Creative Grandparenting

I just ran across this exchange from an old Calvin and Hobbes cartoon and it inspired all sorts of grandparenting ideas:

Calvin: Dad, how come old photographs are always black and white? Didn’t they have color film back then?

Dad: Sure they did. In fact, those old photographs are in color. It’s just the world was black and white then.

Calvin: Really?

Dad: Yep. The world didn’t turn color until sometime in the 1930s, and it was pretty grainy color for a while, too.

Calvin: But then why are old PAINTINGS in color?! If the world was black and white, wouldn’t artists have painted it that way?

Dad: Not necessarily. A lot of great artists were insane.

Freezefest 2009

Last year I had planned to join a group of like-minded intrepid canyoneers in Freezefest 2008, but sprained an ankle in an Arizona canyon just after Christmas AND caught the flu, so sickly and hobbling on New Years Eve, I unfortunately had to pass. This year I was determined to go.

Freezefest is an annual canyoneering event (seventh year) held in North Wash and attended by a group of diehard canyoneers who are willing to brave the cold to enjoy the rigors of winter canyoneering. We all stayed in the unofficial Sandthrax campground, which has no services, although there is an outdoor toilet five miles down the road.

The centerpiece of the event is always a descent of The Black Hole on New Years Day. The Black Hole is one of the wettest canyons around and involves nearly constant wading, numerous long swims and, during this time of the year, the need to manage a couple of inches of ice atop many of the channels. (There are a few ways to manage this--try to walk the ice and hope it doesn't break, belly crawl the ice, or let the lead canyoneer serve as an ice-breaker, busting off huge floating sheets that the followers must push around the force their way through.)

I undertook the venture with some trepidation, concerned that I would be uncomfortably cold spending hours in icewater. Of the thirteen in our group that did the trip, about half had dry suits, and the rest of us neoprene wet suits. And as it turned out, it wasn't bad at all. In fact, it was a blast.

We did other canyons as well: Woody and Woodsie on Dec. 31st. And on Jan. 2nd we descended Cheesebox, another notoriously wet canyon which was also snow-covered. It was often a challenge climbing down these ice-covered canyon walls, swimming and wading through icy channels and hiking through snow, but these added degrees of difficulty actually enhanced the pleasure of the experience.

All in all, I had a terrific time. The group was great, sharing food and gathering around a fire every night. (One of the fun parts about being in the cold is that you must consume an extraordinary amount of calories to stay warm. Everyone ate a lot.) I made a number of new friends that I expect to join in canyons again. During the three days I descended four new canyons and was grateful for the opportunity to see southern Utah wilderness in conditions not often experienced.

I realize that most people would never do something like this because it sounds crazy and uncomfortable. After all, it is called Freezefest. Despite this, if they conquered their fears and tried it, I think most folks would be pleasantly surprised at how much fun it is, despite the cold. I think many things in life are like that.

"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
The angels are all in heaven, but few of the fools are dead."
---James Thurber

Randi's Photos

Cell Phone Risks

This just in: Looks like cell phone usage significantly increases the risk of brain cancer, based on results from the largest-ever study of the subject. This issue has been floating around for some time, part of the larger concern about electromagnetic radiation from all manner of electronics, from power lines to microwaves, computer monitors and electric blankets.

Scientists continue to debate exactly how electrical low frequencies (EMF) affect our systems. Kurzweil has warned against these for years, and recommended an airtube attachment for cell phones that moves the phone further from your brain. It doesn't look any more geeky to me than any other wired earpieces.

Just one more thing to think about. Or, if your brain fries, to not think about it.

Randy Cooke 1957 - 2008

My friend Randy died this week. We were inseparable growing up. As a ten-year-old I moved down the street from him and we both knew immediately we'd found kindred spirits. We were bright and adventurous and together we rollicked our way through adolescence. As kids we played ball together, wrestled, made up games, watched TV and had countless sleepovers. In junior high we listened to the same music, developed the same taste in girls and together discovered a great love for the outdoors.

We loved to go camping--never at campgrounds, but out in the country and away from people and civilization. I couldn't count the number of nights we slept in our little pup tent, cooking our food over a fire and talking about all the things that seemed so profoundly deep and important in our blossoming youth. We remained close in high school, although we both found other friends. But we grew our hair long, did crazy things and read the same books--everything we could find by Carlos Castaneda, Kurt Vonnegut, Herman Hesse and others.

After graduation our lives diverged and over time we lost touch, I think partly because it was so painful to recognize we'd grown apart--that we no longer had common ground, the terra firma of our friendship that had made growing up tolerable. So for many years we rarely spoke, which I now regret deeply. But he came to the funerals of of both my parents, which I greatly appreciated, although in the bustle we hardly had time to talk.

Then, the last time I was in Duluth, I felt inspired to look him up. We got on the phone and immediately it was like no time had passed, no signs of the awkwardness I had feared. We quickly made plans to see each other and one Saturday morning I sat down to one of his delicious omelettes and delightful conversation with him and Mary Jo. In showing me a short cut back to Duluth Heights we were close enough to my destination that I invited him to come meet my family, which he did. I was as pleased to show them off to Randy as I have ever been in my life. We all chatted a while, but were headed out of town and had to leave. We hugged, and that's the last time I saw him.

Randy didn't have a computer (or a cell phone!) but I wrote him a few times in the past year--real letters that arrive with a stamp from a uniformed mailman. Then I heard from Mary Jo that he was sick with cancer and things weren't looking good. So I called and we spoke, and for the past few weeks I have called while he was home alone during the day and we've relived the bittersweet memories of our youth.

Randy was a unique spirit. He had a style of walking and talking that was distinctive and memorable--like a throwback to our hippie days, but embedded with a bemused kindness. I used to kid him that he had what Vonnegut once described as echolalia--as he would often repeat the last word of the sentence you had just spoken. It seemed to me a pleasant affirmation and a charming quirk.

I always admired the fact that he followed his moral compass with a navigator's precision. We may not have agreed on many things but it would never occur to me to question his personal integrity. He did what he thought was right in a matter-of-fact and unassuming way, a rare example of discipline and fortitude. He kept the same job for 27 years, and moved so he could walk to work. After his diagnosis, but when he was still able, he fixed up everything in the house, replacing appliances and putting things in shape for Mary Jo.

Like me, Randy never lost his love for the outdoors, and had developed a passion for kayaking. (He told me that one of the hardest things was putting up the kayaks, knowing it was for the last time.) Randy had also become a fine cook and a talented gardener and landscaper. He was a great companion to Mary Jo, his life-long love. He was a steady and reliable brother to his siblings. And he was, in the beginning and the end, my friend.

The world has lost someone that made it a better place. He will be missed.

Too Many Shoes

I've never considered myself much of a clothes hog. And especially as I've gotten older I've become less and less concerned with what I wear. But my Christmas present this year (which I chose and ordered before telling Rebecca what she was getting me) was a new pair of Columbia winter boots--great for hiking, snowshoeing and even standing around in the snow. They are waterproof, with Goretex and Thinsulate, and claim to be able to keep your feet warm in temperatures as cold as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. I was very excited to receive them.

That is, until I went to put them on my shoe shelf. There was hardly space, and I was immediately embarrassed at how many pairs of shoes I have accumulated over the years. Many are functional shoes--my 5.10 Canyoneers, a rugged pair of hiking boots, a light pair of hikers, climbing shoes, cross-trainers, two pairs of running shoes, a pair of trail runners, soccer cleats (worn about once a year at the Turkey Bowl, two pairs of water shoes (one new, one very old), basketball shoes and a couple of pair of beater tennis shoes (both at least 10 years old).

I also have nine pairs of dress shoes, some over 15 years old (which have been resoled at least twice), cowboy boots, two pairs of dressy casual shoes and four pairs of very casuals, one of which is totally beat up but work great when slippers don't quite do the trick. And speaking of slippers, I also have two pairs of those. And one pair of hand-me-down Adidas sandals, of unknown origin, which I almost never wear.

