Happy Meals and Snappy Deals

As a kid, I had a relatively balanced diet complete with many home-cooked meals. However, like most young children, I had strong preferences for certain restaurants in particular. Not surprisingly, my first choice was McDonald's! When you factor in a giant playground and the Happy Meal options that included collectible toys from the latest Disney animated classic, it was an irresistible package trumped only by, perhaps, Chuck E. Cheese.

Today, fast food restaurants have even more appeal than they did when I was younger, but for three entirely different reasons:

Allowing free refills. Back in the early 90's, McDonald's and other fast food chains introduced free refills, much to the delight of thirsty-natured people like me. Besides, as salty as fast food can often be, I can see how it became a nuisance for customers having to pay for every single drink. To this day, restaurants lose money on me when it comes to free refills: it's not unusual for me to have 3 or 4 cups of Diet Coke during my visit, followed by one more for the road!

Accepting debit/credit cards. In my later teen years, I set up my first debit account. Ever since that time, I have used cash only when absolutely necessary, which is to say hardly ever. As time went on, it became tiresome having to stop at an ATM sometimes before visiting a fast food restaurant. I never thought I'd see the day when they would begin to accept debit and credit cards as payment, but sure enough, it happened in the late 90's or so. Better late than never!

Offering healthy options. Perhaps the greatest stride that fast food chains have made in recent years has been in expanding their menu variety when it comes to healthy foods. I worked at Wendy's at one time, and they were the first of the chains to introduce a line of salads that became very popular such that the other chains quickly followed with their own salads. Since then, there has been little room for one to complain that there is no way to eat healthy at fast food restaurants.

As to whether most of us have the self-discipline to eat those salads, that may be another matter entirely!

5 Easy Ways to Protect Your Job

America's economic situation seems to become more desperate with each passing day. The numbers are alarming: almost 200,000 jobs have been lost so far this year, with over 3,000,000 people expected to lose their jobs by the end of the year. Now more than ever, it is important to make sure you take the appropriate steps to safeguard your position. While job security is never guaranteed, you can at least do your part to make yourself as indispensable as possible.

Here are five tips to keep in mind, recession or not:

1. Stay positive. You could be having the worst day of your life, but do your best to make sure your co-workers are none the wiser. Share any personal concerns or frustrations with friends and family outside of the office, but for your own sake, keep it out of the workplace.

2. Make your boss look good. This isn't to say that you should be a brown-noser. Still, it's in your best interest to look for and take advantage of any opportunities to paint him/her in a good light in the eyes of other people. Try to openly give your boss credit when you can.

3. Don't burn bridges. There is probably at least one co-worker whose personality doesn't quite mesh with your own (perhaps it's your boss), but try to keep all of your relationships on cordial terms. You never know who may eventually be in a position to help or harm your career.

4. Go the extra mile. Don't work yourself to death, but try to exceed expectations for your job duties when possible. Doing so can only work in your favor come evaluation time, and a highly positive review will make your company think twice before letting you go.

5. Be honest. One need only look at the headlines to see just how scarce integrity has become in the workplace. Always conduct yourself in a way that reflects well on you and your company. You will earn the respect of your colleagues, and you will sleep well at night.

PR 2.0

By now, chances are good that you've created an account on YouTube or at least watched videos on the site at one time or another. YouTube and other social media technologies and trends in recent years have brought people together like never before.

Just as the entertainment industry for a number of years has used the Internet in increasingly creative ways to interact with fans, prominent world figures have begun to harness the potential of sites such as YouTube as an outreach tool:

Several noteworthy examples:

• Queen Elizabeth II of England launched a YouTube channel in December, 2007. At the time, she was the most high-profile public figure to do so, though others have begun to follow suit. In addition to her public addresses, visitors can see such videos as the famed ceremony for the Changing of the Guard.

• Just yesterday, the Vatican launched its own YouTube channel to cover the main activities of Pope Benedict XVI and relevant Vatican events. Currently, the Vatican is considering launching a Facebook profile. Already, it sends out daily text messages to subscribers with the Pope's prayer for the day.

