middle school, and moving forward

To My Advisees(adˌvīˈzē,ˌadvī-)

By Henry H. Walker

I believe in the best in you
that wants to come out,
that seeks every moment
to choose the positive over the negative(ˈneɡədiv),
the building up over the knocking down,
the taking the risk(risk)
so that you might get to the reward(rəˈwôrd),

I also know that self-doubt(dout) and difficulty
can knock you off the path for a while,

my goal as your advisor
is to help you stay on the path,
to celebrate your victories(ˈvikt(ə)rē),
to help you live with faith(fāTH) and courage,
to help you come into the power
that should be your birthright(ˈbərTHˌrīt),

I believe in you.
Let’s move forward!

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2019/09/middle-school-and-moving-forward.html

VR

By 王渊源John

When my parents came to visit us last month in Beijing, I had them bring me an Oculus(ˈäkyələs) Quest(kwest). I really wanted to try out the latest consumer VR equipment, but I didn’t think I’d use it enough to be worth the purchase(ˈpərCHəs) price of $399. I noticed that they were selling for an even higher price in China, though, so I thought I could use it for a month and then sell it. Things didn’t work out exactly(igˈzak(t)lē) as planned.

The Quest, a standalone(ˈstand əˌlōn) rig(rig) with hand controls(kənˈtrōl), is currently the mid-range offering from Oculus. The Go is a standalone rig without hand controls, and the Rift(rift) connects to a gaming PC for more power.

My previous experiences with VR had been limited to attaching a headset to my phone, some in-store demos in malls, and a multi-player(ˈməltiˌplāər,ˈməltī-) tower defense(dəˈfens, ˈdēˌfens) game at a VR center in Los Angeles about a year and a half ago. The first two were intriguing(inˈtrēgiNG) but nothing special, and the last one got me really excited(ikˈsīdəd). I had to wait for a long time for my turn, and when I finally got to play my gun wasn’t working, so all I could do was watch. What amazed(əˈmāz) me was how exciting it was to just be in the VR world with my teammates, even thought I couldn’t really participate with a broken gun.

I’d heard great things about the Quest, so I was eager(ˈēgər) to try it out. Setup was super easy—you just draw a line on the ground around you to indicate where it is safe to go—and I quickly found myself immersed(iˈmərs) in the VR world. I started out with a few of the sample games and the First Steps intro(ˈintrō). First Steps is really great, because within a few seconds you figure out how the controller works, and then you start picking up blocks and throwing paper airplanes. It’s amazing how natural it feels. Within a few minutes you’re dancing with a robot and completely forget how silly(ˈsilē) you must look to someone not in the VR world with you.

While I’ve had fun playing by myself, the most enjoyable thing has been sharing the Quest with others and seeing how quickly they can pick it up. My father laughed out loud the first time he threw a paper airplane, and he loved dancing with the robot. Fascinatingly(ˈfasəˌnādiNGlē), he was also not the only person who dropped a controller on the ground when he was placing an object on the table in the VR world. After that happened a few times we started using the hand straps!

The usual progression(prəˈgreSHən) for testers was to begin with First Steps and then move on to the boxing demo. The boxing demo is pretty intense(inˈtens), and it was hilarious(həˈle(ə)rēəs) to watch people suddenly become fierce(fi(ə)rs) boxers(ˈbäksər) (we have some fun videos). My sister-in-law was actually so frightened(ˈfrītnd) by the boxing that she threw the Quest off of her head! It crashed to the ground and cracked open.

I can still turn it on and off with a toothpick(ˈto͞oTHˌpik), and it still works, so while my plan to sell the Quest may need to be rethought, I’m still excited to keep playing with it.

http://en.yjohny.com/2019/10/23/vr/

Tolerance(ˈtäl(ə)rəns) Is Resistance to Love

By Steve Pavlina

One of the traps(traps) that’s easy to fall into is filling your life with too many incompatibilities(ˈˌinkəmˌpadəˈbilədē, ˈˌiNGkəmˌpadəˈbilədē) — people, places, objects, circumstances(-stəns,ˈsərkəmˌstans), and activities that just don’t mesh(meSH) with the person you are on the inside.

