Welcome to the Hall

Two of my all-time favorite players were elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame today- Karl Malone and Scottie Pippen. When I was a kid there were few more talented, hard working or notable players than these two. I am very happy that these two greats are joining the many illustrious players in the hall or fame.

My love of Karl Malone goes back a long way, but was solidified when I had the good fortune to be paired with him in a Hardee's commercial. I was about 11 or 12 when Karl and I spent a morning together shooting free throws in a driveway. He was very nice to me, signed many autographs and answered many of my questions while we shot the ad. I received some teasing from my friends about the commercial when it came on T.V., but it never bugged me because I got paid to hang out with a two time MVP, a great power forward from my favorite team and now, a hall of famer.

Scottie Pippen was always one of my favorite players. His defense, ball handling and work ethic made him stand out- even while playing in Michael Jordan's shadow. Pippen was fun to watch and complimented Jordan so well, that sometimes his play was more exciting than Michael's. I remember writing 33 on my shoes in eight grade as a tribute to Pippen, and insisting on wearing 33 in all our middle school games that year.

Cheers to Karl and Scottie.

Movie of the Week

This Week,

RED RIVER (1948)

Starring- John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan

This is the best Western ever made. I have a great appreciation for many films in this genre, but for me, Red River tops them all. Director Howard Hawks brilliantly depicts the harsh life of a cattle drive from Texas to Missouri and gets great performances out of his leading actors- Wayne and Clift. It is the back and forth between these two men that makes Red River special, as Wayne plays a more villainous role than usual to Clift's hero.

The story centers around cattle baron Thomas Dunson (Wayne) and his desire to take his large herd of cattle North to market, at any cost. At first, his adopted son Matthew Garth (Clift) is his staunchest ally, but as the drive gets longer and harder, Dunson becomes a brutal leader and eventually forces his men to mutiny. Garth is then left to lead the drive while Dunson stalks him to get revenge. Red River is by no means a complex story, but it has some very nuanced scenes that make it seem more complex than it really is. Also, it has a fabulous supporting cast that enhances the drama between Dunson and Garth.

I love this film because it is fun, exciting and suspenseful all at the same time, and it seems more realistic than some of the other Westerns of this period. Kudos must go to Hawks whose direction and cinematography make this film seem larger and more epic than it already is. The shots are so dynamic at times that you almost don't notice that the movie is in black and white. If you like Westerns or The Duke, make sure to put Red River at the top of your list.

Things to Watch For-

Two Jaw Quo
A Revolutionary 360 degree pan shot of the herd
The Great Score by Dimitri Tiomkin
The Red River D belt buckle worn by Wayne that he wore in pretty much every movie after
The great Walter Brennan as Groot

"There are only two things more beautiful than a gun: a Swiss watch or a woman from anywhere."

College Advice

I have been to college, and as such I have some advice for the kids out there.

Is it me, or are high schools going overboard with getting their students into college?  It seems that more and more students are applying to colleges, and what is more, they want to go!  I just don’t understand what the deal is with all these kids trying to get more education.  Sure college can give you a leg up in many areas, but what about the forgotten trades?  I think that in this economy students are doing themselves a great disservice by restricting themselves to college after they graduate from high school. The list of jobs that await high school grads these days should be expanded. Many, including President Obama, say college is the key.

I say, nonsense.  The truth is that many great careers can be started right away, without attending college.  For example, the carnival and amusement park industry is always looking for people with a keen mind and a strong back.  A top notch carny can make up to $25,000 a year, and that includes benefits.  You may start out cleaning up after the goat boy, rabbit girl or sword swallower, but advancement is possible.  

Darryl “Jawbone” Jenks, one of the industry’s biggest tycoons, started out as a mop boy on The Nausiator, but because of his work ethic, it wasn’t long before he became the Tilt-a-Whirl operator. After that, he hit the mother load.  When three time Carny-of-the-Year Award winner Red Noonan retired, Darryl took his post as the “guess my weight” guy.  It may sound far fetched, but there are just as many future Darryl Jenks out there as there are lawyers and doctors.  It makes me sad that there is this clear bias against not going to college.  There is nothing to be ashamed of if a student wishes to pursue a career as a carny, street performer, cobbler, hand model or dog groomer.  The stigma against these trades must come to an end, because there is nothing that you can get in an Ivy League college that you can’t get under a tent at the fairgrounds. 

 I was lucky to meet Darryl Jenks on one occasion, and I must say that he was a man of great moral fiber who, despite his lack of book learning, lived an exciting and deeply fulfilling life.  Reject the impulse to go to college and choose a more exciting path. 

P.S. This is an April Fool. Duh.

A Plea to My Readers

To the Conned faithful,

I know that there are a few of you out there that check in periodically, and I love you for it, but I need to ask a favor of you. Can you please sign up to be a follower of my blog, so that I know how many people actually read my stuff? I have seven right now, and if that's all the readers that I have please disregard this entry. If not, make me aware of you. You might even get a shout out in a blog if you do. I hope that I don't sound too needy. Am I needy? I feel needy. Anyway, become an official follower and I will be forever grateful.

