Purposeful Practice, Dancing With the Stars Edition

Ever wonder why Dancing with the Stars is being dominated by former athletes? Most people jump to the conclusion that it is a result of their physical prowess. Certainly this does not hurt them, but I know many highly accomplished athletes who are horrible dancers. For every Donald Driver, Shawn Johnson, Apolo Anton Ohno and Emmitt Smith there is a Monica Seles, Clyde (note nickname "The Glide," which at least suggests dancing skills) Drexler, Natalie Coughlin and Ron Artest (Aka Metta World Peace) who bow out early.

Before I get too far into this let me make this disclaimer, I've never watched Dancing with the Stars. That said it is safe to say, I am about as far from being an authority on both dancing and this show as possible. However, I do know something about performance and developing skills, and that will be how I approach this topic.

I suspect a big reason that athletes seem to dominate this competition is related to how they practice and evolve through the competition. To be a successful athlete at the highest level requires that you not only spend a lot of time practicing, but that the practice is purposeful. Purposeful practice has several characteristics, including but not limited to the following: it is centered on progress rather than results, it is deliberate, and it is highly focused on going just beyond your current limits.

When the average person practices, they want to spend 90% of their time practicing what they already do well. The highly accomplished athlete knows that he must spend the majority of his or her time working on things that they are not currently good at, but which will make them much better over time. The goal of purposeful practice is always the same: progress. We learn almost everything through making mistakes. That's how we learned to walk and talk and that's how we progress.

Additionally, most athletes at the highest level are striving to get better even once they reach the higher levels of their sport. Not to take anything away from the other competitors invited to compete on Dancing with the Stars, but most of them get comfortable with their craft once they achieve success.

Once a comedian has a successful routine, they stick with it for years or longer and are more likely to hire writers than continually work at getting better. Likewise, most actors and actresses tend to play the same kind of parts throughout their careers and when studying usually spend 90% of their practice on things they are good at. They are not actively trying to get better everyday with purposeful practice like most high level athletes.

Most athletes who reach the highest level of their sport also possess the mental edge necessary to master nearly any skill they choose to pursue. So if you combine their mental edge with purposeful practice, it is quite predictable that the athletes will improve much more throughout the process of the show than their competitors. You don't have to be athletic to sing and I suspect if they come out with a show called (please no) 'Singing with the Stars,' that it is entirely likely that athletes would dominate it as well for the same reasons I stated above. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan Rises to the Occasion!

Christopher Nolan has made all Batman fans worldwide very happy, but most of all proud. Comic book fans are a very dedicated and loyal crew. They want to boast and beat their chests with pride and need the world to know just how badass Batman truly is. Batman is not the colorful Spider-Man who dances around like Tobey Maguire. Batman is dark and twisted constantly at war with Gotham city.

What if you were 8 years old, your parents take you out to a movie and some loser thug named Joe Chill kills your parents, right in front of you? Would you not be cold, distant, and perhaps even odd? Christopher Nolan has done a fantastic job telling the story as it should be told. "The Legend Ends" on July 20th, but Christopher Nolan has ensured his Dark Knight will live on for a very long time.

Bane: "The Man Who Broke the Bat"

"When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die. "- Bane, speaking to Batman

Who is Bane? Bane is that guy who was born and raised in prison. He is that guy who broke Bruce Wayne's spinal cord. He is a smart and physical freak who has been fighting to survive his entire life.

In Batman The Dark Knight, we witnessed Heath Ledger transform The Joker into the villain we all knew and wanted to see for so long from the comic books.

The question is can Tom Hardy bring Bane to life like Heath Ledger did with The Joker? All signs point to yes, and we can tell from the trailer that Bane is no stranger to death and destruction. Tom Hardy himself described Bane as an absolute terrorist. If he can make that transition on screen, get your popcorn ready! It is sure to be one hell of a ride! Batman The Dark Knight Rises is set to end on a high note. This movie will be the masterpiece to end an already proven and brilliant franchise.

Batman The Dark Knight Rises Cast and Crew

Christian Bale is back for his final Batman movie. He said earlier in an interview that this will be his final movie wearing the Batman costume. Gary Oldman is also returning to play Jim Gordon. Then you have Michael Caine playing Alfred, and Morgan Freeman playing Lucius Fox. The new members for this final installment is Anne Hathaway, who takes on the infamous role of Selina Kyle. For those that don't know that name, you might know her famous alter-ego of Catwoman.

Anne Hathaway gets plenty of screentime in the trailer and is sure to be a hit. Christopher Nolan also adds Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard, who were both in his huge hit Inception. Overall the cast stays the same, lined with star power and an enormous amount of talent. Of course you have Liam Neeson and the above mentioned Tom Hardy.

O and did I mention Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and many other NFL Pittsburgh Steelers all make their movie debut! With the new additions this is sure to be nothing less than a blockbuster.

Batman The Dark Knight Rises into Box Office Gold!

Batman Begins, which was released back in 2005 pulled in $372,710,015 Worldwide!

Batman The Dark Knight was released in 2008 and is one of the top ten biggest grossing movies of all time! It pulled in a worldwide total of $1,001,921,825. This new and final installment, Batman The Dark Knight Rises is set to break records once again! It has an estimated budget of $250 million, up from the estimated budget of $185 million from Batman The Dark Knight. I think it is safe to say this Batman will rise right into the record books! Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Vampire Diaries: More Than Just a Fantasy

For movie enthusiasts, the Twilight series is one of the most popular fantasy movies in recent times with its introduction of romance between a vampire and a human. It's not exactly an original concept but the author added some extra features like how vampires sparkle and also the concept of a love triangle with a werewolf. Just like in movies, TV shows have its fair share of popular fantasy shows such as True Blood, The Walking Dead and Smallville. One TV show that aims to be another memorable show is the CW's "The Vampire Diaries".

Vampire Diaries follows the story of a girl, Elena, torn between her romance for two vampires who happens to be brothers. Looking at that plot alone, people may judge it as a copycat of other several vampire stories. While it may not be that original in terms of its concept, the show makes up for it in their storylines and subplots. It doesn't exactly focus on the trivial facts about vampires but on the relationship of every character, especially the main character, who finds out she is a descendant of another vampire and whose life has changed when the people around her has been affected by the presence of the vampires. Elena, played by Nina Dobrev, finds herself in the company of Stefan and Damon who tries to capture her heart. But the decision is not easy to make for her as she has fallen in love with both of them. The other characters in the show have also captured the interest of the viewers with their own storylines which are in some way connected to each other in the greater side of things. One of Elena's best friends, Bonnie is a witch who grew up under the care of her grandma and another one of her friend is Caroline who was turned by a vampire and fell in love with a werewolf, Tyler, who happens to be one of their friends. We have seen these characters grow throughout the show's run especially when Bonnie strives to have more power as a witch and finds out about her mother is alive all these years. We also see Caroline's maturity as she makes her transition from a human to a vampire. We see how she struggled with helping her boyfriend turn to a werewolf and try to keep their relationship even if vampires and werewolves were not supposed to be together. Elena also has her own set of problems especially in dealing with her parent's death and the added responsibility of taking care of her brother whom she only has left after their guardian passed away.

One of the major reasons why this show continues to keep viewers watching is that it incorporates real life problems and situations into the show. Most people like to watch drama and this show has plenty of it. There's romance, betrayal, action and a hint of humor to mix it up a bit. While this show might have vampires and other supernatural beings as the main cast of the show, it is something that humans have enjoyed in their TV viewing. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Television Influence on Small Children

The Greek and Latin languages are where the word 'television' has its origin. The word is a derivative from 'tele', which is a Greek word translates, to 'far sight' and 'visio' is a Latin word that means 'sight.' In the latter part of the 1930s, the television made its way to the commercial markets. These days, television is the single most popular type of audio-visual in commercial set-ups and home. Merely mentioning the word 'television' calls to mind a medium which assists individuals in keeping abreast with entertainment issues and current affairs. No longer is the television set a single communication unit. The television has evolved in the complexity of the design to transmit recorded material that is stored on Blu-ray discs, laser discs, DVDs and video cassettes.

Television History

The television history spans over time zones and regions, in view of the fact that the technology has evolved in different places and at different times. This communication system, as it is known these days, is not the brainchild of any one specific inventor. The process has taken the endeavours of a number of engineers, over several decades, to develop along various overlapping designs, to utilize commonly accepted electronic and mechanical principles. Despite the fact that electromechanical television sets have been abandoned for the completely electronic, ultra-modern designs, the fundamental design rests on the discovery of selenium photo-conductivity in 1873. That discovery which was made by Willoughby Smith brought about the scanning disk invention from Paul Gottlieb Nipkow in 1884. In 1926, a demonstration of televised moving images was carried out by John Logie Baird, that technology was joined with the image dissector that was designed in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth, to provide viewers with the fundamental principles of the television that we currently know.

These days, the world of television is discovered by children at an incredibly tender age. A number of studies have indicated that kids who are younger than 6 years old watch television, DVD or video on a daily basis, at an average of 2 hours. In a number of instances, watching television can be useful, particularly the wildlife and educational programs that have the capacity to broaden the understanding and knowledge of your child in relation to the world around him or her. In addition, it can introduce them to a variety of communities and cultures of the world. However, at the moment the negative effects are seemingly outweighing the uplifting ones.

The Negative Influences of Television on Children

The formative years in the life of child, particularly the first two to three years, are vital to the mental growth and development of the child. Those are the years in which a child learns by way of interacting, observing, playing and discovering new things. As a result, these first few years are extremely vital for the physical and mental development. Therefore, a pattern of watching television excessively could hinder his or her social activities such as spending quality time with members of the family, reading and playing with friends.

There are a number of television programs that portray extreme violence and this could induce lots of changes in behaviour in young children. In view of the fact that kids can relate easily to what is being shown on the television screen, they will be more prone to imitating the behaviour that is depicted. As a result, you may notice aggressive behaviour in your child. In addition, it could cause the little one to develop sleeping disorders and have nightmares because his or her sense of anxiety and fear has been stimulated by what is shown on the television. In addition to this, it will possibly result in creating confusion in the mind of the young child as it relates to knowing the difference between good and bad. That is because parents most likely teach their kids that aggression and violence is bad but the program on the television will possibly show the heroes or 'good guys' perpetrating violence.

Apart from the violence, drinking and smoking scenes are depicted widely in commercials and television programs, without giving an explanation of the unfavourable consequences. The repeated and continuous exposure to these programs will make children feel as though these activities are quite acceptable and normal. As a result, kids who watch these programs on a regular basis are a great deal more likely to mimic and develop these unhealthy habits from an early stage in their development.

In the developed world, obesity is a widespread problem and television is among the important factors that are responsible for the increasing incidences of obesity among kids. Excessive watching of television decreases physical activities of the kids and simultaneously amplifies the popularity of unhealthy foods, such as potato chips, soft drinks and other snacks that they see on the commercials. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Purposeful Practice, Dancing With the Stars Edition

Ever wonder why Dancing with the Stars is being dominated by former athletes? Most people jump to the conclusion that it is a result of their physical prowess. Certainly this does not hurt them, but I know many highly accomplished athletes who are horrible dancers. For every Donald Driver, Shawn Johnson, Apolo Anton Ohno and Emmitt Smith there is a Monica Seles, Clyde (note nickname "The Glide," which at least suggests dancing skills) Drexler, Natalie Coughlin and Ron Artest (Aka Metta World Peace) who bow out early.

Before I get too far into this let me make this disclaimer, I've never watched Dancing with the Stars. That said it is safe to say, I am about as far from being an authority on both dancing and this show as possible. However, I do know something about performance and developing skills, and that will be how I approach this topic.

I suspect a big reason that athletes seem to dominate this competition is related to how they practice and evolve through the competition. To be a successful athlete at the highest level requires that you not only spend a lot of time practicing, but that the practice is purposeful. Purposeful practice has several characteristics, including but not limited to the following: it is centered on progress rather than results, it is deliberate, and it is highly focused on going just beyond your current limits.

When the average person practices, they want to spend 90% of their time practicing what they already do well. The highly accomplished athlete knows that he must spend the majority of his or her time working on things that they are not currently good at, but which will make them much better over time. The goal of purposeful practice is always the same: progress. We learn almost everything through making mistakes. That's how we learned to walk and talk and that's how we progress.

Additionally, most athletes at the highest level are striving to get better even once they reach the higher levels of their sport. Not to take anything away from the other competitors invited to compete on Dancing with the Stars, but most of them get comfortable with their craft once they achieve success.

Once a comedian has a successful routine, they stick with it for years or longer and are more likely to hire writers than continually work at getting better. Likewise, most actors and actresses tend to play the same kind of parts throughout their careers and when studying usually spend 90% of their practice on things they are good at. They are not actively trying to get better everyday with purposeful practice like most high level athletes.

Most athletes who reach the highest level of their sport also possess the mental edge necessary to master nearly any skill they choose to pursue. So if you combine their mental edge with purposeful practice, it is quite predictable that the athletes will improve much more throughout the process of the show than their competitors. You don't have to be athletic to sing and I suspect if they come out with a show called (please no) 'Singing with the Stars,' that it is entirely likely that athletes would dominate it as well for the same reasons I stated above. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Television Influence on Small Children

The Greek and Latin languages are where the word 'television' has its origin. The word is a derivative from 'tele', which is a Greek word translates, to 'far sight' and 'visio' is a Latin word that means 'sight.' In the latter part of the 1930s, the television made its way to the commercial markets. These days, television is the single most popular type of audio-visual in commercial set-ups and home. Merely mentioning the word 'television' calls to mind a medium which assists individuals in keeping abreast with entertainment issues and current affairs. No longer is the television set a single communication unit. The television has evolved in the complexity of the design to transmit recorded material that is stored on Blu-ray discs, laser discs, DVDs and video cassettes.

Television History

The television history spans over time zones and regions, in view of the fact that the technology has evolved in different places and at different times. This communication system, as it is known these days, is not the brainchild of any one specific inventor. The process has taken the endeavours of a number of engineers, over several decades, to develop along various overlapping designs, to utilize commonly accepted electronic and mechanical principles. Despite the fact that electromechanical television sets have been abandoned for the completely electronic, ultra-modern designs, the fundamental design rests on the discovery of selenium photo-conductivity in 1873. That discovery which was made by Willoughby Smith brought about the scanning disk invention from Paul Gottlieb Nipkow in 1884. In 1926, a demonstration of televised moving images was carried out by John Logie Baird, that technology was joined with the image dissector that was designed in 1927 by Philo Farnsworth, to provide viewers with the fundamental principles of the television that we currently know.

These days, the world of television is discovered by children at an incredibly tender age. A number of studies have indicated that kids who are younger than 6 years old watch television, DVD or video on a daily basis, at an average of 2 hours. In a number of instances, watching television can be useful, particularly the wildlife and educational programs that have the capacity to broaden the understanding and knowledge of your child in relation to the world around him or her. In addition, it can introduce them to a variety of communities and cultures of the world. However, at the moment the negative effects are seemingly outweighing the uplifting ones.

The Negative Influences of Television on Children

The formative years in the life of child, particularly the first two to three years, are vital to the mental growth and development of the child. Those are the years in which a child learns by way of interacting, observing, playing and discovering new things. As a result, these first few years are extremely vital for the physical and mental development. Therefore, a pattern of watching television excessively could hinder his or her social activities such as spending quality time with members of the family, reading and playing with friends.

There are a number of television programs that portray extreme violence and this could induce lots of changes in behaviour in young children. In view of the fact that kids can relate easily to what is being shown on the television screen, they will be more prone to imitating the behaviour that is depicted. As a result, you may notice aggressive behaviour in your child. In addition, it could cause the little one to develop sleeping disorders and have nightmares because his or her sense of anxiety and fear has been stimulated by what is shown on the television. In addition to this, it will possibly result in creating confusion in the mind of the young child as it relates to knowing the difference between good and bad. That is because parents most likely teach their kids that aggression and violence is bad but the program on the television will possibly show the heroes or 'good guys' perpetrating violence.

Apart from the violence, drinking and smoking scenes are depicted widely in commercials and television programs, without giving an explanation of the unfavourable consequences. The repeated and continuous exposure to these programs will make children feel as though these activities are quite acceptable and normal. As a result, kids who watch these programs on a regular basis are a great deal more likely to mimic and develop these unhealthy habits from an early stage in their development.

In the developed world, obesity is a widespread problem and television is among the important factors that are responsible for the increasing incidences of obesity among kids. Excessive watching of television decreases physical activities of the kids and simultaneously amplifies the popularity of unhealthy foods, such as potato chips, soft drinks and other snacks that they see on the commercials. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Batman: The Dark Knight Rises

Christopher Nolan Rises to the Occasion!

Christopher Nolan has made all Batman fans worldwide very happy, but most of all proud. Comic book fans are a very dedicated and loyal crew. They want to boast and beat their chests with pride and need the world to know just how badass Batman truly is. Batman is not the colorful Spider-Man who dances around like Tobey Maguire. Batman is dark and twisted constantly at war with Gotham city.

What if you were 8 years old, your parents take you out to a movie and some loser thug named Joe Chill kills your parents, right in front of you? Would you not be cold, distant, and perhaps even odd? Christopher Nolan has done a fantastic job telling the story as it should be told. "The Legend Ends" on July 20th, but Christopher Nolan has ensured his Dark Knight will live on for a very long time.

Bane: "The Man Who Broke the Bat"

"When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die. "- Bane, speaking to Batman

Who is Bane? Bane is that guy who was born and raised in prison. He is that guy who broke Bruce Wayne's spinal cord. He is a smart and physical freak who has been fighting to survive his entire life.

In Batman The Dark Knight, we witnessed Heath Ledger transform The Joker into the villain we all knew and wanted to see for so long from the comic books.

The question is can Tom Hardy bring Bane to life like Heath Ledger did with The Joker? All signs point to yes, and we can tell from the trailer that Bane is no stranger to death and destruction. Tom Hardy himself described Bane as an absolute terrorist. If he can make that transition on screen, get your popcorn ready! It is sure to be one hell of a ride! Batman The Dark Knight Rises is set to end on a high note. This movie will be the masterpiece to end an already proven and brilliant franchise.

Batman The Dark Knight Rises Cast and Crew

Christian Bale is back for his final Batman movie. He said earlier in an interview that this will be his final movie wearing the Batman costume. Gary Oldman is also returning to play Jim Gordon. Then you have Michael Caine playing Alfred, and Morgan Freeman playing Lucius Fox. The new members for this final installment is Anne Hathaway, who takes on the infamous role of Selina Kyle. For those that don't know that name, you might know her famous alter-ego of Catwoman.

Anne Hathaway gets plenty of screentime in the trailer and is sure to be a hit. Christopher Nolan also adds Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Marion Cotillard, who were both in his huge hit Inception. Overall the cast stays the same, lined with star power and an enormous amount of talent. Of course you have Liam Neeson and the above mentioned Tom Hardy.

O and did I mention Troy Polamalu, Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward and many other NFL Pittsburgh Steelers all make their movie debut! With the new additions this is sure to be nothing less than a blockbuster.

Batman The Dark Knight Rises into Box Office Gold!

Batman Begins, which was released back in 2005 pulled in $372,710,015 Worldwide!

Batman The Dark Knight was released in 2008 and is one of the top ten biggest grossing movies of all time! It pulled in a worldwide total of $1,001,921,825. This new and final installment, Batman The Dark Knight Rises is set to break records once again! It has an estimated budget of $250 million, up from the estimated budget of $185 million from Batman The Dark Knight. I think it is safe to say this Batman will rise right into the record books! Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.

Vampire Diaries: More Than Just a Fantasy

For movie enthusiasts, the Twilight series is one of the most popular fantasy movies in recent times with its introduction of romance between a vampire and a human. It's not exactly an original concept but the author added some extra features like how vampires sparkle and also the concept of a love triangle with a werewolf. Just like in movies, TV shows have its fair share of popular fantasy shows such as True Blood, The Walking Dead and Smallville. One TV show that aims to be another memorable show is the CW's "The Vampire Diaries".

Vampire Diaries follows the story of a girl, Elena, torn between her romance for two vampires who happens to be brothers. Looking at that plot alone, people may judge it as a copycat of other several vampire stories. While it may not be that original in terms of its concept, the show makes up for it in their storylines and subplots. It doesn't exactly focus on the trivial facts about vampires but on the relationship of every character, especially the main character, who finds out she is a descendant of another vampire and whose life has changed when the people around her has been affected by the presence of the vampires. Elena, played by Nina Dobrev, finds herself in the company of Stefan and Damon who tries to capture her heart. But the decision is not easy to make for her as she has fallen in love with both of them. The other characters in the show have also captured the interest of the viewers with their own storylines which are in some way connected to each other in the greater side of things. One of Elena's best friends, Bonnie is a witch who grew up under the care of her grandma and another one of her friend is Caroline who was turned by a vampire and fell in love with a werewolf, Tyler, who happens to be one of their friends. We have seen these characters grow throughout the show's run especially when Bonnie strives to have more power as a witch and finds out about her mother is alive all these years. We also see Caroline's maturity as she makes her transition from a human to a vampire. We see how she struggled with helping her boyfriend turn to a werewolf and try to keep their relationship even if vampires and werewolves were not supposed to be together. Elena also has her own set of problems especially in dealing with her parent's death and the added responsibility of taking care of her brother whom she only has left after their guardian passed away.

One of the major reasons why this show continues to keep viewers watching is that it incorporates real life problems and situations into the show. Most people like to watch drama and this show has plenty of it. There's romance, betrayal, action and a hint of humor to mix it up a bit. While this show might have vampires and other supernatural beings as the main cast of the show, it is something that humans have enjoyed in their TV viewing. Providing articles, reviews and writings on movies online.