Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Environmental Hero. Kenneth Adelman made millions a few years back by selling his company to Cisco Systems during Silicon Valley's boon years. Then, at age forty-one, he did something extraordinary. Rather than go out and buy a mid-life crisis red Porsch with his new-found wealth, Massara instead bought a helicopter in mid-life crisis red. An avid pilot, he next called the Sierra Club to see if they didn't have a need for aerial photography. Thus was launched a project that seeks to protect California's diminishing coastline from the likes of greedy media magnates, movie stars, and developers intent on erecting private golf courses, dude ranchs, resorts, and swanky homes. In one ergregious case, Adelman and his watchdogs caught one such media magnet ripping up the brown foothills of Southern California's coastline to put in an 18-hole golf course. What's wrong with a golf course you ask? Putting a course in what essentially a desert for squanders California's scarce fresh water and sends that fresh water flowing into estuary ecosystems -- killing off many salt-marsh plants. And let's not forget the hundreds of pounds of insecticides, fungicides, fertilizers, and herbicides that drain into the tidal waters so that a few pot-bellied cigar-touting men can hit a ball into a little hole. Adelman's website, www.californiacoastline.org offers an aerial chronicle of California's coastline. Ironically, some of California's biggest purported 'liberals' who just happen to have big beach-front houses have been the ones to make the biggest stink about Adelman's work. In spite of ongoing lawsuits against him, his website (one which won't be winning any prizes for design anytime soon I can't imagine) has proved of invaluable help to environmental advocates working to make sure that future generations have access to one of California's most precious and beautiful assets.
Techno Hero. I vote for Mitch Altman, CEO of TV-B-Gone. Tired of television sets droning mindlessly in every public setting 24/7, he invented a gizmo the size of a key chain that when pressed will turn off any TV in the near vicinity. Most people never even notice when he does it. What they might notice is that the person they were talking to is now paying attention to them rather than habitually glancing over to the TV monitor like a bad tick.
Boston's Hero(s). Why the Red Sox of course. Their winning last night means the son will hopefully get back to the task of keeping up his grades at college. The Bush campaign won't be able to hide their bungled 380 tons of missing explosives behind the pleasant distractions of the World Series; it's over. The state of Massachusetts can now boast that it is home to the best public schools in the nation, home to Harvard and MIT, home to the Superbowl-winning New England Patriots, home to a city almost done with the Big Dig, now home to the World Series-winning Red Sox, and soon to be home to the next President of the United States. OK that last one is really wishful thinking...
Techno Hero. I vote for Mitch Altman, CEO of TV-B-Gone. Tired of television sets droning mindlessly in every public setting 24/7, he invented a gizmo the size of a key chain that when pressed will turn off any TV in the near vicinity. Most people never even notice when he does it. What they might notice is that the person they were talking to is now paying attention to them rather than habitually glancing over to the TV monitor like a bad tick.
Boston's Hero(s). Why the Red Sox of course. Their winning last night means the son will hopefully get back to the task of keeping up his grades at college. The Bush campaign won't be able to hide their bungled 380 tons of missing explosives behind the pleasant distractions of the World Series; it's over. The state of Massachusetts can now boast that it is home to the best public schools in the nation, home to Harvard and MIT, home to the Superbowl-winning New England Patriots, home to a city almost done with the Big Dig, now home to the World Series-winning Red Sox, and soon to be home to the next President of the United States. OK that last one is really wishful thinking...
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