David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 10
August 11, 2017
Writing - No limits
So you are in control and no one can tell you what to write.
Scary?
[image error]
I see a number of twitter followers describing themselves as 'aspiring' authors of a variety of genre. It is a difficult place to be. I know an aspiring writer who I think will be very good once she gets beyond the first chapter. Some 'aspirers' become stuck in this first chapter re-write others never get the first word written and I think it may be because they have no limits.
It is rather like being given a free run of your favourite store with no financial limits. Where do you start? In fact creativity has no limits. That is what you are aspiring to do - to be creative.
[image error]Alan Ayckbourn
Alan Ayckbourn was interviewed yesterday about his latest play The Divide. It's a new departure for him in that it is a science fiction play set in England 100 years from now. It concerns a deadly virus which separates men from women. The really inspiring interview he gave had him describing that he had chosen this topic in an effort to attract more younger people to the theatre. What I found really interesting was that he had a stroke a few years ago and was worried that he would have lost the creative spark. In fact he said the spark slowed to a trickle but eventually has returned in full flow. Alan Ayckbourn was born in 1939.
The fact is there are no limits.
I say to the 'aspirers' out there to start. A journey begins with one step and stories begin with the first word, then phrase, then sentence, then paragraph, then chapter; and so on. So please stop aspiring and begin writing.
God Bless
Scary?
[image error]
I see a number of twitter followers describing themselves as 'aspiring' authors of a variety of genre. It is a difficult place to be. I know an aspiring writer who I think will be very good once she gets beyond the first chapter. Some 'aspirers' become stuck in this first chapter re-write others never get the first word written and I think it may be because they have no limits.
It is rather like being given a free run of your favourite store with no financial limits. Where do you start? In fact creativity has no limits. That is what you are aspiring to do - to be creative.
[image error]Alan Ayckbourn
Alan Ayckbourn was interviewed yesterday about his latest play The Divide. It's a new departure for him in that it is a science fiction play set in England 100 years from now. It concerns a deadly virus which separates men from women. The really inspiring interview he gave had him describing that he had chosen this topic in an effort to attract more younger people to the theatre. What I found really interesting was that he had a stroke a few years ago and was worried that he would have lost the creative spark. In fact he said the spark slowed to a trickle but eventually has returned in full flow. Alan Ayckbourn was born in 1939.
The fact is there are no limits.
I say to the 'aspirers' out there to start. A journey begins with one step and stories begin with the first word, then phrase, then sentence, then paragraph, then chapter; and so on. So please stop aspiring and begin writing.
God Bless
August 10, 2017
Writing - Control
Control is a word that generates so much energy in 'anti' feelings in many walks of life. We here about 'controlling relationships on a personal level. There are questions at government level about who controls the power. Control is an issue in organisations such as public transport.
Writers are unique in that they have control over their books, not the publishing of those, but the content.
The photograph shows all the self-published work that has flowed from my metaphorical pen over the last eight years. It is not the sum total as there are hundreds of unpublished poems and three part books, two started and left alone and one that is 15k words in process. As I am not in the hands of agents or publishers who demand changes, remove control from the writer, there is no one else to blame for what is written but me. I'm not being big headed but purely factual. The purpose of this blog is to raise the concept of self-control in writers.
Cessation is the odd one out in my portfolio. My way of writing tends to cede control to the characters that I've created but in the case of this book it was the subject that sparked the inspiration for its existence. So although I was in overall control while writing it the framework on which the story is built came from political pressures at play over the power industry in the UK.
Cessation is not a Steele novel, the other ten are. Patrick Steele tends to be the driver for the works although he is not the only major character in the stories. I'm currently writing a story in which he is involved but having to dance to the tune of an unknown person or group. The story is evolving over the days and as the action develops Steele's sense of frustration grows at the fact that he doesn't know who is in control. As I have written Steele that is a serious issue. He is an obsessive compulsive that needs to take control and in this story there is that conflict. I am hoping the book will be available by Christmas so the outcome will be known by then.
