David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 71
September 6, 2015
Writing - Unlocking your creativity
It is believed that everyone is creative but some are overtly so and others need help to release their creativity.
[image error]
The medium through which creativity can be expressed will vary from person to person. It may be through art, music, writing a book or even solving a tricky work problem through creative thinking.
Creativity is generally said to be making something original and of value to yourself or others. To do this, it’s important you really know and understand your subject. One person who showed that practise is important was the artist Pablo Picasso. He is famous for creating daring new painting styles, but it wasn’t by accident. He spent years experimenting with the already established conventions of art, eventually producing ground-breaking works like Les Demoiselles d'Avignon which involved months of revisions.
As we who have produced a finished work of art, rarely does the completed article appear at the first attempt. There are several methods you can employ to improve your practise. A way you can stimulate your creativity is by learning from others in your field. Creative writing courses stress the importance of writing about what you know, writing regularly, keeping a notebook to record observations, and using the traits of people you know to create new characters.
[image error]
As hinted at above creativity isn't just about the arts. It can help at work, some say you're thinking outside the box, and in science. Albert Einstein believed that inspiration and intuition help with solving scientific problems. He studied physics, but used his creativity to produce his Theory of Relativity.
[image error]
There are numerous ways of releasing the inner creative but one factor is to love what you are creating and the way in which the end product is attained. It is also said that you should be daring. By taking risks we are stretching the sides of that imagined box that so many refer to and that is only possible if you can create alternative solutions in your mind.Following the practice of others is also a possible source of inspiration. It isn't copying, per se, but as the saying goes, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
One of the lessons that I've learned since publishing writing is to ignore the opinions of others. You can't avoid those opinions but what you have produced belongs to you and is from inside you therefore even though it may not be the best of whatever it worked for you. Something that I find difficult is to ignore those opinions and that is my problem but it stems from a feeling that negative criticism is a personal attack. In some ways it is because I have no trust of people and their motives. This is not an attitude I suggest you adopt as it is damaging.
God Bless
[image error]
The medium through which creativity can be expressed will vary from person to person. It may be through art, music, writing a book or even solving a tricky work problem through creative thinking.
Creativity is generally said to be making something original and of value to yourself or others. To do this, it’s important you really know and understand your subject. One person who showed that practise is important was the artist Pablo Picasso. He is famous for creating daring new painting styles, but it wasn’t by accident. He spent years experimenting with the already established conventions of art, eventually producing ground-breaking works like Les Demoiselles d'Avignon which involved months of revisions.
As we who have produced a finished work of art, rarely does the completed article appear at the first attempt. There are several methods you can employ to improve your practise. A way you can stimulate your creativity is by learning from others in your field. Creative writing courses stress the importance of writing about what you know, writing regularly, keeping a notebook to record observations, and using the traits of people you know to create new characters.
[image error]
As hinted at above creativity isn't just about the arts. It can help at work, some say you're thinking outside the box, and in science. Albert Einstein believed that inspiration and intuition help with solving scientific problems. He studied physics, but used his creativity to produce his Theory of Relativity.
[image error]
There are numerous ways of releasing the inner creative but one factor is to love what you are creating and the way in which the end product is attained. It is also said that you should be daring. By taking risks we are stretching the sides of that imagined box that so many refer to and that is only possible if you can create alternative solutions in your mind.Following the practice of others is also a possible source of inspiration. It isn't copying, per se, but as the saying goes, imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.
One of the lessons that I've learned since publishing writing is to ignore the opinions of others. You can't avoid those opinions but what you have produced belongs to you and is from inside you therefore even though it may not be the best of whatever it worked for you. Something that I find difficult is to ignore those opinions and that is my problem but it stems from a feeling that negative criticism is a personal attack. In some ways it is because I have no trust of people and their motives. This is not an attitude I suggest you adopt as it is damaging.
God Bless
September 5, 2015
Writing - 10 things for the beginning of September
A collection of the weird and wonderful that at times beggars belief.
