Filed under: Uncategorized
A new exciting trip is in the planning stages. This trip will top all th others. I am planning a 4 week trip in Copan, Honduras. The farthest south ancient Mayan city. Personally, I hope to comeback with great stories of history, architecture an culture. But that alone wont convince me to travel there. I will be attending a spanish language immersion program d staying with a local family.
Feel free to share you experiences and knowledge about Honduras if you have been, or live there.
Filed under: education, rants | Tags: communication, creative, education, liberal, outline, personal developement, problem solving, rants, speech
Hood, Floyd
Speech 1311-02 Date: October 25, 2008
Title: Be Creative
I. Attention Step: I would like you to ask yourself if you would like to be confident and original. Do you want a rewarding life that makes use of your fullest potential? Who doesn’t, right? The most important concept to learn in life is problem solving. This is not a big secret. If you could master problem solving skills you can create for yourself a more rewarding life full of accomplishments, adventures and fascinating stories. But now you may be wondering: What is the secret to problem solving? That is easy to answer. Its creativity.
II. Need Step: Unfortunately, modern education is not addressing the concept of creativity as well as it should. Now the weight is on you. It is the duty of the student to make sure he or she is equipped with the skills necessary to solve practical problems. Creativity is a skill that generates ideas. Wycoff, the author of Mindmapping, believes that creativity can be taught. She also agrees that by not encouraging and teaching these characteristics in school is a failure of the educational system. In fact, she points out, it would seem that our schools are teaching the opposite traits like discipline, conformity, silence, and “safe” thinking. This is a problem but can be easily fixed.
III. Satisfaction Step: You may be wondering: How do I think creatively? How can I fix this problem? Well you came to the right place because I just happened to do some research for you. The first thing you need to do is be willing to change your way of thinking. Think outside the box.
IV. Visualization Step: This is very important. It can be the difference of making $20,000 p/year or $150,000. It can be the difference of having a successful relationships or unsuccessful relationships. Living happy and healthy versus sad and unhealthy. Which do you prefer?
V. Action Step: For this presentation I developed a 3-step process to help you achieve your new goal of thinking creatively. Step 1- Exercise your creative potential. First think: what do I often like to do or have to do? If it’s square dancing: try moving your hips, now put it to a triangular pattern. If its singing the cumbia: throw in a yodel or try a heavy metal growl. Maybe you’re a plane Jane and spend the nights budgeting: write a new budget plan, try a new graph layout. Perhaps you don’t do anything productive. Then you can exercise expressing yourself. If you a happy person tattoo a smiley face on your rear-end, if you’re an angry person paint a giant middle finger on your bedroom wall. Why not? Let loose. Be wild. This is exercising. It gets rid of your fears. Step 2-. Experiment. Now try tackling real problems in your life. Ex: study habits, depression, relationships or financing. Think of alternative ways to approach the problems. Don’t ask your mom how to do it. Try it and fail. Don’t be scared, be creative. If it’s a problem then you already failed. So why not try new methods. Try until you succeed. Step 3-. Analyze. What did you do to succeed? How did you discover your solution? What did it take to get the end result?
VI. Conclusion: If you allow yourself expand creatively then you can rock this world. You can be in charge of your surroundings. You can control your future. But remember, the first thing you need to do is be willing to change your way of thinking. Think outside the box.
VII. Resources: Wycoff, J. 1991. Mindmapping: Your Personal Guide to Exploring Creativity and Problem-Solving. New York: Berkley Books.
Filed under: rants | Tags: chiropractor, lower back, sciatica, spinal decomression
I am convinced that living in pain changes a person. It’s been 4 months since my sciatica pains started eating at my soul. Some people think I am angry, others think I am asshole, but I can’t help being short with them. I have no problems with anyone; I am only trying to survive. All my concentration is directed at walking, sitting and living. I have no more time for critical thinking. When my wife asks my what I want for dinner, I snap at her. This is done only because I have no mind left to focus. The drugs fill my mind with fog; the consistency of pain is depressing.
