By John Y. Brown III, on Wed Mar 20, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET
Technology is supposed to make us more organized, efficient and punctual.
But I often wonder if each of those things aren’t more of an “inside job” that has more to do with internal factors than the screen size and processor speed of the latest smartphone.
Think of it this way, with a little mathematical license thrown in to make my point: Before cell phones and the internet and GPS and laptops and tablets, I had a tendency to over commit myself and always running a few minutes late.
But that’s all changed now with technology to thank, right?
Well…..well…..well…..ummm.
With two cell phones, one laptop, an iPad, and GPS system in my car and on my cell phone, I have increased the likelihood of being somewhere on time, by 3.75%. That means, at that rate of increase (and factoring Moore’s Law of advancing technology), I will be on time to appointments 100% of the time starting in mid August in the year 2114.
So, is the conclusion that technology is just not advancing fast enough to fix this deficit? Or perhaps I need to spend more money on more technology?
Or maybe, just throwin’ this out there, not saying it’s true or anything, but just maybe it’s on me –and regardless of all the wonderful promises of technology making our lives simpler, better, more efficient, maybe there are limits.
Q: In House of Cards, Congressman Russo is having sex with his aide, while House Majority Whip Underwood is having sex with a journalist. Which happens more often?
—A.S., New York City
Great question—it actually inspired me to write a separate column on the fact and the fiction behind House of Cards.
The answer is, definitely the former. During my time in the Missouri Senate, I never knew of a legislator sleeping with a journalist, but there was a lot of sex with legislative aides—though it generally happened with other people’s aides, not one’s own. Something about working with someone 16 hours a day makes them decidedly less sexy. I even knew of one legislator who slept with a constituent who visited his office to lobby for special needs children (though it happened after several meetings). They are now quite happily married.
Q: Our campaign is preparing to hire a bunch of summer interns to canvass this summer. I saw in the documentary about your race that you had this awesome group of interns who worked their hearts out for you. How did you find them? Did you have to weed a lot out?
—J.L., New York City
Well, I was lucky. As a college prof I was blessed to be in contact with a lot of young people who were into politics. And as I used to joke, it’s amazing how much you can motivate students to engage with passionate teaching…and a little extra credit.
But the key was the weeding out process. During my 2004 campaign for Congress, I implored anyone who expressed a scintilla of interest to become an intern. Most did, and about a quarter of them ended up not working out.
In my 2006 campaign, based on the twin notions that the desperate guy at the bar goes home alone and the girl who plays hard to get usually attracts many suitors, I decided to do things differently. When a student inquired about volunteering, I’d give her my email address and tell her to contact me in the next 48 hours to learn more about the application process. If she did that, I’d ask her to send her résumé to my campaign manager in the next 48 hours. If she did that and her résumé wasn’t terrible, my manager would tell her we still had one to two internships available and ask for a time she could come in to interview in the next 72 hours. If that went smoothly, my manager would ask for three references he could call within the next 48 hours. But by that point, we barely even needed to call them (though we did), because we could tell that the student was responsible, aggressive and committed to the cause. We didn’t lose a single intern that campaign.
Read the rest of… Jeff Smith: Do As I Say — A Political Advice Column
By Lauren Mayer, on Tue Mar 19, 2013 at 5:00 PM ET
March always tends to be a rather bleak month. In most parts of the country, the charm of snow has definitely worn off, and even here in California, we’re getting a bit tired of gray cold weather. And there’s plenty of gloom and doom in the news, between various fiscal crises, a federal government paralyzed by partisanship, and Lindsay Lohan being sentenced to her 6th stint in rehab. But we Californians are always looking to find meaningful life lessons in our challenges, to let our spiritual selves rise above adversity. Which works great when I get stuck in traffic and do a few deep cleansing breaths, but it can backfire too. Constantly being told to find a brighter side, when there isn’t one, just makes us feel worse. I tried to find a silver lining in having a nasty cold and a huge work commitment that I couldn’t get out of, but I ended up just feeling like a spiritual failure with an ugly red nose. However, I remember hearing some wise words when my kids were younger and took Tae Kwon Do – the instructor told them to absorb blows by making sounds, so they’d release all that negative energy. (Or something along those lines – I may be mixing things up with old episodes of “Kung Fu.”) Which one could interpret to mean, Go ahead and vent – so I did, mostly by sending a couple of self-pitying texts to my closest friends, since my voice was out of commission. And sure enough, I felt better, on top of getting some really nice, sympathetic responses.