• President Obama, in a 21st-century incarnation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "fireside chats", plans to issue a weekly video address every Saturday via the White House Web site and YouTube channel. It's a fitting routine for a man who is widely regarded as America's tech-savviest president to date.

It appears to be only a matter of time before every world leader has their own profile page on every major social media service. When you think about it, such an online presence may actually be beneficial to world peace. Just imagine: future wars could be waged via YouTube attacks and rebuttals, or even better: Facebook SuperPokes!

Buy and Cell

When I bought my latest cell phone last March (a cherry-red LG Chocolate, pictured above), I felt the same temptation many people feel on such an occasion: to break it in by downloading plenty of games and ringtones. Fortunately, I managed to avoid doing that with this phone, though that hasn't always been the case in the past. For my first cell phone years ago, I downloaded far too many games and ringtones (most of which were rarely used) thinking I was investing in my new toy. While that was true in a sense, my "investment" was not so rewarding once that first bill came!

My current phone also happens to be my first MP3 player. Since I don't own an iPod (never really jumped on that bandwagon...at least not yet), that feature comes in handy, especially on road trips and such. My memory card holds 2G worth of songs, though I may upgrade to 4G at some point (they always get you in the end, don't they?). At the moment, I only have two games on the phone: Tetris and SimCity, and not surprisingly, I hardly play them. As much as I like the Chocolate, a BlackBerry is certainly appealing; it's not hard to understand how Obama could love his as much as he does.

Speaking of which, I saw a story on CNN today about the ongoing drama regarding whether or not President Obama can keep his beloved BlackBerry that he used during his campaign. Unfortunately, his request was declined due to the security dangers it could pose, such as the risk of the device being hacked to access e-mails and trace the president's location via GPS, among other possible intrusions. On the bright side, he will instead be given a $3,350 spy-proof smartphone: the Sectera Edge, made by General Dynamics (see image below). Its nickname: the "BarackBerry".

'A New Era of Peace'

I was fortunate enough to be able to take the day off so I could watch on television the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America. Given that Columbia got a rare snowfall this morning and early afternoon, it was the perfect day to be indoors, and I will continue watching the extensive coverage of events. Shortly, the parade will be starting.

At this moment, President Obama and Vice-President Biden are finishing their lunch in Statuary Hall in the Capitol, and former president Bush and his wife, Laura, have already left Washington, D.C. Just over two hours ago, Obama was sworn in and gave a stirring speech (below) calling for unity and responsibility in our country. He spoke to a record crowd of 2 million people.

As a white American, I can only imagine the tremendous pride felt by my African-American brothers and sisters today; I join them in their excitement for our new president. I marvel once again at the progress our nation has made in so many important areas over the years and at how we continue to set an example to the world in our peaceful transfer of power.

Congratulations, President Obama!

Comedian-in-Chief

You may think President Bush is one of the greatest presidents in our nation's history, or perhaps the worst; someone who has done enormous damage to the country. You may find him to be a bold, qualified leader, or someone whose credentials and intelligence are still questionable. As he prepares to transfer power to President-Elect Obama on Tuesday, one thing is undeniable: Bush has been a seemingly constant source of humor. Through his well-documented factual errors, grammatical gaffes, or physical bloopers, he has provided plenty of fodder for comedians during his eight years in office.

Few have lapped it all up more than David Letterman, who for several years has featured a regular segment on his show called "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches", in which memorable quotes from former presidents are followed by a humorous faux pas from Bush. This past Friday, he showed a compilation (see below) featuring some of the best clips from the segment. It makes sense that Letterman would retire "Presidential Speeches" given that our incoming president does not seem to be the type who will fall victim to very many noteworthy verbal gaffes, at least compared to Bush.

To be sure, Bush deserves credit that he often does not get. Along with the hard work of law enforcement and intelligence gathering agencies, his leadership helped ensure America's safety after 9/11. Also, though we have heard very little about this, he has done a tremendous amount to combat AIDS in Africa. Only time will reveal the true extent of Bush's success or failure as a president, but we deserve a laugh after everything this country has endured in recent years. Besides, the stiff arena of politics is always ripe for humor. Bush himself has been known to laugh at his own expense, so we can too!

