It is hard to believe that ten years ago today I first sat at my laptop and wrote a blog post.
Back then I was in the post first time general election candidate daze, but was already thinking about how I could do more to get myself recognised and my views heard ahead of the next election at some point before 2010. Back then the blog title was Stephen's Linlithgow Journal as back then anything I thought I would stand for as a Liberal Democrat candidate had the word Linlithgow in the title. Of course when it came to be going for selection in 2010 for the Edinburgh Central seat I didn't want to see five years of thoughts lost to the general public, so I changed the URL and the title to the current title.
Little did I realise that across the blog I would have over 1 million page views back then I was just looking for a way to reach out to the 70,000 or so voters who lived in the catchment area that I thought I would be reaching out to for a number of years. Of course I also didn't realise that circumstance would cause me to move three times within 4 years from the area that I had come to consider home back then in 2005.
Of course another thing that really impacted on my blog was the sudden death of Robin Cook in the summer of 2005. My blog up until that point had a limited readership, but then I became the go to blog (not just Liberal Democrat) for the ensuing by election. To suddenly go from 10-20 readers a day to upwards of 500 on certain days of course made me change the way I went about my blogging. It moved from being largely about local issues, though they would still exist, into a more national outlook on things. Sadly of course with such a high profile death at the start of my decade of blogging there was of course the leader of my Party then Charles Kennedy's also sudden death at the other end of these first 10 years.
My blogging diversified down the years and I realised that I was almost blogging as much about sport as politics, indeed at some points of the year more so. So I set up a secondary blog that focused on the sport, Stephen's Sporting Almanac but of course as soon as I did that I lost a little of the mojo and stopped blogging as much on both blogs. This may also have come about from the fact that I was no longer blogging on the bus ride into work in the morning which had instilled a certain discipline into me finding something to write about, but was also down probably to a large part to the continuous search for work after the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign. Of course I took a step back then from political blogging in the same way as I had to work closely with people of other parties.
But somehow I have managed to struggle through and kept on blogging. So here we are today celebrating 10 years as a blogger. I've seen many people give up in that time, many start to greater or lesser success, others move to collaborative blogs, but I have maintained a one person blog for 10 years now. The output has not always been at the same level but I hope that every now and then a little gem comes from the tapping I do wherever and whenever the mood strikes me.
I'm now in the post third time General Election candidate haze, and looking for how to work for the Lib Dem Fight Back after the poor showing on 7 May. Having stood a second time in Linlithgow and East Falkirk in 2010 and in Sedgefield this year. Sometime soon I expect you'll see me going for selection ahead of 2020.
Will I still be blogging in 10 years time? Who knows, but I'm not for giving up just now.
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 July 2015
Friday, 29 August 2014
Half a million thank yous for reading
Since I migrated this blog from its old location in 2010-11 (I ran an overlap of posting to both during transition) there has been quite a few people who have visited and read. Indeed this morning I realised just how many:
I have now passed half a million page views on this site, which added with the almost 300,000 on the previous site means there are really 800,000 page views in just over the 9 years that I have been blogging. There have been times of hiatus and others of less activity but I am glad that many of you have still kept with me. After a period of relative inactivity in recent months I have got my mojo back and will continue to blog for the foreseeable future.
So once again than you for reading, commenting and linking/tweeting to what I have to say.
I have now passed half a million page views on this site, which added with the almost 300,000 on the previous site means there are really 800,000 page views in just over the 9 years that I have been blogging. There have been times of hiatus and others of less activity but I am glad that many of you have still kept with me. After a period of relative inactivity in recent months I have got my mojo back and will continue to blog for the foreseeable future.
So once again than you for reading, commenting and linking/tweeting to what I have to say.
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
My top 10 posts from 2013
This blog is about to enter its ninth year of production being founded in July 2005. However, before I update my copyright declarations it is time to look back at the top 10 posts of 2013, I am restricting this only to posts that were written in 2013 as other two of my Olympic history posts and my first look that the 2020 contenders are in the list. The latter obviously was a push at the selection of Tokyo (which I predicted in that 2012 post) came closer.
So in traditional reverse order here are my top 10 hits that were written in 2013.
10. Dear John Pugh you asked about errors in your reasoning it was a year in which I took a few of our parliamentarians to task over their reason for not supporting the parties policy position on marriage equality, first out of the box in this year's top ten was John Pugh.
9. When Church turns on its own in April after the second debate on equal marriage in Stormont, when David Ford amongst others took a stance that look beyond that which their churches advocated, some in his own congregation rose up against him taking a stand For Everyone.
8. Why the Drewitt-Barlow's going to court have got it wrong #equalmarriage in August the gay couple who paved the way for surrogate co-parency here in the UK said they would take the Church of England to court if they could not be married in their local parish church. I argued about why this was the wrong approach.
7. In response to Simon Hughes after the third reading on Same-Sex Marriage in the Commons Simon wrote about his reasons for his abstention on Lib Dem Voice. I just had to respond and it appears that you lot went to have a read.
6. Lembit, Brent Central and women only short lists in September just after a confluence of events I end up making a totally un-me-like conclusion, warning there is some satire in my conclusion, but some of the points are valid.
5. Some thoughts on the Tom Daley reactions earlier this month Olympic diver Tom Daley came out about his current relationship. There were all sorts of comments erroneous and downright wrong that I decided to write about.
4. I like Steve Chalke cos he is a nice guy back in January Baptist Minister and Oasis Trust Founder Steve Chalke broke from the main Evangelical Christian tradition in this country with comments about homosexuality. It hasn't sparked a flood tide of others doing likewise but the conversation within our churches goes on.
3. Feeling sorry for Mexican Congresswoman's Sex Life in August Ana María Jiménez Ortiz surprising came to my attention, when obviously trying to avoid sounding homophobic in saying guys shouldn't marry, came out out only those who have sex facing each other should be allowed to marry. I can imagine divorce cases filed when the husband suggested some other positions, and same-sex couples trying to prove that they only had sex facing each other.
2. Say Hello to the Belfast cultural revolution this rant against news that a portrait showing a same-sex kiss from an exhibition in Belfast (before any of us saw the actual picture since added) raised my heckles in good old fashion.,
1. Reponse from the Royal Ulster Academy quite happy for the response that came from the outrage of my number 2 post is actually the top post. That is a rather unique position but good for the story that people appear to have read both. Although over 150 more people seemed to read this rather than the original rant.
2013 wasn't a year that I was able to give a great deal of time to my blog especially considering the job that I moved into in February. I hope that productivity and intensity can be picked up as we head into 2014.
So in traditional reverse order here are my top 10 hits that were written in 2013.
10. Dear John Pugh you asked about errors in your reasoning it was a year in which I took a few of our parliamentarians to task over their reason for not supporting the parties policy position on marriage equality, first out of the box in this year's top ten was John Pugh.
9. When Church turns on its own in April after the second debate on equal marriage in Stormont, when David Ford amongst others took a stance that look beyond that which their churches advocated, some in his own congregation rose up against him taking a stand For Everyone.
8. Why the Drewitt-Barlow's going to court have got it wrong #equalmarriage in August the gay couple who paved the way for surrogate co-parency here in the UK said they would take the Church of England to court if they could not be married in their local parish church. I argued about why this was the wrong approach.
7. In response to Simon Hughes after the third reading on Same-Sex Marriage in the Commons Simon wrote about his reasons for his abstention on Lib Dem Voice. I just had to respond and it appears that you lot went to have a read.
6. Lembit, Brent Central and women only short lists in September just after a confluence of events I end up making a totally un-me-like conclusion, warning there is some satire in my conclusion, but some of the points are valid.
5. Some thoughts on the Tom Daley reactions earlier this month Olympic diver Tom Daley came out about his current relationship. There were all sorts of comments erroneous and downright wrong that I decided to write about.
4. I like Steve Chalke cos he is a nice guy back in January Baptist Minister and Oasis Trust Founder Steve Chalke broke from the main Evangelical Christian tradition in this country with comments about homosexuality. It hasn't sparked a flood tide of others doing likewise but the conversation within our churches goes on.
3. Feeling sorry for Mexican Congresswoman's Sex Life in August Ana María Jiménez Ortiz surprising came to my attention, when obviously trying to avoid sounding homophobic in saying guys shouldn't marry, came out out only those who have sex facing each other should be allowed to marry. I can imagine divorce cases filed when the husband suggested some other positions, and same-sex couples trying to prove that they only had sex facing each other.
2. Say Hello to the Belfast cultural revolution this rant against news that a portrait showing a same-sex kiss from an exhibition in Belfast (before any of us saw the actual picture since added) raised my heckles in good old fashion.,
1. Reponse from the Royal Ulster Academy quite happy for the response that came from the outrage of my number 2 post is actually the top post. That is a rather unique position but good for the story that people appear to have read both. Although over 150 more people seemed to read this rather than the original rant.
2013 wasn't a year that I was able to give a great deal of time to my blog especially considering the job that I moved into in February. I hope that productivity and intensity can be picked up as we head into 2014.
Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Parish notice
I know I haven't posted much in the last week or so, but bear with me until this weekend.
But there may also be an exciting announcement about something newish to me starting next week too.
But there may also be an exciting announcement about something newish to me starting next week too.
Saturday, 29 December 2012
2012 my blog by your viewing habits
There are two ways to look at the most popular blog posts of 2012. There are obviously the most popular posts over the whole year. That list is at the end, but I thought I also go month by month first (all results are according to Google Analytics)
January top of the heap was Apparently I'm a leper now when Core Issues brought a conference The Leper Among us: Homosexuality and Life in the Church to Orangefield Presbyterian Church. Runners up were SNP MP Claims to be a Unionist and a carry over from the previous January Anne Francis Starred in Forbidden Planet.
February saw my explaining to Charlotte Henry the difference between social and socialist with respect to the Social Liberal Forum in Dear Charlotte, it's social not socialist and it's constitutional. Behind that came the Breaking News that one of my old sparring partners (not physically) Sky confirm that Eric Joyce arrested on suspicion of assault equal with another explanation Neither a Left Liberal nor a Right Liberal, Just Liberal.
March top of this month was my adaptation of a well known verse If - with Liberal apologies to Rudyard Kipling which was basically looking at the Lib Dem constitution. Honourable mentions go to So the Lib Dems are not debating the NHS Bill, but... and a in the words of a late Lib Dem Viv - one sentance to sum up the party - Freedom.
April my top post seems rather topical considering some of the Christmas It's Easter let's show the love with Christians, unless they are Gay. Elsewhere my Olympic posts were picking up views as the Games drew nearer with 1948 Summer Olympics London: XIV Olympiad and 1900 Summer Olympics Paris: II Olympiad the next most popular in April.
May my post on the last London Olympics in 1948 had been written in March, but it was most popular in May. Following were two more not written this month What...is...are the biblical definitions of marriage from December 2011 and 1936 Summer Olympics Berlin: XI Olympiad another from the series from March.
June top was the sad post about the loss of a dear friend Nikki Thomson 1967-2012. London 2012 fever insured that London 1948 featured yet again along with Never, say Never to second looks - Argyll and Bute.
July top this month was outrage at Why have @Twitter suspended @equalmarriageni ? when our newly established Twitter account disappeared just hours after it was created. Another Olympic post this time 1952 Summer Olympics Helsinki: XV Olympiad shared the honours with London 1948 once again in the top three.
August and London 2012 was upon us and dominated my blogging but top story was a sad one Cyclist killed by Olympic Bus. It took precedence over a look at the Games to come Summer Olympics 2020 XXXII Olympiad plus what other look at the stamps but Super Saturday's the fourth day that the Royal Mail were busy and the first issue date on a Sunday.
September post Olympics and a shock is that an art post from June 2011 takes top spot Artful Thursday - Escher, it wasn't even the month in which he passed away 40 years ago. But elsewhere it was praise for Team GB Well Done Team GB but it was back to politics with Mike Nesbitt and his bigot question.
