Category: Uncategorized

No Religion, No Politics. Top Of Mind. It Is Day Eighty-Eight. Bruno Was The Best.

• Thank you to everyone who replied to me or commented on last week’s post. A post that said many things about religion and politics without any words.

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Here are a few top of mind things:

• The continued expansion of the privatization of space is continuing at a very fast pace. Boeing has entered the space exploration market with their Starliner, which docked at the International Space Station yesterday.
• After three years of economic despair, it seems like Lebanon may have a recovery plan for pulling the nation out of its financial meltdown. Let us hope that this finally happens.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) is “working on” monkeypox guidance as cases are rising rapidly. I feel so great about the WHO providing guidance on monkeypox considering their spot-on analysis of Covid-19 and its variants. Note of interest: the first outbreak of monkeypox was in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Yes, fifty-two years ago, and the WHO has no solution as of today.
• He fired fifty rounds in a Buffalo supermarket and killed 10 people. Multiple homicides and clearly a hate crime. Anyone want to chime in on what the legal system will do with this monster?
• A brewery in Finland has launched a new ‘NATO-based’ beer. Their tag line is a “Taste of Security.” Now that is excellent product marketing.

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• Today is day eighty-eight. As international news outlets continue their coverage of the war, there now seems to be general apathy surrounding the despair and destruction suffered by the country of Ukraine and its people. No longer a lead story for most news outlets, we now get to frown upon the bear market and the ‘sudden’ resurrection of Covid-19 and its variants. I find this alarming, and though the United States has approved another $40 billion for Ukraine, the Vladimir Putin-led Russian forces continue their relentless attack and destruction of a sovereign nation. Apathy aside, let us keep in mind the following:

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is determined to reclaim control over the southern cities of Kherson, Melitopol, Berdiansk, Enerhodar and Mariupol, now occupied by Russian troops. Yes, reclaim control as the Russian forces have taken over these cities and either killed, imprisoned, or forced its citizens to leave their homes.
• Since the third week of February, Russia has fired more than 2,000 missiles into Ukraine, destroying not only Ukrainian military installations but schools, hospitals, and residential apartment buildings.
• Ukraine reports that since the invasion by Russian troops, over two hundred thirty children have been killed and 427 injured.
• The amount of war crimes Russia is committing continues on a daily basis including executions and torture of Ukrainian soldiers and its citizens.

Vladimir Putin, for many years, has not wanted Ukraine to join the NATO alliance as a bordering country. The war Vladimir Putin instigated and began close to ninety-days ago has had a crystallizing effect on the NATO alliance as countries in close proximity of Russia are now wondering if they are next? Though Putin has shrugged off the announcements by Finland and Sweden of their acceptance into the alliance, there is no doubt that this megalomaniac is uneasy with these two former independent Nordic nations now joining NATO. Finland and Sweden both have highly capable militaries and provide a geopolitical strength and advantage to NATO. Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia, expanding the land border that Russia shares with NATO territories by 100%. Though Sweden does not have a land border with Russia, it does share a maritime border with the country. The swift and hasty acceptance of Finland and Sweden into the NATO alliance must be unnerving for Putin. Who knows what this tyrant will do next? Does Putin have ambitions of invading a NATO country to test the resolve of the alliance?

“War, what is it good for, absolutely nothing…” not only pertains to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but all war. Wars have started for all kinds of reasons, from keeping the world safe from the spread of Naziism, to preventing the creep of communism spreading in Southeast Asia. The Middle East conflicts offer up different dynamics of war, including the petrifying existence of religious extremism, but simply said, what is war good for?

Two young music lovers, obviously with no clue of the magical Edwin Starr, take a listen to Starr’s famous song “War,” which is so relevant with the situation in Ukraine. These kids are amazed with the song, it’s rhythm and Starr’s lyrics. As I have asked many times, why has this type of R&B/Funk music gone silent?

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• Gordon Solie’s Championship Wrestling From Florida was must-see TV in my household. My brother and I were fixed to the black and white box watching the likes of Dory Funk, Jr., The Briscoe brothers, Wahoo McDaniel, The Great Malenko, and of course “The American Dream”, Dusty Rhodes, make mincemeat out of their opponents. I will never forget our father, after trying to watch the wrestling shenanigans with us, just shaking his head and telling us that none of these great wrestlers would hold a candle to someone called Bruno Sammartino. With no internet or YouTube available back in the dark ages, my brother and I just took our dad’s word for it, and quickly went back to watch Gordon Solie and his sixty minutes of fun.

Fast forward many decades, and the name Bruno Sammartino has once again surfaced, as Amazon and other outlets have made a documentary film on the life of Bruno Sammartino available for our on-demand viewing. Remembering my dad’s lecture about this great wrestler, I dug up a few facts:

• An Italian immigrant, his family was forced to leave their hometown of Pizzoferrato, Italy, fleeing from Nazi-German troops.
• His family settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where the young Sammartino, with limited English-speaking ability and his slight appearance, became of target of bullies at his high school.
• Sammartino quickly turned to weightlifting and wrestling, which provided him with size and strength of massive proportion.
• In 1959, Sammartino set a world record in the bench press with a lift of 565 pounds. He was soon discovered by a wrestling promoter and the rest is history.
• He won his first world wrestling title in 1963.
• Sammartino sold out New York City’s Madison Square Garden 187 times.

