Andy Serwer on corporate culture

Culture eats strategy for breakfast.

~ Peter Drucker

(as quoted by Andy Serwer, "A final dispatch from editor-in-chief Andy Serwer," Yahoo!Finance, December 31, 2022)

Barbara Walters on work ethic

Work harder than everybody.  You're not going to get it by whining, and you're not going to get it by shouting, and you're not going to get it by quitting.  You're going to get it by being there.

~ Barbara Walters, 1929-2022

Barbara Walters on genius

Every genius I have met could be classified as crazy by most people.  They possess the highest level of sanity that us people find difficult to understand and accept.

~ Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters on politics

Politics ... is the hottest, most dangerous subject in the land.  It's not only a conversation-wrecker, it's a friendship-wrecker, a family-wrecker, a job-wrecker, a future-wrecker.

~ Barbara Walters

Jacob Hornberger on the Russia-Ukraine War, corruption abroud, debt and loss of freedom at home

One of the unanswered questions is how much of the $100 billion in U.S. taxpayer money that U.S. officials have given to the Ukrainian government has been used to line the pockets of Ukrainian officials. After all, Ukraine is one of the most corrupt regimes in the world. There is no reason to believe that the Ukraine-Russia war has suddenly converted Ukrainian officials into honest and honorable government officials. 

Finally, there is something else to consider that is of critical importance. The federal government’s debt now exceeds $31 trillion. U.S. officials, led by President Biden, continue spending money like there was no tomorrow. That includes almost a trillion dollars being given to the Pentagon to keep us “safe” from the threats that it itself induces. Ever-increasing federal spending, debt, taxation, and monetary destruction constitutes a grave threat to the freedom and well-being of the American people. In pleading with Congress to give the Ukrainian government even more billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money, it’s too bad that President Zelensky gives short shrift to the continued destruction of our own freedom and well-being here at home.

~ Jacob Hornberger, "Ukraine's War with Russia Has Nothing to Do With Freedom," FFF.org, December 22, 2022

Pelé on success

Success is no accident.  It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. 

~ Pelé, 1940-2022

Patrick Boyle lists Victor Lustig's 10 commandments for conmen

So what were Victor Lustig's 10 commandments for conmen?  Maybe they'll help us to spot frauds.

1. Be a patient listener.
2. Never look bored.
3. Wait for the other person to reveal political opinions, then agree with them.
4. Let the other person reveal religious views and have the same ones.
5. Hint at sex talk, but don't follow it up unless the other person has a strong interest.
6. Never discuss illness, unless some special concern is shown.
7. Never pry into a person's personal circumstances (they'll tell you everything eventually).
8. Never boast - just let your importance be quietly obvious.
9. Never be untidy.
10. Never get drunk.

~ Patrick Boyle, "Why We Trust Fraudsters!," YouTube, 20:15 mark, December 9, 2022

(Victor Lustig was a con artist who sold the Eiffel Tower twice and scammed Al Capone.)