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I’m not talking about the concept of freedom, just by the by. I’m talking about time management software called ‘Freedom’. Glad we’ve cleared that up. Don’t want to be starting a revolution over here.
Freedom is a very small but very handy piece of software available for both Windows and OSX. The software has a single purpose, and that is to turn off your Internet for a specified period of time, thus freeing you up to do more important things. It’s FREEDOM, get it?!
To give you an indication of why I personally needed this software, here’s how my time management goes at present:
09:00 - So let’s turn on the computer. I’m going to do SO FREAKING MUCH writing today.
09:02 - I’ll just check Twitter really quick, see if anyone @replied to any of my witty banter from last night. No replies. But a retweet. And a favourite! Must thank them. Ohh, look, a new post from my favourite writer friend! I’ll just go read that. Ohh, look! Google Reader has new posts from more writer types. I’ll just check those out. Won’t take a minute. Oh hey, a new video from my favourite TGWTG contributor is up! Ohh, what’s that post about the state of publishing in the advent of eReaders? I’d better read that. Could be important. Oh, what a charming picture of a dog wearing a party hat on Facebook. Must share that! Wait, is that a new trailer for that film I really want to see?! I must watch this right now. It can’t wait. Hey, look, new videos from my favourite YouTubers. Go on then, I’ll just watch a couple. Oh look, something that I’ve already seen a million times is now available on NetFlix! I’m really in the mood for a specific brand of comedic adventures right now. Mustn’t forget to check my e-mails: might have some beta reader responses. No responses, but look! New listed items on eBay! Oh hey, Tumblr! Look at that animated gif! That’s the most clever and witty animated gif I’ve ever seen in my entire online life. I must reblog it.
15:00 – Shit.
You could turn around and say:
Hey, here’s an idea. Why don’t you just unplug your Ethernet cable for an hour instead?
To which I’d say:
Hey, here’s a retort. You try crawling around under a desk that’s got a weeks’ worth of post under it, plus a pair of fingerless gloves you bought yourself on impulse before realising how ridiculous they are.
I could always unplug it from the top, cut it off at the source, you may be thinking. Well…
That's it, behind the AMALGAMATION OF SHIT.
Besides, if you’re living in a household where the Internet is shared, unplugging anything could plunge the whole house into darkness, and that, well that would just be chaos, and nobody wants that.
Enough of your life story. Nobody cares. What does Freedom actually DO?
In a nutshell, you tell Freedom how long you would like to work distraction-free, put in your minutes (up to 8 hours), click OK, and you’re done.
Your PC/Mac loses all its networking facilities for the amount of time you specified.
There is no way to undo this decision, short of restarting your machine.
The intention is that you will take the opportunity of “freedom” from the big, bad, alluring Internet to work.
Why not just do it manually?
Granted, it is a relatively simple task to manually turn off your Internet (particularly on the Mac – you click, Turn AirPort Off, and BOOM, gone), turning it back on when you’re done with your creative genius. The problem with this is that you are still the one in control of your Internet access. There’s no point turning off your Internet with the very best of intentions, only to turn around 3 minutes later and turn it back on “just to check for one e-mail”, thus starting the cycle all over again.
Freedom takes away the chance to relapse.
You tell it what you want to. It stops you from deviating from it.
Any downsides?
This isn’t so much a downside, more of a warning: The software is only useful if you are aware of its purpose.
An example of what I mean by that:
I have a PC, a Mac, an iPhone and an iPad. I have purchased a Freedom licence for both PC and Mac, meaning that – should I feel it necessary – I could run it on both computers simultaneously, thus taking out any chance of turning to the Internet on those. However, it wouldn’t take that much effort to lean over and pick up my phone, and then I’ll be off on the Information Superhighway faster than you can blink.
You need to remind yourself that there’s a reason you can’t get onto the Internet right now. The software is only as strong as your self control.
Also, I have a personal issue with this program, considering I can’t even think about the word “Freedom” without getting this is my head:
...or something to that effect.
Yeah. But that aside, Freedom is a great, simple little app that does exactly what it says on the tin.
There really isn’t much else to say other than it works.
I mean, it’s nothing spectacular, but then it doesn’t have to be. It has a purpose to serve, and it serves it perfectly.
Rating: 
You can buy Freedom from the developer’s web site, including free trial versions for both PC and Mac versions, enable 5 free uses before deciding whether to hand over your heard earned dolla.
