Game-Set-Match

Gave me a little life...

2011-05-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

2nd set Sunday match, down 2-5 my opponent "gave" me game 8, which fired me up inside. He felt secure enough to overhit 4 straight returns fast, long and out. I then broke him next game, held my serve and went on to win 7-6 (5) for first outdoor set win this season. No biggie, but nice to get that one under my belt. Been working on a new put away shot. Low percent of success so far but staying with it...need to learn when to go on offense with it and to play defensive retriever until the right time...small adjustment made on serve...

Tennis progress for my 14 year old

2011-01-09T15:55:00.000-08:00

Completed the third tennis session at EHRC for my daughter Kelly taught by Rogers and Murphy tennis. I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied by her progress. She was a quick learner, learning the fundamentals of forehand, backhand, serve and net volley with foot work. We discussed her starting sessions for HS girls over the next few months. The rest is up to her and hopefully she see's the fun in the game and want to develop more (the strategies and variety of strokes). Would honestly, if not selfishly, be overjoyed if she tries out for her high school team!

EHRC Tennis - 1 vs. 2 / 11-01-2010

2010-11-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Interesting match tonight of teacher vs. student (me). My friend and colleague Satish and I finally play each other for the top spot at EHRC. Expect to have a fun night out there and hope to at least give a good match. Satish is a better overall player and I've become a student of the game the past 3 years and have improved my game. Both of us have had success moving up this ladder the past few years and we have reaped the benefits with our recent rankings. Good luck Satish....not that you need it...we both know each others games so we'll see who can break down who and make the big shots...!! Either way, will see you on the job bright and early in the morning.

Will need to read Satish's blog for the results. He does a great job with his website and blogs on the matches. http://gumsat.blogspot.com/

Tennis Ladder - 10/20/2008

2008-10-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Followed up a disappointing 6 win (out of 21 games) week last time with a very promising 14 wins last night against top competition (Henry H., Paul, Satish). Some other night this may be totally different, but I got into a zone somewhere there and turned some recent frustration into all out intensity. I played instinctively which helps me. I have more trouble so far with the guys who dictate their styles and pace against me. I kept balls deep for the most part and in play down the sides, with a strong backhand and good net play. Played old school McEnroe, hit early and on the rise moving forward. Also mixed in a few drops at the right times and overhand smashes for winners. All in all it was one of my best nights indoors. Could even have been better in the win column, but after taking big leads in each of the 3 games, I played a bit too loose for me, perhaps trying different approaches, with losing a game not much of a concern. Who knows about next week. May be a different result, especially in a higher bracket. I want to find that don't give a shit attitude again and just go for the shots when they are there. But I needed this performance on this night as a confidence booster. Serve can always be better but this has improved at least from last year. Need to get consistently on top of the ball and snap my wrist over.

Questions and Perceptions - Architect role

2008-04-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

This article found at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc421438.aspx

Optimistically Critical...

Architects must ask questions (a lot of questions) to gain an understanding of a system and its components..... .questions often lead to a perception of hostility, pessimism, and excessive criticality. No matter how much you try to show neutrality, empathy, and reason, some people inevitably will focus only on the negative aspects of being critiqued, and they take it personally..... come to learn that questioning with sensitivity and being optimistically critical are skills that are required to have an extended career as an architect.
Criticality is needed to perform the basic function of a technical leader; sensitivity is needed to help communicate critiques; optimism is needed to succeed and just remain sane. There are times when silence is prudent; but, in general, we as architects must communicate our views, both good and bad, or we add no value. We must communicate our views—sensitively, whenever possible; bluntly, when necessary; and harshly, never.
Conclusion
....They might be obvious, but find value in repeating them:
1. Being sensitive and kind doesn't move us forward, but it makes the journey more pleasant.
"I always prefer to believe the best of everybody; it saves so much trouble." –Rudyard Kipling
2. Being critical doesn't move us forward, but it does help guide our steps.
"Large skepticism leads to large understanding. Small skepticism leads to small understanding. No skepticism leads to no understanding." –Xi Zhi
3. Being optimistic doesn't move us forward, but it motivates us to take the first and subsequent steps.
"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run." –Babe Ruth
4. It is the actions of people that move us.
"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals; adjust the action steps." –Confucius
I ask you to take action and promote optimistic critical thinking in your organization.

