Golf is FUN!!

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

white round medication pill on green grass field — *Photo: Credit to Markus Spiske on Pexels.com*

This month: Golf’s Hole-In-One

It might be … it could be … IT IS!!

Wow! You did it! What a feeling!

It doesn’t matter if you make one at a par 3 course, a full-length municipal course, a private course, or a tournament course, there is a certain type of celebration that only one type of shot generates. That, of course, is the HOLE IN ONE celebration.

Everyone in the vicinity turns into sort of an antique: they freeze, gawk, point, and then applaud the golfer who brings them this once in a blue moon moment. From some old timer during a skins round on a retirement course to Tiger Woods during a professional tourney, witnesses in general go completely bonkers for this privilege.

Not to brag, but I was fortunate enough to make not one but TWO holes in one in an 18-month span. Unfortunately for my playing partner, he had to witness both. And he’s a much better golfer than I’ll ever be.

My philosophy: try to hit every pin I see (sucker-pin or not!). His strategy: shoot within a 10-foot circle of each pin. So, though he rarely (if ever) posted an 11 on his par-3 holes (like I have), he also didn’t give himself too many chances at an “Ace.” No risk, no reward I’ve seen somewhere.

While watching the final round of the Players Championship today, make a note of the percentage of fans hanging out on the island hole, number 17. If asked, I’m sure most of them would admit they are diabolical weekend hacks who are just waiting to see a millionaire pro hit a bunch of balls into “the drink”/ a.k.a. “lake” surrounding it.

Others will admit they are looking to witness only the 23^rd or so (don’t quote me, it’s close enough) ace in a professional round at TPC Sawgrass since its inception. Few, it any, will drop their tee ball into the “Sunday hole location” in the back right swath of the green. But, if it does somehow, you will witness absolute BEDLAM. So, do what we all do: grab a snack, a cool beverage, an anticipate “the ace.”

It is, from one hack to many others reading this, THE MOST amazing moment in golf. Of course, that’s IF you have the guts to go for it!

PROFILE

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, published author and narrator, and weekend golf hack who has broken more windows than he’d ever admit. He can be heckled on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere online. He’s one of those who doesn’t believe in “bad publicity.”

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

Date: June 13, 2022

Topic: Inflation: Can we offset it? Here are some thoughts

Everyone keeps talking about “inflation, inflation, inflation.” If you ask me, it’s one of those topics that you don’t even need to discuss to understand that it exists. It’s the “elephant blocking the gas pump. Perhaps it’s the elephant blocking the grocery aisles. Or maybe it’s the same elephant pushing the interest rates to unthinkable levels in such a short span of time.

Backdrop

Regardless of who (or how) we may believe is ultimately responsible for all of this, the fact of the matter is that we are a nation of 330 plus million, living in a world of 7 plus billion people. We are consuming the same air, energy resources, and food at a pace we’ve never seen in history. We’re an aging country that is unable to bring in anywhere near as many replacements as we are (and will continue) losing for the next 15-30 years or more. Oh, and lest we (not) forget, we are still grappling with a pandemic which, predictably, has morphed into a years-long menace.

Solutions

So, where does that leave us? Well, in my humble opinion, I think we might want to pass some of the infrastructure bills that are collecting dust in D.C. The more able-bodied people who are yanked from their video and FB screens and are out replacing some grossly outdated structures around this nation, the quicker we can produce some actual dollars that aren’t printed and sent out from D.C.

Also, this might bring a little fresh air into the lungs of the same kids who are taking over streets our streets, smash-and-grabbing merchandise off our retail shelves, and, of course, breaking into our cars and houses to pick up a catalytic converter or a Rolex watch to sell online or in the black market somewhere.

Yes, I know what you’re going to say. “We need tougher policing – these kids are savages!” (Or something to the like). Perhaps, some are, and in some ways, we do. But I believe the majority have simply lost their way somewhat and need to be shown a legal and hopeful method to win. Raising rents, tuition, ignoring homelessness, and pretending that everything will take care of itself if we just elect (fill in the blank), will NOT do the trick. We need to offset our losses. We need to provide the right sort of distractions. The ones that give a positive new pathway, that burn energy from frustration, that teach new skills, and that, most importantly, supply a focus and the ability earn actual dollars worthy of the effort put in!

Any thoughts?

See you in July 🌥️ (Let’s bring the sun out!)

-A.N.

Profile

Anthony Newcombe is a 4-time entrepreneur, author, narrator and full-stack developer. He blogs about almost every current topic and likes to tinker around in the yard on weekends.

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe 👀👀

October’s topic:

The “Cottage Industry” has caught up with me (finally)

20-plus years working in a remote setting … and wouldn’t change a thing!