I will watch ‘Bruno Sammartino’ sometime this week, thinking of my dad and his comment about this great wrestler, who fled the Nazi’s as a young child and went on to become, in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s words, “The Star of All the Stars.”

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

I Have Tried To Stay Away From Both. Why I Am In The Kitchen?

After many years of my content staying away from politics and religion, and after the incessant badgering from my readers, I will finally relent and give my take on both topics. Again, it is just my take.

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• There you go. A detailed synopsis of how I really feel about discussing politics and religion. Now that I have done so, I just ask that you respect the ethos I have established for my posts. No religion, no politics.

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• As a level set, I just want you to know:

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

The Sanctum Of The Supreme Court. Jailhouse Love. A Commitment To Our Troops. Remember Your Mom.

• The information and detail confirming the authenticity of a leaked draft opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito is alarming. Justice Alito’s draft opinion suggested that the Supreme Court will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that made abortion legal in the United States. I will outline some possible ramifications of Roe v. Wade being overturned (with no bias either way), but for me I think we should all ponder on why Chief Justice John Roberts has directed the Marshal of the Court to launch an investigation into the leak. Ultimately, the most important aspect of this incident will be the final opinion itself, and its impact on Roe v. Wade.

Whatever you think about the merits of the draft opinion, the leak undermines the integrity and public trust of the Court. When I write “Court” I am referring to the highest court in our land, The Supreme Court of the United States. As if the dynamics of the continuing Covid-19 variants, the effect of the Russians invading Ukraine, and the eye-opening inflation and stock market are not enough, we now learn that an opinion from a Justice of the Supreme Court was leaked. Will the Justice Department go after reporters via subpoenas to find out the reporter’s source? Possibly, but I would strongly doubt that any reporter will divulge their source.

Let us go through some of the detail surrounding Roe v. Wade. Whatever your stance regarding abortion may be, this U.S. Supreme Court decision, a 50-year-old ruling that “protects a pregnant woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion without excessive government restriction,” the overturning of this ruling is certain to have some ramifications to ponder. Note: as part of my ethos with JustMyTake, I will state some possible outcomes should Roe v. Wade be overturned. Your opinion is valued, but no opinion regarding religion or politics will be part of my take.

• While overturning Roe v. Wade would not criminalize abortion at the federal level, experts said it would be left to states to regulate abortions.
• Many states are either considering or have already passed trigger laws that would rapidly curtail or outlaw abortion should Roe v. Wade be overturned.
• One think tank estimates that twenty-seven states are likely to ban abortion once Roe v. Wade is overturned. These include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
• An ABC News – Washington Post poll found that 57% of Americans oppose a ban after fifteen weeks. 58% feel abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
• Clinics in states continuing to perform abortions would be overwhelmed with patients from states that limit access to abortion.
• Texas has a six-week ban in effect and has made it a felony to have a medical abortion via a pill after seven weeks.
• The socio-economic implications of abortion restrictions are vast. One study from the Turnaway Group found that people denied abortion had a four times greater chance of being below the federal poverty line.
• Some states are evaluating ways to protect the right to abortion and will support out-of-state residents who travel for an abortion.
• How will the U.S. political system respond to Roe v. Wade being overturned?

My personal take on abortion is not important. I read and hear viewpoints from both sides and just hope that any ramifications of this opinion and ruling do not continue to destroy the integrity of the United States Supreme Court.

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• Pay attention to Northern Ireland. With the ongoing ramifications of Brexit in place, Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein has won the largest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the first time. This election is a milestone for a party long linked to the Irish Republican Army, a paramilitary group that used bombs and bullets to try to take Northern Ireland out of U.K. rule. My daughter, son-in-law, and I were in Ireland and Northern Ireland a few years ago. My feelings then and now vary but there is a discernible difference between Dublin and Belfast – in many ways. We had a fantastic trip that included the beautiful coastal town of Howth, a quick train trip from Dublin. We also experienced a “black cab” tour that taught us the history of Belfast, Sinn Fein, and the Irish Republic Army. That is a story for another time.

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• We wonder where Netflix gets there ideas for a new series? Look no farther than the Lauderdale County Detention Center in Florence, Alabama. It is assumed that a corrections officer had a ‘special’ relationship with a murder suspect, who just happens to be 6’9″ and weigh 340 lbs. She helped him escape from the jail after emptying her bank accounts – and being months away from retirement. Call me crazy but this story has the same character attributes as another Netflix series, a.k.a. Tiger King. Seriously, does it not get any better than this?

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• The late Bob Hope had a lifelong commitment to U.S. servicemen and women. His visits to entertain troops began with World War II, and his travel, sometimes behind enemy lines, resulted in laughter and applause from our brave soldiers protecting our country.