So, what is next?
Well I am going back to the chiropractor on Tuesday. The doctor will not give me any more drugs without a MRI. I already know his intentions are to operate. I am also going to also try to swim a little. I think the low gravity point should help a little.
Filed under: education | Tags: college, comfort zone, education, outline, personal developement, speech
Here is an outline of my speech for Tuesday.
Title: Expand your Comfort Zone
I. Attention Step: Definition by Carly Fiorina, (president of HP) “In bullfighting there is a term called querencia. The querencia is the spot in the ring to which the bull returns. Each bull has a different spot, but as the bullfight continues, and the animal feels more threatened, it returns to his spot more often.
As he returns to his querencia, he becomes more predictable. And so, in the end, the matador is able to kill the bull because instead of trying something new, the bull returns to what is familiar. His comfort zone.” Lets call it the Bull Zone.
II. Need Step: The problem is, we are all guilty of living in our comfort zone. The longer we live in this zone the smaller the zone gets. —What is your comfort zone? Is it you home, your relationships, or your favorite food? Maybe it’s your community, the friends that you hang out with everyday. It is, on the other hand, healthy to have a comfort zone but it can be rewarding to have a larger comfort zone.
III. Satisfaction Step: What I would like everyone to do is to expand their comfort zone. Brian Tracy (television host) said, “You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”
IV. Visualization Step: Expanding your comfort zone is an important skill and a skill that builds other skills. These skills will help you through the most difficult times in your life. Examples of skills that can spawn off expanding you comfort zone: patience, understanding and relating to people, communication skills. Like other things in life, you get out of it what you put in it. Now you may be wondering, where do I start?
V. Action Step: There are 2 ways, Baby steps and bullfighter steps. A baby step would be to try new things that are around you already. This may require some thinking and research. Examples: Baby steps 1.Go to the most exotic food section at Wal-Mart and pick something to eat that you do not know anything about. Eat it. 2. Change your T.V. time for activities. Learn Judo, take up hiking, volunteer at the nursing home. 3. Talk to someone that you normally wouldn’t talk with. Bullfighter Steps 1. Take the money that you were saving for the flat screen T.V and drive as far as you can. Stay gone until your money runs out. Travel the country, stay at hostels and mom-n-pop hotels. 2. Join the peace corp. 3. Drink beer with Indians under the bridge in Seattle. (Not that I drink beer under bridges with Indians.) What I do not want you to do is hold yourself back.
VI. Conclusion: I will end with a quote by Dale Carnegie (American author) “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.” Enjoy the roses and stay out of the Bull Zone.
VII. Resources: Carly Fiorina, (president of HP), Brian Tracy (television host), Dale Carnegie (American author).
Filed under: education, rants | Tags: credit, culture, dept, economy, market, opinion, politics, poor, rants
Recently, everyone wants to share his or her opinion about the market. Why not? It’s nice to talk about giant mathematical problems when most of us could not pass the math SAT test for high school students. Ironically, that also includes our government representatives.
Despite the lack of math skills, the majority of us good Americans are concerned.
I am concerned, but I am not concerned for the same reasons as the government, corporations, retired persons, and investors.
I was given a credit card for $5,000 dollars when I turned 18 years old. My wife had an offer for $100,000 credit limit by Chase Credit Card when she turned also 18 years old. I bought a house through Wachovia on the Internet without ever seeing my purchase until I arrived, a homeowner. I purchased vehicles without down payments, paid credit cards off with other credit cards; even hired a lawyer to settle my debt with my debtors.
I am not proud of these things. I am just a 29 year old, a product of the 90’s. Remember us? We are the ones who spawned Marlin Manson, death metal, mosh pits, hip-hop gangsters, drive-by shooting, tattoos, X-tacy, meth labs ect. We hated the system.
When I realized I needed to get my debt under control, it was to late to file bankruptcy. Which is now only a privilege of the super-wealthy. So I was forced to bear down, cut the food bill, stop spending and just pay.
