Useful procrastination
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 ~ 2 comments so far
I’m updating.
I’m updating my budget spreadsheet and hating the colour red.
I’m updating Twitter.
I’m updating my About page, and wondering what else I can write.
I’m updating the list of online accounts, usernames and passwords as I’m getting fed up having to hunt for them.
I’m updating my list of backup files.
I’m updating Twitter.
I’m updating my weight on a daily basis.
I’m updating the design on one of my own websites.
I’m updating the way I work to cope with recent changes.
I’m updating the applications on my iPhone.
I’m updating the list of books I plan to read on holiday.
I’m updating Twitter.
I’m updating my blog.
I’m NOT finishing of the website design for a client but hey, all the other stuff is useful.
Right?
My iPhone Apps – update
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 ~ 3 comments so far
It’s been a while since I mentioned my lovely iPhone and the applications I have installed on it, and as I’m sure there will be a fresh splurge of iPhone mania come June (there is a new version of the phone software coming out which addresses a lot of the shortcomings of the current version), I thought I’d post this update now.
I’m not going to cover all of the screens though, just the new applications.
Calling all international Scots
Monday, April 27, 2009 ~ Comments Off
Spotted on the little red boat, head over there for the full details.
There’s a lovely artist I know by the name of Steve Raws, who creates things with enormous letters and colossal words. They’re very beautiful. So. He’s doing this gigantic banner of a Burns poem, that will be displayed in Edinburgh. All the information is here.
The way that Steve works is that he encourages people to get involved, and so is touring Scotland getting people to paint giant letters, which will then get worked into the banner. But he’d really really like contributions from Scots overseas as well, so if you are one, or know of any, can you pass this along? Or at least the link to the blog about the banner?
Go one, it’ll be fun!
To hell with what people think
Monday, April 27, 2009 ~ 2 comments so far
I had a long post planned but, ultimately it was really just a way to some how gain approval that buying a new iPod was the right solution.
I had planned to waffle on at some length about the size of my music library (stop, phhnarring at the back you!), and about how I listen to music at work more than most places but can’t store all of my library on my work PC and how slow and cumbersome using a separate USB drive is and how HARD it is (ohh woe is me, I know, I know) to have to sync the USB drive with the home PC and goddamn I wish iTunes had an easier way to switch libraries as I really need my own as well as a larger “everything” library and wwwahhh wahhhh wahhhhh.
And then I read this post over at Swiss Toni’s and realised just how lucky I am and all that stuff.
As the old adage goes, I might have MS, but MS doesn’t have me. I’m not going to NOT write about it because I’m worried about what people might think of it and of me. Isn’t that exactly the kind of thing that MS Week is trying to change? I think it is, and so over the next few days, I’m going to write about pretty much nothing else but MS, and to hell with what people think.
To which I say, quite bloody right Mister!
Tastebuds
Sunday, April 26, 2009 ~ 8 comments so far
For lunch today, whilst the cars drone round the F1 circuit in Bahrain and millions of weary runners plod their way over the finishing line of the London Marathon, I will be having Raisin and Cinnamon bagels, lightly toasted.
On said bagels I’ll put some salad cream and some thin slices of chicken.
Apparently this is “weird”.
So I was wondering, dear reader, if:
- You think that is, indeed, weird
- If you eat anything similarly weird
In the case of the latter, and I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, a staple lunch during my 6th year at school was a roll with cheese, ham and banana.
What?
Guess, I’d best not mention the week when I moved down to England and most nights had a dinner of tuna, smash and beans, lest you think I’m some kind of weirdo.
Not too proud
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 ~ 6 comments so far
How often do you ask for help?
The reason I ask is that whilst I can be pretty bloody minded at times, I am always more than happy to ask people questions.
I truly don’t understand the mindset of those that just presume they are smart enough to be able to get through something without additional help. I include searching the internet in that statement as well for, despite the fact you need to carefully vet the information you find there (here?), it is a good source of useful information and answers.
And yes, it does seem to be a guy thing, doesn’t it?
I sometimes wonder if the reason I don’t fully understand that way of thinking is because… and please, hear me out… is because of my star sign. I’m a Libra.
Now I’m not saying that’s the main reason, I presume that at some point in the past I’ve read up about what Librans are supposed to be like and that has matched with the fact that I do find myself able to see both sides of the story and that I do believe that balance should be saught in most situations.
So no, I don’t understand the mindset of those peacock proud guys who strut around and presume that they know best, and yes, I’m self-aware enough to know that, whilst I can play along with the “alpha male” thing when I need to, I have a little more emotional range than a lot of guys. I’m very happy with my feminine side.
And with all that in mind, my dear blog reader, I have a question for you.
What on earth should I write about next?
Flipping Context
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 ~ 4 comments so far
At work I’ve spent the last couple of weeks mired in planning spreadsheets, shuffling chunks of information around from here to there, from that to this. It’s the kind of work that needs to get done whilst in the full realisation that it’s a bit of a drag. But, as my Mother says “You can’t always get what you want”, well should have had my mother been Mick Jagger and, let’s be honest, if Mick Jagger was my mother then it’s unlikely that I’d be blogging about spreadsheets.
Instead I’d be blogging about the fact that I was a medical marvel, having been given birth to by a man.
That’s not to say I’m NOT a medical marvel, just that I choose not to talk about THAT THING that makes me SPECIAL (you mere mortals wouldn’t understand, so don’t ask).
So there I am, sitting at my desk, an endless series of spreadsheets full of words and numbers in front of, watching as they spin and float off the screen just like they would in a big Hollywood movie full of special effects.
But hey, it needs to get done.
And then, at home, I’m busy being creative, having just finished off a website for a client and in the midst of reworking design mockups for another.
It’s a bit of a head fuck to be honest, and I find myself taking far longer than usual to get my mindset to change.
However, that’s nothing new, I always have had a bit of an issue switching context and know that it takes me a few moments for my brain to re-engage and have tried several strategies in the past, none of which work.
Until now.
Believe it or not, the noise and chatter of Twitter really does help me make that switch. Going from a rote, line by line, formulaic piece of work, to the small and digestable chunks of randomness that is my Twitter channel, allows my brain to break away from the previous context and very soon I’m able to tackle something more creative. I’ve not tried it in reverse mind you, but certainly the effect of checking in with Twitter seems to allow my brain to relax.
Does that mean I don’t value Twitter, that I pay less attention there? Perhaps, or perhaps it’s the fact that the cognitive load on my brain is different, and the switch to reading 140 character tweets helps reduce that load and allow other areas of my brain to kick in. Sort of like shifting to neutral before picking a lower gear in your car so you can accelerate past a car.
Anyone else use Twitter the same way? As a stop gap between different types of work or task?
And, whilst I’m asking, why DO you use Twitter?
P.S. My Mother is not on Twitter, neither is Mick Jagger.
P.P.S. If you really want to know about why I’m a medical marvel, ask. I’m sure I can come up with something…