I broke into tears at 11pm EST on November 4, 2008 when the networks declared Barack Obama the next president of the United States....... I don't think I was the only one to do so. What happened this election is a seminal moment in American history and we were all part of it.
For me though, the election was also something very personal. Twenty years ago when we adopted my bi-racial daughter, and again three years later when we adopted our bi-racial son, it was an act of faith that Mia and Leo would grow up in an America that was more tolerant than the one into which they were born. Last night affirmed that act of faith. We live in a country that can learn and grown and the agents of intolerance are receding. Yes, they're still among us, but it's getting harder and harder to find them.
I spent election day in New Hampshire helping to get out the vote for Obama. One of the areas in the Lakes Region where I canvassed was very rural. Think "Deliverance goes to New England" with cars up on blocks, half-sided houses, and lots of junk strewn about the yard. At one house there was an older guy, straight out of central casting. He was wearing a beater t-shirt and jeans. When I said I was from the Obama campaign and wanted to make sure he got to the polls, he told me "I've already voted. And I've got somethin' for ya. It's down in the Winnebago."
OK, I'm up in back-woods New Hampshire and some old redneck is going to his trailer to get something for me. I had two thoughts. It was either a cake to take back to the volunteers, or he was going to shoot me for being a Massachusetts liberal coming up to tell him how to vote. When he handed me a bumper sticker that said "Freedom Isn't Free" I realized just how much this country had changed.
In an earlier blog, I suggested that deep in his heart, John McCain was uncomfortable with the campaign he was running and the people it was attracting. Last night's concession speech makes me to hopeful that the old Mac is back, the one who, in 2004, John Kerry considered putting on the Democratic ticket. He'll go back to the Senate and not have to kowtow to the right wing anymore. I see a Clinton-McCain bill in our future.
But yesterday's vote was a long time coming. One of the smart things about maybe the smartest campaign we'll ever see, is that Obama knew it was going to take the American people awhile to get accustomed to a black man as president.
The Huxtables were America's favorite sitcom family for over a decade. Tiger Woods, Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey are among the most popular people in the country.....actually Oprah is one of the most powerful too. Not most popular Black People. Simply most popular and they became popular because they're all really good at what they do, and they've been doing it for a long time. This really is a meritocracy. As Republican strategist Stuart Stevens said in a NY Times story about the campaign, "If a house is on fire, the owner does not care what color the fireman is."
Winston Churchill said (I paraphrase) "Americans always do the right thing.....after they've exhausted all other possibilities." Yesterday, after 8 years of total incompetence, we hired the right guy for the job. Volunteering for the Obama campaign showed me that these folks know how to get things done. From the on-line phone banks to the daily text messages and emails from Michelle, Joe, David Plouffe and Barack (yes, they always addressed me by name and signed with just their first names), the campaign engaged their supporters in ways never seen before.
We'll need that spirit of "community organizing" because winning was just the first step. Barack Obama treated his supporters as collaborators; we were asked to work for the greater good and to sacrifice for a common goal. I hope they stay in campaign mode and keep communicating with us....all of us. The president needs to ask Americans to sacrifice to make the country and the world better. And as we learned on November 8th, if you respect us enough to ask us to do the right thing, the American people will.........eventually.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Real John McCain?
Maybe we saw the real John McCain in the last debate. Yes, he was condescending to his opponent. He was angry most of the night and yes, he rolled his eyes too much....hell it was the only thing that stopped him from blinking.
But when he had the chance, John McCain passed on bringing up the Rev. Wright stuff. He couldn't pull off Karl Rove's deep in the mud, politics of absolutely lowest common denominator. Certainly Rove's hands have been all over the McCain campaign ever since he sewed up the nomination. The Sarah Palin pick was a genuflection to the Rovian base, counter to McCain's widely reported preference for Joe Lieberman.
One year ago, many on the left, including me, felt that of given all the Republicans running for president, McCain was one we could at least live with. He had always been a guy who, when push came to shove, would do what he felt was the right thing regardless of the political consequences. But once Karl Rove got his hands on the McCain campaign, it's been a fast slide into the depths. We saw a hint of it last week when McCain told two supporters they were wrong and Barack Obama "is a decent American, a good family man." Last night, by refusing to bring up the Wright issue, maybe John McCain took a step toward restoring his image.
But when he had the chance, John McCain passed on bringing up the Rev. Wright stuff. He couldn't pull off Karl Rove's deep in the mud, politics of absolutely lowest common denominator. Certainly Rove's hands have been all over the McCain campaign ever since he sewed up the nomination. The Sarah Palin pick was a genuflection to the Rovian base, counter to McCain's widely reported preference for Joe Lieberman.
