Summer 2013 August 24

76/79 degrees, sunny.

Looks like a great weekend!  

I have really noticed in the past few months especially how little mail (U.S. Postal type mail, not e-mail) I get.  The result of e-mail, text messaging and Facebooking I assume.  All my life I have loved getting the mail, or at least the anticipation of getting the mail.  When I was a child, our mail box was about a half-mile away and I walked each day when possible to wait for the mail carrier.  He had one of the first Volkswagon bugs, probably because all the roads were mud-not gravel, dirt that turned to mud when it rained.  (I went back to visit several years ago, and it had just rained-all the roads were STILL mud!).  

I thought about this while listening to "Willpower", which mentioned again about the anticipation of pleasure being more important than pleasure itself.  

Maybe the weekend is the same way.  I love weekends for the flexibility, even if I do decide to work, but I also enjoy going back to work on Monday.

Summer 2013 August 23

74/76 degrees this morning, relatively clear.  

Listening to book on "Willpower".  After a slow start it has become a very intriguing book and I am going to buy or borrow a copy.  At the point I stopped today, the authors were making the point that "Technology" was a worse addition than any drug due to the power of anticipating (not receiving, note) continuous pleasure.

Kind of like me and my "planning" travel.  I love to plan trips, frequently more than I actually enjoy the trip.  There is nothing I like better than to plan a trip.  In another life and time, I may have been a travel agent.  In any event, I understand my pleasure at planning.  I used to "plan" which tv shows I would watch each week until I realized I really didn't like tv that much.  Ditto with movies and planning to watch sports events on tv.  I realized I enjoyed the planning, but not the actual event. (I do enjoy travel however!)

Friday is "news day" when I get the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Commercial Appeal (I read a brief edition of the New York Times on M-Thursday).  

It makes me realize that my concerns and cares are relatively minor when compared to many other persons, both in the U.S. and especially many other countries.  

Summer 2013 August 22

74/76 degrees this morning, still somewhat cloudy.

I realized this morning how much shorter the days are getting.  Like the frog in "gradually boiling" water, I didn't realize how much later the sun was rising.  I used to note the sunrise and sunset in my daily journal and maybe I need to start again to realize the passage of the seasons.  

Listening the the book "Willpower"  (I'm sure there are many books with that title, I'll check on the author), and learning some very interesting ideas, especially about the pursuit of "pleasure" and "happiness". 

I get my audiobooks from Audible and, as an Amazon.com company, they have the famous horrible customer service if you have a question or need help, so it is difficult to do anything other than "listen" to the book.  I can't really go back and listen to certain parts as I can with a CD due to limitations imposed by Audible which don't make any sense.

Anyway, the book has some interesting comments about why we always think "tomorrow" we we will have more time and why people get addicted to video games, eating etc.  (it's not that it brings you pleasure, it's that you always think the NEXT time will be pleasure and fulfillment).   I'm sure those are relatively common ideas, but I like the way the book presented it.  This will probably be one of those times when I get the physical book so I can review some of the specific ideas.

The book had one example of what had to be a highly unethical (if it had been done now) study that tied in electrodes to subjects brains and than allow them to "pleasure" themselves as much as they wanted.  People pushed the button so often they frequently even wouldn't eat and had to be forced to quit.  (This is a rough idea of it, I need to research this some more).  

Otherwise, life continues. It is so busy, I find myself multitasking too much.  For example yesterday I realized I was (at the same time):

-Eating breakfast

-Watching "Mad Money"

-Reading the "USA Today" web site

No matter how good I am at multitasking there is no way I could really maximize any of them.  Actually that is ok, as long as I realize I'm not really doing all three tasks well.  Obviously eating breakfast doesn't really matter whether I am effective or efficient.  All I want to do from watching "Mad Money" or reading USA Today (website) is get the highlights.

USA Today has the best website newspaper of any newspaper I have seen.  I never watch the videos (due to time limitations), but I like the way the stories are arranged, I can skip all the junk stories about sports, "celebrities" etc. and just read what I want.

Actually the Memphis Commerical Appeal has the best "e-newspaper" of them all, it is an exact replica of the actual newspaper and, unlike the New York times and Wall Street Journal, it is actually easy to navigate and read.  Really as good or better than the physical newspaper, although I prefer the physical newspaper.

When I am out of town, I always ready the Commerical Appeal on-line, but really don't have the patience to read the New York Times or Wall Street Journal on-line.  They are poorly organized and awkward.  

