Teens at our academic summer camp, SuperCamp, find out an important life lesson when we talk to them about how failure leads to success. Our failures provide us with valuable gifts—they give us the information we need to learn so that we can succeed next time.
The only path to success is stepping out of your comfort zone and being willing to risk. What keeps us from taking risks? The view that failure is a negative and the fear that failing will cause us shame and guilt. How would you act if you knew that failure is virtually your only path to success? We know this because nearly all successful people failed a lot. But they learned, tried a new way, and went on to succeed.
If you hear the word “failure,” what emotion does it evoke in you? Guilt? Shame? Inadequacy? Not a pretty picture. Failure is the label we stick on unsuccessful ventures. It’s practically synonymous with incompetence. The word alone brings up feelings of shame and humiliation.
When we fail, we automatically send ourselves bad messages. We discourage ourselves from trying again, because if we try we risk another failure. It’s true that when you give up trying, you don’t have to face failure anymore. But you’ll have close to zero chance of achieving success. In order to really succeed, you’ve got to be willing to fall on your face a few times.
You didn’t start out being afraid of failing or hating to fail. When you were tiny, failure didn’t weigh you down with emotional sludge. When you failed as a toddler learning to walk, you had a good cry then you stood up, dusted yourself off, and kept on going. But somewhere along the way you learned that trying and not succeeding was bad. That it meant trying was bad. That it meant you were bad.
Your failures by themselves aren’t so terrible, for the most part. It’s how you think about them that gives them the power to shut you down.
When you fail, you experience two types of consequences: internal and external. The external consequences are what happen in the world as a result of your failure. The internal consequences are what happen inside you: the emotional impact of your failure. That math exam you botched your sophomore year? The external consequences were a bad grade and maybe a stern lecture from your parents. The internal consequences were those persistent little demons that whispered, “You’re no good at math. You’re too stupid to do this.” The bad grade came and went—the little voices stayed.
Because our society views failure in a negative way, we learn to avoid trying new things. Instead of risking failure, we fall back into the comfort zone of the familiar, the tried and true. In order to avoid humiliation, we let fabulous opportunities pass us by. But if you’re going to harness the power that lies within your failures, you’ll have to change the way you think about them. Learn to see them for the gifts they are.
Failure is not just one possible path; it’s practically the only path to success. It’s necessary. It’s required. You can’t succeed without learning. And in order to learn, you have to risk failure. Learning doesn’t happen in an atmosphere of fear. Why not? Because fear shuts down the experimentation process. People don’t take risks when they’re afraid. They won’t try something new. And what is learning if not trying new things? You can’t succeed if you can’t grow. You can’t grow if you can’t learn. You can’t learn if you can’t fail.
Of course, there’s a huge difference between appropriate and inappropriate risk. Not all risks are of equal value; not all risks are worth taking. Deciding the value of a risk is a skill like any other. Weigh the rewards of each risk against its potential outcomes, and look at the circumstances in terms of its impact on your inner vision.
You have to risk failure in order to learn anything. Whether you fail or not, risk-taking alone is a powerful learning tool. But the actual experience of failing is the fastest way to learn. Failure vastly improves your odds of success, particularly in the long run, because it tells you what to do—and what not to do—next. When you diagnose your failures and figure out where you went wrong, you’re teaching yourself, literally by trial and error, how to go right. Failing is a great way to learn and grow.
Treat your failures as gifts. Whenever you fail, the universe has just handed you a piece of wisdom. Don’t let it go to waste. Mine it for all it’s worth. Ask yourself:
• What happened?
• What did I learn?
• What will I do differently next time?
“Life is a series of outcomes,” says Simone Carruthers, psychologist and business consultant. “Sometimes the outcome is what you want. Great. Figure out what you did right. Sometimes the outcome is what you don’t want. Great. Figure out what you did so you don’t do it again.”
The only time you’ve really failed is when you fail to learn from your mistakes.
Affirmations for FAILURE LEADS TO SUCCESS:
• I’m not afraid to make mistakes.
• When I make them, I take the time to learn from them.
• I believe failures are opportunities for growth.
“Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” —Henry Ford
SuperCamp summer programs fill up fast. Parents, go to http://www.SuperCamp.com now to learn about enrolling your son or daughter while space remains. Age-specific programs are available for students in grades 4-12 and incoming college freshmen. At the website, you also can get a free eBook that gives you an inside look at what works with teens from a world leader in youth achievement, SuperCamp co-founder Bobbi DePorter.
