Remember that game where two girls would stand in front of each other about 12 feet apart turning two ropes? With one hand they'd turn clockwise and the other counter-clockwise. I always watched from the sidelines in awe and disappointment how I could never jump in the middle of that organized chaos. It was so cool watching and hearing them count. Every rhythmic step from the left foot to the right, they'd sing in unison: 10-20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90-1 up, 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, 2 up and on and on.  Keep the count in mind, we'll come back to it.

  

The altimeter was set to 5000 feet as I took off for a test flight of a new private aircraft but as we got closer to the coast, I noticed a breathtaking site from the co-pilot seat. The pilot asked the tower for clearance to fly sub 1000 feet for a moment. Clearance was granted after an Embraer jet passed us by so we went in for a closer look. Aha, I thought, that's the Breakers. I'd been there before so I decided to land and go back. It was the playground for the non hoi polloi aka the uber rich crowd who turn nouns into verbs like summer and winter meaning I summer in the Hamptons but winter in Palm Beach. In fact, P. Diddy allegedly was caught "getting it on" in the open on the beach but his publicist says it was an imposter. Regardless, most of the crowd in that area belongs to the same demographics which it is why it is easy for those who point people out to make mistakes. As I arrived, I remembered self parking doesn't exist and to no surprise why the parking lot appeared spooky because it was filled with Phantoms and Ghosts.  

 

 

 

 

 

I spoke with one gentleman who was a bit disgusted with his female neighbors at the pool. He was certainly rich but rich is different in South Florida, especially Palm Beach where a $9 million dollar house is almost as common as a $90 million one. The lady complained incessantly how her husband had no idea how hard she had it. "I have to wake up and decide which vault I'm going to get my clothes from, and then I have to decide which jewelry to wear. From there, I have to make a decision on where I'm going to lunch and who I'm going to have lunch with. If that's not enough, do I take the Bentley or the Rolls? Euhhh, it's so much!" Her friend nodded in agreement as the gentleman I was talking to wanted to barf. "These people have no earthly idea what the average American goes through", he says. "One family said they spent $15 million in upgrades after getting a house for a steal at $25 million."

 

 

I had another conversation with Captain Doug who showed me every inch of a $20 million dollar 125 foot yacht. To most that sounds big but considering Doug's boat was vastly overshadowed by the likes of Larry Ellison's Rising Sun who commissioned a vessel to one up Paul Allen's Octopus that were each in excess of 400 feet. They used mini yachts the size of Doug's as shadow boats to transport friends and family who weren't allowed access to the "A" list party; either that or the land toys such as Ferrari's. Doug's owner gave him $5-10 million annually for fuel costs where he could either buy the fuel as needed or buy gas futures where he could lock in prices today in an effort to keep the costs from rising. If he didn't need the fuel he could sell it to other yachters hopefully at a profit. No need to run from Hurricane Sandy because they just put their yachts on a vessel probably the size of an aircraft carrier and send them to the coast of Spain until things blow over.

 

 From there it was onto dinner at a Spanish venue. I was a bit annoyed because I got there late. It worked in my favor because I was able to park right next to the guest of honor's Rolls Royce. You may know him or at least his music as he's produced J-Lo, Mark Anthony and his wife Gloria Estefan after she joined the Miami Sound Machine. You remember their hit - Rhythm is Gonna Get You - Tonight! Emilio Estefan is also a 17 time Grammy winner, part owner of the Miami Dolphins, restaurants, etc. so he's done fabulously well for himself.  

 

All this may sound very Tinseltown like and considering I've been to Hollywood many times it is. The trouble is when the residents are fabulously wealthy like this, they don't need President Obama's help in stimulating the economy and I've purposely described multiple examples to illustrate my point. The Third Generation Non-Working is a badge of honor that is only overshadowed by things that make them deathly afraid which is being left out of the will. They tend to be more interested in the Romney vote and while it may seem like this is probably a small crowd it is not. You can count them like the rope turns on Double Dutch - 10-20-30, etc. There are thousands of them and with that much money there is enough power to move a fleet of 400 ft yachts.  Henry Flager is credited with building Florida's tourism business from the success of a partnership with John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil now known as Exxon Mobile so right from the start this is a state that caters to big money. 

 

If the President is going to get the Florida support he needs, it will have to be with more people who are not of the crowd described above. In 2000, Presidential hopeful Al Gore lost the election because of just over 500 votes. President Bush was hailed as the winner. I do find it interesting however that the election or what sounds more like a "selection" is that the state with the most trouble is the one your brother was governor of. In the words of Arsenio Hall, "That's one of those things that makes you say, hmmm" but more importantly the organized chaos we experience as adults.  

 

I'm not telling people who to vote for although I have no trouble admitting I'm for President Obama. Of course, the hoi polloi of South Florida are clearly against me. If you know anyone in Florida who hasn't voted, you may want to nudge them and tell them their voice matters greatly. There is nothing wrong with being rich but great problems arise when you're rich and out of touch but make the rules for the masses that aren't. If you ever want a shot at the lifestyles of the rich and not so famous, you may be better served at voting for someone who will help you get there and not someone who is chiefly concerned with the others who already are.

 

I am not at the point where I turn nouns into verbs by summering during the winter but considering I've written this newsletter 99 other times, I do know how to keep it 100.   Either way, I wish you a life of prosperity and more importantly happiness. I have to get back to the Breaker's parking lot because even as an adult I like to play games and since I failed at Double Dutch, I've become really good at a game called That's My Car. Maybe they'll think I'm Diddy.

 

Let the rhythm get you, call your friends in Florida and tell them to vote: Tonight!