Archive for March, 2006
Breath
Thursday, March 30th, 2006Today’s tip is simple but very effective. Every hour or so, while sitting at your desk, take a deep breath through your nose until you feel the air in your lungs push against your diaphragm then exchale out your mouth. Do this three times.
When stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and fast and restricted. If you take a body check every once in a while you’ll be shocked how often you are breathing “tightly”.
Deep breathing oxygenates the brain, releases some endorphins (feel good hormones) and helps reset your mood.
If you find yourself sighing a lot (ask people if you’re a “sigher”, they’ll know) that could be a sign you’re suppressing feelings. Talk with someone, solve it and then let it go.
Breath. You’ll feel better.
Anti-Americanism: The Other World Superpower
Thursday, March 30th, 2006What do terrorists, fashion elite, Euro-socialists, communists, the U.N. all have in common? They all hate America. So goes The Futurist’s argument. He further explains crafty ways to expose this cowardly “Superpower” through logic. Logic doesn’t work in some conversations though. I include a couple examples below.
While engaged in argument with a very nice, sincere, socialist/liberal/utopian/feminist at a party during Chiropractic college, we disected one of her very deeply held beliefs about the benefits of some social program. When we got to the bottom though, (and I can’t remember the substance here, if I remember I’ll tell you) and coming to the conclusion that her position had been misguided all along, she started sobbing. Honest-to-pete, I did not expect this tough broad (her husband hasn’t taken a bath in years, a habit he picked up living in France, I kid you not, and he stays homes with the children while she supports the happy tribe) to bawl right then and there.
“What should we do then?” she wailed.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” I mumbled looking around in consternation. Everyone at the party, besides my husband and me were staunch socialist/liberal/utopian/feminist New Yorkers as opposed to us conservative/christian/semi-feminist/utopian/somewhat libertarian New Yorkers who were moving out of New York as fast after graduation as our little fat legs would carry us. I wasn’t worried about being beat up exactly, but I didn’t want to be booted from the party either. Oh, how had I allowed myself to get engaged thusly? My specialty, while living there, was to nod politely and enjoy the company, because they were nice company.
My response was highly evolved (sarcasm), I didn’t want to further the sorrow by offering a solution that would result in a psychic-break, the sobbing was bad enough, so I said: “I need a beer. Do you want one?” To which she just shook her hanging head mournfully while her smelly boyfriend/husband-to-be glared at me as I slunk away.
It should be noted here, that I had often parried with the Smelly Husband-To-Be over politics. He got so mad at me once that (I was right, he later admitted on the phone) he stomped out of my apartment and slammed the door when I said he was in no position to offer criticism of Rush Limbaugh when he had never listened to him, while I was qualified to argue the merits of Howard Stern versus Rush since I had listened to both. His door slamming amused me. I had seen people slam doors and leave in movies, but no one had actually slammed a door in my face mid-argument. Fascinating. It frustrated him, though. Because our apartment doors were in a dorm building built at Eisenhower College which was bought by New York Chiropractic College, they were unbelievably heavy and spring loaded (precisely so they couldn’t slam and bother all the other residents). So he had to drag the door shut to make it slam. Very funny.
In another discussion, he put forth the argument that marriage is slavery. So tired. So incredibly tired. Since I was married, and he had never been, and he still nursed a broken heart from an “open relationship” that went horribly wrong because he actually loved the girl he was with but was too gutless to ask her to MARRY HIM, I proceeded to explain to him the freedom of marriage. He evidently took the point because he is now married and to a nice girl, too. Domesticity no doubt agrees with him.
So there are few of my experiences arguing with people who govern their life by emotions. Their sincerity and empathy always impresses me. But my experience has been that devout Christians tend to be more oriented to doing something about the problems. The faith-based institutions lead the clean-up and rebuilding and continue to do so on the Gulf. In New York, my friends (all of them poor college students, I might add, who had yet to make a dime or pay taxes–this distinguished Steve and I from them since we actually worked and paid taxes before going back to grad school) believed the State should solve this or that problem. They believed taxes should be raised.
I said to my friend, well if taxes should be raised, “Why don’t you take the lead and put extra money in your taxes? Why do you work hard to minimize your tax bill?”
“Well, I’m poor,” he said.
“Yeah, so, people who are working have families, and responsibilities, what makes your money more valuable to you than their money valuable to them? And besides, there are people poorer than you who could use the help.”
He had no answer. I think every person should be exposed to beliefs different than their own. It makes you smarter and more fully developed. Hanging out with people who didn’t believe like me didn’t bother me at all. In fact, it was enjoyable.
