David Levanto Visits The Public Garden

David Levanto in the Public Garden
Boston, Mass.
May 3, 2009

He called every bird he saw a duck and said, "Quack, quack." Even the pigeons on Beacon Hill. I was happy he got to use the Myrtle Street playground in my neighborhood, since it's a nice spot I walk by a dozen times a week.

Taking it to the Streets

I spent a good deal of time in my neighborhood this past week, and I spoke to a number of my neighbors.

The 2009 local campaign season has started. The first step for a candidate (even one running for re-election) is getting on the ballot, and this is done by filing nomination papers. A nomination requires a certain number of signatures from voters, and the amount depends on the office sought. So starting on Tuesday, various candidates and their volunteers have been on the streets of Boston looking for signatures from eligible voters. If you see someone with a clipboard approaching you this weekend, chances are they are not trying to sell you something. They just want your "John Hancock." The signature period ends in about two and a half weeks.

On Tuesday, I was on the streets in Beacon Hill collecting signatures for Mayor Menino. Earlier today, I went door-to-door asking for signatures for my City Councilor, Mike Ross.

In between those two activities, on Thursday I went to a Beacon Hill Civic Association Founders Club event, where I listened to my State Senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz.

Collecting signatures is hard, but it gives one a chance to talk to people one-on-one (to the extent they don't think you are a sales person). I also spoke to a number of active neighbors at the Founders Club event.

I learned quite a bit about the general attitude of the neighborhood. Here goes:

-- Trash, trash, trash. I have commented here before that the neighborhood looks pretty good right now. Yet many people I talked to cited with disgust the trash problem on Beacon Hill. Last month at the Beacon Hill Civic Association it was reported, based on a recent new-members event, that trash remains the number one issue in the neighborhood.

-- What about us? I get the sense that everyone on Beacon Hill feels as though elected officials, in general, have forgotten about them. I must say that Beacon Hill can be overlooked; many campaigns I have been a part of lump Beacon Hill in with the Back Bay, which I dare say is a faux pas. Given the relatively small size of each neighborhood, such a grouping makes sense, and certainly demographically Beacon Hill and Back Bay are similar, but the geography of the two areas is different, and the two neighborhoods differ in their policy priorities.

-- Petty corruption is bad, bad, bad. I am not really sure what progressive means or whether I am one, but certainly Beacon Hill yearns for a clean political process. And for that reason, residents here tend to clump anyone in office with the petty corruption they read about in the papers. Isn't "Throw the bums out?" one of the primary themes of a progessive? I sense a lot of this emotion lingering from the overwhelming enthusiasm for Chang-Diaz last November (She was the candidate who ousted the tarnished former Senator Dianne Wilkerson). The now-Senator Chang-Diaz, who as I noted previously came to an event I attended on Thursday, cleaned house on Beacon Hill in the election results.

By the way, while I am very biased, I was very impressed by Senator Chang-Diaz. She spoke with authority backed up by a thorough understanding of the issues, even specific figures related to the budget. The crowd (which included some Republicans) received her warmly.

NOTE: I don't necessarily agree with what I observed in the neighborhood, as noted above, but it's what I heard and witnessed. Don't shoot the messenger!

An Anna's Roadblock

I love Anna's Taqueria, but the place really is in need of a bright MBA grad who can speed things up a bit.

I go to Anna's (at the corner of Cambridge and Garden Streets on Beacon Hill) a few times a month. It's one of those legendary local places that only takes cash. One heck of a burrito. (I was told by a colleague in San Francisco that the owners are Asian.)

I don't mind the fact that Anna's doesn't take cash, but the place has a line most of the time, leading up to an a la carte buffet where three or four employees stand ready to make a burrito to order. The line speaks to the place's popularity, but perhaps it also speaks to some concerns I have about the assembly line.

You start out by giving your order-- the size of your burrito, and the type of meat. However, over the course of fulfillment, you repeat your order at least twice to other individuals standing right next to the original person who took your order (I will spare out the specifics of why this is the case). Generally, one is also asked at least twice whether the order is to-go or not.

My favorite part is, while I generally have the same order each time I go, I always seem to pay a different amount. I guess the Wholesale prices for burrito ingredients are a moving target.

Regardless, I am sure I will be back to Anna's in a few days.

Boston is Shining this Saturday

The date for Boston Shines, Mayor Menino's city-wide clean up day, was set a long time ago. There was no way to know then if the weather would cooperate.

