Principles of Innovation

There are five principles that give life to the process of innovation:

1. Innovation starts when people convert problems to ideas. New ideas are born through questions, problems and obstacles. The process of innovation is indebted to the trouble that comes about when we are surrounded by that which is not solved, not smooth and not simple. Therefore, in order for the innovation process to flourish, it needs a climate that encourages inquiry and welcomes problems.

2. Innovation needs a system. All organizations have innovation systems. Some are formal, designed by the leadership, and some are informal, taking place outside established channels. Informal channels are untidy and inefficient, yet innovation is always associated with them.

3. Passion is the fuel, and pain is the hidden ingredient. Ideas do not propel themselves; passion makes them go. Passion, in addition to talent and skill, is a valuable company asset. Passion is what transforms other resources into profits, but it never shows up on a balance sheet. Unfortunately, there seems to be some universal law that says when pursuing a passion or following a dream, pain is part of the process. Innovation leaders need to take the pain with the passion and learn to manage both effectively.

4. Co-locating drives effective exchange. Co-location refers to physical proximity between people. It is a key for building the trust that is essential to the innovation process. It also increases the possibility for greater exchange of information, cross-fertilization of ideas, stimulation of creative thinking in one another and critique of ideas during their formative stage.

5. Differences should be leveraged. The differences that normally divide people — such as language, culture, race, gender and thinking and problem solving styles — can be a boon to innovation. When differences are used constructively and people move beyond fear, suspicion, mistrust and prejudice, differences can be leveraged to enhance and sustain the innovation process.

How to Fix a Laptop That You Spilt Coffee On

So you've spilt a liquid on your laptop? Here is a simple guide to fix your computer from its dip in the lake.

Steps:

1. Turn off your computer immediately.
2. Place a dry cloth on top of your laptop and pat it dry carefully.
3. Take your computer and put it on a study table on top of a towel.
4. Put a fan on high and point it directly at the keyboard.
5. Wait for a few hours for it to dry out.
6. When dry attempt to boot up your computer.

Tips

• If the computer cannot be turned on or there are other problems, contact a Customer Service Representative from the company where you bought your computer from. There is a chance that the warranty on it will cover spills.

Warnings

• If you computer continues to have problems and you're sure there is no more liquid in or on it, you may have to get some parts replaced or a new laptop. Consult a computer repair technician to get an estimate on repairs.

How to loose weight?

Losing weight is not easy. You will never hear me say that it is. It takes dedication, motivation and hard work. But by making a few easy changes you can get the ball rolling on losing weight.

If you're serious about changing your lifestyle, these steps help get you there. The key is to dedicate yourself to these changes and do them consistently.

No, losing weight isn't a walk in the park. But by following these steps ... you may find it's a little easier than you think!

CHANGE ONE: WHAT YOU EAT
First up, let's take a look at some simple ways to make significant improvements in your diet.

1. ELIMINATE OR SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE RED MEAT
   If foods like burgers are basic to your current diet, cutting out red meat can go a long way in helping you make healthier meal choices and losing weight.

   By building your meals around fish and poultry, you can more easily keep temptation at bay by eliminating many poor fast food and restaurant choices, which are over-sized and high in fat.

   To keep your shellfish, fish, chicken, and turkey diet-friendly, be sure to choose the right preparation method (see #2). Be wary of creamy, high-cal condiments that come with entrees, like tartar sauce or special sauce on grilled chicken sandwiches.

2. CUT OUT FRIED FOODS
   Keep your healthier choices truly healthy by grilling, baking, roasting, broiling or boiling them.
   • Keep things interesting by adding low-cal condiments to your usual fare. A tangy barbecue sauce will give boiled chicken a kick. Lemon-herb dressing will complement broiled fish deliciously.
   • Make sure your spice rack is always stocked with plenty of herbs and spices so you can doctor up your favorite dishes to your own taste without adding any additional fat or calories. Plant an herb garden and you'll never run out!
   • If you often eat fast food, forget that "value meals" and "combos" even exist; they seem like a better deal, but they're just not worth the extra calories! Stick to a grilled chicken sandwich or a child's hamburger and a side salad (watch the dressing!) when you're on the run.

