#ted won’t need to be there to impact the team or the sport | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

orbemnews · 4 years ago

Link

Inside Robinhood, the free trading app at the heart of the GameStop mania The rise of Robinhood means that the ability to buy stocks, on a whim, is now at everyone’s fingertips. Robinhood has opened investing up to the masses. Gone are the days when sophisticated trading strategies such as options trading and leverage are left to the rich guys on Wall Street. Free trading, coupled with Reddit’s message boards, have leveled the playing field — for better or worse. “There’s a large group of people that think investing is this serious thing for only if you’re wearing a suit in front of your terminal,” said Tenev, who was born in Soviet-era Bulgaria. “That’s kind of been the legacy school of thought.” WallStreetBets has shattered that notion. ‘The access is the biggest part’ The Reddit community has captivated the financial world by teaming up to set off epic short squeezes that are hammering hedge funds and other firms. GameStop alone has skyrocketed an unfathomable 1,500% this year. The Redditors have targeted companies that are popular among short-sellers, who bet that a stock will fall by borrowing the shares and selling them — with the hope of buying them back at a lower price and pocketing the difference. Short-selling is extremely risky because, in theory, the losses are infinite. None of this would be possible without free trading and the availability of cheap borrowed money, which amplifies the bets. “The access is the biggest part — easy, free, readily available,” Jaime Rogozinski, who founded WallStreetBets nine years ago, told CNN Business’ Julia Chatterley on Thursday. “They’re able to instantly get in there and participate and start using these sophisticated leverage tools that are able to exploit the asymmetry of money. They’re forcing the hands of the big guys.” Tenev said that the old-school thinking that you need a suit to invest is “correlated with thinking that investing is mainly for wealthy people.” “Our approach is a little bit different, which is that you don’t have to be wealthy to do it,” the Robinhood co-founder said. “You don’t have to have a Ph.D in finance. You don’t have to pore through fundamental analysis, or technical analysis in particular and look at moving averages.” Indeed, the Wall Street Bets movement shows the impact that retail investors can have when they team up. Although some Reddit users are placing their bets based on fundamental analysis, many are motivated by a populist desire to punish hedge funds and other elite investors. Outlawing GameStop purchases Robinhood has been the subject of criticism during the GameStop saga — from all sides. Some see the episode as proof of how free trading, and rock-bottom interest rates, can backfire. In essence, the normal functioning of capital markets has been disrupted by an online mob. At the same time, Robinhood has angered the WallStreetBets community and others by restricting trades on highly volatile stocks this week. First, Robinhood, like other brokers, ramped up margin requirements on both GameStop and AMC to 100%, signaling a deep concern about the extreme volatility in the stocks. Margin accounts allow investors to buy stocks and other securities with borrowed money. To guard against sharp selloffs, investors must maintain a minimum amount of equity as long as they hold onto the stock. Robinhood went a step further Thursday by banning users from buying GameStop, AMC, Best Buy (BBY), Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY), Nokia (NOK) and other Reddit darlings. Other brokers took similar steps. WallStreetBets trained their ire on Robinhood, arguing it’s unfair that retail investors can’t buy these stocks but Wall Street can. “So much for being on the side of the little guys like Robinhood,” one user wrote. “Just another shill brokerage paid off by the big players. I’ll be switching to another brokerage once this is over and I hope everyone here does too.” Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy slammed the decision in a series of tweets. “Either @RobinhoodApp allows free trading or it’s the end of Robinhood. Period,” Portnoy said. Both Republican Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez promptly called for an investigation into the Robinhood decision — an unlikely meeting of minds. Hours after implementing the restrictions Thursday, Robinhood appeared to backtrack, saying it would resume limited buys on those securities starting Friday. “This was a risk-management decision, and was not made on the direction of the market makers we route to,” Robinhood said in a blog post. “We’re beginning to open up trading for some of these securities in a responsible manner.” The company said the move was made to keep Robinhood in line with requirements it must adhere to as a brokerage firm, such as SEC net capital obligations and clearinghouse deposits. “Some of these requirements fluctuate based on volatility in the markets and can be substantial in the current environment,” it said in the post. “These requirements exist to protect investors and the markets and we take our responsibilities to comply with them seriously.” During a Thursday evening interview with CNBC, Tenev added that the company drew on credit lines Thursday as a “proactive measure” because clearinghouse deposit requirements dictate how much the company could allow customers to buy certain stocks. “In line with our mission and what we want to do, we want to put ourselves in a position to allow our customers to be as unrestricted as possible in accordance with the requirements and the regulations,” he said. “We pulled those credit lines so we could maximize, within reason, the funds we have to deposit at the clearinghouses.” Outages and tragedy The Reddit drama is just the latest in a string of controversies surrounding Robinhood. With its user growth skyrocketing, the app emerged as a pandemic winner. People stuck at home, some of them with stimulus checks to spend, discovered how easy it was to bet on stocks. Robinhood was awarded an $8.6 billion in a round of funding in July — only to raise another $200 million at an even fatter $11.2 billion valuation in August. But Robinhood didn’t invest enough in the infrastructure needed to handle all the users flocking to the app. It suffered dozens of outages and disruptions in 2020, including one that prevented Robinhood users from participating in an epic rally in early March. In the interview, Tenev said Robinhood has made “huge improvements” in system resiliency and redundancy to minimize the risk of similar outages. Yet Robinhood did suffer disruptions earlier this week during surging trading volume, according to Downdetector. Robinhood has also drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators. In June, the family of a 20-year-old college student said he died by suicide after confusion over an apparent negative balance of $730,000 on his Robinhood account. The student was using the app to trade options and his family believed he was misled by Robinhood’s interface. Robinhood’s co-founders said they were “personally devastated by this tragedy” and in response announced a series of changes to its options offering and user interface. ‘Tough but extremely rewarding’ Last month, regulators accused Robinhood of luring inexperienced investors with gaming elements such as colorful confetti and other aggressive marketing techniques. Robinhood disagreed with the allegations. The Securities and Exchange Commission accused Robinhood of deception over the app’s disclosures around payment for order flow, the practice where brokerages get paid to route trades through market makers such as high-frequency trading firms. Without admitting guilt, Robinhood agreed to settle the SEC case with a $65 million fine. To deal with its regulators, Robinhood has beefed up its management team, including by hiring former compliance executives from Fidelity and Wells Fargo and by naming former SEC Commissioner Dan Gallagher its chief legal officer. “It was tough,” Tenev said of 2020, “but extremely rewarding to work through these challenges and make it through the other side. We’re much stronger as a company than we were at the beginning of 2020.” That’s good, because the past few weeks suggest 2021 won’t be a walk in the park either. – Clare Duffy contributed to this report Source link Orbem News #app #free #GameStop #heart #InsideRobinhood #investing #mania #Robinhood #thefreetradingappattheheartoftheGameStopmania-CNN #trading

0 notes

dipulb3 · 4 years ago

Text

Inside Robinhood, the free trading app at the heart of the GameStop mania

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/inside-robinhood-the-free-trading-app-at-the-heart-of-the-gamestop-mania/

Inside Robinhood, the free trading app at the heart of the GameStop mania

The rise of Robinhood means that the ability to buy stocks, on a whim, is now at everyone’s fingertips. Robinhood has opened investing up to the masses.

Gone are the days when sophisticated trading strategies such as options trading and leverage are left to the rich guys on Wall Street. Free trading, coupled with Reddit’s message boards, have leveled the playing field — for better or worse.

“There’s a cultural shift happening,” Vlad Tenev, Robinhood’s co-CEO and co-founder, told Appradab Business in an interview conducted before the Reddit mob teamed up to send GameStop (GME), AMC (AMC) and other stocks to the moon. (Robinhood declined follow-up questions about the Reddit phenomenon.)

“There’s a large group of people that think investing is this serious thing for only if you’re wearing a suit in front of your terminal,” said Tenev, who was born in Soviet-era Bulgaria. “That’s kind of been the legacy school of thought.”

WallStreetBets has shattered that notion.

‘The access is the biggest part’

The Reddit community has captivated the financial world by teaming up to set off epic short squeezes that are hammering hedge funds and other firms. GameStop alone has skyrocketed an unfathomable 1,500% this year.

The Redditors have targeted companies that are popular among short-sellers, who bet that a stock will fall by borrowing the shares and selling them — with the hope of buying them back at a lower price and pocketing the difference. Short-selling is extremely risky because, in theory, the losses are infinite.

None of this would be possible without free trading and the availability of cheap borrowed money, which amplifies the bets.

“The access is the biggest part — easy, free, readily available,” Jaime Rogozinski, who founded WallStreetBets nine years ago, told Appradab Business’ Julia Chatterley on Thursday. “They’re able to instantly get in there and participate and start using these sophisticated leverage tools that are able to exploit the asymmetry of money. They’re forcing the hands of the big guys.”

Tenev said that the old-school thinking that you need a suit to invest is “correlated with thinking that investing is mainly for wealthy people.”

“Our approach is a little bit different, which is that you don’t have to be wealthy to do it,” the Robinhood co-founder said. “You don’t have to have a Ph.D in finance. You don’t have to pore through fundamental analysis, or technical analysis in particular and look at moving averages.”

Indeed, the Wall Street Bets movement shows the impact that retail investors can have when they team up. Although some Reddit users are placing their bets based on fundamental analysis, many are motivated by a populist desire to punish hedge funds and other elite investors.

Outlawing GameStop purchases

Robinhood has been the subject of criticism during the GameStop saga — from all sides.

Some see the episode as proof of how free trading, and rock-bottom interest rates, can backfire. In essence, the normal functioning of capital markets has been disrupted by an online mob.

At the same time, Robinhood has angered the WallStreetBets community and others by restricting trades on highly volatile stocks this week.

First, Robinhood, like other brokers, ramped up margin requirements on both GameStop and AMC to 100%, signaling a deep concern about the extreme volatility in the stocks.

Margin accounts allow investors to buy stocks and other securities with borrowed money. To guard against sharp selloffs, investors must maintain a minimum amount of equity as long as they hold onto the stock.

Robinhood went a step further Thursday by banning users from buying GameStop, AMC, Best Buy (BBY), Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY), Nokia (NOK) and other Reddit darlings. Other brokers took similar steps.

WallStreetBets trained their ire on Robinhood, arguing it’s unfair that retail investors can’t buy these stocks but Wall Street can.

“So much for being on the side of the little guys like Robinhood,” one user wrote. “Just another shill brokerage paid off by the big players. I’ll be switching to another brokerage once this is over and I hope everyone here does too.”

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy slammed the decision in a series of tweets.

“Either @RobinhoodApp allows free trading or it’s the end of Robinhood. Period,” Portnoy said.

Both Republican Ted Cruz and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez promptly called for an investigation into the Robinhood decision — an unlikely meeting of minds.

In a blog post, Robinhood said it is “committed to helping our customers navigate this uncertainty” and reiterated its belief that “everyone should have access to financial markets.”

Outages and tragedy

The Reddit drama is just the latest in a string of controversies surrounding Robinhood.

With its user growth skyrocketing, the app emerged as a pandemic winner. People stuck at home, some of them with stimulus checks to spend, discovered how easy it was to bet on stocks.

Robinhood was awarded an $8.6 billion in a round of funding in July — only to raise another $200 million at an even fatter $11.2 billion valuation in August.

But Robinhood didn’t invest enough in the infrastructure needed to handle all the users flocking to the app. It suffered dozens of outages and disruptions in 2020, including one that prevented Robinhood users from participating in an epic rally in early March.

In the interview, Tenev said Robinhood has made “huge improvements” in system resiliency and redundancy to minimize the risk of similar outages. Yet Robinhood did suffer disruptions earlier this week during surging trading volume, according to Downdetector.

Robinhood has also drawn scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators.

In June, the family of a 20-year-old college student said he died by suicide after confusion over an apparent negative balance of $730,000 on his Robinhood account. The student was using the app to trade options and his family believed he was misled by Robinhood’s interface.

Robinhood’s co-founders said they were “personally devastated by this tragedy” and in response announced a series of changes to its options offering and user interface.

‘Tough but extremely rewarding’

Last month, regulators accused Robinhood of luring inexperienced investors with gaming elements such as colorful confetti and other aggressive marketing techniques. Robinhood disagreed with the allegations.

The Securities and Exchange Commission accused Robinhood of deception over the app’s disclosures around payment for order flow, the practice where brokerages get paid to route trades through market makers such as high-frequency trading firms. Without admitting guilt, Robinhood agreed to settle the SEC case with a $65 million fine.

To deal with its regulators, Robinhood has beefed up its management team, including by hiring former compliance executives from Fidelity and Wells Fargo and by naming former SEC Commissioner Dan Gallagher its chief legal officer.

“It was tough,” Tenev said of 2020, “but extremely rewarding to work through these challenges and make it through the other side. We’re much stronger as a company than we were at the beginning of 2020.”

That’s good, because the past few weeks suggest 2021 won’t be a walk in the park either.

0 notes

yourtokentony · 4 years ago

Text

The TokenTony Letterkenny Character Ranking

The Ranker ranking was ungodly. How dare they. They were wrong in so many ways that can’t even be counted. So it’s my turn. Time to fix it.

The first step is to recognize the difference between “recurring characters” and “oneoffs”. Some oneoffs may appear in future or more than one gags (Garrett/Jarrett wasn’t even mentioned) but they were listed, so I have to relist.

One Offish Characters

9. The TSN Sports Anchors - Not bad people, I’m sure, but these situations they appeared in were literally based on Tanis’s speeches (the females) and the joke set up by Jean Jacques Francois Jacque Jean. So they are the bottom spot.

8. Native Hockey Coach - Again, not a bad dude, but only a yang to Tanis’s Yan.

7. The Matchmaker - Why was she listed? The only reason she even got a nod higher here is that she gave me (and viewers I’m sure) a chance to really see some fun in characters (I’ll never look at baseball the same again)

6 Sled Ted/Jivin’ Pete I get it. They helped establish the show. But not great characters at all.

5. Big City Slams: They were good people too (sorry, I’m a boy) and helped Stuart become more than just a nobody, and that good lovin’ became a part of my daily speech for a while. But they are just a gag on “we’re hot.”

4. Dyck Sisters: God in Heaven, they ranked too many characters. But dick jokes are funny and their parents appeared more than once.

3. Wally: Started the Native trend. Gets points for that.

2. Hard Right Jay: This was a fun episode, and I really like this guy (the actor). He was a sad representation of what the US really is, and a good character in the show.

1. RatAss: The king of the one off characters. “Let’s get to it, Knock off Wolverine” makes me laugh every time and I think it’s a real life point.

Actual Characters

46. The Models - I love a pun gag more than most (I’m a dad), but I didn’t like the idea that “Katie Fucks” was being thrown in Wayne’s face. The idea was always a “yeah, it’s happening, but we won’t talk about it”.

45. Tania’s Crew - Again, like some of the one offs, Tanis’s opposites weren’t the greatest depth, but good still...but not alone.

44. Brodude Twins - Not a fan. But hey, I’m a guy.

43. Angie - Here’s why Angie is so low...she was unused. I feel she could have been central as a “not Wayne” character, but she pops in and out randomly. And she messed up the senior whaleshit hockey team.

42. The Newfoundland Hockey Players: I laughed. You laughed. It was a blast to see the chirping go the other way. But not the deepest gag of the show and definitely not worth Ranker’s situation.

41. The Brodude leader: Honestly, isn’t she quite the chauvinistic human? Other than that, you can almost predict her lines. And I don’t like that.

40. Quebeck Hicks: I loved the idea. I smiled. I said “Look at French Squirrely Dan!” But otherwise, not much contribution.

39. Jean Jacque Francois Jacque Jean: He only got his own separate because I see him in the finale of season 9. And I hate his name is so stereotypical, but I dig.

38. Alexander: The TERLETS! Hahah But yeah, just a start.

37. Devon: The leader of the Skids when Stuart was “away”...still didn’t do much for me. But I don’t think the Skids are great characters anyway.

