My blogging list

I will write about all of the following, I will start at the top and work my way down please feel free to copy my topics though they are personal to me. I will go into as much detail as i feel necessary and the topics are very open so I can explore them in different ways.

I thought this list would keep me inspired to keep blogging and keep ideas flowing. The list will be continually changing to make the list include the most juiciest topics I feel i need to blog. After all this is why i called the blog "All subjects covered".

Idea from ...
http://chrisbrogan.com/100-blog-topics-i-hope-you-write/ (Although list is only 50 long and has nothing to do with social networking!)

while we are on general blogging this is another good link
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2005/11/29/20-types-of-blog-posts-battling-bloggers-block/

1. Why I blog
2. Violent Games
3. Housing
4. Immagration
5. My vision of a prefect world
   

1. Why I blog

So the list starts here (finally) and I thought blogging would be a good place to start so here goes.

About Blogging
Blogging really took off a couple of years ago as people started to write things down about there passion/ career/ life etc. One thing lead to another and as it spread now just about anyone writes to a blog from scientists noting down research for colleges to look at to a fisherman explaining different techniques and subjects on his topic. You don't need any skills to blog, the limits of the blog are the limits in your mind.

The Benefits
Stress relief I believe is the short term benefit, your mind thinking about what it wants to is very relaxing and is great to have the time to yourself to think about what you have done and what could be changed. This leads me onto the second point in this part, the ability to reflect and therefore see what could be better which then leads (hopefully) to a more positive outlook over a longer period of time and a more successful one at that. The last main benefit that I am aware of is what you are creating in the process which you can then look through years in the future and show others to learn from your experiences.

Why I blog
I started blogging for two reasons; to keep a record of my life so i can look back on these years later in life and secondly for fun. I never really liked English or reading and writing in school but I find blogging much more relaxed allowing me to get whatever is on my mind onto the screen. It also helps to build writing skills and if you have a big problem to think it through, if you blog with several friends then they can help and give advice in a more formal and thought out way (and vice versa). I will also be able to remember in much more detail what I actually did over the last year which will make my life feel more accomplished.

The main other purpose which relates to the second point is that blogging exercises my creative instincts, I can write about anything, I could make up a whole story or some other form of creative writing with out having that pressure that it has to be correct, as long as it sounds good to me then I'm happy.

Horny teenagers!

This is something getting more and more under my skin is how everything seems to have a sexual reference. It also struck me how some have got addicted to social networking where they just look up complete strangers that are of the opposite gender in the local-ish area. For me i think it should happen naturally, you meet someone, get to know them then move in etc... It just dosn't seem that romantic this online dating thing, epecially pre 18!

Then talking about chatting people up online, on runescape of all places you get people wanting to get under you iron plate skirt if you wear one! Cant we even play a game without getting wierdos chatting you up? Apprantly not

Then i done some further investigation and he told then next girl he went onto a different story than he told me. What was he aiming to get out of it? Her MSN, got knows how old he actually was. Creep.

We7 ::: The best thing to hit the internet since ... Ever?!

We7 and soon to be Qtrax are websites for downloading FREE MP3 MUSIC that has has been making big news recently. I've just signed up and can't help but be over the moon about the idea and how it works. The music you are downloading is paid for by the sponsors/ advertisements. The only drawback is a short ad at the start of every song, of which after about 30 seconds you forget about during the headbanging that my ensue. But to be honest with you the advantages outway that, first It is safer to download from (i.e less chance of viruses), the download speeds are excellent, the choice of music is expanding and having just signed up Motorhead and dragonforce are just two of the best bands currently signed up to we7.

Qtraxs is a downloadable program like limewire but the music IS legal and they claim to have over 25 millions songs.
Sign up on WE7 is quick and easy and there is a complete list of bands in alphabetical order and a search function available. When searching don't expect many of your top bands to appear at the moment, the day that a brand like Universal music signs up, like it has done at youtube then the choice will be as good as searching on limewire.

