tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87434764522920140222024-03-14T08:20:26.781+00:00Fiction&FotosWendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-36564714883544865442013-04-09T09:02:00.002+01:002013-04-09T09:02:09.803+01:00The Examined Life by Stephen Grosz<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Stephen Grosz tells stories about the people he meets in his psychoanalytic work, and this is a fascinating insight into the secret lives of people who would be outwardly judged as successful and ‘sorted’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These accounts demonstrate just how wrong appearances can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most striking stories is that of a wife and mother who is trying to become pregnant to keep in a job the nanny with whom she is having an affair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is just one example of the personal stories which are in turns surprising, shocking and sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not exactly an uplifting read, this is almost voyeuristic but just the right level of detail keeps it from being intrusive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-18948864815815203872012-10-06T14:34:00.001+01:002012-10-06T14:34:58.198+01:00Why I read, or, my secret obsession with escapism
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<br />
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US">I
read. I've read ever since I can remember: ladybird books on the first day of
school, fairy tales, Famous Five, modern fiction, literary fiction, classics,
crime fiction, historical fiction, sci fi, fantasy, biography, history,
psychology, feminism, Dickens, Mills and Boon, cookery books, essays, poetry -
the whole lot. And in this
reading, I have felt happiness, contentment, curiosity, sadness, despair,
desolation, and I have cried tears of grief after a favourite character died
(still to this day one of my favourite characters - and no, I've never managed
to go back and re-read that book).
</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US">I've
read to escape: to escape the day, to escape frustrations, problems, politics,
and personal tragedy. I've read to
distance myself from immediate challenges of life, to allow my mind
to wander, to recharge, to imagine.
Mostly, I read because the stories we tell are too important not to be
read, because the stories we read tell us something about ourselves and how we
relate to the world around us.
Stories give a voice to those who have no voice, they give meaning where
we imagine there is none, and they bind readers and listeners together in
sharing whilst giving us individual freedom in our personal responses. Stories allow us to see ourselves in
characters: our humour, generosity, meanness and darkness, and thereby, to see
those characters as ourselves. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US">At
their simplest, books give us another point of view; whilst grounded, in our
head we can travel somewhere else - such juxtapositions offered to us might be
the only chance in a day when we can experience this journey, this other view
of the world. For some, this journey might be the only thing that makes the day
extraordinary. We can be in the
future, in the past, in the body of a man, woman, girl, boy, animal or machine,
and only imagination is the limit.
And yet we are safe - safe in our armchair or bed, safe in the afternoon
or evening, or in the middle of the night when the hour of the wolf strikes and
everything we fear terrifies us.
We can soothe ourselves with poetic words or action adventure. We can make ourselves feel better, by
reading words. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US">Then
we can put our book down and know that we can pick up where we left off, we can
go back to the murder scene, or
the grey-blue skies of Scandinavia, or the wild Yorkshire moors. And then, when we have finished our
book, which we have picked chocolate box-like from thousands of many others, we
can talk about about it, and discover the many other translations in many other
minds.</span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US">Very
occasionally, maybe once or twice in a lifetime, a book will unlock something
in the reader which they will never forget: a feeling, thought, a truth, a
realisation, a connection. This
thing will spark off a reaction which will change the way the reader sees the
world forever. </span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US">This is why I read.</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-17654221749915317792012-09-24T14:35:00.001+01:002012-09-24T14:35:28.130+01:00The Unbearable Lightness of Scones, by Alexander McCall SmithEveryone's favourite character in this series is surely Bertie, the precocious but loveable child of dotty Irene. Poor Bertie, just when we think he might escape the dreaded psychoanalysis he drops himself in it with talk of imaginary eagles. That's a shame because Dr Fairbairn, with his uncanny likeness to Bertie's brother Ulysses, has left the therapy practice to sit on a chair somewhere - or so Bertie thinks - and his replacement, the nice Dr Sinclair, was beginning to think that Bertie was a normal, well-adjusted 6 year old (considering his mother) until Bertie launches into a discussion of his imaginary world. Bless him. <br />
<br />
Elsewhere, Matthew, who frankly does need a good woman to sort him out, finally finds a girl who will marry him, and returns from honeymoon with some help from a marine mammal. Vain Bruce, also with matrimony on his mind, at last sees the error of his womanising ways when he is dumped. It seems a bit of his own medicine is a shock to the system and he emerges from the experience a changed man - or does he? Something about Bruce's reform doesn't quite ring true and I wonder if this will last. <br />
<br />
The saga of the blue Spode cup continues in the building where Domenica and Angus reside, providing a backdrop to Angus' daily life where - there must be something in the air - his thoughts turn to the possibility of proposing to Domenica, who seems to be the only woman who might have him. Somehow, amongst all this, Domenica's neighbour Antonia becomes known as a dealer of illicit substances. <br />
<br />
This kind of gentle chaos is what we have come to expect of the prolific Alexander McCall Smith. Hugely entertaining, this instalment, as usual, not only provides philosophical thought, but its comedy also provokes much smirking and tittering (beware if reading in public). Long may it continue.<br />
