Some Knowledge

Writer’s block can strike anyone.  You may be in the middle of some long project and just don’t know where to go next with your work.  You may not have any great ideas for starting a shorter piece.  It might be something that has you preoccupied and will not let you think about what you want to write.  Whatever it is, it is frustrating.

The only way to beat writer’s block is to sit down and start writing something.  Maybe it’s only a note to yourself about what you have to do later.  Maybe it’s a shopping list.  The important thing is not to let your lack of ideas stop you from moving forward in your work.  You can often generate ideas just by starting to write about something.

Sometimes it is a simple fear that what you write will not be good enough to please people.  You cannot always write to please people.  Sometimes you just have to write something to please yourself.  Maybe you are tired of writing the same sort of things every day.  Maybe you just do not know what happens next in your story.  Whatever the reason, the longer you sit at your desk and do nothing, the longer you will be blocked.

It is sometimes helpful to stop your routine and try something different for a change.  You might look up some writing exercises in a book on writing, or you might look up some writing triggers on the Internet.  Whatever you use to spur yourself to write, go with it for a while and see where it takes you.  There are thousands of different things you can write about.  There is no end to what can be described with language.

Many times, a piece of writing is an answer to some question.  If you find yourself stuck for ideas, find some question and try to answer it.  It is easy to look up information in this modern age.  All the answers you need are at your fingertips if you have a computer.  Where there are no answers, there are always speculations.  Does life exist on other planets?  There is no answer to this question at this time, but there are endless possibilities.  One simple question can be the basis for a whole book.

If you can’t even find a question to answer, try making up your own questions.  Imagine you are talking to a friend who has some kind of problem.  Problems form the basis for most fiction.  Problems are also the reason much research is done.  Medicine, technology, science, history, all these fields and more are based on some set of problems.  If you are stuck for something to write about, try thinking in terms of problems and solutions.

The longer you sit and try to think of something to write about, the less time you will have to actually write something.  You do not have to solve all the problems in the world.  You do not have to answer everyone’s questions.  You don’t even have to tell an original story.  All you have to do is write down your own thoughts and observations.  Decide on some subject or theme and start writing.  If nobody feels like reading what you write, it doesn’t matter because you will have read your work and know that it is good enough.  Don’t feel like you have to change the world or write the answer to all the world’s problems.  Just write what you care about and what you think about.  Take your time and tell your story the way you think it should go, and pretty soon this writer’s block will be broken.

We wake up every morning after a night of sleep.  The sun rises without fail every single day.  Everywhere there is air to breathe and water to drink and food to eat.  There is nothing the world does not provide for our lives.  Around us, the people in our lives, all have this similar gift of a new day.  The universe provides for its creatures.

You might believe there is something lacking in your life.  You would be wrong to believe this.  Everywhere there are things for us to use to make our lives better.  You might not have enough money for that new car or even to pay your bills.  Still, you are alive and will find a way to survive.  Life presents a challenge to everybody.  How you react to that challenge determines how you will fare in the world in which we live.

Each day brings new opportunities.  Every day can also bring with it some problem.  Problems are not the end of the world.  Problems are just situations that need a solution.  Say, for instance, you’ve lost your job some day.  This closes the doors on your wages.  But it also opens the doors to finding a better job.  Your problem may be in itself a new opportunity.  Look for ways to make your life better every day.  You do not have to live as a victim of circumstances.

Just the act of getting out of bed can be significant.  You get out of bed for a reason.  You’ve had a night of rest and it is time to start a new day.  You have to catch up with the world that does not need to sleep.  Things have happened overnight that will change your life.  Find out what these things are and move on with your plans.  You do have some kind of a plan, don’t you?  We all need some kind of a plan.

Maybe your plan is just to get out of bed and get ready for work.  You have some minor plans like shaving, showering, eating breakfast, driving to the office.  There are bigger plans though.  Like the plan for your career.  You want to advance yourself in life.  You want to save up enough money to afford a nice new house.  There are any number of things you can plan to do.

Each new day gives us the chance to make our plans reality.  Every chance we take with our future is rewarded or punished based on the circumstances.  Life proceeds through a series of logical steps.  Maybe the logic of some situation escapes us at the time, but things happen for a reason.  We do something, and there are some consequences.  We take some chances and results follow.  There is also a randomness to the way the universe operates, but we can stack the deck.