A Walk in the Clouds

Had you been in Lower Manhattan on the foggy morning of August 7, 1974, and stood among the crowds of thrilled onlookers who were gathered on streets and sidewalks staring up at the nearly-completed twin towers of the World Trade Center (each one standing majestically at 110 stories and nearly 1,368 feet tall), you would have witnessed what many like to call the "artistic crime of the century". At the top, in the space between the towers, a man could be seen walking back and forth on a tightrope, all the while smiling, dancing, and even laying down at times. That man was French high wire artist Philippe Petit, and his performance was a tour de force that instantly made him a New York City legend.

It all began six years earlier in the waiting room of a dentist's office in France, where 19-year-old Petit noticed a magazine that featured renderings of the yet-to-be-built World Trade Center in New York. Being the artist that he is, he instantly saw the potential; he ripped out the page and began planning his walk with the help of a group of friends. Petit, who had previously performed high wire walks at such landmarks as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, referred to his World Trade Center walk as "Le Coup". The preparation was very meticulous, as well it needed to be since the walk was going to be illegal and building security had to be evaded.

It became a passion for Petit. He collected articles on the trade center and even visited the towers while they were under construction. He made a scale model of both towers' roofs to determine measurements and what he might need. On a field, he set up a 140-foot tightrope (the same length as the gap between the towers) to use for practice; his friends would shake the wire to simulate the winds at the high altitude. On the day before his walk, Petit and co. snuck into both towers dressed as construction workers. A bow and arrow was used to pass the wire from one tower to the other, and come 7:15 the next morning, he committed his crime and presented his masterpiece to the world.

Petit walked back and forth eight times before eventually being arrested by police (who weren't about to walk out on the rope to apprehend him), and due to the immense positive publicity generated by his walk, all formal charges were dropped. A judge ordered him to perform a high wire show for children in Central Park, and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (which owned the World Trade Center and benefited from the attention since they initially struggled to lease office space) presented Petit with a lifetime pass to the observation deck of the south tower. When asked why he did the stunt, Petit replied, "when I see three oranges, I juggle; when I see two towers, I walk."

The event is detailed in an excellent new documentary, Man on Wire, which arrives nearly 35 years after Petit's amazing walk and is long overdue. The film offers rare photos and footage of the preparation and features new interviews with Petit, now 60 years old and living in Woodstock, New York. It is fascinating to watch the dynamics between Petit and his friends, who at times tried to talk him out of it and grew concerned about their own legal liability should something happen to Petit. The documentary is cleverly styled in a way that recalls films such as Ocean's Eleven in that it showcases a group of people conspiring to perform an illegal act while avoiding detection.

Inevitably, one can't watch a film chronicling the most exhilarating moment in the towers' existence without being mindful of the tragedy that would signal their demise 27 years later. Indeed, the specter of 9/11 haunts Man on Wire even though it is not mentioned even once. Philippe Petit had said that his goal in walking between the towers was to "marry them with a smile" (referring to the downward curvature of his high wire in midair), and through that spectacular 45-minute walk between 1 and 2 World Trade Center that captivated New York City and the world, he humanized these two titans and unknowingly gave them a living eulogy that continues to resonate in their absence.

(Man on Wire is based on Petit's 2002 book, To Reach the Clouds. His walk also inspired Mordicai Gerstein's 2003 children's book, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, which won a Caldecott Medal and was adapted into a 10-minute short film narrated by actor Jake Gyllenhaal.)


Man on Wire trailer:


The Man Who Walked Between the Towers short film:

Yes We Should

Bill O'Reilly recently posted a non-scientific poll on his Web site asking: "Are you rooting for Barack Obama to succeed?" Of course, that particular question can be taken any number of ways. Only time will tell, and Obama's "success" can be measured by any number of different yardsticks: economy, war on terror, health care, or even just in popular opinion. O'Reilly announced the results on his show last night, and I was rather surprised: nearly 50% responded "no".

