The best shows for dudes

A well-known sports columnist, who used to reside in Kansas City, tweeted out his top ten list of all-time favorite TV shows.  His list inspired me to think about which shows are the best for guys, in a television environment where programming focused on men is limited given the impact that sports has against this crowd.

Here's my top 10 list:

1.  Sons of Anarchy.  Are there better shows on TV?  For sure--but no show is as consistently violent as this one, yet based in complex male-male and mother-son relationships that have been termed "Shakespearean."

2.  Justified.  This FX drama is better than its cable brother in the number one spot but is a little less of a pure dude drama given the female appeal of Timothy Olyphant (U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens.)

3.  Mad Men.  What guy doesn't, at some level, want to be Don Draper?

4.  Homeland.  Yeah, I know, there is the complicated relationship between Nicholas Brody and Carrie Matthison but what is more masculine than the CIA trying to find then capture or kill terrorists?

5.  The Sopranos.  You can't keep what may have been the best serial drama ever off of this list, can you?

6.  Game of Thrones.  Season three of this award-winning drama begins tomorrow night--it's the darkest show on television.

7.  24.  Jack Bauer...need I say more?

8.  The Wire.  Gritty, raw, authentic, profane--an unbelievable show.

9.  Southland.  This TNT police drama, set in Los Angeles, is one of the best shows no one knows.

10.  Entourage.  Don't forget, this show was appointment viewing among young males when it was on the air.

Yes, there are shows who deserve to be on this list, e.g., Breaking Bad, but aren't here simply because I haven't seen enough to grade them versus these 10.

There you have it--the ten best recent shows for dudes...fire away!

A primer for hoops fans coming to K.C.

Once again, Kansas City is the center, or at least in the primary solar system, of college basketball this week as the second and third round of the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament comes to Sprint Center on Friday and Sunday.  Kansas and Kansas State fans will dominate the crowds, given those two teams' games at Sprint Center, but we should expect decent numbers coming to the ol' Cowtown from Wisconsin, North Carolina, Mississippi and either Boise State or LaSalle.

Here is a visitor's primer for our out-of-town guests:

Barbecue:  How can one start any list for out-of-towners with a topic other than Kansas City barbecue? Don't look around downtown for the best 'cue in K.C.--head 1.5 miles east to the original Arthur Bryant's at 18th and Brooklyn.  If vinegary sauce isn't your thing, then your second best bet is to cab it to Oklahoma Joe's at 44th and Mission Road on the Kansas side, where you'll find a national treasure--the Z Man sandwich.  And, finally, another closer-in option is Danny Edward's Barbecue on Southwest Boulevard.  Listen up, Carolina fans--this list only scratches the surface of what real 'cue is about, as Kansas City has a long list of mouth-watering venues ready for barbecue sampling.

Bar:  The best bar in town is a short walk south from Sprint Center--Manifesto, a speakeasy-type establishment below the Rieger Hotel restaurant that, simply put, makes the best cocktails in town.

Beer:  Kansas City is home to one of the best craft beer makers in the U.S.--Boulevard Brewing.  If you get a chance, head to Boulevard for a tour and sampling of the Smokestack Series.

Burgers:  The options are plenty but, if you want to walk, then go to one of the downtown locations of Town Topic.  If it's good enough for Anthony Bourdain, it's good enough for you.

Dive:  Don't head to the P&L District in-between tournament sessions--go a block south from Sprint Center to The Cigar Box.  This dive offers up quality grub, cold beer and cocktails, all in an atmosphere that all but requires a flashlight.

Pizza:  The best pizza downtown is at Grinder's, another short walk from Sprint Center.  But, my advice is to skip the pizza and get Grinder's meatball grinder accompanied by a hearty order of Tater Tots.  Now, that's good eatin'!

Tex Mex:  Where to start?  Manny's, Ponak's and the small establishments along Southwest Boulevard are all quality stops but my advice is to cab it to Rudy's Taqueria on Westport Road for the best tacos in town.

