08/20/19

Failing v Quitting

Yesterday, somebody sent me a link to the formal ritual whereby the freshmen/women (called “Rats”) of the Virginia Military Institute are pried loose from their parents’ loving arms and deposited with a third class corporal to be whipped into hard men and women during four demanding years at the nation’s oldest state military school.

At a school founded in 1839 which has provided warriors to fight our wars since then, ritual is an important element in the process — the unique process that turns an unshapen lump of clay into a hardened vessel in four years.

Sixty-one percent of the Rats will study math, science, or engineering and they are from 34 states and 4 foreign countries. They have an average GPA of 3.7.

It is a touching ritual. If you are bored today, watch it. Do you know of any other school that takes its students in in such a fashion?

The man speaking, the Superintendent of VMI, General JH Binford Peay III, VMI ’62, was the commander of the 101st Abn Div in the First Gulf War which conducted the longest airmobile movement in combat of any division in the history of warfare, setting up shop behind the Iraqi invaders of Kuwait. He was also the Centcom Commander as a 4-star General. [He has whipped VMI into the best shape it has ever been in since 1839. Personal view. He is also an inspiring leader and a good guy.]

One of the speakers, the Commandant, a warrior with almost three decades of military service made the distinction between failing and quitting. It is an important distinction.

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03/12/16

The Value of Failure

Big Red Car here waiting for The Boss who is arriving back today from skiing. The wild running late with the housesitter good life is ………………………….. over.

So, I was talking with a couple of CEO cars and we got on the subject of the value of failure in long term success. One of them recited the famous Rudyard Kipling poem IF and was singing its praises as a frame of reference for entrepreneurs and, of all things, politicians. She, hot little 1984 Mercedes convertible with great headlights, said this is the money passage:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;

11/7/15

A Story for You

Big Red Car here in a dripping ATX day. It is the kind of day for a long nap and some football.

The Boss is down in Houston for a wedding and I’m left with the house sitter and NO prospect of a ride with the top down.

The house sitter is usually good for a bit of wilding but not today. Too much rain.

So, I was rummaging through The Boss’s computer and found his stock of short stories. Continue reading

03/17/15

The Physics of Failure

Big Red Car here. Wow, is the weather in the ATX spectacular!

We’ve got the start of 300,000 folks in town for SXSW (South By Southwest) and the weather is for you visitors. Move here, please.

Get some TexMex at Guero’s Matt’s El Rancho, Chuy’s, Santa Rita and get some BBQ at Green Mesquite. Don’t even think about Franklin BBQ. You’re not locals, y’all. Painful truth. But, you could be by this time next year.

Pro tip: Never, ever try the salsa until your drinks come. You will remember this when your mouth is on fire. This is Texas.
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