After a two year hiatus we have decided to start writing the post again. We will move to a weekly post as opposed to daily and are looking forward to sharing new insights as we have grown and so have our children. As the three of us reflected, we determined that posting was as much for ourselves as our family and friends. Writing this post has been cathartic for many reasons. We also plan on adding a podcast in the near future. So much has changed in the world and we are looking forward to sharing our insights about those changes. Carpe Diem!
Category: Daily Post
Our daily post on the front page
Paul Harvey wrote this in 1964. Prophetic.
If I were the prince of darkness, I would want to engulf the whole world in darkness.
I’d have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree — thee.
So, I would set about however necessary to take over the United States.
I’d subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers.
With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as you please.”
To the young, I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince the children that man created God instead of the other way around. I’d confide that what’s bad is good and what’s good is square.
And the old, I would teach to pray after me, “Our Father, which are in Washington …”
Then, I’d get organized, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull and uninteresting.
I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. I’d tranquilize the rest with pills.
If I were the devil, I’d soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and nations at war with themselves until each, in its turn, was consumed.
And with promises of higher ratings, I’d have mesmerizing media fanning the flames.
If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. I’d tell teachers to let those students run wild. And before you knew it, you’d have drug-sniffing dogs and metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.
With a decade, I’d have prisons overflowing and judges promoting pornography. Soon, I would evict God from the courthouse and the schoolhouse and them from the houses of Congress.
In his own churches, I would substitute psychology for religion and deify science. I’d lure priests and pastors into misusing boys and girls and church money.
If I were the devil, I’d take from those who have and give to those who wanted until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.
What’ll you bet I couldn’t get whole states to promote gambling as the way to get rich?
I’d convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that swinging is more fun and that what you see on television is the way to be.
And thus, I could undress you in public and lure you into bed with diseases for which there are no cures.
In other words, if I were the devil, I’d just keep right on doing what he’s doing.
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February 9, 2018 – That Forever Person
I have a friend who has been married for over 20 years, but when I hear him talk to his wife you wouldn’t think it was his best friend – far from it. When his wife talks to him, you wouldn’t think he was her chosen one either. I hear others talk to their spouses in short, curt tones – snapping at them as if they were their children or an indentured servant. What’s worse, I watch those same people will treat a their friends, or even total strangers, with more respect and a loving tone in their voice than their number one.
The one person you get to choose (excluding parents) who should be your number one fan, your number one hero, is your spouse. Think about it. You are saying to that person (and they are saying to you) I love you so much that I’m willing to share everything with you – everything. The person you plan on spending eternity with should get all you attention, love, an respect. You shouldn’t be treating that person worse than friends or even strangers. Your forever person should always be the number one person in your heart.
If you are thinking about getting married or are already married, I urge you to think about what’s written above. Is your spouse or perspective spouse your number one person? Can you share everything with them? Do they treat you like you are their number one? If you answered yes, then God has blessed with your soulmate. I pray each of you find your forever person and treat them like the treasure they are.
Before archaeologists spend time and money excavating an area they always (well, almost always) dig an shallow trench across the area to be studied to see if it’s worth expending the effort for a full scale dig. They carefully plan the excavation and if something of interest is uncovered, they make an informed decision to proceed or abandon the site. This seems obvious to most of us – do some planning and make an informed decision based on research and a little trial and error.
Unfortunately, what seems obvious is really not. As we watch the news lately, particularly when it comes to politics, it seems no one wants to dig archaeological trenches. They would rather go all in and excavate the site, or they would rather not dig the trench because they don’t want to see what’s there. The happy medium of course is to dig the trench, see what might or might not be worth discovering and make that decision. It’s a good life lesson really.
I hope that one day in the not too distant future we can get back to making informed decisions. I also hope that we can get to a point where we aren’t afraid to dig those trenches, regardless of what we find. Have a great evening.
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January 26, 2018, Natura naturans
i picked this topic to cover two different issues: environmental impacts of global warming and decisions I’ve been wrestling with on faith. The philosophy of Natura naturans was put forth in the Middle Ages by Baruch Spinoza as a contrast to those who said that nature had to be cared for because it was created. Spinoza believed that everything is connected and nature cares for itself. That’s an argument some opponents of global warming make-that no matter what, the planet will survive even is the human race doesn’t. They cite the dinosaurs as an historical example.
Those who study energy like Einstein also thought everything is connected. If you think about energy it doesn’t disappear, it just transforms into something else. Photosynthesis is a great example of energy transforming from the sun, through many “spheres” into a plant and then becoming oxygen perpetuating life that in turn is also transformed. Photosynthesis is nearly 100% efficient. Better than any human designed machine. Each day over 16,000 tons of plant is created on the earth—isn’t that amazing. It has to be created from something.
This cycle of creation is both astounding and perplexing. I think I need a little more time to think about this. Your thoughts are invited.
Book Review – The Leading Brain: Powerful Science-Based Strategies for Achieving Peak Performance by Hans W. Hagemann
Why did that bother me? Why do I let the little things bother me?
