Random Ideas

Video Game Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:07:00 +0000

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Studies show that the excitement of video games makes playing them addictive. Parents of preteens and teens hardly find the realities of video game addiction surprising.

Ask any preteen or teen how they love to spend their spare time, and chances are you'll get an earful about video games. But why do they love them so? Is video game addiction real? According to some studies it would appear that the excitement of video games causes the brain to release a chemical that is, in essence, addictive. For any parent who has seen the fervor by which some kids play video games, this news is no surprise.

What makes video games so addictive? Media literacy specialist, Dr. Charles Ungerleider explains that "they're very compelling with increasing complexity, so a child becomes more facile, yet wants to know more and apply new skills." While wanting to improve their game isn't a problem in itself, it becomes one if video games are "taking a youngster away too much from other activities," says Ungerleider. "Then the parent has to intervene and limit the amount of time the youngster spends with the video game."

Professor of Computer Science, Maria Klavee feels video games, if not too violent, can "offer some real opportunities for puzzle solving, strategic and critical thinking". But she adds that it's important that video and computer games are played in moderation. Klavee says parents should "provide a selection of activities, not just the ones that have the most action or are addictive. Choose some that involve problem solving or good story lines. Also aim for a balance in your child's life. Sports are important, reading's important. Just think of computer games as one more component in a child's exploration of what's out there in society."

As for video game addiction? Ungerleider believes that "a parent can prevent youngsters from becoming addicted to too much TV or too many video games by establishing a pattern of selective viewing or by using video game material early in a child's life so that by the time a youngster gets to be an adolescent and there's very little surveillance or control, it's less likely to occur."

Finally, Ungerleider remind parents that "if a youngster becomes addicted to video games it can be a problem and the parent does need to intervene and provide attractive alternatives."

-theparentreport

Computer Games Can Stunt Our Brain

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:02:00 +0000

Do you know how computer games can affect our brains especially in childrens?
Because of computer games, children of our generation more disposed to violence than their parents according to controversial new study.

The tendency to lose control is not due to children absorbing the aggression involved in the computer game itself, as previous researchers have suggested, but rather to the damage done by stunting the developing mind.

Computer game only stimulated activity in the parts of the brain associated with vision and movement, according to a Professor in Japan. The level of brain activity was measured in hundreds of teenagers playing a Nintendo game compared to the brain scans of other students doing a simple, repetitive arithmetical exercise.

The students who played computer games were halting the process of brain development and affecting their ability to control potentially anti-social elements of their behavior.

One of the observer said "The importance of this discovery cannot be underestimated"

There is a problem we will have with a new generation of children - who play computer games - that we have never seen before.

'The implications are very serious for an increasingly violent society and these students will be doing more and more bad things if they are playing games and not doing other things like reading aloud or learning arithmetic

I have read story about Kawashima and I want to share it with you.

Kawashima, in need of funding for his research, originally decided to investigate the levels of brain activity in children playing video games expecting to find that his research would be a boon to manufacturers.

He expected it to reassure parents that there are hidden benefits to the increasing number of hours their children were devoting to computer games and was startled by what he discovered.

He compared brain activity in children playing Nintendo games with those doing an exercise called the Kraepelin test, which involves adding single-digit numbers continuously for 30 minutes.

The students were given minute doses of a radioactive pharmaceutical through an intravenous drip which allowed a computer to map a complex picture of their brains at work. A subsequent study was conducted using magnetic resonance images.

Both studies confirmed the high level of brain activity involved in carrying out simple addition and subtraction and that this activity was particularly pronounced in the frontal lobe, in both the left and right hemispheres.

Though it is often thought that only the left hemisphere is active for mathematical work and that the right hemi sphere is stimulated by more creative thinking, the professor found that arithmetic produced a high level of activity in both hemispheres.

In subsequent studies, Kawashima established that arithmetic exercises also stimulate more brain activity than listening to music or listening to reading. Reading out loud was also found to be a very effective activity for activating the frontal lobe.

Kawashima, visiting the UK to speak at this weekend's annual conference of the private learning programme Kumon Educational UK, said the message to parents was clear.

Children need to be encouraged to learn basic reading and writing, of course,' he said. 'But the other thing is to ask them to play outside with other children and interact and to communicate with others as much as possible. This is how they will develop, retain their creativity and become good people.

