Robert Court
Retired in 2006. Interest include financial investing and meeting people from all sorts of backgrounds. I am determined to write a book and get it published within 12 to 36 months.
Location The tiny island of Gozo, Malta, E.U.
Activity
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Robert Court replied to Graham Morris
@GrahamMorris Hi! I didn't go to University until I was 35. I was very lucky in that I had both a basic grant plus a mature students grant. On top of this I had a part-time job from my second day at University. I was supposed to go to either Canada or the U.S.A. in my third year but an opportunity came up to study in Denmark and I took it. It was an...
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Dear Elisabetta...…. I believe that the European Parliament is beginning to have more powers and voting for M.E.P.s shall gradually mean that the voice of us ordinary people shall be heard. At first the E.U. Parliament was a farce as it had zero powers but now it has.
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Robert Court replied to S. W.
@S.W. Hello there! One of the saddest things about leaving the E.U> shall be the ability of ordinary students (not from wealthy families) to travel abroad to study under the ERASMUS scheme.
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Robert Court replied to S. W.
@AndrewWebb I agree to a certain extent, but the U.K. is/to be was one of the strongest economies in the E.U. (after Germany but of a similar size to France and Italy). The loss of the U.K. to the E.U. will be substantial and looked upon with glee by some people such as Putin. A weaker 'western' Europe will increase the influence of Russia.
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A very good analogy :)
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I have to admit that the diversity of cheese within the E.U. has brought me a huge degree of pleasure and enhanced my feeling of cultural identity within the E.U. It seems that not many people appreciate the contribution that cheese has made to economic and social integration. I cannot imagine living in the UK devoid of good cheeses (I don't live there...
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Robert Court made a comment
I think that each country sees history from a different perspective. A German cannot perceive WW2 from the same perspective as another country that has been bombed or over-run by the Germans. All we can do is agree that what happened was evil and that by coming together in 'An ever and ever closer Union' (as per the Treaty of Rome [1956?]) we can define what...
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@MarjoleineH My palette is very cheese orientated. Sorry, I had felt an overwhelming urge to say it! :)
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Robert Court made a comment
Maybe. We share conflicts between different European countries. These have sometimes united yo and sometimes divided us. Where one European country has overthrown another European country it has often imposed its own culture on the defeated country. Borders have also changed dramatically, though the beaten people have tried to retain their own culture. A...
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By the way I look at both the UK and the E.U. from a slightly different perspective to most Europeans. My 'roots' are genetically European (English father, Welsh mother) but I was born in Kampala, Uganda. I spent my formative years, in Uganda and India, a short time in the UK, then the Congo, then to Malta, then back to boarding school in England etc. I do...
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This is true. In the U.K. for example, England has to help support Wales. If Wales had its own currency it would fall in comparison with the GBP. However, Wales has benefited by direct regional aid from the E.U. which makes Wales 'free' from any constraints as direct aid from Westminster (the UK's seat of power) The USA is split into states that can raise...
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Robert Court made a comment
There is definitely a difference of culture between east and west and north and south. We can compare this to England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland. Each has it's own culture and identity but each country is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The same goes for the E.U. We are firstly what are nationality dictates...
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It sounds like a very interesting course but I've already found that doing more than one course at a time doesn't work for me - it's just too much and means I get overloaded!
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Robert Court made a comment
The accountant who spends most of his time engrossed in figures and appears to have a boring existence who also loves water-skiing and sky diving in his time away from work.
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Robert Court made a comment
I found that being the narrator made it easier to build up the character I was interacting with.
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Robert Court made a comment
My character became slightly different as I used the different methods to describe him.
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Robert Court replied to Colin Topley
It's probably because some of us haven't completed the exercises and are getting behind!
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Robert Court made a comment
Maybe science fiction allows one the luxury of not doing much research as you can change the historical facts and social norms to suit yourself. Science fiction based on some sense of reality can be quite interesting as one can place a character(s) in unusual circumstances and see how they react.