If my math is correct, and I haven't missed any, that's 34 pairs of footwear. However, I am pleased to report that I do not own any moccasins (except that pair I use for costumes--oops, 35). OK, but I don't have golf shoes (yet, as I haven't gotten old enough to switch to golf). And I refuse to count my snowboarding or ski boots, so the count holds at 35.

Anyway, upon reflection, I am aghast at my podalic indulgence, and hereby relinquish all rights to criticize anyone for their excessive wardrobes.

World Wide Web

Even though I got no feedback on my always excellent and universally acclaimed movie recommendations ;-), I will nevertheless proceed with websites that have intrigued, amused or otherwise titillated me in the past week. I hope you have the time to kill, because be warned, you're jumping down a wormhole.

Movie Cliches: These are so true, they're hilarious.

Planetbook: Free downloads of a wide selection of classic literature. How cool is that, I mean for the price?

Squashed Philosophers: For those of us that no longer want to devote the time to read Descartes' Meditations again, or Plato's Republic--the Squashed (condensed) and even the "Very Squashed" versions. Handy.

Collected Quotes of Albert Einstein: If I need to explain this site, you won't appreciate the content. And if that doesn't give you your fill of Einstein, read this excellent essay by the big-brained one.

Prince Randian: Moving to the weird, twisted and bizarre. Click on this the next time you find yourself whining. Then click on the Futility Closet home page and read until you marvel that you could waste so much time on such useless stuff.

A Class Divided: This is a fascinating and frightening Frontline special on a discrimination experiment. Written about in Blink, as I recall.

The Ancient World: If you like this kind of stuff (and I totally do) you can really kick it on this site and still feel remarkably good about your use of time.

Wonders and Marvels: Curious history in a well-done, academic blog. I subscribe to the RSS. Check out these fascinating entries on midwifery and childbirth, then dig around the topics on your own.

Playdough Cookies: For some inexplicable reason, I really want to make these.

Sidewalk Chalk: If you haven't seen this sidewalk chalk, you absolutely must check it out. Amazing!

The 100 Best Novels: Can't help myself--I love these lists. They always inspire me to want to read them all. (Which is easier and less challenging than actually reading all of them. Do the squashed versions count?)

Human World: I am a total junkie for fascinating but useless information, the sum of which is absolutely no greater than its parts. In fact, perhaps it is less, which would be a mathematical oddity, I think.

White Christmas: Tell me this doesn't remind you of Mixed Nuts!

Stumbleupon: The source of much of my entertainment. No one needs another toolbar. But the pay-off in unusual repositories of information and other oddities is worth the real estate on your screen, at least for a week or two. But beware--download this app and you're in the matrix too.

Recommendations

I've had a bit of insomnia lately so have been spending idle time late at night watching movies and cruising the web. And consequently, I've generated a few recommendations that are definitely not for everyone, but have kept me pleasantly entertained.

Mongol--I've mentioned this before, but if you haven't picked it up on DVD, you should. The story of a young Ghengis Khan, with a very authentic feel to it. In Mongolian, by a Russian director.

Himalaya--In the same vein, although without the battle scenes, Himalaya is a 1999 film shot in Nepal that tells a touching story about a nomadic people and the clash between the ancient religious traditions and the skepticism of the young. The film is absolutely gorgeous, just beautifully shot. Further, director Eric Valli used only local tribespeople instead of actors, who do a very credible job and add to the powerful realism of the experience. If you've got a big HD screen this is a must-see. If not, you'll still likely be enthralled by the authentic view of the culture and a vanishing people.

Film noir classics, both from 1950--The Asphalt Jungle, a classic John Huston film with a terrific crew of talented actors, including James Whitmore, Sterling Hayden, Jean Hagen, Sam Jaffe and even a young Marilyn Monroe in a bit part. Also, The Third Man, a Graham Greene screenplay starring Orson Welles. Both well done black & white film noir from the end of a great movie era.

