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Having mentioned this theory to people repeatedly, I believe the United States, and specifically NYC and NJ area that got thumped so dramatically by Hurricane Sandy, is about to show the world America still know how to unite on a common, obvious problem and git ‘er done. Yes, its going to take some time, but on the PBS NewsHour Friday night, hearing 400,000 without power (certainly less after three more days) sounded like quite an improvement.

No, this didn’t *WIN* election for Obama, but obviously everyone had an opportunity to see straight ahead leadership. I applaud NJ governor Chris Christie who, while stating he was still voting Romney, admitted he was certainly glad to shake hand of the President during New Jersey’s time of disaster. The “most bang for effort/buck” philosophy of restoration was so undeniably equitable, it (almost) smoothed over a HUGE negative issue from months of campaigning. There weren’t any bright lights for those perenially well-heeled residents of penthouses on Central Park West, and I doubt anyone believes gorgeous shoreline estates in the Hamptons received any preferential treatment from the storm either.

There were power company rigs from EVERYWHERE waiting just outside of the storm path ready to roll on repairs, and the difference in response to Bush-FEMA response to Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans is, well, possibly the greatest difference anyone can imagine. Interviews with a particular FLORIDA POWER & LIGHT crew were terrific, showing how complex the restoring power equation is–“sometimes we’re coming through back yards four houses away; people see some trucks but no workers, we’re probably hacking our way in.” I appreciated FPL guys expertise with hurricane damage, and its a long-standing badge of pride among many responders about payback because northern power companies historically send crews south after ‘canes leave a mess. One chief admitted there’s real pride in making a difference at times like this, results being almost as tangible as some extra heft in overtime checks. Maybe Europeans have a similar common sense of purpose, because they are apparently willing to bail out other countries repeatedly, but a hurricane isn’t just a perilous/iffy future situation, it in-your-face REAL.

The Prez mentioned in an economics speech Friday that Americans won’t abide gridlock in silence, but when you know The Right Stuff (power) will get there in relative future, we can all set our personal edge. Fact is, Speaker John Boehner et al will HAVE to recognize the reality of that gridlock remark, and having failed in goal of making Obama a one-term President as they declared on a regular basis, the GOP can only improve its current sorry state of disrespect by handling ‘business’ right. People *will* vote against the clowns who put ideology before the good of the country two years from now if necessary.

To the point of showing the world IT ISN’T JUST REP but The Real Deal about USA!USA! getting something done (no real need to get into that WW II thing, right?), the reality is it HAS to be done, and you simply won’t see the people of the greatest city in the world (lol, or Jersey) wringing their hands in despair. I loved that so many news programs pointed out individual people helping each other in the crunch, because thats part of the deal too. At work I got a kick from several people who said “someobody has to help them!” immediately after blaming Obama for increasing the national debt by $5 trillion (first $12T apparently gets a pass) because where DOES the cash for replacing infrastructure or pumping out the subways come from? My click for Red Cross sure doesn’t go that far.

OK, ‘they’ have to equals NY/NJ, since all we got from 1000 mile storm in Charlotte was a little rain and chill, but riding out a hurricane actually seems like a legitimate dividing line for “how long you been here?” My brother Dave and wife Donna and I visited here shortly after HUGO tore up The City of Trees (and churches) in ’89, so if anyone wants to use that as a badge for being a Charlottean…

Glenn S.

Only five guys at work appreciated the quality of knowing Jeff Blatnick when I was discussing how a contemporary had died, and I had to include Jeff’s Greco-Roman super-heavyweight wrestling gold medal in 1984 as the significant reference point first.

“One happy dude”

You *have to*have to*have to watch the last minute of match (including sign of cross thanks) and interview with ABC to comprehend just how much he deflected credit to an unreal number of others.

http://wn.com/1984_olympic_greco_roman_wrestling_jeff_blatnick is World News bio that includes about 4 minutes of gasping, inspired, 100% sincere and articulate thanks. Physically and emotionally spent as he obviously was, sucking it up and laying the love on for all before finishing with “I’m one happy dude!” was an incredible reminder to watching that original grand moment – I was a bit stunned for forgetting so much of it.

