Bluesky, the nice Social media choice.

 Before I started to use it, I had heard some really nice things about it.  The most common thing was that it was like Twitter when it started, that is easy use and that the people using it were generally nice and polite. 

So what is BlueSky?  It is very similar to X or whatever Mr Musk calls it now,  in being a social media site where people interact with each other and you follow and have followers.  You can post pictures and videos,  what I like about this, you can hide the content if you mark it as being "adult" so people can choose to see them or not.  Be warned explicit content is not allowed and posting can mean a ban from the site.  There are quite a few things which you need to be aware of all of which are explained in the terms and conditions,  

I have posted this link from Wikipedia which gives a comprehensive explanation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluesky  It is worth reading this if you are unsure about using it.  One of the most important things that it has is age verification which is a legal requirement it many places in the world.  I have no problem with this or any other legal requirement that Bluesky has put in place as these seem to be protections rather than restrictions.  We have recently seen what Mr Musk has done in the name of freedom !  

Okay, I do not use it Bluesky to its full capacity and discover the many other timelines with different interest and views so I really can not give an opinion on them.  You can also restrict who views your post and others can restrict you from seeing their posts.  It is worth the time setting things up the way you want them and you can change them as and when you want to do so.  My not having many restrictions means I have had a better experience as I have learnt a lot of different views and from many different countries in the world.  I hope that others have the same experience, because it would be a shame not to do so.

Honestly, yes there is the politicking, yet from what I see there is little of the nastiness that seems to be an increasing part of the DNA of X.  People seem to be really interested in saying this is wrong, not we are totally right and everyone else is wrong.  It is easy to spot those who try to do so and to block them.  If you do not spot them, others will do so and ask the community to see what is happening and block the persons concerned. 

What I really love about Bluesky is that people generally post nice stuff on it and I do look forward to seeing posts from people that I follow and interact with.  It is as if everyone has collectively decided, ye we will have our differences, but in a nice adult way and we post news and other things from where we live, not to create divisions, just to inform. 

I did see a complaint from someone who said Bluesky was like the old twitter from years ago, yes it is like twitter back then, because people WANT it to be.  We want a nice safe place to be social on, to share things we love and to learn from others about what they love and by doing so we all grow and unite with the things we love and are not divided by our differences.  

I called this blog Bluesky, the nice Social media choice, because quite simply Bluesky is that, the nice Social media place.

Goodbye Twitter, you became X and now you're my ex - it was you not me

 I joined Twitter in March 2010 and now I am leaving it, well not Twitter, that has long gone and been replaced by the monstrosity that is called X.  

I loved Twitter when I joined as it was a nice place where people mostly got along.  Yes, there were fall-outs and disagreements as in life, these however soon passed and things calmed down.  It felt a "safe place" and I liked that and have made some real friends as result, it those, the few that remain, that I shall miss unless like me they migrate to another "social" like Bluesky,

Twitter had rules and many people were stopped or banned from being on it, some famously whom I do not need to name as it is well known.  This to an extent stopped extreme views and misinformation being spread, it was not the place for them.  

This all changed when Elon Musk took over Twitter.  The only thing I really knew about him was his political view were, well honesty nasty and more like those found in 1930's Germany.  Soon those views and those who shared them, were amplified and more and more I found myself having to block people and beginning to wonder if I really wanted to remain on there and I was not the only one. 

Rather than leave in the first wave, like many others had done,  I thought I would give Mr Musk a chance to settle down and perhaps realise that the "direction of travel" was not a good one.  It did not settle down and his Nazi salute, for that is what it was or could be interpreted as (protecting myself here) during the election of Mr Trump in the USA made me really have to consider if I could still balance my view of accepting others having different views with the propaganda that was now drowning out other views. 

With the change of name from Twitter, to X, things have declined to a point where it is a cesspit of misinformation, lies, far right propaganda almost brain washing, Joseph_Goebbels would have made the most of this tool if it had been available to him.  

Why now, am I leaving ?  I have had enough of the lies, the hate, the nastiness which more and more has drowned out the good things.  Most importantly, it was depressing being on there. 

So goodbye to twitter, you became X and now you ARE MY EX - IT WAS YOU NOT ME.  I HAVE A NEW PLACE NOW, BLUESKY WHERE NICE PEOPLE ARE AND NICE THINGS ARE POSTED.

Apple iMac a personal review

As I am typing this, I am doing so using a new iMac from Apple which I have purchased the day before.  I have a perfectly good Macbook Air, which I love and I will keep for its portability, the only thing about it is that I have that because of the size of the available screen, I am finding it harder to read things on it.  I need a larger screen and I started to look around at the options to get one.  I could have gotten a seperate monitor and attached it the Macbook Air, then that would have taken up more room on my desk that I really don't have.  I could have gone for a Mac Mini and then added the display, keyboard and mouse as required. Thinking about it I realised that as good as it is and it is really good, it was perhaps more than I wanted or needed. Having gone through all the options, I felt the most suitable thing for me was iMac, because of the display and it came with everything I need in the box, mouse, keyboard, power cable, enough storage and processor speed, so I went for it.

Above is the size of the box that the iMac comes in.  It is made of cardboard, with a material handle to carry it, and it is quite heavy as well.  This makes unboxing quite hard to do, however, Apple make it easier as there are arrows showing you how to get into the various compartments which I found helpful.  There is very little, only necessary non-  cardboard in the package, which means it should be recycled easily, when you are happy to do so.  

According to the official  Apple website these are the dimensions

Height46.1 cm (18.1 inches)

Height5.0 cm (2.0 inches)

Width54.7 cm (21.5 inches)

14.7 cm (5.8 inches)

Depth14.7 cm (5.8 inches)

Depth

Weight4.48 kg (9.87 pounds

This is for the M3 one and there is a slight change with the other iMacs.

I did find it a bit of a "pain" to fit the power cable as it is hidden behind the stand and connecting the keyboard wasn't that easy either, not hard, once you realised what you had to do, some might need help with this.  It is not likely you are going to have to do it again and if you have to do so, you will know what to do that time.  I did like the fact that the screen had a cover on it to protect it while everything is being set up.

The above image shows the set up completed and yes it is pink as that was the only colour that my retailer had in and I like it.

Setting up starts with logging in, which is done using your Apple ID which you should have a record of from your other Apple things.  Once you have done this, you will be prompted to set a password for logging in, I set a temporary one as I wanted to continue with my trusted and known one.  While your other devices will be known and connected, if you wish to transfer your settings etc, to the iMac, the easiest way to do this is using the Migration Assistant as it means that you will not loose anything.  PLEASE NOTE - YOU WILL HAVE TO FULLY UPDATE THE IMAC BEFORE YOU CAN USE THE M.A. this is a bit of a pain while waiting to do the updates, none of us like the updates times do we.  

Once the updates are done you can use the migration assistant, it really is easy to do, as it almost tells you what to do.  The only thing you have to remember is that you have to set it up on both, the device you are setting from and the device that you are migrating to.  Depending on how much you have to migrate across it can take sometime for it to complete.  I was surprised at how little time it took as the estimated time was greater than the actual time. Once completed, just follow the instructions and remember you can choose to use the new log in or keep your old one and remove the new one so you are back to what you know.  I was able to use some social media sites right away, however, as passwords are not migrated it means that you will have put them in on the new device.  As this is just a "one off" and you will only be doing it once, it is worth saving them in the password manager. 

After that it is just a matter of adding things that might not have come across and updating others and setting things up as you wish to have them, at the time of my typing I am still completing this.  I will take my time to complete this and make sure I do it correctly.  So far the only real problem that I have had has been with Outlook mail which I have managed to sort out.

I find the keyboard, very familiar to use and it did not take me long to be touch typing again as I had with the MacBook Air.  I suppose that is because I am used to the way it is set out which I find suits me, it is the same QWERTY  set out that all keyboards and the individual keys are the some size.  I like the ability to use the password identification button, or Touch ID as it is known even to start up.  For me the way Apple does the keyboards is logical which makes the small size of this one not matter at all.

The screen is just at the right height and while you can tilt and turn it, there is not much more you can do, nor do you really need to do once you have placed it as you like.

The sound quality from the speakers, which are built in, is very good and I have no complaints about it at all.

The picture quality is excellent, I do watercolour paintings and post them so I have a record of my progress and while I was pleased  with the previous MacBook Air results,  I am really delighted with seeing them on here.

Further to the above, being able to see clearly all of the wording on the websites is great, as it is when I am using LibreOffice and not having to zoom in makes life a lot easier for me doing as I hoped it would do, lessening eyestrain.  

I am not sure what the picture quality would be like if you play games, I only play Solitaire and it is okay with that.

Although it is the same OS as the Air I have noticed subtle differences between the two.  It seems to work better, that could just be that I never fully used it on the Air, I really don't know,  it just seems that way.

