Category: Society

Happy Birthday! Who Says So?!

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Are We Commemorating These Things Correctly? Perhaps Not.

 

Like a great number of people, I am marking a birthday this month. (Time now for the obligatory What? Again? Already? comment). As such passages do, this one has caused me to reflect a bit on birthdays; what they mean, and what we do with them. Let’s take a brief look.

About Birthdays

First of all, it is a bit odd when you think about it that most such events congratulate the person who was born. While our day of birth is important to us each and all,

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Make a Decision! Bill’s Guide to Better Decisions

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Sometimes We Make Decisions More Difficult Than They Need Be

I am always interested in how people make decisions. Not so much the decisions themselves, but how they prepare themselves mentally. What processes they use to come to a decision. It is often a tortuous and cumbersome thing to behold. This is unfortunate. Life is full of decision points. We would do well to give some thought about how we make decisions.

Over a lifetime of decisions large and small, I have come to use a “template” for decision making. It eliminates much of the angst and gnashing of teeth associated with decision making.

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I Would Like to Have Your Eulogy Now, Please

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Let’s Stop Saying “I never knew that!” About Someone We Just Lost

I do not wish to dampen anyone’s holiday spirits today but know that we are about to reflect on the loss of those close to us. But take heart! This is actually an upbeat discussion. You will like where we are at the end of this posting.

We recently had the bitter-sweet experience in a memorial service for an old friend. Bitter, of course, because of the loss. Sweet for all the wonderful, funny recollections brought forth. This was typical of such Unitarian Universalists gatherings.

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Tipping Points: Science, Surprise, and Power

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There is a phenomenon in both the physical sciences and in human interaction known as the tipping point. In common language, such a thing may be referred to as “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” a “point of no return,” or “the last straw.”

That such things exist, in nature and in human society, is widely recognized. It is often easy to see exactly where that point was in post event analysis. Ah, but seeing it as it comes over the horizon – that is much harder. Discerning the tipping point is a fascinating process.

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In Praise of Preparation

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A Plea for Getting it Right the First Time

 

Four Tales of Woe

I have had occasion over the last few days to attend two ceremonies and two meetings. Two involved ceremonial candle lightings. One required mounting a plaque The fourth entailed showing slides from a computer.

Four very different activities. All four failed to execute in small but unfortunate ways. The organizers for each were likely a bit embarrassed. This posting is not to embarrass anyone further (some involved in one or more of these events may read this blog).

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And a Lump of Coal for You, Voter!

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Republicans in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Elsewhere Have Shown What They Think of Voters

Most of us have heard that in Michigan and Wisconsin lame duck sessions are doing evil work. They are building poison pills for the November elections. Let’s be clear about what is going on, what’s the history, and who should stand against such piracy. The answer to that last question may not be what you think.

What is Going On?

The voters in these and other states came out in record numbers and made their choices clear.

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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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Thanksgiving, You Sneaky Thing, You!

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Lincoln had the right idea for a National Day of Thanksgiving. What about this year?

Americans have had a tradition of giving thanks since before we were Americans. The pilgrims had such a time. President Washington noted the importance of a time for reflection and thanks. President Lincoln finally made the date official.

In every year, there are many of us who wonder if there is much for which we should be thankful. If we are thankful, what does that mean exactly? This might be such a year for many of us. But be of good heart – there is much to earn our thanks.

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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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