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Forged Identity

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There are approximately 17 years between these photos (5 or 6 years between each); all of which are undoubtedly of myself - but also are examples of four (of many more) previous versions of myself. The first is I think shortly after university, settling into a shared house - in the peak years of following a wide variety of European metal bands across the continent - spending hours (most days) in an internet chatroom of similar minded/humoured folk. The second is embedded in my Leeds-based social group; this was taken on the Three (Yorkshire) Peaks Challenge in or around 2011. I don't have much to report on from that period of my life - perhaps maybe it was simply unremarkable - but I would spend plenty of my social time with groups of people, maybe still at gigs - but often online playing games, or visiting folks at weekends. The third is early into my realisation that Polyamory (as I labelled it then) was for me. I think it is actually after my first real relationship; but when I ...
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In the Shadow of the Moon

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  Nearly six years ago I listed a few of my favourite things ; the first of which was Early Spaceflight - which was absolutely true at the time, and I think still remains correct. But it is interesting how over six years, my relationship with the moon and space can shift.
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Recommend Me Some Music

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  This is my latest treat to myself. It's an Mp3 player. You know, like we used to have? Way back when in - oooh - the early 2000s?! That's basically it. You attach it to your computer via USB; you transfer some Mp3 files across; you plug in your headphones and you listen whilst you walk/bus/train somewhere. All whilst not being on your phone. I tried it out on a long canal walk yesterday, and it was blissful . I got right back into listening to Muse's 'Absolution', and was immediately air-drumming along, no doubt to the amusement of the ducks/other towpath users. And one of the things I realised yesterday was that whilst I have a good collection of music now; mainly metal, but also some classical, and - more recently - some different genres to those; I don't have as wide a collection as I would like. So this is where YOU come in [yes, you!]: I would like you to send me your recommendations for some albums that I should listen to from start to finish. No real re...
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Curation, Compilation and Consternation

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  I'm very much in project mode, as the MoGian year draws to a close, and the Year of the Dan approaches. A couple of those projects seem similar - I am working on curating my music collection for the purposes of putting onto a - gasp - portable MP3 player, that I can use to solely focus on enjoying that music (and hopefully new music) again. Part of which also includes a long-running plan to condense all of my years of musical listening into eight compilations. Another project is to curate my remaining DVDs into a 'definitive' collection. IE taking a snapshot of where I am today, and all the films that have helped define me; and corralling those into some sort of collection also. Aside from the obvious difference of medium - one purely audio, another audio-visual - they do feel similar, and both sit under the wider category of 'refining what I retain in physical form', by way of hopefully reducing the amount of physical possessions I have. But what is curious are a...
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I Am The Answer

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  "Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so." ~ Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Upon this occasion of my 42nd birthday, you will find me this morning visiting the grave of Douglas Adams. After all it has been his influence that means I ascribe some meaning to this otherwise mostly unremarkable milestone. And so, because I have afforded myself the indulgence of making today a day of particular importance, I am in turn keen to reflect on where and who I am these days, and publish that here for those who care to know me. For those of you following along at home, you will recall that the last calendar year in particular has been one of important self-acknowledgement and discovery; first came the realisation that my mental health was not where I wanted it to be - after a few important but difficult moments - and second came the work to get to a better place. Supported by my incredible partner Nessa, and some very understanding professionals; I took on both...
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Operating Outside the Overton Window

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  Photo courtesy of Murat Halici Oh yes. That's more like it from this blog! For those of you that are (like I was) unfamiliar with 'the Overton Window'; it's essentially a way of describing the 'window of normality' that exists in the political sphere - IE what is actual governmental policy is at the centre of the window; beside that is what is popular (but maybe not actually policy); the next circle outside of that is what the populace would generally deem sensible; and then - as you start to move outside this window - things are still acceptable (maybe like people smoking weed; not legally encouraged in the UK, but seems to be broadly accepted as happening); and then things become more radical - and the 'unthinkable' is the furthest away from what that particular society would accept. I apologise to the political theorists I've just upset in that bad overview; it seems a lot more detailed and nuanced than that - but for the purposes of this blog; ...
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I think you ought to know I'm feeling [very] depressed

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Photo credit: The Manic Macrographer Preamble Marvin the Paranoid Android is a character introduced in the first Hitchhiker's book [well, okay pedants; technically they're introduced in the radio show!], and I think for a long time they were my touchpoint reference for the term 'depression'; via the quote above. In actuality, whilst I know Douglas Adams himself was depressed at times, I don't think he'd claim Marvin was an in-depth exploration of what it means to be depressed. Quite often Marvin was portrayed as a robot with the brain the size of a planet - IE great intelligence - and all Zaphod and co. were asking them to do was to open doors, escort Ford and Arthur to the bridge, keep an eye on the surface - that sort of thing. For 'depression' read 'frustration at the triviality of it all'. And I think maybe if I'd thought about this more, I would have realised this wasn't an in-depth exploration of what it might be to feel depressed -...
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