by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Don’t for a
single minute think I am undercutting, overselling, or even suggesting
that a Ph.D. is so easy to obtain that anyone (everyone) can or should
get it. First, it is only available to those who qualify and are
accepted into such a program. Second, it requires extensive, complete,
positive references from former professors who know the candidate well.
Third, it requires a commitment of three or four years (usually at a
minimum) beyond the master’s degree. (Sometimes a master’s degree or
equivalent credits are subsumed within the requirements for a Ph.D.)
Fourth, it requires successfully completing a great deal of
graduate-level course work. In most programs that means 15 courses
including a number of required ones. Fifth, it requires securing a
graduate advisor, writing an extensive, original, well-researched
dissertation, and successfully defending it before a panel of
professors. These are by no means lightweight expectations, and even
many who begin such a pursuit do not finish.
I loved Elim Chew’s essay, “Getting a PhD” (June 25, 2010), at the web site The Straits Times: SME Spotlight.
She begins her essay with the comment, “Many People write to me and ask
me a question ‘How do I become an Entrepreneur?’ My answer is simple.
You need Passion, Hunger, Drive or what I call PHD.”
Chew writes that
passion “is about wanting something so badly that you will do whatever
it takes to attain it.” I’m sure all readers of this essay not only
know what passion is but have experienced it themselves. I have found
it in getting my education and in the classes I took; I have found it in
finding my wife and experiencing the love I had for her; I have found
it in my love for my family, writing, reading, and traveling. And, I
often find it in my everyday life. There are so many things to get
passionate about. I have even found that the more stimuli you have in
your life and the broader experiences you have, the more opportunities
you have to demonstrate and experience passion.
How do you
discover your passion? The first thing you must do is find your
calling. What is it in life that you feel strongly about, that you
value highly, and that you are willing to support with all your heart,
mind, and body? When you find your calling you will start to experience
the ecstasy, pleasure, and satisfaction of an inspired life.
Once you have
discovered your passion, dedicate your energy to it. Those people who
love what they do are the ones who get the best results no matter what
area of life it involves.
When you make your calling your work, you will never work a day in your life. It is truly what I have done with my writing.
Passion and
hunger are likely to compliment each other for when you have passion,
hunger often becomes an outlet for that passion. I don’t know exactly
when or where my hunger for knowledge began. It is likely to be
something that evolved as a direct result of being in school and liking
it. I had great teachers, received positive rewards (e.g., good test
scores, excellent course grades, teacher praise); thus, it is likely
that there was no single point when it happened, and no single teacher
who was likely to be responsible — although some of my teachers stood
out more than others.
When I completed
my undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan in speech (with a
minor in science because of the required courses I took for my
pre-medicine orientation when I entered college), I decided to go on for
a master’s degree with an English minor. My love of school had
blossomed, I didn’t know what to do with an undergraduate degree in
speech, and I wanted more time to think about my future direction. I
had three choices (with respect to my interests at the time), I was
still considering becoming a Unitarian minister, going to law school, or
pursuing a Ph.D. somewhere. All involved more higher education — an
idea that pleased me simply because of my hunger for knowledge that was
now deeply embedded.
Getting a Ph.D.
was the choice I made. I figured that with a Ph.D. I could still pursue
my other two options if I chose to do so later. I also thought that if
no graduate school wanted me, I had two other viable alternatives. I
applied, was accepted at all of the graduate schools to which I applied,
and chose Indiana University simply because of a graduate, dissertation
advisor who had a great reputation for being tough. I chose toughness,
and Dr. Robert Gunderson lived up to every iota of his reputation. He
was the most uncompromising, unsympathetic, rigorous teacher I ever
encountered, but he taught me to write.
With newly
acquired writing skills, I could pursue a new passion (not totally
new). My passion for writing began slowly; however, with the success of
passing my Ph.D. oral examinations, writing and defending my
dissertation, and having a university teaching position, I could now not
just satisfy my hunger, but I could indulge something new in my life — a
drive.
Now all the
credentials I needed were in place. A drive is something that pushes or
propels you onward with force. I was in the driver’s seat; I was in
charge of my life; and now I could make things happen. Also, I was an
Assistant Professor — a low point on the professional step ladder.
I had a goal. I
wanted to become an Associate and then a full professor. I wanted my
fair share of any merit pool (money that is divided up and divvied out
among those most deserving). I wanted to establish my professional,
academic credentials.
That all happened
within six years. Twenty-two years (at Bowling Green State University)
after my first six at the University of Massachusetts, having taught
over 80,000 undergraduate students and directed several hundred graduate
teaching assistants, I gave up teaching for the sole purpose of
writing. The drive that pushed and propelled me onward with force was
successful.
Passion, hunger,
and drive are important influences in anyone’s life. To find your
passion, satisfy your hunger, and drive yourself toward practical,
positive, and meaningful goals can result in a fully satisfying, highly
rewarding, successful life. If “Ph.D.” meant “piled higher and deeper”
(I’ve heard many a “clever” person remind of it.), I wouldn’t mind if it
were passion, hunger, and drive that were heaped in the mound.
- - - - - - -
At the web site Dumb Little Man, the essay there,
“39 Ways to Live, and not Merely Exist,” offers wonderful, motivating,
practical suggestions for turning your life around.
Read Elim Chew’s great article at The Straits Times,
“Getting a Ph.D.” (June 25, 2010)/ Chew ends her essay saying: “In
conclusion, we know that challenges will come along the way, but our
Passion, Hunger and Drive will cause us to rise above our situations.
What I achieve is after 22 years of pursuit as well as sacrifices made.
It is not an overnight success.
“Therefore one of
my mottos is, "Love what you do and it's never work anymore." After 22
years into my business, I have encountered setbacks and challenges, but I
am still as passionate, hungry and driven. So instead of sitting on
your problems or challenges, go get your PHD today!”
- - - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Exclude all boredom from your life.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits. This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #312.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
And Then Some News
Thursday's Essay Preview
The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Aesthetics --- A well ordered, well-organized, disciplined life, " reads as follows:
As I was sitting having breakfast before dawn one morning (on many mornings!), I enjoyed subdued lighting, gentle, comforting music, and a clean, neat relaxing dining room ambiance. Suddenly, as I enjoyed this incredibly satisfying environment, I realized that it was aesthetics — characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste — that was engaging my senses and providing the balance that an ordered, well-organized, disciplined life can bring.
Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay
I totally agree with this comment, however, I have also discovered that there is surprising beauty in everything with which we have contact. It may need us to look more closely; it may need us to draw back to see the greater picture. Once we have satisfied the lower-order needs on Maslow’s Hierarchy, the likelihood that we can see and appreciate the aesthetics in everything we encounter becomes more likely. And when we get to that point, we get closer to achieving the balance that an ordered, well-organized, disciplined life can bring.
And Then Some News
Monday, May 28, 2012
The truth about grief: The myth of its five stages and the new science of loss
The truth about grief: The myth of its five stages and the new science of loss
By Ruth Davis Konigsberg
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
Konigsberg discusses the way the five stages of grief provided by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the book, On Death and Dying, have become a cultural touchstone and, thus, embedded in our everyday lexicon and a mainstay of pop psychology. I first learned about the stages quite early and incorporated them into one of the editions of my book, Understanding Interpersonal Communication (Harper/Collins), and I talked about the stages, too, when lecturing in my interpersonal communication classes. They weren’t weighty, philosophical discussions but just an introduction to a way of thinking about (interpreting?) grief.
Konigsberg writes well, and she supports her ideas effectively. There are 200 pages of text and 41 pages of “Notes.”
I loved the way Konigsberg notches her successes. That is, she eats away at various theories and books (like The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion), morsel by morsel like a mouse eating a hunk of cheese. By compelling her adversaries to the dust bin, she clears the way for acceptance of her ideas and point of view.
“Like Kübler-Ross’s original five [stages of grief], these additional stages [proposed by other writers about the process] were all based on anecdotes and personal experience, not methodologically sound surveys” (p. 70).
For my purposes (as a motivational speaker and writer), I found Konigsberg’s emphasis on optimism and self-preparation to deal with grief supportive of my own position:
“Resilient grievers,” she writes on page 54, “appear better equipped to accept death as a fact of life and tend to have a more positive worldview. Chronic grievers seem less confident about their coping abilities and more dependent on the relationship to the deceased. (A lack of social support and financial resources also plays a role.” These differences become apparent within the first month and are good predictors of how someone will handle the loss over time, with early success seeming to set the course toward greater well-being, while early difficulties — intense negative emotions such as the desire to die or frequent crying — are associated with poor coping after two years” (p. 54).
I found Konigsberg’s Chapter 4, “The Making of a Bestseller,” particularly interesting (being a writer myself). How Kübler-Ross’s book, On Death and Dying, came to be published was fascinating stuff. Konigsberg writes, “The way Kübler-Ross described it, the stages came to her suddenly, almost as if through divine inspiration” (p. 96). The chapter is, basically, a biography of Kübler-Ross’s life.
People like stages because they are clear, specific, easy-to-follow, and easy-to-remember. But, as Chris Feudtner of the Penn Center for Bioethics, a pediatrician who has treated hundreds of dying children at the Children’s Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and who, in addition to his medical degree, has a Ph.D. in the history and sociology of science, has said, according to Konigsberg:
“The way he looks at it, any form of generalized treatment for grief is likely to miss its target. “When you’re trying to treat someone, you’re trying to mechanistically make them better,’ he explains. ‘If it’s something simple, like pneumococcus infects your lungs, we can kill that germ, but with something like grief, we don’t know the mechanism. The other thing is that people have resources like resilience and strength and will just get better on their own, and it’s very hard to show a treatment effect if most people just get better anyway. Most people spontaneously recover from six months to a year” (p. 124).
Quoting psychologist and grief researcher Toni Bisconti, now at the University of Akron, in Ohio, as reported by Konigsberg:
“Grief is anything but linear [as in Kübler-Ross’s stages], and my data showing consistent ups and downs are obviously in conflict with stage theory,’ Bisconti told me. ‘Stage theories are also conducive to self-fulfilling prophecies and confirmation biases. In other words, if I lose my partner/spouse and I am angry on a given day, I’ll think I’m in the anger stage and discount the fact that also on that day I might be sad, distraught, even happy at a given moment” (p. 72).
I found this book intriguing, enlightening, and thoroughly engaging. For those involved in, or who know others who are going through, the grieving process, it is a must read.
