obrienk

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Neil deGrasse Tyson: How do you use your INTERSTITIAL time?

Check out Neil deGrasse Tyson's Amazon page - how many books has he written?
Where does he find the time?

Read his Wikipedia page.

See his website.

Check out his Twitter.Harvard Business Review - Life's Work: An  Interview
From the HBR article:



How do you balance your TV work with your day job, your academic work, and your family life?
Balance might be overrated. If your life is perfectly balanced—everything going smoothly—is it as dynamic as it could be? When life is out of balance, usually something is changing, and that’s not always a bad thing. It gives you a new perspective. New projects always send things out of balance. I embrace disruptions to circumstances I’ve grown complacent about.
Practically, though, how do you manage your time?
It’s a bit of the squeaky wheel philosophy. Some e-mails don’t get tended to for weeks. I also use all the interstitial time available. While I’m waiting for the subway, I’m doing e-mail. With a little more time, I’m composing book chapters or op-eds. How much of your life can you recover by using those slots? When you stitch them together, it’s a lot.

You have more than 4 million Twitter followers. Why does that medium appeal, and what makes you so successful at it?
I got an account, like other early adopters, back in ’09. I started tweeting what everybody else was: “Crossing the street now.” “A little bit cold today.” Why am I doing this? I’m wasting my time. Then I had an epiphany. I was in the Las Vegas airport a couple of months after I published The Pluto Files, and I did the vain thing that authors typically do: go to the bookstore to see if your book is on display. I said, “Excuse me, ma’am, where’s the science section?” She said, “Oh, we don’t have a science section.” I thought, “Of course—you wouldn’t want any rational thinking going on before you gamble.” And I said to myself, “That’s a tweet.” From then on, I’ve been tweeting random thoughts that come to me because of the lens I carry as a scientist and an educator. You are seeing how I think about the world (I call it my brain droppings), and, if you don’t hang around other scientists, that might be intriguing—to be a little closer to the operations of nature and the universe.

Why do you think so many people find inspiration in him?

See his show STARTALK.
Follow on SoundCloud.




Subscribe on YouTube:


Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Tim Ferriss on Why Meditate: Do you want to be successful?



On CNBC: 

Tim Ferriss: 3 things you should do every day if you want to be successful
 


In his Nov. 23, 2017 Business Insider article, Richard Feloni writes:

"After interviewing 140 people at the top of their fields, Tim Ferriss realized almost all of them share the same habit"



  • For his new book "Tribe of Mentors," bestselling author and star podcast host Tim Ferriss sent 11 questions to 140 people at the top of their fields.
  • He found that regardless of industry, the vast majority of respondents had a mindfulness or meditation practice.
  • He meditates every morning for 20 minutes and has found it's improved his emotional control.








From his podcast - episodes on meditation:

“The goal of meditation is to uncover a form of wellbeing that is inherent to the nature of our minds.” 
                                                                                 — Sam Harris

Mindfulness - a Superpower?

On March 28, 2018 in Scientific American, Dr. Ellen Hendriksen "talks to award-winning journalist and news anchor Dan Harris to bust the myths that stop you from meditating" in her article: "Busting the Myths of Meditation with Dan Harris"






Check out the following:

App: Calm.org

App: Headspace

App and Podcast: Dan Harris's 10% Happier

Listen to Dan Harris deconstruct the three myths about meditation.

"You're not special." - Dan Harris



My favorite podcast: Tara Brach Guided Meditations

Book: Mindfulness for Student Athletes; A workbook to help teens reduce stress and enhance performance 

Friday, November 2, 2018

November is National Novel Writing Month: NaNoWriMo

My goal is 30,000 words. (30 days/1000 words a day)

This is OPTIONAL; however, if you have an itch to write a story - and create a disciplined writing habit - NaNoWriMo may be for you.

Give this classroom code to anyone wishing to join this classroom.

FAQ and HELP



Social Media:

Twitter



YouTube


Follow on Instagram 
"challenge to stir up inspiration, help you find fellow writers, and get prepared for noveling season"

#InstaWrimo




 

Attention Must Be Paid: Heed Tristan Harris on the Attention Economy

Screenshot from
  2014 TED Talk by Tristan Harris


Take out your phone.

