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For this blog, I thought I’d write something without editing it in any way to see what happened.

Because life really is too short to edit the sh*t out of it, huh?

So this’ll be something like a voice-over ‘stream of consciousness’ as opposed to anything to do with trying to ‘get myself into favour’ with our lord Google or any other search engine, or to boost my SEO by using fancy-schmancy keywords such as documentary, narration, commercial, TV, radio, e-learning, deep, rich, gravitas, professional, experienced…

Oops…

Anyhoo – ah, now, just where does that word “anyhoo” come from, “anyhoo”?

Well, in the world of pop-culture, my reference is Ned Ryerson (or Needle Nose Ned) from the classic 1993 movie starring Bill Murray, “Groundhog Day” (go on, Google it, you know you want to):

https://www.shortlist.com/news/groundhog-day-fan-theory

or, if you want the Wiki address –

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog_Day_(film)

The first link explains one of the “fan theories” about the film. I don’t necessarily subscribe to it. But it’s a good overview and sums up the story fairly well.

So, anyhoo, this segues neatly into the next bit of this consciousness streaming of mine – YouTube.

Side note: segue is not, in this context, a scooter or the two-wheeled, self-balancing personal transporter thing invented in the ’90s. Nope, its a word which relates to when American DJ’s (during the classic radio era of 60’s and 70’s before it all went to complete cr*p) “DJ’d”, and was basically used to describe the smoothness and coolness with which they announced in to and out of records (yup, real vinyl discs which you spun on a turntable).

The word also applied to the way they moved or ‘merged’ from the end of one record into the start of another, plus any radio jingles, idents or imaging which they may’ve used in between.

And the patter.

The patter that mattered between the platters they played.

Back to the Tube of You…

Doing what I do for a living has, to a large extent, shortened my attention span.

Considerably.

I find it difficult to engage in a full-length movie, or even 45 minutes’ worth of something on Netflix (I don’t watch TV – can’t stand the ads and haven’t been able to since the 90’s – another rant for another Blog!).

I can’t even stay in one place for very long (talking about any of the three rooms in my shoebox apartment, a cafe, shop etcetera) without my attention span waning.

And then it occurred to me.

I’ve become a 21st Century short-attention-span-person (insert three dramatic chords right here).

I find that I can really only watch 5 to 10-minute clips on YouTube.

And that’s what I do most nights when the day is done.

I am an incredibly sad muppet.

But it’s not just me with this bite-sized span of attention.

Oh no.

Whenever I’m out in public, I’m constantly amazed by the fact that hardly anyone seems to be capable of just walking down the street, standing in a queue, sitting at a table, simply wandering around aimlessly, generally perambulating, looking up and taking in the scenery or doing anything…

…without a compulsion to look at or interact with their Mobile Phone or iPad or Tablet at some point.

And don’t get me started on the taking of photos.

Do you find that people who are so engrossed in the must-watch latest YouTube clip, text message, update, picture taking and so on, walk into you so often that you have the bruises to prove it?

I do.

Ouch.

Stay tuned for another useless stream of grey matter from me in the next episode…