Today is a national holiday in the United States which commemorates the life of civil rights leader (Martin Luther King, Jr.) who sought to bring “equality under law” to all citizens of our country. One of the ways he sought to do this was by bringing dignity and equality to ALL work – not just for the well educated or the well paid – but for all who work their best and make our nation a better society for it. The pursuit of excellence (“doing your best”) in any endeavor uplifts us all. The following are two quotes expressing this idea: | |
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. | |
— Martin Luther King, Jr. | |
If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well. | |
— Martin Luther King, Jr. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | What Do You See? |
2021 | Lite It Up |
Some Day | |
2020 | No Answers Yet |
120 Day Health / Weight Update (Jan 2020) | |
2019 | Stationary Target |
2018 | And Firmly |
2017 | Nearer My Goal To Thee |
2016 | Relatively Simple Actions |
2015 | And Yet, You Did |
2014 | Difficult Learning |
2013 | Four Things To do |
2012 | When I Was Young… |
Emergence | |
Archive for the ‘Work’ Category
Two Thoughts For The Holiday
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Beethoven, Dignity, Excellence, Labor, Martin Luther King Jr, Michelangelo, Philosophy, Quotes, Shakespeare, Work on January 16, 2023| 2 Comments »
I Want His Job
Posted in Career, Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Career, Getting Paid, Goofing Off, Larry Wall, Philosophy, Quotes, Teresa Amabile, Work on June 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions…, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work. | |
— Teresa Amabile | |
I’m just paid to do whatever I want to do. Some of the time it’s development, and some of the time it’s just goofing off. | |
— Larry Wall | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | I Better |
The Way I Will | |
2020 | Necessary Events |
2019 | I May Have Started Too Soon |
2018 | But Me |
2017 | A Little More, Please |
2016 | In Full Vigor |
2015 | A Good Lad |
2014 | Who Dare Not Speak |
2013 | I Love Beer |
2012 | Trial By Jury |
2011 | First Class |
Got Knowledge? | |
Stumbled On This Memory (Of High Notes)
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Favorite Lines, Gene Dozier, Included Song Lyrics, Included Video, Keni St. Lewis, Memory Lane -- music video, Memory Lane -- song lyrics, Minnie Riperton, Richard Rudolph, YouTube on May 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Memory Lane |
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Lyrics: | |
I stumbled on this photograph, | |
It kinda made me laugh | |
It took me way back, | |
Back down memory lane | |
I see the happiness, | |
I see the pain | |
Where am I? | |
Back down memory lane | |
I see us standing there, | |
Such a happy, happy pair | |
Love beyond compare, | |
Look-a-there, look-a-there | |
The way you held me, | |
No one could tell me that love would die | |
Ohh, why did I have to find this photograph, | |
Thought I had forgot the past | |
And now I’m slippin’ fast, | |
Oh, back down memory lane | |
I feel the happiness, | |
I feel the pain | |
Here am I, | |
Back down memory lane | |
I’m in the sunshine, | |
I’m in the rain | |
Thought it was over, | |
Here I go again | |
The way you held me, | |
No one could tell me | |
That love would die | |
I don’t wanna go traveling down | |
Faster than the speed of sound | |
Back down memory lane | |
Be still my foolish heart | |
Don’t let this feelin’ start | |
Back down memory lane | |
I don’t wanna go | |
Back down memory lane | |
Save me, | |
Save me | |
Back down memory lane | |
Save me | |
Save me | |
Save me | |
Save me | |
Save me | |
Back down memory lane | |
Performed by: Minnie Riperton | |
Written by: Richard Rudolph, Gene Dozier, Minnie Riperton, Keni St. Lewis | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | A Chance Meeting Finds A Way |
Over 50 Years Ago! | |
2020 | The Magnitude Of The Challenge |
2019 | Still Tearing, Still Being Rewarded |
2018 | Nothing More, Nothing Less |
2017 | Memorial Day – 2017 |
No Wonder I’m Smiling | |
2016 | Thinking Science Fictional |
2015 | Dawn Is Coming |
2014 | Back When I Was A Firebrand |
2013 | Pen In Hand |
Word Up! | |
2012 | Disturbing |
Trying To Keep Up | |
2011 | Unreliable And Selective |
2010 | Adult-Onset Athlete |
The 99% Solution == 10,000 Hours
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Genius, Inspiration, Mastery, Michelangelo, Perspiration, Philosophy, Quotes, Thomas Edison on May 29, 2022| Leave a Comment »
If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all. | |
— Michelangelo | |
Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. | |
— Thomas Edison | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | A Chance Meeting Finds A Way |
Over 50 Years Ago! | |
2020 | The Magnitude Of The Challenge |
2019 | Still Tearing, Still Being Rewarded |
2018 | Nothing More, Nothing Less |
2017 | Memorial Day – 2017 |
No Wonder I’m Smiling | |
2016 | Thinking Science Fictional |
2015 | Dawn Is Coming |
2014 | Back When I Was A Firebrand |
2013 | Pen In Hand |
Word Up! | |
2012 | Disturbing |
Trying To Keep Up | |
2011 | Unreliable And Selective |
2010 | Adult-Onset Athlete |
Learning And Teaching
Posted in Career, Disclaimer, Education, Philosophy, Quotes, Science and Learning, Work, tagged Disclaimer, Dr. Richard P. Feynman, Education, Frankfurt, Germany, Great Teachers, Learning, NCO Academy, Performance Oriented Training, Philosophy, POTs Training Technique, Quotes, Teaching, Work on November 1, 2021| Leave a Comment »
Feynman Learning Technique: | |
1) Take a piece of paper and write the concept’s name at the top. | |
2) Explain the concept using simple language (show examples to demonstrate you know how the concept works) | |
3) Identify problem areas in your explanation or examples and then go back to the sources to review the material / concept | |
4) Pinpoint any complicated terms and challenge yourself to simplify them. | |
Several days ago, I posted a quote and made a comment about excellence in teaching. (Why We Have So Few Personal Favorites ) Basically, my proposition was that it is extremely difficult to evaluate the competence and productivity of a teacher because of the number of variables and an inability to control them to a point sufficient to determine what are the tools we could provide the “most effective” teachers to make them better (or any teachers for that matter). | |
I never gave much thought about teaching until I joined the Army and they insisted I learn, participate in and practice “Performance Oriented Training” (POTs training) when I attended the NCO Academy in Frankfurt, Germany. Essentially, POTs stipulates that until the student can perform the task, the training has not been effective. There were three elements: 1) the instructor demonstrates the task to be performed / explaining the objective of the task, the reason for the task, and each step necessary to complete the task; 2) the instructor then walks / talks the student through each step as they (the student) follows along with each step; and, 3) the instructor asks the student to perform the task independently. If the student fails in performance (step 3), the instructor must return to element 2. Re-cycle through elements 2 and 3 until 3 can be accomplished independently. At that point, the student can perform the task and the training has been effective. (Of course long term retention of the knowledge / skill is a different matter.) | |
This training methodology served me very well during my working life / career as I was frequently called upon to instruct on topics in the military, and then as a civilian: from credit card fraud prevention, to correspondent banking, to numerous Information Technology topics (basic trouble-shooting, using spreadsheets, using word processing applications, server and network administration, setting up databases, conducting data analysis and creating web pages to display the analysis / data). | |
Rather late in my career, I “discovered” (i.e. read about) Dr Richard P. Feynman (PhD) and his personal learning methodology. Post-employment (i.e. in retirement), I’ve now watched bits and pieces of Professor Feynman’s lectures (on YouTube) and I believe his methodology is a civilian / academic equivalent of personal POTs training. That is: how we should expect to teach ourselves and verify our own knowledge / competency in a subject. I shudder to think of the number of lectures / classes / training sessions I’ve attended where the instructor either did not have this level of personal expertise or expect the student to demonstrate understanding at the end of the session. Which, (again) is why we remember our few “great” teachers over our lifetimes. | |
Disclaimer: The list of four steps above are available in several books and on the web and the exact wording is neither mine nor exclusive to any specific source so I have not bothered to cite any “original” source. I apologize in advance if anyone reading this feels I have used their exact language describing Dr. Feynman’s technique. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Learning And Teaching |
Two Loves | |
2020 | Does Anyone Else Look Forward To The Last Lawn Mowing ‘Til Spring? |
Only For You | |
2019 | 10,000 Tries |
