User Feedback

This is insane, and yet oddly appealing, as a problem of sorts. I've had this blog up for a few years now; I never ever thought of migrating countless Usenet posts, BBS posts from before that, or anything else into this blog. I'm not about to start now. But I was thinking of adding tags/labels to some of the older posts. And then I realised the magnitude of the task. I append a list of labels below (I don't normally use the sidebar widget for this, but I'll think of doing it some day) to prove to you that I am a terrible post-tag writer.

But before I do that, let me ask those of you who honour me by reading this blog a few questions:

1. What is it about the content that invites you here?
2. What is it about the writing that invites you here?
3. What kind of posts do you tend to spend more time on?
4. And how would you describe this blog?
5. It's a blog that's supposed to be about "inspired mysteries, mysterious inspirations"; how does it measure up?

Your feedback is (as always) most welcome and most appreciated. And here's the label list:

Acronyms (1), Actuarial Science (1), Adolescence (2), Adventure (1), Advertising (1), Aesthetics (1), Agriculture (1), Albion (1), Alchemy (3), Alcohol (1), Alexandria (1), Alfred Duggan (1), Alumni (1), America (1), Anand (1), Anchors (1), Ancient of Days (1), Angels (3), Animals (1), Annie Lennox (1), Announcements (1), Anonymity (2), Anthony Hope (1), Anthony Price (1), Apocalypse (3), Appraisal (2), Archaeology (1), Argument (1), Arsenal (2), Art (2), Astrology (1), Asymmetry (1), Attainment (1), Authority (2), Autobiography (1), Ballad (1), Baptist (1), Barry Hughart (1), Batman (2), Beatles (1), Beauty (1), Bee Gees (1), Belief (2), Benjamin Franklin (1), Bentley (1), Betrayal (1), Bible (20), Billy Joel (1), Birthday (1), Blogosphere (2), Blogs (3), Books (15), British (1), Butterfly (1), Byron (1), C W McCall (1), Calendar (3), Carl Orff (1), Carols (1), Carpets (1), Cataloguing (1), Cathedrals (1), Change (5), Chaos (1), Character (1), Charles Stross (1), Chemistry (2), Chess (3), Chesterton (2), Childhood (2), Chocolate (1), Christianity (2), Christina Rosetti (1), Christmas (4), Churchill (3), Classical Music (1), Coffee (7), Cognition (1), Comedy (1), Comics (1), Communications (1), Community (2), Competition (2), Completion (2), Complexity (1), Compromise (1), Computing (3), Conflict (1), Consequences (1), Conspiracy Theories (1), Consumption (1), Contentment (2), Context (1), Convoy (1), Cookies (1), Coughing (1), Covenant (1), Cows (1), Creativity (2), Culture (2), Curriculum Development (1), Cynicism (1), Darkness (4), Dating (1), Dawn (1), Days (1), De Niro (1), Death (4), Deception (1), Decision (2), Decline (1), Dedication (1), Despair (1), Desserts (1), Destruction (1), Disaster (2), Dispensability (1), Divination (1), Divine Will (1), Divinity (1), Dogma (1), Dorothy Dunnett (1), Drama (2), Dreams (2), Drinking Songs (1), Drugs (1), Duality (1), Dylan Thomas (4), Eagle (1), Eagles (2), Easter (2), Ecclesiastes (1), Economics (3), Education (19), Egypt (1), Elephants (1), Eliot (4), Elizabeth Bishop (1), Emotion (5), Energy (1), England (1), Entertainment (2), Environment (1), Epistemology (1), Equinox (1), Escher (1), Eternity (1), Etymology (12), Evangelism (1), Evil (1), Examinations (7), Exodus (3), Experience (1), Eye (2), Faith (3), Family (6), Fantasy (2), Fatalism (1), Fear (3), Feedback (1), Fellowship (1), Fire (1), Folklore (1), Folly (1), Food (2), Football (4), Forty (1), Fraud (1), Freakonomics (1), Freedom (4), French (1), Friendship (3), Future (1), Futurism (1), Gaiman (8), Games (3), Gatiss (1), Gene Wolfe (1), Generosity (1), Gentlemen (1), Geography (1), Globalism (1), Gnosticism (1), God (20), Goddess (1), Godfather (2), Good (1), Gordon Dickson (1), Gospels (1), Graceland (1), Grandfather (1), Graphics (1), Gratitude (1), Greater Trumps (31), Greek (3), Greek Philosophy (1), Grimwood (1), Guy Kawasaki (2), Hades (1), Haiku (2), Hamlet (1), Handel (1), Happiness (1), Harmony (1), Harrison Ford (1), Harrow (1), Heart (2), Heat (1), Heller (1), Henry V (1), Heraldry (1), Heresy (1), Hermeneutics (1), Heroism (3), Hierarchy (1), Historical Veracity (1), History (4), Hobgoblins (1), Holidays (1), Holiness (1), Hollywood (1), Holst (1), Hope (5), Hopkins (2), Housman (1), Hubris (1), Human Rights (1), Humanity (4), Humility (1), Humour (7), Hunter (2), Hydra (1), Hymnal (1), Iain Banks (1), IB (3), Idealism (1), Identity (1), Ideology (2), Illusion (2), Imagery (3), Imagination (2), Influences (1), Information (4), Information Technology (1), Insanity (1), Insects (1), Insight (1), Insomnia (1), Intellect (3), Intelligence (1), Internet (4), Interpretation (1), Invocation (1), Isaiah (3), Isidore of Seville (1), Jesus (2), JFK (1), John Dunning (1), John Wesley (1), Jokes (3), Journey (1), Joy (1), Judgement (2), Justice (1), Kasparov (1), Khonsu (1), Kim Stanley Robinson (1), Kipling (4), Knowledge (7), Labels (1), Language (3), Latin (1), Laughter (2), Law (2), Leadership (3), Learning (1), Leaving (1), Legacy (1), Legends (1), Lennon (1), Lewis Carroll (1), Libraries (1), Life (11), Light (4), Lists (1), Literature (8), Logic (3), Logos (2), Loss (2), Love (6), Loyalty (2), Lyte (1), Macbeth (1), Magrs (1), Management (2), Mannheim Steamroller (2), Market Forces (1), Marvell (1), Mathematics (1), Matthew Arnold (1), Media (1), Medicine (1), Medusa (1), Memes (2), Memory (3), Mentorship (1), Metaphor (2), Metaphors (8), Miasma (1), Michael Chabon (1), Milk (3), Milton (1), Mind (1), Mission (4), Money (2), Moses (7), Movement (1), Movies (3), Mozart (1), Mysteries (1), Myth (3), Mythology (6), Münchener Freiheit (1), Namelessness (1), Names (3), Natural Philosophy (1), Neander (1), Networking (1), Neurobiology (2), New York (3), News (1), Newton (1), Night (1), Nightmares (1), Nimzovich (1), Noah (1), Nobility (1), Nostalgia (5), Numinosity (2), O'Toole (1), Obituary (1), Operating Systems (1), Organic Chemistry (1), Paganism (2), Parables (2), Parody (1), Patriotism (1), Pattern (2), Paul Anka (1), Paul Simon (1), Peace (3), Perception (6), Periodicity (1), Perseverance (1), Personality (6), Perspective (1), Perturbation (1), Pfeiffer (1), Pharaoh (1), Philosophy (14), Phoenix (1), Physics (2), Physiology (1), Pilgrimage (1), Plato (1), Poetry (50), Politics (8), Possibility (2), Post-Modernism (1), Power (2), Prayer (1), Presentation (1), Pride (1), Principles (1), Professionalism (3), Profiling (4), Prometheus (1), Prophecy (4), Psalms (3), Psychology (4), Qualitative Research (1), Quantum Mechanics (1), Quiz (1), Rain (1), Random (1), Ravens (2), Reading (3), Reality (2), Reason (5), Reflection (12), Reindeer (1), Relationships (2), Religion (9), Remembrance (17), Renewal (2), Requiem (1), Research (2), Resignation (1), Response (1), Revelation (3), Richard II (1), Rite (1), Ritual (5), Roads (1), Robert Bridges (1), Robert Browning (2), Robert Burns (2), Robert Frost (1), Robert Graves (1), Roman Empire (2), Roman Philosophy (1), Sabbath (1), Sacrifice (1), Safety (1), Saints (2), Salvation (1), Satan (2), Scheduling (1), Science (3), Science Fiction (2), Scott Lynch (1), Seasons (1), Secrecy (1), Secret Garden (1), Servanthood (1), Service (1), Shadow (1), Shaggy-Dog (1), Shakespeare (5), Shelley (1), Sheri Tepper (1), Shostakovich (1), Simon and Garfunkel (1), Simplicity (1), Simulation (1), Singapore (4), Size (1), Social Sciences (2), Sonnet (2), Soul (1), Sound (1), Speech (1), Spirit (2), Spiritual Gifts (1), Spirituality (2), Standards (1), Stardust (2), Stasis (1), Statesmen (1), Statistics (2), Stories (3), Storms (1), Strategic Thinking (1), Strength (1), Students (3), Study (2), Subversion (1), Sunrise (1), Sunset (1), Supergrass (1), Superheroism (3), Superman (1), Supernatural (1), Surrender (1), Symbolism (45), Symptoms (1), Synthesis (1), Tabernacle (1), Tagore (2), Talent Development (1), Taverns (1), Taxonomy (1), Tea (2), Teaching (1), Technology (1), Ted Hughes (1), Temasek (1), Tennyson (1), Terminus (1), Tessa Farmer (1), Testing (4), Thanksgiving (2), Thatcher (1), Thaumaturgy (1), Theology (4), Thought (6), Thumboo (1), Thursday (1), Tim Powers (1), Time (7), Titans (1), Tolkien (2), Totemism (1), Transformation (1), Translation (1), Transmission (1), Transparency (1), Trinity (1), Triumph (1), Trivia (1), Trucking (1), Truth (3), Tufte (1), UK (1), Ulysses (1), Unambiguity (1), Unfulfilled Potential (1), Universe (1), University Life (1), UNSC (1), Victorian Era (1), Violence (1), Virtue (1), Virtues (1), Vision (5), Visual Arts (1), Voices (1), Vonnegut (1), Walker (1), Walter Moers (2), Wanderer (2), War (1), Weapons (1), White (1), Wilfred Owen (1), Wine (1), Wisdom (5), Wizardry (2), Womanhood (1), Wonder Woman (1), Words (1), Work (4), WotD (6), Writing (1), X-Men (1), Yeats (1), Youth (2), Zamonia (1), Zechariah (1), Zerubbabel (1), Zodiac (1), Zoology (1)