I’ve known Jeff since Webelos in Schenectady, NY, and even to our most recent call my Dad still remembers him for always grabbing guys vs. working on knots.  He’d become a major stud wrestling locally (through ’75) and at Springfield (D-2 champ) before I ran into him at the 1983 Empire State Games.

I was just back in NY after two years writing for ITS SPORTS! in Tampa, Jeff’s singlet wasn’t hiding much of that classic railroad track scar from collarbone through his chest after treatment for Hodgkins, which he eventually wound up beating twice.  Using that competition and recognizing that just 18 months after surgery he was back to top international level, its tough to imagine how impressive a feat that was.

Impressive at the Empire State Games

‘Knowing’ Jeff from attending ‘hate ’em’ rival high schools meant he wasn’t as athletically interesting as the unbeaten Long Island girls volleyball team I was thinking well of. A 15 y/old female javelin thrower, whose toss in Scholastic Division would’ve won the Womens Open BY 3 METERS! also needed talking to. I tracked the girl down mostly because I knew javelin wasn’t a high school sport in NY, so from whence came the awesomeness?

I asked if anyone had talked to her about heptathalon, her demurral being “my 800m isn’t that great.”  (Uhhh, in 3 weeks you’re throwing it further than grown women…you get big points for that in hep, and a slower 800 can be worked on).

“Well, last year I won a gold for long jumping, but hurt my back not long before trials. I asked coach what I might do that didn’t include getting back jammed a lot, and he said maybe javelin.”

Turns out she had all of two weeks training before qualifying first in Adirondack Region, then blowing everyone else up.  I asked if anyone had talked to her about heptathalon, her demurral being “my 800m isn’t that great.”  (Uhhh, in 3 weeks you’re throwing it further than grown women…you get big points for that in hep, and a slower 800 can be worked on).

I recall she left immediately after picking up her medal  because her  birthday party was that night.

Blatnick was All That in Many Ways

The last time I saw Jeff was probably 1993-4, just before he got involved with Ultimate Fighting Championship  (1994-2001) as commentator and eventually commissioner.

Between sales calls (scholastic fundraising) on a brisk and windy day in Albany, I wound up next to him on a corner and walked a couple blocks catching up, hoping he’d been able to parlay things announcing-wise, wanting to hear what was on the mind of an Olympic champion on a corner almost ten years after The Moment.

Turned out the few times I’d heard him during two Olympics was most of what ABC ever scheduled him for, and his focus on using his unique skills and tangible results probably benefitted something as edgy-different as UFC. I had no clue he’d authored Mixed Martial Arts Council Manual and been involved in the development of modern rules for the sport.

When I mentioned one particular Russian (Aleksandr Karelin) I’d read about in Sports Illustrated being a terror, Jeff said yeah, guy was only one he’d ever really worried about his physical safety with.

The Ruskies ‘move’ in a sport with no holds below the waist, was to elevate his opponents and then pile drive their heads into the mat. Being the airborne one means either risking spinal injury or protecting yourself during impact, and protecting wasn’t going to stop the guy from scoring points, which are at a premium in Greco.

Between Webelos and those Emipre State Games minutes chatting, I guess I recognize an ephemeral quality, not tight as classmates, frat bros or fellow wrestlers, more of passing decently close to someone/an athlete that actually surmounts big odds.

I’ll only briefly include the fact that Russians and lot of Eastern block countries didn’t attend the ’84 Olympics in return for Jimmy Carter keeping US from ’80 Moscow Olympics (props to Frank Famiano, a Schenectady and Brockport guy, best in world at 126 who got screwed) as protest of 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. I’m keeping that video available though, because I haven’t heard a more sincere ‘I love you guys!’ in 30 years since.

And Jeff, I’m hoping there’s someone in your class to grapple with when you get to the next level.

Glenn Shorkey

The only indisputable numbers I’ve seem lately involved Yankees being spanked four straight while being dismissed in ALCS with Detroit and the plus-10 my group hung up in a captains choice outing.  After 6-7 holes we knew there wasn’t a prayer of hitting 4-iron third shots to save pars playing from the blues, so we worked from the 390 avg. yd. white tees, which seemed more fun and reasonable. Turns out Crotty won one of closest to pins even if on outermost part of dance floor, contributing to one of our two birdies on a fine tanning day.  

