Not blogged in a while...

Hey folks, I am still alive. I admit I've not blogged in quite some time...
I haven't really got any decent reason as to why I haven't put digital pen to digital paper. To be honest, I've just not felt inspired to write much lately.

I have had a few half-ideas for subjects to write about, but the enthusiasm to follow through, research into the subject, find or take pictures and then put it all together in a nice blog has not been flowing...

I can't even blame lack of events going on in my life - since my last blog we've had Dominic's birthday, his birthday party, some job search stuff, the start of our healthy eating drive and today is Jan's birthday...

So if I think about it, I have had a lot to write about... I promise to try and get back into blogging!

- Thelittlerich

Can I boycott Facebook for 24 hours?

With Social Networking sites such as Bebo, Myspace, Twitter and Facebook becoming such a large part of everybody's everyday life, being online and being connected is becoming a new type of addiction.

If anyone was to ask me if I am addicted to anything, I would probably have to say my main addiction is being online, using social networking site Facebook...

I am sure that I am not the only one who uses Facebook and other social networking sites many times through the day.
(I don't even know how much a person has to use a site such as Facebook before it becomes excessive! Although whatever that figure is, I am quite possibly in that percentage...)

Which is why I decided that for 24 hours, I would completely boycott the use of Facebook. I wouldn't log on, update my status, upload any photos or check other "friends" online content. I would make a note of how I coped through the day.


I call this experiment: ANTI-SOCIAL NETWORKING.


8:27 AM
Normally when I get up, the first thing I do is grab my iPod, head into the toilet and have a quick blast of Facebook whilst I do my morning business...
This morning however, apart from switching the alarm clock off (several times I must add - drat that "snooze" option!) I have only used my iPod to record my thoughts for transcribing later. For once my iPod hasn't been anywhere NEAR Facebook!

I must admit, I have thought about logging on since I have got up though... I have a feeling the next point that I will want to log on will be after the school run... We shall see!

Luckily this morning, I have quite a few "distractions" that will keep me offline and away from Facebook... (It's called LIFE!)

My Facebook app had to go!

8:38 AM
I was scrolling through all the apps installed on my iPod, and I came across the Facebook app icon. The icon had changed to inform me that I had 2 notifications. I had an overwhelming urge to click to see what they were! In order to kerb my urgeto click on the app, I have had to delete the app to prevent me from accessing Facebook from my iPod!

Is this cheating? Possibly. I don't know!

It will certainly be easier to refrain myself if I don't have access to Facebook. However, I do know that any time I am in a wi-fi area I could always download the app again!

It's amazing how much of an urge you get when you know you have notifications...

However, the notifications could be anything - even something as pointless as somebody clicking "Like" on a photo I have uploaded or a status I have written; or somebody "poking" me... In which case, the notifications don't really mean anything.
On the flip side the notifications could be comment, in which case by refraining from checking I am not receiving the comments... (I must admit I am starting to ponder what they are, now that I'm thinking about it!)

However, they can wait until tomorrow!

8:50 AM
On the way to school, and Dom has just made a comment that my camo trousers matches my jacket... At that moment, I thought it was funny, and my immediate reaction was to take a photo on my mobile phone and upload it to Facebook!

Nope! Not today!! :)

9:10 AM
By now I would have normally logged into Facebook at least once. However, because today I am NOT logging on, I have decided to try and focus my thoughts, energy and mind into doing other stuff... So far I have managed to clean up the dog mess in the garden and put the bins out. I think I will get started on gutting the kitchen after I get Makayla up and fed!

10:01 AM
Well, so far so good. I've managed to get through about 2 hours of my day without logging onto Facebook! It's starting to get trickier now, because I am getting a feeling that I should have logged on by now, checked in, updated my status, etc.

Already, I have had a few thoughts that I would have shared as a status on Facebook (for example, as I was hanging up the washing, I noticed that it was all inside out. I thought about posting a silly status about trolls that live inside the washing machine and turn clothes inside out...) However I couldn't do as I am not ON Facebook today!

10:09 AM

Pushchair for sale: £40!

As I have been pottering away this morning, I have ben thinking about this blog. I have thought about what it means to be ANTI-social networking for 24 to some people. It occurred to me how ironic it is going to be when I post a link to this blog ON Facebook about AVOIDING Facebook!

I have also wondered about how people use Facebook nowadays... As an example, we are trying to sell a push chair, (£40 if you are interested, btw!) and my girlfriend Jan has been using Facebook to try and advertise it. She received a message last week from one person who wanted to buy it. Since then, for about 10 days it doesn't appear as if they have been on Facebook...

I wonder if the avoidence has been through choice or lack of availability; I also wonder how people react when they find they can't access their social networking sites.

If you have any thoughts on this subject, please leave your comments below!

11:09 AM
I have just sat and went through my internet history to document my job search... Obviously on my history there are records of various different pages on Facebook I have clicked on. As my rule states that I am not allowed to go on Facebook at ALL, I had to skip over them and avoid them!

My girlfriend Jan and I were talking about a bus crash we had heard about this morning. She had a Facebook page loaded up - it was a news report about the bus crash posted on the Council's own Facebook wall - which she asked me to read... I admit I read it over her shoulder, sure! BUT I don't count that as USING Facebook!

My reasoning is that I could have read the news report from any source - any newspaper website, council website, news websites etc... I didn't actually INTERACT with Facebook directly, and this is why I dismiss this as a breach of my own rules!

12:08 PM
I have managed to reach lunch time without logging on to or checking Facebook! I can't say it's been that difficult to be honest, however I have been quite busy this morning.
Nobody yet knows of my experiment yet, but they will do. The interesting thing will be tomorrow - when I'm back on Facebook - to see how many people realise that I haven't logged in for a full 24 hours... Should be interesting!

13:42 PM
Just finished my meeting with my job coach and I am heading home now. So far I haven't felt much of an urge to log onto Facebook, however I have a funny feeling that now is going to be the point I find it most difficult - in the hour or so between getting home and getting the kids from school!

I automatically typed in facebook.com...

14:30 PM
When I got home, I had to email my CV over to my job coach. I logged onto my computer to do so, and the first thing I did when I launched my internet browser is start automatically typing "Facebook.com"...

It is kind of worrying that your internet history and sites you visit becomes automatic...

After I corrected myself and loged into my email and there is a large advert to connect your services to Facebook, Myspace and LinkedIn... It just goes to show that even huge corporations such as Microsoft actively encourage social networking - encourage the addiction! But so far, I've refrained! :D

Encouraging online addiction seems good for business!

15:09 PM
I've still managed to stay clear of social networking sites! I have, however, found that today I've been a lot more active doing other things rather than sitting about on a computer all day, so I don't know if it's a fair test or not.

I was quite interested to see that there was an article on MSN about modern addictions! I will read through it and offer my views!

15:56 PM
I've been reading the article on MSN about modern addictions. The first part of the article is about "Internet Addiction Disorder" which is now a recognised disorder. The symptoms include "forgetting to eat or sleep, withdrawal, fatigue, irritability and a feeling of isolation from society".
From what I have read previously on various dirorders, these symptoms sound similar to depression...?

Clearly, if people are spending far too much time online, surfing the internet and being connected to social networking sites, then I think there could easily be a link between internet addiction and depression - which is quite worrying really!
:s

16:03 PM
I was reading the article I discovered on MSN about modern addictions when Jan asked me if I was on Facebook so she could send me a link to something posted on Facebook... When I said I wasn't, she called me over to read a post...
(The post was an urban legend warning style message, the type that is shared because although it is probably a hoax, if anybody is in the situation described they know what to do to survive).

It occured to me that Facebook is obviously a perfect platform to spread this type of information. People can read it and then share the information very quickly with others.

I don't think sites such as Facebook are particularly bad, unless they are abused and used for malicious purposes.

