Recently, I was at a local store looking for a book just to occupy myself during my work breaks. At this store, I saw this puzzle book on Sudoku. Although I heard of this game and even tried playing it. It is so confusing.
What is Sudoku? It is a very confusing game that consists of 9x9 grid that are divided into columns and rows. Basically it is a logic number game. Anyway, the goal of the game is to make sure that the 9x9 grid have the digits ranging from one to nine. These digits are to make an appearance once in each column and row.
There are several strategic procedures in solving this puzzle. Two of these strategies in figuring out Sudoku are scanning and analyzing. This puzzle is very comprehensive!
The first strategic point of the puzzle is scanning. This takes place at the outset and completely at the solution. In between these analyses, the scanning procedure should be conducted one time. In addition, these scans have two types of techniques: cross-hatching and counting.
Cross-hatching is rows that are scanned to find out which region includes a certain number that may be eligible for the elimination process. This procedure is also used for the columns.
On the other hand, counting consists of the regions, rows, and columns one through nine. The purpose of this strategic procedure is to figure out which numbers are missing.
It seemed that the more that I tried to figured out this puzzle, the more confusing it became. Although it is just a puzzle—I know puzzles are not meant to be easy; otherwise it would not earn its name and the complexity would not be as exciting.
Since Sudoku is a brain-cracking experience—at least for me, it also comes with the analysis strategy. The two main steps in the analysis procedure are the candidate elimination and what-if methods.
In dealing with the candidate elimination, the numeral candidate is completely removed with success. This allows the given cell to take this cell. The method can also be performed by looking for the blocks that all the permitted cells for a numeral candidate are based in a row or column that is single.
The what-if strategy contains two numeral candidates that are placed in a cell. In this case, these numbers are chosen and the guessing game begins. I am still very lost with this game.
Forget about trying to figure out Sudoku business. I am going to find out more about this puzzle game. Once I get the hang of this very brain-breaking game, I will become a pro!
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Is There A Such Thing as Healthy Junk Food?
In recent years, our society has become more health-conscious than in previous times. But what about junk food? Are there any healthy junk foods?
No one knows. The reason: the technical interpretation of most people’s favorite food is food that is loaded with the calories but have very little beneficial nutrients.
As everyone knows, junk food can also be classified as snack food and/or fast food. We all know about that very appetizing Quarter Pounder with the French fries; they taste so good but so fattening. I really disagree with the term junk food as fast food. I think of fast food as food that is prepared within a ten- to- fifteen-minute period. A few good examples are foods from McDonalds, Carls Jr., and Burger King. Most people would consider junk food as being the type of food that are high in calories, having large amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup, among other unhealthy ingredients.
Foods such as potato chips and cookies are made and put in a package from a commercial standpoint. There are some restaurants that serve foods as in French fries and chicken nuggets. How can these foods be healthy if they are swimming in two hundred degrees of cooking oil, mainly in vegetable oil? That would allow foods to be grease-oriented.
Recently, I went to the supermarket and was looking for junk food that was healthier than what I had been eating. My food of choice: one bar of Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey Granola Bar. These ingredients included: whole grain rolled oats, sugar, canola oil, crisp rice, soy protein, brown sugar syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. Of course, it has other ingredients in this granola bar.
In the news media, there is constant talk about American children should be eating healthy. How can the media promote these children to eat healthier when the ads are always flashing these commercials with foods that contain a high fat content, sugar, salt, and have a very unhealthy value.
This goes back to the question: is there a such thing as healthy junk food? As with most individuals, I do not think that there is no healthy junk food, but rather as snack food. Just think about it: junk food is full of junk! It includes all of those not-so-healthy ingredients.
My suggestion: if individuals are looking for anything to snack on, it is best to choose these foods with caution. Try to choose from the foods that do not contain hydrogenated oil and massive amounts of sugar. Yuck!
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts?page=2
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts
No one knows. The reason: the technical interpretation of most people’s favorite food is food that is loaded with the calories but have very little beneficial nutrients.
As everyone knows, junk food can also be classified as snack food and/or fast food. We all know about that very appetizing Quarter Pounder with the French fries; they taste so good but so fattening. I really disagree with the term junk food as fast food. I think of fast food as food that is prepared within a ten- to- fifteen-minute period. A few good examples are foods from McDonalds, Carls Jr., and Burger King. Most people would consider junk food as being the type of food that are high in calories, having large amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup, among other unhealthy ingredients.