With all sympathies due for True Professional Derek Jeter’s fractured foot (and many in Charlotte are thrilled by semi-reflected glory he’s coming here (OrthoCare) to get checked/surgery), the most surprising numbers I’ll mention aren’t even from various polls claiming to know how far ahead or behind Obama or Romney are on ‘enthusiasm of voters’, ‘ground game’, or whatever else in those crucial swing states. For once its not about credit apps either, because I got TWO last week and first customer on Sunday asked to get one, all of which has manager practically dancing. I rewarded the customer by ‘double-dipping’ on discounts, manually pushing a 20% allowance before also using another 20% coupon she wasn’t aware was available.

No, the numbers I’m focused on seem cold and accurate enough, and with customer satisfaction tracked every day via online surveys completed (44 this month), seeing 50% under the heading ‘Availability of Assistance’ is CLEARLY an indictment regarding how many fewer associates are available to provide knowledgable customer service. When the new store manager saw an overall rating of 70% approval and declared “associates must not be smiling and greeting customers adequately,” my hand HAD to go up; otherwise I’m a liar by omission.   My journalism career came of age during Nixon’s Watergate, and I learned that sometimes you have to say ‘Bullshit!’ no matter what.  Note that last Wed. I did $2250, but only $700 of it Nautica merchandise. I felt fine about upping my sales in a major way because there wasn’t anyone in Vineyard Vines, but I also patroled a major portion of Moderates area Friday ($1666) without such significant reward.

“The numbers show customers giving ‘Friendly/Courteous Service’ a 77 for the month,” I noted calmly, “its that 50 on Availability that’s pulling survey score so low.” Now EVERYONE THERE knew I spoke the truth about those numbers, but manager says, “Well, maybe if people saw **5-6** associates gathered someplace and they weren’t getting served, maybe that’s what they meant about Availability.” I pointed out that I can smile plenty, but if I’m NOT PHYSICALLY IN THE STORE nobody is served and THAT is when people remark about lack of available sales people to take their money. Example- over the last 6 weeks or so, Jack and I have been reduced from 36 to 32 hrs./week, and Sunday has always been one guy, all day, see-if-you-can-get-a-break day. This Sun. I was 12-6, an hour off each end of schedule. 

The managers slant was blatant crapola and noticed by all; I was congratulated several times after meeting about actually verbalizing those generally undeniable facts. We’ve certainly see it allll OVER the country, about corporations pushing up productivity/profits by stiffing workers, and you can be sure this retailer chintzing on hours after already having two years of record profitability during time of major economic turmoil isn’t being ignored by the worker bees.  Ugly rumor is they’ll also decline to hire extra Christmas help to take major weight off salespeople to refold and maintain departments, which is ludicrous.

Having a job?  Its better than not, and Jack’s daughter being on his insurance is a very real piece of luck. While that arithmetic I previously mentioned says Jack and I need $8500 this week to make bonus again for October, that $2k on last day in Sept. means I’ll keep pushing for the extra rewards.  Despite how store manager tried to make numbers lie, my last hour (5:19 – 6:29 checkout which includes :29 over schedule) produced $716 in sales vs. $183 necessary to pay commish vs. hourly rate.  From another, far less kindly POV, wouldn’t that prove they scheduled right, getting damn fine production without extra compensation?  Only if you’re someone who also argues for giving a $5 trillion tax cut in a situation where there’s already massive national debt.  Fact is, that huge marginal sales rate wouldn’t have happened if my smiling face wasn’t present an extra half hour. 

Turns out there’s *another* corporate survey in progress, one where several co-workers indicate they will select ‘1- Completely Disagree’ on Qs 3-6 (of 6).  Let’s see anyone spin THAT level of collective dissonance!

Glenn Shorkey

Let’s start with what seems like the easiest of three situations to apply ‘How/Why?’ question to.  Why, after years of getting kicked around, would the Washington Nationals deny themselves an honest-to-goodness shot at a World Series by not putting Steven Strasberg on their postseason roster? My answer is he’s on the roster even if you don’t use him, but if he’s been throwing despite not playing, you stick him in the Cards ear, even if you keep your fingers crossed a little.

