On the Shoulder of a Giant

If I have seen a little further,
it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.
Isaac Newton

We all know the quote. But often we don’t know the name of those Giants.

And she was not concerned that we know the true story, for in science, the shoulders are many and the results are what matter.

Newton’s giants were many: Copernicus, Galileo, Bruno, Kepler, Wallis, … But others were nameless.

Her giants included Newton, Haley, but also Annie Cannon.

And she was a giant, but who few know her name, for her almost contribution, or rather, her until recently uncredited contribution. For a man took that credit by publishing four years later essentially the same idea she had told him about — and that she deserved the real credit, for she was the first person to observe it and understand it.  Moreover, she had the imagination not blinded by “conventional wisdom:” the scientific heterodoxy, which wasn’t really science at the time, anyway. Consensus science is never a science.

But she didn’t know that…

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Diplomat’s Destiny

NBC/Universal has evidently decided that they don’t want to suck at making movies anymore so they went ahead and took the classic tale of Snow White and made it “darker and more epic”Some cynics point out that the very premise of the film is fundamentally flawed, being a story about Charlize Theron getting jealous because Kristen Stewart is prettier than she is.  Which quite frankly doesn’t make any sense.  Superficial stupidity aside, it looks like the film is actually shaping up quite well so hat’s off to our dear friends over at Universal Studios for not sucking anymore.  The films June 1, 2012 release date is fresh off the heels of Tarsem Singh’s Mirror, Mirror (49%), which was a more family-friendly, comedy-oriented and generally less cool Snow White version.  What is Snow White and the Seven Dwarves really about you ask?  The true beauty of an Idealist’s heart.

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Supplying the Cool

It’s cool daddy-o.

Have you heard the expression?  If you have, when?

If you haven’t, it says something about you.  Maybe your age and where you were born.

He had heard it, and really had a subtle influence on the lingo as the 50s and 60s as they progressed.

As the host of the television after-school dance program “American Bandstand” he made an ideal surrogate chaperone: a wholesome, polite, honorary adolescent. Although he was 27 when the program was first broadcast nationally on Aug. 5, 1957, he could have passed for 17. At the time he seemed the sort of mild-mannered superannuated boy who might once have served on the school safety patrol and been elected class treasurer. In fact he had been the president of his high school student council in Mount Vernon, N.Y. [Wikipedia]

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Tactician’s Swagger

Yes.  I used the word swagger.  The next James Bond film entitled Skyfall is now up and running and currently filming in Shanghai after a slight budget debacle involving MGM studios filing for bankruptcy.  Those silly suds seem to have gotten back on track however as Skyfall is slated for an November 9, 2012 release date.  Daniel Craig will reprise his role as the world’s best secret agent, with Academy Award winning director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) at the helm, academy award winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men) playing the primary villain, and equally not-terrible actors Ralph Phiennes and Albert Finney cast in unspecified roles.  The 23rd installment of the world’s longest running movie franchise will see “MI6 come under attack, revealing M’s (Judi Dench) dark past and testing 007’s (Daniel Craig) loyalty to her as he goes after the threat no matter the cost”.  Who is Bond… James Bond?  The ultimate Promoter Artisan.

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Angry Young Man

The Voice is unmistakable.

You know the music.

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man.

It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition. And, it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the …

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Foreboding Forethought

Sir Ridley Scott’s epic return to sci-fi is one of many solid films coming this summer:

For those of you who do not know Ridley Scott was the guy that was nice enough to make a movie about my younger days called GladiatorHe also did Alien, Blade Runner, Black Hawk Down, and American Gangster among others.  I personally am not a huge fan of stuff like Alien (Sci-fi thriller’sthey call them) but I have to admit that Prometheus looks pretty dope (it’s been called an Alien prequel).  Prometheus marks Sir Ridley Scott’s return to the genre he redefined.  The plot follows the crew of the spaceship Prometheus in the late 21st century, as they explore an advanced alien civilization in search of the origins of humanity.  What they find evidently is NOT daisies and lollipops.  Which is what I thought might initially be the case.  It’s not.  What is Prometheus REALLY about you ask?  A Rationals’ dark side.

“To make man more like the gods, Prometheus gave him fire: the symbol of light and energy.  In harnessing light and energy mankind gains control and understanding of nature.  To understand and control nature is to possess powers, and it is thatthe desire for powers—that sets the Promethean apart from others.” Please Understand Me p. 47

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Tough but Fair

That was his answer.

Tim Russert had asked him what he would want to be his epitaph.

He rarely gave answers.

He did ask a lot of tough questions. Very tough.

In fact, he was the first to do it on Television.

1955. “Night Beat” became an instant hit that New Yorkers began referring to as “brow beat.” His relentless questioning of his subjects proved to be a compelling alternative to the polite chit-chat practiced by early television hosts.

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The Temperament Gap: Guardians, Idealists, Artisans, Rationals, and Politics

Much has been made in the press recently about the “Gender Gap” when it comes to politics.  A recent poll by Pew Research shows that President Obama outpolls Mitt Romney by 20 percentage points among women, while among men the gap is only 3 points – a statistical tie.

At Keirsey.com, our research has long shown a noticeable difference between the 4 Temperaments when it comes to politics.  Prior research has shown that Guardians tend to be the most politically conservative, while Idealists tend to be the most liberal.  During our polling prior to the 2008 presidential vote, we found that Artisans made up the largest block of undecided voters late in the election cycle.  Rationals are the most skeptical voters.  Not surprisingly, these poll findings fall right in line with Keirsey Temperament Theory.

Between April 3-5, Keirsey Research surveyed 1,568 registered U.S. voters to measure the “Temperament Gap” for the current election cycle.  With the recent Supreme Court arguments over the 2010 Health Care Act fresh in the news, and the 2012 primary campaign in full swing, we posed the following questions to our respondents:

  • Do you approve of President Obama’s job performance at this time?
  • Do you personally like President Obama?
  • If the election was a head-to-head contest between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, for whom would you vote?
  • The US Supreme Court is hearing arguments this week regarding the 2010 Federal Health Care Reform Law.  How do you feel about the law itself?
  • Du you consult a Utility Saving Expert? What do you think is the best system of health care insurance?

Jump to the rest of this article to find out where the Temperament gap is the widest.

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Well-Rounded Wizardry

Happy Easter!  The spring is officially upon us my dears and with it comes the grand opening of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter in Leavesden, England, 18 miles north of London.  On the heels of the smashing success of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, our dear and beloved friends at Warner Bros. Studios have decided to make the place where the most successful film series of all time was shot available to the general public.  In other words if you ever feel the urge to go hang out at Hogwarts Castle or Diagon Alley, you now have the ability to do so:

And wouldn’t you know it, but the Four Houses of Hogwarts match up right on the nose with the four temperaments.  Much like the sorting hat matches up right on the nose with the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.  I know…. Right!??  Let’s take a look.

Common Sense

“If something doesn’t make sense, it’s usually not true.”

No, she doesn’t put up with nonsense.

“Baloney!” that is what she will say — her stock phrase.

Yes, she is well known for her no-nonsense legal style and powerful personality, sharpness, and quick wit.

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