October with the debate in Stormont on marriage equality at the start of the month my top story was related Alliance Party censors criticism. Elsewhere Escher featured again plus David Ford issues apology for Monday.
November top was clearing up a little bit of language from the Prime Minister Dave paedophiles are not a subset of gay men (any excuse for a good Venn diagram). The others that month were Co-opted Councillor resigns from party for a little local politics and more of Escher.
December as of the time of writing it is actually very close at the top, so I will only update the order at the end of the month. But the three in contention (for now) are personal politics In which I join the Alliance Party, a tribute Kenneth Kendall 1924-2012 and Why designated days actually make the Flag special.
Which leads to the biggest hits of 2012. Will there be any sleeper that hasn't made a months top three that may sneak in?
January top of the heap was Apparently I'm a leper now when Core Issues brought a conference The Leper Among us: Homosexuality and Life in the Church to Orangefield Presbyterian Church. Runners up were SNP MP Claims to be a Unionist and a carry over from the previous January Anne Francis Starred in Forbidden Planet.
February saw my explaining to Charlotte Henry the difference between social and socialist with respect to the Social Liberal Forum in Dear Charlotte, it's social not socialist and it's constitutional. Behind that came the Breaking News that one of my old sparring partners (not physically) Sky confirm that Eric Joyce arrested on suspicion of assault equal with another explanation Neither a Left Liberal nor a Right Liberal, Just Liberal.
March top of this month was my adaptation of a well known verse If - with Liberal apologies to Rudyard Kipling which was basically looking at the Lib Dem constitution. Honourable mentions go to So the Lib Dems are not debating the NHS Bill, but... and a in the words of a late Lib Dem Viv - one sentance to sum up the party - Freedom.
April my top post seems rather topical considering some of the Christmas It's Easter let's show the love with Christians, unless they are Gay. Elsewhere my Olympic posts were picking up views as the Games drew nearer with 1948 Summer Olympics London: XIV Olympiad and 1900 Summer Olympics Paris: II Olympiad the next most popular in April.
May my post on the last London Olympics in 1948 had been written in March, but it was most popular in May. Following were two more not written this month What...is...are the biblical definitions of marriage from December 2011 and 1936 Summer Olympics Berlin: XI Olympiad another from the series from March.
June top was the sad post about the loss of a dear friend Nikki Thomson 1967-2012. London 2012 fever insured that London 1948 featured yet again along with Never, say Never to second looks - Argyll and Bute.
July top this month was outrage at Why have @Twitter suspended @equalmarriageni ? when our newly established Twitter account disappeared just hours after it was created. Another Olympic post this time 1952 Summer Olympics Helsinki: XV Olympiad shared the honours with London 1948 once again in the top three.
August and London 2012 was upon us and dominated my blogging but top story was a sad one Cyclist killed by Olympic Bus. It took precedence over a look at the Games to come Summer Olympics 2020 XXXII Olympiad plus what other look at the stamps but Super Saturday's the fourth day that the Royal Mail were busy and the first issue date on a Sunday.
September post Olympics and a shock is that an art post from June 2011 takes top spot Artful Thursday - Escher, it wasn't even the month in which he passed away 40 years ago. But elsewhere it was praise for Team GB Well Done Team GB but it was back to politics with Mike Nesbitt and his bigot question.
October with the debate in Stormont on marriage equality at the start of the month my top story was related Alliance Party censors criticism. Elsewhere Escher featured again plus David Ford issues apology for Monday.
November top was clearing up a little bit of language from the Prime Minister Dave paedophiles are not a subset of gay men (any excuse for a good Venn diagram). The others that month were Co-opted Councillor resigns from party for a little local politics and more of Escher.
December as of the time of writing it is actually very close at the top, so I will only update the order at the end of the month. But the three in contention (for now) are personal politics In which I join the Alliance Party, a tribute Kenneth Kendall 1924-2012 and Why designated days actually make the Flag special.
Which leads to the biggest hits of 2012. Will there be any sleeper that hasn't made a months top three that may sneak in?
- 10 1936 Summer Olympics Berlin: XI Olympiad
- 9 1976 Summer Olympics Montreal: XXI Olympiad and V Paralympics not mentioned in any month above
- 8 Summer Olympics 2020 XXXII Olympiad
- 7 What...is...are the biblical definition of marriage?
- 6 Nikki Thomson 1967-2012
- 5 1948 Summer Olympics London: XIV Olympiad
- 4 1952 Summer Olympics Stockholm: XV Olympiad
- 3 1900 Summer Olympics Paris: II Olympiad
- 2 didn't feature any month but was the first Olympics revisited post 1896 Summer Olympics Athens: I Olympiad
- 1 not even written this year but - Artful Thursday 4 - Escher
- Team LGB at London 2012
- Team Northern Ireland #London2012
- Well done Team GB#London2012
- Cyclist killed by Olympic Bus
- Royal Mail Golden Stamps 4 #London2012
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Blogging a Re-arrange
Last week I was looking at my blog and realised how little on here over recent months has actually been about politics. See as that was the initial main thrust of the blog the revelation did rather startle me. Of course I do blog a lot of local political stuff either at Northern Ireland Lib Dems or LBGT Lib Dems Northern Ireland.
I also
It may have something to do with not being in work, as I used to commute in every day while composing something political to write about. it may also have something to do with my last job being one where I was limited to a small area of political activity and I limited my other political views.
But largely it was because I have blogged so much about sport.
Therefore I have set up a separate blog to archive my sport contributions (past ones will still remain here) and dedicate this one more to politics (though other stuff will make occasional appearances). Therefore I'd like to introduce Stephen's Sporting Almanac for your sporting pleasure. Although the transfer of the archive is a bigger task than I first thought.
This blog will once again I hope become a focus of my liberal and Lib Dem political views first and foremost.
