Friday, July 6, 2012
Living With Pain
It is an unfortunate part of aging that it is sometimes painful. Through no fault of our own, we may face hours of agony. Is there help? Your computer can be a valuable assistant in researching your condition and finding valuable resources that will help in taking an active role in your pain management.
Those of us who experience frequent or constant pain are likely already under a doctor’s care. Some of us who experience increasing or sporadic discomfort may be starting to be concerned and are looking into the situation.
Early dialogue with your primary health care physician is a start. This often leads to contact with specialists and tests of varying descriptions. The terms used to describe your condition, its symptoms, and its treatment can become bewildering. This is where you can participate in the medical process.
An online search on the condition, symptoms and terminology will yield an array of information. In many cases there will be sites that will use plain English and explain everything in a straight forward fashion. This will help in understanding what you are dealing with. WebMD http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/pain-management-diagnosing is a resource that will give you a brief understanding of the different diagnostic tests that can be used to identify the causes of pain. This site has a lot of resources that can help in understanding the different types and causes of severe pain.
Often doctors will refer patients to specialized pain clinics. In Ontario there are many affiliated with top notch hospitals. Chedoke Hospital, Hamilton Health Sciences centre is one example http://www.hamiltonhealthsciences.ca/body.cfm?id=251. Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto is an example of a child oriented pain clinic http://www.sickkids.ca/Centres/pain-centre/index.html. In addition, many Toronto area hospitals have pain clinics that are state of the art.
By taking an active role in the understanding and remediation of your pain, it is likely that contact with an association that specializes in your particular disorder may prove beneficial. Again, a Google search will identify the different associations such as Arthritis, Chronic Pain Association of Canada, Fibromyalgia, Back Pain, and the list goes on.
One of the more common treatment options for pain management is the use of drugs. There are a myriad of drugs that are prescribed for pain control. This is one site that gives information on many of the drugs most often prescribed, http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pain/find-drug.html. If you are interested in drug related studies and articles, this link may be of interest http://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=pain+management+drugs&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=sch olart&sa=X&ei=JxDzT4XUGuXl0QGNv6nFCQ&sqi=2&ved=0CGAQgQMwAA.
There is a lot of interest in natural remedies. A Google search will find such remedies that can be used for pain management also. Check out this site http://www.everydayhealth.com/pain-management/herbal-remedies-for-pain.aspx. If you go this route, be sure to take the natural remedies with you to doctors’ visits. There may be drug interactions that you are not aware of.
A pain treatment option that is in the news every so often is the use of Meditation. An article in Health Magazine, How Meditation Releases and Relieves Pain is a very interesting read http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20189590,00.html. Many times medication and meditation together bring relief.
Going to the internet and searching pain remedies and cures will sometimes bring up sites that tout new remedies. They will most often come with case studies and stories of pain reduction and cures. It is best to check these claims carefully. Not everything you read on the internet is true. The snake oil salesmen are not gone, they just live somewhere on the web now.
Support groups can often be quite helpful. This is a place were you can talk with people who are weathering the same storm as you. One group, The Chronic Pain Association of Canada, http://www.chronicpaincanada.com/support-groups.html, has a membership fee based group, but their website lists a number of local chapters that you can get in touch with. An online support community that has online discussions is found here http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Chronic-Pain/support-group. Check them out to see if this is the sort of group that fits your needs. There is an online chat and discussion group for people with fibromyalgia, called Fibrotalk. It is found here http://www.fibrotalk.com/.
For those of you who are interested in what research is being done can go online to the National Institute of Health (USA) and follow the links to see what current research is underway http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chronic_pain/chronic_pain.htm. The University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain is another resource http://www.utoronto.ca/pain/.
Computer Ease is a regular feature of the
RTO/ERO Renaissance. Share your ideas with the author at: mail4wayne@cogeco.ca
If you would like to be part of our Google + circle, send an email request to me.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Working After Retirement
There are many reasons why a person looks to a second career after spending years in a classroom. Some retirees find the days long without the routines and daily pressures of teaching. Some people want new experiences and enjoy interacting with people. In this day and age, some people need to work longer because of financial need.
Whether you need additional funds for retirement or along with a new career comes a paycheck, there are some things to consider. First of all, how will the new affect OTTP benefits? To get the facts, log on to the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan site at http://www.otpp.com/wps/wcm/connect/otpp_en/home/member+info/working+after+retirement. Often retired educators are tempted to work in some educational capacity, part time or on a contract basis. At the OTPP site the rules and limits of this sort of work is outlined. However, you can work in a non educational capacity to the extent that fits your needs. A good financial advisor would be happy to give you advice on this topic.
There are other issues to take into account. Does the new career offer medical benefits? How will the additional paycheck affect your income tax amount? Start a list of all the questions that need answers and make sure to find the answers.