(I’ve written this post as a means of procrastination so as not to have to work on my current WIP. The irony is not lost on me. Freedom is going on as soon as I’ve posted. Promise!)
After what feels like a lifetime of wating, the immensely popular writing software Scrivener has finally been released on Windows systems.
There isn’t much else I can say except if you like Scrivener for Mac, and you have a PC, you will want this software.
And if you only have a PC, or for whatever inexplicable reason, you’ve never used Scrivener on your Mac before, you will still want to get this software. With a 30 day non-consecutive trial, what do you have to lose?
I originally talked about Ommwriter a while ago, but since there’s new versions for both the PC and iPad out now, I figured it might be worth taking another look, especially for those who missed it the first time.
Before I start, I just wanted to say that this software is free*.
Now I have your attention for a little longer, let’s continue…
First, go watch the trailer if you haven’t seen the film, get an idea about what you’re about to read (reload the page if the video doesn’t show):
As a commenter of YouTube pointed out: “When a trailer has no dialogue, you know you’re in for a treat.”
When you’re done crying into your Rice Krispies, let’s get started…
What Are We Watching?
Title: Reign in Darkness
Written By: David W. Allen, Kelly Dolen
Directed By: David W. Allen, Kelly Dolen
Starring: David W. Allen, Kelly Dolen, David No
Synopsis [IMDB]: Molecular biologist Michael Dorn is accidentally infected with a new virus he is developing, turning him and its other victims into a new breed of vampire.
SPOILER ALERT
There be spoilers in this post. Question is: after watching that trailer, do you really think you’d watch this film, and therefore, will spoilers matter?
Go watch the trailer first, if you haven’t seen the film.
It should give you an idea of what you’re about to read (if the video doesn’t appear, reload the page):
What Are We Watching?
Title: Repo! The Genetic Opera
Written By: Darren Smith, Terrance Zdunich
Directed By: Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring: Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head and Alexa Vega
Synopsis [IMDB]: A worldwide epidemic encourages a biotech company to launch an organ-financing program similar in nature to a standard car loan. The repossession clause is a killer, however.
WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS!
This post may divulge information integral to the characters and plot of ‘Repo! a Genetic Opera’. While attempts have been made to clearly mark out spoilers, if you haven’t seen this film — and don’t want to risk any key elements being revealed – I’d suggest you stop reading. Like… now.
For those who are ending up here after trying to find a place to watch or download The A Word, please see this post from Lindsay; donate some dough and get yourself a copy from the lady herself.
Student filmmaker Lindsay Ellis’ USC project, The “A” Word, is a documentary focusing on the highly controversial subject of abortion, and the effect it has on the people who go through it.
I watched the project’s progress on Lindsay’s blog as she shared her project’s various stages. From the first moment I learned that she would be openly discussing a subject that the mere mention of the word flares emotions and opinions, I knew I’d want to see the finished product. Add to the fact that the reason she has elected for this subject matter for her documentary because she has been through this herself, well…wow. That takes balls. Big, fat, hairy balls. So I had to get myself a copy of it.
It arrived just the other day, taking less than a week to cross the great pond. I’ve since watched it twice in order to gather my thoughts and opinions on the whole thing, and now I’m going to share.
So sit down, be quiet, and let me tell you all about it.
The documentary follows Lindsay as she seeks out other people who have been through the same experience as her.
What starts as a potentially blase introduction to the subject of abortion quickly submerges into something much deeper.
It also shows the effects that her own experience had on her, the would-be father, and her parents. While it does focus on a number of people who have been affected by abortion in various ways, it is largely a personal experience showing Lindsay coming to terms with her own decision.
I have no shame in admitting that I spent a good portion of the 30 minutes run time either in tears or on the verge of them, and I’m not talking pissy little “Oh no, Mufasa’s dead” kind of tears, I’m talking really vicious and sympathetic tears. Because the problem with doing a documentary on something that touches so very close to home is that it is still difficult to maintain any kind of distance from the subject matter. It shows constantly during Lindsay’s screen time; she spends a lot of it looking almost lost, or just confused. It’s clear that she does not know whether the decision she made was the right thing to do.
When life throws you lemons, turn to Jesus.
