MGS Chat: Sir Tom Jones

He’s not unusual. In fact, for a man who saw Elvis eating deviled eggs on an exercise bike, he’s surprisingly normal. Sir Tom Jones talks exclusively to the Media Guy.

The snake hips have gone, but the charm is all intact. Celebrated lothario, knight of the realm, Hollywood Walk of Famer... He’s clocked up more Vegas appearances than Sinatra, talked fitness tips with Elvis and been the target of untold items of flying underwear. Why, then, does it feel like I’m chatting with some jovial old timer in a pub at the back end of Cardiff?


Media Guy: A friend’s father, also from Pontypridd, remembers you as a bit of a rocker. Any truth in that?

Sir Tom Jones captivated the Beyrouth Forum crowd.

Tom Jones: Oh, yeah! We were listening to rock ’n’ roll music; Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Fats Domino, Little Richard. That was the kind of music I was doing in the pubs and the clubs.

MG: Did you see that the BBC published your old employment records recently? One entry reads, ‘He has been talking about “going professional” since April but he is still signing the UR [unemployment register] and not autograph books.’

TJ: Yeah! [Laughs] I didn’t know they were writing all that s**t down! They were offering me shift work and I said I’d rather not have it because I was singing in the clubs and trying to get a record contract. They were very good, though. I was signing on twice a week and doing gigs at night.

MG: Did ‘It’s Not Unusual’ suggest itself to you as an immediate hit?

TJ: My manager, Gordon Mills, was writing songs for Leeds Music, and I would record a lot of the demos to make some extra cash. One day he came to me and said, ‘I’ve got this song that I’m writing, and if we get a good demo we can present it to Sandie Shaw.’ He sang it to me in the car as we were going to the recording studio and I thought ‘Yeah, I get that’. I said, ‘Gordon, I have to have this song.’ And he said, ‘Nah, it’s a pop song.’ I said, ‘I’m telling you, this sounds like a hit song to me.’ Thank God it was Sandie they gave the song to because she said, ‘Whoever’s singing this demo – it’s his song. I wouldn’t be able to sing it like that.’ So that was it. That was the beginning of it for me.

MG: And you’ve sung it every night of your life ever since...

TJ: Exactly! That one is always in. No doubt.

MG: Don’t you get tired of it?

TJ: No. I really like the song, and it’s a test. It’s not easy to sing. You can’t just glide through it; you’ve got to sing it because of the range of the thing. Same with ‘Delilah’. I like doing them to prove that I still can.

MG: Do you remember those early Vegas days very clearly?


TJ: Well, I went to have a look at it in ’65, when I first went to America. I saw Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin... In London we had a club called ‘Talk of the Town’ and it was like there were six Talk of the Towns here in one town! They offered me a contract in ’68, and I’ve played there every year since. I don’t think Frank Sinatra even played there that long.

MG: And that’s where you met Elvis?

The Media Guy and Tom Jones at the fabulous
InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut Hotel.

TJ: No, I met him in Hollywood at Paramount Studios in 1965, and he came to see me in Vegas in ’68 to see what I was all about. He wanted to make a comeback; he wanted to play Vegas. So he came and watched me work, and he said it gave him confidence.

MG: Did you ever see Elvis turn down a cheeseburger?

TJ: Er, no. He used to like a pizza as well. He used to keep the pizza under his bed.

MG: Did he have a favorite topping?

TJ: I don’t know. But we’d be up late, singing gospel songs, and he’d say, ‘Do you like pizza?’ He had it under the bed, just in case, but he used to laugh about it. He wasn’t a secret eater. When he started getting a gut on him, I remember he had this exercise bike in the suite. This bike was an electric bike that would move by itself. He used to sit there eating deviled eggs and laughing. He was having fun with it, but it backfired on him in the end.

MG: Do you ever worry that you might be remembered as a walking knicker magnet?

TJ: I wouldn’t like that. If they want to talk about it, you can’t stop that really because it happened. I would like to think the reason that it did happen is because of my voice; because the songs I was singing were getting people excited. Over the years my shows have been reviewed not on how good I’m singing, but by how many pairs of underwear are up there. It’s immaterial, really. What I’m putting out – that’s the main question.

