Technology: Steve Jobs’s Diabolical Plan for Global Domination
Doesn’t anyone else see what is so obvious to me? Or has Steve Jobs’s diabolical plan for global domination already reached a point that humans don’t even see what is happening to them? The whole iPhone (and iPod and iPad) thing is starting to sound like a 1950’s science fiction movie. If you’ve ever watched […]
Read MoreEducation: Reading IS Fundamental!
I have been blogging about public education quite a bit lately for several reasons. The first reason is personal; my children will soon be entering the elementary-school pipeline and I want to know what lies ahead for them. The second reason involves my concerns over President Obama’s proposed changes to No Child Left Behind and […]
Read MorePolitics: Politicians’ Ethical Race to the Bottom
It seems like every time you turn on the TV, listen to the radio, open a newspaper, or go on line these days there is a new scandal du jour erupting, giving our sensationalism-addicted, bottom-feeding media culture a reason for being. It’s gotten to be a competition to see who can shock America the most […]
Read MoreSports: Psych-down Techniques
It’s natural to feel some increase in your intensity in a competition. You’re putting yourself to the test and want to do your best. But when that increase intensity turns to anxiety that can hurt your performances, that can be a problem. But rather than just resigning yourself to feeling nervous and performing poorly, you […]
Read MoreBusiness: Prime Motivation: The Drive to Succeed
According to the research of Dr. Anders Ericsson, motivation is the most significant predictor of success. In simple terms, Dr. Ericsson found that experts in many walks of life, whether sport, music, chess, dance, or business, had put in the most hours at their craft. He coined the phrase, “It takes 10 years and 10,000 […]
Read MoreTechnology: How Social Media Can Ruin Lives
We all know the power of the Internet for good. It offers a wealth of information, connects people who are miles and cultures apart, and allows news to be disseminated instantly. But I recently learned of a young man whose reputation, and perhaps his life, has been devastated because of information, later proved to be […]
Read MoreEducation: The Travesty of Education Budget Cuts
I’ve been hearing so much about budget cuts to public education in the news lately. Last week, there were demonstrations all over the Bay Area protesting the massive budget cuts to public colleges, and secondary and elementary schools throughout California. And these protests weren’t just on the college campuses of Berkeley, Santa Cruz, and Davis, […]
Read MorePolitics: 3 Words I Wish Washington Would Learn
Recent surveys have shown that trust and regard that Americans hold for their elected officials in Washington is at historic lows. And those government officials wonder why they are aren’t on anyone’s Most Popular list these days. Let me count the ways: bailouts, backroom deals, tax cuts for the wealthy, extreme partisanship, election-year politics, the […]
Read MoreEducation/Parenting: Achievement Rat Race a Race to Nowhere
Race to the Top is the name given to President Obama’s education-reform program that is supposed to change the education system in America. But what it should be called is Race to Nowhere, which happens to be the name of a powerful new documentary by Vicki Abeles that explores, as the film’s subtitle states, the […]
Read MoreBusiness: 3 Words I Wish Big Finance Would Learn
It has been shocking and bewildering to watch the behavior of some of the top banking CEOs in recent months, punctuated by the appearance of four of these executives before Congress last month. Some questions immediately pop into my mind. Do they follow the news? Have they no conscience? Do they not have public-relations people […]
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