Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Friday, December 02, 2011
Money talks . . .
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| http://blog.freejobhuntingtips.com/photos/money-talks-7-salary-negotiation-strategies.jpg |
Once more I am reminded that money talks . . .
It never ceases to amaze me that people with money and support take the lead. It's not necessarily because they deserve to lead, but that they can afford to lead. There's something very predatory about this and I guess that's what bothers me.
Man is an animal and I'm more and more convinced that we are no longer evolving. We are animals that wear designer clothes; we are all perfumed up; we mask ourselves with make-up and lipstick and have money to buy what we want. We travel the world looking for the edge, the advantage. We prey on the weak and the poor. You don't see many animals, other than humans, that terrorize and fight to the death. I always thought that with education and work that things progress and slowly, slowly the world becomes a better place. Now I'm not so sure.
As the birthrate increases at a dramatic rate, people are getting more competitive. The predators scheme and plot and push and snatch. Desperate people see these tactics being modelled and copy. Lots of our behaviours are based on the "monkey see, monkey do" model. So instead of "good" quietly working behind the scenes to make the world a better place, even the do-gooders get frustrated and begin to shout beatitudes.
Hold on to your hat - we are in for a rocky 2012. . .
Monday, November 07, 2011
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Friday, November 04, 2011
CBS icon Andy Rooney died . . .
Andy Rooney was a long time CBS 60 Minutes commentator. He thought of himself as an everyman and his commentaries were as pithy as they were witty. He told it like it is without offending. Not too many people can do that! Our loss is heaven's gain . . .
An Andy Rooney Quote:
"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person."
Andy Rooney
hahahaha - so true, so true
For more on Andy Rooney:
The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/us/andy-rooney-mainstay-on-60-minutes-dead-at-92.html
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Rooney
CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57319150/andy-rooney-dead-at-92/
Andy Rooney Quotes: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/andy_rooney_2.html#ixzz1cw7qVIMF
Thursday, November 03, 2011
what leadership looks like
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| http://www.chapelhillmemories.com/uploads/Image/1950's_Cub_Scout.jpg |
Characteristics of a good leader
Leaders...
- have a strong desire to achieve...they think, plan and act with an "I can attitude".
- are positive and enthusiastic regardless of how others act.
- want to make things happen! They are active participants in the game of life.
- are good friends. They have the ability to find something good in every person and every situation.
- are assertive, persistent and productive. They have determination.
- believe success depends on what you can get out of you
- expose themselves to new experiences. For they know that is how growth occurs.
- delegate responsibilities to members of the group or team in such a manner to create motivation and enthusiasm.
- Possess high self-esteem.
The ten commandments of leadership
- Treat everyone with respect and dignity.
- Set the example for others to follow.
- Be an active coach.
- Maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity.
- Insist on excellence and hold your people accountable.
- Build group cohesiveness and pride.
- Show confidence in your people.
- Maintain a strong sense of urgency.
- Be available and visible to your staff.
- Develop yourself to your high test potential.
Strategies for putting yourself in a position to win
- Identify and mobilize your resources
- Realize from the start that you make your own breaks
- Disregard the negativism and jealousy of others
- Success should be noticed, not told! Speak softly when discussing your success. Practice humility
- The less people know about why6 you are successful, the less competition you will have
- Have a plan of action with an equally impressive contingency plan
- Realize that you will learn something new every day. Capitalize on your new found knowledge
- Remain focused. Avoid the temptation to splinter off to something new until you have mastered your primary task
- You must leave "The Box". Think creatively. Allow your vision to know no boundaries. Common sense will prevail
- Compensate people appropriately for what they are worth and what contributions they have made to your success
- With every set back you’ll take two steps forward
- You must learn to be comfortable with the concept of success and remain poised as it builds upon itself
source: Pasco-Hernando Community College http://phcc.edu/students/goodleader.php
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, October 07, 2011
Steve Jobs - may he rest in peace
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| http://jmak.tumblr.com/post/9377189056 |
If life is a journey, then Steve Jobs has had a hell of trip. He's a prime example of what energy and faculty can accomplish.
Steve Jobs quotes that speak volumes to me:
"Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it." Fortune, Nov. 9, 1998
"Quality is more important than quantity. One home run is much better than two doubles." Businessweek
"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected."
"Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important have the courage to follow your heart and intuition."
