Month: August 2017

I stumbled across a clip of Kevin Bacon reprising his last dance from the movie Footloose and it reminded me of the soundtrack from the movie.  I further chased down that rabbit hole and ended up listening to a bunch of songs from that movie and that time period, which led me to the Bonnie Tyler song “Holding Out For A Hero”.  Long story short, I ended up looking at how many songs have been written about becoming, finding or looking for a hero, rescuer, savior, etc.  I both was and wasn’t surprised to see that there are a ton of them over the past 30 years, from David Bowie, to Bonnie Tyler to the Foo Fighters and more.  Some of these focus on looking for heroes, some on being someone’s hero, and some celebrating the sacrifices of first responders, military, etc.  The key point is that we really celebrate and need heroes in our lives and in our culture…today more than ever.

I bring this up because, I saw three examples today of being a hero that really spoke to me.  The first was in a Washington Post article about the “Cajun Navy” by Sally Jenkins.  It can be found at this link.

For those of you not familiar with them, they are an unofficial group of outdoorsmen, mainly from Louisiana, but from across many locations, who bring their boats to flood locations and help evacuate people.  They are very effective because of their background fishing and duck hunting in the bayous of Louisiana and are experience in navigating treacherous waters.  They have helped hundreds of flood victims over the years and they do it just because they can.  Granted they aren’t the only private citizens helping out like that, but they are a distinct group that, although, unofficial, are recognizable enough to reference.

The second was a video of professional wrestler John Cena being surprised by a number of people that he has helped over the years with his message of Never Give Up.  He is active in programs like the “Make-a-Wish” foundation and others, and particularly is active in cancer treatment charities.  Cricket Wireless put the event together, which can be seen at this link.  What is especially touching is the fact that he hasn’t done this for the fame or “good karma points”, but rather because of the fame and the belief that it is important to use your talents, your opportunities and your abilities to reach out and help others as you can.

Finally, there are two other sports figures that continue to impress me with the way that they reach out to people in need for the same reason, because it is important to do what you can, where you can, as you are able.  They are J.J. Watt and Tim Tebow.  The story that made me think of the two of them was about J.J. Watt starting a Youcaring.com campaign for Houston relief efforts and raising over $10M in just over 3 days.  He did it because he was frustrated at not being able to physically be there and help, so he decided to do what he could through his social media followers.   There are plenty of stories about Watt and Tebow both, including Tebow’s charity work and his unwavering Christian walk and example despite the inevitable blowback he gets from the media.

The thing about all of these examples is that each of these people is doing what they can, where they can, as they can, with no expectation of anything in return and no hidden motives.  In a society that celebrates the loud, the brash, the ego-centric and self-centered, we need to be exposed to these and other examples of everyday heroes to remind us that somewhere out there, someone is holding out for a hero…and we just might be the person who can be that for them.

So you may be asking, what’s a gravity problem. Well, first of all it’s not a problem. It’s a reality that people often refer to as a problem. Let me give you an example.

When I was sixteen, I could dunk a basketball.  It was a risky proposition sometimes, but more times than not, it worked. Now that I’m older, I can’t dunk a basketball. In some minds (like mine), that’s a problem because I still think I should be able to dunk a basketball. I’m the same guy and the ball hasn’t changed it’s parameters–neither has the hoop–so I should be able to overcome this problem if I work harder, get the right shoes, get the right trainer, etc. In reality, I’m never going to dunk a basketball again. At least without the aid of a trampoline or ladder. This is a gravity problem because gravity is a reality that will keep me from ever achieving the unrealistic objective of dunking a basketball at my age.

I can’t count the number of times people around me at work, in social circles, etc have described their situation in terms of a gravity problem that allows them to rationalize (telling rationale lies) or ignore the realities of the situation and continue addressing aspects of a situation that aren’t ever going to get at the real problem.

At work, the majority of things I hear are excuses about how an old system was so much better than the current system, but in reality the comparisons don’t hold water because the problems pointed out existed in the old system as well. They aren’t really problems but realities that will always have to be acknowledged and dealt with in order to get to an actual solution. In social circles, I hear the same rational lies. If only I hadn’t made this choice or been forced to do that. Realities are what they are–like gravity–and as much as we like to think we can control every aspect of our situation, we have to face reality and all the challenges that come with that reality in order to move forward. Gravity isn’t going away–neither will our realities or the decision we’ve made in the past that impact those realities. Our job is to acknowledge gravity, put it to use for our benefit and make the best of reality.

