ChookScratch - Blog http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/component/content/?view=featured Thu, 10 May 2012 11:20:45 +0000 Joomla! - Open Source Content Management en-gb How To Steal An Article Idea And Get Away With It http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/317-how-to-steal-an-article-idea-and-get-away-with-it.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/317-how-to-steal-an-article-idea-and-get-away-with-it.html I had a bad case of writers block last week.  For the life of me I couldn’t think of a single thing to write.  We have all been there and we all know how frustrating it can be.  Most of the time we just soldier on and distract ourselves with the mundane until inspiration visits us again.  I call this the Duality of Writing: the pain and the ecstasy.

But sometimes we don’t have the luxury of waiting out writer’s block.  Sometimes we have a deadline beating the door down.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.

So, I stole an idea for my article.

‘Thief!’ I hear you cry.  Well, I did mention I was desperate right?  And I didn’t steal an article.  It was just an idea.  Not word for word but the core idea.  The gist of it.  You can do this too and it isn’t plagiarism.

Think of it as a seed.  I stole a seed.  It may have been someone else’s seed but I took it and planted it.  I watered the seed and protected it from scavenging crows.  I nurtured the seed into a seedling, through frost and midday sun, until it grew full size.

The work was all mine but is that enough?  Let me give you the sordid details.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Writing Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:59:57 +0000 New Beginnings http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/315-new-beginnings.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/315-new-beginnings.html

When I was 14 my parents dropped me off at boarding school. I remember watching them as they drove away in the family car. I was nervous and I suppose afraid. Alone, in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by people I didn't know, I remember that moment vividly because I was at a crossroads. It was the beginning of a new chapter in my life.

Looking back, with the benefit of hindsight and experience, I was in no danger at all. In fact my years at boarding school were some of the best I’ll ever experience. It was like a sleep-over at a friend’s house; night after night after night.

But at that time I didn’t know that.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Writing Sat, 20 Aug 2011 00:55:08 +0000 Lessons Highschool Taught Me About Writing Pt2 http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/314-high-school.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/314-high-school.html

This is the second installment from the article Lessons High School Taught Me About Writing.

DON’T BE AFRAID

So much of High School is spent worrying about what others think. This insecurity holds most teenagers back and prevents them from putting themselves out there. The Internet has created a level playing field of sorts for the time being and there is no better time to put your skills out into the real world. In high school we have the financial and emotional support of family and teachers to back you up and we find out very quickly the friends that choose to follow you and support you are the sort of people you should be surrounding yourself with anyway. The same goes with writing. Put yourself out there – it literally can’t hurt.

AVOID DISTRACTION

When I was in my senior year I sat next to a kid who had no interest in the subject and who couldn’t care less if he passed or failed. In fact he seemed almost intent on dragging me down with him. And I let him. The boy wasn’t even a friend of mine and yet I didn’t have the guts to tell him to go away: to leave me alone, to grow up. The consequences weren’t good. Writing, like study often requires a distraction free environment. Friends, social networking, the television and so on, can drag us down. Avoid such distractions.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Writing Fri, 12 Aug 2011 13:07:00 +0000 Lessons High School Taught Me About Writing Pt1 http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/313-lessons-high-school-taught-me-about-writing-pt1.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/313-lessons-high-school-taught-me-about-writing-pt1.html

High School, or Secondary School depending on where you come from, is a melting pot of hormones and ‘traumatic’ experiences.  People typically divide themselves into two camps where High School is concerned: those that want to forget the whole experience and those for whom it was the best time of their life.

I am oversimplifying things of course but there is a reason why our High School experiences haunt us.  It was a time when most of us became conscious.  It was a time when we started to learn about the wider world, not just in terms of bland facts and figures from a text book but about human nature and what we as humans are capable of.  Most importantly it was a time when we came to know ourselves and loved or despised what we saw (sometimes with equal measure).

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Writing Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:02:00 +0000 The Duality of A Writing Life http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/316-the-duality-of-a-writing-life.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/316-the-duality-of-a-writing-life.html

Those who don’t write can have a romanticised view of writers and what we do.  It is probably our fault.

We like to wax lyrical about the words we weave.  We portray ourselves as guardians of language, philosophers and word-smiths.

While we like to perpetuate the romanticism associated with the writing life, and tout the rewards that writing for a living provides, there is an uncomfortable and frustrating reality to the writing life.