Well, today was Boston Shines, and the weather was spectacular.

On Beacon Hill, we organized four equipment pick-up locations: on Charles Street at the Paramount, on Cambridge Street at Store 24, at 74 Joy Street (the community building there), and at Suffolk University's Donahue Building on Temple Street.

We focused special attention on north slope streets that are especially dirty. Working with the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and the Boston Transportation Department, a few streets in that area were posted no parking. The city brought out the infamous green machine-- a smaller street sweeper. As a result, Beacon Hill is definitely shining today.

Following the event, the Beacon Hill Civic Association hosted a lunch at 74 Joy Street, with food provided by a variety of neighborhood establishments. Special thanks to the Paramount (coffee), 7-11 (donuts), The Upper Crust (pizza), Holiday Inn (Salad), Whole Foods (Desert), and Store 24 (water) for all of their donations. Joe Green at Store 24 brought out a large crew of volunteers, and thanks also to Suffolk University for their support.

We're starting the Summer months off with a clean Beacon Hill.

After the event, I went to the roof deck of Ted and Alisha Furst on Beacon Hill for a beverage or two. The thermometer at my apartment says we're above 80. Fantastic.

Ted Furst on his roof deck.
Beacon Hill, Boston
April 25, 2009

Running for a cause

Saturday I was invited to attend a reception for the runners and patient partners participating in Children's Hospital Boston's Miles for Miracles program.

The program sponsors runners in the Boston Marathon, in return for commitment from the athletes to raise funds for the hospital.

My friends Annmarie Connors and Kim McCrossen are program participants this year. Annmarie celebrated her fifth consecutive year in the program with her patient partners, including young Savannah with whom Annmarie is pictured below.

Annmarie Connors with her patient-partner Savannah
April 18, 2009
Westin Copley Place
Boston

This was my third year attending the reception. It's a pretty moving sight-- seeing so many runners and their patients trying to do good. It's also quite inspiring-- Kim decided to get off her butt and participate this year after many years cheering on Annmarie.

It's marathon weekend in Boston, and the city is alive with activity. Spring has arrived. Good luck to Kim, Annmarie and the thousands of others running the Marathon on Monday.

Finally, kudos to Gary Tinder, who completed the Walk for Alzheimer's yesterday in Morgantown, W.V.

How to Clean Up Beacon Hill: Towing is Just a Start

Boston City Councilor Bill Linehan is proposing that Boston do away with towing cars on street cleaning days. It's a bad idea.

Trust me, trash is something I know well. It's the biggest issue for us downtown residents who live on Beacon Hill. Since I joined the Clean Beacon Hill committee, I have been volunteering personal time to trash since 2000. I should put that on a business card or something. Nine years and counting.

Councilor Linehan's proposal is a populist reaction to a policy put in place by Boston's Chief of Public Works, Dennis Royer, two years ago, which called for strict enforcement of posted street sweeping signs-- including towing on street cleaning days. It's not exactly a strict policy, since the street sweeping signs are very clear as to when street sweeping takes place and mark the street as a "tow zone" during that time. Councilor Linehan would like to do away with the towing, and instead simply give out tickets with a higher fine. His constituents will like the idea. Except it won't work.

Towing is a massive inconvenience. The Boston tow lot is not accessible by public transportation. A typical tow victim needs to hire a cab to get to it. Once there, the fines can be high, starting with a 75-dollar ticket and then charges for being in the tow lot. Karen Cord Taylor of the Beacon Hill Times quipped recently that at least there's an ATM machine at the lot now. Quite a novelty.

It's good that towing causes all sorts of pain, since that makes it an effective deterrent. The proof is on the streets. I took a walk on Beacon Hill today, and relatively speaking, it's pretty darn clean. It is clean because the street cleaning program is working better than it has before. And that's because cars are moved on street cleaning days.

Anderson Street at Revere looking North
Beacon Hill, Boston
April 18, 2009

Prior to Chief Royer's strict policy, cars would never move. Despite raising ticket fines several years ago, the charges never worked. Residents figured the fine was like paying for parking (especially since the Boston resident parking sticker doesn't cost anything).

Towing changed all that. Suddenly residents had an easier time remembering to look at the posted street sweeping signs, and remembering what the signs said. With the cars not there, the street sweepers can reach the curb. And when they reach the curb, they work well.

