David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 3
January 1, 2018
Tuesday Food Blog - More leftovers
Turkey left overs are the butt of many ribald comments both approaching and leaving Christmas lunch. In fact there is now a plethora of advice about what to do with the left overs. I have my own twist that suits my tastes and I offer those now.
Turkey curry with Yorkshire puddings
Ingredients
To make a curry base
1 onion, choppedbutter for frying1 tsp turmeric1 tsp garam marsala1 tsp cumin1 dsp hot curry powder1 clove garlic, choppedturkey meat and vegetables1/2 pint of light stock
Method
Fry the onion, add the spices and season with salt and black pepper.Add the turkey meat and vegetables from Christmas lunch stir and transfer to a saucepan. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, season and then simmer for 30 minutes.
Re-heat the Yorkshire puddings at 220 degrees c for 4 minutes.
Serve as shown in the photograph.
Left over pilaf
This was the left over gravy and vegetables from the above curry with a handful or two of rice thrown in. Cooked for twenty minutes until the rice had absorbed some of the juices. I had removed the turkey meat when serving this previously so that it wasn't being re-heated for the second time. So very much a vegetarian option.
Very tasty.
God Bless
Turkey curry with Yorkshire puddings
Ingredients
To make a curry base
1 onion, choppedbutter for frying1 tsp turmeric1 tsp garam marsala1 tsp cumin1 dsp hot curry powder1 clove garlic, choppedturkey meat and vegetables1/2 pint of light stock
Method
Fry the onion, add the spices and season with salt and black pepper.Add the turkey meat and vegetables from Christmas lunch stir and transfer to a saucepan. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, season and then simmer for 30 minutes.
Re-heat the Yorkshire puddings at 220 degrees c for 4 minutes.
Serve as shown in the photograph.
Left over pilaf
This was the left over gravy and vegetables from the above curry with a handful or two of rice thrown in. Cooked for twenty minutes until the rice had absorbed some of the juices. I had removed the turkey meat when serving this previously so that it wasn't being re-heated for the second time. So very much a vegetarian option.
Very tasty.
God Bless
December 30, 2017
Writing - Be the best you can
Not an unfamiliar statement - 'be the best you can' - and it will mean whatever to whoever is adopting or following that line of thinking. In the case of writers it is also affected by genre and the aims of the writer. For example, if you are aiming for the Man/Booker Prize you will have a different set of steps to follow as opposed to the writer who wants to be a YA millionaire.
My aims were simply to write a book but, as is often the case, nothing is ever that simple.
I achieved my aim but wasn't satisfied for a myriad of reasons so I'm now writing my 12th novel and have been informed that I'm getting better. That means something.Now what I'm striving for is a better novel, whatever that means. It doesn't mean a more critically accepted piece of work, nor does it mean I'm striving to be recognised in the more formal higher planes of the media. What I'm hoping for is to be more entertaining and readily readable to a wider audience.
If you are a writer, or as I see often 'an aspiring writer', know that if your first book is wonderfully accepted and becomes a best seller, you haven't finished. Being a writer is a process where the writer cares about the reader enough to realise that they are never finished learning and so irrespective of initial success will continue to strive for perfection.
Smashwords
Cessation is was my 6th book and I broke away from my Patrick Steele theme to write this dystopian style novel. I have heard it is my best so far, even though I have written five others since. It is currently available until Monday through Smashwords at $0.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/384215
There are offers on some of my other books at the same site.
Please feel free to read excerpts and perhaps purchase books from that organisation.
God Bless
My aims were simply to write a book but, as is often the case, nothing is ever that simple.
I achieved my aim but wasn't satisfied for a myriad of reasons so I'm now writing my 12th novel and have been informed that I'm getting better. That means something.Now what I'm striving for is a better novel, whatever that means. It doesn't mean a more critically accepted piece of work, nor does it mean I'm striving to be recognised in the more formal higher planes of the media. What I'm hoping for is to be more entertaining and readily readable to a wider audience.
If you are a writer, or as I see often 'an aspiring writer', know that if your first book is wonderfully accepted and becomes a best seller, you haven't finished. Being a writer is a process where the writer cares about the reader enough to realise that they are never finished learning and so irrespective of initial success will continue to strive for perfection.