Spring will be here soon enough, and it will probably be easier to rise above fiscal cliffs and traffic jams when the weather is nice. But in the meantime, give yourself a break – instead of trying to look for the good in your challenges, go ahead, kvetch! (Which is Yiddish for ‘releasing negative energy.’ Or close enough . . . ) Here’s a song to help you:
The field is set for this year’s NCAA Tournament, but rather than break down the brackets like everyone else, Extra Mustard is ranking the 68 schools in this year’s field by coolest alumnus (or alumna).
68. Florida Gulf Coast: Don Carman
After 10 years in the majors, the lefty hurler went back to school in Fort Myers, Fla., and earned a degree in sports psychology.
tumblr.com…
45. Oklahoma: Olivia Munn
The Newsroom star graduated from the Norman, Okla., school in 2004 with a degree in journalism.
7. Harvard: Norman Mailer
The novelist, journalist, essayist and Muhammad Ali confidant enrolled in Harvard at 16 years old, graduating in 1943 before joining the U.S. Army.
By John Y. Brown III, on Mon Mar 18, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET
My latest athletic injury story….
I strained my calf muscle on Wednesday and had to ice it most of that evening and some the next day.
Here’s how it happened.
“So, late Wednesday afternoon I left my office and walked down the three stairs out the back door.”
That’s it. That’s the whole story. Nothing else happened. No rugby match. No extreme sports. No cross-fit workout. No heroic game winning score. I injured myself walking down three steps.
But after several days of convalescence I seem to be recovering fully and should be able to ascend and descend stairs again by early next week!!!
By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Mar 18, 2013 at 9:15 AM ET
Click here to review/purchase
The nation’s most exciting new publishing imprint — The Recovering Politician Books — has just released its second title, following the international sensation, Jonathan Miller’s The Liberal Case for Israel:
If the title sounds familiar, well d’uh — it is a collection of essays first published at The Recovering Politician — and some bonus new essays as well by our modern day Will Rogers — former Kentucky Secretary of State John Y. Brown, III. Our readers know that John is often insightful, usually clever, and always hilarious.
I loved the book — giving it three thumbs up.
But don’t trust me: Check out the first review of the book at Amazon.com:
I have not read this book yet but did write it. I don’t proof read so, I really can’t say that I have read it even while writing it. I do, sometimes, go back and read some of the posts in this collection after the get posted on the Recovering Politician blog I write for. So, I guess, in that sense I have read a little of this book.All I can say is that the posts I have read after they got posted, some of them were pretty good. As for the others I didn’t read, I tried to make them worth while but can’t comment any more than that. And I apologize for the spelling and grammatical lapses that come from not proof-reading. If you learn nothing else from this eBook, I hope you at least learn the value of proofing and editing.
And at most, I hope you chuckle a few times and say to yourself, “I can relate,” or “Maybe I’m not so weird after all if this guy thinks that way too,” or maybe “Wow, perhaps both of us –because we think like this –are really weird and everybody else is normal’ (although I hope this last thought doesn’t happen as often as the one I wished before it).
And if you have this last thought a lot more often than the one before it, don’t feel bad. I have a friend here in Louisville (whose name I won’t mention), who has these kind of thoughts too. So, really, there’s more than just two of us. There’s at least three. (His name is John Bell and he’s been a friend since high school. Sorry, John.)
I originally planned to write 5 reviews and give myself 5 stars in each review. Of course, that would require setting up 4 fake accounts and making up 4 fake names. And I’m not sure how to set up fake accounts and making up fake names takes more time than I want to give it. So, I’m just going to give this one real pseudo-review. And give myself 3 1/2 stars. My conscience –coupled with laziness–always seems to undermine my bigger plans.
Full disclosure: I rounded up to 4 stars.
And if you liked the review, you will love the book. Purchase by clicking here for only $4.95, while supplies (electrons) last.
By Jonathan Miller, on Thu Mar 14, 2013 at 1:30 PM ET
Everybody loves Oscar-winning Kentucky native Jennifer Lawrence, right?
How can you dislike the charmingly candid and brassily sassy young A-lister?
Well, Jamie Lee Curtis Taete of Vice’s Fightland (no, I have never heard of them either) put J-Law’s popularity to the ultimate test: asking disgustingly-bigoted hate groups — such as the Nazi party, the Westboro Baptist Church and the League of the South — their opinions of the actress.
