Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
15 Fun Activities to Keep Your Mind Sharp
You’re working hard at a rewarding career. You’re settled, more or less, in a longtime relationship, and enjoy a fulfilling social life. Life in general is going great. Or is it? Could it be that your mind is stagnating?
The brain is an organ and, as such, it requires oxygen and exercise. Feed your mind and you’ll feel emotionally and physically invigorated. It may be too soon to succumb to middle-aged worries about “using it or losing it,” however, it’s still critical to focus on keeping your brain in shape.
By continually engaging in the right activities, you can increase your memory, improve your problem-solving skills and even boost your creativity. Here are some fun ways to keep your mind active.
1. Grab a cue and play pool.
Rack ‘em up, grab a cue and contemplate on your strategy. Billiard players must focus on the immediate, blocking out distractions as they plan their next moves. Strategic planning increases mental clarity. Concentrating on the immediate helps keep your mind sharp. Additionally, this game of angles demands that players think in terms of physics, something most of us rarely do in our everyday lives.
2. Calm down with yoga.
You might be surprised at how demanding yoga can be. Beyond the physical demands that give your entire body a workout, yoga has great calming and relaxation qualities. Yoga forces you to focus on controlling all your muscles and your breathing. You’ll let your worries slide away, giving your mind a rest from stress.
3. Play golf in the fresh air.
Escape to the links and spend a few hours in the fresh air counting birdies, bogeys and mulligans. Golf is a social sport and a great way to network and loosen up at the same time. Golfers get mental stimulation using their decision-making skills as they plan stroke strategies. As the sport involves the control of repetitive movements, it instills mind-body discipline.
4. Lace up your running shoes.
Lace up your jogging shoes and get moving. Even if you never plan to run a marathon, it will get both your body and mind in shape. Running will boost the levels of oxygen in your brain and flowing through your body. In turn, your body will release more endorphins, which will make you feel energized while producing a sense of pleasure and well-being.
5. Challenge a friend to a game.
Challenge a friend to a game of chess at lunch. Invite colleagues over for an evening of cards. Besides the social aspects, such activities will keep your mind active. You’ll use your memory and expand your powers of recall. You’ll also test your mathematical skills and logic.
6. Subscribe to a daily newsletter.
Whether it’s a “word of the day,” “quote of the day” or “this day in history” newsletter, receiving new information each day will add data to the HD (hard drive) in your head. The mental stimulation will increase your comprehension skills. The added knowledge will also make you sound more worldly and bright.
7. Pick up a book.
Choose from classic literature, science fiction or self-improvement books and give your brain a boost. Pick up a novel before your next business flight or vacation. On top of the cerebral benefits, the escapism that comes from reading can be very refreshing. Reading helps you exercise your cognitive skills and increase your vocabulary. Do it regularly and you’ll be amazed at the information you absorb, which will make you a more interesting conversationalist.
8. Take a course.
Learn something new. Sign up for a cooking class, register for karate training or enroll in a wine tasting seminar. You’ll be challenging yourself to assimilate new concepts, information and ideas, and you’ll hone your retention skills through memorization.
9. Learn a new language.
Attend classes, listen to tapes or date someone with whom you can converse in another language. Instead of watching the same TV programs you always do, take in a foreign language movie with subtitles. Learning a new tongue keeps your brain flexible and your mind sharp, helping to reduce the slowing of the thought processes that comes with age. It can also make your next vacation or business trip easier if you know the language.
10. Grab the controller.
As I mentioned in previous articles, believe it or not, playing certain video games really can be good for your health. The operative word here, however, is “certain” — choose games that involve strategy or problem solving. Playing GTA may be stimulating, but it doesn’t do much for the mind. Problem solving and role-playing games will help you practice strategic planning. You’ll also improve your hand-eye coordination.
11. Rent a classic movie.
Rent Shakespearean adaptations or other language-heavy period movies and treat them as an exercise; watch them with a dictionary and thesaurus in hand and make a point of understanding all the dialogue, even if it means pausing the movie chronically. Some options: Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet.
12. Learn an instrument.
Pull out your old guitar, sign up for piano lessons or rent a trumpet or a clarinet. Trying to understand how music is made will stimulate your creativity. Reading music provides mental stimulation. Playing an instrument requires powers of recall as well as concentration to maintain tune and tempo.
