Truth in Advertising

Broom does not actually fly.

--Label on a Harry Potter plastic broom toy

Baby Big Cheeks

Springboard Accident

Be There

The best advice I ever came across on the subject of concentration is "Wherever you are, be there." -Jim Rohn

The Benefits of Ticking People Off

Written by Tim Ferriss

“To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” – Elbert Hubbard

Right alongside the cash and credit cards, I keep a number of strange things in my wallet.

The largest is a folded-up page from the July 6, 2009 issue of Fortune magazine. In a profile, Scott Boras, widely regarded as the most powerful agent in professional baseball, describes a dinner with one of his mentors after a record-breaking contract:

“He said that if you are really effective at what you do, 95% of the things said about you will be negative. Keep your head on straight, don’t get emotional, take the heat, and just make sure your clients are smiling.”

Doing anything remotely interesting will bring criticism. Attempting to do anything large-scale and interesting will bring armies of detractors and saboteurs. This is fine – if you are willing to take the heat.

There are good reasons to be willing, even eager.

Colin Powell makes the case: Ticking people off is both inevitable and necessary. This doesn’t mean that the goal is ticking people off. Ticking people off doesn’t mean you’re doing the right things, but doing the right things will almost inevitably tick people off.

Understand the difference.

Being responsible sometimes means ticking people off.

Good leadership involves responsibility to the welfare of the group, which means that some people will get angry at your actions and decisions. It’s inevitable, if you’re honorable. Trying to get everyone to like you is a sign of mediocrity: you’ll avoid the tough decisions, you’ll avoid confronting the people who need to be confronted, and you’ll avoid offering differential rewards based on differential performance because some people might get upset.

Ironically, by procrastinating on the difficult choices, by trying not to get anyone mad, and by treating everyone equally “nicely” regardless of their contributions, you’ll simply ensure that the only people you’ll wind up angering are the most creative and productive people in the organization.

Don’t go through life with kid gloves on. The stakes are too high, and it is oftentimes more important to give people what they need, rather than what they want.

This includes ourselves. By facing the fire early and often, we ensure the confidence and breathing room later to do bigger and better things.

Or to just sit back in a hammock with the peace of mind that only comes with belief that you did your best.

Be criticized for doing small “safe” things, or be criticized for doing big things that you’re passionate about. That is the choice. The criticism will come either way, whether in the form of self-talk (the former) or ankle biters (the latter).

Let the critics criticize. It’s the builders who count.

Using Media and Technology Wisely

The LDS Church magazines would like to hear from you!

• How do you moderate your children’s time with TV, computer, video games, and cell phone?
• How do you help them live a well-balanced life, using technology in helpful and appropriate ways without letting it take over?
• What activities do you encourage them to do when they aren’t “plugged in”?

Please send your responses to magazines-research@ldschurch.org

Hedge Trimming

Don't try to trim your own hedges. Call a professional, like MP Lawn Care (see http://www.missionpreplawncare.com/).

Car Self-Repair

Looking to Hire Manager of Product Awareness

I'm looking to hire a Manager of Product Awareness in the LDS Church Curriculum Department.

Description

This position exists to increase the use of Church curriculum materials worldwide by communicating information about their availability and purpose.

Responsibilities

• Develops and coordinates efforts to make members and leaders more aware of the purpose and availability of Church curriculum materials.
• Understands the needs of various audiences for Church materials and recommends appropriate methods for communicating to those audiences.
• Assists product managers in announcing and communicating information about new Church materials.
• Recommends and facilitates the use of social networking and other new media in communicating information about Church products.
• Adapts traditional marketing methods to the needs and communication channels of the Church.
• Enlists the help of friends of the Church who are influencers in new media channels throughout the world.

Qualifications

• MA in communications, product management, marketing, or related field; or equivalent combination of degree and experience
• Certified Product Manager and Certified Product Marketing Manager required, or must certify within 3 months of hire.
• Proven experience implementing extensive marketing campaigns using both traditional and new social media.
• Ability to write engaging advertising copy and clear technical writing.

If interested, please apply online, job posting 1000770

Fun in the Living Room

Time Right Now

Right now, it's 10:10:10 on 10/10/10.

A call for civility following Mormon Apostle Boyd K. Packer’s address

Deseret News editorial

In recent weeks, media sources across the country have covered several suicides by young people wrestling with same-gender attraction. These heartbreaking accounts have brought national attention to the anguished lives of youths confused by strong feelings that can put them at odds with the expectations of friends, family, community or church. What has made these stories particularly horrifying is the brutal and belittling behavior that preceded each suicide.

See both photos | Click to enlarge

Deseret News

Mormon Apostle Boyd K. Packer Addresses LDS General Conference on Sunday, October 3, 2010.