Writing is really hard; very hard.

In reality the words don’t come easily.  Like statues chiselled from stone, writing tends to not only be slow and tedious but tiring as well.

When the words dry up writers often eek out an existence planning, brainstorming, note taking, drafting and editing.  Then the pressure of deadlines, word counts and our own heady ambitions and standards can weigh us down further.

It sounds like a dismal existence doesn’t it?  It may even sound depressing, but the rewards of drawing upon creativity’s elusive well deem our efforts more than worthwhile.  When the words do flow, writing is a joy; an elixir we jealously guard and prolong as much as possible.

With a muse perched upon our shoulder we can create not only quality words, but beauty itself.  Our words can spread ideas like a wildfire, provide food for thought and inspire readers.  We also wield the powerful privilege of engaging an audience.

Knowing how to induce that inspired state of mind, where perfect words just flow onto paper and screen, become a writer’s number one priority.  Everything is analysed; physical surroundings, moods, relationships, even diet.  A writer’s life can become all about optimising the conditions to encourage that productive state of mind.

Perhaps the truth is that writing is a balancing act; part skilled trade, part inspiration.  One nothing without the other.

This duality is exactly what freelance writers deal with every day.  Accepting this dual nature of writing, rather than fighting it, could help make our writing lives not only more enjoyable but maybe even a little easier.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Writing Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:56:00 +0000 Finding The Time To Write http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/302-finding-the-time-to-write.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/writing/302-finding-the-time-to-write.html

All those that see themselves as writers want to write but not all of them do.  Instead a cavalcade of excuses distracts and prevents.  The reasons may vary but most of the time there just aren’t enough hours in the day.  For most writers the hardest part of their art is finding the time.

Work, health and domestic commitments eat up the hours of our days and leave scant time for the keyboard or pen.  And so unless we are actually in the position of make a living from crafting the written word writing is most often done in a writer’s spare time.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Writing Thu, 07 Apr 2011 03:16:58 +0000 Create Your Own Website http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/29-create-your-own-website.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/29-create-your-own-website.html A friend of mine asked me recently for advice on how to set up a website. Actually they wanted me to do it for them.  The thing is, if you have the time and inclination, you can set up your own internet real estate quite easily.

You don't need programming skills.  You don't need to be able to write any html.  I can't program or write html and I have several websites up and running.

This article is an overview of how you can setup your own website.  All you need is the time and willingness to tinker with some software.  There are two options available to you; Option A for Professional Ownership and Option B for Casual Users.  There is a learning curve for both but I wouldn't call it substantial.  Anyone can do this.


]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Tech Sun, 06 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0000 The Best Funny Websites http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/28-the-best-funny-websites.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/28-the-best-funny-websites.html

Sometimes when we browse the Internet we come across a totally awesome, sweet website.  You know, the sort that you forward on to all of your friends.   The sort that spread like a virus among everyone you know and work with.

This is my guide to some of the funniest websites on the Internet.  These sites are the best.  Seriously.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Tech Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0000 Torrents Explained: An Easy Guide http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/13-torrents-explained-an-easy-guide.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/13-torrents-explained-an-easy-guide.html This guide will show you how to get started with torrents.  What is a torrenting?  Put simply torrents are a way of downloading and sharing files using the internet.

A few years back if you were fumbling your way around on the internet and wanted media then Napster, Bearshare or Limewire may have been your weapon of choice.  You probably stuck to these because your bandwidth (internet connection) restricted you.  Then along came broadband and inflated download limits.  Big files became an option, and a preferable one at that.

Today, for ease of use, torrents are the way to go.  Just about any TV show or series, movie, documentary or game can be downloaded via a torrent.

So, what do you need?

  • Broadband speed

  • A large download limit (a standard tvshow is 350mb, a standard movie 1.3gb)

  • An ISP that doesn't count uploads in your download limit (Many torrent sites require you to share back what you download).


And what do you need to do?  Easy.

1. Find out what your IP Address is.

2. Configure your Router to recognise your IP address.

3. Install a torrent reader like Utorrent. (lightweight, light on computer resources, easy to use)

4. Port Forward a port number on your router (see weblinks below for a guide on this process)

5. Choose a port for Utorrent to use. (read Utorrent help files to explain this)

6. Enter this port number in Utorrent's setting and in your router's settings.

7. Navigate to a torrent site.

8. Download a torrent file and load it into your torrent Reader (torrent files are tiny text files that tell your computer where to look for the files you want).