I have said many times that if towing doesn't happen, there's no reason to have the street sweeping program at all. Because it's a complete waste of money.

To be sure, street sweeping is just the first leg in a three-legged-stool solution that is necessary to bring real cleanliness to Beacon Hill. The other legs are: first, enforcement of the "green tickets" that ISD issues to trash scofflaws, and second, switching to two days of trash pick up on Beacon Hill.

I have written about the green ticket issue before. Boston's Inspectional Service Department (ISD) writes green tickets to residents that improperly dispose their trash. Unfortunately, the tickets have no teeth and are not enforced. Boston's Mayor Tom Menino, City Council President Mike Ross and State Representative Marty Walz, among others, would like to pass a state law that allows Boston to connect the green ticket fines to property owner liens; the best scenario would be if the fines show up on individual tax bills. Unfortunately, Governor Patrick wouldn't sign the law when it passed in December. In fact, he didn't do anything with it, and the legislation suffered the ignominious "pocket veto." I am hoping the law is passed again this year and is signed by Governor Patrick.

The second issue is far more emotional, and it's one I have thought about a lot. Beacon Hill has enjoyed three days of trash pick up for some time. It has its advantages, especially if you live in a neighborhood where small is the norm-- or as I put it, everything in my apartment is a "miniature" version of itself.

The problem is three days of trash pick up means crap is on the side of the street for 42 hours a week. That is one fourth of the week. No joke. Trash is on the street curbs roughly one-quarter of every week on tony Beacon Hill. We have tried to address this issue as a community by shortening the amount of time one can place trash on the curb (what's called same-day pick-up). The problem is this really doesn't give much time for residents to put trash out. The Beacon Hill Civic Association, of which I am a board member, supports same-day pick-up, but we are also trying to move the start of trash pick-up on the hill to 9 a.m. in the morning to give residents two more hours.

Removing a day of pick up cuts down the amount of time trash is put at the curb by a third. From 42-28 hours. Wham. Just like that. And an informal survey I am conducting on the hill is showing that most neighbors would be ok with it.

Councilor Linehan, I don't like your populist idea. Street sweeping is working now better than ever before. And with green ticket enforcement and two days of pick up (instead of three), we can all make our streets far cleaner than they have been.

Spring Politics in Boston

Several political races are heating up around Boston, if you know where to look.

City Council at-large candidate Andrew Kenneally stopped by a meeting of the newly formed Boston chapter of the Young Massachusetts Democrats last month. He spoke for about 10 minutes on a variety of topics, including the MBTA (which I think is interesting given the MBTA is run by the state) and initiatives to make Boston greener. I asked him about the oft-derided Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program, where non-profit institutions make a donation to the City to offset the fact they don't have to pay property tax. Kenneally mentioned he supports the Mayor's recently created task force to study the issue.

Kenneally and two other at-large city council candidates, Tomas Gonzalez and Scotland Willis, visited my Ward 5 Democratic Committee last month. Chairman Rob Whitney graciously gave them the chance to address the group.

The Mayor's race in Boston is also heating up. In late February, I attended a Meet the Mayor event where I got a chance to have bagels and muffins with Mayor Tom Menino, who still hasn't decided if he's running for re-election (though many, including myself, hope he does). What was neat about the event was the Mayor was chatting with younger Boston residents (I was sadly among the oldest), and he spoke with a passion as if he were running for office for the first time.

I received an email this week from someone working for one of the declared candidates for Mayor, Michael Flaherty. She appeared to have sent the note to the entire Ward 5 Democratic Committee, asking us if we wanted to get involved with the campaign. What I find amazing is that it's April, and she's asking about a city race that won't have an election until September (when the preliminary will be scheduled). My Ward 5 committee won't take an endorsement vote in the Mayoral race until after Labor Day. Then again, I heard from another politically minded Boston resident that turnout for the preliminary might eclipse 100,000. In Boston, that's a ton. I guess things are heating up.

By far the most intriguing campaign so far is being run by the young Doug Bennett, the Republican from Nantucket, who is also running for an at-large seat on the Boston City Council. While his efforts are noteworthy, I haven't quite figured Doug out. He launched an "entertaining" YouTube video recently, set to John Cougar's "Ain't that America." He also says he's going to knock on 100,000 doors across Boston, which I admit is admirable. However, last Saturday, while I was watching the Final Four on CBS, he left a flier on my mailbox (I know it was for me as it had my specific apartment number on it). The problem is I was clearly at home and he didn't ring the buzzer. Does he count that as a door knock?

