Month: November 2019

Words For The Sunday Before Thanksgiving.

Credible – not Prince Andrew.

Yawn – Alabama scheduling Western Carolina this late in the season.

Decisions – the tough ones Atlanta United made to their roster.

Enigma – the Falcons start off their season with one win in eight games and then beat New Orleans and Carolina on the road. Let’s see what happens later today against Tampa Bay and Thanksgiving night against the Saints.

Angst – the ongoing stand students have taken at Hong Kong Polytechnic Institute.

Precision – Florida A&M’s “Marching 100”.

Dawgs – not the animals, but a college football team trying to hang onto 4th place and get to the semi-finals. Was yesterday’s win convincing enough?

Family and Friends – hoping everyone takes the time on Thursday to enjoy Thanksgiving.

Adios, pay it forward, enjoy Sunday Funday, and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

My Top Ten.

1. I have no idea what to do about school shootings. Thursday’s incident near Los Angeles was this year’s 30th. In a previous post, I mentioned that all schools should have dedicated, full-time security guards and be gated. Thursday’s incident involved a student who attended that school so my idea does not hold water. Does anyone have a better idea of how to stop this carnage?

2. I am not looking forward to the next year of political diatribes and the run up to the Presidential election. Not at all.

3. The holidays start earlier every year. Yes, I said that last year as well but I have seen the streets of Orlando, FL. and Atlanta, Ga…they are already dressed.

4. I was coerced into seeing the movie The Joker. In a word: disturbing. Joaquin Phoenix in a word: tremendous. There is something amiss with the Academy of Motion Pictures if Joaquin Phoenix is not awarded an Oscar for his performance. I cannot recommend that you see The Joker, but if you do, fair warning. The Joker’s incessant ‘laugh’ is enough to make you squirm.

5. Yesterday’s Georgia – Auburn game was a tale of two halves. Auburn had their chances to send the game into overtime…but it will be the Dawgs playing in the SEC championship game.

6. Distraction is not an excuse:

7. Major League Soccer is in the expansion mode with Nashville and Miami starting up for the 2020 season. I am very much looking forward to those new clubs not duplicating Cincinnati’s inaugural season. #MajorLeagueSoccer

8. Trae Young plays for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. He is young and a tremendous talent. With his minutes managed correctly by the Hawks’ coaching staff, you may be looking at the next Steph Curry. He is averaging 32 points and 11.5 assists per game over his last four outings. #ATLHAWKS

9. Venice, Italy. Very sad.

10. There is something so crazy about this: Last Monday, Alibaba’s “Singles’ Day” sales hit a record $38 billion. $38 billion in ONE day.

Adios, pay it forward, and have a Funday Sunday!

Fly The Flag. Solo Cycling? I Am Not A Clemson Fan, But….? Air Quality. Holes To Fill. Would We Agree?

• Veterans Day is celebrated tomorrow. I can’t say this with a more serious tone than I did last year: “Fly your flag all the time, but at a minimum today and tomorrow.  November 11 designates Veterans Day, honoring those who are now and have served in the United States Armed Forces.  Forget politics, forget Woodrow Wilson and WWI, Harry Truman and WWII, LBJ and Vietnam, and George Bush and the ‘weapons of mass destruction’, and any of our other leaders who have put our soldiers in harm’s way.  Stand up, give up your seat, shake the veteran’s hand, and above all else say thank you to them for their service to our country.  This is not about politics, this is about honor and sacrifice.  The least all of us can do is say thank you.”

• Peloton. Tech cycling at its finest. They have doubled their year over year revenue and their ad spend must be massive as their spots air on NFL Sundays and during prime time. I am not a cycle person (I like to row) – but I thought part of “not on the road” cycling’s discernible difference was going to class to see your friends and cycle-mates? Don’t get me wrong, I like Peloton’s general premise as the technology is fabulous, but if I do cycle I want it to be in a class, with that loud, pounding music, with the trainer motivating you, and surrounded by people of like minds. I think. #Peloton

• The season’s first college football ranking came out last week with four teams ahead of undefeated Clemson. With Alabama losing to LSU yesterday, and Georgia and Clemson getting wins, as well as undefeated Minnesota and Baylor, who knows what the ranking committee does with the NCAA top four. Ohio State and LSU remain, but what college teams get ranked #3 and #4 after yesterday’s fun day of college football?

