I am drawing towards the end of that massive tome that is Charles Taylor ‘Sources of the Self’ which from what I have seen may bear similarities to Bertrand Russell ‘History of Western Philosophy’ another unknown tome from another as yet unknown Philosopher  in the Analytic tradition; which as you might expect if you are a Professional of some sort, is quite a few.

I am discovering that I, like the other Volumes I have read will need to read long far and deep into unhithertoo unchartered areas. Like French Literature (English Translation)  French and German Poets like Rainer Rilke, and the good and the great of the European Literary Tradition such as Proust (looks insightful but is a mega read something of an understatement),  Not to mention the whole panoply of Philosophers such as Habermas, Bernard Williams, Hutcheson, Malenbranche which means a lot reading; especially as this is all so totally new to me.

High Culture and High Literary and Artistic Culture therefore seems like a must and not some optional extra that I can take as and when I like.

I don’t know what my Philosophy Book Agenda is like in terms of generating the NEW, but enormous tomes are certainly on the List. I have got to get used to it instead of moaning and favouring smaller books. After all just as the early bird catches the worm, so  this bird needs to grapple with some rather large loaves and break it up into tiny portions. I have chosen what appears to be a logical sequence: next is ‘Upheaval of Emotions’ Nussbaum, follow with (how appropriate) more Nussbaum in ‘Hiding from Humanity’ then it’s back to Taylor with ‘Social Imaginaries’ (small book) and the Ethics of Authenticity. I imagine all books to be demanding with plenty of googling to be done and many new paths to be chartered. But my Professor rellie is right to recomend Taylor as he without a doubt puts into place some key philosophical concepts by way of that little problematic word ‘ Emancipation’

Oh I wrote 3,662 words today including this post! (Diary, Patchwork with first ever Edit to tidy it up) and took in an LSE Public Lecture on ‘Religion and the Market:’[system] are they in conflict? as part of the Secularization of High Social Science Theorizing ( LSE Public Lecture ‘Religion and the Market: are they in conflict? John Gray and Mickelwaite of the Economist today 2009). In addition because of the copious amounts of French and German in the above book, I have now taken to regulary listen to French Radio and attempt to surf French Google and see how far I can go, without resorting to translation. (Philosophy books are prone to french excepts making this a necessity)

Words 354 words

I have just done 3,133 words. The easiest most fluent words were diary and commentary all of which required self expression.

Charles Taylor ‘Sources of the Self’ is now on Chapter 3 ‘The Ethics of Inarticulacy’ which looks very pertitent to what I see in life round here. Inarticulacy maybe a fundamental problems.

I am test driving ‘The London Review of Books’ just to bring a change to my normal Weekly routine (another Weekly Paper of good report). It has some interesting articles; the one on the Left being most relevant at least from a political point of view by Perry Anderson.

My Weekly Paper has started to get predictable and now I am zoning in on Articles of interest to me (Weekly is a secret I cannot disclose).

I have also tried a more gradual approach so this year will be many novels peppered with some deep philosophy reading.

148 words

9000 words, all I need is 6000 words to make it 15,000, which is unlikely unless I am up for a bit of Nanowrimo heroics.

Copy and paste this extract into done document to add word count.

Count blogs Lifetime Words, if possible get figures, how I add written word in Word and Star/Open Office formats I don’t know and the job brings me to despair.

Diary materials most helpful as my writing seems contrived being relaxed and being me no matter how terrifying is way forward but maybe I experience too much fear falling short of the glory of the Fan Club me the me that others are attracted too and do nice things too (very nice actually).

Laptop is now by the window so I can look on at the various goings on happening here. There is a little too much stuff  sitting on top of the window ledge which almost has to function as another shelf alongside the Table which now has the hallowed Active Bookshop on it ie the Reply Books to go through, subject myself to the fear and terror of, of having a considered point of view and back up my conclusions that isn’t off the wall that could help me get some very key academic skills.

Laptop feels comfortable here as I plonked in front of TV so commentary on ‘Come Dine with Me’ and ‘The Apprentice’ is a doddle even if the skills required take practice practice practice.

I must go to bed soon, water for meds, throw off clothes into disordered pile (bedroom chaoes has a semblance of order in black plastic bags holding piles of clothes). This will be a quick job.

3,335 words  grand total

3000 + words done today one thousand at a time, phase by phase.

I have not always reported back when I have done the work so I do myself an disservice.

Book 2 Gang Leader for a Day is read so TWO BOOKS this year! I think I may have Curse of Philosophy books that even if i read the book just read rather than study, it is still a time consuming exercise.

Reading Programme is posted up on Pages of this blog.

I am doing Research Draft Reply (that is if she has money it still counts) and now my Reading has a focus which will be Reply based until and as and when I may do ‘normal reading’ [academic that is] or it may mean further Reading taking me deeper and deeper in where this Project is leading me.

