Friday, January 16, 2015

Writing tips and air crash investigations

Hero contemplates Everyday Ethics. He is contemplating eating it.

Do you ever struggle to be productive? I’m working on a few projects, one of which is currently stretching my brain, and I have found I am very easily open to distractions. And the non-humans in the household are obliging. There’s been so much keyboard-sitting you’d think it was an Olympic Sport. Also my highlighters seem to be disappearing and turning up in odd places. Someone likes to bat them around the place with his paw.

For anyone engaged in a project that involves a lot of writing, this link - shared by Deb, who found out about a Coursera course on Learning How to Learn via this blog – contains some very useful tips. I'm especially loving 1,2,8 and 9 and I've decided to go on an online news blackout for a week to see if I can't save a bit of time here and there. 

If you are seeking a quality distraction, the episode of Air Crash Investigations dedicated to the Qantas A380 flight 32 out of Singapore is about as gripping as it gets. You can view it here. It is often said that anaesthesia is similar to flying - the most risky parts are the take off and landing. This episode showcases an unprecedented chain of complications. The problem-solving performed by the crew in what must be the most challenging circumstances a pilot could face is impressive. Even if you're not into engineering, the investigation of the engine explosion and the isolation of the final (shockingly simple) cause is fantasic viewing. This is decision making and problem solving at its best. Its no secret that we're big fans of Qantas, but I'm an even bigger fan now.

Hero is definitely feeling better, as evidenced by this photo. He was actually partially IN the chimney at this point. On the roof. Stuck.
Hero is recovering from his festive urinary tract issues. We’re still awaiting analysis of the uroliths but have been informed that in the last month the urolith analysis service had received an unprecedented amount of stones. It will be interesting to find out why the sudden increase. Once I get the result I'll be posting about the experience - it didn't end with the cystotomy, that's for sure.