Links:
http://www.qtrax.com/

http://www.we7.com/

Music pirates 'should be banned from internet'

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's report on downloads in 2007 shown only 1 in 20 music tracks were paid for. So Limewire is obviously one of if not the biggest problem for them. If the Internet companies gave information gave information out about the sites clients use then the agency could be able to ban people from using the Internet. The service provides aren't wanting to do that as obviously if they were the first to do so they would lose virtually all their customers. So even if the list was produced, millions upon millions of people do it, are they going to try to police the whole Internet. We need to try to avoid the Internet becoming like the roads (in the UK at least) where it is a constant battle that drivers feel they are continuously being picked on to be taxed and fined. Imagine if you started getting fine for downloading or a court appearance for uploading copyrighted content to youtube.

On the other hand it is technically unfair on artists who cannot sell albums because everyone is sharing the one copy uploaded to limewire by phil. Which then spreads, thinking about it this must be the biggest theat to the music industry in history as the next generation are just as bad if not worse than previous. Interestingly the amount of internet sales as in legal downloads has risen (not enough to swallow the loss in the CD sales). Normally its around 17p a track that isn't really much to give, having the option to not have the whole record is much better.

As far as I am concerned Internet radio is the best form of music on the internet, all the national radios have there own websites and online radio. See an earlier post on DAB digital radio for more information.

Social Networking for youngsters

Out of interest i thought i would look around peoples bebo profiles (which it wasn't hard to just click my way through them for a first thing) to see how many gave the wrong information away (Email Address, Address, Phone numbers). I thought i would do this after watching a programme on internet safety the other day. I will right down findings as a browse:

The 5th profile i found an email address, even asking would you like to chat, this person was 16. After that I got the opinion that probably 1 in every 3 or4 had an email address on there profile.
The content which isn't surprising being a teenage social thing: Sex, drugs and drinking.

Another thing that I know is that you need to be 13 to use the service and there are more than a couple that aren't. This looks to continue as childhood is getting swallowed up, to be 'beboing' before 13 isn't that good i think at that age you should be else where instead of filling your mind with the garbage that is bebo.

The look and purpose really feels like your surfing through the real rubbish that the massive increase of popularity of the internet has created. I think people should keep in contact with friends via messengers only. Bebo especially seems to be a very inspiring summary of the youth of today.

Although i hate 99% of bebo I do have an account (which is private) and has no email address on there. The only reason i do is to keep in contact with friends and in the future it may help but I don't use it regularly and isdefinitely not an addiction. I don't have facebook or myspace (well i did have myspace) until i couldn't be bothered with it.

Camera's on phones

Is it a good thing to have a camera on a mobile phone, they've been around for a little while now, i'm personally against them, i think that is technology going a step to far. They are mostly used to take crappy little, (if i may say) pictures of friends in a million stupid little poses and the pictures then are set as phone wallpapers or uploaded to the net (i.e. bebo, myspace). But for some they can be used to film violent attacks on other's (happy slapping). I think if you really want a camera it should be carried separate from the phone. The only time i can think which it may be good to have a camera on you all the time if it is an emergency situation and you can record an event for evidence, which really your not going to pay the extra for that reason. Speaking of evidence, if you are stupid enough to use it to film yourself (or a friend) breaking the law it will also be used as evidence! (No sympathy for the people who do that!). Phone companies are using this feature more and more to sell there phones bragging about the camera technology. Even worse now they come with these stupid little frames to play with it just takes away from the beauty and art photographs portray. Please if you do read this don't buy a phone for its camera, buy a proper camera!

DAB Digital radio

I bought myself a digital radio today, only a standard £30 one. I must say the coolest thing apart from the extra rock channels is the little display showing all sorts of details about the show and station. One bad point is they did say that it will be crackle free, which it is but still does have reception problems, only the first day and it has been overcast mind you. And radio will always be radio; its something you will probably never get away from. Internet radio however won't have them problems, i have been listening to club 977 which i highly recommend if you just want music (www.club977.com). It only very occasionally has technical problems but is free as long as you have a connection. Internet radios are also available starting at around £90. Overall a good investment, I can see the advantage over normal radio but if you have a FM radio station that suits your listening pleasures I wouldn't go through extra efforts to switch to DAB as all stations are still the same sort of content as normal stations and unless theres one particular station that appeals to you then you are likely to go back to your old FM station before too long.

