RSSMix.com Mix ID 2542707

Love for the lone star - no, not that one...the southernmost one

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:01:46 -0500

A beautiful, moving video about a fascinating place

Breathe - Blue Stone

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:21:48 -0500

Breathe by Blue Stone

New Years Morning - Love Paints The Sky

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 08:03:13 -0500

The headache of the previous year still lingers strong, but there's love in the sunny, warm, pacific air as the new year dawns...

Looking For Answers Through Dirty Glasses - Book Recommendation

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:31:27 -0500

Matt Kuntz's book moved me and challenged me, and Einstein explains why.

Imagine if foreign troops were occupying America, killing Americans in the name of peace

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:01:35 -0500

Ron Paul tells it like it is for citizens of 130 countries where the US has troops

Predictions about Cam Newton were accurate - he's an ESTP star

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:25:57 -0500

I predicted before Cam Newton even got drafted that he would be a big star in the NFL, based on his ESTP brain type and his amazing physical talent. I was right.

Tebow needs to learn some marketing rules to better sell his Jesus

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 17:22:28 -0500

Timmy needs to learn basic marketing guidelines because preaching Jesus after you just played like crap and got your ass handed to you isn't going to win many converts

Ron Paul speaks the Truth

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:56:06 -0500

Ron Paul dominating the Republican debate with logical, constitutionally aligned answers.

What a wonderful world

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:31:43 -0500

An incredible video displaying, in 2 minutes, some of the most amazing "earth" footage you'll ever see. Truly, we live in a wonderful, fascinating world.

Facebook as a source of external validation

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 20:08:09 -0500

The primary driving force behind facebook's massive success is the insecurity of 700 million technologically advanced people who still live as emotional infants craving external validation.

A Thing Called Love - Above & Beyond

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:11:28 -0400

Music video for the song Thing Called Love by Above & Beyond

Crony Capitalism vs Free-Market Capitalism

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:55:47 -0400

free-market capitalism is a system of production and exchange that is based on the rule of law, on equality of rights for all, on the freedom to choose, on the freedom to trade, on the freedom to innovate, on the guiding discipline of profits and losses, and on the right to enjoy the fruits of one’s labors

Renunciation of self the goal for the good of the 99%

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:32:45 -0400

A mass movement attracts and holds a following not because it can satisfy the desire for self-advancement, but because it can satisfy the passion for self-renunciation.

World Series Time!! Let's take a look at the Key Players....

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:31:46 -0400

Typology of the players in the 2011 world series

Floyd Mayweather & Victor Ortiz - sucker punches, stray dogs, and brain types

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:51:37 -0400

Victor Ortiz and Floyd Mayweather show their personalities and brain types outside the ring

ESTP Cam Newton puts up over 900 yards of offense in his first two games

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:40:55 -0400

Cam Newton is putting up huge numbers in the NFL, as expected. Sure, he'll need to mature some and improve his leadership, but the guy is a gamer, an athlete, and the right brain type for QB - ESTP

Rapping for liberty, freedom, and Ron Paul - mG the artist

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:30:23 -0400

Wait, a rapper who is standing out as a voice of reason? No, the apocalypse isn't coming, someone's just finally making logical art!

Think more, escape less, evolve faster

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 11:00:57 -0400

Everybody has thoughts bouncing around inside their head, but how many people take the time to actively and consciously harness the power of their mind toward a desired outcome?

Obama dissed Rajon Rondo and it affected him...mentally, emotionally, or not at all?

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 23:53:46 -0400

If the President of the United States publicly dissed you, would you diss him right back or would it sting a little bit? Rajon Rondo leads us to an analysis of communication types.

Helping others, a Selfish act

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:22:23 -0400

Helping people should be done because of personal choice, because I selfishly know that I'm going to get something wonderful out of it

Questions of logic and Libertarians

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:07:39 -0400

The world's smallest political quiz knows how you vote based on just a few answers - but if you really look at the questions, how irrational do you have to be to wind up as anything but Libertarian?

Self-Esteem should come from within, not from external sources

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 20:26:52 -0400

Self-esteem can only come from within. Being or doing anything for the sake of approval or recognition of others is a fool's errand.

John Mackey of Whole Foods talks about Capitalism's role in lifting humanity from poverty

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 15:02:12 -0400

Short video clip about the role of business in bringing about positive change in the lives of billions of people

Whole Foods founder calls Capitalism an "amazing vehicle for social cooperation"

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:07:54 -0400

Capitalism defined as creating shared value for everyone?

