In England we turn the clocks back twice a year Andy, come stay a while and see if things don't improve. Since Lambert got himself cornered by the dog on the yacht I have been thinking of a temporary replacement since his varicose is troubling him greatly on account of unbridled blood flow. Also I think Cook would relish a new challenger.
With regard to a pile of books assisting ones swing, I have actually trialled this since reading of it here in this thread.
I started by piling some goodly novels in front of the screen so as to completely obsure my view, and then taking my shot by the much vaunted "feel" alone. This wasn't what even the most optimistic would call a success and so I decided there must be more to the theory of which I was not currently privvy. By degree, I lowered my goodly stack (I'm talking of books now SM- I know what you're thinking) and revealed more and more of the screen. I came to the point where I could finally see the meter bar and called a halt there being as how I still by definition had to have a pile of books in order to take advantage of this particular aid idea. I found to my surprise that by following the power bar on the meter as it travelled with inexorability back toward the ding line, if I timed it just so, I could achieve a ding. I therefore submit that by stacking a pile of books judisciously below your line of sight, you too will be able at times to do the same.
There is a flaw however, at least in my own case, and that is that with such a pile of interest before my eyes I can rarely keep my attention on the ding line rather than perusing the books themselves. I would suggest that because of this, anyone who tries this method should choose books of a genre that has no interest whatever. In most male cases I suspect this would include various manuals, maps, and books on the female psyche. In my case I am actively seeking such books as declare themselves helpful in the way of immediate prose and brevity...
Lizzie xx