War on Murphy’s Law

I hope everyone knows or has heard of Murphy’s Law [also referred to as Sod’s Law]. For the uninitiated don’t worry, it is quite simple; the old adage is:

Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong

This simple phrase does not do justice to the total havoc that ensues when the forces of Murphy’s Law come into play. If you intend on doing anything in life more complicated than boiling an egg then beware of Murphy and his blasted Law. By the way, it has nothing to do with Ireland…it’s just a name.

Leave a Footprint, Not a Crater

Neil Armstrong (August 5, 1930 – August 25, 2012)

I am dedicating this article to commander Neil Armstrong who passed away recently. He was best known for NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, being the first man to step foot on the moon and who uttered those famous words, transmitted live to the whole world as he was about to step off the ladder of  the “Eagle” (lunar module):

That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.

Smartphones 360° – Work, Rest & Play

Intro

For starters, a quick rant. Is it just me or does everybody and their dog have a smartphone nowadays. It is frightening just how viral this trend has become. I see people of all ages glued to their devices; mesmerised and oblivious to their surroundings…no wonder there are a lot more accidents than before. Incredulous, I read just a few days ago that by the end of 2012 mobile devices could outnumber the world population…I did say everybody and their dog!

I grew up in an age when there were no cellphones so I find these little gems of technology to be utterly fascinating. Luckily, I’m a bit of a technophile so I naturally adopted this new technology and have adapted it to meet my needs.

For this reason I want to share what I’ve learnt and help others who may be struggling up the steep learning curve needed to get the best from their smartphones. From what I’ve observed it is not a question of age; I see both young and old struggling with their devices and I know it can be frustrating. Therefore, with this guide I’m targeting past, present and future owners so that everyone can learn something new.

Honesty, Best Policy

Let’s start by accepting the fact that no one is perfect; we all make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are inconsequential and other times they can be major blunders. No matter the gravity of the error, two thoughts will naturally go through your mind. Can I fix it? If not, can I hide it? It is human nature to want to protect your pride – and your job – and here is where the problem lies and where the dilemma is aggravated. Even if you are a conscientious worker, for a moment, the mental process will be something like the following Q&A flowchart:

Links to A4 and hi res poster at end of article