Use your time wisely; by slacking off

A recent survey found that the typical American worker wastes slightly more than two hours a day, not including lunch and scheduled breaks. The No. 1 time-wasting activity is surfing the Internet and sending personal e-mails, followed by socializing with co-workers, conducting personal business and just plain "spacing out." All of this loafing is supposedly costing employers $759 billion a year in lost productivity. But guess what, American workers, it turns out, are wasting less time than they did just a couple of years ago - 19% less. And the U.N.'s International Labor Organization recently issued a report that found that the U.S. leads the world in worker productivity - and by a wide margin.

So here is the paradox. "We are a nation of doers, hard workers, yet we are also a nation of ideas, big ideas." It has long been known that idea generation requires idleness, but idleness makes us uncomfortable. These two aspects of the American personality constantly rub against each other. This leads our minds to constantly shift from guilt (for using work time on personal matters) to resentment (for having to work so-damn-much) to boredom. This cycle causes us to misuse a lot of energy when in fact we can accept that there is a healthy balance between work, idleness (and whatever else you do on the job) that each of us can find for ourselves if we look for it.

The Power of Mindfulness

"Mindfulness" is the practice of focusing one's self in the present. Things like paying attention to your mood, heart rate, temperature, stress level, etc. By focusing like this you recognize things that may have escaped you previously or feelings you may be ignoring. Many people practice mindfulness as part of meditation.

Recently researchers at UCLA compared those who were more "mindful" to those who were not by monitoring their brain activity. Their finding was that those were more mindful experienced less negative emotions and showed greater calmness in their brain activity.

So based on this research we know that mindfulness works, but what it doesn't tell you is that it is not easy. It takes discipline and focus. When we are busy with deadlines, errands, and are bombarded by the information that surrounds us every day, it becomes quite difficult to focus on the present and on one's self. As a result some of us neglect ourselves to a point of extreme emotional discomfort that goes beyond the point that a little mindfulness each day can clear up. That is why we need to remember to be mindful everyday, even if just for a few minutes. You may already do this and not even know it. Possibly when you walking, cooking, or taking a shower part of your mind wanders into thinking about your current state. Remember the importance of these times especially when the more stressful moments arise.

Not So Insecure After All?

Self-effacing people are secretly confident
Despite appearances, most people think highly of themselves.

"No matter how meek they might appear, most people are endowed with the same self-confidence, new research reveals. For some, however, that confidence is buried deep inside.

Within the United States as well as across cultures—and stereotypes —all individuals hold a positive inner confidence.

“A given person with high implicit [or inner] self-esteem may be outwardly self-promoting or may be outwardly very modest,” said study team member Anthony Greenwald, a psychologist at the University of Washington.

The results are detailed in the June issue of the journal Psychological Science."

Public Schools - Adam Smith would be pissed!

Adam Smith, the author of the Wealth of Nations (the outline for capitalist economies) would be quite perturbed if he saw the state of public schools in our country. Why? Because they go against everything he stood for.

A capitalist economy is based on supply and demand, accountability, and above all humanity's innate greed. Being the antithesis of socialism, where people are supposed to be motivated by promoting the common good, capitalism correctly assumes that an individual's desire for self promotion is usually stronger. So why is our education system based on socialist philosophies, free of competition, or accountability? The public answer we are given is: Because no child can be left behind. But the "simple fact [is] that one of the surest ways to leave a kid "behind" is to hand him over to the government."

"Americans want universal education, just as they want universally safe food. But nobody believes that the government should run 90% of the restaurants, farms and supermarkets. Why should it run 90% of the schools — particularly when it gets terrible results?" Take for example Washington D.C. which spends $12,979 per student per year, but is "last in spending on instruction. Fifty-six cents out of every dollar goes to administrators." Washington D.C. is near the top when it comes to spending on education, but near the bottom when it comes to student performance on standardized tests.

The point made by this article, is that education is a business whether we like it or not. By shutting down public schools and allowing private schools to handle education we will allow the capitalist economy we are a part of to manage the quality and integrity of education. We will provide an atmosphere that rewards results because parents won't send their kids to a low performing school when they have the choice to send them to another.

The government can use the funds it currently spends on students to subsidize education without managing the whole schools system. In addition, the government can use these funds to help level the playing field between the wealthy and socio-economically challenged but first the overall structure must be changed to one that makes business sense.

Price is Right

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-kurson6jun06,0,6477820.story?coll=la-opinion-rightrail

According to Ken Kurson of the Los Angeles Times nobody "give(s) much thought to Pierre de Fermat or Blaise Pascal," but thanks to Bob Barker, the probability theory developed by those "brilliant mathematicians from centuries past" has been seamlessly transmitted "into millions of homes for 35 years." Barker, who recently taped his last episode of The Price is Right, educated the public using "daily lesson(s) in the principles of behavioral finance." Besides being a staple of American "comfort entertainment," the game show was essential viewing if "you wanted to know how to exploit -- or get trapped by -- market inefficiencies and the often irrational behavior of competitors." And by combining "real prices" for real products with hot women, continuously fresh contestants, and the ever-youthful Prof. Barker, lessons were"made... as painless as possible."

