Before I moved here, everyone told me Southern California wasn’t just a place, it was a “state of mind” where life was slower and the people were laid back and carefree. I always found this notion odd because well, Los Angeles has the second largest economy in the U.S.--it isn’t going to run itself. But it still made me wonder how this might apply to the great inevitability of our lives: work. Since there’s so much to do here besides work, do Californians not work as hard as people in harsher climates? Again, I found this doubtful from the beginning, but I was still curious to see if there might be any significant difference in how they do business and how much value they place on comfort and leisure. At first, I got mixed messages. There were all those people rushing around the 405 freeway and most people seemed to have fairly normal ideas about work ethic. But, then I joined a temp agency and got to see LA’s business men and women in their natural habitat. That changed a few things.

I joined the temp agency back when I was first getting my business started, but I continue to stay on call for several reasons. For one, the work is inordinately easy; I really do just answer the phone. I learned this the hard way; on my first assignment I showed up in a full suit ready to work a hard 8-5 and instead just got told to stay at the desk and not get in the way. So I pretty much get paid to sit on my computer, sign for FedEx packages, and blog while eating the catering food that intermittently gets delivered. Oh, and answer the phone when it rings. I swear, a small monkey could do this job. However, I also get an inside scoop on workplace goings-on, not to mention tons of high-quality people watching.

So while I continue to do this at various LA businesses, one thing has become abundantly clear: work is a very different experience for many people in LA than in any other place. Now, while people are usually professional, proactive and very dedicated to what they do, what’s really thrown me for a loop are the working conditions. All but one of the LA offices I’ve been to, and I’ve been to quite a few, were designed rather than merely furnished, so much that they often seemed more like works of art than places of business. I couldn’t believe how much money these businesses had sunk into their offices on entirely re-done floor plans, custom furniture, art pieces, etc. It’s incredible, check out these pictures:

Now onto the details—one dot com company had the liquid crystal line of widescreen plasma televisions above every single cubicle-- just so there could be a 57 inch image of their website topping off everyone’s workspace. One office had bathrooms with Meyer’s Lemon Lotion and Hand Soap, which I found selling for $58 on the Williams Sonoma website. That’s not including refills, which you know this place goes through like TP.

I’ve also never seen this much thought being put into the employee fridge. I was in a place that buys whole, skim and soy milk just for morning coffee along with every single fixin’ you could possibly imagine. And if regular coffee’s just too common for you, a gleaming steel espresso machine awaits, complete with espresso from Starbucks and separate cappuccino cups and saucers. The only thing missing was a private company barista.

Another place ordered $250 worth of fruit each day just so the employees could pick at it whenever they wanted a snack. Thursday was bagel day, where every available type of bagel and spread got ordered. I also happened to be there for an employee function where they bought eight types of sandwiches and three kegs of beer for a Friday lunch. Anything so the employees have limitless choices. Another company spent $1000 on a small catered breakfast and lunch duo, and let me tell you, I didn’t know something that would be consumed so quickly needed to look that beautiful. If that’s what they spend on food, think about what they must be spending on travel or corporate gifts. Or rather, think about what their clients must be spending.

The office kitchens I’ve seen have far surpassed their humble beginnings. Most have top-of-the-line, stainless steel appliances. A few have put in what exemplifies what's different about working in many California companies: the built-in beer tap. Yes, I’m serious, they had beer taps in the kitchen. This suggests that the staff are drinking so much beer that even just buying the occasional keg isn’t economical. And, by the way, the tap was Newcastle Brown Ale, quite a far cry from Natty Ice.

When I ask the office coordinator ladies about this, they say “yeah, we have a beer tap” like it’s just a great job perk. And as they said this, they also looked at me like some not-with-it Midwesterner, like if I told them I didn’t have text messaging. But still, what blew my mind was that it had never seemed to cross anyone’s mind that their employer’s spending habits might be a bit extravagant. To them it was no big deal, an expected part of working there, even something they deserved. What’s happening here is that the employees are being spoiled so often and to such a lavish degree that they’re taking it for granted.

