Christmas in Taipei

Christmas in Taipei (text)

I’m here at Taipei 101—in Taipei, of course—where else would it be? But it’s Christmas time again, it’s December 16th. It’s pretty warm here, but, there’s no snow—there is plenty of shopping, so, uh, it doesn’t have exactly the same feel of Christmas as I have back in Pittsburgh.
But it’s nice because there is al this shopping here, and the people are very friendly. That’s the key to it. So, they’re very accepting of our holidays—as we also have to adjust to their holidays.
It’s not the same as being in Pittsburgh, but it’s not bad.
(Christmas tree) Taipei 101 and it’s kind of nice—the people like it. They like to take their picture in front of it—so I guess they’re a lot like everybody back home.
Well, here is the food court inside Taipei 101, down in B1.
Well, I do see one Christmas tree here in inside the mall at Taipei 101. But I don’t see any other Christmas decorations.
Well, I just spoke about no Christmas decorations—and they do have this light display, and then there’s a Christmas tree way up there at the top. But I don’t know if I see Santa Claus anywhere. We need to go down there to information and ask where Santa Claus is.
Well, they do have some Christmas singing here at Taipei 101. But they do have some Christmas singing here at Taipei 101. It is in Chinese.
Well, they do have Santa Claus here at Taipei 101. I wasn’t sure about that.
So that’s it, Christmas here in Taipei. There’s good and bad. I miss my family, I miss the snow. But I don’t miss all the heavy food that adds on ten pounds, and I don’t miss all the excessive drinking that goes on for 3 weeks. So, it’s whatever you wanna make of it. No matter where you are, Christmas is always up here and in here.
Take care!

Sponge Bob Chant (in Chinese) from Ming Luan High School--too funny, I love it!

Shy is a Choice (from Wuzhen, China)

Shy is a Choice

Okay, we're in Wuzhen, Wuzhen, and, uh, old canal town, so okay we're rolling, and uh, yeah, and uh, it's already going, so, no problem. Ai you!
Pretty neat this bridge back here--well, this is Wuzhen.
Bill Clinton was here before, five years ago--but who cares! Eh, big deal, Bill Quinn is here now, so that's the only thing that really matters.
So, I got a question for you--are you shy? Well, I got news for you--shy is a choice. So don't use "shy" as an excuse. People use "I'm shy" as an excuse, and, uh, it's just--there's no reason for it. Now, people might say "I'm shy because of my family, and my upbringing, but, uh, you don't need to be shy.
People are shy and they use that as an excuse because they're afraid of looking bad, they're afraid of making a mistake, they're afraid of being rejected by people, and, uh, eventually they're afraid of, uh,--they're gonna be not loved by people because they don't do something perfect. So, we hold back, and we don't do what we're supposed to do. Or we don't take chances--and we say that we are shy.
So, keep that in mind. If you think "well, I'm shy, and I can't do it", that's an excuse, and it's a choice.
So, one of our Studio Classroom teachers is outstanding, and she use to be so shy. But she made a choice not to be shy anymore--she decided to take a chance, risk rejection--and now she's very successful.
Okay--from Wuzhen, this is Bill--no more! Bye bye!

Key words

Upbringing-n-your family life, how your were raised as a child, teenager, young adult.

Rejected-v-disapproved of by others, not appreciated.

Nei Li High School Students Go Crazy When They Win Drama Contest (November/2007)

Commentary on "Seoul Subway 'I-cellation' (Isolation)" Full text below, MP3 at www.teacherbill.com

Commentary on "Seoul Subway 'I-cell-ation' " (Isolation)

(The original short video from the subway is further down the page. MP3 file at www.teacherbill.com )

I took this short video while riding the subway in Seoul, back in September. It was amazing to me that everyone around me was either doing something with their cell phones. This is a common sight, not only in Seoul, but in many cities that I visit.
The word “I-cell-ation” is my creation, and it is a “play on words”; people isolate themselves in public, even in large crowds, by involving themselves endlessly with their cell phones.
Now, cell phones are useful for some purposes—they help us communicate with people at certain times. But the excessive use of cell phones is a little ridiculous. (This is also true of I-pods and other such devices.)
By immersing ourselves in activities involving our gadgets, a couple things happen;
1. We remain strangers to one another. Instead of saying hello to people, greeting them, acknowledging them, we remain strangers, and in some way, lessen our humanity.
2. We don’t develop necessary social skills. Looking at people, talking to them in person, learning new things, all get pushed aside.
3. We’re oblivious our surroundings. I love to notice things, see what is happening in the world, where am I, what’s new, what’s going on in the world.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. I carry a cell phone, and use it when necessary. But it has not become my “life-blood”. I also don’t have earphones plugged into my ears at all times—I like to see and hear what is going on around me. Get this—I actually like to just sit and think sometimes, without any distractions. It gives me a chance to formulate my thoughts.