Smashwords
Cessation is was my 6th book and I broke away from my Patrick Steele theme to write this dystopian style novel. I have heard it is my best so far, even though I have written five others since. It is currently available until Monday through Smashwords at $0.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/384215
There are offers on some of my other books at the same site.
Please feel free to read excerpts and perhaps purchase books from that organisation.
God Bless
December 27, 2017
Poetry Thursday 290 - Afters
Having had an excellent Christmas, a purely subjective comment, there comes a time when it is necessary to react. These poems are not supposed to be anything other than a reaction to the antics of this time of year.
[image error]
Twisted Biscuit
When the wind cuts through your coat,as you gaze out at the view,then you know that the clouds float,on turbulent air and then strew,haphazardly across the chill, blue skyto finally disappear from the eye.
Gazing out into the distancethinking obliquely about the vision,your mind interprets each instancedifferently from every other’s decision.Yet we perpetually attempt to agree,that views perceived are the same to you and me.
So consider every view straight and oblique,as you try to appreciate the attitude of others,to be an experience singularly unique,in the minds and eyes of sisters and brothers.So don’t offend with interpretation pivot,from the viewpoint of your twisted biscuit.©David L Atkinson December 2017
Boxing Day
The big day has gone,the big man has been,the big blowout is over,and what have we seen?The bright smiling faces,and distended bellies,empty bank accounts,and worn out tellies.Another good year done,all logistical battles won,now it is time to close the banter,and thank God that He created Santa.©David L Atkinson December 2017
God Bless
[image error]
Twisted Biscuit
When the wind cuts through your coat,as you gaze out at the view,then you know that the clouds float,on turbulent air and then strew,haphazardly across the chill, blue skyto finally disappear from the eye.
Gazing out into the distancethinking obliquely about the vision,your mind interprets each instancedifferently from every other’s decision.Yet we perpetually attempt to agree,that views perceived are the same to you and me.
So consider every view straight and oblique,as you try to appreciate the attitude of others,to be an experience singularly unique,in the minds and eyes of sisters and brothers.So don’t offend with interpretation pivot,from the viewpoint of your twisted biscuit.©David L Atkinson December 2017
Boxing Day
The big day has gone,the big man has been,the big blowout is over,and what have we seen?The bright smiling faces,and distended bellies,empty bank accounts,and worn out tellies.Another good year done,all logistical battles won,now it is time to close the banter,and thank God that He created Santa.©David L Atkinson December 2017
God Bless
December 20, 2017
Poetry Thursday 289 - Christmas v capitalism
Of course it isn't just the spirit of Christmas that has been increasingly tarnished by capitalism but this is the season we're in at the moment.
As a tradition I read A Christmas Carol and watch George C Scott's version of the film in December.
Dark Spirits
The day was in the chill, dank grip of December,the spirits ride the breeze, zephyr-like,searching for the living souls tell-tale ember,to which it will appear dreamlike.
Apparitions at large are of dual nature,both good and evil ready for employment,waiting to project their dose of culture,intended for the recipients deployment.
Success or failure is not in the remit,they will chill or terrify as designed,their function to open hearts and permit,a life more acceptable, resurrected.
Reasoning impossible with a ghost,the wise listen, learn and change,the party at which the spirit is host,will return seasonal happiness within range.© David L Atkinson December 2016
The above was inspired by the 3 ghosts of Christmas
Dazzling Days
Started in September shop floors overflowed,with gold, red, green and glitter,stirring dormant memories suppressedfor a year to allow the mind to recover.
The pressure builds as time goes byto begin to spend hard-earned cash,even though we take time and tryto avoid yet another Christmas big bash.
Emotions run high and provide the forceto ensure recipients have even more,but we worried last year about lasting the course,that made us spend until we abhorred.
The love for Christmas doesn’t come from spending,more from thinking about family and friends.Planning parties, buying presents and card sending,are the important parts rather than the dazzling ends.© David L Atkinson December 2016
The second poem came from seeing Christmas goods on shelves in August!
God Bless
As a tradition I read A Christmas Carol and watch George C Scott's version of the film in December.
Dark Spirits
The day was in the chill, dank grip of December,the spirits ride the breeze, zephyr-like,searching for the living souls tell-tale ember,to which it will appear dreamlike.
