Have you ever...

Has your wife ever cut divets into you hair accidentally causing you to use mascara to minimize the potholes?

Me neither.

Roboto

I assure you the template of our blog is not intended to look like domo arigato Mr. Roboto, it just appears that way on certain monitors.

Carrots and Sticks

Sorry that last blog was so boring.

How I changed from Y to X

There are two different types of managers (coaches, senseis, teachers, fathers) the first (X) believes that people are inherently lazy, resist change, need external motivators etc to meet expectations - that person works based on fear of sticks and need of carrots. The second approach appeals to higher level's of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The Y approach focuses on human being's natural desire to be fulfilled in work. Y manager delegates responsibility and trusts that people are inherently hard working if they are set up to succeed.

Sadly, at this stage of my teaching career I have been slowly degraded from a full fledged manager Y to a drill sergeant manager X. My thoughts:

-the students I work with have little home support and are unprepared for self-management.

-Y will work only insofar as the worker has a strong sense of delayed gratification.

-the premise of management Y is that people enjoy their work like in a work rest cycle. Unfortunately most, if not all jobs, are not enjoyable ALL the time. Imagine you're a high school student and you have the choice to read your history text book on Sunday night or go out with your friends - also, there are no tests or grades at your school only the natural gift of enlightenment. Students and workers accomplish more when they are aware of carrots and sticks.

Do you disagree?

PS 22

Speaking of which...

This reminds me that I intended to blog on Kyra's recent sleep formations. Legend has it that Abraham Lincoln was too tall (6'4") for his bed and therefore needed to sleep diagonally. Kyra (5'6") has always looked up to Abe and has recently been "Abesnoozing". She also enjoys the "snow angel" formation...

Move Freely

Kyra: look at this coupon! (sliding it across the table) I can't remember where I got it...

(Get your free sample at movefreely.com)

Oliver: (perceiving the text to mean Netflix is excited)

...and then not.

bummer

Recommendations

Excellent food; excellent service.



Awesome acting. Runs like an honest dialog between conservatism and progressivism. The merits and flaws are present for both.

GOODbye(s)

For the last two months I have given up two parts of my average daily life: Walmart and Facebook. I didn't think these were limiting me much when I resolved to quit them. I actually thought they probably added more to my daily life then they took. Possibly adding things like convenience, creativity, ease, entertainment. I have been surprised.

Since quitting I have had to stretch just a bit. For a simple example, I had to start clipping coupons in order to shop outside of Walmart. So, not only have we been trying new foods and meals but I started buying a Sunday newspaper again and therefore have resumed reading the paper at least twice a week. Which is more than I've done in the past 3 years (I know... have two kids under 3... then cut me a break).

As far as Facebook, the other night I closed up my laptop when I was done working and read my Art History textbook from college cover to cover instead of clicking through stinking Facebook albums. Trust me, the text's pics were much classier. Another night I found myself on a "Wikipedia goose-chase" reading about Charles Darwin to Metaphysics to Aristotle to Objectivism to Renaissance Artists to Ninja Turtles.

Now, don't misunderstand my message here, I don't think the world needs to follow suit and cancel their Facebook accounts or boycott Walmart for stinking price gouging in a recession......maybe...... But seriously, it has just made me think again about what is healthy. I don't mean eat your veggies healthy. I mean realizing my time is my most precious resource. And I wonder how many other ways do I accept my time being spent in a way I wouldn't have chosen otherwise.

Happy Birthday Leo!

cute..................

There is so much work in raising kids, but somehow they can utter one cute thing and make all the work worthwhile just so you can have a chance to have such preciousness in your midst.

Today: "Daddy don't throw me too high in the sky, I don't want to hurt the clouds."

Come on.

Ironman

They say that if you connect with a superhero, you see something in them you wish you had. If I liked Ironman does that mean...
I wish I had an overly fancy goatee,
I wish that when visitors came over I was in a colored wife beater,
I want to paint the colors of my metal outfit something on par with a NASCAR...
I want to wear sunglasses inside,
I want to unilateraly fly to the middle east and shoot at terrorists
I want a Metalica theme song to play when I engage in physical altercations
I listen to Zeplin and ACDC when I drive through the desert in a Humvee,

I don't know but I LOVED Ironman. GET R' DONE!

TOMATO!

Rose and I planted a container garden yesterday. It's silly but I'm as excited as she is. We both stand peeking out at our little pots and plants whenever we walk by the door. What is it about plants that make such a difference in the atmosphere?

Its funny how thrilled I am when something actually grows too! As if it's a miracle a plant created fruit! I want to hold it high and yell in my most robust voice
"I have done it! Today, I fashioned a vegetable! I call it... TOMATO!"