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I’d rather write than talk. Nobody interrupts! Posting monthly or less now--see below. |
My original purpose for this blog, which I started in August of 2019, was to see if I could maintain consistency, to discover what I want to write about, and to find my writing voice. In January, I started a "niche-less" blog at Wordpress.com where I've published weekly. -- Kit’s Kontemplations  . -- I'm preparing to start a Catholic blog on Wordpress.com where I'll post weekly, and another site to put the rest of my writing. I also want to spend more time reading other blogs and offering thoughtful comments, both here on WDC and elsewhere. At most, I will publish once a month at no set time in this blog starting in September of 2020. Thank you to those who have read and rated any posts on this blog. I really appreciate it. I did NOT want to write “about” me on this blog. I wanted to share my interests, discoveries and maybe a few useful insights. If anything I've written helps even one person, whether or not they respond to the post, then this blog has been successful. |
| Brainwaves are produced by synchronised electrical pulses from masses of neurons communicating with each other. Their speed is measured in cycles per second and change depending on what we are doing. If we are feeling tired, sluggish or dreamy, the slower brainwaves are dominant. When we are more productive, the wave frequencies are higher. Our brain waves have emotional, neurological and other effects on us. If there is a chronic lack of balance it can cause emotional problems such as depression and anxiety neurological disorders such as vertigo and ADHD, as well as sleep disorders and impulsive behaviours. Based on speed and function, the brainwaves are classed into five types. From slower to faster, here are the types:  Delta - realm of the unconsciousTheta - realm of the subconsciousAlpha - location of intuition, insight and inspirationBeta - site of learning, concentration and judgementGamma - area of elevated mystics and martial arts masters There are things we can do to alter our brainwave state. These include chemicals, meditation and neuro-feedback. Other ideas include: Doing coloring has similar effect as meditation. Using sound to achieve your desired state with binaural beats Journaling with paper and pen Breaking the multi-task habit Staying hydrated and getting enough restIs this whole brainwave thing new to you? Are you eager to investigate it further and try out some strategies? Are you skeptical about this new “fad”? Where between eager and skeptical do you fall on the scale? Sources: WHAT ARE BRAINWAVES? - https://brainworksneurotherapy.com/what-are-brainwaves Brain Waves - https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/brain-waves This Is How Brain Waves Contribute To The State Of Mind — http://www.mindvalleyacademy.com/blog/mind/brain-waves 3 Steps to “Spiritual Awakening” by raising your brain waves to Gamma! — https://medium.com/@yelizruzgar/3-steps-to-spiritual-awakening-by-raising-your-b... Breathe in, breathe out, alter your brain waves with colouring books - https://www.biznews.com/health/2015/08/17/breathe-in-breathe-out-alter-your-brai... BRAIN WAVE SURFING WITH BINAURAL BEATS - https://www.wiseapetea.com/blogs/knowledge/brain-wave-binaural-beats 6 WAYS TO HACK YOUR HABITS FOR OPTIMUM BRAIN HEALTH - https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/6-simple-brain-hacks/slide/2/ |
| When you hear the word “logic”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Sherlock Holmes or Spock? Where do you see logic being used or misused in daily life? One example is medical diagnosis. The doctor gathers information about the patient’s symptoms. Then he or she places this in the framework of his medical knowledge, starting with a process of elimination to come up with one or more possible diagnoses. Fields where logic is foundational include: math, science, philosophy, linguistics and, of course, computer programming. The most confusing thing for most people when it comes to logic is to separate the truth of the statements or premises of the argument and the valid or invalid forms of the argument. In logic, an argument can be valid but the conclusion will be false if one or more of the premises are false. However, when the form of the argument is valid, it is impossible for the conclusion to be false when all the premises are true. There are two ways of reasoning: formal, also called deductive and informal, also called inductive. An argument with its conclusion is either inductive or deductive. In deductive logic, the conclusion is certainly true or absolutely false but in inductive logic, the conclusion has a higher or lower probability of being true. If the argument is deductive, it cannot be inductive; and, if it is inductive, it cannot be deductive. Both deductive and inductive logic have arguments in the form of syllogisms; deductive logic uses categorical