Sunday, October 02, 2011
packing up . . .
The sun is shining and the afternoons are quite warm. . . It's still beach weather. Slowly, slowly the amount of tourists is diminishing and the cafés and restaurants are closing earlier.
Summer can't last forever . . .
Friday, September 30, 2011
left brain, right brain or no brain
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(9)Wow! No wonder I can see all sides of a problem! I'm completely balanced . . .
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
sometimes someone else says it for us . . .
Some dayz r harder than others. Sorry to say that it doesn't get any easier as you get older. . .
Friday, September 23, 2011
It's official, it's now autumn
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| http://cdn.homes.com/cgi-bin/readimage_v2/127854234 but I already knew that . . . Enjoy the season! |
Sunday, September 18, 2011
liar, liar, pants on fire!
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| DSK should be more than ashamed of himself, he should be in jail. |
Guys like this don't leave well enough alone. This type rapes a woman while she is at work, then has enough money to wiggle his way out of a jail term but still can't let it be. He has to go on television and EXPLAIN how yes, maybe it was inappropriate to have sex with the maid,but no there was absolutely no violence involved. Then he says that the woman is making this all up and poor him, he can't understand why unless of course she's evil and plotted this all out for years and used some kind of voodoo to make the planets align to orchestrate this so she could make a fast buck.
First of all, how the hell old is he? Does he think he's still a 35 year old gadabout? Doesn't he have a mirror at home? He's an old guy. Why would any chick under 60 look at him like he is anything other than a meal ticket? Does he really think that a hotel chambermaid has the time to stop in every room and screw the occupant and that that would be a perk for the job? Does he really think that he would strike an attractive pose to a younger woman, or any woman for that matter? How did it happen? He came out of the bathroom and like their eyes met and they both just knew? No romance, no champagne, no nothing? Is he kidding? Does he believe that anyone would believe that story? How stupid does he think the rest of us are?
Power and politics don't seem to bring out the best in people. DSK is not alone, he has lots of company. . .
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Summer fun
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| http://travelsupurmarket.com/images/content/070211-summer2011.jpg |
a good summer, a very good summer indeed!
Hot Fun in the Summertime, Sly and the Family Stone
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Autumn
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| http://www.absolutely-free-pictures.com/system/files/images/autumn-maple-leaf-on-grass.jpg |
Our lives are driven by schedules, deadlines, calendars, clocks, bells, alarms . . . These are all contrivances designed to organize and control our time/lives.
This year on September 23 at 9:04 am it will be officially fall. According to Wikipedia, "An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator." It continues, "An equinox happens each year at two specific moments in time (rather than two whole days), when there is a location (the subsolar point) on the Earth's equator, where the center of the Sun can be observed to be vertically overhead, occurring around March 20/21 and September 22/23 each year." Wikipedia also makes a distinction between an equinox and an equiluxe. An equiluxe is the term used to denote those days when sunrise and sunset are the closest to being 12 hours apart.
Growing up in Pittsburgh it was easy to tell when it was fall. We have long hot, humid summers. Often times in the summer there's not a big difference between the high and low temperatures. Sometimes it just too damn hot to sleep. When I was growing up, on nights like this the houses were dark and parents would be sitting on porch swings and gliders speaking in hushed tones, if at all, and all you would see would be the red light from the tip of their cigarettes. The kids would be sleeping in tents and sleeping bags in the back yards. The doors were open all night long and no one was afraid that their kids would be abducted nor were they afraid that anyone would enter their homes. That was out of the question. It just wouldn't happen. You knew it was autumn when the humidity dropped. That was it. That was the sign. And it didn't happen according to a date on a calendar. It was fall when it was fall. The humidity drops and there's a certain chill in the air. . . The light changes too. . . The color of the sky is a bit different . . .
Some things are beyond our control. My calendar says it's still summer, but it's not. It's really fall. All the signs are here . . .
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
25 years later - Stand By Me stands the test of time
I just got finished watching one of my favorite movies of all time. Stand By Me was a 1986 box office hit directed by Rob Reiner. Upon learning of the the death of a childhood friend, the narrator recounts a story of a sad adventure shared by himself and 3 other boys. The story takes place in late August, 1959 just before the summer holiday ends and boys enter junior high.