Enjoy Doug's video below. And happy Saturday.

Libraries make me sick to my stomach

I like books. I am currently reading "The Defining Moment," by Newsweek's Jonathan Alter, on FDR's first 100 days. I have a stack of books near my bookshelf that are waiting in line.

But I hate the library. There's something about the smell of the place. Whenever I walk in a library, I have nauseating flashbacks of my youth. As a kid, the only time I went to the library was when I had a report to write for school. On arrival, I usually had not decided what to write about, and had a week or so to not only pick a topic, but to crank out six or seven pages (double-spaced, of course) on the old word processor. Assignments had requirements that came with them, including a standard number and type of sources to use in the bibliography. Sometimes finding more than two books on the same topic was hard. It was all so painful. Maybe that's why I feel pain today when I enter a library.

They should do something at libraries to give kids a positive impression of it. Like sell ice cream.

From a practical perspective, my loathing of libraries doesn't make sense. I should love the concept of the library. I have a full bookshelf of read books that I won't read again, which is a waste. This summer I plan to bring many of them down to the family beach cottage in Connecticut, so they can sit on a bookshelf there. Using the library is far more economical, and at least you know you didn't waste money if you don't like the book.

Boston has a great library system; there's a Boston Public Library branch in each neighborhood (well, pretty much). Beacon Hill is too small to have a branch, but the West End branch is right down the street and is more than adequate to service both neighborhoods. I only go there to vote, as it's also the voting location for Ward 5, Precinct 4. One time after voting I actually got a library card. But it's never been used.

It's so strange because I really like bookstores. I worked off a grant in college for Barnes & Noble to create a website for college kids called "Loci," and as a result the bookstore chain gave me my first job offer after college (It was a great offer, but decided I couldn't move to New York City).

Obviously my problem with libraries is all psychological. Maybe it's because of all the late return library fees I had to pay-- as a senior at Boston University, I called the administration office three times during the final week of exams to make sure there weren't any errant charges popping up on my account that would affect the receipt of my diploma that final Sunday. Thinking way back, I also remember the vivid panic rumbling through my mind as I frantically searched my room as a kid looking for the book I needed to return.

Yes, libraries have caused me a lot of psychological discomfort over the years, which is why I have personally contributed to the growth of Barnes & Noble--online and off.

My Brother Brett Launches a Blog

My brother Brett introduced a blog of his own this week, called "Levanto Air." Among his first posts is a touching story from his D.C. bartending days.

Brett lives with his wife Holly in Hampton, Virginia in a neighborhood called Phoebus.

I have added his blog to my blogroll on the right hand side of this site.

Enjoy!

I am sick of Tom Brady

Dominic James, the starting point guard for Marquette's men's basketball team, fell injured in the middle of the season during a game against Big East foe Connecticut.

As I am a UCONN fan, I was watching the game. I felt for James. It's his senior season. Chances for a professional career are slight. The injury to James' foot meant, essentially, the end of his days playing organized basketball. (He did make a return for part of one game in the NCAA tournament, but he was not able to do much.)

Despite his injury, James attended every Marquette game. He sat on the bench. He cheered on his team. He gave encouragement to his young replacement, Maurice Acker.

Hmmm. An experienced player falls to an injury and then becomes the team's number one cheerleader. That's not something I am familiar with in Boston.

Because Tom Brady disappeared from Gillette Stadium when he hurt his knee this past September.

I am quickly tiring of Brady. He and his team said the decision to keep him away from the team after his injury was to avoid "a distraction," and in reality he has become a bigger distraction in the process.

The media are infatuated with the nuptuals he is sharing (or is he?) with his girlfriend. The rumor was they were engaged. Then they weren't. Then they were. Then they weren't. Then they got married. Then they didn't.

Apparently, they are getting married again today. Or something like that. I am so tired of all this. As a marketing person, it's almost as if the rumors and events are carefully planned so that Tom is always in the headlines.

I can tell you one thing. If I were him, and I had sustained an injury on the field, it would have taken the Massachusetts National Guard to keep me from my team and the stadium on game day. Even if I ended up in the box next to the coaching coordinators.

I would imagine Dominic James feels the same way. Which is why, with his career effectively ended, he was on the bench cheering on his team every day.

