Who's Taller? Answers

1. A. Jack Nicholson, at 5'9" and 3/4, tops Paul Newman by 1/4 inch.

2. A. Tom Cruise is short all right, but at 5'7" he didn't need to jump on that couch to best Oprah's 5'6" and 1/2 frame.

3. A. Harrison Ford's 6'1" nudges out Tom Hanks (who didn't live up to his 6'4" relative Abraham Lincoln, reaching just 6 feet).

4. A. Princess Diana at 5'10" might have more fans, but Michelle Obama's got more inches (3/4, to be exact).

5. A. John Lennon might have been the tallest Beatle (5'11"), but not the tallest John. Kennedy stood a full 6'1".

Employee Opinion Survey

Employees at my company are "strongly encouraged" to participate in these surveys, and it's that time of year when they are conducted. I completed all of the questions... and then trashed it. Because even though as a supervisor I've generally fared well in these types of things, I think that real teamwork is developed through the courage of face-to-face feedback, rather than cloaking it in anonymity. Where's the honor in criticizing for the first time in this fashion? In my trial run I pretended that my superiors were in the room with me, so that I was accountable to explain every answer that I provided. Where I'm dissatisfied, is it legitimate or am I playing victim in my weakness? If I wasn't comfortable sharing an answer on that basis, then it's cowardly for me to submit it anonymously. In a healthy team environment, leaders have both the courage to ask for and the willingness to respond to coaching from their charges. And they have to preach, through their actions, all year long that they are open-minded and humble enough to see that other ideas will often be right. A leader who does any less will always underperform their potential.

Who's Taller?

1. (a) Jack Nicholson (b) Paul Newman
2. (a) Tom Cruise (b) Oprah Winfrey
3. (a) Harrison Ford (b) Tom Hanks
4. (a) Michelle Obama (b) Princess Diana
5. (a) John F. Kennedy (b) John Lennon

The Blind Side

Sometimes you come out of a movie feeling like all's right with the world. The Blind Side is one of those films.

It's the story of Michael Oher, drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2009 as the culmination of a long, slow road from the projects of Memphis. A ward of the state stripped from his demonized mother, he's graciously accepted to a small Christian high school. That would be the end of the road for the student with the sub-1.00 GPA, until a bull-headed mother of two (Sandra Bullock) gives him shelter and support as if he were one of her own.

What an aspiring optimist like me enjoyed the most was that there was no more than a couple of speed bumps on the largely poppy-lined road. The lead characters make a mistake or two, enough to spur some serious self-reflection, but there's no powerful or dark conflict that so often seems to erupt during feel-good tales.

There's even a special sweetener for the local folk - Tim McGraw plays Bullock's husband, a former star athlete turned millionaire who wears a winsome wink and a smile for most of the show.

We had to travel to two theaters to find one that wasn't sold out! Go see Sandra as a blond Southerner, bring a date, and prepare to have your troubles cast behind.

Fresh Paint

What would you choose, if you could? To be sick or healthy? Dying or growing? Moving forward or backward? Energetic or tired?

When I wake up in the morning, what are the first thoughts that cross my mind? Of the day's responsibilities or hopes? Of yesterday's failures, or today's promise? Of things lost or possessed?

Black Friday's traditionally the opposite of mainstream America for me, a day of deep sleep and leisurely awakening. And whether it's there or in life's other idle moments my mind's a clean canvas. What do I paint it with?

I have two palettes to draw my paint from. You remember what a used palette looks like... some brown or black mixed in with the yellows and greens. There's some pure color to draw from it, but why not reach instead for the fresh palette with its bright and flawless colors?

As a rolled about I recalled an exchange with a co-worker this week that could have gone better and let it start to darken the early morning fog in my head. Why would I relive this? A spacious sunny holiday stretched ahead. All I had to do is crawl out from under the soft comforter to use a fully healthy body, able mind, abundant resources and freedom to create an exciting future. I'll lift some weights, enjoy a relaxing shower, watch Alabama beat Auburn, watch a good movie with Dena, think ahead to basketball practice for next week. And of course spend some quality time with Hidden Bloggers!

Thanks For Tanks

Today I sat in Mom's kitchen eating the works - stuffing, turkey, potatoes, salad, rolls... as delicious as anything I remembered from childhood. Then Dena's tollhouse pie for dessert, where one slice feels like you just ate a bag of melted chocolate chip cookies. Perfectly full and ready for a nap in front of the T.V. in the living room, awaking with gentle stretching to a football game. Covered in a Snuggie.

I am sure thankful that my safety is completely secure, so unlike other nations across the world. People sacrificing time with their families and huddling in cold and dangerous places thousands of miles from home are helping to make this moment possible for me.

Thank God for these people, and that I live in America!

