tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242854592011-12-13T19:56:53.214-08:00WestsidedadThe chronicle of a dad with two sons, 14 and 10, in West LA. Both guys are baseball players. I'm a coach on my younger guy's team. Coaching is one of the great pleasures of manhood. The male brain may be limited in many emotional functions, but coaching one thing we do well. It's in our genes: training young hunters in sphere-throwing.Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.comBlogger981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1149301541515063122006-06-02T19:24:00.000-07:002006-06-02T19:25:41.526-07:00Westsidedad is now at Dadspoint.com Please come and see us there.Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1148326539150576822006-05-22T12:14:00.000-07:002006-05-22T12:35:39.263-07:00PTOs for SAHDs and MOMs. Human Resource Executive magazine (registration required) has had several articles recently that represent good news for dads and moms hoping to work from home.
The May 2 issue reported on a new concept that is gaining popularity with companies, PTOs or paid-time-off banks.
The article reports that in PTOs, the distinction between sick days and vacation is eliminated Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1148324361923852202006-05-22T11:32:00.000-07:002006-05-22T11:59:22.053-07:00Big Love, No Big Change. In a review of HBO's new series about a polygamous marriage, Big Love, The New Republic's TV Critic Lee Siegel reminds us that we shouldn't expect anything revolutionary from TV.
As Siegal notes "Commercial society's deepest aspiration, after all, is a synthesis of total instinctual gratification with the preservation of the social order."
In other words, commerical TVWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1148274832323467642006-05-21T21:35:00.000-07:002006-05-21T22:13:52.420-07:00Army Fatherhood. Some of the unusual contradictions that military service imposes upon men were illustrated in a story in today's LA Times.
The story described how servicemen are persuaded to re-enlist in the Army.
One of the soldier's wives said
I don't want to raise our kids on my own. I saw my mom do it. It's not an easy life," Krissy said in the cheery living room of her home in Spanaway, Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1148104875983365372006-05-19T22:41:00.000-07:002006-05-19T23:01:15.996-07:00Guidelines For Communicating With Your Teen. How do you get your monosyllabic teenager to talk to you? Yahoo Health! has a good article with some tips.
Here are three of the tips:
Ask questions that go beyond "yes" or "no" answers to prompt more developed conversation. Take advantage of time during car trips or standing in line at the supermarket to talk with your teen. Provide activities thatWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1148084569755964962006-05-19T17:19:00.000-07:002006-05-19T17:22:49.756-07:00 Model UN. I’m pleased to report that my teenager had a great time at the YMCA’s Model UN conference he went to last weekend. Some 260 kids from across California gathered at the Pasadena Convention Center to discuss international issues. My son said the most fun thing was the three-legged race and the water-ballon toss they had during the break on Saturday, but I think he really enjoyed Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1148084341137600772006-05-19T17:03:00.000-07:002006-05-19T17:19:01.176-07:00Prom More Prominent. Today's Washington Post has a very sweet story about how high school boys are using inventive methods to ask girls out to the prom.
The story says that in today's celebrity-driven, over-the-top entertainment culture, asking a girl to the prom has turned into performance art.
The article notes
Prom proposals, as these humbling exercises are now called, have been more Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147995651408599972006-05-18T16:24:00.000-07:002006-05-18T16:40:51.423-07:00Teen hits. Dating violence is common among U.S. teenagers, according to a new survey published by the federal Centers for Disease Control. The report is summarized in a Yahoo! Health story.
According to the report, nearly 1 out of 11 high school students is subjected to physical violence from their boyfriend or girlfriend each year, the CDC found. The article notes that
In response to these Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147928542788427952006-05-17T21:37:00.000-07:002006-05-17T22:02:22.803-07:00Most teens who come to the ER have used drugs. A new study, reported in Yahoo! Health, finds that some 40% of teenagers treated for injuries an a hospital emergency room had traces of alcohol or illegal drugs in their blood.
Based on this high rate of substance abuse, the researchers recommend that all young people treated for traumatic injuries be given drug tests. According to the news story
Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147896158375119982006-05-17T12:34:00.000-07:002006-05-17T13:02:38.463-07:00Helicopter Parents. Will your kids live with you after college? The current Newsweek has an interesting article on how baby boomers cope when they send their kids off to college.
Here are just a few of the stats:
76% of boomer parents say they are closer with their kids than they were with their parents at that age.57% of 18-20-year-olds get help from parents with chores (averaging 527 hours Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147843300881354862006-05-16T21:54:00.000-07:002006-05-16T22:21:40.896-07:00Wet badge of courage. When I was growing up, if a man cried in public, he was considered weak, effeminate or emotionally unstable. Now, it's not just OK for men to cry in public, its a show of strength, a display of sensitivity and (supposedly) emotional honesty.
The wet badge of courage.
In case you missed on TV or the web, new White House Press Secretary Tony Snow teared-up during his first Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147819821703033472006-05-16T15:33:00.000-07:002006-05-16T15:50:21.716-07:00Will Congress ban My Space? The latest issue of BusinessWeek Online reports on a new bill in Congress that would ban MySpace and other social networking sites from being used in schools.
