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Thursday, October 22, 2015
American Girl
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Wednesday, October 21, 2015
'Back to the Future' Day
10 Ways to Celebrate 'Back to the Future' Day
by KEITH WAGSTAFF
Just How Much Did 'Back to the Future' Get Right about October 2015? 2:19
Get ready for at least 1.21 gigawatts of fun. In "Back to the Future Part II," Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to the future ... all the way to October 21, 2015. Well, we don't have flying cars yet, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good time by celebrating what has become known as Back to the Future Day.
Watch the movies at home: For the month of October, Amazon Prime memberswill be able to stream all three "Back to the Future" movies for free. Movies are best watched with a fully hydrated pie from Pizza Hut, which, of course, appeared in the second movie as part of a product placement deal.
For those who want a higher resolution experience, Universal recently released a30th anniversary Blu-ray set.
Go to the theater: The movie is traveling back to the theater in many cities across the country. Sadly, it won't be playing in hologram form like "Jaws 19."
Take a vacation to "Hill Valley": Reston, Virginia! It's a Washington, D.C., suburb that, well, doesn't really have anything to do with the "Back to the Future" movies. Visitors on October 21, however, will find themselves in Marty McFly's hometown of Hill Valley.
The temporary name change comes thanks to the Washington West International Film Festival, which will air a 30th anniversary screening of "Back to the Future Part II" with actor Christopher Lloyd and screenwriter Bob Gale in attendance.
Related: "Back to the Future Part II" Writer Bob Gale Talks About His 2015 Predictions
Play some video games: In October, "Jetpack Joyride" players are able able to play with a special "Back to the Future" theme for free. Next month, it will cost $9.99, so get to it fast —unless you have some kind of time machine that lets you travel into the past.
Ride a hoverboard: OK, so the cool Hendo and Lexus hoverboards that went viral aren't available for purchase. But you can do some rad finger flips with this tiny replica ($29.99) that actually hovers (just barely!) in the air.
Mondo
Listen to the soundtrack: What "Back to the Future" fan doesn't love composer Alan Silvestri's classic score? Now it's available in a $105 vinyl box set that includes music from all three movies and some pretty sweet album art.
Drink a Pepsi Perfect: There is nothing like cracking open a Pepsi Perfect while confronting Griff Tannen at the Cafe 80's. On Wednesday, 6,500 lucky people will be able to order the limited-edition bottle on Pepsi's website. You can also buy one for more than $200 on eBay from somebody who received one at New York Comic Con.
Take a look behind the scenes: Super fans can watch a documentary about the making of the films called "Back in Time," featuring interviews with Michael J. Fox, Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg and more. The movie will be released digitally on October 21.
Watch the Cubs in the playoffs: In the "Back to the Future Part II," the Chicago Cubs win the 2015 World Series. Back then, it seemed far-fetched. Now the team is facing off against the Mets in a series that will determine who goes on to compete for the whole enchilada.
Wednesday's game just so happens to take place at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Hopefully that means a lot of people will be dressed up in their best Marty McFly gear.
Time travel: This can be accomplished by listening to "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News over and over again until you become delirious and think you have actually traveled back to 1985.
http://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/10-ways-celebrate-back-future-day-n444721
https://www.facebook.com/October212015BTTF
Adding Steps
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Tuesday, October 20, 2015
The Power of belief -- mindset and success
| Eduardo Briceno | TEDxManhattanBeach
Published on Nov 18, 2012
The way we understand our intelligence and abilities deeply impacts our success. Based on social science research and real life examples, Eduardo Briceño articulates how mindset, or the understanding of intelligence and abilities, is key. When students or adults see their abilities as fixed, whether they think they're naturals or just not built for a certain domain, they avoid challenge and lose interest when things get hard. Conversely, when they understand that abilities are developed, they more readily adopt learning-oriented behaviors such as deliberate practice and grit that enable them to achieve their goals. But this belief is itself malleable, and there are clear actions we can all take to establish a growth mindset and enable success for our children, our peers and ourselves.
