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Posted on December 31st, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: Humor & Pop Culture.
As we all know, ringing in the new year is synonymous with making personal resolutions. This year I have not made any. I believe that if I want to effect change in my life, there is no point in waiting for an arbitrary date to do it, but rather should just start something as soon as I decide that it needs to be done. I’ve made a number of resolutions over the past year, but they begin when I am ready to make those changes.
At the same time, I’m not much for absolutes, so that probably makes it easier. For instance, I would never resolve to quit drinking altogether, as I know it’s unrealistic. Absolutes are probably better for people that lack discipline, or need very clearl cut boundaries. If you have the ability to moderate yourself and keep things in balance, then there should be no need to cut things out altogether. As we say here at VM, “All things in moderation, including moderation itself.”
But that’s me. As for the rest of you, I wish you the best of luck with your resolutions. And for comparison and entertainment, here is a list of the ten most common new year’s resolutions. All good ones I’d say.
1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends
2. Fit in Fitness
3. Tame the Bulge
4. Quit Smoking
5. Enjoy Life More
6. Quit Drinking
7. Get Out of Debt
8. Learn Something New
9. Help Others
10. Get Organized
Posted on December 25th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, Philanthropy & Environment, Arts & Literature.
This holiday season, as always, the spirit of giving is very much in people’s minds. Giving is a wonderful thing, and most people will agree with me that giving a gift leaves a much better feeling than does receiving one. As such, I was quite pleased to see a new release sitting on the shelf of my neighborhood bookstore with the title ‘Giving, How Each of Us Can Change the World’.
The book, written by President Bill Clinton, takes an inspiring look at how individual endeavors can save lives and solve problems. It highlights the work of a number of extraordinary people and organizations by telling stories of their endeavors. Some are well known institutions and public figures, and some are private citizens who were essentially unknown prior to the book’s publication. All of them represent a global floodtide of nongovernmental, nonprofit activity that is creating a powerful and positive force for change. Their remarkable stories suggest that the act of giving takes many forms and emphasize that offerings of time, skills, objects and ideas can be as important, or more, as simply contributions of money.
Those interested in learning more, but not inclined to run out and purchase the book can also look at the website for a related organization, GlobalGiving.
http://www.globalgiving.com/?RF=ggadwords_clinton&gclid=CPTLjtSyxJACFQ8nawod2lMuXg
GlobalGiving connects you to over 450 pre-screened grassroots charity projects around the world. From running orphanages and schools, to helping survivors of natural disasters, these people are do-gooders to the core. By organizing these groups and making it easy to help them financially, it’s an efficient, transparent way to make an impact with your giving.
Those of us who have been to Burning Man understand this concept all too well, and have seen the tremendous power of giving. Anyone who has given a gift to a loved one and seen their face light up with pleasure knows the deep sense of fulfillment that giving can bring one. So this holiday season, remember that giving doesn’t only have to happen on special occasions and national holidays. If anything, a truly random and unexpected gift can often be the best of all.
Posted on December 24th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: Humor & Pop Culture.
While shopping for a X-mas present for my family’s dogs today (yes, for the dogs), I came accross a petting zoo right outside the pet store. Aside from the feaky looking llama wearing a red and green scarf (probably made of llama fur), there was an adorable little pig running around from person to person saying hello. It just looked as happy and care free as any animal I’ve ever seen. While surfing the net upon my return, I saw this picture, and simply couldn’t pass up the opporunity to post it.
This holiday season, my wish to you all is for you to be as happy as this pig.
Posted on December 19th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Philosophy & Spirituality, Business & Finance, Arts & Literature.
I’m very fascinated by how things happen…why do certain things always happen for some people and rarely for others? How can we effect change on the world (ie consciously get things to happen)? When do things happen? OK, clearly there are lots of questions…Here are a couple of random ideas to ruminate on:
#1: commitment
One of my favorite quotes:
Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness concerning all acts of initiative and creation. There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans; that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too, all sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen events, meetings and material assistance which no one could have dreamed would have come their way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now!”
Seriously, how great is that?! That’s The Secret, really. The Universe will conspire to get you where you need to be but you have to invest yourself personally. And there’s no time like the present to get started. Seriously. No seriously.
#2: the second
Another perspective on action I heard this week this from a monkey named Ms. Andrea Brook. Apparently, everything happens in 1 second. That’s all the time it takes. It really does, now think about it. It may take you 1-minute or 11-years to get to that one very special second (Coelho reference), but in the end, it’s that one second that you were pursuing. In some ways, it is the same principle as Malcom Gladwell’s Tipping Point–what we really care is that point. So set your intentions on that second (goal setting, anyone?)–because that’s where you’ll create your change in the world.
Any talk of action without mentioning a personal hero of mine, Action Jackson would be incomplete. What a guy.
Posted on December 16th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Business & Finance, Science & Technology, Humor & Pop Culture.
