Well, I was going to keep this project a secret for a little while longer, but I was messing around with TwitterFeed and kind of gave the game away.

Coming soon…

(Watch this space… no, not that one, this one here —> )

It may have come to your attention that I’ve not been very good about updating this site. This is due to several reasons:

1. I’m lazy. There is a huge psychological barrier to logging into wordpress, finding the Add New tab, composing a post, previewing it, realising it looks shit, editing it and then hitting publish. Far easier to write 140 characters on Twitter instead.
2. I don’t really have so much to say these days. The way I’m using the internet and connecting with other people has changed drastically. I’m sharing far less personal stuff. This blog served the purpose well when the kids were at home, I had limited adult company during the day and I lived mainly in my own head. Now, maintaining a blog is just another chore.
3. I’m trying to channel my writing fu into, you know, actual writing – 4581 words into my current writing project for the win!

Anyway, I’m trying an experiment and moving over to soup.io. I’ve been playing with it and it’s so much simpler and quicker to link to something interesting, write a quick note, share what you’re doing in other places on the web.

So if you’re interested, come on over to pewari’s soup. If you’re not then thank you for a great six years, it’s been fun!

Pewari’s Prattle is six years old today!

Quite what possessed me to start a blog on April Fool’s Day, I don’t know. I think I suspected that I wasn’t going to keep it going for very long… ha, fooled you!

There have been times that writing here has been a lifeline, times when it gave me an outlet to vent, times it was just a way to at least write something, times when in all honesty it was a chore.

The kindest thing I can say about the writing here is … variable. I have certainly kept my promise to keep the content random – not having a tightly focused theme for a blog seems downright unfashionable these days.

The best thing about this blog, though, is you. Thank you for popping by to read/skim through/comment/link to/use as an example of how not to blog [delete as appropriate]. I appreciate it.

You may have heard about the recent controversial changes to Google’s ad service which plans to track your activity on the web and then deliver adverts relevant to your interests.

As a Google Adsense user, I’ve been sent an email from them requesting I update my privacy policy before 8th April to reflect these changes (which I have done – it can be found on my About page). However, I can’t say I’m comfortable at all with these changes – adverts generated on MY content, fine, but I really dislike the privacy implications of these changes.

I don’t earn a huge amount from Adsense – a payment about once or twice a year – but it’s nice unexpected pin money. However, if anyone has any recommendations for alternatives that would deliver a similar sized ad block (combo of text and/or images fine) with fair returns and better T&Cs, then please could you let me know in the comments?

Had a fantastic parents evening with Li’l Bhaji’s teacher this evening. He is in Reception and adores her with all his heart and soul, and it was obvious that the feeling was mutual!

He has apparently met all his targets for Foundation Stage already and has been set Year 1 targets in writing, reading and numeracy – although the teacher was keen to stress that she only believed in stretching him when he was actively choosing the advanced activities and he was still going to get lots of time to play.

His behaviour in class is good, deteriorates a bit when he’s tired or really really REALLY wants something (!) but nothing that is unexpected for a boy in Reception.

Considering that he’s not even 5 years old yet (May birthday), so one of the younger ones in the class, he’s doing incredibly well. I am so grateful that he has such a passionate and caring teacher in his first year of school – her enthusiasm is obviously catching!

The problem with not writing a blog regularly is that you eventually find you have even less to say.

My brain no longer is in the mode of thinking “oh, I must blog about that” when something happens or I read something interesting during the day. I don’t feel the need to share every minutiae or my current interest of the day any more.

Blogging hasn’t been the only casualty of late, I haven’t picked up a camera in ages either, let alone posted to my Flickr or Fotonomy accounts on a regular basis.

It’s not that I feel they’ve come to a natural end. I miss them and the communities within them – but not so much that I have made any great efforts to increase their focus in my daily life, obviously. And the longer I go without making any contribution, the easier it is to let them slide further out of my life.

So how do you bounce back from non-participation? Are there bloggers who have returned from their hiatus willing to share what helped them to refocus?

I’m pleased to announce that we have a winner for our recent competition. If you remember, to enter you had to come up with an imaginative alternative use for a Mooncup Pouch.

The winner is: Spinky who would use hers as “An on the move condom holder; for those couples who like to travel safely!”

Congratulations, Spinky! I’ve sent you an email to the address you used to post the comment to sort out where to send your prize, but if for any reason you haven’t received it then please email me using an alternative email address to Pewari AT may DOT be.

Those that know me well, know that I have a terrible tendency to over-schedule myself.

I pack in every spare moment of time with projects, plans and routines and keep Very Busy [tm]. I need to justify every spare minute and then get upset when a day doesn’t go to plan and I don’t Get Things Done.

Recently, things have escalated to the point where I haven’t really been enjoying any of it. The To Do List started ruling me, rather than me ruling it. For the last few weeks I have thrown out all the lists and just been pottering about doing the stuff that can’t be put off and then just working on whatever I fancy. It’s been good.

The thing is, the blog and the podcast seem very low down on the now non-existent list of “things I fancy doing”. So where I’ve bothered, it’s been half-hearted at best. That’s not particularly good, and I thought you guys ought to at least know what’s happening.

So, I’m officially on hiatus. I know myself well enough to know that this won’t last. I like structure in my life far too much, I like the internet too much, not to return to some sort of more productive routine after a bit of a break. And then I’ll go through the whole cycle again. But for now, I’m off.

I’m giving myself the summer. Going to have a really good break. See Li’l Bhaji into school… then… we’ll see. I’m not saying I won’t post here from time to time, but I’m not saying I will be either. If you feel that’s not worth you sticking around, then I quite understand. For the rest of you, feel free to subscribe to the RSS so you don’t have to keep popping in “just in case”.

And have a great summer, won’t you?

For those of you on RSS and haven’t actually noticed, my hair isn’t the only thing that changed yesterday. I had the sudden urge to change the layout and style of the blog too. Many thanks to Akra for giving up his evening to help me sort it all out.

I hope you like it (and if you don’t… well, that’s just tough, because I love it so ner).

As always, I don’t think I’ve broken anything. At least not anything important. If I have, please drop me a note in the comments or email me at Pewari [AT] may [DOT] be.

Yesterday on Twitter, as I have a fair few podcaster followers/followees, I asked if anyone could recommend a decent microphone. Expecting a list of brand names and a budget, what I received instead was a very generous offer of a loaned microphone from @bealers – thank you so much!

Akra dropped in after work and brought it home and here it is: the Samson CO3U Podcast Recording Pack. The difference in recording quality to my little tinny headset is absolutely mind-blowing as well as being allowed to borrow a fairly expensive piece of kit.

Must start planning some decent topics to talk about now… *gulp*