Author: scottpetersen

Lawyer, guitar player (the Blues), magic man, chess player, father, grandfather, husband, linguist, etc.

Malcolm Gladwell

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One of the most meaningful non-fiction authors I have ever read is Malcolm Gladwell (born 1963).  Gladwell is a staff writer for The New Yorker and was named by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the 100 most influential people.  He is the author of four books but – oh my – what spectacular books!  All are internationally-acclaimed bestsellers and have sold millions of copies.  They are:  

The Tipping Point – How Little Things can make a Big Difference (2000) – The story of that special moment when an idea, trend or social idea suddenly “tips” and begins spreading like a wildfire.

Blink – The Power of Thinking without Thinking (2005) – Why decisions made on gut reaction happen and why some decision-makers are usually right and others hopelessly inept. 

Outliers – The Story of Success (2008) – A story of what makes high achievers different.  Answer?  Usually long hours and hard work – and being in the right place at the right time. 

What the Dog Saw & Other Adventures (2009) – A pot pourri of fascinating knowledge.  What is the difference between panicking and choking?  What do football players teach us about hiring teachers?

These four works are a must-read for everyone.  That means you.   I’d start with Outliers simply because it’s easy – and nourishing – to read about how ordinary people achieve tremendous levels of success.   They’re all worth a read.  And a re-read. . . .   

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” — the Remake. . . .

On By scottpetersenIn The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I mentioned to some friends at lunch that I was somewhat offended at the remake of the “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” (which I will not see).   My umbrage was Hollywood’s placid explanation for the remake — “Ohhh. . . .Americans have trouble with subtitles.”  Translation “Americans are too unsophisticated” or “too stupid” to comprehend what Europeans, Asians and South Americans have been living with for decades.    Now I understand that there is a strong financial motivation to do the film in English but I’m still miffed at the professed reason for doing so.   

Let me add this — I did see the original (with the subtitles;  or, being American, should I say “duhhhh. . .  with subtitles“) and I’m not sure how you could possibly do it better.  It is a classic.  Kind’ve like – how could they possibly remake “True Grit” when you had John Wayne playing Rooster Cogburn in the original.  Gosh — how about a remake of “The Wizard of Oz” starring Brittany Spears as Dorothy?          

Frames of Mind

On By scottpetersenIn Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner, Nature vs. nurtureLeave a comment

Following up my post “Nature vs. Nurture” (Oct.31st), it is heartening to know that individuals are blessed with “multiple intelligences.”    I have reasonable eye/hand coordination which allows me to play a passable game of golf.  I have some verbal/communicative skills and I can play the guitar.  But don’t ask me for directions.  Please.   And don’t ask me about algebra.  I have the mathematical I.Q. of a Tic Tac.

Howard Gardner in his classic book Frames of Mind speaks of seven basic intelligences that all people share:  linguistic; musical; logical/mathematical; spatial; bodily/kinesthetic; interpersonal; and intrapersonal.   We all have a modicum of each of these intelligences but some of us are more heavily dosed with one or more of these intelligences.  It thus becomes all the more imperative for parents to recognize – and nurture – the natural intelligences of their children rather than skew development with subjective expectation — “my boy will play football” “my girl will be a lawyer.”   It is one thing to encourage a natural athlete to study physics or a math whiz to play a musical instrument.  But it is quite another to discourage and thereby defeat a child’s natural gifts. 

“The New Grandfather”

On By scottpetersenIn Renaissance Hombre, The New Grandfather1 Comment

“The New Grandfather”

A play in one act 

(Scott  is talking with a friend.  Scott has just become a grandfather.   He looks bewildered but he has a big smile on his face)

Friend:  Sooooo, Scott, what do you think about being a grandfather?

Scott:  Oh man.  It is awesome!   Lemme show you some pictures (pulls out a thick stack of pictures and begins flipping through them)

Friend:  (Looking at the pictures)  Very nice.  She’s beautiful. . . . . What’s her name again? 

Scott:  (Ignores the question and continues thumbing through pictures)  Here’s her face.  Here she’s looking up.  Here, she’s looking down.  And here’s one of her right foot.  No wait.  That’s her left foot.   (Mumbles)  Big toe right, left foot.  Big toe left, right foot.  Yeah, left foot. . . . . 

Friend:  (Laughing)  That’s a good-looking foot.  

Scott:  (Eyes are glazed.  He continues thumbing through pictures)  Oooh!  Lookit this one!   What a cutie pie. . . .

Friend:  (Rolls his eyes)  Hooookayyyy . . . . Scott, I have got to be on my way.  I am very happy for you (starts to walk away).  