According to BW,
The campaign to crowd out predators from MySpace.com is gathering steam in Washington. House of Representatives lawmakers proposed a bill on May 9 that would block access to social networks and Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147801973164220402006-05-16T10:37:00.000-07:002006-05-16T10:52:53.176-07:00Parents: the anti-drug? Two recent news stories reflect the mixed messages kids are getting about drugs. A long story in Monday's LA Times is headlined "Anti-drug programs get mixed grades."
The story focuses on DARE, the best known elementary age drug education program and questions whether it works.
A key part of the debate focuses on what age to begin drug education. The story notes:
"The Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147757617960149062006-05-15T22:12:00.000-07:002006-05-15T22:33:37.986-07:00NOW vs. Fatherhood Movement. I've been a father for 14 years and I've been writing about the dad experience for the past year. When I started writing about fatherhood, I thought the topic was pretty much like (pardon the pun) motherhood and apple pie. Everyone would be for it.
As it turn out that fatherhood, like so many public policy initiatives in the U.S., has become politicized. I'm still Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147716157772703682006-05-15T10:44:00.000-07:002006-05-15T11:02:40.506-07:00Mother's Day vs. Father's Day. AARP magazine reports that last year there was a 40% differential on spending for gifts on Mother's Day vs. Father's Day, with $3.2 billion more going for Mom. The magazine notes that one likely reason is that men's median income is 31% higher.
Yeah, of course men make more money. But isn't the increased attention to moms due to the fact that they remain the Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147668613673590692006-05-14T21:43:00.000-07:002006-05-14T21:50:13.686-07:00Mother's Day statistics. Motherhood, in the "Ozzie and Harriet sense" is declining, according to a story in Sunday's New York Times.
The story notes that in the last 25 years, the number of single-parent households has doubled (see chart).
According to the story,
One-parent households, meanwhile, have nearly doubled in the same period, but there's an interesting quirk in the statistics. Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147482173132957982006-05-12T17:30:00.000-07:002006-05-12T18:13:15.096-07:00My teenager is in the doghouse. We just got his report card and he got a C in Spanish and and a C in biology (he got As and Bs in his other courses). My wife and I were very disappointed. He is a bright kid and usually gets better grades. Both classes should be pretty easy for him. We are convinced he just didn't work hard enough.
Like a typical teenager, he had a lot of excuses. It was the Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147480155350618842006-05-12T17:14:00.000-07:002006-05-12T17:29:15.370-07:00Bumpy off-ramp for moms. A new study conducted by the Wharton School found that mothers lose 37% of their earning power if they take three or more years off work.
A story on NPR's Marketplace reported on the survey and interviewed Wharton researcher Monica McGrath.
Here's part of the story:
SARAH GARDNER: When professional women consider taking a time-out to raise children, they often soothe Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147478892259038262006-05-12T16:38:00.000-07:002006-05-12T17:08:12.276-07:00Men's rights on campus. I was invited to give a lecture to a UCLA class (about my marketing business, not my blog) and came across this interesting commentary in The Daily Bruin, the campus newspaper.
The writer, Lara Lowenstein, states that if "women have the right to choose, then men should too."
She notes that
When a woman unintentionally becomes pregnant she has options such as abortion, Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147397015329050782006-05-11T18:11:00.000-07:002006-05-11T18:23:39.590-07:00Moms beat dads. In this fascinating chart from Google, the blue line is the search traffic for "moms" and the red line is for the "dads."
A lot more people are searching for the term moms, apparently.
This tracks with most research reports (see a ClickZ story) on men's and women's web usage. Men and women spend about the same number of hours on the Internet, women are more interested in certainWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147396255374083682006-05-11T18:01:00.000-07:002006-05-11T18:11:00.196-07:00New implants for women. Men are different than women here (the brain) and there (you know where) and in the knees. Turns out women have been getting inappropriate knee implants for lo these many years. Now, medical science (anticipating the investment of Medicare dollars) has developed special knee implants for women, according to a story in today's New York Times.
Let's see if Letterman makes aWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147301911094994242006-05-10T15:43:00.000-07:002006-05-10T15:58:31.106-07:00Paid family leave. Massachusetts legislators, fresh from passing a landmark health care reform bill, are now considering a bill that would establish the most generous paid family and medical leave program in the country.
A recent story in the Boston Globe discussed the details. The bill would guarantee a worker 12 weeks of full pay, subject to a $750 weekly cap, if he or she needs time off to Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147237325812216032006-05-09T21:45:00.000-07:002006-05-09T22:02:05.840-07:00The Hank Greenberg League? I'm starting a movement to change the name of the Babe Ruth League to the Hank Greenberg League.
Today's New York Times had an article on how Leigh Montville wrote his new book, The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth.
The pun in the title is apparently intended. Babe Ruth was a compulsive eater, drinker and womanizer. The new book discusses the Babe's Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147225566081348382006-05-09T18:28:00.000-07:002006-05-09T18:46:06.093-07:00Press A1 if ur condom broke. In another pioneering effort, the San Francisco Department of Public Health has launced a cell phone based sexual health information service, called SEXINFO.
According to a department news release, the service and the text codes were created in conjunction with several focus groups of at-risk youth. The service allows cell phone users to enter a few codes and receiveWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147218777692949952006-05-09T16:17:00.000-07:002006-05-09T16:52:57.730-07:00Unmarried fathers and the "mama drama." An interesting article in the South Bend Tribune, an African-American community newspaper, describes the rising rate of fatherlessness in black families.