I also
It may have something to do with not being in work, as I used to commute in every day while composing something political to write about. it may also have something to do with my last job being one where I was limited to a small area of political activity and I limited my other political views.
But largely it was because I have blogged so much about sport.
Therefore I have set up a separate blog to archive my sport contributions (past ones will still remain here) and dedicate this one more to politics (though other stuff will make occasional appearances). Therefore I'd like to introduce Stephen's Sporting Almanac for your sporting pleasure. Although the transfer of the archive is a bigger task than I first thought.
This blog will once again I hope become a focus of my liberal and Lib Dem political views first and foremost.
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Five Posts from Five Years at Five
Somehow I missed Caron coming up with the idea of posting about what she was blogging about at this time of year in each of the last 5 years. Thankfully Daddy Alex posted his list yesterday so I thought I'd play along with the meme.
Here is what I was saying on or about 24th May in:
Here is what I was saying on or about 24th May in:
- 2011 It must be the time of year but I was blogging about objections to Lord's Reform on this time from Labour's Chris Bryant. I also did a pedant's check on Jim Allister's reciprocation in naming conventions for the other 26 counties of Ireland.
- 2010 there was some disquiet amongst the Scottish Tories that they didn't seem to have anyone in charge.
- 2009 The SNP were planning how they were trying to win the outgoing speaker's seat, Michael martin, but focusing on school closures. So I decided to point out how their concordat was delaying school building in some councils where the SNP were part of the administration.
- 2008 I didn't actually post on 24 May 2008 but on the 26th I did do a round up post of what I would have said in a busy week. Disputes with the wording of Alex Salmond's independence referendum, Chelsea in the Champions League Final, a PM having rebels within his ranks over a key policy and looking to reign them in. Wow! What a week, didn't we just do all of that again. If so Lewis Hamilton to win in Monte Carlo at the weekend.
- 2007 the blog was on a sabbatical so....
- ....how about 2006 instead. Rangers were in trouble. Can't help thinking that there is more deja vu UEFA were fining them for sectarian abuse during their Champions League run to the equivlanet of 25p per fan for the whole season's attendance. There was also mention of the Northern Ireland Secretary of State (yet more deja vu) but this was about the DUP looking at the obstacles to devolution.
Saturday, 31 December 2011
The A-Z of 2011 Blogposts
This year I only posted 428 times on this blog. Well down on last year but we all know the reason for that. However, I decided to see if using the alphabet could I come up with a cross section of what I had written to sum it up.
I warn you in advance some posts may require tissues other loose fitting shirts in case you split your sides with laughter.
A is for Advent Calendar (well worth a browse through this little collection if you haven't already)
B is for Blood Ban
C is for Christina Taylor Green born on The day world tragedy and died in and on another
D is for Derry, First, Presbyterian Church
E is for Effin
F is for Fox, Liam
G is for Gay Off Switch
H is for Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
I is for IDAHO Day
J is for Jeffrey Donaldson fact checked
K is for Knight to see you to see you Knight
L is for Language, use of
M is for MTV EMAs
N is for Northstead, Maor nua ar an Mhainéir na
O is for The Open
P is for Pride being repugnant
Q is for Questions to the Prime Minister
R is for Reevsey
S is for Lis Sladen
T is for Theological non-look at homosexuality by PCI
U is for Union, European
V is for Vulcan Hobbits
W is for Will and Testement (pre-rapture version)
X is for Xavier Tondo
Y is for Yes (or rather no) to fairer votes
Z is for Zero (is in getting to)
I warn you in advance some posts may require tissues other loose fitting shirts in case you split your sides with laughter.
A is for Advent Calendar (well worth a browse through this little collection if you haven't already)
B is for Blood Ban
C is for Christina Taylor Green born on The day world tragedy and died in and on another
D is for Derry, First, Presbyterian Church
E is for Effin
F is for Fox, Liam
G is for Gay Off Switch
H is for Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
I is for IDAHO Day
J is for Jeffrey Donaldson fact checked
K is for Knight to see you to see you Knight
L is for Language, use of
M is for MTV EMAs
N is for Northstead, Maor nua ar an Mhainéir na
O is for The Open
P is for Pride being repugnant
Q is for Questions to the Prime Minister
R is for Reevsey
S is for Lis Sladen
T is for Theological non-look at homosexuality by PCI
U is for Union, European
V is for Vulcan Hobbits
W is for Will and Testement (pre-rapture version)
X is for Xavier Tondo
Y is for Yes (or rather no) to fairer votes
Z is for Zero (is in getting to)
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
A blog post for every metre of a steeplechase
As some of you will now while at Kingston I ran the 3000m steeplechase. This blogpost marks the 3000th blogspot on this blog. So I'm taking 1 blog post out of each of sections of 300 blogs that chronologically make up the time line of this blog.
From 1-300 2 July 2005- 8 March 2006 My Day in the Media Scrum the tale of my rather unusual task one day in the Dunfermline and West Fife by election, but the day that saw the start of Charles Kennedy's rehabilitation as a public figure as he campaigned for the man who is now leader of the party in Scotland.
From 301- 600 3 March 2006 - 9 March 2008 This period included by sabbatical from blogging however it does contain one of my utterances on the Blood Ban "Give Blood a Chance". Talking about the ritual humiliation that men who have sex with men face when the blood wagon calls at their place of work.
From 601- 900 12 March 2008 - 17 September 2008 The section actually kicks off with a story that has echoes of reports this week that Essex teachers were telling victims of homophobic bullying to act less gay. However, in Just How is he Meant to be Discreet? it was a matter of life and death for Mehdi Kazemi who was facing extradition because back to Iran where he could have faced the death penalty for being gay. Fortunately he was granted asylum in the UK on 20 May that year.
From 901-1200 17 September 2008 - 11 February 2009 Was also the period that John Prescott took up blogging, so I turned to William Shakespeare, or is that Anonymous, for inspiration as to how the various stages of blogging take on a life. I think If Will Shakespeare were a Blogger is a good reflection back now after 3000 blogposts.
From 1201-1500 11 February 2009 - 14 July 2009 There was a meme that merely asked you to list the MPs that had been your MP through your lifetime. Me being me took that further providing a pen picture of the various MPs who have been my MP. I've since updated that with one addition.
From 1501-1800 15 July 2009 - 1 December 2009 Was the period when Rupert Murdoch but up some walls, not against flan flingers but against readers. In Rupert's Wonky Newspaper Factory I managed to see a problem for the proprietor, including through the eyes of Oompa Loompas.
From 1801 - 2100 1 December 2009 - 12 February 2010 This is the shortest time period for a set of 300 posts. But it was the period that Gordon Brown after almost 13 years of Labour rule offered AV as a method of electing MPs. Thus with Labour dying breathe, Nick Clegg called it a "miserable little compromise". Here were my first thoughts on Labour's AV offer on 3 February 2010.
From 2101-2400 12 February 2010 - 7 July 2010 It is of course general election time for this candidate, this time as a campaigning blogger. There were a lot of blog posts from the stump, but I think my reaction to the result the following day gives a good place and deserves a mention here. After all I set up the blog so people could find out where I stand on key issues.
From 2401 - 2700 8 July 2010 - 24 April 2011This period features the start of my return to Northern Ireland to the dying weeks of the referendum campaign. On Valentines Day I kind of broke my non-party political commentary by stepping into the issue of civil partnerships in places of worship. Asking why the Conservatives still think they can fob off LGB couples with something different and not equal.
From 2701 - 3000 (well 2999) 24 April 2011 - 1 November 2011. The end of the AV referendum and finally free once more to say exactly what is on my mind when I want to say it. But it seems that I'm still fighting hard, especially here in Northern Ireland with regards to the blood ban. Even in light of what SaBTO said, which I called a "still discriminatory" at the time their report came out, here in Northern Ireland even that is a step too far. But I do blog elsewhere and this is my initial response to the Northern Ireland health minister's first lacklustre comments.
From 1-300 2 July 2005- 8 March 2006 My Day in the Media Scrum the tale of my rather unusual task one day in the Dunfermline and West Fife by election, but the day that saw the start of Charles Kennedy's rehabilitation as a public figure as he campaigned for the man who is now leader of the party in Scotland.
From 301- 600 3 March 2006 - 9 March 2008 This period included by sabbatical from blogging however it does contain one of my utterances on the Blood Ban "Give Blood a Chance". Talking about the ritual humiliation that men who have sex with men face when the blood wagon calls at their place of work.
From 601- 900 12 March 2008 - 17 September 2008 The section actually kicks off with a story that has echoes of reports this week that Essex teachers were telling victims of homophobic bullying to act less gay. However, in Just How is he Meant to be Discreet? it was a matter of life and death for Mehdi Kazemi who was facing extradition because back to Iran where he could have faced the death penalty for being gay. Fortunately he was granted asylum in the UK on 20 May that year.
From 901-1200 17 September 2008 - 11 February 2009 Was also the period that John Prescott took up blogging, so I turned to William Shakespeare, or is that Anonymous, for inspiration as to how the various stages of blogging take on a life. I think If Will Shakespeare were a Blogger is a good reflection back now after 3000 blogposts.
From 1201-1500 11 February 2009 - 14 July 2009 There was a meme that merely asked you to list the MPs that had been your MP through your lifetime. Me being me took that further providing a pen picture of the various MPs who have been my MP. I've since updated that with one addition.
From 1501-1800 15 July 2009 - 1 December 2009 Was the period when Rupert Murdoch but up some walls, not against flan flingers but against readers. In Rupert's Wonky Newspaper Factory I managed to see a problem for the proprietor, including through the eyes of Oompa Loompas.
From 1801 - 2100 1 December 2009 - 12 February 2010 This is the shortest time period for a set of 300 posts. But it was the period that Gordon Brown after almost 13 years of Labour rule offered AV as a method of electing MPs. Thus with Labour dying breathe, Nick Clegg called it a "miserable little compromise". Here were my first thoughts on Labour's AV offer on 3 February 2010.
From 2101-2400 12 February 2010 - 7 July 2010 It is of course general election time for this candidate, this time as a campaigning blogger. There were a lot of blog posts from the stump, but I think my reaction to the result the following day gives a good place and deserves a mention here. After all I set up the blog so people could find out where I stand on key issues.
From 2401 - 2700 8 July 2010 - 24 April 2011This period features the start of my return to Northern Ireland to the dying weeks of the referendum campaign. On Valentines Day I kind of broke my non-party political commentary by stepping into the issue of civil partnerships in places of worship. Asking why the Conservatives still think they can fob off LGB couples with something different and not equal.
From 2701 - 3000 (well 2999) 24 April 2011 - 1 November 2011. The end of the AV referendum and finally free once more to say exactly what is on my mind when I want to say it. But it seems that I'm still fighting hard, especially here in Northern Ireland with regards to the blood ban. Even in light of what SaBTO said, which I called a "still discriminatory" at the time their report came out, here in Northern Ireland even that is a step too far. But I do blog elsewhere and this is my initial response to the Northern Ireland health minister's first lacklustre comments.
Saturday, 2 July 2011
Now We Are Six
When I was one
I had just begun
When I was two
I was nearly new
When I was three
I was hardly me
When I was four
I was not much more
When I was five
I was just alive
But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever;
so I think I'll be six now
for ever and ever
By A. A. Milne
Yes it was indeed six years ago that I first sat in front a keyboard and wrote this. It was the aftermath of my first General Election as a Parliamentary candidate something readers would have got a sense of last year when I did it all again.
So it has been six years of writing about politics, sport. technology and stuff in general. I've added my Friday fun posts, and more recently my Artful Thursdays. My Tour de France following will take over the blog somewhat over the next month but other stuff will intersperce it I promise. So don't go away, keep reading and enjoy.
Saturday, 28 May 2011
Sorry I've not been blogging the last couple of days
I've been rather busy.
