BroadSideoftheBarn.com Web Development & Writing

To Watch - Banas Tutorial

2014-09-16T20:14:00.002-07:00

Good for Beginning Programmers

2014-09-11T22:32:00.000-07:00

Domain Names - A Better Solution

2012-02-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

From Broad Side of the Barn Blog - Ditch GoDaddy

"Yet my complaint about Godaddy is due to their customer service and business practices. I strongly recommend looking for another registrar like Network Solutions or NameCheap, because GoDaddy misleads its customers and bleeds money from them through their dubious practices. The most recent example I encountered is of a client who purchased a domain and email service believing they had also signed up for a hosting account. Technically they could 'host' their domain at GoDaddy, but it was a severely limited plan that only allowed for a canned page to be 'hosted' at Godaddy, which left them without the actual service they needed..."

Read more - Ditch GoDaddy at NH Web Development site, Broad Side of the Barn

HTML5 Introduced

2012-02-25T17:34:00.001-08:00

From Wikipedia - HTML5

Following its immediate predecessors HTML 4.01 and XHTML 1.1, HTML5 is a response to the observation that the HTML and XHTML in common use on the World Wide Web are a mixture of features introduced by various specifications, along with those introduced by software products such as web browsers, those established by common practice, and the many syntax errors in existing web documents.[citation needed] It is also an attempt to define a single markup language that can be written in either HTML or XHTML syntax. It includes detailed processing models to encourage more interoperable implementations; it extends, improves and rationalises the markup available for documents, and introduces markup and application programming interfaces (APIs) for complex web applications.[3] For the same reasons, HTML5 is also a potential candidate for cross-platform mobile applications. Many features of HTML5 have been built with the consideration of being able to run on low-powered devices such as smartphones and tablets. In December 2011 research firm Strategy Analytics forecast sales of HTML5 compatible phones will top 1 billion in 2013.

NH Web - Kanu Cosmetics - Maine Tool Maker - Oboe Machine

Shopping Cart Scalability

2011-05-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

In my last article I had a number of Miva complaints. One of them being that Miva has given up on the little guy starting an e-commerce business. However in fairness, there are a number of carts and e-commerce solutions that are not scalable. Some like Miva cater to the developer – in Miva’s case a particular circle of Miva developers/programmers - others cater newbies creating a super simple application that lacks the ability to grow the user and their store. Obviously, with the myriad of cart and e-commerce solutions out there there is range to what is offered. Small and simple may work for some, but for those who are looking to grow it is important to consider both what is needed now and what will be needed in the future.

3DCart shopping cart software offers an excellent scalable solution. They do this on two fronts. First, this is done via price. The entry-level plan is $19.99 a month. They then it steps up in price as more space, bandwidth, and features are needed. However, the real reason 3DCart is such a good choice for those looking for a scalable solution is that they cater to all levels of user. It is easy to use for beginners, as it has templates and easy interface for those new to e-commerce. However, it also allows users to directly edit the css and html. Further more it allows easy editing of non-product and non-category pages. Other carts don’t always allow this, and some that do like Miva make it far more difficult that necessary.

Finally, 3DCart has an open API for developers to create custom applications via XML. This is important for a couple different reasons. First, it means that developers are creating apps and plug-ins that can bring added functionality to your cart - some free, some for a price. Fortunately, 3DCart is feature rich so you may never need an add-on, however, the option is there. Secondly, while the individual user may not see themselves developing custom apps, it is an excellent option to have. The open API means there are plenty of programmers/developers who can help customize the cart if specific ordering/processing solutions are needed. This is something offered by serious e-commerce providers, and is generally overlooked by those catering to the beginner. So while 3DCart is highly competitive and scalable in terms of cost, it is vital to look beyond your current business needs to see what is also needed down the road. This is where 3DCart excels.

3DCart offers a free trial period - an excellent way to see if they really do fit your needs.

Don't Wake Me Up Cat

2011-05-06T08:53:00.000-07:00

Realize this isn't real, but it still made me laugh. Apparently, I'm more cat-like than I knew :)

3dCart Taking Over from Dated Cart Solutions like Miva

2011-05-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

I've been working in e-commerce for the last ten years. The first site I worked on used a simple asp script for ordering that quickly passed by the wayside. Then the switch was made to Miva 4. This was a definite step up, but then Miva upgraded to version 5, I switched to a different cart. However, I came back to recently Miva 5 - unfortunately.

