Grapefruit Getaway

Baseball's "Spring Break" on a Shoestring Sports travel is quickly becoming a booming industry that attracts fans who want to combine vacation fun with the experience of being with their favorite team away from home. According to the Travel Industry Association of America, 75.3 million U.S. adults attended an organized sports event while on a trip or vacation during the past five years. Of these fans, 33.7 million traveled to a baseball-related venue.

During the months of February and March, 15 major league baseball teams head to Florida to train. Grapefruit League games permit fans greater access to the players than during the regular season. For the casual fan, going to Spring Training is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. As an avid baseball fan, I have taken the trip to "Meet the Mets" in Port St. Lucie, Florida twice. Regardless of which Florida coast you travel to, no less than three teams have training camps within a two-hour ride of most destinations. In today's economy, it is especially important to keep expenses to a minimum. The dream of going to Spring Training is not expensive if you schedule and plan the trip yourself.

Making your Plans As soon as the ball drops on New Year's Eve, it is time to start planning your Spring getaway. Looking out of my window at the freshly fallen snow, I remember the words of the baseball immortal, Rogers Hornsby: "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do, I stare out the window and wait for spring." Whatever your team did the previous season, even if they finished dead-last, Spring Training holds the promise of once again starting afresh. Every team starts with a clean record, and the true baseball fan is free to dream of a potential pennant and world championship.

The first thing to do is to nail down the dates you plan to go. Basically, a three night Florida stay will assure the opportunity of seeing one or two exhibition games during your visit. Most major league teams post the Grapefruit League schedule on their web site by the first of January. If you are an avid fan of the team, it is a must to visit their home facilities and attend at least one home game. Purchasing game tickets via the team's web site is ideal, and good seats in the stands behind home plate can cost as little as $10. When you get the dates, it will be easy to proceed with both your travel and lodging plans.

As a diehard Mets fan, it's easier for me to fly down and rent a car. Traveling from Northern New Jersey via Newark Liberty Airport, there are many direct flights to West Palm Beach, Florida, which is less than 50 miles from the Port St. Lucie area. During March 2016, flying out of Newark, NJ on a Tuesday morning and returning on Friday afternoon will cost only $260/person roundtrip on United. Renting a car at the airport is fast, and will put you on the road to Port St. Lucie in less than an hour. At Alamo, a three-day car rental will usually cost less than $50/day for an economy vehicle, as long as you get the car back to the airport within 72 hours.

If you are traveling with your family, it's even more economical. Most prepackaged tours that are offered on the internet tend to be pricey, as they reserve accomodations at high-end hotels close to a team's training facility and charge per person. By finding budget accomodations in a nearby town, it is possible to find lodging at a fraction of the cost. For example, I stay at a Days Inn located in Fort Pierce, which is only a 15 minute drive from Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie. For only $79 per night/room, you get an excellent outdoor pool and continental breakfast included. There are also plenty of great low-cost restaurants on the way to or from the ballpark, as well as lots of recreational sites along the Atlantic coastal waterways.

Soaking in the Fun Part of the benefit of Spring Training is that you can enjoy the glorious Florida weather; after all, it is the Sunshine State. Shedding winter coats and donning your team's jersey and cap while wearing summer shorts and other light clothing is liberating. For a few days, you can relax and luxuriate in the warmer climes of Florida. Dive into your hotel's pool and get that killer tan to show off to your northern neighbors on your return. After spending an evening at liberty, a morning trip to your team's facility is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go behind the scenes to see how the team trains. Plan on getting there at least four hours before the start of the exhibition game, so you can tour all of the practice fields and watch all levels of ballplayers, from the youngest prospects right up to the familiar faces of major leaguers. Practices occur all morning, and you can get up close and personal with players who aspire to either the major league team, or perhaps one of the minor league franchises. Between drills, it is possible to obtain autographs, especially from the rookies!

About 90 minutes before the game, it's time to enter the ballpark and find your seats. This is when the major leaguers have their batting and fielding practice, and it is also possible to get close to the field and snag an autograph from your favorite players and even have a short chat. Part of the fun of Spring Training is that security is less stringent than during the season and players are much more accessible. Shutterbugs are also able to take pictures with the players. Youngsters will treasure such a photo for the rest of their life, as well as oldsters who are able to see our national pastime through the eyes of children.

After the game, plan on staying in Port St. Lucie and eating at a local eatery. Mets players have been known to frequent Duffy's Sports Grill, for example. Player sightings are numerous, especially long after dark.

Play Ball!

Alfred Voto, M.Msc.

