Lake Effect

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

It’s been unseasonably warm this Holiday weekend in Minneapolis, where I live. So I’ve been taking advantage of it by running outside. My typical outdoors run, which I do from, winter-permitting, April-Labor Day, takes me from our house, around Lake Harriet and back, which essentially is a 10K.

On Friday I met a friend for breakfast, came home and changed and went out for a run. It was warm by November standards, in the 50’s The sun was out and I was listening to a Pop playlist featuring artists whose songs I’d learned from our kids – Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj, and the like, plus a couple of Rock songs thrown in for extra measure. I had the day off from work and felt like I had all the time in the world.

Saturday was an off today and today was forecast for the mid-30’s. Not exactly warm but warm enough to perhaps get one last outside run in before the winter season. But this morning, when I got dressed, I wasn’t nearly as motivated as I was on Friday. The nice, boring indoor treadmill at our local YMCA called to me. But I finished getting dressed, selected a 90’s playlist with songs from Screaming Trees, Hole, Cracker and others, and headed out the door.

It’s about a mile from our house to Lake Harriet; typically the worst part of the run where I’m still working out the kinks. When I turned to go on the running path that cormprises Lake Harriet’s permieter, I noticed a woman running at about my pace. I thought of heading in the opposite direction but, convincing myself that was silly, began running a few paces behind her.

Within minutes I realized I wasn’t enjoying my run but focusing on the distance between the woman and me and asking myself if I should pass her. “Just relax; you have nowhere you need to be,” I kept telling myself. But another voice would encourage me to pass her.

Eventually, I dug in and passed the woman, trying to keep a faster pace to get enough distance between the two of us. Then I settled in and attempted to enjoy the run. Within minutes the same woman passed me and kept going.

My run took me another 40 or so minutes and multiple people passed me. I started having those random, running-by-yourself thoughts that seem concurrently logical and dreamlike when you have them. About people I’ve passed, literally and figuratively. And the countless people who’ve passed me.

I’m not a competitive person but goal-oriented to a fault. If I have a Saturday without plans, one of the first things I do is make a list. If I go on vacation with my family, I decide upon a novel, or novels, I’ll read, and pace myself accordingly.

I know it’s not so bad being goal-oriented. But perhaps my singular focus on goals, on passing, has come at a cost. All the experiences I should have enjoyed more; people I perhaps should have appreciated more, given up more of myself. If I wasn’t so focused on goals, passing; thinking about what was next instead of what was right in front of me.

And speaking of what was right in front of me; those people who passed me earlier today? I never saw them again. They were on their own runs; going about their own days. As it should be.

Image credit: rod m

Hero, Shush

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

I feel guilty at times when it comes to our kids schooling as my attention to their work tends to waver. They’ll discuss subjects like Math and Science that aren’t exactly my strong suit and I pay attention yet feel I don’t have much to offer. But they’ll mention another subject like English and I’ll just zero in and won’t let go.

Our daughter Sasha recently told me how she was writing an English paper around the theme of “We are our own heroes” and it truly hit me like a bolt of lightning. I tried hard to temper my enthusiasm but this is a subject that always has fascinated me. Plus, I didn’t want Sasha to wish she hadn’t brought the assignment up (too late for that).

Sasha and I ended up having a brief but enjoyable conversation that largely involved Joseph Campbell and Star Wars. She seemed pretty set on the whole notion that we’re in charge of our own destiny, our greatest champion. I was incredibly proud of her as it aligned with a belief system I’ve embraced my whole life. As an example, the expression “The harder you work, the luckier you get” is corny as all get-out. Yet it’s proven to be true for me more times than I can remember.

But as time passed I realized that my pride and excitement over Sasha’s theme may have been a bit premature as in some ways it was in direct contrast with a view of heroism I’ve taken to heart since 2002. That was when I came upon a quote from a Spin magazine profile on Leonard Cohen by Mikal Gilmore. I tore the article from the magazine, folded it and put it in a notebook. Since then, I’ve taken the article out several times and gone straight to the quote.

Cohen is speaking of what Roshi, his Zen master told him: “He said that the older you get, the lonelier you become, and the deeper the love you need. Which means that this hero that you’re trying to maintain as the central figure in the drama of your life – this hero is not enjoying the life of a hero. You’re exerting a tremendous maintenance to keep this heroic stance available to you, and the hero is suffering defeat after defeat. And they’re not heroic defeats; they’re ignoble defeats. Finally, one day you say, ‘Let him die – I can’t invest any more in this heroic position.’ From there, you just live your life as if it’s real – as if you have to make decisions even though you have absolutely no guarantee of any of the consequences of your decisions.”