Steak:  Red meat, you say?  Downtown offers The Majestic Steakhouse but my suggested best steak in town resides at The Capital Grille on the Country Club Plaza.  Yeah, I know it's a chain but it's still, in my opinion, the best meal in town.  And, the wine list is first rate.

Culture and History:  Oh, okay, if you need something to do on Saturday besides watching hoops at some sports bar establishment, then go to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the same vicinity at Arthur Bryant's (see above.)  The Museum commemorates the forming of the Negro Leagues, which started in Kansas City, and honors the greats of the game, including Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Kansas City's own Buck O'Neil.  If art is your thing, then check out the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, just east of the Plaza area of town, where the art inside is perhaps only overshadowed by the sculptures outside combined with the architectural magnificence of this museum.

Enjoy your time, visitors, in this city that has "more boulevards than Rome" and "more fountains than Paris."  And, do us a favor--let those Jayhawks and Wildcats move on to the Sweet 16, will ya?

Creative critics

I recently had a creative solution I was proposing to a client and heard the dreaded, "we need to take this in front of (insert some sort of nicer name for a committee.)"  I dropped my what I thought witty, "You know, a camel is a horse designed by a committee" and laughed, but only got a blank look in return, thus sealing my fate--I had to make a creative presentation to a conference room full of people.  It's every agency person's nightmare--the dreaded "let's gain a consensus" on something that, ultimately, is much more art than science.

There's a well-known cartoon in the ad biz by SkydeckCartoons.com labeled "The 8 Types of Bad Creative Critics."  Take a look and pick out your favorite--haven't we all encountered one of these at some time or another?

The Blender:  "Can we just merge them all together?" when presented with various options.

The Hidden Agenda:  "It doesn't meet our objectives."  "What objectives?"  "You'll just have to guess."

The Micro-Manager:  "Change the font to Times New Roman."

The Waffler:  "Let's just go back to option 18D from the first round."

The Pet Peeved:  "I can't stand the color yellow."  "But, that's the brand color!"  "Then change it..."

The Wannabe:  "How about this instead?" (holding up a hand-drawn design on a cocktail napkin)

The Wet Blanket:  "It just sucks."  "Can you be more specific?"  "No."

The Crammer:  "Add this list of benefits" (displaying a toilet roll sized list of copy points)

Oh, the joys of air travel

Perhaps it's the curmudgeon in me but, seriously, can the world of business travel get much worse?  It wasn't that long ago that one actually was offered a meal on a plane--a bad meal, mind you, but a meal nonetheless.  Now, airlines begrudgingly offer drinks and perish the thought of bartering for a small bag of stale pretzels or peanuts that no one eats unless they fly more than three hours one way.

So here, once again, are some of my idle observations and musings about the world of business travel, given recent experience.

- Have you ever wondered what the guy running the carry-on luggage, x-ray machine is really looking for?  I mean, why does it take so much time to look at the innards of a Kirkwood carry-on roller bag, retail price $100?  On a recent journey, travelers were actually queued up as we all waited for our bags, laptops, and shampoos and gels (all neatly packed in a ziploc bag, as per TSA requirements), watching the agent who ran a machine that doesn't seem that hard to operate.  Speed it up, for cryin' out loud!

- The TSA agent who recently checked my license and boarding pass, before allowing me to enter security at Kansas City's airport, actually sounded like one of those World War II German train stewards--"May I see your papers, please?"  She grilled me on where I was going, whether it was business or pleasure, and if I had anything to declare.  (Okay, maybe she didn't ask me that last part but she was incredibly intimidating--I felt like if I said the wrong thing I'd be whisked into the closet detention area with the single light bulb hanging down.)

- On the positive side, I'm very appreciative of the US Airways flight attendant who purposely was getting military personnel upgraded to first class.

- I couldn't help but snicker yesterday when entering terminal C at DFW Airport and spying a Salt Lick Barbeque, Popeye's and Dickey's Barbecue, all within 100 feet of one another, with a McDonald's sandwiched in between.  Cholesterol overload, anyone?

