Journal Entries
the first day of the rest of my... er...
Posted Sep 8, 2004
I walked to work today. It's a couple of miles and it took me forty minutes. I timed myself for a minute and did 120 paces. So that's 4,800 paces. I'm walking home too. Another 4,800 paces. That means I will have virtually done my 10,000 paces. I've fallen out with my car - not that there's anything wrong with it but I don't want to 'comfort myself to death' with it.
I'm going to cancel my gym membership I think and stick with the serious walking. Is anyone else into this, or thinking about it? I'd be happy to share notes with them. I need to lose a huge amount of weight and riding around in the car won't help.
If you haven't been thinking about doing anything like this how about trying it with me?
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Latest reply: Sep 8, 2004
Real life challenge - all welcome
Posted Sep 6, 2004
As some of you will know in RL I work with groups that work with children. We are just in the process of inventing a currency for children. This will be earned by kids who get involveed in positive activities or who improve the lives of others (in a wide variety of ways) and the currency can be exchanged with other children or saved up and cashed in for shop vouchers at a later date.
In order for the children to want to earn small quantities of the currency and to see it as valuable in its own right it will be in the form of collector cards. The first set is based on healthy eating and will give information about the goodness of the various fruits and vegetables we choose to picture on the cards. For example a picture of a banana would be accompanied by the word "Banana" and then there would be a breakdown of the vitamins, minerals, calories and roughage provided by 100g. As you can imagine a set of these cards can allow a game to be played where the various benefits of fruits and vegetables can be compared.
Initially children will be able to earn the cards by attending a series of training session on how to teach other children how to play fun games in the playground or the park. They will then be able to earn further cards by turning up in the park, in the early evening, and leading game sessions - with responsible adults in the vicinity.
On earning a sets worth of cards (30) the child can decide to cash them in for a £5 gift voucher, but I think that initially children will aim to get a full set which will involve much wheeler dealing and exchange in the playground and park - expecially as we will reserve certain cards for certain schools - so children will have to talk to one another in order to obtain a full set.
I would appreciate comments on this (other than don't do it!) and I need help in thinking what the next set of cards could be as these will have to be produced before the first set become too old hat.
The cards must have a theme and be educational. Hopefully not (too) gender biased. There should be at least 30 different elements (e.g. fruits or vegetables) the item in any picture must have about 6 features which can be compared with others so that some sort of comparison game can be played. The features to be compared should have a numerical element so that it is easy for young children to decide which is higher.
My appeal within Hootoo is that many hands make light work. If 30 people can find details on one card each the set is made at the drop of a hat.
Some lists of items for possible sets could include:
Famous writers from around the world
The facts and figures might include: Date of Birth, Date of Death, age at death, how many books/plays/poems, how many books printed, Age at first work being published (lower figure wins!) and so on.
British trees and plants
Exotic trees and plants
British animals and Birds
Exotic animals and Birds
Flags of the world
Festivals of the world
What I am trying to avoid is creating more work for me to do. I will have to collate all of the information, typeset the cards and get the printer to produce thousands of the things for distribution. If I can get my friends to help me create the sets, obtain the accurate information and find pictures of everything this project may work!
What do you think?
I will of course be involving children in this project and be putting the same queries to them.
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Latest reply: Sep 6, 2004
Going to the 'lympics.
Posted Aug 19, 2004
There has been an issue with rendering this post, please contact the editors.
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Latest reply: Aug 19, 2004
Cavtat pronounced savtat
Posted Aug 10, 2004
I'm back from hols in a place called Cavtat. A lovely little place south of Cubrovnik in Croatia. It was lovely! The weather was good but not stupidly hot and the sea was beautifully clear and I snorkelled for the first time in my life which at my age is a long time to wait, I can tell you.
Hvala is Croatian for thank you and goodbye in the local dialect was adio. What more did I need to know?
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Latest reply: Aug 10, 2004
communication
Posted Jul 22, 2004
I have a friend whose partner wasn't sure of her left and right. ONe day she was map reading while he was driving and they came to a junction.
"Which way?"
"That way."
"What do you mean, 'That way.'?"
"I was pointing!"
"Well point louder!"
Discuss this Journal entry [24]
Latest reply: Jul 22, 2004
Vestboy
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