Strasberg, he of the 100 mph+ heater and knee-buckling curve, was 15-6 with 197 Ks in 159.1 innings in this season after reconstructive surgery on his valuable right arm when GM Mike Rizzo said he’d reached the limit they’d set for him. Nats lead baseball with 98 wins despite his shelving with 3 1/2 weeks to go, but after leading St. Louis 2-0 in games and then 6-0 in the deciding Game 5, just how much (or positive) of a “learning tool/experience” will sitting home during the Series be for the team?  Will players or fans ever stop wondering if Strasberg getting the ball in Game 3 or 5 would’ve been a ticket to the next round and possibly beyond? Answer: No, never. Not a chance.

Second Holy Crap! moment is Jack coming back to work Monday after two solid weeks in Memphis at his daughter’s hospital and our manager making a ha-ha comment about him getting a credit card application that played off his daughter being alive as a small miracle.  Jack was on the clock *less than a minute*, and while I actually PREDICTED manager would make exactly the style comment he did, there MUST BE some kind of common decency line waaaay back that should’ve kept him from saying anything except “glad she’s okay enough for you to come back.”

Lastly, when the word ‘SPECIFICALLY’ is used in an instruction, and watching the Vice-Presidential debate I’m certain I heard the moderator use it at LEAST three seperate times before giving the next question to Mr. Ryan, how could he continue giving generalized/rote answers and still have people think his measured tones beat the animated and very clearly on-point Joe Biden (even with facial gestures and interruptions he used being a little uncool)?  Example: $5 trillion in taxes cuts–how SPECIFICALLY will they be paid for (vs. adding to unreal debt)?  Biden says only two areas of budget, mortgage and college cost deductions, are  “loopholes” that provide enough dollars to close that massive a gap, and why can’t (or won’t) Romney-Ryan admit they are going to gut them if given the chance, but Ryan tap dances around things just the same. 

Iran and nukes situation–Joe B. said sanctions are proving to have a very significant effect (ie- 40% devaluation of currency in one week, reduced national income, rioting by the public) and Iran’s a long way from having a vehicle to deliver a weapon even if time of having refined materials has gotten very, very close.  Ryan kept saying ‘Obama foreign policy unraveling’, and (just?) “have to change ayatollahs minds.”  Yeah, like those guys have EVER shown the slightest movement off zero regarding anything the Great Satan wants. 

Afghanistan ‘surge’ troop withdrawals? Biden said 315,000 security forces had been trained and along with the U.S.’s 49 allies, 2014 is time to let Afganis take care of themselves, “otherwise (like in Iraq) they won’t step up, just continue to be content to let us handle things.”  Ryan says they agree with 2014 date BUT… shouldn’t give enemies a calendar date where they can wait you out and shouldn’t remove 30,000 troops if going to lose whatever alleged things have been gained in 10 years of combat. (Biden jumped in, “you think we should keep sending Americans on patrols instead?” to no answer.)

That political How? is the biggie of course, but here’s betting that President Obama takes a clue from Biden and jumps Romney every time he tries pulling a swift one Tuesday night, which he neglected to do in first debate. That’s the difference between the Prez and the Nats at this point–bringing ALL your ammo if you want to win.

Glenn Shorkey

Carolina Panther fans can certainly be a fickle group to please, and nobody from Cam Newton or Jordon Gross to the furthest tail-gating location on game days is going the moral victory route after Sunday’s 30-28 barnburner in Atlanta.  By the numbers, including 3 1/2 sacks by Charles Johnson on a day the Panthers D (really, its a legit word) clawed Matt Ryan to the ground SEVEN times, there were kudos available to many.  There’s still that cellar-dwelling 1-3 on the books, but “except for that pass” as Charlotteans will undoubtedly opine regularly this week, it really was a good game.

Having alternate Sundays off is part of rotation we’re maintaining even with Jack still away, so I gladly watched the game, with beers and a massive plate of chili ‘n chips with all the fixings. Very entertaining, and you could definitely appreciate offense coming back, down 24-14 before going ahead 28-24 on a 36 yard TD to Kealoha Pilares, and downing a punt inside the one with 1:09 to go (after Atlanta forced a Newton fumble) was textbook. Knowing how things eventually worked out, its legit to say that all things considered, I had a better day Saturday than the team did Sunday.  

