Thursday, August 28, 2008

Thursday AM Thoughts


I'm taking today off to work on some writing projects and just get away from the office for awhile. (Don't get me wrong. I love TNC and the staff but sometimes we all have to get away from there.) It's my turn today.

Last Sunday, I sang a solo in church. Well, kinda. I showed everyone in 2nd service how to sing Amazing Grace to the tune of the theme song from Gilligan's Island. You can also sing Amazing Grace to the tune of The House of the Rising Sun, The Brady Bunch, and the theme to M*A*S*H. Try it next time you're in the shower. If you know of some other songs to sing Amazing Grace to, I'd love to know.

Want to help create a new TV reality show? (Like we really need another one.) Go to www.talpacreative.com. It's the site for the creator of Fear Factor, Big Brother, and Deal or No Deal. If you make a fortune with your great ideas, don't forget to give God at least 10% of your millions.

I don't want to get too political on this blog but it's curious to me how Obama is going to bring youth and change to Washington by choosing a 30 year veteran of the Senate on as his running mate. I'll be voting for McCain. That shouldn't surprise you.

The Gamecocks start their season tonight on ESPN! The NA Yellow Jackets tomorrow! Woohoo! Football season is here!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Destroying Happiness

Another thought on happiness from Seth Godin:

A journalist asked me, Most people have a better standard of living today than Louis XIV did in his day. So why are so many people unhappy?

What you have doesn't make you unhappy. What you want does.

And want is created by us, the marketers.

Marketers trying to grow market share will always work to make their non-customers unhappy.

It's interesting to note that marketers trying to maintain market share have a lot of work to do in reminding us that we're happy.

The Country Parson's Blog

My friend, Andy, the Country Parson, posted some good youtube videos on his blog. Check them out.

Next Splurge: Fuzzy Dice


I read this in Dan Patrick's column in Sports Illustrated. I love it! I hope this guy maintains his attitude about money...

Next Splurge: Fuzzy Dice

SO MANY athletes go bankrupt simply because they spend money as fast as it comes in. Here's a guy who I don't think will join their ranks. Chris Long, the number 2 pick in the NFL draft, signed a contract with the Rams last week that reportedly guaranteed him $29 million, including an immediate $2 million bonus. Afterward I asked him if he had treated himself to anything; he said he had bought a 1983 Mercury Grand Marquis. For $4,000. Sweet. And he's still got $28,996,000 to play with.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

I Bit the Bullet


Well, I finally bowed to the pressure and joined Facebook last Friday night. The truth is I really haven't been that interested but when I wanted to watch a video that a friend (McNair) put on his FB page I had to join. I'd been thinking about it anyway so it wasn't too hard to be pushed over the edge and take the leap. I was immediately deluged with friends after signing up. I guess it should be a good feeling to know you have that many friends, huh?

I can see how it can be addicting. I'm not sure how good I'll keep up with it. I have a hard enough time keeping posts fresh on this blog. (PS - I've tried to post several youtube videos lately and they are not showing up here. Does anyone know what the deal is with that?)

When it comes to trends, I've heard it said not to be the first one in or the last one out. So I guess I've officially become a part of one of the latest internet crazes. I will say (pat self on back now) that I started blogging before blogging was cool. Not many people were into it in 2004. I did it mainly to promote my book.

So, here's to peer-pressure and all things digital, Facebook here I come!

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Book Review: The Geography of Bliss


Last night I finished a fascinating book called The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. Each year Dutch professor Ruut Veenhoven, aka, the godfather of happiness research, releases data showing the happiest countries on the planet according to the World Database of Happiness in The Netherlands. You may have seen a news report a couple of months ago that revealed that Denmark is the happiest country. Most of the Scandinavian countries rank high on the list.

Weiner (pronounced Whiner) elected to travel the world to visit some of the happy countries as well as some of the most unhappy countries to try to determine what makes people happy. It is a fun read and very interesting. It's part travelogue, part inspirational, and part self-help (but in a weird way). If you love to travel, love to hear about other cultures, and love to know what makes people tick, you'll love this book. It kind of reminded me of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations on the Travel Channel.

The following is a series of quotes and thoughts from The Geography of Bliss:

All cultures value happiness, but not to the same degree. In Japan, for example, harmony and fulfilling societal obligations is valued more than personal happiness. Japanese women tend to cover their mouths when they laugh as if to be ashamed of their glee.

The happiest places in our world don't necessarily fit our preconceived notions. Some of the happiest countries in the world are actually the coldest, e.g. Denmark (#1), Switzerland (#2 or #3 - depending on which survey you read), and Iceland (#5). The USA is ranked 17th.

A great enemy to happiness is envy.

One of the most important factors that breeds happiness is trust. Trust is a prerequisite for happiness.

The small nation of Bhutan measures it's Gross National Happiness and the king claims that it is more important than it's Gross National Product.

"The richer the society, the more difficult it becomes to do worthwhile things without immediate payoff. That is a radical and profound statement. In a wealthy, industrialized society, one where we are supposedly enjoying a bountiful harvest of leisure time, we are discouraged from doing anything that isn't productive - either monetarily or in terms of immediate pleasure. The Bhutanese, on the other hand, will gladly spend a day playing darts or just doing nothing."

70% of our happiness stems from our relationships. During life's difficult patches, camaraderie blunts our misery. During the good times, it boosts our happiness.

People who say, "God is important in my life" are significantly happier than people who disagree with that statement. People who regularly attend religious services are happier than those who do not.

No fear of failure breeds happiness - and creativity - which breeds even more happiness.

Neuroscientists believe that they have located the part of the brain linked with altruism. (Altruism = unselfish concern for the welfare of others). It is the same part associated with our cravings for food and sex which suggests that we are hardwired for altruism. Therefore, being useful and helpful to people contributes to our happiness.

Thinking about happiness makes us less happy. When someone tells you to try to be happy, they make it worse.

We are happiest in youth and old age.

Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think.

Friday, August 01, 2008

Free PDA!

Sometimes the high-tech of the internet can offer some pretty cool low-tech tools. Check out pocketmod.com for a low-tech, economical, and recyclable way to have your own PDA. No batteries or chargers necessary.