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fitness logoThere are only 3 motivating factors that change human behavior; pain, fear or ambition. Which button do you want to press?

This is the last thought in a long technical article about fitness and cycling. Well worth a read – skip over the technical terms if you don’t know what they mean – there’s a lot in there about attitude to fitness and exercise that applies more widely to human life even if you never mount a bike.

How to drink less coffee – but only if you have a computer

I have six Mac Mini’s that I use in my digital storytelling workshops. Before each workshop when I update the software to the latest version one thing always impresses me. They are fast. I’m not talking about Intel Core 2 versions. They are three year old Power PC models with 1.42MHz processors.

Apple Computers

Of course, they would be relatively slow on a benchmarking test, but they start quickly, open the iLife apps fast and generally get on with the job at a respectable pace. Continue reading

This couple want a deaf child. Should we try to stop them?

According to one caller to Victoria Derbyshire’s phone in on BBC 5 Live this morning, deaf people become so frustrated with their deafness that they may try to commit suicide. He was argueing against the campaign of a deaf couple featured in The Observer this Sunday. Garfield and Lichy say the Embryology and Human Fertilisation Bill would prevent them from having a deaf baby by IVF. Their first child, conceived naturally, was born without hearing.

This couple want a deaf child. Should we try to stop them? | Science | The Observer
We celebrated when we found out about Mollys deafness, says Lichy. Being deaf is not about being disabled, or medically incomplete – its about being part of a linguistic minority. Were proud, not of the medical aspect of deafness, but of the language we use and the community we live in.

The problem with the callers’ argument is that if we stop the birth of babies with any kind of disability we devalue all people with disabilities. Their frustration of course is often caused by those who don’t or can’t be bothered to understand how to communicate with them.

In many ways the the problem afflicts everyone. How many times have you been frustrated because someone else didn’t take the time to understand what you were trying to say. Deaf people simply help us realise how poor we are at communicating. Perhaps it’s a British thing and explains why we shout in English at people who don’t speak our language thinking that somehow it’s their problem and volume will penetrate their stupidity. It’s not communication, it’s ignorant and patronising. Perhaps a little like the fine detail of the bill currently going through parliament.