Too Fast

My wife was here this weekend. It went by pretty fast.

Now she is somewhere over these great United States in an airplane. I don't like that one bit.

We spent the weekend doing stuff that we do normally: eating, running, going to hell Ikea and Bed Bath and Beyond. We also had the chance to celebrate the "Bat Mitzvah" of a good friend's rabbanic ordination and to see some old friends. But now it is over. And it is nearly a month before we see each other.

Nothing good about it.

In better news the weather here is snazzy and I have two rugs from hell Ikea. But best of all, the wife likes the apartment and our neighborhood. I got to say I was a bit nervous in that I picked it without any help. But after going out to eat in a few very nice places within walking distance (some within steps)and enjoying the views of the Presidio it was clear that I (at some point semi-soon, we) moved to a great place.

But now, I wait until February and enjoy the weather.

At the Speed of Business

Look. I get it. San Francisco is all hip and cool. The pace is slower and the nights are shorter and for sure the weather is better than New York. Over all things are easier here in California. But for the love of God! Could you walk a bit faster?

It is like everyone in this town is a tourist in Time Square mesmerized by the lights and sounds.

Put your head down, watch where you are going and get there, faster.

I would understand if this was along Fisherman's Wharf or in Union Square but in the middle of the Financial District? Come on people, we have stuff to do and we have places to go. Put down the iPad and individually and intentionally brewed Blue Bottle Coffee and get out of the way.

Thanks!

Wake up and be amazing

A few years ago I saw this commercial and thought it was pretty amazing.


My mother hates that word. Amazing is hackneyed and tired. At some point this word, born of biblical experience, became just some shit girls and boys say.* I have long tired to keep this unfortunately trite word out of my daily lexicon. However, sometimes it is needed.

This commercial was aired in the Fall of 2010. You may remember the Fall of 2010 being a pretty horrific time for the economy. All signs pointed in the wrong direction. It was getting easy to say that America was past its prime and that nothing we were doing was going to make this country great again.

When I watched this commercial it was most likely as I was getting ready for work or I was sitting on the couch with my lovely wife after a long day at work. But I wasn't being amazing, I was just doing my job and coming home. Not much in the way of risk, nor in the way of reward.

Making Friends Fast

For those of you who see running for hours at a time for what it is, self-inflected torture, I can tell you that over the past year and a half, I have become a more focused and a bit more relaxed because of my running.

So after building up a group of good running chums in NYC, I knew I would have to find some new chums to run with here in San Fran. These folks understood the drive to run 10+ miles in the freezing rain and blasting heat. And we could talk about nasty stuff (you know what I am talking about) as if it was completely normal. (Because it is.)

However, as I have mentioned before, there are far fewer runners on the streets and in the parks here in SF, and it seems like there aren't as many races on a regular schedule here in the Bay Area as there are in New York City. I might be wrong about the races but New York Road Runners kind of kicks ass in this regard (sorry NYC complainers). I am new here but I have done a bit of research (read: just made some assumptions).

It was clear that the best way to meet some new running chums would be by joining a running club in San Francisco.

After doing some vigorous research (read: Googling) I found a club that meets early in the AM both during the week and on the weekends and has a very easy name to remember.

I am now a proud member of the San Francisco Road Runners Club and I will soon have a shirt to prove it.

iNewspaper

Over the past three years, I read the Financial Times on my commute to the office. One of many people reading a paper, it wasn't uncommon to see the Times, Post, FT, WSJ and a number of free dailies folded meticulously in the hands of nearly every commuter on a packed downtown 6 Train.

Cross the country and stay above ground, and I am the one of the only people reading a real newspaper on my bus, and for sure the only one with the Wall Street Journal.

I read the Journal for work and sometimes I even enjoy it (never the Editorial page, though). But the looks I get on a San Francisco bus reading the Wall Street Journal are shocking; you would think I was reading a Playboy in church.

And I am on an express bus to the Financial District!

These looks may be that I get an actual paper and it seems that anyone under the age of ancient (and there are lots of ancient folks on the Muni buses) is on at least one device for the entire commute downtown. My first day a guy opened his backpack, opened up his lap top and took out a mouse, to work...on the bus.

That guy is just as crazy as a 20-something perfectly folding the Wall Street Journal to catch up on economic data and listen to what is Heard on the Street.

San Francsico Stereotypes

Today I took a long run through Golden Gate Park. This is a beautiful urban space filled with manicured lawns, semi-man-made water falls and the natural beauty of red woods and moss.

There were very few people on the road running or biking at about 7am making the park's canopy of gigantic trees feel almost cave like. A number of dogs were very pleased with the emptiness of the park as well as the ball they were chasing.

I ran past a group of about 20 older Asian women, who I assumed were about to take part in a Tai Chi exercise. They were lined up ready to take part in their morning exercise and I was pleased to share the quiet of the Sunday with them.

The man standing in the front of the group then went to a bench, flipped a switch and out of the silent morning mist comes blasting "Drunken Sailor" leading to a fabulous Irish line dance from this group of older Asian women.