We Belong to the Universe!

Everyone who knows me understands my fascination with Mars exploration. After leaving Verisk Analytics, I applied to the Mars One project and became active in supporting the colonization of the red planet. Elon Musk and SpaceX have been pivital in bringing this possibility to the fore.

Meg and I saw "The Martian" yesterday and were drawn into the web of excitement created by Ridley Scott. The movie brought me back to my youth when I devoured every science fiction book in my public library. Now, my sci-fi dreams have become a possibility!

I am probably too old to see Mars colonization in this lifetime, but I urge younger Mars enthusiasts to lend their creativity and vision to the Mars One project. Like I said back on a September FB post, we all belong to the Universe! The possibilities are unlimited!

Blessings!  Alfred

Karma Yoga and the Quest for Individuality

 

Identifying the Ego 

One of the greatest blocks to our connection with divine inspiration is the placing of the Ego as Lord and Master in our life. Society, and indeed our American culture, teaches us that great innovators, artists and musicians had the drive to create masterpieces through intellect. Sure, inspiration was always a part, but Americans have always admired those who are independent self-starters and are "self-made" successes. For example, we were taught in school that Thomas Edison worked tirelessly and had the drive to sleep only four hours each night on his way to researching and developing electronic wonders. Henry Ford, a great friend and confidante of Edison's, earned his place in the pantheon of American commerce with his own contributions and business savvy. It was Ford who said, "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right!" It seemed that great honor was given those who could do miracles, seemingly independent of the help of others.

When I was younger, I read with great interest the biographies of the great masters, trying to glean insights on how to make myself like them. I was taught that success was achieved only through struggle and hard work. This was instilled in me by my parents' generation, partly due to their having survived the Great Depression of the 1930s. I carried this mentality well into the second decade of my personal work life, often burning the midnight oil in order to achieve higher and higher notoriety as a "hard worker". Success did come into my life, but it was cut short by the recession of the 1980s. I retooled myself, going back to college to get my English degree, and got back on my horse and forged ahead using the same Egocentric mentality of hard work, deprivation and sacrifice. I became part of an unhealthy mechanism that demanded an increasingly greater share of my time and energy.

I knew deep within myself that this pattern had to change. There seemed to be no inspiration other than the overpowering dictates of my Ego to continue the struggle for ever greater honors and promotions. My Ego was in control of my life and there was no joy or logic to the long hours and single-minded obsession to prove my worth. My family life suffered and finally ended, as I often worked seven days a week in my struggle for identity. Finally, there was a breakthrough, as I had to admit that my life had no meaning other than working non-stop to succeed. One day, as I was in my local bookstore, I had an epiphany. The store had recently changed the locations of the various sections of books and instead of heading for my usual Business topics, I found myself in the "Spirituality" section. The still, small voice inside my head told me to "stop and look around". I glanced at the traditional "Power of Positive Thinking", the books of Robert Schuller, the works of the great mystics, before finally reading the dust cover of the "Bhagavad Gita, As It Is" written by Swami Prabhupada.

I was brought up a Christian and was exposed to the foundational works to be found in that religious discipline. But, after reading the Bhagavad Gita, I discovered the lessons of Krishna,

which were compatible with those of Jesus and the great mystics throughout history. I read the Gita in a relatively short period of time, and was motivated to read other seminal works by authors from all traditions. Another great breakthrough was my discovery of the bestselling work of Marianne Williamson in "A Return to Love", which made me identify the ruinous work of the Ego in our life. I was finally on the road to spiritual recovery!

Bypassing the Ego 

 I guess you could say that my present vocation began when I finished reading the works mentioned previously, as well as the foundational works of other authors. Joseph Campbell's interviews with Bill Moyers, combined into the series "The Power of Myth", gave me practical insights into the archetypes I read about in the works of Carl Jung. As I became more aware of the destructive power of the Ego, I also discovered that I could retake control of my life and find meaning beyond my expectations. The spiritual teachings included in the Bhagavad Gita describe the six branches of Yoga. It seemed that my best intelligence and logic, under the control of the Ego, was misguided. Instead of asking for divine guidance, as even Jesus had taught, I was relying on my own intelligence and eschewing outside inspiration. Because I had spent so much of my time and labor existing in what Krishna consciousness calls the life of the "conditioned soul", it made me think that I simply had to struggle and work harder for success.

