Learning

People, young and old, learn best when they wish to learn.
Approval systems do little to change that.
It helps if the young child becomes aware in a home where the other family members read and discourse upon matters curious, but sometimes children respond to other stimuli and get greedy for wanting to acquire knowledge and solve problems.
Unfortunately, most compulsory public educational systems have to adopt a kind of a "one size fits all" attitude to accomodate larger and larger classes.
Kids are often taught through other media that it is cool not to like school and that it is uncool to be too smart an' use beeg woords.
Between that and the official recognition and public stigmatization of various so-called learning disabilities, mental blocks, and blind spots, too many individuals fall outside the scope of optimum effectiveness where motivational strategies and tactics are concerned.
This is not an easy issue to address and, in the current state of compulsory public education, nearly impossible to fix.
Whatever it is that I have went undiagnosed as a child because I was high-energy and high-functioning (and because they had no name for it, beyond telling me... and my folks... that I was talkative, curious, couldn't sit still, creative, imaginative, and with a tremendous potential... if I could only behave and follow the rules). Chances are that my father had it, and his father before him, from what I now know.
I'm glad they couldn't put a name to it. I knew there were things wrong with me... but I slowly found ways to work around the intellectual barriers and discovered alternate methods of doing those things that seemed to come easily to others, but which I had to huff and puff to do.
I told my daughter that whatever it is that she has is similar to what I have. It is part of her. It may cause pain to realize that she cannot do some things in the same way as others may do them, but that she should not worry about putting a name to it, that it is not going away anytime soon, and that she should find the advantages and disadvantages of having it... and therefore use it to the best of her ability.
I tell her that, because it is what I must do every day.

The Other 1%

I think there is another 1%...
There is a small (but hopefully growing) subset of the population who are basically happy, and grateful for what they do have and for their friends and family... who do not spread negative press or cause/join needless conflict... who do not think that compassion means weakness or that acceptance means ignorance... who appreciate life, love, peace, and good cheer... who are more amazed and awed at the smallest, most delightful of spiritual things than they are angry and resentful at the largest, most outrageous of material things... who realize that true wealth is there for the asking, if one is willing to give up the fight against nothing.
I belong to this Other 1%.
Who's with me?

The Importance of Password Safety

Folks,

    Even if you already know this stuff, please share it with everyone you know, so that the word on passwords may be spread. Thank you.
    Okay, here I go: About passwords...

    Do any of you find passwords annoying?
    Do you create a password because it is easy to remember?
    Do you use the same password for more than one website?
    Are you kind of unclear as to what makes for a strong password, as opposed to a weak password?
    Do you grant any and all apps access to all your information, without knowing which are trustworthy and which are not?

    If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, I may have gotten (or may be getting in the future) some form of SPAM from you, that you did not intend to send... and if that is the worst thing that happens, you may consider yourself fortunate. However, far worse things can come of not understanding passwords, their strengths and their weaknesses.

    Some examples of passwords:

    Pathetically & Ridiculously Weak Password........password
    Pathetically Weak Password................................password1
    Ridiculously Weak Password...............................password1234
    Very Weak Password...........................................lee1234   
    Weak Password...................................................LeeG1106
    Flimsy Password..................................................LeeGothro2012
    Fair Password......................................................ElOg07192012d
    Strong Password..................................................733d4v1D6o7Hr0
    Really Tough Password.......................................{733}d.&o7hR0~

    Note that the last six examples are all based on my name. Though that becomes less clear, as the passwords get stronger, the Really, Really Tough Password is the one that has absolutely nothing to do with anything about me... my name, my address, my daughter's name, pet's name, my phone number, birthday, graduation date, or any other information that can be remotely tied to me.

   Have a different password for EVERY website and EVERY application that requires one... and make them Really, Really Tough.
    Your information is safer if you have to write them all down in a secret notebook put under lock and key in your house, than if you use a weak password, especially if you use it in more than one place!

    You also PROTECT YOUR FRIENDS & FAMILY by doing so!
    Also (and this is the part that everyone hates), CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS PERIODICALLY. This means like more than twice a year. Once a month is better... but I confess that not even I do that.

    Lastly... if you get some spam from any of those who are in your contact list, LET THEM KNOW ABOUT IT.

    Thank you.