April can be a fun month; summer is around the corner, and so I’m starting to plan what I’d like to accomplish with my time off. There’s the NC Pickle Festival right next door. (Literally — the concert is in the field on the other side of the street from my house), decent weather, and rivers of pollen.
I also turned 31 on Wednesday. I think I’m supposed to start minding getting older, but I really don’t. But I’m also generally happy with the decisions I’ve made up until now, and that helps. Even if I had made some major mistakes, 31 is not too old to change them. When I teach over the summer, it’s always non-traditional classes. I have students in their 40’s and 50’s completing changing their careers. If they could pull it off at 50, I could pull it off at 31 if I wanted to.
But I don’t. In part, finding happiness comes down to what I was always told growing up, education education education. Having a good education won’t necessarily make you happy, but it at least teaches you that you’ll have to get off your butt and go find happiness; it won’t find you. And that’s probably a good thing. Things you have to work for are things you are more likely to be in control of. You know what you have to do; go do it. If you have to wait, you don’t have control; you’re at someone or something else’s mercy.
As much as I like to make fun of it, The Handbook really does have some good advice. Epictetus’s version may be a little more helpful than my own, but I still like The Philosophy of the Many Hands.
With the academic year winding down, I’ve had little time to think about other matters. Still, I’ve found a couple interesting things I’d like to point out. Until next time, enjoy!
TL;DR of the Day
Reading an entire Wikipedia page can be mentally exhausting, so, thankfully, it now comes in “Cliff’s Notes” form. Why not check out TL;DR Wikipedia?
A latte is a brewed beverage made by adding five dollars to a cup of coffee.
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Spreeder of the Day
As you’re reading, how much do you pronounce the words in your head as you move along the text? Did you just “say” this line aloud in your mind?
The website claims it can help you not subvocalize words as you read them. I can’t say I’ve tried it long enough to really see if it works, but it’s been amusing to play with.
http://www.spreeder.com/bookmarklet.php
I’d be interested in hearing if the exercise makes any difference.
For myself, Subvocalization is more of a handicap when it comes to learning foreign languages. I think I had an easier time with Spanish than German, but growing up in Houston, TX had exposed me to more Spanish as well. I struggled with German, in part because I couldn’t pronounce the words.
Then again, I also took my German courses at 8:00am. Do you think I’m a morning person?