At first, Cohen’s insight sure seems to fly in the face of “We are our own heroes.” But, then I thought, “Well, not so fast.” Sasha is 15. Leonard Cohen was in his late sixties when he gave the Spin interview. And the reality is that there’s plenty of room for both viewpoints. Since I read Cohen’s quote nearly 20 years ago, I’ve spent plenty of time concurrently trying to let the hero inside me die and flourish. I admit that might sound somewhat counterintuitive and self-defeating but I suppose heroism can be somewhat situational.

At some point, perhaps I’ll want to share Cohen’s quote on heroism with Sasha and her brother. Plenty of time for that, though. For now I want to see where her own hero’s journey takes her and provide guidance and support the best I can.

Image credit: BBC

Hat and Cattle

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

There’s a folksy expression, “All hat and no cattle,” that I’ve always enjoyed. It means, essentially, all style and no substance. It’s a term that until very recently I’d use to describe mega-selling Country singer Shania Twain. Awesome presentation, but not much there there.

I started changing my tune (pun intended) about Shania Twain last August. Our family took a road trip to Las Vegas and back. We had a blast and on the way home, to pass the time when it wasn’t my turn to drive, I assembled different Spotify playlists. On one I included Vegas-inpsired songs – classics like Frank Sinatra’s “Luck Be A Lady” and “Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis plus offerings by artists like Usher and Shania Twain whose residencies we’d seen promoted.

For Shania Twain I picked one of the two songs of hers I was familiar with – 1998’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” When it came on I got a “Really, Andy?” from my wife Wendy in the front seat. Our two teenage kids reacted simarily.

I laughed along with everyone and briefly explained to the kids who Shania Twain was. Then, I listened and had this odd realization: That under its buoyant cheesiness and random, dated spoken sections (“OK, so you’re Brad Pitt”), the song is really good.

Actually, I’d make the case that “That Don’t Impress Me Much” is too good. The vocals, the guitars and melodies; it’s almost like a perfect reproduction of a Country song. Especially for people like me who know next to nothing about Country music.

I recalled that at one time Shania Twain was married to famed Rock producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. And although my knowledge of Country music is limited, I’m very familiar with Mutt Lange’s extensive work, which includes producing classic albums like AC/DC’s Back in Black, Foreigner’s 4 and Def Leppard’s Pyromania. As random as it might sound to hardcore rock fans, myself included, these albums all feature songs exactly like “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Expertly-crafted, catchy songs that just get inside your head and stay there.

When we returned home from Las Vegas, wanting to keep the vibe of the trip going as I re-adjusted to my daily routine, I called up the playlist I’d made that included “That Don’t Impress Me Much.” Except I did it furtively, on the sly; almost like I was afraid someone would catch me in the act.

This week, I found myself seeking to unplug and the rest of my family occupied. So I watched the recent Shania Twain Netflix documentary, Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl and came away incredibly impressed. I learned that Shania Twain overcame a hardscrabble upbringing and the early death of her parents. Fought and clawed her way to the top of a male-dominated music genre. Endured the dissolution of her marriage to Mutt Lange and created a hit album entirely on her own. And is hands on in controlling every aspect of her career. Strong and empowered, a master of her own destiny.

That’s enough cattle for me. And I intend to listen to Shania Twain unapologetically from here on in.

Image credit: Pawel Szvmanski

Scoring Points

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

I’m one of those wackos who is a little disappointed that election season is over. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad the races (for the most part) are settled and I don’t miss the constant television spots. But I’m a long-time political junkie and miss following the different developments of various campaigns, both nationally and locally.

One of these developments are debates. This year in particular Senate debates in Georgia and Pennsylvania were the subject of intense media coverage. Yet most of us recognize that these campaign milestones aren’t real debates about legitimate issues. They’re highly-staged events that each campaign uses to score a win or avoid a blunder that will inevitably become the subject of endless memes.

I can assure you, however, that real debates are alive and well. Our son Ethan, a senior at Southwest High School in Minneapolis, is on the Debate team. Yesterday I had the privilege to serve as a judge during a an all-day tournament attended by area high schools. Here’s what I observed as the teams debated the subject of regime change in Iran.