Scott:  (Grabs the friend’s arm)  No wait!  Lemme show you this.  Sweet . . . this is her pinky toe on her left foot. . . .or (looking with brow furrowed) that’s her (brightly) right foot! 

Friend:  Yeah Scott. . . .you’ll do just fine as a grandfather. . . . . (walks away)

Scott:  Come back!  (Waving pictures)  I want to show you her left ear!!

Curtain

Today I Became a Grandfather

On By scottpetersenIn Today I became a grandfather2 Comments

It was 2:00 a.m.  Wednesday.  December 28, 2011.  I awoke with a start.  I reached over and in the dark, grabbed my Blackberry and logged in.  There were no messages. 

Lauren was in the hospital.  In labor.  She was to begin “pushing” at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday.  It was now 6 hours later.  And no calls.  No messages.  Not a whisper.  My mind raced.  Is she okay?   I sent a quick email.  “Hi LP.  Am awake.  Let us know how things are if you are able.  Love, dad.”  Then I fell back to a restless sleep.

Two hours later – at 4:00 a.m. – the phone rang.  One of those middle-0f-the-night, big news, calls.  I grabbed the phone.   It was Lauren.  Now I can’t recall exactly what Lauren said but suffice to say it was something like she is nine pounds exactly, twenty-one and a half inches and she’s a 9 on Dr. Virginia Apgar’s famous test (1952).  Thank God.  Welcome to the world.  My grandchild.   

Donna and I talked, laughed, and fell back to sleep.  

I haven’t met her yet (that comes later this morning) but I know that she is special.  Beautiful.  Wonderful.  The best.  I can’t believe it.  Today I became a grandfather. 

Spunk. . . .

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A 94 year old Irishman gathered his clan together and began to speak.   “You know I’ve been a lost and lonely man since your mother passed away.  But I’ve met a young lass, she’s 23 years old, and we’ve decided to get married.” 

The children – stunned – quickly huddled.  After a few minutes, the eldest son stepped forward.  “Father.  We know that you’ve been a lost and lonely man since mother passed on.  But the idea of marrying a 23 year old girl.  We are concerned since we feel that this could be fatal.” 

The father looked up and frowned “Well if she dies, she dies.” 

Torn and Restored Paper

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This is a great trick on which I’ve gotten great mileage. 

THE EFFECT:  Sitting in a restaurant, take a cocktail napkin and shred it to pieces.  You ball it up – and slowly begin to open a fully-restored cocktail napkin. 

THE TRICK:  Before you start, quietly (and unobservedly) take your own cocktail napkin, put it in your lap, open it, ball it up and secret it in your hand by your thumb.  You’re now ready to go.  Announce that you have a trick which will amaze and astound.  Ask for a cocktail napkin, open it all the while keeping the balled up napkin under your thumb.  No one will see it because it is small and any slip will blend with the other.  Shred the napkin and ball it up with the whole napkin.  Put them together and hold the two in front of everyone’s eyes.  The audience will see only one balled-up napkin.  You though know that the torn napkin is on one side, the whole on the other.  Reverse them and slowly begin to open the whole napkin.  Any dropped pieces can be picked up and reintroduced onto the torn side.   Once open, you can drop the torn ball in your lap or on the floor.  And take a bow. 

Practice a dozen times or so (and in front of a mirror) before attempting in front of a crowd.

Magicians actually run in my family.  They have to if they want to survive. . . . .

The Vikings

On By scottpetersenIn The Viking Age, VIkingsLeave a comment

From about 790 A.D. until the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D., the Vikings sailed the world.   They were warriors, raiders, traders, merchants and discoverers.  They discovered America long before that Columbus fellow and they sailed their longships wherever the wind would carry them.   

The Vikings came from the Scandinavian countries –Denmark, Sweden and Norway.   French Normans were descended from Danish and Norwegian Vikings who were made feudal overlords in Northern France.  The Vikings who raided – and remained behind in Ireland (often because they had met a young women) – were given the name “Doyle” which is from the Celtic Ó Dubhghaill, which means “son of the dark (or evil) foreigner.”    

As Christianity spread through Scandinavia, the Viking raids diminished and by the end of the 11th Century, the great Viking Age came to an end – not with a bang but a whimper.  

My father’s great grandparents were from Lyngby (just north of Copenhagen), Denmark.  They were caretakers of the local cemetery.  As they would dig graves, they uncovered various artifacts from the Viking Age.  I have at home two beautiful stone axe heads they found — displayed on a shelf.  Great paperweights but still sharp . . . . and ready to use. . . .