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Archive for the category “Chi Gung”

19 Jun 2012

Countdown to KScope: Oracle Education, Fitness and More

It’s almost here: the best education event for Oracle developers – the Oracle Development Tools User Group KScope12 conference.

It starts Saturday June 23rd with the annual community service day helping out the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of San Antonio.

Then things really get rolling on Sunday June 24th with the famed all-day, in-depth symposiums.

One Monday, the main sessions kick things into high gear.

This year I am lucky enough to give two presentations on my favorite topics.

On Monday June 25 from 10:00 am – 11:00 am, I will present Introduction to Data Vault Modeling for an Oracle BI Environment. 

Then on Thursday June 28, from 10:30 am – 11:30 am, you can close out the conference by attending my presentation on SQL Developer Data Modeler: Reverse Engineering (and Re-engineer) an Existing Database Using Oracle SQL Developer Data Modeler.

If you are using the KScope app, don’t forget to add these sessions to your schedule and then check in during the sessions to be eligible for  some special ODTUG prizes.

Of course there will be networking events, a vendor hall, food and fun.

With all the good food and sitting in intense sessions all day, it is important that we all do our best to stay fit. To help with that, I will again be leading a 30 minute Chi Gung session every morning at 7 AM on the main lawn.

Really – anyone can do it. Read my article here for details.

Come out and join me to get your day off to a calming start so you can focus on getting the most out of your day at Kscope12.

And don’t forget to follow me on twitter @KentGraziano. I will be tweeting live and posting pictures all week from the conference.

See you in San Antonio. Giddy Up!

-Kent

Posted in Chi Gung, Data Modeling, Data Vault, Data Warehouse, Fitness, ODTUG, Oracle, SQL Developer Data Modeler, User Groups and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
17 May 2012
3 Comments

Work is Killing You and 10 Ways to Stop It From Happening!

This has been a hot button for me for some time – if we don’t find a way to fit exercise, fitness, and some healthy eating into our sedentary lives (like we in IT tend have), we will not live as long as we hope. And life will not be as enjoyable as it could be.

This article really speaks to this all-to-common issue:

Every morning, you awaken to a new day and you launch into your familiar routines as you hustle to meet your daily obligations.

Ideally, your work excites you, energizes you, and brings joy to your life. If your work brings you more stress and fatigue than joy then now is the time to make some changes. You can introduce a renewed vigor into your work and upgrade your attitude.

You know that taking care of yourself should be your number one priority. Yet you often let your health and fitness levels fall by the wayside if you are consistently working 50 or more hours a week.

As a society, at what point did we take the wrong turn by focusing on work place productivity and relentless goal setting at the expense of our happiness and well-being?

Productivity does not have to be measured solely by the number of hours logged at work. Happiness will not be attainable when consistently working 50 hours a week. Furthermore, our choice, as a culture, to sacrifice fitness or physical play for other goals has had an impact on every part of our lives, including our fitness level and our overall happiness at work and outside of work.

The article goes on to detail 10 things you can do – today – to become more fit and healthy (and it is not just joining a health club). Check it out at  Work is Killing You and 10 Ways to Stop It From Happening! | Work Happy Now.

Get up and get moving! (after you read the article that is…)

If you want to get notified when I post articles like this, don’t forget to hit the Follow button at the top of the column to the right.

– Kent

P.S. If you are attending this years KScope conference next month in San Antonio, you can work on your fitness level by joining me each morning for some calming and energizing Chi Gung. We will meet on the lawn each morning at 7 AM.

Posted in Chi Gung, Fitness, ODTUG, Work-Life Balance and tagged , , , , ,
23 Apr 2012
2 Comments

Alert would-be Oracle Warriors: Chi Gung in San Antonio

As many of you now by now I will be presenting several sessions at the ODTUG annual conference, KScope, this coming June in San Antonio, Texas.

What you may not know is that I will also be conducting 30-minute Chi Gung sessions in the morning before the events of the day start as part of the KScope12 Fun Factor activities.

Why you may ask?

In short, because even geeks need to exercise to live long (and prosper).

Plus this type of moving meditation is just what the doctor ordered to help you de-stress and (mentally) get away from your daily IT routine. (I have written a bit more on this here and here)

So as some motivation for you to join me doing Chi Gung (in the cool part of the day!) check out this video of a guy Exercising Around the World.

If you like that video and a really motivated, check out his web site at NerdFitness.

At KScope11 in Long Beach, we did it everyday and had at least 20 people each morning. It was a lot of fun.

Here are a few of the comments I received about the sessions:

“Kent organized the Chi Gung class at this years ODTUG KScope 2011 event, which was very enjoyable. A very relaxing way to start the day. Kent explained the exercises very clear, which made it easier to follow for first time practitioners.” 

“Kent proivided Chi Gung sessions to supplement an IT conference. It was a great way to set us up for the day and it was great fun. Ken was patient and yet educational, repeating the main concepts each day for new people. I attended for 5 consecutive days and would have loved to have done more” 

No previous martial arts or meditation experience required!

Let’s join the revolution and become fit and healthy Oracle Nerds and Geeks!

Tell me in the comments how you are becoming a fitter, healthier Oracle geek.

Then meet me in San Antonio for some moving meditation, relaxation, and fun.

Kent

Posted in Chi Gung, Fitness, Martial Arts, ODTUG, Oracle, User Groups and tagged , , , ,
29 Mar 2012
1 Comment

Oracle User Groups: Are you a member?

I love user groups.

Getting introduced and involved in them has made a huge difference in my career. If it was not for all the people I have met in the last 22+ years, my career, and life, would have been very different.

I have met hundreds (maybe thousands) of amazing people both from within Oracle Corp and outside. Many of them became, and remain, my friends. Which is why we all love to get together several times a year at various user group and industry events to catch up, exchange wars stories, and learn new things.

Right now, I am starting to prepare for one of my favorites – ODTUG KScope. I will be there presenting in June and  running my popular Morning Chi Gung class for the 2nd year in a row.

If you have not registered, get to it! Rooms are going fast and you want to be sure to stay at the conference resort (yes – resort, not hotel!).

And on the ODTUG front, they have just announced you can now join for just $99 a year. That is the best value you can find for the world’s best Oracle user group for Developers.

So are you in? Are you at member of at least one user group?

What? You don’t know which one to join?

Then check out this new cool site Oracle just put up with videos from some of the user group leaders. After that, check out their new User Group Central with information about Oracle user groups around the globe.

So get out there and meet some new people and learn some new things.

Come to KScope12.

Join a user group.

See you in San Antonio.

Kent

P.S. Don’t forget to submit an abstract for Oracle OpenWorld before the deadline passes. It will get you a free pass to the show (worth over $2000). Tell’em ODTUG and the Oracle Data Warrior sent you.

Posted in Chi Gung, ODTUG, Oracle, User Groups and tagged , , , , , ,

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