Reality (and Ron Paul) completely ignored by the mainstream media...but not comedian Jon Stewart

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:34:06 -0400

Comedian Jon Stewart takes the media to task for blatantly ignoring an increasingly popular candidate who stands for individual rights and smaller government, Ron Paul

Finally time to unroll the board and head back out

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 02:17:36 -0400

After months of the iSUP being rolled up in storage and me not leaving home much, I'm planning on getting back on the water in the next few days.

What is personality? A composite of influences!

Mon, 16 May 2011 23:18:54 -0400

Many factors affect, modify and adapt our personality, making us a composite of influences.

Carl Edwards: Famous Race Car Driver keeps us on the edge of our seats

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 22:59:47 -0400

Today I will be taking a look at a highly succesful and very exciting Nascar driver Carl Edwards who has been a major force in the racing world for the past 5 years.

Introverts, Extraverts, and Losing Your Voice

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 12:42:40 -0400

Introverts tend to use their vocal chords sparingly, making it easier for them to lose their voice if suddenly called upon to talk energetically and for long periods of time. Extraverts are unlikely to ever lose their voice save for extreme circumstances.

Limitless movie - a pill that lets you access the other 80% of your brain?

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 17:21:12 -0400

In the movie Limitless the protagonist takes a pill which gives him access to 100% of his brain - it's like being all the best parts of all the brain types, at the same time! Perfect balance?

Peyton Manning named to ESPN.com Page 2's "least cool athletes"

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 14:03:08 -0500

I called that one in my post about Cam Newton. I even used the same word Page 2 ended up using to describe Peyton and his little brother: dork.

If American Culture was a personality type, what would it be?

Sun, 13 Feb 2011 22:27:23 -0500

If countries could have brain types, what would the United States be? The ideals the country claims to value are quite different than the ones that popular culture embraces.

Ray Allen, self-diagnosed with OCD prefers to stay in and do his thing alone - ISTJ?

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 04:20:00 -0500

Could Mr. Ray Allen, aka Jesus Shuttlesworth, be any more of the archetypical ISTJ?

QB Cam Newton has the potential to be the Lebron James of the NFL

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:20:38 -0500

I am a huge Cam Newton fan after seeing him play in exactly one game, same as I did with Vince Young. Only, while Young was decidedly a Feeler (ESFP) I believe Cam is a Thinker (ESTP) and has the potential to be a huge NFL star and success.

A tale of two perspectives

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 18:29:36 -0500

Same day. Same time. Same cameraman walking on the water.

And yet, such completely different imagery, simply from a shift in angle, a change of perspective, a turning of the board...

Looking in...

Looking out...

National Championships, Quarterbacks, and the Alpha Male Brain Typology

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:14:48 -0500

Thoughts on QB's, alpha male brain types, and baby goats

Amazing photos of Standup Paddleboarding with Whales

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 03:33:37 -0500

If you're a fan of SUP you no doubt saw the cover of SUP Magazine a month or two back, with an incredible shot of a whale breaching right in front of a guy paddling. Honestly, I thought it looked kind of photoshopped, although amazing.

Well, turns out there is a whole series of photos from that SUP Colombia trip, they are incredible (and 100% real)! I'll definitely be back to visit that area during whale season.

Check out the photos here at the Windsurf Colombia blog.

SUP And Freedive The Famous Whale Tail in Uvita, Costa Rica

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 09:11:00 -0500

I've been to Marino Ballena National Park in Costa Rica more times than I can count, as it's one of the most beautiful beaches anywhere around and the whale tail itself should be one of the natural wonders of the world. And I can see it from the house where I live, so it's truthfully 'in my backyard'.

When I discovered it a couple years ago, I actually got kind of pissed that my geography teachers in the US never taught me about it in school. A perfectly shaped whale tail beach / rock formation, where whales come to breed! How amazing is that?!

Well, I think it's cool anyway. And the beach is usually empty and it's a very wide beach, so it's great for running (easily 10k from one end to the tip of the tail and back), playing beach football, or just hanging out and admiring paradise.

Here's a shot of the whale tail from space (thanks to the all-seeing eyes of Google):

I took a local surf school owner out earlier in the week, it was entertaining to say the least watching her figure out how to stand up. The inflatable really is tricky, it's so much more difficult than a solid board. I like it for that reason (for now, to get better at balance) but for newbies it ups the challenge a ton.

She picked it up fairly quickly though and had a good time. She told me the following day though that she was really sore. Funny. :)

New Year's day though the beach was not empty! Hordes of people were hanging out under the palms that line the beach, and many people were enjoying the sun and sand. As the picture shows, though, "many people" is still nothing like a beach in So Cal or Jersey...except for maybe in February!

