This Week on I was just thinking...
My blogging has been kind of light lately as I have taken on several new projects and decided to change my blog layout. I am finally at the point of restoring some order to my schedule. So here's a preview of what I will be up to this week;
Tool Time: I will be starring in my own episode of Tool Time, tune in as I attempt to renovate my bathroom. It promises to be very entertaining with plenty of finger smashing, head scratching and the misuse of power tools.
Beating the Heat: Yesterday was one of the hottest days yet and the rest of the week is supposed to be pretty hot also, I've been doing my part to "Go Green" but I'm thinking I will be running the AC this week. (If it's warm where you are remember to check on your elderly neighbors)
Hot Off the Press: I have quite a few articles being published this week on AC Content. Among them will be articles dealing with the subject of Hearing from God, a lighthearted look at race and a continuation of my "Like Father Like Son" series (You don't want to miss it!)
Tool Time: I will be starring in my own episode of Tool Time, tune in as I attempt to renovate my bathroom. It promises to be very entertaining with plenty of finger smashing, head scratching and the misuse of power tools.
Beating the Heat: Yesterday was one of the hottest days yet and the rest of the week is supposed to be pretty hot also, I've been doing my part to "Go Green" but I'm thinking I will be running the AC this week. (If it's warm where you are remember to check on your elderly neighbors)
Hot Off the Press: I have quite a few articles being published this week on AC Content. Among them will be articles dealing with the subject of Hearing from God, a lighthearted look at race and a continuation of my "Like Father Like Son" series (You don't want to miss it!)
An Idle Mind...
The old folks used to have a saying, "an idle mind is the devil's workshop!" I heard that phrase quite often as a child. I had no idea what it meant nor was I aware that I was the living breathing Poster Child for the phrase.
As far back as I can remember, I have always had an analytical/scientific brain. I always wanted to know how things worked. My siblings and my parents didn't quite understand they thought that I was just being destructive when I took their toys and radios apart. It wasn't destruction it was curiosity. I do remember one (or more) occasion(s), however when my curiosity actually had some destructive side effects.
The most memorable event took place one summer. I believe I was only 8 years old. I don't remember the reason but I was restricted to my room which happened to be in the basement. After a few moments of nothing to do I began to look around for something to entertain me. I still am not sure how I came up with the idea, but I noticed that there was a light socket that was missing a bulb, and then that scientific brain of mine went to work.
I found myself wondering what would happen if I stuck something in the light socket and pulled the chain on the light socket. I began looking around for something long enough to reach up to the light. Conveniently in an area where my dad kept his tools I found a piece of wire screen. I took the screen and rolled it up like a long stick. The I found a chair to stand on so I could reach the light socket.
I carefully stuck the screen into the socket and slowly pulled the chain and POOF! there was a bright shower of white sparks. It was like a mini-fireworks show. After a quick check to make sure everything was still in tact on me, I inserted the screen again and pulled the chain and again the bright white sparks. Convinced that I couldn't get hurt I had the bright idea to pull the switch really fast to create an uninterrupted light show.
My calculations were correct, by continually pushing up on the screen and rapidly pulling the chain switch I was creating a non-stop flow of beautiful white sparks. I was so caught in the display that I didn't notice that my piece of screen was getting shorter and shorter with each click. I was also to preoccupied to notice the smoke that was starting to build up and make it's way upstairs to my mother.
All I was concentrating on was the sparks. Click...Poof, Click...Poof, Click...Poof and that's when it happened. I went to push the screen in and pulled the switch...expectantly waiting to see those lovely white sparks. This time instead of white sparks everything went black! I hadn't noticed that there was only a small bit of screen in my hand and that I had actually inserted my thumb into the socket. When I pulled that switch I received a totally different kind of show.
Before I knew what happened the electricity ripped through my arm and made it's way through the rest of my small frame. I was sure that I was about to die, and I probably would have if my violent shaking had not knocked the wobbly chair from underneath my feet.
By then my mother had noticed the smell of the smoke and the flickering lights and had come to investigate. She arrived just as I was falling to the ground. She quickly picked me up and made sure that I was okay. Once she saw that I didn't have any major injuries and that I was going to live....she promptly beat the living daylights out of me.
Needless to say I never did that again. It's incidents like that which have me convinced that kids need something to do or something to occupy their time...because an idle mind really is the devil's workshop!
As far back as I can remember, I have always had an analytical/scientific brain. I always wanted to know how things worked. My siblings and my parents didn't quite understand they thought that I was just being destructive when I took their toys and radios apart. It wasn't destruction it was curiosity. I do remember one (or more) occasion(s), however when my curiosity actually had some destructive side effects.
