“Before [Old Spice] discovered its purpose,” Mr. Stengel said in his Cincinnati talk, “we were, frankly, chasing Axe. … It can be a very sexy brand, a very provocative brand, and Old Spice was kind of trying to mimic that.”

What is the purpose of Old Spice you ask?

A manifesto from Old Spice’s brand team goes: “I didn’t have an older brother to steer me down the aisle to the Old Spice shelf. Needless to say, I spent my formative years watching a lot of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ on Friday nights. Now I have the chance to be that older brother I never had. I want to help the kids of today become the men of tomorrow. I want to sell them some Old Spice.”

Wow.  There are those that make a difference in the world and there are those who just want to sell some Old Spice.

Speaking of jackets, Mark’s Work Warehouse and Sleep Country are both collecting winter jackets for the Salvation Army.  Believe me, they need them.  At the Centre we gave out over 100 jackets last year plus hundreds of toques, mitts, scarves and warm socks.  Many of them went to kids.  If we see someone come in dressed in clothing that isn’t as warm we would wear, we get them bundled up.  We saved some from freezing to death and a lot of people from frostbite and stuff like that.

You can drop off your “slightly used” and clean winter jackets at either one of those companies or at the Salvation Army.  If you are in Saskatoon, bring them directly down to 339 Avenue C South as we always appreciate them.

You have no idea how much people need good winter wear in Saskatchewan (and across Canada) until you don’t have it yourself.

Kudos to Taxi, Marks Work Warehouse, and Sleep Country for launching these campaigns.

In 2005, staph infections hit at least 20 Los Angeles city firefighters, many of whom work on Skid Row. A staph infection landed a deputy city attorney, who works out of the Central Division police station, in the hospital for two weeks. An LAPD helicopter pilot, who helped a homeless man across the street, almost had to have his leg amputated. Two doctors working at a wound-care clinic got infected. A chaplain and a night manager working at the Union Rescue Mission got it. So did the director of public affairs and two other employees at Midnight Mission. Besides Hauck, a deputy chief and a rookie officer at LAPD’s Central Division have been diagnosed with Skid Row staph.

“It is very seldom discussed down here, but it is a big fear for my officers every day,” says Captain Andrew Smith. “There are a lot of things that have been swept under the table, and we are really trying to shine a light on what is happening in Skid Row. I don’t think there is a lot of public awareness of this infection. We convened a meeting with the county one year ago and told them what our concerns are with the virus. I don’t think they were as concerned as we are.”

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services is doing little to address Skid Row staph. Health officials rejected Midnight Mission’s request for a mobile health unit to monitor and treat homeless people. Instead, the health department gave homeless advocates fliers to pass out. “The response was nowhere near what we expected,” says Orlando Ward, Midnight Mission’s director of public affairs, who contracted Skid Row staph, along with his wife and a co-worker. “We are talking about the streets. People who are sleeping outside — wearing the same clothes with untreated wounds. We need people to be educated across the board.”

Staph came on the scene in the 1960s, infecting nursing homes and hospitals, where some 12,000 people nationwide die from infections every year. Health officials do not track the number of staph-related deaths in L.A. County because, like the flu, cases do not need to be reported. The hospital version mutated into a community version that the Centers for Disease Control calls USA 300, dubbed Skid Row staph in this story.

In the mid-1990s, the community strain started creeping into nurseries, correctional facilities, homeless shelters, locker rooms and military bases. It was also popping up among drug users, gay men and children under 2. It was generally affecting people living in crowded conditions and dirty environments who had no access to good cleaning supplies.

The Saskatoon Heath Region has some information on how to prevent staph infection and the City of Toronto has published a wide variety of resources for use by shelters regarding everything from infections to bed bugs.

At the Centre, we have janitors on 16 of every 24 hour day and on top of that the kitchen cleans the dining room three times a day as well as their kitchen (the health inspector called it one of the cleanest kitchens he has ever seen).  Despite that part of me freaks out when I read about staph infections in NFL facilities.  You know, almost unlimited budgets, loads of cleaning and training staff, and I assume a fairly hygienic group of users and they can’t control it.

But not everyone agrees that a Chapter 11 filing by G.M. would be the disaster that many fear. Some experts note that while bankruptcy would be painful, it may be preferable to a government bailout that may only delay, at considerable cost, the wrenching but necessary steps G.M. needs to take to become a stronger, leaner company.