Question: Do you automatically answer the cell phone every time it rings? Is that necessary? There are many times that I don’t answer my phone when it rings. Often, the situation determines whether I answer or not. So don’t be a slave to your cell phone (or I-pod)—it’s just a piece of technology designed to help you, not dominate you. Take care!

Key Words

Isolation-n-being apart from others, alone.
Amazing-adj-surprising, very interesting.
Play on words-idiom-using a word or phrase to have two meanings.
Excessive-adj-too much, more than needed.
Ridiculous-adj-silly, crazy.
Immerse-v-totally involved in an activity.
Acknowledge-v-to notice something or someone’s presence and greet them.
Humanity-n-our ability to treat people kindly.
Pushed aside-v.phrase-to make something not important, to not give it attention.
Oblivious-adj-not aware of something, to not see or hear something.
Get the point-idiom-to understand an important statement.
Life-blood-n-something that gives us life and meaning.
Distractions-n-things that take our attention away from what’s important.
Formulate-v-to put together thoughts, to figure out something.
Automatically-adv-to do without thinking.
Dominate-v-to totally control something or someone.

"Can You Read My Mind?" (Shanghai, China)

Can You Read My Mind? (Shanghai)

(Sorry that I'm invisible. It looked fine when I taped it, but when I put this video on the Internet, I disappeared. Just call me "Invisi-Bill". My face isn't important--you see enough of me.)

Okay, we’re here along the Bund in Shanghai, the beautiful Bund—very, very interesting to see all of this architecture. I love coming up here, it’s fascinating to see everything here in Shanghai.
Okay, now, I want to share something with everybody. Now, can you read my mind? Probably not—I can’t read your mind. But, we expect people to read our minds, don’t we?
We do this with family members and friends. We do this at work. We expect people to read our minds. And then, when they don’t read our minds, then we get upset with them, right? We need to communicate exactly what we want and what we need to people. If we can’t tell people what we want and what we need, there’s no way we can expect them to give, then, what we need.
So don’t get upset with people when they don’t do what you hope they would do. You need to be very clear in communicating “what do I need”, “what do I want”.
Now, that doesn’t mean they’re going to give you exactly what you asked for, but you need to communicate with them. Don’t expect them to read your mind.
The other thing is, I think of, as far as meeting people—so many people see somebody they would like to meet, but they don’t ever communicate with them. They expect the other person to read their mind. They hope the other person will come and say “Hello” to them.
If you’re in that situation again, just walk over and say “Hello” to people. Don’t worry, they won’t bite you, they probably won’t kill you. At least take a chance.
Okay, figure out what you want and need, and communicate that.
Shanghai!

Key words

Invisible-adj-can't be seen.

Architecture-n-the type of style used in designing buildings.

Fascinating-adj-very interesting, surprising, exciting.

Read (someone's) mind-v.phrase-to know what another person is thinking.

Is It Necessary?

Is It Necessary?

(MP3 file available at www.teacherbill.com )

Well, hello there. Here I am on Taiwan's High Speed Rail System--the "Bullet Train" as they might call it in Japan.
I don't know if Taiwan needs a High Speed Rail System--but I guess now it's a moot point. It is fast, it's very comfortable.
But, I've been here for five years in Taiwan, and the whole process made me think that this was just a big project for, uh, some government and elected officials and also people with connections to make a lot of money.
Because, there was a sufficient rail system in place, and there were also airlines in place, that make it--going back and forth between Taipei and Khaoshung and other cities very easy.
In fact, I flew down to Khaoshung this morning in forty minutes, forty-five maybe, and then, uh, I'm now riding the High Speed Rail back to Taipei this afternoon, because I have some time.
It's a nice ride, but, uh, like I said, I-don't know if it's really necessary--but, it's here. It's not going away, so, I would encourage you to give it a try if you have the opportunity, go for a ride on it. It is fun, um, it's kinda fun going 180 miles per hour.
So, um, I had the opportunity in Shanghai, I did ride the Maglev train there--this is similar to it. It's a little bit different, but it is kind of a fun thing to do. So, here's one more look inside the cabin, and around.
Okay--see you later!

