Beating Distraction - Five Ways to Make Your Computer Disappear

Do you remember when owning a computer was a novelty? Few of your neighbors had one, and they were very expensive. Being a computer owner was like being a member of an elite club. Nothing lent an air of up-to-date sophistication like computer ownership. Those were heady days, with more time spent on configuration and learning DOS commands than actually using the computer in a productive way.

That excitement was good. Most of us learned how to do things, not because we needed to, but simply because we could, because it was there. You could be a User, or better yet, you could be a Power User! The major difference between the two is that while the Power User knew everything about how to run a program, the User actually ran it.

At some point, the novelty needs to wear off enough that you can actually sit at your computer, and work, without being distracted by all the "things it can do". I am convinced that the most productive computer users are the ones who need to be shown how to do things-they learn what they need to know, and then get to work! These users get a lot done, but they really need us Power Users to get them through rough spots. As a Power User, I see myself as having a critical role in my place of employment. Often my biggest contributions are made by helping others do a better job by teaching them shortcuts, or showing them a better way. Sometimes I seem to waste time because I cannot run a program without finding out all that it can do. What I've learned is that it is only a waste of time if I keep my learning to myself-as I share with other workers I am actually doing my job!

What about when you really have to get something done? Here are five ways to make your computer "disappear":

Manage your workspace Rearrange your office or your desk so that the computer screen is not the main focal point. All too often we arrange things so that working on the computer is the default position. If you have enough room, keep the main part of your desk clear, even if it means moving your monitor out of the way when you don't need to look at it.
Work with an uncluttered screen Whether you use Windows, OSX, or Linux, there is a lot of eye-candy on today's desktops. Turn off the widgets and the special effects. Set your background to a simple colour rather than an inspiring photo or fancy graphic. It is also a good idea to remove as many shortcuts from your desktop as possible, especially shortcuts for games or social-networking sites. Clean up and minimize program menus and toolbars. The "ribbon" menu in Microsoft Word 2007 is really cool, but it also screams "look at me! see what I can do! Click me!" If you are not working on formatting, hide the ribbon and just write!
Focus on content instead of presentation With all the power of productivity software, there is always the temptation to format "on the fly." Sometimes it is best to choose a simple font, like Courier, tell yourself that you will make it look pretty after the writing is done, and focus only on the real task, which is to deal with the content.
Try using paper and pencil Computers make it too easy to fix mistakes, so when we write we are constantly editing and proofreading at the same time. Working with pencil and paper is helpful because editing is more difficult. The end result is that the flow of ideas often suffers from fewer interruptions when writing by hand.
Get excited about your work If you are like me, the sheer joy of working with computer technology may never completely wear off. Frankly, I would not want it to! However, if I am faced with the choice between playing with the computer (which I love to do) or doing some work that I really do not enjoy, the playing will win out every time. Look for reasons to get more into your content work and you will discover that the distracting power of your computer will no longer rule you.

5 Criteria For Choosing an Appropriate Game Or Puzzle

There are so many games out there on the market - how do you decide which ones to purchase for those perfect gifts for him? Hopefully this article will give you some practical ways of narrowing down your options and finding suitable gifts for him.

Things to keep in mind when choosing games:

1. Skill level:
Often puzzles will have a star rating or some indication of the difficulty of the puzzle or game. Brain teasers and mind benders often have ratings on them, and you'll want to check that before you purchase. If the recipient has not done many of that sort of puzzle before, better off starting them on an easier level. However, they don't necessarily have to be experts at puzzles to do the hardest level - they may be naturally brilliant and have the smarts to start off with a challenging one right away!

2. Age of individual:
This criteria for choosing a game is rather self-explanatory and is similar to skill level. Make sure the game is age-appropriate. If it's too kid-like for a teen he will be very unlikely to play such an "uncool" game; however, conversely, if you give him a game or puzzle that is beyond his reach due to his age, he will likely give up on it and may even be hesitant to revisit it when he is older.

3. Number of players
Are you wanting to buy a family gift, or something the teenager can occupy himself with, or a game suitable for a party? Jigsaw puzzles are a great family gift. I have wonderful memories of my family getting together with a few friends on Christmas day and putting together jigsaw puzzles while enjoying the Christmas goodies and drinks. Jigsaws are ideal for small groups of all ages and are a great pastime, as you can be engrossed in the activity while still enjoying stimulating conversation. The majority of board games are also designed for small groups and would make a wonderful family gift.

There are so many games out there for individuals. For gifts for him, you don't have to just settle on a deck of cards to occupy himself with solitaire anymore! There are many coffee table puzzles or mind challenge puzzles on the market designed specifically for individuals. These often come with a suggested time you can do it in, giving you a challenge to race against the clock. These mind puzzles make particularly appropriate gifts for him, for those who like a challenge and are systematic by nature. As mentioned above, there are various skill levels, so check the puzzle before you purchase it to make sure it will be the perfect gift for your recipient.

