Current Events, Pop Culture, Food, & Life as I See it

We weren’t really a sports-watching family growing up.  Dad liked baseball, I didn’t.  I latched on to the NY Giants as a 13 year old during the 1986 Super Bowl season and remain a fan today.  I don’t remember any Super Bowl parties in my house, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen.  In those days, we awaited the appearance of onion dip and potato chips with the usual pretzels–that meant it was a party.  It was not until college in Upstate New York that I tasted my first Buffalo wing.

The Super Bowl Staple--Buffalo Wings

Wings in college were more like a side dish to the pizza you ordered for the late night snack:  Wings were just a couple bucks more.  Being from the part of New York where you just called it New York and assumed everyone knew you weren’t talking about the entire state, I always focused on the pizza part.  The wings tasted good, but they were too much work for too little meat.  And it was just plain rude to hoard all the drumsticks, especially when you might need to borrow the notes of your snack-mate later.

But as I joined the ranks of those legally old enough to drink, I spent more time in bars.  With bars came bar food and wings took center stage at many of them, often overshadowing potato skins (always greasy) and nachos (a wildcard without insider information).  While I knew what I liked–hot over mild–I didn’t specifically seek wings out.  I wasn’t about to become a wing connoisseur, but I greatly enjoyed the perfect wing: a little crispy from the fryer, moist on the inside, saucy but never drippy, accompanied by the cooling balance of a good blue cheese dressing and enough carrots and celery to cleanse the palate after each wing.  Again, I’m hesitant to call it the more-accurate “bleu” cheese because that just sounds hoity-toity. Perhaps it’s not the highest expression of etiquette (we are talking about sloppy bar food), but the bed of lettuce garnish that gets kind of wilty with the sauce and dressing is just nirvana when there’s some crunch left.

Many years later, my autumn football routine matches my affectation for wings.  It’s a short season, my life doesn’t revolve around it.  I like it when I can get it, but I love it when it’s really good.

Unfortunately, years later, I also find myself with a slower metabolism and I’m more likely to make spin class than kickoff.  But I do love all of the flavors and textures of the wing experience.  I realized it is possible to recreate it with lower fat and calories, all in-land, each typical Buffalo wing has 3 points.  And you haven’t even had a beer to wash it down!   I’m in the club where I’d rather have a lot of something that’s close to the real thing than just a taste of the real, high fat version.  I’m not the person who would prefers a spoonful of Haagen-Dazs over a tub of Tasty-D-Lite.  If you’re with me, then enjoy!

This dish just came to me as I was trying to change up my usual “big salad” dinner.  I recommend using mostly romaine and/or iceberg lettuces because they don’t overpower other elements. There’s really no room for arugula in a dish like this.  Too fancy.  For the dressing, I prefer low-fat for the taste, but the fat-free for the calorie saving. It really depends what your supermarket stocks.  The last several times I’ve made it, I could only find fat-free.  Adding extra crumbles cheese intensifies the flavor that’s missing in the dressing and using reduced-fat keeps the calories down.  You can use any wing sauce you like, but read the labels–some add oil as an emulsifier.  May the best team win!

A "Healthy" Version

“HEALTHY” BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1pkg    Purdue® baked breaded chicken tenderloins or breasts
1           bag of pre-washed salad mix (Romaine and/or Iceberg)
1 C       shredded carrots
1/2       bag of celery hearts washed and cut into 1″ slices
1/2C    low-fat or fat free blue cheese dressing
1/4C    Treasure Cave® Reduced Fat crumbled bleu cheese.
1/2C    Franks® Sweet bbq wing sauce or other fat free wing sauce.

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Bake chicken 10 mins.  (If you have a convection oven, this takes 5 mins)
3. In a large bowl, combine salad mix, carrots, celery, dressing & crumbled cheese and toss until mixed.  Set aside
4. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  In a small bowl, toss chicken with wing sauce.
5. To serve, put salad on plates and make a small well in center of each.  Spoon a mound of sauce-covered chicken in each well.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (with fat-free dressing): 318 calories, 10g fat (3.5 sat fat), 48mg cholesterol, 1718mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate, 17g protein

Compared to serving of “average” bar wings: (per dozen of medium sized wings with 2 Tbsp blue cheese dressing and celery/carrot sticks) 801 calories, 52g fat (14 sat fat), 400mg cholesterol, 3073mg sodium, 22g carbohydrate, 61g protein

Pamela Anderson with Malibu perfume (C) Carol Berman

I know what you’re thinking.  If it’s a story about Pamela Anderson it’s about one thing.  Ok, two things.

You’d be wrong.

The woman who first hit the scene in 1989 has been no stranger to news and gossip columns since.  Most recently, her name appeared associated with a New Years Eve wardrobe malfunction and a breakup with her surfer boyfriend.

But to meet her and see her interaction with fans shows a completely different side of the former Baywatch babe.  This is a business woman, extremely appreciative of fan support.

This past weekend, Pamela Anderson celebrated the launch of her new fragrance, “Malibu,” with appearances at two Philadelphia-suburb Rite-Aid drugstores.  Hundreds of people waited patiently with their newly purchased bottles to meet the bombshell and get photos and autographs.

Fan Juan Dominguez & Pamela Anderson

One fan even flew in from Cincinnati for the day for the opportunity.  Juan Dominguez, 42, a Pamela Anderson fan from Bala Cynwyd, PA, says, “She is a strong woman who is very smart about her career decisions.”  How would he describe her brand?  “Blonde ambition.”

Secrets to Success

While Anderson might have been considered an overnight success 20 years ago, it takes work to evolve and stay in the public consciousness, if indeed that is the goal.  There are other attributes that might not initially be associated with Pamela Anderson, but should be: persistence and organization.

“I’m good at juggling,” she says.  “You have to keep good calendars.”  With her kids in Canada while she was in Pennsylvania for three appearances, it takes effort to stay on track.  (Her last stop of the day was the opening of a new club at an area casino).

