Not Worth Criticizing
One of the podcasts I listen to is The Hidden Brain. Recently Elliot Aronson (ground breaking work as a psychologist studying cognitive dissonance, social psychology, and the Jigsaw Classroom), was the guest. Aronson studied under Maslow as an undergrad. Yes, that Maslow. He told a story of being Leon Festinger’s grad student. Festinger was the…Read More
Stop at the First Mistake
Near an airport where I sometimes work, the local law enforcement folks set up one of those Speed Limit/Your Speed signs. The first few days, it surprised me how routinely I exceeded the posted limit, and I amended my behavior. Signs like that are often posted as a warning – “Hey, actual enforcement is going…Read More
Savages
The Oxford American College Dictionary that sits on my shelf defines savage thus: Noun: something or someone uncivilized or uncultivated, characterized by wild, uncultivated, boorish, or rude behavior, a barbarian. Recently, my youngest daughter remarked that I had eaten something “like a savage.” Neither of us remember the item, but both remember that it was more…Read More
“We don’t see sick patients.”
I left ComicPalooza with a case of COVID. I didn’t meet anyone obviously sick when I was there. No one was coughing or sneezing, I have been vaxxed and triple boosted, yet… The event ended on Sunday. I felt fine. As Monday wore on, I started to feel puny – headache, body aches. Tuesday was…Read More
There in Spirit?
Recently I had a bad cough. I suffered long enough to be told that I needed to find somewhere else to sleep. The neighbors declined, so I moved upstairs and called the doc. I got scheduled for an appointment the next day. A teledoc visit. Really? How do they know if I have bronchitis? Pneumonia?…Read More
Stop and Watch the Sun Rise
We rescued a dog on Mother’s Day. It was raining and he was being an idiot: racing around in four lanes of traffic, chasing cars, not using the crosswalk. Ardith and I looked at each other and sighed. I pulled over and we slogged through the rain and got him into the car. He had…Read More
The Handlebars of Kwajalein Atoll
Just got back from Kwaj. It was my first trip. Kwajalein Atoll is in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and is only about 9 degrees north of the equator. Kwajalein Island is the largest island of the atoll. There are only a few cars/trucks; since it’s only six miles around the perimeter and there…Read More
Heat. Beat. Repeat.
There’s something almost primal about the act of smithing. Combining fire and metal, and then beating them into something useful. Time was, the village blacksmith was the high tech guru. He could take rocks (ore) and make iron, then steel, then turn it into something you needed: horseshoes, weapons, tools, even a decorative hook for…Read More
Live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse. OR…
The original quote appears to date from 1947. Willard Motley wrote it in his novel Knock on Any Door. For years, I subscribed to that quote. Fighter pilot, test pilot, motorcycle rider, skydiver. Life was best lived upside down at the speed of sound (or faster). I looked at old people and thought, “That’s not…Read More
Tired of Fatigue
I have a couple of clients who are struggling with fatigue in their workforce. The labor market is tight and both are trying to staff up to deal with it while simultaneously working their current employees harder than ever. Let’s take a look at fatigue. Fatigue is a common feeling that we all experience at…Read More