Heartland == BOB AND WILLIE
There’s a big achin’ hole in my chest now where my heart was
And a hole in the sky where God used to be.
My American dream
Fell apart at the seams.
You tell me what it means,
You tell me what it means.
Category: L. RACE
RECOMMEND OR REQUIRE ?
Recently I suggested the last 20 minutes of Ken Burns’ 6th (and last )
segment on THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
A new book, THE GREAT CONTRADICTION ( The Tragic Side of the American Founding ) by Joseph J. Ellis , is additional support. In a word, both point out the blind eye we have turned concerning Slavery and the treatment of Native Americans.
Last night I watched THE LAST CLASS. It goes on the list. Pat Conroy once said, “…if anything is more important than good teachers I wish someone would tell me what it is before I die.”
Robert Reich is a giant of truth. Should one be interested in the truth–listen to him.
COLLEGE RUBICON?
Great birthday card — Front: This is Edith ( beautiful Pin-Up ) and this is your cake ( Giant slice with a lighted candle ).
Inside : “You can have your cake, or you can have Edith–but you can’t have your cake and Edith too!”
As the man said–It is time to make some “chawses” ( Choices )
The just released survey by the Elon Poll requested solutions to college athletics problems. Between the Portal and Likeness changes, a Rubicon moment, Teaming with the NCAA, they listed ten pages of questions and suggestions to summarize how to reign in this “conundrum”.
Some years back I played in a local poker game with John McQuire, brother to Al, and poster for Octogeneran Curmudgeons. Occasionally he would blurt out angry admonitions to shut up and play. Upon enduring one cliched dissection of the past hand, and it’s theories and what-ifs, John concluded “… NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING! “
Apt description of the above Elon/NCAA poll.
What seems apparent is that a square peg- round hole problem is at the core.
Education and greed don’t jibe. The POWER conferences have made their choice. The rest may too “ante up “. Hopefully some avenue to EDUCATION as a choice will emerge. Some are already available.
“Bad luck women stick like glue. You can have one or the other, but never the two.” B. Dylan
” RED AND YELLOW, BLACK AND WHITE…”
1945
“Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and Yellow, Black and White,
they are precious in his sight.
Jesus loves the children of the world.”
2025
Jesus loves most of our children.
Almost all of them are white.
Wetbacks, commies, jews and queer,
we gonna make em disappear.
Jesus love only those who white ?
MILESTONES
Upon retiring I committed myself to continuing efforts to help tennis players , coaches, and teams. My friend, Jim Toney, and I focused on our local facilities. Then coaches. Frankly, emphasis has been on on the high school level although much extends both up and down levels.
I wrote a guide entitled THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS which was provided freely to all North Carolina coaches and varsity girls and boys players.
Next we formed a group of capable volunteers we called the SHOT DOCTORS (see brochure ) who lent their time and expertise, particulary to their local schools. Soon the NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS COACHES ASSOCIATION ( NCHSTCA ) became our primary outlet. Included on their new website they created a panel entitled RESOURCES. Membership gave access to exclusive SHOT DOCTORS contributions.
Things change. Certainly tennis does. And while the NCHSTCA website hosts reems of this new information, space dictates limitations.
THE LITTLE GREEN BOOK of TENNIS was written in 2007. And while much of its time honored material remains unchanged, time rolls on. ( FREE LINK ) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gcvZxRjGo8vX5HDImfaK6es039uRX1wS/view
AUTHOR’S SUGESTIONS ( NOVEMBER 20, 2024 )
My intent is to ” leave it all on the court”. This MILESTONES blog is an effort to make more and new instruction available since the book was written and revised (2015 ). And I have selected some repeats, that were most often cited as helpful. THE REST OF THE STORY hopefully shines light the two seismic moments — 1. New technology and data and the truth about international athletes in American colleges (College tennis particularly—-and 2. The upheaval surounding paying athletes ( PORTALS AND POTHOLES ).
Is this not the moment to redesign more reasonable governance of AMERICAN COLLEGE ATHLETICS.
The REST OF THE STORY is VERY LONG. A condensed version is available here. So, too , is the subsequent file, HELPING PART 2 , extremely long and detailed. They are included as evidence of the long these deep seated problems have gone on.
HELPING PART 2 can be found on the main blog under the title AMERICAN COLLEGE TENNIS PLAYERS ( 34 ) – https://littlegreenbookoftennis.com/2023/01/07/american-college-tennis-players/
TWO CLOSING COMMENTS: 1. While my “hobby writing” began with my retirment and centers on tennis instruction and sports commentary, there are articles on everything from Bob Dylan to Pickleball . Search the CATEGORIES column ( far right ) on the blog cover page. 2. I plan to keep the blog open and writing short pieces. There is a lot to clean up , edit, categorize.
“Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should start to get interesting right about now”. (Bob Dylan–MISSISSIPPI )
SHOT DOCTORS The brochure below is an announcement of a new, non- profit group of volunteers to help North Carolina’s high school varsity boys and girl tennis players, their coaches and teams.
It is new leaf time for me. It’s not the writing. Technology wins. Too many unknown buttons. Too much angst, frustration, begging for help, same errors and “can’t finds .” Good luck, AI.
The writing is fun, so that stays on http://www.tomparham.wordpress.com. No new books on the horizon.
Below are a series of NEW articles available freely. In addition, a second group of selected OLDER articles are included later , as they are some of the best articles on the blog:
—————NEW ARTICLES—————
—————OLDER ARTICLES—————
THE REST OF THE STORY1
Below is a letter to me that states the position of NCAA President Mark A. Emmert on international athletes in American college athletics. And I agree with the content. However, I believe there is another tenable side to this issue. Therefore, in addition to President Emmert letter, I have shared what I believe is another salient side to the issue.
Dr. Mark Emmert
President, NCAA
PO Box 6222
Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
Dear Dr. Emmert,
I am appreciative of your letter of March 15, 2017. Earlier this winter I had a long conversation with Timothy Russell , CEO of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). I have also pled my case to Paul Lubbers of USTA player development, the Southern district of USTA, (STA) and the North Carolina Tennis Association (NCTA).
And have done so with countless others since 1970. Your response ensures that I have been heard at our highest levels and that is truly fair.
Approaching age 77 with fifty years of coaching, teaching and administering in two small (Barton College) to mid size Division 1 (Elon University), I have watched this issue closely, and while I fully agree with diversity and inclusion and equitable participation, there seems to be more to the issue.
My teams rosters included fifty plus internationals. From about a dozen different countries. Roland Thornqvist, women’s tennis coach at the University of Florida just won the women’s D1 National team tennis indoor title, owning a handful of national titles. I recruited Roland to the USA and he is probably best known of my recruits who are in the athletics arena and have stayed in the country. No less known in the world of orthopedic surgery in America is Dr. Pramote Malisitt, a native of Bangkok, who remains in our country. Dr. Peter Lindstrom, is one of twenty nine Swedes whom I recruited, and who is nationally known as a vital computer expert with our defense department. Neither our schools, nation, nor I would wish they weren’t here.
Never have I suggested we shouldn’t have delved into internationals then or now. But it seems to me to be a half full/half empty issue. Not once have I ever said an international should be prohibited from participation. Or equal admittance. The elephant in the room is scholarships. Never have I suggested internationals should be exempt from a reasonable amount of money. I do believe that the NCAA has a legal right to provide aid to our citizens first. One link to follow allows that about 200 million American dollars go into international men and women tennis players.
Many parents and taxpayers question all foreign rosters, all with grants and many from state schools. (See enclosed latest rankings from Division II) I wouldn’t object to an all international team in any sport if they paid the bill. But to scholarship an all African team, rather than an African American team is bothersome, to say the least. What we have now is foreign aid, not trade. Not once in the many times I asked any international , “Would your native country do what we do?” was the answer yes. And the money is coming from the coffers of the only reasonable financial return for all the expenses encountered: Scholarships. Scholarships can easily amount to a quarter million dollars per student ,over four years. Not to mention the subsequent benefits of quality education. I don’t even mention the rarity of professional player rewards, as we all know the status of American elite players. That is another issue, but giving American college tennis to internationals via disproportionate scholarship is directly related to this demise (again link to follow).
Basketball, golf, and other international sports are making forays into the American college arena. As a young coach I quickly realized if they have a nuclear weapon or two, I had better find some to help me keep my job. This is true today. Witness Duke University’s meteoric rise in Women’s golf. Surely young coaches watched an all international roster ascend to the top. Is this the intent of Title IX for our women? The American college system is the best system in the world to train elite athletes. The best example is surely Women’s Soccer.
Soccer, the most widely played sport in the world ,has never been won by American men. Yet, since the advent of Title IX our women have won three world cups in soccer. All twenty three women were participants in American College Soccer. And I’d bet they all had scholarships. Some one asked me where was the national training center for women on the world cup team? Chapel Hill, I replied. (Anson Dorance’s UNC teams had six of the twenty three players). And his teams influenced all the rest.
Upon accepting the job at Elon University, the then president admonished me, “… we don’t want an all foreign team!” After ten years that included a national team championship, I was concerned that a walk-on international was good enough to shift our team balance to more than 50% international for the first time. A decided shift in attitude was “ Coach we’ve decided that we don’t care where they are from if they are the quality of people you’ve been recruiting.”