As for the persistence thing, the line of “Malibu” fragrance has been in development for 15 years.  The hold up?  Testing technology had to catch up because Anderson is firmly against animal testing.  She is a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and some of the proceeds from her perfume benefit that organization.

But don’t call her a brand…

“I HATE being called a brand,” she said.  “It’s so much more than that, than just having your name on a product.”

She attributes her endurance in the public eye, despite ups and downs in her personal and professional life, to keeping it real. “Being authentic is key.”

"Vintage" Pamela Anderson

Authentic means she wears her perfume and uses the other products that will soon appear on store shelves bearing the “Malibu” name–hair care, skin care, and sun care.  Authentic means taking time with fans to pose for photos, sign multiple copies of old Playboy issues with her on the cover, and chatting a bit.  If you’ve ever been to a celebrity meet-and-greet, it’s a quick signature and move on.

Hundreds wait to meet Pamela Anderson

And to estimate the success behind this latest venture…at least 400 people waited on line to meet the bombshell.  In order to get the autograph, each fan had to purchase the scent for $39/$49.  That’s at least $16,000 in sales for two hours of work.  The perfume is available at more than 20,000 CVS/Pharmacy, Rite-Aid, Walgreen’s, and Sears stores nationwide.

She’s Not Done Yet

Anderson isn’t close to done. A swimsuit line bearing her name is next.  And thanks to e-commerce, books she wrote in 2005 and 2006 are still for sale on Amazon.  DVDs of her mainstream break on the early 90s series Home Improvement chronicle her TV start.  She played a handy-girl like none I’ve ever seen.  And let’s not forget Baywatch, the show that made her an international success, broadcast in 140 countries. As a testament to her enduring fame, RTI German television covered her Philadelphia appearance.

Pamela Anderson may hate the word “brand,” but as Janet Sills, PhD, wrote in a 2008 issue of Psychology Today, “For a successful long-term career, do not look to your company or industry to take care of you. As in every other arena of life, you must take care of yourself. A well-built brand will be your life raft.” Anderson, the former lifeguard is not likely to sink any time soon.

Been to your local yoga studio lately?  You’ll probably find lots of blankets, mats and incense burning.  Perhaps a statue of Patanjali, considered the founder of yoga, sits in a corner.  But more befitting an ice skating rink or a boxing ring, you now might find a sign-up for a local competition.

Yoga--A Sport?

That’s right–yoga is lobbying to be the next Olympic sport, hopefully in time for the 2016 games.

According to Dictionary.com, yoga is:

A school of Hindu philosophy advocating and prescribing a course of physical and mental disciplines for attaining liberation from the material world and union of the self with the Supreme Being or ultimate principle.

Literally, the word “Yoga” came from the Sanskrit word “yuj” which means “to unite or integrate.”

Not one word implies competition.  Compare this with the definition of Summer Olympics ratings grabber, “gymnastics:”

the practice art, or competitive sport of gymnastic exercises

Or how about that Winter Games powerhouse, curling:

a game played on ice in which two teams of four players each compete in sliding large stones toward a mark in the center of a circle

If you’re wondering how a sport becomes worthy of the Olympics, we look to the Official Website of the Olympic Movement:

To make it onto the Olympic programme, a sport first has to be recognised: it must be administered by an International Federation which ensures that the sport’s activities follow the Olympic Charter. If it is widely practised around the world and meets a number of criteria established by the IOC session, a recognised sport may be added to the Olympic programme on the recommendation of the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission.

The Spirit of Olympic Competition

The IOC can also taketh away, thus leading to the gold medal voids left by tug-of-war and lacrosse.  Again, these both have competition built in to the sports themselves.

Take a yoga class and you hear words like, “be in the moment,” “it’s YOUR practice,” and “keep your mind quiet.”  In fact, stress and competition are often discouraged.

Yoga is 5000 years old but a 2001 TIME magazine cover story effectively “outed” many who silently unrolled sticky mats on a regular basis and lauded the activity’s benefits.  Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor took classes in the gym of the Supreme Court. Sting is very public about his practice as is Gwyneth Paltrow.

According to WebMD, the benefits of yoga include increased flexibility, strength, better posture, increased lung capacity, and lower blood pressure.  A 2004 study by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health found that yoga can alleviate fatigue from multiple sclerosis.  But like with any activity, yoga can cause injury too, if you do it wrong.  Pain and discomfort from over stretching is a common complaint.

Gwen Lawrence, owner of Power Yoga for Sports, focuses on athletes and their specific sports needs.  She is the Yoga Coach for the New York Giants and works with the New York Yankees including star third-baseman Alex Rodriguez.  These athletes are fierce competitors in their sports.  However, when it comes to yoga, it’s all about focus. “It is their absolute job to tune in and pay attention to imbalances, pain, and stress to avoid some possible injuries in the future,” says Lawrence. “Their body is their tool and it is no joke when they are working out that they stay present, [and] to aid their breathing techniques.”

Lawrence is not a fan of adding yoga to the roster of Olympic sports. “I can only believe that an Olympic version of yoga would be rooted in long hours of training, beating down, testing and pushing your body beyond its limitations not for the sake of yourself but for the goal of gold,” she says. “Yoga is about improving YOUR own body and mind and taking ego out of the equation.  So it is enormously contradictory to make it competitive.”

Gwen Lawrence Teaches Yoga to New York Giants

USAYoga seeks to be the governing body for the sport and is lobbying the International Olympic Committee.  In its mission statement, the organization hopes to inspire yoga participants “to improve their practices and encourage many newcomers to take up the practice of yoga and the sport of Yoga Asana.”

Yoga competitors are described as those who “will need to achieve mastery of physical strength, stamina, balance, flexibility, breath and concentration.”  There is no mention of the whole spiritual element that is part of the original Hindu philosophy.