One year ago, many on the left, including me, felt that of given all the Republicans running for president, McCain was one we could at least live with. He had always been a guy who, when push came to shove, would do what he felt was the right thing regardless of the political consequences. But once Karl Rove got his hands on the McCain campaign, it's been a fast slide into the depths. We saw a hint of it last week when McCain told two supporters they were wrong and Barack Obama "is a decent American, a good family man." Last night, by refusing to bring up the Wright issue, maybe John McCain took a step toward restoring his image.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Will there be blood on McCain's hands?
If the worst happens and some right-wing nut takes the not-so-subtle hint from the McCain campaign that Barack Obama is "dangerous" and "not one of us," there will be blood on John McCain's hands. And, let's be clear.....the "worst" will be an assassination attempt on Barack Obama. Everybody in the media is afraid to say this out loud, but we all know it's the 800 pound gorilla in the room.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Is Boston Still the Athens of America?
The end of Joyce Kulhawik three-decade career as Channel 4’s arts and entertainment reporter marks a seminal moment in the cultural life of our self-described “Athens of America.” For it was Joyce, along with her colleagues, Sara Edwards at Channel 7 and Dixie Whatley at Channel 5, who embodied the very best aspects of our incredibly vibrant and diverse cultural community. Boston boasted the only market in the country where all three network affiliates had an arts and entertainment reporter (and a producer) on the nightly newscast whose job was to cover everything from Hollywood movies to photography exhibits at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.
The television arts reporters were just the most visible (literally) members of a press corps that included critics and feature writers at both Boston daily papers and nearly a dozen suburban newspapers, plus a significant number of radio reporter/critics.
Today, readers at the Lowell Sun, Patriot Ledger, Metrowest Daily News and other papers rely on freelancers and wire service stories and reviews of movies and television programs for their “arts and entertainment” news. The Boston Globe and Herald now cover an arts scene that is more active than ever (everywhere except at the downtown commercial theatres) with less than half the full-time staff they had a decade ago.
What’s the difference? Without knowledgeable arts reporters and critics providing information to consumers through “mass media,” consumers are likely to miss out on any number of cultural opportunities offered in the area. Arts in the mass media today have been reduced to coverage of Britney’s latest run-in with the police and rehab center” and reviews of mainstream motion pictures.
Those web 2.0 folks who believe that the critical process has been democratized with the proliferation of “arts blogs” and web sites miss the point. 20 people are writing about something on the Internet frequently means that only 19 people are reading it. And, that doesn’t address the issue of quality and informed criticism.
At the zenith of our arts media scene, Joyce delivered 15 reports a week, and her colleagues at the other stations had almost as much airtime. It. Allowed them to satisfy their corporate bosses with Hollywood news and a little shilling for the new network television programs, while still giving time to independent film festivals at Coolidge Corner and the latest doings at Gloucester Stage.
Arts coverage is no more a frill for local media than sports or weather. We have a vibrant arts community here in Boston that contributes both economically and spiritually to the area’s well being. With Joyce’s final report, local television arts coverage will end and as a community we’ll be the poorer for it.
The television arts reporters were just the most visible (literally) members of a press corps that included critics and feature writers at both Boston daily papers and nearly a dozen suburban newspapers, plus a significant number of radio reporter/critics.
Today, readers at the Lowell Sun, Patriot Ledger, Metrowest Daily News and other papers rely on freelancers and wire service stories and reviews of movies and television programs for their “arts and entertainment” news. The Boston Globe and Herald now cover an arts scene that is more active than ever (everywhere except at the downtown commercial theatres) with less than half the full-time staff they had a decade ago.
What’s the difference? Without knowledgeable arts reporters and critics providing information to consumers through “mass media,” consumers are likely to miss out on any number of cultural opportunities offered in the area. Arts in the mass media today have been reduced to coverage of Britney’s latest run-in with the police and rehab center” and reviews of mainstream motion pictures.
Those web 2.0 folks who believe that the critical process has been democratized with the proliferation of “arts blogs” and web sites miss the point. 20 people are writing about something on the Internet frequently means that only 19 people are reading it. And, that doesn’t address the issue of quality and informed criticism.
At the zenith of our arts media scene, Joyce delivered 15 reports a week, and her colleagues at the other stations had almost as much airtime. It. Allowed them to satisfy their corporate bosses with Hollywood news and a little shilling for the new network television programs, while still giving time to independent film festivals at Coolidge Corner and the latest doings at Gloucester Stage.
