“The greater the feeling of inferiority that has been experienced, the more powerful is the urge to conquest and the more violent the emotional agitation.” —Alfred Adler

Biographical Overview

Janice Joplin was born January 19, 1943 in Port Arthur Texas to Seth and Dorothy Joplin. Janice was the first born child in a family that would eventually include a sister Laura, who was born 6 years later, and a brother Michael, who was born 10 years later. Janice’s early family life was relatively normal, and as a child she was exceptionally curious and bright. Janice often made up stories as a child and began writing plays while in the first grade, and even at a very young age her creative talent seemed to be developing.

One early story recounted in Myra Friedman’s (1973) book on Janis, recounts how Seth would take the Janis and eventually her siblings down to the post office to look at the pictures of the wanted men as a form of entertainment. Given Janis’s later utter and total disregard for the law and conventionality in her life, one wonders if Janis didn’t develop some kind of sympathy for the “outlaw” from these early experiences, as she certainly began to view herself as existing outside of the bounds of normal society.

In Janis’s words, “The whole world turned on me” when she entered High School, and these years seemed to have an especially profound influence on Janis as well as her later work. Port Arthur was in many ways a rough and even violent city, and as a port town had a number of bars and houses of prostitution to service the men who came to work there. Janis witnessed extreme racism while growing up in Port Arthur, and her tolerance and acceptance of people from other races quickly earned her the nickname “nigger lover” which was one of many that she would eventually acquire in Port Arthur. During this period Janis also gained weight and developed bad skin, and she was often also called a “pig” by the other children in the school.

Following High School Janice enrolled at Lamar State College which she found was much like her High School in Port Arthur, as she again experienced a great deal of rejection here and eventually dropped out. With her parent’s blessing, Janis moved to Los Angeles to live with one of her aunts. Janis eventually moved out of her aunt’s home into a place of her own in Venice Beach and it was during this trip that she began to seriously use drugs including heroin. Having nearly died during her experiences in Venice Beach, Janice again returned to Port Arthur, and eventually decided to return to school, this time at the University of Texas in Austin.

It was during this period of her life where Janis began performing seriously as a musician. She had discovered the blues through listening to records by Odetta and Bessie Smith, and Janis showed an amazing ability to imitate these singers, which was a lifelong talent she had developed even as a young girl. Janis would often play in coffeehouses and other campus spots around Austin, and it was during these formative years where she was able to put together her blues, folk, and rock influences into her own integrated and unique sound. Janis’s favorite place to play was the legendary Threadgill’s where she became close friends with owner Ken Threadgill who was a very positive force in Janis’s life.

Although Austin included many more anti-establishment types than Port Arthur, Janis was still ridiculed and mocked at the University of Texas, and her sense of inferiority as a result of this reached its pinnacle when she was nominated for the “Ugliest Man on Campus” award while attending school in Austin. This was the final blow to Janis in Texas, and shortly after this even she packed her bags and moved to San Francisco to pursue a career as a singer.

Janis moved to Haight Ashbury in 1966 which at the time was the epicenter of the 1960’s. Bands such as the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane were also coming up at this time, and the music and freedom made the Haight in the 1960’s for many a magical time and place to be. Janis found an incredible sense of belonging with Big Brother during this time, and their early work as a band represented the raw energy and improvisational nature of rock and Roll that people were beginning to take notice of.

Janice soon began to outshine Big Brother however, and although they were a highly energetic live band, their improvisational style did not translate well in recording sessions. Janice on the other hand took a great interest in the recording sessions, and was committed to recording an album that demonstrated Big Brother’s and more importantly her own unique style. With Albert’s encouragement, Janice eventually left Big Brother, and this act was seen by many in the band, as well as many of Janice’s personal friends, as an act of selfish betrayal.

Janice next formed the Kosmic Blues Band, which she spelled with a K in honor of Franz Kafka, who was one of the many novelists that Janice loved to read. The band was supposed to mark a return to Janice’s blues roots, but her first gig in Memphis, a city rich in the blues tradition, was a disaster as the new band received a very lukewarm response from the Memphis crowd. During her time with Kosmic Blues, Janice, already a regular heavy drug user became more enamored of Heroin. Janice’s Heroin use continued to increase throughout her time with the Kosmic Blues band, and by the time it came to play at Woodstock in the summer of 1969 she was most likely addicted to the drug. In one particularly disgusting story, Janice’s friend and lover Peggy Caserta (who would later go on to write “Going down with Janis” recounts how Janis snuck into the portable toilets to shoot Heroin prior to her performance at Woodstock. In any case Janice’s performance at Woodstock was not thought to be one of her best, and it was at this juncture of her career where her Heroin abuse and continued heavy drinking seemed to adversely begin affecting her music.

Realizing that the Kosmic Blues band was not working, Janice also left this band, and in the last year of her life formed her final band that was known as Full Tilt Boogie. It was also during this period that Janice formed a friendship with Kris Kristopherson who would eventually become her lover, and who also wrote Janis’s seminal hit Me and Bobby McGee which is the song she is most known for today. During this last phase of her life, Janice began referring to herself as “Pearl” which to her represented the tough- talking highly sexed festive side of her nature.

One significant event that occurred at the end of her life was Janice’s ten year High-School reunion. Janis announced her plans to attend the reunion on the Dick Cavett show while also telling the host Dick Cavett that during her time at Port Arthur that her classmates “laughed me out of class, out of town and out of the state, man”. Janis wanted to return to Port Arthur to show those that had picked on her and ostracized her that she had made it after all, while also still craving acceptance from the town that she thought her fame would bring her. Janis was drunk most of the time during the reunion, and because she had made several negative remarks about the town in the national press, her visit did not achieve what she had hoped, and once again she left Port Arthur feeling rejected and unloved.

Upon returning to San Francisco Janice’s Heroin usage had increased significantly, and it was also during this time that she met and quickly became engaged to a man named Seth Morgan who was from a wealthy east coast family. By all accounts Seth was a dishonorable man, and his stormy relationship with Janis did not appear to be based on any kind of fidelity from either party. During Janis’s last months in San Francisco she also reconnected with Peggy Caserta whose appetite for Heroin nearly matched Janis’s. Peggy and many others of Janice’s friends continued to use Heroin with her in her last month, but Janice was using the drug alone in a seedy hotel when she eventually died from an overdose on October 4th 1970.

Janis’s death deeply saddened her friends as well as her fans, but many, including Janice herself, did not expect her to live a particularly long life. Her rampant alcohol and Heroin use had set her on a collision course with death that seemed inevitable, and with this in mind, many people considered the idea that Janice Joplin’s death was not in fact an accident but rather a suicide. While a coroner’s report showed that the Heroin Janice had used that night was especially pure, one can certainly speculate that Janis Joplin contributed greatly to her own demise. Despite the fact her death was eventually ruled an accident, it is clear that Janis Joplin’s sad and unhappy life ended as a direct result of her own actions.

Analysis

Gender Role Preparation perceived through Gender Guiding Lines and Role Models

One of the ways a child makes his or her way in the world begins with an acceptance or a rejection of their gender guiding lines. In this regard, Janis Joplin’s relationship with her mother becomes fascinating to analyze, as Janice and her mother’s interactions were often characterized by a battle of wills and a great deal of turbulence. Janis’s mother, who was a Sunday school teacher, expected Janis to conform to the rules, wear dresses like the other little girls, while also making the family proud with her accomplishments. In this regard Mrs. Joplin had high expectations for her daughter concerning both conformity and accomplishment, and this seemed to send a mixed message to Janis that affected her future ambitions and desires.

Despite Janis’s rejection of the maternal guiding line, she did identify strongly with her father who was an intellectual man who enjoyed reading and was much more accepting and permissive of Janis than her mother. Janis seems to have strongly identified with her father instead of her mother, and this speaks directly to her eventual embrace of many more traditionally masculine qualities in her life.

Janis eventually almost totally and completely rejected her mother’s wishes that she be like the other girls, and therefore rejected the female guiding line in the family which also seemed to have an effect on her sexuality. Although Janis talked a few times of achieving married life with a “white picket fence” she found belonging by wearing pants and acting like one of the boys, and for Janis this included sleeping with by her own account “a couple of hundred” women throughout her life, including one in her High School years.

