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Getting closer...

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9909 views! 

Getting closer to five figures.

There might be a prize for whoever makes the 10,000 view.

However the prize could be a 50% completed a222 module!

Who would want that!

Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Tuesday, 5 Dec 2017, 17:02)
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Double down.

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Having just worked my way through 75% of chapter 1, block 3, it is abit disheartning to find out the reading volume will double in this block..

Come on a222, ours is a difficult relationship already, without you gaslighting about the reading.

#bloodyA222

Can you start a #hashtag on a ou blog?


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Block 3

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So i have started block 3 'ethics'.

Not including the exam, get block 3 done and thats 50% of the course complete.

Half way through, i am looking forward to getting half way there.

50% of A222 out of the wsy  

Yes please.

Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Tuesday, 5 Dec 2017, 12:36)
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Tma 2

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So i finished and submitted tma 2 last night.

1750 words.

Now to wait for the closing date- thursdsy 7th and then for it to be marked.

Still not enjoying a222

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Views

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The counter is at 9750...

Not long to go to the big 10,000 mark.

Thats very exciting.

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Tma 2

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I am supposed to be discussing humes ( philo's) objections to the arguement from design, as presented by cleanthes.

Is hume (philo's) objection compelling.

Philo leaves his objections aside until subconclusion 1 of cleanthes arguement.

I think philo could have raised objections earlier on, objections to premise one and two, but philo does not.

Now can i include in the tma analysis of philo's objections the fact that he did not step in earlier to object, based on philosophical reasoning...

Or can i only write about the quality of philo's actual stated arguements?

By not stepping in earlier, philo allows cleantges to develope another premise, sub conclusion and conclusion that are based on unchallenged premise one and two.

I am very mindful now if Simon Reeds advice in comments on another of my posts.

' we are not here in a222 to do any of our own philosophy, just to show we can construct a philosophical arguement correctly, and stick to the module materials'

Without wise words from Simon, i might have wasted 800 words of tma2 and got a poor mark.

I will mention my thoughts about philo letting premise one and two too easily, very briefly, as a further example of what might have made philo's objections truely compelling. However 1000 words need to be invested on what philo does say...


Permalink 1 comment (latest comment by Simon Reed, Sunday, 3 Dec 2017, 16:57)
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block 2 almost done

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That's all the reading for block 2 'the philosophy of religion done' 

now I have to turn the 500 words already written for tma 2 into 2000 words by 7th of December and that block is behind me, and 33% of a222 will be behind me and I will be closer to getting what I have come to know a ' bloody A222' done.

oh and the three hour exam, don't forget the exam....


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The christmas break.

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I wonder how many of my fellow students take the christmas break.

Personally i use the time to plow on with study and try to get as much study done as i can.

I find it really motivating to work through. By the time the planner restarts after christmas, i can get ahead and have the course 50% complete.

I am looking forward to being half way done with a222.

So do you work through the break?

Or do you have a rest?

Permalink 3 comments (latest comment by Michael Brierley, Friday, 1 Dec 2017, 17:37)
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What would google say?

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Edited by Michael Gumbrell, Sunday, 26 Nov 2017, 13:39

I was just chatting with my fellow a222 students in our facebook group.

The upshot was, if you type 'bloody a222' into google,

This blog comes out three times in the top five results.

Just saying.... bloody a222....

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Hit me baby one more time

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I am not compulsive about the view counter...

If i was i would have noticed its about to hit 9500 views.

Thank you everyone.

Your time spent viewing is very much appreciated.

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Wheres your tma gone?

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Nearly had a heart attack today.

Turn the laptop on and all my short cuts were gone.

Including the folder called 'bloody A222' which had my tma 2 saved in it, well the 500 words i have written so far.

Had to resort to a F2 safe mode restart to get it bsck to mormal.

Heart stopping moment waiting for the reboot!

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Its not what you know

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I just wanted to thank Simon for his insightful words in the comments on the post below.

The advice from a fellow student, who has complete your module already, is invaluable.

It is very much appreciated that Simon takes the time to comment with such detail about the worry/questions i have about A222. His kindness saves me alot of time and helps me keep the whole module in perspective.

Link this point to my informal study group with Simon and Stephen and i am very happy to feel part of a team, not just out here studying on my own.

So although the OU is about learning, we are developing other skills too.

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TMA2

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I had another check through the guidance notes for tma2.

It is very clear. The tma is utterly about chapter 2. Nothing from the other chapters need to be in there.

So a very closed tma question.

Perhaps it is to make us reallt drill down onto how we write a philosophicaly logical essays.

