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
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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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