San Francisco is all about expecting the unexpected.

All Quite on the Western Front

The three hour delay due to fog, which I gather happens more often than not, made me sure that my carefully scheduled afternoon would be completely shot. It was not. I got to Best Buy to pick up the TV I needed for the cable and internet set up and was back to the apartment in time to take delivery of a very comfortable bed. I am now sitting in my place in San Francisco (granted on the packaging from my new TV).

I got my Clipper Card today and even took the bus without asking for help. I will pick up my Zipcar card tomorrow before I head into the office. It would appear, beside the lack of seating, that my apartment and "life" is shaping up well here in San Francisco.

Now I need to figure out this eating on a regular schedule thing. I think once I get some plates and whatnot that will become easier. Those will be here on Friday, special delivery from Mom and Dad.

Anyone have suggestions for dinner in the Pac Heights/ Laural Heights area?

No Hair for Flowers

37,965 feet in the air and 971 miles to go on my way to San Francisco where I will be living.

Yeah.

Lots has happened since last I blogged, but I have this funny feeling that I will be hitting this forum up just a bit more over the next few months.

Here is why:

1. I am moving across the country
This is a significant change for me. A few facts to inform this move... I did grow up in California, I did leave as soon as I graduated in a pilgrimage of sorts to the Mecca of all things - New York City. I did said I would be happy living there forever. Then I got all married and my lovely wife said she wouldn't live in New York forever. So yeah. There is that. Now we are moving. (This is a slightly abridged version of reality.)

Granted neither of us were "ready" to leave but I suppose that makes it better; leaving at the top of your game is better than going all Brett Favre. So I am moving.

Hashtags and Funny Hats

As information has become easier to consume, it would appear as if more people are utilizing the democratization of info simply to disseminate product but not to learn anything.

Over the past few years we have seen the rise of the Tea Party Movement. They have come together with clear goals of a smaller government and lower taxes. In the last month, the Occupy Wall Street Movement has materialized with vague and unobjectionable goals of ending greed and bringing about social justice.

These two groups are different and comparisons between them are not fair to either group. The only thing these fringe elements have in common is the idea that their communications structure should be both engaging and promoting their point of view as fact to the media.

The Tea Party, which is blessed with a leadership structure and no qualms about putting a person in charge, has an advantage over OWS but both groups have allocated capital (financial and human) to get the message out (regardless of facts or reality).

I was taken aback by the number of cameras that are at the Occupy Wall Street protests. I would venture that everyone at the protests sees oneself as a journalistic witness. Arguably the Tea Party people are dressing up in Revolutionary War garb not 'cause it is comfortable but to put forth this concept of going back to the good old days of no running water, slavery and true instability on the frontier as truly better than what we got now.

As a communications professional, I know these tactics well, and I have to say that they are being utilized in a one dimensional manner. Over all these protests attract everything the media loves: Folks in funny clothing and uncompromising screaming matches. Facts or even fact checking makes for slower and more deliberate conversations which makes for bad TV. Even so, the media has some sick twisted need to make sure both sides of a story are heard (because there are always two clear sides to a story).

So in order to be heard we end up with sound bites that are devoid of value. Examples:

1. This is what democracy looks like.
2. End the Fed.

Both totally meaningless and back up without fact, action or you know thought.

Ending the Fed would be a problem for like as many reasons as the Fed has tools to fix inflation (zing!). Also for this occupation to look like democracy, the occupiers need to engage in the system of government. They don't seem to be doing that according to recent reports. Sure it isn't great but it is a system that allows for the person with the most votes to make the decisions for a while. So get more people to vote for you and you get your person in charge...(BTDubs, that is what democracy is, not just what it looks like.)

So while the Tea Party has become a force in the margins of the Republican party and in Congress they seem to continue down this path of illogical and non-fact-based reality. It would be nice to OWS go in a different direction, using fact to support their otherwise lovely yet equally meaningless observations. Sure the system sucks, but what are you going to do about it? Sit in a park?

The over abundance of people pretending to have something to say on camera only reenforces the fact that there is nothing to say. For any movement to work, it needs messages. For any movement to last, it needs messages supported by fact.

Finding issue with food

I have had three great meals lately but have not been able to enjoy them and I think that is ok.

1. Distracted by conversation of a friend
Due to a fantastic conversation and wonderful laughs, I didn't take in the brilliantly constructed deviled eggs.

2. Bothered by work
Due to a pesky work issue, I was pulled away from a simply and carefully crafted restaurant week meal. I was forced into scarfing.

3. Space taking away from food
Due to a small dark place and other such environmental who-ha, I didn't enjoy a recent trip to a hip little joint down town.

I hope I can get back to loving food again as the main event. But if not...I will figure out something else.

In other news: big ups to the Pizza Place I still wont go to because of its ridiculous statement about animal fats for commenting on my last post.