Going way back--Again, these aren't for everyone, but if you want to try something different, watch Buster Keaton in The Cameraman. Really unbelievably good physical comedy. The General is also a tale well-told with some great Keaton stunts. I also watched Steamboat Bill Jr., but didn't like that as much. All silent films from the '20's. An early talkie is German director Fritz Lang's M,a 1931 classic starring Peter Lorre that has aged exceptionally well. This movie is way ahead of its time and features extraordinary camerawork and creativity by Lang, along with an intense story and biting social commentary. Really a powerful film, if you like old movies.

Enough for now. By the way, I've been getting most of these from my local public library, just a few blocks from home. They have an eclectic collection of DVD's. Also CD's, with some decent jazz, blues, gospel, folk, classical, obscure R&B, weird pop and even acid rock. Oh, and they have a lot of books, too.

Funky website recommendations to come later.

Hadephobia

As far as anxiety disorders go, is this a bad one? A good one?

Would you avoid going to church to keep from developing it? If you did get it, would you go to church more often to overcome it?

Would it be a mistake to treat this with medication?

So many things for me to wonder.

My Friend Randy

I spoke to my childhood best friend the other day. His wife sent me a letter and said he had been trying to get in touch with me. (He only had my ClearPlay business card.) So I called him right away, only to find out he is dying of stomach cancer. Already bedridden, and with an evacuation tube, daily hospice care and morphine shots to ease the pain. Not good.

We spoke for a long time, reminiscing about our adventures growing up. We both spent a lot of time outdoors and we tried to remember many of our trips. We used to love to go downtown and visit the Army-Navy store, where we would gaze longingly at the cool camping supplies. We bought a lot of our own equipment, saving our money for sleeping bags, backpacks, mess kits and some very manly Rambo-like knives. And on weekends we would load up and camp, sometimes on islands in Minnesota lakes, sometimes out near his brother's place in Wrenshall, and once in -30 degree weather when we snow-shoed out to some beaver dams, and spent the night doing push-ups in our sleeping bags to keep from freezing to death. We have both maintained our love for the outdoors, and in that regard I guess my friendship with Randy was one of the more influential relationships of my life.

When I was last in Duluth I visited him and Mary Jo, his companion of 25 years (they were finally married last August). Randy made me a wonderful breakfast and we visited for a couple of hours before driving over to Tim's, where he met the family. My kids were immediately struck by his distinctive style in speech and movement, something that had changed little since we were in high school.

I asked him on the phone about insights from this experience. I suppose it was a stupid question, but I was genuinely curious about his perspective. His response was classic: "Well, except for the dying part, it's been great." What he meant was that he'd experienced a great outpouring of love, some from unexpected sources. He's been touched by that.

It was good to talk to him, and I'll call him again tomorrow. I sense there isn't much time left and I have a few things that I'd like to say. Plus a little surprise for him, which I have been working on this weekend. I've been fiddling with a screenplay for the past few years. I had named the lead character Randy, after my old friend, although I had never shared it with him. So I am going to finish the latest draft tonight and send it to him. It's a small thing, but I think he'll enjoy it.

One just never knows what is around the bend on life's road.

More Canyons

I had a great couple of days canyoneering this weekend. North Wash is terrific in November, when it is dry, and we were blessed with almost perfect weather. I was joined by Dave Jarvi, Russ Nelson and a new friend, Craig Crow. None of us had met Craig before, and his presence was a little unusual. He had read a post of mine in a canyoneering forum asking about North Wash conditions and mentioning that I was heading there. He asked if he could go along. In some circles this might be considered a faux pas, or at least socially awkward. It is less so in the canyoneering community, and after talking to him on the phone, I invited him to join in. And yes, he had a very different background than the rest of the group. But he was an able canyoneer, an intelligent and thoughtful conversationalist and a great team member. We all enjoyed getting to know him and having him along.

