Hamels, Howard Preview Phillies Opening Day

The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce sponsored on Friday "Paint the Town Red," a Phillies opening week ritual for 30 years. Phillies Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, and new Phillie Mike Young took questions. Owner Bill Giles, CEO David Montgomery, general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr, manager Charlie Manuel were also on hand.

The Phillie Phanatic is red for Red Week.

Ryan Howard said he is feeling "pretty good." To get ready for the season, he channeled Cal Ripken. He played for two weeks straight during spring training. While he was candid that he is slower, he thinks he has found a way to be more efficient.

A bearded Cole Hamels acknowledged it was a "tremendous honor to be selected opening day pitcher." At spring training, Cole's fastballs were averaging 92 mph. He is hoping with cheering from the fans that it will get up to 93 mph.

Mike Young, who played in two World Series games as a Texas Ranger, made it clear that he wants to finally score a World Series ring. "Losing the World Series is tough," he said.

Hamels, who was first allowed to pitch at the age of 10, said, "There is nothing better than pitching a no hitter at Citizen's Bank Park.

Howard was candid that it is hard to come back after a losing season.

Both Howard and Young had good things to say about Phillies prospect Cody Asche. Hamels thought highly of pitching prospects Adam Morgan and Jonathan Pettibone.

Hamels and Howard's two favorite players were Ken Griffey Jr, and Tony Gwynn. Howards also added Barry Bonds to the list. Young picked Don Mattingly.

Owner Bill Giles, who said that ticket sales are down 10% this year, defended the price of Phillies tickets.
"They are cheaper than Sixers and Flyers tickets. People don't like the price they don't have to come."

Forbes magazine recently named the Phillies Franchise the 5th most valuable franchise in major league Baseball. Giles does not think it is likely that the Phillies will move up higher in the rankings.

"We were sold out three years in a row. But a lot of the value is determined by television rights. We can't compete with New York and Los Angeles," he explained.

Montgomery, who is a part owner, does not care about the rankings at all.

"I care about winning not the value of the franchise," he said,

He explained how they pick between two players with equal stats.

"If two players look the same on paper, then we choose the one with the better character. If they both have the same numbers and character, we go with the younger one. We bet on the future," Montgomery said.

Amaro assured that Delmon Young isn't an anti-Semite.

'He's a good kid from a good family. He was drunk and did something stupid that got a lot of attention because he was a celebrity. He was trying to protect the pickpocket," he said..

Cole Hamels was booed when he said that he had chosen Wichita State in his NCAA bracket.

Rebeck Talks Candidly about "Smash" Firing

“Seminar,” written by the creator of the television show “Smash” Teresa Rebeck, is running at the Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) until April 14. This is a return trip to PTC for Pulitzer Prize nominated Rebeck. Twenty years ago, she wrote her play “Spike Heels” as one of the first young playwrights in the PTC Mentorship Program.

“Seminar” is a comedy about 4 aspiring writers that paid $5000 each to take a writing seminar given by a famous author. Each of the writers has different and surprising reactions to the true, but cruel criticism from their tortured teacher. Many of them, in rotating combinations, found comfort in each other’s arms. Several are forced to deal with the truth and find their true writing destiny.

Pulitzer Prize nominated playwright Rebeck considers “Seminar” one of her most “precious” plays because it is about the “desperate courage and hope of all writers.” She denies that the play is autobiographical, but admits to adding bits of her experiences and personality to several of the characters. Leonard, the writing teacher, is partially based on a sadistic Manhattan writing teacher. 

“Everyone thinks that I am Kate, the young feminist writer. I was a feminist, but not that militant. I have been a writing teacher. I was impatient but I just hope that I was not as cruel as Leonard. Like Matt, I was reluctant to show my work,” she said.

Rebeck, who won both a Peabody Award and Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Award for her work on NYPD Blue, believes this the golden age of storytelling because advancements in technology have lowered the cost of telling a story.

She said, “You can now edit on your laptop. My friend made a movie for $15000 that was distributed nationwide,”

Rebeck encourages all aspiring writers to “create their own opportunity” by self –producing instead of submitting grant applications and facing possible rejection.

“I am not sure that art and corporate logic fit together,” she said.

Rebeck’s distaste for the studio system may stem from her very public firing as executive producer from “Smash.”  Steven Spielberg recruited her to the show when he fell in love with her play, “The Understudy”.

“The show is good. Angelica Huston (who plays the tenacious producer) told me last week the show is not broken. It was going to hit its stride in the second season like “West Wing.”

She attributed her firing to “panicking by NBC executives” and “gender issues.”

“There were 10 guys and me,” she said.

Rebeck, who is one of the most successful women writers in the country, feels that she has hit the glass ceiling in the television industry . She points out that playwrights get to keep their own copyright while television and film writers get paid  a lot of money but sell their copyright to the corporations. 

"Play writing is a collaborative horizontal process while television writing is a vertical process. Corporations stomp on you and your work and then steal it. Male writers have said to me that they do it to us also. But it is not the same thing. They have had one play on off Broadway while I have long of writing credits."

