Collaboration: What is it Good For?

I've been thinking a lot about the word collaboration lately. It's certainly part of my daily lexicon along with synergy, streamline, low-hanging fruit, and best practices. If you've ever been confused by TPS reports you know what I'm talking about. The word "collaboration" is more than simple cubicle jargon. It has a very powerful impact (because I don't understand affect/effect) both positive and negative. Collaboration is a conundrum.

Americans in Paris, written by Charles Glass, is a look at Americans living in Paris under Nazi Occupation. It must have been a terrible time to be anywhere in Europe unless you were German. Paris is the City of Light and Americans living there prior to the occupation enjoyed a cultured life with great writers, great music, and legal booze. Some of the main characters in this book prove the "Greatest Generation" theorem. Others, not so much. The subplot is the plight of French civilians who were generally divided into three groups - those in the resistance movement, collaborators, and everybody else. It didn't get terribly awful for Americans until after Pearl Harbor and our subsequent entry into the Allied effort. It was a little more complicated for the French who did not enjoy the same immunity as their American friends. As I read this book, I find myself wondering where I would have fallen on that continuum whether American or French.  I like to think that I would serve the resistance efforts but I would probably have been part of the vast majority just struggling to survive (the weather, the occupation, the horror). I take some comfort in knowing I would not have been a collaborator. Collaborators worked with the Nazi occupiers. Some did so shamelessly others more covertly. Collaboration -1  

I took this picture!

This week, President Obama and the First Lady welcomed Great Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife. I had the honor of being one of more than 7,000 on the White House grounds to welcome the very same folks that 200 years ago tried to burn the place down. Both the President and the Prime Minister noted the irony and made a few corny jokes before reminding us of the the great collaboration between Great Britain and the United States over the last 199 years. They used words like "alliance" and "partnership" but I prefer collaboration because none of this happens if you're not working together. The obvious example of collaboration here is World War II, given the theme established in the above paragraph. Other examples include military efforts on the Korean Peninsula and the current fight against terrorism. Military collaboration is an easy one. I was struck by Prime Minister Cameron's comments on financial investments - for example, the Gates Foundation working with NGOs in Great Britain or that Great Britain investments in the United states amount to more than 100 times more than China. Collaboration +1

Of course, the best possible positive use of the word is associated with beer. Collaboration Not Litigation is born from the good use of "collaboration". Seems that way back when Avery Brewing Company and Russian River Brewing both had a Salvation Ale. Rather than get into a beer pong match over naming rights the brewers combined the best of both and it's as good as advertised. We're enjoying Batch #6 bottled in the first month of this year. The taste is big, malty, and tangy-sweet. It's a bit sticky and lingers in your mouth for a spell. The beer is copper in color and leaves sexy lacing all the way down your glass (that's right, sexy). And, it comes in a bomber. I love bombers. Collaboration +1

As an American I believe in rugged individualism, pulling up the boot straps, and lonely cowboys riding off into the sunset. As a human, I believe in collaboration (by at least a 2-1 margin). Nobody gets anywhere without help from somebody else.  Sometimes working with others just helps you get through the day and sometimes it results in a really great beer.

This one too!

Decisions, Decisions

Decision 2010 is upon us.  If you haven't started to see the advertisements already you will in short order - particularly if your community is ground zero for a ripe electoral challenge.  Living in Washington, DC, we don't have that problem.  Our Senators are but shadows on Capitol Hill - no, seriously the official position is that of Shadow Senator.  On the House side we have an elected Representative, Elanor Holmes Norton, but she can't actually vote on legislation.  Ms. Norton can, however, introduce legislation.  Our local government passes laws that must be reviewed and approved by Congress.  We also get to serve in the military and get stuck with jury duty.  All of this and we still get to pay federal taxes.

But do you really come here to read the plight of the more than 500,000 Americans who don't have representation in Congress?  If so, get active at DC Vote.

If not, you might be interested in political news out of Minnesota where one hopeful, who is probably a tea partying Communist (oh, it's possible), may have voted to tax bacon AND beer.  Check this out:




I mean, would Jim the Election Guy lead us on?  Well, probably.  Actually, Jim the Election Guy is probably a tea partying Communist too.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
DC Voting Rights Act - Eleanor Holmes Norton
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Believe it or not, residents of Washington, DC once had a vote but Congress took it away with the passage of the Organic Act in 1801.  DC residents have been allowed to vote in Presidential elections since 1961.

So, when you head to the polls in November remember you're not just voting for your representation you're also voting for ours.

There's No Such Thing as Bad Press

Lady Gaga flipped of fans at a New York Mets game.  Who cares, Lady Gaga is just a poor-man's Madonna and we're talking about the Mets.  Hey, at least she was drinking a beer.

The real news, as always, was occurring inside the beltway.  Yesterday, Politico ran with a story about two White House aids seen topless and drinking at a Georgetown watering hole.  Tommy Vietor and Jon Favreau were hanging out with friends at Old Glory.  Said Politico: "Conservative critics said it showed the young Obama crowd needs to get a clue...West Wing defenders said it showed Obama bashers need to get a life."

Clearly, it was a slow news day in Washington, DC but let's be honest; we're talking about a press aide and speech writer.  These two are not exactly in charge of cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf.  They're not what you would call "policy wonks."  In fact, they're job is to lie about the policy after it's been crafted by the policy wonks.  They only read Politico to see if they're name made print.  Frankly, if you're going to have employees running around half naked and drinking it should be these guys.  Ahh, the beauty of the 24 hour news cycle.

The Dust Has Settled

We take some time to appreciate some of the more entertaining news leads and headlines from the most over-analyzed beer event since this magic elixir was first created. Cheers!



"The Morning After the Beer Summit, I'm Still A Bit Hungover "
-NY Daily News

"Great Moments in Journalism: MSNBC's Beer Summit Countdown Clock"

"Beer Diplomacy"
-CNN

"Backyard Beers"
-CNN

"White House 'Beer Summit' Becomes Something of a Brouhaha"
-Wall Street Journal

"The Beer Heard Round the World"
-Time

"It's Happy Hour at 'Bams Beer Summit"
-NY Post

"Beer Diplomacy: What Would Jesus Brew?"
-Chicago Sun Times

"Beer Summit to Toast Race Relations"
-Fox News

If only we could recall where we saw these headlines:

"The Beer Summit"

"Ale to the Chief"

"The Audacity of Hops"

Obama Drinks Beer at Wizards Game

We're not sure why this is news but here are pictures from Reuters of President Obama having a beer while taking in the Wizards v. Bulls game last week at the Verizon Center. According to reports, after finishing the beer the President demanded that the Secret Service let him fly the helicopter.

Obamagone

Belgian-owned brewery Ommegang, near Cooperstown, NY, found out just how fun the folks are at the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. The brewers at Ommegang did a one off batch of beer just in time for next week's inauguration festivities. Dubbed "Obamagang", the TTB stepped in stating it is not permissible to use anyone's name or likeness without their permission. The newly re-named "Inauguration Ale 2009" will be available in select bars in Syracuse, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and New York.

In a related story, Hostess will make available it's new "Inauguration Cupcake 2009". The previously named "Obamalama-ding-dongs" received the new moniker just after the Ommegang story broke in today's Examiner.