Well that is not how it works. The card company sent me a letter stating that I was a high-risk customer. Really? I agree. They decided to move my interest rate from 4.0% to 29.9%.
Back to the mathematics:
You can’t pay more in bills than you make. -1600 + 800= -800
Secretly I am not as concerned about the economy as I should be. I have been struggling with finding a good paying job for a few years now. I worked for 2 companies that filed bankruptcy and laid everyone off. I worked for one company that sent their work to China and shut down. I survived.
I ate Ramen Noodles for lunch. Most American have. I traded my 65′ Ford for a motorcycle to save on gas. So have most of my friends. We are the true American Gang. Teachers, soldiers, farm workers, mechanics, shelf stockers, construction workers riding on Goldwing 750’s and Kawasaki Vucan’s.
I wish I could comfort these super-wealthy. Tell the corporations that I know it hurts to be broke. I don’t like cutting back on spending either. I would like to make more money as well. I also wish I had a bail out program.
So I am not crying right now. I hear the cries and I understand why; but the Truth is, lower gas prices make me feel good. When tomatoes are 50 cent per pound at Wal-mart, my wife and I buy chips and celebrate. If paint prices drop I may even re-paint my house. Now I am getting excited!
Filed under: education | Tags: conservative, issues, liberal, McCain, obama, politics, southwest texas, survey, SWTJC, texas, voting
The inside to the mind of a community college student in rural Southwest Texas.
Phi Theta Kappa’s
Campaign 2008 Survey
268 total students surveyed from all 3 SWTJC campuses.
Results:
1. Are you registered to vote?
121 students 45%
2. Do you plan on registering to vote?
43 students 17%
3. Which do you consider yourself more likely?
Conservative 47 students 18%
Liberal 36 students 13%
Not sure 121 students 45%
Independent 8 students 3%
4. What issues concern you the most this election year? (Check all that apply)
Climate 55 students
21%
Economy/Taxes 196 students
73%
Energy 167 students
62%
Health Care 150 Students
56%
Iraq 131 students
49%
Judges 19 students
7%
Immigration 88 students
33%
Filed under: education | Tags: conservative, issues, liberal, McCain, obama, politics, southwest texas, survey, SWTJC, texas, voting
268 Southwest Texas Junior College students participated in a demographic voter survey conducted by the Eta Beta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at SWTJC. Students from all three campuses were randomly selected during the Honors Society’s voter registration drive that lasted several weeks.
The survey is part of the Eta Beta Chapter’s Voice Your Vote program. According to Chapter Advisor Barbara Blair, “The program is designed to create civic-minded students and citizens by educating them and encouraging them to participate in the electoral process.” The Voice Your Vote program will also include a mock election on Nov. 4 from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. at the Matthews Student Center.
The results of the survey reported that 45 percent of SWTJC students are registered to vote and another 17 percent plan on registering to vote.
Additionally, 18 percent of the students surveyed considered themselves more likely to be conservative and 13 percent were more likely to be liberal. Three percent of students considered themselves independent, while 45 percent of the students surveyed were not sure of their political ideology.
Economy and taxes took the lead at 73 percent when students were asked about issues that concerned them the most this election year. Following behind the economy, 62 percent were concerned about energy and 56 percent about health care. In addition, 49 percent believed Iraq was an important concern and 33 percent reported immigration as a concern. The two least important issues for students this year was climate, reported at 21 percent and retiring judges coming in last at 7 percent.
Filed under: education, rants | Tags: campain, history, McCain, obama, olitics, plumber joe, undecided, voting
I consider myself an independent. I tend to lean liberal in government and conservative in values.
The debate started off very nice for both candidates. McCain did a good job of explaining his political ideology and Obama did a good job at explaining, as always. Toward the end of the debate, McCain seemed to be trying to start a catfight but Obama kept his cool and stayed on subject.
