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Steve Pavlina is beginning a new life experiment and he plans to detail the process on his site. Steve has decided to begin 2008 with a thirty day period during which he will consume only the elements of a 100% raw vegan diet.

Steve predicts he will experience phenomenal highs in emotional well being, physical health, energy levels and heightened concentration, among many other benefits. I have no doubt he will achieve his goals. He does that. I will definitely be following his progress here.

As for myself, I will be pursuing a different Utopian experience. I will focus on my intake of fluids. The research I have undertaken leads me to believe that a vast majority of the population (especially baby boomer Americans such as myself) exist at some level of chronic dehydration.

In fact, many of the “symptoms” we attribute to the cost of getting older are some of the most common indicators of chronic dehydration.

• Heartburn - An indication that a water deficit is present upper gastrointestinal tract.
• Arthritis - A regenerative condition which can be mimicked by a shortage of water available for joint lubrication.
• Back pain - An insufficient amount of water to replenish the hydration of the discs can cause chronic low back pain.
• Chest pain - Angina can be caused by a depletion of the water available in the body to hydrate the lungs and heart.
• Migraines - The brain and eyes are dependent upon proper hydration to function at optimum levels.
• Colitis - Dehydration is accepted as a precipitating factor of colitis and various other large intestinal diseases.
• Asthma - Mucus plugs suffered by asthmatics can not be broken down without proper hydration.
• Hypertension - High blood pressure can be the body reacting to long term dehydration.
• Adult onset diabetes - Proper hydration is necessary in order for the body to efficiently process insulin in the body.
• Cholesterol - High levels of cholesterol is an indicator of chronic dehydration.
• Depression - Dehydration is causal in disruptions of tryptophan, serotonin and melatonin levels.
• Urinary - Bladder irritation is caused by highly concentrated urine.

Couple these indicators or “normal” dehydration with a continual introduction of diuretics and a gloomy picture begins to form.

Consider foods that contain diuretics.

• coffee
• tea
• soda
• chocolate
• stimulant tablets
• many pain relievers
• cold remedies
• weight loss aids
• alcohol
• tomatoes
• citrus
• milk products
• honey
• artificial sweeteners

I will begin my 31 day experiment on January 1 and report my findings here. I will begin by eliminating as many diuretics as I can and attempting to increase my daily consumption of water to at least 64 ounces per day. I’m excited to find out what the effects, if any, will be.

Are there any environmental factors you are planning to address in the new year?

Do you ever wonder if anyone is analyzing the underlying temperament of Osama bin Laden?

I’m mean, I’m sure the FBI and CIA have some of the best behavioral analysis units on the planet looking into the how the behaviors are manifesting themselves and how likely he is to undertake certain courses of action. But, is anyone examining the underlying temperament of this man? How does he seek to meet his needs for control, affection and inclusion?

It truly is an interesting puzzle. Additionally, it is quite hazardous to attempt to develop such an insight based on manifested behaviors. Nonetheless, some things can be learned by examining how he presents his needs.

Let us look first into the need for control. Osama bin Laden presents as a compulsive both in the need to be controlled and the desire too control others. This is an unusual combination and can create an extremely unstable individual.

It is as if he has juxtaposed these two polar tendencies and operates in a constant state of near schizophrenic turmoil as he slavishly professes adherence to the strictest forms of the Koran while in turn demanding absolute submission from the rest of the world.

Consider next his displayed behavior in the realm of affection. Again, we see polar opposites in behavior. He extols great affection for those of his faith and belief and yet violently recoils from any expressions of the affections of any other faith.

Finally, there is inclusion. Here again the man displays absolute opposites of behavior. He proclaims the desire to include (by force if necessary) everyone in the world into the faith of Islam. In the same breath he shuns the influence of the world outside his frame of reference as infidels who must be killed if they step foot on the land of his faith.

What are the conclusions to be drawn?

He might be a complete schizophrenic who spends every existing moment in mortal terror.

He might be a political puppet who is merely mouthing the words of diverse other factions which are actually controlling him.

He might be acting from the devastating position of never understanding his needs much less how to meet them in an acceptable manner.

But, if he is sane and acting of his own volition, I imagine his profile would read much like the following.

Wanted Control Needs - Compulsive

Expressed Control Needs - Compulsive

Wanted Affection Needs - Compulsive For Attention, High need to be unconditionally accepted and loved.

Expressed Affection Needs - Recessive/ unable to maintain relationships which require unconditional love and acceptance of another.

Wanted Inclusion Needs - Compulsive/Recessive - manifesting as extremely passive aggressive behaviors (destruction of material items of others and emotional blackmail are typical tools of those with this disorder).