World Portraits: Soaring

Arabian Peninsula—Rare in many parts of the world, three eagle species, the Greater Spotted Eagle, Imperial Eagle, and Lesser Kestrel, spend winters and early spring throughout the Arabian Peninsula in search of prime areas to mate and lay their few eggs (only one to three per mating season).

World Travels: Snapshots of Forgotten Places

The Middle East is marked by incredible diversity and indelible images. One extended visit erases the misconceptions and opens an entire new world filled with laughing people and overwhelming hospitality. Sights, unseen outside of the region, jump with historical significance and endless stories. Here are just a few.

Isfahan, Iran…The cool blue tiles of Isfahan's buildings mix with the city's majestic bridges, beautiful gardens and immense bazaar.

 

Sinai Desert, Egypt…Since the beginning of time, it seems the Bedouin men of the Sinai were never done drinking tea or coffee. Legend has it that any man who broke a coffee cup would be obliged to buy or make two new ones for the mess. This pact produced jokes at the expense of anyone so unfortunate as to break one. In the process the bonds of friendship were formed.

Essaouira, Morocco…The gateway of Essaouira transports you to a land Essaouira is celebrated for its cabinetmaking and lemonwood carvings. Common to the city is thuja. The arborvitae, or tree of life, is said to inspire artists from around the world.

Cappadocia, Turkey…Nature’s powers are alive in the fairy chimneys of Cappadocia. The moonlike landscapes are formed by the continual erosion of the volcanic landscape by the wind and rain. Many say that if you leave Cappadocia without visiting here, your entire journey would be a waste.

Gabes, Tunisia…Accessible only by channeling across by boat, Gabes—a maritime oasis with over 300,000 palm trees—is a mesmerizing dream in the mist of the arid Tunisian countryside.

Petra, Jordan…"No hurry, no worry!" says the Jordanian fruit salesman as he provides refreshment near the famed stone city.

Doha, Qatar…Olivier Rochus of Belgium (in blue) dashes to make a return to Davide Sanguinetti of Italy at the Qatar Mobile Open.

Originally published in ALO magazine (www.alomagazine.com) by The Media Guy (that's me!, Michael Lloyd).

Coffeehouse Screenwriting

FADE IN:

EXT. MORNING METROPOLITAN SKY

A cool wind smooths the morning haze. Distant sirens come closer. As the camera pulls back, we see that the burning building is mostly hidden by dense, Los Angeles traffic that causes more turmoil than the buzzing emergency vehicles arriving on the scene. We're watching from across the street. The sound of a steaming air comes to a sizzling stop at about the same time as the tappity-tap of the fingers on the laptop of THE MEDIA GUY. The camera continues to PULL BACK INTO --

INT. LOS ANGELES COFFEE SHOP – DAY

THE MEDIA GUY, dressed in jeans, black shirt and sports coat, is sitting at a small round table of a trendy little Encino coffee shop to the right of a twenty-something barista. THE MEDIA GUY sips his latte as he continues to tap out the words of a burgeoning screenplay. The shape of a young woman, ELIZA, flashes by the counter, checking her smartphone.

ELIZA

My God, it's hot. I stepped out of line and it stared sweating again. It's still burning? Jesus, it's bigger! And I thought you were the cause of those sirens.

(she giggles)

What is it?

THE MEDIA GUY

(interrupting)

Order your coffee ‘extra hot’ again Eliza? That’s hot talk.

ELIZA

Michael, what are you doing here?

(she giggles again)

What you must think! I was talking about the fire.

THE MEDIA GUY

Miller & Miller Advertising. My dad used to work there thirty-two years ago. Now somebody's torched it to get some revenge. Los Angeles is getting meaner by the day.

ELIZA

That's a disgrace.

THE MEDIA GUY

Their clients will be up for grabs.

ELIZA

Is this your new office?