-guardian

Kuwait Vs. Philippine Askalz 2014 World Cup Qualifiers ROUND 2

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:21:00 +0000

Today Kuwait faces Phillipines International Friendly Matches Asian World Cup 2014 Qualifiers 2nd round. Kuwait vs Phillipines both team are ready to fight this match.The big match Kuwait vs Phillipines around the world of enjoyable Mohammad Al Hamad Stadium on July started 23-07-2011 from 16:30 until 18:30 GMT time.

Kuwait vs. Philippines soccer battle was done. It was held at Brazil. The fist game started and ended with the score of 2:0 in favor of Kuwait. I was very disappointed on how Askalz moved at that time. I though,they are not in good condition maybe because they are so tired. We can't say that the goal keeper in Team Askalz was not good so the Team Kuwait can make more goals. The Goal keepers really do his best to prevent opponent goal and to put the Philippines banner up. He's very good in defense. He will not belong to the Team Askalz if he's not the best goal keeper. But honestly, in the opponent part, Kuwait is quite good. They are all fast and full of confidence but sad to say, Kuwait wins at score of 3:0.

To the Kuwait Team, Congratulations! You did a good Job!

To the Philippine Askalz, Pacquio said, continue even you lose the game. He said that he also had lose games but still he fight for the Philippines. He continuously fight until he reached the goal. The goal to be the Champion and to represent Philippine as his beloved country until he reached it. So Team Askalz, continue and be the Best Soccer Team Player in the World!

History made by Azkals: Philippine FootBall Team

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 08:15:00 +0000

It was just a few months ago when the country knew almost nothing about this group called Philippines Azkals. when the country woke up to the power of the Azkals, it did not look back and stayed awake since then and its fans growing in number by the multitudes.

That continued on yesterday when the Azkals beat Sri-Lanka in a most convincing and impressive fashion at 4-0. we almost fell asleep, worried even, last week when they could only muster a 1-1 tie in Sri-Lanka. yesterday’s game showed us a different team when the Azkals showed class, fineness and the tenacity of mad dogs going after it’s prey almost at the start of the bell.

The Azkals were relentless in their offense from the very start of the game. i would say the ball was on the half of the pitch on the Sri-Lankan side for a good 85% of the time. and during those moments the ball was on their opponent’s half, the Azkals attempted to kick a score almost every time they were there.

The Azkals that played yesterday looked like they were a completely different team from the one that played in Sri-Lanka last week.
The offense the Azkals executed last week was nowhere to be found. it just didn’t work.
yesterday at the Rizal, the Azkals were nothing but an offensive team
they passed the ball very well; they created openings for others; they communicated with each other very well and they had set patterns to execute that almost always worked flawlessly
they also showed a lot of confidence in the plays. it did not look like this was a team who has not played together a lot. this time around, they seemed to know what the other was going to do and made opportunities for scoring and attackTthe defense was also excellent with the ball going to the Azkals side not as often and offensive dangers occurring even fewer times etheridge, the goal keeper worked less this time, showing just how great the defense was
but of those times etheridge worked, he performed his job flawlessly as always. etheridge we think is clearly a great asset to the team
The fact that those who scored yesterday are the same people who used to score before tells you the offensive machine is working very well and the team’s scorers are gaining much confidence on their skills and trust on their teammates

Everything about the Azkals just worked perfectly. they did look like a team who has been playing together for many years. aside from the players, credit goes to the coach and his staff. they have obviously done their job in getting the team together. the couch’s effort and skill cannot be ignored. this coach knows his job and he planned this game brilliantly.
The other equally important ingredient in yesterday’s win goes to the fans, the pinoys who were at the stands going crazy cheering the azkals on. a punishing rain poured on Rizal but the fans stayed on and did not let up in their cheers. we only watched the game on TV but there was no moment during the game that we did not hear the fans cheering the Azkals on. they reacted to every moment where we could have scored, made a mistake or did something right. eveything was noticed, even the smallest things.
We think the fans at Rizal made one hell of a difference in the way the Azkals played. football in the country was no linger a sport for the few meztizos and the rich. this was now a game every filipino enjoyed lustily for, for the players who practiced almost 24/7 hearing the fans go crazy in the stands translates into energy and determination among the players.
The azkals not only made its thousands of fans and pinoys happy in yesterday’s win, the team also made history for philippine football as for the first time the country has reached this stage in the qualifying games for the world cup. on that alone, the Azkals has achieved glory and they are already champions! for the pinoys.