Tips on Aspiring Creativity

http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000932.html

I don't normally link to blogs, but this is good, real good. There is a detailed explanation of each of these tips if you go to the link.

So you want to be more creative, in art, in business, whatever. Here are some tips that have worked for me over the years:
1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to change the world.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
6. Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.
7. Keep your day job.
8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion creativity.
9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.
10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.
11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether.
12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.
13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.
14. Dying young is overrated.
15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.
16. The world is changing.
17. Merit can be bought. Passion can't.
18. Avoid the Watercooler Gang.
19. Sing in your own voice.
20. The choice of media is irrelevant.
21. Selling out is harder than it looks.
22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.
23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.
24. Don�t worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.
25. You have to find your own schtick.
26. Write from the heart.
27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.
28. Power is never given. Power is taken.
29. Whatever choice you make, The Devil gets his due eventually.
30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.
31. Remain frugal.

Not so Helpful Self-Help

I was forwarded the quote below by a friend who knew I was interested in these kinds of inspirational, self-help statements. To the average reader this may seem insightful or even profound but I don't see it that way. After reading enough of these statements you come to realize that some of them are empty. They just incite you by stating a variety of issues but leave you hanging with no direction or even suggestion of how to move forward. I believe that most of us are aware that our society, and generally speaking, the world are flawed, so the question becomes "What do we do?" or "How can I better deal with these issues?" At the end of this forwarded message you'll see the following statement: "You can choose either to make a difference, or to just hit 'Skip Ahead'... " I don't see this as providing any substance. Without guidance, or insight it appears that passages like these leave us in a worse place than we started.

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life; we've added years to life, not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space; we've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we've split the atom, but not our prejudice.

We write more, but learn less; we plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait; we have higher incomes, but lower morals; we have more food, but less appeasement; we build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; we've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition.

These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology has brought this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or to just hit "Skip Ahead"...

The Black Swan, The Economy, Predictions, and Random Events

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/2007-recession-blindside-happy-talk-economists/story.aspx?guid=%7B711FF308%2D1A2E%2D41D3%2D87BE%2D4DFD5218A833%7D&dist=TNMostRead

A fantastic article that you must read... But in short: Breaking news is useless. This makes Journalists and Economists who propagate this news of little value for they cannot predict much based on the information they have today. What does affect the world in meaningful ways are random, practically unexpected events (e.g. 9/11, the creation of Google, etc.). Currently most news makers and economists say the economy is strong and a recession is out of the question, but could a coming recession be one of these seemingly unexpected events???

Study: Online Dating is Virtually Irresistable to Married People

http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/news2003/onlinedatingmarried.html

"The Internet will soon become the most common form of infidelity, if it isn't already."
"The vast majority said they loved their spouses but sought an erotic encounter online because of boredom, a partner's lack of sexual interest or the need for variety and fun."
"Because there is no touching involved in online chat conversations, married people often rationalize their behavior as harmless fun"

Quote on RISK: Robert Anthony

Most people would rather be certain they're miserable than risk being happy.
-Robert Anthony

I think people forget or may never realize that uncertainty is not an inherently bad thing. If the current position of our lives is certain to suck, then opening it up for some uncertainty is not "risk free" but certainly in our favor.

"Praise Junkies"

http://users1.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=evo-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB117702894815776259.html

Today's young workers called "praise junkies" were raised by parents and coaches who showered them with compliments to build their self-esteem. Now, bosses are finding that they have to keep up with the standard that was set for these now twenty something employees. Giving praise "for little more than showing up," is common. Without it these younger workers "wither under an unfamiliar compliment deficit."

Why Teenagers Take Risks

This article tries to explain why teenagers are crazy. Basically, it has to do with an "imbalance" in the brain between the areas that control social and emotional information (socioemotional system) and the parts that regulate behavior and makes the ultimate decisions (cognitive-control system).

The socioemotional system becomes more assertive during puberty, while the cognitive-control system gains strength only gradually, well into our twenties.

According to Steinberg, the socioemotional system, becomes very active during puberty allowing adolescents to become more easily aroused, experience more intense emotion, and to become more sensitive to social influence.

He explains that as a result “There is a window of vulnerability in teens between puberty and mid-to-late adolescence in which kids have already started to experience the increased arousal of the socioemotional system, but they don’t yet have a fully mature cognitive control system,” he says. “Because their cognitive-control system is still not fully mature, it is more easily disrupted, especially when the socioemotional system is quite excited. And it gets excited by the presence of other people.”

“The presence of peers increases risk taking substantially among teenagers,” writes Steinberg in his article. “In one of our lab’s studies, for instance, the presence of peers more than doubled the number of risks teenagers took in a video driving game. In adolescence, then, not only is more merrier -- it is also riskier.”