Happy Final Four weekend. And go HUSKIES!

Someone Else Has My Cheap Phone

Intermission Tavern

Boston

March 30, 2009

That would be my friend Tabitha Bennett.

An Ode to My Accountant

My taxed were filed this week by T.F. Allen & Company. I hired them last year on the recommendation of my friend Tom Hopcroft, and it was a great decision.

The accountants at T.F. Allen sent me a CD so I could review my completed return. I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but I could not understand the return. I can't imagine what it would have looked like if I had filled it out.

The concept of an accountant is brilliant. I make an attempt at filling out a worksheet, and then I send T.F. Allen all my paperwork. They come back with a completed return and a bill.

At the same time, the fact that I need an account to file my return is somewhat alarming. I hired T.F. Allen after my parents transferred part ownership of our family cottage in Old Lyme, Conn. (I share ownership with my other brothers and my parents.) That basic complication made my return rather complicated.

I know that tax returns are complicated to benefit many people, and I know that research can demonstrate most of those benefits go to the middle class. However, I wonder how many don't realize those benefits because they don't want to pay an accountant.

Memphis Basketball Was Overrated

In this year's NCAA Men's Basketball tournament, Memphis should not have been a No. 2 seed. There. I said it.

Of course, it's easy to say that now, given that Memphis got blown out by Missouri Thursday night. Missouri was a No. 3 seed, so money was on Memphis. Except Memphis lost.

However, I have been critical of Memphis ever since the field of 65 was announced. Heck, I was critical of them a year ago in a post on this blog. Why? Because Memphis plays in a weak conference.

I noticed what I call the "hyperbole trend" in college basketball more this year than any other. When a team wins big, the analysts on TV seem to forget the team may have played a weak opponent. Most apparently, I watched portions of the Conference USA championship a few weeks ago with my brother Brett. Memphis is in Conference USA, and they played Tulsa in the championship. The announcers could not pile enough praise on Memphis.

"They are sending a message," Gus Johnson proclaimed. "You don't want to face this team come Thursday!" [The NCAA tournament was to begin that coming Thursday.]

Johnson overlooked the fact that Memphis was playing Tulsa. Tulsa did not make the NCAA tournament, even though they were the runners-up in Memphis' conference.

Tulsa lost by 19 points in the second round of the NIT to Auburn. Yet the fact that Memphis defeated them easily was Memphis "sending a message."

This calendar year, Memphis played three competitive teams. I will give you that they won two of them, beating Gonzaga during the regular season and Maryland earlier in the NCAA tournament. In contrast, UCONN played an entire Big East conference schedule during that same time; arguably 12 or 13 competitive games. UCONN lost three of those games, meaning their winning percentage this calendar year in competitive contests was higher than Memphis.

And yet, everyone I know had Memphis winning the region and going to the Final Four [UCONN and Memphis were competing for the same Final Four spot in this year's tournament]. In reality, Memphis didn't even make it to the Elite 8. And to me, that's not a surprise.

Because Memphis spent most of its season beating up on teams that couldn't play against my high school's squad, commentators and observers fell victim to the hyperbole trend. They inflated Memphis in the standings. They bought into mid-major arguments that they deserve respect with the big boys.

Memphis was given a No. 2 seed. Memphis is good enough to ride that seeding to the Sweet Sixteen. I would argue they caught Maryland, a team that could have taken Memphis, on an off day for the Terps. Then Memphis was dismantled by Missouri, a better team.

If Memphis had been seeded where it should have been-- No. 3 or 4, it might have lost sooner. There's no question to me now that some lower seeded teams, like Villanova, Xavier and even Syracuse, are better than Memphis.

My heart goes out to mid-major conferences. Some mid-major conferences are far more competitive than others. The Atlantic 10 (Xavier being one member) is far better than Conference USA. But there's just no question that the major conferences have better teams. And when they spend the entire year playing against each other, getting tough skin for the post season, the mid-majors just can't compete.

Enjoy the Elite 8. I will, of course, be rooting for UCONN. By the way, of the eight teams remaining, not a single one is from a mid-major conference. While we all love the Cinderella story, that's the way it should be.

The Personality Behind My Blog

I just found a new service called Typealyzer, a new website featured on Business Week that describes the personality behind a given blog, based on an analysis of posts.

I ran the service for my blog, and here's what came back:

The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

One of my neighbors, Doug Levin, evaluated his blog, as well.

