In this season of elections, our latest Networthy installment includes a nonpolitical plea for votes, a cautionary tale about what happens when Sarah Palin and Barack Obama are compared, and a blog about maximizing your talents. You’ll also find trailers for movies and books as well as other items of interest.
Whatever your political affiliation may be, Steve Camilieri ’94 needs your vote by October 31. The executive director of South Bend’s Center for the Homeless is competing in Mutual of Omaha’s “Aha Moment Contest.” The top 10 “aha moments,” defined as a moment of clarity that changes your life, will be featured in national TV commercials for the insurance company. Originally, 1,000 video moments were posted on the Mutual website. Camilieri, whose aha moment concerns a time when he gave sack lunches to homeless people in New Orleans and its effect on him, has made the top 25. To vote Steve to the top 10, click on Giving Lunches, South Bend IN.
Robert Schmuhl ’70, Notre Dame’s Annenberg-Joyce professor of American studies and journalism, recently discovered the most dangerous thing a political commentator can do: compare Sarah Palin to Barack Obama. The outrage comes from every direction. See Perils of Presidential Parallels.
ND political science Professor Michael Desch discusses the fractious effect the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have had on the relationship between the military and civilian leaders in a blog post at the journal Foreign Policy.
Watch a “behind the scenes“ video and trailer for the independent feature film Souvenirs, written by Marc Conklin ’91. The film is about the interlinked wartime memories of a young Minnesota National Guard soldier in Iraq and his grandfather, who fought in World War II. It is slated for release on Memorial Day 2011. Or check the movie’s home page.
Scott James ‘99MBA, the founder of Fair Trade Sports, an eco-friendly, fair trade U.S. sports equipment company, takes a critical look at the future of the American food distribution system with a post on Forbes magazine’s Corporate Social Responsibility Blog. James , who writes a monthly column on sustainability for Forbes, contrasts the weaknesses of the “just in time” distribution system, which relies on cheap oil and instantaneous communication, with efforts like Portland, Oregon’s Food Hub, which emphasizes local produce. He is a member of the Mendoza School of Business advisory council and teaches an inter-term course on sustainability.
James King ‘77, the author of Bill Warrington’s Last Chance, a critically acclaimed novel about a grandfather who kidnaps his granddaughter to force a reconciliation with his estranged children. See a trailer for his novel. King also writes The Business of Writing blog.
Daniel Coyle ‘87, the author of The Talent Code, a book about fostering talent , writes a blog on the topic. Coyle, who is a contributing editor at Outside Magazine, also is the author of Lance Armstrong’s War and Hardball: A Season in the Projects, about a little league team in a Chicago public housing project.