The rate of out-of-wedlock births in the black community has historically been high, but has actually risen in recent years, with 70% of babies born to unmarried mothers.
And what were the young men Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147152220097073392006-05-08T21:58:00.000-07:002006-05-08T22:23:40.116-07:00Are men cursed with the Y gene? Women's strength and longevity is due to their two X chromosomes, according to an article in today's Los Angeles Times.
Women's stamina and resilience, according to the article, come from combination of biology, social behavior and psychology, which combine to give women a "boost" that men (with their feeble Y chromosome) don't have.
The story notes:
Not only doWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147062803903398372006-05-07T21:12:00.000-07:002006-05-12T16:37:51.546-07:00Why Maxim won't show nipples. While I don't "read" men's magazines, I can't help noticing them on the rack in the supermarket. As a baby boomer, I "grew up" with (or inspite of) Playboy magzine in the '60s. I've sometimes wondered what made newcomer Maxim so popular.
Now the magazine's secret has been revealed and it is - not revealing nipples.
In an interesting article in Media Life, the Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147044877317828612006-05-07T16:00:00.000-07:002006-05-07T16:34:37.370-07:00A father's legacy. Dozens of articles have alredy been written about Rep. Patrick Kennedy's car crash and his statement on his battle with addiction. Looking at this as fathers, I think we can all be deeply sympathetic to the problem, regardless of how we feel about his family's politics.
The media has made many referances to the Kennedy legacy or "curse." Patrick grew up in a family that Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147042538668329072006-05-07T15:29:00.000-07:002006-05-07T15:55:38.683-07:00Austin Powers in the dugout. In the dugout yesterday, Kenny,10, was walking alongside the bench, asking each player, "Do you know what shag means?"
Shag, of course, is a baseball term. But the popularity of the Austin Powers films has made the British slang connotation the more popular one in our culture today. And you could tell by Kenny's mischievious tone which definition he had in mind.
I Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1147040908726169252006-05-07T14:53:00.000-07:002006-05-07T15:28:28.790-07:00Little League & character formation. Those of us involved in Little League as coaches and parents know that it helps the kids learn discipline and focus, but I've never seen any social science that specifically validates this concept. David Brooks' commentary in the New York Times today offers some evidence why organized sports helps children.
Brooks begins by discussing a well-know social Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146862505538469102006-05-05T13:31:00.000-07:002006-05-05T13:55:05.546-07:00Surveillance of teens. A recent New York Times article discussed a new service, available through Verizon, that can theoretically let parents track the location of their children. Priced at $9.99 a month, the new "Chaperone" service allows parents to program their child's cell phone for certain geographic regions. The Verizon service spot-checks the child's cell phone and alerts the parents if Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146806685133908222006-05-04T22:18:00.000-07:002006-05-04T22:24:45.146-07:00Washington Post tribute to Tiger Woods' dad. Today's Washington Post carries a moving tribute to Tiger Woods and his late father, Earl Woods.
Here are some excerpts from the column by columnist Eugene Robinson:
Earl Woods did much more than raise a supremely talented golfer. In an age when it's rare to read a sentence with the words "African American" and "father" that doesn't also include "Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146802704860829672006-05-04T21:07:00.000-07:002006-05-04T21:18:24.870-07:00Another "father" has died. Louis Rukeyser, the father of the financial TV show, died Tuesday. As the Washington Post story put it, he was to investing "what Julia Child was to French cooking."
FYI, Rukeyser, a print journalist, founded "Wall Steet Week" on PBS in 1971.
Although the Post story didn't use the term father, it did use the genetic metaphor.
Rukeyser's program was in many ways a Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146764110285098782006-05-04T10:24:00.000-07:002006-05-04T10:35:10.303-07:00History of Fatherhood Part II. The U.S. Children's Bureau was established by Congress in 1912 in response to concern about the infant mortality rate. The new department's goal was to investigate and report on children's welfare. The Bureau was expanded under President Roosevelt and in 1932 held a symposium on "the father's role in child nuture."
As noted in Ralph LaRossa's great book, The Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146763385871880122006-05-04T10:11:00.000-07:002006-05-04T10:23:05.883-07:00 McDonald's. I took the kids to MickeyD's last night (my wife was at the Dodger game with work friends). My younger son, who said he was tired of appearing in my blog, tried to hide. No luck. Inquiring minds want to know.
My teenager was bubbling over with "yer momma" jokes. Sample:
"Yer momma's so stupid, she flunked a survey."
These remind me of the Henny Youngman jokes.
"My wife is so fat,Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146704590803153602006-05-03T17:47:00.000-07:002006-05-03T18:03:10.816-07:00Dad wasn't always acceptable. The term "dad" wasn't always considered polite, according to the book The Modernization of Fatherhood, by Ralph LaRossa.
He notes that in the early 20th century, some commentators thought "dad" was too familiar, too informal. Father was considered more polite.
The book notes that dad has the tone of "affectionate familiarity."
