by Mark Smiley | Aug 31, 2015 | Feature Story Bottom Left
Men (and a handful of women) everywhere are gearing up for yet another season of Fantasy Football. Excited fans of the NFL just spent weeks studying stats, watching preseason games and scouting players in order to assemble a fantasy football team that they can be proud of. Hey listen, if you play fantasy football you know what I’m talking about. You want your team to be so well assembled that they steamroll the competition earning you bragging rights for being the best and also a shot at a winning a little pool of money. It actually takes some effort to have a good fantasy team. You need to have a good draft to ensure you have some quality players on your team who will score you some big points! Beyond that, you need to have…
- A roster that has depth so you have options. Nothing worse than losing a game because you didn’t prepare for player bye weeks and unexpected injuries.
- You need to have a well-rounded roster with standout talent in key positions who hog the ball and get their name called a lot on game day.
- You have to be ready to make a big trade when you feel like unloading someone on your roster for a potential new addition who will help your team go all the way.
- You have to constantly monitor the waiver wire for unsigned players who could potentially benefit your team while replacing underperforming players who have become dead weight on your squad.
- Lastly, you have to stay involved with the team of players you have assembled making sure you’re up on all the latest news and reports in order to field what you believe to be the best lineup on any given week.
Sounds like a lot of work doesn’t it? Having a competitive fantasy football team takes a lot of time, commitment, research, attentiveness and last but not least, the desire to have and be the best.
Now if we could get you to put half this effort into your dating or romantic life. Guys, sometime we’re so dumb when it comes to dating it takes a fantasy football analogy in order for you to understand how to date successfully and with a purpose. Let’s break it down…
Why not apply some of the things I just outlined on what it takes to have a bad ass fantasy squad and apply some of that same effort in finding good women to date? Here’s how…
- You are dating, that means date! Assemble the most qualified roster of women you can find and get involved with their lives. The more options you have the less needy or desperate you’ll be come game day, errrrr, I mean date night.
- Constantly monitor your roster of women for the performers and the underachievers. Be prepared to cut the dead weight for better options and don’t forget to reward the ones who are bringing it!
- Get involved! Don’t just date to date. You’re going to lose a good woman to a man who takes interest in their lives and pays attention to their needs. That’s like drafting a killer fantasy team that is destined to win but doesn’t because you neglected it all season long leaving you with a losing effort.
- Don’t waste your time on unproductive players (women) because of emotional ties. Men are pretty loyal, to a fault at times. Once we become a fan of a player (woman) it’s hard for us to let go and accept that love affair may hold a place in our heart forever, but they should no longer be on our roster.
I know a lot of these correlations are pretty tongue in cheek but the more serious point here is this… Guys if you want a kick ass life with a beautiful, productive woman who contributes to your life then put some effort into to the process of getting on. Get in the dating game and spend the time that it takes to ensure you have the odds on your side. Put yourself in the position of being more informed than the next guy out there. You know what it takes to win at fantasy football… Start using that same desire, ambition and attentiveness into your romantic life and you just might land yourself a winner. Now that would be something to really brag about. Good luck on the field and stay safe out there.
Your pal, Sheik
by Mark Smiley | Aug 31, 2015 | Feature Story Middle Left
by Brian Zabroski
I recall my jobs in college. Bartender, receptionist, warehouse receiver, insurance agent intern, bookkeeper… Holy cow, I had a bunch of jobs throughout college. My best decision may have been to work at the campus bookstore. I was given a generous discount for books and merchandise. I was also able to pick the best used books before they went on sale. Geez, I hope whomever highlighted this book before me knew what they were doing! The used books and employee discount helped offset much of my expense, but the cost was still significant. This was almost 20 years ago!
Why am I sharing my college jobs and bookstore story with you? I nearly fell off my chair after hearing my nephew share the cost of his college textbooks. The cost? $800. Seriously? Isn’t a tablet less than $800? I asked how many of his classes offer the option of a digital textbook via tablet. A couple, but they charge the same price as the textbook!
A few minutes later while at the coffee shop, getting my hourly caffeine dose (thanks Baby App for waking us up at a random hour. You fell back to sleep, but I didn’t! I love you!), I see a few high school students carrying loaded backpacks. They look like Sherpas ready to tackle Everest, except they are tackling Math and Science with 25 pounds of textbooks. What did they have in their hands? Oh come on… guess… their mobile phones! Not their textbooks!
Here’s my issue, students as young as kindergarten are using mobile and PC technology for learning, yet our school system throws textbooks their way. Why are we continuing to embrace teaching methods that were in use when I was in grade school during the 1980s?
Now, I understand there are a few outliers. For those who are outliers, I salute you. I’m concerned that we are not properly arming our children to be ready for the workforce. Are you using a textbook to learn your job? Most likely not. Businesses are adopting online learning for employees. This change has to begin for our youngest population, and not just in “computer” class during school. Let’s begin by embracing technology in place of yesterday’s learning and teaching methods. Start with one or two classes using tablet learning in place of textbooks.
What’s in it for the school system? A financial gain. I learned that Mrs. App’s elementary school charges $75 for supplies for their students. Budgets are tight whether you’re a business or a school. A recent study examined the financial impact to a 500 student school of replacing textbooks with digital books. The study estimates that a business can save upwards of $250 per student per year. That’s $125,000 per year, or put it this way, two to three more teachers to reduce classroom size. Wouldn’t that help offset the added expense for supplies? For schools, such as universities, that require purchasing textbooks, this can be a profit center. Offer the use of textbooks as a recurring revenue model, with one exception; don’t charge the same high cost of a textbook.
