Personal Archives - @sccjono

Bluesky

sccjono — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:42:20 +0000

It looks like Twitter/X is finally dying. Elon Musk has made it unusable. So I have closed my account and moved over to Bluesky. The very guy that complained about bots and too much censorship has reduced it to noting but those very things. You cannot be heard unless you pay, and you cannot hear about your interests because of the sheer volume of porn, spam and hatred.

A while back I had high hopes for Mastodon, but it does not seem to have attracted the attention of many. Of course there is also Threads but I’m not entirely sure that model won’t differ too much from Elon’s before long. Bluesky however is a joy. It is entirely free and you don’t have to be famous to get verified. The biggest thing going for it though, in my opinion, is it is just like what Twitter used to be like in the beginning. If you haven’t already, go check it out.

The post Bluesky appeared first on @sccjono.

Later, Maybe

sccjono — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 19:09:18 +0000

I’m currently making a video for my YouTube Channel and I’ll finish it, “later, maybe”. Two words that can rule your life if you are wrestling with poor mental health. You’ll notice I said wrestling and not suffering. Because, actually I’m doing pretty well currently, but I still struggle even with tasks that I really enjoy. I love making videos, especially when they are about photography, which this one is. But I haven’t completed a project in such a long time that my channel, something I have worked really hard on, is failing.

I think I currently have around twelve different video projects that are incomplete and ideas for several more. I could blame my busy work life but the truth is, poor mental health sucks your enthusiasm from you. Even for things that you normally enjoy.

I have proven to myself several times lately, that I am capable, I just need to convinced my mind. Bear with me, I am determined that I’ll achieve my goal. Later, maybe.

The post Later, Maybe appeared first on @sccjono.

Protection Agony

sccjono — Fri, 07 Jun 2024 11:44:04 +0000

Putting a screen protector on your phone can be very satisfying. But also it can make you want to scream for help. Even just a hint of a bubble or the slightest speck of dust and your day, and every day you look at your device, is ruined.

Well that’s what I thought. Then I bought a tablet. It’s not massive, just a 10.9″ screen. But in the two weeks I have owned it, I have tried five different screen protectors. Please don’t misunderstand me, I love the “paper like” effect and the tablet itself, a Samsung S9, I adore. But as I type this, there are miniscule blemishes staring at me. I may cry.

Can anyone give me some advice?

The post Protection Agony appeared first on @sccjono.

Jump Start

sccjono — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:08:33 +0000

I need a jump start. Not my car, but my “brand”. My social media presence, this website and most of all, my YouTube Channel. I haven’t posted anything in so long that I may have to re-learn how. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to. Quite the opposite actually. It’s jus that when my mental health is poor, activities that were previously enjoyed, seem to be the first to be neglected. Finding the time and making the effort are soon replaced with apathy and procrastination.

As I am currently in a relatively good place, mentally speaking; I am here to make a promise that I am back. I’m currently working on two new posts and a new video. The procrastination ends here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to make a cup of tea.

The post Jump Start appeared first on @sccjono.

Channel Re-launch

sccjono — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 14:08:40 +0000

Yes I know I have promised before but then were setbacks. This means it has been nearly a year since my last video. Amazingly you have continued to support me, and I’m very grateful. I hope to reward you with some great content that you will love. Please watch this space and let’s get back to some regular vintage cameras, film photography outdoor education and soon amateur radio.

The post Channel Re-launch appeared first on @sccjono.

Double Celebration

sccjono — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:34:33 +0000

Oh my goodness! I hit 1000 subscribers on my YouTube channel, at the same as hitting a total of 150,000 views. I am truly blown away by this. Especially as, due to various things happening in real life, I haven’t been posting recently. I really can’t thank you all enough, it really is appreciated.

The good news is that I now have several videos in various stages of production with the first one due to be released this weekend. So again, thank for sticking with me and I look forward to see you in the comments real soon.

The post Double Celebration appeared first on @sccjono.

