Russ McCutcheon

Henrys Drive Pillar Box Red (PLCB code: 32052; $6.99) makes me smile. The label design, the name, the concept–how can it not make a Brit or an Aussie living in the US a little bit homesick? Fond memories of childhood come rushing back to me. Even my last visit to Blighty is rekindled.

#13;

It’s all down to the Royal Mail, that splendid postal system which exists both Down Under and in the land of its invention–Great Britain. A pillar box is red (No other color is acceptable.) and into its gaping mouth, you deposit the mail for the next collection. It is, in other words, a free-standing post box. 

#13;

Pillar Box Red (the color of the wine) is the inspiration of winemaker Chris Ringland. Henry’s Drive Vignerons is a wine-making operation named after the proprietor of the 19^th century mail coach service that ran through the property! The area is now filled with vines.

#13;

What comments can I add to a wine that has received kudos from the most talented palates on the globe? When words like lush and opulent are juggled about with carefree abandon describing this elixir and other wines produced by the winery?

#13;

The name of this particular wine may flirt with our imagination and play with our giggle pins, yet it is no fool. The label and the name will capture your initial attention, but it is the contents that will bring you back for a second glass and a number of bottles.

#13;

Henrys Drive Pillar Box Red is a blend of Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot from Australia’s Padthaway region. It is intense, deep, rich and filled with dark berry flavors and a velvety texture. Its made from the three tenors of grapes–a triumvirate fondly known as a Meritage blend.

#13;

To ensure freshness, if you fail to polish off the entire bottle in one quaffing, there is a screw cap, rather than the unreliable and impossible-to-stuff-back-in-again cork. In other words, this is a serious wine disguised in nifty, fun packaging.

#13;

But I challenge you to find a better wine for the price. If you do, send me a postcard, and drop it into the nearest pillar box.

#13;

Cheers!

#13;

Look for Henrys Drive Pillar Box Red and other great wines at these local Wine amp; Spirits Shops:

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Fine Wine and Good Spirits

#13;

Wine and Spirits

SportsOlogy was so devastated by Oprahs retirement that we decided to start our own book club! It fits perfectly into our schedule, right between our Tupperware parties and our daily organization of the massive stamp collection we own. Were taking you chapter by chapter through the Jim Miller and Tom Shales collaboration entitled Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN. Well be giving you our recap, reaction, heroes, villains, and favorite quotes for each chapter, with one installment on Wednesday and one on Friday of each week until we finish. Pick up a copy and follow along! Today we read chapter two, called The Utility of Daring: 1980-1986.

If you missed chapter one (Blood: 1978-1979), check it out here.

Recap

Chapter two opens with reporter Sal Marchiano discussing an
interview he conducted with Muhammad Ali before the champ’s fight against Larry
Holmes. ESPN made a point of taping Holmes’s training sessions, and Ali agreed
to an interview in exchange for the tapes. We can see through this encounter with a huge sports celebrity that ESPN has begun to
take off, and while the fledgling network still is not profitable, it certainly
appears as though it will survive.

In spite of the increasing recognition, ESPN does not have any
flagship sports outside of college basketball, so they must be creative. During
March Madness, ESPN develops the concept of live cut-ins during games, which we
now take for granted but which in the early ’80s was viewed as heretical in the
television world. Of course, viewers loved it, and ESPN was helped by the
multitude of close games the NCAA Tournament offered. In addition to developing
new programming techniques for sports that already had a good deal of popularity,
ESPN pushed new and different programming. They were the first to broadcast the
NFL Draft, and they were instrumental in developing the nationwide appeal of
regional sports like NASCAR.

These innovations, however, pale in comparison with the star
of ESPN’s early days: THE DUAL REVENUE STREAM! It must always be written in
caps, because it should inspire awe whenever it is read. The idea is simple,
yet it had never been done before in the world of cable. ESPN began charging
cable providers on a per-subscriber basis, meaning that they would break from
the traditional free broadcasts of the major networks. They met with some
resistance initially because many people assumed that free television was a
right, but eventually the demand for ESPN’s programming forced cable providers
to submit to what initially was a miniscule fee. When combined with traditional
advertising dollars, the subscriber money created a DUAL REVENUE STREAM that
changed the direction of cable TV and allowed ESPN to stay afloat and later to
become extraordinarily profitable.

