Tag: Facebook

The Failed Individual

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I’m going to expose my lack of knowledge when it comes to social media and / or computers. I just watched this video on Facebook and attempted to somehow download it to put up on here. I have done this before with YouTube but clearly it’s beyond me with Facebook so please click on the link and watch the three minute video before reading ahead.

There is a lot online at the moment about police violence or things of that ilk and this video is attempting portray an American police officer over stepping the mark, or at least in this case attempting to. He is trying to get a driver who he has pulled over for speeding to step out of his car. The driver doesn’t want to and is telling him to just fine him and let him go on his way. The video is only three minutes long so we have no idea what happened prior to this recording or after when some other officers turn up. He first threatens to pepper spray him for not getting out the vehicle but in a comedic way his pepper spray is empty at which point he takes a hold of his taser. He suggests he wants him to step out of the vehicle because he is concerned for his safety. If you have watched the video then this paragraph was pointless but humour me.

This might sound counter intuitive but I actually feel a little sorry for the police officer. Yes don’t get me wrong he is clearly not handling the situation well but he’s also clearly not suited to the task he is attempting to carry out. He has no authority in a job which demands above all else authority. He is clearly either nervous, scared or simply not suitable. And that’s what I want to focus on. This man is not suited to the job he is trying to carry out. Now that could mean the job itself makes demands of people that rely on authoritative bullying, but somewhere down the line they have employed and trained this man who should not be doing a job which can lead to situations which result in potentially killing someone. One day either he will be killed or he will fuck up and kill someone. For me, he as a human being has been failed by a police force and a crumbling system, which has allowed someone clearly dangerously unsuitable to find himself in a situation above his head. He may not be a victim on par with or in the style of George Floyd but it’s important to recognise it is this kind of thing too which highlights a corrupt and failed state and it’s institutions. Thankfully this movement isn’t just focusing on the individual, people are seeing the bigger picture, but it’s also important to see the human being too even when he is being a dick.

A Tangent Of Change

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As I struggle to think about anything to write today, scrolling through Facebook and the news channels for inspiration I am left with the feeling the world is falling apart. We seem to have moved on from the virus pretty quick to the virus of racism. Prior to that of course we moved on from the virus of power and corruption in the form of Brexit. I wonder what we’ll move on to next, a second wave of infections perhaps? I know someone who drives a lorry and apparently the word going around is to prepare for a second lockdown in November, this is what they’ve been told and apparently lorry drivers know stuff so I should believe this. I have seen memes online suggesting this is the worst year ever and what terrible things are going to come next. It might be the worst year ever but that is simply because typical issues which many in poorer parts of the world have to deal with year after year are finally landing on our doorsteps. Face to face with the uncertainty of catching a virus, a hidden bullet we can’t see. Deaths we are impotent from preventing. Is this the new-normal the politicians were talking about.

The unknown is scary. We are scared of the dark because we don’t know what is there, all is unknown. We fear change because we don’t know what it is or what it could entail. We are quick to want to conserve our current way of life if we view it from the standpoint that it works for us and has got us this far. Why change it. Clearly something out there is not working though because we still have violent systemic racism, we still have ideological approaches to saving lives in a pandemic, we still have people manipulating a population for their own personal benefit and greed. So it’s time for society to take that collective step into the unknown and as one step out of that bubble we live in. We don’t know what is going to land on our safe little doorsteps next. We’ve flirted with working together throughout this virus which means we’ve shown we are capable of it. Much of what we’ve heard has been feel good propaganda but we’ve all seen people at some point at least thinking about others before themselves. Some change might need a few generations of social reeducation which sounds ominous, but some we’re clearly capable of. Maybe there is hope for deconstructing the state, decentralising decision making and creating the opportunity for people to achieve self-determination, autonomy and respect. Maybe that’s just me going off on a hopeful tangent but then that is all today seems to be, what life has now become.

Social Media Salesmen

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One particular bonus of delivering bread is that you get the opportunity to listen to a lot of podcasts. This week I discovered a new one called The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread which aims to prove or, more likely I suspect, disprove the claims behind certain fads and those made on behalf of products. They discuss things such as noise cancelling headphones, teeth whitening and 24-hour sunscreen. The two episodes I have listened to so far have been on CBD oil and caffeine shampoo. It turns out the claims made on behalf of them don’t quite stack up. The caffeine in the shampoo is apparently supposed to stimulate the hair growth but these claims it appears are not sufficiently backed up scientifically, the benefits if any are from the act of massaging the scalp and follicles. The oil was interesting because I have bought it myself in the past and was sure that while it was very subtle, there was certainly a more relaxed and calm feeling to my mind after a few weeks of use. It turns out it may have been a placebo of sorts but not that CBD doesn’t actually have that affect. Apparently to get the benefits made in the claims such as easing anxiety, depression and even heart disease you need to take a lot higher doses than the bottles can possibly prescribe. So the claims while being accurate to a degree are slightly misleading.