I just learned about the Google Zeitgeist 2007. Essentially, it gives us ideas of what’s being sought over the internet by aggregating billions of search queries. Among valuable insights like the fact that Anna Nicole Smith was one of the fastest rising queries in the US (and Sudoku was fastest falling) is information like Bikram Yoga being the second most searched for fitness term. Hmmm…
These days, what’s top of mind can be seen by what is being sought. Now, the information is stale already and can’t tell us what to expect this year, but you might get some utility from looking at it–may jog a few ideas.
Posted on December 15th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: Media & Entertainment, Sports & Health, Humor & Pop Culture.
Wagner! Wagner!! Wagner!!!
So it went at last night’s Lucha Libre extravaganza in Mexico City. The night’s hero - Luchador Dr. Wagner. Not exactly a name I would have expected for a Mexican wrestler, but hell, why not. Wagner ripped through his opponents like street tacos through your rectum, and stole the night. Men shouted and women swooned as the Doctor handed out his prescriptions - a good and hard ass kicking for all who got in his way.
The other highlight of the night….midgets! Yes, everyone’s favorite ‘little people’, dressed in all kinds of crazy garb, going mask to mask with the Luchadors. The stuff these guys did was amazing, and I was surprised, nay shocked that they didn’t win the undercard matches. Next time my brothers, next time. My personal favorite of the evening, a little round guy dressed as a blue and yellow monkey. Now that’s entertainment.
Posted on December 14th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: Travel & Leisure, Arts & Literature.
As I write this posting, I’m looking out over the residential neighborhood of Santa Fe, a suburb of Mexico City. This is my first visit here, and where exactly I am in relation to the rest of the city escapes me, as the city seems endless. Everywhere you go, an ocean of houses and buildings extends to the horizon, defying any sense of order and giving an overwhelming feeling of sheer size.
Mexico City has a population of over 20 million people, making it the largest metropolitan area in the western hemisphere and the second largest city in the world. Only Tokyo, with its 30 million residents, is more populous. What makes it truly unique is that the city has no distinct center, but rather sprawls out aimlessly in randomly arranged neighborhoods and commercial centers. In that sense, it reminds me of my former hometown of Los Angeles. I used to say that LA was the only city in the world with no clear center, but rather a series of modular hubs spread out all over. Well, LA is not alone after all. In fact, it would seem to me that Mexico City puts it to shame in that regard.
The sense of size is impressive, but the traffic is a bitch. Getting anywhere in town takes between 30-90 minutes, and it’s more likely to be on the longer end. Things are also not necessarily close to one another, so going from dinner to a bar to a dance club may involve one hour stints in the car between each stop. Being a seasoned Angelino, the driving doesn’t bother me, more so because we have a nice car and a driver on call 24/7. With good tunes and an ever changing view, I’m easily entertained. Still, I pity the full time resident, who every day has to battle the traffic and resulting pollution.
The difficulty of getting around creates an interesting social dynamic. With it being challenging and sometimes even dangerous to traipse around the city at night, people are very keen on having gatherings at their homes. What that means is that a tourist without friends here is going to have a hard time getting into the swing of things socially. There are bars and clubs, but access is hard for the unconnected foreigner – that is, if you can even figure out where they are. Our advice on what spot to hit each night comes in the form of a 9pm phone call each night from a local party planner and socialite that we are fortunate enough to know. Without Maseli, we’d probably end up hitting cheesy bars and getting mugged on the way to the car.
Mexico City is the eighth richest urban agglomeration of GDP in the world, and it shows. The architecture is beautiful, the cuisine excellent, and the nightlife opulent and entertaining. Art is everywhere, and there is a true sense of culture and history. In short, they do it right here. It’s no surprise that the city was founded about 700 years ago. Time works wonders.
Posted on December 14th, 2007 by Myk.
Categories: Travel & Leisure.
Now that I’m back for my second trip to DF, here’s a followup to a post in March on Mexico City. Here are the latest tips:
1. Don’t even think about driving (get thee a driver–it needs to be said)
2. Go to the National Museum of Anthropology it’s amazing. It’s amazingly well done and aesthetically impressive (check this fountain)
3. Speaking of design, the architecture & design in Mexico City is outstanding and completely unexpected. Officially the most advanced city in the world in my opinion–you will find a villa next to a glass cube next to a white pyramid (and these are residential homes). I think it’s funny that there is so much art and sculpture in the streets that you can’t even go check out for fear of getting jacked. But it looks nice out the car window…
4. Tacos al Pastore. Check previous post.
5. Lucha Libre. Way better than pro-wrestling in the US.
6. Art. Earlier tips touched on this but I’ve got to say that I just had a breakthrough on how artistic Mexicans are. We even met people that went to Basel in Miami last weekend and the homes we visited all have fantastic collections of art. The streets have sculpture, the parks are landscaped. Seriously, art people. Completely impressed.