Much has been made of Janis’s sexuality, and one feminist writer attributed Janis’s drug use and lifelong pain as resulting from being unable to fully come out and experience life as her lesbian self. In essence she made Janis a martyr for lesbian causes, and this idea is provocative and interesting to consider with regard to Janis. It certainly must have been difficult for Janis to reject the feminine guiding line in the family without it having some affect on her sexuality, and therefore it seems highly plausible that Janis may have been predominantly attracted to other women. On the other hand Janis did also sleep with a great many more men than women in her life, but her inability to sustain lasting relationships with these men may speak directly to Janis’s confused and even tormented sexual feelings. Although she often bragged about her conquests with men, one could see this as a dramatic overcompensation for her lesbian feelings, as well as a compensation for her rejection by the boys of Port Arthur when she was young. As a star Janice spoke often about her increased access to “pretty young boys” and one wonders if her often false bravado when speaking about men may have simply been attempts to deal with feelings of childhood rejection and inferiority.

When children reject their parental guiding lines, they may often turn to role models to guide them. In Janis’s case because such a role model was not available in Port Arthur, she found this guidance through emulating and studying the music of Bessie Smith, who had died several years before Janis was born. Bessie Smith was and is one of the most influential Blues singers in American history and Janis felt a kinship with the blues where she was drawn not just to the music but also to the sadness and pathos that produced the music. Janis remarked often throughout her career that singing the blues required suffering, and Janis used this belief to justify and rationalize her Heroin abuse.

Janice did draw strength from visualizing the blues singers that had come before her however, and the anguish and pain in her voice while she was singing appeared to be a true representation of Janis’s often tortured life. Much like the Blues singers she was emulating, Janis did use music to make sense of painful feelings, and the power and influence of Blues singers like Bessie Smith provided for Janis a roadmap of how to process these feelings. Bessie Smith was in fact such a powerful influence on her, that Janis contributed half the money for Bessie Smith’s memorial so she could be properly honored and remembered.

Interpersonal Style perceived through Experience of Family Atmosphere

One thing that Janice seems to have inherited from her mother was a sense of frugality which Dorothy had developed from her experiences seeing her family farm lost to the depression. Janice was not particularly generous with money over the course of her career, and despite her blatant disregard for the rules, friends who went through Janice’s possessions (Friedman 1973) following her death found several “meticulously organized checkbooks, all balanced to the penny.” Janice also always scoured for the cheapest item when she was grocery shopping, and would spend extra time comparing differences in price on items although money was really no object in this instance. Considering Janice’s otherwise highly disruptive life, this seems almost miraculous, and certainly speaks to the fact that Janice respected at least some of her family’s established values.

Another instance where Janice seems to have rejected her mother’s guidance was in the area of spirituality, where Dorothy who was a Sunday school teacher, tried to instill in her children ideas consistent with conventional morality. Janice wildly rejected this idea, and adopted an extremely hedonistic attitude where if something felt good to her she was quick to do it. Janice often expressed this philosophy of the immediate throughout her life, and this ran directly opposed to the family’s religious convictions that there was a life after this one where we received our final rewards.

The family’s experiences with music are also important to consider with regard to Janis’s interpersonal style. At one time Dorothy was such a talented singer that she received a full scholarship for her musical abilities to Texas Christian University. Dorothy continued to sing in the church choir when Janis was little, and the family had a piano to celebrate Dorothy’s love of music. When Janis was young Dorothy had one of her vocal cords severed in an accident during a surgery, and Dorothy could no longer sing as a result of this experience. Seth then sold the piano and this seemed to convey an unusual message to Janis about music, and may have a relationship to Janis’s fear, repeated often throughout her career, that she would loose her voice and therefore her career.

Janice’s eventual embrace of music could be interpreted a couple of different ways. First, that she carried on the family torch passed down from Dorothy, or second, that she took to music because it was something her mother could no longer do. Considering how stormy the relationship was between Janis and her mother, and the fact that Seth sold the piano because it was too painful to have around for Dorothy, it seems possible to speculate that Janis’s music was in some ways a reaction against her mother. The kind of music Janis did go on to produce was certainly far different than the music Dorothy studied in school and perhaps Janice’s embrace of music could be interpreted as both an ode to, as well as a reaction against, Dorothy’s love of music.

Perspective on the World perceived through Experience of Psychological Birth Order

Janis was the first born child in a family of three, and this also influenced her perspective on the world. First born children are often the responsible and conservative children in the family, and can become in many ways like second parents to the other children. In Janis’s first 6 years of life she behaved much like you would expect an oldest child to behave, as her mother reports she learned to sit and cut her food and eat and talk like an adult at a very early age with amused and surprised Dorothy. Janice was also very well-behaved and had excellent manners, and her mother reports that her behavior was nearly beyond correction in these early years.

Things changed when Laura was born when Janice was six, as not only was Janis now dethroned as the only child, but Laura had health complications which took up even more of her mother’s attention. Interestingly Janis did not at this time become a jealous and overbearing sibling, but instead became very attentive to Laura and cared for as a kind of surrogate parent.

A fascinating switch in the psychological birth order perspective did happen later however, when Janis began to get jealous that Laura appeared to do things that met her mother’s high expectations whereas Janis consistently let her down. Children often find belonging in families by engaging in behaviors that are different than their siblings. In the case of the Joplin’s this happened much later when Janis was in High School, where Janis was now finding belonging as the misbehaving child where Laura assumed the role of the responsible one. Normally this dynamic is exactly reversed, but in the Joplin’s case Laura now assumed the vantage point of the first born child and Janis as the reckless and wild second born.

This pattern continued throughout the rest of their lives, as during her periods of conservative behavior Janis would often ask for Laura’s assistance picking out the proper clothes and seek her advice on style and other matters. Although Laura was six years younger, she seemed to eventually surpass Janis emotionally as well, and her story is very much intertwined with Janis’s even today. Laura eventually earned a PHD in education and became a motivational speaker. She also wrote a book called Love, Janis which provided letters Janis had written home to the family throughout her career, and this book, which was later made into a Broadway production, helped a lot of people reach a greater understanding of Janis Joplin’s inner world.

Self Assessment perceived through Genetic Possibilities

It is impossible to talk about Janis Joplin without talking about her physical appearance, as this was at the root of a great deal of Janis’s inferiority and perhaps even a partial explanation for her extreme talent. Although Janis was by all accounts an average looking girl growing up, she went through a particularly awkward stage in High School where she gained weight and also developed skin problems. In Texas in the 1950’s this must have been particularly difficult, as beauty was certainly a cherished value for women in this time and place, and a person’s self-worth could easily become tied to their appearance which seems to have happened to Janice. Rather than attempt to play a game she felt she could not succeed at, Janice instead chose to respond in the exact opposite manner, and she made her personal appearance a very low priority.

This is classic safeguarding behavior where a person creates a sense of rejection themselves before others have a chance to reject them. In Janis’s case she would put on a brave front when others would call her a “pig” in High School, but then go home and cry about this rejection. It must have particularly painful for Janis to be nominated for “Ugliest Man on Campus” while at the University of Texas, as this was a place where she had finally found some belonging and had experienced some success as a singer.

Being constantly rejected for her appearance, Janis only felt beautiful in her life when she was performing. It was on the stage where her wild sexuality and charisma finally shined, and this for Janis meant the stage became the only place where she every truly felt accepted. Janice spent the rest of her life following High School chasing the “pretty boys” and this seems to be overcompensation for the rejection she felt from the popular boys both in High School as well as at the University of Texas. She made much of her one night stand with New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, even announcing their affair over the microphone while doing a New York concert, and also bragged about sleeping with Jim Morrison, Dick Cavett, and many other men which may have been simply further attempts to prove that she was indeed wanted by the “popular” crowd.

This certainly seemed to be a large part of her motivation to return to her High School reunion where she hoped to show those that had rejected her how she had made it. When Janis was again rejected at her High School reunion it seemed to bring all of her intense feelings of inferiority back to the surface, and have at least some relationship to her final and fatal Heroin binge.