Arts coverage is no more a frill for local media than sports or weather. We have a vibrant arts community here in Boston that contributes both economically and spiritually to the area’s well being. With Joyce’s final report, local television arts coverage will end and as a community we’ll be the poorer for it.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
A Perfect Day
I was 7 when I went to my first Buffalo Bills game in 1960 with my father, thus beginning a lifelong love with my hometown team. For most of my childhood and teen years, I shared the Bills with my dad and grandfather; going to games together, summer afternoons watching training camp, Sundays in front of the television. When my grandfather passed away in 1968, my father and I consoled ourselves by noting that he had a heart attack at half-time while the Bills were beating Miami. He went happy.
Even though I’ve lived in the Boston area for the past 28 years, I’ve not only remained loyal, but have raised my son to be a Bills fan. Leo, who’s now 16, has been steadfast and true, suffering the abuse of Patriots fans (aka his friends), particularly through New England’s Super Bowl era. Every year we try to get up to Buffalo for a game, or at least, to training camp for a couple of days.
This past year, it was Sunday October 21. We caught a 9am Jet Blue flight at Logan, and my father met us at the airport in Buffalo. A short drive into Williamsville brought us to the Pancake House where my mother was already waiting for a table. After a nice brunch (who doesn’t love a good stack of pancakes?), the Balsom men headed off to Orchard Park, about a half-hour away.
We found a parking space just across from the stadium and as we were walking up to The Ralph, all 3 of us were struck by the acrid odor of burning nylon Willis McGahee jerseys. My son said, “Smells like victory.” We had great seats; it was a beautiful, sunny day and the Bills won.
After the game, we drove straight to Ted’s, home of the best charcoal broiled hot dogs in the world, for dinner. Again, my mother had taken one for the team, and arrived ahead of us to secure a place in line. Then, around the corner to Andersen’s for a dessert of incredible frozen custard (did I mention that Buffalo has the best cheap food anywhere?).
It was just a short drive to the airport for our 6:55pm flight home; we landed right on time and were home in time for the first inning of Game 1 of the Red Sox in the World Series. I got to spend the day with my father and my son rooting for our favorite sports teams. Just about a perfect day.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The biggest hole I know
I've hiked in the Grand Canyon a half dozen times over the past 10 years. And every time I do it I'm amazed at just how big that freakin' hole is.
My god, it's a mile deep, and when you're well down the trail and look up to the rim, it seems as if you'll never get out. But, here's the key......just keep walking. Being able to hike the Canyon is an athletic accomplishment of some sort, I'm just not sure how big. Sort of like how I feel about Columbus Day.....we're celebrating some guy who
discovered something everybody already knew.
Anyway, when I hike the Canyon, I've got some built in advantages unavailable to the average citizen. First, and foremost, my sister Jan is the Duchess of the Grand Canyon; actually she's Deputy Chief for Science and Resources at the Park. So when I visit, she's the best guide ever, and she's got everything I need, from a backpack and bedding, right down to trail mix waiting for me at her house. I even get to stay at the Park Service bunk house at Phantom Ranch inside the Canyon, where there's a bed, hot shower and full kitchen.
The first time I did an overnight hike, she was busy with work, so she asked a friend of hers to accompany me; Jan's opinion being that one shouldn't hike alone, no matter how experienced (or inexperienced) the hiker. The "rent-a-friend" was Gail, a mid-50's pediatrician (good idea to send me with a medical professional) who describes herself as "the desert turtle."
Gail's best advice, which I didn't quite understand until it was all over, is that "it's not a race." So, when I hauled my ass out of the hole, at the end of an 8 mile uphill trek, and went "TA-DA" in victory, I looked at the startled tourist sitting at the trail head and said "Is the band on a break?" When she assured me there was no band greeting successful hikers, I realized that Gail is a wise woman. Ever since, I check my watch and figure out how long till my flight home from Phoenix. Calculating getting to the airport an hour before my flight, and a 4-hour drive to Phoenix, I've usually got about 20 hours to get my ass back to the car.
Actually, while hiking the Grand Canyon may not be an athletic feat, it does say something about your own fitness and stamina. Because I guarantee you that at some point during that 8 mile hike out of the hole you'll say to yourself "Wasn't this supposed to be fun?"
The first time I hiked, it was the altitude that got me. You start at 7000 feet and drop down to about 2000 at the Colorado River. I was doing great coming out...on something like a 5 hour pace, which for a 50 year old guy is pretty good. That was until the final mile and a half, when I could barely breath. At first it kind of freaked me out until I realized what was happening. So, I took it 25 paces at a time which got me to the rim in just over 6 hours.
My favorite hike came a couple of years ago. Jan was already on the river with a team of archeologists visiting sites and so I hiked in with a couple of her friends and we met at Phantom. (I'm pretty sure it's called Phantom Ranch after the little spirits who come into your bed and plant river rocks in your calves while you sleep).
