Conner,
Saw a manatee yesterday in fact. Had one down at the dock with a calf-a couple months ago-the mother must have been 15 feet long.
Why am I in Florida? Well, I did my post doc down here because someone very well known in my field was at USF--and one of the few colleges of medicine with a department of behavioral medicine. Then, took the job with Andersen, which took me back to Minneapolis for 5 years, then Chicago for three, then back to Tampa. Tampa suits us for several reasons--some of the cheapest housing in the country, beaches, weather--and of course proximity to Buenos Aires--it's a 7.5 hr trip from Miami, then another 2 hr flight to Neuquen where her family is. Vanesa was not crazy about moving to the US, so it's the least I could do. Her family is very close, has a company, lives a great life--so she spent her first 3 years with me in Minneapolis--can you imagine? Winter there is 40 to 50 degrees.
I love California and prefer the climate actually, but could never hope to buy shoebox there, taxes, cost of living, etc.
I thought I mentioned Vanessa is a flight attendent for United Airlines, so with an internet-based business and her job, we can live anywhere, so the cheaper the better. She commutes to work to Chicago, but generally does international--lots of Sao Paulo trips because she is language qualified in Portuguese.
As for major, depends where you want to go with it. I think you need to visualize where your talents lie and what you like to do. As an undergraduate prep, either one could work, but sociology is pretty much a professor/research track if you go all the way and that means a PhD and not great job opportunities. Pscyh better job opportunites and PhD essential of course too. A good professional pscych programs (Counseling/Cinical,PsyD) hard to get into--grades and top GRE scores. I found the subject matter of psychology more interesting than the JOBs of psychology. IF I were to go back to being a professor (which I was at USF for a couple years -- now its all about getting grant money and publishing research, not teaching like in the old days).
Personally, I would highly recommend that you take some business classes and consider it for a major or at least a minor, maybe business and pscyh. I really regret not getting more formal training in business, but they say two years with a multinational consulting company is like an MBA, so I got mind in the real world with Arthur Andersen. I think an MBA is a great way to go too--so versatile and in demand. You need to figure your way to parlay that IT stuff too if that's what you dig--get some business credentials--which so many people in IT don't have. I can't emphasize enough how important writing and communication skills are--the #1 priority for employers. So, take all of the writing classes you can--I am so disappointed when I see how poorly some college graduates write--except the foreign students--so much better in a second language no less.
We'll discuss HealthSciences, we are the only company that is really taking all the years of research in health psychology and adapting it to health care business. The psychology community is apparently devoid of any business acumen or real world sensibility. Follow the money--75% of health care costs due to chronic diseases, 85% of avoidable costs due to behaviors. So if you can change behavior your golden. So we prepare people in evidence-based approaches for that, and measure proficiency.
I spend most of my time these days being a sales guy, which isn't my favorite, but working on trying to get in budgets for next year. Hope you have a good weekend, we're going to hang out here and have a quiet weekend. I have to do a quick two-day SF trip on Tuesday and Wednesday--I leave here at 6 am Tues and return at Midnight Wednesday and do training sessions both days so I will be wiped out.
Love,
Blake
Date: Thu, 1 Sep 2011 13:22:08 -0700
Subject: Re: Found a picture
From: conner.aiken@eagles.cui.edu
To: blakeandersen@hotmail.com
Hey Blake,
That website layout is legit. One of my companies main service is web design. (formulahost.com)
I actually watched a couple videos of paul ekman and the Dali lama. They kept talking about how science used to be only to prove what was psychical and religion was for the mind.
I've finally started to tan up here at least. I got torched with sun burns for the first week. It's crazy how it already feels like I've been here for months.
I've seen a manatee once so that would be amazing.
What made you choose to live in florida?
I've been debating with my friends on whether or not we will all settle in California.
Im not too familiar with drupal I've heard of it but my companies primarily use joomla if your familiar with that.
If you guys ever need help with search engine optimization or web design let me know i have extremely expensive software that automates a majority of the web management processes. I'm a tech whizz :P
Does Vanessa work in the psychology field as well?
What made you choose psychology vs sociology?
I cant decide if I should do a psychology major with a sociology minor or vice versa. Or even swap one with business. What do you think?
Love,
Conner
On Wednesday, August 31, 2011, Blake Andersen <blakeandersen@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Conner,
> Glad your project went well and really good to hear that you've got a good situation there--at least you won't have to clean the moss off your back--I loved Seattle, but couldn't deal with the nine months of gloom. I am sure much better scene for the babes than northern Iowa where I went to undergraduate--whole other scene, but I miss those days.