It’s not only a financial advantage for the school system. The ability to always have the latest edition of a book will serve our students more efficiently. It reduces the cheating concerns. I’m not talking about those lovable New England Patriots, but rather the students that skate by because the text and curriculum hasn’t changed year over year. Yes, this means less highlighted books passed down.
It improves our students’ health. No longer will we notice our students walking around as Sherpas. Research shows nearly 14,000 students are treated for backpack-related injuries each year. Check out this link for backpack safety tips: http://goo.gl /6EaBPt.
I truly believe the biggest influence of this transition will be for our children. They use this very technology as the medium for communication and learning, except when they’re within the walls of their school. We need to embrace this change, from the school districts to the teachers. In fact, there need to be more progressive teachers to lead this change.
School districts need grant help to procure the equipment. Businesses need to be involved by sponsoring grants. These students will be in the workforce in the not too distant future. This is an amazing way to gain a larger footprint and build a bench for any business. Whether it is my nephew or your child, we should work together to reduce the cost of school. It’s my hope that this column sparks conversations during this “political season.” Make technology part of our education system. Our workforce and future truly depend on it.
There are a large number of apps available for students, teachers and parents. A couple that caught my eye were Nearpod and Remind. Nearpod allows teachers to share their presentation and content to students’ devices. The sharing is fun and engaging, but the biggest advantage is the interaction. Teachers can view, real-time, each students’ activity on the app. Here’s a way this app helps: A teacher shares a math lesson via the app. The students are tasked with completing the lesson within the app on their device. In real-time, the teacher can view the answers and work with each student, which allows the teacher to engage, assist and celebrate success immediately.
Remind allows teachers to text parents and students. Face it, texting is here to stay so let’s embrace a medium that students understand. The app hides the phone numbers for confidentiality. In addition, parents and students can engage in private conversations. Just two of the many ways we can begin to embrace technology in the classroom.
Remember, Apples still make teachers smile. Welcome Back!
Do you have a favorite educational app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian @brianzabroski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/bri anzab.
Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses use NetSuite software to run and manage all of their business applications. It’s web-based, so businesses can access their information from anywhere; It’s flexible, which allows the software to be customized for their business; and, it is built on a single platform, which businesses appreciate since they can often eliminate multiple software solutions. Trending companies, such as Box, GoPro, FitBit and Dropbox use NetSuite software to run their business. Reach out to Brian to learn how your business can benefit with NetSuite.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 3, 2015 | General Featured
Beating the stress of back to school: what you can do to help your anxious student
(BPT) – Do you or your child have the back-to-school blues? If so, you’re not the only ones. Saying goodbye to slower summer days can be difficult. For almost three months, you have felt free from the structure of the classroom and the accompanying homework. When the upcoming school year rolls around, it’s common to feel some sadness. For children who suffer from anxiety, this stress may be harder to handle, and it may stem from more than just pop quizzes and earlier bedtimes.
These children need extra attention as the new school year draws near. The best thing you can do to prepare your child is to give the gift of your time and attention. Instead of dwelling on things like tests and homework, talk about how to make the transition into the exciting new school year the best it can be.
Lauren Zimet, director of the Early Insights Healthy Foundations Program, is a mother herself and has pinpointed the top four back-to-school tips and tricks to make the transition easier. These tips will help to reduce the stress and tension felt by you and your child, not only for the first weeks of school (the hardest time to adjust) but throughout the year as well.
1. Connected communication. Engage in a conversation with your child and ask what he or she is excited and concerned about for the upcoming school year. Give your child the freedom to speak openly and avoid asking too many questions at once. You’ll know you are connecting when he starts volunteering information. When you listen to your child, and he can see the genuine interest and attention in your eyes and through your body language, he will feel more comfortable discussing the upcoming year.
2. Creative calendars. Planning ahead makes adults feel prepared, which is a huge de-stressor. The same goes for your child. Younger children only need a day or two to look forward to their big day. Older children may benefit from discussing the year weeks before the first day, especially if those conversations include working on things like organization, planning, prioritizing, and sequencing (those important executive functions of the brain).
3. Visualize the goal. Get specific and help your child visualize the first day of school. Have your child tell you or draw out the sequence of the day, from waking up in the morning, to dressing in an outfit chosen the night before, to what she’ll be enjoying as her brain-boosting energy breakfast. The more your child can visualize her routine(s), the more she will be at ease when the big day finally arrives.
4. Load up on brain food. Breakfast is coined “the most important meal of the day,” and rightly so! Food is the fuel for the brain and body, and the quality of the fuel matters. Whatever you choose to give your body and brain each morning will enable you to do a certain level of thinking. American breakfasts are often unbalanced, heavily favoring carbs, which are only a tiny part of the good-breakfast equation. Encourage your child to pick a protein each morning, as well as fruit, veggie, and healthy fat and carb options. From there, complement his or her diet with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement from a reputable fish oil company like Nordic Naturals. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to help soothe anxious brains as well as support the entire nervous system, so don’t miss out on this simple improvement opportunity. Research on omega-3 fatty acids can be found at www.omega-research.com.
The new school year is on its way and while this time of year may cause some children to feel anxious, there are things you can do to help. Employ any of the suggestions above to help your child start feeling more excited about the new school year with each passing day.
