151

Average hours per month American spend watching TV: 151

Increase in the risk of obesity in people who watch 60 hours of TV per month: 60%

Meet the Generation Y

The personality of a generation based on Generation Theory that briefly could be characterized as groups of individuals born in roughly twenty-year cycles that repeat approximately every eighty years. The theory is attributed to William Strauss and Neil Howe who describe the generations in their 1991 demographic history of America, titled “Generations.”

Many educators, employers and marketers are taking the theory seriously and adjusting their teaching/hiring/training/marketing strategies accordingly.

Millennials are a product of the 21st century and are real-life focused. They want to know exactly what is required and not likely to do a whole lot more. In addition, Millennials are digital natives, meaning that technology has always been a part of their lives. They are totally at ease with it. Team activities were just what they did in school. Millennials use MySpace and wikis and podcasting to collaboratively create knowledge. Millennials believe you are supposed to work together with a group to learn. This generation is also known for being multi-taskers, texting while simultaneously doing something else. Psychologists call it micro tasking- doing a little of each and going back and forth between the activities.

Major Characteristics of Millennials

· Sheltered-more easily stressed, look to authority/parents for guidance, accustomed to structured life where desires were easily and quickly met
· Digital native-while fluent in technology, it is just another tool; 24/7 on-demand lifestyle; media-based interaction with knowledge; adaptable
· Social and team oriented-live publicly online; staying networked is key: MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, plus texting and blogging
· Ambitious but unrealistic- focused on fame, money, big ideas, but have unrealistic expectations of workplaces and real-life opportunities, goal focused
· Globally, socially, environmentally conscious-embrace, accept diversity of all sorts, activists, and more politically involved than Gen X
· Action-oriented-focused on new experiences, trying things rather than thinking about them; virtual world acceptable substituting for real-world activities; highly mobile; “TV is boring”

1900-1924 G. I. Generation [or Greatest Generation]
1925-1945 Silent Generation
1946-1964 Baby Boomers
1965-1979 Generation X
1980-2000 Millennials or Generation Y

In conclusion,

college education helps to prepare learners of the second decade of the 21st century for high-priority jobs in local communities. The Generation Y is learning life skills; adult learning adapting to individualized instructions and privacy and call the digital natives to the rescue; all together as a team continue to work on professional development and worthwhile websites.

With Hope

As the new 2010 moves in, I am dreaming with hope -

With Hope

I am dreaming out of blue,
Thinking of you,
With hope,
It can work!
One can dream,
With hope, we can redeem!
Hope is looking forward,
Hope is an optimistic word.
Hope means anticipation
With great expectations!
I am holding dawn to eagerness,
With a dish of keenness.
Come on, and hope,
Make a wish, and hope,
It will come through.
It is simple true.

Ida Tomshinsky 2009

Colors of the 4th Quarter

Colors of the Fourth Quarter

Red is glorious,
Green is gorgeous,
Brown is a color of woods,
Blue is color of moods.

Yellow stands for sunshine’s.
Purple came from royal kinds.
Desired colors are for a special day.
Dark green dominates this holiday.

White is pure, clean, and crisp.
Wind is transparent and brisk.
What color is rain? The answer burdens -
Rainwater is clear, colorless, and depends.

Light rain is happy and pink
With a little wink.
Heavy down pouring rain is monotonous
And very tedious.

Do not wish any participation
For nature angry precipitation!
Mondays are black and white.
Tuesdays and Thursdays do not bite.

Wednesdays love half-day followers.
Casual Fridays care the rainbow of colors.
The box of crayons is empty and vacant.
Instead, the words made this weekend.

The colors were used to draw.
The artistic words are not raw.
So, do not forget
The December twenty-eighth of 2008.

2008-2009 © Ida Tomshinsky
December 28, 2008-2009

Continuing Education Programs

Even in a recession, continuing education programs make sense. Colleges and universities ramp up programs for student training. Educational programs reflecting on a changing market. As the economy slows down, vocational training picks up. People are looking for alternative ways to make a living.

Be a Motivator

"The Leadership Pill: The Missing Ingredient in Motivating People Today" by Ken Blanchard and Marc Muchnick is a new book that shows business managers at any level how to apply the right techniques for getting both results and the commitment of people to perform under the pressure.
"The Leadership Pill" provides the answer in an entertaining fashion in competition between two leaders with totally different management styles, and in the end, the story reveals the ingredients of truly effective leadership.

The books below are also providing serious business tools for serious business professionals:

• "Powerful Proposals" by David G. Pugh and Bacon, Terry R.
• "Heavy Hitter Selling" by Steve W. Martin
• "The First-Time Manager" by Loren B. Belker and Gary S. Topchik

Get the winning edge moving into 2010 business year. After all, we are moving into the second decade of the 21st century!

Lasting Memories

Holidays come and go. What last is the memories. Preparation is always the key element to make my holidays special. In the end of the day, the most important thing is that everyone is able to come together and share special time with one another. Time spent together lasts season to season, unlike the most expensive toy you can find that could break in a few months.