Gabby is right, of course or jawohl. Direction is often what screws us. Most university courses in management have some pot-boiler content on 'motivation at work' that excludes what is done to get us into work situations in the first place. The aim is to get get students to hack out answers from this content without ever thinking. No doubt my insistence on them thinking for themselves was equally directive. I also taught the equivalent of getting them to read keynotes like those that let you give the answers teachers want on Jane Eyre and the rest without reading the novel. Some of the most directive and awful management teaching concerns personal development. The best I managed was to let my students know how little I know, though the Socratic irony is even this is to know more than people who read management books thinking acting as they instruct is remotely moral. One of my own teachers, asked to give us what had been important to him gave us two bits of plain paper.
So what do YOU think people? I used to give out half-a-dozen potential assignments. The last question was always 'think one up yourselves'. This had few takers, though all the best work came from those that chose this option. One or two were smart enough to negotiate doing nothing, offering me the opportunity of having nothing to mark. Anthony Flew is supposed to have answered the question 'what is courage?' with the two words 'this is' as an undergraduate. Gabby will no doubt tell us this wasn't minimalist enough. False enthusiasm is now taught in teacher training. You've just got to lurve them sums and keep beating this enthusiasm into kids that can't do them. We might ask the holy cows - they have fairly complex language if one bothers to listen to them. On Tuesday, December 16, 2014 10:01:03 PM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote: > > ROGLMAO. The Holy Cow thing is from Gabby's new tag line. . It is not my > idea.. the olden calf thing is her's also.. don't want credit for great > ideas. > Actually when you think about it minds eye is our sacred cow.. > > So what is the topic for barn storming in the Holy Cow of Minds Eye? > > Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others > > -----Original Message----- > From: archytas <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 22:28 > Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Writing Block > > It might be a case of working out where hostility arises and who is trying > to master whom. I had not thought of myself as a holy cow before Al - > thanks for that one! > > On Tuesday, 16 December 2014 08:49:37 UTC, Allan Heretic wrote: >> >> You are right Gabby Do not kill the holy cow.. (",) >> >> Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: gabbydott <[email protected]> >> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 9:45 AM >> Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Writing Block >> >> It is some sort of sentimental streak that I have identified that keeps >> me from not objecting to "the master is right" statements. I will work on >> that. >> >> --- >> Do not kill the Holy Cow. >> >> Am Dienstag, 16. Dezember 2014 schrieb : >> >>> Neil is right Gabby. Minds eye is a discussion group. . It is open to >>> any topic. Writers block is a valid topic because you are objecting so much >>> my guess would be you are suffering from writer's block. >>> Unfortunately that means we put up with a lot of BS from everyone. If >>> you don't like the topic the easiest way to deal with it is not respond. I >>> know that is to simple of a solution. >>> >>> Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others. >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: archytas <[email protected]> >>> To: [email protected] >>> Sent: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 1:43 AM >>> Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Writing Block >>> >>> Write the note so we can cut and paste Gabby. One of those cards in the >>> window of a cosmopolitan guest house would do, or none at all to indicate >>> we take hospitality for granted. You always were the sweetest goose. My >>> eyes are warm brown. Democracies with few ideas or contributions are >>> hard. I was not my own candidate in the mod game - you were. The ears of >>> democracy were deaf and so achieved default by default. >>> >>> On Monday, December 15, 2014 12:41:39 PM UTC, Gabby wrote: >>>> >>>> I would not cause problems if we made this group site your writer's >>>> blog. Democratic principles have never managed to enter this space here >>>> anyhow. Your input activities have kept the group communication process >>>> alive for the past years, so we might as well fully face reality and do >>>> something ourselves to get you out of here and into the world. That way we >>>> could also try to legitimize the blue eye without feeling too much shame. >>>> Speaking of shame and mental blockage, yes, it helps to be German to be >>>> able to violate English language parameters and principles. Universal >>>> grammar principles have been shown to be violable by speakers of all kinds >>>> though. Which is why I recommend you changed the welcome note and turned >>>> it >>>> into a real welcome note. Cross out all the things that show how much >>>> unpleasant experiences you expect to occur and how you are prepared to >>>> cross them out. A short but friendly welcome note will do. >>>> >>>> Am Samstag, 13. Dezember 2014 02:36:57 UTC+1 schrieb archytas: >>>>> >>>>> Good luck as ever Molly. I once had a cat that learned to type and >>>>> turned my thesis into Greek. The dogs aren't being much help, lying >>>>> about >>>>> bored when I produce the great work and