It is also interesting to consider Janis’s engagement to Seth Morgan with regard to the timing of her reunion. Seth, whose east coast pedigree led Janis to believe that he was in fact one of the “popular” boys she had always sought after had also assured Janis he did not want any of her money, and even signed an agreement that assured this. For Janis this may have been a last grasp at fitting in and dealing with the feelings of inferiority her reunion stirred up, and a final attempt at finding the belonging that she so desperately craved.

Openings for Advancement Perceived through Environmental Opportunities

It is impossible to attempt an understanding of Janis Joplin without also understanding the times she came of age in. The 1960’s was a period of great revolution and change, and provided the perfect backdrop for Janis to unharness her raw energy and power through her music. Prior to the 60’s women had no such opportunity, and the classic model of the Rosemary Clooney type lounge singer was a paradigm that Janis helped change and recreate for many future generations. The fact that Janis came along concurrently at the height of the woman’s movement was also significant, as she became for many a symbol for women’s sexual freedom and experimentation that had previously been taboo. Had Janis come along in another era, her brazen sexuality would not have been well received, and Janis was a direct benefactor of as well as a contributor to, the women’s movement.

Range of Social Interest perceived through Other Particularities

In Adlerian psychology, a person’s mental health can be measured by examining a person’s social interest in other human beings. In Janis Joplin’s case her early inferiority produced such violent insecurity that she had a very difficult time getting close to others and maintaining intimacy in her personal relationships. Although Janis was often taken advantage of by others in her life, she relished in thinking of herself as a victim as it confirmed her existing feelings about herself.

For Janis the circumstances of her life must have contributed greatly to her confusion about other people’s motives concerning their feelings for her. Before she was famous she was mocked and ridiculed by nearly everyone she came into contact with, excepting a few select friends she made along the way. She felt inferior in her home life and that she wasn’t living up to her mother’s expectations as to what a woman should be. Then when she became famous suddenly the whole world took an intense interest in her, and it is easy to see why she would doubt the motivations behind this interest given her prior experiences.

No where was this more evident than at Janis’s reunion where she wanted to show the people who had mocked her how important she had become, while also badly seeking their acceptance. For Janis the Thomas Wolfe axiom that “You can’t go home again” seemed especially appropriate, and all of these conflicting cognitions and emotions must have created a great deal of psychic turmoil in Janis which she numbed by using Heroin.

In this regard, Janis remarked to Myra Friedman (1973) that “her only true friends were the junkies she used to hang out with” and this is a telling statement that speaks directly to the fact that drug addicts often gravitate to each other in a kind of shared misery. The fact that Janis made this remark seems to confirm her low opinion of herself, and how this low opinion affected her interactions with others. Because Janis was so in need of love from others, she surrounded herself with sycophants who would often tell her whatever she wanted to hear, which was a fact Janis was well aware of.

Although many singers from this era including Janis’s one time lover Country Joe McDonald became very involved in political causes in the 60’s, Janice’s message seemed to be more about freedom through breaking off the shackles that society imposed. Perhaps because the 60’s were such a time of freedom, many serious addictions such as Janis’s were overlooked under the guise of free living. The dream of Timothy Leary and others like him that drugs could be a mind expanding tool has not been realized, and many such as Janis developed severe and pathological addictions as a result of this idea. This was the paradox of the pairing of drugs and freedom, as, although the drugs were meant to free a person’s mind, they often made them virtual slaves to their addictions as was the case in Janis Joplin’s life.

Conclusion

Janis Joplin’s life was clearly very sad, and demonstrates the pathology and sadness that exists in someone who, despite achieving considerable wealth and fame, never learns to overcome feelings of inferiority towards the self. Alfred Adler’s quote “The greater the feeling of inferiority that has been experienced, the more powerful is the urge to conquest and the more violent the emotional agitation” seems especially relevant to Janis’s life. In many ways Janis positively channeled and compensated for her feelings of inferiority through her work on the stage, but when the music was over Janis was always left with the same uncomfortable feelings. Several of the books on Janis’s life describe how despondent she would be following a performance, and this may be because the stage was the only place she truly found the love and acceptance she so desperately craved.

Many factors contributed to Janis’s inferiority, and the stars all aligned in a very unique way to create the life that was Janis Joplin’s. Her early and continued rejection by the other children, particularly in High School created a lifetime of negative feelings about her physical appearance, and these feelings were probably exacerbated through her interactions with her mother who wanted her to be more like the other children. Because Janis was not like the other girls, she assumed many masculine traits, and somewhere along the way her feelings about sexuality became very confused. Although there is significant evidence to demonstrate a genetic link to homosexuality, there are also almost certainly environmental factors which can contribute to this, and Janis Joplin’s life seemed to be an excellent example.

Despite Janis’s sexually ambivalent feelings, she many times remarked about a mythical “white picket fence” kind of life that she longed for that would bring her some consistency and stability. But Janice was also terrified of giving up her stardom, as this was also the only thing she had to cling to that gave her a sense of accomplishment in life. She had created the “Pearl” image and now she had to consistently live up to it, and this required a pace that no one could possibly maintain.

Janice was also a product of her times, as more than any other decade before or since, the 1960’s were a time of great change, paradigm shifts, and revolution, and Janis helped define these times while also being swept away by them. The music of the 60’s reflected a large break in society where kids were expected to “never trust anyone over 30” that never quite considered what happened when they reached 30. For Janis, her reckless lifestyle, intense feelings of self-loathing, and raging feelings of inferiority eventually overwhelmed her, and her death at the age of 27 was truly tragic considering the further contributions she may have gone on to make.

Scuba diving takes you to an entirely different world. To enter this world one needs to take the necessary training, without which the diver life could be in jeopardy. Like in all other adventure sport scuba diving is not free from danger. Necessary precautions need to be taken to ensure a smooth and happy diving journey. The dangers of scuba diving can be classified into two categories. The first danger lies within the ocean and second in the individual itself.

Scuba divers should keep themselves updated about the marine life around that region and the risk involved there. This will help them to avoid animals that turn aggressive on being approached. The weather forecast and the current beneath and the water conditions of on the date of the dive also need to be kept in mind. There is a possibility that the diver may get too engrossed in viewing the beauty at the bottom of the sea and swimming against the current may make it difficult for him to reach his destination.

Getting trained through certified classes of scuba diving will help the diver to encounter the dangers. Divers should make sure that all their equipments are in good condition and working properly. The scuba diver needs to show a certain level of responsibility too.

The diver needs to remember his lessons well while venturing in the sea. Taking things for granted and forgetting his lesson could go against him and is a foremost danger of scuba diving. Diving with an accomplice having more experience could reduce the danger of scuba diving.

A good presence of mind and the ability to handle a dangerous situation without panicking can get you over the dangers of scuba diving.

Avoid diving while suffering from cold, allergies and infections, as intake of some of the medications could make you lethargic and somnolent.

A common problem that scuba divers experience is ear pain is mainly caused due to pressure changes. The medical terminology for this is squeeze. Barotrauma can also be caused due to scuba diving. When parts of the body that contains air for example the lungs, the stomach, the chest, the intestines and cavity get affected deep underwater due to excessive pressure causes barotrauma. The other problems related to scuba diving are bruises, scrapes and cuts which normally occur due to shipwrecks and coral and reefs.

Diving too fast also causes serious consequences and over expansion and contraction of lungs could result in serious disabilities. So remember not to be reckless and hasty while scuba diving.

Tony Soprano is one of the most intriguing and enigmatic characters in the history of television. Understanding him psychologically is a difficult proposition, although many of the shows other character’s have proffered some ideas. In one early episode, Dr. Melfi’s husband Richard refers to Tony as Alexithymic, the short definition being “the inability to talk about feelings due to a lack of emotional awareness.” This definition is definitely somewhat accurate, as Tony often reacts with rage during periods of confusion and frustration.

One classic example of this comes when Tony enters his office and sees that someone has purchased a “Big Mouth Billy Bass” and placed it on his desk. Seeing the singing fish reminds Tony of his dream about Big Pussy, and this memory floods Tony with multiple emotions that he is unable to process or understand. Tony reacts to this emotional flooding by beating Georgie, (A favorite pastime) who he learns placed the fish in his office, as this choice allows him to temporarily exorcise his uncomfortable feelings through this physically violent reaction.