Her team was camped across the river and they ferried us across for dinner. We pulled up and there were fires going, big pots boiling, and tunes cranking on some battery powered sound system. Nothing like a bunch of Canyon rats who've been living on the river to throw a really great dinner party. But for me, the highlight was being rowed back across the Colorado later that night. It was dark, with the Canyon walls surrounding us and a ribbon of stars across the only open sky we could see. It was awe-inspiring.
Jan had told me that we'd stay 2 nights in the Canyon, since she needed to visit a site at along North Kaibab Trail, which heads up to the North Rim. "It'll be good....it's a little day hike, maybe 6 flat miles to stretch your legs out." She needed to visit an old Native American granary site that hadn't been seen in about a quarter century.
Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? Well, it turns out that the site wasn't at Ribbon Falls, and wasn't a little 6 mile day hike. The site is at UPPER Ribbon Falls, and it's 6 miles ONE WAY, plus another mile up a goat scramble. Suffice it to say, that Jan and I had a conversation on the way back about "effective communications."
At the end of 3 days, there were a total of 8 people who hiked out. Of that group the only 2 people who hiked all 36 miles of the weekend were a 40-something triathlete who lives in Flagstaff (8,000 ft above sea level) and me. So, yes I felt pretty fit after that.
I recently did a little day hike with Jan; about 5 hours down into a side canyon and back out. Nothing strenuous, or monumental. A California condor flew right over our heads as we were heading back to the house, close enough so we could see it's wing tag. Pretty cool. Just an incredibly beautiful day in one of the most amazing places on earth.
My god, it's a mile deep, and when you're well down the trail and look up to the rim, it seems as if you'll never get out. But, here's the key......just keep walking. Being able to hike the Canyon is an athletic accomplishment of some sort, I'm just not sure how big. Sort of like how I feel about Columbus Day.....we're celebrating some guy who
discovered something everybody already knew.Anyway, when I hike the Canyon, I've got some built in advantages unavailable to the average citizen. First, and foremost, my sister Jan is the Duchess of the Grand Canyon; actually she's Deputy Chief for Science and Resources at the Park. So when I visit, she's the best guide ever, and she's got everything I need, from a backpack and bedding, right down to trail mix waiting for me at her house. I even get to stay at the Park Service bunk house at Phantom Ranch inside the Canyon, where there's a bed, hot shower and full kitchen.
The first time I did an overnight hike, she was busy with work, so she asked a friend of hers to accompany me; Jan's opinion being that one shouldn't hike alone, no matter how experienced (or inexperienced) the hiker. The "rent-a-friend" was Gail, a mid-50's pediatrician (good idea to send me with a medical professional) who describes herself as "the desert turtle."
Gail's best advice, which I didn't quite understand until it was all over, is that "it's not a race." So, when I hauled my ass out of the hole, at the end of an 8 mile uphill trek, and went "TA-DA" in victory, I looked at the startled tourist sitting at the trail head and said "Is the band on a break?" When she assured me there was no band greeting successful hikers, I realized that Gail is a wise woman. Ever since, I check my watch and figure out how long till my flight home from Phoenix. Calculating getting to the airport an hour before my flight, and a 4-hour drive to Phoenix, I've usually got about 20 hours to get my ass back to the car.
Actually, while hiking the Grand Canyon may not be an athletic feat, it does say something about your own fitness and stamina. Because I guarantee you that at some point during that 8 mile hike out of the hole you'll say to yourself "Wasn't this supposed to be fun?"
The first time I hiked, it was the altitude that got me. You start at 7000 feet and drop down to about 2000 at the Colorado River. I was doing great coming out...on something like a 5 hour pace, which for a 50 year old guy is pretty good. That was until the final mile and a half, when I could barely breath. At first it kind of freaked me out until I realized what was happening. So, I took it 25 paces at a time which got me to the rim in just over 6 hours.
My favorite hike came a couple of years ago. Jan was already on the river with a team of archeologists visiting sites and so I hiked in with a couple of her friends and we met at Phantom. (I'm pretty sure it's called Phantom Ranch after the little spirits who come into your bed and plant river rocks in your calves while you sleep).
Her team was camped across the river and they ferried us across for dinner. We pulled up and there were fires going, big pots boiling, and tunes cranking on some battery powered sound system. Nothing like a bunch of Canyon rats who've been living on the river to throw a really great dinner party. But for me, the highlight was being rowed back across the Colorado later that night. It was dark, with the Canyon walls surrounding us and a ribbon of stars across the only open sky we could see. It was awe-inspiring.