From a political point of view control is levelled at all sorts of groups. I would argue that control has only ever been in one group. Those who have the most money have control. The rest of us dance to their fiscal tune. This has been the case since the magna carta which drew the super rich together and legally, for the first time, limited the power of royalty. Eight hundred years later we have a royal family that is virtually titular and a source of tourist income and a parliament run by millionaires who dance to the tune of super rich and powerful corporations. These corporations have done what all dictatorships need to do to seize control of countries. The beginning point is to control the flow of information, ie the media. Secondly, you need control of the armed forces. This second point has been expertly dealt with by the UK government where by withdrawal of funding the armed forces have been rendered impotent.
To change the situation so that the ordinary people of the country have true influence, the first past the post voting system needs to be changed to proportional representation; the holding of second jobs by MPs needs to be banned so that vested interests have no power in Whitehall; and, the importance of the welfare state needs to be the lead driver over the direction in which this country is taking. The manufacturing industries need to be reinstated so that there are products for others round the world to want to buy and so that more people of the UK have gainful employment.
If you gave me control, England would be a kinder and fairer place to live.
Remember I write fiction!!!!!
God Bless
Writers are unique in that they have control over their books, not the publishing of those, but the content.
The photograph shows all the self-published work that has flowed from my metaphorical pen over the last eight years. It is not the sum total as there are hundreds of unpublished poems and three part books, two started and left alone and one that is 15k words in process. As I am not in the hands of agents or publishers who demand changes, remove control from the writer, there is no one else to blame for what is written but me. I'm not being big headed but purely factual. The purpose of this blog is to raise the concept of self-control in writers.
Cessation is the odd one out in my portfolio. My way of writing tends to cede control to the characters that I've created but in the case of this book it was the subject that sparked the inspiration for its existence. So although I was in overall control while writing it the framework on which the story is built came from political pressures at play over the power industry in the UK.
Cessation is not a Steele novel, the other ten are. Patrick Steele tends to be the driver for the works although he is not the only major character in the stories. I'm currently writing a story in which he is involved but having to dance to the tune of an unknown person or group. The story is evolving over the days and as the action develops Steele's sense of frustration grows at the fact that he doesn't know who is in control. As I have written Steele that is a serious issue. He is an obsessive compulsive that needs to take control and in this story there is that conflict. I am hoping the book will be available by Christmas so the outcome will be known by then.
From a political point of view control is levelled at all sorts of groups. I would argue that control has only ever been in one group. Those who have the most money have control. The rest of us dance to their fiscal tune. This has been the case since the magna carta which drew the super rich together and legally, for the first time, limited the power of royalty. Eight hundred years later we have a royal family that is virtually titular and a source of tourist income and a parliament run by millionaires who dance to the tune of super rich and powerful corporations. These corporations have done what all dictatorships need to do to seize control of countries. The beginning point is to control the flow of information, ie the media. Secondly, you need control of the armed forces. This second point has been expertly dealt with by the UK government where by withdrawal of funding the armed forces have been rendered impotent.
To change the situation so that the ordinary people of the country have true influence, the first past the post voting system needs to be changed to proportional representation; the holding of second jobs by MPs needs to be banned so that vested interests have no power in Whitehall; and, the importance of the welfare state needs to be the lead driver over the direction in which this country is taking. The manufacturing industries need to be reinstated so that there are products for others round the world to want to buy and so that more people of the UK have gainful employment.
If you gave me control, England would be a kinder and fairer place to live.
Remember I write fiction!!!!!
God Bless
August 9, 2017
Poetry Thursday 272 - Strangers
Poetry is an askance way of looking at the world. Sometimes its like looking at a familiar view and squinting which may reveal something that has previously gone unseen.
Strange
If it’s not familiar it is strange.To others, our ‘strange’ is their familiar.This subject is of limitless range,the nature of each example, peculiar.
Strange levers us out of a comfort zone,that allows us to relax and be confident,but outside, nerves jangle and cover’s blown,affecting performance and judgement.
Embrace the differences we observe,learn from others’ experiences.Don’t be afraid of the different curve,and slacken the twist in your britches.©David L Atkinson August 2017
Then there are the strange behaviours exhibited by Kim Jong Un
and Donald Trump and it reminded me of the tenseness between Nikita Kruschev and John F Kennedy in the 1960s.
