I think Warren Buffett calls it something like winning the womb lottery. Being born in the right place, particularly, and also the right time.

No matter how much luck, I’d like to think neither Warren nor Bill suffers from a lot of “am I good enough” anxiety. But we mere mortals seems to suffer from it quite a lot.

On surviving the case: my Irish genes take me a little ways in that regard. And practice does make perfect. But mostly I’d be relying on that 80/20 rule… Make sure Kelly only has to survive 20% of it, lol, and get Friar a designated driver. After all, he’s got to survive my waxing lyrical about Barnett Newman.

If that doesn’t say it all…

~G

I had to take a trip to Wikipedia. I knew Trump’s father was in real estate, but I didn’t know Gates’ father was an attorney. Certainly neither of them were poverty-stricken, but it has got to be a bit different for their kids, lol.

(I don’t think private school necessarily means “rich” here in the States, though of course some are for the well-off…. I also went to private school up to a point. I love ‘em dearly and they’re rich in spirit, but my parents weren’t well-to-do. It was so we’d know all about [my family's favorite higher power] — and to keep us out of the local schools.)

Wondering about their kids came up because of (Trump’s daughter) Ivanka’s new book… a person of her age has usually got to be breakthrough-genius in their writing, and even then it’s not likely to be enough, as my Kid was saying, but I have a feeling that for her it was just a matter of waiting until she had something to say. There were probably a few publishers tripping over themselves to find someone to help her say it.

Ah, luck. Hope she’s got the goods to sustain it!

Later,

Kelly

~Graham

PS – If you’re planning to survive a case of Guinness, you’ll have to be both good AND lucky…

But obviously hard work wasn’t lost on them, and they weren’t afraid to take risks.

I wonder if they’ve passed this on to their children.
Brett Legree´s latest blog… 6 weeks 2 days.

…for THREE STINKING STRIPES.

Okay..getting in the car now, with a case of Guiness. (See you in 14 hours).
Friar´s latest blog… Hit-and-Miss Painting

He’s quite dead. He can handle the insult.

Meet me for the beer (make it a Guinness, and bring an Irish flag, k?) and I’ll wax on about Barnett Newman for an hour. Seriously. Don’t get me started on his heart-stopping amazingness. Bloody brilliant.

Later,

Kelly

I’m not insulting the artist. Hey, if he can convince people to pay millions for a design that any custom auto-body shop can come up with, hey great. More power to you…you’ve done your homework in marketing and selling yourself, you’ve earned it.

It’s the people who are willing to pay $1.8 million for it, that I have issues with. Especially when it comes out of my taxpayer’s money.

PS. How does one contemplate the “vastness” of three stripes?

Tell you what…I’ll hand a very large flag of France or Italy, and you can get the same effect.
Friar´s latest blog… Hit-and-Miss Painting

We agree. As I said there are plenty of folks who don’t make it who have what appear to be the raw talents they needed. I do think luck plays a part in success.

Knowing there are more folks who are “good” than just those who make it, doesn’t mean those who do make it are just lucky, though. Lucky, tough, and good, most of the time. And sure. Maybe even a bit shrewd. No harm in that!

I’m thinking the Tin Man didn’t do a heck of a lot for Jack Haley’s career, eh?—so maybe Ebsen’s the one who got the luck after all.

Later,

Kelly

P.S. LOL. You have accidentally insulted my favorite artist in the entire universe, Barnett Newman, whose every painting is (to me) touched by the hand of [insert your favorite higher power here]. I could sit in front of Voice of Fire or any other work of his for days and contemplate the vastness of it, and if that truck of Brett’s misses and wanders south of Philadelphia, the only self-indulgent thing I’d wish to do with the money would be to own just one of his paintings.

Someday you and I will have to sit down with a beer and duke this out!