Breathing Space Blog

High Flight

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Mon, 06 May 2013 06:42:55 PDT

HIGH FLIGHT

Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings,
Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds; and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of; wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air
Up, up and long delirious, burning blue
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while with silent, listing mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

The only poem by American Lt. John Magee, 19, who served as a Canadian Air Force volunteer for 18 months before being killed in action over England in 1941.

On Beginning Now

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:06:07 PDT

A wonderful Mayday message:

   On Beginning Now
        "Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness, concerning all acts of initiative (and creation). There is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

                                    Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

The Case For Less

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 05:26:14 PDT

In his The New Republic article, Tim Wu encapsulates what too many people fail to understand:

"If the old world of scarcity yielded a mass population that was hungry, bored, and impoverished, our current surpluses lead to a population that is fat, in debt, overwhelmed, and swamped with too much stuff."

"The miserable in Dickens’s times -- malnourished, impoverished, overworked -- had the right to blame social conditions and demand change. But in today’s richer world, if you are overweight, in debt, and overwhelmed, there is no one to blame but yourself. Go on a diet, stop watching cable, and pay off your credit card -- that’s the answer. In short, we think of scarcity problems as real, and surplus problems as matters of self-control."

Cultural A.D.D.

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:48:42 PDT

We've reached the point where a typical person in our society now has Attention Deficit Disorder, culturally induced. The rising decibel level in public spaces, as documented over the last 20 years, all but confirms that our society has embraced a perpetually higher level of noise. Added to that, the number of messages that each of us is bombarded with on a daily basis has no end.

From billboards, to bus panels, to ads over urinals, at all times, in all places, someone is vying for our attention. E-mail and the Internet have exacerbated the problem, but even those who are not online and not wired are subject to cultural Attention Deficit Disorder. Why? Because the general level of message bombardment in our society is exceedingly high.

Retrieve a person from a primitive society, someone who has never been exposed to television or telephones, or, if you could, retrieve someone from 1909, and today’s information bombardment would have immediate impact: I would be surprised if such visitors to our culture did not have near-instant nervous breakdown.

Raising Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:51:01 PDT

...raising children is the most civilizing exercise in life, for the parent, in transmitting values to the young, must examine his beliefs and attitudes again, as if for the first time Lance Morrow, Essay, “Fathers and Sons,” Civilization, Jan/Feb 1996

Travel a Little Lighter

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:27:28 PDT

Ask for an aisle seat at the front of the plane so that you can to stand up with greater ease, stroll in the aisles, or simply stretch. It's easier to get the attention of flight attendants for in-flight amenities from the front. Aisle seats are best for shorter flights, where you don't anticipate going to sleep.

Arrive light and rested; don't travel with heavy packages. Mail them to your destination via UPS 2nd-day air or, if you have a week, UPS ground tracking. This is an economical and reliable way to know your packages await you. Mark your packages profusely with your name and the words, "Hold for arrival of guest YOUR NAME arriving on DATE." Wrap your packages as if an orangutan will be handling them.

Travel with carry on bags only. Buy the roll-on carts to avoid toting your bags from the airport parking lot to the plane. Most tote systems are made to fit the airline aisles, the overhead seat com-partments, or under the seats.

Pilot Texting: Deadly

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:50:59 PDT

Some news stories require no further commentary: "Pilot texting a factor in deadly copter crash."

Fliers are Fed Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:46:22 PDT

CNBC reports: "The annual Airline Quality Rankings survey show carriers bumping more passengers from oversold flights and delivering service that often leaves customers frustrated."

Distractions are Costly

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:47:13 PDT

Writer Marta Vogel tells us that early man examined his food to ensure it 1) was dead and 2) had no insects. 21st century man barely looks at his food; he's fixated on the package. Corporate giants figured out that consumers could become thoroughly hooked on "package literature."

Recognizing our craving for information, advertisers offer alluring product packaging. The average cereal box contains about 2,000 words, equal to eight pages of a book. Generic products, at the same basic quality as mid-level brands, were once sold by vendors who knew that people might not buy "wordless" cardboard and risk incurring "package deprivation."