While board games and puzzles make excellent family gifts or gifts for him, for parties or a games' night you'll generally need something a bit more versatile that can easily be expanded or shrunk for your sized group. Taboo, Scattegories, Charades, and Pictionary are all popular party games, and some of them you can play using just a dictionary or your creativity, to save you purchasing the official game (shh...nobody heard me say that!).

4. Size and number of pieces:
Larger puzzle pieces, and less of them, will be much more appropriate for a younger audience. Giving achievable goals, in the form of puzzles, will stimulate a child's creativity and engage them in what they are doing without leaving them frustrated to tears because of the unattainable challenge placed before them. What was meant to be a fun present can easily turn into a nightmare if the puzzle is too big or the instructions to a game are just too confusing. If you do want to give an otherwise complicated puzzle or game to a younger audience, consider having an older child or adult work alongside the recipient, helping him/her understand the rules (showing is often far superior to explaining), or helping them tackle bite size segments of a puzzle.

5. Speed of game:
I for one do not like slow-paced games. I love action games and puzzles, such as speed Scrabble (regular Scrabble is too slow) and Dutch Blitz. If you were to give me one of those tricky mind challenge puzzles, I would be bored and frustrated within a few minutes. However, give the same game to someone who likes a challenge, is methodical, and loves to systematically solve problems, and you will have found the perfect gifts for him! Generally personality or even profession is a good indicator of what style of games the individual might like. Is he a people-person and loves activity, or does he have a more subdued personality, enjoying pondering puzzles and thinking through the challenge himself?

In a nutshell, if you take into consideration the things you know about your recipient, you should be able to find games and puzzles to make perfect gifts for him, gifts for the family, and party games. Have fun, and happy puzzling!

Why Doing One More Crossword Puzzle is Not Brain Training - The Importance of Novelty and Challenge

You probably have heard many times "Use it or Lose it", on the importance of mental stimulation to keep our brains active with activities such as reading or doing crossword puzzles.

The question is, what exactly is mental stimulation? and, is all mental stimulation the same? is doing your first crossword puzzle the same as doing crossword puzzle number one million?

The answer: it's not all the same. Real mental stimulation or "brain training" is different from "easy", routine, mental activity.

Let's take the example of physical activity. There is a clear difference between physical activity and physical exercise. Physical activity occurs whenever we move our body or engage in a leisure activity that involves moving our body (e.g., playing pool). Physical exercise (e.g. jogging) refers to the repeated and structured activity of particular parts of our bodies. Both physical activity and physical exercise are good, but it is exercise the one that helps build muscle and improve functionality.

Similarly, mental exercise (you can also call it "brain training"), goes beyond mental activity. Mental activity takes place whenever one is awake, ranging from merely day dreaming to reading a book or learning a new language. Mental exercise or brain training refers to the structured use of cognitive exercises or techniques. Its aim is to improve specific brain functions.

Understanding the difference between mental activity and mental exercise is crucial. For instance, many people feel that they are doing the best for their brain after having completed their daily puzzle. However crossword puzzles challenge a relatively narrow range of cognitive skill and thus stimulate only a limited range of brain regions. A 1999 study showed that increased amount of experience in doing crossword puzzles does not modify the effect of age measured in tasks requiring vocabulary and reasoning (Hambrick et al.,1999). Crosswords puzzles generate mental activity but they do not constitute a brain training program!

This points out to the key word in brain training: variety. One needs a variety of challenging exercises in order to stimulate the whole brain. Recent recommendations made by a panel of experts reviewing a poll by the American Society on Aging (2006) stated: "A single activity, no matter how challenging, is not sufficient to sustain the kind of mental acuity that virtually everyone can achieve." Even if one's goal is to improve memory functions, other brain functions need stimulation to achieve that goal. For instance, attention and concentration are essential to good memorization.

Systematic brain training programs can be designed to lead to brain change in a more efficient way that random daily activities may. A combination of both may be ideal. Learning a complex skill such as learning the piano helps train and develop some parts of the brain. Well-designed training programs may help train and develop other parts. Defined as the structured use of cognitive exercises or techniques aimed at improving specific brain functions, brain training includes a range of research-supported techniques or approaches, such as cognitive therapy and meditation, along with the most popular brain fitness software.

An example: Why Meditation is Brain Training

You may be wondering what meditation has to do with brain training. In fact, meditation has been shown to improve specific cognitive functions such as attention. As such it can be considered as a brain training technique.