Foods such as potato chips and cookies are made and put in a package from a commercial standpoint. There are some restaurants that serve foods as in French fries and chicken nuggets. How can these foods be healthy if they are swimming in two hundred degrees of cooking oil, mainly in vegetable oil? That would allow foods to be grease-oriented.
Recently, I went to the supermarket and was looking for junk food that was healthier than what I had been eating. My food of choice: one bar of Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey Granola Bar. These ingredients included: whole grain rolled oats, sugar, canola oil, crisp rice, soy protein, brown sugar syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. Of course, it has other ingredients in this granola bar.
In the news media, there is constant talk about American children should be eating healthy. How can the media promote these children to eat healthier when the ads are always flashing these commercials with foods that contain a high fat content, sugar, salt, and have a very unhealthy value.
This goes back to the question: is there a such thing as healthy junk food? As with most individuals, I do not think that there is no healthy junk food, but rather as snack food. Just think about it: junk food is full of junk! It includes all of those not-so-healthy ingredients.
My suggestion: if individuals are looking for anything to snack on, it is best to choose these foods with caution. Try to choose from the foods that do not contain hydrogenated oil and massive amounts of sugar. Yuck!
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts?page=2
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Goodness of Meditation
In today’s society, individuals are often overworked on his/her job or just everyday life. As a result, there is little downtime. Generally, the mental state of mind is unbalanced.
Here is a key element in maintaining a balanced work/life: meditation.
Meditation has many benefits, if conducted at least three times a week. The following are some of the mechanisms in which meditation can improve our lives:
It gives individuals the feeling that he/she has intelligence. Often we are told by society that there is a fixed pattern to intelligence. This is very unfortunate in our society.
During the meditation process, we begin to focus on the calmness and the peacefulness that we can allow entering our minds. I know this from a personal standpoint. When I meditate, I can take away any negative thoughts that had entered in my mind. As a result, there is more knowledge in more ways than one, as in being aware of the intelligence that exists in us. The meditation will allow individuals to learn how to be his/herself instead of trying to live someone else’s life. This is a very enlightened feeling and experience.
In addition to being a good mind exercise, this practice brings out our self-awareness. The main concentration will be on focusing on the positive aspects of life rather than the negative aspect. In other words, it is time to take a stand and control of our lives, our emotional state, and minds.
Guess what? There is the most essential part of meditation: having a life makeover. Trust me, individuals’ lives will be a very pleasing experience. He/she will value the realization of life and its true meaning. Of course, there will be ups and down. That is life, right? Everyday living is filled with more happiness and those uplifting moments that we are entitled to enjoy.
When many of us were growing up, we were often told to emulate another individuals that were at a more advanced point in their lives. As a result, this produces the low-self esteem that plagues many of us. But with the meditation, this can suppress the anger, jealousy, hatred, and among other negative feelings. Individuals should accept situations as they are instead wishing for something that is impossible.
Out of all the benefits that meditation provides, concentration is the most important. Without concentration, we would not be able to function. It also boosts creativity and solving more difficult problems will increase as well.
Since meditation is this powerful, I will meditate throughout the day. It is worth a try!
Source:
http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/benefits_or_meditation
Here is a key element in maintaining a balanced work/life: meditation.
Meditation has many benefits, if conducted at least three times a week. The following are some of the mechanisms in which meditation can improve our lives:
It gives individuals the feeling that he/she has intelligence. Often we are told by society that there is a fixed pattern to intelligence. This is very unfortunate in our society.
During the meditation process, we begin to focus on the calmness and the peacefulness that we can allow entering our minds. I know this from a personal standpoint. When I meditate, I can take away any negative thoughts that had entered in my mind. As a result, there is more knowledge in more ways than one, as in being aware of the intelligence that exists in us. The meditation will allow individuals to learn how to be his/herself instead of trying to live someone else’s life. This is a very enlightened feeling and experience.
In addition to being a good mind exercise, this practice brings out our self-awareness. The main concentration will be on focusing on the positive aspects of life rather than the negative aspect. In other words, it is time to take a stand and control of our lives, our emotional state, and minds.
Guess what? There is the most essential part of meditation: having a life makeover. Trust me, individuals’ lives will be a very pleasing experience. He/she will value the realization of life and its true meaning. Of course, there will be ups and down. That is life, right? Everyday living is filled with more happiness and those uplifting moments that we are entitled to enjoy.
