By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Oct 3, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Trying to wake up but don’t have any coffee?
Here’s an eye-opener that just might do the trick for you…..
One of my favorite lines from the movie My Dinner with Andre.
ANDRÉ:
You see, Wally, the trouble with always being active and doing things is that it’s quite possible to do all sorts of things and at the same time be completely dead inside.
I mean, you’re doing all these things, but are you doing them because you really feel an impulse to do them, or are you doing them mechanically, as we were saying before?
Because I do believe that if you’re just living mechanically, then you have to change your life. I mean, you know, when you’re young, you go out on dates all the time, you go dance or something, you’re floating free, and then one day you find yourself in a relationship, and suddenly everything freezes. And this can be true in your work as well.
And I mean, as long as you’re really alive inside, then of course there’s no problem. I mean, you know, if you’re living with someone in one little room, and there’s a life going on between you and the person you’re living with, well then, you know, a whole adventure can be going on right in that room.
But there’s always that danger that things can go dead. And then I think you really do have to kind of become a hobo or something, you know, like Kerouac, and go out on the road. I really believe that. I mean, it’s not that wonderful to spend your life on the road. I mean, my own overwhelming preference is to stay in that room if you can!
Now, of course, if you live with somebody for a long time, people are constantly saying, “Well, of course it’s not as great as it used to be, but that’s only natural. The first blush of a romance goes, you know, and that’s the way it has to be.” Now, I totally disagree with that. But I do think you have to constantly ask yourself the question, with total frankness, is your marriage still a marriage? Is the sacramental element still there?
Just as you have to ask about the sacramental element of your work—is it still there?
And I mean, it’s a very frightening thing to have to realize suddenly that, my God, I thought I was living my life, but in fact I haven’t been a human being. I’ve been a performer. I haven’t been living. I’ve been acting. I’ve acted the role of the father. I’ve acted the role of the husband. I’ve acted the role of the friend. I’ve acted the role of the writer or director or whatever. I’ve lived in the same room with this person, but I haven’t really seen them. I haven’t really heard them. I haven’t really been with them.
The colorful, pivotal Missouri Senate race has had something for everyone — especially political junkies and poker fans. And there’s still time for at least one more twist.
First there was Democrat Senator Claire McCaskill’s unusual participation in the Republican Senate primary. Armed with poll numbers indicating Representative Todd Akin would be her weakest opponent in November, she ran anti-GOP ads that were actually designed to stroke right-wing erogenous zones by dubbing Akin a “pro-family … true conservative.” Her strategy, akin to keeping a poker opponent with a weak hand from folding, worked beautifully. Akin won the primary.
Then, after Akin’s infamous “legitimate rape” comments prompted calls from the GOP Establishment that he step down, he called the bluff of the National Republican Senatorial Committee by staying in the race. That tactic worked as well — Republican endorsements and funding came flooding back after the deadline for Akin’s withdrawal passed.
Now, with 35 days left until the election, it may be time for McCaskill to deploy one final gambit: ads that subtly promote the Libertarian candidate, a heavily tattooed personal trainer named Jonathan Dine.
Dine, who sports “Legalize Marijuana” ink across his chest, has more than a little electoral baggage, especially two felony convictions for marijuana possession and identity theft. He is actually ineligible to hold state office in Missouri, but could still play spoiler in the Senate race. At a three-candidate debate last week, he got in the last word: “I promise to keep Republicans out of your bedroom and the Democrats out of your wallet.”
Read the rest of… Jeff Smith: Why Claire McCaskill Should Promote a Tattooed Felon to Defeat Todd Akin
By Jonathan Miller, on Tue Oct 2, 2012 at 5:00 PM ET
Here’s picture proof that something can be both obnoxiously disgraceful and spiritually uplifting at the same time.
Trolling through Harvard Yard before I speak to the Harvard Hillel at 5:30 PM this afternoon about “The Liberal Case for Israel” — Join us 52 Mount Auburn Street if you are in the area — I noticed the door open to my old freshman dorm room. After begging the unfortunate current teen resident to let this old codger in, I noticed that the Springsteen poster, rows of beer cans and “couch of death” (don’t ask) from 1985-86 were no longer wreaking sensory havoc.