A number of studies have compared people who practice meditation to people who do not. The problem with these studies is that people in both groups can be very different. Thus the benefits observed in the group practicing meditation could be due to other things.

Recently, a more controlled study was conducted that showed a specific effect of meditation on attention. In this study, Posner and his colleagues (2007) randomly assigned participants to either an Integrative Body-Mind Training (IBMT) or to a relaxation training. Both trainings lasted 5 days, 20mn per day. IBMT is a meditation technique developed in China in the 1990s. It stresses a balanced state of relaxation while focusing attention. Thought control is achieved with the help of a coach through posture, relaxation, body-mind harmony and balance. The results of this study showed that after training, participants in the IBMT training group showed more improvement in a task measuring executive attention than the control group. The IBMT training also helped reduced cortisol levels caused by mental stress.

Styles of meditation differ. Some technique use concentration meditation, mantra, mindfulness meditation, while others rely on body relaxation, breathing practice and mental imagery. It is not known so far what aspects of meditation or which techniques are the best to train one's brain. Scientists are researching what elements of meditation may help manage stress and improve memory. For instance, Dr. Andrew Newberg is currently conducting a study where 15 older adults with memory problems are practicing Kirtan Kriya meditation during 8 weeks. Preliminary results in terms of the impact on brain functions seem promising.

In summary, yes, "Use it or Lose It", but please remember that not all ways to use our brains are the same.

It may be time for a new saying: "Exercise it and Improve It".

Copyright (c) 2010 SharpBrains

Be prepared when you go to the Fair - Make sure all

If you're going to win stuffed animals or other things, as always, should be a big trash bag with you. Often artists are working on the games and the novelty of the workers do not have extra bags available. The best place to get the big bags stuffed animal would be the exciting games of basket-long. They generally give away many large animals, and the DO used are not damaged bags as soon as they emptied the room of stuffed animals in 'waiting for youWeapons of all games of chance.

Many people want to save food. The best way to do this is to bring a bag or backpack. The stands are supplied with new boxes. The political carnival often call their boxes all suppliers of Plainview or disposed of. Basically, it was not easy is to get a box on the site. Take something to get your take-home delicious carnival and fair food remains.

It 'nice to get your credit card. Most of the majorCarnival and committees would have a cash machine at the fair and festival a lot. More than a few fair-goers do not bring as much money as they want to use when they get there and start spending money on the wind. A credit card is for patrons to get money while shopping during the event. time in May, there will be several ATMs, s, so if the first is in cash, find another.

If it looks like rain, and you will go to the event in any case, you should have an umbrella. It 'also good to have a rain coatwell or rain poncho with you. You can do almost anything in a festival of rain or the weather seems to do. Things like this will keep you dry and warm enough. The best rain gear just to get would be the type and size, you can roll up and be in an area the size of a large pocket. You can keep warm even on the right shoe when the weather is to wear.

If you and your party to do different things, plan and must be separated, it is good to have a phone or two. You should try toa cell phone for each pod in your party who are separated from the main group. If you have three children, all different ways, they should have a form of communication. You can back up make it much easier than any other in this way. It is much easier and less complicated than the historical meeting places.

Once you are at the ceremony to see if they should have maps of the structure. The map of the area is often in the same document says that the list of events toEvent. These are things a lot easier and it is expected to see some things that are not predicted. Now that you have a card you can use a meeting place. And also the time where you meet with your party, or if you want to be somewhat separate.

There is also a good idea to talk to you for all seats. Even if you leave in the trunk until you need it. Most events are not enough seats for patrons sitting. Many reasons are fair enoughfeet tall and have a good chance of being tired. The best places are the small chairs fold for sale in many stores. They are not hard to bear and will be very useful in many events.

I know you will remember the camera and / or VCR correctly. This is for you if you take one. But please do not worry about employees with tools so annoying. And try not to use the camera for intimidation purposes. But make sure you have enough film or memoryThe amount of time spent is a good time. Have fun!

Archery Games and Entertainment - Bare is better

Our club archery in medieval style, comrades of the Longbow, have over the years, many challenges in developing games and archery. Unfortunately, almost impossible to find games archery games on the internet googling, since the keywords such as games archery "just carrying the computer. This will be one of many articles describing it, so to try and hope you enjoy. They can be played by all styles of archery, but may need improvements in variousTypes of bows. For those archers shoot seriously, these games provide some relief by the arrows ass in a pounding and can help sharpen your skills. Above all, these games are safe (I once saw a blind man buff for ......).

