John's Labour blog 200,000 visitors

Last night according to Site meter I had my 200,000 visitor to this blog since Feb 22 2007.

I posted this in December 2008 when it was 50,000 "The readership is tiny compared to some other blogs but as long as I enjoy posting I will keep it up.

I admit that I do indulge myself from time to time. Some think I am being divisive, others think that I pull too many punches.

But there is room in the “bloggersphere” for a centre left Labour movement blog that offers critical support to the Party and commentates at times vigorously on trade union, political and economic issues. This is my aim anyway....The message of course should remain more important than the medium".

Thank you for visiting.

The thoughts of Chairman John...on Blogging

Mary Honeyball MEP has posted the video of her fringe at Labour Party conference 2010.  You can see my contribution on some of the perils of blogging and a possible potential political benefit here.

The other speakers were Mark Ferguson (Labourlist), Jessica Asato and Kerry McCarthy MP (her video not yet posted).

The fringe I thought was an excellent conference event.  Well done to Mary and her team for putting it on.

(The Guilty Newham 4 - they know who they are will now have an opportunity to understand just what they have missed out on - LOL :)

The Buddhist Blog Honored with Award Nominations.

Wow. The 2010 Blogisattva Award nominations have been announced and The Buddhist Blog has been honored. The blog was nominated in three categories: Best Engage-the-World Blog, Best Achievement in Kind and Compassionate Blogging and Best "Life" Blog. The blog also received honorable mentions in other, categories: Best Achievement Blogging Opinion Pieces or Political Issues, Best Blogging on Matters Philosophical, Psychological or Scientific and Best Blog of the Year!!

I know that some of you nominated the blog for these nominations and I am humbled by your appreciation. You, and the Blogisattva Awards committee honor the blog greatly and I will use this positive energy toward keeping the voice of the reclusive Buddhist alive. Perhaps the boring side of the blog is that I write mainly because it aids my practice but it also is a labor of love in honor of the Dharma. It is a testament of how amazingly beneficial Buddha's teachings are to humanity. I credit the Dharma in being the catalyst to helping me emerge from a very dark, angry and self-destructive life-pattern that I was on before.

It is fitting perhaps that these honors come on a day when we recognize the enlightenment of Buddha (Bodhi Day) and the priceless gift that he bestowed upon all humanity. None of us would be benefiting from the Dharma without his self-sacrifice. After his great awakening (or, enlightenment), he could have wandered off into the mountains to live out the rest of his last incarnation before merging into parinirvana. Instead he chose to share the path he realized with the world and we are his heirs.

But I digress. Buddhism has been a great help in reducing the symptoms of my psychiatric condition and that is another reason that I write. To show others that Buddhism can be of great benefit to the restless mind wrapped up in psychiatric turmoil. The Dharma has been like another medication but one without negative side effects. So, any recognition that I am honored with must be given back to Buddha and those who honored me with these nominations. I cherish my readers as friends and family. It is my hope that this new year will bring greater acceptance of online interaction in the Buddhism community at-large.

Whether the blog actually "wins" any awards is secondary to what I have gained through interacting with all of you. You have truly enriched my life and I look forward to our interactions each day. May this next year be a wonderful year for Buddhist blogging. There are a lot of great blogs out there that keep the online Buddhist community going and I am forever honored to be mentioned alongside them all. Be sure to check them out!! Thank-you, again for the humbling honor that you have shown. Here's to a new year!!

P.S. - It's hard to sound honored without coming across as cliche but I really, really mean what I wrote. Every word. Thanks again to the judges and everyone else at The Blogisattva Awards.

~Peace to all beings~

Plagiarism.

(PHOTO CREDIT: All credit goes to Derrick Story).

It has been brought to my attention that there is someone going around the buddhoblogosphere plagiarizing not only my blog but several others. In some cases it is word for word what I have written, and the blog owner is, so brazen to even include my name in the posts! The blog name is, "Buddha Rocks" and is run by someone who goes by the moniker, "Lord of the Blogosphere." They are changing a few words and using terrible sentence grammar but on the whole it's my posts verbatim. And, I'm not the only one. Several other Buddhist bloggers are being targeted.

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but this is straight out plagiarism. I'm not angry at this person but rather have compassion that they feel such a desperate need for attention as to steal another person's hard work. I want them to know that they have the potential to write interesting content if they would simply let go of trying so hard to impress people. Plagiarism will only leave them feeling hollow and empty inside.

May they realize that such stealing only brings increased suffering to them. I don't want to see them suffer, so I am calling upon them to end this practice and find their own voice. I'm sure they have something interesting to say on their own and I encourage them to just write from the heart, and I know that will bring them greater fulfillment than stealing.

~Peace to all beings~

Giovanni's Lavoro Blog

Blogger has included a "Stats" counter facility since May 2010. 

To my surprise (see screen print right) it would appear that "John's Labour Blog" is somewhat popular in Italy!

While this blog had most readers in the UK (29,545 pages views) second apparently is Italy with 11,606 page views.  Beating the United States into third place with 9,860.

Not entirely sure for the reason for this and suspect some sort of tracking error by blogger?

But anyway "ciao" to any Italian comrades:)

Blogging for Labour: How social media can drive a wedge into the Coalition.

Hope those of you who are going to this years Labour Party conference will come to this fringe on the Monday evening.

"Blogging for Labour: How social media can drive a wedge into the Coalition". 

I think that anyone going to conference and reading this blog - will be somewhat interested!

Mary Honeyball MEP will chair and the panelists are Jessica Asato; Alex Smith Labour list, Tom Harris MP and moi.

Monday 27 September 18:00 - 19.30. Manchester Central - Charter 1.

UPDATE: see report of the actual fringe here

Spamalot

Don't worry I am not about to review the musical but this morning on my blogger email there were 11 spam anon comments waiting to be "approved". 

So I have set up "word verification" for any future comments.

It is a little bit of a nuisance but only take a minute or so (if sober - this may also reduce the alcohol or drug induced rants I receive from time to time).

There was also this morning a couple of the normal idiotic comments which I have approved and look forward to responding when I get a mo:)

Total Politics Blog Poll 2010

I’ve just emailed my current top ten blogs to the “Total Politics” annual blog “Beauty Parade”. Total Politics impartiality is obviously somewhat dubious since it is owned and run by Tories (with a supposedly “neutral” board overseeing) but it is the political website of choice for many serious politicians.

Thankfully - you are not allowed to post on who you have selected since I am sure that it I will leave some blogging folk I have left out - just a little bit miffed at me for doing so.

Needless to say one cherry short of a Schwarzwalderkirschtorte was not one of the 10:)

You have until 31 July to take part.

BTW - This is the list I compiled in 2008 (but never got round to sending). It has changed since.

(picture of the demonstrators outside the Miss World competition in London 1970. Some of them later broke into the event and threw floor bombs at host, Bob Hope and the contestants . I use to work with one of the protesters in the 1980's, Jake Prescott, who in 1970 dressed up for the first time in his life in a dinner suit in order to get into the venue. Jake then later went off to make other type of bombs).