Man or Myth?

To start this post off correctly I have to thank Nate (see previous article's response) who actually gave me the idea for this article.

You see, Nate posted a response to one of my articles, and like thousands of others they "think" they know me and who I am - or more importantly what I stand for. Nate thought he (or she) knew me and asked me -

• "nate_public said...
  Hey, it's the cuecat dude! I just found this site. I can't believe you're actually blogging. And I REALLY can't believe you have kids, man, that sucks. What do they think about you? Do you tell them you're an award-winning visionary, an accomplished businessman, and a former "sex-master"? This is hilarious, seriously. I still think this is all just a slashdot prank. If it is, it's freaking funny."

Thus, the article topic "Man or Myth?" I find that most people either know me from my television program or my film work OR they know me from my Technology days and the vapid press flurry that ensued going from Wall Street Golden Boy Paper Billionaire to Technology Titanic. Either way, most THINK they know me. Here's how I look at it.

You can't chart new waters without making waves, and that's what I do - chart NEW waters.

My skill set is boldness, vision, massive creativity, guts, balls (big ones), determination and drive. So I am the guy who takes a vision and makes it happen. That's why we created and syndicated the 6th longest running episodic television program right here in Dallas WITHOUT the help of Hollywood and NYC. It took guts and tons of naive ignorance. But on the other hand, I admire people who can do what I can't...like those who take pleasure in serving people everyday, i.e., waitstaff. I could no more smile, run food and drinks back and forth and deal with all kinds of intolerant people. NOW THAT TAKES GUTS! I could never do that.

I can do what I do - build million dollar opportunites out of nothing, in my sleep. To me it's fun and not even working. But I could never serve people, run a restaurant, be a police officer (they do NOT get enough credit), work in the Texas heat on a Texas Highway or anything like that. The people that do that are the real myth's - "How and the hell can they put up with it?"" I salute, honor and have immense respect for what you do.

So yeah, you may read about me with Steven Speilberg or me having such a powerful meeting that the President of Coke said "He set my hair on fire!", but that's what I do. BUT most of all THAT IS NOT WHO I AM. I am a father first and foremost. Simple man, simple taste and very contrary to popular opinion and press - A VERY laidback guy (now). I am closer to the GOOD'Ol BOY fishing on the weekends (see attached article photo) than the Super Human - Fearless and Dangerous Myth that seems to be forever lurking over my shoulder or creeping up behind me all the time (see attached article photo).

I walk my son to and from school. When I have my son I don't do metings, dates, conferences or travel. I MUST have Starbucks every morning. Usually in bed by 9:00 p.m. Cook for myself and have no household help or nanny's for me or my son (yes, there was the period I had 5 full time household staff, but now I am REAL and not tying to be something I am not). I am one of over 160 Grand, Great Grand and Great Great Grand Children. I still say Yes Sir and Yes Mam. I won't walk into a friends or family members home without them opening the door first (It's a respect issue). I pull over -Highway or not- for a Funeral Procession passing by and turn my headlights on out of respect. I don't zip in and out of traffic. I don't speed. Two beers has me spinning. I'm still to shy to ask a beautiful woman out even when I have the urge (and I have missed many opportunites that way). When I am with someone and they take a cell phone call I leave the table or room so they can have some privacy. There is NO alcohol at ANY of my family functions. My Grandmother still ruled the house at 103 (God Bless her soul). I still tell my 73 year old dad I love him and kiss him when I see him. I journal daily and have for years. I pray many times A DAY. I attend Church, both Christian and Messianic Jewish Temple. I read a book a week on average.

In all, I am an VERY average guy who has and has had a BIG career. But the career is just that - a career- NOT who I am. I am simple and nothing special. The fact that I am one of the Top 3 "searched for" Internet inquiries in D/FW (see D Magazine) really freaks me out! Why am I news? Who cares about me being seen at a restaurant having lunch?