Apparitions at large are of dual nature,both good and evil ready for employment,waiting to project their dose of culture,intended for the recipients deployment.
Success or failure is not in the remit,they will chill or terrify as designed,their function to open hearts and permit,a life more acceptable, resurrected.
Reasoning impossible with a ghost,the wise listen, learn and change,the party at which the spirit is host,will return seasonal happiness within range.© David L Atkinson December 2016
The above was inspired by the 3 ghosts of Christmas
Dazzling Days
Started in September shop floors overflowed,with gold, red, green and glitter,stirring dormant memories suppressedfor a year to allow the mind to recover.
The pressure builds as time goes byto begin to spend hard-earned cash,even though we take time and tryto avoid yet another Christmas big bash.
Emotions run high and provide the forceto ensure recipients have even more,but we worried last year about lasting the course,that made us spend until we abhorred.
The love for Christmas doesn’t come from spending,more from thinking about family and friends.Planning parties, buying presents and card sending,are the important parts rather than the dazzling ends.© David L Atkinson December 2016
The second poem came from seeing Christmas goods on shelves in August!
God Bless
December 18, 2017
Tuesday Food Blog - Tasty tea
Sometimes you just don't fancy a big meal. It happens around this time of year when we tend to stuff our faces with turkey and all the trimmings. It is sometimes a relief to have something on toast.
Beans on toast with tamagoyaki
Beans on toast is a pleasant relief to the rich foods but can be a little bland. To liven the meal up I often spread Marmite on the toast but this week I had one egg left and decided to try out a japanese recipe.
Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled egg)
I must say at this stage that tamagoyaki is often served cold and included in children's bento school lunches. I am serving this hot and it more closely resembles an omelette.
Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten1 tsp light soy sauce1/2 tsp sugar1 tbsp cold wateroil for cooking
Method
Beat the egg lightly adding the other ingredients. Heat the oil in the frying pan until very hot. Add a third of the mixture and when it is firm enough roll it and a second third of the mixture. When it is firm place the first roll on the top and roll it. Repeat with the final third of the egg mixture. Roll the existing already cooked egg with the latest layer. Press down and turn to ensure the outside is golden and serve.
I really enjoy this form of omelette as it is a change and is lighter than the ordinary style. There is no butter, no milk and the egg is cooked in olive oil.
I usually double up and use 2 eggs.
God Bless
Beans on toast with tamagoyaki
Beans on toast is a pleasant relief to the rich foods but can be a little bland. To liven the meal up I often spread Marmite on the toast but this week I had one egg left and decided to try out a japanese recipe.
Tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled egg)
I must say at this stage that tamagoyaki is often served cold and included in children's bento school lunches. I am serving this hot and it more closely resembles an omelette.
Ingredients
1 egg, lightly beaten1 tsp light soy sauce1/2 tsp sugar1 tbsp cold wateroil for cooking
Method
Beat the egg lightly adding the other ingredients. Heat the oil in the frying pan until very hot. Add a third of the mixture and when it is firm enough roll it and a second third of the mixture. When it is firm place the first roll on the top and roll it. Repeat with the final third of the egg mixture. Roll the existing already cooked egg with the latest layer. Press down and turn to ensure the outside is golden and serve.
I really enjoy this form of omelette as it is a change and is lighter than the ordinary style. There is no butter, no milk and the egg is cooked in olive oil.
I usually double up and use 2 eggs.
God Bless
December 15, 2017
Writing - Why may the peasants revolt?
The fringe news on the internet is littered with speculation as to the intention and outcomes of this Tory government. Trying to glean the truth from the fake news is quite difficult but there seems to be a strong feeling that the stripping of what little ordinary people possess and giving it to large corporations will be the death knell of this government.
[image error]
On the night of the 13th June 1381, 14 year old king Richard II looked out from the Tower of London to see his city burning and the streets in chaos. Thousands of armed men and women had swarmed into the city over London Bridge to hunt down the lords and officials they called traitors for their corruption and their oppression of the poor.
Almost seven hundred years later I ask what is the difference? Ordinary people have been sold the myth that if you make the rich richer the wealth will trickle down to benefit everyone. Of course this is a blatant lie. As the rich get richer they work harder to retain more of it. Hence the development of tax havens and tax avoidance strategies.