And, while this validates your position, I believe a compromise is the answer.
My internationals returned home at about a 90% rate. That money may have brought in any number of our own citizens, equal in every way, except talent in tennis, as a true 18 year old freshman . (see DAY DREAM BELIEVER) on addendum to follow. Without scholarship aid for many American tennis youngsters, the “…pathway to opportunity” does not currently exist.
I have shared a few opinions, mine and others, on Addendum 1.
I intend to include a copy of your letter, and valid position to several interested parties. Knowing I have had my say, I remain sincerely grateful.
Tom Parham
“THE REST OF THE STORY” CONDENSED (Dan Parham and AI)
College Tennis in Crisis: A Briefing on the Dominance of International Players and the Impact on American Athletes
This briefing document analyzes the provided sources, revealing a concerning trend in American collegiate tennis: the overwhelming dominance of international players, particularly in scholarship-funded positions and top-ranked teams. The main argument is that this phenomenon has detrimental consequences for American tennis players, limiting their opportunities for college scholarships, high-level competition, and professional development.
Key Themes and Facts:
International Player Dominance: Data compiled across multiple NCAA divisions shows that international players constitute a significant majority of players in top-ranked teams and occupy most scholarship positions. This trend is evident in both men’s and women’s tennis. For instance, an analysis of randomly selected top-ranked teams across six divisions in the 2024 season revealed that 92% of the players were international.
Limited Opportunities for American Players: The high proportion of international players in college tennis directly limits the number of roster spots and scholarships available to American athletes. This is especially alarming considering the financial burden of developing high-level tennis players in the US, where, unlike in Europe and Asia, government support is lacking.
Financial Incentives for Coaches: The current system incentivizes college coaches to prioritize recruiting international players, often overlooking talented American players. This is driven by the pressure to maintain high rankings and achieve winning records, often at the expense of developing American talent.
The “Preferred Walk-on” Dilemma: While some American players manage to secure spots on teams as “preferred walk-ons,” this designation often comes with little to no financial aid. This further disadvantages American players compared to their international counterparts who often receive full scholarships.
Supporting Evidence (Quotes and Data):
“The NCAA is also to be blamed for not keeping tennis-specific numbers. It is impossible to find out how many international players take roster spots, scholarships or graduate from college.” – Tennis World, August 5, 1999.
“In the final match, no American player participated… Americans received less than 5% of the total tennis scholarships awarded.” – Description of the 2001 Big South Conference men’s tennis tournament
“Let’s be honest …College tennis is failing American tennis. “ – Luke Jensen, former professional tennis player.
“There’s somewhere around 7,000 scholarships available… and there are just not enough American juniors to fill the scholarships.” – Tim Russell, CEO of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
Consequences and Concerns:
Diminishing American Tennis: The lack of college playing opportunities for American athletes negatively impacts the development of future American tennis stars. This is evidenced by the dwindling number of American players in professional tennis with college experience.
Loss of Fan Interest and Support: Teams dominated by international players may face challenges in attracting local fan interest and alumni support. The lack of “homegrown” talent can lead to a disconnect between college teams and their communities.
Ethical Considerations: Concerns arise regarding the ethical implications of allocating taxpayer-funded scholarships predominantly to international students, while talented American students are left behind.
Potential Solutions:
Scholarship Allocation for American Players: A significant proposal is to reserve a certain percentage of scholarship funds for American players, ensuring they have a fair chance to compete and develop at the collegiate level.
Increased Support for High School Tennis: Strengthening high school tennis programs can help cultivate a stronger base of American players and provide them with the necessary experience to compete for college scholarships.
Data Transparency and Advocacy: Collecting and analyzing data on the nationality of college tennis players, scholarship recipients, and award winners can raise awareness and encourage action from the USTA, NCAA, and other relevant organizations.
Conclusion:
The current landscape of American collegiate tennis presents a significant challenge to the development of American players. The dominance of international players in scholarship-funded positions creates an uneven playing field, hindering the growth of future generations of American tennis stars. Addressing this issue requires a concerted effort from the USTA, NCAA, college coaches, and all stakeholders who are passionate about American tennis. Proactive measures such as scholarship allocation for American players, increased support for high school tennis, and data transparency are crucial steps towards a more equitable and sustainable future for the sport.
HEADS UP
August 5th, 1999 From TENNIS WORLD by Beth German:
“The NCAA is also to be blamed for not keeping tennis specific numbers. It is impossible to find out how many international players take roster spots, scholarships or Graduate from college.”
ITA Website, Rankings Data & Nationality
Stunning: In 1970 the National Association of Athletics (NAIA) voted to eliminate restrictions on foreign tennis players. The issue was largely a small college concern, NAIA, NCAA 2, Junior Colleges men and women. From 1970 to 1980 teams went from a maximum of one international player to all six starters being international. A report below from the NCAA sites statistics from the year of 2007 that doesn’t reflect the more important issue. The NCAA report included all the division 3 schools that don’t offer tennis scholarships, plus the total number of teams are included —many of whom don’t recruit anybody. The intensity of the situation for the big schools came later in the ’80’s and 90’s. The NCAA, the ITA and the UTR are good sources of data on college tennis. The best of these is the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Their website allows you to reach every team, its roster, its schedule, & the national origin of the players. In contrast to the mid ’80’s you can now easily find the nationality and the possibility of scholarship players.
In 1985 I painstakingly uncovered that one 8 team conference had 63 players in the total league, 62 of whom were international. While that took me hours to uncover, that kind of information can be found easily now by researching teams on the ITA website. Check the ranking file, check the roster, and check the schedule for close matches, and the stunning picture is revealed easily.
The Best Source of Information — THE ITA WEBSITE https://wearecollegetennis.com/ita-rankings/
The Missing Chart
2024 ITA/NCAA COLLEGE RANKINGS
We randomly picked the 1st, 5th, 10th and 20th ranked teams from each division men and women.
The results speak volumes and suggest any teams picked in each division would show very similar results.
DIVISION 1 MEN’S SINGLES INTERNATIONAL:
- Rank 1 Texas Christian University 9 of 9
- Rank 5 Kentucky 7 of 8
- Rank 10 Florida State 6 of 8
- Rank 20 Arizona State 5 of 8
- 27 of 33 = 87 %
DIVISION 1 WOMEN’S SINGLES:
- Rank 1 Texas A & M 3 of 6
- Rank 5 Michigan 2 of 6
- Rank 10 Cal Berkley 4 of 7
- Rank 20 South Carolina 4 of 7
- 12 of 22 = 54 %
DIVISION 11 MEN’S SINGLES:
- Rank 1 Valdosta State 9 of 9
- Rank 5 Columbus State 8 of 8
- Rank 10 Wingate 8 of 8
- Rank 20 Hawaii Pacific 9 of 9
- 34 of 34 = 100 %
DIVISION 11 WOMEN’S SINGLES:
- Rank 1 Nova Southeastern 8 of 8
- Rank 5 Emory Riddle 7 of 7
- Rank 10 Auburn Montgomery 7 of 7
- Rank 20 Mississippi College 6 of 9
- 26 of 29 = 90 %
NAIA MEN:
- Rank 1 Georgia Gwinnett 7 of 8
- Rank 5 Reinhardt 6 of 8
- Rank 10 Grace 7 of 8
- Rank 20 Cumberland (Tenn) 8 of 8
- 28 of 32 = 90%
NAIA WOMEN:
- Rank 1 Georgia Gwinnett 8 of 8
- Rank 5 Middle Georgia State 7 of 8
- Rank 10 Union 7 of 8
- Rank 20 Northeastern Ohio 7 of 8
- 29 of 32 = 91 %
TOTAL ALL 6 DIVISIONS
- 156 of 178 (92%) were International
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PROBABILITIES
Win or NFL means “…Not For Long !” (Hank Stram , Coach )
- Coaching’s Pox. Winning rules.
2. The best players win—-probably.
3. “ I just rob banks. That’s where the money is !” (Willie Sutton )
Global sports produce a much greater pool than just the USA, or the South, or North
Carolina.
4. Coaches will play the best players.
5. The players who make up the lineup in close, competitive matches ( 4/3 , 5/2 ) will be those with scholarships. Check the rosters and schedules ( “Results”. or “Box Scores”. )
WHY DO IT? ( Jim Toney, late Economics Professor at Elon University and tennis angel )… A fine player and promoter of tennis, Mr. Toney and I zeroed in on High School tennis court construction. Later in his life he developed Parkinson’s. During our last conversation I told how much I appreciated the work he had done for tennis. He leaned forward, peering at me with those steely eyes, and said ” Don’t you quit.”)
RECENT COMMENTS
Harvey Penick—THE LITTLE RED BOOK of GOLF author). “If you read this book you are my pupil. If you play golf you are my friend. “
Robert Bayliss
This is a difficult conundrum. On one hand, having an international player on your team can be a culturally broadening experience for all, as we learn about the history ad culture of others.To deny opportunities to “foreigners” seems unfair. Looking at this from a different angle provides a warning for our sport. One of the incentives driving young players into tennis is the goal of playing on a college team. The travel, life lessons learned, and so much more can provide motivation to commit to tennis in the hopes of gaining a scholarship, roster spot, admissions bump, and more might be exactly what keeps young players involved and committed to tennis. To forfeit that incentive will diminish; ish the number of players and the overall interest and importance of tennis to young Americans. The growth of soccer, lacrosse, and other sports is already eroding tennis’s base, so adding to that problem is problematic.
