Happy New Year.
I thought I'd share this video I made a couple of days ago. In it I talk about my 2015, which as the title suggests has been an interesting one to say the least.
I hope your own 2015 has been a little less hectic and eventful, unless that was for all the right reasons of course.
The blog post I mentioned can be found here: http://andymooseman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/another-year-over.html
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Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Saturday, 2 January 2016
Thursday, 1 January 2015
Another Year Over......
...... And a new one just begun.
I've written about, or at least referenced, New Year resolutions quite enough over the past few days. But there's always room for at least one new angle on a particular topic and this is one I personally think is very relevant to most, if not all, of us.
It concerns a blog post that I became aware of a few months ago and I know it's one that has generated quite a lot of publicity since it was first written back in 2009.
That blog post was written by an Australian ex palliative care nurse, Bronnie Ware, and is called "Regrets Of The Dying".
When I first discovered it I shared it via social media, but at that time I only saw the headline list of those regrets. Those being:
1 - I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2 - I wish I didn't work so hard.
3 - I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4 - I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5 - I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Although that list stayed with me, it wasn't until recently that I actually read the complete post which expands on those five main points and explains more about the reasons for the regrets of those patients in Bronnie Ware's care.
As she writes in that original post "For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives..... When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again." Hence that list above.
If you've not read the full post, I suggest you do.
When you have, I've no doubt that at least some of those five regrets will jump out at you and make you ponder, they certainly did for me.
I consider myself to be very lucky in that I have done quite a lot in my life that I am proud of, and have done things that many others haven't. But that doesn't mean that I don't have much that I still want to achieve, or at least try to do, in the future.
I also know that there is one point on that list that requires attention.....
I think it's probably unrealistic for anyone to do everything they want to do with their life, however hard we try, for a variety of reasons. But if you at least have the courage to try, even if you fail, those ultimate regrets will be fewer in number.
None of us can change our past, as much as we may want to. But we do have an opportunity to change our future, so why not do it and what better time to start than now? It is a new year after all.
Bronnie Ware's post ends with these words, "Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness."
What are you waiting for?
PS: Bronnie Ware has since expanded on that original blog post and written a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
I've written about, or at least referenced, New Year resolutions quite enough over the past few days. But there's always room for at least one new angle on a particular topic and this is one I personally think is very relevant to most, if not all, of us.
It concerns a blog post that I became aware of a few months ago and I know it's one that has generated quite a lot of publicity since it was first written back in 2009.
That blog post was written by an Australian ex palliative care nurse, Bronnie Ware, and is called "Regrets Of The Dying".
When I first discovered it I shared it via social media, but at that time I only saw the headline list of those regrets. Those being:
1 - I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2 - I wish I didn't work so hard.
3 - I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4 - I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5 - I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Although that list stayed with me, it wasn't until recently that I actually read the complete post which expands on those five main points and explains more about the reasons for the regrets of those patients in Bronnie Ware's care.
As she writes in that original post "For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives..... When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again." Hence that list above.
If you've not read the full post, I suggest you do.
When you have, I've no doubt that at least some of those five regrets will jump out at you and make you ponder, they certainly did for me.
I consider myself to be very lucky in that I have done quite a lot in my life that I am proud of, and have done things that many others haven't. But that doesn't mean that I don't have much that I still want to achieve, or at least try to do, in the future.
I also know that there is one point on that list that requires attention.....
I think it's probably unrealistic for anyone to do everything they want to do with their life, however hard we try, for a variety of reasons. But if you at least have the courage to try, even if you fail, those ultimate regrets will be fewer in number.
None of us can change our past, as much as we may want to. But we do have an opportunity to change our future, so why not do it and what better time to start than now? It is a new year after all.
Bronnie Ware's post ends with these words, "Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness."
What are you waiting for?
PS: Bronnie Ware has since expanded on that original blog post and written a book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying.
Wednesday, 3 December 2014
I'm Still Alive.
