A Hollywood Star for Ringo

I'm not sure why this surprised me, but I recently saw a news article that this past Monday, Ringo Starr was honored with the 2401st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This event also marked the marked the 50th anniversary of the sidewalk attraction's groundbreaking. This Blind Bambi's first thought was: "Why Ringo Starr at this point in time?." I would have thought that all of the Beatles would have long ago received their stars. It turns out that the Beatles, as a group, were originally honored with a star in 1994, but the honor was short-lived as Capitol Records had the star removed weeks later. The removal was based on the label's concern that the installation of the star was not attended by at least one member of the band. In 1998, though, the British band was given a new star. After John Lennon's death in 1980, he was honored with a star in 1988. Just last year, George Harrison, who died of cancer in 2001, was also awarded a star. Apparently, Paul McCartney's star has been approved, but he has yet to schedule a ceremony. At some point, then, it looks like all of the Beatles will be immortalized on the Walk of Fame.

Curious, I did some simple research into how this process works. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame Committee selects entertainers each year to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star, however, doesn't come for free. The honoree must agree to attend a presentation ceremony within five years of selection, and a fee (currently $25,000) must be paid, by the honoree or a sponsor, to a trust which pays for installation, security, publicity, staging, and maintenance costs.

Money and Happiness

A recent study by researchers from Stanford and the University of Toronto found that there is a stronger tie between pay rate and happiness for hourly wage-earners than there is for salaried employees. They believe that this is because being paid hourly forces you to see the valuation placed upon your time. Thinking of time in terms of money strengthens the connection between happiness and money. Salaried employees who did the calculation to convert their income to an hourly rate also more strongly correlated income to happiness. They also infer that how people tend to see and treat their time at the workplace doesn't typically change when they are off of the clock. This Blind Bambi is not really sure what this means, though. This seems to imply that well-paid hourly workers might more efficiently manage their time (both on the job and at home) - they fully understand the valuation of their time. Those who don't make very much, though, may be happier as a salaried employee that doesn't try to figure out how little he or she is being paid on a time interval basis.

Streets Paved With Gravel, Not Gold

Writing for USA Today, Liisa Rajala, in "Tight Times Put Gravel on the Road," reports that some American communities have resorted to conversion of their cracked asphalt roads into gravel as a cost-cutting measure. The article sites a study by the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies that concluded gravel is cost-effective when traffic averages less than 200 vehicles per day. Even so, there are safety, dust, and probably other basic drawbacks of gravel roads. Now a Blind Bambi like myself, with "no-eyed deer" about much of anything, is certainly going to have little insight to add. That's not going to stop me, though, from sharing my viewpoint on the matter, which is somewhat conflicted on this potential trend. On the one hand, I am thrilled to see novel approaches being taken to weather the economic downturn in a way that lessens future public debt and/or makes additional money available for other necessary projects. On the other, however, I am discouraged that this seems to be yet another example of national infrastructure that is in decline. That national infrastructure that provides our transportation systems, utilities, communications, and much more, is both an important part of and a by-product from American success.

Soon It Will Be Super Bowl Weekend

Its almost Super Bowl weekend. We are all eagerly anticipating Sunday's game, The Who's halftime show, and those brand new commercials. This year, a 30 second advertisement spot is priced between $2.5 million and $3 million. It seems like every year, both Coke and Pepsi participate in this ritual, each airing some memorable ads. This year, however, Pepsi has decided not to play in this game. Pepsi, has instead decided to redirect the millions of dollars that they would pour into Super Bowl marketing towards a social-media campaign to promote its "Pepsi Refresh" initiative. Coke, by contrast, will air two different spots, including one with characters from "The Simpsons." Automakers have jumped in headfirst. Audi, Dodge, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Volkswagen have all purchased ads. The notable abstention is from Toyota, currently embroiled in a recall crisis. Publicly, however, they have stated that they did not buy ad time because they are in-between product introductions. Lots of food, football, and hype. Super Bowl Sunday is one of my favorite holidays. And yes, at this Blind Bambi's home, it is considered a holiday. Regardless of who you are cheering for, here's a heartfelt wish that your Super Bowl experience is a superbly enjoyable affair!