- And, finally, we are all captive on these small and smaller tubes of flying metal.  Is it really necessary to lean your seat back as if you're in your Barcalounger at home watching the big screen?  Suck it up like the rest of us...

Super Bowl advertising peek

Dear readers, how could I have ignored you?  I looked at my blog recently and realized that it's been a month--a month--since I have posted here.  Oh, the horror and embarrassment--please, please give me a mulligan and let me make it up to you!

In an effort to get back into your good graces, I give you today a peek under the advertising tent--a look-see at what advertisers are planning to fork over $3.5M-4.5M for a 30-second ad spot on the February 3 Super Bowl.  Let's take a look, shall we?

Audi:  The German automaker is back for a sixth straight year with one :30.  The account is handled by Venables, Bell and Partners, a San Francisco-based independent shop who has done great work in energizing the Audi brand.

Frito-Lay:  Another consistent advertiser is Doritos, who plans a seventh straight "Crash the Super Bowl" contest.  Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, is the involved agency.

Taco Bell:  The quick-service restaurant chain has a :60 planned for the big game.

Volkswagen:  Deutsch, Los Angeles, handles the creative for VW, who plans one :60 during the game.  Last year, VW's spot aired in the second quarter of the Super Bowl.

Walt Disney Pictures:  Disney will promote Oz, the Great and Powerful, Iron Man 3, or The Lone Ranger with their in-game spot.

Coca-Cola:  Coke has purchased three :30's with no word on whether the iconic white bears will be used in the advertising.

Chrysler:  The Detroit auto manufacturer is back again after two years of much-hyped and much-discussed spots.

Kia:  Last year's spot featured Adriana Lima and Motley Crue--what will Kia do this year to top that effort?

Oreo:  Weiden and Kennedy was named to lead the Super Bowl creative efforts for this brand.

Mercedes Benz:  The Super Bowl is being played in the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans.  Perhaps naturally we'll then hear the sound of Jon Hamm's voice-over in one Mercedes spot in the game's fourth quarter.

Other involved brands include:  Anheuser-Busch, Axe, Best Buy, Cars.com, Century 21, Lincoln, M&M's, Samsung, Skechers, Universal Pictures and Toyota.

(Source:  Advertising Age)

You can't go home again

Last week, we moved--as in, physical labor move with boxes and movers and the once again realization that there are few things on the planet less fun than taking your belongings out of one home and putting them in another.

This was our eighth move but only our fourth involving moving out of a home we owned.  I remember now why moving has not been a frequent occurrence in our family.

If moving is a pain then owning a home is like a constant headache.  But, it's also a symbol of one's family dynamic.  That's why it stung me last week when I stood in an empty house and looked into the dining room--the scene of so many family meals, holiday gatherings, and get-togethers with friends.  I realized that it was this house that I had most identified with; it was this house where so many major family moments had occurred, thus stirring so many special memories.

We're now in a new place--shiny and fixed up, ready for new organization and prepared for new memories.  As we drove by the old house on Saturday, though, I saw people moving into "our house"--no, not the new one but the one just vacated.  You see, it's still "our house" to me and it was foreign watching new people, with smiling faces, taking their belongings into a house with my memories.

For me, in this case, you can't go home again.  Thomas Wolfe had it right.

Wrapping up a week in Gotham

Greetings, peeps, from 30K feet utilizing the GoGo WiFi in a Delta flight from LGA to MCI.  It's been a productive week in Manhattan so let's kick it around before we close out this work week, shall we?

- New York City, on a good day, requires a certain sense of resolve that one will share space with far too many other individuals.  But, during the holiday season, the hip checks and flying elbows are out in force as it's clearly every man/woman for himself/herself on the sidewalks of Manhattan.

