Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Coping with Grad School Stress
As we all know balancing our life between work, school and family can be challenging specially when the semester gets close to the end. Students have projects, final exams and presentations to get done besides work and any other responsibilities at home.
I read this article and find it very helpful, it has tips to help students manage the school work and prevent getting overstressed.
5 Tips for Coping with Grad School Stress
By Tara Kuther, Ph.D., About.com Guide
Throughout graduate school exams loom, papers hang over us, and nagging deadlines keep us awake and stressed. How can you manage it all? Follow these 5 tips for coping with graduate school stress.
1. Start studying now. Don't wait. Procrastination will perpetuate feelings of helplessness -- you'll feel more stressed and out of control if you put off your work. The same holds true for papers. Begin as early as you can.
2. Don't cram. Psychological research shows that repeated exposure to your course material over several sessions is better than what psychologists refer to as "massed practice" -- cramming. You're more likely to understand and retain material that you've covered several times over a period of days or even weeks than material crammed over a 1-2 day period.
3. Prioritize. Make a list of all that needs to be completed. Then prioritize your list, noting due dates as well as rating the overall importance of each item. Use this list to organize your study time.
4. Sleep. Though it might seem like a good idea to pull an all-nighter to get that paper finished, you're better off getting some sleep and returning to it in the morning. Research shows that we need sleep in order to function.
5. Exercise. "Why should I spend precious time on exercise?" you ask? Exercise is one of the best stress-relievers around. Really. When we're stressed we experience elevated levels of stress hormones that keep us wound up. We experience tightened muscles and short tempers. Exercise permits us to release the pent-up energy.
I read this article and find it very helpful, it has tips to help students manage the school work and prevent getting overstressed.
5 Tips for Coping with Grad School Stress
By Tara Kuther, Ph.D., About.com Guide
Throughout graduate school exams loom, papers hang over us, and nagging deadlines keep us awake and stressed. How can you manage it all? Follow these 5 tips for coping with graduate school stress.
1. Start studying now. Don't wait. Procrastination will perpetuate feelings of helplessness -- you'll feel more stressed and out of control if you put off your work. The same holds true for papers. Begin as early as you can.
2. Don't cram. Psychological research shows that repeated exposure to your course material over several sessions is better than what psychologists refer to as "massed practice" -- cramming. You're more likely to understand and retain material that you've covered several times over a period of days or even weeks than material crammed over a 1-2 day period.
3. Prioritize. Make a list of all that needs to be completed. Then prioritize your list, noting due dates as well as rating the overall importance of each item. Use this list to organize your study time.
4. Sleep. Though it might seem like a good idea to pull an all-nighter to get that paper finished, you're better off getting some sleep and returning to it in the morning. Research shows that we need sleep in order to function.
5. Exercise. "Why should I spend precious time on exercise?" you ask? Exercise is one of the best stress-relievers around. Really. When we're stressed we experience elevated levels of stress hormones that keep us wound up. We experience tightened muscles and short tempers. Exercise permits us to release the pent-up energy.
Monday, March 8, 2010
International Women's Day 2010
March 8 is the International Women's Day and it's celebrated around the world . It is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilize for meaningful change.
Although I am personally disappointed that Avatar did not take home more Oscar's than expected, I am proud that for the first time a women won for Best Picture. The film "Hurt Locker" was the overall winner of the night.
International Women's Day 2010 - Nice Timing for Kathryn Bigelow Oscar Wins - National Ledger
Although I am personally disappointed that Avatar did not take home more Oscar's than expected, I am proud that for the first time a women won for Best Picture. The film "Hurt Locker" was the overall winner of the night.
International Women's Day 2010 - Nice Timing for Kathryn Bigelow Oscar Wins - National Ledger
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Avatar Oscar nominations
As it was expected Avatar has many Oscar's nominations. The long wait is almost over and will know how many Oscars Avatar will win.
And the categories are: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.