Looking long-range at this, I believe that we should be careful not to load up our college rosters – and the benefits thereof – with an overwhelming number of international players. Alumni interest and support are also a consideration.
In today’s world of collegiate athletics, coaches are fired for performance at increasingly higher rates. If I lose matches to teams stacked with international players there is the possibility that I might similarly load up my own roster internationally. The domino effect would be disastrous for American tennis This is balanced against the competitive benefit for American players as they compete against outstanding foreigners. While rushing to judgment should be avoided, we cannot continue to ignore anything that threatens the strength and significance of American tennis. The time for action is now.
Respectfully
Bobby Bayliss
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Charles Hassell:
“Tom-
Those are interesting questions but I confess ignorance in this area. I could be wrong but I believe colleges can award scholarships to anyone they please, particularly private schools, subject to eligibility requirement imposed by the schools, athletic conferences, and maybe the NCAA- at least for the time being. I don’t think that organization will be around much longer, at least not in its present form and with the current level of control we have seen up to now. I do not know what we will end up with but the myth of amateurism has clearly been exposed. And, of course, public colleges and universities have limitations peculiar to the schools and the laws of the respective states in which they reside.
To the extent that your questions ask what “should” be done, as in what is most fair, what is best for tennis, best for the young athletes, and do all agree it is desirable to favor U.S. kids? Is it a question of trying to prevent coaches from recruiting the best players regardless of their nationality? Is that a desirable aim? I don’t know enough about any of these problems as they relate to tennis to offer a useful opinion. Sorry.
We had a great show last Sunday after a brief shaky start from a quick cloudburst. Big crowd who seemed to like the music. Wish you could have been there.
-Pud”
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James Haslam:
“A FOREIGN PLAYER’S VIEW ON CAPPING SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FOREIGNERS
I am from Tasmania, Australia and received a full tennis scholarship to Wake Forest University commencing Feb 1969. It was the biggest and best break of my life and I am very thankful to the ‘system’ that made it possible, and to Wake coach Jim Leighton, who not only was a marvelous man and tennis teacher, but, when I fell in love with teaching tennis, taught me how to teach the game, despite that being at the expense of my playing for him.
I have keenly followed the evolution of NCAA sports, in particular college tennis. I fully support the rights of college athletes to sell their services to the highest bidder, or in individual sports to earn and keep whatever prize money and endorsements they can. I believe a college athlete earning money in professional sports brings glory and recognition to the college and enhances alumni and donor contributions to the school, athletic & tennis programs.
I believe it may take a decade for the rules and regulations relating to NIL, transfers, athlete payments, to reach an equitable status. It has eliminated some of the hypocrisy of the NCAA.
I also believe that American education (part funded by American taxpayers) should first and foremost be for the benefit of American students. Also part of that education and college experience comes from intermixing with students from all over the world…that America in general has lately drifted too far towards isolationism.
College athletics should also be first and foremost for the benefit of American students.
I note that my sport, tennis, has the highest % of foreign scholarship athletes of any sport.
To reconcile the competing interests, I suggest that 50% of all tennis scholarships be reserved for American athletes. That the number of scholarships in tennis (whether athletic or need or whatever) be either 10 or 12; meaning the number of foreigners on scholarship be 5 or 6. A team or squad can be larger, but any extra spots go to Americans. A foreigner marrying an American after arrival and gaining American citizenship would, for the purpose of the scholarship cap, be classified as a foreigner.
I accept that some coaches will find loopholes in any system, will break any rule they think they can get away with, but it is the role of the governing bodies (ITA, NCAA, US Govt) to close loopholes and penalize rule breakers.
I have spent the past 26 years in retirement as a volunteer donating my time (50-60 hours per week) to tennis, about equally between Tasmania and North Carolina. The NC time is partially as thanks for the opportunities the US and Wake Forest afforded me, and partially for the American people who helped me along the way.
Sincerely
James G Haslam”
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Dan Parham – A Proposal to Invest in American Tennis:
THE REST OF THE STORY ( THE COMPLETE FILE )
One attachment • Scanned by Gmail
HELPING, PART 2 (108 page collection on INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS IN AMERICAN COLLEGE SPORTS PARTICULARLY TENNIS. )
o |
MATGA and AI
One attachment • Scanned by Gmail
NCAA/ FEDERAL LAWS ON
| Tom Parham <ethomasparham@gmail.com> | Wed, Nov 27, 9:34 PM (3 days ago) | | |
| to me | |||
Maybe, just maybe
This from today’s newspaper article on Black Pickleball possibilities :
You are welcome:’ A Black Charlotte pickleball club is creating inclusion and culture BY MYLES MANOR UPDATED JUNE 27, 2024 10:41 AM Kayla Brooks hosts Rally’s pick up & play pickle ball events monthly at Rally. Troyonna Adams, Zenith Creative Media A Charlotte-based pickleball organization is rethinking how Black people view the popular leisure activity. Black Pickleball & Co., founded by Kayla Brooks in 2023, aims to improve the socioeconomic mobility of Black communities by involving them in a sport that is growing in popularity. Brooks says pickleball provides opportunities for professionals to network with each other. “Societies function and people have opportunities based on loose ties,” she said. “It’s not necessarily your best friend, but you know a person enough, and they know you enough that if you need a professional service, you can ask them, and you have that connection from it [pickleball].” Pickleball, which was created in 1965, is considered the fastest-growing sport in the world, with about 13.6 million active players, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. However, only 7.3 percent of documented pickleball players in the United States are Black. Brooks was hesitant to begin playing pickleball herself because, when she was once invited to play, she told a friend, “Black people don’t play pickleball.” These days, Brooks is now directing initiatives to make Charlotte’s pickleball scene more welcoming to Black people. The group has hosted events and pickleball games at Rally and Lab City in Charlotte to engage a new demographic that was previously overlooked. “Part of bringing Black people into this space is not to assimilate to the culture,” Brooks told The Charlotte Observer. “I want them to feel community.” Black Pickleball & Co. hosts events for Charlotteans to connect and enjoy community not just play pickleball. Troyonna Adams Troyonna Adams, Zenith Creative Media REIMAGINING THE COUNTRY CLUB EXPERIENCE Now, Black Pickleball & Co. hosts matches at Rally every month, including a recent Juneteenth event held on June 19. Brooks says the partnership with Rally is a sign that the organization is heading in the right direction. “We aim to radically reimagine the country club experience for a new generation of activity-seekers, and a big part of that is opening up the racquet sport world to communities that have historically been excluded from it,” Rally co-founders Megan Charity and Barret Worthington said in a joint statement to the Observer. “We are honored to have been a launchpad for Kayla to build BPC into the huge success it is today. “We’ve been so inspired by the team and the community that Kayla has built around a genuine love of the game. They motivate us to work harder every day to make Rally the most inclusive and welcoming community possible.” BUILDING COMMUNITY COMES BEFORE PICKLEBALL Brooks hopes promoting Black participation in pickleball can create a space where people can feel comfortable with new experiences. “A lot of Black people miss their seat at the table simply because they don’t play these sports,” said Brooks about the history of Black people not participating in large numbers in sports like pickleball, golf and tennis. To date, more than 500 people have attended Black Pickleball & Co. pickleball events since last August, according to Brooks. “Everyone who comes to BPC is not Black. Everyone is not a millennial. Everyone who comes to BPC does not look or dress a certain way, and we’re very proud of that,” she said. Other pickleball organizations tend to focus on bringing together people who play pickleball, Brooks says. Black Pickleball & Co. focuses on community first and pickleball second. “A lot of people in Charlotte are looking for community, and I think that’s what makes us different from other pickleball organizations is that a lot of other groups are looking for people who like to play pickleball,” she said. “On the converse, we are just looking for people.” Black Pickleball & Co. is not just focused on Black people playing pickleball. It wants pickleball to be a catalyst for friendships, business relationships, and enrichment for participants. “Come in your bright colors, come with everything that you are, and you are welcome in this space,” said Brooks.
This taken from a 2019 blog entitled THE ENEMY AT THE GATE?
- How many kids like the Williams sisters didn’t have a father who made that effort? Minority kids, as well as poor kids can gain access to this game. And it will erase the feeling that “…that game is too rich for me (or mine).”
- The issue bigger than pickleball, the USTA, or tennis, is the health of our youngsters. Public education should include embrace pickleball by lining school tennis courts for pickleball, and including it in the physical education curriculum.
- My guess is the links between pickleball and tennis and not only many new players, but some very talented players,will emerge.
“WHERE TEARDROPS FALL “
******** Allow me one last personal experience. I was given an award at athletic banquet at Barton College. While I certainly appreciated this recognition, the moment that touched me was at the end. After the banquet several people came by our tablet to speak. I try to always be courteous to everyone. After a few minutes I noticed a Black woman waiting patiently to the side. I did not recognize her immediately. After the others went their way we addressed each other. I listened to her opening comment : “ Coach Parham , you probably don’t remember me.”
I quickly headed her off. “ I can’t call your name but I can tell you that you made an “A” in the tennis class you took from me.”
