Things I Love, Things I Hate

White Kids and Rap

2004-12-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

Here’s something that has me stumped—what is it about rap and hip hop that appeals to White suburban, middle-class kids? My daughter and her friends are transfixed on having all sorts of hip hop and rap songs played at the their religious-based social events no matter what subject matter is discussed in the songs.

At first, I thought that perhaps these kids might be hooked into the social statements made by these artists—the plight of underprivileged (and oversexed) urban youth that are perennially hassled by the law. Maybe it’s like the protest songs of the ‘60s that resonated with young people of all strata—from “Blowin in the Wind” to “Feel like I’m Fixin’ To Die Rag.” I don’t think so—these kids who like hip hop generally are so vapid that the social context of Snoop Dog and others is lost on their one-track minds (well, more than one track, but those tracks intersect in the areas of fashion, Lindsay Lohan and rolling their eyes at their parents).

Hmmm.. I think I’m zeroing in on something here. Kids like my daughter like rap and hip hop because their parents hate it. Well, my daughter is the exception, because I like most of it, and (I think) I understand the social relevance. The vast majority believes the shock appeal of rappers talking about drugs, killin’ the cops and grabbing some booty will upset their parents to the point of dismay (thus making the kids happy). I guess, in my day, I recall my mother taking my 8-track of Arlo Guthrie’s “Alice’s Restaurant” (as if either my mother or I knew what picking up a couple of keys meant) and tossing it in the garbage.

Word up.

Programming Alert

2004-12-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

In case you think I have abandoned blogging, I have moved my blog to two new sites:

This one is a continuation of the concept began here.

This one is about my project to create a home-based TV network. Also here, you will find a media player which I can program with my favorite songs--just push play and enjoy!

Enjoy

Change of Venue

2004-10-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

The gears now shift from family weekend to business. I can say this about most airport hotels—aside from ones in places like Hong Kong, by and large they stink. This one sure does. An older Sheraton that sure is weatherbeaten. They charged me $10 for a refrigerator to use for my diabetic supplies, and that is rather bogus.

Time to kill today with an early flight tomorrow with three nights in LA. Luckily, there’s a baseball game on in a few hours. Also, I can watch the planes land, but am not sure I can handle so much excitement!

Columbus Day

2004-10-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

Family weekend is ending. It’s Columbus Day and we make our way from Napa to SFO with a full car. We’ll pass by our old “stomping grounds” (ugh, I hate that expression, almost as much as happy camper) but won’t have time to get off of 101 to explore. That’s actually a good thing.

My family will head home and I will head to LA for work-related activities. A many-months project is coming to fruition in LA this week and I’ll be part of the action. I get to see Mike and my boss, two people who I look forward to sharing some time with for a few days—a rare treat.

Am looking forward to flying home Thursday, but certainly am excited about the upcoming work stuff.

I do have to remember to post a picture of Mike’s dog, Bingo. Very sweet dog; my wife and daughter would be in love!

Light Damage

2004-10-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

We had a $20 Jockey Outlet rebate burning a hole in our pockets, so a trip here was imperative. We did some light damage to the pocketbook. Fairly standard outlets, similar to those in Anthen, Arizona. Nothing like Gilroy (Calif.) or Cabazon (Calif.).

Napa Premium Outlets

Workout Facilities

2004-10-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

The one here at the Marriott in Napa is really great. Bikes, stairclimbers, elliptical trainers, etc... TVs by the equipment. The crowd is a little snotty, but, heck, we lived a half hour south of here so we're used to it.

Best exercise room of the year was the one at the Westin in Cincinnati; there are actually TV monitors IN the equipment. Lucky me, I am going back to the Queen City in November.

Napa

2004-10-09T20:04:00.000-07:00

A long day is coming to an end.

The highlight—The SF Ferry Terminal Farmers Market. Yes, my return after my end of August visit (on my baseball weekend), this time with my favorite farmers market friend. She squealed with delight and even shed a tear as she gazed across a sea of organic vegetables, fruit, breads, olive oils, etc…She exchanged warm hellos with the “endive lady” a fixture from our life in Marin County. And my daughter and I gulped down 10 oysters at the Hog Island Oyster stand. We could have spent hours there, but we plan a special trip to enjoy the best of SF and get a place with a kitchen so we can enjoy the local bounty.