A good laugh will do wonders for you as smiling and laughing lowers your stress levels, wins you a friendly reputation, and helps your usually tense co-workers and bosses to relax.
Humour on the job will do a lot for your career, but there are a number of things you need to know about laughter and humour in the place of work.
Feeling good and having humour in our lives can do wonders for our position and productivity, which means that there is definitely a place for some humour on the job. Having a smiling face will help your co-workers and supervisors feel better being around you, and you may well end up reaping rewards by laughing more in the workplace. But you need to know how to apply humour in your work environment.
Laughing has been proven to be a huge stress reliever, letting you feel better and becoming more productive. To be able to loosen up and have some fun is great, so why not take that approach to work each day and lighten up around the work place? Smiling can make your job easier, more than ever if you work in customer service or sales. But there’s certainly a right and incorrect way to use humour in the workplace.
One of the main rules with humour in the workplace is to avoid controversy when you are joking on the job. Stay well away from joking about political affairs, race and religion.
Sex is another unsafe topic because of sexual harassment in the workplace. Make sure that you stay well within the lines of decency.
Never make fun at other people within your organization, as you are trying to win friends with the people you work with, and not set against them. If you can’t help yourself, please be extremely careful.
Poking fun at the work you do or the industry you work in is a good way to earn some smiles from your co-workers and supervisors. While these types of workplace jokes may not be so funny at home or with friends, as they really don’t appreciate the pressures of your employment, the people who are around you in your job will definitely appreciate the humour about their frustrations and will be able to laugh over the situations instead of complaining.
Making jokes about the ups and downs of your trade is a safe way to add wit to the place of work. You will have the benefit of knowing precisely what your co-workers have to face each and every day, and it’s much better as it helps to let go of tensions and lower stress levels by getting them to chuckle about the situations they come across frequently.
The very best time for some humour is when you are not working, but still in the region of the people you work with, such as a coffee or lunch break. You can also make an effort to be funny on the job, but when you are working, it’s a good idea to use jokes much more thinly than you would normally do.
In general, humour in the workplace is a superb area to flex your creative muscles and give your job a little boost.
Humour in the workplace helps stress levels to drop, and your co-workers will feel better about working with you. Start gradually, and add a few more safe jokes here and there to incite a few smiles. Everyone will feel better because of your efforts.
This guide is written for those who do need video security and can’t afford costly installation services, or if the CCTV installer is not available in your area - the later is more common than one could think. We will cover most common security equipment types, as it is virtually impossible to go over such a wide rang of different security cameras and recording/video processing equipment available on the market.
I assume anyone considering do-it-yourself CCTV installation has basic knowledge of wiring techniques and practices. I am not to be held responsible or liable for damages to the equipment due to mishandling or misuse. Remember; during the installation always pay attention to safety. Working at heights and using tools can be dangerous, please follow all safety practices. Lets jump right to it now.
Planning: First step of any camera installation is to plan camera and monitoring equipment locations. When planning for camera locations please take in consideration light condition, never install cameras in low light room pointing straight into the sunny area it will add glare to the picture, even if your camera has back light compensation it will not be enough. Use infrared cameras for very dark conditions and/or B/W cameras with as low LUX number as possible. I am not going to discuss proper equipment selection, as this was subject of my last article.
Selecting the best possible camera locations is not easy, and will directly impact the camera views. Besides light conditions, the distance to the monitoring object is equally important. There are many different types and focal lengths of lenses; your selection will depend on light condition and distance from the camera to the monitoring object. In small rooms around 500sq. ft. cameras with standard 3.6mm lens should be OK. Keep in mind that most bullet and board type of cameras come with 3.6mm lens, the greater the distance to the monitoring object the longer focal length of the lens will be needed. There is no ease way of judging lens selection, you can eider guess or buy professional lens selector tool.. Alternatively you can start with your lens selection and if needed get longer or shorter focal length lens later. Other option as far as lens selection goes, is to use variable focus lens, which is very versatile approach and takes the guess out of the lens selection process. For those who do not know what variable focus lens is, it’s basically adjustable focal length lens that will allow to change the focal length within specified range, fore example: 2.6mm - 8mm or 5mm - 50mm.
To maximize cameras coverage and get the most out of the CCTV system for least amount of money minimize number of it by placing cameras in strategic places, unless complete area coverage is needed. Avoid overlapping camera views, do not install them with source of light directly in front of it and do not place infrared cameras pointing at each other to eliminate risk of overexposure. These are the most common mistakes that need to be avoided. After the initial camera locations are predetermined, lets look at cable placement. Make sure that it is actually possible and practical to run cable to each location, if running the cable to any camera location is for some reason impossible opt-out for alternate location.