1. Silk can be made from the solidified saliva of a clam.
In all fairness how on earth does anyone find that out?
-------------------------------
2. Tech start-ups valued at $1bn or more are known as "unicorns".
-------------------------------
3. A gentle jolt of electricity can be used to help someone's muscles learn a new skill.
How big a jolt?
-------------------------------
4. There is a computer algorithm that can recreate a Van Gogh painting in 60 minutes.
But how good is it or is the revered artist spinning in his grave?
-------------------------------
[image error]
5. A starfish-killing robot could help save the Great Barrier Reef.
What about the poor starfish?
-------------------------------
6. People who do not get enough sleep are more likely to catch a cold.
Ahtishoo!
-------------------------------
[image error]
7. People's blind spots can be reduced with training.
Now I reckon to have learned something about this. As the blind spot is the point at which the optic nerve enters the back of the eye and has no rods or cones (light and colour sensitive cells), how can training alter a physical attribute? It's like saying that they can straighten your nose by training!
-------------------------------
[image error]
8. Just nine men are registered as donors a year after the opening of Britain's national sperm bank.
Come on!
-------------------------------
[image error]
9. Gorillas have individual tastes in music.
Interesting how they discover this sort of thing. I'm more and more concerned about what research money is being wasted upon. Probably enough to clear the National Debt.
-------------------------------
[image error]
10. A bang on the head can theoretically cause a bald spot.
Dropping a heavy weight on the floor can theoretically cause an earthquake!
-------------------------------
God Bless
1. Silk can be made from the solidified saliva of a clam.
In all fairness how on earth does anyone find that out?
-------------------------------
2. Tech start-ups valued at $1bn or more are known as "unicorns".
-------------------------------
3. A gentle jolt of electricity can be used to help someone's muscles learn a new skill.
How big a jolt?
-------------------------------
4. There is a computer algorithm that can recreate a Van Gogh painting in 60 minutes.
But how good is it or is the revered artist spinning in his grave?
-------------------------------
[image error]
5. A starfish-killing robot could help save the Great Barrier Reef.
What about the poor starfish?
-------------------------------
6. People who do not get enough sleep are more likely to catch a cold.
Ahtishoo!
-------------------------------
[image error]
7. People's blind spots can be reduced with training.
Now I reckon to have learned something about this. As the blind spot is the point at which the optic nerve enters the back of the eye and has no rods or cones (light and colour sensitive cells), how can training alter a physical attribute? It's like saying that they can straighten your nose by training!
-------------------------------
[image error]
8. Just nine men are registered as donors a year after the opening of Britain's national sperm bank.
Come on!
-------------------------------
[image error]
9. Gorillas have individual tastes in music.
Interesting how they discover this sort of thing. I'm more and more concerned about what research money is being wasted upon. Probably enough to clear the National Debt.
-------------------------------
[image error]
10. A bang on the head can theoretically cause a bald spot.
Dropping a heavy weight on the floor can theoretically cause an earthquake!
-------------------------------
God Bless
September 4, 2015
Writing - Buy happiness buy a book
There are many sayings about obtaining happiness.
Happiness is egg-shaped for example.
I saw one this morning which I think is great.
'Those who say that you can't buy happiness have never bought a book'
I like the above example but one of my personal favourites is that of Oscar Wilde,
'Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go'
But back to reality and the opportunity to buy some happiness,
The books below are mine and as such there are occasions when I have a political point to make. Please read them all, learn and enjoy. The books are available through all good booksellers in all formats.
Steele My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' where Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!The most recent addition to the Steele family is Earth plc in which our hero is concerned with political and emotional issues in this crime fighting adventure.
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.
Cessation
This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.
Poetry - there are also two thoughtful collections of poetry available solely through Amazon.
The Musings of a Confused Mind
and
Words from the Raindrops
God Bless
Happiness is egg-shaped for example.
I saw one this morning which I think is great.