The number of people attending food banks who are in work is growing; the numbers of homeless is on the increase; the number of children growing up in poverty is on the increase; and, the numbers dying as a result of badly made assessments of their ability to work is shameful. We are led to believe that the austerity programme inflicted on the populace is necessary to correct the balance of payments deficit. However, who is the programme applied to? The ordinary working person. Who is allowed to make as much profit as ever and avoid paying fair taxes, the rich, the super rich and huge corporations.
Now if there was a motive for the 21st century peasants to revolt, it is there for all to see. When you consider that over 17 million people voted to leave the EU, many of them are subjected to austerity and have been for 7 years. If what they voted for - to leave the EU - is delayed and fudged, how are they going to react? How will the government handle that number of disaffected citizens?
God help this country if the current government continues.
God Bless
[image error]
On the night of the 13th June 1381, 14 year old king Richard II looked out from the Tower of London to see his city burning and the streets in chaos. Thousands of armed men and women had swarmed into the city over London Bridge to hunt down the lords and officials they called traitors for their corruption and their oppression of the poor.
Almost seven hundred years later I ask what is the difference? Ordinary people have been sold the myth that if you make the rich richer the wealth will trickle down to benefit everyone. Of course this is a blatant lie. As the rich get richer they work harder to retain more of it. Hence the development of tax havens and tax avoidance strategies.
The number of people attending food banks who are in work is growing; the numbers of homeless is on the increase; the number of children growing up in poverty is on the increase; and, the numbers dying as a result of badly made assessments of their ability to work is shameful. We are led to believe that the austerity programme inflicted on the populace is necessary to correct the balance of payments deficit. However, who is the programme applied to? The ordinary working person. Who is allowed to make as much profit as ever and avoid paying fair taxes, the rich, the super rich and huge corporations.
Now if there was a motive for the 21st century peasants to revolt, it is there for all to see. When you consider that over 17 million people voted to leave the EU, many of them are subjected to austerity and have been for 7 years. If what they voted for - to leave the EU - is delayed and fudged, how are they going to react? How will the government handle that number of disaffected citizens?
God help this country if the current government continues.
God Bless
December 13, 2017
Poetry Thursday 288 - Tread Softly
As we go about our daily lives we should consider the consequences of the actions that we take on other people and on our own lives. My worry is that in this society of 'I want what I want and I want it now' - we fling ourselves into crisis management when those chickens we acquire come home to roost.
[image error]
Tread Softly
Did you get out of the wrong side of the bed,or have you walked under a ladder?Have you smashed a mirror instead,or messed up works with a spanner?No matter how bad you feel,the benefits of good news are real.
Have you started the day in a black mood,or snapped at a friend in ire?Do you regret being so rude,and to retract your last words the desire?A gentle smile or warm embrace,will make a better member of the human race.
Do you sometimes wish you’d left kinder footprints,or are ashamed at the impression they made?It would have been beneficial to have a better blueprint,for the whole of this life’s escapade.A greater awareness of others,will produce better brothers.
So carry yourself with honesty and love,that you share readily with all people.Take the lessons learned from how others moved,through their lives fine prequel.Become the best human that you can be,known for your kindness and humility. ©David L Atkinson December 2017
God Bless
[image error]
Tread Softly
Did you get out of the wrong side of the bed,or have you walked under a ladder?Have you smashed a mirror instead,or messed up works with a spanner?No matter how bad you feel,the benefits of good news are real.
Have you started the day in a black mood,or snapped at a friend in ire?Do you regret being so rude,and to retract your last words the desire?A gentle smile or warm embrace,will make a better member of the human race.
Do you sometimes wish you’d left kinder footprints,or are ashamed at the impression they made?It would have been beneficial to have a better blueprint,for the whole of this life’s escapade.A greater awareness of others,will produce better brothers.
So carry yourself with honesty and love,that you share readily with all people.Take the lessons learned from how others moved,through their lives fine prequel.Become the best human that you can be,known for your kindness and humility. ©David L Atkinson December 2017
God Bless
December 11, 2017
Tuesday Food Blog - Cheese and onion flan
The number of onions I was given a week ago is going down slowly. This week I decided to make a flan with the aforementioned vegetable.
