Early education: striking the balance

Too much reading

Or at least, browsing. Time to cut back on Facebook and Google+. (I'm not giving up "Bring Up the Bodies". So there.)

Not enough writing

Made a start. 'Nuff said.

Not enough 'rithmetic

Time for a cold look at the numbers. It's always wise to keep an eye on them, before they go scampering off somewhere naughty. Those little scampering scamps.

Challenge Accepted

You can find the sordid result here. (I don’t seem to be able to either embed or convert a .wav file.)

Stig

Tasteful, eh?

Blimey!

Wot?  WYSIWIG blog postings? Ho wat fun!

(Just a quick test of the free MS Windows Write blogging program: seems a vast improvement on the raw blogger. Let’s see how it looks…)

I wonder whether the block quotes are any cleaner, he mused…

Or whether they can be made to hang together?

Sadly not, it would seem.

Pictures are easier, too.

Let’s see what actually posts…

OK: this Google plus redesign thingy

At first I didn't really see the problem: with G+ on my venerable HP1530 screen, you get a bit of whitespace below the "you may know" area, but nothing stupid. (Though chat is HORRIBLE)

But my stream is full of whining, overprivileged technojunkies. Either that or I'm not seeing the whole picture. Which looks sort of OK on a larger monitor, until you scroll down.



Then you see that half of the viewing area has clearly been reserved for... something.

Though I choose to believe that it is already being used for subliminal messages, and that in the Googleplex this referred to, with a sly grin, as the HypnoSpace.

I suspect it's the number of horizontal pixels rather than the orientation. I lose the contacts bar around 1300. Since my monitor is an ancient HP 1530, which is less than that in Landscape, I was not seeing the whole glory of the HypnoSpace.

No doubt one of the reasons I got those headaches last night was that I was subconsciously trying to process truncated subliminal messages.

I have one of those new fangled windows PCs, so I can shrink the window yet further.



The only thing that will save us is that the Google Geeks are incapable of comprehending the concept of a screen more than two years old, so the army of the Brainwashed Chosen will eventually be defeated by a rag tag band of cheapskates people who spend their money on real life.

A man can dream...

Blog challenge - Permission to blog, sir? (Final!!)

(This is the version for the challenge)

(*)

Carry on, blogger. You don't need my permission. Here are some other things you don't need to do:

1. Complete every post in a single sitting

I've shared my first five drafts, wittily titled "Blog challenge - Permission to blog, sir? Drafts 1-5" of this one to give you an idea of how you can develop a perfectly acceptable post in easy stages. This "little and often" technique is a favourite of task management guru Mark Forster. (Q: How many years of your life can you devote to ways of working through a list? A: quite a lot, it transpires. But I digress).

2. Be perfect

A perfect post can slip through the reader's brain without leaving a trace. Sometimes you need a few rough edges to get a grip on. My posts list is littered with drafts which I polished all the life out of. Unpublishable.
Ace chansonnier Leonard Cohen once said that one snatch from one of his songs, "Anthem" captured pretty much his whole philosophy of life.

There's a crack, a crack in everything 

That's how the light gets in 

3. Be clever

If only!!

But if you restrict yourself to things you are sure no-one else has said better, you'll be a while getting started. Of course, linking in your inspirations is a courtesy both to your readers and the luminaries. As well as strengthening the memes you subscribe to. Being a gateway to a selection of clever, right thinking people is often better than being clever yourself.

If you weren't born clever, you can always aspire to wisdom. But wisdom comes with practice. And practice usually means exposing your foolishness.

So just get started.

4. Write prose

Obviously, you can drop in pictures, video and music.
The post I am proudest of is a piece of doggerel verse 
Or sometimes a simple list, like this series from the excellent Nicholas Bate, can be both clear and profound.

5. Work it all out for yourself

Find some examples and bask in their genius. Even if you absorb nothing, it'll give you some perspective. There are a few hints in the verse above. 

Look to Jenson Taylor  for technical tips.

On Google+, flit around an eclectic band like Jenson's Challenged and sup on whatever inspiration you spot.

Oh, and if you want good advice from a professional, rather than my random mumblings, just spend a few minutes with Chris Brogan. This is the best and most concentrated advice I have seen anywhere. I never read him without coming away feeling stupid, inept and inspired. How stupid, inept and inspired do you want to feel today?

6. Know where the next post will take you

You can start off in one direction and end up somewhere completely different. This started off as a jolly, uplifting snap on a beautiful Spring morning and ended up positively maudlin. Still, I'm quite pleased with it.

On the other hand, the post I am cobbling together now seems to be running on rails. Which is probably a bad sign.

7. Lose track of the time

Consider a time tracker. There is no limit to the amount of time you can fritter away on this stuff. Be like MillyMollyMandy: don't forget to get out and plant potatoes and peas.

