Episodes
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
Paying the Liar’s Dividend in School Safety
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
Sunday Jul 07, 2019
On July 3, 2019, Dr. Perrodin presented School Safety in America: Rhetoric Vs. Reality on Wisconsin Public Television. During that presentation, he identified weaponized deepfakes as the biggest threat to student safety and that the incentive to use deepfakes to target students might be as simple as “The Liar’s Dividend.” WHAT IS THE LIAR’S DIVIDEND? A classic example of the liar’s dividend, which goes back to early reports that cigarettes were linked to cancer. In response, the tobacco industry relied on journalism’s honorable tendency to report “both sides of the story,” and went on to suggest there were legitimate doubts about the validity of that scientific research. WHAT IS THE DIVIDEND? In the May 17, 2019 article “The Liar’s Dividend is dangerous by journalists. Here’s How to Fight it” by Kelly McBride, she states: “This is a bigger problem than the Oxygen Theory, which argues that by debunking a falsehood, journalists give the claim a longer life. The Liar’s Dividend suggests that in addition to fueling the flames of falsehoods, the debunking efforts actually legitimize the debate over the veracity. This creates smoke and fans suspicions among at least some in the audience that there might well be something true about the claim. That’s the “dividend” paid to the perpetrator of the lie. WHY IS THE LIAR’S DIVIDEND THE TOP THREAT TO SCHOOLS? The Liar’s Dividend has always been around in the form of false accusations to dent the recipient’s reputation or incorporated into social media bullying. When a student, for example, posts intentional misinformation about another student, he or she is also planting doubts. “I don’t think Carol would say those things about her friends when she was at Terry’s party, but maybe she did?” ANYONE CAN BE TARGETED. We have a new player in the game. Avatar realism has been around since 2011 and progressively becomes more lifelike. One of these popular avatars is Miquela Sousa. She doesn’t exist. She’s a CGI image with a team of engineers, marketers and dreamers posting to her various social media feeds. Avatars of this nature have proven to be largely the tool of marketers. However, they also have been hacked. The damage won’t be delivered from avatars, but from the newest threat known as deepfakes. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN AVATAR AND A DEEPFAKE? A deepfake will target a person by falsely representing them while an avatar is a computer generated fake person. So, a deepfake image is you – looks like you, talks like you, but probably doesn’t convey an authentic message. Both present risks to student safety, but the deepfakes can tactically be used to target other students, teachers, school administrators or parents. ERODE TRUST. Students should learn to skeptical consumers of information, but deepfakes are going to pit student against student or student against teacher or everyone in education against the integrity of information. Did the teacher really say that, or was the video of his rant a deepfake generated with $250 software – and now the teacher in on leave as the school conducts an investigation. The Liar’s Dividend paid to the accuser. As schools spend more than $3 billion per year in school fortifications, the reality is that nothing is being done to prepare for deepfakes and once they arrive, we won’t be able to fortify ourselves to safety. What the solution? Nobody knows. However, the intelligence community predicts that deepfakes will infiltrate all levels of society by 2022 and most people won’t be able to identify a deepfake from an authentic recording. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com This is episode 102.
