I had a conversation recently with a distinguished and retired media gentleman who drew an analogy between writing his blog and masturbating.

After a brief pause while I attempted to dab the spat-out tea from my shirt, he made some curious explanation about ‘not needing to look your best', which I didn't entirely understand.

But he is of course right but not necessarily for the reason that he gave - as well as there being a large amount of wank published in blogs, both are pastimes that are usually conducted in solitary and largely pass noticed (indicative from the complete lack of attention and comments that they usually attract).

Up until last week I thought the pinnacle of my journalistic career had already passed, when I was allowed to write a weekly column in the Durham student newspaper over 15 years ago.

But that was until I really hit the big time when the BBC rang up demanding my appearance on a live radio show having read something on my blog. And so it was that last week I broadcast to an eager and excited, erm, county on BBC Radio Essex.

Daniel Hannan MEP must be feeling a similar elation with the power of digital media. After the mainsteam media ignored his impassioned speech to Gordon Brown, it has subsequently become a massive hit on YouTube after news of it spread through social media. Given that well over 1m people have now viewed it, news organisations have now deemed that it is news. Such is the power of social media.

Anyway, enough of this. All this staring at the screen writing this blog is making me go blind.