Since the tide was in, most of the tail was underwater, which made paddling out around (over) it a bit riskier. Falling on a rock or getting slammed against one wouldn't be too fun. I took a shortcut over the edge of the tail, then along the outside and finally got to where I wanted to dive.

I don't use a snorkel (just a personal preference), so technically it's freediving of a sort. I kept the paddleboard leashed to my ankle, put on my fins (I use my favorite Riverboarding fins, Hydro Tech, for diving as well, at least in shallow water), and started swimming in.

The tricky part is paying attention to where I am and being able to get out of the water with enough time to surf the board in over the barely-covered rocks.

The whale tail is covered, but for the most part, just barely. And the waves that break aren't huge, 1-2 feet, but they're strong enough to slam a swimming human into the barely covered rocks.

So the method is to swim and see all the gorgeous fish until it starts getting shallow and you feel the tide pushing you dangerously close and forcefully to the rocks, then to hop out and get on the board and surf it in over the rocks. (Laying down or kneeling and padding is a better option than standing up, unless you're a surf god or don't mind cracking your ass on barnacle covered rocks when you fall. Which you unless you're the former, you will do here.)

After the first little break the water is just shallow, less than a meter deep, and there aren't many fish there anyway - they tend to prefer water that is 2 - 6 meters deep around the whale tail, I've found. So I just paddle over that section to the inside of the tail, then hop back in the water and swim to the stem of the tail.

For the most part, today was a lot of Parrotfish, Angelfish, and other fish I don't know the names of, but they're electric blue, or polkadotted with all sorts of colors on a base of brown, always cool stuff.

This is from Cano Island, but the same animals at the whale tail, similar visibility:

Today I got lucky and didn't have to paddle back around the tail (nor carry my board across the beach), and the tide was on its way out but still far enough in to cover a section of the stem of the tail with about 2 feet of water. Enough to paddle over! I got some crazy looks from people, for sure - Standup Paddleboards aren't exactly common at the whale tail yet.

On my way back to the beach where I was parked, a tour boat came flying in and zipped right in front of me. As I crossed its wake, dancing on the board to keep from falling, directly in front of the nose of my board swam a huge Spotted Eagle Ray!

My thoughts were simultaneous: "That is gorgeous. Don't fall on it! Wow that's so cool. If you fall on it, it's going to sting you! Wow...Don't fall!" I didn't fall. :) But I didn't have time to get my camera out either. They're fairly common, you'll see them jumping sometimes when out surfing.

Overall, a long paddle, beautiful weather, a great day. Visibility for the dive was terrible, only a couple meters, lots of sediment in the water still. I need to go out to Isla del Cano where the water is more clear. But still a lot of fish to be seen at the whale tail!

Kids Going Crazy Watching Standup Paddlesurfers

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 14:36:00 -0500

I was sitting on the beach eating a wrap from Chapy's (highly recommended) in Dominical, Costa Rica the other day, and it being the week between Christmas and New Year's the place was packed.

A guy headed out into the water with a SUP board, and proceeded to paddle out, catching the attention of every kid (adult and child, haha) in the vicinity.

A sampling of what I overheard:

"Wow, did you see that? He stood up and paddled out through the waves!"

"He has a big paddle, that is so cool, look how fast he goes!"

"Cool he's surfing, look look he's using the paddle to go faster on the wave!"

"He can turn too! Whoa!"

"He had a big mat on the board, that's what he stands on right?"

"He's easy to see because he's standing up."

"He catches way more waves than the other surfers because he can paddle faster!"

"I want to try that, mom!"

And on and on it went. Standup Paddleboarding and Standup Paddlesurfing, combined as SUP - no question it's the fastest growing sport in the world, and no question as to why. Pick a body of water, grab your SUP, grab your paddle, go have fun (and get an insanely awesome full-body workout in the process)!

Paddling to the rocks I stare at every day in Costa Rica

Sat, 25 Dec 2010 09:27:09 -0500

One of the best parts of an ocean view in Costa Rica is being able to see waves, rocks, beaches. That's why people pay far more for a "whitewater" ocean view (meaning they can see the waves break on shore) than for just a blue water sea view.

Where I live, there is a large cluster of rocks that makes the view more interesting. I stare at them a lot. Sometimes they are getting smashed with huge waves, sometimes the waves simply lap at the sides, and sometimes they push through and kick up big, rolling toward shore.

It's infinitely interesting to look at.

But I'd never paddled out to them on a SUP or a kayak, mainly because access is a pain - literally. The nearest sandy beach is about a mile away. All the rest are rocks rocks rocks. Which is pretty, but it makes for put-in and take-out a little hairy.

I've been bloodied up before, so I tend to avoid those areas if I can help it. Especially given that my board is inflatable.