There are lots of memorable quotes from this film but none is more meaningful than the last line which was typed in, not spoken, by the narrator: "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?" Yeah, that says it all.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Dorothy Parker
Born: August 22, 1893
Died: June 7, 1967 (aged 73)
Occupation: Author, poet, critic, screenwriter, all round caustic wit and wise-cracker
Quote: The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
Not only was she something, she was also something else . . .
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Smart or not?
I live in a great apartment on a really cute little street in a nice neighborhood. Although residential, most of the buildings are multi-family buildings. The smallest housing 3 families. The rest are apartment buildings and condos and even a hotel. My building and the building next door, like many of the buildings on my street, have underground parking. The space has a combination of individual garages and parking places. However, noone uses it. There is a steep decline, a sharp right turn and most of the people in these two buildings own big cars. Everyone parks on the street. This, coupled with the fact that we live within walking distance to a restaurant, a popular coffee shop and a tea salon, results in a parking problem.
As you can see in the photo above, the Smart car was parked in the worst possible spot. It is parked right smack in the middle of a space that usually holds 2 medium sized or 1 large and 1 small car. (The small car is usually mine - a Fiat Seicento).
Smart car? Maybe. Smart owner? No way. Smart ass? Yes, definitely!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Castelo de Vide
Another medieval hilltop town loaded with charm, Castelo de Vide has Roman origins and been inhabited continuously since then by the Vandals and later the Moors. There are even megalithic ruins littered throughout the area. The town was chartered in 1180. The castel in this Alentejano town dates from the 14th century and at one time had a thriving Jewish quarter complete with a medieval synagogue.
What I love about this city is that life still thrives within the castle walls. What an amazing legacy that is . . .
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Born in the USA Tour
August 11, 1985 - Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA Tour
It was a warm summer night and Bruce rocked Three River's Stadium. I wore slim-cut Calvin's and a white t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up à la Bruce.
Oh, what a night . . .
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
"I'm sorry" doesn't always mean that someone is sorry . . .
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| http://themoderatevoice.com/wordpress-engine/files/2008_july/Stop_Sign.jpg |
This morning on the way to walk a relatively normal looking guy in his early 30's went through a red light. He was accompanied by his young wife and little one in a car seat in the back seat of the car. As he was going through the red light he said that he was sorry. When we chastised the driver, he said, "I said I was sorry."
He looked like a nice guy. Yeah, we've all gone through red lights - or at least I have. No one was hurt by his mistake. BUT he was in the wrong. There's more to being wrong than saying "I'm sorry". You have to actually BE sorry. If you are sorry, you are remorseful. If you are remorseful, you don't cop an attitude with the people you almost hit. End of story.
"I'm sorry" doesn't always mean that someone is sorry. Sometimes it's just a lot of blah, blah, blah. . .
Sunday, August 07, 2011
August 6 and August 7
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| http://www.americascup.com/webimage/Hero/Global/NewsImages/07.06.2011/1-.jpg.jpg |
August 6 - August 14, 2011
I was lucky enough to watch a couple of these events. . .
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Goodbye Mimosa
Portugal has a tradition of a "cafe society".
There are coffee shops all over the place; some are quite famous. Years ago before television and internet overtook our lives, after dinner people would meet at a coffee shop to discuss the news of the day. Although this custom has faded away, coffee shops are still hold quite an important place in the community.
The coffee shop in my neighborhood was called "Mimosa". While there are other coffee shops nearby, Mimosa was THE coffee shop. It opened at 7:30 am and closed at 8pm (what a shame). It sold wonderful little cakes and pastries that were made on the premises. They also served lunches. It was great. It was always full. I loved Mimosa. I looked forward to starting each day with breakfast at Mimosa. Then suddenly in late June, from one day to the next it was closed. Rumours began to fly as to the reason that they closed. No one knows definitively but it seems that they were locked out for not paying their rent. Apparently, the owner of the café was funnelling profits from this successful business into one of his less successful endeavours. But who knows for sure.
Anyway, after 3 weeks this sign appeared giving hope to all who frequented Mimosa. One more week and the coffee shop did open on the 26th but under new management. The name of the coffee shop has changed. While some of the wait staff are from the Mimosa, most aren't. They changed the color scheme to a green/brown that doesn't quite work. The quality of the pastries isn't what it used to be. Still, let's give them a couple of weeks to get themselves up and running before we rate them as so-so. . .