THE MEDIA GUY

(still tapping out the words)

I’m writing the great American screenplay. Are you still subbing those marauding second graders at snooty elementary prep school?

ELIZA

Save your humor for your screenplay. An autobiography?

THE MEDIA GUY

It’s a drama. You know how I love drama.

ELIZA

Don’t you think writing your screenplay at a strip mall coffee house franchise is a little trite?

THE MEDIA GUY

Of the many disciplines a screenwriter must master, chief among them is looking pensive, building up a tolerance for copious amounts of coffee, and not having a day job — or vacation time.

ELIZA

Which one is it for you?

THE MEDIA GUY

A much needed vacation from the media racket. Six months of used car commercial shots will burn anyone out.

ELIZA

Doesn’t everyone in L.A. write their Great American screenplay at a coffee shop?

THE MEDIA GUY

Scientific reports show that about 77.25% of the population of in the city of Los Angeles consider themselves screenwriters. However, my research reveals that only .05% of these people are actually in the process of writing a script. So, you could be right.

ELIZA

I get into school at 8 a.m. I wouldn't mind having a coffee later and hearing about the media game...

(beat)

Oh, what do you care? You're writing. You're done with human contact. I'm just the customer of the minute to inspire greatness.

(trying for a straight face)

I'll just slip into my coffee here and slip away.

There's a smile on her lips as she takes her drink up, watching THE MEDIA GUY fervently attack the keyboard.

THE MEDIA GUY

My keyboard is scorching and my history's burning up out here.

ELIZA

Hey, I don't mind. I'm leaving.

(beat)

Why do they make these damn lattes so hot?

THE MEDIA GUY

Heat is a matter of mind. Just like writing genius. The distance any of us non-traditional writers make in the sanctity of the coffee house is frustrating, but also valuable. There's an option to retreat from the noise--or, okay, the music--that I don't think a writer in, say, West Hollywood has. This distance has benefited me for the last two weeks, as I write and write, without looking up, or around.

ELIZA

Hey... hey...

(giggling again)

... let me read what you have.

THE MEDIA GUY

You’ll be late for the kids at Lenny Bruce Elementary. I’ll be here after school. Maybe I’ll let you read the character arcs in the middle. Or, Maybe I’ll let you read act two.

The camera cranes out over the cars, morning ambiance and the noise of the street. Then it arcs over the palm trees, across the rooftops, to the flames as a bit a history scorches closer to the ground.

World Portraits: Deal or No Deal

Marrakesh, Morocco...By far the biggest challenge you'll face in Marrakesh is a shopping trip, as the art of the deal is a way of life in Morocco. Everyone bargains, sometimes over tea or trinkets, and it’s only considered a satisfactory purchase after the bargain is settled upon. The usual practice with tourists is to ask roughly double or even triple an item's true value. How about a little woven Marrakesh treasure in your living room?

Love Notes from the Abyss

My cape needed cleaning so I stopped by the mailbox. There it was, the dinosaur of communications: a hand-written note. Yes snail mail, not an e-mail or a text--an enigmatic scribble that has spun my mind in a million directions.

Hey, Mo-Mo.

 

Remember when I came up with that nickname for you? Oh, I do, believe me it was a pretty hilarious moment on set. So I saw you in Downtown today, but (and I guess this is probably as weird for you as it is for me) you didn't say "hello." I know, I know, you were in a hurry, and that peculiar clammy hobo with the mullet was like, "hey, you, let's hug it out, cuz I hear you're cool with mullet guy." I could totally see how taken aback you were when he moved in for the hug. I remarked how nice of you to give him some greenbacks and your Twitter address. No one ever pointed the finger at you to say you didn't go the extra mile to make people feel at ease.

 

Really, I was just hoping you'd recognize me from those wild Vegas nights where you protected me from the sins of the city. I was hoping the next time we happen to bump into each other at some hip night spot in the city, you'd be like, "Oh, snap. Is that her?" Yeah, but I guess you didn't see me, cause you had a white-guy mullet slopped across your line of sight. But even if you didn't see me, I was surprised you didn't hear me run into that hot-dog cart trying to track you down. Don't worry, I'm fine. My hand got a bit steamed from the bun warmer, but whatevah. Maybe you could come by before you swing out East Coast style, you know, rub some aloe or something on the burn. No need to bring your own. I've got a plant.