Well, it took a while, but what can I say: I TOLD you so! Well, not entirely. I spent much of my time since 1999 believing I had to keep some sort of secret or something. I asked myself:

Will they ever find out that I tend to wear shorts and sandals during my business calls and videos?
Do you they know that have no interest in driving downtown for any reason at all? Including closing giant deals?

Will they be mortified if one of my little ones barges into my home office and vomits mac and cheese all over my desk in real time? Did I care even if something like that happened?

The answer to the above and many other questions, is, well, NO. I didn’t care. I don’t care today either. And I probably won’t care at any time in the future. I mean, let’s face it: Nobody I know out-works me. In fact, I haven’t been on a real vacation since the end of 2017. Oh yeah, we probably shouldn’t even count that one because I was finalizing my book, Sorry, 50 is NOT the New 30, during that trip.

I look around and see Congress on break most of the calendar year. I see neighbors who can barely roll out of bed by noon and spend their weeknights getting high and drinking all night. I come across those on social media pretending they’re working, but still, can’t figure out what they’re even working on. Working on their tans?

I suppose, though, it took the Covid pandemic to convince more than a few professionals to “hang up their car keys” and settle into whatever makeshift workspace they could create within their 4 walls. And looking around, it’s hard to see many other benefits of this whole health scare period in the United States and beyond.

However, one thing I do know is the cottage industry is here to stay and that’s a good thing because it will keep me plugging along, my sanity in check, and, of course, my dry-cleaning bill will remain where it belongs – in the home office shredder! Ciao!

So, what’s your story?

We’ll catch up with you again in about 30 days … I’m out!

-A.N.

A Closer Look … Misuse-of-words-English-People-Incorrect-Wrong-

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

A “Blast from the Past” Edition (so much fun, we’ll re-publish it!)

Flubbing our words and phrases?

nother vs. another (“That’s a whole nother world”)

Uh, NO it is not. But it IS a whole incorrect sentence. I’ve sat in professional meetings, witnessed intelligent people on television and interacting on large city streets misuse this term over and over. How about “a whole OTHER” perhaps? It’s easy to remember because all you have to do to not be wrong is simply drop one tiny letter, the “a”

uncharted vs. unchartered (“We’re in uncharted territory”)

Here lies another constant. It is used with such frequency that even we may, at times, become confused as to which is the correct choice. When navigating areas (or waters) that are unfamiliar are we “in uncharted waters” or are we in “unchartered waters?”

I always believed, being part of the general “charter” community, that the correct usage would be unchartered; meaning “not ever having sailed through these waters.” However, if we think of “uncharted” waters, we could reflect on our childhood where gold, treasures & stuff existed – and envision other option of “attempting to navigate a map without any defined charts.” Who knows…?

pacificly vs. specifically (“I was pacificly talking about the last time I saw him”)

We probably first heard this one around the holiday dinner table spouted from the mouth of our Aunt Ida. ‘Pacificly’ is NOT a word. Just noticing all of the red underlining will tell you that spellcheck specifically disagrees with you. However, “pacifically” IS an actual word, but is still incorrect if used in this situation. It may refer to a large body of the earth’s ocean separating numerous islands that we would love to charter (or chart).

relevant vs. relative (“It’s all relevant!!”)

No, it is NOT. My understanding is of ‘relevant’ is that which is pertinent to or important to something else. ‘Relative’ is more of an “it depends” or “relates to.” See? It’s easy to remember…

supposably vs. supposedly (“She was supposably the one…”)

Supposably is just horrible all the way around. (Again, see all of the red in spellcheck if you don’t trust me) It sounds like you took the wrong advice of your Uncle Vito from that fantasy sports commercial. However, it is a never-ending misuse of a pretty cool word…supposedly. “Supposable” is supposedly a word, whereas “supposably” is a sign of, well, incorrect grammar.

misconfuse vs. misconstrue (“He misconfused what I said to him”)

This was one I heard about a decade or more ago on one of those live court television programs where an actual hitman in a criminal case testified using (or misusing) one big word after another. It was so amazing that I couldn’t turn the television off and was late to the office as a result. However, it continues to be a source of humor that my spouse and I still occasionally giggle about to this day.

One final note

Back in high school (a few years back), I recall a hilarious moment in English class when our teacher informed us that one of her students required a tongue-lashing for incorrectly using a transition. In a nutshell, the student stated his idea in one sentence but then attempted to transition it with a new sentence beginning with “Another words” instead of “In other words.” Though I felt bad that the teacher publicly shamed him (she’d probably be fired for it in today’s class), I must admit that I laughed at it as much (and as loudly) as anyone.