Go to "Settings" > "Battery" > Wait for it....Scroll down: 

How much time were you...

Screen On?

Screen Off?

In the last 24 hours? 

See the PERCENTAGE of what APP you use most.

Click "SHOW ACTIVITY"

Note the hours and minutes of by APP.


How much time SCREEN TIME in the Last 10 Days?

Note the...

Average Screen On

Average Screen Off

For your top three APPS - note the total time in the last 10 days.

Note that it DOES not give you the TOTAL TIME in the LAST 10 DAYS.

Do this math. (10 x Average Screen On) + (10 x Average Screen Off) = 

Now multiply that (total time number x 36.5) x 4 years of high school (1460 days, 35,040 hours) = 

Now divide those hours by 24 to see how many days in highs school you will spend on your phone. 

What if you diverted half that time to writing a novel or a screenplay or an App or talking with friends and family?

(Keep in mind these hours - do not include other screens - watching movies, games, YouTube, shows, etc. on other devices.)



TED Talks that'll inspire you to unplug: "At the beck and call of your technology's beeps and buzzes? Let these talks inspire you to step back from your screen and engage with the immediate world around you."

Tristan Harris - Design Thinker - is a must watch.

Understand how you're giving your attention away for free - but at a terrible cost to your future and more importantly your present happiness and relationships.






Visit his movement for Time Well Spent at HumaneTech.com

The Attention Economy requires your eyeballs. 

Technology is not neutral. Sensationalize - viral videos.





Monday, September 17, 2018

Op-Ed: What makes for an effective Op-Ed?

Journal: September 17th

1. Write a brief summary about the Op-Ed that you selected. Include TITLE, WRITER, PUBLICATION.

2. Pass your copy of the Op-Ed to the left.

3. Read - annotate - the Op-Ed handed to you.

4. In your journal, what's most effective in the Op-Ed?

Part II:

ONLINE:

5. Please REPLY a response to your peer's Op-Ed.
- Read and remark on his post. Agree or disagree in some way.
- Share what's most effective in your opinion about the Op-Ed.

6. Please REPLY to TWO more posts
- Perhaps, the person sitting on the other side of you
- and one more - maybe someone else had your topic or same article.
- Yes, you may reply to someone in another section if it is relevant to your article.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Tuesday, September 11th, 2018

Where were you on 9/11?

Seventeen years ago, most of my students were not born. One was born on September 5th, 2001. And his father was at home with him instead of at work on the 60th floor of the North Tower. 

Today I shared the story of Welles Crowther that reminds me that on the worst day in the darkest of times, there were many heroes. 



9/11 | The Man In The Red Bandana | ESPN


From YouTube.com
ww.espn.com Ten years later, remembering Welles Remy Crowther who led over 12 people to safety after terrorists struck the World Trade Center on September 11th - a former Boston College Lacrosse Player whose trademark was a Red bandana.

Full Documentary: Man in the Red Bandana




“Man In Red Bandana” is a documentary film about the inspirational story of an American hero - Welles Remy Crowther. Welles worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower and saved many people on September 11th. Tragically, he died that day but his heroics became known eight months later as a result of an ordinary item - a red bandana. 
The film re-traces Welles’ courageous actions that fateful day, and examines the many people (family, friends and strangers) who have been inspired by Welles’ actions and the unique ways in which they have honored him.
The film is the debut effort of writer and director Matthew Weiss. He first learned of Welles’ remarkable story over lunch with Jefferson Crowther, Welles’ father. Matthew was amazed and inspired. He quickly decided that everyone should hear this story and obtained the Crowther’s permission and blessing to make Man In Red Bandana. Chad A. Verdi and Joshua Sason are signed on as producers. Gwyneth Paltrow is set to narrate, with Michelle Verdi exec-producing and Lyle Lovett performing an original song. 
Our film crews have been in Nyack, NY, Ontario, Canada, Atlanta, GA, New York, NY, Asbury Park, NJ, Orlando, FL, Albany, NY, Newton, MA, and Santa Monica, CA, among other places, all in an attempt to produce the most comprehensive piece about Welles ever made. The film is scheduled to be released in 2017.


More on September 11th, 2001:

'Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience' Full Documentary (2011) ft. George W. Bush & More | HBO