Key Words

Moot point-n-a fact, or point of an argument that doesn't matter anymore, because something has already happened.

Connections-n-strong contacts and relationships that help people make money and exert influence.

Sufficient-adj-adequate, good enough, plenty.

Maglev train-n-a high speed train that levitates (sits or floats on) a magnetic field as it travels, instead of wheel to rail as most trains are.

Seoul Subway "I-cell-ation" (Isolation)

Seoul Subway "I-cell-ation"

I took this video on the subway in Seoul--think it was Sunday, September 23, 2007. This is quite typical, not just in Seoul. It's interesting how folks have come to rely upon their cellphones--to the point of not communicating, or even acknowledging anyone around them. Nobody even looks at anyone.

New tips for Advanced >>>>>>>

DMZ a'Dreamin' (full text below, MP3 at www.teacherbill.com)

DMZ a'Dreamin'

I’m here at the DMZ—this is the Freedom Bridge, right behind me—you can see the guard post, back there. So, hopefully you can see the bridge and the guard post, and this is the DMZ, the “demilitarized zone”.
So, it all serves a purpose, at least a temporary purpose. It’s kind of interesting when you think about the Berlin Wall, or even the Great Wall of China, and now we’ve got the DMZ. Eventually, these areas come down, they change—uh, they are no longer relevant. But as much as we don’t like them, remember, they serve a purpose—there’s a reason for this right now. Eventually, it will change. But, uh, we have to understand why these things exist.
So, maybe there’s a wall, or a DMZ, between you and one of your friends or family members. Um, think about why it exists, and maybe what you need to do to work about reunification—which they’re trying to do here, in the Koreas.Okay! From the DMZ, in North, South Korea actually, this is Bill. Bye, bye!

Key Words

Demilitarized-adj- the removal of soldiers/weapons/fighting equipment. (although there are some at the DMZ)

Temporary-adj-only for a short time. Something that is in place, but will change later.

Reunification-n-bringing back together two things that were, and still are seperated.

Thanks!

Thanks everyone for your birthday wishes! You are SUPER!

Try It, You Might Like It (Full text below video--MP3 file available at www.teacherbill.com)

Try It, You Might Like It (Seoul, Korea)

Okay. Try it you'll like it. Yeah, go ahead--try it and you'll like it. If you don't try it, you don't know if you'll ever like it. So . . .

I've tried kimchi--I know I don't lke kimchi. This is pork, right? Perfect--I like pork. See, if you don't try it, you don't know if you like it.

I've never been to Korea, so I decided to come here and explore a little bit, and try some things I've never experienced before. That's the key to life--you have to try things. So don't be afraid to give it a shot. I don't even speak Korean--it's not easy to come to a strange country and don't speak the language--or eat strange food that you don't like.

So, but--try it, you might like it. See you next time!

Key Words

Kimchi--noun--horrible tasting cabbage completely covered with pepper and garlic. Yuck!

Experienced--verb--having the opportunity to touch, see, feel a place or thing.

Give it a shot--idiom--take a chance on something.

MP3 Downloads Available

For MP3 downloads, go to www.teacherbill.com .

Money Game$ (click on for video, full text below)

Money Game$

Hey! Seoul, South Korea—I’ve always wanted to come here. I’ve been wanting to come here for years.
Well, right now I’m right in front of the Olympic stadium from 1988, twenty years ago, almost, the Olympic Games, the Summer Olympic Games were here in Seoul. What’s interesting to me about this is this stadium’s twenty years old, and it was very exciting when the Olympics happened here in Seoul. But now, it just kind of sits here. Uh, they do it, they use it a little bit, but it made me think about if Summer Olympic Games, or Winter Olympic Games, if they really are relevant. Um, we kind of lose perspective when things happen, because all this money is spent and this is so exciting, but I’m wondering if it really matters. Because once they go, they’re gone, and nobody remembers them.
Can you remember where the Olympics were held in 1984, or 1992? I can’t. I lived in Atlanta in 1996, but I didn’t go to any of the events for the Summer Olympics in 1996. Why? The tickets were too expensive! I couldn’t afford it! So you can imagine how expensive the tickets are for next year.
Well, I just wanted to at least give you a little bit of an idea on what the future might be like, because this was the future in 1988. But, now you see, it’s just there, and, um, all this money is spent on things, and I just don’t know about it. So, I’m gonna have more for you here a little bit later on here from Seoul. Take care!

KEY WORDS

Relevant-adj-something that matters, important.

Perspective-n-how we view things, how we experience events.

