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Paper tickling |
Many doctors believe the untidy desktop is, in fact, a particularly efficient means of managing their paper work.
Frequently and recently used material is on hand in the centre of the desk at the top of the pile. Items of less importance and of earlier origin gradually migrate to the bottom of the pile and then to the edge of the desk, and those that are no longer of use flutter to the floor to be taken away by the cleaner.
I suspect that most devotees of this filing system, like most smokers, would secretly prefer to quit the habit. As my Latin teacher would often say: “Boys, why go to hell when you can go heaven for half the trouble.” You may find that it saves time and is more convenient to establish a more efficient file system for your paper work.
The Tickler file system is described in Jeff Davidson’s book The Idiots Guide to Managing Your Time. You need to buy about 50 document envelopes (which look like manilla folders with flaps), which you divide into a set labelled January to December, and another set labelled 1 to 31.
When sorting your paperwork and correspondence, deal with what you can on the spot.
Agendae and programs for upcoming meetings, reminders, memos and notes can be placed in the Tickler file for the appropriate day, and in the month file for events that are more than 31 days distant. For bills that are not due for some weeks, write the envelope and cheque and place it in the file a few days before they are due. For correspondence that you need more time to reflect on, place it in the file for a week distant.
In addition, on the first of each month, sort the items in that month’s file into the appropriate daily file.
Keep the Tickler file close to your desk.
Each morning you should find everything you need in that day’s Tickler file. You can post all the letters, have all the notes you need for meetings etc, and procrastinate by putting items you are not ready to deal with back a week.
You may be able to tickle your paperwork and claim back your desk.
Site of the month - MAME
I must admit to having studied the Pathways of Pacman with far more intensity than those of Kreb and his citric acid.
Unlike biochemistry, however, I have found a practical benefit from my arcane arcade knowledge. Now at last I have found some games in which I can beat my kids!
The original arcade games had to be very well designed to attract our interest and small change -clear aims, intuitive controls, excellent gameplay and incremental challenge such that you felt the next reward was only twenty cents away.
via emulation
MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to preserving the history of arcade video games. The project provides emulation of these arcade games on your home computer, and the emulator and hundreds of games are available for Mac and PC for free download from the web. It is not just a copy of these games - it enables your computer to run the exact programs as originally written. The fine print of the legal details is explained at the site, and should be read.
So, if you have a hankering to relive time spent in the Grandstand Bar playing Space Invaders, Galaxian, Donkey Kong, 10 Yard Fight, Defender or Elevator Action, and would like to impress your kids, try MAME.
PS. Hit the UFO with your 23rd missile to score the maximum mystery bonus of 500 in Space Invaders.
MAME http://www.mame.net
MacMAME http://www.macmame.org
MAME for WIN http://www.classicgaming.com/mame32/
ROMS http://www.classicgaming.com/vault/
Newbie Guide http://www.classicgaming.com/cgng/
This article was first published in GPSpeak, April 2001.
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