Well it is that time of year where many people decide to do the New Year resolutions, and then watch the year go by without any of them being accomplished.  While I have never been one to do the resolution thing per se, I have always used December to reflect on the business year I have had, and also throw in the personal stuff if I think  needs to be worked on(and it usually does)!  Also included is my sport athletic stuff that I have always had in my life, i.e. football, track, handball, marathon running, and now as I venture into the twilight of my life I am doing some different type of planning or goal setting.  From a triathlon standpoint my goal is to finish 10 sprint triathlons for a grand total of 391 lifetime finishes.  My ultimate goal is to finish 400 before my 80th birthday on December 16, 2018.  So, staying in good health and injury free is the order of the day!! From a business standpoint I am working on some new projects to expand the income possibility for the household, and to plan new activities within the existing multi-sport business.  My completely new venture will be created in the city of Lubbock and will be a complete sports and nutrition expo that will involved all sports related companies in Lubbock.  This has never been done before and initially the enthusiasm for it has been very good.  In the multi-sport business there is a proposal to add three more events to the established agenda.  In my book writing section of my life goals I have three outlines ready and hope to have those books ready for printing by the end of the year.  In all honesty I will confess that I have used the points made by the great author John Maxwell on planning for the new year.  He has sold over 24 million books and specializes in leadership “laws” of the universe and does it well.  Okay, let’s get moving and make 2017 the greatest year ever!

Movie Reviews:

“Why Him?”, **, Possibly this movie deserves a better rating but it didn’t to me.  While it had some potential, it really had too much bad language in it and could have been done much better.  This is a comedy love story and has its’ funny and good points to team up with the bad parts.  It is a Christmas time movie finding the overprotecting father and mother being invited to their daughter’s in California.  The father is played by Bryan Cranston and the daughter by Zoey Deutch.  When they arrive they are met with their unexpected nightmare being the daughter’s boyfriend, played by James Franco.  Even though he is a billionaire he has a free-wheeling attitude and salty language to go with it.  Then when the loving, over protective father learns that the billionaire plans on proposing, the story really gets hot!  Rated R:  Strong language and sexual material.

“Fences”, *****, This is my first five star of the year and is a very good movie, needless to say.  It stars Denzel Washington as a garbage collector in Pittsburgh during the 50’s!  Viola Davis plays his wife, while Mykelti Williamson plays his brother and Stephen Henderson his longtime friend.  This is like a one act play with no intermission, about the lives of  black Americans in Pittsburgh involving family, love, and one man’s misunderstanding, plus denial of age and lost dreams.  Great acting and for sure an award winner when the Oscar’s come around!!  Rated PG-13:  Thematic elements, language and some suggestive elements. 

“Collateral Beauty”,  *****,  This is another five star movie with a great story line and great acting.  Will Smith plays a successful New York advertising executive who suffers a great tragedy and retreats from his life.  While his concerned friends try to connect with him over his loss he makes it impossible to returned the friendship and care.  When he sends 3 letters addressed to Love, Time and Death, he receives unexpected responses and he begins to pull in the dynamics of what is happening around him.  It has a surprising positive ending!  Go see!  Rated PG-13:  Thematic elements and strong language. 

EA, SH.........:)!

greerman