 

Alright, boyfriend, just so you know, when you're back in Manhattan, holla at your girl, you know. But if you can't make it to the city, that's cool too. We still might get to hang...call me!

 

Love, Loco-motion

As I searched my database wondering who might have penned this note, I wondered aloud where the term 'snap' came from. I hear it a lot lately. Did it come from Legally Blonde or one of those Barbershop/Beauty Shop movies? I'm sure you have heard it too; an expression along the lines of "Oh SNAP! THAT'S OFF THE FREAKING HOOK! Can you please put it back on the hook? It may lose its battery power, and I charged it for hours. Thank you."

All of these new acronyms, phrases and what-not create a definite issue when writing ad copy and commercials. Who can you reach and how to reach them reminds me of that Orbitz commercial where they lined up all of those phrases into one tight little 30-second spot. Here are some of the greatest ones I've heard lately:

o       Keep f***ing that chicken (KFTC) - a phrase coined by Fox New York television anchor as a phrase of encouragement similar to keep on truckin'... KFTC is a gesture of support to the recipient to continue doing whatever it is that they're doing, despite what others may say, so long as it makes them happy.

o       Husband Chair - the chair in the women's section of a department store where a guy waits it out while his wife/girlfriend tries on forty different dresses and blouses.

o       Cobra Yawn - often seen at networking events where there's a lot of involuntary spraying of saliva while yawning, similar to the venom spray from a cobra.

There’s the dilemma. What to work in, because after all, once you’ve developed your story and pitch it to the client, you can’t just change midstream if you get the computer-face. You know that squint/frown you make when you look at your computer to give the illusion that you are very busy analyzing something vital to your work. If you do ever get stuck when they look confused, arrogantly explain what your word or phrase means with a look that says "Seriously...you've never heard that before? What rock do you live under?" Your confidence in using your term is paramount to making it catch on. People are sheep. If they think everyone else says it, they'll say it too.

Now…time to find out who Loco-motion is…

Liv Tyler - possible author of the hand-written note.

Another candidate of the 'note of enigma' is Yasmine Bleeth.

Ivanka Trump also surfaced as a person of interest who may have penned the snail mail note.

World Portraits: Sabkha

Umm Said, Qatar...Sabkha is an Arabic name for a salt-flat or very saline areas of sand or silt lying just above the water-table. The salt crust can easily support the weight of a human and sometimes cars. While unseen in the image, a solid desert of white sand sits only yards beyond the flat.

Perseverance

There is a repulsive trend in society that we need to stomp out like a dandelion before it spreads. Psychologists call it the "Wow, look what I did!" syndrome. Then, there are others who humbly support the world at large, like Adnan.

Adnan Gill: A hero of perseverance

Last year, I was volunteering at a charity walk to stamp out hunger and invited as many people as I could. We raised more money that day than ever before; money that would eventually feed families who are struggling in these hard economic times. That’s the day when something special happened. Adnan Gill showed up with his wife and two kids.

Some of you are reading this and saying. "yeah, so what and who is Adnan Gill?" Well, if you did, you took my bait because each time Adnan appears at a public event, he’s the second coming of Superman with a pressed cape straight from the Perseverance Hall of Fame. Now, you’re probably wondering why I purchased Adnan a pedestal and why I’m saying "Wow, look what Adnan did!"

Here’s why.

Adnan suffers from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. You know ALS, don’t you? It’s a disease that Jerry Lewis spent his Labor Days raising money to fund research to figure out a way to stop it. It’s a disease that attacks the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. ALS is best known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. It took down the “Iron Horse” at the tender age of 37.

Eleven years ago, Adnan was living in Cincinnati when the first symptom struck. He was pushing a grocery cart when suffered a cramp so severe that he had to have his wife pull his arm straight.