This article was published in Skyscrapr, an online resource provided by Microsoft.

Super Bowl to Giants..but we all win with this....

2008-04-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ran across this pic. This is dedicated to Dave, a Redskin fan.

Plus it adds a little color to the blog.

Spring Tennis - 4/08

2008-04-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

After evening my spring record with Satish at 1-1 last week with an inspiring come from behind 7-5 win indoors, I dropped 2 sets 3-6, 2-6 at Glastonbury in 75+ heat. In the win I was able to get myself in good position to control points, hit a bunch of lines, strategized well(moved ball around at right times) and served fairly good for me. I was totally gassed after the set. Shows that I need to play 'A' game to even have a chance at eking out a win. In the latest 2 set loss, Satish's groundstrokes were deeper and well placed keeping me back and not allowing me to push forward. He had some nice passing shots when I came to the net and lower number of unforced errors. After 2 sets outside in the heat and elements, I was less tired then the one set victory last week. hmmmm...Neither of us served well it seemed (low 1st serve percentage). But Satish's second serve is better then my 1st so there you go. I have a few adjustments to make. One especially in the serve department where I will attempt to change the angle I bring the racket back (i.e. more like Sampras, low and perpindicular with body) as opposed to bringing it back more on a flat plane (i.e. Gimelstob). Maybe that will feel more fluid. So far looks like same dominance developing as last year's outdoor season for 'G' man. I would hope I can make a better showing this year. Better serve mechanics, conditioning maybe? Hasn't been easy for me at this state to make those improvements, especially in conditioning. I need to constantly push, and after a days work, I'm mostly drained and then rushed to get home. I rarely can get out of the office on time, then get stuck in traffic and by the time I get to the gym....anyway....I need to stop whining about it. I'm grateful to have a job and be able to do some things I enjoy.

Hockanum River Race - 2008

2008-04-08T18:02:00.001-07:00

I took my kayak out for the 2008 Hockanum River Race. Results are posted here: http://www.neckra.org/Results-2008/2008Results01.htm I entered in 2004 with my brother-in-law in a 2 man canoe. Inexperience, low water and a metal canoe was not on our side. We had a horrendous race time but can now share many laughs from that race. This year was different for me as I wanted some redemption. My brother-in-law Glenn Chaisson also entered with his friend Dave Weiner and did very well in their 2 man kayak. I came in wanting to be under 1:40 and hoping more for 1:20 but with really no baseline to mark against as 2004 gave no indication of potential. It was extremely cold but the water was high. My buddy Dave got me some gloves which were key and got me a ride from the finish. Satish and his family showed up, which was nice to see them out. He took some cool video and made a dvd of me going through the rapids. That was much appreciated as my family couldn't make it out. Maybe we get him out next year but really doubt that. He's better on land with a racquet in his hand and in 90 degree heat. There were 30 boats in my class of plastic short kayaks. I almost dumped off the start as I scooted in off the hill but the helper guy caught me. That would have been the worst! The crowd gave me an anxious laugh/applause. I was a bit shaky starting off, trying to set my watch and get my feel for the rocking of the boat. As I approached the "rapids" I made a decision to stay right of the river and feel my way through. I pushed through and stayed mostly away from trouble. But I'm no expert at this stuff. Occasionally I would place my paddle to the wrong side or too deep into the water which will casuse a sudden hard pull. I was helped out later in the rapids when I got stuck against a rock. Then I felt temporary relief before I went up the side of a big rock and scooted off of it (kayak is at an advantage there) and then onto the pond where I kept a steady pace. At times I would remind myself to use more shoulder and drive. There were nice people along the way, cheering and giving advice. Anyway, I counted about 6 boats pass me in all. 1 early on, 2 on the pond and 3 on the lower river. I passed one guy who was going head to head with me. He was a better paddler but he dumped up against a tree and eskimo rolled out and had to beach. I got caught on the same tree but managed to luckily push out. I saw him later on and was glad to see he finished up well. Lots of curves and logs and rocks. I felt I made mostly good decisions. I ended up at 1 hour 30 minutes in 12th place. Good time with good people.

