talking about where Barak stands, and how he has served to date.

Here are some key issues Sen. Obama sponsored or voted for during his eight years as an Illinois state senator:

Budget and Taxes

Crime and Gun Control

Health Care

Other

So at least now, it’s not all a popularity contest.

Source - Sacramento Bee print edition

I bought them for my kids for Christmas. At first my wife wanted to buy just one for them to share, but after we agreed that her suggestion may be the worst idea ever, we opted to get them each their own. A pink one for Téa and a white one for JR. They got a handful of games each from assorted grandparents and such. It made for the ideal gift. Suffice it to say that they love ‘em.

Unfortunately, we had to return JR’s. For some unknown reason, the battery just wouldn’t take a charge. We made the purchase at Costco and they have an awesome return policy (though I hear some of their employees are no smarter than your average dolphin), so getting my money back wasn’t an issue. However, they no longer carry the Nintendo DS Lite, so I have been trying to find a replacement.

After checking my local Target, Toys R Us, and EBGames to no avail, I have begun my online search. Instead of doing the legwork myself, I was hoping that one of my readers may know of an online spot that I can grab one - preferably around the $150 level (give or take a handful of dollars).

So pick out your favorite spot - make it your affiliate page. Help me help you

I need to get it within the next few days, so if nobody comes up with any recommendations, I’ll be forced to go it alone.

If you pay attention to the online world at all, then you’re familiar with contextual advertising. It’s a huge business, generating billions of dollars for website owners and the companies serving the ads. It’s the primary revenue stream of Wall St darling Google Inc, and online behemoths Yahoo and Microsoft, while late to the game, are making strides in parlaying their real estate into cash cows.

It’s a fantastic platform in which readers see relevant ads, website owners are able to monetize their traffic, advertisers can reach targetted visitors, and the server of the advertisement collects revenues. The primary flaw in the system appears to be click fraud, in which a user clicks on the ad without any real interest in the underlying product or service.

While most talk concerning click fraud centers on companies clicking ads to cost their competition money or the website owner clicking ads to generate income, I have yet to hear anybody speak of clicking for friends. Is it common practice, or am I alone in my ways?

When I go to a blog or site owned by a friend and I see some contextual advertising, a lot of times I’ll click on an ad or two to help my buddy out. No, I am not really interested in purchasing some new chopsticks, but if I can click on an ad and generate some revenues for him/her, why not? Likewise for a site that I come across that I enjoyed. Great new page on Digg? I check it out, read the article, and if I enjoy it, I’ll throw the site owner a bone by clicking on an ad. Hey, he made my day better with a great post, why shouldn’t I reciprocate in kind with a little clickity-click??

It should be noted that I have never had somebody ask me to click on their ads - that would be a violation of most TOS, and a bit tacky to boot. Fortunately, I seem to have friends that hold themselves to a higher standard. This is just something I have taken upon myself to help boost their revenues.

So, do you click for friends, or am I the lone miscreant?

So you have finally realized that the country is going to Hell in a hand basket. Corrupt politicians who pander to corporations, legislation that doesn’t reflect your values, tax dollars being spent obscenely. It all seems like too much to think about - it would be so much easier to just sit your ass on the couch and watch CSI. But that’s what they want you to do.

Below I provide a dozen ways for you to get involved. None of the ideas are meant to be partisan in nature. Regardless of which side of the aisle you sit on, you can still get involved. It’s not a difference of opinions that will bring down the empire - it’s apathy. So get off the couch, and get involved.