[image error]
UnTrump
Two men of very different cut,stubbornly pursuing their aim,amusing watching two goats butt,when over, who will we blame?
Like Mohammed moving a mountain,they push and shove each other,but will one take precipitate action,and who will be the ones to suffer?
In battles between inflated egoscollateral damage may be legion,but history tells that’s the way war goes,this time not mud but an overheated region.
Ordinary people will be the price,perhaps there’ll be even greater damage,to this good Earth and all animal life,if Un and Trump don’t dump baggage.©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
Strange
If it’s not familiar it is strange.To others, our ‘strange’ is their familiar.This subject is of limitless range,the nature of each example, peculiar.
Strange levers us out of a comfort zone,that allows us to relax and be confident,but outside, nerves jangle and cover’s blown,affecting performance and judgement.
Embrace the differences we observe,learn from others’ experiences.Don’t be afraid of the different curve,and slacken the twist in your britches.©David L Atkinson August 2017
Then there are the strange behaviours exhibited by Kim Jong Un
and Donald Trump and it reminded me of the tenseness between Nikita Kruschev and John F Kennedy in the 1960s.
[image error]
UnTrump
Two men of very different cut,stubbornly pursuing their aim,amusing watching two goats butt,when over, who will we blame?
Like Mohammed moving a mountain,they push and shove each other,but will one take precipitate action,and who will be the ones to suffer?
In battles between inflated egoscollateral damage may be legion,but history tells that’s the way war goes,this time not mud but an overheated region.
Ordinary people will be the price,perhaps there’ll be even greater damage,to this good Earth and all animal life,if Un and Trump don’t dump baggage.©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
August 8, 2017
Writing - What is the truth?
My father was an avid follower of the news and current affairs but with a cautionary approach.
One of the tenets he drilled into me was that you shouldn't automatically believe everything you read or see in the news.You may ask yourselves, and I have posed this question to myself, what do you believe?
It is very difficult to provide an answer but I would say that if our media doesn't always tell the truth it is sometimes a sin of omission rather than an attempt to deliberately mislead the populace. Of course that depends very much on the country in which you live. I believe that there is a high degree of naivety in the UK when it comes to this topic. Many people believe that if it is seen on the BBC it must be true.As an example you just need to look at the treatment of Jeremy Corbyn in the last election campaign. He was almost ridiculed by the BBC to the point where people were referring to him as an idiot and unsuitable for the post of Prime Minister without a shred of evidence but for the voice of the media.
In fact if they took the time to research the man they would be astonished at the achievements for peace and more that he has brokered round the world, and what a superb public speaker he is.
I'm not selling the labour party but the need for open honest reporting in the media. This is, in my opinion, why the social media has had such an influence on a range of matters across the world. What I would argue for is a media system that was not owned by billionaire corporations or political parties but independently run, state funded but with citizen control.
During this year alone there have been countless examples of biased reporting and articles omitted because politically they lean this way or that. We will find out the truth when 30 years has past and documents become available for public scrutiny.
If you use social media please be fair and honest.
God Bless
One of the tenets he drilled into me was that you shouldn't automatically believe everything you read or see in the news.You may ask yourselves, and I have posed this question to myself, what do you believe?
It is very difficult to provide an answer but I would say that if our media doesn't always tell the truth it is sometimes a sin of omission rather than an attempt to deliberately mislead the populace. Of course that depends very much on the country in which you live. I believe that there is a high degree of naivety in the UK when it comes to this topic. Many people believe that if it is seen on the BBC it must be true.As an example you just need to look at the treatment of Jeremy Corbyn in the last election campaign. He was almost ridiculed by the BBC to the point where people were referring to him as an idiot and unsuitable for the post of Prime Minister without a shred of evidence but for the voice of the media.
In fact if they took the time to research the man they would be astonished at the achievements for peace and more that he has brokered round the world, and what a superb public speaker he is.
I'm not selling the labour party but the need for open honest reporting in the media. This is, in my opinion, why the social media has had such an influence on a range of matters across the world. What I would argue for is a media system that was not owned by billionaire corporations or political parties but independently run, state funded but with citizen control.