Jan had told me that we'd stay 2 nights in the Canyon, since she needed to visit a site at along North Kaibab Trail, which heads up to the North Rim. "It'll be good....it's a little day hike, maybe 6 flat miles to stretch your legs out." She needed to visit an old Native American granary site that hadn't been seen in about a quarter century.
Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it? Well, it turns out that the site wasn't at Ribbon Falls, and wasn't a little 6 mile day hike. The site is at UPPER Ribbon Falls, and it's 6 miles ONE WAY, plus another mile up a goat scramble. Suffice it to say, that Jan and I had a conversation on the way back about "effective communications."
At the end of 3 days, there were a total of 8 people who hiked out. Of that group the only 2 people who hiked all 36 miles of the weekend were a 40-something triathlete who lives in Flagstaff (8,000 ft above sea level) and me. So, yes I felt pretty fit after that.
I recently did a little day hike with Jan; about 5 hours down into a side canyon and back out. Nothing strenuous, or monumental. A California condor flew right over our heads as we were heading back to the house, close enough so we could see it's wing tag. Pretty cool. Just an incredibly beautiful day in one of the most amazing places on earth.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Greed is Bad
I know, you see the title and say "really?" Yes, it's bad because the economy is in the crapper these days because there are lots of greedy people who can never get enough.
My daughter sent me this email the other day:
"On my college interview, I talked about how in history class, we were comparing the 1990's to the 1920's and 2000 to the 1930's economics-wise and how I believed that the country was headed for a recession. MY SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF PREDICTED OUR CURRENT ECONOMIC STANDING ON A COLLEGE INTERVIEW. Props?"
Of course, she's totally right. What led to the that economic crisis and the current one is simple greed. Apparently we're in this mess basically because the financial markets were involved first in a basic bait and switch game with consumers, and then lenders sold risky mortgages to greedy speculators who then sold them to greedy major investors and when the poor folks at the bottom found out they couldn't really afford to make their house payments, the whole house of cards began to fall.
And, true to their roots, the Republicans in the White House and in control of Congress for most of the past 25 years deregulated the hell out of the financial markets so there are basically no controls anymore. Why,you ask? So Wall Street could make MORE money, not money, MORE money.
What is it about this country that nobody ever has enough? Just a rhetorical question, without an answer
My daughter sent me this email the other day:
"On my college interview, I talked about how in history class, we were comparing the 1990's to the 1920's and 2000 to the 1930's economics-wise and how I believed that the country was headed for a recession. MY SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD SELF PREDICTED OUR CURRENT ECONOMIC STANDING ON A COLLEGE INTERVIEW. Props?"
Of course, she's totally right. What led to the that economic crisis and the current one is simple greed. Apparently we're in this mess basically because the financial markets were involved first in a basic bait and switch game with consumers, and then lenders sold risky mortgages to greedy speculators who then sold them to greedy major investors and when the poor folks at the bottom found out they couldn't really afford to make their house payments, the whole house of cards began to fall.
And, true to their roots, the Republicans in the White House and in control of Congress for most of the past 25 years deregulated the hell out of the financial markets so there are basically no controls anymore. Why,you ask? So Wall Street could make MORE money, not money, MORE money.
What is it about this country that nobody ever has enough? Just a rhetorical question, without an answer
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Sex and Stupidity
Hypocrisy? Self--delusion? Oh, let’s just call it what it is. Stupidity. America’s attitude toward sex is simply mind-boggling.
Bill Maher has it right when he says that we all need to stop over-analyzing the “whys” with regard to L’affaire d’Elliot Spitzer…the guy just wanted to have sex with a hot babe and got caught (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/spitzers-trysts-stop-ov_b_91141.html).
But how ridiculous was the rush in print (see the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/nyregion/13kristen.html?scp=2&sq=ashley&st=nyt) and all the TV news shows (Today Show, Anderson Cooper, Oprah, and everything on Fox News) to interview professional call girls ? This might have been Heidi Fleiss’ best week ever.
Of course there’s nothing new in all of this. Way back in 2000, America got its first look at high priced hookers when FOX created the genre I like to call “’Ho-TV” with "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" Today, you can see any number of women (aka skanks) eager to have sex for fortune and fame on “Flavor of Love,” “Rock of Love,” or “That’s Amore” to name a few; there are even boy ho’s on “I Love New York” that ultra-classy spin-off from “Flavor of Love.”
The success of all these programs is the obvious. The reason millions of people tune in these shows is that they let you see what legalized prostitution looks like, up close and personal.
Ironic then, that in the only state where prostitution is legal, the department of tourism’s has a national marketing campaign themed “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” And paradox on top of irony, they continue to market it as a family vacation destination, much like that other family friendly spot, New Orleans (both pre and post Katrina).
