Author Archives: Patrick Cole

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About Patrick Cole

Husband, parent and writer. Sharing stories with a little humor and wisdom along the way.

High Coo – Nov 11 – Happy Birthday, Kurt Vonnegut

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The New York Times

Regular readers of this blog know that Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. is my favorite author. Today is his 100th birthday and I am compelled to recommend him again.

Born 11/11/1922, he died in 2007 at the age of 84.

As reported by The New York Times, “Vonnegut died in the Manhattan borough of New York City on the night of April 11, 2007, as a result of brain injuries incurred several weeks prior, from a fall at his brownstone home.” (Dinitia Smith, The New York Times)

True to his irreverent nature, “In a 2006 Rolling Stone interview, Vonnegut sardonically stated that he would sue the Brown & Williamson tobacco company, the maker of the Pall Mall-branded cigarettes he had been smoking since he was around 12 or 14 years old, for false advertising: “And do you know why? Because I’m 83 years old. The lying bastards! On the package Brown & Williamson promised to kill me.” (Lev Grossman, TIME)

Considered the Mark Twain of his generation, Vonnegut wrote 14 novels addressing his aversion to war, religion and politics. All are well worth reading, yet lately, I have been rereading the book Pity The Reader written by Vonnegut & Suzanne McConnell (paperback published in 2020 by Seven Stories Press). This book is based on a short article he wrote for International Paper Company titled, How to Write with Style. In his succinct fashion, Vonnegut identified the eight things to remember to have a successful writing style:

  1. Find a subject you care about
  2. Do not ramble
  3. Keep it simple
  4. Have the guts to cut
  5. Sound like yourself
  6. Say what you mean
  7. Pity the readers
  8. For really detailed advice …

Here is my homage haiku: Happy Birthday Kurt Vonnegut

brevity revealed

your soul’s desire to find

decent humankind

High Coo – Nov 10 – Thank You, Joe Juran

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How do you define quality? What about blog quality? Does this blog meet your quality expectations?

Today is World Quality Day (https://nationaltoday.com/world-quality-day/) and one of the major contributors to the understanding and practice of quality is Joseph Juran. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_M._Juran).

With a degree in Electrical Engineering and many years of practical experience beginning with his time at Western Electric’s Hawthorne Works, Juran went on to become a well-known author and consultant. He has been referred to as one of the founding fathers of the quality movement.

While the quality movement began in the manufacturing sector, Juran was instrumental into expanding quality planning, quality control and quality improvement into other sectors (e.g., service).

Joe Juran retired at age 90 in 1994 and lived another 13 years before his death in 2008. His final messages were about Big Q and a focus on quality of life and environmental quality.

I recall meeting him in the late 1980s at the end of a week-long quality planning training program and was very impressed with his direct yet low-key delivery. He may not have been as dynamic a speaker as his counterparts, Crosby and Deming, but his clarity, focus and many publications were extremely helpful. See a chart below as an example.

http://www.juran.com

Today’s homage haiku: Thank You, Joe Juran

simple golden rule:

customers know quality

ask and follow through

High Coo – Nov 9 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARL SAGAN

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Today is Carl Sagan’s birthdate. He was born on Nov 9, 1934, in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

Check out: https://carlsagan.com/ … https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan … https://www.biography.com/scientist/carl-sagan

An amazing communicator and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Sagan is probably most well-known for his groundbreaking (or should I say skybreaking) television show: COSMOS: A PERSONAL JOURNEY, the most watched PBS series until 1990. The show has been seen by 500 million people across 60 countries.

But with intelligence and charisma, Sagan was envied and resisted by peers throughout his life. Two examples include:

  • Before the end of high school, he entered an essay contest in which he posed the question of whether human contact with advanced life forms from another planet might be as disastrous for people on Earth as it was for Native Americans when they first had contact with Europeans. The subject was considered controversial, but his rhetorical skill won over the judges, and they awarded him first prize.
  • Harvard denied Sagan tenure (perhaps due to envy from tenured professors with less public recognition than him) so he became well-known for his leadership at Cornell University.

Unfortunately, Sagan died at the age of 62 in 1996 due to myelodysplasia. Fortunately, Sagan inspired many others to follow in his footsteps and carry the torch for creative thinking and science communication.

Today’s haiku: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARL SAGAN

thank you for “billions”,

Neal deGrasse Tyson and your

partner, Ann Druyan

Druyan, executive producer and writer of Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey, accepting the Peabody Award in 2014

High Coo – Nov 8 – What’s in a Number v2 or Looking for Hope

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https://www.spiritualunite.com/articles/222-spiritual-meaning-you-should-know/

Woke up this morning and noticed the bedside clock read 2:22. I deliberately set this clock five minutes fast but never to seem to remember that until I reach the kitchen and notice that clock also reads 2:22.

No, I wasn’t time traveling.

Hmmm? Should I purchase a lottery ticket? Should I go back to bed? Should I research numerology again to discover if there is any significance to this number?

(Side note: Today is Election Day in the “good ole U.S. of A.” I’m proud of the fact that I’ve been voting for exactly 50 years now. I will vote again later this morning. I vote because it’s my civic duty … because it gives me the right to complain when the government elected fails to follow through on their promises … because I’d rather participate than be an apathetic whiner who sits on the sidelines … because I was trained to vote.)

I first wrote about numerology on 7.7.22 and a, much younger, sister blogger I admire a lot responded to my topic header/question. This is what C.J. (Crystal) Grasso said:

“The number 2 in spirituality means it is a number ruled by the moon, which also marks it as feminine energy. Which is connected to the emotional and nurturing realm. The moon also is related to one’s hidden aspects, which others do not see. The number 2 also symbolizes partnership and coming together, bringing in harmony and balance It could be an energy that brings up emotional wounds to work through with love and compassion. Balancing one’s inner and outer world…bringing in balance according to an angel numbers website. Which would be great for the world right about now. Numerology and spirituality are such interesting topics, I myself do not know much about them yet, but based on the things I’ve read these are my personal conclusions, though I could be totally wrong. I’m an observer of all this and try to keep an open mind. Numerology and spirituality interlink a lot.”

BTW: check out C.J.’s excellent blog at motivationalcopingandhealingcom.wordpress.com

FWIW: my Zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, said we “go as a river.” Individually we are a single drop of water which can quickly dry up when times are difficult. Collectively, however, we can make a difference. We can form a stronger, more dynamic, flow of energy that makes an impact.

I hope this proves true today both in the “good ole U.S. of A.” and across this beautiful blue marble.

Today’s haiku: LOOKING FOR HOPE

Two plus two plus two

becomes significant when

we unite for GOOD

P.S. The clock now reads 3:33

High Coo – Nov 7 – National Book Award Week

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What is one of the best books you’ve read this year?

A helpful reminder of well-thought-of books would be those that receive top recognition.

“National Book Award Week is held from November 7 to November 13 each year. It focuses on America’s future authors, books, and literature in general. The National Book Award is a set of annual literary awards in the United States….The National Book Foundation also awards two-lifetime achievement awards each year: the Medal for Outstanding Contribution to American Literature and the Literary Award for Outstanding Achievement to the American Literary Community.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-book-award-week/

After the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Booker Prize, the National Book Award is considered one of “the world’s most prestigious literary prizes” according to the NY Times.

Today’s haiku: National Book Award Week

honoring the “best”

is a noble attempt to

increase readership

One of my favorite books read this year is “It’s Not About the Wine!” by Brian Metters (aka Dr. B). Check it out!

High Coo – Nov 6 – Animal Shelter Appreciation Week

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Little dog found in ditch needs help – https://www.strayrescue.org/

“National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week takes place during the first full week of November — November 6–12 this year — in recognition of the various shelters that provide care to millions of displaced animals in America. …. The observance also serves to acknowledge the hard-working people supporting the efforts with their work at the shelters. Local shelters are great at finding new homes for homeless pets, but it’s not all they do. They rescue and rehabilitate injured or abused animals too, and they reunite lost pets with their original families. They serve communities by saving their animals every day.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-animal-shelter-appreciation-week/

Today’s haiku: Animal Shelter Appreciation

Make a difference:

if you can’t adopt a pet –

adopt a shelter

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This is my local animal shelter.

