I started blogging in 2004 as a means to stay connected to the outside world and create some sort of social media presence. The first one, The Dwarven One (my nickname from my gaming group in Tamworth), is mostly about what makes me tick. I would rattle on about anything, though I would stick to a regular format of including a section on one of my favourite albums, or a book, or a battle from history, or even a serial killer. I didn't stick with that format for too long, though throughout the hundreds of posts those topics would be revisted often enough, and even expanded on when I added thoughts on movies, TV shows, places I had visted, photography and even my writing projects.When I was playing soccer for North Rocks, I commented on my efforts on the pitch, especially from the point of a goalkeeper. I follow two teams in two seperate national Australian codes - the Canberra Raiders (league) and the Central Coast Mariners (soccer), offering thoughts on those sides and codes as well as cricket. The Mariners are local so naturally they'll get more of a mention. There's social commentary, life in general, odd things which have occurred, wildlife (birds especially) and, most importantly, my on-going struggle being a mental health consumer.
Around the winter of 2005 I included posts on my gaming exploits as well. When they started dominating the bulk of my posts, non-gamers reading it complained, so I decided to put them in a separate blog,The Dwarven One's Blood Bowl and Role-Playing blog. my gaming blog, is mostly dedicated to Blood Bowl. I have been playing the game since 1988, and have been posting match and tournament reports since 2005. I take notes on EVERY game that I play, be it a league match, a friendly, or a tournament fixture, and endeavor to post them all online. There is just so much that happens in a match - it's never just about a score and a casualty count. Occasionally, I'll add thoughts on PC and table-top games I've played recently, including role-playing, and being a regular crowd-funding project backer, they'll get a mention as well in both TDO blogs depending on what I'm backing.
The third blog, Beaches and Burgers, was started in the spring of 2023. I decided to start this one about places I've vistied and eateries that I've dined at or purchased meals from. The premise is very simple - I combine a local restaurant, cafe, takeaway, etc. review with a local watery landmark that can be visited. I try to keep the choice of meal consistent, say to a burger or a schnitzel meal to make the comparison easier, though it might be tricky if I eat at a Thai or a Chinese restaurant. Each post may include a little historical note or social comment, or both.
Between the three blogs there's around 1600 posts, with the gaming blog being the most popular. I may not have a legion of fans, but my posts are regularly viewed and read, if the blog stats of each post is anything to go by.
5 November, 2023