But right now the pull of the moon is such that the tide is really, really low. And not pushing much at all. So I headed down this morning to the nearest access in search of a place to put in and take out without too much risk of being pummeled against barnacle-encrusted rocks.

Probably the only empty beach in the area on Christmas morning - just one couple out looking at the tidepools

Entry turned out to be pretty easy - wait for a wave to come in, throw the board, dive on, paddle like mad before the next wave came in. I made it out no problem and turned north toward the cluster of rocks.

I have to say, I feel incredibly blessed and continually grateful to live where I do much of the year. Sunshine, 80 degree water, nobody else on the water, just me and paradise. Quite incredible.

As I headed toward the rocks I had the sun overhead and behind me, which is one of my favorite directions for standup paddleboarding - you can see really deep and if there's any marine life, it's much more visible because you don't have the reflection in your eyes.

For the most part, the ocean floor was beyond my view, meaning probably more than 10m deep. Occasionally I'd glimpse a streak of silver, a meter long or more. Probably a Barracuda or Pargo.

Every now and then a wave would rise up out of seemingly nowhere, break, and then subside. When I'd get to that spot there was almost always a shallow area, or submerged rocks. Little by little the sea is making more sense to me - I understand rivers, but the ocean is so completely different!

Looking back from the ocean side of the rocks - they were smaller than expected, but the view spectacular

I paddled a big loop around them, looking for a good entry point - I'd brought my fins and mask as always, and wanted to do some diving, but chickened out upon seeing there were no sheltered coves to park in and the waves were slapping up the backside pretty heavy.

So I worked out my abs instead. ;)

It's still crazy to me how much the ocean can change in terms of waves and current within the span of a kilometer or less. But that's one of the things I love about SUP - it's not flat concrete, you're working on balance 100% of the time, there is never a break.

Be water, though, and that constant, ever-changing energy begins to flow through the body, and pretty soon it becomes instinctual.

Sunset on Christmas Eve. The rocks are visible near the bottom left.

Lake SUP in Bogota's central park, el Parque Simon Bolivar

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 03:27:00 -0500

- LOCATION: Parque Simon Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia
- WHY IT'S PARADISE: The experience of paddling in Bogota's "central park" complete with police helicopters, coupled with sun and those amazing Colombian clouds
- WHEN TO GO: When it's sunny and warm, which is very hit-or-miss
- BOARD & PADDLE USED: Saturn iSUP and 3-piece paddle
- WORKOUT: pushups, and paddling at high altitude
- HIGHLIGHT: Definitely the police helicopters that roared suddenly over the trees just as I was paddling out and circled around overhead
- LOCATION RATING: 7
- EXPERIENCE RATING: 9
- OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

I was staying in Bogota visiting a friend for a while, which was great in some respects and miserable in others - because it's so cold there! Temps were usually around 12 grados (like 53 fahrenheit!) which is much colder than my stated minimum of 23 grados (73 fahrenheit).

But on rare occasions we'd get a jolt of sunshine and things would warm up to 18 or 19. On one such day we took a walk around the famous park in the center of this buzzing metropolis of 10 million people (seriously, 10 million!), and there were students kayaking around!

I had to go standup paddleboarding, how random would that be, SUP in the most famous park in Colombia?

What really encouraged me to push it were the guys standing on wooden rafts, paddling with pitchforks (seriously) and pulling up the weeds. That was kind of their paddling method, stroke-weeds-pull-move-remove weeds-repeat.

So we asked the person in charge of the kayak rentals, and he said we'd need to get permission. So off we went to the main office.

I have to credit Claudia for making it happen, the guy in charge of the sports in the park initially said a flat "no". Which, no means no in Spanish too. But she was persistent, and, as persistent pretty women usually are, she was convincing.

Luckily the guy knew what the sport was, too, and said I could go do it. I just couldn't do it to train on a regular basis because then I'd have to get permission from some other organization.

A day or two later we caught sight of el sol in the morning and headed to the park. I got a lot of stares as I lugged my military-style duffel backpack through the park, my paddle jutting out the top. But nobody, policia included, said anything.

Which was why I had a sudden jolt when I paddled out and had no more taken ten strokes when police helicopters came thumping over the trees, gunners in the open doors flying really low directly over my head. The first thought I had was "but I got permission!" and the second was "I hope she gets pictures of this!"

They circled a couple times but then proved to be there for some other reason, as they landed in the grass nearby, I think as security for a concert that night or something. But it gave me a moment of "don't shoot, I paddle in peace!" haha.

I paddled around to where the guys were cleaning out the weeds, supping with their wooden rafts and pitchforks. They observed with the curiosity of someone who is seeing the familiar and yet completely unknown. I said hello.