It Ain't Perfect

It Ain't Perfect

Beautiful day! I hate to be at work, it’s so nice out. I’d like to go play in the park, or something like that.
Oh well, anyway, here I am,--hope you’re doing well.
“We seek progress, not perfection.” This is the mantra of many twelve-step programs. “We seek progress, not perfection.”
Many human beings only will proceed if they know things will be perfect. We want everything to be “just right”, so we want perfection, right? If not, then we don’t proceed, or we stop, or we just kind of mess around, or procrastinate. Many of us are perfectionists.
This is actually a fear-based behavior. Perfectionism is a fear-based behavior. You’re afraid to proceed because you’re afraid of failure.
So what happens is we just get stuck, we get paralyzed in doing nothing, we never move forward because we’re afraid of the failure aspect.
I’m trying to get the ball rolling on my website right now—um, it’s gonna be teacherbill.com. My blog is teacherbill.blogspot.com, but I’m migrating everything to teacherbill.com. The reason for that is I want everybody to be able to see videos, or download MP3 audios.
Right now, blogspot and youtube is (are) not accessible everywhere, so that’s why I’m setting up teacherbill.com.
What’s the point behind perfectionism, you, me, and my website? Well, the point being my website’s not going to be perfect, it’s not going to look real slick. When you go to it, it’s going to look rather amateuristic—amateuristic.
Well, I can’t wait till I get everything perfect—I don’t know enough—this is a learning process. It’s a learning curve. I’m trying to improve and get better.
But it’s important for me to make this available to everybody. So, that’s the idea—my website’s not going to be perfect. And it’s a good lesson for all of us—don’t worry about things being perfect! Progress—seek progress, not perfection.
Why don’t you employ that in your own life? If you wait for everything to be perfect, just right, you’re going to miss a lot of opportunities, and you’ll waste a lot of time.
Alright, go check out my website, teacherbill.com. (www.teacherbill.com )

Key Words

Ain’t-slang-DON’T USE “AIN’T”!!! IT’S LOW CLASS!!! INSTEAD, USE “ISN’T”. (My English is so bad!)

Mantra-n-a commonly repeated word or phrase.

Procrastinate-v-to waste time, delay in getting something done.

Perfectionist-n-a person who needs all details to be right, in place, and won’t move forward until all things are perfect.

Get the ball rolling-idiom-to begin something, get action started on a project or activity.

Migrating-v-moving a group of items, people or animals in a slow, steady process, from one point to another.

Amateuristic-adj-THIS IS NOT A WORD!! I LIKE TO CREATE WORDS!! THE CORRECT WORD IS “Amateurish”, meaning not professional, showing a lack of skill and knowledge. “Bill’s English is amateurish.”

Where am I? Where am I Going? (full text below)

Where am I? Where am I Going?

The term “news” comes from the geographical
directions of North, East, West and South. It’s
shocking to me how little people know about
geography, and what’s East or West, or what’s
North or South.
Americans have let their geographical
knowledge fall so much that many don’t know
the difference between Paris, France and Paris
Hilton.
But Americans are not alone—lack of
knowledge is contagious and worldwide. Many
of my friends here in Asia have no idea exactly
where Bangkok or Seoul are situated—the best
they can do is get to the airport and go to the
correct gate, get on a plane, and end up wherever
they’re going. Being oriented locally, or
globally is low on the priority list, as long as you
can have someone else find your way.
So what’s wrong with that? Two things; one, in
life, you will get lost. You better be resourceful
enough to find your way home, or you could end
up broke, or worse, dead. Being directionally
ignorant is no joke. Two, knowledge is power.
In life, you need to know where you are to figure
out where you are going. (Or others will gladly
tell you where to go! I think you get the idea.)
Recently, a beauty contestant in America made
headlines for completely botching a question
about geography—she looked like an idiot. Do
you want to look like an idiot? If I asked you
“How do I get to from here to there?”, could you
tell me? Or would I get the ubiquitous “I don’t
know” response?

Key Words

Geography-n-the study of places, maps, locales.

Contagious-adj-something that is easily spread.

Situated-adj-the location of something, where it sits.

Oriented-adj-having knowledge and awareness of the location of places and things.

Resourceful-adj-able to use what is available and make the most of it.

Directionally-adv-the ability of knowing which way to go.

Botching-v-doing something very badly, poorly.

Ubiquitous-adj-everywhere, very common.

Helpful tips for Advanced>>>Right column>>>

Did I Say Yes? (click on for video, text below)

Did I Say Yes?