Spring tennis tune-up and Kayaking

2008-04-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

Spring training continues before the Summer tour. It's hard to find courts as nets are either in bad shape or not up yet. We also contend on court time with the school teams. Satish and I played in cool but decent weather. After warming up a bit we started our set. I lost serve on first game and went into a funk from there for the next 3 going down 0-4. I was missing some easy forehand "put away" type of shots (at strike zone inside service line!) as I was not paying attention to form, flying out and trying to wail at the ball. My head needs to be still. Anyway... Satish played hard and consistent throughout. His strokes were on the mark and putting me mostly out of positon. I picked up my game a bit in the middle to at least challenge for a while but I was clearly over matched against a better player. 2-6 to G-man. My serve surprised me in spots. I was getting a decent percentage in on the first with some velocity, although that doesn't equate to too much. Placement was there on a few also. We started another abbreviated set. I broke his serve on first game and had new life. But Satish won the next 3 gritty games and sent me home packing wondering what happened to my forehand.

Hockanum river race is Sunday. A few of my buddies will be doing kayaks this year. I need to redeem from 2004 canoe debacle. This year it's "personal". I'd like under 1:40. A little anxious with the rocks/rapid part as I don't have a clear strategy. If I get through that, then I'll cross the pond, portage and hope to navigate the tight spots to the finish. A good spot to watch may be behind Beacon Light in Manchester-SW (Oakland Rd.) . There's a trail along the river. Also you can pick up the Hockanum trail off Burnside - I84 Exit 60.

Mythical Man Month - Excerpt

2008-03-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

..... think better and better manage yourself, and be more productive and less wasteful with your time and energy. In short, you will do more with less.
The Mythical Man-Month:Assigning more programmers to a project running behind schedule, may make it even more late.
The Second-System Effect:The second system an engineer designs is the most bloated system she will EVER design.
Conceptual Integrity:To retain conceptual integrity and thereby user-friendliness, a system must have a single architect (or a small system architecture team), completely separate from the implementation team.
The Manual:The chief architect should produce detailed written specifications for the system in the form of the manual, which leaves no ambiguities about any part of the system and completely specifies the external spcifications of the system i.e. what the user sees.
Pilot Plant:When designing a new kind of system, a team should factor in the fact that they will have to throw away the first system that is built since this first system will teach them how to build the system. The system will then be completely redesigned using the newly acquired insights during building of the first system. This second system will be smarter and should be the one delivered to the customer.
Formal Documents:Every project manager must create a roadmap in the form of formal documents which specifies milestones precisely and things like who is going to do what and when and at what cost.
Communication:In order to avoid disaster, all the teams working on a project, such as the architecture and implementation teams, should stay in contact with each other in as many ways as possible and not guess or assume anything about the other. Ask whenever there's a doubt. NEVER assume anything.
Code Freeze and System Versioning:No customer ever fully knows what she wants from the system she wants you to build. As the system begins to come to life, and the customer interacts with it, he understands more and more what he really wants from the system and consequently asks for changes. These changes should of course be accomodated but only upto a certain date, after which the code is frozen. All requests for more changes will have to wait until the NEXT version of the system. If you keep making changes to the system endlessly, it may NEVER get finished.
Specialized Tools:Every team should have a designated tool maker who makes tools for the entire team, instead of all individuals developing and using their private tools that no one else understands.
No silver bullet:There is no single strategy, technique or trick that will exponentially raise the productivity of programmers.

IT - Save your Job

2008-03-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

"....constantly improve yourself, constantly seek to improve others, and be knowledgeable of your business and customers. ....common sense ... Don't base your career on one technology.... Surrounding yourself with really good people is a lot better way to learn than being the best....Love it or leave it. The people I like to work with the most are the people with passion for what they do. They are the ones that are constantly seeking to do things the right way. They are the ones who are innovating..."