The lake itself proved to be much smaller than anticipated, the altitude much stronger, and I discovered a small hole in the board. But all in all, getting to SUP somewhere as unique as "central park" in a country like Colombia made the experience really memorable!

More photos of SUP in Parque Simon Bolivar on flickr

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Standup Paddle canoeing in Lake Mohave

Sun, 19 Dec 2010 04:54:00 -0500

I forgot to post this. It's not SUP per se, but more and more I keep seeing boat hulls in the designs of racing SUP boards, so why can't we call it standup paddling? I was standing up and paddling! ;)

I had my iSUP but never got a chance to use it on Lake Mohave or the river because I had broken the pump and nobody there had one that would work. I will definitely go back though in the summer it is one of the most spectacular canyons I have ever been in, wow. And supposedly further south there's another one equally as impressive.

Go here for my photos from Lake Mohave on my personal flickr.

Standup Paddleboarding Prado, el 'Mar Interior' de Colombia

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:23:46 -0500

- LOCATION: Lago Prado, central Colombia
- WHY IT'S PARADISE: Perfect temperatures, warm water, the tranquil sounds of silence echoing from each paddlestroke across the surface of the water to the rocky, striated mountains at lake's edge
- WHEN TO GO: The weather is consistent year round according to locals
- BOARD & PADDLE USED: Saturn iSUP and 3-piece paddle
- WORKOUT: squats, bridges, and just being out again SUPing after a month of no water due to staph infection
- HIGHLIGHT: Realizing, as I paddled around, that this was possibly the most off-the-grid place I have been in many years
- LOCATION RATING: 8
- EXPERIENCE RATING: 9
- OVERALL RATING: 8.5 out of 10

It's not too far of a drive from Giradot to Lake Prado in central Colombia, but it sure feels like it. The road is paved, for the most part, but littered with potholes, making the going treacherous, especially in a low-flying Volkswagen.

When we finally arrived after 2 hours that seemed like 5, at first glance the lake was not all that impressive. It was cloudy and spitting rain, although warm, and while it seemed pretty, it wasn't spectacular.

But there was one gap that begged to be photographed, and it turned out to be the gap we would head through to get to the main part of the lake...where the sun was shining and the lake opened up to reveal tall, upwardly jutting mountains of bare rock and tropical foliage, set along the edge of a long, peaceful - and warm water - lake.

The water was calm and there was no one around, just me, walking on water in a state of zen.

After a while I returned and convinced my travel companion Claudia to take a spin on the board. She didn't want to go solo, though, having never done it and not wanting to fall in to the placid but murky deep waters. So she sat up front, and the board proved to be surprisingly buoyant, and off we went to dar una vuelta around the island.

This is why SUP is becoming so popular. It just strips everything back to simplicity, to purity - water, air, balance...a beautiful combination. On this day, it was pure SUP bliss in nowheresville, Colombia, South America.

See more photos of SUP in Lago Prado on flickr

map below

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SUP in a swimming pool in Giradot, Colombia

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:07:00 -0500

Long story short - during the time I had staph infection (which I killed off using no antibiotics and a long list of natural plants, herbs, and foods) I was in Colombia, and I went for a weekend a couple hours south of Bogota to get some sunshine and have some fun with una amiga.

I had brought cast condoms for my foot though, and I'm pleased to say that they work! So I was able to swim and do little laps on my paddleboard in the pool, all while looking like a totally dorky gringo. But I was happy, and my lady friend loved me anyway.

She'd only been on a board once, in Lago Prado, but she hadn't paddled it herself. So this was her first time standup paddleboarding.

As most athletic, water-loving people do, she found it fairly easy and really fun! Despite the, um, confined space.

It was a good time though. And really, kind of like learning to roll a kayak in a swimming pool, if all you've got to work with to learn SUP is a big pool, take advantage of it! You can still get the basics down. She did.

And I had a little fun doing laps as quickly as possible - I kinda felt like a kid at the go-cart track. :) More pics at SUP Paradise on Flickr.

Is personality really set for life by age 5?

Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:39:00 -0400

How big a role does NURTURE in those early years play in who we eventually become as adults?

Rahm Emanuel - Jeans in the Oval Office - Definitely not an ESTJ

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:41:00 -0400

So there's a photo of Rahm Emanuel, and he's the only guy in jeans. And no tie. In the Oval Office. Um, we can toss out any _S_J brain type. Which leaves us with ENTP or ENTJ.

Rahm Emanuel is no retard, but he just might be a thug - so what's his brain type

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:06:00 -0500

Ok, I better get on track with talking about Rahm Emanuel's brain type or I'm going to go on a turrets rampage.

