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Elfing Yourself

Hello My Long Lost Friend

Hello Everyone,

Sorry that it’s been so long, but I have 2 Lit classes, a History and Accounting class, all which require either lots of reading of lots of homework.

I hope to write regularly and maybe glean some insight from these little snapshots of my mind.

I hope not to stray far from you,

Jerry

Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked…

Going to school and having my birthday coming soon has made me realize that I’m glad that I am doing something to improve myself. A friend said, “If you are not trying to improve yourself, you are relegating yourself to entropy!” A fancy way to say, Do something or fade away, I think that this is great advice and I’m glad I listened.

Now time for a video:

Not Satisfied

Today while trying to see the performance level of my computer, I went to the Dell site to update my drivers and see what I need to do to make my laptop tip-top. I don’t know who designed the Dell help site but I’m inclined to believe that they took the pinhead that was standing around that didn’t know what plugged into where and asked him to help design the support/help page. I can say that nothing was accomplished except that I was able to complete a survey that let me state how inept their website was.

I was trying to put a good header on this blog post when I found out something funny. I was going to label this “Anoid” and in researching this word I found out that I was not going to say “I am Anoid,” because being Anoid means: An organism that consists entirely of an anus! I have been bothersome in the past, (ask my fellow students or friends, don’t ask family they have another word for me!)but (hehehhe) I wouldn’t say “entirely” is the word I would use. So I leave you blogspot giggling like a little girl. Hasta la vista.

Mind is at rest.

Even though finals finished on Friday, I did not feel fully relaxed until Sunday when my friends, who had just spent a week in Mexico for their vacation, decided to come to the IE from the OC to spend the day with me. I had mentioned a nervous tick that I had developed during the final studying and taking process and my friend Heather said that she had one also before her trip to Mexico. I said that my tick had not stopped until… Sunday the morning they showed up! I don’t miss the tick and I’m glad I’m relaxed enough that they haven’t come back. I’m hoping that when attempting to speak Spanish my face won’t start twitching like I’ve got ants on my face. Hasta manana me amigos!

Almost 2,000 Hits!!!

Sorry Blogsters, but I have been working on finals this week so you have been neglected. You might have noticed my two entries about sites to go to for a final for one of my classes. I posted it here and on my FaceBook site and it exploded! The Info-Blogsite wracked up a astounding 1960ish number that I’m just saying it’s almost 2.000! We beat the next closest group by 1,700 hits! I cannot believe the viral power of FaceBook and friends. You guys are awesome and I am done with finals, wooohoooo! Patience blogsters, more shall come out of the brain of the one called J.Karl!

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Decision Maker Project - Last Entry for Info378

I. Bibliographic entry
Jerry K. Miguel, http://supersizemybrain.blogspot.com/. Creative/Problem / Solving Blog, March 22, 2010.

II. Summary of article
In this exercise I was able to blog 33 times in the allotted time period for this class’ duration. Common problems that seemed to haunt me got written about, and solutions were explored or are still in the solving stage. My actual blog looks much different than this printing of it, because it is easier to read this in this format. It was harder to get into the habit of writing your thoughts down than I realized.

III. Impact of article

I found that the old adage that a problem defined is half solved. I am surprised at the challenges that happen every day that are quickly forgotten if not written down. Writing a blog will be a practice that I will continue until after the class is over. When problems are written down they can be crossed off a list if they are solved, and that give a sense of accomplishment. I think that it helps relieve stress also.

IV. Key words: Supersize Brain, Blogspot, Creative/Problem Solving Blog.

V. Jerry K. Miguel – 22Mar2010 – Decision Maker Project- Info 378

Things that Don’t Mix – Studying and Sickness

So yesterday I napped from 1pm to 6pm in the afternoon, and then I did the study guide. I went to sleep at 11pm and slept until 8am the next morning. I am trying to work with my study group and all I can think of is my bed. Good eats, drinking fluids, and sleeping a lot will be my way to try to solve this problem. Cross your fingers for me blog followers, I want to be fully healed by finals time, while you’re at it wish for me to hit lottery, you won’t be sorry!