So here I am over a year since my last post on this particular site and if you happen to care about these things you're probably wondering where the hell I've been?
As it happens I've been busier than ever, but on other sites and with different projects.
My main focus has been with The Stinger magazine, a free independent local music magazine for the Hastings area. I'm the editor of the magazine and we're now building up to publishing our 6th issue in January. Here's a link to our website: The Stinger
I've also been busy with other projects, including my own local music website Pierless Music. You can find that here: Pierless Music
So, if I'm that busy why come back here? Good question and I'm glad you've asked it.
I guess the answer to that is that I feel inspired to do so. As to what has inspired me to start posting here again.... well that will have to wait for a future post, possibly.
All I will say is that inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources and at the most unexpected times.
I've recently found myself writing more frequent posts for the Pierless Music site and scribbling down ideas for other posts as well. All this has got me back into the habit of writing, something that I've had to do over the past year due to my involvement with The Stinger.
Being the editor of the magazine has naturally meant that I've been writing more anyway.
All that other writing has obviously been very music based and generally covering very local content too. Another aspect of this is that when writing for both The Stinger and Pierless Music, I'm not always writing for myself, more for the particular publication or website. Some of these posts are of a personal nature, but not probably the sort of thing I'd think to post here. And anyway, if you wanted to read those posts, you now have the web links to go and do so.
I've no doubt, in fact I know, that some of the posts I publish on here will be at least partly music based. That comes with the territory with me I'm afraid. But I do also intend these posts to be more personal.
I even started a personal Tumblr account some time ago, with the view to writing far more personal blog posts. That never came to anything, which in hindsight may well have been a good thing.
What I'm also hoping to do is to write in a far more 'stream of consciousnes's fashion. In other words, not to think about what I'm writing too much and just let the fingers do the talking and typing. In my experience, that usually leads to a more personal outcome anyway.
My plan is not to re-read, or edit things, too much. When writing for Pierless Music, or The Stinger, I frequently go back over the posts before pressing 'send'. There's a very good reason for that of course, but those reasons don't apply here.
For those who may know me from YouTube, that's something that I used to do there when making vlogs, but I seem to have got out of the habit of doing that, once again.
I do tend to find that both writing and making vlogs becomes a habit, which also means that it's a habit you can quite easily get out of. That's what has happened with my video making. Because I'm now having to write more, rather than record vlogs, that's the way my 'output' has gone.
My stream of ideas for either vlogs, or blog posts, has never dried up. One thing I'm never short of is ideas and topics to talk about. I forget far more ideas than I ever commit to print, or video.
For instance, I had a great idea for a post this morning, the inspiration for which came from something on my Twitter feed.
I promptly forgot what that idea was and only remembered it while walking around my local supermarket, as you do, which meant fumbling for my phone and making a note of what that original idea was.
So, let's see where this takes me this time. As always it's a case of wait and see. This may take off and develop into the kind of personal blog I've been meaning to commit to for a while now, or it could fall flat on its face, once again.
Ultimately though, it doesn't matter. After all it's a personal blog that answers to nobody but me. I just hope I don't disappoint myself along the way.
Thanks for getting this far.
I hope to 'see' you again shortly.
PS: I apologise in advance for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
As it happens I've been busier than ever, but on other sites and with different projects.
My main focus has been with The Stinger magazine, a free independent local music magazine for the Hastings area. I'm the editor of the magazine and we're now building up to publishing our 6th issue in January. Here's a link to our website: The Stinger
I've also been busy with other projects, including my own local music website Pierless Music. You can find that here: Pierless Music
So, if I'm that busy why come back here? Good question and I'm glad you've asked it.
I guess the answer to that is that I feel inspired to do so. As to what has inspired me to start posting here again.... well that will have to wait for a future post, possibly.
All I will say is that inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources and at the most unexpected times.
