THE LAMORINDAN 7-10-09

COOL BEGINNING

The gentle administration of Johann von Fatzel, as introduced by Permanent Towne Crier Richard Silent Shearer reading off of fine parchment, may have wanted to start off by exposing members to a cold day in hell, just to show who's boss. Well, it was a bit coolish out on the Postino lawn at the crack of dawn, but Rotarians are tough and took it well. Guests may have been a bit startled but they got into the swing of things. And President Johann, he Iowa-born, looked devilishly elegant right up to the sharp bow tie.

Dan Garfin made his Thoughtful debut, not only to give today's Thought, but to take the reins and force victims to do the same at future meetings. The precise wording of today's Thought eluded reportorial capture, but it had to do with approaching small tasks as though they were great. Seems appropriate.

WE CELEBRATE A LOT

Setting the tone for birthdays was, who else, the Prez. It seems he spent his birthday in London, it was the 3rd anniversary of his 24th birthday, and no one knows his recognition amount because he paid it in francs, the now dead currency from France.

Dan Garfin, apparently liking the Thoughtful spotlight, leaped up again and confessed to a birthday, not his own, but his father's 69th. Jim Brencic waxed poetic about his 10th anniversary (too bad Ceara didn't hear this) and was let off with $20.

The Prez then bestowed a president-elect pin on Thomas Peeks, apparently hoping to keep him pinned to that commitment. Also, First Lady Mary Lou was graced with a First Lady Badge and Pin. Some neglectful past presidents are going to have to explain that one at home.

The press was later informed of another celebration off the record. If you want to see a ribbon cutting by the Chamber of Commerce, and better yet to partake of food and wine, come to the New Steve Ware Jewelry Bazaar, 3645 Mt. Diablo Blvd. (between Trader Joe's and the Post Office), on Thursday July 16th at 5:00.

NOT A DICTATORSHIP?

The Prez has selected a Board. Whether he can control them remains to be seen:

          The Rookies:
          Chuck Yeager, Secretary
          Ernie Furtado, Treasurer
              Club Service:                         Alex Arnold
              Community Service:              Jim Brencic
              International Service:             Gillett Johnson
              Communications:                   Ron Brown
              Membership:            Hays Englehart, with Walt Nelson
              Programs:                 Steve Ware, with Buddy Burke
              Development:           Krysten Laine, with Mark Roberts

Being a Board, there has to be a meeting, and these lucky folks are having it on July 14th at the Fazel (aka Prudential) office. The time of day: you guess? Hopefully it will be indoors with the usual 7am start time.

THE TRAVELIN' MEN

Here came that Dan Garfin again, in the spotlight and waving a banner from the Mission Valley Rotary Club in San Diego. He admitted he's glad to be back here.

Gillett Johnson has a trip for the ages coming up. He goes to Vietnam and will work with a global organization along with the star of the Oliver Stone movie Heaven & Earth. Gillett will be in on some construction work, the donation of a portable library and will spend a day in the village teaching kids English. He'll have to tell the new International Service director about this   oh, that would be Gillett. Could be a tie-in there.

But of course the Prez has been the ultimate traveler lately. At the International Convention in Birmingham, England, he and Mary Lou hung out with Mia Farrow (14 kids, 10 of them adopted) and Jane Goodall (50 years with the chimpanzees). And of course, the new World Prez, John Kenny of Scotland. The Fazels also went to Meriden, which is at the exact geographic center of England and has a 500-year-old monument proving it. John and Mary Lou were important enough to get into an invitation-only Meriden Rotary meeting, tre elegante, managing to swipe a club banner, and also a bigger one with this year's RI motto, The Future Of Rotary Is In Your Hands.

They then went to York where their daughter had gone to school. Pressing on they wound up in Paris for 4 days where Mary Lou was treated to a 10-mile walk. They next stop was in the Alsace area where they stayed at a hotel built around 1500 which apparently is hidden from Americans. Except maybe in a couple of weeks when the Tour de France ends there. After that, it was the Alps, then Prague, then Postino.