10s - Back In The Saddle

2008-02-25T04:29:00.000-08:00

Had a good practice session Sunday wth Satish. It was my first outing since 2/11. We hit the machine a few rounds to warm up. Satish won the set 6-2. I was happy with my performance regardless of the score. There were many decent points played. Satish is playing well, especially with his serve and I still make more unforced errors when it comes down to it. I'd like to play 2 more times in March. I have nagging shoulder and elbow pain to resolve but nothing too serious. Will be working on my service game in March also. Needs a lot of consistency there.

End of the Ladder - 2/11/08

2008-02-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

I complete my abbreviated tennis ladder with a combined (against regular, sub and 7pm match-ups) 147 - 168 record 46.7% win pct. I figured I ranked 4th or 5th out of the 8-9 regular players. Last night I avenged 2 previous losses with 4-3 wins. I was playing fairly well heading into the final match of the night against my main "rival" at 8:30 - Ramon. The winner gets to move up to the coveted 7pm ladder with my buddy Satish. After losing the first game from being up 40-15 it was all downhill. My patience was shot. My serve was robotic and stiff. He took advantage of everything I gave him. I left shots short and lofty for him to push me every where he wanted. Down the lines...in and out. I was left with a demoralizing 0-7 finish. The next day, I withdrew from the league. Anyway...it was good to face the competition over the winter and I look to refine some skills for summer play. I want to improve my serve big time. My ball machine should help me get more consistency with a lower, aggressive shot and add topspin...plus get a workout. Not sure of the summer line-up. Hopeful that Satish will continue to keep me on his tour.

On a similar note - I picked up John McEnroe's book for this summer's vacation read.

NY Giant Football: Big Blue are Super Bowl Champs!

2008-02-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

Awesome game! Had the heart pounding. My daughter and I were jumping all over the place which made it a fun moment. food tally: 4 beers, pulled pork, sausage, salad, chips, brownie and cookies.

Ranked 3rd in Tennis League (out of 10). I was 10-11 last week against good competition. Not good enough to move up but may challenge a few more weeks to see if I can break through. Congrats. to my playing partner Satish as he beat me 3-4 and moved on to the early session with a decent 14 point night. I got my tennis ball machine from eBay last week and used it this weekend as weather cooperated. Nice machine and probably a good investment. Good workouts. It helped my stroke on Monday Night.

My girls JV basketball team is winding down the season. We started out slow, peaked a bit with a 3 game winning streak and have tailed off. My first full year as basketball coach. It was rewarding and glad to help out.

Work is getting tough again with this new project. Looking forward to spring and more tennis.

New York Giants - NFC Champions!

2008-01-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

Just checking in even if I'm the only reader of my blog. Don't know why with all this riveting content.
What drama in the Giant win over Green Bay. I have many Patriot fans in my family which will make for a great party this year.
Australian Open tennis has also been great to watch. These guys are amazing. Blake was impressive in his comeback being down 0-2 in sets and 1-4 in the 3rd. Federer finds a way. Need to stay mentally tough.
Not much else...just working for the weekend.
My friend Satish will be back from vacation this week. Good for me, but not for him.
My other co-worker friend is training for his half-marathon next month. We're working together on a few projects at work, which is cool to collaborate on. Makes things easier and it helps with opinions, etc...

Monday Night Ladder - 1/7/08

2008-01-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Disappointing results for me. I had a chance to separate myself from 8:30 elite but lost some important points in games I had 40-30 leads. Played Frank well with the best drop shots (earned 5 points) I ever had and ended up 3-4. I then played the Satish sub - Dan who presented himself as very beatable. Lefty but with only defense. He just punched everything back mostly as high, no spin lobs or blocked shots. I rallied a bit with him then looked for the knock out punch and then preceeded to hit long or just wide. Need to pronate more on wrist and apply topspin more. Lost 2-5 in a crushing defeat. I lost 3-4 to Ramon who also lost 2-5 to Satish-Dan. 8 wins - 13 losses. I'm not worthy.

I did have a little rust from 2 week layoff but no excuse...one thing I did wrong was overeat before the match. Not smart. I played like an old fat guy!

