Monday 27 September 2010

Signs that Your Computer is Poorly Organized

If your computer is a mess, you’re probably already aware of it. But just in case you’re not, here are some tell-tale signs:

  • Your Desktop has over 40 icons on it
  • “My Documents” contains over 300 files and 60 folders, including MP3s and digital photos
  • You use the Windows’ built-in search facility whenever you need to find a file
  • You can’t find programs in the out-of-control list of programs in your Start Menu
  • You save all your Word documents in one folder, all your spreadsheets in a second folder, etc
  • Any given file that you’re looking for may be in any one of four different sets of folders

See the full article at http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/15677/zen-and-the-art-of-file-and-folder-organization/</A< a>

Thursday 23 September 2010

Tír na nÓg

Tír na nÓg; roughly meaning "Land of Youth") is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology.

It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's surface, and was visited by some of Ireland's greatest heroes.

Tír na nÓg is similar to other mythical Irish lands such as Mag Mell and Ablach.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%ADr_na_n%C3%93g

Monday 20 September 2010

English the funniest language

We will begin with BOX and the plural is BOXES.
But the plural OX should be OXEN and not OXES.
Then one fowl is GOOSE but two are GEESE.
Yet the plural of MOUSE should never be MEESE.
You may find a lone MOUSE or a whole set of MICE.
But the plural of HOUSE is HOUSES not HICE.
If plural of MAN be always MEN
Why shouldn’t the plural for PAN be PEN?
If I speak of a FOOT and then you show me your FEET.
And I give a BOOT, would a pair be called BEET?
If one is TOOTH and a whole set are TEETH,
Why shouldn’t the plural of BOOTH be BEETH?
The one may be THAT and three may be THOSE.
Yet HAT in the plural would never be HOSE.
And the plural CAT is CATS not COSE.
We speak of BROTHER and also BRETHEREN.
But though we say MOTHER we never say MOTHEREN.
Then the masculine pronouns are HE, HIS and HIM
But imagine the feminine SHE, SHIS and SHIM!!
So English, I fancy, you will agree Is the FUNNIEST LANGUAGE you ever did see!

Thursday 16 September 2010

Is Dracula an Epistolary Novel?

An epistolary novel is also called a novel of letters, because the narration takes place in the form of letters, possibly journal entries, and occasionally newspaper reports. An epistle is an archaic term for a letter. The epistolary novel is an interesting literary technique, because it allows a writer to include multiple narrators in his or her story. This means the story can be told and interpreted from numerous viewpoints.

The first true epistolary novel was the 17th century work, Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and his Sister penned by Aphra Behn. Unlike many novels to follow, several volumes of the work also include the voice of a narrator, who ties together letters and comments on all of the characters. This aspect would disappear in later works when the epistolary novel became popular in the 18th century.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula is also considered an epistolary novel that is very effective and continues to capture the imagination of modern audiences.

See full article at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-epistolary-novel.htm

Sunday 12 September 2010

Norman goes to the Timber Yard

The variety of timber in a specialist yard is far greater than “sheds”. The range of mouldings, (architraves, skirtings, beads, etc.), the species of timber, from redwoods to mahogany, the widths, the lengths. You just don’t get this at “Wickesbase”.

See full article at http://www.buildingsheriff.com/timber-merchant.html

Wednesday 8 September 2010

Socratic method

The Socratic method (or Method of Elenchus or Socratic Debate), named after the Classical Greek philosopher Socrates, is a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to illuminate ideas.

It is a dialectical method, often involving an oppositional discussion in which the defence of one point of view is pitted against the defence of another; one participant may lead another to contradict him in some way, strengthening the inquirer's own point.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method

Thursday 2 September 2010

Rohan, Riddermark & the Mark

Rohan is a realm in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy era of Middle-earth. It is a grassland which lies north of its ally Gondor and north-west of Mordor, the realm of Sauron, their enemy (see maps of Middle-earth). It is inhabited by the Rohirrim, a people of herdsmen and farmers who are well-known for their horses and cavalry.

Rohan is also referred to as Riddermark or the Mark. The realm is of significant importance in the author's most famous book, The Lord of the Rings.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rohan

Snooker Etiquette / Gamesmanship

Some negative "gamesmanship" behaviour that has been observed over the years

  1. Do you ever stand by the pocket that your opponent is attempting to pot a ball into?
  2. Do you ever chalk your cue "loudly" as your opponent is taking their shot?
  3. Do you ever talk to your opponent in the hope that you can reduce the effectiveness of their concentration or their performance?
  4. Do you ever find yourself rushing around the table as your opponent is making a break and ending up accused of interfering with his line of sight?
  5. Do you continuously complain about your luck so that eventually your opponent reduces their concentration due to your ever readiness to complain about their good fortune or your bad?
  6. Do you ever talk to bystanders perhaps asking if a particular ball goes in order to disrupt an opponent’s concentration?
  7. Do you ever refuse to accept that you have committed a fowl, perhaps by lightly touching a ball and then not admitting it?
  8. Do you ever question the scoreboard or make inaccurate movements of the pointers to benefit your position?
  9. Do you ever make unnecessary fuss about re-spotting balls to distract your opponent?
  10. Do you ever deliberately miss-announce the score as your opponent is on a break in order to disrupt his concentration?

from http://www.cuesnviews.co.uk/Snooker/etiquette.htm