By Ruth Davis Konigsberg
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
Konigsberg discusses the way the five stages of grief provided by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in the book, On Death and Dying, have become a cultural touchstone and, thus, embedded in our everyday lexicon and a mainstay of pop psychology. I first learned about the stages quite early and incorporated them into one of the editions of my book, Understanding Interpersonal Communication (Harper/Collins), and I talked about the stages, too, when lecturing in my interpersonal communication classes. They weren’t weighty, philosophical discussions but just an introduction to a way of thinking about (interpreting?) grief.
Konigsberg writes well, and she supports her ideas effectively. There are 200 pages of text and 41 pages of “Notes.”
I loved the way Konigsberg notches her successes. That is, she eats away at various theories and books (like The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion), morsel by morsel like a mouse eating a hunk of cheese. By compelling her adversaries to the dust bin, she clears the way for acceptance of her ideas and point of view.
“Like Kübler-Ross’s original five [stages of grief], these additional stages [proposed by other writers about the process] were all based on anecdotes and personal experience, not methodologically sound surveys” (p. 70).
For my purposes (as a motivational speaker and writer), I found Konigsberg’s emphasis on optimism and self-preparation to deal with grief supportive of my own position:
“Resilient grievers,” she writes on page 54, “appear better equipped to accept death as a fact of life and tend to have a more positive worldview. Chronic grievers seem less confident about their coping abilities and more dependent on the relationship to the deceased. (A lack of social support and financial resources also plays a role.” These differences become apparent within the first month and are good predictors of how someone will handle the loss over time, with early success seeming to set the course toward greater well-being, while early difficulties — intense negative emotions such as the desire to die or frequent crying — are associated with poor coping after two years” (p. 54).
I found Konigsberg’s Chapter 4, “The Making of a Bestseller,” particularly interesting (being a writer myself). How Kübler-Ross’s book, On Death and Dying, came to be published was fascinating stuff. Konigsberg writes, “The way Kübler-Ross described it, the stages came to her suddenly, almost as if through divine inspiration” (p. 96). The chapter is, basically, a biography of Kübler-Ross’s life.
People like stages because they are clear, specific, easy-to-follow, and easy-to-remember. But, as Chris Feudtner of the Penn Center for Bioethics, a pediatrician who has treated hundreds of dying children at the Children’s Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and who, in addition to his medical degree, has a Ph.D. in the history and sociology of science, has said, according to Konigsberg:
“The way he looks at it, any form of generalized treatment for grief is likely to miss its target. “When you’re trying to treat someone, you’re trying to mechanistically make them better,’ he explains. ‘If it’s something simple, like pneumococcus infects your lungs, we can kill that germ, but with something like grief, we don’t know the mechanism. The other thing is that people have resources like resilience and strength and will just get better on their own, and it’s very hard to show a treatment effect if most people just get better anyway. Most people spontaneously recover from six months to a year” (p. 124).
Quoting psychologist and grief researcher Toni Bisconti, now at the University of Akron, in Ohio, as reported by Konigsberg:
“Grief is anything but linear [as in Kübler-Ross’s stages], and my data showing consistent ups and downs are obviously in conflict with stage theory,’ Bisconti told me. ‘Stage theories are also conducive to self-fulfilling prophecies and confirmation biases. In other words, if I lose my partner/spouse and I am angry on a given day, I’ll think I’m in the anger stage and discount the fact that also on that day I might be sad, distraught, even happy at a given moment” (p. 72).
I found this book intriguing, enlightening, and thoroughly engaging. For those involved in, or who know others who are going through, the grieving process, it is a must read.
Friday, May 25, 2012
LAUGH . . . And Then Some!
A doctor examining a woman
who had been rushed to the Emergency Room, took the husband aside, and
said, 'I don't like the looks of your wife at all.'
"Me neither doc," said the husband.
"But she's a great cook and really good with the kids."
From Day #49 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
"Me neither doc," said the husband.
"But she's a great cook and really good with the kids."
Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet, Volume 2
From Day #49 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Taking the long way home
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
It was Dale Carnegie who said, “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” I have always been a person who enjoyed his life, no matter what stage, no matter where, and no matter when.
I have always had my own transportation whether it was a bicycle, motor scooter, or car. And I came to know much of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I grew up from sixth grade through college, by taking the long way home. I remember distinctly two places in Ann Arbor that I discovered on my own and that have affected me ever since.
There was a forest just about three or four blocks from our home on Sunset Road across from the Water Softener [the name we called it]. The paths through it were wide enough and smooth enough that I could bicycle most of the way, but to me it was spectacular. Why? Because it was quiet, except for the sounds of nature. Also, it was away from everyone else. I can’t remember ever meeting someone else on the paths. I always felt like I was an explorer, and this was new territory I was uncovering.
We lived about three or four miles from the Huron River, and when I had my Lambretta (a motor scooter), I would often ride along Huron River Drive all the way to Dexter, Michigan, or even Chelsea. There were a number of parks along the way and many access points down to the River. So, often I would just cruise along the two-lane road, take in the trees and the water, and just enjoy the delightful solitude.
Just as an aside, when I was in college, I would transfer college students from a pick-up point on the University of Michigan campus, to the Unitarian Church meetings on Washtenaw Avenue. I had to get a Chauffer’s License, but I drove a large yellow school bus once a week. Several times, I would pick up the bus early then drive it out along Huron River Drive (even through the parks along the way) all the way to Dexter — just to bring back old times. I also loved driving that great big yellow bus — and taking a very long way.
The desire to take the long way home never left me. Now, I’ll have to admit that it is a great excuse when one gets lost. For some reason, I have a terrible sense of direction; thus, often I take the long way home for no purpose and with no intention — except that I got lost.
There are dangers to just exploring unknown places, it is true. And you have to be careful. In Naples, Italy, I left the cruise ship (it docks almost in downtown Naples), and I walked by myself in the early morning (before stores had even opened their doors, and before the sidewalk vendors had laid out their merchandise), from our dock all the way through the main (expensive) part of town. Not feeling like I was getting much of a sense of Naples, I turned down a side street, then another (trying to keep track of the turns I was making so I wouldn’t get lost). Along these streets were the little markets, fresh fruit stands, and cozy restaurants and coffee bars that were active at this hour.
As I walked the back streets of Naples, I not only kept my eyes peeled for “shadowy” characters, but I kept up a very brisk walking pace as well. Because I was dressed differently than those along the way, and I looked different, too, I made no eye contact with those I passed, never stopped for directions or to purchase anything, but took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the area.
When my family (my mother, father, and sister) lived in Dacca, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) for a year, I had a brand new, light green, Italian bicycle. (We bought it in Italy on the way to Pakistan.) I was warned that if I parked it anywhere in the open, it would be stolen. But, it was my sole means of transportation, and I rode it everywhere.
From the place where I worked in Dacca (at the United States Information Service (USIS)) I would always take the long way home. I explored the very poor areas, the ramshackle neighborhoods, the markets down by the river, and (being a teenager; I was 19 at the time) the fear of getting robbed, having my bicycle stolen from me, or encountering any kind of trouble, never crossed my mind. I was fearless — and I created memories from that experience that will always be with me. (There was never an altercation of any kind.)
I remember when my wife and I were in Bermuda. We rented a moped (of course, you can’t rent a car there!), and we rode double all over the island. We would drive along the main highway, see a road off the left or right, and just take it for no other reason than wanting to see more of the way people in Bermuda lived.
Taking the long way home, however, is more than just a physical experience; it is a mental concept. That is, it is like a philosophy or approach to life that can serve as a motivating force, a stimulator, or inspiration. It is more than just physically exploring areas off the beaten track. When reading, it is going beyond the printed page. When researching, it is going beyond the obvious information. When thinking, it is thinking outside the box. It is like a creative challenge or a summons to act differently.
A number of years ago now, I gave a speech titled, “And Then Some.” It was published in Vital Speeches of the Day. You can actually view this speech at this website and, the and then some philosophy (discussed in the speech) became the benchmark or touchstone for our publishing company, And Then Some Publishing L.L.C. The and then some philosophy dovetails nicely with the ideas expressed in this essay, for if you truly pursue the and then some philosophy, it often requires taking the long way home.
So the simple question becomes, how do you take the long way home? The answer lies, in part, in what Dale Carnegie said at the outset of this essay, “enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” It means taking longer, observing more, experiencing further, thinking deeper, and, in all cases, appreciating wholeheartedly. It may even mean getting outside of ourselves and becoming immersed in the world around us. Taking the long way home is pursuing life — and then some!
- - - - - - - - -
At Zenhabits, Leo Babauta has a short, interesting, and worthwhile essay, “6 Questions to Ask Yourself to Get the Most Out of Life,” in which he asks questions such as why do I love?, am I pursuing my dream?, am I doing something worthwhile?, and several more.
At Life Coaches Blog, Shelley Stile has a delightful essay, “Getting the most out of life” (October 10, 2007), in which she discusses our control over ourselves, the necessity of taking charge of our lives, getting in touch with our passions, honoring ourselves, and mapping out what we need to do today to get what we want.
SoulSeeker writes “9 Secrets for Getting the Most Out of Life” at the web site “o5:Recipes for Life,” where the nine short items are: 1) Love your body, 2) Embrace experience, 3) See life as a process, 4) Don’t let fear rule your life, 5) Don’t be afraid of pain, 6) Just do it, 7) “There” is no better than “here,” 8) Take charge of your fate, and 9) You become what you think.
- - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
It was Dale Carnegie who said, “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” I have always been a person who enjoyed his life, no matter what stage, no matter where, and no matter when.
I have always had my own transportation whether it was a bicycle, motor scooter, or car. And I came to know much of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where I grew up from sixth grade through college, by taking the long way home. I remember distinctly two places in Ann Arbor that I discovered on my own and that have affected me ever since.
There was a forest just about three or four blocks from our home on Sunset Road across from the Water Softener [the name we called it]. The paths through it were wide enough and smooth enough that I could bicycle most of the way, but to me it was spectacular. Why? Because it was quiet, except for the sounds of nature. Also, it was away from everyone else. I can’t remember ever meeting someone else on the paths. I always felt like I was an explorer, and this was new territory I was uncovering.
We lived about three or four miles from the Huron River, and when I had my Lambretta (a motor scooter), I would often ride along Huron River Drive all the way to Dexter, Michigan, or even Chelsea. There were a number of parks along the way and many access points down to the River. So, often I would just cruise along the two-lane road, take in the trees and the water, and just enjoy the delightful solitude.
Just as an aside, when I was in college, I would transfer college students from a pick-up point on the University of Michigan campus, to the Unitarian Church meetings on Washtenaw Avenue. I had to get a Chauffer’s License, but I drove a large yellow school bus once a week. Several times, I would pick up the bus early then drive it out along Huron River Drive (even through the parks along the way) all the way to Dexter — just to bring back old times. I also loved driving that great big yellow bus — and taking a very long way.
