One of my most favorite songs from one of my most favorite groups
March 22, 2012
March 21, 2012
March 20, 2012
Multi-Tasking
I recently subscribed to List25 and this post hit my reader earlier this morning:
25 Things Psychology Tells You About Yourself
#20 validated something I've always believed, namely that people really can't multi-task. From the article:
We know, you are a professional multi-tasker. Unfortunately, if you really believe that, you are also overly self confident, because the truth of the matter is that humans cannot multi-task. At least not in the sense of the term that we often use. While you can certainly walk around while talking to your friend, your brain can only focus on one higher level function at a time, which means you cannot be thinking about two things at once.
While it doesn't qualify as a "pet peeve" of mine, it's always slightly annoyed me to hear people say that. I think I'm fairly capable of performing multiple tasks, but I've always known I can do only one thing at a time. For example, I can build something out of wood, but there's no way I...or anyone else...could cut out the pieces, sand them and nail them together all at the same time.
I've never heard a man saying he can multi-task - it's always been women who have said it. (and I'm not picking on the fairer sex here, just stating something from my own experience) I think these women who say this confuse their ability to juggle tasks - go from one to another with ease- with the true definition of multi-tasking. I think women have superior organizational skills and can accomplish more in a shorter time than can men, but that's not multi-tasking.
The first time I ever heard the term used was by an old classmate who lived nearby me a few years ago. We were both going back to school at the time and I used to go over and visit her and her family. She would be "studying" with the TV on all the while yelling at her kids for being kids. I mentioned to her that she really needed a quiet place to study and she replied that she was an excellent multi-tasker and could handle it.
She failed several courses that semester and had to take them over.
I forget what show I saw it on, but they did a hidden camera study of people sitting down to eat in a restaurant. They filled the nearby tables with other people talking about all sorts of things: behind the test subjects was a couple where the guy was breaking up with the girl, at another table were two women talking about the affairs they were having and at another table were some people talking about a crime they were going to commit. They all had been instructed to talk in low voices but loud enough to be overheard by the test subjects.
One of the tests featured a couple, a man and his wife. The woman was trying her best to hear all the controversial talk and was getting frantic and her food was untouched. She whispered to her husband "Did you hear that?" The man looked up from shoveling food in his mouth and grunted "Huh?" He said he had heard the couple talking about breaking up and decided it was none of his business so he tuned them out and went back to eating.
The gist of the study was that people can TRY to do several things at once but it won't work. In fact, when they do try, they can't do even one thing very well. Cases in point: I wonder how many automobile accidents have been caused by the driver talking on a cell phone, changing the radio station or lighting a cigarette? I was reading an article about the Autobahn in Germany, the no speed limit super highway and that most German cars (for sale in Germany) don't have cup holders because they know that driving should be the sole focus of the driver. (I don't know if that's true...just because I read it on the 'net doesn't make it so, but it makes a lot of sense)
Multi-tasking - ain't no such thing.
The rest of the article is interesting and I urge you to read it. Something else I've always known is #6:
You can sustain a high level of attention for approximately 10 minutes
The operative word is "approximately". I think that 10 minute time is generous for most men. I know it is for me.
UPDATE:
This was a featured article on my Yahoo start page this morning:
25 Things Psychology Tells You About Yourself
#20 validated something I've always believed, namely that people really can't multi-task. From the article:
We know, you are a professional multi-tasker. Unfortunately, if you really believe that, you are also overly self confident, because the truth of the matter is that humans cannot multi-task. At least not in the sense of the term that we often use. While you can certainly walk around while talking to your friend, your brain can only focus on one higher level function at a time, which means you cannot be thinking about two things at once.
While it doesn't qualify as a "pet peeve" of mine, it's always slightly annoyed me to hear people say that. I think I'm fairly capable of performing multiple tasks, but I've always known I can do only one thing at a time. For example, I can build something out of wood, but there's no way I...or anyone else...could cut out the pieces, sand them and nail them together all at the same time.