Respect
Each team was incredibly polite and respectful to each other. No nicknames, no personal attacks. In fact, nothing personal ever entered the discussion. It was all about the issues.

Preparation
I was so impressed at the level of preparation all the teams displayed. Sources were legitimate, varied and timely. Arguments seemed thought-out in advance.

Humility
It was clear each team wanted to win; they were at a tournament, after all. Yet they seemed to appreciate that they were there because of a larger purpose a real, serious issue that impacts lives. And they acted accordingly.

Although campaign season is over, I for one hope to incorporate some of these lessons into my everyday discourse with family, friends and colleagues. It’s also worth noting that, according to 2022 exit polls for Edison research, one-in-eight midterm voters were between ages 18 and 30. Ethan, in fact, turned 18 on Election Day, and voted for the first time.

So ideally some of that respect, preparation and humility will start finding its way into our political process.

Image credit: Jay Vollmar

A Taylor-Made Racket

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

As I tell our kids all the time, in a family everyone plays a role. Like most parents, I play many, one of which is a concert ticket purveyor for our 15-year-old daughter Sasha. My wife Wendy accompanies Sasha to concerts; I take care of the tickets, which includes registering for all the requisite presales.

I’m a huge music fan and during the past several years, as our kids are now older, have gotten back into attending live concerts. Mostly I purchase tickets via presales. So when Sasha told me that a presale had been announced for two Minneapolis dates next June on Taylor Swift’s latest world tour, I figured “no problem.” I promptly registered for the pre-sale, ignoring the “overwhelming demand” copy in my confirmation email as just really good PR. “Don’t bullshit a bullshiter,” I told myself, smirking.

That was then.

My presale code, which would have enabled me to purchase tickets, never came. I didn’t make it off the waiting list. Meanwhile, the Ticketmaster homepage crashed earlier today as fans who did receive the presale code flooded the site. Sasha inquired about the tickets and I told her I was working on it. And I was. I texted people, sent messages, even came close to purchasing tickets from a third party. But nothing panned out.

So later this week I’ll be attempting to buy tickets as part of the general public sale. Part of the masses. To quote my favorite movie, Goodfellas, just another schnook.

The rationale behind the seemingly intricate presale, at least according to Swift’s representatives, is to discourage bots and scalpers. But I don’t buy it. I sense the whole thing is a giant racket designed to build hype and keep Swift even more in the news.

Now, I’m not exactly what you’d call a Swiftie. I actually found her quite annoying, perceiving her somehow calculated and inauthentic. Yet I’ve come to change my tune entirely about Swift. Don’t get me wrong; I still believe she’s incredibly calculated. And I mean that as a compliment.

Sure, Taylor Swift has some serious songwriting chops and from what I gather, is a heck of an entertainer. But it’s way more than than that. She’s uniquely vulnerable, shrewd and tough. The type to pull off a racket so good that even while you’re being had, you willingly succumb to it.

Well done, Taylor. I can’t imagine how you’ll top this stunt. But I know you most assuredly will.

Image credit: Tyler Callahan

Taking Credits

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

Our son Ethan and I have a Sunday morning routine that I cherish. The two of us work out at our local YMCA. We start off lifting weights, do separate cardio workouts and then either take a steam or visit the sauna before showering, dressing and heading home. And, as hokey as it might sound, it’s the time, not the activity, itself, that I cherish.

We top off the activity by driving to our local grocery store, adjacent to a coffee shop. Ethan and his sister Sasha get a donut; my wife Wendy and I get a coffee. Today I was driving to the grocery store, with Ethan in the front seat. I had our local Classic Rock station on and suddenly the 1981 Red Rider song “Lunatic Fringe” kicked in and my imagination went into overdrive.

As we drove down a main throughway in our neighborhood, I pictured a fictional version of Ethan and me in the opening credits of a television show or movie. I’d be portrayed by Christian Bale (this is fiction; I need to aim high) with Noah Schnapp as Ethan. Perhaps we’d be a father-son criminal team and of course be driving a vintage Mustang or GTO, not my real-life Jetta wagon. “Lunatic Fringe” would be playing in the background.