This is going to sound old geezer, but where I’m from spending such lavish amounts of money on yourself is wasteful, whether you’re an individual, company, whatever. There’s no arguing this crap is somehow necessary-- you don’t need the $500 breakfast or the gleaming toaster or the beer tap—and that fact they have them makes it even more abundantly clear that these companies, when it comes to themselves, spare no expense.

Despite the obviously large amount of money being thrown around, I seemed to be the only one asking where it was all coming from. Somebody has to pay for all this stuff. Is it the clients? Possibly. Is the company not paying its employees very well in return for the fab working environment? Also possible. I couldn’t get an answer without sticking my nose way in where it doesn’t belong, but I highly doubt the higher ups are taking a pay cut for that beer tap.

I have never seen corporate spending like this in my life, not in Cleveland, Washington D.C., New York, anywhere, ever—in fact, the Washington Post looked like a shack by comparison. These aren't even oil companies either! You see, I come from a fairly conservative steel town, where offices actually looked liked places of business. They've got a microwave, fridge and vending machine in the kitchen and that's it. This is because you’re there to work, not anything else, and the office theoretically should reflect this. The rationale is that you try to remove distractions from the work environment in order to encourage people to focus while they’re there. Makes sense, right?

I’ve contemplated the purpose of all this grandeur? Is it for the employee’s comfort and enjoyment to help them to be happier at work? Doubtful. Does the company want to be seen as innovative and fun? It’s possible—this is L.A., image is everything. Or it is to impress visiting clients? Does investing a fortune in a place really gain you that much business? I’m not sure; I can’t imagine how much more it cost to create this rather than a regular office, but I’m doubtful the results justify the investment.

I was leaning towards the client/image reason at first, but then I heard an interesting perspective from one of my former employers who stands, hands-down, as the best boss I’ve ever had. He explained that they’re probably trying to fashion an environment in which the line is blurred between work and not-work. By spending all that extra moolah and recreating the comforts of home, you entice salaried employees to put in longer hours, and then they are more productive. Plus, it makes the employee think fondly of the company and feel more dedicated to doing their job well, thus inclining them to work harder. According to my old boss, this can easily translate into the company getting more than they’ll ever shell out in payroll or in all those job perks.

This made sense to me, but it reminds me why it’s difficult to not be cynical as an adult in this society. Everything costs money, people are always trying to make money off you, there’s always some ulterior motive you’re facing. In this situation, I can’t see there being some innocent reason for such lavish decoration and spending. Companies don’t spend that much money just to be nice-- what do they get out of it?

So, back to my original question: is there a difference in working in California? Most definitely, yes. From my casual research, it appears that these companies are trying to appeal to Californians’ laid back, leisurely “nature” to hopefully get them to work harder and longer hours. This makes sense and definitely says something about what Californians expect to have in their lives: comfort, treats, nice things, yuppie stuff. So much for disproving the stereotype. But maybe this is how that “state of mind” intersects with real life: Californians will work hard and put in long hours if the experience is enjoyable. After all, there’s a lot of sun out here.

Doggie Fizzle Music Televizzle

A guy probably in his mid-forties approached me today at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Hollywood. He came up to me sweating rather profusely in a little faux silk shirt number with stringy, long hair in desperate need in need of maintenance, his head topped off with a tragically hip “Doggie Fizzle” scripted baseball cap.

It was hot.

Doggie Fizzle proceeded to ask me if I’d audition for a music video for this band named Julie, which plays ambiguously classified music that I may or may not be able to look up on Myspace. Yay for credibility. He excitedly tells me I’d be the ex-girlfriend subject of this break-up song in which I’d be filmed pulling out a heart and random other internal organs from a fake cadaver. Despite how this idea reminds me more of a misguided 7^th grade science fair project than a music video, I let him finish.