Having done my best to nail that final $3000 (in Nautica merch) in search of bonus, I posted another $1700 day, including late Vineyard Vines sales that helped overall volume (I’m ALMOST ‘out of the hole’) but don’t factor into bonus.  Experience in sales situations gives you a feeling for estimating, like last December when Jack and I didn’t feel strong enough about a $2600 overall volume–we barely scored a major payoff because on a hunch I bought $145 that last day of the year.  Driving in Monday, 2.0 stuck in my mind. We hadn’t gone that large since Labor Day, but Friday’s $1.6 brought us to $30.7 (1000s), so getting $2000 was all about that arithmetic Bill Clinton mentioned. 

Recognize that needing $2k and ‘only’ producing $1700 is the essential equation, meaning the results–Nautica sales by *anyone* contribute to production goals– were greater than my significant personal efforts even before subtracting non-Nautica sales. I left a message for Jack right after I got the $32.7 figure from the Polo guys, because unexpectedly good news is one of the truly best things to share.  I’d strapped it on, done the max I possibly could, and having earned rewards of a tangible-spendable kind, I admit that’s always jazzed me.  Now I’m working on a streak!  and for the record, Jack and I came into Nautica last August and put together eight straight months in bonus money.  The cash won’t last long, but there’s enough to invest in a cigar to share with Steve the number crunching brother, continue that lottery ticket purchasing– I had *2* numbers last $200 million-plus possibility– and then perhaps some Padron with buddy Bridget.  Yeah, thats the ticket.

Tomorrow will entail tending smoky grills from 7am-4 as our Mens Club (church-related vs. legendary place on Tyvola) gears up for 4th annual BBQ. Never been on that detail before. We’ll see if I hang around for the pickin’ and packin’ after that.

Glenn S.

Okay America. Whether you think NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was blowing big time smoke about Monday Night Football’s fiasco of a finale not being the ultimate rationale for giving the ‘real’ refs a sliver more of an $8 billion-plus pie that we all know SHOULDN’T have been a factor, that’s one major national focus everyone’s glad is finally fixed.

Whether the Packers will appreciate being a catalyst, that Wisconsin’s union-busting governor kinda flip-flopped on question of unions being good, or even whether fans will give the zebras  standing ovations this weekend isn’t the proverbial elephant in the room.  If maybe $9 million in pay and benefits brought order to everything, thanks Rog! and we’re moving on. The biggie now is, when Americans are supposedly feeling more secure with an economy that has slip-slided along at 1.3% growth, only gained about 79,000 jobs a month in the second quarter and unemployment as hung around  8.3%, what chance does the Mittster have in November?

A NYTimes/CBS News poll has 40% of respondents (vs. 23% last year) saying economy is on the right track, and if Romney didn’t get major traction before this, his chances of becoming POTUS vs. just ‘Presidential candidate Romney’ has significant parallels with the replacement refs situation.  Almost everyone wanted to throw a flag when he over-stepped all normal bounds to loudly comment on the killing of the US ambassador to Libya, but there was always a strong undercurrent of not liking the vagueness about actual plans or withholding his tax returns.  Almost nobody really LIKES referees, but when push came to shove, the analogy between allowing ‘new guys’ to pretend they knew whuzzup and wanting to bitch just a little at problems created by an arguably crucial holding penalty is serviceable.  Nobody said, “Hey, these guys are good! Who needs the regulars?” along the way, and even if the division between Dems and Repubs POVs is as profound as the first-place Yankees and bumbling Mets, Mitt had to bat better than a-buck-and-a-quarter to get the job.  The Mets R. A. Dickey is the first Met pitcher to win 20 games since 1990, but that won’t get him a start in the World Series, n’est pas? 

Here’s another analogy. I’ve got two days to produce $3000 in sales in order to qualify for bonus, and yesterday I got whacked with an $860 repair bill when I’d taken my PT Cruiser in for an oil change and inspection.  I scrambled a little before tapping some credit, maybe even helped myself by combining two high interest rate situations into a 0% extension through next July; $60 in fees will save me at least $42 in monthly interest. Not a bad result overall, though the $860 wasn’t a comfy hit vs. an expected $21 oil change.