Thursday, July 21, 2011
casting
I responded to the advertisement. I didn't really know what to expect but I guess I thought it would be more like an audition for a play. I envisioned a stage with the director sitting in the 6th or 7th row in the audience. Sort of like what we see in the movies.
It wasn't like that. The auditions were held in a studio on July 21 from 3 to 6 pm on a street that was almost impossible to find. It took us over an hour. After checking in with a receptionist and signing a release form and then a brief wait, I was ushered into the studio for a screen test. There I found a green screen, hi tech camera, and sound guy. There was a teleprompter with my script. I was asked to introduce myself, tell them a little about me, include my acting experience and then run my lines. They taped my audition. Everyone was way nice and this photo above is proof that I did indeed attend. hahahaha
Screen test - it was sooooo cool. Something I've always wanted to do. Another thing crossed off my list. . .
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Medieval Nights
When I was a 3rd year student at Miami University a couple of classmates and I began to scramble for a minor. We really hadn't considered it before, but suddenly it became important. I had enough classes for a minor in psychology but my school didn't offer a minor in psychology. I didn't want to double major; I wanted a minor. Don't ask me why.
Since I was a history major, pursuing a minor in Medieval Studies sounded logical. Although I knew squat about anything medieval, I forged ahead. I'm glad that I did. I joined a small group of 4th year students who were all interested in European Medieval History. For a well-rounded view of that period we took an array of classes. In history we focused on the 12th Century (actually the period from 1050 to about 1250 or even 1300). I also took a class in medieval art and was able to slot in a Chaucer class. We had to do an independent study and I focused on medieval women.
So you can imagine my delight that here, each year, there is a Medieval Fair in my favorite walled medieval Portuguese town of Óbidos. It is sooooo much fun. I only wish that I could share this experience with my former classmates . . .
Monday, July 11, 2011
Summer Holidays
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| http://duckside.mandarinaduck.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/summer_holidays_small.jpg |
It's official. I've started my summer holidays.
First stop clean the apartment - lol.
Hope your downtime is well-spent.
Saturday, July 09, 2011
I quit smoking 10 years ago
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| Issued in public interest by Adidas |
I quit smoking 10 years ago this week. I thought it was impossible. It wasn't BUT it was the hardest thing I have ever done. After that everything else is easy. Watch out world!
Smoking cessation timeline – the health benefits over time
In 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate decrease, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increase.Carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen.
At 8 hours, the carbon monoxide level in your blood decreases to normal. With the decrease in carbon monoxide, your blood oxygen level increases to normal.
At 24 hours, your risk of having a heart attack decreases.
At 48 hours, nerve endings start to regrow and the ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
Between 2 weeks and 3 months, your circulation improves, walking becomes easier and you don’t cough or wheeze as often. Phlegm production decreases. Within several months, you have significant improvement in lung function.
In 1 to 9 months, coughs, sinus congestion, fatigue and shortness of breath decrease as you continue to see significant improvement in lung function. Cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs, regain normal function.
In 1 year, risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is reduced to half that of a smoker.
Between 5 and 15 years after quitting, your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
In 10 years, your risk of lung cancer drops. Additionally, your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas decrease. Even after a decade of not smoking however, your risk of lung cancer remains higher than in people who have never smoked. Your risk of ulcer also decreases.
In 15 years, your risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack in similar to that of people who have never smoked. The risk of death returns to nearly the level of a non-smoker.
http://www.highlighthealth.com/cancer/smoking-cessation-timeline-what-happens-when-you-quit/
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Summer Solstice
But way before man charted such things, we instinctively knew that this was a special time of year. It's the time of warmth and sunshine and longer days to spend with our friends.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, summer is just around the corner.
Enjoy these moments . . .
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Saturday, June 04, 2011
The Tree of Life
Tree of Life trailer por teasertrailer
One of the women at work had heard good things about this award winning movie so a few of us made a mid-week date to go and see it at a local mall. We were tired and not in the mood for anything heavy and couldn't believe what we were watching. The imagery was surreal and the theme was leaning hard on the existential side. During the intermission (yes, we still have an intermission here in Europe), the woman who suggested the film was apologizing all over the place.