Psche Tip

2008-01-01T11:52:00.000-08:00

"....After winning a difﬁcult, tense set there’s often a conﬂict between your logical mind, which tells you to keep applying pres-sure and close out the match, and your subconscious mind, which suggests that you temporarily escape all this stress by easing up and taking a well-deserved mental break. With a set under your belt, now feels like as good a time as any.
Big mistake. On the other side of the net, your opponent knows that he has to bear down or he’ll soon be leaving the court a loser. So he tends to maintain or increase his intensity level. Couple that with your own tendency to let up at this stage and there’s a momentum change just waiting to happen.
How do you prevent it? In this situation, forewarned is forearmed. If you win the ﬁrst set, take a few moments to collect yourself and pump yourself up. Then redouble your efforts at the start of the second set. It often helps to play games with your mind. Try to convince yourself that the match is starting over and that you have to jump out to an early lead. Be even more aggressive...."

Monday Night Ladder - 12/10/07

2007-12-11T06:33:00.000-08:00

Had a decent outing but not too satisfied. I was trying to apply tips from the lesson: the new swing and attempting to hit the ball early. All in all it felt good regardless of the lackluster results. I gained 12 points with 2-5, 3-4, 7-0. This should keep me at the top part of the 8:30 ladder. I played a guy who normally is in the top group the first match. He's just been away for a while. He is a better player and I was happy to come back to get 2 games. I lost a crucial game at 2-3. The second match was against a guy who is getting better and we have been having close matches. I was up 3-2 and lost 2 close games after that for a disappointing defeat. The third set I had well in hand from the begining and cruised to my first shut out. This guy appears a bit rusty and I can see that he will improve and become a challenge down the road.

Tennis Lesson - Worth It

2007-12-09T06:02:00.001-08:00

I decided to take a much needed lesson on my day off to get some analysis on my swing and serve. I have always been hesitant about paying the cost for hearing some things I should already know as common sense. I split a session with my friend. The instructor ran us through some drills and picked up on flaws. It was a great workout and I felt I worked my way to hitting the ball freely and hard for the most part. This needs to carry over into matches. The feeling is to lose some battles but win the war so to speak. I thought she was very accurate in her critiques. It definately is easier with a coach instructing you as you hit. You can make mid flight adjustments and actually see instant results. I took away a few things that should help. She reinforces the basic mechanics but it was well worth it. When the muscle memory takes over for how you need to hit, then you are on your way to better tennis. Thanks to my playing partner for setting the time to do this session. It's cool to share the passion for the sport with someone with the same interest. I will be rooting for him as he moves to the upper bracket in our ladder this week. I think I may have more confidence in him then he does in himself because I know how he can play when he's on. I think this is beginning to change.

Humble Pie in The Show

2007-12-04T04:46:00.001-08:00

My night in the Show:
Well, I didn't fare well point wise in the 7:00 pm ladder and thus should end my very short stay in the top tier. As they say, I was there for just a cup of coffee. I was pretty much humbled: 2-5, 2-5, 0-7. I wasn't too surprised. Not that I lacked confidence but I'm realistic of my skill level at this point. I need to work out kinks in my serve by fixing the arm angle toward impact with the "back scratch" position and more wrist snap. I didn't play too bad....I did lose from being up 40-0 and a deuce game in the 0-7 match. That would have helped to get a few points there, but bottom line I lost to better players, and need to break another barrier in my progress.

Monday Night Ladder - 11/26/07

2007-11-27T04:30:00.000-08:00

I was playing in the upper tier of the bracket for the first time and fared pretty well against good competition although I did lose 3-4 to both guys directly ahead of me which won't get me anywhere in the standings. I barely had a winning record at 11-10 this night. Could have been better, could have been worse. I gave away about 5 points with poor drop shots that would have worked if they made it over the net. I used an adjustment on my serve where I forced my backswing to a "backscratch" position. This seemed to put more spin and control on the ball as the angle I made contact must have changed. I ended the night with a 5-2 win over a guy who has been playing well and moved to the top bracket recently. I also came back from 1-4 down to win a few tough games against Frank who just lives to put balls back in play. He gives you nothing, so you need to make your points. I moved him around a bit and powered balls to the corners which eventually he couldn't catch up with. By putting my racquet further back in my swing I picked up some speed. Just need to keep ball inside the baseline obviously. No problems this time with slices as I can react and put into play better.