My Friends and Co-Workers are Damn Good Writers

A number of my friends and co-workers are blogging or have recently launched blogs.

Scott Lauber, my college roommate, has been blogging for some time down in Delaware about the Philadelphia Phillies. Granted, his job is to cover the team, so the fact he's blogging isn't a huge surprise. [Phillies fans out there should know that Scott has filed a few posts from my living room while on "vacation."] Scott is my first close friend to have published a book; his is about the Phillies remarkable run to the World Series Championship last year.

I recently found "Choosing my own adventure," written by Jen Gabriel, a floormate of mine from freshman year at Boston University. My co-workers Lisa Mokaba and Kevin Carter launched blogs in the last year.

Their writings are entertaining, informative, and funny. Not to get all idealistic, but it is neat that the web provides an outlet for these individuals, whose jobs do not allow them to publish their own work. The early days of blogging on the web saw numerous technical individuals who were charting their lives online. Over the past few years, writers have made their way to the web. At least that's what I am observing.

While the newspaper industry crumbles around us, the web could become a great forum for ideas and thoughts. I still think that no matter what we will forever miss (in ways we can't even know) the news reporting and insight previously provided by the thousands of journalists now out of work. But at least everyone can benefit from the writings of my thoughtful friends.

By the way, for those of you who read my recent post about the death of journalism, there is a must-read article in the current issue of the New Republic, "Goodbye to the Age of Newspapers," which provides a much more detailed account of the implications of the journalism crisis.

Among the more striking sections is a quote from Tom Rosenstiel, the director of the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, who said that because of the end of many publications, "More of American life will occur in shadows. We won't know what we won't know."

Race to Fill Sal DiMasi's Mass. House Seat

There is a political race under way in downtown Boston.

Several candidates are filing nomination petitions to fill the vacant 3rd Suffolk State Representative seat, a position left open by the resignation of former House Speaker Sal DiMasi. The primary to pick party candidates for the seat is on May 19, and the special election is on June 16. This is not a municipal election, so there will be a primary (not a preliminary).

I do not live in the 3rd Suffolk Representative district. However, I am a member of the Ward 5 Democratic Committee, and one precinct of Ward 5 is in the 3rd Suffolk (It's precinct 1, which encompasses Bay Village and part of Chinatown). The Ward 5 Democratic Committee is planning to host a forum and take an endorsement vote in the race. For that reason, I do plan to pay close attention, and I of course will post my thoughts on this blog.

What's great about democracy though, is that while I will have an opinion, it doesn't really matter, since I don't have a vote. If you live in the district, you are far more important than I am (and rightly so). Within Boston, the 3rd Suffolk House District includes a large portion of the South End, Chinatown, Bay Village, a small sliver of Beacon Hill, and a portion of the North End. If you live in one of these neighborhoods and are curious if you are in the district, drop me a note and I can clarify it for you.

The slate of candidates running for the seat is long, which is good. Competition leads to better representation. Among the candidates I have seen noted (listed alphabetically):

o Ryan Higginson
o John Keith (He left a note on my blog this past week)
o Aaron Michlewitz (He was at my Beacon Hill Civic Association meeting this past week)
o Susan Passoni
o Lucy Rivery (She was as at my Beacon Hill Civic Association meeting this past week)
o Brian Ross
o David Trumbull (A Republican, so he doesn't affect my Ward vote)

Adam Gaffin has done a great job, as usual, following this race over at Universal Hub.

Quotes For the Ages, Volume 1

There have been some pretty good quotes in my life over the past week or so. Here goes:

Conversation at Tampa airport last Thursday (3/5/09):

Ross to TSA Agent, "I am doing alright, how about you?"

TSA Agent, "I guess you have not seen the stock market lately?"

Ross, "No I haven't looked at my 401(k) in months."

TSA Agent, "You mean your 201(k)?"

-----

Conversation in my company's San Francisco office last Friday (3/6/09):

Co-worker, "Oh there's a place you should go to, Ross. I think you'd like it."

Ross, "Really? What's it like?"

Co-worker, "It's kind of divey."

-----

Commentary during the World Baseball Classic game Saturday (3/7/09):

"A base hit here would be huge for the Netherlands."

(Not something you would expect to hear.)

-----

Commentary during last night's UCONN/Syracuse game on ESPN (3/12/09):

(At approximately 1 a.m. after five overtime periods.)