Instead, it was sort of a spiritual journey. This was the room where I finally gained my independence, made lifetime friends, and began a whole new life’s chapter. Too many memories — mostly great, some tragically embarrassing — flashed back in an instant. And when I snapped the picture above, I realized I was capturing the very spot at which I first professed my crush (telephonically, and a bit intoxicated of course) to my now wife of 23 years.
I cherish my college years, but the first will always be the most special. And my freshman dorm room will always occupy a very, very important place in my deeply nostalgic heart.
So, thanks to the guys of Holworthy Hall for letting me be a little creepy. Hopefully, it will embolden you to embarrass the next generation of freshman when you too get to middle age.
All the election news lately has been about arguments traded back & forth between Obama & Romney, or Romney’s campaign woes, or Paul Ryan’s getting booed at an AARP convention. Sort of makes me feel sorry for Joe Biden. First of all, he’s running for an office once famously equated with “a warm bucket of spit”. And he can’t even stand out in those races – four years ago he was totally overshadowed by Tina Fey’s look-alike, and now he’s running against someone who makes a whole different set of headlines. (Apparently, the week Ryan was announced, that week’s most frequent google search was “Paul Ryan Shirtless”, and more than one comic hypothesized that the week’s least frequent google search was “Joe Biden Shirtless”.)
But do a little research about Biden, and you’ll find that his ‘everyman’ cred is genuine. He graduated near the bottom of his class in both college & law school, he is one of the least wealthy members of Congress, and he’s well-known for making verbal slips (or at least prematurely ‘outing’ Obama’s support for gay marriage). (He’s had quite a distinguished career, including being one of the longest serving senators in history.) So I decided poor Joe deserved a little musical love . . .
By John Y. Brown III, on Tue Oct 2, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
Always question assumptions.
For a successful life.
And to avoid motion sickness.
“Ok. I am serious about finally getting some balance in my life,” he said—as he had been saying fairly regularly and unsuccessfully for the past 30 years.
You had to admit he was a persistent fella–especially about things he didn’t seem very committed to. Like getting balance in his life.
And then he had an epiphany:
“People who have really honed their ability to balance themselves end up being professional tight rope walkers and travel with a circus troupe and have to carry a long thin balancing bar with them everywhere.”
“Yuck!” He thought to himself. “What was I thinking? I have severe motion sickness and would struggle trying to make a living with a traveling circus show.”
And at that precise moment, John decided to quite trying to be a professional tight rope walker. Embraced his imperfections and native gifts for creating imbalance in his life almost as effortlessly as the young Mozart wrote beautiful music.
And he lived happily, for the most part, ever after.
And never experienced guilt -or motion sickness again.
By Nancy Slotnick, on Tue Oct 2, 2012 at 8:30 AM ET
With the Obama/Romney debate on the American family calendar this week, it seemed only fitting to address the more prominent form of debate in American families- the marital debate. First, though we have to acknowledge the differences. In a political debate, the audience is the American public. In the marital debate, the debaters are the audience. Complicated. Further, in the political debate, there are moderators and referees, time limits and guidelines. In the marital debate, all bets are off. We don’t even have commercial breaks- usually.
Of course, couples therapy is another story. With the right counselor, that can be a lot more safe. In fact, I believe that it should be mandatory for engaged couples to go to counseling. It’s not that all couples have problems to iron out (though most do,) but rather that learning to communicate in conflict is a prerequisite for a happy marriage. When people say “We have such a great relationship, we never fight!” it’s bull…., in my humble opinion. And even in counseling we have to remember the difference- that the candidates are the audience. (It’s not about whom the therapist likes better! As long as it’s me.)
So, because these 2 genres are quite different, we should understand that the goal is different. We know that Obama is not going to convince Romney of anything and vice versa. We don’t expect that they will be heard and understood by each other. And they don’t have to sleep in the same bed at the end of the night. Thank G-d. That wouldn’t be legal in most states anyway.