The documentary also highlights the fact that there is little support for women after they have decided to terminate a pregnancy, other than in the solace of God, which assumes that people will regret their decisions. This leads to some of the most moving and also the harshest content in the film: while at an anti-abortion rally and after hearing others speak up about their experiences, Lindsay decides to speak herself. The emotion behind her eyes and in her voice are nigh on impossible to put into words.
The whole film is very raw, very upfront, and it doesn’t hold back for the sake of the sensitive matters being discussed.
Is it perfect? No, of course not. I had some sound level issues throughout, and I would’ve appreciated subtitles in these parts. There were also some scenes, particularly the transitionary ones, that I felt were added purely for effect. Some worked well, others did not.
But overall, the documentary covered the spectrum of reasons behind abortion, allowed open and frank discussion of both sides of the matter, and granted time for everyone to say their piece. It managed to do so without coming across as preachy on either side, and the vast majority of the scenes had genuine emotion that practically emanated through the screen.
The film closes on the valid point that abortion isn’t really about political points and pro-lifer protests. Its implications rest solely on the shoulders of the women who go through it, the people they involve, and their lives as a result.
“The ‘A’ Word” is well worth a watch. It is interesting, insightful, and most of all, it’s very honest.
Rating:
The ‘A’ Word is something you should really see in order to fully understand. If you would like to grab yourself a copy, while simultaneously helping Lindsay and the production team in their efforts to get “The ‘A’ Word” onto the film festival circuit, please check out her blog here.
(I’m well aware that Lindsay is probably best known online as The Nostalgia Chick of TGWTG.com (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out my Procrastination Station on TGWTG.). I’m sure Lindsay appreciates how this persona has brought much additional attention for her unrelated projects, but this was separate to her work for Channel Awesome, which is why I made no mention of it. Until now. Oops.)
When I was a little girl, I – like most girls – had a mild obsession with dolphins, from adopting one (that’s the actual one I adopted: you go adopt him, too!), to cuddly toys, PlayMobil, about a hundred posters and even the Read Your Own Adventure books featuring dolphins and Atlantis (funnily enough, Atlantis seems to be synonymous with dolphins, but I’ll get to that later).
So when I learned there was an entire video game about a dolphin, where you could leap and dance and sing and play and all other such larks, I couldn’t get it quick enough.
Seventeen years on, this game still haunts me. Let me tell you all about it…
While “shopping” for new WordPress themes to ease my mild obsession with this site’s design, I came across a site demonstrating a lovely theme called Vikiworks v5. While ultimately I have chosen not to use this theme (it doesn’t currently support widgets, something I can’t really do without), I also started to read some of the creator’s blog and read a post about a game she had come across called Machinarium. Drawn in by its visually stunning screenshots, I went onto the site, and I was hooked.
The game is a basic point-and-click style adventure game, whereby you – a little robot left of the scrap heap – have to journey through the world, using objects and interacting with the scenery in order to get free. While in theory it’s very simple, that’s not to say that the game itself isn’t a challenge. Some of the puzzles just in the demo that I’ve played really had me scratching my head.
I haven’t purchased the full game yet (I have less than £10 to my name at the minute -_- ), but I wholeheartedly recommend you play at least the demo, featuring the full first level of the game, which can be played on the site: Machinarium.
It’s by no means easy, but you can’t die, and there’s no time limit, so if you feel like a bit of puzzling madness, give this game a try!
I’m still trying to find that perfect writer’s software. Scrivener is doing pretty well for the majority of things writing, if not everything, but being a terrible procrastinator as well as a complete pushover when it comes to anything shiny, I still want to try new things.
The last thing I tried and tested was Write or Die, which I used for NaNo, where it was important to get as many words as you could possibly spew out in the shortest amount of time. And it worked for that, and worked well. I never realised how much time I actually just staring at my screen until I used this, where every 30 or seconds, WoD started to beep at me because I wasn’t typing anything.
OmmWriter, Mac-based writing software, is pretty much the exact opposite of Write or Die. The idea of OmmWriter according to its web site is to restore the bond between writer and his/her tools, to make you enjoy the very process of writing, instead of just writing to reach your goal.
While it is in essence just notepad with a background and some music/sounds, you really do get a sense of stillness, of oneness between you, the writer, and your work while you are using it.
If you get the feeling you are losing touch with your writing, I’d suggest giving OmmWriter a go.
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