<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-42360962570800859282012-08-31T17:59:00.000+01:002012-08-31T17:59:22.156+01:00A Feast for Crows, book 4, by George RR Martin<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">And the answer to the question on my last blog about the this series is, yes he can. Keep the pace, and story and action going, that is. This is the first part of the next section in the ice and fire series, and as Martin explains in the last page of this book, it focuses on the story in the south of the lands, in and around Kings Landing: the two remaining Lannisters at court, and their friends and foes, who turn out to be not all they appear. It's the genuine surprises in these books which keep the pages turning.</span><br />
<br />
As we begin this part, Tyrion is on the run from Cersei, and Arya is still trying to find her way home. Sansa remains 'missing' and Brienne mounts an increasingly desperate search for her in an effort to keep her promise to deliver Sansa to her mother, with some help from a surprising ally. <br />
<br />
Becoming one of the most intriguing characters, alongside Tyrion, is his brother Jaime. Jaime has lost his fighting hand by a blow from a sword and becomes a far better man, regretting some of his past actions and beginning to mistrust his sister, Cersei. And about time, we think. Cersei in her turn, becomes deliciously more vindictive and conniving in ner role as Queen regent, scheming to take the realm for herself and her young son, whom she is grooming for kingship. We haven't had so much fun since JR Ewing.<br />
<br />
Closing in on the Lannister den of iniquity are their enemies, both openly and in the shadows. In the next part of the story, we are promised news of Tyrion, dragons, sorceresses, and Jon Snow. I can't wait - just as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-2165474454911792922012-08-23T13:02:00.000+01:002012-08-23T13:02:07.916+01:00A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold, part 2 of 2, by George RR Martin<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Part 2 of the second part in this series ramps up the action from part 1. Part 1 felt like it was setting the scene, doing the groundwork, leading us around a path. Part 2 has us worrying about our favourite characters, as well as some not so favourites. We've learned by now that Martin isn't afraid to dispense with characters who have outlasted their usefulness, and we anticipate their demise everywhere as the world they live in becomes more at the mercy of magic and treachery. </span><br />
<br />
The children of Winterfell have grown up: Jon Snow feels the burden of his bastard status and his vows to the Night Watch, and Robb Stark is weighed down by his new crown. The Stark sisters find themselves alone in the world, each thinking the other dead. The siblings bear theirs fates as well as they can in the face of duplicitous plots to ensure alliances, personal political status, and royal heritage in war torn lands.<br />
<br />
As for the Lannisters, the gods answer a prayer from an enemy of Joffrey, and all is not lost for the Lannister brothers, one finding kindness, and the other the beginnings of humanity. The depraved Cersei remains, well, depraved, and hungrier than ever to retain her grip on power. <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Part 2 returns to the form of the very first instalment in the series: so far so good. Can the author keep it going through the next two books? </span>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-39971286301450103182012-07-13T11:52:00.005+01:002012-07-13T11:52:51.829+01:00A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">It's
a shame about Ned Stark. This character has honesty and integrity; a natural
leader who doesn't want the power associated with leading (there are woefully few of those around). To
say that this book is about the Stark and Lannister families set in a
pseudo-medieval backdrop is oversimplifying a complex plotline but much of the
action is centred around their bitter rivalry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story entertains familiar themes in the fantasy genre -
ambition for power, deceit, warring factions at the heart of kingdoms,
relationships between humans and animals - and just for good measure, a healthy
dose of illegitimacy and incest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">You
do have to trudge through the early scene-setting chapters necessary to this
type of fantasy opera normally filling several novels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don't let this put you off however, I
started the second instalment straight away after finishing the first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Novel number one can be read in
isolation, but the characters are so devious and nasty that you really hope they
get their comeuppance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so I
begin the second novel in anticipation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="Body1">
<br /></div>
<div class="Body1">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-hansi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Ned
and his family are at the centre of this first story - the attempted murder of Ned's
small son and an accusation of another murderer made by his slightly disturbed
sister in law sets in motion a chain of events which ends in a vicious war
between rival families across kingdoms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Innocents and oddballs caught up in events add extra
depth to a tried an tested formula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A good escapist romp. </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-11808350692915785382012-05-15T20:16:00.000+01:002012-05-15T20:16:49.591+01:00Are we devaluing paid work?The views expressed in this post are my own only and are not related in any way to my employer or their views.<br />
<br />
In recent times I have come across many examples of 'professional' voluntary work - that is, voluntary work done by professionally qualified individuals, and also by graduates of all kinds, where I believe the work in question should be done by paid staff. Many of these examples come from library, archives and museum work, where budgets have been cut to such an extent that organisations feel they have are forced to look to volunteers to carry out such work, otherwise they argue, valuable work would not be done at all.<br />
<br />
This has been taken one step further by the recent trend for increasing numbers of public sector bodies to 'employ' graduates for project work where extensive cuts have been made and the are larger gaps then ever to be filled by volunteers. Don't get me wrong, I can see the advantage in supplying work experience for students and graduates, however, we have to ask ourselves what the cost is to the paid workforce. If we use an ever increasing supply of non paid 'staff', why would we go back to using paid staff?<br />
<br />
Over the last six months, the adverts for volunteers have increased alarmingly in the fields I work in, and have previously worked in. I have seen job adverts complete with person specs for volunteers for work that is obviously meant for qualified professionals - now being done by volunteers.