Now we get to the juicy stuff. Founder Bill Rasmussen gets
forced out of the company with little more than a wave goodbye, and changes are
afoot at ESPN. President Chet Simmons leaves to become commissioner of the USFL
(good call!) and various new faces make their way into the mix. Roger Werner
enters as the CEO and attempts to provide some semblance of structure to the network,
and Bill Fitts heads the production department and guides the early voice and
programming choices of ESPN. Our old friend Stu Evey finds himself on the
outside looking in on this rapidly changing environment when Texaco buys Getty
Oil. Since Texaco has no need for ESPN, and ABC runs the network, which later gets sold
to Capital Cities Communications. Stu continues his drunkenly absurd behavior,
and by the end of the chapter ESPN functions with a motley new crew of employees
under CapCity.

OK, now we’ll give you the really juicy stuff, the stuff that made you read the book in the
first place (unless you get a big hard-on for the DUAL REVENUE STREAM). Sex and
drugs. Stu Evey wasn’t the only guy boozing and sexing around the country.
Because Bristol is so isolated (that’s the excuse, anyway), many employees
fraternize with each other in a more than friendly way. Cocaine plays a large
role, and it turns out that some of the low-level employees have been using
secretaries to turn tricks. Yikes! The culture is certainly “work hard, play
hard,” and the word hard does not do the play justice. There’s sex in the stairwells and
drugs on the floors (no word on rock and roll), yet somehow ESPN keeps trucking
along. In a fitting end, the chapter comes to a close with Stu Evey checking
into rehab and telling us that he’s never had the desire to drink again.

Reaction

The storytelling in this chapter is a bit more jumbled than
in the first. The narrative initially focuses on the nuts and bolts of how ESPN
stayed alive, with the DUAL REVENUE STREAM, college basketball, and innovative
programming concepts playing a key role, but then we’re treated to the sex and
drugs in the middle of the chapter. It’s a necessary evil to keep readers on
their toes, but we return to the nuts and bolts and jump around from there. One
minute we’re reading about hookers, then we’re talking NASCAR, and college
football makes its way in. Perhaps the narrative is designed to mirror the
hectic early years of ESPN, and it’s not difficult to follow, but it does come
off as disjointed.

Beyond the narrative, the sex and drug stories contained in
chapter two give credence to the opinion many people had formed when hype
surrounding the book began to build. It’s difficult for me to imagine a work
environment in which mail room workers ask the secretaries to become hookers,
but apparently that’s what happened at ESPN. The Bristol Excuse–which means
that any and all d*uchebaggery at ESPN can be attributed to the general
sh*ttiness of Bristol, Connecticut–is lazy and untrue, because the prostitution
took place in New York City. Everyone continues to be career-minded, which just
means ESPN employees have no regard for personal relationships or general human
decency. Bill Fitts and Roger Werner come off as reasonably normal human
beings, but there are mixed opinions on them as well. In short, we see more of
the same attitude at ESPN that forced out its founder in such humiliating and
ungrateful fashion.

Top Villains

Still Stuart Evey. Hes a genuine clown who wants credit for everything, wont get out of Chet Simmonss hair, and is fueled solely by the pursuit of booze and women. Actually, maybe he should be a hero?

Top Heroes

Roger Werner, CEO. He actually seems like an ok guy.

THE DUAL REVENUE STREAM. For obvious reasons.

Favorite Quotes:

“Simmons didn’t like Evey. I think Evey scared the living
bejesus out of him. And Evey didn’t like Simmons. Rasmussen didn’t like Evey,
but no matter, because Evey didn’t respect Rasmussen. Of course Simmons wanted
nothing to do with Rasmussen, and Rasmussen didn’t like Simmons.” -Andy Brilliant,
General Counsel, on the f*cked up relationships at early ESPN

“People had better treat each other with respect and make it a healthy, exciting, fun place to work. -Roger Werner, CEO, on the ESPN workplace. An ominous quote to remember over the course of the book.

Fast-forward to a party at the Playboy mansion that I was at with my daughter. -Stuart Evey, VP of Getty Oil, in one of his more memorable non sequiturs.

Whenever Evey was there with his entourage, they would destroy the place with liquor, drugs, hookers, and whatever else they were doing. They had to replace furniture half the time. Everybody used the apartment for one thing or another. -Andy Brilliant on some of the sex, drugs, and partying.

SumOlogy: The narrative may be a bit disjointed, but you leave with a better sense of the cable television business while still getting plentyof sex and drugs to keep you entertained.

Follow Anthony Schneck on Twitter: @AnthonyOlogy

Mark Allen, PhD, is an educator, consultant, author and speaker. He is the editor of and a contributor to The Corporate University Handbook and has written and presented extensively on the topic of corporate universities. He is a participating faculty member in Organization Theory and Management at Pepperdine University, where he also served for ten years as director of executive education.

