THIS WEEK: In keeping with Rotary's international character, we pledged allegiance to the fifteen or twenty diminutive flags--some little bigger than the umbrellas in tropical drinks, others no doubt purloined from Model UN conventions--on Jay Miller's desk . . . Then Phil Siegle brought us a neatly phrased Thought of the Day, credited to The Book of Joy by Bishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama . . .
"It's nice to be important, but more important to be nice."
. . . These diversions, however, left President Emily barely time to plug our weekly Friday Happy Hour and the coming Tres de Mayo Golf Tournament before Fritz Brauner hijacked the meeting for what looked to be the program of the year.
NOT DISAPPOINTED: Surprise, surprise! The proprietor of the SPSF San Mateo Speaker Series is himself a riveting speaker!
Jim Weil's reminiscences of series speakers past--most of them charmers, a few less so--and his eyebrow-raising accounts of the business side had 39 Rotarians and visitors affixed to their computer screens . . . Among the honored guests: President Emily's mother and father . . . Jim Weil and
his daughter manage a roaring enterprise, with 8,800 subscribers in three Bay Area venues, each paying between $400 and $600 annually and enjoying, most years, eight speakers in all . . . Plus provocative twosomes like Karl Rove/Howard Dean (2012-13) and Bob Beckel/Cal Thomas (2017-18) . . . Jim is not alone in deploring the current paucity of the kind of civil discourse displayed, only a few short years ago, by courteous rivals like these.
MOST POPULAR with SAMPAC audiences are the explorers and photographers booked through National Geographic . . . Political figures, too, bring out the crowds, and for good reason. As Jim explained, these men and women--Joe Biden and Condoleezza Rice, for example--are "people people" . . . Even your hard-hearted correspondent's eyes grew moist as Jim described Ms. Rice's devoting a half hour in the green room to his eleven-year-old grand-daughter . . . Also eye-watering were Jim's reports of the fees commanded by speakers of highest caliber: Jon Stewart requires a cool half million for a single hour, along with use of a suite and a private jet. This is a bit out of Jim's league, as are most former presidents and their wives. (Bill Clinton has made at least 120 million dollars in speaking fees since leaving the White house.) . . . On the other hand, someone less well-known (but equally accomplished at the podium) like Ian Bremmer can be gotten for about $20K pus expenses per appearance.) . . . Mothers, send your sons and daughters to Toastmasters . . .
QUESTIONS KEPT COMING . . . And Mr. Weil fielded them with aplomb . . . Whom have you not yet been able to book? A: The aforementioned ex-presidents and politico-comedic celebrities. But Jim likes to concentrate on the victories, like latching onto octogenarian chimpanzee specialist Jane Goodall, who shared her nocturnal "tea" with him some years ago . . . Who were your favorites? A: Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, Ms. Rice, Joe Biden (who also generously shared time with Jim's grand-daughter), Karl Rove, and many others . . . A list of them all, personable or not, can be found on the SPSF website . . . This Q. from Marilyn O.: How do I get back on the A-list? A: Thousands are waiting patiently. You must too. (But there's unlimited virtual room--so, for now, even you have access, via computer.) . . . And here's a question for hosts Fritz Brauner and Jennifer Pence: How do you manage to put together such terrific "newscasts" time after time? A: [Modest demurer.]
DID I MENTION the Viva Zapata Golf Tournament--coming, before you know it, on May 3rd?. . . I can already taste the Margarita(s) . . .
AND NOW, in conclusion, at no extra charge, this priceless putting tip from a 35-handicapper: On the green, limit your backswing to the bare minimum required to propel the ball to the hole. Helps keep the putter blade from wavering . . . And wards off the Dragon Deceleration.
SMILE! IT RELEASES ENDORPHINS!