When your external reality is out of sync(siNGk) with your inner self, your inner self will resist it. This creates the feeling of wanting to escape your circumstances. You may feel powerless to make big changes, but deep down you’ll still sense a strong desire to “get out” and leave parts of your reality behind. You’ll fantasize(ˈfan(t)əˌsīz) about quitting(kwit) your job, moving out, or ending a relationship.

It’s easy to lose(lo͞oz) years of your life while surrounded by incompatible energies(ˈenərjē). This problem is so common that some people just consider it normal. They figure it’s normal to dread(dred) going to work or to feel disconnected from the people around them. This may be common, but it certainly isn’t a healthy situation.

When you look at the different parts of your life — your career(kəˈri(ə)r), health, relationships, spiritual practice, daily habits, and finances(ˈfīnans, fəˈnans) — and ask, “Is this really me?” do you hear some no’s? How long have you been tolerating(ˈtäləˌrāt) these incompatibilities? Why don’t you simply kick(kik) them out of your life, so you can replace them with something more compatible(kəmˈpadəb(ə)l)?

Some people think it’s a good thing to tolerate the parts of life they don’t like. That’s dumb(dəm). Tolerance isn’t acceptance(əkˈseptəns). Tolerance is resistance. To be more specific, tolerance is resistance to love.

…
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2008/07/tolerance-is-resistance-to-love/

How to tell if you’re being ‘breadcrumbed(ˈbredˌkrəm)’ at work

Is your boss(bäs,bôs) commitment(kəˈmitmənt)-phobic(ˈfōbik)?

By Emily Torres

Stop breadcrumbing me!

Our modern dating vocabulary(vi-,vōˈkabyəˌlerē) is making its way into our work lexicon(ˈleksiˌkän, ˈleksiˌkən), and it’s bringing more life and colour to the way we describe our experiences. Have you ever been ghosted by a potential(pəˈtenCHəl) employer(əmˈploiər)? Or have you ghosted them? Now, thanks to the latest series(ˈsi(ə)rēz) of the reality TV show Love Island(ˈīlənd), we have a new word for an old practice: breadcrumbing.

“Breadcrumbing is when you leave little bits of bread for someone. It’s a way of saying when you lead someone on,” explains Love Island host Caroline(-lin,ˈkarəˌlīn) Flack(flak). These small amounts of communication, encouragement or rewards ultimately(ˈəltəmətlē) might leave the recipient(rəˈsipēənt) empty-handed.

Whether you’re being strung along in a drawn(drôn)-out hiring process or your existing employer is leading you on, breadcrumbing gives you “just enough” to keep you on the line. You can see it when your manager drops hints(hint) about new projects, raises(rāz) or promotions(prəˈmōSHən) that may – or may not – ever materialise(məˈti(ə)rēəˌlīz).

“Breadcrumbing is really a modern term for what we used to call intermittent(ˌin(t)ərˈmitnt) reinforcement, which is one of the strongest ways to develop someone’s behaviour(bəˈhāvyər),” says B Lynn(lin) Ware(we(ə)r), an industrial(inˈdəstrēəl)/organisational(ˈˌôrɡənəˈzāSHənl, ˈˌôrɡənəˈzāSHnəl, ˈˌôrɡəˌnīˈzāSHənl, ˈˌôrɡəˌnīˈzāSHnəl) psychologist and the CEO of a leadership consultancy(kənˈsəltnsē) in California. She explains that successful managers use behavioural reinforcement to develop their staff through appropriate and proportional(prəˈpôrSHənl) recognition(ˌrekəɡˈniSH(ə)n) and rewards.

But what if they’re not actually using it for employee development? It may be because employers are not aware of the range of opportunities available for top talent(ˈtalənt). The 2018 Employee Retention(rəˈten(t)SH(ə)n) Report by the Work Institute(ˈinstəˌt(y)o͞ot), an employee research company, found that in the US, 40% of all turnover in 2017 was of employees who quit within their first year of employment. This was up from 34% in 2016. According to the report, the rise(rīz) in turnover shows that employees have greater flexibility to find better employment elsewhere.

