Personal & Nonsensical
sauced
Feb 8th
So.
Urban dictionary should be bookmarked by everyone. It is a priceless source for priceless sayings (and insures us old folk can keep track of the new folk slang).
Why do I bring up the Urban Dictionary?
Well.
Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos running back and proud University of Georgia Bulldog graduate) gets pulled over for a DUI in Denver while driving a Bentley convertible with personalized license plates that read “SAUCED.”
Yeah. You read that right. SAUCED.
Oh. Not only was he drunk but he was driving 70 mph in a 45-mph and didn’t have insurance.
Ok.
But let me get back to SAUCED.
I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing something (like why would you have personalized plates that suggested you constantly drove around drunk). I wanted to see if ‘sauced’ meant something like ‘rad’ or ‘totally’ or ‘I am awesome’ in today’s vernacular.
With that … I went to Urban Dictionary which always sets me straight after I talk with a yong person in the office (let alone in any high school).
Here is what they had to offer … oh … and it is actually when I got to #4 that I think I understand the license plate (and laughed out loud):
Knowshon not suaced
1. sauced (personal)
sauced: to be so drunk all you can think about is how drunk you are .. “i was supremely sauced at the party” or “I’m sauced bitches.”
2. sauced (descriptive verb)
Having too much to drink.
To be very drunk. Similar words: plastered, hammered, shitfaced, trashed … “my mom is sauced after that party” or “Dude, you were so sauced last night that you passed out on the floor”
3. sauced (descriptive adjective)
- To be shotdown or owned, often an exclamation … “I totally failed that test; I was sauced like none other.”
4. Sauced
(v.) an interjection used when a bout of bad luck has fallen upon someone, or when somebody is hurt, defeated, or is clearly about to catch herpes. primarily used and popularized in Eastern Massachusetts, more specifically in the village of Winthrop By The Sea.
Person A: “I heard billy got herpes from her at that party”
Person B: “SAUCED”
There you go.
Either Knowshon knows someone who has herpes and got the license plate as a joke or … well … maybe the Bentley has herpes.
Oddly (in an odd twist of rationale) … let’s hope it is this rather than driving around drunk with a SAUCED license plate.
OR.
I have one more option. 
It is quite possible Knowshon is a closet poetry fan … and has been traveling to Ontario … and is showing his support for the girls night ‘hot sauced words poetry’ nights.
well.
Just a thought.
rome & atlanta have something in common
Feb 8th
So.
Whoda thunk Rome and Atlanta would have something in common.
Not a Bernini statue (although Atlanta has a rusting Olympic torch).
Not a square… albeit it is really a circle <St. Peters> (although Atlanta has a dome that would make the Vatican envious).
Nope.
Snowplows.
Neither of them has any snowplows.
This week Rome had an Atlanta-like freak winter snowstorm of eight inches of snow. Apparently Snowdrifts reached 6 feet outside the city (not sure how that happens with 8 inches of snow but … whatever ..).
Cars were abandoned on roads.
Grocery stores were running out of milk & bread (someday someone will have to explain the correlation between snow/ice & milk/bread).
I heard that even dogs & cats started living together (sorry … Ghostbusters reference).
Anyway.
Italian newspapers reported Rome has only three true snowplows. But. Italians being industrious folk … have rigged up some tractors to help clear streets.
Ah ha!
But here is where Atlanta could learn something.
The Italian National Civil Protection Agency handed out 4,000 shovels to residents.
Shovels.
What an awesome idea.
Could anyone speculate the response in America if the government suggested that in times of snow you, god forbid, take a shovel (we will give you for free) and shovel your own streets.
Yikes.
The National debt debate would pale in comparison.
Ah.
But what if we encouraged everyone to do it in Italian?
To shovel: spalare
A shovel: badile
Ah.
But if you have any doubts as to the smarts of the Italians … they actually disrobed a woman with a shovel (albeit a big one) … on television … http://www.break.com/index/woman-stripped-by-mechanical-shovel.html
Show this to Atlantans and I bet guys will be lining up to shovel on their own.
For the women?
Geez. Even their shovels look like designer shovels.
but.
This isn’t about shovels.
This is about the fact that neither Rome nor Atlanta hasn’t any snowplows.
How about that?
