tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67076691343444170872024-03-13T07:19:06.161-07:00CupblogThe Publishing Cupboard's blog. A yogic approach to life and publishing.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.comBlogger278125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-10108358947656734832014-06-20T07:40:00.000-07:002014-06-20T07:40:00.110-07:00Am I back in my Cupboard?I thought I had put up a notice to say that Cupblog has moved. Mainly because I kept getting locked out of Blogger because I couldn't remember the correct email or password. Miraculously I seem to have stumbled back in. My other blog is more to do with practical Italy. As usual, I am a bit of a slug in blogging terms. Anyway do come over if you want to visit. <a href="http://www.nodoff.co.uk/practical-italy-blog.html">http://www.nodoff.co.uk/practical-italy-blog.html</a>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-81169444495013621372013-02-18T12:08:00.001-08:002013-02-18T12:08:36.699-08:00Someone gets itI passed a copy of <i>Nod off in Spanish</i> to a young cyclist who heads off to Spain shortly for a few months. His comment after listening to it was:<br />
'Ah, so that is why you say that.'<br />
Which is exactly the reaction we want. Especially from someone who didn't rate themselves much as a learner. Most language learning involves very little explanation as to why a word might operate in a certain way. I believe this is what people would really like to understand. Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-83330832865372460632013-02-16T12:32:00.000-08:002013-02-16T12:33:58.677-08:00Barely enough time to breathe never mind write an examI was looking at past papers for Standard Grade Exams (this is the last year of them in Scotland before they move on to the Curriculum for Excellence exams) and was shocked at how short a time students have.<br />
<br />
Last year's Maths General started at 10.40 am and finished at 11.15 am. That is just 35 minutes! Barely enough time to settle your beating heart before you are asked to lay down your pen.With concentration becoming more and more elusive in today's world, I reckon they should introduce compulsory 5 minutes' breathing before the students start. At least it would settle their minds. There is no simpler way to bring the mind under control than focus on your breath. Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-21149330433762564662013-01-04T08:37:00.002-08:002013-01-04T08:37:41.458-08:00We are backSomehow or other, I have managed to find my way back into the Cupblog. Siamo ritornati! Very best wishes to all for the New Year. There is nothing like the turn of a year to feel like starting afresh.<br />
<br />
In just such a short time everything changes. The biggest thing I discovered last year is that life is increasingly been run by databases, most of them migrating to the Cloud. Our every breath is being tracked in the digital world and converted into data for companies to analyse and decide how best to use it.<br />
<br />
Here is an interesting post about algorithms from the Italian e-publisher <a href="http://www.40kbooks.com/?p=13681" target="_blank">40K books</a>.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-30636061597317095242012-06-26T11:32:00.001-07:002012-06-26T11:33:35.691-07:00Last PostThe poor old Cupblog is going out to pasture. You can keep up with the Nod offs and Nodblog at our sister website <a href="http://www.nodoff.co.uk/">www.nodoff.co.uk</a>.<br />
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Many thanks for visiting and we hope to see you at the other site.<br />
<br />
Arrivederci!Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-57234390110933318732012-03-18T08:39:00.002-07:002012-03-18T08:48:50.382-07:00e-authors taking offIt is clear that some authors are doing very well self-publishing their titles as e-books and are quite happy to steer clear of traditional publishers and earn lots of royalties.<br /><br />From reading the various blogs, I think successful authors do 2 things:<br /><ol><li>They have a body of work. If it is fiction, they tend to write in genres and series. I think e-readers (humans as opposed to devices) devour books so they want more books from authors they enjoy whether it be science fiction, crime or romance.</li><li>They have a blog presence on the web where they actively engage with readers and would-be authors.</li></ol><p>They have often spent fruitless months trying to engage agents and publishers - the one time gatekeepers to the reading public. Now that they can tap into their reading public themselves, they can get the appreciation they knew was out there.<br /></p>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-65316298447993891862012-03-12T08:13:00.003-07:002012-03-12T08:15:05.589-07:00The Cupblog is more about publishingThe other blog on the <a href="http://www.nodoff.co.uk">Nodoff.co.uk </a>site 'Learn a language blog' is for just that - learning a language. Do drop by both!Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-2239970872706137832012-03-09T08:14:00.002-08:002012-03-09T08:20:37.305-08:00Is it the risk of sounding a fool...that so many British people are reluctant to speak a foreign language? It is odd, really, considering that the former Manager of the English football team, Fabio Capello, could barely string his few words of English together. A foreign person speaking English sounds like charm to our ears. But listening to ourselves trying to speak another language is like listening to fingernails scrape down a blackboard.<br /><br />Obviously, we should just relax and let it all hang out. It has to be better than speaking loudly in English and expecting everyone to understand.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-12966641093785953722012-03-06T09:21:00.003-08:002012-03-06T09:26:29.983-08:00Exams loomingThe days are getting longer and exams are coming back on the horizon. With the pressure on young people to gain the best marks possible, they often end up stressed, frazzled and unable to sleep.