John K. Davis, Executive Director

VoiceMale

A good friend of mine, Neil Chethik, has written a new book entitled "VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Wives, Their Marriages, Sex, Housework, and Commitment" (Simon & Schuster). It's just out this week and the author, Neil Chethik, will be appearing on ABC-TV's "Good Morning America" between 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM this coming Monday, January 9. Please watch the show.

 

Neil has been writing about men's lives for many years.  His first book, "FatherLoss" (Hyperion 2001), explored how men deal with the deaths of their fathers. For "VoiceMale," he surveyed 350 American husbands and wrote about men's views on every aspect of marriage. Some wonderful surprises there, including the good news that 9 out of 10 men would marry the same woman again!

 

Neil invites you, of course, to purchase the book at Amazon dot com. I've agreed to help Neil get out the word about the book in hopes of creating the biggest "buzz" possible, so if you're interested in the book, consider buying it sooner rather than later. In hardcover, it's less than $16.

 

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Feeling Better

Janet and I enjoyed a wonderful visit with Stephanie and her family near the end of March. A day after returning home I came down with a nasty virus that I probably picked up on the plane trip back to San Diego. The virus turned into a respiratory infection that really knocked me for a loop. A heavy course of antibiotics has finally got me on the mend and I'm feeling much better.

We celebrated my returning good health and our wedding anniversary this past weekend by luxuriating at La Costa Resort and Spa. We spent most of the three days wearing nothing but chenille bath robes and slippers. Our VIP suite, body scrubs and wraps, Roman baths, cool showers in the steam room, couples massage, gourmet meals, glorious grounds, relaxing music and our willingness to fully surrender to the sensual experience helped us to honor and deepen our commitment to one another and renew our spirits.

We found friends, Danny and Barbara Kieller, our first evening there when we arrived for dinner reservations at Blue Fire Grill. Danny was attending a medical conclave at the resort and they were extending their stay in order to celebrate Danny's birthday. The surprise encounter was duplicated the following morning at breakfast and the serendipity of the unplanned meetings added to the pleasure of our weekend.

We drove a bit further north on Sunday to visit Carol Bruch in Pacific Palisades. Carol has a beautiful condominium in a high-rise building on the corner of Sunset Blvd and Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the ocean. We enjoyed meeting a few of Carol's other friends at the gathering and sauntering through the grounds around her building.

It was a weekend we will not soon forget.

What the Bleep?!

I saw a quirky movie recently that I highly recommend you see. It is three movies integrated into a coherent whole.

The core film is about a cranky photographer struggling with bad memories, life's frustrations and reality as she transcends self-degradation. As we witness her awakening, another film, a documentary, weaves interviews of an eclectic array of quantum physicists, neurologists, anesthesiologists, physicians, molecular biologists, spiritual leaders, mystics and scholars to present a well-informed cosmological view of reality. And interspersed throughout are wonderful cartoons, musical comedies and other short skits that entertain while emphasizing an idea or explanation.

“What the #$BLEEP*! Do We Know!?” is a movie, a wake-up call, a bold, funny, unique work that goes to the heart of the human dilemma and provides wisdom and insight along the way. See it. You will thank me.

Singularity Stories

Janet and I joined dear friends on Saturday for dinner and a movie. We saw I Robot. We all enjoyed the movie, but I complained about the lack of logic inherent in the film's premise. I crave Science Fiction that is Singularity aware, but there is not much out there.

A recent article in Popular Science | Is Science Fiction About to Go Blind? reflects my sensibilities. The introduction to the article includes excerpts from a soon-to-be-published novel, Accelerando, by British writer Charles Stross. Here is a portion of this Singularity aware story:

Donna the Journalist asks the crew members when they think the Singularity took place. “Four years ago,” Pierre suggests. Su Ang votes for 2016. But Boris, the jellyfish drinker, says the entire notion of a Singularity is silly. To him, there’s no such thing. Wait a minute, Su Ang responds. Here we are, traveling in a spaceship the size of a soda can. We’ve left our bodies behind to conserve space and energy so that the laser-sail-powered Field Circus can cruise faster. Our brains have been uploaded and are now running electronically within the tiny spaceship’s nanocomputers. The pub is “here,” along with other virtual environments, so that we don’t go into shock from sensory deprivation. “And you can tell me that the idea of a fundamental change in the human condition is nonsense?”

Only a small cadre of techno-prophets is attempting to extrapolate current trends and imagine what our world might look like in the next few decades. “We’re staring into a fogbank,” Stross says, “and we literally do not know where we’re going, only that we’re going there very fast.”

My Valentine

Click on the image above to see a larger version of the photo taken of Janet and the barbershop quartet that interrupted a meeting between the deans, department heads and student leaders in the law school's board room last Friday. It seems that someone close to Janet arranged a special Valentine's Day surprise which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Steve Bates, a prominent San Diego attorney and member of the referral exchange group in which I am also active, is the tall distinguished dude standing behind my lovely wife. Steve and the rest of the quartet sang two schmaltzy love songs for the delighted recipient of the Valentine’s Day gift. I hear the entire second floor of the school’s administration building was included in the audience that enjoyed the brief performance.

I am a very lucky guy who is in love with a life partner that deserves such attention now and then. It’s fitting that you enjoyed a happy Valentine’s Day, my love.

Reading List

TypePad recently updated their service so I can now sort my reading list by ratings--my ratings. So, the reading list near the bottom of the About Me page is now more reflective of my preferences. I have not added many of the books I have read in the past two years to the list yet, but I will soon.

Shona Show

Carolyn, Janet and I (Tom is traveling) visited the San Diego Natural History Museum to enjoy the pre-opening party for the "Spirits in Stone" exhibit of Shona sculpture. All of the pieces are for sale (it is a fundraiser for the museum).

Shona sculpture is steeped in the legend and traditions of an ancient African culture, yet stunningly modern in appearance. Shona sculptors, transcending geography and time, create in the living stone profound expressions of the human condition. Sculpting by hand with simple and found tools, these self-taught artists carve in indigenous serpentine, granite, and rare precious verdite. The unique rock they shape illumines with more than 200 natural color and texture variations. The result is a diverse body of work alive with dynamic, spiritual themes.

We had a wonderful time. It was good to see Katie Boskoff there and others from church, the law school and people we know from various contexts. The food was awesome! We ate, sipped wine, mingled, and experienced the beautiful art. We purchased the exhibit catalogue, a large coffeetable book with the most amazing photographs, and had Tony Ponter, co-curator, sign the inside cover for us. Take a look the next time you stop by.

Do Not Call

Dave Barry is one of my favorite humorists. The thing is that often he nails something so well that it becomes a cultural legend. This is a good example:

Do Not Call

Last Q Game

Janet and I are enjoying the last Padre game at Qualcom Stadium.

CWSL Seats

Right to left it is Lera, Steve, Janet and John. California Western School of Law is hosting the Dean, Associate Dean and their spouses at today's game.