I’ll take my chances on pushing out product and maybe getting a little extra something in a payday next month.  And hey–I *did* get one of those dang credit apps Wednesday. I’ll take the minor positives because like many people in this country I want to believe Better can happen.  If the economic recovery is weak, its persisting.

And of course, the real refs are back on the job too.

Glenn S.

Standing around customer-less for my first hour at work Sunday, there was some real regret about not going to an early Mass, one that would’ve allowed for the 7 mile bike ride I got in after breakfast and coffee, a shower, ironing a shirt, and scooting to the mall. Feeling physically strong didn’t feel BAD, but thinking about the frightening negatives people I knew are facing, maybe inconveniencing myself a little would’ve been a ‘righter’ thing to do.

‘There but for the grace of God’ is a phrase that usually gets trotted out at times of stress others are dealing with, and thinking about my work buddy Jack’s situation, a friend-man with a professional project worth exploring who faces major eye surgery and the desperate state my Aunt Josie’s in, well, ‘lucky’ doesn’t seem like the right word.

Jack’s on leave right now because his daughter is in a Memphis hospital. Without all the details, she was the ‘1’ in ‘1 out of X number’ to suffer an incredibly horrific drug reaction that’s left her in the most painful limbo imaginable. Think of burn victims with 50-60% of their body laid open and then multiply that gut-twisting picture. She’s made it past the first 48 hours, but whether she survives all the potential infections and constant pain for two weeks isn’t a question even the doctors have a great grip on.

Chuck J. is someone I met at work two years ago, and we’ve corresponded periodically about various matters since. A former P&G veep of Marketing, Chuck has been working on youth-related programs now that he’s semi-retired. While wanting to push for progress on events that might require my particular professional (vs. sales) talents, meetings cancelled because of a 42nd anniversary and then a sick mother-in-law were small potatoes compared to the letter received on Wed. about four major factors he’ll need to have fixed with his eyes. Getting a Blackberry update that indicated he’s amused by doc’s assessment he’s “too young” for the surgeries he’ll need was good, but looking out at another great Fall day in Charlotte while writing about his eyes does bring up the idea of being blessed about avoiding anything close to these potential disasters to this 55th year in my life.

I like to think I was Aunt Josie’s favorite nephew, and she was always interested in what was going on, especially when she heard about my taking Spanish courses. She was a flaminco dancer in Spain when Uncle Howard was there in the ’50s, showing Francisco Franco’s people how to use the flight trainer his company produced. My brother Mike said he was standing next to her in the hospital hallway and didn’t recognize her, wasn’t 100% sure if she’d called to him or because a large guy was looking in her room and she thought he was my *cousin* Michael. At 87 there’s both dementia and a huge emptiness in her life since Howard died last year, and her son, who works in Corning (NY), can only get to see her every other weekend in Albany.

Almost everyone gets their turn in the proverbial barrel at some point, but a balky (though not crippled) knee, my manager’s reminder about credit apps and a toss-up between a cancelled Friday poker game and my football picks not covering their respective spreads doesn’t even register as worth a “damn!” or “this sucks” in comparison.

Calling my folks in another 10 minutes or so so I can talk about anything my 83-year old Dad (Mom is 78 and says she never expected to feel so good at this point in life) wants to is exactly the kind of blessing you GOTTA give thanks for. Yeah, ‘Blessings’ is the right word.

And yes, I’m definitely getting that church time in this week.

Glenn S.

I mentioned work cohort Jack and I blew away our sales goal (Nautica better sportswear) in August even while I was doing reunion trip to Upstate NY, and that I didn´t directly blame Obama for last week being crappy saleswise during Demo’s convention here. Slump kind of ended with paying for myself (need $1200/day) Wednesday, and with another major weekend sale in swing and my two biggest customers buying new, full-price Fall product, I hit $1600 Friday.

I was outstanding with one particular husband-wife client in particular, with key player a once-yearly type clothes buyer. While ANYBODY should be able to pump the total with that situation, I clinched trust about being All That Salesman early by finding two very different jeans that fit as desired and I’d described. After employee discounts the tab was $385, and thats definitely a win. Almost got that important credit app with another $500+ sale (would’ve meant bending another rule, but I got green light for future such opportunities) and finale was a gentleman just under that cha-ching! $500 level. Polo salespeople hit that on regular basis, but outside of outerwear, our highest priced shirts are $69.50.

