The Witty Lizard

Ramblings of a grilling, drinking, black flag hoisting father and philosophical eclectic.

The Witty Lizard - Ramblings of a grilling, drinking, black flag hoisting father and philosophical eclectic.

Category Archives: Friday Five

Friday Five

Places I want to visit before I die. Admittedly, I’m cheating here a bit. I want to witness these historical places sure, but I also want to see the country/city associated with them. This is a list of place I want to explore.

  1. Aldford Castle
  2. St Peter’s Basilica
  3. Angkor
  4. Machu Picchu
  5. Kilimanjaro

Remember the scene in Braveheart  when Stephen refers to Ireland as “my island”? Aldford Castle is my castle. Built in the 12th century by Richard de Aldford, my great-grandfather many times over. I will concede that a motte-and-bailey castle built some 900 years ago is not really worth looking at but it’s mine. A trip to England would be amazing in its own right, highlighted by a journey into my history would make it perfect.

Rome was the center of the known universe, in the west anyway, for a millennium. The Forum, the Colosseum, the cathedrals and the art all make Rome a place that I must see someday. Although I am honestly more interested in the later period of Raphael and da Vinci. St Peter’s Basilica is the apex of  Renaissance art and architecture, the work of Michelangelo and Bernini. I can’t fathom the grandeur of walking through the plaza and entering the Basilica, but I want to find out.

South East Asia fascinates me, always has. There is something about the beauty, mystery and danger of the jungle and an exotic culture that captivates my imagination. The manifestation of all that for me is Angkor. Ancient and beautiful, it has an allure. A mighty civilization once thrived and prospered here and to see something so foreign and exotic would be a helluva trip.

Machu Picchu is simply mind-boggling to me. Four day hike to get there, which begs the question, how did they build in such a remote place? Better still, why did they build in such a remote place? That’s part of the coolness of the site, no one really knows. Theories range from remote prison camp to agricultural test station. Whatever, I really want to explore this ancient site at the top of the world.

Kilimanjaro is the biggest of the cheats on this list. I’m not a climber and have no aspirations to mount an ascent. The reason to include it here is East Africa itself. I have always wanted to see the savanna, the Rift Valley, Lake Victoria, Zanzibar and of course Kilimanjaro.  The chance to go on safari or to see the gorillas in the highlands is something I hope I get the chance to do.

 

Friday Five

People I want to have drinks with, or people with whom it would be interesting to discuss life.

  1. Thomas Jefferson
  2. Winston Churchill
  3. Nikki Sixx
  4. Steve Jobs
  5. Mickey Mantle

Jefferson is the quintessential American for me. He could have done anything he wanted with his life and he chose to create a nation. He included naturalist, scientist, philosopher and entrepreneur among his hobbies. Unquestionably brilliant and in some ways tragically flawed, Jefferson wrote arguably the single most important manifesto of all time. I can’t imagine someone who would be more interesting, given his depth of knowledge, to sit down next to at the roadside tavern than Jefferson.

The man who is most responsible for the fact that this blog is not in German is Churchill. His reputation for drinking, carousing and womanizing earn him a place at my bar. Although, his skill as an orator is unmatched and is the reason I was initially drawn to the man. The “Blood, Sweat, Toil and Tears” and the “Never has so much been owed by so few” speeches, I could read them over and over. It would make for a helluva conversation I’m sure.

Nikki Sixx, the man should be dead…twice. Without a doubt, one of the greatest artists in a generation. He is a rock star, musician, song writer, writer and photographer. Oh and an addict. The brilliance and the flaws, these are the things I want to talk about. All of the men on my list have their demons, and so do I. If the struggle and the fall and the rise are to be the topic at this get together, who better than Sixx?

Apple. Is there much more that can be said? Steve Jobs is the technology icon of the computer age. I own Apple products (I’m using one now) and so do you, so does everyone. But any serious analysis of the company has to begin and end with Jobs. Various descriptions of him include innovator, druggie, genius, rebel, hippie and task master. I am continuously amazed by his company and the man. I would love to get a glimpse into his thought process.

The Mick. The Commerce Comet. Casey Stengel said, “He shouldn’t be this fast and this powerful. It’s very confusing.” He was terribly afraid of the bright lights of the Stadium. He was an alcoholic and a womanizer. But by all accounts, a he had a genuinely wonderful soul. That’s the thing that gets him to the bar, the dichotomy of the man.

Friday Five

Today, books that have intrigued/helped/motivated me….

  1. Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins
  2. The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
  3. Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson and the Opening of the American West, by Stephen E Ambrose
  4. The Genius: How Bill Walsh Reinvented Football and Created an NFL Dynasty, by David Harris
  5. The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene

Good to Great is a great look into the working of companies. Don’t take it as a business book though. Its idea apply to any organization. Why do groups, teams and companies succeed? The two things that really stand out to me are the ideas of ‘First Who, Then What’ and the ‘Hedgehog Concept’. The first one is so simple I went all face palm on myself. It says, ‘Get the right people on the bus and then figure out where you’re going’. Or, don’t fit the people to the system, fit the system to the people. The ‘Hedgehog Concept’ asks three questions… What makes you money? What can you be the best in the world at? What lights your fire? Really a powerful read, still makes me think everyday.