The desire to take the long way home never left me. Now, I’ll have to admit that it is a great excuse when one gets lost. For some reason, I have a terrible sense of direction; thus, often I take the long way home for no purpose and with no intention — except that I got lost.
There are dangers to just exploring unknown places, it is true. And you have to be careful. In Naples, Italy, I left the cruise ship (it docks almost in downtown Naples), and I walked by myself in the early morning (before stores had even opened their doors, and before the sidewalk vendors had laid out their merchandise), from our dock all the way through the main (expensive) part of town. Not feeling like I was getting much of a sense of Naples, I turned down a side street, then another (trying to keep track of the turns I was making so I wouldn’t get lost). Along these streets were the little markets, fresh fruit stands, and cozy restaurants and coffee bars that were active at this hour.
As I walked the back streets of Naples, I not only kept my eyes peeled for “shadowy” characters, but I kept up a very brisk walking pace as well. Because I was dressed differently than those along the way, and I looked different, too, I made no eye contact with those I passed, never stopped for directions or to purchase anything, but took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the area.
When my family (my mother, father, and sister) lived in Dacca, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) for a year, I had a brand new, light green, Italian bicycle. (We bought it in Italy on the way to Pakistan.) I was warned that if I parked it anywhere in the open, it would be stolen. But, it was my sole means of transportation, and I rode it everywhere.
From the place where I worked in Dacca (at the United States Information Service (USIS)) I would always take the long way home. I explored the very poor areas, the ramshackle neighborhoods, the markets down by the river, and (being a teenager; I was 19 at the time) the fear of getting robbed, having my bicycle stolen from me, or encountering any kind of trouble, never crossed my mind. I was fearless — and I created memories from that experience that will always be with me. (There was never an altercation of any kind.)
I remember when my wife and I were in Bermuda. We rented a moped (of course, you can’t rent a car there!), and we rode double all over the island. We would drive along the main highway, see a road off the left or right, and just take it for no other reason than wanting to see more of the way people in Bermuda lived.
Taking the long way home, however, is more than just a physical experience; it is a mental concept. That is, it is like a philosophy or approach to life that can serve as a motivating force, a stimulator, or inspiration. It is more than just physically exploring areas off the beaten track. When reading, it is going beyond the printed page. When researching, it is going beyond the obvious information. When thinking, it is thinking outside the box. It is like a creative challenge or a summons to act differently.
A number of years ago now, I gave a speech titled, “And Then Some.” It was published in Vital Speeches of the Day. You can actually view this speech at this website and, the and then some philosophy (discussed in the speech) became the benchmark or touchstone for our publishing company, And Then Some Publishing L.L.C. The and then some philosophy dovetails nicely with the ideas expressed in this essay, for if you truly pursue the and then some philosophy, it often requires taking the long way home.
So the simple question becomes, how do you take the long way home? The answer lies, in part, in what Dale Carnegie said at the outset of this essay, “enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” It means taking longer, observing more, experiencing further, thinking deeper, and, in all cases, appreciating wholeheartedly. It may even mean getting outside of ourselves and becoming immersed in the world around us. Taking the long way home is pursuing life — and then some!
- - - - - - - - -
At Zenhabits, Leo Babauta has a short, interesting, and worthwhile essay, “6 Questions to Ask Yourself to Get the Most Out of Life,” in which he asks questions such as why do I love?, am I pursuing my dream?, am I doing something worthwhile?, and several more.
At Life Coaches Blog, Shelley Stile has a delightful essay, “Getting the most out of life” (October 10, 2007), in which she discusses our control over ourselves, the necessity of taking charge of our lives, getting in touch with our passions, honoring ourselves, and mapping out what we need to do today to get what we want.
SoulSeeker writes “9 Secrets for Getting the Most Out of Life” at the web site “o5:Recipes for Life,” where the nine short items are: 1) Love your body, 2) Embrace experience, 3) See life as a process, 4) Don’t let fear rule your life, 5) Don’t be afraid of pain, 6) Just do it, 7) “There” is no better than “here,” 8) Take charge of your fate, and 9) You become what you think.
- - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing L.L.C.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Look at how you view problems.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits. This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #311.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
And Then Some News
Thursday's Essay Preview
The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Taking the long way home" reads as follows:
It was Dale Carnegie who said, “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” I have always been a person who enjoyed his life, no matter what stage, no matter where, and no matter when.
Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay
So the simple question becomes, how do you take the long way home? The answer lies, in part, in what Dale Carnegie said at the outset of this essay, “enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” It means taking longer, observing more, experiencing further, thinking deeper, and, in all cases, appreciating wholeheartedly. It may even mean getting outside of ourselves and becoming immersed in the world around us. Taking the long way home is pursuing life — and then some!
And Then Some News
Monday, May 21, 2012
Art of marriage: A guide to living life as two
Art of marriage: A guide to living life as two
By Catherine Blyth
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
First and foremost, please realize at the outset that Catherine Blyth is English; thus, you will find scattered throughout this little book delightful English terms and turns of phrase. If for no other reason, I liked this book for her graceful, charming use of language. Examine, for example (and there are many) this delightful paragraph:
“Sadly, for all couples there comes a moment when sex is a dilemma. When you find yourselves arguing about who did not wash up, and little by little, lust’s soufflé sinks in the cool air of Getting On with It. At this point, some fear that they have married the wrong person. But this not a time to retreat to the baked bean-sequined defeat of a tracksuit. Love is not dead; better to consider that its three dimensions have been absorbed, and the long game of marriage has now begun” (p. 119).
Call it unnecessary gibberish, or hoity-toity pretentiousness, if you will, but I wonder if any other author could or would write like this? If you don’t like this kind of writing, avoid this book! (Many of the examples she uses, too, are from English history and royalty.)
I found the gray boxes inserted in chapters interesting. They were enjoyable to read and offered additional insights and information. Necessary? Of course not. But fun.
Another thing I found interesting about this book is Blyth’s use of examples — especially those from history. Although there is a “Selected Bibliography” of seven pages, the sources she uses represent her very broad reading of books, many as you would suspect published by English presses. There are no footnotes, but she gives general references for most of her quotations. Quotations occur often.
Something readers must understand about this book is that we’re not talking about well-researched, documented, scientifically-based advice here. We’re talking instead about “a writer, columnist, and editor” (from the back flyleaf) offering her views and values. Nothing more. Oh, she may say something like, “Contemporary experts find that two dimensions matter in parenting . . . ,” but there is no footnote for such a statement, and you have to take Blyth’s word for its veracity. There is nothing wrong with this. At some points she will offer a citation, as in the following:
“Marriage is the best welfare plan that money cannot buy. Its economics of scale make us richer in the long run (as noted above, unmarried women were 86 percent poorer, and bachelors 61 percent poorer than the married or widowed, in 1992's U.S. Health and Retirement Study)” (p. 189).
Many readers need nothing more, and her brief notations 1) are sufficient, 2) do not get in the way of a good read, and 3) add to her credibility sufficiently enough to make her observations and advice sound. I have no quarrel with this; however, having done the research and read as widely as she has, it would be nice to have the footnotes. (She could even have placed them online at the book’s web site as some authors have done.)
To give you even more of a sample of what is in the book and how Blyth writes, I have selected this piece from Chapter 11, “The A to Z of Marriage”:
“Like its companion antisocial activities — pocket billiards, biting nails, burping, farting — we tend to be particularly annoyed by spouses’ nose picking. Not because it is not fun but because it is fun only for one. It is also a poor spectator sport. To do it shows a lover how relaxed you are in their company, which is nice as far as it goes. But in a bad mood, the sight of that unself-conscious finger, winkling it furry cavity, may be an unwelcome invasion of privacy, or even suggest that its owner does not care if you do not fancy them, since they no longer fancy you” (p. 240).
Notice her use of the words “winkling” and “fancy.” Also, notice that “we tend to be particularly annoyed” comes strictly from her observations — nothing more. And if there is a source, it is not provided.
When all is said and done, I enjoyed the book. She tells good stories, offers interesting quotations, and writes in a lively, entertaining style. She has a subtle, but delightful, sense of humor that is engaging — and, as I said, I love her language. Four stars out of five!
By Catherine Blyth
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
First and foremost, please realize at the outset that Catherine Blyth is English; thus, you will find scattered throughout this little book delightful English terms and turns of phrase. If for no other reason, I liked this book for her graceful, charming use of language. Examine, for example (and there are many) this delightful paragraph:
“Sadly, for all couples there comes a moment when sex is a dilemma. When you find yourselves arguing about who did not wash up, and little by little, lust’s soufflé sinks in the cool air of Getting On with It. At this point, some fear that they have married the wrong person. But this not a time to retreat to the baked bean-sequined defeat of a tracksuit. Love is not dead; better to consider that its three dimensions have been absorbed, and the long game of marriage has now begun” (p. 119).
Call it unnecessary gibberish, or hoity-toity pretentiousness, if you will, but I wonder if any other author could or would write like this? If you don’t like this kind of writing, avoid this book! (Many of the examples she uses, too, are from English history and royalty.)
I found the gray boxes inserted in chapters interesting. They were enjoyable to read and offered additional insights and information. Necessary? Of course not. But fun.
Another thing I found interesting about this book is Blyth’s use of examples — especially those from history. Although there is a “Selected Bibliography” of seven pages, the sources she uses represent her very broad reading of books, many as you would suspect published by English presses. There are no footnotes, but she gives general references for most of her quotations. Quotations occur often.
Something readers must understand about this book is that we’re not talking about well-researched, documented, scientifically-based advice here. We’re talking instead about “a writer, columnist, and editor” (from the back flyleaf) offering her views and values. Nothing more. Oh, she may say something like, “Contemporary experts find that two dimensions matter in parenting . . . ,” but there is no footnote for such a statement, and you have to take Blyth’s word for its veracity. There is nothing wrong with this. At some points she will offer a citation, as in the following:
“Marriage is the best welfare plan that money cannot buy. Its economics of scale make us richer in the long run (as noted above, unmarried women were 86 percent poorer, and bachelors 61 percent poorer than the married or widowed, in 1992's U.S. Health and Retirement Study)” (p. 189).
Many readers need nothing more, and her brief notations 1) are sufficient, 2) do not get in the way of a good read, and 3) add to her credibility sufficiently enough to make her observations and advice sound. I have no quarrel with this; however, having done the research and read as widely as she has, it would be nice to have the footnotes. (She could even have placed them online at the book’s web site as some authors have done.)