We drove down very early Friday morning and squeezed and shimmied through West Leprechaun, which is even skinnier than East Lep. After some shredded clothes and a few canyoneering lessons for Russ, we finished in good time and headed to Merry Piglet, a recently "discovered" canyon that proved to be a fun and interesting way to top off our day. For dinner I made a teriyaki noodle and tuna dish with fresh vegetables and we gorged ourselves and sat around the fire talking mostly politics, which was surprisingly stimulating and not vituperative in the least.

We got an early start Saturday morning and descended Constrychnine, which I had done a year ago with Angelica and Lanee. But I had forgotten what a beautiful canyon it is, and we all marveled at the magnificent rappels, although a few hearts beat rapidly staring down the 190 foot drop. Still, we made good time through the canyon, grabbed an early dinner at Stan's in Hanksville and were back home before 8:00 o'clock Saturday night.

I really can't think of a better way to spend a couple of days.

Tracking the Flu

How cool is www.google.com/flutrends? OK, maybe it's not the most robust site you've run across. But gee, the innovative principles behind it just grab me. Here's the deal: Google tracks flu-related search requests by geography. Based on the empirically-supported theory that there is a high correlation between these requests and actual cases of flu, the site then reports which states are having the highest incidences at any given time.

Now I'm guessing that back in the early days of search no one would have anticipated this application. It's certainly not mainstream. But it is part of this inexorable march of data, tying together various sources, making us better informed, often in real time. Cool, but getting kind of scary.

Identity Thieves in Action

In the past few weeks I have been receiving cryptic calls from an organization going by NRC for a Wayne Aho, first asking me to call, then telling me it was for a bad debt. Finally I called them back, but only got a voice mail. I left the message that I was not aware of any bad debt and if they wanted they could mail me the information. I left my address. (Probably a dumb idea, but it's all in the phone book and seemed innocuous.)

The calls kept coming. Now saying there was a "huge claim." I called again, and spoke to "Jesse." I explained that my name was not Wayne Aho. Jesse then asked for the last four digits of my social security number "for confirmation." I refused to give the information. She hung up on me.

So I called back and asked why she hung up. She replied very brusquely that "We are doing a background check. Are you ready to cooperate?" I said that no, I wasn't going to give any information until I found out what this was all about. She said: "Fine, I've got another call." Then she hung up again.

Identity thieves. I was angry, so reported them to the Consumer Protection Agency, the FTC and the Utah Attorney General. They confirmed my suspicions--that this was a common scam. So common that unless they get a bunch of complaints about the same outfit they don't bother to follow-up.

The world's a dangerous place when thieves can prowl about so openly. I'd rather take my chances with Ali Babba.

A Dog's Life

 

Sibling Marriage?

I just read this in Forbes:

Two British sisters who have lived together all their lives have lost their battle to avoid paying inheritance tax when one of them dies. Joyce and Sybil Burden, ages 90 and 82, had asked the European Court to give them the same tax rights as married or gay couples. They own their home jointly, and when one dies the other will be unable to pay the inheritance tax and will have to move out. But the court turned down the final appeal.

"We are struggling to understand why two single sisters in their old age, whose only crime was to choose to stay single and look after their parents and aunts, should find themselves in such a position in the U.K. in the 21st century," the Burdens said in a statement.

If gay marriage and its associated rights become broadly legal it creates some sticky moral problems. Let's assume there are financial benefits to marriage--particularly tax benefits, but others as well--insurance, etc. Doesn't this open the floodgates to more marriages of convenience? And what of the two sisters above? Any reason why they couldn't find a connubial solution to their problem, assuming the government would sanction such a thing? And after all, how could we possible discriminate against these two individuals because they happen to be sisters? To each his own, right? Isn't that the gay marriage argument? Don't impose your values on me?

I think this is leading to a time when there is no government-sanctioned marriage at all. The economic issues disappear. (And gladly, so do divorce courts.) There can still be marriage, but it is all ecclesiastical, or whatever you prefer. Nothing is legally binding. There could still be legal parental responsibilities, but not to a husband or wife, unless specifically bound by contract.

Is there any other ultimate solution? How else do we rationalize keeping anyone that pleases from financially motivated marriages, even sisters?