Sick as a Dog!

I have run my body down with the ravages of the study onslaught. The lack of sleep and the bad eating has worn me out. I had to go to a funeral today for a friend’s mother who died earlier this week. I had to show my support and I tried not to sound like I was coughing up a lung while trying to show support. It was in Orange County at 3pm, so that would put us coming back during the great parking lot of the 91fwy. Luckily I was able to sleep while my buddy drove home. I’m home now and I’m trying to get lots of water in me and maybe take a nap. Pray for me boys and girls so I will be over my cold before finals next week. Same bat-time, same bat-channel.

I am Fox P-2 Deficient!

When mapping the human genome, it is found that the gene Fox P-2 is essential for the use of language and speech. People that this gene is damaged in have a lack or inability to communicate properly. While I don’t think that it is like a nutrient that you constantly need, I think my Spanish Fox P-2 gene is damaged! Maybe I can get money from the government for my handicap?  Just don’t have me count to 10 in Spanish!

Spanish is almost DONE!!!

Did my last online homework for Spanish and I just have to study for the Final next Thursday,wooohoooo!!! Have to make video for YouTube project and compile info for website. Not too bad, the end is in sight! Who said the only easy day was yesterday?

You can Rest when you’re dead, or after Finals or what ever comes First!

I have gotten 6 hours of sleep in the last two days! This is the solution for not having enough time to study, you have to take waking hours from somewhere. My buddy called the other day at 4:10 in the am to ask me if I felt the 4.4 quake coming out of LA, He was surprised when I answered at ring one. He asked me why I was up and that it ruined his waking me up joke in case I was trying to go back to sleep after the quake. But when I said what quake, because I was studying so hard, he was even more shocked. I told him I was a hardcore student and that sleep was the only way to catch up. No rest for the wicked!

Time Management, I wish I had me some!

You have to make a manual for your Networking class and it might be more than 50 pages, you have to do an online Spanish assignment that might take up to 8 hours, you have to take a quiz in Spanish class today, and sleep or lack of sleep is the only other variable. This all has to happen and daylight savings time stole one of my hours! Wish me luck and pray for my to manage my time well.

The Race is ON, like Donkey Kong

SO we have a group Final in my Info Class, and part of the criteria for grades is to gather as many hits as possible. We will make this into a viral phenomenon! That’s right folks, we’re calling everyone out on this one. He (the teacher) even made sure that there was “No Holds Barred!” Ready for the Fu? We will be Fu Masters!

Sometimes the best resources are your friends.

Last week I wrote about my tire that was low on air, but two days later a different tire was flat. To change the tire and get to school on time, left me with another problem. My problem is that I would be at school till almost 9pm which would mean I would be driving on my spare “donut” twice as far as I would like. The solution? Borrow my buddy’s van and worry about tire the next day. I ended up being only 10 min. late for my 8am class but the movie we were watching was Hotel Rwanda, which is a story about a man who used his resources to buy time for himself and his family. I pray that I can respond like he did when hardship hits me. I have to have the right mindset. Opportunities can be another name for problems.

How did we do it BEFORE?!?

Saturday night I left my cell phone in the back of my brother-in-law’s car. I was able to call a friend by borrowing a phone and found the number on my PDA, the only number I could find, and asked if he could call and tell them where my phone was at. Since all of them were going to Disneyland that day it would have been pretty easy to give the phone to my sister-in-law to give to me because she lives here in town while everyone else does not. I haven’t heard from them, no cell phone, and my cell phone has not magically reappeared…

sooooo, I’m using Facebook and emails to try and contact them. I don’t have my house phone anymore and if I did, I don’t know if I would have their number to call.

How did we do it before? I guess that’s why they invented answering machines and everyone had an address book by the phone and the yellow pages too!

How many times have you gone to the store and instead of making a list you say to yourself, “self, if you can’t remember you can just call.” Has technology made us take things too much for granted?

Hmmmmmm?