Some newly retired people opt for a short term job placement to see if continuing to work is really for them. There may be “contract” placements that are right for them. York University has prepared an information kit at that outlines many aspects at: http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/ace/publications/Should_Know.pdf. After reading this document, a trip to Monster.com may prove useful in identifying the types of contract positions available and the skill base and job requirements needed. Check out http://jobsearch.monster.ca/jobs/?q=contract&cy=ca. If you are concerned at all about legal issues in contract work, this site may be a benefit to you: http://www.lbwlawyers.com/publications/contractandselfemployment.php.
Using a Contract Work approach may be a good way to approach volunteer positions. In some volunteer organizations, new volunteers are treated almost like full time employees, but without the benefits or paycheck. While working out your contract with the organization, the type of work, the hours expected and the responsibilities you have are clearly defined. This will give you the ability to plan a life around the volunteer position. In addition, the contract will have a beginning and an end, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
The Government of Canada has some websites that are worth a visit prior to re-entering the work force. Check Out: http://www.jobsetc.gc.ca/categories.jsp%3bjsessionid=07A7ED74EBCEFEA7A4E9B42025C9D654.jvm11?lang=e&category_id=540. Here some interesting topics are discussed, such as how your income will affect your pension, how much time you wish to devote to working, how working will affect your lifestyle, etc.
Another site worth visiting can be found here: http://www.jobsetc.gc.ca/categories.jsp?category_id=740&crumb=68&crumb=740. Both sites offer advice and consider issues that the new retiree may not have thought of.
Nothing beats good communication. Talk about your plans with your family and friends. Talk with people who presently work with the organization or company that you are considering. Sometimes while hiring a new employee on a part time basis, the company can lay off a full time employee. If you are this new employee, how will you be received by the other workers?
I mentioned before that keeping track of questions that crop up along with the answers is a good procedure. When talking with your financial planner, make sure the question list goes along with you and that you get the answers to those questions. It is interesting that nearly the same questions come into play if you are planning a work vacation with an international relief agency or down the street with Habitat for Humanity.
Starting with your list of questions, do your online research. Find out what the company employee relations are like by Goggling the company or organization and checking out their employee relations. Be aware that some employees are very hard to please, and they tend to be very vocal with their criticism of a company online. However, by reviewing comments online you can get a good idea of how the company or organization treats those who work for them.
For those of you, who would like to be part of my ComputerEase Google+ circle, please respond by email and I will add you to the list.
Computer Ease is a regular feature of the
RTO/ERO Renaissance. Share your ideas with the author at: mail4wayne@cogeco.ca or http://rtocomputerease.blogspot.com/
Whether you need additional funds for retirement or along with a new career comes a paycheck, there are some things to consider. First of all, how will the new affect OTTP benefits? To get the facts, log on to the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan site at http://www.otpp.com/wps/wcm/connect/otpp_en/home/member+info/working+after+retirement. Often retired educators are tempted to work in some educational capacity, part time or on a contract basis. At the OTPP site the rules and limits of this sort of work is outlined. However, you can work in a non educational capacity to the extent that fits your needs. A good financial advisor would be happy to give you advice on this topic.
There are other issues to take into account. Does the new career offer medical benefits? How will the additional paycheck affect your income tax amount? Start a list of all the questions that need answers and make sure to find the answers.
Some newly retired people opt for a short term job placement to see if continuing to work is really for them. There may be “contract” placements that are right for them. York University has prepared an information kit at that outlines many aspects at: http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/ace/publications/Should_Know.pdf. After reading this document, a trip to Monster.com may prove useful in identifying the types of contract positions available and the skill base and job requirements needed. Check out http://jobsearch.monster.ca/jobs/?q=contract&cy=ca. If you are concerned at all about legal issues in contract work, this site may be a benefit to you: http://www.lbwlawyers.com/publications/contractandselfemployment.php.
Using a Contract Work approach may be a good way to approach volunteer positions. In some volunteer organizations, new volunteers are treated almost like full time employees, but without the benefits or paycheck. While working out your contract with the organization, the type of work, the hours expected and the responsibilities you have are clearly defined. This will give you the ability to plan a life around the volunteer position. In addition, the contract will have a beginning and an end, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
The Government of Canada has some websites that are worth a visit prior to re-entering the work force. Check Out: http://www.jobsetc.gc.ca/categories.jsp%3bjsessionid=07A7ED74EBCEFEA7A4E9B42025C9D654.jvm11?lang=e&category_id=540. Here some interesting topics are discussed, such as how your income will affect your pension, how much time you wish to devote to working, how working will affect your lifestyle, etc.
Another site worth visiting can be found here: http://www.jobsetc.gc.ca/categories.jsp?category_id=740&crumb=68&crumb=740. Both sites offer advice and consider issues that the new retiree may not have thought of.
Nothing beats good communication. Talk about your plans with your family and friends. Talk with people who presently work with the organization or company that you are considering. Sometimes while hiring a new employee on a part time basis, the company can lay off a full time employee. If you are this new employee, how will you be received by the other workers?