Bob Hope went into enemy territory to do nothing more than entertain and lift the spirits of our troops. And while he was overseas, the comedian had no idea what kind of danger he was in. In fact, the Nazis tracked Hope, knowing that if they bombed the area he was in, they could also take out many Allied troops as well. According to war correspondent Quentin Reynolds, “Bob Hope and his troupe would do 300 miles in a jeep, and give four shows … One of the generals said Hope was a first-rate military target since he was worth a division; that is about 15,000 men. The Nazis appreciated Hope’s value since they thrice bombed towns while the comic was there.” Last week marked eighty years since Bob Hope first performed for our troops overseas. A brave man, a great entertainer, and someone not easy to replace.

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• Today is Mother’s Day. Reach out, go see her, call her, or do something in memory of your mom. Larry David is the last person we want to watch provide his take on his mom…though he does make some good points with respect to her memorial.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, have Funday Sunday…and HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Business Interaction At Its Best. The Desert Has Nothing To Do With It. The Oligarchs.

• Along with travel and hospitality, the corporate events industry was devastated by Covid-19 and the subsequent variants. Hundreds of thousands of workers who provided services to support the creation, planning, implementation, and execution of product introductions, consumer product experiences, trade and consumer shows, and private events were left on the sideline as clients and show associations’ event schedules came to a dead stop in March of 2020. Businesses shuttered and their employees, who in my opinion have the best work ethic of any service sector, all of a sudden downshifted from fifth gear to 1st gear as worldwide healthcare organizations tried, with no avail, to quickly halt what became a serious pandemic.

Fast forward two years, and last week’s personal experience thankfully showed me a complete pivot with the events world. I attended and participated at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) conference, usually held every year in Las Vegas. Pre-pandemic, this conference was one of the best attended, drawing over 100,000 attendees, exhibitors, partners, and suppliers to this mega-conference which involves any and all who work within or sell to the worldwide broadcast sector. After NAB cancelling the 2020 and 2021 events, they crossed their fingers and moved forward with last week’s conference, hoping that most attendees would make their way to ‘sin city’ and participate with the educational sessions and exhibition floor. Their bet paid off as the conference attracted 60,000, well off pre-pandemic numbers, but a strong number mostly made up of decision-makers, after two years of nominal face-to-face interaction.

Using technology, Zoom calls and email prevailed for the last two years, but there is no better business interaction than face-to-face meetings. Last week’s NAB conference clearly showed the world the importance of corporate events and the role they play with business interaction. My four days attending sessions and interacting at the expo yielded great contacts and business opportunities, and more importantly will provide a path for a high level of return on investment.

Let us all hope that we have ‘learned to live with’ future Covid-19 variants and that the world of face-to-face business interaction continues to regain its momentum. Well done NAB.

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In politics, humanitarian aid, and the social sciences, hunger is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period.

I have contributed to the Red Cross. I really do not understand, with the world’s resources, how after steadily declining for a decade, world hunger is on the rise, affecting 9.9 percent of people globally. From 2019 to 2020, the number of undernourished people grew by as many as 161 million, a crisis driven largely by conflict, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Children are devastated by hunger. In fact, “an estimated 14 million children under the age of five worldwide suffer from severe acute malnutrition, also known as severe wasting, yet only 25 percent of acutely malnourished children have access to lifesaving treatment.” This is so sad as the United Nations and other food organizations report that there is enough food produced worldwide to feed everyone on the planet.

I am writing about the serious subject of hunger due to a YouTube video sent by a friend of mine – a funny piece done by the vile Sam Kinison, who tries to make his point with why people are hungry. Though funny, this 1985 take, in present day, could not be further from the truth. Warning: this video contains vulgar language.

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Things I Think For the First Sunday Of May:

• You wonder when the Russian oligarchs, who have billions of dollars frozen by worldwide sanctions, will take a stand against Vladimir Putin. Sooner than later would be my answer.
• Another Grammy-winning singer has left us. RIP Naomi Judd.
• The Food & Drug Administration is banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. Why not ban all types of cigarettes? Ah, yes, I forgot about the politics.
• I just read some information regarding Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. I have no words for these two. Just plain nasty people.
• The premier of the British Virgin Islands was arrested in Miami, charged with conspiracy to import cocaine and launder money. You just can’t fix stupid.
• Residential rental markets in the Sunbelt are skyrocketing. My hometown of Miami is now the least affordable city in the United States. While rent prices have risen 24% nationwide, Miami’s average rent has increased by a staggering 61%. When does this craziness stop?
• Roman Abramovich has been forced to sell his Chelsea Football Club due to sanctions imposed on the Russian by the British government. An unfortunate circumstance for Abramovich until you realize that he paid $233 million for the club back in 2003. Friday’s bid for Chelsea F.C., by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, is $5.3 billion. A nice ROI for the Russian.