7. Don’t even try to pull women at clubs. According to a close source “I haven’t seen women this hostile since Paris.” Well, that little issue aside, great clubs with great music–top ones Love and Magnolia (Magnolia is among the coolest clubs I’ve ever seen).
8. Other guys are impressed when you show that you can drink more than them.
9. The locals are chatty. They love to sit, talk, talk, talk…we think that this is because they don’t want to leave to get back in the car for a 1 hour drive home. Anything to stay someplace longer. Chatty is nice, though. Not like Germans.
10. The best radio station EVER 100.9 FM. No joke, Miami’s radio stations suck. LA’s are little better. This one rules.
Posted on December 12th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: Arts & Literature, Humor & Pop Culture.
So Art Basel just concluded here in Miami, and while I met some great people, went to some amazing parties, and plowed through many an open bar, my bedroom wall is still empty. That’s probably the best way to sum up the week. The parties and people were highly entertaining - but the art was less than inspired. Granted, I’m not an art dealer or avid collector by any means, but I know what I like, and I can find beauty in many forms. I saw a lot over the past week, but not one single thing I would want in my home.
Much of the art just seemed arbitrary, and if anything, desperate to be interesting. Perhaps here is just so much stuff out there, that people are reaching to be interesting, and looking to push boundaries that have already been thoroughly explored. to shock or even surprise someone these days is getting harder and harder. There was a lot of what I call ’sex and death’ themed work, an ocean of modern work that was no more interesting than the fabric I recently persused at the local fabric shop, and a lot of sculpture that looked like a blind gimp had raided a garbage dump, taken acid, and gone to town with a jar of super glue.
Perhaps there are interesting stories behind much of the art that was out there, but for the time being, I’d rather get a print of one of my favorite French Impresionists than drop $20k for a Malevich rip-off. I’m going to ponder it more, but I don’t see myself running back to the gallery anytime soon. In fact, the lack of anything I wanted to hang in my room has inspired me to go the art store and paint something myself. I’ll be exhibiting my collection at next year’s Art Basel.
Posted on December 10th, 2007 by Phil.
Categories: History & Politics.
At long last, the biggest mystery in Russian politics has finally been revealed. Earlier today Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the long-awaited name of the candidate he will back in Russia’s presidential election in March - First Deputy Prime Minister and former chief of staff, Dmitry Medvedev. Everyone understands that Putin has for all intents and purposes anointed his successor. “We’ve got the name of the next President of the Russian Federation,” says Vyacheslav Nikonov, a well-known Russian political commentator close to the Kremlin. Putin’s own prestige and popularity mean that whomever he backs will almost certainly be elected by a large majority in March. The news follows months of political intrigues, which had kept people guessing until the last minute.
When Putin first promoted Medvedev to the rank of First Deputy Prime Minister two years ago, he was seen as one of the likely candidates to succeed Putin. More recently though, Medvedev’s star had appeared to wane, as Putin apparently tilted first toward Sergei Ivanov, a hawkish former defense minister, and then to Viktor Zubkov, who was unexpectedly promoted to Prime Minister in September. In classic Russian style, all of the maneuvering appears to have been part of an elaborate bluff designed to prevent rivals from damaging Medvedev in advance of the election campaign.
Putin’s backing of Medvedev is the best news that investors could realistically have hoped for. Russia’s benchmark stock market index, the RTS, was up nearly 2% on the day of the announcement. Medvedev, 42, is seen as representing the more liberal and pro-Western wing of Russia’s ruling establishment. “There has been resolution of the uncertainty,” says Clemens Grafe, economic and political analyst at UBS (UBS) Investment Bank in Moscow. “It will also mean a change of image. You can’t see Medvedev continuing with the strong anti-Western comments you saw in the runup to the Duma elections. He’ll rebuild relations with Western leaders.”
Medvedev’s relative youth is one reassuring quality. “Medvedev is someone who was formed after Russia became a democracy, with a market economy,” says Alexei Makarkin, a political analyst at Russia’s Center for Political Technologies. It also helps that, unlike so many of Putin’s close entourage (notably former defense chief Sergei Ivanov), Medvedev does not hail from the Russian security services.
A former law professor at St. Petersburg State University, Medvedev became closely associated with Putin when he advised the St. Petersburg mayor’s office on legal questions, while Putin was deputy mayor. He subsequently became one of Putin’s closest and most trusted subordinates, serving as the Kremlin chief of staff between 2003 and 2005 and as the chairman of Gazprom since 2001.
While Putin’s choice has answered one of the most important questions, other intriguing questions remain. The most important is what role Putin will play in the future. Some analysts emphasize that the much younger Medvedev has always been in a clearly subordinate position to Putin, who has been in effect Medvedev’s mentor. By picking such a protégé, Putin has ensured that he will retain considerable behind-the-scenes influence. All I know is ‘Medvedev’ is a derivative form of the word ‘bear’ in Russian, so the guys’ got to be cool.
