The Godfather Doctrine A Foreign Policy Parable

The Godfather Doctrine A Foreign Policy Parable

In The Godfather, Mafia don Vito Corleone is shot down on the street by rivals, taken by surprise in a world where the rules have changed and a new course must be charted. Corleone’s circumstances mirror the state of our nation and hold lessons for its future, according to the two international-relations experts who wrote The Godfather Doctrine, out this week. Co-authors John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell are a rare pair: entertaining and instructive.
(Boston Globe )

Still, as much as I like The Godfather, I never thought of it as the guide to American foreign policy options in the 21st century. Fortunately, two other guys did. The Godfather has always been a joy to watch; however, given the present changes in the world’s power structure, the movie becomes a startlingly useful metaphor for the strategic problems of our times. . . . [A] cute little book.
(Kevin Horrigan St. Louis Post-Dispatch )

If, as Emerson posited, events are ‘in the saddle’ and riding humankind, how do Obama and the Americans who turn their lonely eyes to him sort it all out in the world of globalization? Together. Emphatically. Through the untinted prism of realism. That’s what the authors argue. The ‘Pax Corleone’ allegory, so imperfect and ironic, is their clever yet thought-provoking way of summoning us to become, pragmatically, our best selves. Dream City, Reality City–can they coexist, even ascend, in peace? For 10 recessionary bucks, The Godfather Doctrine forces us to think about how.
(Gene Krzyzynski Buffalo News )

It’s a fun take on the basic issues of foreign policy.
(Michael Maiello Forbes.com )

George Kennan. Henry Kissinger. Michael Corleone? Yes, at this critical historical juncture, the fictional antihero is making a foreign-policy offer that two specialists in the field believe we can’t refuse. The Godfather‘s ‘unlikely wisdom’ for our challenging times–as a new president attempts to preserve America’s global standing in the face of war, economic crisis, and rising great powers–is elucidated in this funny, smart book, an expanded version of a widely read article John C. Hulsman and A. Wess Mitchell published last year. The Godfather Doctrine creatively transposes the iconic 1972 film that director Francis Ford Coppola intended as an allegory of American capitalism onto contemporary geopolitics. . . . [An] inspired metaphor.
(Robert Litwak Wilson Quarterly )

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Heavy Duty Black Tilt Wall Mount for 32 54 Plasma LCD with VESA 750X400MM

Heavy Duty Black Tilt Wall Mount for 32 54 Plasma LCD with VESA 750X400MM

Fully adjustable 0-15 degree tilt angle. Universal design fits virtually all 32″-54″ models. Sturdy construction holds up to 165LBS. Not fit some 52″ flat panels such as LG and vizio 55″

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Works great.can’t find better price
This Tilting Wall Mount was easy to install and perfect for mounting my new 42 in Panasonic Plasma TV. I am very pleased with it.

I would recommend this product to anyone hanging a flat screen.

Easy to install, no problem with the hardware supplied

5 Stars Great!! Can’t beat the price!
I was sort hesitant to order because of the poor review. It does say concrete walls..but as long as you use the anchors it doesn’t matter. It took me less than 10 minutes to install and my 26″ lg looks great on the wall!

1 Star Help
I still haven’t been able to install this… the directions say it is for use on a concrete wall, shows a brick wall in the picture. The type of screws included look like concrete screws…. who has concrete walls? Why didn’t they advertise this? How can I contact the seller on this?

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The Film Director Prepares A Practical Guide to Directing for Film and TV

The Film Director Prepares A Practical Guide to Directing for Film and TV

Cheetah Mounts Tilt and Swivel Articulating Arm for Plasma LCD TV 32 55

Cheetah Mounts Tilt and Swivel Articulating Arm for Plasma LCD TV 32 55

UNIVERSAL 32-55″ PLASMA/LCD SINGLE ARM TV/DISPLAY MOUNT

This mount features 28lbs of heavy gauge cold-rolled steel for a stable and secure mount. The mount collapses to less than 4″, extends out to 26″, tilts forward/downward 0-25 degrees and swivels 180 degrees. Additionally, the attachment plate at the end of the arm rotates like the face of a clock up to 7 degrees ensuring a 100% level display.

The TV arm brackets mount separately to the TV allowing for “lift and lock” installation. The wall plate includes a round 2 3/8″ and a square 4 3/4″ opening for cable management. The 4 3/4″ opening can fit a standard US electrical outlet which is 4 3/8″ tall. The outer slots on the wall plate are 16″ center to center and 1.5″ wide for standard US studs. The wall plate includes a built in bubble level and a 6″ three-axis magnetic bubble level is also included.