Ironman With The Wobbly Knees

What is the scientific principle that makes it easier to walk for three hours on a treadmill while watching football than to stand for two hours watching people play basketball?

Tonight was a fun debut as volunteer assistant coach of the Normal Community High School Ironmen freshman basketball squad. Most all I could do was watch and learn... names, for example. I think I got a lot of those down. The team has a player who's 6'5". By comparison, the tallest player on my varsity team as a senior was 6'4".

Coach Goldman is beautiful to watch in action. He has this way of telling it like it is, pointing out flaws in a constructive way. He even managed to be respectful when criticizing a lack of hustle. He's funny too, and not at the expense of others.

We used some drills that were fun and focused. The practice started with an inspirational message, and ended with fist bumps all around. It was a great use of time! With a game against crosstown rival Bloomington High on the horizon, every second counts.

Silence Is Olden

So today I was sitting in a class which was teaching a bunch of call center employees how to sell life insurance. I was sort of a special guest who got a seat by asking the management if I could sit in and observe their class structure, for learnings to apply to my own department. I've worked in life insurance for 15 years, but not a day in a call center. Through the years, I've found it surprisingly effective to build a relationship in a new group by shutting up, and listening enthusiastically. I recall scientific studies that demonstrated how affection between people developed simply by looking into each other's eyes for a period of time. Likewise, in a group of strangers, I'll frequently make a point of smiling as much as I can, nodding in affirmation with eye contact as others speak, and laughing heartily along with the group. It's all genuine, and perhaps as pure as can be - I feel positively about them, and have little of intelligence to say, so why confuse the nonverbal message with some lame attempt to impress them with my "skill"? Speak when spoken to, I say... a welcome guest is an invited guest. First, after about an hour, the lady next to me struck up a pleasant conversation. Later, someone asked a question about tax, which the instructor then deferred to me since he knew my experience with it.

I'm thinking that's why God did away with the "voice-in-the-burning-bush" routine. If silent relationships are golden, then his are the richest in the universe!

Word Of The Day

While attending a class today at work, I saw a word that starts with the letter t and contains the letter u four times. Anyone? Hint: It's a four-syllable adjective.

Voice Acting Demos

Here they are... my personal voice acting resume. There's both a commercial and a narration demo.

http://www.vfademos.com/jmcdonald/

Brian Johnson

This week my good friend Brian Johnson passed away suddenly from an apparent heart attack one morning at his home.

Not much older than myself, Brian was powerful force of life. I had the pleasure of seeing the heartfelt side of his passion as a classmate of Leadership McLean County 2004. His full-bodied tenor laugh came out early and often, embedded in conversations that he so skillfully launched and peppered with questions to draw you comfortably in. How's the family? How's the career? How's our friend doing? There were few strangers in his company, and even the shyest felt like part of the gang. A gleeful, almost table-slapping storyteller, he was voted to the honor of class speaker at graduation. Afterward he had the highest attendance at our class reunion breakfasts. He was a loyal friend.

I also saw Brian's serious face in his chairmanship of the LMC interview and selection process during my time as class facilitator, and I hear that he was the same way in his managerial duties at the office. He asked tough questions, the kind that forced people to get out from behind a vague professional cover and express their true selves. This was just a manifestation of the person he was himself - a straight shooter whose emotions were honest.

Brian's time here was too short given all that he had to offer. Whatever divine purpose his passing may have served must truly be great, for he departs with a large extended family behind him.

Successful Failure

Returning to the weight room this week after a 6-week surgical layoff was a trip back in time to a year ago when I began lifting on a regular basis. Gone was the 190 pound 1-rep bench press max, and the 145-pound 8-rep max was replaced by 130 pounds.

Climbing a hill already conquered isn't nearly as exciting as reaching new heights, nor is it an excuse to give up. Regular exercise is as important as regular tooth brushing. It's not about breaking records so much as maintaining health and strength - outer strength in terms of muscles, but just as much inner strength of discipline.

God At 3:00

I almost entitled this "The Sleeping Will Discontinue Until The Stabbings Cease," because I watched a few foo many episodes of police murder investigation shows and woke up from a dream where I was stabbed while trying to enter my car.

I've blogged before about my pondering whether there's some divine guidance in the fact that often when I'm awakened in the night it's right around 3:00, like tonight. I took the opportunity to keep reading the book "Longshot" by deaf Mormon NBA player Lance Allred and came upon this passage:

"The argument about whether altruism is possible is synonymous with the question of whether it's possible to be a selfless Christian. Even if we're silent in our charitable deeds, are we not, as Christians, still hoping that God is watching us and that he will reward us, thus making our actions indeed selfish? I believe there's a God who loves me, but I don't plan on that making a difference. I don't plan on being rewarded in heaven, as I feel this helps my deeds be more altruistic. Planning on a heaven leads to expectations, and expectations lead to a sense of entitlement."

