Ask an Expert
For the knowledge hungry out there, the Internet is a two-sided sword in some ways. On the one hand, it gives you access to a sea of knowledge, just a search away. I am sometimes amazed at what kind of information I am able to find. On topics I wouldn’t ever have been able to research before, I can now find several sites explaining the ins and outs, and almost always for free. On the flip side, wading through the useless information to find the gold nuggets can sometimes be time-consuming. This is especially true if your knowledge of the subject is null, and you can’t spot the good information from the bad. This is why it can pay to ask an expert.
Message boards
Since my first online days I have sought out expert advice. One of the oldest internet protocols, Usenet, is a place where we used to get advice and expert opinions. USENET has groups for a wide variety of hobbies and academic disciplines, where anyone can answer questions. Although you are never certain a question is answered by an expert, the groups are often self-regulating and moderated. If low quality answer is given, an expert will most definitely step in and give you the correct details. Today, forums have taken over the role for USENET. Finding a specialized forum on your subject can be a great way to learn.
Web sites
Web sites like About.com are forum-like, where you can ask questions and get answers from other visitors at the site. This is just one example of probably thousands of examples. Learnnewskills.net is another type of site where popular skills, and how to learn them, are described.
Astronomy For Beginners
The human race has always been preoccupied with the night sky, and since ancient been studied in great detail through the use of modern technology. For beginners astronomy can be a rewarding hobby indeed. You can find a lot of advice and information on what to observe, and what equipment to buy, just by searching the Internet. Here is some advice that will get you started.
Choosing between all the different telescopes that are available can be a challenge, but following these simple ground rules should make it pretty straightforward.
Check out your location
Do an area “recon” to see what is going to be visible on your site. The moon is of course one of the easiest objects to spot, as it is near the earth and quite bright. Even a small telescope will be sufficient to also view Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn, however a high-power eyepiece will help you. Venus is the brightest object in our solar system, aside from the sun and moon, and is therefore a favourite object for astronomy for beginners.
Magnification
Do not purchase the first cheap model that claims very high magnification. Magnification is generally not the most important feature, as the image’s sharpness and brightness does not correlate with the magnification factor. You will be able to see most observations under 50 x magnifications, so it is ultimately the optics that determines good results from bad.
Reflector telecopes
It is common for the amateurs to buy a reflector telescope, as these are affordable to most people setting out to embark on astronomy for beginners. With regards to optics, aperture width is important, as the wider the aperture the more the image will be bright and sharp. Purchasing a steady mount is also important, as even an expensive telescope will do you no good with out a tripod of reasonable quality.
Astrophotography
Taking picture of the objects and images seen is also very popular among astronomers. The term for this is Astrophotography, and even the amateur can have a go at this. If you are interested in taking pictures, you need to choose a digital camera and a film. Professionals usually go for film, as the quality is generally superior, as digital cameras can not produce long exposures. Ease of use and price might make digital the ideal choice for a beginner though, and it can easily cope with capturing the bright objects you will be photographing, like the Moon and close planets. It is also very practical to be able to see the image immediately after you have taken them, now that digital cameras sport LCD screens. Same goes for the camera as for the telescope, a quality tripod is essential for stability.
Books about Astronomy
As a final thought, astronomy for beginners is a popular subject for books, often including guides to the constellations and star charts. Check out the reviews on the books below and see if they fit your needs.
Author: Jeff Becan
Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope–and How to Find Them
Authors: Guy Consolmagno and Dan M.Davis.
Learn how to sing
“Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm.” Wikipedia.org
Everybody can learn to sing
Reading the lines above you might be thinking that often singing is rather “the act of producing awful sounds” and that the person exalting this noise would never be able to sing a clear tone. However, I assure you that with the correct practice, over time, anyone and everyone can learn to sing.
First things first, you have to want to sing and you should probably like to sing. If you don’t like to sing because you sound terrible, that is ok as long as you are willing to learn. Second, remember that while I recommend that you use every chance you have to sing, like in the shower, in the car, while you clean the house, this should not substitute your daily, or every other day, practice.
Note: The goal in this article is how to learn to sing as cheap as possible. If you can afford regular singing lessons, that would probably be the best path to go. Be sure to read the advice on singing teachers at the bottom of this article though.
Getting started
Getting started is easy, and you probably already have if you like to sing. Get out your favorite cd and sing along. If you are not used to singing at all and find it embarrassing, wait until you are home alone and put on the cd loud so you, or at least your neighbors, can’t hear you sing.
