Month: August 2020

Political, POV - Content Creation, Sports

Sports content without fans, Dem’s video convention successful, and “$1B Peace of Mind”

by gshorkeyblt2Leave a Comment on Sports content without fans, Dem’s video convention successful, and “$1B Peace of Mind”
Take de-stressing where you can. Al fresco dining for that easy lunch hour work from home encourages.

As a content creation-sports journalist-leadership thought writer on the cusp of a very significant September, and thankfully determining I didn’t have a torn ligament in my ankle from a bicycle crash earlier in the month, I’m putting out a certain “Bring it!” attitude for what’s coming politically this Fall.

I got out to shoot hoops five times and walked twice this week – while totally not watching any of the trump family gathering – and when the ankle gets a little puffy, a little something in the OJ seems to help with that.

The usual bromide is, “If you’ve got your health, you’ve got everything,” and in-place safety and masking aside, full recovery from what could have been a much worse outcome is part of my enthusiasm for the turn into Fall. https://cdtalententerprises.com/2020/08/18/bike-accident-low-grade-depression-match-us-mess/ After nailing a 70,000 word rewrite of my favorite all-time book project after a breach at site wiped out everything at the beginning of the month, I’m good to go on all fronts.

The shoulder took heavy abuse when I went down, but three weeks later the J is going up painless in hoops, and I’m sleeping on my right side again.

For those who find a sense of normalcy with the ability to watch soccer, baseball, hoops, and hockey, there’s nothing wrong with getting some joy from all the extra television most are watching. To say they don’t need us isn’t accurate, but…

When SSDD (same stuff, different day) became real sports on TV again, it didn’t take a sportswriter designation to appreciate the difference playoffs would mean. Social slogans on the back of NBA players and piped in crowd noise are legitimate ‘production values.’

That SPORTS! stopped on a dime when ALL the players in their bubbles made it a social point, that was a media event that wasn’t ignored by most of the USA.

Sports on TV an appreciated difference

Credit to Bayern Munich for its 6th UEFA title vs. Paris-St. Germaine, and for the Portland Timbers 2-1 ‘MLS is Back’ tournament win, which then morphed into a continuation of their season (18 more games.) Baseball, sure, but that’s later. There will be a Kentucky Derby winner this coming Saturday, 19 contestants.

Hockey has been particularly fierce for me, though some 10:45 starts out of Edmonton are killers. On balance, NHL content has benefited the most from bubble presentations, with jazzy video stuff, knowledgable studio personnel, and NO lack of effort on the ice.

ISLANDERS! are the word, up 3-1 against the Flyers in playoffs, which are actually proceeding exactly as usual. Well, as long as their playoffs often run, September is usually when they get ready for training camp. Gotta go with the explosive STARS out west, but boy! do the Vegas Golden Knights have team size. Goalie Robin Lehner is listed at 6’4″, 240, and with the equipment on, he’s a space eater. There weren’t any Lightening games in Tampa when I lived there in early ’80s, just the Suc-aneers, but hey, as one of band drummers, my cousin got us in (shout to Skip!) Back then it was Doug Williams, but I’ll have to ask him about Mr. GOAT-with-six-Super-Bowl-Rings Brady being there now…

In NBA action the LAKERS crushed Portland 4-1, and no smart $$$ is betting against LeBron in a short season. Even if he might be distracted with social ideas, like turning stadiums into polling stations (way good idea, and official now), LeBron’s the King. The Celtics took Raptors in first game of their series, and Kwai Leonard is doing the same good things in Clip-Land he did in pulling off a championship for Toronto last year.

The Effort from everyone is clear: It counts a little extra to play well when the world is watching .

USPS gets its own section

The USPS gets its own section, and people aren’t worried about anyone ‘going postal’ as much as the possibility of postal service GOING. Its significant that the USPS has a 90% approval rating, which hits any business definition as an INSTITUTION worth keeping. Really, who spreads actual CONTENT better? They handle 1.3 billion Christmas cards and packages every year, so another 80 million ballots over 30 days shouldn’t be crucial, but the furor over disenfranchisement is real.

Black leaders have noted that, while they’ve experienced such interference for a long time, when it came to veterans meds, Social Security checks, and of course, ballots, THEN it got attention. So be it – the question of how logistics expert DeJoy screwed things up so dramatically so quickly, that would involve a sound bite with bite.

Yes, I watched something besides sports and the Obamas this week, including one specific Representtive – Ro Khanna of CA 17th – grind on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy about those 671 disassembled, high-speed mail sorters we’d heard about, before eventually getting a somewhat desirable resolution, even though it came with a potentially high price tag.

“Just for the peace of mind it would bring, would it be possible with a billion dollars?” Rep. Khanna asked.

“You can’t get me the billion dollars, but if you could, yes, I’d put the machines back,” an exasperated Mr. DeJoy finally caved. Getting that stated billion dollar peace of mind, props to Mr. Khanna for not letting a possible slow down in delivering ballots just drop from sight. Even semi-officially holding this particular miscreant’s feet to the fire, that’s transparent TV content to cheer a little about hearing.