-wawam(wordpress)

10 Ways On How Students Can Save Money

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 02:06:00 +0000

While you are in school, and maybe even right after you graduate, you are going to be on a tight budget. Looking for little ways that you can save money will prove to be very important during your school years and beyond. To help you out, here are 10 easy ways for students to save money:

Stop Buying on Impulse
Impulse shopping can be very tempting while out and about. The problem with this is that you end up blowing money on stuff you don't really need, and sometimes on stuff you don't really want. Before making a purchase, make sure it is truly necessary.

Hide the Credit Cards
Many students give into the temptation to buy now and pay later. Unfortunately, these spending habits can come back to bite you. If you find that you can't charge responsibly, hide the credit cards until you learn a little restraint.

Give Up Bad Habits
Everyone has at least one bad habit. Maybe you smoke, drink Cosmos like no tomorrow, or buy expensive coffee before class. Whatever it is, cut it out. You'll be surprised at how much money you save.

Stop Keeping Up with the Joneses
Just because your roommate or your pals down the hall have a seemingly endless allowance, it doesn't mean you do too. Try to avoid keeping up with the Joneses and stay true to your budget.

Find Bargains
When shopping, look for clearance items or two-for-one bargains, buy used books instead of new, and order the special instead of something off the menu. If you can find a bargain every time you go shopping, you will save more money than you ever imagined.

Buy Machine Washable Clothes
You're in college. You don't need a dry cleaning bill! Buy clothes that you can wash yourself or take home to mom. If you must buy dry clean only clothes, try to limit how often you wear them.

Take Hand-Me-Downs
Whether it is a used book or previously worn clothes, there is no shame in taking hand-me-downs. If somebody offers you something and you can use it, take it gratefully. When you're making more money, you may be able to someday do the same thing for someone else who will be just as grateful.

Stay Home
While it can be nice to get out of the dorm every now and then, staying at home is much cheaper. Instead of going out for the night, invite a few friends over for movies, games, gossip, or snacks.

See a Matinee
Going to the movies with a few friends can be an expensive outing. Instead of going at night, try catching a matinee. Daytime shows are usually half the price of their nighttime counterparts and can be just as much fun.

Go to the Library
Did you know that most libraries offer you the chance to check out DVDs, CDs, and other forms of entertainment free of charge? Well, they do, and by taking advantage of this resource, you can eliminate the money you spend on buying CDs and renting movies.

by: Karen Schweitzer

Focus While Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:34:00 +0000

Here is the first thing that came to mind regarding a time when you shouldn’t be writing. Focus is a hard thing to come by these days, especially with the increased speed of technology. If you don’t turn off that smart phone, unplug from tweetdeck and mute the television, well you’re going to be interrupted quite a bit when you try to write.

Focus while blogging is a lot like texting while driving. It’s dangerous, your focus is split so your content is not optimal and there are far more chances for accidents than under normal writing conditions. Don’t blog while distracted. Take the time to apply focus and effort to your work.

When I created the post, Explosive Backlink Strategy, I wrote an entire draft of it without unplugging myself from all the previously mentioned distractions. I repeated sentences, created broken links, had grammatical errors galore and left many ideas unsupported. Worst of all however, was the fact that I had written far too much!

When you think about it, it’s a miracle that we accomplish anything at all with all the Facebook chimes going off on our phones and other mediums desperately calling for our attention. Instead of writing less in these conditions, I tend to write more! And we all know that online readers prefer concise, helpful information.
After unplugging myself, I was able to refine my article to the core ideas that mattered and scrubbed all the errors. That’s the difference between being focused on one thing and having your attention split amongst many things.

-the traffic blogger

SAFETY: Texting while driving: A dangerous distraction

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:26:00 +0000

It’s becoming a modern day issue and not just saved for the teenagers or drivers in personal vehicles--texting while driving is making headlines again as the head of the Boston transit authority has announced a ban on cell phones for all train, trolley, and bus operators. Last week, a 24-year-old trolley operator injured 49 people after crashing into another trolley while sending a text message to his girlfriend. Last September, 25 people were killed and 125 injured after a commuter train in California crashed after the engineer was sending and receiving text messages. There are a number of state laws restricting cell phone and texting use while driving.

Seventeen states plus the District of Columbia also ban cell phones for school bus drivers. Currently, there are no laws against cell phones for other operators of public transportation vehicles.

No matter who is behind the wheel, here are some tips for helping to reduce cell phone distractions:

If you need to make a call, pull off the road completely.
If you must place a call while driving, speed dial or voice-activated dialing can keep your eyes on the road. Also, make sure you are wearing a headset or using a hands-free system.
If you receive a call or text on the road, resist the temptation to answer—let your voice mail pick it up or let the message wait in the in-box,
If it is an urgent call, briefly tell the other party you’ll call right back once parked in a safe location. Most cell phones remember the last few calls received, making it easy to return the call.
Don’t text and drive. Texting is a distraction for the mind, eyes, and at least one hand—all of which are needed for driving.