<br /><br />This is where the Nod offs are not only ideal revision tools, they will teach you how to relax and unwind. And they are guaranteed to send you to sleep.<br /><br />This is not just a method for learning a language, you can also use it with other facts you need to memorize. If you need to learn all the bones in the body, why not record them and then listen to the list as you fall asleep?<br /><br />The best way to revise is to organize what you need to learn, pace yourself and use sleep time to embed information (no pun intended).Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-2630091495778072302012-02-08T08:52:00.000-08:002012-02-08T09:06:10.492-08:00Back in BlogosphereHoorah, I managed to <span id="query_h1" class="query_h1">resuscitate </span>my blogger details. Nice to be back in the old blog. While I have been locked out, e-books are making their mark and making some savvy authors realise they can go it alone without a publishing house behind them. It means that traditional publishers have to be even more cautious about what they publish. No longer can they throw a whole lot of books at the wall and see what sticks. It needs a much more imaginative approach.<br /><br />In fact they seem to be caught in a pincer-like attack - Amazon on one side and self-publishing authors on the other.<br /><br />It will be interesting to see how they stand their ground.<br /><br />Talking about self-publishing authors. Check out Robert Grossmith and his very funny <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Year-Living-Philosophically-ebook/dp/B006N9QS44">philosophical novel</a>. The best kind of book, not only will it make you belly laugh, it will also teach you a thing or two about philosophy.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-75389197120628922982011-09-26T06:28:00.000-07:002011-09-26T06:31:13.838-07:00Back in CupblogSomehow I found myself shut out of blogger. That nightmare scenario where you have so many usernames and passwords you don't know where you are anymore happened to me. I was trying everything, scouring my address book where I'd scribbled said usernames and passwords but with no indication which was current.<br /><br />Anyway I'm back inside which is quite a relief.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-68310296628375256502011-09-08T15:07:00.000-07:002011-09-08T15:12:04.217-07:00Wallowing in weeblyI have really got to grips with the <a href="http://www.nodoff.co.uk">nod off</a> website I'm putting together via weebly. The more I tinker about with it, the more fun it is to use. At last it is a website I feel in control of (as much as one can when you can't write any of the background stuff). Because I want to include tracks from the nod off cds, I am paying for a pro site. But you can make one for free. I would highly recommend it if you want to understand a bit more about how they are put together.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-27271014583091709142011-09-03T15:39:00.000-07:002011-09-03T16:00:16.002-07:00Website progressI have been making tiny steps on the website front. After following some instructions from some web enthusiast I stumbled across, I managed to produce a page with a yellow background, a heading and a line that ticker taped across the bottom.<div>
<br /></div><div>So, I suppose that is something. Then I got <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collins-Need-Know-Create-Website/dp/0007262744/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">this </a>book from the library and read it. As one customer review states, it starts well and then makes some enormous jump into css without explaining what it is. However, it did mean I could go and copy the source of a website and begin to play about with it.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I think the problem with new technology and a slightly fossilized brain is that I need to get an understanding of terms used. I remember my father becoming infuriated with his mac because he couldn't create a document, he kept just making folder after folder. Essentially, it was a question of understanding the language. In macspeak a document was a file. At least I think it was if my memory serves me right. Obviously, in his eyes a file didn't sound anything like what he was after.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I have also been getting much better acquainted with Word 2010. I have heard so many complaints from friends who prefer the old layout. I even ended up buying a book on the subject and again it is a question of language. I think because new products keep being produced, the manufacturers feel changing the labelling is something that should also be done. But it is infuriating trying to work out what mindset they work under. For ages I couldn't find the spellcheck because it was under the review menu. It turns out that the band across the top (with all the dropdown menus) is called the ribbon. To us old enough to remember, that smacks of a typewriter. It is not the technology that foxes people, it is the language it is labelled with.</div><div>
<br /></div><div> </div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-48149346498282566812011-09-02T00:24:00.001-07:002011-09-02T00:31:40.682-07:00I have been trying to build a new websiteEveryone tells me how easy it is. I am not actually building the website from scratch, but have been doing it through weebly. The trouble is I am too impatient. I just want it to look and work properly without having to learn how to do it. And I want a great deal of control over the text.<div>