I mentioned before that keeping track of questions that crop up along with the answers is a good procedure. When talking with your financial planner, make sure the question list goes along with you and that you get the answers to those questions. It is interesting that nearly the same questions come into play if you are planning a work vacation with an international relief agency or down the street with Habitat for Humanity.
Starting with your list of questions, do your online research. Find out what the company employee relations are like by Goggling the company or organization and checking out their employee relations. Be aware that some employees are very hard to please, and they tend to be very vocal with their criticism of a company online. However, by reviewing comments online you can get a good idea of how the company or organization treats those who work for them.
For those of you, who would like to be part of my ComputerEase Google+ circle, please respond by email and I will add you to the list.
Computer Ease is a regular feature of the
RTO/ERO Renaissance. Share your ideas with the author at: mail4wayne@cogeco.ca or http://rtocomputerease.blogspot.com/
This and That - Some Legal and Financial Considerations
I’ve heard it said that retirement isn’t all that it is cracked up to be – its better!
It is that time of your life where you can do all the things you dreamed of when younger and still working. It is a time of possibilities, particularly if the proper planning has taken place.
For many of us the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (www.otpp.com/) looks after our income, along with whatever else we were able to put away. Possibly a Financial Planner has been consulted to help with planning. If you’re thinking about talking with a Financial Planner, a Google search will turn up thousands. Before signing on with a Financial Planner, check the agent out on the following site to see how credible they are: http://www.tomorrowsmoney.org/Templates/tm/Content.aspx?id=1612. Once you find one that you’re comfortable with, talk to the agent about your plans, both short term and long range.
All the financial designations that financial planners add to their names can be confusing. The Financial Advisors Association of Canada explains the different designations at: http://www.advocis.ca/content/consumers/designations.
The Ontario Seniors Secretariat is a great resource. http://www.seniors.gov.on.ca/en/index.php. They provide help and support in a variety of areas including Active Living, Finances, Health and Wellness, to name just a few. They have information on legal issues, but if you want a specific question answered, try Just Answer: http://www.justanswer.com/sip/Canada-Law/Legal?r=ppc|ga|4|Law+%2D+Canada|Law&JPKW=law%20issues&JPDC=S&JPST=&JPAD=9066833820&JPAF=txt&JPRC=1&JPCD=20110825&JPOP=Cass_WillAnswerD1_WillAnswerNow&JPMT=b&JPNW=g&gclid=CN3pj_2Y8qoCFQvCKgod-3eCQA.
Another resource that a number of retirees use frequently is information found at Snowbird Canada: http://www.snowbird.ca/. As their name implies, they have information regarding issues of spending winter months in warmer southern US states. Thousands of retirees travel south when winter looms. Some are tempted to purchase winter homes considering the increased value of the Canadian dollar and the depressed real estate market in some southern communities. To get an idea what tax issues are faced by snowbirds buying an American property go to the following site: http://www.grasmick.com/snowbird.htm. As the author states, tax laws change often. Checking back frequently is advised.
In order to get an idea of what a ‘foreclosed’ property is like before heading south you might want to watch HGTV. Often they have shows that take you inside such a home so that you can get an idea of what potential problems there may be. There are some websites that may also be of use. The government of Canada has created a website: http://www.voyage.gc.ca/publications/retirement_retraite-eng.asp where they discuss topics such as ‘Before You Go’, ‘Permanent Relocation’, ‘Seasonal Stay’, ‘Crime & Safety’, to name a few of their resources. They also offer a PDF version that you can download.
Insurance is always an issue when you travel or stay in another country. If you have the RTO/ERO insurance plan, make sure you know what your plan covers and what it does not. This is a good place to start: http://www.rtoerotorontodistricts.org/tdfiles/resource/benefits.htm. Also check your automobile policy to see what your coverage is for rental cars or driving someone else’s vehicle.
Whenever travelling, a copy of your medical information should always go with you. This can be on paper, but a better way is to have it on an encrypted flash drive. Your travel companion or tour guide should know the encryption key so that if anything happens, your medical information can be accessed. In addition to carrying important information, a wise traveler will also know where to get help in a foreign country. Always carry the contact information of your insurance carrier i.e. Mondial Assistance at: http://www.mondial-assistance.ca/?ls=1. Also copy down the contact information for the closest Canadian Consular services office, found here: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/washington/offices-bureaux/index.aspx. All of this information should be readily available to yourself and/or people you are travelling with.
Planning is only as good as your resources. Check them often and keep the information up to date so that it is available on a moment’s notice. You never know when the urge strikes you to just get up and go somewhere!
Computer Ease is a regular feature of the
RTO/ERO Renaissance. Share your ideas with the author at: mail4wayne@cogeco.ca or http://rtocomputerease.blogspot
I’ve heard it said that retirement isn’t all that it is cracked up to be – its better!
It is that time of your life where you can do all the things you dreamed of when younger and still working. It is a time of possibilities, particularly if the proper planning has taken place.