Purchase Dr. Perrodin’s Book: Schools of Errors – Rethinking School Safety in America
Sunday Nov 11, 2018
The Zen of Stacking Firewood
Sunday Nov 11, 2018
Sunday Nov 11, 2018
A bulbous-ended chunk of wood interrupts the flow of the woodpile. Counter it with another piece that has an off-setting quirk. Yin and yang. Of course, leaving a little room on top of the stack creates a home for the absolute misfits that are either too long or too wonky to finagle into a row. SMOKING OUT THE VALLEY DWELLERS. Dr. Perrodin confesses to having ignited more than a few fires that have fogged his neighbors in the sweet smells of burnt oak and maple. In rare instances, a chilled, damp chimney has condensed smoke and returned it to the fireplace and out the vents and into the room! Yikes, open the sliding doors and turn on the ceiling fan! WHAT HIBBING, MN HAS TO DO WITH A FIREPLACE. A robust fire corresponds to understanding climate conditions. In a brief memoir, David recounts visiting the Hibbing Ore Mine (largest in the United States) with his Dad a few years ago to observe a rare pit blast. Before the detonation, a small plane flew over the site to monitor the air density above the blast area. This step was necessary to prevent a “bounce back” effect of the concussive pressure wave from the blast encountering a dense air layer and reflecting to the ground - putting people and equipment at risk. NO LONGER A TASK COMPLETION SOCIETY. Dr. Perrodin perceives that fewer of life’s activities have a defined start and a defined end and we are enrolled into exhausting “races without finish lines”. This is evident in school safety as there will never be a “completion” of school safety - weapons and strategies will forever mutate and this race without a finish line will continue to burn out, or numb, the most vigilant sprinters. THE GOOD OLD DAYS. It seems that there was more “closure” in the “old” days. A freshly-turned 47-year-old Dr. Perrodin remembers painting fences; mowing lawns; and replacing spark plugs and wires. He also longs for the almost unfathomable reality of an elementary school with a large fireplace in every classroom. THE ZEN OF STACKING WOOD. David no longer engages in marathon sessions of hauling cords of chaotically-strewn wood from his garage to his basement - tipping the point of total physical exhaustion. Those days of mere task completion were replaced with task appreciation as this fall Dr. Perrodin transported the wrecked-heap of wood from his garage to his basement over the span of four days. The slower, more deliberate process allowed David to assess each piece of wood and determine how to best finagle it into the developing stacks. He shares the “Zen” quality of this previously dreaded task. HUMIDITY RISES. The gift of newly-stacked firewood is the humidity it breathes into a dry house - the comforting thickness of hardwood fragrance seemingly projecting the warmth that would soon be delivered by roaring fires and a toasty stone wall that would surrender heat hours after the red faded from the coals. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
I’m Conducting Research with Iranian Professors and Then This Happens…
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Wednesday Oct 10, 2018
Despite the fact that there have been several theories of personal resilience, and that some of the theories have suggested that there are more than one dimension, those theories have not focused on the person’s internal characteristics or provided an adequate elucidation of the exact components of adult personal resilience. Dr. Perrodin begins a discussion of what it means to be resilient as he shares the collaborative research he conducted with Iranian Professor Nemati Shahrooz, Ph.D., University of Tabriz, Iran to better inform what is known of resiliency and attachment to God with Hope in Mothers of Children with Specific Learning Disability. The study revealed a stark contrast between resiliency in Eastern and Western cultures and the personal characteristics that are ascribed to “resilient” people. RESILIENCY - MORE THAN JUST COMPRESSING A SPONGE AND HAVING IT BOUNCE BACK TO NORMAL. “It is necessary to distinguish between resilience for inanimate objects versus animate beings, with the objective of refining the concept for human beings. For certain inanimate physical objects, such as a soccer ball, resilience refers to the object regaining its shape after being distorted by some outside force. In other words, a resilient inanimate object that comes under pressure can spring back to its original size and shape without experiencing irreparable damage. [As humans aren’t soccer balls] external influences ought not to be included in defining personal resilience, which should be regarded as a characteristic that exists within a person (Taormina, 2015).” THE FOUR PARTS OF RESILIENCY. Taormina describes identifies four clear dimensions of adult personal resilience as internal factors that will help achieve a better understanding of what resilience is, and, by explaining the new dimensions, takes a positive psychology approach that will help both research and practice.
- DETERMINATION is defined as the willpower and firmness of purpose that a person has and the decision to persevere and/or to succeed.
- ENDURANCE is defined as the personal strength and fortitude that one possesses to withstand unpleasant or difficult situations without giving up.
- ADAPTABILITY is defined as the capacity to be flexible and resourceful, and to cope with adverse environments and adjust oneself to fit into changing conditions.
- RECUPERABILITY is defined as the ability to recover, physically and cognitively, from various types of harm, setbacks, or difficulties in order to return to and reestablish one’s usual condition. Dr. Perrodin notes that the questionnaire contains terms that will be interpreted differently across participants. For example, a noisy apartment might be unpleasant to one person while having spoiled food to eat might be unpleasant to another person. The questionnaire constructs are solid, but the actual questions that inform the constructs must be administered with much explanation and ability to clarify perceptions of the respondents.