We are not just talking about individuals expressing an interest in an area and asking for some hours of voluntary work - we are talking about some sectors actively recruiting volunteers, and training staff to recruit and line manage volunteers. I call that employment.<br />
<br />
Similarly in Universities, the explosion in work and voluntary opportunities for undergraduates in their place of study can't be a coincidence, when it follows widespread cuts in education funding. It's bad enough that students have no choice but to pay the current fees in HE but now they can be expected to work for their education, filling in the gaps in the business of running a university.<br />
<br />
At some point we have to say: enough. This is enough. Is there some point when we would be happy to go to a volunteer doctor, or dentist, or even surgeon? No? Would be want to engage a volunteer plumber or electrician? Would we want volunteer bin men or women on the street collecting our refuse? So what are we saying? Are we saying that we value some jobs more highly than others? Are we saying as a society that some jobs matter but others don't? It looks like we think librarians don't matter, or archivists, or many other information based professionals. How about teachers? When our children have a question at school, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-17302710">54% of youngsters</a> google them - only 3% ask a teacher. So we can substitute our teachers for volunteers, right? Think how pleased David Cameron would be if the big society was taken to that level.<br />
<br />
Though the information profession is feeling cutbacks keenly, there are other areas where young people are being asked to work for nothing and people with professional or industry experience are being asked to work for less. We need to shift the focus back to values of skills and experience, and adequate recompense for these attributes. Going down the road of cheap labour is not the answer: its short sighted and as a society this costs us far more in terms of social welfare and ill health, both physical and mental.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-89291620049412505802012-04-13T15:54:00.003+01:002012-04-13T15:54:38.234+01:00The Steep Approach to Garbadale by Iain BanksThere are a few books by Iain Banks in our house - or even by Iain M Banks. But this is the first that I've read, and I will be reading many more. This story is about aspects of the human condition, and I'm going to list them here because my other half insisted that if I knew what it was about, I had to tell him. Well, it's about a man getting over his first teenage love, about families and how nutty they are, tolerance and acceptance, and a small scale observation on large corporations. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alban McGill falls in love with this cousin as a teenager and spends the next ten years of his life getting over it. But what happens in between is a life story of a man who is not quite as conservative as his family would like, who goes his own way, taking the long road, in the words of the Dixie Chicks. Although the narration does meander a bit (hence the confusion about the <i>exact </i>premise of the story) it perfectly illustrates the story of a young man who has lost his way in the world, doesn't know where he quite fits, doesn't feel he belongs anywhere. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alban is a likeable, even loveable, character and I cheered him on which is he secret of the page turning quality of the novel. I cheered particularly at his anti-capitalist outburst directed at the representative of the multimillion dollar company who wants to buy his family firm. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Also lovely in this novel is the Shakespearian comedy duo of great Aunts Beryl and Doris, lending light relief with their mis-heard comments and half-sloshed ramblings, occasionally promoting a laugh out loud moment. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Alban eventually does find his place in the world, but to tell how this happens would ruin the story... </div>Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-26273805096983544132012-04-05T11:35:00.003+01:002012-04-05T11:35:55.265+01:00Madness in post 1945 British and American literature by Charley Baker at alThis title looks at the portrayal of mental illness, or 'madness', in postwar english writing literature. The term madness issued deliberately to de-medicalise it and dissociate from medically-defined types of mental illness. It challenges head-on the notion of madness as 'other' simply by using the term madness, and asks us to question our beliefs of what madness is, and why our perceptions of social norms exist as they do, and why anything other than these norms are locked away inside the sanatoriums often depicted in the novels examined in the book.<br />
<br />
Amongst many themes, the role of institutions are examined, as are psychiatrists, and their relationships with their patients. Patients in the novels mentioned in the book suffer from a whole range of illness and psychosis, reminding us how far we have come (and how far we haven't). An obvious example is shell shock - what we now call post traumatic stress syndrome- and the treatment for it, which was institutionalisation immediately post-war.<br />
<br />
Modern life brings its own problems, however, and a common theme in the book is a warped sense of reality common in the LSD soaked 60s, and in the new century, isolation and fragmentation of society and the consequences this can bring to the vulnerable. In a fairly recent talk, psychologist Oliver James said that if we are said to be well in this society then we really are in danger of being mad, as this society is not a healthy one.
