Anyone who has followed me on Twitter/X for any length of time will be aware that I’ve had many ups and downs in life but am now sufficiently settled to think of others besides myself. I posted my first blog on 29 December 2019, my birthday. I’ll have another birthday while writing this blog and it’s a good time to reflect on what I’ve done and what I hope to do in 2024.

If you haven’t read it, or wish to refresh your memory, you can read my first blog here https://thephilosophicalmuse.blog/2019/12/29/my-journey/

Christmas was spent alone as usual but my friends on Twitter/X are all the company. It pains me that some are struggling to stay warm this winter and there’s nowt I can do to help 🙁

Finding myself somewhat better off than I expected I was looking around for some worthy causes with whom I could share my good fortune, this isn’t easy when there are so many charities clammering for donations and there are various obstacles to ensuring my donations actually help those it’s intended to. I could donate for aid to Gaza but without a ceasefire it’s pissing in the ocean! Likewise with providing warm clothing for refugees in Calais, it won’t help if French authorities consfiscate it as soon as it’s distributed 😠

I have made a couple of donations in addition to those causes I regularly support and have purchased merchandise from Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Cuba Solidarity Campaign. I can use these to show solidarity online although I’m unable to be active on the ground.

Unlike some celebrities and politicians, I don’t boast about my generosity or pose for photo opportunities. I like to put my money where my mouth is and try to multiply my contribution by asking my followers to spare what they can afford.

Having a sizeable following I occasionally get requests to retweet something for a wider audience and I’m usually happy to do so. A couple of months ago I was asked to support a crowd justice appeal by 50s women and I went beyond what was asked of me by writing a blog in support. The response I received was ample reward and was repeated on Christmas Eve when I received so many thanks for my support that I decided to post my blog again. https://thephilosophicalmuse.blog/2023/11/18/pensions-and-work/

Over Christmas I’ve tried to focus on seasonal videos, not easy for an atheist brought up Christian witnessing what’s happening in Palestine now when Christmas has been cancelled in Bethlehem! We’re not only forbidden to tell the truth but our words are perverted to mean the opposite!

I’ve built up a following by promoting petitions on a variety of subjects, I don’t know how many have been successful but I could not remain silent and they raise awareness – several people have commented that the first they’d heard of an issue was from my tweets – but I’ve had my doubts about there efficacy for a long time.

The government won’t consider any petition unless it’s on the government’s own website and the bar is set so high that it leads me to believe they’re not really interested in what we the people have to say – they just pretend to be interested. 100,000 signatures in 6 months is a high target and if it gets a debate it won’t end in a vote and rarely results in legislation.

For this reason I’m gradually reducing the number of petitions I promote and other recurring tweets. I want to focus more on writing and perhaps collaborate with others, although I’m not sure how that will work out. There is a point to sharing articles multiple times if they impress me, it means people who missed an article first time around will have another chance to see it. But it’s easy to get carried away, I’ve received responses from tweets I posted 2 years previously so 2-3 posts should be enough as people will pick them up eventually. I need to focus on more original work, and having a bit of fun along the way 😀

I try to support the work of John Smith with a paid subscription to his Substack. Despite personal ill health he’s battling to continue the work of his late father Harry Leslie Smith, a legend of the labour movement whose legacy needs to be kept alive. Here’s John’s latest contribution.

Neoliberalism is truly no country for old men. , by @Harryslaststand https://open.substack.com/pub/jmsmith/p/neoliberalism-is-truly-no-country?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email

In 2023 I didn’t manage to stick to my resolve to write a blog a week, I hope to do better in 2024 but those who could learn most from my blogs don’t read them. This blog is a case in point, as the screenshot shows.

Lifeboats and Refugees https://thephilosophicalmuse.blog/2023/03/23/lifeboats-and-refugees/

I have much more to say about my hopes and expectations for 2024, but I’ll save that for another blog. Happy New Year.