-
Win-less
(10-23-05)
Check out this random
thought of the day - its a short one, but makes you wonder why we
refer to things a certain way...
-
Rain
#2 (9-10-05)
Ever get caught
walking in the rain without an umbrella and wonder if you'd be better
off running to your destination or walking (to avoid getting wet as
much as possible)?
-
Space
(10-7-03)
Space can mean
different things to different people. In this one I explored
physical and emotional space, and even toyed with the concept of
comprehending outer space! (yes I know its quite a range of topics for
'space')
-
Dave
and Busters Video Game Ideas (10-6-03)
One day earlier this year Mike Miller came up with some crazy ideas
for video games - check 'em out, they're hilarious!
-
Professional
Sport Salaries (10-1-03)
Why do
professional sports players get paid more than Doctors, Lawyers, and
engineers?
-
Attraction
(9-29-03)
What is it
that causes attraction between people?
-
Flying (9-9-03)
There are so
many things about the airline industry that I think are outdated
and/or are not keeping up with today's world.
-
Automatic
Responses (9-3-03)
Why do
people ask and answer questions automatically without ever thinking
about what's being asked, or how they are answering the question?
-
Happiness
(8-26-03)
What is the
definition of happiness? If you ask different people, you most
likely will get very different answers. Why is this?
-
Personal
Space (8-13-03)
When people
don't know each other, why do they instinctively want to get as far
away as possible from each other?
-
Shape
(8-12-03)
Does the
shape of a person make you like that person more or less?
-
Time
(8-2-03)
Ever notice
that people refer to events in the future as "so far away",
and events in the past as "seems like it was only
yesterday"?
-
Rain
(7-11-03)
Ever wonder
why people hate to get wet in the rain, but have no problems getting
soaked in the shower everyday?
-
Beliefs
(7-10-03) Is
your religion or faith the "right" faith?
-
Food (7-10-03) Ever
notice that everything we do on a day to day basis revolves around
food?
-
Up
vs. Down (7-7-03)
Is the sky
really "up" and the ground really "down"?
-
Your
Name (6-20-03) Ever
wonder if the name that was given to you makes up part of your
personality?
-
Expression
(6-20-03) Where
did the following expression come from "sticks out like a sore
thumb"?
June 20, 2003
So I was thinking - Ever hear the expression
"Sticks out like a Sore thumb?" I was thinking
about that one today - what the heck does that mean? I mean
really if you had a
sore thumb, would i really notice it? on top of that, how
do you get a "sore thumb"? This is what i was
thinking about on the way to work today.....what do you think
about that?
Back to Top
June 20, 2003
Do you think that a person's name has
something to do with what their
personality is like? For example: If you had a weird name like
Barr, would
that make you a different person than you are today with the name that you
have? I
actually think it would to some degree. If you had a really unique
name you
might either be the "laughing stock of the party", or you might
be this really
cool and mysterious person, but you wouldn't be the same as you are today
with
the name that you have - what do you think?
Back to Top
July 7, 2003
Is the sky really "up" and the
ground really "down"? If it is, how can you
go "up" north for the weekend, or "down" south?
So here's the question for you - if the earth rotates once everyday, and
you look out to the sky, you are essentially
facing a full 360 degrees of directions throughout the day, so the
direction you thought was "up" at the beginning of the day, may
in fact be the same direction as "down" by the end of the day,
or at least by a different point in time that year. So the thought
that I'll leave you to ponder for the
day, what's the difference between up and down?
Back to Top
July 10, 2003
Ever notice......that everything we do
revolves around food? i.e. people always go out to lunch, out to
dinner, etc.... at a wedding you wonder what you are going to eat at the
reception, and who you will sit with while you eat. Eating is a big
part of our lives, since everyone has to do it. if we didn't have to
eat, what would people use as an excuse to see each other? it's a
common ground that since everyone has to do it, they like to do it
together..........you feel strange if you do it alone, especially at a
restaurant. When we were back in the dorms at college, we'd always
go down to dinner in groups of people - everyone in the hall.........
would everyone be loners and not associate with others if eating weren't
an excuse to bring people together - that is the thought of the day....
Back to Top
July 10, 2003
Marianne’s Thought of the day:
Now, I'm going to pick YOUR brain (it sort of has to do with
"relativity" and "perspectives" too). This is one has
me pretty stumped: I like to think that I'm somewhat tolerant and accept
many beliefs, religions or faiths. If some people think there is no Higher
Being out there, that's ok with me as long as they don't try and convince
me. If people believe in other higher Beings than the One I believe in,
that's fine as well because I think "who am I to decide who's right
and wrong?". Many people believe very strongly in different faiths
and have "proof" to back it up. I always thought that I would
want to bring up my children (if...) to respect all faiths and not impose
judgment on any. But when I brought this up to some of my friends who are
very strong Christians and believe in converting others, they talked about
"absolute truth", how if something is liquid it cannot be solid
as well for example (I bet you Mr. engineer are going to say that's not
true). And so if you believe that there is a God who is a certain way,
there cannot be another one. Personally I really do not like the idea of
missionary work. I know it's
not as it used to be when they forced people to change religions but
still. I think that religion and culture and society are so closely
inter-twined that if you mess with one it'll change everything. Plus,
differences are what make our world so amazing, I really don't want to see
the world end up homogenous. So, that's MY thought. It's had me stomped
for a long time. Have fun with that one...
-
My Response to Marianne’s Thought of the Day: So in response to YOUR thought of the day.......I
don't think you have to worry about the world becoming homogenous
anytime soon. Differences in Religious beliefs is what nearly
every war is fought over. So I consider myself to be a strong
Christian, and I also believe that there is no "correct"
religion. I also don't agree with the philosophy of people going
around in attempt to convert people to their beliefs, because that is
what they think is correct. So, like you, this has perplexed me
for quite sometime. I also think that some people don't think
for themselves – there is a point in everyone's life where you must
decide for yourself whether you believe in what you were raised to
believe in, or not. Sadly enough, I think that many people never
realize this, and just accept the way they were raised to be the
right, and only way. That is why we find people in the world
that are attempting to convert others to their beliefs. I do
believe that knowledge is everything, the more you have, the better
off you are, and people of all religions should spread what they
believe with the intentions of educating others, not with the
intentions of trying to convert everyone over. I think
missionary work is good....although I do agree with you that things in
today’s world have corrupted the original intention of what
missionary work is suppose to do. Anyway, I think I’m
digressing.....I don't think it is our, nor anyone else's place to
judge whether one religion is right or wrong - that is not our
decision to make, but it is our place to learn as much as possible
about the different interpretations of what God represents to
different people in the world, so that we can make an educated
decision of what to believe in for ourselves. Anyway that is
what I think about your Thought of the Day.