Enlightening one may even say.
the unAmerican american tradition
Feb 4th
Ok. This is about the American tradition (the super bowl) and an un-American aspect (the fact there just aren’t that many American beers left).
The super bowl (according to Nielsen sales studies) is the 8th biggest beer day of the year. It is behind the 4th of July, Labor Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Christmas/New Year’s, Thanksgiving and Easter (in that order) in terms of beer sales.
Oh. And I have actually seen Halloween beat out Ester in terms of sales in some reports (WTF … more beer on Fathers Day, Easter & Halloween then Super Bowl!).
Anyway.
During the Super Bowl Americans drink billions of beers.
According to Slashfood, 51.7 million cases of beer are sold in the week surrounding the Super Bowl. For a comparison, 68.3 million cases are sold on Independence Day and 63 million for Father’s Day.
Think about it.
4 hour TV event = 51.7 million cases.
That, my friends, is quite a lot of beer.
Some more factoids (just because I went factoid crazy here before I get to the un-American beer).
HOW MUCH FOOD WILL BE CONSUMED? (by the way … I cannot take credit for the numbers and math here nor do I want to because if you actually take the time to break them down they become suspect …. BUT … suffice it to say a shitload of beer & food is consumed).
8 million: Total pounds of popcorn consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.
28 million: Pounds of potato chips consumed.
53.5 million: Pounds of avocados consumed.
11.8: Depth, in feet, of guacamole consumed if it were spread across the football field.
293,000: Number of miles of potato chips, laid end to end, consumed during the game.
1 billion: Number of chicken wings consumed on Super Bowl Sunday.
325.5 million: Gallons of beer drank by Americans that day.
493: Number of Olympic-sized swimming pools that could be filled with all that beer.
20%: Increase in ant-acid sales the Monday after the game.
7 million: Number of employees who will not show up to work Monday.
Anyway.
Let me get to the point. Of the 51.7 million cases of beer, or 325.5 million gallons if you prefer, most of it will not be American.
Look. I admit. I do love a good cold non microbrewed funky tasting beer.
I thought I was a huge beer lover until I went to Europe and they started giving me beers that had sweet tastes and fruit tastes and … well … then I realized I imagine I was more of an American beer lover. Yeah, yeah, yeah the “beer connoisseurs” out there are scoffing and will start ranting about their high falutin’ microbrews or Chinese beers or something.
But. I am an unabashed American beer lover.
Unfortunately. That seems to be a tough gig these days.
I haven’t really paid much attention to it but it seems like America has lost its beer (that is kind of a different version of losing your marbles … or balls).
Some background is maybe needed to explain my American beer focus.
My first beer was probably in junior high school when me and a couple of buddies stole a nasty Michelob (I think) that my father had sitting in the frig for maybe 2 years (he didn’t really drink beer). Despite that horrible first experience I ran into a high school senior when I was a sophomore who introduced me to the Champagne of Beers (Miller) and I was in heaven. Throughout high school me and my merry band of beer drinkers drank whatever we could get our hands on … but … the champagne of beers was always our number one choice.
Please. I do have some discerning tastes. There was one afternoon in high school days when over at a friend’s house and our beer had run out … but one.
Ted said “Go ahead. You can have it.” So I grabbed my first … and last … Black Label. I took one sip. Then another (because I couldn’t believe a beer could ever taste that bad) and then asked if anyone else wanted to finish it.
Yup. I passed on the last beer available. Black Label made me want to do it (that was a fairluy momentous moment amongst us young beer drinkers).
Anyway.
While I could always get my hands on a good Canadian beer (high school in Vermont) inevitably it seemed like there was a Budweiser or a Pabst or a Falstaff or a Miller in my hands. And you figure Falstaff and PBR sported the good ole USofA red, white & blue colors so I was being as American as American could be. And then as I matriculated my drinking ass off to college … Coors became the elixir of choice (although I never seemed to leave the Champagne too far behind).
Well.
I am feeling less patriotic these days as I now have discovered that these days American beer is not so much American. It’s tough to grab one of the old tried and true (what people call “watery”) American beers to quaff with friends at ye ole watering hole (damn … that didn’t sound very American did it?).
Interestingly (mostly because I am not sure I thought about it that much) Anheuser-Busch has a market share in the United States of 50.9% for all beers sold (although different sources give a range of about 42% to 52% … I guess no one is sure how to count beer).
