BRAINTENANCE: Do You Haiku?

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PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR ORIGINAL HAIKU - Just go to the "comments" link at the bottom of this article, and a window will open up for you to post them!

Dear Readers:

Please note the nifty new subscript at the end of this post, laden with hyperlinks. Click on them. Don't be afraid. I promise you a wonderful time.

For this week's exercise, compose several Haiku. Haiku is an ancient form of structured Japanese poem comprised of three lines, and subject to the following rules:

1. The first line must consist of exactly five syllables

2. The second line must consist of exactly seven syllables

3. The third line must consist of exactly five syllables

The mental discipline of conforming to this structure is an unusually powerful mind-building exercise. The artistic objective is to express a thought, a mood or an image within the Haiku form. As an example, here's one that I have written:

I have walked these streets

In my hours of loneliness

Hearing your last words

~~~

Try your very best to compose as many of these as you can. Please submit your favorites (either anonymously, or under your name, so that you may receive credit) to me by clicking on the link for "comments" immediately under this post.

I would like to publish a volume of Haiku written by my friends and readers, so please...submit your best ones as soon as you can. The deadline to be included in the publication is August 15th, this coming. That date also coincides with the anniversary of my Father's passing. I would like to honor his memory in this way.

By the way, if you do not receive either the RSS feed or the free Daily Email Feed from this site, scroll back up the page a bit, and get your free subscription. Let's build better brains together.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

*Follow BRAINTENANCE on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Braintenance .
*Follow DOUGLAS CASTLE's Blog at http://aboutdouglascastle.blogspot.com/ .
*Follow DOUGLAS CASTLE on Twitter at http://twitter.com/douglascastle .
*Also: Take a look at the following sites ---
HUMANITAS MAXIMUS, TAKING COMMAND!, INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS BLOG, INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS WEBSITE, THE NATIONAL NETWORKER, THE GLOBAL FUTURIST, THE INTERNATIONALIST PAGE.
*Contact the author at douglas.castle@yahoo.com .

BRAINTENANCE: The "One Percent" Rule.

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The 1% Rule
Note: This brief article was originally published in the author's own blog at DOUGLAS CASTLE, http://aboutdouglascastle.blogspot.com on 25 June 2009.

Dear Friends:

People (most of them self-professed pundits) are always citing the anecdotal wisdom of the "80 -20 Rule," which refers to the typical business situation where a mere 20% of your customers provide you with 80% of your business volume. It follows that a prudent business person should allocate 80% of his or her time on that critical 20%. Walking ahead just one more step, it would seem to me that it might truly be clever to focus more effort on segregating the 20% from the 80%, downsizing (I apologize for the dismal term) the 80% and building the 20% -- the ultimate result, if Murphy's Law and the Heisenberg Principle do not tamper with us too much, would be that the 20% would become our new 100%. Operating at optimal efficiency (which requires dispensing with the unfruitful investment of time in the 80%), we would then spend 100% of our time on the 100% of our customers who truly matter.

The inference in the 80-20 Rule is that the minority produces the majority of our wealth, and that they are of greater significance to us.

There is also a "Two Percent Rule," which refers to the belief that approximately 2% of the world's population (a very small, very powerful group, apparently) controls 98% of its wealth. The implications are obvious...as are the results.

Without making any value judgment, and just making an observation, I believe that both of the above rules are basically sound, albeit somewhat imprecise statistically.

But those rules are not the drivers in the limo of my current life: No, I would have to say that the Rule that affects me the most is the "1% Rule" [which will be referred to as "THE ONE PERCENT RULE" by both my detractors and by my twelfth-grade Creative Writing Teacher immediately after the release of this article].

My friend and business partner, Adam J. Kovitz, and I were discussing many wonderful upgrades to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER, and my role in mapping out and orchestrating many of these substantial changes. Adam's compliment to me was that I was a "One Percenter." He had used this expression on numerous occasions. I now understand it well enough to give it a definition. Following is the Rule, which I attribute jointly to Adam and myself...

THE ONE PERCENT RULE: Approximately One Percent of all Human Beings create and construct, while the remaining Ninety Nine Percent criticize and destroy. In sum, it is so much easier to be a critic and a complainer than it is to be a problem-solver, that most among us are virtually programmed (by our propensity toward inertia and indolence) to be critics and complainers, while only a few among us defy our baser instincts and actually create, build and problem-solve. To make matters worse, the special 1% is generally acknowledged and praised posthumously, i.e., following a crucifixion, burning at the stake, suicide, and the like. To be a One Percenter may be a thankless job, but it is necessary to every step that Humankind advances. This tenacious 1% fights against Humankind's collective drive toward either stagnation or self-annihilation. And we spend so much of our time and resources trying to discourage or eliminate this pivotal component.