Thanks,

Conor

Thoughts on Leadership- Part II

A little while back I posted some of my thoughts on leadership, and what I feel it means to be a good leader/boss. In addition to being a "natural leader" and gaining experience on the job, it is clear to me that the elusive third ingredient in quality leadership is the ability to reflect and then work hard to make yourself better as a leader.

Leadership, like anything must be practiced and honed. Very few people can get up in front of a crowded auditorium and speak without being prepared. Practice, rehearsing, and study are usually required to be successful in this regard. 

Relationships as well need maintenance and work. Very few marriages can survive, let alone be successful if the people involved are not constantly trying to maintain it and make improvements. I can speak from personal experience that my wife and I are constantly doing things to make sure that our relationship stays healthy and happy. Leadership requires this same kind of constant vigilance. It is not always enough to sit behind the fancy desk and go to the important meetings, and make big decisions, leaders need to be thinking constantly about how to be the best they can be.

Often times you will see someone new to a leadership position trying to get better as a leader. They might ask for feedback, or employ new tactics to see what works best, and many times these efforts are effective. More often than not, however, these new leaders abandon these practices once they think they have a handle on their position. Of course, this is a mistake, and typically this failure to reflect and be vigilant creates problems. I have seen it first hand. You see it in marriages too, where a husband and wife work hard to get things on track, and once things start going well, they let up. Next thing you know, there is trouble and the wife runs off with her Pilates instructor. Bosses and supervisors need to view their leadership roles in the same way, or their employees will be off with the Pilates instructor or the hot new neighbor so fast it will make their heads spin. The work of reflection can never be over, or a leader will never reach his/her full potential.

Movie of the Week

This week,

THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

Starring- Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams

I know that many Ewok lovers like Return of the Jedi best, but for me, Empire is the best film in the Star Wars saga. It has so many great moments, pivotal scenes and the best dialogue in the series (George Lucas didn't write it). The darkest of the original films, Empire takes us deep into the backstory of Anakin Skywalker and fleshes out things only hinted at in A New Hope. I actually like the remastered version of this film as well, mostly because there wasn't anything to fix or add, so George Lucas had a hard time ruining it.

Instead of reviewing a movie that most of the world has already seen a kajillion times, I will instead list the top ten things that I like best about Episode V.

10. The Family Guy parody- Something Something Something Dark Side. See it, I laughed so hard that I peed.

9. The most pimp response to "I love you" ever committed to film. Thanks Han, you're a total scoundrel.

8. The taun tauns. This is for my friend Natalie.

7. Boba Fett. I'd put him higher, but he never really does anything. Watch the movie again, his badass reputation is based on very little actual bounty hunting. He's still cool though.

6. Darth Vader's nasty scarred head. It looks like a rotten cabbage.

5. The AT-ATs. They are super awesome and hard to bring down. Unless you've got Wedge firing a tow cable.

4. Yoda's force skills. This Jedi Master is a wealth of knowledge and quotes. He's like a little green Tony Robbins.

3. Luke's hand getting cut off. I love seeing that little bitch get sliced up by Vader. That's what you get for whining about those power converters, Luke.

2. Lando Calrissian. Such a smooth operator, and a great boss too. Just ask Lobot.

1. The John Williams score. I know a lot of his music sounds the same, and he jumped the shark a long time ago, but this is the best score he ever wrote and it needs to be recognized.

There you have it, kids. May the force be with you.

"I thought they smelled bad...on the outside."

March 20th- Day of Kings

Happy Birthday to me! March 20th is a special day, not just because of my birth. I also share this day with some great birthday buddies, as well as some important historical events. In addition to being the first day of Spring much of the time, March 20th is a pivotal and awesome 24 hour period. Here now is the evidence.

Tunisia became independent on March 20, 1956.

The Dutch East India Company was established on March 20, 1602.

Napoleon entered Paris after his escape from Elba and began the "Hundred Days" on March 20, 1815.

Albert Einstein published his general theory of relativity on March 20, 1916.

The U.S. began the war in Iraq (So dumb) on March 20, 2003.

ALSO BORN ON MARCH 20-

Napoleon II- Ruler of France

Henrik Ibsen- Norwegian Writer

B.F. Skinner- American Psychologist

Carl Reiner- Comedian and Film Director

Fred "Mister" Rogers- Children's Show Host

Hal Linden- T.V.'s Barney Miller

Jerry Reed- Country Singer, Played Snowman in "Smokey and the Bandit"

Pat Riley- Basketball Coach of the Lakers, Knicks and Heat

Spike Lee- Film Director

Jon De Lancie- Actor who played Q on "Star Trek: The Next Generation"

Holly Hunter- Actress

Ronnie Brewer- NBA Basketball player, formerly of the Utah Jazz

Liz Elliott- The Lizard, Member of the Trifecta

Justin Samuels- Skier, Member of the Trifecta

See, March 20 is a pretty cool day.