I pity the fools

If you are reading on a smartphone, use landscape / hold phone sideways.

Are you on Clubhouse? Should I be on Clubhouse? Does Clubber Lang hang out on Clubhouse?

I grew up with the Rocky movies. My favorite (other than Rocky I) was Rocky III with Mr. T as Clubber Lang. Even though it was back in 1982 I can still hear James "Clubber" Lang quotes in my mind:

• "Dead meat!" - Clubber Lang to Rocky Balboa.
• "I want Balboa" - Clubber Lang.
• "No, I don't hate Balboa, but I pity the fool, and I will destroy any man who tries to take what I got!" - Clubber Lang.
• "Prediction?  Pain." - Clubber Lang.

I'm making the assumption that if you are reading this, you have already watched Rocky I, II and III. In Rocky III, the now rich and famous Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) triumphantly pummels a succession of boxing challengers until he encounters Clubber Lang (Mr. T). If you watch the opening montage of Rocky III, it becomes clear that while one fighter is enjoying the spoils of his success, the antagonist, Clubber Lang, has the Eye of the Tiger, and is working his ass off to dethrone Rocky. 

I guess my brain is hard-wired to associate "Clubhouse" with Clubber Lang. And guess what - now so is yours. You are welcome. 

As of this blog, I am NOT on Clubhouse. I really don't know what Clubhouse truly is, but people that I know are on Clubhouse. I am active on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I post pictures from time to time on Instagram. I think I activated a TikTok account many months ago. And I keep getting emails from Classmates, telling me that people I know from High School are looking for me. 

People. From. High. School. 

I am an Android guy, but I do have an iPad. It is my understanding that Clubhouse only works on Apple devices (for now). I am told that Clubhouse is a "social audio" platform that allows people to join "rooms" and listen in and sometimes participate in conversations about various topics (defined in the room's name). 

I am NOT on Clubhouse. Sounds like High School cafeteria to me. Sounds like people will experience clique type behavior, where the "cool kids" (and the cool kid wannabees) look down on the peasants. It sounds like, it feels like you are either one of the cool kids (moderators) or you will be struggling to be heard. 

I was wrong about Twitter. I was wrong about Skype (call me on a real phone). I started on Twitter back in around 2006, but never really used it. Today, Twitter is my "go to" platform. Should I be on Clubhouse? I am told not so much for marketing, but for networking, yes. 

OK, fine. Networking. But networking - with who? Do I really want to network with the great unwashed? Will they let anyone in this joint? 

And as life usually works, there are some people who are telling me "OMG! You need to get on Clubhouse!!!" But these are the same people who told me to get Google Glass, and Snap, and of course, TikTok. 

I asked my kids if I should be on Clubhouse. They had no opinion. 

That....does not bode well for Clubhouse. 

I live alone. I train alone. I'll win the title alone. ~ Clubber Lang

Trust Yourself. Find Your Passion. 

Who do you want to be? It's possible, and advisable in specific instances, to solicit the advice of others. But remember to develop a vision of what YOU want to become based on what makes YOU happy, regardless of the opinions and advice of others. 

Whether you are an athlete, a student, or a professional, to attain any degree of success, you need to have a vision of what you want to become. You have to decide what you want to be before seeking the path to success. Once you have a clear vision, you can assemble the steps to reach your goal. 

Having goals and a plan to reach them is paramount to achieving overall success, no matter how you define success. The plan is a critical component - the short-term goals along the passageway to reach the long-term goal. 

As of this blog, I am still NOT on Clubhouse. I live alone. I train alone. I'll win the title alone. ~ Clubber Lang. I don't think Clubber Lang would have been on Clubhouse. I have 17,000+ followers on LinkedIn, and add 10 to 20 every day. That feels better than random people in my random room. But hey, I'm not on Clubhouse, so maybe I'm wrong. Tell me: am I wrong? 

I am probably going to do a factory reset on my iPad and use it to go on Clubhouse. If I don't I'll feel like a hypocrite. So, I need to taste the food, if I'm going to be a food critic. 

But if Clubhouse, in anyway, is like High School, I'm not going to stick around. We all deserve the right to be heard. No one should ever feel discarded, left behind, no longer important, or never important to begin with. And all humans are working from the perspective of their own story. Their own journey. If the cool kids get to talk, and everyone else just gets to listen, I'll be soon kicked out of the Clubhouse club. 

I was wrong about Twitter, and Skype. I was not wrong about Classmates. Gee, I wonder if the founders of Classmates ever heard of this thing called Facebook? Ya know, the platform to connect with people... from High School? 

The Clubber Lang character was loosely based on a combination of Sonny Liston, Larry Holmes and George Foreman. Clubber Lang is not real - but the Rocky statue in Philadelphia is very real indeed. 

"OK, Google. How do I do a factory reset on my iPad?" 

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