That number is primarily Budweiser (all of them Bud brands).
so. Let’s call it 50% market share. Really? 50% of all beers sold?
That’s a big frickin’ number and it cannot be all the NASCAR race fans and their coolers of Buds. Most people don’t buy just one type but also a lot of other stuff. At the very least you would think that Miller and all of the microbreweries would account for more than 50% (or at least I would).
Bottom line? Huge number. That’s all I will say on that.
The bad news for us americans? Bud ain’t American anymore. In 2008 Anheuser-Busch sold the majority of their stock to Belgian-Brazilian beer giant Inbev creating the largest brewing company in the world (and the brewer’s market share in US actually increased after the sale for some reason).
Ok. So if Bud aint American what is the biggest American owned beer?
Not Miller which is South African based and brews: Miller, MGD, Milwaukee’s Best, Icehouse, Southpaw, Steel Reserve, Hamm’s, Pabst, Stroh’s (if you can find it anywhere) and Red Dog.
Not Molson Coors which appears to be based in Canada or maybe Colorado or somewhere in between (they also to have some sort of joint venture with SABMiller to market all beers under the MillerCoors name which confuses me). But, they brew: Coors (the world’s best beer in my eyes), Coors Light (the world’s worst beer in y eyes), Keystone, Killian’s Red and Blue Moon.
So where does that leave us? Sam Adams?
Shiner (which makes an appearance down the list)? After that the list gets slim (by market share size … actual number of choices is huge).
Regardless.
Maybe my patriotism I can hold on to the fact that they are still brewed in America.
In the meantime I still enjoy a chilled Champagne of Beers and love a good Coors original (which I think they call Banquet for some odd reason). And make believe I am being unabashedly American while drinking them.
Enjoy … and know you are probably, most likely, being un-American whilst quaffing a cold one during the American tradition called the super bowl.
sometimes you just have to wonder
Jan 26th
ok.
This took me a couple of days to write … as I wrapped my head around it.
So.
The other day (the 24th of January). I am driving up to a traffic light and to my left I see a dog (a Rhodesian Ridgeback I believe) kind of chugging along the sidewalk.
No owner. Just dog.
And I recognized the look.
Probably because I lived it far too many times.
The “where is my owner” look.
The “I saw him pull out of the driveway and now where the heck is he” look.
The “I miss him and, dammit, I am gonna find him” look.
It is a look of casual intensity.
Ah. That look.
To the ignorant non-dog owner the dog looks lost. But it is far from lost. It is searching … it has a mission.
And typically the dog is conducting its mission within ‘the rules’ … i.e., stay on sidewalk, be polite as you pass people, don’t pee in someone’s yard, don’t run out into traffic, etc.
Oh.
And then the dog did the damndest thing … when he reached the intersection he stopped … refocused … and he crossed in front of the first stopped car at the stoplight and started walking down the driver sides … stopping at each driver window to check for his owner.
I say the damndest because … well … Tigger used to do that.
The smart bastard would know exactly who he was looking for and how to look.
(by the way … there is nothing more disconcerting then seeing your dog unexpectedly staring at you beside the car after you were pretty sure you had left him somewhere else)
Anyway.
And this is where you really have to sometimes wonder about things … the 24th is Tigger’s 2 year ‘gone to the dog biscuit factory in the sky’ date.
Geez.
I certainly haven’t forgotten Tigger … but I have tended to put the box of all the good times (and the times I could have been a better companion) on a shelf just to pull out and scan like a box of old photographs.
But. That searching dog brought the box out and handed it to me (which as you would imagine is, mentally, different than pulling it off the shelf yourself).
Look. I knew Tigger wouldn’t be forever.
And I always knew losing him would possibly be the worst thing I have ever faced to date. But, I admit, nothing could ever have prepared me for this 2 years he has now been gone.
Yeah. It’s been a few years now. But I still miss him.
And, yeah, I have never gotten another dog (yet).
We grew up together (despite the fact I was in my 30’s when I got him).
He was a great dog. And a great friend. (and, yeah Tigger, in case you are reading this post from wherever you are, I still have your picture on my frig).
I have come to the conclusion I will always love that crazy too-smart always hyper but always devoted dog, oh, and I will always be mentally giving biscuits, treats and belly rubs forever.
My dog and I were inseparable. He went everywhere with me … pretty much always.
Oddly.