Only in "the Big Easy" could you go into a convenience store for a bottled water and a bag of chips and come out with a desk-top toy of a two people engaged in oral sex that was strategically situated next to the cash register. I'm no prude, but if that's what passes for an impulse purchase at a Store 24, then everybody needs to stop being so indignant when public figures are caught up in a sex scandal.
Too bad that Governor Spitzer couldn't follow the example of one of his most distinguished predecessors, Nelson Rockefeller. Old Rocky knew better than to engage his girls on an hourly basis. When he died with his pants around his ankles in the presence of his 26 year old "aide" Megan Marshak, it was a one day story and there were no wire-taps involved. And, Megan never had to pay the monthly mortgage on her New York apartment again. Almost everybody lived happily ever after.
Bill Maher has it right when he says that we all need to stop over-analyzing the “whys” with regard to L’affaire d’Elliot Spitzer…the guy just wanted to have sex with a hot babe and got caught (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-maher/spitzers-trysts-stop-ov_b_91141.html).
But how ridiculous was the rush in print (see the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/nyregion/13kristen.html?scp=2&sq=ashley&st=nyt) and all the TV news shows (Today Show, Anderson Cooper, Oprah, and everything on Fox News) to interview professional call girls ? This might have been Heidi Fleiss’ best week ever.
Of course there’s nothing new in all of this. Way back in 2000, America got its first look at high priced hookers when FOX created the genre I like to call “’Ho-TV” with "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire?" Today, you can see any number of women (aka skanks) eager to have sex for fortune and fame on “Flavor of Love,” “Rock of Love,” or “That’s Amore” to name a few; there are even boy ho’s on “I Love New York” that ultra-classy spin-off from “Flavor of Love.”
The success of all these programs is the obvious. The reason millions of people tune in these shows is that they let you see what legalized prostitution looks like, up close and personal.
Ironic then, that in the only state where prostitution is legal, the department of tourism’s has a national marketing campaign themed “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” And paradox on top of irony, they continue to market it as a family vacation destination, much like that other family friendly spot, New Orleans (both pre and post Katrina).
Only in "the Big Easy" could you go into a convenience store for a bottled water and a bag of chips and come out with a desk-top toy of a two people engaged in oral sex that was strategically situated next to the cash register. I'm no prude, but if that's what passes for an impulse purchase at a Store 24, then everybody needs to stop being so indignant when public figures are caught up in a sex scandal.
Too bad that Governor Spitzer couldn't follow the example of one of his most distinguished predecessors, Nelson Rockefeller. Old Rocky knew better than to engage his girls on an hourly basis. When he died with his pants around his ankles in the presence of his 26 year old "aide" Megan Marshak, it was a one day story and there were no wire-taps involved. And, Megan never had to pay the monthly mortgage on her New York apartment again. Almost everybody lived happily ever after.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
It's work, not play
There's a reason it's called "work." No matter how much you love your job and what you do, it's not "play" (unless you're a musician). What makes it hard isn't necessarily the doing of the job itself, but rather how what you're doing has to fit with those people and organizations with which you must interact.
Two different colleagues said to me today that they dreaded picking up the phone when the call was from a certain individual, because the conversations lately had all been tough. Much tougher than they should be since theoretically everyone has a common purpose. It wasn't so much overt hostility (although sometimes it was), but more that every interaction was harder than necessary.
I think it all comes down to trust. If you trust that the people you're working with are all on the same page as you, and you all have the same goal, then sometimes you just have to let go and trust that things will work out. And if you're wrong, then move on. Is it really worth getting upset, or spending hours in a passive/aggressive mode of combat?
Because other than brain surgery and air traffic control, there aren't too many jobs where people die if somebody screws up.
I work in the entertainment business. The people I'm talking about all work in the business too. But, and this is really important to remember, at the end of the day, if things don't go exactly right, nobody is going to die.
In our business, the worst things that can happen are somebody might loose money, or be embarrassed. Nobody ever died of a bad review. While that is technically true, there is the Norma Brustein exception to that rule. Back in the 1970's after then Yale Rep's artistic director Robert Brustein's wife Norma received a bad review in the New York Times and died unexpectedly a few weeks later, Brustein blamed Times critic Richard Eder. So, if we're to believe the story that simply is the proverbial exception that proves the rule.
So, the lesson for today, I think, is to stop thinking the everyone is out to screw you (they may well be), and limit your paranoia to people who aren't your friends/colleagues/business partners. There are more than enough of those other folks to worry about. And if you've limited your angst to them, think of how much more time you'll have to complain about other things you have absolutely no control over.
