Category: Blogging

2014 in review

So I actually got one of these things this year, and thought it would be fitting to end 2014 on if all else fails… by publishing it for posterity. I know a lot of people have been publishing these, and if you’re anything like me you’ve been routinely ignoring the similar year-in-review posts on Facebook the past week, so please do not feel obligated to click the link below. I’m posting this merely for my own interest.

If, however, you actually enjoy reading these things, I can’t very well stop you, can I? Anyway, thanks for everyone who commented, participated, shared or just read the past year. Blogging won’t be half as much fun without you guys.

Enjoy the last day of 2014 (or evening, depending on your time zone when this post goes live), don’t party too hard and please don’t drink and drive. See y’all next year…

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,200 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

On undeserved awards

I’d wanted to blog more again this month, I really did, but it feels like I blinked and the last couple of weeks were gone. I suppose between visiting relatives and Christmas shopping December just got away from me. And that’s a shame, cause I had a very funny satirical piece planned on recent power cuts in South Africa (now, I’m afraid, it’s a bit dated), and of course a review on The Hobbit – Battle of the Five Armies. I’ll still write that review, but probably only in 2015 as we’re with the in-laws this week so there’ll be little time for blogging. Suffice it to say for now that I can heartily recommend it. In my mind, Peter Jackson and his team finally got it right. Not completely, mind you, but it’s good enough that I’ve forgiven him for the first two.

But I at least wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas (at least all of you who celebrate it – those who don’t, the wife and I still wish you the hope and good will we associate with the season).

And I got an award. I mentioned previously that I’m not really doing awards any more, for as much as I enjoy getting them, I tend to forget about them, I never know who to nominate, and every time I have to share eleven interesting facts about myself I realise anew how very uninteresting I am. But the very least I can do is give a shout-out to the blogger who nominated me, so here goes.

Thanks very much to Belladonna Took  for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. With the (ir)regularity I’ve been blogging lately I don’t feel very inspiring (not to mention inspired) but apparently I do it for some people (freaks).

While you wait for me to write something decent again, why not go check out Belladonna’s blog, American Soustannie in the meantime (if you’re curious about the name, read the explanation on her about page). She’s a fellow South African (expat, though, but we still love her), and she’s sure to make you laugh.

And on that note, I’m signing off for 2014. Have a great last week of the year, party responsibly, and I hope to see you all again on the first when I’ll be talking about how horribly I failed in my New Year’s resolutions for 2014 (haven’t decided yet if I’m going to bother making any for 2015…)

I ATE’NT DEAD!

I just missed a couple of posts, and then I missed a couple more. And I realised the world didn’t come to an end so I skipped a couple weeks, and still the Earth did not fall off its axis. But it’s a dangerous road to get on to start thinking this way. It gets much too easy to convince oneself that it would be okay to quit entirely.

Thing is, I did get to thinking, and questioning why I do this (blog, that is). Of late blogging has become a bit…mechanical for me. I got into a schedule (which is not of itself a bad thing) and all of a sudden blogging consisted only of figuring out the next review, or song title challenge, or whatever, and I never just write a post anymore because I read something or saw something or thought or felt something and I wanted to write about it.

So I thought some more, and I decided to change things a bit. For the foreseeable future I’ll be taking a step back. I’ll try to still post at least once a week, but I’m not making any promises. I’m going to allow myself to only post when I feel like it, just for a while.

I’m suspending the Song Title Challenge for the rest of the year – I’ll decide in January whether it’s coming back or not. Meanwhile, comments on all old challenges are still open, so you’re welcome to participate in any one of those. As for reviews and Percussive Etymology… You’ll see ’em when you see ’em.

Anyhow, I need to focus on NaNoWriMo now. I’m still figuring out the ins and outs of the new novel, but I’ll let you know once the synopsis is up and I’ll be posting excerpts as well as the month (and word count) progresses.

I hope the uncertainty does not drive you bonkers. Thanks for understanding.

(P.S. Bonus points if you got the title reference.)

Hopping Blogs

So, there I was, casually strolling through the blogosphere, when a ruthless predator pounced on me. He claimed that he wasn’t pouncing, but hopping, and that it was actually a good thing, and now I have to pounce hop on other people as well. I tried to explain that I don’t hop, only hit stuff with hammers, but he just giggled like a maniac and hopped further, oblivious to the mayhem and destruction left in his wake.

So now I have to hop; blog-hop, that is. As today is Heritage Day in South Africa, I suppose it’s only proper that I tip the hat to my countryman, 23thorns, for conning nominating me to participate in what’s apparently called a World Blog Hop. This one specifically is for creative types (didn’t know I was one of those), and 23thorns has no shortage of creativity. Not many people, for example, can write a thoughtful post on parenting inspired by Jeremih’s song Birthday Sex (I very nearly used that song for the Song Title Challenge birthday edition) that also has you rolling on the floor from laughter.

As is customary with these things, there are questions that need be answered:

1. Include a quote that you like.

The pen is mightier than the sword

Okay, okay. That’s way too easy, isn’t it? Actually my favourite writing-related quote is from the novel Snuff by Mr Terry Pratchett:

Continue reading “Hopping Blogs” →

Coming up…

Tomorrow I celebrate the thirty-third year of managing to not join the great majority, so watch this space for an extra special birthday edition of the Song Title Challenge. It’s dealer’s choice, and I’m feeling excited about this one.

Tomorrow is also Felt Hat Day, so dust off your fedora or pretend you’re a time lord and don your fez. And if you don’t have a felt hat, no problem, for tomorrow is also Make A Hat Day, so make your own hat, as long as it’s from felt. I’ll be taking down three birds with one stone by making myself a pirate hat. Confused? Read on.

Wednesday will bring another edition of Percussive Etymology. This week I’m taking my hammer to the expression “rule of thumb”. That’s allowed, as long as the hammer’s handle is no thicker than one’s thumb (or is it?)

An’ on Friday it again be International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Sharpen yer cutlasses an’ load the cannons (no brass monkeys on this ship), cause there be ships ter plunder, towns ter sack, an’ wenches ter…yer know 😉 I’ll be sharin’ with you a special tale as had ne’er been told ’bout one o’ the black heartedest pirates ter ever sail the seven seas.