For many of us the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (www.otpp.com/) looks after our income, along with whatever else we were able to put away. Possibly a Financial Planner has been consulted to help with planning. If you’re thinking about talking with a Financial Planner, a Google search will turn up thousands. Before signing on with a Financial Planner, check the agent out on the following site to see how credible they are: http://www.tomorrowsmoney.org/Templates/tm/Content.aspx?id=1612. Once you find one that you’re comfortable with, talk to the agent about your plans, both short term and long range.
All the financial designations that financial planners add to their names can be confusing. The Financial Advisors Association of Canada explains the different designations at: http://www.advocis.ca/content/consumers/designations.
The Ontario Seniors Secretariat is a great resource. http://www.seniors.gov.on.ca/en/index.php. They provide help and support in a variety of areas including Active Living, Finances, Health and Wellness, to name just a few. They have information on legal issues, but if you want a specific question answered, try Just Answer: http://www.justanswer.com/sip/Canada-Law/Legal?r=ppc|ga|4|Law+%2D+Canada|Law&JPKW=law%20issues&JPDC=S&JPST=&JPAD=9066833820&JPAF=txt&JPRC=1&JPCD=20110825&JPOP=Cass_WillAnswerD1_WillAnswerNow&JPMT=b&JPNW=g&gclid=CN3pj_2Y8qoCFQvCKgod-3eCQA.
Another resource that a number of retirees use frequently is information found at Snowbird Canada: http://www.snowbird.ca/. As their name implies, they have information regarding issues of spending winter months in warmer southern US states. Thousands of retirees travel south when winter looms. Some are tempted to purchase winter homes considering the increased value of the Canadian dollar and the depressed real estate market in some southern communities. To get an idea what tax issues are faced by snowbirds buying an American property go to the following site: http://www.grasmick.com/snowbird.htm. As the author states, tax laws change often. Checking back frequently is advised.
In order to get an idea of what a ‘foreclosed’ property is like before heading south you might want to watch HGTV. Often they have shows that take you inside such a home so that you can get an idea of what potential problems there may be. There are some websites that may also be of use. The government of Canada has created a website: http://www.voyage.gc.ca/publications/retirement_retraite-eng.asp where they discuss topics such as ‘Before You Go’, ‘Permanent Relocation’, ‘Seasonal Stay’, ‘Crime & Safety’, to name a few of their resources. They also offer a PDF version that you can download.
Insurance is always an issue when you travel or stay in another country. If you have the RTO/ERO insurance plan, make sure you know what your plan covers and what it does not. This is a good place to start: http://www.rtoerotorontodistricts.org/tdfiles/resource/benefits.htm. Also check your automobile policy to see what your coverage is for rental cars or driving someone else’s vehicle.
Whenever travelling, a copy of your medical information should always go with you. This can be on paper, but a better way is to have it on an encrypted flash drive. Your travel companion or tour guide should know the encryption key so that if anything happens, your medical information can be accessed. In addition to carrying important information, a wise traveler will also know where to get help in a foreign country. Always carry the contact information of your insurance carrier i.e. Mondial Assistance at: http://www.mondial-assistance.ca/?ls=1. Also copy down the contact information for the closest Canadian Consular services office, found here: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/washington/offices-bureaux/index.aspx. All of this information should be readily available to yourself and/or people you are travelling with.
Planning is only as good as your resources. Check them often and keep the information up to date so that it is available on a moment’s notice. You never know when the urge strikes you to just get up and go somewhere!
Computer Ease is a regular feature of the
RTO/ERO Renaissance. Share your ideas with the author at: mail4wayne@cogeco.ca or http://rtocomputerease.blogspot
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Brain Matters - Use It Or Loose It
The Ad Council came up with the slogan, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” back in 1972. Although the Ad was for the United Negro College Fund, the sentiments ring true today, particularly with our aging population.
Retirement brings a wonderful gift of leisure. One must watch that this gift doesn’t become the driving force by which we embrace retirement. As the body will atrophy without exercise and watching how we nourish it, so will the mind. As we challenge the body to keep it strong, we must do the same with our brain. Without a healthy active brain, our mind slips away from us. Yes, Brain Matters.
There are many ways to exercise our brain and keep it healthy. One of the more critical activities would be to reduce stress. We often put a lot of pressure upon ourselves that is unnecessary. We get a lot of enjoyment from our volunteer activities, but we need to know when to say that we have reached our limit, or at least need a change. To keep stress to a tolerable level, one might want to keep a good perspective on life, as Irwin the troll of Broom Hilda fame did each day. In a comic strip, Irwin was watching the rising sun in the east. He proclaimed, “I don’t have a clue, I never did, and I never will”. In the next frame, Irwin states emphatically, “I like to start each day with the ground rules firmly established”.
Many people get a lot of pleasure from doing the daily Suduko, crossword puzzles and others in the daily paper. Some folks like to follow the bridge columns. Of course, there are many web sites where you can play free games, or enter into friendly multi person games. Let’s look at some other activities that will challenge our thinking skills.
