Super Heroes

I was thinking yesterday about the word hero. Seems like the word has expanded so far as to lose it's original meaning. Anyone who has endured some horrific event or has been a victim, can be labeled as a hero. If you simply live through something, does that make you a hero? Does that require bravery?
We also think that anyone who shares an unpopular opinion is brave. I don't think that works either. I think it's more noble to be right than to be bold. We honor people too much just for speaking their minds. We honor movie makers who show us the ugly side of things, in the name of bravery. We honor rappers for showing us how bad life is on the streets they grew up on, but the story is old. The music is now perpetuating the story.
It's become so easy to show the ugly and repugnant, that it can hardly be regarded as bravery. Heroes save lives and do things that are virtuous. That should be the standard.

High School Reunions

I've never been to any of my High School Reunions. I was always afraid that it was only attended by the people I didn't like in the first place, and I would just feel awkward.

The other fear is that everyone else is there to show off how wildly successful they've been. All I have to show off is my collection of rare chopstick wrappers that I've collected in Japan.

It's like I haven't done anything since high school.

Redheads

For some reason, my mother wanted me to marry a redhead so she could have little red-haired grandchildren. It didn't work out. However, my children don't mind if I dye their hair red when we go to visit her. Sure, they have to endure some teasing at school, but it's for grandma. That makes it okay.

Dating

It's important to get as much information as possible when selecting a potential suitor. Ask questions, but don't come off as a snob. Remember, even dung beetles have feelings.

Hovering

If you are fortunate, you usually feel pretty grounded in your life. Everything goes as expected and you handle challenges as they come. When too many of these challenges hit at once, it can leave you feeling less grounded, or as I describe, as a hovering sensation. It's the feeling that everything is in flux and you can't seem to get traction anywhere. It can be an overwhelming feeling.

The most important first step to take while hovering, is to take stock of your life. List all the things that are good and constant in your life. Next, list a few things from the first list that provide the best leverage in returning your life to homeostatic normalcy. That 's just a fancy phrase that means your back on your feet and in control. Of course, complete control is an illusion, but we need some.

Lastly, select the one facet of your life, currently out of control, that would have the most impact in returning you to normalcy. Rather than trying to fight on multiple fronts, focus on this first. Use it as part of your leverage to get control back in your life.

Good luck.

Integrity in the Media

It's becoming more difficult to trust information coming from TV, magazines, etc. Ideology seems to have more influence than journalistic integrity. I'm beginning to believe that everything I hear, even music and TV shows, has an ideological bent. Recently, I watched a clip from the View, where Rosie O'Donnell wrecklessly threw aspersions at Rudy Guliani for moving the post-9/11 wreckage to quickly to China. The suggestion was that he was trying to cover something up. She was challenged, thank goodness, but it still shocked me that she would say something like that without anything to back it up.

On another clip of the show, she suggested that it was our soldiers in Iraq that were doing all the killing. Somehow she had forgotten that most of the deaths were from rivalling groups and insurgants.

Also, Dr. Dobson of "Focus on Families" was interviewed by a leading reporter who pressed him for his endorsement of a presidential candidate, and specifically if Thompson could be endorsed by Christians in America. The reporter completely spun his answer around to suggest that Dr. Dobson felt he wasn't "Christian enough". Dr. Dobson only suggested that Thompson needed to make a statement one way or another about his faith. It's no wonder that many of us are finding these sources to be less credible and relevant as time goes on.

Teaching Rewards

I teach Digital Media at a community college. The semester is almost over. What I learn from teaching is how to relate to people who enter my sphere of influence completely by accident. In other words, I don't choose these people. They are as different as the entire spectrum of mankind, almost. Invariably, each class includes a student that will struggle through the entire course and feel completely defeated. Most teachers, if they are maximizers, will seek out the best students to focus on. But my experience asks me to help the underdog.

This year I had a student who would typically stare at the computer until I was able to explain the steps more directly. I always tried to approach situations like this with equal measures of caution and hope. I have always found that student's like these, appreciate patience and end up doing very well by the end of the semester. My goal for these students is to build more confidence in themselves that transcends the current course. I want them to approach each subject with boldness. Life is too short to be timid.

Hi, I'm from "the Island". It's quite lovely here. No hassles. Sometimes, you know, we have problems, but it's like... whatever. I keep an Inn that is just one block from the beach. Honey, you should take a break and come see me. I find you nice place to relax. It's very nice. I clean the beds regularly. I bring you good breakfast. You will like it.

Have you ever felt like taking some time off to see the sites of the city. It's best to get somewhere that provides the best view, far above the hustle and bustle of the traffic. Get some fresh air and see everything in a new light. Kick off your shoes, unbutton your tie and just let the night air fill your mind with wonder.

The Road Less Traveled

My career has been checkered, to say the least. I've done graphic design, teaching, documentation, testing, localization, help desk, webmastering, and web development. The reason isn't because I'm this great rennaisance man. I'm just willing to learn. Maybe it's a lack of fear. At any rate, it's an interesting ride. On the downside, I've become a jack of all trades, master of none. It's finally come to a head where I've found more teaching opportunities to leverage what I've learned. On the other hand, I'm finding that at my age I'm starting to be more selective about what I can learn at this stage of my life. It's not an ideal model for everybody, but I've done alright.

TestBlog

Why didn't this work?

The best days of your life

Last night, my son and his band recorded their top four original songs. They've been together less than a year and have enjoyed writing their own music and collaborating about how to perform them. I know that for my son, it's been a great experience. He plays guitar, writes the lyrics, and is the vocalist for the group. I can't think of anything better he could do at this time of his life. Their music, while it is definitely rock, is very listenable and offends no one.So, last night they had two hours to record these four songs. They typically had about two takes for each song and then rerecorded his vocals at the end so he could concentrate on singing. The lead guitarist also had a chance to redo some guitar solos. These guys are amazing, not that their the best, but that they have come together at their ages (14-17ish) and collaboratively wrote some great songs.It was amazing for me to watch them do their thing. The sound engineer was also very supportive. We should have the recordings soon. In the meantime, you can hear the live recordings for Soap Box Opera at Soap Box Opera Live!

My point with all this (and I do have one) is that when you're young, do something big. Impress yourself. You'll want something to look back on when you're an accountant. These are the times of your life you'll most enjoy.

Low-Flying Aircraft

Last Saturday, I was enjoying lunch with my family at Carls Jr. when suddenly I noticed a fairly large aircraft, possibly a 727, was flying towards us at a very low altitude. I guessed that it was only a few hundred feet above us. My son and I, first to see the oncoming craft, raced to the other side of the restaurant to watch. It was flying so low that it disappeared over the next foothill. We waited for seconds for an explosion but it never came. Finally, it came up and bended left avoiding the mountains ahead. I noticed half the restaurant was now looking out the window with us. Eventually, everyone returned to their seats and continued eating. This event was not in the news and apparently went unnoticed by most people.

Had it actually crashed, this would have no doubt been a big news story. It turned out to be a non-event without the dire consequences that we had predicted. Take from this story what lesson you will.

PS. As it turns out, BYU was playing Air Force and the low-flying aircraft was no doubt a demonstration of the might and power of our Air Force. Sadly for them, they lost to the might and power of the Cougars of BYU.