Doggie Fizzle: “So, you’re an actress, right?”

Me: “Um, no…”

He was quite surprised at this. Why does everybody in Los Angeles seem to think that I’m one of those blue-eyed wonders who’ll do anything for face time on camera? I’m not even an actress and I’m still being typecast! He also told me that they were looking for a certain look, i.e. so that’s why he came up to me in the first place. So apparently I look like some crazy woman who’ll going around ripping people’s hearts out. That’s comforting.

I find it odd that Doggie Fizzle, or whomever he works for, thinks that randomly approaching people to be in some no-name band’s music video is actually going to work. If you live in L.A. and spend any time in Hollywood, you are automatically skeptical of people hitting you up for entertainment stuff. It happens all the time, and usually from scruffy looking white guys who’d never look right in a real recording studio anyways. Out here, everyone’s got something big in the works or knows someone really high up but rarely does their stuff go anywhere. We Anglenos know this all too well, so why would you send out Doggie Fizzle to do some grassroots recruitment with that “winning” pitch and expect people to go for it?

I considered it for a second. Hey, I try to be nice and it might even pay. But the idea of me standing in a room being told to look a little crazy and “just dig in” didn’t appeal to me in the end. Sorry. I guess I’m not set out for hustling in the entertainment business—good thing I don’t fancy myself an actress.

Health Care: Part 2 of 3

So, let me tell you about my firsthand experience with hospital system screw-ups—in fact, maybe Hillary should take this one on the road with her. As I said before, my jaw dislocated for the first time in six years this past January. It happened at midnight, so the urgent care centers weren’t open—fabulous timing, I know. My boyfriend took me to the nearest ER, because the key to this problem being resolved without anything intravenous is getting the jaw relocated quickly. Apparently, there was only one doctor working the night shift at this ER (Strike 1), so I sat for an hour while the staff took no one back although many people were discharged. I have to say, there was an overwhelming lack of urgency for this being an emergency room. I understand that it’s the staff’s priority to keep the ER under control, but when I’m sitting there looking like “The Scream,” quietly drooling on myself, and there’s a guy in the corner making noises that don't even resemble humans, you might want to pick up the pace. Apparently not. Strike 2.

Dislocating your jaw is an unnatural position, so if I have to wait longer than 45 minutes the jaw muscles start to spasm and I begin going into shock. As I said, it’s a real good time. I began to feel this coming on, and with no sign of relief from the ER staff, we drove to another hospital. Once we got there, the shock was making me nauseous and dizzy; my boyfriend immediately started warning the staff. Everyone at this hospital was taking their good old time too and soon enough the nausea became too much and I threw up all over the intake nurse’s office. This was right in the middle of her leisurely admit Q & A--Score 1 for me. I had eaten chocolate ice cream that night, so everyone thought that this was a major bowel obstruction. You bet they took me back real quick, and on a stretcher-- such service! There was no way I could tell them it was just ice cream, and my boyfriend couldn’t tell them either because they made him stay in the waiting room due to some hospital regulation. Miraculously though, I got through to them. Unfortunately, they seemed to take this as a sign for a coffee break, because I then had to wait for another half hour to be given any pain killers, not to mention a muscle relaxant. These drugs have to be in my system before a doctor can relocate my jaw, so all in all I waited two and a half hours for something that’s a 30 second fix. Strike 3.

I take this experience as a classic series of fumbles by the hospital system, mostly relating to the long wait and the staff’s lack of response. Now, long emergency room wait times are a well-known and politicized problem in Los Angeles hospitals, but what really drives home this “policy issue” for me is that I wouldn’t have thrown up or needed the I.V. therapy (a $767.85 charge on my statement) had the hospital system worked as intended. Not only did I have to endure it all, but I then had to pay for the medical complications that directly resulted from their problems. I did my part, I went to the doctor right away, and I gave them all the information they needed and then some. But I still have to pay.