I have an over-active imagination (in case you couldn’t tell) and today was far from the first time I’d imagined opening credits for a television show or movie that doesn’t currently exist. Here are some other songs I’ve always believed lend themselves well to opening credits:

• “Gimme a Bullet”/AC/DC – Any good theme song needs a solid riff and this is about the best out there.  I believe the raw, bubbling-up-to-a boil feel of the music befits a gritty police drama.  In my mind, this show is an ensemble piece, like an NYPD Blue but darker. You would need to cast European actors (because they always look the grittiest) that can pull off effective American urban accents.
• “Gimme Some Water”/Eddie Money – I know, two “Gimmes” in a row, but  trust me, this one writes itself.  The song narrator is a not-unlikable outlaw (similar to the late, great Mr. Money himself) begging for mercy, so I’m thinking a modern take of a man-on-the-lam tale. Natural star vehicle for Josh Holloway to reprise a variation of his Sawyer character from Lost.
• “Just a Job to Do”/Genesis – Similar to “Gimme Some Water,” this song would be used to establish the story while the opening credits are rolling.  In this instance, Greg Kinnear plays a mild-mannered suburban Dad who moonlights as a bounty hunter, using his warm, disarming personality to cover his unorthodox tactics.

If you’ve read along so far, I hope this post either inspired you to revisit some of these iconic songs, imagine alternate opening credits for your favorite movie or show or at the very least provided a fun break to your day. Either way, happy listening and/or watching.

Image credit: videvo.net

Gerald’s Game

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

Let me just get some biases out of the way. I’m a Democrat and a long-time admirer of President Biden. Sure, like any public figure Joe Biden certainly has his flaws and I haven’t agreed with every decision he’s made as President. But I’ve always believed Joe Biden is a good, decent man and an incredibly underrated politiican. And since he was elected almost exactly two years ago, the President I always wonderd if he’d emulate was Gerald Ford, our 38th President who served from 1974-1977,

Now, I’m too young to have truly experienced the brief Ford administration. Growing up, I knew President Ford mostly from the way he was portrayed in popular culture – as something of a sweet, slightly dim, accident-prone ex-jock. But as I grew older, I came to appreicate the unique role President Ford played in our country’s history.

President Ford was sworn in on August 9, 1974 right after President Nixon resigned. It was a time of deep cynicsm and mistrust in our country. Upon his swearing in, President Ford said “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here, the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we honor Him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice, but mercy. … let us restore the golden rule to our political process, and let brotherly love purge our hearts of suspicion and hate.”

A month later, President Ford pardoned Nixon, believing it was in the best interests of the country. A large portion of the country clearly didn’t agree with him. President Ford lost re-election to Jimmy Carter in 1976, becoming the only president never to have been elected to the office of president or vice president.

President Biden’s ultimate political fortunes remain to be seen. Yet I believe our current political climate is similar, almost eerily so, to when President Ford took office. President Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, has built his poltiical career on doubt, fear, cynicism and lies. And, although I’ve thought this countless times before, only to be proven wrong, I believe the days of Trumpism are numbered.

As of this writing, it seems likely the the GOP will take control of the House of Representatives and, perhaps the Senate. But all throught the country, Trump-backed candidates failed. Doubt, fear, cynicism and lies lost.

I’ve never been in politics myself but I always assume politicians, regardless of their poltiical stripes, have giant egos. President Biden likely wants to be remembered as a transformative figure. I believe he’ll be remembered as a transitional one. And I mean that as a compliment.

Image credit: geraldfordfoundation.org

Keep the Engagement Party Going

Editorial note: Opinions expresssed here are solely those of the blogger

I’ve come to find that people who influence your life do so because they come along at a time when you’re ripe to be influenced. Mrs. Garrett, my high school History teacher, arrived at such a time. I had just started to get intersted in politics and was tracking the 1988 presidential election like many of my sports-oriented peers followed their favorite teams. Mrs. Garrett was pasionate about poltiics and let her true feelings and ideology known.

Mrs. Garrett would go on lengthy diatribes criticizing the Reagan administration. Of course, the class couldn’t get enough of this because it meant time away from the much-less-interesting lesson plan. Plus, Mrs. Garrett, a curmudgeon-type then in her late 60’s, was quite a hoot.

Yet it’s what Mrs. Garett said when she closed out her soliloquies that truly made an impact on me. She made a point of reminding us that so few people in the United States cared about the political process. So, when you saw someone who cared, who took time out of their daily lives to learn about a candidate; attend a rally; let alone vote, they deserved your respect.

Not surprisingly, I’ve been thinking about Mrs. Garrett quite a bit during these past several weeks as we inch toward Election Day. She’s been gone for several years but man, if she was around would have so much to say about our current political climate. I want to believe she’d stilll close with her same message and, to use parlance of today, encourage me and my peers to respect people for being engaged.