The power of the mind

The mind is a great and powerful thing, I believe you control your own destiny and your life is not mapped out. Its the on the spot decisions and months and years of activity that shape our lives. However there are a couple of things that are out of our control, mainly and this is the biggest completely uncontrollable factor is the family you are born into. The influences and surroundings you are in when young will shape your life to an extent. If your born into the poorest of the poor in an African country then there is very little that can be done to full fill potential. If there is potential to exploit and the opportunity to make the most of it then that is a personal thing to whether the most is made.

What I am referring to is what I see on a daily basis, people doing the minimum required of them to get through life, sometimes less. In terms of school work i am talking about as it is will decide everything that is to follow. There are a few exceptions i.e entrepreneurs who may leave school and have the drive to succeed. For the other 99% though education is what will make you. Kids in the UK still don't fully understand the benfit keeping on track with studies will have in the long run. Turning upto school to chat, play pointless internet games in lessons etc won't get them very far and the thing is they don't want to leave school at 16 they will get through GCSE's which the work they did do was enough to get some grades and continue to A levels to stay out of working (I.e take the easy route) but after that they are left with very little. University could be an option if they can afford it and they got somewhere. Which probabily is unliklely as they would have reailsed how hard the A levels, failing the first exams then having to retake agian and agian to look like they do actually want to pass. If they don't leave and look for an even easier option at college then they may decide to start working but with no real potential for promotion (unless they find the right employer).

The few that do it right will always feel the benefits in having a higher income and not having some of the worries that those who didn't think in school had. Its a very complex jump from school to further education or work and it is difficult to make all the right desisions. For me personally I feel i have done all i can to ensure my future is bright and i hope i will be feeling the benefits of this later in life. This also relates to my articale on positvity, if your mind is open then there is no limits its just having the sense in the first place to realise how important every thing is even in early years. Many don't realise it until adulthood that they prioritised wrong earlier in life when its too late. Make sure that youth isn't wasted on the young and find the right gear to your life finding the balance is a thing of the mind more than anything.

Is childhood the happiest time in your life?

Today I will write about an question I heard on the news; Is childhood the happiest time in your life?
Well I will put forward two chains of thought on why it may or may not be. Firstly this will depend on individuals, some may have had a hard upbringing which would not provide a level playing field. While others may be ill in adulthood, for this article I will take this bias out and take a average life with no serious medical issues or external problems. The last thing that will heavily influence is the relationship within your family and with and between your parents. A marital split as most know can be catastrophic on a child’s mind, I am using the model of an average family with parents staying together to allow a "normal" (used vaguely) to take place.
Why childhood could be the best time; As a child you have less responsibility, less pressure from work. No bills to pay, you have that freedom within the home. Your body is also in a better state, though still developing you don't get the aches and pains that I forever hear adults talking about. School life is going to be an important factor in your memories of childhood, a good school life free from bullies and having a close group of friends always helps. A benefits of being a child from a physiological view could be answered by asking the question is ignorance bliss? As a child you are ignorant to most things, not understanding there true meaning, sometimes this may make us happier because you might not what to know these things. On the other hand not knowing them may make you life more difficult and challenging.
Reasons why childhood may not be the best time; As you get older the pressure increases, bills start coming in and you have less free time until you are retiring. But the advantages you do have over your childhood is freedom of choice, you can go out into town or to visit a friend without getting permission (Unless you still live with your parents at 40!). With the life experience behind you unknown circumstances come up far less often and everyday decisions are intuitive and less stressful in dealing with them. Relationships will be more solid as children go through more friends that hot dinners quite often.
So if childhood isn't the best time when is? Is it a time in between old(er) age and childhood? For many it is, those who study at university often claim it was the best time in their life. Others will feel there life keeps getting better the older they get, or there life reached the peak which isn't a good mindset to have as you may end up looking back all the time and it can be quite depressing that you will never have that life again. To sum up you only get one shot at living your life at each stage and each will have its different challenges to overcome and its enjoyable memories that will stay with you. No one will have the same experience though life and everyone’s journey is unique, life is what you make it.