During this year alone there have been countless examples of biased reporting and articles omitted because politically they lean this way or that. We will find out the truth when 30 years has past and documents become available for public scrutiny.
If you use social media please be fair and honest.
God Bless
August 7, 2017
Tuesday Food Blog - What are we?
I saw the Food section of the bbc.co.uk website this morning and could have been forgiven for thinking that I no longer qualify as a member of the group homo sapiens!
Title: 11 ways to eat Italian without meat!!!!!
I know variety is the spice of life but Italian dishes with out meat - why?
And
Healthy versions of your favourite takeaways.
The chances are that if you make a healthy version the food will no longer have that je ne sais quoi that makes it your favourite.
But back to the biological question.
any individual of the genus Homo, especially a member of the species Homo sapiens.
So that is the group we belong to so what about nutrition?
Balanced Diet
Nutrients are the substances in food that maintain the body and make it work. Most of what one eats is made up of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Nutrients needed in smaller amounts, but still vital, are vitamins and minerals. Also on the list are fiber and water. Our diet should comprise a mix of foods that supply all necessary nutrients in the right amounts.
Now let's have a look at protein.
Proteins:Rich sources of proteins are fish, lean meat, poultry, and beans. Once digested, proteins supply the body with amino acids. These building blocks are reassembled by cells into different proteins used for construction such as enzymes, and a myriad of other roles.
We are in fact omnivores, creatures designed to eat everything and anything. There are some people and organisations that would have you believe that animal protein is bad for us. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
Within that you can choose all types of meat some of which is too fatty but even then fat is part of a balanced diet.
My family going back to the 19th century. The oldest, seated gentleman was born in 1853 and was my great grandfather. All the folks in the pic were born before nutrition became a newsworthy subject.
Enjoy your tea.
God Bless
Title: 11 ways to eat Italian without meat!!!!!
I know variety is the spice of life but Italian dishes with out meat - why?
And
Healthy versions of your favourite takeaways.
The chances are that if you make a healthy version the food will no longer have that je ne sais quoi that makes it your favourite.
But back to the biological question.
any individual of the genus Homo, especially a member of the species Homo sapiens.
So that is the group we belong to so what about nutrition?
Balanced Diet
Nutrients are the substances in food that maintain the body and make it work. Most of what one eats is made up of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Nutrients needed in smaller amounts, but still vital, are vitamins and minerals. Also on the list are fiber and water. Our diet should comprise a mix of foods that supply all necessary nutrients in the right amounts.
Now let's have a look at protein.
Proteins:Rich sources of proteins are fish, lean meat, poultry, and beans. Once digested, proteins supply the body with amino acids. These building blocks are reassembled by cells into different proteins used for construction such as enzymes, and a myriad of other roles.
We are in fact omnivores, creatures designed to eat everything and anything. There are some people and organisations that would have you believe that animal protein is bad for us. THIS IS NOT TRUE.
Within that you can choose all types of meat some of which is too fatty but even then fat is part of a balanced diet.
My family going back to the 19th century. The oldest, seated gentleman was born in 1853 and was my great grandfather. All the folks in the pic were born before nutrition became a newsworthy subject.
Enjoy your tea.
God Bless
August 5, 2017
10 Things we didn't know last week
I haven't checked the list of dubious news items for a while so for a change here we go.
[image error]
1. Puppies have a stroppy teenage phase around the age of eight months.
You can see it in the face
---------------------------------
[image error]
2. More than half of the UK's international airports lack free drinking water fountains.
And I am bothered because?
---------------------------------
[image error]
3. More than 2,500 grocery products have been subject to so-called "shrinkflation" in the past five years.
And I thought it was my eye sight
---------------------------------
[image error]
4. One fifth of the world's superyachts are made in the Italian coastal town of Viareggio.
Looks great
---------------------------------
[image error]
5. The US military spends almost $42m (£32m) a year on the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra.
Stand up and be counted
---------------------------------
[image error]
6. There is a bin which turns kitchen waste into plant food.
Waste not want not
---------------------------------
7. More than one quarter of food outlets in England are takeaways.
You can even take beer home in cartons from my local!