Yesterday with all the family we went on the Titanic Walking Tour this is a part of our history that Belfast is coming to terms with. We here now say "She [Titanic] was alright when she left here."
Indeed she first left from here, of which more will follow.
I then had some discussions with Michael, before heading out for a drink (or several) at the continental market, almost a year to the day since we first had a proper chat in the same venue, then across the road at the Appartment. I had to ensure I caught the last train home as this morning I was off to Dublin.
"Why?" you may ask. Because I was playing against Leinster Bowling Club in the Irish Cup.
So please forgive me for not being on top of the recent goings on in the world, but I have been rather busy and having a good couple of days.
Now I have to go and catch up with Doctor Who.
Yesterday with all the family we went on the Titanic Walking Tour this is a part of our history that Belfast is coming to terms with. We here now say "She [Titanic] was alright when she left here."
Indeed she first left from here, of which more will follow.
I then had some discussions with Michael, before heading out for a drink (or several) at the continental market, almost a year to the day since we first had a proper chat in the same venue, then across the road at the Appartment. I had to ensure I caught the last train home as this morning I was off to Dublin.
"Why?" you may ask. Because I was playing against Leinster Bowling Club in the Irish Cup.
So please forgive me for not being on top of the recent goings on in the world, but I have been rather busy and having a good couple of days.
Now I have to go and catch up with Doctor Who.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Shackles are Off
Polls are now closed across the country and in Northern Ireland where I've been working since early November to secure a Yes vote in today's referendum.
Over that time there have been many party political stories that I have read about and wanted to make comment about here on my blog, but I've been working with people of many parties and felt that my doing so wouldn't be right. Well as from now I'm expected my blogging to regain that edge that has been lacking over recent weeks. I'm going to be saying what I as a Liberal Democrat (and no those are not dirty words) feels about things that are going on.
The gloves are off, I'm unchained from the shackles that have been holding me back. It may not be tomorrow as I'm at the count or Saturday when I am at a dear friend's 'wedding' but soon, and maybe there will be time in between those two events, I'll be back writing what is really on my mind.
You have been warned.
"Here's Stephen!", back in full glorious bloggery.
Over that time there have been many party political stories that I have read about and wanted to make comment about here on my blog, but I've been working with people of many parties and felt that my doing so wouldn't be right. Well as from now I'm expected my blogging to regain that edge that has been lacking over recent weeks. I'm going to be saying what I as a Liberal Democrat (and no those are not dirty words) feels about things that are going on.
The gloves are off, I'm unchained from the shackles that have been holding me back. It may not be tomorrow as I'm at the count or Saturday when I am at a dear friend's 'wedding' but soon, and maybe there will be time in between those two events, I'll be back writing what is really on my mind.
You have been warned.
"Here's Stephen!", back in full glorious bloggery.
I'm now back.
Friday, 22 April 2011
Blogged Elsewhere: Why Northern Ireland should say Yes to the Alternative Vote
Is it right that only three of Northern Ireland’s 18 MPs had the backing of over 50% of those who voted last May? Or right that another three had only one in three people vote for them? That is the situation that Northern Ireland found itself in last May after the only election that we place an X on our ballots rather than ranking our candidates by order of preference.
You can read the rest here it even contains my word of the week 'promiscuous'.
Saturday, 1 January 2011
My Top Fifteen Blogposts for 2010
It's that time of year to see just what you have been reading on my blog in 2010.
Normally this would be an easy task. Not this year, as well as blogging here, I was also blogging at the old address as well as the potential shift to WordPress which although didn't happen did get some hits.
To make things worse in July I changed the template on the old site and forgot to reattach google analytics. So I have almost a month of missing data.
However, I've spent so much of my life working with numbers, so I can work this out right. Here are the top 15 (as far I can tell).
Normally this would be an easy task. Not this year, as well as blogging here, I was also blogging at the old address as well as the potential shift to WordPress which although didn't happen did get some hits.
To make things worse in July I changed the template on the old site and forgot to reattach google analytics. So I have almost a month of missing data.
However, I've spent so much of my life working with numbers, so I can work this out right. Here are the top 15 (as far I can tell).
- Chinese Deathly Whispers (2494 views) from March 2009 but the picture is still scoring high on Google Images
- Fife Council: Child Snatchers (856) in January
- One Small Step for Sinn Féin: Why Iain Dale is Wrong (827) Yeah the days of taking on the blogfather when he gets things wrong and him linking back to you to up your views may be gone. This one from October may be the last time I can rely on the Dalester to boost me.
- Applying for a postal vote deadline (797) Being ever the helpful candidate I was keeping people informed of the deadlines on the way to the election. Sadly not all of the people who read this could have voted for me they were from all over the country.
- A is Airbrushing Part ii (731) Remember the days when us Lib Dems were at the Tories throats all the time? Well when David Cameron said in his New Year Message that he would spell out just what the Tory policies were I start a series looking at just that. This was a little bit of 'after' work done on a campaign poster.
- About me (711) Yeah I added pages to the blog this year and quite a view people looked up my profile. Which tells you a little bit about who I am. I'm guessing the No 2 AV looked this up too, but just forgot how to spell my name.
- 15 Albums (633) One of those Meme's that sometimes allow us bloggers to fill a spot without thinking. Although for the blogpost I did go the extra mile and pull images of the 15 Albums that inspire me.
- Tory Bear Pop Pyschiatry Gone Political (528) When Harry Cole was still hiding behind a blue bear rather than a man pretending to be an 18th Century Terrorist he did sometimes go off on one. So I took him to task.
- Who I am not (509) This is a fun page I added. This is all the other Stephen Glenn's online that I am not. Yes there is one that more of me, or at least named like me.
- Where's the Reader's Digest Draw When They Need it? (472) With the news of the demise of Readers' Digest I asked where was the letter from Champagne to announce that they had won the prize draw to pull them out of trouble.
- Kong Hei Fat Choy 2010 (449) My annual look at China's Human Rights record on Chinese New Year always seems to make this list.