The result? Hilarity. Here’s an excerpt:
THE WESTBORO BAPTIST CHURCH
Who are they?
Those guys who show up whenever anything sad happens with signs about how much God hates good things/loves bad things.
What do they think about Jennifer Lawrence?
VICE: What do you guys think of Jennifer Lawrence? Steve Drain, Westboro Baptist Church: You talking about the Hunger Games woman?
Yeah, that’s the one.
You want a statement on Jennifer Lawrence? From the Westboro Baptist Church?
Yes, please.
I don’t know enough about her. You know, we focus on things that we see in front of us. I haven’t really taken a look at Jennifer Lawrence from a religious perspective or from a how-great-of-an-actress-she-is perspective. But I was taking a tour at NBC when I was in New York, and she was practicing a skit for Saturday Night Live.That’s about as much as I know about her.
Oh. So you got to see her in real life?
I think that’s who they told me it was. I didn’t even really know what she looked like until I started seeing trailers for Silver Linings Playbook.
You didn’t see Silver Linings Playbook yet?
I didn’t see it yet, I’d like to see it! I’ve been kinda busy picketing. I saw some of the movies nominated for Best Picture, though. What was the one with Ben Affleck?
Argo.
Yeah. That was a good flick. I feel good for Ben Affleck because he was kinda on the out, you know what I mean?
Yeah. So you guys are into Ben Affleck?
No, man. You’re looking for some kind of a salacious quote to put in your story. All I’m saying is that I thought Argo was a darn good flick.
OK. But what about Jennifer Lawrence?
OK. Jennifer Lawrence… I think that most of the young people in our church saw Hunger Games. And I think they all liked that… She just kinda bursted onto the scene, didn’t she? She doesn’t have a very long film career, does she?
She got nominated for some awards a couple of years ago for Winter’s Bone.
Oh! That’s her? Winter’s Bone rocked! That was a great flick.
Yeah.
I like Winter’s Bone quite a bit. I think she did a very nice job there. Yep.
By John Y. Brown III, on Thu Mar 14, 2013 at 12:00 PM ET
Aging and heroism. (Or Worse than Kryptonite)
Did you ever have one of those days where you get called on for a dramatic heroic act that will save the day, but as you step into the phone booth to change into your Superman costume, your mind goes blank and you literally can’t recall for a several seconds if you are Superman or Batman?
And then, after regaining your composure, start to really regret being Superman and grumble to yourself, “This s**t is getting old. They never ask the guy in the office next to me to do this sort of stuff. In fact, he’s at lunch now with the COO. That’s just so wrong! Next week I am going to say something about it.”
And then, as you are taking your time changing–it now takes 5-7 min to change at age 49– you get in a shouting match with some 19 year old who needs to use the phone, who calls you “Lame.” And that really ticks you off and you threaten to keep your street clothes on and not do your heroic deed until some older adult pulls the 19 year old aside and gives him his cell phone for his call?
And then as you are tying your cape, you realize you have love handles pushing out either side of the spandex Superman top. And you are just hoping you can avoid flying and let the cape cover your sides today? Or at least fly at an angle where others won’t notice and comment?
And you make a note to wear sunglasses in the future because you are embarrassed how you look in the Superman costume?
And then, finally, after waiting until now one is looking, you try to burst out of the phone booth but the phone booth door is jammed? You shake and jiggle it. And even do so strenuously but realize that even with your super powers, at this age, you aren’t strong enough to force open the door by yourself?
And so you get the attention of the 19 year old who you had a shouting match with and is now finished with his cell phone call and ask him nicely if he’d try to open the phone booth door from the outside? And apologize for losing your cool as he is smiling smugly to himself and opens the phone booth door for you with two fingers using his left hand?
And then you forget where you are and what you are doing and ask the 19 year old if he still has the cell phone he borrowed so you can check with Google Maps for directions? But he doesn’t have it, of course, because he’s given it back to the stranger who was trying to protect your feelings?
And you walk off dejected? But see a coffee shop and decide to get a latte and a pastry. But after you order remember you are in your Superman costume and forget to bring any money with you? And you want to point out that your Superman and this should really be on the house given all your done for the community over the years —and about to do today? But you decide that discretion is the better part of courage. And apologize and promise to come back later that day (after your super hero mission is complete, but you don’t say this….just thinking this to yourself)?