BLM speaks loudly about NOW

Seeing Jacob Blake shot seven times in the back – let alone in front of his family – wasn’t ‘content,’ somehow it was more a heinous refresher people needed after Facebook repeatedly stated how weary a statistical part of society was becoming of the BLM struggle. With the national – even international – response so strong about George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police, NOW seems the time and place to consider long time operational flaws in law enforcement.

“We” of any stripe are watching LOTS of things in the current churn, and the election countdown has started for real, but that’s not taking a side. In high school, I (naturally) ran the last part of the cross country course – when I could absolutely see where the finish line was, while circling the soccer fields in Central Park – its easy to keep a better speed and focus. I enjoyed picking off people at the end.

I can see the ballot box choice clearly from here. I’m charged up physically, mentally, involved as an individual and in union with others, doing what needs doing. Should I have to mention without automatic weapons (or even paintball, which could become gas versions at some point)?

What’s the Point?

Leaving this point of COVID-19 semi-stall better than when I came in, that’s become a legitimate personal standard

Team Rubicon might be a difference maker. I have my health, I’ve put a solid achievement on the board, https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/216172684/write/847519167 and with immediate goals, like ‘Watty’s’ submission and a 22,000 word running start on second book ‘With Platinum Fury Focus,’ I know what professional content creation will mean.

ATTITUDE – The social science people look at how we process and react to things, and often the Pollyanna-ish “all is well,” or even verbalizing a more personally stressful version, doesn’t allow for just being holy shit mad about things that are going on . My opinion from a year ago https://cdtalententerprises.com/2019/08/12/renew-mojo-preseason-nfl-golf-sat-bbq-pool-breaks/ about giving your mojo some breaks, still stands.

Walking beside a gently flowing stream work well on the chilling front.

This past week of healing, on days I didn’t stress test my shoulder and ankle with hoops, I walked the greenway. All is very good there, and as noted, I lacked any political negatives on my mind. I’m healthy, motivated – still without that stimulus check I heard about in April – but more fortunate than many that there’s no threat of eviction on my horizon.

I’m actually impressed with a contact from Team Rubicon, a veteran-focused, real immediate, disaster relief organization, whose operational code is summed up in GSD – Get Shit Done. They also take on Grey Shirts who are kick ass civilians, and I’d like to think I have that finishing kick to a career that touched on doing better for parts of the world. Pursuing an actual part of ‘build better’ in US? I’ll let you know.

In tune with the times?

When I originally got in touch with Team Rubicon in early 2019, I was considering a good-paying (with benefits) gig for a CBD manufacturer in Charlotte. I liked everything about their mission focus, but at the same time, the fact I had zero military background seemed a legitimate self-disqualifer.

But here at the end of August, 2020 after five months in the house, just as I nailed down the last five thousand words of editing an re-chapterizing my book on wattpad, just as the last of the huge hematoma-infection I took care of with REAL medication – Bacitrycin – that worked great immediately; after hearing Barack Obama speak in as intimate a way and setting as anyone could have delivered the content of a great speech, without the usual covention hoo-ha, I got three communications in one week from TR.

There are openings as their coverage has grown, splitting off into Charlotte and Rock Hill. The specific Communications – Operations role I was interested in seems to have been filled professionally – all the information I asked for in followup Saturday, including my official number, was readily available. “The new guy” in command structure has let it be known that for specific roles, “We’ll train you up, if you want to step up and see about having the goods.”

I’ve got plenty of communications chops, and thanks to that good-looking site, I’ve actually COMMITTED by signing up for a specialist class in early October, and doing a background check. This sure feels like the time to put a mission-specific shoulder behind the wheel in a solid American way. I WILL VOTE! and I will be Better on the other side of this.

Really folks, relax when you can. I’ll put the sports question – definitely hockey – up tomorrow. A couple series could be ending quickly.

Health care, Political, Thought Leadership

8 ways a bike accident and “low grade depression” match U.S. mess

by gshorkeyblt24 Comments on 8 ways a bike accident and “low grade depression” match U.S. mess

Lately a “Be safe!” wish seems related to continued success dodging anything COVID-related, but I didn’t “fall off my bike” ten days ago, I had a solid accident. Just making a distinction guy-wise, nothing silly like falling. I’ll get to that shortly, but some dings from this most recent one look like they’ve got potenial to be long-term problems.

This country has been battered by a constant series of similar “bike accidents” in 2020, and having recovered from several incidents in the past, when someone asks if this will be the end of my cycling days, I’m sure both this country and I will survive. Bike riding has kept me in shape for over 35 years, and like our democratic roots, its a deep positive I won’t give up.

Thankful that anti-bacterial cleared this mess up.

I couldn’t have been the only American who heard Michelle Obama’s “low grade depression” in describing current events that gave her a draggy feeling and immediately said, “I feel like that too!” Pretty much everything that’s come down the pike in 2020 has been like that, including unreceived stimulus checks, which brings a legitimate sense of pissed-sad.

