Doing well by doing good.
Remaining tight as friends and alums.
The Georgetown Way. Read this one and think “Hoya Saxa”. I am so proud.
Monthly Archives: September 2011
Burningman
Live on Ustream.
One of a kind setting.
Why?
Because they can.
Click here to enjoy and watch and NOT be hot and dry. If you haven’t ever been, you gotta go. Check it out.
A Grown Up’s Film “The Debt”
We went to see “The Debt” on Saturday. This was a grown up film.
Tight, well directed, well edited and great acting in an ensemble cast.
Lots of twists and turns.
No perfect people. No happy ending. Lots of emotion and a film that makes you think.
I liked it a lot and would recommend it to my friends.
The Hockey News
Their list and predictions for next season. We get ranked first in the East. Click here.
I don’t know. I know I don’t really care any more about predictions in pre season about anything. It is nice to see positive stories and outlooks but we all know it is all about performance and outcomes and playoff results. I am appreciative of the list for many of our fans who show us such love and respect. Thank you.
I think it is best that we don’t engage a lot in speculation and in talk about what we want to do. I think it is best that we just all kind of focus inward; be introspective; internalize our goals; talk less; and focus more as a team.
That is our plan.
We all know what is at stake here. We all know what we want to do together.
Take a Break to Become More Productive
This is a great article about work weeks, true productivity and the power of vacation.
I know I have fallen into the rut of working too hard; being active all the time online; showing high levels of activity but not doing great work.
This article puts a lot in perspective and gives us all permission – based on science and economics – to chill out, take a break; and recharge.
He laughs as he types and blogs on a three day weekend!
The More Things Change the More Things Stay the Same
Here is a link to the list of the Top 10 web brands as measured by engagement of audience. This data is from Nielsen as of July 2011.
AOL is still a Top 10 network of sites pulling in at # 7.
Google and Facebook rule as # 1 and # 2.
This list hasn’t changed much as to Top 10 participants in a long time. I thought this list would be of interest to you. Thank you.
Daily Dangerous Dysfunction in DC
It takes a lot to get me angry about politics. So forgive this rant.
We are reaching a boiling point. When political parties spat over every little detail like when a speech should be delivered like children fighting. Click here.
Or when we politicize helping hurricane victims in the United States. Click here. Are you kidding me? Isn’t this exactly what government is designed for – to help citizens in a time of emergency? We will rebuild foreign lands but not Vermont? Get me out of here!
Voters and people start to tune out as these details are so trivial in light of the big picture issues that we face as a nation. We lose respect for all politicians. Apathy sets in. Then anger starts to rise. People start to think, “YOU ARE ALL TO BLAME! GET OUT!” Out with the old and in with the new!
Right now there is a massive silent majority, the mass of America. It tries to go about its day. It works hard to support its family. It is focused on basics – jobs, health, education, peace. Politics is local. Why can’t “they” understand? Political issues are of interest to a small fraction of people say 10 percent passionate on the left and 10 percent passionate on the right. The other 80 percent doesn’t care about process – or politics – just about outcomes and improving daily life and strengthening our country long term against the “rise of the rest”!
I think these latest incidents could become the matches that start to ignite the awakening of the middle and the silent majority. Everyone I talk to of late is just angry about what we are doing to ourselves!
Like in Egypt, a small incident awakened the people and there was regime change. That revolution was basically an economic one. People didn’t have jobs. Students didn’t sense hope. Let us take matters into our own hands they said. And then they acted.
Politicians in DC are starting to tread on very dangerous ground. Soon we could see millions of people marching into DC – organized by social media – demanding to take our system back.
We can’t have short term economic downgrades; untended to natural disasters; 10 percent unemployment; a total lack of confidence in our leaders; and have politicians primping on TV about political issues. Americans are smart. They have big BS detectors out now. They are tuning out all of the “blah,blah,blah”. We want substance and selflessness not politics about re-elections and protecting the voter base.
Right now, America – Middle America – has a lack of confidence in our leaders – left and right – and in the system. It is reflected in our economy; in how the world looks at us; and in how our country seems to be crumbling all around us.
We are ripe for big massive change. It is amazing to me that our President came in on a mandate for change and somehow is caught right back up in the morass of DC! That didn’t take long did it? The man wants to give a speech and we fight about day and time. Both sides seem crazy to me.
If I was a politician today I would stop adding to the noise. I would focus on the signal. Our country needs focus on important matters in a calm and collected way with an articulated plan – left and right – focused on what is important to us as a “mass” not as a “left or right” voting block.
We may need a total outsider to the system to come and rescue us with a short term focus on one term and an “I promise to do this, this and this by this date; fix these issues and then go home.” That message and plan I think would get someone elected. We don’t want politics. We want improvement to our daily life and to make America great again. Politics shouldn’t be a career aspiration. Getting re-elected isn’t the goal. Fixing stuff is the goal.
I would resonate to that message. A turnaround specialist; fix what ails us not as a career aspiration but as a public service; play big and then go home. Focus on a few big things – jobs; infrastructure; economy; education/competitiveness; and peace. End of story and mandate.