Yoga practitioners aren’t buying in either. Julie Bauch, a New York finance professional, practices at least four times per week, meditates daily, and studies various spiritual philosophies.  She turned to yoga four years ago when faced with a debilitating illness. “I was weakened physically, emotionally and intellectually and I believed it could help me to heal myself,” she says.  “It did, in many ways.”

But the idea of yogis on a medal stand? “It’s perfectly alright to practice yoga solely for physical benefit, however using yoga as a sport doesn’t make it a sport,” she says.

People take yoga for different reasons, but the elements of yoga that tend to always be present in varying degrees are: exercise, breathing, and meditation.  There are several types of yoga, but the variety most practiced in the West is Hatha yoga, or the yoga of postures.  If you’ve seen Iyengar, Integral, Astanga, Kripalu or Jiva Mukti on your gym schedules, these are all styles of Hatha.

The second place winner of the 2008 Asana New York regional championship, Courtney Mace

Yoga competition is thought to be about 100 years old.  The Pondicherry Yoga Association started in 1975 in India.  However, its past leader, Dr. Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani who now heads the International Centre for Yoga Education and Research, is unhappy about the current state of affairs:

“many things have changed over the years, and though I support yoga sport for the children and youth, I may not say the same for the adult competitions… unless the theoretical aspect is taken into consideration, it will be only another gymnastic competition.”

Perhaps the IOC just needs to revisit requirements for gymnastics.  These uber-flexible folks could compete there.  Just call it something else.

I do practice yoga.  I wouldn’t say I’m a yoga fanatic.  I go when I can and aim for once a week.  I have my own mat but I don’t read Rumi or listen to sitar music in my car.  Perhaps even my judgement of yoga as a sport is a bit antithetical to yoga being a practice of acceptance.  But at the end of a yoga class, I look forward to moment when the instructor always says, “Namaste,” which means: “the spirit in me bows to the spirit in you.”  It doesn’t mean:  “I could kick your butt in downward dog!”

It’s one of the oldest professions.  Not that one.  I’m talking about bartending.  When you’re in a strange city, a bartender will be a trusted source.  When you’re at home, a bartender knows your name and drink of choice.  For some, it’s a way to make money on the way to bigger and better (say, an acting gig).  For others, it’s life.

One of the Oldest Professions

According to the ABC Bartending Schools, bartending has roots in ancient Greek and Roman times.  Before the 15th century, bartenders owned the bars and brewed the beer or distilled the liquor.  Fast forward to 1988 and you have Tom Cruise spinning bottles for tips by night and learning the business world by day in the movie, “Cocktail.”

For any job, most employees want several predictable things–a livable wage, a decent commute, and a good work environment.  Mark Twain once said, “I can live two months on a good compliment.” A little praise now and then goes a long way.  A lot of praise can make a career.

BARTENDER FIGHTS BACK

Such is the case with Tina Braunstein, a former bartender at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, a highly rated restaurant outside New York City.  The chef-owner Dan Barber gets praise such as, he “…pains to showcase ingredients instead of obliterating them with too much heat and sauce,” according to New York Magazine.  When it opened in NYC in 2000, the New York Times’ Williams Grimes bestowed 2 stars.  In 2004, with a new branch on a former Rockefeller farm 30 miles north, the paper’s Frank Bruni upped it to three.  And thus begins our story.

If it's Weds, it's the Dining Section

Frank Bruni’s review began and ended with stories of encounters with Braunstein, “one of many extremely affable servers.”   Soon after, she was fired by the general manager.  She has sued on grounds of wrongful termination, seeking damages of $400,000.

The restaurant claims she was rude to customers.  The lawyers have argued she did not perform “at a level befitting a three-star restaurant.”

Emails between Frank Bruni and Dan Barber after the review ran in the paper continued to praise Braunstein.  In fact, her legal team subpoenaed Bruni to testify on her behalf.  That won’t happen because the New York Times argued and won “reporter privilege.”

But she may have screwed herself.  In her deposition, she recalled knowing her customer that night was Frank Bruni.  Many restaurant critics depend on anonymity, but it doesn’t always work out.  So, the question is, was the New York Times restaurant critic treated like a “Regular Joe?”  More importantly, would you be treated the same way?

TWO ISSUES

There are two issues going on here: the career of a bartender and the trust of a restaurant review.

At some big companies, bartenders are unionized and have benefits.  But that is not the norm.  A bartender is only as good as her last drink, his last open ear to hear a customer’s woes.  It’s high pressure, long hours, and many endure the work because they need the paycheck.  Don’t get me wrong–many bartenders earn six-figures with tips on $20 cocktails, union or not.  And for a social, high energy mixologist, it’s a chosen career.  But over time, a few have refused to stand idly by when things didn’t seem right.

Tips From Your Bartender

It’s not the first time a bartender sued an employer for wrongful termination.  In 2005, career bartender Darlene Jesperson, lost three court battles with Harrah’s Entertainment.  She was fired from her Las Vegas casino job in 2000 for refusing to wear makeup.  The company held that its grooming policy requiring women to wear makeup and men to have hair trimmed above the collar among other rules didn’t create a greater burden on women than men so was not a form of discrimination.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed.

One story doesn’t have an ending yet.  John Vendikos tended bar at Yankee Stadium for 27 years.  The 73-year-old was forced to re-apply for his job at the new stadium.  His interviewer asked, “Why should I hire you? You’re an old man.”  Vendikos thought the man was kidding.  But then he didn’t get hired and he filed an age discrimination suit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.  The team claims they have hired many people older than 65 for the new stadium.

WHAT’S A STAR BETWEEN FRIENDS

Whether money burns holes in our pockets or we count pennies, we don’t want to have a single bad restaurant or bar experience.  And as adventurous as we may be, sometimes you want to know if the food will shine, if the atmosphere is a particular way, or if you’re going to leave hungry.  You want to know if the place you pick for your sweetie’s birthday dinner is going to deliver.  So we read reviews.  Sure, you can’t believe everything you read, but it’s nice to know most of it is accurate.