…
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190723-how-to-tell-if-youre-being-breadcrumbed-at-work

Move Towards Your Resistance(rəˈzistəns)

By Leo Babauta

Our minds have the tendency(ˈtendənsē) to turn away and move away from what we’re fearing and resisting(rəˈzist) the most. We naturally don’t like pain, frustration(frəˈstrāSHən), difficulty. So turning away and avoiding and putting off are protective(prəˈtektiv) acts.

And yet, this keeps us in our comfort(ˈkəmfərt) zone(zōn). The path of growth is in the parts we’re resisting.

Each day, find the thing you’re resisting the most and move towards it.

I don’t mean that you should do something that’s actually unsafe. Jumping off a cliff(klif) to your death is not a good example of moving towards your resistance. Putting yourself in physical danger isn’t what I’m suggesting(sə(g)ˈjest).

I’m inviting(inˈvīdiNG) you to find the thing in your business or personal life that you know would be powerful for you, but that you’re resisting doing. Move towards that.

Turn toward it and look it in the face.

Move closer to the fear and let yourself feel it completely. Open your heart to it.

Let your love melt(melt) the resistance a little. Stay in it even if it doesn’t evaporate(əˈvapəˌrāt). Be courageous(kəˈrājəs) and fearless with it.

Do the thing you’re resisting the most. Do it bolder(bōld) and louder than you are comfortable with. Do it with love, from a place of love. Do it long enough that you are no longer held back by it, and your relationship to it is transformed.

Find the joy and beauty in the middle of the resistance. Find gratitude(ˈgratəˌt(y)o͞od) in the midst(midst,mitst) of your fear. Find play in the midst of your burden.

You only need to focus on one small moment of it at a time, instead of the whole huge burden of it. You only need to open your heart for a moment. And then another, and another, but you don’t need to worry about all those anothers right now. Just this one moment.

Move closer to your resistance, open your heart to it, do it repeatedly, and see what happens. That’s my invitation(ˌinvəˈtāSH(ə)n) to you.

https://zenhabits.net/towards-resistance/

Review of “Adaptation(ˌadapˈtāSHən,ˌadəp-)”

By Roger Ebert

Charlie(ˈCHärlē) Kaufman’s(ˈkôfmən) screenplay(ˈskrēnˌplā) for “Adaptation.” (2002) has it three ways. It is wickedly(ˈwikidlē) playful in its construction, it gets the story told, and it doubles back and kids itself. There is also the sense that to some degree it’s true: that it records the torments(ˈtôrment) of a screenwriter who doesn’t know how the hell(hel) to write a movie about orchids(ˈôrkəd). And it has the audacity(ôˈdasədē) to introduce characters we know are based on real people and has them do shocking(ˈSHäkiNG) things.

Even the DVD maintains the illusion(iˈlo͞oZHən) of life colliding(kəˈlīd) with art. The case contains a Columbia(kəˈləmbēə) interoffice memo(ˈmemō), seemingly(ˈsēmiNGlē) included by accident(ˈaksədənt), not even referring(rəˈfər) to this movie. And it is startling(ˈstärtl-iNG) to see an ant crawling(krôl) across the main menu until you get to the dialogue line, “I wish I were an ant.”

The movie is the second collaboration(kəˌlabəˈrāSHən) between Kaufman and director Spike(spīk) Jonze, after the equally(ˈēkwəlē) brilliant(ˈbrilyənt) “Being John Malkovich” (1999). Jonze spends most of his time making music videos and documentaries(ˌdäkyəˈmentərē), but when he makes a movie, it’s a spellbinder(ˈspelˌbīndər), and he has the serene(səˈrēn) confidence(-fəˌdens,ˈkänfədəns) to wade(wād) into this Kaufman screenplay and know that he can pull it off.

The movie is inspired(inˈspīrd) by The Orchid Thief(THēf), by Susan Orlean, a best seller(ˈselər) expanded(ikˈspandəd) from an article in the New Yorker. It involves(inˈvälv) mankind’s(ˈmanˌkīnd,ˌmanˈkīnd) fascination(ˌfasəˈnāSHən) for these extraordinary(ikˈstrôrdnˌerē,ˌekstrəˈôrdn-) flowers, the blood that has been spilled(spil) in collecting them, their boundless illustration(ˌiləˈstrāSHən) of Darwin’s ideas about natural selection and a contemporary(kənˈtempəˌrerē) orchid hunter in Florida(ˈflôridə) who is a strange, compelling(kəmˈpeliNG) man. Considered simply like that, the book might have inspired a National Geographic(ˌjēəˈɡrafik) special.