I heard first about CBD in random conversations, although at that point people were still talking about oils which contained both CBD and THC, the ingredient which provides the psychoactive qualities. In the last few years, coinciding especially with legalising of hemp and marijuana in the United States, CBD oil has gone viral. In the episode they discuss CBD chocolate, effervescent bath bombs and even infused leggings. I can imagine uber-hipsters wearing them while doing yoga and feeling all kinds of good about themselves. I bought some oil about eighteen months to two years ago just when people were really getting excited. I was most likely convinced to buy by all the positive stories I read on Facebook in articles, memes and others comments. Ultimately we were sharing advertising with each other, we were unconsciously doing the advertising; being both the process and the recipient. While it does provide useful services, social media is more and more becoming little other than an advertising platform. We spot the obvious sponsored posts but the smart ones are those which manage to integrate themselves into all the real ideas, science and news going around. This is just another front of the Fake News concept which in itself already feels like a tired old trope. It seems obvious and it is but sometimes it’s worth seeing and understanding social media from another angle. We’re not just selling ourselves but everything and to everyone.

A New Form Of Live Music

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About six months ago I made a conscious decision to see more live music. I have seen a fair amount in my life, not loads and not enough to be impressive in any way, but there have been memorable experiences I can count on more than one hand. There have though been occasions in which I have passed up on seeing someone; leaving a show early fifteen years ago because of girlfriend issues and not staying to see The Prodigy still rankles as a major moment of regret. This spring and coming summer then I was hoping to see some music but this has clearly all changed. While some summer festivals have been postponed until the autumn it is pretty clear I’m not going to get this music fix in the short term.

This pandemic has forced people into embracing new approaches to getting their message, music, produce and so on out into the world. The internet is yet again showing itself to be a most incredible tool and social media may have plenty of downside but it is proving to be an brilliant source for sharing when people need it the most. There is one phenomena which I have been enjoying and that is the live music. From what I can see this began with people not necessarily famous but who were used to performing regularly be it bars to small venue. I have a few friends on Facebook who have put on some shows and while I haven’t watched them all, I have enjoyed them, not announcing my presence just watching as if I was sitting silently at the back of the gig and leaving just as they ended.

A few of the more famous musicians have been getting in on this too, for various reasons, some charitable and some personal. I watched Post Malone do a really good show of Nirvana covers to raise money for the World Health Organisation. I then listened to a few of his actual song and realised he wasn’t for me, but his take on Nirvana, with the help of Blink 182’s drummer Travis Barker, was really impressive.

I discovered yesterday that a favourite dub artist of mine Panda Dub took part in something called the Aftrwrk Online Festival.

While these are ultimately the type of videos you’ve been able to watch on YouTube for a longtime there is something different about watching them live. We are leading such disconnected lives in quarantine that even the slightest connection to something happening in the moment that others are also partaking in can not be overlooked. I don’t think for a second that this form of music will overtake actual live music in person but it will certainly have forced people to view and approach other medians of live music in a new way.

Tonight then there is one by a group called Whitehorse who I came across about a month ago. Tonight they are doing a live show at about 22.00 British time. This is a link to their facebook page from which I think it will be shown.

Maybe I’ll see you there.

Another Piece Another Poo

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I mention sometimes why I write this every single. These are usually days when I’m struggling to think of something to say. Today I shall do the same, but not necessarily because I’m lost for words. I decided back in about October or November to write a piece on this blog every single day for a year. I didn’t post anything for the first month to make sure I was serious. It also gave me the chance to drop out without anyone knowing anything in the worst case scenario. Were I to look back I imagine there were some shocking early pieces but then I imagine they’re also spread throughout this whole blog. Sometimes I go through the motions, sometimes I think I’m a genius and others a pretentious arse. But that is inevitable because really what is there to say for four to five hundred, and sometimes more, words each and every day.

If I really wanted to make this thing some kind of success I know I should focus on one particular topic or one approach to different topics. But I don’t, not really. We all want adulation and some kind of confirmation that our wildest desires are right but really I just want to write something everyday. Maybe when I complete this thing I can bask in whatever warm glowing feeling the moment provides. Anything else I can worry about then but first and foremost I probably have about half a year remaining.

