I am a chopper of wood and carrier of water, a keeper of bees, digger of soil, and washer of dishes, but when people ask me "what do you do" I usually satisfy them with "I'm in information technology." If they really want to know, I'll tell them about the decade as a wilderness guide. Some jobs are vocations, some are avocations, but that one was an evocation. I also wrangle pixels and try to herd them into representations of coherent thoughts, which is a provocation. :-)
Our intention this week is that we should expand our comfort zones and step outside the boxes we draw around our thinking. Laugh, if you can, whenever you can. Not the derisive laughter of the playground, but with humility. Laughter is good for the circulation, and it diminishes self-importance. If you can’t laugh, then we … More The Worrier Code
Yesterday I threw away an unrepairable pressure washer which stopped working after only half a dozen uses. The electric motor burned out. (A replacement motor, had I been willing to wait 4-6 weeks for delivery, would have cost almost as much as the original washer.) Of course, the warranty had expired. It was a … More Quality Costs More – If You Can Find It
I once had a boss who was wise, and I sought his counsel on how to deal with an employee who was the antithesis of wise. “Don,” he said, “Over the years I’ve learned that most people don’t wake up in the morning intending to do ill.” That stuck with me, and it has been … More Well Played
We are often skeptical of some of the narratives promoted by mainstream media and bounced around the echo chambers of social media. A recurrent theme in our discussions here has been the negative bias of news reporting as well as the exaggeration, embellishment and spin practiced by many professional talkers. There are some media-perpetuated myths … More Remember This
“The picture you hold in your mind creates the behaviour and biology you express in life.” – Bruce Lipton … More Shelter Against the Storm
Over the last few weeks while we were buying disaster supplies, worrying about old statues covered with bird droppings or trying to find eclipse glasses, we missed out on some important news. Consider this headline: “Over 300 Million People in the United States Experienced No Violence, Hatred or Tragedy Last Week.” Somewhat less than that … More Breaking News
Last week, something heinous happened in Charlottesville, Virginia. Media is still replaying the most shocking moments and politicos are busy demonstrating how much they hate hate, and accusing each other of not hating hate enough. Also last week approximately 192,000 people died of hunger and hunger related disease. About 211,000 children perished during the same … More When the Body Attacks Itself
Fortune is a tide that rises and falls, and while we never fully understand the laws that govern its movement, we know beyond doubt that it always moves. By most of the metrics commonly used to measure economic activity, our younger generations are less fortunate today than their elders were at the same age. There … More Changing Tides
It’s that time of year again, eagerly anticipated by some and dreaded by others. The Fair is back in town. If you live in Hiawassee or Young Harris, or have to drive through them to get to work, you may be in the latter group. Our small towns are served by one highway with limited … More Throwing Shade
We can understand the basics of how the brain works by thinking of it as a kind of difference engine. The brain processes a continuous flow of data from the senses, as well as data from its own internal functions, and it interpolates. It assumes, averages, fills in the blanks. This is why optical illusions … More Garbage In, Garbage Out