syllogisms and inductive logic uses statistical syllogisms. In general, deductive arguments are either valid or invalid and inductive arguments are more or less cogent. The scientific method uses both types of logic. Inductive logic examines data observations to determine patterns and form theories. Deductive logic is used to test the reasonableness of hypotheses and theories. The deductive approach may be preferred by people of a certain temperament but neither the deductive or the inductive approach is better than the other. They each have different purposes and are often used alternately, in a series of steps, to achieve the desired result. Have you ever thought about how much logic is a part of life? Have you ever considered studying it, even if only as a hobby to keep your mind sharp? Do you appreciate the value of studying logic so as to improve your critical thinking skills? At this point, I am much more interested in studying deductive logic. I enjoy playing around with the Venn diagrams in categorical logic. Courseara has 4 free courses in logic. I most enjoyed the second and third parts which dealt with deductive logic. I like clear, black and white solutions more than things are only “probable” or where the conclusion is only “probable”. What I’d really like to figure out is how to do the logic puzzles in the Pencil Puzzle magazines where they tell you a story and you have to figure out from the clues who did what and where they did it. I only get so far with these then get stuck. Even reading the answer doesn’t help because I can’t grasp how they the used to clues to reach the conclusions. Sources: Deductive Logic - http://www.madwizard.com/lct_deductive.htm Deductive Reasoning vs. Inductive Reasoning — https://www.livescience.com/21569-deduction-vs-induction.html Puzzle Baron’s Logic Puzzle Solving - https://logic.puzzlebaron.com/how-to-solve-a-logic-puzzle.php Truth tables - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7mulE-zramc Venn diagrams for 4 types of categorical statements - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_19lMrCEv8I Venn diagrams for testing syllogisms - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rcyeHdx0Qv4&t=11s |
| If you have even a remote interest in nutrition and weight loss, you’re likely deluged by diet names and nutrition terms. Even trying to classify the diets is quite a challenge because many blend rules of other diets. There’s nothing new, really. There are only so many nutrients - so many of these diets are just different combinations of which nutrient types to include or exclude - to increase or restrict. The goal for most people is to lose as much weight as possible, and to lose it as quickly as possible. Not all diets are created equal. Some will give quick results but are not even safe long-term, much less sustainable. This is because they either eliminate entire food groups or have other very strict restrictions. Others have a much more balanced and flexible approach, steering you to more nutritional choices and stressing strategies like portion control, increasing movement and avoiding emotional eating. Often diets create guilt and negative feelings about food. Some who have spent much of their lives on one diet after another come to see food as the enemy instead of as the blessing God intended. No diet works for everyone. Some diets are high risk for people with a history of eating disorders. Common sense dictates that you would choose one that you can live with long-term; it must be flexible and include all the food groups. In my experience, setting certain lifetime boundaries around food and eating for nourishment instead of recreation leads to long-term weight loss and maintenance. This is what will build a good relationship with food and behaviour habits that promote a healthy lifestyle while we go through the weight loss process. We didn’t gain the excess weight overnight. There is no miracle food, supplement or diet plan that will take the weight off quickly and keep it off indefinitely. As you go through the process of finding a healthy way of eating, avoid “all or nothing” thinking. If you don’t want to integrate every part of what looks like a good plan, choose the one part that you feel most ready and able to adopt and start there. Build one small habit at a time by adding a new behaviour like drinking more water each day or eliminating something like eating while watching TV. Add a new healthy food to your routine each week. When it comes to the foods that we want the most but are the least healthy, don’t resolve to stop eating them altogether but set a lifetime boundary with it. For example, I set the boundary that I will not eat sweets except on Sundays and social occasions. I found that on Sundays, I didn’t necessarily even want to eat them. Just knowing that I could have a sweet treat without breaking my boundary made all the difference. Here are some of the diet types I’ve come across: Low carb diets These