Will President Bush Encourage Us To Go Shopping Again?

Famously, in the days after 9/11 and at least once more in December 2006, President Bush went on the record and encouraged Americans to shop.

Has that Presidential mandate encouraged our Economic Crisis?

Probably. History will ultimately figure out the George W. Bush Presidency.

But at a time when the Russians are predicting the U.S. will break up due to economic pressures, shopping is exactly what the Economy desperately needs.

If I was Bush, I'd be preparing these remarks...

"Go to the Mall of America. Go to the Mall of America, America. And do it for America.

We need to have The Black Friday, to end all Black Friday's.

Or at least A Black Friday, to avoid the next Black Monday.

Or if you can't do that, because say, you've been blacked-out since Black Wednesday, at least grab a bite to eat in the food court...

Spending got us into this crisis, and we think it'll get us out.

I hear the new Orange Chicken recipe at Panda Express is extra delicious, and May God Bless America."

. . .

Here is what I want to know: Say Black Friday 2008 IS the windfall/ miracle everyone hopes it will be. . . will it finally become an official National holiday? Maybe we should've set that as a goal--as an incentive.

Can you imagine the monument that would've gone in Washington? Erected in the honor of those Men and Women who wrecked their credit. For good. So that you might have an official day off of work on Black Friday. Unless you're in retail.

Chicken Soup For The Post-Election Soul: Doctor Recommended, Mother Approved

Analysis of President elect Barack Obama's cabinet has become Chicken Soup for the post-election soul.

The NY Times recently reported that the selection of Hillary Clinton and Tim Geither indicates the Obama cabinet is prepared to govern from the "pragmatic" center, as opposed to the "ideologue" far-left.

Anyone who bothered watching the PBS documentary, "Choice 2008" already knew that.

My Mom called and told me to watch it, and I'm glad I listened.

The most revealing segment was dedicated to Obama's days at the Harvard Law Review... you know, the last time he was President.

In it, PBS via Bradford Berenson relates the best prediction of Barack Obama's Presidency that's yet been given--

"He does a very able job as President. Puts out what I think was a very good volume of the Review. Does a great job managing the difficult and complicated interpersonal dynamics on the Review. And manages somehow, in an extremely fractious group, to keep everybody almost happy."

"I think Barack took 10 times as much grief from those on the left on the Review as from those of us on the right. And the reason was, I think there was an expectation among those editors on the left that he would affirmatively use the modest powers of his position to advance the cause, whatever that was. They thought, you know, finally there's an African American president of the Harvard Law Review; it's our turn, and he should aggressively use this position, and his authority and his bully pulpit to advance the political or philosophical causes that we all believe in."

"And Barack was reluctant to do that. It's not that he was out of sympathy with their views, but his first and foremost goal, it always seemed to me, was to put out a first-rate publication. And he was not going to let politics or ideology get in the way of doing that."

Today, Newsweek gave Nouriel Roubini's analysis of Obama's appointments in light of the economic crisis and Dr. Doom has garnished his blessing on the cabinet.

Mom says they're okay too.

I Know Its Hard For You My Baby

"Right now, there are millions of mothers and fathers who are lying awake at night wondering..."

President Elect Obama channeled FDR and gave a radio address this Saturday morning to talk about his plan for the Economic Crisis.

He noted the trouble we are in, and said it will get worse before it gets better. But did so with a dedicated, pragmatic and hopeful tone.

He knows it is hard out there for Americans. But he sounded the call for that "enduring power... the great effort, sacrifice, and courage of the American people" to act "boldy, bravely, and above all else, together".

Doing so, he reminded us, has allowed Americans to thrive during "the darkest hours".

And the darkest hour is just before dawn.

Looking Sexy 'Your Name'!

Our brain is stimulated most by one word above all others. No it the word isn't "Sex", you randy dog.

It is your name.

We humans find our own names absolutely titillating. A real turn-on. We hear our name and it must reaffirm our notions of specialness or something.

Sales People have known this for years, but there is a disturbing new trend in advertising to keep an eye on.

Last week, I received a post card from a mortgage broker depicting MY LAST NAME stenciled on the back of a football player's jersey in bold letters. (His advertisement was on the other).