Why can’t I control these emotions and how can I change this to be the person my dog thinks I am?
Gnōthi seauton (Greek for know thyself) One of the most important skill a person can have is knowing themselves. Hagemann’s book really helps you take a look at why you think, do, and act in certain ways.
The book talks about what makes us tick in plain language with just enough science to make it geeky (which I like). He details the biology of the decision process, which is great, but he also gives you the “so what”.
The first part of the book talks about the brains infrastructure and how the infrastructure works. He discusses the roughly 1 trillion nerve cells in your brain. Those nerve cells are called “neurons”, and look like a Rorschach test. Different neurons have different functions, but each looks relatively the same. Although these neurons are tightly packed like a rush hour subway train, they don’t actually touch, or physically connect. Instead, they maintain a distance in between called synapses and chemical messengers called neurotransmitters (more about that) to cross the remaining distance. Each neuron has sending/receiving capabilities. Imagine these neuron’s with their axons and dendrites as a bunch of telephone wires. The big difference is instead of just facilitating conversation, these telephone wires control every action, reaction, and emotion that you experience.
What we do creates pathways or a direct wire. This ability to create pathways allows our action, reaction, and emotions to be flexible. Imagine these pathways like a road – the more its used the more familiar it becomes (think habits). Examples of this are tying your shoes, or brushing your teeth, these activities which have become habits, happen with relative to no thought.
These pathways are controlled by hundreds of neurotransmitters, but of these only three are influencers. These, what the Hagemann calls the “DNA of Peak Performance”, are Dopamine, Noradrenaline, and Acetylcholine. Its worth looking at these for a minute.
Dopamine: The “Fun Chemical”. It is what provides excitement, usually resulting from doing something new. Hagemann points to this importance of novelty when they say: “This explains in part the enthusiasm you may feel when you start a new project and why the thrill isn’t usually as strong after you’ve been working on it for a while”.
Noradrenaline: The “Survival Drug”. Regulates your alertness and attention, and is at an optimal level when you’re slightly over challenged. This is why it is so important to get out of your comfort zone.
Acetylcholine: Our “Focus”. Hagemann points to babies, and how they’re always alert of their surroundings. This is why this period is called the “critical period of neuroplasticity”, since they’re soaking up everything around them. As we get older we can’t keep up with this alertness, and instead this alertness is operated manually. We flip this switch by releasing dopamine, and the specific applications are exercising, making a conscious effort to focus, or when we’re exposed to something new.
The example Hagemann uses is a camera. Noradrenaline points you in the right direction. Dopamine helps you zoom in, and acetylcholine lets you focus until it’s just right.
That’s just a taste. Highly recommended if you are curious about why you do things and what’s happening under the hood.
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Week One – Welcome to 2018!
2017 is in the rear view mirror and 2018 has officially kicked off with bitter cold, snow days, and a HUGE amount of email and tasks to respond to from the holiday season. As much as I enjoy the holidays, I have to admit I am glad to be back into the routine. The discipline of having things to complete and routine patterns are a little comforting, despite their tediousness. I have already realized a few things, though, about my resolutions and performance in 2018. First, although I am starting to eat better, I have not kept up with my goals on eating after the holidays. That should fix itself, though, over the next couple of weeks. I have had my resolution to have more patience with people tested fairly significantly already in week 1. I am only one book away from meeting my goal of reading one book per week, although I am close to finishing the one I started this week, so I don’t consider this to be too far off track. Finally, my goal to post 3-4 times during my week has obviously not been successfully accomplished in the first week. So, with 1 week down and 51 to go, there is a lot of room for growth.
As always during this season, I think about goals, resolutions, etc., and the many reasons so many of us end up failing to keep them for much longer than a month. I really think it is because we have our measurement methods wrong. We set a goal to do something every day or every couple of days and the first time we don’t end up doing it, we end up determined, yet already thinking we are behind and at some point behind becomes never catch up, so we give up. What we should be doing is saying that “by the end of the year I want to have accomplished ‘x'”. That way we don’t start undermining our potential success right away, rather we give ourselves the opportunity to pick up and start again tomorrow. That simple mindset change of “it’s okay to start over tomorrow” can make all the difference between successfully meeting a goal or giving up. Anyway, I have found that to be the case for me. I am much more likely to pick up and start again if my time frame is by the end of the year, rather than every day.
