Monthly Archives: August 2008

Only Speech of Substance

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We live in this odd fishbowl world. The political conventions have become somewhat like the Olympics where analysts will rate a performance on technical merit and style points.

Most of the speeches I have heard have been high on the passion and the throwing of red meat to the audience. There has been lots of charisma, lots of rhetoric and snappy phrases but devoid of content and substance.

I am proud of Mark Warner. He gave a thoughtful, honest to him and his beliefs keynote speech. It talked about real things. He talked about broadband connections for everyone; internet time; and the need to act on things NOW. He mentioned how China is winning gold medals in the economy not just swimming and gymnastics. He talked about the importance of math and science. He talked about management and execution not just about leadership. He talked about real world economics; revenue generation; and the power of education.

He looked to the future and stopped the name calling aimed at the past.

Mark was perhaps the best Governor in Virginia’s history save for Thomas Jefferson. He had our state humming. It was ranked best-managed state in the union for three years running.

Mark Warner is a centrist not a flame thrower. He is a thinker not a talker. He is a man of integrity and a man who understands the importance of technology in our lives. He is of our generation.

I am proud of Mark and I am proud that he gave a speech that was authentic and true to him. He was a great Governor. He will be a great Senator and hopefully – one day – his aspirations will be even higher. 

We Must NOT Believe the Hype

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I get nervous when I read these reviews. I like being the underdog; having a chip on our shoulder; and wanting to prove the media and the experts wrong. Thank you for the nice write-up but I don’t want to believe it. I know every game will be a battle and our record will be what it is at season’s end based on execution, performance, health and luck.

I Remember This Draft Well

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I remember Alex Ovechkin and his family mingling and warmly welcoming all of our prospects that were drafted by us. I remember Alex eating about ten cantaloupes and working the door at our fan club event. I remember Mike Green and Chris Bourque bonding and my talking to his dad (Ray Bourque) about the importance of this draft to us as a franchise. I remember Jeff Shultz looking shy and then standing up to meet Alex Ovechkin and Alex saying, “Good. You are tall. You will put on weight and you can help me when I rush down ice.”

We have had some bad drafts in the past – as do many clubs - but this was an exceptionally good draft. To have the MVP and the league’s leading D man scorer come from one draft and for there to be so many players that have or will make it in the NHL is a great testament to our scouts and front office.

I knew something was special in the air at that draft. Kudos to Mike for reminding us all how special it was.

Making a Difference

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I need your help for a great cause.  As many of you know, I’m involved with YouthAIDS and Five & Alive, a program of Population Services International (PSI).  I’ve recently been given an opportunity to make a difference by nominating a project of PSI’s to the 2008 American Express Members Project.  Help save the lives of more than 4 million children with just the click of a button – nominate my project to be in the top 25 for the American Express Members Project! 
Diarrheal disease – I know this may not be the most appetizing of topics, but it is serious and killing millions of children every year. Children are dying every day of what most Americans would think of as a minor inconvenience. PSI has developed a Diarrhea Treatment Kit program, which costs just 37¢ and would provide lifesaving treatment for children suffering from diarrheal disease.  Five & Alive has the opportunity to win $1.5 million to distribute these kits to needy families.  If we win – we could save more than 500,000 children from diarrheal disease!
For an example of the project please see this YouTube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOiTI_D9slY

Join me in nominating the “The unspoken deadly killer – Diarrhea” project for the first round of voting, which ends on August 31, 2008.
It’s easy to vote.  Simply visit www.membersproject.com,  log on as an American Express cardholder (if you have not registered your card online, please do so – it is quick and easy to do), search by one or a few key words from the project name – “The unspoken deadly killer of children – Diarrhea” - click on the title and submit your nomination.

But don’t stop there!  At the bottom of the page, there are many ways to spread the word to your family and friends to encourage them to vote.  You can click on “Spread the word” to send an email to your friends or create a link on your Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites.

Thanks in advance for your support.

I Saw Bruce Too

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Yes, Bruce is organized. Yes, he is excited to go. Yes, he is in love with the team and our lineup. We want a competitive camp. We want every player to “earn” his minutes. We want a team that has depth and we want to have a great relationship with Hershey. Hershey should be much improved this year and continue to be a success on its own as well as developing and providing us with great young players.