For the analytical thinker, there are online debates. www.onlinedebate.net is a good place to start. After registering, you can check out debates on topics such as philosophy, politics, religion, technology and social issues. At this site: www.controversialforums.com/ one will find forums and discussions on ethics, morals, addiction, science, etc.
Maybe you have always wanted to put your family history to paper. If you check out Cyndi’s List, www.cyndislist.com/writing - General Resources, you will find many links to help you begin your project, keep it moving, how to improve your style and finally how to publish the final product. While you are at it, also check out the following link, www.genealogy.com/74_sharon.html for advice on the way to write a compelling family history.
For a slightly different approach, check out this site: http://zenhabits.net/11-ways-to-expand-your-mind-and-recover-from-brain-rot/. Some of this site’s suggestions are: doing puzzles, reading, math problems, meditation and learning a new language. Maybe Bobby McFarrin had a good handle on calming the troubled mind with his song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. In case you haven’t heard it in a while, check out this YouTube version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU For those of you who want to learn meditation or to at least become more acquainted with some of the benefits of this practice, go to this site: http://www.onlinemeditation.org/. There are countless studies that point to the positive mental and physical benefits associated with the daily practice of meditation. Give it a try.
There is no want for online games to increase brain power. www.expandyourmind.com/home/ is a site devoted to brain stimulation. Logic problems, science facts, philosophy, myths demystified, are but a few examples of their offerings. The activities work and are fun to do.
The Human Brain site which is found at www.fi.edu/leanr/brain/exercise.html offers their approach to mental stimulation with brain training games of memory, attention, focusing, computational speed, etc. Some of these exercises are similar to the popular Nintendo DS game “Brain Age”.
Another activity said to stimulate mental processes on many levels is the learning of a new language. http://www.word2word.com/course.html is a site where there are links to over 100 different language courses offered online. Some are conversational in nature, some more in depth. You will find that there are quite a few free courses. A computer microphone will be required to participate. They tend to be quite inexpensive.
On a side note, all this talk about brain training causes my mind to think about nourishing my computer’s brain by getting rid of useless files and scanning for malware and other infections. Spybot Search & Destroy is a good tool for this. (http://download.cnet.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html
Retirement brings a wonderful gift of leisure. One must watch that this gift doesn’t become the driving force by which we embrace retirement. As the body will atrophy without exercise and watching how we nourish it, so will the mind. As we challenge the body to keep it strong, we must do the same with our brain. Without a healthy active brain, our mind slips away from us. Yes, Brain Matters.
There are many ways to exercise our brain and keep it healthy. One of the more critical activities would be to reduce stress. We often put a lot of pressure upon ourselves that is unnecessary. We get a lot of enjoyment from our volunteer activities, but we need to know when to say that we have reached our limit, or at least need a change. To keep stress to a tolerable level, one might want to keep a good perspective on life, as Irwin the troll of Broom Hilda fame did each day. In a comic strip, Irwin was watching the rising sun in the east. He proclaimed, “I don’t have a clue, I never did, and I never will”. In the next frame, Irwin states emphatically, “I like to start each day with the ground rules firmly established”.
Many people get a lot of pleasure from doing the daily Suduko, crossword puzzles and others in the daily paper. Some folks like to follow the bridge columns. Of course, there are many web sites where you can play free games, or enter into friendly multi person games. Let’s look at some other activities that will challenge our thinking skills.
For the analytical thinker, there are online debates. www.onlinedebate.net is a good place to start. After registering, you can check out debates on topics such as philosophy, politics, religion, technology and social issues. At this site: www.controversialforums.com/ one will find forums and discussions on ethics, morals, addiction, science, etc.
Maybe you have always wanted to put your family history to paper. If you check out Cyndi’s List, www.cyndislist.com/writing - General Resources, you will find many links to help you begin your project, keep it moving, how to improve your style and finally how to publish the final product. While you are at it, also check out the following link, www.genealogy.com/74_sharon.html for advice on the way to write a compelling family history.
For a slightly different approach, check out this site: http://zenhabits.net/11-ways-to-expand-your-mind-and-recover-from-brain-rot/. Some of this site’s suggestions are: doing puzzles, reading, math problems, meditation and learning a new language. Maybe Bobby McFarrin had a good handle on calming the troubled mind with his song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. In case you haven’t heard it in a while, check out this YouTube version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU For those of you who want to learn meditation or to at least become more acquainted with some of the benefits of this practice, go to this site: http://www.onlinemeditation.org/. There are countless studies that point to the positive mental and physical benefits associated with the daily practice of meditation. Give it a try.
There is no want for online games to increase brain power. www.expandyourmind.com/home/ is a site devoted to brain stimulation. Logic problems, science facts, philosophy, myths demystified, are but a few examples of their offerings. The activities work and are fun to do.
The Human Brain site which is found at www.fi.edu/leanr/brain/exercise.html offers their approach to mental stimulation with brain training games of memory, attention, focusing, computational speed, etc. Some of these exercises are similar to the popular Nintendo DS game “Brain Age”.