This proves once again that the health care system is not set-up for preventive care. I did a fine job of explaining that that the unlocking procedure was simple, that it would take about a minute, and I needed to be seen as soon as possible--which was true at the onset. Still, no one went to check with a doctor. As time went on, I also told them how serious the situation was getting, but no one would listen to me or take my word for anything until something happened that proved it. Now I understand that people often exaggerate their problems, overestimate their severity or simply don’t understand “first come, first serve.” But do we have to be shot to get some action out of these places?

I also understand that ER staff see urgent situations all the time and it’s crucial for staff to stay calm so the place is under control. But what I saw in there behind the desk were not concerned, dedicated employees just trying to do their best. I saw unhappy, lazy, and most of all, desensitized people who assumed when you walked in that your problems weren’t as bad as you thought. You could wait until everyone was ready.

Perhaps it was a similar mentality that led to that woman dying on the floor at LA’s King-Harbor hospital. Where are these stories coming from? Is it just that ERs don’t have enough doctors and nurses to support the increasing volume of patients? Have hospital staff become bitter and apathetic at work because they’re not being paid enough? Is there not enough public health regulation of hospitals? To look into these questions, Part 3 of this series will be an audio recorded interview with Bruce Benton, former president of the Los Angeles chapter of the Association of Health Underwriters and owner of Los Angeles-based Smith Benton Insurance.

Health Care Part 1: "At Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Co., we offer full and fair consideration for our applicants"

So far, we’ve learned from this year’s presidential campaign that affordable health insurance is a big deal to most Americans. On the news there are stories about people driving 10-12 hours and staying outside all night to get an appointment with a traveling free clinic. Many of these are people who suspect they have breast cancer or diabetes but have gone without diagnosis, much less treatment, because they absolutely cannot afford it.

And we’ve also heard stories about horrible lapses in the hospital system, like the woman who lay writhing in pain and bleeding on the floor of a Los Angeles public hospital ER for 45 minutes, dying soon after from a perforated bowel (MSNBC). Senator Hillary Clinton had a good one for a while about the pregnant woman who was allegedly denied admittance to a hospital because she did not have health insurance (she actually did) and could not pay $100 (which actually wasn’t an admit fee, just an unpaid bill). Now, besides the fact that that ol’ Hillary didn’t check her facts, a practice so basic to journalism that even interns can be trusted to do it, the real tragedy of this story is that this woman and her baby died. More than that, it’s yet another vivid reminder of how the health insurance system in this country just doesn’t work for most people.

Many Americans are victims of the health care system but their stories don’t make the news. I’m one of them. Granted, my experiences are not nearly what others have faced, but they still illustrate some of the dysfunction, inefficiency and greed that are alive and well in our health care system.

Let’s start with the health insurance industry. Because I run my own business, I am one of many Californians currently seeking an individual health plan from Anthem Blue Cross, the 10,000 pound insurance gorilla out here whose decisions and policies are followed all of by the other individual insurers. If you didn’t already know this, it’s more difficult to get insurance if you’re not in an employee-sponsored group. According to a registered public health nurse I will call Mr. Ernst, this is because insuring a group of people lowers the odds that everyone you insure is going to get seriously ill. So right off the bat, individuals carry risky 1:1 odds. This makes health insurance companies much more wary of taking the gamble that you won’t get sick and they won’t have to pay much, which is all health insurance is really about anyways. Let’s be honest here-- as much as they deny it, these companies are in the business of saving themselves money. I gravely wonder if this is done “by any means necessary,” a concern regularly justified by sources in the news media, e.g. the Los Angeles Times.

I am in my early twenties, I’m an athlete (as you know), I’ve never broken a bone or had surgery, I’m not having babies anytime soon, so even for my age I’m healthy and in very good shape. You’d think I’d be low risk and fairly cheap in the eyes of Anthem Blue Cross, right? Wrong. I am apparently so high risk that my initial application and my “this is B.S.” appeal were both denied.