On a personal basis, I have tuned out now. I feel like a line has been crossed of late.
If you are a politician, don’t call on me for support or for dollars. On any side. I am not buying what anyone is selling right now.
I am mad as hell and I don’t want to take it any more! End of rant.
Smart Stuff a Comin
Data. Stats .Analytics. Formed opinions.
I look forward to reading this series from Peerless regardless of where the data may take us.
I am very appreciative of folks that do so much work and invest so much time in thinking about hockey and our team. And then presenting their thoughts in such a well-reasoned manner.
I look forward to see how Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin, Mike Green and Nick Backstrom perform in playoff games too; according to Peerless.
Who knows where his data will go – but at least it is well reasoned and researched.
To all of you out there that do the work; and don’t just opine. I wanted you to know how much I respect the process and the outcome and the work.
Thanks again. Go Caps!
A Wise and Funny Metaphor
I was speaking with some friends – a married couple – that had just celebrated the birth of a new born child.
The couple were discussing the birth and the first two weeks of parenthood; and the father said, ” I am surprised at how easy all of this has been on us”.
The wife then stared at the husband and said ” Easy? Excuse me? I was the one that birthed the child; that is breast feeding the child; that isn’t sleeping at all; that suffered the contractions. Easy? Easy for you to say!”
I laughed. But there was real genius to the sentiment here.
Being an observer is easy; being the participant is hard. The participant really knows about the process; the observer thinks they know! They usually don’t.
This is one the things that makes me sometime throw my hands up in frustration about some media reports I read. And the conviction that comes along with it via pixel generation. And the throw away lines to a big audience like the “easy” line above; without real critical thought. And without any grounding in reality. Nor caring about who it offends or hurts or diminishes.
I struggle conceptually with how a business reporter can write with such conviction about the progress of a company or its supposed travails and that reporter has never started a business – worked in a business- hired a person – managed a team; made a payroll. Raised a dollar of venture capital; dealt with a board – took a company public. Launched a product. Run a marketing campaign. Sold a product or service. Laid off a person – turned a company around. And on and on.
I once did a big interview with a reporter of a national media chain when I worked at AOL; and deep into the conversation it was apparent that the reporter didn’t know the difference between a balance sheet and an income statement. Didn’t know what GAAP reporting was; didn’t understand cash flow and OIBDA. He was a journalist – an English Major – and I ended up doing a tutorial on how to read a financial statement with him. Yikes.
The other day I read a report about a company that had suspended an operation and was “redeploying the 15 people that were assigned to the project”; and this news activated a huge set of articles about whether this was a good sign or a negative sign about a market and a competitive situation against two companies that combined employ more than 12,000 people. Stunning; so 15 people being reassigned vs. two market leaders with 12,000 people was that news worthy? Does someone who runs a business of say 10,000 people at scale around the world really compete with a company that has a side line business with 15 people dedicated to it? Really?
Or when a new blogger or reporter comes on the scene – has never played the game of hockey; youth hockey or any other organized sport. Hasn’t attended Caps games yet – didn’t grow up in the area and now starts opining and telling our franchise what to do to improve the team; who we should fire and hire. What we have done right and wrong in the past – without paying any dues; doing the work. Asking to meet with us; meeting the players and staff; mingling with other long term reporters to get the lay of the land. What other business can you do that in? It is so easy to set up a blog – to get hired as a young reporter and just start firing away to build an audience. Boom! Fire this exec. Pow! I want you – no I demand you do this! I am because I blog.
This is the new media world we live in. It is pixel buyer beware out there. Trusting what you read at times is going to be harder and harder. Becoming critical as a reader and considering the source is one of the new talents we all must develop as participants in this new world.
Birthing and raising a baby isn’t easy.
Generating pixels is.
Mystics and Monique
It was wonderful news to have a player of Monique Currie’s experience and talent return to the floor in frankly a meaningless game for us last night. She has missed the entire season to date with injury and her return was most welcomed. It gave us another option for the opponents to worry about – and she provided a calm and a presence for us that we have missed all season.
She is a very dedicated and experienced player. We are grateful that she is healthy now. This year has been a tough one. We have essentially lost 4 players of experience from our line up; two to injury and two to trades to amass draft picks as we try to recraft the team. We have taken a step back to take a step forward. It is a difficult process and one that I am most appreciative of the patience that many of our fans are providing us. Thank you.
We have been playing young players a lot of minutes. We have been very short handed and it has shown all season long. Just adding Monique back into the lineup for a game last night helped us to garner a win as it spread the floor more and gave our coaching staff more options to explore mostly at the end of the game.
I am proud of the team and the staff for never quitting and for showing enthusiasm and belief in our system.
Sheila Johnson and I have been meeting to discuss our ongoing plan for player development .
Once the season ends we will meet with the staff to outline our go forward plan – together – and communicate the road ahead. Keep the faith!
Thanks for your support – and onward. It felt good to get a win last night.