Politically Correct?

I'm beginning some of my OU A215 (Creative Writing) exercises. One of them is 'clusters', otherwise known as mindmapping or brainstorming. It occurs to me that the new PC term for brainstorming is 'thought showering' as brainstorming might offend epileptics. I thought it was something that perhaps the epileptic groups or medical professionals wanted to own, and that would be sort of OK.

Sort of OK as long as they realise that as it's in general use elsewhere then tough. Sorry but brainstorming is already in use so you'll either have to put some effort into changing the use, or find another term to use.

But if it's being PC for the sake of it then it just annoys me. After all it's not like the term was invented to be offensive to anyone suffering from this unfortunate infliction. And quite frankly it described what goes on inside my head whenever I have to think in this way. Storms - dark, heavy, lightening flashes of brilliance (if I'm lucky) with loads of wet pathetic stuff needing to find it's way into a drain.

And I've never heard anyone suffering from epilepsy complain or comment about the use of the term. It's the non-suffers who seem to want to tiptoe around insisting that we mustn't cause offense. Well of course it's a lovely thought, never causing offense to anyone. But I would be more offended by people thinking I would be offended by something and acting on my behalf without asking. Let's all assume that people with these kinds of conditions are strong individuals that have learned to live with debilitating illnesses and that a mere example of terminology used in an everyday situation will not cause a moments thought.

This isn't just against this one example. It seems that the 'PC Brigade' must sit around thought showering considering what group they can match a term in use against next. They can bring it to our attention that we have been offending people. They can bring it to the attention of the group that we have been offending them. Thank goodness these people exist.

Writing

Since last writing on here I have received the materials for the Open University A215 (Creative Writing) course. That's great, nice and early!

But now I'm fighting for the time to actually do some study. I want to get a bit ahead to allow for times when I might not have the time I need (Colds or flu. Baby colds or flu. Cat colds or flu, or other disasters). But between having to type, stretching across my body with a sleeping baby on my lap, causing pain in my shoulder; A cat, anyone of my three, sitting on the rest of my lap not taken up by the baby, demanding atttention from my spare hand and in the case of Stripey drinking my squash; My husband wanting to bounce ideas for his OU assignments off me, or using me as a handy dictionary and theasaurus and my normal day to day activities it is frustratingly slow and interrupted.

I need to sort something out or I'll end up screaming, or worse, regretting taking the course (gasp).

The large Collins dictionary and theasaurus might end by Hubby. See if he can take a hint.

How am I doing?

Day 2 of having a blog.

And I begin to wonder how long I could go without having any followers or any comments. Is there a record for this? Could I have a successful, unsuccessful blog? Can someone be successful through failure?

I also wonder just how I'm going to cope with a creative writing course when I type this slowly, stretched badly and one handed over my sleeping daughter (7 months). She has fallen asleep on my lap yet again and in order to have a moment of peace I will leave her there.

But back to failure. Of course sometimes striving but failing can be a good thing, the point was to strive. Eddie the Eagle? Any non medal winning Olympians demonstrate this but Eddie stands out as someone who just wanted to give it a go. But failure for failures sake? Unfortunately it seems that this is becoming popular, even entertaining. Big Brother, celebrity breakdowns and divorces, Eastenders. Even schools and hospitals that have stunning sucesses are only news for 10 minutes, and that's if you can find the story amongst the stories of institutions that have failed. Failure is good, failure is entertaining, failure is newsworthy.

Since I hate all that perhaps I should strive to do better. Stop using the excuse of failing at a DSE assessment and type my stories anyway, and try to get a follower (even if Hubby did decline)

I've set up a blog, what now?

Okay...Setting up a blog. It can't be hard, can it?

I now believe that these things are sent to separate those who can from those who can't. Where am I in this? Somewhere in the middle (or balanced as I like to call it).

So now I have a blog what next? How do I go about getting people to follow it?

OMG! Please tell me that writing something unique and interesting isn't a part of it. I'm doomed. Perhaps I should aim for about 5 followers. Yeah that's do-able, especially if I force Hubby to be one of them. Perhaps I could have an alter-ego out there...that's 2 down. So now I need another 3. Any volunteers?

And now for the fun bit. How do I personalise it? I need at least 700 font options and 500+ colour options. Then I can procrastinate for a day or two while I work out how which font/colour is really me.

Then I need to find a good picture (perhaps of someone else).

Having managed to do this I now feel the need for a lie down. Catch you later.

(I'm talking to myself aren't I?)