How are we?

[J D Dunsany]

Ofsted came. We got a 'good'. I feel like I've got my life back.

Super!

The only downside to this is that I am utterly and irretrievably knackered. That said, we now have a bench at the bottom of the back garden. There will be a considerable amount of reading going on there next week, if I have anything to say about it!

JDD

[Athelassan]

A shame you didn't see the so called harassment bit Ath you'd have laughed your arse off, I quite like sargon watching these vids reminds me not to take life to seriously.

I watched some more and nope, sorry. It's just him reading out bits of articles - without apparently having done any independent research into the truth of the matter (and we all know that the media can't be trusted to report anything accurately) and verbally mugging to the audience - "right, right, FFS!" It's the same problem that afflicts a lot of things online - including many of the groups he lambasts - where they just assume the audience already agrees with them so don't bother to offer any original observation, comment or criticism of their own.

When he does interject with something more than exaggerated sighing he almost always demonstrates himself to be ignorant and ill-informed and usually intolerant to boot. Even where I agree with him that the subject matter under discussion is questionable (I have issue with the whole trigger warning business) his response indicates that he has literally no idea how, for instance, higher education works or indeed what it constitutes. Rarely has the "beam in your eye" allegory seemed so appropriate.

I might consider laughing at him rather than with him - but really I just find the whole business so depressing that it's not really funny. It makes me wonder too if I take life seriously enough since in the absence of my taking it seriously it's people like this that are actually setting the terms of life for everyone.

Ath

[Mossy Toes]

For what it's worth, Sargon of Akkad is one of the core personalities/leaders/content producers of GamerGate. Worth throwing that out there, I think.

Returning to the thread title: how am I? Feverishly procrastinating a large school assignment nominally due tonight wot I have yet to start. I feel my attention tossing its head desperately, and need to yank the reins to keep the furrow that my inexorable progress through time plows straight.

[Xisor]

For what it's worth, Sargon of Akkad is one of the core personalities/leaders/content producers of GamerGate. Worth throwing that out there, I think.

An all-round good egg, then?

--

Still a bit all over the place, but getting into a more positive... groove.

[Vivia]

For what it's worth, Sargon of Akkad is one of the core personalities/leaders/content producers of GamerGate. Worth throwing that out there, I think.

Yuck. Get that out of here, please.

Sam Vimes, first the Amazing Atheist and then this, you know how to pick them. You're really getting on my nerves. I wouldn't say anything since the internet is vast and free, but we are in the Bolthole and I feel it should be free of toxic Youtubers.

[J D Dunsany]

I have a feeling this is how the Debaters' Lounge started, actually.

Viv, referring to your post further up, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles but am glad you're getting help. Hope things continue to improve for you.

As for me, half-term is here. Thank goodness. Really. This last week has been considerably more difficult than I would have expected. I'm looking forward to the break.

Just seen my son's band's last gig in my area. They're going their separate ways but they've got a gig down in London in July before they split. Feel kind of sad about it, really. They're nice lads and play decent music. Oh, well. Life goes on...

JDD

[Athelassan]

I have a feeling this is how the Debaters' Lounge started, actually.

It pretty much is. Sam, if you want to post or discuss any more videos of that ilk please do so there.

[Therion]

Was any progress made on the ethics in gaming journalism front or is it still in the paws of drug-networking buddies and hostages of advertising?

[Rob P]

I'm incredibly tired after a successful house move. Still lots of jobs to do to get the house how I want it. No wifi til mid June!!!!

Was any progress made on the ethics in gaming journalism front or is it still in the paws of drug-networking buddies and hostages of advertising?

The Society of Professional Journalists appears to be doing something but I can't exactly tell what.

[Vivia]

Viv, referring to your post further up, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles but am glad you're getting help. Hope things continue to improve for you.

Thank you, it's been going very well, and in only a few weeks. To my surprise, or not, less time online hasn't affected me badly, it has in fact improved the quality of my life.

[J D Dunsany]

Viv, referring to your post further up, I'm sorry to hear about your troubles but am glad you're getting help. Hope things continue to improve for you.

Thank you, it's been going very well, and in only a few weeks. To my surprise, or not, less time online hasn't affected me badly, it has in fact improved the quality of my life.

Yes, I can imagine. Too much of anything can be a bad thing and the net, particularly the social media aspect of it, can be very wearing/dispiriting. This weekend I've been trying to make more of an effort to sit away from the computer, put down the phone and pick up a book. It's been a very much needed change of pace. Like a lot of things, it's finding the right balance that's important, I think. I'm very glad to hear that things are going well.

All the best!

JDD

[Athelassan]

I have been a bit all over the place recently and was getting very despondent last week in particular. Part of this is down to my housemates my financial dependence upon whom I am really starting to resent, but also a general malaise due to the way my life doesn't seem to be going anywhere I want it to at the moment. I was finding my motivation and creativity completely stifled.

However I took a couple of small steps and things already seem to have improved; it's amazing what a difference they've made. Firstly I left a couple of longstanding ongoing chats with online friends that I felt were sucking up my time and, in an odd way, stressing me out. This seems to chime with what JDD and Viv say above. (Something similar to this is why I withdrew from regular Shoutbox attendance last year). I've forced myself to sit down and read some actual literature rather than just flicking through periodicals, online articles and coffee-table-style fluffbooks. And I've started listening to classical music.

Things still aren't great but they seem better than they have done for much of the last month.

In any case (and notwithstanding that I'm trying to correct the book:article ratio of my reading), I did find this article both entertaining and fairly insightful as to our relationship with technology.

Ath

[Vivia]

Being online is surprisingly stressful, and frankly, it's work outside of work. For some reason Twitter triggers me mightily, there is something there that fries my brain. The internet can be wonderfully inspirational, but unless you go out and practice the things you learn life can become really stuck in the mud. A good way to determine if the internet is good or bad is to see if you have stopped doing things you love and then ask why. I stopped knitting and baking the last three months without any reason.

My psychologist talks a lot about the amygdala, the brain part that handles stress, one way to become aware if it's working overtime it's to notice when your heartbeat increases. If it does then it's time to move away from the computer, do deep breathing, or anything that calms you, like stroking a cat. The amygdala shouldn't be over-worked when you play a game or on Facebook, then the body becomes triggered for no reason thus doing a lot harm to the brain and body. We live in a time when we're still learning how much harm this does to us in the long run, but it looks bleak.

Ath, I can truly recommend the Relax Melodies apps, I own Seasons and regular, preferably buying them as you get more sounds and music, all natural, realistic sounds of forest life, rain, urban milieu etc . In addition it contains "Isochronic Tones" and "Binaural Beats": at first I was very sceptic to them, but they seem to work in a subconscious level. Seasons is lovely to listen to, the graphics are adorable and the sounds of a fireplace are so cosy. I listen to classical music such as Chopin, Vivaldi and Strauss, my all-time favourites, and the apps are a good way to round up things with.

[Xisor]

Filed under: noise! http://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/clockT ... erator.php

[sam vimes]

Deeply irritated as this happens more than you think but its not reported as widely I have encountered more dangerous so called safe breeds than I have so called dangerous ones, biggest threat from the dangerous breeds was being licked to death and them not wanting to get off my lap warning this is a daily mail link:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... rbour.html

[SIngemeister]

Was any progress made on the ethics in gaming journalism front or is it still in the paws of drug-networking buddies and hostages of advertising?

As far as I know, most of the major game review sites have, at the very least, paid lip-service to the idea of putting transparency clauses, etcetera, into their contracts. But the twitter side is now completely just two groups of Karachi-ale shouting at each other across a void and talking about how vile and evil the others are within their little circles.

[David Earle]

My mother is in hospice with end stage lung cancer. She probably has a couple of weeks left. She's still lucid but sleeping most of the time.

My second child was born last month, I have almost no leave available, and I can't spend much time with her or talk to her nearly as much as I'd like. There's a lot I want to ask her that's rapidly becoming "there's a lot I wished I'd asked her". Things I want to say that would choke on the way out of my throat.

F*** cancer.

[Xisor]

My mother is in hospice with end stage lung cancer. She probably has a couple of weeks left. She's still lucid but sleeping most of the time.

My second child was born last month, I have almost no leave available, and I can't spend much time with her or talk to her nearly as much as I'd like. There's a lot I want to ask her that's rapidly becoming "there's a lot I wished I'd asked her". Things I want to say that would choke on the way out of my throat.

F*** cancer.

Hell's bells, David, that sounds truly awful. No hope of any compassionate leave?

If you want inane Hollywood advice, do it. Speak. If she's anything like... the other humansI've met on the planet, I'm sure there's lots she'd want to chat to you about but just, for whatever reason, hasn't. Perhaps not readily achievable in person, but is there any way of focusing more on things like Skype or other VoIP stuff? Facetime?

Those little details might make some difference. (Though they might be wholly inappropriate for the situation too. I'm terrible at this.)

[sam vimes]

Finding it really hard to not tell people to eff off with the religous stuff they keep sending me, I keep my athesim to myself you keep your god to yourself we'll get along fine

[J D Dunsany]

Finding it really hard to not tell people to eff off with the religous stuff they keep sending me, I keep my athesim to myself you keep your god to yourself we'll get along fine

We Christians are an annoying bunch at times. Sorry about that...

As for me, I'm really quite tired, but reasonably productive. Having lost the 11s helps and, surprise surprise, the standards of both my marking and teaching have generally improved. There's a lot of end of year exams to mark, but I'm getting through them. Also, my disciplinary 'process' (which I've been undergoing for the last couple of months - long story; too long for a quick post like this, but it involved a very difficult year 11 class, overdue coursework, a couple of strategic errors by yours truly and an astoundingly unsympathetic head) is about to end, hopefully with a positive outcome. Fingers crossed.

In personal news, my sister-in-law gave birth to a lovely girl last month and she is utterly gorgeous. She doesn't mind being held by her uncle either - all good practice for September when I'll become a grandfather!

Regards,

JDD

EDIT: Dave, I've only just seen your post. That's an awful situation and you have my sympathy. I think Xisor's advice is absolutely spot on, though, for what it's worth. Take care.