I've recently found myself writing more frequent posts for the Pierless Music site and scribbling down ideas for other posts as well. All this has got me back into the habit of writing, something that I've had to do over the past year due to my involvement with The Stinger.
Being the editor of the magazine has naturally meant that I've been writing more anyway.
All that other writing has obviously been very music based and generally covering very local content too. Another aspect of this is that when writing for both The Stinger and Pierless Music, I'm not always writing for myself, more for the particular publication or website. Some of these posts are of a personal nature, but not probably the sort of thing I'd think to post here. And anyway, if you wanted to read those posts, you now have the web links to go and do so.
I've no doubt, in fact I know, that some of the posts I publish on here will be at least partly music based. That comes with the territory with me I'm afraid. But I do also intend these posts to be more personal.
I even started a personal Tumblr account some time ago, with the view to writing far more personal blog posts. That never came to anything, which in hindsight may well have been a good thing.
What I'm also hoping to do is to write in a far more 'stream of consciousnes's fashion. In other words, not to think about what I'm writing too much and just let the fingers do the talking and typing. In my experience, that usually leads to a more personal outcome anyway.
My plan is not to re-read, or edit things, too much. When writing for Pierless Music, or The Stinger, I frequently go back over the posts before pressing 'send'. There's a very good reason for that of course, but those reasons don't apply here.
For those who may know me from YouTube, that's something that I used to do there when making vlogs, but I seem to have got out of the habit of doing that, once again.
I do tend to find that both writing and making vlogs becomes a habit, which also means that it's a habit you can quite easily get out of. That's what has happened with my video making. Because I'm now having to write more, rather than record vlogs, that's the way my 'output' has gone.
My stream of ideas for either vlogs, or blog posts, has never dried up. One thing I'm never short of is ideas and topics to talk about. I forget far more ideas than I ever commit to print, or video.
For instance, I had a great idea for a post this morning, the inspiration for which came from something on my Twitter feed.
I promptly forgot what that idea was and only remembered it while walking around my local supermarket, as you do, which meant fumbling for my phone and making a note of what that original idea was.
So, let's see where this takes me this time. As always it's a case of wait and see. This may take off and develop into the kind of personal blog I've been meaning to commit to for a while now, or it could fall flat on its face, once again.
Ultimately though, it doesn't matter. After all it's a personal blog that answers to nobody but me. I just hope I don't disappoint myself along the way.
Thanks for getting this far.
I hope to 'see' you again shortly.
PS: I apologise in advance for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
Thursday, 17 October 2013
A Social Media Policy
Some months ago I wrote a blog post for the Pierless Music site which I run called ‘A Social Media Policy’. The idea was to give bands and musicians some guidance on the potentials pitfalls of their own use of social media, based on my own experiences.
That post was well received and I was recently asked to update the post for use on the Epik Music Videos website.
They have changed the title to ‘The 10 Commandments of Social Media’, even though there are actually 16 'Commandments'. But the title does have a nice ring to it doesn’t it?
Don't worry if you're not a musician, or in a band as I think you'll find that most, if not all, of the 'Commandments' can be used for an individual too.
Here's the post: A Social Media Policy
Let me know what you think.
That post was well received and I was recently asked to update the post for use on the Epik Music Videos website.
They have changed the title to ‘The 10 Commandments of Social Media’, even though there are actually 16 'Commandments'. But the title does have a nice ring to it doesn’t it?
Don't worry if you're not a musician, or in a band as I think you'll find that most, if not all, of the 'Commandments' can be used for an individual too.
Here's the post: A Social Media Policy
Let me know what you think.
Saturday, 30 March 2013
A Word In Your Ear
I keep forgetting to share posts here that I've written for Pierless Music, a local music project that I set up with a friend last year.
This is my latest post for that website. It's called 'A Word In Your Ear' and concerns potential hearing loss and damage that can be caused by exposure to loud music, especially at gigs.