If you look at the new day as just more of the same and another period of suffering you will probably get depressed.  Think of your days as challenges and this difficulty is overcome.  It’s not some bill that you can’t pay, it’s a challenge to your finances.  It’s not a cold you have caught, it’s yet another challenge to your health.  You deal with situations as they arise in life, but the real art to living is in making situations you enjoy appear.

We all have desires.  It is important to identify these desires.  Knowing what you want is the first step in getting what you want.  Every situation involves some trade or transaction.  If you want to go skiing in the Alps you will have to pay the price and arrange the expedition.  If you want to improve your golf swing you will have to make arrangements to get training and practice.  Setting up these series of contingent events is what is called planning.  If you think ahead to what you will need to achieve your desires, you will be that much closer to realizing those wants.

Even if you are not involved in some master plan to take over the world, you can still enjoy each day.  Finding small things that give you pleasure is no great task.  Maybe it’s something as simple as planning a meal.  Maybe it’s going out to rent a movie.  Maybe it’s finding some less-fortunate person to help.  There are many things a person can do to enjoy themselves.  It is no great task to find something that will make you happy.

There will come days that will be mired in problems.  Thinking that things could be worse is little comfort.  You may have to do things that are unpleasant.  You will eventually have to face the fact of your own mortality.  How you react to situations is very much a personal thing.  You can accept the inevitable, or rage against it.  Do you want peace and happiness, or anger and pain?  Character can be measured in how we react to the harsh realities of life.

Every day is unique.  Time does not stand still or repeat itself.  If you look at each day as opening a door of possible benefits, you can live your life in happiness and peace.  Instead of moving one step closer to the end, you can move one step further into the future.  Allow yourself to enjoy the day, even if it comes with problems.  Be conscious of your situation and open to new possibilities.  Do not live your life as a sleepwalker, endlessly repeating the same actions day in and day out.  Find something unique in your world each day, and enjoy the gift of your existence in the universe.

The winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby was a horse named Street Sense.  Street Sense was a three year old stallion bred and owned by James Tafel.  He was trained by Carl Nafzger, who also trained Unbridled, the winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby.  Street Sense was ridden by jockey Calvin Borel.

Second place went to Hard Spun, and Curlin came in third.

The 2008 Kentucky Derby will be run on May 3 this year.  For a look at the contenders and various other information on the Triple Crown check out this site.  There is a list of horses with links to their records and also information on trainers and jockeys.

This morning, the 112th Boston Marathon begins.  The race is run from Hopkinton to Boston along a 26.22 mile course.  Approximately 25,000 runners will be competing this year.  The course, over the hilly terrain of New England, is considered one of the best routes in the world.  Every year, thousands of fans line the route and cheer on the runners.

A good article about the race and it’s history can be found on Wikipedia.  This year there is $575,000 up for grabs in prize money.  Weather this year is expected to be good, with partly sunny skies and a high near 60 F.  The race will start at 10:00 Eastern Daylight Time with the elite female runners and wheelchair racers going earlier.

Bostonmarathon.org has live web coverage of the event with leaderboards and current stats for the race.  You can see a list of the top runners and get updates and live reports from the race.  There is also information on the biographies and personal records of some of the leaders available by clicking on their names on the leaderboard.

In order to run in the Boston Marathon you have to first qualify.  To qualify, you must run a recognized marathon in a time that is less then the minimum required by the Boston Athletic Association.  The men’s open record for the race is 2 hours, 7 minutes, 14 seconds, and the women’s record is 2 hours, 20 minutes, 43 seconds.

Earth Day 2008 is set for April 22.  The celebration will highlight the environmental concerns of climate change, pollution, and the general welfare of the planet we live on.  Already, the Green Apple Festival of concerts is celebrating Earth Day in several cities around the United States.

For an overview of what Earth Day is about you might go to the source and check out the Earth Day Network.  There is also an event finder where you can search for activities to attend on Earth Day based on your zip code.

The first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970.  For a history of the idea for Earth Day see this site.  The purpose of Earth Day is to increase awareness of environmental concerns.  Various schools and organizations schedule displays, park cleanups, and tree-plantings for Earth Day every year.  It is very much a political event, with presentations about various proposed legislation and problems with the environment.

No, it’s not a gang of organized criminals giving fly-by-night divorces in Mexico, it’s a ring.  A ring you wear on your finger.  A ring in opposition to a wedding ring or an engagement ring.  Jewelry to celebrate and signify the end of marriage.