Fast forward 100 years to the early Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146697940976967282006-05-03T16:04:00.000-07:002006-05-03T16:12:20.993-07:00Tiger Woods' dad, Earl Woods, died this morning. He was 74. In a posting on his web site, Tiger states:
My dad was my best friend and greatest role model, and I will miss him deeply. I'm overwhelmed when I think of all of the great things he accomplished in his life. He was an amazing dad, coach, mentor, soldier, husband and friend. I wouldn't be where I am today without him, and I'm honored to Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146679289062509872006-05-03T10:54:00.000-07:002006-05-03T11:01:29.063-07:00National Turn Off the Computer Week. Did you know that last week was "National Turn Off the TV Week?" I just found out (via an email). We only have one TV in our house and it is rarely on any more, except when my wife and I check sports and weather before going to bed around 11 pm. We have four computers in the house, two desktops and two laptops and sometimes they are all on at once. The boys Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146629971452684732006-05-02T21:07:00.000-07:002006-05-02T21:19:31.466-07:00Don't know much about geography. According to an AP story on Yahoo News, despite extensive media coverage of Hurricane Katrina, nearly one-third of young Americans couldn't locate Louisiana on a map and nearly half were unable to identify Mississippi.
These findings come from a survey conducted by the National Geographic Society of Americans aged 18-24.
Among the findings:
• Six in 10 could notWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146599918168955922006-05-02T12:26:00.000-07:002006-05-02T12:58:38.310-07:00Fatherhood and lesbian moms. There is a very interesting article in the March/April issue of LA Youth magazine. Titled "A Teen With Two Moms," the 18-year reporter interviews another teenager who is being raised by her two lesbian moms.
However one feels in general about the concept of gay marriage and gay parenting, this article shows how loving these moms are and how self-confident and Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146545226621650692006-05-01T21:36:00.000-07:002006-05-01T21:47:06.633-07:00Rules for 4th grade. My younger son was discussing philosophy with me earlier today and he shared with me his "three rules for life." They are:
1. Life is like a pitcher's mound, you walk up, then you fall down.
2. Do not slide into first base
3. Don't use the bathroom if the lights are out. You might step in something.
After he shared these bon mots with me, I started to write them down, Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146543216304223322006-05-01T21:00:00.000-07:002006-05-01T21:13:36.323-07:00Social drinking. A friend who read my post about the "Daddy Needs a Drink" book questioned my allegation that teens would do better to be raised in an alcohol-free home. He said France and Germany have lower rates of alcoholism than the U.S. and families in those countries let their teenagers drink.
Although I've visited a number of European countries, I'm not very well versed on their Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146443637225306812006-04-30T16:52:00.000-07:002006-04-30T17:33:57.280-07:00Disturbing book title. I saw an ad for this book in the San Francisco Bay Guardian. I found the title and cover photo, with the teddy bear pacifer in a glass of whiskey, disturbing.
My mother introduced me to alcohol when I was nine-years-old. I fell off my bicycle and skinned my knee. Her guesture of consolation was to have me sit on her lap and share her glass of sherry. Right then, my nervousWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146440652247465912006-04-30T16:19:00.000-07:002006-04-30T16:44:12.256-07:00Male longevity. According to a story in today's New York Times, men are closing the longevity gap. According to a report from the National Center for Health Statistics, women now have a life expectancy of 80.4, up from 80.1. Male life expectancy is 75.2, up from 74.8.
The longevity gap between men and women, which had been as great as eight years two decades ago, is now down to five years and Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146439126347904652006-04-30T16:04:00.000-07:002006-04-30T16:18:46.386-07:00
LA Times Book Fair. My younger son gets an autographed copy of "A Cheese Related Mishap," by cartoonist Ray Friesen at the book fair today. My son is a budding cartoonist himself and showed Ray his latest effort, "Moss and C in The Leprechaun's Shamrock."
Ray started drawing when he was 12. By 18, he had a comic in the local weekly newspaper and a few years later had self-published his first Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146282591008502882006-04-28T20:19:00.000-07:002006-04-28T20:49:51.023-07:00Husband, father, decider? The New York Times recently had a fascinating article on male-female relationships titled "Never Mind Mars and Venus: Who Is 'the Decider'?"
The hook was President Bush's comment that "I'm the decider and I decide what's best."
As Times article put it, the president's comment
"unwittingly added to the lexicon of marital relations."
According to the article,
While Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1146202654760919322006-04-27T22:14:00.000-07:002006-04-27T22:37:34.773-07:00A father's grief. The death of a child is very hard on both parents. In news stories reporting on grief, we most often hear the mother's perspective, perhaps because women find it easier to discuss their emotions. Fortune magazine has a wonderful story in the current issue titled "Playing With Pain Playing with pain: Dick Ebersol lived through the plane crash that killed his son. Now he's tryingWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145996313280662872006-04-25T13:09:00.000-07:002006-04-25T13:18:33.336-07:00Is 60 the new 40? Experts at the Milken Institute Global Conference discussed retirement issues for baby boomers. (The conference was held here in L.A., but I didn't get invited! Maybe next year).
The nice people at Smart Brief have posted a blog on the conference. Here's a selection from the retirement discussion:
President-Elect of the AARP, brought the issues of how the Baby Boomer Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145992767356567402006-04-25T12:04:00.000-07:002006-04-25T12:19:27.373-07:00Trump kids. A story in Yahoo News recently proclaimed "Trump Kids Carving Out Own Role in Business."
