NYC Marathon – Great day in New York
The NYC marathon took place this year on Sunday, November 5. Two friends ran the race along with 36,998 fellow New Yorkers and Lance Armstrong. Marathon day is one of the best days of the year and most opportune times to feel the pulse of the city. The excessive support that spills out to every single runner is truly inspiring. It is enough to make you want to get out and run the race yourself – a feeling I have experienced the past two years.
Following racers can be tricky, but we executed a near perfect plan. At 10:45, we emerged on Lafayette St in Fort Greene in just enough time to see the leaders pass. 45 minutes later, our female stud runners followed suit. We hopped on the E Train and positioned ourselves at 85th and 1st with enough time to grab a sandwich on the way. When they ran up First Ave 20 minutes later, two of us joined them for a bit to lend our support. After, we cut across town to Fifth Ave and 95th, where we waited for them to reach the home stretch. All in all, the day was a phenomenal success and the energy from the experience helped carry me through the following week.
Durham County DA Mike Nifong belongs in jail
Mike Nifong won re-election yesterday as District Attorney of Durham County, North Carolina. The man belongs in jail. In case you missed the 60 Minutes report on the Duke rape allegations, it’s all available on the CBS News website. Be sure to watch the interviews included in ‘related video’ section. The Durham DA conducted an illegal investigation with blatant disregard for standard procedure and code. He reached his desired verdict before evidence was collected, and when evidence did come back – specifically non-matching DNA from the entire team – he still proclaimed his certainty of guilt. What kind of DA proclaims certainty of guilt? Nifong never even met with the accuser nor would he accept a meeting with any of the
lacrosse players’ attorneys, despite their claims that they could prove
their clients’ innocence. In addition to the illegal lineup, which Nifong constructed of all lacrosse players rather than following standard practice of using fillers, one of the indicted players was never interviewed by police. And the inconsistency of the accuser’s story speaks for itself. Nifong got his re-election and I suspect that was his primary motivation for blowing this case out of proportion. Now, however, he should be held accountable. If the evidence turns out to be as bogus as it appears and the case is dismissed – which I believe it should be – Nifong should pay a tremendous price. He has caused irreversible harm to three innocent men’s lives and he should pay dearly for this.
Slugging it out on “the road” – Business Travel 101
I’ve been traveling for the past week on the West Coast – part for work, part for pleasure. This is the first official business travel I’ve done since 2002 and I’ve quickly been reminded of a few essentials out here on the road which I thought worth sharing:
1. As a business traveler, all transactions with airport personnel must be easy, pleasant and ultra-efficient. When, after waiting in security line for 10 minutes, luggage is flagged for being too large for carry-on, thus requiring me to re-enter counter line, then I am flagged again for random search at security not even five minutes later, this may contribute to a mood in state of decline.
2. Business travelers should be treated well on flights. If, as a former 100,000-mile traveler three years running, I arrive on an airplane only to find my seat assignment in the very last row next to the lavatory and this location provides access to a uniquely blended scent of jet fuel and urine, this may lead to a less than optimal flying experience.
3. If customer chooses to spend extra money renting from premium car rental service (Hertz) and takes time to make reservation, checkout procedure needs to be ultra-efficient with zero delay. This means car is waiting in the stall number listed next to name on electronic billboard. If billboard is not working properly, then customer is asked by cheerful self-proclaimed "face of Hertz" to wait 20 minutes in line, as European backpackers analyze pros and cons of each available vehicles on the glossy brochure, this may lead to anger and frustration.
The one redeeming aspect related to travel over the past few days has been a new hotel discovery in San Francisco. Not wanting to deal with the hustle and bustle of downtown, I found a darling hotel in Pacific Heights/Presidio called The Drisco. The hotel appears to be a converted old mansion or apartment building. It’s located at the corner of Pacific and Broderick Streets. For $169/nt, you get a large luxurious room with big marble bathroom and walk-in closet plus free breakfast. High speed internet is free (as all hotels should be). Best of all, I’m staying a few houses away from Larry Ellison on one of San Francisco’s most desirable blocks. The Drisco is a keeper!!