Here’s what’s so grievously wrong with me:

1. I possess prescription acne cream.

Whoa-- now this is a serious liability, even if half of all high school students probably have the same stuff in their medicine cabinets anyways. Apparently, it doesn’t matter that I only get them refilled every 5 years, just that I wrote it down. And if I wrote it down, it gets added to the list of ways I could cost money. Score 1 for Blue Cross.

2. Every six years, my jaw dislocates.

These dislocations are not the end of the world. I had a few episodes of it in high school and then, just my luck, one this January. More about that lovely experience later. But, despite how not fun this is, I don’t need surgery, I don’t wear a jaw brace and it’s just not an issue 99.9% of the time. Dislocating your jaw isn’t a walk in the park, but the worst that’s ever happened is me needing an IV muscle relaxant and a doctor to relocate my jaw at an hour when only the ERs are open. This ain’t no chronic heart condition.

Anthem BC considers these pre-existing conditions, a term usually applied to chronic illnesses that perpetually cost money like epilepsy, muscular sclerosis or Crone’s disease. That’s right—I’m in that pool. Sometimes I think the health insurance underwriters are actually untreated Attention Deficit Disorder patients, given how carefully they read my application. That’d work to Blue Cross’ advantage, eh? And maybe some healthy distraction while reading those applications will get you a nice Christmas bonus.

I put down every last doctor I’ve visited in the last ten years on my application, all the way back to a pediatrician who I visited for a sinus infection in ‘99. Why did I try so dearly to play by the rules? Because I read the L.A. Times; I know all about Blue Cross dropping people’s coverage when they get really sick, i.e. become expensive and the company says this is justified because the person “failed to disclose” that pertinent information on their application. Because, you know, there are all these people trying to abuse the benevolent health insurance companies.

I, for one, am truly beginning to understand why there’s a considerable movement for universal health care in this country. Many people contribute to or exacerbate their own health problems by not eating right, not exercising or going for check-ups, etc., but I did not cause this jaw condition. There’s just no way I could stop the problem from developing or reliably prevent my jaw from locking. And yet I’m being denied health insurance explicitly because of it, a fact Blue Cross clearly stated. Plus, if I do not get health insurance from a federal program and have a similar jaw locking episode, I’ll be getting a bill for $1400.

It seems that under this system it is okay to charge people at exorbitant rates for things that happen to them naturally. This would mean that some people are born into paying high health care costs and some people aren’t. There’s something definitely wrong with this picture. Isn’t segregation, in any form, supposed to be a huge no-no in our society? It’s completely unacceptable to segregate someone for being a certain race, gender, or anything else you’re born with and can’t change, right? Would we allow companies who earn profit from discriminating against Black people to grow into multibillion dollar industries?

It’s clear my experience brings up many controversial issues. For example, should people be denied health insurance for having ailments they cause? What about illnesses where we don’t know if or how much people are contributors? And yes, if you have universal health care it will let the people who mess up their own health off the hook.

Have we created a new -ism here?

A Diary from Dixie

I’ve spent most of my life in the North and the rest of it in California. Both are places with just about nothing in common with the South. Even to a Yankee who’s never lived there, it’s obvious that the South is pretty much its own country. How is this possible? Well, over time the South developed a distinct identity and culture that from its--lets' say-- unique regional history. Of course, every state and region of the U.S. is different in lots of ways and everyone is very proud of this as they should be. But no one’s been around longer than Jamestown, and I can’t recall anyone else seceding from the Union or fighting for independence in a Civil War. That sort of stuff has a way of bringing people together.

Southerners take great pride in keeping the heritage and tradition of the South alive and passing it on to future generations. This isn’t a tradition of being belligerent to non-Southerners or celebrating the institution of slavery. Most of the time it’s about preserving the social habits of aristocratic families from the Old South, who were all about good manners, social graces and yes, Southern hospitality-- not Confederate flags or the 2^nd Amendment.