A major breakthrough occurred when I discovered Karma Yoga, and realized that I had to make a discipline of bypassing the Ego. When the Ego is in control, there can be no freedom in your life. The limited power provided by the Ego will sometimes work, but, as Jesus said, "What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose one's soul". The "conditioned soul" will cry foul when we try and suppress the Ego, because the Ego is the only master it has known. The Ego tries its best to convince us that we are nothing without its influence. The soul is fearful of losing itself and the effort to break this habit is difficult in the beginning, when we think we are alone in the world and without any outside help. Through constant practice of Karma Yoga, we give all credit and honor, not to the Ego, but to our higher power, God. The main thing is to be faithful to the practice and use meditation as a means to reconnect with universal intelligence. This is a reconnection, because we were originally created and sent into the world with a spiritual connection to divine intelligence. We have forgotten this connection and so think we are separate from the source of creation.

By giving all credit for our work (either success or failure) to God, we don't take ownership of the results of our labors. If we become, as Jesus said, "reborn again, as a little child", we put all of our faith in the guidance and inspiration of divine intelligence. We become, as Mother Teresa said, "vessels of God's unlimited power"; always remembering that it is not our own power that is at work, but it is only after we connect with divine intelligence that we perform miracles. All of the great world spiritual traditions teach the practice of Karma Yoga. It is up to the individual to have the discipline to reconnect with this universal intelligence and energy.

We are sent into the world with our own unique talents. There is no person in existence that has the same exact talents to offer the world. The Ego wants to control these talents and claim them for its own. The practice of Karma Yoga and Meditation will liberate us from the control of the Ego and give us the inspiration and energy to perform at the peak of our potential as unique individuals. "Let your light so shine before men, that they might see your good works and give the glory to God." We are truly successful individuals when we realize the true source of our individual inspiration, and are grateful for our connection with God.

Blessings, Alfred

In Search of the Perfect Pint

 

It all began with my love of Guinness stout. I always preferred the "Black Stuff" over the tame, macro-brewed, American "Lights". I eventually moved on to Guinness Extra Stout and Guinness Export Stout. True, my taste for a bolder, more flavorful brew has taken me to higher ABV offerings.

I now take classes at my local Total Wine and More, where I learn about the different types of hops used and... the myriad of ingredients used in craft beer brewing. I also scour each edition of the Beer Advocate to read and share experiences with the many thousands of brands available worldwide.

I have tasted Porters, Stouts, Ales and Black IPAs over the past year, in order to find a beer that would qualify as my "Go To" brew. I visited local breweries and stopped at out-of-town brewers during my travels. Finally, I learned that beer is a very personal preference, and every review is subjective. If you like a beer, then nobody should tell you it's not a good choice.

What follows are the two winners of my personal tasting. It could have been only one winner, but the Weyerbacher "Old Heathen" seems to always be out of stock in my area. So, the Victory Storm King Stout comes in as a backup brew. I love "Old Heathen" because it has all my taste requirements, but doesn't hit you over the head with an alcoholic aftertaste.

I can relax for now, but the beauty of brewing continues to gain popularity, and the experimentation will continue: So many beers, and so little time! Carpe Diem! Seize the opportunity to try a new brew each day! As the name of my favorite spirits company implies: "Every Day...Everywhere!"

Cheers!

Supply Chain Consciousness

An Abundance of Resources

MRP - Material Requirements Planning

My career began over 40 years ago in the manufacturing sector, where the control of inventory was essential to the on-time success of producing product. I was fortunate to be on the ground floor of computer-assisted applications, which utilized Material Requirements Planning (MRP). As I progressed from inventory positions to production management, the applications of theory and practice changed, but the concept remained the same under the umbrella of Supply Chain and Logistics. As a production manager, I needed the steady and controlled flow of raw materials to be brought into the factory, hopefully using "Just In Time" techniques (JIT) that insured that the necessary components found on the Bill Of Materials (BOM) are ready when the product needs to be assembled and shipped to the customer. This was during a period of time when manufacturing was still active in the US Northeast.

A successful production manager can look at MRP two ways: through the lens of scarcity or one of abundance. The purchasing aspect of a company is very important due to the complexity of the materials needed in manufacturing product. Some bills of materials have numerous parts or raw materials. These "ingredients" are required at various times during the production cycle and the timely delivery of materials is necessary to assure a high level of customer service. So, if a part (or parts) are not available, the whole cycle can be upset. Part of the stress of my job was deciding what to do if a part didn't arrive on time. This could be a "scarcity" issue that might jeopardize a complete order. The flip side was when there was "abundance" of material, which would increase inventory burden and put stress on the company's return on investment (ROI). The job of the materials manager was to strike a happy medium. This perfect balance was mostly a Utopian concept, which rarely existed in reality.

