Category: Uncategorized

A Year Of Infamy. 100X The Speed Of Sound. Box Jacking At Its Finest. Speaking Of Ridiculous. Let’s Play! Larry Made Us Cringe.

• Last Wednesday marked one year when the sports world shut down. Led by the NBA stoppage, the onslaught of Covid-19 led to the temporary end of competitive sports. With that said, factoring in all the issues with the pandemic, it was amazing that the Major League Soccer restart was back four months later with that infamous tournament in Orlando. A tournament that gave all of us hope that with a massive spend and tight protocols, sports once again could give us some television viewing pleasure. The NBA followed with their “Orlando-based season” and at whatever level, live sports on television got many of us through a very difficult year. A year to both remember and forget.

• An asteroid as wide as the Golden Gate Bridge is long will hurtle past Earth next Sunday. The bad news: this asteroid’s speed and velocity, if colliding with our planet would be devastating, especially if it hit near a highly-populated area or the ocean, where it could create a tsunami or vaporize enough seawater to cast a haze over the entire planet. A bit difficult to comprehend, but as a comparison a plane flies at 575 miles per hour, the International Space Station at 17,000 miles per hour and this FO32 asteroid at 77,000 miles per hour, or 100 times the speed of sound. The good news: though NASA scientists call this a “near-earth” pass, this massive rock will actually come no closer than 1.25 million miles from earth, which obviously poses the question why it is deemed a “near-earth” experience?

• I have always appreciated and enjoyed the creative world. I have lived it for most of my business career, along with the engineering, production and installation process that follows the design development phase. I came across a construction process called box jacking reading about Florida’s Brightline train service, which is in the process of building their railway system from Miami to West Palm Beach to Orlando, and hopefully to Tampa. In theory, box jacking is a well-established means of engineering culverts or tunnels under highway overpasses, rail embankments or waterways to accommodate road or rail traffic.  Brightline has enlisted the box jacking methodology to save immense time with creating tunnels under overpasses. What usually takes many months or years to accomplish with traditional burrowing methods can now be cut in half using box jacking. Used in Europe for many years, box jacking has recently been employed in the United States, most significantly in the Boston area. The animation below is a bit wonky, but it does simulate the process of pushing massive concrete structures inch by inch under an overpass. Not simple, but a much faster way than conventional methods.

• As I mentioned last week, I can be tough on many issues and I am sensitive to any type of discrimination but this aversion to everyday culture is ridiculous. Calling out Dr. Seuss books as racist did not sit well with me and now I read about a very ‘high-end’ private K-12 school in New York City that has gone way too far. The school (name withheld) has produced a 12-page guide for their students and staff that demands they use more “inclusive language” – their effort to explain the school’s mission of inclusivity. As an example, one part of this 12-page guide tells students and staff to stop using the terms “mom,” “dad,” and “parents” – because these words make too much assumption about a student’s home life. While I understand children live in a myriad of home circumstances, the school now recommends the use of terms “grown-ups,” “folks,” “family” or “guardians” as alternatives to “mom,” “dad” and “parents.” It also suggests using “caregiver” instead of “nanny/babysitter.” This is insane and this “sensitivity at all cost” is not a good thing. As if our youth don’t have enough socio-economic issues to contend with….they now need to learn a new way to discuss their family support system. Insanity at best.

• Major League Soccer is back. The League announced the season and home openers for each of the 27 teams last week – and will follow up with the season schedule by the end of the month. I don’t envy the League’s scheduling staff, as they still are dealing with the national and state protocols with Covid-19, while trying to prepare a schedule that is competitively balanced. One great opening weekend matchup sees Atlanta United visiting Orlando City the afternoon of April 17. For many reasons this opener should be great fun to watch due to their long-standing rivalry and the return of Orlando nemesis Josef Martinez. Depending on the League and the State of Florida, Orlando City will hopefully announce a level of fan capacity soon. Though Orlando City lost a key striker, Darryl Dike, to a loan with an English Premier League team, they have made some key additions to their player pool. Look for Orlando City and Atlanta United to be on top of their conference standings this year.

• I have exhausted the topic of sensitivity. Classic movies being called to the carpet, schools dictating how their students refer to their home lives, and anything else that sets off our “sense of sensitivity.” The dilemma is that some of the funniest people on earth used their “insensitivity” as a platform for comedy. What would we have done without the crazy Don Rickles? What about the numerous scenes in the Blazing Saddles movie? Did we all not laugh hard at Rodney Dangerfield’s comedy? All of us: black, white, green and purple, laughed out loud at Leslie Nielsen in the movie Airplane, as he abused everyone from air traffic controllers to nuns. Richard Pryor, pound for pound the best standup comedian ever, abused every race, religion and nationality and WE ALL LAUGHED hard at his content and amazing delivery. While we need to keep racism in check, we don’t ever need to go away from raucous comedy. Larry David in the HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm made everyone cringe – in every episode. He was brutal with everyone, and we all watched and cried laughing at him being a total moron. Please don’t get me wrong. There is a time and place for everything – and racism has NO place in our society. Just watch Larry David in this classic scene with him visiting a lemonade stand. OMG.