Googling Your Date - Too Much Info???

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/04/09/googlingyourdate.ap.ap/index.html
When I read this article this morning 2 very contradicting thoughts came to mind. First was "It's amazing how the world has changed. We have so much information at our fingertips - Fantastic!" But then, as I read through some of the examples in the article I saw how people today use little bits of information they find about someone to make much larger judgments about who they are. It isn't realistic or logical... everyone's got there quirks, you can't create a total picture of who they are based on them. Obviously there are some things we just can't put up with (like nude pictures of someone in the bath on myspace :o) but others are no big deal, yet we use that information to make decisions that aren't really justified. Decisions like whether or not you want to keep a date with someone you met and who appeared to be pretty cool. Sometimes you need to take a chance. Getting to know someone isn't that painful.

Dimissing "The Secret"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601819.html?hpid=opinionsbox2

These sources are trying to show you the many false claims made in Rhonda Byrns self-help book and documentary "The Secret." Since Oprah's promotion of this, dare I say, almost worthless and completely unjustified philosophy, people have been jumping on "The Secret" bandwagon. Luckily there are some people out their like Tim Watkins of The Washington Post with a little more sense and who use their voice to shed light on what could confuse and end up demoralizing a of people.

The Psychology of Tax Procrastination

http://biz.yahoo.com/brn/070314/21306.html?.v=1&.pf=taxes

Have you ever wondered why so many people push off doing their taxes until the last possible second? Well some researchers think that it has a lot to do with the same reasons why people push off seeing doctors and dentists until they are in a lot of discomfort: A fear of what is possibly awaiting them.

When people push off medical appointments they also push of the potential knowledge of some major problems they may already have and just not know about. This explains how some people allow certain symptoms and illnesses to grow incredibly large and threatening before ever seeking medical help. It is far more common than you think.

To a lesser degree, people are doing the same thing by avoiding filing their taxes. They are avoiding the potential knowledge that they owe more money than they thought they do, or even worse, they are avoiding the possibility that they could make a mistake on their taxes, in essence opening a Pandora's box of liability with the IRS.

The bottom line here is that people are greatly influenced by fear. Whether it's our taxes or health, this fear can be very damaging. It is important that we take a moment to recognize this feeling and raise ourselves above it to act intelligently and responsibly. Whether it is filing our taxes early or seeing a physician for a regular check up when nothing appears to be wrong with us, it is actions like these that can have very powerful effects on our lives.

Pregnant Mother's Stress Transferred to the Unborn

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6298909.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4286512.stm

In the two studies listed high stress in pregnant mothers was linked to lower IQ, evidence of higher levels of anxiety and depression, as well as higher incidences of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in their children after birth. Stress that pregnant mothers experienced was often a result of a problematic/unassertive relationship with their partner.

Music Lessons Fine Tune the Brain

http://psycport.apa.org/showArticle.cfm?xmlFile=knightridder%5F2007%5F04%5F03%5Fkrtbn%5F0000%2D1721%2DTB%2D0403%2DMusic%2DLessons%2DFine%2DTune%2DThe%2DBrain%2Exml&provider=Chicago%20Tribune

Researchers found that people who study playing an instrument have better developed hearing. So you may think "big deal." But think about it for a moment. With better hearing the subjects in the study were able to understand speech better. Imagine how many conversations you listen to in a life time. What if you could hear the nuanced changes in someone's voice when they are lying, or stressed out?

Flow... Better than "The Secret"

http://www.unrealities.com/essays/flow.htm

This is a bit sophisticated, but based on years of research. A much better way to use your time then focusing on your positive energy and hoping that life changes for you. Basically, it discusses how people are most satisfied when they are engrossed in something, for example painting a picture. It is not necessarily about the outcome but the feeling one gets when they are in the process.

Exercise Makes You Smarter!

http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/health/2007/03/30/fitness-health-brain-forbeslife-cx_avd_0402fitbrain.html

Exercise improves memory, fights of dementia (aka craziness) and Alzheimer's. And guess what? If you feel like you are getting exercise then you are more likely to loose weight and have lower blood pressure. Stop thinking of your mind and body as separate entities...

How to Make Babies Smarter

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20070403/tc_usatoday/reportputsapacifieronsmarterbabydebate
So this article's message is that we don't know if strategies to improve brain development in infants (like playing them Mozart) actually work. What I can tell you is that decades of research have shown that infants benefit from being stimulated. It helps with their brain and sensory development. For example, if an infant is not exposed to varying visual depth it will be detrimental to his/her ability to perceive depth. So sensory exposure to things like colors, feeling textures, noises, scents, languages, music, etc. are all beneficial and often the benefits cannot be reproduced later in life (for more info look up "Critical Period"). We may not know how exactly how providing these stimuli help they help, but they don't seem to hurt. Just make sure you lave your baby some quiet time as that is important to.