Do Your Job Better

I want to be a grasshopper. At least I want to be seen as a grasshopper—a blithe spirit who sings and plays all day, creating beautiful ephemera. I want to be free from worrying about a less-than-comfortable future. I want to carpe that diem.

Being an ant, by contrast, is about as sexy as wearing white leather sneakers.

No ambitious person wants to look in the mirror and see a plodder—a toiling, plotting, planning laborer. It just doesn't fit with a self-image that is artistic, creative, and muse-worthy. Ants are the factory workers of the critter world. Most of us don't dream about doing time on an assembly line.

But I have come to understand that I am more antlike than grasshopperesque. While that realization is bad for a romantic sense of my own life, it's good for getting things done. Or, perhaps, it's the only way I am able to live and work.

http://chronicle.com/article/Accepting-the-Way-You-Work/130465/?sid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en 

What kind of people have we become?

Between Christmas and New Year, the 70th anniversary of an event, which in no small way helped change the course of history, passed almost unnoticed. On December 26, 1941, less than three weeks after Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, Winston Churchill addressed both branches of Congress in the United States. The prime minister, who was in Washington to agree military strategy with President Roosevelt, used the invitation from Senators and Representatives to excoriate the Axis powers and pose a simple question: “What kind of people do they think we are?” 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeffrandall/9048427/What-kind-of-people-have-we-become.html 

British children feel 'sad' without internet connection

Forty-nine per cent of British children aged 12 and under, would be sad without access to the web, while one in five would be lonely.

The ‘Digital Futures’ project, which surveyed 1,000 young people in the UK between the ages of eight and 16 about the impact of the internet on their lives, found that the emotional attachment to the web was even stronger with teenagers. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9045134/British-children-feel-sad-without-internet-connection.html 

Just one in ten Facebook users supports 'timeline' feature

Fewer than one in 10 Facebook users support its plans to make its biographical “timeline” feature compulsory.

As part of a major overhaul of the site, all publicly viewable messages, comments and photographs will be grouped together by date.

The idea is to create an online scrap book telling the user’s virtual “life story” – at least back to 2004 when the site was founded.

It means that, unless they are deleted, any long forgotten musings, embarrassing photographs or even messages of affection for a past lover will be easily accessible.

At present other users can only find material from several years ago by trawling through past pages.

Critics claim that the change could erode users' privacy but Facebook insists that it will not make anything publicly available which is not already viewable. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/9048034/Just-one-in-ten-Facebook-users-supports-timeline-feature.html 

 

Visit Belfast - Discover A Vibrant Place

Belfast - a cultural city rich in music, arts & theatre

The cultural life of Belfast is more vibrant than ever - with the upcoming Cultural Olympiad, Belfast Festival at Queen’s and The Oh Yeah Music Centre, Belfast aims to rival the cultural festivals of Edinburgh & Manchester.

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/northern-ireland-holidays/8973388/Belfast-cultural-city-music-arts-theatre.html

Northern Ireland ebook

http://www.e-brochure.org/TELEGRAPH/NORTHERN_IRELAND/#/1/

Northern Ireland insider holiday tips

Here’s a splendid selection of holiday tips, advice and hidden gems from the people who know Northern Ireland best - the locals. 

 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/northern-ireland-holidays/8975075/Northern-Ireland-holiday-tips.html

 

Titanic Belfast exhibition to relaunch the capital

For Susie Miller, it’s personal. “My dad gave me a battered old book to read as a child and it turned out to be a collection of short stories by my grandfather,” says the Belfast tour guide. “One was about his own father, Thomas Miller, who worked as an engineer and was one of the 1,500 people who died on the Titanic. When he sailed away, my grandfather never saw him again.

“Nobody talked about Titanic round here for years. It was filed away and unspoken,” she adds. “But I wanted to keep my great-grandfather’s name alive, to tell his story to people in Northern Ireland and all around the world.”

It is just this sort of story and powerful connection with Belfast that will make the new Titanic Belfast visitor experience the biggest thing, both physically and metaphorically, to happen to the city for many a year. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/northern-ireland-holidays/8972750/Titanic-Belfast-exhibition-relaunch-capital.html?WT.ac=8586392 

Twitter to selectively 'censor' tweets by country

Twitter has announced that it now has the technology to selectively block tweets on a country by country basis.