Back to Top
July 11, 2003
Anyway here it is.......Normal people
take showers or baths on a daily basis, right? They even go swimming
in lakes, ponds, pools, etc. Some like to go on waterslides, run
through sprinklers, or go on slip 'n slides. But when it rains
outside, people hate it. Why is this? People can't stand to
get their clothes wet - after all what's the big deal? It's only water,
and it's not going to hurt you, right? The reason why i bring this
up is because it's raining outside right now,........and a couple weeks
ago we got soaked in NYC when it rained. At first we were all
paranoid when it started raining, but then we thought, "why be
worried about the rain"? It's only water. Then we just
had a good time walking down the street like normal - just soaked, that's
all. What's the big deal? It'll dry! People were looking at us
like we were crazy for not having an umbrella - why? Furthermore,
what happens in the winter? People have no problem walking around
outside when it's snowing, In-fact they even enjoy it. Why does
walking in the rain have such a negative effect on people?
That is the thought of the day. What do you think?
Back to Top
August 2, 2003
The
thought of the day is .............Time. Ever notice how people
reference time when they talk? Generally people refer to things in
the past as "just happened" and things in the future as "so
far away"..........why is this? For example, right now it seems
like the end of your 2 weeks in camp is so far away, so you don't worry
about it b/c you know you’re going to have a ton of fun over the next
couple weeks.........but when the time actually gets to be the end of the
2 weeks, it will seem like you just got there "only yesterday".
Isn't it weird how people think of things in the past as happening
"only yesterday" and things in the future as so far away?
Also ever notice that if you have a big vacation planned in the future, it
seems like it takes forever to get there, but once you're there, it's
over, and you can't believe how "quick" it went by? It's
funny that people think this way b/c time never slows down or speeds up,
it's all how you perceive things. I think that when people enjoy
something, things seem to take forever to get there because they can't
wait for it to happen, but it seems to go by quickly because you had so
much fun and were so busy doing things during that time, that it made it
seem to pass on by. Interesting, eh?
Back to Top
August 12, 2003
Ever notice that "shape"
affects your perception on whether you like something or you don't.
For instance, look at your food......do you like foods that are shaped a
certain way better than others? Like macaroni and cheese.... i
personally like spirals better than any other kind of Kraft Mac and
Cheese. Why is that? They are made exactly the same except for
one has a straight noodle, and the others have spiral noodles. Or take
cheese for that matter, why is some cheese in a block (like cheddar), and
others are either slices (like American) or in sticks (like mozzarella)?
What if they were all the same shape, would you like any of them more or
less?
Now lets move on to people and "shape". If you see an
attractive, in shape person, your eyes immediately latch on to them as
they walk by, but you are instantly afraid to go up to them to say
"hi". The same is true for someone that is extremely
overweight - your eyes will immediately latch on to him or her, and you
won't want to talk to them either. And now, take the average person
- you are most likely to talk to this person than the previous 2.
Why is this? We are all people - why does it matter what we look
like, or what our "shape" is? Sure, I agree that there are
many other factors that play into this, but I guarantee that this is one
of the first to contribute to your decision as to whether or not you will
actually talk to that person.
So here is my conclusion - when something is shaped differently than the
normal shape of what you perceive that object or person to have, and then
you form a strong opinion about it without even realizing it. You
might either like it a lot, or dislike it very much. But when the
thing or person has a normal shape, you are more likely to be indifferent
and not form a strong opinion one-way or the other right away. What
are your thoughts on this?
Back to Top
August
13, 2003
Today's thought is "Personal Space".
The end. Well no, not really.... its just the beginning.....ready?!
Ever notice that people don't like to be physically close to one another?
Take an elevator for example - when you get on an empty elevator, you
usually walk in and stand in the back corner, or on the side near where
the buttons are. But wait, now you're getting on an elevator where
there is 1 other person on it - you then instinctively stand on the
opposite side of the elevator no matter what. Why is this? Why
stand as far away as possible from the other person? Now take it one
step further - say you're getting on an elevator and there are quite a few
people on it already - enough people are on it that they are standing
around the perimeter of the elevator, thus taking up all the
"wall" space. The only spot for you to stand is in the
middle - now you feel totally uncomfortable - Why is this?! Why was
every single person on the elevator already standing on the walls, rather
than scattered in the elevator? It's like their scared to stand there b/c
they will get a disease or something!
Also notice that usually no one will say a word on the elevator ride
- and if they do, it's usually just before the other person is about to
get off on his/her floor. During the entire ride, everyone just
blankly stares at the numbers above the door until they reach their floor.
It's almost like everyone is a zombie! So, here's my take on why
people would start up a conversation just before they get off the elevator
- They either just want to be friendly, or are attracted to that person,
and they want to say something, but can't get the courage up. But
knowing that that person is getting off on that floor, well that is a
safety net so you don't feel like a complete idiot if the other person
ignores you or blows you off.
This brings me to another point....Why are the conversation starters
always about the weather? They would either say....."Nice day
out isn't it?" Or "I can't believe it's still raining out,
ugh". Why do people do this - it's especially dumb when people
do this in elevators.......you know why this drives me crazy? Well,
I'll tell you why........Because most of the time both you and the other
person just came from outside, so you both know what it was like out there
- so why the heck would someone say "I can't believe it's raining
again" to you, when you were both just out there not more than a
minute ago? ARGH!