I think he visits me still on occasion.
And I know he still talks to me on occasion.
And, yeah, for some reason on this particular day … this one dog was walking down this sidewalk with the same ‘where is my owner’ look and I had this same maddening memory … which I believe only pet owners know … the one that is a mixture of unbelievable fear that your best friend is going to be roadkill in his stupidity and the unequivocal bottomless love you feel with the disbelief that he would go to such extremes just for you.
But.
Thanks to this one dog on his mission he reminded me of another one dog … on one special day.
Well.
It’s always worth writing a note about (and to) Tigger. Who knows. Maybe they have wireless in the great dog biscuit in the sky (and they taught him to read).
And.
Sometimes you just have to wonder a little about destiny and how random things truly are that happen.
black white and gray
Jan 15th
“In the course of your education you’ve always been taught to look for the right answer but you must also know that in life sometimes the right answer is that there isn’t one.”
- Mr. Feeny, Boy Meets World.
So.
I do know for sure, having been in the business world for too many years to count, that rarely is there one answer to the question … or challenge … or whatever.
There are multiple “right” answers to just about everything.
And I guess, if I want to get philosophical, that makes me wonder if anything is certain or concrete anymore.
Maybe I really am getting old … but black & white seemed clearer to me years ago.
In fact, some of my past team members may remember the “McTague good – bad scale.”
I would often simply sum up something by saying “well, on the McTague good – bad scale, well, that would be good.”
(or bad when appropriate)
These days I almost feel like I would have to shift the scale to a rating instead of an unequivocal good or bad.
Is there truly an unequivocal non debatable good and bad?
Or a right and wrong?
How about truth or lies? (where omission can be deemed a ‘lie’)
Or is it just mixed together and upon us to decide for ourselves?
Oh.
And say we decide for ourselves … judge our own actions … but the other person has a different judging scale. What happens then? Who is right or wrong?
(hey. maybe there is a new business idea here where everyone carries a little card they can hand someone before speaking which outlines the boundaries of their ‘persona right & wrong’ scale.)
Anyway.
Does the end really justify the means when it comes to good or bad or right or wrong?
And is it your end or ‘their end’ that really matters in your own black or white judgment?
It kind of makes you question the whole concept of ‘Is everything either black and white’ or even worse is anything black or white?
Or is everything somewhere in the middle, in the gray?
Wow.
Sadly this make you start believing the world is built in shades of gray. Everything becomes negotiable, flexible or left to interpretation.
Maybe that is life.
Because the reality in day to day life is sometimes we are forced to bend the truth or sometimes transform it because we’re faced with things that we did not choose to happen but are demanded to deal with it.
And sometimes ‘bending the truth’ simply catches up to us.
And it makes me wonder if this is right.
So.
If there is anything that is ethical in our day, where is the line drawn?
Is it simply if what we feel is right … well … then it really is.
And if we are forced to do what we think is wrong, should we do it anyway or reap the consequences that come with refusal to go along with the way life pushes us?
Ok.
All of that makes my head hurt.
I know one thing for sure … I would like to be certain of one thing.
That somewhere there really is an absolute truth.
Somewhere.
Tricky to find but there.
Maybe that is the truth.
That it is a journey for truth.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm … I like that (although that is a gray answer isn’t it?).
Maybe the best way to think about black, white and gray is this way:
“Dawn and sunset are the times when Nature herself is unstable and in flux. The nocturnal world and the daytime world are meeting, and for a brief time coexisting. It’s not a neat hard cut, but a blurred, irregular dissolve. These moments are the seams in existence through which we can get a glimpse of the deeper, fundamentally random, chance workings of a system in which we are only a small, insignificant player.” Bill Viola
Is it possible we can find solace in this question through some poetic thought like this?
Shit. I don’t know. Most of us would seek to find some more clarity then this.
But maybe he is right. Maybe truth coexists in day and night.
Blurred by the edges of right and wrong.
I do know no one will ever get “black & white” right all the time.
But I imagine that is not a reason I shouldn’t try for the absolute at all times by constantly seeking ‘truth’ whatever that may be.
Make the attempt to find the black or the white.
Avoid the grey.
And maybe this is the best reason of all:
“There are two sides to every issue: one side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil.” - Ayn Rand
Avoid gray because it is evil.
christmas songs
Dec 25th
So.
