An Omen that Enron was going to bomb on Broadway

Little did I know as I walked toward the Broadhurst theatre on 44th St. that I was just steps away from the smoking SUV that in a few hours would be international news. Perhaps it was a bad omen that I saw Enron on Broadway the night of the failed Times Square bomb attempt.

Enron, billed as a satire, is a huge hit in London. Unfortunately, most of the humor was lost on me. The show was too literal in explaining Enron’s financial follies and the devastation they caused. I hadn’t read Ben Brantly’s scathing NY Times review, but I was sure the show was not going to be a hit. The death knell was sounded when it failed to receive a Tony nomination for best play.

 The question is why is it such a hit in London? Is it easier to laugh at American greed from across the pond? Obviously not all hits in London are hits on Broadway and vice a versa. The show was very topical given how Enron paved a wider path for our more recent financial collapse, which may be another reason why we Americans failed to see the humor. Who knew that the most memorable part of the evening would be supplied by Faisel Shahzad.

Nobody Cares About your Blog

I saw someone wearing this T-shirt. It was hilarious except for the fact that I was in the midst of planning a blog. Suddenly I was in an existential dilemma; did the world need another blog? Did I have anything compelling to contribute to the blogosphere? Why did I even want to write a blog? Was I under the delusion I could make money blogging?

I knew I didn’t want to just spout opinions on the same subjects others were blogging about; iPads, Goldman Sachs, healthcare, tea bagging, although now and again I find myself burning with something unique to say about these and other subjects. Nor did I just want to tell the world what I was up to.

So here, my first blog post is about blogging. A commentary on the phenomena of self expression in a world consumed with the social network. An exploration into the blogosphere, where potentially anyone has access to my thoughts, views, or neurotic musings on the subjects I choose to probe, scrutinize or pontificate about.

As I throw my digital hat into the social mediasphere, another blog in a sea of 30 million and counting, the question is; does anyone care? Surely I seek to enlighten, inform, entertain, maybe gain some notoriety in this cacophony of social connectedness. But am I just casting out my own commentary to fulfill a need for self expression? Am I writing for an audience or am I writing for myself? I leave that up to you, my reader(s) whoever you are, if you are. Are you interested in what it means to connect, to write and express oneself, in an over connected world, when everyone has a voice.

I have included a link to purchase the T-Shirt. I have no financial arrangement with Cafe Press, but I’d be interested to know if anyone buys the T-shirt after reading this post. Thanks.

Order T-Shirt here

It’s all over when people stop reading books

In April, 2008 Steve Jobs said that the Kindle would fail because no one reads anymore. He cited a statistic that 40% of people read one book or less per year. That was the most depressing thing I’d ever heard. I seriously thought about giving up on people. But my options were limited.

Obviously Jobs has backed off his stance somewhat. The Kindle seems to be doing fine, and with the launch of the iPad, he must believe enough people are reading to build the accompanying iBookstore. Perhaps Jobs’ remark was just an opening salvo in the war he was about to wage on the Kindle. Even if only 40% of people read one book per year, the other 60% may read several books per year. I try to read one book per week (although many books take longer.)

Ironically people are reading more than ever, but mostly on screens, in dribs and drabs, hopping from web page to app to blog to RSS feed, scanning blurbs of digested content from a seemingly endless array of sources. That does not in any way take the place of reading a book. There’s no substitute for taking the time to digest the ideas and the narrative of a novel, or a well thought out work of non-fiction. To invest hours instead of minutes and stick with a book until it’s finished, from cover to cover, is the most satisfying intellectual activity there is. It’s also more important than ever, as our consciousness is pulled in so many directions that the fundamental act of thinking things through, is being challenged by a visceral barrage of noise and spin.

There’s Hope on the Subway

I am encouraged when I ride the subway in New York City, as there is always a handful of people reading books. Most of them are actually reading the good old fashioned kind made out of paper (which warms my heart.) There are more and more people reading Kindles, Nooks or iPads too, which unnerves me somewhat, but as long as they are reading books, I believe there’s still hope for civilization.