Hitting everything with a longbow is rather complicated, it is not surprising since it is basically a length of bent wood and a piece of string. So if you want to hit the target, is getting comfortable with the performance. On the other hand, we havehave the modern recurve and compound with sights, stabilizers and aid release. In the hands of a decent archer, its accuracy is phenomenal. When it comes to archery play the game, its accuracy is a bit 'a problem that most of the games would be over very quickly. For games and be competitive in a fun, degree of randomness is necessary to take these shots help. Now I'm not against archery modern, it's just that it is geared toward one thing -just hit a FITA.

Remove all aid - Shooting white sheet - intuitively means that it shoots to hit the target. With intuitive, I mean, look at your destination, pull and shoot - the eye and the brain guides the arm shot, without having to think. It 's like throwing a stone in a can. It is not necessary to focus as such a goal, but only for the cast and stone. With (much) practice what you see is what you get. Some of the games areTargets at different distances, so you have to rely on binocular vision to judge distances. Shooting is also indirectly a common technique - shooting the arrow into the air that comes close to the target.

So if you try one of these games, I recommend you play the style sheet blank.

Colors

A team game that requires speed and precision.

Services

A 80 cm FITA target face style to the team,mounted on an ass and stop.
Each shooter has 6 arrows.
Details of the game

The archers are divided into teams, each with 6 arrows archer. I recommend no more than six archers in a team otherwise there is a strong possibility, damage arrow (not) make best use of trees in carbon fiber!).
The archer from each team shoots up to three arrows to the white ring from his goal. If they hit, that he will retire from the line of fire (even if you do not shoot three arrows)and the next team member steps up to the shooting line and targets for black.
When is black, the next steps to hit targets for the archers and the blue line.
The game continues until the team hit all the colors from white to gold and then back to white gold.
If an athlete lacks the color, shot three arrows, the next shooter continues to point to that color.
During the game, when all the archers shot two times each (6 arrows)then "almost" is and the game was suspended, then the archers retrieve their arrows from the targets. The game then the next shooter to shoot more.
The winning team is the first to go from white to gold and then gold on white.
If a team member is unsure about where their arrow has landed (for example, very close to the boundary line between two rings), then you can warn the captain of the field cry is: "Fast". All recording is stopped immediately, while the captain checked the areaThe position of the arrow. If the arrow intersects the line is the highest rating of color that counts. The commander of the playing field again.
Changes

Speed Color

If a shooter makes the team a color, go to the next color (assuming they have all the arrows on the left). The team tried to get in white gold and vice versa, as soon as possible.
The first team to have all the archers shoot their calls two "fast" and you'restop immediately and stop all other teams have to shoot. The arrows are collected and the game continues.
The winning team is the first to go from white to gold and then gold on white.
Custom colors

Even if the color is a team game, there is no reason why it can be played individually.
Each shooter shoots six arrows, from white, then black, etc.
An archer can only go to the next color, if the previous one has been affected.
Once aArcher shot all 6 arrows, shouting "fast" and all others must stop firing, even if you do not shoot all their arrows.
The arrows are collected and the game continues.
The first shooter to go from white to gold and then again in white gold is the winner.
courtesy of the game www.blackcatarchery.com

Should Game Testers Specialize?

If you are entering the exciting world of testing games for a living, then there is one factor that's not only puzzling but also one of the most debated amongst games testers. Should you specialize as a games tester? Whether you decide to specialize or not, there are pro's and con's to either specializing or generalizing your skills as a gamer. Lets briefly look at the pro's and con's of both to help you make a better decision as to where you are steering your career testing games.

Specializing:
Game testing jobs come a dime a dozen these days. With thousands of games being launched every year the market is expanding with every piece of technology that hits the market. This leads to even more options for you to specialize in.

You can either specialize in different genres of games or you can specialize in different game platforms. Game platforms are expanding rapidly. PC, console, mobile and even online games are all different areas that require different expertise and by specializing in any of these areas you can make yourself unique and become a specialist. If you want to you can go very specific. For instance you can specialize in online MMORPG's.

When you specialize you will stand a much better chance of getting games testing jobs from specific developers and specific games. If you can establish yourself as an expert you can get paid much better when you specialize like this.

The downside is that if you specialize you narrow down your opportunities to a very select area of the market. You might struggle to find jobs if your focus is too narrow - especially if you are first starting out.

Generalizing:
The obvious advantage of going after any and all games testing jobs is that you will have a ot more jobs to choose from. If you are a jack of all trades then you will find that there's an immense amount of jobs to choose from.

The obvious downside of this approach is that you will have very little that sets you apart from the rest and you will just be "another tester" with a resume that just blends in with all the rest. The pay is usually mcu8h lower and you will find yourself getting jobs testing games you may not like that much.

However, this can be a great way to get into the testing world. If you need to find your feet and get your feet wet, then this is probably a much better approach. If you have a long term strategy and if you are serious about turning this into a lucrative career then I'd suggest you start specializing as soon as possible.