The National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, played host to the first Professional Windsurfers Association indoor competition in eight years last weekend. To accommodate the event, 792,516 gallons of water was poured into a specially built pool. It took approximately 40 hours to fill it up. In the end, the pool was 295 feet by 108 feet. To create waves, 34 fans generated winds up to 43 miles per hour.

Here are a couple of photos of the event and pool, which could accommodate 20 M-16 figher planes, according to PL 2012+, the company that manages the stadium. Continue Reading →

Scientific American runs a series of posts by Sunny Sea Gold that are thoughtful, helpful, and interesting, such as “How to Be a Better Negotiator,” “How to Be a Better Boss,” and “How to Be a Better Friend.” Gold’s latest in the series is “How to Be a Better Time Manager.” And since we all value our time, I thought I’d share her tips and few quotes from her piece.

1. Meditate Mindfully
“There may not be any research linking meditation directly to time management, but mindfulness meditation has been shown to speed up information processing in the brain, improve memory, boost concentration and make tasks feel easier.”

2. Figure Out Why You Waste Time
“Everyone procrastinates, at least a little bit. And researchers have theorized that we have different reasons for it: arousal procrastinators get a rush from waiting until the last second, avoidant ones don’t want to face an undesirable task, and indecisive procrastinators are somewhat paralyzed by how to even start.”

3. Be a Little More Grateful
“In one study at the University of California, Davis, participants who kept a daily journal of things they were thankful for showed more enthusiasm, energy and determination than people who wrote neutral entries or kept track of annoyances.”

4. Try Pomodoro
“The basics: Set a timer and work for 25 minutes straight, without any interruptions or distractions, then take a five-minute break. After four cycles, take a longer, 15- to 20-minute break. Repeat until your task is finished.”

Please check out the article for more content about each tip, and please share with us how you manage your time well.

(photo credit: MattysFlicks via photopin cc)

Danielle Paquette, a reporter for The Washington Post, posed an interesting question today: Can indie music save your neighborhood?

“Art, however we define it, has long helped transform cities. It’s a moneymaker, too,” Paquette wrote. “In December, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Endowment for the Arts tried for the first time to estimate arts and culture’s economic impact. The report found that in 2011, 3.2 percent, or $502 billion, of current-dollar gross domestic product was attributable to arts and culture.”

Paquette focuses her story on Omaha, Nebraska, and a music venue there named Slowdown, co-financed by the city to help revive development in a run-down part of town.

“It’s an experiment in arts investment for other mid-sized cities to watch, a government-backed indie rock weapon against urban decay,” Paquette wrote. “Nowadays, as people and resources surge back into cities, a drive through Omaha reveals bustling retail corridors, brand new apartments, and stretches of broken-down industrial buildings. Officials banked on the Slowdown project, in particular, to bring young people to the once blighted North Downtown neighborhood.”

Stadiums, arenas, performing arts centers, convention centers, etc., open every year in almost every city worldwide, and their promotion and presence can foster lively debates. You don’t see that with music venues much. Perhaps because of their sizes and scoops they’re often overlooked in conversations about budgets and the well-being of communities. A good, local music scene driven by music venues, though, can change a whole city’s future.

“My research finds that local music scenes help attract and retain the educated, highly skilled that drives urban economies by working for established firms or creating their own,” said Michael Seman, a senior research associate at the University of North Texas’ Center for Economic Development and Research, in a separate interview by Paquette. “It’s important to remember that music scene participants are often also educators, chefs, graphic designers, computer programmers, college students, entrepreneurs…They’re dynamic people with a lot of creative energy.

“Music scenes can act as branding agents, spur urban redevelopment, and emerge as industries in their own right,” Seman continued. “I’ve also found that music scene participants are civic-minded and often become involved in philanthropic pursuits, run for political office, and seek employment in city departments.”

Paquette’s story is well-written and worth reading, and I encourage you to do so. And when you’re done reading it, please let us know: Can indie music save your neighborhood?

(photo credit: Silicon Prairie News via photopin cc)

Well, football season is well under way and my beloved Dallas Cowboys are off to another start of predicted mediocrity. Since it’s what expected, I’m not stressed out. But maybe you have high hopes for teams and they’re not playing up to par. That might cause you a little anxious eating or drinking.

“Some people are stress eaters, and others tend to eat more when watching TV,” said Jody Gilchrist, a nurse practitioner at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Heart and Vascular Clinic at the Kirklin Clinic at Acton Road. “They are distracted by the entertainment and don’t realize how much they’re eating, and they don’t listen to their brains telling them they are full.”

Stress from overeating, drinking, and being on the edge of your seat can lead to increased heart rates and high blood pressure, too.

“The body doesn’t distinguish between ‘bad’ stress from life or work and ‘good’ stress caused by game-day excitement,” Gilchrist said. “It impacts your health either way.”

There are some things you can do, though, to help mitigate stress, and they’re illustrated below.

“Even the smallest choices can have a positive impact on your health, so make a point to incorporate many small changes rather than setting unrealistic goals, such as staying away from fun foods altogether,” Gilchrist said.

(top photo credit: davidsteltz via photopin cc)

(infographic: University of Alabama at Birmingham)

There was a lot of news this past week. Here are some stories that caught our eyes.

The War for Our Digital Future: Virtual Reality vs. Integral Reality
—Wired
“With digital components embedded and invisible within objects, Integral Reality won’t separate us from the real world but instead promises to create emotionally engaging experiences with it.”

The Sports-Related Jobs With the Strongest Growth
—Forbes
“The report breaks down growth by sports-related industries, which include Sports Teams and Clubs; Racetracks; and various denominations of promoters, agents, and managers; and also by occupations within sports-related industries, such as Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners; Public Address System and Other Announcers; and Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers.”

Stroke of Genius: Adding Art to Meeting Places and Spaces
—Associations Now
“Convention centers and hotels are commissioning original artwork for their spaces, not only as a way to highlight the local art community but also to immerse attendees and guests in the local culture.”

New Stadium Deal for Raiders Gives Team Land, Pays Off Debt
—San Francisco Chronicle
“The idea is that the public wouldn’t be on the hook for construction costs – those would be paid for by revenue generated by the project, the NFL and other private sources – but taxpayers would contribute the land and infrastructure improvements.”

College Training Facilities Marry Functionality, Experience
—Athletic Business
“Investment in a new training facility or renovations to an existing one is largely seen as a necessity for premier football programs.”

(image: Sergey Galyonkin/CC)