So call me out of touch, but I saw my first full episode of Game of Thrones Sunday, which also happened to be the day after the latest season finale. Social media and traditional media have been blowing up lately about the finale and the controversy surrounding the content of the show and the novels that haven’t been written yet (see previous post).

Anyway, I am out of touch when it comes to most TV shows so this shouldn’t surprise anyone. I did enjoy the first episode of the first season and will now likely spend more time than I should over the next few months trying to catch up.

One line stuck out to me from this episode though. It was said by Ned Stark, Warden of the North as he was explaining to his youngest son the rationale for executing a deserter who happened to have some very reasonable justifications for his unlawful act. It’s old school accountability on both ends of the equation. I wonder though, how many people today would pass judgment with the same emotion and conviction if they had to follow through by enacting the punishment they thought the perpetrator deserved.

I hear a lot of tough talk from people, and not a little hypocrisy as well, when it comes to holding others accountable. But we all need to remember that passing judgment requires accountability as well. There are many sayings that capture this far more succinctly than I have in this post (glass houses, plank in your own eye, etc.) I guess I’m going to have to keep watching the show for awhile. ?

Priming is a psychological term used for the act of the shaping opinions of others through advertising to include, visual, audible, and olfactory input. Restaurants do by using certain color schemes for their logos. It has been shown through research that red, yellow, orange, or green actually make you hungry.  Have you noticed how many companies use those colors in their logos? Certain sounds also stimulate behaviors. The sound of sizzling bacon (as well as the smell) can trigger hunger to most. The smell of cleansers will give people a false sense of cleanliness – and many places use them to shape customer’s perceptions.

Priming is used these days not only in advertising, but also in the news, music, and in social media. It’s a proven fact that priming has a significant impact on behaviors. Study after study has shown that if you read negative news, read negative social media, and listen to negative music it has an effect. The more we feed our cognitive bias – the more we tend to reinforce our bias.

We must be aware how priming is being used to shape opinions, needs, wants, and values. Even now we see how certain symbols are being used by the media to shape attitudes, opinions, and facts, to the way they want – regardless of the fact there is another side to all these stories. The purpose of this post is to open your eyes to the influences around you.  Here are a couple of links that will help you further understand sensory priming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gUuY6_g_qU

https://www.marketingsociety.com/the-library/hidden-potential-sensory-priming#xcsLZzdkZPBDjYuU.97

What a climatic weekend.  First, we had what was arguably billed as the fight of the century. Floyd Mayweather simply out lasted Conor McGregor in a fight hardly anyone expected to go as long as it did. Floyd Mayweather knew what 12 rounds of hard boxing felt like – Conor McGregor did not. Despite all the rhetoric and perceived animosity before the fight, both fighters were gracious in victory and defeat. Mayweather praised McGregor’s quick study in the boxing art and McGregor praised Mayweather’s fight preparation and skill in the ring.

The second climax will the final episode of HBO’s series, “Game of Thrones”. Although I can’t say I’m not happy with the way the season has progressed, it seems much more like fan-fiction than the writing of George R.R. Martin.  One thing I’m sure of, many more primary characters would be dead in some gruesome fashion if Martin was actually controlling the story line. Instead we have the makings of a great cliff hanger as we watch the episode tonight. I will be watching with interest to see where the writers take the story.  I’ll be even more interested to see if Martin finishes the next two novels and see how the story diverges. Martin has mentioned that what we are seeing won’t necessarily be what happens in the books.

So we will now wait to see what Conor McGregor plans for the future.  Floyd Mayweather has said (we’ve heard this before) this was his last fight. We will also have to wait till the final season to see who gets what’s coming to them or who doesn’t. I’m also looking forward to the next two books by Martin – if he indeed finishes the series.  I hope he does.

I heard an interesting sermon last night on this topic and thought I’d share some of the thoughts I got out of it, because I hadn’t really heard this taught in this way before.  For context, we are at a camp this weekend preparing our quizzers for Bible quizzing over 1 and 2 Corinthians.  The speaker chose the reference 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 about the need for self-discipline and applied it to not just our daily lives, but our spiritual lives.

The passage says “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (NIV)

The speaker made a number of points about the importance of preparation, anticipating, having goals, etc…the types of things we’ve written about here before, but he also talked about the “fallacy of finishing”.  There is another passage in the New Testament where Paul remarks that he has finished the race, which many people interpret (myself included) that it is important to finish…to complete…to persevere until the end.  All of this is true, but we tend to think of it as persevering to the end…eventually.  We leave out the concept of the “race”.  Races have limits on time, much as we have a limited lifespan.  The importance of what Paul said is two-fold in that it is important to finish AND it is important to run it as if it is a race.