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, have a Funday Sunday, and ENJOY DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME!

Touch A Button – It Expands! Too Much Wine. The Queen’s Gambit. Let’s Be Certain. Daylight Coming.

• Almost two years ago I ranted about Samsung’s effort to enter a new era of mobile phones. They had just introduced their ‘foldable’ model only to receive feedback that the hinges allowing the phone to fold were not working and many screens were detaching from the frame. A $2,000 phone and it failed miserably in the marketplace. Two years later, there does seem to be a mobile phone technology that could be a game-changer. Oppo, along with other device makers, has introduced a ‘rollable’ phone allowing a normal-sized phone to expand to a small tablet. If this rollable technology does maintain efficacy, consumers will once again get on wait lists for its availability.

• We long for the trip to the shore to take in the balmy ocean breezes and the soft pounding of the surf. There is definitely a peaceful existence to being at a coastline, until you look out to the sea and try to recollect the quantity of Cabernet consumed the previous evening. There is a “out of my pay grade” scientific reason you witness a massive cargo ship flying above the water’s surface, but we remain silent to avoid our family and friends calling us crazy. Us crazy?

• My brother, who very early on was at a much different level of intelligence, introduced me to the game of chess. I enjoyed learning how to play, as the strategy of thinking many moves ahead challenged me. I was never successful playing against my brother but enjoyed hm teaching me how to play. Unfortunatly, like many indoor activities, I did not spend too much time on the chess board as I was always outside playing sports and listening to music. After watching a few episodes of The Queen’s Gambit, I wish I had spent much more time learning the game of chess.

• A thank you to a long-time friend who sent me this YouTube video. While we all need to be aware of racial discrimination, police brutality, social injustice, and sexual indiscretions, I feel strongly that words need to be turned into actions. There are many who are doing just that, putting actions into place that hopefully will get us into a more positive environment. Unfortunately, in my opinion, some of this sensitivity has strayed too far as I recently learned that movie classics including Gone With The Wind and Guess Who’s Comng To Dinner have been lambasted by some who call out themes of racism and discrimination. Again, I am extremely supportive of ACTION taking place to put these social injustices behind us once and for all, but calling out classic movies, enjoyed by millions of people, made over fifty years ago, has gone too far. Black, white, or brown, I have never heard one negative comment about Kathryn Hepburn, Sidney Portier, or Spencer Tracy in the classic Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. Let’s all check reality at the door before we judge a classic movie, with amazing actors, made fifty years ago.

• Today is March 7, 2021 and I should not have to tell you what that means. One week to go.

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

Pent-Up Demand. Dishonest Dirtbags. A Look At Previous Takes. Grohl Does It Right.

• It still may be difficult for some to imagine taking a flight to a destination of choice. There may be no difference in thinking about the seaside bed and breakfast or VRBO on a mountain lake. My take is that you better start thinking about travel right now as those low airfares and hotel fares are about to skyrocket.

Industry experts have coined the phrase “revenge travel” but call it what you want. The many months of people either not wanting to or unable to travel are going to come to an end once the vaccine of choice penetrates our upper arm. The pent-up demand, from both a business and casual travel standpoint have never been higher, and with airlines and hotels dealing with low capacities, they are all savoring what many think is going to be an onslaught of travel later this year. “Revenge travel” – you might want to book your vacation right now.

If “revenge travel” does drive travel activity in both the business and leisure sectors, the investment play may not necessarily be with the airline and hotel companies, but with the travel technology companies that do the behind the scenes work. It might be worth a look at companies similar to Amadeus, Ovation, Travelopro, and Expensify as it would seem their growth would dovetail with this pent-up demand being satisfied. Then again, who really knows what the markets are going to do?

• Over the last year I have made a pledge to support locally-owned businesses, especially restaurants. I don’t need to remind anyone what the pandemic has done to small businesses, with many ceasing operations. Some restaurants, who ramped up their ability to fulfill to-go orders, have so far made it through a very tough time, and await the day where all of us have been vaccinated. Then I read about a family-owned restaurant in Los Angeles and the devastating result of some dishonest customers. From the L.A. Times: “… as restaurants increasingly receive takeout orders online and through apps, they face a new challenge called “friendly fraud” or “chargebacks.” In the scam, a customer orders food, often through a delivery service, then receives their meal, but disputes the charge with their credit card company to get a refund.” I have no words for people who do this to any type of business but I do have a couple of old friends in Miami that would enjoy the chance to meet people like you.

