One of my ultra-marathon buddies said: “I’ve always believed that I can win any race if the event is long enough. I’m never going to be the fastest and I’m never going to be the strongest, but I believe I can keep putting one foot in front of the other
Should your adolescent children be encouraged to watch the news on television? Before reminding me that “an informed populace is the hallmark of a strong democracy” think about what you, an adult, get from televised news. Do you acquire information unobtainable elsewhere? Do you learn what is going on in
Old School: Take your kids to the market to buy brownie mix. Consider whether the 15-ounce package for two dollars is a better value than the 30-ounce package for $3.59. Politely greet the cashier in the checkout line and introduce your child. Emphasize addressing the cashier as “Miss.” Demonstrate that
Any communication can be misinterpreted. Even the simplest of greetings can be processed in multiple ways. “Good morning” can be non-committal, inviting, or threatening. “Good morning” can be heard as an invitation to conversation or as a dismissive end to one. For an example of the contemptuous salutation look no
“I knew a father who had a son, He longed to tell him all the reasons for the things he’d done. He came a long way, just to explain. He kissed his boy as he lay sleeping then he turned around and headed home again.” – Paul Simon, “Slip Slidin’
Sparks and smoke billow unabashedly from a dozen places in a 18-ton machine covering 4000 square feet of a factory floor. Gears whine pointlessly as 30 men stand uselessly at their positions along the unmoving conveyor belt. Dozens of trucks are lined up outside, filled with raw materials to be
Which of the following first person stories seems more plausible? 1) “There were these two sets of double doors between the dining room and the kitchen. I carried trays stacked high with the leftover food from the plates of the patrons. On the way to hand the trays to the
In a sex ed class some 40 years ago, a student whom I did not know well asked a question about reproductive biology. His inquiry, something specific about condoms as I recall, impressed me as highly theoretical at the time. It is certainly possible that he was honestly requesting information
Some years ago driving to my girlfriend’s house, I saw an attractive young woman hitch hiking. Concerned about the quality of the neighborhood and eager to offer a hand, I slowed to a stop. This was the late 70s and girls with their thumbs out were rare. I pulled over
That organic chemistry makes more sociology majors than it does doctors is well known. Less obvious, is that colleges who claim that “92% of our pre-medical students are admitted to medical school!” are not quite telling the whole story. The 92 % figure may be accurate, but what happened to
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