Sunday, January 21, 2007

lets get personal(ity).

The following is a excert from some studies i've been doing on personality. Read it through, if this interests you, email me and i can send you a personality test.

Scientists and neophytes alike for decades have debated the most dominant effect on behavioral traits learned by adolescents. The big divide: nature versus nurture. In other words, are personality and intelligence predominantly passed down through genes or are they grown with the fostering of environment; parents and family?

A group of researchers, in the mid 1970’s, led by the University of Colorado’s, Dr. Robert Plomin, one of the world’s leading geneticist, provided one of the biggest studies on this topic. They followed 245 pregnant women who were giving up their children for adoption. Throughout their childhood, they gave the children intelligence and personality tests at regular intervals. They also tested both biological and adopted parents. The test was also give to 245 parents and their biological children for comparison purposes. The results were on one hand, expected and on the other surprising.

The comparison children who lived with their biological parents were very similar in personality and intelligence to their birth parents, not much of a surprise. The adopted children were not at all similar to their adopted parents. This is not to say nurture counts very little in raising children, but it has opened the door for more study into the impact of environment on adolescence. Another way of looking at that is how different siblings, raised by the same biological parents turn out so different.

There are many personality and psychological test one can take, most of them really complicated and good, but when it is all said and done, a simple test where one can understand, remember and identify with the results is sufficient.

The Ancient Greek Doctor, Hypocrites (460-370 BC), was the first to give us the four major personality types: Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy and Phlegmatic. Many doctors, philosophers, psychologists and laymen have contributed to the development and propagation of this look at personalities.

The Four Temperaments

Sparky Sanguine is warm, buoyant, lively and enjoying. He has an unusual capacity to enjoy himself and usually passes on his hearty nature. Mr. Sanguine never lacks friends. He enjoys people, does not like solitude, but is at his best surrounded by friends where he is the life of the party. Sparky is never at a loss for words. He often speaks before thinking. His noisy, blustering, friendly ways make him appear more confident than he really is, but energy and his lovable disposition get him by the rough spots in life.

Rocky Choleric possesses a hot, quick, active, practical, and strong willed temperament. Rocky thrives on activity. In fact, to him, "life is activity." Mr. Choleric is not frightened by adversities; in fact, they tend to encourage him. He is quick to recognize opportunities and equally as quick at diagnosing the best way to make use of them. Rocky's attitude of self-sufficiency and strong-will makes him abrasive and difficult to adapt new life changing ideas in adulthood. They make good supervisors, generals, builders, crusaders, politicians, or organizers... but are not usually able to do precise detail work.

Maestro Melancholy is often referred to as the "dark" temperament. By nature he is prone to be an introvert, but since his feelings predominate, he is given over to a variety of moods. Mr. Melancholy is a very faithful friend, but unlike the Sanguine, he does not make friends easily. Maestro has exceptional analytical ability that causes him to diagnose accurately the obstacles and dangers of any project he had a part of planning.
He usually finds his greatest meaning in life through personal sacrifice. Many of the world's great geniuses, artists, musicians, inventors, philosophers, educators, and theoreticians, were of the melancholy temperament.

Flip Phlegmatic is so calm and easy going that he never seems to get ruffled, no matter what the circumstances. Mr. Phlegmatic does not lack for friends he enjoys people and has a natural dry sense of humor. Because he tends to be a spectator in life and tries not to get too involved with activities of others. The world has greatly benefited by the gracious nature of the efficient Phlegmatic. He makes a good diplomat, accountant, teacher, leader, scientist, comedian, editor, or other meticulous type worker. When motivated, they make very capable leaders.

If you would like a personality test using the above personality types email me at rawdbee@hotmail.com.

Friday, January 19, 2007

people tick me off.

"Don't make me angry; you won't like me when i'm angry."

People tick me off.

Lots of people really make me mad but the ones that tick me off the most are the obvious ones. How about the slow driver in the old buick that you know is going to pull into your lane and make you late for a meeting with the boss? There are four other lanes with no one in them, but they pick yours and why? Or the co-worker that you know is going to sabbatage your project because they have a different spin on the situation. It doesn't help them, but it hurts you so why? But lets be even more personal and talk about family and close friends who are generally good people but sometimes they react instinctivly to tick you off. And guess what? You know they are doing just to spite you, and again I ask - WHY?