13. Build a model.
Remember how excited you were as a kid making model airplanes and ships? Recreate that by building a miniature model. Following all those written instructions sharpens your powers of concentration. Focusing on the task at hand will also be very relaxing.
14. Do a crossword.
Stick the newspaper crossword puzzle in your briefcase, then get to work on it during your commute or while you’re waiting for an appointment or a meeting to begin. You’ll improve your cognitive skills and creative thinking as well as your word power and vocabulary.
15. Engage in a debate.
A lively discussion can be invigorating. As long as you avoid letting it digress into an altercation, you can have a lot of fun debating the pros and cons of an issue with a friend or colleague. You’ll practice your quick-thinking skills, logic and creativity. Developing convincing theories on the spot will help you in your career and in your personal relationships.
Use your cognitive skills, test your powers of recall, improve your memory, and challenge yourself to be more creative in your thinking. You’ll reap great brain-boosting benefits by keeping your mind active.
“The mind is like a trunk: if well-packed, it holds almost every thing; if ill-packed, next to nothing.”
The brain is an organ and, as such, it requires oxygen and exercise. Feed your mind and you’ll feel emotionally and physically invigorated. It may be too soon to succumb to middle-aged worries about “using it or losing it,” however, it’s still critical to focus on keeping your brain in shape.
By continually engaging in the right activities, you can increase your memory, improve your problem-solving skills and even boost your creativity. Here are some fun ways to keep your mind active.
1. Grab a cue and play pool.
Rack ‘em up, grab a cue and contemplate on your strategy. Billiard players must focus on the immediate, blocking out distractions as they plan their next moves. Strategic planning increases mental clarity. Concentrating on the immediate helps keep your mind sharp. Additionally, this game of angles demands that players think in terms of physics, something most of us rarely do in our everyday lives.
2. Calm down with yoga.
You might be surprised at how demanding yoga can be. Beyond the physical demands that give your entire body a workout, yoga has great calming and relaxation qualities. Yoga forces you to focus on controlling all your muscles and your breathing. You’ll let your worries slide away, giving your mind a rest from stress.
3. Play golf in the fresh air.
Escape to the links and spend a few hours in the fresh air counting birdies, bogeys and mulligans. Golf is a social sport and a great way to network and loosen up at the same time. Golfers get mental stimulation using their decision-making skills as they plan stroke strategies. As the sport involves the control of repetitive movements, it instills mind-body discipline.
4. Lace up your running shoes.
Lace up your jogging shoes and get moving. Even if you never plan to run a marathon, it will get both your body and mind in shape. Running will boost the levels of oxygen in your brain and flowing through your body. In turn, your body will release more endorphins, which will make you feel energized while producing a sense of pleasure and well-being.
5. Challenge a friend to a game.
Challenge a friend to a game of chess at lunch. Invite colleagues over for an evening of cards. Besides the social aspects, such activities will keep your mind active. You’ll use your memory and expand your powers of recall. You’ll also test your mathematical skills and logic.
6. Subscribe to a daily newsletter.
Whether it’s a “word of the day,” “quote of the day” or “this day in history” newsletter, receiving new information each day will add data to the HD (hard drive) in your head. The mental stimulation will increase your comprehension skills. The added knowledge will also make you sound more worldly and bright.
7. Pick up a book.
Choose from classic literature, science fiction or self-improvement books and give your brain a boost. Pick up a novel before your next business flight or vacation. On top of the cerebral benefits, the escapism that comes from reading can be very refreshing. Reading helps you exercise your cognitive skills and increase your vocabulary. Do it regularly and you’ll be amazed at the information you absorb, which will make you a more interesting conversationalist.
8. Take a course.
Learn something new. Sign up for a cooking class, register for karate training or enroll in a wine tasting seminar. You’ll be challenging yourself to assimilate new concepts, information and ideas, and you’ll hone your retention skills through memorization.
9. Learn a new language.
Attend classes, listen to tapes or date someone with whom you can converse in another language. Instead of watching the same TV programs you always do, take in a foreign language movie with subtitles. Learning a new tongue keeps your brain flexible and your mind sharp, helping to reduce the slowing of the thought processes that comes with age. It can also make your next vacation or business trip easier if you know the language.