I worked for a few manufacturing companies, each making different product groups from Industrial to Consumer. The most creative job I had was with the manufacture of wall clocks. There was certain latitude available to "substitute" parts, such as dials and hands. If the hands for a certain style clock weren't received on time, we could get approval to substitute the hands from another style. This creative approach can be used in certain types of manufacturing, but it is not the norm. Most of the time, the production manager is faced with either "scarcity" or "abundance".

In today's Supply Chain, there is the added necessity to source each and every raw material that goes into every part used in the manufacturing cycle. Back 40 years ago, most materials were produced in the United States. Manufacturing is now on a Global scale. Other countries, such as China, have lower standards on what materials can be used in their products. There is also the danger that toxic or flammable ingredients are used. This "risk" is a major concern for the entire manufacturing industry. I currently work for a corporation that deals in this risk and has intellectual products that assist in the sourcing of raw materials by providing an accurate and detailed BOM for everything that is used within the United States. It is essential to know what you are dealing with at all times.

                                                   Spiritual MRP

It has been a while since I worked in manufacturing, but the fundamentals of MRP continue to be a major part of my life. And, just as in today's Supply Chain mentality, the "requirements" component has been replaced by the "resources" necessary for a well-balanced environment. This includes the lifestyle and culture we choose to follow, and the diligence we observe in choosing the "materials" that surround us. Do we follow a "scarcity" mentality, where we only look at the things we lack in our life? Or, are we grateful for the "abundance" we find in certain aspects of our life? Do we surround ourselves with "toxic" individuals that exude negativity and make our life "flammable"? Or, do we choose to limit our companions to those who uplift us and shine with positive energy? It's always nice to have friends, but are we unbalanced on the negative side? MRP has enabled me to consider the raw materials that make up everything that affects me on a daily basis. This includes both things...and people.

Another realization is that "Just In Time" synchronicity comes naturally to a well-balance person. By opening the channels of inspiration, through meditation and prayer, I can draw upon the unlimited resources of the Universe. I trust that the right things will occur at the proper time in my life. With the Universe as my supplier, I am never disappointed, be it success or failure. My experience has shown that what I desire at a given moment often isn't the best thing for me at that time. By opening the channels of divine communication, we can all benefit with receiving the right inspiration to act, at the right time!

Ultimately, change is necessary in life. There are times when this can be stressful. But, if change doesn't occur, there can be no progress. Looking back at my life, I can see that times when I fought change, and lost many important opportunities. I now choose to embrace change in my life, and I keep the channels of inspiration open. When opportunity knocks, I want to be ready to make a positive change. The Universe (God, if you choose) intimately knows our spiritual DNA. The Bill of Materials we choose to plan our future is very important. We have to make sure that our Supply Chain remains pure and uncorrupted.

Blessings!

Alfred Voto, M.Msc.

 

Are You Ready For Total Engagement?

In Corporate America, business analysts have discussed "work/life balance". It was assumed that there was a neat separation between work life and private life. An employee would punch in to work for eight hours, then punch out to enjoy their personal pursuits or leisure. The common mentality was "working for the weekend", as if work life had to be endured, or, personal enjoyment had to be delayed, until the five o'clock whistle blew on Friday afternoon. This mentality survived decades, from the industrial revolution in the 19th Century, right through the American cultural and post-modern data revolutions.

This mentality was instilled into the psyche of Traditionalists, Baby Boomers and Generation "X"ers. The separation between work and play became the ritual and the beat of life for most of us. We all drew comfort from punching out from work and breathing the sweet air of freedom outside our place of employment. We can, in part, thank Generation "Y" and the Millennials for a gradual shift in corporate culture; one that has presently come to dominate upper management in many progressive companies.

The senior generations were content to unplug at five and leave their burdens at the office. However, the Millennials are constantly plugged in, 24/7. To the horror of their elders, the Millennials want, no, they demand, to be engaged according to their 24/7 schedule. Sitting in a cubicle for long stretches of time might be tolerated for a while, but the Millennials look at life differently. They demand meaning to life, a holistic integrity of living in the Now!

Life should be a tapestry, where each stitch, be it work or leisure, intertwines to create the sacred whole. The technology of the 21st Century enables 24/7 engagement. Cell phones, tablets, Skype and Twitter keep us plugged in continuously. Thoughts flow both inside and outside of normal working hours. The Millennials want the value of their ideas to be respected and their contributions acknowledged by the management team. No longer do they accept time served in a cubicle to be the benchmark for their promotion and advancement.

