I was in a meeting not so long ago, sitting across the table from a man who, apparently finding my company less than scintillating, continuously read his email on his BlackBerry while I prattled on. When I was done with the meeting, I got up, took my handkerchief out of my pocket and slapped his face with it. “You are rude, sir,” I said. I then curtly bowed before exiting the meeting, my head held high.

Okay, I didn’t slap the man, but still I was insulted. I’m also concerned.  According to the ePolicy Institute, a consulting group in Columbus, Ohio, few companies have Smartphone policies regarding use in meetings.  In this 24/7 world, being accessible is, of course, critical, but so are meetings where humans actually interact, face-to-face.  My feeling is that an occasional e-mail check is permissible (especially in long meetings), but that it should be more the exception rather than the rule. But keep it short: I’m a sensitive guy.

 Apparently you might be able to buy the Boston Globe for a buck. Not an actual copy of the newspaper, mind you, but the entire company. Rumors are circulating that the parent company The New York Times might be willing to part ways with The Globe for the price of a double cheeseburger (no fries) just to be rid of the liabilities and headaches.  That’s a pretty good bargain, considering The Globe was purchased for more than $1 billion in 1993.

 As a result, I’m meeting later this week with my financial team to consider putting together a package in an attempt to buy The Globe. I won’t go the full dollar, of course, but if my bankers give me the nod (and granted, that’s a big if considering the economy) – I’ll make a serious offer.  I’m going to be careful not to over pay however, I need cash right now – I’m planning on buying the entire city of Detroit* next month for $18 and change — so every dime matters.  

*Detroit Lions included

Last week’s Chicago Bulls playoff series with the Boston Celtics was significant for reasons other than the obvious: it was a classic series. Rather it was important for nostalgic reasons; it brought the city and possibly families and office mates together in ways that only sports can.

In today’s fragmented world, where everyone is watching or listening or playing off by themselves, (in our house, it is not uncommon for everyone to be watching or reading something different on various computers or laptops or TVs) it was refreshing to see the majority of Chicago watching and talking about the same thing. It brought back memories of years past, when families gathered around the living room TV to watch Ed Sullivan or the evening news or All In The Family. That sense of togetherness, a unified and shared experience is becoming rarer and rarer nowadays. Only a live sports event really has the power to bring everyone together and I’m glad my family had the chance to experience it. Of course, I would have liked it more if the Bulls had won, but there is always next year.

 The election is over… so what do we do now?

Will Joe the Plumber ever get his plumbing license?  Will Sarah really return all those clothes? Will Joe Biden ever stop smiling? Will we ever truly know if we can put lipstick on a pig?

America’s long running hit series, the Presidential election, is going on hiatus and political junkies, which I became, are having trouble dealing with withdrawal. Not much point to watch the Daily Show or Anderson Cooper now. Back to watching old Will Ferrell videos on YouTube.

The good news is that the country was engaged and involved in this election like never before.  The bad news is that it’s all over. Credit the Obama-McCain team for putting on a great show that energized America in ways we haven’t experienced for years,

For those looking for closure, I recommend reading ( people still read magazines don’t they?) this week’s Newsweek. Its’ exhaustive summary of the election is extremely entertaining and informative. Newsweek was given unlimited access to the candidates’ campaign throughout the entire process.  In exchange for this access, they agreed not to publish their account until after the election. ( they did the same thing after the 2004 election.) There’s really good stuff in there.  Enjoy and remember, the next election starts in about two years.