tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61099172024-03-13T20:09:49.664-04:00Who Elsa?A space to capture thoughts that I might share with friends if they were around to share them with...Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-85983275645970135722017-02-22T21:26:00.000-05:002017-02-22T21:26:53.794-05:00Stage a show you’d like to watchIf you’re anything like me, catching a glimpse of something cute, or nice, or funny can make you smile. The cool thing is that you don’t have to <em>wait around </em>for something cute, or nice, or funny to happen. That’s right – smiles are always just a few deliberate, staged steps away.<br />
<img align="left" alt="Squirrel holding a waffle heart" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Stageashowyoudliketowatch_117A4/IMG_4572.jpg" height="389" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px;" title="Squirrel holding a waffle heart" width="300" /><br />
Take this cutie, for example. She’s holding a heart shaped waffle sprinkled with powdered sugar.<br />
Adorable, right?<br />
How did this waffle make its way into her tiny, little hands when she clearly didn’t spend the morning slaving away over <a href="http://www.bobsredmill.com/organic-cornmeal_pancake-mix.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bob’s Red Mill waffle mix</a>?<br />
It was staged! <br />
Someone thought, “Wouldn’t a squirrel nibbling on a heart shaped waffle be a sweet, sweet sight?” With a waffle iron on hand, they proceeded to make it happen -- they made the squirrel happy, and they made me smile.<br />
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For your enjoyment, here’s a video of the same squirrel finishing off her SECOND waffle. I’m pretty sure she’s stuffed by this point (she ate the first one much more quickly). After this, she grabbed a third and ran off with it when a bird squawking near by spooked her.<br />
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Nom Nom Nom</div>
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What sorts of things make you smile? Can you think of any ways you can stage them?<br />
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-69454175674791111862014-07-08T08:00:00.000-04:002015-07-08T08:53:28.166-04:00Setting expectations<a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1208795" target="_blank"><img align="left" alt="screws" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Settingexpectations_14C2A/screws.jpg" height="177" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px;" title="screws" width="227" /></a> <br />
It’s a terrible thing for an outstanding job to be met by a skeptical or disappointed client. Time devoted to managing client expectations before job completion can help avoid this fate.<br />
I often turn to this real world example to remind me what expert expectation management looks like. Maybe it can help you, too.<br />
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I watched anxiously as the repair technician took apart my laptop. This machine, splayed across the dining room table, represented a hefty investment <em>and </em>was my main tool for work. <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-014725R-25-Removable-Compartment-Professional/dp/B00005QWYF?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img align="right" alt="Stanley Consumer Storage 014725R 25-Removable Compartment Professional Organizer" border="0" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B00005QWYF&tag=elsacutiepiez-20" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" /></a>Imagining that it was probably unpleasant to be watched so closely, I excused myself to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. When I returned to offer him something to drink, he was already done! Everything, every tiny little piece was put back together.<br />
Before handing my laptop over, the technician pointed to a plastic bin filled with a variety of tiny little screws.<br />
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<em>“I have every size of screw I could ever need in here.”</em></blockquote>
He then went on to explain that when he was reassembling my laptop, one of the original screws was nowhere to be found. He replaced it with one of his own, from his plastic bin.<br />
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<em>“Good as new. I just wanted to tell you so that when that screw turns up, you’ll know that there’s not a screw missing in your laptop.”</em></blockquote>
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Isn’t that brilliant? I’m pretty sure I would have been suspicious of the quality of his work had I found that missing screw without any word about it from him. My confidence would have been shaken enough that a response of “<em>Don’t worry about it, I replaced it with one of my own</em>” would not have eased my concern.<br />
This is only one aspect of expectation management, but it had a huge impact on my experience as a client. Because of this encounter, I am even more careful to manage my projects in such a way that my clients are not likely to run into an issue without knowing about it first. I hope the same is now true for you.<br />