> I have a business that is focused on training, certification and assessment in health psychology--essentially focused on health behavior change. I have kind of taken everything I've done in psychology, business consulting, training and combined it. After I did my post-doc, I completed certification in Human Resources, then I worked for Arthur Andersen Consulting, which was a big consulting firm (Accenture was a spinoff) doing corporate learning/organization development. Then, Andersen dissolved and we started this HealthSciences Institute about 8 years ago. The company has potential and we have made money most years except last, but I am hoping we can take it to the next level in the next couple years. It's kind of consuming since I do about 80% of everything because we don't have the resources to bring on employees. For social media, we use Linkedin primarily, Twitter, FB a bit. Anyway, check it out: www.HealthSciences.org We're updating the website, going wider--everything is going into drupal content management if you are familiar with that.
> By the way I am very familiar with Ekman's work. Studied his work quite a bit in my social psych classes in grad school. Vanesa and I are into yoga (I have back problems) and meditation and he did a fascinating book recently with the Dalai Lama http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Awareness-Overcoming-Psychological-Compassion/dp/0805087125
> Ekman was worked with Israel on behavioral profiling, now being used by TSA in US. He's brilliant.
> I am not upset about the dad thing, why don't you just call me Blake for now--you know if really doesn't matter that much to me and I think you just need to let this whole thing digest a little bit. And let's talk later about a visit and think about when would be a good time for you---whether it's 3 months, 6 months, whenever with everything you have going on in your first year of college.
> Paddleboarding here is on the inter coastal (canals) or Gulf of Mexico--it's salt water--no snakes or gators. We rent here, trying to save up for a house, but housing is dirt cheap in Florida now and we found an apartment on the intercoastal (canal) across from the beach last summer. I see an occasional dolphin or manatee off our deck--I had a dolphin do an aerial ten feet from my paddle board a couple weeks ago--they are so cool...
> Love,
> Blake
> ________________________________
> Date: Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:39:06 -0700
> Subject: Re: Found a picture
> From: conner.aiken@eagles.cui.edu
> To: blakeandersen@hotmail.com
>
> Hey,
>
> My project went great today! I spoke a little quickly but i was nervous.
> Its crazy how alike our stories are.. Like father like son haha, My motto is "you live you learn."
>
> I actually have not been to disneyland yet only to disneyworld in flordia! We have family on moms side that lives in flordia, coca beach.
>
> Mom told me you had smoked weed a couple times after i had gotten caught and i couldnt help but laugh at the coincidence. I was surprised at how mellow she was about the whole ordeal.
>
> I will definitely take a look at the calender and get back to you on when would work best for me. I would love nothing more!
>
> I hope it has not upset you i have not called you dad yet. I guess im just waiting for the right time.
>
> Its funny your the first person ive met who uses paypal. I have a paypal account for my business. But it would probably be easiest for me to do a bank transfer.
>
> It is Wells Fargo Bank, Washington
>
> Routing #125008547
>
> Account #6275766845
>
> A call in a couple weeks would work out well too.
>
> So what do you do in psychology with social media?
> Im not sure if you have ever seen the show Lie To Me, but i have always been extremely interested in behavioral sciences. The Fox show Lie to Me, is all about behavioral sciences and it is based off this one guy Paul Ekman, my favorite author, who can basically read people like a book. He believes there are correlations between certain facial gestures and moods. There's no doubt there is but his work gets a little out their.
>
> Im really interested in what you do for a living like i said. Im still making the decision about sociology vs psychology.
>
> I almost ended up going to a Seattle college but im so happy i choose California. The women, the weather -- it does not get better. Today i made the decision to put an application in for Lacrosse team manager. I was a soccer kid in high school but all my friends are lacrosse players and that would be one way to "get in the group."
>
> I came to college here with my best friend Kyle Decker. He is possibly the greatest friend ive had in my whole life. Im big on social scenes so its means a ton that hes here at my biggest time in life with me.
>
> Anyway, are there a bunch of snakes in the river/ocean? I mean im down to paddleboard haha we used to have one on lake sammamish but i never got around to using it.
>
> Love,
> Conner
>
>
> On Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 6:02 PM, Blake Andersen <blakeandersen@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Conner,
>
>
>
> I hope your project went well today. I was in a high school play one time and messed up my lines, which ended my promising, but very short acting career!
>
>
>
> It makes me so happy to hear you're happy about us getting to know each other. I/we are as excited about it as you are, trust me! (Vanesa loves Disney, so she already wants to know if you like the rides because she want us to go. We also have a great family in Argentina, so one day we want to take you there!). We can go paddle boarding right out our back door too...
