Thursday, December 27, 2012

What More Can We Learn From Steve Jobs

Just after Steve Jobs died, I blogged about him.  I’d never met the man.  I’m sure he had as many faults as the next guy.  But there was something so magical about him.  Whimsical and unforgettable.  He reminded me of Willy Wonka, except Wonka was a figment of Roald Dahl’s imagination.   Jobs was real –  in life and in death.

Jobs was initially diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2004 – one of the most lethal forms of cancer.  Told by doctors at 7:30am that morning his cancer was inoperable, Jobs was given 3-6 months to live. That’s it.  Cold.  Stark and final.  He spent the entire day in emotional agony playing his death sentence over and over in his mind.  That’s gotta be one of the worst punishments any human being one could endure
That evening, Jobs’ doctors did a biopsy on the tumor.  His team literally cried on discovering the cancer indeed could be cured by surgery. Jobs underwent the surgery shortly thereafter.  He recovered well, later reporting, “I’m fine now.”  The world and scores of Apple fans and employees breathed sighed with relief. 

This close call made Jobs even more frank and honest – and he started to talk openly about (his) life and death.  It was like he became a mere (im) mortal overnight.  Full or paradoxes and quirks, Steve soldiered on.  Shortly afterwards, in his now well-known 2005 Stanford commencement address, he eloquently shared his thoughts on living with purpose, passion, love and excitement.
Steve always believed he was one of the lucky few to love his work – and that he found it so early in his career was even more of a blessing.  In its first ten years, under Steve’s almost obsessive eye, Apple grew from nothing into a $2 billion powerhouse that ultimately redefined how the world’s citizens related to their computers.
And then he was fired from the company he created.
Jobs confessed he felt like a failure – a loser – but like a genius, he was able to identify what kept him going during these very dark hours.
“The only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did,” he said. “Find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”
Each and every one of us are uniquely gifted to do certain things.  Only certain work can engage our talent and bring out the best in us.  And it’s different for all of us – in a good way.
Steve followed his passions.  He loved what he did.  He did what he was uniquely capable of doing better than anyone else.  Most importantly, he ensured his work was aligned with his passion.
In his commencement address, he said:  “If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.”
“I look in the mirror every morning and ask myself: If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? And whenever the answer has been No for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something,” he said.  Jobs continued, “Remembering I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”
He urged the graduates not to waste their lives living someone else’s dream. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice,” he said. “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
Imagine a world where everyone was as passionate as Steve.  What if all of us came to work as pumped to be at our jobs as Steve was to be at Apple?   We’re not all leaders and/ or creative geniuses like Steve.   But we can all bring the same energy and passion to our jobs as he did. We can be just as passionate about our work as he was. When we make the commitment to finding work we love and not settling, we set the stage for magic (as Steve did). 
We each have unique personalities; abilities, skills, and interests to fulfill us when we align them with meaningful work.  When the right person is in the right job at the right company, success ensues -  for both the individual and the employer.  That was the Steve and Apple story.   
Jobs found his calling and showed us how to live with passion and purpose. He didn’t settle, and he urged us not to either. Think about that world again where we’re all as jazzed as Steve was about our jobs. How cool would that be?
To echo the last words Steve ever said – it would be “Oh wow.  Oh wow.  Oh wow.”  His eyes flickered.  And then he passed onto the next world. 

Thursday, December 13, 2012

A Welcome Improvement to Toronto's Kosher Landscape

The Burger Guy at Goldburger's
No question, the food industry is a tough one --- places spring up and close before they’ve had a chance.  Sentiments change like the wind changes direction and more importantly, speak to any restaurateur and they’ll tell you indeed how hard it is to make money.  I believe it!

A year ago, Toronto’s kosher community spiraled into a flap as a result of my blog post.  It was a harsh review, but it was the truth.  I write what I see, taste and hear.  Period.  I did not apologize then and I won’t apologize now (based on the many angry emails I received - I know I offended many) – but the reality was my entire experience at said establishment sucked.   Looks like Toronto’s kosher places took me seriously as generally kosher food places here have vastly improved since then. 

Even harder than running a regular restaurant is running a kosher one:
  1. The price of kosher food, especially meat is almost double the cost of non-kosher food.  Eating kosher, while the law – is not a cheap one in terms of money - to which to adhere
  2. Kosher restaurants are closed some 75 days a year – in other words, they pay rent for 365 days, but are only open for about 290 days.  The results can be catastrophic – you run the numbers
  3. The percentage of Jews who only eat kosher runs about 3%.  Figure in North America there are  some six million jews – meaning there are only some 180,000 that care for kosher food --- the audience is miniscule – and maybe even shrinking.  This augurs particularly poorly for kosher restaurant operators

Burgy Goldburger’s Burger Bar.  Located in north-west Toronto (7000 Bathurst Street) is in a large, yet non-descript strip plaza.  Offers real good – and I mean real-good value for money.   The food is damn tasty too.  I was there an hour or so ago.  Picked up 2 burgers and 1 regular fries for $11.32 (tax included) for my wife and daughter.   I brought it home – they ate and enjoyed (and they’re picky eaters).