Did you ever say yes to someone, and then later regret it? I do it all the time. Yes, yes, yes, sure I’ll do that—and then ten minutes later I’m wondering to myself “Why did I say yes?”
We’ve all been there, on the receiving end of a request from someone;

“Can you do this work for me?”
“Will you come to the party?”
“I need you to spend three hours doing (something)”
“Would you like to go on a date Friday night?”
“The school project must be done by someone”

Before our brain has a chance to process this information, out from our mouths blurt the words “Okay”, “Yes”, “I’ll do it”. And a short time later you’re wondering “Why am I going out with that guy on Friday?” or “Why did I commit to that party?” or “I have so much work to do, how am I going to do this?”
Unfortunately, how we usually deal with this is to either wait until the last moment and back out of our commitment, or follow through on the commitment with resentment toward the other person or ourselves.
Why do we do this? Two reasons; one, many of us are people-pleasers, and don’t know how to say NO to people. Two, we’re unprepared.
The person who comes to you with a request, has mentally prepared themselves to ask you. This preparation may be a simple mental rehearsal, or an elaborate persuasive argument. As far as being a people-pleaser, this is based in our own insecurity—we fear losing that person as a friend if we say NO and disappoint them. So, we put the burden on ourselves for the sake of being likable.
What to do? Tell the person “Let me get back to you”, or “I need to check my schedule”. This will give you time to process the information and make the best decision possible for both of you.
In some situations we have to say yes immediately, such as at work, when the boss needs you to do something, or at school when the teacher needs our cooperation. But often we have the right to bargain for time to think things through.
Be a good steward of your time—it’s the most valuable resource you have.

Key Words

Regret-v-feeling bad about something we did or said.

Blurt-v-quickly said, a reaction.

Commitment-n-an agreement to do something.

Resentment-n-negative feelings about a person or thing.

People-pleaser-n-someone who does almost anything to make others happy.

Elaborate-adj-complicated, detailed, containing many facets (parts).

Persuasive-adj-convincing, able to get agreement.

Insecurity-n-lack of self-confidence, fear, doubt about oneself.

Burden-n-a heavy load.

Steward-n-a manager of things, a person responsible for taking care of something.

"I Hate My Job" (click on for video, full text below)

"I Hate My Job"

I hate my job! No, not me—I love my job with Studio Classroom—really! Best job I’ve ever had. But I constantly hear people say that they hate their job. It’s amazing—sometimes I wonder if anybody is happy at work. If you love your job, then consider yourself lucky;
you’re part of a small percentage of people on earth who actually enjoy waking up in the morning. At most, 10% of the workforce loves their jobs. Then there are people who merely tolerate their work. After that, the majority of folks would like to change their job.
I hear it all the time—I hate my job, I hate my boss, I hate my company, I hate everything! My wife, my husband, my cat, my neighbor! Ai-you! Why do people hate their jobs? There are many reasons, but I’ll give you a few of the most prevalent ones;
1. You are only doing it for money. It doesn’t matter if you make a lot, or make a little, if you only do a job for money, eventually you will hate it. Why? Money is not a sustainable motivator over the long run. And then what happens is you get trapped by your obligations. Figure out exactly what you need—not what you think you need (which is inflated). Remember, you can't take it with you.
2. You have no sense of purpose in your work. You’ve never sat down and figured out what you really want to do with your life. Most people simply bounce from job to job with no thought of the long-run view of their life. What you need to do today is take a big-picture view of your life, and write things down.
3. You’re pleasing someone else. Parents, spouses, friends, family, culture—all have a powerful impact upon our choices. Often, we let these outside forces influence our work choices. Bad idea! Nobody is more interested in your well-being and satisfaction in life than you—only you can figure it out. You’re the one who has to get up every morning and live it, so why let someone else choose it?
Certainly, other reasons exist for job dissatisfaction, but my experience shows these are the most common. People hate their work, and then bounce from one job to the next, thinking that another place will make them happy. It doesn’t work. I got news for you--wherever you go, there you are. So instead of just saying “I hate my job”, then switching companies, figure out what the problem really is—most likely it’s misguided expectations, lack of planning, or submission to someone else’s desires rather than your own.

Key Words

Tolerate-v-to put up with something, such as mild pain, suffering or discomfort.

Prevalent-adj-widespread, most common.

Sustainable-adj-ongoing, can be continued on an ongoing basis.

Motivator-n-a reason to do something, a reward or incentive.

You can’t take it with you-cliché-when we die, all of our possessions stay on earth, we give them up.

