A Very Interesting State. The Best All-Around Player of All Time. Winning Is Necessary. Be Curious, Not Judgmental. A Great Version of A Great Song.
- It is amazing how time just passes us by. I have been in the state of Florida for six years and as most of you have witnessed, this state has a lot going on. Unfortunately, much of what is going on, especially lately, revolves around politics, education, insurance entities, and the battle between Florida’s governor and Disney.
All of the babble and conflict is unfortunate as the state of Florida has many wonderful things to offer. Voted a top state to start a business, attractions galore, multicultural, and diverse, the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and no state income tax, people from all over the U.S. are flocking to Florida for various reasons. Similar to many states, Florida offers various vibes and opportunities based on the area you live or visit. Certainly, the panhandle of Florida is quite different than the bustling corridor between Palm Beach and Miami, and central Florida presents different dynamics than the area from Clearwater south to Naples. A completely different experience in the state are the Florida Keys, from Key Largo to Key West. Florida is certainly not for everyone, but the state does offer a wide span of socio-economic diversity.
This young man has a bit different take on the state of Florida. To each their own. 🙂
- The Premier League and other football leagues in Europe are underway, college and pro football are right around the corner, Major League Soccer is closing out its regular season, Major League Baseball’s pennant races are in full play, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) is bubbling up for its seventy-seventh year. My love for basketball stems from the days of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the Miami Floridians, who made Dinner Key Auditorium their home arena. The Floridians, like many other ABA franchises, were underfunded which led to a team of various levels of skill. Those four years of ‘professional’ basketball were awesome as the roster included some great players, including Mack Calvin, Donnie Freeman, and Les Hunter. The team also included Al Cueto, who was promoted by the Floridians’ public relations staff as the world’s tallest Cuban. Cueto, born in Cuba, attended Coral Gables High School and was all of 6’7″.
I am looking forward to this year’s NBA season for many reasons. An Atlanta Hawks fan since the mid-70’s, they are primed to have a strong season. One of their games in November have the Hawks and the Orlando Magic playing in Mexico City at the Arena CDMX on November 9. The Magic should also be much improved with the addition of some impact players. I have that game on my calendar as that is a great excuse to take a long weekend in the massive and vibrant town of twenty-two million. Yes, Mexico City is home to 22 million people.
The ongoing saga of basketball’s greatest player is a continuous and exhausting debate. Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others always come up in conversations regarding the greatest. Larry Bird is not the greatest of all time (GOAT), but to me he was one of the most entertaining and competitive players I have ever seen in any sport. When I watch NBA games now, I often wish players of today, who are fantastic athletes and players, had more of the attributes of Larry Bird. Along with Oscar Robertson, I deem Larry Bird as the best all-around player ever. His fitness, shooting and passing ability, defense, and rebounding were eye-opening. Many ex-NBA players have strong opinions about Larry Bird, including the praise offered up in this short video.
- Quote of the week: “The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It is doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile.” – Julia Child
I disagree with this Quote of the Week. While winning is not always the ultimate objective, a great measure of achievement is to do something that you appreciate and you believe is worthwhile, AND sometimes be recognized accordingly. I do also believe that there is great satisfaction in doing things for others without those you are benefiting from ever knowing that you helped or supported them.
- The series ‘Ted Lasso” provided us with great writing and perfect casting. Wrapped up in all the fun and chaos of an American football coach managing his way through a London-based football team, the writers framed up Coach Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) to deliver some very strong messages in most of the episodes. This one stuck with me for various reasons, a message that I hope all of us can absorb and follow. As a level set, here is a clear and concise definition: Judgmental behavior typically involves appraising something like a situation, person, or action with a critical attitude. A person often does this in a condemning and fault-finding way using their subjective (likely moralistic) point of view and set of values.
- The famous song ‘Side by Side’ talks about two people who are deeply in love and committed to each other, willing to stand by each other’s side through good and bad. I have heard many renditions to the song, and I want to thank J.P. for forwarding this interesting version, written by Harry M. Woods in 1927: