Moving around Edinburgh with my friends Carolyn and Stuart regularly had me shaking my head in befuddled amusement. Right after leaving the airport, I got into their passenger’s seat?…on the driver’s side of the car! Of course, I’ve always known about Brits driving on the left side of the road, the “wrong” side of the [more…]
Sweet Edinburgh Welcome
What a joy it is to be welcomed! I arrived in Glasgow, Scotland yesterday a bit foggy from my super-early morning departure from Reykjavik. The flight had gone well–I got good writing done–but I still lacked in energy as I made my way through the airport and passed through customs. What a delight it was, [more…]
Horse Your Sabbatical Going?
Clearly, the native horse holds a special place in the Icelandic heart. Smaller than hulking workhorses found elsewhere in the world–but most definitely not a pony, as the locals make sure to mention–the long-haired Icelandic breed has the agility and strength to maneuver skillfully through the rugged volcanic backcountry. Fast, friendly, and fearless, the animals [more…]
You Had Me at “ævinlega sæl og blessud” (or Why I Now Love IcelandAir)
You’ve gotta love Iceland Air for their ingenious welcome strategy. Offer reduced prices for travel to Europe, allow for no-fee layovers in the capital city of Reykjavík to break up the jet lag of a long journey, and make it easy to enjoy the natural and cultural wonders of the place. A stop at the [more…]
The Magic of Early Morning
Something about early morning makes it especially powerful as a time for contemplation. Partly it’s that nature can make her presence known—or more accurately, we can hear her calling more easily. Human sounds have not yet stirred to distract or drive away the more wild or rare thoughts that might come to consciousness, like a [more…]
Don’t Treat My Daughter Like a Dog!
Many teachers and coaches who use TAGteaching—Teaching with Acoustical Guidance—get resistance from parents or colleagues for “clicking” kids. Isn’t that what dog trainers use? Are you treating my kid like an animal? Humans are different! The palpable fear and anger get in the way of good instruction, both by introducing hesitation on the instructor’s part [more…]
Why We Do Things We Don’t Want to Do
If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated after spending 3 hours online when you just intended to check your e-mail or after giving up—again—on your promise to get outside, meditate, or eat more healthily, you’re like me. And everyone else I know. What keeps us from turning off the TV, shutting off the computer, or taking [more…]
Whose Improv Is it Anyway?
Many folks today learn about “improv” through the often hilarious Whose Line Is It Anyway? Both the US and UK versions of the TV show (1998-2006) generate steady laughs, relying on the quick wit and sharp timing of a host and four improvisors to work through mini-scenes and suggestions from the audience. The show’s three [more…]
Positively Tricky
We use the word “positive” to mean many different things—and muddy our waters of understanding as a result. In the behavioral sciences, in the strictest sense, the word positive means “something added in.” In positive reinforcement training, then, “positive” means “treat” or reinforce added within a setting to make a particular behavior more likely to [more…]
Easy to Preach, Tough to Practice
The world’s best animal trainers rely on one simple and profound principle: reward movement towards the behavior you want and ignore the rest. The method works with species from dolphins to goldfish, from tigers to spiders. And, of course, it holds for humans too. Given a functioning nervous system, any learner reinforced for success rather [more…]
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