Being in below zero weather freezes your brain. It slows you down and quite frankly makes you a little thick headed. All you care about is getting and staying warm. Even though the frozen vortex or whatever the hell they called has passed, I am only know beginning to thaw out.
Part of that process included watching the Golden Globes. We (and you know who you are) turned it on at 7:00 PM. I have not descended into the depths of the "red carpet" shows just yet.
Here are a few observations.
Jennifer Lawrence, then and now.
In 2013, she starred in the movie with all the dancing and football jerseys. In 2014 She again played Katniss Everdeen as well as the bleached blonde wife of Christian Bale in American Hustle.
At this point, many of you reading, especially the males will be disappointed that there are no pictures of Jennifer Lawrence in this post. I blame the NSA. And Michael Moore.
In the 2013 pic, Jen, as I like to call her and she hates, is dressed in red and this year she wore a Dior Gown.
Click here to see gown and see something disturbing.
Did you see it? People are dressing their dogs, their cats, themselves in a mock version of JLAW's Golden Globes Gown.
Donald Sutherland, the nemesis of Jennifer Lawrence and all decent people is quoted as saying,""I hope that they will take action because it's getting drastic in this country." Drone strikes. Corporate tax dodging. Racism. The Keystone oil pipeline. Denying food stamps to "starving Americans". It's all going to pot. "It's not right. It's not right."
And. "We did it in '68."
Yeah, well. The system has worked well for you, Don and your family. So let the rest of us live in peace. The 60s disrupted as many careers as it launched, dude.
Where were George Clooney and Woody Allen? Woody Allen, I understand. Part of the Woody Allen brand is to not attend awards shows. It is a brand advantage over anyone who attends awards shows. I think he feels very guilty about his success and also superstitious. Woody has been shunning the awards (except for 2002 when he flew to LA to support New York) at least since the 70s. He has managed to find a job for all these years. Why change horses in midstream?
Clooney, though. Really should have been there. C'mon. Sandy Bullock was there. You produced all this stuff. Are you angry about Monuments Men not being released in 2013?
Ocean's Eleven meets the Dirty Dozen.
Do we need this? Really?
There are too many Emmas in show business. This is for all my British Fans. Too many Emmas. I can't keep track of them.
So what does it all mean?
It is January 13. The middle of the month. Almost. While winter has beaten us down (and will certainly do so again) we still have the Super Bowl and the Oscars to look forward to.
Again, sorry for the lack of Jennifer Lawrence photos. There are some on the internet at some of the entertainment sites.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Sucessful or Unsuccesful: A donsbasement probe.
This chart appeared on my facebook timeline on January 3.
This chart only highlights the traits of successful versus unsuccessful people. You could very well be a success even if you don't have these traits.
It turns out that even though I am a success (after all I have a blog), I have more traits of unsuccessful people than successful ones.
Being a new year and all, I think it is a good time to determine whether I am successful or not. Since I am a relativist in most respects, I believe that there are no yes or no answers to these questions.
Successful People:
Compliment: Yes. I took a Dale Carnegie course in 1983 or 1984. It stressed that compliment were good for business. But that they should be sincere. That is to say have a basis in fact. Even if the motivation was ingratiate one's self with another for commercial business.
Have a sense of gratitude: No. I have piece of note paper from a psychologist that I went to that reads, "I'm willing to be at peace, content, calm, (grateful?). She put grateful in parentheses. Obviously she thought I had a problem with that.
Give other people credit for their victories: Yes. 'There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit" I gave that quote to Ronald Reagan.
Read everyday: Yes. Currently reading, "Unfamiliar Fishes," by Sarah Vowell, On The Trail of Grant and Lee: A Narrative History of the Boyhood and Manhood of Two Great Americans by Frederick Trevor Hill, a free Kindle Download written in 1900. I also read the New York Times, especially Gail Collins and Maureen Dowd.
Talk about ideas: No As I don't understand the question.
Share information and data: Yes. Often repeating myself in the process.
Exude joy: No. I experience joy from time to time but I generally keep it to myself.
Embrace change: Not hardly.
Keep a "to-do project" list: Yes. I keep several lists. But they are often of the daily variety. Since there is a later question of a "to be" list. I can comfortably say yes to this one.
Forgive others: No. Never a strong part of my growing up. Call it Russian. Call it being Jewish. Or call it unsuccessful. I don't forgive. (Although I want other people to forgive me)
Accept responsibility for their failures.: Yes. I do this often before I have even failed. I save time that way.
Keep a journal: Yes. On and off since high school. Mostly it says how terrible everything was today. But it does get things off my chest.
Want others to succeed: Yes. Unless they are a direct competitor to me, my wife or children, I am all about success.
Keep a "to be" list: No. I was too young for the "Be In."
Set Goals and develop life plans: No. I have set sales goals for the past 30 years but have never developed a life plan. I was too superstitious to develop a life plan. I feared it would make the evil eye angry with me.
Continuously learn: I guess. I am interested in history so I guess I know more about the Civil War, Mongolia, World War I and World War II, and retail than I did when I was younger.
Operate from a transformational perspective: No. I'm kind of a "go along, get along" kind of guy. Just like the late Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House in 50s and 60s.
Final Talley: 9 yes, 8 no. Not completely successful.
Let's look at unsuccessful people.
Criticize. Yes.
Have a sense of entitlement: No
Take all the credit for their victories: No
Watch TV everyday: Yes
Fear Change: Yes.
Fly by the seat their pants: No
Talk about people: Yes, frequently
Hoard information and data: No. I overshare and then forget and overshare again.
Exude Anger: No. Only in the morning and on very ridiculously cold days.
Hold a Grudge: Yes. It's an article of faith and family.
Blame others for their failures: Yes. In a macro sense.
Say they keep a journal but really don't. No. And this question, is just weird.
Think they know it all: Regrettably,Yes.
Operate from a transactional perspective: Yes. It may come from being in retail but it is a pretty shallow form of interaction but it comes down to pennies.
Secretly hope others fail: I will say NO. (because if I said yes, it wouldn't be a secret)
Don't know what they want to be: Ouch, Yes. But I have tried to be different people but I end up in the same place. And it's not a bad place, to be honest.
Never set goals: Well, I said no to the opposite question trait, so guess I am locked into Yes.
10 yes to 7 no. Not completely unsuccessful.
Wow.
This chart only highlights the traits of successful versus unsuccessful people. You could very well be a success even if you don't have these traits.
It turns out that even though I am a success (after all I have a blog), I have more traits of unsuccessful people than successful ones.
Successful People:
Compliment: Yes. I took a Dale Carnegie course in 1983 or 1984. It stressed that compliment were good for business. But that they should be sincere. That is to say have a basis in fact. Even if the motivation was ingratiate one's self with another for commercial business.
Have a sense of gratitude: No. I have piece of note paper from a psychologist that I went to that reads, "I'm willing to be at peace, content, calm, (grateful?). She put grateful in parentheses. Obviously she thought I had a problem with that.
Give other people credit for their victories: Yes. 'There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit" I gave that quote to Ronald Reagan.
Share information and data: Yes. Often repeating myself in the process.
Exude joy: No. I experience joy from time to time but I generally keep it to myself.
Embrace change: Not hardly.
Keep a "to-do project" list: Yes. I keep several lists. But they are often of the daily variety. Since there is a later question of a "to be" list. I can comfortably say yes to this one.
Forgive others: No. Never a strong part of my growing up. Call it Russian. Call it being Jewish. Or call it unsuccessful. I don't forgive. (Although I want other people to forgive me)
Accept responsibility for their failures.: Yes. I do this often before I have even failed. I save time that way.
Keep a journal: Yes. On and off since high school. Mostly it says how terrible everything was today. But it does get things off my chest.
Want others to succeed: Yes. Unless they are a direct competitor to me, my wife or children, I am all about success.
Keep a "to be" list: No. I was too young for the "Be In."
Continuously learn: I guess. I am interested in history so I guess I know more about the Civil War, Mongolia, World War I and World War II, and retail than I did when I was younger.