Can we then use the bibliography of this book as a 'symptom checker'? Can we look at, for instance, Ken Kesey's 'One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest' and see now far we have come in the treatment of madness, the symptoms of which, taken in isolation, can identify most people at some time or another? When is, say, OCD madness and when is it attention to peculiarities of environment?<br />
<br />
This book poses many questions about postmodern society and how individuals interact with medical power, cultural differences and our perception of madness. The ultimate aim of this book is to try and use literature to understand madness from a non-medical point of view.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-89353208512147543862012-02-03T15:32:00.000+00:002012-02-03T15:32:50.827+00:00Nocturne by James AttleeI looked forward to reading this book: I adore the moon. The very first and last chapter is about the author's moon watching in his home area; this was gorgeous reading, and really mirrored my own feeling of wellbeing about stepping outside into moonlight. I don't know what it is about moonlight, but things always seem brighter with a white, full moon in the sky. <br />
<br />
The book in split into several chapters of moonwatching in selected countries: the first is London, and provides us with some background about Galileo and his telescopic discoveries, lunar influence on William Blake's and Shelley's writing, and the experiment some years ago in a Hampshire town when the council switched off the street lights. (The more I think this last item, the more I think it's a good idea, immediately saving the councils thousands of pounds, surely.)<br />
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Part two travels to Japan for the lovely sounding Autumn moon watching festival, which is the most important lunar festival in the Japan year, which falls on the 15th day of the 8th month. This is when folks in Japan make trips to the best moon-biewing places in the land and they have parties, dancing and general merrymaking (although sometimes the sky gets contaminated with party lights which somehow defeats the point). <br />
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Part three visits Naples. I didn't really care for this middle section of the book, Naples seemed dangerous, and willing to lead tourists astray in attempt to deprive them of their cash, hence a trip up Vesuvius when there was no chance of actually seeing any moon. Apparently Dickens wandered around the same trip. Part four is where it gets barmy - in Nevada, Las Vegas. This is where the author visits a couple who have built an interstellar light collector to collect and focus moonlight for the purpose of curing illness. The story around this is a bit of a shame, because it actually started out as a scientific experiment, but because of the associations around money being paid for cures, the scientific community won't touch it with a barge pole. Read the book and decide for yourself. However, the contrast between the brightly lit streets of Vegas where night is as bright as day, with the dark skies of the desert are interesting.<br />
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Part five was a chapter that I feel didn't really sit with the rest of the book. This took a detour around Germany and the painter Johan Christian Dahl, whose painting was influenced by the moon, and the life of Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy. Hess happened to be influenced by Rudolf Steiner whose ideas were based on the influence of the moon on earth's life, but perhaps this chapter should have focused on Steiner instead?<br />
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The book finishes in part six where it began - in London. This is much more like it, here we get back to a final pursuit of the full moon on a clear night; worries about afternoon shower clouds and bad weather. I loved the way the author abandoned any concerns about going out very late on a school night just to look at the moon. Something maybe we should all do occasionally.<br />
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<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-59700578942288266492012-01-02T14:20:00.000+00:002012-01-29T15:14:31.544+00:00Which word?This is the first of an occasional 'study skills' type post. I've noticed, both as a librarian and in day to day work that many people struggle with these type of skills, and spending a bit of time trying to get these right can really make a difference both in professional work and personal communication. <br />
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Today, getting the right word when words sound similar but mean slightly different things: <br />
<strong>Enquire / Inquire </strong><br />
Actually both can be used, but <strong>enquire</strong> is commonly used for an informal 'to ask', and <strong>inquire</strong> for a more formal 'inquiry'.<br />
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<strong>Accept / Except</strong><br />
You may <strong>accept</strong> a gift, or <strong>accept</strong> or agree with a suggestion, but <strong>except</strong> is to put something aside or refuse it, for example, "I'll take all the fruit except the oranges".<br />
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<strong>Affect / Effect</strong> <br />
<strong>Affect</strong> is to realise or fulfil something, eg. the oven temperature affects the baking of a cake. An <strong>effect</strong> is the consequence of something, eg. the low oven temperature had a poor effect on my cake.<br />
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<strong>Lose / Loose</strong><br />
<strong>Lose</strong> is to misplace something, eg. you lose you keys. Something is <strong>loose</strong> when it is not 'fixed' or set, eg. the screws are loose.<br />
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<strong>Bored / Board</strong><br />
Might seem an obvious one, but <strong>bored</strong> is what you used to be in Maths, ie. not interested. <strong>Board</strong> is a rigid piece of card, or a committee. <br />
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<strong>Biannual / Biennial</strong> <br />
I get confused myseldf with this one: <strong>biannual</strong> means happening twice a year, and <b>biennial</b> is every two years.<br />
