Now Hear This 4

So here we are once more, a list of questions from some of the more forthright amongst you the discerning reader, this is becoming a popular bit of the blogs life span and my intention is to do one on every hundredth edition, that’s assuming we get to another landmark that is, but for now enjoy!

Am I happy with the way that the blog has grown? No, I don’t think that I am or will ever be, it is what it is, I’m not sure how I would define happy for the blogs some days I love it some days I don’t, lets just go with the flow on this one!

Do you still have a tribe? It would appear that I do, some of you come and go depending on your mood, but I would say that I have around 70 people who send your thoughts my way, pointing out my mistakes or generally just to say hi, people have a life so I’m quite happy how fluid it is, some people pop up more than others, some simply once in a blue moon it’s all good.

Why do you repeat yourself? Its simply the way my life cycle rotates, I would prefer to do more Tee Hee Club style blogs but the truth is our social life is pretty nonexistent at the moment due to the wife’s working hours, the club will rise again I’m sure of it! But I write about what’s in my mind at the time of typing, its not meant to life shaping just the inane dribbling’s of an old man.

Are you still obsessed with numbers/ratings? To a degree I am, I know where we are in a general location , I still check daily but I don’t check hourly like I used to, although the blogs do great numbers they are not earth shatteringly good, I’m happy with them, damn I would be good if they were single digits, I have no idea how to advance or promote the blog outside its base, the more you guys click like or whatever you do on your social platforms, would I like it to do better, yes I would, but I am happy with my lot, I bet you never thought you would hear that said on this blog lol!

When will we see The Whalers Dues? As soon as its ready and when it can be served without the bile that is laced throughout the entire piece, it’s a divisive piece of writing and one that I have put a lot of work into, and because of that it will be published when I see fit, now I know a lot of the regular readers will be unhappy with it, simply because I have wrote about it over the last few months its my white whale I suppose, it will see the light of day at the right time, hell I could post it tomorrow even I don’t know!

What is the most popular country for readers? Well this is pretty much neck and neck its tied between Germany and Sweden, followed by the UK and then Japan, the rest of the world does make an appearance from time to time but they are the top 4.

What’s happened to the historical blogs? As I’ve said in the past, I want to do justice to some of the great times I have had in the musical business, however sometimes the brain cells do not reflect what actually happened, I also have to be in the right frame of mind, these were my so called dark times and its sometimes very painful to dredge up the past, there will be more as they are the most popular read blogs, however it has to be done on my terms not anybody else’s!

Are you still depressed? I’m not stupid enough to say I’m cured, but I would say I have taken steps in the right direction, again I’m not the person to ask, others might beg to differ!

Why are some you obsessed by old blogs? To be honest this is my question to you lot, I still get people obsessing over certain blogs, “Girls” being one of them I have no regrets of what I posted, however as I have stated previously I have no intention of naming anyone and if it continues to get the same level of attention I may simply leave the blog up but I may redact all of the actual blog, get a life and stop obsessing about a girl I went out with in school , hahaha that’s my job!

What was my happiest Music industry memory? This has been the hardest one in this set of questions, I can’t put my finger on any one thing it depends on the mood the set of circumstances and I suppose there are simply too many to simply pull one out of the hat, some I have written about, some I haven’t, when I decide you lot will be the first people to know, is that a deal?

What would be your last meal? What do you lot know that I don’t? I’m a man with simple tastes so I suppose egg and chips, sorry if that disappoints you, it is what it is.

How long do you see this continuing? How long is a piece of string? I have no idea, there have been quite a few times when I have come close to stopping then  I come roaring back with a million and one ideas, I suppose I will know when it is, I know its not going to last forever, I’m finding it hard to keep it fresh for me never mind you lot, as long as I’m happy doing it, but I know there will come a time when the bridge will be out and I wont be able to continue!

How much stock do you have? I have and I know this because I counted them all yesterday around 2000 bits and pieces in various state of prep maybe about 8 fully finished, but I’m not sure where they fit in the grand scheme of things, this does not include the Whalers Dues, I have around 150 nearly there, but they lack something, be it humour or even a touch of humanity, the rest are literally just paragraphs or even lines, simply ideas that I had the good fortune to have something to jot them down before they faded like snowflakes do. All of them are long hand and in ink, I have a number of books with ideas that sometimes just sometimes I flick through for inspiration, Hip to be square was one such blog lets see what the seeds that I have sown produce in time! I do know I have deleted a lot more in fits of despondency that I wish I hadn’t simply because although I remember the subject matter the simple spark has long gone!

Do I enjoy my writing? Most of the time I would say yes, sometimes its like pulling teeth and sometimes its simply euphoric, those times are few and far between, and I take those days when they descend, the rest of the time I simply soldier on, because if you don’t put the work (and trust me I put an awful lot of work into these) in, well then its simply a waste of not only my time but yours as well.

How Old am I?  That’s for me to know and for you to find out, some of you lot obsess about the strangest things, what can I say, I’m an old, old man lol!

Have you peaked? No I don’t think I have, I have come close a couple of times, but then I find faults were I could have improved something, I feel that I have a way to go, rest assured once I feel that I have peaked, I will go with good grace, I don’t want to be like some old boxer clinging on to the ropes to relive past glory’s!

What has been the low point of the blog? The lowest point was this time last year, the numbers were shrinking and there was no obvious reason why, it got me down, I thought that the work was good, but results were poor and feedback virtually nonexistent, I dusted myself off and then fought back, then all of a sudden there was a rush of readers and comments, I breathed a sigh of relief and moved on, there have been times when I nearly stopped because my thoughts were so bleak, but again you the readers have brought me back many many times.

What is my favorite mode of transport for writing?  Well if I had to say one it would be the train, followed by the bus, I don’t drive but I’m not a huge fan of writing in the car I feel its bad manners to ignore the person I’m sharing the car journey with.

What else do you enjoy other than blogging? Erm, not a lot really enjoying time with my wife my friends, reading, music and that’s about it how boring can I be!

What does the road ahead bring? I have no idea, work is a busy time with further education (at my bloody age) beckoning, the wife needs to get well, the family needs to move on and be better, the blogs have to hit the spot otherwise I will lose interest as quickly as you lot would. I know I have a lot of back material but it still requires a lot of work, so I have to find the balance so that everything receives the care and attention it deserves, myself, the family, work and all the rest of the minutia that makes up my life, I intend to take August out, I feel the need to recharge my battery’s, I will still post stuff, material that has been published elsewhere but not here, I’m not expecting the numbers to be huge, its simply to keep a pulse for those of you who do surface from time to time and bitch when I haven’t posted something new, my intention is to keep quality running through the coming posts and not just quantity, I have said this before in the past, it all depends on what the brain cells kick out, I do see the finish line, its not for a while yet, lets see where the road takes me and hopefully some of you will be at the side of the road to wave at me from time to time!

And there you have it, I hope you enjoy the answers or even enjoy the fact that your question was picked, a lot of the questions were repeated so if you want to know what they were, go find all the other Now Hear This posts, so I now shuffle off and take a well earned blog break, keep an eye out for stuff over the next 4 weeks the stuff posted will be revamped material from other sources, keep spreading the disease until the next time……………….Toodles!