recommend severely restricting carbohydrates and consuming plenty of fats and a moderate amount of protein. Low fat diets These recommend that you avoid foods with a high fat content, particularly meat and dairy. Reduced calorie diets These tend to be more balanced and don’t eliminate entire food groups. Raw food diets These aren’t specifically for weight loss and include Raw Vegetarian, Raw Vegan and Raw Omnivores (also eat animal products) Here is a brief summary of the more common or “high profile” diets that you’ve likely heard of, in no particular order. For more details, check out the sources at the end of this article. WW (formerly Weight Watchers) - balanced and flexible Paleo - avoid cultivated grains and livestock Intermittent fasting - periods of fasting alternated with eating South Beach - a multi-phase diet where fruits, beans, legumes, grains, alcohol, sugary beverages and refined, processed carbs are not allowed during Phase 1 Vegan - no animal products (meat, eggs and dairy) Ketogenic - very low carb, low protien, high fat Atkins - avoid high carb foods and eat as much fat and protein as you want Zone - avoid processed grains, rice, potatoes, egg yolks, processed foods, organ meats (liver)Mediterranean Diet - Meat, cheese and sweets very limited. Encouraged foods are: fruits, vegetables, beans, high-fibre breads and whole grains, nuts, and olive oil. Raw Food Diet (also called Living Food Diet) - Avoid all cooked or processed foods, refined oils, table salt, refined sugars and flour, coffee, tea, alcohol and pastaI hope this helps you surf the diet waters without drowning. Sources The most popular diets millennials want to try in 2019 — https://www.businessinsider.com/most-popular-diets-millennials-want-to-try-2019-... The Best and Worst Diets for Sustained Weight Loss, According to Dietitians— https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/diet/best-worst-fad-diets/ 9 Popular Weight Loss Diets Reviewed — https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-weight-loss-diets-reviewed The Vegan Diet — A Complete Guide for Beginners — https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-diet-guide The Atkins Diet: Everything You Need to Know - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/atkins-diet-101 Zone Diet - https://health.usnews.com/best-diet/zone-diet/dos-and-donts Mediterranean Diet - https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-topics/aa98646 The raw food diet: Should I try it? - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/7381.php Monique from Ottawa, Canada No matter what, WRITE! |
| When I first started researching the whole blog thing, the advice that showed up in the first 20 or more articles that I came across stated adamantly that a blog MUST have a niche and the narrower the niche, the better. Since I know a little about a lot of things and not too much about any single topic, I was about to abandon the whole idea. Fortunately, I decided to read just a couple of more articles and I read one that debunked the niche myth. You need a niche for your blog if you want to market a product or to make money by targeting a specific audience. For example, marketing cooking appliances to a small group such as visually impaired people. I am visually impaired and have a variety of appliances since I am not comfortable with a traditional oven and stove. However, I am not one who loves to cook so I’d run out of blog ideas pretty quickly! The best advice I got was to just start by writing about whatever interested me. Since what I most wanted from a blog was the discipline of regularly writing to a deadline and the slight possibility that someone might read and resonate with what I wrote. Who needs a niche for that? The promise extended was that, if I kept up with writing posts, I would figure out what I am most passionate about. This and a few related topics could be the focus of my blog. If I want to start writing about a set of topics that are completely unrelated to my original blog, there’s nothing stopping me from starting a different one. Ideally you would have between five and seven topics that would attract a particular audience, even if you can’t quite label that audience yet. Rather than imitating the style of another blogger you admire, write like you speak and let your personality come through. A niche-less blog can be successful. Others have done it; why not you? Advantages to going “niche-less”: It allows you to get started so that not knowing what your niche could be doesn’t have to paralyze you. You can engage with multiple topics so you’ll run into “bloggers’ block” much less often. Multiple topics will attract a much wider and larger audience. You have the freedom to change focus and to grow.Sources Does Your Blog Need a Niche? Maybe Not By Nat Eliason in Marketing https://www.nateliason.com/blog/no-niche Shattering the Myth of Blog Niches: How to Grow a Huge Readership https://writetodone.com/shattering-the-myth-of-blog-niches-how-to-grow-a-huge-re... 7 SUCCESSFUL BLOGGERS WHO BLOG WITHOUT A NICHE (YES, IT’S POSSIBLE!) https://www.hustleandhearts.com/successful-bloggers-without-niche/ 6 Niche Blog Myths Sabotaging Your Success https://ahoodlife.com/niche-blog-myths/ No Niche For Me – The Truth Behind Being Niche-Less http://pepperscraps.com/no-niche-for-me-the-truth-behind-being-niche-less/ Monique from Ottawa, Canada No matter what, WRITE! |