10. Grab the controller.
As I mentioned in previous articles, believe it or not, playing certain video games really can be good for your health. The operative word here, however, is “certain” — choose games that involve strategy or problem solving. Playing GTA may be stimulating, but it doesn’t do much for the mind. Problem solving and role-playing games will help you practice strategic planning. You’ll also improve your hand-eye coordination.
11. Rent a classic movie.
Rent Shakespearean adaptations or other language-heavy period movies and treat them as an exercise; watch them with a dictionary and thesaurus in hand and make a point of understanding all the dialogue, even if it means pausing the movie chronically. Some options: Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet.
12. Learn an instrument.
Pull out your old guitar, sign up for piano lessons or rent a trumpet or a clarinet. Trying to understand how music is made will stimulate your creativity. Reading music provides mental stimulation. Playing an instrument requires powers of recall as well as concentration to maintain tune and tempo.
13. Build a model.
Remember how excited you were as a kid making model airplanes and ships? Recreate that by building a miniature model. Following all those written instructions sharpens your powers of concentration. Focusing on the task at hand will also be very relaxing.
14. Do a crossword.
Stick the newspaper crossword puzzle in your briefcase, then get to work on it during your commute or while you’re waiting for an appointment or a meeting to begin. You’ll improve your cognitive skills and creative thinking as well as your word power and vocabulary.
15. Engage in a debate.
A lively discussion can be invigorating. As long as you avoid letting it digress into an altercation, you can have a lot of fun debating the pros and cons of an issue with a friend or colleague. You’ll practice your quick-thinking skills, logic and creativity. Developing convincing theories on the spot will help you in your career and in your personal relationships.
Use your cognitive skills, test your powers of recall, improve your memory, and challenge yourself to be more creative in your thinking. You’ll reap great brain-boosting benefits by keeping your mind active.
“The mind is like a trunk: if well-packed, it holds almost every thing; if ill-packed, next to nothing.”
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
How to date a girl who is way out of your league.
I consider myself to be pretty well on the geeky side, I am an electrical engineering student, avid member of the computer community, and a dabbler of all things technical. I have never been extremely social or outgoing, I'm not the life of the party. Normally I am the kinda guy that you would look over, especially if you are a hot girl. However I have had more than my fair share of girlfriends way out of my league. For instance, the last 2 girls who I dated seriously have both been well out of my league/social circle, who I met in completely different ways/places.
This is what works for me, I have told this to many people, and it has worked for those who followed through. Its not a magical spell to make anyone fall in love with you, but it definitely helps tip the scales in your favor.
my disclaimer is that this works for me, It might not work for you. I do not treat women badly in any way, and I have the utmost respect for women, same as men. I understand that this, or any set of guidelines is not completely definitive or sure-fire, but it is my way, if you don't agree, theres no need to wage any sort of comment war. I guarantee you some men will think I am wrong, and alot of women will. These guidelines have worked for dozens of people.
step 1Be Yourself
I know this isn't the most original way to open up, but it really is the most important step. If a girl doesn't like who you are once she gets to know you, she isn't worth your time. Furthermore if you have to change who you are to attract, or keep a girl, you are cheating both yourself and her. In my opinion that is the biggest lie... to be anything other than yourself
Some people just won't like you, and just won't click... it just won't work.
Get over it.
Lying is the worst. If have to lie to get something, its not for you, and its not worth having to lie to keep it. Girls are no exception to the human race, they appreciate honesty above all. This is a good thing to realize about all people, if you plan on dealing with them for the rest of your life. By honesty I don't mean "Yes, that dress makes you look fat," I mean honesty of character.
You have to be pretty confident, and realize that ultimately you are selling yourself--Not everyone is buying, but being confident and straightforward is the best sales pitch.
-don't deceive
-Be Honest
-Let her be herself
step 2"The Hook"
This is half the battle right here. You're not the most suave guy, and you want someone to notice you. Guess what, I am not going to give you cheap tricks, or cheesy lines.... infact I am of the personal belief that if its a line at all, its cheap. The best contact comes spur of the moment, not necessarily some heartfelt speech, but most likely a comment, or a joke or a witty interaction based on the situation.