Fade smoking out of your life

Well the title of the blog is all subjects covered and this is something that effects us all in one way or another. Now I appreciate smoking used to be considered good for your health and it is very hard to quit an addiction. It is not that which I am writing about it's youngsters social smoking, its strange smoking really I don't get it. You put a short stick in your mouth and inhale the fumes and s*** what’s inside, where the hell is the fun in that. Is it a cool thing to do because of celebrities and adverts? Well I’m glad the government have started to crack down on it, but I think that is all the laws that are needed. Anymore laws and it starts to breach freedom rights surely. They need more schemes especially at young people to prevent it before the damage is done, after that if people still choose to smoke that is there problem, as long as it is kept away from others then I have no problem with that. If isn't (especially if babies and children have to suffer it) then somebody maybe a relative/ friend should take responsibility and help. If they don't its like watching someone kill there own kid and condemn them to a shorter life. All in all smoking is one of the few things in the world that I see no positive reason for being around. Employment? Them workers could be put to better use I’m sure.

Anyway that’s it for this subject, Stop smoking your lives away people!

Positivity Rules

This article a post on positive thinking so heres my thoughts on the benefits of having a positive mind, i've done it in bullet points which follow on from each other to show my thought process;

. First thought is positive people are generally happier in life and more open minded.

. One of the traits of a pessimist is swearing (of which i am agianst the use of unnecessary bad language) in the context of anger at mistakes. Using swear words in situations which aren't that bad indicate that the person sees a bigger loss and therefore tending to make a bigger thing out of it, creating a mindset that undermines what they are capable of. This therefore would discorage them from attempting new things in life because of a fear of failure.

. A positive mind also encouages an energy to do an activity well and will not give up so easily or see it as such a hard task because they went into the activity thinking that it will be completed. I believe it will make you a more successful person in all areas of life especially in your career, if people see a happy, motivated worker they will be more inclined to put you up for promotion (if the oppotunities exist) or even general attitude towards you will be better.

. Combined with a positive mindset the ability to step back and stay calm and asses situations is of great importance and for most is very difficult to do. The balanced thought process is hard find in such a biased world. The media inparticular have almost total influence on people opinions on big issues, but for small issues such as confrontation with someone on a day to day basisa positive mind will asses the situation and possibilites of why it might have happened to come to the right decision of what to do next. A wrong decision is made when you don't know all the infomation but thats another story.

. Positivity has been directly linked to longer life length as I guess if the mind is at ease it is under less stress and therefore keeps fresh for longer.

. The use of words will show how much of a positive person you are, if you are contantly saying "I won't be able to ... I can't ... Its too hard ... I've never been good at etc.." then it turns into a habbit and you will miss out on some of the finer things in life.

. A positive person will always encourage others to be positive, its all very well you looking on life as a positive thing but if you then dicourage others from doing what they think would be interesting and benefical then you are not helping them. If there plans seem unrealistic just suggest what they could change to increase the chances of success rather than tell them that it will not work.

. The best things to encourage a positive mind is to set goals and make sure they are achievable; don't set a goal to cycle 20 miles on your first ride as it will be tough and you are less likely to succeed. Set a goal of 5 miles and make sure you recognise that you have achieved that aim then you can build that up. The self-esteem benefits from achieving these goals will be lasting when life may get tough.

. Get out there, use a positive mind to start something new, this may be a sporting activity (I would recommend martial arts) but whatever sport it is good for the mind and the body. You will be feeling fitter after a few weeks.

. If you have any bad habbits they will be easier to tackle with a positive mind i.e. smoking which isn't easy at the best of times, with an open mind is easier to tackle.

That concludes my brainstorm on positivity and It is the right way to go, it is a gradual build up, you can't really change your mindset over night but over a medium term period it can happen. The sky is the limit with this one.

Note: These posts have been copied directly from an old blog of mine