3. START WITH SOUP OR SALAD.
   Having a salad or cup of soup for starters can be an at-home habit that pays off in pounds-lost. They can curb your hunger, prevent over-eating, and help you stay in control of portions, all of which are crucial to losing weight.
   • Choose a broth- or tomato-based soup like minestrone (rather than a cream- or milk-based choice). Vegetable soup made with broth, stock, or tomato soup is ideal, because the veggies will help fill you up and give you a fiber and nutrition boost.
   • Top your salad with low-cal dressing or balsamic vinegar. An added plus of having a salad before every meal is getting more fiber, something many of our diets are short on, which will also help you feel fuller sooner. Be sure to include lots of veggies and dark mixed greens like spinach in your salads.

4. FINISH WITH FRUIT.
   Instead of reaching for the cookie jar or helping yourself to dessert after meals, make a point to finish off with naturally-sweet fruit instead of sinfully-sweet treats.

   Not only will you save fat and calories, you will also have the added benefit of extra vitamins, minerals and fiber. Few of us eat as much fruit as recommended.

   In time, you will become accustomed to foregoing sweets and you'll look forward to your healthier treat just as much.

CHANGE TWO: WHAT YOU DRINK

1. Sometimes it's easy to focus so much on what we eat that we forget to include what we drink in our diet analysis. That can be a big problem, because the number of liquid calories you can consume without even realizing is quite astounding.

2. PUT THE KIBOSH ON COLA CONSUMPTION.
   If you drink regular soda, you may be surprised at just how many additional calories you're taking in.

   For example, for every 20 ounces of Coca-Cola you drink, you're consuming 250 calories. Drink several glasses a day and you can easily down 1,000 liquid calories.

   If you're attempting to consume around 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day in order to lose weight, you've almost blown your entire calorie budget on soda!

   When you think about how many calories you eat on average and then add in those empty calories, you'll realize what a waste drinking these sugary drinks is -- literally -- they go straight to your waist!

   If you drink a lot of soda, think of how many calories you'll be saving if you trade it in for diet soda or water. Hundreds? Even thousands? Remember, every 3,500 calories saved equals one pound lost!

3. DRINK UP THAT H₂0!
   I know it sounds like a broken record, but it really is important to drink enough water every day. Reach for the rule-of-thumb goal of eight glasses per day.

   Plus, drinking water more often will help you with tip #1 . You won't have time to drink soda! You may even find you crave water instead of soda once you begin drinking it more often.

   Try going a day or two with no soda and then sit down to a glass; you'll probably be shocked at how overly-sweet it tastes.

4. DIET DRINK DILEMMA
   Switching to diet sodas may sound like a sure-fire way to lose weight since they're virtually calorie-free. However, there is a controversial issue about artificial sweeteners' indirect effect on weight loss that might surprise you.

   In the mid-1980's -- when the safety of artificial sweeteners was often headline news -- a study was published in a medical journal that suggested artificial sweeteners cause one's appetite to increase.

   More recently, some health experts have suggested that artificial sweeteners actually cause cravings for sweet foods to increase. If so, this reaction definitely sets you up for making poor food choices. This can lead to a big problem, particularly if you tend to binge when you eat high-carb and sugar-rich foods.

5. STICK TO MINERAL WATER
   This may go without saying, but they don't call it a beer belly for nothing. Alcoholic beverages are high-calorie and can lead to out-of-control eating. Try to cut down -- or better still, eliminate -- alcohol.

CHANGE THREE: WHAT YOU DO

Next up are some behavior modifications that will help you get -- and stay -- focused on losing weight and taking care of yourself.

1. KEEP A FOOD DIARY.
   There is no better tool for weight management. Keeping a food journal consistently will show you your trouble areas, the foods that get you started on a binge, the worst times of day, etc.

   I'd suggest you keep a detailed food diary for at least two weeks to accurately reflect your habits.

2. LEARN ABOUT NUTRITION.
   Learn all you can about nutrition online, through books, or by taking a nutrition class at your local community college.
3. GET A HANDLE ON EMOTIONAL EATING.
   If you feel you have issues with emotional eating, you may want to track your feelings in your food diary, too.

   You should record how you feel before, during, and after eating. Periodically check over your entries to see what cues set you off to binge most often.