Co-ed Canyoneering

I spent the weekend in North Wash canyons with Bruce Cummings, Lanee and four of her college friends (including Quincey Cummings). Bruce and I arrived early and tackled Monkey Business. We were later joined by the girls for East Leprechaun, Morocco and Adobe Swale. The weather was perfect, with days in the 70's and nights in the high 30's. We had a terrific time.

I really enjoy introducing people to canyoneering. Not everyone falls in love with it, but almost everyone is wowed by the experience. It is fun to see them squeeze through canyons that have an unworldly narrowness; to watch them learn to chimney high above the canyon floor, and stem over areas too narrow to walk through. I enjoy seeing the fear in their eyes as they lean over their first rappel, and the smiles as they gradually build their confidence. We weren't in any water this trip, but it's always a thrill to watch people swim with full packs--something they never imagined doing, sometimes down narrow channels, or to hear them gasp when the water is so cold it takes your breath away, causing them to paddle frantically towards the exit. And I'm thrilled when newcomers really enjoy the beauty of these remote and rugged canyons, taking delight in the artistically sculpted red sandstone and the sheer cliffs rising a thousand feet straight up, natural wonders rarely experienced by most people.

Bruce is a natural, and showed a great desire to learn, which is actually pretty unusual. It was a treat having him, not only because he has always been good company, but because he picked things up quickly and helped with the others. And the girls were impressive as well. They were up for every challenge with a fun and upbeat spirit of adventure. They were tireless canyoneers, never once complained about a single thing and helped out in every way asked. But most important, they seemed to really enjoy it. I couldn't have asked for more from a new group.

I love being in canyons. And I love sharing the experience even more.

New on DVD

Two DVD's that I have previously written about that are recently available and definitely worth watching: The Visitor and Young at Heart.

The Visitor was one of my favorite movies at Sundance last year. A big slow-moving, but very engaging and thought-provoking film with outstanding performances. Young at Heart is the documentary about the aged choir that sings rock 'n roll. It's a thoroughly entertaining movie.

Enjoy.

No Debate

Suppose I had a job interview that went like this:

So Bill, what were your regrets at ClearPlay?

You know, there are always regrets. But you should have seen me at Pizza Hut. We did some great promotions ... Meatlovers Pizza, Cheeselovers Pizza, even a tie in with the Back to the Future movies. Everyone loves pizza. And I don't regret that a bit.

Why did you leave ClearPlay?

We all leave eventually, don't we? But during my tenure we got national distribution in Target and Best Buy, passed an act of Congress and doubled sales every year. You might be interested in my philosophy of managing people. Inspire them to do great things. I know it may sound corny, but (sniff, sniff) I believe in people.

What skills do you bring to the party?

You know, when I was a kid, we used to have birthday parties in my back yard. My mom would bake the cake from scratch. We'd reuse the candles until they were worn out. She grew up on a farm, and her brother Edwin had a crewcut. He married a woman whose cousin used to shoot pool down at Louie's. One time I met a guy named Louie while we were eating pie at a neighborhood diner. He asked me what I thought about the future. I'm sure he made less than a hundred thousand dollars a year. That's why I'm the right guy for this job.

How does your experience relate to this position?

I'm glad you asked me that. My experience will help me a lot, and when I get the job, you'll see that. I will increase revenue and lower costs. The stock price will skyrocket and morale will be really high. That's what this company needs and that's what I stand for. From what I know about the other candidates, they're against all of those things.

Uh, thanks. Do you have any questions for me?

I have a lot of questions. But the good news is, I have even more answers. I can promise you this--I'll have an answer to your marketing questions. I'll have an answer for your finance questions. And I'll even have an answer to your operations questions. If there's one thing I will bring to this position, it's answers. No question about that.

So, do you think I'd get the job?

My old boss David Novak used to say: "When it's great there's no debate." Well, no debate about that.