DAVID TAKES THE RESILIENCY QUESTIONNAIRE. How resilient is Doc? Hard to say as he hasn’t endured some of the tribulations referenced in the assessment. Life experiences are integral to learning about one’s resiliency - and a reason why resiliency scales should be different for adults than for children. ANECDOTES IN THIS EPISODE. David dips a toe into the conspiracy theory of the October 3rd Presidential Alert message delivered to millions of cell phones. He’s irritated with his daughter’s school fundraiser; and also shares that friends and colleagues are considering significant alterations to their inter-personal encounters as a defensive measure to lessen the likelihood of being accused of inappropriate interactions - a definition which might change with the shifting sands of time. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com. ARTICLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE. Adult Personal resilience: A New Theory, New Measure, and Practical Implications by Robert J. Taormina. Psychological Thought 2015, Vol. 8(1), 35–46 doi:10.5964/psyct.v8i1.126
Sunday Jun 10, 2018
What Does 'Pareidolia' Mean & Why is it Dangerous?
Sunday Jun 10, 2018
Sunday Jun 10, 2018
Pareidolia can be dangerous when it gets religious or political: Jesus on toast may be one thing, but what if a rusty sacred water stain dripped down the front facade of your public county courthouse and believers came flocking? IN THIS EPISODE: What Does ‘Pareidolia’ Mean & Why is it Dangerous? | Celebrity Suicides | David’s Book Deal is Back On | Fixing Garage Floor Divots | David Learns Prison Martial Arts. WHAT IS PAREIDOLIA? [Wiktionary] Pareidolia is the tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as interpreting marks on Mars as canals, seeing shapes in clouds, or hearing hidden messages in reversed music. This behavior exists because humans seek to create meaning when meaning is absent, I suppose. And perhaps it’s no danger to see a teddy bear in the clouds or a man in the moon. Those are functional. Whimsical. Harmless. In fact, some scientists opine that pareidolia is an indicator of an efficient brain attempting to identify patterns in the environment. This is good. This is survival – it’s situational awareness, to a limit… DANGERS OF PAREIDOLIA. Pareidolia isn’t just about seeing faces, though. It’s about interpreting any vague stimulus as meaningful. If you have a headache and feel tired, it wouldn’t take more than 10 minutes on the Internet to match your symptoms to an exhaustive list of mild to terminal medical conditions. In this instance, a type of pre-suasion exists in which the person is already primed to seek bad news. A simple television commercial can convince people that they are afflicted with a condition. Context and situation influence pareidolia. What do you expect when you gingerly tour a haunted house? That creaky door might be a sign from a spirit – or a just a hinge in need of oil. WHAT IS APOPHENIA? Apophenia can be considered as a blessing as well as curse. It is because of this tendency that we can explore new things, but sometimes it may mislead us. It stems from the fact that we humans are always looking for meaning in our life. We often believe that everything happens for a reason. Well, most times, it could be that things are totally unrelated, and yet we won't let go of our relentless pursuit to find a connection. That is apophenia. It is well documented as a rationalization for gambling. Gamblers may imagine that they see patterns in the numbers that appear in lotteries, card games, or roulette wheels. One variation of this is known as the "gambler's fallacy". The Mayan Calendar also contributed to “End-of-Times” apophenia for some people that perceived clear connections between the calendar end date, stock market crash, increase in hurricanes, and any myriad of other events that were destructive, but not necessarily connected incidents. Dr. Perrodin advises asking "Does this makes sense?" and using member checks as strategies to avoid rampant pareidolia or apophenia. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to comments & emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com.
Sunday Jun 03, 2018
What is the Rubric for Good?
