1983

Hello friends. I saw a great political advertisement in yesterday's Chicago newspaper asking people to participate in the election process. The ad urged Cook County residents to "VOTE EARLY (and often.)" I love this town.

But enough about me. I received a wonderful note from Maria Olsen who resides in Atlanta and works as an associate producer for CNN's Special Report Documentary Unit. "You know when the anchorperson says 'And now this Special Report?' Well, that's us!" Maria's life is hardly boring. Some of the topics she's tackled include "Third World on the Mississippi;" "For Sale: America" (about foreign investment); "Art Fraud;" and "In the Name of God" (about Iran). These projects typically run about three months, and are quite intensive. Maria likens it to going to grad school. And, there's a possibility that Maria is in Saudi Arabia or Amman covering the Mideast crisis even as we speak.

Okay, I need to get something off my chest. Is anyone else bugged by the fact that the Japanese just bought Pebble Beach? Just asking.

Caryn Ginsberg lives! I finally picked up her trail via a press release from First America Metro Corporation announcing that Caryn has been promoted to SVP of the retail marketing group. Her new responsibilities are so lengthy that I'll use up my word limit if I list them all. Suffice it to say that Caryn is now a certified top dog at First Metro. I vaguely recall that she used to be at Boston Consulting Group and went to Stanford B-School. Let it be known that Caryn's resume packs some serious punch.

Jeff Soinski also made the news recently, having joined Hill, Holliday in New York. Jeffs going to be in charge of the Motrin IB and Labatt's beer accounts. This boy's got a pedigree in advertising, folks he's worked in Old Spice, Pierre Cardin, and Breck. (Once I tried using some cologne from Old Spice. It didn't work.) Jeff had a stint at Nabisco where he did strategic planning and taste-tested cookies. Another life empty of accomplishments...

Bob and Barbara Goldman have confirmed that they are moving to Boston this month. They've spent the last four months in Israel, volunteering as English teachers in a Youth Village of 500 (God almighty!) teenagers. Most of the students were from Iran, Turkey, Brazil, Afghanistan, and Italy, so the Goldies had some serious cultural education.

Steve Barnett is studying in Jerusalem. That's all I know. Megan Morgan is now officially "Dr. Morgan," having earned her Ph.D. from Washington University. She just entered Bryn Mawr College for a three-year research and teaching position. The linchpin of Megan's research is learning more about muscle development and its implications for neuromuscular disorders. The goal is to help medical science make advances towards treating diseases such as muscular dystrophy. In case you're wondering, Greg and Randi Curhan's wedding was absolutely spectacular. Bride and Groom headed off to Europe happily, before returning to California and the realities of UCLA B-School and money management. Truly a great couple...

In closing, a few cultural notes: "Pump Up the Volume" is worth seeing. "Diehard 2" is not. And if anyone's done any hiking in New Mexico, please let me know. Thanks.

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