What is “time”? What dimension is it? And can it be controlled?

These are some of the questions posed in a BBC documentary called “Time Trip”, a look at the idea of time travel. These scientists talk about “stopping time” or that “time travels at different speeds” depending on how fast you’re traveling. The idea that time can be manipulated seems like they’re overlooking the simplest and most obvious solution.

Time is just a word. It was made up to refer to events before now and after now. Time isn’t a dimension that you can manipulate. There’s now and that’s it. Now is the only “dimension” of time that we can manipulate and we do it real-time.

Keep it simple stupid. The only place time travel is going to happen is in the movies.

Are opposite sex roommates a recipe for disaster or a good match for people with different lifestyles?

Like most things, it depends on the situation. But most of the time, it’s a recipe for disaster. If there’s any attraction between either person, you’re off to a bad start. Even if either of you have a significant other, the sexual tension can lead to unwanted feelings and uncomfortable circumstances.

What if there’s no attraction? Well, you still have a problem: people can grow on you. You learn to like someone over time even if there was nothing there to begin with.

Use your best judgment when finding a roommate and know what you’re getting into.

A closed door can make others feel unwelcome. Be careful what message you’re giving.

Do you have an “open door policy”? Most people say they do, but words don’t always translate into actions. And depending on what side of the door you’re on changes the message the door gives. An open door is welcoming and encourages visitors. It portrays you as an open and friendly person.

The closed door, while the reason may be privacy, sends a negative, unwelcoming message to others. It discourages visitors and portrays you as a closed person who doesn’t want to be bothered.

Whether it’s at home or in the office, send the right message and try to keep the door open. Others will be happy you did.

We can’t have everything. And that just makes us want it even more.

What is it that creates that drive to get what we can’t have? For some of us, it’s the thrill of the chase. Catch Me If You Can is a great example of that type of personality. For others, it’s the “trophy” effect: being able to show off to everyone what you were able to get and that no one else could.

Unfortunately, that “forbidden fruit” is a short-lived high. Once you’ve got what you couldn’t have, it’s no longer as “sweet” as it once was. Time to find something else.

Enjoy the chase… be proud of your trophy… but know it’s not a fairy tale ending.

For those who aren’t smooth talkers, it’s easier to communicate by typing than it is by speaking.

Continuing on the recent topic of conversation, the Internet and virtual worlds have shown that there can be a striking difference between someone’s personality online and that in real life. For some, while the part of the brain responsible for processing speech is lower than average, the difference is made up by other parts of the brain.

These types of people have a strong connection between their thoughts and the keyboard, allowing them to express themselves more quickly/easily.

Communication is important. Use whatever means needed to get your thoughts down.

Some people are actually better at carrying on conversations that make no sense than those that do.

It’s strange, but true. It’s not always easy telling a story or a joke or just having a conversation about a particular subject. There’s direction and meaning in everything you say. For those who aren’t smooth talkers, that’s a difficult task.

How do they cope? Well, with conversations that have tangents or jump from topic to topic with no particular direction. It has less structure and puts less pressure on the talker to focus on continuous, meaningful conversation.

And that’s not a bad thing. Those conversations can be fun and lead to some interesting topics. At least better than just sitting there and not talking at all

It’s hard taking criticism for something you do for a living. Learn to use it to your advantage.

This is especially true when the critic is someone not in your field. Explaining to an artist why you dislike their flier design for your event can be a daunting task. Many artists, chefs, and engineers consider their creations extensions of themselves. Criticisms about their creations become criticisms about them.

And that’s the problem. As a creator, remember that they’re usually not criticizing you. They expected something different and there’s nothing wrong with that.

So don’t take criticism personally. Use it constructively… they may not always be right, but you’re not either

There are varying degrees of “obvious” and no single person will completely agree with you on what is or is not obvious.

You know the situation. You’re trying to explain something to someone that’s so obvious, yet you can’t seem to get it through to them no matter how hard you try.

The problem is that what’s “obvious” depends on so many factors: experience, faith, occupation, age, etc. The important (and sometimes most difficult) part is realizing your differences and using that knowledge to help in explaining what seems so obvious.

Nothing’s as obvious as it seems. And sometimes that’s a good thing. Obviously.

Sure, eating healthy is good for me, but it’s also a good excuse to eat unhealthy every now and then

Eating healthy can help keep your weight down, keep you more energized, and can lead to a longer life, but there’s one reason most of us keep secret: We get to splurge on unhealthy food. And it tastes a million times sweeter than it does when you eat unhealthy on a regular basis.

It’s sort of like a reward. When I’ve eaten all health food for a few weeks, I don’t feel so bad dropping a few bucks for some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

So why I do eat healthy? Well, in part because sometimes I get to eat unhealthy and not feel guilty about it.

Don’t take for granted anything good that comes to you in life. It usually doesn’t last forever.

That’s admittedly an unusually pessimistic outlook for me, though it rings true everywhere, even this blog. I love writing here, but even something like this doesn’t always last. Maybe that’s why I took the last month off, maybe I’m just making up a sad excuse for hiding the fact that I’ve been working too much lately

Either way, remember to appreciate the good things that come to you in life. Not all of us will always be so lucky!