To the point of better than four years ago. I began another reunion with retail the day before Thanksgiving in 2007, after an unsatisfying hitch with a Renaissance Festival operation that screwed me on contract where I would’ve been moving to Phoenix and EXACTLY when the crap hit the proverbial fan big time. Chances for returning to long-time professional situation as executive assistant were less than zero for quite a while, but I’ve recently gotten feelers/responses on better side of $30,000 and that’s encouraging in a basic way.

I made

almost

$25,000 in 2011, but honestly wasn’t denied doing anything vacation-wise; I enjoyed eight days of Tampa in March, nephews commissioning/Mothers Day in Daytona and 35th reunion with great day at the track that paid for golf immensely even if gas has gone up 50 cents since. Four days facilitating a leadership seminar for South Carolina HOBY (Hugh O’Brian Youth) in late June was truly uplifting–I defy anyone to mix with 125 of a state’s best and brightest and not get inspired. I have medical coverage that includes both chiropractic visits and a co-pay for blood pressure meds. I live four miles from work, so gas isn’t the bear it obviously is for others. There’s a bus line in front of my apartment complex if things get too pricey. I really appreciate having a pool available for laps and sunning almost two years now, and the dryers are absolutely A-1; throw whatever you’ve got in, $1.20 does it.

Point is, its still a 1-1 case about looking at progress on American Dream and this current economic situation is no better (worse?) than FOURTH on my personal list of negative times. I’ve joked about my investments being in lottery tickets, but I also didn’t get whacked like what Maddow and others scammers did to many who thought they’d put themselves beyond economic woes. High-level number-crunching brother Steve has advised our folks on certain moves quite successfully forever. Bonus money I get from Nautica won’t make extraordinary differences in my economics, but if that lottery ticket thing ever worked, he or maybe former boss Bill Trahan would be on a short list of people I’d trust to help me.

I don’t believe the Republicans are as happy with Romney as Demos are with Obama, and CHRIST! did Romney go ballistic bad opening his yap about the embassy deaths, and even two of three brothers have issues with some BS stances. I offer online opinions with LinkedIn and policymic on a regular basis (okay, match.com too), so I’m aware and involved in the public discourse. I’d recommend (will find link for next time) a recent Al Jazzera ‘Cafe’ production as an example of great journalism, and thats not something we find everywhere. It featured REAL good thinkers from eight very divergent POVS and *rolled the film*. It was a fascinating look at slices of our situation from a “hey, its THOSE GUYS!” source definitively removed from AMERICAN politics, with all respect due to Bill Mahar.

This blog is generally about my eagle-eye view on the economy from retail front row-$$ in the registers-inventory and any fun being had. There will be sports notes of course, politics because I’m clearly going to be affected about that soon-future Next. Good thoughts sent as I head for poolside with a brewskie and feeling of yes, having paychecks every two weeks and a shot at bonus money now through Christmas means I’m better off than four years ago.

Glenn S.

You can bet there’s going to be plenty of talk about accounting, that arithmetic Bill Clinton mentioned so effectively during his tour-de-force, A-1 speech on Wednesday night, regarding any tangible financial benefits to the recent DNC in Charlotte. I work for a major southeastern retailer in Southpark, and Tuesday through Friday was close to an absolute desert for every salesperson I talked to. No problem conceding that bars and places directly around arena did landoffice business, but I doubt the Chamber of Commerce is going to paint any MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! face of Economic Success on the event.

Among customers I talked to there was an almost universal aversion about idea of attempting to go Uptown in Charlotte at all because it was known “14 blocks are pretty well locked down” from convention. Two brothers of mine in banking were instructed to work from home all week (one gladly spent time at VA mountains locale with fiber-optic connection), and knowing a majority of other daytime customers wouldn’t be around either, many eateries were operating in lowest mode. Cold hard fact: in August my two person department crushed our monthly sales goal by 36%, 52.7 to 38.7 ($1000s). Labor Day we both knocked out $1900 plus–and didn’t total that much in next four days through Saturday.