We then drove to Napa for our family weekend event. Today’s event included a pre-wedding picnic. Tomorrow is the wedding. It’s in the late afternoon, so we have the day to ourselves. We spotted a Trader Joes nearby, so we can grab a simple lunch and perhaps take a run to the nearby factory outlets.

Awareness

2004-10-08T21:48:00.000-07:00

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I figured I’d share a few memories of which I am more than aware.

This is the University of California, San Francisco, Mount Zion. This is where my wife had her breast cancer surgery in 2000. This is where I sent the longest hours of my life waiting on June 27, 2000. Dr. Laura Esserman, my wife’s surgeon, is clearly one of G-d’s special angels.

The former cancer center, now a woman’s health center. This is where my wife had her chemo treatments. Hard to stand outside here and not shed a tear.

This is the new cancer center, part of the main UCSF building. My wife had a few follow up appointments here with her oncologist, Dr. Hope Rugo, another magical person.

Well, that’s enough awareness for one day.

My day was wild—phone calls, meetings, doctor’s appointments, dinner, time with Mike and Bingo….

The Travel Routine

2004-10-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Alas, the key for me to succeed in business travel is the routine. Some of it is born out of OCD behavior, some is born in the need to create a comfortable setting to give me a shot at feeling my best during hectic times.

Key to the routine is exercise. Without it, my day will suck. I only stay at hotels that have exercise facilities. I cannot run or jog, so it has to be a stationary bike of some sort. Speaking of not being able to run, I smashed my already-handicapped foot in the middle of the night. My toe might be broken, but thanks to te handiwork of a local doctor here, who botched my foot surgery in 2001, I have little or no feeling in my feet. So, I feel little at the site of the injury but it looks nasty. Tomorrow, I can drive by his office and thank him.

Back to the routine: it includes three meals, lots of water, and a good night’s sleep. There’s debate on the sleep issue—my wife says it is some odd notion introduced to me early in life. She’s right; I don’t need more than six or seven good hours per night, but somehow, a voice inside my head tells me otherwise.

Well, today is a non-stop appointment machine. I am off to the road. Hopefully, my routine will go well. I really enjoyed my exercising…

It's Called a Killer View

2004-10-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

I know why call it a killer view, because the view of the freeway will kill-her (as in my wife). Actually, the windows must be tripled-paned, so all I hear is the air conditioner in the room. Let’s see what happens tomorrow night when my wife and daughter arrive.

No major snafus in the travel day. I guess when you get older, the travel process wears on you: getting your bags, schlepping them to the car rental center, getting the car (and they never have the one you ordered) and then leaving the place to find your hotel… and the hotel is in the middle of no where. Well, I have time to relax before a big work day tomorrow (with a visit to my doctor squeezed in the middle). At least I’ll get to see Mike and we can cook up some new far-out media ideas…

Travel Commences Shortly

2004-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

So, for the next seven nights I will be sleeping in beds other than my own. Ugh. Even the “Heavenly Bed” promised in Starwood Hotels (I am staying in one) pales in comparison to my own. I guess I could bring my own pillow and blanket with me on the road, but I assure you, I am overpacked as it is at the moment.

Well, yet another landing later today at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). That will make something like 1,000 in the past 10 years. At one point, I thought I should have my mail forwarded to SFO. Well, at least SFO has a great Red Carpet Room, location of a Barry Bonds siting. The only other celeb I have seen in a Red Carpet Room was Robert Duvall at the one at JFK. I did not approach him lest I find a horse’s head in my bed (speaking of beds).

That Zimmerman Kid Has Some Talent

2004-10-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yahoo! News - Dylan's Nobel Nomination Sparks Debate

AFLHOF

2004-10-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Fall League Hall of Fame is made up of a number of players and coaches who came through the AFL experience to either star in the big show or manage in the bigs. Dusty Baker, for example, managed in the AFL the year before he took over the Giants. Same for Lloyd McClendon of the Pirates.

This year three more AFL alumni will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame: Angels outfielder Garret Anderson, Cardinals infielder Albert Pujols and Royals manager Tony Pena (father of the player pictured in yesterday’s posting)

Packing Sucks

2004-10-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

One of the things I hate about business travel is packing. This trip is seven nights, three locations, and four hotels. That means lots of packing and unpacking (I think that’s a line from “WKRP in Cincinnati”) which I also hate. Suffering some subtle OCD symptoms, I stress out about packing. Do you recall the scene of Jack Nicholson packing in “As Good As It Gets?” I’m not that bad, but working on it.