Getting gifts at Christmas is awesome but it is still always about the music to create the Christmas spirit. With that I started thinking about my top 5 Christmas songs (of which I would like to point out because I am typing this on a tropical island that it is a little weird to hear Nat King Cole & the Christmas song at a beach bar with the sun shining, the waves shifting in the background and sunburned Minnesotans sitting across the bar).
Anyway.
I began with 5 but the list kept growing.
I am sure I have missed some awesome songs.
It is a mix of traditional and non traditional. But here are the ones I would request to get me in the Christmas spirit.
Numero uno.
No doubt.
Any Christmas anywhere … I will never get tired of this song:
Nat King Cole and The Christmas Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__kQ1PCP6B0
Ok.
I have no clue what chestnuts are and no idea whether roasting them over an open fore is a good idea or not … but dammit … if I had chestnuts I would roast them.
No Christmas is complete without this song.
A classic (most young people have no idea who Dean Martin was and almost everyone forgets he actually sang in between cocktails).
Dean Martin singing Let it Snow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN7LW0Y00kE
And then Amy Grant.
I am not a huge Amy fan in general but I would have to say she is my top female xmas singer … I think she could sing any Christmas song and … well .. it would sound like it was meant for Christmas.
Amy Grant and Grown up Christmas List: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmF2rsDHOZc&ob=av2e
And another Aimee.
Aimee Mann Christmastime: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOL0ZlMMwAo&feature=related
I almost picked Calling on Mary which sounds languid and nice … but kind of has that infamous Aimee ironically truthful realistically darkish side to the holidays …
I heard the sidewalk Santa say:
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Salvation’s coming cheap today
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
Next.
My first memory of a non classic contemporary Christmas song. And it still sounds great today.
Waitresses Christmas wrapping … a classic … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARq6uYSsUq0&feature=related
Next.
Beautiful voice. Beautiful Christmas song. Sappy but good stuff.
Carpenters singing Merry Christmas Darling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSHevB1QZOM
Next.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas.
Yikes. There are a bunch of great renditions to this song. Maybe my favorite? Vonda Shepard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O5DYlJSnCs
Next.
How The Grinch stole Christmas is probably the best Xmas cartoon of all time (maybe Charlie Brown close behind) …. but this song … awesome … The Grinch song:
Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzXKWKaxt3c
But.
It may be Hip Heavy Lip’s version that introduced this song to an entirely new generation (NEVER get tired of this): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRGSCnQ2OuM
Next.
Pretty much anything Leigh Nash sings sounds good but holiday songs … well … she should do an entire cd sometime …
This is Sixpence none the Richer with Carol Of The Bells http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb1tRCqZpxI&feature=related
Next.
Whew. Incredibly sad and thoughtful and … well … heartfelt … which (the latter) is what I expect Christmas is really all about.
Robert Downey singing The River: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etfxRJdoUwo
Next.
The one people probably haven’t heard ….
Glasvegas singing A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like A Kiss)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW4b2_Xpwbs
next.
For a slightly different sound and it sounds fun in the traditional xmas music mix … Sally Shapiro sings kind of a techno Christmas song … Anorak Christmas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHC1RaLEQSM
Next.
Cocteau Twins are an acquired taste in general … and their sound is always up & down (to me). but. They nailed this one. Frosty The Snowman http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e874vKfYfuU
Next.
Just a nice one. And heather Nova’s voice is a nice contrast to the more traditional Amy Grant and Leigh Nash and Karen carpenter. ‘Always Christmas by Heather Nova http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wgd4-ngo0g
Next.
Christmas (baby please come home) by Death Cab for Cutie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4Yxq4QEkUE
I love Ben Gibbard’s voice. And I love this version of the song. Whoda thunk one of the best emo bands of all time would crank out a good holiday song.
Next.
A good modern one. Surprisingly good. Surprisingly little played.
Sleigh ride by KT Tunstall: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t8rgWkRwIk
Next.
Listen The Snow Is Falling by Thea Gilmore http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01fsYd0oa6s
(had to include this one)
Its just nice. And you never hear. And most people have no clue who Thea is.
Next.
Oh yeah.
O Holy Night by Josh Groban (his voice sounds pretentious at times … but … for the holidays? … his voice was made for songs like this ..) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFln-AlC46M
And lastly.
Just cant leave this one off my ist.
