Blackberry

We have just finished a day of training for NGOs about interacting with MSPs and getting your point across. The one simple thing that stuck in my head - one of those "that seems so obvious now" moments is that briefings should be in the body of of the email, rather than as an attachment - why? so MSPs can read it on their blackberries.

Sexy Politics?

I'm not really a shoe kind of girl (unless they come fitted with sticky rubber that is), so I guess that the recently launched politicsandthecity.com isn't really aimed at me - but that didn't stop me being initially cynical. What is it with trying to make politics sexy? Why the need for glamour? I prefer my politicians to be hard working and reliable, over stylish and sexy.

Then I went away and got a grip. The first step down this path was considering the most excellent Light from the North Blog, which combines some of my favourite things; climbing and politics. But what if I liked shopping over climbing, the city over the mountains, celebrity gossip over UKC? That wouldn't make me any better or worse, or mean I cared less about the world around me, would it?

Time to get down of my reverse high horse and weird moral superiority and admit that sexy glamorous people have just as much right to politics as the badly dressed geeks. I might be in awe of people who can accessories, but that doesn't mean they have no place here. A complete change of opinion then - I'm even going to stick June's blog on the feeds.

Motivations

If I was down with the kids I'd be using the word psyched, but it's time to accept that those days are now gone, if they had ever existed. Instead I'm using a word I have always had trouble with - motivation.

Generally me and motivation have a strained relationship. I'm not sure why, but I have always thought of motivation as something for other people. For me it's a bit nebulous and hard to grasp - and once you have (eventually?) worked out what you want - how does motivation help you get there? I'm still not really sure.

What I am currently finding is that I'm climbing more - and getting better. Having people to climb with helps. Actually going out climbing helps, and maybe motivation is like rabbits - it breeds.

Inspirations have come from a few places recently;

• Troutdale Pinnacle: I'm better than I think I am.
• Someone I never met climbing 8a: The gist is, farily average climber, who set a goal, worked and met it.
• Someone I never met climbing E1: stepping outside the comfort zone.
• People I do know climbing well: friends who challenge your preconceptions by making it look stylish and easy