At one point Dr. Melfi suggests Tony has an Anti-Social Personality Disorder. People with this disorder often show a persistent pattern of conduct disorder in their teen years which involves breaking the law, poor academic performance, disrespect for authority as well as several other more severe criteria including torturing animals and starting fires. Throughout the series we learn several things about Tony’s younger years. In Season 1, we learn from Uncle Junior and Livia that Tony and his friends stole a car, and also that Tony used to sell stolen lobsters in an effort to earn some extras cash. In another episode we see him skipping school, breaking into his father’s car, and generally being very willing to bend the rules.

Skip to Tony’s teen years and we learn that Tony has become good enough at sports to become a “varsity athlete” despite Junior’s claim that he wasn’t. He graduates from High School and attends Seton Hall for a semester and a half, before he “got into some trouble” (revealed to Meadow during the episode “College”) and goes to prison for a short while. While Tony is insisting to Dr. Melfi that he never engaged in Homosexual activities, we learn his time in prison was relatively short, and we can therefore assume his crime was relatively minor. Around this same time Tony robbed Feech Lamana’s card game, which was a major turning point in his life where he became officially respected as a gangster.

From this brief look at Tony’s adolescence we learn he probably did meet many of the characteristics for conduct disorder but possibly not enough to make a firm diagnoses. Which moves us to the diagnoses of Anti-Social personality disorder, which according to the DSM-IV, involves “a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three (or more) of the following:

(1) failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest

(2) deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure

(3) impulsivity or failure to plan ahead

(4) irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults

(5) reckless disregard for safety of self or others

(6) consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations

(7) lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another

B. The individual is at least age 18 years.

C. There is evidence of Conduct Disorder with onset before age 15 years.

D. The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of Schizophrenia or a Manic Episode.

So, does Tony meet at least three of these criteria? The answer seems to be that yes of course he does. Although he does not seem to meet the criteria for number 6, there have been multiple examples of his actions meeting the criteria for the other 6 components. But does this diagnosis truly encapsulate Tony Soprano? It doesn’t appear to. The fact is that Tony is capable of unselfish and extremely generous acts, although often these actions have ulterior motives. Therefore to truly get a sense of the patterns of Tony Soprano’s life, it is extremely useful to use an Adlerian model to examine the patterns of his basic convictions. The Adlerian model looks at key components of a person’s life, and also at their early recollections in an attempt to examine several key determinants that Adler believed made up a person’s unique lifestyle.

Gender Role Preparation perceived through Gender Guiding Lines and Role Models

Through observing their parents and the gender patterns they adopt in their relations, a person learns to conceptualize a personal definition of what a man is and what a woman is. From watching his father, “Johnny Boy” Soprano, a respected and feared Mafioso, Tony formed several impression of what it is to be a man. First and foremost Tony learned that the man is the breadwinner in the family, and that he needs to do whatever it takes, regardless of the law, to provide for his family.

Tony also learned a great deal about conflict resolution from watching his father deal with people from around the neighborhood. One particularly important observation was watching his father handle a man named Satriale who had been avoiding him because he owed him a debt. When Tony watches his father chop off the man’s finger as a result of this dispute, Tony formed an early impression that a man goes to any lengths, despite the law, when that man owes him a debt. This impression was again confirmed when he watched his father brutally pummel a neighbor named Rocco, who also owed Johnny a debt.

Tony also learned a great deal from watching his father’s work habits throughout the years, and this affected his own adult attitude towards work. The beatings Tony witnessed in the previous situations were both over an attempt to collect a debt, and Tony saw that a great deal of Johnny’s income was simply taken by force or the threat of violence. Therefore he learned that men don’t need to work if they can take things from others, and this was a lesson that appeared to resonate.

In one notable event that occurred in Tony’s teen years, he covers for his father to his mother when she correctly assumes he’s been with another woman. In this situation, Tony, who has most likely learned through watching his father lie many times before, that it’s OK for a man to lie when confronted by an uncomfortable situation.

Through Tony’s interactions with his mother he learned that a woman, although she works in the home, holds a great deal of power and control in interpersonal relationships. One early impression came from watching his father and mother interact after his father brings home a large order of meat, and Tony observes that this was the only time his mother was ever really happy. Tony also makes the connection that when his father brought gifts it was “probably the only time he got laid” which also created the impression for Tony that a woman only provides sexual gratification to men when they are given gifts, and this was an idea that also seemed to translate to his adult life.

Interpersonal Style perceived through Experience of Family Atmosphere

The family atmosphere in the Soprano family was one of storm and strife. As Tony’s sister Janice correctly explains to her husband Bobby, “In my family it was dog eat dog.” This was an accurate description of the Soprano household, and much of this difficulty stemmed from the interactions between Livia and Johnny which were based on repetitive patterns of incessant nagging on Livia’s part and extreme deceit on Johnny’s. Livia’s tyranny over the house may have even eventually contributed to Johnny’s physical decline, as in Tony’s estimation she wore this very strong man into a “little nub.”

Livia Soprano’s love was conditional love. Livia was extremely critical of her children and she did not demonstrate encouragement and support of their endeavors which appeared to stimulate a lifelong pattern of self-doubt in both Tony as well as his sister Janice. Discouraged children often grow up to be angry and unfulfilled adults, as they begin to feel that everything they do will not live up to someone’s standards. In these situations a kind of “learned helplessness” (Seligman 1965) can take place, where kids simply give up rather than continuing to compete in a seemingly hopeless situation. This appeared to be the case with Janice Soprano, who spends a lifetime avoiding any kind of useful activity rather than have to be judged a failure as she has so many times before.

Tony on the other hand compensated for this lack of love like his father did by lashing out at others, finding temporary gratification though many sexual conquests, and finding solace in acquiring material possessions.

Livia also talked openly of killing her children when Tony was a young man, which he must have seen as a great devaluation of his importance and worth in his mother’s life. In one notable instance Livia tells Tony she could “smother him with a pillow” which terrifies Tony and makes him question how far his mother might really go in enforcing punishment in the Soprano household. Johnny Soprano on the other hand freely used corporal punishment in the house, and in Tony’s words, “the belt was his favorite child development tool.” Johnny clearly demonstrated though many of his actions in the house that violence was an appropriate response to frustration, and this was also a value that Tony seemed to inherit.

Johnny Soprano was also consistently deceitful in his dealings with his family, and his constant deceit was often the trigger that sent Livia flying into a rage. One early example of Johnny’s deceit came following his arrest at a kid’s carnival, where he tells his children the cops made a terrible mistake and arrested the wrong guys, which would be difficult for even a child to believe.

Another important event that confirms Johnny’s constant deceit occurred when Tony was a teenager and Livia was in the hospital having suffered a miscarriage where she was in dire physical danger. Johnny, who was staying overnight with his mistress, concocts an elaborate lie that hinged on Tony supporting the lie and confirming the story for his hospitalized mother. Tony does go along with the lie, and this event marked as major turning point where he embraces the deceitful lifestyle and begins to head down the path his father has paved for him.

Personal Code of Conduct perceived through Acceptance / Rejection of Family Values

When Tony embraced his father’s lying ways, he was essentially accepting the Soprano family values, all of which were also modeled by Tony’s Uncle Junior. Although Tony made a brief attempt at following a different path by going to college, his robbery of Feech Lamana’s card game demonstrated an early lesson learned from his father that if someone wants something that it is easier to simply take it from others than to actually work for it. This idea was strongly reinforced when Tony was caught for this act and he was not only not punished, but in effect promoted into the “family” following this brazen and irresponsible action.

For Tony the term “family values” obviously had more than one meaning, but upon close examination the values modeled in the Sopranos household were the same that were necessary to survive and even thrive in the mafia “family” Tony was also a part of. For instance Livia used the threat of killing someone weaker than her to retain order in the house and get people to comply with her wishes. The exact same thing is used by the mafia family, as the threat of pending violence is one of the key ways the family perpetuates its wealth.

