Aidan Mc Nally's Blog: Random thoughts by Aidan. , page 13
August 5, 2019
August is ALWAYS welcome
August, the month that can never come quick enough. I have my reasons for why July is definitely the longest month in the calendar year. I suppose it is long for many of us with hot nights and sunset holding off til up to midnight. Not for the entire world, up here in the northern hemisphere the days get pretty long.
August kicks in and the weather is always a changing. Evenings begin to roll back and though it gets hot, in August we can get a mixed bag.
Just like our lives. We never know what might be coming around the corner and the mixed bag is something none of us can predict.
August is welcome for all the festivals and summer blasts that get in to full swing too, although any teenagers still in school, it really marks the countdown to less and less nights out and fun stuff cause back to school is looming.
The life cycle of August in nature is to be appreciated. All the birds begin to gather on the telephone wires and prepare to migrate back south. The plants are really thriving now with all the heat and rains mixed together. Colours in every field and park and neighbourhoods with people painting homes too. A feel good month perhaps we could call it. A month in which we can feel the world alive around us everywhere we turn. This is a great feeling as when the world directly under our feet is alive with life we just catch the buzz too. We feel good when the earth is feeling good.
So welcome to you August, enjoy it everyone and feeling the summer slip away is not an end but a time to gain from admiring the greatest sunsets & dancing at concerts in the warm rains.
Enjoy and welcome AUGUST.
Memoirs for your August evenings reading
#TWOsonsTOOmany
#17nLife
August kicks in and the weather is always a changing. Evenings begin to roll back and though it gets hot, in August we can get a mixed bag.
Just like our lives. We never know what might be coming around the corner and the mixed bag is something none of us can predict.
August is welcome for all the festivals and summer blasts that get in to full swing too, although any teenagers still in school, it really marks the countdown to less and less nights out and fun stuff cause back to school is looming.
The life cycle of August in nature is to be appreciated. All the birds begin to gather on the telephone wires and prepare to migrate back south. The plants are really thriving now with all the heat and rains mixed together. Colours in every field and park and neighbourhoods with people painting homes too. A feel good month perhaps we could call it. A month in which we can feel the world alive around us everywhere we turn. This is a great feeling as when the world directly under our feet is alive with life we just catch the buzz too. We feel good when the earth is feeling good.
So welcome to you August, enjoy it everyone and feeling the summer slip away is not an end but a time to gain from admiring the greatest sunsets & dancing at concerts in the warm rains.
Enjoy and welcome AUGUST.
Memoirs for your August evenings reading
#TWOsonsTOOmany
#17nLife
June 10, 2019
#Doonbeg, Trump Vs Pope
A Thursday afternoon and my good friend Mr. K R. phones me up and says "hey I am off of work and have time, I want to see airforce 1". It took me like 15 to 20 seconds to figure out what is he talking about. Ahhh, it clicked with me, the president of the United States is in Ireland this week on an "unofficial/official" visit.
Yeah why not, it is only a spin down the road and back.
We struck off in a company car of his, the company he works for as a fisherman. A brand new Ford ranger crew cab 4 door 191D brand new. Cruising along the motorway it seemed like we might actually dodge the showers of rain, the brighter skies were west of us as we floated almost in the pleasant Ford ride. We arrived at our destination Shannon Airport and were waved through at the Garda checkpoint so we drove on in along the fencing of the airfield. We did take notice of the protestors somewhat fenced in at the entrance to the airport grounds but air force 1 was our target. There she stood out in the airfield and accompanied by two smaller jumbo jets which also stood proud with the US flags across their tail fins. Painted the same blue and white. Mr Trump definitely brought the entourage, that's for sure.
We took the last minute video clip as we drove along the fence admiring the enormity of the airplane itself.
We had no idea how our evening was going to go nor did we have any precise plans.
Leaving the Shannon airport again saluted by the Garda as we drove out and on past the encampment of protestors. Just to explain, An Garda is the Irish language for our police here in Ireland.
I am not sure if my friend fully approves of me making public this story so I will have to refer to him as K. R as I relay to you the evenings carry on.
We were back on the motorway out of Shannon Airport and a series of roundabouts give you options to head for Limerick City or head for Co. Clare, primarily the large town of Ennis which is on a Limerick to Galway route. Mr. K. R was at the helm and as his life is spent as a trawler man, the helm is somewhere he is most familiar to be. My good friend is an avid Donald Trump supporter and true fan really, I remember back in the day of the presidential race in the U. S he had his make America great cap and loved everything about the man. There have even been times he has asked me to send tweets of appreciation to Mr. Trumps twitter account.
He drove us the direction of Clare County and says we will go and see if we can see him, maybe he will visit the pubs or restaurants of the local towns as Donald Trump Jr. & brother Eric had done so the night before. "let's see what this doonbeg place is all about". On our way out the Clare coast we saw a funny poster or two posted by Paddy Power, an old petrol station has had all new signage placed around the old run down rigging and an advertisement sign with numerous jokes. The petrol station was called Trump Plaza. The signs were a bit too comedic and a little vulgar to repeat here. A photograph was taken and on out the road west we went.
A traffic alert sign flashed with a notice saying "Traffic to doonbeg diverted, all traffic via Kilrush" some Garda were stationed at this intersection junction and we didn't dare infringe.
The next turn for Doonbed some few miles down the road had again Garda stationed at the Cross roads and K. R turned up the road their direction. Approximately 4 Garda were at the Crossroads and a van and some traffic cones. One Garda stepped out from behind the van and waved us through. We continued on this little country back road for a few miles. Each time we passed any sort of side road or other country road there were more Garda sitting at each of them.
It wasn't the warmest of evenings either but at least we had dodged the rains and the southwest coast of Ireland was definitely alive with a smooth Atlantic air stream, rolling in across. Each time we passed a Garda post we started to notice their little overnight bags beside them and K. R and myself had a discussion about how we should find a garage and buy a round of fresh teas and bring them back to them. Each little Garda post had construction type night lighting on a mini cherry picker type hoist. One such Garda post had a horse box/trailer where placed inside of it were two wooden chairs, this seemed like a flash back to the 80's to see what may have been hq for the shergar investigations, back in full use, the Garda post "horsebox".
When we arrived in doonbeg it was somewhere close to 9pm. As the road we drove in on was from the southern side of the town we first met vans aligning the roadside, the media, RTE, Virgin tv, BBC to name a few of the recognisable ones. There was not many options for parking. We turned the corner around into the main street and found a parking spot further up the village by the church. At the end of the town a barrier was erected and again guarded by An Garda and this end of town seemed to be where the locals and reporters were mostly gathered. It only made sense that we walk back down through the village. Feeling a little peckish I suggested we eat in one of the three or four restaurants. We entered one and it was quite packed inside, it is a restaurant which is adjoined to a bar and had a doorway between the two. The girl had replied to me as I asked her "is it sit anywhere? " she told me how the kitchen closes and 9pm and she will have to check. The time now was 9.10pm. "Not good news for you" she may well have shouted at us as it had the same effect but she was very apologetic in letting us know of the kitchen being closed.
An Irish viallge is nothing new to us as we hail from an even smaller village ourselves. We went back into the street and it appeared to be the same with the few restaurants, that 9pm was shut off time for a bit of grub. We walked over to the corner that seemed to have the larger crowd gathered and stood amongst the crowd and there really was an electric buzz not only to the evening weather but the people themselves. Everyone waiting for a Mr. Trump visit. I noticed behind me on the wall a little village library mounted to the wall and in it were a number of books. It was a little wall mounted book case with two glass doors. I said to K. R I should place my book in it for the villagers. I explained to him how I always carry at least one copy of "TWO sons TOO many" with me if I am on any kind of road trip and so back to the pick up truck we went. I grabbed the book and signed it to the people of doonbeg really. Headed back through the village and among the crowd and the Garda at the check point barrier I placed the book in the village library. We spoke with a journalist who seemed to be under the impression that there would be no show from the Trump family tonight and he explained how the reporters had all agreed to call it a night.
Our mission now became food. We drove off out of the village on another of the roads out of the village and found ourselves back on the coast road through Kilrush again. This time we were keeping an eye out for any food establishments for something to eat. Nothing caught the eye and it had began getting dark. It had to be close to 11pm at night by this stage and we ended up in the town of Ennis where we luckily caught a place before it closed for the night.
Having the guts stuffed, a plan needed to be made for the night. I said we either do one of three things, head home, get a hotel room or head for the coast and sleep in the truck by a beach for he night. K. R replied I am a Trump supporter and I want to wish him well tomorrow as he flies out. Head for the beach and we can grab a few hours in the truck and get a little rest. He said he was tired from the driving and the food and offered me to drive. Off we went.
He pulled up the maps on his phone and suggested we head for the beach of Spanish point which is a coastal area of county Clare. I said that we had no business going back towards Doon beg and to keep away from all the Garda checkpoints and the likes best we approach the coast of Clare from the northern side rather than the southern side where had been earlier, Kilkee, Kilrush & Doonbeg. Spanish point it was and off we headed into the dark of night out along the back country roads of Clare. I was following his direction and the map from his phone which to give an idea, the roads are so small and minor in these areas that when it is on full zoom you see little white roads on the map and we followed some of these. Twisting and turning and finally being able to make out a road that looked like it just ended so that told me it must be to the beach. About 50 yards or so before the end of the road we came across another Garda post and this had probably been the fifth or sixth one we had seen that night. This one was a little different though. The Garda beckoned me to come to a halt and I rolled the window a bit.
May I see some I. D he asked me. As the driver I had no problem in doing so and handed him my license and he asked for K. R's I. D too. I thought this a little strange, he handed over the I. D anyway.
Next thing I knew I was being asked for a search of the vehicle. More garda were showing up and I am standing in a lane way in what could only be described as the back arse of County Clare. The rain was spitting down and I am surrounded by approx 20 Garda who do not seem to know what to do with us, they have no clue why we are there and are continuously asking us how we got this far. Apparently we were at the golf course of the Donald's Doonbeg resort hotel and golf course. As one of the detectives said, there was a 3 ring security perimeter set up and we made it to zone 3, how does that happen?
Another Garda had his leg up on a ditch while he used his knee to flip through sheets of photocopied paper and a flash light to try and figure out what they are supposed to do in this situation. A little bit of chat was going on between myself and one of the Garda but I could tell they were all seething and somebody or all of them probably should be losing their jobs for not being able to deal with us or handle the situation properly. What do you think? A security perimeter for the president of the United States, a ridiculous budget and all expenses and bonuses etc etc and they didn't even know how we rambled on in to Doon beg.
Make matters worse and I told the garda, I walked up and down the main street of the village of Doon beg I placed an item 9 inches by 6 inches by inch thick in a glass case on the wall in the main street of the village and left.
Of course I was getting sick of the idea that just because they are the police force that they are going to tell me how to be or what to be so I got a little hot headed and asked them who is in charge, I believe it went something like this, " who is in charge here. Seems like nobody has a clue what they are doing, more cops and more cops show up with the same stupid questions and nobody seems to know what to do. I reckon the whole lot of you charge me with something or fuck off. This is some bullshit ". I mean come on it was 3 o clock in the morning by that time. I told them I don't feel well and I needed to sit down or something I need to be asleep by this time of night. Nah they could not have given a flying fuck. All they were all worried about was from my view point at least, they need to be making sure they don't lose their jobs or something.