After the show was over we had a 1/2 pitcher of sangria and some nibbles and talked about how much we disliked the film and wouldn't recommend it. It was getting late and we made our goodbyes. The next day the conversation continued at break and at lunchtime and focused a lot on one of the main themes of the movie: there are 2 ways to live life; the way of nature and the way of grace.
We usually think of "nature" as a positive force and this film shows just the opposite. Nature has been violent from the get go and the "big bang" theory is just one good example of that. The building of the land masses is a violent process whereby hot magma is forced from the center of the Earth and spewed into the atmosphere. Mountains are formed by tectonic plate collision the force of which actually folds the earth's crust. The National Geographic channel shows us the predatory nature of animals. Man wasn't given a free pass on this either.
Grace on the other hand is a personal choice. To live in a gentle way that scaffolds others and is full of communication, collaboration and cooperation is a wonderful ideal. Think of a world guided by positivity. But as shown in the film, this is seldom the case. Nature thunders in and snatches what it wants. It's interesting to note that "gentle" finds it hard to survive such an atmosphere. Maelstrom work environments are created by the struggle between these 2 groups of people. It's hard for these two types to co-exist and at the moment, I'm sorry to say, nature seems to be taking the lead.
Since I've seen this film I have thought a lot about it and weave it into conversation at every opportunity. I'm surprised that it's having a much bigger effect on me than I would have anticipated. As time passes, it's growing on me. It's hard to let go . . .
On second thought, I'm glad that I saw this film, would recommend it and all the discussions (and sangria) that it encourages.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I meant October 21
Sorry Harold, but you lost all your credibility. And, even if this is true, what good would knowing about this do?
Harold, do us all a favor; just keep it to yourself. . .
Monday, May 23, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Six Word Memoirs . . .
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| http://www.smithmag.net/ |
The idea is: One life. Six words. What's yours?
I thought I would give it a shot too. (I thought I would try it.)
Oh yeah, I'm blogging about you.
hahahahahah This is fun!
Don't think I don't notice that.
My idea. My work. My success.
I don't get what I deserve.
I am smarter than you think.
Summer is right around the corner.
I am stubborn to a fault.
I see who you really are.
Her problem: She has to WIN.
I could go on all nite,
You should give it a try. . .
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
why not?
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| http://www.gonnaridemybike.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/but-why-didnt-you-tell-me.gif |
Sunday, May 15, 2011
lapse
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| http://static.starcitygames.com/sales/cardscans/MAG5TH/memory_lapse.jpg |
As is ritual, many of those attending observed Communion. I was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition and tried to remember the last time I participated in this practice. Was I 11 or 12? I couldn't remember but thought that it must have been some time when I was in the 5th or 6th grade. I stopped going to church altogether by 7th grade. I'm a lapsed Catholic.
And then I began to think about the other lapses that have occurred over the years: lapses in judgement (I'm happy to say that these don't happen very often any more); lapses in memory (which are happening more and more - lol), time lapses (this happened just last week when I was ill and had to spend the day in bed), reality lapses (these usually occur when someone says something so stupid/inappropriate and I just sit there (at the dinner/meeting/party/event) and act like everything is normal) and most of all lapses in communication.
I am a lapsed sibling, aunt, friend . . . What a shame. Since this is the only lapse I really care about, I think it's time to close the gap on this. . .
Monday, May 09, 2011
one good turn deserves another, doesn't it
Portugal is in trouble and needs the support of other EU countries to receive money from the IMF.
Finland is a holdout. . .
Sunday, May 08, 2011
May 8 - Happy Mother's Day (USA)
Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws. Barbara Kingsolver
Saturday, May 07, 2011
one thing after another . . .