Operate from a transformational perspective: No. I'm kind of a "go along, get along" kind of guy. Just like the late Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House in 50s and 60s.
 |
| "If you want to get along--go along." |
Final Talley: 9 yes, 8 no. Not completely successful.
Let's look at unsuccessful people.
Have a sense of entitlement: No
Take all the credit for their victories: No
Watch TV everyday: Yes
Fear Change: Yes.
Fly by the seat their pants: No
Talk about people: Yes, frequently
Hoard information and data: No. I overshare and then forget and overshare again.
Exude Anger: No. Only in the morning and on very ridiculously cold days.
Hold a Grudge: Yes. It's an article of faith and family.
Blame others for their failures: Yes. In a macro sense.
Say they keep a journal but really don't. No. And this question, is just weird.
Think they know it all: Regrettably,Yes.
Operate from a transactional perspective: Yes. It may come from being in retail but it is a pretty shallow form of interaction but it comes down to pennies.
Secretly hope others fail: I will say NO. (because if I said yes, it wouldn't be a secret)
Don't know what they want to be: Ouch, Yes. But I have tried to be different people but I end up in the same place. And it's not a bad place, to be honest.
Never set goals: Well, I said no to the opposite question trait, so guess I am locked into Yes.
10 yes to 7 no. Not completely unsuccessful.
Wow.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
On Wisconsin, A Meditation..revised
Until May 24, 1967, Wisconsin forbade the sale of "oleomargarine," or margarine. I remember this from my childhood. The prohibition of selling margarine in Wisconsin. I had a cousin in Milwaukee and on Sundays we went to visit. We brought margarine. This had to be my first inkling of state's rights.
You can read an interesting account of the "Butter versus Margarine," contretemps in the link.
Here is what I remember about those trips in the late 50s.
A & W Root Beer Stand on the highway, across the border which is now I-94.
There was and is the Mars Cheese Castle.
Wisconsin is home to varying types of political opinions.
Wisconsin is also home to the Green Bay Packers. They are the bête noire of the Chicago Bears.
The Packers began life on 1919. The Chicago Bears also began life in 1919.
Oh wait, there is one thing more...
No, there is never enough of Wisconsin. All 50 states of being can be encapsulated in Wisconsin. It's got the city, the suburbs, the farms, the paper mills, the dairy, the whole deal with Oshkosh and experimental aircraft, Harley, the hippies in Madison, the hippies in Appleton, The Brat Stop, Pleasant Prairie Outlet malls, Tommy Bartlett, Hank Aaron, Jim Taylor. (great fullback for the Packers), Paul Hornung (great man of the world) etc.
Sure, I could go on and list another 35 facts or opinions I have about Wisconsin to get to 50. But I have too much respect for you, the reader.
And I know who you are!
You can read an interesting account of the "Butter versus Margarine," contretemps in the link.
Here is what I remember about those trips in the late 50s.
A & W Root Beer Stand on the highway, across the border which is now I-94.
 |
| I am the guy standing next to James Dean |
 |
| Current Route of I-94 |
There was and is the Mars Cheese Castle.
Wisconsin is home to varying types of political opinions.
 |
| Robert Marion "Fighting Bob"[1] La Follette, Sr. (June 14, 1855 – June 18, 1925). "vocal opponent of railroad trusts, bossism, World War I, and the League of Nations. |
 |
| Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) He beat La Follette's son in the GOP primary by under 3 percent (or 5,000 votes) in 1946. McCarthy ironically paired with Roy Cohn, during the infamous Army/McCarthy hearings. Ironic because McCarthy hated homosexuals as much as he hated communists. And Cohn was a closeted gay man.
|
 |
| Russell Dana "Russ" Feingold ( born March 2, 1953) . Remember McCain/Feingold.
|
The Packers began life on 1919. The Chicago Bears also began life in 1919.
 |
1919 Packers
1919 Chicago Black Sox with the alleged game fixers circled.
|
How else to conclude but the Sermon on the Mount as seen through the eyes of Monty Python.
