Here are five brief observations swirling in my head waiting to get out:
There was a time in our recent past when just one ill-advised comment could cause a politician or celebrity to lose their job or status. I’m thinking of Jimmy the Greek, George Romney and Ed Muskie to name a few. Today we have a number of politicians, pundits and journalists who make their livelihoods and careers based on almost daily ill-advised comments, reporting and opinions.
Remember when the best way to judge a person was based on what they do, not necessarily what they say. So many people today are more impressed with empty hype than performance. A well delivered promise that may or may not come to fruition carries more weight than actual results.
The day when we all signed up for AOL decades ago was the day that we forfeited our rights of privacy.
The sole criterion for many Americans on the status and success of the US presidency is that the current officeholder is not named Trump.
My grandmother died in 1971. She had tens of thousands of dollars representing her life savings in a mattress. She never had a bank account. I suspect that given she lived through the bank failures of the 1930s that she feared putting her money in a bank. Interestingly enough, if she was alive today, she would be earning about the same amount of interest income from putting her money in a mattress than putting her money in a bank.
Since I could not play pickleball this weekend, I chose to write about it…
The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP), and Professional Pickleball Association (PPA), similar to the the battle between the American Football Conference vs. the National Football Conference in the 1960s are trying to “poach” players for their respective organizations. The PPA is offering three year contracts to various pro players. This may provide the financial opportunities for many pickleball players to leave their day jobs and focus on their sport. The expectation, is that like football, these organizations will find both business and financial reasons to merge at some point.
Commercialization of pickleball will continue to expand. There will be more playing venues, tournaments, clinics, clothing lines, paddles, magazines and podcasts to attract an affluent and receptive customer base. I don’t doubt that we will soon see $300 pickleball paddles…
On that note, I wonder when there will be online gambling on professional pickleball tournaments?
Recommended YouTube pickleball instruction videos: anything by Morgan Evans. He has this crazy serve that is almost unreturnable. He is also the best commentator on pickleball.
I hope that Simone Jardim has a successful 2022. She announced that she would retire at the end of this year. She has been beset with injuries, personal difficulties and former tournament partners abandoning her. I remember the verbal online abuse when she withdrew from parts of tournaments last year. Turns out she had to withdraw from all her injuries, not from sandbagging.
Personal Thoughts and Reflections:
My 2022 Resolution: Invest time in drilling and practice. I have witnessed players who probably have increased their ratings by .25 to .50 by participating in weekly pickleball drills.
Presents I wish I found under my Xmas Pickleball Tree:
Willie Palm’s lobs Linda Zarrilli’s temperament Liz TE’s energy Sean McCloskey’s serve Jay Doskis drop shot Manny Lai’s forehand drive Troy Clemmer’s court coverage Lee Collins’s backhand volley Julie Close’s angled shots Reuven Cohen’s spin shots Lucy Kovalova
The local game is changing exponentially. On the plus side, we have more places to play, increased opportunities for clinics and training, more tournaments and membership in South Jersey Pickleball continues to grow. However with the growth comes challenges. Even with the additional venues, there are still sizable waitlists at various Meet-ups frustrating many. The wide community of South Jersey pickleball is slowly being re-organized into smaller units of informal pickleball groups where you can only play or participate by invitation only. In some cases, the criteria is not how you play, but how you fit in. I understand the exclusivity, up to a point, if it is based on competitive criteria. I just hope that South Jersey Pickleball does not become a group of smaller locked communities.
I wrote this essay about 10 years or more about corporate life and getting ahead. The ideas and comments are more appropriate for someone entering the corporate life in their 20s but there are some universal truths for workers of all ages. To be honest, I wish I took some of this advice early in my career.
Don’t accept a “maintenance” job. We’re not talking cleaning or janitorial services but a position that requires you to maintain the status quo. If a position cannot be improved or reinvented, it’s not worth pursuing.
Within one hour of starting your new job, generally a new employee will know if they have made a mistake in accepting the job offer.
Within one hour of a new employee starting a new job, their boss and co-workers will know if the new employee’s hiring was a mistake.
Bringing in “new blood” to a company does not necessarily stop the bleeding.
The number of people is not as important as the character and reputation of people in your social network.
Results, recommendations and reputation always trump the best written resume.
Too often a company truly understands the value of an employee not by their presence but when they are gone.
It’s not the size of a business document with ideas that counts, it’s the feasibility of the ideas within the document that matter.
Good work alone won’t get you a raise or promotion; good work that gets noticed and appreciated by others will. People who get promotions are excellent at promoting themselves.
If you are seeking a promotion inside your company, promote yourself well outside it.
The desire for principal generally overcomes the need for principle in most business decisions.
Many corporate refugees finally find the boss of their dreams when they become self employed.