MOVIE REVIEW - The Hurt Locker's main character is poorly written if you examine his brain typology

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 17:40:19 -0500

I have long maintained that a well-written movie (or any story, for that matter) will have characters who are “realistic” primarily because their characters do things that a real human being of their same brain type would do.

Janet Napolitano - "Big Sis" is in charge of keeping America safe, is she INTJ or ENTJ

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:35:00 -0500

So we're at _NTJ, which is fitting for the leader of the "homeland security" wing of the most powerful government on the planet. Dick Cheney (INTJ) and Hillary Clinton (ENTJ) are cut from similar cloth.

A Feeler Dealing With Combatitive ESTP's

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:59:09 -0500

So there's this business owner. He's a total Feeler. Like, 20-0 Feeler to Thinker. And then there are people under him, who are incredibly unbalanced ESTP's. Like, 20-0 on all the quadrants, ESTP's.

Impatient drivers - is it an N or an S brain type thing?

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 15:13:00 -0500

Driving into town today I had somebody come flying up behind my car, weave over the double yellow, cut back in as a car was coming, then gun it on a corner to pass me.

Nothing unusual about that, people drive crazy where I live.

But it always makes me laugh, because, seriously, it's stupid. About 2km from where the guy went flying by me, there is a stop sign, and it's also a checkpoint. So...no matter how quickly you get there, you have to stop.

Today, it meant that the guy drove recklessly to gain 1 position (in front of me) when we all stopped.

I got to thinking - is the driver an S type or an N type?

It could be either, of course. But how would each think in that situation? (For this discussion, S's are all about details and live in the moment, and N's are big picture and future oriented.)

An S is going to drive like that just because...because they feel like it, because it's fun, because they're high strung and thus go by whatever they're driven by in the moment, because they're ESTP and they love danger, etc.

An S is going to be shortsighted about the stop sign up ahead, even if they've done the same routine 100 times. They'll still pass recklessly, because in that moment, it seems like the thing to do.

Granted, _S_J types are not likely to be quite as reckless as _S_P types - in fact, an _S_J type is probably going to drive like a granny. So ok, maybe it's just _S_P types for this discussion. Those crazy _S_P's.

What about the N's?

An N is going to drive like that because they're in a hurry to get somewhere, and since they're already living in the future in their heads, they know how the person(s) will react if they are late, and since that's probably a bad thing, they'll drive a little crazy in the moment to make the future brighter.

An N would also drive like that if they've thought it through - so an N would answer my mockery of gaining one position at the stop sign with, "Yeah, but you're one less car I have to pass after we get through the checkpoint. Pole position matters."

That's pretty generalized. I'll look at all 16 types of drivers though over time. :)

Seth Godin Talks "Hunters" and "Farmers" - But He's Really Talking Brain Types

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:06:37 -0500

Seth Godin discusses the difference between "hunters" and "farmers" in our modern-day society, and how marketers should be conscious of how they are marketing to each.

After all, it makes no sense to market to the two groups the same way, since they're inherently different.

He says, though, "I'm not sure if there's a genetic component or if this is merely a convenient grouping of people's personas. All I know is that it often explains a lot about behavior (including mine)."

Well, Seth, there is definitely a genetic component, and also a societal, Nurture component! Both play a role in determining who is (and becomes) what.

I could not agree more with the statement that kids who are active and have trouble focusing should NOT be drugged, so they can sit still and learn the ways of the farming school, even though they are hunters. That is sooooo true.

But in terms of Brain Typology, which is which? Obviously, with 16 different types broken into 4 quadrants, it's not possible to divide it even further into only two categories, right?

I mean, there are major differences in how an ESTP would hunt versus an INTP, for example.

I could see an ESTP riding a horse and chasing buffalo, throwing his spear and along with his buddies, making a lot of noise and enjoying the stampede and the billowing dust and the chaotic nature of the hunt. He'd thrive on the challenge of a multi-sensory experience, the danger, the excitement, the fun!

But the INTP would seek to outsmart his prey. He'd probably learn its ways, its habits, its paths, and then construct some sort of trap that silently snatches the animal's life away when it makes the mistake of taking the bait. The INTP would do all this alone, satisfied with the power and energy of his own mind.

Who are the hunters then, and who would be the farmers?

I think it's safe to say that farmers would be the _S_J types, maybe even all of the J types. Farming is more long-term, systematic, redundant.

The hunters would be P types, definitely. P's need that variety, the action, the changes of scenery.

But I'm not sure you could necessarily throw all P's into the hunters group and all J's into the farmers group. If you had to make a blanket assumption, though, that might work.

Of course, just like the differences with our ESTP and INTP hunter example, there would be a variety of differences in farming styles too.