When many of us were growing up, we were often told to emulate another individuals that were at a more advanced point in their lives. As a result, this produces the low-self esteem that plagues many of us. But with the meditation, this can suppress the anger, jealousy, hatred, and among other negative feelings. Individuals should accept situations as they are instead wishing for something that is impossible.
Out of all the benefits that meditation provides, concentration is the most important. Without concentration, we would not be able to function. It also boosts creativity and solving more difficult problems will increase as well.
Since meditation is this powerful, I will meditate throughout the day. It is worth a try!
Source:
http://www.meditationiseasy.com/mCorner/benefits_or_meditation
Surfing on the Job
Many of us rely on the Internet for our jobs, whether it is creating websites or researching information. The Internet has become an integral part of our lives, including careers. However, there are those individuals who take the surfing business a bit too far, such as for personal usage. A good example: downloading music onto iPods.
The question is do these companies know that many of their employees are making the personal use of the Internet top priority? In most cases, these companies are clueless about the workers’ surfing pattern.
According to Voco, a network consultant firm, it suggests that company CEOs and CIOs are not aware of what their workers are looking for on the Internet during the working hours. This gives them the opportunity to look at everything on the Net, such as pornography. Looking at social networking websites, talking on instant messenger or IM seems to pique the interest of these employees rather than doing their assigned duties on the job.
My question is why would the employees take that chance in surfing the Internet while on the job? I think that is because he/she often gets too comfortable on the job until it is taken for granted. On my previous job, there were several employees who were accessing pornography websites. Many individuals heard about the pop-up windows that are featured on these x-rated websites. They are very contagious. Ouch! When employees use the Internet for personal pleasures, it is usually possible to become a legal issue. "If investigators were tracking who was downloading, then the company would be the one facing legal implications," stated Paul Hortop, a Voco consultant.
According to a survey on Internet surfing on the job, this is not uncommon. Survey said that at least ninety-three percent of American workers had access to their employer’s Internet for personal endeavors and work-related matters. Fifty-two percent stated they would give up everything else but the access to the Internet at work. In other words, they are totally hooked on surfing. In the Websense, it said that the Internet surfing on the job is very costly to these companies in the United States. It costs approximately two hundred billion dollars a year. That is a lot of money just to surf the Internet on the company’s computer!
Most of us love to surf on the Internet for a certain period of time, or never-ending for a few. However, downloading music and chatting on MySpace is a bit inappropriate.
Why take a chance on jeopardizing the bread-and-butter for pleasure? It is not worth it! If we are going to use the Internet on the job, then let it be work-related. That is common sense.
Source:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080926-report-workers-spend-25-of-work-time-goofing-around-online.html
The question is do these companies know that many of their employees are making the personal use of the Internet top priority? In most cases, these companies are clueless about the workers’ surfing pattern.
According to Voco, a network consultant firm, it suggests that company CEOs and CIOs are not aware of what their workers are looking for on the Internet during the working hours. This gives them the opportunity to look at everything on the Net, such as pornography. Looking at social networking websites, talking on instant messenger or IM seems to pique the interest of these employees rather than doing their assigned duties on the job.
My question is why would the employees take that chance in surfing the Internet while on the job? I think that is because he/she often gets too comfortable on the job until it is taken for granted. On my previous job, there were several employees who were accessing pornography websites. Many individuals heard about the pop-up windows that are featured on these x-rated websites. They are very contagious. Ouch! When employees use the Internet for personal pleasures, it is usually possible to become a legal issue. "If investigators were tracking who was downloading, then the company would be the one facing legal implications," stated Paul Hortop, a Voco consultant.
According to a survey on Internet surfing on the job, this is not uncommon. Survey said that at least ninety-three percent of American workers had access to their employer’s Internet for personal endeavors and work-related matters. Fifty-two percent stated they would give up everything else but the access to the Internet at work. In other words, they are totally hooked on surfing. In the Websense, it said that the Internet surfing on the job is very costly to these companies in the United States. It costs approximately two hundred billion dollars a year. That is a lot of money just to surf the Internet on the company’s computer!
Most of us love to surf on the Internet for a certain period of time, or never-ending for a few. However, downloading music and chatting on MySpace is a bit inappropriate.
Why take a chance on jeopardizing the bread-and-butter for pleasure? It is not worth it! If we are going to use the Internet on the job, then let it be work-related. That is common sense.
Source:
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080926-report-workers-spend-25-of-work-time-goofing-around-online.html
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