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• Chris Stapleton’s rise to the top of the music world is amazing. Incredibly talented with his voice and guitar, this song best represents what this fantastic performer is all about.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and remember that Mother’s Day is one week from today. Have a Funday Sunday.

Note: I am traveling so I wanted to repost a justmytake from January of 2017 – more than five years ago. To date, I have received more comments from this post than any other…and really have no explanation why.

As a tennis fan and recreational player I have followed the sport for a long time.   Many of the great players had their own style and temperament (Ilie Nastase, John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors come to mind) and Serena Williams is no different.  There have been many times that I watched her behavior with disdain and often stopped watching her play.  With that said there is no argument that she is the greatest woman tennis player of all time.   Friday night Serena won her seventh Australian Open, her 23rd major singles title of her career.  She now is only one victory away of equaling Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.  Call Serena what you want but she has now won ten major titles after the age of thirty and her career winnings are a staggering $82m.  On the men’s side, last night’s final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was an incredible five set match and after playing well over three hours, ended with Nadal challenging a ball that was clearly in.  After not playing for many months and enduring three 5-set matches during his run to the title, Federer now has collected eighteen Grand Slam titles and has earned close to $100m in career winnings.  On two consecutive nights we were lucky enough to see the two greatest tennis players of all time.

Weeks ago I wrote about the retail customer experience and how retailers must find new ways to change their styles and merchandising often to drive customers to purchase in-store.  Retail executives continuously strive for heightening the customer experience but it seems like to no avail.  Last week, Wet Seal, around since the early ’60’s, made the decision to close all of their 171 stores nationwide.  This followed American Apparel laying off 2,400 workers, The Limited closing all stores, and Macy’s announcing that they will shutter over 100 stores in 2017.  The economic landscape and the ease of online purchasing leads me to believe there is no end in sight for more retailers to either try and pivot their offering or decide, similar to Wet Seal and The Limited, to just give up completely.

Can someone, in simple terms, explain to me what the Women’s March was really supposed to accomplish?  I support human rights, LGBTQ, racial equality and freedom of religion, but I found the March and many of the ‘protestors’ embarrassing.  I talked to many people, both men and women about the march.  A few pointed out that most of women marching were protesting against then President-elect Donald Trump without understanding his platform and pending policies.  Too bad this massive force of women could not re-focus their time and energy on important issues.  Feeding the hungry is one that comes to mind.

Updates:  Matt Ryan, only sixty minutes left in the season….get it done.   To the terrorists in Yemen who killed another U.S. soldier yesterday:  SecDef Mattis is coming for you.  Please Wayne Rooney, don’t get selfish and piss away your career playing in China.  Showtime’s Homeland, once a crazy, action-packed sixty minutes has gone politico on us…..the producers and writers should be ashamed.  Six weeks to daylight savings time!!

Adios and have a Funday Sunday!! 

My View Is Not Jaded.

I have discussed this vertical takeoff ‘air taxi’ in previous posts – and for the first time we all get a look at a test flight from Lilium, a German-based aircraft technology company that utilizes emissions-free electric jet service. Their first U.S. vertiport will be developed and built in Orlando, Florida’s fast-growing Lake Nona district. FAA approval is pending and will allow this fully electric jet service to shuttle passengers on short-haul routes between Orlando and Tampa, Jacksonville, and Ft. Lauderdale-Miami. It is very likely that vertiports and air taxi service will expand quickly to many major metropolitan areas.

• Tiger Woods did the unthinkable after flipping his car just over a year ago. His decision to play at The Masters provided golf fans with expectations of his health and performance. He has a long way to go but maybe there is one more Major win left for him to take?
• I do not have any answers or even suggestions on how a transit system or shopping mall can prevent someone from bringing a weapon or incendiary device onto a train or inside a mall. Terrorism or extremely sick individuals – what is the answer? This was my take, posted on August 20, 2020 – 20 months ago: The world continues to undergo a socio/economic change due to terrorist groups and other factions dovetailing off of horrific events. This past week the Charlottesville and Barcelona events showed the world that hate is not only prevalent, but now has become a factor affecting everyday life including travel, tourism, and worldwide stock markets. There is no end in sight and these types of events feed the television and social media network’s content – which drives ratings and advertising dollars. It is interesting that after 9/11, people all over the world seemed to take a step back, offered up kindness, and in general just got along… understanding the shock and horror from a few deranged terrorists. Can you stop someone from renting or stealing a car and driving it into a crowd of people? Can you convince racists that their efforts would be better spent organizing charity events instead of hating people that just happen to have a different skin color?  There is an island somewhere in the far reaches of this planet for all these people…in my mind, that is the only solution. Other than then Covid and its variants slowing down, has anything really changed in the last 20 months?.
• I proposed this idea and business service to a friend of mine years ago: create a cord-cutting platform that provides consumers with a simple way, based on their television viewing wants and needs, to select streaming services from one online portal with a menu of options. One-stop selection, one invoice, and one customer service outlet. “A Streaming Service Aggregator.” It is a bit of a daunting business proposition, but if anyone is up to discussing the idea…I am all ears. Serious.
• I am very surprised that I have received few comments from readers on the sad situation in Ukraine. Do you feel like the United States is doing enough? Does the NATO charter prevent the U.S. from doing more? How long can NATO and non-NATO countries stand by and watch the horror Vladimir Putin is inflicting on Ukraine and its citizens? Someone correct me if I am wrong: Has the U.S., in previous conflicts, not employed its armed forces to try and stop warring factions across the world? I would like your take please.
• My favorite boat, without a doubt, was my 27′ pontoon boat – basically a floating living room. Now, without regard to costs, I have found my new favorite boat. By volume, it is the world’s largest yacht, with two helipads, a salon, gym, and the largest swimming pool ever installed on a yacht (25 meters). There are accommodations for thirty-six (which for me is 32 too many), and the yacht is valued at $735 million. The upside: it only costs $5 million a month to maintain. You will need to negotiate the purchase of the yacht with the German government, as they seized the ship last month when it docked at the port of Hamburg. It seems the yacht is owned by the sister of a Russian oligarch. Sanctions are sanctions.