There’s a letter to Dear Abby from a woman who bought such a ring at a pawn shop.  The enterprising shop owner just had to ask her if she wanted such a ring when she pawned her wedding jewelry.  Maybe it’s not just jewelry stores capitalizing on people’s personal problems.  Maybe a ring to signify your divorce is a helpful thing in getting a person over the pain of seperation.

I can see a whole new custom starting.  Buying jewelry to signify any and all occasions.  This is my first date ring.  This is my learning to drive necklace.  Here’s my graduation from clown school bracelet.  Seriously, people do not wear enough jewelry.  DeBeers would sell a lot more diamonds if people started a cultural tradition that diamonds should be worn by anyone who manages to live fifty years.

I looked for information on men’s divorce rings.  Apparently, this accoutrement is not being marketed to men yet.  Jewelry and fashion trends always seem to start with women.  I’m sure if we give it time there will be plenty of rings for everyone.  If you feel you need jewelry to celebrate the end of your marriage, that’s fine.  In a way it seems like a consolation prize.  With the right marketing, however, anything is possible.

It’s been a long week.  I’ve spent way too much time on this blog.  I think I am going to go play a game for a while.  It’s time to close down the blog site and go hook up to some fantasy game and run some quests.  Mindless word games to while away the time and hide from the responsibilities of the day.

It’s a pretty nice day outside.  There are some high clouds, but it is warm like summer.  I sat on the porch for a while this morning and read a book.  It was just nice to get out of the house for a while.  It’s the weekend and I don’t have to go anywhere or do anything.  I can sit here and listen to the windchimes and play games and be distracted from reality a while.

I think games are a step up from television.  Interacting with technology is so much more interesting than being programmed by the media.  If you have to use the keyboard to interact with a game world you are doing something reactive instead of mindlessly staring at pictures.  I prefer it to listening to music.  There is the possibility of original thought.

I like writing in this blog.  Sometimes I go on about things I am thinking about, sometimes I try to talk about stuff people are interested in.  It’s better than just being a consumer of information.  There is a challenge in trying to produce something another person might want to read.  But for now, I’m off to get distracted.  Maybe I will find out something interesting about this game and have some fun.  Maybe I will run into some colorful people and get distracted.  In any case, I’ll be back later.

Topps candy company is running a sweepstakes.  There is a racing game on the Topps website that you have to register for.  Once you register, you can play one of five racing games.  When you finish the game you are taken to a page where you can enter the sweepstakes.  You can put in five entries to the sweepstakes per day.  At the end of the promotion period, on about July 15, Topps will hold a random drawing from all the sweepstakes entries for all the games that were played.

The top prize is a trip to the Bank of America 500 Race in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Other prizes include Speed Racer games for the Nintendo Wii, T-shirts, or boxes of candy.  So, the general story is you play a game and then get to enter a random drawing for prizes.  The game requires a plugin that has to be downloaded.  From videos on Youtube, this game looks a lot like the HotWheels Racer game for the old PS-1.  You drive Speed Racer’s car around various tracks picking up power-ups that look like Topps candy and do spins in the air when you perform jumps at various parts of the tracks.

I think it’s cool that there’s a game where you can race and try to win a prize.  I think it would be better if they had everyone race against each other and let the winner of all the races win the prize.  Since they are not taking money for entering this drawing it’s technically not gambling.  I don’t know whether you race against other players or just computer-generated opponents.  It looks kind of fun, but I have better driving games and am not really interested in the prizes.  If you are between 6 and 12 years old and want to play, you will need your parents permission.

A blog is a collection of your own thoughts on some subject.  You might get ideas to write about from just about anywhere.  What is important is that you write about something you care about.  You don’t have to be exact or precise in your writing, but it helps to have your facts straight.  People will probably not be citing your blog as a source of information in any scholarly work.  What you want is to give people some information that they can use.  Or, maybe you just want to tell a story.  It’s really an open thing what you blog about.

I get most of my ideas off the Internet.  I look something up and find out about it from various sources.  Then I write something short that has the most probably correct interpretation of the facts.  It’s easy to find out facts online.  It’s as simple as typing up your questions for a search engine.  The Internet runs off of information.  In your blog you will want to add new material, if possible, or at least sort things out for people.