Another activity said to stimulate mental processes on many levels is the learning of a new language. http://www.word2word.com/course.html is a site where there are links to over 100 different language courses offered online. Some are conversational in nature, some more in depth. You will find that there are quite a few free courses. A computer microphone will be required to participate. They tend to be quite inexpensive.
On a side note, all this talk about brain training causes my mind to think about nourishing my computer’s brain by getting rid of useless files and scanning for malware and other infections. Spybot Search & Destroy is a good tool for this. (http://download.cnet.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html
Technology Overload
Does this sound at all familiar? I wake up in the morning, check the time on my clock radio and mentally begin the process of thinking about my schedule and the things that need to be done today. Grab a cup of coffee, already brewed and waiting. The TV is first to be switched on then the computer. Read any emails arriving over night and diminish Outlook to the system tray. Sit in front of my TV and watch a news program, while opening the morning paper, all the while listening for the tell-tale sounds of an incoming email. I’ve only been awake for less than half an hour and already I are triple tasking. Am I the only one in this situation?
It seems that no matter what we do, we are being bombarded with stimuli from multiple sources. Is this creating that feeling of nirvana that the purveyors of ‘gadgets’ claim will result from using their gizmos?
While waiting in the doctor’s office we answer a few emails and grab a minute to look up symp-toms from a medical website. While having a conversation with a friend over coffee we allow our cell phone to interrupt a couple of times. And I thought that technology was going to simplify life.
With all of this information bombarding us one would think that we are learning all the time. Researchers at the University of California found that rats that were given a novel situation to master and immediately given new tasks, did not remember the new experiences as well as those that were not given new tasks to learn. Does this equate to humans also? The researchers thought so.
In another study, researchers at the University of Michigan found that people learned significantly better after a walk in nature preserve than after a walk in a busy urban environment. This suggests that being bombarded with a lot of sti-muli leaves people fatigued.
On the first day of school one year I started off giving the students in grade 5 a simple timed ad-dition quiz, with quiet surroundings. Later in the morning, I gave them a parallel quiz with age appropriate music playing. As suspected, stu-dents did significantly better with quiet surround-ings. Can humans work as efficiently with dis-tractions?
No matter how we look at it, we need to fill every idle moment with entertainment. It is as though we have an itch that needs to be scratched. Technology allows us to scratch our itch.
Another interesting observation comes to light. There was a time when we would put an L.P. on the record player and really listen to it. In this day and age, statistics show that our attention span is much shorter. Even game makers have realized this. Many of the new games which are played on the Ipod or IPhone only take a couple of minutes to play. Many people become too ‘bored’ if they have to spend more time on a game. Maybe this is why most songs are between 2 and 3 minutes long.
I am not suggesting that we all become neo luddites and shun all technology. When one con-siders the advances in medical technology and treatment, how can we but endorse and encour-age continued advances. Maybe we need to con-sider how all forms of technology affect us and what pitfalls we should be looking for.
Why not try this. When you decide it is time for exercise, instead of jumping on the treadmill, turning the TV on and the volume up so it can be easily heard over the treadmill, try something different. Go to a local nature trail for a walk. Most communities have at least one. You can walk as fast as you think best. Work up a sweat. Lastly, relax your mind. It is far better for your well being to go home physically tired than to be physically tired and mentally fatigued.
Many people report a feeling of utter fatigue at the end of a day particularly if there has been a lot of electronic input. We are not giving the brain a chance to calm down and relax after processing all of the stimuli that is thrown at it. If you really think about this, the really important stuff that the brain should be processing out of your day, is probably less than half of what it is forced to process. Technology is good, but it can really over power our senses and our brains.
One way to get a proper handle on technology is to use one techno item at a time. When com-puting, don’t listen to music, avoid using the tel-ephone – you do know that most phones have voice mail, don’t you?
Social networking can be a marvelous thing, if it is augmented with reaching out and really touching someone. Make time to talk to people. Get out and join clubs, play bridge, etc. and leave your iPod and cell phone home.
My last word of advice would be to play Simon and Garfunkel’s 59th Street Bridge Song, (Feeling Groovy), really listening to it. Maybe we will give our brains a chance to ‘chill out’ as they say in the new vernacular. “Slow down – you move to fast – you got to make the morning last …..”
It seems that no matter what we do, we are being bombarded with stimuli from multiple sources. Is this creating that feeling of nirvana that the purveyors of ‘gadgets’ claim will result from using their gizmos?
While waiting in the doctor’s office we answer a few emails and grab a minute to look up symp-toms from a medical website. While having a conversation with a friend over coffee we allow our cell phone to interrupt a couple of times. And I thought that technology was going to simplify life.
With all of this information bombarding us one would think that we are learning all the time. Researchers at the University of California found that rats that were given a novel situation to master and immediately given new tasks, did not remember the new experiences as well as those that were not given new tasks to learn. Does this equate to humans also? The researchers thought so.