In the meantime, if anyone remembers something I wrote the other day about getting told off in the supermarket; in it I mentioned the local Facebook group that were doing their best to create the impression that this is a comedy village. One post that started out with photographic evidence of dog poo and led to revelations over the discovery of the human variety, may enjoy the news that we’re not alone in suffering such faeces trauma. It appears according to this story here that there has been some kind of attack on local seaside communities. Just imagine how exciting their local group is right now. It is incredibly tempting to send the BBC a link to the now defunct group chat, it would be the talk of the village for six months at least if we made national news. But I won’t. Even though I want to.

So that’s that. Another day in the life of someone who feels the need to share something with you daily. One more day done. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.

A Ramble On Death

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I was watching a video this morning on Facebook, on what I can’t remember; a telling indictment of the zombie social media turns us into. I do remember at one point some footage came on of men in the First World War. It was coloured footage which I always find really fascinating because it makes old film real and relatable in a way black and white can’t be. The Great War was from a time past and those involved have all died now. I haven’t checked it but I seriously doubt there is anyone left. You know you’re looking at dead people, they’re younger than I am now, but there time has been and now they’re dead.

I’m not obsessed with death, it doesn’t fascinate me in some morbid way and I once used to dismiss it in that way people do when they’re young and like to pretend they don’t give a shit about anything. That doesn’t mean either that I’m about to tell you all I’m scared of death but I am trying to understand it. I am trying to understand it because it plays a huge part in our behaviours as a species. We’re aware consciously of our own existence and as a result our own deaths too. Are we alone in this awareness? One day all this is just not going to be there.

This idea of nothingness is hard to comprehend. Imagine you go to sleep and that feeling of deep sleep is what you will be experiencing for eternity, except you don’t experience deep sleep consciously, arguably we don’t even exist in those moments. How then can we imagine not existing. We try to imagine something we have little empirical understanding of and it’s impossible. This is almost scarier than death itself, which kind of isn’t scary at all.

These soldiers were living in their time. This is the thought that inspired me to start this ramble on death. Why do we fear getting old and dying. These people, that was there time and they lived it, they got old and were replaced by other people living their experience of time. This is my time now and I need to live it because one day I will have to let it go and I want to do it with a smile on my face, content. Not content that I lived life to the max or whatever slogan you can come up with, but just content in the knowledge that now my time is up and it’s time for others to take over. There are plenty out there who are like that and plenty who can’t let go. It’s fear ultimately. Fear of stepping into an unknown time in life, closer to the ultimate unknown. I’m just curious, if I’m lucky to live that long of course. And also, in a way, if we’re to understand death do we first need to understand life? Certainly there’s an order to these thing and maybe with some kind of understanding comes a form of acceptance. It’s especially interesting because, in a way, there are no answers and what’s more powerful than that.

Mental Self-Preservation In The Internet Age

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The internet is quite simply the single biggest game changer since the printing press. This is not the first time this opinion has been presented on here and it probably won’t be the last. The internet has allowed us access to such a vast resource of information, one only dreamt of by intellectuals, students and conspiracy theorists fifty years ago, that we have no excuse for being ignorant of anything if we so desire. It is a shame our experiences have been coopted by click-bait, social media and kitten videos, who would have predicted such access to information would have in fact dumbed down society instead of enlightening it. Have our masters and overloads played their cards right when required or have we somehow done this to ourselves? It’s actually not clear, probably as ever a little bit of both. It is undeniable that we have access to information on social media which should bring down governments, and judging by my Facebook wall, the vast majority of people out there believe in the downfall of this corrupt system we live in. It is unfortunate of course that my Facebook wall is probably not representative of society on the whole.

I was reading an article about police in Australia beating up a man with mental health issues on his front lawn. They had been called to his address by his psychiatrist who was worried he might hurt himself. The golden rule in these situations is that the police will end up hurting him far more than he will himself, in America he will likely be shot. Again that may be true or it may not be but it does appear to be pretty commonplace if what I find on social media is anything to go by. Upon finishing the article I realised I was exhausted.

For nearly twenty years now I have been getting worked up about injustice in one form or another. I am instinctively drawn to it and appalled at what I find. For sure judging by what others post I’m barely excitable comparatively but that is probably something that has calmed in recent years from the heady revolutionary days of my youth. Perhaps it is just that after all these years you start to see how getting worked up serves no purpose beyond being emotively exhausting. Saying that there are examples of people making changes but they are not your average outraged person. There gets to a point that unless you’re actually going to do something then there’s no benefit to sitting behind a screen and getting angry, sad and / or excitable. Yet we still do, we keep on coming back to whatever fix it gives us. The buzz at seeing injustice, the feeling of being morally superior to some scumbag in uniform, the adrenal rush as you start fantasising about system change before going back to Netflix and watching Bojack Horseman or Peaky Blinders.