Food is like art–pretty subjective.  One person’s “delicious” is another’s “ick.”  But whether it’s the pizza place in Brooklyn where the line goes down the street or the French Laundry where you need to call months ahead for a shot at a reservation, if the food sucked, so would the following.  Some places have yellowed stellar reviews curling off the walls along with the first dollar made.  That’s where you want to eat if you’re not feeling like rolling the dice.  The atmosphere can be a winner or a loser, but food must shine and service is a close second.

Reviewer anonymity is essential.  Ruth Reichl, New York Times food critic for six years, revealed that she wore wild guises when visiting restaurants after she left the paper in her 2006 book, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise.  Restaurant employees knew what she looked like, as Ruth.  But as any of her aliases–she was rarely discovered (that we know).  Sure, Tina could have “outed” Bruni at the bar. But reviewers visit restaurants several times before they write.  Did he see Tina every time?  She made quite the impression, but did she actually treat every patron like she treated Mr. Bruni?  How much did that customer service contribute to those three stars?

WHAT’S A HUNGRY GIRL TO DO

I’ll keep reading reviews.  The Dining section of the Wednesday NYT is one of my favorites.  Even if I’m not Frank Bruni, I’ll still say please and thank you, I’m usually a patient patron, and as a former waitress, I tip well.  And that’s worthy of the “Frank Bruni” treatment any day of the week.

When the irony of a situation is just too much to bear, you can count on The Scribble Lounge to shine a light and dig a little deeper.

It was reported last week that two cafeterias and five snack bars in the Pennsylvania State Capitol complex would be closed until sometime in January because of…wait for it…a rat infestation.  OK, so they actually said they were mice.  Tomayto, tomahto.

I Smell a Rat in the PA State Capitol! It's in the food!

The State Department of Agriculture found the violations during a routine inspection.  Justin Fleming, the department spokesperson, said, “There were mouse droppings around the facility too numerous to mention.”  Ick.

OK—so we all get the irony, if you take the appropriate view of politicians.

But the bigger issue here is food safety.  And if you’ve been in a government building (aside from the sanitation department), isn’t one of the first words that comes to mind: sterile?  It doesn’t matter whether the décor is reminiscent of the 1960s or if newer digs feel like a businessman’s hotel conference room.  It usually feels pretty clean because the janitor has been there for years, happy to have a steady, stable job to get to that government pension.  Often, cafes in courthouses or municipal buildings have all the creativity of a ham sandwich on white with mayo.  And it rarely differs between local, state, or federal branches.  My point—they’re pretty sterile too.  So we thought.

Believe it or not, food safety is on the docket for the federal government.  I’d say it’s like molasses in January.  But that’s even too fast for our government most of the time. The House of Representatives passed a law in July, giving the Food & Drug Administration authority to issue a food recall.  But, as is typical, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee (HELP) passed its own “Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009,” S.510 in November.  Next stop: floor debate in the Senate.  When they get to it in 2010.  But the issue considers very important measures on imports, inspection, recalls, and increasing FDA’s resources.

An important distinction is that food we make at home isn’t the issue.  It’s when we pay other people to play with our food that we have to step back.

Getting the Grade in Los Angeles

For all of California’s problems these days, one thing that’s right has been right since 1998.  That’s more than a decade ago if you’re keeping score.  In Los Angeles County, retail food facilities receive a letter grade according to their inspection score.  That grade is prominently displayed for all to see.  An “A,” you’re good.  A “C,” you eat at your own risk.  “B’s” don’t fare well either.

In 2004, Stanford University Economist Phillip Leslie looked to measure the effect those grades would have on consumers and the market in general.  By obtaining inspection data and revenue data (compiled from sales tax returns), he found that inspection grades greatly increased. Leslie reported that before the law went into effect, 25% of restaurants would have earned an “A;” after more than 50%.  And most importantly, he found that food-related hospitalizations in Los Angeles County decreased 20%.

In January 2009, New York City announced a letter-grading plan, due to appear in restaurant windows in July 2010.  The city will hire 50 more inspectors—there’s a job opportunity!  Washington DC is interested in a similar policy as well.  However their motivation was a Center for Science in the Public Interest report saying it was too hard for DC consumers to get restaurant inspection reports.

Let’s be honest—we don’t really want to know that our favorite pizza joint had a mouse last month.  But even the best restaurants sometimes rest on their laurels a little too much.  You want great food but you want a clean kitchen too.  I have a foodie friend who wouldn’t even see the animated feature “Ratatouille” because it was all about rats in restaurant kitchens.

Grades motivated many of us as 6th graders.  (Even if you weren’t a ridiculous over-achiever like me.)   No one wants to fail.  And goodness, our politicians are among the most competitive ilk there is.  More cities and states need grading systems.  And restaurants will stay on their toes.  Consumers will be safer.

According to the National Restaurant Association, the average household spends $2,276 on food out of the home.  Of course in cities like New York where ovens double as shoe storage, it’s likely higher.

Back to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  OK, after a 101-day budget impasse, a few things fell by the wayside.  The National Governors Association says that state budgets are unlikely to recover until “late in the next decade.”  That’s a long time to bring your lunch.  There’s always Sammy’s Italian across the street where the Pasta Fagioli is $5 or Mangia Qui where filet mignon on a roll with fries is $10.   Skip the café and leave it to the rats, er, politicians, to figure it out.

You’ve seen it at the bottom of emails now and then:  “Think twice before printing this email.”  A friendly environmental reminder to save a few trees, which makes sense if you’re just printing the address for this week’s holiday party.  Take two seconds, grab a pen, and write it down.