Reublicans did not get their man, and they have a right to their disappointment (no doubt the majority of the "no" votes came from their party). McCain certainly trumps Obama in age and experience, and there are many who feel that those reasons alone make him the more qualified candidate. However, to a much greater extent than McCain, Obama ran a very smart campaign that invigorated voters and managed to tap into the groundswell of desire for change in this country.

When Barack Obama takes the oath of office next week to become our nation's 44th president, he should receive nothing less than the full support of all Americans regardless of ideology. Though the United States is still divided in many respects and will continue to be, we ought to stand behind Obama and wish him the very best. Any incoming president deserves the benefit of the doubt, at least until he or she takes the office and makes consequential policy decisions.

We should all root for President Obama's success, for it will be ours as well.

'Gran' Opening

As a general rule, I don't go see movies in the theater on Sunday; I can relax and better enjoy the movie when I know I don't have work the next day. Instead, if there is anything worth paying at least $7 to see, I see it on Saturday (I was too busy yesterday to go to a movie). I made a rare exception to that rule today when I went to see Clint Eastwood's latest gem, Gran Torino, in which he stars and also directs; he is one of the few Hollywood legends for whom I will break that rule.

Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a Korean War veteran living in a Detroit suburb that has become increasingly fraught with gang violence. Soon after his wife passes, a family of Hmong immigrants moves in next door, forcing him to reevaluate his racist attitudes as they attempt to forge a friendship with him after their son tries to steal Kowalski's 1972 model vehicle, the movie's namesake. Slowly, Kowalski finds that he has more in common with them than his own ungrateful family.

Some confrontations in the film may seem far-fetched. After all, Eastwood at times confronts gun-toting gang members while showing no fear at all. However, when you consider that this is a Clint Eastwood film, these moments are surprisingly effective in their suspense and feature humorous one-liners (a scene in which Kowalski stands in front of his house grunting "get off my lawn" with teeth gritted and firearm raised is sure to become Eastwood's newest "do you feel lucky" iconic scene).

Gran Torino earned $29 million over the weekend, Eastwood's best opening weekend to date. Coming on the heels of Changeling, released in October,  it is the product of a veteran filmmaker still at the top of his game, but whose best work may be yet to come. If it is, it will likely happen with Eastwood behind the camera; he told CNN recently that he may soon retire from acting to focus on directing. He is currently directing Morgan Freeman in a film about Nelson Mandela.

Tragedy and Triumph

I get much of my news throughout the day from CNN.com. Also, like so many people, I still remember the shock and heartbreak I felt when visiting one day in August 2007 and reading a story about Youssif, a young boy from Iraq. He was four years old when, in January 2007, he was doused with gasoline and set on fire by masked men while he was playing outside (I decided not to post pictures of the aftermath here). It was an unconscionable act that struck a chord around the world.

Since his story was reported on CNN.com, over 12,000 people contributed to a fund set up by the Children's Burn Foundation. The money that was raised allowed for Youssif and his family to travel to the United States for surgery. To date, he has had over 12 surgeries and has reached several milestones along the way. For instance, he can now smile whereas he was unable to initially after the incident. Youssif and his family currently live in Los Angeles where he attends first grade.

Some have tried to politicize this tragedy by positioning it as a byproduct of the War in Iraq, offering it as a sign of proof that chaos reigns and that America never should have invaded. For all of its imperfections, I believe America is a noble country at its core and that the perpetrators of this act alone are responsible; evil knows no borders. I hope Youssif continues to enjoy a better quality of life here, and I will always be moved and angered when I think of his ongoing plight.

Sleepless in Columbia

Have you ever had one of those nights? You know the type: you can't find a comfortable position for long, your mind won't quiet down, you keep looking at the clock every few minutes (which stretch out like hours), and you are either too hot or too cold. I've had only a handful of those in my life, the latest one being the night before last; despite my best efforts, I didn't get to sleep at all!

Sunday nights tend to be a bit rough for me anyway, probably due to making the transition into the workweek. In my case, I'm often up until well into the early morning hours on the weekend. Come Sunday night, I almost have to force myself to go to bed at a reasonable hour (which poses a challenge for night owls like me), and it might be a while before I actually fall asleep.