• The pharmaceutical world at its finest: “In both trials, the antidepressant response to psilocybin was rapid, sustained and correlated with decreases in fMRI brain network modularity, implying that psilocybin’s antidepressant action may depend on a global increase in brain network integration,” the study reads. I am not sure, other than some healthcare professionals, who would actually understand what this trial studied, but upon further review it relates to the use of ‘magic mushrooms’ to improve everyone’s mood. In today’s world, once the FDA approves its use, psilocybin will fly off pharmacy shelves.
• It is apparent, after watching this video, that most children are incredibly resilient. Sheltering in a bunker, this adorable young Ukrainian girl’s version of “Frozen” went viral, attracting attention from Broadway and the worldwide media. Sweetness and fortitude all wrapped into one.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Easter Sunday!

Is It Time For NATO To Impose Their Will? The NBA Playoffs. JLo. Real Comedy.

• Define Boris Johnson, the U.K.’s Prime Minister, in any manner you see fit. The one characterization of Johnson you can define is bravery. Yesterday, Johnson visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the capital city of Kyiv. Zelenskyy and Johnson, obviously escorted by a very imposing squad of Ukrainian special forces, took a long walk through the streets of the city, greeting and engaging with both their armed forces and civilians who decided to remain in their homes.

After arriving in Poland, Johnson’s trip in Kyiv was accomplished by a ‘secret’ train ride into Zelenskyy’s country, some of the territories demolished by Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces. After his walkabout with Zelenskyy, Johnson announced that the U.K. would no longer stand down with their tangible support of Ukraine, and though the balance of NATO support is tricky, he would authorize the immediate deployment of eight hundred additional anti-tank missiles, Javelin anti-tank systems, and an additional Starstreak air defense system. Zelenskyy’s call for immediate action was emphasized with the statement: “Freedom does not have time to wait” has been answered by Boris Johnson and the U.K. Though the balance of powers and the hint of Putin’s nuclear weapons have kept NATO in check, is it time for President Joseph Biden and other NATO countries to stand up to the crazed leader of Russia? Yes, it is.

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My top of mind things I think:

• JLo is back in the news again. This time it is Ben Affleck. Does anyone care about the ongoing romance of JLo? Seriously?
• I have been a big fan of basketball, both college and the NBA, for a very long time. I go back as far as the American Basketball Association and the Miami Floridians, who not only touted the ‘world’s tallest Cuban’ in Al Cueto, but Mack Calvin, who I still consider one of the best point guards ever to play the game. Professional basketball has exploded worldwide, with top leagues not only in the U.S., but in Europe, South America, and the Pacific Rim. Understanding that television rights are the big driver of revenue for leagues, it is amazing to me how the NBA has devised their playoff scheme and the ‘play-in’ round even to make it into the playoffs. Living in Atlanta before moving to Orlando over 4 years ago, I was and still am a big supporter of the Atlanta Hawks. As the regular season comes to a close later today, here is an example of the Hawks’ ‘play-in’ scenario: The Hawks get the ten seed tomorrow with: Loss + BKN win + CLE win + CHA win OR Loss + BKN win + CLE loss + CHA win OR Win + BKN loss + CLE win + CHA win OR Loss + BKN loss + CLE win + CHA win. Obviously, the NBA employs high level mathematicians and actuaries. 🙂
• The drama with Will Smith and Chris Rock is hopefully over. The ten-year ban the Academy imposed on Smith has somehow overshadowed how talented and funny great comedians can be, whether scripted or not. Here is an example of Eddie Murphy’s impromptu (and brave) delivery at a ceremony celebrating Sammy Davis Jr. So good. (Excuse the video quality).

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

Thankful For Lady Gaga. English As A Second Language. Opportunity Knocks. The NFL Is At It Again. Being Authentic. A Tribute To Taylor.

• In last week’s post I mentioned how put off I have been with award shows, and that due to the grandstanding of attendees and award winners, I would not watch last Sunday night’s Academy Awards. The Oscars are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the entertainment world, with award-winners being honored for their artistic and technical merit in the film industry.