   If you discover frequent binges or you can't seem to cope with stress or sadness without eating, you're an emotional eater. Don't hesitate to make an appointment with a qualified therapist or clinical social worker. Cognitive behavior therapy is extremely effective in treating over-eating due to emotions.

4. GET MOVING!
   We're not talking chugging your way through a one hour aerobics class right away, here. Simply get outside and take a brisk walk for 10 minute every other day. That's all you have to do right now.

   Remember, any activity is better than no activity. When you feel more comfortable, add 10 minute increments and/or walk more often.

(Note: Please get your doctor's approval before exercising if you have any health problems!)

How to Improve Your Memory

Steps:

1. onvince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve. Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements -- it's hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.
2. Exercise your brain. Regularly “exercising" the brain keeps it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning. Try some puzzle exercises everyday such as word cross, sudoku and some other games as easy to put into your mobile phone and practise it maybe once for 30 minutes per day.
3. Exercise daily. Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures."
4. Reduce stress. Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. After prolonged stress the brain will be damaged. Stressful situations are recognized by the hypothalamus, which in turn signals the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secreted adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)which influences the adrenal glands to secrete adrenaline and later cortisol(corticosteroids). The corticosteroids can weaken the blood-brain barrier and damage the hippocampus(the memory center). Ironically, the hippocampus controls the secretion of the hormone released by the hypothalamus through a process of negative feedback. After chronic stress it will be damaged and it will not be as efficient in regulating the degenerative corticosteroids and memory will be harmed. Neurogenesis (formation of new neurons) indeed exists in the hippocampus but stress inhibits it. To recapitulate and synthesis, chronic stress will affect your health and your memory, it will damage the brain so the best option is to learn to control stress. Stress will never be eliminated, but it definitely can be controlled. [http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Stress-Effects-Neurotransmitters&id=19510]Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress as soon as possible.
5. Eat well and eat right. There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
6. Take better pictures. Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
7. Give yourself time to form a memory. Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
8. Create vivid, memorable images. You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that's too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It's your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.
9. Repeat things you need to learn. The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you’ll remember it, right? It’s a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker’s name or your best friend's birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.
10. Group things you need to remember. Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four.
11. Organize your life. Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).
12. Try meditation. Research now suggests that people who regularly practice "mindfulness" meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
13. Sleep well. The amount of sleep we get affects the brain's ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night's sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.
14. Build your memorization arsenal. Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.
15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes. Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you've done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.

How to Be a Modern Ninja

We all want or wanted to be a Ninja or ninja-ette at some point in our very short lives. But, most thought about how awesome or impossible it would be to be a Ninja with a black mask, samurai swords, and dropping from ceilings, but get real, will that ever happen in our modern day world? Today I will give you instructions of how to be a REAL modern Ninja, without going to jail for assassination of an enemy!

STEPS:

1. Don't think you can do every thing! Take it easy and your "ninjaness" will come with time! Don't do crazy jumping off buildings, or getting into fights with brass knuckles.
2. Do well in school. It sounds crazy I know but a Ninja must be knowledgeable, and know how to act in a situation.
3. DON'T OVER DO YOUR OUTFIT! Don't dress in all black, blend in with everyone else, whether it is a formal dress up, wedding, party or a normal day at school. Don't be noticed, part of being a ninja is blending in, like a SPY. But don't be anti social, the quiet people are closely watched.
4. ONLY BE VIOLENT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, don't 'randomly snap someone's wrist, or arm, don't Ninja flip them, and don't kill them. I know boys it sounds boring, but oh well.
5. Don't go around saying you are a Ninja, part of being a Ninja is being a master spy. James Bond didn't randomly blurt out that he was a spy, he kept a secret.
6. Learn free running or Parkour, so you don't hurt yourself. Don't do stunts like flips and tricks without a professional spotter in the room or area with at LEAST a phone to call emergency services.
7. Be stealthy, be quiet, if you have a dog or cat, practice sneaking up them or a friend

• Be safe
• Don't blurt out your secret to friends
• Find escape routes for any situation
• Don't be afraid to try new tactics
• Build your body
• Eat healthy
• Be respected
• Be a Ninja

Warnings

• Don't be a crazy Ninja
• Don't show you're a Ninja
• Don't be violent
• Don't harm anyone unless it is an emergency
• Don't dress like Movie Ninjas