Contagious Friends

USA Today states the Obesity is Contagious. "We find that having four obese friends doubled people's chance of becoming obese compared to people with no obese friends," says Alison Hill, the study's lead author and a Harvard researcher.

I wonder if there are other contagious attributes? How about friends with a spirit of generosity? I am studying the "Game Change" six week spiritual journey at Crossroads and this question came to mind. Social Venture Partners Cincinnati gives me the opportunity to be surrounded by like individuals who have a spirit of generosity.

So having 28 friends with the spirit of generosity will quadruple my chance of becoming generous also :)

Giving is contagious!

Pumpkin Throw

This was the first annual Pumpkin Throw at Councilrock. The 20 small pumpkins that decorated the flowerboxes were first stripped of seeds and then kicked and tossed down the hill. I think they are still rolling toward Terrace Park.

As word spread in the neighborhood, each kid attempted an Olympic throw down the hill. Jenna - the expert coach helped assure there were no losers - everyone got a toss (or tw0). There were hits, splits, trills, and spills.

Then a few rides on the swing (installed this summer) closed out the contest as the swinger viewed the orange dotted hillside to determine the winner of the longest throw.

A great fall day - no ipods, computers, or DVD's. No kid inside :)

Blogging Destiny

"Be careful of your thoughts - because thoughts become your words
Be careful of your words - because words become your actions
Be careful of your actions - because actions become your habits
Be careful of your habits - because habits become your character
AND - your character becomes your destiny" John Izzo "5 Secrets you must know before you die"

"Be careful of what you blog - because your blog becomes your .......... background"
Garen Wisner "Blogging for fun"

Program your Brain

Control is one of those words like a sword that has two edges - danger and opportunity. Control is about power and power is both a danger and opportunity.

In Covey's books, he uses the concept "your circle of influence". Too often we try to control things outside our circle of influence - hence the terms regret (for the past) and worry (for the future).

I just finished reading John Izzo's book "The Five Secrets you must discover before you die" and the issue of control appears in the 4th Secret - Live the Moment. I would encourage you to read the book "The Precious Present" by Spenser Johnson to fully explore the 4th Secret.

We have the power to control our mind. In my technology terms - we can program our brain. Studies have shown we have 45-50 thousand thoughts per day. That is 50 thousand logical (or illogical) loops going on upstairs - or 50 thousand chances to enter negative code or positive code.

"Programming the brain" reminds me of the movie -Tron (a remake is coming soon). I have forgotten the exact plot but the image I have is the brain with all the programming code inside it. There is good code and bad code and "bugs".

You can choose the path. You choose to re-program. You control your mind.

Historic Mid Term Election

Hannity asked each talking head to use one word to describe last night - his word was Historic. Yes it is a historic election because it is over (thank goodness) - therefore it is history.

Elections have become our new reality TV - a continuous entertainment for those consumed with the trash of seeing people behaving badly. I got sucked into watching the talking heads last night, the high tech statistical analysis, the play by play action, the locker room speeches, the list goes on. The Superbowl night of Election reality.

Super Bowl XLIV (Saints vs Colts 2/7/2010) has the record - 106.5 million households watching the action. The media build up is intense. The Superbowl parties abound. The money spent for that weekend is intense. The player profiles, interviews, sidebar stories and "color" add to the excitement.

How many of the 106.5 million households even remember the historic on-side kick or who won the game? How many of the 40 million households remember who won Superbowl XVI -1/24/1982 (I won't mention the teams because the Cincinnati folks will remember).

So Election night 2010 (Republicans vs Democrats) is history.

Who won?

And in 20 years will you remember?


PS: Today starts the next season premier of Election Reality 2012 - only 735 days until Superbowl Tuesday :(

Lets Make a Deal

I DVR'ed the new CBS version "Lets Make a Deal" with Wayne Brady. It just didn't have the same feeling of Monty Hall and Carol Merrill of 1963 vintage. The trouble with trying to "re-live" nostalgia is the inability to re-create the thoughts, feelings and environment of the past.

The deals presented by Wayne Brady just didn't seem to have the punch and impact that watching as a kid in 1963. As a statistician, I know to much now also.

How ironic to just finish reading "A Drunkard's Walk" by Leonard Mlodinow where he describes the reason you should switch doors if asked.

Here's the set up: Suppose behind one door is a car and the other two goats. After picking a door, Monty Hall (who knows what is behind each door) opens one of the two unchosen doors which reveals a goat. He then offers you the chance to switch. Should you?

The answer is: YES - because of Cardano's rule. Because Monty Hall intervened into a "random process" - it is no longer random. The odds are 2-1 that you are in a "wrong guess" scenario and therefore you should switch your choice.

Minimalist Sleep

L.R. diplomatically said - "There goes Garen the minimalist again". There is great power and comfort in being a minimalist. The feeling of self control and the peace of sleep.

Ecc. 5:12 "The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether they eat little or much but as for the rich, their abundance permits them no sleep".

When is enough - enough? And endless question and one unique to each individual. I suspect enough is when you can sleep peacefully and too much (or too little and wanting more) is when you are restless.

I sleep during the week about 6 hours each evening (by the way it is a fallacy that you can "catch up on sleep" like I try to do on the weekends). I do like a Sunday nap in the sun during football games (obviously I'm watching them on TV) regardless of what the experts say!

Researchers have found only 3% of the population do well on 6 hours of sleep. Obviously babies sleep the most - and it appears as we age less sleep occurs (although scientists think that may be more due to age afflictions -- maybe too much stuff --disturbing our sleep).

We come into the world with nothing (sleeping like babies) and we leave the world with ......

Maybe that is the key to sleep - becoming a minimalist :)