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I suppose that writing about something in the not too distant past could cause some problems if we forget what life was like without mobile phones and no internet. I remember having to use something called a telephone box!
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Robert Court made a comment
Research frightens me. I lack any solid feel for history apart from the 20th century and when I was taught some American history it didn't exactly go back that far in time. I prefer the snippets of history that have had a more direct bearing on my own life. Where would I start my research? I suppose using the internet is a good tool to pick up some...
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Robert Court made a comment
I'm not using a note book at the moment but trying to jot down the occasional thoughts in a word document. I know I should be using one but not in the right frame of mind for the moment. I've struggled just to write the short assignment but was cheered up by the reviews and constructive criticism.
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Robert Court made a comment
Kate D'Alessandro. Thank you for the time you spent on my short piece of writing. Your comments were most helpful.
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Robert Court made a comment
Thank you Kate for the time you spent reviewing my short piece. I entirely agree with your comment about the ending - I should have left the main character in a different state of mind.
How dare she barge into his home and order him around when he only wanted to be left alone!? -
Robert Court made a comment
Over the past few years I have 'lost' my ability to write. I now know that this isn't true; I only have to make the effort to write and what I write shall gradually improve.
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Robert Court made a comment
I enjoy writing succinctly so I enjoyed the edited version. I want to get on with the action of the story and not get bogged down in too much detail.
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Robert Court made a comment
The edited version immediately gets to the point. The weather adds a sense of foreboding while the reader's interest is grabbed by the fact that Hilary has a concealed gun. Why? We don't really care about a detailed description of the weather or what the commuters were wearing. My version was almost identical to the suggested version but I added a few...
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Robert Court made a comment
It was rush hour. It looked as though it was about to pour with rain on the multitude of commuters. As she looked up at the darkening sky Hilary felt the loaded gun under her voluminous coat.
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Robert Court made a comment
I've never used a blog before and feel a little intimidated. I opened an account with tumblr as suggested but have no idea how to use it! This will become a problem with the 500 or more story for others to see it and comment on it.
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Robert Court made a comment
John said: "I remember that in about 1984 there was a violent thunderstorm......"
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There was a violent thunderstorm the previous day that blew a tree onto his car; luckily he wasn't in it. Nevertheless, he wasn't too pleased with the damage and wondered how he was going to get to work. That was the first time he met Anna. They got on the same...
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Robert Court made a comment
At the moment I am lacking inspiration so just writing anything down. I have no plot in my mind but hope that by writing any old thing something will eventually happen. I've enjoyed most of the exercises to do and have felt good about one comment I've had on what I wrote.
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Robert Court made a comment
John felt nervous as he walked up the road leading to the manor. It was beginning to get dark and the friendly sunset was turning into the wolf of darkness. He shivered as the overhanging trees turned into rustling monsters. Why had John been summonsed? Did Sir Frederick know of the feelings he had for his favourite daughter Elizabeth? Surely not as John...
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Robert Court made a comment
I think I'd like to start a story about how a character would feel about going into an unknown situation. The location and time of day and weather would be important to the beginning of the story. As the plot unfolded I would gradually introduce aspects of the personality and description of the character but I'd like the action of the story to hold the...
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Robert Court made a comment
The twilight descended between dog and wolf slowly changing from the familiar into something sinister. The trees turned from green-leaved friends into creepy rustling monsters towering over him. John quickened his step as he made his way home before the dark starless night swallowed him up.
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Robert Court made a comment
Jargon can often use simple language that is specific to a particular group of people but excludes those who are not in that unique 'infoset'. To use this sort of language in a story would mean explaining the phrase in the context rather than explicitly giving the meaning. Two forms of jargon I can think of are those used by lawyers and members of the...
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Robert Court made a comment
John didn't notice the way she looked. He didn't notice what she wore or what shoes she was wearing or the colour of her eyes that might have been or not been behind glasses. Her hair might have been grey because Sheila was no youngster but what shone through was her character. This was no lady to mess with; she was on the ball and not going to miss getting...