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(note, this post was originally published on 3/10/2010.)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-38952732644176735512012-02-16T18:09:00.000-05:002012-02-20T19:12:13.760-05:00Peekaboo<p><a href="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/70d0c64291ab_FB4C/Peekaboo.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 9px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Peekaboo" border="0" alt="Peekaboo" align="left" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/70d0c64291ab_FB4C/Peekaboo_thumb.jpg" width="124" height="244" /></a>This morning, idling at an extra long, red light, I reminded myself that I had plenty of time to make it to my next meeting and there was no reason to get upset over the commute. As I took a deep breath and a look around, my gaze landed on something that appeared to be gazing right back at me – something cute and puppet-like.</p> <p> <br />It turned out to be a rusty pipe, protruding from behind a column at just the right angle to trick my eyes. Needless to say, my mood immediately shifted from “<em>why am I stuck here?</em>” to “<em>I’m so glad I had to stop</em>”.</p> <p> <br />Can you see it? <br /><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"> <br /> <br /></div> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-58816032021096968282012-02-11T04:48:00.001-05:002012-02-11T04:48:33.972-05:00Sharing: A little tied up<p><a title="Purse Lock cable ties. I <3 them!" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSHLN0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BSHLN0" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="PurseLocks" border="0" alt="PurseLocks" align="right" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/A-little-tied-up_3502/PurseLocks.jpg" width="148" height="244" /></a></p> <p>Up until a few weeks ago, I was living in a choking, rat’s nest of cables. Every time I expended effort untangling whatever cord the specific gadget I wanted to use at the moment called for, the voice that I usually ignore would pipe up. For years, it repeated versions of “<em>You really ought to do something about this!</em>” or “<em>Why haven’t you bought cable ties already?!</em>”</p> <p>A few weeks ago, the sympathy I felt as I watched my running-late partner frantically dive into the  pile of knotted nastiness amplified my inner nagging. I hopped onto <a href="http://www.amazon.com/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957" target="_blank">Amazon</a> and found what’s referred to as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSHLN0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BSHLN0" target="_blank">purse lock cable ties</a> and bought a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSHLLW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BSHLLW" target="_blank">1/4 inch pack of  50</a>. </p> <p>Oh my gosh, these things are awesome. I put them to work as soon as they arrived in the mail, and bought the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSHLMG/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BSHLMG" target="_blank">1/2 inch</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BSHLN0/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000BSHLN0" target="_blank">3/4 inch</a> 50 packs later that same day. I’m a little embarrassed to admit, but I find myself <em>looking </em>for additional things to bundle up with these suckers.</p> <p>What do you use for this kind of thing?</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-4781978403852380492012-02-09T09:22:00.000-05:002012-02-11T09:22:38.314-05:00But you can’t ignore my techno*<img src="http://iridescentlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/tc-logo.png" width="500" height="166" /> <p>Today kicked off week one of the <a href="http://iridescentlearning.org/programs/technovation-challenge/curriculum/" target="_blank">Technovation Challenge</a>, an <a href="http://www.iridescentlearning.org/" target="_blank">Iridescent</a> program which focuses on inspiring girls to expand their view of themselves from merely users of technology to entrepreneurially-spirited technology inventors, designers, and builders. I’m excited to be participating as a mentor!</p> <p>Teams, made up five girls and one mentor, met for the first time and worked on a few tasks together. The girls on my team are awesome and I look forward to working with them over the next 9 weeks. We haven’t come up with a name for ourselves yet – until we settle on one, I will refer to the group as D2SEL2 (the formula represents first initials). The girls will be meeting this coming Monday, at which point they might come up with a team name and/or ideas for our team project. I will find out by next Thursday!</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <p>(*Yay to those of you who get the reference to <a href="http://www.electricsix.com/" target="_blank">Electric Six</a>!) </p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-87096026125900402492012-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:002012-02-11T08:54:38.812-05:00Tutu cute<p>Something on the way to work today made me smile.</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="tutu" border="0" alt="tutu" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Tutu-cute_7C23/tutu_thumb.jpg" width="279" height="459" /></p> <p align="right">Can you see what it was?</p> <p align="left"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-23351730850908292212011-06-06T09:47:00.001-04:002011-06-07T09:31:38.071-04:00I heh heh heard that<div> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1glP6dNHu3QherczuwR-9TGPugQzxDYhHkSEbUOEcr45UyOmMPSO2Y7X5LAWgaegmciJJyRGOnEMCN4p_DdDSerMCRXDj7H4seIV6i52Oan6m3fCwY9VUpaQWlqzpKK7iHrBFQ/" width="117" height="196" />On the termilink in Houston, I overheard a husband teasing his wife. His seemingly sweet, "<i>Look, she takes after her Mom</i>" could have been taken as a compliment if the daughter he was holding hadn't been firmly grasping the vertical pole he was standing next to. </p> <p>I couldn't help but laugh, prompting his wife to assure me he was kidding. </p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> </div> <div class="blogger-post-footer"> <br /> <br /> </div> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-36187762474479270512011-06-01T23:38:00.001-04:002011-06-02T00:13:16.242-04:00So... where ya goin'?<div><p>Am I on crack or were all the folks working security at Logan airport more chatty than usual today? </p>
