Special Features
Still working on the special features, give me some time and check back later. Most of these are links that are worth checking out mixed in with some crazy Emmett stories.
JOB RELATED STUFF:
When Job Hunting, Be Your Own Salesman (NYT)
The One Question You Should Ask About Every New Job
How to write a cover letter people will actually read
Had an Interview, but No Callback? Here’s What to Do Next Time (NYT)
How to Get a Job at Google (by Thomas Friedman for the New York Times)
The New-Boy Network (Malcolm Gladwell discusses how confidence and first impressions get you a job)
The Advantages of Closing a Few Doors (more options aren’t always better)
You Remind Me of Me (selling also requires creating a bond)
How to sell a Mustang (or anything else) (by economist and comedian Ben Stein)
TED Talk on Body Language Shaping Who You Are by Harvard Professor Amy Cuddy
VARIOUS INTERESTING LINKS:
Super Bowl Advertising since 1984 (by category and with viewable ads)
10 Simple Google Search Tricks you should know…
College Advice From People Who Have Been There Awhile (some top acadamicans each give a paragraph or two of their advice about what to learn in college, from the NYT)
Everyone should know How to solve the New York Times Crossword Puzzle (by Will Shortz)
Similarly, and in honor of William Safire, here are his thoughts on How to Read a (political) Column
Calculus made easy (thanks to the New York Times)
VARIOUS EMMETT STORIES (the very last ones are from Kindergarten and Pre-K):
Since these are all old stories I feel like there should be something newer
From when Emmett was ten. He was playing a game on the iPhone and just made this comment as an aside: I can’t wait to grow up so my hands will be bigger.
(one month before his seventh birthday, as reported in an email from Donna) So he’s on iTunes because I transferred a disc of Halloween stories for him to listen to, right? So while I’m putting together dinner he’s sitting at the computer listening to the stories. We have dinner and he goes back to the computer while I clean up. He says, where are all my Family Guy shows? Did dad erase them ALL??? I said yes and he said that was a terrible thing to do, etc. A few minutes later he comes in the kitchen, hands on hips, and says, Well, [Joanna] (very heavy with tone, if you know what I mean) forgot to empty the recycling bin on the computer. I’m looking a little confused and don’t know why he said it, then he said, And YES, I RECOVERED all my Family Guys. I asked him how he knew about recovering files, and he said, MOM, I can READ.
Fall 2010 text from Donna: Emmett’s teacher made me move for talking. He almost cried, but then said to her, “I want to speak to my lawyer.”
(From Donna, May 2010, Emmett is six and a half) So this is Emmett on the sofa with his brother, Andrew the Bear. Start with Emmett, then Andrew is answering in italics and a funny voice.
Remember when we were 35 and we got our first apartment together?
Yeah, that was so funny!
And remember when we went to college together and everybody beat us up because we were new?
I can’t believe that, can you?
Did you know diet Coke is really bad for children because it makes them grow down.
You are so smart, you should be a doctor one day!
I don’t think I can be a doctor.
You don’t want to be a doctor?
No.
You don’t want to be a doctor?
NO!
You don’t want to be a doctor?
Andrew, don’t be ridiculous! What a question!
OK, fine. But I knew you’d break your leg.
Holy, yeah. I just jumped at Monkey Joe’s so much that it broke my leg.
Why did you do that?
Just shut up, Andrew.
(From Donna) So this morning Emmett said to me in just a straight-forward, chit-chatty kind of way, Mom, so how old do I have to be before I can stop being your minion?
(as told by Donna from when he was seven) I’m always saying stuff to Emmett with the prelude: “If I were you, I’d…” Keeping that in mind, here’s the story: So, this morning as we were leaving for school, Emmett asked me what I planned to do today. I said, “Work, and try to get the family room under control, that sort of thing.” He crawled in the car and then stopped and looked at me with this thoughtful glance, and said, “If I were myself, I’d play and just do whatever I wanted all day long.”
He came in while Donna was working on the computer and said, “Mom, you can have the abs you’ve only wanted in only three minutes a day.” He watches too much TV.
Emmett recently watched E.T. After viewing it he had two questions for Donna: 1) Can I have a flying bicycle, and 2) Where is E.T.’s light saber?
A quick story from Summer 09. Having talked to his mom about looking forward to a visit to see his grandmother he went from that to talking about seeing the kids in the neighborhood. There’s one he finds somewhat annoying and he said, “I’m looking backward to seeing him.”
This from Emmett’s first and only soccer season: In order to keep him focused the coach actually let me stay out on the field with him to give pointers. They don’t worry about things like offsides or really most of the rules. They just picked up one of the girl’s balls off the sidelines as the game ball. Emmett was in goal. I said to him, “OK, you’re the goalie, when the ball comes toward you pick it up and then run up and throw it.” And he said, “But it’s PINK!”
Here’s a completely true Emmett story (this at age 4 1/2): He was watching Star Wars Episode III and Annakin and Obi Wan were engaged in small talk while they were guarding Padma. Obi Wan says to Annakin, “You look tired.” Annakin replies, “I haven’t been sleeping well.” And then without missing a beat Emmett says, “He must have a child.”
Emmett has learned how to change our answering machine message, here are a few that he had on there this morning:
Hi, we’re the FLOWER PEOPLE, thank you, please leave us a message, thanks, bye. We are just being BUTT HEADS, I don’t care, the number you have reached is not in service, please try your call again, it’s really stupid, thanks.
When driving with Emmett in the car recently (about two months before his fifth birthday) he was looking up at the sky and he said, “That cloud looks like Malayasia.” I replied, “Malayasia, really?” And he said, “Well, it’s white, and it’s smaller, but yeah.”
This Emmett story as related by Donna from Pre-K: When I picked up Emmett today Mrs. Mirkes told me a funny story. One of the kids went into the little kitchen/reading/stock room for his turn with reading mom and she wasn’t in there. So he says, Jake’s mom is gone. Emmett hears this and without looking up from his work, announces flippantly, but loud enough for everyone to hear: She must have fallen down the drain. So while Emmett is still busily working on something at his table, practically the whole class scurries into the kitchen room, clambering up on chairs or whatever they can find to look down the kitchen sink drain. One of the smaller kids, Carter, started crying: Jake’s mom went down the drain! Wah! Emmett never left his chair or seemed a bit bothered by any of it. He probably said JUST kidding but no one heard through all the hubbub.