If you have the right audience social media can be a barometer for what is: cool, valuable, and of worth to others.  It can let you know what connects, what is interesting, and what is needed in the world.  But there is just so much stuff online that sometimes good things can slip through the cracks.

With that in mind I’ve decided to post a different kind of blog this week.  A short, curated collection of the most interesting, popular, and impactful stuff I’ve put out in the last span; mixed in with some news about what’s coming up in the very near future.

This post is experimental so please feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments section.  If enough people like it I may do more.

Shall we?

◊

First things first.  I have been working hard on the record and I am nearing the end.  I am beyond pleased with it.  It is sounding incredible and I honestly think it is by far the best thing I have ever made.

In case you don’t know, there is not going to be any marketing hoopla around it’s release.  I am going to work on it until it is finished and on that day I am going to release it to my mailing list.  No fuss, no muss, no trouble.  You’ll get to hear it completed for the first time on the very same day that I do.

(If you want to hear it first but aren’t signed up yet don’t worry, you can remedy that easily here.)

♦

In other news the nice folks over at Cultured Vultures recently published a really cool article about yours truly which offers genuine insight into: how I do what I do, why it works for me, and my future plans for world-domination.  I highly recommend it.

If you are interested, you can check it out here.

♦

I’ve always written poetry but have only just started posting it online (on my Instagram page.)  Some people have recently gotten in touch since I started and asked if I’d be interested in publishing a collection sometime in the future.  (if this is something you’d like then let me know.)

For now, here is one of my more popular poems from the last week or so:

♦

And, not surprisingly I also post visual stuff there too.  Here is an abstract photo I took that a lot of people seem to like:

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If for some reason you don’t follow me on Twitter, then you probably don’t know that I am a legitimate ‘quote-whore’ ;-)

I find a great beauty in language and wisdom traditions and I read a LOT so I generally post at least one quote a day and it’s always interesting to see which ones get the biggest reaction.  Last week, it was:

– I’m not really sure what the popularity of this tweet this says about my audience, but I suspect that it just proves my long-held assertion that they are a pretty fucking cool bunch.

#Skadoosh

As I said at the outset this is an experimental post.  So if you: liked it, hated it, or just found it ‘meh’ then please let me know in the comments section just below.  (I value all honest feedback and I have a thick skin, so don’t hold back either way.)

I’m Working on some Cool New Stuff.

If you’d like an email when I release something new, click the link below. I won’t email you for any other reason, or share your address with anyone else.

Click Here For Email

Published by James Radcliffe

73 thoughts on “ New, Interesting, and Popular Things… ”

  2. Hi! Thank you for dropping by occassionally and for liking some of my posts James. I really appreciate it😊. I love the photo you shared in Instagram, I will follow you for sure. You have a great weekend ahead.

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  3. Hi James! I love love that Robert Downey Jr. quote. I definitely need to practice that more, instead of arguing or trying to have my way. Glad to hear your album is almost done; that must feel great. Hey, Goo Goo Dolls started their tour last night. 23 songs on the set list, with a handful of old ones, which I am thrilled about. Is your friend going to a show? The opening song is the first song I ever heard from them; it was in the 90s and they were on tv. I remember sitting on my bed doing some work and they started playing “Long Way Down” and I slowly lifted my head and thought who is this band? I love them, and the rest if history! Hopefully it is still in the set list when I go in August; I hate when they remove stuff. Oh, and they did a cover of Need to Know by Tom Petty; would love to hear that too, or maybe a different cover every night….
    Traci :)

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    1. Haha, really glad you like it – it seems to be a favourite ;-)
      I think she is probably going to all of them. She is a GGD superfan!
      It is cool to have a band that you connect with so deeply.
      Really nice to hear from you, hope all is well, big hug,
      – J

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      1. All of them…that’s a lot of money! lol It is really cool to have that, and then I connect with the fans on social media which is fun. Part of me thinks I should wait and be surprised with the set list, and part of me wakes up running to my phone to see what the previous show’s set list was! Of course it will vary. One concert goer for the first show said they seem to have gone back to rock and roll; just what I’ve been wanting; enough of this sappy love song crap! I have a new obsession: Dalton Rapattoni. Yes, I know your are saying who??? He was on American Idol, which I normally don’t watch, but I happened to catch him and I couldn’t stop watching him. He’s been in bands before, that went on tour, but now he is touring and doing covers of white stripes, david bowie, the 1975, rage against the machine. He also has his own music on youtube. He is a talented songwriter and performer. He rocks out so hard on stage and gets in the crowd; there was a mosh pit last week and he got pushed around and the girls were groping him; that happens to you right?? ;-) Anyway, he is fucking adorable and working on his own album. He didn’t win; he came in 3rd, but that’s good bc then he can do what he wants. He takes a song and makes it his own. He’s well educated and lives to the beat of his own drum, like you. I love that about him, so I bought him a book of poetry by William Blake. After the show we get to hug him and take pics and then there’s another line to have him sign stuff; so I meet him twice! If you go on my insta you will see I am doing a count down. 17 days………
        It’s in NYC and I’m going alone and staying in a hotel. My goal is to have fun and stay out of trouble. I have a plan in place for that. Dalton is also bipolar and open about it which is another reason I feel connected to him, as do many others (mostly teenagers), don’t judge ;-) I bought my black converse today; haven’t had those since high school! I got low tops; my daughter told me I would look weird wearing high tops. I actually liked the low tops better. Did you know they took the star on the bottom of the shoe away?? wtf??? That’s iconic! Sorry I’m rambling; I am just so excited. Some people are driving several hours to go to these shows. I just hope I can be calm and mindful and not ramble and be weird like I was with Johnny. Everyone says he is really cool and talks to you like you’re his best friend.
        Have you heard of Zella Day? Check her out; you’ll like her. They call her the tambourine queen; writes her own stuff. Her new cd Kicker is amazing; I can’t stop listening to it on my ipod. A little Lana, a little Janis Joplin, soulful, and of course a bit disturbing. My daughter discovered her; she has discovered all these eccentric girl singers singing about sex and jameson and being a “mustang kid” outlaw. I told her what Jameson was and she tells me she already knows. How does a 15 year old know what Jameson is?? She’s quite an interesting egg. When she showers and gets ready she blasts symphony music! Oh and I must brag; she is going to be a junior and she auditioned for the highest level and made it in..as if..lol
        She won’t practice if I’m home. Were you like that as a kid? If I go to the gym or out, she will practice and put it away as soon as she hears me coming into the garage. Whatever. Well it’s been nice chatting with you. Or should I say rambling from one subject to the next; I sound manic but I’m not; I’m just really excited. The show is at the Highline Ballroom which is a great venue in NYC. Nice to hear from you; take care! Thanks for listening. Interested in hearing your new music. Hugs