In another study, researchers at the University of Michigan found that people learned significantly better after a walk in nature preserve than after a walk in a busy urban environment. This suggests that being bombarded with a lot of sti-muli leaves people fatigued.
On the first day of school one year I started off giving the students in grade 5 a simple timed ad-dition quiz, with quiet surroundings. Later in the morning, I gave them a parallel quiz with age appropriate music playing. As suspected, stu-dents did significantly better with quiet surround-ings. Can humans work as efficiently with dis-tractions?
No matter how we look at it, we need to fill every idle moment with entertainment. It is as though we have an itch that needs to be scratched. Technology allows us to scratch our itch.
Another interesting observation comes to light. There was a time when we would put an L.P. on the record player and really listen to it. In this day and age, statistics show that our attention span is much shorter. Even game makers have realized this. Many of the new games which are played on the Ipod or IPhone only take a couple of minutes to play. Many people become too ‘bored’ if they have to spend more time on a game. Maybe this is why most songs are between 2 and 3 minutes long.
I am not suggesting that we all become neo luddites and shun all technology. When one con-siders the advances in medical technology and treatment, how can we but endorse and encour-age continued advances. Maybe we need to con-sider how all forms of technology affect us and what pitfalls we should be looking for.
Why not try this. When you decide it is time for exercise, instead of jumping on the treadmill, turning the TV on and the volume up so it can be easily heard over the treadmill, try something different. Go to a local nature trail for a walk. Most communities have at least one. You can walk as fast as you think best. Work up a sweat. Lastly, relax your mind. It is far better for your well being to go home physically tired than to be physically tired and mentally fatigued.
Many people report a feeling of utter fatigue at the end of a day particularly if there has been a lot of electronic input. We are not giving the brain a chance to calm down and relax after processing all of the stimuli that is thrown at it. If you really think about this, the really important stuff that the brain should be processing out of your day, is probably less than half of what it is forced to process. Technology is good, but it can really over power our senses and our brains.
One way to get a proper handle on technology is to use one techno item at a time. When com-puting, don’t listen to music, avoid using the tel-ephone – you do know that most phones have voice mail, don’t you?
Social networking can be a marvelous thing, if it is augmented with reaching out and really touching someone. Make time to talk to people. Get out and join clubs, play bridge, etc. and leave your iPod and cell phone home.
My last word of advice would be to play Simon and Garfunkel’s 59th Street Bridge Song, (Feeling Groovy), really listening to it. Maybe we will give our brains a chance to ‘chill out’ as they say in the new vernacular. “Slow down – you move to fast – you got to make the morning last …..”
Past Present and Future Technology
When I look back on the past 10 years I am amazed at the amount of change that technology has embraced. We all knew the effects of con-stant change in education. When we retired, we thought that we would be sheltered from constant change, lol!
“lol” is the text message form of “laughing out loud”. This gives us a good starting point for look-ing at the development of technology. Although text messaging had been around for over 10 years, it really began to spread in the year 2000. Nowadays, it is estimated that there are over a billion text messages sent every day, and the number of new subscribers added to the networks numbers in the tens of thousands a month.
One of the most visible and discussed technolo-gical changes is the past decade is that of social networking. There were many experiments with bringing people together. Dating services and alumni groups, were working hard to build up data bases. It wasn’t until 2003 when My Space was introduced that social networking began in earnest. It wasn’t long before many groups emerged, FaceBook among them. It is estimated that there are over 16 million Canadian FaceBook users, and the list continues to grow.
It isn’t a perfect world. With the growth of email, social networking and instant messaging, there isn’t much time left to actually spend time with another individual who isn’t texting, tweeting or emailing.
The advances in entertainment in the past 10 years have also been phenomenal. Computer gaming with online play have really become a standard fun activity for many youngsters and young adults. Microsoft introduced the X-Box in 2002 and the game “Halo” became the highest grossing game sale ever. Play Station 2, and the newest Nintendo iteration started making their mark on the gaming industry. Not only do children or young adults participate, now seniors are getting into the act. Do you use a Wii on a regular basis? It can be a lot of fun.
Along with gaming, there have been many ad-vances in music and video. In the past ten years, the iPod was developed, along with iTunes. No-wadays, almost any song ever performed is avail-able for download, at a cost. We also can’t forget the E-Readers such as iPad, Kindle, etc. There are hundreds of thousands of books that can be down-loaded and kept on your electronic reading device.
We can’t forget video advances. Gone are the bulky VHS tapes. These were replaced by the DVD in about 2003. Mini versions of them were used in movie cameras. With mass production, prices dropped and quality increased. Nowadays, the cameras are sometimes less than half the size and hold many hours of video thanks to the advent of flash memory. Of course, almost everyone has a camera with them most of the time, because they carry a cell phone. It is now hard to imagine that there is any noteworthy incident that hasn’t been filmed or photographed from a number of angles, and almost instantly made available on sites such as YouTube.