Miva has some good ideas, but support for the product is terrible. Basic level support through your host varies and depends on your host. Anything above and beyond requires Miva's atrocious support. Also, Miva has traded in on its initial popularity as one of the most popular carts and basically trapped its users into using a handful of developers to make their site usable. This is because Miva uses it's own language on the programming end. There are pluses and minuses to this language/system; the biggest minus being you have to learn a new language to work with Miva's back-end or hire someone who knows it. The second major problem with Miva is that it uses modules that the site owners have to purchase on top of their cart to add functionality to their site. The premise isn't bad. However, unlike Miva 4 Miva 5 is barely usable without at least some modules. At this point they have simply fallen well behind the curve on what a cart should offer at its base level.

While working on a less well know (non-Miva) cart, it became clear that we needed to change systems. This is when I came across the 3DCart Shopping Cart Software. It was well reviewed on a number of bulletin boards, and they offer a 15 day free trial for the user to see if it will work for them. I tried it - I love it. First off, importing and exporting is done using Excel based CSV files - ie. a spreadsheet. No need for XML or third party interpreters. Second, editing products is very easy, editing categories is fairly easy. It comes in with numerous built in templates that you can edit significantly if you are familiar with CSS and HTML. Even if you don't know HTML and CSS you can still make changes to graphics, colors, and fonts simply. Depending what level of cart you use, mailing lists, reports, twitter and facebook updates, shopping engines feeds, and much more are built in at no extra charge. 3DCart offers a wide range of payment gateways that are easy to set up and use. Order processing is effective, feature rich, yet simple. Finally, for those using Miva or another popular shopping cart, 3dCart offers a conversion service for an easy switch over. In short 3dCart is very affordable, easy to use, and feature rich - good for newbies and experts alike. Right now if you sign up for 3dCart you'll save 10%. It is certainly worth trying out.

Websites - When to Seek Help When to Go It Alone

2011-04-23T07:19:00.000-07:00

There are a myriad of misconceptions about the Internet and web development. Two of the most common are… it’s really easy, the other is… it’s really hard. The reality is most could figure out how to put together a simple web site. There is a variety of online resources for one to learn how to create, promote and utilize a website.

However, this doesn’t mean going it alone is always a good choice. I often explain web development by saying, ‘it’s not that it’s hard, it’s that there is a lot.’ What I mean by this is that there is a huge amount of information about web development and much of the information changes/adapts in time, as the web itself is still developing rapidly. If one has a specific interest in learning about the internet, and has time and patience there’s no reason why one couldn’t learn how to do their own website(s).

However there’s usually more to consider than – ‘am I capable of building a website?’ Once you build your site will anyone ever visit it, or will the web site be a good reflection of the person or company that put it together? ‘If you build it they will come’ is probably the biggest website myth. Here are some of the important questions to ask when building a website.

What is the purpose of my site?
Who will visit my website?
How will they find it?
Will they come back?
Do I want to communicate with my website visitors?
Will I use social networks to communicate with visitors?
Do I plan on selling products or scheduling services through my website?
If yes, how will I make the order process secure?
What forms of payment will I accept online?
Do I want active content such as a blog or a news feed included on my site?
Will I be creating new content, and will there be time to keep the site current?

These aren’t the only questions to think about, but it’s a good place to start. When asking yourself if you need help, here are a few guidelines from a do-it-yourselfer’s perspective…

E-commerce sites… In All Probability Yes.
- If you are planning to set up a store with a focus on sales, and you’re new to e-commerce, you may be able to set up your own store, but that doesn’t mean anyone will be able to find it or be willing to buy from it. The skills needed are learnable, but it will take a significant amount of time to start an effective e-commerce site from scratch without prior experience. A professional knows what you need, and knows how things work. Unless your primary objective is to become a web developer, get professional help. -One exception is if you’re planning to use a site like Ebay for e-commerce that is developed specifically for individual use.