A lot of times if you look something up online you get multiple stories of sometimes conflicting facts.  It takes some time to sort through all this stuff.  The time you spend finding something out can be used to save people looking for the same information some time.  The time you spend reading some material for salient facts can be used to save other people time and reading.  Often, there are only a few important things on a website, buried in a bunch of useless information and verbiage.

If you are good at condensing information and writing in a clear and easy to understand style, you can generate some good content for your blog.  If you have a hobby or interest that you have specific knowledge about, you might incorporate your understanding into your blog entries.  If you are a good observer of the world your writing can be useful to people who are in similar situations as yourself.  In many ways, what you write about is what you care about.  If you write about things that interest other people, they will eventually find you.

If you have some books at home, go through your shelves and look at the titles.  The books you have read have all imparted some kind of knowledge to you.  Even if you just read fiction, you still pick up on what the author is talking about.  You can always write a review for a book you have read.  You can recommend different writers to people, or comment on what you liked or disliked about certain books.  Literary criticism is not about writing a book report describing what happens in a book, it’s about your reactions and thoughts on reading a work.

What you don’t want to do in writing your blog is to just blindly copy what other people have written.  This is plagiarism.  You can quote briefly, if you attribute the quote to the original author, and you can re-word information you learn.  You should compose your own work.  Search engines are smart enough to identify duplicate material.  You don’t want to be excluded from search results because you have copied something exactly.  You don’t want to be sued for stealing somebody else’s words.

If you can’t think of anything to write about, just write your opinion on something.  It could be on something you read in the news.  People are always writing up their opinions on politics.  Your opinion might not be valuable to another person, but who knows.  Somebody might read your words and start thinking about things in a different light.  If you are skilled with language, you can attempt to persuade people to think about things the way you do.  Salesmen do this all the time.  They attempt to persuade you to buy something.  It’s very interesting to read sales copy.  If you can identify the ways you are being manipulated, you can see how these people are trying to get you to do something.

Once you have your thoughts on some subject written up in your blog, it’s time to move on.  Some people say the same thing over and over again in their work, and frankly, this can be very annoying.  You might be able to say something is great five thousand different ways, but after the first time, I get your point.  A lot of what is shown on television is very repetitious.  Even the jokes are the same.  The news on CNN repeats in a loop every fifteen minutes.  Find something different to write about and people will come to your blog looking for something interesting to read.

If you want to have the best content on your blog, stay on top of your subject and get as many interesting facts into your writing as possible.  Be specific about details that give your work interest.  Maybe you will want to write about your trip to some place.  Maybe you are writing about some person you know.  Include as many important things about places and people as you can remember.  Find all the interesting facts about some place you are writing about and include these in your work.  Use as many different sources as you can in researching your topic.  It’s a blog entry, so you will not have to include footnotes or cite references.  You want to convey all the important information in the body of your work so people can learn about what you are communicating.  If you have links you want to add, go ahead, add them.  It might be distracting to navigate away from your text in the middle of reading it, but a reader can always click the back button and continue.

A blog entry does not have to be composed like a term paper.  It can be more like a stream of consciousness on some topic.  You are just writing as if you were talking to somebody.  If you want to get more technical, you can, but it is not necessary.  You are just trying to convey your thoughts on some subject and get the important facts across.  If you are documenting your life, there’s nobody who is going to tell you that you are wrong.  Whatever interests you can be the subject for a blog post.  Take your time, clear your head, and write something that you would enjoy reading yourself.

Ultra HD is Ultra High Definition television.  Common HDTV uses 1920 x 1080 pixels.  Ultra, developed by NHK of Japan, has 16 times as many pixels.  It is broadcast in 7680 x 4320 pixels.  The bandwidth consumed by an Ultra HD signal requires fiber optic cabling.  It is proposed to come to market in 2025.

Ultra HD is broadcast with 24 channels of sound.  It uses MPEG-4 compression on each of the 16 HD segments that make up the image to reduce bandwidth requirements.  First demonstrated in 2003, Ultra HD has been exhibited at various expos and conferences around the world.  The experience is said to be much like viewing a scene in person, with some people aquiring vertigo from viewing this broadcast.

It is proposed that Ultra HD will eventually replace the HDTV that is becoming standard today.  The proposed high bandwidth of the signal will require dedicated gigabit fiber optic connections to any house served by this technology.  For the present, Ultra HD is much like IMAX movies, in that it is only available at specific demonstrations meant to showcase new technology.