Well, today's "Thought of the Day", can be summed up like this:
People will do anything possible to stand or sit as far away from the next
person as they can, and if they absolutely have to sit or stand next to
someone else, they're bound to talk about the weather........notice this
next time you ride a bus, subway, get on an elevator, or are in any
situation that causes people to be near each other for 1 to several
minutes.
Back to Top
Tuesday,
August 26, 2003
Thought of the Day.
Right now I’m sitting on the train en route from Paris, France to
Frankfurt, Germany to teach a
3 day training course to Braun. I
spent the weekend in Paris visiting Melissa Vass (one of Becky’s friends
from college), and Marianne Le Bigot.
Marianne happened to be home in Paris visiting her family, so it
worked out to visit her while I was in town.
It was a good time in Paris, seeing all the famous sites – le
Tour d’Effile, Notre Dame, etc… We also had a picnic on Monday night
out by the canal on the north east side of Paris.
We played a game called putang near the canal – like lawn
bowling. It was fun spending
an evening with people who actually live in Paris – this way I got to
see the way people truly live without being overcome with tourists
everywhere.
So anyway lets see what I can come up
with for the thought of the day…….lets try “happiness” as
today’s thought. I have found the concept of happiness to be similar to an
earlier topic that I discussed, the one about distinguishing between
“up” and “down”. There
is no clear definition to what makes a person happy – why is this?
How can everyone be so different that there cannot be a common
definition of “happiness”? Now
would be a good time to go through some of the definitions of happiness
that I have found other people to have.
Some of the items in the following list
are what appear to make people “happy”: having financial
success, large house, fancy car, boat, vacation house,
college education, retirement, being in extraordinary shape,
traveling the world, having a family, many friends, finding true love,
having someone to care about, knowing someone cares about them, spiritual
growth, knowing that they are never alone (God is always there).
Tthese items are how some people define what happiness means to
them. But take a step back
and notice that people will typically shy away from saying that they are
“happy” right now. People
tend to say that I will be happy when I achieve …..(fill in any of the
above phrases here).
So the question becomes
“Why are people never content where they are today?”
It seems as though this is generally more typical in the American
Culture than any other that I have seen.
It’s always – “Once I achieve this, or get this, then I will
be happy”. But notice that
once that person achieves whatever it may be, they are generally still not
happy. Why? Well it’s because they want something else, and change
their standards for what they think will make them happy.
It is my belief that people are
forgetting one very important concept in life, captured by the following
phrase – “seize the moment”. People
get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, trying to achieve
that “one” thing that they think will make them happy once they
achieve it. Everyone, including myself, is guilty of this from time to
time. But it’s one thing to
not know you’re guilty of it, and it’s another to take the time to
realize that this is how you’re living your life and striving to change
it. I take pity on those who
never take a step back to realize what is really important in life, and
never think about why they do the things that they do everyday.
I am a firm believer in seizing the moment, because once that
moment has passed, it is gone forever.
The chance to repeat that particular moment will never come again.
Do you really want to go through life thinking about or regretting
a missed opportunity because you were to afraid to take a risk and deviate
from your everyday schedule? I’m
willing to bet that you’re thinking of a moment right now that you wish
you acted on – whether it was a phone call you should have made, a trip
you should have taken, more effort you should have given, or simple
“Thank-you” you should have said.
Keep in mind there is nothing you can do now or ever that will
fully make up for that missed chance.
All of this will take away from your ideal state of happiness.
So my question to you is “Why would you do this to yourself?”
I’m not saying that you need to take every possible opportunity
that comes your way, but what I am saying is that you should at least take
the time to consider whether it is worth pursuing or not.
As always there is a reason for
everything that happens, whether you know that reason or not.
I think that everyone can find happiness through their faith in
God, and their ability to recognize the opportunities that He presents to
us. Once the opportunity is
presented to us, and we recognize the opportunity, then we can make a
decision of what to do. I
would argue that even if you chose not to take a particular opportunity,
you are better off knowing and recognizing that the opportunity existed
than not at all. I also
believe that once you recognize an open door when it occurs, and you take
that opportunity, more opportunities will present themselves in the
future. Let me give you an
example of what I mean. I am
on a trip to Frankfurt, Germany right now for work.
I love to travel and see the world, so I decided to extend my trip
before and after my planned time in Frankfurt.
The opportunity presented itself for me to go to Europe, so I
decided to fly into Paris for the weekend before work.
I went to visit Melissa and Marianne in Paris.
Melissa was a college friend of Becky who I met on a road trip to
visit Becky during spring break of my junior year at Michigan.
I recently saw Melissa (about 1 month ago) in New York City when
Becky and several co-workers were training there for a week.
On one of my trips to NYC to visit Becky, Marianne came with me for
the road trip. I met Marianne in Boston because she is Carolyn’s roommate
(I knew Carolyn from the IOE program at UofM).
I am in Boston because I followed an opportunity and interviewed
for a new startup supply chain consulting company in Boston, back in
April. So Marianne is
actually from Paris, and happened to be back visiting her family during
the time I was traveling to Europe. Things
worked out so that I was able to meet up with her and her family before
heading off to Germany. But
before I even got into Europe, my plane was held up in Boston due to a
lightning storm. So as you might have guessed, I missed my connecting flight,
which happened to be in Detroit. I
took a cab to my parents house in MI, and was able to spend a day with
them before flying out to Paris the next night.
Even though I was suppose to be in Paris that day, I actually
wasn’t disappointed that I wasn’t there because the opportunity
presented itself for me to see my family for a day.
So anyway you get the picture of how one simple opportunity, if
taken, can lead to several more – maybe not immediately, but down the
road for sure.
If you are not happy now, take the
time to figure out why. It is
well worth the small effort put forth of analyzing where you are at in
life. Seize the moment, and always explore the opportunities that
are presented to you because you will never be able to predict what new
adventures and opportunities will result from following one. I am a firm believer in this concept, and I know that I have
been able to live a fuller life than if I had ignored one or all of the
opportunities that led me where I am today.
God opens and closes doors for many reasons, and someday those
reasons will become clear. Rather
than ask “why”, ask “what or how”.