That the protests regarding George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer set off weeks of people in the streets across the country was inspiring. Anything important enough to do that during a pandemic already causing huge amounts of suffering and death (171k) should get appropriate attention.

Like my bike accident, we can be thankful that protesting apparently didn’t become the super (spreader) negative it could have been. If I said the same about trump’s Tulsa rally, that would be snarky though, right? (I hear even Putin was swearing about that non-“super-spreader” fiasco…)

Of course, now we’re on to situation with USPS and voting, also reeeealll important, but Ms. Obama was absolutely right about how daily crushing of spirit seems to be integral to this administration’s operation. It takes discipline to produce if you’re one of 40 million? 50 million? who don’t have a specific (PAYING!) job, and Tuesdays look almost exactly like every other day.

For me, riding a keyboard, re-editing two online books on wattpad, without even touching my bike, is a driving force in making today count.

How my bike crash is like the U.S. mess

  • Whatever small change from the usual angle of my tire landing after ‘humping’ it over an inch high ledge of concrete was, it made a (BAM!) BIG difference in my ride. If trump’s EO extends unemployment at $400/wk. instead of previous $600 – but states have to kick in $100 of that – that’s $50 million/wk. that can’t be used elsewhere, according to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont. $100 won’t pay the rent, but its a small, tough difference to deal with.
  • While several body parts – shoulder, shin, calf, head, ankle – took impact, if I hadn’t been wearing a helmet, it could’ve been seriously worse. Bad as things seem now, if people hadn’t left work and school to fearfully hunker down at home in March-April-May, yes, the healthcare system would have broken. Front line workers are still short on PPE and reagents for testing, and exhaustion before the expected second wave this Fall is a very real possibility.
  • Does luck have anything to do with it? After suffering some wicked ‘gouges’ in leg from accident, I got to talk with a physican’s assistant (PA) during furniture pickups for a church organization Saturday. While she commented on a swollen ankle as possibly torn ligaments, that she suggested a salve – Bacitraycin – for possible infection from those bad scratches means they’ve healed remarkably in just four applications. Trump’s valet and his son’s girlfriend both tested positive for COVID, but nothing actually happened to him, Junior, or the girlfriend. (He didn’t catch it, I got better fast.)
  • Shoulder took a helluva crunch, because I went straight down when wheel popped off from (I assume) torque of landing. I’ve never done much weight work, just curls for arms and pullups, but fact it didn’t totally come apart makes me feel that years of bicep work was like hydroxychloroquine. Experts say that doesn’t do anything for COVID, but if you did it and nothing bad happened at clutch time, just take the non-event as a stray blessing and say thank you. On other hand, that Bacitraycin worked gratifyingly well on what it was MEANT to – infection.
  • Cycling has always been good for my body in the Big Picture. At sixty-three, I’m less than five pounds from best (188) rugby weight in 1986. If you’re active, things happen, and wearing that helmet doesn’t help with face plants, but wearing a mask everywhere except house, riding, or shooting hoops is NOT something I take for granted. If it only really helps one specific time – say, when you wind up with several non-maskers in an elevator – you’re more willing to continue wearing it.
  • There was nobody around to blame when I crashed. I sure didn’t see that wheel popping off when I’ve done that ‘up Simba!’ move hundreds of times over obstacles since I was a kid. Its obvious LOTS of Americans didn’t see asymptomatic people coming, and many didn’t know better themselves. I was the only person affected – quite directly – but non-maskers can pull off their particular mistake an untold number of times.
  • ‘Social distancing’ is a cinch at 15 mph. Walking the neighborhood has its benefits on the calming front, but stretching it out physically, passing families who are getting through this together on greenway rides, its a good thing. Saying “We’re all in this together” is simplistic, but the mental health people say its worth the effort to move our endorphins vs. just moaning in isolation.
  • On a bottom line, I look and feel (minus or despite current dings) physically better in cycling gear than *anybody* does on a ventilator.

Worth the effort against depression

“Low grade depression” America? Yep, see it, understand it, know that drinking cheap wine won’t change anything for the positive. Can I get back on the bike any time I want and cycle safely again soon? Sure, but I’ll need to tighten up that front fork that allowed my wheel to pop loose and dump me so dramatically and painfully.

For years I rode in the streets, ignoring the potential dangers of swerving around potholes and dead possums and expecting drivers behind me would not clip me with a fender. You can’t take all the danger out of riding, I know that – when you’re active, things happen. I also know I can be a little more careful on specific things, like ‘humping’ over small obstacles.

Central to current events, I’m going to pay extra attention to how I can deal with “low grade depression” by more significant marketing of my previous blogs, and moving that second book along on wattpad. https://www.wattpad.com/myworks/218725526-with-platinum-fury-focus

Oh, and my vote WILL be counted, because I’ll safely *walk* it right to the Board of Elections office, and I look forward to a 64th birthday, when the cause of todays depression is removed from office. Just sayin’.