Not To Say I Told You So..

2004-10-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

I posted this several months ago. Not sure why he's not broadcasting on the Internet; that would give him a global audience.

Yahoo! News - Howard Stern to Move to Satellite Radio

The Boys Of Fall

2004-10-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

For young players, this is their field of dreams

Opening Day at Arizona Fall League. Life does not get any better. The stage is Peoria Sports Complex, the spring training home of the Padres and Mariners. It’s sunny, about 90 degrees, a crowd of me, my wife and about 30 other people watching the brightest young stars of tomorrow. Major League Baseball does not do a great job in promoting AFL, but that’s not the story here. The story is a group of great young players (AAA, AA stars) following in the footsteps of former AFL notables such as Garciaparra, Puljols, Helton, Rollins, Giles, and countless others.

Yet another baseball game for me

Today, we saw the Javelinas host the Grand Canyon Rafters. Among the players we saw were:

Tony Pena Jr., (son of the Royals’ manager and former catching great); Josh Barfield (son of former Blue Jays star Jesse Barefield); Jeff Francoeur, Atlanta Braves minor league player of the year; Lance Niekro, future Giants star (son of former pitcher Joe Niekro) and Shin-Soo Choo, the top-rated Mariners minor league position player.

Tony Pena, Jr.

Young Mariners shortsop, Mike Morse

Giants 3rd/1st baseman Lance Niekro

The pride of Pusan, South Korea--Shin-Soo Choo

A few notes: New York Yankees outfielder Kevin Thompson was star of the game with a grand slam home run as well as a daring dash to home plate on a wild pitch. Also, there are several players from the “Montreal Expos” in the league. I noted to my wife that it would be the last time the Expos appear in a Major League Baseball-sanctioned game. We left in the 8th inning with the Rafters leading 8-1.

Next game for us isn’t until October 16th.

Vacation Plans?

2004-10-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

I am not a huge fan of the end-of-the-year Holidays. Thanksgiving is a non-celebratory event around here as it’s the day my father died 11 years ago. Plus, I am allergic to turkey. Really. The past few years, my wife and I have been up at dawn on the day after Thanksgiving to shop and buy a bunch of things we really don’t need. Well, mostly, things we don’t need—I have a great iRiver MP3 player I bough for $99 that is fading, but is still slightly usable.

The Winter Holiday break is even more uncertain. In the past, we’ve gone to Hawaii, but our schedule is constrained by our daughter’s Winter Camp dates. As an alternative, we could bring her with us on a nice trip, but she’s too old for that and we’re too old for that. I can think of all the places I’d like to go, but we have a four-night window, and most of my destinations require a day’s worth of travel each way. So…we’re up in the air (so to speak). Plus, I have a lot of work travel ‘tween now and then and really don’t have to time to plan.

Rabbi Silberman, Rest In Peace

2004-10-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

Herbert Silberman

PHOENIX, Ariz - Rabbi Herbert Silberman, 74, died Oct. 2, 2004 in Phoenix.

He was born Aug. 12, 1930, in New York City, the youngest of three siblings. He was ordained at Rabbi Jacob Joseph Seminary in 1955 and obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting from City College of New York the same year. He served a pulpit of B'nai Israel in High Point from 1956 to 1966. He and his wife, Temma, and three children, Ronald, Steven and Debra, moved to Newington, Conn. There he served Congregation B'nai Shalom from 1966 to 1977. He was active in a variety of rabbinic and communal agencies and organizations. In 1977, he accepted the position of rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Phoenix. There, he was active on a variety of levels within the Jewish and general community. In 1995, he and his wife moved to Salisbury, Md., where he served at the synagogue Beth Israel. In 1999, he and his wife moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., where he was active as a teacher at Har Zion Congregation. Additionally, he taught in a variety of Jewish Communal capacities in the Phoenix metropolitan area.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Temma, of 44 years; his siblings, Judy and Morton Margolis of Beverly Hills, Calif., Edith Wolf of Los Angeles, Leah Ginsburg of High Point, Pen and Dan Ballow of Boynton Beach, Fla.; children Ron and Stacy Silberman of Colchester, Conn., Steven and Manette Silberman of Mobile, Ala., and Debra and Jerry Abeles of Los Angeles and 12 grandchildren.