She looked puzzled—then spoke. “Well yes you did and I didn’t deserve it. But I am glad I can thank you and tell you about that time.” Other than athletes there were few “average” Black women attending the college. She was struggling with being in this strange environment, which became more difficult in a class of white kids, many of whom had some tennis background. “My feelings of isolation had increased and I truly had about decided to quit college. The same day you called me aside after class. You gave me some extra minutes of personal instruction on my tennis serve—about which I hadn’t a clue. You told me to practice some at the lesser used and more private courts near the gym. And you gave a bucket of tennis balls and a racket. You also seemed to sense my unhappiness and gave me some encouragement as well as some kind words. I came here tonite to tell you that I went back from that class and decided not to quit.”
She went on to tell me she had graduated and gone on to a full career and although tears were in our eyes , what was going through my head was how grateful I was that i’d had enough sense, early in my career to be kind to this young woman.
Momentarily I told her not to feel she didn’t deserve an “A”in this strange class. “Do you know why you deserved that grade?”
My syllabus stated the high priority I placed on attendance and effort I arrived at work at 8am each morning. After our conversation I watched you at the courts near the gym, early in the morning, practicing your serve .
Your serve got pretty good.”
A PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR AMERICA
A PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR AMERICA
The NCAA holds its annual convention in January.
Good luck! No one has a clue.
My hope is that the powers that be use this opportunity wisely. One possibility I hope will be considered.
And I have gathered support that is collected and compiled within the link below.
There is no simple answer. But big changes are a surety. Hopefully wise pivotal moment legislation.
First—the Short Version—
2024 will be a watershed moment for sports in America. Ideally the NCAA will set in motion changes that enhance the traditional joys and benefits of sports, but also a vocational pathway to reward talent and effort.
THE SECOND MOUNTAIN
The data below is a pot-pour-ri of related thoughts”
* “ Well, he hands you a nickel, and he hands you a dime
And he asks you with a grin, if you’re havin’ a good time”
(MAGGIE’S FARM—Bob Dylan )
I grew up in small towns in North Carolina, Yet in a state with a large black population I never had a close black friend. Even through college. In eastern NC. Eastern NC had a lot of crops ( mostly tobacco, cotton. ) While those jobs are greatly diminished the workers are largely still there. And their children. In no small part these were the first black students, most were athletes, that I knew, (* see appendix.)
So many are great people. Adversity made strong people and tough athletes. Still I wonder how many were missed.
My reason for this article stems from my hope that the new NCAA rules will help even more have opportunities. How ? Now is crucial window of opportunity for higher education through athletics to broaden current avenues and new ones. How? This is what makes the January 2024 NCAA convention crucial for these youngsters.
HOW? Not many of these kids are passionate about classical Greek literature. But they know sports. Is that wrong ?
There are tons of vocations in sports already in place. If we elevate the status of sports done right, can we grow a job market that many sports minded can pursue with logical success in the future.
What’s wrong with a SPORTS major in Higher Education, Many exist already and just need some publicity and dignity attached.
Next month I hope a lot of thought goes into helping this large and worthy population. Find them, make rules to help them. Make sports a vocation of real worth.
* TIME FOR A RAISE
- Even after slavery was abolished the roadblocks were manifold. Granted all poor people were limited but African-Americans were singled out. —-(From a George Will book) — At one time education was literally and legally impossible. THERE IS NO TELLING HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS married into wealth. Illegal for Black men or women.
BRAINSTORMING
- Grants vs loan
One issue is student debt. Administrators, Athletics Directors, all coaches, should clarify whether the athlete’s “package “ of money is defined (grant or loan ?). A lot of deception occurs here. And a lot of crippling, unpayable lifetime debt. A clear, stout rule in 2024 —-NCAA!
* Reading to education to scholarships, to degrees to jobs to family wealth ?
How then. to professional sports salaries?
** Or when does childhood play evolve, or morph , into work, to a profession. Even a dangerous one?
*When does supply and demand enter?
- Is it worth less if it is fun ? Or that so many aspire?
- Can you limit market value?
- Is higher education wise to entertain the public ?
- Insurance for the gifted ?
- “…elite institutions have entered into an athletic arms race that has pulled them from their core educational missions.”
- As Rahm Emanuel, the former White House chief of staff under President Barack Obama, once famously said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”
- Education and the Market mix ?
- We are weeks away from TV college basketball. Last year ( 2023) none of the players were supposedly paid; The schools, the networks, coaches, trainers, vendors, refs all were paid. What if Cinema didn’t pay the actors. Or Broadway? Mr. Eastwood, “…all employees are paid minimum wage on this film.”
- No one has all the answers. The country is mulling the sports world over. Most think their opinion should rule, But it is time to change some major rules,
*SQUARE PEG INTO A ROUND HOLE?
- Look at the stands during Michigan football games, or Kentucky men’s basketball crowd. Then the field or court.
- WHO IS IN THE SKYBOX VS WHO IS ON THE FIELD ?
SUPPLY AND DEMAND ?
When a former Duke basketball player ( Dick Divcenzo ) suggested college players should be paid, he was deemed a radical.
The old guard concluded “.. .Hell, he gets a scholarship”, while administrators quietly deemed it unaffordable.
2023-24. THINGS HAVE CHANGED
LIKENESS, PORTALS, NCAA PROBLEMS
Pay or Punt ? PAY WHO? PAY HOW? WHO PAYS? SEZ WHO?
*SQUARE PEG INTO A ROUND HOLE?
SCENE: A COURTROOM. JUDGE : You get the legal maximum—twenty years.
CONVICTED : But Judge, if you give me 20 years I’ll die
in jail !
JUDGE: Well—-do the best you can.
***** A random library choice led me to THE SECOND MOUNTAIN by David Brooks. The two main ideas seemed first, a “mountain” of self interest. . The second mountain’s orientation—selflessly help others ! Hmmm!
Published in 2019, the book hit an incidentally current chord with me.
Many have said if you love your job you never have to work. And I did love coaching. Retirement and physical limitations led to “hobby writing”,
Surprisingly blogs and books flowed. I knew tennis—help the high school coaches and teams! Save some college tennis scholarships for Americans ? I’m all in. Serious ideas? Hell yes!
Save the Middle East? World peace is above my pay grade,
But the same old problem nagged at me.
Most adults wonder what if they had chosen another profession. I think at 8 or 9 I was coaching (sort of) and always enjoyed the choice of this high calling.
And what a time period to be in the athletic world, even at the small college level. Title IX, steroids, weight training, academic standards, TV, alignment. By far the most volatile—Integration. Early 60’s teaching in eastern North Carolina——lots of worry about drugs and Vietnam. While worthy opponents, I advised to watch drinking and driving as of major concern. And Racism.
*Reality 1965 : Jackie Robinson, et. al. vs sports history is now. What kind of kids are these ? Hey— these are good people. They need help. I voted for altruism. Mostly simple advice and experience rendering of a new world ( the talk on the radiator, finding a dentist, your kids and reading). “Your job is to advance your family one generation. Your children should EXPECT to go to college!”
******** Allow me one last personal experience. I was given an award at athletic banquet at Barton College. While I certainly appreciated this recognition, the moment that touched me was at the end. After the banquet several people came by our tablet to speak. I try to always be courteous to everyone. After a few minutes I noticed a Black woman waiting patiently to the side. I did not recognize her immediately. After the others went their way we addressed each other. I listened to her opening comment : “ Coach Parham , you probably don’t remember me.”
I quickly headed her off. “ I can’t call your name but I can tell you that you made an “A” in the tennis class you took from me.”
She looked puzzled—then spoke. “Well yes you did and I didn’t deserve it. But I am glad I can thank you and tell you about that time.” Other than athletes there were few “average” Black women attending the college. She was struggling with being in this strange environment, which became more difficult in a class of white kids, many of whom had some tennis background. “My feelings of isolation had increased and I truly had about decided to quit college. The same day you called me aside after class. You gave me some extra minutes of personal instruction on my tennis serve—about which I hadn’t a clue. You told me to practice some at the lesser used and more private courts near the gym. And you gave a bucket of tennis balls and a racket. You also seemed to sense my unhappiness and gave me some encouragement as well as some kind words. I came here tonite to tell you that I went back from that class and decided no to quit.”
She went on to tell me she had graduated and gone on to a full career and although tears were in our eyes , what was going through my head was how grateful I was that i’d had enough sense, early in career to be kind to this young woman.
Momentarily I told her not to feel she didn’t deserve an “A”in this strange class. “Do you know why you deserved that grade?
My syllabus stated the high priority I placed on attendance and effort I arrived at work at 8am each morning. After our conversation I watched you at the courts near the gym, early in the morning, practicing your serve .
Your serve got pretty good.” ( From A LEVEL OF THINKING by Tom Parham ).
*********WHY TEACH AND/OR COACH ( An earlier Blog )
You never know who you’re influencing when you coach. The same was true for teaching in college. Formal classroom or just talking to kids.
A basketball player named Damian Carter appeared in my doorway one day at Elon. He said he rode up and down I-85 often and had planned to stop by many times.
He was in his forties, had been a pretty solid player at Atlantic Christian, having transferred from UNC-Wilmington. At Wilmington he hadn’t played as much as he wanted. The same was true at ACC later on, and he found his chances of pro ball weren’t going to materialize. He was about to quit college though his grades were good.
