You Learn by Living - book review

 I was given given this book, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life for Christmas. Because it takes me forever to read things, I only just finished it.  I have an excuse, I'm a mom and the only time I have free to read is my lunch break which is only really 1/2 hour long including food prep time.

Anyway, LOVED THIS BOOK!  I recommend it. In fact, if you are a Humanist parent, or a parent at all, you should get it. It contains so much excellent advice for raising kids in a humanistic way. It really does remind me of my own childhood and the approach my parents took with us kids.

If you are a fan of my writing (see http://jen-hancock.com/books.html ) I recommend this book as a supplement. I really feel vindicated in a way. My approach can't be half bad if it is the same advice that Eleanor was giving out.

She talks about the importance of critical thinking and of learning and learning to see beyond the obvious to what is really important. She talks about the importance of being genuinely interested in people so that you learn from them instead of seeing them as competitor. She talks about our responsibilities as citizens in a participatory democracy. And she does it all brilliantly.

If you are a Humanist, read this book, it provides important lessons in applied Humanism.

Rowdy Rathore movie review - thoroughly enjoyable

Do you love Bollywood movies? Do you love over the top Bollywood song and dance sequences? Ready for a rowdy romp? Rowdy Rathore is the movie for you!

I have become obsessed with Bollywood movies. I pretty much have lost all interest in western films at this point. I only watch western movies for my son and husband's sake. My preference is to watch Bollywood movies.


I watched Rowdy Rathore the other night straight through, which is saying something because it is 2 hrs and 38 minutes long. It was delightful from start to finish which is amazing because it is an over the top self aware comedy and those rarely deliver so consistently throughout a movie, let alone a 2 1/2 hour movie.

When I say this is a comedy, it is more accurate to say it is a comedy/action/romance/musical/thriller.The characters are delightful and have depth to them that isn't normally found in a comedy or action movie. The choreography was some of the best I've seen. the songs were catchy and fun and seriously, there is nothing not to like in this Bollywood movie.  Which is astonishing because self aware comedies don't always work and certainly not all the time. This one hits all the right notes at all the right times. Seamlessly moving from drama to over the top action to romance and to bawdy romance at that.

I've seen lead actor Ashkay Kumar in other movies, but this is the first time I've really understood what a talent he is. His dancing is amazing. And again, it's unexpected considering how big he is. He seems like he should be more awkward, but he is delightful to see dance and he really stands out against the back up dancers. He's better then all the rest and it is easy to see why he is the lead. He is a joy to watch and he nailed the "Amitabh" signature dance move perfectly during the gratuitous romance in a field near a river dance sequence which was a send up of classic Amitabh dance sequences from movies like Silsila . And again, the self aware comedy adds to the sequence and doesn't detract from it. They got the balance just right.

As for the music. I LOVED it. It was everything you want in a bollywood song or a bollywood dance sequence. They don't allow the videos from this movie to be embedded - so I am linking to Chinta Ta Ta Chita here.

What Ashkay manages to do acting wise in this movie is really hard to do. He nails every scene. And again, it's self aware comedy. He dances well. And the dancing is over the top silly yet beautiful at the same time. They somehow managed to get that balance right. He sings well. Acts well (comedy, drama and romance were all required in this movie). In short. He is now one of my favorite actors.

The story line and plot are also engaging. I can't go into it here because a) it would spoil the movie and b) it's too convoluted to explain (as most Bollywood movies are). Suffice it to say, the plot is a good one so the comedy isn't just comedy for the sake of comedy, it is leading somewhere.

My only complaint is that the violence and gore was over the top too and it isn't a movie I would want my son to see. The romance part was fine, the comedy was fine. Most of the action sequences are fine. There is just a lot of gore and sadism near the end. Yes, it is needed for the plot, but it's just not appropriate for younger audiences.

If you are looking for a delightful romp that is action packed, bawdily romantic and fun with a tiny bit of a sadistic thriller thrown in for good measure towards the end. You won't go wrong with this film. I'm curious to see what others think about it. So if you've seen this movie, please let me know what you thought of it. I really liked it.

Best Night Light Ever!

My son is afraid of the dark. At least he says he is. I suspect he says that just to get us to stay with him while he falls asleep. We don't mind. I figure that he will only want us to care for him like this for a short time longer. At some point he will outgrow it and I will take my cuddles where I can get them.

However, I saw this tap light the other day and thought it might make a good nightlight for his room. It is the Ge 17457 Twinkle Star Tap Light.  The cool thing about this is you tap it on and it stays on for about 30 minutes then shuts itself off. So I don't have to sneak back in and turn off his lights.

The other super cool thing is that it projects a nice light blue set of stars and crescent moon onto the ceiling and honestly, it's really cool to look at. This projection covers the entire ceiling which is also nice. Every time we turn it on, we remark how cool it is and how this is the best night light ever.

So, if you are in the market for a night light, this one is really very cool. Enjoy.

Dan Crowther makes a lot of sense

I follow Steve Harrington. He provides great information on marketing and publicity. He recommended Dan Crowther who has a program to actually make money marketing on social media. In addition to being an author, I do offer downloadable training programs in Humanist Life Skills (http://humanisthappiness.com) and  an anti-bullying program called The Bully Vaccine (http://thebullyvaccine.com/toolkit.html)

These programs can help people live happier more fulfilling lives and help them deal with difficult people and bullies more effectively. The problem is, they can't help anyone if they don't know about it so marketing is a necessary activity for me.  I feel ethically good about the process I have been following. Sure, I haven't become an overnight sensation yet, but that can take a few years. I am making slow but steady progress however and I am considered an expert in my field, so that's good.

Anyway - I signed up to view Crowther's video and, boy, it was just what I needed. It basically reinforced my approach to social media. I am not interested in racking up huge numbers of fans just to have fans. I want real fans who are actually interested in and need the information I provide. So no get rich quick schemes for me thank you very much. Just do what I do ethically and rationally and it turns out that my instincts are fairly good and I am doing things basically right. Can I improve? Of course I can. There are more videos in the series and I am hoping to get more detail from them. But in the meantime, I very much needed this reminder that my approach, providing good content in my field of expertise is the right way to go is needed because like everyone else, I am prone to crisis of confidence and perhaps maybe I should try one of the get rich quick schemes. Thanks to Dan, I won't be.

Anyway - if you are interested, the video series is free if you sign up for his mailing list- which I am glad I did because this video was perfect for me. Here is the link if you want to check it out for yourself: http://www.freepublicity.com/social-media-training/video1/ However, I'm told this is a limited offer so it's Nov 26th 2012 right now. If the link no longer works, don't complain.