An “Excellent” Grade on My Dec. 27 Post-Election Analysis 

“Excellent Mark! To sum it up, I believe that the public in general was fed up with being bullshit to. From the state of Biden’s mental acuity to all of the phony social ills that required fixing. As A. Lincoln said, ‘You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.’ I think the vote was a scream of ‘Enuf!’” – JM

“You were definitely right about the key issues. And right about the outcome. The Democrats spent most of their TV time and money advertising all the risks of a Trump re-election but provided very little detail about what they were going to do. That’s a cardinal sin in marketing. We still don’t know what their theory of ‘securing the border’ was. We don’t know how a $25K first homeowner down payment grant would reduce grocery prices. Lousy campaign.” – CA

“Very well done, Mark! And I rarely use ‘very.’ For me, I gave up on The New York Times and Washington Post, CNN, PBS, and NBC eight years ago. Not because I don’t trust them, but because I concluded they were irrelevant. They neither reflected nor changed the opinions of most Americans. That conclusion was reinforced by the last election. You well explain the reasons why they lost relevancy. Thank you for that.” – SL

“Does it seem like Big Corporations get on and off the ‘social’ bandwagon when the timing seems right? Do they ever give a damn about the cause? DEI and ESG were losers from the beginning. Are Big Corps stupid? I think not. Are they Greedy? For sure. Does owning Big Corporation Stocks make me a hypocrite? Maybe, yes…” – JS

 

From BG: Praise for My Books 

“I’ve been following your writing for years and I’m a huge fan! I’ve read at least a dozen of your books on business and investing, and – since I’m an aspiring copywriter – all of your books on advertising. I read Great Leads twice!”

 

A Grinchy Happy New Year from Regular Contributor AS 

“Certain things will happen this new year, and I can’t wait. The deluge of advertisements for gyms and health clubs will fill our TVs, and tax return savings from H&R Block are coming.

“Weather forecasters will tell us, ‘Unless it’s completely necessary, stay home today because a giant snowstorm is upon us,’ and then we will get pounded by a half-inch of snow.

“Ozempic and Wegovy are making up 10% of all pharmaceutical drugs being sold in the US. Due to the high cost of these drugs, the rich and famous will not only remain rich and famous but will also have great figures. The rest of us will continue to bounce from one failed diet craze to the next, join health clubs this new year but stop going by Feb. 10, and search for pants that are too small for our chubby bodies but stretch just enough for us to button them.

“The new year will be marked by dozens of awards shows. We will be filled with panic as we try to watch all the movies, streaming series, short films, and television shows that are up for awards BEFORE the awards are presented. There are rumors of a new awards show. That show will hand out awards to the participants of the awards shows themselves.

“The three celebrities who do not receive awards will be placated by the joy they feel from their recent weight loss.

“Republicans beware. Jan. 20, the Democrats are set to storm the Capitol, armed with pea shooters, wet gym towels, and the carboard inside rolls from Christmas wrapping paper. After which Congress will try to outlaw pea shooters, but the Jolly Green Giant lobby will be too powerful for that to happen.

“Happy New Year!”

The January review issue – the second issue of the month – with my critiques of books, movies, and streaming series that I’ve enjoyed and would like to recommend to you.

10 Good Thoughts to Help You Plan Your New Year

Ten quotes I collected this morning to share with my readers who like to think about and even set goals and plans for the new year…

Walter Scott on the gift of New Year’s Day: “Each age has deemed the new-born year the fittest time for festal cheer.”

Benjamin Franklin on how to make each year a better one: “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”

James Clear on choosing a better future: “If you do not actively choose a better way, then society, culture, and the general inertia of life will push you into a worse way. The default is distraction, not improvement.”

T.S. Eliott on what to change before you can change yourself: “For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice.”

President Harry Truman on sizing your planning: “You can always amend a big plan, but you can never expand a little one. I don’t believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we can’t possibly foresee now.”

Eleanor Roosevelt on the difference between wishing and planning: “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”

Gen. George S. Patton on planning for the new year: “A good plan violently executed right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week.”

Benjamin Disraeli on how to hedge your planning: “Be prepared for the worst, but hope for the best.”

JRR Tolkien’s take on Disraeli’s advice: “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near one.”

Michael Masterson on becoming one year older: “When looking at the mirrored image of your face today, don’t beat yourself up about how your skin has sagged and your hair gone gray. Rather imagine how much worse you’ll look next year and be grateful!”