The Old Fashioned Way -- Beats Email

It seems we’re still “grabbing a pen” when it comes to sending holiday cards.  Even if your process is entirely automated—from ordering pre-printed cards, computer printed address labels, and metered stamping—there must be some premeditated thought.  Will your junior-year college roommate still get a nod this year, or will she replaced by that new mom in playgroup?  How about your old boss?

At the end of the day—the “old fashioned” way still reigns.  There just isn’t the same moment of anticipation clicking “open” on an email versus opening the envelope. Perhaps it isn’t the “greenest” of me to say so, but I don’t care.  According to the American Greeting Card Association 90% of Americans surveyed said that they like to receive greeting cards and personal letters from friends and family, preferring greeting cards to e-mail, text messaging and phone calls.

I like technology.  I’m not an early adopter—I usually wait until the bugs are out.  But I’m all about old school this time of year.  When it comes to sending good old-fashioned cards, I think it’s fair to say the USPS has figured it out.  When they can take 830 million pieces of mail on a single day, as they did Monday, December 14, 2009, and get the majority of them delivered to their intended destinations, bravo.  As my 87-year-old grandma (who only sends letters and scoffs at email) would say tongue-in-cheek, “What do I know, I’m only a mother!”  It sounds a little better than, “I told you so.”

I think it goes further than just friends and family.  We all have our Holiday card lists.  There are people on that list you never really speak to, but you send them Christmas cards each year like clockwork.  And they do the same.  The world would seem out of balance if you didn’t get their cards, if for nothing more to see that addresses are the same.  If they send a photo of their kids, you see how they’ve grown.  And I even like reading the letters, however sappy, to catch up with people. It’s feel good stuff.

The Greeting Card Association reports that 60% of all seasonal card business goes to Christmas.  (Next biggest is Valentine’s Day at 25% with Mothers Day lagging far behind at 4%–sorry Mom).  According to Hallmark Research, 1.9 billion holiday cards will be sent this year.  That’s a lot of ways to say, “Naughty or Nice?”

Now to the green machine.  As world leaders gather in Copenhagen to discuss the environment, I assure you that most people are not considering post-consumer waste when buying holiday cards.  They look for the witty, the solemn, the right attitude that will communicate their feelings and leave the right impressions with card receivers.  If they are recycled paper, that’s a bonus.

The Berman/Brown Holiday Card 2009

The latest trend for the past few years has been photo cards.  Easy and personal.  Play photographer (or hire one) and then 10 minutes in a CVS or photo store and you’re done.  Many use recycled printing paper, but let’s face it—photo inks aren’t exactly earth friendly.

While the U.S. is home to uber-environmentalist Al Gore, it’s the UK that’s figured out how to recycle Christmas cards!  The Woodland Trust with the help from retailers W.H. Smith, TKMaxx, and Marks & Spencer stores invite shoppers to dump their cards into bins after Christmas.  The conservation charity recycles the cards and plants trees based on the amount of cards they get.  They even let consumers vote on where the trees shall be planted.  The charity says that for every ton of recycled cards, 17 trees are saved.  Brilliant.

And yes, it’s more than just dead trees that environmentalists complain about.  There’s the added mail weight, making more trucks and planes burn more fuel, there’s the majority of virgin paper used for cards production.  Heck, there are the cigarette breaks taken by the greeting card writers when they’ve got writers’ block and need to clear their heads.

The World Environmental Organization has the following recommendations.  Or in other words: things to do with a dead greeting card:

• Use it as a bookmark. (Ed note: This is the only one that really makes sense)
• Make it into a gift tag by cutting the old card with scissors or pinking shears. Add the name and a note inside.
• Cut off the side with the picture (if there is no writing on the reverse side) and reuse it as a post card. You’ll pay only postcard postage rates! (Ed note: Seriously?)

The naysayers go so far as to say it’s all just a commercial excuse for Hallmark to cash in.  Did anyone say Festivus?  ChrismaKwanzaKuh?  Hallmark’s position is:

While consumer demand is an important part of the overall equation, it alone is not enough to prompt Hallmark to create greeting cards for holidays. When evaluating a potential holiday offering, we consider: 1) “sendability” (How likely are people to send cards for this occasion?) and 2) whether there is a large enough consumer need across the United States.

Congratulations on your divorce and new puppy at Christmas, anyone?

Keep those cards and letters coming I say.   In a time of belt tightening, I’m sending fewer cards for sure.  But I’m still addressing them by hand, and dropping them in the slot at the post office myself. And I hope it makes you smile.
Happy Holidays to all.

The adults succumbed to peer pressure like freshmen at a fraternity party being passed the beer.

Rather than invoke the creative thought processes that higher education hopes to instill in its students, administrators at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln University just balked.  They shriveled like last week’s pizza left under a pile of calculus books in a dorm room corner.

“We don’t want people to feel like they’re being picked on,” Lincoln President Ivory Nelson told the Lincolnian, the school newspaper.

Dr. Ivory Nelson, President, Lincoln University

No, instead, you’d rather graduate a class of couch potatoes, on the fast track to diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and death.  So much for higher education.

Starting in 2006, Lincoln University in southeastern PA, required that students with a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher take a physical education class in order to graduate.  This year, that amounted to about 15% of the 2,100 students. Controversy ensued when critics complained that the ruling was discriminatory to both obese people and to black students at the historically black university.  Obese students felt singled out.

This week, the university repealed the requirement.

A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that African Americans have a 51 percent greater likelihood than whites of becoming obese.  I believe that James DeBoy, the chair of Lincoln’s Department of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, was on the right track.  He just needed to hone his idea a bit more.

I ask this: Why wasn’t the course required for ALL students in the first place?

Had that been the case, we never would have heard about it.  Universities have been requiring physical education and swimming for decades.  In fact, despite rising obesity numbers, over time, colleges have been cutting these requirements.  It’s easier to explain budget cuts in college gym classes than in biology labs.