An ISFJ might take to gardening, keeping things smaller, easily manageable, close to home. They'd be happy with their lettuce and carrots and a handful of chickens that they care for tenderly.

Whereas an ENTJ farmer would probably have a bunch of kids and run the farm like a business, assigning roles to each of his boys, creating systems to maximize efficient use of the land and seasons.

If this hunter vs farmer distinction is then based on strictly P and J, just for this discussion (and it makes sense), then how does that translate to the modern day, as Godin was discussing with marketing?

And is he right?

Here's his description of the differences: "Farmers spend time sweating the details, worrying about the weather, making smart choices about seeds and breeding and working hard to avoid a bad crop. Hunters, on the other hand, have long periods of distracted noticing interrupted by brief moments of frenzied panic."

That certainly fits with the idea that J types would be more inclined to farming (N or S with the J), and P types to hunting (especially _S_P's, although note the purely physical vs. more mental differences in hunting styles I used in my example).

Read Godin's blog post and pay attention to the terms he uses, keeping Brain Typology in mind. He's very accurate in what hunters would do vs what farmers would do, and it's easy to think about which brain types would fit which description ("it takes a hunter to get the investment and a farmer to patiently make the business work", i.e. you need an ESTP or ENTP to make the sale, and an _NTJ or _STJ to drive the business forward consistently for the long haul).

It's so cool to see that the smartest marketers inherently "get" brain typology, even if they don't necessarily know the terminology or how the system breaks everybody into manageable types.

Their marketing works, and brain typing works, because as much as people want to be unique and different, everybody can be typed into one of 16 with accuracy! Most differences or "contradictions" are simply Nature / Nurture conflicts, which can still be studied and deduced. Fascinating stuff, and it really does help to know who you're marketing to, and do it correctly.

After all, you'd never market the same way to an ESTP as you would to an ISFJ...and that's his point.

Oh Where, Oh Where, Are The _S_J Brain Types

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:23:00 -0500

If you follow the Brain Typology blogs at all, you'll notice that nearly every athlete I talk about is a "P", the majority being _S_P.

You'll notice that celebrities tend to be "P" as well, and usually Feelers, although there are as many _NFP's as there are _SFP's.

I don't post on politics enough because politicians are less "real" and thus readable than even celebs are, but I should post more. When I do, they're going to be a mix of _NTP's and _NTJ's.

So where are all the _S_J brain types at?

I'm sure I can find some if I dig a little deeper than the cover of a magazine in the checkout line, or the front page of ESPN. After all, _S_J's comprise 4 types: ESFJ, ESTJ, ISFJ, ISTJ, and they are prevalent in society.

But where? And why not in the arenas of Sports, Celebrity, and Politics?

There are some, obviously. Those 3 areas receive the bulk of the cash in the western world, so somebody's got to be taking care of it! ;)

I'm going to look at this more closely in the coming days to see what I can find. If you know of any glaring _S_J examples - superstars, not just people in the proverbial (and literal) ballpark - let me know.

And if you are an _S_J, does it bug you that your type(s) are more represented behind the scenes than in the spotlight? Or do you disagree, and have a myriad of _S_J examples you can list off, like the people who staunchly (and erroneously) believe that Kobe Bryant is an ISTJ?

Talk Show Host Michael Savage Banned from UK - What's His Brain Type?

Tue, 05 May 2009 19:38:43 -0400

Whether or not you like or hate the guy, he has 10 million listeners around the world, and is the #3 talk show host in America (presumably behind Rush Limbaugh and somebody). So for a free country to ban him based on his views is pretty newsworthy.

Obama team "winging it"? Well, he is an ENTP after all...

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 05:05:04 -0500

Karl Rove is accusing Obama of "winging it" in a recent Wall Street Journal article. In light of Obama being an ENTP, it makes complete sense, but it contradicts my view that ENTP is the best brain type for politics.

Maybe some J is needed in the White House after all!

George W. Bush - the Bushism brain type

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:57:14 -0500

Honestly, I have no idea what brain type W is. I've never been able to figure him out. Partly because it hurts my head to do so, but partly because he's just, well, very unique.

Adios Dick Cheney - happy hunting

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:20:06 -0500

Most people agree he's an _NTJ, which both E and I are great types for the kinds of positions he's held in his life.

Vaclav Klaus - considered fiery, arrogant, and rude...but the common people love him

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:51:38 -0500

Here's the article about Vaclav Klaus, the president of the Czech Republic and soon to be leader of the European Union.

He's branded as incredibly arrogant by many of his detractors. He's considered by many a loose cannon. He's known to love the spotlight and relish running his mouth. He's logical (such as dismissing Al Gore's ridiculous theories about global warming, considering the facts) and prefers smaller government (oddly enough, these days).