<br /></div><div>Anyway, my first attempts can be viewed at <a href="http://www.nodoff.co.uk">www.nodoff.co.uk</a>. The text reads remarkably like the home page on the Publishing Cupboard website. That is because I just copied it.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I used a wedding theme website but I don't like the block capitals of the site name. Apparently I can change theme at the drop of a bouquet, but not the chosen type style.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>If anyone out there who visits websites has any advice to offer on what they like to find on one, please leave a comment. I am not even sure if websites are even such a big deal anymore.</div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-63630701717510666312011-08-26T00:34:00.000-07:002011-08-26T00:45:21.433-07:00I must apologise ...For doing the unforgivable in blogdom. Disappearing without a trace. <div>
<br /></div><div>A lot has changed since we got back to Glasgow. I realise now that e- is the future of books. Not all books, but I rest my case on what my neighbour said.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Her husband (like most men) is a gadget kid. He gets tablets for free from his work. His wife (like most women) is a technofraid. Yet she has read more books on her ipad in the last few months than she had done the whole previous year. Her 8 year old son is licking them off the tablet. Both still claim to love physical books. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>In a world of e-ase, e-books are the future. Just the cherished ones will make it onto paper. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>I don't think we should weep and wail. There are too many other things to get worked up about. It is just the way it is.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>This seismic shift might mean that the truly good stuff is treated with respect and books aren't treated as opportunities to discount.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Anyway, nice to be back.</div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-1491637054910734112011-07-14T00:47:00.000-07:002011-07-14T01:00:38.653-07:00Settled into the Italian grooveIt seems like the eurozone debt crisis has arrived in Italy but you would not know it from talking to Italians. I read it in the international edition of The Times. It is also fascinating following the Murdoch crisis. The family is definitely protecting R Wade which no doubt infuriates the ex workforce at the News of the World who were sacrificed with such apparent ease. I wonder what twists and turns will come about.<br /><br />But for now ciao ciao.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-50734453603944664662011-07-07T13:30:00.000-07:002011-07-07T13:41:11.458-07:00L'Armadio revisitedI've fallen foul of not keeping up with the blog but it's been hectic getting ready for the annual relocation to Lake Como. Anyway, the next post will be from there. <div><br /></div><div>I just read about Rupert Murdoch pulling the plug on News of the World. Seems very shocking.</div><div><br /></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-3692833228184807952011-06-22T03:46:00.000-07:002011-06-22T03:53:42.952-07:00Clogging up the ether with rubbishWill there come a point of e-saturation? Here is an interesting <a href="http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2011/06/21/spamazon/">article </a>by Laura Miller about the rubbish piling up on the kindle store shelves.<div><br /></div><div>It does pose an interesting question. If you have a shop full of what might be termed e-rubbish, does it make people turn to the likes of Waterstone's or The Book Depository to ensure some sort of e-quality control?</div><div><br /></div><div>Might it be an opportunity for a proper e-book shop to carve out a niche where only quality-controlled e-books are stocked?</div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-588903919602424122011-06-20T07:52:00.000-07:002011-06-20T08:43:21.402-07:00Plain and simple fights backForget about Smart phones that seem to have a life of their own, why not try one of <a href="http://www.johnsphones.com/">these</a>? <div><br /></div><div>There are too many geeks out there showing us how clever they are and forgetting what the customer actually wants.</div><div><br /></div><div>More and more it looks like what we want are the pros of technology but in its most pared down form. Our minds are going into overload with all the gizmos, passwords, passwords for passwords and new tweaks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is John's phone the technological equivalent to a pencil?</div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-2427991379464266162011-06-20T02:53:00.000-07:002011-06-20T03:02:42.649-07:00Is Facebook Yesterdaybook?The other day my daughter told me that my niece was deactivating her facebook. The reason? She was fed up of reading about other people's wonderful lives. I can empathise with this. The social media existence of today makes out that everyone else is having a ball. For those of us who are not, it can be stressful.<div><br /></div><div>And since I heard that bit of news, I keep coming across other people switching off their facebook pages. As I have never understood mine, I am feeling rather relieved that I might never bother having to get to grips with it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another friend told me about her grandson and his attempts to get into college. As soon as he had been accepted he twittered the news. No doubt is 3,000 followers were as relieved as his grandma.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now call me a cynic but how does a 16-year old boy find 3,000 followers? Is twitter playing the facebook game? Just substitute 'followers' for 'friends'. A design to bolster the twitterer and keep them twittering even more to their invisible band of followers?</div><div><br /></div><div>The internet can do scary stuff with your mind and well-being. Let's get back to having coffee and climbing trees (if you are under a certain age of course).