(Originally published 06/15/13 at Trojan Horse Productions. Reblogged 03/07/19.)
No comment. Read the story.
This is a good thing. Many young men are eager to step up to the plate and, in these circumstances, overcome the disadvantages of their own background.
Give ’em a chance.
We mammals aren’t reptiles.
(Originally published 06/11/13 at Trojan Horse Productions. Reblogged 01/31/19.)
Delilah: Radio Host Talks About Why Her Show Is so Successful
I’ve never heard of this woman before. She and I appear to be on the same wavelength.
If only that were more than a pun!
Update, 2014-06-13:
A follower has advised that the link seems to point to an interview with Michelle Kwan.
The restrictions on videos on web pages here at the library are such I normally ignore them, and count on people just reading the text. For the video interview with Delilah one wants to click on this image:
Don’t blame college kids for intolerance. Blame us.
One gets the impression from Matt Bai’s article that closed-mindedness is something new.
I think first of a quotation from Jeff Snyder, from 1993:
“‘Dignity’ used to refer to the self-mastery and fortitude with which a person conducted himself in the face of life’s vicissitudes and the boorish behavior of others. Now, judging by campus speech codes, dignity requires that we never encounter a discouraging word and that others be coerced into acting respectfully, evidently on the assumption that we are powerless to prevent our degradation if exposed to the demeaning behavior of others. These are signposts proclaiming the insubstantiality of our character, the hollowness of our souls.”
I think next of Stuart Chase’s “Guides to Straight Thinking,” which I still mean when I can to post as an e-book on my blog. Published in 1956, it includes many, many examples of exactly the sort of problems Matt Bai complains about here; and is corrective of them.
Chase’s book pretty much presumes a college education, so I wrote “Free Speech Handbook” (Google: “Free Speech Handbook William Tell”) to make the same principles accessible to folk who don’t necessarily have that; and as a textbook of critical thinking skills for use on “The William Tell Show.” (The above Google results will take you to my blog, where you can easily enough find “My Resume.”)
Circa 2000, I became alarmed at the Balkanization of the airwaves being carried out at that time by much the same folk and in much the same way as is occurring now; and conceived “The William Tell Show” in response. The ageless conundrum is that listening, really listening, to one’s opponent is less a task of the mind than of the heart, and not too many people have the heart to do it.
Postscript, 13:59:
Wrote just now in my diary: “It is distressing that so many conservative respondents, like this one, seem to think the very idea of listening to other points of view is a liberal scheme to violate the First Amendment and to force conscience.”
Such is the sturm und drang that first moved me to conceive William Tell the talk show host. It underscores the need for a William Tell Show.
Post-postscript, 2014-05-30:
Bloomberg bashes liberal McCarthyism at Harvard commencement
I think he’s right on the money.
Post-post-postscript, 2018-02-10:
I’ve had occasion in “recycling” these now-Thursday-posts to puzzle that very little seems to have changed in my spiritual life in four years. Now we find that not much has changed in the world of public free speech, either: these issues pre-date The Donald, the alt-right, antifa, and on and on.
(Reblogged 12/06/18.)
(Originally posted 12/26/12 at Trojan Horse Productions. Reblogged 09/06/18.)
A week ago today I had a highly successful interview at a dollar store. There may be one obstacle that, if it’s there, cannot be overcome; but if it’s not there, I’ll have to take a drug test and go for a second interview at which the actual job offer will be made. In the days since, there have been some communications glitches. Meanwhile, time goes on.
This morning in my last five minutes at Lenny’s, I prayed about this, reflecting on (1) my disappointment to have had no word so far and (2) the path by which I got here.
I just completed a two-month “job readiness” program … not as if I needed any program to make me “ready” for a job, but this one is unique in that while one is taking classes, they have scouts hunting down specific job opportunities that well match each candidate. That is the big factor I see missing for most people in the big picture.
Was the class a waste of time? Continue reading * Job search status: Pep talk
(Originally published 07/21/12 at Trojan Horse Productions. Reblogged 08/09/18.)
The pigeons. Years ago, when I had an office job downtown, I’d wait for the bus every afternoon on the south side of Baltimore Street one or two blocks east of Charles. Often, someone tossed down several handfuls of torn-up bread for the birds to eat, and I’d have time to watch them.
For the most part, the pigeons acted just as you’d expect: eating together, share and share alike. But I noticed one individual whose conduct was quite different. This guy never picked up any food from the ground. He never seemed to notice any food on the ground. Instead, he’d notice what someone else was eating, and go over and take it away from that person. Time and time again, he did this.
Put this fellow down on top of a pile of food, and he’d starve to death, because he’d never pick up any for himself. Put another pigeon with him, and he’d be OK — taking away what the other one picks up to eat.
How much closer can you get to the way some people act; who will not do anything for themselves, but only take away what someone else has worked for? Can there be a gene for this?
———— ♦ ————
When I lived in Barclay, I maintained a bird feeder in the back yard — different locations, but always visible from the kitchen window. Two species used to visit the feeder in flocks: sparrows and starlings. There might be fifty sparrows or fifty starlings there at a time.
… can make a hard situation easy, or make an easy situation hard.
To enter the shelter, you walk across this parking lot to an iron gate, and then down these steps to the “smoke pit,” an 8 x 20′ area with benches where we sit until they call us in, in groups of six, to register for this night. One does this every day.
(Originally posted 2012-07-26 at Trojan Horse Productions. Reblogged 2018-06-14.)
How Swearing at Work Could Ruin Your @#*! Career
[See also the William Tell Show page, “Word of the Day.”]
(Reblogged from Brain Sweets.)
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Posted by Tracy Seekins ⋅ February 3, 2014 ⋅ Leave a Comment
Filed Under communication, conversation, interrupting, listening, talking
Are you listening? Really listening? When you are in a conversation with a friend or anyone, are you hearing what the other says? Or are you thinking about what you will say next? Are you waiting for your opportunity to tell some story? Do you get so excited or impatient that you interrupt? When the other person stops speaking do you begin immediately or do you wait 3 seconds?
Listening is an integral part of communication. Sometimes real listening means you don’t get to tell the story you had in your mind or say the comment you had 3 sentences ago. Real listening means when the other speaker is done and it is your turn that you are continuing the thought, commenting on what they actually said. Waiting 3 seconds after the other person is done speaking is a way to allow your thoughts to form and shows you were listening.
So are you a good listener?
———— ♦ ————
Another good post from Tracy:
(Reblogged 2018-02-15.)
Period.
(Originally posted 05/21/12 at Trojan Horse Productions.
Reposted 2018-02-08.)
Bookmarks:
Job search update
Crisis for D.C. homeless families
(Composed 2014-02-01)
Things are moving full steam ahead on my application for a Secretary II position with the City, as I’ve probably described in previous posts. The hours are 8:30-4:30, which under normal circumstances will let me get to the shelter in time to (1) actually get in and (2) take a shower each day. I will need to phone the office Monday morning 02/03/14 to confirm that all’s in line, and possibly find out a start date.
Continue reading * Job search update, 02/03/14; and other news
The Homeless Blogger 