19:25 PM
I have filled up my day today with activities that have taken me away from the computer. We went out for a drive, and I wouldn't have had much of an opportunity to log into Facebook anyway.
Saying that, I know that now I face the ultimate test - the evening - as I tend to sit for hours online once the kids are in bed.

I tend to sit on my computer during the evenings.

I have decided that instead of going on my computer, I am going to do something different! I feel quite positive already, and I feel that my day without Facebook has went quite well!

19:52 PM
We have just got the kids down to bed. My usual routine from this point tends to involve sitting down and logging on to Facebook... Which is not what I am going to do tonight - I am going to have to find other things to occupy myself!

(I will probably end up playing computer games or something). I am starting to wonder if substituting social networking for similar activities - browsing the internet or playing computer games - if there is any real difference?

What are your views on this? Leave your comments below!

20:17 PM
My girlfriend Jan has just found a photograph of her 13 year old neice on Facebook. The photo features her neice and has been tagged, along with her new boyfriend.
Jan's neice hasn't mentioned anything about having a boyfriend - the only reason we know about it is due to the tagged photo on Facebook.
It is slightly worrying that simply by tagging somebody - who may not even realise they have been tagged - in a photograph, it can allow that person's contacts to see the photo and potentially open a big can of worms!

I am aware that Facebook has recently reviewed their tagging policy, offering better privacy options and security. However it is possible that many users of Facebook are not offay enough with the technology (or perhaps too young to understand what the privacy options are), and they don't realise that anybody can "tag" a photograph featuring them (be it good, bad or indifferent).

As far as ME looking on Facebook is concerned, I still have not used it at all... Yes, I have had passing glances at content that Jan has shown me, however I have not used Facebook (and don't intend to use it) until my 24 hours are up!

21:09 PM
After waking up for a bottle and a clean nappy, Makayla woke up and walked into the bathroom, banged on the bath and started saying "Dirty! Dirty!".
It was a really cute and funny moment, the sort of event that would normally trigger me to pick up my iPod and either take a photo, record a video or post a comment on Facebook...

But I didn't! :D

22:38 PM
I've been distracting myself for pretty much the entire evening. I've kept clear of my computer and watched TV instead. I've had a few urges to update my status in response to some of the programmes I've seen (such as An Idiot Abroad).


I don't feel like these urges have been "addiction level", where I must log on to Facebook to satisfy them. I can only describe the feeling like years after you quit smoking and occasionally you have a mild craving... If you wait ten minutes then the craving usually goes away, or you can find other things to occupy your mind...

Is Facebook as addictive as smoking?

I think I am about an hour or so away from going to bed, and that staying away from Facebook for 24 hours is going to be possible!

01:00 AM
I've just watched a film, and now I am on my way to bed. I know that I won't be logging on to Facebook until the morning now, after my 24 hours are up!

SUMMARY:

Despite my initial thoughts about how difficult it would be, this experiment wasn't particularly difficult to accomplish - I have managed to last a full 24 hours without logging into Facebook despite feeling the occasional desire to update my status a few times throughout the day.

One thing this experiment has made me realise is how much I actually think about Facebook and other social networking sites, even if I don't actively use them.

I have also discovered that funny or humourous moments tend to be my trigger for online connectivity - if I think something is funny, witty or interesting I feel the need to share it with others.

Perhaps I need to learn to just enjoy the moment within myself, and that just because I find a moment, a thought or a visual element stimulating, others will feel the same way.

As I commented earlier in the blog, I wondered how much of an impact I make to others with regards to social networking.

I mentioned the fact that I hadn't used Facebook for 24 hours to Jan and her first reaction was to call me a liar! The woman I live with didn't even realise that I hadn't logged on all day!

I also decided to ask who realised I hadn't logged on... The response almost speaks for itself!

This is the reaction I got after boycotting Facebook for 24 hours...

The following day, even after my self imposed ban was lifted, I have not been as active on Facebook as I would normally have been. I haven't really felt the urge I did before I spent 24 hours without it.

One question I asked myself after returning was "What did I miss by avoiding Facebook for 24 hours?"