At any given time, 30,000 Americans are living with ALS. Adnan wondered what were the odds that he'd be one of the 30,000 stricken with the disease.

Every American kid knows that the odds of living with ALS are next to none. We knew it from the first time we heard Gary Cooper re-enact Gehrig’s famous speech with a stirring, “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.” Those words always had a special meaning, but once I met Adnan, those words were puzzling.

How could anyone confined to a wheelchair and hooked to a breathing machine twenty-four hours a day consider himself lucky? Yet, all you have to do is spend an hour or two with him and you see it with your own eyes.

Visit with him at home and you are treated with the highest Pakistani hospitality, insightful political commentary and the warmth of brotherhood. Sit with him for a bit and you see he’s a faithful husband and dutiful father. His kids are respectful, yet speak their mind. They take his guidance much in the same way followers climb the mountain to speak to the Dalai Lama. And his wife Saima is right out of Good Housekeeping magazine. Without the hissing of his breathing machine, you would be hard pressed to see if his family was affected at all. His strength and fortitude have made family life akin to what you might see on a 50’s sitcom. It's a true testament to Adnan’s signature conviction that things will be as normal as possible.

The charity for which I am lucky enough to serve as a board member, the ALO Cultural Foundation, decided to lend a hand to Adnan with the Forever Wish program. Forever Wish ensures that folks like him have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. The passionate souls who were denied the chance to soar are given the resources they need to achieve their goals in life. This is our way of supporting Arts and Literature Programs for the physically challenged and underserved communities. Works that are vital to empowering the ability of those that refuse to be “disabled” and promote cross cultural understanding between people.

In our first e-Conversation years ago, he explained that he wanted to leave his story to his children…a legacy of sorts. A memoir that chronicles his life. He wanted to tell his son and daughter about his life and his philosophy for generations to come. At the foundation, we are lucky to have a skilled board of directors. One of my board mates is a modern day anthropologist, Ryan Murdock. Although he refuses to be called a journalist, he’s pretty handy with the pen, er, keyboard. When we took Adnan’s Forever Wish to the board, Ryan was the first person to raise his hand to give a little mentoring to Adnan to get his book going. Ryan’s the editor of this book and I have to tell you, it’s a real page turner. I glanced over Adnan's latest chapters and I was mesmerized by his thoughts and perspective. Here’s a little excerpt from Chapter 8:

“I live with one of the most debilitating illnesses ever known to the mankind. Someone described it as, ‘living in a dead body’. One's mind not only stays sharp; rather it goes into the overdrive. We hear all, see all, and yes feel all. We feel every iota of pain. The kind of pain an ordinary person can and does alleviate by simply switching the sides during pleasant dreams, or by shifting the weight off one foot to the other; well you get the idea.

“On the other hand, taking even a single breath in this universe is a statistical impossibility. An average person takes 22,000 breaths per day. I have already lived over 40 years; imagine the number of breaths I have already breathed. If that alone doesn’t make me one of luckiest person then I don’t know what does. I believe, being able to walk to a flower, hug a loved one, or as little as, whistling a tune in the shower doesn’t make one lucky, rather it makes one fortunate. In my opinion, anyone who is lucky and fortunate is blessed. Once, I was blessed too, but now I am mostly lucky.”

Powerful words. Powerful man.

So when Adnan rolled up at to the hunger walk, I was speechless. Every emotion came pouring out of me -- sadness, anger, happiness, depression, joy -- I was tingling. I was crying. I was laughing. I had tears in my eyes the first few minutes. Why? Because I was one of those complainers earlier that day, worrying about the nothingness that consumes us most days. The nothingness we have when we think our days are limitless. Maybe Adnan was like that once, but that day, and every day after, he was my Superman.

Sometimes, in the middle of all the commercialism and politics and cynicism that is life, you meet someone who clubs you with a dose of humility. Adnan – brave and full of honor -- is that for me.

He’s already lived over 40 years, and you know what? For the people that know him, we are the luckiest people on Earth.