A ‘word to the wise’ (Oops, I mean “words” to the wise)

K.I.S.S. (no, not the Gene Simmons variety)
K-E-E-P
I-T
S-I-M-P-L-E
S-I-M-P-L-E-T-O-N

Anything you have to say?

-A.N.

A Closer Look … Stocks-Inexperience-Investors-Hedge Funds-Day Trading-

with Anthony Newcombe

Some Causes of the Stock Market Volatility Craze

Topic: That ‘silly, crazy stock market’ this month

Categories: Economics, Financials, and Social Psychology

Between a rock and a hard place? You probably spent some of the past few weeks rummaging through the onslaught of news concerning the stock market. In just a few days, there were swings from single digits to over thousands of percentage gains. What is the most amazing part? Ironically, these public companies did absolutely NOTHING different to cause this phenomenon. In fact, some of the biggest debt funds pounced on this situation to dump old, crappy positions they had. This generated some outlandish profits (for those who could get out in time!)

However, for those who don’t own any stocks, I hear you. Who cares, right?! Well, the rest of us care. Unfortunately, it caught our attention instantly. This might be due to many of a certain age recall being caught up in this “spin cycle” very similar to this in our investing past. In fact, if your stomach didn’t roil a bit, and your brow didn’t raise, you must be a first-time trader. You have no scar tissue built up from previous downturns. You haven’t been burned…yet.

Moreover, if you recall in spring, 2001, there was a ton of hoopla regarding “surging dotcom stocks.” It seemed like you didn’t even need an ounce of ability to make profitable picks during that time. Just buy, buy, buy (Thanks, Jim Cramer!) Subsequently, there was a different kind of BOOM! There was a “crash-landing.” In little time, the markets tanked. Everyone ran for the hills, and many brokers ducked their calls. We were shirtless, stuck, and scared!

Nevertheless, I’m not naïve enough to think that the ‘dotcom bubble of 2001’ is anywhere near the same as the last two weeks have been. But I tell you, when you see some of the publicly traded stocks like GameStop (GME) and AMC Theaters (AMC), it forces a reflection moment. These stocks went from (practically) zero to amazing heights. Then, they returned to earth again in mere days. Unfortunately, it rhymes with some of our tortured past like 1987’s Black Monday, spring 2001, and September 2008. I agree, all had different characteristics. We won’t get into them all, but each created a form of sheer terror in the marketplace at the time!

Thankfully, at least for today, it seems like the storm has mostly passed. We’re back to the “old, regular froth” that we’ve become accustomed to from the past several fiscal years. We’ll just keep our chinstraps fastened, our eye on the ball, and continue onward, right? I mean, what else can we do? Happy investing, folks!

Any ideas?

-A.N.

Supporting links

Bloomberg

CNBC Business

Business Insider

ENTREPRENEUR

A Closer Look

with Anthony Newcombe

Topic: The most important characteristics of an entrepreneur

Area: The impact of parents’ words on their children

en·tre·pre·neur /ˌäntrəprəˈnər,ˌäntrəprəˈno͝o(ə)r/

noun: entrepreneur; plural noun: entrepreneurs

a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.

(credit: Oxford Languages)

Entrepreneur (my definition) – An entrepreneur represents many key elements wrapped into one. First and foremost, he or she must be a born leader, a person who yearns to be the most responsible party in any business decision to be made.

Characteristics of an entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is creative, highly intelligent, and motivated to succeed at a level greater than the typical wage earner. He or she understands that decision – or indecision – could mean the difference between a great idea becoming a great product, service, or organization – or just simply one of many “brainstormed ideas” that go nowhere.

Understanding …

An entrepreneur understands that he or she needs a roadmap to success. By creating a comprehensive plan of attack, the entrepreneur will now be able to take educated and informed risks because all options have been weighed prior to committing one way or another. Once all the possible angles have been carefully thought out, he or she will have shifted the odds of success as much as possible in his or her favor and will know that the time has come to seize an opportunity.

A Closer Look …

with Anthony Newcombe

Topic: What skill did you learn/ are you learning during the extended “home-based” Covid-19 period?

Personal note: Like you, I noticed plenty of people getting in on the new “mask production craze”

The “mask makers” (as seen all over YouTube) …

However, I decided to do something a bit different. I took some time to learn a new digital design skill. Since I began self-learning coding in late 2014, I’ve always tinkered with Photoshop, but, only learned enough to make a mess for the most part! So, with some extra time on my hands (not having to drop off the kids at school for a while) I dug into the progam GIMP (Gnu Image Manipulation Program).

Since its free, open source software, I knew I could simply dabble at my pace without worrying about an forthcoming “expired trial period” to deal with. Also, I knew if I got distracted by something else unforeseen, I could easily move on without worry likewise.