Some of the discriminatory comments circle around the idea that disadvantaged students might not have the resources to swim or get in shape.  Colleges requiring swim will TEACH it.  And you don’t need a fancy gym to slim down; you need two feet and a sidewalk.   By the way, Lincoln does have gyms, an Olympic-sized pool, and a dance studio.

Colleges of all sizes and endowments have gym requirements.  These days, students don’t need to endure dodge ball and other awful memories of elementary school gym. (Did anyone else out there have to square dance?)

Cases in point:

1. Swarthmore College, PA: students not excused for medical reasons are required to complete 4 units of physical education by the end of their sophomore year.  All students must pass a survival swimming test or complete a unit of swimming instruction.

2. Cornell University, NY: Students must take two credits of physical education and pass a swim test.

Cornell University

3. Davidson College, NC: This school doesn’t mess around.  There are FOUR required credits of phys ed PLUS A SWIM TEST.

4. Dartmouth College, NH: The Ivy requires 3 gym classes plus a swim test.

And if you thought this is limited to private universities with big fat endowments, think again.

The State University of New York at Binghamton requires students to take two credits of “physical activity/wellness.”

I can speak to the Cornell offerings for “gym”—there are more than 100. Good luck getting into Ballroom Dancing or Pistol Shooting.  Yes, these are gym classes and often are the first to close out.  I took Ice Skating for Ice Hockey and Weightlifting (which led to a nice, drawn out slim down post-Freshman 15)

Cornell’s Swim Test even has it’s own website and history:

The origin of the swim test began around 1918 for women when the Director of Women’s Physical Education felt that it was a necessary skill for women to have. The swim test requirement for men was instituted about 1937 and was the result of World War II Cornell’s strong connection to ROTC; many Cornellians served in the war.

There is another way to look at it.  What a wonderful opportunity to experience an activity that you might not otherwise do.  Sailing? Check.  SCUBA, ballet, fishing?  Check, check, check.

Lincoln’s 3-year-old policy hit the news because of an “admittedly obese” and vocal editor for the student newspaper, Tiana Lawson.  She wrote she:  ”didn’t come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range…”

Lincoln’s DeBoy should have known better when choosing BMI as the gauge for health as well.  Yes, BMI numbers do correlate with cardiovascular disease mortality and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

Courtesy: Obesity Online

However, detractors note that BMI does not account for muscle mass, thereby calculating that many professional athletes in their prime are technically obese.

Body Builder Lee Priest: Technically Obese

All colleges need to do is give credit to students for showing up to PE and “giving it the “old college try” (First attributed to Babe Ruth, by the way.)

Mortimer Adler 1902-2001 (Credit: Bachrach)

At Columbia University, the great philosopher and educator Mortimer Adler hadn’t taken his swim test nor fulfilled his gym requirement.  He went on to earn his PhD at the university and began to teach, all without a Bachelors degree. As he told Dick Cavett in 1978:

“And my reason for not going to gym was that I hated to dress and undress in the middle of the day.”

Over his life, Adler wrote more than 30 books, was co-founder of the Great Books Program and chairman of the Encyclopaedia Britannica’s board of editors.  He wrote curricula for elementary and secondary schools, where physical education played important parts.  He just didn’t see a place for it in college.

I believe it’s the ideal opportunity—right when students are asserting themselves as adults creating adult habits.  They are bombarded by information and must filter what will stay and what will be quickly forgotten as soon as they move their tassels from right to left.  As much as a university is charged with offering a marketplace of ideas, it’s also charged with offering the chance to create healthy habits.

Alec Baldwin announced that he’s done with acting in 2012, after his “30 Rock” contract expires.  He thinks he’s been a failure as a movie actor.  Perhaps that was tongue-in-cheek…but it struck a chord.  Success, in the end, is often self-defined.  But how accurate do we really  see our own successes?  Alec, I’m sure the stress with Kim sent you to therapy, but please, go back.  You ARE worthy.

(c) David Shankbone 2008

So he hasn’t won an Oscar.  So what?  How many other actors can claim to have worked EVERY year for the past 23 years—in many of those years, making multiple movies.  Throw in Broadway and a bunch of TV.  He’s produced, directed, and even wrote an episode of “Law and Order.”  He’s hardly been typecast, though he tends to be placed in sardonic roles and voiceovers.  SOMEONE thought he was good enough to hire.  Then there’s that guy who goes by Scorsese–he paid Alec TWO paychecks. I’m sure Mr. Baldwin wasn’t the cheapest as his appeal grew, and yet he still gets work.  Currently, he stars with Meryl Streep—what actor wouldn’t want to be in those shoes?

Alec was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2004 for his role in The Cooler.  He’s been nominated 4 times for Golden Globes for his movie roles.  He’s been nominated for a Tony too–in 1992 for “A Streetcar Named Desire.” OK, so for the competitive spirit among us, no one remembers the nominations.  But consider how many actors worked in each of those years and didn’t get the nod.  Mr. Baldwin is an NYU-trained actor.  Everyone wants to win, but you get the sense he either liked the roles or wanted the work—both noble pursuits.  Winning is a bonus.

I’m not a crazy fan—no need for a restraining order, I assure you.  Back in 1998, I produced a local political talk show, and Alec was a guest.  At that point, he was rubbing elbows as often with New York State Democratic Party Chairwoman Judith Hope as he was with Hollywood stars.  Maybe even more.  Can you think of another guy with Alec’s star power who would stump for a state comptroller candidate?  In Binghamton, NY?

Rumors spread that he was laying ground for a political run himself.  He once told New York Magazine he’d be interested in the Senate but soon denied any plans to actually do it.  He seemed much happier plugging candidates and raising money than spending it to promote a campaign for himself.  Like they say, the best people don’t run because they don’t want the aggrevation.