Business sites… Depends
- Business sites range greatly in function. Small businesses may be able to do their own site, particularly if there is limited information to post. However, don’t be sloppy or having a site will be counterproductive. If your site or company graphics are sub par, this is a good indication that professional help is wise. You may only need minor work done. Also it’s wise seek out a professional is when adding functional elements to your site. Online scheduling services, the ability to buy/pay through your site, and content management features need to work properly to add value to your pages. While there are exceptions, in most cases it will not be cost effective for a company to teach itself how put together this type of site.

Personal Sites… May be able to go it alone
- There are several different types of personal sites - hobby sites, artist/artisan sites/activist sites, etc. These sites often have a limited budget, and a specific purpose. Individuals’ sites often are not held to as high a standard as a business site. However, be aware that if one’s site looks particularly bad or sloppy, this won’t reflect well on you or your mission. The audience for these sites may be more fixed, and promotional help may be less of an issue. For individuals a free blog, like those available through WordPress or Blogger may be a perfect fit, whereas that would rarely be a good choice for a business site. There may be cases, such a setting up e-commerce capabilities for ones site that either some direction or help would be very valuable, but creating and maintaining a solid website is not beyond most individuals’ reach.

Pesky Ostriches

2011-04-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

Free Iran Recap - Freedom Via Internet

2009-06-26T09:07:00.001-07:00

Since the election in Iran on the 12th of June, information about the protests and brutal government crackdowns has flowed in via the internet, particularly social media sites, and specifically Twitter. Twitter was the first place to provide information about the protests as the media largely missed the story in the beginning. Now the flow of information out of Iran has slowed due to massive arrests and violent government oppression. Along with the slowing of information, the main stream media's attention has been diverted. Yet this remains a topic that deserves continued public attention. People are fighting for their freedom under unimaginable conditions.

Here is a recap of some of the videos, stories, and information that has come out of Iran along with the role technology has played...

Total Oppression Versus Open Communication in Iran

In an early show of force students were beaten in their dorm rooms, and their rooms were trashed, computers and the like destroyed. Angered by the brutal beat downs, many professors at Tehran University protested by resigning. Hospital workers who treated the students, also disgusted by the government’s brutality, went on strike the following day to protest the students’ treatment.

Foreign media was banned, journalists have been jailed. Due to the crackdown, citizen journalism virtually the only way the story is getting to the rest of the world.

Iranian government claims that death of Neda was staged by the opposition. They prevent any form of public mourning for both Neda and the many others killed in the protests.

Soccer Team Members who wore green armbands during a game are permanently banned from the sport.

British representatives expelled from the country.

Special courts established for trying arrested protesters.

Mass show of force and violent suppression of peaceful protests continue.

Videos: The first video shows the death of Neda a young Iranian woman who has come to symbolize the Free Iran movement. She was shot while simply watching the protests, and reportedly died by her father's side. Be warned that the first two videos are very graphic and disturbing. The third video, while somewhat less graphic, but is also quite disturbing.

*VERY GRAPHIC* Young Lady Dies on Streets of Iran

*Very Graphic* Video of Iran Protests and Man Badly Beaten

Shooting of Iranian Students Caught on Camera

Massive Show of Force on Streets of Iran

Video of voter fraud in Iranian Election

June 20 Iran Protesters Face Off with Police

Crowds During June 20th Protests

Riot Police Attack Protesters in Iran

Video Showing Scope of Iranian Protests

This Week's Articles:

This week a violent beat down of protesters was under reported as the flow of information slows. CNN and the AP both had reports on this brutality...

AP Reports Iran Security Forces Again Beat Down the Opposition Protesters

Distraught woman describes the brutality to CNN, Reports of Brutal Crackdown In Iran

Article's Prior to the June 20th Protests

Concern About Khamenei’s Statements

Arrests and Protests Continue in Iran

American’s Practical Support of A Free Iran

Articles About the Role of the Internet in post-Election Iran

Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, ‘Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.’ Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Following Iran Elections on Twitter – A Lesson in Freedom and Technology

Google Farsi - English Traslator: Google launches Farsi - English translator Thursday night/Friday morning. A hugely helpful tool that aids communication, and understanding of news directly from Iran.