I am a normal guy - don't date around- party or such. Homebody. You would more likely catch me on a tractor in the field or with my son out, than at a Paris Vendome or Nakita's. But, one thing I have learned is Myth's are hard to kill. So to those who think they know the Myth -IF you see me out and about, come up introduce yourself and get to know the real guy. And to those who know the real me and have taken the time to get to discover and explore the real me- Thanks and I love ya for it!

Shoot To Kill? -vs.- Shoot To Wound?

For a period in my Executive life I was on a plane 200 plus days a year. Yep, if you sat in American Airlines seat 4A, you sat in my bed! In fact, I used to travel so much that in order to feel "normal" at dinner I had to sit in a recliner and be served with plastic utensils. So, when I say "I know about flying- I know about flying!"

Now I did MOST of my "stressed out" traveling during my CueCat days, so I also know about TRAVELING+ Being Stressed Out!. And, even though I have never "shot to kill" (unless you count my teen Bambi hunting days), I do know quite ALOT About "Shooting To Wound". The shooting to wound I know of well is what journalists, former employees and pot-shot takers do to me, when they all try to paint me as "CueCat Pitch Man" or the real "Scanner Darkly" (wonder if Keannu Reeves is playing my part?). All these posts and "real looking" news stories are done to "wound" me. So even though it's not a gunshot, I know about someone taking shots at me.

But, man... add up Airline+Post 9/11+Stressed Out Nut+Bomb Threat+New Air Marshals and that EQUALS a very combustible situation!

When on a flight - in uncertain times- your mind can play tricks on you. Let me explain.

In the early 90's I was on a flight from Atlanta to Washington DC. I am sitting in the third row of Delta First Class. So there is one row behind me and two rows in front of me. I happen to be reading Time Magazine about the on going war in the Middle East that George Sr. (President then) had the US engaged in. Reading about War and "potential terrorists" at that time had me a little freaked. Then it happened...

Just about that time a man, wearing very dark sunglasses and a long trench coat (even though it was not cold) boarded and sat in the First Class window seat just ahead of me. He was sweating profusely and sat down in a rush. I initially though he had just run the terminal to make the flight and was worn out. I felt his pain. Then he did something really strange.

He took out a small brown bag which seems to have a box inside of it. He placed it right on the floor underneath his seat and then placed his foot on it - almost in a tip-toe fashion. This began to worry me. Then he began to bite his nails, sweat even more and look out his window onto the tarmac (I could see his face between the back of his seat and his window). His actions really were beginning to stress me out.

Then all of a sudden, a hand was thrust in front of my face, and with a recognizable Southern Drawl, I heard "Shake my hand- I am going to be flying with you today". I looked up and to my amazement it was former President Jimmy Carter. Here we has, in the flesh, shaking my hand. His did the same all throughout the airplane (I was nothing special) and then he came back up front and sat down right behind me with a Secret Service Agent and then another Secret Service Agent sat next to me.

Then we began to taxi down the runway. I noticed the sweating man ahead of me, sweating even more and making sure his package did not slip or rattle about the cabin. I thought to myself "Great he's a mad-man, he has a bomb in that small wrapped brown paper package and he somehow KNEW President Carter was going to be on that plane with us today!" MY MIND WAS RACING!

Now I am thinking to myself, "How do I tell the Secret Service Agent beside me about this man in front of us - who was certainly up to no good- WITHOUT tipping my hand that I had discovered his plot - only to have him trip the bomb as soon as he heard me spill the beans to the Secret Service Agent?" I am sure you could relate to my situation. Just about the time I figured that I COULD tell the Government Agent about this fellows intentions, Mr. Sweaty picked up his package carefully and started to slide out the box as IF was full of Nitro ready to explode. NOW my heart was reaching and I almost blurted out what I was thinking, but my cool James Bond thinking kicked in and I kept it on the down low.

