It seems like everyone is waiting for something.

I like to think of myself as a patient person, but I’ve always hated waiting.

When I was young, I was a big fan of the New York Yankees. My bedroom walls were lined with posters of Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly and many other Yankee greats.

There was a time when our family did not have the internet or cable TV, which made finding the nightly Yankee scores very difficult. My bedtime fell before the sports segment would come on during the 10pm news, so I often had to wait until the next day to find out how the Yankees did.

For those young readers who are confused by this, just picture a world where Twitter is broken, your cell phone is glued to the wall and the only text messages are the magnet letters stuck to the refrigerator. Crazy, right??

Since I didn’t like to wait to find out the Yankee scores I had a couple of choices: 1) I could wait around or 2) I could look around.

I eventually learned to go with choice #2. With my parents help, I found out that there was a free hotline that I could dial in to that would read off the baseball scores. After a quick call, I could sleep well knowing if the Yankees won or lost each night.

As time went by, I became less reliant on that sports score hotline. We got the internet, then we got ESPN, then we got cell phones that send out non-stop alerts. I no longer have to wait to find out if my favorite teams won or lost.

Eventually things will happen that will bring our waiting to an end. But that often takes long than we want. And until it does, we are left twiddling our thumbs & waiting. (Does anyone actually twiddle their thumbs?)

That is when we are confronted with two choices: we can either wait around or look around, and find a way to take action.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The post Waiting Can Be The Worst appeared first on Attention Land.

The stars of the stories are fictional characters, but their responses are something we can all relate to. I like “Story 1 vs. Story 2″ because it is a reminder that how we tell the story is up to us. We choose how we view a situation and how we respond.

This week I was reading a great book called The Noticer and the author, Andy Andrews, included an awesome Story 1 vs Story 2-like situation. I was happy to see an author use this same writing tactic that I wanted to share it with you…

The main character in The Noticer, Andy (based on the author’s real life experiences), is young, homeless and hopeless. Andy befriends an old man named Jones who is part mysterious figure, part wise, old sage.

Early in the story, Jones brings Andy to the beach and shares a dinner of sardines and Vienna sausages. Andy doesn’t love the menu, but is happy to have any food.

During the meal, the old man asks, two questions: “What are you eating?” and “Where are you eating it?”

Confused, and thinking that old Jones has lost his marbles, Andy is reluctant to answer but finally says, “Okay. I am eating sardines and Vienna sausages in the sand.”

Jones smiles and shakes his head before saying, “I thought so.”

Now, Andy is more confused than ever.

After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Jones smirks and says, “you ate sardines and Vienna sausages in the sand. I dined on surf and turf with an ocean view. It’s all about perspective.”

I love the simple way Andrews paints the picture of two different viewpoints. Andy is down on his luck and has a narrow view of the world in front of him. Jones, on the other hand, lives in a world of opportunity and encouragement. This is greatly reflected in their response to what they are eating and where.

This is just one of the many great lessons on perspective found in The Noticer. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a book to read.

The post Story 1 vs. Story 2: The Noticer appeared first on Attention Land.

Aren’t coupons great? I’ve mentioned on this site before just how fond of coupons I am, but surprisingly, I have never looking into their history. Until today…

Wonder Why Wednesday: Who Invented Coupons?

Coupons are old.

They date back to 1887, when Atlanta businessman Asa Candler used the idea to market a little product you may have heard of before…Coca-Cola.

As a way to get the word out about his new drink, Candler created paper tickets good for a free glass of Coke. The marketing device worked. His paper tickets transformed Coca-Cola from goth to boss and the product has dominated the drink market ever since.

In 1887, a Coke cost five cents, but if you were lucky enough to have one of Candler’s hand-written coupons, you were drinking for free. And a ton of people drank for free (at least once). Between 1894 and 1913, an estimated one-in-nine Americans had received a free Coca-Cola, for a total of 8,500,000 free drinks.

It is fun to learn that the original coupons were homemade and worth five cents. Parents, remember that when you receive a Christmas gift of a homemade coupon worth about five cents. Your kids are just channeling their inner Asa Candler.

For a great story on the history of coupons, check out this Time article.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The post Who Invented Coupons? appeared first on Attention Land.