Cable and Network News relying on Twitter: Saturday the 20th, with a government imposed blackout of foreign media CNN and others have to rely on citizen journalists along with Twitter and other social media sites to gather news. Protests are scheduled even though Ayatola Khamenei has made statements that suggest a possibly violent crackdown on protesters. Reports of tear gas used and armed police barricades used to disperse crowds.

Students Shot on Camera: A tweet linked to this video of Iranian students being shot

A graphic YouTube video of a woman's death (Neda) becomes a symbol of the movement. Trending topic on Twitter is #Neda as references to the video, and her life show how moved people were by her tragic death.

Mousavi Facebook post: Through a post on Facebook it has been reported that Mir-Hossein Mousavi has stated that he is "ready for martyrdom."

Embassies Take Wounded Iranians: Word spreads quickly on June 20th that many European embassies are taking care of wounded Iranians. These embassies along with their address/directions were also diseminated through Twitter. The safety of the hospitals is in question, and the Canadian embassy is pressured (via use of Twitter) to open its embassy too, yet embassy remained closed on Saturday.

Iran Elections and the Internet

An interesting subplot to the Iranian elections is that the internet is providing people more information than major news networks...Dear CNN, Please Check Twitter for News About Iran

Since writing about the Twitter Effect in Iran, and the role of the Internet as a whole, I have also been interviewed on radio and TV. For more info on appearances, please visit the Broad Side of the Barn.

Twitter, Iran, and Cracking the Totalitarian Model

2009-06-17T20:28:00.001-07:00

One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, 'Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.' Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Yet now there is Twitter, other social networks, and the internet at large. It's wise for Tweeters and others to understand that the deck is still stacked against those protesting the election. The Iranian government still controls the media, and in a textbook totalitarian move they have banned foreign press. While members of the Twitter community have set up proxy servers for people in Iran to use, the government has shut down known internet connections, which means that in all likelihood a large majority of Iranians are only hearing the official government version of events.

Yet protests continue and news spreads in large part due to Twitter and the internet. This is not something past totalitarian regimes have had to deal with. There are enough Iranians using Twitter (or other forms of communication) to organize that protests continue. The government has not been able to implement complete control. Hopefully those watching, participating, and following #iranelection on Twitter recognize that there is a definite possibility that this ends very badly as totalitarian regimes are also brutal. The reality is that what results from this is wholly a guess, but it changes the playing field and gives voice to those who previously had none. Person to person communication tools change the dynamic shifting, at least some of the power to the people, and puts a crack in structure of totalitarianism.

Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

Up to Speed on Iran Elections and Twitter Effect

2009-06-15T20:53:00.001-07:00

The Iran presidential elections were held Friday, June 21th. This is how Wikipedia summarized the election events...

With two-thirds of the votes counted, the Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran's official news agency, announced that incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won the election with 66% of the votes cast, and that Mir-Hossein Mousavi had received 33% of the votes cast. The European Union and several western countries expressed concern over alleged irregularities during the vote, and some analysts and journalists from United States and United Kingdom based media voiced doubts about the authenticity of the results.

Mousavi issued a statement saying, "I'm warning that I won't surrender to this charade," and he urged his backers to fight the decision as well as to avoid committing acts of violence. Protests, in favour of Mousavi and against the alleged fraud, broke out in Tehran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the nation to unite behind Ahmadinejad, labeling his victory as a "divine assessment". Mousavi lodged an official appeal against the result to the Guardian Council on 14 June. On 15 June, Khamenei announced there would be an investigation into vote-rigging claims, which would take seven to ten days.

Some of the reasons for questioning the veracity of the election results were, victory was declared very quickly making people wonder how the paper ballots could have been counted so rapidly. Polls prior to the election had shown the race as close, yet the 'results' indicated a landside. Mousavi's own home town even reported an overwhelmingly victory for Ahmadinejad. Clearly there was distrust amongst many of the Iranian people of the government as massive protests erupted and continue even now.

So what does Twitter have to do with this? Once protests started the Iranian government shut down public communications leaving citizens little means to communicate. Twitter, obviously not under the control of the Iranian government, is one of the few remaining tools for communication amongst the citizens of Iran. And it isn't just that Twitter is helping citizens communicate, it is a major player in getting the word out about what it is actually happening in Iran.

