I posted (something I rarely do) on my facebook wall, a comment of disappointment on this world we live in today:

the last days of Rome…
the first time “fuck” was used in an oscar speech and said by a woman.
i bet money that super phony actress did it on purpose to look cool (premeditated) to ensure everyone talked about her.
what’s incredible is that she will probably make more money because of this…

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To be honest, this actress was very clever at marketing herself because it ensured people like me, people who didn’t watch the Oscars, and have no idea who she is … got to hear about her.

Undoubtedly, she used the “F-word” on purpose

A female friend of mine from university posted a comment on my wall: “what does it matter that it was a woman…”

…. Back in the day of “sir and ma’mm” beautiful women didn’t use profanity; most men didn’t either.
Not to mention, I prefer my 7 year old daughter and or my wife doesn’t use profanity.

It made me reflect (with shame) on some of my blog posts where I have used profanity intentionally to highlight my point.

It’s not the cursing by a female Oscar winner that’s the issue … for me it has to do with how now a days, we laugh and enjoy stuff like this women cursing in front of millions of people…almost celebrating when we witness mediocrity.

Charlie Sheen has commanded headline news on almost all the US media sites over the past week …
abcnews.com has a large picture and article highlighting his life living with two strippers, discussing his incredible drug use.

The 3^rd headline news story is on Bristol Palin announcing she has a memoir coming out.  (Who???)

Other than being the daughter of a right wing zealot, and having a baby at the age of 17 while she was still in high school, Bristol has achieved nothing in this world.

Yet headline news promotes her book, a book which surely made her millions of dollars.

The world we live in today….

This week – strippers, porn stars, drug addicted movie stars, and a dumpy daughter of somebody, sort of famous…all command our attention and focus.

Think about this as you go through your day — look around you …

…all the stories of greatness in our world which are being ignored because stories on “greatness” do not sell as well as the stories on the failures in man.

Many people (esp. in america) are struggling, worried about tomorrow…

Imagine how much of a positive (powerful) influence the media could give us, if they focused our attention only on the stories of the greatness in man…

Seriously,  where is John Galt?

This morning, I came across this quote again and felt like using it in a short blog.

There is not much really to say because the quote says it all:

“If the gentleman is not serious, he will not be respected, and his learning will not be on a firm foundation. He considers loyalty and faithfulness to be fundamental, has no friends who are not like him, and when he has made mistakes, he is not afraid of correcting them.” Confucius

“has no friends who are not like him.”

Friendship.

….. how many people are brought down by one bad/negative friend?

I am sure every reader can reflect back to a time in their life when a bad influence brought them down.

Or a great influence lifted them up.

a negative, moaning, complaining super bitch…
breeds negativity and becomes like a cancer eating away at the positive.

this is the challenge…. ensuring that we surround ourselves with great people who help lift us up when we are down….
AND support and challenge us to become better.

If you have a negative friend who is bringing you down….
tell them to get out of your way.

because a gentleman has no friends who are not like him….

This is repost from 6 weeks ago
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With the risk of coming across boastful….
Yesterday, I was contacted by a leading business media in North America to write an article for them discussing my ideas on what is the best way to become a “thought leader.”

This was in reference to a Harvard Business Review article on “how to become a thought leader in six steps.”

Firstly, I state unequivocally, I am not a “thought leader.”

I don’t pretend to be a “thought leader.”

I am from the old school where there was no such thing as self promoting “thought leaders.”

The world we live in today has become so focused on self promotion, all at the same time craving acceptance from others that selfishness dominates …. pollutes our thought process.

A true “thought leader” does not need to intentionally,  market and hustle his/her “thoughts….”

Like a great leader doesn’t need to command people to follow…

Is “leadership” something which can be taught?

Let’s be honest….

Can someone sitting behind a computer in a cushy office at Harvard teach leadership??

No disrespect.

No matter how great of a leader the person might be or have been ….can the secrets to their success as a leader be summed up on a blog or in a book?

…Is ”thought leadership” something so simple it can be taught in 6 clear steps on a blog?

In reality …

What works “leading” an American employee does not necessarily work “leading” an employee in China, India, Japan, not to mention, “leading” a woman employee in Saudi Arabia…

Moreover, it can be argued that the abundance of media has created an overflow of information.
We are hammered daily by worthless content trying to sell us short cuts ….
“The secret to becoming the ultimate thought leader in just 6 simple steps…”

In my humble opinion – there are no manuals which one can buy that outline the secrets of how to lead to people….whether leading them in action or in thought.

I’m just searching for John Galt…

“Anytime you quit hearing “sir” and “ma’am”, the end is pretty much in sight.” …. from the book “No Country for Old Men” by Cormac McCarthy

Last season, a NBA coach who led his team to the playoff’s each year he was the coach; the team went to the finals his 2nd year and he was voted the NBA coach of the year.

Last year, he nearly led his team to the finals again, but lost in the conference finals.

Back in the day of “sir” and “ma’m” a coach like this was celebrated, but not in this world we live in today.

The coach was fired because the star player of the team, someone who was 25 years old didn’t like him.

I am not judging anyone.