<p>One uniformed man stood to the side of the line, making friendly eye contact and bantering with people as they walked by. A business casual attired man stood just before the security screening area and pulled aside every third or fourth person with "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"</p>
<p>Both men asked about travel plans and both managed to engage the folks they talked to. </p>
<p>I find it a little sad that living here 1/2 my life has trained me to see this behavior as a bit out of the ordinary. Then again, if I still lived in Texas, I might not have noticed what is most likely the outcome of some sort of TSA training. </p>
<p>I imagine these TSA employees were utilizing a new method for sniffing out suspicious behavior and therefore the friendly exchanges were just part of their job. </p>
<p>I appreciated it anyway. </p>
<p>In my opinion, it's a more pleasant way to be interrogated. But more than that, these guys were most likely using an unnatural skill set. Striking up conversations with  strangers is part of the culture in Texas. In Boston, it isn't. </p>
<p>I can't help but wonder what born and bred Bostonians will think. </p>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-86503598132871624902011-05-31T12:05:00.001-04:002011-05-31T12:07:33.266-04:00This is a mobile test.<div><p>I've had the ability to post from my phone for a few months now, but it's taken a new input method (SwiftKey) to inspire me to try it. </p>
<p>SwiftKey X Beta is an Android keyboard application that uses a prediction engine to come up with likely options for the next word in your sentence. </p>
<p>I thought I loved Swipe, but I am coming to understand that it was merely a crush. </p>
<p>The only downside, other than a few beta glitches, is that this app highlights just how predictable I am... </p>
<p>-elsa</p>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-73341358004142305512011-05-14T23:09:00.001-04:002011-05-14T23:11:22.246-04:00Give me a high two point five!<p><a title="Pan Dulce, Mexican Sweet Bread" href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1330278"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 15px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="pandulce" border="0" alt="pandulce" align="right" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Give-me-a-high-five_10D29/pandulce.jpg" width="244" height="139" /></a>I recently spent a few weeks visiting family in delightful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Del_Rio,_Texas" target="_blank">Del Rio</a>.  When I booked my tickets, I was determined to stick with my new <a href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2011/03/at-gym-on-phone.html" target="_blank">eating and exercise routine</a>.  My sneakers and exercise clothes were packed along with plenty of hope that my <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.wsl.noom" target="_blank">magic app</a> would maneuver me passed years of bad childhood habits.</p> <p>Sweet bread, atole de arroz, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbacoa" target="_blank">barbacoa</a>, and many other yummy treats later…  I had to admit that the pull of food in my parents’ house had clearly won.  (To be honest, there hadn’t been much of a contest.)</p> <p>It was a different story regarding exercise.  I had two major excuses that I would use to put off starting a workout -- “<em>it’s too hot</em>” & “<em>I don’t want to miss out on time with my family”</em>.  Luckily for me, the sun goes down in the evening and every member of my family eventually has to get some sleep.</p> <p>No matter how tired or stuffed full of homemade enchiladas I was, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night I walked the heck out of my neighborhood.</p> <p>If I had managed to eat well AND pull off those workouts, I would ask for a high five.  Since I did half, how about a high 2 ½?</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-68259931291979277272011-03-23T18:45:00.001-04:002011-03-23T18:57:14.053-04:00At the gym, on the phone<p>I recently got a new phone.  My old one was on its last legs – crackling through phone calls and texting a few too many stucccck keys.  Although I was hesitant to replace my previously reliable, little Centro, I have to say I am absolutely digging Android.  In fact, with just a tiny dose of exaggeration, I could even say that it’s already IMPROVED my LIFE.</p> <p><a title="CardioTrainer by WorkSmart Labs" href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.wsl.CardioTrainer&feature=search_result" target="_blank"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="left" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/android/market/com.wsl.CardioTrainer/hi-256-2-a26ee054c9c85479854498b7d0c2432858241f8f" width="96" height="96" /></a></p> <p>Perhaps it should be too embarrassing to admit that an app I downloaded for my phone is ultimately what got me to join a gym again.  And who would believe that a complimentary set of apps are what’s behind the fact that I’ve been consistently eating more vegetables than ever before?</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" align="right" src="https://ssl.gstatic.com/android/market/com.wsl.calorific/hi-256-1-3ace2f114dd6b0a87776b6ef5518585569366abd" width="104" height="104" /></p> <p>But it’s true.  <a href="http://www.worksmartlabs.com/cardiotrainer/about.php" target="_blank">CardioTrainer</a>, <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.wsl.calorific&feature=search_result" target="_blank">Calorific</a>, and <a href="https://market.android.com/details?id=com.wsl.CardioTrainer.weightloss_feature&feature=search_result" target="_blank">Weight Loss for CardioTrainer</a> by <a href="http://www.worksmartlabs.com/" target="_blank">WorkSmart Labs</a> somehow manage to make the whole process behind working out and eating more consciously interesting and fun.  Fun?</p> <p>The little incentives programmed into these applications managed to spur me into action when knowledge and intention themselves weren’t doing the trick.  In fact, I’m in the middle of my 5th week and I haven’t missed a workout badge yet.</p> <p>Yay!</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-79204076638896312072011-01-31T15:14:00.001-05:002011-01-31T18:03:01.335-05:00Old Notes<p><a href="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Old-Notes_CE30/RandomExercise.png"><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 25px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="RandomExercise" border="0" alt="RandomExercise" align="right" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Old-Notes_CE30/RandomExercise_thumb.png" width="197" height="340" /></a>The following note is on its way to the recycling bin.  I found it yesterday while sorting through old papers, and after a few minutes of being absolutely baffled, pieced together that it’s the result of an exercise I tried with respect to an <a title="Link to Who Elsa's Piano Story post" href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2008/06/piano-story.html" target="_blank">old story</a> I was preparing for a <a title="MassMouth's website" href="http://www.massmouth.com" target="_blank">MassMouth</a> <a href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2010/04/big-mouth.html" target="_blank">competition</a>.</p> <p>The exercise is pretty simple: commit key elements of your story to paper, utilizing representational images.  As you may be able to tell, producing a work of art is not the point…</p> <p>Almost a year after having walked through this exercise, I have no recollection of having done so.  Yet, without a doubt this is my handwriting and my scribble style.  </p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-46758405254342842242011-01-21T13:31:00.001-05:002011-01-21T13:31:45.552-05:00Bad behavior<blockquote> <p>“<em>I don’t care what you are.  I care about what you did</em>.” – <a title="Jay Smooth's Ill Doctrine" href="http://illdoctrine.com/" target="_blank">Jay Smooth</a> </p> </blockquote> <p>This video came up during a meeting yesterday.  <a title="Jay Smooth's Wikipedia entry" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Smooth" target="_blank">Smooth</a> makes some great points about approaching someone regarding their unacceptable conduct.  Although he brings these points up in the context of addressing another’s racist behavior, they are applicable to most situations where you are dealing with other people.</p> <p>I highly recommend a listen.   </p> <p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:aca84687-6ab7-4753-8c4e-85c092ca64c1" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="6f891c5b-8bae-4c43-b0ec-141cc16fc23e" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Ti-gkJiXc" target="_new"><img src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/860f88a09d22_B650/videodaa05bc522c1.jpg" style="border-style: none" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('6f891c5b-8bae-4c43-b0ec-141cc16fc23e'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/b0Ti-gkJiXc?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/b0Ti-gkJiXc?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"252\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" alt=""></a></div></div><div style="width:448px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">How to tell people they sound racist, by Jay Smooth</div></div> </p> <p> </p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-85145983045996502322010-10-12T15:24:00.001-04:002010-10-12T15:25:47.208-04:00Pot, meet kettle.<p><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/462288"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 9px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="Woman_walking" border="0" alt="Woman_walking" align="right" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Potmeetkettle_D111/Woman_walking_thumb.jpg" width="260" height="211" /></a>In a grocery store parking lot, I noticed two elderly women walking closely on their way to do some shopping.  One seemed upset and was letting her companion know why:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Oh, people!  Some folks only care about themselves.  They don’t even notice other people around them!</em></p> </blockquote> <p>This struck me as a little funny.  Perhaps it was because they were blocking traffic by walking along an aisle rather than crossing it.  Some poor, patient driver was crawling behind them at a safe distance waiting for them to get out of the way.  </p> <p>The driver and I made eye contact.  We both smiled.  I wonder if he had been able to overhear the conversation as well?</p> <p><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-71871412297552786162010-08-25T10:15:00.000-04:002010-08-25T13:20:05.861-04:00Sheltered<p>It’s pouring outside.  Sheets of rain are pulsing past horizontally, propelled by an intense wind.  </p> <p>The atrium I am sitting in, enclosed by a 30-foot-tall wall of windows, is sheltering me from the discomforts of the current outdoors – like wet and cold – while enabling me to enjoy its benefits – like natural light and a beautiful view.  </p> <p>It’s making me wonder -- in what other ways are we similarly sheltered?  How many of the things we enjoy are a result of this kind of shelter?</p> <p>-elsa</p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-45282650644795499662010-07-06T18:30:00.000-04:002010-07-09T16:44:02.233-04:00Times of yore<p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" class="wlDisabledImage" title="Monticello" border="0" alt="Monticello and its reflection" align="left" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/ced83c39d706_DE24/DSC_1600_thumb.jpg" width="221" height="328" /></p> <p>Thomas Jefferson clearly put lots of thought and resources into Monticello.  The house is beautiful and our tour was great.</p> <p>I’m a little embarrassed to admit that my favorite part of the whole experience was a little exchange that took place as the tour guide led our group over to Jefferson’s spherical sun dial.</p> <blockquote> <p>The tour guide asked, “<em>How did people tell time before they had clocks</em>?”</p> <p>And some little kid had a tentative answer:</p> <p align="center">“<em>Roman numerals</em>?”</p></blockquote> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-92019823646951279912010-05-14T13:42:00.003-04:002010-07-09T15:46:00.380-04:00Two cents about saving two cents<p><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/584264"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="piggy_bank" border="0" alt="piggy_bank" align="left" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Twocentsaboutsavingtwocents_C0A8/piggy_bank.jpg" width="260" height="180" /></a> <br />At a lecture I attended years and years ago, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Thurow" target="_blank">Lester Thurow</a> predicted the housing bubble would burst.  Though everything around us seemed to be made out of gold, and the economic boom had so much positive momentum that it felt like it would go on forever, he laid out what was coming.</p> <p>At the time, the average savings of an American household was ZERO DOLLARS.  He didn’t say exactly when or exactly how it would happen, but he did make it clear that this complete lack of leverage was going to bite the US in the butt.</p> <p>And boy did that bite hurt!</p> <p>DISCLAIMER: I’m not an economist and I haven’t crunched any numbers to support anything I’m saying.  Despite this, I’m convinced that adequate savings could have spared many individuals from the wrenching heartaches they had to endure as a result of the housing bubble fallout.</p> <p>How do people accumulate adequate savings?</p> <p>I have no idea how to answer this question for people whose incomes are barely (or not) enough to cover even the most basic living expenses.  Shacking up with relatives, training for a better job, or proactive family-planning are some possibilities, but they don’t even begin to address the plentitude of issues that propagate these circumstances.</p> <p>But for most other folks, a few simple tips could provide the reigns needed to steer clear of pocketbook pitfalls that could lead to financial trouble.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>Savings Tip #1:  Redefine the term “I can afford it”.</strong>  To too many folks, “<em>I can afford it</em>” simply means the balance in their checking account or, even worse, their credit limit<em> </em>can cover the immediate expense in question.  For example, someone who defines “I can afford it” in this (incorrect) way might spend $450 on a purse when there is $500 in their bank account without considering their upcoming car insurance payment.</p> <p> Shift to the following definition instead:</p> <p>“<em>I have set aside the funds required to make this expense in such a way that will not impact my other financial commitments, including my monthly savings goals</em>.”</p> <p>In other words, “I can afford it” means that one will not have to go into debt as a direct or indirect result of the proposed expense.</p> </blockquote> <p>Stay tuned for Savings Tip #2.</p> <p><img src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-20814855883648085852010-04-21T09:26:00.000-04:002010-04-22T09:59:06.071-04:00Big Mouth<p>It’s official: I am what you might call “a big mouth”.</p> <p><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1021671" target="_blank"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="big mouth" border="0" alt="big mouth" align="left" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/BigMouth_8C09/big_lips.jpg" width="200" height="175" /></a> </p> <p>Because of this, I was among 21 tellers to compete in <a href="http://www.massmouth.com" target="_blank">MassMouth</a>’s <a href="http://massmouth.ning.com/events/the-big-mouthoff-slam-of-all" target="_blank">Big Mouth Off</a>.  There were more people in attendance than the 340 seats in the <a href="http://www.bpl.org/central/meeting_room_images/rabb.htm" target="_blank">auditorium</a> could accommodate!</p> <p>Although I did not win the week long stay in a medieval Tuscan  townhouse  (or any other prize, for that matter), I had an absolute blast!  </p> <p>It was a great night.</p> <p>And MassMouth is going to do it again!  MassMouth will be holding <a href="http://massmouth.ning.com/events/massmouth-storyworkshop-and" target="_blank">story workshops</a> leading up to next season’s first slam.  Keep a close eye on <a href="http://www.massmouth.com">http://www.massmouth.com</a> and <a href="http://blog.massmouth.com">http://blog.massmouth.com</a> if you don’t want to miss out on the action!</p> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-38020383444481038132010-03-28T14:28:00.001-04:002010-03-28T14:28:08.354-04:00Are we wicked step-sisters?