…
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-adaptation-2002

The public you is not you

By Derek Sivers

I hope you don’t have to learn this lesson the way I did.

One day, I wrote a blog post sharing what I had learned while switching between the PHP programming language and Ruby on Rails(rāl) framework. At the time, my blog had no readers, so I didn’t think anyone would see it. I just wrote it for the record.

But when I woke up the next morning, my post was all over the tech news sites, and it was like I had insulted(inˈsəlt) everyone’s religion(rəˈlijən). There were over a thousand comments(ˈkämˌent) saying that I was a complete idiot(ˈidēət) and a terrible(ˈterəbəl) programmer.

At first I was upset and insulted, like anyone would be. Then, luckily, something switched in my head and I realized the most important point: They weren’t talking about me. They were talking about a cardboard(ˈkärdˌbôrd) cut out that looked like me. A little online avatar(ˈavəˌtär) that has the same name as me, but is not me.

I couldn’t be offended(əˈfendəd) when they said I was a terrible programmer, because they had never seen my code. I couldn’t be offended when they said I was an idiot, because they didn’t know me. They had read a few paragraphs(ˈparəˌgraf) of an article and spewed(spyo͞o) some insults. Their reactions had nothing to do with the real me.

Suddenly it was like watching a little videogame character get attacked(əˈtak). It was funny to watch, part of the game, and not personal at all.

Then I realized it was the same with compliments(ˈkämpləmənt). I couldn’t take praise(prāz) personally, either. Some people have liked things I’ve written(ˈritn) or made, and have said nice things about me. But those aren’t the real me, either.

So the conclusion is this: Public comments are just feedback on something you made. They’re worth reading to see how this thing has been perceived(pərˈsēv). You can even take it as feedback on the public image you’ve created. All people know is what you’ve chosen to show them. So if your public persona(ˌpərˈsōnə) is coming across wrong, try tweaking(twēk) it.

Never forget that the public you is not you.

https://sivers.org/publicu

Colorado(-ˈradō,ˌkäləˈrädō) College: The Block Plan

Four blocks a semester(səˈmestər). Eight blocks a year. Four years total. Thirty-two blocks at CC.

Want to study for your biology(bīˈäləjē) midterm without worrying about filming your documentary(ˌdäkyəˈment(ə)rē), reading 72 pages of The Odyssey(ˈädəsē), or training your psychology rat(rat)?

Why not take just one class at a time?

Introduced in 1970, Colorado College’s “Block Plan” is an intensive(inˈtensiv) and immersive(iˈmərsiv) academic schedule that allows students to engage with a single subject for three and a half weeks. With this, CC students are not required to juggle(ˈjəgəl) multiple subjects throughout a semester. The entire college runs one block at a time, with each block covering the same amount of material(məˈti(ə)rēəl) as a semester system.

The result? Students can choose to study the film industry on location in Hollywood, then find Jupiter(ˈjo͞opədər) during evening labs in Barnes observatory(əbˈzərvəˌtôrē), or traverse(trəˈvərs) the natural wonders(ˈwəndər) of the Southwest as a field(fēld) archaeologist(ˌärkēˈäləjəst). Classes are small, hands-on, and highly focused.

Love your current class? Great! Or maybe you find yourself ready for your next block? No worries, it’ll be over in three and a half weeks and you’ll have gained(gān) a semester’s worth of course material. It’s a win-win. Not to mention(ˈmenCHən) block breaks…

https://www.coloradocollege.edu/basics/blockplan/

We Have Ruined(ˈro͞oin) Childhood

For youngsters(ˈyəNGstər) these days, an hour of free play is like a drop of water in the desert(diˈzərt,dəˈzərt,ˈdezərt). Of course they’re miserable(ˈmiz(ə)rəbəl).