Among those who love to read are those who wish they could write, and those who can’t help but write. I fall into the second category. I need to write. I’ve always needed to write, not necessarily to create, but to explore myself and to process what I learn. Since taking it up again, I realize that one of the most important benefits will be that writing on a regular basis will help me find my “writing voice”, something that is already within me. We have quite a few reasons for writing: Gain attention and fame . This doesn’t interest me at all. Being a member of a lay religious order (Carmelite), I am committed to living a hidden life. Fame would put an end to that. Share a story with the world I am not interested in writing fiction anymore. I am much less interested in writing my own story, much less sharing it. Persuade others about something I am interested in providing information and evidence for a point of view but I don’t expect to persuade anyone about anything. People are very rarely open to changing their views about things they have firm beliefs about. Perhaps my temperament is too passive but I don’t want to argue with people. I’ll state what I think and leave the other person to take what helps and leave the rest. Express thoughts and feelings I have been doing this since I was a child. Even then, I felt compelled to write what was inside. I’m still doing it though there is now much less emotion and more thoughts than in my youth. Expressing myself on paper means no one can interrupt me. I can say everything I want and no one but Jesus and I know about it. When I write just for myself, I can be my real self Free mind space I came across a great analogy for what happens to me at times. When there are too many internet browser tabs open, things get sluggish and you need to close them. Taking an unlined pad of paper and a pen that writes really smoothly, I’ll write everything that comes to mind with no regard for order. I’ll just put dashes between items to separate them and not care about my handwriting. I’ll keep writing until my mind feels fairly blank. This exercise helps me to be more creative because there’s little or no clutter in the way. {/quote} When it comes to writing for others, I write because I have an inner compulsion to do it. I belileve that God, who gave me this talent, expects me to use it to help others. There are benefits to writing; here are a few: It forces us to clarify our thinking.*bulet* It improves our ability to communicate ideas. It increases our vocabulary. It can be therapeutic, helping us to become more introspective. It’s a vehicle for sharing our knowledge and experience with others who might benefit from it. It will help us discover what we are passionate about.Among these 40 reasons to write, are there any that either express why you write or which encourage you to start writing? http://positivewriter.com/reasons-why-write-challenge/ Sources: Take the 40 Reasons Why Write Challenge http://positivewriter.com/reasons-why-write-challenge/ Psychological Benefits of Writing https://www.helpscout.com/blog/benefits-of-writing/ Monique from Ottawa, Canada No matter what, WRITE! |
| As with so many other things, there are two opposite and vocal camps. There are those who think Windows 10 is the best OS ever created and others who want nothing to do with it. You can read what each side has to say, but sooner or later, you have to decide. After informing myself, I trust my intuition. I went through the same process when I needed to decide whether to run Windows on one machine and Linux on the other or to put both on the same device and dual boot. My inclination was to keep them separate and since I was given an old tower and I already had Windows 7 on my laptop, this is what I decided to do. I’m really new at this and did not want any problems that I would feel completely at a loss to resolve. A few years ago when Windows 10 was coming out, I heard a lot of negative things about it. Aside from that, I felt uncomfortable with Microsoft’s software strategies. I’m old enough to remember going from DOS to Windows 3.1. A friend told me a couple of years ago that I could run a version of Linux that looked like Windows. I started doing some research then about whether it would be a good idea to make the switch. These are some of the reasons I found: Because Linux is open-source code, no viruses or malware can be hidden in it. Any bugs are detectable and get fixed by the Linux community. Most important, no “spying” software gets into your computer. File management