The real answer: Hmm... So, I didn't play on a couple of games that require Facebook, or respond to random and fairly irrelevant comments... So what?! Life goes on!

I didn't even miss playing BackYard Monsters!

I don't actually feel that I have missed out by being ANTI-SOCIAL NETWORKING rather than SOCIAL NETWORKING.

I do feel that I should call my parents this weekend though! :D

- TheLittlerich

Why is public transport such a public inconvenience?

I've not written a blog in over a week now. I must admit I've not really had any inspiration for a topic I should write about... I have been quite busy though.

Since my last blog, we have finally managed to get a new car! It was a cheap purchase from EBay, nothing special but it has already given us all a new found freedom!

Being able to jump in a car and just go to wherever you want, at your own time and pace is so much easier than using public transport.

I know public transport is the only way for some families to get about, and I am not going to slag anybody off for not having a car... However, in my opinion I hate public transport for three main reasons:

1. Travelling isn't convenient. If you use public transport to a destination, you have to go via various different routes. Busses need to stop at the bus stops on the route. It can take much longer to go to your destination. You are also at the mercy of timetables. If it's late how long do you wait?

2. You have no choice as to who you share your journey with. Daytimes brings masses of elderly people and screaming kids. If your travelling at night it's abusive drunks, junkies and aggressive dick heads.

3. The price. I recently went into town with Jan, and we both paid £2.80 each for a daily ticket. Spending over £5 for a trip into town is much more than we'd spend on petrol and parking!

I know that the government wants everyone using public transport, however in my opinion it's not the best option - much of the time public transport is inconvenient, expensive and slow.

A car can go door to door at a time that suits you and it will go directly. For public transport to really be publically convenient, it would need to be cheaper, more reliable and easier to gt from one place to another.
I can only see one way for both of these criterias to happen: Get a car / use a taxi!

I'm glad we are on the road again!

Why do I feel like this?

Feeling slightly disconnected with the world at the moment...
I can't really explain it; but I feel as if I am not here, as if somehow I have went out of phase with he rest of the world...

It's probably down to my cough and the fact that I'm full of the cold... It might be the fact that I am taking codeine tablets to suppress my cough and stop me feeling sick, but it could also be some chemical change going off in my brain; something that is beyond my control...

Some people are always looking for a way to disconnect themselves from the rest of the planet - via drink, drugs or whatever other methods you can think of...

Yes, I agree it can be good to disconnect from time to time, however when you would rather spend more time disconnected than in touch with the world then there is a problem...

Not only is being disconnected socially unacceptable, it can lead to all sorts of anti-social behaviour if a connection is made... For example - somebody speaks to you when you are disconnected, the initial reaction can be an aggressive one...

However, as I'm writing this roughly I'm starting to feel that I am returning to Earth and will be back in phase soon...

Either that or a little girl could fall off her scooter and bump into me, snapping me back into phase with quite a startle!

- Thelittlerich.

How can you modernise a classic film? Bring it out on a shiny disc!

I recently saw a poster informing me Scarface was going to be released onto Blu-ray disc soon. It made me wonder...

Films nowadays are shot using the latest High Definition (HD) technology, utilising ultimate picture clarity and audio. Films are produced to be made using the latest technology to get the best out of the film.

Image: scottchan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

However classic films were shot using technology that was terrible by today's standards. The film was grainy, the sound was crackly and distorted...

So why are production companies spending so much time and effort to bring shoddily made films (in a technological sense, I mean) out on a format designed for perfection?

(OK, This is a rhetorical question - I know there are financial implications, but I am not going into that!)

Since DVD was offered as a consumer film format - one that included cleaner sound and picture quality; that could contain more footage than on traditional VHS format and was easier to navigate than holding Fast Forward button for 25 minutes - films have offered as many extras that can be squeezed onto a disc as possible...

Audio commentaries; film trailers; alternative endings; deleted scenes and out-takes are often featurettes included onto a DVD, along with the main film...

These can be included because were planned as additional features for the DVD release during the production of the film.