2018 | Keep America Great – Vote This Tuesday |
2017 | Old Style Ear Candy |
2016 | Next Tuesday |
2015 | Wanna Trade? |
2014 | Brothers And Friends |
2013 | So Suddenly |
2012 | At The Center |
2011 | Live Long And Thinner |
Got Health? | |
2010 | SF Giants – 2010 World Series Champions!!! |
52 – 54 – 56 – 58 | |
2009 | Diet Update |
Pictures from Chicago Trip… | |
I Never Could Keep A Secret
Posted in Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Mark Twain, Philosophy, Quotes, Secrets, Success, Vacation, Vocation on April 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »
The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation. | |
— Mark Twain | |
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On This Day In: | |
2020 | Facing The Truth |
2019 | How Much Is Your Education Worth? |
Is America Ready: Mayor Pete – 2020!! | |
2018 | Disruptive Definition |
2017 | A History Of Small Insights |
2016 | Be Uncommon |
2015 | Ooops! |
2014 | What Price Freedom? |
2013 | Remembering Val |
2012 | Good-bye, Val |
Survival Value | |
2011 | Traitors In Our Midst |
Life Ain’t Easy | |
No Crumbs
Posted in Economics, Quotes, Work, tagged Alana Semuels, Economics, Gig Economy, Gig-Workers, Living Wage, Quotes, Time Magazine, Work on November 23, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Aside from a moral obligation to treat workers well and pay them a living wage, there’s nothing to prevent more companies from jettisoning full-time employees and shifting to lower-paid gig workers. | |
They’d just be following what has been happening for decades in other fields. Just as manufacturing shifted overseas for cheaper labor and as gig economy apps drove down wages for taxi and delivery drivers, the pandemic has hastened the gig-ification of white-collar jobs. The gig economy might have been a crowded space before COVID-19, but the booming economy masked its workers’ struggles because many of them could find other jobs to supplement their income. Now, that extra work has dried up, and their desperation is more evident than ever. When gig work is the only pie that’s available to millions of people, sharing it means that some don’t even get crumbs. | |
— Alana Semuels | |
In her article: “As the gig economy grows, its workers’ paychecks shrink“ | |
In: Time Magazine, dtd: 1-8 June 2020 | |
This article also appears online with a different title: “‘It’s a Race to the Bottom.’ The Coronavirus is Cutting Into Gig Worker Incomes as the Newly Jobless Flood Apps“ | |
The specific link is: https://time.com/5836868/gig-economy-coronavirus/ | |
You may have to go through a paywall to view the online article. | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Momentary Offering |
Happy Noise | |
2020 | No Crumbs |
Too Many Detectives On This Case | |
A New Day Is Coming | |
2019 | Or In This Case – What’s Wrong |
2018 | Just Passing Through |
2017 | True Torture |
Happy Thanksgiving – 2017 !! | |
2016 | Overtaken |
2015 | Alone Praying |
2014 | A Full Man |
2013 | Off Defending The Universe |
Taking Precautions | |
2012 | Never, Never, Never |
2011 | Testing 1, 2, 3 |
When I Grow Up I Want To…
Posted in Career, Faith Family and Friends, Family and Friends, Family History, Included Video, Philosophy, Quotes, Videos, Work, tagged Career, Cleaning Windows -- music video, Comments, Included Video, Jobs, Ladders, Philosophy, Quotes, Supervision, Taxes, Van Morrison, YouTube on October 12, 2020| 3 Comments »
Cleaning Windows |
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The “original” LP version… | |
And a “live” version… | |
Comment(s): | |
When my son was young (pre-teen) and we were living in Liverpool, his mum and I used to ask him what he wanted to grow up to be. He always replied: “I want to clean windows.” We always assumed he’d grow out of this “job” answer, but he kept saying it for several years. | |
One day I asked him why he wanted to clean windows. He replied: “Because when you’re up on the ladder, you don’t have a boss constantly looking over your shoulder and watching you work and you get your money in hand after each house.” I asked him why that was important. He replied: “Because the tax man will never know how much you earned, so you can diddle him dead easy.“ | |
I used to chuckle about that conversation every time I heard this song. Nowadays, I think: “Someday my son could turn out to be a Republican candidate for the Presidency.“ | |
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On This Day In: | |
2021 | Better To Lie, Get Rich And Destroy Your Country |
Love Is All There Is | |
2020 | You Remind Me Of Someone |
When I Grow Up I Want To… | |
2019 | Running History, But I Don’t Expect Many To Match It… |