Holiday and Tennis practice at EHRC

2007-11-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Satish and I hooked up for some tennis practice over the holiday. We decided to use the tennis ball machine and do some video taping to help improve our games. The machine was great for a work-out and to get a groove on shots. We later played a match where we both had our runs and ended up even. I made an adjustment on my backswing to move the racquet back further and it seemed to help give more velocity into the ball. I also need to hit with slight more forward motion as opposed to weight on back foot. So that means to get to the ball quicker and get set. Anyway, holiday week was great as I could spend quality time with family and friends. Good food and sport. Reminds you that there is a lot to be thankful for.

Mountain Biking - Case Mtn.

2007-11-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

20 degrees this morning. Planned to mountain bike with my friend Dave from work at Case Mtn., Manchester, CT. Started at 8AM and was a bit apprehensive, not knowing the trail and lacking experience. Dave is an expert rider/triathlete and has a new frame he wanted to try, and I'm a rookie just looking for a workout and to not wipe out.....basically. Didn't take long to get the heart pounding and legs working. This trail is supposedly an easy one in comparison to other's in the area but it was enough for my skills. There were a couple of tough downhill, rocky slopes that got me nervous. One time when Dave was out of site, I yelled out to him to let him know I was turning back. I felt like quitting, but walked the bike a bit and got back on. It was a good experience all in all. You need to stay focussed ahead of your path and have confidence in how the bike handles the terrain. Stay back and loose on the downhills. Let the bike do its thing. At the end I felt relief, yet a sense of accomplishment. A great workout as I sweat through 3 layers and my wind breaker, even in that cold! Thanks to Dave for getting me out there and holding back so I can somewhat keep up.

A safer "War" against Drugs

2007-11-20T10:07:00.000-08:00

Drug dealers are a thing of the past. Violent crimes and theft are greatly reduced. Drug-related shoot-outs are unheard of. The streets of America begin to "clean up." Communities pull themselves together. Youths and adults once involved in crime rings are forced to seek legitimate work. Deaths due to infected intravenous needles and poisonous street drugs are eliminated. Taxpayers are no longer forced to pay $10,000,000,000 to fund drug-related law enforcement.

What if we handed out heroin, other hard drugs to those who don't want to or can't quit for free? Sort of legalize it, but control it at the same time. Use designated areas away from the others who don't want to live amongst them. These areas would be supplied with dumpsters of second hand clothes and blankets, etc...old unused warehouse's for shelter and rehab, and container's of basic food needs. This could be funded by less than half the money used to "fight" the war on drugs today. Yes, it would be its own community, just not as underground and dangerous. Take the economy out of it. I would doubt that those who normally wouldn't decide to shoot up heroin for ex. would start just because it was free. They could decide to overdose and die, and their problem and our problem goes away, or they can seek help to quit and try to live a productive life. I'd assume that the muggings, robberies and murders where money was sought for a habit would go away if they could just go to a center and get/do what they need to do ....harsh?...interesting....?!

Monday Night Ladder - 11/19/07

2007-11-20T10:03:00.000-08:00

After a very good week last week with 15 points, I stay at the bottom tier and play the same guys. My friend Satish has not been playing recently due to family obligations and Ramon has gained some success and moved up. I'm 7-7 vs. Ramon.

2-5 Mike (volley/volley/slam and dinks kept me guessing and off-balance)
3-4 Bruce (he was steadier and more confident this night)
5-2 Warren (had longer rallies but still was able to win more points)

I have so much to learn and am afraid I have peaked…gets discouraging…I'm thinking for one thing, I'm not good enough for my racquet yet...
Actually I didn't realize it until later but I was mired in a slump it appeared…since 6-1, 6-1 last week was 2-5, 2-5 and down 1-4 until I struggled to go 8-2 over the next 2 matches to get to respectable….I felt good but still no power in my shots…others can pass shots by me that I can't get to…I don't do that... couldn't take any offensive stands it seemed…missed slams, missed drops…stuff like that….I tried to hit lower and with more velocity which worked until net ball = unforced errors

I moved to top 4 of our 8 member ladder as Ramon moved up and Satish hasn't been playing so not a great accomplishment. The quest moves on.

