Is your Youtube channel dead? ...and other misconceptions

Dear friends of AlionLive! 

Again people are asking me, when the new video will be uploaded? The answer is, as all the times you asked that question: When the last uploaded video reaches 50 views. I don't think that this number is too high for the decent amount of subscribers I have. I understand well, that, at least the people who just found my channel, need some time to get through the many hours of video on the channel. And so I pretty much know, why the older videos get loads of views, but the recent ones just a few. So, bare with me until that magic number is reached. In some way I am quite thankful, that the views do not rush in like hell. I still have a personal problem (relationship related) and I value the time I have to get things sorted. I am currently not the most efficient guy on the planet. By the way: Somebody asked me recently, what I would do, if one day the views come so fast, that I can't keep up with them. Simple: Then I'll increase the number of necessary views. Some people ask questions... *shakehead*

Nice evening mood on the North Sea bike ride

To give you something to look forward to, what's gonna happen in 2016:

1. Soon the epic North Sea bike ride series will start. I'll see, if I finally get Cimeliums album "Madeira" finished, so I can present it in the series.
2. Just 4 parts (videos) of the Madeira 2014 series left, of which one is already completed and even uploaded to Youtube. You just can't see it, because it is set to "private". Just one click and you'll be able to watch it.
3. After the 2014 series is finished, the 2015 Madeira series will start. I didn't review the video material in detail yet, but I think this one will be great.
4. As soon as I manage to get my bike repaired (it is a bit expensive for a starving artist -> your donation on Paypal to alionsonny@alionsonny.com is more than welcome), I'll do a new type of bike ride series. The difference is, that I will no longer ride somewhere and then back. Instead I'll pack my bike on a train and go somewhere, and then ride back on the bike. This will give us more time to visit some places more detailed.
5. ...and now comes something, some people asked me to do since the very start of the channel. I'll start to do new kinds of videos, not just hikes and bike rides. I did a bit of brainstorming with some folks on the Facebook chat, and here's what we came up with. I very much agree with the folks, that those are some pretty good and fun ideas:

• I take my guitar(s) in front of the camera and cover some of my favorite (maybe also your favorite) songs. I already made a selection of mine and think, that I'll first do some "Queens of the stone age", "Future of the left / Mclusky" and "Gang of four" songs. Recommendations are more than welcome, but will dealt with, once I covered my own favorites.
• Working title "Ask The Alion": I sit in front of the camera and answer some of the frequently asked questions and questions from the comments. Let's more get to know each other.
• Working title "Alion Opinions": Again I sit in front of the camera and talk about what I think about stuff going on in the world. I think this will become a rant-format for most parts ;)
• I'll show you "everyday life" in Germany and maybe teach some basic German.

Nice scary view from the lookout point (glass floor) at the Cabo Girao (Madeira 2015)

 Those are just a few ideas people and me came up with. Feel free to suggest more. Despite those new ideas, do not fear: The old format will be the main format forever. So there will of cause be more hikes and bike rides. And of cause I'll re-visit Madeira. I just have to get the cash together (talking about donations? ;)). And I also would love to visit more places on Earth and take you with me. And it is not just nature. I also want to visit some friends from all over the world. For example: A visit to London is long overdue. I know SO many people there and got invited SO many times, it will be absolutely great. Yeah, you see: Lot's of plans. Let's get rolling!

Current version of the album cover art for Cimelium's "Madeira" album

New Video: Bike Ride Hamburg - Schaalsee 2015 - Last part!

Nice clouds

It slowly becomes a habit, that the new video is announced on the blog, days after the upload. There's lots of stuff to do. We did it again: Another bike ride series is finished. And in retrospect I think that, except for a few weak moments, the result is acceptable. And despite the disappointing east side of the lake, I am planning already to return to the area around Zarrentin, Mölln and Ratzeburg. Why? Because some locals told me, after watching the series, that I missed some important places. That's what always happens, and therefore I must visit each and every place at least twice.

Me on the town square of BÄÄÄÄLAU!

The Plot
Firstonce I would like to  apologize to those who do not appreciate the long monologues by yours truly. In plain English: I really talk a lot in this final part of the epic saga of my bike ride in the year of our Lord 2015 to the shores of Schaalsees. I don't know what happened there, but somehow I was very talkative. This together with the fact that I always do not film much on the way home, ensures that a large part of the video consists of me talking into the camera. Nevertheless, this video will be entertaining for one or two people. Let's see. The first comments are quite nice. Furthermore, I am sorry that the video is somewhat short. I thought it would be longer, but after the editing, what we have now is what remained. And that's what?

We start where we left off last time: At the bridge over the dreaded Elbe-Lübeck canal in the outskirts of Mölln. From there we ride straight to the the world-famous village BÄÄÄLAU (!!!). I know that the use of the, not really funny, Bääälau idiocy is a bit exaggerated, but I could not help it. In Bälau I rest on the picturesque town square where I talk for a long time about Coke in plastic bottles, alternative feeding methods and much more. Then we continue on to Trittau, where I arrive just before closing time and thus loot a 4-pack of finest beer. Accordingly, the next talk-o-mania is not be long in coming. Shortly after Trittau I placed myself on a meadow, and talked again a lot of weird stuff. After only two video settings you see me then AGAIN, and this time in absolute fatigue Zombie mode. And what else? Well, that's it!

Nice evening mood in a forest near Grossensee.

The Soundtrack
 ... comes, once again, from the album "Continuity by alionsonny which, inter alia,  is available for purchase on iTunes (CLICK HERE!) and Google Play (CLICK HERE!), just in case you liked the music. For more links to sources, see the homepage of the album on the alionsonny homepage. The soundtrack in detail:

• 00:00 - Going Bonkers
• 05:04 - Drunken Joe in Love
• 09:40 - Talking Cat
• 14:37 - Madeira

alionsonny - Continuity - Coverart

What's next? 

Next comes the third part of the 13th day of the Madeira Series from 2014, in which we are being chased by dogs, I find Jesus and we visit old friends. And after that starts the epic 7-day bike ride to the North Sea from August 2015. I really look forward to this series, because judging from the video content I examined so far, it looks like this will become the best AlionLive series so far. Would be bad, if not. But now, as always, have fun with the video!