Are you a One Percenter? Take the matter up with your own conscience. The sooner, the better. Time is fleeting.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

*Follow DOUGLAS CASTLE on TWITTER - http://twitter.com/douglascastle
*Follow DOUGLAS CASTLE on THE NATIONAL NETWORKER - http://twitter.com/TNNW_BUZZWORKS

BRAINTENANCE: June 23, 2009 - PUNS

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Yes indeed, friends:

I am back from my vacation, with a simple exercise for you. It requires several steps, but it is a worthwhile and rewarding pursuit -- I promise you.

Learning puns and inventing puns expands your recall, increases your associative intelligence, improves your command of the language and makes you into a more attentive listener and learner. Puns, once regarded (like Limericks) were once regarded as silly or "lowbrow humor."

How wrong! Puns help other people remember what we have said (and make them more inclined to repeat it, paying it forward), demonstrate our superior command of our native language, and provide endless entertainment and stimulation. The humor inherent in a well-crafted pun does not deter from its educational value to both the teller (oftimes, the "Punster") and the listener.

1. Look up PUNS on your favorite search engine.

2. Memorize several puns.

3. Invent several puns.

Please feel free to pun-ish me with your responses either by commenting on this post (see below), or by emailing me at douglas.castle@yahoo.com. If you choose to email me, please be certain to put the words "BRAINTENANCE PUNS" in the subject of your email.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

p.s. Please look for my posts about twice weekly instead of daily. What was I thinking?

BRAINTENANCE: Please Burn Before Reading

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Dear Friends:

Please do not read any further. There may well be such a thing as "knowing too much." I fear that this might be the case for many (if not most) of us simple souls. That is why I did not post a certain article on this blog. http://twitlik.com/DONOTOPEN

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle
p.s. I shall be back at work by 22 June. Be prepared to take your brain out of idle and put it into gear.

BRAINTENANCE: CAN THE FUTURE BE CHANGED?

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FROM: The Global Futurist - "Determinism - Tough Questions"

Dear Friends:

Sometimes it seems as if all of the future were predetermined by a force or forces beyond the scope of our control. Are we wasting our time trying to change things...or can we genuinely create constructive change and truly shape our own destinies?

Just as curiously, do we permit the future to "run its course" by the self-fulfilling prophesy associated with believing that the future is predetermined? An example, culled from real life:

If I do not believe that my vote will make a difference, and I therefore choose not to cast any vote, am I acknowledging the inevitable, or am I passively creating an outcome? Is it possible that those other prospective voters who do not feel as I do ultimately gain the power (by their participation in the voting process) to shape the future? By my failure to vote, am I decreasing my ability to write the script to my future, and empowering the voting population to write the script for me?

Just what effect do we (and can we) have on the future? What effect, if any, do our belief systems have on our ability to shape the future?

Pause for a moment, just to think about these matters.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

http://Braintenance.blogspot.com

http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com

http://TakingCommand.blogspot.com

Key Terms and References: futurism, prediction, self-fulfilling prophesies, determinism, participation in the process of future-building, social darwinism, blogs by Douglas Castle, fate, destiny, voting, the impact of belief systems on the future, an individual's impact on the future, resignation, pre-determination, Braintenance, The Global Futurist, The National Networker, social media, influence, power, tough questions, tough choices, Taking Command!, ruling class, faith, fear...

Subscribe: http://twitlik.com/JOINUS

QUICK SURVEY - LEADERSHIP

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What are the critical responsibilities of a True Leader? Be Heard! Quick survey http://twitlik.com/Leadership88 #TNNW #douglascastle

Oath of Hippocrisy (Ahem) - Yep. Still on vacation...

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Q1: If everyone is to become a "coach", who is going to be left to train?

Q2: Shouldn't every coach lead by personal example? Shouldn't a student want to emulate his or her coach in some aspect?

Old saying: "Those who can, do...

My advice: Student, trainee -- CHOOSE A COACH CAREFULLY. Observe a coach's actions and appearance before seriously regarding his/her dogma. A coach should exemplify something you wish to learn or gain. Beware the obese nutritionist, or the clumsy ballet instructor.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

MULTIPLE MINDS - Exponentiality

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Dear Friends:

I'm still on vacation. Ponder the following while you take a well-deserved break from problem-solving [as a matter of fact, your mind is always engaged in problem-solving...while you're awake...while you're dreaming; your thinking mechanism is not unlike a perpetual motion machine]:

"Followers are good...Participants are great... but Partners are even better. http://htxt.it/Svsv #TNNW #Braintenance." - from a Twitter post.

My comment: Good relationships are not merely additive (i.e., "let's put our heads together"); they are multiplicative. Intelligence can grow geometrically/ exponentially in a cohesive and cooperative group. Think of the notion of the MasterMind. Can you imagine the intellectual capacity of a creature whose every brain cell was, in fact, an entire mind? A successful team, group, partnership or organization is successful because it functions as a MasterMind.

Now, try to stop thinking about that...

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

I'M STILL ON VACATION, Which Rhymes with LINGOVATION

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FROM THE TNNW DAILY EMAIL AND RSS NEWSFEED @ http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com/ .

Dear Readers:

I am bursting with joy. I received an email from an ardent fan (a woman with too much idle time on her hands and a husband who works for a long-distance hauling company) complimenting me on my invention of the terms OMNIGADGET, PROCRASTINERTIA and EXPONENTIALITY. She actually expressed gratitude for my having introduced these terms into the English language (American version), and into industry parlance. It was akin to receiving the Nobel Peace Prize (or winning $5.00 on a scratch-off lottery ticket). After my initial deluge of tears, I wrote her a brief thank-you note and decided to write this post.

Inventing terms, where existing language does not quite suffice, is a very fine means by which to accomplish several things simultaneously:

1. It helps to facilitate better, more precise communications -- to get your point across more efficiently;

2. It strengthens your personal brand, and the creates a mental link (in the minds of the masses) between you, as an individual, and a particular term which you've coined;

3. It gives you (and your newly-created term) high search engine prominence;

4. It forces new acquaintances, usually hard-won through rigorous networking, to ask you the question, "What does that mean?" Note: If they just nod their heads like dashboard bobbles, you know that they are either hard of hearing, embarrassed to admit ignorance (such is the Sin of Pride), or in a hurry to get to teir part of the conversation while impatiently tolerating yours...there are often body language signs which further affirm this, such as rapid toe-tapping, looking downward, staring at a wristwatch, yawning, or, in extreme cases, rapidly running off to the restroom. It's always helpful to know with some immediacy whether or not a person is actually interested in what you want to say;

5. It stimulates your imagination and enhances your cognitive ability - it's fun.

To illustrate the wonder of this hobby (inventing words, which I call "LINGOVATION") just try to imagine the unbridled joy of the person who coined the term "stagflation"... or, "spork"? Sadly for me, I had tried some years ago to popularize the term "FOON" with the objective of replacing the term "SPORK," but, like such other greats as Tesla, Galileo [I might have invented my own spelling here, too], Copernicus, Jackie Mason and Joan of Arc, I was subjected to great ridicule.

A truly pitiful example of an unimaginative, non-value-added lingovation is the "Wonkavator." Lingovation is little more than oratory excrement if it is not born of genuine innovation and a love of verbal communication. "Brangelina" speaks in stentorian tones of societal decay, and declining intellectual standards. These abuses of linguisitic license make me choke on my own bile.

One of my college roomates once referred to the binocular-laden patrons of the Audubon Society as "birdbrains." That was clever, but not a good example of a legitimate lingovation. I am certain that if you have been able to read this far (with at least 72% comprehension), you have the inherent potential (which latter word pairing is redundant) to become a Lingovator.

Participate in the evolution of the language -- become a LINGOVATOR.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com

Visit with me on http://twitter.com/douglascastle, http://twitter.com/TNNW-BUZZWORKS, and http://twitter.com/Braintenance.

TERMS AND TAGS: Douglas Castle, interviews by Douglas Castle, blogs by Douglas Castle, Douglas Castle on Twitter, Google Rankings, blogs and SEO prominence, Douglas Castle's OMNIGADGET, PROCRASTINERTIA, EXPONENTIALITY. invented terms, communication, market differentiation, language, self-promotion, The National Networker, TNNW, Braintenance, The Internationalist Page, Humanitas Maximus, social media, meatloaf snacks, THE GLOBAL FUTURIST, THE INTERNATIONALIST PAGE, LINGOVATION.

THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (TNNW):
PRESS OUR BUTTONS & CLICK OUR LINKS...

My question for my colleagues...

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My question for my colleagues is a simple one: Are you motivated more by FEAR, or by the OPPORTUNITY FOR GAIN? Be fully honest. Christine West's Seminar: http://htxt.it/V58D .

VACATION? WHAT VACATION?

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Dear Friends:

I'm officially on vacation -- so that I can catch up with my work. I will be back on the air (or in the realm of cyberspace) by June 18th. Scout's honor.

All the best (but don't give that Brain a rest!),

Douglas Castle

PLS --> --> Dear Fri

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PLS --> --> Dear Friends: If you do not already have a free Twitter account, you can get one at http://twitter.com. Twitter affords you a unique opportunity to refine your brevity skills -- you have exactly 140 characters within which to express your thoughts. Every character counts! To follow us on INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS, log into your Twitter account and head for http://htxt.it/MIy9 To follow us on THE NATIONAL NETWORKER, log into your Twitter account (what's that? you're already logged in? Great!) and head for http://htxt.it/5vac I'll look forward to our Tweeting each other (with wespect). See you there. Faithfully, Douglas Castle (http://htxt.it/6dHO THE NATIONAL NETWORKER- We Are Networking BRAINTENANCE - Stay Razor Sharp INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS - Human Potential THE INTERNATIONALIST PAGE THE GLOBAL FUTURIST

