Reality is a place, not a concept

My Resume

2008-02-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

Timothy McCall

Bethlehem, CT.

Skilled, versatile telecommunications technology professional with more than 14 years of diversified experience and a commitment to profitable innovation seeks to promote optimal service and cost efficiency as a Telecommunications Field Technician.

• Extensive capabilities with a wide range of operations; expertise includes deployment and project coordination.

• Organized and dedicated, with excellent customer-relations and interpersonal skills.

• Efficient worker with proven problem solving and trouble-shooting skills.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Traffic Utility Person, City of XXXXXXXXX CT. Sept. 2005 - Present

Provide City-Wide support for ongoing operations and functionality of traffic-control systems. Operate Versalift 28’ Bucket-Truck. Provide support to other departments as needed.

Independent Contractor, Apogee Satellite Services LLC, Waterbury, CT. April. 2003 - Sept. 2005

Manage all aspects of day-to-day contracting consultancy. Provide Installation and Maintenance services for DirecTV, DirecWay product lines. Extensive Customer Contact, Scheduling and Wiring Installation Activities.

Project Manager, Construction Quality Control, Loxahatchee, FL Aug. 2001 - Apr. 2003

Provide Project Management for installation of supporting infrastructure for South Florida Data, Telecom and Co-location Facilities Clients. Assist with pre-sales and closing activities for facility-development contracts.

Network Operations Manager, Terremark Worldwide Inc, Miami, FL Nov. 2000 - Aug. 2001

Manage all aspects of 120,000 sq. ft telecommunications and co-location facility. Reviewed and validated Telcordia critical operational and service delivery methods and procedures. Developed initial technical operations organization. Supervised staff in new facility and staffed operations in interim facility.

Senior Site Technician, Level 3 Communications, Miami, FL July 1999 - Nov. 2001

Supported 50,000 sq. ft. telecommunications facility, supervised staff, and provided services on T-1, DS-3, OC-3, 12, 48, 192, and Ethernet systems. Supported nationwide co-location clients and worked with in-house engineers, consultants, and sales staff.

Switch / Network Technician, MFS/Worldcom, Inc., Miami, FL June 1997 - July 1999

Coordinated and executed installation, testing, and maintenance of telecommunications equipment including T-3, T-1, and Ericsson AXE-10 systems. Provided services and support for provision of local dial tone services.

Switch / Site Manager, World Telecommunications Services Inc., Miami, FL Oct. 1996 - Apr. 1997

Provided all levels of support to ensure continuous operation of international telecommunications switching facility. Ordered, tested, installed, and implemented Feature Group "D" Services from BellSouth, and established Switch CLLI, Point Codes, ACNA and ACTL with Bellcore and BellSouth. Prepared, implemented and continuously updated complex international translations based on least-cost routing.

Switch / Site Manager, Athena International, LLC., Denver, CO June 1995 - Oct. 1996

Managed telecommunications network, ensuring continuous operation of domestic and international switching facility. Evaluated equipment and services for domestic and international markets, working closely with service providers, equipment vendors, and sales and implementation staff. Migrated Siemens DCO Switch System from In-Band to SS7 enabled facility. Reported on network utilization and costs.

Switch Manager / Field Technician, Telstar Communications, Inc., Detroit, MI Feb. 1993 - May 1995

Ensured continuous operation of regional telecommunications switching facility by providing multi-level support. Assisted operations manager in coordinating projects. Installed, programmed, and maintained Mitel dialing equipment for 500+ accounts. Recognized as technician of the month 8 times in 16 months.

Previous experience includes:

United States Marine Corps - Honorable Discharge; Served with multi-national peacekeeping force in Beirut, Lebanon. Awards include Marine Expeditionary Medal and Naval Unit Commendation.

Timothy McCall

Resume, page 2

EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, AND CERTIFICATIONS

Certificate of Advanced Studies in Telecommunications, University Of Denver (GPA: 3.6/4.0)

Project Management and Leadership Courses, Barry University, Miami, FL (GPA: 4.0)

Certificate in Electronics Technology, Technical Careers Institute, West Haven, CT

TECHNICAL SKILLS LISTING

Certifications and Technologies:

Traffic Signals, (Certified): International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA) Traffic Signal Technician Level 1

Wiring, (Certified): Connecticut State Licensed Low Voltage Contractors License (L5)

Antennas and Transmitters, (Certified): Connecticut State Licensed Limited Dish and Antenna Technician (V4)

Telecommunications Facilities, Operations, Administration and Maintenance: Expert

Co-location Facilities, Operations, Administration and Maintenance: Expert

Cisco Global Product Support, Core (GPSQ), (Certified): Intermediate

Cisco Global Product Support, DSL Technology (GPSQ), (Certified): Intermediate

Cisco Global Product Support, Optical Safety (GPSQ), (Certified): Intermediate

Cisco Global Product Support, Wireless LAN Fundamentals (GPSQ), (Certified): Intermediate

Cisco Global Product Support, Wireless LAN Aironet (GPSQ), (Certified): Intermediate

Siemens DCO-CS, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (Certified): Expert

Siemens FFP, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Siemens EWSD, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Ericsson AXE-10, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (Certified): Intermediate

Nortel DMS500, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Lucent 5ESS, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Lucent DDM2000, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Lucent MaxTNT, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Fujitsu FLM-2400, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Fujitsu FLM-600, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Alcatel DML-3x50, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Alcatel 1630 DACS, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Alcatel 1631 DACS, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Alcatel 1633 DACS, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Tellabs Titan 5500 DACS, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Marconi/RelTec DISC*S, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (Certified): Expert

ADC Next Generation Fiber Optic Distribution Frame, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

ADC FiberGuide Raceway System, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

Cognitronics McIAS Voice Announcement Systems, Install, Test, Turn-up, Ops, Admin & Maint. (OJT): Expert

CSU/DSU’s, Adtran, Westell, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maint. (OJT): Expert

Commercial Audio and Paging Systems, Amplifiers, 70 volt distribution wiring (OJT): Intermediate

DirecWay Commercial and Residential Satellite Internet Systems, DW4020 and DW6000 (Certified): Expert

DirecTV Commercial and Residential Satellite Television Systems, Level 3, Commercial (Certified): Expert

Satellite Broadcasting Communications Association (SBCA) Level 2 Trainer (Certified)

Access Control Systems - Software House (Tyco Systems) Galaxy Control Systems (Certified): Intermediate

CCTV Systems - American Dynamics, Pelco, Intellex DVR (OJT), RepWorks (Certified): Intermediate

Mitel Auto Dialer Installation (OJT): Expert

Power Generation, Backup and Distribution Systems, Operations, Administration and Maint. (OJT): Expert

Standby Generators (CAT, Onan, Hi-Tec), Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

DC Power Systems (Liebert UPS), Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

DC Battery Plants (Exide), Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Lorain/Marconi, Battery Distribution Fuse Board (BDFB) Install, Test, Ops, Admin and Maint (OJT): Expert

Hendry Fuse Panels, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maint. (OJT): Expert

Alarm and Intrusion Detection Systems (FBI), Installation, Testing and Administration (OJT): Intermediate

Timothy McCall

Resume, page 3

Fire Detection and Suppression Systems (Halon, FM200), Operations, Admin and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Panasonic EMMS PBX, Installation, Testing and Administration (OJT): Intermediate

AT&T Merlin PBX, Installation, Testing and Administration (OJT): Intermediate

Home-Automation Systems (Unity): Intermediate

Relay Rack Installation (OJT): Expert

Equipment Cabinet Installation: Expert

Ladder Rack Installation: Intermediate

POTS, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

DS-0, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

Frame Relay, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

56k DDS, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

DS-1, (B8ZS, AMI/D4) Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maint. (Certified): Expert

DS-3, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (Certified): Expert

OC-3, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

OC-12, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

OC-48, Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

OC-192 (Nortel OPTera), Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maint. (OJT): Intermediate

66 Block, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

RJ-11, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

RJ-45, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

CAT5, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

RG59, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

RG6, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

Fiber, Installation, Test and Turn-up (OJT): Expert

SS7 - A-Links Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Expert

SS7 - D-Links Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OJT): Intermediate

Feature Group “D” Circuits Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maint. (OJT): Expert

Feature Group “B” Circuits Installation, Test, Turn-up, Operations, Administration and Maint. (OJT): Intermediate

CLLI Code Ordering and Assignment (OJT): Intermediate

ASR (Access Service Request) Ordering (OJT): Intermediate

Software and Operating Systems:

Windows XP: Expert, Microsoft Word: Expert, Microsoft Project: Expert, Microsoft Excel: Expert

Microsoft Power Point: Expert, Microsoft Access: Intermediate, Visio: Intermediate, Adobe Acrobat: Expert

Remedy OSS/BSS: Expert, UNIX, (Redhat, Solaris): Intermediate, Cisco IOS: Intermediate

HyperTerminal: Expert, ProComm Plus: Expert, System Terminal and Console Access: Expert

Test Equipment:

Acterna/T-Berd, 224/310, FireBerd 6000 Test Set (Certified): Expert

Digital LightWave Test Set (Certified): Expert

Sage 930A Test Set, 105 Responder Tests (OJT): Expert

Centest 550 (OJT): Intermediate

OTDR (OJT): Intermediate

LiteSource (OJT): Intermediate

LiteMeter (OJT): Intermediate

Bird Dog Satellite Signal Acquisition Meter (OJT): Expert

Digital Volt/Ohm Meter (OJT): Expert

AmpMeter (OJT): Expert

Protocol Analyzer (OJT): Intermediate

Field Strength Meter (OJT): Intermediate

Spectrum Analyzer (OJT): Intermediate

Z-Meter (OJT): Intermediate

Digital Logic Probe (OJT): Intermediate

Oscilloscope (OJT): Intermediate

Information on Fontanelles Separation Surgery

2008-02-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

I had Fontanelles Separation Surgery in 1964 when I was 2 years old... My Mom was fond of telling me throughout my childhood and beyond that "we ate chicken" to pay for my operation and that if I didn't have the operation that I would have grown up retarded and died by the time I was 25.........

Definition of Craniosynostosis

A congenital (present at birth) disorder in which premature closure

of the sutures (gaps) on the skull results in an abnormally shaped

head. The severity of symptoms and shape of the skull depend on which

bones are affected. Synostosis means a union of adjacent bones.

Premature ossification of a suture, or synostosis, is sometimes

attributed to intrauterine restraint of head growth by twinning

or by early engagement of the head in the pelvis.

It is commonly seen in craniofacial disorders such as Crouzon, Apert,

Pfeiffer, or Saethrre-Chotzen syndromes, or in the setting of fetal

exposure to phenytoin, valproic acid, or other teratogens. Most often,

however, there is no identifiable cause. Sporadic cases typically

involve a single suture; syndromic cases typically demonstrate more

complex, multi-sutural involvement, often bilateral coronal synostosis.

Synonyms include: craniostenosis, plagiocephaly, scaphocephaly, and trigonocephaly.

Description of Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis consists of deformities of the skull resulting

from premature closure of the gaps, or sutures, between the skull

bones.

Most cases of craniosynostosis occur in a family with no history

of the condition and children with craniosynostosis are otherwise

healthy and have normal intelligence.

Normally, the bones of the skull are not joined at birth, allowing

the head to grow evenly. In individuals with craniosynostosis, the

sutures where the skull bones meet have closed, or close prematurely.

As a result, the expanding skull bones grow abnormally, and the

abnormal skull shape becomes more pronounced as the infant grows.

The shape is dependent on which sutures have closed, and various

abnormalities have specific names.

Acrocephaly, oxycephaly, turricephaly denote a pointed

(high) head, caused by the premature closure of all sutures.

Brachycephaly denotes an abnormally short, squat skull,

caused by the premature closure of the two coronal sutures,

which cross the top front portion of the skull, width-wise.

Dolichocephaly and scaphocephaly denote an abnormally long

front-to-back distance of the skull, caused when the sagittal suture,

which runs lengthwise along the top of the skull, is closed.

Sagittal synostosis (scaphocephaly) is the most common type.

It affects the main (sagittal) suture on the very top of the head.

The early closing forces the head to grow long and narrow, instead

of wide. Babies with this type of craniosynostosis tend to have a

broad forehead. It is more common in boys than girls.

Plagiocephaly denotes a somewhat lopsided, asymmetric, pointed

appearance, caused by premature closure of sutures that cross the

top of the skull widthwise (coronal sutures in the front, lambdoidal

sutures in the back), on only one side.

Trigonocephaly denotes a triangular shape at the top of the

skull, caused by the closing of the metopic suture, which runs

lengthwise along the top front of the skull, forward of the sagittal

suture and anterior fontanelle (the "soft spot" at the top front

portion of an infant's skull).

The expansion of the head is driven from within by growth of the

brain, and craniosynostosis causes deformity by restricting expansion

of the head in the dimension perpendicular to the affected suture.

Compensatory pressure by the growing brain results in expansion, or

bossing, in adjacent areas of the skull. The characteristic patterns

of deformity caused by synostosis of each individual suture are

readily recognized by the trained eye. Thus, physical examination

is the gold standard for evaluation of this problem.

Misinterpretation of skull radiographs and computed tomographic

(CT) scans is a common source of confusion and alarm for parents.

CT scanning of the skull and brain has a role principally for

surgical planning and to rule out any associated cerebral abnormality

or hydrocephalus, which are extremely uncommon in sporadic synostosis.

Without surgical intervention, the skull deformities caused by

craniosynostosis persist through life. Adults with untreated

craniosynostosis are easily recognizable. Sagittal synostosis

causes elongation and narrowing of the skull that can attain

grotesque proportions in childhood and are only partly mitigated

by normal enlargement of the facial skeleton and thickening of the

neck muscles later in life. Unilateral coronal synostosis causes

asymmetry of the forehead and orbits and rotation of the nose

that do not disappear with maturation. The natural history of

nonsyndromic metopic synostosis is uncertain. Older children

and adults with trigonocephaly are not seen, and some surgeons

have abandoned the treatment of this condition.

Of greater concern to parents than the persistence of deformity

into adulthood are social issues during the school years.

Children who are different in any way tend to become the objects

of ridicule and ostracism by their peers, and the skull deformities

caused by craniosynostosis do not escape the attention of schoolmates.

Parents are usually willing to subject their infant children to

surgery in order to remove obstacles to social integration, but

such an indication for surgery places heavy demands on the surgical

team with respect both to safety and aesthetic results. Treatment of craniosynostosis requires not only surgical expertise but also the

highest quality support in pediatric anesthesia and pediatric

intensive care.

The goal of the modern surgical treatment of craniosynostosis is

immediate correction of the skull deformity. In the past surgical

intervention was limited to synostectomy, so-called "reopening" of

the affected suture. The rationale for this approach was that removal

of the synostotic constraint on skull development would allow

subsequent brain growth to remodel the skull. Treatment by

synostectomy put a very high premium on early diagnosis, in order

to take maximal advantage of remaining brain growth potential.

However sound the theory may have been, the results were poor,

and contemporary surgeons have abandoned synostectomy in favor

of a variety of techniques for active remodeling of the skull.

Patients now look better in the recovery room. This shift in

surgical philosophy has been boosted by an explosion of new

instruments and materials that have allowed intervention not

at the earliest possible moment but at the point in skull

development mechanically most satisfactory for reconstruction.

Postponement of surgery until 6 to 9 months of age increases

the margin of safety as well.

Causes and Risk Factors of Craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis is estimated to occur in one in 2,000 live births.

The cause is unknown in most children. However, genetic syndromes

account for 10 to 20 percent of cases.

More than 50 craniosynostosis syndromes and more than 20 conditions

in which craniosynostosis is a secondary or occasional feature have

been described.

Craniosynostosis should not be confused with much more common, mild

changes in skull shape that result from prolonged periods in one

position. This condition is called positional skull flattening.

With the current recommendation for infants to sleep on their backs,

some infants develop a flattened occiput (back of the skull).

Similarly, some children develop lateral flattening if they lay

on their side too long without rotation. Parents should change

the infant’s position while awake to reduce the risk of flattening.

This is a benign condition and rarely requires any intervention

except change in position more frequently and occasionally a helmet.

Symptoms of Craniosynostosis

There is rarely any neurologic deficit. Mental retardation may occur

in these disorders and is more likely in cases where the closure

of the sutures is greatest.