It’s always better to Stop a problem before it’s a Problem, but…

Today while walking to my car to go to school, I noticed the front driver’s side tire was very low on air. It has been a habit to check my tires and underneath my car before driving for many years now. I carefully drove to the gas station and filled the tire with air and I thought that it was not holding air quite as well as it should. I talked to the gas attendant and he said to buy Tire Flat a temporary solution for flat tires and he said, “sometimes you just use a stop gap solution, until you have time to solve the real problem.”

Insight comes to those that look. Until later my blog.

Lorenzo’s Oil

In class today we watched the movie Lorenzo’s Oil. If you are looking for a serious, true-life story this is one to check out. It is interesting how much time there is to waste if life and death is taken out of the equation. Fair warning is that this movie can break your heart, but the benefits are huge in life lessons. Never, ever give up. Show up everyday to do what you need to do. There is knowledge out there, you just have to find it, or extrapolate it. There are always other way to do one thing. Smarts don’t always get the answer, but persistence might.

I think that’s what makes the difference between someone who is good, and someone who is great at what they do, persistence. The SEALs teams are considered one of the elite military groups in the world, but while everyone who gets into the training are physically similar, only 10 percent graduate to become SEALs. It is not the strongest that become SEALs, but the ones that can push their bodies further because of their mind. The ones that can function when their bodies want to quit, and normal people would have just stayed in bed.

There are two sayings which comes to mind when I think of Lorenzo’s mother and father fighting for the answer to fix their child; The difficult we do at once, the impossible will take a little longer. And; The easiest day was yesterday.

Thank you Lord for giving us the tenacity to persevere!

Gearing up the Spanish in Me

So my midterm in Spanish is on Thursday, and if you have been following this blog you will know that it is my kryptonite. I need everyone’s collective energy to wish that I will do well. So, I need to ask the right questions today, the last class before the midterm, so Thursday will hold no surprises. I have found that learning Spanish is helping my brain remember and find other answers better, so I guess my brain will not explode anytime soon. Cross your fingers!

Time to Catch Up!

Yesterday was a furlough day for my Spanish class and I thought that I would be able to get ahead on my Spanish, but the teacher gave an online blackboard assignment. If you have been following this blog at all you would know that Spanish is my weak spot. This Spanish assignment was only supposed to be an hours worth of time, at the most. It took me four hours to finish!

I hope to get some Spanish done today, regular online assignment, and get ahead on my two Info classes. I figure I will use time to leverage my ability to solve the problem of constant homework and reading.

The reason I want to get as much done in Spanish is because of the midterm that will be on this coming Thursday, or Jueves en Espanol.

Hasta la vista!

The Prof was Correct Again!

My last entry to the blog was a lamenting of the capacity of the resident of my cranium. Since then I have found that it is not a container that can only filled a certain amount, but that Mr. Brain is more like a muscle, even though it’s an old muscle, that will grow or be conditioned to handle the task it was given. Those of you who have been following this blog know my constant battle with the Spanish language. So two midterms, on the same day, combined with my Spanish nemesis, has left this newly found muscle a little fatigued, but not broken. Our Prof told us in our last class that he had to hold his foot over a bucket of water so if he were to fall asleep, while studying, it would fall into the cold water! Here he was conditioning his mind for stamina instead of horsepower. Thank God he made the brain such a versatile tool!

So Do You Have to Empty Part of the Brain to Put More Into It?

So when you’re studying for two midterms on the same day and your brain feels full, how do you get more to fit into it? It seems that you have to lose or take something out for it all to fit. And since I’m learning Spanish does it mean that I can fit less because I’m doubling up what everything means so I’m filling my brain faster? I guess I’m asking how much knowledge is too much knowledge? I suppose that’s why pen and paper is so powerful, so you can save the actual brainpower for thinking new and innovative ideas, and we can just look up what we thought up before (making sure you’re very organized really helps!).

Learn the Pattern

Today in class we were asked to solve several problems, the kind that kids excel at but adults feel awkward doing because they can’t do it and feel inept by not solving it.  I didn’t do so bad but I could have done better. I had to overcome a scratched eyeball and a sprained ankle. Ohhh woooo is me. It’s okay gotta just do my schoolwork and hopefully do well on the up coming midterms.