Ronnie the boss greets me with a smile.  Nice guy - he’s a friend of a friend of mine.  We gabbed a few minutes as we always do – shot the breeze.  Ronnie’s eating a burger (I presume his dinner) while we chatted – telling me that he’s opening up another burger store.    I think the’s doing it right.  I think he understands fast food – and I think he understands the kosher business too.

He introduces me to the guy he’s sitting next to.  He’s eating dinner as well – I guess they were having some sort of business meeting.  His name is Chris.  And he’s Ronnie’s newest partner– joining him from Mi Vami – a well known Toronto non-kosher middle-eastern restaurant where he was a chef.   Ronnie tells me his newest spot is set to open in January.  It’s not going to be an eat in place – but will do delivery and take out only.   Mediterranean food.  All glatt kosher
 
I hope Ronnie (and the other kosher restaurant operators) bear the following tenets in mind:

  •         Keep your pricing reasonable
  •             The food is important – but so is the overall experience
  •              Smile – make your customers welcome and give great service
Ronnie’s newest expansion idea is a good one, I think - and well needed in Toronto’s kosher community.   Only time will tell.

Disclosure:  I do not receive remuneration of any sort from any food establishment

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Breaking News: The Human Race Reaches Its Lowest Point In 2000 Years


I remember when I was a young teen reading a sci-fi book.   Although I forgot its name, I’ll never forget its macabre story - recounting the tale where entertainment consisted of people watching others being killed in cold blood.  Well last week, that sci-fi story came back to haunt me, us and the whole of the human race.

Disgusting!

The New York Post published a front-page photograph of a man trapped on a subway platform seconds before he was killed by an oncoming train. The victim, Ki-Suck Han, was pushed onto the tracks by another man on the platform. The New York Post’s choice of a front-page photo led to an intense reaction in the public and the news media.

Here’s the picture:

Fiction became reality. And it’s disgusting.  It makes me ashamed to be a human. 

Now, there’s no question that this type of tragedy happened very fast.  Too fast for us to even  comprehend.  That’s what R. Umar Abbasi, a freelance photographer for The New York Post, said of the fatal subway incident on Monday that he caught with his camera. One man threw another into harm’s way, causing him to be run over and killed by an oncoming train. This last part happened in the blink of a shutter. I get it!
But the decision to put the image on the The Post’s cover and frame it with a lurid headline that said “this man is about to die”? That part didn’t happen quickly at all. The treatment of the photo was driven by a moral and commercial calculus that was sickening to behold.   It was about getting the scoop.  It was about beating the other newspapers in an era when the news cycle that could once be measured in hours is now measured in minutes and sometimes even seconds.
The reprehensible decision made by The Post  has brought wide criticism and was derided as ghoulish and insensitive. But the pictures’ mere existence started another conversation summarized by TV weatherman Al Roker, who, on NBC’s “Today Show,” said: “Somebody’s taking that picture. Why aren’t they helping this guy up?”
And that’s the question nobody seems to want to answer, let alone address. 
Abbasi, defended his actions in an interview. “I’m being unfairly beaten up in the press,” he said, before leading a reporter to the 49th Street subway platform to re-enact what had happened.
Mr. Abbasi said he was wearing a 20-odd pound backpack of camera gear for an assignment, and was standing near the 47th Street entrance to the platform when he saw the man fall on the tracks. “Nobody helped,” he said. “People started running away.”
“I saw the lights in the distance,” signaling a subway’s approach, he said, so he started firing off flashes on the camera — 49 times in all, he said — as a means of warning the driver. “I was not aiming to take a photograph of the man on the track,” he said, adding that his arm was fully outstretched, the camera far from his face.
Now, I don’t know Mr. Abassi – but let’s assume he’s a good guy.  A photographer – in the right place at the right time – it’s a Kodak-moment about to happen.  He takes the pictures – as gruesome as they may be.  The guy on the tracks gets wiped out – we know that.  It’s what happens when train strikes person – everytime.
Then a few hours later, the Post publishes it on its front page????  How insensitive!  How thoughtless!  How first century!
I’ve been in media for the best part of 25 years now – it’s a long time – and I’ve seen a lot change, some for the good, others for the not-so-good.  But this, this act of moral reprehension sends us to a new low.
I agree with Poynter’s Julie Moos:  “The moment just before death is a delicate fraction of a second and the NY Post print edition and cover screen image lacks compassion for the victim, his family, his friends and the Post’s audience. In a few words it is disgusting, disconcerting, insensate and intrusive.”
If you feel as strongly as I, please forward this email to the Post’s publisher at letters@nypost.com