So This is Christmas by John Lennon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cJOm72QDDA&feature=related
How could this not make anyone’s list?
That’s it for my list. 19 songs (if I counted correctly)
I have more but these are songs I like to hear in order to get me in the melancholy state and upbeat state and in general … the Christmas state.
Thinking about the past.
Remembering friends and family (here and gone).
Reconnecting.
Seeing the joy in a child’s face …. Ok … anyone’s face.
Ok.
To make it an even 20.
Just for a smile. Listen to Guster sing “¿Donde Esta Santa Claus?”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOganSDZyLM
Merry Christmas.
a sign the apocalypse is upon us
Dec 16th
Well.
If this following report isn’t a sign that the apocalypse is upon us, well, then I don’t know what will prove it:
A defense attorney for accused child molester Jerry Sandusky has claimed that the former Penn State assistant football coach showered with young boys in order to teach them how to wash properly.
In an interview with WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, Pa., attorney Karl Rominger attempted to explain the 67-year-old Sandusky’s admitted habit of showering with boys after football camps that he ran through his charity for disadvantaged children, The Second Mile.
“Some of these kids don’t have basic hygiene skills,” Rominger said. “Teaching a person to shower at the age of 12 or 14 sounds strange to some people, but people who work with troubled youth will tell you there are a lot of juvenile delinquents and people who are dependent who have to be taught basic life skills like how to put soap on their body.”
Sandusky has admitted in televised interviews that he showered with boys, but denies the behavior was sexual in nature.
Other options the lawyer considered stating:
- TSA security training
- aliens
- the devil made him do it
- all accusers are lying because they simply want the fame from talking about how they had been molested to as many people as possible (oh … they used this one)
- they were really little girls (oh … that is illegal too)
- the truth (not an option)
anyway.
The apocalypse can be the only explanation I can think of for any lawyer thinking anyone would believe any aspect of this bunch of bullhockey.
It is an insult to our intelligence.
And possibly a reflection of how far lawyers will go to stretch the possibility of truth under the guise of ‘innocence.’
Silly. Stupid in fact.
And if people end up believing this … well … yes … the Apocalypse has arrived.
if your reason for being is big enough
Dec 14th
Ok. This is a simple idea in concept but fraught with peril in implementation.
The concept.
If your reason for being is big enough you will get noticed.
I will state the obvious behind this thought just to get it out of the way.
If your reason for being is big enough there is …
- no need to stand in the middle of a room and shout for attention.
- no need to do cartwheels in the middle of a mall.
- no need to run naked in the middle of a soccer match (thank god).
- no need to wear a clown suit (unless you are a clown for a living).
And best of all …
- no need for a dozen jelly donuts (or bagels) or any food bribery when you go to meetings.
If all that interests you then keep reading.
Let me begin by defining ‘reason for being.’
I mean what you stand for and what you say and what you do day in and day out. What you want to be seen as and ultimately known for (not something tangible … something intangible).
And while this could be about companies and business (and I may try a word replace just to see if that is true) I am gonna keep this one focused on you and I and us (as individuals).
Ok.
Whether we admit it or not we all want to be noticed.
We don’t want to be overlooked or underappreciated (for either a talent or just as a person).
That is normal. And has nothing to do with ego or ‘humbleness’ or any of that type of stuff.
This is just good ole self esteem and such. This is just about receiving some confirmation that your existence matters (in normal words … ‘you matter’) and some positive reinforcement for self being.
And I decided to write about this not only because I hate (abhor) the things on the ‘no need’ list I typed but I also believe getting noticed is one of the biggest challenges people face.
It is a fact that Not being noticed is an obstacle to a lot of things that truly matter.
It makes it harder to communicate what you want to say.
It makes it more difficult to make an impact.
And it makes it nearly impossible to change the world (change meaning small, medium, large or extra large in impact).
I say this to make the point that getting noticed does matter. It matters a shitload.
And, once again, getting noticed (in the right way) has never been about being outrageous.
Getting noticed, like any other incredibly difficult challenge, is all about who you are.
It’s about your attitude.
It’s about becoming some color when everything else is black & white.
Its about finding your own way of being distinct.
And mostly it is about finding out what you are good at and being comfortable with who you are as a person.
And if you do all of that … people will naturally gravitate to you (the corollary to that is if people do not gravitate to you then rather than bitch about why they don’t maybe you should begin to reflect upon yourself first).
