Stud of the Month

In college we used to have a stud of the month award. It usually consisted of the most outstanding guy we could think of. We would stick his picture, (taken from the ward directory) blow it up, and stick it on our fridge with big wording announcing to the world that this was our stud of the month. Well, that is how it worked in theory. In reality, Will was "Stud of the Month" for almost an entire year. And to be honest, I wouldn't have changed it either. He was the studliest of all studs, the most helpful of all guys - he brought us boysenberry pie for crying out loud! If you needed anything, he was there. And not just for our apartment, but for everyone. It wasn't until I served a mission that his constant attitude of service made any sense to me.

Well, why let an old tradition die right? The stud of the month for this month is a bit more abstract than the ones we had in college because...I've never met him. But he has been nominated by a one person committee for a reason; he is an entrepreneur. He dreams it, he makes it happen.

His father, Gary Neeleman was a tenant of ours in the company I used to work for. I LOVED visiting his space because he and his wife were such neat people and so cool to talk to. They spoke Spanish and traveled all over (this is noted in the article as well). His father worked for the associated press. The thing that really impressed me about their family is this entrepreneurialness (and yes, I realize I made that word up). His brother started an insurance company. When you get a whole family of entrepreneurial people I start to wonder if there is something in the way the family functions that breeds kids like this? The extent of what they do does not end there. My old roommate Cynthia used to work for Jetblue. My sister Ginette worked for Zion Ponderosa, a get-away close to Zion National Park - also started by one of these Neelemans, (David I think). Anyway, to find entrepreneurs is a rare breed and the Neelemans seem to have a whole bunch of them in their family. But today I highlight David Neeleman in particular as "Stud of the Month", (see attached article for details).

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/business/27cnd-air.html?ex=1364356800&en=1ed3ceaa4ca0de35&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

A Runner's High

Finally, I have a study which backs up what I have experienced for years. I am interested in anyone's thoughts on this. It is no secret that I've been running for years, since high school. I did a pretty intense run yesterday and I LOVED it. Some of my friends claim that they get nothing but pain from running. I have no reason to doubt this. I had some serious knee problems when I was training for my marathon. I really do understand how it might not be enjoyable. But obviously, for those of us who do run, there must be something that motivates us to keep running. For those of you who don't run, perhaps you'll find this motivating.

Runner's High

Anyone Up For a Trip to New York for a Little "Experiment"?

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

My analysis: I agree with most of this, although there are so many different ways to classify a person. I am outgoing at church and reserved at school so the personal connection thing could apply or not apply depending on the setting. I can be outright abrasive with people sometimes but my general mode de vie is harmonious, in my opinion. Others may feel differently. I really have little reason to believe that I am a jealous person. But then again, I have generally dated guys who were great at giving me a lot of security that they cared about me. Perhaps if I had not dated such kind people I'd feel differently. I am not sure I see myself as trusting, but definitely idealistic and expressive. I could be wrong, but I don't think many people see me as inappropriate (but bossy and loud...I can see it.)

Let's Have a Little Chat About Tweetle Beetles: A Tribute to Dr. Seuss

Today is Dr. Seuss's birthday. He would be 108 if he were still alive. (He died in 1991, in case you were wondering.) I am sure I am not the only one who fell in love with his anapestic tetrameter before I had a clue what meter, rhyme, and poems really were. Many of us grew up enjoying the reading The Cat in the Hat before we could actually read fast enough to twist our tongues with the alliteration. In high school, I fell in love with and memorized the poem about tweetle beetles; one of my many quarks. My favorite graduation book is Oh the Places You'll Go. I love Sueuss's unique illustrations. The wisdom and life lessons behind the sneeches, the North going Zax and the South going Zax, the Grinch are ones I much appreciate.

I suppose my nostalgic connection to Dr. Seuss grew when one summer I was perusing through my great-grandmother's book collection, I found the book You're Only Old Once. I loved the way he could poke humor at aging. (My second-favorite Dr. Seuss poem is the one about all of the pills old people take.) While I was flipping through the book, my great-grandmother told me that my great-grandfather went to school with him.

With that said, my school sent out an e-mail for volunteers to help with a readership program in celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday. They sent me a biological sketch and instructed me to share a Dr. Seuss book of my choice with the children. I was able to verify that my great-grandfather overlapped with Dr. Seuss by a year at Dartmouth College. Great-grandpa Folger did an instructorship the year that Dr. Seuss started college.

My respect for the genius of Dr. Seuss has grown even more after a short google search about him. He was really a man who cared about children's reading abilities.

At the same time, an important development occurred that influenced much of Seuss' later work. In May 1954, Life magazine published a report on illiteracy among school children, which concluded that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. Accordingly, Seuss' publisher made up a list of 400 words he felt were important and asked Dr. Seuss to cut the list to 250 words and write a book using only those words. Nine months later, Seuss, using 220 of the words given to him, completed The Cat in the Hat. This book was a tour de force—it retained the drawing style, verse rhythms, and all the imaginative power of Seuss' earlier works, but because of its simplified vocabulary could be read by beginning readers. A rumor exists,that in 1960, Bennett Cerf bet Dr. Seuss $50 that he couldn't write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was supposedly Green Eggs and Ham. The additional rumor that Cerf never paid Seuss the $50 has never been proven and is most likely untrue. These books achieved significant international success and remain very popular.
(Wikipedia)

Dr. Seuss's family immigrated from Germany. The German pronounciation of Seuss is "zoice". Dr. Seuss has been quoted as saying "Seuss -- rhymes with voice". His other pen names were Theo and LeSieg (Geisel spelled backwards) for books he wrote but others illustrated. (Wikipedia)

With that I will share my second-favorite Dr. Seuss poem. Please feel free to share yours.

This small white pill is what I munch
at breakfast and right after lunch.
I take the pill that's kelly green
before each meal and in between.
These logan berry-colored pills
I take for early morning chills.
I take the pill with zebra stripes
to cure my early evening gripes.
These orange-tinted ones, of course,
I take to cure my charley horse
I take three blues at half past eight
to slow my exhalation rate.
On alternate night at nine p.m.
I swallow pinkies. Four of them.
The reds, which make my eyebrows strong,
I eat like popcorn all day long.
The speckled browns are what I keep
beside my bed to help me sleep.
This long flat one is what I take
If I should die before I wake.

You're Only Old Once! - By Dr. Seuss