Eduardo Briceño is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mindset Works (http://www.mindsetworks.com), an organization that helps schools and other organizations cultivate a growth mindset culture. The growth mindset was discovered by Stanford professor and Mindset Works co-founder Carol Dweck, Ph.D., and is described in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (http://www.mindsetonline.com). Mindset Works offers Brainology, an innovative blended learning program to teach a growth mindset to students, teachers and schools, as well as teacher professional development and tools (http://www.mindsetworks.com/brainology/).
Monday, October 19, 2015
Manvotional: The Essential Qualities of Leadership
Brett; Kate McKay |
Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from FM 21-20, an Army field manual from 1946 that outlines the physical training program used by GIs during WWII. While the section is obviously directed at the leadership qualities that should be developed by the program’s fitness instructors, all of it can be applied to leaders in any situation. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever read a better distillation and summation of the essential qualities of leadership anywhere.
Section I. LEADERSHIP
THE LEADER
The success or failure of the physical training program depends upon the quality of its leadership. The best results in a conditioning program can be obtained only if men are motivated to extend themselves completely in strenuous physical activities and to make every effort to perform all exercises in the prescribed form. Only the best leadership can inspire men to cooperate to this extent. For these reasons only the best qualified men in the unit should be selected to conduct instruction in physical training.
ESSENTIAL LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
a. The most essential quality of the physical training leader is the possession of abounding energy and enthusiasm. Physical training activities, if they are to be successful, must be carried on in a continuously snappy, vigorous manner. Whether or not they are depends upon the leader. The men invariably reflect his attitude whether it be enthusiastic or apathetic.
b. The enthusiasm of the leader springs from the realization of the importance of his mission. He must be inspired by the thought that what he does every minute of every day may mean the difference between victory and defeat on the battlefield, and between life and death of some of the men with whom he is working.
c. The instructor must have complete mastery of his subject matter. Not only must he be able to explain and demonstrate all activities but he must know the best methods of presenting and conducting them. Mastery of subject matter is the first step in developing confidence, assurance and poise. The well-prepared, confident leader gains the respect and cooperation of the men at the outset. The unprepared, hesitant instructor loses the confidence and respect of his men almost immediately.
d. Successful leadership in physical training requires that the instructor understand human nature. He must appreciate the individual physical and mental differences of the men with whom he is working. He must learn to know his group as individuals and he must be quick to recognize the signs which indicate their reactions to his instruction. The better he understands his men, and the more he can see the physical training program from their point of view, the more his instruction will succeed.
e. No instructor can be successful unless he has the confidence of his men. He gains their confidence by commanding their respect. He wins their respect by his sincerity, his integrity, determination, his sense of justice, his energy, self-confidence, and force of character.
f. The personal appearance and physical qualifications of the instructor are related to his effectiveness as a leader. He should exemplify the things he is seeking to teach. It is a great advantage if the leader himself can do all and more than he asks of his men. He must be physically fit because physical training leadership is so strenuous that considerable strength, endurance, coordination and agility are essential prerequisites for successful work.
MOTIVATION
A successful physical training program requires the full cooperation of all the men. Physical training activities must be done accurately and intensively if they are to be of value. It is a simple matter to malinger if an individual chooses to do so. Since it is impossible to force troops to exercise properly every effort must be made to motivate them to do so. The most successful methods of motivation are indicated below:
a. All soldiers must be “sold” upon the necessity of being in excellent physical condition. The leader must convince the men that a high level of physical fitness will give them a much better chance to survive in combat situations. When troops realize that their efforts are an investment in their own personal welfare it is not difficult to secure their wholehearted cooperation.
b. One of the best methods of motivating participation in the more formal physical training activities is to combine them with athletics. Conditioning exercises, guerrilla exercises, grass drills, log exercises, and running are activities about which soldiers are not particularly enthusiastic, but they will engage in them conscientiously and vigorously if they are followed by stimulating, competitive sports and games. Even though men realize the value of the purely conditioning activities they need the additional incentive to continue to put forth their full efforts over a long period of time.
c. To introduce competition into the more formal conditioning activities is desirable. Groups may compete against each other to determine which performs the exercises with the best form, or which executes the most repetitions of the exercises in a definite period of time.