- The Rolling Stones are playing the Prudential Center in Newark, a pay-per-view event you can catch for $39.95.  The cool new wrinkle, though, is the band's use of mobile technology as the concert will be streamed live, for the same price, on PC's, tablets, and smartphones.  The Stones have always been a trend setter in the world of live music, having been the first to sign a tour sponsor, and now are broadcasting a mobile concert experience.  It's a far cry from Keith Richards' statement, in 1997, about cell phones being akin to "sticking your head in a microwave."

- There are only two episodes left of this season of Homeland (Showtime.)  Crap...

- Speaking of New York, Monday, November 26, was the first time police officials can recall recording no shootings, stabbings or murders over a 24-hour period.  Perhaps the holiday cheer has indeed affected Gotham-ites!

- A teacher in Kentucky obviously is still bitter about the election as she recently wrote on her blackboard, in psychology class, that "you can't be a Democrat and go to heaven."  School officials have apologized for the incident.

- It's now a fact--this year will go down as the warmest on record for the states of Kansas and Missouri.

- In the "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" category, a woman in Germany tried to suffocate her boyfriend with her 38DD breasts.  Franziska Hansen, 33, was supposedly upset that her boyfriend was planning to leave her.  The alleged victim, Tim Schmidt, claims that while he slept, Hansen grabbed his head and pushed it between her breasts.  "I couldn't breath anymore," Schmidt claimed.

- Back to the Rolling Stones--the rockers now have an average that is older than the members of the U.S. Supreme Court.  The Stones average almost 69 while the justices' average nearly 67.  I'm not sure if that's a weird commentary on the best rock-and-roll band in history, or the state of the justice system in the U.S.

- American men are tipping the scales at an average weight of 196--16 pounds heavier than 1990.  The average weight of women has risen by 14 pounds over the same period.  (Source:  Gallup)

- Celebration Day, the new Led Zeppelin reunion DVD and CD, is well worth the download.  The live recording is from the group's 2007 concert at O2 in London, played as a tribute to record-label founder Ahmet Ertegun.  Robert Plant's well-worn voice was in better-than-expected form and Jimmy Page killed it, as usual.  Highlights of the set include "Kashmir" and "Black Dog," as well as "Ramble On."

- And, finally, given that I'm sitting on an airplane, major airlines have cut the number of U.S. domestic flights by 14 percent, since 2007, in an attempt to maintain high capacity and thus higher returns on their investments.  St. Louis, Cleveland, Memphis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have been hardest hit, losing 40 percent of their scheduled flights.

"When Black Friday comes..."

"When Black Friday comes
I'll stand down by the door
And catch the grey men when they
Dive from the fourteenth floor"

Amidst the cacophony of news stories and advertisements for Black Friday I couldn't help but think about this song, "Black Friday," which Steely Dan released in 1975.  While the song has nothing to do with today's version of Black Friday, I'm sure the group had no idea that those two words would become woven into today's popular culture.

What is wrong with us!?  What used to be known as "the day after Thanksgiving" now has a name--and an ominous one at that--and reports of fights and disruptive behavior at retail locations around the country as consumers queued up, in the hours before this "event," hopeful for the best deals offered by all of the big box retailers.

In the hours following a day reserved for the gathering of family and friends comes not the gluttony of turkey and dressing but of consumer behavior gone bad.

Who's at greater fault here--the retailers who inch up their store hours to invade on Thanksgiving fellowship or the consumers who gladly satisfy that decision by lining up in search of the best deal on a 55" television or the season's hot toy?  It's sad, sick, and certainly not what Abraham Lincoln had in mind when he signed a proclamation in 1863 making the final Thursday in November a "day of thanksgiving."  Somehow I doubt ol' Abe thought that the final Friday of the month would become something special too.

Happy Thanksgiving, Kansas City!

EDITOR'S NOTE:  This blog entry was posted last Thanksgiving on Musings, Notes & Quotes.  We reprint it here for Thanksgiving 2012.  Happy Thanksgiving to family, friends, and loyal followers of this blog.

I started this blog in February 2009 and for my Thanksgiving posts the past two years I’ve written a serious piece about all of the true reasons I have for being thankful on this, my favorite holiday of the year.