And the categories are: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing and Best Visual Effects.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Nintendo DSi XL to launch March 28
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100224/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_nintendo_dsi
Just a few more days till we can have the new DSi XL, will have to try it out soon!
NEW YORK – Nintendo plans to launch the latest version of its popular handheld video game system, the DSi XL, on March 28 in North America.
The XL will cost $190. It will have two screens like its predecessors, but as the name suggests, the device and screens will be much larger than the currently available versions. The XL is already available in Japan.
Nintendo Co. also says it's launching "Super Mario Galaxy 2" for the Wii console on May 23 and "Metroid: Other M" on June 27.
In addition, Nintendo will sell e-books, namely "100 Classic Books," for the DS portable devices for $20. The 100 works will include pieces from such authors as William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Jane Austen and Mark Twain. "100 Classic Books" launches June 14.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100224/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_nintendo_dsi
Just a few more days till we can have the new DSi XL, will have to try it out soon!
NEW YORK – Nintendo plans to launch the latest version of its popular handheld video game system, the DSi XL, on March 28 in North America.
The XL will cost $190. It will have two screens like its predecessors, but as the name suggests, the device and screens will be much larger than the currently available versions. The XL is already available in Japan.
Nintendo Co. also says it's launching "Super Mario Galaxy 2" for the Wii console on May 23 and "Metroid: Other M" on June 27.
In addition, Nintendo will sell e-books, namely "100 Classic Books," for the DS portable devices for $20. The 100 works will include pieces from such authors as William Shakespeare, Jules Verne, Jane Austen and Mark Twain. "100 Classic Books" launches June 14.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
International Film - Mexican Film "El Estudiante"
"El Estudiante" is a Mexican Film directed by Roberto Girault Facha. (2009)
I have to add this film to my list of favorites because it's very inspiring. This film has exellent elements, some drama, values, good photography, beautiful views of Guanajuato, Mex., comedy, love and most important it inspires to keep learning at any age.
Synopsis - After retiring to the beautiful Mexican town of Guanajuato, a 70 year old decides to follow his dreams and enroll at the university where he stumbles upon a new generation and they are bound together by the novel Don Quijote de la Mancha.
Check this film out; I apologize but the link is in Spanish only.
http://elestudiantelapelicula.com/
I have to add this film to my list of favorites because it's very inspiring. This film has exellent elements, some drama, values, good photography, beautiful views of Guanajuato, Mex., comedy, love and most important it inspires to keep learning at any age.
Synopsis - After retiring to the beautiful Mexican town of Guanajuato, a 70 year old decides to follow his dreams and enroll at the university where he stumbles upon a new generation and they are bound together by the novel Don Quijote de la Mancha.
Check this film out; I apologize but the link is in Spanish only.
http://elestudiantelapelicula.com/
Monday, February 8, 2010
Gaze into your CRISTAL Table and remote control your future » Coolest Gadgets
Take a look at this coffee table, it's actually a giant remote control for all the electronics in your living room. I would love to have one, see what you think about it.
Gaze into your CRISTAL Table and remote control your future » Coolest Gadgets
Gaze into your CRISTAL Table and remote control your future » Coolest Gadgets
Friday, February 5, 2010
IMVU Reflection
IMVU is a Virtual Universe where you can create your own "avatar" with the many styles and fashions available to try on or if you wish to purchase. I have tried different social networks and many chat websites, but I got to say participating in a Virtual Universe is very intense and exciting. I'm sure everyone in the class enjoyed using IMVU and spending time in the Virtual world.
It surprised me how engaged I was in trying all the features available for my "avatar". The only downside I can see is that I'm sure this can become very addicting if not utilized in moderation.
It surprised me how engaged I was in trying all the features available for my "avatar". The only downside I can see is that I'm sure this can become very addicting if not utilized in moderation.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Interesting article about personal technology trends from Information Today, Inc. - online source
Future Trends in Personal Technology
by Reid Goldsborough
"If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me." Shakespeare's words are just as wise today, but this hasn't stopped people from trying to divine the future.