Super Bowl doesn’t mean the same to everyone.

When most people think Super Bowl they think, party, football, great commercials, unofficial holiday, and… studying?!? That’s right, they don’t think about studying. So that’s why this week is so tough before this weekend, its because we’re trying to get ahead of some studies and assignments so it won’t be crunch time when Monday comes and you’re playing catch up until the middle of the week. No bueno!

Nine Little Dots

This morning at 8am I was in my Info Problem Solving class and we were given the exercise to set up a three by three box of nine dots and then we were told to try to connect the dots with four straight lines without lifting the pen. Thinking out of the box is very liberating. Now if my brain can assimilate Spanish I would be a lot happier.

What's better one problem or many?

Sorry that I haven't gotten to you since Monday, reading for classes and studying for my Spanish has kept me from enjoying the blogging experience, but I have had a culmination of events that is definitly blog worthy.

There is a saying that says one problem is hard to solve, while many problems often help to solve each other. Today, in my attempts to catch up and surpass the ever increasing reading and homework avalanche, I vowwed to read three chapters for my theatre class, listen to my Spanish class, and register my car at the DMV. So I transferred my Spanish class to my MP3 player, and found my way to the local DMV. Two and a half hours later, my car is legal for another year, my three chapters were read,and I had gone through my Spanish class five times! Sure I could have done the car registration online, but I have found that when you think you have all the time and luxury to read and listen to class, we often slack off and it doesn't get done.

So, I figure that if I can get my reading for my other two classes done, and do my excercises for my Spanish class, and get started on my paper for theatre class, Sunday won't be so bad when I am to meet with my fellow students to create a virtual environment on my laptop, I should have enough time to do my assignment for my Info class. WWWWooooooohhoooooo!!!

Remember, no rest for the wicked!

Reading, Writing, Arthmatic?

Flooding since Friday has kept me away from you, but vacuumed up most of the moisture in the living room. Finished reading assignment and had written report by 3am. I got a good 3 hours of sleep and then is was an hour and a half on the 91/215 to get to school late, 30 minutes. Even if I got all my school work done for the day, the highlight was a Spanish Rap from the show Community. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcD_Y838DXA If any of you have been following, you know that Spanish is my Achilie's heel. Watch it and enjoy!

Choices

Okay, it was go to the Play for a Theatre 3 assignment or do the mid-term for Theatre 3. No brainer huh? I'll have to miss football on Sunday and see the play then. I made a couple mistakes on the mid-term but B+ is fine if I do A work on the rest of the course. Well TTFN, see you tomorrow.

Skills babbbby!

While driving to the University today, there was alot of rain and the 215 northbound lanes had some flooding. I was hit by a wave from the car next to me when I hit a flooded section myself and hydroplaned. I was blind and drifting towards the car to my right and my old training came back to me. I eased off of the gas, turned my wheel slightly and then eased back on the gas. This action caused my tires to grip enough to stop drifting into the right lane. Wooohoooo E & E driving reflexes might fade away but they aren't gone.

Neglect but no inactivity

Two days without a post? What could I possibly be doing to neglect an important responsibility? I was trying to learn another language well enough to pass a quiz. So I took the quiz today and I didn't totally suck. With the help of two of my classmates, I was able to do a firm okay on the quiz.

Now the downside. I spent almost 5 hours in the language lab making flash cards and neglected reading for my Advanced Networking class. When you sit in the front of the class and not read the assigned readings, not that I am the most quiet student in the classroom, is asking for trouble. So this weekend will include going to a play, reading for theatre and taking a midterm, reading for Advance Networking, reading for Problem Solving, making more flashcards for Spanish (another quiz next thursday), smog my car and preparing food for a gourmet dinner party. I'm sure I'm missing some activities, but I'll make sure I'll let you know how I'm going to make it a much easier endeavor.

Remember, no rest for the wicked.

Two text books and a whole lot of reading!