On Tuesday, I highlighted the awesome movement known as Giving Tuesday and I joined in on the fun by running a week long Buy 1 Give 1 Sale where, for every Maury C. Moose book sold through Amazon between Nov. 30th and Dec. 6th, I will be donating a matching copy to a child in need.

On Thursday, I mentioned that Maury’s friends at Birdhouse Books are running a special giveaway where one lucky winner will receive a copy of the new book, Maury C. Moose and The Facebrook.

On Wednesday, I talked about who invented the chair. Okay, so maybe that doesn’t have anything to do with giving, but it’s still a fun question.

Why did I bother writing so much about giving? Because people like to do it.

Giving Tuesday raises millions of dollars.

My Buy 1 Give 1 sale has helped me sell more books this week than I sold all of last month.

Birdhouse Books is a very popular blog because they give promotion to authors and they give books to readers.

Not only do people like to give, but giving makes us feel better.

Several studies have found that people who give of their time and money experience more longevity, better physical health and exhibit less stress, depression and hopelessness.

One study gave participants either $5 or $20 and told them to spend it by the end of the day. Half of the people were required to spend the money on themselves while the other half had to spend it on someone else.

Who do you think was happier at the end of the study?

If you answered the givers, you are correct. The ones who were told to give were happier than the ones who spent the money on themselves. The act of giving was more important than the amount of money spent.

We feel much happier when we are sharing what we have with those around us.

So next time you are feeling down in the dumps, remember that there is a surefire way to feel better.

Give.

Give money. Give time. Give expertise. Whatever you are able to give, do so.

And if this post has motivated you to give right now, might I suggest a terrific Buy 1 Give 1 Sale. How’s that for a shameless plug?

You also have time to enter to win a copy of Maury C. Moose and The Facebrook. Enter to win by clicking here! Good luck!

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The post A Great Reason To Give appeared first on Attention Land.

That got me thinking about other house hold items and wondering how old they are. I didn’t have to look too far around the house before I started wondering something different. It is something I have never thought about before, but it may just be the most important question ever asked during a Wonder Why Wednesday post.

You might want to sit down before you hear read this…

Sitting down? Okay, good.

Today I am going to answer that very important question…Who invented the chair?

We just established that you were sitting down. I can’t confirm where you are sitting. You may be on a couch. You may be on your bed. You may be sitting criss-cross apple sauce. But if by chance you are sitting on a chair, wouldn’t you like to know who you have to thank for that chair?

Let’s see if we can find out…

According to Quora, “chairs were first invented way back in caveman times, when someone took a rock and sat on it.”

Thanks a lot, Quora, but I am looking for a little better answer.

Ask.com provides a little more information:

The ancient Egyptians are believed to be the first to invent a four-legged seat with a back, better known to most as a chair. The earliest examples have been found in tombs dating as far back as 2680 B.C”

Wow! Chairs are old.

I guess it makes sense that ancient Egyptians invented chairs, but I’d be lying if I said I am not a little sad by that simplistic answer. I was hoping it was some guy named Mr. Chair (perhaps his name was Charlie & Chadwick) who hated sitting in mud so he built something to sit on. I was looking forward to reading all about the family fortune and how it ripped the Chair family apart.

Oh well.

If you are interested in learning more about chairs and how they have changed throughout the years, check out this great History of Chairs on Wikipedia.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The post Who Invented The Chair? appeared first on Attention Land.

– Eat too much

– Talk about how you ate too much

– Watch football

When you do the last one, you will surely be watching the Dallas Cowboys or the Detroit Lions. The Lions and Cowboys have become as much of a Thanksgiving tradition as cranberry sauce, stuffing & not caring about cranberry sauce or stuffing for the other 364 days of the year.

How did this tradition start? Why are those two teams always the ones to play on Thanksgiving?

Let’s find out on today’s Wonder Why Wednesday…

Wonder Why Wednesday: Why Do the Dallas Cowboys & Detroit Lions Always Play on Thanksgiving?

Football and Thanksgiving have gone together nearly as long as the game as been around. The first American football game played on the holiday dates back to 1876 when Yale took on Princeton.