You can find it here: A Word In Your Ear
You can find the Pierless Music website here: Pierless Music
This is my latest post for that website. It's called 'A Word In Your Ear' and concerns potential hearing loss and damage that can be caused by exposure to loud music, especially at gigs.
You can find it here: A Word In Your Ear
You can find the Pierless Music website here: Pierless Music
Thursday, 3 January 2013
Cruel To Be Kind?
Is it best to actually discourage some people from persuing their dreams?
David Hepworth blog post:
http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/sometimes-kindest-thing-you-can-do-is.html
Thursday, 6 September 2012
Ideas Of A Solitary Walker.
Walking often leads to ideas. Here i'm talking about a few.
Vinyl Junkie blog: http://vinyljunkie58.blogspot.co.uk/
A beach vlog.
Thursday, 30 August 2012
AudioBoo - Coincidences and Connections.
It never ceases to amaze me how often coincidences occur. Here i talk about a few more.
David Hepworth blog post: http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/who-remembers-actual-pay-packets.html
All of my content mentioned in this AudioBoo can be found posted in this blog.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Watch, Listen, But Not Read?
Are blogs being overtaken by visual and audio content?
Blog post mentioned: http://www.fastcompany.com/3000794/rise-visual-social-media
YouTube video mentioned: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXTcq3Fhiw4
My 'Vinyl Junkie' blog: http://vinyljunkie58.blogspot.co.uk/
Friday, 24 August 2012
Six Years And Counting.
Yes, it's really been that long since i started here on YouTube.
Here are some reflections.
Vinyl Junkie blog: http://vinyljunkie58.blogspot.co.uk/
Moose Musings eBook: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moose-Musings-ebook/dp/B006RXBRTC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345825598&sr=1-1
Monday, 20 August 2012
Vinyl Junkie Blog.
I guess it had to happen at some time and today is the day.
Yes, i've gone and started a new blog all about my vinyl 45rpm singles.
The new blog is called, appropriately enough, 'Vinyl Junkie' and you can find it here:
"Vinyl Junkie"
I've talked about them in the past, made videos about them and even shared photo's of them in various places online, including here.
But, now is the time to have a dedicated space where they can live and breath all by themselves.
All is explained here: "Why Vinyl Junkie?"
So, why not head over there and see what it's all about?
Yes, i've gone and started a new blog all about my vinyl 45rpm singles.
The new blog is called, appropriately enough, 'Vinyl Junkie' and you can find it here:
"Vinyl Junkie"
I've talked about them in the past, made videos about them and even shared photo's of them in various places online, including here.
But, now is the time to have a dedicated space where they can live and breath all by themselves.
All is explained here: "Why Vinyl Junkie?"
So, why not head over there and see what it's all about?
Saturday, 14 July 2012
Uploads vs Downloads.
Talking about content creation, amongst other things.
Here's the link to the video i mentioned:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSXuNY3azCg
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
Monday, 2 January 2012
I Published A Book!
I have just published an eBook on Amazon & it is available for Kindle users.
It can be bought on all Amazon sites, including:
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Moose-Musings-ebook/dp/B006RXBRTC/
USA: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006RXBRTC
Otherwise, just search for "Moose Musings", the name of the book.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
I Did It.
Celebrating a month of uploading content every day.
Well done to all those who have completed their own challenge during November.
DugalWest's poem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAzS5Nt_oHw
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
What Are You Doing This November?
Well, the nights are drawing in, the clocks have gone back and all pretence of Summer has disappeared down to the southern hemisphere.
November has well and truly arrived.
So, what are you planning to do this November?
A quick trawl around the Internet can give you some very interesting ideas and suggestions:
1 - Movember Why not grow a moustache and help support mens' health? I've heard this mentioned on a radio station that i listen to, where the male DJ's are all supporting this worthy cause and growing moustache's during November.
2 - NaNoWriMo National Novel Writing Month. Although i think this is primarily something that happens in the USA, i know of people in the UK who are taking part. The idea is to write a 50,000 word novel during November. In 2010 there were over 200,000 known participants! That's pretty impressive.
3 - NaPodPoMo National Podcast Post Month. As above, but the challenge being to record and post a podcast for every day of November. This is in its 5th year in 2011.
These are just some of the ideas around and i'm sure there are plenty more where they came from.
I know that these kind of challenges happen throughout the year. But, November seems to be the month when more come together than at any other time. So, why might that be?
My own theory would be that, as i said at the beginning of this post, the clocks have changed, the nights are drawing in and the outdoor life just isn't as attractive as during other warmer months.
There is also a little bit of a lull between the festivities of Halloween and the coming of the festive season. (I refuse to use the "C" word this early on in the year, unlike some others)
Whatever the reason, it's always good to challenge yourself in some way and the ideas above are all good and productive ways of doing so.
I have participated in challenges of this type before, although not for a whole month. This has been on YouTube, where various people in the past have challenged video makers to make videos every day for a certain length of time, usually a week.
Although i have always enjoyed this kind of challenge, i have never taken them very seriously. Partly because i've always viewed video making as a bit of fun and don't like to think of it as work, of any kind.
Maybe this is why i've never taken part in NaNoWriMo, or NaPodPoMo and frankly i'm really not sure a moustache is a good idea for me!
But, this November i've decided to at least try and do my own version of the above challenges. I do promise that no moustache will be grown, in the interests of public decency.
Being me though, i intend to do it my way and try and produce some form of content for every day of November. This might be a blog post here, a video on YouTube, a podcast on AudioBoo, or even a blog post for a private forum i'm involved with. Except for the private forum content, all will be posted here in some form.
But, also being me, i reserve the right to miss days, or just give up at any time i choose.
Well, why change the habit of a lifetime eh?
November has well and truly arrived.
So, what are you planning to do this November?
A quick trawl around the Internet can give you some very interesting ideas and suggestions:
1 - Movember Why not grow a moustache and help support mens' health? I've heard this mentioned on a radio station that i listen to, where the male DJ's are all supporting this worthy cause and growing moustache's during November.
2 - NaNoWriMo National Novel Writing Month. Although i think this is primarily something that happens in the USA, i know of people in the UK who are taking part. The idea is to write a 50,000 word novel during November. In 2010 there were over 200,000 known participants! That's pretty impressive.
3 - NaPodPoMo National Podcast Post Month. As above, but the challenge being to record and post a podcast for every day of November. This is in its 5th year in 2011.
These are just some of the ideas around and i'm sure there are plenty more where they came from.
I know that these kind of challenges happen throughout the year. But, November seems to be the month when more come together than at any other time. So, why might that be?
My own theory would be that, as i said at the beginning of this post, the clocks have changed, the nights are drawing in and the outdoor life just isn't as attractive as during other warmer months.
There is also a little bit of a lull between the festivities of Halloween and the coming of the festive season. (I refuse to use the "C" word this early on in the year, unlike some others)
Whatever the reason, it's always good to challenge yourself in some way and the ideas above are all good and productive ways of doing so.
I have participated in challenges of this type before, although not for a whole month. This has been on YouTube, where various people in the past have challenged video makers to make videos every day for a certain length of time, usually a week.
Although i have always enjoyed this kind of challenge, i have never taken them very seriously. Partly because i've always viewed video making as a bit of fun and don't like to think of it as work, of any kind.
Maybe this is why i've never taken part in NaNoWriMo, or NaPodPoMo and frankly i'm really not sure a moustache is a good idea for me!
But, this November i've decided to at least try and do my own version of the above challenges. I do promise that no moustache will be grown, in the interests of public decency.
Being me though, i intend to do it my way and try and produce some form of content for every day of November. This might be a blog post here, a video on YouTube, a podcast on AudioBoo, or even a blog post for a private forum i'm involved with. Except for the private forum content, all will be posted here in some form.