If people would let me change them for their own good i certianly would. BTW, i'd really be good at it if they listened and obeyed. Then the entire universe would be a better place. But in the end i think it would mostly be in my best interest and my universe might be a better place.

Then it hit me.

I can't change them, I can only change me. Victor Frankl said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Oops.
That's too bad, I can change others better than I can change me.
Changing others is easier than changing me.
Everyone else has problems except me.

Ok, let me start things over; rewind. Now I begin again. And with this beginning I also end.

I tick me off.
_______________________________________________________________
More on Victor Frankl, Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist, holocaust surviver, author and general mental stud.
“The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose ones attitude in any given circumstance.”

Thursday, January 18, 2007

now that's hot.

This story happened about a year and a half ago, but i though it was good enough to repeat.

Jeanne and Sophia returned from a trip with a present for Daddy: hot sauce. Now, I know about hot sauce and hot peppers; I grow my own jalapenos and cayennes, I even make my own salsa and hot sauces. Upon opening the gift, I found that they had gotten me a bottle of novelty hot sauce called "357." How cute, I thought, named after a gun, the .357 magnum. Novelty sauces are usually high on gimmick wrappers, but low on flavor and heat. This time I was wrong. I knew the sauce boasted of being hot, but hey, I'm the guy who eats fresh jalapenos. I put one respectful drop on a chip and savored. It was hot, but not outlandish, actually a bit sweet. It got a bit hotter before I swallowed, but just as that one drop hit my stomach, I developed a new respect for "357."

Within 5 seconds of consumption, beads of sweat formed on my forehead. A second behind was a euphoria of convulsion followed by the thought that I was two seconds away from passing out. It was horrible. I haven't put ice on my tongue since I was 10 years old when I mistook wassabi for guacamole, but my tongue had been stuck in a 220 volt outlet. It took five pieces of melting ice in a row to tame the fire. To say that 375 was hot would be an understatement. After we silenced the fire alarms and my girlish shrieking, I looked on the internet to see how hot this stuff really was in comparison to a jalapeno. On the Scoville scale, the gage for hot peppers, a normal jalapeno rates between 2,500 and 5,000 - my "357" actually meant 357,000 on the Scoville scale.

Needless to say hot has different levels. You can use your own application of hot or heat here. Just the memory even warms me up on the inside.

If you are really into it, buy some yourself.

Below is a distributor’s sales pitch…

** 357 MAD DOG Hot SauceTM **
Finally a super hot sauce that tastes like real Chile peppers. This killer sauce is packing 357,000 scoville units of heat. One hit will blow you away! We blend ultra pure 2,000,000 scoville heat units of Chile extract, fresh Habanera peppers, 160,000 scoville super Cayenne peppers, garlic and onion to makes a sauce that can truly take your breath away. About five-seconds after you taste the recommended dose of one drop prepare your mouth and mind for five to 20 minutes of agony that all true chili-heads fully understand and appreciate. Because it's so powerful, the average chili freak can get 200,000 mind-blowing, fiery doses in each 5-oz. bottle

Friday, January 05, 2007

focus.


A flashlight and a laser beam are inherently the same thing. Although if I try to find my keys at night in my back yard with a laser I'll start a fire. Also if I try to cut through a piece of titanium metal alloy with my flashlight I may end up looking like the starwars kid more than a carpenter.
They are both the same thing – light.

The difference is focus. There is a lot more light focused into a tiny area. You can tell by what laser means, it is an acronym (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Laser's are expensive equipment and the out of reach for the average person. A flashlight is a cheap bulb powered by a common battery you can find anywhere.

Both the flashlight and the laser are both useful, as I described above but here is a partial list of uses of the two.