To give you even more of a sample of what is in the book and how Blyth writes, I have selected this piece from Chapter 11, “The A to Z of Marriage”:
“Like its companion antisocial activities — pocket billiards, biting nails, burping, farting — we tend to be particularly annoyed by spouses’ nose picking. Not because it is not fun but because it is fun only for one. It is also a poor spectator sport. To do it shows a lover how relaxed you are in their company, which is nice as far as it goes. But in a bad mood, the sight of that unself-conscious finger, winkling it furry cavity, may be an unwelcome invasion of privacy, or even suggest that its owner does not care if you do not fancy them, since they no longer fancy you” (p. 240).
Notice her use of the words “winkling” and “fancy.” Also, notice that “we tend to be particularly annoyed” comes strictly from her observations — nothing more. And if there is a source, it is not provided.
When all is said and done, I enjoyed the book. She tells good stories, offers interesting quotations, and writes in a lively, entertaining style. She has a subtle, but delightful, sense of humor that is engaging — and, as I said, I love her language. Four stars out of five!
Friday, May 18, 2012
LAUGH . . . And Then Some!
One summer
evening during a violent thunderstorm a mother was tucking her son into
bed. She was about to turn off the light when he asked with a tremor in
his voice, 'Mummy, will you sleep with me tonight?'
The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug.
'I can't dear,' she said. 'I have to sleep in Daddy's room.'
A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice:
'The big sissy.'
From Day #46 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
The mother smiled and gave him a reassuring hug.
'I can't dear,' she said. 'I have to sleep in Daddy's room.'
A long silence was broken at last by his shaky little voice:
'The big sissy.'
Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet, Volume 2
From Day #46 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Coincidence --- Keep your eye out for the levers and pullies
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
“Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."
([N.a.]. (05-02-07). Oddee, “20 Most Amazing Coincidences,” Retrieved January 26, 2011.).
“While American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores in Paris in the 1920s, she came upon a book that was one of her childhood favorites - Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him of the book she fondly remembered as a child. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs." It was Anne's very own book. (Source: While Rome Burns, Alexander Wollcott)” ([N.a.]. (05-02-07). Oddee, “20 Most Amazing Coincidences,” Retrieved January 26, 2011.).
David G. Myers, Professor of Psychology, Hope College, begins his essay, “The Power of Coincidence,” with this paragraph: “People around me have been both amused and aghast at the news that on 9-11 the New York State Lottery's evening number game popped up the numbers 9-1-1. Is this a paranormal happening? A wink from God? Is there a message here?”
A coincidence is simply the appearance of a meaningful connection when there is none.
When you watch a quarterback who is “in the flow,” and just makes all his passes, or, when Michael Jordan hit nearly every three-point shot he attempted, and then running down the floor shrugging his shoulders and turning his palms up as if to say, “I can’t believe it either!” you are a witness to coincidence. The quarterback and Michael Jordan had the hot hands. When you see stock-market patterns, batting slumps, people driving down a busy main street and hitting every stoplight green, our pattern-seeking minds demand explanations. The goal of our minds is to connect anomalies in some meaningful way. You know as well as I do, that it is very difficult to accept the idea that something happened, and it doesn’t mean anything at all.
“One thing is certain about coincidence,” writes Jill Neimark, in an essay, “The Power of Coincidence,” at the Psychology Today: Personality web site, “the phenomenon fascinates believers and skeptics alike. It's a porthole into one of the most interesting philosophical questions we can ask: Are the events of our lives ultimately objective or subjective? Is there a deeper order, an overarching purpose to the universe? Or are we the lucky accidents of evolution, living our precious but brief lives in a fundamentally random world that has only the meaning we choose to give it?”
“Some people find it surprising,” Robert T. Carroll writes on the Skeptic’s Dictionary web site, in an essay, “Law of truly large numbers (coincidence),” “that there are more than 16 million others on the planet who share their birthday. At a typical football game with 50,000 fans, most fans are likely to share their birthday with about 135 others in attendance. (The notable exception will be those born on February 29. There will only be about 34 fans born on that day.)”
At this web site, the Skeptic’s Dictionary, Carroll writes about Uri Geller’s explanation of the coincidences that occurred as a result of the anti-terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “[Geller] asked everyone to pray for eleven seconds for those in need,” writes Carroll, “Why? He was convinced that there was a cryptic, numerological message in the events that occurred that day.”
Carroll provides a great conclusion to his essay that should alert everyone to be cautious in finding meaningfulness in patterns: “If we start hunting for items that seem relevant but don't fit the pattern, we will soon see that there is nothing special about Geller's list or the number 11. Only by focusing on anything that we can fit to our belief and ignoring everything that doesn't fit (confirmation bias) can we make these coincidences seem meaningful.”
At the web site Quackwatch [I love the name of this web site!], Robert Novella has an essay titled, “The Power of Coincidence: Some Notes on ‘Psychic’ Predictions” (August 31, 2000). Novella has effectively and succinctly explained the problem people have with coincidences when he writes: “There are many simple reasons why most people misinterpret coincidences:
* Humans have a poor innate grasp of probability.
* We believe that all effects must have deliberate causes.
* We do not understand the laws regarding truly large numbers.
* We easily succumb to selective validation—the tendency to remember only positive correlations and forget the far more numerous misses.”
At Listverse “Top 15 Amazing Coincidences” (November 12, 2007) — taken from Ripley’s Believe it or not, BBC, and the New Scientist — the sensational coincidence reads like this: “In 1975, while riding a moped in Bermuda, a man was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, this man’s bother was killed in the very same way. In fact, he was riding the very same moped. And to stretch the odds even further, he was struck by the very same taxi driven by the same driver – and even carrying the very same passenger!” The sensational coincidences discussed are remarkable.
Robert Novella, cited above, concludes his essay in this way: “. . . the vast majority [of coincidences] that we experience turn out to be much more probable than they appear, if analyzed critically. When this is taken into account, along with our propensity for selective validation, our desire to believe in something akin to fate, and our coincidence-detection hardwiring, the true deceptive power of coincidence is realized.” Emma Bull said, “Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys.”
- - - - - - - -
At About.com: Paranormal Phenomena Stephen Wagner’s essay, “Amazing Coincidences,” explains at least ten sensational coincidences.
“Much religious faith is based on the idea that almost nothing is coincidence; science is an exercise in eliminating the taint of coincidence.” This is just one short sentence pulled out of context in an essay by Lisa Belkin, “The Odds of That” (August 11, 2002), at the New York Times website.
- - - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.
“Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."
([N.a.]. (05-02-07). Oddee, “20 Most Amazing Coincidences,” Retrieved January 26, 2011.).
“While American novelist Anne Parrish was browsing bookstores in Paris in the 1920s, she came upon a book that was one of her childhood favorites - Jack Frost and Other Stories. She picked up the old book and showed it to her husband, telling him of the book she fondly remembered as a child. Her husband took the book, opened it, and on the flyleaf found the inscription: "Anne Parrish, 209 N. Weber Street, Colorado Springs." It was Anne's very own book. (Source: While Rome Burns, Alexander Wollcott)” ([N.a.]. (05-02-07). Oddee, “20 Most Amazing Coincidences,” Retrieved January 26, 2011.).
David G. Myers, Professor of Psychology, Hope College, begins his essay, “The Power of Coincidence,” with this paragraph: “People around me have been both amused and aghast at the news that on 9-11 the New York State Lottery's evening number game popped up the numbers 9-1-1. Is this a paranormal happening? A wink from God? Is there a message here?”
A coincidence is simply the appearance of a meaningful connection when there is none.
When you watch a quarterback who is “in the flow,” and just makes all his passes, or, when Michael Jordan hit nearly every three-point shot he attempted, and then running down the floor shrugging his shoulders and turning his palms up as if to say, “I can’t believe it either!” you are a witness to coincidence. The quarterback and Michael Jordan had the hot hands. When you see stock-market patterns, batting slumps, people driving down a busy main street and hitting every stoplight green, our pattern-seeking minds demand explanations. The goal of our minds is to connect anomalies in some meaningful way. You know as well as I do, that it is very difficult to accept the idea that something happened, and it doesn’t mean anything at all.
“One thing is certain about coincidence,” writes Jill Neimark, in an essay, “The Power of Coincidence,” at the Psychology Today: Personality web site, “the phenomenon fascinates believers and skeptics alike. It's a porthole into one of the most interesting philosophical questions we can ask: Are the events of our lives ultimately objective or subjective? Is there a deeper order, an overarching purpose to the universe? Or are we the lucky accidents of evolution, living our precious but brief lives in a fundamentally random world that has only the meaning we choose to give it?”
“Some people find it surprising,” Robert T. Carroll writes on the Skeptic’s Dictionary web site, in an essay, “Law of truly large numbers (coincidence),” “that there are more than 16 million others on the planet who share their birthday. At a typical football game with 50,000 fans, most fans are likely to share their birthday with about 135 others in attendance. (The notable exception will be those born on February 29. There will only be about 34 fans born on that day.)”
At this web site, the Skeptic’s Dictionary, Carroll writes about Uri Geller’s explanation of the coincidences that occurred as a result of the anti-terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “[Geller] asked everyone to pray for eleven seconds for those in need,” writes Carroll, “Why? He was convinced that there was a cryptic, numerological message in the events that occurred that day.”
Carroll provides a great conclusion to his essay that should alert everyone to be cautious in finding meaningfulness in patterns: “If we start hunting for items that seem relevant but don't fit the pattern, we will soon see that there is nothing special about Geller's list or the number 11. Only by focusing on anything that we can fit to our belief and ignoring everything that doesn't fit (confirmation bias) can we make these coincidences seem meaningful.”
At the web site Quackwatch [I love the name of this web site!], Robert Novella has an essay titled, “The Power of Coincidence: Some Notes on ‘Psychic’ Predictions” (August 31, 2000). Novella has effectively and succinctly explained the problem people have with coincidences when he writes: “There are many simple reasons why most people misinterpret coincidences:
* Humans have a poor innate grasp of probability.
* We believe that all effects must have deliberate causes.
* We do not understand the laws regarding truly large numbers.
* We easily succumb to selective validation—the tendency to remember only positive correlations and forget the far more numerous misses.”
At Listverse “Top 15 Amazing Coincidences” (November 12, 2007) — taken from Ripley’s Believe it or not, BBC, and the New Scientist — the sensational coincidence reads like this: “In 1975, while riding a moped in Bermuda, a man was accidentally struck and killed by a taxi. One year later, this man’s bother was killed in the very same way. In fact, he was riding the very same moped. And to stretch the odds even further, he was struck by the very same taxi driven by the same driver – and even carrying the very same passenger!” The sensational coincidences discussed are remarkable.