Body World

Last week Rebecca, Sam and I went to the Body World Exhibit, one of several traveling exhibits that feature actual dead people that have had their skin removed and the rest of their body "plasticized" for our viewing pleasure. It's really quite startling to see these bodies in various poses, with exposed muscles and bones, along with brains and plenty of hearts, which was the theme of this particular edition.

I have never had a mind for science and have little patience for learning the physiological workings of the human body. But beyond being mesmerized by the total weirdness of the displays, I did pick up a few interesting tidbits:

1. Lance Armstrong has a resting heart rate of 32 beats per minute, vs. the average human of about 70. His heart is 30% larger than average, some of which is genetic, and some the result of training.

2. In ancient Egypt the heart was viewed as the seat of morality. It was the only organ united with the body after death. Having learned this, now a certain graphic in the Book of the Dead makes more sense to me.

3. Broken Heart Syndrome results from a toxic overload of stress hormones, which can cause a heart attack and death. This appealed to my inclinations towards romantic tragedy.

4. One hour after conception the zygote begins to divide and multiply, and eight hours after conception it has already created 1000 cells. Seeing actual fetuses in various stages of development in small jars impacted me more powerfully than anything else I saw. Each one felt like a tragic loss of innocent life.

5. Red blood cells transport oxygen to the system and remove carbon dioxide. They travel about 12,000 miles a day. 1800 gallons of blood flow through your body every day. There was a room that had about 35 55-gallon drums to illustrate how much blood goes through your system every day. It made me feel strangely bloated.

While I can't recall the details of how the thyroid works, or how the nerve system is attached, I did leave somewhat overwhelmed by the stunning complexity of the human body and in awe over the beauty of its functionality.

I'm glad we went. It's good to step outside your normal realm of learning, because you begin to realize how all knowledge and human experience are linked.

Television Drama

I took the opportunity to watch the Congressional hearings on television. I'm fascinated by all of this--not just the nature of the crisis, which I can learn more about from the Wall Street Journal--but instead I am keenly interested in the hearings themselves. I like to see Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sitting in their very hot seats, fielding questions from Congressmen (and Congresswomen) who are desperately trying to wrap their minds around these very complex issues.

I've been to Congressional hearings before, even testified at them. Generally they are politically motivated and wholly lacking in substance. But these hearings are different. The stakes are high. The issues complex. And choosing sides is turning out to be much less partisan than usual. This is how government was meant to be--elected officials seeking to understand the issues, with the bureaucrats trying to explain why they, in concern for their country, are recommending this plan.

This reminds me of when I was in high school, spending hours watching the Watergate hearings. I can vividly recall Sentators Sam Ervin, who chaired the committee, along with rising star Howard Baker, Daniel Inouye and others, grilling John Dean, John Erlichman, J.R. Haldeman and others. It felt so very historic and important.

Years later I was fascinated by the Supreme Court nomination hearings for Robert Bork and then Clarence Thomas. Yes, these were much more political and partisan events. But still they both seemed like watershed moments in our history, particularly the Bork hearings which questioned the fundamental role of the Supreme Court.

You really have to watch these to appreciate them. Sound bites that you pick up on the news just aren't good enough. And the printed word fails to capture the dramatic tension of the moment. This is history in the making. It ought to get an Emmy.

Friends and Family

My recent experience starting a new business has vividly illustrated for me the differences between friends and family. I have, by necessity, involved a number of my friends in this business. In many cases, these were business arrangements—they agreed to some work in exchange for something in return. In many others, I was simply inviting them to offer perspective and advice on various aspects of the concept.

The results have been generally disappointing. Tasks that were agreed to were either not completed or came in much later than committed. In other cases, invitations were completely ignored. And while I don’t completely understand the reasons for all of this, I am left with the conclusion that the ties that bind friendships fall significantly below other priorities, particularly when connected to businesses. Although this has been disheartening to me, I do not fault my friends. But it has been a learning experience.

In contrast, my family has been very supportive when asked. And I suppose that testifies to one of the great blessings of a family—-they will be there for you. No, not always doing what you asked. But when they sense a need—-and a justified one—you can count on them to do what they can. At least in my family. I’m thankful for that.