Wiring: The most time consuming and important part of any camera installation is wiring. Plan your installation carefully to minimize cable lengths and insure good quality video signal. Never run cables alongside high power electrical lines, at least 12″ spacing between video cable and power lines are recommended. Keep the cable lengths below 400ft and use good quality cable, most people take the cable for granted, but it is actually very important aspect of any installation. The CCTV system is only as good as its weakest component. I usually stick with RG59U with power Coleman cable (YES it is US made) sometimes called Siamese type cable. It is combo cable and will transmit video and power, as an alternative it is sometimes possible to use less expensive RG6 standard coax cable with separate run of 18/2AWG for power.
The Siamese cable is less bulky and easer to run, distribution power supply is recommended with this type of cable as power will be supplied from common place right next to monitor and recording equipment. Using Siamese cable makes for more clean and neat installation, as only one line is required for each camera. Running RG6 cable with separate run for power is the likely solution if power outlets are available near each locations. In this case individual plug in power supplies are used to power them with power cable running as separate and independent line to the camera. Both types of cables are available at dvrexperts. When running the cable it is good practice to leave couple of loops of extra cable at both camera and monitoring locations. This extra length of cable is needed if in the future monitoring or location will have to be moved slightly. After the cable is in place, the labor-intensive part of installation is over, now we can get to the fun part of installation.
Camera mounting: Most s come with mounting screws and bracket included, attach the bracket firmly and remember that in some cases different brackets than the ones supplied with the cameras could be needed.
Attach the camera to the bracket and adjust the position approximately at this time, we will come back to it later. Typical security camera is powered by 12VDC or 24VAC and power input type is screw or push terminals or 2.1mm plug. Power connection will differ for each type of power supply and input style. Most cameras are 12VDC, in this case it is important to observe polarity or you may damage the camera. The power cable has two conductors and in most cases it will be red or white and black cable. Use the red or white for positive and black for negative terminals. If it has screw or push terminals power input connect the cable directly observing polarity, if it is 2.1mm plug, a special 2.1MM Female DC Plug with Flying Leads have to be connected to the cable again keep attention to polarity. The 24VAC connection is very similar, with one major difference - polarity is not important.
Next step will involve some special tools and accessories. We will attempt to go over installation process of BNC crimp-on video connector, I will post video demonstration of BNC crimping techniques shortly so please check the web sites mentioned in this article often.
Steps: 1. Remove about 1/2-inch long outer jacket from the end of video cable exposing braid. 2. Slide the crimping barrel onto the cable with the larger diameter facing end of the cable. 3. Pull the braid backwards exposing the inner isolator material and remove 3/8-inch of it so you have now core conductor exposed. 4. The main part of BNC connector has a small hole on one side; push the exposed core conductor of the cable into that hole as far as it will go. 5. Push all the braid folded backwards in step 3 onto the BNC connector and spread the braid evenly around connector. 6. Push the crimping barrel onto the BNC connector all the way. 7. Using crimping tool, squeeze the crimping barrel onto the BNC connector, now the cable braid is compressed in between crimping barrel and BNC connector assuring secure connection.
BNC connector is on, lets hook it up now and repeat the steps for each camera, if you have purchased 16 camera system you may want to get some coffee first.
Monitor and recorder connection:
Cameras are on, its time to make final connections. I will focused on standard CCTV monitor, standalone DVR recorder and distribution power supply, as this is the most popular and likely solution for most CCTV installations.
First we have to install BNC connectors on this side as well - its time for that coffee again. It is good idea to make room for monitor and recorder now and setup some type of desk, shelf or rack to place all the equipment on.
We need the monitor and recorder in place so we can determine proper power supply location. Power supply should be mounted within couple of feet from the DVR video inputs. After power supply is secured separate the power conductors from the Siamese cable, and run it to power supply. Like we did with the cameras if 12VDC power is used, we need to watch the polarity, each terminal on the power supply is marked, so there should not be any doubt. Make sure the power supply is not plugged in to the power outlet yet.
Connect video cables to the DVR video in ports. We need one video cable to connect the DVR with the monitor, if you do not have one you may cut piece of Siamese cable separate the power conductors from it and install BNC connectors on both ends, you now have the cable. Connect the DVR monitor out port to monitor video in. We are almost ready to power up everything; there is only one more thing to take care before we do that.