1. Attend a Rally - There’s nothing to make you feel more involved with a cause than attending a rally. Mingling with people who share your ideas and are working towards a common goal can be truly inspirational.
2. Get Your Coworkers to Vote - This can be as simple as encouraging Sally in cubicle 5b to get out and vote. Or you could post flyers in your break room explaining the virtues of voting to the less socially concious. If you are the boss, give your people some time off to go out and vote. The work will be there when they get back…
3. Create an Online Petition - Gone are the days of going door to door to get people to sign a petition. With the advent of the Internet, getting people involved is a breeze. A few resources: Petition Spot; The Petition Site; and Petition Online.
4. Volunteer for a Campaign - Running for office requires a lot of work, and a lot of people to help. There are plenty of things you can do to help: hand out literature, host a reception, help with mailings, and more. Just find somebody you like and contact them - they’ll tell you how you can best help with their efforts.
5. Alert the Media - Mainstream media is obsessed with sensationalism and fear, at the neglect of stories that should be getting attention. If you know of something that isn’t getting the attention it deserves, say something about it. Let ‘em know, maybe they’ll surprise you. Contact CNN, call FOX at 888-369-4762, contact ABC News, call CBS at 212-975-3247 or send them an email. (Information for NBC and MSNBC was not readily available - their contact page was experiencing problems).
6. Host a House Party - Open your home to host a fundraising party for your candidate. These intimate gatherings can be ideal for sharing information and getting people involved. The casual setting of a home, and the spirit of a party make it less stuffy. For more information check out Meetup. They’ve got info for any city you can think of.
7. Write Letters to Congress - Tell your representatives exactly what you are thinking. For best results, write from the heart, and try a personalized letter, instead of a form letter. Contacting your representative is easy - see Contacting the Congress for a full set of contact details including phone, website, mailing address, fax, and more.
8. Involve Your Family - Getting your family involved with your activities can go a long way to keeping you active. Introducing your kids to the political process and getting them active will help keep you going (as a role model) and will set your kids in an active mindset.
9. Fight the Power - Attend your town hall meetings, and let your local representatives know how you feel. Need a new traffic light to help reduce speeding in your neighborhood? Tired of your public school’s lack of funding? Find out when City Hall has it’s monthly meetings, and attend. The floor opens up for new business, and you can make your opinion known.
10. Freeway Blog - For as little as a couple of bucks, you can reach hundreds of thousands of people. Not only is it your right to do so, but in today’s day and age, it’s almost your obligation. Find out more from the master.
11. Give Money - When all else fails, you can always dig into your pocket and provide financial assistance. There aren’t any organizations that couldn’t use a couple of extra bucks to help with their cause. There are no shortage of places to donate - find a cause that you agree with and send them $50 (or whatever you can afford). It’s easy to do and your donation will go a long way.
12. Speak out Online - There is perhaps no better way to reach so many people on a shoestring budget. With a global audience, participating in the discussion online can cause ripple effects for years to come. Start a blog (zero to little cost) and get writing. Find some popular blogs of writers you disagree with, and present a dissenting point of view. There are always two sides to an argument (at a minimum) so get in there and present your view - it will always be there for others to see, and you could help in forming an opinion. The Technorati Top 100 and the BOTW Blogs Politics category are great places to start looking.

You don’t need to try to tackle each of the above ideas. Pick one or two and start there. Now that you have some ideas, it’s up to you - get involved or stay complacent. The choice is yours.

I have set a goal for myself of 40 days on the mountain this season. With the month of December behind me, I’m on target to hit my number. Currently I’ve got 9 days on the hill - all day trips to either Sugarbowl or Northstar. Most of them were solo runs, with a few trips up with the wife and kids.

Getting my kids boarding was a primary concern for me this season, and thus far they are doing great. JR has 4 days under his belt, and Téa has three. They have both taken a few lessons, but definitely still need some additional instruction before I feel comfortable letting them rip it up. They both really need to get their turns down a bit more, and they need to work on their control. My son in particular needs to get some respect for the mountain, and not just point his board straight downhill.

I have a bunch of pictures of the kids on the mountain - check out the day sets at my Flickr account. Additionally, I’ve got a quick clip of JR coming down the bunny hill. Most of it is him flopping around, trying to get up (a very important part of the learning process). Check out his little jumps - a “trick” he taught himself