Two different colleagues said to me today that they dreaded picking up the phone when the call was from a certain individual, because the conversations lately had all been tough. Much tougher than they should be since theoretically everyone has a common purpose. It wasn't so much overt hostility (although sometimes it was), but more that every interaction was harder than necessary.
I think it all comes down to trust. If you trust that the people you're working with are all on the same page as you, and you all have the same goal, then sometimes you just have to let go and trust that things will work out. And if you're wrong, then move on. Is it really worth getting upset, or spending hours in a passive/aggressive mode of combat?
Because other than brain surgery and air traffic control, there aren't too many jobs where people die if somebody screws up.
I work in the entertainment business. The people I'm talking about all work in the business too. But, and this is really important to remember, at the end of the day, if things don't go exactly right, nobody is going to die.
In our business, the worst things that can happen are somebody might loose money, or be embarrassed. Nobody ever died of a bad review. While that is technically true, there is the Norma Brustein exception to that rule. Back in the 1970's after then Yale Rep's artistic director Robert Brustein's wife Norma received a bad review in the New York Times and died unexpectedly a few weeks later, Brustein blamed Times critic Richard Eder. So, if we're to believe the story that simply is the proverbial exception that proves the rule.
So, the lesson for today, I think, is to stop thinking the everyone is out to screw you (they may well be), and limit your paranoia to people who aren't your friends/colleagues/business partners. There are more than enough of those other folks to worry about. And if you've limited your angst to them, think of how much more time you'll have to complain about other things you have absolutely no control over.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Obama v Clinton
I came into this primary season truly undecided (actually in my best Buffalo Bills fan mode I was pulling for Joe Biden), but felt that the Democrats were going to be in great shape with a terrific nominee no matter what (assuming hell didn't freeze over and Dennis Kucinich was the party standard-bearer). After all, the GOP was probably going to go with either Mitt or Rudy, both of whom were easily beatable, and after the most incompetent administration since Herbert Hoover, 2008 was looking (in the immortal words of George Tenant) like a lay-up.
Today, I'm not so sure. It now appears that John McCain is going to face either Hillary Clinton (which means he's already assured of 49% of the vote, since that's how many people in this country HATE her) or a badly bruised Barack Obama (once you've had the kitchen sink thrown on your head, it's hard to look good). And if you think that a McCain presidency "wouldn't be all that bad" take a look at Matt Taibbi's piece in Rolling Stone http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/18721308/mccain_resurr...
Really, it's a) sad or b) frightening just how the Clintons play hardball. As my friend Catherine says, they're the Macbeths of American politics. First there was Bill's performance leading up to the South Carolina primary. Then, last week's appearance on "60 Minutes" where Hillary had the unmitigated gall to respond to Steve Croft's question about the rumors that Obama is a Muslim with “No. No. Why would I? No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know.” AS FAR AS I KNOW!!?!?!?!? How about a simple "Of course he isn't" never mind that the real answer from both Obama and Clinton should be "SO WHAT."
And did anybody ever think that we'd live to see a Democratic candidate for president, much less the first woman with a serious shot, campaign against hope? So here we are looking at 6 weeks and $60million being dropped in Pennsylvania as they beat each other up. Maybe it'll be even worse, as the Clintons continue to flog Obama and he can't find an effective way to respond. After all, he's built his campaign around being a different kind of candidate, so he's damned if he responds to her "in-kind" and likely to be pummeled if he tries to work the high road. As great as it was to see voters in the early states take things seriously (god love those folks in Iowa and New Hampshire), never forget we live in a country that elected Reagan twice and W twice despite being either the dumbest man ever to hold the job, or the most dishonest (and I'm including Nixon).
So, here's hoping that the negative campaigning has run its course (I doubt it, but sometimes we get lucky), and Hillary and Barack can run the rest of this campaign like they did for those few weeks leading up to Super Tuesday when the California debate was a civil discussion of their differences and how to best beat the Republicans.
Today, I'm not so sure. It now appears that John McCain is going to face either Hillary Clinton (which means he's already assured of 49% of the vote, since that's how many people in this country HATE her) or a badly bruised Barack Obama (once you've had the kitchen sink thrown on your head, it's hard to look good). And if you think that a McCain presidency "wouldn't be all that bad" take a look at Matt Taibbi's piece in Rolling Stone http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/18721308/mccain_resurr...
Really, it's a) sad or b) frightening just how the Clintons play hardball. As my friend Catherine says, they're the Macbeths of American politics. First there was Bill's performance leading up to the South Carolina primary. Then, last week's appearance on "60 Minutes" where Hillary had the unmitigated gall to respond to Steve Croft's question about the rumors that Obama is a Muslim with “No. No. Why would I? No, there is nothing to base that on. As far as I know.” AS FAR AS I KNOW!!?!?!?!? How about a simple "Of course he isn't" never mind that the real answer from both Obama and Clinton should be "SO WHAT."