Thoughts on Work in America

2007-11-11T17:07:00.000-08:00

The effects of the global economy and the access to cheaper labor via technology and illegal immigration is of a deep concern. Jobs empower the people with a sense of worth and a purpose. Look at the cities with the boarded up factories. Attractive isn't it? Where did all the hard working people go and who moved in to replace them? It is not an entitlement, yet it is/was the backbone of our country to have the ability to earn an honest wage. The working poor is an outrage. We tend not to make stuff anymore. It appears we rely more on lower paying service jobs. These jobs are vital and are needed but need not be the main option. We are all not executive or rocket scientist material. Just not born with that I guess. We should be able to break down the economy to build it back up. How can we just grow and grow and grow without an end? "The haves" salaries and prices that go ..up and up... it is going to break. The shrinking of the middle. Be more of a dynamic economy. Bring down wages and bring down the prices accordingly. A 4-day work week to allow for less stress and a better quality of living. Slow things down. Cap executive's who make millions in salary in relation to a percentage of the worker's. Share the wealth. Change the tax structure. I'm not against the hard working guy who has earned his million. He/She is going to be alright. It's just the honest working poor out there that get lost in the ignored constituency.

Playing In The Zone

2007-11-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

"There is always an inner game being played in your mind no matter what outer game you are playing. How aware you are of this game can make the difference between success and failure in the outer game." -Tim Gallwey

In every human endeavor there are two arenas of engagement: the outer and the inner. The outer game is played on an external arena to overcome external obstacles to reach an external goal. The inner game takes place within the mind of the player and is played against such obstacles as fear, self-doubt, lapses in focus, and limiting concepts or assumptions. The inner game is played to overcome the self-imposed obstacles that prevent an individual or team from accessing their full potential.

In simple terms the game can be summarized in a formula: Performance = potential-interference, P=p-i. According to this formula, performance can be enhanced either by growing "p" potential or by decreasing "i," interference.

It is impossible to achieve mastery or satisfaction in any endeavor without first developing some degree of mastery of the relatively neglected skills of the inner game. Most of us have experienced days when our self-interference was at a minimum. Whether on a sports field, at work, or in some creative effort, we have all had moments in which our actions flowed from us with a kind of effortless excellence. Athletes have called this state, "playing in the zone." Generally at these times our mind is quiet and focused. But whatever it's called, when we're there, we excel, we learn, and we enjoy ourselves. Unfortunately most of us have also experienced times when everything we do seems difficult. With minds filled with self-criticism, hesitation, and over-analysis, our actions were awkward, mis-timed, and ineffective. Obviously we all would prefer to have more of the first and less of the second.

Into The Wild, Blood Diamond and Joe D.

2007-11-06T17:15:00.000-08:00

Recently saw 'Into The Wild'. I read the book before I saw this movie. It was very introspective. I can understand the desire of a young kid to turn your back on corporate America and societies pressure. But he can't fool mother nature. Two stars.

Also saw 'Blood Diamond'. Very graphic and violent but well acted. Great story of determination against painful odds. Three stars.

Finished book 'Joe Dimaggio - A Heroes Life' and will start 'The Great Bridge - Making of the Brooklyn Bridge'

Monday Night Ladder - Outlasted the bunch 11/5/07

2007-11-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

4-3, 5-2, 6-1

Played good defense and was able to "force" opponent to make the first mistake. Hit deep and was quick to balls, but on occasion gave up on some that I need to play out totally. This is in my head (just wishing it goes out....what kind of crap is that)! Many close balls near lines. Needed these points in the league as I was down in the bottom half. My goal is to beat Frank the slice meister. My racquet has helped me improve my touch game but lack of power hurts my offense. May need looser strings. I need to stand up closer against the slower serves. I need to be confident to keep ball in and put wide past opponent. Need a low backhand slice as change of pace. My overall record is 40-44. My record against subs is 7-21.