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          1. Lol.. I just read it back and I’m thinking this guy must think I am looney tunes! I met Dalton and it was amazing! I wrote notes on my hand so I didn’t forget anything I wanted to say. He loved his presents. If you go to my page you can see our picture; I have a very tight grip on him ;-)
            Thanks for having the patience to read all that! Does your friend know today is John’s 3rd wedding anniversary? Yea, I’m sure she does. How’s your music coming along?
            Traci :)

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              1. I had a great time and I behaved myself! I had a grip on him and I was not letting go! He makes that silly face all the time. I also talked to his parents and his manager. You know me by now, I’m all about seize the moment and I don’t care what people think. Dalton had 3 shows in a row, and one was in Canada. He was tired. So I asked his manager if he was tired and he said you can’t be a rock and roll star and sit around. So true. Dalton and a member of Blue October are starting their own record label, which is great. Dalton will not let a label put him in a box. He was negotiating with companies and decided to go independent like someone I know ;-) I told Dalton that was awesome and now he won’t have a record company trying to turn him into a somebody. His first album comes out in October and then he tours on that album starting in the late fall. Guess who is going??
                Looking forward to exciting news! I will check back on the weekend. 23 days to Johnny!!!!

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              2. Hey if you get a chance go to my page. There is a video of Dalton singing an original acoustic song about his ex girlfriend. It’s quite moving; I think you will like it. Let me know!

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  4. I loved, seriously…. that poem! I keep rereading it :) the photo was lovely and intriguing, with its dimensions and layers, textures woven in like a painting. very cool. Cheers, Debi

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      1. thanks James! I thought it was amazing. And yes, I’d like to see the new one; I will have to set myself up with instagram first though! in the meantime, will you be posting it? by chance on WP?
        Also, thank you, for several times stopping in and liking some of my posts, I appreciate that James!
        I will see about instagram :) Cheers, Debi

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        1. Hey there,
          Well, Thankyou again! I am not sure if I’ll be posting more on WP – will have to see, but you shouldn’t need an account to view it, just click on the link and it should open up for you.
          Anytime on the post likes, keep up he good work ;-)
          – J

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  5. Hello James,

    Thank you so much for dropping by on Cascading Thoughts and liking my post.
    Read the post, you’re lucky to be getting all the benefits out of social media. Really like the photograph through the ceiling of Temple Apollo.

    Keep it up.

    Best wishes,
    Cascading Thoughts :)

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  6. It feels good to sit here at my desk and write you a note after wandering through your beautiful words and pictures on Instagram these past few weeks, leaving a trail of my own words like fallen bread on a fairy-tale path – what drew me to your blog after following a “like” from you on one of my posts was the intoxicating flow of words and sentences usually found in your longer pieces, reading them has made me a better writer and I miss them…

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    1. Ah! So this is a beautiful and soft vote for longer pieces of writing, yes?
      I love that you write me this way, and I will take what you have said to heart.
      Hope you are well and happy, Kimberlee Stirling,
      Big hug,
      – J

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  7. Hi James, thanks for visiting my blog and liking a post. That led me here, and I’m glad we connected! I listened to some of your music, and it’s beautiful! I look forward to hearing more, and your posts. Take care, Jenny

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  9. Keep posting your poetry James. I never thought mine were much cop until I posted a few. I was surprised that quite a few people liked them and have been posting ever since. What I have found since is that they have brought a lot of different visitors I never had before. I don’t know how you found jamoroki but I am so pleased you did because your blog looks like a treasure trove I need to explore. Keep well, James also.

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    1. Thankyou very much for this, I always appreciate good feedback and it is nice to hear from you.
      Thanks for sharing, and thanks for stopping by. Keep up the good work, and more power to you ;-)
      Have a good one,
      – J

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  10. Hi James. I’m always thrilled to see your latest blog in my mailbox! Can’t wait to hear your new album and your photography is amazing but I must admit to finding the new format a tad ‘bitty’ and not as inspiring as your usual work. Sorry :(

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    1. Hey, no sorry necessary – it’s really cool I get honest feedback. Thanks for the compliments as well. It’s not really a new format, it’s just an experiment – how would you feel about a mix of the two formats? Or do you just dislike this?
      Thankyou again for your honesty,
      Have a great night,
      – J

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      1. I too look always forward to your monthly posts. I understand the wish/need to experiment. Although all of your stuff is beautiful, I really do look forward to, and prefer, what you have to offer in your usual format. Whatever you have to offer will be delightful, as always :)

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        1. Thankyou very much – I really appreciate your honesty, and it is very helpful to me.
          I hear you completely and will take it under advisement ;-)
          Thanks for taking the time to respond,
          Have a good one,
          – J

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