I like the fact he’s a Long Island native, after my own heart.  I love that he remembers where he came from and puts his money where his mouth is. (See the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Care Center of the University Hospital and Medical Center at Stony Brook.)

From his biography on the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund , where he is a member of the Board of Directors, his other volunteer efforts are listed:

He is a board member of People for the American Way, River Keeper and The Creative Coalition, of which he is a past president, and Standing for Truth About Radiation (STAR) Foundation, of East Hampton, Long Island. Alec is a member of the NYU Tisch School Of The Arts Dean’s Council. He also serves on the board of the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund, sponsored by Stony Brook University in honor of his mother. Alec is also a dedicated supporter of various animal rights groups.

He’s also a published author, chronicling his journey through a very public divorce.   His purpose:  to help others through the family court system, which can be ugly no matter who you are.

Alec is no slouch, to be sure.

When it comes to athletes, there are certain factors that tend to determine success, including work ethic and humility, as reported by Psychology Today in March, 2009:

Aimee Kimball, the director of mental training at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Sports Training, says, “The focus isn’t 100 percent on outcome, but on getting better and making the people around you better. If players see their star working his tail off, they’ll feel compelled to do the same.”

“Humility leads to an understanding that I’m not always the best, and that another person on any given day can win,” says Wade Rowatt, a social psychologist at Baylor University. “If you look at the best athletes, most display this sort of respect for opponents.”

In the 80′s, Baldwin had the bad-boy, cocky reputation.  But people age and he seems to have increased his humility as life got complicated–and way before “Complicated,” his latest movie.

I don’t know if they are friends, but Alec should meet fellow actor, and fellow 51-year-old, Kevin Bacon.  (And yes, they’ve acted together because everyone has acted with Kevin Bacon.  It was in 1988’s “She’s Having a Baby.”).  Kevin has also narrowly missed the big win.  I wonder how Bacon views his career.   He did, in fact, name his charitable initiative “Six Degrees.”

These men, and countless others, are individuals with diverse interests.  They have seen countless successes…all which influenced others.  It depends, I suppose, on how a person defines his or her own success. For some, it’s money in the bank.  For others, it’s recognizability in the public, changing the world, or even affecting just one life.  I think even the most down-on-his luck person has a degree of success–if he or she can both identify and embrace it.  Pollyanna-ish?  Perhaps.

Despite all this, Mr. Baldwin should be allowed to retire from his job gracefully.  And he should be allowed to change his mind in peace, if it goes that way too.  (With a small nod to Brett Favre.) My dad retired in 1989 from his first teaching job after 25 years.  His impact was such that last month, he was personally invited to the 40th reunion of the Class of 1969.  Whether Alec chooses to pursue some other interest or spend his time on the golf course, he must know that he is a success and will leave an indelible mark on his craft.  And if you’re listening, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame Committee, Alec is long overdue for one of those pink stars.

“I thought it was a joke.”

These were the words that the Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant reported to the approximately 130 passengers on board Flight 1053 heading to Denver from Philadelphia on Monday, November 23, 2009.

A passenger who thought she was going to Orlando told these words to the flight attendant.  This, despite the typical cute but semi-snarky, teacher-like admonition from the pilot 10 minutes earlier, “Everyone on this plane is going to Denver, Colorado, RIGHT?”

Our plane was already late in arriving to Philadelphia, due to the weather.  Despite a jet way with no plane outside the airport windows, flight attendants assured passengers making connecting flights in Colorado that they would be OK.

We thought we’d tricked the Travel Devil by leaving on the Monday before Thanksgiving.  (And we’re coming back on Friday, instead of Sunday—but don’t tell anyone.)  We were mostly spot on—the plane was hardly full, there was still beer and peanuts left by the time the flight attendant got to us in the last row, and no one seemed stressed about the pending time with relatives.

And then there was the dumb blonde.  (I can say that because I’m blonde too.)  Because we had not left the gate area, the pilot turned around, and allowed her to deplane.  We were now about an hour and fifteen minutes late.   Kind of like when you’re in the check out line and you realize you forgot milk, we had to get at the end of the line again.  We finally left an hour and forty-five minutes behind schedule.

Now the woman was not a danger to other passengers.  And other passengers were rather polite, just gritting their teeth as she left the aircraft.  They waited until she was gone to let the expletives fly.  Most of us nodded in agreement, despite the brash expression of frustration.

But think about it:  The gatekeeper, a.k.a. the flight attendant who takes boarding passes, is the last opportunity for security.  Is that person checking the flight number?  Destination? Or just the scribble of initials or magic marker swipe left by the TSA agent back at security?

Some airlines scan the boarding passes, but today, Southwest did not. I love Southwest.  They check bags for free.  Despite levies and taxes and other fees, they remain a lower-cost alternative for domestic flight.  But like the TSA video brags that 80 countries have adopted the 3-ounce rule for flying with liquids, it appears that universal standards are needed further along the path from the shoeless body scan to cramming carry-ons overhead.

The TSA is checking IDs against the people in possession and against the boarding passes.  IDs are now marked with holograms and are harder to duplicate.  But I print my boarding passes at home.   And I only print one because that’s all I need.  It is a HUGE convenience and I hope to never give that up.   Consider, though, if I printed two.  And if I gave one to someone else who was already through security?  Unlike many problems in government, this one affords an easy solution.  I would gladly factor in an extra 30 seconds that it may take for the gate agent to scan my boarding pass and check my ID one more time.  Today, it was just a dumb blonde.  Tomorrow, it may not be.

Is there a doctor in the house?  If you’re a new patient, probably not.  Just try to find a doctor, let alone a specialist, who will see you within 2 months.  God forbid you have an issue needing attention.  Go to the ER, and your insurance company will taunt you with paperwork.  Go to work, get others sick, and you’ll get yelled at too.

Is there a doctor in the house?

