There are a plethora of blogging tools available. Some are good, some are bad. These are the tools that I used for my blog. Continue reading “My Favourite Blogging Tools”
My Favourite Blogging Tools
Author: Ben Clapton
I'm a violinist, teacher, composer and arranger from Ellenbrook, Western Australia. I love my family, coffee, AFL and running.
Will you choose the red pill?
This topic suggestion, Do you take the red pill, or the blue pill?, is from The Daily Post as part of the Post-a-day writing challenge.
“You take the blue pill – the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill – you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes.” -Morpheus (from the film The Matrix) Continue reading “Will you choose the red pill?”
Refreshing
This topic suggestion, Weekly Photo Challenge: Refreshing, is from The Daily Post as part of the Post-a-day writing challenge.
In our lives, there are certain areas that sometimes need refreshing. However, far too often, we will find ourselves caught up in the business – or busy-ness – of living, and won’t give time to refresh ourselves. Here’s a few things I sometimes do to refresh different areas of my life. Continue reading “Refreshing”
Movies I’m looking forward to
There was a time where I would go to the movies every Thursday with my mates, and we’d see whatever was on. It was great. We started with Indiana Jones 4, and then every Thursday from there. The group still meets, though I no longer go (mainly because Thursday is one of the few nights where I don’t have anything on, and it’s good to spend it with just my wife). However, there are a few movies coming up that I really want to see, so may well attend the movies that week, or just go and see it on my own.
The Muppets
I can’t wait for this. I’m so excited to see the Muppets back together again. I love the Muppet show, and the Muppet movies that they’ve done so far were brilliant. I think there’s something quite nostalgic about heading back to revisit characters that you’ve loved for so long – such as Toy Story 3. So this is the movie that I’m looking forward to the most.
Mission: Impossible 4
I don’t know what it is about the Mission: Impossible movies, but I can’t wait to see this one. I know that overall, they’re not great movies, but the spectacle, the gadgets, the action, it makes it a movie that I’m really looking forward to seeing.
The Hobbit
Now this one is still a long way off, but I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and can’t wait to see The Hobbit. There’s been word that director Peter Jackson will tinker with the story a bit, which generally I’m not a fan of (I was most annoyed that Tom Bombadil didn’t make the movies) but I’ll still go and see the Hobbit because it will be epic, awesome, and everything Tolkien.
Winnie the Pooh
I only found out about this when I was looking at what other movies are coming up, but I’ve got to say that I’m rather excited about this. Similar reasons to The Muppets – being reintroduced to old friends. Plus, John Cleese as the Narrator, it’s going to be awesome.
The Smurfs
Again, familiar friends make me want to see this movie. Looks like a lot of fun. Plus Neil Patrick Harris and Jayma Mays.
Tintin
I think I’m seeing a trend here. I loved reading Tintin comics when I was young, and I’m really looking forward to seeing this movie. Produced by Spielberg and directed by Peter Jackson, you know that it’s going to be epic. It’s also got Daniel Craig and Simon Pegg cast, as well as Andy Serkis (Gollum from Lord of the Rings) voicing Captain Haddock and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot) voicing Tintin.
What movies are you looking forward to?
The Simple Push Up
This topic suggestion, Stand up now, or die!? (get out of your chair), is from The Daily Post as part of the Post-a-day writing challenge.
A few weeks ago, I wasn’t able to do 10 push ups. I’d lost a lot of weight, but I had been focussing on weight loss so much that I’d become thin and weak. Deciding to change this, I got an app for my phone, Push Ups by Rittr Labs. It’s an app that asks how many you can currently do, then gets you to set a goal of 50, 75, 100 or 125 push ups in a row. I also got their sit ups app to work on my abs.
Now, I’m currently able to do 21 push ups in a row. I’m slowly working my way towards my goal of 75.
Part of why I like Push Ups and Sit Ups is that they are simple exercises that have worked for years. You see exercises such as the Ab King Pro, or the Door frame gym and other such things that you get sold on Morning TV shows, and I just feel that they won’t stick around, possibly because they don’t work. While Push Ups and Sit Ups have remained relatively unchanged for many years, they don’t cost any money, and give you a good all round work out.
So, get off that chair, crank out some push ups, and tell me how many you can do!
Postaday2011 links
- Once I snap my fingers, you will obey Scott Berkun (poptropicalthunder.wordpress.com)
- Excuse me, there’s a fly in my health care (minnesotatransplant.wordpress.com)
- Stand up now, or die! (thebloggingpath.com)
- Get Up and Get Down and Up and Down (steinink.com)
The view from my (boring and cold) window
This topic suggestion, Find the nearest window…, is from The Daily Post as part of the Post-a-day writing challenge.