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<strong>Compliment / Complement</strong> <br />
<strong>Compliment</strong> means praise or saying something nice about someone, eg. you give someone a compliment. <b>Complement</b> means in addition to something, or a <strong>complement</strong> slip in formal letters. <br />
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<strong>Discreet / Discrete</strong> <br />
<b>Discreet</b> means respectful, low key about someone or something eg. "be discreet about that issue". D<b>iscrete</b> means separate or distinct, eg. the documents are in discrete packages.<br />
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<strong>Ensure/Insure</strong><br />
<b>Ensure</b> is when you try and 'make sure' of something, eg. Ensure you pack your swimming costume. <br />
<b>Insure</b> is taking out insurance on the car. <b>Enquire</b> is Inquire is <br />
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<strong>Disinterested / Uninterested </strong><strong>Disi</strong><strong>nterested</strong> is when you don't benefit from a situation, eg. A lawyer is disinterested in the outcome of a will. <strong>Uninterested</strong> is... just plain bored (see above).<br />
<br />Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-84181232755171230722011-12-24T18:31:00.001+00:002012-01-05T10:12:54.609+00:00Snowdrops by A.D. MillerShort listed for the booker prize 2011. I'm not sure what I expected from this but it wasn't what I thought it would be. Very good at creating a tawdry, cheap and corrupt atmosphere, this novel makes you feel like you've sullied your hands just by picking it up. <br />
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The books starts by the narrator, Nick, beginning a 'letter' (the book) to someone. You don't know who the someone is, but suspect a woman, and none of the details linking Nick to this woman are known until well over half way through the book. However most of the details of Nick's story involves a Russian woman that's he falls madly in love with, and he into great detail about this affair, which you can't help but feel is unwise if he is writing to another woman. Who is the mystery woman, and why do feel that the Russian woman is a bad 'un even though you can't put your finger on why? <br />
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I did feel I wanted to shake Nick. He is a slave to parts of is anatomy which don't have a brain. He sort of knows he is getting into a bad situation, but he doesn't really care- as if he is slightly bored, and quite likes being naughty. The fatalism of Nick and his anatomy is quite annoying at times. He appears to have no will at all, but claims to have one of the happiest days/nights of his life with his Russain lady; he closes his eyes to the obvious manipulation of his Russain companions, and the fear around him. You know there will be tears before bedtime. By the end of the book I despised him. <br />
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I did like the description of the descent into Russian winter. The cold is dangerous, beautiful, and mirrors Nick's diminishing sense of free will.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-4395774870492539032011-12-17T16:55:00.001+00:002012-02-03T15:33:41.667+00:00The Winter Book<br />
Reading this book, like the Summer Book by the same author, leaves you with a feeling of being covered with a soft snowy blanket, blocking out noise and busyness. This book is actually set in winter and summer, split into three sections with the middle section set in summer. I felt 'summer' should perhaps have stayed with the Summer Book, however it did add a sense of the year turning, of seasons. Winter melts into summer and in turn freezes into winter again.<br />
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Winter on the author's island is harsh and isolated. A handful of stories particularly resonated with me because to me they demonstrated pure imagination and atmosphere, reminiscent of the Moomin stories for which the author became well known.<br />
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'Snow' is about the author as a young girl, house sitting with her mother. It's not clear why they are in the house, possibly so that her artist mother can paint in peace and quiet. The girl feels suffocated by the isolation in the house and the snowstorm which seems to eventually cove the entire house. The girl imagines that the house is entirely covered to the rooftop, causing it to tip over, disorientating the senses.
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Another story of complete imagination is 'Flying', where the narrator, again as a girl, imagines everyone in the village has developed the ability to fly. Neighbours have rooftop tea, and the little girl worries about what will happen if everyone loses their ability to fly. But she lives in the moment and she soars above the houses with friends and animals.<br />
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The 'Squirrel' is a tale told by the narrator as an elderly woman, isolated on her island home with winter coming, making preparations around the home. She shares her home and space with a squirrel, almost becoming obsessed with it but becoming angry at its unpredictable wildness.
These are stories essentially about life and growing old and the demands of these on our minds and bodies. Sometimes the stories are not easy reading but these and those stories of 'The Summer Book' lurk in the memory long after the covers are closed.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-10425685432021194002011-10-15T19:12:00.000+01:002011-12-07T20:03:39.080+00:00Promoting yourself - Thing 21 (cpd 23 Things)I'm really dreadful at promoting myself, and interviews are the worst of all. I have background in careers, so I know all the stuff about how to match your skills and experience to a job spec and person spec. I was once told that by the time you get to an interview, the panel already thinks you could do the job, it's just how things go on the day.<br />
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And sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you prepare, it's just how the chemistry pans out. I really think this is true.