But, also being me, i reserve the right to miss days, or just give up at any time i choose.
Well, why change the habit of a lifetime eh?
Sunday, 6 February 2011
To Talk Or Not To Talk...
...that is the question.
So, what am i on about now?
Well, i saw something online earlier which got my mind thinking, as some posts are prone to do. Then, whilst in the shower, i pondered the topic more and wondered whether to record an AudioBoo, or a vlog for YouTube.
It was only after formulating in my mind what it was that i wanted to say about the topic, that it struck me that posting anything might not actually be that good an idea after all.
Why?
Well, the topic was one of those that would be bound to divide the opinions of those who read, watched, or listened to it. And although my own take on the topic would have been aimed at trying to see both sides of the "argument", which indeed i can. I know it would only have been a potential recipe for disaster tackling it in the public forum of the Internet.
No matter how carefully you try to put your own point of view across, there are always those who will see it differently.
Now this in itself is not a problem, as people are quite obviously entitled to their own opinion on any topic of conversation. But, we all know that in these days of Internet anonymity and indeed out there in the "real world", there are those who will only see, or hear what they want to hear.
There are also those who have such entrenched opinions, that they can never see any other perfectly valid points of view. I'm sure we've all seen examples of such behaviour as we go about our daily lives.
In some ways i can see an argument of "why does this matter?". After all, i am just a vlogger/blogger with a very limited appeal and reach. Especially when compared to many other media outlets. My audience is hardly going to have those media outlets quaking in their boots is it?
Another point might be, "why does my opinion matter anyway?", or "what gives me the right to start spouting off about anything that i feel like anyway?".
But, why shouldn't i say what i feel? We all have opinions and we now have a way of expressing that opinion to the world, via the Internet.
There are many out there, usually professional media commentators, who would rather that we didn't have the means to vlog and blog at will. But, the genie is now well and truly out of the bottle and there is no turning back now. And, as we've seen already, many new commentators have come from the world of blogging.
The cult of the amateur is amongst us, whether some people like it, or not. I, for one, like it. But, you probably knew that already, didn't you?
But, back to the point of why i decided not to post something in the first place.
I guess that, ultimately, it all comes down to wanting a quiet life?
I have vlogged and blogged about many topics during my time on the Internet, but i have always tried to avoid those really contentious issues and topics.
I have been known to tackle political topics and will continue to do so as the fancy takes me. In fact i recorded a vlog about the potential sale of public forests, only the other day.
But, there are always, in my opinion anyway, topics that should be left well alone and for exactly the reasons that i mentioned earlier. I shall leave those for others to tackle.
Now all you need to do is guess which topics they are.
Another reason for not posting would be that i have seen, through my own Internet experience, what can happen when those contentious topics are talked about. Things can get nasty and hurtful.
People hide behind their anonymity on the Internet and say things that they'd never say to a persons face. Who needs that hassle? I certainly don't.
Yes, i'm a small fish in a very big pond, but we've probably all seen examples of how even the little people can gain worldwide attention. And, it is quite often the case that the one thing that a person gains that attention for, is not the thing that they'd like to be known for.
As my wife has often told me, i seem to have an opinion on anything and everything. But, sometimes, things are just better left unsaid.
Some may view that as cowardice, or even a symptom of the potential loss of free speech?
But, as i said earlier, at least the Internet has given me an avenue to post what i like, when i like. That can only be a good thing.
And, if nothing else, this whole issue did give me the idea for this blog post. A blog post that i'm more than happy to share with the world.
So, what am i on about now?
Well, i saw something online earlier which got my mind thinking, as some posts are prone to do. Then, whilst in the shower, i pondered the topic more and wondered whether to record an AudioBoo, or a vlog for YouTube.
It was only after formulating in my mind what it was that i wanted to say about the topic, that it struck me that posting anything might not actually be that good an idea after all.
Why?
