Daily Dose of Optimism

DDO BOOK REVIEW: TRUMPNATION: THE ART OF BEING THE DONALD

I finally got around to reading TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald, Timothy O'Brien's 240-page reinterpretation of the Donald Trump legend. You know, that story about the crazy billionaire real estate mogul?

Summary: TrumpNation is an entertaining and quick read that gives a fascinating history of the Trump business "empire" and various shenanigans, from the best (Trump Tower on 5th Avenue) to the worst (everything else). Trump always appears cool in the spotlight camera. He has everything, a house with a big swimming pool, car and other things.

An apparent argument in favor of reading TrumpNation is that it gives you dirt and doesn't ask for much time, although I think it would have been an even better book if they'd edited out 50+ pages. I found myself reminded of this:

Having a ~50% "text inflation" factor in the articles I read ... can add up, and it is wearing. Sure, I could skim ... however, why should I have to pick apart something that another person is putting in unnecessary effort to complicate?

I wrote that about journalists, and when you realize that O'Brien is a New York Times journalist, the inflation factor of TrumpNation makes sense. However, O'Brien's NYT connection is also probably the only reason Trump ever trusted O'Brien:

    Trump: "It's almost a competitive thing with me. I almost wanna see if you can get Trump."
    O'Brien: "Why not just blow me off entirely?"
    Trump: "Because I'm sort of curious ... and I think you are starting to get me much better than you started to get me when         you first came to my office. Moreover, I think you believed some of my competitors who are jealous as shit." (p. 237)

Having finished the book, I think I can safely say Trump failed at this goal. Tim O'Brien makes The Donald look like something between a jerk, a fraud, and a genius, although no one word can encapsulate the mystery of the man:

"There is something crazy, hot, a phenomenon out there about me, but I'm not sure I can define it, and I'm not sure I want to." - Donald Trump

"Ask Donald about the series of failed deals from the 1980s - the Trump Shuttle [a failed airline], the Plaza hotel [a landmark NYC hotel that Trump bought for $400 million in 1988 and sold for $325 million in 1995], the USFL [US Football League, a failed attempt to compete with the NFL], the casinos - and he'll offer single sentence responses. Press a little farther, and he'll change the subject, often to the Wollman Rink, or to the beautiful new golf courses he's opened." (p.226)

Pretty much sums the book up, although the rest of it is quite entertaining when more details and quotes are added. Let me close with this:

As interest rates rise, and quite rationally, we'd expect the price of real estate acquisitions to slow as leverage becomes more expensive, Americans are nonetheless still fascinated by real estate for profit potential, particularly given the low volatility in the US stock markets - there's no other financial asset (yet) to distract us.

Here is this era's favorite collective icon for both real estate and business:

Although Donald's business career is marked by early successes overshadowed by later, repeated failures, flirtations with personal bankruptcy, sequential corporate bankruptcies, the squandering of billions of dollars, and the safety cushion of a multi-million dollar inheritance from his wealthy father, he is prime-time TV's most sought-after and enchanting guru for aspiring entrepreneurs. Donald is the country's premier embodiment of the self-made man. (p. 214)

Hmmm...hubris...borrowing scads of money to finance poor decisions...keeping his head above water through bullying...remaining utterly shameless....sounds a lot like the US government...small wonder Trump has tried to run for president...he's qualified!
If you need additional incentive to pick up the book, bear in mind that Trump was incensed enough about the book that he is suing the writer, although I'm sure the lawsuit is as much about free publicity as it is about libel:

NY Post: Trump is suing a New York Times columnist over a book that statements mysterious business relates as pegging his total assets at $150 million to $250 million — less than one-tenth the $2.7 billion figure that he deems a conservative estimate of his fortune.

For a prior post that recapped the Trumpster's fluctuating wealth, see here. For Warren Buffet's take on Donald Trump, see here. Enjoy! - Ed

PS: The Donald had a few remarks to share about TrumpNation and this blog:

"TrumpNation, that book, that guy, O'Brien, he's full of it. I'm a billionaire - worth 4, 5, 6 billion dollars, I got buildings all over town, he tries to tell you I'm worth 150, 200 tops. Ridiculous. The guy's a real nut case. I mean, just absolutely bonkers.