Edit: made it more manageable for people who hate scrolling...

Turning Points

I think the most important thing any girl ever said to me was this, "You know, you're a pretty immature sort of person." It happened when I was fourteen; like most young people of that age, I'd started experimenting with alcohol and extreme eating habits, and I thought I'd never die.

It was a comment that I would ordinarily have brushed off. It wasn't that the young lady in question meant a lot to me, it wasn't that she was being bitingly cruel without meaning it. She meant it, all right. At that point (well, I'd like to think angels were watching with bated breath, but they probably weren't), something happened. I actually listened.

And encouraged, that young lady went on to tell me a few home truths.

It's a tremendously sobering experience, let me tell you, to hear a slim and innocent-looking girl tell you all the bad things about you she's learnt from two dates and a church camp.

I must regretfully say, however, that I learnt only half a lesson. That half was: to never allow myself to be rightfully accused of those things again. As I grew up, I learnt that there were other bad things you could be accused of.

You keep learning, and you keep halving the problem. But it never ends. And once in a while, some idiot (oops) will provoke you beyond your newly-learnt limit and you become recidivist again. Sigh. It is especially tough when people you find it hard to respect tell you that they don't respect you.

The instinctive response is: "So what? I don't respect you or your opinions, why should I bother to listen?"

The problem with that is of course that they might be right.