Flashlight:
Help find keys

Laser:
Cut fine diamonds
Cutting and drilling into the earth
Evaporating certain kinds of waste into gas that dissipates
Used as a medical scalpel, especially in cancer surgeries
Improve eyesight (lasic eye surgery)
Remove body hair, birthmarks and tattoos
Facilitate better and faster communication through mediums like fiber optics
They read, write, play and burn your cd's and dvd's
Military weapons targeting (among many other military uses)

As you can see both useful, but one is more valuable because of focus. Get away from the distracters and things that hold you back from focusing on what is important. Humans weren't created for multi-tasking, we were made for purpose, destiny. What is passion? what are you going to do with your life, not just in the future, but today? What is your focus?

Show me your focus and I'll show you what you are.

[music therapy] Top 10 Songs of 2006


Top 10 songs of 2006

In my opinion, these were some of the best of 2006, musically that is. Below are my top 10 songs for the year. Click below to hear or buy them on itunes. For the most part the entire recordings are also worth the purchase too.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=210825308

(if you can't access the link by clicking, cut and past the url into your browser. it will open itunes)

1. Unwritten, by Natasha Bedingfield (Unwritten)
Great, positive pop sound. Sometimes a little too bubblegummy, but well worth the listen. I look forward to her sophomore release to see if there will be longetivity. The recording has several other incredible tunes, some which were popular in the UK, some here, some both; "Single", "These Words" and "If you wanna" are incredible and "Wild Horses" is great, emotional and sensitive.

2. Steady as She Goes, The Raconteurs (Broken Boy Soldiers)
White Stripes front man Jack White goes side project but this is more than only side. There are several songs of note and a complete departure from his former band. This song champions the virtues of monogamy and is a great listen too.

3. Foreverandever, Etc..., David Crowder Band (A Collision)
This recording has it all; bluegrass, spiritual, alternative, innovative, worship, a recorded phone call conversation with a kooky interviewer… 22 songs, great diversity, intelligent lyrics, great value and a must for any collection. I had a hard time picking one song so this song is the "best" of the best.

4. Window in the skies, U2 (U2 18)
Kind of a "best of" recording, but the two new songs are worth the price of admission. Although "The Saints are Coming" (featuring Green Day) is also an incredible song, the video for Windows is a great, feel good tribute to rock and roll as U2 changes places from musicians to fans. If you download this cd from itunes there is a ton of bonus tracks you don't get on the physical cd.

5. Cassie, Flyleaf (Self Titled)
Passion, emotion, hard driving guitars, cute and powerful vocals, wow, great band – awesome cd. This first release shows creativity and talent; this band will be around for a while and like the band above, front girl Lacey Mosley has a sensitive conscience and a growing platform to exercise it.

6. Home, Daughtry (Self Titled)
This guy rocks. He had me sold before he shed his American Idol skin and started running with the big boys – you knew it was inevitable with Chris. The lyrics are softer than the in your face guitars, but the versatility and solid rock band stamina make up for other losses. With the late in the year release, 2007 will hear from Daughtry. "Home" is one of many great songs; Crashed and It's Not Over are also nice, very nice.

7. Crazy, Gnarles Barclay (St. Elsewhere) This track unavailable on itunes
This song is by far the best on the recording. Honorable mention goes to the remake of the Violent Femmes song "Gone Daddy Gone" but the rest of the recording is kinda juvenile. Crazy makes the list though.

8. King Without a Crown, Matisyahu (Youth)
What can you say about a Hasidic reggae artist that hasn't already been said? Wait what did I say? This guy is incredible, quick tongue, powerful lyrics and a talented musical supportive cast. Reggae fans, Jewish folk, rock fans and you will find this a great albeit interesting listen. Matisyahu is also featured on the recording below.

9. Goodbye For Now, POD (Testify)
Track one, "Roots in Stereo" feature Matisyahu and the CD only gets better. The passion on this recording has depend and expanded since previous recordings and finds it's way from the hard guitars to lyrics. " soul. This band has matured well.

10. Sweet Sacrifice, Evanescence (The Open Door)
The music here is what you would expect from the band but there has been some maturing since the last recording, mostly in Amy Lee's powerhouse vocals. This song is arguably not the only stand out from the recording but I am picking songs, not CD's. I did choose this song because the lyrical quality here stands out from the rest of the CD, but that is not saying much. I liked the music way more than anything else here, but overall it is still worth listening to.