Todays Notes Verbatim, Blog posts copy and pasted into Google Docs, God TV commentary In our Time and odds and ends I think today was attempt to see if 3000 words was in fact easy. I guess it depends on the content as unfamiliar content slows me down, whereas familiar content speeds me up as I get used to writing in a particular fashion.

201 words

Grand Total 3,239 words to count

Book No 2 ‘Gang Leader for a day’
800 words

How a Postgraduate Student (now a Professor and going places) exposed the other side of Gang Culture which goes beyond the usaul hackneyed Gang Culture Narrative.
We all hear stories of Gangs running amok on Estates and we are right to be afraid and not wish for similar in our circumstances; but Sudhir Venkatesh ’s sensitive account shows that there is another side to the horrors we are so used to hearing about.
Like Alternative Provision of Services that would normally provided by Professionals from electricians to furnishings welfare and so forth.
That is no mean feat and the efforts to do so are time consuming to say the least.
I am adverse to rough environment like the next person; but I found my heart warming to the Gangs and the people on the Estate the Chicago Robert Taylor Estate which was made a political point of; only to be demolished at the end of the story.
My heart which normally flees was drawn by the caring way Venkatesh responds to the people doing what I find out is PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION, a methodology academics are forbidden to practice due to Ethics commitees who have to make sure Research is conducted in an ethical manner. ETHNOGRAPHY and GROUNDED THEORY all enter the eqaution that Vankadesh explores. (without mentioning the above Methodologies but living the story that unfolds).
237 words 200 words to go
Descriptions are horrible disturbing how he managed to enter their world I don’t know, but he enters their World and after passing a few tests becomes a trusted  member of their community right down to having meals with Mrs Mae to be gaurded by JT’s foot soldiers. Somehow he manages to combine both Postgraduate student identity with a growing knowledge of the community at hand who call him ‘Mr Professor’ even though he is yet to write; let alone complete his Dissertation and end up as a successful PG Student and the Professor he is now.
The Dissertation he has done has spun off other Projects resulting in much important discussion from within Academia (Google Scholar).
This is a guy to take seriously and keep in mind when one does one’s own ‘research’
I was lent this book because of my commitment to learn Grounded Theory which is a lynchpin of this Research draft reply project  the most demanding challenging academic Project I have ever embarked upon.  This book is one to help you get behind the questions one might ask and the spirit of enquiry that it is gonna have to take. I for one am glad I have read it.
437 words  Review = 3000 words written and writing.

Write Up
I brought myself a copy of the ‘London Review of Books’ just to cut the monotony of what I am reading a Weekly Paper plus Philosophy Now which needs private blogging.
So today I have done a bit of Reading and my Writing; this is just a bit of writing to up the word counts so I get them nice and large so by the end of the sentence I have done 500 words here and the rest in main writing today.

524 word count

I had to break through the 1000 word barrier, I had to force myself to try to  write Diary material so I could relax and try in my lovely location relax sufficiently to be at home-with them being at home in their home-to get the words out.

Diarying proved the most productive as attempts to boost the words. I forced myself to diary out and it helped the words flow. I was also listening to entire Animal Farm on Radio 7 on IPlayer which was most enlivening on my headphones.

The Book I am reading at fairly rapid pace is ‘Gang Leader for a Day’ Sadhir Ventakadesh who apparently defies conventions ending up giving us (so far) wonderful example of Participant Observation/Ethnography which is related to Grounded Theory (key stuff here!) All jolly helpful stuff given I am now resolved to read all books, take all notes, submit to all help (praise the LORD and a half) to learn some skillz, to do what is the most challenging Academic Project I have ever underdone [short of my own theory creation which post Anselm and Strauss’The Discovery of Grounded Theory  is rather key) I just need to take on board however nervous I feel the faith and belief in my abilities and end up doing the best bit of academic work I could potentially do which may pay all kinds of dividends (based on pessemistic low income low too many things scenario) in terms of learning, answering questions in right way, having views!! defending them!! all skillz not normally used until one is in a more Postgraduate position.

Above is result of MY THINKING to proceed in a certain direction given the characteristics of the interaction between Academia and the Service User Research/Learning and I have given myself the option of quitting any time. How one estimates costs and benefits I do not know but skillz must be worth aqquiring and thinking for yourself (mostly always by myself) is a GOOD THING.

I am halfway through the book and need to follow patterns seen of intense reading during the day AND CUT DOWN NET ACTIVITY TO FIT THE MORE IMPORTANT NEEDS OF EXERCISE, READING, WRITING!!, ETC WITH THE MOST DEARLY BELOVED NET IN IT’S PLACE..

Headphones were indispensable for me to feel comfortable, LEARN to be myself yet non-invasive; writing (reading my new Loan took place at night)and I got my 3000 words done.