We will see, i sure i will be on this blog bemoaning tma2 some more.

Permalink 3 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Monday, 20 Nov 2017, 17:16)
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TMA 2

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So this block 2 is slightly odd, there are 4 weeks of study around the philosophy of religion. However the TMA question is very specific, it is concretely locked into weeks 2's study. So I have finished week 3 and have week 4 to do, however I have done the week that is very specifically linked to the TMA, nothing from week 3 or 4 will get into it. 

so I made a start on writing the TMA today, I have done the introduction and the unpack. so I have written the first 400 words of the 2000 word TMA with 2 weeks to spare.

That is a bit of an odd structure, previously TMA's had a focus on a particular week, however following weeks would influence what you wrote in the TMA.

With block 2 TMA that is not the case, Chapter two is king and it would harm the TMA to mention anything from week 3 or 4. Very odd. I have never had that situation before.


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struggling with Philosophy

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I have to admit, I am struggling with A222, Philosophy.

There sheer volume of reading, the fact that the essay's have to be written in a completely different way to other essay's,  the fact that there is a sixth essay in the OCAS, unlike every other module which has five, the prehistoric age of the website and module planer, just the whole thing really.

If I had only known, I could have done politics and economics without the philosophy.

It is very hard to motivate yourself to push through on a subject when it is really not doing anything for you.

I have come to the conclusion I just need to crack on, get whatever score I can ( it surely will be lower than my other modules) and just get through it, a pass is a pass and then I can move on to modules I will enjoy more.

When it comes to level 3 of my P.P.E pathway, I get to drop a subject and focuses on two of the three, I think it is fair to say I will going for the politics and economics elements in level 3.

When I finally get to the end of my degree pathway I can always ask if my classification can be changed to P. NLOP. E,

Politics,

No Love Of Philosophy

Economics.

Seems like a reasonable request to me...


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9000

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A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to view this blog.

The view counter just clocked 9000.

That is an amazing number of views.

Thank you.

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Sad news

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Sad news about the death of Malcolm Young.

AC/DC are my favourites by a long way.

I started learning guitar when i was 10, in 1976.

So when i was learning, maicolm was a big influence on my learning to play.

So R.I.P Malcolm Young,

We salute you.

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Yay its friday

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That was a long week.

I got the heating fixed.

Had my hopes dashed with the university challenge team.

Missed by blog counter hitting 8888.

Did what felt like endless hours of GDPR compliance and work.

Did the remaining endless hours to cvs email databases.

And topped that off with 10 of A222 philosophy reading in the evenings....

A long week indeed.

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University challenge team

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I got my email from the student association team.

I did not make it through to the finsl round to get into the university challenge team

Oh well, i will just have to try again next year.

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Friday?

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Having filled my day with GDPR at work today 

Tomorrow holds the joy of cvs data processing for mailshots...

Is it Friday yet?

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Is it friday yet?

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Roll out friday, i say as Wednesday just starts!

I am still ploughing through the GDPR protacols at work.

I have six hours of reading for A222 to do by Thursday.

Busy, busy bee.

And the heating has broken at home.

Cold, cold, busy, busy bee.

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A long week

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Looks like this is going to be a long week at work.

I have to conduct information audits with all my heads of departments. That is goong to be a boring process. However the law changes coming up with data protection under the new GDPR law means it has to be done.

The sooner we can get through the ICO 12 step to GDPR process, the better position our organisation will be to adhere to the new GDPR.

Still going to be a long week though.

Permalink 3 comments (latest comment by Rebecca Rose, Monday, 13 Nov 2017, 19:24)
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from design and Hume

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I had a stab at a flashcard which is a reminder of Hume's problems with concept of 'from design'


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block 2

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Now we have the crux of block 2, the philosophy of Religion.

looking at the arguments around the concept of 'from design' and the existence of a God.

So the 3 week away TMA question is if Hume's objections to the 'From Design' argument are compelling. Hume has popped up in week 2, so the TMA material has appeared early on in the block. 

The reading for Hume is long, intense and challenging. But has to be done correctly as it will form the core of the TMA material.

So lets get that done then...

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Informal study group.

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Edited by Michael Gumbrell, Sunday, 12 Nov 2017, 12:16

This year looks like it is going to be hard.

For the last couple of years i have been in an informal study group with two of my PPE cohorts, Simon and Stephen.

I just wanted to thank both of them for being there for support. 

Together we might all get through this a222 module.

So thank you Simon and Stephen. Your advice, support, perspective and ability to find external materials that help rationlise the module materials is very mch appreciated.

Me, i just make the revision flash cards for us to use.


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