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Gearing up for the new year

The summer is almost upon us.

I say "almost" because I think anyone who's lived in New Zealand for more than a few years knows that it's not until mid January that we really start seeing some settled weather with extended periods of summer-like weather. Until then we do get some warm days but they're often separated by cooler, wetter, windier weather that is more like the dying gasps of spring.

It's time to get in my annual teeshirt order with Ali Express so that those garments will (hopefully) arrive before the Chinese New Year and in time for the best the weather has to offer.

Right now I'm also working on some videos that will hopefully be of use to anyone who's thinking of making some new year's resolutions in respect to their health.

I've mentioned in a previous column that I'm going to become a fitless influencer (no, not a spelling mistake, I do mean fitless).

My goal is to release a series of videos in the new year that will enable anyone who has a mind to, to improve their strength, robustness and general health.

These will be going up on my Bruce Simpson YouTube channel which has just a paltry 1,000 subscribers and where the videos normally only get a few hundred views. This isn't going to be a money-making endeavour, more of a public service. Even more so, since this channel isn't monetized and YT's ad-rates fall to near zero in January anyway.

So, if you're planning to turn over a new leaf after the festive celebrations and want to get into better shape, without having to pay for a gym membership or commit hours of sweaty hard work to the task, bookmark that channel and drop in once the holiday food coma has worn off. In less than 15 minutes, 3 days a week, I'll try to help you get in shape.

The past week or so has kept me really busy with the drone hysteria in the USA and I have to say that it's been great for views on my XJet channel. I'm hoping that the December earnings will be enough to see me through the drought in ad revenue that occurs between January and Easter.

As 2024 draws to a close, I am also reflecting on just how much time and effort I've spent over the past almost 30 years of writing this column. I wonder how many more years I'll spend putting my thoughts, opinions and musings into words each week-day morning.

I really do think that this is now the world's longest-running science, technology and dross blog on the internet -- if someone knows of a longer-running one that's been published without interruption since 1995 then please let me know.

It's been a journey and I often just sit back and marvel at how much the Net and its associated technologies have changed since those very early days. I seem to recall a time when everyone on the NZ internet knew everyone else on the internet, it was really that small. If you said "email" or "world wide web" to the average Kiwi they'd look at you with a blank stare and as "what?".

My, how times have changed. Now you can't get people's noses out of their smartphones and an outage at Facebook or Tiktok is worse than having a limb amputated for many.

Ah well... lots more planning and scheming to do here over the upcoming holiday break -- speaking of which, I'll be stepping away from the keyboard (as far as this column is concerned) on Friday the 20th and returning on Monday the 6th of January -- unless something exceptional happens that I feel worthy of coverage or comment.

Carpe Diem folks!

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