Now, I don’t want to come across as naive. I understand that each election cycle seems to get more brutal, more divisive. There’s a pretty good chance that the 2022 midterms won’t end on election night but drag on for weeks. And there’s a pretty good chance that all kinds of ugliness will rear its head.

But once the dust settles (and, as hard as it is to imagine right now, it inevitably will), I intend to keep reminding myself of what really matters. That despite our disagreeents, what’s most important is being engaged; excercising our right to express ourselves and participate in our political process. Engagement matters and, politics aside, I believe we can all truly agree, it makes a difference.

Image credit: Adi Goldstein

The Empathy Gap

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are soley those of the blogger

Earier today I had an “Aha!” moment while grocery shopping. I was, per my usual custom, alternating between bagging my groceries and hovering nearby the register, waiting for the cashier to finish scanning my items. Then I saw the total and thought, “Wow!”

Now, I know you might be thinking “Dude, do you live under a rock?” I get that inflation has been with us for some time and is impacting our everyday purchases; have seen it firsthand. But there was something about this particular shopping trip. Given our family’s schedule this week, we’re interstingly eating home less than usual so subsequently, buying fewer groceries. Yet the total seemed pretty darned high for what I was buying.

And then it dawned on me. Why aren’t the Democrats running in this midterm election cycle all over this? Leading with a message that says some form of “Hey, guys; we get it. Inflation sucks and we’re doing everything we can to solve it.” They’ve been talking about abortion, and democracy, which of course, while undoubtedly important and ethically, the right choices, aren’t necessrily strategically sound. In short, Democrats nationally may be proverbially winning the battle and losing the war.

The thing is, at one point in the not too distant past, “pocketbook issues” like the economy, health care and taxes used to be the Democrats’ bailiwick The party used to be known for empathy, for caring about the underserved, the people who were feeling pinched, on the outs, who had trouble fending for themselves and needed a little help. Now it seems like the party nationally is constantly stuck on the defensive, with a message that I believe consists of little more than “hey, vote for me because I’m a heck lot less scarier than them.”

I find myself struggling with poltiics during these last several years because I there’s so many different viewpoints and perspectives battling for space within me. First, I’m a political nerd. The strategies and related political maneuvering are what fascinate me the most. I’m a Democrat second. And rounding out the trioka is that I’ve worked in Communications my entire life. So I can’t stop myself from evaluating the messaging.

With all that said, I believe the Democrats are losing the messaging war and losing it big. My hope is that a week from now I’ll be taking a “Well it could have been a lot worse” attitude. But the bigger point is that Democrats nationally need to do much, much better.

Image credit: Ansgar Scheffold

Boring but important

Editorial note: Opinions expressed here are solely those of the blogger

Several tears ago my wife Wendy and I had a subscription to a print version of the magazine The Week. A roundup of news from across the globe, I always enjoyed reading the outlet and used to say it was like a CliffsNotes version of current events. One section in the first few pages of The Week used to always catch my eye – “Boring but important.”

The “Boring but important” section was aptly titled because it included all the dry, wonky news that for the most part is a complete snore-fest. New tax codes. Federal judge appointments. Enviornmental policy debates. Snore. Snore .Snore.

Each time I paged through The Week and saw the “Boring but important” section I’d make a mental note to pause and read it. Sometimes I did. But most of the time I didn’t.

The notion of “Boring but important” is on my brain as the Midterm elections are mere days away and the issues that seem likely to impact us the most don’t seem to interest us in the least. According to a recent CNN poll, the economy and inflation are the top issues for 51% of voters. Here are the issues selected by fewer than 10% of likely voters: voting rights and election integrity (9%), gun policy (7%), immigration (6%), climate change (4%) and crime (3%).

To be clear, I’m not discounting the economy and inflation. But if you’re reading this post right now, I’d ask you to consider all the economoic ups and downs you’ve seen in your lifetime. Now compare that to where we are as a country in relaiton to those other issues. And the work that’s needed to chisel away at them.

Boring but important.

If you’re familiar with my blog, you probably have figured out that I have a politial bias, an ideology. But I’m a poltiical realist. I get that the age of the undecided voter is largely a thing of the past.

Yet if you’ve read along this far, I ask you, betwen now and Election Day, to really take the notion of Boring but important to heart. I know I will.

Image credit: Daniel Lincoln