Expressed Inclusion Needs - Compulsive/Recessive - Evidenced by repeated releases of self promoting media while avoiding contact with all but those most under his subjugation.

An overview would display a Compulsive Choleric with serious issues of self worth.

After examining his history one question comes to mind. What would have helped this man find acceptable ways to meet his needs?

We have just finished a season widely known for gift giving. Many say the greatest value in the gift is that experienced by the giver.

Choosing just the right gift for someone can be a wonderfully revealing process. It really gives you the opportunity to give careful thought to the needs and desires of someone other than yourself. Although, it can sometimes bring us to the startling realization that we really know very little about those closest to us.

I like to give by composing little nudges and providing them here on Elemental Truths. I like it because it has a covered dish type feeling for me. I can give as much as I like and not be offended (at least not greatly) if no one finds a dish they particularly like.

It works for me. How do you like to contribute?

Has your site ever been included in a “Best of” list?

Over the past few months Elemental Truths has showed up on a few such lists. One was Phil Gerbyshaks, The Make it Great! 125. Before that Priscilla Palmer included me in her professional development resource list.

In case anyone wonders if being included in such a list adds to your visit depth, I did some reader trend maintenance research and found some guests who visited my site from the lists stayed for 20 minutes, at least when the list was first published. Odds are that kind of reader will be coming back to Elemental Truths if I continue to pony up with the initial quality they met.

But, does being included in such a list increase my traffic?

The answer is, it depends. It depends to a great extent on how the author publishes or markets the list. And to an even greater extent, it depends on how big the list is.

For example, I find I’m much more likely to pick up extra traffic on a list of top five sites than I am a list of top 100 sites. Readers view list of much more than 10 rather like chain letters. It is a basic of human behavior analysis. People just don’t have the time to devote to checking out all the sites listed.

Have you ever compiled a best of list for publication? If so, how many sites did you include in your recommendations?

I like living under a rock!

I spent the past few days with my family. During that time I made a conscious effort to be UN-informed. I didn’t check my email. I didn’t read the newspaper and I avoided television news. So when I gave a quizzical look when someone mentioned a friend was just getting in from a 2 day delay because of Midwestern snow problems he quipped, “What, Have you been living under a rock?”

So, I made a list of all the advantages of subgeological dwelling spaces and I share them here with you.

1. No utility bills.
2. Neighbors never stay long.
3. My pants are ALWAYS pressed.
4. No need for air conditioning.
5. It keeps me firmly “grounded.”
6. Lot’s of Prudential endorsements.
7. LOW property taxes.
8. Never needs painting.
9. No environmental impact.
10.Excellent SPF!
:0)
Sorry, couldn’t resist.

Is the “Golden Rule” really golden?

Should you really do onto others as you would have others do onto you?

Many of the major religions of the world endorse some form of this moral and ethical yardstick. These are all versions of the ethics of reciprocity.

Bahai - “ascribe not to any soul that which you would not have ascribed to thee.”

Brahmanism - “do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you.”

Hinduism - “do not due onto others what would cause pain if done unto you.”

Shinto - “the heart of the person before you is a mirror. See there your own form.”

Taoism - “regard your neighbors gain as your own gain and your neighbors loss as your loss.”

But, does this “golden rule” prescribe the best application for everyone?

I find that I have, on occasion, mistakenly accepted this as true.

I have a strong need for control and order in my life. I need a disciplined approach to many of the tasks I undertake. When counseling others, I take a near formulaic approach to conducting the data and functional behavior assessments I rely on to offer suggestions and nudges.

I therefore have made the mistake of encouraging some individuals to take on more control than they are comfortable with. Not everyone has the same needs to exert control, or even the same tolerance to accept being controlled or directed.

Therefor, you should not always do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If I am the other, I may not have the same need to exert and accept control in my life as you. I may not have the same desire for the level of affection I am comfortable receiving or expressing. I may not be comfortable with the same degree of inclusion in the lives of others or as accepting of their inclusion in my life as you.

Perhaps, the rule should say ‘do onto others as they would have you do unto them.’

Is the golden rule golden or is is iron pyrite?

According to the Yale book of quotations these are the most memorable statements of 2007.

“Don’t Tase Me, Bro,” Andrew Meyer

“I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us.” Lauren Upton

“In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran.

“That’s some nappy-headed hos there,”Don Imus

“I don’t recall.”Alberto Gonzales

“There’s only three things he (Rudy Guliani) mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.” — Sen. Joseph Biden

“I’m not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody (Dick Cheney who has a 9 percent approval rating.” — Harry Reid.

. “(I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom.” — Larry Craig.

“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man.” — Biden

“I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.” — Jimmy Carter.

