Time for change #review
You might have noticed that my blog posts have changed this week. I want my writing to be more successful and to be read by more people. I’ve decided to concentrate my efforts in one place on A Zillion Ideas and make better use of my photography too. I can optimise the SEO better on my other site using a plug-in as well.
Christmas Eve: Narrow boats and canals
Today, as my title suggests, I’m going to use some of the photos I’ve taken this year of narrowboats and canals. I have a lot of readers who are bloggers, so I’m going to include some information and advice on blogging too.
The Review: Setting up a blog
The Black Country isn’t the prettiest place to live or take photographs, but I manage and get a lot of interest in my photography. So if you’re blogging adding pictures to your words, can get the message to your readers across a lot more effectively and you don’t really need fancy equipment for online photographs. (more…)
Touching the world via Skype and social media
I use Skype and social media a lot. I get to know people in exotic places and chat via Skype and we share snippets of our lives through the social media of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I think it gives me a broader outlook on life; a valuable diversity… (more…)
The Review: Subjects for bloggers
Today’s picture is the Birmingham canal at Tipton. I’m hoping this photo will win the waterways calendar competition. Tipton isn’t the prettiest place in the country. In fact the whole of the Black Country can’t be described as pretty. I do take some good photos though, I just wish the planners could see views like this. (more…)
Living life in a balanced way
The present and the future are connected to the past and partly determined by it. If we have prepared for the future, we will have a better future. That might mean guarding against the bad things that might happen in the future by driving carefully, taking precautions and saving for the future. We just have to find a good balance between our present and future needs, so we can enjoy both. (more…)
Invasions of privacy
This was the view from my bedroom window last night. I tried taking a photo with my new smart phone too. It didn’t turn out quite so spectacular. It’s a Samsung Galaxy phone running an operating system developed by Google. (more…)
Fags, faggots and Facebook
My local readers will recognise the shop in today’s picture. Teddy Grays is famous in the Black Country. They sell a delicious selection of sweets. When an International student visited me last Christmas, I gave her mice made of sugar from Teddy Grays, Cadbury’s miniatures and a few other delights that we used to find in our Christmas stockings as children. We’re never too old for Teddy Grays…
This weeks words and pictures
It’s not very warm this morning in the heart of England. I suppose this is good news for the energy companies who will fleece us again this winter. Maybe, the new governor of the Bank of England can bring some pressure to bear on the water companies and energy companies to keep bills down this winter.
Monday morning blogging
I took this photo last week, the weather is so changeable you have to get out there when you can. Those kids fishing seem to be making the most of summer. It can be boring fishing, but look at the view and they can chat to their mates while they relax. There are worse ways to spend a summer afternoon.
Monday sunshine
It’s Monday and I’m not really a Monday morning person. It’s lunchtime though. I spent the morning putting things in the washer, cleaning the bathroom and writing my usual Monday psychology blog post. You can click that link to read that on a zillion ideas. I went to the carnival on Saturday as you can see.
The Saturday review | Winter is coming
It might feel like winter, but it’s only Autumn yet. We still have the really cold weather to come, Christmas, New Year and then we have to struggle to pay for the celebrations and the winter fuel bills.
The Saturday review | SAD
My photograph today is a little different. I tried some night photography this week. It wasn’t a great success, but it’s always worth trying. The shutter was open for about 3 second for this shot so I had to hold my breath and keep the camera very still. That’s Moorcroft Wood on the left of the picture.
Thrifty Thursday | school holidays
I took photos in the park the other day. We used to go there as children during the summer holidays and take jam sandwiches and a bottle of water. There was a water fountain and paddling pools. The paddling pools have gone and replaced with those skateboard ramps. They protect the kids around here with speed humps and then encourage them to skateboard on those ramps. Many of the kids can’t afford skateboards round there. The council puts stuff in for themselves and their kids. The leisure centre used to be for swimming, now it’s for getting a sun tan.