Cheese and onion flan
Ingredients
3 medium sized onions, chopped8 eggs200g plain flour100g butter300 ml creme fraichesaltblack pepper300g cheddar cheese, grated3 tbs cold water
Method
For the pastry case
Mix the butter, salt and sugar together with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add the flour, mix thoroughly, add two egg yolks (retain the whites to brush the pastry) and the cold water. Mix thoroughly until a ball of dough is produced. Add water as necessary to produce the ball of dough so that it holds without crumbling or becoming too sticky. Wrap in cling film and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.Grease then sprinkle with flour an 8'' or larger flan dish. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to 5mm thick between two squares of greaseproof paper. Line the flan dish with the pastry and brick the base with a fork then brush with egg white.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
For the filling
While the pastry is in the fridge prepare the filling. Fry off the chopped onions until soft and allow to cool. Beat four eggs and two egg yolks in a bowl and add the creme fraiche, season and add half of the cheese. Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the pastry base, spread the cooled onions over the base and then pour over the egg/creme fraiche mix. Season then add the remaining cheese and place in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes.
This flan can be eaten immediately, or served cold. It will reheat but ensure it is piping hot right through.
God Bless
Cheese and onion flan
Ingredients
3 medium sized onions, chopped8 eggs200g plain flour100g butter300 ml creme fraichesaltblack pepper300g cheddar cheese, grated3 tbs cold water
Method
For the pastry case
Mix the butter, salt and sugar together with a wooden spoon until creamy. Add the flour, mix thoroughly, add two egg yolks (retain the whites to brush the pastry) and the cold water. Mix thoroughly until a ball of dough is produced. Add water as necessary to produce the ball of dough so that it holds without crumbling or becoming too sticky. Wrap in cling film and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes.Grease then sprinkle with flour an 8'' or larger flan dish. Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out to 5mm thick between two squares of greaseproof paper. Line the flan dish with the pastry and brick the base with a fork then brush with egg white.
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius
For the filling
While the pastry is in the fridge prepare the filling. Fry off the chopped onions until soft and allow to cool. Beat four eggs and two egg yolks in a bowl and add the creme fraiche, season and add half of the cheese. Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese over the pastry base, spread the cooled onions over the base and then pour over the egg/creme fraiche mix. Season then add the remaining cheese and place in the oven for 30 - 40 minutes.
This flan can be eaten immediately, or served cold. It will reheat but ensure it is piping hot right through.
God Bless
December 8, 2017
Writing - Negotiating an exit
I am not referring to finding the door when leaving the pub after a good session but rather BREXIT. For the last 18 months we have heard nothing else, almost daily, but there seems to have been a move forward in the last 24 hours. Of course, this is not the first exit. Benjamin Franklin negotiated an exit from the British Empire.
[image error]Benjamin Franklin
So what did Franklin do?
1 Take your sharpest political thinkers.
John Adams a lawyer who led the cry for Independence in 1776. John Jay a congressman and ex-Spanish ambassador. Henry Laurens the richest of them was a slave trader and a rice planter.
It is true that our current negotiators have somewhat different CVs, in fact their credentials are more difficult to ascertain as the loyalty to the party and the leader are serious factors. We citizens of the UK hope that the PM selected a team who were bright enough to protect our best interests.
2 Look after number one.
It was a team that entered negotiations in Paris with Franklin. He couldn't have managed opening negotiations without support from Spain and France. However, once the door was opened the US looked after their interests. They knew that with a negotiated exit from the Empire agreement could only be achieved with agreement the allies. So when Franklin spotted an early opportunity because of other pressures on Britain he dumped the Spanish and French and went ahead on his own.The chances of such an early opportunity arising in Brexit is zero because of the size of the EU but it is to be hoped that our team has the whole of Britain in its mind and not just big business.
3. Make outrageous demands.
Now this is perhaps a position that all negotiators will adopt as the opposition will usually meet you half way. In the current negotiations that is a situation we will probably never find out about. As things are at the moment, the UK seem to be backing down to almost everything.