Amid the ongoing personal crusade of trying not to judge or to change people, avoiding entitlement is a handy way to go!

Eureka!

My co-worker Tina's son was the star of the winning team!

http://www.rrstar.com/sports/x215398536/44-point-effort-buries-Regents

Passion

"Here's the crux of how and why relationships work or fail. Simply, you can't appreciate what you take for granted. This is essentially why people, in general, become unhappy in their own lives. They always want more but are never grateful for what they have. And if you are not grateful for what you have, you will begin to take it for granted. And when you do this, you no longer appreciate it. And when you don't appreciate something it holds no enjoyment for you." - David Lieberman

I am so lucky to be married to a talented graphic designer! Dena drew up a potential logo for my aspiring voice acting "career":

I Feel So Embarrassed

The other day I tried to bring some humor to a unit meeting, printing off a top ten list from the internet that looked pretty good... until I got to number 6. "Top Ten Things Not To Say At A Funeral" was just too much gallows humor for this particular hour. Which brings me to some wise counsel...

"If you did something incredibly inappropriate or stupid, do not try to defend your behavior. There's only one thing that will work: the phrase, 'I feel so embarrassed.' Why? Because this one phrase accomplishes three very important things. First, it shows what you did was acceptable - which means that you're unlikely to do it again. Second, it shows that you're human. Third, it shows complete honesty - and who doesn't want to deal with an honest person?" - David Lieberman

Well, an honest person who cracks jokes at a funeral, for one... but I digress.

NCHS Basketball Parents' Night

After a dramatic three days of waiting to see if my background check would clear, I found myself sitting in the Normal Community High School cafeteria for Parents' Night - the first time that parents hear from the men that will be leading their boys for the next five months. Or should I say the men that have been leading their boys for eight practices already, while the CIA and FBI were no doubt interviewing my kindergarten teacher to see if I had a glue-sniffing habit.

As head varsity coach Dave Witzig began his introductions and gave way to the impressive lady who explained how fund raising works, it occurred to me that however unfamiliar the scene might be to me, it's probably as unsettled for the kids on the team recently dethroned from the top of junior high. As Dave introduced me for the first time as the assistant froshman coach, I told myself that however bare my coaching experience might be, I'd lived the experience of subbing on a froshman "B" team. I'd sweated through three summers of workouts to improve, and co-captained the varsity in senior year. So I could wave toward the faces of the guys on the team, both us of seeing each other for the first time, and sincerely believe that any one of them could find their way to the top of the program. Work is the key, but good teachers and strong support can make a big difference. Hopefully I can learn to contribute that.

The Place With The Free Books

I now have a library card for the first time since college.

I'd been an increasingly regular patron at Borders book store over the last couple years, and Hidden Blog is saturated with all kinds of favorite nuggets as a result. But I got to wondering if it was really a wise use of $20 to read a book once. I generally thought of the library as having a bunch of old books, not terribly exciting or mainstream, but why not give it a try? If nothing else, it'll make for an interesting blog post. And it turned out to be a lot more than that.

The cramped little parking lot at the Normal Public Library is now adjoined by a massive public parking deck, with... wait for it... free parking for library patrons! That unexpected perk got my spirits up as I walked in.

I used to make my way here when I was cramming for finals and the ISU library was too packed. Now it was modernized and more crammed with signs than people. There was a DVD section, audio book section, and all kinds of other 21st century trendiness. The key ring sized library card was another pleasant plus. And it all paled to the display practically smack in my sternum as I got inside. "New Books" was just what I'd hoped for. And right away I saw three interesting sports books that I'd never come across at Borders. It never crossed my mind that the library might have a better selection than the book stores. What a trip!

Three whole weeks to digest awesome tales of baseball and hoop dreams. Learning rocks!

Fantastic Football Finishes, Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHkABO0VwCg

Fantastic Football Finishes

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1017301

Joe McDonald Likes This Post

I finally caved... a Facebook friend of mine recently announced her engagement. So there are two possible responses:

1. "Comment" on the post in detail.
2. Indicate that I "like" the post.

Perhaps too weak from malnourishment, I simply clicked on the "Like" button. Instantly I became a statistic, one of six people who officially "like" what they've seen. Lest there be any confusion, or someone manages to get a Facebook account without being able to read, there's also an accompanying thumbs-up signal for comfort.

Who came up with this idea? I think it was an eighth grader who babbled so uncontrollably every time he tried to ask a girl out to the dance, he's given up. "Hi. I like you. Do whatever you want with that. I don't really care anymore."

Why hasn't this idea caught on socially? Imagine if it were acceptable at funerals to just look the bereaved in the eye and say "I liked him," then move on along. No awkward pauses, no forced dialogue, no flowcharts to explain your relation. If the line stops and you're trapped in front of the crying widow, just flash a thumbs-up to pass the time.

What kind of propaganda is this anyway? Why is "Like" the only option available for lazy or one-fingered folk? Doesn't that skew reality? Is that any different from giving all the kids on the team an All-Star trophy, even the one who mostly scored for the wrong team? What lessons are we teaching our Faceneighbors? "Gosh, everyone likes me. I've reached perfection. I must continue to kick homeless people."

And now I see that there's an "Unlike" option. Does this baffle anyone else? "I used to like this, but now I've come to my senses." These are your "friends"? Can you ever really un-friend someone? It's silly. I'm holding out until they come out with a "Declare an Enemy" feature right next to "Invite a Friend." Now that's a true social network.

Recovery Plan

"There are two parts to a recovery strategy. The first is what you can make happen, and the second is what you hope will happen. The first is within your control, so work hard at it. The second is not, so stop worrying about it." - Kendall Hochman, leukemia sufferer, on his training to replay a tied high school football game from 15 years ago.

Bob Hurley Basketball Conditioning

Lately I've been pondering how to get into decent basketball shape over the next couple of months. Bob Hurley is a high school state champion coach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V83zk3F0UE

Lane Slides
High Knees
High Heels
Alternate Knees and Heels
Figure 8 Ball Wraps
Moving Ball Wraps
Shuttle Drills
Line Jumps
One Foot Line Jumps
Ball Jumps
Tee Shirt Slides

Being Alive

"People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life... I think that what we're really seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonance within our innermost being and reality, so that we can actually feel the rapture of being alive." - Joseph Campbell

I do think that we're part of a plan, by some mind great enough to conceive the beginning of time. So the joy is in finding that slot, like a plug to its socket, where our individual collection of desires and talents matches up and brings out life's fullest measure.

2012

This over-the-top, pure Hollywood sci-fi thriller was a lot of fun. If you've ever watched one of those History or Discovery Channel shows where they computer simulate the end of the world, you'll definitely find it easy to stick with this 2 1/2 hour movie.

The outlandishness begins in the opening scenes, where U.S. scientists are alerted in 2009 by an Indian geologist working in a converted copper mine shaft 11,000 feet below ground that solar activity has stunningly taken effect on the earth's core. Exacting scientific study determines that in a few years the earth's crust will destabilize, ending the world as we know it. Notably, this timeline also coincides with ancient Mayan predictions and (for reasons Dena and I were at a loss to understand) the knowledge of a vagabond ham radio show host named Charlie (Woody Harrelson). Charlie also somehow obtained copies of the world governments' three year plan to secretly prepare a cluster of humans to survive the event.

On cue the destruction begins, and a small-time science fiction novelist (John Cusack), his ex-wife (Amanda Peet), her boyfriend and their kids find themselves just ahead of it. And I do mean just ahead of it. Leaping over chasms, flying through impossible debris and driving with miraculous fortune, the heroes will have you off your chair with "Oh, come ON!" laughter in disbelief. I imagine the production crew sat down on day 1 and said "Hey guys, we're talking about the Mayan end of the world here, so let's just pull out all the stops of reality, mmmkay?" If you're good with that then you'll stay gripped to the end, with the survivors in peril and Cusack the only man who can save them. It's still a relatively light-hearted film with playful humorous moments and doses of sentimentality and romance. Though I didn't pay close attention to the language, I might even go so far as to call it a family film - as long as your kids aren't scared by the ridiculous thought of, say, Hawaii turning into lava.

"Voices For All" Master Class

Last weekend I headed up to Chicagoland and took an intensive class on voice acting at the Holiday Inn in Countryside, IL.

Our instructor was Eric Hunt of the company Voices For All, based on the East Coast and comprised of several passionate, talented, helpful people. He's got boundless energy and a sensitive approach to coaching that kept all 12 of us rookies feeling competent and enthused.

Friday night 7-9 featured an overview of the increasingly expanding and accessible industry. The prevalence of audiobooks, telephony, and a variety of media create a vast array of opportunities non-existent ten years ago. Meanwhile the internet and technological advances have made it possible to earn a living from the comfort of your own basement, finding and auditioning for jobs via talent websites.

Saturday was a marathon of acting exercises that (if you like acting) were basically games. In one, we drew one of 15 emotions randomly and tried to read a plain sentence in a way that the others could guess our emotion. I drew "animated," which was pretty easy and also surprised people who knew me. Acting requires a concentrated mindset, getting out of ourselves and creating a character and scene in our mind that helps to express the words as naturally as possible. It's remarkable how the phrase "We love our team" can answer four different questions depending on which word is emphasized! Ten exhausting and happy hours later led to a good night's sleep.

Sunday was about reflecting on our vision and marketing strategy for our foray into the business. I did actually come up with a brand name and am playing around with a web site that will be announced here if I can get it up and running.

Tuesday was a 2-hour recording session where I was coached to read 10 scripts to create my 60-second demo (the equivalent of a resume for the voice actor). In about two weeks I'll be presented with the finished product including sound effects and the like. My voice probably fits better for straight narration or commercials rather than character acting, but since the rule of thumb is to win one job per 50 auditions or so, I'm sure there would be plenty of chances to dabble in a wide variety of types.

Next steps are to make an investment in some basic recording software and mic equipment, and once the demo's all set, to troll the marketplace! I imagine myself contacting local social service organizations, schools, churches, radio stations, or other parties that might benefit from largely donated work as I try to build up some experience.

Ultra-Realistic Modern Warfare Game Includes Awaiting Orders, Repairing Trucks

From the Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/ultra_realistic_modern_warfare

Smooth Sailing

"When you are at sea, keep clear of the land." - Publilius Syrus

Do you have any self-destructive tendencies? Sailing clear of land seems pretty obvious, and so does staying away from sugary or caffeinated treats, doing some light exercise regularly, or quietly listening at the right time. Yet the temptation to do otherwise, to get closer to land because it's more interesting despite the risks, is a constant force.

The other day I was talking with an old friend about a past acquaintance that had been insufferable for me in some ways, in fact to the extent that it was best to go our separate ways.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out for you," my friend said. What a natural opportunity to make some type of subtly self-enobling remark or victimized statement placing blame. "Maybe if he had the ability to do such and such, things would have turned out better," etc. But the truth is that I'm at least as responsible for those types of failings as anyone else. Trying to change another person is a bumpy way to live.

"Sometimes people change," I said instead. "I wouldn't trade those ten years for anything, and the lessons I learned have helped me in my personal and professional relationships. It was a useful chapter of my life, and now we've both moved on to a different chapter."

The Case Of The Sleepless Singer

"The final mystery is oneself." - Oscar Wilde

Who can understand people's sleep patterns? I could be a bit more disciplined in the way I structure mealtimes, watch T.V. and so on so that my body chemistry is ready for sleep when bedtime arrives. More typically I'll do a bit of snacking close to then, turn on a comedy and drift off to sleep without trouble. Like the tides, though, there will usually be a night in there where for some reason the motor just keeps running. The good news is that it used to run with various worries about tomorrow... nowadays thanks to some life choices that's a non-issue. Still, like last night, sometimes I'll finally conk out around 4 a.m. and run on fumes for a day. When those late-night surges happen I've learned to stroll downstairs and either doodle on the computer or play some songs on the guitar to unwind. I'd be interested in others' clues or tricks of the trade to unlock the mystery of sleepless nights!

Health Care Bill

It's not what you're thinking, I literally mean a bill that I received for my health care... specifically the chalazion (bump) removed from my eyelid. $500 worth of work (recall it took about a half hour) in all. My cost: $80.

I like my health care plan!

Sharp As A Sponge

"We're not the brightest tools in the shed." - Doug Mientkiewicz, on his Red Sox teammates

And For Losing Streaks It's Just The Opposite

"The secret to keeping winning streaks going is to maximize the victories while minimizing the defeats." - John Lowenstein

And He Loves Swimming, Except For The Water

"The only problem I have in the outfield is with fly balls." - Carmelo Martinez

Literally Funny

Baseball players accidentally moonlighting as comedians:

"All I'm asking for is what I want." - Rickey Henderson

"Sometimes they write what I say and not what I mean." - Pedro Guerrero

Better Ask My Wife How Many Kids I Have, Too

Steve Balboni was a slugging first baseman for the Kansas City Royals:

Balboni: Hitting your first grand slam is a thrill. I'll always remember this.

Reporter: You hit one two years ago.

Balboni: (Pause) You're right. I guess I forgot about that one.

On The Other Hand, We Could Try You Out At Mascot

"Son, we'd like to keep you around this season, but we're going to try and win a pennant instead." - Casey Stengel

Hidden Blog Turns 1,500

Faithful readers with lots of free time have now read Hidden Blog's first 1,500 posts in less than 2 1/2 years. Some of you know that there are great corporations with a century of experience whose core product has changed over time, and HB has evolved that way too. Thanks to the emergence of Facebook and the blessings of increased readership, the original mission of surpassing Country Joe McDonald to the #1 spot in Google search rankings has faded as a benefit of what the blog's become. By now it's a resource for upbeat memoirs, reflections on leadership and relationships, and occasionally offbeat humor. Personally it's a place of public accountability for my goals and growth, a home page with links to my favorite sites, a means to keep in touch with several family members (some of whom have launched their own fabulous blogs), a therapeutic avenue for creativity, and most recently (and accidentally) a connection to exciting new opportunities like basketball coaching.