Don't
-Approach a girl who doesn't seem to want to be approached
-Approach a girl in a bar, or club--these girls are looking to be wooed by a fast car, cheap haircut, and lame lines. They have their guard up, and don't want to be bothered.
-Try to hard. This is the biggest game killer ever. I can write pages on this, but I'll put it at this "if you're frustrated--you probably trying to hard, if she's frustrated--your definitely trying too hard"
Do
-Place yourself in a situation you are comfortable with
-Give yourself any social edges possible
-Not rule out friends as possible romantic interests
-Not rule out the idea of meeting someone in the strangest places
-Act confident and natural
Conversation is after all the heart of getting to know someone. "First contact" is the most important. If you can keep someones interest and make them laugh, and feel good about themselves, you've got someones interest, and can take it to the next level... phone number, going on a date, etc. There are some things to avoid during conversation, for instance you want to avoid any serious subject... war, politics, religion, abortion, etc. If one of these does happen to come up, keep it light, and change the subject matter. Also you want to avoid complimenting her too much, this comes across as desperate/needy.
Be interested in her personality, be genuine, try to get to know her. talk about your common ground, get her talking about what excites her, what her interests are. Do talk about yourself, do be polite. Don't ramble on about yourself, this can happen if there is a gap in the conversation it only proves to makes this awkward. As a general rule of thumb a girl will ask you if she is interested to know something about you. Pay attention, don't just hear, listen. Make a mental note of things she says, remember them, there will be a quiz later.
You want to keep your body language in mind too... there are far better resources on body language than this article, and I strongly suggest you look into them. Mainly you want to keep a firm grasp on what you are saying with you body. Keep a good posture, relaxed but not slouching. Don't let your eyes wander too much, be confident and look her in the eye when speaking to her. Mind your hands, don't let them fidget and play with something (tablecloth, hair, keys, etc). Don't move too much, nervous feet shuffling, shifting your weight. Act casual, and try to keep your actions on your mind so that you don't let them get the best of you.
Generally treat a girl the way you would like to be treated, be polite, considerate, and genuine. It seems like common sense, and it really is, but alot of people forget that, or overlook it. Try to keep that in mind.
step 3How you treat her
This isn't dating for dummies, so I'll skip the rules about going on dates, when to hold hands when to compliment someone, when to call etc.
First of all the more attractive a girl is, the worse she is ultimately treated by everyone. Alot of guys treat girls like jerks--this works. If you try it, it will likely work for you, however it has the unfortunate side effect of making you a jerk... jerks are never happy in the long run. Its some deep seeded psychological appeal that attracts girls to these sorts of guys. I won't get into it, because I don't understand it well enough to make a case as to who/what/where/when/why/how.
Attractive girls also have to deal with the "nice guy effect." I've been there, and I'm sure you probably have too. Its where you idolize a really attractive girl, you let yourself be completely there for her for whatever she needs, you become her friend. This is terrible because you are nervous around her, you aren't necessarily yourself, you look up to her, and you cherish everything she does for you or says to you. Despite what they may say, girls won't respect you in the way you want them to. You loose your confidence and your control of the situation. Theres a theory that does a pretty good job of explaining this http://www.laddertheory.com.
Again I'm not a psychologist, so I won't even try to delve into the deeper meaning of these interactions.
You do want to fall somewhere in between the jerk and the nice guy. This relates back alot to step 1 where you make sure you are yourself. You need to think and know, that no matter how attractive a girl is, that she has (mostly) the same stuff inside of her as you. She has fears and insecurities just like anyone else. Don't let her walk on you, but don't take advantage of the situation and walk on her. You have to be confident and strong of character. You're going to want to treat her like you would treat a friend, someone you respect, but don't take crap from. This is probably the hardest step.
What you have to realize is the more attractive a girl is, the more phonies she is going to get, and many girls are so sick of phonies and people trying to force themselves into some sort of mold that society has defined that someone who is genuinely confident and a solid character is an instant attraction. This is how beauty and the beast got together in the first place.