They aren’t particularly profound, in fact some are barely intelligible. So, why are they the most memorable quotes of 2007?

Does writing material at the level at which most people read translate to a useful tool to attract more readers?

Here are the approximate Lexile numbers for each grade level of reading difficulty.

• BR = Below first grade
• Grade 1 200-400
• Grade 2 300-500
• Grade 3 420-700
• Grade 4 600-830
• Grade 5 800-920
• Grade 6 850-1010
• Grade 7 930-1070
• Grade 8 1000-1120
• Grade 9 1020-1150
• Grade 10 1100-1200
• Grade 11 1130-1230
• Grade 12 1200-1310
• College Freshman/Sophomore 1200-1450
• College Junior/Senior 1300-1500
• Graduate School 1480-1700

Let’s take a look at the Blogs listed in the Technorati Top Ten. Technorati measures popularity by the number of incoming links a site receives. We’ll start with the most popular.

1. Engadget - College Post Graduate Level
2. Gizmodo - Junior High Level
3. TechCrunc- High School Level
4. BoingBoing - High School Level
5. The Huffington Post - Junior High Level
6. Lifehacker - Junior High Level
7. Ars Techica - Genius Level
8. Blog di Beppe Grillo - High School Level
9. Mashable - High School Level
10. Federated Media Publishing - Genius Level

Then of course there is Technorati itself, which is consistently written at the Junior High Level.

Basically, it appears that websites that are heavy in content and contain actual composed material which people are expected to read, are written at the Junior High and Early High School Level. Web sites that act a mere clearing houses designed to provide Readers Digest versions of content are written at a higher level.

So, the question continues, does writing at a target reading level increase your readership? Well, it certainly seems to increase the likelihood your material will be added to summarized versions of content carried by the most linked sites which appear to be most concerned with brokering information created by others.

What do you think? Does writing to a wider audience increase website readership?

Have you ever been curious as to the amount of education necessary to read and understand your work?

Not the  education or talent of the author, but the level of education the reader needs to be able to put your work to good use.

I calculated mine based on a standard readability formula. It’s a fairly simple straight forward calculation.

• Calculate the average number of words you use per sentence.
• Calculate the average number of syllables per word.
• Multiply the average number of words by 0.39 and add it to the average number of syllables per word multiplied by 11.8.
• Subtract 15.50 from the result.
• Algorithm: (0.39 * average_words_sentence) + (11.8 * average_syllables_word) - 15.9

But, if you are not a math fan and trust the calculations of others The Blog Readability Test site will do it for you if you past in the site address. Here is the link if you want to check your own.

Here are the results of the readability scale of some of the sites I read on a regular basis. Bye the way, the results change with every new addition of material. So, a college level site can on one day can be a junior high school level site the next day.

1. Blogging for Business - Junior High School.
2. Make it Great - Junior High School.
3. Converstations - Junior High School.
4. MindTweaks - Elementary School
5. Kyles Cove - Junior High School
6. JD’Blog - Genius Level
7. 37 Signals - Elementary School Level
8. Ians Messy Desk - Junior High Level
9. Lifehacker - High School Level
10. ElementalTruths - Junior High Level
11. Steve Pavlina - Genius Level
12. Seth’s Blog - High School Level

I monitor my site pretty closely because I want to keep my writing simple and clear enough so that it is easy to undertand and yet precise enough to give the background information for further growth. Junior High level is about that level for most people.

Consider that, Moby Dick, Macbeth, Of Mice and Men, The Once & Future King, and Treasure Island are all written on the Junior High to High School reading levels (right around 8th grade, actually).

What reading level is needed for the sites you read, and if you are a writer do you take the reading level into consideration when you work?

This article first appeared at Lifehack Dot Org in September 2006. 

This is an overview of the traits of a great leader. It is a collection of the fundamentals of great leadership and is compiled from many sources.  Are these characteristics specific to any one temperament?

1. Great leaders KNOW it is PEOPLE not PROGRAMS that create a quality organization.
2. Great leaders have clear, consistent expectations.
3. Great leaders take into account the impact of their decisions on those they work with.
4. Great leaders plan a purpose for everything they do.
5. Great leaders create a positive atmosphere and work climate.
6. Great leaders have high expectations for those they work with and greater expectations for themselves.
7. Great leaders consistently apply Socrates 3 filter test to anything they pass along.
8. Great leaders work to maintain positive relationships to those they work with.
9. Great leaders know it makes much more sense to retrain existing staff than to recruit new staff.
10. Great leaders treat everyone as a valuable entity.

Which temperament would lend itself best to these characteristics or are these traits which exist independent of temperament and personality?