In its blog, Twitter said it could "reactively withhold content from users in a specific country".

But it said the removed content would be available to the rest of the world. Previously when Twitter deleted a tweet, it would disappear worldwide.

The decision has been criticised by the freedom of information advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16753729 

London 2012: Isles of Wonder theme for Olympic ceremony

Europe's largest bell will ring to start a £27m Olympic opening ceremony inspired by Shakespeare and featuring NHS nurses and 900 local pupils.

The show's artistic director, Danny Boyle, said the 'Isles of Wonder' ceremony was inspired by The Tempest.

Six months before the performance kicks off London 2012, the Oscar winner said it would be about a land recovering from its industrial legacy.

One billion people are expected to watch the opening ceremony on 27 July.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16747032 

The Oxford Experience Summer School 1 July - 11 August 2012

 The 2012 Oxford Experience Programme is now online.
The Oxford Experience is a residential summer school held at the college of Christ Church, University of Oxford.

The programme consists of 6 weeks of courses and participants attend for one or more weeks.
It offers a choice of twelve seminars each week over a period of five weeks. Participants do not need any formal qualifications to take part, just an interest in their chosen subject and a desire to meet like-minded people.


For more information and registration:

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/courses/summerschools/oxex/index.php

Dear Students

Electric shock treatment 'improves academic performance'

Read the article 

Digital ‘right to be forgotten’ will be made EU law

Embarrassing, inaccurate or simply personal data will have to be deleted from the internet and company databases if consumers ask, under a new set of European laws. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9038589/Digital-right-to-be-forgotten-will-be-made-EU-law.html 

German business confidence rises again, says Ifo

German business confidence has risen for the third month in row, reflecting a "positive" start to the year for Europe's biggest economy, according to the Ifo economic think tank.

The closely-watched Ifo Business Climate Index rose to 108.3 in January, up from 107.3 in the previous month.

Firms saw the current situation as less favourable, but expectations for the future had "brightened considerably".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16721086 

Apple posts record $13.06bn quarterly profits, up 118%

Apple reported record-breaking net profits for the three months to 31 December 2011 of $13.06bn (£8.36bn), up 118% from the same period in 2010.

The company also sold 37 million iPhones, more than twice as many as it sold in the last quarter of 2010.

"Apple's momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline," said chief executive Tim Cook.

The firm is expected to release its iPad 3 in March this year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16712089 

Merkel says 'big rethink needed'

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has told the World Economic Forum that a "big rethink" is needed in the eurozone within the global economy.

"Structural reforms that lead to more jobs are essential," she told delegates at the Swiss resort of Davos. "Do we dare to be more European?"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16720460 

Bill Gates: I don't pay enough tax

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16714480

Pay freeze to last until 2020 for millions

Millions of ordinary families are unlikely to see their earnings return to pre-recession levels until at least 2020, a report from a leading thinktank has warned. But it predicts that the income of the wealthy will continue to rise over the same period.

The study, which focuses on the state of the "squeezed middle" and is produced by the independent Resolution Foundation, looks at the situation of 10 million adults, who crucially do not rely heavily on means-tested support from the state, and their 5.2 million children.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jan/23/uk-families-worse-off-2020 

China: has the fire gone out of the dragon for investors?

Tens of thousands of British investors will be wary of any bullish noises coming from fund groups championing China.

With Chinese New Year celebrations about to start this week, several groups are encouraging investors to keep faith with China despite some dismal returns of late.

China has been the phenomenal growth story of the 21st century and investors who caught the bug early will have reaped handsome rewards. But as the story unfolded, more investors jumped on board hoping to make a quick mint from the world's fastest-growing economy. However, growth has slowed and many investors will be cursing their move east. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/investing/9031654/China-has-the-fire-gone-out-of-the-dragon-for-investors.html 

America overcomes the debt crisis as Britain sinks deeper into the swamp

Britain has sunk deeper into debt. Three years after bubble burst, the UK has barely begun to tackle the crushing burden left by Gordon Brown. The contrast with the United States is frankly shocking. 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/9031478/America-overcomes-the-debt-crisis-as-Britain-sinks-deeper-into-the-swamp.html 

Blackberry-maker RIM says co-chief executives step down

Blackberry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) has said its co-chief executives Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie have stepped down in a shake-up.

Mr Lazaridis, who founded RIM in 1984, will become vice chairman. Mr Balsillie will continue to sit on the board but not have any operational role.

Chief operating officer Thorsten Heins will replace them on Monday.

Investors have called for a strategy change as the company struggles to compete with Apple and Google.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16675452 

Apple will Markt für Lehrbücher revolutionieren

Apple hat am Donnerstag in New York zwei Ansätze vorgestellt, um iPads stärker in den Schulunterricht einzubinden. Mit "iBooks 2" stellte der Konzern neue Lehrbücher vor, die alle multimedialen Fähigkeiten des Tablets ausnutzen. Dazu präsentierte Apple eine Software namens "iBooks Author", die es besonders einfach machen soll, solche Lehrbücher zu produzieren. Der zweite Ansatz ist eine neue Version von "iTunes U", einer Sammlung von Lehrmaterialien von Bildungseinrichtungen aus aller Welt.

http://www.zeit.de/digital/mobil/2012-01/apple-ibooks2-ibooks-author 

Will Apple's iBooks Experiment Lower the Price of College Textbooks?

With schools investing millions toward MacBooks and iPads for every student, Apple is already a major player in the education-technology market. But Thursday's announcement of a slew of new education apps made clear that the company is positioning itself to become the iTunes of the digital textbook world. 

Apple executives announced details of a revamped iTunesU, the new iAuthor app—which will allow educators to create their own books—and iBooks2, a partnership with the nation's biggest education publishers. iBooks will produce electronic texts for K-12 schools starting at the uber-affordable price of $14.99 each.

Some states are already mandating that public schools shift to a digital textbook format, so now is the perfect time for Apple to get into the elementary and secondary education market. But it's almost guaranteed that the company doesn't plan to stop there. Expanding to the lucrative college textbook market is undoubtedly on Apple's to-do list, too.

http://www.good.is/post/will-apple-s-ibooks-experiment-lower-the-price-of-college-textbooks/

Fruit and vegetable consumption by poorer families falls 30%, figures show

Lower income families in the UK have cut their consumption of fruit and vegetables by nearly a third in the wake of the recession and rising food prices, to just over half of the five-a-day portions that the government recommends for a healthy diet.

Households in the lowest tenth of incomes were buying only 2.7 portions of fruit and vegetables a day at the end of 2010, the latest year for which figures are available, while the average household continued to buy about four portions per person, according to statistics from the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). For lower income households, that represents a 30% decline in purchases of fresh fruit and vegetables since 2006.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/22/fruit-vegetable-consumption-poorer-families 

The Technology of Orgasm: ‘Hysteria’, the Vibrator, and Women’s Sexual Satisfaction.

Rachel Maines’ book is a history of medical mal(e)practice regarding female sexuality. The work began in the 1970s when Maines ‘a very angry feminist’ was conducting her thesis on the history of needlework. Whilst trawling through women’s magazines from the early 1900s looking for trends in needlework patterns she came across the following advert: ‘Aids that every woman appreciates’. Next to ‘Electric radiator—fine for the cold bathroom, bedroom …’ was ‘Portable vibrator—neat, compact with three applicators’. On completion of her thesis and after finding 11 ‘musculo-skeletal relaxation devices’ from the beginning of the 20th century at the Bakken Library of electricity in Life, in Minneapolis, Maines began her research into the history of the vibrator.

http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/4/904.full 

A Point of View: Why didn't Harry Potter just use Google?

In a world that is overwhelmed with ways of accessing information, we must decide what to remember and what to forget, says historian Lisa Jardine.

In a recent article about the impact of the internet, New Yorker columnist Adam Gopnik gives a particularly engaging example of the hurtling pace at which the speed of access to information is accelerating. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16443825