Tennis Development

2007-11-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Need to add a forehand topspin.

Add low slice/chip and charge.

Need more pop/kick on 2nd serve. Leave feet.

Combat the slice/spin meister with own return slices. Put more pressure on their slice/short return with deep balls. Add serve/volley and lobs to change pace.

If opponent can't rally long and makes unforced errors early, then play defense and wait him out to win points.

Continue to serve/volley when appropriate.

Be mentally tough and rely on Self 2. Self 1 should shut up during matches.

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Serve with greater speed, scoring more points, and getting more aces.

Return balls harder – putting them out of reach of your opponent

Drive more balls to the far corner from anywhere on the court.

Return balls that, in the past, have been just outside your reach.

Deliver crushing backhand returns.

Make your opponent chase more balls, for a change.

Deliver strong returns, both forehand and backhand, even when playing deep.

Smash low drives just over the net.

Make strong cross-court returns, even if off balance.

Approach the net faster.

Have more confidence on the court.

Feel stronger and not tire as quickly.

Cover more of the court to get to more balls.

Get to more balls quicker and setup for the shot.

Monday Night Ladder - 10/29/07

2007-11-01T06:02:00.000-07:00

2-5, 5-2, 1-6

Faced a lot of spins and low balls tonight; could not put away shots I should against slower guys; beat the guy I was supposed to by rallying and waiting for his eventual mistake

Monday Night Ladder - 10/22/07

2007-10-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

4-3, 5-2, 1-6

Faced an old friend and 2 new subs. I was happy with my overall play. Feeling some confidence. Moving the ball around and sustaining a consistent first serve. Serve still needs a lot of work. More spin and a bit more speed. 2nd serve needs more aggressive snap and pop. Faced a vicious 1st serve in game 2 but was not consistent. He had a lot of back spin in which I can detect, get to the spot, set my feet and anticipate the ball fluttering there to be hit. Forced many errors on his side. Played great defense, getting balls over where I don't think they were expected, causing some pressure. 1-6 game was against a guy with spin serve and drop shots all over. I need to adjust for this game...anticipate and lob over to get him out of position.

The Proverbial Cannon.

2007-10-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

TOPSPIN
THE WRIST... ROLLOVER... PRONATION

Spin is simply a matter of the strings brushing against the ball. For topspin the racket face brushes up because you're swinging low to high.

The controversy centers around the use, or non-use, of the wrist. Is the wrist in a fixed position for both backswing and forward swing, or does it move? Does the rollover action contribute to topspin, is pronation involved?

The status quo always cops out by saying pro A hits the ball a ton because he does use his wrist/rolls over/pronates but that you shouldn't. ... keep the arm and wrist fixed throughout backswing and forward swing to "minimize every possible chance for error." Condescending, isn't it.

PRONATION

..believe in you, in your human body.

The "use of the wrist" back then is what we call pronation today. The establishment didn't grasp it then, and still doesn't now. It's not wrist, it's pronation. Hallelujah.

Pronation means rotating the hand or forearm counter clockwise, so the palm faces forward, then downward, or, in the extreme, back.

Pronation is just a fancy word for rolling the hand and forearm into the ball when you hit it. In most pros with rocket forehands, like Tommy Haas here, the racket face rolls over, creating a unique after-effect.

...your job is to keep your racket face vertically against the ball as you brush up low to high. How can you do this when the ball's tweaking the racket face? You can plan to apply a counter force.

Pronation applies an active counter force to prevent the racket face from tweaking at contact.

Adding wrist flexibility and pronation with an arm that is flexible throughout the swing creates the proverbial cannon.

Lay the wrist back to start, keep it strong and vow not to flop it, and you'll naturally access it during the motion. ... you'll hit the ball out in the beginning, that's expected, like what happened when you first hit the gas pedal on a car. But you can handle it. And pronation? Just simply roll the racket or the hand into the ball on the forward upward swing, that's all. Counter the ball, don't ever try to keep the wrist or arm fixed.

Monday Night Ladder - 10/15/07

2007-10-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

3-4 , 0-7, 4-3