Figure out what you can do with what is presented to you and how
you can make the most of it rather than why it is presented to you.
That is the thought of the day. Once you have read this, and thought about how this applies
to your life, you will be a happier person - - and the desires of wanting
or needing to achieve that next level will no longer be important for
becoming a truly happy person.
Back to Top
Wednesday,
September 3, 2003
Thought of the Day.
I am currently en route from Boston to Chicago for some project
work with Tellabs. Today’s
thought is “automatic responses”.
Ever notice that when you’re passing someone in the hall, you and
the other person usually say “Hi, How are you?” as you pass one
another. Think about that for
a second…….notice that each of you asked the other the same question,
and I’m willing to bet that neither of you actually listened to the
other’s response. Okay, so
you might say that you did hear the other person – and he/she said they
were doing “good” or “fine”.
Are they really doing good? Or was this an automated response?
I’m betting it was an automated response, and I’m also betting
that you didn’t really want to hear any other type of answer from that
person anyway. All of this
happens without you even realizing it.
Automated responses are unfortunately a part of everyone’s daily
life in today’s society. Everyone
does it. Why is this? Well,
I think that people generally don’t think about what they are asking
when they are asking it. I
guarantee that this is the way 95% of all conversations start, if there
ever is a conversation. People think they are being friendly by doing this (asking
how the other person is), but I think otherwise.
I think that people could be respected more if they actually mean
what they say. If I ask you
“How are you doing?” I
should be focused on that person when they give their response, and listen
to every word that they say, otherwise I shouldn’t bother asking that
question at all. When asking
that question, you must be prepared to listen to what is ‘wrong’ if
the other person is not ‘good’. My
opinion is that when most people ask “how are you doing?”, they
don’t really care about what you say – and definitely don’t want to
hear about anything that is going badly.
This can all be summarized by
thinking about what you say before you say ‘it’, and also by paying
attention to responses when you ask a question.
Next time you pass a friend or acquaintance in the hall, don’t
ask “how are you doing?” in passing if you don’t really care about
what they have to say, instead, just simply say “Hello.”
Also resist the temptation to say “good” when someone asks how
you are. When they ask, tell
them exactly what you feel at that point in time.
Regardless of what you say, watch their reaction.
They will be completely surprised / shocked that you answered their
question genuinely, since they never anticipated a genuine response in the
first place. I think that if
you really pay attention to this, it will help to build your character,
and you will be a more respected person in today’s world.
The following situation is similar
to the above: Remember
someone’s name when you ask for it.
Take the time to remember something unique about the other person
as well – mention that topic in conversation the next time you speak
with him/her - - they will be extremely impressed that you remembered
something specifically about them (plus it will help you to remember their
name). You will also notice
that this person will usually take more of an interest in you – and your
relationship will strengthen. Don’t
limit this to people you are just meeting for the first time…….this
applies to everyone you know – think about the people who you call your
‘closest’ friends. How
much do you really know about them, and how much do they really know about
you? Take a second to really
think about this – you must be the one to go out on a limb and learn
about them. If they really
are people that you consider your close friends, they will usually then
begin returning a similar level of interest that you have shown.
Try it, you will be surprised how effective this really is.
Back to Top
September 9, 2003
Today’s thought is “Flying”. This will be a relatively short thought as I sit on my flight
from Boston to Chicago for more work with Tellabs. Anyway I have several questions as to why the airline
industry operates the way it does today.
First of all, why does it take at a minimum 2 hours for you to
actually be flying on your plane? Yes
you can assume a ½ hour drive to the airport, 15 min to check in,
and 15 min to go through security.
What about the remaining hour?
People generally end up sitting at their gate for at least another
½ hour until they can get on their flight.
And then, once everyone is boarded, you can expect another 15
minutes at least before you actually get in the air.
It seems like this process is more drawn out than it needs to be.
Things are getting better though – you can at least check in from
home and print out your boarding pass so you don’t have to check in at
the airport. Security
is not getting any easier though. One
must always take off their shoes, take their laptops out of their bags,
and walk through the metal detector.
If you don’t get stopped, then you’re lucky – you only have
to spend 5 minutes more getting dressed again.
If you do get stopped, well then plan on running to your gate to
make your plane once the security guard figures out that you have a metal
belt buckle that set off the alarm. Since
the FAA mandated such a strict security clearance for airplanes, why
haven’t airline industries capitalized on this opportunity?
Airlines could come out with their own line of clothing, suitable
for passing through the airport. Think
about it – you could have shoes that do not have any metal in them or a
belt buckle that doesn’t have any metal in it.
You wouldn’t have to take any of this stuff off when going
through security, and it would speed up the process.
Not to mention the added profit that the airlines could get by
creating such a market.
The boarding process.
I think that a plane could be boarded much quicker and more
efficiently than the 25 minutes that it currently takes.
Planes are typically equipped with at least 3 exits on both sides
of the aircraft (front, middle, and back).
Why do they cram everyone through the one exit to board a plane?
Why not use the front door and the back door to load people on?
It wouldn’t be that difficult to change – the tunnel you walk
through would just have to be split to go to the front and the back
entrances of the aircraft. Also,
notice that different airlines take different approaches to boarding the
aircraft. American airlines
assigns a group number to everyone’s ticket
- which basically boards people in a scattered order throughout the
aircraft – I have not been able to figure out the methodology of what
classifies any particular seat number to be in a particular group number.
Northwest Airlines, on the other hand, boards their aircraft by
seat number – filling up the rear of the aircraft first.
This makes a little more sense at least, but still not good enough.
This is how it should be done.
Everyone should get a group number on their ticket, similar to
American Airlines. You should
be able to board the plane from the front and from the rear at the same
time. Group numbers should
indicate the entrance you are suppose to enter the aircraft on, as well as
indicate whether you’re in an isle, middle, or window seat.
My thought is that the aircraft should be boarded from the middle
outwards, only filling in the window seats first, then have the next group
number fill in the middle seats, while the next group number sits in the
isles. Doesn’t this make
more sense than having to make people get up after they are seated in
their isle seat, when you are trying to get to your window seat?