Her creative differences with NBC resulted from their requests to have the characters on "Smash" do things that they or the actors would not do. 

"They wanted to make "Karen" the main character, mean. I said that she could get drunk or angry but would never be mean. They wanted Angelica Huston's character to do icky things which Angelica would never do. She is a lady."

Preview Obama's Tour of Israeli Companies

While you might not be accompanying President Obama on Air Force One to Israel, you can preview the special exhibit, "Israeli technology For A Better World" that Obama will see at the Israel Museum during his visit on March 21.

The companies included in the exhibit are:

Phinergy

    

Phinergy, whose slogan is "The Future Is In the Air," has designed a battery that is powered by aluminum and air. It has three times the range of existing batteries. 

In this video, you can see the car speeding down the highway.



Mobileye

Mobieleye programs prevents traffic collisions by detecting and loudly warning about dangerous situations such as other cars traveling too close, pedestrians, or the auto itself veering into the oncoming traffic lane. If the warning remains unheeded, the system is designed to brake the car if necessary. BMW, GM, Ford, and Volvo have already installed the system in 1 million cars. By 2014, Euro-NCAP will list it as a standard feature.

ReWalk

The ReWalk exoskeleton suit with motorized legs allows paraplegics, such as Artie on "Glee," to walk.

MinDesktop

MinDesktop's headsets are controlled by brain waves or facial movements. Thus allowing the physically handicapped to operate a computer.

Robot Snake

The snake robot special design, which includes computers sensors in every joint, allows it to enter collapsed buildings to gather intelligence for rescue crews. It assists in finding trapped persons and ways to safely enter the building.

ElMindA

ElMindA'S Brain Network Activation Platform allows scientists to measure many of the brain's activities noninvasively.

Bair Questions US Treasury Secretary Lew's Abilities

Former FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair questioned new US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew's ability to handle his job during a Q&A at The Atlantic's Economy Summit. She initially lamented that Obama did not reach outside his inner cycle to fill the position.

"The same voices are in the room. We have to get out of this rut," she complained.

Bair particularly did not like the choice of Jack Lew. She panned his overall intelligence by saying that "he is not a quick study". She is worried that Lew probably "will not take an assertive view of financial reform."

Even more troubling, she does not believe that he can handle one of his key responsibilities as Treasury Secretary.

Bair said, "As Treasury Secretary, he is chairman of the the Financial Stability Oversight Council. It is a key voice for financial reform.  He does not have a background in that."

An outspoken critic of administration, Bair continues to give the administration a low grade for their handling of the economy.

"We are not getting more jobs and lending out of this. It is troubling."

Bair, who wrote a vivid account of her time in office called "Bull by the Horns," made some interesting arguments for business to support more infrastructure spending.

She argued, "With interest costs, construction costs so low, it is fiscally irresponsible not to embark on major infrastructure spending. It would lower the cost of doing business."

She urged both sides to come together for a budget deal.

"The fiscal uncertainty, what is happening in Washington, affects the economy," she said.

Comcast's Cohen Saved Corbett's Struggling Reelection

When I had a chance to ask Governor Corbett a question last year at a rare press conference in Philadelphia, I said, "It looks like your policies are shafting Philadelphia." The Philadelphia Inquirer lead with my observation the next day.

That is why I was surprised that Comcast Executive Vice President David Cohen, former chief of staff to Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, recently held a fundraiser for Republican Governor Tom Corbett at his home in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. The fundraiser was mostly attended by Comcast employees and prominent Republican Bob Asher.

Cohen, who has been a longtime supporter of the Democratic party, had hosted President Obama there for a fundraiser that netted $1.2 million for his reelection campaign.

Under his breath, former Governor Rendell must be muttering e tu David? Corbett is basically the anti-Rendell. He has slashed programs for the poor, suggested women "close their eyes" while having a vaginal ultrasound, outsourced the state's lottery to the British, and possibly bundled his investigation into convicted child molester Jerry Sandusky when he was the state's attorney general.

Cohen's move is also surprising because Pennsylvanians have roundly rejected Corbett gubernatorial tenure. A recent Franklin and Marshall poll has only 26% of Pennsylvanians approving of the job that he has doing.

Terry Madonna, the state's preeminent political pollster said, "Corbett has vacillated between 25-35% since taking office. These are the worst poll numbers ever for a sitting governor at this point in his administration.  Corbett's predecessors, Rendell and Ridge, were polling at 50% and 40% respectively at the same time in their administration."

He continued, "We'll see if Corbett can come back from this. Every incumbent governor, since Pennsylvania has permitted governors to run for a second term, has won. Usually, they don't face tough competition. In this case, first tier Democrats are chafing at the bit to run."

In some ways, voters have already spoken on Corbett. They elected Kathleen Kane, who made an investigation into Corbett's bumbling of the Sandusky prosecution a central part of her election platform, as the state's Attorney General in 2012. She is the first Democratic to win that office since the office became an elected one. She is the rare women to win a Pennsylvania election. Allyson Schwartz is the lone woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.