4. Find common ground.
At this point we are in almost the exact same position that was Franklin's. Trade offs are simply permissions for small bits of concessions such as who can fish the waters off Newfoundland and so on. The trade negotiations will be full of such acts as the fisheries and farming policies will create political arguments.
5. Show of strength
Show no sign of weakness. Franklin was strong on this but in the 21st century May is the opposite.
Finally, the common ground has to be recognised and agreed upon. We know what Benjamin Franklin agreed but what will our leaving the EU look like? We won't know for years.
God Bless
[image error]Benjamin Franklin
So what did Franklin do?
1 Take your sharpest political thinkers.
John Adams a lawyer who led the cry for Independence in 1776. John Jay a congressman and ex-Spanish ambassador. Henry Laurens the richest of them was a slave trader and a rice planter.
It is true that our current negotiators have somewhat different CVs, in fact their credentials are more difficult to ascertain as the loyalty to the party and the leader are serious factors. We citizens of the UK hope that the PM selected a team who were bright enough to protect our best interests.
2 Look after number one.
It was a team that entered negotiations in Paris with Franklin. He couldn't have managed opening negotiations without support from Spain and France. However, once the door was opened the US looked after their interests. They knew that with a negotiated exit from the Empire agreement could only be achieved with agreement the allies. So when Franklin spotted an early opportunity because of other pressures on Britain he dumped the Spanish and French and went ahead on his own.The chances of such an early opportunity arising in Brexit is zero because of the size of the EU but it is to be hoped that our team has the whole of Britain in its mind and not just big business.
3. Make outrageous demands.
Now this is perhaps a position that all negotiators will adopt as the opposition will usually meet you half way. In the current negotiations that is a situation we will probably never find out about. As things are at the moment, the UK seem to be backing down to almost everything.
4. Find common ground.
At this point we are in almost the exact same position that was Franklin's. Trade offs are simply permissions for small bits of concessions such as who can fish the waters off Newfoundland and so on. The trade negotiations will be full of such acts as the fisheries and farming policies will create political arguments.
5. Show of strength
Show no sign of weakness. Franklin was strong on this but in the 21st century May is the opposite.
Finally, the common ground has to be recognised and agreed upon. We know what Benjamin Franklin agreed but what will our leaving the EU look like? We won't know for years.
God Bless
December 6, 2017
Poetry Thursday 287 - Advent
The season of anticipation is here yet again.
Advent
And so the season begins again,the frenetic behaviours claimed for God’s reign.The weather has changed to a persistent chill,fanned by the wind, and rivers the rains fill,threatening to overflow and floodhomes and businesses with filthy mud.Rain clouds blotting out the sun,causing us to dash between the shops at a run.Worrying about how to pay,for the largesse wanted for just one day.Black Friday is over for another year,but did big business really care,for the battling, pushing, chilly queuesof people spending money they could better use.
So we prepare to celebrate the birthof a boy who grew to be of great worth.But how do we recognise that gift of lovein each other, because a boy was sent from above?The internet has facilitated contact by email,more rapid than Her Majesty’s Royal Mail.But do we make less meaningful signs,to friends, acquaintances where before we wrote lines,because we can send wishes with a single click,salving our consciences with this electronic trick.
Would Jesus have railed at people neglect,between friends and relatives and how we selectwhom to send cards to through the post?Are they the ones we love the most?Should we perhaps follow his leadand treat each other according to need.To spread the love to all we know,send messages of hope and even goand visit folk, both friends and neighbourswithout expecting the return of favours.
I fear the Christmas road we’ll travelwill again be of a commercial gravel,and no feather-bed of gentle humanitymeeting at Christmas in holy community.But let us at least try to remember the reason,and enjoy the love of the Christmas season.© David L Atkinson December 2015
I can't let a blog go by without plugging my novel which is available in ebook at Amazon and Smashwords and paperback at completelynovel.com
Steele has to travel back to Japan to justify recent behaviours that may have revealed his connection with the Gurentai. He is given a task to complete that finds him on the ill-fated Flight MH370 in Kuala Lumpur. Hours later he awakens in a cell in a place and country of which he has no knowledge. Being the resourceful man he is, Steele manages to escape and travels north meeting up with his fiancée Naomi Kobayashi in Astana the capital of Kazakhstan. Steele is naturally curious about the fate of the other 238 passengers from the plane which drives him onward to investigate further. He discovers that there are links between Russian organised crime and a Muslim group which stirs fears in his mind regarding the fate of MH370. This causes him to go to the Venice of the North, St Petersburg, where he finds the leader of the Russian mafia and a link with the Muslim pilots of the plane. All does not go well however, and Steele and Kobayashi are captured by their mafia enemy and incarcerated in MH370 on the way to the target that Steele suspected all along – in London.Can Steele extricate himself from this seemingly hopeless situation? Has Steele convinced the Gurentai that he is trustworthy enough to deserve their support?Will Steele manage to deflect the missile in which he is incarcerated from killing thousands in London?This story is a speculative journey based upon the data and misinformation surrounding the loss of Malaysian Flight 370 in March 2014.