Well, the topic was one of those that would be bound to divide the opinions of those who read, watched, or listened to it. And although my own take on the topic would have been aimed at trying to see both sides of the "argument", which indeed i can. I know it would only have been a potential recipe for disaster tackling it in the public forum of the Internet.
No matter how carefully you try to put your own point of view across, there are always those who will see it differently.
Now this in itself is not a problem, as people are quite obviously entitled to their own opinion on any topic of conversation. But, we all know that in these days of Internet anonymity and indeed out there in the "real world", there are those who will only see, or hear what they want to hear.
There are also those who have such entrenched opinions, that they can never see any other perfectly valid points of view. I'm sure we've all seen examples of such behaviour as we go about our daily lives.
In some ways i can see an argument of "why does this matter?". After all, i am just a vlogger/blogger with a very limited appeal and reach. Especially when compared to many other media outlets. My audience is hardly going to have those media outlets quaking in their boots is it?
Another point might be, "why does my opinion matter anyway?", or "what gives me the right to start spouting off about anything that i feel like anyway?".
But, why shouldn't i say what i feel? We all have opinions and we now have a way of expressing that opinion to the world, via the Internet.
There are many out there, usually professional media commentators, who would rather that we didn't have the means to vlog and blog at will. But, the genie is now well and truly out of the bottle and there is no turning back now. And, as we've seen already, many new commentators have come from the world of blogging.
The cult of the amateur is amongst us, whether some people like it, or not. I, for one, like it. But, you probably knew that already, didn't you?
But, back to the point of why i decided not to post something in the first place.
I guess that, ultimately, it all comes down to wanting a quiet life?
I have vlogged and blogged about many topics during my time on the Internet, but i have always tried to avoid those really contentious issues and topics.
I have been known to tackle political topics and will continue to do so as the fancy takes me. In fact i recorded a vlog about the potential sale of public forests, only the other day.
But, there are always, in my opinion anyway, topics that should be left well alone and for exactly the reasons that i mentioned earlier. I shall leave those for others to tackle.
Now all you need to do is guess which topics they are.
Another reason for not posting would be that i have seen, through my own Internet experience, what can happen when those contentious topics are talked about. Things can get nasty and hurtful.
People hide behind their anonymity on the Internet and say things that they'd never say to a persons face. Who needs that hassle? I certainly don't.
Yes, i'm a small fish in a very big pond, but we've probably all seen examples of how even the little people can gain worldwide attention. And, it is quite often the case that the one thing that a person gains that attention for, is not the thing that they'd like to be known for.
As my wife has often told me, i seem to have an opinion on anything and everything. But, sometimes, things are just better left unsaid.
Some may view that as cowardice, or even a symptom of the potential loss of free speech?
But, as i said earlier, at least the Internet has given me an avenue to post what i like, when i like. That can only be a good thing.
And, if nothing else, this whole issue did give me the idea for this blog post. A blog post that i'm more than happy to share with the world.
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Friday, 15 October 2010
Blog Action Day 2010 - Water
When thinking about this topic. The first aspect that came to my mind was the very real danger, in future years, of wars being fought over water.
It has often been said, that the next major war between nations, will be fought over the supply of water. The signs for this are already evident in various parts of the world.
Rain falls where it feels like and rivers are no respecters of national borders and therein lies the problem.
Some countries are lucky enough to be, at the moment anyway, self sufficient in water supply. But, many others have to rely on the water that flows into their country, via rivers, from across the national border.
So, what happens if that water supply dries up, or is diverted?
Just taking one major river, the River Nile, as an example, can show some of the potential problems.
The River Nile runs through many countries, most notably Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan & Egypt. But, it also has sources, or contributary lakes in Tanzania, Congo & Rwanda.
That's a lot of countries to be affected by one river. Albeit, one that has two parts. This situation is mirrored in many other parts of the world.
Egypt was called, by the Greek philospher Herodotus, "The gift of the Nile" and it most certainly is. Without the River Nile, that great ancient civilsation of pharoahs, tombs and magnificent monuments would never have existed. That's how important a river can be.