Robert Novella, cited above, concludes his essay in this way: “. . . the vast majority [of coincidences] that we experience turn out to be much more probable than they appear, if analyzed critically. When this is taken into account, along with our propensity for selective validation, our desire to believe in something akin to fate, and our coincidence-detection hardwiring, the true deceptive power of coincidence is realized.” Emma Bull said, “Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys.”
- - - - - - - -
At About.com: Paranormal Phenomena Stephen Wagner’s essay, “Amazing Coincidences,” explains at least ten sensational coincidences.
“Much religious faith is based on the idea that almost nothing is coincidence; science is an exercise in eliminating the taint of coincidence.” This is just one short sentence pulled out of context in an essay by Lisa Belkin, “The Odds of That” (August 11, 2002), at the New York Times website.
- - - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Grow into a mountain.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits. This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #310.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
And Then Some News
Thursday's Essay Preview
The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Coincidence --- Keep your eye out for the levers and pullies" reads as follows:
“Mark Twain was born on the day of the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1835, and died on the day of its next appearance in 1910. He himself predicted this in 1909, when he said: "I came in with Halley's Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it."
([N.a.]. (05-02-07). Oddee, “20 Most Amazing Coincidences,” Retrieved January 26, 2011.).
Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay
Robert Novella, cited above, concludes his essay in this way: “. . . the vast majority [of coincidences] that we experience turn out to be much more probable than they appear, if analyzed critically. When this is taken into account, along with our propensity for selective validation, our desire to believe in something akin to fate, and our coincidence-detection hardwiring, the true deceptive power of coincidence is realized.” Emma Bull said, “Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys.”
And Then Some News
Monday, May 14, 2012
Aftershock: The next economy and America's future
Aftershock: The next economy and America's future
By Robert B. Reich
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II
I am not an economist, but I took a basic economics class as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. One does not need an economics background to understand (or appreciate) this book. The reason it helps is simply that it provides a useful backdrop or context for Reich’s ideas. (As a university education assists all students and graduates in offering challenging ideas for growth, development, and change, most all college courses prove useful in a variety of situations. This is just one more of them.)
I loved Reich’s book. First, it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt — as numerous economists have proven over and over (including, of course, Paul Krugman) — that top-down, trickle-down economics is a sham. It didn’t work under Reagan, it isn’t working now; it hasn’t worked at any time in history, and it won’t work in the future. It is bad economics. As “A larger and larger portion of the economy’s winnings [go] to people at the top” (p. 3), the economy grows steadily worse. “This is the heart of America’s ongoing economic predicament” (p. 3). This is one of the backbone tenets of this book, and Reich puts it on the first page of his “Introduction.”
Second, it supports a thesis I have often espoused: “redistributing income from rich to poor” makes good economical sense (p. 35). “ . . . Marriner Eccles [Reich has a chapter devoted to him because Eccles chaired the Federal Reserve Board from November 1934 until April 1948 — crucial years in the history of the American economy, and the world’s” (p. 11)] and John Maynard Keynes saw a broader economic justification for organizing the economy in such a way that the rich did not accumulate a disproportionate share to begin with: the need to maintain enough total demand” (p. 35).
The reason this book should be read by ALL Americans has to do with Reich’s basic argument: “. . . that our fundamentals are profoundly skewed, that the Great Recession was but the latest and largest outgrowth of an increasingly distorted distribution of income, and that we will have to choose, inevitably, between deepening discontent (and its ever nastier politics) and fundamental social and economic reform. I believe,” writes Reich, “that we simply must — and will — choose the latter” (p. 5).
There are 12½ pages of notes and only 146 pages of text material. Thus, this is a well-supported, well-written book that is both challenging (thought-provoking), and engaging (attention-holding).
I appreciated Reich’s honesty in assessing counter arguments to his own. For example, “Some argue that there was simply no need for government intervention [to prevent the Great Recession of 2007]. The economy did better on its own, those people say, without so much government and with lower taxes on the rich. They point,” writes Reich, “to the great expansion of the 1980s and the long recovery of the 1990s, and to the wildly exuberant bull market of the era. . . This argument is bunk,” he says. “It equates the stock market with the economy, and turns a blind eye to the revocation of the basic bargain. The argument does not acknowledge the consequences for an economy when the middle class lacks the means to buy with it produces” (p. 57).
If you ever listen to Robert Reich’s contributions to MSNBC (he is one of the major political economists they consult because he was labor secretary during the Clinton administration, and is currently professor of public policy at U.C. Berkeley‘s Goldman School of Public Policy), you realize how clearly and cogently he explains various economic problems and conditions. He is straightforward and to the point. The book is written in the same style. Reich is always interesting, insightful, and, inevitably, cuts to the chase.
If you wonder why China does not allow its currency (the yuan) to rise freely against the dollar, Reich explains it simply and clearly on page 73. If you want to know what the fundamental economic problem America is facing [“Americans no longer have the purchasing power to buy what the U.S. economy is capable of producing” (p. 75)], he carefully explains it (and re-explains it) throughout the book. If you want the ideal solution to the nation’s economic problems, read about the election of Margaret Jones of the Independence Party to the presidency in 2020 and her absolutely ideal economic solutions — a delightful scenario described on pages 79-81.
If you enjoy hypothetical, projection-analysis, Reich offers readers the politics of economics from 2010-2020 (prior to the election of Margaret Jones in 2020). It is a sobering analysis, and based on projections, it has the earmarks of a potential reality. For example, “The first painful adjustment will be to a lower standard of living — or at least far lower than we anticipated” (p. 89). Why not listen to a distinguished economist make his projections? Why not listen to a person with his credentials offer a worse-case-scenario for the American economy?
In about 20 pages, “What Should Be Done: A New Deal for the Middle Class,” Reich offers eight measures to assist in solving the problem: “Unless America’s middle class receives a fair share, it cannot consume nearly what the nation is capable of producing, at least without going deeply into debt” (p. 127) The second part of the problem is political: “Widening inequality, coupled with a growing perception that big business and Wall Street are in cahoots with big government for the purpose of making the rich even richer, gives fodder to demagogues on the extreme right and the extreme left” (p. 127).
So what are his solutions (and he admits “that he cannot pretend that the following measures would remedy these problems altogether)? 1) A reverse income tax. 2) A carbon tax. 3) Higher marginal tax rates on the wealthy. 4) A reemployment system rather than an unemployment system. 5) College loans linked to subsequent earnings. 6) Medicare for all. 7) Public goods, and . . . 8) Money out of politics. His final chapter is about how all of this could get done.
This is an excellent book. The argument is well-explained and well-supported. The writing is outstanding. And, like Obama’s Debt-Commission Plan, it is similarly radical. What the American people do not understand — or do not WANT to understand — is that in order to right the economy, it will take some suffering and sacrifice. In a land of plenty, with people accustomed to all the accruements of a healthy life and a comfortable lifestyle, suffering and sacrifice do not sit well. Buy this book!
By Robert B. Reich
Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II
I am not an economist, but I took a basic economics class as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. One does not need an economics background to understand (or appreciate) this book. The reason it helps is simply that it provides a useful backdrop or context for Reich’s ideas. (As a university education assists all students and graduates in offering challenging ideas for growth, development, and change, most all college courses prove useful in a variety of situations. This is just one more of them.)
I loved Reich’s book. First, it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt — as numerous economists have proven over and over (including, of course, Paul Krugman) — that top-down, trickle-down economics is a sham. It didn’t work under Reagan, it isn’t working now; it hasn’t worked at any time in history, and it won’t work in the future. It is bad economics. As “A larger and larger portion of the economy’s winnings [go] to people at the top” (p. 3), the economy grows steadily worse. “This is the heart of America’s ongoing economic predicament” (p. 3). This is one of the backbone tenets of this book, and Reich puts it on the first page of his “Introduction.”
Second, it supports a thesis I have often espoused: “redistributing income from rich to poor” makes good economical sense (p. 35). “ . . . Marriner Eccles [Reich has a chapter devoted to him because Eccles chaired the Federal Reserve Board from November 1934 until April 1948 — crucial years in the history of the American economy, and the world’s” (p. 11)] and John Maynard Keynes saw a broader economic justification for organizing the economy in such a way that the rich did not accumulate a disproportionate share to begin with: the need to maintain enough total demand” (p. 35).
The reason this book should be read by ALL Americans has to do with Reich’s basic argument: “. . . that our fundamentals are profoundly skewed, that the Great Recession was but the latest and largest outgrowth of an increasingly distorted distribution of income, and that we will have to choose, inevitably, between deepening discontent (and its ever nastier politics) and fundamental social and economic reform. I believe,” writes Reich, “that we simply must — and will — choose the latter” (p. 5).
There are 12½ pages of notes and only 146 pages of text material. Thus, this is a well-supported, well-written book that is both challenging (thought-provoking), and engaging (attention-holding).
I appreciated Reich’s honesty in assessing counter arguments to his own. For example, “Some argue that there was simply no need for government intervention [to prevent the Great Recession of 2007]. The economy did better on its own, those people say, without so much government and with lower taxes on the rich. They point,” writes Reich, “to the great expansion of the 1980s and the long recovery of the 1990s, and to the wildly exuberant bull market of the era. . . This argument is bunk,” he says. “It equates the stock market with the economy, and turns a blind eye to the revocation of the basic bargain. The argument does not acknowledge the consequences for an economy when the middle class lacks the means to buy with it produces” (p. 57).
If you ever listen to Robert Reich’s contributions to MSNBC (he is one of the major political economists they consult because he was labor secretary during the Clinton administration, and is currently professor of public policy at U.C. Berkeley‘s Goldman School of Public Policy), you realize how clearly and cogently he explains various economic problems and conditions. He is straightforward and to the point. The book is written in the same style. Reich is always interesting, insightful, and, inevitably, cuts to the chase.
If you wonder why China does not allow its currency (the yuan) to rise freely against the dollar, Reich explains it simply and clearly on page 73. If you want to know what the fundamental economic problem America is facing [“Americans no longer have the purchasing power to buy what the U.S. economy is capable of producing” (p. 75)], he carefully explains it (and re-explains it) throughout the book. If you want the ideal solution to the nation’s economic problems, read about the election of Margaret Jones of the Independence Party to the presidency in 2020 and her absolutely ideal economic solutions — a delightful scenario described on pages 79-81.