Big-picture view-idiom-looking at things over the long-run, or looking at your life as if it were a movie, seeing trends, important events, and their connection.

Wherever you go, there you are-cliché-you are the same person whether you move or change jobs, with the same good and bad habits.

Submission-n-giving in to another person’s wishes or desires.

New Assistant Not Much Help, Just Wants To Play

Stop and Smell the Roses (click on for video, text below)

Stop and Smell the Roses

There’s an interesting story about this big Ferris
Wheel behind me. Ethan White, who use to be
on the Advanced team, came here with his
family one day for a ride on the Ferris Wheel,
which rises to nearly 400 feet at it’s apex.
Joining Ethan’s family on this adventure was a
blind man. Think about that—a blind man went
for a ride on this giant Ferris Wheel. He was
unable to see the great view at the top—why did
he go?
He wanted to experience the feeling. He did
something that many people would have trouble
understanding, let alone doing on their own.
I’ll give you another example. A good friend of
mine was driving her car down the street and
saw a new bus that was unlike any other bus she
had seen before. What did she do? She went
ahead of the bus, parked her car, and got on the
bus!
When’s the last time you did something totally
illogical simply for the experience? What’s
holding you back? Moments come and go in life,
and we always think there will be other
opportunities to do things. Remember, nothing
is guaranteed, not even tomorrow. I once pulled
off the highway in the state of Wyoming and
drove twenty miles just to see a landmark for ten
minutes—that was eleven years ago, and in all
likelihood, I will never be there again. Would
you do the same?
Are you open to smelling the roses, or limited by
your imaginary constraints?

Key Words

Stop and smell the roses-v.phr.-to take time and enjoy moments, and simple things, don’t rush through life.

Ferris Wheel-n-a large wheel-like ride that carries passengers.

Illogical-adj-does not make sense, seems incorrect.

In all likelihood-idiom-very likely to happen.

Imaginary-adj-not real, something in the mind.

Constraints-n-limits, barriers that are in place to restrict movement, growth.

Helpful tips for Advanced>>>>>right column>>>>>>

Check out some helpful tips for current articles.

"More Money" (click on for video, full text below)

More Money

Every one wants more money. "If only I had more money, then my problems would be solved". I often hear that.

There's an old saying I once heard--"Money makes you more of what you are." What does that mean? Well, think about what you are like. Are you a happy person? An honest person? Kind? Compassionate? Hard working? Generous? Or are you miserable? Mean? Lazy? Cheap? Whatever you are, money will make you more of that. Money won't make you happy unless you are a happy person without it.

Money won't bring you love unless you give love, with or without money. And money won't make you healthy if you don't live a healthy lifestyle.

Pursuing money is fine--it's not evil. But too often the pursuit of money causes us to compromise our principles, and it clouds our judgement about what makes us happy or unhappy.

A purposeful life, rewarding work and meaningful relationships--things that take work and effort, make us happy. If you have those, then money will be the icing on the cake. If you don't, then money will simply be a distraction that seperates you from the beauty of a life well-lived.

Key Words

Compassionate-adj-kind and caring toward others.

Generous-adj-willing to give your resources to others.

Miserable-adj-unhappy with many things.

Cheap-unwilling to give your resources to others.

Compromise our principles-v.phrase-not doing the right thing in order to achieve a goal.

Clouds our judgement-idiom-something that prevents us from clearly seeing a problem.

Icing on the cake-idiom-an unexpected benefit, an additional good thing.

Give People a Chance (click on for video, text below)

Give People a Chance

Do you talk to people based upon the way they look? Most of us won’t talk to certain people because we don’t find them attractive. Often, we’ll talk to someone because they are handsome or beautiful.
Do you ever do this? It’s very subtle, this selection process based upon appearances. I’ve been guilty of it, and what I’ve learned is that because of this discrimination based upon looks, I’ve missed out on meeting some very interesting men and women.
Now, let’s take this a little further. Do you speak to people who have some sort of imperfection? Our eyes are like laser beams—we instantly notice defects in people and things. And then we avoid those people. When’s the last time you spoke with a stranger in a wheel chair? Or helped a blind person making their way down the street with a cane?
How about people we determine as undeserving of our attention? The woman sweeping the street, the garbage man loading up a truck, or the cleaning person in your office building or school.
Give people a chance—that’s all they want. Don’t just be friendly to the “beautiful” people—instead be kind to the folks you perceive as imperfect. You’ll be amazed at the impact it has on YOU and them.