36. Bradley: OK, probably should have been in the oneoff category, but man...that was a great episode. I’ll race Squirrely right now! Tito get me a tissue!

35. Gae: Man, a whole season to try to grow the skids and still didn’t do it for me. But the “why do you rebel” was a part of my life for a few drunken nights.

34. Ellen: Dude, I wish she was on screen more. A lot of Squirrely Dan’s growth was wrapped in her and yet, she was in like 2 episodes. Sigh.

33. Anik: The reason Scottie got such a high vote, but she dropped because well, chauvanism.

32. Cousin Jake: It was nice to have an American in the show. For real. And he made an impact. But so many other characters!

31. Dax: I had to separate them only because of Katie’s reaction during the matchmaking episode. But yeah, they are both down here.

30. Ron: See above, only without that reaction.

29. Girl Hockey players: I loved it. It’s fun to make fun of girls for being promiscuous. But we’re getting into really influential territory and they don’t have the “we were there to start” points.

28. Senior Whaleshit Hockey Players: See above. I love my Senior Whaleshit Hockey Players like I love my ex-wife: 28th on the list.

27. Scottie Wallis: I still say YEW when I see cute girls. If he had been in more than 2 episodes.

26. The Ginger: I mean, the first accused of ostrich-fucking became Squirrely Dan’s catch phrase. I have a shirt that says “allegedly” and I say it also frequently.

25. Boots: I mean, you’d need at least 2 people to smash an ostrich.

24. Noah Dyck: I had to separate them. He was good, but wasn’t as good as his other half.

23. Dierks: Man. Have I ever wanted to fight someone more. Katie believed in him and he was the American infiltration to this smalltown. Sigh. We all learn...

22. Anita Dyck: She gets a higher ranking because she was “human”. She had no time for Daryl’s crap and was still doing her best to stay trure.

21. Rosie: Look, she’s doing good for Wayne. And I like some color in my white TV. But they are forcing good lines to her, and she doesn’t really deserve them.

20. Roald: I don’t like how much we make fun of him as a sub. But he’s there. And has been. He’s winning only on longevity.

19. Gayle: Lots of fighting on this one. I love Gayle’s character. Horny. Small Business owner. Basically me in all my dreams. Again, we’re getting tough here.

18. Mrs. McMurray: I think of her more when I think of “ugh...the lifestyle” than I do her husband. But she seems to be phasing out of the show, and that’s sad. Cause she could get it.

17. McMurray: Dude, his speech on what average penis length is should have absolutely given him top billing, but they have again started phasing him out. Sigh.

16. Stewart: The leader of the skids does deserve top billing. They aren’t my favorite characters though, and I’m not the biggest fan.

15. Marie Fred: I was more sad for this betrayal than a lot of TV betrayals I’m used to. And that’s new for me. But they gave her Rosie type lines while she was dating him and gave her an out. That’s good stuff.

14. Tyson: Tyson is good people. But his intro to the show is what separates and lowers him from his compadre.

13. Glen: My favorite uncomfirmed gay in the show. Longevity (cause well, he’s a writer) and always present in good story connecting arcs (again, the dating episode for Wayne really put him on for me)

12. Jimmie Dickens: My second round of watching all the seasons made me love Jimmie Dickens more than others. I said “400% bullshit round here” at work once, and everyone agreed.

11. Joint Boy: Joint Boy’s initial monologue before fighting Wayne separates him from Tyson, also the way he kicked a guy in the nuts before steaks.

10. Tanis: We are getting in the weeds now. I love Tanis. 10/10 would recommend. The crap she gives Wayne for simply crossing his legs is both legendary and amazing. BUTTTT...she’s also quite...unrefined. Both as a character and as a person. She shouldn’t be so...lost, right?

9. Coach: I freaking love Coach. “F***ing embarrassing” has become a part of my normal life. The barb episode and the beer league hockey were great additions to the show. I want my oreos.

8. BONNIE MCMURRAY. If you didn’t say it like that, you don’t understand.

7. Jonesy: Dude, he’s a real one. Created so many new terms in my vocab for no reason. The only reason he’s lower:

6.: Reilly: Doesn’t have a treasure trail. But a great spot.

5. Darry: I wish, for real, they didn’t beat him up so much. But Banana Boat is not a cologne, Dary!

4. Katy: I hope she’s not upset about literally being the “hot girl with problems”, but they do it good on this show.

3. Squirrley Dan: My dog. My truth. My spirit animal. He’s only not #1 because he has to correct and adjust the rest of the cast. DON’T MAKE ME SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO GET ROWDY! (Dan voice)

2. Wayne: Yeah, he’s great. No qualms here.

1. Shores. My Australian friends call me “Rossy”, in case you were wondering where the “y” comes from. But man Shoresy is hands down the best character in the show. I hope, and pray, they don’t ever make him “vulnerable”. Just let him be!

Thanks for reading!

1 note · View note

davewakeman · 5 years ago

Text

Talking Tickets 29 May 2020--Premier League! StubHub! Arts! And More!

Hey There!

Thanks for being here again this week. If you are enjoying this newsletter, tell your friends and colleagues to sign up by visiting this link.

Don’t forget to visit me and Ken Troupe for a Happy Hour tonight.

I’m going to post this at the top, but a colleague of mine from the UK, Alastair Thomson has put out a book about two weeks ago and he is giving away the Kindle version until the end of the month. Cash Flow Surge-101 Low Cost or No-Cost Fast Action Strategies to Boost Your Business Cash Flow. may be a good read for all of us right now, yeah? So get it while it is free.

Make sure you check out the Slack group if you haven’t already.

To the tickets!

——————————————————————————————— 1. Worst Deal Ever?!

Forbes covered Eric Baker’s acquisition of StubHub with a large piece this week. (As I was writing this up, StubHub’s president steps away as well.)

It is an interesting piece but I think it only reinforces the larger points that most of us have already been thinking about for the past few weeks and months, the secondary market as we know it will change and that it is unlikely that we will see a quick resolution to the return of live events.

The lesson here is that I do think that the business models of brokers, platforms, teams, venues, and organizations should be being thought through and fast.

Demand was a challenge to begin with before the pandemic unless you were certain legacy artists like Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, or Wilco. Sports was challenged for attendance and for every “hot” ticket there were tons that weren’t hot and the twitter feed of Empty Seats Galore was getting a tremendous workout showing off the empty seats at all of the “sold out” events.

I wrote up a blog post a few weeks back about asking the right questions. I had a chance to chat with my friend, Stephen Glicken, again this week and he was all over me about what kinds of questions am I thinking through, independent of my thoughts on the topic…he was selling me on The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the punch line of “you have to ask the right question.”

Two ideas I had going through my head as I read this piece and thought through everything that we’ve seen and learned over the last 10 weeks:

* The idea that some light switch is going to go off and we just return to normal, or some new normal, is a myth. We are going to be dealing with a minimum of 3 challenges coming out of the pandemic: a public health crisis brought on by the virus, a financial crisis due to the lockdown, and a mental health crisis brought on by a lot of things.

While I am well aware of the data that shows a lot of things go back to normal pretty quickly, ticketed events will be the last things that get to return to normal and the need to be innovative in our approach, agile in how we approach things, and focus is more important than ever.

* There is a great need to be much more customer-focused in the future. I remember back in the pre-Covid days, chatting with Danny Frank about the idea of the teams needing to be more responsive to premium buyers, but seeing how much of the revenue of leagues and teams is still tied up in the in-game experience begs the question of what exactly have folks been doing that they haven’t been innovating their business models nearly rapidly enough.

I was looking at the typical signs that an industry or a business is ready to be disrupted earlier in the week and the 4 signs are:

Consumers don’t trust the current system

New technology isn’t being utilized

Products and services aren’t affordable to normal folks

Inconvenience is at an all-time high

I don’t know about you, but I see all 4 boxes being checked.

After all the challenges around refunds, cancellations, and postponements, does anyone trust the world of tickets?

How much new technology is available that isn’t just ticket related but private industry related that just never gets used by teams, venues, and other organizations?

Pricing? Anyone?

And, even in the industry, don’t we moan and complain about how we need to shop our own sites to figure out how complicated it is for folks to buy a ticket?

The truth is that we all need to get back in touch with the basics of strategy, sales, marketing, and operations. I think we’ve seen that the biggest opportunities aren’t going to come out of what is different, but likely the trends that were already present and the ability to do the basics very well.

I should also mention, I was going back and forth with folks in the UK and Australia about the piece earlier and the article linked above says nothing about the contempt that the market has for Viagogo in many markets which could lead the long-term health of the combined company to be questioned. Nor, does it touch on what happens to StubHub when events start and they have to unroll all of the things they’ve done so far.

That’s a story for another day.

2. The Premier League Is Back, Baby!

I’m still on the train of Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, but I haven’t really had a chance to read too much about the league so I don’t know nearly enough to claim them as my long term German team, yet.

As Kathryn told me, “I’ve never had a bad time in Munich!”

In the Premier League, well, we know I am a Spurs fan!

But there will be some interesting things that we can learn just like we did from the Bundesliga and as we see the NBA, NHL, and MLB work towards coming back in the States.

Another place to look will be the NRL in Australia where there is a push being made to get fans back into stadiums by 1 July.

This is all very exciting, but we still don’t really know what the next few months of dealing with the virus will look like for any country, sport, or business. But we do know that things could get dicey if we have another wave of coronavirus infections because of lessons learned from the first wave.

But the NFL is planning on going forward as normal.

Whether or not that is realistic, I don’t know…but I think we would definitely prefer having fans in the stadiums to The Remote Cheerer, though we were talking about this idea at our social distance happy hour with our neighbors on Saturday night. Or, those pumped in noises from Dortmund this week.

What is really interesting to me is that we have had a real-world testing ground to see whether or not fans really do create a home field advantage…and, guess what? They do!

And, Ted Leonsis said in a nice way what I’ve been saying for weeks now, but I’ll say it my way…too many bad ideas are carrying far too much weight right now.

Two points here:

First, it is nice to have sports back and I think this moment where stay-at-home orders are still in effect or are being encouraged is an opportunity to grow the fanbase.

Second, we also need to pay attention to what folks that aren’t engaging with sports now are doing and saying to learn how we can be better at selling and marketing games moving forward.

3. Peter V’landy pulled the NRL back from the edge:

If I haven’t mentioned yet, sports is big business in Australia and watching how the businesses in Australia have handled themselves has been very informative.

What is interesting here is how quickly and decisively the NRL moved to take action to use the shutdown of their season to set themselves up for success and to secure their future.

Attacking the problem proactively is a smart decision because as Peter Jones mentioned this week, large scale events with crowds are likely out until the first quarter of next year. This mirrors what some doctors I know have said about the States.

This is interesting to watch as we also see Major League Baseball rush towards a challenging situation with their players and having some sort of season this year…things are getting nasty! And, there really should be room for an agreement.

Kids, call me if you need me.

The big takeaway here is that you have to get out on your front foot and attack your challenges. The challenges between MLB and their players’ union have been festering and worsening for years and baseball has often been slower to move and innovate compared to other leagues.

This is now coming up and causing a challenge now.

That applies to all of us in our businesses now. If we aren’t the ones disrupting ourselves and stress testing our businesses, someone else will.

4. How will cultural events recover?

Organizations around the world are being decimated by the impact of the coronavirus on their businesses.

And, for a lot of folks, there is no end in sight.

On Wednesday, the District of Columbia announced a four-stage opening process for the District and you won’t see events with over 250 people until we enter stage 4. That puts many businesses just in the District in danger, now multiply that by cities around the world and you get a sector under tremendous pressure.

In the UK alone, the arts employ over 400,000 folks and generates over 23 billion pounds in revenue.

While I’m sure that everyone reading this has a professional connection to the arts and tickets, Prince Charles gave an interview this week where he talked about the importance of art as a teaching piece and as a way to connect families. For me, I still vividly remember the excitement of my first Broadway show, A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.

The arts are powerful and they provide economic, intellectual, and spiritual value to our lives.

Don’t believe me on this, tell me about your favorite live event experience. I’ve shared a few of them over the months here, but that Pearl Jam concert on July 8, 2003 when the floor at the Garden started rocking was something I’ll never forget…there was a feeling in the air that you couldn’t explain like it was going to be a special night.

Or, the night I went to see the Yankees and the Red Sox with Schilling pitching with a bloody sock.

Finally, the first time I saw The Producers on Broadway and almost busted a seem I was laughing so hard.

Why do I bring this up?

Because we have to put ourselves not in the shoes of ourselves as benefiting financially off of events to convince legislators and folks to support the arts and events to help everyone get back to normal, that’s talking to someone’s head.

That’s not where decisions are made.

You have to talk to folks’ hearts and that little spot in their chest where the butterflies live…that’s where you will get them. So, again, let’s look at what folks are doing in each of our localities, and let’s push and promote and get folks to take action, not for us, but for themselves.

5. A few random stories to share at the end:

A lot of big artists are just writing off the rest of 2020. I’ve still got my Wilco tickets for August! But I’m guessing that won’t go off.

From a risk mitigation standpoint…totally makes sense, but still tough to see in print.

The Saudi takeover of Newcastle might not happen after all. If you’d ask me what Premier League team I was going to follow, I’d have told you Newcastle due to the association with Newcastle brown…all this means is that someone is going to have a chance to build a really great club because there are some strong brand assets in place already.

Sports have been called a modern religion…and there are reasons that this shutdown has made the absence of sports feel different.

——————————————————————————————–

What am I up to this week?

I’ve been doing some strategy work on myself the past few weeks and thinking through how I want to move forward and relaunch out of the coronavirus.

Starting on Monday, June 1st, you’ll start to notice, or not, a bit more of an emphasis on marketing and strategy. As I’ve been testing out the ideas here, I’ve discovered that the biggest and most important thing is typically to understand the environment that we are making decisions in, asking the right questions, and figuring out how to create opportunities in this market, but really in any competitive market.

The podcast stream will start getting a lot of action again as I’m going to try and do two podcasts a week: one with someone that is from the world of entertainment, sports, and ticket business. The second one from someone in the world at large with folks focused on strategy, marketing, and management.

So going forward…this area will be a little more exciting.

Please follow and like us:

Talking Tickets 29 May 2020–Premier League! StubHub! Arts! And More! was originally published on Wakeman Consulting Group

0 notes

jspark3000 · 7 years ago

Note

Hi J.S. Park! I've been reading your book "What the Church Won't Talk about..." because I am currently struggling a lot with stuff and on top of that feeling a very dry season with God. I honestly love reading through your thoughts and stories on tumblr, and reading through this book has brought me a renewed perspective on things- so thank you J.S. Park for being a light in so many lives! I don't know if you have written anywhere on it before- but have you ever shared your thoughts on shame?

Hey dear friend, thank you so much for your encouragement and your kind words. I really needed them today; it’s been a discouraging time. Also the book you’re referring to is here for anyone interested: http://www.amazon.com/What-Church-Wont-Talk-About/dp/1502529564/

Here are a few thoughts about shame:

1) Shame is a very poor motivation for long-term change.

Shame is that sick physical feeling of being washed through with a debilitating shiver; emotionally it can be an internal bomb of embarrassment, grief, anger, or regret; psychologically it feels like losing self-worth and value. We try to escape this feeling as much as we can—it’s an awful, nauseating, dizzying flush that your entire body recognizes on impact.

Shame is socially weaponized to coerce others into “doing the right thing.” Other times, it’s just to make someone feel like a terrible person, like they could never do any good. In the best case scenario, “shaming” would create the desire to reflect and change their ways for the better. It provokes a sort of social conformity in which you must fall in line for the common benefit of everyone else.

You can see shame tactics being weaponized everywhere. Think of every “public shaming” blog, made famous first by Tumblr, that calls out your fave celebrities for being problematic or mocks the guy who uses the entire four-chair table at Starbucks. Think of books like Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother or movies like Whiplash. Think of the model who was recently charged for “fat-shaming” (the actual charge was invasion of privacy, and rightly so). Think of this recent method to help quit smoking, in which if you relapse, you donate the amount of money you’ve saved off cigarettes to a campaign that you hate (this combines shame with aversion). Think of a typical evangelical preacher, who uses fear, shame, and fire-and-brimstone to manipulate you into “getting right with God.” Think of terms like “slut-shaming, virgin-shaming, gay-shaming”—and the list goes on.