It’s Probably Easier When You Live Alone | |
2018 | 25 Days Until The November Election |
Old And Young | |
2017 | Universal Soul Sounds |
2016 | Not Rivals |
2015 | Dead Sure |
2014 | Are You Educated? |
2013 | For Myself |
2012 | And When I’m Gone… |
2011 | Complete Conviction |
Works For Me
Posted in Humor, Quotes, Work, tagged Baseball, Humor, Quotes, Work, Yogi Berra on May 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »
If I didn’t make it in baseball, I won’t have made it workin’. I didn’t like to work. | |
— Yogi Berra | |
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On This Day In: | |
2019 | Better To Do |
News: Drunken Party Girl Saves Seoul | |
2018 | Keep Moving |
2017 | Fighting Good |
2016 | Size Matters |
2015 | Maybe The Best Thing |
2014 | Ready To Be Fried? |
2013 | A Real Lover |
2012 | Winning Wars |
2011 | A Different Lesson |
I Hope So
Posted in Career, Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Beauty, Career, Memory, Philosophy, Quotes, Retrospect, Sigmund Freud, Struggle, The Future, Work on May 14, 2019| Leave a Comment »
One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful. | |
— Sigmund Freud | |
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On This Day In: | |
2018 | Painted Into |
2017 | Prayers, Miracles And Lottery Tickets |
Roman View | |
2016 | Dignity And Grace |
2015 | Is It Warm Enough For You |
2014 | What The Right STILL Wants |
2013 | Embrace Serendipity |
2012 | Your Order, Please |
2011 | Well Enough Anyway |
Insha’Allaha Bukra
Posted in Humor, Philosophy, Quotes, Work, tagged Don Herold, Humor, Philosophy, Procrastination, Quotes, Work on May 1, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Work is the greatest thing in the world, so we should always save some of it for tomorrow. | |
— Don Herold | |
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On This Day In: | |
2018 | Lost Time |
2017 | Are You Talking To Me? |
2016 | Here, Desire Is Purified |
2015 | Hopefully Just Visiting |
2014 | Fond Memory? |
2013 | Distress, Hope, Trust |
2012 | Creating Interlocking Fragility |
2011 | Four Stories And A Gospel |
What Have You Burned Lately? | |
I’m Actively Irresponsible
Posted in Other Blogs, Quotes, Science and Learning, Work, tagged Actively Irresponsible, Cal Newport, Dr. Richard P. Feynman, Email, Physics, Quotes, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Work, www.chronicle.com on February 25, 2019| 10 Comments »
To do real good physics work, you do need absolute solid lengths of time … it needs a lot of concentration … if you have a job administrating anything, you don’t have the time. So I have invented another myth for myself: that I’m irresponsible. I’m actively irresponsible. I tell everyone I don’t do anything. If anyone asks me to be on a committee … ‘no’ I tell them: I’m irresponsible. | |
— Richard Feynman | |
Quoted by: Cal Newport | |
In his on-line article: “Is Email Making Professors Stupid“ | |
Appearing on the site: The Chronicle of Higher Education, located at: www.chronicle.com | |
[LOL!!! It worked for me, too! — kmab] | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | Until Something Better Comes Along |
2021 | Facing The Headwinds |
Still Thankful, Still Don’t Read Well | |
2020 | Write For Yourself |
2019 | I’m Actively Irresponsible |
2018 | I Will Love You… Forever |
2017 | Pebbles In Your Shoe? |
2016 | Resolute Will |
2015 | Absorbed And Civilized |
2014 | Relax And Lead |
2013 | Location, Location, Location |
2012 | Are You Really Good? |
2011 | Relatively Objective, Anyway |
Does Terrible But Not Important Count?
Posted in Health, Quotes, Work, tagged Beliefs, Bertrand Russell, Nervous Breakdown, Quotes, Symptoms, Work on February 6, 2019| 2 Comments »
One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important. | |
— Bertrand Russell | |
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On This Day In: | |
2022 | Natural Selection |
2021 | Farming Lessons |
Changing Colors | |
2020 | A Simple Fact |
Home Through The Years / Just Painted | |
2019 | Does Terrible But Not Important Count? |
2018 | Have You Stretched Today? |
The Original | |
2017 | Being Nice |
2016 | Zero To Some = Most |
2015 | Born More Obligated |
2014 | Rage And Fury |
2013 | Successful Children |
2012 | For God So Loved The World |
2011 | Go Cheeseheads!! |
Structured Mentality | |
Five Down, Two To Go
Posted in Career, Economics, General Comments, Humor, Quotes, Work, tagged Bette Davis, Dreams, Economics, General Comments, Gravy, Humor, Labor, Meat And Potatoes, Quotes, Retirement, Social Security, Work on September 30, 2022| 2 Comments »
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