As I drove on the streets of my town, Kansas City, yesterday, I realized that I had special reasons to give thanks again this year—very much focused, though, on this amazing city where I and my family reside. So, with no further adieu, here are the reasons I’m thankful for Kansas City:

- I’m thankful for the people of this expansive geographic metropolitan area—from the tony suburbs to the rural communities and in between. I am thankful for the sincerity of feelings, the kindness which represents our community, and the passion for our state—whether Kansas or Missouri.

- I’m thankful for the prettiest shopping district in the country, the Country Club Plaza, and how no other place else feels so special during the holidays.

- I’m thankful for local icons like George Brett, Tom Watson and Len Dawson. I’m thankful for those who represent Kansas City in the entertainment business—Eric Stonestreet, Jason Sudeikis, Paul Rudd and others.

- I’m thankful for Grandstand Burgers, Rudy’s Tacqueria, Grinder’s, Stroud’s, LC’s, the original Peanut on Main, and Jess & Jim’s.

- I’m thankful for barbecue of all types, sauces, and venues—for Oklahoma Joes, Gates, Arthur Bryants, LC’s, Danny Edwards, B.B.'s Lawnside Barbecue, Jack’s Stack and Rosedale.

- I’m thankful for prime cuts of good ol’ red meat—for The Capital Grille, Ruth’s Chris, Plaza III and JJ’s.

- I’m thankful that our multi-purpose sports complex is updated and still a terrific place to watch baseball or football. I’m thankful for the Sprint Center and Kansas Speedway. And, I’m thankful for the vision of the local ownership of Sporting KC and for the best soccer venue in the United States.

- I’m thankful for Ward Parkway, the Paseo and all the other boulevards in our fair city. I’m thankful the J.C. Nichols fountain and all of the various waterways and water features in our cowtown, which boasts “more fountains than Rome” and “more boulevards than Paris.”

- I’m thankful for local leaders who give of their time, money and management skills to make Kansas City a case study in philanthropic leadership.

- I’m thankful for the companies that call K.C. “home.” And, I’m thankful for the local leaders who have recruited those companies here and work to keep them here.

- I’m thankful for this thing called “Kansas City Pride”—for a town, which engenders loyalty and a desire to make our community a great place to live and work.

The naivete of the ultra-affluent

The ultra-affluent--those defined as the richest folks in America--took a lot of heat over the past several months as President Barack Obama and his challenger, Governor Mitt Romney, battled it out on the election stage and debated tax plans and economic policy.  Interestingly, the folks who fall into this "rich" category don't seem to know that they are in the  ultra-affluent group, and they were relatively sanguine about the results of the election.

According to Ipsos Mendelsohn Affluent Barometer (August 2012), the ultra-affluent are 1% of the U.S. population and are defined generally as households with income of $250,000-$325,000 plus per year, depending upon who you're consulting.  Those with household incomes of $250,000 or more--the line frequently used by President Obama and Democrats to mark where tax increases should hit--is how Mendelsohn identifies the "ultra affluent," which actually is the top 2-3% of Americans.  The U.S. government raises the bar to somewhere in the $325,000 neighborhood.

In survey results released in August, 49% of respondents in this "ultra affluent" group said they don't expect their savings or investment plans to change in 2013, regardless of the election winner.  A substantial number--55%--do expect to pay higher taxes if Mr. Obama is re-elected while 27% don't expect the election outcome to make a difference.

What's perhaps of keenest interest is how the most affluent think of themselves as less affluent.  Households that are in the top 20-25% of earners on average think that they are in the 38th percentile.  The ultra-affluent, in the top 2-3%, of earners on average think that they are in the 16th percentile.

The lack of awareness of economic status is a change from 2006-2007 when consumers tended to overestimate their wealth, or felt like they were on the verge of striking it rich.  I guess we can hypothesize that the market crash of 2008-09 caused this fairly radical shift in "affluency awareness."