Beyond the Red Carpet

Guiliana Rancic has her own E show after all the glitz of the red carpet. G & B is about her life with husband Bill. One especially touching episode was about her difficult pregnancy, which led to other ways to conceive (gestational carrier differentiated from surrogate and in vitro fertilization), then the discovery of her breast cancer during a routine physical exam.

Mediation has seen the human side of celebrities, too. Hopefully, though, it is private and confidential, and not covered by media, as seen in  those much publicized conflicts.

The Furor

History cable channel's feature on Hitler was truly a review of this man's life. It said that he was a World War veteran who bristled that the concluding Treaty of Versailles was unfair to Germany. His anger first targetted France, then the Jews in Germany.  First, he wanted them deported to the East, then Madagascar. But we all know what really happened. Another war ensued, which was described as "opening the door to a dark road." Mediation, on the other hand, engenders light to the conflict at hand.

Gag-dets

Today, am qualified to receive a new phone from my telco server. Not too excited, after Nat Geo warned that perhaps smartphones were meant for stupid people! LOL An older phone gave up on my text messages and is now confined to receiving daily Gospel reflections and being on reserve should I lose the one brought out.

Mediators are likewise amazed how relatively rational human beings and even family members can get into such tight fixes.

Crowd Control and Behavior Change

These were featured by Nat Geo. For instance, one's choice is often determined by the previous choosers, in line with conformity. To encourage the use of the stairs over the escalator, in another test, they painted the steps which produced music once trodded on, as positive reinforcement.

While the mediator cannot advice, s/he can reinforce disputants' goodwill toward each other and the resolution of their conflict.

From the 90's

Nat Geo had an insightful series on the decades past. It featured President Clinton off course.  One analyzed it thus: if you have a leak in the house, you get a plumber to do the job, no matter how his personal life goes.

So with mediation. We do not go about moralizing, when dealing with creditors. We just tackle the dispute at hand by having both sides come to a compromise schedule of payment that is doable.

Humane Dolphin

Did you see the dolphin fishing a dropped phone out of the water and returning it to its owner? Could have been a human diver!

Meantime, mediation sees a lot of beastly behavior of supposedly human beings.

Wishfun Thinking

Last in my comic strip series is my favorite, Garfield. One time, he was claiming that "Fun follows me wherever I go...Hurry up," he coaxes it.

Life is pretty much how we make it to be. Likewise mediation, while may not be fun certainly need not be toture.

By the Looks of it

In the comic strip, Ben wanted to take a picture of his elderly wife who just came out with a book. Being told she "doesn't look very 'authorly,'though", she promptly puts on his jacket with elbow patches plus a pipe."Perfect!" he says. In mediation as well as pretty much everywhere else in life, we have to watch out for a tendency to judge people based on appearance.

S/he says

Baby Blues comic strip had a young  son suggesting his dad get a tattoo to look tough. His mom retorted, not needed. "That's what his 700-hp leaf blower is for."

To each his and her way of expressing needs and wants, mediation brings about.

Going Tru The (Slo) Motion

Mutts gave some Comic Relief, as well as some insight. Mooch listed his To-Do List,
as follows: 1. Sleep in. 2. Nap on sofa. 3. Snooze in sun. Then said, "Nothin' beats the feeling  of accomplishment like checking off your to-do list!"

In contrast, mediation is purposeful and is not like just going through the motion.