Studying is a yes. I found that the 45/15 method is working well, allowing me to do MS221 and MT264 (the latter has a TMA due next week). I might have to extend this – I want to really have a good grasp of MS221.

Exercise is a no. I had assumed that attending PT (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), rehab lessons (Tuesday and twice on Thursday) would mean I only had to make an effort to do my own fitness at the weekends. However I had a meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday which completely got in the way. I’m going to start using Daily Mile again next week to give me an incentive. Rehab was an absolute killer on Thursday, my calves are still aching on Saturday. As for diet, I ate a load of crap tonight but mostly managed to stick to three light meals each day. I’ve been getting up a little earlier and making breakfast. This has worked out quite well because I’m not fighting with the kids to get into the bathroom – its been a better start to the day.

Money has been the usual post Christmas study but Lisa has picked up some baby-sitting which has allowed me to grocery shop this week without touching the money in the bank. Its a long way to my £3000 goal but its certainly been a welcome start.

The reading has been pretty respectable – I’ve finished “The Art of Readable Code” (an interesting look at improving the way we lay out code), Mastering Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 (which was a lot less dry than these books usually are) and “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” (not as attention holding as Starship Troopers but very good). I’ll start “Stranger in a Strange Land” this week.

Simplifying has proved a bigger task than I envisaged. I gave a way a lot of clothes, so was able to lay out my wardrobe with hanging shelves. Now my clothes are organised, its a two minute job to grab what I need for the gym and the next day at work. I cleared out and re-organised my kit cupboard, the next step for that is to get some of the obsolete stuff de-kitted. I picked up some rattan organising drawers (£5 on a local buy and sell site) which has helped Lisa by me not leaving everything down the side of the sofa. Next week I’d like to grab some archive boxes and store away OU material from completed modules.

For anyone who is thinking of applying, they really should.  Its quite nerve racking – not being sure what’ll be looked at.  It really didn’t help my nerves after the first guy up tonight was declined.

So what’s needed?  Well, prep your wiki page and make sure that you have testimonials or better still members at the meeting to support your application.  Make sure you’ve a visible contribution and then off you go.

You introduce yourself and a board of four or five people ask you a couple of questions, they each vote and they tell you there and then.  If you’re successful then you get a message saying your added to the Launchpad team.

I then joined the flood of bloke in #ubuntu-irc getting the IRC cloaks (You need two registered nicknames grouped – I discovered tonight that my alternative is too long and the server ignores the last character), adding my Planet Ubuntu feed, applying for a little rank picture on the forums and trying (even though it takes up to two days) your new email address!

Of course this is now going to hit Planet Ubuntu, so I apologise to everyone there, who are members and know this already.  Still happy though…

Currently in its fith revision, the system uses ten groupings but the 1908 translation’s first three classifications were: 0 to 20 – Idiot; 20 to 49 – Imbecile; 50 to 69 – Moron (the average IQ being around 100).

Also, believe it or not mental retardation and learning difficulties were referred to as the spectacularly offensive “Feeble Minded“.