The universal design fits the vast majority of 32-55″ TVs. Specifically it will fit any TV up to 165LBS with a hole pattern up to 28.1″ horizontally and 19″ vertically. This includes the standard VESA 100, 200 and 400 hole patterns. The mount does not fit VESA 800. VESA 800 has unusually wide mounting holes 800mm apart horizontally and is used by certain LG and Philips units.

Written instructions and all necessary mounting hardware included.

Specifications:

Maximum Extension: 26″
Minimum Depth: 3.9″
Weight: 28lbs
Hole Pattern Coverage: 28″ Horizontal by 19″ Vertical
Wall Plate Dimensions: 18.5″ X 9.3″
Angle of Tilt: 0-25 Degrees Forward/Down
Swivel: 180 Degrees
Rotation Adjustment: 7 Degrees
Outer Wall Plate Slots: 16″ on center, 1.5″ wide
Wall plate Cable Management Openings: One 2 3/8″ Round and One 4 3/4″ Square
TV Plate Dimensions: 30″ X 9.5″
TV Plate Cable Management Openings: Four 2 3/8″ Round Holes
TV Arm Bracket Height: 20″
Collapsed TV Plate Offset Relative to Wall Plate: 5 7/8″
High quality powder coat finish
Maximum Weight Capacity: 165 lbs (75 kg)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars easy to install!
This was much easier to install than I had feared, having read lots of reviews of wall mount products being difficult to install. Two of us installed in less than 1/2 hour. It even has a level built into the product so you can see immediately if the mount is level or not as you screw it into the wall.

It holds my TV perfectly level and is easy to move about.

4 Stars Really good except for one issue
I just finished installing this mount and my 50″ Panasonic plasma. I bought the articulating mount so I could position the TV in the corner. This means I mounted it towards the corner of one wall and used the articulation to move it to a diagonal position where the edges are flush against adjacent walls.

This mount was very easy to install. Instructions were great. I really liked the built-in level. It was easy to get the plasma on the mount with two people.

The one issue I had was with the tv actually being level. The tv is level when it’s flat against the wall. When I articulate it out a bit and to the right, the right edge dips. It’s obvious enough to bother me. What I did was adjust one of the brackets that bolt to the tv. I purposely had one bracket one position different (higher) than the other. This resulted in leveling the tv when articulated. However, when I put the tv back against one wall, it’s grossly off level. That’s ok for me because the permanent spot is in the corner which is level. I think the problem is due to the weight pressing down on the arm. Not much you can do about it.

3 Stars Does the job, but I’m disappointed with the end result
I just installed this wall mount for use with a 42″ Philips plasma screen TV. As you can see from the picture, the mount basically consists of two plates connected by an articulating arm, which provides the swivel action. The TV is secured to the larger of the two plates via the supplied brackets, which provide the tilt action. The mount itself comes pre-assembled and thus requires only installation onto the wall; similarly, the brackets are also pre-assembled (with the exception of a pair of adjustment knobs for the tilt mechanism which for some reason are not mentioned at all in the installation instructions), and need only be screwed into the back of the TV.

Despite some headaches presented by the construction of my wall (I rent an apartment in an old building in Brooklyn where there is apparently an inch-and-a-half of plaster overlying drywall and studs), I was able to install the smaller plate into the wall using some cheap-but-sturdy toggler anchors from the local hardware store, without a problem.

Where I did run into a problem was when I mounted the TV to the larger of the two plates. Basically, though the mount seems solidly constructed and holds up just fine, it seems as though the articulating arm isn’t strong enough at the joint, which causes a distinct and noticeable (about 3-5 degrees or so) right-sided droop to the TV; this despite the fact that the smaller plate affixed to the wall is perfectly level. Now, given that the mount is rated for TVs up to 55″, I don’t think my 42″ TV is outside of its reported weight range. So, given that the wall plate is level, and eliminating the weight of the TV as the source of the problem, I can only chalk it up to a design or manufacturing defect.

Now, the droop makes the whole thing look kind of sloppy, though in truth it doesn’t really affect the viewing experience all that much; it’s slight enough so that you don’t notice it at all once you’re engrossed in whatever it is you’re watching. And this is definitely the cheapest tilt-and-swivel mount I’ve been able to find, which offsets a little bit of my disappointment. In sum, I’d say I’m satisfied enough that I won’t bother to go through the hassle of trying to return it, but if I were to do it all over again I might have saved up for a slightly more expensive model from a different manufacturer.

5 Stars Small Price BIG VALUE
Our HP 42 inch LCD Media Smart TV was installed using the “MountsPro Tilting & Articulating Arm Universa LCD/Plasma Wall Mount Bracket. We used it inside an Armoire and we are 100% PLUS HAPPY with this mount. At C.C chain store it was, and I kid not, $500.

Thia arm is well made, easy to use and smooth operating at any confrigulation. I had a friend install it and he had no problems. I can not review a wall mount at this time but we plan to move and will purchase another MountsPro by CHEETAH MOUNTS.