This week–the sun came out
Yes, the sun came out a couple of times this week in England and the storm that was forecast was more of a whimper than a storm. I could be getting used to them though. It could go nice now, which is a shame. We did so want our overseas visitors coming for the Olympics to experience some genuine British weather. We do have some artificial clouds though. I did get out on Sunday and took some photos for the Neodigital Art blogs, then again midweek, when I took this one in the early evening sunlight. (more…)
How to write blogs
For the benefit of local readers, yes the picture is junction 9 of the M6 motorway. It was taken when there was a break in the rain! The traffic light were on red as usual. It is important when I write a blog to start it with something interesting, try to tease the reader to click the link to read the rest of the page. Are you teased enough yet? Maybe, I should mention sex? I mentioned testosterone in my blog on a Zillion Ideas today. That’s a sex hormone! That blog is about how our emotions affect our hormones and vice versa. (more…)
How to write a novel | perceptions
We all have different perceptions of our environment and of others. You write from your own particular viewpoint. I’ve given you another picture today, that might inspire you to be creative. Creativity can be a solitary pursuit, but it’s important to realise that you create for other people as well as yourself. You write, take photographs, create art, sing or dance. Others will have a perception of you based upon what you create, because it’s part of you; part of your personality. (more…)
Facebook, Farmville and silkie chickens
Facebook.
I check the statistics on my blog quite regularly to see what people are searching for and reading about when they find my blogs. I expect readers from Facebook but rarely get any; except for one particular day when I got loads. I think that might have been the title of that day’s blog, it was about local stuff. I decided to write about local stuff the next week; no one seemed very interested. They also search for information about FarmVille and find my blog and a day rarely goes by when someone doesn’t search for silkie chickens and finds my blog. (more…)
Blogging | It ain’t that easy!
I write on a variety of subjects and people often compare my blog to other websites that have a large staff of writers and technical staff. They also have a budget that allows them to buy photographs to use with their articles, often stock photos that are commonly used. I take my own photographs and find inspiration by getting out there and experiencing life! (more…)
A Sunday Ramble | Plans
Today’s photograph was taken by Simon James and I did the editing. I cropped a litter bin off and changed it to monochrome. It’s a Victorian memorial park. It’s over a year since I started this blog and I’ve written over 200 blogs and have plans for a brand new blog with a new name. I intend to give other writers the opportunity to write for the new blog and anyone else who wants to contribute something good like a photograph or poem even will be encouraged to do so. (more…)
A Sunday Ramble
I took this photograph just before the rain came and so the light wasn’t very good. There was a heath and the pool, which I have looked for before, but it was hidden behind houses. I shall have to go back when it’s a brighter day. It’s interesting how much wildlife there was; the pool attracts pigeons, ducks and even swans. (more…)
A Sunday ramble on a Monday…
Egg ‘n’ Chips
I like egg ‘n’ chips and that was my frugal Friday dinner. It cost about 60p ($1) and so you can’t get much more frugal than that. I’m writing this and cooking Sunday lunch at the same time. Sunday lunch will be pork, potatoes, cabbage, green beans and gravy. I don’t usually make gravy but pork is expensive so I might as well do this right. I’m even having fruit for desert. That will be three out of my five portions of fruit and veg a day! The pork smells delicious as it cooks! (more…)
Money | Seeing the future
Futures and Forwards
Futures and Forwards are contracts that relate to the price of commodities in the future. In the movie ‘Trading Places’ they refer to ‘frozen orange juice’ and make a fortune because they trade on what the future price might be. In that movie they think frozen orange juice will go up in price because of a government report; but the report of a forgery. Being able to predict the future can make you a lot of money but ‘insider’ information relating to futures markets or stock markets is illegal. (more…)
Windows Live
I’ve started with a picture from a photograph that I took yesterday. We took around 400 photographs yesterday afternoon for my Neodigital Art blogs and the light wasn’t very good. I ‘improve’ the photographs with Windows Live Photo gallery. I also use Windows Live Instant messenger to share photographs with my friends. I talked to a student in China last week using the instant messenger and she was able to talk into a microphone; it isn’t as clear over thousands of miles as it is connecting locally; but it works. I also shared photographs with a friend who came with me to take photographs yesterday. In fact he just shared a photo with me and I can switch from one program to another. (more…)
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