The Detroit Lions have not been around quite that long, but as soon as they entered the football picture, they jumped at the opportunity to play on Thanksgiving.

In 1934, the franchise’s first year, owner George A. Richards was doing all he could to keep up with the popularity of the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had drawn tremendous crowds in rout to a 101 win season and the 1934 American League Pennant.

The Lions on the other hand were struggling to play in front of a packed house, so Richards came up with the idea of playing a game on Thanksgiving. And he chose the perfect opponent for the occasion.

The undefeated and defending NFL champion Chicago Bears rolled into town to take on the one-loss Lions. The winner of the game would be crowned the NFL’s Western Division champs. The Bears won the game, but a tradition was born as the Lions, who sold out their 26,000-seat stadium, loved the extra exposure and have been playing on Thanksgiving ever since.

The Cowboys took note of the Lions’ Thanksgiving game marketing success, and in 1966, decided to create a tradition of their own. General manager Tex Schramm saw the game as a way to drum up some national publicity and it paid off big time.

A record 80,259 filled the Cotton Bowl to watch the Cowboys take down the Cleveland Browns 26-14. Since that 1966 game, Dallas has only missed having a Thanksgiving day game twice.

In the last few years, the NFL has added a third game on Thanksgiving. The teams may vary for that third game, but the Cowboys and Lions have cemented themselves as the main attractions on turkey day.

Sources: Wikipedia & Mental Floss

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The post Why Do the Dallas Cowboys & Detroit Lions Always Play on Thanksgiving? appeared first on Attention Land.

I had a lot of fun on the site, even though very few people ever knew it existed (much like Attention Land).

These days, I do not pay much attention to Blog by Bake, but recently I got a notification that said the web traffic was “booming” on the site. Curious, I looked at what could be causing the “booming.”

When I was looking at the site’s statistics, I noticed something odd. The blog had gotten significantly more popular since I had stopped posting. In 2013, I posted 143 times and the site had 1276 visitors. In 2014, I posted 83 times and the site’s readership increased to 7815 visitors. In 2015, I have posted 0 times and site is on pace to surpass 9000 visitors.

What is going on? Am I a better writer when I am not even writing? Is going away the best thing I can do for my own popularity? How come no one was reading when I was creating content on a daily basis, but now people are finding the site when I haven’t even touched it in over a year?

After a little investigating, I discovered that a few of my posts have worked their way up the Google search rankings. For example, if you Google the phrase “Lion King lesson”, you will find my post of 10 Lessons To Learn From The Lion King. Similar stories for my posts about Jay Bilas’ book Toughness & a Kid President video.

I wrote each of those posts because I felt readers would enjoy them. At the time, however, no one knew of the site, thus, there were very few readers to enjoy them.

I am not sure how Google search ranking work (probably a bad thing to admit since I am in the book selling business), but little by little my posts worked their way to a place where they became visible to others.

Their growth in popularity had nothing to do with my lack of writing on the site and more to do with time.

Just another example that some things just take time. We want to click “post” and have our story blow up and become popular. But it doesn’t always work that way.

More often than not, we click “post” and nothing happens. But with a little patience and a little luck, it is just a matter of time before — boom goes the dynamite!

The post Am I A Better Writer When I’m Not Writing? appeared first on Attention Land.

But how much do we really know about rainbows?

I, for one, know very little. I know they are colorful (kinda like hipsters) and they like to come out in the rain (kinda like hipsters).  But, honestly, I don’t spend much time thinking about them (unlike hipsters, apparently).

Until now.

The other day, my grandma sent me an email saying she had a suggestion for a Wonder Why Wednesday question. She said she was wondering about rainbows and if it is possible to measure the size of a rainbow. I am not sure what inspired her question (I like to imagine that it had something to do with her eating Lucky Charms), but I think it is a great one.

Let’s see if we can answer it for her.

Wonder Why Wednesday: How Big Is A Rainbow?

Before I could figure out if it is possible to measure a rainbow, I had to determine just exactly what a rainbow is. Here’s what I learned,

Rainbows appear when light originating from the sun is refracted and reflected by small water droplets suspended in the air.”

Next, I had to look up what refracted means.

