PBS Frontline, Ruppert Murdoch Scandal, 3/27/12

This week, PBS Frontline broadcast a powerful show, a huge scandal about Ruppert Murdoch and his global media empire News Corp., comprised of 53,000 people throughout the world. Revelations about widespread bribery, illegal phone hacking, control of London's police command and of British prime ministers and other top government officials who have become informally answerable to Mr. Murdoch, who has used this influence to pursue monopolistic business practices. Now from the British government inquiries, there have been over 40 arrests and several resignations, including that of James Murdoch, Ruppert's son and heir apparent to head News Corp. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/murdochs-scandal/

A Dream from 3/29/12, A Return To Long Ago Brooklyn

In this dream I was transported back to Brooklyn where in a street football game, I as a quarterback, after throwing touchdowns to various players in a high scoring but close game, threw the winning touchdown to a tall, gangly black 13 year old boy named Todd Myerson. He was jumping up and down with joy as he scored that touchdown and we as a team excitedly joined him.

This quote pleased me very much. It is from my Boston based friend, businessman and writer Nick Miller and iI captures a crucial aspect of being a writer, as he shares with his daughter advice I had shared with him.

Mario Gets A Hug, 3/28/12

Yesterday afternoon at a local shopping center, I gave a big hello to a passerby as I now so often do. This passerby responded to my greeting by wanting to speak with me.

Treating A Telemarketer With Respect

This afternoon, a telemarketer called to present the carpet cleaning services of the company she represents. I asked her name (Kristin) and listened quietly as she made her presentation. At the end of that presentation, calling her by name, I told her I understood how tough these calls are to make and I admired her for having the courage to make them.

A Dream From 3/25/12, A Boat Explosion

I dreamed I was on a white boat, about a 30 long cabin cruiser, along with other people, that left the Redondo Beach Pier heading south, captained by an 8 or 9-year-old girl. When we got about 50 yards from the Pier, a wooden boat near us exploded with a tremendous force thrusting pieces of wood and other debris into the air and all around us.

Kevin's Surgery

Anne's and my son Kevin, age 42, called and told us he will need knee surgery, and is scheduled to have it on April 23rd. As parents of grown children, one never outgrows their love for their children, nor their concern to do everything possible to help them.

How Fortunate I Am

I am so thankful for this life and its many opportunities to grow.

Yet Another Flaw?

With a sheepish smile, I realize I never knew I had so many little flaws until I began keeping this Journal.

Another Form Of Self Control

I called Whole Foods Market to check on my special order. When the person in that department picked up, he said tersely, "This is ..., how can I help you," quick and with no warmth in his voice. With a smile, I replied, "This is Dick Kazan, how are you ... ?" "Fine, how can I help you?" he responded quickly and coolly.

Exercising Control Of One's Self

With so many real estate investment opportunities, it is very tempting to jump in and start negotiating deals. But fortunately, Anne and I have an extremely capable and successful real estate investor and property manager son Kyle, who is outstanding at this.

Thank God We Don't Have Cancer

On Sunday at our son Kyle's invitation, Anne and I attended a fund raising dinner for the Cancer Support Community (CSC). http://www.cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org/ During that dinner, we listened to cancer survivors and their families sometimes tearfully discuss the invaluable services they have received from CSC, all of which are free to the recipients, thanks to dinners and events such as these.

A Dream From 3/21/12

The climatic part of this dream came when my family was trying to help me with a problem. In the roof of my mouth, under my tongue was a 2 inch tall by 3 inch wide fast growing weed. Anne's and my son Kyle offered to pull it out with pliers moments earlier when it was smaller.

A Dream From 3/18/12

I dreamt I was on a tour of an unnamed city that resembled Vancouver, a city I like very much. The key aspects of the dream placed me often with others in a glass 3 story elevator, with one set of doors that opened and closed as the elevator drove around the city, each site described by a recorded voice.

A Dream From 3/17/12

In this dream, Anne and I and Kyle, aged about 5 moved to Sub-Saharan (black) Africa in a colony of upscale homes placed high above a famous (but unnamed) river. To the extent I saw our neighbors, they were white.

A Brief Return To 1987

Today during lunch, Anne and I watched the latter part of the movie classic "Wall Street" (1987), starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen and it took me back to that year, a very busy time in my life.

Dreams From 3/15/12

Last night, around midnight, I dreamed of a woman perhaps in her mid-80's, one at peace with herself, who was quite happy and a person others wanted to be like.

A Dream From 3/4/12, Playing For The Dodgers

Like the night before, I awoke from a dream at about 5 am, in our room at the Inn at Spanish Bay. I dreamed I came to bat as a Dodger pinch hitter at Dodger Stadium against the St. Louis Cardinals. I walked in 4 pitches, each pitcher so wild, I faced 3 different pitchers as I batted between grocery store aisles lined up between home plate and the pitcher's mound.

A Dream From 3/3/12

It was 5 am at the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach, CA, a beautiful place and yet I awoke from a nightmare. A young man, like a young Ed Ciccolo from my IBM days in 1966, when we were both 21, couldn't get a job and so some other people and I actively helped him, as he and we found this very upsetting..

My Wakeup Call

This morning as I awoke in the darkness, for an instant, I was struck with negativity. And then I realized I could see, I don't have cancer and all of its sickening aspects, my sons and their wives and children are all doing well, my soon to be 85 year old Uncle Gene is doing well as is his wife, Aunt El, who will soon be 87.

The Meaning Of Real Estate Investment

It offers housing, offices, shops, warehouses and plants and briefly provides material wealth for the investors - if all goes well. It is an opportunity to be of service to others.

Not My World, Nor Yours

We are all just visitors passing through this world on a brief journey. The sense of possession is ego driven and an illusion. We don't actually own houses, cars and other "possessions" nor do we control national boundaries in this dimension nor other illusions of which wars are fought

A Moment Of Gratitude For Our Stay At The Inn At Spanish Bay

This beautiful hotel, The Inn at Spanish Bay is on the magnificent Pebble Beach, CA oceanfront. Although we have been there many times since 1991, this was our first visit in four years and I can still hardly believe Anne and I have the financial resources to stay there, as we just did from March 1st to March 5th, of 2012..

A Hurtful Mistake, I Called Someone By The Wrong Name

Yesterday, a 25 ish health club employee came over to greet me and I called him Raphael. In a soft voice he said, "my name is Chris." I know his name yet he does look very much like Raphael but that is never an acceptable mistake for it is very hurtful to another.

Despite Initial Emasculation, Anne Completed Her Own Gym Deal

Despite my foolishly having initially emasculated her with the health club by refusing the deal she had done, it was she who concluded the deal, not me.