Sunday Jun 03, 2018
Sunday Jun 03, 2018
Good exists independent of being filtered and shaped by humans. It endures context and situation and has superb inter-rater reliability. Yet, “good” is overwhelmingly subjected to external positionality - or to exist per the characteristics and conditions of what others deem must be present for something to be considered good. GOOD, POSITIONALITY & PAREIDOLIA. Positionality is completely different from pareidolia, which is a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to stimulus, usually an image or a sound, by perceiving a familiar pattern where none exists. A popular example of pareidolia is seeing familiar images in clouds. We can also be primed for pareidolia. Persons on a ghost tour are expecting to have some unusual encounter. Hence, a creaking door becomes a message from the spirits - and not a reminder to visit the hardware store for a can of WD-40. Pareidolia is internal and while it is proximal to the process of identifying good that Dr. Perrodin talks about, it still involves the steps of attempting to conform what is perceived to be dependent upon some previous experience or observation. WHY KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE GIVES YOU AN ADVANTAGE. Understanding positionality and pareidolia empower you with keen awareness of what is authentic in your environment versus responses that are unintentionally manipulated by your brain or overtly manipulated by other people. The latter can shift you toward external validation (imagine becoming addicted to “Likes” for your social media posts) and undermine the solid footing of sense of self and ability to use face validity to craft your own rubric for identifying “What is Good”. DAVID SHARES 3 STORIES. Dr. Perrodin shares three personal anecdotal stories to parse out how he believes that “good” can be universally recognized. He begins with recalling a tandem bike ride with Robert, a high school student who is blind and has autism. After sharing that story, he tells of the trip he made with his daughter in order for her to purchase potted daisies for Mother’s Day. David concludes by re-visiting his time as a volunteer tour guide at historic Fort Winnebago which included working with his Dad to refurbish a 100-foot split rail fence and water well in a manner that infringed only slightly on authenticity. THE REAL MEANING OF GOOD AND EVIL (Psychology Today, 2013). Dr. Perrodin dissects this article to point out the specific terminology and strategies deployed to persuade people into believing what is good and what is evil. For example, the article states: “‘Good’ means a lack of self-centredness. It means the ability to empathise with other people, to feel compassion for them, and to put their needs before your own. It means, if necessary, sacrificing your own well-being for the sake of others’. It means benevolence, altruism and selflessness, and self-sacrifice towards a greater cause - all qualities which stem from a sense of empathy.” David argues that empathy, altruism, etc., are all human constructs and have nothing to do with whether something or some activity has “face-validity” goodness. While David certainly doesn’t argue against empathy and compassion, he notes that they are not coupled to something that would have face-validity goodness - such as a scenic vista. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to comments & emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com.
Thursday May 24, 2018
Safe Rooms & Cry Rooms | Welcome to College with Author Ann Sterzinger
Thursday May 24, 2018
Thursday May 24, 2018
Misanthropic author Ann Sterzinger and host David Perrodin attempt to gain philosophical understanding of the epistemological foundation for post-secondary institutions of learning proliferating safe rooms and cry rooms across campuses. Initially the guise of art, such rooms shed temporary labels and are rooting in libraries, lecture halls, and dorms. Not invasive. Welcomed. ANN STERZINGER. Ann owns the BLACK PILL SITCOM genre, previously known as dark comedy, embracing the bleakness with a giddy sense of fun. Her specialties include dystopian sci-fi, French to English translations, and living in Chicago without getting shot once. Her books, The Talkative Corpse: A Love Letter, & NVSQVAM: (Nowhere) are available on Amazon. WHAT IS A SAFE SPACE? A Safe Space is a place or environment in which a person or category of people can feel confident that they will not be exposed to discrimination, criticism, harassment, or any other emotional or physical harm. It’s a conceptual construct and a tangible locations with comfortable furniture, dim lighting, aroma warmers and soothing music. Such rooms dotted campuses over the past decade and their ranks atomically mushroomed following Trump winning the Presidency. This instantly ushered in a sense of unease amongst generally democratic or socialist-leaning persons. Students (and employees) typically don’t need permission to enter a Safe Space and any limitation of access to a Safe Space can be interpreted as restraint, micro-aggression or contributing to a hostile