However - will classic films that were produced in the cinematic dark ages have any of these extras because they are now available on DVD / Blu-ray (the latest successor to DVD)?!

Probably not...

The reason - when films were originally shot, DVD wasn't an available format, and so the production probably didn't have 'added extras' in mind:

Despite being well ahead of his time, I doubt Orson Welles thought "I think I should keep all of the bad takes, in case they develop a format that is capable of showing them in an amusing manner..." when he was directing Citizen Kane...

I'm fairly sure Clark Gable didn't sit down to offer an audio commentary during the post production of Gone with the Wind, and it was also highly unlikely that Warren Beatty had the hindsight to create alternative endings when he produced Bonnie and Clyde. (Although perhaps he should have to save countless film producers creating their own parodies!)

Even though these films often undergo a digital remastering (the audio and visual elements are digitally cleaned up), personally, I don't think classic films gain anything by being re-released on the latest technology format. 

I think there should be a real need to digitally enhance a classic film to make it better, and this is rare. 

The digital remastering of Star Wars is a good example - the effects George Lucas originally had in mind had to be created years after using CGI techniques not available when the film was first made!

However, I think otherwise classic films should be left as they were made originally... Or things could get silly!

What's next? Casablanca in 3D?!
Play it again, Sam!

- TheLittlerich.

Walking the dog brought me inspiration for a story told in poetry.

Walking down the dark path at night; 
For some it brings a fright; others the darkness will excite.
It all depends if the circumstances are right...



The darkness interrupted by the orange glow of the streetlight.
Shining from great height, the glow isn't very bright.
Enough to obscure the darkness with light, enough to give you insight of what might...

...lay in wait!

Your mind: Scenarios; It starts to create
situations you have to evaluate
even though it's difficult to think straight...

You hear a noise, your chest goes tight...

Adrenaline starts pumping: getting ready to fight?

Why did you go out alone tonight?

Something's not right... It's far from great.

Your want to take flight; your legs turn to dead weight...

Remembering a torch, you feel delight. Turning it on, you illuminate

a very familiar sight... 

It's your garden gate!

- TheLittlerich.

Some job hunting tips and hints.

I thought I would share these tips I have about searching for a job with you. If you have any other tips, please leave them in the comments section below.

Try to spend a little time each day on searching for a job.  Even if you spend half an hour each day searching for a job, you are more likely to find something than by spending a lot longer on just one day. Of course, how much time you spend is down to you, but I would recommend spreading it over the week.

Be prepared to expand your job search into other industries. If your previous work history is in one industry, and there is a lack of that type of work available try applying for jobs in different industries. Although it may not be the line of work you are particularly interested in, once you are working you can look for a job in your ideal industry. Only apply for suitable jobs. Even if you are looking at jobs outside of your normal criteria, it is a waste of time to apply for jobs you are not qualified to do. Be honest about the job you are thinking of applying for. If you are under qualified or feel you couldn't cope doing a job, don't apply for it. Going for an interview not only wastes your time, it wastes the time of an employer.

Make sure you are available to be contacted.  Make sure you keep your mobile phone recharged so that potential employers can contact you. Also remember to check your email regularly.

Keep your CV up to date.  Make sure it has all of your latest employment history on it, has your current contact details and has been triple checked for spelling errors and typo's.

Keep yourself motivated.  This can be difficult when you receive either no feedback to applications, or you are only receiving rejections. Try not to dwell on the lack of response / negative responses. Once you have applied for a job, don't sit and worry about the company getting back to you, spend your time concentrate on continuing searching for other jobs. If you receive a rejection letter, it's their loss and not yours!

Keep track of where you have applied. If you do this, you will know if you have applied for a job before, and save yourself time and effort for applying for the same job twice. It also stops you from looking unprofessional and disorganised.

Treat your self from time to time! Don't forget to do something nice every now and again to reward yourself for your hard work searching for a job. This will help take the boredom and negativity out of job searching!

Good luck searching for a job! If you have any tips you think should be included, please leave your comments below. - TheLittlerich