Key Words

Subtle-adj-a very slight effect, not obvious.

Laser Beams-n-precise, cutting rays of light.

Imperfection-n-something that is not right, different from the expected.

Defects-n-abnormality, different from original design.

Undeserving-adj-not worthy of something.

"I'm Right, You're Wrong"

"I'm Right, You're Wrong"

I’m in beautiful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my hometown, for a visit with my family. Pittsburgh is a nice place, extremely livable.
Anyway, I’m here to tell you that I’m right, and you’re wrong. Right about what? Doesn’t matter—I’m right and you’re wrong. Well, at least that’s how most of us operate. Whether disagreements or conflicts are big or small, human beings have a need to make the other person wrong. Think about how much mental and emotional energy you spend making other people wrong. We hate to be wrong—to some, it’s embarrassing to be wrong, a real blow to the ego. So instead, anger, justifications and rationalizations fill our minds and our mouths. Have you had a disagreement recently with someone in your family or at work or school? How did you respond? Did you consider that the other person may be right—or did you classify them as completely wrong? I’ve got news for you—the truth usually lies somewhere in between you and the other person.
Making wrong ranges from individuals to groups to large organizations all the way up to nations. We’re right and they’re wrong. Next time you have a disagreement with someone, say to that person “You may be right”. It’s a much better way to start the dialogue than saying “You’re wrong”.

Key Words

Justification-n-a reason or explanation given to explain why something was said or done.

Rationalization-n-similar to justification, an explanation that’s often given in an either/or form.

I’ve got news for you-idiom-a way of pointing out a truth to another person.

Dialogue-n-conversation or discussion between two people.

"You're Late!" (click on for video, text below)

"You're Late!" (text)

You’re late! What’s your excuse?! Are you late for everything? The majority of people tend to be late; late for dinner, late for lunch, late for meetings, late for appointments, late their own funeral. Punctuality is a lost art.
Why? Part of it is poor planning. We like to blame our lateness on traffic, the weather, the cat or the dog, or best of all, some other person. We’ve all done that, right? “I’m late because so and so made me late”. That’s it, take the easy way out, and blame someone else. Poor planning, and our subsequent lateness, is a result of not allowing a proper amount of time for events and transition. We think we can magically transport ourselves through space instantaneously. So, examine your planning and time management.
The second, and more important, deep underlying reason we’re late is we don’t respect other people. That’s right—we don’t respect people, and that is terrible. By showing up late, to any function, what we are communicating to the other person or people is that “You’re not important”. Yep—that’s the message we’re sending. And if you don’t respect the other people, and the most valuable thing they possess—their time, then how can you expect them to respect you?
Next time you tell someone to meet at a certain time, make sure you’re there, on time!

Key Words

Punctuality-n-arriving on time, efficient with time.

Subsequent-adj-something that follows, the next thing.

Instantaneously-adv-very quickly, the very next moment.

Underlying-adj-the root cause of something, the real reason (which may be hidden).

Respect-v-honor shown to another person or thing.

"Keeping Your Word" (click on for video, text below)

Keeping Your Word (text)

Do people believe you? When you tell people that you’ll do something, do you do it? The sad truth is that most people don’t keep their word. “Sorry” has become the catch-phrase for all situations. Just say you’re sorry, right? That’ll take care of everything, won’t it? Not really. If you have integrity and keep your word, you won’t have to say, “I’m sorry”.
There’s a difference between saying, “I’m sorry” when an accident happens, or you make a mistake—it’s necessary to say, “I’m sorry”. The problem is that “I’m sorry” is used by many people to apologize for laziness and lack of integrity. After a while, “I’m sorry” means nothing.
What am I talking about here? If you tell a friend that you’ll meet him at 8 o’clock, you don’t show up twenty minutes late—there’s no integrity in that. If you tell your boss that you’ll complete a task by next Monday, make sure it’s completed by Monday. If you promise to go to someone’s birthday party on Thursday night, don’t blow it off because it’s become inconvenient for you.
The problem in all three of these, and many other situations like these, is that we lose integrity and credibility—we give people reason to not believe us. Our reputation suffers. Here’s something else that suffers—our self-esteem. How does it feel when you’re twenty minutes late? When that important project is not completed? When we don’t show up at our friend’s party, after promising that we would? You probably don’t feel too good about yourself and your confidence and outlook on life take a hit.
It’s simple, really—from now on, when you tell someone that you’ll do something, keep your word. It will do YOU a world of good.

Key Words

Catch-phrase-n-a convenient idiom or statement that is often over-used.