Updates to previous takes:

• White Castle fail – all of us health food crazies were so excited about White Castle offering up delivery of their special food in the Orlando area. It seems that “… incredible demand overwhelmed their ability to deliver” so after one day they have shut down their delivery service from their “ghost kitchen”. White Castle management now says they will reopen when their first area restaurant opens in May. I am not a conspiracy theorist but is White Castle being on the up and up with this closure or was this a publicity stunt gone massively wrong?
• The vaccine supply chain and General Perna – I sung the praises of General Perna with his experience and his command of the supply chain. While he did bring the vaccine to fruition and the distribution to the state level seemed on strategy, the inability of states to handle the lack of inventory against the demand is worrisome.
• Tiger – after watching the two-part HBO series on Tiger Woods, some of his personality fails came to light. His way back to fame included the win at the 2019 Masters but last December he underwent another back surgery. What happened last week raised some eyebrows but the L.A. County Sheriff’s office has called his car wreck an accident. Tiger may never play again after sustaining those awful leg injuries – but reality states that he is lucky to be alive. Godspeed Tiger – you have a young family to take care of so all the best to a successful recovery.
• I received many replies and comments to my ask for a “no social media day.” As you can imagine, the age of the responders correlated directly with their naysay or support for this one-day a year initiative. Come on, its one day!
• Mars – the photos and video being beamed back from Mars’ surface is really incredible. Kudos to NASA and Perseverance for pulling this off under the close watch of every entity involved with space exploration.
• Godzilla and Kong – enough said. I am not happy but all are invited to my HBO Max watch party…
• DST – We have two weeks to go to Daylight Savings Time. Let’s Go!

I leave you with a feel good moment from a few years ago. I bring you back to the Foo Fighters concert in Kansas City when band leader Dave Grohl invited a 10-year-old boy up on stage. The boy, Collier, come to find out, has battled a plethora of diseases, including a life-threatening ailment, but it is obvious from this video that nothing can stand in his way. With respect to Dave Grohl, James Hetfield’s version of Enter Sandman sounds a bit better, but a huge shout out to Grohl for doing the right thing after Collier is done playing:

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

$340 Million. Power Up. Bite-Size Burgers. A Marketer’s Dream. Media Manipulation? Join The Team.

• Fernando Tatis Jr. agreed to a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with the San Diego Padres on Wednesday, securing one of the largest guarantees in American sports history. Good for Tatis Jr., his family and of course his agent, and with that said it is getting a bit old listening to professional sports teams and their owners whine about the pandemic’s effect on the balance sheet. Sure, Tatis Jr. has become one of the stars of baseball, and yes, I told everyone about Lionel Messi’s new contract with Barcelona, but these numbers are staggering.

• Godspeed to everyone affected by last week’s cold weather that put millions of people in peril with no power and to some degree no running water. Amazing that in 2021 we can land another rover on Mars but cannot implement redundancy with our power grids and systems. I am not slamming our power companies, as they are working around the clock to restore power, I am just pointing out that from a technology standpoint, it is time for some very smart people to figure this issue out so it never happens again. A friend in the power industry has committed to a guest column giving all of us insight into the ‘business of power’ in the United States. I don’t know much but I really have no clue of how power is sold and bought around the world.

• A sign of the pandemic times where people are looking for ‘small wins’: I have heard more than a few people excited about an offering on the food delivery front. White Castle, known for those incredibly healthy and delicious little burgers, is building their largest store to date in Orlando, Florida. To celebrate and promote their new store, their commissary in Orlando has announced that those White Castle burgers will be available for delivery from various store-to-door delivery companies. This is a small win?

• I have not done a ‘background check’ on Naomi Osaka, and unless there is some hidden demon from her past, this young lady is a marketer’s dream. Tall, attractive, multilingual and with massive poise, Osaka won her 4th major tennis title at Saturday’s Australian Open. Her agent must be ranking and rating a massive amount of endorsement offers from brands across the world.

• I enjoyed the Governor of New York’s press conferences that started late last March when it seemed obvious that Covid-19 was going to be a huge problem. Chris Cuomo seemed genuine and transparent as he presented daily data and information about the virus and hospitalizations. I don’t like what I heard this week, with some type of cover up regarding New York nursing homes, and it will be both shocking and sad if these allegations come to fruition.

• If you think I am letting go of my tirade regarding King Kong being portrayed at the same height as Godzilla, you are wrong, very wrong. Along with emails being sent to Warner Bros. Pictures’ CEO, I am now officially part of “Team Godzilla.” Let me know if you want in but the vetting process is arduous. The movie premiers March 31 and since it also will be premiered on HBO Max, I am hosting an outdoors watch party on my rooftop. DraftKings and some Las Vegas betting lines have Kong as a slight favorite. Seem silly to you? 🙂

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

Red Skies On Thursday. Love Potion. Musician Extraordinaire. Euro Snob. A 70-Yard Tee Shot. Four Weeks To Go.