And after getting lectured by the manager about how he’s just trying to run a business and shouldn’t have to deal with “people like you” you walk out the door and even though you can’t remember where you parked and don’t have your keys anyway after the phone booth change, you are secretly pleased with yourself and feel like you FINALLY caught a break today because you at least got a free latte and pastry?
And make a gentle mental note to yourself that when you send your Superman costume to the cleaners this time to have them take it out two inches in the waist. Again.
If you answer yes, well, you are not alone. Me too!
By Jonathan Miller, on Wed Mar 13, 2013 at 5:00 PM ET
Lexington’s alternative newspaper, Ace Weekly, dedicates its issue this week to speculation on an Ashley Judd U.S. Senate candidacy. Here’s an excerpt from The RP’s contribution: “Ashley Judd Makes Joke. Film at 11.”
As Judd has maintained a low profile while she considers challenging Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for his U.S. Senate seat in Kentucky in 2014, the media has applied Talmudic scrutiny onto every rumored utterance by the actress. When she finally spoke publicly, many national and local news sources latched onto one phrase she used to explain why she hadn’t participated in a particular anti-poverty trip. Reported CNN:
Some of her not-so-politician-sounding moments didn’t go unnoticed by her would-be competition. Brad Dayspring, a strategist at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, jumped on a comment Judd made about how she once told the musician, Bono, that she and her then-husband would travel during the winters.
“We winter in Scotland,” she said. “We’re smart like that.”
Dayspring wasted no time: “A true woman of the people,” he posted on Twitter, referring to her comment.
“I wonder if Ashley Judd will ‘winter in Scotland’ this year,” he also wrote. “Tough to run a #KYSEN campaign from the UK.”
Political Wire posted the offending clip, claiming that Republicans argue it is damaging.
And Politico seized on the anecdote — mentioning the quote in the lede of its article about the event — in a piece originally entitled, “Judd Talk Bizarre, Poignant.” (Editors ultimately changed the headline to read “Ashley Judd Gives Poignant Talk at DC Forum,” although the word “bizarre” remains in the URL link.)
Was the reference to “winters in Scotland” a “bizarre” rookie slip-up by a Hollywood icon already being pilloried by the GOP as too elite for Kentucky?
Of course not. It was a joke.
Had Judd referred to winters in St. Bart or the Cayman Islands, perhaps there might have been a political cause of action.
But as anyone who’s looked at a map — or watched the British Open — understands, Scotland’s weather stinks, much worse than even its infamous cuisine of haggis, neeps and tatties. However, since Judd’s soon-to-be-ex husband, IndyCar series driver Dario Franchitti, hails from the Land of Scots — and spends his spring through fall months on oval tracks around the globe — naturally, the couple would take some winter vacation time with his family in the British Isles. ”Wintering” in Scotland is Judd’s absurdist reality, much like “summering” in Phoenix, or de-toxing in Las Vegas.
Admittedly, “winters in Scotland” isn’t LOL funny. But it was a clever, self-deprecating remark from a trained humorist, mocking both the celebrity culture of consumption, as well as the over-the-top scrutiny of an obsessed media.
I’m confident that her political opponents and the media scolds will continue to take jokes like this out of context to further illustrate their narrative that Judd is out-of-touch with the needs of real Kentuckians. And perhaps her political team will give her the same advice that I received to tone down the humor.
But I hope that’s not the case. And knowing Judd a little, I’m pretty sure that this actress could never be scripted like the talking-point-reciting automatons who dominate American politics.
Indeed, I don’t think she needs to be concerned. As I argued recently in The Daily Beast, Judd’s celebrity — and the media circus that will follow her — offer the actress a unique opportunity to transcend the current political construct of 30-second paid commercials and meagerly parceled out, 15-second, free media soundbites. As the cameras chase her — unlike the reverse with typical politicians — Judd will have the opportunity to engage in detailed, nuanced discussions of complex issues and will enjoy more than sufficient opportunity to share her comprehensive vision with voters. Critically as well, the abundance of free media will also provide Judd a wealth of opportunities to explain her past statements or any of her jokes that had been taken out of context.
At a time when Americans are fed up with politics and politicians — when Congress’ approval is at all-time lows, even below that of Brussels sprouts, and only a tad higher than root canals — we all could use a little more intentional humor mixed in with our policy debates. And I for one hope that Judd is never discouraged to keep her humor held high when all the world around her is losing theirs.
So, is the conclusion that technology is just not advancing fast enough to fix this deficit? Or perhaps I need to spend more money on more technology?