We need to protect the equipment from power spikes by plugging it into power conditioner or better yet, buttery backup unit. If the installation location is experiencing frequent power outages, the backup unit is strongly recommended. To extend the backup time only plug the DVR and camera power supply to the backup unit and the monitor to regular power strip, this way if we do loose power for some time the DVR and cameras are still functioning as normal while monitor is off. Turning off monitor will not affect DVR and cameras in any way; it is actually good habit to turn the monitor of if not used to extend its life.
Power on and final adjustment: Yes… we are now ready to power it up for the first time, if this is your first installation it may be nerve-racking experience. Start with turning the cameras power supply on, turn the monitor on as well followed by DVR system. The stand-alone DVR, after self-test will show cameras or setup menu on first power up depending on your model.
To setup the DVR refer to the manual for proper settings. Go over each camera view to determine if the view is actually what you want, hardly ever it will be without additional readjustments. To properly and easily adjust the positions, the test monitor will be very handy if not essential tool. Go to each camera location and connect the test monitor to adjust the position to your preferences, if satisfied secure camera bracket adjustment screws - we will not go back to this camera anymore.
Conclusion: Congratulations! You have just completed your most likely, very first installation of CCTV system. Visit our store fore more information on surveillance cameras, DVR recorders, tools and accessories.
Shapes define your photograph. Similar shapes form patterns. Dissimilar shapes draw attention. Imagine if you will a long row of small rubber balls, placed together in a semi circle. The roundness of the ball reinforces the curve of the semi circle. Seeing the roundness causes a familiarity in the image, in other words, it creates a pattern that your eye wants to follow. On the other hand, picture that same long row of balls with a small square block in line about two thirds of the way back. Your eye may still follow the row of balls, but it will stop and look longer at the square. That’s not because the square is more interesting, but because it’s a different shape.
This process of forcing a viewer to stop and look again is commonly known as creating a “Spot”. A “Spot” does not have to be formed by a different shape. It could be a different color, texture, or size. Most often it’s something that is totally different, like a rose in a field full of daises. Being aware of shapes is similar to being aware of lines that can lead your eyes either into or out of a photograph. Shapes can be obvious or not so obvious. They can be real, or they can be implied.
When my wife and I were engaged we had a friend take some photos of us for the wedding announcement. We went to a local park and found a nice interesting big rock to sit on. When our friend took the shots, she was not aware of the shapes in the background. In the distance there was a street lamp. The way the shot was taken the lamp pole was not in the shot, but the lamp part itself was. To this day, we still have friends that say: “Remember that UFO in the background of your announcement pictures?”
Shape adds feeling to the unemotional canvas of a photograph. Edward Weston understood this concept better than most. His study of bell peppers and sea shells lead to some of the most artistic nudes in history. If you want to comprehend shape, study shape, and observe shape in its truest form, look at the pictures of Edward Weston. (1886-1958)
When some photographers seem to take forever to arrange a group of people, what is it they’re looking for? More than likely, it has to do with shapes. Three people standing in a straight line is boring. Move one of them up or down and suddenly you’ve formed a triangle. Take a shot with two couples directly behind each other and visually you have a square. Take a moment to have one person go high and one go low and now the two couple form a diamond. Which one do you think would be more interesting? Take a look at any portrait studio shots and rarely, if ever, will you see people arranged in just a straight line.
Obviously not all shapes have the same impact. Circles and Triangles tend to grab attention. Squares and Rectangles on the other hand tend to blend in. Combining shapes is often what makes the difference between a great shot and a boring one. Shape often goes hand in hand with texture. The roundness of the female form is usually more pleasing to look at than say the coldness of a long rectangular steel beam. If you are really into construction, feel free to disagree with me.
Sometimes shapes are formed by the lack of something; this is often referred to as: “Negative Space”. Positive space is simple. That’s your subject, usually in the foreground. But negative space on the other hand, is what most people are not aware of. Remember the shape of a UFO in the background? Sometimes colors or shapes that are totally opposite of everything in the Positive space, leaves the viewer confused. You might even be saying to yourself, “Something is just not right.” When in doubt, start looking at your negative space. The bright round shape between subjects may actually be pulling your eyes away from the main subject itself. This is a classic example of: Negative Space.
Lastly, don’t forget that where you place the shape also matters. If you are taking a family portrait for example and the father is huge (round or tall) you don’t want to put him right in the middle up front. Why? People will have a hard time looking at anyone else in the shot, if his shape dominates the picture. Place him behind someone else, or have him kneeling so he doesn’t tower over everyone else. Like many elements of design, Shapes can help the images or hurt them. Being aware of shapes can make all the difference in the world.