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| http://artanddesign.siuc.edu/newsevents/images/Neitzke-front-showcard-Events.jpg This week has just been one thing after another and I am sure glad it's over. I had been on a 2-week break from work and spent a great deal of that time doin' nothin' and just kinda hangin' out. It felt good to recharge my batteries and get ready for the last term at school which is always hectic. By the end of Monday (my first day back at school) I had no voice - yet again. The last time this happened was about 6 weeks ago. I have a bit of "silent gerd" - yes, I know this is way more info than you need. I don't get massive heartburn or anything like that. It manifests itself by allowing just enough acid to burn my larynx and enter my nasal passages resulting in reoccurring nasal infections and laryngitis. Lucky me. BUT, in the grand scheme of things this ain't bad! So on Tuesday I called my ENT guy and got an appointment for Thursday after work (6:00pm). Cool. Monday nite my shoulder started hurting. Only had paracetamol so started taking those in the late afternoon. It was helping but I woke up in the middle of the nite as the pill had worn off and needed to take another. Tuesday things got worse and Tuesday nite was a repeat of Monday nite except the pain was worse. This was still the trend on Wednesday so I went to the "urgent care" at a clinic near me (this is similar to but not exactly like an HMO or Private Clinic in the States). I went whimpering in as by now I was sleep-deprived (always a trauma) and in pain.Saw the ER doctor and was diagnosed with an inflamed calcium deposit on my shoulder. Ouch! Then I sort of begged to see an orthopedist. I had to wait a fairly long time for an orthopedist and it seems that he had already spoken with someone in depth before seeing me because he knew exactly what was wrong before looking at the x-ray. He was a bit condescending and at one point I apologized for interrupting his day. He immediately told me that he was there to help me and that I shouldn't apologize. Yeah, that's just what I wanted to remind him of. He is there to serve me, not the other way around. Anyway, he prescribed Zaldiar EFE. The young female pharmacist raised her eyebrows at the prescription and told me that it was very strong and to make sure that I took it on a full stomach. She looked worried as I left. I went home, made sure I ate and I took it as prescribed and was able to sleep through the night. Ahhhhhhh. It felt good. Thursday I went to work - remember I spend my day with teenagers who depend upon me. I followed the instructions and took my meds like a good girl. By mid afternoon, I knew something wasn't right. I was so sleepy that I was afraid of falling asleep in class. My mouth was completely dry and I started to leave the room for frequent glasses of water to counter-act this. Then at 3:30 I had to excuse myself from my class of surprised kids who were trying to act like things were completely normal (because they are polite). I raced to the ladies room and bolted myself inside. This is every teacher's nightmare and I was living it. I stayed inside the bathroom until 5pm hoping to avoid as many students as possible. Too sick to drive, LuÃs came and picked me up. I wanted to go home and sleep but he insisted that I keep my 6pm ENT appointment. Before leaving the school one of the other teachers suggested that I take a plastic bag with me - and she was right. Thanks, Maggie! I made good use of it. I barfed waiting in the parking lot for the doctor, had to excuse myself from the appointment to rush to the ladies room to throw up and then again when I arrived home. Went to the ENT appointment and for once he was on time. Usually I bring a book and chill out for an hour or so in the waiting room. He was surprised that this drug had been prescribed because about 1 in 10 experience side effects. Evidently that's a very high percentage rate. I was one of the lucky 1 in 10 and experienced a litany of side effects all at the same time. I remember the pharmacist saying to me that they prescribe this drug as a last resort. I explained to her that it was the first time that I saw this particular doctor. To make a long story short, the ENT said to discontinue Zaldiar (yeah, like I needed someone to tell me that), prescribed something to address and repair my stomach issues and told me not to take any meds for 48 hours. Good advice. Tomorrow I need to start taking an antibiotic for my nasal infection . . . Anyway, the Orthopedist told me that he would give me something for the pain and he sure did. All the while I was puking and experiencing nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, stomach pain, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and anxiety all I could think of was my stomach and purging the Zaldiar - I wasn't focused one bit on the pain in my shoulder. Thank you Doctor, it was a miracle cure and you are surely worth the €91 per visit you charge. . . |
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I know the difference . . .
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| http://www.takeavirtualhike.com/images/sip/mexwarst.jpg |
When I was in my early 30's I lived in the Mexican War Streets. A national historic district located on Pittsburgh's North Side, it was one of the city's urban renewal areas. Each September there was a "house tour" to show off the work that had been done to restore this quarter to its former glory.
I remember one year a house that was on tour had a number of unusual freehand drawings on the walls of the dining room. This same dwelling also had a garden full of equally unusual statues. The owner of the house was on hand and very proud of her accomplishments which bordered on the crude and inappropriate. I thought that she was nuts but was assured that she was an artist. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, an artist. Well, I guess that explains everything . . .
I have since learned that there are very acceptable lables for very unacceptable behaviors and people.
Although I may not say it, please don't think that I don't know the difference. I do . . .
Friday, April 22, 2011
April 22 - Earth Day
Think globally, act locally.
Let's do all we can to help Japan recover.