But in the spirit of poetry and Christmas.
[image error]Dasher
Reindeer
The seasonal animal being prepared,for the record breaking effort ahead,with the joyful cargo hauled behind,to spread happiness throughout human kind.
Largely gentle but quiet beasts,requiring high energy, daily feasts,they train 11 months of the year,to become Santa’s reindeer.© David L Atkinson December 2015
God Bless
Advent
And so the season begins again,the frenetic behaviours claimed for God’s reign.The weather has changed to a persistent chill,fanned by the wind, and rivers the rains fill,threatening to overflow and floodhomes and businesses with filthy mud.Rain clouds blotting out the sun,causing us to dash between the shops at a run.Worrying about how to pay,for the largesse wanted for just one day.Black Friday is over for another year,but did big business really care,for the battling, pushing, chilly queuesof people spending money they could better use.
So we prepare to celebrate the birthof a boy who grew to be of great worth.But how do we recognise that gift of lovein each other, because a boy was sent from above?The internet has facilitated contact by email,more rapid than Her Majesty’s Royal Mail.But do we make less meaningful signs,to friends, acquaintances where before we wrote lines,because we can send wishes with a single click,salving our consciences with this electronic trick.
Would Jesus have railed at people neglect,between friends and relatives and how we selectwhom to send cards to through the post?Are they the ones we love the most?Should we perhaps follow his leadand treat each other according to need.To spread the love to all we know,send messages of hope and even goand visit folk, both friends and neighbourswithout expecting the return of favours.
I fear the Christmas road we’ll travelwill again be of a commercial gravel,and no feather-bed of gentle humanitymeeting at Christmas in holy community.But let us at least try to remember the reason,and enjoy the love of the Christmas season.© David L Atkinson December 2015
I can't let a blog go by without plugging my novel which is available in ebook at Amazon and Smashwords and paperback at completelynovel.com
Steele has to travel back to Japan to justify recent behaviours that may have revealed his connection with the Gurentai. He is given a task to complete that finds him on the ill-fated Flight MH370 in Kuala Lumpur. Hours later he awakens in a cell in a place and country of which he has no knowledge. Being the resourceful man he is, Steele manages to escape and travels north meeting up with his fiancée Naomi Kobayashi in Astana the capital of Kazakhstan. Steele is naturally curious about the fate of the other 238 passengers from the plane which drives him onward to investigate further. He discovers that there are links between Russian organised crime and a Muslim group which stirs fears in his mind regarding the fate of MH370. This causes him to go to the Venice of the North, St Petersburg, where he finds the leader of the Russian mafia and a link with the Muslim pilots of the plane. All does not go well however, and Steele and Kobayashi are captured by their mafia enemy and incarcerated in MH370 on the way to the target that Steele suspected all along – in London.Can Steele extricate himself from this seemingly hopeless situation? Has Steele convinced the Gurentai that he is trustworthy enough to deserve their support?Will Steele manage to deflect the missile in which he is incarcerated from killing thousands in London?This story is a speculative journey based upon the data and misinformation surrounding the loss of Malaysian Flight 370 in March 2014.
But in the spirit of poetry and Christmas.
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Reindeer
The seasonal animal being prepared,for the record breaking effort ahead,with the joyful cargo hauled behind,to spread happiness throughout human kind.
Largely gentle but quiet beasts,requiring high energy, daily feasts,they train 11 months of the year,to become Santa’s reindeer.© David L Atkinson December 2015
God Bless