The story notes that
Donald J. Trump Jr., 28, and Ivanka M. Trump, 24, and they are slowly carving out a role in their famous father's real estate business while fashioning their own identities. In cramped offices located on the 26th floor of Trump's Fifth Avenue headquarters, Ivanka and Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145991859669870472006-04-25T12:00:00.000-07:002006-04-25T12:04:19.686-07:00 Intent defeated. This morning my teenager presented us with a flyer about the YMCA field trip he is going on next weekend. Turns out they are required to bring a tent. I dug around in the garage and found a tent that my wife and I last used 16 years ago, before we had kids. Since then, we’ve visited many national parks, but we’ve always stayed in a lodge.
I spread out the tent and the flexibleWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145930189224140052006-04-24T18:51:00.000-07:002006-04-24T18:56:29.233-07:00Pardon my Zits. Here's a wonderful Zits cartoon about dads, teens and blogs.
I couldn't resist. For more Zits cartoons see the King Features web page. This is the Zits cartoon for April 21.Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145925190172438862006-04-24T16:54:00.000-07:002006-04-24T17:33:10.306-07:00Health czar quits, cites young son. Dr. David Brailer announced his resignation last week. Dr. Brailer, who is known as the "IT czar" in the healthcare industry, has the official title of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. He was appointed by HHS Secretary Michael Levitt two years ago.
In his resignation announcement, Dr. Brailer cited the long absences from his Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145833979186075222006-04-23T16:41:00.000-07:002006-04-23T16:12:59.196-07:00Family Policy in Germany. Today's New York Times Week in Review has a fascinating article on family policy in Germany. The photo shows Germany's Minister for Family Affairs, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, who is a physician and mother of seven.
The article notes that Dr. von der Leyen has challenged some "deeply held" prejudices in German society, "chief among them that women must choose either to Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145771680642923022006-04-22T22:45:00.000-07:002006-04-22T22:54:40.653-07:00Surprise party. We had a surprise party for Ed on his 50th birthday. There were about 40 guests. Just before Ed and his wife pulled up in the driveway, we gathered in his house with the lights out. We stood in the dark, whispering as he walked up the driveway. I hadn't stood in the dark with a group of other people since high school!
It was a lot of fun. Turned out Ed knew something was up. His Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145684583360545032006-04-21T21:58:00.000-07:002006-04-21T22:43:03.383-07:00Corporal Punishment. While surfing about on fatherhood topics, I came across an amazing story about Tony Blair that didn't get much coverage in the U.S.
In a story that first aired on CNN in January, Blair admitted that he had "smacked" his older children.
The story reported that
Tony Blair has revealed that he once smacked his older children -- but has given up the practice for his youngest Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145590653472994862006-04-20T20:18:00.000-07:002006-04-20T20:37:33.486-07:00Science Fair: Tonight we attended the science fair at my younger son's school. Worried about our country's ability to compete with India and China? Rest easy my fellow Americans. Our nation's children (and their parents) can conduct science projects with the best of them.
My son's project documents the effects of an exploding water balloon. Tonight, I saw some bubbling volcanoes, balancing Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145504125539122162006-04-19T20:27:00.000-07:002006-04-19T20:35:25.540-07:00My son working on his science project. I can report that he did almost the entire project on his own. He conducted the experiment (blowing up a water balloon) by himself and wrote up the description and conclusion by himself.
I helped with the initial cutting and pasting and gluing, but once he got the hang of that, he finished it himself.
My wife's friend told me I shouldn't write about my Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145503634083166522006-04-19T20:22:00.000-07:002006-04-19T20:27:14.093-07:00Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door. Yes, you can take a picture while driving on the 405 next to a tanker truck. Here's proof.
I just wanted to document my business lunch today. I had a very nice Italian meal with an old business colleague and we actually got some business done. I have to make money to support the blog (LOL).
Thank God the Ventura Blvd. exit is back open. Life on the Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145502588900096432006-04-19T19:44:00.000-07:002006-04-19T20:09:48.913-07:00Parenting on TV. ABC News has jumped on top of Tom Cruise's birth announcement. The ABCNews entertainment page has a story today comparing this birth announcement with Lucille Ball's giving birth in 1953.
The photo is of the first issue of TV Guide magazine, published April 3, 1953. Lucy had given birth to Desi Arnaz IV three months earlier.
The story notes that the Cruise-Holmes pregnancy and Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145424641491998252006-04-18T21:51:00.000-07:002006-04-18T22:30:41.723-07:00RFID tags for kids? A story in the current Baseline magazine reports on a boutique kids' clothing manufacturer launching a new line that will include RFID tags. These embedded tags would enable, in theory, parents to track their children's whereabouts.
(Note: RFID tags are essentially small silicon chips equipped with antennas that enable them to receive and respond to queries from an RFID Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145338853560772092006-04-17T22:20:00.000-07:002006-04-17T22:40:53.573-07:0098% of men raising their own children. According to a story in ForbesLife, 98 percent of men raising children they believe to be their "biological offspring" are correct in thinking so. This comes from "the largest review of paternity and genetic test data every conducted."