Another thought on seating:
There should be an option on the website to pick who you want to
sit next to……….for example: you should be able to fill out a profile
of the type of person you want to sit next to.
If you’re planning on sleeping the whole way, you would pick a
seat next to someone who also wants to sleep the whole way so you don’t
get bothered. All babies
should have to sit in one section of the aircraft, with their families as
well. If you wanted to sit
next to someone who’s looking for a conversation, you could pick a seat
next to that person, and you would know that person is interested in
talking. Or it could be used
as a “dating service”. You
could look to sit next to a single person of the opposite sex while
specifying the age range of the other individual.
All these services could be added on to the current airline
industry to make flights more interesting.
Safety Instructions.
First of all you shouldn’t be flying on an aircraft if you
don’t know how to buckle and unbuckle your seatbelt.
When they cover the floatation device section – why do they
always say, that the floatation device might be the actual seat cushion,
or it might be under the seat, or it might be in between your seats? Don’t they know? Why
can’t they tell you specifically where it is?
Pay attention next time, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
What about the emergency lighting?
They always claim that the whole isle will light up incase of
emergencies to point you towards the exits – I personally don’t
believe them – I’ve looked for these “lights”, but don’t see
them anywhere – even when the “emergency
lights” supposedly came on during one of my flights.
And now, the emergency exits.
Can people be profiled early on to know if they are capable of
sitting in that seat before they get their seat assignment?
I think this happens to some degree, but I always see people
getting moved around once they boarded because they aren’t capable or
comfortable with sitting there – why?
Also, I really hate that I thought of this, but what if a terrorist
sat in an emergency exit and opened one of the exits in mid flight –
what would happen to the pressurized cabin?
Meals. Why does it annoy people
that they no longer get meals on the airplane anymore?
That is probably the worst food you’ve ever eaten since dorm
food. It’s amazing what
people get annoyed about. Airlines
should offer a service that provides you with the meal you want from the
restaurant you decide. They
could offer the following service – when you either make your
reservation, or check in at home or in the airport, you could also order
the food you want on your flight – it could be from McDonalds, Outback
Steakhouse, or Macaroni Grill…… whichever restaurants in the area are
willing to provide this service. This
way you could have the meal you want while you are on your flight.
Sure you could expect to pay a premium for this, but I’m sure
people would do it to save time.
Phones and internet.
Why are those “airline phones” still in the seatbacks of every
seat? I’ve never seen
anyone use them – EVER. Cell
phone companies should work in conjunction with airlines to provide a
satellite uplink service from the aircraft while you are flying on it.
This would be a huge benefit for those long flights.
They probably don’t even need to do this much – cell phones are
used everywhere already – connecting to cell towers that are miles away.
If you think about it, you’re only 3-5 miles up in the air at any
given time, so your cell phone shouldn’t have a problem reaching a
ground signal anyway. If
their worried about interference with the cockpit – figure out how to
shield it so no interference will occur.
I really see how phones could cause interference with the
navigation system. Why
don’t they cause interference with a boat’s navigation system, or
anything else for that matter?
Also how long is it going to take before there is a LAN connection
at every seat – or at least in first class?
The same cell phone company could provide an Internet service
uplink from the aircraft as well. All
of these features would be additional ways for airlines to make a few
extra bucks per person, therefore allowing them to reduce the average
airfare for those who don’t want to take advantage of these services.
Seatbelts.
Why does every sign say “Fasten Seat Belts While Seated”? I’d like to meet the genius that came up with that one.
How else can I fasten my seatbelt?
While Standing? Also if I’m fastening my seatbelt while I’m seated, why
does the captain have a “Fasten Seatbelt” indicator light that he
turns on and off during the flight? They
say to always fasten your seatbelt while you’re seated anyway – what
is the big deal if he announces that he’s turning off the indicator?
I just don’t get it.
Well, I’m done for now on my
thoughts of the airline industry. I
just think that so many items in this industry are outdated.
Some of the above ideas could be good revenue generators for
airlines. The additional
services would be something to distinguish one airline from another, which
would be another way to attract customer loyalty (other than frequent
flier memberships).
Back to Top
September
29, 2003
Currently
I am en route from Boston to Chicago for another meeting with Tellabs in
Naperville, Illinois.
The past couple weeks have been packed with lots of work and fun on
the weekends.
Two weekends ago, a few people came to Boston to visit me.
Michelle P. flew in from Detroit to visit for a long weekend
(Thurs-Mon). The Schienke Family (Derek and Emily), also decided to drive
over from their new apartment in upstate New York.
James Chapman also drove up from Connecticut to hang out for the
weekend. Needless to say it
was a fun-filled / adventurous weekend around Harvard Square and Downtown
Boston. This past weekend I
had another visitor from Austin, Texas.
Paula had never been to Boston before, so she wanted to come up and
check out the town. Since her
roots stem back to Toronto Canada, she didn’t have much interest in
seeing the Freedom Trail. I
was quite relieved to find this out – especially since I’ve walked the
entire freedom trail with out of town visitors at least 10-12 times in the
past 4 months! We went on a
different, walking tour in downtown Boston; it was nice to see something
new/different. Both weekends
were very fun <and of course I’ll never catch up on my sleep….but
at least this way I know I’m living life to its fullest!>
And
now, The Thought of the Day is “Attraction”.
From time to time, everyone has stepped back to analyze why past
relationships did not work out. Maybe
it was a particular quality, habit, characteristic, or behavior of your
significant other that eventually drove you away. Perhaps it was a long distance relationship that would have
been too difficult to maintain at that particular point in your life.
But what was the actual cause for the failure of the relationship
and are you sure to avoid that “particular trait” in future dates?
What is it that ultimately causes two people to like each other? I would like to dive into this question further.
Four categories of attraction should be noted: physical, mental,
spiritual, and behavioral/personality.
There are more categories that could be defined, but I want to
limit this thought to the above four – these are meant to encompass all
others in some fashion.
Physical
Attraction: Some might say
that they are attracted to a member of the opposite sex because of how
they “look”. What is it
that makes you attracted to one person and not the other? Is it hair
color, hairstyle, skin color, height, they way they dress, or their body
type – i.e. fat/thin or muscular/average.