leaping to enthusiasm only when >>>>> they hear the noise of Windows 10 signing off. They have decided this >>>>> means 'walkies;. >>>>> >>>>> On Saturday, December 13, 2014 1:15:01 AM UTC, Molly wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Writing block is a force to be reckoned with. When we can't express, >>>>>> we can only be still, until the expression begins again. Good luck, my >>>>>> friend. As for me, I am entering the season of hectic calling. I will >>>>>> miss >>>>>> you all in the duration, and will try to chime in from time to time. I >>>>>> love >>>>>> it here. >>>>>> >>>>>> On Thursday, December 11, 2014 7:47:46 PM UTC-5, archytas wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Odd how easily we get suckered into such as 'bad spelling', the >>>>>>> shame of the misplaced apostrophe, barking spelling rules like i before >>>>>>> e >>>>>>> except after c (no doubt like seize) and 'for who the bell tolls' (it >>>>>>> shouldn't be whom according to the rules). I actually thought >>>>>>> 'histarical' >>>>>>> describes us both to a T at times and Gabby all of the time (not >>>>>>> really) - >>>>>>> so why should it be a spelling mistak? Gabbs won't understand none of >>>>>>> this >>>>>>> Charlie, on the grounds of being dragged up in the logically ruthless >>>>>>> German language in which one must tomorrow navel with head in clouds >>>>>>> gaze >>>>>>> the dative case, bright as a button being in the creation of words so >>>>>>> long >>>>>>> they probably their own internal syntax haben. To make up for this >>>>>>> they >>>>>>> drop the a in 'I am a Berliner'. Endless supplies of paper we not >>>>>>> though >>>>>>> Sweden army trees and small army have. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> My English teachers had nice legs. I remember little else other >>>>>>> than the trauma of the Oxford comma and the brutality of the future >>>>>>> pluperfect. German and Russian came as blessed relief from the >>>>>>> language of >>>>>>> world domination, now wrenched from the Queen's fair hands by Americans >>>>>>> with no language of their own. I was told I would need these foreign >>>>>>> languages, along with Latin to better understand Greek and read >>>>>>> scientific >>>>>>> papers written by the only foreigners literate in it. Turned out >>>>>>> everything about Greeks and Romans was an extended lie of the Catholic >>>>>>> Church and German and Russian scientists bright enough to translate >>>>>>> papers >>>>>>> to English. They dropped the requirement doctors speak Latin on the >>>>>>> day >>>>>>> they started teaching it to me. Doctors, of course, never wrote Latin, >>>>>>> but >>>>>>> this does explain why their handwriting is so bad. They just haven't >>>>>>> dropped the habit of covering up their lack of Latin. It is a matter >>>>>>> of >>>>>>> great regret I never discovered who or what was sucking out the brains >>>>>>> of >>>>>>> my contemporaries to make them think. At some point, I strumbled >>>>>>> (another >>>>>>> word we should put to more use) into computer coding. Here one >>>>>>> discovers >>>>>>> that coding is very boring and relies on understanding nothing human >>>>>>> beings >>>>>>> say makes sense to machines far brighter than we are, able to translate >>>>>>> all >>>>>>> languages through statistical methods badly. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Get out that fiddle Allan and we'll jamm some histarical stom >>>>>>> strumble. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On Thursday, December 11, 2014 4:04:29 PM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I know my spelling is bad.. but it is better than it was. A good >>>>>>>> brain stoming session is good if fellow participants have brains. >>>>>>>> Good starting point. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>>>>> From: archytas <[email protected]> >>>>>>>> To: [email protected] >>>>>>>> Sent: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 9:36 AM >>>>>>>> Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Writing Block >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I think we have the idea of the 'solo artist' quite wrong. >>>>>>>> Collaboration with others is often awful - I really have been to >>>>>>>> brainstorming sessions of truly brainless proportion - and I long >>>>>>>> abandoned >>>>>>>> other academics in anything where I was responsible for deadlines - >>>>>>>> yet I >>>>>>>> miss the contributions of others now I've gone solo and still can't >>>>>>>> shake >>>>>>>> off what we might call 'audience pressures' or find a voice (though I >>>>>>>> can >>>>>>>> still get through 3 hours of lecturing with discomfort only amongst >>>>>>>> the >>>>>>>> poor souls that have to listen). 'Histarical' sounds wonderfully >>>>>>>> descriptive of something you and I experience Al. The Engleesh >>>>>>>> teechers >>>>>>>> will never allow it though. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I wanted to do something like my teaching strategy - largely based >>>>>>>> on an early threat that my job was to install a thick textbook of >>>>>>>> unbelievable tedium in the heads of students, followed by an offer to >>>>>>>> throw >>>>>>>> it in the bin if they would have a go at finding something they wanted >>>>>>>> to >>>>>>>> do. A kind if make your own mind up novel. I managed this in case >>>>>>>> study >>>>>>>> by encouraging investigation outside the written material. I think >>>>>>>> what >>>>>>>> happened to me was getting used to writing in hyper-text to be filled >>>>>>>> out >>>>>>>> by others and too used to marking all the work as though I was the >>>>>>>> audience. I am not alone, as an academic, in reading Kierkegaard as a >>>>>>>> Danish comic (the Nordics will wait much longer for a joke than us) - >>>>>>>> but I >>>>>>>> can't find a way to write the bigger farce of language as deception, >>>>>>>> other >>>>>>>> than in some turgid academy-speak on such as law courts pretending to >>>>>>>> be >>>>>>>> rational while acting out Freud's Oedipal theatre. Histarical! >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On Thursday, December 11, 2014 6:26:06 AM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote: >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> But what would I know, I seem to be trapped where time is nothing >>>>>>>>> more than a histarical marker. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>>>>>> From: archytas <[email protected]> >>>>>>>>> To: [email protected] >>>>>>>>> Sent: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 7:18 AM >>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: Mind's Eye Re: Writing Block >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Can you see if the tinsel is being worn inside or on top of the >>>>>>>>> blue velvet? >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On Thursday, December 11, 2014 5:58:19 AM UTC, Allan Heretic wrote: >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> I understand what your colleague is saying. As for brains that is >>>>>>>>>> why I oftentimes why I find myself sitting on the side of the hill. >>>>>>>>>> I'm >>>>>>>>>> left wondering if most of the world has turned into a tinsel town? >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Do not murder, rape, enslave or harm others >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>>>>>>> From: archytas <[email protected]> >>>>>>>>>> To: [email protected] >>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 2:07 AM >>>>>>>>>> Subject: Mind's Eye Re: Writing Block >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Creativity is free without copyright protection. Walking into a >>>>>>>>>> brainstorming session it is tempting to ask 'where are the other >>>>>>>>>> brains >>>>>>>>>> then'? Even the invention of physics outside space-time doesn't get >>>>>>>>>> one >>>>>>>>>> out-from-under that manoeuvre, especially when pertinent to reality! >>>>>>>>>> What >>>>>>>>>> everyone in the galaxy hates most is a wise-ass. A colleague once >>>>>>>>>> told me >>>>>>>>>> she couldn't stand even minor distractions like people talking at >>>>>>>>>> the back, >>>>>>>>>> always thinking they might be saying something more interesting than >>>>>>>>>> she >>>>>>>>>> was. I was able to assure her this could not be true, as no one had >>>>>>>>>> ever >>>>>>>>>> said anything interesting in one of her classes. 'Must have SOH' is >>>>>>>>>> a >>>>>>>>>> general personality demand - yet most react to harmless jibes with >>>>>>>>>> revenge >>>>>>>>>> and advertising as harmless. Brilliant riposte - I've just spent 3 >>>>>>>>>> hours >>>>>>>>>> fixing the ultimate block to my writing - malfunctioning Microsoft >>>>>>>>>> Office - >>>>>>>>>> needed a smile. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> One might try writing on the important, but no one is interested >>>>>>>>>> in that without the guru act. My aliens have it that the prime >>>>>>>>>> directive >>>>>>>>>> of human languages is deception. Few humans can take this deadly >>>>>>>>>> seriousness with a smile. Sadly the aliens don't use money and I >>>>>>>>>> have to >>>>>>>>>> rely on the human audience. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> On Wednesday, December 10, 2014 10:47:07 PM UTC, facilitator >>>>>>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> My first reaction is to try and respond with a clever yet >>>>>>>>>>> reciprocating idea but I don't want to hate myself after I have >>>>>>>>>>> posted it. >>>>>>>>>>> A response to this requires thought. >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> --- >>>>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the >>>>>>>>>> Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >>>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, >>>>>>>>>> send an email to [email protected]. >>>>>>>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> --- >>>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>>>> Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >>>>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, >>>>>>>>> send an email to [email protected]. >>>>>>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> -- >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> --- >>>>>>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>>>>>> Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >>>>>>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, >>>>>>>> send an email to [email protected]. >>>>>>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>> >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>> an email to [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >>> -- >>> >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >>> Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >>> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/minds-eye/KTUgaEDcurk/unsubscribe. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >>> [email protected]. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >>> >> -- >> >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> ""Minds Eye"" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> > -- > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > ""Minds Eye"" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > -- --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. 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