• Americans bitch about many things. It is just normal for people living in the U.S. to complain about everything from traffic, to injustice, and just about anything that gets in the way of their lifestyle. From Los Angeles to Atlanta, poor air quality does not escape the landscape of complaints, with the summer air quality index sometimes at levels of what we deem unhealthy. As a benchmark, let’s take a look at what has been going on in the capital territory of India, a city of 19 million people called Delhi. Due to a number of factors, including this territory being trapped between the Himalaya’s and the Thar Desert, the air quality index has sometimes reached 900 – with dangerous air quality warnings starting at the 100 level. The government entities have responded by closing schools and some businesses, and providing 5 million air quality masks to it’s citizens. You would think, as this issue is systemic in areas of India, that the government authorities would get a fix on one or more solutions to this serious problem? Then you read this statement from an obvious ‘rocket scientist’, who feels he as come up with one clear cut solution. India’s Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology, and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, stated that eating carrots would help: “Eating carrots helps the body get Vitamin A, potassium, & antioxidants which protect against night blindness common in India. Carrots also help against other pollution-related harm to health.” And Americans think they have issues with their government’s Environmental Protection Agency? See today’s last take for how I really feel about Dr. Vardhan’s suggestion.

The Major League Soccer championship game is played today at 3pm EST in Seattle, with Seattle meeting visiting Toronto F.C. I have no dog in this fight but it is obvious to me that Atlanta United is better than either of these teams. Speaking of Atlanta United, front office leaders Darren Eales and Carlos Bocanegra have a bit of work to do to build and solidify the roster for the 2020 season. Some players will not be back for performance and contract reasons, and filling the shoes (and the role he played) of departed Darlington Nagbe is now a very important piece of the puzzle. #ATLUTD

I will leave all of you with an observation from Ron White – his point of view but one I would generally agree with – especially considering Dr. Vardhan’s message to the people of Delhi, India.

Adios, pay it forward, praise our veterans, and have a Funday Sunday!

Weather Underground. Dark at 5:45pm – No. Engine Parts Are Overrated. Kudos To Atlanta United. Baseball Apathy. Dia De Los Muertos. A Purple Heart.

• Orlando, Florida temps today, obviously significant if you spend time in this area: High 78. Low 65. Heaven.

• ‘Dancing in the Dark” – not only a classic Bruce Springsteen song but the reality of daylight savings time going away until March 8th of next year. A few of my readers know how I despise the end of daylight savings time as it leads to four months of darkness. Below is a contrarian view.

• Delta Airlines thought they avoided the ongoing Boeing 737 Max issue as they did not participate with ordering that problematic aircraft. After further review, Delta probably does have aircraft issues as well, as they decided to purchase a fleet of Airbus A220 aircraft. A decision that seemed like a good one until two weeks ago, when Swiss Air was forced to ground all of its 29 Airbus A220 aircraft. It seems that one of these planes had to perform an emergency landing on its way to Geneva. Why? Pieces of the engine started to fall off somewhere over France. Yes, I said pieces of the engine. “Delta is ready when you are.”

• Atlanta United – after winning the championship in 2018 you came back this season without your best player, a new manager, a ridiculous schedule and too many injuries. With all that, you still won two Cups and got to the league semifinal. Well done. Come back stronger next year. #ATLUTD

• The Washington Nationals, to the dismay of many of their fans, refused to give their star outfielder Bryce Harper a long-term mega deal, and Harper eventually was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies. The Nationals, after a rough start to the season, went on to win the World Series…..a clear message to all general managers.

• I like Mexico. Especially Mexico City as I have been there a few times for business. I like Club America, the ‘Dallas Cowboys’ of Mexico’s first division. I like most of the Mexican people I have met – they are warm, friendly and have always invited me to join them in their almost daily ritual of celebrating something. Speaking of celebrating, most Mexicans have an annual two-day festival with the central theme of “Dia De Los Muertos” – or “Day of the Dead” – and though this celebration always falls around Halloween, these two have nothing to do with each other. Here is how Mexicans describe their Dia De Los Muertos: Many of us see death as a sad event but those who celebrate Day of the Dead view death as a welcomed part of life. That is why you will see brightly colored skeletons and skulls everywhere during the holiday. They often are seen smiling, as a friendly nod to death, even mocking death. This view of death began way back during the one month Aztec festival where they celebrated the dead and paid homage to the lady of death, Mictlancíhuatl, who protected their departed loved ones and helped them in the afterlife. I am not religious but do have a lot of faith, so if this is a positive path forward to recognize and never forget the dead – so be it.

• By definition, the Purple Heart is a medal awarded for wounds received in action against an enemy or as a direct result of an act of the enemy. There is speculation, due to an asinine military regulation, that a hero of last week’s capture and subsequent elimination of the world’s most feared terrorist, who was injured in this incredibly dangerous mission, will not receive the Purple Heart. Here is an excerpt from the military press conference held right after the successful mission, and the comments of Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command: “At sprint speed, Conan chased ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to the end of a tunnel under the compound. Conan is a four-year veteran of the SOCOM program, and has participated in 50 combat missions. She was injured by exposed live electrical cables in the tunnel after Baghdadi detonated his suicide vest. I will also note that she has already returned to active duty.” Let’s get this straight. Conan is part of Delta Force. She has completed 50 missions. She forced the world’s most feared terrorist to blow himself up. She was wounded as a direct result of an act of the enemy. Read the definition of the Purple Heart. Does this soldier not deserve this prestigious award?

Adios, pay if forward, and have a Funday Sunday!