Mass Move to Mastodon

sccjono — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 19:46:31 +0000

Will this be the end of Twitter? Certainly the exodus to other social media platforms, such as Mastodon, has been massive. But whatever you think of the plan’s of it’s new owner, “the Birdsite” will always have a following. For me though, it was time for me to find somewhere else to promote my YouTube Channel to share my insightful thoughts, with adoring fans. Yeah OK that is a bit over the top but in the last week alone the “Space Karen“, as has become known, has upset a lot of people, including stockholders and advertisers. Not to mention the mainstream media and a whole heap of users. He may not care of course, and I don’t really care of he cares. I just needed to get away from the racism, misogyny and the general hate.

So to this end I have turned to the Fediverse, or more specifically Mastodon. Prior to the World Wide Web I spent a lot of time on Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) and communicated by way of Fidonet. This means that I am very familiar with the federated model. I understand that people get frustrated that it is not like Twitter, but it is not supposed to be. Below I have losted some things to consider if you’re considering joining.

It is not Twitter and does not pretend to be.
Don’t keep talking about Twitter. Most of us don’t care.
It doesn’t really matter which instance you join unless you have a niche interest.
Use hashtags. It’s the only way your posts can be searched.
The native Mastodon apps don’t seem too good. Look for alternatives (there are plenty) for your OS.
There is no algorithm. Liking a post is just for you. Boosting is the way to go to help promote posts you like.
Be nice to each other.

The post Mass Move to Mastodon appeared first on @sccjono.

Missing In Action

sccjono — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 19:28:24 +0000

A bit dramatic, but I have been missing in action for some time. I apologise but work, ill health and other personal reasons have prevented me from posting. Not just on here, but on my YouTube Channel as well. I am stunned to see that despite this, my subscriber/follower count on several platforms has continued to rise. Thank you to all of you. It means a great deal. I promise that I am not done, I have much more to share with you and I hope to begin that again very soon.

The post Missing In Action appeared first on @sccjono.

Thank You Ma’am

sccjono — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:16:28 +0000

I was presented with a medal from Her Majesty, just hours after she died. The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal was awarded to serving members of the armed forces and some members of various uniformed organisations. I had qualified for my voluntary work with the Sea Cadet Corps and I was both delighted and honoured to receive it. Our unit was having its annual inspection by our District Officer last night and he graciously agreed to present myself and some of my colleagues with our medals, thus increasing the honour still further.

The sad news of Her Majesty’s death reached us just before the ceremony began. It meant some hasty changes to the ceremonial routine, but our cadets really did themselves proud. The poignancy of receiving our medals at this time, especially as the Queen was the patron of the Corps, is a memory that will stay with me for life. Thank you for your service Ma’am. God save the King!

The post Thank You Ma’am appeared first on @sccjono.

Ring of Gold

sccjono — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 16:01:55 +0000

Do you have a precious heirloom of any kind? One of the most valuable items I own (sentimental value at least) is a gold signet ring. The ring originally belonged to my grandfather. When he died, it was left my father. Now it belongs to me. Having been in the family for so long, I have known of the ring all my life, but I recently decided to do some research on it.

Jewellery items often feature hallmarks. A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metal, such as platinum, gold and silver. The engraving of “SLH” is my grandfather’s initials. But my ring also features a maker’s mark, a mark for the metal type, then the assay office and finally the year. There are many websites dedicated to “decoding” these marks and it didn’t take me long to obtain more information.

The year of manufacture was 1912, making he ring 110 years old at the time of writing this. This means that my grandfather was 24 when he received the ring. I don’t know if he purchased it, or if it was gifted to him. The maker was Coley Brothers, who were based at 119 Vyse Street in Birmingham. This is an area of the city still known as the Jewellery Quarter today. This is relatively close to where my grandfather lived, but I don’t know if the the ring was purchased directly or via a retailer. The metal is 18k gold. No surprise here as it clearly hardy having survived continuous wearing for so long. Finally, the assay office is listed as Chester. I would have assumed Birmingham, but for some reason it is not.

Sidney Laurence Hunt, my grandfather.

The fact that this ring is linked so strongly to my family, means a great deal to me. I will certainly leaving it in my will to an heir and I hope that they will treasure it as much as I do.

The post Ring of Gold appeared first on @sccjono.