In the short term, some studies show that shame can make change. However, other studies show that shame is destructive and does permanent long-term damage.

I believe that shame doesn’t really work as a motivation for long-term change. All it does is modify behavior to look like it’s conforming, without actually getting to the root of the issue.

For a great talk about shame and vulnerability, watch Brene Brown’s TED Talk, the most watched TED Talk of all time. Her research is the absolute seminal work on this topic.

2) Shame and guilt are two entirely different things.

You’ve probably heard this by now, but guilt is saying, “I did something bad,” while shame is saying, “I am bad.”

It sounds like splitting hairs, but our approach to both can have entirely different outcomes.

If we can adapt to guilt—”I did something bad”—then we can focus on the how and why of the behavior and even internally change our motivations.

If we adapt to shame—”I am bad”—then there’s no room to look at how and why we do things, and instead can only use punishment and external deprivation to make change. This is turn only makes us craftier and more likely to suppress our true motivations without changing them.

We’ve all seen this before. You can have two people who attend church sit side-by-side who look exactly the same: they show up on time, they donate to charity, they bring coffee and donuts, they read their Bible everyday, they mow your lawn for free. But one is motivated by the anxiety of possible punishment and always compensating for a terrible gap inside them, as if they’ll always be found out. The other is motivated by doing good purely for the good in itself.

Of course, our motives are very messy and never this clear-cut. We could be a blend of both. But the next time you mess up, pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. Do you feel guilt or remorse or even anger about the thing you did? That’s more or less normal. Or do you disproportionately beat yourself up and wish you could disappear for a week? There’s probably buried shame that’s been carved into you by condemning voices over a lifetime—and really that’s no fault of your own. Many of us have been indoctrinated since birth to only respond to shame, and so we’ve become maladaptive.

3) Shame, despite its damage and ineffectiveness, still points to something deep and true.

I believe shame points to something very real about our human nature: that we know something is desperately missing inside, and we need no less than the divine to be made whole. Underneath our attempts at glamour and glory and prestige, we’re dreadfully naked underneath. The feeling of shame, whether that feeling has come about by right or wrong methods, points to our constant imperfection, that visceral longing that we’re always reaching for something just outside our reach.

So when someone says, “Don’t shame me!” or “Shame doesn’t work,” they’re absolutely right. Shaming doesn’t address the actual need. It only bludgeons someone into good behavior, and only works as long as the bludgeon is there. When it’s not, the behavior just regresses and reverts. The human spirit is a rubber band, always trying to snap back into place.

But to say “Shame is a lie” is actually false. When someone shames someone else, they’re not creating a feeling, but exposing a feeling that points to a human truth. We fall short. We’re incomplete. We’re not whole.

In other words, The person who does the shaming is in the wrong and it won’t work. The person who feels the shame should recognize that this feeling points to a deep human need for wholeness and goodness, and should not ignore these implications.

4) As a Christian, I believe that Christianity both exposes and solves our shame problem.

On one hand, it’s too easy to say “shame is bad and evil,” as if the feeling itself must be banned from culture. The thing is, a world without any shame would be a dang shame. If you swing the pendulum too far this way, then there’s no accountability or justice—and in my opinion, I think it’s become harder to find people who can genuinely admit, “I was wrong, I’m sorry, and I hold myself accountable to doing better,” and then following through. Socially and politically, it seems almost impossible these days for anyone to embrace their shame as a reality which must be confronted.

On the other hand, everyone lives with shame, and it’s a terrorizing, anxious burden in the basement of our hearts, often filling us with such dread that we 1) over-work ourselves to death, 2) hide our true selves under a mask of smiling conformity, 3) reinforce our pride to avoid any self-correction, or 4) stay terrified in the dark of making any moves at all. All these options end in spiritual implosion.

In the Christian worldview, shame points to my sin, and sin is the human condition of both my selfishness and emptiness. When I feel shame, it’s simply one more thread that traces back to the very real problem of humanity.

In a perfect Garden, we once had no shame at all, because we had all the wholeness and validation we could ever want. But ever since our disconnection from God, we’ve all been clawing back to Eden, and sometimes, someone points at us and laughs. The pointing and mocking are wrong, but the clawing is our very real struggle for the divine love we once had. It is, like Genesis 3 says, a kind of curse, or perhaps a poisoned sickness, in which we’re trying to find the remedy. And culture says, Do this and that and the feeling of shame will stop. But it never stops. It only changes the behavior and not our nature.

When Jesus died on a cross, he was exposing the high cost of our sin. This is what it takes to claw back to Eden—you’d have to beat yourself up to the point of bloody shreds. Jesus placed himself under the cost of our curse, so that now and eternally, we’d know that our shame was revoked. He did this out of love, but even better, out of grace, a costly love. When Jesus resurrected, this was showing he didn’t just pay a cost, but he also wants an eternal relationship, a relationship without shame. Think of that. He not only died for sin, but came back to live with us, walk alongside us, love us into who we could truly be.

Think of every other relationship you’ve ever had, whether it was with a person, with money, beauty, reputation, sports team, housing association, government, church, career. If you fail those things, they will shame you, and even if you change for them, they have you by the neck, and you’ll still feel unfulfilled. It’s a constant balancing act with unstable, unpredictable forces. These idols promise wholeness, but crush you the second you fail.

With Christ, if you fail him, he’s already taken the shame. He’s already forgiven you. And when you follow him, he actually fulfills you. There’s not an ounce of punishment or penalty in him towards you. He is purely grace. His love is such that, if you mess up, he already knew it was coming, and so instead of compensating for all the mess before, you can actually become who you are meant to be in Him now. No other person, philosophy, system, or interaction offers such grace when you fail.

And only grace, in the end, is the pure motivation that causes true heart transformation. It may take longer, but that’s why it’s grace. Shame is like laying down bricks that never grow, but only keep shape. Grace is like planting seeds, that push through the dirt to the sun, so that your whole being is different. With shame, you only change for what it looks like. With grace, you change because you want to, because you can’t help but look at a savior and be tenderized and galvanized towards His goodness.

— J.S.

#waylandheat #guilt #shame #religion #faith #psychology #Christianity #Jesus

75 notes · View notes

psychicmedium14 · 7 years ago

Photo

As the only Aquarius full moon of 2017 brightens up the skies at 2:10 p.m. EST, these future-forward moonbeams help us dream outside of the box. The Aquarius full moon is also a game-changingpartial lunar eclipse and is known by some Native American tribes as the "Full Sturgeon Moon," since the sturgeon found in the Great Lakes were caught in abundance this time of year. Stargazers, rejoice: The Perseid meteor shower will also be visible at this lunation, reaching its peak on August 12. The cosmos are already putting on quite a show in August, as the Aquarius lunar eclipse kicks offthis month's eclipse season, culminating with a total solar eclipse at the Leo new moon on August 21. Astrologically speaking, we’ll feel the impact of both of these eclipses—no goggles required! These lunar liftoffs shake up the status quo and reveal things that are obscured from our view. High-minded Aquarius is the sign of collaboration, groups, and humanitarian efforts. It’s all about uniting around a higher cause and the creative impulse to fight for our beliefs. This sign is more about universal love than intense one-on-ones. The casual Water Bearer can get nervous under the heat of too much passion and emotion. This is friendly, convivial energy at its best—platonic, playful, and decidedly NOT romantic. But who cares? Aquarius is irresistibly fun, likable, and adorably goofy—making this liberating lunation a good time to be shared by all. With Aquarian energy in the cosmic mix, this star map helps us visualize our ideal futures and then connect to the people who can help us bring the big picture to life. When in doubt, take the unconventional route! Aquarius is the sign that governs teamwork and technology. There will be group victories to celebrate this week—or a deep desire to find our tribes. Turn on the searchlight: Those kindred spirits could be revealed within the next two weeks. Feel like making the world a better place? (Hands raised.) Power-to-the-people Aquarius guides us toward humanitarian missions. Whether your big-hearted endeavors involve global activism or a little community cleanup, there's strength in numbers, too. No good deed is too small…but why not go a little bigger, inviting your social network to get in on these kind acts? You say you want a revolution? Make some wishes or intentions (see our guide to new/full moon rituals here), and get the movement underway. Meanwhile, here are seven star-powered tips to liberate yourself at the Aquarius full moon: 1. Embrace your weird. So you secretly believe that aliens inhabit the earth and live among us (come to think of it, that strange neighbor of yours does fit the profile). You put hot sauce on your dessert. You don’t believe in monogamy, but you're certain unicorns exist. Whatever. The Aquarius full moon urges you tostop hiding the parts of yourself that might be quirky, eccentric, or just not in perfect harmony with the people around you. Because Aquarian energy is all about "live and let live," this full moon is great for authentic sharing—without forcing your ideas on anyone else. 2. Know that setbacks are necessary in order to move forward. Uber-rational Aquarius is a master of emotional objectivity. Where do you have your teeth and claws sunk in so deeply that you can’t see the forest for the trees? The Aquarius full moon is a great day to practice the Buddhist principle of nonattachment. Yes, you may WANT something with every fiber of your being. But do you also understand that if it doesn’t happen, you’ll still be OK? If you think you can't survive without a person, an outcome, or whatever you’re hooked into, this lunar light helps you release that fear. Let go, and the Aquarius full moon will bring a better long-term resolution to your issues. 3. Envision a utopian world...and manifest it! Got a radical idea? Aquarius is the sign of the future and even rules sci-fi. It’s the forward-focused mad scientist who envisions a quirky, idealized world—or perhaps one populated by aliens, cyborgs, and a code of radical individualism. Author Ayn Rand was an Aquarius, and her philosophy of objectivism—controversial as it is—champions reason, fighting for liberation, and minimal government meddling (no sloppy sentiment in there). Of course, that can edge into scary Tea Party territory, but that’s why most philosophies are more interesting on paper than in practice. While your beliefs may not be quite so stark and stripped of emotion, consider what the perfect world would be like if you could create it. What does it look like—and how can you bring a healthy drop of that to your daily life? Maybe it’s to the tune of Burning Man, where every day is a costume party, and people share their talents, goods, and services without exchanging money. You might want to read up on some New Age and shamanic ideas (like the "Hopi Prophecies") or even deepen your knowledge of astrology—all Aquarian themes. Browse for books or sites about reforming society—notions like a "gift economy." Check out Lewis Hyde’s The Gift or author/blogger Seth Godin’s Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? which takes a stand for art over cold industrialism. Or, head to the otherworldly zone that Aquarius loves and read theories on aliens (no judgment here under this broad-minded moon!), like Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians. All you need is a curious, open mind. 4. Bear your own Olympic torch. Aquarius is the zodiac’s team player, encouraging you to show pride for a group you belong to. Whether the activity you’re involved in is sporty or stationary, wave the symbolic flag and wear the uniform. But don't sit in the stands, spectator-style. The gold medal goes to those who move their bodies! Aquarius is all about kinetic energy, and this full moon is the perfect time to commit to a sports league, train for a 5K with a team, or attend a group fitness class. The next two weeks are an especially rich time for jumping in with both sneakered feet. Summon your social network! Getting your friends into the fitness groove with you will keep you motivated. 5. Host a high-minded workshop. Idealistic, intellectual Aquarius revels in the realm of cutting-edge ideas. The Aquarius full moon creates the perfect space for a workshop or salon. Gather your brain trust for a topic-centered discussion, potluck style if you can, since group-centric Aquarius parties are even better when everyone contributes. You might even screen a film like No Impact Man or watch a TED talk to spark the conversation. Who knows? With the Aquarius full moon ruling the skies, the night could end with a plan for the new world order. 6. Let loose and geek out. Liberated Aquarius rules technology, so circle this full moon for spreading a message through social media and digital platforms. Ready for a job upgrade? The Aquarius full moon prompts you to up your technical know-how. Check out courses from Lynda.com or General Assembly, where you can get both virtual and in-person instruction. This full moon is a great time to launch an online marketing, crowdfunding, or social networking campaign, too. Ready, set, go viral! 7. Give yourself a breath of fresh air. As any yogi will attest, there’s nothing more centering than a deep inhalation of oxygen. Aquarius is an air sign, so breathe deep! Many of us won’t take a sip of water that isn’t filtered, so how about giving our air the same attention at the Aquarius full moon? Plug in the air purifier, deionizer, or dehumidifier. Try an essential oil mister for a fragrant and soothing blast. Just go easy on the patchouli—a fan favorite of this bohemian Aquarius full moon, but a strong whiff for the average sensory citizen. Grapefruit, lemon, tangerine, and other citrus oils are uplifting and energizing. Perfect for the Aquarius "mad scientist" moments that could keep you up working on your master plan till the wee hours of the morn'.

#astrology #full moon #aquarius

3 notes · View notes

edwina333-blog · 4 years ago

Text

Out of the game before the game starts

"We looked like we were emotionally drained, physically drained, and we didn have much energy," said Noel. "Why is that? Is that because the level of games we had to play and the pressure of winning at home and trying to keep getting points,nfl jerseys and coming back from being down and battling back those things are real for me, they take their toll. Sometimes this is the by products of those things.".

nfl jerseys Pity the sports columnist who reaches for sanctimony in the Gomorrah of college football. Two voters for the 2010 Heisman Trophy, the sport's top award, have announced that they won't vote for Auburn quarterback Cam Newton because of their moral qualms about Newton's "integrity." Their names are Mike Bianchi and Michael Bradley, and they are profiles in hypocrisy. Bianchi and Bradley have decided to publicly shun Newton even though he has had by far the best season in the sport. nfl jerseys

wholesale jerseys Vacciner r fr oss eller vra familjemedlemmar ett komplicerat, personliga problem. Min make och jag vljer att hoppa ver rliga vacciner som influensa och lunginflammation. Vi bda hade en ganska irriterande influensa under vren. Out of the game before the game starts, coach Ted Nolan said in Prudential Center. Boils down to mental preparation. We got to be mentally ready to start. wholesale jerseys

cheap jerseys Bergamasco's right flank was exposed and his right arm and hand found itself on Fitzpatrick's head. Right fist The touch judge's yellow jersey blocked the camera at the crucial moment but, that said, Bergamasco's right arm and hand remained on the left side of Fitzpatrick's face. When they all hit the deck https://www.cheapjerseys28.com left hand was in contact with Manici's right at which point Fitzpatrick unleashed his right fist while lying on the ground with little impact.. cheap jerseys

cheap jerseys He has one now in Auston Matthews. So what wins out here, Lamoriello longtime principles or an adjustment because he doesn want to go to war with the first overall pick. Sat in the stands at Rogers Centre Friday night. New endgame content includes an Operation called Terror From Beyond, which features the Gree race. PvPers will enjoy a new warzone called Ancient Hypergates. A new space combat mission will challenge that mini game's fans. cheap jerseys

The High Speed Rotary Polisher: Best choice for auto body shop to stripprepare vehicle for new paint job Best for heavy duty compounding Is lighter in weight Offers variable speed options. Both types of detailing polishers provide specific advantages when used appropriately according to the customer's need. Skill Level in Polishing Using the high speed rotary requires considerable skill learned over time and experience. wholesale nfl jerseys