Yesterday, my wife received a menu in the mail from a new Organic Cafe in the area prompting her to visit a personalized page on their website. Something like, "superawesomecafe.com/your/name".

Junk mail. If it hadn't made me feel so special.

Is it not a youtube and myspace world already? How's that iTunes playlist coming on your iMac?

Sex sells because it is all about intimacy and private parts. Your Name is a private part. One of the privatest.

In the 2002 movie, "Minority Report" digital advertisements scan eye-balls to detect identity, then say, "John Anderton! You could use a Guiness right about now!"

With the economy in the tank and sales harder to come by, expect this kind of rabid, leg-humping to arrive soon.

Thanks for reading, 'your name'.

Chinese Democracy

Madagascar drifted away from Africa, evolved on its own, and something like 80% of its plant and animal species can only be found there. This entire island is a rare bird.

Just like Axl Rose.

The toll has been 13 years, $14 million, and all his original bandmates, but Axl Rose will finally release the album Chinese Democracy on November 28th.

The music world has come full circle since Guns 'N Roses last ruled the earth. With the rise of video games like Guitar Hero and the Rock Band series, Axl once again has relevance. In a keen marketing move, the single "Shackler's Revenge" premiered within Rock Band II in September.

In fact, many of the songs have already premiered. "Chinese Democracy", the title track, is already the number one downloaded song on iTunes. Other tracks have been kicking around for years.

"Madagascar", the song Axl played at the 2002 MTV Music Awards, is already my favorite on the album. It reminds me of "Estranged", a song that in 1991 Axl called his baby.

Guns 'N Roses has a lot of great rock 'n roll songs that will remain part of the soundtrack of my youth.

But if Axl wants to deliver relevance, zeitgeist, I think he is at his best-- most artistically honest-- when he comes from the most out-there, most estranged place.

I want to know how it feels to lose your illusion and grip on the world in such a grandiose way-- only to make it back up for air 15 years later. This is the story I want to hear. Like a modern-day Odyseus. Like Major-Tom from deep space.

There must be something to learn from these tragic figures.

He's seen enough, is a big enough freak, and I believe, talented enough-- to perhaps make the definitive statement about our tragic era.

Then again, that might be as impossible as Chinese Democracy.

On Self-Reliance

Late this summer, '300' was on HBO again. I watched it and thought of a Newsweek article about how Burt Reynolds in Deliverance is Dick Cheney's idealized version of self.

In the same vein, I hypothesized that King Leonidas in '300' is John McCain's idealized self.

I then ran the Chicago Urbanathalon (to attain my ideal version of self) and received one free copy of Men's Health magazine in my race day packet. It contained a cover story about Gerard Butler, the actor who played Leonidas.

When asked how he pulled off his journey to stardom, Butler stated, "What happens is that the universe conspires. Once you make a decision to do something, the universe starts to help you."

The author of the article then wrote, "He's paraphrasing a famous idea attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson."

I liked what I read (because my ideal self is a well-read, chiseled Hollywood star perhaps?) and I tracked down some Emerson. Wikipedia, Google, some essays and articles.

With Self-Reliance fresh on the brain, Barack Obama got elected President and gave a Victory speech in which he alluded to Emerson and Self-Reliance twice.

First he mentioned his campaign wasn't hatched in Washington but in, "...Living Rooms in Concord..." Later he alludes to Lincoln's Republican Party which he said was founded on, "self reliance..."

The fires of Transcendentalism now ablaze, I reran my search. I found out from a SanFrancisco Gate article that sure enough, Barack Obama lists "Self-Reliance" as a favorite (among others) on his Facebook page.

The next move was to Read Self-Reliance for myself. And my God is it good.

Not just good. Genius. Current. Necessary.

For anyone curious about the process of true innovation, true originality--Read it. In our culture of retreads, this is one read that will get you looking finally to the future.

The Question then: So is Self Reliance Barack Obama's idealized version of self?

Perhaps... after all, Ralph Waldo Emerson influenced Abraham Lincoln and he was godfather to William James the architect of "Pragmatism". That much is up for discussion.

A more important Question: What is America's idealized version of self?

I think we just elected him President.

Election Day 2008

Election Day 2008 has a date with the history books. Someday someone might ask you what it was like. Here's how I'll remember it.

I woke up to brilliant sunshine pour in through the windows. It was a perfect day in Chicago. And there was no doubt in my mind that Barack Obama would win the Presidency. Especially after our trip to the park after breakfast.

We went for breakfast up on Division at a cafe called Milk and Honey. My 15 month old son, Kaleb and I ran up and down the sidewalk in our Obama t-shirts, while my wife and her mom ordered the coffee, pancakes and breakfast burritos.

To help digest and enjoy the morning, we hit Wicker Park and it was packed with kids and parents basking in the dayshine.

Kaleb immediately went to work, making his way through every piece of equipment in the park. On the second lap, I did a doubletake and had the odd experience of mistaking another little boy for my own.

He and Kaleb looked at each other. They could have been twins or two halves of one mirror. They had the same exact hair color. Skin tone. Eyelashes. Eye color. And that same gentle, cheeky look. Truly uncanny.

I pointed out this uncanniness to the boy's father and we did introductions. His boy's name was Joshua.

Joshua and Kaleb. Huh. On this of all days.

Later that evening... once the hard-count of electoral votes gave way to sentimentality, the notion of the 'Joshua Generation' was touched-upon by analysts.

And there stood Jesse Jackson of the Moses Generation. The distant, teary-eyed stare of a time-traveler as you imagined him bouncing between 1968, 1988 and 2008.

In Leviticus, the other ten scouts said it couldn't be done. Joshua and Caleb were the only believers. They said the promise could be attained. They called it the land of Milk and Honey. Their faith pleased God. Nevertheless, their people were forced to wander the desert for forty years.

When the time came to enter the Promised Land, of the elders-- Moses included, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter.
Rewarded for their belief, they were chosen to lead the people, the Joshua Generation, into the next chapter.

All Joshua Generations are established on the same belief that God is within us, that opportunity outweighs the threat of challenge, and the firmly-rooted faith of "Yes We Can".

And so the next chapter begins.

The Great American Foreclosure Crisis

After telling us this election isn't about him (but us) what exactly is, as Barack Obama puts it, "The Change We Need"?

Let's do the hard stuff and look at one of the scariest words in the English language: Foreclosure.
The housing market is to blame for the financial crisis. Right?

The bad loans which became bad paper, which begat bad investment banks, which begat a global economy in turmoil...

But what caused us to take that bad loan?

Juliet Schor, sociologist and economist, wrote a book a decade ago titled, "The Overspent American". In it, we find out, "why we want what we don't need".

The answer? Because what we consume creates our identity.

Once was a time when Madmen tried to find the connection between what you consume and who you are, "What kind of woman buys instant coffee instead of fresh ground"? (56)

Now, "the brand defines the consumer." We express our individuality through mass-produced goods. And unfortunately, we are our fucking khakis.

Further, "research suggests that the more we have, the more powerful, confident, and socially validated we feel." (57)

Spending and consumption dictates our status and identity. What started as khakis, became a condo. Which maybe became a second (why not) condo. And all the right furnishings. And the right car in the garage. And the right wardrobe to wear while eating at the right restaurants.

Eventually the other Jimmy Choo dropped and now the housing market is buried in foreclosure.

Psychologist James Marcia created an identity development model in the 1960's which spun off Erik Erickson's stage-model of crisis negotiation.

According to Marcia, committing to a value system or identity before you get the chance to explore multiple values or identities is also called, "Foreclosure".

There is that word again.

The obvious question then becomes, "What is the relationship between one foreclosure crisis in America and the other?"

My hypothesis is this: Not only is our collective American identity the sum of our purchased parts-- we have no idea how else to be.

Shining Beacon on the Hill you say? What if I told you that was just another marketing jingle?

It seems bad, but I think it'll be alright. At very least, if everyone forecloses on their house, credit ruined, zero purchase power, we will be forced to explore a new identity.

And in the final analysis, at very least, we'll know the answer to one of life's great questions.