Over-50

We Lived through Watergate, But What We Probably Didn't Analyze Back Then

Even Richard Nixon's most critical enemies had to admit he had been a brilliant political strategist.

The new chronicle of Watergate "King Richard" by Michael Dobbs captures him as dark force which knew how to unleash the politics of division.

That is, of course, the oldest of ways to control people. The serpent leveraged it to turn Eve against her Garden of Paradise landlord.

Such a mindset came naturally to Nixon. He saw the world through the lens of enemies and how to get revenge. 

It is interesting to remember that Roger Ailes, who invented Fox News, had been a political consultant for Nixon. The mission of Fox News seems to be polarization. As with Nixon, it sells well.

It's too much to hope that the majority of Americans would believe that they are being manipulated by those hammering conservative or liberal ideology. So, polarization will likely continue indefinitely. Even the catastrophe of COVID couldn't establish the recognition of common ground.

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Mariska Hargitay, 57, Second Mobility Accident in Short Time

"Actress Mariska Hargitay broke her ankle as she fell while leaving a screening of 'Black Widow' in the Hamptons. The 'Law & Order' legend was taken to Southampton Hospital on Friday after she tripped in the rain while leaving a star-studded Cinema Society screening of the new Marvel release." - Emily Smith, New York Post, July 5, 2021.

This is her second accident this year.

Last May she broke her knee. Since Hargitay is 57 years old, these two incidents could be a signal of a systemic health problem. 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Also guidance for pre-retirement. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

Baby Boomers, We're the Most Financially Solvent of All Generations

We did something right.

Only 40% of us baby boomers are living from paycheck to paycheck. That's what PYMNTS and Lending Tree found out, reports BusinessInsider. 

In contrast, 70% of Millennials are struggling with paycheck-to-paycheck living. And, overall, 54% of Americans are. 

We might not be in a bigger pickle because we picked up some frugality traits from our Great Depression era parents.

Mine only purchased what they could pay cash for. And even then they considered that purchase long and hard before going forward. We were not early adopters in the neighborhood for that new medium of television. 

I got through college without any loans. 

Along the way I did loop into some bad-spending habits. However, when they caught up with me I knew exactly how to circle back to frugal living. Soon enough I was out of debt.

You bet, I paid cash for my Smart Car. I made the decision to buy that Smart Car not because it was cute but because it was the only one I could afford, given what was in my savings accounts. 

To finance my cross-country relocation to Sierra Vista, Arizona - without going into savings again - I pawned jewelry. Fortunately, the market for gold was strong. 

Unlike us, Millennials had no template for extreme frugality. For example, taking on big loans for the bachelor and advanced degrees was the only way they knew how to do things. Also, credit cards have been necessary for them to create a credit rating. We had no concept of that until we were mature enough to manage access to money we hadn't earned. 

Growing up, we might have considered our parents broken. Yes, they had been so damaged by The Great Depression. But, we learned the benefits of frugality. Never did my parents seem to lose a night's sleep over money.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

We Baby Boomers Are Not the Only Nostalgia-Driven Generation

"A new series of the beloved Nickelodeon preteen show iCarly is one of many retreads stuck in an eerie ongoing adolescence [for Millennials]." - Adrian Horton, The Guardian, June 23, 2021.

Yes, Millennials, just like baby boomers, are circling back to the comforts of their childhood - or as they remember them. 

For us, it's mostly been the music of our youth. It's almost as if we are stuck in the British invasion: The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Elton John. Listening to them over and over again gives us that same feeling of safety that we had when society still treated us as "children." Back then we had no inclination life would be so difficult - and, at times, disappointing. 

Some Millennials are already 40. So they have endured enough of life to need a memory to hang on to, like a stuffed animal. 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

We Want Olivia to Get Married - After All, After All Our Years with "Law & Order: SVU" She's Family

Tonight, in the season's finale of "Law & Order: SVU," Olivia stands alone and watches the lovers.

The setting is what was supposed to be the wedding ceremony and reception for Fin and Phoebe. Instead, they opted to not get married and just have the folks party. 

Fin and Phoebe are glorious in their decision.

Amanda and Carisi kiss on the lips.

As Olivia observes all of this, who should come along? Trusty Elliot Stabler. He helps her with her coat. Is there a chance they will pivot from warm professonalism to romance? And, yesyesyes, marriage. 

We want Olivia to get married. If not to Elliot, then someone else. There's no question she is rearing Noah well. However, who's home for her? We want a husband there to love and protect Olivia. 

Can it happen next season on "Law & Order: SVU?" 

My vote is for Elliott.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

It's Now Time for Romance (with a middle-age twist) - "Law and Order: Organized Crime"

In a sense crime-stopper Elliot Stabler is the most eligible bachelor in Manhattan.

