Vegas is Open for Business

I have been traveling to Las Vegas for the PPAI EXPO since 2003. I've seen Las Vegas grow like crazy through that time, building a new casino hotel every year; until 2010. Vegas was so exciting, so vibrant that it seemed to hum. You could see it on the confident faces of the residents and on the hopeful faces of those moving in to tap into the vibe. Well...

Las Vegas has gone from being a vibrant city with excited residents to what I see now; a depressed populace who seems to question their future here in the desert. From what the locals have told me, the casinos are losing money and the hotels are getting shabby. There is a feeling that Vegas is circling the drain.

Vegas is once again trying to re-invent itself, trying to make the transition from "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas." to more like "Vegas is Open for Business". The hotels are trying to not only stay the gambling Mecca they are but some are trying to make room for more business conventions and corporate meetings. Hotels are adding meeting rooms and the venues are becoming more Broadway than Hollywood.

Las Vegas is seeking to re-invent itself once again. Can they make a transition from Sodom & Gomorrah to something more respectful? Nothing is free in Vegas but everything is available, sounds like the right combination to attract corporate money. With the amount of money at stake, I wouldn't bet against them.

Dreaming of Getting Things Done

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan but also believe" - Anatole France

I am in the midst of a mess that stretches from the main floor to the basement. The time has come to move my home office back to our basement simply because I have run out of room on the main floor for all my promotional "stuff".  Catalogs, samples, files - they all take up room and I can't stand being crowded into a confused mess. Something had to give.
   I won't say that moving my office back to the basement is a great accomplishment, but it will mean quite a bit to me and my operation. My dream of having the room to turn around once again was acted upon and now I believe I will be living my dream of being organized once again shortly; funny how that works.

    When I was a young man, I was very goal oriented. I would brainstorm to come up with worthy goals. I would write them down with action plans and measurement rubrics. I would faithfully track my progress, but ultimately this process was unsatisfactory for me. My goals always seemed to change on me. I would be one month into a quarterly plan and the  goal posts would be moved, usually due to events out of my control. (Or, I lost interest) It all became very frustrating for me and I ended up not believing in the process.
   About 20 years ago, instead of setting goals, I started dreaming. In the intervening years, I have found that instead of goal setting,  if I visualize where I want to be in a month, a year, 5 years, etc. I am a happier person. I have also found that my life has become considerably more interesting. I have never had a real long attention span, so my visualizations allow me to pursue divergent short term goals while always keeping my long-term dreams intact.
   The amazing thing for me is that I am remarkably closer to what I wanted to be when I was a young man than I ever thought I could be before I started dreaming... and believing.

New Year

Another year passes into history. The clock strikes Midnight and the calendar changes the big number at the end. Is it a milestone or is it just another day? Face it, tomorrow morning will come and you will pretty much do the same thing you've done on other weekend mornings. Unless one changes their thought process and their attitude, nothing else will change in one's life. I believe that return to routine is neither good nor bad; but it can be suffocating.
If one wants something in their life to change, the calendar is the last thing that should influence that change, One can change their attitude on any day of the week, even at any time during the day; all it takes is the sincere desire to change. However, the change of the calendar IS a good excuse to make some changes. The beginning of 2016 can be the first day of the rest of a NEW life, all you need to do is change your thought process a wee little bit everyday.
The most valuable lesson I learned by running 3 marathons in my life is that one can do anything they wish to do but only if they want it bad enough and show patience for the changes to occur. One does not go out and run 26.2 miles without building up to the event. When one increases the load a little every day or every week, when one makes small changes consistently but patiently, one can accomplish big things.
You have the power to make 2016 as happy as you choose. I hope you join me in choosing to make 2016 a great year!

Simple chores, simple pleasures

I spent most of the day yesterday cleaning up leaves  with my children. Leaf clean up is no simple thing in our corner lot as we have 5 maples, 2 crab apples, an elder tree and a big chestnut in the back yard. We have lots of leaves. Plus, we take care of our elderly neighbor's yard for her - 2 apple trees, 3 birch, 2 elder trees, which adds to the total quite a bit. It is quite a project. I'm always glad when it is done.

Leaf clean up is one of those chores that I dread but look forward to at the same time. I get a strange feeling of satisfaction by taking a scene of such chaos; leaves strewn about, a carpet of many colors covering my yard; and turning it into an orderly, serene landscape. I feel a sense of teamwork when Sarah and Steven work side-by-side to accomplish a common goal. Overall, leaf clean-up sucks but is still a satisfying chore. 

Up Front - A New Adventure

Tomorrow begins another adventure in this always unfolding story called life. On September 10th, I begin as co-host of a local radio show called Up Front. (9:00 to 10:00 AM on AM960 KLTF, also available on-line at fallsradio.com ).
Up Front is a call-in show dedicated to current events, politics and good government. As anyone who knows me, these topics are right in my wheel house. It should be fun.
So, give it a listen Monday through Thursday at 9:00 and let me know how I am doing. Call in and let me know whether I am a star or a knucklehead, after all, its just your opinion. And I want to know.

“Don't agonize, organize.”

“Don't agonize, organize.” - Florynce R. Kennedy

Are you under pressure at work? Feeling a little "blue" about something going on in your life? Perhaps frustration with a situation is starting to mount because you can't quite get to the solution, even though you know it is there? Then it is time to do a little organization...

I always insure that I have sufficient clutter and mess in my office to sift through when I have a problem to solve or emotions to process.  I find that when I am struggling with a situation or need to work through something, organizing my office tends to help. There is something about the mindlessness of filing, sorting or categorizing that takes up just enough of my brain to keep my mind off my problem, but still allows my unconscious mind to work on a solution. Many times, an idea or solution will present itself while I am tidying up and voila' - problem solved, feelings processed.

Plus, I have the bonus of a neater workspace.

So, don't be in a rush to clean off your desk every day, let the clutter build up a bit. Leave yourself a few piles of "stuff" to go through next time you need to take a creative break or emotional "time out".

What to do today: Release your inner slob.

What to keep in mind: A cluttered desk is a tool in the creative process.

Everyone Has One

 I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.  - Edward Gibbon

Asshole

It is sometimes depressing what people seem to think they are owed today. Some people believe they are owed an income forcibly taken from others, just because they exist. Others seem to think they are owed a political office because they have "paid their dues".  But the most depressing development of the modern world of the internet, online blogs and social media is that now people seem to think I need to respect their opinion.

Don't get me wrong, in a society as rich as ours, no one should go hungry or homeless; God has given us plenty to share and he commands us to do so. Also, everyone is entitled to an opinion, even when it is misinformed, illogical, self-centered, uneducated, formed by sloppy thinking or prejudiced. However, don't expect me support you in your sinful behavior or to respect your opinion when it is based upon one of the above.

When you trash my religion, disrespect my deeply held beliefs, insult my entire way of living my life because of the latest social trend or passing social cause, don't expect me to respect you as a serious person. When you try to force me to put my eternal soul in jeopardy because of your misplaced sense of "social justice" don't expect me to not fight back.