It just can’t be healthy getting worked up and mentally exhausted over things which will exist whether you read that article or not. This isn’t defeatist or fatalist, or at least I hope it isn’t and I’m aware I’ve just created a stick to be bashed with, but it is more a recognition of a certain type of pragmatism which leads hopefully to a little mental self-preservation and also the time and energy for more productive development of both the self and the environment around us. The world needs people to stand up and fight, and the reality is they will regardless, they will go out and make the changes. What it has and what it doesn’t need are people getting themselves outraged by events which have no effect upon them, can do nothing about and / or will happen regardless of what they do, which will most likely be little more than feel anger followed by moral outrage and superiority for the five minutes before they’re distracted by a kitten. Isn’t it wonderful that feeling of superiority, moral or not.

The Art Of Procrastinating

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Procrastinating really is an art form when done at it’s finest. I sat down an hour ago at my computer to do some work on something and knowing I had a little more time than usual decided to just have a little browse of the easy thoughtless websites I usually like kill time with. My version of those are football related and I can easily spend an hour reading the latest news, transfer gossip, he said / she said stories that don’t require much thought. Perhaps that is why they do so well; they grab you with click-bait style headlines and then are usually written so simply the mind needs to put in only the minimum effort to read them. They are also addictive. Facebook is the other procrastinator but while football is seemingly still there, I have managed to give up bothering with it much beyond emails to other people and obviously posting these blog pieces. Twitter and Instagram? Don’t be silly.

Why do we procrastinate then? Is this another example of a lack of discipline? Procrastinating is about doing something else, usually thoughtless and a waste of time, to avoid doing something more important and likely more challenging. Even this piece today is in itself procrastinating; just as I finally closed the football related windows I realised how much I had just been wasting time for the last hour and how I was still stuck in the old habits of the past. Why not write about it then and while I need to write something today, there is probably a slight avoidance in this action by doing it at this moment.

We all procrastinate though and modern society is just full of opportunities. If it’s not football news it’s Facebook. If not that it’s some stupid click-bait site giving you thirty moments someone you don’t actually care about either embarrassed themselves or didn’t wear make-up. Struggling with not enough click-bait then why not play some kind of addictive game on your phone or become a zombie to short YouTube videos. These are all technological methods but what did people do before Nokia kicked it all off with it’s highly memorable Snake game? People must have still procrastinated but I was about sixteen then so it’s hard to say. Maybe doodling was more common, people certainly read newspapers more but that’s not solely a procrastinating thing. Genuinely I don’t know. Perhaps I can find out online, that should kill some more time.

Tap Garden At Peddler Night Market

Hamar Williams

Saw my first grown man on one of those scooters made famous by Google today. I’m embracing market stall life at Peddler Night Market in Sheffield helping out a mate at his juice market stall. Let’s call this some free advertising for his tasty, healthy fresh homemade soda juices and punch, all non-alcoholic. Tap Garden it’s called and you can find him on all good social media…Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. #tapgarden #tapgardendrinks

It’s a pretty cool place, one of these old brick warehouses that can be found partly abandoned and partly reinvigorated by wealthy alternative hipsters. I realised after about five minutes that I should have worn my Dr Marten boots like everyone else, certainly feel I missed a trick by yet again being the only person in the building wearing Crocs. One day they will fulfil their destiny and find their rightful place as the only footwear of choice. Until then though I can continue to feel superior as the only Crocs related enlightened being in the place.

Apparently Sheffield is quite a cool city. Lots of students, cheap cost of living, a once vibrant city that didn’t lose its population to Manchester or London now become vibrant in a new way. They call it the Bristol of the north apparently. Bristol without southerners, it sounds perfect. It also has a canal running through it because of all the industry in the past. It actually appeals massively and I’m filing the place away in the ‘possibilities at a later date’ section of the storage unit in my mind. It seems to be the constant issue in life of finding the perfect way to exist. Be in a cool place with interesting people, beautiful, not too busy or crowded, close to nature, relaxed, close to the sea, etc. Sheffield doesn’t have all these thing so it is not perfect but then let’s be honest perfect doesn’t exist. It seems to be about finding some kind of contentment in life whatever that means. I’m sure it will make an appearance one day if I look hard enough, or stop looking at all. I’m sure the answer is somewhere, probably inside of me they say.

Anyway that’s all for today, it feels like a short piece but so be it. Today and tomorrow will be busy days so I doubt you’ll get much more than this again tomorrow but that magic 400 words of wisdom mark can’t be hit everyday. If I know anyone in Sheffield then pop down, come say hello…drink some juice at Tap Garden…the only place for fresh juice made with real ingredients and love.