All of this is unmistakable when I go to the South. Everyone is more polite, they have excellent manners and they're just generally more...genteel. People let you into traffic, they always make extra sure you’ve had enough to eat, even fast food servers smile and speak in complete sentences. Well, at least most of the time. Social interactions feel easier, so much that you realize how much more there is to deal with when you’re not in the South.

Let me introduce SEE Level pundit Spicey G., who is not only my source for everything south of the Mason-Dixon Line, but is one of the wisest, most intelligent people I know. According to her, Southerners act this way because they have an unspoken set of social rules that help them get along and maintain a firm sense of belonging and community. The sad thing is, before I first visited I wasn’t even aware that the South had its own set of social rules. There’s something wrong with that. I, we, should know about this--after all, Southern culture is one of the few things truly “Born in the USA”.

Anyways, the basic rule is that you interact with people in a way that will make them feel comfortable. Sounds simple enough, right? Most people don’t try to make others uncomfortable. But the big difference is that Southerners go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. That’s why they engage you in conversation so much, they don’t want you to feel ignored or think they’re not glad you’re around. You try to give people anything they ask for, especially if they’re at your house. When you talk with someone, you bring up topics relevant to their life, like kids if they have children with them, or decorating if you know they’ve been doing work on their home. You avoid questions that people likely don’t want to answer and pay close attention for any indications of displeasure. This sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? But is it just a waste of time and energy?

The flip side is that these social rules have to be followed by both people. If two people are going out of their way to be accommodating, then the interaction is balanced. Otherwise, you have one person doing all the work, a dynamic that never lasts very long. There is an understanding between Southerners that if people do you favors or show concern for you and your life, that you must do the same in return-- a sort of a culturally mandated reciprocity. In this society, it is your obligation to not take advantage of other people. To me, this sounds kind of like a “social contract,” a term you probably don’t associate with your everyday life unless you sit around reading John Locke all day. In the South, it seems that you’re held to a contract that says people need to care about each other, even strangers, or at least act like it in public. What a novel concept.

My cynical side asks how can anyone genuinely care about complete strangers or acquaintances? How much of this is fake? At least in L.A., you never have to wonder where you stand-- people make it quite clear they don’t give a crap. But then again, does it really matter if this stuff is real? At least someone’s making the effort to care about your feelings, so what if it really means something? Plus, let’s be honest here. Who doesn’t want people being nice to them? Exactly.

Another thing is I’m convinced Southerners are far more likely to strike up a conversation with me than the entire city of Los Angeles. People just start talking to you there and you get the strangest feeling that they don’t want anything. Guys aren’t hitting on you and women aren’t getting in your business. And people really talk, too. I swear, if I took a counter around to measure the number of words strangers said to me between there and L.A. the comparison would be astounding. Southerners will tell you all about their life, their opinions, what they think about this and that and then ask you what you think. And you’re expected to answer, at length. Otherwise, you feel awkward--like you’re not returning a high-five. This was new for me because, you see, where I’m from its completely okay to go on your daily business without talking to people beyond necessity. That’s not how things work down there—it’s not acceptable to isolate yourself.

You’d think all this talk would be extremely irritating, especially to a Yankee like me. It was at first, a little, but then it was just nice. This brings me back to my original question: who doesn’t like others being nice to them? It’s pretty clear to me that people like it when others are considerate, ask their opinions, include them in conversation. Why? Well, we are a social species-- we all want to be included, to belong. But yet there are all these common expressions to describe isolation as a good thing like “being left alone,” “let me be,” or “having your space” as if taking someone out of their seclusion is intrusive and obnoxious. A person telling you their life story, that’s annoying too, right? I started thinking about how isolation has become the norm for how most of us in deal with each other, especially in the big cities. If you don’t know someone, you don’t talk to them because you have no reason for it, they probably don’t want to be bothered and you certainly don’t. So now we mostly live in a society with lots of different people, yet we ignore each other because that’s what you’re supposed to do. Wealth has allowed for people to each have a big house, their own car, even their own personal television—and this has given us the space we supposedly desire. But do we all need or even want all the anonymity we have? I’ve heard that L.A. is one of the loneliest cities in the world. All these people move here but don’t know anyone and in trying to give others their space, it stays that way. Maybe us Yankees should spend a little time with our shields down and, while we’re there, try the pecan pie.