WHAT IS THE BEST DIET
Many people ask me which is the best diet for me to follow, with practically a new diet coming out every year I find myself getting frustrated with the mis- information being put out there. Let me shine some light on some of these fad diets.
Why fad diets don’t work
There’s no question if you follow these fad diets you will lose weight, but I can also guarantee you will not be able to sustain these so-called diets which is why millions of people follow these diets only to pack back on the pounds again.
The simple answer to this is fad diets do not work, the reason they do not work is because you can only follow such a ridiculous routine for only so long successful long-term weight loss is not necessarily about a diet but it’s about long-term happiness.
I even hate that word diets, because it is linked to feelings of restriction and unhappiness but what I do believe in is a sensible nutrition plan which allows you to eat five to six enjoyable small meals a day. To be honest with you I wish all of these fad diets did work then we wouldn’t be experiencing the problems we have today such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Before I explain to you the concept of a healthy eating plan I’ll cover just a few of these fad diets.
THE ATKINS DIET.
I’m sure you’ve all heard of the Atkins diet and heard about the supposed success stories. The problem is that most of these fad diets work on the basis of calorie reduction. with the Atkins carbohydrates are severely limited, the atkins diet requires that you get your calories from just protein and fat.
The way this works is by consuming so much fat and protein it sends a signal to your brain saying that your full when in reality you are not, this can result in metabolic disorders. The Atkins diet will allow you to lose weight but at what cost? the side-effects of the Atkins diet is nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and bad breath (urghh)
I would have to say the Atkins diet is a big no-no, a healthy diet is well rounded and borrows from all the food groups such as carbohydrates, protein and good fats. Tricking your body into believing it is full, when it’s not, will only can catch up with you and make you feel ill through the lack of nutrients received in you diet.
The weight loss achieved in Atkins is mainly muscle mass, and muscle tissue is what helps speed up your metabolic rate, the more muscle tissue you have the more calories you burn. Which is why when people realise they cannot sustain the Atkins diet any more they put the weight on twice as fast because now they do not have the muscle to combat the fat.
Bear in mind when a new diet hits the market and seems too good to be true, your usually right!
THE ZONE DIET
The zone diet is used by many celebrities such as Jennifer aniston, Renee zellweger, Madonna, Cindy Crawford and Winona Ryder. The main concept of the zone diet is a balanced ratio of carbohydrates (40) and proteins (30%) so on this diet you do actually get to eat, which in my eyes is a good start.
The zone diet works by following recipes with a low-carbohydrate diet plan, it does insist on watching your calorie consumption while eating eg. A meal must not exceed 500 calories and a snack must not exceed 100 calories which they call staying in the zone.
I must say weight loss is not the only benefit of the zone diet you also experience improved energy, improved mental clarity and is also ideal for type 2 diabetes sufferers. This diet was implemented to reduce hunger and compulsion to eat. Zone diet recipes are customized to each individual, based on your sex, activity level and proportion of body fat.
The foods the zone diet encourages are fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts, leafy green vegetables, sufficient protein consumption, and eight glasses of water everyday. How weight loss is achieved with the zone diet is similar to the low gi diet.
By reducing your carbohydrates your body will not produce too much insulin (a hormone that tells your body to store up nutrients) consuming too much carbohydrates causes this to happen which is why carbs are seen as the bad guys. The overload of insulin tells the body to convert the carbohydrates you ate into fat stores around your belly, thighs, buttocks and other areas.
Carbohydrates are not totally the bad guys if you limit them and balance them with low-fat protein this will keep your insulin levels balanced. I like this diet because it’s not so much a diet, it’s more of a eating plan. The only problem I have with the zone diet is calculating meals and snacks every day is not totally convenient, with 5 hours of exercise a week and a variety of balanced meals consisting of low gi carbs, protein and veg is a simpler formula to lose weight.
THE SOUTH BEACH DIET
The south beach to me is an improved version of the atkins diet because it does allow “good” carbohydrates like fruit and foods with a low glycemic (Gi) index. The south beach diet gives you the freedom to snack all day if you feel the need to and not to worry about counting calories.
This diet is a complete waste of time because if you give people in search of losing weight the go-ahead to eat a portion as big as they like, they probably will, I know I would if I didn’t know any better. Even eating the healthiest foods if you consume too much you will still put on weight.
WEIGHT WATCHERS
Weight watchers have created their own brand of foods with low calories from full dinners to ice cream. I must say weight watchers have tried to make counting calories as simple as they can here by running a points system.