What has it been, 3000 years? No matter when it was written, The Art of War is still the preeminent book written on strategy and conflict resolution (warfare). I read it at least twice a year and so should you.

What’s not to love about the story of the opening of the American west? Undaunted Courage is a history of the Lewis and Clark expedition based on their journals. There has never been a better historian sitting behind a keyboard than Ambrose in my estimation. Google a list of his titles and you’ll understand. This book is my favorite because I love the exploration and pure discovery of the whole endeavor, no white man had seen the places and things they did. The personal nature of the journals makes it very human, not something typically said of history books.

The Genius is wonderful and I did a long write-up on it here, no point in rehashing. Let’s just say I learned a lot and Bill Walsh is a BAMF.

Greene’s book The 48 Laws of Power is kind of a cross between Good to Great and The Art of War. It takes the questions about what make people and groups great and using historical examples provides 48 laws that make people powerful. Some are nice, neat and polite. Many are decidedly not, similar to parts of Sun Tzu’s work. Really cool thoughts on what takes people to the top as well as what brings them down. The examples show that Greene isn’t just spouting his theories but has facts to back them up.

 

 

Friday Five

NFL Quarterbacks

  1. Brett Favre
  2. Johnny Unitas
  3. Fran Tarkenton
  4. Peyton Manning
  5. Dan Marino

What can you say about Favre? He holds every significant passing record, both good and bad. He played for 20 years, 11 of those years were pro bowl years and 3 times he was 1st team all pro. He was a gamer and a winner, 45 game winning drive and 30 come from behind victories not to mention his 186 career wins. Tough, strong armed, unorthodox and a winner, Favre gets my vote.

Johnny U, although a player from another era, is near the top of the leader boards. He comes in at 8th in career TDs and 13th in career yards, not bad for a guy that is 5000 attempts behind Favre. He compiled 3 MVPs and 5 first team all pro nods. Probably the first of the ‘golden boy’ QBs, he helped usher in modern football.

The forgotten one is Fran Tarkenton.  He took his team to three Super Bowl, not winning any. It’s unfortunate that his lack of championships gets him left off most lists like this. However, for me it is impossible not to include him. Tarkenton owned every passing record when he retired. He is in the top five in most categories still, and top ten in every one. Further, Tarkenton was a gifted runner, surpassed only by the likes of Vick and Cunningham. That his is not considered a winner is wrong, 5th in all times wins, 5th in comeback victories and 6th in game winning drives, sounds like a winner to me.

Peyton Manning is a machine. The fact that he is still playing (kinda) and that he plays in the era of 50 attempts per game, people tend to dismiss his accomplishment. In 13 years, he has climbed to leader boards with a ruthless drive. Manning is in the top three in wins, comebacks, game winning drives, yards and TDs and he’s done it in 7 fewer years than Favre. It will be interesting to see how the drama surrounding him this year affects his ascent up the boards and his legacy.

Marino held most of the passing records for years until some guy named Favre came along. He still holds the records for comeback wins and game winning drives. Marino remains either 2nd of 3rd in all the other categories that are significant to this discussion. Like Tarkenton, his lack of championships tend to push him down most people’s lists, but if I need a big throw or a game winning drive, there might not be any better that Marino.

That’s my list, I could be wrong, but probably not.

 

 

 

Friday Five

My favorite American cities.

  1. New York
  2. New Orléans
  3. San Fransisco
  4. Chicago
  5. Dallas

I struggle with New York and New Orléans. Both incredible cities with rich history and culture. I have to choose New York because I’ve been there more than any city on my list (except Dallas), almost ten times. I know New York. Where to go, how to get around, what to do, what not to do… I have all these things figured out. I even have a favorite bar, McCoy’s on 9th avenue between 51st and 52nd. I always go to McCoy’s when I’m in town. It’s a wonderful little Irish pub. The barkeep speaks with a heavy Irish brogue as though she recently arrived in town, although with knowledge of the city only a local would have. And I’m quite sure the 3 guys in the corner booth last time I was there are mobsters from the old days of Hell’s Kitchen. Sports, food, music, bars, and theater are among the best in the world.

New Orléans is my second favorite for the pure debauchery of the place. OK, I know, it’s not always about drinking and carousing, but damn, it’s NOLA. The history and culture of the place is so unavoidable that the city oozes with it. The river, the architecture, the food, the music, how can you not love New Orléans?

Number three is a recent addition to my list. I had not been to San Fransisco until a summer trip in 2010, I instantly fell in love with the city. I’ll admit that I haven’t done much past the usual tourist stuff, Alcatraz, the Mission, the Golden Gate. But the vibe of the place is incredible, reminds me of NOLA in that way, and I can’t wait to make a return trip.

My dad, that’s Chicago for me. We have taken 4-5 trips there over the years to watch baseball. I have taken trips to baseball games with him since I was about 10 and Chicago has been our top destination. It is an incredible sports town. Plus, the bar scene and the food are top-notch.

Dallas… What to say except I grew up not far from there, I lived there as an adult for 12 years, and I still live close enough for a quick road trip. It is my town. And for travelers, it offers all the same things any major city offers except public transportation. Like any city, if you know what you’re doing, it has great bars, great food, sports and culture.

There you go, my favorite American cities.

Damn, I need to catch a plan….