ReBoot Music – Tech Museum San Jose

ReBoot Music – Tech Museum San Jose

San Jose is one of the coolest places to live.  Aside from the fact that you can find a great golf course within a 15 minute drive from just about anywhere – north, west, east or south – and the great music (probably THE best Jazz you can find globally – outside of New York and maybe Amsterdam), the great nearby wineries, the quintessential micro-climate liquid sunshine pretty much all year round, the outdoors really being your other living room, the no bugs and no mosquitoes and no gnats (heaven for me), the nearby beaches – all of that.

It’s an unknown mecca of culture and then there’s stuff like this.  I just love this town.  It’s a big city that still behaves like a town.  No honkers.  No east coast – do you know who I am? – at least not as much but they’re coming via the investor-class, just plain ‘ole “Do you know the way to San Jose?”

I should check it out soon. 

Golf is life. Music is life. Golf is music.

StarDate: Friday Mar28 0256:00PM PST

Uuugh.

I have my review today.  I’ve never even received my 6-months review!  My job role changed at least 3 times since my hire date.  And my job description is non-existent.  Literally – in the offer letter where it says what I’m hired to do it just says “whatever is necessary at hand” or something like that.  Management is non-existent.  The HP days will be reckoned as the golden era days of the way innovation really happened in the valley.  I am afriad true innovators – a group to which I belong – are a dying un-necessary breed in the space that’s become so Wall Street numbers driven.  If i hear ROI and metrics one more time!  The best things in life are not measured in ROI or quarters.  The best things (and the most colassol successes come from seemingly quizzical ideas).  This is why I must leave.  Get busy living or get busy dying.  I am not going to feel proud our inspired or passionate about sending out not even 1 more lead nurturing blasted email with consumate landing page and pithy call-to-action.

Where’s my 3D virtual world chat room?!!  Why hasn’t that taken off yet.

But of course I need to create write evaluate and make recommendations on my own performance.  Boo Hoo Bah Humbug.

Give me a delicate chip shot off a bed of nails – why don’t ya’.

Managing up has transformed into managing your job like it’s your own business.  And you better bring that passion BABY!!  Oye!!

Which is why I reached the decision point to re-start my own business and go full monty in golf.  I came to that conclusion once before shortly after college during my “quarter life-crisis” (thank you John Mayer for that great catch phrase from your first popular hit from still – i think – the best album you ever released – everything else is a little sultry sexy cool – still good but…..) when I started my first business in music production.  That’s what brought me out west to begin with.  Long time ago,  Hmmph.

Looks like it’s time to dust off a chapter from that book again.  And the universe seems to be aligning just right for me.

I am incautiously optimistic.  Especially now that she’s back to work.

So – I can’t pause to think about Golf right now – although I can’t wait to get back and see if I can hit well 2 days in a row and if my new found knowledge in gripping and swinging is true or a fluke of luck.  I think it’s true.  

Golf helps you come to an understanding.  To see things clearly.  To find the WAY in which things work.  “Open the door / Close the door.”  Swing, follow in the the footsteps of the direction you aimed in and hope you swung correctly.  If not, find innovative ways to get back on the fairway.  I need to get back on the fairway.  I think I’m off the entire course come to think of it.

Go gives you perspective.  You understand that truth works.  Untrue doesn’t. Square to club face works, not-square – not so much.  So my playlist for today which I’ve been jotting down for a couple days is:

whaddayagonnado?

1. Vampire by Greenskeepers (Vampire EP: The Wills & The…)
2. We are the People by Empire of the Sun (Walking on a Dream)
3. You Can Blame It on anybody by Phoenix (Alphabetical)
4. Dragonfly on Bay Street by Ron & Sexsmith (Cobblestone Runway)
5. Talk Among-st Yourselves by Grand National (Kicking the National Habit)

StarDate Mar2814:0904am – Forget FootGolf but Remember the Soccer Kick for Good Chipping

FootGolf?  Really?  I don’t think so.  IMHO.  It’s just not the same and I know the game is looking for a way to become more accessible to a larger mainstream audience – but this is definitely not the way.

BUT.  from a golf training and practice perspective – if you can understand the motion it takes to kick a soccer ball straight curved to the right or rolling bouncing left or even – dare i say it …..wait for it ….   wait for it a chip shot – the corner penalty shot is the equivalent of a nicely lobbed chip or pitch shot – you understand the motion needed for the club head to hit the ball square from the inside out.  That planting of the left foot and the pendulum swing of the right leg with the last minute swivel in the second pendulum – the knees analog with the golf elbow anf the hip with the golf shoulder and the foot is your hand) and notice how the balance is maintained with the left arm, the right arm is TUCKed close and the foot is either very open (for a punch shot or a fade) or you kick hard with the front ball of the foot (kind of like hitting a draw), etc…..

If you can wrap your head around that physical nature of a good soccer kick and the different kicking styles as a soccer player then you can translate that motion into what you are trying to accomplish when the talk about getting your golf club swinging “in the slot.”

I think anyway.

I am drafting an elated wordpress entry about my 1st trial with the new clubs I bought – wow – it must have been over a month ago.  I never actually to them to the practice range because I pinched my neck and my right shoulder was still healing – very slowly I might add.

But – just to let a little bit out of the bag – whoever said selecting the right fitted clubs before you start to practice isn’t important is wrong IMHO (I hate that phrase – in my humble opinion).  I had some nice surprises.  And everything Hogan said – well ….

I’m just saying – a day like yesterday re-affirmed everything I’ve been trying to do during the winter off season.  SO I guess off season work – does work.  Thoughts are things.  Practice does pay off.  I will write more later.