Most would explain that it is a combination of the above.
Do the people you date typically have similar physical
characteristics? Is this even important?
Physical attraction is only what would cause you to be interested
in someone without knowing him or her.
Obviously two people in a relationship must have some level of
physical attraction, but this would be the least weighted factor of the
above four categories. One
could end up dating someone who they didn’t even take notice of when
passing by on the street. If
one or any combination of the remaining 3 categories were strong between
the two individuals, then a strong overall attraction would be present.
In the next few paragraphs, my reasoning for rating physical
attraction as only “mild-importance” should become much more clear.
Mental
Attraction: This is a type of
attraction that most people include on their list of what they are looking
for in a relationship. What
is mental attraction exactly? Most
people would say that they want a “smart or intelligent” significant
other. People all over the
world vary in intelligence levels – so what exactly does “Smart
mean”? Smart is too general
of a term in my opinion. I
think that people are really looking for someone that they can learn from
on an ongoing basis, without being intimidated.
If you date someone that’s too much more or less intelligent than
yourself, then your relationship will eventually fail.
It’s often more fruitful if you and your significant other have
similar levels of intelligence, but with differing opinions on select
topics. This will cause you
to grow mentally and challenge one another on an ongoing basis.
Mental attraction is important for the purpose of being able to
learn how your significant other “thinks”.
If one were fascinated by how their significant other thinks, but
can understand why he or she would arrive at certain results – this
would be a stimulating mental connection.
Mental attraction is one very important part of one’s overall
attractiveness.
Spiritual
Attraction: Spiritual
attraction is one attraction that varies from relationship to
relationship. I have noticed
that relationships with partners that have a strong spiritual presence
tend to have more rich and fulfilling relationships.
If both partners have an interest in growing their spirituality
together, then other aspects of their relationship grow more deeply; also
causing the overall attractiveness between the couple is also at a higher
level. With this said, one
must be aware that significant differences in spiritual strength and
belief can cause great riffs between two people.
Firstly, if you’re spiritual belief is of a very different
fundamental concept, then you will have great difficulty growing as
together; also causing overall attractiveness to decrease.
Heated arguments will frequently occur which would inevitably end
the level of the relationship you have with your significant other.
Secondly, one must be concerned for the future possibility of
raising a family with that person. If
your spiritual beliefs are not in line and do not have the same
fundamentals, then how CAN you raise a family?
This is a particular topic that is often debated regarding the
timing of when this should take precedence in a relationship.
Should one not even continue with a relationship if their
fundamental beliefs do not coincide?
I would answer “yes”. You
know that particular person is very special in your life, but you also
know that there are fundamental belief differences that cannot be altered.
It is also wrong to “feel” that you can change the other
person’s fundamental beliefs. If
your fundamental beliefs do not coincide, I would suggest continuing the
relationship only if there are signs that your significant other is still
searching to strengthen and define their spirituality / beliefs.
Still keep in mind that your significant other would have to come
to this realization on their own. This
must not be any pressure on your end to ‘convert’ to what you believe,
otherwise the spiritual growth and strength of your relationship will be
sacrificed; causing spiritual attraction to diminish, as well as the
overall attractiveness of your significant other.
Behavioral
/ Personality Attraction: This
category of attraction is potentially the largest part of attraction in
one’s overall attractiveness. It
is potentially the largest because this dictates how you and he/she will
interact with one another. Behavioral
/ Personality attraction encompasses numerous traits such as; humor,
sarcasm, honesty, trustworthiness, open-mindedness, being genuine,
friendly, strong, outgoing, adventurous, realistic, down-to-earth, risky,
aggressive, witty, wise, caring, understanding, thoughtful, and many more
of similar nature. The
picture is now painted for what I define behavioral / personality
attraction to encompass. Typically one is attracted to another by some
combination of the above traits that he / she exhibits (plus any others
that are not listed) at any given time.
What is the right combination of traits to compliment yours?
Can the right combination be clearly defined to identify the
‘type’ of person you are most attracted to?
I would argue that it is possible, but it is a very difficult task
to accomplish. Some traits
can be listed out on a piece of paper but typically are so general that
they could have a variety of meanings.
Take ‘honesty’ for instance.
Most people would say that they want an honest person.
Well, what exactly is an ‘honest’ person?
Honesty might mean something different to everyone.
For example, does this mean you would want someone that ALWAYS told
you exactly what he or she thought at every second of the day?
Or would you just want someone that never lies?
From this simple example one can quickly realize the difficulty of
not only defining what traits a significant other should have, but more
importantly what each of those traits specifically means.
There is a certain combination of personality/behavioral traits in
someone that will ‘click’ with the combination of traits that you
possess. The overall
attractiveness of the person that has the right set of traits will be very
high. This category of
attraction is rated as one of the most significant because of its
prominence when interacting with one another.
The
above four main categories comprised of traits, characteristics, and
beliefs/ideals are what can explain attraction between two people.
Take a moment to think about how the above categories explain why
certain relationships work and others do not.
By thinking through these topics, one should more clearly be able
to define the attractions that mean the most to themselves as well as more
specifically pave the path for choosing who to date or for the reasoning
to continue with the currently involved relationship.
Back to Top
October
1, 2003
Today’s thought is “Why do
professional sports players get paid more than doctors, engineers,
etc..?” I never understood
why people are paid so much money for playing sports.
It doesn’t make sense to me because they aren’t actually doing
anything good for the world. The
only thing that professional sports provide is a ‘release of stress’
for anyone that watches them perform.
Why do so many people support and attend sporting events?
Normal people work very hard during the day; designing buildings,
performing surgery, computer programming, educating others, and protecting
the country. At the end of
the day they will either watch or attend a sporting event that they pay to
view in some way. It
doesn’t make sense that we pay so much or pay at all to attend these
events. Why should someone
get paid millions of dollars to be a ‘grown-up child’ and play all
day? Sure, one would argue
that they have an amazing talent – if everyone were the same level, then
it probably wouldn’t be as popular – right?
