This is my site where I can rant and espouse all kinds of wisdom (read crap) that no-one will read.... No, really, occasionally I have something interesting to say, but enough self-deprecating humor (hey, if I can't make fun of myself, how do you expect me to make fun of you...?). My name is Jim Goodman (my business cards said James B. Goodman) and I've been lucky enough to have some really cool experiences. My father was involved in a venue when I was a child, my mother is cool and loved music (don't forget that Ph.D. in strategy and economics), so I got to go to a lot of great concerts at a really early age (and be a fly on the wall at cool business things). After college, I worked at Ticketmaster for a number of years and I founded Ticketmaster.com (Ticketmaster was a dream job). Had a short stint at The Disney Company (that was a nightmare, same year as Ovitz, but man did I learn a lot), later spending some time on tour, blah, blah, blah... Then a very early employee at what is now Ticketmaster's largest competitor, Tickets.com (more great stories from that, an internet start-up that came out of Bill Gross's Idealab! during the bubble). Of course there is more detail on the "about" page, but you get the idea, I not only have things to write about, but I obviously have an opinion.... So read about what I type about, covering some of my interests from travel and wine to ticketing.

While I get to go to a lot of cool events due to my "past life" in the concert business and my mother's really cool job as President of Town Hall Los Angeles, of which this was one of her events, I must say that this was one of the cooler!

Admiral Mullen was very well spoken, had a knowledgeable command of the topic, whatever it was as many questions were asked from the audience, and was in general (no pun intended) just a really nice guy! He spoke/responded about the Middle East, the Sub-Asian Continent (Afghanistan, Pakistan and India), Veterans Affairs. When a former Colonel who had been discharged due to medical reasons recently from active duty asked about what can be done re: veterans, etc. Admiral Mullen was open and straightforward and even told the gentleman that he should contact him directly via email and he'd look into it, as he reads and answers all his own email. I thought that was pretty impressive for such a high ranking official to be that approachable.

At the end of the event, for those high schoolers that were there (Town Hall Los Angeles always invites students) he handed out a number of "coins". they carry the seal of the Joint Chiefs and say "presented by Adm. mike Mullen" and are really, really cool... I didn't get one :-(. Was actually told now, they were for "special folks". My mother got one though, so I guess that's coming later in life with her hockey puck that Gordy Howe gave her :-)... He did offer something else that is even more cool than the coin, but you'll have to wait to find out about that one....

Yes, that's the Chairman as my mother was introducing him... See how close I was (and yes, I got to talk to him (and joke) quite a bit when the event was over... a really nice man!)

Who would have ever thought that people actually read this blog/site/thing...? I went to pick up a friend for dinner and there it was, in all it's glory, this site on the computer screen. I got the response, "well, I googled you and now I'm reading up on you." Isn't that just embarrassing :-)....

What can I say other than, I'm surprised. I am also glad that I write carefully, not mentioning any of those bits that could prevent me from getting a job, get me fired from a job, or worse yet, prevent me from getting a date :-)! I have always tried to write in a manner that only deals with me, and doesn't "tell" abut others... kind of like the way at the end of a film it says, "names have been changed to protect the innocent." Well, since I try to be careful about who I wrote about, I don't have to change any names. That's a good thing 'cause I probably couldn't remember them anyway, yet alone after I change them!

As for other things going on right now... I'm watching the markets implode like the rest of you. I am involved in a couple of new start-ups, but again, so is everybody else it seems. I'll keep you posted how it goes.... Oh, and I start the second of 5 wine classes tonight, hopefully on my way to a certificate in wine.