I did not watch the Will Smith-Chris Rock incident until sometime last Monday. I am not downplaying the seriousness of the incident…to me a criminal act of battery, but how sad for this once glamorous award show now diminished to one of personal mockery. In fact, Smith’s behavior overshadowed an Oscar presentation to Samuel L. Jackson. Despite Jackson’s illustrious career, and being the highest grossing box office actor of all time, with over $27 billion worldwide, the 73-year-old had never received an Oscar, until last Sunday night.

Chris Rock’s joke about Smith’s wife was not necessary and may have been a bit over-the-top, but what right did Smith have in leaving his seat, walking up on stage, and slapping Rock during a live broadcast? Was this incident fueled by the over-sensitivity of men these days, fueled by the ‘woke’ madness that has integrated itself into every thread of this country? Can you imagine this same shameful reaction from a studio audience watching and listening to Richard Pryor, Don Rickles, or Rodney Dangerfield? Will Smith: how about taking a step back, understanding that you are nothing more than an entertainer, and do something positive for the Academy. Or, with more relevance, support a former entertainer who is now the President of a sovereign country under attack from Russia.

The optics were and still are so bad for the Academy Awards, but thankfully the presentation from Liza Minnelli, supported onstage by Lady Gaga, brought some real significance and dignity back to this awards ceremony.

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• I had an interesting discussion last week regarding the English language. Many people around the world speak English as a second language, and most people who learned the language as their second (or third) have reminded me that English is not easy to learn. After a quick look-up, English has more phonemes than most languages, and an unusual amount of vowel sounds (11). There are an estimated 172,000 words in the Oxford English Dictionary with the average active vocabulary of an adult English speaker around 20,000 words. Without thinking too long, using Google, or a dictionary, answer the following regarding the English language:

• What is a phoneme?
• What is the shortest sentence in the English language?
• Provide three examples of words that sound alike but are spelled differently (homophones).
• Name three words where the rule “I before E except after C” does not apply.
• What is a plural noun that does not end in ‘s’?
• What is one word that looks exactly the same, but with different meanings and pronunciations?

I have been told that English is not always easy to learn – as a native speaker I cannot imagine the trials and tribulations people deal with learning English as a second language. Some of us may take the English language for granted, but learning the language and its anomalies, including the number of contranyms imbedded in the language, is sometimes overwhelming. Yes, I said contranyms.

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• A past contributor to JustMyTake provided his perspective on the subject of ‘opportunity’. Thank you Chris A., for your very powerful and relevant content:

When I am on the NC Coast, I go to church in Southport, NC. The priest there is a Vietnamese man. When I first started attending, it was very difficult to understand him. Over the years, he has worked hard at his delivery. Now, I can understand every word and it turns out, he is quite a wise, thoughtful person.

He writes an article in the bulletin each week. Below is one from last year that I saved. I’ve had a few recent events that made me revisit it. For me, when I was younger taking advantage of opportunities usually meant career. As I get older, it’s about relationships … family & friends.

Taking Advantage of Your Opportunities
“In the days before modern harbors, a ship had to wait for the tide before it could make it to port. The term for this situation in Latin was “ob portu”, that is, a ship standing over against port waiting for the moment when it could ride the turn of the tide to the harbor.
The English word “opportunity” is derived from this original meaning. The captain and the crew were ready and waiting for that one moment, for they knew that if they missed it, they would have to wait for another tide to come in.
You may remember one of the most famous passages of William Shakespeare:
There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune:
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries
On such a full sea are we now afloat:
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.
We tend to think of “opportunity” as something that lies in the distant future. We dream of all that we could do and be if only given a chance. At the same time, opportunity knocks at our door every day that we live, with every breath that we draw.
What opportunity do you plan to take advantage of?”

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• To: Danny, Aaron, Anne, Annica, Art, Becky, Ben, Brendan, Bob, Bret, Chris, Cody, Daniel, Darren, Dave, Doug, Gary, Jason, Jeff, Jen, Jim, Joe, John, Jon, Kay, Kelley, Kirt, Les, Mario, Mark, Marty, Matthew, Nick, Pat, Pete, Peter, Phil, Rhonda, Richie, Rick, Salvatore, Samir, Sarah, Steak, Steve, Steven, Tom, Tracy, Wes, and Yvonne, and anyone else I may have missed who would have interest in chiming in on the NFL Competition Committees’ proposed rule changes. There a few proposed rule changes that are interesting, but this one is eye-opening: Make field goals 55 yards or longer worth four points. While it sounds like fun and adds some new math to the game, I have this bizarre thought in my mind with this scenario:

The Indianapolis Colts, now led by quarterback Matt Ryan, have the ball on the Atlanta Falcons’ 37-yard line, and it is third down and 16. Instead of running a positive play to pick up a first down, Ryan takes the snap, steps back a yard, and takes a knee, downing the ball at the thirty-eight-yard line. The Colts now line up for a field goal, with the ball now at the thirty-eight, plus the 7 yards where the holder sets up, plus the 10 yards with the goalposts on the end line. The Colts’ field goal kicker now lines up a 55-yard field goal attempt worth FOUR points. Am I missing something, or did I just describe a negative yardage play that yields the offense a chance for four points over three by losing a yard? Call me crazy, but to me that is strange. Note: there were more than eighty field goal attempts from 50+ yards in last year’s NFL season.

