Feb
18
Irresistible
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When learning physics the first time around, it is usually easier to consider ideal situations that don’t happen in real life. This allows you to see certain laws of physics in isolation, which makes them easier to understand. For example, if I drop a box of marbles on a concrete floor, the resulting cacophony appears [...]
Feb
17
Blowout
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Maybe I’ve been watching too many sporting events, but I get a kick out of how the announcers seem to break out the thesaurus when they try to come up with creative ways to tell us how good or how bad the players are or how close or dramatic the victories are. Especially funny are [...]
Feb
16
Clear Lines
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We’ve been watching the Olympics and, once again, I’m struck by how many sports have subjective aspects. The figure skating, the moguls skiing, the snowboarding, the ski jumping, and even the short track speed skating depends on the conclusions of judges trying to determine skill and legality by their own observations. What looks like a [...]
Feb
15
Smart or Dumb
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Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, my wife’s birthday, and our anniversary. These days strike terror in my heart not because my wife has unreasonable expectations, but because I think she deserves more than I usually come up with. I hope that I can pull off the right moment with the right gift or right plans, but [...]
Feb
14
Good Listener
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After a couple of decades of marriage, I’ve learned how important it is to listen carefully and not take offense easily. This becomes an exercise in sorting through the things I hear and carefully considering the ideas shared while having a short memory and thick skin regarding any perceived slights or insults. The truth is [...]
Feb
13
Use Your Words
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I’m a guy. I’m married. Therefore, I know all too well how much damage a misplaced word can cause. I know just how much destruction can be wrought when I say something without thinking. I think we are wired to pull hard on the most delicate of emotional connections when we react to quickly. We [...]
Feb
12
Make Progress
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I have a confession to make. I sometimes procrastinate. I am usually still able to meet my commitments on time. But, every great once in a while, I let something go for so long it’s embarrassing. I had a lunch meeting yesterday with the person to whom I had promised delivery of a project quite [...]
Feb
11
Retraining
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I’m sure you’ve seen or read stories about someone who is injured and, after treatment, must re-learn how to do normal things. If it’s nerve damage, he may have to learn to walk or grip again. If it’s brain damage, he may have to learn to speak again. Even athletes after surgery have to retrain [...]
Feb
10
One and Only
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My wife and I still joke about an episode we had while sitting in the financial aid office of my college during my sophomore year. While waiting for our turn with a financial aid officer, another girl came in to sit with a friend. She had a quart of ice cream from everyone’s favorite shop [...]
Feb
9
Confident Soldiers
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When things seem to be falling apart, there is incredible power in simply having a plan. The panic only increases when the leaders are panicking, too. When the troops are beaten and retreating, they can be immediately energized by seeing a leader giving orders to reorganize and fight back. Just knowing that someone in authority [...]