I like photos and photography in a casual way. I’d love ot be a better photographer but I’m not sure I have the energy or the time to put in the required work to get there.

For now I’m content to take a nice photo now and again, but more importantly, to marvel at the wonderful photos being shard online by very talented artists.

A natural fit, you would think, for me to get an Instagram account. I had one once, when they were independent, but closed it the same day of the Facebook take-over. I’m glad I did. But I missed scrolling through others’ photos, be them filtered to death or badly composed, there was something quite personable about them, and that’s what I enjoyed.

Instagram today, is just a cesspool of hatred, sneering, judgement and worst of all, ‘influencers’. Not to mention the crossing-the-creepy-line of advertising that doesn’t in any way, share or form bring value to the experience.

Recently, I’ve gone back to browsing some of the fantastic work being shared on photography platforms. My favourite for grazing is 500px. It’s better than the Instagram experience and it comes without all the BS. You should give it a try, you might find that you’re better off for it.

13 November 2019 — French West Indies

I treated myself to a new Aluminium (Space Grey) Apple Watch Series 5 a couple of days ago. I’ve been wearing it all the time, just like my just-replaced Series 2.

I as early on the Apple Watch train, seeing immediately the usefulness, but I have been frustrated by the usage and of the lack of watch faces. Series 5 changes nearly all of this.

Always-On screen is a real bonus and when it was announced earlier in the year I actually said, “Shut up and take my money” to the screen! The new faces are much better and are going in the right direction, but I ‘d like to see more options, complications and more styles. After 5 years of Apple Watch I think Apple could make more of an effort to add hands that are not a direct rip off of the Patek Philippe Nautilus. I’d say its and opportunity for Apple to add to its Apple Watch Store.

I bought it with the Nike Sport Loop, and hence the Nike+ Apple Watch, for one reason only. Nike’s Sport Loop is the only one in black. I don’t use the Nike faces no run club so the Nike branding is irrelevant to me.

I thought I’d like the Sport Loop a lot as I walk, run and cycle regularly. But I find it annoying to put on and take off. It’s just a bit too fiddly to poke your hand through the loop, it needs stretching sometimes for me — big hands? — and I find this uncomfortable. I really like It once it’s on, as it is way softer than I thought it would be. I’d never actually touched one before. Where I live we don’t have an Apple Store so getting to see this stuff is quite difficult.

Lastly, the usefulness seems to have exceeded my expectations. Things are just that much more fluid and therefore useful. I pared down the interactions on the previous watch to only necessary apps and complications as the load time was intolerable at times, but with the 5 I think I’m going to add more and more (slowly) and then use more of the watch for operations that would hitherto make me reach for my phone.

I’m really enjoying it so far.

12 November 2019 — French West Indies

I hope you had as peaceful a day as I did.

/sarcasm

11 November 2019 — French West Indies

From an interview between Manoush Zomorodi (Note to Self Podcast) and David Hohusen (creator of Two Dots) in Manoush’s book Bored and Briliant.

I like to think that users are smart enough that when they realize they’ve been tricked into a game with too many push notifications or other sleazy tactics, they will delete it.

Whenever anyone says “I like to think people are smart and can figure it out for themselves” they are totally abdicating their responsibility. Given the evidence in numerous scientific studies, it is clear that most people are incapable of resisting the temptations cynically preyed upon by these applications and aggregators.

6 November 2019 — French West Indies

During the 70s and 80s, Birmingham became a Mecca for record stores. You could find almost anything, and what you couldn't find someone could import it for you,

This list of 30 stores in the city brings me find memories of how I used to take the bus every Saturday from my town to Birmingham, for £3.50 return:

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/nostalgia/nostalgia-30-birmingham-record-shops-7607715

I'd leave on an early bus, the take the last bus home, spending all day at my favourite store that is strangely not on this list — Don Christie’s. It was THE place to get the best Dub, Reggae and Hip Hop imports of the time.

The base was so loud, the shop windows vibrated almost to breaking point. Warnings were posted to ensure you closed the door when entering the store. What great times I had.

5 November 2019 — French West Indies

In trying out this idea to write and publish something everyday for a month, I inevitably had a look at some of the ideas I've had for articles, blog posts and my newsletter.

There's a lot of stuff there. A lot of ideas, most of whom will remain that way for good reason,

And that is what this is all about, practicing and practicing some more, to help me turn my intentions to realisations. Something tangible, something interesting or — who knows — something brilliant.

4 November 2019 — French West Indies

Every device with a non-user replaceable battery should be available on a subscription bases, with manufacturers and distributers bound to recover and recycle.

This would allow the insatiable desire for consumerism, and allow sales to continue to grow, whilst preserving as much as possible the environment.

Sure, some would game the system and some would ignore the incentives by dumping products, I suspect, however, that the numbers would be substantially reduced over time.

3 November 2019 — French West Indies

It’s only day two into my self-imposed folly of NaBloPoMo, and it is already difficult to find something to write about that is worth publishing.