Happy Earth Day.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Groupthink, Groupthink, and more Groupthink
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| https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1K1b-HZRfL_iah0hS8bKKK6d0zXBoPaAoLaWMUVxwBObBgp39ifihDa44C9cMp9xAlWR3_hZcwITMb7ksKqtnIT7-GiVCt32-OJmyH_qwVl0h-Qmpl6s92ZUAHXNMGfif2klHw/ |
I took a kazillion psyche classes over the years. The teachers that I had ran the gamut from the seemingly normal (I've since learned that ya just never know) to the mildly strange to the bizarre. Some of them were university instructors, some of them were practicing psychologists. Still, I learned a lot. One of the concepts I studied was "groupthink".
According to Wikipedia, "Groupthink is a type of thought within a deeply cohesive in-group whose members try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas. It is a second potential negative consequence of group cohesion." Wow - that says a lot right there.
Groupthink is a phrase that was coined by Irvin Janis, a forefather in the study of group dynamics. Some prime examples of groupthink are: the Bay of Pigs fiasco, the Challenger disaster, World War II, the failure to anticipate the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the escalation of the Vietnam War. While at Miami I wrote a convincing paper for a history class that purported that The Spanish Armada set sail under the flag of groupthink. More recently it has been suggested that the current economic crisis and the invasion of both Afghanistan and Iraq were driven by groupthink. Although I agree that the war was started by a bunch of alpha-males in uniforms who have a lot of weapons that they were just dyin' to try out and led each other on until they put a lot of 18 and 19 year olds (both male and female because "We've come a long way baby!") on airplanes and shipped them half-way around the globe away from all that they know and all the while assuring them that they are saving the world, I think the economic crisis was influenced by another prime motivator - GREED.
To combat groupthink Oregon State University offers advice here: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/theory/grpthink.html
I have a better idea. When someone asks you what you think, muster up the courage to speak your mind. I try to do this and while I can say that it is NOT usually well received (I have recently been told that I am negative and can find something wrong in every situation), I can sleep at night. . .
Articles and Blog Posts for further scrutiny.
How Group Think Rules What We Like: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/12/st_clive_thompson/
Egypt: The Groupthink Problem: http://thenakedtruthinaconfusedworld.blogspot.com/2011/02/egypt-groupthink-problem-analysis-by-dr.html
Does Social Media Produce Groupthink: http://inventorspot.com/articles/does_social_media_produce_groupthink_30660
Cartoons to smirk at: http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/g/groupthink.asp
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Oldest Man Dies
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| Walter Breuning in seventh grade, second from left, top row with blue "x", October 1907 |
He was born in 1896 and lived a very long and full life. He was born into a world that had no electricity and no running water and died in a completely different world.
In an earlier interview, Mr. Breuning (see I called him Mr. Breuning, not Walt) offered the following advice:
• Embrace change, even when the change slaps you in the face. ("Every change is good.")
• Eat two meals a day ("That's all you need.")
• Work as long as you can ("That money's going to come in handy.")
• Help others ("The more you do for others, the better shape you're in.")
Then there's the hardest part. It's a lesson Breuning said he learned from his grandfather: Accept death. "We're going to die. Some people are scared of dying. Never be afraid to die. Because you're born to die," he said.Sound advice indeed.
To read the whole article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110415/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_world_s_oldest_man.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Gonna rise up . . .
One of my Year 11 students introduced me to Eddie Vedder and Rise -
Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow
Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold
Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold
Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole
Such is the way of the world
You can never know
Just where to put all your faith
And how will it grow
Gonna rise up
Burning back holes in dark memories
Gonna rise up
Turning mistakes into gold
Such is the passage of time
Too fast to fold
And suddenly swallowed by signs
Low and behold
Gonna rise up
Find my direction magnetically
Gonna rise up
Throw down my ace in the hole
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes
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| Restaurante Srª Tasca, Graça Peixoto |
The restaurant is housed in a quaint 1879 building (in Labrugeira) and is owned and operated by Graça Peixoto. It's pretty much a one-woman show. The restaurant is small and as soon as you enter you feel that you have stepped into another era - one in which hospitality and attention to detail still mattered. The menu was limited to 4 choices and delivered orally by Ms. Peixoto. She mentioned off-hand that the recipe for one of her entrees that day had been her grandmother's. Yes, it's that kind of place. The atmosphere was welcoming, the room and decor charming, the service was attentive, the food was delicious, and the company was convivial. It goes to show that you don't have to travel very far to get away from it all. Just what I needed.
