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Thursday's Essay Preview

The first two paragraphs of Thursday's essay, "What I'm Doing to Prevent Alzheimer's," read as follows:

This essay is not designed to be self-serving, egotistical, or self-absorbed, but if you read it that way, that’s okay.  More than anything, if you take away from this essay some things you can do to help ward off or prevent Alzheimer’s disease, then it has served its purpose.
    
Let me set the stage for what you’re about to read.  I am reading the book, 100 Simple Things You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s: And Age-Related Memory Loss (Little, Brown, 2010).  In this excellent, well-researched book by medical journalist Jean Carper, she spends about one or two pages on each of the 100 items, so reading the book moves very fast.
    


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraphs of the essay

I know this is a lot, but you get an idea of 1) what this wonderful book is all about, 2) what you can do to help prevent Alzheimer’s, and 3) how simple, straightforward, and practical Carper’s book is.  What writing this essay did for me was underscore my lifestyle, reinforce my wellness, and fortify the choices I have made thus far.  Although I could still get Alzheimer’s, I think my chances are less just because of all of the above.
   



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Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Resolving Conflicts," reads as follows:

It came as a surprise, but once I digested the request, it was understandable.  Several of the reviewer-critic-users of the ninth edition of my textbook, Communicating Effectively (McGraw-Hill, 2009) said that their students wanted more on resolving conflicts in the next edition.  I thought about the request and how best to respond to it.
   


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraphs of the essay


If you have, or can adopt or assume, the following personality traits, you are best equipped to handle conflict situations.  Revealing maturity and wisdom rank first.  Consideration of and an ability to empathize with others rank second.  The third characteristic, but no less important than the first two, is the ability to remain open-minded, objective, tolerant, and flexible.  In addition to these important traits, your ability to see things in shades of gray rather than in black-and-white, a positive attitude toward conflict and its benefits, and the ability to offer options, alternatives, and choices.


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Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Drinking Jokes," reads as follows:

*A man is sitting in a bar drinking a beer when a young lady walks up and says "So what are you drinking?" The man replies casually "Magic beer" and the lady asks "What kind of magic beer?" "What's so special about it?!?" says the man. He proceeds to get up and flies around the room 3 times and sits back down. The lady snaps "I bet you couldn't do that again even if your life depended on it!" So he gets up and flies around the room 3 more times. The lady says "I'll have what he's having!" She chugs it down and goes to the roof and jumps - falling to her death. The bartender looks at the man sitting at the bar and says "Superman, you're a jerk when your drunk."
   


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraphs of the essay

*Pat and Mike had been drinking buddies and friends for years.
   
After having a few drinks in a bar, Mike said to Pat -
   
"We have been friends for years and years and if I should die before you do would you do me a favor? Get the best bottle of Irish whiskey you can find and pour it over my grave."
   
Pat replied, "I would be glad to do that for you my old friend.  But would you mind if I passed it through my bladder first?"



And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "The Bus to Paradise Island," reads as follows:

It was an excursion — a specially arranged trip — for those attending the convention, and the arrangements for and cost of this event were paid well in advance.  The time of the meeting place for the luxury buses that were to transport us to the ferry that would take us across the water to Paradise Island was clarified and continually reinforced by the tour directors (and the convention hosts) who had arranged for this adventure, so nobody could claim (or complain) after the fact, that they did not know where to meet.
   


Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

 It occurred on January 22, 2011 — recently — so I did some self-analysis.  What I discovered was that I was putting a great deal of stress on myself just as I had done in college.  In this case, however, it was trying to produce a large number of these essays in the free time I had between finishing proofreading the tenth edition of my textbook, Communicating Effectively, and beginning work on the instructor’s manual and test bank for the book — which was likely to begin soon after.  For me, pressure/stress produces these vivid, intense nightmares/dreams that disturb my sleep and cause heaviness the following day.  My workaholic schedule, of course, isn’t a positive contributor! 




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