Key Topics Covered:

Acknowledgments.

PART ONE: CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES AS STRATEGIC BUSINESS PARTNERS.

Chapter 1: What Is a Next-Generation Corporate University? (Mark Allen).

Chapter 2: Building a Holistic Development Framework (Aimee George-Leary, Ed Cohen).

Chapter 3: Learning as a Competitive Business Variable (Karen Barley).

PART TWO: INTERNAL CORPORATE UNIVERSITY FUNCTIONS.

Chapter 4: Splendid Learning: Why Technology Doesnt Matter (Roger C. Schank).

Chapter 5: Branding Your Corporate University (Annick Renaud-Coulon).

Chapter 6: Corporate Universities: The New Keepers of the Ethical Flame? (Philip McGee, John R. Duncan).

Chapter 7: Next-Generation Evaluation: Searching for Value (Jack J. Phillips, Patti P. Phillips).

PART THREE: DISTINCTIVE SETTINGS FOR CORPORATE UNIVERSITIES.

Chapter 8: Global Considerations for Corporate Universities (Ed Cohen).

Chapter 9: Corporate Universities in Small Companies (Lee E. Steffens, Shannon M. Novotne).

Chapter 10: Corporate Universities in the Nonprofit Sector (Deborah Grayson Riegel).

Chapter 11: Corporate Universities in Government (Kevin W. Bruny).

PART FOUR: NEXT-GENERATION CORPORATE UNIVERSITY FUNCTIONS.

Chapter 12: Corporate Universities as Shapers of Culture (Laree Kiely).

Chapter 13: Mentoring Can Be Magic (Lynn Slavenski).

Chapter 14: The Strategic Contribution of Corporate Universities to Leadership Coaching (Merrill C. Anderson).

Chapter 15: Career Path Management: Using Strategic Curricula to Develop People and Build Competitive Organization Capabilities (Jack Gregg).

Chapter 16: Succession Management in Corporate Universities (Lynn Schmidt).

Chapter 17: The Role of Corporate Universities in Knowledge Management and Knowledge-Sharing Communities (Mark W. Allen).

Chapter 18: Wisdom Management: The Missing Link Between Learning and Performance (Mark Allen).

Index.

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6d503e/the_next_generatio

SOUTH BEND — The citys plans to build a new animal control shelter were dealt a setback Tuesday when the Redevelopment Commission tabled a request for more funding.

Code enforcement director Catherine Toppel had asked the commission for $300,000 more than the $1.5 million in tax incremental financing district revenue the commission already has approved for the project.

But Common Council members Tuesday sent the commission a letter asking that the request be tabled, and urging the city to consider consolidating with The Humane Society of St. Joseph County, which is building a new 22,000-square-foot shelter at its site on Grape Road in Mishawaka. The councils letter, signed by seven of its nine members, asked the city administration to explore other alternatives in light of very difficult economic challenges facing all of us.

Dubai: A fox who thinks hes a dog, a deer with an eye the size of a tennis ball, a donkey who thinks hes a human being, a dog left hanging on a tree to die, another whose body was riddled with bulletshellip; the stories Aisha, our own Florence Nightingale, has to tell are varied and plentiful.

Fortunately, most have a happy ending. The fox is domesticated and lives with the dogs, the deers had treatment and the eye, although blinded, is back to normal size, the donkey lives in Abu Dhabi in a wildlife sanctuary, the dogs are much loved pets and live with their new families in Dubai and London.

And all these animals have Aisha Kelaif to thank for their recovery.

Losing her parents at a very young age made Aisha, an Emirati with a Dutch, British, Portuguese and Sri Lankan background, seek comfort and love in her pets. Its that love that she spreads today at her villa in Al Barsha, which has been converted into DARC, Dubai Animal Rescue Centre, a sanctuary that currently homes 230 animals, both domestic and wild.

You name it

From snakes to ponies, maras, deer, gazelle, iguanas, peacocks, hedgehogs, monkeys, alpacas and a fox, Aisha has them all. Most of the time people call us saying theyve found an abandoned animal, or own one whos at deaths door and dont want it any more, says Aisha.

Once Ive been told about these animals, it leaves me with no choice. Say no and allow the animal to be euthanised, or take it home and give it love and medical care; the choice is obvious. I keep saying that its not the animals fault that its in that condition. People need to be educated about animal rights, their welfare, upkeep, and our social responsibility towards them. And thats my dream.