Cheap Jerseys free shipping One is a quiet freshman, the other a confident junior. One plays offense, the other defense. For all their differences, Wes and Ryan Timko have a great deal in common. We have all heard Chris Carrabba's "Vindicated" off the Spiderman 2 Soundtrack, but have you heard anything else from this brilliant man? If not, then please, please, pick up this album. No one can match the sounds of want and desire that pours form his vocals, even to the point of passionate screams cracking on the recording. What he brings to the table is real, pure emotion. Cheap Jerseys free shipping

wholesale jerseys from china Kansas City's Eric Hosmer homered and drove in two runs, Royals teammate Salvador Perez also hit a two run homer, and the American League won its fourth consecutive All Star Game, beating the NL 4 2 Tuesday night.Hosmer and Perez provided enough offense in the early innings for the AL to win the midsummer classic for the 15th time in the last 19 years. The AL will get home field advantage again in the World Series.Hosmer and Perez both connected in a six pitch span of the second inning against San Francisco's Johnny Cueto, their Royals teammate on last season's World Series winning team https://www.cheapjerseys29.com.David Ortiz had a walk and a line drive out in what's expected to be the final All Star Game for the Boston slugger, who plans to retire this fall. The AL roster came onto the field when Ortiz left the game for a pinch runner, embracing and congratulating him.After AL starter Chris Sale gave up a homer to Chicago crosstown rival Kris Bryant, the AL's pitching staff largely shut down the NL. wholesale jerseys from china

Cheap Jerseys china This year they've grown a foot taller and they're skating beautifully."Winning is overrated, say those who have seen the Rockets play. Pashak says that after the atom team lost its first game of the season by 10 or 11 0, and then game two by 8 0, they were ecstatic to lose only 5 0 in their third game."They came off the ice like they'd won the Stanley Cup," Pashak says. "We only gave up five goals!"Recently, the team registered a 2 2 tie. Cheap Jerseys china

Cheap Jerseys free shipping Get daily updates directly to your inbox+ SubscribeThank you for subscribing!There was a bouncy castle, a baking and homemade poducts stall, bric a brac, a plant stall, books, a tea room, a tombola and raffles, to keep the visitors entertained.Reverend Shona Lillie, Rector of St Andrew's in Uddingston and St Cuthbert's in Cambuslang, said: "A good day was had at St Cuthbert's Summer Fayre with a nice stream of sociable people throughout the morning."The weather however, started out not so summery! It was a wee bit drizzly to start with, so the take up for the bouncy castle came later in the morning when, at last, the sun came out!"Bargaining and banter were the order of the day and the tea room was complimented on how it looked and the superb quality of the baking!"Plenty of bargains meant folk went away happy, full of tea and cakes https://www.cheapjerseys30.com, and bearing lots of bags of purchases."A big thank you to all who supported St Cuthbert's Episcopal Church, and 'haste ye back!"CAMBUSLANG'S St Bride's Parish raised for East African appeal. The money raised went to SCIAF.Caritas, the coordinating group of 165 Catholic International Relief Agencies, directly help 24 million people each year and raised billion for international development projects.SCIAF helps in 12 different countries and has especially been active in Southern Sudan.A party from the church is going on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in July 2012. Anyone interested in going in the trip will be welcome and join them, and should contact the church.Jigsaw is a group for youngsters aged from five to 12, meeting in the St Bride's hall from 3 5pm each weekday Cheap Jerseys free shipping.

0 notes

maxihealth · 5 years ago

Text

Intent, Insiders/Outsiders and Insights — Disney Institute’s Women’s Leadership Summit

There are many forms of magic inspired by Disney, the company. There’s the obvious attraction, the Magic Kingdom, that was Walt’s original destination vision, “imagineered” in 1932.

Then there are other kinds of magic. The one I’m deep into in the moment is inspiration, ideation, and “reimagineering” my own thinking about work, legacy, and social justice.

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to spend much of this week at the inaugural Disney Institute Women’s Leadership Summit. The Institute convened about 300 women (and a handful of brave “He-for-She” men keen on diversity) in Orlando to learn about and brainstorm Disney’s corporate approach to intentional listening, storytelling, and inclusion – and how these values can benefit us for both our business and personal lives.

Between keynotes in large plenary sessions and breakouts focusing in on specific values, we attendees came away brimming with new ideas, challenging biases, and making dozens of new friends.

In this post, I aim to share the key lessons that resonated with me, many of them through my broad lens on health.

Catherine Powell, President of Disney Parks, Western Region, kicked off the Summit with her keynote talk during which she detailed her work history and personal life, offering key insights along her journey. In her early career, Catherine made documentary films in Somalia and worked with the BBC. She fell in love, married, and had 3 sons. She also traveled and worked in the UK, Australia, in Europe, and in the U.S.

There is no work-life balance, she quickly shared, based on her experience. So we must not seek perfection. We should make our choices with open eyes and good information, and then have no regrets: we must be mindful and know our values. Catherine advised taking time off remembering that, “you are the same person: just because you took time off doesn’t mean you are not the same amazing person you are when you re-enter the workplace.” We (women) can be so hard on ourselves – but we must remember that, Catherine believes, “there is no perfect solution.”

Disney challenged her, in that move to Australia, to manage the entire portfolio of businesses well beyond her “vertical expertise.” How to run a horizontal team with seven businesses she didn’t know as well as the folks on the ground who ran them? How to add value in that scenario, Catherine wondered? She learned the lesson and value of vulnerability, which she believes is “a super-hero strength.” Risk-taking, fast failure, acknowledgement, and learning “together” is a valuable work-flow and M.O.

Catherine learned to don many hats building the team and businesses in Australia, and was then recruited to go to EuroDisney outside Paris. Here, you see her wearing a very-Disney hat, fashionably sequined mouse ears, migrating from Australia to France.

Disney Institute’s Julianna Alley followed up with a discussion about Disney’s values and success factors. “We’re not Disney because we’re different from other organizations,” Julianna noted; there’s “no secret sauce or bullet. We are Disney because we are doing the same things other organizations do (but) differently and often to a different degree.”

A central tenet of this, I came to learn this week, was the following mantra: “We have learned to be intentional where others may be unintentional.”

That “intent” is a strategic commitment and operational verb at Disney.

There’s another verb that Julianna called out: “Leadership,” is not a noun, she asserted. It’s a verb. It’s not who you are – it is all about what you do, reinforce, role model.”

Another Julianna pearl: “When you know what your values are, decisions become easy.”

In closing, Julianna quoted Bob Iger, CEO of Disney: “We want to be the most admired company in the world, admired for quality of product, integrity of people, and the way in which we behave as citizens of the world.” (I’ve italicized this last phrase because I will return to it in the Hot Points below the digital fold).

My next lightbulb moments came during a breakout session on “legacy.” This is a huge part of the Disney phenomenon, an outgrowth of Walt Disney’s corporate DNA.

Diana Ballard from the Institute led this impactful session, starting off by asking us what “legacy” is. Various attendees in our session offered up responses such as, “what you leave behind,” “what people say about you,” “a memory.”

Every leader leaves a legacy, Diana explained, as an “aggregate of the story he or she told over time.. the more we can be intentional and purposeful about that legacy, that’s the one you want people to read….Great leaders intentionally write their legacy,” Diana recognized.

Diana then introduced us to three Disney “cast members” (Disney-speak for employees-colleagues): Kartika Rodriguez, RK Kelley, and Sarah Tedrow-Azizi.

I listened with intent to each of these three women’s stories and took copious notes. Each embodies different backgrounds, career pathways, ethnicities – but they’ve all embraced the Disney way of intention, mindfulness, positive attitude, can-do spirit, and very important to me, a larger embrace of life beyond the workplace and self-defined holistic health. Each is committed to various community and family roles, and all open to evolving and growing over many years and many seasons of career and life.

At the end of Day 1, Dr. Steve Robbins keynoted a discussion about neuroscience and human behavior, inclusion as an intentional process, and the power of caring.

Steve’s sixty minutes were chock full of lightbulb moments for me, and I was silently thanking my mother for teaching me to be a fast typist on my iPad keyboard. (For more on her powerful woman’s influence and my learning on the IBM Selectric machine, see my Huffington Post essay on “Mom and the Selectric”).

Steve’s key lesson #1: “In our encounters with difference we need to give ourselves a chance.” Steve gave me a huge insight on “diversity,” which as I write this down, is so obvious, and yet….not. We’ve approached diversity in business like a checklist, focusing on demographics like gender, or sexual preference, or ethnic/culture differences..

That approach hasn’t been so productive, has it?

At any given moment we are the other person – the Outsider, not the Insider.

Steve told us that the brain is optimally operative based on two conditions: our own brain… 1. Wants to be around other people or be part of a tribe, and, 2. With people who care about us This is basic, survival instinct stuff. For safety reasons, we want to be part of a tribe. We need others to survive, both in the womb and outside the womb.

You can also feel lonely around other people, Steve knows. We want others to value us, to hold us as significant. “If people like you in the tribe, you are more valued and won’t be sacrificed….The brain is hard wired to belong,” he has learned.

If you do inclusion right (in business), you get more value and productivity from a worker.

From a brain science perspective (Steve’s expertise), this is why people surround themselves with people like themselves. In Steve’s words, “Fox people [link up] with Fox, and CNN’s with CNN’s.”

Lightbulb shining brightly once again.

“It is easier to hang out with people like us because our brains prefer the familiar,” he explained. Energy is currency in the brain, which operates on an ROI mentality. That energy-currency is glucose, which the brain wants to conserve. Stepping outside of our comfort zone uses more of that energy source; but, the brain tends to want to be lazy, Steve’s research has gleaned.

Next lightbulb: “Diversity is not our problem. It’s close-mindedness.”

When you feel like an outsider, research has shown that manifests in physical pain in two parts of the brain. The social pain of exclusion or rejection is real pain to the person.

Ultimately, this costs business a lot of money, and Steve worked out a quick financial model to demonstrate that cost for a theoretical organization. Based on a few reasonable assumptions, we calculated that lack of inclusion can run in the millions of dollars for an organization with 1,000 employees.

This is a hidden cost, but a real cost, nonetheless.

Steve then pivoted his talk from engaging and informative data to his very personal story.

I won’t go into the details here – you can experience these from one of Steve’s TED-style talks here. Just know that I ended the day standing with several hundred people in a circle around the ballroom, singing Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” tears streaming down my eyes, hugging the woman next to me – a person I had never met before.

The uplifting bottom-line, à la Steve: “The more you care for strangers and outsiders, the more friends and homies you get!”

To conclude the Summit, Robin Roberts, award-winning ABC broadcaster, keynoted in a standing-room-only plenary session that was buzzing with her positive energy and beautiful spirit.

Robin delivered a brilliant and uplifting message about resilience, full-on life-engagement, and love. You know Robin’s presence through her many

decades as a positive force in sports and news media. You may not know that Roberts has faced two devastating medical diagnoses, and miraculously emerged (twice) on this side of the acute healthcare system with grace, through grit, excellent medical care and a whole lot of social network and familial love beneath her wings.

Robin offered some great advice baked into her personal storytelling. A major message was delivered through this poem by Robert Browning Hamilton, which Robin quoted to a woman in our group who asked about resilience in the face of dark and challenging times:

Robin grew up the youngest of four children raised by two loving parents who were graduates of Howard University where they met and fell in love.

Robin and her there sibs grew up with the “3 D’s:” discipline (her Dad, after all, was in the military), determination, and her mama’s ‘D’ — “Da Lord.”

What may have resonated most with us in the audience was this: that “Mama said, ‘Make your mess your message.’”

If you’re going through something tough, others are too, Robin assured us. “Share it with others,” she advised, telling us that she and Diane Sawyer, her colleague at ABC News, used to call themselves, “Thelma and Louise” — that fictional movie duo who shared adventure and doom with gusto.

One of those “adventures” Robin had to share was her patient journey with MDS, myelodysplastic syndrome, which turned out to be a toxic side-effect of the chemotherapy that saved her life after her cancer diagnosis.

The sharing part came when Robin needed a bone marrow donor. That sharer turned out to be Sally-Ann, Robin’s sister, who emerged a perfect match. When Robin told her that, indeed, Sally Ann had the magic marrow, Robin gave her sister permission to back out of the transaction. Sally-Ann was incredulous: “I feel I was born to do this,” Sally-Ann told her baby sister.

Subsequently, Sally-Ann started up the Be the Match donor registry, especially important for people of color and, most importantly, for people of mixed race.

“Don’t compare despair,” Robin finally recommended. “Know that everybody’s got something and everybody has a resource to help them through something…(so) enjoy the freakin’ ride!” she optimistically insisted.

As we were ready to applaud and let Robin board her next plane to her next destination, she waxed lyrically about seeing a blue bird that morning….to which a soaring voice began singing from back stage, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” — Ms. Patti Labelle, Robin’s BFF!

Patti, proudly letting us know she had celebrated her 75th birthday, sang to the depths of her soul and heights of her range. We in the audience were beyond thrilled and, once again, so inspired.

I left the Summit humming, “If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow why, oh why, can’t I?” buoyed by rockin’ Robin’s and Patti’s positive loving spirits and shared wisdom.

Health Populi’s Hot Points: While attending the Disney Institute Summit in the Happiest Place on Earth, as Disneyworld is called, I’ve not been able to escape my work-life 24×7. The pace of the evolving nature of health and healthcare these days is such that going totally off-the-grid is not possible until I decide to go all-in on making cheese in Italy and docenting at the Uffizi. That day may come, but not quite yet.

On the work-front, I was faced with the fact that measles cases in the U.S. reached 1,000 based on the CDC’s latest data. This is a tragic and avoidable public health fail in my work-world, and something that’s part of a larger context of trust, information flow, and human sense and sensibility — ironically, the subject of one of my breakout sessions this week that was highly relevant to my own career space and clients’ challenges. That session, titled “The Relationship Between Information and Trust,” was based on the principle that, in the words of Disney Institute, “When you build relationships based on trust, information flows to you. If you do not have trust, information does not flow at all.” That resonated with everyone in my team exercise, which brought out some very normal human and frail behavior which, after the process, yielded important learning to apply to both professional and personal lives.

While in Orlando this week, the world kept spinning, and my thoughts turned to Normandy, France. This week marked the 75-year anniversary of D-Day, thinking about our hard-won freedom fought by my Greatest Generation Dad, who believed in all-men-and-women-are-created-equal kind of justice and fairness for America and the world. D-Day was coined FDR and Churchill’s “Mighty Endeavor” conducted on June 6, 1944, to finally put down Hitler’s fascistic Nazi regime.

This week, I also recalled the 50 year anniversary of Stonewall: another brave fight fought this side of the Pond on U.S. soil in New York City. The Stonewell rebellion was truly another battle for equity and justice for Everyday People. In my work whether helping to ideate new medical products to address infectious diseases, designing services to meet future demands of patients with emerging or under-served conditions, or developing patient access programs that enable people to get needed care, calling out bias against people is one element of our public health toolkit.

Note this Stonewall protestor banner speaks to “fascism.”

Note, too, that yesterday the New York City Police Commissioner O’Neill issued an apology on behalf of the Police Department for the actions of officers during the Stonewall uprising.

With the D-Day and Stonewall events in my heart and mind, I hearken back to this week’s teachings of Dr. Steve Robbins — tearing up in that Circle of Love and Life, and reminding myself with intentional thinking not to draw lines between Insiders and Outsiders.

I connect the dots between this wisdom and FDR, who collaborated with Churchill on the D-Day strategy.

FDR initially funded the fight against measles through the March of Dimes. With his vision and leadership, we eradicated measles and the Nazis, too.

We must be mindful of the nature of viruses, which come in many forms.

We must speak up on behalf of love for social (and public) health, Steve’s wisdom reinforced.

What a week of insights, laughter, tears, and love. Thank you, Disney Institute, for the inspiration and experience in this Magic Kingdom that inspired fresh thinking and spawned so many new friendships.

The post Intent, Insiders/Outsiders and Insights — Disney Institute’s Women’s Leadership Summit appeared first on HealthPopuli.com.