While the meaning was there all the time, this was a new concept for me to think about.  I had certainly accepted it as truth in sporting competitions and in due dates and assignments growing up, but I had never really applied it to the other areas of my life.  It is important to not just set goals with the mindset that eventually you’ll get there, because at some point you’ll be faced with the choice as to whether it is a goal or a dream.  Let me give you an example.  I have always loved playing chess.  The game itself fascinates me and the concept that there are essentially an infinite number of games possible intrigues me and makes me want to study it deeper.  Early on I decided that I wanted to study the game and become a grandmaster, so I bought books, joined clubs, and basically improved to a club-level player…not great, but okay.  In the back of my mind, I still was pursuing the goal of becoming a grandmaster, but I had no end date in my mind and so, as life would get busier, I would put chess aside for awhile and come back to it later.  The problem wasn’t that I stopped running towards my goal, but that I had no urgency to complete the goal, so I didn’t exert the effort required to actually get there.  Now, looking back, I see that I missed my window for finishing that race.  It doesn’t mean I couldn’t eventually become a chess grandmaster, but the level of effort required to get there now is greater than I wish to expend to achieve it.

I think this principle is true in every facet of our lives.  We need to complete the race, but we need to remember that it is a race and have an urgency about completing the important things in our lives…things like building strong families and relationships, building a strong faith, being an example regardless of where we are at, being a better person tomorrow than we were today…  Perseverance lets us finish, but urgency lets us achieve, and not, as Paul put it, “be disqualified for the prize.”  It is hard to remember when faced with the day to day challenges, whether they be working in jobs we may not enjoy, trying to figure out how to stretch an already strained budget, dealing with that one person who just knows exactly the right way to set you off, etc.; but it is an important point to think about and grab hold of.  Run the race, but run it so as to win, not just eventually finish.  Have a great week!

We are entering what has traditionally been “back to school” time.  I have always found this to be a fun time of year.  Like with New Year’s Day, birthdays, etc., the start of a new school year brings up thoughts and memories of fresh starts, new school supplies, and new experiences.  While many of you are technically out of school, I would encourage you to continue to pursue learning and knowledge throughout the course of your lives.  I know I have, both formally and informally, and I have benefited greatly, whether from winning the odd trivia night or expanding into a new career field.

We seem to have some fallacies in our thinking of learning, experience, and skills, though.  I have talked to a number of co-workers and new hires who only think of being qualified in areas where they have completed formal training, but I think that is a mistake.  The ability to learn new things brings personal improvement, whether through experiential learning or through self-study.  In most university settings that I have been involved in, self-study of materials is essential to really understanding a topic, although not necessarily for passing the course.  This disconnect, to me, makes self-study even more valuable than official transcripts from accredited universities.  Conversely, the rigor of formal study, does indicate that at least a minimum level of understanding was achieved, which is important when trying to ensure a minimum baseline is known by an individual.  In the end, though, self-study moves one from minimally qualified to expert.

Interestingly, to become an expert in something requires about 10,000 hours of study and experience.  This, to me, means that learning has to be an on-going effort, and, secondarily, you can (and must) rely on self-study to forge a true expertise in an area.  The neat part of that is that you get to decide what area that will be and you can tailor it directly to the things you love.  So, as we enter into the fall and start thinking about school days, I encourage you all to pick up a book, search on YouTube, listen to podcasts and lectures on topics you wish to add to your level of expertise.  Pick something you enjoy and get started today…of course, you probably need to pick up some new school clothes and supplies first!  That part is always fun.

Awhile back I wrote about my sadness that special things aren’t special anymore because of globalization, the Internet and Donald Trump. (Okay, that last part was just a little humor because it’s late, been a long day and I’m overtired.) But this past week has reminded me that even though most things aren’t special anymore (thanks Amazon, BitCoin and WalMart), experiences are still special and sometimes those experiences include special things.