If you enjoy hypothetical, projection-analysis, Reich offers readers the politics of economics from 2010-2020 (prior to the election of Margaret Jones in 2020). It is a sobering analysis, and based on projections, it has the earmarks of a potential reality. For example, “The first painful adjustment will be to a lower standard of living — or at least far lower than we anticipated” (p. 89). Why not listen to a distinguished economist make his projections? Why not listen to a person with his credentials offer a worse-case-scenario for the American economy?
In about 20 pages, “What Should Be Done: A New Deal for the Middle Class,” Reich offers eight measures to assist in solving the problem: “Unless America’s middle class receives a fair share, it cannot consume nearly what the nation is capable of producing, at least without going deeply into debt” (p. 127) The second part of the problem is political: “Widening inequality, coupled with a growing perception that big business and Wall Street are in cahoots with big government for the purpose of making the rich even richer, gives fodder to demagogues on the extreme right and the extreme left” (p. 127).
So what are his solutions (and he admits “that he cannot pretend that the following measures would remedy these problems altogether)? 1) A reverse income tax. 2) A carbon tax. 3) Higher marginal tax rates on the wealthy. 4) A reemployment system rather than an unemployment system. 5) College loans linked to subsequent earnings. 6) Medicare for all. 7) Public goods, and . . . 8) Money out of politics. His final chapter is about how all of this could get done.
This is an excellent book. The argument is well-explained and well-supported. The writing is outstanding. And, like Obama’s Debt-Commission Plan, it is similarly radical. What the American people do not understand — or do not WANT to understand — is that in order to right the economy, it will take some suffering and sacrifice. In a land of plenty, with people accustomed to all the accruements of a healthy life and a comfortable lifestyle, suffering and sacrifice do not sit well. Buy this book!
Friday, May 11, 2012
LAUGH . . . And Then Some!
Mary Clancy goes up to Father
O'Grady after his Sunday morning service, and she's in tears. He says,
"So what's bothering you, dear?"
She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night."
The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible! Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?"
She says, "That he did, Father..."
The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary?"
She says, "He said, "Please, Mary, put down that damn gun...""
From Day #45 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
She says, "Oh, Father, I've got terrible news. My husband passed away last night."
The priest says, "Oh, Mary, that's terrible! Tell me, Mary, did he have any last requests?"
She says, "That he did, Father..."
The priest says, "What did he ask, Mary?"
She says, "He said, "Please, Mary, put down that damn gun...""
Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet, Volume 2
From Day #45 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
Thursday, May 10, 2012
The power lies within you
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
The internal locus of control concept is so important and can have such a powerful influence on people’s lives, that I spent one entire lecture in my basic speech-communication class discussing it. I would give students a “test” in lecture without them having a clue about what its subject or nature was, I would “grade” it for them orally (again, without them having any idea of what it was all about), I would ask for a show of hands only (and without the results of the “test” having been interpreted — in other words, only with their “test” numbers in hand) I would ask them how they performed, and, finally, with their results in front of them, I would interpret their results for them. Never did they have to reveal their results once the interpretation of their results was provided.
I always received positive responses to this exercise, and often, on the open-ended responses to the lectures at the end of the term, this lecture was mentioned as one students not just appreciated but enjoyed as well. (I think the “enjoyment” factor was due, in part, to the fact that students did not have to take notes nor were responsible for remembering a great deal of content!)
The important question, however, is why is this concept so important in a basic speech-communication class that I would spend a full lecture covering it? Good question. The concept was developed by Julian Rotter in the 1950s. (Rotter, J. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcements. Psychological Monographs, 80, Whole No. 609. Retrieved January 25, 2001.) “Locus of Control refers to an individual's perception about the underlying main causes of events in his/her life. Or, more simply: Do you believe that your destiny is controlled by yourself or by external forces (such as fate, god, or powerful others)?”
Psychological research has found that people with a stronger internal locus of control are better off. What I was trying to show in my lectures was simply that adopting and using an internal-locus-of-control-perspective could have immediate and demonstrable results in revealing their (students’) competence and self-efficacy, as well as their ability to make use of opportunity (their willingness to take advantage of the opportunity provided in class for giving public speeches). By doing so, students would be able to successfully experience a sense of personal control and responsibility. This perspective of mine fit into an overall point of view that embraced getting students to take charge of their lives!
I was reminded of all of this when I was reading a book, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work (Crown Business, 2010), by Shawn Achor. Achor writes, “Research has shown that people who believe that the power lies within their circle have higher academic achievement, greater career achievement, and are much happier at work. [The footnote for these findings is 1/3rd of a page long and includes 7 different sources.] An internal locus lowers job stress and turnover, and leads to higher motivation, organizational commitment, and task performance. ‘Internals,’ as they are sometimes called, have even stronger relationships—which makes sense given that studies show how much better they are at communicating, problem-solving, and working to achieve mutual goals. They are also more attentive listeners and more adept at social interactions—all qualities, incidentally, that predict success at work as well as at home” (pp. 131-132).
In the very next paragraph Achor says that believing that you are in control over your job and your life also reduces stress and improves physical health. (p. 132)
From Achor’s comments, you can easily see why it is worthwhile to, at the very least, point all of this out to students. The fact is, research has shown that people can choose; they have control over which one they believe in, and if they have learned one response pattern over another, they can unlearn it and switch.
The key that I taught my undergraduate students was choice. The important thing they needed to realize was simply that it was up to them. Thus, with the information I gave them — including the long-range benefits of possessing internal locus of control — they could still do something about it. Although their decision was likely a result of previous learning, all they needed was some new information to help them change.
How does changing to an internal locus of control relate to speech communication? Actually, the link is much closer and much tighter than one might at first imagine. The basic speech-communication course first examines intrapersonal communication — the talk that goes on within us.
One of the problems with an external locus of control occurs when people say to themselves, “I have no choice,” “I have no control,” or “There’s nothing I can do.” To make the switch to an internal locus of control requires that those using such excuses (making such comments) step back and remind themselves that they do have control; it is their choice. They can exercise their control if they choose to do so.
Another way to make the switch from external to internal is by developing effective decision-making and problem-solving skills. When people set clear, achievable goals, work toward and achieve them, they control what happens in their lives. As they do this, too, they'll find that their self-confidence builds, and they become more persistent and determined — all signs of internal locus of control.
With the achievement of goals and increased confidence — that you can control what happens in your life — decision-making and problem-solving skills improve dramatically. You discover that you not only can better understand situations that impinge on your life, but you can navigate through them successfully.
How much people believe they have control over their lives makes a significant difference now and for their future. There are a number of sources online where tests can be taken to determine internal versus external belief systems. The biggest discovery — and the point of this essay — is that it all depends on choice. And moving from an external to an internal belief system can be accomplished. Sure, it takes patience and perseverance, but what in life that is worth achieving does not require time and effort?
- - - - - - - -
At this web site, under the heading, “Locus of Control,” you get a fairly complete discussion of Rotter’s 1954 discovery: his observations as well as the core of his approach.
At the web site Shine from Yahoo, there is a wonderful, thorough, and interesting essay by CBT, “Developing an Internal Locus of Control - a key to better health,” (June 19, 2011), which ends saying: “Developing an Internal Locus of Control is just one of four important life skills I believe we should be teaching people of all ages, especially our young people while we have them in schools and families. Acquiring these skills is what I call having Mental and Emotional Fitness.”
- - - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.
The internal locus of control concept is so important and can have such a powerful influence on people’s lives, that I spent one entire lecture in my basic speech-communication class discussing it. I would give students a “test” in lecture without them having a clue about what its subject or nature was, I would “grade” it for them orally (again, without them having any idea of what it was all about), I would ask for a show of hands only (and without the results of the “test” having been interpreted — in other words, only with their “test” numbers in hand) I would ask them how they performed, and, finally, with their results in front of them, I would interpret their results for them. Never did they have to reveal their results once the interpretation of their results was provided.
I always received positive responses to this exercise, and often, on the open-ended responses to the lectures at the end of the term, this lecture was mentioned as one students not just appreciated but enjoyed as well. (I think the “enjoyment” factor was due, in part, to the fact that students did not have to take notes nor were responsible for remembering a great deal of content!)
The important question, however, is why is this concept so important in a basic speech-communication class that I would spend a full lecture covering it? Good question. The concept was developed by Julian Rotter in the 1950s. (Rotter, J. (1966). Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcements. Psychological Monographs, 80, Whole No. 609. Retrieved January 25, 2001.) “Locus of Control refers to an individual's perception about the underlying main causes of events in his/her life. Or, more simply: Do you believe that your destiny is controlled by yourself or by external forces (such as fate, god, or powerful others)?”
Psychological research has found that people with a stronger internal locus of control are better off. What I was trying to show in my lectures was simply that adopting and using an internal-locus-of-control-perspective could have immediate and demonstrable results in revealing their (students’) competence and self-efficacy, as well as their ability to make use of opportunity (their willingness to take advantage of the opportunity provided in class for giving public speeches). By doing so, students would be able to successfully experience a sense of personal control and responsibility. This perspective of mine fit into an overall point of view that embraced getting students to take charge of their lives!
I was reminded of all of this when I was reading a book, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work (Crown Business, 2010), by Shawn Achor. Achor writes, “Research has shown that people who believe that the power lies within their circle have higher academic achievement, greater career achievement, and are much happier at work. [The footnote for these findings is 1/3rd of a page long and includes 7 different sources.] An internal locus lowers job stress and turnover, and leads to higher motivation, organizational commitment, and task performance. ‘Internals,’ as they are sometimes called, have even stronger relationships—which makes sense given that studies show how much better they are at communicating, problem-solving, and working to achieve mutual goals. They are also more attentive listeners and more adept at social interactions—all qualities, incidentally, that predict success at work as well as at home” (pp. 131-132).
In the very next paragraph Achor says that believing that you are in control over your job and your life also reduces stress and improves physical health. (p. 132)
From Achor’s comments, you can easily see why it is worthwhile to, at the very least, point all of this out to students. The fact is, research has shown that people can choose; they have control over which one they believe in, and if they have learned one response pattern over another, they can unlearn it and switch.
The key that I taught my undergraduate students was choice. The important thing they needed to realize was simply that it was up to them. Thus, with the information I gave them — including the long-range benefits of possessing internal locus of control — they could still do something about it. Although their decision was likely a result of previous learning, all they needed was some new information to help them change.
How does changing to an internal locus of control relate to speech communication? Actually, the link is much closer and much tighter than one might at first imagine. The basic speech-communication course first examines intrapersonal communication — the talk that goes on within us.
One of the problems with an external locus of control occurs when people say to themselves, “I have no choice,” “I have no control,” or “There’s nothing I can do.” To make the switch to an internal locus of control requires that those using such excuses (making such comments) step back and remind themselves that they do have control; it is their choice. They can exercise their control if they choose to do so.