• Just after 3:30pm EST on Thursday, after a seven-month, 300 million mile trip, NASA’s Perseverance will hopefully land on Mars. Cruising at 12,000 mph, Perseverance will begin a rapid slow down after it enters Mars’ atmosphere. At a mile above the red planet, the space vehicle’s descent engines will fire, and along with a very large parachute, will guide Perseverance down to Mars’ surface. Equipped with audio and video systems, we will be able to witness the landing on the planet’s surface in real time. Live coverage and landing commentary from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will begin at 2:15 p.m. on the NASA TV Public Channel and the agency’s website, as well as the NASA App, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, Daily Motion, and THETA.TV. This animation is amazing and if close to reality, Thursday will be a must-watch:

• Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love and togetherness. The day is filled with the giving of beautiful flowers, chocolates, and fine dining to impress your loved one. Ok, I will stop before you throw up in your mouth, but Valentine’s Day really can be special. I have had a few memorable ones including a bouquet of black spray-painted roses delivered to my door and a counseling session with a young man whose heart was broken. These were not the type of Valentine’s Days I was planning on but those two were definitely memorable. No matter, the Indonesians have Valentine’s Day totally mixed up. They forbid the celebration of Valentine’s Day in some areas of Indonesia as the governing parties feel that celebrating Valentine’s Day may lead young people to have casual sex. Oh my Indonesia.

• John Mayer called him “the single greatest improvisational musician I have ever played with.” He was a master of the keyboard and it does not matter if you enjoy jazz or not, listening to Chick Corea play was something special. One of my college roommates introduced me to Corea’s music and though I favored rock and roll, there was something about his sound that made me smile. Chick Corea passed away last Tuesday at the age of 79. He will be missed.

• I have a love-hate relationship with baseball. While I enjoy the traditions and history of the game, as well as the skill and tactics employed by players and managers, the game drags on way too long. Major League Baseball is trying to speed up the game, especially with double-headers and extra-inning games, but this video, from many years ago, may explain the game way better than I can:

• Golf has always been a big challenge for me and most other recreational golfers. Francesco Molinari brought reality back to all of us at the first hole at Pebble Beach, were this weekend’s PGA tournament is being held. For all golfers out there who have joined me in a frustrating time on the golf course, here is a tee shot from Molinari that most of us can unfortunately relate to….it traveled 70 yards.

• Yes, the countdown continues. Four weeks to daylight savings time!

Adios, pay if forward, stay safe and have a Happy Valentine’s Day!

How Did Florida Miss The Train? Gary, Let It Go. Pay Him. I Am Asking For One Day. The Countdown Begins.

• Over the years I have heard many of my European friends and business associates, when traveling the southeast United States, comment on the lack of train service between cities and their venues, including airports. My friends’ take is correct. While Miami’s Metrorail and Atlanta’s MARTA have their train systems running to their airports, Orlando, in their infamous wisdom, left Orlando International Airport off of the routes of their commuter rail system. Dovetailed with no service to the area theme parks, Orlando’s SunRail system just seems to have missed in a big way.

Similar to Atlanta, Nashville and Charlotte, Orlando and Tampa’s population is growing exponentially. Fueled by no state income tax, an ever-growing technology workforce, and tax incentives from the State, varied businesses tied to technology, the service sector, and the space coast are starting up or relocating quickly. It is amazing to me that civil planning executives from both Orlando and Tampa did not plan for train transportation to their airports. Fortunately, it seems like the private high-speed rail service in Florida, Brightline, has seen the light, and will connect Orlando International with Tampa International. With a bit of legislative leniency, Brightline’s ultimate goal is to provide high-speed rail connecting Miami, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Tampa. Better late than never.

• I am not letting it go. In last week’s post I expressed my exasperation with Warner Bros. Entertainment. The misguided representation of Godzilla and King Kong being the same height still does not sit well with me. So I ask everyone to join me in voicing their displeasure by dropping a note to Ms. Ann Sarnoff, Warner Bros. Entertainment’s CEO: ann.sarnoff@warnerbros.com . She has not replied to my email. 🙂

• There is not argument. I favor the sport of soccer. There are many reasons, and without putting you to sleep, the main reason is that I was lucky enough to be exposed to soccer at a very early age. Basketball was also a first love, and I actually feel strongly that playing hoops helped me on the soccer field. Now we go to present day, where worldwide soccer has become the “flavor of the month” – a phenomenon fueled by the over-the-air and digital coverage of worldwide leagues and competitions.