Part of the problem today is that socialize exclusively with people who believe, think, have the same background, worldview etc. I see this in liberal circles and conservative ones, too. No one can even entertain an opposing viewpoint or argue it for that matter because they accept their own authority because everyone believes just like them.
This my friends is called in logic Ad Populum. Or Appeal to Popularity–everyone approves of it, it must be true.
Immigration Coverage
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006If you want to know what is going on about immigration go over to Michelle Malkin. She has everything. You know, my feelings about immigration have changed. Illegal immigration always bothered me, but the human face that I saw every day, the people I know softened the hard edges of reality. Seeing the U.S. flag upside down with the Mexican flag on top, kindles something primal in me, something protective. It rises almost to the toppling of the Twin Towers. The mother in me wants to discipline some sense into these ungrateful brats and their ignorant leaders.
Emotional Design
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006Is something better if it’s beautiful? Does beauty make a better emotional connection? A qualified yes and definite yes respectively.
Beauty is better than ugly any day. Ugly makes an emotional connection, but one we don’t want.
Don Norman discusses design and emotions in his book. Here is a review.
Light Posting Wednesdays
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006Wednesdays, I see clients. That means that posting is sketchy. Today has been extraordinarily light. Sorry all.
Thought I’d update you about Cali. Yes, she’s gone. But wow what an emptiness around the house. She had such a spirit presence. Always connected to us, always “on” for us. Dogs are amazing creatures. She was extraordinary.
Her declining health also consumed more emotional energy than I realized. Waking in the morning, my first stop would be the window to look after her. Coming home from some errand, I’d scan the backyard. Looking out during meals, if I didn’t see her right away, a sense of panic welled up and I’d look around ’til there she was sunning herself on some soft leafy spot.
Anyway, I miss her and cry when thinking about her soft muzzle and beautiful, kind brown eyes for too long.
If You Don’t Know What You Want, You’ll Get It
Wednesday, March 29th, 2006A very talented client of mine got presented with an unbelievable business proposal by a forceful, enthusiastic sales type. It was all very exciting. New business! A nationwide, maybe worldwide reach! Yet inside, he felt unsure. The deal relates to part of his business he likes, but isn’t convinced about how he wants it to fit in with his life. He said that he felt uncomfortable, even though everything sounded good.
Why?
“Do you know what you want?” I asked him. He gave me a confused look so I continued. “How do you know if a business deal is good if you’re not sure what you want? It could be a great deal, but not for you because you want something else. Or it could be a fantastic deal and you’ll miss it because you haven’t committed to the direction you want to go.”
Nearly everyone comes to points in their lives when there are many paths to choose. Sometimes people allow their spouse to decide the path. Sometimes, as one of my advisors once said, “I’ve always just gone through the only door left open.” Sometimes we wait for our indecision to become the decision thus minimizing our free will.
How often have we been uncomfortable, vaguely dissatisfied, because we don’t know what we want and so the good thing that we have feels, well, blah? This situation many find more tolerable, though, than wanting something really, really bad and then being disappointed. If I don’t say or work toward what I really want, the reasoning goes, then I won’t be upset if it doesn’t happen.
Unfortunately, our hearts secret desires tend to bubble to the surface, while we eat the mediocre pie we’ve made for ourselves by setting the bar so low. We attack ourselves with the woulda, shoulda, couldas. Some call it “shoulding” on ourselves. We “what if?”. We feel ashamed for being so cowardly, or indecisive, or passive at the helm of our own life.
Devout Christians or Muslims sometimes take this a step further and excuse the passivity with “well, God willed it” or “it was meant to be” or “En Shalah”. It sounds good, but often covers embarassment or fear of failure. Does God really want passive, fear-filled followers? Or is this used as an excuse to cover unused talents and gifts? Just asking…..
The person who waffles about their own life finds that things just “happen to them”. Well, things happen to everyone, don’t they? It is easier to deal with when on a course than not having a course and being swept away when “things happen”. What do I mean?
Say you want to climb Mt. Everest. A daunting task right? But it is something you’ve always wanted to do and you’re willing to work for it. You spend the time, you work out, you buy the equipment, you do everything mountain climbers must do to succeed. The trek begins. Halfway up, a raging, unseasonal, very dangerous storm comes and you must retreat. For today anyway. But what have you done? You’ve still made it half-way up Mt. Everest! Sure, “stuff happened”, but even the disappointment can’t take away your effort and accomplishment. Other people, people who dream, but never do, watch and wonder and wish while they read National Geographic Adventure.
By clarifying what you want, you clarify opportunities, too. When a great proposal lands on your desk, but isn’t part of your mission, you can get it to someone who would seize it and make the most of it. When a great proposal lands on your desk, and it is the opportunity or financing or plan that you needed, you’ll recognize it and spend the energy to make it a success.