And did anybody ever think that we'd live to see a Democratic candidate for president, much less the first woman with a serious shot, campaign against hope? So here we are looking at 6 weeks and $60million being dropped in Pennsylvania as they beat each other up. Maybe it'll be even worse, as the Clintons continue to flog Obama and he can't find an effective way to respond. After all, he's built his campaign around being a different kind of candidate, so he's damned if he responds to her "in-kind" and likely to be pummeled if he tries to work the high road. As great as it was to see voters in the early states take things seriously (god love those folks in Iowa and New Hampshire), never forget we live in a country that elected Reagan twice and W twice despite being either the dumbest man ever to hold the job, or the most dishonest (and I'm including Nixon).
So, here's hoping that the negative campaigning has run its course (I doubt it, but sometimes we get lucky), and Hillary and Barack can run the rest of this campaign like they did for those few weeks leading up to Super Tuesday when the California debate was a civil discussion of their differences and how to best beat the Republicans.
Travel Thoughts
Everyone has horror stories about travel, especially during the winter when flights are canceled and you find yourself stranded thousands of miles from home. This isn't one of those stories. Instead, I thought it might be nice to share a couple of nice travel tales from my recent past, when I traveled from Boston to Aspen to Chicago to Buffalo, back to Boston, to Mt. Kisco, NY back to Boston, then on to Atlanta to Fort Pierce, FL and then finally home again to Boston.
The Jewish karma in me says I probably shouldn't say this out loud because it's bad luck, but sometimes you just have to. All my flights in that 2 week stretch were on time. And, I don't mean "relatively" on time, I mean they were either early (and we had to wait for a gate), or the plane pulled up to the gate when the airline said it would.
A few weeks earlier, when changing planes in Chicago with just enough time to grab a sandwich for lunch, my colleague Tom and I kept walking past all the fast-food chains at O'Hare thinking/hoping that maybe a better option would present itself before we got to our gate. We found a little Greek place that was perfect. I had a great chicken kabob wrap and they tossed some hummus on it without any extra charge. I turned to Tom and said, "I bet they do a great breakfast."
Well, last week, I manged to beat morning traffic back to O'Hare and had some extra time before my 8am flight and went looking for the Greek spot, but I couldn't recall exactly where it was. All I could remember was that it was way down the E or F concourse. So, I schlepped all the way down F, found nothing and turned back. I walked up to a couple of gate agents chatting and said "There's a great little Gree.."
Before I could finish the question, they said "It's across from E8; we're going over in about 10 minutes." Just to confirm, they do make a fantastic Greek omlet."
This is a a little shout-out to the TSA folks at ATL. This past Wednesday morning, during a generally busy morning rush at one of the busiest airports in the country, the security check point had a sufficient number of screeners on the floor, and enough lines open to get people thru security in just minutes.
We all know airport security makes little sense in terms of actually deterring a terrorist, but it's something we all put up with. In this case, getting through security efficiently just made all that travel a little easier.
The Jewish karma in me says I probably shouldn't say this out loud because it's bad luck, but sometimes you just have to. All my flights in that 2 week stretch were on time. And, I don't mean "relatively" on time, I mean they were either early (and we had to wait for a gate), or the plane pulled up to the gate when the airline said it would.
A few weeks earlier, when changing planes in Chicago with just enough time to grab a sandwich for lunch, my colleague Tom and I kept walking past all the fast-food chains at O'Hare thinking/hoping that maybe a better option would present itself before we got to our gate. We found a little Greek place that was perfect. I had a great chicken kabob wrap and they tossed some hummus on it without any extra charge. I turned to Tom and said, "I bet they do a great breakfast."
Well, last week, I manged to beat morning traffic back to O'Hare and had some extra time before my 8am flight and went looking for the Greek spot, but I couldn't recall exactly where it was. All I could remember was that it was way down the E or F concourse. So, I schlepped all the way down F, found nothing and turned back. I walked up to a couple of gate agents chatting and said "There's a great little Gree.."
Before I could finish the question, they said "It's across from E8; we're going over in about 10 minutes." Just to confirm, they do make a fantastic Greek omlet."
This is a a little shout-out to the TSA folks at ATL. This past Wednesday morning, during a generally busy morning rush at one of the busiest airports in the country, the security check point had a sufficient number of screeners on the floor, and enough lines open to get people thru security in just minutes.
We all know airport security makes little sense in terms of actually deterring a terrorist, but it's something we all put up with. In this case, getting through security efficiently just made all that travel a little easier.
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