Package deprivation? It's no surprise today that most of our population -- not just kids -- wears clothes or accessories with slogans and messages on them. Attraction to labeling and package copy robs you of breathing space. Minute bits of extraneous data have a cumulative impact.

Other symptoms of information overload abound. Do you attempt to think, converse, study, or even make love with distractions? Do you go through the motions of attempting to concentrate with office noise? Do you attempt to converse while on the Web or watching TV? Do you "need" to wind down before bed in front of a screen? You deserve a break today. Eat healthy food, with people in message-free clothing, and no reading material or screens in sight.

Tossing and Turning

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:35:00 PDT

"It is estimated that 50 to 70 million Americans chronically suffer from a disorder of sleep and wakefulness, hindering daily functioning and adversely affecting their health and longevity.

The cumulative effects of sleep loss and sleep disorders represent an under-recognized public health problem and have been associated with a wide range of health consequences including an increased risk of hypertension diabetes, obesity, depression, heart attack, and stroke.

* Almost 20 percent of all serious car crash injuries in the general population are associated with driver sleepiness.

* Hundreds of billions of dollars a year are spent on direct medical costs related to sleep disorders such as doctor visits, hospital services, prescriptions, and over-the-counter medications.

Yikes!

Here are a few ideas for getting good sleep every night:
    * Avoid working out too hard before retiring; it may keep you too keyed up.
    * Say no to caffeine at least six hours before retiring and alcohol altogether if you’re interested in having good sleep that night. Alcohol, in particular, is sleep disrupting. Yes, you’ll fall asleep quickly, but invariably you’ll arise too early. Then, you’ll likely have trouble getting back to sleep.
    * If the spirit moves you, drink a glass of milk before you sleep. It can help.
    * Go to sleep when you’re tired, not because the clock happens to say a particular time.
    * Let others around you know when you want quiet because you are going to sleep!

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Telepathic Communication: for Real

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:36:22 PDT

From New Scientist:

THE world's first brain-to-brain link has given rats and monkeys the power to communicate by thought alone. "Many people thought it could never happen," says Miguel Nicolelis at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Although monkeys have used brain-to-machine interfaces to control robots, Nicolelis's team has created the first direct connection between two brains.

Researchers contacted by New Scientist were cautiously impressed. Some suggested that the work could eventually lead to insects being controlled by the brain signals of humans, or the ability to transmit abstract thoughts between people.

What this means is that extra sensory perception and telepathic communication between human beings is not far off.

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Our Sedentary Society

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:36:08 PDT

An astounding cultural change: people's sedentary time outside of work has increased by about 40% between 1965 and 2009. Can there be any doubt? Our contemporary embrace of technology which means, for most people, more time seated is contributing to our demise, personally and collectively.

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Words too True

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:36:34 PDT

William Falk, editor of The Week magazine, in the current issue writes:

   “Stocks are booming, with the Dow Jones industrial average this week climbing to an all-time high. Corporate profits are soaring, and companies have piled up a record $1.4 trillion in available cash. It is, The New York Times said this week, ‘a golden age’ for corporate profits. So are you feeling flush? Pocketing a fat raise? Didn't think so.”

   “Since 2008, corporate earnings have risen 20% a year, while worker salaries have been flat. Even when companies expand, they don't hire new workers. United Technologies, for example, has raised its annual revenues by $15 billion since 2005, but cut 4,000 workers last year and will cut 3,000 more this year. ‘Productivity,’ the CEO explained.”

      “Ah, ‘productivity’ – a fine-sounding word. In practice, it means 11-hour days, working on weekends, skipped vacations. In practice, says a new survey by the American Psychological Association, it means that more than half the U.S. workforce feels underpaid and unappreciated, and a third suffers symptoms of chronic, work-induced stress. But how can a worker bee complain? Millions of unemployed Americans would gladly take their jobs for less pay, and so would millions of telecommuters in India, China, and Brazil...”