Crystal balling the near future is a lot less risky than the long-term future, with only small extrapolations needed from the present. Doing so can be both interesting in itself and practical, helping you prepare for what may lie ahead.
The advertising industry is among those sectors of society charged with keeping track of current, and possible future, trends. JWT, formerly J. Walter Thompson, is the world's fourth largest and perhaps best-known advertising agency, and it just released a report titled "10 Trends for 2009."
The report includes some insightful predictions, including the following:
The use of email will decline. Email is "an increasingly outdated medium," says Ann Mack, who goes by the title director of trendspotting at JWT. The reasons are twofold: Younger people prefer to communicate via text messages and social networks, and people of all ages are fed up with overflowing inboxes.
The report calls email overload a "serious productivity drain," but as yet there's no clear successor. The report indicates that partial substitutes will be social networking for professionals, which involve communications-centered websites, and microblogging, which involve brief text updates. A popular example of the former is LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com); an example of the latter is Twitter (www.twitter.com).
One characteristic common to both is that communication can more easily be restricted to a specified group.
Computing will increasingly become untethered. Instead of using programs that are installed on personal or network hard drives, we'll increasingly access software online. This is a fairly old computer concept, formerly known by such monikers as "web services." The current catchword is "cloud computing," with the internet being the "cloud."
One promising example is Google Apps (www.google.com/apps), which includes services for personal as well as business and school use, such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, website creation, and private wikis. The latter are collections of webpages designed to let anyone who is permitted to access them contribute or modify content, creating collaborative knowledgebases.
The use of mobile devices will continue to increase. Cloud computing offloads processing and storage requirements to web-based servers, making it possible to do more with less powerful devices. The increasing availability of wireless broadband connections from companies such as AT&T Mobility (www.wireless.att.com), Verizon Wireless (www.verizonwireless.com), and Sprint Nextel (www.sprint.com) will make it possible to use those devices in more and more places.
The devices themselves, following the lead of previous digital technology, will decrease in cost as they increase in functionality and ease of use. The technology leader, if not the price leader, is Apple's iPhone (www.apple.com/iphone), an internet-connected multimedia smartphone that not only lets you talk and exchange text messages with others but also do email, surf the web, take photos, listen to music, watch videos, play games, take notes, keep your schedule, do calculations, and more. Another popular smartphone with PC-like functionality is the BlackBerry (www.blackberry.com).
As with personal computers, the biggest benefit to smartphones is their customizability. Independent software developers create programs-some free, some at a cost-that let you do more and more things, and the number of such programs available will only increase.
Netbooks will increase in popularity. These low-cost, light-weight, energy-efficient, and ultraportable notebook computers occupy the space between smartphones and larger laptop and desktop computers. They're designed primarily for email and web surfing but can also run word processing and other office applications over the internet using the cloud-computing model.
One popular line is ASUS's Eee PC (http://eeepc.asus.com), while other manufacturers include HP (www.hp.com), Dell (www.dell.com), and Lenovo (www.lenovo.com).
Personal computers and televisions will continue to converge. This merging of PCs and TVs has been promised for more than a decade, with as yet only incremental steps being taken. More steps will be taken.
Yahoo's Connected TV (http://connectedtv.yahoo.com) is a project designed to let you view websites at the bottom of your TV screen while watching TV programs or movies. Boxee (www.boxee.tv) is a startup project designed to let you watch TV shows on a laptop computer and streaming content websites on a high-definition TV while communicating with friends through social networking features.
Related to this report but independent of it, JWT's website (www.jwt.com) includes snapshot descriptions of 60 important trends it has identified regarding technology as well as other aspects of society.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reid Goldsborough is a syndicated columnist and author of the book Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. He can be reached at reidgold@comcast.net or http://www.reidgoldsborough.com.
by Reid Goldsborough
"If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, speak then to me." Shakespeare's words are just as wise today, but this hasn't stopped people from trying to divine the future.