Bottom line: Like the bumper sticker says, hang up and drive. Operating a phone in any fashion while driving can be a dangerous distraction.

—Liza Barth

Making Money On Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:59:00 +0000

This week I spent a lot of time trying to find legitimate ways on how to really make money on Facebook. I observed a lot of folks out there particularly internet marketers joining groups and fan pages and then mindlessly promoting their affiliate links. As I mentioned in this post most of the links lead to money making programs that I am always trying to avoid like plague especially in the arena of internet marketing. Mostly are that sort of MLM programs that entice you to pay a membership of $25 or so and you will be making $1000’s in a month or two.

Well, I’m not saying that’s not possible. It can be achieve if you’re the guy with big list to promote your newfound online dollar goldmine. We’re getting out of topic here.

By the way there are some folks I know who are wondering how does Facebook make money. Well, one way that Facebook gets its thousands of profits is through their advertising program. The process is very simple. Advertiser pays money for his ads to be broadcasted and seen by millions and Facebook simply rakes in the profits. Of course, that’s very obvious but for those who’s looking for the answer then it could be worth mentioning here.

I tried searching Google and I found a lot of programs about how you can make money on Facebook. Wild claims such as “Make $100 a day using Facebook”, “Making $500 per day with Facebook Fan Pages”, and a thousand more convulvulated hypes almost made me sick like a stricken donkey and almost forgot my job of creating reputable sites that would eventually make me money in the long run.

Most of the make money Facebook eBooks and reports talk about creating Fan Pages and the method they suggest goes through the same process:

create your own fan page using iFrames

target a niche that

make a title could become viral

get thousands of members who will like your page

and then make the most of that page by building your list or simply monetize it with CPA programs

While there are those lucky folks who easily earn an insane amount of moolah through that popular site, I could very well say that not every Joe and Jane does too. I’m not trying to say that you can’t make money with Facebook. You can if you have the desire and will to do what it takes.

Go on and buy those programs that teach you how to create your own Fan Pages and learn how to promote them. Or you could simply search Google and you’ll find a lot of tutorials and even video courses which are free.

Just like making money by blogging you still need to spend a great deal of time and constant effort in order to achieve the amount of income you are after. Well, no easy money for the lazy folks like me it seems. Good thing that the reality of this internet marketing booger is now getting on me. And I’ll be smarter next time.

If you get reading this far then thanks for your interest and hopefully you’ve got my hidden message. I know I’ll be seeing those spam comments of praises and “thank you”s for sharing which I am now trained to simply hit the empty spam button.

by: www.bizphere.com

Ways On How To Make Money Online

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:34:00 +0000

There are different ways in which you can try to make money online. The online money making options can serve as your full time job or even as the part time ones that can help you earn extra money. So, even if you are in financial problem, you can use this money as your debt help option. This is because you may be able to use this money to pay off your debts.

Online Money Making Options

Nowadays there are so many online money making options that you will be spoilt for choice. Some of the money making options are:

Conduct online classes – You can make money online by providing online classes and tutorials to the students. If you have that knack for passing on the knowledge that you have, if you like teaching kids, you can join the websites that offer online tutorials.
Sell items – You can make money through selling items online. There are various such websites that can help you in selling various items. Like you can either make foods or any other kind of items or may be things that you think you won’t require anymore and make some online money.
Blogging and freelancing – You can make money through blogging and freelancing. This can work as one of the best money making options if you have a flair for writing.
Designing logos – There are so many businesses which are in need of logos. So, if you are interesting in drawing and designing, you can make money online through designing logos for various companies online.
Join affiliate marketing programs – Another great way to make money online is joining the affiliate marketing programs. You are not required to do much here and that is the reason as to why this option is so popular with most of the people. You are simply required to include link of the merchant’s website in your own website. This helps in promotion of the merchant’s products and services and you get commissions for that.
Participating in forums – There are also some forums and communities that offer dollars for participating and posting answers or queries in their forums. You can do some online research in order to find such forums and register with them for earning money. You can even earn rewards if you are able to offer good help to others through the forums.

So, you can make money online and use that money for your own help and become debt free of the financial obligations. Thus, making money online is one of the processes that can help you in maintaining your finances. However, in addition to making money online, you will have to try and lower your expenditures as much as you can.

by: www.bizphere.com