Ecological Human Services Management

(Note) Some wise author once pointed out that writing is a joint enterprise: the writer tries hard to be as clear as possible and the reader tries equally hard to understand. If that sounds like too much effort right now, you may want to just skip these five bloggers. They are a bit less than transparent. Blogger One: As an impressionable undergraduate at Ohio University, there were dozens if not hundreds of potential areas of study for me to sample. Here is where I add something like, “They ranged from architecture to zoology” or even better, “from A to Z.” Let me also add a little personal data by noting I dipped into all that intellectual plenty and pulled the philosopher card. Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief and with virtually no hesitation, I picked philosopher. A very natural and logical choice, don’t you think? There I was, eighteen-years-old and speculating about how many angels can fit on the head of a pin. Ok, that’s much more not true than true. I was an eighteen-year-old college student. What do

Let’s Do a Book+1   As I concluded +0, I shared the first directive for doing a book: “I’m hoping that you can see that writing a book is near the last step in the construction process. Before that, we need to figure out what we want constructing the book to do for us. Is that benefit worth the hours, weeks, months and possibly years that constructing the final book will take? If not, there is no point in starting. But if it is, there are few better ways to indulge ourselves over time.”   Since you are here, I’m assuming that doing your book is definitely worth the time and effort it will take. Our next step is to put that net around it that I also mentioned in +0. At this stage though, casting the net is necessary but not critical. We just need to be fairly sure we are casting it wide enough to capture everything we may want to incorporate into our book and narrowly enough to exclude most of what we don’t want. We can adjust the border as the process continues, but for now, let’s cast our nets.   This m

Let’s Do a Book+0   In the title, we see the first error many people make when they set out to have a book with their name on the cover. They say they are going to write a book. I suppose there are those creative folks who actually can open their computers and just start typing. The first thing you know, they have written a book. The finished book seems to have simply flowed out of them.   I admit it. I’m pretty jealous. It would definitely be cool to just open the creative hose and out comes a book. But here’s the truth of it. I don’t think there are any people who can do that. Here’s why.   A book is not a spontaneous creation. Having produced a dozen or so fairly successful books, I have come to understand that a book is not a creation, it’s a construction. I doubt that it matters what kind of book it is or for whom the book is intended. Books are much more constructed than written.   Sure, the words, sentences and paragraphs need to be written. There is no good alternative unless you can get a real

Blogger One: An old Chinese proverb says, “Talk doesn't cook rice.” I suspect it is equally true quoting old Chinese proverbs doesn’t cook much rice either. As I consider strategies for initiating my blog, along with noting activities that do not cook rice, I’m thinking also noting those that do not lead to a successful blog would be helpful. Once I know all of the don’ts, what’s left are on the to do list. Here we go with the don’t list for blogging. 1. Don’t sit and stare. Doing most anything else is an improvement over just gazing into empty space. Of course, I claim to be intensely thinking and it may be true, at least a little. Even so, writing is key and although I can think without seriously thinking, think without writing and write without thinking, to write without writing is pretty much impossible or at least beyond my scope for sure. 2. I don’t need another cup of coffee. I know it would feel good to stretch and stroll out to the coffee pot and back. A nice cup of hot coffee might even perk me u

It was quiet over the city earlier today but then she magically re-appeared. For many years, the uncertain threat from the great mouse and creatures like her has hung in the air as an ever-present disaster in waiting. Although the nagging fear is always just under the surface, there continues an underlying sense of awe and wonder. The great mouse is both villain and hero in this persisting drama. The risk to the city and its citizens has progressed to where there is a standing team of elite hunters equipped with state-of-the-art tracking systems and combat capacity dedicated to the pursuit and capture of the great mouse, with termination authority if necessary. These elite hunters have tracked and engaged the creature over the globe and in places as disparate as jungles and subways, county fairs and stark deserts. despite their expertise and tenacity, the great mouse always avoids capture or injury, leaving the elite hunters frustrated and confused. Her villain status is easy to understand but the concurren

Should or May   As a blind person, I am told that I should be an advocate for other blind people and for accessible services and technology. What are the pros and cons of this position? As an advocate for other blind people and for accessible services and technology, there are both pros and cons to consider.   Pros: - You can be a voice for the blind community and raise awareness about their needs, rights and issues they face - You can work towards creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for blind people - You can help shape policies and regulations by advocating to lawmakers and government officials - You can build a sense of community and support among blind individuals and their families   Cons: - Advocacy work can be time-consuming and emotionally draining, and may require significant effort to see visible results - You may face opposition or criticism from people who don't understand or value the importance of accessible services and technology for blind people - Depending on th

Hey folks, I'm Harlin and am going to tell you a story. Some say that I made it all up but I'm telling you that it's all true. You can believe it or not, but I'm sticking with it. I'm just a country boy who happened into a situation. I don't doubt it a bit that you would have handled things as well or probably better than I did, but there I was and someone had to do something. It's just like my grandpa told me every chance I got, "When the going gets rough, you have do do what you have to do." So I did. Let me tell you what happened and then you can decide for yourself. Did it really happen or am I just full of it? I have lived down a one lane road off the highway all my life. It's pretty much what you might expect. An old farm house where my grandpa was a boy and my folks and four brothers called home. I won't go on about that since that's not the story I am telling you. Even so, home is a place where you can get some good air and raise some hell now and then. If you know, you know and if not, I sure don'

Thanks for joining me.   When was the last time you had to make an important decision? For most of us, it doesn’t come up very often. We make a lot of decisions and choices; but for the most part, they are not special or overly consequential for us personally. We have the knowledge, experience, expertise and tested judgment to make the decision or choice. They are well within our wheelhouse.   At times though, we have to just take a deep breath and decide, make the hard choice. Those are the choices and decisions I want to focus on. Those are the times when failure is most consequential and success is most important. I’m talking about change, but this time we are the agent behind the change.   I think we all know that things are constantly changing, whether or not we are paying attention to the changes. It may seem that everything is the same today as they were yesterday, but they aren’t. Even if we don’t notice, nothing is quite the same today as it was yesterday. Things change, people change, circumsta

Just because the topic is boring, you need not conclude that the content is boring, although it may be. If so, the ear worms make up for it.

Our Home - Your Home is a handbook for foster parents. Although all parents will find the handbook useful for understanding and working with their children, it focuses specifically on abused and neglected children and on the special challenges of parenting for these children. If you prefer reading the handbook, you may download The PDF Edition Here. The audio edition is 3.5 hours so you may also find it convenient to download it from GaryCrow.net under the audio player for the podcast episode. Also note that the address in the PDF edition is incorrect. I hope you find the handbook useful and wish you and your foster child all the best.

I think I'll just let you go wherever the title takes you. Who am I to tell you who you are or where your mind should venture. My only suggestion is that you consider a bike for the ride.

Most of the time we have no need to make that extra effort to relate and to get along. Our worlds are fairly calm and predictable. There are those times though, those times when, as the country song says, "People are crazy." Sure, it's not clear whether it's "people" or just maybe us who are crazy. It is at those times when today's tips come in most handy. It is a matter of mind over madness. It's us or them.

Here are three tips for not getting jerked around. Yes, it really is that easy.

The three tips are pretty interesting but not Earth shakers. Even so, the ear worms are definitely out there.

Lose your temper if you can't help yourself but be prepared…. No one knows exactly where the angels hang-out but hang-out they do. The next point I don't get but perhaps you will. Take a listen along with the ear worms for this episode. They may be as off center as the third tip.

When do your interests take precedence over mine? When is what you want more important than what I want? How do I decide between what you need and what I need? Here are three tips to help you decide. Of course, you also get three ear worms to give you time to consider each tip.

I thought that a little more fun than usual might be the order of the day. If you don't find something here that tickles your interest, you definitely got up on the wrong side of the bed.

How we handle other people and how they manage us makes a big difference. The conflict in the middle matters almost as much. The tips in this episode are spot on when we are having issues with any of these three stress points. Press play and decide how they fit with your view of things. The ear worms are pretty good too.

The tips here have been a little expanded to include some ideas that may not be quite as pithy but compensate by a tad more substance.

I particularly like the third tip, although you likely don't care what I think. No reason you should.