Crystal balling the near future is a lot less risky than the long-term future, with only small extrapolations needed from the present. Doing so can be both interesting in itself and practical, helping you prepare for what may lie ahead.
The advertising industry is among those sectors of society charged with keeping track of current, and possible future, trends. JWT, formerly J. Walter Thompson, is the world's fourth largest and perhaps best-known advertising agency, and it just released a report titled "10 Trends for 2009."
The report includes some insightful predictions, including the following:
The use of email will decline. Email is "an increasingly outdated medium," says Ann Mack, who goes by the title director of trendspotting at JWT. The reasons are twofold: Younger people prefer to communicate via text messages and social networks, and people of all ages are fed up with overflowing inboxes.
The report calls email overload a "serious productivity drain," but as yet there's no clear successor. The report indicates that partial substitutes will be social networking for professionals, which involve communications-centered websites, and microblogging, which involve brief text updates. A popular example of the former is LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com); an example of the latter is Twitter (www.twitter.com).
One characteristic common to both is that communication can more easily be restricted to a specified group.
Computing will increasingly become untethered. Instead of using programs that are installed on personal or network hard drives, we'll increasingly access software online. This is a fairly old computer concept, formerly known by such monikers as "web services." The current catchword is "cloud computing," with the internet being the "cloud."
One promising example is Google Apps (www.google.com/apps), which includes services for personal as well as business and school use, such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, website creation, and private wikis. The latter are collections of webpages designed to let anyone who is permitted to access them contribute or modify content, creating collaborative knowledgebases.
The use of mobile devices will continue to increase. Cloud computing offloads processing and storage requirements to web-based servers, making it possible to do more with less powerful devices. The increasing availability of wireless broadband connections from companies such as AT&T Mobility (www.wireless.att.com), Verizon Wireless (www.verizonwireless.com), and Sprint Nextel (www.sprint.com) will make it possible to use those devices in more and more places.
The devices themselves, following the lead of previous digital technology, will decrease in cost as they increase in functionality and ease of use. The technology leader, if not the price leader, is Apple's iPhone (www.apple.com/iphone), an internet-connected multimedia smartphone that not only lets you talk and exchange text messages with others but also do email, surf the web, take photos, listen to music, watch videos, play games, take notes, keep your schedule, do calculations, and more. Another popular smartphone with PC-like functionality is the BlackBerry (www.blackberry.com).
As with personal computers, the biggest benefit to smartphones is their customizability. Independent software developers create programs-some free, some at a cost-that let you do more and more things, and the number of such programs available will only increase.
Netbooks will increase in popularity. These low-cost, light-weight, energy-efficient, and ultraportable notebook computers occupy the space between smartphones and larger laptop and desktop computers. They're designed primarily for email and web surfing but can also run word processing and other office applications over the internet using the cloud-computing model.
One popular line is ASUS's Eee PC (http://eeepc.asus.com), while other manufacturers include HP (www.hp.com), Dell (www.dell.com), and Lenovo (www.lenovo.com).
Personal computers and televisions will continue to converge. This merging of PCs and TVs has been promised for more than a decade, with as yet only incremental steps being taken. More steps will be taken.
Yahoo's Connected TV (http://connectedtv.yahoo.com) is a project designed to let you view websites at the bottom of your TV screen while watching TV programs or movies. Boxee (www.boxee.tv) is a startup project designed to let you watch TV shows on a laptop computer and streaming content websites on a high-definition TV while communicating with friends through social networking features.
Related to this report but independent of it, JWT's website (www.jwt.com) includes snapshot descriptions of 60 important trends it has identified regarding technology as well as other aspects of society.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reid Goldsborough is a syndicated columnist and author of the book Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. He can be reached at reidgold@comcast.net or http://www.reidgoldsborough.com.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Avatar movie reflection
For those who haven't seen Avatar I strongly recommend that you do. Keep an open mind and look deeper than the obvious story. The technology used to create this movie is truly amazing, as well as it has a great story line and meaning. If I could only live with the avatars in their tree. I hope you find this movie as uplifting as I did.
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