- ***BREAKING*** Ashok Kumar MP Found Dead (370) Never a nice occasion when you look on one of the news websites and see a Breaking headline that you know is going to dominate. As a top blogger you urge is get something out on your blog, but then knowing you will have to update as more facts come along. Seeing this blog was in its infancy when this first happened in similar shocking circumstances I knew just what to do and how to do it sensitively.
- Short List for Livingston Labour (311) following on from the above was the fact that the shortlist to replace the disgraced MP for Livingston Jim Devine was getting drawn up. He'd been one of the top stories on this blog in 2005 (see above).
- Prime Minster Clegg (295) When someone joked about the possibilty of Nick Clegg being Prime Minister, I said why not? Of course we have seen him at the dispatch box during PMQs since as Deputy Prime Minister Clegg.
- Comedian Jason Wood Dies Aged 38 (282) Another of those sad occassions.
Friday, 3 December 2010
Back to the Long Term Blog Park
Ok I had a little bit of an excursion because of World AIDS Day which carried over into the FIFA World Cup announcements yesterday.
But just at this moment my employer* for the last 9 years, 1 month and 1 week is no longer my employer. I am now working full time on the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign.
Therefore as one friend said to avoid me getting out my "Lib Dem thing" and waving it about while I am part of a campaign that is reaching across political divisions I am parking this blog once more.
It will also affect the way I use Twitter and Facebook, somebody else pulled me up on that earlier as well.
I've given my reasons previously more fully in case you haven't already read them.
So long, see you all again on 6th May 2011.
* Yes this is the first time in all the public utterances or writings as a politician either here on this blog or elsewhere that I have actually revealed who they are.
Saturday, 20 November 2010
Parking up on the side of a Intergalactic Super Highway
Zaphod Beeblebrox entered the foyer. He strode up to the insect receptionist.
"OK," he said, "Where's Zarniwoop? Get me Zarniwoop."
"Excuse me, sir?" said the insect icily. It did not care to be addressed in this manner.
"Zarniwoop. Get him, right? Get him now."
"Well, sir," snapped the fragile little creature, "if you could be a little cool about it ..."
"Look," said Zaphod, "I'm up to here with cool, OK? I'm so amazingly cool you could keep a side of meat inside me for a month. I am so hip I have difficulty seeing over my pelvis. Now will you move before you blow it?"
"Well, if you'd let me explain, sir," said the insect tapping the most petulant of all the tentacles at its disposal, "I'm afraid that isn't possible right now as Mr Zarniwoop is on an intergalactic cruise."
Hell, thought Zaphod.
"When he's going to be back?" he said.
"Back sir? He's in his office."
Zaphod paused while he tried to sort this particular thought out in his mind. He didn't succeed.
From The Restaurant at the End of the Universe chapter 7.
I'm hoping this post will help you all to sort out your own particular thought.
There has of course been rather a lot going on in my life over recent weeks, in will culminate in two weeks time when I will have left the employ of the company I have worked in for over nine years. I'll be taking on a short fix term role with a set end date. Scarily there is also a clause in my contract that something that has yet to happen, if it fails to happen, will immediately initiate a very short notice period for me and my colleagues.
Why take such a risk? Because the job is for something I really believe in, bringing about fairer votes. It is something that is happening in a place where there are a factors that are important to me right now, people who will look out for me in a transition, people who will help me relax (especially two who are not yet 10) and it is a step that I have been trying to make for a number of years but somehow never quite found the way to do so.
However, as all this is happening there is something else that I feel with have to happen in this little quarter of sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha*. I have already said that blogging here will be light, I'm going further today. This blog is being parked on the side of this vast highway that is life. Over the past week to 10 days I have caught myself on at times. There are things I wanted to blog, comments on Facebook I wanted to rebutt, Tweets I wished to make. However, I've come to realise that I can't do that an keep my focus unto the one message that I am charged to deliver over the next five and a half months.
If I were to do this on this blog it would become boring and mundane for you dear reader, as quite often it would be referring you to the Yes to Fairer Votes website or page that is relevant to the story in question. One thing I will continue to do is write however, though it may not be publically available, it is one of the things that I have always done to help me relax, unwind, recharge or indeed decharge. So no doubt there will be writing going on, I'm just not sure in what format that will take outside of the work productivity that I will be doing.
However, I do love blogging and the fact that I am parking this blog does not mean that I am never going to do it here ever again, I'll be chomping at the bit no doubt on very many days. But key people kow that they are to bind my hands, lock me in a store room without a laptop, or just glare at me (which will most likely work)
There is one blog post that will appear between now and May 5th and that is my New Years Eve post rounding up the year of 2010. As you can imagine this will be far from a boring read. In the meantime I leave you with the opening lines of the book Mostly Harmless again by Douglas Adams.
Anything that happens, happens.
Anything that, in happening, causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen.
Anything that, in happening, causes itself to happen again, happens again.
It doesn't necessarily do it in chronological order, though.
I'll add may not happen in the chronological order that you yourself may have set out, but when it happens cease the day.
So like Zarniwoop the editor of this blog is going to be on an intergalactic cruise, I may well be in my office, I may well not get outside of Northern Ireland, but you know what I mean. See you all in May.
*Yes this is a popular cultural reference that Michael wouldn't get #PCRMWG. I'm hoping at some point in our friendship's future that I will be able to enlighten him.
Thursday, 4 November 2010
Lights Mr Producer......Drumroll Please.....
Ok folks I dropped the teaser last night. Promising to keep you informed I am doing so now.
Regular readers will know that was in for a job interview at the start of this week. Last night just after 6pm I was offered the position and took no hesitation in accepting it.
The role is as the Northern Ireland Campaign Manager for the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign. Yes if you told me at 3:30 on the morning of May 7th as my votes were being read out that I would be doing this and doing it here I would have laughed at you.
However, I totally agree with the words of Margaret Ritchie MP, MLA the leader of the SDLP from 6th July:
If you haven't already sign up through this link, if have invite your friends, if you've invited them all make more, or start to ask your neighbours or the people on the bus beside you. Start talking about AV and why it is fairer and lets go out and win this on 5th May 2011.
