Category: Everything Else

So, Here’s The Thing About Loyalty…

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Some leaders and followers have it backwards.

 

Leadership and Loyalty

The study of leadership has been a life-long passion of mine. I have watched it in terrible crucibles and in beautiful opportunities. I have strived to practice what I have learned. There are, of course, many types of leaders. But about loyalty, there seems to be only two mindsets from which leaders may choose.

Loyalty is an important quality within an organization and among its members. In military organizations, it is often a matter of life and death. But even in less dangerous environments,

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Had Fun, Did Good, Gained Wisdom – What a Deal!

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Habitat for Humanity Has Given Me Far More Than I Have Given Them.                                         Now I pass those gifts to you.

 

My good spirited crew has finished our latest work supporting Habitat for Humanity. We did so on the day before Thanksgiving. This was our second house on this site. Habitat will finish the whole neighborhood in a few weeks. The first half, including the first house we helped build, is already occupied. It’s a terrific little community.

Thanksgiving inclines us to reflect on what merits our gratitude.

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“Life Saving is in My Blood”

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You Know the Value of Blood Donations. Ever Think About Dog Donors?

Welcome to the World of Guide Dogs

A little over a decade ago, Lizzie the Lab joined our household. We were to raise her as a guide dog for Guiding Eyes for the Blind (https://www.guidingeyes.org). This is a wonderful outfit deserving of your support.

The plan was for us to raise Lizzie for about a year. We were responsible for her socialization. We were also to take her through an excellent and rigorous training program.

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Let’s Fire Daylight Savings Time – Forever!

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Time Measurement Should be Scientific. Instead, it’s a Global Hodge-Podge.

“What time is it?” may turn out to be more of a trick question than one might think.

For quite a while, the world, for the most part,  had a pretty good approach towards time. Ground Zero for time keeping was set up at Greenwich, England. Twenty-four one-hour time bands spread out from there around the world. These matched the 24-hour cycle in the dance between the Earth and the Sun.

Simple, right? But of course, we could not leave well enough alone.

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Veterans Day Reflections: Service and Sacrifice; Gratitude and Community

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Veterans Day  provides opportunities to ponder big issues

Today we celebrate Veterans Day, at a time of national division.  We do so when the president flew half way around the world to commemorate the end of World War I. He then chose to sit out the first ceremony. Because it was raining.

We could use a little reflection on what Veterans Day means. Herewith, my take on it.

Service: We live in a society with oddly mixed motivations. Volunteerism is, in many places and for many causes, at near record levels.

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Quotable Quotes

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A Random Collection of Quotes We Like. Some Thoughtful, Some Funny, Some Both.

Happy Halloween, Everyone. Interesting what an event, what a phenomena Halloween has become, more so for adults it would seem than for children. Maybe we will talk about that, and holidays in general, soon. In the meantime:

Every so often I like to offer up a few samples from my ever-growing collection of quotes that resonate. I hope you enjoy them and as before, would be delighted for you to share one or two of your own with us all.

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Traditional Books vs eBooks? No Contest!

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What pleasures await the eager reader of each format?

I have some friends that have pretty well gone over to the electronic side almost completely. The books they own, buy, and read are all electronic in nature. There are students now at all levels of education who get their text books the same way.

I also, have, of course, many friends who consider the eBook an evil and deviant form. They extol the sensory experience of holding, seeing, smelling a finely made book. To them, eBooks as cold threats to book stores,

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The Purposes and Power of Conversation

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As We Careen into the Midterm Election, Let Us Reflect on the Art of Conversation.

This blog began last Summer in part to provide improved dialog opportunities.

Our diminishing ability to talk with each other in this country should be a matter of concern for all. Disagreements are natural – and healthy. But if we are unwilling to talk at all with millions of our fellow citizens, this is problematic. Not easy stuff, but we need to try.

It cannot bode well for the health of this country to continue down this path.

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Night Owls, Early Birds, and Variations Thereof

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When do YOU Do Your Best Work?

We all know the stereotypes. Heck, most of us ARE the stereotypes.

Night Owls tend to get their second wind about the time most people are going to bed. Around midnight or so, these people hit their stride in productivity or creativity. They tend not to be especially happy to be awake (sort of) to attend a breakfast meeting.

Early Birds are the opposite, of course. They like to rise before the sun. The US Army had a slogan in its advertising some years ago wherein a soldier says,

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The Relationship Between Science and Science Fiction

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An Ideal Partnership That Nourishes Both Partners

 

For as long as I can remember, I have loved science. Not to say I always understand it. A good case in point: a couple of years ago I watched a program about string theory. It looked fascinating. I understood almost 5% of it. Five more repeats of the program and I understood enough to grasp the essentials. By the next day, much of that was gone. But I loved it anyway!

One of the things I really like about science is scientists. As a group,

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