---------------------------------
[image error]
8. Forty per cent of America's gun owners have not received formal firearms training.
Apologies to my American friends but if you put them in everyone's hands there will be disasters.
---------------------------------
[image error]
9. The Time Lord's name is Doctor Who, not the Doctor.
Who cares?
---------------------------------
[image error]
10. There is a dating app just for verified Twitter users.
Love in 140 characters
---------------------------------
God Bless
[image error]
1. Puppies have a stroppy teenage phase around the age of eight months.
You can see it in the face
---------------------------------
[image error]
2. More than half of the UK's international airports lack free drinking water fountains.
And I am bothered because?
---------------------------------
[image error]
3. More than 2,500 grocery products have been subject to so-called "shrinkflation" in the past five years.
And I thought it was my eye sight
---------------------------------
[image error]
4. One fifth of the world's superyachts are made in the Italian coastal town of Viareggio.
Looks great
---------------------------------
[image error]
5. The US military spends almost $42m (£32m) a year on the erectile dysfunction medication Viagra.
Stand up and be counted
---------------------------------
[image error]
6. There is a bin which turns kitchen waste into plant food.
Waste not want not
---------------------------------
7. More than one quarter of food outlets in England are takeaways.
You can even take beer home in cartons from my local!
---------------------------------
[image error]
8. Forty per cent of America's gun owners have not received formal firearms training.
Apologies to my American friends but if you put them in everyone's hands there will be disasters.
---------------------------------
[image error]
9. The Time Lord's name is Doctor Who, not the Doctor.
Who cares?
---------------------------------
[image error]
10. There is a dating app just for verified Twitter users.
Love in 140 characters
---------------------------------
God Bless
August 3, 2017
Writing - How things don't change
I have heard it said that the signing of the Magna Carta was the beginning of Democracy. That may or may not be true for what sort of democracy do we have?
[image error]Aristocracy
The purpose of the historical document was to limit the power of the monarch and was put together by the aristocracy. It purportedly introduced a legal system whereby people could be tried by their peers. Of course in the 13th century that didn't include women or the lower classes.
So how is it different today?
Things are much more complicated nowadays but the underlying aristocratic structure is still driving the so-called 'civilised world'.
An example:
Fracking - there is a committee of 4 people put together by the House of Lords to examine the benefits or otherwise of this controversial process. Each one of those 4 have vested interests in fracking companies!
That is fairly typical of the Tory dictatorship under which we are currently suffering. The slightly worrying aspect is the sudden appearance of the following expert submission that popped up when I was looking for the make-up of the Lord's Select Committee.
House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee The economic impact on UK energy policy of shale gas and oil Written evidence submitted by David K. Smythe BSc, PhD Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, University of Glasgow Address : La Fontenille, 1, rue du Couchant, 11120 Ventenac en Minervois, France Summary The geology of the US shale basins is fundamentally different from western Europe. The UK shale basins are heavily faulted, from the shale layer right to the surface, in contrast to those of the USA. Pre-existing faults provide a potential fast-track pathway for fracking fluid and produced gas to escape upwards into drinking water aquifers and even to the surface This fault-leak problem associated with fracking has been recognised in France and Germany, but not in the UK. The current UK regulatory regime is ill-equipped to deal with this problem. Fracking for gas or oil should be banned in areas of complex faulted geology; in effect this means an overall ban in the UK. There will be no 'shale gas revolution' in the UK because in complex geology the production process is uneconomic.
A damning report in itself but even more worrying when it seems not to have been published for public consumption.
Just to clarify
Baron Hollick - Shares in a US company with shale gas investments.
Lord Skidelsky - Holds interest in a venture capital company that has shares in oil and gas firms.
Lord McFall - holds investments in FTI consulting who are fracking industry advisors.
Baroness Noakes - Has shares in at least 3 companies with investments in shale gas.
I'm not complaining about the fact that these four are peers, they are members of the upper house of government. However, they cannot claim no vested interest.
This blog did not come about because of objection to fracking but rather because of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele.