I slid to my right, turned to my left and was now almost square in my seat facing Mr. Secret Service. Ready to spill the beans AND dive across President Carter from over the seat as IF this would save him and for that matter me, from this obvious bomb on the plane. I figured I had to time it right. And with every beat of my heart Mr. Sweaty took another step to detonate his package. Thumb, He slide out a box of some sort. THUMP THUMP, he handles the box carefully and sets it on his tray table. THUMP THUMP THUMP, he starts to open it and set it off. My mouth starts to blab to the AGENT and then WHAM..... we hit turbulence, his package drops and his...... bottle of Jack Daniels goes spilling everywhere and he - Mr. Sweaty - scrambles to recover it and get some ingested before the carpet drinks it all down! I was so embarrassed I just wanted to put the Puke Bag over my head and hide!

Mr. Nervous, strange acting, take special care of the mysterious package, was only coveting his booze and eagerly waiting to be airborne to pull it out and take a swig. THANK GOD, I did not spill the beans and join the P.L.O.- P.W.W.C. T.- Presidential List of Potential Wackos With Conspiracy Theories.

Moral of the story? Air travel causes stress. Weird acting people cause stress. These terroristic times cause stress and when they collide they can add up to trouble. How does this relate to "Shoot To Kill" or "Kill To Wound"?

Well, IF Mr. Sweaty had really had a bomb, I know the only real option would be for Mr. Secret Service to Shoot To Kill - preferably a bullseye headshot, because shooting only to wound would of gave Mr. Sweaty time to find his package on the floor, get under the seat while we all scrambled to get him, and he SURELY could of detonated the bomb! Bye, Bye Plane, Jovan, Secret Service, Mr Sweaty and Mr. President.

So, given a REAL VERBAL BOMB threat and an uncontrollable passenger who would not cooperate - SHOOT TO KILL. The good of 250 other lives on the airplane out weight the one.

TO Mr. American Airlines Air Marshall, You made the right choice for your charge - the passengers of the flight. I pray for your strength as the world puts you on display and the media "Shoots to Wound You", but in the end it's just paper cuts!

God bless America and God Bless YOU!

Is One's WORD Worth Anything Anymore?

As a divorced father, one thing I work on with my young son is, "knowing that your word is everything and when you give someone your word it is a powerful bond and contract".

Now when my precious son has something to declare or share with me and it is critically important, he will sometimes enforce the fact "I give you my word". Especially when he is making a promise I know the intensity with which he makes the promise when he states "I give you my word". It makes me proud that my - 9 days a away from being 7 years old son - knows that living by ones' word is a powerful-powerful thing.

But on the other side of this coin, there is the nation and people- at large. One's word has become meaningless. People will regularly say something with no intent to back it up, make it happen or live to it. I have seen it in politicians, families, teachers, businessmen and sometimes professed Christians. Why do I add that last bit? Professed Christians? Because, I sometimes think that Christians believe they can make a promise, not keep it, and because they are "Christians" they have the right to NOT keep their word, and they can just ask for forgiveness later and all is supposed to be forgiven. This IS NOT what was intended. This IS NOT where the meaning even came from. Keeping one's word is BIBLICALLY based. God's DIVINE WORD BASED.

Giving ones word should be as powerful as putting one's hand on the bible. It's the whole reason in a court of law we put our hand on the bible and swear to give honest testimony...Our word!

In the days of old, one would be killed for NOT keeping their word. Nowadays, not keeping one's word is white-washed with "sorry I forgot", "I don't remember saying that" and other poor lies (I won't say they are excuses, because they are just lies), but since society no longer puts values on one's words, there is no punishment for not keeping ones words.

For me, my word is everything. A few years ago I was facing bankruptcy. I could of followed the norm and ditched my debts and whipped the proverbial slate clean, but...when sitting down with my banker that had my mortgage I told him "I am not going into bankruptcy no matter what...I give you my word". IT was hard, but I dug myself out. I KEPT my word, even thought there is whole legal system system set up to just dropped debts and say "sorry, I could not keep my word".

You see, from politicians to debts, our secular society has now embraced the idea that our words mean nothing and we do not have to keep them. I say, keep only friends, advisors and associates who KNOW the meaning and commitment of keeping one's word. Those are who you march in life with.

From there, teach your children the value of "giving and keeping one's words", and maybe, just maybe - "keeping one's word can make a comeback - one child at a time". WHAT DO YOU THINK?