Furthermore, many guys see a really attractive girl, and are only interested in one thing, and that is their body/looks/sex. The more attractive a girl is, the less a guy tries to get to know who she really is. Make sure you are interested in who this girl really is, (her hopes, dreams, fears, ambitions, quirks, oddities, favorite things, etc.) if you're not interested in that, your not after her for the right reasons. This really handicaps attractive girls, it can make them suspicious of just about any guy, because they know that so many are out there for the wrong reasons. Eventually everyone wants to be noticed and recognized for who they are as a person, not how they look.
Keep all of this in mind, and know that once you get someone to let their guard down, and let you inside, they are generally fragile creatures
step 4Communication
Once you get past talking, you get into communication. Talking is essentially ice breaking, communication is the portrayal of ideas, emotions, concepts and stuff like that. You need to know how to communicate whether your on a first date, having some pillow talk, or discussing what you want to name your children.
Lots of guys try to skip over communication or fake it. Guess what, it catches up with you eventually and always.
Communication is essentially just expressing thoughts feelings and ideas in their entirety. Its more than just talking, although its just talking. Confused? good.
Finding a happy medium. Everyone has different levels on which they communicate, some people feel the need to blabber on unintelligibly with ever single thought that pops into their heads, some people hardly ever talk. You need to make sure to find a happy medium with a girl, weather its a first date, or a serious relationship. Some girls want to talk nightly on the phone, some don't like to talk while eating, while you may be blabbing away about how good the pizza is. Its up to you to judge each other and find a happy medium, if you can't find one without severely putting someone out, then it probably wasn't meant to be.
Also keep in mind that there is more to communication that what you say and hear. Body language is also a huge key factor. How you carry yourself, how your face looks, what you do with your hands, tone of your voice, etc. This is why its hard to tell a lie, or something you don't believe in. Even if you try to act convincing your body will still tell her that you are lying, or that you aren't serious about what you are saying, and women have some sort of "intuition" (I call it built in lie detector). Be honest.
Listening to her, like I said earlier, she has more to say than just words, she is conveying Ideas, thoughts and emotions. Look for those and make sure you get them. Sometimes these can not be conveyed over the phone, or during a commercial break, come to a compromise, but don't ignore her, the subject matter will be on the test later. When you ignore someone who is really trying to communicate, tell you something you are insulting them on a personal level. There may be issues over the time/situational appropriateness you need to work out a compromise ultimately.
Telling her your feelings. True story: communication isn't just for girls. They appreciate knowing what you think and feel. It shows them respect and in turn helps you get closer. Don't be afraid to say what you think, because it'll come out eventually.
step 5The wrapup
It can all be summarized as being yourself, and remembering to be respectful. Don't be fake, no one likes fake people. If you think that some cheap decals, some neon lights, and a spoiler make your car "pimpin" then this article probably didn't help you. Pretty much keep everything I said here in mind, it maintains its relevance weather you are trying to get a date, or have been with someone for a long time. Be genuine and be yourself, and remember, that if someone isn't buying what your selling, there are plenty of other worthy buyers.
The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Fathers
A great father makes all the difference in a kid’s life. He’s a pillar of strength, support and discipline. His work is never-ending and, oftentimes, thankless. But in the end, it shows in the sound, well-grounded children he raises.
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that parenthood comes with no instructions. It can be difficult to balance everything in life, especially since every father-child relationship has its own individual challenges. Although there are no clear-cut methods to successful parenthood, there are some habits you can develop as a father to ensure that you are prioritizing the right things, and to guarantee that your family sees you as a real hero.
1. Keeping stress to yourself.
Children shouldn’t have to be burdened with adult problems. They have enough to deal with just being kids; growing, learning, exploring, and evolving. Instead of sharing your difficulties with them, keep your time with them about them. Try to keep your stress to yourself and don’t let it affect your attitude when you’re around your kids.
In order to do this, find a different outlet for your stress that you can use before you see them. Go to the local gym on the way home and let it out on a punching bag or stop at your favorite coffee shop and spend a few minutes unwinding with a good book. Whatever it takes, your kids will appreciate seeing a fresh face and a positive attitude when you get home.