So from An Garda to special branch to sergeants and then came the armed response unit who again decided they would have a rip through our personal belongings. Mind you I mentioned to the Garda, I did consent to you having a search but who is this guy who just showed up? I didn't consent to him searching the vehicle. He just replied tell him to stop so. The other armed response guy was all Mr T looking trying to do the pit bull stare down. I asked the guy turning my personal stuff out on the back seat, "are you finished yet? Maybe you can close the door" old muscles, his partner with the stare, "we'll tell you when we are finished". He was the antagonising type alright. By that time of the morning I was beginning to think, screw how many of them there are, best I make sure and really tear the head of the little guy with the muscles as he thinks something of himself. Maturity got the better of me and I just expressed my lack of admiration for his stinking attitude.
On and on it went til about 5 am, the American accent lads showed up and then we waited again for more inspectors and cops. Till finally a dog squad showed up. They needed to sniff the vehicle for bazookas is what was explained. We were asked are we sure there is nothing by way of fire arms or explosives in the vehicle. The dog did his thing and they left. I would estimate about 25 to 30 members of police and special branch and who knows if the American accent guy was secret service or just a transplant in Ireland who now works for the local cops. I asked the garda I was talking to for his name. He said it was Alan, turns out that was a lie as he had a different name it turned out. I asked another what his name was and again no comment.
We were driven to the check point closest to them by the garda that had stopped us in the first place which was called an escort. We were told that we "must be up to no good" by the Garda who seemed to be the boss of operations. Of course I was quick to correct him and explain don't make assumptions as there is no good, bad or indifferent here. We were then told we would be followed by escort to the local town some 25 miles away at which time we should head back to Dublin and wait for it "to think twice about ever coming to Clare again" again this was by a super intendant or sergeant of some kind. Couldn't really tell as he had no interest to give us his name either.
Operating on low fuel we needed to stop up when we came to the local town and wait for the garage to open up so we could pump some diesel. We parked in a garage parking area and waited, all the while some special branch detectives sat also in the forecourt watching us. They were relieved of their duties by another set of Garda and these new Garda were accompanied by two more. 7.30 am came and we were able to pump some diesel. We headed for the road home and spent the entire journey back wondering what on earth was the level of security about. If they would like to say it was a secure zone for the president of the United States visit, it wasn't, as we just drove all the way in. Luckily for them we were not political or anything other than my friend is a Trump fan. We wondered what all the big so called expensive budget was being spent on for the presidents visit to Ireland as it definitely didn't go into any kinds of briefing or explainer courses for the detail that were assigned the job.
To be honest the whole thing began to feel like a let down. My friend K. R didn't get to wave Mr. Trump off and something a little deeper. The piss poor effort made by our very own country on making a brave and fine security line. To show a real joke of the whole thing in Ireland. There was a much bigger effort put in to having security for the pope than the Donald. How lame is that?
So there ya have it. What are your views on the whole thing? What dya reckon?" Just one Thursday evening where myself and a friend were in zone 3 of a security zone supposed to be set up to protect the president of the United States.
I will post a picture or two on my Facebook page and website to accompany the story to give you an idea of or to verify the story. @TWOsonsTOOmany
Your comments as always are very welcome. Feel free to share or tweet from my web page a.mcnallyauthor.com
Yeah why not, it is only a spin down the road and back.
We struck off in a company car of his, the company he works for as a fisherman. A brand new Ford ranger crew cab 4 door 191D brand new. Cruising along the motorway it seemed like we might actually dodge the showers of rain, the brighter skies were west of us as we floated almost in the pleasant Ford ride. We arrived at our destination Shannon Airport and were waved through at the Garda checkpoint so we drove on in along the fencing of the airfield. We did take notice of the protestors somewhat fenced in at the entrance to the airport grounds but air force 1 was our target. There she stood out in the airfield and accompanied by two smaller jumbo jets which also stood proud with the US flags across their tail fins. Painted the same blue and white. Mr Trump definitely brought the entourage, that's for sure.
We took the last minute video clip as we drove along the fence admiring the enormity of the airplane itself.
We had no idea how our evening was going to go nor did we have any precise plans.
Leaving the Shannon airport again saluted by the Garda as we drove out and on past the encampment of protestors. Just to explain, An Garda is the Irish language for our police here in Ireland.
I am not sure if my friend fully approves of me making public this story so I will have to refer to him as K. R as I relay to you the evenings carry on.
We were back on the motorway out of Shannon Airport and a series of roundabouts give you options to head for Limerick City or head for Co. Clare, primarily the large town of Ennis which is on a Limerick to Galway route. Mr. K. R was at the helm and as his life is spent as a trawler man, the helm is somewhere he is most familiar to be. My good friend is an avid Donald Trump supporter and true fan really, I remember back in the day of the presidential race in the U. S he had his make America great cap and loved everything about the man. There have even been times he has asked me to send tweets of appreciation to Mr. Trumps twitter account.
He drove us the direction of Clare County and says we will go and see if we can see him, maybe he will visit the pubs or restaurants of the local towns as Donald Trump Jr. & brother Eric had done so the night before. "let's see what this doonbeg place is all about". On our way out the Clare coast we saw a funny poster or two posted by Paddy Power, an old petrol station has had all new signage placed around the old run down rigging and an advertisement sign with numerous jokes. The petrol station was called Trump Plaza. The signs were a bit too comedic and a little vulgar to repeat here. A photograph was taken and on out the road west we went.
A traffic alert sign flashed with a notice saying "Traffic to doonbeg diverted, all traffic via Kilrush" some Garda were stationed at this intersection junction and we didn't dare infringe.
The next turn for Doonbed some few miles down the road had again Garda stationed at the Cross roads and K. R turned up the road their direction. Approximately 4 Garda were at the Crossroads and a van and some traffic cones. One Garda stepped out from behind the van and waved us through. We continued on this little country back road for a few miles. Each time we passed any sort of side road or other country road there were more Garda sitting at each of them.
It wasn't the warmest of evenings either but at least we had dodged the rains and the southwest coast of Ireland was definitely alive with a smooth Atlantic air stream, rolling in across. Each time we passed a Garda post we started to notice their little overnight bags beside them and K. R and myself had a discussion about how we should find a garage and buy a round of fresh teas and bring them back to them. Each little Garda post had construction type night lighting on a mini cherry picker type hoist. One such Garda post had a horse box/trailer where placed inside of it were two wooden chairs, this seemed like a flash back to the 80's to see what may have been hq for the shergar investigations, back in full use, the Garda post "horsebox".
When we arrived in doonbeg it was somewhere close to 9pm. As the road we drove in on was from the southern side of the town we first met vans aligning the roadside, the media, RTE, Virgin tv, BBC to name a few of the recognisable ones. There was not many options for parking. We turned the corner around into the main street and found a parking spot further up the village by the church. At the end of the town a barrier was erected and again guarded by An Garda and this end of town seemed to be where the locals and reporters were mostly gathered. It only made sense that we walk back down through the village. Feeling a little peckish I suggested we eat in one of the three or four restaurants. We entered one and it was quite packed inside, it is a restaurant which is adjoined to a bar and had a doorway between the two. The girl had replied to me as I asked her "is it sit anywhere? " she told me how the kitchen closes and 9pm and she will have to check. The time now was 9.10pm. "Not good news for you" she may well have shouted at us as it had the same effect but she was very apologetic in letting us know of the kitchen being closed.
An Irish viallge is nothing new to us as we hail from an even smaller village ourselves. We went back into the street and it appeared to be the same with the few restaurants, that 9pm was shut off time for a bit of grub. We walked over to the corner that seemed to have the larger crowd gathered and stood amongst the crowd and there really was an electric buzz not only to the evening weather but the people themselves. Everyone waiting for a Mr. Trump visit. I noticed behind me on the wall a little village library mounted to the wall and in it were a number of books. It was a little wall mounted book case with two glass doors. I said to K. R I should place my book in it for the villagers. I explained to him how I always carry at least one copy of "TWO sons TOO many" with me if I am on any kind of road trip and so back to the pick up truck we went. I grabbed the book and signed it to the people of doonbeg really. Headed back through the village and among the crowd and the Garda at the check point barrier I placed the book in the village library. We spoke with a journalist who seemed to be under the impression that there would be no show from the Trump family tonight and he explained how the reporters had all agreed to call it a night.
Our mission now became food. We drove off out of the village on another of the roads out of the village and found ourselves back on the coast road through Kilrush again. This time we were keeping an eye out for any food establishments for something to eat. Nothing caught the eye and it had began getting dark. It had to be close to 11pm at night by this stage and we ended up in the town of Ennis where we luckily caught a place before it closed for the night.
Having the guts stuffed, a plan needed to be made for the night. I said we either do one of three things, head home, get a hotel room or head for the coast and sleep in the truck by a beach for he night. K. R replied I am a Trump supporter and I want to wish him well tomorrow as he flies out. Head for the beach and we can grab a few hours in the truck and get a little rest. He said he was tired from the driving and the food and offered me to drive. Off we went.
He pulled up the maps on his phone and suggested we head for the beach of Spanish point which is a coastal area of county Clare. I said that we had no business going back towards Doon beg and to keep away from all the Garda checkpoints and the likes best we approach the coast of Clare from the northern side rather than the southern side where had been earlier, Kilkee, Kilrush & Doonbeg. Spanish point it was and off we headed into the dark of night out along the back country roads of Clare. I was following his direction and the map from his phone which to give an idea, the roads are so small and minor in these areas that when it is on full zoom you see little white roads on the map and we followed some of these. Twisting and turning and finally being able to make out a road that looked like it just ended so that told me it must be to the beach. About 50 yards or so before the end of the road we came across another Garda post and this had probably been the fifth or sixth one we had seen that night. This one was a little different though. The Garda beckoned me to come to a halt and I rolled the window a bit.
May I see some I. D he asked me. As the driver I had no problem in doing so and handed him my license and he asked for K. R's I. D too. I thought this a little strange, he handed over the I. D anyway.
Next thing I knew I was being asked for a search of the vehicle. More garda were showing up and I am standing in a lane way in what could only be described as the back arse of County Clare. The rain was spitting down and I am surrounded by approx 20 Garda who do not seem to know what to do with us, they have no clue why we are there and are continuously asking us how we got this far. Apparently we were at the golf course of the Donald's Doonbeg resort hotel and golf course. As one of the detectives said, there was a 3 ring security perimeter set up and we made it to zone 3, how does that happen?
Another Garda had his leg up on a ditch while he used his knee to flip through sheets of photocopied paper and a flash light to try and figure out what they are supposed to do in this situation. A little bit of chat was going on between myself and one of the Garda but I could tell they were all seething and somebody or all of them probably should be losing their jobs for not being able to deal with us or handle the situation properly. What do you think? A security perimeter for the president of the United States, a ridiculous budget and all expenses and bonuses etc etc and they didn't even know how we rambled on in to Doon beg.
Make matters worse and I told the garda, I walked up and down the main street of the village of Doon beg I placed an item 9 inches by 6 inches by inch thick in a glass case on the wall in the main street of the village and left.
Of course I was getting sick of the idea that just because they are the police force that they are going to tell me how to be or what to be so I got a little hot headed and asked them who is in charge, I believe it went something like this, " who is in charge here. Seems like nobody has a clue what they are doing, more cops and more cops show up with the same stupid questions and nobody seems to know what to do. I reckon the whole lot of you charge me with something or fuck off. This is some bullshit ". I mean come on it was 3 o clock in the morning by that time. I told them I don't feel well and I needed to sit down or something I need to be asleep by this time of night. Nah they could not have given a flying fuck. All they were all worried about was from my view point at least, they need to be making sure they don't lose their jobs or something.