The family value of deceit in the house was also a necessary value to succeed in the larger Mafia family. The code of “Omerta” implies silence and avoidance of even discussing the organization, and this is an interesting connection to make considering the fact that Livia was so against Tony going to therapy as she felt he was there to “talk about his mother.” Livia, who preferred the family secrets stay buried, was so consumed by feelings of anger from thinking that Tony would reveal her secrets to a therapist, that she in essence convinced Junior to have him killed. Returning to the moment of the idea Tony is Alexithymic, one can speculate that this condition might stem from his mother’s absolute inability to promote the sharing of feelings in the Soprano household.

Perspective on the World perceived through Experience of Psychological Birth Order

As the second born child of three, Tony’s assumed the position of the classic middle child. The second born child often takes their cues from the oldest child, who has been in the world longer and provides a roadmap for the second child to follow. Second born children are often the rebels in the family, as the first borns tend to be responsible and can often even be like a second parent. The second child therefore often finds belonging through acting distinctively different than the first, as the first is naturally better at things because of their advanced age and physical development. This was partially true in Tony’s case, as Janis appeared to enjoy flaunting her position as the eldest, and at least in her early childhood convinced her father she was a well-behaved and accomplished child. Tony on the other hand showed immediate rebellious behavior, and found belonging through being as Junior described a “little hellion” who learned to fit in and get attention through misbehavior.

Adler made a strong point of emphasizing that birth order also had a psychological component to it, where the literal birth order may differ from the physical birth order. This can happen when the first born son usurps the first born female child and becomes the de facto leader of the children, as he comes from a culture that values males over women. This dynamic appeared to manifest itself in the Soprano household. In Tony’s case Janis, who enjoyed the power of being the first born but not the responsibility, in effect passed the torch of responsibility as the first born to Tony, who became responsible for the family as he entered into adulthood.

Range of Social Interest perceived through Other Particularities

Adler believed that the extent and degree that a person takes an interest in his or her fellow human beings was an excellent predictor of their mental health. Tony never developed this interest in others, and instead came to value others based on their personal usefulness to him. There are many examples of this in Tony’s life, one example being his relationship with Paulie, who fell out of Tony’s favor following a financial downturn in Season 4. Even in his dealings with Artie Bucco Tony often sizes up how Artie can be useful to him, and despite their imbalance of power Tony finds little ways to exploit this friendship for his personal gain.

Tony’s odd obsession with animals also demonstrates his inability to share emotions with other human beings, and again this behavior might have some its roots in the lack of love and support he received from his mother. Tony often projects feelings onto animals that he is unable to feel for human beings, and this trait shows how confusing and upset Tony gets when confronted by negative emotions.

Conclusion

In conclusion Tony Sopano’s life is one lived with little insight or mindfulness. This lack of insight has lead to an external locus of control where he views the bad things that happen to him as bad luck His statements “I can’t catch a break” and “I’m like king Midas in reverse” are example of this behavior, and these claims don’t jibe with the many, many fortuitous events in Tony’s life.

Tony also likes to present the idea that he is a “sad clown” but again the evidence in his life does not seem to support this. When Tony is angry or hurt he nearly always responds with physical violence, and occasionally with em0tional violence such as when he calls Melfi a “cunt” following her rebuke of his advances. The sad clown motif indicates the sense of pity Tony often feels for himself, and his general pessimistic attitude towards life.

Adler felt that by gaining insight into your behavior you could begin to understand the patterns and faulty thinking and logic that these patterns then created. Melfi, after many years has uncovered some of these patterns, but doesn’t seem to offer much assistance as to how to process this information. The result has been that Tony continues to repeat many of the patterns directly inherited from watching his parents, and despite his often empty promises to change his life, this is really not possible without going back to the beginning.

Adler referred to this idea as “soft” determinism, meaning a person’s patterns of behavior were firmly and deeply entrenched, and very, very difficult to change without a tremendous amount of insight. Although nearly dying was a kind of apotheosis for Tony, it is likely he will return to much of his former behavior as he falls back into these familiar patterns.

Many people ask, “How much money can I make betting on horse races?” While many people struggle to make a profit from horse racing handicapping and betting on horse races, few people have a realistic idea of what can be expected and how much profit can really be achieved. Horse players often talk about R.O.I. or return on investment (ROI). Simply put, it is the percentage of return above your initial investment. So if you spend $100 on a win bet and get back $125 your ROI is 25%.

So how do you know what a good ROI is and what you can expect? First of all, when comparing investments, you must look at competing investments and also take into account the amount of risk and work involved. Handicapping horse races is time consuming and therefore, you must pay yourself for the time you spend handicapping. You can pay a professional such as myself, to do some of the handicapping, which means you’ll have to spend less of your own time, but in the end, you’ll still have to spend some time researching and putting some thought into how you bet.

If you buy stocks or make any other investment, you have to do some research as well. You may have a broker who makes recommendations or a financial planner or analyst, but in the end, just as with the people who pay me to handicap races for them, the ultimate decision will rest with the investor. Many stock investors now consider 10% as a reasonable return on their portfolio.

How much you can make on horses will vary from week to week, but your yearly average may be better than the stock return, but also much riskier. When it comes to horse handicappers, even the pros have their ups and downs and you have to look at the long haul to get an accurate idea of what is reasonable. For instance, the weekend of June 11th (I work in three day weekend blocks and send a newsletter with the information for each three day block) my key horses made a profit of over 80% ROI. That is very high, but the next week the profit on the same kinds of bets was way down.

In the most recent weekend, June 25th 2010 to June 27th, 2010, my top picks made a flat bet profit on win bets for thoroughbred bettors of 22% ROI, while bettors who played my top picks in harness races on half mile and 5/8’s mile tracks received 11% ROI. There are no guarantees in betting on horse races and it would be reckless of me to guarantee a profit or to try to predict how much profit to expect because of the volatility of the market.

Overall, however, it is safe to say that at times horse racing bettors may see a higher rate of return than bettors in other markets, but they pay for that possibility with a much higher risk.

8 as a Psychic Number aligns with serious, heavy, achievement-driven personalities. You tend to be driven by doing (rather than allowing things to just happen), and sometimes you’re a good judge of character. Still, there are moments where you are a little slow to connect all the dots. You are business-minded and you enjoy the luxurious life, but be careful about being too materialistic. You are able to manage your wealth (when you want to) and fame when you put your mind to it. Get ready for a rollercoaster, because you may find you have many up’s and down’s when it comes to your finances.

Often, you are independent and stubborn. Others may see you as the outlaw or scapegoat if you regularly clash with authority. You may find you are often frustrated by limitations (both your own and that of others.) Your confident aire may be intimidating to others. Daredevil, arrogant, serious, a loner, and reliable may also be terms that describe you. You are brave and can keep a cool head during times of emergency (you may breakdown after the threat has passed, however.) 8’s prefer to work alone, and doing so, they accomplish much.

As a Destiny Number in Indian numerology, 8’s struggle with disagreements, stalled opportunities and rejection. 8’s have wonderful endurance and ambition, which can get out of control if they continue to burn their candles at both ends. They tend to be success-minded, desiring fame and material luxury. In Tamil Numerology, a person with 8 for a destiny number wants to deliver something major in life and manifest a legacy. If you are an 8 here, you tend to isolate yourself others. On your darker side, you may get entangled with the law and substance abuse, and be prone to addictions and depression and extreme “states of consciousness”. Be careful with all that power. A reckless 8 may age prematurely, have suicidal tendencies, easily feel unwanted or unloved, or neglected or rejected. You must learn to harness your considerable power for the good of all in order for you to be satisfied.

From the Name Number perspective, the 8 means you are a diligent worker. You have it within your power to recreate the world and manifest through fame and fortune, so if you haven’t yet, it may be the reason why you keep feeling like there is something more.

8’s are best positioned for being public servants or executives. On the karmic front, your life lessons will tend to be being kind to others (and yourself) and forgiving others (and yourself.)

By the way, if you’re an 8, don’t try to get away with anything even remotely shady. More than likely, you will be found out, as 8’s tend to be held to a high spiritual standard on the karmic front. This means if you skip school, it’s likely to be discovered and you end up having to spend time in detention. (But I’m sure you knew this already, didn’t you?)