>
>
>
> I do understand your mother is a little leery about this and that's understandable because she is trying to protect you as any mother would. In all fairness, I knew your mother for only a few months prior to you being born, so she really doesn't even know me. My interactions with her for 18 years have been over money, which haven't always been so positive, but since I paid off my child support i
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Hey Blake,
That website layout is legit. One of my companies main service is web design. (formulahost.com)
I actually watched a couple videos of paul ekman and the Dali lama. They kept talking about how science used to be only to prove what was psychical and religion was for the mind.
I've finally started to tan up here at least. I got torched with sun burns for the first week. It's crazy how it already feels like I've been here for months.
I've seen a manatee once so that would be amazing.
What made you choose to live in florida?
I've been debating with my friends on whether or not we will all settle in California.
Im not too familiar with drupal I've heard of it but my companies primarily use joomla if your familiar with that.
If you guys ever need help with search engine optimization or web design let me know i have extremely expensive software that automates a majority of the web management processes. I'm a tech whizz :P
Does Vanessa work in the psychology field as well?
What made you choose psychology vs sociology?
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Aiken, Conner to Blake
show details Sep 2
Hey Blake,
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Hey Blake,
Woops my email decided to send that last message before i could even type it haha. I have considered technology for a major but i could not see myself living happily behind a desk on a computer all day. Thats pretty cool you were a professor at USF. I also kind of like the idea of being in the research field. I'd assume its less pay and more unsteady but at least it would keep me mentally engaged.
My math professor totally had us all on the edge of our seats today with a pop quiz. He ended up letting us take it home though which is such a relief. Im stuck on this one philosophical math problem though.
There are 400 students in a classroom. Each student is either a freshman or a transfer. We know the following: 1) At least 1 student is a transfer, and 2) given any two students, at least one of the two students is a freshman. How many transfers are in the classroom using this information?
I know that the population of transfers is at least one in 400. Now the problem states "given two AT LEAST one of the two students is a freshman." So i assume that means the population of freshman is greater than 50%. I still cannot get this problem. I don't think its solve-able. We did these types of problems in my AP Statistics class in high school but it never trained me for this one. If you have some thoughts let me know.
Besides that classes are awesome. We cleared my sociology chapter so quickly that our teacher told us the next class was canceled! Im finally starting to get in the rhythm of my schedule so its much less stressful.
I bought a Angels vs Yankees ticket at my school today for 15$ with transportation included. What a deal right?
Does USF have a pretty good graduate program for psychology? Ive also been considering moving to the bay area after im done with undergraduate at Concordia.
One more question for you. A little awkward of a subject but am i your only biological son/daughter?
Love,
Conner
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Conner,
Your problem reminds me of my stats classes--two years of stats in grad school. Fortunately I had a girlfriend who better at stats than I and could help. Vanesa and I think the answer is 399 freshman and one transfer. Because if there were two or more transfers it would be possible that a selection of ANY two COULD include two transfers. The key work is ANY, as in any combination or sampling--let us know how we did.
I'm glad you are adjusting, it's a big transition. I don't think I can think of a single experience that changed me so much as when I went to Luther. I was so hung up on the heaven and hell stuff during my old and new testament classes, I spent an hour one day discussing it with my theology professor (a minister and biblical scholar) and he explained the history of the biblical translations, the symbolism of hell/heaven and everything. It was like "wow" I figured out that the bible wasn't quite as literal as I thought, written by men, hmmm...
USF has a clinical psych program but I don't know much about it, U of Florida in Gainesville has a PhD in Counseling Psych--which was my area--a little more health/positive psychology-oriented than clinical pscyh, which is more focused on pathology--but very similar otherwise and both prepare you to be a practicing psychologist. I was in the College of Medicine and didn't have any contact with the psychology department--I had appointments in the Department of Psychiatry and Gerontology as well. We had the first PhD program in Aging there--interdisciplinary program, a big deal for USF. Of course I would LOVE for you to move down here one day.
Hey you can ask me whatever Conner. I'm an open book. I really am not big into judging people and I try to be open-minded about things. I get myself in trouble sometimes because I say what I really think, because I figure if somebody asks me what I think, then I should be honest.
So, you are my only child, biological or otherwise. Vanesa is 42 and I'm 50, so don't expect that to change. She has been so busy traveling for work and I have been so busy working that we never seriously considered it. But she has regrets sometimes and I do as well, but she has a new niece and nephew in Argentina which she is really excited about. Any more questions, just ask me.
Oh I forget to tell you, my IT guy is doing all my SEO work, we generally are on first page for most short/long tail searches--first three in a couple areas. BUT, we're going to a wheel strategy--which is a little gray hat, but legit. We're trying to crack "health coaching" and "motivational interviewing." We have a company in Miami doing it--see attached.