While in Vegas with my coauthors last weekend, we went to an historic little dive bar call Atomic Liquors. It’s an oasis in the middle of the fantasyland crap that permeates the rest of Sin City. It’s nothing fancy–a little hole in the wall place where you have to ring a bell to get in after dark for safety reasons. But it’s been there since 1952 when it served as a package store in the middle of nowhere for the employees at the nuclear test site. Our bartender, Katie, was exactly the kind of bartender you’d expect to see there and when we asked for a dinner recommendation, she naturally said the Atomic Liquor Restaurant was the best place in the Fremont area–old school upselling at its finest. The place also sold merchandise including some really cool t-shirts with radiation symbols and hats. Turns out that you can only get that merchandise in the Atomic Liquors bar (they don’t sell them on-line) which is a shame if you forget to get yours while there, but makes those that do purchase them very special indeed 🙂

The other special experience this week was the solar eclipse. I hope you had a chance to experience it in your own way. In addition to being a very infrequent event, the reason it was special for me was the community it created at work. In the light of all the current vitriol between the left , the right and their surrogates, it was refreshing to see men and women, older and younger, all races and ethnicities, gathering in our agency’s patio area sharing “eclipse-safe glasses,” talking about home made eclipse viewing devices and just having a good time sharing time together. I’m truly glad some things still really are special.

Growing up, I couldn’t stand country music. It, and Elvis, was all my parents listened to on their great big eight-track, phonograph, AM radio equipped stereo that looked more like a piece of furniture than a music system. I vowed from an early age to never listen to country music when I grew up. The twangy, sad-sack songs just rubbed me the wrong way. Country music just wasn’t cool in my elementary school either so it would have made me some kind of a weirdo and who wants that. When I got to high school, one of my best friends tried to persuade me to give country a try again. He loved the classic storytellers like Johnny Cash, George Strait, and Glen Campbell. He was fighting a losing battle because we grew up in the heyday of rock legends like AC/DC, Van Halen, Rush and Pink Floyd that merged into the genesis of synth rock from the UK like The Fixx, Devo, Duran Duran and the emergence of new legends like Prince and U2. Needless to say, he lost the battle.

I did think I had a very liberal and eclectic taste in music despite my loathing of one specific genre. Spending a healthy amount of time overseas exposed me to musical stylings I’d never heard in the states and radio stations that played Boston, Beethoven, B-52s and Bella Fleck back to back to back. I thought I was pretty progressive in my tastes compared to some other knuckleheads who only listened to one specific type of music–often country.

Then I had one of those moments that change things. When my dad passed, I spent a fair amount of time at home making arrangements and taking care of family and the house. At one point, my mom and I decided to head up north to the little plot of land they owned where my dad would go hunting every fall. We also decided to take his truck for the three hour drive. When I started the truck up, naturally country music was on the radio. I groaned inside at first and then decided to leave the station tuned where it was and listen to the music my dad liked so much. The first full song I heard was Love’s the Only House by Martina McBride. She started changing my mind, but only a teeny tiny bit…enough to buy the CD.

Over the next couple years, I spent most of my music listening time focused on Christian bands because we freaked out when our kids started singing Brittany Spears lyrics by heart. That’s enough to scare any parent straight isn’t it? Anyway, I still avoided country and stuck with the stuff that made me jump around like an idiot so I could embarrass my kids at concerts. Then my kids began to influence my musical tastes subtly and significantly.

Both girls listened to a LOT of country and over time, I’ve come to make it my primary listening material (except when I’m at the gym.) I’ve come to appreciate my high school friend’s opinion that country is the poetry of the music world. There are some goofball, party-it-up songs that just make you smile or feel good, but the majority of songs tell a story. It’s not always a happy story, but that’s okay too. Life isn’t always a happy story. We just need to find the right DJ to play the right mix to keep us on the right path so that we meet the right people and do the right thing.

The ancients believed that eclipses were omens. In Vietnam, people believed that a solar eclipse was caused by a giant frog devouring the Sun, while Norse cultures blamed wolves for eating the Sun. In ancient China, a celestial dragon was thought to lunch on the Sun, causing a solar eclipse. In fact, the Chinese word of an eclipse, chih or shih, means to eat.

According to ancient Hindu mythology, the deity Rahu is beheaded by the gods for capturing and drinking Amrita, the gods’ nectar. Rahu’s head flies off into the sky and swallows the Sun causing an eclipse. Korean folklore offers another ancient explanation for solar eclipses. It suggests that solar eclipses happen because mythical dogs are trying to steal the Sun. Traditionally, people in many cultures get together to bang pots and pans and make loud noises during a solar eclipse. It is thought that making a noise scares the demon causing the eclipse away.

There must have been something to the myths because this day, for the lack of a better term, sucked. From sunrise, to eclipse, to sunset – it sucked. I’m hoping for a better day tomorrow. An eclipse-less day. A less stinky day. I hope everyone else had a great day and enjoyed the eclipse.