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Cracking 40,000

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Wow. 40,000 views. 

Thank you everyone.

The online lecture was good last night.

Had a 1st stage phone interview for a new job today, but they cancelled last minute, so will be doing it tomorrow instead.

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Essay styles

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Last year A222 revealed that philosophy essays need to be written in a different format to other essays.

Having had a look at the first question for DD209 it would appear that economics essays also require a specific format.

So i booked on to the online tutorial this Tuesday so that i can get informed about what format i need to be using.


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That is alot of views

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And thank you to everyone who visits my blog of things..  the counter just clocked 39,000... which is fantastic.

The counter really bombs along now. 

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Access to the secret bickies...

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Well the book launch evening was fun.

Lots of interesting people went, being that we all volunteer for an online micro news site, that is the first time we have all been in the same room together. 

I was one of the two graphic satirists there, so it was great to meet the other one, Billy, so we were the niche corner, everyone else was a writer, poet or photographer. So Billy and i got to spend some time together and chat about what software and design programs we use to create our work.

Turns out the visual propaganda section from DD 103 might have inspired me more than i realised.

So got home, and Ros and Ella revealed the location of the secret biscuit stash.. it contains choccy diggies and coconut macaroons!!! What a result.

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Book launch

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So tomorrow night is the book launch party for the micro news organisation the star and crescent.

I did mention that i had work selected to appear their anthology, while ago... if you remember, being published attracts the perk in our house of gaining access to Ros and Ella's secret stash of biscuits.  

I have warned both the ladies of our house that when i get home from the book launch i would like a special ceremony in the kitchen, with acceptance to the published authors secret biscuits club.

Son #1 is coming with me to the launch. He has a Mandarin lesson from 5pm-7pm in one of the other university buildings, so he is coming to the launch party with me... primarily so that he can get a lift home...


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Views and jobs

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Well i have updated my C.V, so now to punt it out there and see what i can get interviews for.

Skipped past 38,000 views as well, that is really fantastic, thank you everyone.

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Thank you

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The counter hit 37,000.

Thank you everyone.

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Re-reading

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Well i will need to set aside plenty of time for re-reading.

There is alot of jargon to take in with DD209.

It might all fall into place, but at the moment i am having to shove it all into some kind of order.

Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Tuesday, 25 Sep 2018, 13:13)
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DD209- Week 2

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Crikey, week 2 is dense stuff.

Now we have moved onto balances of income ( flows) both credit and deficit of national economies and the current accounts ( stocks ) of those countries and how flows and stocks are balanced across three main national activities, public, private and personal spending.

This is a very intense and demanding module so far... best pay attention and make sure i set aside re-reading time for the materials.

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Son #1

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Number 1 son enjoyed his first week of University.

He caught the Fresher's flu, so is taking as much flu plus as he can get crammed in him.

It has also worn him out, he has been asleep by 9.15 pm every night.

He did make me laugh, moaning about his timetable, which is 16 hours a week!

Mon 10am- 4pm

Tues 11am - 5pm

Wednesday- OFF- reading day.

Thursday 12pm-2pm

Friday 1pm- 3pm.

Apparently for son #1 this is a 'harsh' work load!!!!

So i shared with him my workload..

Mon 8.30 am to 5.30pm work.... 7pm to 9.30pm OU study

Tue 8.30 am to 5.30pm work.... 7pm to 9.30pm OU study

Wed 8.30 am to 5.30pm work.... 7pm to 9.30pm OU study

Thursday 8.30 am to 5.30pm work.... 7pm to 9.30pm OU study

Friday 8.30 am to 5.30pm work.... 7pm to 9.30pm OU study

Sat- OFF- reading day and doing the garden, shopping, housework and ferrying 3 ungrateful children around to various activities.

Sun- 2pm- 6pm OU Study.

Apparently it's okay, i 'am older' so i can cope with this workload and complaining about it is just me 'being dramatic'

Son #1 might live to see week 2 of university, only 'might' mind....

Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Saturday, 22 Sep 2018, 21:28)
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1st views, 2nd study groups

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so firstly, 36,000 views, that's is really awesome.

Thank you everyone, it is much appreciated. Always.

Secondly, i popped onto the FASS website and the PPE and economics forums.

There i exchanged posts with a nice chap called Barry.

Barry is on a different pathway to me, not Q45 Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

The good thing is that Barry is has just finished DD209- economics and is starting A222- Philosophy.

I have just finished A222 and am starting DD209.

So that sounds like an excellent opportunity to exchange experience's and tips.

So my unofficial study group of me, Simon and Stephen would benefit from Barry's advice and hopefully, Barry from ours.

I do like it when things work out like that, it makes me happy.

It is also a good way to help break down the barriers of remote/online study and stop any feelings of isolation when studying with the O.U.

I do use the LINE messaging app on my phone, all i have to do now is convince another 3 chaps, over 40, that it is the best way to communicate as a study group, instead of long email chains, like we currently do.