Diagnosis of Craniosynostosis

Most of the cases are evident at birth, but they may also be

identified at routine “well” child examinations during the first

year of life. Compute Tomography (CT scanning) can identify the

abnormal suture more effectively than standard plain film radiographs. Furthermore, the CT scans can be used to develop a full picture of the abnormality though three dimensional reconstructions.

Treatment of Craniosynostosis

Among the majority who do not exhibit neurologic complications or

mental retardation, there are few complications caused by this

disorder other than cosmetic and sociopsychological problems. The craniosynostoses may be treated surgically by removing the affected

suture(s). These are complex procedures that require extensive

planning, employing CT scan three-dimensional reconstructions and a

team of physicians including neurosurgeons and anesthesiologists.

Correction is usually performed in the first year of life.

Principles of Sociology - Assignment 1

2008-02-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

Timothy McCall

Principles of Sociology

Instructor: Sue Ciriello

January 31^st, 2008

Naugatuck Valley Community College

Spring 2007 Semester

Assignment # 1:

Task: Answer “Sociological Imagination” question on page # 16 in our textbooks.

Q.) Interpret the practice of prostitution using the conflict perspective of sociology. Contrast your conclusion with the functionalist perspective. Do you think that you would arrive at a different conclusion utilizing a feminist perspective?

A.) The utilization of the practitioner’s “Sociological Imagination” requires donning the mantle of the investigational attitude first promulgated by Max Weber and termed “Verstehen”. (understanding and/or insight) To accomplish this, I am marshalling all of my left-handed creativity and right-brain capabilities in my attempt to sociologically analyze the multiple perspectives of this socially complex question.
I would first like to address what I will assume will be the automatic assumption of what I believe are the majority of students assigned this question. Does the designation of the appellation “prostitute” automatically derive to the female gender? I personally, and for the purposes of this paper, will take the position that it in fact, does not. Additionally, I would also challenge the label “prostitute” as automatically referring to acts of a sexual nature. People conducting activities for which they are qualified and compensated, but from which no pleasure or satisfaction are derived, often refer to these activities as having been “prostituted”.

Given these assumptions and establishing the conflict perspective as the analytical model, someone engaged in “prostitution” is at a disadvantage either economically, socially, educationally etc. and is being utilized by another person, entity or organization whereby they are exploited to derive an advantage in an economic, social, educational etc. situation. The net result of the interaction is a derived benefit to both parties in some way. The only differentiating factor is the level of desired vs. actual satisfaction from participation in the interaction accrued to each participant. Both the Functional and Conflict Perspective provide an analytical framework that works well in describing interactions at the macro-sociological level and provide the foundational descriptors to evaluate social interaction within the associated societal boundaries. The Interactionist Perspective will determine the levels of derived satisfaction resulting from the involved parties social interactions.

Contrasting these perspectives with the Feminists Perspective would of course change the underlying conclusions and perspective reached utilizing the Conflict and Functionalist Perspectives profoundly and significantly. One could more readily assume that we are, in fact, investigating interactions that are of a sexual nature and are concerned with the exploitation of women in a sexual manner that may not be consensual. The pre-established functional boundaries of the larger society in which the interaction takes place will determine the exact nature and extent of the gender exploitation and victimization associated with the interaction. In some societies where prostitution is both legal and widely accepted, the woman (and potentially men) participating in these types of activities may in fact be what is described by sociologist Robert Merton as an “innovator”. In other societies where woman’s rights are
significantly disenfranchised, significant levels of exploitation or total enslavement may in fact be the normative, established societal function of the female gender. Some societies exploit children of both genders for either sexual or economic enslavement and exploitation. In the United States, the Adult Entertainment Industry is widely characterized as generating more annual revenue than mainstream Hollywood Studio Film releases. That economic attractiveness may become irresistible to some “innovators” who participate in these activities simply to reap the substantial associated economic benefits.

I was very surprised by the extremely provocative nature of this question as our first class assignment. It made me think very hard to evaluate and formulate an answer I found to be personally palatable, relevant and succinct.

Introduction to Communications – Comm-H100 - Assignment 1

2008-02-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

Timothy McCall

Introduction to Communications – Comm-H100-1603

Instructor: Tammy McVey-Cammileri

February 8^th, 2008

Naugatuck Valley Community College

Spring 2007 Semester

Assignment # 1:

Task: Answer the following question. “What is the meaning of your first name?” and “How were you named?”

My given first name indicated on my birth certificate is “Timothy”.

Variations and associted nicknames are: Tim, Timmy, Timmothy, Timmo,Timo, Timofei, Timofeo, Timofey, Timon, Timoteo, Timothé, Timotheo, Timothey, Timotheus, Tymmothy, Tymon, Tymoteusz and Tymothy.

The associated gender for this name is primarily male.

The word is of Greek origin, from the Greek name (Timotheos) meaning "honoring God", derived from (timao) "to honor" and (theos) "god", or alternatively, “God’s Honor”.

For people of Irish descent adoption of the English personal first name Timothy was used as an equivalent of Tumulty and Tumelty. Tumulty/Tumelty is also an Irish Clan. Given the Gaelic usage of Mc and O’ to mean “Son-of”. McTumulty would mean “Son of Tumulty”. My last name is McCall, which is a derivation of MacCathmhaoil of Clan Cholla, one of the oldest of the Gaelic Clans of Ireland. Clan Cholla was founded by Colla Uais, High King of Ireland in 325CE.

First and Last names are no longer passed on in this way in Ireland and the only remaining country to utilize this method is Iceland.

Saint Timothy was a companion of Saint Paul on his missionary journeys and was the recipient of two of Saint Paul's epistles that appear in the New Testament. According to tradition, he was martyred at Ephesus about AD 80 after protesting the worship of the Greek goddess Artemis.

The name was uncommon until the 1800’s.

I was born in 1961, the height of the names popularity.My Mother and Father named me Timothy because the liked the sound of the name when used in conjunction with our last name, McCall. (according to my Mother, who I posed the question to…)

I have found over the years, that the first name Timothy, has always seemed extremely formal to me and normally introduce myself to people as “Tim”.

A Tribute to my little Honka Ponka, Sooki Soo

2007-12-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Copy of text from http://sookisoo.bravehost.com

Sooki Soo Tribute Page

Welcome to my Sooki Soo Tribute Page I created this page initially out of my grief over our loss of a beloved member of my Family. The activity helped to ease the pain and reminded me how much a part of my life Sooki Soo had been. I have expanded and developed on it as part of my participation in the Chat Forum on the PetLoss Website. By sharing our love for our pet with other people who have also experienced a loss of a beloved pet, we bond and heal together. Finding the PetLoss Website when I was in the throes of my grief was a lifesaver. I can't even begin to describe the absolute feeling of loss and grief I was experiencing during this period of my life. I honor the memory of my little "special-special" Sooki Soo here. I hope and pray that if you are here, you find some comfort and joy in seeing Sooki Soo. If you had ever met her, you would have LOVED HER! and she would have LOVED YOU right back! I will see you in Heaven Sooki Soo. You keep the couch warm and I will have a special scooby snack for you when I get there! Sooki Soo joined my Family in September, 1995 At the time I lived in Denver, Colorado Sooki Soo was the cutest little puppy! I loved (and still do) Sooki Soo very much. She had a wonderful personality and was able to communicate with me very effectively. I always knew when Sooki Soo wanted to go outside to take care of her business, or when she wanted a treat, or to be petted on the head or stomach. She loved it when you paid attention to her. She knew exactly how to get what she wanted. She had little routines depending on what she was trying to accomplish. Sooki Soo knew how to Sit, Give Paw Paw, Give Kiss Kiss and speak on command. She knew the difference between her left paw and right paw. If she tryed to give me her right paw, I would say, give me that one and point to her left paw Boom, she would give her left paw. Please be sure to take a look at the pictures of Sooki Soo in the Photo Album area. Sooki Soo passed on from my life on Jan. 25th 2006. She had suffered a stroke on Jan. 24th. The Vet told me that even if they operated that the prognosis was not good for her recovery. The stroke caused bleeding in Sooki Soo's brain. Sooki Soo was 11 years old when we lost her. I would not trade those 11 years for anything. She just started stumbling around on Jan 24th like she was drunk. She walked into walls, stumbled. I thought she might have an ear infection and had lost her balance. I brought her to the veterinarian the next day and she was blind. She couldn't see. She went into emergency surgery. She had her stomach purged. Placed on antibiotics and some other things the vet recommended. Finally, they determined she had a stroke. Her brain was bleeding. I found Petloss and talked to people. I was very upset. Almost panicking. One of the people there was a vet. She said sometimes the bleeding just stopped and that was it. Or, it was fatal. I decided with the Vet to wait one day and see what happened. The next day, she had gotten worse. Her breathing was very heavy. Her tongue was hanging out. Her legs were getting rigid and stiff. I had to make the decision to have her put to sleep by a fatal injection or try to save her by spending thousands of dollars on a brain surgery that would most likely fail. I made the difficult decision with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart overflowing with grief. The veterinarian (vet) is a very nice lady She has a room where there are candles and dimmed lights. I spent 20 minutes saying goodbye to her. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. I cried very hard and deeply. I cried almost like a little child would cry. I told her how much I loved her. How special she had been all the time she had been with me. How much I would miss her and how I would see her again. I said some prayers. It was very very difficult. I was so overcome with grief and emotion. The vet came in, I held her and kissed her and petted her and hugged her and the vet gave her the shot. She passed on almost right away. The vet said she was breathing easier and seemed more relaxed than she had been for the last 36 hours. Sooki Soo knew I was there with her. The vet clipped off some of Sooki Soo's whiskers and I kept those. I want to get them cast in a plastic cube. She also made a clay cast of Sooki Soo's paw print. I got that from her a few days later. I made arrangements to have Sooki Soo cremated. I wanted to bring her home and bury her in the backyard but I just couldn't do it. I was so sad. It was overwhelming. I have gotten her ashes back and I want to find a very special urn for her. I spent a lot of time over the next few days crying a lot, going to the Petloss website and chatting and building the website for Sooki Soo. I am still sometimes very sad that my special little girl is not here with me anymore.

A Short Story about Sooki Soo

Sooki Soo the wonder Dog, Part 1 Well, My little baby girl of 11 years, myr beloved friend and companion has passed on. What can you say when you are in the throes of grief over the loss of something special, deeply cherished and sorely missed. I would never have imagined when Sooki Soo first came into my life that she was to obtain the place in my heart and thoughts that she ultimately accomplished. Reminiscing over the last 11 years, I recall so many different events. Funny, sad, ironic, distressing, sad. I could never expand upon the various events to adequately communicate in an understandable manner how deeply her actions percolated into the depths of my soul and conciousness. I purchased Sooki Soo from a breeder north of Denver Colorado in 1995. This was before I knew anything about puppy mills. I don't imagine it was a puppy mill in the sense that they brutalized the animals. They were just some people who bred as many dogs as possible, with the lowest associated expenditures, for a living. Sooki Soo had no real congenital, genetic defects that your average pug would have. She suffered from skin problems and nasal problems. Overall, she was sound and healthy. I was and am convinced the longest lasting ill effect suffered by Sooki Soo from coming out of this enviroment was "kennel stress". She was an extremely high strung dog. Almost to the point of neurotic. No, never mind almost. She was and could be very neurotic. That character defect however, gave her character, and a character she was. Through and through. I lived in a small, rented, Condominium in Denver. At the time, I also had a cat named Boo-Boo, she was a black Persian with some white on her chest, paws, chin. Boo-Boo was around 8 years old at the time. I had hoped to introduce Boo-Boo and Sooki Soo and that they would get along and we would all live happily ever after. Wrong! Fat chance. Boo-Boo hissed at Sooki Soo. Sooki Soo went berserk! I have never seen a puppy in all my life, before of after, run as fast as Sooki Soo could. I had a futon with a straight, sloped back. It wasn't very comfortable to sit in but I would open it and lay down and watch TV. Sooki Soo would literally run around the coffee table onto the couch and across the back sideways! It was hilarious. If I had a video camera then, I would have won the $100,000 America's Funniest Home Videos Show Award hands down. No Contest! Have you ever seen a pug run when they are excited? They hump their back like they are getting ready to make a bowel movement. Then, they move the back legs at the same time and the front legs at the same time. Exactly opposite of the way they normally walk. Right front, left rear. Left front, right rear. Mouth slightly open, teeth exposed in a maniac smile, tongue lolling off to the side, ears flapping wildly behind her. 1 time around, 2 times around, 3 times around..... It was hilarious and amazing. Anyway, back to the infamous introduction of Sooki Soo and Boo-Boo. So Boo-Boo hisses, Sooki Soo get the hackles on her back up, eyes bug out, lips purse, woowoowooowooowooo. Zip, off she goes. 90 miles an hour. Now Boo-Boo had been semi-abused before I got her from a friend. Sprayed with a water pistol while everyone was partying. Took 2 years to get the cat to trust me. So Boo-Boo was kind of skittish already. Zip, off she goes, into the Master Bedroom. So I separated then from that day on. Boo-Boo lived in the bedroom, Sooki Soo lived everywhere else. Shortly afterward, while I was out one day, before I knew that it was, uh, maybe not OK to leave puppies unattended in the house with the ability to roam free. Sooki Soo decided that she wanted to go downstairs, to the apartment below us. So she dug in the carpet. Then she dug some more and some more and some more......The hole in the carpet and the underlayment pad was 36 inches side to side. With the plywood showing clearly all the way around. AHHHHHHHHHHH! What did you do you little maniac! Say goodbye to the $650.00 security deposit. This was the first of many large, unexpected monetary expenditures I incurred over the next 11 years. Amazingly, it didn't diminsh my love for her on little bit. Yes, it hurt, financially, but, she was a nut case, she couldn't help it, and it was partially my fault anyway. This was also one of the first of many hard lessons I learned in my mental file of "things not to do when you own a little puppy".

ADM 353 Final Paper - Leadership Class - Barry University - Miami, FL.

2007-12-23T19:25:00.000-08:00

· Leadership Class Final Paper ·

· Professor Clifford Larue

· ADM353 BA

· Barry University, Spring Semester

· Student: Timothy McCall

______________________________________________________________________

Introduction:

The following paper will present for consideration a theory of "Universal Leadership". This concept is a synthesis of the concepts presented over the last 10 weeks during the series of lectures given by Professor Clifford LaRue on leadership. Following the paper is a diagram showing the "Universal Leadership" process. The precept behind this theory of leadership is essentially one of universality. Both of experience and approach by the person exercising leadership. By approaching leadership from a universal perspective, we are able to fully comprehend and address a diversity of leadership situations without being constrained by any single approach or theory of leadership.

Position:

While the theories presented in the class textbook were comprehensive and applicable. My feeling was that the textbook failed to show the inter-relationships and inter-dependencies inherent in the implementation and practice of leadership and by default, management skills contained within these separately presented theories of leadership. All leaders exhibit traits as described. The same statement would hold true for each of these presented theories of leadership. While this statements applicability would certainly vary along any evaluated leaders behavior continuum, the relativity of this statement should become apparent under further consideration. The field of physics has always sought what is described as the "Grand Unified Theory" of physics. This "unification theory" has sought to take the various theories of particle physics and unify them into a coherent whole. In much the same way, I would postulate that all of the leadership theories presented in the textbook can be unified and presented as a coherent, comprehensive theory of leadership. While completely addressing this concept is outside of the scope of this paper. It is my hope that this paper can serve as a basis for consideration and development of this initial concept into a cogent, empirical theory of leadership which proves relevant to the leadership process as it is practiced throughout the world today. In addition, the implementation of a "Universal" theory of leadership would, by default, promote the development of a "Universalist" mindset. Both by the leader and the "ledders". This result could only provide benefits to all involved and participating in this process. As a leader in her field is fond of saying, "That's a good thing" (Martha Stewart)

The class final paper and assignment were as follows:

Document 9 Leaders defined by the following Leadership Theories:

#1.) Trait Theory of Leadership.

#2.) Style Theory of Leadership.

#3.) Situational Theory of Leadership.

#4.) Contingency Theory of Leadership.

#5.) Path-Goal Theory of Leadership.

#6.) Leader-Member Exchange Theory of Leadership.

#7.) Transformational Theory of Leadership.

#8.) Team Leadership Theory.

#9.) Psychodynamic Theory of Leadership.

Synopsis:

Since this class and the presentation of lecture material were so radically different from what I would normally expect in a standard, conformist, Undergraduate level class. (To me, that was a welcome departure from the norm) I felt it was appropriate to address this paper in a manner which was a departure from the assigned standard for our final paper. Rather than finding this departure unusual and unwarranted, I would hope it is viewed in the context that this material is being evaluated and synthesized, then represented for analysis, by one of your self-described "2 of 22" universal leaders. The underlying, unspoken thread which was inherent throughout the series of lectures on this material has had one underlying theme. That of "Universal Leadership". By breaking free of the constraints imposed by our externally imposed "Guarded Gateways"ã. We are able to move past the mindsets associated with them and more fully participate in the universal human process. I will present for consideration, nine leaders. I will attempt to demonstrate in each leader the following characteristics:

#1.) Which of the 10 Realms of Socio-Political Leadership they operated within and the associated constraints imposed by these arenas.
#2.) Which of the Seven Arenas of Leadership these leaders operated from within and the major activities and inter-relationships associated with them.

#3.) Which of the 10 Continuos Centers of Conflict and the Guarded Gateways of Diversityã associated with those centers these leaders derived the majority of their leadership characteristics and traits from and some of the constraints imposed on them by those same Guarded Gateways.

#4.) The application of the 9 theories of leadership to each of the presented leaders activities as leaders framed within the new paradigm of "Universal Leadership" and as developed and demonstrated by commentary and diagrammatic means.

· UNIVERSAL LEADERS

#1.) Joseph Campbell, Author, Scholar, Teacher, Lecturer, World Religions and Mythology. http://www.jcf.org (excellent internet site!)

Background: Joseph Campbell is revered by numerous groups of learned peoples as a groundbreaking, visionary leader in his chosen field and occupation. As a young man he was interested in Native American Indian culture. As he grew older, his interests expanded into all areas of mythology and religion. He attended Dartmouth and Columbia Universities and graduated from Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He later returned for post-graduate studies in literature which he never completes because of differences with his Ph.D. committee. Just prior to the stock market crash of 1929 he retires to the woods of Woodstock. He then embarks on a course of voluminous reading. His insights and synthesis of a wide body of knowledge were the result of this self-imposed 5-year exile and retreat. Shortly afterward, in 1944 he begins work on his first book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces". This book will serve as the cornerstone for his later ideas and developments along these lines. Joseph Campbell later writes numerous books with mythological themes. George Lucas cites his writings as inspiration for the Star Wars books and films he later produced.

Universal Leadership: Joseph Campbell operated from with the Socio-Political realm of USALANDIA. He embodied the principles of:

Universality. As evidenced by his synthesis of diversified "mythologies".

Stoicism. His self-imposed exile was a living example of this virtue.

Advocacy. His ability to show the hero's journey in multiple races, cultures and times.

Liberty. Of the mind from the constraints imposed by our "cultures" (Gateways)

Altruism. Freely sharing his insights and knowledge with others.

Nature. Surely his greatest love and something he championed

Demythology / Truth. His synthesis of multiple mythologies effected this result.

Individualism. His portrayal of the hero's journey promotes this concept.

Alacrity. Evidenced by his lifelong pursuit in this area of knowledge.

Additionally, he operated within the Humanities, Philosophy and Religion Arena of Leadership. His primary activities within this realm consisted of studies of the common elements of mythology and religion. Drawing parallels between completely different belief systems and showing the universality of the experiences of humankind.

The primary areas of the Continuos Centers of Conflict, which defined Joseph Campbell, were Religion and Myth. He made substantial accomplishments in unifying disparate cultures perceptions in this area. He was able to largely free himself from the mental constraints imposed by the guarded gateways of diversity. This was primarily through his ability to comprehend, assimilate and internalize other cultures thoughts and belief systems and understand them with something other than a secondary perspective.

As a leader, I would have to say that Joseph Campbell's primary modality would have been as a Psychodynamic, Transformational leader, secondarily he would practice Leader-Member Exchange leadership skills. My classification along these lines is justified primarily by his high level of focus on the "mythological" aspect of the human experience and it's ramifications for our personal experiences. He believed that by better understanding these aspects of ourselves and our diversified cultures, we would become better people and by default better leaders. He desired to lead by teaching us all about the commonality of our experiences and belief systems. He did this by lecturing and writing. This justifies the classification as a practitioner of the Leader-Member Exchange theory of leadership. Even though Joseph Campbell passed on in the 1980's, his intellectual legacy still lives on as evidenced by the extensive material on his organizations website and the devotion to his writings exhibited by large numbers of people both nationally and worldwide. He is a credit to the example of "Universal Leadership".

#2.) Bruce Lee: Actor, Author, Artist, Poet, Philosopher, Founder of Martial Art System Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. http://www.jkd.com

Background: Bruce Lee is considered by many aficionados of the martial arts to possibly be one of the greatest martial artists of all time. Certainly he is the greatest of the 20^th century. He embodied and lived by the concepts and philosophy of his field of endeavor. He was a consummate practitioner of all things associated with martial arts. Physical and spiritual strength with intellectual knowledge. He was not only a formidable fighter, he was also a budding philosopher who attended the University of Washington and who's personal library contains over 2500 books on everything from Yoga to Western Psychoanalysis. His formulation of a new and radically different system of practicing the martial arts, one based on individualistic freedom of expression is unparalleled to this day in the pantheon of martial arts systems. His untimely death at the age of 33 surely precluded even greater accomplishments.

Universal Leadership: Bruce Lee operated from with the Socio-Political realm of USALANDIA primarily and from the New Asian and Pacific Islands secondarily. He embodied the principles of:

Universality. As evidenced by his synthesis of diversified martial arts styles.

Stoicism. His physical abilities and transcendence were examples of this virtue.

Advocacy. His ability to promote the practice of Martial Arts as an individual.

Liberty. Of the mind from the constraints imposed by martial art "systems".

Altruism. Freely sharing his insights and knowledge with others.

Nature. The function of the human body and it's usage in self-defense.

Demythology / Truth. His synthesis of multiple martial arts systems effected this result.

Individualism. His promotion of his revolutionary concepts promoted this approach.

Alacrity. Evidenced by his lifelong pursuit in this area of knowledge.

He was constrained by some of the ideas and preconceptions imposed on him in his early life in Hong Kong. His parents actually dressed him as a girl early in his life because there was supposed to be a family curse on the first born son. Some people still hold this to be true and point to the early deaths of both Bruce and his son Brandon as evidence that this curse did in fact exist. He was successful in freeing himself from many of the preconceptions one would normally expect in someone practicing a "traditional" martial art. He actually at one point was challenged and had to defend himself against another Chinese martial artist who was sent to prevent him from teaching any style of martial arts to anyone other than Chinese.

Of the Seven Arenas of Leadership, Bruce Lee operated within two of them. Primarily he was involved in the arena of what would loosely be called Defense and War. Albeit at the individual level and secondarily in the arena of the Humanities in the practice of Philosophy. His primary activities in this area were in the development of a system of martial arts which embodied not only unifying physical methods of self-defense but also the philosophical aspects of development related to this area of endeavor. The enduring popularity of his corpus of knowledge is a testament to its validity and timelessness.

Of the Ten Continuous Center of Conflict Bruce Lee directly experienced a number of these. Race, Ethnicity and Religion were all critical components of Bruce Lee's life experience. As an Asian in America in the early 1960's he experienced racial and ethnic prejudice. He was ostracized by his own ethnic group for breaking their unwritten rule of not teaching martial arts to any non-Chinese. While not directly mentioned, his broad reading and study in the areas of religion and philosophy indicate his dissatisfaction with the options presented to him if he had remained in the gateway defined by his own ethnic group. His ability to move beyond those constraints identifies Bruce Lee as a "Universal Leader". It is these characteristics which cause me to have a deep respect and admiration for Bruce Lee's life and writings.

As a leader, I would describe Bruce as a practitioner of a Psychodynamic, Transformational, Leader-Member Exchange, style of leadership. In addition, Bruce had Traits normally associated with revolutionary leaders. Intelligence, charisma, determination. His style as a leader was revolutionary and iconoclastic. His expectations for himself were high and he expected others around him to have those same ideals and aspirations.

Prologue:

While the preceding dissertations are not exactly along the lines of what was assigned for the class. I would hope that what is lacking in exactitude and volume are made up for by displaying insight, comprehension and interpretation to the subject matter and material. If this paper is lacking in desired breadth or depth, please allow me an additional day to produce whatever additional material would reassure you and convince you I have comprehended the subject material.

Steve Vai Review - Webster Theater - Hartford, CT.

2007-12-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

Steve Vai

Webster Theater, Hartford CT

10/03/2007

By: Tim McCall

Staff Writer – Guitar Jam Daily

tim@guitarjamdaily.com

So there we were, the whole GJD crew, heading out to the Steve Vai show at the Webster Theater in Hartford on a Wednesday night. Kenny, Dave, Mike and me. I knew before we even left that tonight was going to be a great night. I have always liked Steve Vai’s music. Not completely in the same way that I like other styles and Artists, but more of an extreme case of admiration for his incredible technical proficiency and wonderfully intricate melodic phrasing. He has had some very memorable recordings that played a large part in my developing love of music over the years. His work on the Bill and Ted’s EXCELLENT Adventure Soundtrack. The Encino Man Soundtrack. Playing with David Lee Roth and Whitesnake and of course, the Passion and Warfare Album which is my all-time favorite work by Steve Vai.

The one thing that everyone needs to realize about me is that I am fan of all musical instruments, not just guitars. I don’t get hung up on the infinite minutiae and minor details of the techniques of guitar playing. For me, it’s all about WHAT I HEAR and HOW IT MAKES me feel. Instrumental music like Steve Vai’s gives us all an opportunity to interpret the music to mean what we want it to mean. The lack of lyrics is sadly a barrier to many peoples ability to FEEL and personally interpret the music. If your life is all about words and not about feelings… Then Steve Vai’s music will not speak to you because it requires you to speak to yourself. Steve does sing on some of his songs and while he isn’t the greatest singer in the world, I for one, wish he would sing more. Even some minor introductory lyrics can set the tone, lyrical framework and expectation for the whole composition.

Anyone that has heard Steve Vai’s music would immediately recognize it. He utilizes harmonizers extensively to achieve his distinctive and unique sound. I don’t know, maybe I am a little off the beaten path of what would be considered “standard” musical knowledge or awareness, but I would recommend reading any articles you can find on Psycho-Acoustics. There is a good primer on Wikipedia. It is esoteric for sure, the science of the perception of music. (or sound) For any serious musician, I would say it is almost a requirement to have some rudimentary knowledge of this area. A basic understanding of these concepts helped me expand my musical appreciation immensely.

Imagine someone scraping their fingernails across a blackboard. Sounds terrible, hurts your ears, simple example of psycho-acoustics at work. Now imagine Steve Vai playing his signature guitar style and sound, harmonizers kicking in, off-key secondary and tertiary harmonics aggregating and reverberating inside the biological sound-processors residing between your ears. This was the psycho-acoustic experience I was looking forward to on the way up to the show, and I was richly rewarding by Steve Vai and company. Listening to Steve’s compositions on your MP3 player or home stereo (even a really good one like mine) is just no comparison to hearing it performed live, on a decent venue’s audio system with all it’s dynamics right there for you to experience firsthand.

For those of you familiar with Steve Vai’s catalog of music, the Passion and Warfare albums song “For the Love of God” opens with a young man saying “Peace and Love and Good Happiness Stuff”. For me, that summarizes perfectly what that song is saying to me when I listen to it. In talking with Kenny before and after the show, some of the things that he mentioned to me were that Steve has been working with Dweezil Zappa on his project and playing with him occasionally. Kenny had the following observations on two of the songs that Steve Vai played, “Tender Surrender” reminded him of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Riviera Paradise with jazzy octave melodies and “Juice” showed some influence from Eddie Van Halen with a double stop laden melody.

Some of the things that Steve Vai did during the show indicate to me how really humble and thoughtful Steve is for someone who is so incredibly technically proficient. Every other member of the band had their moment to shine with a solo. He also had the opening band’s guitarist playing a tasty acoustic number with him. The 2 violins played a really cool, fast, Paganini style duet. Steve played the guitar with his feet at one point during one of his solo’s, the lighting came up from below and was an excellent accent to the solo. Steve waving his arms for emphasis just added the perfect touch to highlight the various phrasings Steve created with his feet (toes?)

In wrapping this review up, if you are already a huge Steve Vai fan, you will be happy to hear Steve playing out live and up close. For those of you that are not familiar with Steve Vai’s catalog of music, start with his Passion and Warfare album. It is definitely his most accessible work. If one of the songs on it doesn’t move you in some way, you are an emotionless shell and you should take up selling used cars. Like I said to Steve when I was shaking his hand at the after-show meet and greet, “Peace, Love and Good Happiness Stuff” Thanks for a great show Steve. Party ON!

Tesla Review - Webster Theater - Hartford, CT.

2007-12-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

Tesla

Webster Theater, Hartford CT

07/06/2007

By: Tim McCall

Staff Writer – Guitar Jam Daily

tim@guitarjamdaily.com

The first question that came to my mind when I was asked to do this Concert Review was. “Do they still have it?”. You know what I mean, right? That undefinable factor that made Tesla such a hit in the first place. After such a long layoff from playing, recording and touring, I think it’s a valid question. It’s really the first and only question a fan of Tesla (or of any Band) is going to ask themselves before going out and paying to see them play a live show. So before I even get started breaking down the show and giving you all the details, the answer is, YES! Tesla STILL ROCKS and they STILL HAVE IT!

OK, are you happy now? Got a big grin on your face? Good. Because I know I did.

Anyone interested in detailed discographies, biographies and information on the band can go to the Band’s Website. http://www.teslatheband.com

Tesla played the Webster Theater in Harford Connecticut on July 6^th, 2007. The show was sponsored by 106.9 WCCC, “The Rock” broadcasting out of Hartford, CT.

I had never been to the Webster Theater so I didn’t really know what to expect. It is a fairly decent sized Venue. It looks like it could hold around 1000 people. My Comp ticket was #574 even though it was a General Admission Show. (Thank you Randy). It looked like there was somewhere between 600 and 700 fans attending. There are plenty of Bars, waitresses on the floor and a concession area for Bands to sell T-shirts, Posters and CD’s. The Ceiling is about 30’ and Slightly Domed.

The Webster Theater website says the Venue is an old converted movie theater. It’s definitely not like some of the Concert Venues Tesla has played in the past. It was the smallest Venue I have ever seen them in. (I saw the band twice back in the early 90’s) Not that I am complaining, it was a welcome treat to see one of my favorite bands from back in the day play in a small Venue with a good sound system. The sound system had good volume, clarity and separation.

Parking was a little bit of a hassle. The lot behind the Webster Theater is pretty small and all overflow traffic gets directed to a Grocery Store Parking lot about 2 blocks away. So if you want to park close, you need to get there really early. There were two Security guards wearing Webster Theater T-Shirts at the lot. They collected $5.00, put a card on my dashboard and said they would be there all night. When I left for the evening, someone had left 2 empty six-packs in the bed of my pickup truck. (Thanks losers) My impression of the surrounding neighborhood was that it isn’t very upscale and if you park in the overflow lot, make sure you leave with the crowd. Otherwise you might be in for an unwelcome surprise on the way back to your car. I also read a posting on the Webster Theater message board that said not to park on the surrounding streets because there are a lot of smash and grabs. I wouldn’t let that deter me from going to another show at the Webster Theater though.

The second question that I asked myself was, “why would Tesla do covers and not some new originals”? For those of you who haven’t heard. Tesla’s newest album is “Real to Reel”. It’s a 2 disc release of all cover songs. The second disc is only available to people who attend their live shows. You show your ticket stub at the merchandising table and get the 2^nd CD free. Unless you have a complimentary ticket like me, then you are out of luck. It was no big deal at the time, because I figured that a set of disc’s probably had gotten sent to the office for us to review, but I was wrong. We haven’t gotten the 2^nd Disc from the “Real to Reel” CD’s yet. So I will have to work on getting it and give you a complete rundown on the 2^nd Disc of the new album at a later date. Check out Joe Sass’ review of Disc one here on GJD.

Tesla’s most successful single was “Signs”, from the “Five Man Acoustic Jam” album. For those of you who were unfamiliar with Tesla from that period, they took a huge risk at a time when Grunge was quickly overtaking Hard Rock, Glam and Heavy Metal by releasing an “Acoustic Covers” album. Tesla was widely credited with providing the impetus for what would later become the “MTV Unplugged” sessions.

This is clearly very familiar territory for Tesla, they do covers and they do them extremely well. Sometimes they are clearly the original song and other times there are subtle variations which give those songs you know and love a whole new sound, vibe and coloration. Jeff Keith’s voice has a lot to do with that. Lots of bands do covers, very few do justice to the original song. Tesla does more than just deliver the goods. They kick it off the stage. Besides, when will I get to see Led Zeppelin or Robin Trower out on tour, playing these songs live? Probably never….. Thanks Tesla, you still ROCK!

Let me give you the complete play by play and rundown on the show.

Tesla came on at 10:40PM and played a total of 18 songs.

Most of the songs were original Tesla material with a few cover songs from the new “Real to Reel” disc’s thrown in here and there.

Tesla opened the show with “Comin' Atcha Live”. Definitely one of their more upbeat, loud, fast and in your face songs. It was an excellent choice from their originals catalog to open the show. Tesla’s front man, Jeff Keith, still has almost 100% of that signature voice that I remember so well. “Comin' Atcha Live” is track # 2 off of the 1986 “Mechanical Resonance” Album. It was TIGHT! Boom! The show started and away they went with all 8 cylinders of the band blasting away at full throttle.

The 2^nd Song I didn’t recognize – it must’ve been off of the “Real to Real CD’s”. Sorry fellas, ya stumped me almost right away and that doesn’t happen often. Note to self, get the playlist next time….

The 3^rd Song was a Warren Zevon cover. “Taking my time etc”. Same drum beat / breaks

with a heavier Guitar sound. The stage backdrop had two big “Reel – to – Reel” Tapes spinning on the backdrop. Great Sustain on the Solo, even more than Warren Zevon would likely have played live. The beginning of the Guitar Solo was note for note

then they broke into a shredding solo. Then they traded off on the solos into the finish.

The only other band from back in that time period that I ever remember trading off on the guitar solos with such seamless transitions was Queensryche.

In between songs, Jeff Keith , mentioned Tesla’s last tour in support of the “Five Man Acoustic Jam” I saw them in New York on that tour. They were recording for the album. The crowd was so rowdy that they wound up using the recording from the Philadelphia show instead of the New York show. (according to the disc liner notes) Imagine people moshing to “Signs”! It was CRAZY……..Then, “take you back to 1986”!

They broke into the 4^th Song “Modern Day Cowboy” track # 7 off of the 1986 “Mechanical Resonance” Album. They played it heavier and slightly slower than the original recording. They got a really big sound. The whole crowd was singing along. All 600-700 of the rock and roller’s there were really getting into the song. I was really digging it! Note for note on the Solo. The bridge outro was slightly different but sounded good. Jeff Keith was slightly off, my only disappointment of the evening. I almost wouldn’t have noticed it if I wasn’t so familiar with the song. It is one of my favorites from back in the days and it’s no exaggeration to say I must have heard this song 500 or more times easily. Live music is almost never exactly like the studio recording, but Tesla almost always manages to get really, really close to the original recording. The 12 string guitar outro was there, note for note. Ahhhh, old favorites played live. What more could an aging metal head like me ask for? It’s like a favorite old blanket that has been washed 500 times. Every note of the entire song wraps itself around my conscious memory and feels GOOD.

The 5^th song was “Lazy Days Crazy Nights” track # 5 off of the 1990’s “Great Radio Controversy” Album. Tight, big, sounded great. They played it a little slow, with nice crisp shots on the ride cymbal cowbell. Frank Hannon played a fuzzed out Solo, started out playing his Flying V and then switched over to a Gibson.

The 6^th Song was “Little Suzy” track # 9 off of the 1986 “Mechanical Resonance” Album. This was one of Tesla’s biggest hits. An acoustic ballad to be sure. I knew more than one girl who adopted this song as their own theme song. The song was played very tight, with the same big sound the guys seem to get from every song they play live. The bass line was heavier than the original recording. The whole crowd was singing along. It was almost a full house with no room anywhere on the floor down front. STILL GOT IT!

What else would you expect? The Solo was note for note. They played this song excellent. If this is one of your favorite songs, seeing the show just for this song would make it worth your while.

The 7^th Song was “Rock Bottom”. Track #9 off Disc # 1 of the “Real to Reel”. What a

great classic rock n’ roll Guitar Riff! Schenker and UFO were awesome! (by the way, they are playing the Webster soon) If you wanted any Band to cover your favorite artist who would it be? There is a long tradition in Rock n’ Roll of bands doing covers. I can remember tons of examples where the cover sold better than the original. How about you? How many can you name? Frank got a nice sustained solo with feedback and switched back to his Flying V. I couldn’t help but wonder who/how they picked the songs that they cover? They get a really big open sound between the 2 guitars. I asked the Tour Manager, Randy, if they run their Marshall Amps in stereo and he said that “one of them do”. I’ll assume it is Frank Hannon, Since Dave Rude just recently joined the band. Maybe Ken can get the specific details out in his interview.

The 9^th Song was “Love Song” track # 11 off of the 1990’s “Great Radio Controversy” Album. Intro was the long 12 string with 2 Acoustic Guitars, almost in a Spanish Flamenco Style. Then they transitioned over to their own style. Troy was playing his kit as Hand Drums in the background. The Guitars traded off. The crowd was too noisy too hear the music well. Welcome to a live Rock n’ Roll Show! They ended the Acoustic into and outroed to the beginning of Love Song, the point it always starts on the Radio. The crowd went totally wild, the loudest of the night. The 1^st Solo note for note ,2^nd half of the song was done a little differently than the original recording but it was excellent. Great to hear a song you are familiar with have a few twists and turns you don’t expect at a live show. It helps keep things lively and engages the musician’s mind. What an awesomely idealistic anthem this is ….LOVE IS ALL AROUND YOU” It would be so cool if it was a reality. I heard echoes, reverbaration and reflections from the past. There is a definite 1960’s feel to this song. I used to listen to this song with my girlfriend. At least if love wasn’t everywhere around me, it could be there in the room, right next to me.

The 10^th Song was “What you Give” Track # 10 off the 1991 release, “Psychotic Supper” The Acoustic Intro was EXACT. What an inspiring song. It was always another one of my favorites by them. Right up there with “EZ Cum EZ Go”. (which they, unfotunately didn’t play) I listened, wondering, did these lyrics always speak to me? Whenever I hear a song that has real meaning for me, I truly and deeply appreciate it.

Jeff Keith talked a little about the 1^st big arena they ever played and how it was right here in New Haven, CT in 1986 as the opening act for David Lee Roth and how they loved the East Coast of the good ‘ole US of A.

The 11^th Song they played was “Sonic Emotion” track # 5 from “Psychotic Supper”

Tesla is really faithful to performing their songs true to their original recordings sound.

It is a testament to their true Rock ‘n Roll hearts and souls. No tricks. No gimmicks

Just pure, in your face, rock ‘n roll.

The 13^th Song was “Heaven Trail (No Way Out)” track # 3 from “Great Radio Controversy” They Changed the Intro up a little, sounded good and thick, heavy, driving Got the WAH-WAH on the end.

Jeff changed the close a little bit with……..ready to kick ass…….

Anytime

Anyplace

Anywhere

Made me chuckle..cool…keep them little changes coming guys.

The 14^th Song was “Freedom Slaves” track # 8 from “Psychotic Supper”

Some of the lyrics to this song go like this “Pledge Allegiance to your flag”

“GOOD REASONS FOR BEING MAD”

I took a short break outside for a smoke and some of the fellows

were talking about the new guitar playing not being up to par……

Sour grapes bro’. They sounded great!

When everyone else was doing Glam – Thrash – Double Bass Insanity

Tesla was rocking It out. They stayed true to their roots

They played a Zepplin cover Song and a Foghat cover

The 17^th Song was “Signs” off the “Five Man Acoustic Jam”.

Seemed like they kind of went into a Medley. The song was done electric not acoustic.

It was really cool to hear it electric, not like the album. The whole crowd is singing along

It definitley sounded a lot different, Fuller – Louder and a little faster. Spot on with the vocals.

That was the Show’s Finale. 2 minutes of screaming by the crowd

Brought the band back out with Jeff announcing “We’re Gonna Play 2 more for you”

The 1^st Encore Song was Robin Trower’s “Day of the Eagle” (not the Dove)

Frank was playing it on the Flying V. AWESOME! He totally nailed it! Note for note, harmonics, reverb the whole bag. When and where else are you going to hear anyone play Trower this well?

The 2^nd Encore Song and Last Song of the night was “Edison’s Medicine” track # 2 from “Psychotic Supper”. Like every song of the night, big sound, tight, faithfully reproduced. What more could you ask for.

In wrapping this up, if you are already a fan and familiar with Tesla, go see them, get the second disc at the show, reminisce about the good old days of Rock ‘n Roll and Heavy Metal before Grunge came along and have a BLAST. If you aren’t too familiar with Tesla, check out some of their original work before passing judgement on them for doing a 2-Disc set of covers. You will come away with a feeling of respect for a group of musician’s that were not only technically talented but who also wrote some really great songs. If they are back in the New England Area again, either now or later, I’ll go out of my way to attend the show.

Take care everyone. Until the next review. Party On!

(2) Sooki Soo, (not quite) Tanka/Haiku Poems

2007-12-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

Poem # 1

The most Noble Loving Creature

Sits beside me with loving gentle kindness

Saying nothing but communicating always

Her gratitude and love permeate my Soul

Fill my heart and complete my life

-------------------------------------------

Poem # 2

My little girl, Sooki Soo

My heart swells, thinking of your life

All the joy, sweet happiness, sorrow

What I would give for one day

To say again how I love you

-------------------------------------

My Thanks to Yukiko from Petloss.com for inspiring me and instructing me on the correct construction of a Japanese Tanka Poem, even though these don't exactly match the criteria, you liked them and they were written spontaneously, in the true nature of a Tanka/Haiku Poem.
Domo Arigato Yukiko-san.

For a discussion of Haiku and Tanka Poems construction go here:
http://home.clara.net/nhi/hkfaq.htm

eHarmony Personality Profile

2007-12-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

This is what you get when you pay eHarmony for their services

They ask you something like 500 questions and rate you according to

their "dimensions of compatibility".

I didn’t have any luck meeting anyone on eHarmony in 4 months.

I think I am a “difficult” i.e. an extremely complex, person to match.

Introduction to Agreeableness

This section of your profile describes your interactions with other people. The ways we communicate our feelings, beliefs and ideas to others are influenced by our cultural backgrounds, the way we were raised, and sometimes which side of the bed we got up on this morning. Some of us are very mindful of others making decisions we hope will be in their best interests, even if it means sometimes neglecting our own interests. Others of us believe each person should be responsible for themselves, taking deep pride in our own character and independence with a firm belief that others are best served by doing the same. The following describes how you engage with others; illustrating the dimension of your personality that determines your independence or your desire to reach out and touch others in meaningful ways.

You are best described as:

TAKING CARE OF OTHERS AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

Words that describe you:

* Fair

* Considered

* Collaborative

* Responsive

* Sensible

* Diplomatic

* Contemplative

* Indulgent

* Rational

A General Description of How You Interact with Others

You are important. So are other people, especially if they are in trouble. You have a tender heart, but you know how to establish and keep personal boundaries. You are empathetic and compassionate, but you also believe that it's best if people solve their own problems and learn to take care of themselves, if they are able.

You are deeply moved by the needs of others, but you know that if you don't take good care of yourself, you'll wind up being of no use to anyone. So yours is a thoughtful compassion. You strive to be fair and sensible, taking care of others while also taking care of yourself.

When someone really is in trouble, you like to collaborate with them toward a solution; they do their part, you do yours. You consider carefully, and respond in a sensible way; they do their part, and together you move through the difficulty.

You seldom act impulsively; rather, when a problem arises, you take your time to think through the situation. This contemplative quality usually means that you'll arrive at a diplomatic solution, one that's fair for the other person and also fair to you. It's frequently a win/win situation.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

For people who are ruled by tender-hearted compassion, your more diplomatic response to problems might seem too cool, too focused on fairness and not filled enough with sympathy and selflessness.

For them, when someone's life is on fire, what is needed is not collaboration but rescue. And the person who experiences their life on fire may resent the time you take to contemplate. "I need you, and I need you NOW! This isn't about fairness, it's about the fire." "All deliberate speed" may seem too deliberate and not fast enough, either to the more compassionate or to people in genuine trouble.

At the other end of the spectrum of compassion, those who believe people should take care of themselves may find even your thoughtful sympathies too soft. They expect people, themselves included, to work their own way out of trouble. They are convinced that the helping hand you lend just fosters dependence and is not good for the development of character, either in you or in the person you assist.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Many people, perhaps the majority, will come to appreciate your balance as a compassionate person. The more they get to know you, the more they will admire your thoughtful compassion for others and its compliment in the sensible ways you take good care of yourself.

Those whom you help will appreciate the way you leave them with their dignity by expecting them to collaborate in their own rescue. Those who are more tender-hearted will find in you a balance they lack; when they've run out of energy because they fail to take good care of themselves, you will still have enough compassion left to lift others out of trouble.

Even the tough-hearted, those who believe people should solve their own problems, might come to admire your tenderness which they don't find in themselves. So the people you help will be grateful, and the people who see your balance between self and others will admire you. Certainly, balanced is not bad at all as a way to be known among your friends.

Agreeableness - Introduction:

In earlier paragraphs you were described on a scale that included Taking Care of Others and Taking Care of Yourself. The following paragraphs refine what was described in those preceding paragraphs. You will find below descriptions of three specific character traits that are sub-sets of Taking Care of Others and Taking Care of Yourself.

The three describe your qualities of Modesty, Social Integrity, and Generosity.

Modesty - Introduction:

While taking care of others and taking care of yourself, to what degree do you try to put yourself in the spotlight or keep your caring acts hidden? Are you out to make a name for yourself as "someone who really cares", or are you content with the actions themselves and comfortable if no one recognizes you for your efforts? Is some desire for personal gain hidden in your acts of kindness? Are you or are you not a modest person?

Modesty: Your Personalized Description

No one notices, no one knows except you and the person in front of you, and that's just fine with you. You don't get called to the front of the class or singled out at awards ceremonies as "the person who really cares". You just do it, quietly and consistently, without drawing attention to yourself. More than most people, you know how to listen carefully and speak honestly to whatever another person needs from you.

You've probably discovered what not everyone else learns: when you focus on the other person, at some point the other person will reciprocate and you'll get your turn to be the center of attention. You need a bit of that, as most people do. But that's not why you are such a good listener, such an attentive friend. You pay close attention to the person in front of you because that's who you are: someone who genuinely cares.

Another thing: you are not a fault-finder. You don't listen carefully in order to find the flaws in a person's character or behavior. You don't get into that relational see-saw game of putting them down in order to prop up your own sense of worth. When you care for someone the offer is genuine; it's about them, not about you.

You do have your own needs in even these most intimate relationships, with your few closest friends and your partner. At times you want them to stop talking and start listening, to let the conversation move from your laser-like focus on them to at least a heart-felt if not so laser-like focus on you. Before you run out of energy in caring for others, you need to restore your own sense of well-being in the relationship. Not most of the time, but at least a bit of the time. The hard part for you is asking for this. You are much more comfortable as the giver than as the receiver, much more likely to ask, "What's up with you?" than to say, "Hey, I need to tell you what's going on with me". Maybe some friends have disappointed you in the past, and not been nearly as interested in you as in themselves. But you don't need to assume that's true of the friend or partner now standing in front of you. Perhaps if you gave them a chance they could reciprocate, if not with the same attention you give them then at least with enough attention to give you a chance to be heard. Maybe. And maybe it's worth a try.

But to be clear again: you're not looking for the spotlight, and you're not in these relationships to see how much you can get for yourself out of this other person. Your affection and attention are not tools of deception to suck affirmation from your friends. This is who you are: a person who listens well and cares deeply; your affection and attention are the real thing.

Generosity - Introduction:

Generosity is both attitude and action. It is an attitude of genuine interest in the well-being of others, and a genuine desire to help them. And generosity is action: taking the time, gathering the resources, delivering the goods. When it comes to taking care of others and taking care of yourself, are you a generous person? The following paragraphs describe what it is like to be more or less generous in your relationships with people you are close to.

Generosity: Your Personalized Description

In the arithmetic of generosity you've found an equation that works pretty well for you. You know when taking care of others means lending a hand and when the best way to take care of them is to leave them alone and let them take care of themselves. You know when it's time to focus your kindness on them and when you need to turn your attention to yourself so that your own life stays sane and lively. You can be generous when generosity is called for but you are not indiscriminate with your generosity, doling it out when it isn't required. You give enough to help when help is needed, but you take enough time and keep enough of your resources to insure that your own life goes well. Such is the arithmetic of your generosity.

Since you know how to be generous, it is curious that you stop short of giving all you've got. It's as if you are afraid that you might deplete yourself, as if there's not enough in you, not enough of you to let your generosity run free. Or perhaps your caution has as much to do with your view of other people as with your fear of emptying yourself. Maybe you have a genuine concern that people will become dependant if you offer them too much, and that what they should do most of the time is dive down into their own treasure chest of time and energy and inner resources and pull up what they need to get through. Perhaps it's both: you don't want to run dry, and you want other people to find their solution in themselves and not from you. Whatever the case, it is curious that you have more to give than you give.

Your closest friends and your partner may alternate between genuine gratitude and confusion. Gratitude, because when you come through for them, you come through big time: you show up, you stay, you give what you've got, and they thrive. Confusion, because there are times when you don't show up, or show up only briefly or with little in your hands, and slide off to take care of yourself while they're still trying to climb out of whatever ditch they've fallen into. When you're there for them, you're really there, and they're grateful. But it's confusing when you don't show up; they wonder where you are and why you're not there when they need you.

Still, the arithmetic works for you. You give what you can, but not more than you can. For the rest, you want people to take care of themselves, use their own resources and not just yours. This equation keeps you close enough to know what intimacy is, but sane and lively in your own life as well.

Social Awareness - Introduction:

While taking care of others and taking care of yourself, to what extent do you let people know what you really think and feel? Do you hide your foibles and failures, or can you laugh at yourself in front of someone else? If you believe in someone, will you speak up on their behalf even when it might cost you? Do you see yourself as part of a social system of equals or do you see yourself as part of a social system where you need to game the system a bit - never quite sure what others want or what you are willing to give. For some people, it's true that what you see is what you get; there's nothing hidden about them. For others, what you see is what they want you to see, and they keep a good bit of who they are out of sight. The following paragraphs describe your level of social awareness.

Social Awareness: Your Personalized Description

You are rather cautious about letting people know what you really think and believe; even your closest friends find it hard to know what your deepest feelings are. You keep your inner world to yourself. If you have weaknesses, they are YOUR weaknesses and you feel little need to let others in on them. If you have unpopular or unconventional beliefs, they are YOUR beliefs and you seldom feel a need to put them into the conversation.

To be sure, you're not a closed book. You'll talk about a lot of things you think and believe, and you'll share personal details and opinions about a wide variety of subjects. But these are mostly the safe stuff, which don't involve painful experiences or deep opinions or personal details that could potentially cause embarrassment later on. You can be quite candid on a more casual level. But when it comes to information you consider deeper and more personal, you generally like to keep it to yourself.

It's safer this way. You learned somewhere - either from painful experience or intuition, or perhaps both - that being open can be a hard experience. Someone may think less of you, or criticize you, or some other unnecessary difficulty may result. So you don't open up too often. What's wrong with making it hard to be hurt?

Nothing. Who wants to be hurt? But if you're hard to hurt you may also be hard to know. You know how to be kind, to lend your hand when someone is in need or share what you have when someone is in need. But that's about sharing THINGS; it's not about sharing yourself. Our question for you is about relationships; open and honest friendships. Does your style of keeping your emotional cards close to the chest, so to speak, make it difficult for you to experience the full range of intimacy? Intimacy is an experience inside us; it's about being known, honestly and completely, and still being loved. So in protecting yourself from being hurt is it possible you're also keeping yourself from being known and, to some extent, being loved?

If, after contemplation, you do feel that your style may be keeping you from experiencing the depth in relationships that you desire you may want to try a different approach. What would happen if you were to pick the one person you trust the most, even if right now that is a limited trust and open up to them, not with everything in your life but with something important to you? Give them a chance, see if they treat you with more kindness than you expect. And if they do then maybe you can go a little deeper, share a little more. Who knows? Maybe you'll find ways to a closeness you never thought possible. It's probably worth a try.

Introduction to Openness

How firmly committed are you to the ideas and beliefs that govern your thinking and guide your behavior? Some people trust their current ideas and beliefs the way a climber trusts the mountain; whichever way they move, whether the climb is on a familiar trail or over new ground, there is something solid beneath them, something they count on.

For others, new ideas, new solutions to old problems, new beliefs that replace tired convictions are like welcome wind in their sails. They can hardly wait to tack in a new direction and ride a new idea through uncharted waters. If it's new, it's interesting, and they're ready to explore.

The following paragraphs describe your responses to new ways of thinking and believing. How do you handle new information? Are you more like the climber on a familiar mountain or a sailor with a tiller in hand and a fresh breeze to propel you? How you integrate and process new information about the world and about others is a core aspect of your personality.

On the Openness Dimension you are:

VERY CURIOUS

Words that describe you:

* Imaginative

* Creative

* Intellectual

* Adventurous

* Unconventional

* Artistic

* Progressive

* Daring

* Inspired

A General Description of How You Approach New Information and Experiences

You are a very creative and imaginative person who is especially open to new ideas or new ways of thinking about old problems. You love to approach a conventional idea or a traditional way of doing things by walking around to the other side and explore it from a novel perspective. What's new is what interests you. Like an artist looking for a new way to see, you focus your imagination on envisioning ideas, events or problems in completely original ways. You are intellectually progressive, which means you like to think and feel your way into unexplored landscapes where you let your sense of intellectual adventure romp freely.

Because you are so curious you can also be very teachable. You learn from personal and interpersonal experiences as well as from classrooms and textbooks. You crave new information, and toss and turn it in your vivid imagination. When you come across an idea from someone else or a thought in your own head that is particularly provocative or original, you light up. With wit and wisdom, Dr. Seuss describes you like this: "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward Your Style of Thinking

Not everyone will be thrilled by your adventurous mind. Many people are content with the ideas that have served them and their culture well, and with visions they've grown accustomed to of what is and is not true. They're not lit up at the prospect of moving out of their comfort zone. Others are afraid of new ways of thinking and creative ways of solving problems because they are somewhat fragile in the sense that they have trouble maintaining serenity in their current worlds and don't want someone, like you, for instance, pushing out the edges of their intellectual and cultural cosmos. So don't be surprised if your unconventional ideas sometimes get you criticized, or if some people walk away from the explorations of new territories of the mind that you find so exhilarating.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Despite some negative responses to your style of thinking, many people will find your progressive thoughts and vivid imagination quite attractive. Some will find your openness to new ways of thinking and your willingness to explore what others shy away from a very compelling quality. Other creative souls will find in you a companion on the journey into the unknown, and will welcome the camaraderie. Conversations with them will be lively and innovative and will ignite your imagination, and theirs. Even some who are less curious than you will be impressed by your courage to think and believe what is for them unimaginable, and by your willingness to go on adventures of the mind that they would find dangerous or daunting. For these people you might become a mentor into the wilder side of thinking and believing, and nudge them toward the creative and progressive ideas that you find so interesting.

Openness - Introduction:

In the eHarmony.com Personality Profile you were described as either Curious or Contented, or somewhere in between. These descriptions were developed from how you responded to new ways of thinking and believing. The following paragraphs add to that description of you as Curious or Contented by exploring aspects of Openness. Specifically we reflect on the extent to which you are an Information Processor, someone who is Inquisitive, and your degree of Perceptiveness.

Information Processor - Introduction:

We're reminded regularly that we live in "the information age". With streams of email and phone messages and the vast sea of data on the internet it seems sometimes that we might drown in "TMI", or "too much information." How well do you do at taking all of this information in, making sense of it and using it wisely? This increased flow of information is also happening in our personal lives. If we talk honestly and listen carefully with our friends and our partners, there's a lot of stuff to process: everyone we know wants us to listen to and understand their different opinions and beliefs and each of us brings our unique family history and our own records of personal successes and failures that make up the stories we want to tell to those we care about. The surge of feelings that result come at times like water from a fire hydrant.

Again, how well do you do at taking all this in, making sense of it and using it wisely? Put briefly, how effective are you as an Information Processor?

Information Processor: Your Personalized Description

It's easy to imagine you sitting in front of your computer screen checking emails and surfing the net for a project you're working on while your land-line phone rings and then your cell phone rings. Okay, so maybe you've upgraded and now several of these functions are performed by one integrated instrument; the point is it's easy to imagine you taking in a great deal of information and enjoying the rush of it; processing it with skill and quickly figuring out how to use it effectively.

The same quality is true in your relationships. When your friends or your partner tells another chapter of their story or catches you up on their day you actually hear what they're saying, fit it in with the other bits and pieces you know about them, and communicate back to them that you got what they said and understand what they mean and how it modifies or confirms what you already know about them. All this is to say that you process information well. You catch on quickly to what the data mean, you analyze problems accurately and you use this knowledge to think ahead about how this information alters your decisions about what to do and how to do it.

Here are a couple of things to consider. First, we're reminded all the time about the difference between information and knowledge, and you may want to be cautious about assuming that your ability with information is the same as knowledge. Some people who can handle an intense flow of data and sift and sort it nevertheless don't do very well in fitting it in to some bigger picture. Just how your particular piece of a work project affects and is affected by what's going on down the hall is something you may not be as good at as you are at sorting data. And learning another piece of information about your friend or partner doesn't necessarily mean that you'll use it wisely; facts always need to find their meaning in the nest of feelings and beliefs in another person. So be careful to note the difference between information and knowledge.

Even with this caution you should celebrate you ability to process information so well. It is undoubtedly one of the most useful tools you could possess in this Information Age. Your proficiency with information can play a positive role in making your relationships thrive as well. If you use this skill to handle the "people" part of the data stream that is your life, both you and your colleagues and friends and your partner will be better off for this gift you bring.

Inquisitive - Introduction:

People who raise children talk about a period in early childhood when every bit of new information is met with the question, "Why?" "You need to eat your carrots." "Why, mommy?" Or, "Why is the sky blue?" Or, "Why did Grandpa die?" Many of the questions never do get answered, but most children grow out of their incessant curiosity and find their own answers, however reliable, to the simplest and the most profound questions. Most children. But some never lose this curiosity. Into adulthood they are addictively inquisitive. "When a fly lands on the ceiling does it come in flying upside down, or does it do a quick flip-turn just before landing?" Most of us would say, "Who cares?", but for the truly curious such questions taunt them and haunt them. How about you? The following paragraphs describe the extent to which you are or are not inquisitive.

Inquisitive: Your Personalized Description

You are the inquisitive child who never stopped asking "Why?" Well into adulthood you still have an insatiable curiosity about the way the world works and why people behave in certain ways and not in others. Where most people would ask a question, get an answer and be satisfied, you press on. "Why do men and women deal differently with problems between them?" "Men are problem solvers and want to find a solution, while women are more interested in relating so they want to talk things through." Enough for some people. Ah, but you want to know, "Is this a difference in their brain structure, or is this something learned through cultural influences?" Probably some of each. Enough then, right? Not so fast. "But why don't cultures just alter the way we nurture women and men and try to resolve this difference?" And on and on and on. Why? Why? Why?

Your curiosity keeps you stimulated, keeps you thinking and exploring and growing. You're always seeking out new facts, or new interpretations of known facts, or new comparisons of various interpretations. . . . .well, you get the point. You just keep pushing out the edges of the envelope, hungering for more information, more understanding. All of this makes you a very interesting person. You are lit up with your own curiosity; your mind is lively, your imagination always switched on, and you consistently have new insights that captivate you.

Most of the time, your friends and colleagues are fascinated with what you bring to the conversation. Like few in the group, you have a way of taking conversations to a higher level by asking - and sometimes answering - questions no one else is dealing with and pushing everyone forward toward new knowledge. In your work environment your inquisitiveness requires the entire team to think outside the box, to be restless with what is now routine and willing to explore another way to make the product or offer the service. Among your friends and with your partner you are the one who gets everyone to consider a different approach to recurring problems or a different way to understand why you love one another and what it means to make commitments for the long run.

But sometimes enough is enough. You exhaust the curiosity of others even as you're moving on to the thirteenth level of Why. They're ready to settle in to some boring conversation about ordinary stuff because their brains are worn out by your questions. "Give it a rest" is what they think, whether they say it or not.

So you've got to be discreet with your inquisitiveness. On your own, have at it as long as you wish. But in the company of others learn when you've gone far enough and need to back off. Your curiosity is one of your great gifts to your work colleagues, your friends and even your partner and you don't want to spoil the gift by wearing out its welcome.

Perceptiveness - Introduction:

How well do you see? Not with your eyes but with your instincts. Do you read people like an open book or is it easy to slide something past you as if your inner vision blinked? Some of us misread other people's intentions while others of us get it right away; some of us consistently misjudge situations while others of us seem to know what's happening even if it isn't obvious. How well do you see? The following paragraphs describe your Perceptiveness.

Perceptiveness: Your Personalized Description

When you have your mind's eye open and your ears attuned, you don't miss much. You see what's going on around you, not just the obvious but also the subtleties of peoples' behavior and intentions. You hear what's being said by your friends and your work colleagues and even catch those nuances that many other people miss. When you are looking and listening carefully you know well how other people are reacting to you, and why, and you read them like pages of an open book.

But for some reason or reasons there are moments or circumstances when you just don't get it. Like the monkeys with their hands covering their eyes and pressed over their ears, there are occasions when you See No Evil and Hear No Evil nor much else of what is going on around you. It's as if you are momentarily struck blind and deaf to the obvious and the nuanced and you wind up the fool you don't ever want to be.

What happens to you in these moments? Maybe you just stop paying attention. You are distracted by something that seems more important - a concern you're pondering or a fantasy you're enjoying or some situation at work or at home that you can't take your mind's eye off of. Perhaps you think the situation or the person in front of you isn't that important; they don't matter that much to you and they cannot possibly hurt you. Then suddenly you've slipped on a banana peel and you don't know why.

Look, you're smart enough not to get caught off guard like this. There is ample evidence from all the times you see and hear so well that you don't need to slip into these moments of naivete or density that get you into trouble. Maybe you could use your friends or your partner to nudge you when your mind wanders off; and maybe you can learn some mental disciplines that will help you keep your mind on what's right in front of you. Most of the time you're nobody's fool; you'd be wiser still to increase that time and minimize those awkward moments when you take a mental or emotional pratfall.

Introduction to Emotional Stability

We're born with the capacity to feel deeply, so it's as natural as breathing to experience a range of emotions. Fear and joy and sadness, anger and shame and disgust lie somewhere within each of us. Ah, but to what extent do we control these emotions, and to what extent do they control us? How you answer this question of how your emotions play out in your life has a great deal to do with your levels of personal satisfaction and with the character of your relationships with others. Do you manage your emotions well, keeping them in check with your thinking and your willpower, or are you someone who lets emotions have their way, giving in to the wild dance of feelings? The following paragraphs describe your emotional range in terms of being a person who is emotionally steady or someone who is responsive to whatever feelings swell up in you.

On Emotional Stability you are:

RESPONSIVE

Words that describe you:

* Open

* Accessible

* Too Sensitive

* Reachable

* Candid

* Unguarded

A General Description of Your Reactivity

You are an emotional person. In some ways, we are all emotional; we feel joy, anger, sadness and fear; some of us more powerfully than others - and you more powerfully than most. Your emotions are closer to the surface, and your feelings more obvious to you than is the case with most people. You've got your life in a good place, your dominant mood is upbeat, and unless life has been particularly trying for you, you greatly enjoy the richness and intensity of life that being so open with your emotions brings you.

Sure there are times when your feelings come very close to the surface, and life becomes more complicated. At these times you may grow self-conscious, or feel a bit anxious. But all in all, you much prefer being open with your emotions, breathing in all that life offers, than shutting down any part of your emotional experience. Granted, there may be times when these emotions are hard but you realize that is part of life. And more often than not you feel enriched by your emotions, by your ability to be open to all that life brings you. You know that even when you have those times that get you down, there will be even more times when you see life in ways that others just can't.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

Undoubtedly you have met some people who get uncomfortable being around you because your feelings are so close to the surface. They may keep a bit of distance, especially around any subject that might trigger an emotional topic they are uncomfortable with. Over time, they might even stay away from you more and more. You will find you have decisions to make; do you temper your style for their comfort or do you hope they will find ways to become more comfortable with emotional expressions? Given the richness that seems to stem from your emotional life the most meaningful response is probably very apparent to you.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

You are a cherished companion for those friends who can handle emotions well. They will appreciate the candor with which you express even difficult feelings like anger and fear. Your openness will make intimate conversations even more intimate, and make the connections between you as friends deeper and stronger. Some people who have trouble expressing their feelings might find in you a good example of how to be more vulnerable and more open. Your willingness and ability to share your emotions could encourage them to share theirs, and invite them into ways of being friends that will help enrich their lives.

Anger Management - Introduction:

Anger is as natural as love is, as much a part of what it means to be human as sadness or fear or joy. But for most people anger is a more troubling - perhaps the most troubling - of our emotions. Some people refuse to express anger directly; they hold it in, like holding their breath, until the moment passes and the anger slips out like a subtle sigh. Other people explode with the frequency of popcorn, littering their lives with necessary and unnecessary conflict. What about you? You get angry of course; everyone does. But how do you manage those angry moments? The following paragraphs describe your ability to manage your anger.

Anger Management: Your Personalized Description

You relate to your anger the same way most people relate to a bad memory: it's there, you know it's there, but you do whatever it takes not to pay attention to it. The sequence goes something like this: Try not to acknowledge it. Even if you acknowledge it, try not to show it. Even if you show it, try not to say it. Even if you say it, try not to lose control. You operate with something like this ascending scale of effort when it comes to controlling your anger. And "control" is the correct word; you want to control the existence, and if not the existence the expression, of anger before it controls you. Either you convinced yourself or someone told you that anger is bad or dangerous, or both. So you won't go there. Sad? Okay, you can be sad. Or frightened. Or joyous. But not angry.

This strategy works quite well. Because you don't let yourself get angry you seldom find yourself in those arguments, either the silly or the serious ones, which other people seem to live in as if it's their natural habitat. You make your way through difficult discussions with your civility in tact, and despite levels of provocation that might get even mild-mannered people riled up you maintain your cool. This strategy with anger keeps your life uncluttered with the debris that emotional warfare always produces. You like it like this.

Most of your friends and maybe your partner will manage anger differently. A few of them might be exploders, tossing anger around like hand-grenades and creating the predictable relational wounds. Others may be less volatile but still more willing to shout out their anger in certain circumstances. Still others may concentrate their anger like a laser, confining it to certain situations but, when expressing it, doing so with lethal force. And all of them may have a hard time understanding your strategy with anger. "Come on, just let it out; show us how you feel". "Don't give us that calm-cool-and-collected routine; you must be boiling inside." Because they cannot control their anger they will not trust your control of yours.

Two pieces of advice. First, it's important to acknowledge your anger, if not to anyone else then at least to yourself. Remember, anger is as natural as breathing, as normal and healthy as love. Anger begins as that set of biological responses that help us deal with danger, whether in the form of a runaway train or a friend who betrays us. Anger helps us protect ourselves. So it's down there somewhere, even in you. It may not boil or explode, but it's there. So learn to listen for it, and to recognize it even when it disguises itself as indifference or that flattened out feeling that is often the prelude to depression. Become friends with your anger so it doesn't have its unacknowledged way with you.

Second, don't try to be like your friends or your partner by expressing anger in ways that are not natural to you. You're not an exploder, so don't fake explosions. You're not a shouter, so don't shout. Maybe the best rule of thumb for you is to wait out the high-heat of an angry encounter and then talk about what happened between you when everyone involved has cooled down. You'll probably discover, to your friends' surprise as well as your own, that you can't remember what started the argument an hour after it's over or if you remember it will seem trivial. On those occasions when the cause was significant, in a cooler conversation you may be able to work out the problem in ways that never succeed in an argument.

Don't forget: anger is a tricky emotion for most people. So get to know your anger, and learn how to manage those tense moments in ways that best suit you.

Emotional Strength - Introduction:

Over twenty years ago Scott Peck began his best-selling book The Road Less Traveled with this profound statement of the obvious: "Life is difficult". Two decades of learning later, we want to say, "Duh!! Of course it is". Life comes at us at too fast a pace, just to get by we need to take on more than we can handle, stress outweighs pleasure by a ton - we know all these things because this is the river we swim in, the life we both choose and cannot avoid. And more often than we'd like, it's difficult to make such a life work. So how do we handle the pressure? Do we manage the stress or does it control us? Are we able to cope beyond simple survival and actually experience our lives as happy and hopeful? Or do we collapse under the weight of it all, panic at the thought of what tomorrow morning brings, and look for some way out of what has become more than we can handle? The following paragraphs describe your emotional strength, which is your ability or lack of ability to deal with the fact that life is difficult.

Emotional Strength: Your Personalized Description

Most of the time you manage to make it through even the most difficult situations. You've survived the break-up of relationships or the loss of a friend or battles in your family or conflicts at work. You somehow manage to gather your inner resources, keep yourself from panicking, and find your way through. Maybe on occasion you collapse; you crawl under the covers for three days, turn the electric blanket up to ten, suck your thumb and sleep until the panic subsides. But not very often. Usually you're up and at it and head straight for the problem, using your brains and your character and your imagination and getting control of your life again.

A word about those times when you lose control. Have you ever tried to figure out what it is about those rare times when you don't do so well? Maybe there's a pattern; maybe they involve a certain kind of person, or a situation that calls for a response you're not very good at - you need to fight for your rights and you don't like to fight, or it's something in your family and your family never allows you to assert yourself. Something like that. It's worth figuring out, if you can, which situations give you the most trouble and how you might cope with them more effectively.

It's also worth knowing where your strength comes from. Maybe you got it from a family that cherished you and challenged you and taught you what you were capable of, or maybe you struggled early on and learned to make your way with ingenuity and imagination until you came to believe in yourself. Now you've had enough experience with surviving, even thriving, to trust that you will make it through most situations.

Here's another thing you've probably already learned. You need friends, or at least one friend, who is very much like you, not necessarily in their opinions or beliefs or the clothes they wear but in their ability to make it through difficult times. Someone you can count on to understand what's happening when the bottom drops out for you, and whom you can lean on as you make your way up out of the ditch. It is a sign of your strength, not your weakness, that you cultivate a friendship with just such a person so that, when you have to, each of you has the other to rely upon.

A word of warning. Some people - maybe some of your friends, or even your partner - are always looking for someone to pick up part of their load in life, either because they cannot carry it or they're just not willing to exert the effort it would take. Be careful. You're strong but you're not invincible, something you know from those rare occasions when you wind up curled up under the blanket looking out at the world. You do neither yourself nor your friends a favor by taking on more than you can or should handle. So use your great strength wisely, and both you and those around you will continue to benefit from it.

Ease with Others - Introduction:

Most of us have at least one or two friends or family members we know we can trust; many of us have a whole crowd of people we think of as reliable. But some people just aren't sure; they don't know if it's foolish to trust even the person they feel closest too. After all, they've been let down before and what's to keep it from happening again, even from someone close at hand? Many of us walk out the door into the world believing that there is fun and goodness and even love to find out there; we embrace the opportunity to explore new places with new or familiar friends. But some people just aren't sure; the world is a dangerous place, and whatever fun or goodness or love there is out there is compromised by the danger of some people and the random acts of violence that no one is safe from. What about you? Do you leave your home every day with a buoyant expectation that you'll find pleasure and kindness out there, or do you anticipate the worst and guard against it with prudence and caution and a very observant eye? The following paragraphs describe ways in which you view the world and the people in it as you venture forth.

Ease with Others: Your Personalized Description

When some people leave the house in the morning the thought they carry out the door is, "Be careful". Not you. "Have a great time" is more like it. After all, there are people out there to meet who are interesting, even if they're strangers to you. And who knows what new adventure awaits you at work or where you stop on the way home? As long as you open yourself to whatever comes, what you say to yourself walking out the door may describe what actually happens: you have a great time.

You're not about to be duped, you aren't careless. You know that life can be dangerous. Thoughtless drivers, irresponsible colleagues, truly dangerous thugs, ill people who don't know that they're spreading whatever they carry. You're cautious enough to be on guard when you wade into contact with these people. But with you, it's caution, not fear. You want to be careful around these people, but you're not frightened of them, or of the world in general.

Because you are not afraid but expectant, you have more, and more varied, experiences than most other people. You'll try new restaurants or weekend vacation spots, introduce yourself to strangers, even some of the strangest of them, and trust people even before they've earned your trust, just because you're that kind of person. Some of your friends may admire and try to emulate your gregarious way with the world. But others, who are more motivated by fear than you are, will hold back and play it safe. This may create some friction between you and them, which you'll have to talk through. The secret to success in these conversations is to understand and respect one another, even in your differences, and to realize the futility of trying to make the other person more like you.

Lucky you. You step into each day with the expectation that you're going to meet people with whom you will have a good time, and more often than not that's what the day provides. It's great to live without unnecessary fear, and to enjoy life as much as you do. Again, lucky you.

Introduction to Conscientiousness

It's a work day, breakfast is over, and you're dressed and ready. So how will you approach the tasks at hand? Some people work best with a clear schedule, a set of priorities and a due date for every step in the process. Others are, shall we say, less regimented. They approach a task with as much imagination as organization, and with a willingness to bend and modify in order to exercise some urge of creativity.

How about you? Do you walk in a straight line toward a clear goal, or are you more likely to dance your way down whatever path will get you wherever it is you're headed? The following paragraphs describe ways in which you approach the tasks life brings to you, and to what extent you are focused or flexible in how you choose to proceed.

Your approach toward your obligations is:

FOCUSED AND FLEXIBLE

Words that describe you:

* Casual

* Informal

* Compliant

* Reliable

* Organized

* Solid

* Dependable

* Uncommitted

* Genuine

A General Description of How You Interact with Others

When you take on a task at work or at home, you are reliable; you get the job done. In an organized way, you define the goal, lay out a plan, figure how long the task will take, and get to work "solid and dependable you".

But and this is important you're not a slave to the plan. You're committed to it, but not chained to it; the connection is more casual and informal. You know that sometimes "the best laid plans" fall off the tracks; when this happens, you clean up the train wreck and start over, undeterred.

Though not happening often, when plans change, you're okay with it. In fact, sometimes you change the plan. It's too nice of a Saturday to finish organizing the garage. Let's go for a bike ride instead. True, the next rainy Saturday will likely find you back in the garage, but for now the work can wait.

What an interesting combination of qualities in you're organized, but casual; solid, but compliant; and dependable, but informal. At home and at work, people know they can rely on you. You take great satisfaction in knowing that people think of you as disciplined and responsible, but you also know that you have something of a free spirit in you, and when this spirit moves you, off you go, following the impulse of the moment. You are rightly proud of your work ethic, but you also enjoy your willingness to lay the tools down, crank up the music and play like a child.

Conscientiousness - Introduction:

In earlier paragraphs you we described on a scale that included being Focused and being Flexible as you approach the tasks in your day. You will find below descriptions of three specific character traits that are sub-sets of Focused and Flexible. The three describe you as Efficient, as a Leader, and as a Planner.

Efficient - Introduction:

As you set out into your day, are you efficient in your use of time, or at the end of your day do look back and feel you wasted time? Do you get done those things you set out to do, or at the end of the day is there still a stack of unfinished business? Have you cleaned up yesterday's mess or left as much of a mess at the end of the day as you found at the beginning? In a word, are you or are you not efficient?

Efficient: Your Personalized Description

Okay, so you sometimes run late; still, you're usually on time. And sometimes your desk resembles the aftermath of a small bombing raid; but you get it cleaned up, eventually. Maybe once a month you blow off a meeting or don't return a phone call; so you're not perfect, but you're way better than some. And when you do miss stuff it's seldom the big stuff; it's one or two details, and didn't someone write a book that says, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"? Don't a few details qualify as "the small stuff"?

To turn it around and look from the other direction, you get a lot done and it's usually done very well, and it's almost always done on time. Even if you're not a "neat freak" or a perfectionist about dotting i's and crossing t's, what you produce meets the needs of the task and is intelligible and doesn't need a whole lot of rewriting or redoing. On any reasonable person's efficiency scale, you are at least Pretty Good.

You might get uncomfortable if the job you're doing or the person you're working (or - and this could be trouble - living) with requires more attention to detail than you are used to giving. Remember, they're as uncomfortable with you as you are with them, so it's a matter of talking it through, finding some accommodation, at least for the project at hand, and making your way together. If the project is not just a work assignment but a relationship, well, you may need some help with that tango. To live with and love someone whose attention to detail is greater or less than yours is like dancing with a klutz; each of you is going to get your toes stepped on. Somebody needs to teach one of you to dance a bit better. Find a good teacher.

Even if you get uncomfortable with some people or they get uncomfortable with you, the important thing is that you are comfortable with yourself. And that's true for you as long as you get enough stuff done with enough attention to detail to make it presentable and with enough attention to the people involved so that no one gets their feelings injured or their expectations disappointed. Most of the time you are pretty content with the way you work and the product you generate. As long as you keep it like that, you'll sleep like a baby even if there's a bit of a mess to wake to tomorrow morning.

Leader - Introduction:

If you were to be in the perfect job where would you fit in the power hierarchy? Are you best suited to be at the front of the company-making tough decisions, pushing things forward and living with the consequences, or would you be better suited to be a worker, someone who has a clear job description, puts in their time and moves on to the next task? We all don't have the Donald Trump instinct, far from it. And thank God for that, no?

Leader: Your Personalized Description

You can take it or leave it. If they need someone to be in charge and you know something about the lay of the land, you'll raise your hand and point the way and others will line up behind you. Or you feel fine if someone else gets their hand up first; they probably know this issue better than you do, have some experience in making important decisions, and deserve to have you and others go in what they decide is the best direction to take. You can lead or follow, whichever place in the group you're best suited for at the moment.

Maybe this flexibility about leadership suits you because you know yourself so well. You've been at it long enough to know what you're good at and when you're just upper-mediocre; you've got some clear strengths, but you also lack either the brains or the charisma or the vision to take charge in certain situations, and you are fine with that. If this is so, no wonder you're comfortable either leading or following. But maybe it's something else; maybe you're stronger than you let on, and you just don't want the responsibilities of leadership. You're smart enough, people trust you, you know how to make decisions, but you just don't want the job. Maybe you got burned in a leadership role and don't want to risk it again, or maybe you'd rather go about the business that really interests you, even if it means leaving the group looking for the leader you refuse to be. When the opportunity to lead presents itself and you choose instead to follow, are you aware of what's going on inside you that governs this decision? It's probably worth exploring, so at least you know why you do what you do when you say Yes or No to leadership.

Another thing. Other people may like the fact that you are willing to follow even though you and they know you're also capable of leading. They may want the leadership role at times, and will appreciate you deference. Or they may agree that someone else in the group is the more natural leader than either they or you are, and by deferring you actually help the group get the best leader available. But they may also get confused by you: one time you lead, and do it well; another time, when they may look to you for leadership, you stare at your shoes instead of raising your hand and they can't figure out what to make of you. "Sometimes Yes, sometimes No. Which is it? Can we or can we not count on you as one of the leaders in this group?"

It might help, especially with those you live very close with or work with day by day, to talk candidly about you and them and leadership. If they understand how you approach roles it might keep them and you from confusion about your place in the crowd. And you could learn something about yourself as a leader from the feed-back they give you; they may think of you as better as a leader than you think of yourself, or - and wouldn't this be awkward - they may advise you to keep your hand down because there are others who do the job more effectively. But isn't it best to get as many perspectives as possible?

Planner - Introduction:

The need for order is one of those peculiar aspects of personality that makes or breaks a seemingly inordinate number of relationships. If you are orderly and have a place for everything few things likely get under your skin more than someone who puts your tools or your office supplies in the wrong place. And if you are the one who truly finds a clean desk to be a sign of a troubled mind you often really do get a bit irked with the person who feels a need to try and reform your disorderly ways. The Planner section will tell you what you probably already know - do you need order to feel comfortable. And while you may know where you already stand on this scale hopefully this will help you plan how to deal with those who differ from you, or perhaps more importantly how to deal with others who are the same as you.

Planner: Your Personalized Description

Around the same time each year you buy yourself a new planner, or sit down in front of a scheduling program and, when you can find an hour of the time between meetings and social events you organize dates that are already committed: monthly meetings of various work and volunteer organizations, the date of your cousin's wedding, tentative vacations plans to ski for a weekend in January and take two weeks in the summer somewhere where it's warm. Then week by week, or sometimes every two weeks, you keep the planner up to date with stuff that comes up at work, dates with friends, a concert you bought tickets for and need to find a friend to take, reminders of your parents' anniversary, various birthdays and baby showers - the dedicated times that form the skeleton you hang the flesh and blood of your life on.

Maybe the person you're closest to at work or your best friend or your partner is a little more organized than you are; they've written in lunch commitments two months in advance, every staff meeting at work, and notes to themselves to read for an evening or hike on a Saturday: they've lined out their lives on the pages of their planner. You're more willing than they are to make up most of it as you go along; you plan enough not to miss the essential commitments, but then keep yourself flexible so you can respond in a day - or sometimes in an hour, or a few minutes - to something that comes up. And you're comfortable with this much order combined with this much spontaneity. You don't forget important things, but you allow yourself the breathing room to say Yes or No depending upon what comes walking toward you.

This doesn't make you a flake, or mean that you're irresponsible. In fact you are at your most efficient and productive, make your best contributions and find the greatest satisfaction precisely because you have just enough structure to know where you're going and enough freedom to take your time with work or friends, respond when something unexpected comes along, and really concentrate on what's in front of you without being distracted by some note in your calendar reminding you to run off to the stationary store because you'll run out of supplies by a week from Friday.

People with more detailed plans might find you frustrating; when they can answer immediately Yes or No to an invitation weeks in advance just by checking their well-documented calendars, you have to say, "I'm not sure, let me get back to you". But frankly, that's the best response for you. You need the time, because you always want room to commit or not commit, depending upon what emerges as the next best use of your time and energy. This is in fact one of your great strengths; you know how to marshal your resources and allot time and energy in ways that keep you both productive and happy. Enough planning to know the general lay of the land, and enough flexibility to change directions or priorities: it works very well for you.

So at the same time next year you'll buy your annual planner, find an hour sooner or later, and go through this ritual of ordering your life just enough to keep yourself on track but not so much that you give up the freedom to say Yes to something new that seems in the moment to be exactly what you want to do.

Introduction to Extraversion

Some days you want to hang out by yourself, not answer the phone, and make the world go away. The next day you e-mail everyone, schedule lunch with a friend, and try to find an evening gathering to take part in. It may be the phases of the moon, or something you ate; some days are just like that. In actuality, your desire to be with others or to be alone reflects something deep in your personality. Some of us are more comfortable by ourselves or with one or two friends, while others of us crave the crowd and can't stand it when the house is empty or the phone doesn't ring. The following paragraphs describe your fundamental desires about being with other people; whether you are generally an outgoing person or more reserved, if you seek adventures with others, if you tend toward assertiveness or kindness.

When it comes to Extraversion you are:

SOMETIMES OUTGOING, SOMETIMES RESERVED

Words that describe you:

* Moderate

* Amiable

* Laid-back

* Temperate

* Relaxed

* Poised

* Civil

* Uncommitted

* Pleasant

A General Description of How You Interact with Others

Lucky you! You enjoy your own company as much as you enjoy the company of others. You are a great conversationalist and thrive in the wonderful kinds of connections you know how to have with your family and friends. You also equally enjoy your own company, whether sitting in a favorite chair with your book and soft music playing or meandering in the woods by yourself. You like coming home to your family or your roommate; but if no one is home, you find quiet, solitary time to be just as pleasurable. What a great combination to enjoy being outgoing and to be just as comfortable being reserved. Lucky you!!

Because you are so amiable and relaxed, you are comfortable with almost any group of family or friends. Whether they are pumped up and lively or calm and subdued, you remain at ease. If someone needs to take over the conversation, you are comfortable taking the lead; you can also lay back and let someone else be in charge. If the conversation gets rowdy, your moderate demeanor will often draw it down to a more temperate level. If someone in the group loses their cool, you will most likely maintain your poise, and if they get nasty you know how to keep a civil tongue.

You may find yourself out of balance on occasion. If you're alone too much, you may need to get in touch with someone. If you spend too much time with your family and friends, you may need to sneak off for a day by yourself, to putter and read and clear your head of the noise of too much conversation. When you're at your best, you live with a rhythm of time with others, time alone, time with others, time alone It's a satisfying, comfortable balance. Lucky you!

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

You may occasionally run into problems with other people. Since not everyone is as balanced as you are, close friends and family may get frustrated with you, or you with them. They may be more sociable and outgoing, and find you too laid-back and relaxed. They want conversations to be lively and passionate while you keep things amiable and civil. Or others may be more quiet and reserved than you, and when you're in one of your more animated moments they may wish you would back off. You may be ready to put more energy into a conversation than they are comfortable with.

And your balance may be a problem. Other people may be consistently more sociable or more reserved than you, and find you to hard to read, some may even say you ride the fence. Others may find themselves envious of your ability to be outgoing at times, and at other times comfortably reserved. If you pay attention to pick up these cues you will be in a better position to know how you want to interact with such folks.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Most people will truly appreciate your flexibility in social situations. They will like you for your amiable warmth and your willingness to engage, and for your ability to sit back and let others take the lead or the spotlight. They will appreciate ways in which you temper what could become intemperate moments; by remaining poised and relaxed when others; temperatures are rising, you keep things civil and sane.

You are as good at listening and following as you are at talking and leading, and people will often appreciate your ability to adapt to the situation. Because you are sometimes outgoing and sometimes reserved, you will make most people comfortable in your presence, and they will truly enjoy your company.

Adventure - Introduction:

At some parties there is the person who dances on the table with the lampshade on their head or leads the group sing-along to the sound-track from Saturday Night Fever or High Fidelity. At the same party is the person in the corner with a drink and a smile, in a quiet conversation that seems uninterrupted by the whirl in the dining room. Some people want to be the first one or the fastest one around whatever the next bend in the road is, while others are content to let the explorers come back and report before deciding whether to venture forth. Some people are "in the moment", ready to respond spontaneously to the most surprising suggestion, while others let the moment pass and stay put and act with deliberation and a certain sense of caution. The following paragraphs describe you in terms of your eagerness for adventure.

Adventure: Your Personalized Description

When the band's signature anthem starts near the end of the concert you're not the first one on your feet waving a candle or a lighter (you probably don't own a lighter!) and belting out the chorus. But once a few people rise, you're up and singing. When someone suggests the group try the Afghani restaurant and they pass the aushak and the sabsi, you aren't the first one to take a bite but, if no one who takes a taste groans, you'll put a bit on your fork and nibble. You're not the one trying to persuade others to try the next new thing, but if someone else stirs up the tribe you'll get in line.

When it comes to new adventures, you can follow someone else's lead and find your way into whatever new experience awaits you, but you're not the leader of the pack or the life of the party. If you wind up on the dining room table dancing with a lampshade on our head it's because the whole group is up there, everyone having followed the lead of that charismatic fool who is always the first one to try it, whatever it is. It's not that you lack courage; you just don't have the need. You are as comfortable in a quiet gathering as at a bash, and would just as soon sit with one or two friends on the edge of the chaos, talking quietly while the weirdos bounce around the room. You have an unusual ability to enjoy whichever direction the group takes.

This makes you great company. For your quieter friends who shun adventure, you are a welcome companion who, if they run out of much to say, will jump-start the next subject and carry the conversation until they're back in rhythm. One on one with a more venturesome friend, you're up for most of what they want to try; where they lead you'll follow and enjoy whatever they choose for the next new experience in the friendship.

You may get out of sorts occasionally if the experience is either too wild or too tame. You just aren't interested in the most daring - to you, the most dangerous - ventures some of your friends will try. Nor do you like to sit, then sit some more, simply talking away a weekend; you want at least some action and you'll take the lead to break up what seems to your terminal boredom. But you're usually pretty gentle with your friends; you don't castigate the more venturesome nor humiliate the quiet ones. You just nudge yourself into a more satisfying position when the people you're with start to make you uncomfortable.

You will probably struggle if you wind up with a partner who is on either extreme. Someone too venturesome will leave you in the lurch too often or, to turn it around, you'll leave them to their own weird choices. Someone too introverted and inactive will bore you to tears before mid-afternoon, and you'll wind up frustrated with one another more often than deeply gratified. So be wise and careful in choosing both a partner and your closest friends; you need these most special people to be more in the middle, where you are, when it comes to just how much adventure and how much stillness they desire.

Good Word - Introduction:

Some people have a way with words that makes other people feel affirmed, complimented, congratulated. Then there are those who seem to find a way to bite or bruise whomever they're in a conversation with, as if they've got an arsenal of words tucked somewhere out of sight, just waiting to be launched. The words we choose and the impact they have determine to a large extent the quality of our relationships. If words cheer the other person the relationships gains; if words hurt, the relationship suffers. So it is very important to pay attention to what we say and how we say it. And it is important to remember that there is a difference between intent and impact; you may intend to compliment or wound but the impact may be something else entirely. The following paragraphs describe the impact your words have on other people.

Good Word: Your Personalized Description

"How do I look in this outfit? Do you think it fits me well?" The test! Whether with friends or your partner, this is the moment we dread. If we respond positively the come-back is often, "Are you just saying that?" If we respond critically the reaction is something between irritation and the end of the affair. You have the ability, even in this dreaded circumstance, of finding the good word. You know you won't be critical; it's just not in your character to talk like that. You will find some way to make the other person feel good about who they are because that too is characteristic of you. And you're smart enough to know that this situation is not at the top of the ethical scale of honesty and lying. If you're in front of a judge and a jury you tell the whole truth and nothing but, and even there you'd find a way to say the truth kindly. But this is no courtroom, it's an intimate moment, and the truth in the intimate moment is that the relationship trumps any objective criteria. So: "Fabulous. You look fabulous, and it fits perfectly." That's what you'd say.

You've learned over time to speak kindly. You find the right word to let your friends or your partner of even strangers know the best things you feel or believe about them. You have opinions, of course, and you hold strong beliefs, but the first thing out of your mouth in response to what someone says is not a contradiction to or a complaint about what they've said. You find a compliment either for what they've said or how they've said it, and you mean what you say. It may not be the whole truth but it's the truth that matters to you between you and the person in front of you.

Hopefully you are as kind toward yourself as you are toward others; hopefully your inner dialogue with yourself is as laced with positives as are your conversations with those you love. This may be an issue. Some people speak kindly and believe what they say about others, but their kindness toward others comes in part as a comparison with their more hostile feelings about themselves. You may want to check this out. There's an easy test: do you use the same vocabulary toward yourself that you use toward others? If not, why not?

It's a choice for you. You're no stranger to the dark side in people or a fool about the mix of glory and vanity in most folks. You've just made the choice to go with the up-side and developed a vocabulary of kindness which you use with great mastery. You know how to curse and contradict; you simply choose not to and instead do your best in most situations to find precisely the good word to share. It's a very positive way to engage others and a kind way to treat yourself as well.

Take Charge - Introduction:

In a group situation, if a decision needs to be made or a direction chosen, will you be the one to take charge or will you wait for someone else, and then follow? In a one-on-one situation, if each of you has a strong but contradictory belief, will you stand up for yourself or capitulate even if you still hold your belief? Or do you rock between these two responses, sometimes leading and sometimes following, sometimes defending yourself and sometimes giving in? Whether or not you take charge in groups or in one-on-one situations is something to know about yourself as you come to understand how you do in relationships. The following paragraphs describe your response when someone needs to take charge.

Take Charge: Your Personalized Description

As a leader you're something of an enigma. In some situations you will state your case, lay out your plan and lead the way. In other circumstances you shove your hands in your pockets, press your lips together and wait for someone else to say, "Let's go this way". In some situations you stand up for yourself even against the strong or manipulative voices of people in charge. In other circumstances you appear to let people shove you around as if you have too little self-respect or just don't care enough to fight for what you believe in and who you are. Sometimes a strong leader, sometimes a passive follower. You are an enigma as a leader.

Why the inconsistency? Perhaps it depends upon the people you're with. If there's a particularly strong leader in the crowd you slide toward the margin and let them take over. You're not someone to challenge someone bent on leading. But if the person or group you're with has no other clear leader you'll step up, make the call and lead the way. Or maybe it depends upon the circumstance. If the decision to take charge is about something you're very good at, no problem: you voice your opinion with confidence, win the debate with less convincing points of view and lead the way.

Maybe the different styles arise not because of the people you're with or the problem you're dealing with but from some uncertainty inside you. On your best days your anxiety is at rest; you can assert yourself with confidence and trust your opinions and your decisions. On other days, when the worry monster rattles its chains in the basement, you're reluctant to take charge for fear that you'll walk in the wrong direction or lead the group into a ditch on the side of the road.

This inconsistency may be confusing to your friends and your partner. Since you take leadership on occasion they may identify you as someone whom they can trust to take charge. On those good days you come through for them. But on days when you're passive and waiting for someone else to lead they wonder where you've gone. With your closest friends and especially with your partner it will be important to talk through what you know about yourself as a leader. If you can figure out your own inconsistency and share with them what you discover, both you and they will avoid the worst of the frustrations that come when you rotate between being out front and waiting for someone else to lead.

NVCC - General Psychology I - H111 - Assignment # 3

2007-12-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

Timothy McCall

General Psychology I – H111

Instructor: Peter Boyle

October 10^th, 2007

Naugatuck Valley Community College

Fall 2007 Semester

Assignment # 3:

Task: Read Chapter # 3 in our textbooks.

Task: Conduct Interviews with (5) five people, of varied age, gender, ethnicity and

background, and pose the question “What would you consider to be your ideal age and

why would you consider that age to be your ideal?”

Task: Create written transcripts/summaries of interviews.

Task: Relate each interview subjects responses to the associated “Theories of

Development” and/or “Stages of Development”, detailed in Chapter 3 of our textbooks.

Chapter 3 Summary:

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

Typical Age Range - Birth to nearly 2 years

Description of Stage - Sensorimotor

Developmental Phenomena - Experiencing the world through senses and actions

(looking, touching, mouthing, and grasping). Object permanence. Stranger anxiety

Typical Age Range - 2 to about 6 or 7 years

Description of Stage - Preoperational

Developmental Phenomena - Representing things with words and images; use intuitive

rather than logical reasoning. Pretend play. Egocentrism. Language development.

Typical Age Range About 7 to 11 years

Description of Stage – Concrete operational

Developmental Phenomena - Thinking logically about concrete events; grasping concrete

analogies and performing arithmetical operations. Mathematical transformations

Typical Age Range About 12 through Early Adulthood

Description of Stage - Formal operational

Developmental Phenomena - Abstract reasoning, Abstract logic, Potential for mature

moral reasoning

Typical Age Range Early Adulthood through Old Age

Description of Stage - Formal operational

Developmental Phenomena – Physical, Cognitive and Social Development

Interview Subject 1:

Name: XXXXXXXXXXXX (student’s mother)

Age: 70

Gender: Female

Residence: Stamford, CT.

Marital Status: Married (3^rd Marriage, 15 Years. Prior Marriage(s), 10 Years and 16 Years)

Spouse – XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Children: (4) Four. (2) Two males, age(s) 40+. (2) Two Females, age(s) 40+.

Ethnicity: Caucasian – Dutch-German

Educational Level: Associates Degree

Profession: Administrator – Assisted Living Facility

Interview Summary:

Q: What would you consider to be your ideal age and why would you consider that age to

be your ideal?

A: The age I am now, Seventy Years (70).

Follow-up Questions:

Q: What is it about the specific age which you selected that you find appealing?

A: Because I am going to retire soon. My health is still good. My children are grown-up.

I have very few responsibilities. I have enough money and time to do what I want.

Q: Can you remember any negative experiences from that time of your life?

A: My friends are passing away and moving away from this area. I have been losing

interest in some of the hobbies that I have had for most of my adulthood.

Correlated Lifespan Stage of Development: FORMAL OPERATIONAL

Observations:

Interview subject chose the Lifespan Development Stage related to Piaget’s “Formal

Operational” stage of development. Stage of life associated with abstract reasoning,

abstract logic and potential for mature moral reasoning.

Interview Subject 2:

Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (student’s step-father)

Age: 68

Gender: Male

Residence: Stamford, CT.

Marital Status: Married (2^nd Marriage, 15 Years. Prior Marriage, Widower)

Spouse: XXXXXXXXXXX

Children: Biological – None. Step-Children, (5) Five. (3) Three males, age(s) 40+. (2)

Two Females, age(s) 40+.

Ethnicity: Caucasian - German

Educational Level: Bachelor’s Degree - Engineering

Profession: Retired Engineer (35 Years, Dictaphone Corp., 38 Years, US Naval Reserve)

Interview Summary:

Q: What would you consider to be your ideal age and why would you consider that age to

be your ideal?

A: Sixty-Five (65), my current age, because that’s where I am right now, and I am happy

Follow-up Questions:

Q: What is it about the specific age which you selected that you find appealing?

A: That I am still here and retired and I get to work when I want to and play golf when I

want to.

Correlated Lifespan Stage of Development: FORMAL OPERATIONAL

Observations:

Interview subject chose the Lifespan Development Stage related to Piaget’s “Formal

Operational” stage of development. Stage of life associated with abstract reasoning,

abstract logic and potential for mature moral reasoning.

Interview Subject 3:

Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXX (student’s high-school friend’s spouse)

Age: 44

Gender: Female

Residence: Stamford, CT.

Marital Status: Married (1^st Marriage, 25+ years)

Spouse: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Children: (3) Three, (1) one male, 22, College Senior. (1) one female, 21, College Junior.

(1) one female, 16, High School Senior.

Ethnicity: Caucasian - Irish

Educational Level: Bachelors Degree (pursuing Masters Degree)

Profession: Communication Facilitator – Autistic Children

Interview Summary:

Q: What would you consider to be your ideal age and why would you consider that age to

be your ideal?

A: My late thirties (30’s).

Follow-up Question:

Q: What is it about the specific age which you selected that you found appealing?

A: I was in better physical health in my late thirties. I had more of a sense of who I was

instead of doing things for everyone else, i.e.: my children, husband and family. I had

more of a sense of me. Being young (teens and twenties) was great but I was very active

in my early 30’s. I was emotionally and mentally happy and that was the time in my life

that I stopped worrying about what everyone else thought.

Correlated Lifespan Stage of Development: FORMAL OPERATIONAL

Observations:

Interview subject chose the Lifespan Development Stage related to Piaget’s “Formal

Operational” stage of development. Stage of life associated with abstract reasoning,

abstract logic and potential for mature moral reasoning.

Interview Subject 4:

Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (student’s former co-worker/friend)

Age: 46

Gender: Male

Residence: Loxahatchee, FL.

Marital Status: Married (2^nd Marriage, 11 years. 1^st Marriage, 5 years)

Spouse: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Children: (3) Three, (1) one male, 12, from 1^st Marriage, resides in Columbia with

Mother. (1) one Male, 10. (1) one Female, 8.

Ethnicity: Hispanic – Cuban-Puerto Rican

Educational Level: Associates Degree – Construction Management

Profession: Management – General Contractor

Interview Summary:

Q: What would you consider to be your ideal age and why would you consider that age to

be your ideal?

A: Early twenties (20’s)

Follow-up Questions:

Q: What is it about the specific age which you selected that you find appealing?

A: I was in the United States Navy. Traveling all over the world. I had no cares or

worries.

Q: Can you remember any negative experiences from that time of your life?

A: There were times when being far away from home, friends and family were difficult.

Correlated Lifespan Stage of Development: FORMAL OPERATIONAL

Observations:

Interview subject chose the Lifespan Development Stage related to Piaget’s “Formal

Operational” stage of development. Stage of life associated with abstract reasoning,

abstract logic and potential for mature moral reasoning.

Interview Subject 5:

Name: XXXXXXXXXXXXX (student’s co-worker/friend)

Age: 52

Gender: Male

Residence: Waterbury, CT.

Marital Status: Married (2^nd Marriage, 14 years. 1^st Marriage, 4 years)

Spouse: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Children: (1) One female, 25, from 1^st Marriage

Ethnicity: Caucasian – English-Italian

Educational Level: High School Graduate

Profession: Municipal Employee

Interview/Summary:

Q: What would you consider to be your ideal age and why would you consider that age to

be your ideal?

A: When I was around 9 or 10 years old.

Follow-up Questions:

Q: What is it about the specific age which you selected that you find appealing?

A: It was before my Father passed away. It was a happy time of my life. My whole

family would get together and have good times. I had no real worries.

Correlated Lifespan Stage of Development: CONCRETE OPERATIONAL

Observations:

Interview subject chose the Lifespan Development Stage related to Piaget’s “Concrete

Operational” stage of development. Stage of life associated with thinking logically about

concrete events; grasping concrete analogies and performing arithmetical operations and

mathematical transformations.

Interviews Summary:

Most of the subjects interviewed, surprisingly, chose ages that correlated to Formal

Operational Stages and mature adulthood as the choice for their optimal phase and stage

of their life development. All subjects took a few minutes to become comfortable with

the concept of choosing a specific time-frame of their lives to characterize as optimal.

Subject’s answers generally lacked cohesion and fore-thought. I was left with the

impression that almost none of the interviewed subjects had ever really comprehensively

contemplated a question of this nature. None of the interview subjects chose either

Sensorimotor stage of development (from birth to 2 years old) or the Preoperational stage

of development (from 2 to about 6 or 7 years) as an ideal and/or optimal age of their

lives. I found it more difficult to interview people than I had anticipated. I believe this

was due to the interview subjects each being someone who I was personally acquainted

with and believe interviews with subjects containing some level of emotional separation

would have been less difficult. Overall. I personally found this assignment to be an

interesting and in some ways, eye-opening experience for myself. I could not help but

feeling that in some small way that the specific phrase brought up in our previous

discussion regarding the use of deception in research “inflicted insight” was not in fact

visited upon some of the interview subjects questioned.

NVCC - General Psychology I - H111 - Assignment # 2

2007-12-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

Timothy McCall

General Psychology I – H111

Instructor: Peter Boyle

September 26^th, 2007

Naugatuck Valley Community College

Fall 2007 Semester

Assignment # 2:

Find an Article, in a newspaper, magazine or on the internet that deals with either

an experimental or correlational study. If unable to find an adequate article, then an

article dealing with nutrition, health, education or ethics will be appropriate.

Task: Read and Analyze the article utilizing critical thinking techniques and

methodologies.

Task: Write a 1 or 2 page essay demonstrating the process of critical thinking.

Essay: “Critical Analysis (Thinking) and Experimental/Correlational Studies”

For the purposes of this essay I selected two (2) articles from the Psychology

Today Website. (http://www.psychologytoday.com). Each of these articles deals with a

Psychological Research Study into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.), albeit

utilizing slightly different investigational methodologies and objectives.

Article # 1 is entitled, “A Treatment for PTSD? By Colin Allen[1]

Article # 2 is entitled, “The Effect of Personality on PTSD” by Peter Rebham[2]

Each of these articles examines a different aspect of PTSD. Article # 1 attempts to

draw a correlation between the treatment of patients receiving an anti-anxiety drug,

proprionol and a diminishment of associated symptoms after experiencing a traumatic

event, while article # 2 attempts to establish a correlation of pre-disposing personality

characteristics with the incidence of occurrence in PTSD in returning United Nations

Peacekeeping Force members from duties in a conflict region.

Each of the articles presented on the Psychology Today Website is rather sparse

in its inclusion of supporting statistical documentation to allow an in-depth analysis of

the material utilized in reaching the purported conclusions regarding each study. That

being said, Psychology Today is, I assume, a peer-reviewed, professional journal. It’s

Editorial Staff would most likely not have reported on the studies findings if they had not,

at a minimum, had a qualified staff expert review the associated supporting

documentation prior to publication.

Critical Thinking is defined in our textbook. “Psychology, by David G. Meyers”

on page 24, as: “Thinking that’s does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions.

Rather, it examines assumptions, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses

conclusions.

Utilizing this methodology I would say the following areas could become

problematic regarding information presented and utilized in these articles.

In reviewing Article #1, a non-randomized, statistically small, number of subjects

were utilized to generate a hypothetical correlation between treatment with the drug,

proprionol, and the diminishment or elimination of symptoms associated with PTSD. The

conclusion I would reach in assessing the relevancy of these findings utilizing critical

thinking is that additional supporting studies using standard Psychological

Investigational Studies methodologies: i.e., a randomized, double-blind, statistically

significant sample of subjects, would be required prior to determining the relevancy of

this studies hypotheses. Overall, I would say the hypotheses postulated by this authors

study is admirable, but that additional investigation would be required to fully support the

correlation implied in the article.

In reviewing Article #2, another study is presented which also attempts to

illustrate a correlation between the studies results and the author’s hypotheses. While the

sample could potentially be statistically significant, all participants are derived from one

study group. Namely, United Nations Peacekeeping Force members returning from

assignment in a conflict zone. In studying PSTD, it is obvious that the most desirable

subjects for study would be those subjects most at risk for exposure to traumatic events

that would be highly likely to lead to specifically identifiable symptoms associated with a

diagnosis of PTSD. Therefore the non-randomized sample could potentially be a non-

issue. Another potential issue would be the testing mechanism utilized to determine what

are characterized as “pre-disposing” personality characteristics. If the same test were

administered after returning from the conflict zone, are potential biasing factors

introduced? As in the analysis presented in Article #1 above. Many of the same metrics

of critical thinking apply. The article is presented in a peer-reviewed article. The

underlying statistical data is assumed to be valid as reviewed by editorial staff. The study

was utilized to generate a hypothetical correlation between pre-disposing personality

characteristics, and the increased probability of suffering symptoms associated with

PTSD. Again, I would conclude that the hypotheses postulated by this authors

study is admirable, but that additional investigation would be required to fully support the

correlation implied in the article.

Attachment A:

Attachment B

[1] Attachment A

[2] Attachment B

NVCC - General Psychology I - H111 - Assignment # 1

2007-12-23T16:13:00.000-08:00

Timothy McCall

General Psychology I – H111

Instructor: Peter Boyle

September 18^th, 2007

Naugatuck Valley Community College

Fall 2007 Semester

Assignment:

Read Class Handout “Ethics in Psychology – Research Through Deception” and write 2 to 3 pages referencing “The role of deception in research”.

Q: Could these studies have been done without deception?

Q: What was the role/value (or is there a value?) of deception in this research?

Essay: “Commentary on the use of Deception in Psychological Research”

The article/class handout, “Research Though Deception” by Morton Hunt provides a

variety of information, perspectives, insights, specific case studies and citations

regarding the use of deception in psychological studies conducted prior to the

implementation of Federal Regulations imposing specific constraints on these types of

studies and the long-term effects these regulations have had in shaping the future

directions of psychological research studies since their imposition.

The specific Federal Regulations pertaining to psychological studies of this type

(which were not specified in the handout) are the Code of Federal Regulations TITLE 45,

PUBLIC WELFARE. Department of Health and Human Services, PART 46,

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS[1]. The most pertinent section of this code as it

relates to studies attempting to utilize deception in psychological research would be, Part

46, Paragraph 116(a)1, “General requirements for informed consent[2].” “(1) A statement

that the study involves research, an explanation of the purposes of the research[3] and

the expected duration of the subject's participation, a description of the procedures to be

followed, and identification of any procedures which are experimental;”

An initial and cursory review of the language utilized in crafting the Federal

Regulations would seem to effectively preclude the initiation and utilization of deceptive

psychological studies on “uninformed” study participants. However, given the litigious

nature of American society and the progressive divergence of “moral” versus “ethical”

values in recent years. I would proffer the following questions:

1.) How far can these mandated regulations be “pushed” and how far have they been

“pushed”?

2.) What would be the “upside and downside potentials” of Social Psychology

Researchers “pushing the envelope” as it would relate to their ability to publish research

papers entailing the utilization of methods and practices in areas previously unexplored?

3.) If the research subjects are informed that the study in which they are participating

COULD potentially contain aspects of deception would that notification constitute

“informed consent”?

During our previous weeks class lecture, Instructor Boyle related an

experience he had while attending Graduate School. A pain medication and it’s

effectiveness relieving pain associated with tooth extraction was being studied. After

Instructor Boyle endured what would seem to me to be a substantial amount of pain for

an extended and inordinate period of time, I couldn’t help but wondering, when does the

experiment end and the ineffective medication or placebo get replaced by something to

alleviate the inflicted pain? If the researchers already know that the standard pain

medication works in 15 minutes, is it ethical to wait 90 minutes to see if the new drug

will work? Obviously it is not as effective as the standard pain medication after 20

minutes. Should the double-blind study participants be subjected to enduring pain for 6

times the interval of the standard pain medication? To me it seems obviously both

immoral and unethical. As a researcher defining the parameters of a study, I would say

that the studies author failed to adhere to the sprit and intent of the medical dictum “do

no harm” as well as the defined parameters of the pertinent Federal Regulations outlining

acceptable practices while conducting medically beneficial studies.

In response to the first question posed by Instructor Boyle regarding this essay,

“Could these studies have been done without deception?” I believe I would have to

respond in the negative. Deception played a central and significant role in the

composition of these studies and the “targeted” behaviors they hoped to stimulate in a

controlled environment while yielding scientifically valid tests results in support of the

studies basic premise and hypotheses.

In response to the second question posed by Instructor Boyle, “What was the

role/value (or is there a value?) of deception in this research?” I would have a strong

tendency to believe there was substantial value added to the study by integrating

deception as a component in structuring these psychological studies. As detailed in our

textbook. “Psychology, by David G. Meyers” on page 29, regarding “Naturalistic

Observations” – “it does not explain behavior, it describes it.” In order to effectively

evaluate, record and document associated reactive behaviors, they must be described. If

an experiment cannot be conducted in a “natural” setting, researchers must apply

additional efforts to produce valid, observable and reproducible behaviors within the

context of a controlled environment. In addition, as we all live our lives, we are

continuously subjected to a bewildering variety of deceptive situations and messages

every day. Studies in Social Psychology are being significantly degrading by legislating

defined study parameters which effectively ban research in an area comprising a large,

ongoing segment of human social activity and psychology.

Another issue raised within the handout refers to “forceful polemicist” against deceptive

investigative and research methodologies, Diana Baumrind of the University of

California at Berkeley calls “Inflicted insight” a “morally indefensible” research practice.

With one broad brushstroke of criticism she effectively denigrates a whole area of

research regardless of the control mechanism’s carefully crafted by Social Psychology

Researchers. One of the techniques utilized in the research study citing Professor

Zimbardo was a “restorative debriefing”, which provided a decompression mechanism

for research subjects to process their experiences. Prior to the commencement of the

deceptive research study, participants completed a “Paranoia” test to provide a baseline

for use in post-study comparative analysis. A statistically negligible negative after-effect

has been reproduced in a number of studies. I would interpret these findings as

supporting the contention that carefully constructed and monitored research

methodologies utilizing deception can safely and effectively be utilized without exposing

research study participants to unacceptable and unethical levels of “inflicted insight”

causing long-term, negative psychological effects.

[1] http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/documents/OHRPRegulations.pdf

[2] Page 6

[3] Emphasis added