625 Second Looks

625 Second Looks

Lyndon Johnson is widely quoted as saying Gerald Ford is "so dumb he can't walk and chew gum at the same time." What LBJ actually said was "...can't fart and chew gum at the same time." Many of us can so-do, but not always perfectly.

And we are multitasking pioneers. Long before the term came into use, long before anyone thought of a name for it, many of us were... um... walking and chewing gum at the same time. And often, that resulted in poorly chewed gum (or bitten tongues) and/or gawky walking. That is to say when we multi-task, we get each task done, but often below standard.

The most common mistakes come when the multi-tasker is thinking of one thing and at the same time performing some silly mundane chore like sweeping the floor or washing the dishes. For example, one might think up this posting while, say cleaning the sink. This leaves us with a mental outline of a Wessay, and perhaps some spots in said sink.

Since it's almost impossible to concentrate on a task like sink cleaning without the mind wandering, a small suggestion. Once you think the sink is cleaned, leave the room momentarily. Then return and inspect the sink. The second look will generally reveal any remaining spots.

The second look idea comes to us from science. "Did I really turn lead into gold during that experiment, or do I just THINK I did it?" Easy enough to take a second look. If there's really gold on the lab table during the second look, you did. If there's still lead or lead again, you either didn't do it, or you didn't do it right.

Those of us of a certain age do this automatically sometimes. For example, the question "did I brush my teeth tonight?" usually can be verified by returning to the medicine cabinet and checking on whether the toothbrush is wet.

The second look is a handy tool, if we only remember to use it.

In the meantime, here's a piece of Double Mint for ya.

Shrapnel:

--The Palin book is full of lies, according to an Associated Press fact check. She's not rewriting history, though. Only current events, things that people who live in places like Alaska and Phoenix can remember and who don't remember them the way she does.

--Speaking of Phoenix, someone sent a couple of books back to a library there -- slightly overdue... um, well, 50 years overdue. The anonymous crook sent a $1,000 check to cover the fines. Stories like these are becoming almost as common as those about guys who get busted for DWI while in or on wheelchairs, lawn tractors and the rare (but not unique) stolen steamroller.

--All this guitar non-music is getting boring. Someone ought to try stardom with another instrument. The double belled euphonium comes to mind, or maybe the didgeridoo, the manufacture of which would keep Australian termites too busy to chew down houses in the outback.

I'm Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you're welcome to them.®

©WJR 2009