Little Talk:

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Waterdog Challenge III : The End of Dogwalker

I ended the Waterdog Challenge in late April, on around 250 points. On the last day of the challenge, I got a late start, around 12:30. I moseyed, and moseyed, and moseyed some more. I took some pictures, to make it last longer. Then, by around 4:45, I was done.

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How Much Mitigation For Phone Addiction Does A Man Require?

My current answer: 

1. Tether the phone before eating anything in the morning

2. Don't untether the phone (for the most part) until you have eaten all the things in the evening.

Good reasons to untether the phone:

1. Taking pictures.

2. Chatting.

3. Listening.

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How Much Cardio Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

types of cardio sessions:

warm-up: 0-10 minutes

short: 10-30 minutes

medium: 30-60 minutes

long: 60-100 minutes

absolute min: 10 minutes (1 short, 10-30 minutes)

comfortable min: 40 minutes (2 short, 20-60 minutes)

comfortable default: 90 minutes (2 medium, 60-120 minutes)

comfortable max: 160 minutes (2 long, 120-200 minutes)

absolute max: 250 minutes (2 long, 2 medium, 180-320 minutes)

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How Much Web-Surfing Does A Man Require?

my current answer:

One or two peeks, one or two pokes.

In terms of label:

peek #1: morning

poke #1: late afternoon

poke #2: evening

peek #2: night

In terms of time:

peek #1: pre-dawn / morning

poke #1: morning - evening

poke #2 / peek #2: evening / night

In terms of content:

peek #1: Morning paper.

poke #1: Funny papers, plus SMERSH:

Light reading, for a late afternoon break.

Heavy reading, for a late afternoon . . . refreshment. 

SMERSH is Howard Simons' immortal phrase for Science, Medicine, Education, Religion, and suchlike.

poke #2 / peek #2: Sunday papers: anything and everything.

In terms of function:

peek #1: before work

poke #1: breaks from work

poke #2: before turning off the laptop

peek #2: before falling asleep

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How Much Media Does A Man Require?

my current answer:

1. phone while waking up

2. web for errands and work

3. television while exercising

4. web or television for breaks from work

5. web after work

6. television or radio after work

7. phone while falling asleep

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How Much Work Does A Man Require?

my current answer:

1. tether the phone by 9ish

2. work from 9-10ish to 7-8ish

By "work", I mean any activity. 

At the moment, I am liking splitting the day into 3 sessions:

morning session: 9:30 - 1:30

afternoon session: 1:30 - 5:30

evening session: 5:30 - 8:15

The evening session, perhaps, is the time for the wicked googly, the doosra, the teesra, the thepla, the carrom ball, the banana inswinger, the reverse swing, the reverse sweep, the french cut, the dilscoop, the nightwatchman, and the give it a heave. Either in art, or in life.

3. short walk, or something similar

4. web, or reading, or television, or radio

5. turn off the laptop

6. reading, or television, or radio

Youthful model of productivity:

1. Work day and night till it's done

2. Play day and night till there's some reason to stop playing

3. Rinse, dry out, and repeat.

Middle-aged model of productivity

1. Regular hours

2. Modified limited hang outs

3. Breaks for stretching and breathing and naps

Truth be told, the middle aged model seems to me to have a lot to recommend it, even for those who are not middle aged. And at some point, of course, it becomes not an option, but a necessity.

P.G. Wodehouse:

"MY METHODS, SUCH AS THEY ARE

. . . I would like to say, as I have known other authors to say, that I am at my desk every morning at nine sharp, but something tells me that I could never get away with it. The newspaper and radio public is a shrewd public, and it knows that no one is ever at his desk at nine. I do get to my desk, however, round about ten . . ."

https://nicklouras.com/2018/05/25/the-daily-routine-of-c-s-lewis/

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Big Talk:

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My opinion on how to make the university admissions process more joyful:

1. Universities can have minimum admissions criteria, based on achievement, not aptitude. Learn, or learn not. There is no aptitude.

2. Students can apply to departments. The admissions criteria for each department can be a bit quirky and eccentric, based on department staff. Under this system, the football team, or the lacrosse team, can be their own department, with their own admissions criteria, and their own curriculum.

The essential thing, it seems to me, is to not encourage the illusion that the admissions process can be perfectly fair, or a perfect measure of capital-M merit.

I liked the postscript that RK Narayan suggested should be added to all exam papers:

". . .I would add a postscript to every question paper: `If you cannot answer any of the above questions, don't despair. Remember your examiners are not infallible and may not do better if placed in your predicament. Your inability to answer will in no way be a reflection of your intelligence. We apologize for the embarrassment. Also remember, if you expect a first class and do not secure even passing marks, do not rave against your examiner, he is also a human being subject to fluctuating moods caused by unexpected domestic quarrels or a bad digestion just when he is sitting down to correct your papers; also, not being an adding machine, occasionally he may slip and arrive at 7 while totaling 8 and 3. Please forgive him.'. . ."

3. Students who really want to go to a school, but do not get in, can audit courses, perhaps at the discretion of the teacher, and pay to have their work assessed. And, over time, if their work meets the standard, they can either be admitted, or graduate with some sort of auditor's degree.

Next post: July 29, 2023