So today Hidden Blog's mission statement is not so much changed as clarified to be more accurate and improved: "Fifty monthly posts of fun, love, and good life." A toast to you, good readers, for making the ride so colorful, and may it continue to be so!

There Are No Thin Squirrels In November

As I gazed out Mom's kitchen window today my eyes fell upon the sight of a squirrel racing up a leafless tree. And by "racing," I mean as fast as a formerly non-obese animal can run vertically. By now the fat-storing fuzzy-tailed creature was heft-ready for winter. At least that's how it looked to me. The squirrel disagreed.

I watched as it scrambled as closely as it could toward a lonely small apple dangling from a drooping branch. From there it frenzied itself in a series of vigorous hops and flips trying to loosen the prize. If Rosann Barr had qualified for the U.S. in the Treetop Frantic Olympics, I'd imagine it would have looked a lot like this. Alas, victory was not to be this day, and it shimmied elsewhere.

For how many consecutive days had the squirrel gone through this same ritual? Through how many failures? And sustaining this passion, despite its physical disadvantages?

When we want something badly enough, we go after it with all we've got.

3-Point Slugger

http://highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1185&CID=1009250

A More Perfect Union

Dena and I headed over to the public library for a viewing of the award-winning film "A More Perfect Union," produced at BYU. It recreates the story of the 1787 Constitutional Convention at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It did a good job of presenting the tension on several fronts, beginning with the decision to abolish the Articles of Confederation born just after the Revolutionary War. Penned by states fresh from wrestling freedom from a monarchy, those Articles went too far originally against the idea of a centralized government, leaving the states squabbling amongst themselves. The convention stretched months, with the novel idea of three-branch government that struggled to decide representation in Congress. Small states railed against losing their equal status (hence the Senate now gives each state equal vote), and large states urged true representation of the people (hence the House divides power in proportion to population).

In the end, a triumph of compromise created the document on September 17, 1787 that defined a new government, and with it a nation.

Gotta love the phrase "more perfect union" in the Constitution. What a humble nod to human imperfections, alongside the zeal for self-improvement!

A Warning For Frequent Debit Card Swipers

From Yahoo! news:

It may be time to defrost my frozen credit cards. It turns out that using a debit card for every purchase—which I’m so guilty of!—is a bad idea.
From the smarty-pants over at ShopSmart, here are the do's and don’ts of using a debit card:

DON’T use debit cards for big purchases. They don’t offer the same protection that credit cards do. Credit cards allow you to reverse or dispute charges, and some will even extend the length of warranties.

DON’T use a debit card online. If you use a credit card, your liability for unauthorized charges is capped at $50, no matter what. If your debit card is lost or stolen, it must be reported within two business days to limit liability to $50. If a lost or stolen debit card is reported within 60 days, liability can go up to $500. If an unauthorized transaction is not reported within 60 days of the statement date (and the card hasn’t been reported lost or stolen), you’re on the hook for charges made after the 60th day until the report is made.

Related: 7 Little Bargain Shopping Tips That Will Save You Major Money

DO click on “credit” and sign for payments instead of giving a PIN. Card companies might extend the same zero-liability protection to debit cards as they do to credit cards if the debit cards are processed like the latter, but PIN transactions might not have that protection.

DON’T link your debit card to an account with a lot of money. Thieves can empty your debit-card-linked checking account, so keep just enough in the account to cover current purchases.

Eek! I’m guilty of all of the above! Regularly!

How ’bout you guys? Who else has broken these rules? I better not be the only one!

The Flip Side of Coupons

Dena had a first in the history of her young business. A coupon that she placed into a book resulted in her being contacted by a potential new client. Marketing genius!

That Was Quick

Someone spotted my last post and called me about a possible high school assistant coach opening. Is the 21st century cool or what?

Chiddix Debut

I've been pondering my ever-so-brief coaching career lately.

The YMCA didn't need me last year after they changed the format to require entire teams to sign up, rather than enabling individual sign-ups which in turn resulted in no players needing walk-on coaches.

What about school programs? Their programs are likely to be more stable. I would guess that they regularly have turnover in their volunteer staff. Maybe even at the head coaching level. Why not come aboard as a stat-keeper or something, learn the system, and see what happens if I do a good job? The American dream and all that.

First things first though... to prevent jumping in before understanding the lay of the land, I decided to attend a couple of games at the closest school with a team Chiddix Junior High School. What are the fans like? How good is the program? Does the school come across as well-organized? Respectful?