With the marital argument, that same person that we disagree with so vehemently is the one that we have to make babies with, when the time is right. (And practice that the rest of the time.) We don’t want to be reachingacross the aisle; we want to be walking down the same aisle! But oftentimes it is not so. Bipartisanship is not just something to give lip service to, when it comes to marriage. It is mission critical.
By Zack Adams, RP Staff, on Mon Oct 1, 2012 at 3:00 PM ET
The Politics of Pigskin
A deal was finally agreed upon by the referees and the NFL last week which meant that Sunday was officiated by the regular refs for the first time this year. Here are the 5 big takeaways from the deal according to John Clayton. [ESPN]
According to Sportscenter, after the Packers-Seahawks game that prompted the deal between the NFL and the referees the league office received 70,000 voicemails. [Twitter]
Colts’ head coash Chuck Pagano will likely miss several games as he undergoes treatment during the season for acute promyelocytic leukemia. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will take over as interim head coach while Pagano is absent. [Indy Star]
On Sunday the Patriots scored 45 points after halftime to beat the Bills. That is the best score in the same period for the past 40 years. [Twitter]
The USA Today NFL staff hasn’t done the best job with their picks so far. [screenshot]
After the rough 1-2 start the Packers seem to have righted their ship on Sunday against the reeling Saints. Green Bay evened up their record while New Orleans dropped deeper into the hole at 0-4. [ESPN]
Here is your weekly update on the Recovering Politician Bowl standings:
By John Y. Brown III, on Mon Oct 1, 2012 at 12:00 PM ET
An unsuspected gift from fate that impressed a son and grandson. And surprised William F Buckley Jr .
You know the old Groucho Marx joke, “I’d never want to belong to any club that would have me for a member.”
I think most of us feel that way about our families–at least in the sense that we don’t believe they are all that special. And that’s a good thing–mostly. We see them as they are–their faults and foibles, their best and worst and most ordinary.
(I remember meeting Ed Prichard’s wife Lucy shortly after Prich had died. I was awed by Ed Prichard and peppered Lucy with eager questions about her husband’s greatness. Until she resignedly said, “I knew him warts and all.”)
JYB Sr., JYB Jr. and JYB III circa 1972
Other people, by contrast, are seen as they’d like for us to see them. And that’s an unfair comparison–but it’s the best our brains can do.
This past weekend when I was alone with my son and we were talking about Big John (my father; his grandfather), Johnny was astounded to hear Big John was once a guest on Firing Line, the uber-erudite political talk show hosted by the eloquent sesquipedalian William F Buckley Jr.
(I’ve never gotten to use that word before –meaning a person who uses big words—-and not about to pass it up now!)
I remember when I heard about this show and had the same reaction as Johnny, namely: “I know Big John is smart and has a lot of common sense but I doubt he can hold his own on with William F Buckley.” Few can.
But it didn’t matter anyway because as I explained to Johnny I had tried for about 25 years to get a video or transcript from the 1981 show and had never been successful.
Until we got to our hotel room and found to our amazement it was available for free online.
And then found to our astonishment, that the plain spoken, quick witted family member of ours known more for horse sense than book sense, went toe-to-toe with Mr Buckley and…..Well, put it this way… For those watching who just saw Gov Brown for how he wanted to be seen (and weren’t biased family members), he held his own.
And even the two fellas who knew better than to think such nonsense had to admit they were awfully proud.
Here’s the transcript (click this link). I doubt anyone will be interested but you never know…. It just might inspire you to realize you are much more capable than you think. We all probably are….We just don’t get he chance to prove it often enough.
Trying to wake up but don’t have any coffee?
Because I do believe that if you’re just living mechanically, then you have to change your life. I mean, you know, when you’re young, you go out on dates all the time, you go dance or something, you’re floating free, and then one day you find yourself in a relationship, and suddenly everything freezes. And this can be true in your work as well.