North Meets South

SEE Level’s in Virginia this week, on the southeast corner in the part near Williamsburg and Virginia Beach, known as Hampton Roads. I am not from the South, but I come here several times a year for the good food and great people. Despite my Yankee-ness, over time I’ve gotten to know this place pretty well and found out there’s a lot more to it than fried chicken and playin’ the git-tar.

Right off the bat, Hampton Roads can be summarized by four things:

1. Water:
In order to go anywhere, you must go under or over these rivers that are massive and empty out into the Chesapeake Bay. Whenever you have water like that you have serious marshes, swamps and crabs. Locals will probably tell you Virginia actually invented the crab cake, not Maryland. You disagree? Them’s some fightin' words.

That picture's the James River and a Crab Shack. 'Nuff said.

I doubt the credit goes to a public official, but the water here looks surprisingly clean and untouched considering that people have been around since Britain haphazardly gave Jamestown a whirl in 1607. This means Virginia had its 400^th anniversary last year. That’s pretty good... nothing like California’s history-- we’ve got fault lines. Those count more...in many ways.

2. History

When I first visited, I thought there’d be more Williamsburg down here—you know, those colonial Yamaka-doilies, “my worthy opponent,” stuff like that. Despite how big and important it was during the colonial period, Williamsburg is now just a small city amid dozens along the coast. By now, the area’s much more Southern than colonial, but you can still tell that Virginia was a British colony. It's pretty hard to miss with Elizabeth City, Crittenden Road and Isle of Wight County. But then there’s Chuckatuck, the painfully rural-sounding next town over that reminds us, “wait ya’ll, this is the South. "

3. The Military

Hampton Roads is the favorite watering hole for the US Navy and all of their ships and shipbuilding bases. Northrup Grumman is doing quite well here, so much that they proclaim their dominance from a huge sign that’s clearly visible on every inch of the five-mile long James River Bridge. It’s a bit ridiculous (see below). The rest of the military have crashed the Navy’s party too. So, you can count on seeing random armored vehicles in jungle camouflage casually driving down the street and bands of nice, Southern sailors wandering the airport in their crisp whites. That’s what I call frequent flyer benefits.

Newport News Shipbuilding

4. Southerners :

Cotton

You notice the accent first, with people asking “How’re y’all?” and saying ”NAH-fuk” instead of Norfolk with an L . You stop by a gas station, and they’re selling framed pictures of wolves with American flags in the background. You see some Confederate flags and everyone seems to be driving a truck. You’ve watched a little Jeff Foxworthy--Southerners must just be a bunch of friendly, slightly bigoted but patriotic country bumpkins!

But then you meet a few who don’t own a gun rack and you realize there’s more than one type of Southerner. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely rednecks propagating the South but they’re not everywhere. What do you think happened to the relatives of the Old Southern aristocrats?

It hits you that people don’t act the same down here. Strangers smile and wave as you pass by, you have extended conversations with waitresses, twenty-something guys your own age call you ma’am. Everyone’s just..nicer. People just start talking to you for no reason. They don’t want anything, they’re just making conversation. You feel a little bad because you’re thrown off by it. What does that say about where you live?

On top of this, all the food you’ve had has been really good. I mean really good, and it’s everywhere you go. Soon you start having standards for good ham, barbecue, and real biscuits—none of that Pillsbury Doughboy nonsense. Ain’t no way he was Southern. Dessert also seems to be a big deal around here, as does eating in general.