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Robert Court made a comment
Greene describes 'Spider' slightly in both a physical and as a character that makes the reader wonder what has happened. Atkinson makes absolutely no indication as to the appearance of Victor but lets you know a lot about him very succinctly over what must have been a fair period of time unless he got engaged to Rosemary within days of meeting her. One...
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Robert Court made a comment
He didn't notice the way she looked. He didn't notice what she wore or what shoes she was wearing or the colour of her eyes that might have been or not been behind glasses. Her hair might have been grey because she was no youngster but what shone through was her character. This was no lady to mess with; she was on the ball and not going to miss getting her...
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Robert Court made a comment
He sat down with a fresh cup of coffee in the peace of his study. Quiet soothing music played in the background. He began to write.
She was on the underground squeezed into a seat with barely enough room to move her elbows. She managed to get out her pen and notebook and pen and started scribbling. At every stop she had to give up as people shoved their...
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Robert Court replied to Robert Court
Thank you Delly. I agree that the author probably has an ulterior motive in such a long description but I still found it to be too 'flowery'. Kathy - I don't like to be deliberately irritated!
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Robert Court made a comment
I prefer to work at home as I find too many distractions if I'm in a coffee shop as somebody is bound to engage me in conversation. . I seem best to be able to concentrate at home and let my imagination run free.
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Robert Court made a comment
I'm trying to remember when I used to write. I think it was late at night and I just couldn't stop until I was totally exhausted. I'd then get up early in the morning so was burning the candle at both ends. I think I can write at any time of the day if I feel inspired. I desperately need the inspiration to get going so probably writing any old rubbish in a...
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Robert Court made a comment
I tried to avoid him as he was obviously drunk. His scruffy beard was wet with whatever he'd been drinking and his good humour was that of a sad person pretending to be happy. Later I looked around the bowling alley where a crowd of friends had been playing. He had gone; slipping away knowing that nobody wished to speak to him.
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Robert Court made a comment
I liked Orwell's description. It allows the reader to imagine the character and appearance of Flory without going into too much detail. I have to admit that I found Heller's description of Sheba too long and rather irritating. I prefer a story to move more quickly and find a long description of what somebody looks like to be rather boring.
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Robert Court made a comment
He was an ex naval officer wearing a rather scruffy beard. He smiled a lot and tried to engage people in conversation but it seemed that people did their best to avoid him. His face seemed red from sitting in the sun but also was an unhealthy blotchy colour. It wasn't just the sun as one could observe the fact that he drank too much. His good cheer masked...
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Robert Court replied to Derek Neale
Feeling really stupid. How do I find my previous posts?
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Robert Court made a comment
I admired the adventurous lives that my mother and father had. They are now both deceased and it has left a hole in my life. As a youngster I lived with them in Uganda and India and the UK and the Congo and Malta. Later in life I lived in poverty in the UK while they continued to make trips to exotic locations on holidays. I supposed I lived in my...
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I had a financial background although I found it so boring that I quit and joined the Army although I later became very interested in investing money! At one stage in my life I taught an aspect of finance and found it very dry. I later went on a few creative writing courses and ended up teaching creative writing which was much more fun. It was a long time...
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Robert Court made a comment
One thing that surprised me was that I didn't particularly notice that any of the authors felt the NEED to communicate; maybe it was an unsaid underlying theme?
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Robert Court made a comment
She was polite and said all the right things but her body language gave her away. She was bored. He could tell that she was trying to find an excuse to leave as soon as possible.
'Don't forget you have to go home and get changed to go riding'.
'Yes' she said and they got up to go. The old man felt sad as they left as he had nobody to talk to. -
Robert Court made a comment
He thought she was quite an attractive woman until he saw the huge rings on her fingers. She would be his next victim and he'd enjoy cutting off her fingers one by one before making himself a nice cup of tea.
Whoops! That's not me - honestly!
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Robert Court made a comment
I was very strict with myself and just wrote three of one and one of the other. I hadn't treated it as a creative writing exercise. Many posts were very interesting but provided many factual or fictional inclusions.