</div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-44797709627424454962011-06-15T00:50:00.000-07:002011-06-15T01:38:36.982-07:00The gaps in bloggingIf you are like me, you have quite a tight knit blogging circuit that you drop in on. And when someone goes quiet on the blogging front it can be a slight source of exasperation if you have had no prior warning. Or if you don't arrange cover as does the frighteningly efficient blogger <a href="http://meandmybigmouth.typepad.com/">Scott Pack</a> who seems to be the only man I know who can apply womanly juggling skills to his working life. If he is going offblog, he marshals a series of guest bloggers to plug the gap.<div><br /></div><div>And yet it is often what is said in passing that is often the most telling part of the blog. I was pleased to see the <a href="http://www.fidrabooks.co.uk/blog/?p=930#comments">Fidra </a>blog back after a gap of 6 months. But what happened to the previously feted Andrew? Why has he gone when not long ago he was painting the windows and walls with wonderful characters from books? Whilst not actually saying anything other than he had gone and how the best people to run the bookshop are the owners, it left me wondering. Perhaps under blogging etiquette this is something that shouldn't be allowed. Remember, the internet can be a very unforgiving place and one should strive not to do harm to anyone either in thought, word or deed. The yogi in me thinks that we should add 'or online'.</div><div><br /></div><div>This seems to be the curse of the blog. One moment we are sharing a blogger's knitting skills and pictures of a blissful family life. Then it goes ominously quiet. When the blogger resurfaces several months down the line we find out in passing about the divorce and custody battle. The difference is that visitors get to share the good times (often ad nauseum) but are pretty much shut out of the darker times.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now me, I'm just a negative bastard all of the time. Never fear, visitors, things usually can only get worse. </div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-56440225700692799482011-06-07T00:19:00.001-07:002011-06-07T00:27:57.370-07:00Go, Waterstone's, goWell, HMV has managed to successfully <a href="http://www.cityam.com/news-and-analysis/hmv-signs-new-220m-loan-facility">refinance </a>which means the Waterstone's sale is secure and James Daunt will take the helm in a few weeks time. This is a great opportunity for W to really muscle its presence back on the high street and make terrestrial book buying cool.<div><br /></div><div>All it needs is power to the staff in the shops. They are the ones on the firing line and know what is at stake. </div><div><br /></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-4670469857915929402011-06-06T06:58:00.000-07:002011-06-06T07:16:41.853-07:00Yoga in Partick, GlasgowToday I have my yoga hat on. If anyone is around in Glasgow on Saturday 11th June (10am to 12.30pm), I am teaching a yoga session in St Peter's Hall, Partick. It is just round the corner from <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=google+maps+st+peters+partick+glasgow&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=st+peters&hnear=0x488845c2c8264e47:0xe1248a21d0fa0bb2,Partick,+Glasgow+City&cid=8130353391599003904">St Peter's Church.</a> The entrance is in Chancellor St. <div><br /><div><div>Discover how a few simple sequences can:</div><div><ul><li>keep your joints healthy</li><li>build core strength for good posture</li><li>calm an overworked mind</li></ul></div><div>The morning includes a short introduction to yoga and the benefits it can bring. It ends with a 20-minute relaxation session. There will be 15 minutes afterwards for any questions.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Suitable for all levels and all bodies</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Cost: £11</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Equipment: Please bring a mat or towel to lie on and something to keep you warm for the relaxation session (socks, fleece, blanket, etc)</div><div><br /></div><div>Contact: To book a place or find out more, phone Caroline on 0141 248 4780 or email caroline@publishingcupboard.co.uk</div></div></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-75652931605360448132011-05-28T00:00:00.000-07:002011-05-28T00:12:29.633-07:00Let's hope HMV are in good enough shapeStill rather unsettling times on the Waterstone's front. Everybody is hugely positive about the sale to Mamut with James Daunt at the helm. However the deal still needs to be done. The most telling sentence in a recent article in the bookseller was this:<br /><br />'The HMV Group said banks were supportive of the disposal but warned that if it could not renegotiate its debt, the sale would not go ahead.'<br /><br />Perhaps publishers should encourage their staff to buy some cds from HMV to boost their coffers.Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6707669134344417087.post-29440444503458675032011-05-24T03:47:00.000-07:002011-05-24T03:58:16.946-07:00Exam stress on the increaseThe mind can be a very cruel place. Worry can seep into all its dark recesses and make your life a living hell if you don't get a grip on it. That is where yoga is a very useful tool. Often it is the 'mind-view' of something that makes the reality worse. On a pathetic level, it is what I experienced with the Kilimanjaro of ironing that lived in our home. In effect it took a couple of evenings to clear but what a difference it made to my mind. I was virtually skipping today.<div><br /></div><div>If that is what ironing can do to my life, imagine the horrors of a teenage mind riddled with <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8527066/Middle-class-student-exam-stress-creating-mental-health-timebomb.html">exam</a> angst? Breathing and a good night's sleep are paramount in the fight for mind control. And to help in the fight we have all the Nod offs discounted for the rest of the month. Yes, I need to sell these wonderful products to clear some mind space for myself. </div><div><br /></div><div>They really are good to relax you. P&p is free within the UK.</div><div><br /></div>Carolinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07521579421151243501noreply@blogger.com0