Try to get in at least 30 min. of practice in every other day. Do not practice every day when starting out, you might strain your voice and cause you problems from the get go.
Now, as the weeks pass by, decrease the volume on the stereo so that your voice gets louder in comparison to the cd. This way you will hear more of your mistakes and be able to adjust, as you get used to hearing it.
After 1 month
This could easily be the first thing you do, and if you have sung for some time and are used to your voice, be free to skip the Getting Started advice. Now it is time to practice more effectively, and what I recommend for this stage is to open the yellow pages, search for singing teachers and schedule one lesson. Ask that you be able to record the session, if the teacher says no call a different teacher. Remember, this article has been to those that do not want, or can afford, regular song lessons by a teacher.
Now, when you have this practice session with the singing teacher, bring along a tape recorder, or other recording device. Set it up so that it records best records the song teachers piano and the instructions he or she calls out.
If the recording is a success you will be able to practice to this tape every day if you like, and it is free. Remember, what you don’t get when you follow this route is correcting instructions, so pay extra attention to your own voice while practicing.
Singing like a super star
Every, or every, other month
Book a session with a singing teacher so that you can pin down your weak spots. Do this once per month, or every other, if you can afford it. Bring your tape recorder and tape these sessions so that your warm up practise’s reflects your increasing reach.
Things to look out for when choosing a singing teacher
Just like in any other profession, there are good teachers and bad teachers. I want to give you two main advice that you should look out for when reviewing your first lesson.
- Chemistry: Do you feel comfortable with this person? There is always a bit discomfort in the first session, after all you are singing to someone that is judging your voice, it can be scary. But, is this a person that gives you constructive feedback or hard, cold, criticism? Are you a person that perhaps prefers the cold reality? Find someone that matches you, but can still push you to do better!
- Pedagogy skills: Too many good vocalists/singers turn bad singing teachers, because their pedagogy skills are weak. Look for a teacher that is specific in their instructions and feedback. Look out for teachers that try to teach you trough vague phrases like “think big” to get a larger volume in your voice, or “let your lunges guide you” (I made that one up) to better your performance. If the teacher can’t explain the mechanics of the voice, lungs, neck, and how they work together (or against each other), this might be a weak teacher. Since the vocal cords aren’t visible to you, it can be frustrating some times to figure out what you are doing wrong. Choose a teacher that is able to “force” you to do it right through specific practice lessons for that particular weakness.
Thats about it for now. Remember, sing to have fun!
Learn magic tricks skills
Who doesn’t love magic tricks, and who hasn’t pulled their hair out trying to figure out how the magicians pull off these amazing magic tricks. The acts, at their best, can be displays of high-level technique and showmanship, keeping the crowds in awe.
Everybody with a little free time, and love for magic, should spend an hour or two trying out some of the tricks I have listed below. These are links to websites that either shows how to do several tricks, or one trick in particular. You will quickly see that it isn’t that difficult to pull off rather impressive tricks.
http://www.kidzone.ws/magic/index.htm
Oh, and if you are very serious about becoming a magician, you can do all your magician shopping here:
http://www.magictricks.com/
Computer Basics
You know, times pass fast, especially for an oldie like me (not that old). I was reminded of this in doubles when I just recently started building websites again, 7 years going since the last one. Man, how things have changed! I really thought I understood the computer basics, I mean, I was pretty proficient in writing code back in the day, but now even the simple stuff seems foreign. Blogs, Feeder, Twitter, not speak of the new CSS was of building HTML. You blink and you fall behind!
Learning the basics
I really recommend having a good grasp of the basics, and using a methodical approach to learning computer and Internet skills. Below I have listed different ways to go about learning these skills. I personally prefer reading books, and to be specific, printed books. That way I can have the computer book in front of me while I work on the examples, look up something on the Internet, or follow step by step guides.
Computer books
This is my preferred way of learning new skills, and my favourite book store is Amazon. The scope of title there are terrific, and the prices are usually lower then I can get anywhere else.
Other book stores are Barnes and Noble and Borders, though I have never purchased from them. You could also check you local book store, however I find prices “in the real world” to be a lot higher then on Internet book stores.
Tips: Search titles by subject, and sort by user reviews. I have a great success in trusting user reviews, especially when there are many detailed reviews that are positive.
Computer courses online and offline
Taking a computer course can be the best way to learn the new skills, if that is how you prefer to learn. There are many courses on the internet, both free and at a cost. Microsoft actually offers some good Office training courses that are free (see link below). I have only listed free courses, as you will get a long way with free.