With that said, I do want to comment on some news out of Barcelona and their famous soccer club. It is reported that Lionel Messi, long the club’s megastar, is reportedly negotiating a contract, that with all compensation components, will pay him in excess of $170M annually. While some turn their noses to this amount of money, the contract does reflect the value of Messi to Barcelona as they look to regain their domination of La Liga (Spain’s first division) and The Champion’s League (Europe’s annual club competition that yields massive money to qualifying clubs). Before you naysay, look at the salaries being paid to pitchers in Major League Baseball or the $7.8M average salary paid to players in the National Basketball Association. Professional athletes’ salaries can be outrageous, but we only have ourselves to blame as eyeballs on televised sports yield advertising revenue allowing networks to pay leagues and their clubs a massive amount of money. When one of my friends challenged Messi’s contract and value, my simple response to him is that Messi negotiated what the market will bear. Note: Barcelona enjoys approximately $50M annually from the sale of Lionel Messi jerseys. Yes, $50M.

• I propose a world-wide holiday. A holiday that will regain some meaning, some time, and some sanity. A holiday that brings people together with a quick phone call, lessens volatile responses, and saves a good bit of battery power. A day that would bring some peace, no misunderstandings, and would allow all of us to really gather our thoughts. No Social Media Day. For twenty-four hours all of us refrain from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and every other social media platform. Americans check their phones 96 times a day – that’s once every 10 minutes, according to new research by global tech care company Asurion. Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans get offended when someone they’re speaking with starts looking at their phone. However, three-quarters admit they’ve done it themselves. And, nearly 1 in 5 say they do this frequently. One day – is that too much to ask?

• Speaking of time, every year, about a month into the new year, I start my daylight savings time countdown. So not only is this Super Bowl Sunday, but it marks five weeks until we turn our clocks forward. Daylight Savings Time: Let the Sunshine in.

Adios, Pay It Forward, Stay Safe, and Enjoy the Super Bowl.

No Pressure Tactics. Hanging Out At the Space Station. Seriously Warner Bros.? The Saga Of A Collective Bargaining Agreement. Papa G.

• For some reason a friend thought that I could provide her with advice on the best way to search and buy a new car. She drove the same car for way too long and thankfully was at a point where car shopping became a must. I suggested that she stay out of the dealership until she sourced a few options online, and to spend time on sites like Autotrader or a specific dealer’s website. She heeded my advice only to a point and ended up spending hours with salespeople from two different Lexus dealers. Most of us have experienced this delightful way to buy a car – and this 30-second spot from auto dealer Vroom, which will air during next Sunday’s Super Bowl, probably replicated her experience. Note: Vroom’s spend for this 30-second spot was $5.6 million.

• One former astronaut and three other civilians are taking a vacation. Organized by Axiom, one of many privatized space exploration companies, these four will spend eight days at the International Space Station. I am not sure what type of training they will need to undergo, and what level of fitness they must have, but what I do know is that each will pay $55 million for their week in space. That is a bit less than $7 million a day…..but it does include room and board.

• I am a long time supporter of Godzilla. While many of us have followed the life and career of King Kong, Godzilla to me is the nastiest badass that has ever roamed this planet. You can look at the science, data, and analytics in comparing Godzilla and King Kong, but there is no comparison.

Here is an excerpt from a previous post calling out weather authorities for naming a dust cloud Godzilla: Don’t disrespect. Officially called the Saharan Air Layer, many authorities around the world are calling this 3,700 mile-long dust cloud Godzilla. I take offense to this. Godzilla was a hero to many, evoking peace and harmony by destroying many combatants including Mothra and Rodan. People often compare Godzilla with King Kong. While I appreciate the power and sensitivity of Kong, he held no comparison to the size and strength of Godzilla. Godzilla stands 393 feet tall, three times the height of Kong. Don’t name a sand storm after the world’s greatest protagonist. Just don’t. 🙂

To add to my dismay with the disrespect shown Godzilla, I took a look at the trailer for the new movie: Kong vs. Godzilla, a Warner Bros. movie scheduled to be shown in theaters and on HBO Max later this spring. In one word, perplexed. In this trailer, Warner Bros. actually shows Godzilla and King Kong at the same height. Seriously? What the hell are they thinking? Did Godzilla shrink in his old age or did Kong, to help avoid Covid-19, swallow way too much zinc, B12, and vitamin C? This is an absolute miss by Warner Bros. and fans of Godzilla, including me, are not happy. Vamos Godzilla!

• The posturing and positioning of so-called leverage between Major League Soccer (MLS) and the MLS Players Association (MLSPA) started last year and for all the right and wrong reasons has carried over to the start of this preseason. I don’t like the math the League has published on projected revenue losses due to the pandemic. While it is clear that ticket sales are the major revenue stream for MLS clubs, I would prefer the League provide a revenue forecast for 2021 versus a projection of losses. While the League and the owners are most certainly dealing with financial obstacles and issues, their published statement of losses totaling $1 billion are not supported by any published data.

On the other side of the fence, for reasons of logic, I don’t necessarily agree with the MLSPA. Though it may seem like the League is taking advantage of pandemic economics, I feel strongly that the players, at a baseline, should feel fortunate to have jobs. Yes, I said it and the main reason is just a reality of today’s times. With millions of people, for one reason or another, no longer able to have a job, being paid the majority of your contracted salary, in today’s pandemic world, is a blessing. Sure, there is give and take regarding a player’s contract, and there are the health concerns of players and staff doing what they do every day, but the truth is the players remain employed, and for the most part will enjoy all or most of their contracted compensation for years to come. Don’t get me wrong, I am on the player’s side while understanding that the League must mitigate losses – but no party to Major League Soccer can ‘afford’ a work stoppage. It is my take and I welcome yours.

• On a personal note, congrats to my daughter and son-in-law. They brought my granddaughter, Lennon, into this world last night. It is a bit different world than the one my daughter navigated, but I am sure J and D will bring much love and guidance to their daughter. XOXO.

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

The Things I Just Don’t Understand. A Great Player And A Better Man.

After listening to outgoing NASA chief Jim Bridenstine last week, I called a friend of mine to vent. I told him that after listening to Bridenstine, and realizing I only understood less than half of what he was describing, I questioned my basic level of intelligence and comprehension.

My friend “reassured” me that 99% of people could have no possible idea what Bridenstine was explaining about NASA’s Artemis program. My lack of understanding NASA’s Artemis program has prompted me to wonder about some things I Just Don’t Understand.

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• The 45-second, grotesque verbal disclaimers in prescription drug ads. There has to be a better way to disclose the potential side-effects of prescription drugs than to read them aloud during the commercial. A commercial will start with a man in the park with his wife and he will state: “I used to be depressed. I didn’t want to leave the house; I didn’t want to spend time with my family; I didn’t have the will to make myself happy. But then I discovered Alorex. Alorex let me love life again“. During the next 30 seconds, they’ll show him running around the park with his wife and 3-year-old daughter and dog, and it will all be in slow motion and everyone will be smiling and laughing and the sun will be shining. And while this is happening, the inevitable voice over: “Alorex may lead to further depression, low self-esteem, and sudden acts of violence. Alorex may also cause cancer, heart disease, strokes, hives, and diarrhea. In rare cases, Alorex may cause sleep apnea and sleep walking. Don’t take Alorex if you take nitrates for chest pain or if you don’t want to be potentially possessed by Linda Blair.” In the final shot, the man tells us: “Because of Alorex, I feel like me again”. Seriously? Here is a disclaimer for ERNESTO, a drug that treats people with heart disease:

ENTRESTO may cause serious side effects including: Angioedema that may cause trouble breathing and death. Get emergency medical help right away if you have symptoms of angioedema or trouble breathing. People who are Black or who have had angioedema and take ENTRESTO may have a higher risk of having angioedema. Other side effects include low blood pressure, fatigue, kidney problems, increased levels of potassium in your blood, and various kidney problems. What?

• NASA scientists identified a molecule in Titan’s atmosphere that has never been detected in any other atmosphere. In fact, many chemists have never heard of it or know how to pronounce it: cyclopropenylidene, or C₃H₂. Scientists say that this simple carbon-based molecule may be a precursor to more complex compounds that could form or feed possible life on Titan. Okay, I read that Titan is Saturn’s largest moon (like I knew that Saturn had moons), but if “many chemists have not heard of cyclopropenylidene”…does NASA really think I understand what the hell they are referencing?

• Why does bottled water cost more than a soda? Is bottled water the biggest rip-off on the planet? It might be, right? There will be a $1.00 soda next to a $1.99 bottle of water. How is that possible?

Any questions?

• Why are land plants green? Scientists finally understand why. Here is one explanation: Plants photosynthetic pigments reflect green light, even though those wavelengths hold the most energy. That clearly answers all my questions about photosynthesis. Even mistaken hypotheses and theories are of use in leading to discoveries. This remark is true in all the sciences. The alchemists founded chemistry by pursuing chimerical problems and theories which are false. In physical science, which is more advanced than biology, we might still cite men of science who make great discoveries by relying on false theories. It seems, indeed, a necessary weakness of our mind to be able to reach truth only across a multitude of errors and obstacles. Who are these people talking to? Anyone want to chime in on what ‘chimerical problems’ refer to? I think I may have many of them.

Someone please enlighten me to the use and function of bitcoins. I have heard the term ‘cryptocurrency’ but to me that word has no meaning. Wikipedia’s explanation: Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, a form of electronic cash. It is a decentralized digital currency without a central bank or single administrator. Bitcoins can be sent from user to user on the peer-to-peer bitcoin network directly, without the need for intermediaries. Transactions are verified by network nodes through cryptography and recorded in a public distributed ledger called a blockchain.  Many financial and tax people read this blog…please offer up the dumbed-down explanation.

• Business speak is probably in my top five things I do not understand and actually despise. My theory: Systemic rhetoric = rubbish.