High Coo – Nov 5 – National Redhead Day

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Established in 2011, National Redhead Day is celebrated to recognize this rarest of hair colors. Not always appreciated, redheads have been sometimes labeled as fiery, hot-tempered, nymphomaniacs and/or witches. Well, today they are labeled beautiful. https://nationaltoday.com/national-redhead-day/

Some Famous Redheads in History include:

  1. Cleopatra
  2. Judas Iscariot
  3. Queen Boadicea
  4. Richard Lionheart
  5. Genghis Khan
  6. Christopher Columbus
  7. King Henry VIII
  8. Queen Elizabeth I
  9. Galileo Galilei 
  10. Oliver Cromwell
  11. Vivaldi
  12. George Washington
  13. Thomas Jefferson
  14. Emily Dickinson
  15. Mark Twain
  16. Vincent Van Gogh
  17. Vladimir Lenin
  18. Winston Churchill
  19. Marilyn Monroe
  20. Prince Harry

(https://discover.hubpages.com/entertainment/Top-20-Famous-Redheads-in-History)

Today’s haiku: Love Your Red Hair Day

don’t hide it, flaunt it

uniqueness is your beauty

better red than dead

High Coo – Nov 4 – National Day of Community Service

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Whether you’re “giving back” or “paying it forward”, volunteering is a great way to contribute to your community.

There’s only one country in the world that dedicates a day for the whole nation to volunteer to their community. Maybe we should follow their example? https://nationaltoday.com/national-day-of-community-service/

Today’s haiku: National Day of Community Service

we need each other

we are smarter together

be a volunteer

“NATIONAL DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE FAQS

What are the advantages of volunteering in the community?

Volunteering can help you gain more self-confidence. Self-confidence, self-esteem, and overall life happiness can all be improved by participating in volunteer activities. Depression can be alleviated by volunteerism. Volunteering can also help you maintain your physical health.

What is the significance of community activity inside a community?

It is the goal of community action to place communities at the center of their local service delivery. It is possible to achieve some objectives by engaging communities in the planning process. These include, for example, constructing a sense of community and social capability – assisting the community in exchanging knowledge, skills, and ideas.

Why is it vital to aid others?

Volunteering provides people a feeling of meaning in addition to health benefits. Giving back to society and making a difference is incredibly satisfying. Volunteer work is a terrific way to meet your neighbors. Volunteering gives you the chance to meet new individuals.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-day-of-community-service/

High Coo – Nov 3 – Thor’s Day

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The Norse God of Thunder is today’s namesake. Thor is derived from the Germanic Thunraz which is equivalent to Jupiter in Roman mythology.

Why do we still use this name? Haven’t we progressed from Norse gods?

Why not use a note of the musical scale or an element on the periodic table?

Today’s haiku questions: Thor’s Day

Are names important?

Would today be different

if it were renamed?

Just asking …

High Coo – Nov 2 – Day of the Dead

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Dead Guitarist at The Blue Habanero in Richmond, VA – photo taken by author

Today’s haiku: Day of the Dead

Let us remember

loved ones departed – and our

future reunion

“Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated November 2. On this day, it is believed that the souls of the dead return to visit their living family members. Many people celebrate this day by visiting the graves of deceased loved ones and setting up altars with their favorite foods, drink, and photos….The main tradition for Day of the Dead sees families gather to honor and remember their loved ones who are no longer with us. Celebrated as a sacred and joyous occasion, there is plenty of food, lots of flowers, visits with family members and nostalgic stories about those who have died.” https://nationaltoday.com/day-of-the-dead/

Today, I honor my departed ancestors, friends and teachers who have “crossed over” and “continued” to the next phase of their life journey. I’m especially remembering my grandparents, father and younger brother today. I look forward to our reunions.

I respect that your experience may be different from mine. Many cultures honor their ancestors with holidays like the Day of the Dead. For example, see the chart below:

La Catrina mural at The Blue Habanero in Richmond, VA – photo taken by the author