So from An Garda to special branch to sergeants and then came the armed response unit who again decided they would have a rip through our personal belongings. Mind you I mentioned to the Garda, I did consent to you having a search but who is this guy who just showed up? I didn't consent to him searching the vehicle. He just replied tell him to stop so. The other armed response guy was all Mr T looking trying to do the pit bull stare down. I asked the guy turning my personal stuff out on the back seat, "are you finished yet? Maybe you can close the door" old muscles, his partner with the stare, "we'll tell you when we are finished". He was the antagonising type alright. By that time of the morning I was beginning to think, screw how many of them there are, best I make sure and really tear the head of the little guy with the muscles as he thinks something of himself. Maturity got the better of me and I just expressed my lack of admiration for his stinking attitude.
On and on it went til about 5 am, the American accent lads showed up and then we waited again for more inspectors and cops. Till finally a dog squad showed up. They needed to sniff the vehicle for bazookas is what was explained. We were asked are we sure there is nothing by way of fire arms or explosives in the vehicle. The dog did his thing and they left. I would estimate about 25 to 30 members of police and special branch and who knows if the American accent guy was secret service or just a transplant in Ireland who now works for the local cops. I asked the garda I was talking to for his name. He said it was Alan, turns out that was a lie as he had a different name it turned out. I asked another what his name was and again no comment.
We were driven to the check point closest to them by the garda that had stopped us in the first place which was called an escort. We were told that we "must be up to no good" by the Garda who seemed to be the boss of operations. Of course I was quick to correct him and explain don't make assumptions as there is no good, bad or indifferent here. We were then told we would be followed by escort to the local town some 25 miles away at which time we should head back to Dublin and wait for it "to think twice about ever coming to Clare again" again this was by a super intendant or sergeant of some kind. Couldn't really tell as he had no interest to give us his name either.
Operating on low fuel we needed to stop up when we came to the local town and wait for the garage to open up so we could pump some diesel. We parked in a garage parking area and waited, all the while some special branch detectives sat also in the forecourt watching us. They were relieved of their duties by another set of Garda and these new Garda were accompanied by two more. 7.30 am came and we were able to pump some diesel. We headed for the road home and spent the entire journey back wondering what on earth was the level of security about. If they would like to say it was a secure zone for the president of the United States visit, it wasn't, as we just drove all the way in. Luckily for them we were not political or anything other than my friend is a Trump fan. We wondered what all the big so called expensive budget was being spent on for the presidents visit to Ireland as it definitely didn't go into any kinds of briefing or explainer courses for the detail that were assigned the job.
To be honest the whole thing began to feel like a let down. My friend K. R didn't get to wave Mr. Trump off and something a little deeper. The piss poor effort made by our very own country on making a brave and fine security line. To show a real joke of the whole thing in Ireland. There was a much bigger effort put in to having security for the pope than the Donald. How lame is that?
So there ya have it. What are your views on the whole thing? What dya reckon?" Just one Thursday evening where myself and a friend were in zone 3 of a security zone supposed to be set up to protect the president of the United States.
I will post a picture or two on my Facebook page and website to accompany the story to give you an idea of or to verify the story. @TWOsonsTOOmany
Your comments as always are very welcome. Feel free to share or tweet from my web page a.mcnallyauthor.com
May 9, 2019
Making May Magical. Let's talk LOVE
Love, love, love.
What is love exactly? Do we all associate it with the emoji ❤️
The love heart, that is what I often refer to it as. When sending an emoji of a heart or even on Facebook the option to love a post is always available. So does that mean we actually love the post we just saw or is it a quick and easy way to say we like it a little more than like?
I have love in my heart is an expression I guess that is more like about our feelings and emotions. I do not usually get to worked up about a Facebook post, though I will click the odd heart or two on a post that either cracks me up laughing or brings me to a pause to appreciate the post. These are tiny seconds of love, I guess.
What about the feeling of love though? Do we have to save that only for valentines day? (hahahahaha) of course not, we express our love all over the place these days. I have often gotten a text or three from friends that sign off with "lots of love" I do not become overly emotionally involved with their way of saying ciao or see ya but definitely love has gotten, a little diluted.
What is love to you? When and where do you tell others you love them? It is an awesome thing to feel love inside of ourselves. Yes I know it is easy to say, oh yeah I love this steak. That is a different kind of love though.
I guess I am referring to the love of another human being. Is there a special someone who just makes you light up inside when you see them? Is that actual love when another person has some magic power that takes your breath away. It is real and not just in the movies, a human being can actually bring about a warm feeling inside of you and then every little smile they give you can make love feel wonderful. Can you look at somebody's picture and feel love? Can you see them from a distance and feel love inside of yourself. This would say that actual love is a very powerful thing indeed.
I question everything in life as having lived quite a full life, I wonder. I wonder about many things and have had many experiences to realize there are often times when something seems like one thing and then turns out to be something completely different. Many of you may relate. Through many eye opening experiences, I have begun to wonder about almost everything. The one thing I have never questioned is love. What a magical thing it actual is. No, not that I say question others about their love for you. Question the nice feeling of love when it occurs inside of us. I never seem to question it or where it has come from or why I feel such a thing. This is probably cause it is a nice and soft feeling and something that can lead to daydreaming or wishful thinking of all kinds. A feeling of love that you have and want to give.
Some people may fully relate to having anger and wanting to inflict their anger on others. This is something many can identify with. How many actually enjoy and embrace their feeling of love and then act upon it by expressing the levels and degree of your love to another human being? We can all be quick to express anger or other feelings so then it only makes sense to express our love.
I would have to say there is nothing better than being loved by someone, this is an awesome feeling too. The one thing I find better though is actually being loving or to have love inside of our hearts.
To the one you love, perhaps say the words I love you.
To the one person who brings you to this awesome feeling. Walk up and give em a kiss and say "I love you" let them know that you have these beautiful feelings and they are a reason you breathe.
We can use all the "buzz words" we can use all the "clichés" but how about we keep it all simple and just practice some simple words. I LOVE YOU. Yes we need self love to love another. Yes nobody makes us feel anything etc etc. Why question it.
LOVE is beautiful, so share it.
Don't forget to get on to amazon and check out my books. I too will love you for that, maybe you can read my memoirs and see why I have found how to feel LOVE & why it feels so magical. #TWOsonsTOOmany #17nLife #love
What is love exactly? Do we all associate it with the emoji ❤️
The love heart, that is what I often refer to it as. When sending an emoji of a heart or even on Facebook the option to love a post is always available. So does that mean we actually love the post we just saw or is it a quick and easy way to say we like it a little more than like?
I have love in my heart is an expression I guess that is more like about our feelings and emotions. I do not usually get to worked up about a Facebook post, though I will click the odd heart or two on a post that either cracks me up laughing or brings me to a pause to appreciate the post. These are tiny seconds of love, I guess.
What about the feeling of love though? Do we have to save that only for valentines day? (hahahahaha) of course not, we express our love all over the place these days. I have often gotten a text or three from friends that sign off with "lots of love" I do not become overly emotionally involved with their way of saying ciao or see ya but definitely love has gotten, a little diluted.
What is love to you? When and where do you tell others you love them? It is an awesome thing to feel love inside of ourselves. Yes I know it is easy to say, oh yeah I love this steak. That is a different kind of love though.
I guess I am referring to the love of another human being. Is there a special someone who just makes you light up inside when you see them? Is that actual love when another person has some magic power that takes your breath away. It is real and not just in the movies, a human being can actually bring about a warm feeling inside of you and then every little smile they give you can make love feel wonderful. Can you look at somebody's picture and feel love? Can you see them from a distance and feel love inside of yourself. This would say that actual love is a very powerful thing indeed.
I question everything in life as having lived quite a full life, I wonder. I wonder about many things and have had many experiences to realize there are often times when something seems like one thing and then turns out to be something completely different. Many of you may relate. Through many eye opening experiences, I have begun to wonder about almost everything. The one thing I have never questioned is love. What a magical thing it actual is. No, not that I say question others about their love for you. Question the nice feeling of love when it occurs inside of us. I never seem to question it or where it has come from or why I feel such a thing. This is probably cause it is a nice and soft feeling and something that can lead to daydreaming or wishful thinking of all kinds. A feeling of love that you have and want to give.
Some people may fully relate to having anger and wanting to inflict their anger on others. This is something many can identify with. How many actually enjoy and embrace their feeling of love and then act upon it by expressing the levels and degree of your love to another human being? We can all be quick to express anger or other feelings so then it only makes sense to express our love.
I would have to say there is nothing better than being loved by someone, this is an awesome feeling too. The one thing I find better though is actually being loving or to have love inside of our hearts.
To the one you love, perhaps say the words I love you.
To the one person who brings you to this awesome feeling. Walk up and give em a kiss and say "I love you" let them know that you have these beautiful feelings and they are a reason you breathe.
We can use all the "buzz words" we can use all the "clichés" but how about we keep it all simple and just practice some simple words. I LOVE YOU. Yes we need self love to love another. Yes nobody makes us feel anything etc etc. Why question it.
LOVE is beautiful, so share it.
Don't forget to get on to amazon and check out my books. I too will love you for that, maybe you can read my memoirs and see why I have found how to feel LOVE & why it feels so magical. #TWOsonsTOOmany #17nLife #love
May 1, 2019
Keeping things short and sweet #link
For this weeks blog is a piece I wrote a couple of weeks ago and now has been published in an online magazine. You will find it here
The Power of Our Mind.
https://www.alustforlife.com
The Power of Our Mind.
https://www.alustforlife.com
April 21, 2019
What is your direction? Compass
The compass is a useful tool, many of us never really understood it or only knew what they were and never used them. In today's world the auto maps and guide stuff of our phones or satnav systems mean we might never ever use a compass again.
The compass, helps us find what direction we are going. That is its basic use, a simple device for travellers and explorers many moons ago.
There are so many people out there in the world looking for a direction, wondering what direction they are travelling and just all round searching and searching. In a conversation with a friend quite recently, I found myself speaking about the compass. What my own understanding of what the compass has meant to me all through my life. I learned about the compass and all the degrees on the dial and what they represented and where each direction was, at a very young age. I was a commercial fisherman as a young teen and for many years after that too. This was where I gained my knowledge and understanding of how the compass worked. I had opportunities as a young boy scout to go orienteering and use a compass but my full understanding came as a fisherman.
You who seek direction might very well benefit from understanding the compass too. Amazing isn't it, such a little device can show us our way. In a more simple explanation, the compass points north so you are heading north. That is easy right?
There are 360 degrees in a circle and on the compass there are 360 little markings, each one representing one of the degrees of the circle. If we are point north, this is zero and also 360. So when someone says "in my life I did a complete 360" yup they mean they went from where they were heading all the way around in a big circle to end up right back where they needed to be. Probably could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and just kept on their heading.
Doing a 180 would represent going from North direction to heading south. This would be the complete opposite direction as 180 degrees is the opposite to north and yes, south is the opposite to north. So doing a 180 is changing things or going a whole and other direction.
Understanding these compass points helped me develop an analytical type brain as it was an understanding of when I am facing one direction and knowing what other directions were at my back and to my sides that gave me great insight into understanding what direction I am heading.