Thank you Cheetah for the great product at a great value.

5 Stars Fits Panasonic Viera 42
This mount is sturdy and well built. It was easy to install into my traditional TV cabinet.

The mount adjusts in several different ways, allowing for easy mounting of my Panasonic Viera, which I was told would not be easy to find a mount for as it does not have standard mount holes.

The only trouble I have has was my error, where I did not attach the mount to the cabinet perfectly vertical. Now when the arm is completely extended and the TV is turned its not level. Not really a big deal as I only have it in that position when fiddling with cables.

Overall I’m very happy.

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Taking Back Childhood

Taking Back Childhood

Carlsson-Paige, a professor of early childhood education and conflict resolution at Lesley University and consultant for several PBS television shows, has a lot of practical advice for parents who want to build better—nonviolent, caring, creative—relationships with their children. Children don’t need electronic gizmos and brainy software, she maintains; they do need lots of creative play opportunities, a strong sense of personal security and positive relationships with other children and adults. Carlsson-Paige encourages parents to model problem solving and cooperative behavior for their children. Thus, parents shouldn’t use power over their kids (issuing orders, calling time-outs), but instead try power sharing, getting on the same side of a problem with the kids and figuring out a resolution together. Parents should stop buying pre-scripted media-based toys (Power Rangers, Nemo spinoffs) and instead buy open-ended toys like blocks and modeling clay that allow children to expand their creativity. There is not much new here, and Carlsson-Paige is often preaching to the choir, but readers will want to believe in her argument that compassionate parenting will produce a less violent and more humane world. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Thought-provoking book
As a psychologist, minister, and parent who is concerned about the impact of mass media and marketing upon children, I found Nancy Carlsson-Paige’s book to be a very timely, yet easy to read, analysis. I found her description of the FCC’s relaxation of rules around product tie-ins for children’s television shows to be especially enlightening. It has really changed the way that I view children’s TV. The book confirmed my decision to terminate cable and to limit my son’s TV viewing. This is a must-read for all parents, educators, and those who work with children. While it may not make you decide to turn off the TV, it will certainly make you a more informed consumer of media and marketing.

5 Stars The Journey of Childhood
As a parent and former teacher, I was drawn to Nancy Carlsson-Paige’s new book because I have been familiar with her groundbreaking work on young children’s war play, “The War Play Dilemma” and know that she has been working, quietly and not so quietly, to effect change in the way we raise our children in this culture. She is a strong advocate for the kind of childhood I have been trying to provide for my own children, but I find it increasingly difficult to find kindred spirits who limit “screen time” and allow for plenty of “down time” for their kids. Nancy’s book gives me hope that we can rescue creative play and advocate for its importance to healthy development, build closer connections to our children, help them develop the kind of empathy the world needs, and teach them to “talk back to consumerism.” Most of all, it helps me feel that it’s not just me against the corporations–that we parents can support each other as we try to hang on to childhood for our children–and it reminds us that childhood is not a race, but a journey….Every parent, grandparent, caregiver, and teacher needs a copy of this book!

5 Stars Great, thought-provoking book! Easy read.
This is an excellent book. Well written, easy read… and gives very clear, specific suggestions for handling children’s behavior. I highly recommend it for parents or anyone else working with children!

5 Stars An Empowering Resource for Teachers and Parents
As a college instructor and early childhood educator, I have witnessed the frustration experienced by well-intended adults who wish to protect children from media violence, commercialism, accelerated academic curriculum and other threats to a healthy childhood. As a grandmother, I have been looking for an empowering resource for my daughter as she struggles to raise her 10-year old twins. Nancy Carlsson-Paige’s book comes just when parents and teachers need it the most! Through real-life stories and professional expertise, the author offers encouragement and insightful guidance for those of us who feel overwhelmed by the challenges of raising children in this complex, sometimes harmful world of ours. My early childhood education students appreciate the accessible way that the author includes child development theory in her writing so that parents and teachers can make informed decisions about how to reclaim what is crucial to childrens’ healthy development – creative play, a sense of security and competence, and positive relationships with both adults and other children. I can’t think of a better gift for parents and teachers who value and respect childhood.

5 Stars Full of practical advice
Chances are, if you are considering reading this book, you are already concerned about the negative impact that our consumer culture is having on children. Nancy Carlsson-Paige will add fuel to your concern, but she also offers plenty of practical advice that anyone can follow. You don’t have to be an educator to read this book and you don’t need any special training to do the things she suggests! There are real-life examples on almost every page, followed by practical suggestions and sample conversations that you can easily have with the children in your life. The appendix has excellent resources for those who want to learn more, or take action against harmful media messages–and believe me, you will want to become an activist after reading this book!

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