is easier and cleaner so there is no need for defragging or registry cleaning. The operating system and all the apps are free, though you can give a donation if you would like. Windows 10 is likely to go the route of Office 365 and you’ll need to pay an annual subscription to use it. Immune to Windows malware Runs well on older less powerful devices No restrictions and updates imposed by Microsoft which have caused lost data for some users Easy one-click software installation and removal from secure sources Since all Linux software is available online, you don’t lose it. Windows does a ton of stuff in the background without the user’s consent or knowledge which consumes resources and slows down your machine. Linux has nothing running in the background. The last few Windows 10 updates did not include a registry backup.With all of the possibilities available, I opted for Linux Mint which is based on Ubuntu. This article explains the reasons better than I can. 5 Reasons You Need to Switch to Linux Mint Fortunately, it’s not an either-or question. You can test out your Linux “flavour of choice” by running it from a DVD or USB, leaving your Windows OS entirely untouched. I plan to keep my Windows 7 to use for the odd thing that I can’t do on Linux and will never go online with it. My Linux device will be my “go-to” for everything I do online along with my iPad. Now that the date for Windows 7’s retirement is coming soon, will you go with the majority and upgrade to Windows 10, if you haven’t done so already? If, like me, you’ve clung to Windows 7, will you continue saying “no” to Windows 10 and embrace some other alternative? Sources: 3 Reasons You Should Switch to Linux Replace The Retiring Windows XP With Linux 5 Great Reasons to Ditch Windows for Linux The case for switching from Windows to Linux based alternatives {x-link}https://windowsreport.com/windows-10-registry-backup/}Did you know Windows 10 doesn’t store Registry backups by default?{/x-link} Monique from Ottawa, Canada No matter what, WRITE! |
| Logic is the study of correct and incorrect reasoning. Logicians want to understand what makes good reasoning good and what makes bad reasoning bad. Understanding this helps us to avoid making mistakes in our own reasoning, and it allows us to evaluate the reasoning of others. It makes us better thinkers. —David Sanson Logic allows us to analyze a piece of reasoning and determine whether it is correct or not. A basic knowledge of logic can help us to analyze or to construct an argument. The laws of logic and formal rules of argumentation are intended to help a person order their thinking. Logic’s cogent and consistent rules of thought help insure that a person arrives at reasonable and truthful conclusions. Logic helps you to: Determine whether your beliefs correspond with reality Form a rational worldview Evaluate ideas and argumentsWe use logic to determine the cause of problems, to persuade others, and to catch the deceptions in propoganda that our culture throws at us. Studying logic gives us the skills to do these things far more effectively. However, logic has its limits. Many forms of logic can only handle true and false but can’t handle partial truths. “Fuzzy logic” is an exception to this. Logic “languages” can’t capture subtleties in natural language. With the exception of probabilistic logic, most forms of logic can’t help us with real world decisions that contain uncertainty. Sources: Logic 101: The Value of Logic {x:link:https://www.thoughtco.com/good-reasons-to-study-logic-2670416}5 Good Reasons to Study Logic{/x-link} 4 Reasons to Take Logic Your First Year of College 4 Limits of Logic Monique from Ottawa, Canada No matter what, WRITE! |
| I want to start a personal blog on WordPress.com and I’m having a hard time deciding whether or not to allow comments. As much as I dislike complexity, I have an even greater aversion to conflict and argument. My available time and energy and attention are limited resources which I would much prefer to employ in writing posts than for moderating comments and purging spam. There are bloggers who have very strong opinions on both sides of this question. This fact makes it obvious that there are no right or wrong answers on this issue that apply to all bloggers. Enabling comments on my blog is not the only way to allow conversations to happen with readers. None of these alternative methods would be as convenient for the reader as simply enabling comments. Unfortunately, the option that is the most convenient for readers creates the greatest burden for the blogger. Requiring the reader to email or tweet their comment makes the conversation private between him or her and the blogger. Directing the comments to Facebook, Disqus or some other third party commenting system makes the conversation public but also requires an extra step for the commenter which is inconvenient to say the least. There are valid reasons both for allowing comments, for using other alternatives