Intent, Insiders/Outsiders and Insights — Disney Institute’s Women’s Leadership Summit posted first on https://carilloncitydental.blogspot.com

0 notes

orbemnews · 4 years ago

Link

Over perilous odds, the late Hank Aaron leaves behind legacy of determination, benevolence | The Atlanta Voice In this May 17, 1970, file photo, Atlanta Braves’ Hank Aaron, center, who became the ninth player in Major League history to get 3,000 hits, kisses a baseball alongside Famer Stan Musial and Braves owner Bill Bartholomay, in Cincinnati. Bartholomay, the former Braves owner who moved the team from Milwaukee to Atlanta in 1966, died Wednesday, March 25, 2020, at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to his daughter, Jamie. He was 91. Bartholomay sold the Braves to Ted Turner in 1976 but remained as chairman of the team’s board of directors until 2003, when he assumed an emeritus role. (AP Photo/Gene Smith, File) For many, Henry Louis Aaron was the epitome of what a man is supposed to be: a servant leader, a master of a trade, and above all else, both honorable and dignified. The man who came to be known as “Hammerin’ Hank” possessed each of those qualities in abundance. Not only was he an exemplary baseball player — he closed out his playing days as Major League Baseball’s all-time home run king with 755 home runs, and holding more than 21 records — he would later become an executive for the Atlanta Braves for more than 40 seasons while also emerging as one of the city’s most beloved philanthropists. He passed away whilst sleeping last Friday, Jan. 22 in his Atlanta home. He was 86 years old. Aaron is survived by his wife of 50 years, Billye, and daughter, Ceci. He also had five children with his first wife, Barbara Lucas. On Wednesday, the Atlanta Braves, with Billye in attendance, announced the creation of the Henry Louis Aaron Fund, which will be used to increase minority participation in baseball. The fund already includes a $1 million donation from the Braves and separate $500,000 donations made by both the MLB and the MLB Players Association. “God gave him the talent, and he used that talent to become the greatest baseball player of all time,” Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said in a tribute video. “But, more importantly, he used it to make our city, our country, and the world, a better place. For those who were blessed enough to know Hank, he left a lifetime of impact with every encounter. His life made you want to better your own.” Aaron’s career spanned 23 seasons between the Milwaukee Braves, the Atlanta Braves, and the Milwaukee Brewers. During his dazzling career, Aaron hit for a .305 batting average, possessed a .374 on-base percentage, and an exemplary .555 slugging percentage. He tallied 624 doubles; 755 home runs; 2,297 RBI; 2,174 runs; 3,771 hits; and 240 stolen bases. Hammerin’ Hank retired as the all-time home run leader and held the record for more than 33 years. He remains the all-time leader in RBIs and total bases. He also holds the record for the most All-Star games at 25. Yes, his name is all over the record books! However, Hammerin’ Hank also would be known for something deeper than lofty stats: a statesman for African-Americans. Aaron was born to poverty and segregation on Feb. 5, 1934, in the port city of Mobile, Alabama. He was one of eight children born to Herbert and Estella (Pritchett) Aaron. His father worked in the Mobile shipyards to make ends meet. His mother was a homemaker. Aaron would eventually make it to the Negro Leagues, playing for the Indianapolis Clowns. Aaron was also in negotiations with the New York Giants. He said a difference of $50 kept him from being teammates with Willie Mays. Aaron would make his major league debut with Milwaukee Braves in 1954. In 1966, the Braves would relocate to Atlanta and that’s where Aaron’s leadership off the field would match his example on the baseball diamond. In 1969, Aaron launched a four-year scholarship program at the historically Black Morris Brown College, covering all expenses for deserving students. It would be his first foray into philanthropy. Aaron also joined the United Negro College Fund as an advocate during his playing days. Later on, his wife Billye served as the Atlanta-based philanthropy‘s vice president. In the Sept. 29, 1973 edition of The Atlanta Voice, it was reported the City of Atlanta sought to create the Hank Aaron Foundation Center, as a monument to the player while driving proceeds toward scholarships for Black students who sought to attend historically Black colleges and universities that were supported by the UNCF. Ultimately, the creation of the UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball in 1983, would be spearheaded by Aaron and Andrew Young instead. “Hank and Billye Aaron’s sincere belief in our motto, ‘A mind is a terrible thing to waste,’ led them to co-found with former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, the first-ever Atlanta Mayor’s Masked Ball,” said Maurice Jenkins, UNCF’s Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer. “The Mayor’s Masked Ball has become an annual fundraising tradition in Atlanta for more than 30 years, drawing ever-larger crowds each year and breaking the million-dollar mark several years in a row. “The Mayor’s Masked Ball has now been franchised across the United States to several other cities to help UNCF raise money in other locations because of its model of success—all thanks to the passion and ingenuity of Hank and Billye Aaron,” Jenkins added. As Aaron’s march toward Babe Ruth’s home run record continued, Hammerin’ Hank would face racially-motivated death threats directed toward him, his family, and journalists that chronicled his career. In spite of the vitriol, Aaron continued to perform with unmatched grace and unrivaled humility.He would tell legendary New York Times sportswriter William C. Rhoden, “April 8, 1974, really led up to turning me off on baseball.” “It really made me see for the first time a clear picture of what this country is about,” he said. “My kids had to live like they were in prison because of kidnap threats, and I had to live like a pig in a slaughter camp. “I had to duck. I had to go out the back door of the ballparks. I had to have a police escort with me all the time. I was getting threatening letters every single day,” he continued. “All of these things have put a bad taste in my mouth, and it won’t go away. They carved a piece of my heart away.” On April 4, 1974, Aaron hit his 714th home run against the Cincinnati Reds, on the six-year anniversary of the murder of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Four days later on April 8, in front of 53,775 people at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Aaron would hit his 715th home run off of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Al Downing. Fabled broadcaster Vin Scully said, “A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of a baseball icon.” Aaron’s parents met him at home plate. Herbert Aaron Sr. threw his arms around his son while his mother, Estella, kissed him and hugged him with all her might. It would be the moment that the quiet lad from Mobile would crack a smile for the world to see. He grabbed a microphone to say, “I thank God it’s all over with,” as photographers and reporters surrounded him. A further irony of Aaron’s 715th home run on April 8, would be its coincidence of the six-year anniversary of King’s funeral. As trailblazers and champions for equity, the two would forever be linked in history. Aaron had a passion for discovering young baseball talent while nurturing his business acumen. Braves owner, CNN founder, and Chairman Ted Turner appointed him an executive for the Braves in 1980. He served 13 years as Atlanta’s vice president of player development. Notably, Aaron gave a young minor league catcher his first job that year. That player would become current Braves manager, Brian Snitker. “I wouldn’t be sitting here on this call if it wasn’t for Hank Aaron,” Snitker said. “He’s the reason I’m here. I’ve said many times, I’ve been blessed to be around Hall of Famers throughout my career, none more important to my career, my family, and my life than Hank Aaron.” Aaron’s offices were on the 14th floor of the CNN Center, not far from Turner’s. In 1996, Aaron purchased two West End restaurants from Churchs’ Atlanta-based parent, America’s Favorite Chicken Co. (AFC). “If the playing field is not level, then we need to have some way for people to step in and say, `Hey, we need to give people an opportunity,’ ” Aaron said in a 1996 interview. “But not everybody wants to go into fast food. We’ve got contractors and people who want to work in government.” And that was the epitome of Aaron. He was emblematic of the foreign policy mantra of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt: “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '174966086481892'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); Source link Orbem News #Aaron #Atlanta #atlantabraves #atlantatechnicalcollege #benevolence #billyeaaron #determination #Hank #hankaaron #henrylouisaaron #Late #Leaves #Legacy #MLB #news #Odds #perilous #philanthropy #sports #topstories #uncf #Voice

0 notes

news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 6 years ago

Text

The decline and fall of Lindsey Graham, as told by his tweets

The bruising battle over Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination may be finished, but the political scars will last a lifetime. That is true for no one more than Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Formerly a believer that a judge must be removed if he commits perjury, the Republican from South Carolina turned a blind eye to Kavanaugh's many demonstrable fibs. Formerly known for his bipartisanship, Graham elected to play the attack dog. (Curiously enough, this turn came after the Judiciary Committee's counsel started asking Kavanaugh searching questions about his history of drinking and partying.)

SEE ALSO: No, you weren't hallucinating Lindsey Graham's ferocious tirade

For Graham watchers, the hearings were the latest evidence of the senator's disturbing transformation from Never Trumper to Trump apologist. "What happened to Lindsey Graham?" is the question asked by three separate profiles in the past month. A New York Times columnist just dubbed him "the saddest story in Washington."

Some commentators have pointed to the death of his good friend Sen. John McCain of Arizona this summer as a turning point for Graham. In reality, he's been sliding down this path for years. And the best place to witness his transformation — indeed, to glimpse the regression of the GOP as a whole — is via his Twitter account, @LindseyGrahamSC.

First, let's remind ourselves of what Graham used to be like in 2009. In Obama's first term, he was to be found working with John Kerry on a bipartisan bill to put a price on carbon emissions back when Kerry was a senator: "Yes we can (pass climate change legislation)," the pair wrote in the Times. (No, they couldn't.)

You can see the exact moment Graham realized his fellow Republicans were not as keen on Obama as he was. In the middle of a September 2009 speech to Congress, Graham starts to applaud the president's words on education, then suddenly thinks better of it.

youtube

Graham didn't join Twitter until December 2011, and didn't start tweeting until March 2012. His first tweet thanked supporters for coming to a fish fry and vowed to make Obama a "one-term president."

But nearly all his tweets were innocuous back then: bland statements of support for GOP candidates; approving reports of his visits to Google and Apple; a photo of his fashion choices on the links.

Enjoyed playing golf today with friends from Electric Co-ops of SC. They provide invaluable service to us. #sctweets pic.twitter.com/VhKdleAS

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 14, 2012

Graham announced his own bid for the presidency on June 1, 2015. He touted his experience, and compared himself favorably to Hillary Clinton in that area. But he was also careful to strike a note of civility and bipartisanship — one that sounds like it's from a lifetime ago, not a mere three years.

To my friends in the other party: Our differences are real, and we’ll debate them. But you’re not my enemy. You’re my fellow countrymen.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 1, 2015

Donald Trump announced his candidacy two weeks later. Graham didn't even think it worth tweeting about. Nor did he mention Trump's comments calling Mexican immigrants criminals and "rapists." His first ever Trump tweets came a month later, after Trump denied that McCain was a "war hero" because "I like people that don't get captured."

.@SenJohnMcCain, like every other POW, went through hell & has earned our respect & gratitude

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 18, 2015

That subtweet was immediately followed by a direct attack on Trump's fitness for office.

If there was ever any doubt that @realDonaldTrump should not be our commander in chief, this stupid statement should end all doubt.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 18, 2015

Trump punched back by giving Graham's cellphone number out during a campaign speech. Graham's response was to bring a droll understatement to a knife fight.

Probably getting a new phone. iPhone or Android?

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 21, 2015

Still, Graham wasn't cowed; his attacks on Trump ramped up over the following months.

.@RealDonaldTrump unrelenting & offensive comments about @MegynKelly puts the @GOP at a crossroads w/Mr. Trump

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 8, 2015

Here's Graham's first actual joke at Trump's expense:

Donald Trump gets his foreign policy from watching television - the Cartoon Network. #CNNDebate #ReadyToLead

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 17, 2015

But when Trump called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," Graham — like many of us — decided the reality TV star's campaign was no laughing matter.

.@Realdonaldtrump has gone from making absurd comments to being downright dangerous with his bombastic rhetoric.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 7, 2015

The next day, Graham took direct aim at the MAGA slogan using his strongest swear word.

“You know how you make America great again? Tell @realDonaldTrump to go to hell” https://t.co/pBLaZ1kgUV

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 8, 2015

The following week, Trump made an ominous statement of support for Russia's president. Back then, Graham considered it an even more serious foreign policy blunder.

Just when you think it can’t get worse: A leading American candidate for President praising Putin.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 17, 2015

Graham dropped out of the presidential race on December 21, 2015, citing poor polling numbers. But that didn't stop him from attacking Trump in unequivocal language.

Donald Trump is not a conservative Republican. He's an opportunist. He's not fit to be President of the United States.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 17, 2016

On February 20, 2016, Trump swept the GOP primary in Graham's home state, South Carolina. Shortly after, Graham and Trump got into the first of two Twitter spats.

@realDonaldTrump I never got past 2%. You aren't prepared to be Commander in Chief of worlds finest fighting force https://t.co/7prb7ZdEVg

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 7, 2016

On May 3, 2016, Trump's last opponent with a shot at defeating him, Sen. Ted Cruz, dropped out of the race. Graham was in an apocalyptic mood. He posted a dire prediction to his party — one that remains his most liked, most talked-about tweet, even now.

If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 3, 2016

Just nine days later, however, Trump won the delegates he needed. Graham posted this, and you can almost hear the gnashing of teeth.

I had a cordial, pleasant phone conversation with Mr. Trump yesterday. I congratulated him on winning the GOP nomination for President.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) May 12, 2016

If anyone on Trump's campaign expected Graham to fall into line, however, they were disappointed.

Last night, if you were looking for competency Donald Trump fell short. #CommanderInChiefForum

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 8, 2016

A day after the infamous Access Hollywood tape was released, Graham again made his anti-Trump feelings clear.

I have never been comfortable with Donald Trump as our Republican nominee.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2016

Name one sports team, university, publicly-held company, etc. that would accept a person like this as their standard bearer?

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 8, 2016

In the wake of three disastrous debate performances by Trump, Hillary Clinton was riding high in the polls. Graham's tweets indicated he considered Trump's campaign to be a lost cause.

Keeping GOP in control of Congress is best insurance policy American people can take out against Clinton agenda.https://t.co/TSfHsgrl0F

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 24, 2016

Not even the last-minute bombshell of then FBI director James Comey reopening an investigation into Clinton's emails deterred Graham from making it clear on election day that he did not vote for Trump.

In the prez race, voting for Hillary Clinton was always a non-starter and I couldn’t go where Donald Trump wanted to take the USA & GOP. #2

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 8, 2016

Instead the senator punched his ballot for a Republican running as an independent, Evan McMullin.

I voted @Evan_McMullin for President. I appreciate his views on a strong America and the need to rebuild our military. #3

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) November 8, 2016

Even after a perfunctory statement congratulating Trump on his surprise victory, Graham remained cautious — particularly about Trump's relationship with Russia.

I hope President-elect Trump won’t become the 3rd American president to misjudge Vladmir Putin.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 16, 2016

In the month after Trump's inauguration, Graham's tweets continued to be ambivalent. Reacting to a Trump proposal for a "border tax" on Mexico to build the wall, Graham tried to bring the funny by tweeting that it was "mucho sad."

Simply put, any policy proposal which drives up costs of Corona, tequila, or margaritas is a big-time bad idea. Mucho Sad. (2)

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 26, 2017

Graham tweeted support for all Trump's cabinet picks, but also pushed for investigations into Russia's impact on the 2016 election — and cautioned against the first Muslim travel ban.

Ultimately, I fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 29, 2017

But if there is a pivot point in Graham's relationship with Trump, it arrived in March 2017. He issued a statement in support of the second travel ban, and had a White House meeting that seemed to thaw relations — to the point where he and Trump became phone buddies again.

How good was the meeting with @POTUS? I gave him my NEW cell phone number.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 7, 2017

Still, Graham was prepared to defend Jeff Sessions against Trump's insistence that the Attorney General prosecute Hillary Clinton — even if the strongest word he could muster to describe this norm-breaking outrage was "inappropriate."

President Trump’s tweet today suggesting Attorney General Sessions pursue prosecution of a former political rival is highly inappropriate. 4

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 25, 2017

When literal Nazis and Klansmen rallied in Charlottesville, Graham was prepared to attack Trump over his "many sides" statement. But he didn't dare tweet his complaints directly, preferring to link to a newspaper interview.

Spoke with the media earlier today in Columbia about #charlottesville and steps forward.https://t.co/FFwxaUKDcj

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 15, 2017

Two days later Trump struck back at Graham directly, calling him "publicity seeking" and a "disgusting" liar. Graham then got into his second ever quote-tweet spat. In a non-threaded thread, he warned Trump that he was now being quoted approvingly by racist hate groups, implored him to "fix this" and said that "history is watching us all."

Mr. President, like most I seek to move our nation, my state, and our party forward - toward the light - not back to the darkness. (1) https://t.co/K1j4JnhCgf

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 17, 2017

But by this point, Graham could not attack Trump without sending an approving tweet literally one minute later.