I like writing, I like blogging too, but barfing out whatever in my head just isn’t what I’m wired to do.

I’ll keep it up though. If nothing else just to prove I can. Who knows, perhaps something of worth might come out if the experience.

2 November 2019 — French West Indies

Every November a writing challenge is started, NaNoWriMo. The goal is to write every day for the 30 days of November to complete a novel, hence the name — National Novel Writing Month.

I’m not a novelist, but I do write and write quite a lot. Some of it is personal and private in my journal, and some is published on my newsletter. A lot just gets written and nothing much done to it.

I thought I might take on the challenge, but in my own way, by writing and publishing on this blog every day for the 30 days of November.

29 days to go.

1 November 2019 — French West Indies

I’m always surprised how many pundits and commentators publish comments on as yet unreleased or unavailable products.

Today is a great example, Apple announces AirPods Pro and those that should know better are already predicting that they fall out of ears, have bad battery life or are otherwise the best thing since the end of the Second World War.

First post in comments. Oh dear.

28 October 2019, F.W.I

Zuck, the Champion of Free Speech?

A better perspective:

www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/2651.html

Is it just me?

Am I alone?

The only one that thinks that the way the BBC writes it's articles is awful to read?

They have taken to writing one sentence per paragraph.

Perhaps to break up the text.

But it makes it more difficult to read.

And mentally, the associated parts of the text that should be in one paragraph, are disconnected.

Making your brain work harder to rejoin what's related.

I do hope they stop doing it.

It's distracting and frankly l, looks awful too.

My opinion.

14 October 2019 — French West Indies

I really do think you should take the time to read this book.

Talking to Strangers

I get to the heart of why seemingly innocuous encounters can turn into tragic events. It additionally makes you think about yourself and the encounters you have with those strayers around you.

20 September 2019 — French West Indies

A wonderful short film worth watching on a big screen.

U SHOOT VIDEOS?

A Film by Morgan Cooper

I can’t quite put my finger on when exactly I decided to do it, but after more than a month I feel a lot better. Better physically, but better physiologically.

I’ve been manipulating my life to fit in a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise a day, logging it using my (don’t laugh) 2nd Gen Apple Watch. I’ve had the watch for a few years now and I still wear it every day. I have a quick vacation at a hotel that was sports oriented — not in the Sports Bar way — and I’ve continued the regime up daily since.

I’m about to get my bag together, so I can run/walk tonight for 45 mins or so. It sounds cliché and it is in away, but the motivation tools in the Apple Watch do help. I’m not an overly competitive person and motivating me is a lesson patience, but once I get going I tend not to stop easily.

Real-world results are being noticed. I walk faster and longer for the same time, I ride my bike harder and for longer, my HRV is increasing and I just feel, like I said — better.

New Series 5 Apple Watch for me as soon as I can get one (it’s not easy where I live).

12 September 2019 — French West Indies

Sunday mornings is my time. I wake up early, usually around 5am, so that I can have a coffee and prepare my things for a morning ride. I’m a (Sunday) cyclist and have been cycling for many years. It’s a ritual that is not only good for physical health —I have a resting heart rate of someone may years younger— but it is very good for the mind too.

Some Sundays I’m rewarded with the most beautiful scenery. This morning was no exception. Taken at the foot of the volcano, you can’t help but enjoy the site and simultaneously awe at the potential power.

8 September 2019, F.W.I

On the horizon this morning, a beautiful scene of rising Cumulus clouds being lit by the warm sunrise. I couldn’t take a photo. I tried, but I couldn’t, because of a technical problem.

No. Battery.

My DSLR’s battery had died overnight, apparently from my stupidity. Not switching it off and placing screen down with the lens pointing up, pressed buttons that eventually ran the battery down.

Reaching for my iPhone to take the photo only resulted in disappointment. So much so, I dare not share the image here.

Maybe tomorrow morning.

6 September 2019 — French West Indies

LinkedIn is a great resource for professional use. Links to colleagues (if you’re working in an international company), articles and insights in your domain of work and of course the potential of career advancement.

However, lately I’ve noticed that the platform has started to become filled with inane postings and uselessness posing as wisdom. I’ve even seen conspiracy theories being propagated, and of course, the inevitable cancer of junk advertising.

I don’t have an answer to the problem currently, but scaling back use seems to be a rational decision.

Social Media poisons everything seems apt in 2019.

5 September 2019 — French West Indies

One of the most beautiful periods in the year, September, gives us stunning sunsets almost daily, like tonight’s you can see above.

But we know that a storm is often around the corner and that September is the most deadly period of the hurricane season, that runs from June 1st through to the end of November.

3 September 2019 — French West Indies

The scenes coming out of the Bahamas are just heartbreaking. I fear we haven’t seen the worst yet. What used to be the airport looks like the Atlantic Ocean, reports of a storm surge of around 20 feet (6 metres) affecting some areas, it’s just apocalyptic.

My heart goes out to those impacted.

2 September 2019 — French West Indies