learning or work environment. WHAT IS A CRY ROOM? A Cry Room, on the other hand, is a much more recent exhibit of a small area for stressed-out students, often during final exams, to have an emotional purge in the privacy of an enclosure softened with stuffed animals and soothing colors. While Ann and David were not aware of Cry Rooms in locations of private employment, Safe Rooms have been available to employees in some public buildings for a few years. These rooms are often discussed with measured words and are somewhat secretive, yet embraced by many workers. Dr. Perrodin was informed by multiple persons in these settings that such rooms are frequently occupied - and not just by someone having a “rotten day”, but also by someone who is discouraged with a societal political event or simply feeling that a work task wasn’t “liked” by everyone around the conference table. Yep, “Likes” - external validation - ring a bell? COPING & EMPATHY. Around the country, higher education campuses are seeing a strong increase in the number of students seeking counseling services. Freshman are overwhelmed and struggling to cope with - well, with college/society/friendships/responsibility? Universities are teaching students the benefits of a brisk 10-minute walk as a stress coping mechanism. Really? Ann accidentally, but correctly stumbles upon the reason empathy has declined: No one reads novels. DEBATE. "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle (384BC - 322BC). Debate can be traced back to ancient Greece. David recalls it being championed and tactically instructed in high school until the 1980s. High school debate squads even duked it out on regularly-scheduled televised competitions. Debate is a discussion involving opposing viewpoints. It’s becoming informed, informing others and learning the art of persuasion. Debate is a life skill - and perhaps lost to the ages as the 2018 debater is badged a boat-rocker. Separate of this dystopian context, benefits of debate include being able to use words instead of weapons in preserving the non-aggression principle. Persons skilled in debate seek to understand the perspectives of others and respectfully pose arguments and listen to counter-arguments. Yet, professors have stated that students are not only unwilling to learn debate, but the entire idea of wrangling with an idea that is not aligned to their own so-called “beliefs” or knowledge set is nothing short of a perceived attack. Professors have been accused of being cruel and insensitive for even inviting students to engage in innocuous debate such as a hypothetical proposal of beginning the school day at 9:00AM instead of 7:45AM. Off to the Safe Space! Hey Professor...the Dean wants to see you after class… ACADEMIC RIGOR IS A THREAT. Ann and David examine the fundamental pillar of education, of work, of life - that which is rigor - and now has become the source of undue mental burden. Some thought the participation trophy was an omen. Turns out it was just a light breeze that cracked the Pandora’s Box - exposing the contents to a precision-tuned culture of silencing. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to comments & emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com. Learn more about Ann Sterzinger at www.annsterzinger.com
Friday May 04, 2018
Burning Building Bathroom Blues | This is the LAST May in 2018
Friday May 04, 2018
Friday May 04, 2018
The is the LAST May in 2018 - disheartening news as David apparently overlooked the other Mays of 2018. Perhaps he should unfollow the Mayan calendar? In this episode, Dr. Perrodin flies solo and revolves anecdotal stories to touch upon agency, purpose and situational awareness. TWO-ALARM FIRE AT SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND - THE ONE QUESTION STUDENTS WANTED US TO ANSWER. A recent 2-alarm fire at his workplace (thankfully, it was a small blaze confined to a dryer) underscores David’s belief that kids and adults tend to handle the unexpected very well when previously informed of what to anticipate during chaotic events - or situations that move them from their comfortable, typical “torus” zone into temporary chaos. In previous episodes, Dr. Perrodin has provided empirical reasoning for why chaos is actually a good thing and that numerous studies have concluded people often make *sound decisions (*sound is more appropriate as “correct” implies that a decision must be convergent to achieve the desired outcome) during highly chaotic situations. Nonetheless, he shares that a co-worker asked to return to the building to use the restroom. Four separate student focus groups revealed a single request students had about the fire - after 20-minutes of standing patiently on the sidewalk, and hearing addition fire apparatus arrive at the facility, they wanted to know what was going on. David parallels this request for basic information to other crisis situations and notes that keeping people informed neutralizes anxiety and facilitates cooperation. Dr. Perrodin discusses ways to incorporate this “informing” process throughout other aspects of life. ALARMING TREND IN