Cardiff schools keep pupils indoors after fox spotted

In my view, this is way over the top. (Unless of course rabies is now present in the UK).

When I was a boy, growing up in England and living in the countryside (Devon, Staffordshire & Warwickshire), I often saw foxes. I knew many country folk including farmers.

Foxes were nearby when I lived in a small village just outside Bath, Somerset from 1990 to 1997, and Gloucestershire immediately prior.

While living in and visiting London (my birth city) in the eighties and up until the late nineties, I saw many urban foxes.

Foxes were never considered a major threat to safety and I never heard of anyone being attacked by one. (Unless rabid and overseas – rabies is not known to be present in the UK).

Recently, a fox allegedly crept into a British house and savaged two babies.

If true (and I am not trying to create ‘spin’ that it isn’t) then we should ask ourselves:

These days we have foxes. In times past, in Britain, we had the ‘big bad wolf”.

We are worse off these days not only because of what we have done to fauna (& flora), but also our minds.

It seems schools have added irrational thinking and paranoia to the curriculum. I expect some are so proud of their splendid example. What leaders!

Schools are not just places where children learn facts. They learn and develop character. It seems we are in danger of raising a generation of  ’namby pambies’ with ingrained tendencies towards hysteria and paranoia.

So, when we go down to the woods today we need to be careful. We might meet a teacher/school administrator from Cardiff. Or someone from ‘Health & Safety’.

Are your children being set a bad example by teachers? is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

Today we will look at what Dr Steven Covey had to say:

“Live out of your imagination, not your history.”

Another pertinent quote, is that of Blair Warren:

“If you want to predict your future, study your past. If you want to create your future, screw your past.”

Blair Warren’s quote is punchy, very clear, blunt and pointed.

Combine what all three have to say and you have one recipe for success in life.

My favorite?

Blair Warren’s quote.

Action steps:

1. Write each quote on one card.
2. Memorize each quote.
3. Be a doer, not a dreamer or procrastinator.
4. Meditate (think deeply) on these quotes and apply them to your thinking.
5. Watch your life change for the better.

Live out of your imagination is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

Related posts:

1. Imagination – why you need to be careful how you use it.
2. Are you a logical snob?
3. Have you achieved success? Do you know what success really is?

First let’s define the word snob, as per the dictionary:

n.

1. One who tends to patronize, rebuff, or ignore people regarded as social inferiors and imitate, admire, or seek association with people regarded as social superiors.
2. One who affects an offensive air of self-satisfied superiority in matters of taste or intellect.

[Earlier snob, cobbler, lower-class person, person who aspires to social prominence.]

One example of a logical snob is someone who has a patronizing view of people with a strong creative, intuitive or imaginative side. These types of people are likely to have very logical minds and thinking patterns. Some will almost idolize or ‘worship’ logic, putting it on a pedestal. Many such people are vain, with an unhealthy pride in the abilities of their minds.

There is nothing wrong with logic, provided it is not misused. In fact, logic can often be applauded. Interestingly, it is not actually very logical or clever to have a proud mind. Minds that grow and develop are teachable. A humble mindset actually helps to increase learning speed and facilitates gaining new knowledge. In fact, many people with strong logic are able to learn stuff quickly; which indicates that they must acknowledge their lack, and do it regularly, before taking on board new knowledge. A strange conundrum perhaps; in logical snobs!

Alvin Toffler said:

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

People who are logical snobs would do well to consider the words of Albert Einstein – as surely HE is someone they would admire and look up to, being such a logical fellow?

He said:

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”

Eh???

Are you a logical snob? is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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1. Live out of your imagination
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As such, they can be very misleading and cause significant distortions in our thinking, our understanding and the way we process information.

Take the word hero for example. The word is defined in the dictionary as such:

n., pl. -roes.
1) In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
2) A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in a war.
3) A person noted for special achievement in a particular field: the heroes of medicine.
4) The principal male character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.

These days we see the term ‘hero’ commonly applied to sports stars, and here in Australia; I have seen it used as: ‘high school heroes” too. The word hero is used in many other ways, often with the common theme of dilution of the power and meaning of the word.

We often read of the disgusting habits of too many of these so called ‘hero’ sportspeople for example. Sexual abuse, excessive and gratuitous violence, cover ups, drunken abandon, theft, and illegal substance abuse. These ‘heroes’ are looked up to by the young, the gullible and the impressionable. Besides being a very bad influence, the whole experience can be very disheartening for those who worship their frail idols.

Some might say that these fake heroes are human and try to excuse it all. Instead, we should consider that real heroes can at times pay with their lives to stay true to a noble purpose. No excuses, real heroes get the job done and stay true to their character.

If we as a society defined things in a better manner we would achieve better results across the board. At least we can change ourselves. Do we really on a personal level want to live in a some sort of ‘dream world’ where our thoughts are not anchored in reality and truth? Or are we going to, in our own minds at least, call a spade a spade?

Just in case we need reminding what a real hero is like, then we can read this news article:

Blood, guts and modesty: 70 years after the start of WWII, a new book records the moving and humorous accounts of a generation of British heroes

The article is based on the book:

Never Surrender: The Men and Women Who Saved Britain 1939-1945

I quote, about the book and author, from the Amazon website:

Product Description
In Never Surrender Robert Kershaw captures the authentic voices of the ordinary heroes of the Second World War, from the soldiers fighting abroad to those battling on the home front, and creates an extraordinary portrait of a generation fighting for survival. Beginning with first-hand accounts of the reaction to Chamberlain’s declaration of war in 1939, Kershaw portrays the many aspects of war through the words of those who were there, from the sailors of the little ships of Dunkirk to German soldiers preparing for Operation ‘Sea Lion’. He takes us from the nightly horrors of the Blitz to battles in the limitless desert of North Africa, and from jungle war in Burma to Lancaster bombers over Germany and the beaches of Normandy. This is an attempt to portray their ethos before it is too late. Featuring new interviews with veterans and civilians from Britain, the Commonwealth and Germany as well as diaries, letters, and first-hand accounts, this is a testimony to the remarkable men and women who lived through the Second World War — whose refusal to surrender changed them forever.

About the Author
Robert Kershaw, who until recently held a senior position within NATO, joined the Parachute Regiment in 1973 and has served actively in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and the first Gulf War, for which he was awarded the US Bronze Star. He has written six books of military history and has contributed to The Times, The Sunday Times, the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph.

Labels – and how they muddy thinking. is a post from: Black Shaman Blog

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