• RESISTANCE TO ‘CHANGE,’ PARTICULARLY FOR EMPLOYEES, IS A TREMENDOUS OBSTACLE to implementing strategic direction, and a major factor in even the most well-conceived transition plans, which stems predominantly from insecurity and/or lack of self-esteem. Since “the oldest & strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest & strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown,” employee resistance follows a relatively consistent behavior pattern: from Denial, to Anger, to Confusion, then Depression and Crisis, before enabling capacity for Acceptance and ultimately (hopefully) new Confidence. But the process may manifest itself in ways first including “foot-dragging, petty sabotage, even outright rebellion.” The most effective managerial tool for change-leaders has proven to be: (1) understanding & acknowledging the “predictable, universal sources of resistance”; and (2) then consulting and communicating early and along the process with key personnel. DCG has decades of experience in developing and implementing strategic direction & transition. Let us help. [TORBENRICK.EU BLOG] 
  • “AMERICANS ARE THE MOST PROLIFIC ‘SEXTERS’ ON THE PLANET.” According to a 200-country Kinsey Institute survey of some 140,000 people, 74% of U.S. responders say they “exchange saucy electronic messages with their lovers.” With around two-thirds using SMS text messages and one-third using Snapchat, “sexting may be becoming a new, but typical, step in a sexual or romantic relationship…and incorporating tech into our private lives may be becoming normal.”  [LEVINE BRIEFING NEWS – Aug 11, 17]
  • A GOOD SLEEP PATTERN CAN EXPAND LEARNING CAPACITY UP TO 30%, as short-term memory transfers information to the long-term section of the brain. Poor sleep patterns can be the cause of both medical issues (including heart & diabetes) and psychological issues (like lessened confidence, lack of passion, inconsistency, anger and poor relationships). A few key tips from Barry Eisen, hypnotist, sports psychologist and business/personal coach: (1) Avoid exercise, food, caffeine, sugars & excessive liquids two hours before bed; (2) Choose cooler room temperature and dark drapes which facilitate the brain’s production of melatonin; (3) Aim for bed at close to the same time nightly, since bodies like consistency; (4) TV off and electronic devices away an hour before bedtime; (5) Don’t skimp on quality mattress & bedding; (6) Write out a prioritized Tomorrow-To-Do list before bed so the conscious portion of your brain can release and relax.  [DEVELOPMENTAL EXCELERATIONS BULLETIN – Aug 17, 17]
  • “LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS, which include drones, tanks and automated machine guns, threaten to become the third revolution in warfare (after gunpowder and nuclear arms),” according to Elon Musk and 115 other technology experts from 26 countries who believe they pose “a very real potential to cause significant harm to innocent people along with global instability.” In an Open Letter to a U.N. Convention studying the implications of unregulated artificial intelligence, these experts warn that development is a matter of years rather than decades, and that autonomous weapons “will permit war to be industrialized… with armed conflict fought at a scale greater than ever, and at timescales faster than humans can comprehend – weapons that despots & terrorists can use against innocent populations and/or be hacked to behave in undesirable ways.” Science fiction movies are no longer confined to fiction; the weapons of the Terminator and Robocop are already in use. [THE GUARDIAN – Aug 20, 17]
  • ODDS & ENDS: ‘Quickie Divorces’ for Muslim Men suffered a blow this month when India’s Supreme Court struck down ‘Triple Taraq’– a tradition where marriage could be annulled simply by a husband repeating the Arabic word for divorce three times. /// The two-year backlog of some 600,000 federal immigration cases is largely due to ‘continuances,’ a routine delay in court proceedings; the greatest number are California cases – roughly 18% of the total. /// The American Geriatrics Society reports that ‘tai chi’ reduced older peoples’ rate of falling by 43% within their first year. /// Kitchen sponges harbor a stunning amount of bacteria – on average, some 82 billion microbes per cubic inch, “the same density as in human stool samples… Microwaving or boiling water kill off some of the weakest & smelliest bacteria but not all potentially pathogenic bacterium.”
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK:   “Education is when you read – the fine print is what you get if you don’t.”

        Watch your brain in virtual reality – fascinating! https://futurism.com/videos/watch-your-brain-in-virtual-reality/?utm_source=Digest&utm_campaign=e2f3570869-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_08_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_03cd0a26cd-e2f3570869-247173009&mc_cid=e2f3570869&mc_eid=6e2022519e

       PC of the month: The City of Long Beach CA is paying $85K to a Muslim woman who filed suit after her hijab headscarf was removed by police after she’d been arrested. “Political Correctness is fascism pretending to be Manners…America’s form of intolerance.” – George Carlin —  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkhUivqzWv0&feature=youtu.be