During the past decade there have been greater demands for increased technology in medicine. C-T scans and ultrasound scans have increased in availability and frequency. Microsurgery, where small incisions are made and a doctor manipulates a remote controlled instrument inserted into the treatment area, are more common place. Laser eye treatment has become a standard option to wearing glasses. Noise cancelling earphones are available for helping prevent hearing loss in high noise environments. The field of prosthetics has improved tremendously from advances in technol-ogy.
What does the advancement in technology tell us about the future? Here are a few changes I expect we’ll be seeing.
As the past decade of business indicates, there will be more purchasing done on the internet than in brick and mortar stores. We will be shopping globally and seeing the UPS driver often enough to know his name.
Information will be instantly available. When travelling, if illness occurs, all of your health records will be available to a medical practitioner, likely translated automatically to the local language. Visual linkage to your family physician or specialist will be available to foreign medical facilities for collaboration. There will be a much greater reliance on a ‘team’ approach to your health.
Greater advances will take place in protecting your privacy and your personal information. Teams of technology experts constantly work on upgrades to privacy protocols and procedures. Virus attacks will become more common between people than between computers.
Because of technology advances, there will be greater safety on the roads and in the air. And of course, we will be offered new ways to entertain us while travelling.
No one can predict the future with a high degree of accuracy. The best thing to do is stay on top of change and become an activist for responsible change and personal safety. If we don’t control change, it will control us.
“lol” is the text message form of “laughing out loud”. This gives us a good starting point for look-ing at the development of technology. Although text messaging had been around for over 10 years, it really began to spread in the year 2000. Nowadays, it is estimated that there are over a billion text messages sent every day, and the number of new subscribers added to the networks numbers in the tens of thousands a month.
One of the most visible and discussed technolo-gical changes is the past decade is that of social networking. There were many experiments with bringing people together. Dating services and alumni groups, were working hard to build up data bases. It wasn’t until 2003 when My Space was introduced that social networking began in earnest. It wasn’t long before many groups emerged, FaceBook among them. It is estimated that there are over 16 million Canadian FaceBook users, and the list continues to grow.
It isn’t a perfect world. With the growth of email, social networking and instant messaging, there isn’t much time left to actually spend time with another individual who isn’t texting, tweeting or emailing.
The advances in entertainment in the past 10 years have also been phenomenal. Computer gaming with online play have really become a standard fun activity for many youngsters and young adults. Microsoft introduced the X-Box in 2002 and the game “Halo” became the highest grossing game sale ever. Play Station 2, and the newest Nintendo iteration started making their mark on the gaming industry. Not only do children or young adults participate, now seniors are getting into the act. Do you use a Wii on a regular basis? It can be a lot of fun.
Along with gaming, there have been many ad-vances in music and video. In the past ten years, the iPod was developed, along with iTunes. No-wadays, almost any song ever performed is avail-able for download, at a cost. We also can’t forget the E-Readers such as iPad, Kindle, etc. There are hundreds of thousands of books that can be down-loaded and kept on your electronic reading device.
We can’t forget video advances. Gone are the bulky VHS tapes. These were replaced by the DVD in about 2003. Mini versions of them were used in movie cameras. With mass production, prices dropped and quality increased. Nowadays, the cameras are sometimes less than half the size and hold many hours of video thanks to the advent of flash memory. Of course, almost everyone has a camera with them most of the time, because they carry a cell phone. It is now hard to imagine that there is any noteworthy incident that hasn’t been filmed or photographed from a number of angles, and almost instantly made available on sites such as YouTube.
During the past decade there have been greater demands for increased technology in medicine. C-T scans and ultrasound scans have increased in availability and frequency. Microsurgery, where small incisions are made and a doctor manipulates a remote controlled instrument inserted into the treatment area, are more common place. Laser eye treatment has become a standard option to wearing glasses. Noise cancelling earphones are available for helping prevent hearing loss in high noise environments. The field of prosthetics has improved tremendously from advances in technol-ogy.
What does the advancement in technology tell us about the future? Here are a few changes I expect we’ll be seeing.
As the past decade of business indicates, there will be more purchasing done on the internet than in brick and mortar stores. We will be shopping globally and seeing the UPS driver often enough to know his name.
Information will be instantly available. When travelling, if illness occurs, all of your health records will be available to a medical practitioner, likely translated automatically to the local language. Visual linkage to your family physician or specialist will be available to foreign medical facilities for collaboration. There will be a much greater reliance on a ‘team’ approach to your health.
Greater advances will take place in protecting your privacy and your personal information. Teams of technology experts constantly work on upgrades to privacy protocols and procedures. Virus attacks will become more common between people than between computers.
Because of technology advances, there will be greater safety on the roads and in the air. And of course, we will be offered new ways to entertain us while travelling.
No one can predict the future with a high degree of accuracy. The best thing to do is stay on top of change and become an activist for responsible change and personal safety. If we don’t control change, it will control us.
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