Companies can find managers fairly easily, leaders not so easily.
Employee recognition awards make great consolation prizes when a company won’t or can’t deliver on a promised promotion or merit raise.
Be very skeptical when listening to other people’s career advice or about getting ahead in business, including this list.
There are two kinds of “Hello.” The first is a friendly one that invites further conversation or introduction. The second one is a clipped insouciant greeting that indicates no interest in any conversation or introduction. A one word message that communicates far beyond its brevity depending on the tone and intent of its delivery.
I have celebrated 70 New Years Days. I have outgrown resolutions as most of them were simply wishful thinking on my part. It’s a bit of a somber day as I reflect upon family members, friends, acquaintances and places that no longer exist. I wonder how many “Time Square Ball Drops” are left in my life?
This was a somber New Year’s Day for most of the people in the United States. Omicron limited travel, family reunions, parties, hugs and handshakes. The celebrations and crowds at Times Square last night were very subdued. Hopefully next year life will return to a more routine existence. Maybe this can be a resolution for the CDC and other government agencies?
I remember looking forward to the football bowl games on New Year’s Day. The Orange, Rose and Sugar Bowls had the best games with the best competition. Bowl competition today has been severely diluted. Even a Rutgers team with a 5-7 record managed to play in a bowl game, though they were a substitute for a more qualified team that was going through Covid.
It’s time to get rid of the ice or Gatorade baths that winning coaches suffer at the end of games.
No one seems to get excited about the Mummers parade in Philadelphia or the Tournament of Roses Parade any more. When I was a young kid, I remember fighting with my mom at not being able to watch football as she chose to watch the parades. Of course this was a time (1960s) when most families only had one television.
Betty White passed away yesterday at age 99. She was a very skillful comedienne who was also very attractive. Comediennes currently who combine talent for humor and great looks include Aisley Bea, Tina Fey, Cecily Strong, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Katherine Ryan and Kate McKinnon.
A lot of prognosticators and people with crystal balls thought the 2021 was going to be a much better year than 2020. They were disappointed. Covid did not go away. People continued to die and be hospitalized with the pandemic. Despite a new president, the political divide got worse. While the stock market did very well, most of the country suffered from inflated prices from houses, cars, gasoline, clothes and in particular, food. I think it’s more prudent to hope than predict future events for 2022.
Judge dismisses Gohmert’s attempt to force Pence to decide election (1/1/2021)
‘I just want to find 11,780 votes’: In extraordinary hour-long call, Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate the vote in his favor (1/3/2021)
Mob Incited by Trump Storms Capitol (1/6/2021)
Majority of Americans want Trump removed immediately after U.S. Capitol violence – Reuters/Ipsos poll (1/8/2021)
House Republicans Reportedly Terrified of Crossing Trump on Impeachment: They ‘Fear For Their Lives’ (1/13/21)
The worst final popularity rating ever for a first lady belongs to Melania Trump (1/19/21)
‘Tompa Bay’ is Titletown: Tom Brady, fierce defense lead Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Super Bowl victory (2/7/2021)
Senate acquits Trump for inciting Capitol riot even as bipartisan majority votes to convict (2/13/2021)
Almost Half of Republican Men Say They Won’t Get the Coronavirus Vaccine (3/12/21)
Home Prices Soar in Frenzied U.S. Market Drained of Supply (4/9/2021)
US Navy vid shows UFO whizzing through sky before dropping into ocean as ex-pilot says ‘military sees them all the time’ (5/15/2021)
During Covid-19, Most Americans Got Richer—Especially the Rich (WSJ) 6-27-21
US COVID-19 cases rising again, doubling over three weeks (7/14/21)
US life expectancy in 2020 saw biggest drop since WWII (1.5 yrs.) 7-21-21
1 in 500 Americans have died of COVID since 1st US infection (9/15/2021)
Jamie Dimon says bitcoin is ‘worthless’ (10/11/2021)
Weekly jobless claims fall to 184,000, the lowest level in more than 52 years (12/8/2021)
One Percent of All U.S. Seniors have Died from Covid Since Beginning of Pandemic: NYT 12/13/2021
Friends generally fall into tiers, like those old food-pyramid posters in the school cafeteria, except in this case, the tiny triangle at the pinnacle is where the good stuff is, your best friends who provide the most nourishment. The broad base of the pyramid represents the acquaintances, the kinda-friends, the friends of friends and amiable whoevers that, like matcha cupcakes or pigs in a blanket, are great to sample at a party, but do not make a full meal.
I Want My Friends. But How Many? Alex Williams
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“The two most important days in your life are the day that you were born and the day you found out why.”