I don’t remember the specific conversation with Damien, but it was one of fifty I’d had with basketball players.
It went like this:
- Are you the first from your family to go to college? Often the answer was yes.
- You’re not going to make $100,000 playing pro ball, you understand?
- You can get your degree and get a very good job. People are looking for athletic people with degrees.
- Your job is to elevate your family and its expectations one generation. Put your money in compound interest, and expect your children to go to college.
I agreed with Damian that that was the gist of what I advised the “first kids.” Damian smiled and added, “Coach, my two daughters have college degrees, and I’ve got a million bucks in the bank!” Compound interest.
*Much has been written about the “Black athlete.” There is no question in my mind about the talent level of these athletes.
Coming from the South and being a minister’s son there was little question, early on about God. Certainly, in my mind, he was male, white, and looked a whole lot like Santa Claus. Surely too, he was lovable, kind, and simply good “supreme being.”
After watching sports in America the last forty years my guess about God’s nature is more Machiavelian. After watching America make a religion out of sports, while at the same time mistreating the black population so badly, I picture God’s role differently. My guess iswe’ve put so much emphasis on sport he’s peeved. Think not? Watch where parents are at 11:00 am on Sunday’s if their child is in a soccer match. Hmm? Did God say “I’ll give these fanatics a dilemma!” He then put this glorious athletic talent in many of the Black population, and now he’s “up there” giggling at what America is doing with sports.
Please don’t get me wrong. The Black athletes have paid their dues in practice, injury, and sweat just like anyone. Probably more so.
Still -” “…they got the “A” bands .”
Integration caused a lot of headaches in the alignment of conferences, etc. Who plays and who you play, is important, and alignment turned things upside down.
I do believe Proposition 48 (the academic guidelines for collegiate eligibility) yielded a lot of good. I wonder about the S.A.T. and fairness, but it is a “hard” number. Read DAYS OF GRACE by Arthur Ashe.
My guess is the best barometer for academic success is the athlete’s class rank. With exceptions, most of those who could achieve class rank had enough ability to succeed.
******Malcom Gladwell says reading lovingly to every child is indispensable. Without this parental effort failure is imminent.
********Pat Conroy from MY READING LIFE: “…if anyone knows a more important profession than teaching i wish they would let me know what it is before I die.”
**********A fellow coach once suggested, “…the NCAA should be limited to 10 rules, and if they add one they have to eliminate one.
************PORTALS AND POTHOLES (2022 )
*******Even the pros have a salary cap.
Was it Southern California that recruited twenty plus PORTAL footballers? Does that equate to that many legit freshmen who didn’t get that scholarship/ opportunity? How many times did this happen in all football programs combined? All sports? How many closed doors to the high school class of 2024?
For years football coaches have often recruited unhappy players from other teams. Or those who can legally transfer and play at a different school. The new NCAA “Portals Rule ” has jet streamed this strategy. One of the sad side effects of “Portals ” is that high school seniors are overlooked for older and seasoned upperclass college kids.
My guess is that this avenue will be adopted by American college tennis. And it will undoubtedly involve international players who can now easily move to “greener pastures.” American high school aspirants will be moved down the prospects list, or be dismissed even quicker.
******** “…it’s time for cool. cool change.”
********** MAYBE NOT!
Money will dictate a ”Power 5” style membership. Division III may still play without athletic grants. Will the groupings in the middle be determined by the level of financial limits each school chooses?
HAZARDOUS DUTY PAY?
PRESCIENT ?
1976 James Michener wrote SPORTS IN AMERICA. He made the statement then “…I might allow my child to play football, but I wouldn’t encourage him to play.”********
How many over matched youngsters get hurt in these games? One player said “…our coach would give OUR lives for the school!”**************
The consolidation of schools eliminated many of the smaller players. African American footballers were added to the talent pool, along with weight programs, better diets, and better coaching, and in many instances steroids. Tremendous contact ensued.
And while college and professional football are in the crosshairs of violence, perhaps high school footballers are even more vulnerable. And here is why: the weak and small and slow are eliminated at the college level. But in many high schools small youngsters, who are very limited players, may face tremendous opponents that wouldn’t be admitted to college. These guys hitting the “canon fodder” can create catastrophe.
JR HIGH FOOTBALL DISPARITY— 125 lbs pre-puberty vs 250 pounder.
********** NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL 2023 ( 26 )
ON MARCH 23, 2023 BY ETHOMASPARHAMIN E. SPORTS COMMENTARYLEAVE A COMMENTEDIT
“Senor, Senor–can you tell me where we’re heading, Lincoln County or Armaggdeon ?” B. Dylan
—- “People get all caught up in the coaching and all that stuff. It’s Dudes ! You’ve got to have players, and these Dudes put in the work !” Kansas State Coach, Jerome Tang.
—Soon ? Concealed carry in the game?
—Coach Boeheim–on St. John’s hiring of Rick Pitino : “He has coached forty years. That is not a lot of trouble for that long.”
* I took my wife , a Canadien, to her first college basketball game. After the game she asked “ …is there a gym somewhere full of Black people watching white kids play.
***************
********CAN IT WORK ? (1960’S POSITION— ( ‘…you can’t legislate morality “” )
********* Oh yeah——-Ask these Women about
TITLE IX
2019 on Athletics in the USA
World Cup soccer competition began in 1930. The United States men have never won it. Soccer is more widely played world-wide than any sport.
Title IX was implemented in 1970. The World Cup for women began in 1991. Our women have won twice. No other country has a “Title IX”. Sports and sociology go hand in hand.
************ON PROXIMITY
Vans, buses, and planes with loads of college kids are dangerous enough. Add severe weather often experienced due north, to inexperienced, or young, or ambitious coaches and players, and a recipe for tragedy looms.
***********Ask Campbell University’s coaches, who just “came in from the cold!” They were in a league with teams in 11 different states! How is that a reasonable conference? Maybe it’s just me, but I loved the “southerness” of the Southern Conference. No need to fly anywhere. Believe me, with no TV revenue, and travel out the wazoo, these programs and people take big blows.
***********Radical idea?–Carolina, State, Duke, Wake Forest, Appalachian, and East Carolina all play each other? ps-UNC Charlotte will be ready soon. Western Carolina Univ. No flying required, football or women’s volleyball. Anybody.
******* Football has got to change the frequency of concussions. Or lawyers will break anyone who charges to see the game.
******** Women’s and girl’s soccer must create rules and training that drastically reduce anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injuries.
*********When annual college/university costs exceed $70,000 per year, what sense does a “liberal arts” degree make?
******** Every time an Incorrigible is recruited, selected, hired, etc., a good kid will be eliminated, or cut, or not given a chance. Same for coaches, administrators, owners, all the way up and down
********** ON DRUGS : If the top (pro sports) demands usage, the news will flow to the bottom (even children’s sports). Hopefully parents will guard their kids, but some have turned a blind eye or even encouraged the madness. Sanity is the only hope…
*********** “The mystery masked man was smart
He got himself a Tonto
‘Cause Tonto did the dirty work for free
But Tonto he was smarter
And one day said kemo sabe
Well, kiss my ass, I bought a boat
I’m going out to sea”
( IF I HAD A BOAT ) by Lyle Lovett )
ACKNOWLEDGING ( Some new friends, students , players, coaches, that taught me. Thanks.
I don’t remember any real relationship with Black persons until I began teaching and coaching in the fall of 1964. That year Henry Logan became the first Black basketball player in our North State Conference. As an assistant varsity basketball coach I helped recruit Clifton Earl Black and James Jones from nearby Pinetops, N.C. the next year. Below I have listed some who followed. Mostly students , I thought I was teaching THEM. First athletes were all American males. Then- young women, internationals of both genders, coaches and colleagues.
Atlantic Christian College changed the school name to Barton College (1959-63 as a student, 1964-1985 as faculty ).
NEW BULLDOGS AND FRIENDS: Cliff Black, James Jones, Richard Battle, George Bell, Rafael and Tyra Boyd, Kathy Wall, Shelia Keel, Annie Mae Wooten, Damien Carter, Sarah Leonard , Lorraine Riley, Speedy Ganor, Tony Barriteau, Elfateh Eltom, Sharhabil Humeida. Lorenzo Jones, Stan Lewter, William Bogues, Bobbie Edwards, James Leggett.
Elon ( !985-2004 ) John Bradsher, Tony Settles, Gino Mc Rea, Frank and Mae Haith, Richard Evans , Dwayne Clark, Derrick Moore, Chris Smith, Harry Burroughs, William Massenburg, Ann Lashley, Leo Barker, Grady Williams, Mike Howell, Larry McClain, Steve Ferguson, Arketa Banks. And my assistant coach Bryce Holmes. Helping administer Football was new to me, The football players at Elon really helped me.
RANDOM READING (NOTES )
Below are notes taken from books read recently. A rough collection.
YUVAL HARARI’’S BOOKS
HIGH LIGHTS
- Sapiens
- Homo Deus
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
In a nutshell #1 dealt with our past. 2. Our future, and 3. The Present
SAPIENS;
We are the deadliest species in the annals of biology
PAGE 4 SUMMARY
13.5 years ago—BIG BANG
Sapiens show up 70k, 70k ago neanderthals soon gone
Clue to Sapiens—gossip ability—led to communities, Law,religion,rules,communication.