The most memorable event took place one summer. I believe I was only 8 years old. I don't remember the reason but I was restricted to my room which happened to be in the basement. After a few moments of nothing to do I began to look around for something to entertain me. I still am not sure how I came up with the idea, but I noticed that there was a light socket that was missing a bulb, and then that scientific brain of mine went to work.
I found myself wondering what would happen if I stuck something in the light socket and pulled the chain on the light socket. I began looking around for something long enough to reach up to the light. Conveniently in an area where my dad kept his tools I found a piece of wire screen. I took the screen and rolled it up like a long stick. The I found a chair to stand on so I could reach the light socket.
I carefully stuck the screen into the socket and slowly pulled the chain and POOF! there was a bright shower of white sparks. It was like a mini-fireworks show. After a quick check to make sure everything was still in tact on me, I inserted the screen again and pulled the chain and again the bright white sparks. Convinced that I couldn't get hurt I had the bright idea to pull the switch really fast to create an uninterrupted light show.
My calculations were correct, by continually pushing up on the screen and rapidly pulling the chain switch I was creating a non-stop flow of beautiful white sparks. I was so caught in the display that I didn't notice that my piece of screen was getting shorter and shorter with each click. I was also to preoccupied to notice the smoke that was starting to build up and make it's way upstairs to my mother.
All I was concentrating on was the sparks. Click...Poof, Click...Poof, Click...Poof and that's when it happened. I went to push the screen in and pulled the switch...expectantly waiting to see those lovely white sparks. This time instead of white sparks everything went black! I hadn't noticed that there was only a small bit of screen in my hand and that I had actually inserted my thumb into the socket. When I pulled that switch I received a totally different kind of show.
Before I knew what happened the electricity ripped through my arm and made it's way through the rest of my small frame. I was sure that I was about to die, and I probably would have if my violent shaking had not knocked the wobbly chair from underneath my feet.
By then my mother had noticed the smell of the smoke and the flickering lights and had come to investigate. She arrived just as I was falling to the ground. She quickly picked me up and made sure that I was okay. Once she saw that I didn't have any major injuries and that I was going to live....she promptly beat the living daylights out of me.
Needless to say I never did that again. It's incidents like that which have me convinced that kids need something to do or something to occupy their time...because an idle mind really is the devil's workshop!
Someone Is Watching You
As a kid I was always aware of the fact that someone was always watching me, whether or not I saw them. I knew ultimately that God was watching...but I didn't think that I would be seeing Him anytime soon so I could always overlook that fact. What I couldn't overlook was the fact that my parents always seemed to know what I was up to thanks to neighbors and family members who kept them up to date. It was like my parents had eyes everywhere.It was a different back then as well because my neighbors had no reservations about correcting me (both verbally and physically if need be!) There was great motivation to behave as you were liable to catch it several times from the neighbors the parents and even from aunties and uncles when they heard about it.
I have taken what I have learned and have tried to teach the concept of "Someone Watching" to my own children. I have been very blessed that while they were younger, there was always something happening to reinforce the concept and make it become a reality to them.
On such example is the time we were out on a family outing skating and enjoying each other's company. A reporter for the Vallejo Times Herald saw us and took our picture. My children were thrilled to see their picture on the front page of the paper.
On another occasion, after leaving church, we were sitting and having lunch together in a restaurant. I noticed a man staring at us. I didn't think too much of it. (we get a lot of those kinds of stares:) ) The man finished his meal and I saw him approaching our table. He introduced himself, shook my hand and then expressed how he enjoyed seeing us hanging out as a family and enjoying each other's company. Turns out he was the director of the State Fair, and after a few words he gave us free tickets to the State Fair and even paid for our parking. We went to the fair later that day and had a really great time.
Those events and others like them have helped to reinforce and instill the concept that someone is always watching us...whether we see them or not. I think it is a concept that a lot more parents need to share with their children...especially in this technological era where everyone is looking to capture the perfect youtube moment!
Hard Work Work..
After what felt like endless hours of staring at codes and scripts I am just about done with the changes and updates to my blog. I guess this must be the season for change as I noticed several of places that I frequent were also undergoing a bit of renovation.
What's New?
Obviously the template is different. I was loving the green floral template even though there were a lot of people wondering what was up with it...it didn't seem like a very masculine theme. Well I can't tell you that's a private joke between me and the misses.
In addition to a template change I also decided to play around with a few new features such as the star ratings which you should see at the end of each post...these are not so much to stroke my ego as they are to give me a sense of what content people like the most or which articles tend to rub people the wrong way.