Interment will be at the Hebrew Cemetery immediately following 11 a.m. services at B'nai Israel on Monday.

Memorials may be sent to the charity of the donor's choice. Online condolences may be made at www.cumbyfuneral.com.

Decisions, Decisions

2004-10-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

The biggest decision of the week: which Arizona Fall League game to attend opening day (tomorrow). My choice is Grand Canyon Rafters at Peoria Javelinas. It’s a tough choice because I want to see Ryan Howard, the Phillies’ prodigious home run talent. The Rafters are the Giants’ team in the AFL, and I need one more shot of Giants’ action before I call it quits for the season. Plus, I just got my new Barry Bonds commemorative 700 home run T shirt.

Games Over

2004-10-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

A touch of sadness in the air—the baseball season has ended and none of “my teams” are in the Playoffs. In fact, the teams I visited in their home parks all fell by the wayside. Maybe next year they’ll pay me to stay away.

Been Here

2004-10-03T19:49:00.000-07:00

My wife and I were here in 1985. Actually, we sat in the dusty town of Corrientes in Argentina and watched cars cross into Ciudad del Este with just a wave from border guards. A little further north, we were at the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay--a well know site for terrorist training camps.

ABCNEWS.com : Paraguay Tri-Border Area Is Terror Haven

Say What, Part II

2004-10-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

Another goof-up in today’s Arizona Republic. Lucy was something, I suppose, but not a lassic—not that I even know what that is.

Breast Cancer Month

2004-10-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

October is breast cancer month. Heck, it’s all around us, how can you miss it. As I have chronicled many times here, my wife battled breast cancer in 2000. She helps others by volunteering her time for the Susan B Komen race and counseling others who are facing this dreaded disease.

Each year, we donate to The Linda Creed Breast Cancer Foundation. Linda Creed was a famous Philadelphia songwriter in the early ‘70s who wrote many of my favorite songs—“Stop, Look, Listen to Your Heart” and “You Are Everything” to name a few. In her era, breast cancer was a death sentence. Luckily, for my family and me treatment has come a long way since then.

I encourage everyone to donate to the cause of breast cancer. I know my niece runs each year in her local Susan B Komen race as a tribute to her aunt. In addition to giving to the Linda Creed foundation, I do everything I can to keep my wife healthy so she can continue to reach out to others and make a difference.

The Loss Of A Friend

2004-10-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

One of our synagogue’s rabbis, Herbert Silberman, died today. He and his wife were good friends, sources of daily inspiration and wonderful teachers. I will remember his magical smile, kind words, gentle soul, sense of humor and deep love for his wife. We went to services this evening and our cantor told us his last encounter with Rabbi Silberman was the other day, and his final, lasting image, was watching the rabbi and wife walking home, hand in hand. That says it all.

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Rabbi Silberman last year in the local weekly Jewish newspaper:

Rabbi Herbert Silberman
Beth El Congregation, Phoenix
(1977-1995)
Har Zion Congregation
(1988-present)

Where did you grow up?
Brooklyn, N.Y.

What was your first impression of the Valley?
A very exciting and hot place. Coming from a big city, I thought that Phoenix would be a nothing little western town, but I was rudely awakened to see it was a metropolis.

What's your favorite place to visit in the Valley?
McCormick Ranch is very pleasant, with its peaceful lakes and walkways.

What is the most important change you've seen in the Phoenix Jewish community?
First, the size - it's exploded, it's gotten much more diverse. I've seen a particular sense of parochialism rather than community. I don't think the institutions - synagogues, JCC, other organizations - really have one focal point, trying to serve the community at large. Previously there was a closer integration of leadership and I think that may have dissipated over the last few years. I think that previously there were meetings between federation, JCC and rabbis a few times a year to share ideas and concerns and directions. I'm not sure that still exists today.

What would you like to see happen in the local Jewish community in the future?
My hope would be that there could be some effort by the leaders including rabbis, executive directors and so on, to meet regularly and share the concerns and plans to create a more cohesive Jewish community.

Choke!

2004-10-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

You saw it coming: The Giants were ahead 3-0 going into the bottom of the ninth. You just knew they would not hold the lead. Dodgers win 7-3 with the Giants holding on to faint hope to win the Wild Card.

Ugh!