By Kim Brooks

According to the psychologist(sīˈkäləjəst) Peter(ˈpēdər) Gray(grā), children today are more depressed(dəˈprest) than they were during the Great Depression(dəˈpreSH(ə)n) and more anxious(ˈaNG(k)SHəs) than they were at the height of the Cold War. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Abnormal(abˈnôrməl) Psychology found that between 2009 and 2017, rates(rāt) of depression rose by more than 60 percent among those ages 14 to 17, and 47 percent among those ages 12 to 13. This isn’t just a matter of increased diagnoses(ˌdīəɡˈnōsəs). The number of children and teenagers who were seen in emergency(əˈmərjənsē) rooms with suicidal(ˌso͞oəˈsīdl) thoughts or having attempted suicide(ˈso͞oəˌsīd) doubled between 2007 and 2015.

To put it simply, our kids are not O.K.

For a long time, as a mother and as a writer, I searched for a single culprit(ˈkəlprət, ˈkəlˌprit). Was it the screens? The food? The lack of fresh(freSH) air and free time, the rise of the overscheduled, overprotected child, the overarching(ˌōvərˈärCHiNG) culture of anxiety and fear?

Those things might all contribute. But I’ve come to believe that the problems with children’s mental and emotional health are caused not by any single change in kids’ environment(inˈvīrənmənt) but by a fundamental shift in the way we view children and child-rearing(ri(ə)r), and the way this shift has transformed our schools, our neighborhoods(ˈnābərˌho͝od) and our relationships to one another and our communities.

The work of raising(rāz) children, once seen as socially necessary labor(ˈlābər) benefiting the common good, is an isolated endeavor(enˈdevər) for all but the most well-off parents. Parents are entirely(enˈtīrlē) on their own when it comes to their offspring’s well-being. Many have had to prioritize(prīˈôrəˌtīz,ˈprīərə-) physical safety and adult supervision(ˌso͞opərˈviZHən) over healthy emotional and social development.

…
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/17/opinion/sunday/childhood-suicide-depression-anxiety.html

Work From Your Strengths(strenTH). Train Up Your Weaknesses.

By Steve Pavlina

One of the most important personal development principles is that your weakest area(ˈe(ə)rēə) will limit your ability to take advantage of your strongest area. The various(ˈve(ə)rēəs) parts of our lives — physical(ˈfizikəl), mental(ˈmentl), social, spiritual — are deeply interwoven(ˌin(t)ərˈwoven), and we cannot simply consider each part in isolation(ˌīsəˈlāSHən).

People often identify themselves with their strongest area: I’m an athlete(ˈaTHˌlēt) (physical). I’m a geek(gēk) (mental). I’m a party animal (social). I’m a Christian(ˈkrisCHən) (spiritual). But then they may fall into the trap of allowing their other areas to lag(lag) behind.

While capitalizing(ˈkapədlˌīz) on your strengths is good advice, your ability to do that will largely be determined by how you handle your weaknesses. A dumb(dəm), unfocused athlete is unlikely to do as well as a smart one. An anti(ˈantē,ˈanˌtī)-social athlete will miss out on the chance to be part of a team. And an athlete who experiences spiritual chaos(ˈkāˌäs) may lapse(laps) into drugs, steroid(ˈsterˌoid,ˈsti(ə)r-) use, or immoral(-ˈmärəl,i(m)ˈmôrəl) behavioral that ultimately(ˈəltəmətlē) hurts his/her body.

Consider each possible pairing of physical, mental, social, and spiritual and notice how each element can help or hinder(ˈhindər,ˈhīndər) any of the others.

It’s tempting(ˈtem(p)tiNG) to continue working on our strengths while ignoring our weaknesses. Our most important results will often come from our strengths — that’s true. However, the best way to improve those results is often to work on our weakest areas. This helps us in two ways: First, by shoring(ˈSHôriNG) up our weak areas, we prevent them from getting in the way of our strengths. Secondly, if we take it far enough, we can turn those weak areas into secondary(ˈsekənˌderē) strengths that augment our primary(ˈprīm(ə)rē,ˈprīˌmerē) strength.

…
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/03/work-from-your-strengths-train-up-your-weaknesses/