Sports Biography - Andre Agassi

I just enjoyed another can't-put-it-down biography - Open - tennis star Andre Agassi's autobiography.

It's a pretty amazing story. The guy is only a few years older than me and I remember vividly how he burst onto the scene with all sorts of hype - only to underachieve tremendously.

His lesser-touted peers Michael Chang, Jim Courier, and Pete Sampras all surpassed him.

Then, and I didn't even realize this because it happened in my later, self-orbital years when I had stopped following tennis, Andre finally turned the corner and won something like 8 Grand Slam events. (I had no idea! I thought he just won Wimbleton that once.)

Well it turns out that Andre suffered a lost childhood at the hands of his hard-charging father. And that he HATED TENNIS for many, many years.  His chronicles of depression and self-loathing will definitely shock readers.  I mean, how could he possible HATE tennis?

A hard-charging father myself I found this aspect of Andre's story to be of particular interest. I mean...his father was completely wacko in every regard.

Of course, ultimately, in Andre's climb to the top of the world rankings Mr. Agassi enjoyed the precise results he had been striving for.

Yeah there were some bumps and some *costs* along the way...

But there's plenty of downside to soft-charging parenting as well!

I'd bet anyone around the age of 40 and with a slight interest in sports will thoroughly enjoy this read.

ADDENDUM - Oh yeah, almost forgot. In one part of the book Agassi tells how he introduced Steffi Graf's hard-charging ESL father - his future father-in-law to his own ESL lunatic father.

Well, through broken English these two 'old coots' started fiercely arguing about the proper way to raise a tennis star - backhand techniques and whatnot - took their shirts off, challenged each other's manhood and just about came to blows!

C-Nut = DEAD!

Google/YouTube just cancelled my Youtube account!

Six+ years of videos are GONE.

I don't even know what videos I had preserved, quite honestly.

Why?

Because yesterday I uploaded a clip of an awesome new Sony docking station I bought.

Of course I had it playing music for purposes of demonstration.

And the Google robots must have detected it and flagged me - again, for freakin' background music.

I guess I should back up my blog before they cancel my entire account...

George Costanza - Occasionally Dead Right!

People in my *circles* know that pretty much all I wear is jeans and golf shirts - and have been doing so since 1992 when I was liberated from prison-school.

But after all these years I've decided to mix it up.

Yeah, I'm going with the *sweatpants* - actually with slightly more upscale *workout* pants these days as often as I can.

I was watching a guy in church the other day and contemplating how he had a t-shirt, a dress shirt, a tie, and a sport-coat on. I concluded that people only dress up in all those ridiculous *layers* if they want to fool someone (or God!) or sell someone something that they don't need.

Wearing workout clothes is also a good reminder....to workout more!

I also noticed that Tim Ferriss was always wearing workout clothes.

When in doubt, emulate him!

Customers Versus Friends And Family

My teaching and tutoring side business is finally gaining steam.

My clients are not actually the students. More accurately, my clients are the *parents*.

And this is a completely new experience for me - not teaching math, but having customers.

I must say I'm starting to really like it!

Consider this...

These parents:

•  Respect me
•  Are very much interested in my opinions
•  Do exactly what I tell them (sometimes)
•  They PAY ME!

Up until now my entire life's social interaction had been mostly with *friends and family*....and y'all know how much of a pain in the rump they can be!

I've always had very, very strong opinions and beliefs. So it's nice to finally find some people who are genuinely interested in them.

Again, this is one of the many reasons I knew we'd be better off amongst the 15 million people in the NYC area. It's just easier here to find the people and the lifestyle that suit you best.

Before Tim Ferriss....There Was Mark Cuban

And he was a whole lot more financially successful too!

I just read Mark's book on Kindle for something like $2 - How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It - and although a little short, I enjoyed reading about his feisty background.

Here's the money quote:

In sports, the only thing a player can truly control is effort. The same applies to business. The only thing any entrepreneur, salesperson or anyone in any position can control is their effort.

I had to kick myself in the ass and recommit to getting up early, staying up late and consuming everything I possibly could to get an edge. I had to commit to making the effort to be as productive as I possibly could. It meant making sure that every hour of the day that I could contact a customer was selling time, and when customers were sleeping, I was doing things that prepared me to make more sales and to make my company better.

And finally, I had to make sure I wasn’t lying to myself about how hard I was working. It would have been easy to judge effort by how many hours a day passed while I was at work. That’s the worst way to measure effort.

Effort is measured by setting goals and getting results. What did I need to do to close this account? What did I need to do to win this segment of business? What did I need to do to understand this technology or that business better than anyone? What did I need to do to find an edge? Where does that edge come from, and how was I going to get there?

The one requirement for success in our business lives is effort. Either you make the commitment to get results or you don't.

See also - Marginalizing Mark Cuban.

Obamacare - Teleprompter, Translated!

Read John Stossel's translation.

Skinny Jeans....Dang!

Funny GIFs - 4

The Rich Have Never Become Richer!

Just imagine the Big Media, eco-pagan socialist outcry if it wasn't *their guy* who was President!

It might not even be possible to imagine how loud and nasty the vitriol would be if it were a non-Democrat presiding over a massive (albeit manipulated), downtick-less stock market rally....while the plebes suffered double digit unemployment rates and gasoline was $4 a gallon.

Sometime between now and January I predict it will be the end, if not the very end.

Why?

Well another Obama term will be tough for the economy - what's left of it anyway - to overcome.

And because Romney won't/can't really take the drastic steps that need to be taken to deal with the trillions of debt.

Sell everything except ammo and canned goods!

Margin Call - Star-Studded BOMB!

Demi Moore, Jeremy Irons, and Kevin Spacey...

BUT it still sucked royally.

Watching 30 minutes of this will surely feel like an eternity.

It's only something I recommend, well, if you can't fall asleep!

Margin Call is so horrible it actually makes Boiler Room look *well-done*.

Forwarded Partisan Propaganda

You know the honeymoon is over, when the comedians start.

The liberals are asking us to give Obama time.

We agree...and think 25 to life would be 

appropriate. 

--Jay Leno

America needs Obama-care like Nancy 

Pelosi needs a Halloween mask. 

--Jay Leno

Q: Have you heard about McDonald's'

new Obama Value Meal?

A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you 

has to pay for it. 

--Conan O'Brien

Q: What does Barack Obama call 

lunch with a convicted felon?

A: A fund raiser. 

--Jay Leno

Q: What's the difference between

Obama's cabinet and a penitentiary?

A: One is filled with tax evaders, blackmailers,

and threats to society. The other is for housing 

prisoners. 

--David Letterman

Q: If Nancy Pelosi and Obama were 

on a boat in the middle of the ocean and it 

started to sink, who would be saved?

A: America ! 

--Jimmy Fallon

Q: What's the difference between

Obama and his dog, Bo?

A: Bo has papers. 

--Jimmy Kimmel

Q: What was the most positive result 

of the "Cash for Clunkers" program?

A: It took 95% of the Obama bumper 

stickers off the road. 

--David Letterman

Handicapped AND Lazy?

Armed 'Old Coot' Versus Dervish Hoods

This Used To Be Me!

Well, sort of.

At only 5'10.5 I could grab the rim with both hands going back a few years...

This Is Hilarious AND Wicked Awesome

You might have to do a little fast-forwarding: