In the interest of dogs…

Here’s an interesting article by Malcolm Gladwell, writer for The New Yorker and author of The Tipping Point (mentioned in my previous post), in which he discusses how dogs perceive our body language.  He uses Cesar Millan from the cable TV show, The Dog Whisperer, as an example.  I myself have noticed how perfectly Cesar is able to mimic the facial expressions and movements of the dogs he rehabilitates.  He obviously is in tune with the animals and understands that they don’t think or reason the way we do, although many humans refuse to accept this.  Just watch the show (on National Geographic Channel) and you’ll see.  But read the article first.  I’ve just happily discovered Gladwell’s website.  He has a fresh and often fascinating viewpoint on an eclectic mix of topics, and I always enjoy reading his material.

Here is another article about the Michael Vick merchandise, in particular, the 22 dog-earred, chewed up Vick trading cards that went for $7,400 on eBay.  A comment in the article reminded me of Gladwell’s concept of “stickiness”

Viral Videos

My last post was about a phrase I feel is vague and overused.  This one is about a word that is growing exponentially because of the speed of the Internet’s mass transmissions.  The word is “viral” – You’ve probably heard it and know what it means.  It’s anything that spreads and multiplies really, really fast, like a computer virus or an Internet email hoax or an epidemic.  Speaking of epidemics, Malcolm Gladwell has penned a timely book about the science of social epidemics — fads, trends, and ideas that start out relatively insignificant, but when a few small changes are factored in, become outrageously popular.  Those little changes, often surprisingly, are what cause the trend to reach a tipping point, where it then quickly becomes an epidemic.  In The Tipping Point, Gladwell gives lots of examples from history.  Anyone involved in the marketing of ideas and products should check this book out.

But “viral” is a word that is also a little vague.  On a website that features the top 10 viral videos and photos, I found a video with 7 views and one with over 2,500 views.  It seems they’re all humorous too.  Obviously, the selections are made by the author of that site.  But truly viral videos are

What is a vast majority to you?

Are there words or phrases that bug you when you hear them used?  I don’t mean expressions like, “like,” “you know,” “so anyway…,” or any other patter that occurs during casual communications.  No, I’m talking about vague terminology and euphemisims used so often in the media and by the government that it makes one wonder if all of them are totally unaware of how annoying that is to the vast majority of people.

Take vast majority for instance. What percent constitutes a vast majority?  I tried to find out by Googling the exact phrase, “vast majority” and examining some of the 18.6 million results.

What’s your Emotional Intelligence Quotient?

Someone commented on my advice page, “Why is EQ on your list?”  I didn’t know what EQ was initially, but I suspected it was a reference to Emotional Intelligence, which if you reduce to just its initials, is EI.  Now, I’ve heard the term Intelligence Quotient (IQ) mentioned more than a few times, but this is not the same thing at all.  As it turns out, EQ stands for Emotional Quotient, which I guess you could say is your score on the emotional intelligence scale.  But to answer the questioner’s query, Emotional Intelligence is on my list because I think it’s worth talking about, and obviously, not enough people know enough about it — yet.

I’ve read some books though.  Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ  is an excellent introduction to the topic.  Goleman explains how our emotions and our intellect, operating both simultaneously, but independently of each other, can get us into trouble.  Mastering the aptitudes that comprise emotional intelligence (e.g., self-awareness, impulse control, empathy, etc.) can help us to live successfully — who wouldn’t want that?  Goleman describes how these aptitudes impact our lives, especially in terms of our relationships, our careers, and our health.  Just as your IQ can be increased through specific activities, your EQ can be raised by focused study and practice.

Upcoming Topics:

I’ve made a list of topics to write about.  These topics come from two categories:  observations about life in general (my life, of course) and observations about television.  Here are some examples from my list:

• The bigger the purse, the more that gets stuffed into it:  How to keep your shoulders level.
• New surprises in the laundry.
• “So you’re 46, huh?”
• A review of the literature on shaking hands — what literature?
• On emotional intelligence.
• Dangerous pets.
• Oh, the irony of it all!
• Why we love those pharmaceutical commercials on TV.
• Does Steven Tyler really drive a Lexus?  Dream on!

Set your dial right here for these exciting essays and more!

Announcing my new Advice Column!

As anyone that knows me will tell you, I am a good person to ask for advice.  I am never shy about giving it away for free.  What you do with it is your business.  If you want to ask me for advice or criticize my advice or add to my advice (just like Dear Abby’s column), pleae use the Advice 4U page to comment.  I am looking forward to your questions and comments.