This is today–guess what happens when the 44 million uninsured are going to need to see doctors too!  There is a huge problem that is hovering below the radar while government and media makes the show of dumping the 1900 page legislation on desks:  THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH DOCTORS.  Not just general practitioners but ob-gyns too.

I recently moved 100 miles from my last home base.  Just far enough to require finding all new doctors.  Women are historically bigger consumers of health care.  On my regular team are a primary care practitioner, an OBGYN, a dermatologist, and a rotating orthopedist (One for knees and another for ankles).  When you’re a late-30s athletic woman of childbearing age with decades old skin problems, eventually, you have a staff.

Several months back, I decided to find a primary care practitioner (or PCP) before I needed one.  But then I did need one.  It took hours of phone calls to find a practice near my home in suburban Philadelphia that took new patients, and could see me within two months.  My husband’s doctor wouldn’t even see me.  I eventually found a doctor.

I found a dermatologist in much the same way after hours on the phone.  I almost considered keeping my doctor in NYC.  How often do you need a dermatologist?   It turned out to be once a month–too often for a 200-mile round trip and a 10-minute appointment to get the latest tube of goo to try and clear my skin.

Both my PCP and my dermatologist told me the same thing:  You need to find a local ob-gyn.

I put it off and put it off.  I love my NYC doctor.  He spends time with patients. He doesn’t dole out any BS.  In his Upper East Side waiting room at a tony address, you’d see Orthodox Jews next to WASPy ladies and women on welfare.  It always felt democratic. Few women like going to the ob-gyn–but I loved going to see Dr. Saul Stromer.  Even before I was married, I was impressed by the fact that he delivers more babies than any other doctor at Lenox Hill Hospital.  That was not just cool.  That was dedication.

But like a stubborn kid who finally listens, I decided to find a local OBGYN.  I should have counted the phone calls I made and practices I contacted.  In the end it took 2 1/2 hours to get an appointment less than two months and 10 miles away.

The doctor will see you now.

I started with referrals from my PCP.  The earliest appointment was MARCH 2010. I called many independent practices to no avail.  I pulled out the big Ivy guns.  I called the University of Pennsylvania.  The receptionist just wants your name, birth-date, and insurance company so my own Ivy League progeny got me nowhere.  But I still figured that Penn Ob/Gyn Care would have an opening.  They have a medical staff of 116 people for chrissakes!  Granted, that does include Gynecologic Oncologists, a specialist in pelvic reconstruction and 15 midwives, but still!  Their first available slot?  December 29, 2009, almost 2 months away.

It’s not the doctors’ fault.  They only have so many hours in the day.  They want to provide quality care.  This is another real healthcare impasse.  Yes, if I had zero insurance, I’d have other priorities.  But I’m sure others share my dilemma.

All specialists are not the same.  Aside from the cosmetic surgeons whose bread and butter comes from cash-for-cans boob jobs, most docs are overworked, and don’t enjoy their families or hobbies enough.  What’s the incentive to become a PCP when you can make more money and have a better schedule as a specialist?

Is delivering babies incentive enough for ob-gyns to balance the fact that they can have as many sleepless nights delivering those babies as the new moms they help create? Let’s consider their astronomical malpractice insurance.  In Florida, with the highest malpractice insurance for ob-gyns, premiums run more than $195,000, according to a 2005 study in Obstetrics and Gynecology.  That’s money owed before a single patient is seen.

According to the American Medical Association, as of 2004, nearly half of America’s counties lacked an ob-gyn: Of 3,143 counties in the nation, 1,541 do not have a practicing ob-gyn to deliver needed care.  Most of the new-ish doctors I know, under the age of 35, are radiologists.  Why?  Because they want work-life balance, and I applaud them.

In a survey from recruiting firm Merritt Hawkins, primary care docs make an average of $173,000/year.  Radiologists, on the other hand, rake in $391,000.  Which would you do?  And don’t forget, they have $200,000 in student loans.

The AMA reports there were 303,749 primary-care doctors in the U.S. at the end of 2007.  That number reflects an 11% increase.  But other specialties are up 13%.  The American Academy of Family Physicians predicts a shortfall of 40,000 family doctors by 2020.

But just like we need folks who want to be sanitation collectors, and third-shift workers, we need doctors.  Garbage men earn a premium for their dirty work—well deserved.  We provide incentives for teachers to work in inner-city schools; their rewards often come in the form of subsidized graduate degrees or cash bonuses.  We also provide tuition incentives in R.O.T.C. programs to bolster our armed forces with smart, educated young men and women.  These programs are not experiments–they work or they would have been nixed long ago. The Armed Forces figured it out with their “Health Professional Services Program,” or “HPSP.”  This program, offered by the Army, Air Force, and Navy is like ROTC for med school.  However, you will owe a lot of time in exchange for free tuition and it helps if you’re into the military thing.

Congress is working very hard, balancing many conflicting interests.  Let’s not pummel those in Washington yet.  Much of the legislation being considered does provide money to incentivize residents to work in community health centers over hospitals.  Other provisions allow for scholarships or student loan forgiveness if the doctor pursues primary care fields. But all the things in the healthcare bill aren’t supposed to take effect until 2013.

If I’m a college student, I want a sure thing.  Do the math.  That means current college sophomores (who are likely declaring majors like pre-med) would have their BAs before it takes effect (and then be stuck with med school loans).  Current freshmen are in the best position to take advantage of what’s coming down the pike.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there are more than 4 million college freshmen.  They could probably be bought with nice computers, Wii’s and some pizza.  Target them!

Everyone has a right to follow passion—whatever it is (even the Boob Docs).  But we’re often influenced along the way—by the potential to save lives, by a teacher, by the drive to build something, or sometimes to just bring home a paycheck.  Let’s encourage more life savers.  We’ll all be better off.

And to those who do become doctors, I can’t promise I won’t get huffy if you can’t squeeze me in.  But I know you’re doing your best.