Your tweet honoring Miss Heyer was very nice and appropriate. Well done. (2) https://t.co/8I6LVMDXUy

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 17, 2017

Trump's announcement calling for a troop surge in Afghanistan the following week seemed to patch things up as far as the hawkish Graham was concerned.

And then, a couple months later, the golfing began.

How bad did he beat me? I did better in the presidential race than today on the golf course! Great fun. Great host.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 9, 2017

Trump International Golf Club is a spectacular golf course. Great day of fun playing with @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. https://t.co/92Xjk8d8B2

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 10, 2017

Later that month, the supposed fiscal conservative Graham voted for Trump's deficit-ballooning trillion-dollar tax cut. By Trump's first State of the Union in January 2018, the senator was tweeting full-throated support for the "law and order president."

President Trump clearly relishes being the Law and Order president and a strong Commander in Chief. Just what America needs!

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 31, 2018

In April, two years after predicting the GOP would be "destroyed" by Trump, Graham announced he was all in for Trump 2020.

As to the 2020 presidential race, I believe President @realDonaldTrump will run for reelection and I intend to support him. https://t.co/vsExZ1XehG

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) April 19, 2018

The preemptive endorsement also marked a distinctive trend in Graham's tweets: Since March 2018, he has started using Trump's twitter handle. A lot.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President! You’re keeping your promise to make America safer and more prosperous. And unfortunately for me, you’re doing all this without losing a step in your golf game!@realDonaldTrump #TrumpBirthday pic.twitter.com/PJRa54FVAP

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) June 14, 2018

In July, Trump's craven display of obsequiousness towards Vladimir Putin in Helsinki shocked the world. Graham had once considered Trump's support for Putin worse than his proposal for a Muslim travel ban. Now he merely described it as a "missed opportunity."

Missed opportunity by President Trump to firmly hold Russia accountable for 2016 meddling and deliver a strong warning regarding future elections. This answer by President Trump will be seen by Russia as a sign of weakness and create far more problems than it solves. (1/3)

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 16, 2018

Even that mild display of dissent was erased a couple days later, when Graham credulously insisted Trump was not denying the conclusions of his own intelligence services.

I have just been reassured unequivocally by the White House legislative team that the President’s ‘no’ response today to shouted questions was not intended to suggest that President Trump doubts the intelligence community’s assessment that Russia is continuing to attack....

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 18, 2018

Soon enough, Graham was couching his Russia criticism within a statement that he was "totally" agreeing with Trump.

Totally agree with President Trump’s observation about Russia not being long-term pro-Republican or pro-Trump. Putin is pro-Chaos and is an Equal Opportunity Disruptor of the American electoral system. Let’s act together, let’s act now. https://t.co/iY5or4mLpA

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 24, 2018

In April 2018, Graham had signed on to a bipartisan Senate bill that would have specifically protected Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

But in August 2018, the bill having gone nowhere, Graham tweeted that he hoped Mueller would "wrap up his investigation sooner rather than later."

He also gave an interview in which he appeared to back away from supporting Jeff Sessions. For the first time, Trump quoted Graham approvingly.

.@LindseyGrahamSC “Every President deserves an Attorney General they have confidence in. I believe every President has a right to their Cabinet, these are not lifetime appointments. You serve at the pleasure of the President.”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2018

There was little time for Graham to respond to that tweet. John McCain, who had not wavered in his opposition to Trump, passed away later the same day.

I will need some time to absorb this, but I want Cindy —and the entire McCain family — to know they are in my prayers.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 26, 2018

McCain had specifically disinvited Trump from the funeral, but Graham was able to wangle an invite for Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. Around the same time, he tweeted a photo of his meeting with Ivanka.

Great meeting with @IvankaTrump and her daughter Arabella. I appreciate all Ivanka is doing to improve the plight of women in the developing world. pic.twitter.com/OLNdxzWPop

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) August 29, 2018

After the McCain funeral, Graham's long transformation into a Trump surrogate seemed complete. Here he is a week later, tweeting his support in the wake of early revelations from Bob Woodward's book Fear.

By any reasonable measure we have one of the strongest economies in modern history, President Trump has rebuilt a broken military, and we are pushing back hard against America’s enemies.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 5, 2018

Meanwhile, Republican representatives in the House were in the throes of discrediting Mueller's investigation by attacking the investigators. This presented no problem for Graham.

It is increasingly clear it was the Obama Administration who politicized the DOJ/FBI, not the Trump Administration.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 11, 2018

What is interesting to follow through all this is how much more frequently Graham tells us to tune in to appearances on Fox News, Fox Business News, and CNN. The more controversial he gets, naturally, the more he does on-air "hits."

And then we come to the Kavanaugh nomination, and the revelation of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford's accusation. In a startling display of hypocrisy, the senator who had gone all-in for a man he once despised now accused Democrats of acting in a Machiavellian manner.

When it comes to stopping Pres @realDonaldTrump and his agenda there seem to be no boundaries. Whether it’s coaching witnesses or reporting thinly-sourced stories without proper verification, everything is fair game and falls into the category of – ‘The Ends Justify the Means.'

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 24, 2018

By the end of the nomination process, Graham wasn't just supporting Trump in his tweets — he was starting to sound like him. Note the use of ellipses instead of numbering his tweets, the one-word descriptions, and the very Trumpian touch of capitalizing the word "victory."

…..finally thank you President @realDonaldTrump for the good judgment in selecting Judge Kavanaugh and the toughness and determination to stick by his side and see it through to Victory!

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 6, 2018

Perhaps there is more of Graham's Twitter story to be told; maybe he will disentangle himself from Trump after the midterms. But at the moment, his trail of shifting positions looks like a cautionary tale for future generations.

Here, kids, is what happens when you gain a tax cut, and a Supreme Court seat, and a whole lot of airtime, but lose your political soul.

WATCH: Someone created a storm lamp that produces lightning every time Trump tweets

#_author:Chris Taylor #_category:yct:001000002 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_uuid:c3011555-4b31-3bb7-855a-fafc68242672 #_revsp:news.mashable

0 notes

mrlylerouse · 6 years ago

Text

A Google Study on Team Efficiency: 5 Takeaways for Your Real Estate Business

Project Aristotle

A team at Google wanted to explore what types of people and qualities make up the “perfect” team. They studied 180 teams (115 project teams in engineering, and 65 sales pods), and ultimately defined 5 aspects of effective teams. We will explore these 5 dynamics, what they mean for a real estate team, and how you can implement them to improve your team efficiency.

First, let’s take a look at how they measured “effectiveness.” The concept of effectiveness naturally varied between the executives, the team members, and the team leads. Executives were primarily concerned with results/numbers, team members were concerned with team culture, and team leads noted “ownership, vision, and goals,” as the most important measure. Combining all of these perspectives, the Google Team measured team effectiveness in the following four ways:

Executive evaluation of the team

Team leader evaluation of the team

Team member evaluation of the team

Sales performance against quarterly quota

For more details on the metrics of the study click here.

The Results

The study ultimately defined these 5 concepts as the most important dynamics of effective team.

Let’s explore those 5 concepts a little further and consider them in the context of your real estate team.

1. Psychological Safety

This was the most important indicator of an efficient team. But, what does it mean? Essentially, it is the belief that you won’t be punished for making a mistake. This in turn encourages moderate risk-taking, creative exploration, open-sharing, and a culture of trust.

Real estate teams are a unique combination of teamwork and self-motivation. The best teams know how to work well together and leverage one another’s time and skills so that everyone performs better. However, at the end of the day, agents are closing their own deals, making their own commissions, and healthy competition is natural. Everyone wants to be the top producer.

Don’t let this healthy competition become toxic for your team! As a team leader, you have the ability to cultivate psychological safety. Here are a few strategies that you can implement:

Encourage compassion and open communication in the workplace by bringing the team together for social events or Monday morning “check-ins.”

Make sure your agents know that they can come to you with frustrations or suggestions (an open-door policy).

Don’t skimp on positive feedback! It is your job to hold your team accountable, but remember that a little positive feedback goes a long way. Part of psychological safety is knowing that you are appreciated.

Create an environment of learning. Whether you have newbie agents, veterans, or both – it never hurts to keep learning. Encourage agents to attend conferences and trainings, and to share useful tips with one another.

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve psychological safety:

Fear of asking for or giving constructive feedback

Hesitance around expressing divergent ideas and asking “silly” questions

Questions to ask yourself:

Do all team members feel comfortable brainstorming in front of each other?

Do all team members feel they can fail openly, or will they feel shunned?

Learn more about psychological safety in the workplace from Amy Edmondson’s TED Talk below!

youtube

2. Dependability

In a real estate team, dependability matters in two ways: internal, and client-facing.

Internal dependability: This means, all team members can depend on one another for pulling their weight, completing their tasks, and moving the business forward. If one agent goes on vacation and is relying on another to handle some lead follow-up, the agent on vacation can depend on their teammate to help out. Dependability = effective team. Consider adding dependability to your team’s “core values,” and emphasizing the importance of being dependable when interviewing new agents.

Client-facing dependability: Agents are not only the face of their own brand, but they are representatives of your real estate business. Agent Andy works for Beachfront Realty, and his leads don’t find him dependable. He disappears on Fridays, he takes too long to respond to emails and texts, and he was late for a showing. When a client reviews Agent Andy, the negative review effects Beachfront Realty as well…perhaps resulting in fewer clients for every other agent. Lack of dependability = inefficient team.

As a team leader, if one team member is showing a lack of dependability, address it immediately. Maybe pay more attention to their lead follow-up, and hold them accountable for their workload. If the problem persists – they may have a negative effect on your team, and consider cutting them loose.

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve dependability:

Team has poor visibility into project priorities or progress

Diffusion of responsibility and no clear owners for tasks or problems

Questions to ask yourself:

When team members say they’ll get something done, do they?

Do team members proactively communicate with each other about delays and assume responsibility?

3 Easy Methods to Install a Culture of Accountability in the Real Estate Office

3. Structure & Clarity

The best work comes from clearly set goals. There is no lack of clarity surrounding what is expected from the very beginning. As a team leader, make sure that every member of your team understands the goals of the business, and that you understand their personal goals in real estate.

Google recommends setting goals that are challenging and specific. Learn more about how to implement Google’s “Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)” here.

So how can you set clear expectations for your agents?

Require a minimum amount of prospecting each week. This could be X number of phone calls, or X number of hours prospecting. Have agents log the time that they spend prospecting to hold them accountable.

Be crystal clear about your brand. Create a document that outlines how agents are expected to represent the business. Maybe it’s a dress code and general phone etiquette. It could also mean expertise in a certain niche market. For example, if your business skewes luxury, make sure your agents know the right language to use, decorum to practice, etc.

Be upfront from the beginning regarding how you measure agent performance. Do you track their activity in a CRM? Are there periodic performance reviews?

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve structure and clarity:

Lack of clarity about who is responsible for what

Unclear decision-making process, owners, or rationale

Questions to ask yourself:

Do team members know what the team and project goals are and how to get there?

Do team members feel like they have autonomy, ownership, and discrete projects?

4. Meaning

These last two concepts are pretty simple. The most effective teams share a common sense of meaning. Team members feel that their work is personally important. In a real estate team, this boils down to passion for what you do. Real estate is not an easy business! They say between 75-87% of agents fail or quit within the first year. The ones that succeed, are not only driven and motivated to be successful, but they tend to love what they do.

When building your team and hiring new agents, be sure to find out what motivates them. Is it just dollar signs? What drives them, why do they want to work in real estate, and how do they plan to succeed?

According to Inman, these are 7 qualities of the smartest real estate agents:

1. Ever-learning

2. Others-focused and enjoy giving

3. Statistically aware

4. Creative

5. Persistent

6. Goal oriented

7. Action-takers

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve meaning:

Work assignments based solely on ability, expertise, workload; little consideration for individual development needs and interests

Lack of regular recognition for achievements or milestones

Questions to ask yourself:

Does the work give team members a sense of personal and professional fulfillment?

Is work matched to team members based on both skills/ability and interest?

5. Impact

Do your team members feel that what they do every day matters? According to the study, “impact” is the final top indicator of an effective team, or, knowing that their work matters and creates change.

“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” – Chinese Proverb

Human beings are driven by helping others. Luckily for you – real estate is an inherently positive exchange between client and agent. Agents are part of a big life decision, and they have the ability to help make it an enjoyable and memorable experience. Getting someone into their dream home is pretty special!

In order to further cultivate a sense of “impact” for your real estate team, consider ways that you can give back to the community. Not only will each team member feel a sense of joy for giving back, but it’s also a great way to bring the team closer, and encourage (#1) psychological safety! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Host an annual ‘Day of Service’ with a new charity each year

Sponsor a local organization or youth sports team

Pick an “awareness month” and donate a percentage of your profits

Participate in a charitable 5k

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve impact:

Framing work as “treading water”

Too many goals, limiting ability to make meaningful progress

Questions to ask yourself:

Do team members see their work as creating change for the better?

Do team members feel their work matters for a higher-order goal?

How are current team processes affecting well-being/burnout?

The post A Google Study on Team Efficiency: 5 Takeaways for Your Real Estate Business appeared first on BoomTown!.

from BoomTown! https://ift.tt/2ssVkrG

0 notes

mrdonaldclark86 · 6 years ago

Text

A Google Study on Team Efficiency: 5 Takeaways for Your Real Estate Business

Project Aristotle

Executive evaluation of the team

Team leader evaluation of the team

Team member evaluation of the team

Sales performance against quarterly quota

For more details on the metrics of the study click here.

The Results

The study ultimately defined these 5 concepts as the most important dynamics of effective team.

Let’s explore those 5 concepts a little further and consider them in the context of your real estate team.

1. Psychological Safety

Don’t let this healthy competition become toxic for your team! As a team leader, you have the ability to cultivate psychological safety. Here are a few strategies that you can implement:

Encourage compassion and open communication in the workplace by bringing the team together for social events or Monday morning “check-ins.”

Make sure your agents know that they can come to you with frustrations or suggestions (an open-door policy).

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve psychological safety:

Fear of asking for or giving constructive feedback

Hesitance around expressing divergent ideas and asking “silly” questions

Questions to ask yourself:

Do all team members feel comfortable brainstorming in front of each other?

Do all team members feel they can fail openly, or will they feel shunned?

Learn more about psychological safety in the workplace from Amy Edmondson’s TED Talk below!

youtube

2. Dependability

In a real estate team, dependability matters in two ways: internal, and client-facing.

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve dependability:

Team has poor visibility into project priorities or progress

Diffusion of responsibility and no clear owners for tasks or problems

Questions to ask yourself:

When team members say they’ll get something done, do they?

Do team members proactively communicate with each other about delays and assume responsibility?

3 Easy Methods to Install a Culture of Accountability in the Real Estate Office

3. Structure & Clarity

Google recommends setting goals that are challenging and specific. Learn more about how to implement Google’s “Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)” here.

So how can you set clear expectations for your agents?

Be upfront from the beginning regarding how you measure agent performance. Do you track their activity in a CRM? Are there periodic performance reviews?

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve structure and clarity:

Lack of clarity about who is responsible for what

Unclear decision-making process, owners, or rationale

Questions to ask yourself:

Do team members know what the team and project goals are and how to get there?

Do team members feel like they have autonomy, ownership, and discrete projects?

4. Meaning

According to Inman, these are 7 qualities of the smartest real estate agents:

1. Ever-learning

2. Others-focused and enjoy giving

3. Statistically aware

4. Creative

5. Persistent

6. Goal oriented

7. Action-takers

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve meaning:

Work assignments based solely on ability, expertise, workload; little consideration for individual development needs and interests

Lack of regular recognition for achievements or milestones

Questions to ask yourself:

Does the work give team members a sense of personal and professional fulfillment?

Is work matched to team members based on both skills/ability and interest?

5. Impact

Host an annual ‘Day of Service’ with a new charity each year

Sponsor a local organization or youth sports team

Pick an “awareness month” and donate a percentage of your profits

Participate in a charitable 5k

Tips from Google:

Signs that your team needs to improve impact:

Framing work as “treading water”

Too many goals, limiting ability to make meaningful progress

Questions to ask yourself:

Do team members see their work as creating change for the better?