• I am a follower of AERION, a company designing and manufacturing supersonic jets. Their amazing technology is truly remarkable allowing their jets to travel at speeds of 1,000 miles per hour. Then AERION spits out this piece of information on the fuel design and engagement that of course everyone understands: Aerion Supersonic announced July 8 that it would explore using synthetic jet fuel made by Carbon Engineering, a Canadian company developing technology to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Let’s see, I am on a jet cruising at 1,000 mph, consuming synthetic fuel derived from sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere. Perfect.

• Speaking of things in the air, I am not ashamed to reveal that I still do not understand the concept of how aircraft take off and remain in the air. Yes, I have been privy to the word “lift” and people explaining that “lift” is related to air flowing past the wings – which for some reason results in “lift”. Here is a simple, clear, and easy to understand explanation of “lift”. Lift occurs when a moving flow of gas is turned by a solid object. The flow is turned in one direction, and the lift is generated in the opposite direction, according to Newton’s Third Law of action and reaction. Because air is a gas and the molecules are free to move about, any solid surface can deflect a flow. For an aircraft wing, both the upper and lower surfaces contribute to the flow turning. Neglecting the upper surface’s part in turning the flow leads to an incorrect theory of lift. Of course that explains it all and now I get to Google “Newton’s Third Law of action and reaction”.

• Here is something I do understand:

• On a serious note, I was very sad to learn that Henry Aaron passed away on Friday. Even if baseball is not on the top of your list, read about him as a youngster born into poverty, the discrimination and bigotry he put up with, his amazing baseball career, and more importantly his humanity. RIP Mr. Henry Aaron.

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

Assemble Peacefully. Affection or Affected? Let’s Put A Helicopter on Mars. A True Badass. Thought-Provoking.

More than one person asked me why I had no ‘take’ on the events that took place on January 6 in Washington, D.C. and the United States Capitol Building. My first response and what will always be my response is that I long ago divorced myself away from the world of politics. I neither discuss or write about anything political. Politics is energy-draining to me and often spurs negative vibrations – whether with friends or family or with co-workers.

After further review and a bit of contemplation, and to address ‘why I did not comment on the events of January 6’, here is my take on all situations that involve protests and protestors:

• The Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The First Amendment clearly states “…the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” I support the Constitution.
• There is a great divide in America and it is not just systemic bigotry, bias, and hate. There is a definite divide amongst people representing their political parties – bipartisanship that has been ignited by the presidential election.
• Refer again to the first bullet point. I believe that the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the 1st Amendment are the backbone and thread of the United States. I don’t care about political parties, the “red” and the “blue”. What I do care about is that we are the American people. The right of people to peaceably assemble and to air their grievances is a basic right of all Americans, regardless of race, creed, or religion.
• Without political reference, the breach the U.S. Capitol Building resulting in damage and taking property is in no way a peaceful assembly. I am not pointing fingers at anyone, but how and why did the security apparatus fail to protect the U.S. Capitol building?
• There is now information from law enforcement agencies that groups are preparing to protest at most or all State capitols on Inauguration Day, January 20. Again, in following the First Amendment, the people have the right to peacefully assemble and air their grievances. Threats to fellow people, trespassing on Federal property, and causing any damage was never close to the realm of thinking from the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution.
• I disagree with any protest or assembly that does not follow the First Amendment. That is my take. What is yours?

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I like people who are competitive. At one point in time – that actually lasted many years, there was no greater competitor on earth than Tiger Woods. I won’t go into his specific golfing prowess, but there was no doubt that on the golf course he was a force to be reckoned with…and his fierce competitive nature provided him with a path to dominating the PGA tour.

I make no excuses for Tiger’s personal conduct in the massively publicized issues that evolved during his marriage to Elin Nordegren. Shameful, immature, and unbalanced are words that describe his actions and behavior. We were all puzzled by his fall from grace and public relations nightmare. If you can make the time, I suggest that you watch HBO’s Tiger, a two-part documentary offering a revealing look at his rise, fall, and epic comeback. I watched part one last week, and at a minimum this documentary may answer a few questions that all of us have regarding Tiger’s DNA. Part two is now available – for me a must watch.

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Mark your calendars for the afternoon of February 18, 2021. I could go into my diatribe about NASA’s Perseverance Mars mission, but other than parachuting a landing module from the launched rocket – that contains the Mars Rover and a helicopter onto the surface of Mars, I have no ability to comprehend how these scientists and engineers are making this happen. What I do understand from this video is very cool:

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A retro look at one of my favorite fight scenes from the past. I described a very upset individual as “going Billy Jack” to a friend of mine. She had no idea of what I was talking about. There have been many badass lead actors including Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal, Denzel Washington and Daniel Craig, but there was only one Billy Jack:

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I was raised in Miami, Florida. As sports fans along with my father being an AAU boxer, my family followed the career of Muhammad Ali. Early on and for many reasons, I was aware of racism, racial divide, and activists including the infamous Malcolm X. My Miami roots and Ali obviously spiked my interest in the movie One Night in Miami, no different than any other movie that takes in the dynamics of my hometown and sports. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise but did not follow what I assumed would be the storyline of four black men, in 1964, getting together to ‘celebrate’ Cassius Clay (a.k.a. Muhammad Ali) beating Sonny Liston for the world heavyweight championship.