Word Count intentions are piling up I need to learn to count them up (lifetime blogs all, then documents aggh I wish there was a safe legal word count google thing to count all documents based on nice logical algorithm including all types of documents in cross platfrom easily updated format)

I may be achieving or not achieving enough in  both Reading and Writing terms (thats minus podcasts devoted to Maths, Periodic Table (youtube), French (language radio) now Stories on R7 (read lots of novels woman!)

Study is always good but the benefits accrued are abnormal at the best of times. Take this up to the magic 500 words and then review at a later date.

522 words Thank you for reading blog with word counts as we all care for word counts don’t we?

words

I now have my Charles Taylor book by my side; which I am reading chapter by chapter, pencil in hand to annotate, I am falling into bad student habits of habitual underlining and need to read up on how to read that reading in how to master/read books.

Re: 2,239 words, all blogging business in a blog I need to re-activate in terms of providing fresh bread for the waiting masses (one visitor is Endtimes Prophetic Words who has taken on my concerns about God TV without of course acknowledging this site as inspiring her many writings).  I have quite a lot of work in notetaking department so I can just get it over and done with.

Most of it was verbatim notetaking requiring re-checking if information is available and I grab the day.

Verbatim notetaking requires that I get the important bits,and I get the things that are important, verbatim enables a more comprehensive but insecure form of notetaking. Insecurity is only good as far it secures me notes, thankfully I am well appraised of their habits to know what to look for and what is new and when if are any surprises.

I just need to do about 16-17 episodes before closing that part of my revival of my popular blog.

Hi folks!

I did both READING and Writing at my time a Mummy’s where we had an Evening where TV wasn’t the overiding priority but long conversations ended up taking their place- along with the Reading and Writing.

I have started on the Charles Taylor ‘Sources of the Self’

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sources-Self-C-Taylor/dp/0674824261/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_4

It looks like both prescribed Readings by my Professor Stepmum will be piercingly relevant to the whole  emancipatory project mean’t to be as

1. Friendly to Academia as much as possible. Emancipation is a constant problem due to plethora of ISMS and statistical odds.
2. Friendly to R&D Manager who is of an Emancipatory bent, I am aware of it but then we all may be knocking our heads against a brick wall.
3. Friendly to me, arse protecting, were it God forbid, get into the wrong hands ( I will password protect the document) then I don’t up looking bad.

I want to do a good job as the academics are the ones making this project which is on the face of it an exercise in Thinking for Yourself  but it is also a project which puts me in real time-potentially right on the edge and in a vulnerable position hence the much appreciated Academic/s input.

28 pages and 3.044 words done.

202 word count purposes

I did it! slowly gradually incrementally. This is a short post as RSI is affecting me mildly in my right arm.

All words were spread over several documents covering God TV notes, I forgot to include Angel Mission words that bump up total even more; notes from a Health Talk site where I played videos of patients with terminal prognoses discuss various problems ranging from pain control or rather it’s lack; to Sid Roth and Gary Oates or how to have an angelic experience. I took notes from Rick Joyner conference which Rick Joyner says he likes the confererence because he likes to meet people (can’t he decide to meet them all the time more of the time and not limit the love to ONE conference?) and a long description somewhere which helped.

Verbatim lecture type notes without proper grammatical form was helpful fr me.

I described my sofa (chaotic with a type of sloping order) and random things around my flat.

The whole exercise felt like hard labour.

ONLINE LECTURES: Introduction to Political Philosophy Yale Open Courses

I listened to THREE Lectures meaning that there was no room for anything else; no books no reading just light radio listening to unwind.

The Lectures seemed very good Yale is good of course and lecturer did his job well. as site is open I can return and replay lectures and they are also on youtube which is useful.

240 words plus 3,048 = 3,248 words and 700 uncounted words I can’t be bothered to count.

In addition recently

Todays words were a ad hoc Lecture Notes on mass mobilization of people online in order to pull off campaigns LSE, a vivid account of a neighbour of mine which might even make an account worthy of an email to staff, Wordage totals maybe 90,000 words = 30x 3000 = 90,000 words if managed just this month, then 90,000 words would be the accomplishment.
Professional targets might be 10,000 words a day for a writer 8hrs a day at his computer, maybe I should really aim for that. This Writing is definitely paying off but;
I don’t know what my totals are this year but I keep on seeing Blog posts listing accounts of 3000 word accomplishments which of course I have not acknowledged or given credit too.
My Bible Reading is behind Day 59 at a rough estimate month+ days = figure.This means Bible reading is not an enjoyable exercise but a trundle though the pages with only scant acknowledgement of the devotional notes appended to the end of the passages all there for you bar where you have to look them up for a Theme eg the High Priest Levictical Priesthood.
Jeremy Paxmans ‘The Victorians’ providing the ongoing narrative which gave me pointers to google at.

Reading?
Reading is slow and behind so this technically would be one half a day’s achievements. So I must away to do just that.
Thank you for your reading of my blog.
257 words
3,349 words exhausted.