As with the Air there is no noise coming from it at all, the loudest noise is the tapping of the keyboard keys.  I personally think it is amazing what Apple has done with the design and engineering of iMac.  

I know some people might be thinking that as it looks big it would take up more space on the desk than the laptop, it really doesn't,  the opposite is true.  The only additional item is the power connection which need not really be on the desk anyway.  

Just a quick bit about the price,  the iMac price can vary and you can shop around to get the best price, while on their website Apple promotes the latest models, there are still older types available as I managed to get this one from my local Apple retailer.  I would just advise going for the Apple M chips rather than the Intel ones.  The other bit about price, it really isn't more expensive that the iPhones and perhaps less then the iPhone Pros. 

CONCLUSION

I really do like the iMac and am really happy using it and that is all that matters really.  I am really not bothered about all the specifactions which some will be, as long as it does what I want it to do that is all I need to know and this really does.  Even at this early stage of my using it, I know that as with the MacBook Air  I really won't change anything apart from as stated above adding social media and LibreOffice. 

I have been telling others that Windows is something you have to use, OS is something you enjoy using and the a Windows PC is something you have to use Apple Devices is something you love to use.  This is very, very true of the iMac. 

Would I recommend it?  Yes I would every day of the week  in truth my wife was so impressed that she wants one, so the bank balance in the savings will go down again 😊

  

WHAT IS ART?

 I am asking the question what is art? Who decides what it is and if it is any good or not.  By art, here I mean painting, either in water colours or oils or some other materials.

Until a month ago, may be a bit longer I had not volunatarily picked up a paint brush and wanted to paint.  Since then I paint most days, because I really enjoy doing so and have gone from just a few paints to an easle and a full set of paints and brushes.

Now some people think you need lessons to learn about perspective and how to blend the colours and how to use washes and all sorts of other things.  True for some it might be useful to have lessons and be taught these things, but really is it necessary?  I am not sure about that at all.

I see many great paintings and I go wow that is great and some of them have a real photographic quality about them, that makes it hard to know the difference.  Some painters get so good that you have a moment where you pause and have to think is that a real person or a painting.  Other people just mix colours and don't seem to have thing specific in mind while they are doing it and to me some look a complete mess and others can really trigger an emotional response.  So which of these are the correct way to do things? The answer must be that there isn't a correct way.

So what about me, what do I think art is?  Well for me, it is something that comes from deep within your soul, that your heart feels and your eyes respond to.  It is not done to please others,  or even for them to like, although if they do then it is nice.  My personal opinion is that art is for you, from you.  It is your way of seeing and interpreting what you feel and see as only you can do.  Yes, as you go along, you learn what looks correct and what doesn't, yet that correction is only your correction alone and it really doesn't matter what others think. 

So Art is really simple, it is an expression of the soul.

MY ELLAN VANNIN

MY ELLAN VANNIN

There's an old man in his garden talking to his plants, pruning those who have given their beauty so others flowers can grow

He smiles to the world and looks up and sees his wife doing the washing up in the kitchen looking at him through the window, while their cat follows her husband.

There's a peace, in his heart like he has never known before

a love the land he now calls home

a long felt call drew them both here

and here is home forever

Ellan Vannin, oh dearest Ellan Vannin

the ancient and wise ones

the celts, the vikings, others unkown

all have called you home and loved you

now it is our turn to return

to hear you call, to see your beauty

to be with you for eternity

©merimaat2025

THERE'S AN OLD MAN IN THE GARDEN

 THERE'S AN OLD MAN

IN THE GARDEN 

There's an old man

in the garden talking to others

that they can not see

Talking to his roses

gently

Saying this one is for Dad

This one is for Mum

This one is Suzi

Giving each one love and attention

smiling as he moves from one to another

Finding peace in his soul

and hearing voices of those loved ones

no one else can hear

There's an old man in the garden

and when I look in the mirror

I see that old man

is me

©️merimaat2025/kevT brown

 

Gillette Labs Razor a personal review after using it

 I needed to get some new razor blades,  as I look far better clean shaven than I do with a beard which doesn't suit me at all.  It does make me look old and my wife really hates me with one and gives hints about me looking scruffy, if I don't have a shave for a few days.

It has been quite some time since I got some new razor blades as I usually buy enough to last me some time, six months to a year.  In the past this has worked out as I have been able to get them fairly cheap in the sales.  It hasn't always worked out that way as I have tended to or always gone back to to my Gillette Mach 3 which I recluctantly moved on to when I could no longer get replacement blades for my G2 razor.

