State of the blog.

This post marks the 102nd day that this blog has been live. They say that the first 100 days in office are the most important and the same can be extended to blogs, many fall short and are just left to decay, but not this one. You will never get rid of me, unless I die, which would be quite unfortunate.

I thought that it was time for a state of the blog address, it the same as a state of the union address expect with less money, less politics and you have to imagine me as Bill Clinton, but without the long line of women (old joke, I know.)

At the time of writing this post there have been 1169 views over 22 different posts (this post being the 23rd.) That is amazing, people are actually taking the time out of their day to read what I write on this little corner of the Internet, I have only one question for you, are you high?

The most successful post of mine is "In Summly, I'm Feedly My Current FlipBoard While Checking My Pulse." I think I got the timing right with that one, I posted that about 2 weeks or so before Google announced that they were going to retire Google Reader, because of this, the post gained another batch of views, jumping from about 25 to 121.

Just to cover myself, I didn't actually know that Google was going to retire Reader until, it was announced, I do not have inside connections. Although I really wish I did. It puts me in a tough position, do I sell my soul to Google or Apple?

I also made it into Jibby's top one hundred blogs list, the fact that someone wrote about this blog on there blog (blogception) is not just amazing, but also incredibly humbling . +Sam Bowden thank you so much.

Unfortunately blog everyday in April did not do as well as I hoped, mostly because I was too ill to write anything. If you want to know the details, one end was like the Nigeria Falls, the other was like the Iguazu Falls.

This blog to me is more then a blog, it's an extension of myself and my inner thoughts, it's a place where I can get things out in the open, clear my mind and get a second opinion. If you haven't already taken up blogging, do it. It is so good for you. I even persuaded one of my friends +Lauren Brabrook to start up. Her blog can be found here: www.onedayiwillflyaway20.blogspot.co.uk

I am also going through a period of professional change. In my career, there are going to be a lot of opportunities for me to climb the ladder (for want of a better phrase.) It has taken a lot of risks on my part, I left a very safe job at River Island to do this, budgeting is now my number one priority, the last thing that I want to do right now is go back into retail, although I've got over a years experience over two different stores in a tonne of different positions, it is not what I want to do with the rest of my life.

I'm also seeing changes in myself, growing up, I was the mature kid, the one who doesn't seem to have a childhood but is rather born as a adult. Growing up, I was a very shy and reserved kid, but I'm getting rid of that shyness that used to stop me from doing what I wanted. I always had to have someone with me when I go to new places or taking to new people, now I can't think of anything better to do.

I was the teachers pet of all teachers pets, but with style, if I didn't like the piece of homework that I was given, I would just do it on the bus. I would simply remember what was told to me taking a mental image of the whiteboard or the slide and recalling it when I needed. I am now reaping the benefits of that, I can recall whole conversions, and remember so many random facts. I could make a whole new post on how my brain works.

Yet, I cannot remember peoples names.

This may seem like a oxymoron (look at me using big words) but I'm maturing while becoming a kid again, I find so many things wonderful now, from aspects of science that I ignored at school because I just wanted to learn about space and not the cells that are in plant, to fiction.

I used to think that fiction was a waste of time, the only stories that I cared about was Harry Potter, there is a whole other story about how I got into Harry Potter, but I'll save that for another post.

Explosive Diarrhoea

I feel really rough today, it's not been a bad day. I just feel rubbish, but fantastic at the same time.

The reasons for me feeling rubbish are simple. My stomach has ordered the contents every dinner I have ever eaten to make a swift departure via the back entrance. The effect that was mistaken for a nuclear explosion was felt as far as Newcastle and measured 7.4 on the richter scale. Local residents describe the event as chilling, disturbing and really rather smelly.

The reason for me feeling fantastic are a secret. I have some really great news that want to tell you, but I'm not allowed.

Heads up, I'm working for the Politics in Schools campaign. We are officially launching on 20th April. I won't just be writing about it, i'm also the events manager for the campaign. It's hard work but a hell of a lot of fun. I will keep you posted.

Here goes nothing

I thought I try something different this month, everyone on YouTube seems to enjoy doing this, so I decided to convert the VEDA format slightly and blog every day in April.

Today I did something that was quite a good exercise for me, I have just applied for the Nico Colchester Journalism Fellowship 2013. The entry criteria was simple, you must be a EU citizen and write an 800 word article on 'What should the European Union do to keep Britain in?'

The aim is to help continental writers better understand Britain and for British writers to better understand Europe, is a three month fellowship at ether The Financial Times or The Economist as well as £5000 to cover accommodation and travel.

I'm not going to know until June when the committee meets to discus the entry's.

Fingers crossed that I get it, but if I don't, there is no need to worry.

Also you are very lucky, this is my second post in 24 hours. I have never done that before, go me *clicks fingers*

This is BEDA #2 because I am counting my last post as BEDA #1. It was wrote in the early hours of the morning and to me it still felt like the day before. So there.

On a more serious note, today I read, one of the most beautiful comments that I have ever seen. Posted by +Lacey Edwards she wrote;

"You are changing to world a little at a time just by sharing your thoughts."

I am in awe at that sentence.

I ran away

In 2010, I ran away.

I got fed up with bullies and being abused for the way that I looked, or the way that I talked. I got fed up with being picked on for my actions or for what I said.

In 2010, I ran away from YouTube.

I regret that descision, I enjoyed it, I liked the process of making and editing a video for someone to watch on the other side of the world. I liked being about to share my thoughts and feelings with the world, and I liked being able to hear the thoughts and feelings other people.

But as you have gathered, I quit. I deleated my account in anger. I just got fed up with the trolls, there were far too many of them. The scary thing is that I think I might have actually known some of them. Stupid schoolchildren.

