A few words about Yom Kippur, six email addresses on my BlackBerry and the iPhone.
Archives for September 2009
The UN Has No Shame
“The man who called the Holocaust a lie spoke at this podium. To those who refused to come and to those who left in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity and you brought honor to your countries. But to those who gave this Holocaust denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere — have you no shame? Have you no decency?” Benjamin Netanyahu
Well said. Listen to it and think.
A Bad Case Of Blog Envy/Jealousy
I recently received an anonymous email that accused me of having a bad case of blog envy. It seems that they think that I must be very bitter that I don’t have more readers and that the brands haven’t bequeathed their bounty upon me.
It was kind of fun to read. Been a while since I got anything that resembled hate mail at least something that didn’t go off onto some antisemitic or anti-Israel rant. One of my favorites was the email that went on about Palin the Prophet. I responded to them that they mean to write Profit, but I never did hear back from them. Darn.
Anyway, back to my new friend the anonymous emailer. In my younger years I would have shared your email with all 17 of the longtime readers and the few stragglers that come along for the ride. But the kinder, gentler, er, dumber Jack accidentally deleted it and emptied the trash so we’ll have to do without for now.
Here is my response to your comments. I don’t spend any time courting the brands. I don’t pitch PR agencies about my blog. Don’t spend any time talking to them about how influential my blog is. And I don’t lose any sleep over that.
I don’t feel an ounce of remorse for writing that some of the bloggers who are currently considered to be popular and or powerful would not be without gifts to give away. Their content is weak and their community is dependent upon the gifts they give.
This joint has moments of brilliance and moments of mediocrity. Over time it has developed a respectable following. I won’t deny that I think it would be great to have six times as many uniques and ten times the number of comments. It would be great.
But I want to earn that. I don’t want to by popularity. We’re not the Yankees. We don’t use our enormous payroll to buy championships. We earn them.
Anyway, I appreciate your note and hope that you stick around for a while. Leave me a comment or two- show some love ‘cuz a bitter old guy like me can use it. 😉
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What Is The Difference Between A Fool & A Dreamer
“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.â€
Nolan BushnellThey who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.
Edgar Allan Poe, “Eleonora”
“Some men see things as they are and say ‘why’? Others dream things that never were and say ‘why not’?”
~ George Bernard ShawI think we dream so we don’t have to be apart so long. If we’re in each other’s dreams, we can play together all night. ~Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes~
It is no secret that I am a man who lives in both time and space. By that I mean that I am firmly rooted in reality. My feet are on the ground and I know exactly what is happening around me. But I don’t always accept things at value.
Place me inside a boxing ring with Mike Tyson or Muhammad Ali in their prime and there shouldn’t be any chance of my beating them. It shouldn’t matter whether you take the 40 year-old I am today or the 20 year-old I once was, the fight shouldn’t be close.
Those who know me best know that I will step into that ring believing with all my heart that I have a chance. It only takes one shot. One moment in time and I can put the champ on his ass. It doesn’t matter what the scenario is, I will always believe that I can find a way to succeed.
But that doesn’t mean that I don’t accept the possibility that I might not or that I am not prepared to deal with it. I do and I am.
The question I ask myself is am I better served by taking a more conservative approach in everything. Am I better served to say that since the chance of success is so minuscule I shouldn’t make the attempt.
Certainly there is a school of thought that suggests that it would be far more prudent to do so. Low expectations can be exceeded. It is a way to avoid disappointment.
It is a subjective question that is highly personal, whether to try or not try that is. What I know about myself is that because I am that dreamer, I can’t live a life where I don’t take that shot. I can’t live a life where I don’t try to go beyond Walter Mitty and dream about being the champ.
I can’t live a life where I don’t try to slay the dragon or climb that mountain. I can’t. It is not me. I truly believe that if I did give that part of myself up I would die.
Answering my own question I think that the difference between the fool and a dreamer is that the fool never tries to live their dreams. That doesn’t mean that the dreamer can’t be the fool either. The dreamer has to know when to shift gears and go a different route.
And therein lies the rub. At what point do you say that you have done all you can do. When do you release the dream and let it float into the ether. That is the question that sometimes plagues me. But then again every dream is different so the answer to that question will vary from time to time.
When my children ask me for my advice on similar matters I can only tell them one thing. That in the end they have to be able to sleep at night feeling like they tried their best. If you can do that, well then you have accomplished something.
Music of The Moment
Californication– Red Hot Chili Peppers
By The Way-Red Hot Chili Peppers
Telephone line-Electric Light Orchestra
Hold On Tight-Electric Light Orchestra
Can’t Get It Out of My Head-Electric Light Orchestra
Day After Day– Badfinger
Weekend in New England – Barry Manilow
Pictures of You– The Cure
Just Like Heaven– The Cure
I’m On Fire– Bruce Springsteen
Secret Garden– Bruce Springsteen
Come Talk To Me– Peter Gabriel
Hold On, I’m Coming– Sam and Dave
“Ain’t no Mountain High Enough“- Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
I Will Find You– Clannad (Last of The Mohicans)
Tales of a Third Grade Somebody
And now friends, family and neighbors I bring you the results of the great election of 2009, the rumble in the jungle, the third grade election extravaganza. Damn if I don’t wish that Howard Cosell was here to provide the color commentary.
On a side note I just sat through that entire clip of Cosell and Ali- I miss those days. Sometimes that is. I don’t really miss that wacky 70’s fashion, but at least I can say that I wasn’t responsible for buying it.
Anyway, in the words of this reporter the election was quite the spectacle. Damn again, people just don’t do Howard Cosell impressions anymore. And you don’t hear about Nipsey Russell or Match Game either.
My relatively shy and unassuming third grader talked his way right into office. It was very cool to see how excited he was about it all and kind of funny to hear him tell me how many of his friends have already asked for political favors.
“Dad, they want me to make recess longer and to get new snacks.”
The look on his face when I told him that none of those things were possible was priceless. He liked all of those ideas and had every intention of trying to make them come to fruition. And thus began his introduction to politics.
Wonder where this will all lead, if anywhere, at all.