Sean McDonough, "Up next, breakfast... and then Sportscenter."

-----

An East Coaster Vists San Francisco

I was in San Francisco late last week for work, and I spent Friday night and Saturday visiting my good friends Nathan Wenig and Cristin Brown, who moved to San Francisco last year from Boston.

They were great hosts. On Saturday morning, they let me watch UCONN play Pittsburgh (of course, UCONN lost, which was not the best scenario). Given we were on west coast time, the game ended about 11 a.m., so we were able to go for a hike.

Everyone in San Francisco goes for hikes. It's part of the athleticism that I think is required to live there. That and an iPod. Everyone has one of those as well.

We went for a hike in Marin County and picked the Pt. Bonita Trail in Marin Headlands. On the hike I took a damn good picture (if I do say so myself) looking back at San Francisco from my Blackberry.

Pt. Bonita, Marin County, California
March 7, 2009

After the hike, we went into Sausalito and ate at Fish Restaurant.

Fish Restaurant
Nathan and Cristin in foreground
Sausalito, California
March 7, 2009

Another observation about San Francisco. There are a lot of people from the "East Coast" who live there. In fact, everyone I met was either from California, or from the "East Coast." Period. I guess that covers everywhere else. True to the east-coast heritage of many residents, there are east-coast pizza restaurants and east-coast delis.

My friend Jason Mandell (lives in San Francisco) noted to me this week that "East Coast" really means New York and New England. I can see that. Not sure if someone from Georgia would be drawn to an "east-coast deli." Maybe an east-coast peach cobbler shop, but I didn't see any of those.

Thanks to Cristin and Nathan for hosting me!

Surprise Call From Susan Passoni

I took a call yesterday from Susan Passoni, who is running in the special election to fill the seat held by former Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi, who recently resigned.

I do not live in Sal DiMasi's former district. Susan Passoni called me because I am on Boston's Ward 5 Democratic Committee. The Committee will be considering making an endorsement in the race, since one precinct of the district is within Ward 5.

I will certainly be writing here about the race in the weeks ahead (though not as much as other races where the winner ultimately represents me. However, I thought it was pretty impressive that Susan Passoni called me, even though I am not in her district. I told her as much.

By the way, random trivia time. I appeared on "Greater Boston" (Emily Rooney's show that airs on Boston's PBS channel each night) with Susan Passoni several months ago. We discussed trash issues in Boston.

There are many declared candidates for Sal DiMasi's seat, including DiMasi's former aide Aaorn Michlewitz and Beacon Hill resident Lucy Rivera.

Boston Globe *Really* Wants A Mayoral Race

Unfortunately, Mayor Tom Menino, the Boston Globe just doesn't like you. And at the start of an election season, that's not fair.

The Boston Globe is begging for a Mayoral race. On Thursday of this week, columnist Joan Vennochi could not have begged more directly.

After 16 years, Menino is part of the establishment. He's comfortable, maybe too comfortable for voters whose lives are growing less comfortable in today's economic environment...Boston is ripe for...political change. The only question is whether there's a mayoral challenger strong enough to rally around.

In my years of watching politics, I have never seen anything like it. Last year, the Globe reported survey results showing the Mayor's approval rating in the city holding steady at 72 percent (granted, the data is old, but it is the most current). Yet a Globe columnist says it's time for change. The same survey notes that 54-percent of residents have met the Mayor. Yet a Globe columnist says he is out of touch.

Vennochi's tone is in direct conflict with what I witnessed last Sunday, when the Mayor greeted a group of younger adult residents in West Roxbury. He didn't seem to me to be detached from the uncomfortable economic realities faced by residents. He didn't seem to me to be a Mayor who has lost a step or is complacent. He seemed determined to meet residents in Boston that are new to him.

It's something related to the Boston Globe that I have noticed for years, magnified this year by the slippery slope of political change. I voted for President Barack Obama, and he was elected because change was needed in Washington. Whether change is needed in Government Center here in Boston is another question altogether.

It appears that the Globe, like Mayor Menino's challengers, hopes that this city will be swept away by the wave of change, regardless of whether it is needed it or not--and most alarmingly, without discussing the challenges we face and the ideas we all have to overcome them.

NOTE: Excerpt taken from: "The bloom is off Menino's rosy image," by Joan Vennochi; Boston Globe, February 26, 2009.