Do team members feel their work matters for a higher-order goal?

How are current team processes affecting well-being/burnout?

The post A Google Study on Team Efficiency: 5 Takeaways for Your Real Estate Business appeared first on BoomTown!.

from BoomTown! https://ift.tt/2ssVkrG

0 notes

lindyhunt · 7 years ago

Text

The 23 Best Motivational Speeches of All Time

It was halftime during one of my 7th-grade football games. And we were losing 14 - 0. With our knees planted in the grass, my team was quietly huddled, drenched in sweat and defeat. We all knew the game was over.

That’s when our assistant coach bursted through our circle and shattered our pity party, delivering one of the best motivational speeches I’ve heard to this day.

I can’t directly quote him because he said some things that are inappropriate for a blog post (and, in hindsight, probably for a bunch of 13-year-olds too). But the point is, he harnessed the power of words to rejuvenate a physically and emotionally drained team. And we came back clawing to win the game.

Just like in sports, being motivated at work is crucial for your performance. This rings especially true when you have a looming deadline, an important meeting, or colleagues or customers depending on your performance.

To help you stay motivated, no matter what your job throws at you, we decided to compile 23 of the best motivational speeches from business, sports, entertainment, and more. If you want to get fired up for a project, watch these videos.

Trust me, I was wiping my eyes after I saw them. And while the messages vary from speech to speech, they will put you in the optimal frame of mind for tackling and crushing your next big challenge.

(Disclaimer: Some speeches -- *cough* Al Pacino *cough* -- may contain NSFW language.)

Best Motivational Speeches

J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

Fearless Motivation: "It's Not Easy, But It's Worth It" (2018)

Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Ellen DeGeneres: Tulane University Commencement Speech (2009)

Sheryl Sandberg: Harvard Business School Class Day Speech (2012)

Dan Pink: "The Puzzle of Motivation" (2009)

Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

Elizabeth Gilbert: "Your Elusive Creative Genius" (2009)

Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Orlando Scampington: "The Pillars of C.L.A.M." (2015)

Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Jim Valvano: ESPY Speech (1993)

Kal Penn: DePauw University Commencement Speech (2014)

Charles Dutton: Speech from Rudy (1993)

William Wallace: Speech From the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297)

Al Pacino: "Inch by Inch" (1999)

Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

Frank Oz/Yoda: Speech from The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

The Best Motivational Speeches of All Time

1. J.K. Rowling: “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” (2008)

Theme of Speech: Failure

In J.K. Rowling's 2008 Harvard commencement speech, the Harry Potter author explored how two phenomena -- failure and imagination -- can be crucial to success. While failure can help you understand where your true passion lies, and where you should focus your energy moving forward, imagination is what will allow you to empathize with other people so you can use your influence to do good.

We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better."

2. David Foster Wallace: "This Is Water" (2005)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

From the opening minutes of David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech, in which he questions commencement speech conventions, it's clear that Wallace has some serious wisdom to share. The crux of his speech: Many of us are oblivious to our own close-mindedness. We picture ourselves as the centers of our own, individual universes, instead of seeing the bigger, more interconnected picture.

If you're automatically sure that you know what reality is and who and what is really important, if you want to operate on your default setting, then you, like me, probably won't consider possibilities that aren't annoying and miserable. But if you've really learned how to think, how to pay attention, then you'll know you have other options. It will actually be within your power to experience a crowded, hot, slow, consumer hell-type situation as not only meaningful, but sacred -- on fire with the same force that lit the stars: love, fellowship, the mystical oneness of all things deep down."

3. Fearless Motivation: "It's Not Easy, But It's Worth It" (2018)

Theme of Speech: Perseverance

youtube

Fearless Motivation is primarily a musical artist, but its library of inspirational messages is hard to ignore lately. The group's most popular speech is the video above, and it preaches a powerful lesson about staying positive when things all seem to be negative. The final line is as powerful as the quote from the speech below -- "Keep going. Your future self is begging you."

It’s easy to be positive when everything is working out. It’s much harder, much much harder when nothing is working out. But that’s when we need it the most ... Everything is worth the prize."

4. Jim Carrey: Commencement Speech at Maharishi University of Management (2014)

Theme of Speech: Taking Risks

youtube

Jim Carrey might make a living as the goofiest comedian around, but in 2014, he combined classic Carrey humor with unforgettable insight at Maharishi University of Management's graduation ceremony. Jim Carrey opened his speech dishing punchlines, but he eventually opened up about his upbringing and the role fear plays in our lives. You can actually hear the amazement in the students' reactions in the video above.

"I learned many great lessons from my father -- not the least of which is that you can fail at what you don't want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love."

5. Brené Brown: "The Power of Vulnerability" (2013)

Theme of Speech: Failure

The video above is an animated excerpt from researcher Brené Brown's speech, "The Power of Vulnerability." In the speech, Brown explores how our fear of not being good enough (among other fears) drives us to shield ourselves from our own vulnerabilities. The alternative to wearing this emotional suit of armor: Embrace vulnerability through empathizing with others.

Empathy is a choice, and it's a vulnerable choice. Because in order to connect with you, I have to connect with something in myself that knows that feeling. "

6. Steve Jobs: "How to Live Before You Die" (2005)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

Considering the YouTube video of Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement speech has 24 million views (not counting the 10 million+ additional views from duplicate uploads), it's likely that you've seen this one already. In the speech, Jobs plays on two themes: connecting the dots (anecdote: how taking a calligraphy class helped inspire the design of the Mac) and love & loss (anecdote: how getting fired from Apple helped inspire his greatest innovations). Perhaps the most memorable part his speech comes at the end, when he quotes the (now-famous) lines from the final issue of his favorite publication, The Whole Earth Catalog:

Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

7. Ellen DeGeneres: Tulane University Commencement Speech (2009)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

Ellen's speech, as you might expect, has its humorous moments. But it also explores some of the very personal and tragic episodes in her life that helped push her into comedy in the first place. Two key themes of DeGeneres'speech: overcoming adversity and being true to yourself. ForDeGeneres, that meant pushing onward with her career after her sitcom was canceled in response to her publicly coming out as gay.

Really, when I look back on it, I wouldn’t change a thing. I mean, it was so important for me to lose everything because I found out what the most important thing is ... to be true to yourself. Ultimately, that’s what’s gotten me to this place. I don’t live in fear. I’m free. I have no secrets and I know I’ll always be OK, because no matter what, I know who I am."

8. Sheryl Sandberg: Harvard Business School Class Day Speech (2012)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

In her speech to the HBS class of 2012, Lean In author and tech executive Sheryl Sandberg deconstructed the idea of the "career as a ladder." For Sandberg, a career is about finding opportunities where you can make an impact, not about chasing titles and planning out a meticulous path. "If I had mapped out my career when I was sitting where you are, I would have missed my career," she commented. What's more, Sandberg eschews the traditional wisdom of keeping emotions out of the workplace. For Sandberg, you need to care not only about what you're working on, but also who you're working with. 

"If you want to win hearts and minds, you have to lead with your heart as well as your mind. I don’t believe we have a professional self from Mondays through Fridays and a real self for the rest of the time ... It is all professional and it is all personal, all at the very same time."

9. Dan Pink: "The Puzzle of Motivation" (2009)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

Commissions, bonuses, other incentives ... in the business world, these are the things that motivate people, right? According to Dan Pink in his 2009 TED Talk, such extrinsic motivators (a.k.a. "carrots and sticks") could actually be doing more harm than good. The most recent sociological research suggests that the real key to producing better work is to find intrinsic motivation inside of yourself.

There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does. And what worries me, as we stand here in the rubble of the economic collapse, is that too many organizations are making their decisions, their policies about talent and people, based on assumptions that are outdated, unexamined, and rooted more in folklore than in science."

10. Denzel Washington: "Fall Forward" (2011)

Theme of Speech: Failure

In his 2011 UPenn commencement speech, Denzel Washington highlighted three reasons why we need to embrace failure in order to be successful. First, everybody will fail at something at some point, so you better get used to it. Second, if you never fail, take that as a sign that you're not really trying. And third, at the end of the day, failure will help you figure out what path you want to be on.

Fall forward. Here’s what I mean: Reggie Jackson struck out twenty-six-hundred times in his career -- the most in the history of baseball. But you don’t hear about the strikeouts. People remember the home runs. Fall forward. Thomas Edison conducted 1,000 failed experiments. Did you know that? I didn’t know that—because #1,001 was the light bulb. Fall forward. Every failed experiment is one step closer to success."

11. Elizabeth Gilbert: "Your Elusive Creative Genius" (2009)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

Following the extraordinary success of her book, Eat, Pray, Love, people began asking author Elizabeth Gilbert the same question over and over and over: How are you going to top that? In her 2009 TED Talk, Gilbert explores that question while also examining how our ideas of genius and creativity have shifted over the generations. While once seen as separate entities or states of being that anyone could tap into, genius and creativity have increasingly become associated with individuals. And according to Gilbert, that shift has been putting more and more pressure on artists, writers, and other creatives to produce great work.

I think that allowing somebody, one mere person to believe that he or she is like, the vessel, you know, like the font and the essence and the source of all divine, creative, unknowable, eternal mystery is just a smidge too much responsibility to put on one fragile, human psyche. It's like asking somebody to swallow the sun. It just completely warps and distorts egos, and it creates all these unmanageable expectations about performance. And I think the pressure of that has been killing off our artists for the last 500 years."

12. Charlie Day: Merrimack College Commencement Speech (2014)

Theme of Speech: Taking Risks

Best known for his role in the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, actor Charlie Day had lots of wisdom to share during the 2014 commencement speech at his alma mater, Merrimack College. Day explained to the audience how college degrees are inherently valueless, since you can't trade them in for cash. Instead, it's you, your hard work, and the risks you take that provide real value in life.

You cannot let a fear of failure or a fear of comparison or a fear of judgment stop you from doing the things that will make you great. You cannot succeed without the risk of failure. You cannot have a voice without the risk of criticism. You cannot love without the risk of loss. You must take these risks."

13. Orlando Scampington: "The Pillars of C.L.A.M." (2015)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

Sometimes humor is the best motivator. So here's an INBOUND Bold Talk from self-proclaimed author, thought leader, dreamer, cat owner, visionary, and "believer in unlimited human potential," Orlando Scampington. As you'll soon realize upon reading the quote below, it's hard to explain what his speech is actually about -- so I think it's better that you just dive in and enjoy.

"Culture is the bitter drunken coachmen lashing motivation into the ungrateful workhorses, so they drag the wagon of growth down the road of success. I think that's a very apt analogy."

14. Vera Jones: “But the Blind Can Lead the Blind…” (2016)

Theme of Speech: Perseverance

Last year at INBOUND, Vera Jones told a moving story about the life lessons she’s learned from raising her blind son. She explains how having faith in your future and letting it lead you toward your true purpose will help you overcome blinding obstacles. She also discusses how following your passion and trusting your vision develops empathy, which is a critical leadership skill.

“Passionately play your position no matter how bad things get. You are significant. Why we are here is not for our own glory. Ultimately, we’re here to lead and serve everybody else. By doing that, we encourage others to do the same.”

15. Jim Valvano: ESPY Speech (1993)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

Less than two months before he lost his battle to cancer, Jim Valvano delivered one of the most impactful and timeless speeches about living life to the fullest. My words can’t do it justice, so be prepared for some laughter, tears, and thought.

“I just got one last thing; I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day, and Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm,” to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.”

16. Kal Penn: DePauw University Commencement Speech (2014)

Theme of Speech: Life and Career

In 2014, Kal Penn delivered an uplifting speech that DePauw University will never forget. He advised graduates to strive for success but to not let it loosen their grip on the things that actually matter, like staying connected with loved ones, being adventurous, and acting selflessly. He also comforted millennials everywhere, convincing them that their futures are full of potential and promise because their generation’s identity is rooted in innovation.

“Opportunity is all around us. You’re graduating at a time where youth unemployment is high. And yet your peers are refusing to sit idly by. You’re the most active, service-driven generation, the most imaginative, the most tech-savvy. You’re creating opportunities, inventing gadgets, placing an emphasis on social responsibility over greed. So stop worrying so much. Why are you worried?”

Famous Short Speeches With Inspirational Takeaways

17. Charles Dutton: Speech from Rudy (1993)

In the film Rudy, Sean Astin’s character, Rudy Ruettiger, quits the Notre Dame football team because he has to watch one of his last games from the stands. After two years of grueling practices and never once being apart of the team on the sidelines, he’s done dealing with the humiliation. But his friend Fortune -- played by Charles Dutton -- flips the script on him. He shows Rudy that he shouldn’t be humiliated. He should be proud because he’s proven to everyone that his perseverance and heart can carry him through any challenge. He just needs to realize that himself. And the only way he can do that is if he stays on the team for the rest of the season.

“You’re 5 feet nothin’, a 100 and nothin’, and you got hardly a speck of athletic ability. And you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years. And you’re also gonna walk outta here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this lifetime, you don’t have to prove nothin’ to nobody – except yourself. And after what you’ve gone through, if you haven’t done that by now, it ain’t gonna never happen. Now go on back.”

18. William Wallace: Speech From the Battle of Stirling Bridge (1297)

OK, I'll admit it: I couldn't find a recording of the actual speech Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace gave at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297 (the historian I spoke with said something about "nonexistent technology" and me "being an idiot," but I digress). Historical accuracy aside, there's no denying that Mel Gibson's version of the speech from the 1995 film Braveheart can help get you pumped up.

"Aye, fight and you may die. Run and you'll live -- at least a while. And dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!!!"

19. Al Pacino: "Inch by Inch" (1999)

Yes, this speech is from a football movie (Any Given Sunday), but trust me: This isn't your stereotypical rah-rah-go-get-'em sports speech. It's deeper than that. It's about life, and loss, and ... gosh darn it just listen to Al Pacino, he's pouring his soul out!

Either we heal as a team or we’re gonna crumble, inch by inch, play by play, till we’re finished. We’re in hell right now, gentlemen, believe me. And we can stay here and get the $&#@ kicked out of us, or we can fight our way back into the light. We can climb out of hell, one inch at a time."

20. Sylvester Stallone: Speech from Rocky Balboa (2006)

I had to put this one next since it plays along the same themes as Denzel Washington's UPenn speech. In the scene above, from the 2006 film Rocky Balboa, the title character (played by Sylvester Stallone) is having a heart-to-heart with his son. The advice he gives him: Don't let your failures or the adversity you face slow you down. Keep. Moving. Forward.

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

21. Frank Oz/Yoda: Speech from The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

This speech fromThe Empire Strikes Back felt like a natural follow-up to Charlie Day's speech. In the scene above, Yoda -- voiced by Frank Oz -- is teaching Luke the ways of the force. One of his key teachings: Whether or not something can or can't be done (e.g., lifting an X-Wing out of a swamp) is all in your head. So instead of doubting yourself, believe in yourself.

"Do, or do not. There is no try."

22. Will Smith: Speech from The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Here's another speech from the big screen, this time from the 2006 film The Pursuit of Happyness. In the scene above, Will Smith's character explains to his son why he shouldn't pursue basketball (because he'll end up being "below average") before having a major change of heart.

Don't ever let somebody tell you ... you can't do something. Not even me. All right? You got a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period."

23. Kurt Russell: “This is Your Time” (2004)

The Miracle on Ice is still considered the biggest upset in Olympic hockey history. And for good reason. The Soviet Union won six of the last seven Olympic gold medals, and the U.S. team consisted only of amateur players. It was obvious the Soviets were better. But, in the movie Miracle, which told the incredible story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team, Kurt Russell’s character -- Coach Herb Brooks -- knew that this game was different. The U.S. was better than the Soviets that day. And his speech conveyed such a strong belief in his team that they pulled off one of the greatest sports moments of the 20th century.