The story said the new findings, which appeared in the new June issue of Current Anthropology, should "help squelch the Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145251002451974622006-04-16T22:00:00.000-07:002006-04-16T22:16:42.480-07:00Seder dinner. We went to a wonderful seder dinner tonight. Four families, 14 kids, ranging in age from 2 to 14 years old.
Although it is traditional for the "father" to lead the ceremony, our seder was led by a woman. Our wonderful hostess led the kids through the "haggadah" (the telling of the story) with the bitter herbs and matzoh, etc.
The haggadah is really very male oriented, with its Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145150604777336272006-04-15T18:10:00.000-07:002006-04-15T18:23:24.800-07:00Celebridads reveal secrets. In a just published interview in GQ, Tom Cruise said he was going to classes to "understand what Katie's being going through." He also said his two adopted kids, Connor, 11 and Isabella, 13, will help take care of the new baby.
If the older kids are busy, I'm guessing there will be a nanny or two to help out.
Meanwhile, Michael Douglas, 61, gave an interview to the Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145079206638775202006-04-14T22:11:00.000-07:002006-04-14T22:33:26.650-07:00More fathers in the delivery room, less in the living room. The Washington Post has a very interesting graphic (but no story) with this statistic:
*75% of fathers were present in the delivery room in 2004, vs. 15% in 1960.
Unfortunately, some other statistics about fatherhood are trending in the wrong direction.
In 1950, just 4 percent of births were to unmarried mothers. By 1980, the rate wasWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1145039371197585182006-04-14T11:18:00.000-07:002006-04-14T11:29:31.223-07:00Internet safety for teens. There is an interesting debate going on in the commentary pages of InternetWeek about MySpace.com and other teen sites.
The editor, Antone Gonsalves, called for these sites to greatly increase their security. Here are some responses from readers:
How does one prove online that he's a teenager (or younger)? You call for a "strong verification process" saying that it Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144990149328252872006-04-13T21:31:00.000-07:002006-04-13T21:49:09.340-07:00My teenage son rode the bus today. And he was very irritated at how long it took. He's used to dad driving him. I dropped him and a friend off at a movie downtown and let them take the bus back home. Before he left, I gave him a bus map and a schedule.
Big deal? Well, this is Southern California. Middle-class people don't usually ride the bus. But it's good transportation for teenagers.
My son,Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144903789424042422006-04-12T21:18:00.000-07:002006-04-12T21:49:49.486-07:00Retirement? What Retirement! I'm reading a book on fatherhood and one of the anecdotes has to do with a 29-year-old son asking his 64-year-old father for a loan. The father, who is just about to retire, is stunned, but lends him the money (the son is unemployed).
I'm 55 and my older son is 14. My wife and I have saved for his college tuition and I have a pretty good start towards retirement. In Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144823852427045902006-04-11T23:22:00.000-07:002006-04-11T23:37:32.463-07:00President Ford's Parents: Responsible for the Pardon? The New York Times just reviewed Barry Werth's new book, of 31 Days: The Crisis That Gave Us the Government We Have Today. The book is a day-by-day history of President Gerald Ford's first month in office.
The book's thesis, notes the Times, is that "Those 31 days and the ensuing months were a period in which some of the key players in the Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144736916722176712006-04-10T23:07:00.000-07:002006-04-10T23:28:36.746-07:00Boy in the Bubble. I watched the excellent American Experience show on the "Boy in the Bubble" on PBS tonight with my teenager. He had a lot of questions, including "Why did they do this?" "What did the kid think?" and "Did he die?"
All of these questions were answered pretty well in the documentary. The mother, Mrs. Vetter (the boy's name was David) answered many questions with great patience Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144628295010673942006-04-09T17:01:00.000-07:002006-04-09T17:18:15.046-07:00N.Y. Times op-ed on leadership and fathering issues. The lead op-ed article in today's NewYork Times is by author Allan Garganus and discusses the scandal surrounding the Duke University Lacrosse team. Although Garganus never specifically mentions the term fathering, he discusses the atmosphere at Duke and focuses in on the behavior of boys on sports teams at prestigious universities.
Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144548634657850962006-04-08T18:50:00.000-07:002006-04-08T19:10:34.706-07:00Starting pitcher. For a middle-aged guy, there are few joys that compete with that of seeing your son on the mound as the starting pitcher. It doesn't matter whether it's college, high school or Little League. That's your son up on the mound. Your hopes and genes.
How did he do? He walked four and struck out four. Not bad for his first time.
I am most proud of the fact that he earned it. He's Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144449803496287352006-04-07T15:21:00.000-07:002006-04-07T15:43:23.693-07:00Should umarried men be paid to be take care of their kids?
A story in Thursday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on a speech by Harvard University sociologist Orlando Patterson (photo). Speaking at the University of Pittsburgh he noted that 40 percent of American children will spend some time without a father present. More than 60 percent of African-American children live in single-parent Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144379275733269462006-04-06T19:50:00.000-07:002006-04-06T20:07:55.776-07:00Tiger Woods' dad is very ill. He's in a hospital, suffering from prostate cancer. This is very sad news, but there is a very nice story in the April 3 New York Times about how Tiger was raised by his dad and mom.
As the headline notes, their goal was "Raising a Child First, Then a Champion."