“Manage more, supervise less.”

– Bryce’s Law

When I got into the work force back in the mid-1970’s it seemed

everyone dressed in a suit and tie, drank black coffee, smoked

their brains out, and worked their butts off. Today, golf shirts

have replaced suits, herbal tea and bottled water have replaced

coffee, nobody is allowed to smoke, and rarely does anyone work

beyond 5:00pm. More importantly, we used to care about the work we

produced; there was a sense of craftsmanship, regardless of the job.

My Brother-in-law in Cincinnati conducted me on a tour of his company’s

machine-tool shop years ago and showed me how he could take a block of

aluminum and convert it into a high-precision machine tool. It was a

pleasure to watch him work, as it is to watch anyone who knows

what they are doing, be it a waitress, a programmer, a laborer or

a clerk.

Quality and service used to be considered paramount in this

country. If it wasn’t just right, you were expected to do it over

again until you got it right. We cared about what we produced

because it was a reflection of our personal character and

integrity. But somewhere along the line we lost our way and

craftsmanship has fallen by the wayside. Why? Probably because

we no longer care.

In today’s litigious society, employees are acutely aware that it is

difficult to be fired due to poor performance. They know they will

still get paid and receive benefits, regardless of the amount of effort

they put forth. Consequently, there is little to encourage people

to perform better. Money isn’t a motivating factor anymore. People

now expect bonuses, raises and other perks to be paid out regardless

of how well they perform during the year.

We’ve also become a nation content with doing small things. America

used to be known as a powerhouse that could tackle large projects,

such as building skyscrapers, designing innovative bridges and tunnels

spanning substantial bodies of water, engineering transcontinental

railroads and highway systems, conquering air and space travel, and

defending freedom not just once but in two world wars. If you really

wanted something done, you talked to the Americans and no one else. Now

we get excited over iPods, cell phones, and other electronic trinkets.

Many believe Craftsmanship is in decline due to the general apathy found

in today’s society. Maybe. I tend to believe it is due to an erosion

of our moral values. Let me give you an example. Having a child in college,

my interest was piqued recently by an article describing the pervasiveness of

cheating and plagiarism in our schools. It is not my intent to make a

political statement here but many of the students mentioned in the article

rationalized their cheating on the fact that one of our past Presidents

cheated and lied under oath, and got away with it. They figured if it is

okay for the Commander-in-Chief to act this way, it was an acceptable form

of behavior.

Arnold Toynbee, the famed English historian, observed, “Civilizations

die from suicide, not by murder.” If the moral fabric of our society

dies, our story is told as evidenced by other great civilizations that

long preceded us. Our perspective needs to be realigned: Our personal

and professional lives must be viewed as one. As Toynbee remarked,

“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.” By

doing so, we identify more closely with our work and assume a greater

pride in workmanship. We do not need to hear this from our boss, but

rather from within. As strange as it may sound, I see Craftsmanship as

being patriotic in nature; doing a good quality job is part of leading

a good and honorable life and builds on the individual’s esteem, the

company he works for, and the country he lives in.

The biggest problem though is that we have forgotten how to manage

people. The manager’s primary goal is to create the proper work

environment for employees to produce the desired work products. This

is different than a supervisory capacity that directs how each person

performs the various tasks of a job. In fact, I encourage managers to

manage more and supervise less. I cringe when I see a manager try to

“micromanage” either a Fortune 500 company or a non-profit organization.

Yes, people need to be trained in order to properly

perform their work but following this, employees should be mature

enough to supervise themselves. In the old days, management stressed

discipline, accountability, and structure; three ugly words in today’s

workplace.

Understanding Craftsmanship

Some might say craftsmanship is a simple concept that we should

intuitively know. Not true; most people today have no comprehension as

to what makes up a good craftsman; they have either forgotten or it has

simply passed them by. Craftsmanship can be found in any field of endeavor

imaginable, be it in the product sector or service industry. Craftsmanship,

therefore, is universally applicable to any line of work.

Craftsmanship is not “workmanship”, nor is it synonymous with quality,

although the three concepts are closely related. Let’s begin by

giving “Craftsmanship” a definition: “The production and delivery

of quality goods or services from highly skilled workmen.”

Quality relates to the absence of errors or defects in the finished

product or service. In other words, finished goods operate

according to their specifications (customers get precisely what

they ordered). Such products are normally durable and require minimal

maintenance. Craftsmanship produces quality products. In the absence

of craftsmen, a rigorous methodology or assembly line process is

required to produce quality goods using workers without the expertise

of craftsmen. Such processes detail “Who” is to perform “What” work,

“When”, “Where”, “Why” and “How” (5W+H), thereby assuring a quality

product or service is produced. Such is the underlying rationale of

the ISO 9000 certification as used by many companies today. The point

is, quality is not the exclusive domain of the craftsman.

Craftsmanship is also a human trait. Some might argue a computer or

industrial robot can produce quality products and are, therefore,

craftsmen. However, we must remember these devices are programmed by

human beings in accordance with the rules of the craftsman. As such,

they are an extension or tool of the craftsman.

Craftsmanship can be found in either the overall work process or

a section of it. For example, there are craftsmen who are intimate

with all facets of building furniture, such as a table, a chair or

desk, and can implement the product from start to finish. However,

as products grow in complexity, it becomes difficult to find people

suitably qualified to build them from the womb to the tomb. Consider

military weapons alone, such as the complicated ships, tanks, and

airplanes we now use, with thousands or millions of parts to

assemble. Such complexity makes it impossible for a single person

to have the expertise to build the whole product. The same is true

in the service sector where different types of expertise and

capabilities may be required. In other words, craftsmen have a

specific scope of work. The scope of work may relate to other

types of craftsmen through a chain of work dependencies, e.g.,

Craftsmen A, B and C concentrate on separate sub-assemblies which

are eventually joined into a single product.

Attributes

So, what are the attributes of a craftsman? What makes a craftsman a

craftsman? There are three basic attributes described herein:

1. Possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to perform the work.

The craftsman is an expert in his field of endeavor; so much so that

he could easily serve as an instructor in the subject matter. But the

craftsman is also smart enough to know that education is not a one

time thing, that his world and field evolve as new tools and techniques

are introduced. As such, the craftsman is a student of his profession

and is constantly looking to improve himself. This is exercised through

such things as continued education, routine certification, studying books

and trade publications, and industrial groups. The craftsman willingly

participates in trade groups, often at his own expense, in order to network

with his peers.

It is Important to note that the craftsman does not need to be told

he needs periodic training to sharpen his skills. Instead, he takes the

personal initiative to stay on top of his game. Further, the craftsman

has no problem with a periodic job review; in fact, he welcomes it for

it might bring out a weakness in a skill he needs to sharpen.

2. Attention to detail.

The craftsman understands and respects the process of building/delivering

a product or service and is acutely aware of the penalties for cutting

corners. Earlier we discussed the need for a methodology that specifies

5W+H. The craftsman is intimate with all details of his scope of work,

so much so, he could probably write the methodology himself. Further,

his intimacy of the work process means he can produce a reliable estimate

of time and costs to perform the work.

Although many of the craftsman’s tasks may be repetitive, it doesn’t

mean he easily falls into a rut. Instead, he is constantly looking

for new tools and techniques to improve the work process. As such,

he plays the role of Industrial Engineer who is normally charged

with such a task.

The craftsman’s attention to detail also means that he demonstrates

patience in his work effort. Again, wary of cutting corners, the

craftsman must possess such patience in order to produce the product

the right way.

3. Views professional life as an extension of his personal life.

The craftsman identifies with the end product which is where

pride in workmanship comes from. In his mind, the craftsman has

been charged with the responsibility of producing something, and

wanting to satisfy the customer, puts forth his best effort to

produce it. In other words, craftsmen take their work

personally. This is a difficult trait to teach particularly in

today’s society where the focus is more on financial compensation

than on the work product itself. It may sound naive, but the

craftsman believes he will be suitably compensated for

producing superior results.