Those first impressions are all important, and more important than we would like. A paper application doesn't get our personality over and sometimes it comes down to this. I was once on an interview panel where the person in charge of hiring didn't hire someone because they thought that person would be talk back too much.<br />
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If you want the basics of how to get your foot in the door of an interview panel, I think the <a href="http://thewikiman.org/blog/?s=Interview">Wikiman does this pretty well</a> but after that, half of success is hitting the interview criteria - which I Wikiman also covers well, but the other half is what you could call gut instinct of the panel. Also, panels are not created equal. Sometimes there will be one member who has the final say, no matter if the others agree on a candidate. If the final say doesn't agree, that candidate won't get the job.<br />
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I'm not saying all this to give the impressions that theres no hope, but it does mean that sometimes it doesn't matter how well you prepare, or how well you suit the job, it just won't work out on the day, and it won't be your fault. Being turned down for a job can really shatter your confidence, so take heart that it's not always you- sometimes it's them. Learn from it, and move on.Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-74728013141095495212011-10-06T13:00:00.000+01:002011-10-06T17:17:44.675+01:00Library routes/roots - Thing 20 (cpd 23 Things)As part of the library routes/rootes project, this Thing is to add my route into the information profession and add my blog link to the page: <a href="http://libraryroutesproject.wikkii.com/wiki/Main_Page">http://libraryroutesproject.wikkii.com/wiki/Main_Page</a><br />
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So here goes: <br />
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2000 - part time careers information role at De Montfort University, which became full time as I took on other responsibilities. <br />
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2004-2009 - worked as Senior Information Assistant , part-time, evening, in the academic library at DMU. <br />
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2008 - completed MSc Information and Library Studies distance learning with Robert Gordon University. <br />
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2010 - my role at DMU became information and communications officer, a refocusing of my role which was now to work with staff as well in planning information related activities throughout through the year. <br />
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2011- role was made redundant, and I became a research assistant in the faculty of Health and Life Sciences at De Montfort. This role allows me to use information skills in an academic environment. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-18728785932385918932011-10-02T15:23:00.000+01:002011-10-02T15:34:42.670+01:00Prezi and image capture - Thing 17 (cpd 23 Things)Until very recently I hadn't come across Prezi or seen now it works. I like to see work by others in Prezi but so far haven't used it myself. I do think that, like everything, Prezi needs to be used in balance. PowerPoint has been overused, but I think Prezi could get to be just as annoying if it isn't used carefully.
That said, I will be taking some time to get to grips with Prezi as it's another useful tool. Most usefully for me, it may be used as a mind-mapping tool, head for personal projects as well as the usual presentation aid.
Something else which is capturing the imagination of late are infographics - I've seen these popping up in the most unusual places, and am keen to try and use this as well. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-2268533815984350752011-09-11T15:30:00.000+01:002011-09-12T21:16:24.176+01:00Jing/podcasts/screen capture- Thing 18 (cpd 23 Things)I've not done a great deal of this personally, but I have been involved in the production of podcasts. Professional sounding pod cats done in a studio take a while to do and even longer editing. If there's an easier way to do podcasting this would be great!<br />
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I like the idea of screen capturing tools, and jing being the one mentioned in <a href="http://cpd23.blogspot.com/2011/05/cpd23-things.html">23 Things</a> amongst other things, seems like a good solution, relatively easy to use. Not being aware of these tools before, I've done some very basic instruction sheets before on Word functionality for colleagues. Screen capturing tools are a definite upmarket improvement on this and worth remembering for next time I need to show a colleague how to do something!<br />
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The only thing to mremember with these tools I think is to keep them short. I think several minutes is actually too long and I've seen many cases where podcasts are ten minutes or longer. If these are especially aimed at college / HE students then they need to be short and sweet. Personally I've never clicked on a podcast or video which is longer than eight minutes, at an absolute push (and only if it's something I really need).Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-56406213739973918602011-09-11T15:13:00.000+01:002011-09-12T21:13:33.188+01:00Advocacy and publishing - Thing 16 (cpd 23 Things)We all do advocacy in different ways. Sometimes it's verbally representing ours organisations or libraries, and others are more public about it. In think we med both. I think we can all do a litle bit if we think creatively enough.<br />
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Recently I've become involved in a bibliotherapy group. The attendees of this group wouldn't know that is what this is, but it is. This particular group uses poetry as it's focus. There are groups all over the country using literature in all its forms as a means to help people feel better, connect with libraries, literature, each other, and go home feeling better. This is what happens with this group. We meet once a week and talk about a poem, maybe two or three, and see where it leads us. It leads some members to some dark places where they can talk about problems, illness, mental health, depression, coping with day to day living, and feel supported. It's a safe place where members come together and where a lot of laughter happens: everyone goes home feeling better.<br />
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All this as a result of reading a poem. It's not really important that the reading is a poem - it just happens to be what the group is used to, and it provides a springboard for discussion and for everyone to talk about how they relate to the piece and find common ground. All this as a result of meeting in a library once a week, away from problems and away from other distractions.<br />
