When in a Big City in Mexico, Watch Out for This
This post is not for the obvious "watch out for drug cartels" which is a statement high on the "duh" continuum. It is about the taxi driver. I will start by saying not all taxi drivers are crooked, and not all are looking for a quick buck, but there are those who will take advantage of you if you look like a dumb North American (as I did). My story begins after getting off the bus at my destination: Monterrey, Mexico. There are many people who I know that warn me of travel
In This Way, Be Like An Ant (and not Ant-Man)
Have you ever watched a line of ants going about their business. They walk in one line, directly to their goal, trekking along over obstacles without stopping to drink or eat. They have a singular goal in mind: get to the food. Now, if you see a line of ants in the near future, just draw the tip of your finger across the imaginary path they follow. What happens? With some variation depending on the type of ant, there is consistency among all ants that the ant becomes conf
Example of an Oxymoron: Diet Soda
This will be a short post and I will quickly get to the point. The use of sugar substitutes is quickly showing poorer and poorer effects on the body, in addition to the increased risk of cancer. Case in point. I don't drink much of diet soda or sodas in general because of the high fructose and the growing evidence that sugar substitutes are bad for us. The final nail for this coffin for my consumption avoidance is the relationship between weight gain and sugar substitutes
Are We Medicating Away Creativity?
One may argue that convergent thinking is emphasized in the instructional approach of our standardized school system. How many of us have heard the story of the teacher who stressed that the answer was correct but the way the student arrived at the answer was incorrect because he did not follow the set instructions. In business, this characteristic would be praised. Imagine finding a new, cheaper way to deliver your services? Convergent thinking emphasizes finding a single
Praise for The Prompt Physician and Practitioner
Who has spent more than one hour after their scheduled time waiting to see their physician? Not typical if you live anywhere north of the southernmost border to Mexico. If you have, then you are waiting considerably above the national mean. According to an article written in 2015 and published on Becker's Hospital Review (1), wait times in a lobby to see a doctor is short and varies by specialty. For example, the wait for a psychologist is 11.5 minutes (mine is about 5 mi
What Can We Do About Educator Sexual Abuse?
Here is an unpopular opinion. Teachers need to participate in a full psychological examination as a pre-employment requirement. We try to protect children and adolescents from sexual predators, and for the most part, we as a society have shown steady improvement. However, one area that has been consistently difficult has been in the schools. There persists unchecked bullying, gang presence, lack of adult supervision, and indifferent teaching, to name a few. However, one a
Suicide, Mental Health, and Life's Anchor
Despite our best stated efforts, suicide continues to be a major problem. It is not a matter of economic status, or being marginalized socially, as it has become very clear with the recent suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. It's a problem for youth and the middle aged. In a 2009 report by the American Counseling Association, the group cited the third leading cause of death for age group 15 to 24, and college students was suicide. The rates have only increased, d
Balance With Negative Thinking
A possible reaction to a critical review of anything is "Don't be so negative" or "Why can't you be more positive." I understand the function of the comment. It hopes to help a person to focus on the "half full" aspects of a situation, and for many practical purposes, it is very useful. For example, when caught in a rainstorm without an umbrella, why not just enjoy the rain. A positive attitude would be "heck, I'll just dance," while a negative attitude would be "this alw
How To Prepare for Graduate School So You Don't Get Out of Hand With Student Loan Debt - Part 4
So now you have your savings, advanced education, and pragmatic tools. Now, the final piece. The last piece is getting out of your graduate program as fast as you can. This is a practical and almost obvious recommendation. In pragmatic terms, one less year means one less year of failing to add to your income and "begin my life." The most practical suggestion to speed up your departure is to have your dissertation data already collected before entering your graduate progr
How To Prepare for Graduate School So You Don't Get Out of Hand With Student Loans - Part 3 of 4
Part two was focused on saving wisely. Part three is on spending wisely. I know, it almost goes without saying. The focus, though, is not simply on buying less expensive items but rather on buying with purpose. When in graduate school (or undergraduate school), get the right tools at the right price to make MORE MONEY than if you had not invested in the tool. In short, prioritize purchases that will make you money. There are many examples, from the kind of computer softwar