I am just wondering when did it all change: when did authority stop having authority?

….I felt like re-mentioning this story which I  blogged about in June 010 because it’s sort of along the same theme as todays blog, but not really…

I have great respect for George Steinbrenner, the owner of the New York Yankees.

Irrespective of what you think about the Yankees … Steinbrenner’s team is unquestionably the most famous, successful and valuable professional sports franchise in the world.

George is well known for enforcing a strict dress code which everyone who plays for or works for him must abide by – including no facial hair, no asshole haircuts and there is no player on the Yankees who is visibly drenched in tattoos.

This dress code and code of ethics is strictly enforced.

If someone doesn’t like it, they play elsewhere.

I won’t waste time discussing (my opinion) on the direct correlation between a strict dress/ethic code to the consistent success of a team or company –  I beleive they are linked, but that’s not the point of today’s blog.

When I was a junior in high school….

My high school swim team was at the Florida high school state meet, competing for the state championship (to win the state championship in Florida is a big deal to a high school team)

Anyways…

One of the star swimmers on our team showed up to the meet with a mohawk haircut.

My coach wouldn’t let this guy get on the bus to go to the meet unless he shaved (as the coach called it) his “asshole haircut.”

We relied on this swimmer, Wes… and if Wes refused to shave his mohawk off, he wouldn’t be allowed to swim – and our relay wouldn’t be as strong.  Not to mention, Wes was expected to win his two events, thus we needed the points to ensure we won state.

Our coach (who is now the head coach of the USA’s 2012 Olympic swim team) didn’t care – he had a dress code and all swimmers were expected to adhere to this code.

Wes shaved off his mohawk and was allowed to rejoin the team.
Ultimately, he won his 4 events that year and our team won the state championship.

He and the team, we didn’t fight the coaches rules — we thrived because of them.

Yesterday, the “voice of reason” fwd me an article about a 14 year old boy who was recently, kicked off his junior high school basketball team because he refused to cut his hair – apparently, this boy’s hair is too long for the dress code set by the school.

Instead of adhering to the rules set by the school and enforced by the coach.… the kid and his parents are suing the school.

To my absolute disgust, many people are supporting this family; the family will probably win money from the school.

When I was younger, people followed the rules set by the leader, and the rules were not questioned.

But in the world we live in today….
people like this boy and his parents are vigorously, celebrated and supported.

Unquestionably, other coaches and schools around America have had to change their rules and codes of ethic to the “needs” of their athletes and students — just to ensure the coach or the school doesn’t get sued or hassled.

I can only shake my head in disgust…

Where is John Galt?

http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/Parents-file-lawsuit-over-basketball-teams-haircut-policy-010311

In my opinion, Adam Smith’s invisible hand has been crushed and replaced by an open out stretched one, wanting instead of earning; expecting rather than deserving….“free loader syndrome…” is sweeping across America and most probably the world.

I was in NYC last week … at lunch, I had a young, efficient waiter from the south (I consider myself from the south) so I instantly liked him.

He is university student at a school in NYC and told me that he has two jobs and is trying to get a degree in finance.
He wasn’t pushy or salesy – just a good, quiet waiter.

My bill was $53.00 … and I gave him a $100 bill and told him to keep the change – I figured he needed the money more than I did, and it would help him have a better Christmas holiday.

I wasn’t looking for a hug, but I was annoyed to receive nearly, no appreciation from the guy… ok, he wasn’t a “free loader”, but acted as if he felt entitled to the money.

Ironically, every single taxi I took in NYC… I had to almost negotiate with the taxi driver to get out of the taxi because they were never happy with the tip I left them.

Not to mention, over the week …. I must have had 20+ normal looking people come up to me (over the week) asking (begging) for money…

But what really makes me want to vomit…

Recently, I came across a great blog about an America couple who sailed around the world – I read their blog for a couple hours until…. I noticed on the side of their site it’s written: “buy us a pizza” with a link to paypal where I can “donate” money to them…

Why would they expect people to buy them pizza, or send them money?

Why would they have such little honor to troll for money … as if they’re fishing.

All that is written:  “Buy us a pizza!”

I wanted to write “Fuck off – buy your own pizza”  but Sophie talked me out of it….

I could go on and on with other examples of “free loaders” bouncing in and out of my life, but its a waste of time to talk about it further…

But seriously.

There was a time when people had honor; and no one would dare ask their neighbor to “buy them a pizza.”

A time when people would do everything humanly,  possible before they would ask their neighbor for money.

But nowadays…

too many people are thinking “why shall I work, if I can get someone to provide for me.”

Its worth mentioning…I was in Libya a month ago – and tried to tip/give money to a young  man who I met in the street who gave me a lift back to my hotel, but he graciously refused.  Even when I left the money on the seat, he got out and brought it to me…

Last year in Yemen something very similar happened where I tried to tip someone, but they refused my money..

The two above examples … these people dont have two nickels to rub together, but they have something so many people no longer have: they have honor.

The american couple who sailed 4 years around the world in a kick ass sailboat … are trolling for a free pizza with no shame…and no honor.

Where is John Galt?