The economy issue and the general direction of the country were clearly stated by both individuals. The Roe vrs. Wade debate went better for McCain but was a subject that is taboo and anyone who preaches on it looses. Although, where the subject started, the issue of judges, McCain made his point then contradicted himself. Obama, on the other hand, stated that he would appoint judges based on personal ideology. But that is the point, right?
Finally, the healthcare issue is still a big jumbled mess.
I am glad to see that both parties have clearly defined their political ideology. What it comes down to is what the voter thinks is better for the country.
McCain’s ideology is a smaller government with fewer taxes that puts more control in the capitalist system. He wants to give the country back to the fundamentally religious voters so that their personal and religious philosophies can be a guideline of rules for the minority.
Obama’s ideology reflects a larger more costly government with the faith that in the long term span of things it will pay off for the next 30 years. He distrusts the controlling capitalist system and wants a higher standard of living for the common American. He believes personal decisions should be made at home with the guidance of religious and professional personal leaders.
This year I am voting democratic.
Filed under: rants | Tags: rants, health, pain, chiropractor, lower back, sciatice, lifestyle
Hey Dr. Morpheus,
How have you been lately? I hope things are going well with you and your family. I have missed you guys like crazy lately. I miss the the country, the smell of those Smoky Mountains and the genuine down-home folks. Actually, I gave a speech on the Smoky Mountains in class the other week. It was a awesome speech. But it induced feeling of home sickness.
Well, now I have to play my cards down here. For the most part I love the hand that I have been dealt. I love going to school and learning social sciences. I am a budding historian now. lol Who would have thought? Heidi and I couldn’t be any happier. I am also getting nice paychecks from the government to help with the bills. I guess joining the Navy was one of my better life decisions.
Now comes the confessions. Yes. confessions.
A guilt buried so deep that I dont have the balls to call until i send this email. Im not scared to call but i can probably do myself a favor by giving the story to you first through email. You may have guessed the subject. Back pain.
A good thing about writing you my “Crybaby Whines,” is that you dont have to get a call from your old buddy complaining about his back pains again after a hard day at the office. Since your a chiropractor, I know you listen to complaints all day and sometimes you may just want to free your mind from the stress of the job.
If this is your mood, finish the email later.
(you funny guy Dr. Jones)
I have sciatica pains. Not the little buzz feeling in the leg and back but the hard contraction and shooting pains that make a man want to cut his arm off just for a distraction. Distraction is exactly what it is. You know the usually. I cant concentrate, study, sleep, sit or walk to far.
The story goes like this: I ignored the pains that started with a hamstring tightness. I thought it was a muscle so i tried to run it off. Big mistake. When it hit me full force i did some Internet research and tried to wait it out. Exercising and stretching like you taught me, of course. Then after a month and a half i started to get worried.
I went to a recommended Chiropractor. He was uncertain of a diagnosis due to the swelling in my lower back so he asked for me to come back next week after i iced it. I never returned because i did more research and found some stretches that were helping a little and I upped my doses on IB PRofin and ST. Johns Wort.
Coming to the end of the third month i saw some improvement. Only a little improvement, but it was enough to keep me going. That is until this weekend when i had a relapse which put me back at the first days.
After a few days of unbearable pain i decided to go to a community heath clinic to see a doctor. He filled my hands with drugs. I know you dont like that method but I am thankful because i can concentrate long enough now to write you this letter.
I received an X-Ray that show my S-2 completely nearly flattened. The disc was seriously herniated. He want to give me a MRI and another test but I do not have insurance so I would not give consent.
The bad news he gave me was that there was a 90% chance i would need surgery. He said most people with sciatica pains over 3 months need surgery and when he say the X-ray it enforced the his idea. He wants to cut out some bone so the nerve can breath. He said it wouldnt fix my back but it would relieve most symptoms.
What should i do? I know I need some type of de-compression therapy. Will a disk that is completely flat ever make a recovery? I know you are the man in this field so I thought i would hear your advice before deciding what my next move is.
Thanks for everything and reading my story. Say hi to Steph for me and everyone else.
Your friend,
Floyd