Restaurante Srª Tasca, (closed Sunday for dinner and all day Monday)
R. Comendador António Máximo
Lopes de Carvalho, 25
Labrugeira
2580-405 Ventosa
Alenquer
Tel. 351 - 263 779 205
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Earth Hour 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011 8:30pm
Thank you Earth Hour!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Remembering Liz
Liz Taylor passed away today.
According to Yahoo News:
She was a child star who grew up and aged before an adoring, appalled and fascinated public. She arrived in Hollywood when the studio system tightly controlled an actor's life and image, had more marriages than any publicist could explain away and carried on until she no longer required explanation. She was the industry's great survivor, and among the first to reach that special category of celebrity — famous for being famous, for whom her work was inseparable from the gossip around it.Elizabeth Taylor lived a full life and she will be greatly missed.
Monday, March 21, 2011
World Poetry Day - March 21
A Very Short Song
by Dorothy Parker
Once,when I was young and true,
Someone left me sad -
Broke my brittle heart in two;
And that is very bad.
Love is for unlucky folk,
Love is but a curse.
Once there was a heart I broke;
And that, I think, is worse.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Think Spring!
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| Paredão - Tamariz Beach |
It was such a beautiful 1st day of Spring that everyone came out to enjoy the sun!
With weather like this, we know that summer can't be too far off . . .
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Beware the ides of March
The two women exchanged the kind of glance women use when no knife is handy. Ellery Queen
Friday, March 11, 2011
Azenhas do Mar
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| Azenhas do Mar |
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
International Women's Day - March 8
Sure God created man before woman, but then again you always make a rough draft before creating the final materpiece. Author Unknown
Monday, March 07, 2011
The way I see it . . .
Starbucks quote #287
You don't have to be the Former Secretary of State to understand why the world is not a better place . . .
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Look what they've done . . .
As I reflected on the week (yeah, it's been one of those weeks - lol), Melanie Safka came to mind. I haven't thought about her in ages. Through the miracle commonly known as the internet, I was able to connect with her and the past.
I found a relatively recent quote by her, "For the first time, I'm not afraid to voice exactly what I feel. I used to feel that I didn't want to say too much, but now I can say anything. I feel like a person who's never been heard. Maybe people think they've heard me, but they never really have. I'm a new artist who is having so much fun with my voice -- a person shouldn't be allowed to have so much fun. I'm the woman I wanted to be when I was sixteen and going for Edith Piaf. It's me -- I'm back."
Yes, Melanie. Me too!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Who's The Boss? part 1
In January 2007 I was a 4th grade substitute teacher for 1 term. I had no training in elementary education and no children of my own. The only experience that I had with children that age was that I used to be one - a VERY long time ago. It was a hard job but I loved those kids. After school one day one of the moms complained to me about her daughter. The conversation went roughly like this:
Mom: Little Bonnie (obviously not the child's real name) is bossy.
Me: No, she's really nice.
Mom: No, she's bossy. She bosses everyone around including her older sister and me.
Me: making more protests about how nice little Bonnie is/was
Mom: Being bossy is not a good trait in a 9 year old girl. That's why none of the other kids like her. She's always telling everyone what to do.
Me: But it's a good trait in a 39 year old CEO. She will grow into it.
This seemed to de-stress the moment and relieve a little tension for the mom. Ahhhhhhh! I watched her relax.
But on second thought, is it? Is being bossy ever acceptable? Being bossy is not synonymous with being the boss. And bossy people don't make good bosses.
There's a chain of command in every household/institution/group. Humans naturally play a type of follow the leader. It's in everyone's best interest to have 1 chief while the rest of us get on with the daily grind of doing whatever it is we do. This is the way of the world. Natural leaders are those special people that have traits that bond the clan and build excellence within the group. Traits such as integrity, compassion, intelligence, fairness, and being generally inspiring go a long way in building group cohesion. This is the color of leadership. It's not some bossy, self-appointed know-it-all who barrels in and pushes everybody around and looks down her nose at us all while passing out orders and telling the world what to do and how to do it.
No, I guess bossy doesn't work at 39 any better than it does at 9. . .
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