One day I want to have an official animal rescue and education centre in Dubai. The next generation needs to be taught about their responsibility towards animals. They need to understand the difference between domestic pets and wildlife. Theres a reason certain animals are called wildlife. Its because they belong in the wild, not locked up in someones home, she says.

Aishas message is simple: People should be aware of what they buy as pets. Sometimes, an animal can look cute enough, but its not meant to be a pet, so why try to lock it in a cage or keep it in your home? she asks.

Looking after 230 unwanted animals doesnt come cheap. Although DARC relies on volunteers, Aisha works five days a week as a senior executive in the conservation department at Dewa (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority) to feed all the hungry mouths and pay the medical bills. And yet, despite the long hours, the occasional heartbreak, the high bills, Aisha goes to bed a happy woman.

I do what I do because of my love for these animals. I have to help them. They cant speak about what theyve been through. I want to be their voice. Every one of these animals shouldnt be here. They all deserve to be either in nature or with a loving family, she says.

A blessing

Its not easy tending to their injuries and seeing their pain. One needs to be very committed and sacrifice a lot. But for every failure there are a dozen success stories. And that makes me want to go on. When there are bad days, such as when an animal has to be euthanised, or one is dying in my hands, I cant help but think I dont want to do this any more. But the good things keep me going. Every happy ending is worth unlimited sacrifices, says Aisha, who admits her life would be very lonely if she didnt have these animals to share it with.

The way they greet me when I get home, the love they shower me with, thats not something you can find anywhere else. That sort of love cant be bought. You have to be blessed to experience it.

REGIONAL Victorians are being warned to stay away from flying foxes after a potentially deadly virus was found in a Gippsland bat.

Victorias chief health officer John Carnie issued the plea following the discovery of a dead bat carrying the Australian bat lyssavirus in Bairnsdale this month.

Dr Carnie said the deadly virus was transmissible to humans and domestic pets, and under no circumstances should people handle flying foxes on their property.

The virus is transmitted through being scratched or bitten by a flying fox, he said.

There have been two recorded cases of the disease being passed to humans, both in Queensland, but Dr Carnie warned people not to be complacent.

He said only nine cases of the disease had been recorded in Victorias flying fox population since 1996.

Bairnsdale have a large population of the animals and are a known pest to horticulture farmers.

He said a vaccination was available for people who thought they had been infected, but it had to be administered as soon as possible after contact.

Anyone who encounters a sick or injured flying fox should refrain from handling the animal and should instead contact the Department of Sustainability and Environment on 136 186.

Heres a list of activities available this summer in which kids can get involved while schools out.

Village camps

Several mayors offices are offering summer camps for village kids.

bull;Agana Heights Fun in the Sun summer program offers two five-week sessions in which kids 5 to 12 years old will participate in educational and sports activities, arts and crafts, music, dance, weekly sports clinics, computer labs, field trips and health and safety presentations. Call 472-8285.

bull;The Sinajana Sun-sational offers a two-month camp for kids 5 to 10 years old. Kids will participate in arts and crafts, cooking and sports, play games, have access to computers and attend field trips. Call 472-6707.

bull;Agat will offer two sessions of a two-week camp, offering kids activities, a field trip and visits from guest speakers. Sessions will be held June 6-17 and June 27 to July 8. Call 565-2524.

bull;Dededo will offer three sessions of a two-week summer camp for kids ages 5 to 12. The sessions will be held at the Astumbo gym June 6-17, June 27 through July 8, and July 25 to Aug. 5. Call 632-5203.

bull;Ordot-Chalan Pago will offer a summer program in three sessions from June through August. The first session, June 1-30, will focus on environment issues. In July, kids can participate in monthlong sessions offering instruction in cultural heritage — storytelling, palm weaving and making coconut candy with Chamorro masters. In a weeklong family session Aug. 1-5, parents will be invited to observe their kids showcasing artwork and learning skills. Call 472-8302.

Theater camp

In the sixth annual University of Guam summer theater program, kids will rehearse and perform Oz! — a musical version of L. Frank Baums tale of Dorothys magical journey. The program, which is open to youths ages of 10 and 14, will be held from 1 to 5 pm June 3 to July 15. The fee is $600 per student. Call camp director Michelle Bednarzyk at 735-2733 or Troy McVey at 735-2854 for inquiries.