After that, I learned that the size of a rainbow has more to do with how we see it than actual length. The size we see depends on three things: how many particles there are for light to refract off, the angle in which it reaches the eye, and any objects that obscure the view of the rainbow.

Finally, after much searching on the Internet, I learned that measuring the actual size of a rainbow is very, very difficult. One site puts it this way:

It’s probably not impossible, but it is difficult. A rainbow looks circular because it’s basically the circle where a cloud of rain droplets intersects with your cone of vision, like the circle on the end of an ice-cream cone. Imagine said ice-cream cone with the point in your eye (don’t actually try this experiment unless you’re looking for a career in piracy). Now make the cone bigger and bigger until the round end hits the cloud of raindrops that are reflecting the sun’s light. The big circle on the end of that cone is where the rainbow appears to be — as someone else pointed out, you can only see the top half of it (because the other half is below the surface of the earth). The raindrops reflect light at about a 40 degree angle, so you can calculate the diameter of the circle if you also know the height of the cone (because the height of the cone, the radius of the circle, and the 40 degree angle are all part of a right angled triangle). The challenge is knowing the height of the cone, which is how far away the cloud of raindrops is from you. If you can work that out then, yes, you can measure the diameter of the rainbow (diameter = (2*distanceToCloud) / tan 40).”

Now, if you are anything like me, your mind started to wander after you read ice cream cone. But he’s what I think we learned:

• we only see half of a rainbow, the other half is underground
• we can determine the size of a rainbow if we can figure out its height
• to find out the height, we need to know how far we are from the cloud of raindrops
• not sure how you do that, but if you can, then you use the following equation: diameter = (2*distanceToCloud) / tan 40

Got all that, Ma??

In short, rainbows are really complicated and figuring out their size is probably not worth our brainpower.

Sources: Scientific American, Ask Philosophers, Answers.com

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The post Wonder Why Wednesday: How Big Is A Rainbow? appeared first on Attention Land.

In a perfect world, most things in my life would remain constant. I am fine with eating the same cereal day after day and it doesn’t bother me to wear the same handful of shirts each week. If my life is a deck of cards, I have very few wildcards (& a bunch of aces — just ask my brother about my tennis game) .

But I am beginning to learn that things are always going to change – whether I like it or not.

Author Barbara Fredrickson put it great when she wrote:

Constant change the only constancy. Impermanence is the rule.”

I don’t know if I have ever see that word before…impermanence.

Defined as not lasting forever; not permanent, impermanence, comes from Eastern philosophy which states that things are in a constant state of flux.

Like Fredrickson explained, the only thing in life that is constant is that fact that nothing is constant. Our lives are filled with more wildcards than the Major League Baseball playoffs.

I might not have to like that, but I am starting to see that it is true and I shouldn’t try so hard to fight it…just like salad.

Photo credit: Pixabay

The post I Learned A New Word… appeared first on Attention Land.

So I thought it would be appropriate to use my weekly question format (Wonder Why Wednesday) to learn a little more about this important holiday.

Wonder Why Wednesday: Veterans Day Edition

When Was The First Veterans Day?

This is a little bit of a tricky question. On May 13, 1938, a Federal Act was approved which made November 11th a legal holiday dedicated to the cause of world peace. Initially, it primarily a day to honor veterans of World War I and was known as “Armistice Day.”

However, in 1954, after World War II and aggression in Korea, the word “Armistice”  was replaced by the word “Veterans.” This new legislation was approved on June 1, 1954, and November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Why Is This Holiday Celebrated On November 11th?

World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. However, months earlier, the Armistice with Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Thus, November 11, 1918 is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

But the celebration date hasn’t always remained on 11/11. In 1971, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved Veterans Day to the fourth Monday of October. This change didn’t last long and in 1978 it was moved back to its original date of November 11th.

Is It Veterans Day or Veteran’s Day (or Veterans’ Day)?

You may find all three spellings online and in calendars, but according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Web site, the official spelling does not have an apostrophe. Their reasoning behind that and not the  possessive case is, “because it is not a day that ‘belongs’ to veterans, it is a day for honoring all veterans.”

Sources:Wikipedia & VA.gov

Photo credit: Wikipedia

The post Wonder Why Wednesday: Veterans Day Edition appeared first on Attention Land.