and for disallowing them completely Reasons to allow comments Positive comments will encourage you. Good quality comments add to the value of your post Comments can alert you to errors or broken links in your post. Comments can raise points you never thought of and provide ideas for new posts. You can receive and answer reader’s questions. People who see a lot of comments will assume that your blog is popular Allowing comments shows that you are committed to your blog and helps you maintain credibility. “When we don’t have access to a human aspect, we find it easier to dismiss a blog as just a “brand” or faceless entity that doesn’t care.” —Julie Neidlinger You’ll make new contacts and may discover new blogs. Allowing comments creates a bond with your readers and builds trust. “Taking part in your own blog comment section shows the world you’re not a hermit. It says that you are not just a one-way street, blasting your content out to them but unwilling to hear them back.” —Julie Neidlinger Responding to commenters encourages them to come back to your site.Reasons to turn off comments Most comments don’t add any value to the conversation. Comment boxes attract spam and trolls which are time consuming and frustrating to manage. A large volume of comments can make your site slow and less responsive. The number of comments is not an indication of how many people are visiting your blog yet having too few comments may send the wrong message about the quality of your content Negative comments are not only distracting and discouraging, they could have a negative impact on your writing. Dealing with comments can cause plenty of stress if the topic of your post or if your niche attracts argumentative critical readers. Poor or obnoxious comments can make the post seem to be of poorer quality. Stupid comments can make you look stupid. Allowing comments make the time-consuming task of moderation essential. If you don’t have time to daily moderate comments, disabling them may be the best option.“Many commenters want to be able to interact in real-time with blog comment sections, so a moderator review option may discourage communication as much as a disabled comment section would. If you do not have a consistent amount of time each day to monitor your blog comments and respond to each, then you may be better off disabling them.” —The Pros and Cons of Allowing Blog Comments by Pingler Conclusion Though enabling comments enabled on your blog is not the only way to have conversations with your readers, it is the simplest and most preferable method for readers. In the early stages of blogging when I’m likely to have very few readers, I will allow comments. If I ever get so many comments that it takes too muvh time to moderate them, I’ll consider directing commenters to Twitter or some other option. I am an introvert who hates conflict so, if I am going to post on controversial topics, I may not want to deal with comments in any fashion. As you can see, I’m still conflicted about this. Sources — Are Blog Comments Good or Bad? By Kris Gunnars BSc- https://searchfacts.com/blog-comments-good-or-bad/ — 10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments By Julie Neidlinger - https://coschedule.com/blog/blog-comments/ — Debate! Should You Allow Comments on Your Blog? Find Out What Two Remarkably Popular Bloggers Think — https://fizzle.co/sparkline/debate-should-you-allow-comments-on-your-blog-find-o... - — Yes, blog comments are still worth the effort - https://gigaom.com/2012/01/04/yes-blog-comments-are-still-worth-the-effort/ — Dumb Comments by Others Make YOU Look Dumb - https://www.neurosciencemarketing.com/blog/articles/dumb-comments.htm — The Pros and Cons of Allowing Blog Comments - https://pingler.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-allowing-blog-comments/ — Should You Disable Blog Comments on Your Blog? - https://pingler.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-allowing-blog-comments/ — Should You Just Remove the Comment Section from Your Blog - https://selfmadesuccess.com/just-remove-comment-section-blog/ — A Blog Without Comments Is Not A Blog - https://blog.codinghorror.com/a-blog-without-comments-is-not-a-blog/ — 3 Questions To Ask Yourself About Blog Comments - https://www.patrickkphillips.com/blogging/3-questions-to-ask-yourself-about-blog... — Matt Gemmel’s first post about removing comments - http://mattgemmell.com/comments-off/ — Matt Gemmel’s follow-up post “Comments Still Off” - http://mattgemmell.com/comments-still-off/ Monique from Ottawa, Canada No matter what, WRITE! |
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Yes, I know some people do that but I'm a creative writer not a journalist. Poetry sells ... but it's a money-maker for only a few. I write A LOT. Almost 180 pieces since Spring equinox. My goal is 300-400 per year. One year I went over 1,000. I need to do more editing, polishing, sharing, submitting. Writer's block? Who has time for that? I don't.