Network and cable news dropped the ball in their coverage of the elections, and over the weekend one of the hottest topics on Twitter was #cnnfail. However, the hottest topic was #IranElections. The Twitter feed was the first source for much of the news coming out of Iran. Here are examples of recent #IranElection tweets...

The images being posted via Twitter have been remarkable, and the Flicker account of mousavi1388 is definitely worth looking at.

A "mousavi1388" image of the protests via Twitter.

This has taken on a life of its own on Twitter. Users have set up proxy servers for Iranians to use as the government shut down internet access within the country. People are turning their Twitter avatars green in a show of support. Twitter itself has rescheduled maintenance downtime at the urging of users so that it will be available to Iranians during their peak hours. People are also changing their time and location settings on their accounts to Tehran time and locale in order to confuse Iranian officials who are trying to find out who is tweeting inside Iran. Even at this moment the hashtag (or keywords) #IranElection is being changed as it appears the Iranian government may be blocking it in Iran.

The Iranian government post election has done everything possible to show itself as a totalitarian regime by cutting off communication and violently suppressing protests. They are taking actions that those in the U.S. whether conservative or liberal can clearly see as wrong. It makes this a fascinating moment in history where technology and communications may actually be aiding freedom and democracy, while providing a first person account of events that the media has yet to fully come up to speed on.

Following Iran Elections on Twitter - A Lesson in Freedom and Technology

Bidens Obama Teleprompter Crack

2009-05-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Free Us Now Radio Featured Guest, Author Katherine Morrison

2009-05-03T19:53:00.001-07:00

Featured Radio Presentation

Monday Night May 4th soROARity
Katherine J. Morrison
"Author of An Independent Call"

Free Us Now guest, Katherine Morrison wrote a book about the 2008 presidential election. The book entitled An Independent Call, chronicles the journey of an Independent New Hampshirite from wary observer of town hall meetings to eventual McCain supporter and volunteer. It is an amusing look at the events of a campaign. From meeting candidates from both sides of the aisle, to becoming a blogger for McCain, to being chewed out on campaign phone calls, to receiving press credentials for the Republican National Convention, this account relates the experience of being a participant at the lowest level politics from an outsider's perspective. A mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

Rockingham NH County Commissioner, Maureen Barrows, recommends An Independent Call stating that it is- "A must read for anyone interested in the day to day life of a volunteer in a political campaign-attention to detail is brilliant."

No radio needed The Free Us Now Radio show is online - If your computer is down no problem call on the phone and hear the entire show right on the phone- Please come! Monday 10 PM eastern/ Bring your questions.
Call-in 347 539-5420.

Event: Free Us Now Radio Show
Host: BettyJean Kling
Start Time: Monday, at 10:00pm
End Time: Monday, at 11:30pm
Where: http://www.Blogtalkradio.com/NO-WE-WONT
Call-in: 347 539-5420

Promo 1

2009-04-23T14:33:00.001-07:00

A little promotion for you...

Maine Tool Room located in Scarborough, Maine is featuring a line of double reed 'gouger' products. These include,
Hunt / Van Hoesen and Pfeiffer Bassoon Blades and Hunt / Van Hoesen Bassoon Profilers.

A McCain supporter has recently released a book about the 2008 election. It includes stories of McCain veterans and provides a perspective on Independent NH.

John Masiz is the founder of BioChemics, VasoActive and DoctorDog.com

You Too May Be A Radical...

2009-04-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Tea Party protesters won a victory today as the mainstream media could not ignore their protests like they have in the past. As expected some of the media described the protesters as radicals (ever-classy and most-trusted Anderson Cooper of CNN used an obscene joke to describe the attendees) despite the pictures showing peaceful gatherings of people of all ages in attendance. Yet media logic dictates if you don't love Obama, you must be crazy.

Yet it's not just the media searching for crazy. A report was leaked by DHS on "Rightwing Extremism." To quote the report,

Rightwing extremist chatter on the Internet continues to focus on the economy, the perceived loss of U.S. jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and home foreclosures.

Dang it, I'm a radical. There were signs, once in high school I got a detention for a overdue library book; even back then I was bad. My internet chatter about obscene government spending has all been a clever ploy to manipulate my readers to take radical action like, 'vote the bums out,' or 'tell your representatives what you think.' I tell you I'm bad, and if I didn't have a job or a cold I would have been one of those crazy tea party animals too. You need further proof that I'm a radical? How about this...