2. Leading by example.
A successful father is above the old “do as I say, not as I do” credo. He’s not smoking if he doesn’t want his kids to do it, and definitely not drinking heavily. He teaches them to deal with conflict with a family member and with others by being firm but reasonable at the same time.
A good father also illustrates how significant is affection by professing his love for their mother in front of them. And he won’t fight with her in their presence. In all, he adheres to the values he’d like his kids to follow.
3. Being consistent.
Ensure that what you say is actually what you do. Every child needs to believe he has a dependable father, so if you promise you’ll make it to that basketball game or take him to the zoo or make his favorite dinner, it’s important to follow through no matter what comes up in the meantime. If your child believes your word, trust will soon follow.
Another important point about consistency is structure in discipline. Remember that your kids aren’t perfect — despite what you may think — and they need guidance. It can be hard to discipline your children because you’re ready to stand at their defense no matter what. But remember that rules and structure are important in life and the earlier they learn that, the easier their lives will be. Rules are there for a reason and you need to make sure your children understand this.
4. Staying involved.
Being involved with your kids is often twisted to mean that you ought to do the morning carpool and attend sports games. Although this is true, there is much more to involvement with your kids than just being a personal driver and cheerleader to them. Watch the soccer game, but also listen to school stories. Hear what your kids have to say, know their interests and their friends. Being involved seems like a no-brainer when it comes to parenthood, but it’s so easy to forget.
If your kids feel important enough to garner your interest, this will raise their confidence, their trust in you and their willingness to share the details of their own lives with you. All these things will give you more opportunities to guide your children and keep them out of trouble.
5. Scheduling family recreation.
I know how all-important it is to work hard all week, but you also have to schedule some fun activities for downtime and stick to them. It is far too easy to just assume that family time will come naturally when the weekend arrives. Unfortunately, work spillover, visits from family members or home improvement projects — just to name a few scenarios — can easily take that time away.
Not to mention that as your children develop their own social schedules, they’ll quickly let quality time with their families slip away. For this reason, planning ahead is decisive in maintaining this important aspect of your family life. Just like you’ll keep New Year’s resolutions more often if you write them down as a promise, making appointments with your family will make time with them a priority — for both you and them.
6. Teaching.
There’s something especially touching about learning. Learning something new boosts self-assurance and is a lot of fun. For the teacher, there is a unique feeling of pride in seeing how you helped create ability.
If you show your children how to do things you will develop a unique bond between the two of you. You may assume you don’t know that much, but whatever tidbits you can pass along will be highly valued by your kids. Do you play guitar? Are you a chess master? Your children may learn this stuff in life anyway, but if you’re the teacher, they’ll not only remember the skill, they’ll remember the great master who gave them that knowledge.
7. Creating family rituals.
Because kids are so impressionable, structure can be very important to how they learn and grow. It can also instill a sense of significance in what goes on in the home.
Establish a firm supper time (when the whole family gathers around the table), a time for a story before bed, game night or even an evening where the entire family watches a TV show together. Doing this will ensure that the event will be known as “family time” and that it will stick out as something sacred for your children.
The value of a great father is often overlooked. But there are few things as priceless as a father who will do everything he can, and provide all the tools he has so that his children can become better than him.
Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a daddy.
It’s an unfortunate fact of life that parenthood comes with no instructions. It can be difficult to balance everything in life, especially since every father-child relationship has its own individual challenges. Although there are no clear-cut methods to successful parenthood, there are some habits you can develop as a father to ensure that you are prioritizing the right things, and to guarantee that your family sees you as a real hero.
1. Keeping stress to yourself.
Children shouldn’t have to be burdened with adult problems. They have enough to deal with just being kids; growing, learning, exploring, and evolving. Instead of sharing your difficulties with them, keep your time with them about them. Try to keep your stress to yourself and don’t let it affect your attitude when you’re around your kids.
In order to do this, find a different outlet for your stress that you can use before you see them. Go to the local gym on the way home and let it out on a punching bag or stop at your favorite coffee shop and spend a few minutes unwinding with a good book. Whatever it takes, your kids will appreciate seeing a fresh face and a positive attitude when you get home.
