I don’t follow sports – especially politics – but I do like the movies. Personally, I see the entire newspaper as a giant sports report. We have the financial sports, geo-political sports, who out-lived whom sports, oh, and yeah, sports sports. While I do admire solo sports – I think solo sports represent the honing of one’s mettle and soul towards the aim of being the best you can possibly be, as opposed to competitive sports where the goal is to be named the best in the world as proved by the whopping of others. You can be the best in the world yet not achieve the best you can be. I believe solo sports to be a growth path and competitive sports to being a narcissistic beauty pageant. I am an avid avoider of competitive sports. I must say that the current election cycle is the dark winter of my discontent. My leanings are what they are – and are largely irrelevant to the “Olympic semi-finals” with which we are now bombarded. The conflation of so many other issues come into this Herculean pre-election sporting competition; that they distort a clear view of the character of the speakers. Continue reading
Category Archives: In The News
BRUCE JENNER, MY HAT’S OFF TO YOU!
Bruce Jenner, my hat is most definitely off to you. Last night while my friend was winning an Emmy (congrats David Doyle – you deserve it not only as a producer but as a human being – proud of you!), I was watching the Bruce Jenner interview. It was a very interesting story. 16 hours later I find I feel for him on two counts. The first is compassion for his suffering the weight of a life lead dealing with the issues that are part and parcel of realizing that you are living with being born in the wrong sexed body. Second, I was concerned for him having to “come out” in Macy’s window.
GERMANWINGS AND PSYCHOSIS
I have waited for a bit before publishing a blog entry on Germanwings. It was my feeling that between my Vimeo video (see the Vimeo link in the media and consulting tab on this website) and my How to Survive a Secondhand Disaster (in this blog section); I felt I had pretty much covered it. Moreover it was my sense that the co-pilot must have been psychotic. I will follow up on that point in a moment.
WHAT DO JUSTIN BIEBER, CONRAD HILTON, AND ROBERT DURST HAVE IN COMMON?
So what do Justin Bieber, Conrad Hilton and Robert Durst have in common? Recent events made me wonder about that. A friend of mine asked me if I was going to write a blog about Justin Bieber trying to remake his public image by putting himself at the center of a celebrity roast that was filmed this past weekend at the Sony lot. Early reports seem to indicate that no one was fooled. In fact at least one roaster reportedly told Bieber he didn’t like him at all and hope this attempt to rehabilitate his image failed. It’s a sad commentary as well as a testament to his history that even one of the most entitled groups in the world: celebrities, found Bieber‘s antics deplorable.
MORAL OBLIGATIONS OF JOURNALISTS VS. ENTERTAINERS
I’ve been asked a few times for my opinion on whether or not what Brian Williams, and just recently, Bill O’Reilly, did was wrong by allegedly “altering” facts in news stories. Now, I must confess, neither Brian Williams nor Bill O’Reilly (nor the moral obligations of journalists vs. enterainers) are much on my personal radar screen. As for watching the news, I believe that Bob Dylan was correct when he said, “you don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” And certainly when you do need a “weatherman”, media that covets and survives on followers, is not my “go to” source. Obviously, when major events occur I do turn to the News networks. However, it’s not, as I have said, my modus operandi. That being said, I was intrigued at first as to what all the fuss was about with Brian Williams. It seemed to me that he did what pretty much everyone who lives does at some point or another – he over-exaggerated the story for the story-telling excitement or to elevate his own importance. However, digging in a bit and discussing the events with friends I realized that indeed, a news broadcaster is responsible to deliver the news as it occurred. I think that is especially so when one wears the crown of “the most trusted name in news.”
SURVIVING SECOND HAND TERROSIST EVENTS
How do we survive and thrive after second hand terrorist events? Let’s define an event second hand if one’s exposure to the event is through media and they are not geographically near the site of the attack. At the time of this writing, police have just killed three terrorists in France and are looking for the fourth: a woman. It seems, when it comes to killing; women are considered right up there and equal to men – as long as they don’t drive 😉
DOG DAY AFTERNOON: DOGS AND RESTAURANTS
Dog Day Afternoon, Indeed! Yay, California! Though still far behind say, France, California has passed a law that makes it legal for dogs and restaurants to co-exist. Restaurants can now seat you with your dog – IN OUTDOOR AREAS. Do keep in mind; the law does NOT make it that the restaurateurs must allow dogs in outdoor/patio dining areas, it does, however, make it legal for them to allow dogs in those areas. There are some details like dogs are not allowed in seats and kitchen staff cannot pet them. All in all it seems to be an easing in the law long overdue.
CEELO GREEN – CAUGHT WITH HIS PANTS DOWN AND TONGUE IN GEAR
So CeeLo (aptly named if you ask me) denies that rape can happen when someone is unconscious. First, he is apparently drawing a distinction between sex and rape. He is not asserting that sex can’t happen; rather that rape can’t happen if someone is unconscious. Or, more precisely, that the degradation of rape can’t happen is someone is unconscious. Not to get into legal distinctions here, my couch never passed the California Bar exam. But I do believe there is a simple thought experiment worthy of the moment.
ROBIN WILLIAMS UPDATE
There has been talk that Robin Williams also has Parkinson’s disease. It is worth noting that depression is present in over 40% of Parkinson’s patients. It is not all that surprising. Parkinson’s has to do with decreased dopamine. Dopamine is one of the “reward” chemical messengers. Though dopamine has such a profound role in movement it also is one of the three major neurotransmitters we target when treating depression.
ROBIN WILLIAMS WAS A FAMILY MEMBER
It is heartbreaking that Robin William’s committed suicide today. The whole world is shocked and saddened. What could have led such a talented and successful man to take his own life? The simple answer is that depression can be a bear of a disorder. Also, I think it highlights that we all have pain in life – no matter the station we have achieved nor the gifts we have been given.