Their point system runs something like this: each food has a point value ranging from 0 for jelly to 8 for pizza. Depending on your bodyweight, you are allowed a certain amount of points daily, if you stay under your points you lose weight.
With weight watchers you are allowed to bank points and use them over days, exercise also earns you points. When you’re feeling down in the dumps or lacking in the motivation department you can go to daily weight watchers meetings and get great tips and motivation from others who have overcome their obstacles and achieved there goals.
I believe weight watchers has stood the test of time because they focus more on long term healthy eating rather than restrictive dieting, we are all human and sometimes we desire some of our favorite dessert or pizza without having to feel like a failure. I feel this is totally acceptable and is a good approach to achieving your goals.
THE GI DIET
This diet definitely takes the No.1 spot for me, because it’s more of a eating plan than a restrictive diet. The GI diet also teaches you that carbs are not the bad guys after all, it’s the type of carbs you eat that is important.
Put simply the GI diet is a scale which charts how quickly a food is converted into sugar in the body. Foods that chart as a high G.I number are converted into sugar more quickly than foods that have a low G.I number, the scale is based on a rating of 1 to 100.
So why is the G.I number important?
If a food is rated high on the G.I scale your body is more likely to store fat, this is due to insulin which is the primary storage hormone in your body and is used to help get nutrients into the different cells of your body. High G.I foods raise our blood sugar so rapidly that insulin has to be released in our body to bring our blood sugar down to a normal baseline, in order for insulin to bring our blood sugar levels down it has to store the sugar
It’s a simple stimulus - response system that works to keep blood sugar levels in balance in the body.
So how does this affect your fat loss?
I’ll tell you how, just remember when insulin is present in your bloodstream, your body is in STORAGE mode and will NOT release fat from your fat cells to burn. So when your blood sugar levels are high, your body isn’t burning fat.
Another thing is when your blood sugar is high, your body is using that blood sugar for energy instead of using fat. Sugar is the preferred fuel for your body because it’s easier to use, but it confuses the body so the body takes a guess and always releases too much insulin to bring your blood sugar level down but too much insulin results in bringing your blood sugar levels too low leaving you feeling dizzy and lethargic craving for more sugary foods to perk yourself up again, this is where the vicious cycle starts.
How do you stop this cycle?
To stop this vicious cycle you need keep your blood sugar levels stable so your body stays in fat burning mode instead of STORAGE mode. You accomplish this by focusing on eating low G.I carbs (every G.I diet book gives you a list of low G.I foods)
When you eat low G.I foods, the carbs are converted into sugar at a slower, steadier rate into the body, this way your body doesn’t have to panick and send out extra reserves of insulin in an emergency response, also your blood sugar levels will not drop so suddenly leaving you craving for more sugar an hour later.
The steady state you recieve from consuming low G.I foods will allow your body to access stored bodyfat and use this fat for energy instead of constantly relying on blood sugar. The bonus… you don’t get as hungry and you feel more energised throughout the day with a leaner body to go with it.
G.I diet: A eating plan for life
Another advantage of the G.I diet is that it focuses on good amounts of protein, healthy fats and fiber, which is a well balanced diet.
The concept of the G.I diet is scientifically sound because it works and can be maintained for the rest of your life unlike many fad diets which cannot. Eating low G.I foods for fat loss can have a positive impact not only on your fat loss but on your mood and well being as well.
A diet that focuses on natural, unprocessed foods such as whole grains, quality lean proteins, healthy fats and lots of fiber is no doubt going to be a effective diet
LED, or light emitting diode, technology is something consumers are hearing more and more about from television advertisements, magazine ads and news reports. However, very few people understand why this light source is such a powerful alternative to traditional lighting. The advantages of LED light sources over other technologies are numerous but can be simplified into two main categories: 1.) energy efficiency & longevity and 2.) power & versatility.
Benefits: Energy-Efficiency & Longevity
- LED light bulbs generate only trace amounts of heat, resulting in nearly all of the electrical energy consumed being used toward creating the light itself. Incandescent, halogen or fluorescent lights can use up to 90% of their energy consumption producing heat-carrying infrared light photons which do not produce visible light.
- LED light bulbs produce more light per watt of energy.
- Standard LED light bulb are estimated to burn for 35,000 to 50,000 hours at full capacity before requiring replacement (some high-quality LEDs even boast 100,000 hours). Incandescent burn for 1,000 to 2,000 hours.
- LED technology is perfect for applications that are frequently turned off and on, like flashlights. Fluorescent bulbs burn out more quickly when they are frequently switched on and off.