I've also decided to give the Intense Debate Widget a try. I have a few minor things I need to change and some broken links to repair also. Now that the major construction is done I can get back to posting regularly.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog, I really do appreciate it.
Peace & God Bless
mmog
What's New?
Obviously the template is different. I was loving the green floral template even though there were a lot of people wondering what was up with it...it didn't seem like a very masculine theme. Well I can't tell you that's a private joke between me and the misses.
In addition to a template change I also decided to play around with a few new features such as the star ratings which you should see at the end of each post...these are not so much to stroke my ego as they are to give me a sense of what content people like the most or which articles tend to rub people the wrong way.
I've also decided to give the Intense Debate Widget a try. I have a few minor things I need to change and some broken links to repair also. Now that the major construction is done I can get back to posting regularly.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog, I really do appreciate it.
Peace & God Bless
mmog
Changes...
In the case you show up and things look abit funny...I am in the process of changing/updating my layout for this blog. I used to be able to code in my sleep but I am discovering that my patience for looking at lines of code has grown quite thin :-)
Let's Do Lunch...
Before I made it out of the Matrix, I spent a little bit of time working in Human Resources. During my time in HR I learned quite a few tricks in regard to weeding out and selecting the right candidates from all of the many applicants.
Some of the tricks were simple, like telling the applicants to read all of the instructions before writing anything...if they actually read the entire packet the last page would instruct them to turn the blank application in along with their resume. I can't tell you how many times people proudly turned in their application where the applicant had filled in every line on the page...(those applications went straight into File 13 aka the trash can)
Although I am no longer in the corporate world I have had to devise similar methods to determine whether or not I will work with a potential client or business partner. I even use these sometimes in my personal life.
Of these my favorite is merely taking people out to lunch or dinner, my treat. I have discovered that you can learn a lot by observing people's behavior when you treat them to lunch or dinner. Here are a few things I have observed from taking people out to lunch:
- People who are comfortable with me relax and enjoy the meal. They order from the menu without flinching and then they enjoy their meal without worrying or second guessing what they ordered.
- People who aren't sure where they stand with me often hesitate and fiddle around...they are unsure of what to order and even when they do order they seem to fidget and worry if they made the right choice or they act as if they are waiting on me to complain about their choice (which I never do...a clear indication that they don't know me very well.)
- The people who don't care for me too much...often see my generous offer as a way to "get me" so they look for the most expensive thing on the menu, thinking it will hurt me by them ordering something expensive...again clearly indicating that they don't know me very well because when I offer to treat you that is exactly what I mean your treat.
Need to make a deciscion on who to work with, or do you want to know where people stand with you? Might I suggest inviting them to lunch...
Perception Deception...
Perception is a puzzling concept to me. I am amazed that most of us pay very little attention to it...and yet it shapes they way most of us think and behave. I have been thinking a lot about it lately. In fact, after close examination I have noticed that a lot of my personal writing has to do with perception in one sense or another.
For instance my articles "It's All In Your Head" and "Looking For a Way Out" both reveal how perception or even incorrect perception influences your behavior and even your outlook on life.
Sometimes at my speaking engagements I use an urban legend to illustrate my point about perception. I think it is a perfect example of the power of perception. In case you are unfamiliar with the legend here's the version I tell:
A man was on his way into the grocery store. It was extremely hot on this particular day. After circling the parking lot he found a spot to park. He quickly parked his car and was on his way into the store. As he was walking through the parking lot he heard a car horn blaring.
He started to ignore it…thinking that someone had set off a car alarm. However the horn kept blaring as if it was stuck or someone was just holding it down.
Out of curiosity he decided to investigate just in case something was wrong. So he started walking in the direction of the horn. As he began to get closer to the sound he saw a car at the far end of the parking lot. His suspicions were right. He began walking faster and saw what seemed to be a person slumped over the steering wheel! He ran over to the car as quickly as possible!
Approaching the car he looked inside the front seat to discover a woman face down on the steering wheel. She had both of her hands behind her head with her fingers interlocked.
“Are you alright!” the man yelled. No answer…”I said Are you alright!” he yelled again thinking that maybe the woman was dead. He listened for a response trying to tune out the blaring horn.
“Please Help me….” He heard a faint voice. “What is wrong?” he asked. “Please help me…I’ve been shot in the head.” The woman said. “The robber must have been waiting for me in the backseat, and shot me when I got in my car.” “I felt the bullet hit me, and I am holding my hands on my head because I can feel my brains slipping out!” “Please call an ambulance for me!