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What's On My Food?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:37:02 PDT

What's On My Food? cites any pesticide residues associated with nearly 100 common supermarket foods and products. The app, free on iOS, is designed by a nonprofit agency that draws upon data from the U.S. Dept of Agriculture and highlights the possible health risk of each chemical.

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Who is the Role Model?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:37:32 PDT

Chip Eichelberger, a fountain of energy and ideas, asks a compelling question in his blog, The Light Switch. The question is "Who is the role model?" Chip is referring to all the shows highlighting people who have lost a tremendous amount of weight. As Chip says:

"Their stories of people can serve as motivation and provide guidance to those who need it. 35.7% of the people in the USA are obese and an amazing 68% of Americans are overweight. My point is this: What about the people who have done what it takes and made the decisions to be in shape their entire lives?"

"Where is the show about the people who have always lead a healthy lifestyle? Only 3% of Americans lead a healthy lifestyle according to the Michigan State study. I am proud to have been a 3%'er my entire adult life and have worked hard to guide my family the same way... Wouldn't it be very useful to study the 3% of people who have been in shape and NEVER gotten out of shape?"

"How were they raised? What did their parents do to create the environment where they exercised together, purchased the right foods, purposely DID NOT have the house chock full of soda, chips, whole milk and processed foods?"

"I think it would be more valuable to make it the cool thing to be a 3%'er than having being overweight and obese as the norm. It has not always been that way. From 1950 through 1960, 33 percent of U.S. adults were overweight and only 9.7 percent were clinically obese, with body mass indexes above 30, according to doctor and author Jeffry Weiss. Obesity was not yet recognized as a disease in the 1950's."

"Obesity was not a disease back then....is it now? Have they changed the definition? The answer is yes, the question is why? I always thought a disease was something that happened to you that was out of your control, not something you did to yourself: smoking, over drinking, drug dependency, obesity, lack of maintaining your body."

"Did you know you can go on disability for the rest of your life and get paid by the government if you are obese? Check out this page from the web site www.DisabilitySecrets.com -- that web site exists to help people get on disability. Obesity is responsible for the largest portion of new disability claims by far and is growing rapidly. There is an entire industry working to get people on disability. There are, of course, many reasons to legitimately qualify, do not misinterpret my argument. The reality is the rate of people going on disability has outpaced the number of people getting jobs the last five years. That is not a good trend."

"If you are not a 3%'er, get started now and see what impact it can have on your life. Share what you do and how you do it with others and be in inspiration!"

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More App Time, More Distractions?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:37:41 PDT

Sure, apps help us to be more efficient throughout the day, but when does engaging them cross the line into something else? DM Confidential reports: "According to new numbers from Flurry, time spent with mobile apps is quickly gaining ground on time spent with TV."

"In November, Flurry measured more than 1 trillion “events” from more than 250,000 applications created by more than 85,000 developers on its network. 'Events are actions completed by consumers inside apps such as completing a game level, making a restaurant reservation or tagging a song,' according to the company.'

"During the month, Flurry also measured more than 60 billion sessions, which they define as the start and stop of an application on a mobile smart device."

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Learning to Trust Your Intuition

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:38:17 PDT

There is no research to prove the age-old notion of “woman’s intuition,” but there is some evidence that certain types of people are more intuitive than others. Kathy Dalton, Ph.D. a visiting scientist at the Rhine Research Center in Durham, North Carolina discovered that musicians, visual artists, fiction writers, and actors seem to have stronger intuitive powers than others. And, apparently we can all improve our own ability to proceed based on intuition (thereby saving oodles of time and gaining some breathing space!)

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Yahoo Nixes Working at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:38:35 PDT

CNN.com: "A 2011 study by Telework Research Network found that working remotely increased 73% from 2005 to 2011 in the United States."

"On Tuesday Yahoo issued a short statement, saying "This isn't a broad industry view on working from home -- this is about what is right for Yahoo right now."

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Breathing Space in Handling Text

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:38:48 PDT

New and improved mobile phone Apps allow you to handle text and audio in convenient ways. Examples:

    * Evernote has long enabled users to record their notes and ideas. It now allows you to convert your audio files into text. Also, the App’s search function works with audio or text files. It is free for iOS and Android users.

    * Voice Assistant more easily enables you to post your text to Facebook, Twitter, Facebook, your email account, or to a wireless printer, and gets better with each use. For IOS users only at a cost of $1.

    * Dragon Dictation offer simple voice transcription and once you develop a personal rhythm, you efficiently can handle even long emails and other such documents with a high degree of accuracy. A free product for use on iOS.

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Unintended Environmental Consequences

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:38:58 PDT

This article, Plastic-bag bans have disgusting results in the Commercial Appeal, offers a vivid reminder about the importance of thinking through legislation, policy, or even our own plans.

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Resource for Becoming Organized

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:39:09 PDT

Shopping sites to help you become organized and gain more Breathing Space:

    * www.Solutions.com offer organizers for big spaces like garages or attics

    * www.Organize.com features common home storage products along with specialty storage products for items such as hats, gloves, and accessories

    * www.ContainerStore.com offers a large selection of organizing products

    * www.BedBathandBeyond.com specializes under-cabinet organizers, dividers, and kitchen aids for pots, pans, and lids

    * www.OnlyHangers.com sells specialty hangers for lingerie, bikinis, and such

    * www.SeeJaneWork.com features stylish desk accessories

    * www.CampingWorld.com primarily offers furnishings for recreational vehicles but such items double as space-saving closet and cabinet organizers

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Work-life Balance Defined

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:39:35 PDT

Mark Sanborn's insightful leadership blog carries my recent article which defines work-life balance and identifies the six supporting disciplines:

                            * Self Management
                            * Time Management
                            * Stress Management
                            * Change Management
                            * Technology Management
                            * Leisure Management

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A New Era of "Positive Psychology"

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:39:43 PDT

Watch this TED talk by Martin Seligman, Ph.D. , the "father" of positive psychology, for some eye-opening insights on the future of psychology.

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Noise is Hazardous to Your Health

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:39:53 PDT

"Noise Busters" By Richard and Joyce Wolkomir writing in Smithsonian Magazine said, "Nature quiet is now preserved in only 7% of Arizona's Grand Canyon national park and nowhere in Hawaii's volcano's National Park."

"Among city dwelling Americans, 87% are exposed to noise so loud it has the potential to degrade hearing capacity over time. But you will not necessarily find piece in the suburbs or country side either, not with the onslaught of leaf blowers, snow blowers, lawn mowers, chain saws, snow mobiles, power boats, and all terrain vehicles.

They went on to say, "Researchers have demonstrated that noise can raise your blood pressure and change your blood chemistry. Adrenaline levels can rise, indicating the imposition of stress."

Did you know that "noise" referring to unwanted sound is derived from the Latin word for nausea? In 1997 Automobile traffic was 360% of 1960 levels, while large truck traffic was 430% of 1960 levels. Airliner travel in 1998 was 600% of 1960 levels and air cargo traffic was 2460% of 1960 levels. Today, across the board, noise levels are even higher.

In 1960 there were no boom boxes, no boom cars, no leaf blowers, no jet skis, no car alarms, and few snowmobiles. Noise on one side of a school has been shown to diminish children's test scores, compared with that of children on the other side of the school in a relatively noise free zone, who otherwise have the same academic capabilities and demographic profile.

Noise. Who needs it?

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Diet Gurus Who Died of Poor Health

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Davidson) — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 07:20:08 PST

"Advocating for fitness and good nutrition wasn't enough to save" seven health experts "from an early demise." Certainly heredity has much to do with our longevity. In general, good nutrition daily is not a gimmick, fad, or outlandish approach to consumption. Greens, beans, and berries, along other staples will carry you far.