2. Leading by example.
A successful father is above the old “do as I say, not as I do” credo. He’s not smoking if he doesn’t want his kids to do it, and definitely not drinking heavily. He teaches them to deal with conflict with a family member and with others by being firm but reasonable at the same time.
A good father also illustrates how significant is affection by professing his love for their mother in front of them. And he won’t fight with her in their presence. In all, he adheres to the values he’d like his kids to follow.
3. Being consistent.
Ensure that what you say is actually what you do. Every child needs to believe he has a dependable father, so if you promise you’ll make it to that basketball game or take him to the zoo or make his favorite dinner, it’s important to follow through no matter what comes up in the meantime. If your child believes your word, trust will soon follow.
Another important point about consistency is structure in discipline. Remember that your kids aren’t perfect — despite what you may think — and they need guidance. It can be hard to discipline your children because you’re ready to stand at their defense no matter what. But remember that rules and structure are important in life and the earlier they learn that, the easier their lives will be. Rules are there for a reason and you need to make sure your children understand this.
4. Staying involved.
Being involved with your kids is often twisted to mean that you ought to do the morning carpool and attend sports games. Although this is true, there is much more to involvement with your kids than just being a personal driver and cheerleader to them. Watch the soccer game, but also listen to school stories. Hear what your kids have to say, know their interests and their friends. Being involved seems like a no-brainer when it comes to parenthood, but it’s so easy to forget.
If your kids feel important enough to garner your interest, this will raise their confidence, their trust in you and their willingness to share the details of their own lives with you. All these things will give you more opportunities to guide your children and keep them out of trouble.
5. Scheduling family recreation.
I know how all-important it is to work hard all week, but you also have to schedule some fun activities for downtime and stick to them. It is far too easy to just assume that family time will come naturally when the weekend arrives. Unfortunately, work spillover, visits from family members or home improvement projects — just to name a few scenarios — can easily take that time away.
Not to mention that as your children develop their own social schedules, they’ll quickly let quality time with their families slip away. For this reason, planning ahead is decisive in maintaining this important aspect of your family life. Just like you’ll keep New Year’s resolutions more often if you write them down as a promise, making appointments with your family will make time with them a priority — for both you and them.
6. Teaching.
There’s something especially touching about learning. Learning something new boosts self-assurance and is a lot of fun. For the teacher, there is a unique feeling of pride in seeing how you helped create ability.
If you show your children how to do things you will develop a unique bond between the two of you. You may assume you don’t know that much, but whatever tidbits you can pass along will be highly valued by your kids. Do you play guitar? Are you a chess master? Your children may learn this stuff in life anyway, but if you’re the teacher, they’ll not only remember the skill, they’ll remember the great master who gave them that knowledge.
7. Creating family rituals.
Because kids are so impressionable, structure can be very important to how they learn and grow. It can also instill a sense of significance in what goes on in the home.
Establish a firm supper time (when the whole family gathers around the table), a time for a story before bed, game night or even an evening where the entire family watches a TV show together. Doing this will ensure that the event will be known as “family time” and that it will stick out as something sacred for your children.
The value of a great father is often overlooked. But there are few things as priceless as a father who will do everything he can, and provide all the tools he has so that his children can become better than him.
Anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a daddy.
How To Build A House in A Day
This is a wood framing technology, originally from Japan. Essentially a small group of untrained people can erect an entire house frame in 1-3 days, depending on the size of the structure. Thanks to qureyoon for the submit. Seems not really stable, though.
The world's smallest radio controlled helicopter Heli-Q
Maiko Murayama, an employee for toy giant Tomy shows off the world's smallest radio controlled helicopter – the Heli-Q on October 23, 2007 in Tokyo, Japan. The toy can fly for five minutes with a 20-minute charge of its lithium-ion battery and will cost the equivalent of £15 when it goes on sale in Japan next month.
The oldest elephant in the world.
An elephant at the Panna Tiger Reserve in India, is probably the oldest elephant in the world. an elephant 86-year-old elephant at Taipei's Mucha Zoo, which holds the world record.The elephant, Vatsala, in her nineties, came to the Madhya Pradesh sanctuary in 1971. Her carers want to prove she is older than Lin Wang.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Make a cool hologram illusion!
Make a cool hologram illusion!