d. Commanding officers themselves may provide one of the best incentives by participating in the physical training program. When troops feel that their commanders believe in physical conditioning to the extent that they themselves regularly engage in the activities, they are motivated to greater effort. In addition, troops invariably develop a greater esprit de corps and respect for their officers.
e. The use of the cumulative count motivates participation in conditioning exercises. When men know how many repetitions of each exercise they have done they are challenged to equal or exceed it on succeeding days. The cumulative count thus serves as a self-testing device by which men compete against their own previous performances.
f. The frequent use of the men as assistant leaders serves as an incentive to many of them. They work hard for this honor and they usually respond well to the responsibilities. The use of mass cadence is also very helpful in making the men feel a part of the program.
g. Another method of motivation is physical efficiency testing. Many men are powerfully motivated to improve their condition when physical liabilities are revealed to them by the testing program. Others feel challenged by the tests and strive to improve their score on the next one. Men compete against each other to show the greatest improvement. Some commanding officers offer incentives to those men with the best records. Others deny certain privileges to those men who have test scores considerably below the average. All of these devices serve to stimulate interest and participation in the physical training program.
h. There is no more effective method of obtaining the energetic, wholehearted participation of the men in the physical training program than by providing skilled leadership. A leader who is admired and respected by his men has no difficulty in securing their cooperation. The good leader informs his men of the value of the different activities and the reasons for their inclusion in the program. He treats his men with consideration and does not impose unreasonable physical demands upon them. If men are exercised too violently, they become so stiff and sore that they look upon the next physical training period with apprehension. The men develop an antagonistic attitude toward the instructor and the program, and instead of cooperating they will malinger at every opportunity.
LEADERSHIP TECHNIQUES
a. Unless the instructor experiences all the exercises himself, he cannot appreciate how arduous they are, what movements are most strenuous and difficult, where the errors of performance are likely to occur, and what the proper cadence should be.
b. The instructor must commend good performance as quickly as he censures bad. Most men respond well to deserved praise. Whenever an individual performs an activity with exceptionally good form or results, it is a good idea to ask him to demonstrate it before the group. It is particularly important that the leader praise the less skillful performers when the occasion merits. The instructor must be able to distinguish between poor performance caused by lack of ability or aptitude on the part of the soldier and poor performance caused by indifference or lack of effort. He should treat the first with patience and understanding, the latter with firmness; he must never apply sarcasm and ridicule. The judicious exercise of a sense of humor is often helpful.
c. To carry on an effective daily program, leaders will find it necessary to prepare a detailed outline of the daily activities. Even the most experienced leaders find it helpful to review the materials to be covered. No instructor should refer to notes or to a card during the course of the physical training period. He should memorize them. Every instructor must be thoroughly prepared before he is given the responsibility of a group.
d. The heavy demand upon the physical training instructor’s voice can be lightened by using assistant instructors to count cadence. Mass cadence will achieve the same result.
e. The men should never be kept too long in one position, especially a constrained one. No exercise should ever be performed a greater number of times than can be accomplished without loss of proper form. The instructor must be uncompromising in regard to the form in which all conditioning exercises are executed. Even slight deviations from the proper form will greatly reduce the value of the exercise.
f. Long explanations should be avoided. As a rule, it should be necessary to give a full explanation of new exercises only. The most essential features of an exercise should be explained first. Details may be added later. Too many details at one time are more likely to confuse the men than to assist them. All minor corrections should be made to the entire class while the exercise is in progress (for example, “heads up,” “knees straight”). If necessary, this direction may be followed by the name of the man who is particularly at fault. If a man requires special attention, he should be given separate instruction by one of the assistant leaders to avoid wasting the time of the remainder of the group.
g. Instructors should employ a positive rather than a negative approach in making corrections and giving demonstrations. It is much more effective to say “keep your knees straight” than “don’t bend your knees.” It is always better to demonstrate correct rather than incorrect form of an exercise or activity.
h. Instructors must create among their men the desire to be fit. A very effective method of accomplishing this is to explain to them the reason and military value of the physical training activities. When troops understand the necessity for being fit and the reasons for what they are doing, they will want to be fit. Such an attitude is essential to a successful program.