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Our libraries make us feel better. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-38647576974454293472011-09-02T18:01:00.000+01:002011-09-02T18:01:40.016+01:00Seminars, conferences and other events - Thing 15 (cpd 23 Things)Conference. A word to strike fear into the hearts of those who don't like to make small talk. I think there are more of those who would care to admit it, judging by the numbers of people who go to conferences with a colleague. And in my shame I"m afraid to say that at the last conference I went to, I did seek out some people who I knew and ended up standing in a space that was supposed to pass as a garden talking about the new series of Midsomer Murders starting that evening, and was it worth missing the last session in order to get home for it? I didn't admit that I had never seen it. <div>
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Possibly this means that the conference wasn't very interesting? </div>
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Anyway. </div>
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I went to a few conferences in my former life as a careers information officer, but have never presented myself. I've read many accounts of professionals who urge that whatever your professional position, you can contribute something, but I've never felt sure about this. The service I previously worked at, in all honesty, offered little possibility of innovative practice (too little money) and I now don't work in the information profession officially. It's been a while since I've been to a conference of any type. In any case, I hope that one day I'll be in a position to feel I have something to speak about in which others would be interested. </div>
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I''m hoping that I can expand my research literacy knowledge by attending seminars about research practice at some point. I find this interesting because I can look at research from both ends of the spectrum - as an information professional and as a researcher. </div>
Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-92160910986970341712011-08-28T17:52:00.000+01:002011-08-28T17:52:18.262+01:00Referencing Tools - Thing 14 (cpd 23 Things)Thing 14 talks about referencing tools, namely freely available downloads such as Zotero, Mendeley and Citeulike. I've not used these myself but have read some comments from those who have, and my impression is that there is no one perfect solution for free reference management but you may find that one of these fits your particular need. <br />
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In my day to day work I use RefWorks as this is the tool used by my institution. It works well and makes my job easier and quicker -I handle a large number of references whilst working on a different potential and current research projects. Using Refworks means that I can collate all my references and go back to them at any time, insert them in documents and produce lists of articles of interest for the senior researchers. <br />
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I wasn't completely enamoured with Refworks initially. I used Endnote when I wrote my Masters dissertation and found this to be far more intuitive to use (one of my pet hates is reading instruction manuals, so anything I can use by just 'figuring it out' gets my vote!). In contrast, I found Refworks clunky and I needed to use the help menu, even though I was familiar with how a referencing system worked. <br />
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What saved Refworks for me was the fact that there is a compatible web based version in which you can create an account, and then import or export references with your desktop version of Refworks. This is great when working at home as it means I can import or export all my refences to one place and I don't have to be using my work PC. The web based version is also free. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-64055570651327499492011-08-21T18:19:00.000+01:002011-08-21T18:19:38.331+01:00Google docs, wikis and dropbox - Thing 13 (cpd 23 Things)<b>Google docs and Dropbox</b><br />
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I've not used these before and I can already see huge potential for the role I'm currently in. I've just finished working on a collaborative project which involved constant emailing of updated versions with subject headings in capital letters of 'LATEST VERSION'! Using something like google docs or dropbox would have saved this particular headache, and I was already starting to think along these lines, which would have been so much easier. <br />
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The challenge: changing the way academics work. Some academics are not technical friendly and would find the hassle of having to remember another login just a bridge too far, and I can see how in the course of a very busy day it can seem like having to create another account and keep track of another login (who can remember them all anyway?) this would be too much. I think the benefits outweigh the initial 'getting to grips' with a new system, so I'll work on selling document sharing to some of my colleagues.<br />
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<b>Wikis</b> <br />
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I've used wikis set up by others for projects before, eg. I've participated in the library routes project, and used it for work before but not set one up myself. I'll be looking for ways these can be used in academic research.<br />
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I think all in all, technology is underused is research, so it's really interesting to try and find new ways, or even trying to establish some basic ways that technology can be used. It's quite exciting!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-5107233839609695062011-08-15T16:23:00.000+01:002011-08-15T16:23:04.666+01:00Social Networking - Thing 12 (cpd 23 Things)I'm guessing even the most unenthusiastic social networker uses social networks. I know people who don't know how to text and refuse to learn. Perhaps they don't need to. They do use email prolifically though, so what's the step from emailing to social networking? I wonder what's that little push? <br />
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I don't actively use facebook, but I do keep an eye on posts that come directly to me. I can see that there's benefit in using these online networks, and I'm slowly building up my professional network which is really important to me. Online networking is really my only link with what's happening in libraryland, and it's the only place I get to hear about what other info and library people are talking about. <br />