Biology rules—hormones, genes, synapses
150 is ideal number for groups.
Page 360, parents in full retreat
From 1000 ad to 500 ad, not much happened.
500 million people in 1500 ad. 2014 there are 7 billion.
Happiness bulb born with, doesn’t change much.
Artificial Intelligence is the future. Not religion, God, Nature etc.
2—HOMO DEUS—a brief history of tomorrow
**deals with future. Mankind’s quest to upgrade humans to gods.
**mankind has almost and will conquer the three remaining super problems: famine, plague, and war. No need to work. Task—find
“happiness.
**artificial intelligence—where to go from here.
**homo sapiens may be more like Neanderthals the future homo deus.
**homo deus is where mankind is headed.
21 LESSONS for the 21st century
Protecting ourselves—war, ecology
What to do with fake news, terrorism
How to prepare our children for the future
“When has history been fair”?
Current problems: climate change, dying liberal democracy, a new world war? Fake news, technology goes wrong, immigration, the meaning of life today,.
Technology giving us the power to “reshape and reengineer humanity.
‘the reliance on the heart may prove to be the Achilles heel of liberal democracy.
Some folks are smarter than others. Listen to algorithms.
BxCxD=AHH! Biological knowledge multiplied by computing power multiplied by data = ability to hack humans c
***************
Some other good stuff:
THE BODY by Bill Bryson
*page 14 on skin color—sliver from cadaver, one millimeter thick from epidermis. That’s all
*memory: recall a deck of cards after 30 minutes. Oriental girl 17 seconds?
* teenagers in cars. Another teenager in car? Rate goes up 400x. page pp 63
* human brain shrunk size of tennis ball
* EXERCISE: 80% us men are overweight, 77% women. 35% are obese.
* FITBIT—tie to dog to up totals for job
* BIPEDS== YES BUT BACKS, KNEES. PELVIS—CHILDBIRTH.
*weight for women in 1960 was 144 to 166. Men 166 to 196.
* SITTING TO MUCH.
* I was your first wife!
* Asthma—good section pages 216-221. SMOKING FOLLOWS
* HICCUPS—one guy had them 67 years!
****************
OUTLIERS—The Story of Success/by Malcolm Gladwell
CANADIAN JR. HOCKEY ALL-STARS (born n Jan. Why? The outlier?
10,000 hours. Bill Gates and PC. BEATLES—Pretty bad. Hamburg strip clubs . HAD TO PLAY 8 HOURS. PRACTICE,.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING JEWISH. JOE FLOM AND HOSTILE TAKEOVERS. WHEN TIME CAME, TIME WAS IN.
–BORN IN DEPRESSION—TAKE NO CHANCES.
JEWS AND THE GARMENT INDUSTRY. 3RD GENERATION WERE LAWYERS AND DRS. THE CHILDREN OF THE BOOK.
A CULTURE OF HONOR. SOUTHERNERS CALLED ASSHOLE WILL FIGHT YOU.
KOREAN CO-PILOTS AND NYC AIRPORT CONTROL.LERS
NOT OUTLIERS AT ALL. They are products of history and community, opportunity and legacy. Their success is not exceptional or mysterious.
Due to advantages, inheritances, , luck, some earned,,come not, variables critical to making them who they are
*****************
MICHIO KAKU
HIGH POINT LECTURE WITH NIDO QUEBEIN—OUTSTANDING HOUR.
THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY
WILL FUTURE PIONEERS SEARCH SPACE FOR A NEW SAFE HOME AS THE AFRICANS DID, KNOWING THEIR GENERATION WOULD NOT BENEFIT, BUT OFFSPRING MAY?
—-NEAREST STAR TO US IS 4.2 LIGHT YEARS AWAY.
—-THREE WAVES OF SCIENCE MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, TECH.
—ADVANCED CIVILIZATIONS SEEM POSSIBLE
——-ADMIRAL ZENG OF CHINA, BOATS 5X TIME COLUMBUS. NEXT EMPEROR BANNED SCIENCE. LET TO POVERTY AND DOOMED ANY PROGRESS
—PRESERVING HUMANS BY FREEZING NOT A CRAZY IDEA?
—-ARE WE IN THE LAST GENERATION TO DIE— IMMORTALITY NEAR?
—-FARMER===EVERY CHILD MAKES YOU RICHER. CITY==EVERY CHILD MAKES YOU POORER!
SCHIZOPHENICS. EVERYONE TALKS TO SELF. NO LEFT BRAIN TO PREFRONTAL CORTEX—-VOICES SEEM REAL.—
CLIMATE CHANGE—SEE ADDENDUM YUVAL HARARI’’S BOOKS
*************
HIGH LIGHTS
- Sapiens
- Homo Deus
- 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
In a nutshell #1 dealt with our past. 2. Our future, and 3. The Present
SAPIENS;
We are the deadliest species in the annals of biology
PAGE 4 SUMMARY
13.5 years ago—BIG BANG
Sapiens show up 70k, 70k ago neanderthals soon gone
Clue to Sapiens—gossip abillity—led to communities, law,religion,rules,communication.
Biology rules—hormones, genes, synapses
150 is ideal number for groups.
Page 360, parents in full retreat
From 1000 ad to 500 ad, not much happened.
500 million people in 1500 ad. 2014 there are 7 billion.
Happiness bulb born with, doesn’t change much.
Artificial Intelligence is the future. Not religion, God, Nature etc.
2—HOMO DEUS—a brief history of tomorrow
**deals with future. Mankind’s quest to upgrade humans to gods.
**mankind has almost and will conquer the three remaining super problems: famine, plague, and war. No need to work. Task—find
“happiness.
**artificial intelligence—where to go from here.
**homo sapiens may be more like Neanderthals the future homo deus.
**homo deus is where mankind is headed.
21 LESSONS for the 21st century
Protecting ourselves—war, ecology
What to do with fake news, terrorism
How to prepare our children for the future
“When has history been fair”?
Current problems: climate change, dying liberal democracy, a new world war? Fake news, technology goes wrong, immigration, the meaning of life today,.
Technology giving us the power to “reshape and reengineer humanity.
‘the reliance on the heart may prove to be the Achilles heel of liberal democracy.
Some folks are smarter than others. Listen to algorithms.
BxCxD=AHH! Biological knowledge multiplied by computing power multiplied by data = ability to hack humans c
Page 2
Some other good stuff:
THE BODY by Bill Bryson
*page 14 on skin color—sliver from cadaver, one millimeter thick from epidermis. That’s all
*memory: recall a deck of cards after 30 minutes. Oriental girl 17 seconds?
* teenagers in cars. Another teenager in car? Rate goes up 400x. page pp 63
* human brain shrunk size of tennis ball
* EXERCISE: 80% us men are overweight, 77% women. 35% are obese.
* FITBIT—tie to dog to up totals for job
* BIPEDS== YES BUT BACKS, KNEES. PELVIS—CHILDBIRTH.
*weight for women in 1960 was 144 to 166. Men 166 to 196.
* SITTING TO MUCH.
* I was your first wife!
* Asthma—good section pages 216-221. SMOKING FOLLOWS
* HICCUPS—one guy had them 67 years!
*
OUTLIERS—The Story of Success/by Malcolm Gladwell
CANADIAN JR. HOCKEY ALL-STARS (born n Jan. Why? The outlier?
10,000 hours. Bill Gates and PC. BEATLES—Pretty badl Hamburg strip clubs . HAD TO PLLAY 8 HOURS. PRACTICE,.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING JEWISH. JOE FLOM AND HOSTILE TAKEOVERS. WHEN TIME CAME, TIME WAS IN.
–BORN IN DEPRESSION—TAKE NO CHANCES.
JEWS AND THE GARMENT INDUSTRY. 3RD GENERATION WERE LAWYERS AND DRS. THE CHILDREN OF THE BOOK.
A CULTURE OF HONOR. SOUTHERNERS CALLED ASSHOLE WILL FIGHT YOU.
KOREAN CO-PILOTS AND NYC AIRPORT CONTROL.LERS
NOT OUTLIERS AT ALL. They are products of history and community, opportunity and legacy. Their success is not exceptional or mysterious.
Due to advantages, inheritances, , luck, some earned,,come not, variables critical to making them who they are.
MICHIO KAKU
HIGH POINT LECTURE WITH NIDO QUEBEIN—OUTSTANDING HOUR.
THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY
WILL FUTURE PIONEERS SEARCH SPACE FOR A NEW SAFE HOME AS THE AFRICANS DID, KNOWING THEIR GENERATION WOULD NOT BENEFIT, BUT OFFSPRING MAY?
—-NEAREST STAR TO US IS 4.2 LIGHT YEARS AWAY.
—-THREE WAVES OF SCIENCE MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, TECH.
—ADVANCED CIVILIZATIONS SEEM POSSIBLE
——-ADMIRAL ZENG OF CHINA, BOATS 5X TIME COLUMBUS. NEXT EMPEROR BANNED SCIENCE. LET TO POVERTY AND DOOMED ANY PROGRESS
—PRESERVING HUMANS BY FREEZING NOT A CRAZY IDEA?
—-ARE WE IN THE LAST GENERATION TO DIE— IMMORTALITY NEAR?
—-FARMER===EVERY CHILD MAKES YOU RICHER. CITY==EVERY CHILD MAKES YOU POORER!