A new paradigm is emerging. Concepts that once seemed cutting edge, such as working from home or flex-time have morphed into total engagement. Seasoned employees have long kept a desire of doing what they love and loving what they do secretly hidden in their hearts. As time went by, they began to lose hope that this could ever be a reality. Competition between the generations has grown to where senior workers feel neglected and alien within their company. Company loyalty has long been a strong suit of the senior generations. Shouldn't they be allowed to coexist, while contributing according to their own time-honored mentality of work/life balance?  

The seniors are not to be blamed for feeling betrayed, as long as upper management makes the ideal of youth the manifesto and requirement for corporate citizenship and caters to the Millennials while neglecting competencies of the elders, who, as a group, helped build the company into the success it is today. To truly succeed, a company must combine the best of both worlds, so to speak. Most senior workers would relish being mentors and would gladly support the younger workers, while continuing to contribute their wisdom and talents.

Total engagement is a worthy concept easily adopted by the Millennial generation. But, total engagement hardly works within the structure of the nine-to-five office routine. Concessions should be made for both those willing to work 24/7 and those who are comfortable working the standard office hours and then clocking out. Both groups should be included as honored and valued employees.  

I hope corporate managers have ears to hear and the will to collaborate with all generations to improve communication and bring all employees together. It's taking the seniors longer to grasp the concept of total engagement. To many, it's alien and an intrusion into their life after the five o'clock swipe at the turnstile. But, corporate management must include everyone in the culture and vision for the future. If they don't, sooner or later, most seniors will see who's driving the corporate bus and either disengage or hop off the bus at the next convenient stop.

Alfred Voto, M.Msc.

The Power of KNOW

There is a difference between just believing something and actually living it. It's often said that "Those that can, do; those that can't, teach". Well this about sums up what it's like to understand a spiritual or metaphysical principle, but not apply it to your personal life. You can be a walking encyclopedia of knowledge about Yoga or Meditation, but fail to manifest prosperity in your life. This is sad, but it does happen quite often. I, for one, prefer to observe how a person behaves and then draw my conclusions as to their teaching. I hope that all of my friends and associates will also support me in putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

 

The ego is a powerful force in our life; often overriding our Higher Power in our decisions on how to live our life. Focusing on our past, the ego engages the assistance of our subconscious to convince us that we are making mistakes by not paying attention to the past. This is perhaps the greatest obstacle to our spiritual progression and success. By dragging us back to the past, our ego batters us with memories of failures and pain that actually did occur, often decades ago. By replaying the tapes of these events, our ego is insistent in reminding us just how vulnerable we are to both our own decision-making and the wiles of the world.

 

The truth of the matter is that there is absolutely nothing we can do to rectify the mistakes we made in the past, or ease the pain we felt back then. By dwelling in memory (both bad and good) we wallow in thoughts that should have no power on us now. The good memories revolve around pleasure, which we certainly wish to feel but has no value in our present life. The present, the NOW, is the only place where we have control. By dwelling on the "could have" or "should have" aspects, we are wasting precious moments in our present life. So, for instance, if we want to rectify a past event, we have to do it in the present moment. Calling into remembrance a past mistake, we might be able to deal with it in the present if the person or situation still exists today. If the person we wish to reconcile with is dead, then we are just wasting time in damning ourselves, or them, for a past transgression.

 

Instead, there is a much better way to deal with life. By living in the NOW, in the present moment, we have full power to deal with any situation that comes our way! Our Higher Self, our spirit guides and evolved masters exist only in the NOW! They cannot go back to fix what happened in the past. We have to understand this basic fact of universal reality: We are one with the Universe and the Universe is constantly evolving! Karma is a law that moves forward, not backward. The ego is a part of us that means well, but is so connected to our subconscious that it often confuses past with present. The past is over; the present is the place where we have control and where miracles happen! Our spiritual guides and evolved masters only exist in the present. The oneness of the Universe is also in the present moment, in the NOW.

 

So, now that we understand that the past is gone and the future is ahead, we can realistically understand that we should remain in the present moment 100-percent of the time. We can intellectually teach others that there is a oneness in the Universe, but, unless we practice it ourselves, the lesson is shallow. It's up to all of us, as teachers and practitioners of metaphysics and yoga, to live what we KNOW and practice what we believe, thereby putting it into action. As Thomas Jefferson said, "Actions define who we are". By putting what we KNOW into action, we are being honest to our calling as "Heirs of God's Kingdom".

 

Blessings!

 

Alfred P. Voto, M.Msc.