So.
Some thoughts about being comfortable with who you are (the core to being distinct individually and ultimately noticed the ‘right way’):
- Be comfortable doing what everyone else thinks is wrong.
Now. I don’t mean all of the time. I simply mean on things that matter. Why? Because accomplishing anything that truly matters starts with the belief that you may have to be different … and its okay to be different. Oh. And not just “shades of gray” different. You have to be completely different.
Yup. Sometimes for people to know that something new is occurring (and want to be involved) you have to commit as a person to capture the essence of the ‘difference’ in what you say and how you present yourself. Oh. And “new” most often comes to life by having the ability to point out things that make people feel uncomfortable (because you are debating the status quo).
In the business world this is called ‘disruption.’ BUT. At its core disruption only is effective if it is relevant.
Being different for different sake is wrong. That is making an empty statement. Be comfortable in insightful relevant disruption.
Next.
- Be candid. Be truthful.
There are ridiculous things happening everywhere. People’s behavior, attitudes and perceptions.
And it is easy to overlook these things because … well … it is easier (and it is ridiculous).
If you want to change the conversation and get people talking with you (as well as about you), start talking about all this ridiculous stuff. Spend the time to create intellectual arguments that get people thinking.
Next.
- Understand effort matters.
Oh. And, in particular, effort for the moments that really matter … well … really matter.
Get it in your head now (no ifs, and or buts) that there are truly no easy get rich schemes. Believe it deep in your soul. Etch it somewhere on your body if you have to. One of the most debilitating things that can happen is a choice to make personal investments in shortcuts.
No shortcut can replace effort. The same thing applies to vision and how you manage details. There is nothing to do but “DO”. That’s the attitude that you need to have. And if by expending massive amounts of effort on things that matter you happen to gain success, then absolutely enjoy it. You will get noticed for the effort on what matters.
Is this true all the time? Nope. But consistency wins this particular game. You will be tempted by the short cuts (we all are) but deliver the effort on the things that truly matter on a consistent basis and you will get noticed. I guarantee it. And you will be noticed for the right reasons.
Next (and last).
- embrace (some) vulnerability.
This is the last one and the most difficult one.
Maybe I could have just written, “be human” but vulnerability is a much more powerful concept. And it takes some real kahones to embrace this one.
Why is this important to getting noticed? Well. People are flawed. And people like people who are flawed. Perfection scares people. And, honestly, no one is perfect.
We all have things that impact us so emotionally they, well, bring us to tears. And those are things that you need to be talking about. You need to be passionate. You need to show you actually care about something. Care so much that you are open to getting hurt. Care so much you become vulnerable in some way. It shows that you live your life, willing to get hurt on things that matter, and are honest about what matters most to you.
So. In the end?
It all starts with you.
If your reason is big enough, your cause worth it enough, being noticed will be the least of your worries.
getting a pet (hint: not a hippo)
Dec 4th
ok.
This is going to be about 2 things … getting a pet … and thinking about what kind of pet to get.
What made me think about this?
A headline.
“Humphrey the pet hippo kills owner”
One-tonne pet tragically and violently ends bizarre ‘father-son relationship’ with farmer
So.
This isn’t even a National Enquirer or People magazine (I put both in same category) story. This is The Guardian. This is real stuff.
A farmer was killed by his pet hippopotamus despite repeated warnings that a hippo could never be tamed (it makes me wonder if a lot of people have actually tried taming hippos in the past …. oh … and why).
He was killed by being bitten to death by his 1.2 ton “pet” hippo named Humphrey.
In a bizarre twist Humphrey (the hippo) actually chowed down on his beloved owner (Marius) in the same river where, years earlier, the hippo had been rescued from a flood.
Makes me wonder. Bad memories?
Anyway.
How did hippo-adopter Marius get Humphrey?
Humph (to his friends) had grown too big for the people who originally adopted it (apparently they hadn’t researched that A HIPPO BECOMES SEVERAL TONS IN SIZE) and was bought at the age of five months. Humph eventually became a pet on a farm and learned to swim with humans.
Earlier this year Marius was photographed riding on the five-year-old hippo’s back and was quoted:
“Humphrey’s like a son to me, he’s just like a human,” he said. “There’s a relationship between me and Humphrey and that’s what some people don’t understand. They think you can only have a relationship with dogs, cats and domestic animals.”