SCHIZOPHENICS. EVERYONE TALKS TO SELF. NO LEFT BRAIN TO PREFRONTAL CORTEX—-VOICES SEEM REAL.—
CLIMATE CHANGE—SEE ADDENDUM
*************
NEW BOOK-“RANGE” by David Epstein
TIGER WOODS VS ROGER FEDERER OR 10,000 HOURS (MALCOLM GLADWELL AND “OUTLIERS (TIGER), OR FED AND A DIVERSE BACKGROUND.
MERH CD’/ MERCEDES
AVERAGE AGE OF A FOUNDER IS 45
EVERYONE NEEDS HABITS OF MIND THAT ALLOW THEM TO DANCE ACROOS THE DISCIPLINES
NO TOOL IS OMNIPOTENT
TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE BROADLY REQUIRES BROAD KNOWLEDGE
OLYMPIANS AT 12-13 -RANGE
MUSICIANS —TRY AND CAN USE 3 OR MORE INSTRUMENTS
DAVE BRUBECK (TAKE FIVE) COULDN’T READ MUSIC
TO ACQIRE KNOWLEDGE SLOWLY HELPS YOU MAKE THE RIGHT MATCH
WINNERS NEVER QUIT (YET TO HONOR OR GOOD SENSE (W. CHURCHCHILL)
YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE RISKS
“SUNK COST FALLACY” CUT AND RUN, KNOW WHEN TO FOLD. DEAD HORSE.
IN GOD WE TRUST. ALL OTHERS BRING DATA. NO DATA—REASON
THE GAME IS THE BEST TEACHER
BREAKTHROUGH AND FALLACY LOOK A LOT ALIKE INITIALLY
“IT IS AN EXPERIMENT, AS ALL OF LIFE IS AN EXPERIMENT” OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES.
********
“The Biggest Bluff” by Maria Konnikova
Author Konnikova is a professional psychologist who selects professional poker as a place to examine self, skill, luck and life. Below are simply some conclusions she arrives at. P.S.—She hired Eric Seidel, world champion of poker, as her coach:
And the biggest bluff of all? That skill can ever be enough. That’s the hope that allows us to move forward in those moments when luck is most stacked against us, the useful delusion that lets us push o rather than give up. We don’t know, we can’t ever know, if we’ll manage or not. But we must convince ourselves that we can. That, in the end, our skill will be enough to carry the day. Because it has to be.
Admitting to unknowing, accepting a lack of agency without resorting to gimmicks, and instead attempting to analyze the unknown as best we can with the tools of rationality: those are some of the most powerful steps we can take.
Those afraid of the universe as it really is, those who wish to pretend to nonexistent knowledge and control and a Cosmos centered on human beings, will prefer superstition.
Nothing is all skill. Ever. I shy away from absolutes, but this one callout for my embrace. Because life is life, luck will always be a factor in anything we might do or undertake, but should chance go against us, all our skill can do is mitigate the damage.
I hope I can keep playing for a very, very long time. I don’t want to have to retire. This game is just too damn interesting. It’s such a beautiful game.
And it is. It really is.
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THE GOD DELUSION by Richard Dawkins
The religion of one age is the literary entertainment of the next.
Ralph Waldo Emerson.
If people wish to love a 7th century preacher more than their own families, that is up to them, but nobody else is obliged to take it seriously.
Behead those who say islam is a violent religion.
I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of conservatism.
We who love science must remember that the enemy of our enemies is our friend.
George W. Bush says God told him to invade Iraq ( a pity God didn’t vouchsafe the a revelation that there were no weapons of mass destruction.)
One of the truly bad effect of religion is that it teaches us that is a virtue to be satisfied with not understanding.
Politics has slain thousands, but religion has slain its tens of thousands.
Those who can make you believe in absurdities can also make you commit atrocities.
There is in every village a torch—the teacher
And an extinguisher—-the clergyman.“
That it will never come again
is what makes life so sweet.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
than are dreamt in your “philosophy”.
What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of humility. This is a genuinely religious feeling that has nothing to do with mysticism.
The idea of a personal god is quite alien to me and seems even naive. Einstein
Everybody gets absolutely frantic about it because you’re not allowed to say these things. Yet when you look at it rationally there is no reason why those ideas shouldn’t be as open to debate as any other, except that we have agreed somehow between us that they should’t be.
The priests of the different religious sects…..dread the advance of science as witches do the approach of daylight, and scowl on the fatal harbinger announcing the subdivision of the duperies on which they live. Thomas Jefferson
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SEPTEMBER 2021—BOOK COMMENTS CONTINUED
“Fields of Blood” (Religion and the History of Violence ) by Karen Armstrong.
At first this book seemed too deep. Indeed the detail and scholarship are thorough. Looking again I saw this as an excellent text for religion majors.
Atlantic Christian College , my alma mater, changed its name to Barton. I never knew much about the namesake (Barton Stone) but found these on page 274 of Fields of Blood:
“…Barton Stone railed against the aristocratic clergy who tried to force the erudite faith of Harvard on the people.
“Enlightenment philosophers had insisted that people must have the courage to throw off their dependence on authority, use their natural reason to discover the truth, and think for themselves.”
“When Stone founded his own denomination, he called it a ‘declaration of independence’: bringing modern ideals of democracy equality, freedom of speech, and independence … (to the populace).
Armstrong demonstrates again and again that the great spasms of cruelty and killing through history have had little or no religious overlay. In modern times Hitler, Stalin and Mao were all atheists, and the power behind the Holocaust, Armstrong says, was an ethnic rather than a religious hatred. An overemphasis on religion’s damage can blind people to the nonholy terrors that their states inflict. NYT REVIEW by James Fallows—2014)
…the main hope for peace is to keep faith and statecraft separate.
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****ENLIGHTENMENT NOW by Steven Pinker. Sub- title is spot on (the case for reason, science, humanism, and progress).
This was a “stumble on” that is very good.
Louie: CK “The foundations of capitalism are shattering…” REALLY?
“…maybe we need some time where we are wandering around with a donkey with pots clanging on the sides…”
Flight—-sat on runway 40 minutes.
??? miracle of human flight—-sitting in a chair in the sky—New York to California in 5 hours is slow? Used to take 30 years and many would die, with an arrow through your throat. They’d put your hat on a stick and bury you and keep walking!
Page 9 on what educated Englishman (1600) would believe…witches, werewolves, unicorns, base metal to gold, etc. century later he believes none of these.
Thomas Jefferson: light from me doesn’t diminish my flame. Instruction is the same way…
“Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory”
Chris Rock: “ this is the first society in history where the poor people are fat.”
“…global citizen is 125 times more likely to die in an accident…” than a terrorist attack. for Americans—3000 times!
“We have at our fingertips…all the works of genius prior to our time…” plus that of our time. Those before had neither,
Three main threats: Overpopulation, Resource Depletion, and Pollution.
NASA: Man is the lowest cost, 150 pound, non linear, all-purpose computer system, which can be mass produced by unskilled labor.
“…society advances funeral by funeral!”
God and reason: “…faith, revelation, scripture, authority, tradition, and subjective appeal are not arguments at all.”
Incompatible beliefs, how many gods?, different religions, different sources, which miracles?, what they demand.
human errors, factual errors, plagiarism, scientific absurdness.
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*****CHERRY PICKING OTHERS (lOVE AND THEFT—DYLAN)
FORGET THE ALAMO. This book contends much of “Alamo lore” is Alamo myth!
Real reason? Europeans were choosing cotton for clothing. This part of Texas was ideal for cotton farming—if you had slaves to do the work. Mexico was anti-slavery.
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AMERICAN HAPPINESS AND DISCONTENTS
the unruly torrent
(2008-2020) by George Will
CTE—1966- bear bryant’s heaviest player weight 223 lbs. 2011 NFL had 320 players weighing 300.
two bad features—violence and committee meetings (huddles)
…not the rules but the fiction that football can be fixed and still resemble the game fans relish.”
louisville brought pros and strippers to the bball dorm 22 times in 2 years. pitino—duh? yet hired by Iona.
“Drugs drain sport admirable excellence, which elevates as well as competitors.”
Wills cites vague “einstein” stanza from DESOLATION ROW. Final one clearer?
Yes, I received your letter yesterday, about the time the doorknob broke
When you asked me how I was doing, was that some kind of joke
All these people that you mention, yes, I know them, they’re quite lame
I had to rearrange their faces and give them all another name
Right now, I can’t read too good, don’t send me no more letters no
Not unless you mail them from Desolation Row
“Do not speak unless you can improve on silence.”
ON VIETNAM
Easier to muddle through than to admit you were wrong
Westmoreland ( “never had general so effectively willed away the facts”)
Famous photo? plain clothed Viet Cong who had just cut the throat of a South Vietnamese officer’s wife, six children, and the officer’s Mother.
NO WAR IS OVER UNTIL THE LAST VETERAN IS DEAD
Size of our universe
page 55 —ton of facts
If there were only 3 bees in America, the air would be more crowded with bees than space is with stars.
A dog was trained to emit a whimpering sound every time it heard the word HILARY.
“College: The best seven years of my life!”
there is something to be said for exposing yourself to ideas other than your own.
Will—Chernow’s GRANT is great history writing.