I've never heard a man saying he can multi-task - it's always been women who have said it. (and I'm not picking on the fairer sex here, just stating something from my own experience) I think these women who say this confuse their ability to juggle tasks - go from one to another with ease- with the true definition of multi-tasking. I think women have superior organizational skills and can accomplish more in a shorter time than can men, but that's not multi-tasking.
The first time I ever heard the term used was by an old classmate who lived nearby me a few years ago. We were both going back to school at the time and I used to go over and visit her and her family. She would be "studying" with the TV on all the while yelling at her kids for being kids. I mentioned to her that she really needed a quiet place to study and she replied that she was an excellent multi-tasker and could handle it.
She failed several courses that semester and had to take them over.
I forget what show I saw it on, but they did a hidden camera study of people sitting down to eat in a restaurant. They filled the nearby tables with other people talking about all sorts of things: behind the test subjects was a couple where the guy was breaking up with the girl, at another table were two women talking about the affairs they were having and at another table were some people talking about a crime they were going to commit. They all had been instructed to talk in low voices but loud enough to be overheard by the test subjects.
One of the tests featured a couple, a man and his wife. The woman was trying her best to hear all the controversial talk and was getting frantic and her food was untouched. She whispered to her husband "Did you hear that?" The man looked up from shoveling food in his mouth and grunted "Huh?" He said he had heard the couple talking about breaking up and decided it was none of his business so he tuned them out and went back to eating.
The gist of the study was that people can TRY to do several things at once but it won't work. In fact, when they do try, they can't do even one thing very well. Cases in point: I wonder how many automobile accidents have been caused by the driver talking on a cell phone, changing the radio station or lighting a cigarette? I was reading an article about the Autobahn in Germany, the no speed limit super highway and that most German cars (for sale in Germany) don't have cup holders because they know that driving should be the sole focus of the driver. (I don't know if that's true...just because I read it on the 'net doesn't make it so, but it makes a lot of sense)
Multi-tasking - ain't no such thing.
The rest of the article is interesting and I urge you to read it. Something else I've always known is #6:
You can sustain a high level of attention for approximately 10 minutes
The operative word is "approximately". I think that 10 minute time is generous for most men. I know it is for me.
UPDATE:
This was a featured article on my Yahoo start page this morning:
The High Cost of Multitasking
There is a poll embedded in the side column and 76% of the respondents claimed to be good at multi-tasking.
There is a poll embedded in the side column and 76% of the respondents claimed to be good at multi-tasking.
March 18, 2012
Word Verification Nixed
Sorry to all who have posted and had to go through that silly word verification thing in order to comment. I didn't have it enabled, but with the latest upgrades to Blogger, I guess it defaulted to that setting. I never noticed because as the "owner" of this blog, I wouldn't have to do it.
I HATE the word verification. Sometimes I can't make out a "1" from an lower case "L" and others.
I HATE the word verification. Sometimes I can't make out a "1" from an lower case "L" and others.
Strange Blob on Radar
Some storms have been popping up in the region and I read on a Pampa woman's Facebook wall that she had seen storm chasing vehicles in town today, so I've been keeping an eye on the NWS Amarillo radar. We've been under a tornado watch since about three this afternoon. Most of the storms are quite a ways away, down near Childress and moving on into Oklahoma. There are a few storms firing up near Perryton but they too are rapidly moving out of the area. I hope it stays calm; I'm not ready for a tornado. (now or any time)
The last few times I checked the radar, I saw an odd anomaly between here and Amarillo, close to White Deer. It looks like a small thunderstorm - most t-storms are ten miles or less in area - but it stayed in the same spot. The funny thing was it increased and then decreased in size when I set the radar in motion.
At first I thought it might be a grain elevator complex just to the north of Highway 60 - the distance looked about right, but I couldn't be certain, so I used the distance tool on the radar website and saw that it was around 17 miles from Pampa.