The answer started to find my ears before I even reached the gym door. What a supportive ruckus! I'd grown up in private schools, where maybe a few dozen parents and siblings showed up, and almost never a classmate (probably in good measure because we didn't have our own gym). The stands were packed and buzzing. There were cheerleaders frolicking. The coaches were dressed in ties. And the team was winning big!

As it turned out, this was just the undercard game. When the eighth graders took the court for game two, they were serenaded with the school song and an announcer blaring their names. The crowd noise reached new levels. The head coach and his assistants chatted up the players with enthusiasm rather than anger (as opposed to the other team's coach, who either yells too much or whose face is just naturally purple). No one on either team berated the refs, nor did I hear it from the stands.

The coach's genes in me were tingling tonight. I'll definitely be back!

Big-Ass Toaster

Yep, that's what my Christmas gift from the company is, a wee bit early. Black and Decker, two-slicer with crumb tray, dial heat setting up to level 6. And if I make a grave error, there's a "Cancel" button to spare me from having to scramble to my toolbox and bash away with a hammer.

My affection for dry toast is why I get invited to so many parties, and on a more serious note, why people nominate me to be stranded on a desert island with them so that they get to eat all the rations that actually have flavor.

Processed Food Linked To Depression: Study

From Yahoo! News:

LONDON (AFP) – A diet heavy in processed and fatty foods increases the risk of depression, according to British research published on Monday.

Researchers at University College London also found that a diet including plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish could help prevent the onset of depression.

They compared participants -- all civil servants -- who ate a diet largely based on "whole" foods with a second group who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts.

Taking into account other indicators of a healthy lifestyle such as not smoking and taking physical exercise, those who ate the whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed foods.

People with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.

The researchers put forward several explanations for the findings, which are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Firstly, the high level of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effect, as previous studies have shown higher antioxidant levels to be associated with a lower risk of depression.

Secondly, eating lots of fish may protect against depression because it contains high levels of the sort of polyunsaturated fatty acids which stimulate brain activity.

And they said it was possible that a "whole food" diet protects against depression because of the combined effect of consuming nutrients from lots of different types of food, rather than the effect of one single nutrient.

The researchers concluded: "Our research suggests that healthy eating policies will generate additional benefits to health and well-being, and that improving people's diet should be considered as a potential target for preventing depressive disorders."

The study was carried out on 3,486 people with an average age of 55, who worked for the civil service in London.

Each participant completed a questionnaire about their eating habits, and a self-assessment for depression.

What Soft Drinks Do To The Body

From Dr. Mao:

Soda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages that you could be drinking for your health. As the debate for whether to put a tax on the sale of soft drinks continues, you should know how they affect your body so that you can make an informed choice on your own.

Soft drinks are hard on your health

Soft drinks contain little to no vitamins or other essential nutrients. However, it is what they do contain that is the problem: caffeine, carbonation, simple sugars — or worse, sugar substitutes — and often food additives such as artificial coloring, flavoring, and preservatives.

A lot of research has found that consumption of soft drinks in high quantity, especially by children, is responsible for many health problems that include tooth decay, nutritional depletion, obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Why the sugar in soft drinks isn’t so sweet

Most soft drinks contain a high amount of simple sugars. The USDA recommendation of sugar consumption for a 2,000-calorie diet is a daily allotment of 10 teaspoons of added sugars. Many soft drinks contain more than this amount!

Just why is too much sugar so unhealthy? Well, to start, let's talk about what happens to you as sugar enters your body. When you drink sodas that are packed with simple sugars, the pancreas is called upon to produce and release insulin, a hormone that empties the sugar in your blood stream into all the tissues and cells for usage. The result of overindulging in simple sugar is raised insulin levels. Raised blood insulin levels beyond the norm can lead to depression of the immune system, which in turn weakens your ability to fight disease.

Something else to consider is that most of the excess sugar ends up being stored as fat in your body, which results in weight gain and elevates risk for heart disease and cancer. One study found that when subjects were given refined sugar, their white blood cell count decreased significantly for several hours afterwards. Another study discovered that rats fed a high-sugar diet had a substantially elevated rate of breast cancer when compared to rats on a regular diet.

The health effects of diet soda

You may come to the conclusion that diet or sugar-free soda is a better choice. However, one study discovered that drinking one or more soft drinks a day — and it didn’t matter whether it was diet or regular — led to a 30% greater chance of weight gain around the belly.

Diet soda is filled with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin. These artificial sweeteners pose a threat to your health. Saccharin, for instance, has been found to be carcinogenic, and studies have found that it produced bladder cancer in rats.