More dying by lifestyle increasing!
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ON EUTHANASIA—-Pages 354-355.
“I am doing everything I can to continue to live. No one should have the right to prolong my death.”
People spoke jauntily of “the conquest of space.” Well.
The universe, 99.9 (and at least fifty-eight other nines) percent of which is already outside Earth’s atmosphere, is expanding (into we know not what) at forty-six miles per second per mega parsec. (One megaparsec is approximately 3.26 million light years.) Astronomers are studying light that has taken perhaps 12 billion years to reach their instruments. This cooling cinder called Earth, spinning in the darkness at the back of beyond, is a minor speck of residue from the Big Bang, which lasted less than a billionth of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second 13.8 billion years ago. The estimated number of stars—they come and go— is 100 followed by twenty-two zeros. The visible universe (which is hardly all of it) contains more than 150 billion galaxies, each with billions of stars. But if there were only three bees in America, the air would be core crowded with bees than space is with stars. The distances, and the violently unheavenly conditions in “the heavens”, tell us that our devices will roam our immediate cosmic neighborhood, but in spite of Apollo 11’s still-darling achievement, we are not really going anywhere.
EUTHANASIA (PAGES 354-355
Cederquist says the most common reason for requesting assistance in dying is not “intolerable physical suffering”. Rather, it is “existential suffering”, including loss of meaning,” as from the ability to relate to others. The prospect of being “unable to interact” can be as intolerable as physical suffering, and cannot be alleviated by hospice or other palliative care.
In some countries, doctors actively administer lethal injections. No U.S. jurisdiction allows doctors to go beyond writing prescriptions for lede-ending drugs to be self administered orally by persons retaining decisional capacity.
Almost 30 percent of Medicare expenditures are for patients in the last six months of life, and about 16 percent of patients die in, or soon after leaving, intensive care units. Financial reasons should be decisive in setting end-of-life policy, but Cederquist notes that reducing “expensive and inappropriate care”— costly and agonizing resistance to imminent death “is the lowest-tech thing we can do in medicine.”Hence the importance of “slow medicine geriatrics,” avoiding a “rush to those interventions that build on each other”and thereby enmesh doctors and patients in ethical conundrums.The American Medical Association remains opposed to physician assistance in dying; the California Medical Association has moved from opposition to neutrality. Litigation has been unsuccessful in seeking judicial affirmation of a high that California’s legislature should establish. Legislation to do this has been authored by Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, chair of the Democratic caucus.
There are reasons for wariness. An illness’s sox-month trajectory can be uncertain. A right to die can become a felt obligation, particularly among bewildered persons tangled in the toils of medical technologies, or persons with meager family resources. And as a reason for ending life, mental suffering itself calls into question the existence of the requisite decisional competence.
Today’s culture of casual death (see Planned Parenthood videos )should deepen worries about a slippery slope from physician-assisted dying a further diminution of life’s sanctity. Life, however, is inevitably lived on multiple slippery slopes:Taxation could become confiscation, police could become instruments of oppression, public education could become indoctrination, etc. Everywhere and always, civilization depends on the drawing of intelligent distinctions.
Jennifer Glass, a Californian who died August 11, drew one. She said to her state legislators, “I’m doing everything I can to extend my life. No one should have the right to prolong my death”.
The Economist reports that in the seventeen years under Oregon’s pioneering 1997 law, just 1,327 people have received prescriptions for lethal medications—about seventy-four a year—and one third of those did not use them. Possessing the option was sufficient reassurance.
There is nobility is suffering bravely borne, but also in affirming at the end the distinctive human dignity of autonomous choice.Brittany Maynard, who chose to be with loved ones when she self-administered her lethal medications was asleep in five minutes and soon dead.
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Larry McMurtry on North Carolina’s Triangle Rraleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill ) area : “ This prosperous area is the homeland of the yuppie redneck, a Southerner with working class prejudices and upper-middle- class money.
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THE DAWN OF EVERYTHING (A new history of everything ) by David Graeber and David Wen grow )
This 2021, 600 plus page history of humanity was too much for me. Maybe a couple of excerpts will inspire more capable students:
THE DAWN OF EVERYTHING David Graeber and David Wengrow
Since the financial crash of 2008, and the upheavals that followed, the question of inequality –
and with it, the long-term history of inequality — have become major topics for debate. Something of a consensus has emerged among intellectuals and even, to some degree, the political classes that levels of social inequality have got out of hand, and that most of the world’s problems result, in one way or another, from an ever-widening gulf between the haves and have nots. Pointing this out is in itself a challenge to global power structures; at the same time, though, it frames the issue in a way that people who benefit from those structures can still find ultimately reassuring, since it implies no meaningful solution to the problem would ever be possible.
In developing the scientific means to know our own past, we have exposed the mythical substructure of our “social science” — what once appeared unassailable axioms, the stable points around which our self-knowledge is organized, are scattering like mice. What is the purpose of all this new knowledge, it not to reshape our conceptions of who we are and what we might yet become? If not, in other words, to rediscover the meaning of our third basic freedom,: the freedom to create new and different forms of social reality?
The “morning after” scene from ONE EYED JACKS:
Rio (Marlon Brando)——“… everything I told you last night was a lie! I rob banks for a living”.
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THIS IS ASSISTED DYING by Stefanie Green
This is a very kind book.
My Mother died at age 93. Near the end my sister and I were called in for a conference with her . She patiently listened while he detailed the reasons that it wouldn’t be long! When he finally finished he asked her if she had any questions?
She simply turned to my sister and me and with a wry smile quoted a country song—-“so long, its been good to know you”!
Over the years I have compiled many of the final words spoken by my patients and think this list makes a fitting end for this book. DR. GREEN
Thank you all for being here
I’m so ready
Take care of each other
Fire!
I did it my way
Goodbye, my sweet
Let’s get going already
I need this to happen
Thanks for your support
Here we go…..
Now, please
Take care of yourselves
I love you
Let ‘er rip!
Bless you
Thanks for the memories
My only regret was…(fell asleep)
I’m ready now
See ya, suckers!
I love you all
I’ll be watching you
See you on the other side
I’m so glad you’re here
Give it to me ….let’s go!
(looking at me) I love you
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BOOM TOWN by Garrison Keillor
Couple of comments on two Wobegon residents:
On VANITY—-One 75 year old prided himself in being able to put his new briefs on while standing. He got his big toe caught in the elastic waistband, tripped, and he cracked his skull on the bathtub. Moral: Old folks should sit down to put your underwear on!
First love, Arlene, is dying. She warns 1. Not to say “she passed”, or 2. Don’t call any service a “celebration of life”. `
Also Arlene. She confirmed that Reverend F. Houston Youngdahl did not acknowledge a superfart escapee, while performing last rites ( occurred when he bent over to pick up his dropped bible ). Conclusion: “When a man refuses to take ownership of his own farts, he loses moral authority”.
(FOREVER YOUNG?)
May you have eternal happiness
In the land you’re going to,
May everyone be loving
And always kind to you.
May you play a round of golf each day, and have a perfect score
May you live forevermore.
May you play Bingo every night
And always win the prize
And be reunited with your dog
And walk the golden shore.
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― Hannah Arendt, The Origins of TotalitarianismI
“The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction (i.e., the reality of experience) and the distinction between true and false (i.e., the standards of thought) no longer exist.”
THE DEATH OF TRUTH–by Steven Brill ( 2024 )
This is about “Fake News”.
” Over the last two decades these two sets of algorithms have powered an information environment that has—among too many people in too many places–extingushed the idea of truth and created unprecedented opportunity for conspiiracy theorists, hucksters, demagogues, and dictators who thrive on distrust and division. “
HOMEY ( 77 )
Bryce Holmes is professionally a chemist. He works now for North Carolina A&T University, but his heart is on a tennis court. Many small towns have special “tennis angels” who nurture youngsters in the game. Lexington, N.C. had some angels and the town was one of the best “tennis towns” anywhere. Bryce Holmes was the first black high school player at an integrated high school in North Carolina, and a good one. I answered Bryce’s phone call one day at Elon. He wanted to get into college coaching. Shortened story finds Bryce helping us at Elon. He and I talked incessantly and about all kinds of things. Bryce not only was a natural coach but was and is a friend.
But had his trepidations. A fine college tennis player at Livingston College, he was to be inducted into their Athletics Hall of Fame. Bryce had heard me speak a few times and wanted some advice. “What in the world do I talk about?” The cat was scared!
Not quickly sure what to advise Coach Holmes to speak about, the subject was dropped. Pretty soon the subject of playing on the high school team came up again. Bryce remembered during that period coming home after school and finding a rumpled paper bag on the porch. Opened he found tennis balls. All varieties of brands, colors, and ages, and wear. “My dad gathered some old balls,” Only Mr. Holmes denied the act. No one could tell where they came from. Next day, more similar balls. Only a neighbor has witnessed the donor this time.
“Jake left the balls!”
Jake Braddley was the garbage man. Everyone knew him. Quiet, limited in some ways. Certainly no tennis hero.
The neighbor said he asked Jake about his gifts. Jake said he had heard about that young man wanting to make the team and Jake wanted to help.
I advised Bryce then. “Tell that at the banquet. There won’t be a dry eye.”
Still coaching my buddy.
The Little Green Book of Tennis 