Strange New World

I've been fortunate to become good friends with Peter Oakley, aka YouTube's Geriatric1927. Peter's become an international celebrity over the past year as a result of his heartfelt, personal video recollections. Two weeks ago the AARP brought Peter to Washington, D.C. to participate in their International Day of Older Persons.

Peter is a remarkable man. Here is the latest in our "Peter and Tom" series, in which Peter tells me, completely off-handedly, about his invitation to participate in the 2008 World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland.

We have now come to a point in history where an 80 year-old gentleman from a cottage in the English midlands can get invited to one of the most prestigious global gatherings because of his ability to connect with millions of people through a series of short stories videoed on a camcorder. What a fascinating, strange world we're creating.

Comments

[Johnnie Moore]

That's probably going to be my favourite YouTube, ever. Thanks, Tom, it's brilliant.

[Tom Guarriello]

Thanks, Johnnie. It's hard to go wrong recording one with my pal Peter!

[Eric Shackle]

You may like to read about Olive Riley , Australia’s feisty 107-year-old great-great-grandmother. She will be 108 next Saturday (October 20.

Olive, who is almost certainly the world’s oldest blogger, is probably the world’s oldest YouTuber as well.
She lives in Woy Woy, 80km. (50 miles) north of Sydney. She was born in Broken Hill , a tough mining town in Australia’s parched red centre, in 1899, when Sydney was the capital of the British colony of New South Wales, ruled from London by an aged Queen Victoria.

Olive’s Australia did not exist as a nation until January 1, 1901, when the separate colonies united to form a Federation. Her fascinating life spans three centuries.

Physically frail but mentally alert, Olive raised her three children on her own, survived two world wars , the Great Depression of the 1930s, and worked as a barmaid, an egg sorter, and a
ranch cook in may parts of Australia.

The YouTube item , Olive Riley Returns to Broken Hill , consists of clips taken from her one hour documentary, All About Olive, shown on ABC (Australian) television last year. The film was made by Mike Rubbo who also helps her with the blog.

In the video she recalls how she was teased at school because of her surname (Dangerfield) and how, in frustration, landed a blow that laid her tormenter flat. That and other century-old escapades are re-enacted in the clip.

Olive’s blog, The Life of Riley, has a huge Internet following. Prepared by Rubbo, and based on his interviews with Olive, it attracts hundreds of enthusiastic comments from many countries, and from bloggers of all ages. It’s posted on the Internet at http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/

Links
Olive’s blog http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/
Olive’sYouTube http://www.allaboutolive.com.au/
Mike Rubbo, film maker (Olive’s helper) http://www.mikerubbo.com/
World’s favourite grandma ftp://ftp.bdb.co.za/olive_riley.pdf
Life begins at 80… on the Internet http://bdb.co.za/shackle