<p>There’s a story I’ve been hearing more and more lately.  It sounds something like this:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>You too can create a website that will earn you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars!  Don’t worry if you don’t have a product or a service to sell!  Just take this generic thing, re-brand it, offer it in exchange for e-mail addresses and …</em></p> </blockquote> <p>Every time I come across it, I imagine someone sitting on top of an elaborate pyramid whose scheme can only work if there are people out there who want to earn a living without creating any sort of value.</p> <p>The weird thing is, there appear to be plenty of people who fall into this category.</p> <p>Where does this come from?  Taking a peek at a particular, ancient story theme, we can see that it’s not an entirely new phenomena.</p> <blockquote> <p><em><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1191114"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="coins" border="0" alt="coins" align="right" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Arewewickedstepsisters_CB73/coins.jpg" width="161" height="159" /></a> </em><em>The youngest, out of sheer necessity, leaves the security of home to wander through unfamiliar territory.  Along the way, she meets bedraggled beings (human or otherwise) who are in dire need and she kindly shares or gives away what little she has.  She is rewarded for her generosity, in a way she could not have anticipated.  </em></p> <p><em>After returning home, she is forced by her jealous step-sister to share the “secret” behind her success.  The step-sister immediately sets off to follow the youngest’s instructions step by step.  However, since she is acting out of selfishness instead of kindness, her interactions with those she meets are less than admirable and the reward she reaps as a result is often quite horrible.</em></p> </blockquote> <p>We’ve all heard a story like this.  In fact, it’s such a traditional folktale theme that generation after generation of our ancestors have.  I believe there is a reason this story continues to survive, a reason we continue to feel compelled to tell it.</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Dear annoying, internet-marketing, scammer,</em></p> <p><em>Thank you for helping to keep the oral tradition alive.</em></p> </blockquote> <p><img src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-71910285762396375892010-03-16T23:30:00.000-04:002010-03-17T00:01:25.972-04:00The way to a girl’s heart, part II<p>A handsome young man approached me as I waited for Christian outside the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/falafel-king-boston" target="_blank">Falafel King</a>.  He asked me for the time and then lingered quietly for a moment after I answered.  Finally, his words found him.</p> <blockquote> <p><em>“Can I ask you something?  What’s your nationality?”</em></p> </blockquote> <p>Ah, yes.  This is how most people <a href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2008/08/something-i-love.html" target="_blank">start a conversation</a> with me.  In this middle of this particular conversation, my phone rang.  It was Christian.</p> <p>I excused myself to answer and, after I was assured Christian was just mere minutes from arriving, hung up and returned my attention to the guy standing next to me.  Aware that he would soon be a third wheel, he began to say farewell.  But first,</p> <blockquote> <p>“<em>You really caught my attention.</em>”</p> </blockquote> <p>Ah.  That’s kind of flattering, isn’t it?  And then,</p> <blockquote> <p>“<em>I know you’re much older than me… </em></p> <p><em>                               but I was hoping maybe we could mingle.</em>”</p> </blockquote> <p>Ha.  I couldn’t help but think of <a href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2009/06/way-to-girls-heart.html" target="_blank">that time in Peru</a>.  Maybe it’s a good thing men don’t usually hit on me.   I’m not sure my self esteem could take such a regular beating.</p> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-25829525330919791992010-03-15T23:00:00.000-04:002010-03-16T11:31:21.614-04:00MassMouth: a special night<p>MassMouth had its first story slam on October 26, 2009.  Since then, it’s hosted a number of others – often to standing room only crowds – that I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of attending.  </p> <p>Tonight, as <a href="http://norahdooley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Norah Dooley</a>, <a href="http://andrealovett.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Andrea Lovett</a>, and <a href="http://www.doriastories.com/" target="_blank">Doria Hughes</a> made their rounds to ensure that everyone who wanted a chance to tell signed up, I noticed a glimmer in Christian’s eye.  Lo and behold, he put his name in the hat!</p> <p><a href="http://massmouth.com" target="_blank"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="slam_tellers" border="0" alt="slam_tellers" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/MassMouthaspecialnight_A153/slam_tellers.jpg" width="522" height="193" /></a></p> <p>I competed at the Valentine’s Day slam and won a slot in the upcoming <a href="http://massmouth.ning.com/events/the-big-mouthoff-slam-of-all" target="_blank">Mega Mouth</a>.  (<em>Check out the </em><a href="http://massmouth.ning.com/forum/topics/grand-prize-big-slam-4202010" target="_blank"><em>grand prize</em></a><em> to see why this is exciting</em>.)  Despite this, I’d have to say that tonight’s slam was even more special to me because <a href="http://www.google.com/profiles/cdetorres" target="_blank">Christian</a> got up to tell.