It is my opinion that sporting events happen to be one of the
things that several people like to do together.
This relates to one of my earlier topics of how people like to be
near other people. Notice how
Michigan and Tennessee are known as two of the greatest football stadiums
in the country – why(?) – well it’s mostly because they can fit the
most people in their stadium out of any other stadium in the country.
It still doesn’t seem fair that professional sports players are
paid so much money. Please
explain to me how it is justified to pay Dominic Hassek (Detroit Red
Wings) $8 million/year, and only pay an emergency room surgeon around a
measly $120 thousand/ year? Does
this make sense? In one hand
you have a hockey goaltender, and in the other you have someone that helps
save lives. It seems as
though things that you ‘want’ are worth more, rather than the things
that you actually ‘need’ (i.e. you ‘want’ to go watch a hockey
game, compared to ‘needing’ a triple bypass).
Although this is something that troubles me, and I note that I
cannot have much (if any) influence over this, but one can translate this
into their own life by buying things that he/she needs only, and by
limiting the purchases of extravagant things he/she ‘wants’.
Back to Top
October 6, 2003
So here's the list of 11 concept
games, courtesy of Michael Miller!
1) NMSARS -
This game would be kind of a cross between Beachhead 2002 and Silent
Scope. Basically you and another (somebody that can shoot Carrie).
So somebody steers this helicopter that you both are in and the passenger
has a sniper rifle. The game will take place in China and you'll fly
over Hong Kong while the other person shoot people. The key to this
game is you have to locate the SARS victims. So all the people who
have SARS will not be wearing face mask....you can shoot those.
There would be different levels too. Like you might walk into a Sumo
wrestling place, or a bathhouse, or a restaurant. Maybe add like a
hand to hand combat mode where one person controls the feet the other
controls the hand like mini-me/Austin in Gold member. Maybe the SARS
infected will try to bite you and the machine will spray like a nerve
agents in your faces..something mild though...li e make you paralyzed for
a couple of minutes...or laughing gas...now that would be cool.
BTW...NMSARS = No More SARS.
2) Ghetto aka - Have a game wear you have to walk
and talk to people like a gangster. You get points for talking the
lingo and you have to walk on the treadmill with a bounce, grabbing your
crotch. You get to choose your own gangs and get "beat-in".
The giant q-tips could come back for this one too. Bonus points
would be awarded when you're like "Stop hitting me dog". Selling
drugs, Stealing, Spray painting would all be in...I guess this is called
GTA though.
3) Richter aka
(B30 Sphincter Blow) - This game is primarily for large women and most
men. It basically involves a microphone, vacuum, and compressed air.
The louder the flagelence the more points you get...tickets too. Then you
don't have to go over to the wheel spinning games away from everyone to
blow ass. You can do it there and win prizes. I am sure we
could get a discount on vacuum pumps.
4) Public Relations (PR)
- This is for a company outing at D&B. Basically the scope of
this game is to give your boss enough to drink that he headbutts someone
else you work with. The higher up in the company the more
points/tickets you get. It's up to you to decide if you want to
share with your boss. I guess PR could stand for Phil Russel
too.
5) Human Cannonball -
This is great. You have to play in pairs with you and your best
friend. Basically a bowling alley is set up with giant pins...like
four feet high. Now one of you gets into this giant tube
and the other one aims you at these pins. He fires you and the goal
is to knock down all the pins...like bowling. Except there would be
like free beer in the gutters or something...maybe money. So your
friend is always trying to get into the gutter making it harder to score
when your launching his a$$. We could also add poles next to the
gutters down by the pins...and you know hat goes good with poles.
Mainly a guy game.
6) Wheelchair Derby
- I felt like I was forgetting the handicap. So this is going to be
played in a bumper car type platform. Basically, a group of at least 5-20
get into wheelchairs (I guess you don't have to be handicap) and your roll
around trying to break the others wheelchair without breaking your own.
Than about half way through it, somebody throws out one of those little
bouncy balls that you get in the fifty cent machines at Kmart. The
first person to get that, get's to ride in the bumper car for a minute
trying to break the remaining wheelchairs. No electric wheelchairs
allowed for safety purposes.
7) Natural Selection - This one is great....but it
is played just outside D&B. Basically a group of people goes around in
the parking lot outside and finds those dumbass cars. Like the Neons
with spoilers, or the 1972 Suburbans with $15,000 rims, or even like the
Anything that is pointless. These people proceed to then tip it over.
If they are successful than they get a free round of drinks...and if they
lose their credit cards...they get another free round (of Long Islands).
Now you might be saying...this is illegal you can't do it. You can
if you have a sign in the parking lot saying that you are not liable...as
long as you have a sign your good. I watch People's Court....as sign
allows you to do pretty much anything. That's why I need a sing saying
"I'm winning the lottery". Signs are great. Just
make sure it is metal and cemented into the ground because I bet people whose
car is tipped over will want to take it out on something.
8) Exxon Valdez - Concept - Part of the game
is that you have to do shots while playing....there is a pause button for
this, the light automatically goes on above the game and your waitress
hooks you up. Do your shot and then see how many icebergs you can dodge.
But here is the tricky part, you have to pay attention to the area you are
in. So let's say you see dolphins, ducks, and a whole bunch of
pretty marine crap....this is the part where it is key to hit the iceberg.
So the whole idea of the game is to get drunk and effectively kill off
marine life. Maybe throw in bonus tricks like lighting it on fire, or have
a sniper rifle too on the game...yeah that would be a good one.
9) Twigs and Dinkleberries - Concept - This is
kind of like the sledgehammer game where you see how hard you can hit the
pad, but this one is kind of for woman and woman-like men.
Basically, you put your money in or swipe your card and walk up and see
how hard you can kick this pad. It would be like a dummy or
something that you would be kicking and the force would be measured.
It wouldn't be like the sledgehammer game either where you have to enter
your weight or anything to determine your handicap of ball kicking.
Everybody is equals in this because that is the way it should be.
Besides I bet there are some pretty small girls with hella ball kicks.
Maybe it might be cool too to have somebody swearing at you while you do
it.