This instructable will show you how to easily make a convincing floating head hologram.
It's a great addition to your Halloween decorations!
step 1Supplies
You only need a couple of things for this illusion:
1. A piece of glass.
The size of the glass is relative to the size of the area where the illusion will be viewed.
2. A monitor (and computer, of course).
Either an LCD or CRT monitor will work. CRT monitors tend to give a better reflection, but an LCD monitor can be used in a much smaller spot.
The LCD monitor I used had a removable stand. That made it much easier to hide in the cabinet.
3. Floating head movie.
I recommend Big Scream TV.
step 2Location, Location, Location
This illusion works well, but the monitor must remain out of view of the spectator.
For this instructable, I used a bookshelf/cabinet and the front window of my house for the trick-or-treaters to enjoy.
Projectors are relatively cheap these days. You could easily project the image onto a piece of glass 30 or 40 feet away. The projector would need to be located very close to the path of the intended viewer, however.
A great example of using a projector would be on an eave of your house. The glass could be suspended at an angle towards the front of the house, and then the image would be projected on it from a hidden spot on the roof. As the trick-or-treaters walked up to the house, they would be greeted with a creepy floating head on your roof.
step 3Display Setup
To keep from giving away the source of the image, adjust the brightness to the lowest setting and the contrast to the highest.
The goal is to make the background as dark as possible. Play the movie you want to use full screen, then adjust as needed.
For the cabinet configuration, suspend the LCD monitor above the viewing area. Then create a Halloweenish looking scene inside, and then place the glass over it at an angle that will reflect the image to the viewer.
For the windows configuration, set the monitor on the floor pointing up, create your scary scene, then place a much larger piece of glass over it at an angle that will reflect the image towards the window.
In either setup, the bottom edge of the glass should be as close to the bottom edge of the monitor as possible. That will make the image float in front of your scene, instead of behind it.
Adjust the angle of the glass to control the height of the floating head.
step 4Turn it on
Once it gets dark, turn it on and adjust as needed.
Once again, the camera doesn't do this illusion justice. It looks very good in person.
Watch the video to get an idea of how it looks:
This instructable will show you how to easily make a convincing floating head hologram.
It's a great addition to your Halloween decorations!
step 1Supplies
You only need a couple of things for this illusion:
1. A piece of glass.
The size of the glass is relative to the size of the area where the illusion will be viewed.
2. A monitor (and computer, of course).
Either an LCD or CRT monitor will work. CRT monitors tend to give a better reflection, but an LCD monitor can be used in a much smaller spot.
The LCD monitor I used had a removable stand. That made it much easier to hide in the cabinet.
3. Floating head movie.
I recommend Big Scream TV.
step 2Location, Location, Location
This illusion works well, but the monitor must remain out of view of the spectator.
For this instructable, I used a bookshelf/cabinet and the front window of my house for the trick-or-treaters to enjoy.
Projectors are relatively cheap these days. You could easily project the image onto a piece of glass 30 or 40 feet away. The projector would need to be located very close to the path of the intended viewer, however.
A great example of using a projector would be on an eave of your house. The glass could be suspended at an angle towards the front of the house, and then the image would be projected on it from a hidden spot on the roof. As the trick-or-treaters walked up to the house, they would be greeted with a creepy floating head on your roof.
step 3Display Setup
To keep from giving away the source of the image, adjust the brightness to the lowest setting and the contrast to the highest.
The goal is to make the background as dark as possible. Play the movie you want to use full screen, then adjust as needed.
For the cabinet configuration, suspend the LCD monitor above the viewing area. Then create a Halloweenish looking scene inside, and then place the glass over it at an angle that will reflect the image to the viewer.
For the windows configuration, set the monitor on the floor pointing up, create your scary scene, then place a much larger piece of glass over it at an angle that will reflect the image towards the window.
In either setup, the bottom edge of the glass should be as close to the bottom edge of the monitor as possible. That will make the image float in front of your scene, instead of behind it.
Adjust the angle of the glass to control the height of the floating head.
step 4Turn it on
Once it gets dark, turn it on and adjust as needed.
Once again, the camera doesn't do this illusion justice. It looks very good in person.
Watch the video to get an idea of how it looks:
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