After his big victory arresting international crime thug Richard Wheatley, he has an aura about him. He has been able to shake off the earlier image of himself on "Law & Order: Organized Crime" as an unstable hot head.

Also he has had time to recover from the bombing death of his wife.

The heart is configured as an entity longing for companionship. 

It's time for romance.

The question is whom will Elliot pursue.

Right now there is strong chemistry between him and the former wife of Wheatley - Angela. But there might be too much of a backstory to it. After all, she indirectly ordered the hit on his wife. In addition, Angela might be preoccupied with the reality that her two children have been arrested. She is a mother first. She got into the loop about offing Elliot's wife because she assumed he was responsible for the death of her son from another marriage. 

Another romantic option could be, now that they are in different departments, he and his former partner Oliva Benson. There have been cross-over events on Thursday night which paired the two in both personal and professional contexts. 

Or, producer Dick Wolf could introduce a new character to the series. It needs one since undercover detective Gina Cappelletti had been murdered by Wheatley's son Richard. She has been such a strong presence. Her brand of sexuality had been unique.  And, yes, she is really dead. Law enforcement found her body in last week's episode. 

The new series has been renewed for a second year.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

How Far Will Sergeant Hank Voight Be Allowed to Cross the Line - "Chicago PD"

A stunner of an episode last night on "Chicago PD."

Detective Kim Burgess, played by Marina Squerciati, is abducted. Some of those in her unit go crazy with fear and deep caring. They want to do this wild (illegal) thing, they want to do that. Others, as seasoned in law enforcement, counsel that all have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

Predictably, Sergeant Hank Voight, played by Jason Beghe, goes his own way on this one. That allows amps up the tension in the episode. 

In a warehouse-type structure, the back door which he bolts, he roughs up someone who might have information. Just about when that someone's face is hambuger Detective Hailey Upton, played by Tracy Spiridakos, enters the scene - uninvited and certainly not wanted.

Hailey begs Voight to stop. She pleads: Do the right thing and bring the guy in for arrest. Yeah, sure, with his face in that condition. She indicates the they can "make up a story."

For some reason the audience will never understand, Voight caves. As he is uncuffing the source of information the thug grabs for his gun. He is ready to shoot Voight. Hailey fires back, killing the man.

Although it is a a good shoot, the condition of the man will raise a pile-on of issues with the smug folks in the Chicago Police Department who investigate those kinds of incidences. There's no getting around the mashed-up face.

Voight tells Hailey to go home. He will take care of things. 

He sure does. He burns the body.

At home, Hailey is not at-home. A glazed look on her face, she tells her boyfriend they should get married. Is she opening the door to nowhere-but-trouble?

Will Voight get caught? 

Meanwhile near-death Kim has been found. She will likely make it. Her fellow detective takes care of her adopted daughter. 

The feeling at the end of the episode is that the unit may have entered a new period of internal crisis.

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Post-COVID Touchpoints - The Old Neighborhood (ones we lived in, ones we wished we lived in)

Recent ratings for "SNL" have plunged 27% to 3.5 million viewers, reports Showbiz411.

For dark crime comedy "Good Girls," the ratings, never good, have hit a recent low of 1.4 million, down from 1.679 million back in March.

Meanwhile, for Dick Wolf's "Chicago PD," the most recent recorded ratings increased to 5.8 million viewers from the week before. The series has been renewed through 2023.

What could be going on?

Once good-spirited "SNL" has drifted into mean-spirited, with a side dish of bad taste. For instance its take-down of anti-Trump crusader Liz Cheney wasn't funny. One line the writers had her spit out had been "I opposed gay marriage even though my sister is a lez." Oh, and yeah, remember when it had been hosted by Elon Musk. He was unable to produce any of those unifying moments humor serves to create. Those who laugh together ... 

"Good Girls" lost its audience when gift-shop employee Lucy was murdered by the gangbangers, for no reason. She had been a sweet oddball with an equally sweet oddball boyfriend and a chirpy bird. In desperation, as in the final season of "Desperate Housewives," writers keep foisting on audiences convoluted plot lines and introducing more and more new characters.

So, audiences are voting with their remotes - not clicking on those programs. And that trend signals Post-COVID values. 

Professional services firm Deloitte has been among those researching those shifts. In its study "COVID-19 Induced Business Trends: Preparing for the New Normal," Deloitte documents how the pandemic has created new human touchpoints. Actually they represent a circling back to the past. Post-COVID, we as a society are closer together, despite the political overlay of polarization. There is reaching back to old-fashioned values such as neighbor helping neighbor. The extension of that is the expectation that the businesses will also be part of those values - both in terms of the corporate identity brand and their services and products. 