So how did you spend your Martin Luther King Jr. Day? I was doing the readings for my Info Management Classes. I was at the Borders book supermart and I was getting the nods bad! I know that there were some Borders patrons chuckling at my singular participant nodding contest. Between Spanish and the Info Management classes, my brain is exploding! If the skull cannot contain the explosion at least it will get larger. Skull bigger... brain vaporized.

Humor as a Learning tool

Here is the link to the "One Semester Spanish Spanish Love Song"

htttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngRq82c8Baw

I hope it works. Posting videoes here is not easy.

Enjoy!

It's Ten not Eleven!

In my attempts to show my ever enlarging brain I tried to pass off "once" as ten in
Spanish. Diez is the proper Spanish term for the number ten. "Once" is number eleven. My embarrassment overwhelms me. I am not worthy. But in my search for a better learning medium, I found a youtube video called "One Semester of Spanish Spanish Love Song" I will attempt to post it here. Enjoy!

We are bean people!

So today I dropped by my parent's house and had lunch with them. I was commentting on how much I liked the beans that she prepared. For those of you that have never had Peruvian beans, you really do not know what you are missing. I asked her the steps to start the process of cooking these special beans. With a night's soak and saute in garlic, onions, and tomatoe with some seasoning, and you have beans that are good alone or with rice or a little side dish just for the taste. Then she said something that just tickled me. "We are bean people." We are bean people? In truth, if you are what you eat, we are truely bean people.

Donde esta...?

Sorry Mr. Blog,

But since I missed you yesterday doesn't mean that nothing happened. Tuesday and Thursdays are supposed to be my "easier" days, but I found myself mentally more challenged then usual. I am trying to outfit my computer to be more school/student friendly with as little cost to me as possible. Should I get the roller business tote thing or the multi-pocket fancy-smanshy backpact item? When I thought about my New Year's resolution to use more stairs, the answer was obvious. So I used gift certificates to purchase my new Hi-Tech Super Student Backpack! Woooohoooo! I hear that organization will save my life, and this thing might be my savior!

But the hard part of the day had not really happened yet. As you can tell from my subject title it is about Spanish again. Now I know why babies cry so much. Its because they can't say what they want or feel!

Frustration and embarrassment with a dash of impotence, okay at least two cups full of impotence, are the feelings that run through me when my teacher asked for my phone number in Spanish and I have to reply (she's cute but it was an exercise not a pick up line). Counting past once (that 10 in Spanish... oh yeah watch me flex my brain!) gives me fits, but to fire the answer of your phone number by remembering just 9 of them... who invented this torture!

And then having to spell my name in Spanish letters! Did you know they look the same as English letters... aaaahhhhuuuuhhh, so deceptive... jota (pause for the length of a bible) how do you say e... ehe. Dude, I feel so lame! I am going home to put in some Disney movies and put it in Spanish mode so I can use it as a tool to try to assimilate (try to say that word in Spanish) the language better. If I get good enough, maybe I can tell or blog a joke on here in Spanish. Then it will be "check out the big brain on" ohhh that's right, say my name!

What is my name and why am I unique?

In class today we had to remember the left side of the room's students. This is something that I do pretty well, so I wasn't too stressed. I think that everyone was stressing more on what to say on what makes them unique.

It's all just...Spanish to me!

I am taking a foreign language for college and my brain feels like its been through the wringer. I can't believe how much stress I felt just saying my name and how I "feel" in a conversation with the teacher. I will attempt to put some movies on with the spanish dubbing to get the brain learning without stressing too much.

Wish me luck.

Adios

You know it's a Monday when...

Right after the first post I was trying to make sure that my computer could still print. I was told that the system at the school had changed and that even with a laptop hardwired into the system, I would have to be connected wirelessly to interact with the wireless network printer. 45 minutes later with the help of 2 classmates still no joy. I will work on this problem on Wednesday.

1st Attempt at Blogging

Hi All,

Setting up the blog... Easy! Thinking of a name for blog... Not so easy!
Luckily it was not previously taken. Yay for me!!!