</p> <p>Hooray for Christian!  Hooray for MassMouth!  Hooray for all you lucky listeners and tellers out there!  </p> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /> </p> <p>P.S. Mark your calendars – <a href="http://massmouth.ning.com/events/cambridge-story-slam-in-like" target="_blank">March 21st 4-7pm at Ryles</a> is your last shot at winning a slot to compete in the <a href="http://massmouth.ning.com/events/the-big-mouthoff-slam-of-all" target="_blank">April 20th Mega Mouth slam</a>. </p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-4575352086325145332010-03-14T23:00:00.000-04:002010-03-16T10:47:31.232-04:00Pi day<p align="left">Today is Pi day!  March 14th = 3.14 = the perfect excuse for those of us with a little crush on π to celebrate our affection.</p> <p></p> <a href="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Piday_97B0/meat_pies.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="meat_pies" border="0" alt="meat_pies" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Piday_97B0/meat_pies_thumb.jpg" width="500" height="290" /></a><a href="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Piday_97B0/pie2.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="pie2" border="0" alt="pie2" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Piday_97B0/pie2_thumb.jpg" width="243" height="142" /></a>  <a href="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Piday_97B0/pie3.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="pie3" border="0" alt="pie3" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Piday_97B0/pie3_thumb.jpg" width="243" height="138" /></a>   <p></p> <p>Thank goodness for <a href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2010/03/playing-with-language.html" target="_blank">homophones</a> and our good friends, K & A.  (Without them, this special day wouldn’t be nearly as tasty.)</p> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /> </p> <blockquote> <p align="left"><em><font color="#808080"> </font></em></p> <p align="left"></p> <p align="left"></p> <p align="left"></p> <p align="left"></p></blockquote> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-43645422276217646722010-03-13T11:00:00.000-05:002010-03-14T12:54:38.308-04:00Sharing: A puzzle, a finance tip, and a card<p>It feels like I haven’t “shared” anything lately.  And, since the <a href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2009/09/september-challenge.html" target="_blank">September challenge</a> has been successfully completed and put to bed, I can share whatever I want any day of the week!</p> <br /> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/York-Times-Shortz-Presents-KenKen/dp/0312603215?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" alt="The New York Times Will Shortz Presents KenKen: 300 Easy to Hard Puzzles That Make You Smarter (Will Shortz Presents...)" align="right" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0312603215&tag=elsacutiepiez-20" /></a><b><a href="http://www.kenken.com" target="_blank">KenKen</a></b> <br />I enjoy these arithmetic/logic puzzles even more than Sudoku.  According to Wikipedia, <a href="http://kenken.com/" target="_blank">KenKen</a> was invented in 2004 as an “instruction-free method of training the brain” by Tetsuya Miyamoto, a Japanese math teacher.</li> <br />I recently discovered <a href="http://www.kenken.com">http://www.kenken.com</a> as a source of KenKen puzzles.  A variety of puzzle sizes are available, the interface is easy to use, and it’s free.  So what’s not to love? <br /> <br /> <br /> <li><b><a href="http://bit.ly/52sSwH" target="_blank">Mvelopes</a></b>  <br />I’ve been practicing what’s referred to as “envelope based” saving/spending for well over 10 years.  I’m a big proponent – I truly believe that if more people approached their finances this way, there would be fewer people struggling with back-breaking debt.</li> <br />I plan on writing more about this in the future.  In the meantime, here is a <a href="http://bit.ly/52sSwH" target="_blank">link</a> for a <a href="http://bit.ly/52sSwH" target="_blank">risk-free trial of Mvelopes</a>, an award-winning online envelope budgeting system.  I have been using it for over a year now and was so impressed that I purchased a lifetime subscription.  (Disclosure: With the link I’ve provided, you’ll get a 20% discount if you continue past the trial and I will get a few bucks for the referral.) <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <li><b><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/retro_dance_invitation-161385932065821091?gl=cambliss&rf=238931156533538887" target="_blank">Retro Dance Card</a></b>  <br />This Retro Dance invitation designed by “<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/cambliss&rf=238931156533538887" target="_blank">cambliss</a>” can be found on <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/?rf=238931156533538887" target="_blank">Zazzle</a>.  You can modify the card before purchase -- add a note, a poem, or a greeting -- to make it your own. <br /> <br /></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: center; line-height: 150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/retro_dance_invitation-161385932065821091?gl=cambliss&rf=238931156533538887" target="_blank"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/retro_dance_invitation-p1613859320658210912dzjr_325.jpg" /></a> </p> <p> <br />If any of these things end up striking your fancy, please let me know?  