Link:

The ALO Cultural Foundation pledges its commitment to make Adnan’s dream come true. We hope you extend your pledges too. For your kind donations visit www.alofoundation.org 

Adnan has outlasted the Iron Horse and just as "lucky."

World Travels: Open Again

As Lebanon searches for ways to bring the country and tourism back, it turns to the food that made it famous, while giving an emphatic YES to the question: Will food be Lebanon’s savior?

Beirut has always been kind to me. Eating has always been a guilty pleasure where the only thing more exciting than the culinary delights is the entertainment fueled by the superior nightlife. To me (and the rest of the world it seems) Lebanon is all about food and nightlife, right on par with Paris and Manhattan. I have long concluded that nightlife is so popular because the only thing that keeps those indulgent pounds off is dancing the night away.

               

All bets were off as the country struggled in the aftermath of the recent and political conflicts to find a way out of the tourism doldrums. Tragedy could not have come to a place more capable of shrugging off problems, dealing with them and thriving once again, one mouth at a time.

               

On my last, I made a point of going to most of the highly reputable restaurants that had reopened. Also on my list was every unknown small spot recommended by locals. The idea that you might eat an authentic Lebanese dish as it was prepared decades or centuries ago is not a fantasy. Tabouleh, grape leaves, and manakish are likely to be made precisely as they once were, but it’s the innovative recipes––a creative mixture of Lebanese and French styles––that keep you guessing and coming back. The French mandate between the two World Wars firmly established the cuisine of Paris, while the postwar emergence of Beirut as a Middle East headquarters for international banking and trade has added influences from every continent.

               

No one had to twist arms to get the Lebanese back to the kitchens and prepare the world’s greatest food. Even while the crisis heated up overhead, the country’s best chefs were underground serving friends, family and those who could get the right information as to where the favorite restaurants had temporarily relocated.

               

Abbas Naber, a chef at a local Beirut café, tells of the Lebanese push to get back to normalcy with post-conflict renovation: “Our reaction is always optimism over despair when faced with challenges. Many of the restaurants moved the rubble from the front of their doors, cleaned up and started serving. Everyone in Beirut had difficulty cooking at home. Power issues. Little food stored. So you know what we did? We went out to eat. Business was unbelievable and still is.”

Shredded Beef Fillet with Onion and Pomegranate

Serves four

  1 pound premium beef filet
  2 large onions cut into strips
  4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  4 tablespoons water
  4 garlic cloves mashed
  1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
  1 tablespoon chopped fresh iklil al jabal or rosemary
  1⁄4 cup chopped radish for garnish
  Salt and pepper

Cut the fillet into small flat strips. Heat oil in skillet on high and cook meat in three batches. Remove meat and saute onion in the same pan until soft. Add water, cover and continue to cook until water evaporates. Add garlic and cook until garlic softens.

 

Add meat, pomegranate juice, iklil al jaba and salt and pepper to taste. Heat to serving temperature.

Place on a large plate and garnish with chopped radish. Also perfect for serving in hollowed out sourdough loaves or as a sandwich in pita bread.

In Case You Missed Them...Stories You'll Like

Greetings from the grill. Yes, the last day of the season. Time to put away the whites and close your pool. Only a few issues. Half the United States is flooded. The other half is burning and the last half is on fire…literally. Yeah I know, that’s three halves, which only works if you are a catcher for the Yankees. Let’s say I am channeling my inner Yogi Berra.

Think she'll win an Emmy?

So, without further ado, here are some of the top stories from last week.

• How long before they charge us to send emails? Postal Service on verge of going broke, shutting down. The postmaster general says 'If Congress doesn't act, we will default.'  The story is here.
• The media is blamed for low hospital circumcision rates. Where’s a good Mohel when you need one
• Remember when Tab cola was for beautiful people? 10 brand names that time still favors.
• The Muscular Dystrophy Association marches on to the tune of $60+ million without Jerry Lewis.
• The media topples empires…Al Jazeera's Role in Toppling the Dictators One by One…click here.
• The best headline of the week: Obama-Nomics: Half Full, Half Empty, or Just Half Assed?
• There’s hope for college football in the west yet - OU and UT in the Pac 16?
• And finally, 'All My Children' Drama as Susan Lucci Blasts ABC Exec for Cancellation.