Although G.M.’s labor contracts would be at risk of termination in a bankruptcy, setting up a potential confrontation with its unions, the company says its pension obligations are largely financed for its 479,000 retirees and their spouses.

Shareholders have already lost much of the equity that would disappear in a bankruptcy case. Shares of G.M. rose 16 cents Wednesday, to $3.08, but they have fallen 90.5 percent over the last 12 months, amid sharply lower auto sales and fears about G.M.’s future.

And as companies in industries like airlines, steel and retailing have shown, bankruptcy can offer a fresh start with a more competitive cost structure to preserve a future for the workers who remain.

This is a tough subject as it affects hundreds of communities across Canada and the United States but giving General Motors more cash (which is essentially more debt) may be only slowing down the problems and not helping.  General Motors seems to think that if they get more cash, their turnaround will be a forgone solution, just like the previous turnarounds were forgone conclusions.  For years business analysts have been saying that General Motors has too much capacity for a changing marketplace.  Subsidizing an old business model this big may work for a time but after a while it becomes untenable.  Bankruptcy may be the only one option.

Newsweek has some ideas on how to bailout General Motors

First, auto companies’ existing creditors need to write down their debts. Even with federal aid, companies will shrink. Economist McAlinden estimates that the country has surplus assembly capacity of about 4 million vehicles, much owned by the Big Three and destined to be shut. GM will need a $25 billion government loan to get through the recession and cover closing costs, says Lache. But GM already has $48 billion of debt. Unless the old debt is sharply written down, GM would be overburdened and its rendezvous with bankruptcy would merely be delayed. Already, shareholders are essentially wiped out.

Second, labor costs need to be cut. By Lache’s estimates, GM’s hourly compensation—wage plus fringe benefits—totaled $71 in 2007 compared with Toyota’s $47. Health benefits for retirees (many in their 50s, having retired after 30 years) are expensive. These costs contributed to GM’s massive cash drain, $31 billion since 2005. But the United Auto Workers opposes making concessions. Just the opposite. Government aid, says UAW president Ron Gettelfinger, is needed “so that auto companies can meet their health-care obligations to more than 780,000 retirees and dependents.” The bailout should be more than union welfare.

Finally, automakers need a consistent energy policy. Congress demands that companies produce more fuel-efficient vehicles (35 miles per gallon by 2020, up from 25mpg now). But politicians also want low gas prices. These goals are contradictory. To encourage consumers to buy fuel-efficient vehicles, Congress should mandate higher gas prices. Gasoline taxes could be raised gradually (say a penny a month for four years, possibly offset by other tax cuts). Wild swings between low and high fuel prices have crippled the U.S. industry by erratically shifting buyer preferences—to and from SUVs.

Easier said than done.

Just this week, Melrose took a day off from practice, suggesting the team needed not to hear from him for a day.

Last night, after the club blew a 2-0 lead to lose at home to Detroit, he gave the players AND the coaching staff a full day off on Friday.

In today’s NHL, that’s inexcusable. Now, he’ll have all the time off he needs.

It didn’t help Melrose that early in the season he was very reluctant to give much ice time to prize rookie Steven Stamkos when GM Brian Lawton made it very clear that he wanted Stamkos to play lots of minutes.

Donations can be made out to:
On Rock Ministries
5000 St. Charles
Pierrefonds Qc
H9H 3G1
Memo Line:  Van Challenge

I wonder the same thing can be said about church pastors.  For many, they come from outside the community, have no long term ties to the community or the church and if going  gets rough, have escape routes to take to another church, back to school, or another religious institution.  Constant church transitions means that entire years are lost (researchers say it takes a pastor 7 years to build the relationships necessary to be effective in a local church… of course since most senior pastor tenures are under 2 years in the United States, that is just theory). In addition to this, there is a clergy class in almost every denomination which in a variety of historical settings has chosen to protect itself and it’s members rather than the institution it serves.

Lyle Schaller has written about this extensively but I wonder if until we can get our minds around a different idea what leadership looks like and then figure out new ways to teach and  educate them for pastoral ministry, the current system is just going to make the problems worse.

Somewhat related are 50 facts that the Telegraph posted about him.  I left some of the ones I got a kick out of with my reflections coming afterwards.

• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics

If I was McCain I would attacked him on this because everyone knows that Batman can kick both of their asses.

• He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed

As a lefty, I expect some pro-left handed legislation to come about, we are due.