Years ago, Dick Butkus of the Chicago Bears (NFL) confounded sports

writers who could never understand why Butkus played as hard as he

did year after year for a losing football team. True, Dick loved the

game, but beyond that, the sports writers didn’t understand one thing

about the seven time All-Pro linebacker: Butkus took his job

personally. It was important to him that his opponents know that

they had been tackled by the best player; as he said, “When they

get up from the ground I want them to say ‘it must have been Butkus

that got me’.” Dick Butkus was a craftsman.

The craftsman has a burning desire to produce a superior product/service

because he sees it as a reflection of himself. As such, the lines delineating

their personal life and professional life are blurred. This is a significant

characteristic that clearly separates a craftsman from the average worker. The

craftsman’s work is his life. He does not shirk responsibility, but rather

embraces it with confidence and embosses his name on the finished product.

Conversely, making a work related mistake of any kind pains a true craftsman.

Job titles are normally inconsequential to the craftsman who is more

interested in delivering a quality product/service enjoyed by the

customer. Instead, the craftsman takes pleasure in being touted as

the best in his craft. He appreciates recognition; when someone

makes a compliment about a product, the craftsman views it as a

personal compliment. This too runs contrary to today’s corporate

world where people desperately seek recognition through simple

job titles. Want someone with an inflated ego? Give them a title.

Want something done right? Call a craftsman.

Productivity

“Dependable”, “professional”, and “resourceful” are adjectives that

aptly describe the craftsman. He is not one who fabricates excuses but,

rather, always finds a way to get the job done. The craftsman is typically

your most productive employee. He is mindful of the concept of productivity

that we have touted for years:

Productivity = Effectiveness X Efficiency

Most people fallaciously equate productivity with efficiency, which simply

gauges how fast we can perform a given task. Effectiveness, on the other hand,

validates the necessity of the task itself. There is nothing more unproductive

than to do something efficiently that should not have been done at all. An

industrial robot, for example, can efficiently perform such tasks as welding. But

if you are welding the wrong thing, then it is counterproductive. Going back to

our description of a methodology, effectiveness defines “Who/What/When/Where/Why”,

efficiency defines “How.” The craftsman is well aware of the difference

between the two and knows how to apply both. As such, the craftsman is in tune

with his work environment and corporate culture.

So how do we make craftsmen?

Not easily. Because of the human dynamics involved with the craftsman,

you will need to be a pretty intuitive manager or industrial

psychologist to make it happen. Selecting suitable candidates is the

logical first step. Devise an aptitude test to determine the candidate’s

suitability to become a craftsman. After all, “you cannot make a silk

purse from a sow’s ear.” Aside from specific knowledge and experience

in a given field (e.g., programming, woodworking, construction, accounting,

etc.), here are some other important traits to look for:

• Fertility of mind – judge his ability to learn, to adapt to changing
  conditions, and to look beyond his scope of work. Evaluate his
  professional curiosity.

• Confidence – judge how well the candidate knows himself,
  particularly how well he knows his own limitations. He
  should admit his deficiencies and not fabricate excuses.

• Dedication – judge his loyalty and determination to
  accomplish something. What is his attendance record?
  What outside clubs and organizations does he belong
  to and how active is he in them?

• Entrepreneurial spirit – judge his personal initiative.
  Is he driven to succeed (but not to the point of reckless
  abandon)? Does he have a problem with accountability?
  This says a lot about assuming responsibility.

• Attention to detail – judge his ability to focus on a subject.
  Does he have a problem with discipline or organization? A person’s
  dress, mannerisms, and speech says a lot about a person.

• Reliability – judge his ability to assume responsibility and
  carry a task through to completion.

• Resourcefulness – judge his ability to adapt to changing
  conditions and persevere to see a task through to completion.
  The candidate cannot be inflexible; he must be able to find
  solutions to solve problems.

• Socialization skills – does he work better alone or as a team
  player? His position may depend on his answer.

When you have selected suitable candidates, here are three areas to

concentrate on:

1. Develop their skills and knowledge by allowing such things as:
   participation in trade groups, outside certification and on-going
   training, subscriptions to trade journals, continued education,
   etc. Some companies even go as far as to develop an in-house
   school to teach the company’s way of doing things. If the in-house
   school is good, it will promote confidence through consistency. Even
   if people leave the company, they will recommend your company because
   they know the quality of the work produced. Supporting the education
   needs of our workers is not only smart, it is good business.

2. Teach them the need for producing quality work; they should
   become intimate with all aspects of their work process (5W+H).
   Further, instill discipline and patience in their work effort.

3. Change their attitude towards development so they become more
   focused on delivering a quality end-product. This is perhaps
   the most difficult element to teach. However, it can be realized
   by having them become intimate with the needs of the customer
   (have them visit or work with a customer for awhile – “let them
   walk in the customer’s shoes”). It may also be necessary to
   change their form of remuneration by going to a reward system
   for work produced (as opposed to guaranteed income regardless
   of what is produced). Changing the mode of financial compensation
   is highly controversial in today’s business world. But, as an
   example, can you imagine the change of attitude of today’s professional
   athletes if they were paid based on their accomplishments (e.g., runs
   or points scored, hits, rebounds, etc.) rather than having a
   guaranteed income? Their motivation and attitude towards
   their profession and team would change radically.

   Candidates must learn to respect their institution, the process
   by which they work, fellow human beings, and themselves. They must
   also learn not to be afraid to TRY; that they must put their best
   foot forward, win or lose. Bottom-line: they must learn that their
   work has meaning and worth. If they don’t enjoy their work, they
   shouldn’t be doing it.

“There are two things that I want you to make up your minds to: first,

that you are going to have a good time as long as you live – I have no

use for the sour-faced man – and next, that you are going to do

something worthwhile, that you are going to work hard and do the

things you set out to do.”

– President Theodore Roosevelt

Talk to schoolchildren in Oyster Bay, Christmas-time 1898

Certification

Teaching the elements listed above probably cannot be done in one

fell swoop. Further, companies simply don’t have the time or money to

wait for the craftsman to be produced. Instead, they must understand

the human spirit needs to be cultivated and be allowed to grow over

time. Because of this, it is strongly recommended that an in-house

certification program be devised specifying what the candidate should

know and what skills and talents he should demonstrate. This should be

divided into classes of progressive expertise; e.g., apprentice, intermediary,

and craftsman. The ancient builders in Egypt, Rome, and Greece understood

this concept and devised such classes of workmen. Other disciplines and

schools follow similar tactics (the various degrees or belts in martial

arts for example). Each degree is based on specific prerequisites to

master before moving on to the next level.

An in-house certification program has the added nuance of making

people feel special which greatly enhances their self esteem. If

they are made to feel like a vital part of the company, regardless if

their work of a large magnitude or trivial, they will strive to do

what is best for the company overall, not just themselves. Consequently,

their work adds meaning to their life.

There is one pitfall to all of this; today’s “go-go” management

style fails to see how craftsmanship adds value to the company. In

fact, there were companies back in the 1980’s that shut down such

programs simply to reduce costs. As a result, quality suffered,

repeat business was lost, products were more in need of repair,

absenteeism on the job escalated, etc. Want value? How does

a loyal customer base who has confidence in your products or

services sound? And what effect would employee harmony have,

particularly if they believed in the work they were producing? It

would be mind-boggling, all because we had faith in the human

spirit to produce superior results.

A final note: craftsmanship is not a one time thing. After it has

been instilled in people, it has to be cultivated and perpetuated. If

a manager slips even for a moment, it will go right out the window and

it will take time to bring it back to life. As for me, I like to post

motivational reminders kind of like the one recently spotted in the

Hickey Freeman manufacturing facility in New York,

“Excellence is Tolerated.”

The very phrase ‘women’s motorcycle jacket’ may conjure up visions of tough looking women on huge motorcycles looking for a fight. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Today, the sight of a woman on a motorcycle is not a big deal. Now, if you are going to ride a motorcycle, you might as well wear a stylish looking women’s motorcycle jacket.

Since motorcycle jackets, particularly leather jackets, are always associated with the macho male specimen of our species, some may feel that while motorcycle and women may mix, motorcycle jackets and women certainly do not mix.