- LED light bulbs are solid state components, which are difficult to break, unlike incandescent, fluorescent and halogen bulbs which have internal filaments that can easily break.
Benefits: Power & Versatility
- When compared watt-for-watt to an incandescent bulb, LED light bulbs produce more light per watt than any other light bulb.
- A single LED bulb can produce twice as much light (as measured in lumens) as a traditional bulb.
- LED light bulbs light up quickly, providing full brightness in micro-seconds.
- LED light bulb are much smaller than regular bulbs making them perfect for a variety of applications
- LED light bulbs do not use any mercury.
- LED technology is designed to focus the light better for a more intense, bright light.
- LED light bulbs maintain their color when dimmed, unlike incandescent bulbs which turn yellow.
- LED light bulbs can be built to emit color without using costly colored filters, which drive up the cost of traditional colored lights.
With these benefits, LED light bulbs can be used in a countless number of applications. Hunting, fishing and camping enthusiasts can be confident that with a LED flashlight in their gear, they will have adequate, powerful light that will last for days on one set of batteries and years on one light bulb. They will also be pleased to find this technology built into a number of form factors, all specifically designed for specific activities – headlamps for cave hikers, flexlights for fishermen, lanterns for campers and torches for hunters.
Home owners will be able to see power consumption reduction and lower electric bills within one month by transitioning light bulbs in the kitchen, bathroom or living room to LED replacement bulbs.
Perhaps one of the best reasons to switch to LED light sources is to lessen your footprint on the environment. By switching to LED light bulbs, you are not only saving money by using less energy, you are also helping the environment by preserving our resources. In an environment that needs the earth’s inhabitants to use less and save more, LED technology lights the way.
No restaurant today can get away without purchasing or leasing some sort of refrigeration equipment. But what kinds of refrigeration do you really need?
* In the simplest small restaurant setup, like snack stands, a standard home kitchen refrigerator dedicated to restaurant business is adequate providing you use thermometers to measure temperatures instead of counting on the equipment to work properly. All others need something a little more complex.
* Refrigerators are the first and simplest. While stainless steel is the standard for an ordinary reach-in refrigerator, you can get away with anything that can be kept clean over the course of a normal business day. Be aware of what you need to store, and purchase a refrigerator with shelves that are strong enough to hold the weight of your products and that are easy to get to. Storing items in the door is a bad idea, as this part of the fridge stays warmer than the rest in a frequently-opened appliance, so don’t count on that for a lot of your storage.
* If you have a medium to large restaurant, you’ll probably have to consider a walk-in refrigerator. These are all industrial, so you won’t have to worry so much about temperature control. Pay close attention when the salesperson tells you how much storage space you need; even though you may think you can get away with less, you’re better off counting on needing more than you expect. This also allows for expansion if you branch into other things, like catering.
* If you go for a walk-in, consider whether this will be a permanent install or something you can take with you if you have to change locations. If you have a lease you may not be keeping long on your current space, it might be better to just be tough and purchase multiple movable refrigerators rather than go for a permanent install. Also, make sure your walk-in has an easy means for opening it from inside. This is generally only an issue with older units.
* In some cases, you may be better off going with a refrigerated display case, like the ones you see in delis. Examine your menu offerings before deciding.
*Freezers have approximately the same considerations as refrigerators, but ease of access is generally not quite as important. With freezers, it’s even more important than with refrigerators that you are certain you want a walk-in before you get one; there are few standalone walk-ins on the market.
* A different type of refrigerated unit is an icemaker. This is totally different; before purchasing one, you should be clear about whether you want cube, nugget, or flaked ice for your business. You should also be aware of the space needed; an air-cooled icemaker requires a lot of space to function efficiently, while a water-cooled icemaker needs much less space, but also wastes a lot of water.
Also, if you use an icemaker to fill ice dispensers or transport ice in buckets to other locations, you have to be very aware that it must be kept sterile. Food poisoning is often caused by unsanitary ice bin conditions when employees assume that the cold will kill any bacteria.
Before purchasing any refrigeration equipment, know your restaurant, your needs, your space, and your customers. Making the right choices will save you more money in the long run.
For many years at SuperCamp, parents would ask us if we could start a program for them, to help them learn what their sons and daughters are learning at SuperCamp. In response, we started Parent Weekend an intensive three-day parent program that coincides with the final three days of a 10-day Junior Forum or Senior Forum student programs at the same location. The parents who attend love it, including graduating with their children on the final day.
