Month: July 2023

Three Ingredients for a Successful Pickleball Partnership

As the popularity of pickleball continues to soar and tournaments and informal leagues thrive, the significance of successful partnerships on the court becomes increasingly evident. Whether you’re aiming for victory or simply seeking enjoyment, a well-matched pickleball partnership can make all the difference. In my opinion, here are the three most important criteria for a pickleball partnership.

  1. Shared Mindset

A successful pickleball partnership begins with a shared mindset, where both partners align their expectations regarding the balance between competitiveness and fun. This shared mindset will help create harmony, ensuring both partners are on the same page and working towards a common goal.

Two of my best partners: Julie Close (serving) and Anna Marie. Very skilled players. Great personalities and they put up with me.

2. Communication

Effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful partnership, and pickleball is no exception. On the court, partners must communicate their strategies, tactics, and intentions to synchronize their efforts and maximize their performance. Verbal communication is essential, but non-verbal cues, such as body language and eye contact, also play a significant role in maintaining a strong partnership. Partners should offer encouragement and support to each other, particularly during challenging moments.

3. Synergy

To elevate their game to new heights, partners should strive to achieve synergy—a state where their skills, strengths, and playing styles complement each other. One partner may excel in power shots while the other may possess exceptional finesse and precision. By capitalizing on these strengths, partners can form a dynamic duo that outmaneuvers their opponents and adapts seamlessly to changing game situations.

Conclusion:
Whether you’re aiming for victory in tournaments or seeking joy in friendly matches, embracing these key ingredients will undoubtedly enhance your pickleball experience and help you forge long-lasting partnerships that thrive both on and off the court.

Review: King-A Life by Jonathan Eig

As I immersed myself in this captivating biography, a whirlwind of emotions, memories, and contemplations flooded my mind. Recalling my teenage years, I realized how little I truly comprehended the magnitude of the civil rights struggle, especially in the deeply segregated South during the 1960s. Although I had heard of Martin Luther King Jr. as a young boy, I had no inkling of the profound impact he would have on our nation’s history.

This book, a compelling account of King’s life, stirred within me a deep sense of shame for the violence and hatred inflicted upon Black individuals due to their skin color and the prejudiced perceptions held by many white people. The author’s vivid descriptions of the bombings that claimed innocent lives, the brutal attacks on peaceful demonstrators by police dogs, and the countless murders committed by racists and law enforcement are a haunting reminder of the dark stain on our collective history.

Undeniably, Martin Luther King Jr. was an extraordinarily brave man—perhaps one of the bravest. Despite being subjected to jail, beatings, threats, and mob attacks, he remained steadfast in his commitment to nonviolence. The author adeptly captures King’s experiences, leaving readers in awe of his unwavering equanimity in the face of such brutality.


Moreover, the book delves into King’s personal flaws, including accusations of numerous affairs. The author, Eig, does not shy away from these indiscretions. It is revealed that King was targeted by the FBI through wiretapping and attempts to blackmail him with incriminating information. The book effectively dispels accusations of King being a communist sympathizer, providing compelling evidence to the contrary.

King faced adversaries from all angles: the FBI, racist politicians and officials, the police, fellow Black individuals who disagreed with his nonviolent philosophy, as well as ministers, church leaders, and conservative commentators who opposed his influence. Even Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, while initially ambivalent about King’s politics and impact on the civil rights movement, became entangled in a complex relationship with him. Johnson’s sentiments towards King soured when the latter publicly voiced his opposition to U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

Meticulously researched and skillfully written, this biography stands as the pinnacle of my reading experiences this year. It effortlessly transports readers into the turbulent era of the civil rights movement, providing a profound understanding of the indomitable spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. and the transformative power of his vision.

In conclusion, this book is an absolute must-read, capable of evoking an array of emotions and leaving a lasting impact. I wholeheartedly give it five stars, and then some.

The Truth, The Truth, You can’t Handle the Truth

And, nobody died in the Holocaust either. That’s the truth. It should happen. Six million Jews should die right now cause they cause all the problems in the world. But, it never happened.”
Roseanne Barr

“COVID-19 attacks certain races disproportionately,” COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese.”“We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact.”
RFK Jr.

“That [the war in Ukraine] does nothing to protect our borders, and that’s your hard-earned tax dollars. We’re funding them with equipment, we’re funding them with ammunition…Biden’s war in Ukraine, a proxy war with Russia, has depleted our military. Our military is the weakest it has been in decades and decades.”
Marjorie Taylor Greene

“Millions of illegal aliens have stormed across our borders, it is an invasion, like a military invasion. Our rights and liberties are being torn to shreds. Your country is being turned into a third-world hellhole, run by censors, perverts, criminals and thugs.”
Donald Trump

“Rosa Parks didn’t sit in the back, and neither am I gonna sit in the back.”
George Santos

Years, maybe it was decades ago, politicians, public officials, commentators and celebrities were much more circumspect in their public comments and behavior than their counterparts currently. It seems that chronic stupidity and ill behavior go unpunished. Instead, it gains you more poll points from your party’s voting base, gets you invitations to speak on talk shows and can be a stepping stone to having your own talk show or podcast.

In today’s media, stupid is overwhelming smart. Politicians, political commentators and many news organizations lie with impunity. Very few liars and incompetent people are punished or lose their jobs. Maybe the last time something like that happened occurred with Sarah Palin in 2008.

Today we have Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lisa Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Tommy Tuberville, Tucker Carlson, Jim Jordan, George Santos and countless others who are free to lie, slander and exaggerate. The public does not punish them. In many cases, a good portion of the public supports “a narrative” that gives weight to their slanted political, religious, cultural and prejudicial views.

I’m not sure the exact date when public discourse died but I’d say life support was pulled around 2016. That’s about the same time that the political IQ of this country fell into mid two digits. It’s still plunging…