In the far corner of my closet there is an old pair of wingtip shoes that I am going to get resoled soon.
And then I’m going to put red laces in them.
That was the look being walked around downtown Muscatine this morning by author Dan Buettner, who created the Blue Zone movement. He was in Muscatine for a walkability tour given by Dan Burden, executive director of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute Inc. There was a lot of media there, so you should be able to find some news coverage of the event somewhere if you are interested.
I got to visit for a minute or two with Buettner, who seemed like a nice guy. And I’m really interested in the ideas he and Burden both promote. I really hope their movement takes off in Muscatine.
But it was later during the walking tour of downtown that I spied Buettner’s shoes. I can’t help but think my old wingtips are going to look pretty cool decked out like that with some bright, red laces.
Blue Zones author Dan Buettner visits this morning in Muscatine with Mary Odell, Muscatine director of public health.
Well, that’s true if bloviating is a sin and if my typing here ranks on the same level as the hot air generated this morning during a brief discussion on “Morning Joe” about the controversy swirling around Mike Rice, the men’s basketball coach at Rutgers University.
For those who don’t know, “Morning Joe” is the morning cable-TV chat fest hosted on MSNBC by Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. Along with a revolving door of pundits, they discuss the news of the day, which today included Rice, 44, who has coached at Rutgers since 2010.
Mike Rice Jr.
In a video released Tuesday by ESPN, Rice is shown shouting profanities at players in practice, shoving them and throwing basketballs at them. For his behavior, he was fined $50,000 by the university in December and suspended for three games, according to news reports.
I’ve just told you as much about this as anyone else learned by watching “Morning Joe.” But it’s what happened next on the panel discussion that was interesting and points to what’s wrong with these shows.
First, let me say I don’t know nearly enough about the situation at Rutgers to say what should happen to the coach.
But that must just mean I’m not as smart as Joe, who condemned Rice and then passed the billy club to the next panelist as the discussion moved around the table. By the time it got back to Joe, he was calling for Tim Pernetti, the Rutgers athletic director, to be fired.
The whole process repeated itself, getting back again to Joe, who then said Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi ought to be fired if he doesn’t step up and deal with both Rice and Pernetti.
The conversation was repeated at least two or three times as a new panelist joined the discussion so he, or she, could bloviate. I guess this was done because the world cares what Bob Herbert, a former columnist at the New York Times, thinks about the Rutgers basketball coach. Of course, this would be because Herbert usually writes about poverty, the Iraq war, racism, according to his Wikipedia page.
I’m glad I’m not likely to be “fired” from my job by someone as smart as Joe and Bob and the others who are there primarily to fill broadcast air time with hot hair. There must be better things they could do.
But for my saying so, please, Father, forgive me for passing a snap judgement after watching just a few minutes of something on TV. And please show the same forgiveness to Joe and Bob and the others.
An afterward from the writer:
I was thinking about all of this after I posted it, and what it proves is the wisdom of my friend, Larry, who is an engineer and is way smarter than I am.
“Don’t watch the angry people on the TV,” is something Larry often tells me.
But that’s exactly what I did this morning instead of going to the gym. I would have been much better off at the gym.
The Greater Muscatine Chamber of Commerce & Industry held its annual meeting Tuesday night.
And I have two observations:
Jon Stetson
Jon Stetson was the best after-dinner speaker I’ve ever seen at this particular banquet. I don’t know how he did the things he did, but I’m very glad he did not call on me to reveal the dark secrets kept hidden inside my bald head.
A table mate teased me about excessive blogging, saying she only reads some of this nonsense because she doesn’t have enough time to read all of it.
For what it’s worth, I didn’t think I had been posting that much stuff here. But my dinner companion is in luck because it may take at least a few days to recover from the disappointment I feel today. And that may mean no more blogging for a while.
Why am I so blue?
Well, I’m a little behind in my reading so I didn’t realize until today that the local newspaper on Tuesday published the photo of Muscatine Mayor DeWayne Hopkins shown here at the upper right. He was pictured with Eugene Newton and Jeanne Pankow.
I thought for sure this picture of, from the right, Pankow, Hopins and some big, dumb guy would be the one to get published.
In an email this morning to staff members, Muscatine Community School District Superintendent Bill Decker said he will leave to become chief administrator at the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency in Bettendorf on July 1. The Muscatine school board tonight is expected to release Decker from his contract.
Decker has been superintendent in Muscatine since 2009. During his time here, the district launched a number of new educational programs including Global Generation, or G2. The hands-on learning program for Muscatine middle and high school students calls for students to work in teams to solve problems and create class projects. The Muscatine program has been studied by some state officials who would like to introduce it statewide.
The following is a copy of the letter Decker sent to school staff members:
Dear Muscatine Community School District Staff Members:
This note is to inform you that I have been offered the position of Chief Administrator at the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency in Bettendorf, Iowa beginning July 1, 2013. Pending release by the Muscatine School Board this evening, I plan to accept that offer. While I am looking forward to new challenges and have been given an awesome opportunity at the AEA, I will deeply miss our continuous progress. I will miss working directly with all of you, as you are an incredible staff.
The hard work of the staff to make the district a better, more effective place for students has been appreciated. I have been fortunate to work with each of you, and the effort of all of us working together as a team is the key to many substantial improvements becoming reality in the last four years. Each of you plays an important role in making the MCSD an exceptional place for students!
One of the most appealing aspects of my appointment to the AEA position is the fact that my family and I can remain living here in Muscatine. I am passionate about our community and also for continuing the work in the district of making substantial improvements in results for students. I have assured the board that I will do everything I can to enable a successful transition, and will also continue to serve in any productive way possible into the future.
I have been honored and privileged to serve as Superintendent here in Muscatine. Community support, efforts of many great people, and incredible care and passion for students are on display in our district every day. It is truly amazing and inspiring. The administrative team and directors are some of the most dedicated, professional and kid-centered groups I have ever been associated with. Please continue working together and continuously improving for the good of our students and community.
In the far corner of my closet there is an old pair of wingtip shoes that I am going to get resoled soon.
