Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Even if you don't care, this talk by Sir Ken Robinson is funny, raises some good points and is only about fifteen minutes long.

Attention

I came across this quote the other day:

"Life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece."
Nadia Boulanger

I think it's one of the most true things I've heard.

It also meshes nicely with Augustine's idea that the present is attention, or at least a projection of attention. On to what, I don't know — eternity?

F is for Film

Ever wondered why Fight Club, The Fast and the Furious and Forgetting Sarah Marshall are so popular? Science may have the answer.

Getting an 'F" might no longer bear the sorry connotations of failure. A new study has just been published revealing that DVD titles starting with the letter "F" are up to seven times as popular as any other. "If this is true, Hollywood as we know it will be changed forever", says one industry observer.

Scientists conducted a survey over a wide variety of DVDs purchased by consumers, plotting the number of films purchased against the first letter of their title. Although they expected the graph to be flat, indicating that each letter was equally popular, they found that F was more popular by far. "We don't know how to explain it", lamented one researcher, "our best theory so far is that it's hard-wired into the brain".

The result has provoked a fierce reaction in the scientific community, with many criticizing the finding by blaming sloppy methods and a biased political agenda in an effort to discount the evidence. Others, however, are taking the news in stride, with Jerry Bruckheimer beginning work on a new film about three rabbits sent to colonize a new world, tentatively titled First, Fecund and Furred.

Like over-cooked steak

Just finished a massive "Weekly Review", a time of going through all my notes, papers, flagged emails, desktop icons and processing them to see what they are and what I need to do about them. It's also a time for going through my reminder lists, getting them up-to-date and making sure everything is heading a long as normal.

This time, I spent about four hours. If I actually finished my GTD refresh last weekend, it would have taken less time. I don't feel particularly cleaner or more productive yet, but there are definitely fewer loose threads. I'm also surprised by how many good ideas I've had languishing inside my head: I'm itching for a weekend or two to spend hacking and writing.

Surprised by Envy

I read Surprised by Joy the other night. Some reactions:

• We learn nothing at school. Lewis went to university knowing Greek, Latin, French, German and Italian. It sounds like he didn't learn many of the sciences, but I would happily swap my knowledge of chemistry to be able to read The Divine Comedy in the original.
• Lewis hated algebra. Score!
  
• He dreaded the postman's knock. I wonder what he would have thought of email.
  
• His "perfect day" only included about six hours of work. This work was uninterrupted (hah!), and punctuated by a leisurely lunch, a lengthy walk and tea. I wonder if he ever got away with it.
• The past in a foreign country is a foreigner country.
  

The book actually has a point, of course — I'm still mulling it over.

Blough

One day, perhaps a day far off, I would like to move to New Zealand and start my own town. I would call it Blough and I would be the Mayor of Blough.

Blough would be a special place because all eight correct pronunciations of its name would be correct. It's main trades would be poker, jazz music, wind farms and confused tourists. My favourite pronunciation would be "Blup".

Squashed!

I played another game of squash with Martin yesterday. Last week, I got the better of the encounter. This week, he wiped the floor with me.

Am very much looking forward to a rematch.