Thanks! <br /> <br /><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="elsa" border="0" alt="elsa" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Agiftoflaughterandotherpositivethings_EF83/elsa_thumb.jpg" width="107" height="45" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-20672557941665894612010-03-12T10:35:00.001-05:002010-03-12T10:49:04.577-05:00Cultivating gratitude<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gratitude-Dan-Zadra/dp/1932319166?ie=UTF8&tag=elsacutiepiez-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969"><img style="margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline" alt="Gratitude" align="left" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1932319166&tag=elsacutiepiez-20" /></a><img style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; padding-bottom: 0px !important; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px !important; padding-right: 0px !important; border-top: medium none; border-right: medium none; padding-top: 0px !important" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=elsacutiepiez-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1567313728" width="1" height="1" />An acquaintance of mine is down in the dumps.  The kind of down in the dumps where everything takes effort, joy is nowhere to be found, and relief is out of sight. </p> <p>Since I don’t know this guy that well –and -- I am not a therapist I asked if he has considered seeing somebody about this.  He didn’t seem to like this idea so I racked my brain for others. </p> <p><i>“If you don’t like anything about your life, wouldn’t it stand to reason that you would be willing to change at least some aspect of it?”</i></p> <p>I suggested he start with gratitude. </p> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Divider.jpg" /> <br />He went on to say that he had tried it before and it hadn’t worked.  Based on the examples he gave me, I wasn’t surprised.  In my mind, “<i>I’m grateful my apartment didn’t fall into some sinkhole</i>” doesn’t really comply with the spirit of the exercise. <br /></p> <p>When he explained he had trouble finding anything to be grateful for, I reminded him that the goal of the exercise is to get better at it.  I also pointed out that he doesn’t have to wait around for something he’d be grateful for to happen on its own. </p> <p><em>Are you wearing comfortable clothes?  If not, go put some on and be grateful you’re dressed comfortably.  Is there a particular food you like?  Bring it to work with you and be grateful you had a tasty lunch.  In other words, </em><a href="http://blog.whoelsa.com/2009/10/stage-show-youd-like-to-watch.html" target="_blank"><em>stack the deck</em></a><em> in your favor until you’re skilled enough that you won’t have to.</em></p> <blockquote> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Divider.jpg" /></p> </blockquote> Who knows if he’ll act on my advice.  But, given how many references I’ve come across linking gratitude to happiness, I think I will. <br /><img style="border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6109917.post-78934467891400946092010-03-11T23:00:00.000-05:002010-03-12T00:32:35.925-05:00I turned back<p><a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/701907" target="_blank"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="sadlady" border="0" alt="sadlady" align="left" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/Iturnedback_70C/sadlady.jpg" width="260" height="175" /></a> </p> <p>On the way to <a href="http://www.paragoncorporation.com/" target="_blank">Paragon</a> yesterday, I noticed a woman sitting on the sidewalk, crying.  (The <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/701907" target="_blank">photo</a> I’ve included provides a pretty close approximation.)</p> <p>Although I would like to be the kind of person that offers emotional support in a situation like this, all sorts of doubts tend to get in the way.  What if her problem is so big that you can’t do anything to help?  What if she just wants money and who knows for what?  What if she’s hopelessly depressed and any goodwill or positive energy would just get thrown down a bottomless bit of despair?  What if she’ll get angry at my presumption that she needs anything from me?</p> <blockquote> <p>I walked past her.</p> </blockquote> <p>Before I got to the revolving doors of my building, a question popped into my head.</p> <blockquote> <p>“<em>Is this how you want your day to go</em>?”</p> </blockquote> <p>It turns out that it wasn’t.  What was the worst thing that could happen, anyway?  Maybe she would just need someone to talk to and I could definitely help with that.  I turned around and walked back toward her.  </p> <p>As I approached, doubt began to settle in again.  Not knowing what else to say, I interrupted her with a self-conscious “<em>I know this is a stupid question… but are you okay</em>?”</p> <p>She looked up at me.  “<em>That’s not a stupid question at all.</em>”  I was immediately taken by how generous her response was.  She motioned to the sky with her eyes and added “<em>I’m okay.  I’m praying to my heavenly father</em>.”</p> <p>Without thinking, I held my hand to my heart.  I stood there for a few seconds until the words “<em>I wish you well</em>” unexpectedly wafted up through me and into the air.  She smiled at me weakly through her tears and again, I was taken by how considerate she was, even through her pain.</p> <p>I’m glad I turned back. </p> <p><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" border="0" src="http://www.whoelsa.com/Graphics/signature.jpg" /></p> <div class="blogger-post-footer"><br/>
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<A target="_blank" href="http://www.whoelsa.com">http://www.whoelsa.com</A></div>Who Elsa?http://www.blogger.com/profile/13386881559750613382noreply@blogger.com0