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Robert Court made a comment
3 facts, 1 fiction:
I live in a small terraced house. I have two children. One lives in the UK and one lives in Berlin.
1 fact, 3 fictions:.
I live in a large detached house in Gozo. I have been married twice. I have three children and they all live in Australia.
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Robert Court made a comment
I was brought up and lived in various countries and ended up retiring in the little island of Gozo. I used to write a lot and did an OU creative writing course years ago and recently an OU course in Philosophy (I did ok but it baffled me and can't remember a thing!). I've just moved back into my home which has meant I've missed most of the first week and...
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I agree. For some people the hard work can seem very daunting but must be done to improve mental health. For some even taking a dog for a walk requires a huge effort!
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I agree. The five things to do make good sense but the energy to do even a few of them makes them seem like mountains to climb. One thing at a time and I am sure that progress can be made. It's good to hear that doing courses can help one's mental wellbeing.
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Robert Court made a comment
I've always believed that living in overcrowded urban environments is not good for mental health. I remember as a youngster reading about an experiment where a few rats were put in a large cage with a constant supply of food and water. They bred. They continued to breed. Soon the large cage was packed with hundreds of rats. They became aggressive and...
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Robert Court made a comment
I feel totally torn by the question as to whether one should take psychotic drugs or not. I feel that I have to if the drugs help prevent another manic phase occurring. I hate to be on medication and do not like the side effects which, I believe, cause me to feel like a zombie. I know the drugs only deal with the symptoms and not the root cause but feel...
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For somebody who is mentally ill getting the right medication is important but it doesn't solve the causes of a great deal of mental 'unhealth' - it merely deals with the symptoms. Once the individual is in a fit state to exist without any overt symptoms he/she needs to get involved in activities that promote good mental health - whether this is achieved by...
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Robert Court made a comment
I don't know if this is the right place to post this but on the 'nature versus nurture' side I was speaking to a lady who had twins. They were NOT identical twins. Their personalities are very different although they had the same upbringing so this seems to indicate that their genetic makeup played a big part.
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Robert Court made a comment
Biomedical 22
Psychosocial 30I suppose I feel that one's biological make-up has an important impact and that one's environment can reinforce how you feel about yourself and the world we live in.
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Robert Court made a comment
Labelling can help in certain circumstances. I am not ashamed to say that I am bipolar although I'd like to be in a position not to have to take any medication. For many people it can be dangerous not to take medication - they feel 'fine' and stop taking their meds. and then go into another manic phase which can be dangerous to themselves and other people. ...
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I've only read the executive summary so far but if you read all the suggested material it shall surely take over the indicated 3 hours per week!
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I also agree that the term 'normal' should be broadened; somewhere I read that over 60% of people have suffered some form of clinical depression at some point in their lives so that must make them 'normal'.
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I was about to write exactly the same thing!
However, it can be quite hard for an individual to change his/her understanding of the world overnight.
The half full/ half empty glass is an example - and if my glass is only a third full then that's a lot better than nothing at all!
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Robert Court made a comment
Traumatic events can leave some people in a state of paralysis and unable to 'move on' with life.
Guilt is something that can be self destructive and learning to cope can take a long time before an individual makes progress in adopting a positive attitude. Nature versus Nurture? It seems obvious that both must play an important part in mental health and I... -
Robert Court made a comment
Hello, I am retired and a few years ago I was diagnosed as being bipolar. To understand my condition better I thought it would be a good idea to study this course. It might give me some insights but even if it doesn't regarding myself I hope to find it interesting anyway!
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Robert Court made a comment
As a little boy in East Africa several decades ago I looked in wonder at termite hills towering above me (some were over six feet tall). I've always wondered at the complexity of such a nest and how it compares to the complex society we live in. I feel I am just a termite compared with the world in which I live.
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Robert Court made a comment
Either one of two things:
1.) Zero government regulation so that products and services can be sold without any constraint provided natural laws of justice adhered to (e.g. if you sell poisonous bread you'll be punished).
2.) Total government regulation so that there is complete 'sameness' in products/services (e.g. every loaf of bread is made with...
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Robert Court replied to Samantha Webb
Samantha,
I agree with what you say and would change it only slightly:
1.) For justice there must be LAWS that are agreed to be fair to all members of society so that one person or a group of people can benefit but not cause others to suffer as a result.
2.) The second principle of justice would be that the laws agreed on by the community would have...
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Robert Court replied to Andy Parsons
Hi AP,
I have a BSc from a conventional University and have just started a Philosophy course with the OU (not £6,000 per annum but a little over £2,500). MOOCs seem to be a wonderful concept and I agree with you that they'll have an interesting impact on participating Universities' brands. We shall see...........
Robert
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Robert Court replied to Richard Beales
Richard, you should be 'brandt' (old Norse word that preceded the word 'brand') at the stake! :)
We see on the videos that branding was indeed a way of showing you owned an animal (did Rasputin brand all his ladies on their left buttocks with an 'R'?) even though the word was originally used to mean a bit of burning wood and then a torch.
Come to...
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Robert Court replied to Rachel Lary
We are asked to consider discussing the following:
“Brand is the set of ideas a company or product stands for in people’s minds shaped by that company or product’s actions and recognised through a visual and verbal style .”
I think the definition needs to focus on the word 'purpose' rather than the words 'set of ideas'.
What is the purpose of a...
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Robert Court replied to Paul de Wit
Paul,
Thank you for your post; one of the most thought provoking yet!
I've never consciously gone for brands, but realise they must impact on me subconsciously.
The only brand battle I have mentally is 'PC or APPLE'?
Here it's impossible to legally get BBC iplayer tv on a pc while you can get it on an Apple ipad or whatever.
Hmmm.
It does...
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Robert Court replied to Helena Gillespie
I had visions of 'CourtJester' becoming global, but I couldn't even successfully market it as a local brand. :(
There is a financial rag called 'Motley Fool' that has the same concept; i.e. that the fool aka Court Jester was the only sane person in Shakespeare's plays such as 'Macbeth'.
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Robert Court replied to Scott McLeod Maddox
I also agree on Marathon. The adoption of 'Snickers' was obviously a huge branding project to make the brand more acceptable in a global context. Have you heard about the Mitsubishi 'Pajero'? It didn't sell very well in South America as it apparently means something VERY rude in Spanish!
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Robert Court replied to Judith Baller
Judith,
Surely some of the brands named were ones many of us would have never heard of (e.g. the Japanese clothing brand)? Some brands might be well known in a particular country and totally unknown internationally. Once a brand like Coca-Cola or McDonalds has established almost 'universal' branding then that brand (as indicated) is worth a huge sum of...
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Robert Court replied to Emily Walker
Hi Emily,
We haven't really done anything yet but there are lots of interesting posts.
I agree totally with your comment re. the design and control of a brand should be fun.
Don't you just hate 'Barbie' dolls?
Maybe we could design and control the branding of an 'Emily' doll? :P
~tongue in cheek~
Robert
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Robert Court replied to Karen Owens
Hi Karen and Anthony,
I have just started a Philosophy course with the OU and it begins with a discussion about the 'Self'. Strange to think that Philosophy and branding might have a deep connection!
Cheers!
Robert
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Robert Court replied to Robert Jones
Hi Robert,
I was born in Uganda (English father, Welsh mother) and lived or worked in five continents.
I've been married (and divorced) three times: to an Irish girl, then a German 'frau', then lastly to an American 'southern belle' from the bible belt of the good old USA.
I retired to the small island of Gozo (Malta) in January 2006 and hope to live...
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Robert Court replied to Simon Westgate
Hi Simon and Penny,
My name's Robert and in 1993/1994 I did a few final year options in Marketing.
I find it interesting that the brand name of successful brands often have nothing to do with their product or service. My surname is Court and I started a company (now trying to wind it down as I never got it off the ground) and I decided to call it...