8. Be shy

Leave comments on other people's blogs. Most of us would kill for any sign that someone has actually read
a post. The most hits I ever got came from a stupid piece of nitpicking on a very fine blog, where I took issue with the way he spelled "whiskey". Got the splendid response: "Read TwistedByKnaves: he knows whisky and Kipling, and that's good enough for me".

Yes, this is a hint!

* Thanks to A Jay Adler's "sad red earth" blog for the picture. This is well worth a look if you're interested in the state of the U.S. http://sadredearth.com/. As so often happens when you find someone interesting through an image search, the page was two years old. However, he's still going strong.

Blog challenge - Permission to blog, sir? Draft 5

Carry on, blogger. You don't need my permission. Here are some other things you don't need to do.

1. Complete every post in a single sitting

I'll share my drafts on this one to give you an idea of how you can develop a perfectly acceptable post by easy stages. This "little and often" technique is a favourite of task management guru Mark Forster. (Q: How many years of your life can you devote to ways of working through a list? A: quite a lot, it transpires. But I digress).

2. Be perfect

A perfect post can slip through the reader's brain without leaving a trace. Sometimes you need a few rough edges to get a grip on. My posts list is littered with drafts which I polished all the life out of. Unpublishable.
Ace chansonnier Leonard Cohen once said that one snatch from one of his songs, "Anthem" captured pretty much his whole philosophy of life.

There's a crack, a crack in everything 

That's how the light gets in 

3. Be clever

If only!!

But if you restrict yourself to things you are sure no-one else has said better, you'll be a while getting started. Of course, linking in your inspirations is a courtesy both to your readers and the luminaries. As well as strengthening the memes you subscribe to. Being a gateway to a selection of clever, right thinking people is often better than being clever yourself.

If you weren't born clever, you can always aspire to wisdom. But wisdom comes with practice. And practice usually means exposing your foolishness.

So just get started.

4. Write prose

Obviously, you can drop in pictures, video and music (Toad Lickers).
The post I am proudest of is a piece of doggerel verse 
Or sometimes a simple list, like this series from the excellent Nicholas Bate, can be both clear and profound.

5. Work it all out for yourself

Find some examples and bask in their genius. Even if you absorb nothing, it'll give you some perspective. There are a few hints in the verse above. 

Look to Jenson Taylor [Link] for technical tips..

Flit around an eclectic band like [Jenson's Challenged] and sup on whatever inspiration you spot.


Oh, and if you want good advice from a professional, rather than my random mumblings, just spend a few minutes with Chris Brogan. This is the best and most concentrated advice I have seen anywhere. I never read him without coming away feeling stupid, inept and inspired. How stupid, inept and inspired do you want to feel today?

6. Know where the next post will take you

You can start off in one direction and end up somewhere completely different. This started off as a jolly, uplifting snap on a beautiful Spring morning and ended up positively maudlin. Still, I'm quite pleased with it.

On the other hand, the post I am cobbling together now seems to be running on rails. Which is probably a bad sign.

7. Keep an eye on the time

Consider a time tracker. There is no limit to the amount of time you can fritter away on this stuff. Be like Mandy [link]:don't forget to get out and plant potatoes and peas.

Blog challenge - Permission to blog, sir? Draft 4

Carry on, blogger. You don't need my permission. Here are some other things you don't need to do.

1. Complete every post in a single sitting

I'll share my drafts on this one to give you an idea of how you can develop a perfectly acceptable post by easy stages. This "little and often" technique is a favourite of task management guru Mark Forster [link]. (Q: How many years of your life can you devote to ways of working through a list? A: quite a lot, it transpires. But I digress). [link to Chris]

2. Be perfect

A perfect post can slip through the reader's brain without leaving a trace. Sometimes you need a few rough edges to get a grip on. My posts list is littered with drafts which I polished all the life out of. Unpublishable.
Ace chansonnier Leonard Cohen once said that one snatch from one of his songs (link to "Anthem") captured pretty much his whole philosophy of life.

There's a crack, a crack in everything 

That's how the light gets in 

3. Be clever

If only!!

But if you restrict yourself to things you are sure no-one else has said better, you'll be a while getting started. Of course, linking in your inspirations is a courtesy both to your readers and the luminaries. As well as strengthening the memes you subscribe to. Being a gateway to a selection of clever, right thinking people is often better than being clever yourself.

If you weren't born clever, you can always aspire to wisdom. But wisdom comes with practice. And practice usually means exposing your foolishness.

So just get started.

4. Write prose

Obviously, you can drop in pictures, video and music (Toad Lickers).
The post I am proudest of is a piece of doggerel verse 
Or sometimes a simple list, like this series from the excellent Nicholas Bate, can be both clear and profound.

5. Work it all out for yourself

Find some examples and bask in their genius. Even if you absorb nothing, it'll give you some perspective. There are a few hints in the verse above. 

Look to Jenson Taylor for technical tips..

Flit around an eclectic band like [Jenson's Challenged] and sup on whatever inspiration you spot.

6. Know where the next post will take you

7. Keep an eye on the time

Consider a time tracker. There is no limit to the amount of time you can fritter away on this stuff. Be like Mandy [link]:don't forget to get out and plant potatoes and peas.

Blog challenge - Permission to blog, sir? Draft 3

Carry on, blogger. You don't need my permission. Here are some other things you don't need to do.

1. Complete every post in a single sitting

I'll share my drafts on this one to give you an idea of how you can develop a perfectly acceptable post by easy stages. This "little and often" technique is a favourite of task management guru Mark Forster [link]. (Q: How many years of your life can you devote to ways of working through a list? A: quite a lot, it transpires. But I digress). [link to Chris]

2. Be perfect

A perfect post can slip through the reader's brain without leaving a trace. Sometimes you need a few rough edges to get a grip on. My posts list is littered with drafts which I polished all the life out of. Unpublishable.
Ace chansonnier Leonard Cohen once said that one snatch from one of his songs (link to "Anthem") captured pretty much his whole philosophy of life.

There's a crack, a crack in everythingThat's how the light gets in 

3. Be clever

If only!! But if you restrict yourself to things you are sure no-one else has said better, you'll be a while getting started. Of course, linking in your inspirations is a courtesy both to your readers and the luminaries. As well as strengthening the memes you subscribe to.

4. Write prose

Obviously, you can drop in pictures, video and music (Toad Lickers).
The post I am proudest of is a piece of doggerel verse 
Or sometimes a simple list, like this series from the excellent Nicholas Bate

5. Work it all out for yourself

Find some examples and bask in their genius. Even if you absorb nothing, it'll give you some perspective. There are a few hints in the verse above. 

6. Know where the next post will take you

7. Keep an eye on the time

Consider a time tracker. There is no limit to the amount of time you can fritter away on this stuff. Be like Mandy [link]:don't forget to get out and plant potatoes and peas. [Speaking of which, time to apply crowbar to Sprog4 and take him and dog out for the first run in a VERY long time]

Pause for thought

Yesterday's report from The Bureau of Insensitive Journalism should make us all stop and think. Apparently,

1. bloggers, tweeters, faceauthors and other social media junkies tend to believe that everyone who matters is also active in the social network
2. in fact, only .1% of the western population have been sucked into the Borg, which is to all intents and purposes a fanatical cult
3. everyone else is quietly shunning them
4. every tweet or post reduces your chances of succeeding at your next job interview by .057%: every comment by .029%
5. it is too early to say whether these effects diminish over prolonged abstinence (though only 7 people have ever been successfully extracted from the Borg)

Got to go now: links to sources later.

Blog challenge - Permission to blog, sir? Draft 2

Carry on, blogger. You don't need my permission. Here are some other things you don't need to do.

1. Complete every post in a single sitting

I'll share my drafts on this one to give you an idea of how you can develop a perfectly acceptable post by easy stages. This "little and often" technique is a favourite of task management guru Mark Forster [link]. (Q: How many years of your life can you devote to ways of working through a list? A: quite a lot, it transpires. But I digress).

2. Be perfect

A perfect post can slip through the reader's brain without leaving a trace. Sometimes you need a few rough edges to get a grip on. My posts list is littered with drafts which I polished all the life out of. Unpublishable.
Ace chansonnier Leonard Cohen once said that one snatch from one of his songs (link to "Anthem") captured pretty much his whole philosophy of life.

There's a crack, a crack in everythingThat's how the light gets in 

3. Be clever

4. Write prose

Obviously, you can drop in pictures, video and music (Toad Lickers).
The post I am proudest of is a piece of doggerel verse 
Or sometimes a simple list, like this series (link) from the excellent Nicholas Bate
5. Work it all out for yourself
6. Know where the next post will take you

Blog challenge - Permission to blog, sir? Draft 1

Carry on, blogger. You don't need my permission. Here are some other things you don't need to do.
1. Complete every post in a single sitting
I'll share my drafts on this one to give you an idea
2. Be perfect
LC's philosophy of life [anthem]
3. Be clever
4. Write prose
5. Work it all out for yourself
6. Know where the next post will take you

Live Long and Prosper...

The always reliable Steve Wright was chatting to me this afternoon. My attention was temporarily diverted by the lovely dental hygienist to whom I attend all too infrequently. Returning my thoughts, sadder but wiser, to the Sage, I thought I heard him mention that eccentrics live longer and are happier than conformists.

Applying myself to Google upon my return, I find that not only is this a Published Fact, but it has been known for many years. Why was I not told? They probably felt it would only encourage me.

Of course, every true born Englishman considers himself, his deep down true self, to be eccentric. For example, I sometimes do up my tie with a single Windsor: I'm a bit mad, me! (And I know ten ways to work a to-do list.)

Anyway I thought ZebrasOfColor would approve. I do hope they don't mind my spreading their lovely pic.