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To any affected by such tragedy, we express sorrow and we condemn the incivility that violated the dignity of these youths.

This week, activists for the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) community have attempted to raise our community's consciousness about the challenges facing LGBT youths. This consciousness raising has been styled as a reaction to a talk by President Boyd K. Packer, president of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints, given at the church's 180th Semiannual General Conference last Sunday.

This focused attention on the LDS Church is deeply ironic given the church's shared condemnation of hate and violence toward gays and lesbians, its mutual support of anti-discrimination laws for gays and lesbians and its compassionate ministry to LDS Church members who have same-gender attraction.

This past week, the LDS Church re-emphasized "that there is no room in this discussion for hatred or mistreatment of anyone." This is not new — it mirrors, for example, how the LDS Church helped to champion a Salt Lake City ordinance banning discrimination of gays and lesbians in housing and employment. And it is consistent with how the LDS Church has ministered to members with same-gender attraction.

In a 2007 article in the LDS Church's Ensign magazine, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland relates a conversation with a self-described gay member of the LDS Church: "You are first and foremost a son of God, and He loves you. What's more, I love you. My Brethren among the General Authorities love you."

Interestingly, given the events of this week, Elder Holland spoke about other church leaders: "I'm reminded of a comment President Boyd K. Packer made in speaking to those with same-gender attraction. 'We do not reject you,' he said. '… We cannot reject you, for you are the sons and daughters of God. We will not reject you, because we love you.' "

Perhaps the focused attention has come because the LDS Church continues to assert principled opposition to same-sex marriage, a view shared by most Americans. Indeed, the majority of states have passed legislation clarifying that marriage is between a man and a woman. For activists in the LGBT community who reject what Latter-day Saints and members of other faith traditions believe to be the divine origins of marriage between man and woman, there may simply not be room for agreement on this important issue.

Click to enlarge

Tom Smart, Deseret News)" rev="/photos/thumb/3896660.jpg" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(61, 70, 77); ">

Tom Smart, Deseret News

The Salt Lake City Council deliberates anti-discrimination protection based on sexual orientation and gender in November 2009.

Because of our concern for civility and respect, we find common ground with those who, with dignity, wish to condemn hatred and violence against those who struggle with same-gender attraction.

Nonetheless, tactics used this week ostensibly to accomplish these purposes were counterproductive. Instead of seeking genuine common ground around issues of mutual concern, activists began this week with a grossly misguided caricature of the LDS Church's support of traditional morality.

The tactic is now all-too familiar: take a statement out of context, embellish it with selective interpretation, presume hostile intent, and then use the distortion to isolate an entire group, in this case a church.

We encourage all to read President Packer's talk rather than simply rely on the media interpretations and selective quotations. It stretches all credulity to find in President Packer's pastoral counsel what some are calling a hateful message "that can lead some kids to bully and others to commit suicide." Contrary to what some have written in provocative press releases, nothing in President Packer's talk says that "violence and/or discrimination against LGBT people is acceptable."

This distortion is not only misguided and political, it is dangerous. It frays trust that helps people of goodwill from different perspectives to constructively address the serious problems under consideration. By holding up a caricatured account of people's spiritual leaders, those in greatest need of pastoral care may be mistakenly alienated from the very people who can compassionately help them get access to professional resources and counseling.

The challenges facing the families and individuals affected by same-gender attraction are poignant and real. Religion provides a unique perspective on how these challenges can be addressed that has every right to be heard and evaluated on the merits. Indeed, religious organizations provide the vital infrastructure for the economy of care that undergirds our community. For the sake of our youths and the health of our communities, we call for thoughtful and civil dialogue on this and all difficult conversations. That dialogue should respect context, should not prejudge motive and must work to include instead of isolate.

Test

1- Find the C below...do not use any cursor help.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

2- If you already found the C, now find the 6 below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

3 - Now find the N below. It's a little more difficult.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass these three tests, you can cancel your annual visit to your neurologist. Your brain is great and you're far from having a close relationship with Mr Alzheimer.

I'm only sending this to my 'old' friends.

Eonvrye whocan raed this rsaie your hnad.


To my 'selected' strange-minded friends:


See if you can read the following paragraph. Only great minds can read this. This is weird, but interesting!

If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid too

Can you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Car Self-Repair

Wordle of LDS General Conference

For the last several conferences, we have shown wordles (word clouds) of the text from general conference, which shows the frequency of use of words (except words like it, the, and and). Frequency of use determines the word size.

To the left is the wordle for the October 2010 general conference prepared by Connor Boyack. Click the graphic to see it full-sized. To see other designs, please visit his site at connorboyack.com. Links to wordles from previous conferences are available here.

Auto Air Conditioning

Oldest

So far, this is the oldest I’ve ever been.