The second thing I have discovered is a show called “Better Late Than Never”, which has William Shatner, Henry Winkler, Terry Bradshaw and George Foreman going on a European trip together. I have only watched the first episode, but it is a very fun show and it is great to see these four different personalities share experiences and build their friendships as they travel together. It reminded me a little of the trips I have made with my fellow co-authors, in the sense that half of the fun is the interaction between the four of them (or 3 of us) and the rest is in the travel events themselves. Plus it serves to remind me that it is important to seize opportunities as they arise and do the things on my bucket list sooner rather than later. I was struck that none of the four stars of the show had ever been to the Zugspitze (the highest mountain in Germany) and they were awestruck by the beauty of the Alps. I don’t want to wait until I am 86, like William Shatner, to see some of these things for the first time.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with a couple of quotes, a book recommendation, and a throwback song that I rediscovered this week thanks to some old video games. The song is I Don’t Wanna Stop by Ozzy Osbourne. It was part of the Madden football games and it was refreshing to find it again. The book I highly recommend is Ready, Player One, which is being released as a movie in March. Do yourself a favor and read the book first. It is a mix of 80’s references, the Matrix, and classic video games. It is a quick read and a very, very good one. Last, I leave you with two quotes to kick off your year.
The first is from C.S. Lewis. “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream another dream.”
The second is from Timothy Ferris. “The fishing is best where the fewest go, and the collective insecurity of the world makes it easy for people to hit home runs while everyone else is aiming for base hits. There is just less competition for bigger goals. If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.”
Have a great week and good luck on your new year!
So here we are at the end of a year and the start of a new one. We will be changing the format in the coming year, maybe not posting as much, but we will keep posting. As I said in other posts – it is a labor of love. Happy New Year to our readers – looking forward to another year of ODD.
So, as you may have noticed we have had difficulty posting over the past couple of weeks. Part of this is schedule-induced, some memory-induced and some technology-induced, but the most accurate reason is that we have been so involved in the holidays that this blog ended up a little neglected.
We decided to change things up for next year. Each of us will take a week and write as often or infrequently as we feel led. Part of the reasoning was to help us to keep our writing schedule straight and part was because we may have days where nothing really strikes us and then a few days where we have three or four things, so this gives us a little more flexibility.
As we come to the end of 2017, I have had some time amidst the activity to reflect on the past year and to meditate on it a little. This year has seen lots of change in all three of our families, some good, some bad, and some in the middle. Through all of it though, the three of us have grown closer and I think there are some key reasons that may be beneficial for all of us.
First, we have been deliberate about staying in touch and spending time together. It is a simple truth, but powerful, the more time you spend with quality people, the deeper and stronger the relationships grow. Second, we shared in each others’ victories and struggles. When you find relationships where each partner feels safe enough to be trusted and open, you have found a truly valuable treasure. Safeguard it.
Third, like siblings, we keep each other grounded in reality. When times have been tough, we have stood shoulder to shoulder encouraging and helping and speaking truth about the reality of the situation rather than the perception. When times have been good, we have celebrated but also kept each other grounded in the truth that success is fleeting and is a result of and not a testament to the qualities and efforts that define who we are as individuals. Remember, you are not the sum of your successes and failures, you are much. Ore valuable than that.
Finally, we just enjoy being around each other. You become like the five people you hang out with the most…choose wisely. Pick character and quality over flash and cash. As I heard it put once, you may buy the sizzle, but you eat the steak.
I hope you all have a happy New year and that 2018 brings you all health, joy and peace.
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December 28, 2017 – More Road Trivia
After 3 days on the road from Texas I’d like to share a little more road trivia. The nice thing about having a spouse who loves trivia as much as me is that when I wonder about something we see on the road, she is already looking it up when I ask. Some interesting facts we learned on this trip.
- There are two Colorado rivers in the United States. The one in Texas is the 18th longest and empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
- The Zebra mussel is an invasive species plaguing America’s fresh waters – they are originally from the Caspian Sea in Russia. They came over in the bilge water in ships. Another Russian conspiracy.
- Calaveras means skulls in Spanish, so the very celebrated story book by Mark Twain is actually (in English) “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Skulls County”. Not as nice or quaint, actually quite scary.
- RM and FM roads in Texas are Ranch to Market and Farm to Market. RM roads are much wider than FM roads. FM roads are also very dark and in poor shape. You can thank the traffic app, Waze for that bit of trivia.
- Its just as far from Knoxville, Tennessee to Texarkana, Texas as it is from Texarkana to San Antonio. Texas is stupid big.
- Arkansas and Kansas come from entirely different root languages, so they shouldn’t be pronounced the same.
- Texas doesn’t believe in lighted streets outside of big cities.
- There are a lot of deer in Texas judging by the number of dead deer beside the roads.
- Louisiana needs more commercials about littering the highways. Reminded me of the 70s.
- The two longest bridges in the United States are in Louisiana.
- Mississippi was surprisingly clean.
- If you are in Biloxi, Mississippi stop and get some hot tamales at Doris’ Hot Tamales. The best I’ve ever had.
- Doris’ Hot Tamales is part of a Mississippi Delta hot tamale trail. Who knew?
- The largest underground lake in the United States is just off I75 near Sweetwater, Tennessee.
- The meaning of the Tennessee was lost to history – it has an Indian meaning, they just don’t know what.
Last but not least – when playing the license plate game the hardest ones to find (didn’t see one coming or going) are Hawaii, Alaska, Montana, and South Dakota.