Rightwing extremist views bemoan the decline of U.S. stature and have recently focused on themes such as the loss of U.S. manufacturing capability to China and India, Russia’s control of energy resources and use of these to pressure other countries, and China’s investment in U.S. real estate and corporations as a part of subversion strategy.

Well there you have it. I'm concerned that China owns us, and all our debt, I must be a radical. Granted, I'm a centrist on guns and immigration, and lean a bit left on the social issues discussed in the report, but imagine my surprise to find out that I've been cavorting with other radicals over the past 2 years by volunteering for the McCain campaign. Pro-life, pro-second amendment, high concentration of veterans, don't let the good humor, sarcastic wit, family values, and helpful manner fool you - we were all a big bunch of radicals, just ask MSNBC.

Now I know there is a serious side to this report. Every group in every country has its nutballs, and its the governments main job to protect its citizens from radicals of all sorts. Yet this seems like a veiled attempt to blur the line between staunch conservatives and radical Klan-like groups, when in reality that is a very clear and distict line. Veterans in particular are owed an apology for their less than flattering portrayal in this report. As for me, I'm going to keep chattering about the economy, and take pride in the fact that someone out there thinks I'm radical.

You May Be A Radical Too...

NH Independent and McCain Veteran

2009-04-15T12:28:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from An Independent Call the story a New Hampshire Independent McCain Supporter

Finally, on a more upbeat note, one trait that Senator McCain shares with a good number of his fellow veterans is a wicked sense of humor. While I’d like to say that my rationale for voting McCain was all high minded, I have to admit his sense of humor roped me in in the beginning. It’s probably part of the reason I enjoyed so many of the events with veterans; I’m sure there are veterans out there that lack a sense of humor, but overall I found them quite fun to be around.

During the general election I headed out to canvas a neighborhood with a veteran named Wes. He drove; I hopped out and knocked on the doors. We were canvassing Hampton Beach, a sort of unfortunate task in late Fall to early Winter, since not a lot of people stay at their beach house when the temperature drops. The sheets given to guide us to the appropriate address were accompanied by a brief survey asking whether the occupant was home and whom they were supporting for the different elected offices. The numbering of houses and condos on these sheets could be hard to follow, as locations were not necessarily listed in numerical order. Condo complexes could be particularly difficult to figure out. For instance, 5 Ocean Boulevard unit 16 could be a different page from 5 Ocean Boulevard unit 14, and unit 15 would simply not be on the list at all. The other problem was that you often had to be allowed or buzzed into many of these condo complexes. This basically meant looking for condos, routinely unoccupied due to the season that, even if occupied, could not be accessed. Consequently, we’d just drop a stack of literature on their doorstep, which will likely be picked up sometime this coming June.

So in the process of trying to locate a particular address on Ocean Boulevard, Wes backed his car up right into a pole. Looking down, arranging literature at the time, I was startled at the hit and said, ‘Ooo!’ and looked over at Wes. Thinking, this can’t be good we both hopped out of the car and took a look at his bumper. There was a new yellow stripe down the back side of his car and he said, “Ah, it’s just paint.” Relieved that it wasn’t too serious and that the damage didn’t trouble Wes, we hopped back into the car, and started trying to figure out where our next stop was. As we headed forward we spotted the house number of the next stop; Wes hit the brakes and his coffee flew off the dashboard, hitting me in the arm and soaking my left side. This time Wes looked stunned as I sat there looking at my sweater covered in coffee. “Well, it’s not hot,” I said. He handed me towels and clearly felt badly that I was wearing his drink. I had a t-shirt on under the sweater, so I hopped out of the car again, rung out the sweater and dried it off as best I could with some towels, put it back on, and hopped back into the car. While I smelled of coffee all day, the sweater was dark so it didn’t really matter.

We got through the rest of the doors without much incident, but had trouble finding one particular side street. Finally, we found the tiny narrow street in question; we headed down to the end where we eventually spotted the number of the home on a trashcan outside of a sliding glass door. I got out, knocked on the door, and a young guy, who apparently had just woken up, and was wearing a pair of old boxers and a t-shirt opened the door, saying nothing.