10) Isolation Booth - This one would be
like the 5 minute ones that you have to pay like 14 bucks for.
Basically you go into a booth and it's completely dark. But this
booth is designed around your worst fears (because your friends are
choosing them on the outside on the Computer Control --> Prolly some
stupid Dell computer). So it's all dark and then all of a sudden you
get like animals trying to jump on you in 3D or something. Maybe
spiders drop down from the ceiling. Hell, maybe even like the walls close
in on you, like Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca in Star Wars. And then
they give you a beer on the way out. Prolly need a warning sticker
for this one...you know the do not go in if you have a pacemaker,
wear diapers, need to wear diapers, or have red hair. That be a good
one too.
11) Defend Iraq -
This one is really cool, but it would prolly be like a $14 game too.
Basically they stick you on treadmill, with like a mask, maybe headphones.
Throw on a backpack that ways like 40 lbs or something. And basically they
just show you a screen where you choose where you want to go, like one of
those books where you flip to pg 15, but then you flip to pg 18 just to
see what you missed if you had done it differently. This is how it
would be marketable...people would keep playing. But here is the
best part, you can never win because you got like tanks and helicopters
shooting you, your guns suck, your running over your own mines.
Basically your always screwed whatever you do, because let's face
it...your defending Iraq. It might be cool too for this one to have
little hidden features like lighting yourself on fire when trying to
sabotage oil-wells or something. Maybe even bonus points for
surrendering before the game even starts. This prolly needs some
sort of torture level too, maybe where your friends get to pick up giant
que tips like American Gladitors and beat you down. That reminds me,
whatever happened to American Gladitors?
***************************************************
Michael F. Miller
Back to Top
October 7, 2003
Today’s thought of the day is
‘Space’. What is
space? How do you define space?
Space can have several meanings ranging from emotional to physical
space. Emotional space
being the ‘space’ you need to be on your own – personal time. Everyone requires different amounts of it at different times.
What causes one to need more or less emotional space?
Usually people would need more emotional space when something
traumatic happens in their life….i.e. they break up with their
significant other, a loved one passes away, etc…
It’s also possible that one would need more emotional space when
they are feeling ‘lost’ in life, so they can figure things out.
Notice that when people are happier, the amount of emotional space
that they need is typically less. They
enjoy spending more time with others and don’t require as much time
‘on their own’. Observe
the relationships around you and take notice what causes people to require
more or less emotional space.
Physical space can be referred to as the
‘physical distance’ between to people or things.
People tend to use physical space as a way of achieving personal
emotional space. The old
cliché goes like this “out of sight out of mind”, right?
I have a problem with that phrase – I actually think that it is
worse for someone or something to be out of sight because your mind will
go crazy thinking about that very person or topic.
Anyway back to the point of ‘physical space’.
Physical space can also referred to, or noticed when people are
talking to one another. You’ll
definitely notice this especially when talking to someone that is a close
talker. You will
instinctively move back because your ‘physical space’ is being
invaded.
I would like to change gears on
Physical Space now, and focus more on Space outside of earth.
How can one possibly comprehend the concept of outer space?
This one baffles me every time I think about it.
If the scientific explanation of how the world began through the
big bang theory has any truth to it, then the universe has been expanding
at an incredible rate since that initial ‘big bang’.
Supposedly the universe is still expanding at that same
rate….just growing and growing and growing.
I have trouble contemplating how this is happening.
First of all how can the universe still be expanding at that rate?
And more importantly what is it expanding into?
What was there before the Big Bang happened?
Its easy to understand how a bomb explosion because it explodes
into the space around it. But
when the universe was created, it itself is considered to be space, so
what exactly does ‘space’ explode into?
What, scientifically, explains the cause of the explosion in the
first place? I’ve never
heard that part of the story before.
Also how do they explain where all the planets and stars came from?
Sure its all matter is made up of atoms, etc…, but what is the
scientific explanation of why they exist and how they
initially formed with their size and shape?
Black holes. Now where
did those come from? Supposedly
a black hole is caused from an imploding star (i.e. a star that has burned
out). Once it has become a black hole, it begins to pull everything
towards it – other planets, stars, light, - everything.
Where does everything go that is pulled towards the black hole?
Do you just get to the center of the black hole, and then stop? Is the black hole a secret passage to some other part of the
universe? Or is the black
hole a gateway into the nothingness that the universe is expanding into?
Anyway it is very difficult to comprehend the infinite universe,
which is expanding into nothingness at incredible rates.
I just wonder what will happen when the expansion reaches the end,
if indeed there is an end into which it can expand.
Back to Top
September 10, 2005
I haven’t written a “thought of the day” in a couple
years……so its time to put a new one in here.
Have you ever been walking somewhere when it started raining?
And did you have an umbrella when you got caught in the rain?
I’m guessing, probably not.
This thought probably ran through your head at that time “Should
I start running so I can get to my destination faster without getting as
wet?” Here’s my question
– Would you get wetter by running to your destination, or by walking?
You might say that if I were to walk, I would get wetter because it
would take me longer to get to the destination.
Therefore I would be in the rain longer, exposing myself to more
rain drops. However, you
might say that if I started running, I might be able to limit the time I
spent in the rain, right?
Well, if I run in the rain, then I would argue that I would get
wetter. Even though I would be
in the rain for less time, I would be exposed to more rain drops causing
me to get at least as wet as if I were to walk.
Assume that the rain is falling straight down.
If I were running, the rain would hit more surface area of my body
than if I were walking. Not to
mention that when I’m running, I’m probably getting more wet by
splashing in the puddles along the way.
Anyway, regardless of the last point, I am in a toss up when it
comes to running vs. walking in the rain.
What do you think?
Back to Top
October 23, 2005
This one is going to be short and sweet
- -
When
a team in sports has not won any games, you say that the team is win-less,
right?
When
a team has not lost any games, you say that the team is Un-Defeated…..
So
for a team that has not won any games, why can’t we refer to them as
Defeated???
And
for a team that has not lost any games, why aren’t they referred to as
Lose-less???
Back to Top
|