This is the microcosm of economics I and many, many others deal with, the precise effect any one event (or, very pointedly True, how many of them) or action affects us in a daily, personal-professional financial way. I’m not going to blame the President directly for my having a lousy week, even if ‘his’ event probably had a peripheral effect. I’m much more likely to be tough on LOCAL connections that apparently didn’t have both oars in the water, even with over a years lead time. Take it for what its worth, but one customer who said he’d volunteered for numerous roles, including being at Southpark area hotels and directing conventioneers to easily accessible venues, was stunned to learn every single one had been cancelled. He got two shirts out of it, but nothing about Charlotte as a city got promoted, not even other side of the street.

Bottom line, I appreciated the bigger idea of Charlotte as an epicenter of political universe. There is plenty of evidence that ‘Back to School’ sales were done (I’d wiped out a LOT of heavily discounted inventory) a week earlier, and everyone was going to be hanging out until a ‘not here just yet’ change in Charlotte weather. While sales figures on the lower edge of acceptable might cause management to be eeeeever so slightly less concerned about credit card applications vs. actual business, I won’t count on that myopic POV changing for long. I’m just going to strap it on for another week.

And honestly, I don’t blame the POTUS for the new merchandise not moving, even if the arithmetic in a small sampling is saying otherwise.

Glenn S.

Not certain that I’m EXCITED about the Democratic National Convention coming to town.  While just having hotels well packed with people and spare time on their hands in Charlotte makes it seem the mall I’ll be working at will have more potential buyers, Uptown is supposed to become a desert. Building workers are on vacation from hassles, those serving lunches have no need to be around– maybe we’ll find out later if the excitement was legit.

As for Labor Day Sunday and the semi-rememberance of a historic ‘Longest Day’ at the US OPEN, a year when every match went the maximum distance, I’m able to recall giving my best friend about 4 hours of tennis lessons and *still* catching nearly two full matches.  Old Jimmy Connors beat Lendl in the finale, had to use his time out to clear some diarrhea, but a match for the ages between ‘tougher than anybody’ Jimmy and Ice Man Lendl.  At 55 and kinda gimpy, I was inspired by that memory and 90 degree sunshine this morning, so I finally got my tail out and pounded some tennis balls against a wall for about 40 minutes.  Way back on that particular Sunday, I could almost PAINT balls into locations with the new racket I had, a Steffi Graf strung at 56; today I used a Prince Lite Titanium Long Body at 60 and probably couldn’t get that small Graf head on a forehand return of serve up the backhand line I rely on. Surviving 4 hours and two outfit changes?  Not likely on that either.

Brought water and a towel, didn’t overdo it, but something just clicked in after whats been quite a while without any practice, and forehands, serving location, two fisted backhand were all like, well….reliable! Letting out some aggression while considering a political note is legit too.

I think there’s an analogy there, between thumping away at a brick wall and feeling encouraged that progress was being made, maybe even that reliability thing. The GOP just ended their convention, and several others and I agree we have yet to hear a PLAN for the COUNTRY vs. just more “the Prez, does he deserve your vote after not getting us back to good jobs from the hellacious shape we were in back then?”  People recognize the difference, at least the average customers I speak with usually do. Polls show people may be disappointed, but they’re still willing to give him, as a smarter guy they can trust more than that Romney guy, another chance to make it work right. 

Can the GOP masses really believe the crapola churned out about winning when the speakers (other than wife Ann)  barely mentioned Mitt, certainly not in as supportive a manner as they gave their own credentials for oh, maybe a 2016 run? They did the thumping against a wall or unsat-in chair, and for some reason think they accomplished something.  Mostly they looked like a bunch of people, disappointed but steadfast in their convinction of rightness, wandering around waiting for something like a hurricane (or 2016) to happen.  Watch any soap opera wedding and you’ll see the same type of (not really) happy faces for the guest of honor.

I got some worthwhile calluses from todays tennis ball whacking, doing something I haven’t attempted in a while. I think the Prez is going to be doing some thumping this coming week as well, utilize that vast and available amount of focused attention to get a major platform in place.  The GOP seems content to tap lollipop serves to the masses, and I’d bet there are many more concerned with their next doubles match than whether he can beat Obama. Some will probably just be glad to know where he safely stashed his cash…

Glenn S.