In addition to exposing parents to many of the learning and life skills their sons and daughters discover at SuperCamp, we also talk with parents about how they can support their children at home. Here are nine great tips we share with parents of Senior Forum students, also known as “teens”:
* Listen, really listen. Don’t try to listen while doing something else. Put your chores aside so your teen knows you are paying attention.
* Take the long view. Remember, minor mishaps aren’t major catastrophes. All incidents provide opportunities to practice good communication. Often, categorizing incidents according to their importance will help keep responses and consequences appropriate. Choose only the most important issues to evoke the strongest consequences.
* Make time for being together. Find activities you enjoy doing together and pursue them. If your invitation gets turned down, keep trying!
* Tolerate differences. View your teenager as an individual distinct from you. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t state your opinion if you disagree.
* Respect your teen’s privacy. Just because he/she wants to keep their door locked, doesn’t mean he/she is doing anything you wouldn’t approve of. But, if a behavior is worrying you, speak up!
* State facts instead of opinions when you praise or discuss problems. Ask your teen to demonstrate “Open the Front Door” - a communication tool we use at SuperCamp. O - is an objective observation about the situation. T - is a thought or opinion about what you observed. F - is a feeling you had about what you observed. D - is what you want, your desire or outcome of the situation. Practicing this together is great for keeping the doors open!
* Ask your teen about his/her learning style. Knowing there are differences goes a long way toward explaining why we have problems understanding and communicating with some people and not with others. When you know what cues he/she picks up on most easily (visual, auditory or kinesthetic), you can take steps to help him/her learn faster and more easily.
* Support a positive attitude about learning. Create a positive study environment that includes appropriate reference materials, music and reminders that he/she is intelligent (like old report cards, awards, notes from teachers…). It is also helpful to demonstrate your own positive feelings about learning.
* Celebrate success! Positive feedback goes a long way to encourage repeat behavior. Each accomplishment by a family member deserves acknowledgement, whether verbal or by means of a special treat, like a trip to the movies, a special dessert, or posting on the bulletin board.
By practicing these nine techniques, parents will help build a better bond with their sons and daughters, improve communication, and ultimately be a part of their teens’ success.
At SuperCamp, the learning and life skills academic summer camp for kids 9-18, we focus on individual’s particular learning styles. Knowing one’s own learning style, or strengths, can help when it comes time to study for a test. At SuperCamp, we make this point by telling campers the story of Slim ‘n’ Bil.
Slim ‘n’ Bil are both very smart people – smart in very different ways. Slim ‘n’ Bil both have a wide range of skills. Whenever they meet, they like to show off their talents to each other, and practice their skills to build their intelligence in different areas. The question they ask each other isn’t ‘How smart are you?’ it’s ‘How are you smart?’
When Slim ‘n’ Bil first got together, they realized that their names together spell out each of the eight different ways that we’re all smart – and they created ways to practice and improve each area. Check this out:
S – Spatial-visual read maps, create 3D art, look at hidden-shape puzzles.
L – Linguistic write stories, give speeches, play Scrabble
I – Interpersonal take on projects in groups, get to know people
M – Musical practice beats, play an instrument
N – Naturalist look for patterns, do odd-one-out puzzles
B – Bodily-kinesthetic play with a hackey, act things out, dance
I – Intrapersonal keep a journal, create goals for yourself
L – Logical-mathematical do logic puzzles, play tic-tac-toe, look for reasons
Everyone is smart in all eight ways, and we may have particular strengths. When you study, use these strengths to study in a way that will be most effective for you. When you’re not studying, try out some of these practices to improve the areas you find challenging. No two people are the same, and we’re all smart. The question is, how are you smart?
Learn More at SuperCamp
At SuperCamp, our exceptional staff go in-depth with campers from age 9 to 18 on helping them identify their own learning style and how to go with their particular strengths. Our Youth Forum is seven days long and is for students going into grades 4-5 in the fall. Junior Forum and Senior Forum are 10 days long. Junior Forum is for incoming 6-8 graders and Senior Forum is for incoming 9-12 graders. We even have a college boot camp, Quantum U, an 8-day programs for incoming college freshmen.
SuperCamp is held at eight beautiful colleges across the U.S. throughout the summer. Quantum U takes place at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. More information on our programs is available at www.supercamp.com and www.quantum-u.com.
We also offer a unique 3-day Parent Weekend at which parents of kids in SuperCamp gain an insight into what their children are learning in their programs. In the process, parents tell us they learn a lot about themselves, as well. You can view a Parent Weekend video at.