You feel you could get used to this. There must be more to Southern culture that you thought.

Stay tuned. In the meantime here are some telling photos from my time down South.

Welcome to SEE Level.

About me:

The opinions reflected in this blog are not those of the liberal media, any right-wing lobbyists, or even my 84-year old grandmother. Well, maybe some of her opinions, because you don’t mess with the Scotch. But that hardly tells you a thing.

Is it possible to have lived both a privileged and a disadvantaged life? I am an only child from a well-respected, old money family with a long tradition of being upper class. The fall from grace happened before my time with my mother, a victim of her own mental illness. Without a father, siblings, or involved relatives, and my quite literally crazy mother purporting to be my only comfort, I can truly call myself an orphan. I almost single-handedly raised myself, entering the workforce at age fifteen and becoming entirely self-supporting by eighteen.

I was lucky to attend a prestigious public high school; I guess I was on the right side of the railroad tracks, even if I had to live right next to them! I volunteered to take college-level courses and enlisted as a principal performer in a semi-professional acting and musical theater company, but was drafted to work twenty-five hours a week to support the family. During high school, I also won scholarships to attend summer work camps in the Dominican Republic, where I helped provide medical services to sugar cane field workers and aid in the construction of a free clinic.

Case Western Reserve University, in its infinite wisdom, was very generous to me. Their scholarship money convinced me, just barely, that I should stay in Cleveland for college. I waited tables and took internships to pay the rest of my way, earned my nerd points by staying on the Dean’s High Honors list, and spent much of my free time becoming a competitive Latin Ballroom dancer. Make no mistake, I didn’t go to some Arthur Murray school; my teachers, including some from Dancing with the Stars, helped me bring in Silver and Gold Championship medals, giving professional cred to my Latin dancing skills and joy to men everywhere.

How’s that for diversity? If my background were any more so, I could try running for President this fall. My hope is that this blog reflects the range of life experiences I’ve had and the rich variety of people who have touched my life. While some Americans clearly are challenged by the idea of speaking in coherent sentences, I hope I can add, if not sentences, then great sentence fragments to the conversation we Americans have during our commercial breaks. I aim to focus on our values, social norms, how we have come to be this way and what the future holds.

So what did I gain from not passing “Go”, not collecting my $200, and skipping my childhood? I’ve had to be fiercely objective, and I’ve noticed societal issues that are often overlooked. I’ve been burned, but now know what to expect and how to read people. I will aim for SEE Level to be a ship of the line, an anchor of truth, solid moorings in a wild and turbulent sea of opinions! But I digress. I hope to re-evaluate some of our everyday conclusions and share the common sense that I’ve acquired on the open road, or, if you enjoy the nautical references, the high seas. My background gives me a perspective that is beyond my years, but my youth, I hope, gives me the context you want—real advice that isn’t from your parents!

* If you are interested in sponsoring my blog, please send a generous contribution to me in lieu of flowers. Then your corporate logo will be my wallpaper, your product will feature in my life in incredible motivational moments, and I will be yet another well-paid shill for the commercial machine!

About the Blog:

SEE Level will mainly be a social commentary that will often follow national and local news stories covered by the mainstream media. It will also include interesting people, events and musings that don’t make the news but I feel are equally worthwhile. SEE Level will often feature Los Angeles, my current home base, but my native Cleveland will also have a consistent presence, as will the Southern United States. Don’t get me wrong; this blog will not just be for Angelenos or Southerners. Those locales will simply serve as source material for the larger questions I have. In addition, my interests, activities and work often take me to interesting and often bizarre scenarios, providing me the opportunity for a SEE Level version of Countdown with Keith Olbermann’s “Oddball.”

I believe that blogging is much like keeping a published journal. Part of the value of journaling is in seeing your thoughts in front of you and wrestling with the reality of “is this what I really think?” I know I will be affected by this experience, but I also hope that my thoughts and honesty will be a catalyst for your own questioning and self-discovery.