I was reading some City Manager comments on the City Manager section on "Linked in" and I was stunned at some of the comments in answer to a question about "a good City Manager is always in trouble".  Hopefully I misunderstood some of the comments or they were half-way joking.

Summer 2013 August 19

67/70 degrees this morning.  Summer, where are you!

Monday, start of a busy week.  Actually have meetings scheduled every night this week, plus a full day of activities.  

Still listening to the book on "Willpower".  Not bad, I have picked up a few points  consciously and maybe some subconsiously.

I always wonder about subconscious learning.  I believe that behavior can be changed by subconscious (and repeated) suggestions, so I assume learning is the same way,  I may try it.  In the past, I have used the subconscious technique with some success.

My Granddaughters start school today. One is in the 8th grade, one in 5th.  I remember when I was in the 8th grade and I am just glad I made it out of that period alive!  Kali appears much more grounded and ready for the adventure.  I always try to remember that you raise children so they can learn to live without you and as a separate person and life.  You are successful if your children can live without you.

One month until the Lakeland election (Sept. 19).  This is a very long campaign period.  I will be glad to see all the campaign signs come down. 

Still somewhat foggy and damp this morning.  Strange weather.

The birds are noisy this morning.  I really miss watching the birds on the bird feeders, but...not the varmints they attracted.

Summer 2013 August 17

70/73 degrees this morning, maybe a warmup is coming!  In a way, this has been a "lost summer" in that actual summer weather was sporadic at best.

Listening to a book on "willpower".  My mind wanders, especially after listening to the great book  "Steve Jobs".  I believe there are some books (or maybe subjects/types of writing) which do not just translate well for listening.  Or maybe I'm just not all that interested in the subject.

They did discuss the value of "meditation".  I don't know if my naps can be considered meditation, but I value them.  I take a nap in the morning (every morning) after my exercise and shower, a nap at noon, when possible, and a nap after work.  I find that time is valuable for decision making and preparing.  

I mentioned to someone once that sometimes I could go on a walk or a bike ride and basically write a memo in the head and it would be ready for me to just write down when I got back.  To some degree, meditation is that way, except I almost always take a nap or at least fall into an inactive subconscious state where I am not actively trying to do anything (if that makes any sense).

Although form of meditation I find valuable is writing my thoughts down.  I have gone back to a private journal where I can rage and rant, not random thoughts or plan,  knowing that it is unlikely that anyone (including me) will ever read the words.  

Summer 2013 August 16

66 degrees this morning!  I am ready for the return to hot weather, although the daytime has been nice, weather wise.

Finished reading (actually listening to) "Steve Jobs".  It is a great book on the development of the computer age, regardless of what you may think of Steve Jobs or Apple Computer.  I will probably buy the book just to have it around to re-read.  He made some major mistakes on products (I have several of the latest iPod Shuffles to prove it!), but also some wonderful products (iPhone 5, iMac etc.).

I thought the second of my three original iPod shuffles (the gumstick ones) battery had gone out this morning, but I think it is recharging. I really like the gumstick ones and feel the iPod shuffles after that were basically failures.  I do like the latest iPod Nano.

I started listening to a book on "Willpower".  I'll give it several sessions, but was not impressed by the first listening.  I guess I don't have the willpower to suffer through it!  

The political campaign in Lakeland continues.  Obviously I can't say much about it, except it brings out the worst in some people and the best in others.  Worst of all, it trashes up the environment with signs.  Realize they may be necessary, but I'm not sure why.  In as way it is insulting to voters to assume their votes can be obtained by a large number of signs hoping they will vote based on name recognition like selling soft drinks.  At least is will be over in a month or so.

The last weekend of Redbirds baseball (The Memphis Redbirds, the minor league team for the St. Louis Cardinals).  It has been a lot of fun attending the games.  While both Aliene and I are extreme Chicago Cubs baseball fans, we have become (almost) as extreme St. Louis Cardinal fans since many of the players we have seen playing on the Memphis Redbirds are now stars of the Cardinals.  Hard not to be for them.  The Memphis Redbirds also just are a class organization and the Autozone baseball stadium is wonderful.  We are rapidly becoming diehard (whatever that means) Cardinal fans.

Friday.  While I spend much of my weekend on work activities, it is difference since I am not tethered to the office etc.  Gives me a chance to catch up on work as well as personal activities.