Danny Brown's Blog, page 9

You Can Save One from Four – Who Do You Choose?

So here we are – 2017. New adventures, new dangers, and everything in-between.

Hopefully, you had a wonderful New Year with those that matter the most to you, and you’re looking forward to a year that delivers as much as you wish it to.

This year, I’m personally looking to [hopefully] deliver more content to you that fosters deep discussion around central themes and topics, some of which will be morally ambiguous.

To kick things off, I’m curious how you’d decide who lives, and who dies if th...

Why I Won’t Be Playing the New Year, New Me Game

It’s less than 10 days until December 31st. The end of the old year and the preamble to the new one.

A time when, traditionally, we make vows and resolutions to be “new” us in the next 12 months. You know the drill:

lose weight, stop smoking/drinking, eat less junk food, work out more.

All good goals. All good things to try and do, regardless of the time of year.

But to say “this will be the new me” says the old, or existing, you is no longer relevant, and out-of-date.

And that’s bullshit.

...

Do You Ever Want to Just Switch Off the Digital Lights?

In my last post on here, I talked about why hate isn’t born with us – instead, it’s fostered by actions and words, often by our parents and those who have an impact on us.

While that post spoke specifically about whether we hate someone (or something) because of a genuine malice or because we’re simply told we do, it’s part of a bigger train of thought that I[ve been having for a while now.

Yes, this year’s US election has brought these thoughts more to the fore, but regardless of the shitsho...

He Didn’t Hate Me, He Was Just Told He Did

I haven’t written here in a little bit. Truth be told, I’ve been a little numbed by the events that took place in the US over the last week or so.

Trying to understand what comes next. For America; for the world.

Trying to rationalize if the fear I feel for the vulnerable is warranted, and how to protect those that are so far away, both in miles and in hope.

Thinking of the hate, and anger, and vitriol, and loathing.

Thinking of the fear, the isolation, the end of belief in good.

And it break...

Today the World Changes, But We Must Not Let It Change Us

Today the world changes. We don’t know how much, and it may not be as bad as we believe it could get.

Still, it changes.

But we must not.

We must continue to drown out hate, counter bigotry, offer warmth where there is cold, and provide a safe haven from fear.

There are a lot of scared people right now. Be the pillars for them.

Be the support network for them. Be the strength when they’re feeling weak. Be the cocoon for the new world they find themselves in.

Most of all, be the friend you wer...

Everything Around You is an Idea

A little while back, my wife was talking to me about her blog. She’s an independent author and, as such, uses her blog a lot to talk about her books, her characters, events, etc.

One of the things she said was she found it hard to come up with ideas, given that there’s only so much you can talk about plot and print.

I asked her if she’d ever considered being more personal. Let readers get to know the real person behind the author.

What inspires here; what she’s afraid of; what her goals are b...

Aren’t We All Nerds in Some Form or Other?

When I was eight years old, my aunt used to take me on weekly train rides in the summer to Burntisland, across the Forth Rail Bridge that connected Edinburgh to the Kingdom of Fife.

It was always something I looked forward to.

From the train ride itself to traversing the majestic rustic bridge, to the little cobbled path that took you from the train station to the main street, and then down to the seafront where the annual fairground would reside.

It was moments like that that made my otherwi...

Why Social Sharing Buttons Might Not Be Needed on Your Blog

At the end of last year, I ran a little experiment on what would happen if you removed social sharing options from your blog.

My curiosity stemmed from a couple of things: a really interesting blog post I read from Sam Solomon, and the fact that my blogging goals had changed drastically.

Instead of talking about social media, marketing, and all the usual business stuff, I moved to a more personal styleand one that was driven by conversations through email using the Postmatic service.

Followin...

Dear Fellow Men – Get Fucking Angry

“Locker room talk”.

A phrase that’s become widespread and widely-loathed in equal measures in the last week or so.

A phrase that’s become synonymous with the way men treat women, and used as an excuse for off-the-cuff remarks that don’t deserve further inspection because “that’s how men talk”.

Except it’s not. It’s not how men talk.

It’s how abusers talk.

It’s how rapists talk. It’s how perverts talk. It’s how empowered pricks talk.

It’s not, however, how men talk. Not “real men”.

Real men...

Making a Better World Through a Common Purpose

If you were to believe the ramblings of a certain Presidential nominee over in the U.S., you’d think that religion (or a certain faith/belief) is responsible for all the ills of the world.

Indeed, if you were to believe that person, you’d want to see these groups of people harassed, thrown out a country, stopped from entering a country, and overall being treated like third-class citizens.

Thankfully, most people take his ramblings as the ignorant, fear-filled gibberish that they are, and see...