C.E. Jottings

Thinking personally about adult services - in 2002

When the picture was taken that sits on my desk of my daughter Sarah stood next to Dr Hari, Sarah would have been about 11 years old. Today she is 29, and doing splendidly living apart from Mum and Dad, with two friends, in accommodation of her own. We are very proud of her and know what a difference Conductive Education has made to her life. That's just to put into context the piece that follows, found while trawling for... Read more →

The woman who changed her brain - in 1978

Coincidentally, another 'brain' piece. (Yesterday, I posted about an Observer article Who's in charge - you or your brain?) This time a piece from the author of the recently published "The woman who changed her brain" (which I haven't read, btw, just this article "Why I wrote 'The Woman who changed her brain'"), Barbara Arrowsmith-Young. The writer, recounting her own experiences, seems to understand implicitly that her success was 'self-taught', with an emphasis on 'taught', implying teaching and learning, albeit... Read more →

Who's in charge – you or your brain? | Science | The Observer

The brain… it makes you think. Doesn't it? Are we governed by unconscious processes? Neuroscience believes so – but isn't the human condition more complicated than that? Two experts offer different views. (From today's Observer) Make up your own mind. Unless, of course, with you, that's an unconscious process. Read more →

Dr Hari in Sheffield

Sarah's home for the weekend and wants to get out shopping. Of course. Just checked in to this blog account to find a mystery solved. Great! But an insistent daughter gives me only a moment now for thanks for responses to an earlier post. The post was of a picture of Dr Hari at a Sheffield summer school. I wondered who the conductor was behind Sarah. I'm delighted to be able to thank Zoltán Kósa and Krisztina Jankóné Szeredás (then... Read more →

So what's a Chief Executive worth in the voluntary sector?

As a member of the NCVO, we recently received our 'Member Edition' of "The UK Civil Society Almanac 2012". What a treasure trove of civil society data it is. I'm tempted to quote some statistics ... "Did you know, for instance ..." but will resist the temptation. Except for one statistic. Pay and Chief Executives. So how much do you think the average Chief Executive gets paid? While you ponder that, bear in mind an often quoted statistic that a... Read more →