Fortunately, the ordeal wasn't a complete exercise in misery. Around 5:30 AM Monday morning, I got dressed and went for an early breakfast at Waffle House down the street, which gave me a chance to read the paper and get some sugar in my system before going to work. I got a nice helping of grease, too: my breakfast was a double cheeseburger! After the night I had, why not?

British Elvis

I've found that most of my favorite musicians tend to be British for some reason (Coldplay, Seal and Tears For Fears come to mind). If England has a modern-day equivalent to Elvis Presley in terms of talent and showmanship, it would be hard to argue that Peter Gabriel, a four-time Grammy winner, may very well meet the criteria. From his start in the late 60's fronting progressive rock group Genesis to his current standing as a music industry veteran and world music troubadour, Gabriel continues to impress loyal fans with his musical talents and humanitarian efforts.

At age 58, and with his last studio album having been released in 2002 (which itself came 10 years after his previous one), Gabriel remains active in various side projects and collaborations with other artists. His world music label, Real World Records, features many well-known musicians in the genre (a compilation album, Big Blue Ball, was recently released, showcasing some of the label's artists). On occasion, he records original songs for films; earlier this year a new song, "Down To Earth", was featured in the end credits to Disney/Pixar's latest masterpiece, Wall-E.

I became aware of Peter Gabriel back in the early 90's after seeing some of his pioneering videos on VH1 such as "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time". Plus, who can forget "In Your Eyes" playing from a boombox that John Cusack hoists above his head to win back his girl in 1989's Say Anything? I finally bought my first Peter Gabriel album, 1992's Us, in 1997. The rest is history; Gabriel is now on my top 5 list of all-time favorite artists. His music is nothing short of amazing, but it is the poignancy of his lyrics that stands out to me in particular.

Take, for instance, these lines:

"In your eyes, I see the doorway to a thousand churches/The resolution of all the fruitless searches" - In Your Eyes

"Letting go, it's so hard, the way it's hurting now to get this love untied/So tough to stay with this thing, cause if I follow through, I face what I denied" - Washing Of The Water

"We were made for each other, me and you/I want to be somebody, you were like that too/If you don’t get given you learn to take, and I will take you" - Family Snapshot

"Saw a group of people forming around a figure lying down/Someone runs to make a phone call, a man kneels on the ground/There's a tightening in my chest, I know that I'm drawn in/Oh God, let it not be you" - No Way Out

They all tell a story that is specific enough to paint a clear picture yet vague enough to leave room to the imagination, thus making each song a personal experience to the listener. In fact, he once described his body of work as as being a collection of "emotional tools" for various aspects of the human condition. The power of his songs translates well in a live setting through his dynamic stage presentation. Here is a perfect example: a vintage performance of his passionate "Come Talk To Me" which opened his 1993 concert video, Secret World Live, and was performed with Paula Cole (who would go on to record hits "Where Have All The Cowboys Gone" and "I Don't Want To Wait"):



While Genesis went on to become a huge success with Phil Collins (a school friend of Gabriel's) at the helm since the late 70's, Peter Gabriel continues to blaze his own unique musical trail.

Blogging in the New Year

I hope you had a great night last night and partied hard...but not too hard! Anticipating all of the drunk drivers who would surely be on the roads later in the evening, there was no way I would be on the road for long. I was out long enough to have dinner with family at a nearby Waffle House and then go home. There, I took in the Times Square festivities on ABC.

Despite Dick Clark's stroke over four years ago (the results of which are still painfully evident in his speech), he still looks great for his age. It's encouraging to see him host the New Year's Rockin' Eve special for his 36th year. Even though Ryan Seacrest has taken over most of the major hosting duties, I can't imagine ringing in the new year without Dick Clark.

As with Christmas a week ago (has it already been a week?), not much was open today. I went to the movies to see Valkyrie, in which Cruise and co. do justice to a captivating true story. I can honestly say I had a much more relaxing day than the 89 NYC sanitation workers who had to clean up 40+ tons of trash early today at Times Square, God bless them!