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• Shakti Gawain is a pioneer in the field of personal development. A best-selling writer, for over twenty-five years she has authored books on the subject, selling over ten million copies. I have only read random samples of her work, but this quote on living authentically is one that I really enjoyed reading:

“Often people attempt to live their lives backwards: they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want so that they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then, do what you need to do, in order to have what you want.”

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• The tributes to the late Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins continue to pour in. Last weekend, Elton John performed in Des Moines, Iowa, and provided this heartfelt tribute and incredible version of one of his many great songs.

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

One Tough Person. He Could Be A Power Broker. A Few Random Takes. Dog Gone Crazy.

• She was born in 1937 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. At the age of two, her family was forced to leave the country to escape the Nazi regime. The family eventually settled in the United States – giving the late Madeleine Albright an opportunity she certainly capitalized on. After graduating from Wellesley College, Albright went on to earn a PhD from Columbia University and worked as a professor at Georgetown University and the University of Colorado. Following these terms as a professor, she took on the following assignments and appointments:

• The U.S. State Department, earning numerous awards and accolades for her work as a diplomat, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
• U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
• Advisor to the National Security Council
• First female Secretary of State
• Elected to a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001.
• Accepted a position on the board of directors of the New York Stock Exchange
• Served on the board of directors for the Council on Foreign Relations
• Appointed the co-chair of the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor
• A co-chair of the Genocide Prevention Task Force
• Served as Chair of the council for The Hague Institute for Global Justice

Albright was widely considered to have been one of the most influential women in America, and her tenure as Secretary of State is often cited as a model for future female leaders. Madeleine Albright was known for her frankness and her ability to get straight to the point, and she was never afraid to speak her mind. Here is one of her quotes that I respect and agree with: “It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” Madeleine Albright passed away last Wednesday at the age of eighty-four. She rose to power and fame as a brilliant analyst of world affairs…it is unfortunate she is not the U.S. Secretary of State now, as her demeanor, drive, and spirit might be sending a different message to Vladimir Putin. RIP Madeleine Albright.

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• Roman Abramovich was a former political figure in Russia, having governed the eastern province of Chukotka. In the seven years of his regime, he revived this sparsely populated Pacific region, pumping billions into the region’s economy, rebuilding infrastructure, housing, education systems, and healthcare. At the time he left his appointment, back in 2008, he was Russia’s third richest man, with a vast fortune of $24 billion. Abramovich earned Vladimir Putin’s trust with the work he did in Chukotka, and to this day these two Russians remain very close.

Fast forward to present day, and Abramovich, deemed a Russian oligarch, had acquired assets including ownership of Chelsea football club. As an oligarch, Abramovich’s assets were seized with the UK’s imposed sanctions on all Russian entities and their assets. This included the Premier League’s Chelsea F.C., valued at more than $3 billion. Abramovich has subsequently put the Club up for sale, creating a bidding war for this West London football club.

Reports out of Ukraine report that Abramovich attended a first round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Belarus during the first week of Putin’s brutal invasion – that has now dragged on for over a month. Here is to hoping that Abramovich, from Jewish origin and a holder of passports from Russia, Portugal, and Israel, really does have Vladimir Putin’s ear and can somehow convince the tyrant to back off and stay in his lane. That would be Abramovich’s gift to the people of both Ukraine and Russia, as the world now has clear evidence that his little buddy Vladimir is totally out of control. I have no idea how this conflict will evolve or somehow end. Praying that the pride and soul of the Ukrainian soldiers will prevail.

How did the Russians ever think these people could be conquered, my god. pic.twitter.com/w2OkEBAacP

— Rina (@rinanpakkala) March 24, 2022

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Sunday Update:

• RIP to Foo Fighters’ drummer Taylor Hawkins. He took over the drumming duties from Dave Grohl twenty-five years ago.
• My posts have gone back and forth on the future of the electric car. If you use supply and demand as a barometer, it is no longer a phenomena or fad. Last week, Google searches for electric cars broke records. Is this craze due to the price of gasoline or do some new car buyers feel comfortable with the reality of recharging their cars?
• For various reasons, I will not watch tonight’s 94th Academy Awards. Watching and listening to both presenters and award-winners voice their political or religious views has become systemic, and the show’s ratings over the years tell us that I am not alone with my no-go with watching what was once a very cool awards show.
• Close to ten percent of the Ukrainian population has been forced to leave their home and country due to Russia’s invasion of their sovereign country. The exodus has turned into a humanitarian crisis and your help is needed. An easy way to support the effort to help is with a donation. Just do it.

https://www.redcross.org/donate/donation.html/

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• I guess these dogs know something we do not? Sure, a spanish-speaking play-by-play announcer always gets everyone stirred up…but wow!

