Oct 29 2008 1:59AM GMT
Posted by: Suzanne Wheeler
Last month I explored the benefits of caffeine versus Ritalin as concentration aids. I regret to report that I have stopped taking Ritalin due to an unwelcome increase in blood pressure. Caffeine is now my sole drug of choice until I see my psychiatrist again for refills. I miss the morning focus I was able to achieve with Ritalin but it’s not worth the 10-30 point rise in blood pressure I was experiencing. Perfect blood pressure has been my only healthy trait in life since I’m obese and mentally ill.
Overall, life is looking up while I’m keeping my blood pressure down. Thanks to better eating habits I fit into my jeans again this weekend for the first time in months!
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Oct 28 2008 8:34PM GMT
Posted by: Suzanne Wheeler
I just failed my certification exam, so now what? Here’s some questions to answer that will guide your path.
Do I have the option of quitting now and not getting the certification?
What is the first thing that comes to mind about taking the exam?
What can I do differently to ensure success on the next attempt?
In my case, I can’t quit. The certification exam is the comprehensive exam for my MBA. The first thing that comes to mind about the test is that I didn’t have a business calculator. To ensure success on the next attempt I’ve bought one of the approved calculators and will learn how to use it. I failed by two (2) questions and am confident the calculator will make the difference. During the exam I worked questions backwards from the answers given to rule out illogical answers. If I had the calculator I would have determined the answer directly.
If you haven’t taken your exam yet you can try my technique of creating “insurance” in case of failure. As soon as I return to my vehicle I have a notepad and pencil ready to take notes on all the exam content. Once I’ve “downloaded” all I can remember I continue with my day and try not to think about the results until they arrive.
Good luck on your next exam and if you ever need a study partner you know where to find me, right here in the pit!
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Oct 24 2008 12:03PM GMT
Posted by: Suzanne Wheeler
“Tennis for Two” was created using an oscilloscope in 1958 long before Pong introduced the concept of video games. Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Tennis for Two was created as a demonstration piece for the public. Creator William Higinbotham wanted to create something more exciting to engage the public’s interest than their average displays. It’s this kind of science that captured my imagination as a child and fuels my drive for innovation today.
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Oct 22 2008 1:31PM GMT
Posted by: Suzanne Wheeler
Lucasarts and BioWare Reveal Star Wars: The Old Republic as a new MMO to satisfy fan appetites and MMO enthusiasts. The child in me is jumping up and down with excitement over this release but the skeptic isn’t so pleased. Maybe I’ve consumed too much science fiction in my short lifetime, but doesn’t time consuming games like this serve as excellent pacifiers of the public? The same thing goes for television. As we continue to increase access to entertainment we decrease the amount of time available for other pursuits. Granted, this serves as crime control and prevents civil unrest. However, how much time are we losing that could be spent improving our own lives and other’s as well? Yes, it makes me feel happy to be entertained but lacks the fulfillment of true human interaction when making a difference in someone’s life. Can we live life unplugged?
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Oct 15 2008 2:42PM GMT
Posted by: Suzanne Wheeler
When the economy experiences a downturn it’s a good time to assess your skills and add new ones. Of course, “free” is the price we want to pay when choosing study materials. Fortunately, TechTarget has you covered with free cheat sheets including a link to free tutorials. (The tutorials page has a big chunk of Google ads between the search portion and the content but doesn’t distract from its usefulness.)
Now get an IT Career JumpStart by adding a little study time to your daily routine!
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Oct 13 2008 6:13PM GMT
Posted by: Suzanne Wheeler
In spite of the tanking US economy today work beginning on HP site was started in Conway, Arkansas. The town is just west of Little Rock and will house a customer service and support center employing about 1200 people. HP was offered more in incentives than it costs to build the new facility.
At least there will be a better chance at getting someone in the US on the phone for customer service when the site is complete. The question is, can we really understand southern accents better than Indian accents? I guess we’ll see!
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Oct 10 2008 6:12PM GMT
Posted by: Suzanne Wheeler
What are your children studying in school? Does the school provide a laptop for each child? Are they getting any programming experience?
This article, Where are all the programmers? from ZDNet.com makes me think about the difference in my education and what children receive today. In primary school I was programming a little triangle on the screen to draw shapes using LOGO. Summer school classes introduced me to BASIC programming. High school vocational programs offered the latest training in computerized graphic design and desktop publishing. What are children exposed to today?
My personal hero, a teacher in rural Arkansas, is navigating through the district-wide implementation of MacBooks for each student from elementary age through the higher grades. All PCs have been removed from the campus. Students are encouraged to make slide show presentations, podcasts, and iMovies as part of their learning. Homework is checked in and out from the teacher’s virtual lock box. Students are able to type notes but all textbooks are left at home even though a classroom set is not available. (Efforts are being made to provide online textbooks when available.) My hero gave a quiz about the previous day’s slide show presentations to evaluate the effectiveness of this new teaching model. The questions were: What was the name of your volcano, where was it located, and what was one of its effects? This was all presented the day before yet most of the students failed the quiz.
No part of this technology program involves teaching students how to program. They have learned how to read information off slide shows, download iTunes, and use MySpace so much the school had to block it. The business/computer department teaches office productivity software use and keyboarding. Where’s LOGO? Why aren’t we teaching visual programming? Can someone help me here?
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