If you are like me and have found yourself wondering what or where you are going and why. The knowing of what are to the left and right can help in how we proceed. The compass is a mighty tool to help us see our own direction.
Your search for direction might just end and free you up to enjoy the actual journey.
This is worth a thought or two for sure.
When any issue comes up in our life, we can look at it with blinkers on and we can just keep our head down and plough on heading north let's say. We can look at our issue with one degree vision or tunnel vision or again with blinkers on. We may struggle and become upset that we are lacking direction or our feelings nudge at us a little bit of how we are LOST.
Should we choose to use our compass and take a look from a few different angles or degree points of the compass perhaps we can understand our direction or our issue a little differently or more clearly.
Too complicated for you?
Not really, as it is in taking a different angle of view, a different view point of any issue that raises itself in our life, it is from these different vantage points that we may gain some understanding and we can then proceed with conviction on our journey or if needed alter course.
Does your head have the capability to look at your house from across the street while you are still standing in it? Can you see the vision of yourself from another angle? Having a little compass can help you see what is where and how each degree around it's dial represents another viewpoint. These view points help us understand direction.
In changing our view point we begin to see alternatives and solutions to issues that arise in our life. Understanding our compass let's us see clearly our direction.
With that or these kind of tools in your vault you will drop the question of what is your direction and your life can be filled more with enjoyment rather than searching.
Understanding the compass can bring us to a place of never being lost. Now just imagine that.
The compass, helps us find what direction we are going. That is its basic use, a simple device for travellers and explorers many moons ago.
There are so many people out there in the world looking for a direction, wondering what direction they are travelling and just all round searching and searching. In a conversation with a friend quite recently, I found myself speaking about the compass. What my own understanding of what the compass has meant to me all through my life. I learned about the compass and all the degrees on the dial and what they represented and where each direction was, at a very young age. I was a commercial fisherman as a young teen and for many years after that too. This was where I gained my knowledge and understanding of how the compass worked. I had opportunities as a young boy scout to go orienteering and use a compass but my full understanding came as a fisherman.
You who seek direction might very well benefit from understanding the compass too. Amazing isn't it, such a little device can show us our way. In a more simple explanation, the compass points north so you are heading north. That is easy right?
There are 360 degrees in a circle and on the compass there are 360 little markings, each one representing one of the degrees of the circle. If we are point north, this is zero and also 360. So when someone says "in my life I did a complete 360" yup they mean they went from where they were heading all the way around in a big circle to end up right back where they needed to be. Probably could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and just kept on their heading.
Doing a 180 would represent going from North direction to heading south. This would be the complete opposite direction as 180 degrees is the opposite to north and yes, south is the opposite to north. So doing a 180 is changing things or going a whole and other direction.
Understanding these compass points helped me develop an analytical type brain as it was an understanding of when I am facing one direction and knowing what other directions were at my back and to my sides that gave me great insight into understanding what direction I am heading.
If you are like me and have found yourself wondering what or where you are going and why. The knowing of what are to the left and right can help in how we proceed. The compass is a mighty tool to help us see our own direction.
Your search for direction might just end and free you up to enjoy the actual journey.
This is worth a thought or two for sure.
When any issue comes up in our life, we can look at it with blinkers on and we can just keep our head down and plough on heading north let's say. We can look at our issue with one degree vision or tunnel vision or again with blinkers on. We may struggle and become upset that we are lacking direction or our feelings nudge at us a little bit of how we are LOST.
Should we choose to use our compass and take a look from a few different angles or degree points of the compass perhaps we can understand our direction or our issue a little differently or more clearly.
Too complicated for you?
Not really, as it is in taking a different angle of view, a different view point of any issue that raises itself in our life, it is from these different vantage points that we may gain some understanding and we can then proceed with conviction on our journey or if needed alter course.
Does your head have the capability to look at your house from across the street while you are still standing in it? Can you see the vision of yourself from another angle? Having a little compass can help you see what is where and how each degree around it's dial represents another viewpoint. These view points help us understand direction.
In changing our view point we begin to see alternatives and solutions to issues that arise in our life. Understanding our compass let's us see clearly our direction.
With that or these kind of tools in your vault you will drop the question of what is your direction and your life can be filled more with enjoyment rather than searching.
Understanding the compass can bring us to a place of never being lost. Now just imagine that.
April 13, 2019
Darkness for #suicide into where exactly? Oh yeah
Light. This is a get together about walking at the early hours of the morning to walk as the day comes upon us, so begin while it is dark and then end while it is light.
Well let's just shed a little light of my own all over this.
The concept seems great, it has achieved massive gatherings of people to come together and walk in a charity effort to raise funds to go towards suicide prevention should I hashtag this perhaps #suicide #prevention
This is for sure a major needed project as there are massive amounts of suicide in all ages and it is never as devastating when it is a young person who chooses to leave this lovely world. So I am and just for the record, all for supporting anything that can help decrease the numbers in the suicide arenas.
Where are the issues that come to mind when I hear of this great walk for rasing money. I mean somebody has to do it and somehow as how else can funds be raised these days? I myself am heavily attempting fund raising for my own cause that is close to my heart. This would be known as #PulitsLap. A lap of Ireland over one weekend by motorcycles. A camp and ride charity event.
Enough about my charity efforts though.
My questions to you about this coming together of people to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.
1. A pre condition or warning sign of suicide can be LONLINESS. This type of feeling has been known to bring about some depression and even allow an individual to become more introverted and basically cause a whole mess of a cycle that can or has been known to lead to suicide.
I am absolutely no doctor of any kind yet I do wonder about stuff.
I have always understood that LONLINESS is a terrible thing for any person to feel and my understanding is that it is amplified to its purest form when someone who feels lonely actually feels lonely within a crowd. So where is the full extent of thought on bringing together large crowds to hopefully effect some kind of change when it is quite possible that the mere existence of a large crowd can enhance LONLINESS for someone and so this would mean to me, well a complete bad idea. Again I am not too critical of many things, how and ever the very nature of this suicide awareness and prevention get together tells me it is quite possible to spark suicide or amplify a lonely existence for a person. Maybe we should re think how we can best do good for people who feel very bad. Bad enough to contemplate suicide.
2. This is a fund raising event, where t shirts are sold to participants and this is the donation method of the simplistic kind. Rather than shake buckets and do church door collections. T shirts representing the message of the walk are the simply way to make a donation. This way when you join the crowd everyone is dressed the same and this would suggest not allowing anyone appear any different or trying to keep a message of how we are all the same and as we join each other for this walk to show "you are not alone" message. We are all the same by the way we are dressed and this might just trigger someone to, for a moment on this walk understand that they are never really alone and are not at all different from any of us. We look the same in such t shirts and therefore are sending a message of, we hurt the same too, perhaps.
How and ever this is the form or a form of raising funds nonetheless.
3. These funds are not allocated to the immediate area where they may have been raised. It is my understanding they will go into a centralised fund and be used throughout or wherever is deemed necessary. Of course there can be massive reasons finding could be needed. Let us imagine some counselling services may be needed and so to make these available for free is a great use of such funds.
Most often we may find that the larger gathering or group that will come together for this charity morning event may just be from an area that has been immediately impacted by a suicide. So the funds may be a little larger from this particular area or region yet, the funds raised may not go back into this region where they have been rocked or well to keep it real, an area that has been devastated by such a thing as suicide.
Which then would mean that the funds being taken out of these particular areas that have been impacted on the high end, make to me a misuse of funds or a misrepresentation to people who get up early to do the event in their town or area and give willingly hoping to make a difference, perhaps the money raised should stay in the highly impacted areas. Would you agree?
3. I do not understand fully about suicide and I want to really make a simple point to any who have stumbled here by mistake or just liked my little rant so you kept on reading. If you are contemplating suicide or feel in any way that life is not worth living, I would like you to look me up on twitter or Facebook or Instagram or where ever, even send me a message here if you like. I will respond and I will chat with you. We can remain absolute strangers and we can chat about nothing if you like. My advice will probably always be the same, well at least the main point would be. And here it is, phone a friend and tell them how you are feeling. They will not judge you if you tell them you are feeling suicidal and have no where else to turn.
4. I had to Bury my first born son and when I saw him in his coffin I thought my life was over. He did not die from suicide, he died from what they call sudden death. Anyway, I thought my life was over, finished, caput, no more, no mas.
I had to live on through many many pains and tears. Sleepless nights and all kinds of horrible thoughts. I kept going because I could not do anything else. Guess what two and half years later my second son drowned in a swimming pool and died. I had to Bury him and again I was sitting at a grave crying and feeling like, shit really.
What is my point.? My point is I have written three books now about these kinds of events in my life where I could not understand and or figure things out. I put them out there for the whole world to judge me and talk behind my back and criticise me. Of course it is nice to receive reviews on my books and it is nice to hear how people found them helpful, again not really the point either.
The point is, ask me do I care? I care less. And the words I COULD NOT CARE, LESS, have taken on great meaning in my life. I was down and I believed life was horrible and life was the single most thing I just wanted to escape from.
I started writing. Things like this blog piece, I shared my story with the world. I have been interviewed on radio and in newspapers. I smile at the day. I tell friends when I feel like shit. I take things at my own pace. I practice many types of meditating to slow life down to the pace that suits me on any given day.
I will chat with you if you want and I will not judge. I will probably try and just make you laugh a bit if I can as laughing feels good and can help any of us just get away from feelings of wanting to escape this world. There is so much good out there and so many great things right in front of us everyday that I wish I could put an end to marches and gatherings to amplify any suicidal thoughts.
I would like to take my brain out and replay the movie I have lived and you may see that good days are possible. Good people do exist and it is never ever too bad that suicide is the only option.
I do understand that it may appear to be the only option.
There are great people in the world and beautiful people who will help once you ask. You don't have to just blurt out and say blah blah I feel suicidal though. You can even use a metaphor. Just hit them up and let them know you could use an ear to talk to and could use a little company. Even a stranger will offer their help if you let them know.
Look at us. Me and you reading now. We are strangers to each other.
Rant over about the walk and what my thoughts are of what we need to do more of for each other as humans when it comes to the topics of suicide awareness and prevention.
Don't offer help to someone just for recognition, don't offer to listen or be there and then don't be there. Remember these are very real feelings for anyone and can be delicate that sometimes saying nothing and just being there can mean the entire world.
You wanna throw some comments at me or my way on what I am writing right now. Go ahead. Comment away to your hearts content.
I will read em and I am always listening. I also am not hurt by any comments so speak your mind, remember I could not care less. 😊😊😊😊😊
Just kidding though.
To care, can mean to just, be there.
Well let's just shed a little light of my own all over this.
The concept seems great, it has achieved massive gatherings of people to come together and walk in a charity effort to raise funds to go towards suicide prevention should I hashtag this perhaps #suicide #prevention
This is for sure a major needed project as there are massive amounts of suicide in all ages and it is never as devastating when it is a young person who chooses to leave this lovely world. So I am and just for the record, all for supporting anything that can help decrease the numbers in the suicide arenas.
Where are the issues that come to mind when I hear of this great walk for rasing money. I mean somebody has to do it and somehow as how else can funds be raised these days? I myself am heavily attempting fund raising for my own cause that is close to my heart. This would be known as #PulitsLap. A lap of Ireland over one weekend by motorcycles. A camp and ride charity event.
Enough about my charity efforts though.
My questions to you about this coming together of people to raise awareness and funds for suicide prevention.