This is why I have sympathy for Justin Bieber, granted, I'm not his biggest fan, but it so hard to carry on when you have half the world screaming hate at you, because you are successful. He's only 19, he has to deal with millions of fans and haters, I couldn't handle ten trolls.

But don't get me wrong, there were some fantastic people on there, I rembember a youtuber who stuck up for me, and generally liked my videos, in fact she made 2 video responces, one asking why people were being trolls, the other, because she was laughing at the wrapping of one of my christmas presents.

I should never have deleted that account, I sometimes wonder how things would have been if I kept it up.

Today I decided to stop wondering and start doing something about it, I'm going to start making videos again, there just one problem.

I don't know what to say?

My short thoughts on YouTube.

At this moment, I’m meant to be writing another article for my job, because that is a thing I do now. But its twenty to two in the morning and I really need to sleep.

As a result of my insomnia, which is a clear indication that I'm a timelord, I've found my way onto youtube. Of course, I've gone through an insane amount of cat videos, along with puppy videos, funny baby videos, fail video, win videos, knife song videos, squirrel videos, Harlem Shake videos, Gangnam Style video and more cat videos. But there is something that, I personally, am finding less off, and thats the endangered species of the vlogger.

By this, I don’t mean vlogger as in the big players, the ones who just make a "ten things I've noticed video", or a "challenge" video to get as many likes and view as possible, I mean, the ones who just talk about life, and talk about what they are thinking, or their random idiosyncrasies that make them interesting and genuinely awesome people.

This thought process started when I stumbled across ImagineJohanna, and I realized that she reminds us why most people started vlogging in the first, to talk about life and to share stories from her past. She doesn't have an agenda, she doesn't want to try to sell you merchandise or make a ton of money, she just wants to tell her story.

At this point I should go on a bit of a rant about how there are no ‘old skool’ vloggers left, but really, we just need to look. Everyone has got a story to tell, but some are just louder than others, it is up to you who you choose to listen to, just make sure you choose wisely.

Have a nice life

I'm feeling good

As I write this post, I am taking a quick break from building up my new WordPress site. Follows of this blog may recall that I am moving (quite swiftly) into journalism and one of the things that I'm doing is building a more professional online profile. I will post the link to that site in the next few weeks.

Don't get me wrong, I love this blog, and I going to keep it just the way it is, I need a place to store all of my random thoughts, funny stories and passive-aggressive rants. I also see this blog as way of keeping my feet on the ground, I know that if things go well, I will become a very busy man, and I might be swept up trying to make a name for myself.

This blog will of course still be updated on a silly semi-regular timetable that only exists when I'm procreating.

In other news, yesterday this blog past 500 page views, that is mind-boggling. to think that 500 people have taken the time out of there day to read what I write, is incredibly humbling, I thank each and everyone of you.

This title has no meaning.

I've neglected this blog for too long, my bad, I wanted to do a short post every day and a big post on Sundays, of course, life has found a way to blow up your world, I shan't go into details here.

But I have good news, I've just finished a article on the Russian Asteroid that exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk, I go into some detail about where Asteroids come from, and what caused it to come our way. I finish off by asking why no one saw it coming. I realize that this summary makes it sound really boring, I really hope it isn't. It was really good fun to write.

Also in April I am going to be working in the politics in schools campaign run by ShoutoutUK. This is a cause that I honestly believe in. The current voter registration in the United Kingdom is below 50% and I believe that this is due to a lack of political education in our schools. I am so looking forward this, I can't wait.

Today is also my un-birthday, so happy un-birthday to me.

I was in a hotel last week, I was given the choice between firm and soft pillows, I took a long time to come to a decision. Clearly a first world problem that shows that I need sort my priories out.

I really need to get working on my alien protocol article. That's going to be fun to write as well. The weird thing is that if you had told me a year ago that I would love writing things, I would have most likely unleashed my secret superpower on you. Spider-man eat your heart out. Now it's opening up all of these opportunities for me that I am incredibly grateful for.

I'm thinking about setting up a WordPress site. I'm thinking I need somewhere to put articles that I write and have something professional to show any future employers. I of course will still keep this blog going, in fact I will use it for what a blog is for, I will blog my life. If you have used WordPress before; What tips do you have? How did you use it? And would you recommend it?

When I was your age.

From 2009 through to 2010 I had a YouTube channel, I have since deleated that channel. Long story short, I got fed up with the trolls, below is a script that I never filmed.

Why is it that people like me who can't cook always end up hungry? Think about It, as soon has the cook of the house has finnished for the day, I end up turning into a confused caveman who thinks that a oven is as interesting as 14 episodes of the antiques roadshow with added commentary about the piece of junk that which is as useful as a baboon in the shower.

But in the 21st century that is not the case, because today we has this extronary, fantastic, technology thing known as YouTube. On this little known site people can upload videos ragieng from a university lecture on quantum mechanics, to a dog barking at the television.

This brings me nicely on to part 3 (yeah I got a script this time) and the media, In the last ten years media has changed dramsily, in 1995, It was really hard to stay In contact with some one thousands of miles away, but nowadays we have socal networking sites like Facebook and Twitter which puts us into contact with those people within seconds. Now lookng at how far technology has advanced in the last ten years, who knows what we could be doing in 2020 and for those Internet trolls who are going to say that the world is going to end 2012 then all I've got to say to you is that you are a bunch if stupid old lowlifes.

So this video (blog post) is for my generaton who can say when I was your age we didn't have Facebook, we had pen-pals. We didn't have xbox 360s we had N64's. We can say when I was your age our phones didn't have Internet, they had snake and when I was your age freddos were only 10p.

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You know how life has a way of putting off what you actually want to do, that. The Alien post is going to be delayed again, sorry about that.