The man quickly called for an ambulance and the police. Within minutes the police and the ambulance were there. Rushing frantically to the car they gently tried to remove the woman from the car. Amazingly there was no blood inside the car.
After a few minutes of assuring the woman that her brains would not fall out, the paramedics convinced the woman to put her hands downs. As the woman’s hands came down, the man, the police, and the paramedics were shocked to see that the woman had not been shot at all!
What had happened was…the woman had been out shopping earlier that day. She was on her way home when she realized that she had forgotten a few things so she parked her car and went back inside the grocery store…leaving her bags of groceries on the back seat in the HOT Sun. Among the contents of the bags were some of those instant biscuits that you pop open and bake.
Well those biscuits heated up and just as the woman got in her car to drive away…they exploded…hitting her in the back of the head with force. Out of reflex she reached up to feel the back of her head and felt something hot and sticky. Startled by the popping sound and feeling the sticky wet mass on the back of her head…she assumed she had been shot. So she grabbed what was left of her brains and tried to hold them in until help came…
The story is referred to as the "Biscuit Bullet" and as far as I know it is an urban legend, but the point I usually make with the story is that the woman in the story really believed that she had been shot. She heard the bang, felt something hit her in the head and perceived it to be a gunshot.
Likewise we sometimes see or hear something that gives us a certain perception...and instead of investigating to see if our perception is correct we usually take that perception and run with it...which usually causes us more problems when we find out later that we were wrong.
How about you, do you let your perceptions run wild?
.
For instance my articles "It's All In Your Head" and "Looking For a Way Out" both reveal how perception or even incorrect perception influences your behavior and even your outlook on life.
Sometimes at my speaking engagements I use an urban legend to illustrate my point about perception. I think it is a perfect example of the power of perception. In case you are unfamiliar with the legend here's the version I tell:
A man was on his way into the grocery store. It was extremely hot on this particular day. After circling the parking lot he found a spot to park. He quickly parked his car and was on his way into the store. As he was walking through the parking lot he heard a car horn blaring.
He started to ignore it…thinking that someone had set off a car alarm. However the horn kept blaring as if it was stuck or someone was just holding it down.
Out of curiosity he decided to investigate just in case something was wrong. So he started walking in the direction of the horn. As he began to get closer to the sound he saw a car at the far end of the parking lot. His suspicions were right. He began walking faster and saw what seemed to be a person slumped over the steering wheel! He ran over to the car as quickly as possible!
Approaching the car he looked inside the front seat to discover a woman face down on the steering wheel. She had both of her hands behind her head with her fingers interlocked.
“Are you alright!” the man yelled. No answer…”I said Are you alright!” he yelled again thinking that maybe the woman was dead. He listened for a response trying to tune out the blaring horn.
“Please Help me….” He heard a faint voice. “What is wrong?” he asked. “Please help me…I’ve been shot in the head.” The woman said. “The robber must have been waiting for me in the backseat, and shot me when I got in my car.” “I felt the bullet hit me, and I am holding my hands on my head because I can feel my brains slipping out!” “Please call an ambulance for me!
The man quickly called for an ambulance and the police. Within minutes the police and the ambulance were there. Rushing frantically to the car they gently tried to remove the woman from the car. Amazingly there was no blood inside the car.
After a few minutes of assuring the woman that her brains would not fall out, the paramedics convinced the woman to put her hands downs. As the woman’s hands came down, the man, the police, and the paramedics were shocked to see that the woman had not been shot at all!
What had happened was…the woman had been out shopping earlier that day. She was on her way home when she realized that she had forgotten a few things so she parked her car and went back inside the grocery store…leaving her bags of groceries on the back seat in the HOT Sun. Among the contents of the bags were some of those instant biscuits that you pop open and bake.
Well those biscuits heated up and just as the woman got in her car to drive away…they exploded…hitting her in the back of the head with force. Out of reflex she reached up to feel the back of her head and felt something hot and sticky. Startled by the popping sound and feeling the sticky wet mass on the back of her head…she assumed she had been shot. So she grabbed what was left of her brains and tried to hold them in until help came…
The story is referred to as the "Biscuit Bullet" and as far as I know it is an urban legend, but the point I usually make with the story is that the woman in the story really believed that she had been shot. She heard the bang, felt something hit her in the head and perceived it to be a gunshot.
Likewise we sometimes see or hear something that gives us a certain perception...and instead of investigating to see if our perception is correct we usually take that perception and run with it...which usually causes us more problems when we find out later that we were wrong.
How about you, do you let your perceptions run wild?
.
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