Election
The Capital Scene
Nov 11th
Last week I traveled to Washington, DC, on Amtrak from New York for a daytrip of meetings. One great advantage of traveling with Amtrak is that even though it can be crowded, sometimes you can change your train ticket even after you’ve purchased it or missed your train, without any troubles. But I reserved a late train in the evening to ensure I wouldn’t have to rush out of the afternoon meetings.
Anyway, I did have some time in the evening to walk around DC, an occasion I rarely have and so I took full advantage. A friend met me for dinner at the Willard Intercontinental, and as the weather was summerlike, we sat outside, and I took in the political scene.
Almost every passerby’s conversation revolved around the recent election, and every corner store had Obama-Biden paraphernalia for sale. What made the night extra special for me was just before catching my train, around 8:30 p.m., we took a stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue right past the front lawn of the White House.
I probably had not done that since I was a little girl. Having traveled the world since then and having seen the homes of many heads of state from a distance, it was awe-inspiring and humbling to stand so close to the home of the President of the United States. It was peaceful, beautiful and a truly great symbol of this country. Whoever resides in the White House, be it President Bush, President-elect Obama or future presidents, I wish them all the best of luck, because no home so beautiful comes without hard work!
 Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
All Aboard!
Nov 4th
On this historic day, if you are reading this before 8 p.m. and you haven’t voted, go vote! Your vote counts.
Today will go down in history. Over the weekend, an historic event in sporting was experienced here in NYC, the New York Marathon. I was able to watch Paula Radcliffe breeze her way to her second consecutive win and third overall win in the New York marathon. As I watched along Central Park South, I was proud to see a first-time marathoner and a New Yorker, Kara Goucher, take third place.
Last week, I had the pleasure to speak to the Pass Bureau Association in Newport, RI at their annual conference on the topic of “Going Green.” I chose to focus on awareness and going green in tourism, as well as the effects corporations and individuals have on each other. Like your vote, everything you do to help the environment, large or small, makes a difference. The conference was a great gathering of dedicated people in the industry. Everyone was able to discuss key current events affecting the industries through successful networking sessions.
As the conference came to a close, delegates had the opportunity to share some laughs and fun on the Newport Dinner Train. I didn’t know what to expect but was pleased as we experienced not only beautiful scenery but unexpected entertainment as well.
We went on the dinner train on Halloween. As we boarded, I couldn’t help but notice three characters on board – a flesh-eating prisoner, a dead bride and a nearly dead maid. The train sat tables of four on both sides of an aisle. I sat with delegates from California, Wyoming and India. All three actors were dressed in costume, and their acting was nearly too good for me!
We all realized, rather quickly, that the dead maid took a strong liking to me. Even though I played along, I told my tablemates that if she served my food, I would not be eating it. She continued to make me uncomfortable, but, I have to admit, she was funny with her innuendos. At one point she whispered things in my ear which made me blush – for the whole table to see! Even though these characters were not waiters and waitresses, they would pitch in every now and then to help the busy waitstaff. We caught the maid carrying a tray of drinks. She was so concentrated on not spilling them, she finally broke character. We all had a good laugh, and I breathed a sigh of relief!
I left the train on friendly terms with the maid. I had to compliment her acting skills, as I learned she took a liking to other conference members, too. In the end, we all had a good laugh. The dinner train was a success as I bonded with my tablemates (mostly at my expense). We had a great time at the conference, and I had a Halloween I will never forget!
-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
“Resolved . . .”
Oct 11th
I’ve watched both presidential debates this season, plus the v.p. debate and some covering state and local positions. I don’t know why I still tune in when years of experience have taught me that no matter the party, candidate or position, these forums rarely provide me with the kind of information I am seeking to help me decide whom to vote for. Well, okay, maybe they do give me the opportunity to see how these men and women think on their feet, but rarely do any of them answer a question directly. I get so frustrated with vague, generalized responses; bits of stump speeches I’ve heard numerous times already; and attacks on and claims against their opponents.
What I want is brief, concise answers to the questions that were posed. I DON’T want candidate A to describe his/her position in terms of what he/she states is candidate B’s position. I’ve decided that the current debate format (which, let’s face it, doesn’t really look or sound like a genuine debate) should be ditched in favor of an opportunity for each person to address questions posed to him/her individually. It would look something like this:
The candidates don’t appear on stage at the same time, saving them from the temptation to start pointing fingers at each other.
Each candidate is presented with the same questions and given the same length of time to answer them.
Going overtime results in a shut-off of the microphone and/or camera, penalty points, and/or a mild electric shock! The same penalties hold true if the candidate wanders off topic or begins talking about the opponent or his/her position rather than the candidate’s own.
I don’t know if such a system would be more entertaining than the current “debates” are (well, perhaps so if the electric shock is used!), but it would almost certainly be more enlightening.
Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader