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There is a down side, though. I love my friends, but I don't really need to know that they are suffering from a hangover. This is the thing I dislike about social networking. I've seen ex-colleagues talking about clients on their facebook page. I've seen people talking about a colleague they share an office with on Twitter. You all know that this is a complete no-no, and yet when there is just you and your keyboard/phone you think that the person you're talking about will never see your comments. And I don't think I will ever be able to bring myself to list what I've had for breakfast. Also, for me personally, I hate swearing. <br />
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Once you put something out on social media it pretty much stays there... that's one to think about. <br />
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Social media has brought me into contact with loads of people I wouldn't otherwise have come into contact with, and would have had no way of coming into contact with. That's quite mind-blowing when you sit down and start to think about it. I've had contact with people who are sleeping right now because of time-zones. It makes staying in touch easier than it's ever been, although online contacts are very different to any other kind of 'relationship'. It's different mind-set, a different groove. Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-3639631210581824072011-08-07T16:30:00.000+01:002011-08-07T16:30:57.462+01:00Mentoring - Thing 11 (cpd 23 Things)The only experience I've had of mentoring so far is being mentored for charterhsip. My mentor was someone I knew of beforehand, but I didn't known very well. It's been useful to have someone with experience to bounce ideas off, and good to talk over little niggling problems. The only down side of the experience is that, being manically busy in an academic library, it can be really hard to get an appointment to see her - it once took me four months! So, my mentoring log is quite a short one!<br />
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I think having a mentor of some kind is a great thing anyway, and need not be related to something like chartering. Someone who has experience of the working world and can give you a different perspective sometimes. This doesn't have to be someone in your industry, just someone who understands the problems you might face, and these are often more universal than you might think; problems with colleagues, projects, office politics are all problems everyone faces at some point, regardless of where they work. <br />
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My sort of unofficial personal mentor is my other half - he has loads of experience working in offices of all kinds, and being freelance, of organisations and office cultures of all kinds. Any problem I face, he has faced it already: sometimes we face the same problem at the same time and we act as a sounding board. <br />
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The good thing about having someone to discuss all these things with makes you realise that you are not alone in the issues you face at work, on then other hand, you might say that these things never go away...Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-44046912686913170532011-08-03T18:14:00.000+01:002011-08-03T18:14:08.306+01:00Professional Development - Thing 10 (cpd 23 Things)<b>MSc</b><br />
I have paid at least some of my dues in the professional development department. A couple of years ago I finished an MSc in Library and Information Studies gained with The Robert Gordon University. I chose this course as many others do because I could do it whilst working and it is accredited by CILIP. I was working at the time in an information role already but wanted to improve on my professional qualifications. I also worked a late evening every week in an academic library. <br />
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To be honest, I wouldn't advocate doing it this way -working full time plus part time job plus study did not make a good combination - I had no life for three years and I was exhausted after the first year. However I was delighted to finally finish and receive my MSc with distinction. I did have a lovely supportive partner who shoved food and cups of tea under my nose occasionally, but if you're thinking of studying along with a demanding full time job (I used to do additional evenings/Saturdays at certain times of the year), think about how you're going to cope with the sheer amount of work you have to put in, and with the likelihood of having to take quite a chunk of your personal leave as study time. <br />
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What I'm saying is this - don't do it unless you really, really want to. <br />
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The MSc didn't really help me with my library/information career to be honest. There are so many people out there with library qualifications now, I think experience count more. Employers have their pock of library qualified people. Having said that, having done my own research was a definite plus when it came to my current role - I've have a good solid understanding of how research works and is carried out. <br />
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<b>Chartering</b><br />
I'm now attempting to charter, which as I've said before elsewhere on this blog, is a challenge when you're not in a traditional library role. I'm hoping that the chartership board will be keeping an open mind when it comes to the variation of information roles out there! I think this variation will become more common in this economic climate, and qualified librarians have to look at roles which they perhaps wouldn't have considered a few years ago. It's taken me a while, but I think I may see light at the end of the tunnel...Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8743476452292014022.post-76997735032852259862011-08-03T17:48:00.000+01:002011-08-03T17:48:08.870+01:00Evernote - Thing 9 (cpd 23 Things)Yay, now we're onto something I know about. I do like Evernote, and I started using it a little while ago. I used to use notebooks (although I still do, just in a different way to my everyday "I want to remember that' kind of way). But now I get to file away everything I want to make a note of all in one place, and I can tag, sort, rearrange, deleter, add to, edit and view to my heart's content. Notes, web pages, URLs, pictures, whatever you want can go into Evernote.<br />
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I've converted a few other people too, who are all finding it useful. And you can take it with you wherever you have access to a PC, or use it on your iPhone or ipad with the apps for those machines. Syncing makes it seamless. In short, it's great. Try it if you haven't already!Wendyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11783726205494658900noreply@blogger.com0