9. Your torrent reader will download the file for you and put it in the directory you have nominated in the settings.


Below is a list of torrent related websites.

* Portforwarding will explain how to configure your router and torrent program step by step for you.

* Utorrent introduction guide.

* Therandommedley

* UK bitorrent guide - A whole site dedicated to explaining Torrents

* Lifehacker

* Zeropaid - Intro guide to torrents

* Fudge's - Another guide

* AfterDawn's Guide to torrents


Remember, Google is your friend.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Tech Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:05:25 +0000 Usenet Explained: An Easy Guide http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/12-usenet-explained-an-easy-guide.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/12-usenet-explained-an-easy-guide.html Now that torrents are 'de rigueur', and Mums, Dads and Dolly readers are using torrents, Usenet has become the last bastion for geeks downloading files on the internet.  Ironically Usenet was the original means of downloading files on the internet.  Usenet, in lay person's terms, uses a bulletin board style system.  Users can join groups that have their own bulletin board and then post messages.

The trick here is that you can attach files to the messages on these boards.  Users cannot attach big files but with enough messages one can put a song, TV show or movie on the bulletin board for anyone to access.  If you want that song, album, show or movie you have to download all of the relevant messages and combine the attachments to create the media file.



Usenet is an excellent way of downloading documentaries and other educational resources.

If you need a more specialised, step by step, guide there are some links below.  These are the best Usenet links I could find.  After you have read these you should be good to go on your own.

Lifehacker.com and the page it links to - Paul's guide

Pinguy

Slyck's Guide

Landfield

Torrentfreak - (this link tells you the negatives straight up)

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Tech Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:04:20 +0000 Free Software Reviews http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/21-free-software-reviews.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/21-free-software-reviews.html A friend rang me today and told me he had a virus.  His virus scan had picked it up and quarantined it but with every reboot it was back.  Googling the trojan's name only brought expensive software solutions.  My hunch was that he had malware installed somewhere and a scumware removal tool would probably do the trick.

So which scumware removal tool should he have used?  Where does someone go to find a free solution to this type of problem?  Google results may not always bring favourable results and not everyone knows someone 'in the know'.  Anyway, I told my friend to go to Tech Support Alert.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Tech Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:00:52 +0000 No Risk Linux http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/15-no-risk-linux.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/15-no-risk-linux.html  

Did you know that you don't have to use the Windows OS (Operating System) on your computer.  That's right, you do have a choice.

There are many, many alternatives to the Window's experience you are probably used to right now.  This idea can be confronting at first.  Many people think of Windows as a part of their computer.  In reality Windows is just software that has been installed on your machine.  To understand this a little better try reading this article (especially if you like kittens)

One of the common alternatives to installing Windows is to use a Linux operating system. To decide if Linux is for you, keep reading.

What is Linux?

Stay with me for a moment because things are going to get technical.  A Linux OS (Operating System) is based on the Linux kernel.  The kernel is a collection of instructions and code that enable the different parts of your computer to 'communicate' with each other.  New and upgraded Linux kernels are constantly released and upgrading to them is very easy.

Think of this kernel as a seed or nut.  The wrapping around the kernel includes the GUI (graphic user interface) which is what you use with your mouse when you point and click, and any programs you use.  The programs wrapped around this core and the kernel itself are together called a Linux 'Distro'.  Distro is short for distribution.

Linux has hundreds of distributions.  There are distributions for different purposes; old computers, laptops, servers, graphics and media users and so on.  Ubuntu is probably the most popular general desktop Linux Distro at the time this article was written.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Tech Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:58:35 +0000 What Is RSS? http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/14-what-is-rss.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/tech-stuff/14-what-is-rss.html The initials "RSS" are used to refer to the following formats:

  • Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)

  • RDF Site Summary (RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.90)

  • Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91).

 

But all of that is boring and probably means little or nothing to you.  In reality RSS is really something quite simple and easy to explain.   Wikipedia has a rather long winded explanation.

 

My short winded explanation?  Read on.

 

 

RSS gives you a way of checking if a website has been updated without going to that website.

 

Lets say you have 10 favourite websites.  All you have to do is put their addresses into your RSS Reader.  Then instead of going to the websites to look for updates and new articles you can use an RSS reader.  The RSS reader will highlight the new articles from each website for you to read.