• While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead

I know that makes him sound cool but let’s be honest, the guy is a White Sox fan.  Most White Sox players even cheer for the Cubs.

• His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea

All American iced tea tastes like sawdust.  If I am Stephen Harper I  am concerned about this if I ever get invited to Washington.

• He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn’t

I promised Wendy I wouldn’t go bald.  Men occasionally make promises we can’t keep.

• He can bench press an impressive 200lbs

What’s sad is that his 40 time is probably faster than mine as well.

• He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee.

Haven’t we all.

• His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees

Regardless of his politics, I would much rather be stuck with his iPod than John McCain’s iPod.

• He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker

Are any of us suprised that the man is a kick butt Scrabble player.

• He doesn’t drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol

No wonder he ran for President, he felt out of place being sober on the Senate floor.

• He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician

Everyone I know would have liked to be an architect rather than what we do.

• As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine

He out Bill Clinton’d, Bill Clinton.

• He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside

Finally, common ground with John McCain.

• He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal

This is why he won the youth vote, he knows our pain.

• He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry

If this president thing doesn’t work out, he can always be a blogger.

• He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits

Don’t we all.

• He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes

What I want to know is what he wears on the basketball court?

• He was given the code name “Renegade” by his Secret Service handlers

Let me guess what John McCain’s nickname was… Maverick or Grandpa?

• He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds

Older guys like him make me mad.  Not only does he get his own basketball court but he still has a game to go with it.

• His speciality as a cook is chilli

That had to be popular on the campaign bus.

Mark’s reply cracked me up.  “Yeah but he isn’t that good this year and I don’t think we should be cheering for a loser.  Dad, it’s time to move on and pick a different car. #24 is the way to go.”

In other news, Citigroup is looking for a regional bank as it is flush with cash from the splurge.

In an effort aided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Citigroup tried to acquire Wachovia before Wells Fargo & Co. made a larger offer that did not rely on help from the government. After various lawsuits were filed over who was the rightful purchaser of Wachovia, Citigroup withdrew its bid. Wells Fargo is proceeding with its bid — valued at $12.7 billion in stock — and expects the acquisition of the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank to close by the end of the year.

Many analysts have expected Citigroup to strike again, and the bank has said it would likely use a $25 billion investment from the government — part of the $700 billion financial rescue package passed by Congress last month — to take advantage of opportunities in the market.

I had no idea the $700 billion dollar bailout was designed to help banks go on an acquisition spree.

• I snapped this photo of Ollie the other night.  Despite his peaceful expression on his face, he hates the sleeping cap with a passion.
• After years of reading Alan Creech’s fishing stories, I finally bought Mark a fishing rod.  Next spring we plan to empty Last Mountain Lake completely.  Of course we do have some competition from the bird sanctuary that is near the cabin and we have to try to convince Wendy that cleaning fish is fun.
• I signed Wendy and I up to take the coffee house at the Community Centre every second Sunday night.  I am paying Mark to help clean up the mess (he is saving for a Nintendo DS or a PSP) afterwards.  Wendy fielded several marriage proposals and requests for dates.  We had over 100 people there for coffee house which consists of coffee, juice, soup, sandwiches, and a dessert.  In addition to people coming for coffee, we had a couple people there that were thwarted from making a drug deal (what happened to dealing drugs on street corners?).
• Christmas shopping is almost done.  The hardest one to shop for is Ollie as he has all of Mark’s baby toys plus a bunch of new gifts from friends. 
• I am shopping for a new desktop computer.  My trusty desktop has been a 900 mhz AMD Duron for years.  2 gigs of Ram and a big hard drive can only take you so far.  I was going to give it to Mark but Computers 4 Kids has 1.4 ghz machines that come with everything for under $50.  Mark won’t be going online without permission but I am wondering what software is essential for a kid in Grade 3.  Suggestions?   Leave them in the comments.
• The lack of posting around here is from me being exhausted at nights.  Work has been really tough and when I come home, I have been heading to bed around 8 p.m. a lot of nights.  I have the next two days off which may be the longest stretch of days off I have had in a year.  So far, so good.
• Wendy posted this cabin the other day on the cabin blog.  When we were first married, we wanted to build something like this, although this is nicer than we envisioned.  We were watching a show about cabin’s one time and this couple had one like this and a smaller one for their two kids.  They were far enough from each other that they had privacy yet they cooked, ate, and drank coffee together as a family.  Perfect for a family of introverts.