Friday, October 16, 2015
The Best Athlete in the World Right Now Is an 18-Year-Old Swimmer, and What She's Doing Is Nuts
Katie Ledecky competes in a women's 400m freestyle heat at the Swimming World Championships in Kazan, August 2015. Photo: AP
An inside look at Katie Ledecky’s rise to greatness that will leave even non-swimmers awestruck
By: Bradley Stulberg
Aug 11, 2015
At the FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, last week, 18-year-old Katie Ledecky became the first swimmer ever to win the 200-meter, 400-meter, 800-meter, and 1,500-meter individual freestyle races during a single meet. It may not be the most impressive accomplishment in the history of swimming—other athletes have won more events in a single competition (Michael Phelps’s eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games, for instance)—but those feats included a variety of strokes and relays. No one has ever dominated a single stroke across such diverse distances like Ledecky did in Kazan.
While simultaneously beating everyone at just about every distance involving freestyle, Ledecky set three world records and swam an impressive 1500m/200m double—with less than 30 minutes between races. Her world championship week “ranks right up there with Jim Ryun’s sub 4-minute high school mile, Eddie Merckx’s cycling dominance, and Secretariat’s Triple Crown as among the most remarkable endurance performances ever,” says Michael Joyner, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic and world-renowned expert on health and human performance.
I asked Joyner to help me, a non-swimmer, wrap my head around Ledecky’s world championship week. “Imagine a runner sets a world record in the 5K, then 30 minutes later, runs a world-class 800-meter sprint, and then a day later, wins world championships in the mile and 800.” What Ledecky did, Joyner says, was simply “insane.” The fact that she won long distance events like the 1500m and 800m as well the shorter 200m in the same meet puts Ledecky’s accomplishment “on a different level than even what Michael Phelps has done.”
Ledecky’s physiology is undoubtedly superb. At 6’0’’ and 155 pounds with a huge aerobic engine, Joyner says she is perfectly built to be a great female swimmer. What sets her apart, however, is her form. According to Joyner, unlike in other endurance sports such as running and cycling, where efficiency may boost performance by a mere few percentage points, technique can be a make or break factor in swimming.
“While discussion about physiological differences [between Ledecky and everyone she leaves behind] are somewhat speculative, there is one aspect of fast swimming that is wholly empirical and entirely visible,” says Terry Laughlin, swim stroke specialist and founder of the popular Total Immersion swimming program. “Form, and in particular, stroke length relative to height.” The longer your stroke length, the more efficient you are in the water.
Laughlin, who repeatedly watched recordings of Ledecky’s world championship races, notes that at times when Ledecky was pushing hardest—like during the final 50 meters of her come-from-behind 200m win—she increased her stroke length by up to 5 percent, something he calls “stunning.” While the form of most swimmers deteriorates when they are redlining, Ledecky’s does the opposite: it improves. “I don’t think this is conscious,” says Laughlin. “It’s that when she reaches deep, her instinctive way of doing so is highly effective,” he says.
Stroke length happens to be highly coachable; but the ability to keep it together at the end of an all-out effort is not. Joyner puts it another way, saying of Ledecky: “This is a person who is able to maximally push herself at something that can be extremely painful and maximally relax at the same time. That’s her real gift.”
Ledecky’s gift for fiercely smooth propulsion has propelled her to the top of her sport, perhaps to the top of all of sports, over the last three years, but the scariest part of Ledecky’s dominance might just be her young age. Endurance athletes tend to peak late, in their late 20’s or even early 30’s. Joyner and Laughlin both believe that Ledecky’s best years are yet to come.
In the near term, Ledecky is taking a year-off from college to train for the 2016 Olympics, after which she’ll enroll at Stanford University. But before she shifts focus to winning Olympic gold medals, she is taking care of some lingering high-school matters. In an interview with NBC following her unprecedented performance, Ledecky told commentators that she needs to complete a few more driver’s education classes before she can get her license, and that she is looking forward to “sitting on the couch drinking milkshakes” after having her wisdom teeth removed.
Thursday, October 15, 2015
North Dakota. Be Angry. (Please.)
Published on Oct 11, 2015
North Dakota is known for being polite, but perhaps they’ve been a little too hospitable to oil companies.
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