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I feel I’m late on the uptake coming across Timothy Ferris (of four-hour fame, not the comsmologist), the “world’s best guinea pig”. He’s tried out all sorts of stuff so that you don’t have to. Check out his books on dieting and entrepreneurship. Many of the tips seem counterintuitive, like eating sweet rolls once a week while dieting, but if you’re ready for some fresh ideas you’ll find plenty to consider.
I am thinking of preordering his newest, “The Four-Hour Cook”, which is reported to include information on how to learn anything.
Enjoyed Terry Grosss interview with Kevin Clash about the documentary about his Being Elmo. Am looking forward to having an opportunity to see the film.
Kevin Clash "Being Elmo"
Talking about my neighbor’s decorations reminded me about something that happened the Halloween before last, that took place on a Friday. My kids had a sleepover, and the next day 5 kids were sitting around the breakfast table and I came up with the idea of going around the neighborhood acting like the Candy Recycling Service, and predicted about a 20% success rate. This was received skeptically but ended up being about right after they got dressed and took a trip around the block knocking on neighbors’ doors–most either had passed out all their candy the night before, or wanted to hold in to what was left, and a few were openly suspicious as to whether the kids actually were with a bona fide Candy Recycling Service. But as predicted, there were a number of households that jumped at the opportunity to dispose of the temptation, one lady cried out “oh yes I do!” when asked if she had any candy she’d like to get rid of. They came back with a whole pillow case full, more than they’d gotten the night before in costume.
As there had been a number of kids exposed to the idea, I predicted that it would quickly go viral as it spread around their school, and then jumped the fence to others, and soon sweep the nation. As far as I can tell this doesn’t seem to have happened yet, I presume since this year Halloween was on a week night, and you can’t really go after work the next day to same effect. I still think this could be a good opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a new micro-business, selling cards for people to out in their windows with the words “No Candy Recycling” so they won’t be bothered by surley teenagers the next day. I thnk it is only a matter of time before this takes off, so I want to register he idea to help future historians figure out where it began n
This has been a hard year for my neighbor. First he got a ticket from a city inspector for watering on the wrong day of the week. Next he had his industrial strength 4th of July fireworks show shut down by the police. Afterwards he said he was fed up, and was thinking of moving out if town.
Every year since they moved in he has started early getting ready for Halloween. This year he has amped up his Christmas presentation, doubling the number lights in his yard after his dad unloaded a bunch of stuff on him.
I got a lovely idea for a performance art piece: hiring a guy to dress up like a city worker to deliver a citation for being in violation of the city’s excessive Christmas decoration ordinance, having exceeded by 30% or more 50% of the average amount of decorations per residence of his street. It’s a funny idea to me, but I don’t think he would agree, and it could prove to be dangerous for the imposter. My neighbor may be ready to snap, and he has guns.
My neighbor's yard, a week before Christmas
People who log more hours in front of the television are at greater risk of dying, or developing diabetes and heart disease, a new study suggests. “The message is simple,” study author Dr. Frank Hu at the Harvard School of Public Health told Reuters Health. “Cutting back on TV watching is an important way to reduce sedentary behaviors and decrease risk of diabetes and heart disease.”
Bill Bryson’s Book “At home” mixes anthropology, history, and architecture, exposing an endless stream of interesting facts in his usual, entertaining style.
You know Murphy’s Law and may enjoy lists of its many corollaries. Basically it’s the idea that “If anything can go wrong it will”, and even more ominously, “If more than one thing can go wrong it will be the worst one”, etc. I haven’t quite worked my response out, but I think I’m far enough along that there may be something to share. Too bad I didn’t put two and two together before Oprah went off the air.
I slip into seeing traces of the truth of Murphy’s Law in situations like being in a hurry and getting stuck at red lights. “It’s always that way. When you’re in a hurry you get red lights, when you have plenty of time you get green.” It hit me a couple of weeks ago that Murphy’s Law may be connected more to the effects of human perception and memory than it is to thermodynamics (“the universe is headed towards disorganization”). You just notice things going wrong more, and remember them better. You don’t remember all the times you were in a hurry and got lucky with green lights, or when you were not in a hurry and hit red lights. Murphy’s Law is a reflection of the way the human brain processes experience.
Maybe if we had a name for the opposite effect it would be easier to grab ahold of and see pleasant patterns. It’s worth a try. How about “Willey’s Law”? “If anything can go right it will, and if more than one thing can go right the best one will.” Then when you’re in a hurry and you hit a green light it won’t just slip by unnoticed, you’ll say “There it goes again—Willey’s Law—when I really needed it something good happened.”
Let yourself be lucky. It’s not something magical, like a shimmering glow you get from being tapped by a fairy’s wand. If you don’t believe it, check out Richard Wiseman’s article (“The Luck Factor”) on a ten-year scientific study into the nature of luck.
Anyway, back to my debunking of Murphy’s Law. If everything that could go wrong, and the worst of all possible ones being most likely, you would never get anything accomplished. You definitely wouldn’t make it to work, what with the accidents that could have happened and all the mechanical problems your vehicle could have developed.
While this may perk you up a little and give you a bit more bounce in your step, I think the most productive application of this awareness could be in your relationship with your partner. We often develop resentments about the way people who are close to us are, seeing patterns and believing that we have figured them out. “You are always doing X.” It is another result of the sort of perception we have that makes us imagine Murphy’s Law in effect. You just don’t notice all the times that they are doing Y, Z, or J. If you think that someone is a certain way, try remaining especially attentive to times they are not that way, and be willing to revise your estimation of them. Resentments are often hardened by believing in patterns that may not be there.
Told to me by Jeff George, who doesn’t know where it comes from.
I’m finding lately when something comes up it’s just a matter of finding which of the four rules is most appropriate to apply. If you work through all four and still find no relief, try closing and locking the door, or running.
Best podcast in the universe, according to the hosts, and I have no evidence to the contrary: NO AGENDA, with Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak. The two hosts deconstruct the media in an entertaining format, exposing the memes and other nonsense others are trying to fill your mind with.