Aspartame, commonly known as nutrasweet, is a chemical that stimulates the brain to think the food is sweet. It breaks down into acpartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol at a temperature of 86 degrees. (Remember, your stomach is somewhere around 98 degrees.) An article put out by the University of Texas found that aspartame has been linked to obesity. The process of stimulating the brain causes more cravings for sweets and leads to carbohydrate loading.

Carbonation depletes calcium

Beverages with bubbles contain phosphoric acid, which can severely deplete the blood calcium levels; calcium is a key component of the bone matrix. With less concentration of calcium over a long time, it can lower deposition rates so that bone mass and density suffer. This means that drinking sodas and carbonated water increases your risk of osteoporosis.

Add in the caffeine usually present in soft drinks, and you are in for even more trouble. Caffeine can deplete the body’s calcium, in addition to stimulating your central nervous system and contributing to stress, a racing mind, and insomnia.

Skip the soda and go for:

• Fresh water
Water is a vital beverage for good health. Each and every cell needs water to perform its essential functions. Since studies show that tap water is filled with contaminants, antibiotics, and a number of other unhealthy substances, consider investing in a quality carbon-based filter for your tap water. To find out more about a high-performance filtration system, click here.

On the go? Try using a stainless steel thermos or glass bottle, filled with filtered water. Enhance the flavor of your water with a refreshing infusion of basil, mint leaves, and a drop of honey.

• Fruit Juice
If you are a juice drinker, try watering down your juice to cut back on the sugar content. Buy a jar of organic 100% juice, especially cranberry, acai, pomegranate, and then dilute three parts filtered water to one part juice. You will get a subtle sweet taste and the benefit of antioxidants. After a couple of weeks, you will no longer miss the sweetness of sugary concentrated juices.

• Tea
Tea gently lifts your energy and has numerous health benefits. Black, green, white, and oolong teas all contain antioxidant polyphenols. In fact, tea ranks as high or higher than many fruits and vegetables on the ORAC scale, the score that measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.

Herbal tea does not have the same antioxidant properties, though it is still a great beverage choice with other health benefits, such as inducing calming and relaxing effects.

If tea doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth, try adding cinnamon or a little honey, which has important health benefits that refined sugar lacks. For a selection of healthy teas that promote total body wellness, click here. Drink up!

I hope you find the ways and means to avoid soft drinks. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

Man Dies After Secret 4 Year Battle With Gorilla

From the Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/man_dies_after_secret_4_year

Half Marathon

Since I've been waiting for the scar on my back to heal and staying away from weightlifting, I've gotten into the habit of long Sunday walks. That sounds much more romantic than it is - rather than gazing at autumn leaves and crisp blue skies, I'm plugged into a treadmill at the health club watching football. With my iPod stacked with tunes, a book and magazine in hand, there are several options in case the game becomes a blowout.

Today for the second time I decided to walk for an entire game. The routine is to walk 30 minutes, take a quick water/bathroom break, then get back on. I find that I need about a bottle of water (16 oz.) for every half hour.

NFL games run about three hours apiece. The first time I tried this, I clipped along at about 4 mph for the first two hours, then backed down to 3 mph to give my feet a rest. Today I was feeling good at the 2-hour point not only because the Bears were en route to a 30-6 win over the hapless Browns, but physically too. An hour later with the game wrapped up I shut down the treadmill and started to leave, then some quick math caused me to realize that I was within 15 minutes of walking a half marathon.

So here I sit, having covered two half marathons in my life. Both times it was pretty spontaneous, once during a jog on a beautiful spring day, and now during a beautiful fall day (at least, that's what I'm told).

And The Rick-et's Red Glare

From "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader":

"Former Cubs first baseman Mark Grace often recounts this story about pitcher Rick Sutcliffe: 'One day Rick gave up back-to-back home runs in Cincinnati. And in Cincinnati, they shoot off fireworks after a Red hits a home run. And Sutcliffe was pretty intense on the days he pitched. So Eric Davis takes him deep and Paul O'Neill takes him deep right after that. So Sutcliffe is all mad, and pitching coach Billy Connors comes out to the mound and Sutcliffe yells at him, 'I know I gave up (expletive) back-to-back home runs and get your (expletive) back in the dugout and tell Zimmer to (expletive) settle down there, too!' Billy looks at him and says, 'I know you have everything under control, Rick. I just wanted to give that guy running the fireworks a little time to reload.'"

Lottery Weiner

I played the $20 Halloween Illinois lottery that sold only 500,000 tickets, offered 509 prizes of at least $1,000, including five at $1 million. I bought one the first day they went on sale, October 1.

There was actually one winner from the local store I bought my ticket at. Some lucky guy around town is $1,000 richer.

Meanwhile, I'm just one of the citizens for whom the lottery is a tax on people who can't do math.