EMPLOYEES BEING PUT ON LEAVE - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. Dr. Perrodin, who engages in various legal expert witness consulting, closes the episode by alerting listeners to an unsettling uptick in the practice of a human resources director placing an employee on leave due to an investigation. It’s a given that allegations of embezzlement or gross violation of job duties would warrant the employee being placed on either a paid or unpaid leave during the investigation. The difference in today’s HR practices, however, is two-fold. First, employees, both in management and non-management roles, are being placed on leave for more “subjective” allegations, such as, “contributing to a hostile work environment.” (What does that actually mean??) An example could be an employee that perceives a co-worker is not supporting a newly-created “safe space” in the work setting and files a complaint to HR per whatever process is outlined in the organization. Yes, claims can be that open to interpretation - note that the recipient of the hostile work environment is making a claim upon perception of behavior and interpretation of a definition that is broad. The second concerning characteristic of this trend is that the person placed on leave is immediately separated from their work email, electronic files and paper files. Locked out! Hence, documentation and records that can support the employee’s defense are not accessible by the employee. Now what? David shares that he contacted multiple experts versed in maintaining personal communications / records and none were able to offer advice on how employees should maintain critical documentation in this emerging era of more frequent, and more subjective allegations of violations of the code of employee conduct coupled to employees being separated from their documentation. This matter will be the core of a future show as Dr. Perrodin is seeking an expert who can offer insight into how to best protect yourself in the midst of an allegation. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to comments & emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com.
Thursday Apr 26, 2018
Simplifying the Equation of Podcasting Success | Author Larry Roberts
Thursday Apr 26, 2018
Thursday Apr 26, 2018
Simplifying the Equation of Podcasting Success... “When I started podcasting, I read so many different books and watched so many different videos that I ended up confused and overwhelmed to the point that I went out and bought equipment that I still haven’t even used! It’s outdated tech. Don’t tell my wife. She still thinks I’m going to use it.” (Larry Roberts, author of 1+1 = Podcast & host of the Readily Random Podcast). NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO TRY PODCASTING. In his best-selling 2018 book, 1+1 = Podcast, Larry covers the podcasting basics in a clear non-technical, non-jargonal manner just like he was having a conversation with you. He ditches the stuffy Times New Roman font and presents answers for exactly what is needed to get started with a high-quality sounding, low cost or even FREE podcasting solution. WHY IS THIS BOOK BETTER THAN OTHERS? Podcasting books are convergent, technical, preachy and also prescriptive of the elusive “way” to be a “star” podcaster. Don’t fall for the hype. Instead, Larry shows you how to conduct reconnaissance of the podcast landscape and pauses with introspective questions that identify your “comfort zone” as you enter this exciting territory rife with open, unexplored spaces. Remember, podcasting has only been around for less than a decade! Let’s be honest, podcasting involves work - but at the same time It’s empowering, it’s talk therapy, and it’s not constrained by advertisers and regulators. Don’t go bananas on the Internet, but a podcaster can do things a mainstream reporter would never be allowed to do! IT’S ACTUALLY EASY TO FIND INTERESTING GUESTS. Podcasts with guests typically outperform shows that don’t have guests. David recalls his newbie podcaster days of asking friends, neighbors and coworkers to be on his show. It was harder to find unfamiliar guests. Larry acknowledges and solves the “guest barrier” in his book by demonstrating a svelte technique of searching for authors that sell their publications on Amazon. Hey, have a cool topic you want to talk about? In a few clicks, you can discover authors on Amazon that have published books in that genre - and most of those folks post bios and links to their related works - awesome! Larry’s book even has a concise template narrative you can use to invite a guest to be on your show. PROMOTING YOUR SHOW. Analytics matter, but it also takes time and episodes for listeners to get to know you and your show. Focus on promoting your show. An awesome episode might be downloaded 15 times if you only shared it one time at night on Twitter. Right? Larry helps David consider options for expanding his show’s presence on social media platforms while being vigilant of personal privacy. How do you foster a well-rounded social media campaign to promote your show? Larry answers that question during this episode. TECHNOLOGY TAKES TIME. I began my podcast with my webcam’s built-in microphone. My audio quality took a leap when I purchased a USB microphone - and crept into the professional tier with an XLR microphone. USB/XLR/GAIN = intimidating. It can be - and Larry removes the anxiety as he makes a few terrific suggestions for easy-to-learn hardware and software that won’t fry your budget. David and Larry concurred that persons new to podcasting might assume that good audio is magically rendered in post-production. In other words, as long as you get “any” recording, you can “fix” it with software. That’s a myth. Start by following Larry’s advice and you won’t end up scrapping your first round of shows due to avoidable technical flaws. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to comments & emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com. LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST: www.readilyrandom.com
Wednesday Apr 11, 2018
How Mantras Crush Intentions and Mission Statements
Wednesday Apr 11, 2018
Wednesday Apr 11, 2018
The word mantra can be broken down into two parts: “man,” which means mind, and “tra,” which means transport or vehicle. In other words, a mantra is an instrument of the mind. At the end of the day, the mantra is meant to bring you back to simplicity. We live in such a complex world that it’s easy to get lost in all the details. Mantras can help you circle back to the simplistic approach to life and focus on those things that inspire you and truly make you happy. But beyond that Zen-fuzzy stuff, a solid member-checked mantra is a powerful asset to a businessman. KENNY ROGER’S UNDERSTOOD THE MANTRA BETTER THAN APPLE DID. Maybe it’s the wisdom of Kenny Roger’s hit song “The Gambler” when he croons “know when to walk away and know when to run” that harkens to the mantra. See, while one can argue that Apple’s mantra, “Think different,” perfectly encompasses the value the company - it just doesn’t work for collectivism of a company aiming to be the benchmark of the industry. It’s confusing as what is the benchmark Apple strives to compare itself to - and here’s the paradox because if you have become the industry standard are you then directed by your mantra to divert from the formula that has catapulted you to success? Back to Kenny. YOU KNOW THE RULES, HOOK: A GOOD CAPTAIN ALWAYS GOES DOWN WITH HIS SHIP. In this episode I talk about parting ways with a long-time client. There was little to debate in my decision, but it stung - I mean, it was a difference in professional opinion and not a failure to deliver a high-quality service. It’s one thing to fumble away the game and another for the team to move to a different venue. I could have taken the money and churned out the task. I didn’t. I cut ties. Cordial. And then something unexpected happened. The client re-considered. My directness and honesty established me as a trustworthy member check. Mantra, intention and mission statement are not synonymous words. Hold the mantra and fold intention and mission statement. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD FELIX TO WEAR HIS JACKET. Hubris proclaimed that jackets need not be worn on the ride home. Seemed like a sound statement at the time, I mean, sunny day, water dripping at a steady pace from eaves, snow piles seemingly squatting - the observational evidence was in my corner. I’m a Wisconsin native - and from the northern tier of the state of the truly winter-hardened folk and that’s street credibility, sir. Back to Felix...Most students attending the school for the blind live in dorms during the week and return home Friday afternoon. This exodus occurs by plane, train, bus, van and automobile. Felix boards a bus for a 3 hour ride north. He’s sensible and knows his way around an engine, having been sighted until his early teens. “How warm is it?” he asked. “Pretty warm, Felix,” I responded. He refined his question, “Do I have to wear my jacket or will I be alright without it?” Now I’ve learned that perception is to the beholder. Some people willingly wear jackets in summer while others wear sandals in winter. Felix weighed his options and informed me that he intended to pack his jacket in his luggage and forego the trek in a t-shirt and jeans. Two hours later, I exited the building and was immediately slapped by an unforgiving northerly wind. It was cold. In fact, it was just 24 without factoring in the windchill. I later learned that the high temperature that day was just 28. Yikes, per my calculations, Felix had about an hour of shivering remaining before he arrived home, yanked his jacket from his luggage and turned the house thermometer clockwise. I felt bad. I was guilty of not checking my information. I would never intentionally advise a kid to forego the coat and embrace the cold. Not a lot gets to me. This did. I talked to Felix Monday morning and he casually said, “I wore my jacket home…” FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts RSS feed. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to comments & emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com.