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

NYC To Montreal In Less Than An Hour. More Vitamin D In 2023. “To The Moon, Alice, To The Moon.” The Terminator.

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• $1.2 trillion is mind-boggling. It is only when you understand what the funds will be used for – can you somehow justify that amount of money the U.S. government will spend to fix and improve infrastructure. The infrastructure bill was signed into law and will be managed and allocated by the Department of Transportation. One area of infrastructure that will receive a massive amount of funds are bridges. Bridges that we cross every day, by foot, in cars, or on trains. Here is the eye-opener: There are more than 617,000 bridges across the United States. Currently, 42% of all bridges are at least 50 years old, and 46,154, or 7.5% of the nation’s bridges, are considered structurally deficient. Yes, “structurally deficient.” You may shrug your shoulders and say so what, until you remember the bridge collapse in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area back in 2007.

Fifteen years ago, the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis collapsed, sending cars, trucks and even a school bus that were crawling over it in bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic plummeting into the river below and onto the rocky shore. Thirteen people were killed, 145 more were injured, many of them seriously.

Which brings me to another transportation issue. Though entities such as Brightline are implementing ‘high’ speed train routes in a few areas of the country, how and why did the United States, with highway congestion on every major interstate highway, miss out on “bullet” trains? Just to name a few, how marvelous would it be to travel the Washington, D.C. to Philadelphia to New York City routes in less than an hour? What about San Diego to Los Angeles to San Francisco in under two hours? I have read the rumors of super high-speed trains in the works from different entities, including Virgin’s ‘Hyperloop’, but how did we get here, or more pointedly, not get here? Many European and Asian train systems include super high-speed train systems, including Japan’s L0 Series Maglev, the fastest train in the world, with a speed record of 374 mph. It could go the distance from New York City to Montreal in less than an hour.

The U.S. infrastructure system recently received a C- score from the American Society of Civil Engineers earlier this year. The bill signed into law will initially deliver $550 billion of new federal investments in America’s infrastructure over the next five years…and with that said I cannot imagine the productivity, efficiency, and automobile fuel savings if the U.S. had invested in super high-speed trains years ago, similar to parts of Europe and Asia. A damn shame.

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• For the five and a half years I have been writing JustMyTake, twice a year I remind everyone of my excitement on the second Sunday in March, and my disappointment on the first Sunday in November. Starting next year, my wish finally comes true as daylight savings time will be year-round, eliminating the darkness at 5:30PM. Some friends think I have been way over the top with this clock-changing issue, but I stand firm that this change to permanent daylight savings time is a really good decision. Sure, there may be a bit of downside with the early morning hours still dark, but here is a list of benefits with extended daylight in the early evenings:

• Robberies drop 7% overall as the bad guys do not like the extra hours of light in the early evening hours.
• Extended light in the early evenings improves safety on roadways and reduces pedestrian fatalities by up to 13%.
• Extended daylight hours have a positive impact on mental health by creating more opportunities to socialize and be active in the evenings.
• Researchers report that daylight savings time promotes a more active lifestyle.
• Not to be self-serving, but those extra hours of daylight have a direct correlation to my tennis game, as I can actually see the ball at 7:30PM.

The bill still needs to be approved by the House and signed off on by the President…hoping it is smooth sailing and I can happily drop the subject matter from my blog.

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• After ten years of development, NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) is getting very close to its first test mission, with this powerful rocket ultimately getting astronauts back on the moon. On Thursday and Friday of last week, the SLS left the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and slowly made its way to the launch pad. If you have ever been to Kennedy Space Center or driven on I-95 near Cape Canaveral, there is no way you could not notice the VAB – the building is massive. Note: it took eleven hours for the SLS to make its way from the VAB to the launch pad. Fingers crossed that all goes well with the test flight in April.

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A few short takes on things I think:

• No one on the planet can tell me that Vladimir Putin is not a madman. A sick bastard with no moral character and definitely no self-esteem.
• Even if you do not like college basketball, March Madness is a lot of fun. I cannot believe that it has been eleven years since Turner Sports struck a deal with CBS to telecast all tournament games.
• Both soccer and non-soccer fans were shocked when the United States Men’s National Team failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Starting next week, the U.S. plays their final three-game qualification series. The outcome of these three games will again determine their fate to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, which starts in November in of all places, Qatar. On Thursday, the U.S. men face archrival Mexico at Mexico City’s famous Estadio Azteca. If you want to watch a sporting war, watch Thursday night’s game. This one will be nasty.
• Some people do not care for Arnold. He may have rubbed people the wrong way when he governed California, or turned people off with the movie, “Twins.” 🙂 At least he did make the effort to try and reach some Russian citizens and explain the realities of Vladimir Putin and his gone very wrong regime. Maybe The Terminator can make an unexpected visit to the Kremlin?

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and Have A Funday Sunday!!