A Word on Semantics

There is a pizza place on my path to the subway from my apartment that claims many things in the form of window stickers: "Highly Digestible" "No Additives" "No Preservatives." All things that a good. However, the white lettering on its window that will keep me from eating this pseudo-gourmet pizza is "No Animal Fat."

They serve both meat and cheese in this joint.

Unsurprisingly, I have complained to my lovely wife (a lot) about this issue and she has informed me that I am no longer permitted to complain about this small oversight in the pizza place's advertisements. But that is why I have a blog.

Most likely, what our shop owners were hoping to impart to its customers at its locations in the Yuppiest of yuppy areas in the city that invented yuppies, is that its pizzas and sandwiches are made from whole foods, thus these foods are healthy. Ok, that is a nice thought but it is categorically untrue.

Equality

So we won. That was cool. I have never been so happy to have been wrong. On Friday evening (well really in the middle of the night) the New York State Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act and it was great!

Working with members of the Cuomo Administration, Empire State Pride Agenda and HRC as well as religious groups on this issue has been wonderful. I am extremely proud to have taken a small part in this project. It is clear, that without the leadership of Governor Cuomo, this would not have happened.

I was very critical of the Governor and said so in meetings with some of his senior staff. For much of the session he was mute on progressive social issues focusing much of his attention on the business community, and that wasn't why I voted for him. I stand by my critical statements but I must say I am impressed with the political maneuvering and in the end real leadership from his office on this issue.

So congratulations all and on to the next fight!

Stuff and Things

Today I purchased the most ridiculous thing a man of my age and station could purchase.
I got me some FiveFingers.

Yup. I gave in and got a pair of these shoes after nearly a year of making fun of all those who wear them.

I ran with them on the treadmill at Jack Rabbit, my favorite running and gear store (quid pro quo folks...how about a shirt?) at the Upper East Side location. And I was shocked at how my gate was pushed into the correct form and how my knees didn't feel anything. So may be some of these nut job runners know something.

But I got to say today's trip was as if I was a kid again in the Toy "R" Us on Route 4 in New Jersey with my mom getting that perfect "play guns" gun. That day we went out to the store and picked up an old fashion wooden World War I replica toy rifle. I had done something good and this was my reward but I couldn't tell you what it was, but I remember shopping for the gun like it was yesterday. In fact I still have that busted up old rifle in my parents house.

Sometimes stuff is just that: stuff. But then sometimes it is elevated to become a thing. Often times in the bloggophere (especially in the liberal political one and in the foodie section) bloggers will take to their digital soap boxes to denounce materialism.

Now don't get me wrong, stuff is more often than not just stuff. And even more often it is just shit. But on those rare occasions when you get some thing that is just so cool, you wanted for so long, a thing you didn't think you were worthy of, it gets elevated.

I felt really cool wearing those shoes. They are so friggin' ugly and are a pain to get on to my feet. But I felt like a runner. Someone who knew what it meant to have a strong toe strike and why that is important. And I think these ridiculous shoes are going serious help me out of my running funk. Over the last few weeks, my work life have been jammed. I dragged my ass out of bed a few times over the past few weeks but I didn't spring up like I have over the past 11 months. I needed something.

Perhaps these weird shoes will get me out of my funk, perhaps they will not but I do know that I am happy with the thing I got today and I will donate some stuff to make room for them in the closet.

Why the Conservative Movement Doesn't Make Sense

“I’m looking for the Reagan Democrats. Those guys are still out there to be found,” said [anti-51 Park Development "activist" Andy] Sullivan, 46. “That whole area is starting to lean conservative, because we’re feeling the pain with the economy more than anybody else.” Source

So this guy, who's only real qualification for this post is his anti-Islamic activism against the so-call "Ground Zero" mosque, is calling upon conservatives to support him in a race for Anthony Weiner’s Congressional seat because they are being hurt by the economy.

Here is the rub: Conservatives don't care about poor people. They care about doing what they want and have no regard for anyone who can't pull themselves by so-call boot straps...regardless of having boots with straps to pull upon or not. The people bankrolling the Tea Party have spent billions over the years supporting pro-business, anti-regulation, anti-worker policy and think-tanks.

I got to say I just don't understand why working class Queens would support a radical conservative. Doesn't make economic, social or political sense.

Oh yeah, Weiner should resign.

A Self-Rightous Post on Saving Money

Last month I read a post on the WSJ's Real Time Economic blog that explained that half of American households are "financial fragile" which it defined as these households' impossibility or improbability of coming up with $2,000 in 30 days.

It was shocking to me.

$2,000 is a lot of money. No question about it. It would require saving just about $167 per month for a year and not touching it to have on hand. But that is for one person. So in an average family with an average of two incomes that is $84 per person per month. This also takes into account no other savings or value available to the household.

So while it is a lot of money, I don't think it is an impossible amount to have on hand within a month.

Now, I get it. I am privileged, well-off and have a great job. All things that are not afforded to everyone. This is especially true with unemployment hovering around 9.5%. But this goes more to societal mind set than anything else.