[image error]Passchendaele 1917
It is a battle that probably should never have taken place. It was at a point in the 'war to end all wars' when the UK and its allies changed from being the defenders to becoming the aggressors. There have been many criticisms over the last century as to why this war continued and for whom. As is often the case, it happened with the first Iraq war in the early nineties, the reason then was oil and probably arms and not the undemocratic suppression of ordinary people as we were led to believe.
Although I'm a self-confessed conspiracy theorist it is because I have a deep suspicion of the media which is controlled by corporate business with vested interests. Every time confidential documents pass the 30 year rule and become public there are shocking revelations of 'the truth'.
Don't believe everything you read but in the case of WWI read Seigfried Sassoon.
[image error]Siegfried Sassoon
AttackBY SIEGFRIED SASSOONAt dawn the ridge emerges massed and dun In the wild purple of the glow'ring sun, Smouldering through spouts of drifting smoke that shroud The menacing scarred slope; and, one by one, Tanks creep and topple forward to the wire. The barrage roars and lifts. Then, clumsily bowed With bombs and guns and shovels and battle-gear, Men jostle and climb to, meet the bristling fire. Lines of grey, muttering faces, masked with fear, They leave their trenches, going over the top, While time ticks blank and busy on their wrists, And hope, with furtive eyes and grappling fists, Flounders in mud. O Jesus, make it stop!
God Bless
[image error]Aristocracy
The purpose of the historical document was to limit the power of the monarch and was put together by the aristocracy. It purportedly introduced a legal system whereby people could be tried by their peers. Of course in the 13th century that didn't include women or the lower classes.
So how is it different today?
Things are much more complicated nowadays but the underlying aristocratic structure is still driving the so-called 'civilised world'.
An example:
Fracking - there is a committee of 4 people put together by the House of Lords to examine the benefits or otherwise of this controversial process. Each one of those 4 have vested interests in fracking companies!
That is fairly typical of the Tory dictatorship under which we are currently suffering. The slightly worrying aspect is the sudden appearance of the following expert submission that popped up when I was looking for the make-up of the Lord's Select Committee.
House of Lords Economic Affairs Select Committee The economic impact on UK energy policy of shale gas and oil Written evidence submitted by David K. Smythe BSc, PhD Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, University of Glasgow Address : La Fontenille, 1, rue du Couchant, 11120 Ventenac en Minervois, France Summary The geology of the US shale basins is fundamentally different from western Europe. The UK shale basins are heavily faulted, from the shale layer right to the surface, in contrast to those of the USA. Pre-existing faults provide a potential fast-track pathway for fracking fluid and produced gas to escape upwards into drinking water aquifers and even to the surface This fault-leak problem associated with fracking has been recognised in France and Germany, but not in the UK. The current UK regulatory regime is ill-equipped to deal with this problem. Fracking for gas or oil should be banned in areas of complex faulted geology; in effect this means an overall ban in the UK. There will be no 'shale gas revolution' in the UK because in complex geology the production process is uneconomic.
A damning report in itself but even more worrying when it seems not to have been published for public consumption.
Just to clarify
Baron Hollick - Shares in a US company with shale gas investments.
Lord Skidelsky - Holds interest in a venture capital company that has shares in oil and gas firms.
Lord McFall - holds investments in FTI consulting who are fracking industry advisors.
Baroness Noakes - Has shares in at least 3 companies with investments in shale gas.
I'm not complaining about the fact that these four are peers, they are members of the upper house of government. However, they cannot claim no vested interest.
This blog did not come about because of objection to fracking but rather because of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele.
[image error]Passchendaele 1917
It is a battle that probably should never have taken place. It was at a point in the 'war to end all wars' when the UK and its allies changed from being the defenders to becoming the aggressors. There have been many criticisms over the last century as to why this war continued and for whom. As is often the case, it happened with the first Iraq war in the early nineties, the reason then was oil and probably arms and not the undemocratic suppression of ordinary people as we were led to believe.
Although I'm a self-confessed conspiracy theorist it is because I have a deep suspicion of the media which is controlled by corporate business with vested interests. Every time confidential documents pass the 30 year rule and become public there are shocking revelations of 'the truth'.