A Brief Interlude

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Dear Friends:

Don't be so impatient! Please...I will give you the answers to the most recent batch of Braintenance exercises.

In the interim, I would like to share (with you...that's right...you, over there!)) what I feel is the ultimate 140 character Twitter Post. Twitter, the internet's most highly-acclaimed social media [i.e., noisemaking] apparatus, only gives you 140 characters within which to answer the age-old philosophical conundrum: What are you doing now?

Here's the post, which is a thinly-veiled solicitation for business networkers and relationship-builders throughout the known universe to follow THE NATIONAL NETWORKER's announcement page on Twitter. My gift for subtlety will immediately become apparent:

Follow us and get somewhere! http://twitter.com/TNNW_BUZZWORKS. Newsletter. Services. Relationships. And longer urls! #TNNW (Really.)

How about it, folks? In less than 140 characters, where even your s p a c e s are counted as characters, I perpetrated a "stealth advertisement insertion."

Do I deserve the day off?

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle*
*The "e" in my last name is silent, like the "p" in "swimming".

DCastleFT.GlobalEcon

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DCastleFT.GlobalEcon Merkel mauls central banks : Unconventional monetary policies being pu.. http://tinyurl.com/pmkd8k

DouglasCastle.Digg R

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DouglasCastle.Digg Rwandan to face genocide charges in Finland: Finnish prosecutors will file.. http://tinyurl.com/ofbpkd

DouglasCastle_FTnews

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DouglasCastle_FTnews Anti-Castro politicians fight thawing of relations : Cuban-American po.. http://tinyurl.com/q4ng52

Douglas Castle Apologizes for Loitering and Littering.

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Douglas Castle Apologizes for Loitering and Littering.

Dear Friends:

As a man born with an irresistible propensity for apologies (I have actually apologized to neighbors about the weather), I had to take this moment to apologize to all of my readers. Please read on.

I spend a great deal of time railing and carrying on about being heard and being noticed in this noise-filled, e-media world. It is nothing short of magic to hear, and to be heard amidst the constant full-sensorial assault on the senses imposed upon on us in a promotion-obsessed high-technology society. It seems, too much of the time, that everyone is promoting and no one is producing...that everyone is selling, even if no one is buying. Ironically, if you truly want to purchase something, it's almost unimaginally difficult to get service -- "All of our representatives are currently assisting other callers..."

Two days ago, I tried to contact a domain registration service by telephone. I called the number for "Immediate Customer Assistance." The first time I phoned, I held for 15 minutes. The second time, 20 minutes. The third time, I started yelling into the telephone (at no one) after hearing a musical tape loop of Dave Brubeck's immortal "Take Five," which was, until very recently, one of my favorite songs. While I waited on the telephone, I went through in excess of one hundred emails which had accumulated in my computer inbox in the space of two hours.

Approximately one in every ten messages was spam. Ironically, in going through my spam filter's collected entries, I have generally found that approximately one in every twenty five spam messages is a miscategorized legitimate email. My computer can no longer effectively differentiate between them - the machine is as overworked and confused as I am (Note: I plan to publish the results of my study in the International Journal Of Useless, Unsponsored Research, August Edition. Adam J. Kovitz, of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER refused to finance this endeavor when I offered him a right of first refusal, citing it as "crap," or some variant thereof). Anyway:

Several days ago I started featuring several different newsfeeds on a number of the blogs which I administer, co-author or write. While International News is very important, the feeds have been posting to these blogs many times each day. Enough is enough. To make matters worse, the hyperlinks to the top news stories are not live [by the way, if you want to bring any of the links on these posts to life so that you can read the entire story, all you need to do is paste them into your browser].

I have been quite a hypocrite...filling my readers' blogs, widgets, RSS feeds and email with this avalanche of sobering and saddening news, instead of heartfelt, informative and stimulating content. I have been loitering and littering, and I am deeply sorry.

Starting tomorrow (because nobody ever starts today, whenever today may be - we Humans are prone to procrastination and indecision, which I should probably write about if and when I can get around to making up my mind about it), I will decrease the frequency of these feeds to once daily for each. The feeds in question are from Associated Press (AP), The Financial Times (FT) and Digg.

Please stay with me. I will make it up to you.

I am deeply in debt to those people who read what I write, and I will not abuse the privilege and honor of your interest and loyalty.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

*Follow DOUGLAS CASTLE on TWITTER - http://twitter.com/douglascastle