On Winning

George Steinbrenner died today. For many people who didn't know him (and I didn't) if you heard his name it conjured up images of an evil, power hungry man. But if you took the time to read his incredible obit, or listened to the things former and current players had to say about him, you'd come away with a far different image. George Steinbrenner was neither all the good or bad things people say about him. He was a man who put his all into achieving his dreams.

I am a Yankee fan. I grew up in the Bronx, in the shadow of Yankee Stadium. When I was a kid, the Yankees were a storied franchise. But they weren't winners... And then, while I was still quite young, Steinbrenner took over. He was like a breath of fresh air to our city. He was fiery, controversial. And five years later, the Yankees were on top again. Now, I know they say the man is guilty of buying his teams. But wouldn't you spend your own hard earned money on your dreams? Only if they are important enough to you. His dream was to make the Yankees winners again. It was important to him. He wanted to win. He didn't cheat. He didn't break the rules. and he NEVER denigrated his opponents. He spent his money on what was important to him--his family, his community, his charities and the Yankees.

I want to be be a winner in my life. I don't want to win at all costs. But like Steinbrenner, I want to win. I know my goals. I know what I want out of my life and my career. I plan to spend my time, and my money, achieving my goals; and the rest of my time will be spent loving my family and friends, and giving back. I want to live my life like George Steinbrenner.

What's wrong with putting your all into your dreams? If you ask me--nothing.

The Absentee Blogger

Hello. My name is E, and I am an absentee blogger

ALL: Hello, E.

I don't mean to be absent. I actually think about blogging a lot. Not all the time. Not like I once did, when blogging was new to me--but a lot. Sometimes I don't blog because I feel I just don't have anything to say. Other times I feel I'm too busy. And still other times I think: "I haven't blogged in so long. It would be embarrassing to blog now." And so I don't. And to make matters worse, I haven't even taken the time to read any of your blogs. Well.... I read one. But still, I don't know what any of you are up to. Shame. I'm sure there's lots of excitement out there, and I am not a part of it.

I haven't blogged since the NCAA basketball tournament, and even then I was blogging less. I am a true absentee blogger. But I am going to reform. I plan to start blogging again regularly. And I plan to start reading your blogs again, too. I miss it.

I hope some of you will check in from time-to-time. My life has been kind of crazy. I've been doing some TV things, some new book things, and lots of social things. Like today for instance, I went to the Writers Guild screening of Leonardo DiCaprio's new film, Inception. I liked it, but the mood in the theater was not good. Writer's Guild screenings are held for guild members who are mostly screen and TV writers. Screen and TV writers are very, VERY opinionated. Sometimes they even boo. Which is horrible behavior.

I'm sure many of the people in the theater thought they could have done a better job with the film. I'm not so judgemental. If you like Scifi, I think you'll like it. Nuff said.

I will blog again later this week. No more absenteeism for me. I have some really neat stuff happening in my life, and some not so neat stuff. I will blog about it all. Hope some of you will check in.

Peace

March Madness Update or Don't Quit Your Day Job

A few days ago I bragged here in this blog about the NCAA bracket I had filled out. I was in search of the perfect bracket. No losses. The second day of the tournament is now winding down, and all I can say is "E, don't quit your day job." Out of the 50 or so games that have been played so far I have 12 losses. That's around 25%. Not good. But at least West Virginia is still in the tournament. I picked them to win it all. And they still might. Any WV fans in the house?

Okay, Louisville is making a big run in the game against Cal. Time to get back to basketball. But I did do some writing today--so there!

Have any of you filled out brackets, or have favorite teams? How are you doing? And please, no flaunting that you're a better game picker than me. Thanks.

Where Have You Been?

That's the question many of my friends have been asking. "Where have you been, E?" I'd like to say I'd been too sick to write... or so busy touring or working that I haven't had the time. But none of these things are true. So where have I been?

Watching basketball. Watching basketball? I know, that's as bad as the dog ate my homework. How much time can it possibly take to watch basketball? Well, that depends on how much of a fanatic you are. Anyone who has been following me since last March knows I have one big vice--The NCAA basketball tournament, better known as March Madness. Selection Sunday is like Christmas for me. So in mid January I started watching college basketball, studying the teams, their styles of play, their weaknesses. I subscribed to ESPNU so I could watch the little known teams. This year I decided I was going to be a basketball expert, picking every winner of every game. No one has ever done that.

And what will this distinction get me? Nothing. Just the satisfaction of knowing I did it. The tournament starts tomorrow. I will post my daily victories here and humorous summation starting Friday. And for those of you who want the sleeper pick, the one that will make you lots of money. I picked West Virginia to win it all. And if I can figure out how to post my magical million dollar bracket, I will do that tomorrow after the tournament starts. This way I know I'm the only person in America with the BIG WINNER.

Anyway, that's where I've been. Oh... I have been writing, and reading. But mostly I've been watching basketball.

I Want You Back!

For those of you who didn't get to read my ebook novella, I Want You Back! it's now available on my website as a free download. There's also a neat comment contest going on. Every comment you leave on the website is an entry into the drawing.

I have 5 very cool I Want You Back! mugs as prizes. To download the novella or leave a comment Click here: E. Van Lowe

Happy Valentine's Day!

French Fries

Why do people love french fries so much?

Correction. Why do I love french fries so much--and pizza, and hot wings, and mac and cheese, and all the things that are so bad for me? Why can't I love lima beans, and brussel sprouts, and cabbage? Don't get me wrong. I'm a pretty healthy eater. I LOVE sauteed mushrooms, and broccoli, and salads. But you know what makes a salad great? Cheese. And guess what? Cheese is bad for you.

Why go to the trouble of inventing seven layer chocolate cake? Is it to torture us? Three layers is bad enough, why seven? I have to be honest, I have often wondered why EVERYTHING that tastes good is bad for you. Although it definitely makes identifying what is not healthy very easy. If you like it, it's not good for you. That sucks!

Usually I am very diligent about what I put into my body, but Super Bowl weekend has unleashed a sleeping giant appetite for unhealthy things, and I do not know what to do about it--except feed it.

Please, somebody write and tell me I'm not alone in this. And while you're at it, please, please tell me what foods taste great and are good for you. I'm not expecting ANY answers to that last question. But I can hope.