ATHLETES ARE THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE

Today's speaker was Scott Ostler, sports columnist for the Chronicle, who was selected by the Prez after a search far and wide. By coincidence, they do happen to be next door neighbors.

Getting right into the interesting people, Scott described them as follows:

Top 5 pet peeves:
          Tennis players who shriek, Maria Sharapova being a human car alarm
          High-fives after bricking a free throw
          Batter who takes a pitch and then takes time readjusting his non-slip Velcro gloves
          Giant owner Newkom's big red bow tie (cf. the Prez this morning)
          All-Star Games, with 33 players + mascots

Knuckleheads I Have Known
          Al Davis, who misread Scott's column and responded with the ultimate expletive - Scott observed Al is a good Raider and never boring.
          Charles Barkley, who's the same in real life as on TV and hits 60 driving range balls per minute.
          Don Nelson, who likes to look back to when he was 20 years old high school sophomore and still romping around.
            Barry Bonds, who needed 4 lockers, 4 entourage members, a big leather recliner and a home entertainment center in the clubhouse at all times.
          Tommy Lasorda, always consuming piles of food, right after which he tends to scream in your face, creating serious bologna shrapnel.

At this point, having gone through the intellectual stuff, he threw it open for questions.

Q:   Think Bonds will get off?

A:   The government has been ridiculous and wasteful, with insufficient evidence. Only way to nail him is if personal trainer Greg Anderson testifies, but he's already been to jail 3 times for refusing to do so. Bonds will probably walk.

Q:   Will the Giants be able to hang onto Lincecum and Cain, with the Zito contract?

A:   They absolutely have to keep Lincecum. They'll probably find the $$$.

Q:   Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?

A:   Commissioner Selig sure takes a long time making decisions. It's still in limbo. Rose should be in; look at all the other bad guys who have made it, e.g., Cap Anson.

Q:   What are the Raiders' chances this year? (Asked by that smarty-pants Kara Wheeler.)

A:   They're a good story, trying not to be dysfunctional. They will be going with quarterback JaMarcus Russell even though his backup may be better. It'll be interesting to watch, but they'll probably finish under .500.

Q:   What about those huge contracts?

A:   A college level baseball pitching prospect from San Diego is getting $15 or $20 million to sign before throwing his first major league pitch. The Giant's Cy Young award winning pitcher Tim Lincecum's bonus was $2 million and his total earnings for his first 2 years is $1 million. It's not the size of the money paid to the players overall,,.but rather the distribution that is bothersome.

Q:   How do baseball players do for a pension?

A:   Current players do well. The very old timers really got the short end of the stick, as it were.

Q:   What do you think of the Tour de France?

A:   I'm not a cycling fan. Drugs hit the sport hard. But it's great to see Lance Armstrong back; he's raised millions for cancer research.

Q:   Will you have a vote for the Hall of Fame soon?

A:   In a few years. I'll vote for everyone whose numbers qualify. Fans still go to the park; they don't care about cheaters. Strangely the players don't complain either. Since the game is owned by these two constituencies who am I to exercise my moral authority over their wishes?

Q:   What do you think of the BCS?

A:   Hate it. Fans and players all want a playoff. The argument that students are taken from their studies isn't entirely convincing. (An aside from the Towne Crier: What the hell - the BCS gives us a chance to argue.)

Q:   What did you think of how U.C. handled the tree sitters?

A:   Berkeley has a great tradition of political dissent. The school handled it OK. It seems like the protesters would have more important things to protest.

Q:   Should college athletes be paid?

A:   Yes, they're exploited, except for SC athletes who ......   (Whoa, better sign off to protect Scott and this Newsletter from legal action.)

VISITING ROTARIAN

Susan Wait, Orinda (it hurts not to say Lamorinda Sunrise)

GUESTS

First Lady Mary Lou Fazel
Scott Ostler, sports nut
Lisa Shaffer, works with the Prez in his allegedly productive hours
Ulrich Luscher, it wasn't too cold for him outside

CALENDAR

7/14/09:   Board meeting
7/17/09:   Dixon T. De Lena, sustainable economy for our Planet
8/11/09: Board meeting

The rest of the calendar says "The guest list has been hidden at organization's request." What is THAT?