Well.
It is hard to argue with that …. oh … other than the fact earlier this year a man and his seven-year-old grandson spent two hours in a tree after being chased by Humphrey while canoeing on the river that passes through the farm.
Oops.
That may have slipped Marius’ mind as he cuddled up with good ole Humphrey.
Oh. I forgot.
Humphrey also frequently broke out of its enclosure and chased golfers at a local golf club (lets remember … while large … hippos can outrun golf carts & caddies).
Oh.
And one more fact.
Armed with giant canine teeth, hippos are said to kill more people each year than lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo and rhinos combined. They can move at speeds of up to 30mph despite weighing up to three tons.
So.
While this is really stupid (having a hippo as a pet) in general it makes a point about owning pets and responsibility.
Although someone can do a lot of reading and research and be thoughtful about what is involved in owning a pet it is truly difficult to prepare yourself for what it takes to be a pet owner.
It doesn’t mean you aren’t honest enough with yourself beforehand (although Humphrey’s owner pretty much deluded himself in some way … maybe it was the south African wines?) or thought deeply enough about the responsibility … you just don’t know what you don’t know.
You may intellectually recognize the commitment required. But once actually being a pet owner it can be overwhelming.
Well. Ok. It is absolutely overwhelming (says the past owner of a border collie).
But.
Most pets are wonderful companions (albeit I find the idea of a hippo being a wonderful companion a little bit of a stretch).
Getting a pet means you should do, at minimum, 2 things:
- Don’t be delusional.
Ok. What I mean by that is put all your fantasies off to the side and store away your idea of a dream pet and be realistic. It is work. It is overwhelming. It has an expense (mentally, physically, financially). Unless you adopt an adult pet don’t delude yourself into knowing what you are actually getting (exactly). Each pet has its own personality & characteristics which you can absolutely help shape & mold but there are no guarantees.
- Be desirable (of that great pet relationship)
With a pet, particularly a dog, you get what you want if you work toward what you desire in a relationship. In fact … if you invest the time with any pet (Humphrey being the exception hence the reason why I create this post) you will 99% of the time get the relationship you desired.
Ok.
Enough with that.
I just loved the hippo story and it got me going.
Anyway.
If you are thinking of buying a dog take a second and read … Good Dog. Stay. – Anna Quindlen (or any book by Jon Katz).
The book isn’t really a book. It takes maybe 20 minutes to read.
It’s just a concise overview of owning a dog (very well written) and the challenges and the simple joys and the fact that part of owning a pet, unlike humans, you pretty much know how long a life they will lead.
Getting a pet is a big decision and should be treated as such.
I will also say that owning a pet can be one of the most rewarding decisions you can ever make in your life. It is the kind of decision that can change your life.
thanks
Nov 24th
It’s Thanksgiving.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Thanks.
And, well, giving.
First. Thanks.
And this one will be different from me, well, because instead of celebrating independence I am going to suggest maybe we give thanks for dependence. Yup. Dependence. But healthy dependence.
“On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.” ~William Jennings Bryan
I think maybe it is one day we should celebrate dependence on friends and great company and those around us who help life not only be bearable … but good and productive.
Maybe we should celebrate the fact we don’t, and honestly cannot, be happy and successful in life solely by being independent. Life is meant to be dependent upon others in some form or fashion. We are social beings. No social and, well, I don’t know what you are (other than maybe a hermit).
So.
Today celebrate those you are dependent upon for being a better person. Those who walk the way with you.
Second.
Giving.
Once again I will take a different path to giving … so this isn’t about giving to others … this is a selfish giving.
Maybe on thanksgiving, after contemplating thanks for those we are dependent upon, we are selfish and give ourselves a good dose of hope.
Yup. Maybe we should use his day to give ourselves a little hope.
At minimum, no matter how you celebrate or don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, remember this …
Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings. ~J. Robert Moskin
Sure.
It is just one day in a year.
But.
Sometimes individual days can serve to be good reminders for all the rest of the days. “At whatever straws you must grasp” … those six words remind us that sometimes you need to seek out hope on your own. So maybe the day is a reflection on new beginnings and hope for what comes next.
Take a minute and grab a big plate of hope. And give thanks to those around you that you depend on.
Happy Thanksgiving.