Friday Mar 16, 2018
Rituals Make Us Stronger | Interview with TJ Martinell
Friday Mar 16, 2018
Friday Mar 16, 2018
Author/Writer/Reporter/Outdoorsman TJ Martinell appraises routines, rituals and experiences versus accumulation of "stuff". Embracing an authentic, minimalism-grounded lifestyle from his svelte-outfitted cabin, TJ suggests that finding yourself begins with reconnaissance and locating the empirical origins of both ancestry and philosophical epistemology. Making the world perceptible, TJ describes his pilgrimage to view the US Constitution or stand upon the "ghostly" battlefield soil of Gettysburg. TJ’S BOOKS & CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 10th AMENDMENT CENTER. As an accomplished author, his 2016 novel "The Stringers" seemingly foreshadowed the current kleptocrat implants that sift, winnow, blot and skew the narratives mainstream media reporters feed to an information-saturated and knowledge-starved public. Imagine a [future] time when the contraband is information and censorship is commonplace. A contributor to the Tenth Amendment Center, TJ reminds listeners that per the 10th Amendment, the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or the people. This emerges as a fascinating segment of the show as TJ helps us to understand that we are passively surrendering our rights simply due to insufficient education and activism of the 10th Amendment. Learn more about this specific topic at http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/ RITUALS or ROUTINES. TJ and David share their interests and disdain for professional sports as they build a foundation for a discussion to address the confabulation of routines with rituals. TJ questions the one-sided vesting of a sports fanatic and how this desire for some distorted sense of tribal collectiveness, or simply to be a part of a group (fans), does not advance the individual. There is no accomplishment in wearing another man’s jersey. Painting your face blue before each home game is a ritual although it holds no practical value. David pokes fun at the scant amenities provided to fans by a 1980s Lambeau Field – home of the Green Bay Packers. He shares the thrill of a new out-of-town scoreboard added to the stadium in the early 1990s – still pre-dating the first video board. Routines are performed as part of a regular procedure rather than for a special occasion. TJ shared that he often smokes a pipe when he achieves the summit of a climb (a ritual) – and that preparing a pipe is actually much more intricate than the simple strike of a match per Sherlock Holmes tobacco acumen. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RISK... David cites the recent cancellation of an 8th grade class trip in Ohio due to "perceived" terrorism risks as a frightening precedence of conveying to young adults that it is not safe to engage in reconnaissance and authentic experiences. TJ framed a deft counter argument to the parents seeking nullification of the trip by underscoring that risk at the center of founding the country. Per TJ, "We believe that you seeing these things are worth it because they didn't come without risks. When the Declaration of Independence was signed, these men were likely signing their own death warrants had they lost the war. Explain that the documents matter as they were worth the risk of founding the United States of America." TJ argues that the crux at making a decision should not only be "is this safe" - as Jack London's biography would support that adventure and experience bring richness to life and risk will always be a part of the human experience - by choice or by chance. FOLLOW DR. PERRODIN: Twitter @SafetyPhD and subscribe to The Safety Doc YouTube channel & Apple Podcasts RSS feed. SAFETY DOC WEBSITE & BLOG: www.safetyphd.com David will respond to comments & emails. The Safety Doc Podcast is hosted & produced by David Perrodin, PhD. ENDORSEMENTS. Opinions are those of the host & guests and do not reflect positions of The 405 Media or supporters of “The Safety Doc Podcast”. The show adheres to nondiscrimination principles while seeking to bring forward productive discourse & debate on topics relevant to personal or institutional safety. Email David: thesafetydoc@gmail.com LOOKING FOR DR. TIMOTHY LUDWIG, PHD? Dr. Perrodin’s “Safety Doc Podcast” negotiates school and community safety. To be informed about industrial safety, please contact Appalachian State University Professor Dr. Timothy Ludwig, PhD, at www.safety-doc.com. LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUEST: www.tjmartinell.com TJ’s BOOKS on AMAZON https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=TJ+Martinell