Obama (ENTP) over McCain (ENTJ) - Rock Star defeats the Old World Leadership Ideal

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:45:37 -0500

Really the headline says it all.

Obama (ENTP) triumphed over McCain (ENTJ) because America - and especially the younger generation just able to vote or who didn't vote 4 years ago - is ready for a rock star to lead the nation (anywhere but where it is!), and desperately didn't want more of "the same".

I'm not an advocate of either candidate, although it's my site so it wouldn't matter. But the truth is, as I've mentioned here before, ENTP is the best politician brain type for the 21st century. Bill Clinton is the standard. Obama may have already surpassed him.

Joe Biden & Sarah Palin - not much of a debate, but both good brain types for politics

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:39:12 -0400

People: Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden; Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin; Independent VP candi - what? Oh, there are no other candidates allowed to debate? Ah, ok.
News Item: Vice Presidential "debates"
Probable Brain Types: See below

While I prefer my debates with a bit of spice (i.e., what if we let the candidates ask each other the questions, and interrupt each other? And throw things? ;-) ), I did notice a few things about each candidate during their mini speeches.

Biden is a great fit for Obama (ENTP, just like Bill Clinton) because for all I can tell, he's also E_TP. I'm going to suggest that he's likely close on the S/N though, judging from his ability to run his mouth and say things without thinking, along with being famously long-winded. All the news media seems to talk about these days are those two foibles, so perhaps he's actually more S than N. Which would explain him contradicting his own presidential candidate now and again - words spoken in the moment without forethought, perhaps?

His constant gesturing is a very E characteristic. His consistent use of "Gwen" when talking to the moderator is a classic E_TP trait - it also can be a learned trait after years as a politician. BUT, he's not forced with it, like many people are with learned social skills - he was very natural.

Palin seemed to me to vary between being quite uptight and almost flirtatious. Which quite frankly, was kind of unnerving.

I don't know what it is, I just don't think she's that hot - but she is attractive enough that when her face filled the screen during a looser moment for her, and she had a big smile on her face, and that girly twinkle in her eyes...aaak! What am I saying.

And that's what I thought at that moment.

So of course my own biases play into my observations, but I still think she's a little on the "very structured and likes dominance" side. Which would make her a J.

Palin is probably an Extravert, she had a great delivery as well. Ironically, of the big 4, I think Palin is 3rd on the list of quality oration. The list would of course be Obama (he's frighteningly suave, in that Bill Clinton way), Biden, Palin, and way in the rear, McCain. I'll cover the presidential candidates next week though.

Ok, Palin S/N and T/F.

I have not delved too deep into any of the candidates at this point, and it's tough to get a whole lot from a stationary talking head on rote points. She appeals to women and children and mothers of children and daughters of old people and - you get the point. But politics is not real life, and to have the career she has had, and to "take on the big boys" as I've read she did in Alaska, doesn't seem either _S_J or F.

Yeah, she has a brood of young'uns. Somehow I just really see her as the E_TJ in the family though, because hubby Todd Palin seems like a definite P, and...yeah, I think Sarah wears the pants in that house.

Ok, so ESTJ or ENTJ? Off the top of my head I'd say definitely N, primarily because there's no way an ESTJ could do what she did and get where she's gotten, unless they were incredibly well-balanced on the S/N. No offense, but ESTJ's rub nearly everyone the wrong way. They're the office manager that is in everybody's business and...you know the rest.

eNtj's though, they're more cunning, more conniving, better able to see down the road and analyze those around them and control the situation (and people) in a slightly more diplomatic way. Or maybe it's not even more diplomatic, it's just more intelligent. It's not shortsighted, like ESTJs' boughts with control-freakism.

But if she's an ENTJ, people will say, "Wait a second, you've said Hillary Clinton is an ENTJ, so how can Palin possibly be? She's not like Hillary!"

Well, here's my explanation - Hillary is a politician lifer. She's harder. Maybe she's further on the T side of the T/F scale than is Palin, that's quite possible.

But I think the Nurture difference comes more from Palin being a good ol' girl from the backwoods of BFE Alaska, and having a gaggle of kiddies running around her house (hubby seems like he might be an F too, just from seeing his eyes).

Palin's Nurture I think lends itself to her being a bit more Feeler than the Nurture of Hillary Clinton, considering Clinton was bound for the white house from back in gradeschool or something. Palin, she was winning Miss Alaskatucky pageants and attending PTA meetings in a town of 8,000 until like what, 5 years ago? lol

It makes sense to me anyway. I'll post on Obama and McCain next week.