‘Hi, I’m a volunteer with the McCain campaign, and…’

‘No,’ he said and he shut the door and went back to bed.

I got back in the car and said, “Obama.”

As we started to head out of the narrow street I looked back, and Wes said, “Don’t worry, I won’t hit anything… …I saw you watching.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to say anything.”

On the way back to the office he said, “You did a good job.”

“Thanks. You too…”

“Except for the pole.”

“Well that and the coffee, but other than that you did a good job.”

Veteran's Good Humor

In The Beginning It was Curiosity

2009-04-12T18:01:00.001-07:00

Excerpt from An Independent Call the amusing story of a New Hampshire McCain supporter.

In the beginning I just thought I’d go see the different candidates at the campaign events in New Hampshire. Four years prior, not long after I moved to New Hampshire from Massachusetts, my sister was volunteering for Senator Kerry’s campaign. She’s a loyal and active Democrat; our parents are Republicans. We talked on the phone after the Iowa caucuses when Howard Dean screamed during his concession speech. She hadn’t heard it called the ‘I have a Scream Speech’ yet, and I said that I felt for him. I figured if I were in politics that would be the sort of thing that would take me out. It wouldn’t be scandal or corruption; I’d simply do something so embarrassing that no one would take me seriously again.

My sister told of a news clip she had just seen of a woman who had met Senator Kerry, then fainted. The video looked like a shot from the Wizard of Oz with Senator Kerry standing over a pair of feet. I was starting to realize that I had missed quite a show by not attending Primary events, so I simply thought this time it would be interesting to see. I certainly had no plans of picking a candidate early, and no interest in joining a campaign. I thought it might give me something to write about on my website, but basically I was just curious.

Kudos to Jake Tapper

2009-04-06T18:29:00.001-07:00

Since much of today's media has such a blatant school-girl crush on President Obama, it is important to not only point out the shmoes who can't resist telling America that President Obama gives them a, 'thrill up their leg;' it is also important to point out those few journalists who are credible. National Review did this in their article Jake Tapper Isn't Letting Go. The article not only points out that ABC's Jake Tapper was virtually the only network journalist willing to write an article critical of then candidate Obama, but also that he is now pretty much the only one willing to ask Press Secretary Gibbs a tough question during White House briefings. For many Tapper was the first to show Robert Gibbs as a sub-par press secretary when Gibbs refused to take Tapper's questions about transparency seriously, as shown in the clip below. National Review did all of us who are fed up with the over-the-top media bias a service by not only highlighting Tapper as a solid competent member of the media, but also by reminding us that one can't just complain about those who do a poor job, and that it may be even more important that we applaud and encourage those who are competent than it is to gripe about those whose bias is so obsurd and obvious.

Recognizing a Professional Journalist - Katherine Morrison

Broad Side of the Barn Releases 'Independent Call'

2009-03-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

An Independent Call chronicles the journey of an Independent New Hampshirite from wary observer of town hall meetings to eventual McCain convert and volunteer. It is an amusing look at the events of a campaign. From meeting candidates from both sides of the aisle, to becoming a blogger for McCain, to being chewed out on campaign phone calls, to receiving press credentials for the Rupublican National Convention, this account relates the experience of being a participant at lowest level politics from an outsider's perspective. A mix of good humor and political opinion from the middle.

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Broad Side of the Barn - Independent Call

Cat Talk

2009-01-02T18:06:00.001-08:00

International Spy. Great Chef. How cool is Julia Child?

2008-08-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

How cool is Julia Child? Recently released documents show that Julia Child was a U.S. spy during WWII.

WASHINGTON — Famed chef Julia Child shared a secret with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world.

They served in an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA created in World War II by President Franklin Roosevelt.

The secret comes out Thursday — all of the names and previously classified files identifying nearly 24,000 spies who formed the first centralized intelligence effort by the United States. The National Archives, which this week released a list of the names found in the records, will make available for the first time all 750,000 pages identifying the vast spy network of military and civilian operatives.

Christopher Walken Family Reunion

2008-08-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

Dara Torres Person of the Week

2008-07-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

Broad Side of the Barn Final Stage Construction

2008-07-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

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