See you on Thursday when The Media Guy Struggles dives inside the red carpet to show you what it’s like to be a celebrity handler.

World Portraits: Escape

Maalula Village, Syria—According to legend, Saint Tekla was stalked by an unforgiving, scorned fiancé who tried repeatedly to kill her for her religious beliefs. Eventually she sought refuge in a grotto in the cliff around the bend where a convent -- now named in her honor -- was built. She used this escape route to move freely between the convent and her new safe haven.

Huge Food - What's a Media Guy to Do?

Blueberry Muffin

Then: 1.5 ounces, 210 calories Now: 5 ounces, 500 calories





I ran across Katie Robbins who's a writer for Psychology Today, theatlantic.com, LA Weekly, among others and she had some choice words for the food preparers of America. Her take is simple: Why are we being fed so much?!

"With bucket-sized soft drinks, bagels the size of baseballs, and burgers that you can barely get your mouth around, it's no wonder that, according to the CDC, one-third of adult Americans are currently obese. In the last 20 years portions have been ballooning — and we've been getting bigger right along with them. From 1980 to 2008, obesity rates doubled for adults and tripled for children.

Thanks to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health), we can take a peek back at what portions looked like 20 years ago and compare that to what they look like now. Hint? They've gotten a lot, lot bigger."

Trust me, I've been battling the weight thing forever. Truth is, in the media world, the decision makers like the attractive and the fit. We have a serious issue with being fat in American. It's not healthy for your body or your wallet. Newsweek did a survey in 2010 of hiring managers...check out these perceptions:

• 57% believe an unattractive (but qualified) job candidate will have a harder time getting hired;
• 68% believe that, once hired, looks will continue to affect the way managers rate job performance.
• 63% said being physically attractive is beneficial to men who are looking for work,
• 72% said it was an advantage for women.
• On a priority scale, education came in third. Experience was second, and yep (!), attractiveness was first.

This left me wondering "Where's my inner-George Clooney?" I know this much, I need to continue substituting bananas for breakfast meats and salads for mashed potatoes. I'm not working in the fields buring 3,000 calories a day like my forefathers and now the portion sizes are out of control (see the pictures below).

So what's a Media Guy to do?

I know that to be the Super Hero in Media Guy's clothing, writing clever ad copy and delivering smart campaigns, I have to look the part as well. People want a slimmer, sleeker workforce. At age 40-something I'm ready and on my way. Somewhere Jack LaLanne and Dr. Oz are smiling.

Portion Sizes: 1992 vs. Today

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Then: 1 cup of spaghetti and sauce with 3 meatballs, 500 calories Now: 2 cups of pasta and sauce with 3 meatballs, 1,025 calories

Bagels

Then: 3-inch diameter, 140 calories Now: 6-inch diameter, 350 calories

Fast Food Cheeseburgers

Then: 333 calories Now: 590 Calories

French Fries

Then: 2.4 ounces, 210 calories Now: 6.9 ounces, 610 calories

Soda

Then: 6.5 ounces, 85 calories Now: 20 ounces, 250 calories

World Portraits: Catered Coffee

In the center of the grand souk in the shadows of the massive sandstone minarets, stands Ahmed. For 30 years the “human drinking fountain,” as he is known, has provided sparkling cupfuls of liquid relief from the hot desert days.

He says that shoppers, who repeatedly visit him throughout the day feel as if they “plunged into a lake with an almighty splash, the delightful shock of icy water jolting their minds.” Never asking for money, Ahmed ekes out an average of $12 a day from donations, enough to keep his family of five clothed and fed. And his grateful customers keep on coming.

WORLD PORTRAITS: Taj Mahal

The sun crept down the burnt grey sky as I pushed my way through the crowded, arched entrance that surrounds the monument. Burnt amber rays warmed the white marble, creating a breathtaking muted glow.