Don't believe everything you read but in the case of WWI read Seigfried Sassoon.
[image error]Siegfried Sassoon
AttackBY SIEGFRIED SASSOONAt dawn the ridge emerges massed and dun In the wild purple of the glow'ring sun, Smouldering through spouts of drifting smoke that shroud The menacing scarred slope; and, one by one, Tanks creep and topple forward to the wire. The barrage roars and lifts. Then, clumsily bowed With bombs and guns and shovels and battle-gear, Men jostle and climb to, meet the bristling fire. Lines of grey, muttering faces, masked with fear, They leave their trenches, going over the top, While time ticks blank and busy on their wrists, And hope, with furtive eyes and grappling fists, Flounders in mud. O Jesus, make it stop!
God Bless
August 2, 2017
Poetry Thursday 271 - Family
I had a visit from my cousin this week. We haven't seen each other for years but have been researching family history which provoked this week's offering. Connections are so important.
Family
Not the strongest in the world,nor the weakest example,the family tree like an onion unfurled,describes that connections are ample.
Saying family is strong doesn’t make it so,the test is in the bonds that keepthe units bridging all they know,of the individuals stretching back into sleep.
The invisible glue that binds that tribe,exists in the genetic make-up,that has run through eons to describe,what one researches when looking for back-up.©David L Atkinson August 2017
[image error]
Family at War
The war is long gone – one hundred years,yet still provokes heart felt tears,when considering the rends to families,because a battle induced life’s bogeys.Letters home presaging own death,received by relatives with bated breath,then the predicted final injuries,but without confirmation of bodies.When the dogs instigate their wars,it is without the fear of personal sores,they know it is the common man,who will pay the price for their violent plan.And so those left at home with soaring rent,and the shortages because war has spent,what little resources the country had left,receive the official telegram to say family’s cleft.©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
Family
Not the strongest in the world,nor the weakest example,the family tree like an onion unfurled,describes that connections are ample.
Saying family is strong doesn’t make it so,the test is in the bonds that keepthe units bridging all they know,of the individuals stretching back into sleep.
The invisible glue that binds that tribe,exists in the genetic make-up,that has run through eons to describe,what one researches when looking for back-up.©David L Atkinson August 2017
[image error]
Family at War
The war is long gone – one hundred years,yet still provokes heart felt tears,when considering the rends to families,because a battle induced life’s bogeys.Letters home presaging own death,received by relatives with bated breath,then the predicted final injuries,but without confirmation of bodies.When the dogs instigate their wars,it is without the fear of personal sores,they know it is the common man,who will pay the price for their violent plan.And so those left at home with soaring rent,and the shortages because war has spent,what little resources the country had left,receive the official telegram to say family’s cleft.©David L Atkinson August 2017
God Bless
August 1, 2017
Writing - Halifax Piece Hall
When you hear the name you should be forgiven thinking that the hall had something to do with the peace of the nation when in fact 'Piece' refers to pieces of cloth. In fact the Piece Hall was a cloth hall where material was bought to be used in manufacture of clothing and more.
Piece Hall est 1779
The Piece Hall is a Grade I listed building in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was built as a cloth hall for handloom weavers to sell the woollen cloth "pieces" they had produced. The hall was opened in 1779 when George III was on the English throne. The weavers were operating what was effectively a cottage industry which was brought together by the building of the cloth hall.
[image error]
Yorkshire Rose
August 1st is Yorkshire Day and it is appropriate that one of the iconic buildings in the county is opened once again on this day.
The following photographs were taken on the day and show big crowds of visitors, the West Yorkshire Police Brass Band and the grandeur of the structure itself.
I always feel when I see this view of 'dark satanic mills'. The church spire is outside the hall but the dark hillside behind always seems to be foreboding. The same spire also messes with the scale of the Piece Hall. If you look at the size of the people the true scale is made more clear.
They are not altogether visible but the West Yorkshire Police Brass Band are playing in the far corner of the hall. They are one of many brass bands in the county and performed very well.
This final photograph was taken to show the linear scale of the Piece Hall. Once again using the people as a yardstick shows the sheer size of the Halifax Piece Hall.
