mccullochblog

Ooh, I think we're having an earthquake!!

I can't blame Emma for forgetting all her earthquake etiquette the moment a 5.6 earthquake started rocking the house while I was on the phone to her from New York. I remember I did exactly the same thing in 2001 when I felt my first earthquake.

I remember Simon saying to me "Shouldn't you be leaving the house or something?" as I squealed somewhat excitedly down the phone. I looked out of my window and saw my neighbors had indeed run out into the street for fear that their home was about to collapse. "No...it seems to have stopped now" said I.

Anyway, tonight San Francisco had the biggest 'quake its had in about six years. I missed it, which would be a good thing, were it not for the fact I was having to shout: "Get down next to the sofa or the bed NOW!!!" to my wife over the phone. She claims she was finally lying down next to the sofa by the time we got off the phone, but I'm not so sure!!

Two Things.

First and foremost, you deserve a pat on the back, possibly even a firm handshake and some good, solid eye-to-eye contact. You are a better person - you are better people -than I knew. Who would have thought that the people I am lucky enough to call 'friends', 'acquaintances' and 'people who randomly visit my blog' care so deeply about enriching the lives of others?

That's what you said: "for me, the measure of a good life is that I enriched the lives of others". It must be true! 64.3% of you said so.

But wait! There's more. 50% of you "want to have been a good person" too. I tell you, I take my hat off to you. (At some point I'm going to ask exactly how you're all 'enriching' and 'being good' but for now, I'll just be awed.)

And absolutely no-one (comparatively) cares about living a long life or being famous! Heck, only 7% of you even care about being rich!

That last stat made me think long and hard about why you work such long hours, pay such astronomical rent/mortgages, spend so little time (relatively) with your loved ones...but hey, overall, you care more about the 'enrichment' stuff. Bloody well done!

Now. The second thing. Before Emma got home tonight - and while my home-made bolognese was still simmering on the stove - I was listening (at quite high volume - sorry neighbors) to the Greatest Hits of Blondie.

And - while dancing around the kitchen in my jogging bottoms and 2006 Bay-to-Breakers T-shirt - it struck me that Blondie are, quite possibly, my favorite band of all time. Certainly on the basis of the three key criteria of greatness (still sounds good after 10+ years, still seem cool after 10+ years and still remember the lyrics to all the songs) I can't think of another band in Blondie's league.

Care to weigh in with an opinion?

In the Clouds.

The night before I was due to board a flight to New York last week, I heard on the radio that airline safety in the US has hit an all-time high. Apparently, you can now fly every day for 200,000 years and still have almost no chance of dying in a plane crash.

While not being killed is certainly a perk of air travel, I would still say that, on the whole, flying has become about as much fun as an eternity spent ironing linen shirts without the assistance of steam.

Anway, the one exception I'd highlight is that rare occasion when you sit next to someone genuinely stimulating and interesting for, say, five hours.

Take Eric Stern, for example, a man with whom I would have said I had absolutely nothing in common. Eric and I sat together on that flight last week to New York. Eric is a very successful fashion stylist. I own three suits. Eric knows Kate Moss and Kate Winslet. I know Kate Spade (because Emma has one of her handbags). Anyway, we got on absolutely fabulously on that flight and I learned more about fashion in five hours than I could have ever dreamed. My wardrobe is being dramatically updated as we speak.

Paradoxically, I remember sitting next to a man from Pakistan on a flight to London in the summer of 2001. He told me he sympathized with suicide bombers. I don't think he was one, but that made for an interesting flight.

Who's the most interesting person you've ever sat next to on a plane?

The Meaning of Life (Revisited)

I have been surprised by the number of people (two so far) who have asked me to adjust or augment the categories of the Meaning of Life poll.

One suggested that "Getting a reservation at the French Laundry" should count as a major life achievement.

Another suggested that "Being a good wife" should be on the list. (No argument here).

Anyway, given the interest, I'd thought I'd open it up for further discussion. What else do you think is a good measure of a great life?

Celebrities in Our Own Minds

Less than a day after I canvassed you on the meaning of life - and offered "fame" as one of the measures of success - I was reminded of the fact that Emma and I are relatively famous already.

Emma, in particular, is good at being famous. She even surpasses my brother's many media appearances. In fact, she gets quoted all the time (from business magazines to national newspapers) on account of working for the big computer company.

Anyway, her latest media appearance is in a league of its own! I strongly recommend you read this. It's fabulous stuff!

Grape Juice and Jet Fuel

What do you get when you cross a food and wine festival with a festival of flight? Well, you get this weekend in San Francisco, actually.

What better way to enjoy sun-kissed afternoons than to swig wine from the finest wineries in the Bay Area, taste the concoctions of the city's finest chefs, and then ease into Sunday evening with some ear-splitting, death-defying jet-fighter displays?

The wine and food that Emma and I supped and devoured at FallFest with our friends Jodi and Gary, you can probably imagine, but I thought some visuals might help conjure up the Blue Angels!

Spin-off!

The 'stat' counter and the comments on my blog let me know which posts you like (the silly ones, the ones with questions etc.) and the ones you don't (the serious and the political ones).

So when I began to feel the rising passion of the 2008 Presidential Election, I realised McCullochblog was not the place for me to rant about the fundraising prowess of Mitt Romney or the vacuous coverage of the issues by the US media.

So...what to do? Well, there was only one thing for it. Like Frazier born of Cheers, Doctor Phil launched by Oprah and now Private Practice from Gray's Anatomy, I knew it was time for a spin-off.

And so here it is: Electionography, my gift of swiftly-gained knowledge, half-baked analysis and agenda-free (I can't vote) critique of the candidates, issues and reporting of the American Presidential election candidates.

Feel free to ignore it entirely hereafter, unless of course, you'd like a little help deciding who to vote for next November!