 

So ...

  • Sign up for an RSS reader like 'Google Reader' (It is free)

  • Click on an RSS feed icon on one of your favourite websites and follow the simple links.  Mine is at the top right hand corner of this website.

  • Login to your reader later to see if I have updated my website.

 

Obviously this process isn't worth it if my site is the only one you are checking on but if you have 10 or more ... Well, you do the math :)

 

For a more visual explanation of what RSS is, try this website - www.rssday.org.  It has some excellent resources the best of which is this video.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Tech Mon, 23 Aug 2010 02:57:23 +0000 10 Ways Fathers Can Help Mum Breastfeed http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/parenting/318-10-ways-fathers-can-help-mum-breastfeed.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/parenting/318-10-ways-fathers-can-help-mum-breastfeed.html When everything is working well breastfeeding can be an intimate bonding time between mother and child.  When things aren't working so well Mums can feel helpless.  Either way husbands can feel disconnected during their wife's breastfeeding.

But fathers can still participate and even help out to make things easier for Mum and the family.  If Mum is lucky enough to be breastfeeding twins a father's help is even more important.  Here are ten ways fathers can help when Mum is breastfeeding.

1.  Help set up.

This can be as easy as clearing a seat or the couch or can mean finding pillows or cushions to help prop up a breastfeeding pillow or a sore back.

2.  Get Mum a drink and something to eat.

It is essential that breast feeding mums keep themselves hydrated.  Water is best from what I have read.  Mum also needs enough food for herself and her baby.  Not enough food and water means breast milk supply could be affected.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Parenting Sat, 20 Aug 2011 06:09:42 +0000 5 Reasons Being A New Parent is Awesome http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/parenting/307-reasons-being-a-new-parent-is-awesome.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/parenting/307-reasons-being-a-new-parent-is-awesome.html My last article ‘5 reasons being a new parent sucks’ was easy to write.  Focusing on the negative always is easy.  But being a new parent also brings with it so many positives and they far outweigh the negatives.  The problem is that sometimes you need to get past the lack of sleep to appreciate just how fantastic being a new parent really is.  So, here are 5 reasons why being a new parent is fantastic.

1.  Perspective

Becoming a parent forces you to re-evaluate your life.  It slaps you silly and wakes you from the self indulgent, navel gazing life you led before your child’s birth.  Having a child drags you kicking and screaming into a world where you realise you are not the most important person.  I speak only for myself of course but, without a doubt, parenthood provides perspective.  It demands a rearrangement of priorities, a remoulding of what your life is all about.  And I believe this is for the better.

2.  Snuggles

Babies love to snuggle.  Beside sleep I sometimes think it is what they do best.  After a feed, while they sleep, as they wake; babies are almost always keen for a snuggle.  And, let’s face it, most adults are too.  We humans love a good cuddle and your baby nuzzling into the crook of your neck is one of the best experiences there is.

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Parenting Sat, 09 Jul 2011 20:06:52 +0000 5 Reasons Being A New Parent Sucks http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/parenting/306-5-reasons-being-a-new-parent-sucks.html http://www.chookscratch.com/cs/parenting/306-5-reasons-being-a-new-parent-sucks.html I am now into my ninth week as a first time parent.  The experience has been a shock, a rude awakening, and no amount of advice before hand really prepared me for the experience.  Having twins has exacerbated things somewhat.  The positives far outweigh the negatives but it has been far from smooth sailing.

So, I have constructed a list of the 5 things I think are the worst facets of being a new parent.  The list is a vent and a very personal list.  The items that populate it may not be the same as what other first time parents would nominate.  However, I hope expectant parents find this article useful in some small way.

1.  Lack of sleep - The 1.5- 2 hour sleep sessions

Newborns have tiny stomachs and so they can’t hold much food.  This means they have to be fed every three hours.  Day and Night.  Feeding your newborn baby like this is an endless cycle that lasts for months.  The lack of sleep you have to endure can ,and does, break many people.  In fact, the symptoms of sleep deprivation are almost identical to that of depression.  Get sleep when you can and make use of whatever support base of friends and family you have to catch up on some shuteye. 

]]> admin@chookscratch.com (Atticus Parker) Featured Parenting Sat, 18 Jun 2011 12:43:50 +0000