These require active, involved, conscious decisions. Choice. YOU decide.
Here is some homework for today: write down your perfect day. I would get up at this time, do this, do this, etc. Then write your perfect week. What work would you do? What tasks would you accomplish? Then write your perfect year. And five years. And 25 years. Maybe starting at 25 years and working backwards is the best idea.
Ask yourself, what will be my biggest disappointment if I never accomplish it? And when you view your life goal, does it fill you up with such love and longing and excitement that you could cry? Ok, you’ve found it.
Now, make it happen!
Autistic Savant: Urville
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006A Aspergers kid name Gilles Traihlin in France has created an entire civilization in his head and has the drawings and now a book to show for it. Pretty amazing. I’ll be getting it. Kirchner Society has more.
Via Boing Boing
Flu Shot Spoof
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006Want to know why I don’t recommend Flu Shots besides the fact that they don’t work and that their preservatives can turn your brain to mush?
Go to this link to watch a hilarious video. Only in Canada, too many sacred cows would be dead along the road in the U.S. and then a real hoax like Mad Cow might actually seem right!
Courtesy a Colleague in Sunny SoCal!
Immigration: Part Dose
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006Michelle Malkin quotes Thomas Sowell via Real Clear Politics saying, paraphrasing here, that if the press had lots of low-paid journalists who could do their jobs at half the wage, they wouldn’t be quite so charitable to this whole illegal immigrants deal.
Another thought I heard on talk radio today: when we accept wholesale, another culture, without the expectation that they must assimilate into our culture, we are, by default accepting their culture. Senator Tancredo said, paraphrasing again, that the United States was becoming a Tower of Babel. At the end of the conversation, he asked for prayers for he and his family. Is he in danger in the United States of America for holding a differing opinion from the powers that be, i.e. Bush-Kennedy-McCain? Give me a break!
So a thought occurred to me, that has vaguely percolated in the background, but seemed too unreasonable to be entertained seriously. Now, I’m entertaining it seriously. Is this policy, favoring amnesty for illegals, not just political (500,000 easy votes! Yippee!) but also part of a philosophy where the powers-that-be believe that massive transferring of wealth is the way to world peace? Or, is there a notion that a combined South America, Central America, and North America would strategically align in opposition to a United Europe and a United, for lack of a better description, Communist front (Russia and China)?
This seems all so conspiracy theoretical, but the willingness to accept into our American fold millions of people who broke the law to escape economic and politcal corruption rather than change their own societies begs the question: why?
While cheap consumer goods and services explain part of it and pandering to the corporations that employ the cheap labor explains part of it, this hugely impactful decision does not explain all of it. This decision is not strictly economic. For if it were, the decision would be stopped in the interests of the legal American workers already here as I mentioned before.
Do our leaders fear a situation like Europe–especially Spain and France–where native women just simply are not having children and the population outlook fifty years out isn’t inspiring? Are they worried that we need to get as many low-paid workers in here as possible because the average worker here will be doing higher paid jobs requiring more education?
First of all, America’s reproduction factories are outproducing those in Europe, thanks largely to the Red Staters. But maybe that’s the problem. Maybe the liberals, willing to sell out the undereducated and lower income workers, a great percentage black, by the way, for more voters since they aren’t reproducing and unlikely to have enough votes to ever win anything at this rate.
Second, maybe Bush sees the same thing and is trying to make a deal with the devil so that the Republicans don’t lose the voting block like they lost the blacks for fifty years. Make no mistake, though, this is selling our soul. It’s already lost anyway Prez Bush and this is why: if it is on the wrong side of the law, if it creates more social welfare recipients, if the problem causes more potential jail inmates the proposal favors liberals….every….time. End of story.
Examine these economic statistics. They tell the whole story.
I can’t think of any other reason for all this than my theories above. Gateway Pundit has his own theories here.
French Riots: Now It’s the Young and Dumb
Tuesday, March 28th, 2006You all know, because you’re so informed by the MSM that you don’t need Dr. Melissa’s widdle, teeny-weeny blog, but I’ll tell you anyway: The sub-30 set in France is demonstrating and rioting and basically holding the government hostage. Why? Because a new law about to come into effect that allows employers to fire workers younger than 26 within the first two years of work. When no-talent-ass-clowns do nothing, they can get fired. So sad. Poor French babies.
If French workers had any sense (big if), they would welcome this law as unemployment for people this age is 22%. Hmmmmm….. I wonder why? Maybe it’s cuz the employers are afraid of hiring people like the rioters and then getting stuck with them? Just a guess.
Anyway, MyVastRightWingConspiracy, expresses my sentiments exactly.