Another way to make the switch from external to internal is by developing effective decision-making and problem-solving skills. When people set clear, achievable goals, work toward and achieve them, they control what happens in their lives. As they do this, too, they'll find that their self-confidence builds, and they become more persistent and determined — all signs of internal locus of control.
With the achievement of goals and increased confidence — that you can control what happens in your life — decision-making and problem-solving skills improve dramatically. You discover that you not only can better understand situations that impinge on your life, but you can navigate through them successfully.
How much people believe they have control over their lives makes a significant difference now and for their future. There are a number of sources online where tests can be taken to determine internal versus external belief systems. The biggest discovery — and the point of this essay — is that it all depends on choice. And moving from an external to an internal belief system can be accomplished. Sure, it takes patience and perseverance, but what in life that is worth achieving does not require time and effort?
- - - - - - - -
At this web site, under the heading, “Locus of Control,” you get a fairly complete discussion of Rotter’s 1954 discovery: his observations as well as the core of his approach.
At the web site Shine from Yahoo, there is a wonderful, thorough, and interesting essay by CBT, “Developing an Internal Locus of Control - a key to better health,” (June 19, 2011), which ends saying: “Developing an Internal Locus of Control is just one of four important life skills I believe we should be teaching people of all ages, especially our young people while we have them in schools and families. Acquiring these skills is what I call having Mental and Emotional Fitness.”
- - - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Play on the one string you have: your attitude.
SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits. This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #309.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
And Then Some News
Thursday's Essay Preview
The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "The power lies within you" reads as follows:
The internal locus of control concept is so important and can have such a powerful influence on people’s lives, that I spent one entire lecture in my basic speech-communication class discussing it. I would give students a “test” in lecture without them having a clue about what its subject or nature was, I would “grade” it for them orally (again, without them having any idea of what it was all about), I would ask for a show of hands only (and without the results of the “test” having been interpreted — in other words, only with their “test” numbers in hand) I would ask them how they performed, and, finally, with their results in front of them, I would interpret their results for them. Never did they have to reveal their results once the interpretation of their results was provided.
Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay
How much people believe they have control over their lives makes a significant difference now and for their future. There are a number of sources online where tests can be taken to determine internal versus external belief systems. The biggest discovery — and the point of this essay — is that it all depends on choice. And moving from an external to an internal belief system can be accomplished. Sure, it takes patience and perseverance, but what in life that is worth achieving does not require time and effort?
And Then Some News
Monday, May 7, 2012
All facts considered: The essential library of inessential knowledge
All facts considered: The essential library of inessential knowledge
By Kee Malesky
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
Forty-eight pages of fine-printed “Notes and Sources” will give you some idea of how well Malesky, National Public Radio’s (NPRs) librarian, footnotes and offers references for the information she provides. Malesky notes, “I am not the NPR librarian; I’m one of a team of searchers who support NPR’s editorial process” (p. 3).
When I first saw this book, I overlooked it on purpose thinking it was pure nonsense. That is, I thought it was for those who wanted to fill up their storehouse of useless knowledge (or succeed when playing “Trivial Pursuit”) I didn’t even consider reading the book much less reviewing it.
You may wonder how the facts in this book were selected. Malesky makes it very clear: “The facts in this collection have been chosen by me . . .” (p. 3). These are facts that I like or that I find useful, interesting, amazing, or worth sharing . . . “ (p. 3).
In this book, there is no continuing narrative, no unifying theme (although the author uses parts (“On Memory and History,” “On Reason and Science,” and “On Imagination, Poetry, and Art”)) and chapters) to organize her facts. As you read, however, you kind of lose sight of the over-arching subject since there are so many diverse facts discussed. The index is 20½ pages long (in small font) and includes subjects and authors. This is important in a book such as this for when you want to go back (or research) a particular section, at least you have a place to go to help you find it.
If you just want to fill your mind with facts, this is a terrific resource. For example, “The initialism LOL isn’t new; it was used by librarians (and probably many other people) way before computers, to describe a certain group of patrons: “little old ladies.” Now standard Internet shorthand for “laughing out loud,” it has equivalents in other languages too. . . (pp. 86-87).
In her section, “The Department of Redundancies Department” (p. 88), look at the following list (she lists 22): self-censor yourself, please RSVP, 2 a.m. in the morning, PIN number, SAT test, START treaty, LCD display, ATM machine, end result, basic fundamentals, free gift, closed first, Rio Grande River, pair of twins, reason why, whether or not, hot water heater, unexpected surprise, past history, first began, enter into, and prohibition against. Delightful!
For readers interested in language, her sections, “Endangered Languages,” “Euskera Spoken,” “The Forest of Rhetoric,” and “Mixed Metaphors” are especially interesting.
I’m not one who just wants to sit back and be entertained by a whole bunch of unrelated discussions of facts. For me, that is a total waste of my time. I would much rather read books that contribute substantially to my writing (in whatever capacity that may be). It’s the “Inessential Knowledge” portion of the title that concerns me most. I picked up the book simply because I thought there might be some juicy, relevant tidbits that I might use. I think if I were continuing to lecture to undergraduates (as I did for 22 years), there might be an example, a statistic, or an illustration that would be useful; however, being beyond that time in my life, the search would be unnecessary and pointless. I try to read books that are more relevant to my current stage of life.
This book is interesting, well-researched, and well-written. Malesky has collected a great number of facts, and if you have the patience and the interest, this book will definitely occupy your time. There are only 204 pages of text, and it reads quickly. Have fun!
By Kee Malesky
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
Forty-eight pages of fine-printed “Notes and Sources” will give you some idea of how well Malesky, National Public Radio’s (NPRs) librarian, footnotes and offers references for the information she provides. Malesky notes, “I am not the NPR librarian; I’m one of a team of searchers who support NPR’s editorial process” (p. 3).
When I first saw this book, I overlooked it on purpose thinking it was pure nonsense. That is, I thought it was for those who wanted to fill up their storehouse of useless knowledge (or succeed when playing “Trivial Pursuit”) I didn’t even consider reading the book much less reviewing it.
You may wonder how the facts in this book were selected. Malesky makes it very clear: “The facts in this collection have been chosen by me . . .” (p. 3). These are facts that I like or that I find useful, interesting, amazing, or worth sharing . . . “ (p. 3).
In this book, there is no continuing narrative, no unifying theme (although the author uses parts (“On Memory and History,” “On Reason and Science,” and “On Imagination, Poetry, and Art”)) and chapters) to organize her facts. As you read, however, you kind of lose sight of the over-arching subject since there are so many diverse facts discussed. The index is 20½ pages long (in small font) and includes subjects and authors. This is important in a book such as this for when you want to go back (or research) a particular section, at least you have a place to go to help you find it.
If you just want to fill your mind with facts, this is a terrific resource. For example, “The initialism LOL isn’t new; it was used by librarians (and probably many other people) way before computers, to describe a certain group of patrons: “little old ladies.” Now standard Internet shorthand for “laughing out loud,” it has equivalents in other languages too. . . (pp. 86-87).
In her section, “The Department of Redundancies Department” (p. 88), look at the following list (she lists 22): self-censor yourself, please RSVP, 2 a.m. in the morning, PIN number, SAT test, START treaty, LCD display, ATM machine, end result, basic fundamentals, free gift, closed first, Rio Grande River, pair of twins, reason why, whether or not, hot water heater, unexpected surprise, past history, first began, enter into, and prohibition against. Delightful!
For readers interested in language, her sections, “Endangered Languages,” “Euskera Spoken,” “The Forest of Rhetoric,” and “Mixed Metaphors” are especially interesting.
I’m not one who just wants to sit back and be entertained by a whole bunch of unrelated discussions of facts. For me, that is a total waste of my time. I would much rather read books that contribute substantially to my writing (in whatever capacity that may be). It’s the “Inessential Knowledge” portion of the title that concerns me most. I picked up the book simply because I thought there might be some juicy, relevant tidbits that I might use. I think if I were continuing to lecture to undergraduates (as I did for 22 years), there might be an example, a statistic, or an illustration that would be useful; however, being beyond that time in my life, the search would be unnecessary and pointless. I try to read books that are more relevant to my current stage of life.
This book is interesting, well-researched, and well-written. Malesky has collected a great number of facts, and if you have the patience and the interest, this book will definitely occupy your time. There are only 204 pages of text, and it reads quickly. Have fun!
Friday, May 4, 2012
LAUGH . . . And Then Some!
Some employees
bought their boss a gift for his birthday. Before opening the gift, the
boss shook it slightly, and noticed that it was wet in the corner.
Touching his finger to the wet spot and tasting it, he asked, "A bottle
of wine?"
His employees replied, "No."
Again, he touched his finger to the box and tasted the liquid. "A bottle of scotch?"
"His employees replied again, "No."
Finally the boss asked, "I give up. What is it?"
His workers responded, "A puppy."
From Day #43 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
His employees replied, "No."
Again, he touched his finger to the box and tasted the liquid. "A bottle of scotch?"
"His employees replied again, "No."
Finally the boss asked, "I give up. What is it?"
His workers responded, "A puppy."
Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet, Volume 2
From Day #43 in a second complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II
Thursday, May 3, 2012
When I get up in the morning
by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
Often I can predict what kind of a day I’m going to have by the way I get up in the morning. I’m not always accurate, but I use my “getting up” as an indicator. When I showed one of my granddaughters my daily log, she asked me why I begin each day with the time I get up? What she was really asking was, What difference does that make? I explained that the time I get up each morning is just one of the indicators I use for what kind of a day I’m likely to have. When my log indicates that I woke up just before the alarm clock, that is a signal to me that I’m likely to have a very productive day. (Remember what I said above, “I’m not always accurate.”)
When I allow the alarm clock to get me out of bed, I feel I’m a victim. That is, I’m being controlled, regimented, restricted, or managed by forces outside of myself. When there is an external locus of control (like the alarm clock), I feel I’m at the mercy of forces over which I have little (or less) influence.
You have to understand something here that helps make sense of this. I seldom have an unproductive day no matter whether I awake before or with the alarm clock. What I have described thus far has more to do with an attitude or a way of framing my day — as I begin it. My behavior and actions throughout the day are likely to, and often do, take shape in many different ways that have no bearing whatever (or some bearing, but minimal) on the way I get up.
Something that has often intrigued me is that on the days when I get up early to exercise (3:00 a.m.), then take a 2-hour nap after exercising, showering, and having breakfast, to make up for the lost time, I often find that I engage in far more physical exercise (in addition to my morning exercise routine) than on the days when I do not get up early to exercise.
