#11 Things I wish I had taught my son... And still can
Dec/27/2008 09:27 AM Filed in: Technology | Business How-To
Have you googled something lately?
Sooner or later you're going to be making a website for yourself, for a group you're teaming up with or for a business. And even though you're looking at a science career, you'll inevitably end up needing to understand how to make money in that chosen career. Perhaps you'll be the next Jacques Yves Cousteau or the next Crocodile Hunter and people will come to view your latest webisodes on your website. If you end up a veterinarian or a paleontologist or an expert on plankton (not the character on SpongeBob Square Pants), you'll need to announce to the world your services, your findings, your point-of-view, the compelling "why" they should care about your work.
Therefore, I want you to know in general terms how Google works. It is by far the most powerful search engine in the world. And since you will want people to stumble onto your site someday, you'll need to know how the logical "robots" at Google think and operate.
When you type in a combination of words in a Google search and hit enter, Google runs off throughout the world (in a matter of seconds) and tries to satisfy your wish, attempting to retrieve for you the best internet website that it rationalizes will satisfy your search request. And wala... You get a list of ranked sites that seem to be quite impressive... Saving you a ton of time.
There are three main categories of results that show up on a search. There are the paid Sponsored Links on top, the top ranked unpaid sites below and the paid Google Adword ads on the right side.
First, a little about the paid sites... These are people or companies who have bought Google Adwords. They have paid to hopefully get your attention. They are on the right side of the page on the other side of a little blue line. There are also some paid or "Sponsored Links" on the top of the results page usually with a light coloration. These too are paid for by individuals or companies. The prices for those ads may range from a nickel per click to quite expensive depending on the demand for those words.
The remaining results are unpaid sites who have succeeded at becoming the best ranked sites on the subject you just searched. Sometimes, they're just what you were looking for, sometimes you have to have to go deep into the other pages until you find what you wanted.
Well... Google is paying attention to your behavior. If you're not picking the sites on the first page, Google is demoting the sites on the first page. If you do find what you were looking for on the first page, Google is happy. But Google makes sure that you click on several pages within the site you enter before it deems the site a success. If you find what you were looking for on the third page of the search result listings, then Google will reward the site you pick on that third page and move them up the ranks, perhaps to the first page (if others like you also find the same site relevant).
How does Google know to even display these sites in the first place? What is Google looking for? That'll be covered in tomorrow's "things".
The bottom line... If you make a site, you'll want to be on the first page of a Google search and to do that you'll need to know what word combination people are using to find what they're looking for. I'll let you know how that works too. But later. Now get back to studying.
Your papi
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
What I do... http://www.thestorytellingplace.com
Sooner or later you're going to be making a website for yourself, for a group you're teaming up with or for a business. And even though you're looking at a science career, you'll inevitably end up needing to understand how to make money in that chosen career. Perhaps you'll be the next Jacques Yves Cousteau or the next Crocodile Hunter and people will come to view your latest webisodes on your website. If you end up a veterinarian or a paleontologist or an expert on plankton (not the character on SpongeBob Square Pants), you'll need to announce to the world your services, your findings, your point-of-view, the compelling "why" they should care about your work.
Therefore, I want you to know in general terms how Google works. It is by far the most powerful search engine in the world. And since you will want people to stumble onto your site someday, you'll need to know how the logical "robots" at Google think and operate.
When you type in a combination of words in a Google search and hit enter, Google runs off throughout the world (in a matter of seconds) and tries to satisfy your wish, attempting to retrieve for you the best internet website that it rationalizes will satisfy your search request. And wala... You get a list of ranked sites that seem to be quite impressive... Saving you a ton of time.
There are three main categories of results that show up on a search. There are the paid Sponsored Links on top, the top ranked unpaid sites below and the paid Google Adword ads on the right side.
First, a little about the paid sites... These are people or companies who have bought Google Adwords. They have paid to hopefully get your attention. They are on the right side of the page on the other side of a little blue line. There are also some paid or "Sponsored Links" on the top of the results page usually with a light coloration. These too are paid for by individuals or companies. The prices for those ads may range from a nickel per click to quite expensive depending on the demand for those words.
The remaining results are unpaid sites who have succeeded at becoming the best ranked sites on the subject you just searched. Sometimes, they're just what you were looking for, sometimes you have to have to go deep into the other pages until you find what you wanted.
Well... Google is paying attention to your behavior. If you're not picking the sites on the first page, Google is demoting the sites on the first page. If you do find what you were looking for on the first page, Google is happy. But Google makes sure that you click on several pages within the site you enter before it deems the site a success. If you find what you were looking for on the third page of the search result listings, then Google will reward the site you pick on that third page and move them up the ranks, perhaps to the first page (if others like you also find the same site relevant).
How does Google know to even display these sites in the first place? What is Google looking for? That'll be covered in tomorrow's "things".
The bottom line... If you make a site, you'll want to be on the first page of a Google search and to do that you'll need to know what word combination people are using to find what they're looking for. I'll let you know how that works too. But later. Now get back to studying.
Your papi
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
What I do... http://www.thestorytellingplace.com
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#10 Things I wish I had taught my son... And still can
Sep/07/2008 08:41 AM Filed in: Parenthood | Family
It's about time...
You've probably experienced different kinds of time already. You've experienced the .7 seconds at the end of the game where you or one of your teammates inbounded the ball and released the shot in time for the final winning shot. Or perhaps you were on the losing end of that shot. You've experienced the longest minute when your hurt and angry mom talked to you about how you disappointed her. You may have experienced time standing still during a kiss or during a near 90° roller-coaster drop.
For some people, time flies all the time. For others it crawls. For some people time is on their side. For others, time is the enemy. For the person who is terminally ill, time is precious. For the chronic drunk, time is a thief.
For me, writing to you write now... Time is a treasure that will be frozen and preserved long after I die.
Your brother Uriel just walked in and came directly towards me. I hugged him and time shifted.
The lesson today is that you respect time. It is fleeting but you have exactly the same amount of time as anybody else who will accomplish more than you and as those who will scratch their heads and wonder where you found the time to accomplish so much.
There is a time for everything, a passage in Ecclesiastes (3:1-8) reads... And perhaps someday you'll feel like your time has come.
Over the years, I've learned to make time. No, I don't have a time machine. I've just tried to spend my time proactively. If you ever noticed, I seldom sat in front of the TV for long periods of time. And I will add that my time has been lucid because I rarely dulled my senses with alcohol.
Since you won't be able to hold on to time, I hope that you instead make the most out of time that you can.
Now it's time to close this. And send it through time.
Your papi
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
http://www.thestorytellingplace.com
You've probably experienced different kinds of time already. You've experienced the .7 seconds at the end of the game where you or one of your teammates inbounded the ball and released the shot in time for the final winning shot. Or perhaps you were on the losing end of that shot. You've experienced the longest minute when your hurt and angry mom talked to you about how you disappointed her. You may have experienced time standing still during a kiss or during a near 90° roller-coaster drop.
For some people, time flies all the time. For others it crawls. For some people time is on their side. For others, time is the enemy. For the person who is terminally ill, time is precious. For the chronic drunk, time is a thief.
For me, writing to you write now... Time is a treasure that will be frozen and preserved long after I die.
Your brother Uriel just walked in and came directly towards me. I hugged him and time shifted.
The lesson today is that you respect time. It is fleeting but you have exactly the same amount of time as anybody else who will accomplish more than you and as those who will scratch their heads and wonder where you found the time to accomplish so much.
There is a time for everything, a passage in Ecclesiastes (3:1-8) reads... And perhaps someday you'll feel like your time has come.
Over the years, I've learned to make time. No, I don't have a time machine. I've just tried to spend my time proactively. If you ever noticed, I seldom sat in front of the TV for long periods of time. And I will add that my time has been lucid because I rarely dulled my senses with alcohol.
Since you won't be able to hold on to time, I hope that you instead make the most out of time that you can.
Now it's time to close this. And send it through time.
Your papi
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
http://www.thestorytellingplace.com
#9 Things I wish I had taught my son... And still can
What will you base your relationships on?
Today is Sunday and I'm not going to ask you if you went to Church. Mom will probably nag you about it but not I. This is the part of your life when you go to Church because you want to for yourself. Although we have provided ample examples of a living Church in our lives, in our family, in our friendships, still you must decide if it is for you now or maybe later.
But I will ask you this.
When you meet that special someone, what will you base that relationship on? If it is anything other than Christ, I suggest it will be temporary. If you base the relationship on "good looks" then when those "good looks" change, the relationship will wobble on shaky ground. If the relationship is based on power or money, when that runs out, the chances of collapse will also be just around the corner. If the relationship is based on good emotions, great conversation or strong physical attraction, then too a similar fate will await you.
The only lasting thing you can base your relationship on is Jesus Christ. It is like an insurance policy for that relationship. Otherwise, it'll just drift. And eventually disintegrate.
On our wedding invitation I wrote the following words. "Through Christ, we met. Through Christ we learned to love, we learned to share. Through Christ we will be united forever." I think that because of this idea, your mom and I have been able to weather storms better than others. We've had a couple of financial collapses, we've aged, we've even had differences of opinion on many issues. But "through Christ, we will be united forever" is a very real possibility. I know I want her next to me when I am on my death bed.
And ultimately, that is the question every couple seeking to spend the rest of their lives together should answer. "Who do you want to be next to you on your death bed?"
I love your mami,
Your papi
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
What I do... http:/www.thestorytellingplace.com
Today is Sunday and I'm not going to ask you if you went to Church. Mom will probably nag you about it but not I. This is the part of your life when you go to Church because you want to for yourself. Although we have provided ample examples of a living Church in our lives, in our family, in our friendships, still you must decide if it is for you now or maybe later.
But I will ask you this.
When you meet that special someone, what will you base that relationship on? If it is anything other than Christ, I suggest it will be temporary. If you base the relationship on "good looks" then when those "good looks" change, the relationship will wobble on shaky ground. If the relationship is based on power or money, when that runs out, the chances of collapse will also be just around the corner. If the relationship is based on good emotions, great conversation or strong physical attraction, then too a similar fate will await you.
The only lasting thing you can base your relationship on is Jesus Christ. It is like an insurance policy for that relationship. Otherwise, it'll just drift. And eventually disintegrate.
On our wedding invitation I wrote the following words. "Through Christ, we met. Through Christ we learned to love, we learned to share. Through Christ we will be united forever." I think that because of this idea, your mom and I have been able to weather storms better than others. We've had a couple of financial collapses, we've aged, we've even had differences of opinion on many issues. But "through Christ, we will be united forever" is a very real possibility. I know I want her next to me when I am on my death bed.
And ultimately, that is the question every couple seeking to spend the rest of their lives together should answer. "Who do you want to be next to you on your death bed?"
I love your mami,
Your papi
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
What I do... http:/www.thestorytellingplace.com
#8 Things I wish I had taught my son... And still can
Finding You...
Now that you're in college, some of your professors won't only teach about what's outside you. Some will teach about and probe deeply into what's inside you, specifically inside your mind, your heart.
So who are you? Do you know? Do you have the ability to look at yourself from the outside looking in?
Finding you is a lifelong process but it seems that college really throws you headfirst into this discovery. Finding you will require reflecting on all the choices you've made, taking inventory of all your successes and shortcomings, and considering where you came from. You'll have to consider who your mother is, who your father is. You'll have to find a piece of your puzzle in each of your grandparents. And you'll have to understand how the schools you went to have shaped you. You'll also have to weigh in on how your culture, neighborhood, part of town, socioeconomic level, social clubs, athletic teams, coaches, teachers, brothers, sisters, groups of friends, girlfriends, confidence (or lack thereof), physical development, scoldings, praises, stress level and an even longer list of emotional guideposts to get a clearer picture.
Whew! So who are you?
When you find out, let me know?
When I find out who I am, I'll let you know.
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
What I do... http:/www.thestorytellingplace.com
Now that you're in college, some of your professors won't only teach about what's outside you. Some will teach about and probe deeply into what's inside you, specifically inside your mind, your heart.
So who are you? Do you know? Do you have the ability to look at yourself from the outside looking in?
Finding you is a lifelong process but it seems that college really throws you headfirst into this discovery. Finding you will require reflecting on all the choices you've made, taking inventory of all your successes and shortcomings, and considering where you came from. You'll have to consider who your mother is, who your father is. You'll have to find a piece of your puzzle in each of your grandparents. And you'll have to understand how the schools you went to have shaped you. You'll also have to weigh in on how your culture, neighborhood, part of town, socioeconomic level, social clubs, athletic teams, coaches, teachers, brothers, sisters, groups of friends, girlfriends, confidence (or lack thereof), physical development, scoldings, praises, stress level and an even longer list of emotional guideposts to get a clearer picture.
Whew! So who are you?
When you find out, let me know?
When I find out who I am, I'll let you know.
Forward this to a friend or have him or her start receiving the first email in this series by signing up at http://www.thingsiwishihadtaughtmyson.com
What I do... http:/www.thestorytellingplace.com
#7 Things I wish I had taught my son... And still can
Sep/04/2008 07:58 AM Filed in: Art & Music | Relationships
Your life's soundtrek...
So you're walking through campus and you meet a girl... What's the song playing in the background?
I've always felt like I was in a movie. Even before Walkman's (do you know what those are?) and iPods, I carried music in my head that I felt like they fit the circumstances. Sometimes I hummed under my breath as I strutted. When I graduated from college, i decided that I would always have a running Soundtrack of my life. I would actually choose what songs would be on the screen during the final credits of my "life movie". I believed they served as my signature. I would consider including the instrumentals that would take me from scene to scene... And the songs with a message. (Later, I'll tell you about how The Cats in the Cradle always haunted me.)
Over the years I have gone through genres of music exploring the widest ranges of ethnic vibes, electronica experimentation and classical remixes. I have thoroughly enjoyed my exotic musical journey. I have watched, or rather listened to the musical voyage you have been on. I hope that I have rubbed off some of that curiosity and passion I share for innovative music.
I now have the rare and unique privilege of sharing a work space with a music producer, McCumba, who is making a new piece of music "from his heart" almost everyday. I hear songs being dreamt up from the germ of the idea to the finished, polished mix. Excellent stuff. One day McCumba hypnotizes me with his prolific Jazz piano ability and the next day he sounds like Timbaland's producer. I'm witnessing how happy he is to just write one more song today.
So have you thought of your soundtrack? Is it all one genre? Is there stuff from you childhood? Does Blue's Clues make the cut? Has having a soundtrack ever crossed your mind? I suggest you consider your soundtrack because it will bring you much joy later.
Looking back on the albums of my life, I think my life always sounded good.
PS: Your mom's and my song is Just You and I by Eddie Rabbit. It's on our greatest hits remix.
Sounding off,
Your papi
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So you're walking through campus and you meet a girl... What's the song playing in the background?
I've always felt like I was in a movie. Even before Walkman's (do you know what those are?) and iPods, I carried music in my head that I felt like they fit the circumstances. Sometimes I hummed under my breath as I strutted. When I graduated from college, i decided that I would always have a running Soundtrack of my life. I would actually choose what songs would be on the screen during the final credits of my "life movie". I believed they served as my signature. I would consider including the instrumentals that would take me from scene to scene... And the songs with a message. (Later, I'll tell you about how The Cats in the Cradle always haunted me.)
Over the years I have gone through genres of music exploring the widest ranges of ethnic vibes, electronica experimentation and classical remixes. I have thoroughly enjoyed my exotic musical journey. I have watched, or rather listened to the musical voyage you have been on. I hope that I have rubbed off some of that curiosity and passion I share for innovative music.
I now have the rare and unique privilege of sharing a work space with a music producer, McCumba, who is making a new piece of music "from his heart" almost everyday. I hear songs being dreamt up from the germ of the idea to the finished, polished mix. Excellent stuff. One day McCumba hypnotizes me with his prolific Jazz piano ability and the next day he sounds like Timbaland's producer. I'm witnessing how happy he is to just write one more song today.
So have you thought of your soundtrack? Is it all one genre? Is there stuff from you childhood? Does Blue's Clues make the cut? Has having a soundtrack ever crossed your mind? I suggest you consider your soundtrack because it will bring you much joy later.
Looking back on the albums of my life, I think my life always sounded good.
PS: Your mom's and my song is Just You and I by Eddie Rabbit. It's on our greatest hits remix.
Sounding off,
Your papi
Forward this to a friend who has a teen or young adult son.
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