Integrity-n-consisting of quality, maintaining consistent behavior, truth, honor.

Keep your word-idiom-doing what you say you will do.

Blow it off-idiom-to skip something, to not do it, without much care or concern.

Self-esteem-n-how we feel about ourselves.

Take a hit-idiom-a negative impact, to lose value, become less.

New Commentary and Text Below!

Click on the video for "Distractions, Distractions". Complete text below. Thanks for your comments--I read all of them!

Distractions, Distractions

Distractions, Distractions

Do you let yourself get distracted from life? I’m not talking about the unexpected interruptions that occur during the day, but the conscious
decisions we make that take us away from living life to it’s fullest.
Many people choose to distract themselves with TV. TV is not evil, but too often the time spent watching TV expands, so that it consumes
valuable time that could be used pursuing life’s goals. The Internet is a big distraction for me—I can spend countless hours dredging the depths of the web in search of useless information. Hours spent watching TV or surfing the web could be utilized learning a new skill or language,
maybe even getting some exercise. Better yet, how about spending this time in good conversation with family or friends? Imagine that—actually relating to other human beings. Maybe volunteering for a worthy charity would be a good idea.
Can’t shake that cell phone? I’m amazed at the number of commuters who are glued to this little hand machine—whether talking incessantly, or tapping away innumerable text messages. MP3 players now make it possible to tune out the rest of the world for hours on end. While busy with cell phones and MP3 players, the world passes us by—we miss things, we don’t observe our surroundings, and we don’t communicate with people standing six inches from us. Worst of all, we don’t take time to simply sit and think.
TV, the Internet, cell phones and MP3 players are useful things—unless they take over your world. So examine your day and make sure you’re not living a life of distraction.

Key Words

Conscious-n-our mental awareness of things.

Dredge-v-to dig up.

Shake-v-to let go of something.

Incessantly-adj-non-stop, without ceasing.

Innumerable-adj-many, a very high number.

Commentary and text below!

Click on for the new video commentary, Keep It Simple Sweety. Below it is the text. MP3 download is not available now, but I'll figure it out later. So, enjoy the video---and you may want to copy/print the text, or read along. Sound and video quality will improve, as this is a learning process. Next new video will be April 20th.

Keep It Simple Sweety

Text for Keep It Simple Sweety Commentary

Keep It Simple Sweety

One of my pet peeves is the long-winded speaker. It drives me crazy to sit and listen to someone who is giving a speech or presentation that drones on and on. Too few orators have been trained in the art of being concise. Arguably the two most famous speeches in American history are Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech. Lincoln’s offering was less than five minutes, King’s under eight minutes. Keep this in mind the next time you have to give a speech or presentation. What do I have to say that is more important, or more moving than these two speeches? Their brevity is actually what packs the power in both speeches—there isn’t a wasted word. Granted, there are times when we must spend a longer time on a presentation with significant detail. In such cases, remember that studies have shown that human beings have an attention span of twenty minutes. After twenty minutes the audience tends to fade out, in which case you need to shift gears to provide a new fulcrum of attention.

It’s also important to keep conciseness in mind in casual conversation and the written word. I’ve received emails that are so long I don’t even read them! How many times has someone started a conversation with you and gone on and on till you couldn’t wait to free yourself from this person? Don’t bore your audience with repetition or useless information—you’ll lose their interest and they may end up resenting you. The shorter, the better in all communication—you’ll be amazed at how effective you can be.

(Note: The KISS method is an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid. I don’t like the use of Stupid here, so I replaced it with Sweety. I’m sure you’ll agree that’s much nicer.)

Key Words;

Pet peeve-idiom-a favorite thing to complain about; something that really bothers you.

Drones-v-to make a continuous, low, dull or monotonous tone or sound.

Concise-adj-expressing much in few words, clear, succinct.

Brevity-adj-briefness of duration, concise expression, short.

Fulcrum-n-the point or support on which a lever pivots, supports a change in direction.

Resent-v-to feel angry or bitter about something or someone.

Coming in April--Bi-weekly Commentary, with audio (MP3) download available, printed text, and video clip. Also in April, an updated profile.

Click twice to see the video, Elvis welcomes Santa to town!

I recently returned from a three day trip to Mars.

Fabulous PNC Park in Pittsburgh is host to MLB's Pirates, who aren't so fabulous.

I visited my family recently in beautiful Pittburgh, Pennsylvania.

Christmas was spent in Kenting, Taiwan.

It will be a Blue Christmas for the King . . .