How To Restore the American Dream.

While at the airport this week, this cover story for Time caught my eye. 
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2026776,00.html.

Editor Fareed Zakaria discusses how the twin threats of technology and globalization are squeezing the middle class--and what to do about it.

Waiting for Superman.

That's the title of a sobering new documentary indicting the deplorable state of our public schools.

I was especially struck by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim's assertion that it's "bad" schools that make for "bad neighborhoods"--not the other way around.

You'll be shocked and outraged to see "bad" teachers sleeping in "detention hall." While collecting full salary.

See the film, talk about it. And ACT. We all have a vested interest in educational excellence.
http://www.waitingforsuperman.com/action/?gclid=CKH-tdGl7qQCFQm87QodRiMB1Q

Our Funny Planet.

Jon Stewart's new book, Earth (The Book), a Visitor's Guide to the Human Race, is expectedly hysterical. 

To wit:  bamboo is the world's fastest-gowing plant, surging skyward at up to 30 inches an hour--40 inches, if you're willing to rub the shaft.

I won't tell you here, but flip to page 42 to learn what a "sin pebble cozy" is.

Finally, someone has recognized gaydar for the rare sense it really is.

I'm laughing aloud on almost every page.

http://www.amazon.com/Daily-Show-Stewart-Presents-Earth/dp/044657922X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1287590158&sr=1-1

Underused Words. Weekend Edition.

Supine (thanks, Erin!) and Salient are my Saturday and Sunday underused words.

Enjoy the sight of autumn leaves swirling and crunching.

Is Sexuality Taboo for Female Policitians?

Twenty-eight year old Krystal Ball (dumb name, smart woman) is a Democrat congressional candidate in Virginia.  If elected, she will be the youngest member of Congress in history.

Of course, she has a sex life.  Of course, she's taken racy photos.  Naturally, they've surfaced online.

Did I mention that's she's 28?

Why is any of this surprising?  Worse still, why is any of this relevant to her qualifications (or lack of) for public office?

Disappointingly, the double standard for women is alive and well. 

What's refreshing is that the younger "Facebook" generation is challenging the tired Madonna/Whore complex.

Ball wrote a long (too long, actually; I wish it were better edited) treatise about the campaign to discredit her--and why she's staying the course.  Read it on her website, http://www.krystalballforcongress.com/.

Hers appears to be a single lapse of judgement in a private setting. Politicians of the future--both men and women--will likely share her youthful history of hijinks.

Too many of us are voyeurs, hypocrites wagging fingers.  Too many of us stand silent.  Too many of us are unwilling to expose our often foolish actions to scrutiny.  

Regardless of your politics, applaud Ball for having the--well, the balls--to fight this sexism.  She could be your daughter, niece, cousin, friend. 

I say hooray for her sexuality.  It's not incompatible with intelligence.

Apple-licious.

This past weekend, I--and everyone else from Atlanta, apparently--headed to the North Georgia mountains for the Ellijay Apple Festival.  The traffic was heavy, but my heart was light.

Actually, I wasn't headed for the festival, but rather for Mercier Orchards, about an hour and a half north of Atlanta in Blue Ridge. 

Trust me, it's worth the ride.

The place was pleasantly abuzz with tractor rides to the fields for U-Pick apples. Inside, I made a beeline for the apple cider, apple cider donuts and pimento cheese (with the surprise of corn and pimento peppers). 

I can also report they've added refrigerated gourmet products including cave-aged feta chese, tasso ham and French sea salted butter.  Perfect fall picnic fare.

They are open 7 days a week.  Log onto:  http://www.mercier-orchards.com/.

The Power of the Unexpected. Or Why I Want to See Katherine Heigl as a Hooker.

Actrss Katherine Heigl's new movie, Life As We Know It, opens tomorrow.  The advertsing budget must be enormous, as it seems every other ad is for this apparent twaddle.

Snore.  Wake me when it's on DVD--not.

Why pick on the lovely Ms. Heigl? 

Because she is predictable and boring. So, naturally her commericals are, too. 

Even before the inevitable publicity deluge, I know what movie she will make (derivative rom-com), what role she will play (sunny but brittle singleton), who her co-star (interchangeably bland but handsome) will be.

She needs to bust an unexpected move.  Fast.

Maybe play a blue collar mother fighting a good cause in a gritty drama (a la Charlize Theron) or make a self-deprecating guest appearance on a popular prime time sitcom (a la Amy Ryan).

Then, I might just tune in or shell out. 

The unexpected is what keeps us hooked, in life and in movies.  And in marketing, too.

Charisma = Success.

It's that something special that magnetizes people.  

You know it when you meet someone who's charismatic.  Their charm is infectious--think Bill Clinton or Oprah--and mightily contributes to their success.

According to Ronald Riggio, PhD, professor of leadership and organizational psychology at Claremont McKenna College, charisma has three main ingredients: expressiveness, emotional control and emotional sensitivity.

The latter--the ability to pick up on other’s people’s emotions--is key to forging both personal and professional connections.

If you already possess charisma, congratulations.  If you want to hone yours, check out Riggio's book, The Charisma Quotient:  What It Is, How to Get It, How to Use It:  http://www.amazon.com/Charisma-Quotient-What-How-Get/dp/0396089631/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266244419&sr=8-13.