Americas Mood Map
For a country that features the word United so prominently in
its name, the U.S. is a pretty fractious place. We splinter along fault
lines of income, education, religion, race, hyphenated origin, age and
politics. Then too there’s temperament. We’re coarse or courtly,
traditionalist or rebel, amped up or laid-back. And it’s no secret that a
lot of that seems to be determined by — or at least associated with —
where we live.
Now a multinational team of researchers led by psychologist and
American expat Jason Rentfrow of the University of Cambridge in the U.K.
has sought to draw the regional lines more clearly, literally mapping
the American mood, with state-by-state ratings of personality and
temperament.
Go to the link above and see if you're living in the state that matches your mood!
Friday, October 25, 2013
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Remakes....
I'm beginning to believe Hollywood has run out of ideas.
They are starting a disturbing trend in "re-making" movies...some of which should never even be considered. How can you truly use the word "re-make" in a sentence with "Red Dawn",
"The Bishop's Wife"
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Remade under the name "The Preacher's Wife"...I mean, who could possibly play the angel Dudley better than Cary Grant? or
"True Grit"
(and this is one of the most horrible of all...) "The Women".
I am not belittling the efforts of today's actors but please, are they going to start re-making Humphrey Bogart, Orson Wells and Steve McQueen movies now? Some things are better left alone.
Imagine my heartbreak when I hear of the latest remake...The Sound of Music.
Now I do know that this movie is a "love it" or "hate it" affair (there is no middle ground!), once again...Carrie Underwood (good as she is) playing Julie Andrew's role? It's depressing to say the least!
I realize I cannot stop the trend. All I can do is protest in my own way by NOT EVER watching the remakes...take that Hollywood! Too bad we cannot reason with the bosses at the studios and remind them that there are thousands of wonderful books and stories out there just dying to make it to the big screen...Keep on bringing us ever new works and we'll continue to watch and enjoy...but leave the classics alone!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Leading the world!
"From making babies to being struck by lightning, a new map has revealed the surprising things that countries are best at.
The map is based on statistics gathered from across the internet - ranging from sources as diverse as the World Bank to the Guinness World Records.
Created by online comic and website DogHouse Diaries, the map shows what each country leads the rest of the world in and the words picked - which are written across the country's geographical territory - are in many cases surprising."
I must admit I was surprised with the words chosen for the USA!
The map is based on statistics gathered from across the internet - ranging from sources as diverse as the World Bank to the Guinness World Records.
Created by online comic and website DogHouse Diaries, the map shows what each country leads the rest of the world in and the words picked - which are written across the country's geographical territory - are in many cases surprising."
I must admit I was surprised with the words chosen for the USA!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Being positive!
I've been out of pocket lately visiting my newest grandchild. It was a wonderful and much needed vacation...
Our thoughts are not simply pieces of information that enter our minds and then disappear. The words and ideas that we think can shape our lives and drive us toward success and happiness or failure and distress. How you think and feel can have a profound effect on your ability to recognize opportunity, how well you perform, and the outcome of the goals that you’ve set for yourself. When you maintain an optimistic outlook and make an effort to harbor only positive thoughts, you begin to create the circumstances to help you achieve what you desire. Being optimistic does not mean that you ignore difficulties or disregard limitations. Instead, it means that you try and focus only on the thoughts that lift you up.
When you focus on the positive aspects of your life and your future, it helps maintain the feeling that you are worthy of your achievements. In turn, you will start to relax and look for solutions rather than dwelling on problems. What the mind expects, it finds. If you anticipate joy, good health, happiness, and accomplishment, you will tend to experience them.
Staying positive may not have an immediate effect on your situation, but it will likely have a profound and instantaneous effect on your mood and the quality of your experiences. In order for positive thinking to change your life, it must become your predominant mind-set. It is within your grasp to become as happy, content, or successful as you make up your mind to be.
Our thoughts are not simply pieces of information that enter our minds and then disappear. The words and ideas that we think can shape our lives and drive us toward success and happiness or failure and distress. How you think and feel can have a profound effect on your ability to recognize opportunity, how well you perform, and the outcome of the goals that you’ve set for yourself. When you maintain an optimistic outlook and make an effort to harbor only positive thoughts, you begin to create the circumstances to help you achieve what you desire. Being optimistic does not mean that you ignore difficulties or disregard limitations. Instead, it means that you try and focus only on the thoughts that lift you up.
When you focus on the positive aspects of your life and your future, it helps maintain the feeling that you are worthy of your achievements. In turn, you will start to relax and look for solutions rather than dwelling on problems. What the mind expects, it finds. If you anticipate joy, good health, happiness, and accomplishment, you will tend to experience them.
Staying positive may not have an immediate effect on your situation, but it will likely have a profound and instantaneous effect on your mood and the quality of your experiences. In order for positive thinking to change your life, it must become your predominant mind-set. It is within your grasp to become as happy, content, or successful as you make up your mind to be.
Friday, October 11, 2013
A knock at the door...
Fidelity to commitment in the face of doubts and fears is a very
spiritual thing. I don’t suggest it for the weak of heart or if you are
in a hurry. An old preacher once said, “Until you’ve stood at the door
for years and knocked until your knuckles bleed, you don’t know what
prayer is.”
I don't know what preacher wrote this although I suspect that many of them could have...just like many of us could.
I can only relate it to my ministry with the young people...for the times I have what I think is the perfect lesson, and I can tell by the zoned out look in their eyes they just don't get it, or don't hear it, or just don't want to try...perhaps it's too hard for where they are at that particular moment.
And for the other times when I'm "flying by the seat of my pants"...life has crowded me too much and I haven't spent enough (or what I feel is enough) time developing what I need to say. On these days I pray as I drive..."Lord my words are so inadequate, I'm just not ready to speak to them tonight, please, please loan me your words. Please give me the strength to open my mouth with the confidence that you know what they need."
These are the times when I can tell, He has spoken and they have heard. It seems so easy. But then God is in the word business..."And the Word was with God and the Word was God..."
But I know He doesn't intend for me to never prepare. As I prepare, He is ministering to me as well as the young people in my charge. And a huge part of that preparation is knocking on the door until my knuckles bleed...
One of these days I'll get it right. I will prepare, I will open my mouth, and then I'll get out of the way...for His words are always the right ones. And a knock on the door never truly goes unanswered.
I don't know what preacher wrote this although I suspect that many of them could have...just like many of us could.
I can only relate it to my ministry with the young people...for the times I have what I think is the perfect lesson, and I can tell by the zoned out look in their eyes they just don't get it, or don't hear it, or just don't want to try...perhaps it's too hard for where they are at that particular moment.
And for the other times when I'm "flying by the seat of my pants"...life has crowded me too much and I haven't spent enough (or what I feel is enough) time developing what I need to say. On these days I pray as I drive..."Lord my words are so inadequate, I'm just not ready to speak to them tonight, please, please loan me your words. Please give me the strength to open my mouth with the confidence that you know what they need."
These are the times when I can tell, He has spoken and they have heard. It seems so easy. But then God is in the word business..."And the Word was with God and the Word was God..."
But I know He doesn't intend for me to never prepare. As I prepare, He is ministering to me as well as the young people in my charge. And a huge part of that preparation is knocking on the door until my knuckles bleed...
One of these days I'll get it right. I will prepare, I will open my mouth, and then I'll get out of the way...for His words are always the right ones. And a knock on the door never truly goes unanswered.
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