I then opened up Google Earth and measured 17 miles and realized the blob on the radar had to be caused by the Llano Estacado Wind Ranch™ near White Deer. I switched to street view in the application and couldn't see anything, but while the turbines can easily be seen from the highway, the closest one is around two miles away. The overhead view was better, however, and while a good side view of the turbines isn't available, they showed up, casting a long, detailed shadow.
The last few times I checked the radar, I saw an odd anomaly between here and Amarillo, close to White Deer. It looks like a small thunderstorm - most t-storms are ten miles or less in area - but it stayed in the same spot. The funny thing was it increased and then decreased in size when I set the radar in motion.
At first I thought it might be a grain elevator complex just to the north of Highway 60 - the distance looked about right, but I couldn't be certain, so I used the distance tool on the radar website and saw that it was around 17 miles from Pampa.
I then opened up Google Earth and measured 17 miles and realized the blob on the radar had to be caused by the Llano Estacado Wind Ranch™ near White Deer. I switched to street view in the application and couldn't see anything, but while the turbines can easily be seen from the highway, the closest one is around two miles away. The overhead view was better, however, and while a good side view of the turbines isn't available, they showed up, casting a long, detailed shadow.
March 17, 2012
If it's Chocolate Guinness Cake
It must mean it's Saint Patrick's Day.
I didn't need to look at the calendar to know today was Saint Patrick's Day. There have been close to a thousand Irish themed recipes hit my reader this last week. There were Irish cake truffles, potato cakes, many variations on the ubiquitous Irish stew, something called a "Dublin Coddle", another something called a "Champ", shepard's pie, and at least a dozen recipes for soda bread.
There were shamrock crackers, deviled eggs made to look like leprechaun pots of gold, and a bunch of different green cookie recipes. Then there were the brownies, cakes, fudge, milkshakes, cookies, bacon cheeseburgers, braised lamb shanks, etc. all made w/ Guinness, plus instructions on how to make green beer. (add food coloring, duh)
Paying homage to the stereotype, real or imagined, that the Irish are big drinkers were quite a large number of Irish Car Bomb drink recipes (which not only reinforces the stereotype that the Irish are a nation of sots, but love to blow each other up over religion.), but it didn't stop there with that - there were Irish Car Bomb cakes, fudge, cookies, brownies, peppermint creams and cupcakes, not to mention at least a hundred recipes, both food and drink, featuring Bailey's Irish Cream. There were also a large number of deserts made with Irish coffee. One drink caught my eye, the Blarney Stone...but it had bitters in it, and if there was ever a nastier drink ingredient, I've never tried it. Sláinte, my ass.
At least St. Pats won't be back for a year. Next up: Easter and a thousand and one recipes using Peeps. Gag.
I didn't need to look at the calendar to know today was Saint Patrick's Day. There have been close to a thousand Irish themed recipes hit my reader this last week. There were Irish cake truffles, potato cakes, many variations on the ubiquitous Irish stew, something called a "Dublin Coddle", another something called a "Champ", shepard's pie, and at least a dozen recipes for soda bread.
There were shamrock crackers, deviled eggs made to look like leprechaun pots of gold, and a bunch of different green cookie recipes. Then there were the brownies, cakes, fudge, milkshakes, cookies, bacon cheeseburgers, braised lamb shanks, etc. all made w/ Guinness, plus instructions on how to make green beer. (add food coloring, duh)
Paying homage to the stereotype, real or imagined, that the Irish are big drinkers were quite a large number of Irish Car Bomb drink recipes (which not only reinforces the stereotype that the Irish are a nation of sots, but love to blow each other up over religion.), but it didn't stop there with that - there were Irish Car Bomb cakes, fudge, cookies, brownies, peppermint creams and cupcakes, not to mention at least a hundred recipes, both food and drink, featuring Bailey's Irish Cream. There were also a large number of deserts made with Irish coffee. One drink caught my eye, the Blarney Stone...but it had bitters in it, and if there was ever a nastier drink ingredient, I've never tried it. Sláinte, my ass.
At least St. Pats won't be back for a year. Next up: Easter and a thousand and one recipes using Peeps. Gag.
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