Comments on: We are the challengers

By: Knox

Knox — Fri, 06 May 2011 03:50:40 +0000

God – so many goals. Makes it feel a lot easier to imagine reaching my own, with so many other people working at it too. Good work, Watson, once again!

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:07:35 +0000

I’ve written a couple pages for the play I want to write. I’d really like to write for radio, so I’m going to listen to radio drama and try to get some thoughts together. We’ve a brand new baby boy in the house so it might not give me much time to do much. Sleep is the main priority at the moment but I’ll try to….ZZzzzzzzzz

By: speckl

speckl — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 15:39:12 +0000

Hi Mark,

OK, I know I am a couple of weeks late on getting my TYSICs in, but in the grand 10 year scheme of things, its a bit like turning up five minutes late to a 24-hour show. Obviously the best seats are taken, but that doesn’t stop the fun.

So, there are lots of challenges I plan to complete over the next ten years – from the fairly achievable (I’d like to complete a Masters), to the ultimate pipe-dream (I want to put on a diy-style arts festival). And in the very short-term, I want to buy and regularly use a bike, as I make a pretty crap (& unfit) climate activist without one.

However, the one I thought would be most prescient, albeit most tediously earnest, is the challenge that over the next ten years I will get my carbon usage genuinely under control, rather than just continuing to think and talk about the importance of doing so.

The first step for me is to complete my 10:10 commitment. To aid this self-improvement, I am planning to keep a kind of carbon diary on my user page on EnviroWiki (User:speckl). Already this month I’ve driven to North Wales. Not a great start. A CATE start, if anything. But, as they say, recording is the first step to recovery…

By arriving late, I’ve also managed to miss a bit of the admin. Where are the TYSIC updates supposed to be added – on this blog, or on the fan forum?

Becky x

By: Gilly

Gilly — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 05:04:46 +0000

*and by degree I mean 2 – undergrad and grad

By: DougR

DougR — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:20:03 +0000

So, update time on the challenge which, as I failed to actually post it here originally, is to perform a sell out piano recital on the 4th March 2020, where I will premiere a solo piece written/inspired by this project. As I can’t play any instrument whatsoever, this requires me to either learn the piano to concert level standard or to become amazing at the dark arts of marketing and advertising. They both have their attractions.

The first step was to move my keyboard from my bedroom where its role was as an expensive shelf for any washing which I couldn’t actually be bothered to put away, for which read “all my washing”, into a more prominent place in my living room. While this might not actually make me do any piano practice, seeing it on a daily basis should make me feel at least a tad guilty about not doing it. And as I have quite a small flat I definitely won’t be able to ignore it.

Originally I planned on placing it in front of my wall of CDs, so that I would be able to look at the spines while playing and be suitably inspired, but unfortunately that plan came to an abrupt end when the power cable proved to not be long enough, a problem I managed to solve by putting it Somewhere Else. I am as resourceful as a TV survival expert. This may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as the CD which would have been in the centre of my vision if I’d put it where I wanted to was my copy of The Best of Ant and Dec (Don’t judge me! I have other CDs! It’s not representative of my entire collection!) which may not be the best of inspirations. Although having said that, Lets Get Ready to Fumble is currently a pretty accurate description of my skills…

By: Dan Newman

Dan Newman — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:06:53 +0000

Oh, yes, and also making a bit of progress on the Welsh. Me and the other half are learning together, and enjoying it. Hoorah.

By: Dan Newman

Dan Newman — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:15:29 +0000

I’ve made little steps in the last few days on a few of my tasks.

I almost bought a ring to propose to my other half. I didn’t. That’s not the most exciting story, I know.

I had feedback from my supervisors on one of my chapters for my thesis. They said that it showed the most improvement they had ever seen between first and second draft, and that it showed I was on the way to doing a properly scholarly thesis. And I was pleased with it anyway. So that one’s good.

I’ve written/recorded about a dozen songs. Probably on about thirty odd for the year now. I haven’t worked out required run rates for my 1,000 songs this decade yet, so not sure if I’m behind or ahead.

I’ve taken a new stance on tackling my panic. Trying to laugh at it, rather than get scared. I’m hoping that helps me to stop caring. Mixed results so far, but I’m determined not to just give it up right away, as I have done before when things haven’t worked immedeatly on the panic.

That’s my progress this week. I do feel like I’m cheating a bit with ten bits, makes it rather easy to claim improvement somewhere along the line. Even by accident. But there we go.

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:54:55 +0000

I do hope this isn’t cheating but I wrote and recorded 47 songs last month ( http://fawm.org/fawmers/morti/ ) and during this week I’ve picked the tracks from those that will go on the first album. I’ve also started looking into singing lessons to improve my vocal performance a little and I’ll start figuring out what needs re-recording next week.

Good to keep in touch. As I say, my goal has changed somewhat in that the number of albums will be between 6 and 10 (I’ll aim for ten but allow myself to fall short) and I’ve decided to remove the 60 minute rule because it’s stupid. Generally a 55 minute album with no filler is better than padding it out, I have recently learned.

By: Mossyrock

Mossyrock — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:36:40 +0000

So I’m always late to this type of thing. In ten years, expect me to be late in updating you. I would put that as a goal, but I have so many more things to think about.
1. Get accepted to my dream uni. I won’t go there, cos I can’t afford it, but just to get accepted is enough.
2. Travel to the U.K.
3. Travel to the Melbourne Comedy Festival every year, just to have as much fun as possible.
4. Become a highly paid accountant to feed my comedy habit.
5. Write and publish a comedy magazine.
6. Continue learning Welsh.
7. This is the impossible dream: Become a comedy manager. Like Token or Karen Koren.
8. Generally love, live and laugh.
That’ll do I think.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:22:41 +0000

I wonder what we’d be like if we woke up one day with Eddie Izzard’s self-improvement ideas! 43 marathons in as nearly as many days with no running experience.

First episode of 3, if you’ve missed it.
Watch, be inspired, donate if you can.
http://tinyurl.com/marathonman1

After watching this, I don’t think I’ve got an excuse, even if it’s purely personal, to attempt some of my goals.