Geoff W. Sutton Blog

Ambitious professionals often wait to learn if what they have accomplished will be enough to move one step forward in their career path. Would-be university professors are no exception. I survived the Ph.D. hazing activities (dissertation/ defence/ oral exams), which allowed me to enter employment as a psychologist. When I learned how little my advisor earned compared to my starting salary, I did not pursue an academic career and turned down an early offer from a small college. Eventually, after a professional career, I decided to leave fulltime work as a clinician to enter academia. I have thus been a participant-observer in a very different environment than the world of the self-employed. I had to learn to wait on others who sometimes moved at a snail's pace. I often wondered if the slowness was the reason for universities' " nonprofit " status. I couldn't imagine making patients or consultees waiting for answers or decisions as happens in academia. I used to th...

There are some amazing deals online this year. And we've bought or received a few. Updated 12 December  I purchased my first GoPro Hero 9- -hoping to travel in 2021. The video stabilisation is amazing! I got a big sale on a bundle price but no guarantees on sale prices because they can change. Anyway, I like the product. Tip- there are different bundles of the Hero9 plus accessories. So, check with your camera guru if you need help. Hero9 on AMAZON I did get spare batteries and a charger and it works well. AMAZON   Batteries and Charger My wife got the new Fire HD10 Tablet on sale and is very happy with it. It replaced her old iPad mini. She uses it every day--mostly for reading books, magazines, and playing games. Fire Tablet Covid-19 perfect. My son and his wife got me an AUDBILE gift subscription from AMAZON . I try to get a minimum of 10k steps per day and Audible books are a part of my walking program.  There are gifting options and different levels. So far, I've be...

  The defining component of a toxic culture is the poison labelled contempt. Psychotherapists know a lot about contempt. It’s the poison that destroys relationships with an almost insurmountable barrier to reconciliation ( See Healthy Marriages ). Contempt can be seen in eye-rolls, sneers, mocking gestures and a litany of criticisms that attract in-kind responses of sarcasm and ultimately cynicism. The whole pattern is dangerous to partners as it not only causes emotional pain but it may also lead to belligerent acts including physical aggression. ( Read more about contempt . ) Contempt is nothing new of course. Contempt is part of human nature. But in recent years, the multifarious sniping where I live in the US has increased to a level that relationships have broken down. It’s not just about the COVID-19 pandemic because the virus of contempt was in the air before COVID-19 joined it. Sadly, I admit that I too fired some toxic shots even as I was trying to fight against...

  Zechariah in the Temple/ Bing Public Domain Zechariah Punished with Aphasia In Luke’s version of the Christmas story, Zechariah is punished with the loss of speech (aphasia) for asking what would seem to be a reasonable question. I study the psychology of religion and have conducted many neuropsychological examinations as a psychologist so the description of the impairment struck me as looking like the results of a mini-stroke. Check out the features of stroke in the story from Luke 1. Zechariah, a Jewish priest, and his wife Elizabeth had a reputation for being faithful to the law. As my friend Martin Mittelstadt, known for his scholarly study of Luke , points out, Luke presents his gospel in several contexts including recurrent biblical themes. We see a record of angelic announcements and divine intervention in cases of older barren women in the Hebrew Bible. Perhaps Luke is presenting the new Christian tradition emerging from the womb of an elderly and barren Elizabeth in ...

O little town of Bethlehem How still we see thee lie Above thy deep and dreamless sleep The silent stars go by Yet in thy dark streets shineth The everlasting light The hopes and fears of all the years Are met in Thee tonight She pushes the button by the miniature piano and begins to jump up and down as Frosty sings his seasonal song. Her younger sister follows her lead. Then the music stops. But they press the button and the happy tune resumes. From tree to fireplace, one decoration to another, our granddaughters light up our home. The Christmas story is of course about a child. Everyone can identify with the joy of a newborn child. Adults everywhere love to give gifts to children—just to see the sheer delight that comes when preschoolers unwrap a new surprise. The Bethlehem Christmas carol mixes light and dark images. The forces of good and evil are present. And hopes and fears become focused on one small child born in Bethlehem ravaged by war for millenni...