Math camp

Public high school students can bone up on their math skills in a summer math camp. The program is open to public high school seniors who have a 2.0 grade-point average or above and who want to pursue a college degree. The camp will take place June 6-17, weekdays from 9 am to noon. The course will cover the nine math content areas that are included in UOGs math placement test. Once students complete math camp, they can take the placement test. Students who complete camp and take the placement test are eligible to receive a scholarship from UOG, which will cover 50 percent of tuition costs for a GCC or UOG fall 2011 semester math class. Seats are for high school students from George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Simon Sanchez, Southern, and Okkodo. The deadline to register was May 20, but if you need more information, contact wendellmroden@yahoo.com

Adventure camp

Kids who want a more energetic experience can get exercise and adventure through the University of Guam adventure sports camp. The camp offers kids the opportunity to hike, camp out, take trips to water parks, play team sports and recreational games, make arts and crafts and get health education. The program offers four sessions between June 13 and Aug. 5. Sessions are open to children 5 to 15 years old. The full-day tuition rate is $175 per two-week session, per child. For more information contact the UOG field house office at 735-2863/62/61.

4-H workshops

If you want your child to be a more responsible citizen, the University of Guam Cooperative Extension Services 4-H Youth Development Program offers workshops on a host of topics. Kids can enroll in courses on science, engineering and technology, basic and advanced computers, photography, entomology, animal care and fishery. Each workshop encourages students to become responsible residents in our community by exploring todays technology and bringing awareness to issues in our environment. For more information, call the cooperative extension office at 735-2040/45.

Reef Ranger camp

The National Park Service will offer kids a chance to learn and teach about conserving the environment during a free Reef Ranger camp during June and July. Fifth- and sixth-graders can participate in one of two one-week Reef Ranger sessions offered June 20-24 and June 27 and July 1. The camp will teach kids about taking care of the ocean and water safety, and will include games and cultural activities. For older kids, the Reef Ranger Conservation Camp offers a chance to learn about leadership and their role in conserving the environment June 13 to July 17. Open to incoming ninth- and 10th-graders, the program offers kids opportunities to become mentors and trainers for the younger Reef Rangers. Both camps are free to the public. Sessions begin at 8 am and finish at 12:30 pm Call 477-7278, ext. 1014.

Swim camp

Youth for Youth LIVE! Guam — in conjunction with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuses Prevention and Training Branch — is hosting a swim program open to youths ages 5 to 15 years old. The camp will be held from June 21 through July 29 at the Hagåtña Swimming Pool. There are two sessions: Session I is on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Session II is on Wednesdays and Fridays. Both run from 8 am to noon. Registration fee is $75 per participant and includes activities such as swimming lessons, water safety instruction, drug prevention awareness presentations, self-esteem and team-building workshops and more. Participants and parents are encouraged to attend the orientation on June 17. Call 477-9079/477-8861 or visit www.peaceguam.org.

With gasoline prices teetering at nearly $4 a gallon, pain at the pump is crimping some Memorial Day travel plans.

The auto club AAA is projecting that 34.9 million Americans will take trips at least 50 miles from home over the holiday weekend, an uptick of 0.2 percent – or 100,000 travelers – over last years 34.8 million.

But soaring gas prices are a deterrent, causing travel to be relatively flat, despite a better economy.

I am not going away this weekend, and its due to the price of gas, said Yvonne Corbin, 38, a West Philadelphia mother of three who works as a medical-billing coordinator.

The Communist Party newspaper Granma published an article on Monday praising the more than 1,000 independent shops that sell building materials in Cuba, saying that the stores give Cubans more access to supplies without having to navigate the bureaucracy. “Acquiring these products no longer means immersing oneself in the tangle of innumerable ‘legal’ documents that, in many cases, facilitated corruption and favoritism toward a ‘chosen’ few who were not always the most in need,” the paper said. The government has long controlled all construction on the island. Cement and other building materials were available in theory at state-run stores at heavily subsidized prices, but demand greatly outstripped supply in part due to pilfering from state stocks.

NEENAH ? A 28-year-old Neenah man wanted on charges related to drunken driving and a burglary attempted to flee Neenah police on foot Friday.

But he didnt get very far.

When police approached a group of men working on a home in the 700 block of Fairwood Drive, Jason Provo jumped a fence and headed north, crossing Cecil Street on the citys south side.

But by then he had already trapped himself, running headlong into a fun run in progress at Hoover Elementary School.

Essentially, we had a perimeter set up for the fun run and this guy ran right into it, said Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson. Normally its the other way around ? someone flees and we set up a perimeter to contain him.

An officer manning the finish line on Zemlock Avenue heard about the foot pursuit on his radio and looked up to see Provo running toward him.

Police said Provo then attempted to hide in a neighboring backyard, but he was quickly apprehended by several officers and taken to the Winnebago County Jail in Oshkosh.