Unlike "SNL" and "Good Girls," "Chicago PD" nurtures character development and plot lines which resonate with old-line social values. They range from caring deeply about other people to not judging too harshly, that is, forgiving imperfections. The genius of that, though, is that the star Hank Voight, portrayed by Jason Beghe, embodies a complex and fluid version of "doing the right thing." To sum up the ethos of the series: The Chicago Voight and his officers operate in mirrors much of the Old Neighborhood. Some of us have lived in one of those. Others have fantasies about how comforting it would be to be part of that ethos. 

The implications for the entertainment industry are profound. We want it to give us good human beings. But, it's okay if they are flawed like Voight.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

William and Harry, Kevin and Randall, Jane Genova and Anne Murga-Ring

The Queen has ordered that Princes William and Harry be separated behind Prince Philip's coffin. Therefore, it doesn't seem like the two brothers have made much progress in resolving the conflicts which have divided them. 

And there is hardly enough research on sibling rivalry to help those who want to help the brothers patch things up. "Dateline" should make it a mission to scout up stories about sibling-based crimes. All that deconstruction of the-husband-did-it has gotten old. And James Patterson owes us a mystery on sibling-on-sibling wrongdoing.

This week on "This Is Us," brothers Kevin and Randall did verbal combat. An added dimension to the shadow over their relationship is race. Kevin is white. Randall, who was adopted, is black. By the end of the episode, some of the tension had been defused. But it's doubtful the two will become close again.

I'm equally pessimisstic about the 18-year fissure with the last of my family members: my sister Anne Murga-Ring. Our last conversation had been November 2003. And the last update I had about her was several months ago through her former husband Victor Murga.

I never met her current husband Scott Ring. That's sad. He had been the publisher of the Jersey Journal, the platform for news in Anne's and my hometown Jersey City, New Jersey. My childhood fantasy had been to write for that newspaper. Instead I went the way of Don Draper on "Mad Men" and looped into marketing communications. 

It's unfortunate that many therapists don't focus on our siblings. The backgrounding is usually done based on parents. However, most of our growing-up is through interactions with those siblings. After parents die, siblings represent the only vestige of what we traditionally consider "family."

With so much social change disrupting American life, our whole notion of family could become undone. Siblings could be acknowledged as a potentially dark force.

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)

 

Learning from a Young Man - The David Muir School for Extreme Success

In a press release, the folks at ABC crow about how the "World News Tonight" is trampling its counterparts. That's by 1.7 million viewers at NBC and 3.7 million at CBS.

But regular viewers of network television news already had sized up the situation. The on-air anchor David Muir dominates that space the same way that Walter Cronkite had. Only differently.

Unlike Our Father Walter, Muir is the young man next door - good-looking, articulate, confident, engaging and with all the right values. About the latter, Muir throws himself into the segment on "America Strong."

Essentially that is the David Muir brand. It's field force he creates. Yes, it's what we tune in for since the content of the newscasts at all networks is more or less the same. Currently it's focused on COVID, the stimulus bill, unrest around the world, Andrew Cuomo and less and less Donald Trump.

For the competition, there isn't enough of a brand identity.

So, what should you learn from this? Here are the 4 must takeaways:

• You are your brand. Every aspect of you, from your hairstyle to your pace of talking, sends a brand message. If you don't shape what that message should be, others will. And likely in ways that undercut your career.

 

• Engage. Soft skills or emotional intelligence (EI) were always important. That's why the "C" students wind up the bosses of the "A" students. While the "A" students were booking it, the "C" students were developing their ability to connect - and influence. In these upside-down times EI has become a necessary prerequisite for professional effectiveness. At both Deloitte U.K. and KPMG U.K. there had been executive falls from grace because of accusations about bullying. The work environments there were labeled "toxic."

 

• Be generous in spirit. Giving a little goes a long way. Giving more can create a brandname with a pull force. Example of that? At law firm Paul Weiss the chairperson Brad Karp parachuted in at the beginning of COVID-19. He rounded up help from myriad other law firms to create the unique Coronavirus Relief Center. For 2020, Paul Weiss had double-digit growth in revenue. Doing good can be the platform for doing well. 

 

• Let the sun shine in. In the tough business-travel industry, American Express' Evan Konweiser told Bloomberg that it will be the sunny destinations which will get professionals out of their WFHs and offices again. The doom-and-gloom mindset is no longer cool. Hey, the world seems to be surviving COVID-19. Incidentally, part of the sunny is an attitude of gratitude. Instead of falling apart because you didn't get the promotion, be grateful you have options.

For Muir and for all professionals, the brand is the power tool. Through it, you get things done and prevent what you don't want done from happening. 

 

Power branding is entrenched in the history of the human race. From the get-go in "Genesis" in the Old Testament of the Bible, the entity diverse nations will call "God" sends simple clear messaging about his/her/its identity. Those who don't acclimate themselves to that suffer severe consequences. 

 

Small changes can trigger big success in your career and your business communications. Swing by for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com)