God Bless
Piece Hall est 1779
The Piece Hall is a Grade I listed building in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was built as a cloth hall for handloom weavers to sell the woollen cloth "pieces" they had produced. The hall was opened in 1779 when George III was on the English throne. The weavers were operating what was effectively a cottage industry which was brought together by the building of the cloth hall.
[image error]
Yorkshire Rose
August 1st is Yorkshire Day and it is appropriate that one of the iconic buildings in the county is opened once again on this day.
The following photographs were taken on the day and show big crowds of visitors, the West Yorkshire Police Brass Band and the grandeur of the structure itself.
I always feel when I see this view of 'dark satanic mills'. The church spire is outside the hall but the dark hillside behind always seems to be foreboding. The same spire also messes with the scale of the Piece Hall. If you look at the size of the people the true scale is made more clear.
They are not altogether visible but the West Yorkshire Police Brass Band are playing in the far corner of the hall. They are one of many brass bands in the county and performed very well.
This final photograph was taken to show the linear scale of the Piece Hall. Once again using the people as a yardstick shows the sheer size of the Halifax Piece Hall.
God Bless
July 27, 2017
Writing - Personal transport
Yesterday our pussy-footing government announced that no petrol or diesel vehicles will be made after 2040. That puts us behind France and a long way behind Norway. In fact I've already heard this described as a redundant deadline.
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In other words the decision will be long made irrelevant by the pace of change in the rest of the world. So what will life be like without our carbon based fuel guzzling behemoths?
[image error]Writers will be required to examine our lives in 20 years time and the decisions that get us to wherever that will be in terms of personal transport.
I, Robot
Of course many cinematic representations of future transport have been produced already a number involving flying vehicles. If you wish to see something akin to the picture above then there are two films that come to mind.
In I, Robot starring Will Smith, the cars run on the roads but there are subtle differences. They have the option of manual driving or allowing the central computer to take control. If the car crashes it fills with foam which protects the passengers. Method of propulsion is not specified but Brigitte Moynahan comments negatively about riding on Will Smith's petrol driven motorbike.
[image error]Demolition Man (1993) vehicle
In Stallone's film, Demolition Man, the cars were almost definitely electric, there was also manual or computer control and they look similar to those in I, Robot. The bottom line seems to be that writers have been predicting what the technologists have eventually worked towards for years.
So where to next?
Well there was a flying Delorean in Back to the Future and a soaring Ford Anglia in Harry Potter's Chamber of Secrets.
[image error]
The cars in Total Recall were somewhat more futuristic but what will we drive in 20 years time?
Will we own our own cars or simply hire them when necessary?
They will undoubtedly be electric but will there be Maglev cars running around our towns and cities?
The choice is up to us.
God Bless
[image error]
In other words the decision will be long made irrelevant by the pace of change in the rest of the world. So what will life be like without our carbon based fuel guzzling behemoths?
[image error]Writers will be required to examine our lives in 20 years time and the decisions that get us to wherever that will be in terms of personal transport.
I, RobotOf course many cinematic representations of future transport have been produced already a number involving flying vehicles. If you wish to see something akin to the picture above then there are two films that come to mind.
In I, Robot starring Will Smith, the cars run on the roads but there are subtle differences. They have the option of manual driving or allowing the central computer to take control. If the car crashes it fills with foam which protects the passengers. Method of propulsion is not specified but Brigitte Moynahan comments negatively about riding on Will Smith's petrol driven motorbike.
[image error]Demolition Man (1993) vehicle
In Stallone's film, Demolition Man, the cars were almost definitely electric, there was also manual or computer control and they look similar to those in I, Robot. The bottom line seems to be that writers have been predicting what the technologists have eventually worked towards for years.
So where to next?
Well there was a flying Delorean in Back to the Future and a soaring Ford Anglia in Harry Potter's Chamber of Secrets.
[image error]
The cars in Total Recall were somewhat more futuristic but what will we drive in 20 years time?
Will we own our own cars or simply hire them when necessary?
They will undoubtedly be electric but will there be Maglev cars running around our towns and cities?
The choice is up to us.
God Bless