I must say, I probably have quite a boring window to be doing this from. My computer is in the spare room, which has a window that over looks our washing line, and beyond that is our neighbours house. However, there is something interesting about looking out this morning.
You see, today in Perth, it was very cold. Well, cold for Perth. We don’t get temperatures this cold very often, so we don’t know what to do when it gets this cold. The official minimum temperature was 1.4° Celcius. At Perth Airport, it got to 0.2° Celcius, and at Jandakot Airport (about a half hour south of Perth city) it was a freezing -0.4° Celcius. So when I look out my window, I see all the effects of a very cold morning on the grass. The dew on the grass makes it glisten and seem almost white. It is very clear, and seems like I could almost see for an eternity (if I didn’t have such a restricted view from my window.)
What can you see from your window? Do you have a better view than mine?
Postaday2011 links
- Window in my mind (toxicwheelz.wordpress.com)
- Take a look (seaofestrogen.wordpress.com)
- The Nearest Window (thegirlbehind.com)
- Treasured Gifts (klassikurlz.wordpress.com)
- I spy with my little eyes (myfairladyb.wordpress.com)
My platform as prime minister
This topic suggestion, Do you think you’d make a good president?, is from The Daily Post as part of the Post-a-day writing challenge.
If I was elected Prime Minister, there would be a few big issues that I would be working towards.
NBN
A government is responsible for infrastructure. Not only the building of new infrastructure, but the maintenance and regular upgrading of old infrastructure to suit the needs of the population. A national broadband network, such as the one the government is currently building, is essential to cater for the needs of the population now and into the future. A fiber network has already been proven to be significantly upgradeable with minimal change to the existing infrastructure once the fiber is in place. This is why if I was prime minister, I would continue this process.
Refugees
Refugees is a hot topic at the moment. It is one that requires clear thought, and compassion on both sides of the debate. Personally, I believe that off-shore detention centres are a violation of human rights, as we are detaining these people when they have not committed any breeches of the law.
However, I can also see the need for there to be some kind of fact checking process to ensure that those we let into society are indeed refugees. This process needs to be completed as quickly as possible.
If we are to detain asylum seekers, we need to have a deadline by which time a decision must be made. The main thing that has caused so much mental health issues within detained asylum seekers is often not the detention itself, but the uncertainty in how long they will be detained for a crime that doesn’t exist. We need to ensure that all claims are processed quickly – say, within six months – and if that is not possible, then we recruit more staff to ensure that it is possible.
Also, I would promote as Prime Minister a scheme where once an initial assessment is made, every asylum seeker is sent into community detention. Community detention is not only far better for the asylum seeker, as it also helps them settle into the community, but it is also far cheaper for the Australian government than off-shore detention.
Investing in renewable energy
Renewable energy sources such as wind, water, solar and others are not at the stage where they could replace coal completely. However, we would be foolish to assume that coal and gas will remain a viable source of power into the future. Eventually, we will mine all of the coal, oil and gas, and need to find another source.
It is therefore a smart idea to develop existing and potential renewable energy technologies to not only prolong the amount of time we have until coal runs out, but also to eventually replace coal when it does run out.
Is there a lot of work to do to get it to this stage? Absolutely. However it would be foolish not to act on this now.
So that’s three things I would focus on if I was Prime Minister. What would your three things be?
Postaday2011 links
- President, Again? (myfairladyb.wordpress.com)
- Do you think you’d make a good president? (thebloggingpath.com)
- Blue Bloods (purplelocket.wordpress.com)
- Do you think you’d make a good president? (laurieanichols.wordpress.com)
- Do you think you’d make a good president? (clairewade.wordpress.com)
Worth waiting for
What’s worth waiting in a long line for? There are some things that are worth that wait.
When we were down in Margaret River, we decided to get to the Michael Bublé concert before the gates opened. A couple of hours early in fact. We sat down and read our magazines, and waited. It was certainly worth that wait. When gates eventually opened, we were inside within 5 minutes, and able to get a prime seating position to see one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.
I must admit that I haven’t been much of a line waiter. But something that I do remember waiting in line for was Midnight Screenings of Lord of the Rings. Yes… I’m a geek, and Proud of it. And I’m certain that my wife will shake her head at me, but when The Hobbit gets released, I’ll probably line up for that as well.
What else is worth lining up for? What’s worth the wait? What have you lined up for?
Does your Church need Google+
Keepin’ it fresh
I have had this website since 2006. I have posts on this website since 2007. That’s a fair time to be blogging. Now, admittedly, I haven’t been a regular poster. I have around 250 posts published (at the time this post was published), which is an average of under a post a week. So I’m not exactly a blogging professional, and I’m probably not the sort of guy you should be looking to advice. But you are, so I’ll tell you what I know. Continue reading “Keepin’ it fresh”
Ben Clapton 