I will not comment on the storyline as I suggest you take two hours to watch what I feel is a very good film, full of memorable performances and thought-provoking speeches and arguments. The storyline, direction, cinematography, and acting was outstanding, and Kingsley Ben-Adir, playing Malcolm X, will surely be nominated for an Oscar. A 1964 view of four unique celebrities who provide us with their individual viewpoints. Directed by Regina King, One Night in Miami is excellent.

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

• Later today – three more NFL playoff games.
• Tomorrow night, January 11 – the college football championship game between Ohio State and Alabama at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
• January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is the year’s first Federal holiday and among other events, the Atlanta Hawks play their annual MLK Day game at 2:30pm at State Farm Arena.
• January 20 – Inauguration Day. The celebration of a new or incumbent President of the United States happens once every four years. It occurs in the year after presidential elections have been held. Who knows how this inauguration will unfold?
• January 25 – Atlanta United reports to training camp. Significant as they begin the 2021 campaign with a new manager and the rehiring of Paul McDonough, who was an instrumental part of the organization in the run up to the 2018 MLS championship. The League’s start date is still not determined.
• February 1 – the first day of Black History month. Think Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.
• February 2 – Groundhog Day. I am not embarrassed to tell you I have no idea what this is all about – other than remembering a mundane movie starring Bill Murray.
• February 7 – Super Bowl LV (Richie, that is 55). The game takes place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
• February 14 – Valentine’s Day. Roses, chocolate, lots of smiles and hopefully no broken hearts.
• February 15 – President’s Day, originally honoring Washington’s birthday, is the second Federal holiday of the year.
• March 14. One of the best Sunday’s of the year as daylight savings time returns.
• March 17. St. Patrick’s Day. Covid-19 shut down most festivities celebrating one of Ireland’s patron saints (and obviously morphed into celebrating Irish-American culture). We look forward to the days where rivers once again turn green and Chicago, New York, and Savannah all go a bit crazy with their parades. Also, let’s not forget the return of the St. Patrick’s Day party JP puts together – hopefully to return in 2022.
• March 28 – Passover begins. If you have not been to a Passover dinner (Seder), go! The storytelling of the emancipation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery (Charlton Heston in the The Ten Commandments) is engaging and includes the consumption of wine at certain points throughout the dinner. Wine consumption is variable depending on the participants.
• April 2-4 – Good Friday and Easter weekend. We could all use an Easter egg hunt and all the festivities surrounding Easter weekend.
• April 5-11 – The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. This time around we do get to see the azaleas in full bloom.
• April 13 – Ramadan. It is a month of fasting, prayer, giving and self-evaluation observed by Muslims around the world.
• April 15 – Tax Day. Enough said.
• April 22 – Earth Day. The day was born out of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California and carried forward today by the Earth Day Network. Earth day was created to help bring awareness and support for environmental protection around the world. 

I am sure I missed some holidays/events. The bottom line is that these four months may feel similar to 2020 – but at least we have the vaccine on the horizon. Hopefully, after the end of April, we will all know when we can finally get that vaccine into our arms.

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I feel fortunate that I was raised in a family that followed sports. Though I focused on soccer from a playing perspective (Bret/Bob, no comment please), my passion for competitive sports started early on, influenced by my parents and my brother. In previous posts I discussed Don Shula, who led the Miami Dolphins to an undefeated season and two Super Bowl wins, but I was always amazed by a baseball manager who brought us passion, competitiveness, and the will to win. He managed the Los Angeles Dodgers for 20 seasons from 1976-1996. Over this time, he amassed 1,599 career wins, which ranks 20th all-time. In addition to his two World Series titles, he was also named the National League (NL) Manager of the Year twice in his career, first in 1983 and again in 1988. He also managed the National League in four All-Star Games following each of his NL pennant wins. I loved watching Tommy Lasorda manage his teams. I enjoyed and was amazed at his antics when arguing with the umpiring crew. Tommy Lasorda passed away Friday and in my mind he was one of the greatest. RIP Tommy Lasorda.

This video is rated XXX for language. Do not let your children listen. I post this because you get to hear his unbelievable passion and exasperation with the media. This was a famous interview with Lasorda after being accused of ordering one of his pitchers to throw at a batter. Can you imagine, in this day and time, a coach or manager saying this in front of the media? There was only one Tommy Lasorda.

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And finally….I leave you on this second Sunday of 2021 with a photo you can use when someone asks how to describe 2020:

Adios, pay it forward, stay safe and have a Funday Sunday.