That Ed over at the daily dose of, what is it? Nonsense. A jealous piece of you-know-what. I've dealt with clowns like him all my life. Repeating that garbage by Tim O'Brien. Ridiculous. You know I'm filing a lawsuit. 1 billion dollars. That's much money. Tim's out of business, the New York Times, they'll be out of business, Warner Books, all of them.

I'd sue Ed, but I mean, what's to sue? The guy writes for free. He, puts his stuff on the internet. What's that worth? It's free. What kind of person does that? I know - a loser. The guy's a sicko." - Donald Trump

Tips to clean up your swimming pool

You want to swim naturally in a clean swimming pool. The cleaning of a swimming pool may seem like much work, but if you keep up with it, this is a giant. You can then enjoy a delicious, refreshing dive every day! We will gladly give you some tips to clean and keep your pool well.

How often should I clean my pool?

As mentioned before, it is smart to clean your pool routinely. This illuminates the work and makes sure that you do not spend the whole day. Good maintenance is essential! If you do not use the swimming pool for an extended period, it is an excellent choice to purchase a pool cover, which saves much maintenance. However, in the summer, if you use the swimming pool regularly, it is smart to take the leaves and other debris out of the water every day, empty all the reception pots that are attached to the pool pump and clean the area around the pool. Make sure you have a clean garden, your swimming pool will remain clean. Besides, it is smart to regularly:

Pool cleaning with or without chlorine?

Those who think of swimming pools feel of chlorine. It is the ideal way to clean your pool and kill specific bacteria without having to do anything about it. This can be made utilizing chlorine tablets or a chlorine dispenser which causes chlorine to spread over water. However, unfortunately, there are many people allergic to chlorine or irritate the skin and eyes. Fortunately, there is also a way to keep your pool water clean without chlorine. This can be with hydrolysis. Hydrolysis disinfects The liquid without the addition of chlorine and salt. This is done using two disinfection techniques, namely ozone, and copper electrolysis. This ensures complete natural water treatment!

Useful Cleaning Products
To be able to clean your swimming pool regularly, you will need different cleaning products. To get the leaves and other floating dirt out of the water, you can use a landing net, which you already have in your house. However, many more useful products can lighten the work, such as:

1. A vacuum cleaner that allows you to clean the bottom of your pool easily;
2. A brush for the waterline of your pool;
3. An automatic swimming pool cleaner;
4. Stainless steel algae brush To remove algae from the soil.
5. How best to clean the filter of your pool?
6. The most common pool filters are sand filters and cartridge filters. These must be cleaned in different ways. It is wise to clean the filters every month, whichever pool filter you have.

How to clean the sand filter?
A sand filter filters the water by pumping it and walking along special filter sand. The sand in this filter should be replaced about once every two years. Also, it is also essential to clean the sand filter regularly. You can do this by using the "backwash" setting. To clean the sand filter, do the following:

Let the dirty water run out;
Set the screen to Backwash/rewind, and turn it back on;
Let the pump run for about 15 seconds, turn off, and follow the steps above again;
Turn the pump back on to the standard setting;
Check the height of the water level and add clean water when needed.

How to clean the cartridge filter?

A cartridge filter leads the water through a plastic screen. This filter needs to be cleaned more often than a sand filter, namely about once every two weeks. You can do this by using an official cartridge cleaner that you can connect to the garden hose, or by just doing it manually. This is the easiest with a garden hose.

Cleaning your pool after winter
The above tips are all applicable if you use the swimming pool in summer. In Winter, you can use your swimming pool less. Therefore, if you want to dive into the pool again in the spring, you will have some more cleaning work. It is smart to cover your swimming pool with a cover for the winter. Previously we already wrote a blog about Zomerklaar making your pool; This is all you need to know!