"If we played ’em ten times, they might win nine. But not this game… Not tonight. Tonight, we skate with them. Tonight, we stay with them. And we shut them down because we can! Tonight, WE are the greatest hockey team in the world. You were born to be hockey players, every one of you. And you were meant to be here tonight. This is your time.”

Want more? Read How to Motivate Yourself When You're Absolutely Exhausted.

0 notes

kirbyschultz-blog · 7 years ago

Text

Oakland A's Sign 3B Trevor Plouffe, Per Ken Rosenthal.

. Bechard counted his 298th triumph at Kansas versus Arkansas, delivering him one measure deeper to become the 1st instructor in system past to 300 success. Neither of these steps have actually yet been helped make formal because each are going to need corresponding 40-man lineup techniques. Our team share a market along with them, yet that's excellent to view Oakland at 94 success and San Francisco at 94 success as well as they're speaking about our team nationally as Bay Area baseball. That gives them large allowance to make a decision exactly how far to forge ahead as concerns tax avoidance. You understand these bad Neds and also Nellies - every association has some - as well as you can best address their influence on you by means of avoidance. 8 Included in Mount Holyoke Sports Venue of Popularity The Mount Holyoke College Athletics Team inducted eight entrants into its own Venue from Fame on Saturday night in a gala event stored at the Willits-Hallowell Event Center. Balance may aid your organization create a society of creative thinking and also technology. I believe you could learn to perform that. Dispute arbitration is actually an instance of method brings in best. The FAA alerts aviators that TIS-B is not a substitute for basic traffic splitting up as well as avoidance approaches. Managers possess a habit from wishing that an uneasy issue, staff member conflict or disagreement are going to only go away by itself if they do not provoke it or even aim to settle that. Believe me. This won't. For example, the Center Drive 6 game procedure from Anchored Association (where you provide individuals two alternatives for finishing a Preferred Action, a mix of Primary Disk 6 as well as 3) performs certainly not pull much durability from Reduction & Avoidance. For student-athletes, college graduation from Middlebury College is actually a considerable factor to consider for induction right into the Middlebury Sports Hall from Fame. CMS Athletics Week In Testimonial (1/18 - 1/24/16) Obtain all the most up to date ratings as well as information in the CMS Sports Week In Evaluation, the athletic department's once a week bulletin. All have adhered to in their father's steps as Brian is an assistant baseball train at William & Mary, Kevin performs the baseball workers at Northeastern, Brendan functions under his father at Tufts and also Chris helps at Roger Williams. The individual in conflict has an absolute interest in creating themselves or even herself straight if you made on your own in the position of discretionary. Nabors grew up betting among the most productive high school baseball programs in the nation: West Lauderdale High School in Collinsville, MS. While there certainly, he belonged of a # 2 National Position crew and also pair of MHSAA Condition Champions. We have actually utilized Equilibrium Assimilation at Yahoo for several years now & I can't tell you the amount of staff members say, 'This is such a wonderful perk that our experts didn't even recognize you possessed until we started our brand-new work! A Panel Historian Award champion, he also bets the Birmingham United under instructors Ben Parks and Brett Phillips. Toronto has additionally consented to a three-year, $Thirty Three thousand manage assigned player Kendrys Morales, according to Jon Heyman from FanRag Athletics Morales will definitely give insurance policy for the Jays in the event that the team can't re-sign free agent sluggers Edwin Encarnacion as well as Jose Bautista, and as a switch-hitter, he is going to help harmonize their righty-heavy lineup.

Our equilibrium transactions memory card assessments will definitely assist you discover just what the details from each memory card are actually, and also reveal you exactly what benefits deserve. Annually, the LeTourneau College athletics department opens its centers to pupils off a neighborhood elementary school in Longview as portion of the Jacket Sports Clinic. George, McGilvery, Ethan Casson '96, James Durrell '94, Calen Paquette '03 and the 1997-98 Crew have likewise been inducted in to the Colby-Sawyer Athletics Venue of Fame. The old Harborside gym- the birthplace from JWU's NCAA athletics program- bears his title. In case you loved this post and you would want to receive more details concerning http://gnb-green.info/ling-fluent-aconsejan-los-expertos-para-tener-una-mejor-resistencia i implore you to visit our own webpage. These 5 men should cooperate with one another so as to keep the board stabilized in order that this does not idea. Sports Communications is also in charge of the maintenance of all statistical as well as historical records, and also, dealing with the development of each university sporting activity. An equilibrium transfer can be a wonderful means to consolidate payments and stay away from passion if you are actually bring an equilibrium. Most pitching instructors stress reducing, hanging back, as well as sustaining harmony. Our company learn the mountain ranges behind the colleges, the beach, the desert, condition, regional and urban area parks, bike paths and also around the athletic fields on our universities. Her notable payments on the ice may be outlined back to her attributes as a staff player, along with to her work principles, which certainly never modifies despite the situation. When the individual avoidant copes, those thoughts become real AS A RESULT OF the avoidant coping. This e-mail will definitely affirm your registration and also define everything you should recognize to plan for the Accident Avoidance Workshops. Equilibrium worked closely along with veteran companion Diebold to develop a theoretical ATM adventure that positioned the individual, the client, and the setting at the center of the procedure. Panel Chair Yolanda Wu was actually a Co-Founder and also Co-President of A A lot better Harmony from 2006 to 2011.

As portion of the athletics control team, she supervised all components of video game operations, pointed student-athlete learning as CHAMPS/Life Skill-sets Coordinator, helped cultivate advertising and advertisings campaigns and acted as consultant for the Student-Athlete Advisory Board. After hopping around the minors for a year, he left American baseball at age 26 and also participated in the NC Dinos in Korea. Champion from the 2014 Ted Hughes Honor for New Work in Poems, Zones of Evasion is haunting, making a vibration along with my own life battles. Breathing, movement, reflection, stretching & various other methods administered & knew is going to assist balance out a student's everyday unnecessary stress; for this reason raising total functionality including university work. Provide a reliable and also preserving representation for varsity sports to be an indispensable portion of an unsparing arts education and learning at Whitman College. Additionally immediately impacted the stat sheet after logging a rebound within 19 secs exploring the for the very first time.

0 notes

first-and-ten · 7 years ago

Text

Week 17 Recap

The NFL season ends with a bang.

I did terrible in fantasy, but ended on a high note in both leagues. I did better in picks than I did last year but didn’t break my 2014 record. I missed on 3 survivor picks all year and made $71 in fake bets. Half the upsets I picked happened and I locked up games with almost 80% accuracy. We had one perfect week (DEN, SEA, NO, GB and both my fantasy teams win, NE loses) and ended on a disaster week (All my teams lose, NE wins). The Pats will carry the NFL Title Belt into the postseason.

Oh, and there’s the small matter of historic failure by one team. That’s right, the Cleveland Browns are now the third team to go winless in an NFL season in the Super Bowl era, and the second to do it in a 16-game season. Congratulations, Browns, you deserve it, and the Matt Millen Award for Losing will henceforth be called the Matt Millen and Sashi Brown Award for Losing.

In happier news, the longest playoff drought in North American pro sports is over. The Bills needed a handful of very specific miracles, and they got them. So strange to think that if just the Bills and Chargers were tied LA would go to the postseason, but with the Titans and Ravens in the mix they’re out. Not sure I like how that works. But it’s a little heartwarming for Bills fans to get to see their team in the playoffs for the first time this side of Y2K.

Teams That Need/ed Kaepernick: CLE, BAL, IND, TEN, HOU, JAX, NYJ, MIA, DEN, GB, PHI, NYG, ARI, SF

Coaching Graveyard: Ben McAdoo (NYG), Chuck Pagano (IND), Jack DelRio (OAK), John Fox (CHI), Jim Caldwell (DET), Bruce Arians (ARI)

The Room Where It Happens: PHI, PIT, NE, JAX, MIN, LAR, NO, CAR, KC, TEN, BUF, ATL

Fallen Tributes: CLE, NYG, SF, IND, DEN, CHI, TB, WSH, ARI, GB, CIN, NYJ, HOU, MIA, OAK, DET, DAL, BAL, LAC, SEA

GB 11 - 35 DET Game Ball: Ameer Abdullah Bet: +$2 [W] The season mercifully ends for both teams. Nice running by Abdullah, but the Lions still haven’t had a 100-yard rusher in the Stafford era, and maybe that’s why Jim Caldwell is out. Honestly, I think he should have stayed. His team had a respectable enough year. The Packers did not, and to their credit they are not putting it all on Rodgers’ injury, firing DC Dom Capers finally and reassigning GM Ted Thompson.

HOU 13 - 22 IND Game Ball: Frank Gore? Bet: +$1 [W] I didn’t watch this game, or any highlights from this game. Could have been Frank Gore’s last. Was definitely Chuck Pagano’s last.

CHI 10 - 23 MIN Game Ball: Latavius Murray Bet: +$2 [W] The Bears’ only real move was an incredible Red Herring punt return for a TD that got buried in a game where every wrinkle they tried on offense was either poorly executed or well-defended, or just cockamamy in the first place. The story of their season, really. Maybe that’s why John Fox is out.

NYJ 6 - 26 NE Game Ball: Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill Belichick the Football Guy! Bet: +$9 [W] The Jets couldn’t move an inch, and James Harrison had 2 sacks (in garbage time.) The Pats offense still looks stale, but it won’t in two weeks, I would bet the farm.

WSH 10 - 18 NYG Game Ball: Elisha Manning Bet: -$5 [L] This result made no sense, except that it did. No idea what the Giants are gonna do with Manning or about their head coach vacancy. Washington likewise has decisions about their QB and HC. Jay Gruden should be safe but it feels like Kirk Cousins is going despite being just as worth his mega-contract to the Potatoes as he is to any other team. Next year whoever is under center will be working with a team better than its record after half the roster trickles back in from IR.

DAL 6 - 0 PHI Game Ball: Dan Bailey Bet: +$3 [W] The Cowboys refused to let this game end as it was destined: with a 0-0 tie. Dan Bailey did his part though, missing a FG and a PAT. Nick Foles certainly had the shutout in mind, throwing for fewer yards than the length of my longest pass in a quidditch game. What a masterclass in wasting a #1 seed.

CLE 24 - 28 PIT Game Ball: Factory of Sadness Bet: -$9 [W] What can you even say? What do you say about a team winning only one out of 32 games over two years? About that team keeping the coach that did it for a third try? About going into a matchup in the last week against your hated rivals to find that they are resting every meaningfully impactful player? About moving the ball in that game better than you have all year, keeping the game within one possession, only to have a disappointing first-rounder straight up drop a pass from another disappointing first-rounder on 4th down? What on earth is there to say about a team that ultimately answers to the whim of a criminal billionaire who doesn’t give a damn about his team, when its fans care so much they are throwing their own parade just because they know this is a chance to celebrate, if ironically, a team that they’ve stuck with through every other possible terrible thing that can happen to a football franchise. What do you say when a team is so miserable that going 0-16 in a way feels like a fulfillment of its destiny? Congratulations, Cleveland. May your fans’ many years of exploitation for monetary gain finally be repaid. May this season exorcise whatever demon has cursed your city. You are the true Sovereigns of NFL Pain. You are the Factory of Sadness.

DEN 24 - 27 KC Game Ball: Pat Rollin With Mahomies Bet: -$10 [W] So many mixed emotions. The Broncos lost -- but that means they get a better draft pick -- but we lost to the Chiefs backups -- but it was close and we saw some potential -- but I lost $10 despite betting on the winning team -- but Vance Joseph is staying -- but Vance Joseph is staying. Patrick Mahomes did well enough for Chiefs fans to be hopeful about the future but not well enough for Alex Smith to be sweating, so that’s terrible.

CAR 10 - 22 ATL Game Ball: Matt Bosher Bet: -$12 [L] The Falcons kicked a lot instead of dancing in the end zone, but they sealed the deal when in mattered. The defense is looking good and Atlanta will enter the postseason as the only member of the NFC side that was there a year ago.

CIN 31 - 27 BAL Game Ball: Tyler Boyd Bet: +$8 [L] After trailing all game, the Ravens fight back for what seemed like the inevitable narrow victory, gaining a 3-point lead with about a minute to play. And Dalton moves the Bengals to midfield where they stall, finally facing a 4th and 17. This is the end for the Dalton/Lewis era, and the end of Baltimore’s 3-year playoff absence. They will happen upon the postseason as severe underdogs hoping their history can carry them past the likes of KC, NE, and PIT. And then it happened. A hole appeared in the middle of the field. Dalton delivered a solid strike right to Boyd. Boyd juked defenders, sprinted down the sideline, and powered into the end zone, and just like that the tables turned entirely. The Bills popped champagne and Joe Flacco wrinkled his brow. Aaaaaand the Bengals retained Marvin.

BUF 22 - 16 MIA Game Ball: Tyrod Taylor Bet: -$5 [L] The Bills just straight up had fun trashing the Dolphins’ fourth-stringer and handing the ball of to DTs on the goalline. The real fun came later that night though. Wow, what a ride.

NO 24 - 31 TB Game Ball: Jameis Mr. Wimstons Bet: +$3 [L] The Saints didn’t show me anything in this game I wasn’t already worried about. The Buccaneers end the season hot, to little avail, and this result could be construed as a positive for the Saints, whose path to the AFC Championship now looks like a home tilt against the Panthers -- who they’ve already beaten twice -- and then a visit to Nick “I Can’t Throw In Anything Less Than Ideal Conditions” Foles. Look up some of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram’s records from this season, because they are staggering and I don’t get paid for this.

JAX 10 - 15 TEN Game Ball: Derrick Henry Bet: +$70 [L] Jacksonville covered by half a point on a bet that would have left me with $1 if I lost it. This is the opposite of what the Teal And Gold needed before heading into the win-or-go-home stretch, and if they falter next week against Buffalo I would give partial credit for knocking them off to the Titans. Credit to Tennessee: I did not think they would take care of business but they did. You are what your record says you are, and their record says they’re a playoff team. One that’s gonna lose and maybe still fire their coach, but a playoff team nonetheless.

OAK 10 - 30 LAC Game Ball: Philip Rivers Bet: -$1 [W] *Adelle’s “Rolling in the Deep” plays in the background as the Chargers are eliminated from the playoffs*

SF 34 - 13 LAR Game Ball: Janeane Garofalo Bet: +$5 [W] Yeah, the Rams rested their starters (and the Saints let them get away with it) but this win was still significant for the Niners. I’m not sure I’ve EVER seen a bigger in-season turnaround. They’ll go into the offseason on a 5-game winning streak with a QB of the future who is 7-0 as a starter. That’s not normal. It’ll be interesting to see what the week off and loss of momentum does to LA.

ARI 26 - 24 SEA Game Ball: Bruce Arians’ Retiring Ass Bet: +$10 [L] Arians is like 4-2 in Seattle, and he will retire that way. Blair Walsh remains the most baffling hire by the Seahawks. The Falcons’ win a minute earlier made his game-ending kick essentially irrelevant but it just encapsulated the frustration of this season when he missed it anyway. Hopefully he’s gone next season, and hopefully Pete Carroll, Cliff Avril, and Kam Chancellor are NOT gone next season. If this was Larry Fitzgerald’s last game ever, he went out on his usual note: humbly holding his team together and lifting them to victory.

Record this week: 9-7 Record this season: 168-88 Locks record: 76-20 (Survivors used [XXX]: ATL, SEA, NE, GB, PIT, DEN, DAL, MIN, NO, DET, KC, LAC, MIA, SF, JAX, BAL, IND) Upsets record: 34-34 2014 pace: 188-67-1 Pickwatch leader: 180-76 (Jeff Ratcliffe, PFF) Betting: +$71 ($71)

NFL Title Belt: NE (Defended from NYJ)

Matt Millen Award for Losing Jackpot Winners: 2017 Cleveland Browns (0-16)

FANTASY CORNER

Danger Squirrels 332 - 270.8 :) The Champs [W, 6-8]

And thanks to my opponent leaving Ben Roethlisberger in the lineup I avoid being the last place team in the league a year after winning the damn thing.

#browns #broncos #saints #week 17 #nfl #2017 predictions #2017 results

0 notes