MIKE O'HARE
co-author of The Meadow
Mike O'Hare

So what’s it all about?

It’s all about a little bit of this and a little bit of that. It’s not about trying on the hard sell or even showing you how to make money. There are plenty of bloggers out there who can do just that with great verve and tenacity. On the contrary it’s about sharing—period. Now there’s a novelty in this day and age.

.

Meet Mike

Mike O'Hare as a toddler of 15 months

Mike at 15 months. Little did he know that he had a long way to go

Mike has an alter ego. It’s a character he met in his dreams and came to the conclusion, after many meetings between mind and soul, that he had been conversing with himself. So one day he asked his other self if he had a name. To Mike’s surprise the name of Jasper Nicoli emerged.

“Jasper T. Nicoli to be precise; at your service.” It couldn’t have been made clearer. After that Mike decided to go with the flow. One night during restless sleep he found himself floating in what he regards as the middle of nowhere. Out of the blue Jasper emerged. By this time he had been expected.

“We’re at a crossroads, you and me, sport . . .” (There has to be some Aussie history in there somewhere). “. . . right in the middle of a nightmare.”

“How’s that”, Mike asked. “I’m hardly breaking sweat and I’ve got used to seeing your ugly mug by now.”

From that moment on, Mike realised that Jasper had a phrase or saying for practically any situation. This time the reply was simply “Sweet dreams help you along your spiritual path whilst nightmares awaken you at the crossroads.”

It is at these crossroads where all experiences become manifest. So on behalf of Mike and his “friend,” welcome to the crossroads of life. This is how we are going to exchange our thoughts, ideas, aspirations, fantasies, hopes and, of course, our dreams which are not ready to be sweet just yet. Right now we’re not on a spiritual path. On the contrary it’s the polarities of life which interests us and how we deal with them. This is what Mike wants to share with you. And remember it’s all about a little bit of this and a little bit of that—all subjects are valid here. So let’s get this show on the road.

 .

Not always a writer

Mike at the controls of a Linotype machine. The good old days of ‘hot metal’.

Mike (the middle guy in the photo) began his career many years ago as a compositor in the newspaper industry but with an inherent love of writing, the pen always lay alongside the setting stick/Linotype keyboard and he soon began contributing short editorials for his local paper. In 1969 when Neil Armstrong stepped off his moon ladder, “one short step for mankind” became the foundation for Mike’s article, which set a trend for years to follow, during which time he wrote a series of short pieces for magazines and newspapers.

In later years he lost heart for his trade as it evolved into the electronic era and transferred from the production side of printing to the excitement and trappings that sales offered. Eventually, he brokered his way to a comfortable existence and retired early to nurture his love of writing and concentrate his creative efforts on an idea that had taken root in his mind when he was in his late teens. Fearful of ridicule in his earlier years, the idea remained a closely guarded secret, but an unusual meeting with a stranger would soon lead to its blossoming into The Meadow.

And this is the point where he and Elfreda Pretorius crossed paths. You can learn more about this by watching the video which appears in The Meadow page (A Great Love Story) on this blog site. 

Only recently Mike was involved in the making (or creating) of moving images in film and video. In the course of being a student, a part of the University brief was to produce a short piece of video which centred around him. It could feature any part of his life — either past, present or both. Being the “mature” student that he is, he embarked on a project that he knew none of the other students could follow, simply because they don’t have a long life history behind them that Mike possesses. One day he decided to climb to the top of the tallest building that he could find so that he could reflect on the past 30 odd years of his life (which is as far as the presence of video technology would allow). See what you think when you watch “On Reflection” from the home page.

.

The future?

Writing in some kind of format will always be the catalyst that drives Mike forward. Right now his passion is to share his thoughts with others, thus encouraging interaction and good communication. One way to achieve this is by effective blogging and hopefully, his site will go a long way to help proving that point. As mentioned earlier, there is no desire to profit on a commercial basis. Rewards are varied and a build up of great quality contacts will be reward in itself.

Mike recently immersed himself into a programme of learning based around film making. Within a short time, as little as eight or nine months, he had gained enough experience to be able to handle a video camera, shoot a scene and edit to his satisfaction. Naturally, his involvement will be on-going and soon he hopes to be able to create another avenue of expression — through the lens of life.

Eventually this blog site will be swimming with video clips, put together with a touch of finesse that Mike could never have dreamed a year or so ago. Everything that is filmed will have relevance to this network and it is hoped that visitors will associate themselves and contribute to help, weaving a tapestry that is rich in culture and current events. After all, it’s all about a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

So come on board and comment on Mike’s blogs, telling him what you would like to be hearing, viewing and even fantasising! Why not? Anything is possible this day and age. Mike demonstrated this, along with his writing partner, Elfreda when they wrote The Meadow.

Mike O'Hare -- student, writer, film maker, and blogger extraordinaire

Mike O’Hare welcomes you to interact with him and comment on his blogs and articles

 

MIKE'S PERSONAL LOGO

The rising Phoenix with a symbolic outline of a female’s head inset

In 1986 Mike was under a great deal of stress. His mother was dying of cancer and he was undergoing horrendous business relationships with an equal partner.
.
His mother died, coinciding with his decision to go it alone and break the partnership and form a new business. He commemorated this by designing the above emblem/logo in memory of his late mother and in recognition of a new start in life.
.
It has remained with him and has accompanied many written articles as well as being the company logo on all business administration. 
_____________________________

TELEVISION FIRSTS

.
The first public television pictures were transmitted in 1926.
.
The first TV interview was made with Irish actress Peggy O’Neil in April 1930.
.
The first televised sporting event was a Japanese elementary school baseball game, broadcast in September 1931
.
The first daily broadcast was started by the BBC in November 1936.
.
The first TV commercial was a 20-second ad for a Bulova clock, broadcasted by WNBT, New York during a game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies in July 1941.
.
The first regular TV soap was DuMont TV’s A Woman to Remember, which began its run in February 1947.

_________________________

WHO INVENTED THE PAPER CLIP?

The paper clip

When Johann Vaaler patented his paper clip in 1901, there already were similar designs on the books. William Middlebrook of Waterbury, Connecticut patented his design in 1899. Cornelius Brosnan of Springfield, Massachusetts patented his Konaclip in 1900.
.
So, who was first to invent the paper clip?
.
Well, it is thought to be Johann Vaaler. Drawings of his design date to early 1899, but since Norway had no patent law at the time he had to seek  a patent.
.
Johann Vaaler was born on 15 March 1866 in Aurskog, Norway. Known as an innovator in his youth, he graduated in electronics, science and mathematics. He was employed by the owner of an invention office when he invented the paper clip in 1899. Rights in Germany and the US in the following years.
.
Several designs followed the original. Only a few remain, such as the Ideal, Non-Skid, Owl and Gem. The first double-oval clip, the Gem, was launched in early-1900 by Gem Manufacturing Ltd of England. The paper clip remains as one of the most-used items of all time.

_________________________

MIKE'S PERSONAL LOGO

Variations on a theme

____________________________________


Twitter

Twitter feed

...