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About me - Gary Peterson

Gary R. Peterson, Dean of Behavioral Studies at The Peterson Institute of Arts and Sciences Research Laboratory & Gift Shop, and author of The Intellectual Handyman On Art.

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Arts & Humanities > Making Art What makes something great art: 2 of 29

Good art connects the dots for you. It links the intellect to an emotion and makes you feel good - or at least smart. It unravels a mystery and lets you think you did it yourself. Art is a reflection of reality whether good, bad, or ugly. Good art strikes a chord that resonates with sensibilities beyond the physical. It broa...
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Examples of metaphors and how to use them: 3 of 28

This is the dawning of the New Age of Metaphors. Everyday conversation has become a game in which we use figures of speech instead of literal descriptions. We speak of things as if they were something else. For example, to "touch all the bases" is a baseball metaphor that otherwise means "to be comprehensive" about such and ...
Creative Writing > Songs Songs: Dreams: 8 of 70

Life Is Not A Dream It's not how things look that makes them real... But how you see them, what you think and feel... Funny how that works but here's the deal... Life is like a dream... Lying fast asleep upon the bed You were wide awake inside my head Looking through my eyes you smiled and said... Life is like a dream You ro...
Entertainment > Musicians & Bands Assessing who is the greatest rock guitar player of all-time: 3 of 21

The greatest rock guitarist? First these honorable mentions: The Holy Trinity of rock guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page, all played at separate times for a group called the Yardbirds. Eric (a.k.a. "Slowhand") later played with John Mayall's Bluesbreakers; He went on to form Cream, the seminal power trio. Je...
Sciences > Psychology Introduction to color psychology: 2 of 13

Color has a dual-personality: It is light and it is pigment. When we see a certain color object, we are actually seeing only that wavelength of light which is not absorbed by that object. The eye is is most sensitive to yellow-green light, but it also makes "warm" colors like red seem to advance towards the viewer while "coo...
Politics, News & Issues > Sports Archives Hockey: 2007 Stanley Cup Predictions: 2 of 13

The Detroit Red Wings are as capable as any hockey team to win professional sports' most coveted trophy: the Stanley Cup. Finishing the regular season with the best record in their division again this year gives them home-ice advantage for the playoffs. If they've been knocked out in the first round a few times in recent yea...
Autos > Driving & Safety Whatever happened to driving etiquette?: 4 of 13

Driving etiquette is alive and well - in California! My wife and I were vacationing in Sonoma and Napa Valley last week. That entailed renting a car in San Francisco and driving the hour or so north. I was pleasantly surprised by the courtesy of the native drivers in both the city and country side. I've come to accept as nor...
Creative Writing > Humor Why it's good to laugh: 8 of 24

Laughing feels good. Laughter is contagious. It's also addictive. Maybe humor should be treated like a controlled substance. After all, it is the leading cause of laughter. Real laughter. I'm talking about spontaneous, involuntary spasms of genuine mirth. Artificially induced chortling needn't apply. Technically speaking, la...
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Going to the doctor's office: 14 of 36

Buck and Edith were empty-nesters living on the outskirts. He was a semi-retired tune-smith who, aside from the ringing in his ears, enjoyed good health so far in his life and thanked God for it every day. One night Buck's ears started ringing again. He answered the phone on the bed stand, but all he heard was a dial tone. H...
Sciences > Astronomy Legends about the Moon: 4 of 10

Lunar Legends Abound. I file this report from the edge of Lake Superior where amidst the firs I consort with wood nymphs smoking my red stone pipe on a log where woodpeckers peck as the sun sets. And when the moon launches over the water, I will lure the fairest fairy maiden into my cabin to seduce her with The Song of Hiawa...