Oh wait, there is one thing more...
No, there is never enough of Wisconsin. All 50 states of being can be encapsulated in Wisconsin. It's got the city, the suburbs, the farms, the paper mills, the dairy, the whole deal with Oshkosh and experimental aircraft, Harley, the hippies in Madison, the hippies in Appleton, The Brat Stop, Pleasant Prairie Outlet malls, Tommy Bartlett, Hank Aaron, Jim Taylor. (great fullback for the Packers), Paul Hornung (great man of the world) etc.
Sure, I could go on and list another 35 facts or opinions I have about Wisconsin to get to 50. But I have too much respect for you, the reader.
And I know who you are!
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Let the healing begin: The 50 states of Don.
As most of you know, Don's Basement, does not as rule take political stands. But the current budget stalemate and political warfare are not good for business. At least my business which is selling products to retail customers who then sell them to consumers (or as I like to call them, ' the people') would be thrown off by a default on the nation's credit limit. Frankly, it sets a bad precedent for those retailers if the government decides it's ok that they don't pay their bills. Everyone should pay their bills.
Sorry for the outburst. Now for the healing. The United States is made up of 50 states. And as a friend of mine likes to remind me, "it's the United States of America and not the United People of America." Many of us are unfamiliar with the other states or have stereotypical, shallow views of them.
I am of the latter category. The main reason I think about other states is the college football season. In the fall, Alabama, Georgia, Nebraska, and Kansas State are top of mind. The rest of the year, not as much.
So, I am embarking (or should I say we?) on a tour of the United States from Don's Basement.
WYOMING
There is an Evanston, Wyoming. I stopped there on bus sometime in the early 70s.
It was a very cold day. How cold was it? (insert joke here because I've got nothing).
Trust me, very cold. I live in Chicago and have for over 50 years. That is 50 winters. I still remember how cold it was in Evanston, Wyoming just outside the bus terminal. And frankly, I haven't been back since.
As a kid, we went to Jackson Hole. Now it is a big deal. For skiing and hiking.
It looks pretty nice but here is how I remember it.
Dick Cheney is from Wyoming.
Dick Ellsworth, a pitcher for the Cubs, is also from Wyoming. (Which I just learned from Wikipedia, I knew he was a lefty and that he lost 20 games in one season and then turned around and won 20.. Okay, I only remembered that he lost the 20 games. Who am I kidding here?)
Won 115
Lost 137
ERA 3.72
Liz Cheney is Dick Cheney's daughter.
There are 576,412 people living in Wyoming.
There are over 2.5 million people who live in Brooklyn.
Sorry for the outburst. Now for the healing. The United States is made up of 50 states. And as a friend of mine likes to remind me, "it's the United States of America and not the United People of America." Many of us are unfamiliar with the other states or have stereotypical, shallow views of them.
I am of the latter category. The main reason I think about other states is the college football season. In the fall, Alabama, Georgia, Nebraska, and Kansas State are top of mind. The rest of the year, not as much.
So, I am embarking (or should I say we?) on a tour of the United States from Don's Basement.
WYOMING
There is an Evanston, Wyoming. I stopped there on bus sometime in the early 70s.
It was a very cold day. How cold was it? (insert joke here because I've got nothing).
Trust me, very cold. I live in Chicago and have for over 50 years. That is 50 winters. I still remember how cold it was in Evanston, Wyoming just outside the bus terminal. And frankly, I haven't been back since.
As a kid, we went to Jackson Hole. Now it is a big deal. For skiing and hiking.
It looks pretty nice but here is how I remember it.
Dick Ellsworth, a pitcher for the Cubs, is also from Wyoming. (Which I just learned from Wikipedia, I knew he was a lefty and that he lost 20 games in one season and then turned around and won 20.. Okay, I only remembered that he lost the 20 games. Who am I kidding here?)
Lost 137
ERA 3.72
Liz Cheney is Dick Cheney's daughter.
There are 576,412 people living in Wyoming.
There are over 2.5 million people who live in Brooklyn.
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