I have tried other razor brands with their various combinations of blades and while the first shave might have been good,  the following shaves haven't been.  The razors, well most were quite fiddly to get along with and changing the blades, took some doing.  The other big disadvantage to them all was where do you put the razor when not in use and where do you store the blades?  Most if not all had been on sale, that is cheaper than the usual price for them when I got them and perhaps the reason for that is that, people aren't buying them as they are not that good.  

When looking at the price of blades this time,  there was very little difference in the price of them, may be a £1 not much more.  Then I saw the Gillette Razor Gold Edition which came with 4 additional blades to the one already in it,  making 5 blades and my wife suggested I try it, because of the price and if I liked it I would get a new razor which I probably needed.  So I purchased it after thinking about for a day or so and luckly, it was still on offer in Boots where I had seen it so I got it.

UNPACKING

Gillette have not done a very good job with the packaging of the razor at all,  particularly if you are older you will find it annoying and hard to get through it all and then trying to open the travel tin, which mine came with almost makes you want to through the whole thing away!  After about half an hour and billions of Fucks sworn,  you get to what is a good looking razor complete with a stand and calmness returns.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

I was pleasantly surprised about how it looks in real life, having only ever seen the television advertisements which don't really show the whole razor.   The Razor Blades come with exfoliate  and really don't look much bigger than the Mach 3,  if anything (I have not measured) smaller.  You can tell that a lot of thought has gone into the design of the razor, how the blades attach to it and how they are angled to fit to the face.  I am impressed by the comfort of the grip and the weight of the whole thing.  The srand is just great and a good addition to the whole thing and the razor when not in use just slots into it and it fits nicely on our sink and I have left it there since I first opened it ready for the first use.

THE SHAVING EXPERIENCE FIRST SHAVE 

I thought I would get a good shave just holding the razor, before I used it.  What I got was in all honesty beyond what I expected and yes Gillette it is the best a man can get.  The angle of the blades make it just fit to the face and without any real effort on your part they remain in the correct place thanks to the movement of the head assembly which means even the awkward places under the nose and arounf the mouth are easy to get at.  Although I was worried about the number of blades,  I really didn't need to have been as I was able to shave without any problems what so ever .  I really was impressed by this.

After the shave as I rinsed of the remaing shaving foam that I had used for the shave,  I had a wow moment when I noticed how great the shave was, no stubble left anywhere and no going back to get the bits the blades had miss.  Not only did it feel good, but it looked good as well. It did it so well that I could leave off having a shave for 3 days before needing one again.

FOLLOWING SHAVES

I was delighted with the next shave I had as it was as good as the first one.  The next two shaves I have had,  have also been as good and I am really pleased with the results,  more so, because I had one shave just the hot water from the sink tap alone (I usually add extra hot water from a the kettle that I boil just before starting the shave).  This last shave, using the tap alone was very impressive, something I would not have said about other razors.

CONCLUSIONS

The inital cost of the razor might seem high, however the Gillette Website has offers on it and shows the complete range, you can do as I did shop around locally and get a good offer on the razor as well.

The cost of the blades is also quite high.  I chose to get the multi pack of them, which was about £50 !  Yes I did have an ouch moment at the price, but if as Gillette state, they last 20 months based on 3 shaves a week it isn't too bad.  From my experience of using the razor with the blade is anything to go by, you might get more than 3 good shaves from each blade.

I used Shaving Foam from the Co-op which is less than £2.00 as I find the gel a bit messy to use.  I added extra hot water from the kettle which had recently been used as our tap water is limited to a certain temperature.    These things are part of what I do when I am shaving so I think it is a fair comparison to other razors and the shaves I have had over the years.

I liked the weight and feel of the razor, the grip is very good and the head moves enabling you to get into the odd places. If you do down strokes or up strokes or even side strokes while shaving the shave is equally as good.  Gillette advertising, as far as I am concerned is correct is the best a man can get.  The best ever? Well may be.

As a great choice for a razor the Gillette Labs is for me way out in front of the competition and I can really say it is hard to fault so would be an ideal replacement or first razor for most adult males who shave.  

PLEASE NOTE I HAVE NOT BEEN PAID FOR THIS AND I HAVE NO CONNECTION AT ALL TO GILLETTE - IT IS MY PERSONAL VIEW ON USING THE RAZOR WHICH I PURCHASED THIS MARCH 2025