The Sky Was Pink

Tonight’s sunset was dominated by pink. Even clouds in the east benefited from the glow.

I sit right alongside one of the four windows in my office. I look to the right to get tipped off on the sunset. Some are spectacular.

Tonight’s was dominated by pink. Even clouds in the east benefited from the glow.

Here’s a sample of what I saw.

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Dinner At Pink’s

Helaine and I drove to Hollywood last night. Helaine had some goodies for Stef. It’s a 55 mile drive. An hour and a half last night. LA traffic is as advertised.

Stef met us after work.

She’s been to the Golden Globes, SAG and Grammys. She’ll be on the Red Carpet at the Oscars too. Stef’s part of the team that produces the ‘pre-game’ and ‘post-game’ shows on E!. They’ll be live seven hours at the Oscars.

OK, I’m her father. I’m biased. It sounds like a pretty cool job.

I’m especially glad she’s involved in live TV. It’s a rush when you’re on and there’s no turning back. I tried to explain the feeling before she started. Alas, you can’t properly describe an experience.

We brought Doppler along, which limits where we can go. Who cares? She’s an excellent traveler.

We ended up at Pink’s on La Brea. It’s a hot dog stand, built in 1946, still rocking it’s 1946 style. Pink’s is a reflection of LA’s early adoption of cars versus public transport. You could drive up, get out of your car and get a dog!

I had the “HUELL HOWSER DOG – 2 hot dogs in ONE bun – mustard, chili, cheese & onions.” Huell was a well known TV personality whose segments on LA’s quirky native culture are still played, long after his death.

I also had a Dr. Brown’s Cherry. That brings me back to Flushing, as a kid. The taste hasn’t changed. It was magical.

Pink’s no Glenwood! Will someone please tell Rob I said that.

Our drive home was much faster–a little less than an hour.

We’re very lucky to live so close to Stef. It’s a trip we enjoy taking.

There’s Less To The NFL’s Pink Program Than You Think

breast cancer research pie chart“Did you hear about the NFL and pink,” Stef asked?

If you’re a football fan you’ve seen pink all over the field in every October football game. The NFL is raising awareness and money for breast cancer research.

That’s not what Stef was asking about.

According to Business Insider, a shamefully small percentage of the pink proceeds go toward breast cancer research, the stated purpose.

In the end, after everybody has taken their cut, only 8.01% of money spent on pink NFL merchandise is actually going towards cancer research

And since the NFL is often the retailer, receiving 50% of the take, they may actually be making more money than the stated charitable purpose.

I’m a believer in doing good work through charitable donations. For two decades I helped JDRF raise money for diabetes research and a cure. Not only was 100% of my time volunteered, Helaine and I always gave an additional cash donation.

When I asked my blog readers to vote on an organization to receive a free website, Beacon Falls Congregational Church got it gratis. The same goes for the site I’m currently building for Hospice.

My father taught me you don’t make money on friends or charity. He was right.

The NFL makes more money than God. They squeeze cities to build their stadiums. I applaud their program to raise money for breast cancer awareness, but question whether their contribution is equal to the fans’ expectations.