However, you can find a whole range of jackets that are available for women motorcycle riders, as all the jackets are not focused on the tough female. For example, we can find many jackets that enhance the feminine appeal of the woman on the motorcycle.

The points to be considered when purchasing a motorcycle jacket for women are not very different as compared to purchasing a jacket for a male motorcycle rider. COnsdier these points:

1) The basic purpose for which the jacket is designed remains the same. However, there are some fine differences, which result from the inherent differences between men and women.

2) Generally, women are more compactly built as compared to men. Hence, one must pay special attention to the comfort levels while buying a jacket for women like a snug fit.

3) Further, the concept of style for men is different as compared to the concept of style for women. On the whole, women prefer to make a subtle and understated style statement when it comes to motorcycle jackets.

4) On the other hand, men prefer to make a loud, aggressive and macho statement about their style quotient.

This is most evident from the fact that there is a lot of differences in colors, patterns etc between men’s jackets and women’s jackets. You would very rarely find a red or a bottle green motorcycle jacket for men while such colors are very commonly found in the jackets for women.

5) Further, men prefer jackets with a lot of metal even though it unnecessarily enhances the weight of the jacket. On the other hand, very few women opt to make such a loud style statements through their jackets.

6) On the whole, one can find a variety of jackets available for women. Some are sporty, some are stylish and some are adorned with frills, while some give an overall cowboy or rather cowgirl look.

Of course, exceptions do exist. And some men prefer to be subtle and some women prefer to be loud and over the top.

However, generally, the choice of men and women in respect of style of the jackets differs and this must be kept in mind when you are buying the apparel.

As far as the safety aspect is concerned, there is very little difference between motorcycle jackets for the two sexes. It can hardly be said that women ride any slower than men. Speeding and reckless driving is a universal phenomenon.

There are perks to be considered in turning to a Hero. According to Aristotle: “A man cannot become a hero until he can see the root of his downfall”. (Kaura, 2011) Based on the characteristics that Aristotle suggested, a tragic Hero must be someone of noble status and portrays greatness. The noble characteristics must already be evident from the start of the play. With the high status comes chivalric virtues innate in the character. In contrast with the prominent greatness of the tragic hero, he/she is not perfect. The downfall of a hero is partly due to his own fault, probably because of wrong decision making. This cause of the downfall is termed as hamartia, or the tragic flaw which is often intertwined with hubris or the hero’s arrogance and over-confidence. With regard to the hero’s downfall, the consequence often exceeds the gravity of the misconduct. However, the audience will not be left hanging with all the misfortunes that the hero experienced. After some realizations, discoveries, and coming to senses, the hero rises from his downfall. (Defining Tragedy, 2005)

These characteristics are reflected in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado about Nothing”, in the character of Claudio. In Act 1 Scene 1, Claudio’s name was first said. He is regarded as a Florentine who won the war twice (idiomatically) because he won the war without any casualty. In the same Act and Scene, the Messenger regarded Claudio as a nobleman, making him of high status. Knowing all these, we can say that he is regarded great.

Claudio, just like any other person he came to like someone, just a little more unique because it is love at first sight. However, there was an unexpected turn of events. Don John wanted to disrupt everyone’s happiness, so he plotted Borachio to make love with Margaret (Hero’s handmaid) in Hero’s room, and asked Don Pedro and Claudio watch. Claudio thought that it was hero with another person, making him jealous which turned to hatred and enragement.

Claudio humiliated Hero to everyone, as he accuses her of lechery. A very rush act from Claudio, he recklessly did things while he is still blinded with is anger. This act of Claudio made Hero’s family to plot about her death.

Eventually the truth came out. Claudio needs to suffer from his mistakes and reckless acts. Claudio grieved for Hero’s death for all along she taught she betrayed him.

As a punishment, as stated in the Final Act, Claudio was made to marry Leonato’s niece, which is supposed to be Hero’s cousin. To his surprise, the masked woman is actually Hero.

References:

http://vccslitonline.cc.va.us/tragedy/aristotle.htm (Defining Tragedy: Aristotelian Tragic Hero Analysis Guide)

http://surabhikaura.hubpages.com/hub/Aristotle-Tragic-Hero-Hamlet-Macbeth

Tilly Bagshawe is well renowned for her latest endeavors Mistress of the Game and After the Darkness, so it’s pretty normal for the readers to have questions about how she became involved in writing Sidney Sheldon legacy. Tilly Bagshawe attributes it to luck, and the fact that she just happened to be there right in time.

Tilly Was At the Right Place, Just In Time

The agent of Sidney Sheldon – Mort Janklow, was the father of her agent. He came up with the idea of continuing with dead author’s legacy and his son Luke proposed to him that Tilly Bagshawe might be the right person to do the job. All her life, Tilly Bagshawe was his fan and she wrote to him when her first book was published. His reply was warm as always, and he was very encouraging about new writers (she still has that letter).

The Sheldon Family Drove the Project Along

The principal drivers of the idea were, however, the Sheldon, family themselves. Tilly Bagshawe did come up with several ideas herself and tried to create the voice of Sidney Sheldon, and finally she got the chance to work on the project. The task of writing in the voice of Sidney Sheldon was expected to be nerve wracking, though Tilly Bagshawe approached it in the most professional manner. She read almost all his titles till the time that thought processes in her mind became almost natural to her. She also talked to his agent, Mort Janklow, about how he himself worked, though the entire process proved to be emotionally tough on her as writing in her own voice was much easier.

Started With Real Life Events

The book itself was completed in eight months, and the basic idea of the book came at the time of Madoff scandal and the author got the idea from the same news. She started with the premise what if his wife didn’t know of what was happening. The financial meltdown in 2009 was also akin to the events in Sidney Sheldon novels.

Tilly Won’t Let You Go

Her books capture the interest of the readers right away, and you cannot just let go. The story moves at a brisk pace, and you will sure get addicted to the characters. In the book After the Darkness, the transformation of the heroine is extremely addictive and exciting. She is very loyal, steadfast and stays that way even if most of what she believed in turned out to be untrue. She was drawn to Lenny because she lost her father at a young age and she wanted to create a similar relationship again in her life.

One of the most frustrating episodes ones can encounter is a denial of housing. Apartment complexes, which in reality are run by real estate management firms, use a number of factors to determine who should rent and who should not. One of the most common factors that they use is criminal background check. A criminal history can be one of the greatest huddles one can ever come across in the process of renting an apartment.

The reason apartment communities request a criminal background check is first of all for the safety of the overall community. There is a general consensus that people with violent pasts are bound to fall back into their previous destructive habits. The concept of history repeats itself seems to be a prevailing belief in many places when it comes to criminal history and nowhere more so than in apartment leasing offices.

Another reason why apartment leasing offices conduct a criminal background check is so as to create the appearance of safety in the community and in so doing have the justification to charge more for rent. If a neighborhood or apartment housing community has a high level of crime, then tenants will not want to renew their leases and this means that there will be more housing units which are vacant and which the management has to fill (or risk being censored by the owner). The more housing units are vacant in an apartment community the more it hurts the management bottom line because this drives down the rent.

When conducting criminal background checks, apartments normally concentrate on felony convictions. Misdemeanor crimes which are only punishable by fines are generally not a concern. If you have a misdemeanor, you should not be concerned but if it is a felony you may get a denial.

There are two main ways to get an apartment approval if you have a criminal record. The first one is to check the nature of your offense and see whether you received what is called a deferred adjudication. This is a probation granted to first time offenders and is also known as community supervision. If you were convicted of a misdemeanor, and got probation, you can go to the county clerk’s office and request for what is called a court deposition. This is a print-out that shows the offense, the court that heard the case, and the judgment that was rendered and the fact that you have deferred adjudication. The printout also states that you have successfully completed the community service without any other incidences and that you should not be discriminated against when it comes to services. You can take a copy of this document to an apartment manager and in most cases they will approve you.

Another way to get an apartment is to get an expungement. This is the sealing of your criminal records and can be done depending on whether you’re eligible. There is an excellent eBook out in the market regarding how to get an apartment even with an existing criminal record and bad credit and you can get it at [http://www.simplecreditsecrets.net]