The article notes that Tida and Earl Woods's goal was "not to raise the world's greatest golfer...it wasWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144363123450083822006-04-06T15:19:00.000-07:002006-04-06T15:38:49.120-07:00Field of drains. Although the rain stopped yesterday morning, the Little League field was soaked and all the games were cancelled. With the sun out, a few of us dads moved the tarps back to give the clay infield some breathing room.
One of the great things about coaching Little League is that it plugs you into a friendly community of like minded men. All of them are middle-class dads who believeWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144288573470076832006-04-05T18:55:00.000-07:002006-04-05T18:56:13.486-07:00 Tom Cruise talks about his dad. In an interview to be published in next Sunday’s Parade magazine, Tom Cruise says his father was “weak, a bully.”
In the interview, which was previewed in today’s Washington Post, Cruise said he never trusted his father, that he had to always “be careful” around him. He said his parents divorced when he was 11 and he rarely saw his father after that. According Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144201831627097512006-04-04T18:27:00.000-07:002006-04-04T18:50:31.716-07:00
Rainy day moments #12 & 35. Another soggy day here in LA. It was raining steadily most of the morning and early afternoon. Both boys are home, since it's the first week of Easter Break. Stay-at-home-dad (SAHD) was tasked with keeping them occupied. Due to the rain, both boys' baseball teams (Little League and high school) cancelled their practices, adding to the cabin fever.
I was working on a Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144126872150313652006-04-03T21:26:00.000-07:002006-04-03T22:01:12.216-07:00Can sex-filled TV shows and movies draw teens into promiscuity? Apparently so, according to a new study by University of North Carolina researchers.
Note: the photo is from MTV's "Degrassi: The Next Generation."
The study, reported on in Yahoo! News today, found that adolescents with the highest exposure to media (TV, movies, music and magazines) with high sexual content were 2.2 times more Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1144006825539594352006-04-02T12:07:00.000-07:002006-04-02T12:40:25.596-07:00HBO's new "history" show is not one you'll want to share with your kids. It is filled with gratuitous obscenities. This is a shame, because the show does not need profanity to make history entertaining.
How bad is it? In the first five minutes of his "monologue" comedian Robert Wuhl proclaims that "starfucking" (i.e. popular adulation) is the predominant motivation the American people have when Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143942868502559232006-04-01T16:35:00.000-08:002006-04-01T17:54:29.450-08:00What does a father look like? The death of Cargo magazine has spurred a number of stories in Slate, Gawker and Poynter-Romenesko.
I never read Cargo and was only dimly aware of its existence before its sudden end. Its failure raises some interesting questions about men, fashion and identity.
Writing in Slate, Michael Agger notes that it is the third men's shopping magazine to fold (it was Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143866931611361292006-03-31T20:27:00.000-08:002006-03-31T20:48:51.620-08:00Mission Accomplished. My younger son went on an emotional roller coaster today. When I picked him up from school at 3:15 pm, he was beaming because he'd just earned an 'A' for his California mission project.
He constructed it out of Legos and designed and built it himself. I didn't even breathe on it. Many of the other kids had finely detailed missions built from clay or foam blocks, but those Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143777099206797952006-03-30T19:24:00.000-08:002006-03-30T23:48:02.596-08:00Now that the medication has worn off, I can report on my colonoscopy.
Last night, as I was administering laxatives my older son asked what I was doing and I told him I was preparing for a colonoscopy. He said "Oh yeah, I know all about it. The dad in 'King of the Hill' got one."
I guess that's public health education today.
Like many men over 50, I knew I should have a screening, but kept Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143682901906529912006-03-29T17:25:00.000-08:002006-03-29T17:41:41.930-08:00
They say it never rains in Southern California.
Remember that song? The refrain was, "Man it pours."
It was pouring last night and I took my younger son out to look at the puddles, street flooding and the local flood control channel, which was roaring (B&W image).
You can tell we are not used to rain here in LA, my son doesn't have a raincoat, so he had to borrow mine.
We had a wonderful Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143599853761305922006-03-28T17:50:00.000-08:002006-03-28T18:37:33.816-08:00The F word is used "a few times a week" by 32% of American men (and 23% of women), according to an AP poll released today.
My wife and I are very careful not to use any profanity in the house. However, we did have a family discussion about "the F word" as a concept a few months ago.
It started out this way: I burped while eating dinner.
"Excuse me, " I said, adding "Better to have it come out Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143516035195474542006-03-27T18:53:00.000-08:002006-03-27T23:02:17.750-08:00
GRUPS: Isn't this a wonderful photo of cool-looking dads holding babies?
It's from an article titled "Up With Grups," in the current issue of New York magazine (www.newyorkmetro.com).
The writer, Adam Sternbergh, said the term Grups was first used in Star Trek and stands for a contraction of "grown-ups."
In this very long article, Sternbergh focuses on 30-something people with young childrenWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143443459126984392006-03-26T21:59:00.000-08:002006-03-26T23:10:59.596-08:00What is coaching? I was talking to one of the parents after the game today (our second in 24 hours) about coaching. She said her son liked having me as a coach because "Coach Jim always has something positive to say."
I enjoyed hearing that comment, but it naturally came from a team mom. My own sons would not say that of me. I can be very critical of their behavior.