 

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Following the OU on Facebook

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I do follow the OU on Facebook.

Today their page is full of graduation ceremony pictures for today

Very inspiring, great to see all the graduates getting their degrees today, how fantastic for them and their families.

Hopefully in Spetember 2021 i will get to take part in graduation too.

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Tutors and tutorials

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Got an email from my tutor, so that is sorted and tutorials are at southampton again this year, same venue as 2 years ago with DD211.

So thats sorted.

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Half way through the working week...again

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Half way done with the working week again.

Need to punt my c.v out there to try and find a job where i spent less time counting the days away..

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Woah-- DD209

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Wow, DD209 chapter one is hard... CPI,GDP calculations, inflation, real wages verses monetary wages..

Formulas, difference between percentage point change and percentile change.

From week one the first thing that becomes clear is that notes are going to be important, i am going to have to add in 3-4 hours every week to produce the revision notes... they do provide a downloadable revision note template, i am going to be using that plenty.

But wow, what a lot of algebra and formula's to take in...

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Fairly bombing along now

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Well the views counter is fairly bombing along now...

35,000 views.

I am made up by that, thank you everyone.

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And now the Mrs is back at uni..

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I also found out the my Mrs is going back to uni on a part time basis on Wednesday.

Her work are paying for her to do a ASYE this year, so that she can assess and mark social work students in the workplace.

So whilst son #1 and i lurge through our undergraduates degrees, the Mrs is doing post graduate!!

Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Sunday, 16 Sep 2018, 19:28)
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Family induction day

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So Son #1... starts Portsmouth University tomorrow.

Having attended the open day... today is family induction day... i have no idea what that is, but we are doing it at the uni this afternoon.

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OU facebook groups

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Each year i join the facebook group for the module and each year i rage quit them by Christmas...

This year i have joined the DD209 october start group.

Yesterday i nearly quit on the first day of the module start date.

Some smart arse posts, on the day the module planner opens, about some thing they don't understand in chapter 3...

FFS, no one is impressed by your passive aggressive gloating about chapter 3 on day 1 of the course... thats 48 hours of study, or 3 weeks, away... of course you didn't understand it, you have compressed 48 hours of study into an 8 hour period....just because you think it will impress your fellow cohort... it does not impress us... some of us work full time,study and have 3 kids...

Did not rage quit the group, despite the gloating first post...  

Permalink 11 comments (latest comment by Jacob Taylor, Monday, 25 Feb 2019, 23:20)
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34,000

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Wow 34,000 views.

Thank you everyone.

34 is sarm,sap,say in phonetic Cantonese.

Enjoyed the crickets highlights yesterday, Cook retiring as englands leading test batsman and Anderson becoming the fast bowler with the most ever wickets.

With Cook retired i wonder if Jimmy Anderson will also call it a day or if he will go on the winter tour. 

He might go and pick some wickets...just to give Stuart Broad an even bigger total to chase. 

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Work

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Sitting here at lunch break from work.. and its only Tuesday... fed up already.

Might be time to chuck my c.v out there again and see if i can land a new job.

Contract management is very boring... and i am very bored doing it.

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Readings

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Working through chapter 1 of book 1 for DD209.

Lots of mentions of JM keynes being a key topic is book 2.

So have set text book 1 aside for 2 weeks and am reading Kenyes' General theory of employment, money and interest.

Its a good book... no honestly it is...and because i bought the Wordsworth classics version, it also has the book economic consequences of peace printed in it as well.

So that is now my pre-reading, will need to get a move on though, the module opens in 2 weeks

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Got to a double carpet !!!!

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33,000 views or as it is known in slang ' a double carpet... in the old days if you had done 30 years in the nick, the guards would buy you a 3 feet square roll of carpet for your cell. Hence 3 is known as a 'carpet' so 33 is a double carpet..

So i have hit a double carpet of bags...

A bag of sand... a grand.. one thousand.

Hence 33,000 is a double carpet of bags.

Stick another neves on and it would by big plymouth of bags...

Anyway i want to say thank you to everyone who has visited my blog.

For 34,000 thousand we can go with some more details about slang counting, perhaps look at jacks, stripes, bottles, scores, ponies and cockles...or even half'a'bar.

For advanced counting slang we could switch for phonetic Cantonese?

Yat = 1

Ee= 2

Sarm= 3

Say=4

Mmm=5

Low=6

Chat=7

Bah=8

Gow= 9

Sap=10

It goes in the 10 unit style... so for example 33 is said as 3 10 3... so 33 is sarm,sap,sarm...

Anyway, thank you for visiting my blog.. it makes me happy to know that you do...

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No smoking

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Well the vape machine is alright.

Keeping me off the fags.

No change in health yet, give it a couple of weeks.

I don't feel quite so tired all the time, i used too.

Lets see if reintroducing 2 hours of study every evening affects my energy levels...

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Views

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Thank you everyone... the counter just rolled through 32,000. How amazing is that !

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