Monitoring weblogs on the fly

I have been thinking for a few days now that there must be a way to monitor web pages for changes automatically. I regularly visit quite a large number of weblogs on a wide range of topics. Having to load each page separately, when many of them may not have had an update, is very laborious and time-wasting.

So, I did a google search on 'web page changes alerts' and found a load of different approaches. They fall into two categories - web based and software based. I chose one which is web based, and free. It's 'WatchThatPage' available here:

WatchThatPage - Monitor web pages extract new information

It looks really good. You can set it to send emails at a frequency to suit, with details of which of the pages have updated. Let's hope it's 'as good as it says on the box'!

Reiki and Chakras

I learnt the first degree of reiki about a month ago, and since then have been working on the self-healing phase of things. It's amazing. I'm going through all sorts of experiences, feelings and emotions. Each step takes me further on, as I gain deeper understanding of working on an intuitive level.

Intuitive ideas and thoughts are blipping into my mind in a way that surprises me. I wonder whether these thoughts were there before, but went unacknowledged, or whether there are thoughts in my mind that I wouldn't have had before.

The whole idea of chakra working is fascinating. I'm reading a book about all of this at the moment, called 'Wheels of Life' by Anodea Judith. I've just started to dip into this book - it looks really fascinating. It draws quite heavily on the work of Caroline Myss. I read her book 'Anatomy of the Spirit' a couple of years ago, and particularly like the way she links together chakras with qabbalah ideas, christian ideas and hindu approaches. Joining up systems is a great way to encourage harmony in the world, rather than division.

Montague Terrace

I thought it might be useful to post a link to a detailed website about Scott Walker and his pretend brothers. This site contains a heap of information about Scott's musical career.

Interested? Click on the title for this post to link to the site, which is called Montague Terrace after a song title from Scott's first solo album.

Scott Walker in Five Easy Pieces

I've read so many people saying positive things about Scott Walker. He has influenced so many of the artists I like. And I really loved the popular tracks by the Walker Brothers.

And yet, over a year ago I tried listening to 'Tilt' - the difficult album from the 90s. I didn't get it!

So, it was with some uncertainty that I got hold of a copy of 'In Five Easy Pieces' earlier today, and put it on the CD player. It's a five CD compilation album - huge in scope.

Well, I have listened to the first album whilst working this afternoon. It is beautiful. The richness of his voice, the gorgeous arrangements, the spread of material and moods. I love it!

I'm really looking forward to working through the other four CDs over the next few days.

Frozen in ice

Stuck - stuck - stuck. Frozen in activity. Thanks to the fact that I am exhausted, and the weather is terrible, and I should be doing a million things. It's the pause before a flurry of action...

The Tipping Point

I promised a review of 'The Tipping Point' by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a magnificent book - one of those books that you find yourself quoting bits from to people through the course of the day. It describes the phenomenon whereby things can grow from nothing to a craze in an unbelievably short space of time. He attributes this to a number of factors, issues which are important to understand if you are interested in building communities of interest, marketing an idea or just want to understand why something goes from being unfashionable to being the 'must have' without any apparent involvement from 'marketeers' or sellers.

Gladwell covers a set of key principles and issues, looking at the roles of different types of people in building networks, communicating messages etc. He also looks at the importance of numbers - the maximum numbers for a circle of intimate friends, and for our circle of influence. He talks about the number 150 as key to manageable groups, organisations and societal sections. This is really interesting. What about the current trend towards ever bigger schools and hospitals? Is it any wonder that these organisations become dysfunctional when they are not organised around core units of 150 with strong identities for each.

The case study which looked at policing in New York, and the way they turned that city round from a lawless chaos to one where things were rapidly coming under control again, is fascinating reading. I hadn't seen it that way - a different and convincing view is always worth looking at.

The book is light on references, and attributes for the theory underpinning the work. But I think it is a better book for that - it is so readable.

I will never look at Hush Puppies the same way again.

Go get it! And enjoy it, I'm sure you will.