That's one of the key Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143353431908870732006-03-25T21:58:00.000-08:002006-03-25T22:10:31.916-08:00
We're in first place! We won again today. We defeated the Padres 7-6 in a nailbiter. We were ahead by two going into the last inning and the Padres got a home run. You could just see our guys sag. It was like they had the wind knocked out of them. But our pitcher hung in there and we got the final out on a groundball.
We had solid fielding all day. The coaches felt proud, our hard work at Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143268235865735322006-03-24T22:10:00.000-08:002006-03-24T22:30:35.873-08:00 Expensive chips: This is my younger son, ignoring the new, cheaper ("good for dipping") taco chips I bought. He says he'll only eat the blue corn chips, which are $3.95 for a small package at the supermarket.
It was report card day today. I'm not one to boast, but - he came home with straight 'A's. Did I mention that he also studies piano and is the lead-off hitter on his baseball team..
Man, Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143264914175900332006-03-24T20:49:00.000-08:002006-03-24T21:35:22.576-08:00
Hugh Hefner would never win any "father of the year" awards but he had a huge impact on men of my generation. The current issue of the The New Yorker contains a book review of "The Playmate Book: Six Decades of Centerfolds." (Note: on Page 145 there is a sampling of centerfolds from 1955-2004. Pubic hair in The New Yorker!)The reviewer, Joan Acocella, uses the review to take an overview of sex Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143234382201159872006-03-24T13:06:00.000-08:002006-03-24T13:06:22.206-08:00Westsidedad Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143173457630125052006-03-23T19:49:00.000-08:002006-03-23T20:10:57.640-08:00 Beards are in. According to a story in the today's New York Times, beards are back in style (at least among the trendy Park Slope set).
Here is a photo of me with a beard in 1986. I had a beard from 1978 (age 27) until 1988. I shaved if off when I was in the middle of a frustrating job search. I was interviewing at some big PR agencies and not getting positive results. I thought that if I Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143088725274276822006-03-22T20:01:00.000-08:002006-03-22T23:32:10.450-08:00John Lennon: I rented the Dick Cavett interview of John Lennon from Netflix and watched it with my teenage son tonight. The interview was taped on Sept. 11, 1971. I was 20 years old at the time.
While Cavett's monologue seems silly and pointless, the interview fascinating. I was surprised by Lennon's spontaneous interaction with Yoko. They were brave to go on. Can you imagine a famous husband Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1143007235807052792006-03-21T21:00:00.000-08:002006-03-22T11:34:17.270-08:00Death and taxes: April 15 is coming up so I've been working on my taxes. I've been thinking about death, too (are we having fun yet?)
The topic of life insurance came up today when I was doing some research for one of my clients on catastrophic healthcare costs (another light topic).
I came across this quote from a recent issue Health Affairs:
"Social Security survivors' benefits provide Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1142906940844317102006-03-20T17:23:00.000-08:002006-03-20T18:09:00.876-08:00
Tony Soprano's son: like most fans of The Sopranos, I was surprised by last night's episode. For those of you who didn't see the show, Tony Soprano is comatose in the hospital after receiving a gunshot in the stomach. His son A.J. (photo) had a hard time coming to terms with his father's possible death. At the beginning of the episode, he cannot bear to visit his dad in the hospital and he Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1142815116751439962006-03-19T15:44:00.000-08:002006-03-19T16:38:38.663-08:00Women in law firms: a story in today's New York Times Business Section discussed why so few women reach the top of big law firms.
Let me clear about my point of view. I spent a dozen years at large PR agencies and another seven years as a senior PR executive at a Fortune 500 company. After the birth of my second son, I made a decision to opt-out of the 60 hours-per-week track and spend more timeWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1142747916199078352006-03-18T21:46:00.000-08:002006-03-18T22:06:57.643-08:00Janis Joplin: my 14-year old son doesn't like Janis Joplin.
We just watched Pennebaker's 1967 Monterey Pop documentary. There were songs by the Mamas and Papas, The Who, Jimi Hendrix ("I know who that is, dad") and Janis.
"Why is he lighting his guitar on fire?" my son asked.
"Is Hendrix considered a better guitarist then Eric Clapton?" my wife asked.
"Hendrix is like Picasso," I said. "He isWestsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1142738452740297422006-03-18T19:06:00.000-08:002006-03-18T19:20:52.746-08:00Cup check: Five years of Little League coaching, but today was a first - the first time an umpire caught one of our players without a cup! Here's how: during the pre-game lineup, he went down the row of our time and had the players tap their cups. All the umps are required to do this, but this guy leaned over and listened for the echo of the plastic cup. He asked the startled boy, "Don't have a Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1142736882015661762006-03-18T18:54:00.000-08:002006-03-18T18:54:42.033-08:00Postgame Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24285459.post-1142659252345446202006-03-17T20:44:00.000-08:002006-03-17T21:20:52.356-08:00Nonstarter: I just spent two hours sitting in freezing weather (it's in the low 50s here in LA) on cold steel metal bleachers watching our local high school frosh-soph baseball team triumph over a private school. Why? My son is on the team, of course. I wouldn't have minded if he was a starter, but he didn't get sent in until the 5th inning. There were 10 parents in the stands, all of them had Westsidedadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02551222488550790193noreply@blogger.com0