We tend to take our rivers and even our rainfall for example. But, the times they are a changing.
The rather large elephant in the room now, is climate change, global warming, or whatever you wish to call it.
This adds a whole new dimension to the future of water supplies to many countries.
It is already thought, that the current conflict taking place in Sudan, is at least partly caused by a dispute over water. This is something that is likely to be more common and widespread in the future.
And not just in Africa either.
The Middle East is another potential flash point.
It is thought that the Dead Sea could be extinct within 40 years. Although the Dead Sea is, obviously, not a river. One of the reasons for it shrinking, is the diversion of the water that would normally feed it.
The Dead Sea is supplied by the River Jordan. Another one of those rivers that has fed ancient civilisations.
The River Jordan is used by Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Israel. All, bar Lebanon, have diverted, dammed, or built reservoirs for use of the river for their own countries water supplies.
It doesn't take a genius to work out the potential future problems that could result between these countries. One of which is a nuclear power!
With the ever increasing rise in the worlds population, especially in the areas with the worst natural water supplies. And, with the added problem of the changing climate, which could result in reduced rainfall and river levels. The future does not look very good.
For me, the issue of future water supply, is as potentially dangerous, if not more so, that any threat from terrorism. In fact, it could even lead to future terrorism.
The time for action, is now.
But, what can we do?
It has often been said, that the next major war between nations, will be fought over the supply of water. The signs for this are already evident in various parts of the world.
Rain falls where it feels like and rivers are no respecters of national borders and therein lies the problem.
Some countries are lucky enough to be, at the moment anyway, self sufficient in water supply. But, many others have to rely on the water that flows into their country, via rivers, from across the national border.
So, what happens if that water supply dries up, or is diverted?
Just taking one major river, the River Nile, as an example, can show some of the potential problems.
The River Nile runs through many countries, most notably Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan & Egypt. But, it also has sources, or contributary lakes in Tanzania, Congo & Rwanda.
That's a lot of countries to be affected by one river. Albeit, one that has two parts. This situation is mirrored in many other parts of the world.
Egypt was called, by the Greek philospher Herodotus, "The gift of the Nile" and it most certainly is. Without the River Nile, that great ancient civilsation of pharoahs, tombs and magnificent monuments would never have existed. That's how important a river can be.
We tend to take our rivers and even our rainfall for example. But, the times they are a changing.
The rather large elephant in the room now, is climate change, global warming, or whatever you wish to call it.
This adds a whole new dimension to the future of water supplies to many countries.
It is already thought, that the current conflict taking place in Sudan, is at least partly caused by a dispute over water. This is something that is likely to be more common and widespread in the future.
And not just in Africa either.
The Middle East is another potential flash point.
It is thought that the Dead Sea could be extinct within 40 years. Although the Dead Sea is, obviously, not a river. One of the reasons for it shrinking, is the diversion of the water that would normally feed it.
The Dead Sea is supplied by the River Jordan. Another one of those rivers that has fed ancient civilisations.
The River Jordan is used by Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Israel. All, bar Lebanon, have diverted, dammed, or built reservoirs for use of the river for their own countries water supplies.
It doesn't take a genius to work out the potential future problems that could result between these countries. One of which is a nuclear power!
With the ever increasing rise in the worlds population, especially in the areas with the worst natural water supplies. And, with the added problem of the changing climate, which could result in reduced rainfall and river levels. The future does not look very good.
For me, the issue of future water supply, is as potentially dangerous, if not more so, that any threat from terrorism. In fact, it could even lead to future terrorism.
The time for action, is now.
But, what can we do?
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Social Media Journeys
An introduction to the new project.
Visit the Social Media Journeys blog:
http://socialmediajourneys.blogspot.com/
If you want to contribute, please get in touch & tell us your own story.
I already have one new contributor.
A beach vlog.
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