Mark Twain
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“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
Philip Dick
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This country is in the midst of a 5 alarm fire, & so many of the democratic leadership, the media, & much of the general population don’t get it, can’t believe it, or think someone else will stop it. If you don’t see where we’re headed in 3, 5, 10 years, your head is in the sand.
Kurt Eichenwald
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As I do for the first time in my 62 years, my biggest worry is for my country. But the darkness on the edge of town has spread to the main roads and highways and neighborhoods. It’s now at the local bar, and the bowling alley, at the school board, and the grocery store. And it must be acknowledged and answered for. Grown men and women who swore an oath to our Constitution, elected by their constituents possessing the kinds of college degrees I could only dream of have decided to join the mob and become something they are not while hoping we somehow forget who they were. They’ve decided to burn it all down – with us inside.
Brian Williams on his final MSNBC telecast
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“You know, look, one thing that nurses also told us is that not only are they treating these people, but these people come in and ask like it’s Starbucks there. No, I don’t want that treatment. I want ivermectin. I want this, I want that, I want all these other things I’ve heard about,” said Marquez. “And the hospital has to actually fight their own patients to give them the treatment that actually works!”
Reporter on Covid treatments at Sparrow Health System Michigan
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Expectation is the grandfather of disappointment. The world can never own a man who wants nothing.”
— Aphorisms for Thirsty Fish
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“Here is a formula for staying young well beyond the days of youth…
“Grow old in a place where you do not think you belong. You will feel like an adolescent, because adolescents always consider themselves outsiders. Then, after decades, just as you have gradually habituated yourself to your surroundings, pack up and leave. It is time for another, perhaps the final beginning.”
I am a voracious reader. This year I have read 64 books so far and I will probably read another 2-3 books by year end. I tend to be picky as to what I read and I am somewhat reluctant to recommend books to others given my “eclectic” tastes. Over 80% of what I read is non-fiction though I did recommend two fiction books that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Here are my Top 10 books of 2021 and two extra recommendations..
I have read many of the Trump presidency books. I find that the one written by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa is the best. Peril also covers the candidacy and early administration of Joe Biden and the comparison between the Trump and Biden administration is compelling. I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker is also excellent and the title is self explanatory as to the story within the book. Most of the book details Trump’s failure with managing the Covid pandemic.
1940: FDR, Wilkie, Lindbergh, Hitler—the Election Amid the Storm by Susan Dunn documents the leadership, judgment and foresight of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the year before we entered World War II. Many Americans wished to remain isolationist and did not want to support Great Britain even as its cities were attacked by German bombers. Wendell Wilkie was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for President in 1940. Wilkie ran an unconventional campaign but unlike many Republicans today accepted the results of the election and supported FDR’s policies about the impending war.
Corruption, bad judgment, mismanagement, suicides, deviant behavior, treachery and Donald Trump, all this and more in Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction. This is a business book that reads like a novel, a huge international bank plagued by scandals.
If you are an Eagles fan, you will thoroughly enjoy Ray Didinger’s Finished Business. Lots of great stories about players, owners and coaches. If you are a basketball fan, Three Ring Circus by Jeff Pearlman about the Los Angeles Lakers team from 1996-2004 is very entertaining and provides some great insights into the rocky relationship between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Amazing how a very dysfunctional team was so successful. For baseball fans, October 1964 by David Halberstam is a bit of a dated book but an excellent read. It covered the 1964 seasons of the New York Yankees (with Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Yoga Berra) and the St Louis Cardinals (Bob Gibson, Tim McCarver, Stan Musial). Interesting personal portraits of many of the players were provided. Phillies fans, take note, the Phillies collapse towards the National League pennant is documented!
Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher about a crotchety, sarcastic Creative Writing teacher Jason Fitger was very funny. I would keep my wife awake with my laughter as I read the book in bed. Maybe the Fitger character reminded me of someone else who did not suffer fools gladly in his corporate life? I enjoyed the adventurous tales of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday in Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell. Interesting stories of the Wild West beyond the fight at the OK Corral.
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell was an uncomfortable story. It detailed the thinking and strategies about how to close the wars against the Germans and the Japanese. There were two lines of thought. One was to bomb military and manufacturing targets primarily. Second, bomb population centers and destroy the morale of citizens. The decision on whether to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki also created moral dilemmas.
The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win by Maria Konnikova is primarily a story about a woman learning to play poker and also compete (and win) in big money tournaments. The bigger picture contains the lessons that she learns about psychology, luck, focus, risk and control that are useful as to how we conduct our lives, careers, finances and relationships.
Two extra recommendations:
Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo (Title is self explanatory. I did not agree with some of her analysis but this book was very well presented and written.)
Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service by Carol Leonnig. Eye opening expose about the management and performance of the Secret Service. Interesting anecdotes about some of our Presidents and their interactions with the Secret Service.
Esot-eric 