1. A pre condition or warning sign of suicide can be LONLINESS. This type of feeling has been known to bring about some depression and even allow an individual to become more introverted and basically cause a whole mess of a cycle that can or has been known to lead to suicide.
I am absolutely no doctor of any kind yet I do wonder about stuff.
I have always understood that LONLINESS is a terrible thing for any person to feel and my understanding is that it is amplified to its purest form when someone who feels lonely actually feels lonely within a crowd. So where is the full extent of thought on bringing together large crowds to hopefully effect some kind of change when it is quite possible that the mere existence of a large crowd can enhance LONLINESS for someone and so this would mean to me, well a complete bad idea. Again I am not too critical of many things, how and ever the very nature of this suicide awareness and prevention get together tells me it is quite possible to spark suicide or amplify a lonely existence for a person. Maybe we should re think how we can best do good for people who feel very bad. Bad enough to contemplate suicide.
2. This is a fund raising event, where t shirts are sold to participants and this is the donation method of the simplistic kind. Rather than shake buckets and do church door collections. T shirts representing the message of the walk are the simply way to make a donation. This way when you join the crowd everyone is dressed the same and this would suggest not allowing anyone appear any different or trying to keep a message of how we are all the same and as we join each other for this walk to show "you are not alone" message. We are all the same by the way we are dressed and this might just trigger someone to, for a moment on this walk understand that they are never really alone and are not at all different from any of us. We look the same in such t shirts and therefore are sending a message of, we hurt the same too, perhaps.
How and ever this is the form or a form of raising funds nonetheless.
3. These funds are not allocated to the immediate area where they may have been raised. It is my understanding they will go into a centralised fund and be used throughout or wherever is deemed necessary. Of course there can be massive reasons finding could be needed. Let us imagine some counselling services may be needed and so to make these available for free is a great use of such funds.
Most often we may find that the larger gathering or group that will come together for this charity morning event may just be from an area that has been immediately impacted by a suicide. So the funds may be a little larger from this particular area or region yet, the funds raised may not go back into this region where they have been rocked or well to keep it real, an area that has been devastated by such a thing as suicide.
Which then would mean that the funds being taken out of these particular areas that have been impacted on the high end, make to me a misuse of funds or a misrepresentation to people who get up early to do the event in their town or area and give willingly hoping to make a difference, perhaps the money raised should stay in the highly impacted areas. Would you agree?
3. I do not understand fully about suicide and I want to really make a simple point to any who have stumbled here by mistake or just liked my little rant so you kept on reading. If you are contemplating suicide or feel in any way that life is not worth living, I would like you to look me up on twitter or Facebook or Instagram or where ever, even send me a message here if you like. I will respond and I will chat with you. We can remain absolute strangers and we can chat about nothing if you like. My advice will probably always be the same, well at least the main point would be. And here it is, phone a friend and tell them how you are feeling. They will not judge you if you tell them you are feeling suicidal and have no where else to turn.
4. I had to Bury my first born son and when I saw him in his coffin I thought my life was over. He did not die from suicide, he died from what they call sudden death. Anyway, I thought my life was over, finished, caput, no more, no mas.
I had to live on through many many pains and tears. Sleepless nights and all kinds of horrible thoughts. I kept going because I could not do anything else. Guess what two and half years later my second son drowned in a swimming pool and died. I had to Bury him and again I was sitting at a grave crying and feeling like, shit really.
What is my point.? My point is I have written three books now about these kinds of events in my life where I could not understand and or figure things out. I put them out there for the whole world to judge me and talk behind my back and criticise me. Of course it is nice to receive reviews on my books and it is nice to hear how people found them helpful, again not really the point either.
The point is, ask me do I care? I care less. And the words I COULD NOT CARE, LESS, have taken on great meaning in my life. I was down and I believed life was horrible and life was the single most thing I just wanted to escape from.
I started writing. Things like this blog piece, I shared my story with the world. I have been interviewed on radio and in newspapers. I smile at the day. I tell friends when I feel like shit. I take things at my own pace. I practice many types of meditating to slow life down to the pace that suits me on any given day.
I will chat with you if you want and I will not judge. I will probably try and just make you laugh a bit if I can as laughing feels good and can help any of us just get away from feelings of wanting to escape this world. There is so much good out there and so many great things right in front of us everyday that I wish I could put an end to marches and gatherings to amplify any suicidal thoughts.
I would like to take my brain out and replay the movie I have lived and you may see that good days are possible. Good people do exist and it is never ever too bad that suicide is the only option.
I do understand that it may appear to be the only option.
There are great people in the world and beautiful people who will help once you ask. You don't have to just blurt out and say blah blah I feel suicidal though. You can even use a metaphor. Just hit them up and let them know you could use an ear to talk to and could use a little company. Even a stranger will offer their help if you let them know.
Look at us. Me and you reading now. We are strangers to each other.
Rant over about the walk and what my thoughts are of what we need to do more of for each other as humans when it comes to the topics of suicide awareness and prevention.
Don't offer help to someone just for recognition, don't offer to listen or be there and then don't be there. Remember these are very real feelings for anyone and can be delicate that sometimes saying nothing and just being there can mean the entire world.
You wanna throw some comments at me or my way on what I am writing right now. Go ahead. Comment away to your hearts content.
I will read em and I am always listening. I also am not hurt by any comments so speak your mind, remember I could not care less. 😊😊😊😊😊
Just kidding though.
To care, can mean to just, be there.
April 10, 2019
Internet use, the #hashtag
As always, I would like to see if you can think for a minute or three along the lines of that which crosses my mind too. Maybe you too have had these thoughts and just never said them to yourself like when you read them. Hence the blog😊
The mighty hashtag comes to my mind this evening and how and where we use them.
As many of you know I am on twitter under the handle, which is my flagship #memoir (we will get to why I used #) @TWOsonsTOOmany. This handle is the title of my memoir as well and has been the mainstay for my #writing. Being an independent author means using a few online platforms and to keep on spreading the word on my #books for all of you #avidreader folks.
So the hashtag and our online use. Basically or maybe even some other #indieauthors out there might pick up a thing or two. Who knows?
Why do we use the hashtag? I use it to help catch a glimpse of an eye from a twitter user or three and my usage sometimes is way over the top.
There are many great articles online about using two or three hashtags on twitter to drum up some interest in a tweet. That is great and to be honest I have had massive response to tweets with loads of hashtags and similar response to tweets with none. Although it would be fair to say I have not really had time to study exactly the data. I think or I find that using less hashtags can get less interaction to be honest. But #twitter is definitely a funny old monster in itself.
Timing of such hashtag use may be a more precise way to study such things.
On #Facebook it is explained that hashtags have no real value only to perhaps highlight a point or feeling of the person posting.
Instagram seems to be catching on and now shows a ton of usage ideas about hashtags but the last time I read an article about this, it mentioned hashtags being as useless as they are on Facebook. You can comment below if you find any different.
It is definitely something we all use nowadays online and they say even using hashtags in a post like this can generate some audience by getting picked up around the Internet for just simply using a hashtag. Supposedly there are robots #robots out there scouring the place for hashtag use all the time in the online world. Blows the living be jaysus out of my mind, really. Does it yours? Again #comment below.
I have thought several times to write my entire next book using hashtags and emojis only, this would be a sure fire way to be picked up all over the Internet world.
Seriously though, I also am involved in some charity work and events and this side of things would suggest that it is super important to use #hashtag to get notice from around the Internet to increase traffic to my go fund me page and the charity campaign. Exposure is so important for any of us who #write and if the use of hashtags can increase your exposure in even the smallest way I highly suggest it to you.
A tweet I might make may look something like this.
#ThursdayThoughts
Come check out my #books on #Amazon and download to your #kindle today.
#TWOsonsTOOmany get #inspired
The is for the reason of what's import for me as an independent author. I want anyone who may seek out the ever so popular Thursday tweets of Thursday thoughts to notice my tweet. Books I hashtag of course because it is what I am selling and again as the indie author, we become the entire marketing department too.
I make reference to amazon and kindle as my books are available for sale there and I use my own handle as a hashtag, not that it is overly popular or something people search for but it is all part of my own brand recognition. And then I finish with get inspired as this is something many search the Internet for on a daily basis. A funny piece of that is, #inspire is less popular than #inspired so that is food for thought too.
I would like to think that my books will get maximum exposure on every tweet. (so don't be shy, Retweet em) #17nLife is one I use for my second memoir 17 & Life, it just seemed fitting and I have received some nice Retweets of this one too.
So some of the articles I have read in the past all said do not over saturate with hashtag usage. Others notes I have found around the Internet suggest to use only two per tweet and that Facebook does not find them or search them. Maybe we are wasting our time with Facebook altogether. I have my author page over there and again it is my handle @TWOsonsTOOmany so if you would like to follow along, come and say hi.
I am certain of how many #independent #authors are here on #Goodreads so, that was my shout out to you all by the way😊
Hashtag the living hell out of it and see how your results vary across all your platforms. I can tell you selling books has been an easier job than raising money for charity. It is almost like hashtags books is a welcome hashtag around the place while #charity is like telling people to "run forest run".
It is funny that the hashtag became the go to guy for the Internet, like I mean, we could have any other symbol. This used to be known as the pound sign and not the English pound sign either. Imagine telling someone who did not know about the pound sign or trying to explain it means number too. #123564 would be just as a mysterious a tweet as I can think up right now. Funny😂
So to all my fellow #writters, have a great rest of your week and if you are like me and are #selfpublishing or #selfpub then perhaps you can appreciate my confusion.
Ah we will struggle on the hashtag use for another while until one of us can come up with the next knew thing. Maybe that could be your comment below, what would best to replace the hashtag. Maybe my next tweet will get zero Retweets if I am ever called out for such blatant disrespect to the #
Oh well.
Have a nice week folks. As always, find my books and read & review. Follow on twitter and Facebook and should any of you wish to be more engaged with my "stuff" my #Website lik is
https://amcnallyauthor.wordpress.com
The mighty hashtag comes to my mind this evening and how and where we use them.
As many of you know I am on twitter under the handle, which is my flagship #memoir (we will get to why I used #) @TWOsonsTOOmany. This handle is the title of my memoir as well and has been the mainstay for my #writing. Being an independent author means using a few online platforms and to keep on spreading the word on my #books for all of you #avidreader folks.
So the hashtag and our online use. Basically or maybe even some other #indieauthors out there might pick up a thing or two. Who knows?
Why do we use the hashtag? I use it to help catch a glimpse of an eye from a twitter user or three and my usage sometimes is way over the top.
There are many great articles online about using two or three hashtags on twitter to drum up some interest in a tweet. That is great and to be honest I have had massive response to tweets with loads of hashtags and similar response to tweets with none. Although it would be fair to say I have not really had time to study exactly the data. I think or I find that using less hashtags can get less interaction to be honest. But #twitter is definitely a funny old monster in itself.
Timing of such hashtag use may be a more precise way to study such things.
On #Facebook it is explained that hashtags have no real value only to perhaps highlight a point or feeling of the person posting.
Instagram seems to be catching on and now shows a ton of usage ideas about hashtags but the last time I read an article about this, it mentioned hashtags being as useless as they are on Facebook. You can comment below if you find any different.
It is definitely something we all use nowadays online and they say even using hashtags in a post like this can generate some audience by getting picked up around the Internet for just simply using a hashtag. Supposedly there are robots #robots out there scouring the place for hashtag use all the time in the online world. Blows the living be jaysus out of my mind, really. Does it yours? Again #comment below.
I have thought several times to write my entire next book using hashtags and emojis only, this would be a sure fire way to be picked up all over the Internet world.
Seriously though, I also am involved in some charity work and events and this side of things would suggest that it is super important to use #hashtag to get notice from around the Internet to increase traffic to my go fund me page and the charity campaign. Exposure is so important for any of us who #write and if the use of hashtags can increase your exposure in even the smallest way I highly suggest it to you.
A tweet I might make may look something like this.
#ThursdayThoughts
Come check out my #books on #Amazon and download to your #kindle today.
#TWOsonsTOOmany get #inspired
The is for the reason of what's import for me as an independent author. I want anyone who may seek out the ever so popular Thursday tweets of Thursday thoughts to notice my tweet. Books I hashtag of course because it is what I am selling and again as the indie author, we become the entire marketing department too.
I make reference to amazon and kindle as my books are available for sale there and I use my own handle as a hashtag, not that it is overly popular or something people search for but it is all part of my own brand recognition. And then I finish with get inspired as this is something many search the Internet for on a daily basis. A funny piece of that is, #inspire is less popular than #inspired so that is food for thought too.
I would like to think that my books will get maximum exposure on every tweet. (so don't be shy, Retweet em) #17nLife is one I use for my second memoir 17 & Life, it just seemed fitting and I have received some nice Retweets of this one too.
So some of the articles I have read in the past all said do not over saturate with hashtag usage. Others notes I have found around the Internet suggest to use only two per tweet and that Facebook does not find them or search them. Maybe we are wasting our time with Facebook altogether. I have my author page over there and again it is my handle @TWOsonsTOOmany so if you would like to follow along, come and say hi.
I am certain of how many #independent #authors are here on #Goodreads so, that was my shout out to you all by the way😊
Hashtag the living hell out of it and see how your results vary across all your platforms. I can tell you selling books has been an easier job than raising money for charity. It is almost like hashtags books is a welcome hashtag around the place while #charity is like telling people to "run forest run".
It is funny that the hashtag became the go to guy for the Internet, like I mean, we could have any other symbol. This used to be known as the pound sign and not the English pound sign either. Imagine telling someone who did not know about the pound sign or trying to explain it means number too. #123564 would be just as a mysterious a tweet as I can think up right now. Funny😂
So to all my fellow #writters, have a great rest of your week and if you are like me and are #selfpublishing or #selfpub then perhaps you can appreciate my confusion.
Ah we will struggle on the hashtag use for another while until one of us can come up with the next knew thing. Maybe that could be your comment below, what would best to replace the hashtag. Maybe my next tweet will get zero Retweets if I am ever called out for such blatant disrespect to the #
Oh well.
Have a nice week folks. As always, find my books and read & review. Follow on twitter and Facebook and should any of you wish to be more engaged with my "stuff" my #Website lik is
https://amcnallyauthor.wordpress.com
April 3, 2019
Being Irish around the world, have we forgotten?
Being Irish is changing and I often wonder from an around the world stand point.
March has passed and the mighty Saint Patrick's day is a distant memory already, now that April is here. The comparison is that being Irish seems to have changed its meaning and is becoming a little distant of a memory itself.
If you are reading this now as an Irish person it is a curiosity of mine as to how you see the whole thing itself too.
I ventured out around the world and represented the country of Ireland to be the almighty country to hail from and that the Irish are the single most best people ever to walk the planet. Was I wrong?
What are the changes I notice. Of course we are keeping in line with becoming more politically correct and this is a wonderful thing, or is it really? Since when did we the Irish really begin to care about such things as politically correct. We are or have always been a little more barbarian in nature. Do not be upset to have a likening to barbarians, it is how we have been for centuries. Take a look at our language, the gaelic language and you will see how it is not the soft spoken language of love like Latin. No it is rough and course around the edges. Ta athas orm (taw awe has orm) I have Happy. That's a little ogre like right there, kinda scary.
We were never the righteous or pompous type of people. Irish people were through our very own history, the underdog, the slave to the britts, the work force or labourers of the world. So what happened? We didn't have money and all fancy things, we were just happy to be happy and made do with very little. We shared our teapots with each other. If we had bread we shared it with each other. To get this bread we went out and worked hard for it. No job too strenuous for us nor did we have any high uppity opinions of ourselves. Being Irish used to mean we will get stuck in and work, we will help our fellow man. We never recognized any other persons colour or background or religion to be anything of a reason to make an opinion about a person. Ireland has always welcomed everybody.
An island nation with a rooted background in farming and fishing. This is who we were through, like I said centuries. The work on the land became scarce and with a hugely Catholic influence family sizes just kept growing. Not enough work to go around as Christy often sings about and off we went. The Irish headed for London for work. Be it the man/boy in a family who headed out in the world for work and usually labouring on construction sites or the woman/girl who looked for care work and most often found in a nursing job or any form of child minding. These were the jobs we could do naturally. The Irish headed even further a field than the neighbours British soils and branched out all over the world. The firemen and policemen in the East coast of the United States. The Labour force building many cities across the United States.
A tradition of Irish builders all around the world. Not unusual either to hear of an Irish nanny, this was a common employment of the Irish girls too around the world.
It has not only been a celtic tiger that has introduced money into the Irish hands. Ireland joined the European Union and money was given to us to make better our country. Infrastructure was improved and people had more work and things improved.
At what cost?
Money and the Irish does appear to have been a great thing. The more money we have gotten, it only appears to have changed the foundation fibres of who we are as people, yes as people first. A proud nation of level headed and a genuine strength of culture. Now it would appear to have been quite diluted and the politically correct has taken a whole new meaning. We the Irish have never intended or set out to hurt any with our words, on the contrary we have always been a welcoming people and a core part of our culture has always been Cead Mile Failte (cade mil A fall cha) meaning 1 thousand welcomes. We welcomed everyone.
It would be almost like we knew we needed to venture out in the world to other countries and we wanted our brothers and sisters to be welcomed by wherever they landed for work, be it Germany or Australia or the United States to name just a few, we knew we worried about their safe journey and wished them so well around the world that it made sense to welcome all and any who wished to join us in our land. A little coldness perhaps to our British neighbours as our history of occupation by them has been going on for 8 or 900 years. Though we have welcomed many of their patriots too.
So what happened?
Money happened,
The Irish people no longer had to beg for jobs and those who went out before us as a very genuine people in the world paved the way for our next generations to be welcomed around the globe and helped us earn more and rise up in statuses and standings around the mighty world. But not at home, nope, money happened and some how changes have occurred that many have forgotten and some how have developed a well quite an English way really of looking down our noses at each other. A split or divide among our own people. We have developed a habit of forming opinions about our fellow countryman and pause to wonder of what is their status. How much do they earn? What do they drive? What clothes are they wearing? A judgmental attitude that can only be figured out to have something to do with introducing money to a country where once upon a time a woman may be wearing potato sacks as a dress and a man wear a smock and woollens as he headed out fishing.
Does it bother you or me that things have changed so drastically within our own country.?
Where has the divide come among our very own people. Today's issues are so beyond comprehension and the vast nature in which a social divide is among the people that we now have millionaires and homeless all walking the same streets and each will consider themselves a proud Irish person.
This is not who we have ever been as a nation. We have become complacent to the facts of our history and our roots. We forget we were the loyal slaves and Labour force. We had no time nor want to bother our heads with such things as political correctness nor did we the Irish think it right to see our fellow country man stranded or abandoned.
Change is good, yes. We the Irish seem to have found a way to just do a "let's make changes and see where it lands".
I would never be envious of anyone who has worked hard and earned their way into great riches. No Irish person should ever begrudge. But yes we have always had the mighty saying within our own lands and directed at one another "fuck the begruders" this has been a little competitive type streak in all of us Irish. We invented the saying and for good reason. We never had time or patience for any who begrudge. To those who have amassed a small fortune I say hats off to you. I too have had a capitalist type mentality for many years. What I did not have was an eagerness to forget where & what us Irish come from.
What I do not have is any attitude that believes leaving my countryman stranded or abandoned is in anyway right and for sure I am certain of this, that being Irish has always meant the opposite. A hand of welcome, a hand of friendship and a loyalty to one another means more than any large bank balances or social standings ever.
Have we forgotten all this or what?
Read my books if you you wish to change a little perspective and you will read my life story and when it came time for me to remember what being Irish meant to me.
Don't read my books and review them and or help an indie author on his path of writing and self publishing and I can revert to the begrudger saying 😊😊😊
My books are titled TWO sons TOO many, 17 & Life, My Grief the last 3 years.
Have a great day Ireland. Hopefully the Irish attitude and family values will be restored one day.
Leave a comment.
https://amcnallyauthor.wordpress.com
March has passed and the mighty Saint Patrick's day is a distant memory already, now that April is here. The comparison is that being Irish seems to have changed its meaning and is becoming a little distant of a memory itself.
If you are reading this now as an Irish person it is a curiosity of mine as to how you see the whole thing itself too.
I ventured out around the world and represented the country of Ireland to be the almighty country to hail from and that the Irish are the single most best people ever to walk the planet. Was I wrong?
What are the changes I notice. Of course we are keeping in line with becoming more politically correct and this is a wonderful thing, or is it really? Since when did we the Irish really begin to care about such things as politically correct. We are or have always been a little more barbarian in nature. Do not be upset to have a likening to barbarians, it is how we have been for centuries. Take a look at our language, the gaelic language and you will see how it is not the soft spoken language of love like Latin. No it is rough and course around the edges. Ta athas orm (taw awe has orm) I have Happy. That's a little ogre like right there, kinda scary.
We were never the righteous or pompous type of people. Irish people were through our very own history, the underdog, the slave to the britts, the work force or labourers of the world. So what happened? We didn't have money and all fancy things, we were just happy to be happy and made do with very little. We shared our teapots with each other. If we had bread we shared it with each other. To get this bread we went out and worked hard for it. No job too strenuous for us nor did we have any high uppity opinions of ourselves. Being Irish used to mean we will get stuck in and work, we will help our fellow man. We never recognized any other persons colour or background or religion to be anything of a reason to make an opinion about a person. Ireland has always welcomed everybody.
An island nation with a rooted background in farming and fishing. This is who we were through, like I said centuries. The work on the land became scarce and with a hugely Catholic influence family sizes just kept growing. Not enough work to go around as Christy often sings about and off we went. The Irish headed for London for work. Be it the man/boy in a family who headed out in the world for work and usually labouring on construction sites or the woman/girl who looked for care work and most often found in a nursing job or any form of child minding. These were the jobs we could do naturally. The Irish headed even further a field than the neighbours British soils and branched out all over the world. The firemen and policemen in the East coast of the United States. The Labour force building many cities across the United States.
A tradition of Irish builders all around the world. Not unusual either to hear of an Irish nanny, this was a common employment of the Irish girls too around the world.
It has not only been a celtic tiger that has introduced money into the Irish hands. Ireland joined the European Union and money was given to us to make better our country. Infrastructure was improved and people had more work and things improved.
At what cost?
Money and the Irish does appear to have been a great thing. The more money we have gotten, it only appears to have changed the foundation fibres of who we are as people, yes as people first. A proud nation of level headed and a genuine strength of culture. Now it would appear to have been quite diluted and the politically correct has taken a whole new meaning. We the Irish have never intended or set out to hurt any with our words, on the contrary we have always been a welcoming people and a core part of our culture has always been Cead Mile Failte (cade mil A fall cha) meaning 1 thousand welcomes. We welcomed everyone.
It would be almost like we knew we needed to venture out in the world to other countries and we wanted our brothers and sisters to be welcomed by wherever they landed for work, be it Germany or Australia or the United States to name just a few, we knew we worried about their safe journey and wished them so well around the world that it made sense to welcome all and any who wished to join us in our land. A little coldness perhaps to our British neighbours as our history of occupation by them has been going on for 8 or 900 years. Though we have welcomed many of their patriots too.
So what happened?
Money happened,
The Irish people no longer had to beg for jobs and those who went out before us as a very genuine people in the world paved the way for our next generations to be welcomed around the globe and helped us earn more and rise up in statuses and standings around the mighty world. But not at home, nope, money happened and some how changes have occurred that many have forgotten and some how have developed a well quite an English way really of looking down our noses at each other. A split or divide among our own people. We have developed a habit of forming opinions about our fellow countryman and pause to wonder of what is their status. How much do they earn? What do they drive? What clothes are they wearing? A judgmental attitude that can only be figured out to have something to do with introducing money to a country where once upon a time a woman may be wearing potato sacks as a dress and a man wear a smock and woollens as he headed out fishing.
Does it bother you or me that things have changed so drastically within our own country.?
Where has the divide come among our very own people. Today's issues are so beyond comprehension and the vast nature in which a social divide is among the people that we now have millionaires and homeless all walking the same streets and each will consider themselves a proud Irish person.
This is not who we have ever been as a nation. We have become complacent to the facts of our history and our roots. We forget we were the loyal slaves and Labour force. We had no time nor want to bother our heads with such things as political correctness nor did we the Irish think it right to see our fellow country man stranded or abandoned.
Change is good, yes. We the Irish seem to have found a way to just do a "let's make changes and see where it lands".
I would never be envious of anyone who has worked hard and earned their way into great riches. No Irish person should ever begrudge. But yes we have always had the mighty saying within our own lands and directed at one another "fuck the begruders" this has been a little competitive type streak in all of us Irish. We invented the saying and for good reason. We never had time or patience for any who begrudge. To those who have amassed a small fortune I say hats off to you. I too have had a capitalist type mentality for many years. What I did not have was an eagerness to forget where & what us Irish come from.
What I do not have is any attitude that believes leaving my countryman stranded or abandoned is in anyway right and for sure I am certain of this, that being Irish has always meant the opposite. A hand of welcome, a hand of friendship and a loyalty to one another means more than any large bank balances or social standings ever.
Have we forgotten all this or what?
Read my books if you you wish to change a little perspective and you will read my life story and when it came time for me to remember what being Irish meant to me.
Don't read my books and review them and or help an indie author on his path of writing and self publishing and I can revert to the begrudger saying 😊😊😊
My books are titled TWO sons TOO many, 17 & Life, My Grief the last 3 years.
Have a great day Ireland. Hopefully the Irish attitude and family values will be restored one day.
Leave a comment.
https://amcnallyauthor.wordpress.com
March 28, 2019
The big bad scary Internet SOCIAL MEDIA
Hi folks.
Yes it is time I give a little insight into what I see and how it works from my stand point, well all the angles I see at least.
What exactly? The WORLD WIDE INTERWEB as I have heard it called and that title alone makes me smile, almost laugh😊
So what is going on with the Internet and all the time we spend on it and browsing?
Once upon a time I had a client who I was completing a project for and her son happened to pop in and out from time to time. He had just finished college she had explained and was taking a little break and resting before he started full time work. His professor at college had just hired him for a full time position right out of his final year and so he was totally stoked about it. I was made aware of it because of course his mom/my client was proud as punch.
His job was a full time position analysing and counting clicks of the Internet. Imagine that a full time job. Why bother analysing? Well this was a number of years ago I met these great people and as we discussed the Internet and the relevant click data, I learned more and more.
The Internet is the magazine of today. Once upon a time magazines charged massively to get products under the nose of readers, to influence you in a way, well to get you to buy the products. Magazines are not gone but definitely there is a much larger magazine available to everyone all day long by way of mobile phone, again. THE WORLD WIDE INTERWEB.
Where does the click counting play a part in all of this.
Once upon a time a company called Netflix was born and in a competition Netflix put it out to tender, 6 full months of people dvd rental history and could anyone predict based on viewer history, could they predict what people would watch for the following 6 months.
A college group won the competition by predicting to the precise dvd amount and what genre and which movies precisely what would be watched in the following 6 months. This changed the game for Netflix as now they didn't need warehouses full of dvds just sitting there on standby, they could predict what would be watched and they knew how much of each dvd to stock. They could predict. This is key
All your click history on the Internet is analysed by geniuses to predict and create an online profile of you, this is why when you search or just browse how much a holiday to Portugal will cost this year, then you start seeing the pop up ads and different marketing blurbs offering holidays and even the win a holiday pop ups start happening. The INTERWEB is predicting that you are going on holidays and wants to land that sale for a company, so they want to sell to you. Good isn't it. Geniuses really and hats off to them. Every little post you click like on or put a smile or something you browse adds to your tally of Web profile and about who you might be.
Social media sites are the big magazines and they want to get that right advertisement under your nose for a few seconds to maybe catch a sale. I know you all think that you are no push over to a sales pitch and you would never be caught out buying something you didn't need. Well the Internet and the click counters and the online profile building predictors are hard at work everyday. Plotting and planting seeds in front of your eyes all of the time. Funny how that all works. The massive sales pitch or selling machine that social media is, well it is amazing really isn't it.
Even here I write this blog to bring about some thoughts for you and even I, am in the world of selling. I wish to sell books. I wrote my life story in #TWOsonsTOOmany and it is available for sale. A gripping read. I have recently released my new Memoir called 17 & Life, it is about thoughts and choices and decisions I was faced with when I was 17. How could I know or how could our decisions perhaps shape our entire life ahead. A question among many questions in it, was I too young to be making life decisions at only 17. Does it happen for everyone and what do we need to recognise that it is decision time.
I use the Internet to make posts on Facebook and twitter and Instagram and LinkedIn too. I am selling books on amazon. I also released an ebook this past month taking a look back over the last 3 years of my life and what thoughts and blog posts I have written and some poems all while going through my very own grieving as a bereaved parent. I lost two children, my two sons hence the title of the first book.
I am not a corporation and I do not buy any click data or online profiles to sell my products to the demanding market. No, I use social media to spread word of my books and a hope to inspire others to not only write about their grief but to provoke thought in people to think for themselves. I do not market to people like a big company and I depend upon the good folks of the world wide INTERWEB to share my posts for me to reach their friends and hope that they might catch one of my online videos and take a little moment for themselves to relax and step back and pause in their life. Just take a minute for yourself.
Knowing you are being marketed to is a great relief to know and helps you understand maybe why you have bought so many things you just never needed.
I hope you find great need in my books and spread the word on them far and wide.
Join me on my Facebook page where you can help me share pieces about my books @TWOsonsTOOmany
Share the love on twitter with me @TWOsonsTOOmany
Find my videos on YouTube under yup you guessed it TWOsonsTOOmany
I look forward to many many shares as you will be helping and independent author reach those who may have a need for some self help or a little inspiration to NEVER GIVE UP.
The game is changing and the social media sites give us all a chance to compete and be in and available to find in the BIGGEST MAGAZINE of our time.
I look forward to your comments
Here is a link to my amazon page. 1 Luv.
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01GMP523Q
Yes it is time I give a little insight into what I see and how it works from my stand point, well all the angles I see at least.
What exactly? The WORLD WIDE INTERWEB as I have heard it called and that title alone makes me smile, almost laugh😊
So what is going on with the Internet and all the time we spend on it and browsing?
Once upon a time I had a client who I was completing a project for and her son happened to pop in and out from time to time. He had just finished college she had explained and was taking a little break and resting before he started full time work. His professor at college had just hired him for a full time position right out of his final year and so he was totally stoked about it. I was made aware of it because of course his mom/my client was proud as punch.
His job was a full time position analysing and counting clicks of the Internet. Imagine that a full time job. Why bother analysing? Well this was a number of years ago I met these great people and as we discussed the Internet and the relevant click data, I learned more and more.
The Internet is the magazine of today. Once upon a time magazines charged massively to get products under the nose of readers, to influence you in a way, well to get you to buy the products. Magazines are not gone but definitely there is a much larger magazine available to everyone all day long by way of mobile phone, again. THE WORLD WIDE INTERWEB.
Where does the click counting play a part in all of this.
Once upon a time a company called Netflix was born and in a competition Netflix put it out to tender, 6 full months of people dvd rental history and could anyone predict based on viewer history, could they predict what people would watch for the following 6 months.
A college group won the competition by predicting to the precise dvd amount and what genre and which movies precisely what would be watched in the following 6 months. This changed the game for Netflix as now they didn't need warehouses full of dvds just sitting there on standby, they could predict what would be watched and they knew how much of each dvd to stock. They could predict. This is key
All your click history on the Internet is analysed by geniuses to predict and create an online profile of you, this is why when you search or just browse how much a holiday to Portugal will cost this year, then you start seeing the pop up ads and different marketing blurbs offering holidays and even the win a holiday pop ups start happening. The INTERWEB is predicting that you are going on holidays and wants to land that sale for a company, so they want to sell to you. Good isn't it. Geniuses really and hats off to them. Every little post you click like on or put a smile or something you browse adds to your tally of Web profile and about who you might be.
Social media sites are the big magazines and they want to get that right advertisement under your nose for a few seconds to maybe catch a sale. I know you all think that you are no push over to a sales pitch and you would never be caught out buying something you didn't need. Well the Internet and the click counters and the online profile building predictors are hard at work everyday. Plotting and planting seeds in front of your eyes all of the time. Funny how that all works. The massive sales pitch or selling machine that social media is, well it is amazing really isn't it.
Even here I write this blog to bring about some thoughts for you and even I, am in the world of selling. I wish to sell books. I wrote my life story in #TWOsonsTOOmany and it is available for sale. A gripping read. I have recently released my new Memoir called 17 & Life, it is about thoughts and choices and decisions I was faced with when I was 17. How could I know or how could our decisions perhaps shape our entire life ahead. A question among many questions in it, was I too young to be making life decisions at only 17. Does it happen for everyone and what do we need to recognise that it is decision time.
I use the Internet to make posts on Facebook and twitter and Instagram and LinkedIn too. I am selling books on amazon. I also released an ebook this past month taking a look back over the last 3 years of my life and what thoughts and blog posts I have written and some poems all while going through my very own grieving as a bereaved parent. I lost two children, my two sons hence the title of the first book.
I am not a corporation and I do not buy any click data or online profiles to sell my products to the demanding market. No, I use social media to spread word of my books and a hope to inspire others to not only write about their grief but to provoke thought in people to think for themselves. I do not market to people like a big company and I depend upon the good folks of the world wide INTERWEB to share my posts for me to reach their friends and hope that they might catch one of my online videos and take a little moment for themselves to relax and step back and pause in their life. Just take a minute for yourself.
Knowing you are being marketed to is a great relief to know and helps you understand maybe why you have bought so many things you just never needed.
I hope you find great need in my books and spread the word on them far and wide.
Join me on my Facebook page where you can help me share pieces about my books @TWOsonsTOOmany
Share the love on twitter with me @TWOsonsTOOmany
Find my videos on YouTube under yup you guessed it TWOsonsTOOmany
I look forward to many many shares as you will be helping and independent author reach those who may have a need for some self help or a little inspiration to NEVER GIVE UP.
The game is changing and the social media sites give us all a chance to compete and be in and available to find in the BIGGEST MAGAZINE of our time.
I look forward to your comments
Here is a link to my amazon page. 1 Luv.
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01GMP523Q
March 19, 2019
Climate change, change and our children
Everything gets me thinking, well from time to time at least. The thinking that is, it does happen on occasions and some of my thoughts wander off to thinking all kinds of stuff. Yup just stuff.
Can I say it is my opinion? I wonder about that too. I may not even have an opinion, just some thinking that I feel is best shared with you, to provoke a thought within you or give pause to an idea, a concept if you like.
I have noticed there is a big push in the school children to make nice peaceful protests or demonstrations against governments and the question being all about the topic of "climate change". It is a great idea and a fantastic way to spread the concept of "hey do something about climate change" save the planet for our children, yes I get that. It is also a great teaching to allow our children of today to have a say in their own future and the future of the planet that they are inheriting. Future progress in industry definitely points to a need for change.
Industries where once upon a time electric cars and energy saving light bulbs were never thought to be possible or were they?
They is a great documentary on "planned obsolescence" I wonder have any of you ever seen it. The documentary brings about a whole insight to a theory of how the light bulb manufacturers a hundred years ago or more made a pact with each other "that should any manufacturer break the rules they would be out" what were the rules?
The rule they could not break is that they could not manufacture a light bulb that would shine for more than an agreed upon number of hours.
They all knew they could make light bulbs that could shine for thousands of hours. But wait, they thought, if we do that, we will never have new business and so we will put ourselves out of business. In the documentary they discuss how they manufacturers "minutes" from their meetings were discovered and many many years ago they knew they had to make their product only have a certain life span or they would become defunct "out of business" so the pact was formed and made between them all. Here lies the idea that all companies followed this idea so as to remain in business. So, my question would be that why only now are we finding such things as energy efficient light bulbs etc etc as measures to reduce carbon footprints and bring into effect efforts to do something about climate change?
What is a touch more worrying as I wonder about the demonstrations though not a huge political fire being ignited in the youth of today, though the peaceful protests are definitely being the lessons learned, why not encourage children to demonstrate perhaps over some smaller goals. So called "achievable goals"
Climate change even sounds weird.
What can a child understand about climate change? A lot perhaps, yes this is possible. Can we think like a child for a moment.
Today I protested for climate change, when I wake up tomorrow there will be sun and sweet songs from birds and lovely lambs playing in the fields. I made a difference just like they told me I would and my peaceful protest helped make the climate, change.
A young child can believe that their voice is being heard, the child can totally be fully convinced that the difference being made is huge and will impact the future of our planet and help mother nature do her job naturally.
I am not the sceptic here at all, by no means. My concern is that I saw a video clip saying 1 million children sit in meditation to make known their protest for a better planet and "climate change".
So.......
If we teach the children to meditate and understand a new level of mindfulness, is it by this means they will all be more relaxed about the lack of change that is occurring in the climate?
I guess the real point that got me stumbling was what exactly is it to teach children to shoot for such a high target that may not actually "change"?
Would the children not be better served to understand that the same corporate world that makes the PlayStation or the Samsung phone they want or i phone for that matter, would there be a better chance explaining to our children what it is to have in existence "planned obsolescence" perhaps they can then grow up to revolutionise industries back to how they used to be. You know, like back when a car lasted for 20 odd years or more. A time when someone put in a hard day's work and they got rewarded by pay and felt damn good about it.
Perhaps the system of not having children carrying a heap of books to school helps to save trees and oxygenates our planet but and yes BUT the concept of having a tablet (electronic device) in school for all their learning, which greatly reduces the need for books, BUT it means the continuation of plastics and microchips and "planned obsolescence".
Let's get back to the meditation though.
We teach the kids to meditate, they learn to relax a little more. On one hand this is, like so totally important, I could not agree more that there is a huge need to allow a child slowly develop and understand that nothing can ever be too big of a problem not to be able to overcome, once they meditate on it for a while.
So why? Why do we or is there a need to bring children out protesting for climate change. Let us teach them to relax about stress on one hand and then let's go ahead and stress the living daylights out of them about climate change.
A child cannot decipher that their protest for changing the climate is not a direct literal thing.
Today I demanded the climate to change. It did not change, the climate occurring is something natural that no one individual can change and yes I understand what the whole "climate change" thing is about. What I fail to see or understand is how a child's mind is suppose to fully understand.
Perhaps I give the children too little credit for what they can and cannot grasp or understand. What I do do though is allow that such protesting is going up against the giants of the world and this is a "set them up for failure" situation that as far as I can see is dealing in stress, just like a dealer. Not dealing with. I feel that the children are being handed extra stress that someday they will turn around and perhaps not be too fond of the adults for filling their minds with elements of "we can do it", when they realise the enormous change that they were trying to bring about does not happen. It will take a lot of meditation to calm them then, thats for sure.
Are the children being used as pawns in this peaceful movement and are they going to grow up much more disheartened by the whole thing. I sincerely hope not and that they are being balanced by meditation so much so that they will understand that even though their efforts were real, they have not failed.
Perhaps local communities could harness this great new youth and bring about small changes that they can see and feel in front of their faces to help them understand what making a difference actually is. Something they can touch, something they can see like a new school in their district and they can know they made a difference. Maybe an effort on homeless people in their immediate area. Maybe even a project to clean up their own city or their own local beaches and woodlands. Yes these do happen too and just like everything a child goes through these days, these can be instant and satisfying and teach the same value as to making a difference by being realistic and help them achieve near term, reachable goals.
I feel that children would understand better and become more fulfilled by their efforts on the lower scale of more practical items rather than spend their youth stressed about the climate. I am not saying their is not a great point to be made for the climate change, I am saying raising children to stress over it is not the answer.
What do you think?
Can I say it is my opinion? I wonder about that too. I may not even have an opinion, just some thinking that I feel is best shared with you, to provoke a thought within you or give pause to an idea, a concept if you like.
I have noticed there is a big push in the school children to make nice peaceful protests or demonstrations against governments and the question being all about the topic of "climate change". It is a great idea and a fantastic way to spread the concept of "hey do something about climate change" save the planet for our children, yes I get that. It is also a great teaching to allow our children of today to have a say in their own future and the future of the planet that they are inheriting. Future progress in industry definitely points to a need for change.
Industries where once upon a time electric cars and energy saving light bulbs were never thought to be possible or were they?
They is a great documentary on "planned obsolescence" I wonder have any of you ever seen it. The documentary brings about a whole insight to a theory of how the light bulb manufacturers a hundred years ago or more made a pact with each other "that should any manufacturer break the rules they would be out" what were the rules?
The rule they could not break is that they could not manufacture a light bulb that would shine for more than an agreed upon number of hours.
They all knew they could make light bulbs that could shine for thousands of hours. But wait, they thought, if we do that, we will never have new business and so we will put ourselves out of business. In the documentary they discuss how they manufacturers "minutes" from their meetings were discovered and many many years ago they knew they had to make their product only have a certain life span or they would become defunct "out of business" so the pact was formed and made between them all. Here lies the idea that all companies followed this idea so as to remain in business. So, my question would be that why only now are we finding such things as energy efficient light bulbs etc etc as measures to reduce carbon footprints and bring into effect efforts to do something about climate change?
What is a touch more worrying as I wonder about the demonstrations though not a huge political fire being ignited in the youth of today, though the peaceful protests are definitely being the lessons learned, why not encourage children to demonstrate perhaps over some smaller goals. So called "achievable goals"
Climate change even sounds weird.
What can a child understand about climate change? A lot perhaps, yes this is possible. Can we think like a child for a moment.
Today I protested for climate change, when I wake up tomorrow there will be sun and sweet songs from birds and lovely lambs playing in the fields. I made a difference just like they told me I would and my peaceful protest helped make the climate, change.
A young child can believe that their voice is being heard, the child can totally be fully convinced that the difference being made is huge and will impact the future of our planet and help mother nature do her job naturally.
I am not the sceptic here at all, by no means. My concern is that I saw a video clip saying 1 million children sit in meditation to make known their protest for a better planet and "climate change".
So.......
If we teach the children to meditate and understand a new level of mindfulness, is it by this means they will all be more relaxed about the lack of change that is occurring in the climate?
I guess the real point that got me stumbling was what exactly is it to teach children to shoot for such a high target that may not actually "change"?
Would the children not be better served to understand that the same corporate world that makes the PlayStation or the Samsung phone they want or i phone for that matter, would there be a better chance explaining to our children what it is to have in existence "planned obsolescence" perhaps they can then grow up to revolutionise industries back to how they used to be. You know, like back when a car lasted for 20 odd years or more. A time when someone put in a hard day's work and they got rewarded by pay and felt damn good about it.
Perhaps the system of not having children carrying a heap of books to school helps to save trees and oxygenates our planet but and yes BUT the concept of having a tablet (electronic device) in school for all their learning, which greatly reduces the need for books, BUT it means the continuation of plastics and microchips and "planned obsolescence".
Let's get back to the meditation though.
We teach the kids to meditate, they learn to relax a little more. On one hand this is, like so totally important, I could not agree more that there is a huge need to allow a child slowly develop and understand that nothing can ever be too big of a problem not to be able to overcome, once they meditate on it for a while.
So why? Why do we or is there a need to bring children out protesting for climate change. Let us teach them to relax about stress on one hand and then let's go ahead and stress the living daylights out of them about climate change.
A child cannot decipher that their protest for changing the climate is not a direct literal thing.
Today I demanded the climate to change. It did not change, the climate occurring is something natural that no one individual can change and yes I understand what the whole "climate change" thing is about. What I fail to see or understand is how a child's mind is suppose to fully understand.
Perhaps I give the children too little credit for what they can and cannot grasp or understand. What I do do though is allow that such protesting is going up against the giants of the world and this is a "set them up for failure" situation that as far as I can see is dealing in stress, just like a dealer. Not dealing with. I feel that the children are being handed extra stress that someday they will turn around and perhaps not be too fond of the adults for filling their minds with elements of "we can do it", when they realise the enormous change that they were trying to bring about does not happen. It will take a lot of meditation to calm them then, thats for sure.
Are the children being used as pawns in this peaceful movement and are they going to grow up much more disheartened by the whole thing. I sincerely hope not and that they are being balanced by meditation so much so that they will understand that even though their efforts were real, they have not failed.
Perhaps local communities could harness this great new youth and bring about small changes that they can see and feel in front of their faces to help them understand what making a difference actually is. Something they can touch, something they can see like a new school in their district and they can know they made a difference. Maybe an effort on homeless people in their immediate area. Maybe even a project to clean up their own city or their own local beaches and woodlands. Yes these do happen too and just like everything a child goes through these days, these can be instant and satisfying and teach the same value as to making a difference by being realistic and help them achieve near term, reachable goals.
I feel that children would understand better and become more fulfilled by their efforts on the lower scale of more practical items rather than spend their youth stressed about the climate. I am not saying their is not a great point to be made for the climate change, I am saying raising children to stress over it is not the answer.
What do you think?
Random thoughts by Aidan.
Some may be of my grief, some just things I notice. See what you think as inspiring your thoughts makes my day 😊🇮🇪
- Aidan Mc Nally's profile
- 171 followers