Happy friday.  Got get my status report in though.  And my boss quit yesterday.  Whoa Nelly – gotta love silicon valley work places.  Nothing but high-flying go-go.

More later.

When All Else Fails

When All Else Fails

Play golf.

Online.

Tough day – I’m pooped.  Finished my grip and swing workout.  Should be working but – time for some virtual golf.

Haven’t played this in a while.  Not sure why.  It’s brilliant.

Aaaah.  virtual grass. always calming.

More Decisions – But They’re Easy

When you make up your mind.

Making up your mind deliberately (not out of fear or envy or anger or disappointment but free and clear and with affirmation and good intent and positive emotion) – these are the best ideas and the best decisions.

I’ve had many a job – and dare I say – many a career – in music in digital living in high tech… it’s the blight and plight of being born in this neo-industrial service oriented economy – lots of shifting sands – and I’ve made many a decision about these things and so I feel comfortable making big life altering decisions at this stage of the game.  AND I’ve never been more clear and determined and resolute and SURE about this and the ensuing decisions that will take place over this coming year.

It’s been a long time coming – but change is gonna come. (greAt tune)

Decision #1/2 – Join a golf club so you can begin playing for real.

Strategy – Reaffirm:  2014 is all about practice makes perfect – reading playing understanding getting muscle memory. 2015 is when we begin to compete – at the amateur level – for fun.  Remember this is really all about living a long life and being around for your grandchildren – that’s the real prize.  If you get far and ever become a Champions player or just a club player or just a fun-time hacker – so be it – but you will keep improving and you will find your way to a good career (on or off the golf course) in the field of golf.

I can dream can’t I?  They need marketers for golf stuff right?  And the industry could use an injection of a Silicon Valley marketing type like me – right?  There’s a path here to discover if I just start walking and just keep trusting.  This is my Lenten song – trust in the path I’ve chosen.

So decision 1 – join a club and I found 3:  Santa Clara Golf & Tennis, Mountain View (shoreline – i love their putting area) and San Jose Muni.  I think I’m gonna go with SJ Muni.  I know I’m gonna go with SJMuni – if just for practicality’s-sake. In fact it’s a no brainer with some of their free twilight playing.

I already got my budget approval kitchen pass from the boss so I’m gonna strike.  This week – joining a club – checking the box.

Plus I have a round with friends coming up with work buddies – Vamanos – Muchachos!!!

So this will lock in my continued practicing regimen with my other Hogan Routines (grip, posture, stance, back/foward), chipping work and at least 2 days on the course a week and my daily push-ups.  Then I just need to keep reading and studying the rules and selecting the exact tournaments I want to play next year and build a budget etc.  Remember – exactness (right cup lip, near the branch, left-center cup) and preciseness of thought matters.  So a well thought out 2015 amateur tournament schedule begins this year.  Keep in mind – I prefer playing in wetter damper conditions than hard fast dry ones.  This is exciting.

get busy dying

which way?

get busy livin

It is All About the Triangle – Think About It – Golf Is Geometry and Good Intentions (Thought)

Hogan’s triangle from his book – Five Fundamentals of Golf

I’ve made the observation that the advice you get from many pros – like Hal Sutton, who I’m watching now on the GCA – is about keeping the triangle in front of you during the swing.  I never understood the triangle really until I started reading Hogan’s book.  the way you have to keep those elbow pits facing skyward and the way you want to keep the elbows close to the body – is all about the triangle.  

But to get a better feel for it – I started looking at other sports and found the triangle there as well.  When I see this, I know I’m on my way to stumbling upon a universal truth that is important.  So #1, when I practice on the stupid arcade basketball hoop downstairs at work in the lunch room, I am way more consistent when I keep my elbows tuck in even with my non-shooting left arm, because the triangle is there and forces me to release the ball in the right direction and in a fluid way (if I don’t get in my own way).  Same with bikers – when they are peddling, they do much better when their knees are tucked in close to the bike frame – not flared out.  And a football quarterback often keep his non-throwing arm tucked in close.  There’s something here.

Also – all i Know is – this weekend when i practiced in the back yard – i started to feel that “let your arms follow the body” thing Hogan was talking about and I swung thru my wiffle balls with way more confidence and predictability.  Dare I say, I saw some ball flights that smacked of shaping the flight or trajectory.  It was exhilirating.  I was getting that feeling back.

And I can’t run away from my work world.  I must it embrace it even as I affirm my decision to leave it.  Very soon.

Truth:  “The universe only moves When you move.”  He didn’t say it exactly like that but Goethe did say something very similar.  And it’s as true as a well constructed golf swing.  And just as hard to come by and hold onto – I suppose.

Decisions – good or bad things? – you decide.

Something’s happening.  Still practicing my grip, posture and stuff and doing my daily push up (15).  They also help with keeping my arms tucked in tight.

Why Golf? Because I’m Done!! Course is Set. Engage!

Prediction.  12 months from now I will no longer work in corporate cube farmdom.  I’m done.  The best things in life take time to pursue.  I better get busy doing what I want to do because this old body ain’t getting any younger.  And this day-to-day life (as I sit on the dullest sales and marketing meeting under the customer pipeline and the many product failures going on – oooof! serenity now!! – who the heck ever sat and dreamed in 7th grade to have a treadmill of existence that goes on like this for 1 week off a year?  who?  you know in Japan I heard people just die at work regularly from overwork.  dare i say, it’s not so much about overwork but about automoton work.  We’ve become extensions of computers not the other way around. – this bites…. this is not my beautiful house or job or vision or anything – and I’m supposed to compete for this?! – it’s really just malaise and ennui day by day)  I am so out of here.