I need about six-and-one-half to seven hours of sleep each night. I can do with less, but too much less will make me feel groggy during the day, and sometimes during the late afternoon, I may even fall asleep briefly as I sit in the chair at my computer or at my desk. Since I hate that feeling of grogginess, I try to get my full quota of sleep every night.
On all of the days during the week when I do not exercise (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday), I set my alarm for 6:00 a.m., and when the alarm goes off, I get up immediately. I know the saying, “If people were made to pop out of bed, they’d all sleep in toasters,” but I am a creature of habit, and I have found that my sleep habits have some effect on my daily work habits. Besides, I feel comfortable in my toaster! Since I am always trying to cram more work into my days than hours allow, I try desperately not to do anything that negatively affects my work.
There are a number of things I do (part of my daily routine) to minimize any negative effects on my sleep. The first major thing I do is avoid having coffee after 3:00 p.m. Now, occasionally when I’m away from home, I may have to extend that to 4:00 p.m.; however, I know that I will disturb my sleep in doing so. I drink just about a cup-and-a-half for breakfast and, for lunch, I have coffee in a large mug poured over ice with a lot of skim milk added. I try to have my lunch from 1:00-2:00 during which time I always have something to read.
Between 9:00 and 10:00 at night, I have my single beer along with fresh pop corn or pretzels. I have found this has no significant effect on my sleep. (I do not drink red wine, and I eat little chocolate; however, I know that coffee, red wine, and chocolate — especially when taken before bedtime — can disturb your sleep.)
Another thing that has a major effect on my sleep is the mood I’m in when I go to bed. Having a happy marriage and having few disagreements or arguments helps. I have found that I sleep best when I’ve had a period of calm and relaxation just before retiring. I try to avoid intense work (thinking!) at the computer, writing an essay or book review, or even reading a book from 9:00 p.m. until bedtime. These efforts so engage my mind that I find it difficult to calm it down before going to bed, and when I go to bed, my mind is still racing, and sleep escapes me.
My wife and I eat dinner around 5:30 p.m.; in this way, dinner in no way affects my sleep.
Another thing that, for me, promotes sleep, is a cool room. Even during the coldest nights during the winter, I sleep with the bedroom window slightly cracked. In that way, I can sleep with a number of blankets over me. For some wonderful reason, the weight of the blankets and comforter provide a great deal of coziness and contentment. With the window slightly cracked, too, it allows the carbon dioxide I exhale to escape the room.
There are other things over which I have control, too, that promote sleep. For example, I keep a consistent schedule. I go to bed and wake up at the same time. We live in a quiet neighborhood; thus, there is no noise (and I mean no noise) at night. I drink a glass of water when I take my calcium, niacin, multivitamin, and fish-oil pills in the morning. This kick-starts my metabolism and causes me to wake up and be more alert. I exercise only in the early morning, and I have discovered on a regular basis, that exercising actually gives me more energy on the day after I exercise; however, the health benefits I receive from regular exercise are noticeable, appreciated, accepted, and certainly worthwhile. (I have been exercising regularly for over 30 years.)
There are several things I do when I get up in the morning that directly contribute to the way I feel throughout the day. After taking my pills and shaving, I take a short, hot shower. I have the same thing for breakfast everyday: Cheerios, oat bran blended with Mixed Gerber Baby Cereal and half a banana, orange juice, and coffee. While eating breakfast, I read two daily newspapers thoroughly.
When I wake up in the morning, I am always grateful for the day I have ahead of me. I never (and have never) seen any day as a burden that I just have to “get through.” I see each day as an opportunity to do something meaningful, beneficial, and satisfying. What is important, especially for the purposes of this essay, is that what I do during the day has a direct and immediate effect on what happens every night and what it will be like when I get up in the morning. I love the quotation attributed to J.M. Powers, “If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.”
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Michael Harrison has a great essay, “10 Geeky Tricks for Getting Out of Bed in the Morning,” (February 25, 2009), at Wired: GeekDad, and what I like about this essay is what Harrison writes in his opening paragraph: “A little confession: I am not a morning person. In fact, I hate getting up before 9 a.m., and I’d probably sleep until 10 a.m. if I could.” The ten tips he offers are worth reading.
At Sleepnet.com, the essay there, “How to wake up with ENERGY in the morning” (June 21, 2002), by Jim Smith is full of interesting and useful advice.
At The Body Ecology Diet web site, the essay by Donna Gates, “How to Wake Up in the Morning: 5 Key Steps to a Healthy Morning Ritual,” is another one that is packed full of worthwhile information and advice. When you Google, how to wake up in the morning, there are millions of available web sites and a plethora of advice.
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Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.
Often I can predict what kind of a day I’m going to have by the way I get up in the morning. I’m not always accurate, but I use my “getting up” as an indicator. When I showed one of my granddaughters my daily log, she asked me why I begin each day with the time I get up? What she was really asking was, What difference does that make? I explained that the time I get up each morning is just one of the indicators I use for what kind of a day I’m likely to have. When my log indicates that I woke up just before the alarm clock, that is a signal to me that I’m likely to have a very productive day. (Remember what I said above, “I’m not always accurate.”)
When I allow the alarm clock to get me out of bed, I feel I’m a victim. That is, I’m being controlled, regimented, restricted, or managed by forces outside of myself. When there is an external locus of control (like the alarm clock), I feel I’m at the mercy of forces over which I have little (or less) influence.
You have to understand something here that helps make sense of this. I seldom have an unproductive day no matter whether I awake before or with the alarm clock. What I have described thus far has more to do with an attitude or a way of framing my day — as I begin it. My behavior and actions throughout the day are likely to, and often do, take shape in many different ways that have no bearing whatever (or some bearing, but minimal) on the way I get up.
Something that has often intrigued me is that on the days when I get up early to exercise (3:00 a.m.), then take a 2-hour nap after exercising, showering, and having breakfast, to make up for the lost time, I often find that I engage in far more physical exercise (in addition to my morning exercise routine) than on the days when I do not get up early to exercise.
I need about six-and-one-half to seven hours of sleep each night. I can do with less, but too much less will make me feel groggy during the day, and sometimes during the late afternoon, I may even fall asleep briefly as I sit in the chair at my computer or at my desk. Since I hate that feeling of grogginess, I try to get my full quota of sleep every night.
On all of the days during the week when I do not exercise (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday), I set my alarm for 6:00 a.m., and when the alarm goes off, I get up immediately. I know the saying, “If people were made to pop out of bed, they’d all sleep in toasters,” but I am a creature of habit, and I have found that my sleep habits have some effect on my daily work habits. Besides, I feel comfortable in my toaster! Since I am always trying to cram more work into my days than hours allow, I try desperately not to do anything that negatively affects my work.
There are a number of things I do (part of my daily routine) to minimize any negative effects on my sleep. The first major thing I do is avoid having coffee after 3:00 p.m. Now, occasionally when I’m away from home, I may have to extend that to 4:00 p.m.; however, I know that I will disturb my sleep in doing so. I drink just about a cup-and-a-half for breakfast and, for lunch, I have coffee in a large mug poured over ice with a lot of skim milk added. I try to have my lunch from 1:00-2:00 during which time I always have something to read.
Between 9:00 and 10:00 at night, I have my single beer along with fresh pop corn or pretzels. I have found this has no significant effect on my sleep. (I do not drink red wine, and I eat little chocolate; however, I know that coffee, red wine, and chocolate — especially when taken before bedtime — can disturb your sleep.)
Another thing that has a major effect on my sleep is the mood I’m in when I go to bed. Having a happy marriage and having few disagreements or arguments helps. I have found that I sleep best when I’ve had a period of calm and relaxation just before retiring. I try to avoid intense work (thinking!) at the computer, writing an essay or book review, or even reading a book from 9:00 p.m. until bedtime. These efforts so engage my mind that I find it difficult to calm it down before going to bed, and when I go to bed, my mind is still racing, and sleep escapes me.
My wife and I eat dinner around 5:30 p.m.; in this way, dinner in no way affects my sleep.
Another thing that, for me, promotes sleep, is a cool room. Even during the coldest nights during the winter, I sleep with the bedroom window slightly cracked. In that way, I can sleep with a number of blankets over me. For some wonderful reason, the weight of the blankets and comforter provide a great deal of coziness and contentment. With the window slightly cracked, too, it allows the carbon dioxide I exhale to escape the room.
There are other things over which I have control, too, that promote sleep. For example, I keep a consistent schedule. I go to bed and wake up at the same time. We live in a quiet neighborhood; thus, there is no noise (and I mean no noise) at night. I drink a glass of water when I take my calcium, niacin, multivitamin, and fish-oil pills in the morning. This kick-starts my metabolism and causes me to wake up and be more alert. I exercise only in the early morning, and I have discovered on a regular basis, that exercising actually gives me more energy on the day after I exercise; however, the health benefits I receive from regular exercise are noticeable, appreciated, accepted, and certainly worthwhile. (I have been exercising regularly for over 30 years.)
There are several things I do when I get up in the morning that directly contribute to the way I feel throughout the day. After taking my pills and shaving, I take a short, hot shower. I have the same thing for breakfast everyday: Cheerios, oat bran blended with Mixed Gerber Baby Cereal and half a banana, orange juice, and coffee. While eating breakfast, I read two daily newspapers thoroughly.
When I wake up in the morning, I am always grateful for the day I have ahead of me. I never (and have never) seen any day as a burden that I just have to “get through.” I see each day as an opportunity to do something meaningful, beneficial, and satisfying. What is important, especially for the purposes of this essay, is that what I do during the day has a direct and immediate effect on what happens every night and what it will be like when I get up in the morning. I love the quotation attributed to J.M. Powers, “If you want to make your dreams come true, the first thing you have to do is wake up.”
- - - - - - -
Michael Harrison has a great essay, “10 Geeky Tricks for Getting Out of Bed in the Morning,” (February 25, 2009), at Wired: GeekDad, and what I like about this essay is what Harrison writes in his opening paragraph: “A little confession: I am not a morning person. In fact, I hate getting up before 9 a.m., and I’d probably sleep until 10 a.m. if I could.” The ten tips he offers are worth reading.
At Sleepnet.com, the essay there, “How to wake up with ENERGY in the morning” (June 21, 2002), by Jim Smith is full of interesting and useful advice.
At The Body Ecology Diet web site, the essay by Donna Gates, “How to Wake Up in the Morning: 5 Key Steps to a Healthy Morning Ritual,” is another one that is packed full of worthwhile information and advice. When you Google, how to wake up in the morning, there are millions of available web sites and a plethora of advice.
- - - - - - - - -
Copyright May, 2012, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.
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