The support of Cohen, considered the most astute political player in the state, and Comcast for Corbett is significant. Without it, the Corbett campaign would have remained on life support. Madonna, who expects Corbett to raise $20 million for the race, did not see any dissonance in Cohen's donation to Corbett.

"David has always been a businessman in politics. He has never been overly concerned with social issues."

I sent an email to Cohen's public relations people asking routine questions like such as why Cohen supports Corbett, has he been good for business, and name one policy of his that you like. He refused to comment. I am wondering if he would defend Corbett's anti-choice views to the female employees of Comcast or defend   his abandoning of Philadelphia, whose renaissance he spearheaded.

A source close to Comcast, who attended the fundraiser, explained that "If someone is surprised at Cohen's support of Corbett, they don't know David Cohen. The fundraiser was held before Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz announced that she was running. Comcast always supports incumbents and doesn't support challengers. The electoral history of Pennsylvania suggests that an incumbent will win."

He continued, "Comcast is a business in the state of Pennsylvania. They need to be able to talk to both sides."

This is technically true. While the cable industry is heavily regulated, most of the regulation comes from the federal level not the state level.

This person did not rule out the possibility that Cohen will donate to the campaign of  Corbett's "formidable" challenger Allyson Schwartz.She appears to have declared her intentions before the other Democratic candidates.

Not waiting for Cohen's check, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz supporters are dismissing Cohen abandoning the Democrats. One said, "Corbett saw his poll numbers and terrorized a leading businessman to support him."

Rachel Magnuson, the chief of staff for the Congresswomen, was not concerned about Cohen's donation.

"Allyson Schwartz does not care about a political insider. She is hearing from Pennsylvanians from all four corners of the state and they are urging her to run," said Magnuson.

Madonna names Pennsylvania State Treasurer Bob McCord, who has won two statewide campaigns and has personal wealth that he put in the campaign, and former Congressman Joe Sestak, who only lost the 2010 Senate race against Toomey  by 2 points, as two other possible Democratic challengers to Corbett. He noted that Allyson Schwartz understood what it took to run statewide since she had previously run for the Senate and lost.

While it is too early to handicap the race, he thinks that a winnable race for the Democrats could be lost if there is a nasty primary battle. It was not all good news for the Democrats.

"Rendell was a liberal and won. But he won on the strength of his mayoralty in Philadelphia," said Madonna.

Kerry Cancelled Israel Trip Due to Hagel Confirmation Delay

Although he had previously said that he would visit Israel on his first foreign trip as Secretary of State, John Kerry's office now announced that he will bypassing Israel. Instead he will visiting Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi on this trip and will possibly come to Israel when President Obama comes at the end of March. The administration seems unconcerned that they will be once again criticized for visiting Israel's neighbors and not Israel.

The official reason for the delay is that Israel has not formally formed a new government after the election. This may be a fig leaf. There is no doubt that current Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu will head the next Israeli government with HaTnua leader Tzipi Livni joining the government this weekend.

According to staffers in Defense Secretary Ehud Barak's bureau, the real reason for the postponement is the logjam on Capital Hill over the Chuck Hagel confirmation as Secretary of Defense. 

"The American Secretary of Defense is more important to Israel than the Secretary of State. The Iron Dome is more essential to the survival of Israel than fruitless negotiations with the Palestinian Authority," said one staffer. "Both sides want to talk about the next round of defense purchases."

Republicans have alleged the damage caused by the delay in the eventual Hagel confirmation is minimal. The Kerry postponement proves that this is not true. Their political games are having real world consequences and could affect Israel, one of America's most important allies. 

Gladwell Lambastes Penn for Continuing Football Program

Leading intellectual Malcolm Gladwell, while at the University of Pennsylvania, lambasted the university for continuing their football program after the suicide of Penn football captain Owen Thomas. The examination of the 21 year old's brain showed that he had early signs of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) possibly caused by hits to the head on the field. NFL players that have prematurely died, such as linebacker Junior Seau, have also suffered from the same condition.

Gladwell, the author of New York Times bestsellers "Outliers: The Story of Success," and "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Difference," called the continuation of the program "a moral abomination". The New Yorker magazine journalist compared the university's disregard of the warnings to the callous indifference of the coal mining industry towards black lung disease.

He mocked their mercenary attitude - "We have to have football. The alumni would be anger if we cancelled the program." He urged students to boycott football games and protest outside.

"Maybe, if there is only 1500 alumni smoking cigars at the game, the university will cancel the program," he said.

He did not call for an outright ban of football, but instead held the university to a higher standard.

"A university's job is to educate and care for students not maximize alumni donations," said an outraged Gladwell.

The university official that closed the event looked uncomfortable, but graciously handled the criticism.

On the way to dinner with Gladwell, he said, "One definition of an intellectual is someone who bites the hands that feeds you,"

It will be interesting to see if Gladwell's cri de couer results in the cancellation of the football program. The students did not seem to embrace Gladwell's suggestion. But it might be because a group of students standing in line to hear an intellectual are not going to football games.

One senior football player said that football had given him many opportunities that he would not normally had.

"Being 270 lbs and 6' 2",  I can not play soccer," he said.