Indeed one of my first roles, even before I work my current notice period will be attending the SDLP's party conference this weekend. Shows that this really is cohesion, sharing and integration in action and how cross communities this campaign here is. That the first party conference in Northern Ireland from this son of a man raised in Derry's Fountain area and attending First Derry Presbyterian should be to the party that owes a lot of its founding to the struggle of the other community on that side of the Foyle.
As I said last night this will obviously have an impact on the blogging that I do here, probably over the whole of the next six months. I will try and do updates here from time to time, just to give me some down time, but don't expect the same alacrity of posting.
Regular readers will know that was in for a job interview at the start of this week. Last night just after 6pm I was offered the position and took no hesitation in accepting it.
The role is as the Northern Ireland Campaign Manager for the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign. Yes if you told me at 3:30 on the morning of May 7th as my votes were being read out that I would be doing this and doing it here I would have laughed at you.
However, I totally agree with the words of Margaret Ritchie MP, MLA the leader of the SDLP from 6th July:
"The British Government is right to give people the opportunity to choose a fairer system for electing their MPs. The current system is completely unfair as it favours the larger parties and discriminates against smaller parties who can get hundreds of thousands of votes but no seats in Parliament.I look forward to working with Margaret, the other candidates for the position I now hold and everyone in Northern Ireland who believes in getting fairer votes for Westminster over the next six months. That will be people from all parties or none, across each of the 18 current Westminster constituencies."My preference would be to extend the STV system of Proportional Representation to Westminster. This system is much fairer and we are already well used to it in Northern Ireland in our Assembly and Council elections.
"The 'alternative vote' is, nonetheless, a clear step forward and I hope that people will support it in the referendum next year. In Northern Ireland this would have the effect of rebalancing politics towards candidates of the centre and away from the extremes.
"Given the kinds of stalemates and brinkmanship we have endured in our politics in recent years, anything that supports parties in the centre is to be warmly welcomed as it is in the best interests of our people.
"The SDLP will campaign vigorously in favour of progressive electoral reform."
If you haven't already sign up through this link, if have invite your friends, if you've invited them all make more, or start to ask your neighbours or the people on the bus beside you. Start talking about AV and why it is fairer and lets go out and win this on 5th May 2011.Indeed one of my first roles, even before I work my current notice period will be attending the SDLP's party conference this weekend. Shows that this really is cohesion, sharing and integration in action and how cross communities this campaign here is. That the first party conference in Northern Ireland from this son of a man raised in Derry's Fountain area and attending First Derry Presbyterian should be to the party that owes a lot of its founding to the struggle of the other community on that side of the Foyle.
As I said last night this will obviously have an impact on the blogging that I do here, probably over the whole of the next six months. I will try and do updates here from time to time, just to give me some down time, but don't expect the same alacrity of posting.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Blogged Elsewhere about a #MailFail
Friday, 29 October 2010
Writing Through the Darkest Hours
Sometimes when I need to get out of the doldrums I write. Sometimes I am writing when I am actually in a pretty deep and dark place. Not all the time I write something either here, or on Facebook or on Twitter am I actually capable of functioning in any other way.
Some of that stuff gets posted online as I indicate above, some of it is too dark for that and very few people have ever seen the really dark stuff. Writing is how I cope. I write when I'm happy too. I write more when I'm happy, but sometimes I write just to enable my brain to catch up with who I want to be.
If my writing lands me in trouble so be it. But nobody should ever hold my writing against me. In fact the fact that I can type even in my darkest hour has on more than one occasion been the reason that I am still here, still able to type this. Today somebody has taken me to a depth because of my writing. Other's have told me not to worry about that, because they know the reasons above are why I often do it. They can discern some subtle differences in the nuance of what or how I write. Sometimes they wake up scared for what has happened through the night, occasionally so do I, last Thursday night was one example of that*.
So thank you to those friends who know the whole me and know when to ask the questions that I may not want to answer because of what they have seen me write.
* Just take my word for it, what was written then is terse stuff, something that only two people will probably ever read.
Some of that stuff gets posted online as I indicate above, some of it is too dark for that and very few people have ever seen the really dark stuff. Writing is how I cope. I write when I'm happy too. I write more when I'm happy, but sometimes I write just to enable my brain to catch up with who I want to be.
If my writing lands me in trouble so be it. But nobody should ever hold my writing against me. In fact the fact that I can type even in my darkest hour has on more than one occasion been the reason that I am still here, still able to type this. Today somebody has taken me to a depth because of my writing. Other's have told me not to worry about that, because they know the reasons above are why I often do it. They can discern some subtle differences in the nuance of what or how I write. Sometimes they wake up scared for what has happened through the night, occasionally so do I, last Thursday night was one example of that*.
So thank you to those friends who know the whole me and know when to ask the questions that I may not want to answer because of what they have seen me write.
* Just take my word for it, what was written then is terse stuff, something that only two people will probably ever read.
Thursday, 28 October 2010
Blogging (and Social Media) Will Be Light
Blogging has already been somewhat light over the last few days. It will however continue to be so, the same goes for Facebook and Twitter.
I have an interview for a job I'd really love to have on Monday and I have to do some preparation for it. There are some people who will read this to whom thanks are due for pointing this role out to me. There is someone else that I truly do wish all the best to, it will be an interesting few days, I just wish I could have your input. This weekend is going to be a rather odd one between us.
So if you don't see me on here, Facebook or Twitter then do not panic, I'm just rather busy.
cf Gyronny Herald
I have an interview for a job I'd really love to have on Monday and I have to do some preparation for it. There are some people who will read this to whom thanks are due for pointing this role out to me. There is someone else that I truly do wish all the best to, it will be an interesting few days, I just wish I could have your input. This weekend is going to be a rather odd one between us.
So if you don't see me on here, Facebook or Twitter then do not panic, I'm just rather busy.
cf Gyronny Herald
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