SaysBrad Blogging Update

I've been thinking about this blog, its content and structure, what I want to do with it, what I write and how often. It's time-consuming — especially the reviews and commentary. Recent events have encouraged me to write about more serious matters; it's important, but not always "fun."

I've been blogging about whatever I find interesting for about a dozen years — the problem is that I like a lot of random things and don't always know what to share and when to do it. Do I blog for me? For you? For whom? I'm not really sure... perhaps all of the above.

When I started this blog, I decided that I wanted a change of pace, something different from the ego-centric LiveJournal days and the myriad of now-defunct blogs and disorganization. In part on the advice of a few blogger/Internet friends, I stopped splitting up my blogging across various sites and dumped all of my ideas into one site... but in doing so, I've lost something and have edited away a lot of potentially great content.

I used to have a personal site about my chronic pain and disability troubles, but it felt like a chore and stopped being fulfilling. Frankly, I'm not sure many people cared to read about it — it's fairly depressing. I thought about migrating that content. I still use tumblr, and although I decided to get rid of the custom domain, I still like the service in general. Tumblr is clean, organized and simple; its usability makes it ideal for sharing links, images and videos. I've also explored Pinterest a bit.

Primarily, I've been using Twitter and Facebook for updates and links, partially due to ease-of-use — iOS' notifications drop-down tab menu has buttons for updating to either service, but because my Facebook posts are sent to Twitter, it's two birds, one shot. Additionally, Safari on iPhone/iPad has Facebook/Twitter sharing built-in; if I read or see something clever, cute, thought-provoking, disturbing or otherwise important, I can quickly send it to Facebook and Twitter feeds. I don't really consider it publishing, but I try to add diligent comments to the updates. (In particular, I like the way fb displays links)

I've been considering using Tumblr instead of Facebook (for links and quick updates). Perhaps I'll just post here — but that means restructuring and redesigning the blog and layout. Currently, Says Brad is set up for several long-form posts per month, not dozens of blurbs per day. If I leave the layout as-is and update hourly, stuff will get lost in the fray.

I still want to post app reviews, artwork, current event commentary and want to write about global issues, politics and government, America, crime and corruption; important, serious matters that seem incongruent with a blog primarily focused on iPad apps and tech toys. How should I reconcile these interests? Should I abandon one for another?

Posting to Facebook is quick and carefree — a process driven by free-form expression and quantity — it reflects the oft-ridiculous plethora of information on the Internet, and I feel less compelled to proofread and edit those posts. Writing for this blog is often laborious and intensive — but also more rewarding. How do I bridge this dichotomy; cherry-pick and consolidate these different, functionally independent updates into one thing, one site, a single blog roll?

With a miserable abundance of tragedies unfolding worldwide, these dilemmas seem insignificant and laughable... but it is, amidst more mundane and serious matters, what I've been thinking about while dealing with debilitating pain and physical disability. Blogging, this welcome distraction, is motivating and uplifting.

Except when it's more stressful — like now — when I end up worrying about it. Perhaps I'll just post more, post messy, and see what happens. Thoughts?

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SaysBrad says Bradtastic

Just a little update about the blog and me.

This year really hasn't been good to me yet. Been really sick and over the past few weeks I've been having stomach problems and RLS. I have been trying to improve my mood with a few games and sharing content online, including new images added to my tumblr and Instagram.

Over the years I've taken a ton of photos and have created hundreds of designs that I've never shared — I feel like I might as well. I don't really know who cares to see it all, but it'll be there. Who knows how long this life will be or if I'll ever chisel into history a piece for myself. Can't spend all day and night worrying about that, though.

I'm in the process of writing up a little life hacks email guide with some stuff that I've found useful. That was going to be my next post; however, it's fairly comprehensive and time-consuming — and as such, it isn't finished. I've had some technical issues with my blog as well, so I'm looking into long term solutions and other platforms for online expression.

Hopefully I'll start to feel better, too. Right now I'm pretty nauseated and my head hurts.

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Surely, a changing world.

Recent events have put human technology and progress into context for me once again, as our planet has shown us all once again how much power we really have. It's been a trying time, a scary few weeks for some, and slightly comical, as well.

Japan gets hit by the strongest earthquake on record and tsunamis cause chaos—as Apple begins selling it's much anticipated iPad 2. Of course, this natural disaster is only the most recent; Haiti was hit, the US as well, we have soldiers half-way 'round the world, and there's some "unrest" (massive understatement) in Eqypt and Libya.

Oh, and NYTimes says blogs aren't as popular anymore. Go figure; microblogging has taken over—because ideas just shouldn't need more than 140 characters to get across. And then there's Tumblr.

News is generally depressing, the web is generally funny (or incorrect), and blogs? I wish I could share good news more often. The fact is, life is as hard as ever, the economy is still screwed up, 2012 approaches (* scared face) and the past few days have been sunny, hot and miserable. I really should've blogged last week; we had rain, and I loved it.

Living with a disability doesn't make sense to me, yet. I'm still not acclimated; I want to go do things, I want to experience things and move about in ways I just can't anymore, and the psychological toll is often as steep as the physical one. Every medication has a nasty side-effect, every controlled substance is a pain in the ass to get.

But it isn't all bad.

Things take more time and progress is slower, but I've learned a lot more with time to casually observe things instead of zipping by everyone and everything almost always. Perhaps that's what youth is supposed to be for; but we find out, some sooner than others, that invincibility is pure fantasy. Everything has its price; for every action, there's—well, the picture should be clear, even if I didn't include one with this post.

Surely, things are changing. Lucid dreams are a regular thing now, and in them, I get to explore beyond boundaries and constraints—I can literally float upward and push myself through the ceiling if I feel like it. Mastery of waking reality mightn't be so simple, but I don't know that yet—I'm still learning... and the world is still changing.

The world is falling apart.

How long can we fight entropy? I think about things that have meaning, and people, and wonder. Wondrous things, all around all of us—yet how often do we notice this? How many skylines are appreciated, how much art goes unseen? What are these words worth, and to whom?

I think, "what music am I missing?" [out on] and I listen. I feel something and I share it. I close my eyes and dream vividly. In art, worlds are created to supplement life and replace what crumbles.

I'm building some more.