A small collection of big & small things that make me smile, reflect and wonder.

Children Books You will Never See

• You are different and that's bad.
• Babar meets the taxidermist.
• Curious George and the high-voltage fence.
• The boy that died from eating all his vegetables.
• Start a real-estate empire with the change from your mom's purse.
• The pop-up book of human anatomy.
• Things rich children have but you never will.
• The Care Bears maul some campers--and are shot dead.
• Controlling the playground: Respect through fear.
• You were an accident.
• Strangers have the best candy.
• The little sissy who snitched.
• Getting more chocolate on your face.
• Kathy was so bad that her mom stopped loving her.
• The kids' guide to hitchhiking.
• What is that dog doing to that other dog?
• Daddy drinks because you cry.

Property Rules of Toddlers

• If I like it, it's mine.
• If it's in my hand. it's mine.
• If I can take it from you, it's mine.
• If I had it a while ago, it's mine.
• If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
• If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
• If it looks like mine, it's mine.
• If I saw it first, it's mine.
• If you're playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
• If it's broken it's yours.

Little Eyes Upon You

Political Columns

• Paul Krugman [official page][unofficial page (archives)]: New York Times' columnist with sharp comments on economics and politics (US & International). Good sense of humor (and irony) makes for an entertaining and (foremost) educating reading.

Miscellaneous

• A Word a Day by Wordsmith.org: a word (plus an inspiring quote) every day.
• PhD: Piled Higher and Deeper: a comic view on the tribulations of grad school [25, 38, 40, 41, 51, 84, The Grad Student: Call of the Wild, 124, 125, PhD Episode I, The Thesis, 148, 149, 152, 153, Raiders of the lost dissertation, Who wants to marry a grad student?, 187, 189, 206, Newton's Laws, 286, 287, 291, 294, 333, 335, 336]

A Father's Instructions for Life

• Compliment three people each day.
• Watch a sunrise at least once a year.
• Overtip breakfast waitresses.
• Look people in the eye.
• Live beneath your means.
• Buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yards.
• Treat everyone you meet as you'd like to be treated.
• Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
• Keep secrets.
• Write thank-you notes promptly.
• Don't waste time learning the tricks of the trade. Instead, learn the trade.
• Admit your mistakes.
• Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.
• Choose a charity in your community and support it generously with your time and money.
• Use credit card only for convenience, never for credit.
• Never cheat.
• Give yourself a year and read it from cover to cover.
• Introduce yourself to the manager of your bank. It's important that he or she knows you personally.
• Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly.
• Wage war against littering.
• Never deprive others of hope; it might be all they have..
• Pray not for things but for wisdom and courage.
• Be punctual and insist that others be.
• Never take action when you're angry.
• Have good posture. Enter a room with purpose and confidence.
• Say "Please" a lot.
• Say "Thank you" a lot.
• Don't discuss business in elevators. You never know who may overhear you.
• Never pay for work before it's completed.
• Be willing to lose a battle in order to win a war.
• Don't gossip.
• Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.
• Never underestimate the power of forgiveness.
• When facing a difficult task, act as if it is impossible to fail. If you're going after Moby Dick, take the tartar sauce along.
• Patronize local merchants, even if costs a bit more.
• Don't spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no politely and quickly.
• Don't expect life to be fair.
• When someone is relating an important event that's happened to them, do't try to top him with a story of your own. Let him have the stage.
• Instead of using the word problem try substituting the word opportunity.
• Never walk out on a quarrel with your spouse.
• Regarding furniture and clothes: if you think you'll be using them five years or longer, buy the best you can afford.
• Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the things you did.
• Street musicians are a treasure. Stop for a moment and listen; then leave a small donation.
• Praise in public.
• Criticize in private.
• Forget committees. New, noble, world-changing ideas always come from one person working alone.
• When you get inferior service, food or products, bring this to the attention of the person in charge. Good managers will appreciate knowing.
• Turn off the television at dinnertime.
• Don't procrastinate. Do what needs doing when it needs to be done.
• Get your priorities straight. No one ever said in their deathbed, "Gee, If I had only spent more time at the office."
• Use club soda as an emergency spot remover.
• Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."
• Don't be afraid to say "I'm sorry."
• Make a list of the 25 things you want to experience before you die. Carry it in your wallet, and refer to it often.
• Call your mother.

Academics

• Tomorrow's Professor [archives]

Testamento de un padre (1927)

A mis queridos hijos los mayores.

En el lugar en que se encuentren.

En vista de mi poca salud y la rapidez con que avanza mi enfermedad, me veo en la necesidad de dejar en esta forma mis últimas disposiciones; en lo momentos en que lean esto, yo ya estaré juzgado de Dios, habré pasado a la vida Eterna a descansar.

Pues bien, como no estará muy lejos el día que yo abandone este mundo, dejo unos pequeñitos hijos (...) dejo también unos mis hijos que ya están en condiciones de ganarse la vida (...) a quienes yo hago responsables de éstos, sus hermanos, y pido para ellos cuatro cosas nada más: alimentos, vestuarios, educación y buenas costumbres; esto que aquí exijo quiero que sea de lo más humilde que se pueda, para que no se sacrifiquen. Trasmítanles el régimen que ustedes conservaron en esta casa, durante el tiempo que yo estuve con mis huesos de punta.

Les recomiendo guardar la observancia de los consejos que dejo a ustedes y les recomiendo los aprendan de memoria; y cuando sus hermanos menores hayan llegado a una edad de 10 o más años, exíjanles que ellos también los aprendan de memoria, haciéndoles ver que éstas fueron mis últimas disposiciones.

Termino y quedo tranquilo porque veo ya coronadas mis últimas disposiciones por escrito.

Octavio F. Aguilera

Consejos para mis hijos.

Primero: Cualquier ser humano (debe) servirle a Dios y a su prójimo.
Segundo: No hay que temerle al trabajo.
Tercero: El dinero que se adquiere con el sudor del rostro, es el más puro de todos, manéjense con honradez acrisolada.
Cuarto: Dice una máxima: “El buey solo, bien se lame”. Imítenlo. Y otra dice: “Hagan bien y no vean a quién”.
Quinto: Respeten lo ajeno como si fuese reptil venenoso.
Sexto: Cuando dispongan del bienestar, no se olviden del que sufre; gasten la cuarta parte de su jornal y el resto ahórrenlo. Jamás dispongan de todo su jornal, porque irán a la ruina.
Séptimo: Sean siempre sinceros y amables y nunca gasten pretensión y orgullo; si pueden, vistan decentemente, pero jamás sin sacrificio ni ostentación.
Octavo: Respeten los mandatos de la justicia, ya sea humana o divina.
Noveno: Cuando se vean en alguna tribulación o apuro, ocurran a Dios o a su Madre, que ellos pondrán el medio de salvación y den diariamente gracias al Ser Supremo, por los servicios diarios que reciben.
Décimo: Huyan de la política, como de un can rabioso, y desechen siempre todas sus proposiciones falsas y exageradas. Enseguida transcribo cómo interpreta la política un eminente francés, A. Daudet:
“Oh, Política: te odio porque eres grosera, injusta, escandalosa y charlatana; porque eres enemiga del arte y del trabajo; porque sirves de pasaporte a todas las nulidades, a todas las perezas. Ciega y apasionada, separas corazones honrados hechos para vivir unidos. Eres el gran disolvente de las conciencias; haces adquirir el hábito de la mentira, del subterfugio; y, debido a ti, se ven a hombres pobres convertirse en amigos de los bellacos, con tal que ellos sean del mismo partido. Te odio sobre todo, Oh, Política, porque has conseguido matar en nuestro corazón, el sentimiento del arte y de la noble idea de la Libertad”.

Octavio F. Aguilera