'Those who say that you can't buy happiness have never bought a book'
I like the above example but one of my personal favourites is that of Oscar Wilde,
'Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go'
But back to reality and the opportunity to buy some happiness,
The books below are mine and as such there are occasions when I have a political point to make. Please read them all, learn and enjoy. The books are available through all good booksellers in all formats.
Steele My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' where Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!The most recent addition to the Steele family is Earth plc in which our hero is concerned with political and emotional issues in this crime fighting adventure.
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.
Cessation
This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.
Poetry - there are also two thoughtful collections of poetry available solely through Amazon.
The Musings of a Confused Mind
and
Words from the Raindrops
God Bless
September 3, 2015
Writing - Origins of punctuation
It is not something that gives pleasure, they don't limit themselves, it seems easier to get it wrong than right, and it seems that it is a hook on which critics hang their criticisms. What is it? Punctuation.
[image error]
As readers and writers, we’re intimately familiar with the dots, strokes and dashes that punctuate the written word. The comma, colon, semicolon and their siblings are integral parts of writing, pointing out grammatical structures and helping us transform letters into spoken words or mental images. We would be lost without them (or, at the very least, extremely confused), and yet the earliest readers and writers managed without it for thousands of years.
[image error]Aristophanes
Egyptian librarian, Aristophanes 3rd century BC, became frustrated at trying to decipher the strings of letters that were documents in those days. There were no capitals, no spaces and no punctuation. Eventually he suggested to people who submitted documents that they should introduce ink dots where pauses were required in the reading. The dots were in a space on the line, in the middle and at the top of the letters and were called comma, colon and periodos.It wasn't popular and when the Romans overtook the Greek supremacy they dropped punctuation without a second thought. Cicero is quoted as saying,
'the end of a sentence should be determined not by the speaker pausing for breath, or by a stroke interposed by a copyist, but by the constraint of the rhythm'
Romans experimented by separating words with dots but the culture of public speaking was so strong that that method was dropped. In fact all reading was done aloud and it seems if they were deciphering a particularly confusing section they would murmur until they had clarified the section and then continue to read.
[image error]Isidore of Seville
It was in the 7th century AD that Isidore of Seville, an Archbishop, who re-introduced an updated version of Aristophanes' punctuation. He was later beatified but not for his services to punctuation! In the 8th century Irish monks became fed up deciphering unfamiliar latin words and introduced spaces between. It was in Germany where King Charlemagne ordered a monk named Alcuin to devise an alphabet which led to our lower case letters.
There was much 'fiddling' about with punctuation for the next few hundred years, dashes were introduced by Italian Boncompagno da Signa and those in their turn evolved into the more recognisable marks we see today. Other influences came from music but by the mid 1450s the system we used today was formed and has changed little since. Until the advent of the computer!
[image error]Emoji
It is at this point where my limited knowledge begins to falter once again. I wasn't aware until quite recently that there was such a term as EMOJI. I have been aware of the little pictures of smiling faces and so on, but had obviously slept the day they were given the collective name. The name is Japanese and was coined by Shigetaka Kurita, referring to emoticons or pictograms that pervade Japanese emails and messages. It seems to me a return to the pictography of the Ancient Egyptians.However, emoji do punctuate writing particularly in emails, direct messaging and texting, so perhaps punctuation is on the move once again!
God Bless
[image error]
As readers and writers, we’re intimately familiar with the dots, strokes and dashes that punctuate the written word. The comma, colon, semicolon and their siblings are integral parts of writing, pointing out grammatical structures and helping us transform letters into spoken words or mental images. We would be lost without them (or, at the very least, extremely confused), and yet the earliest readers and writers managed without it for thousands of years.
[image error]Aristophanes
Egyptian librarian, Aristophanes 3rd century BC, became frustrated at trying to decipher the strings of letters that were documents in those days. There were no capitals, no spaces and no punctuation. Eventually he suggested to people who submitted documents that they should introduce ink dots where pauses were required in the reading. The dots were in a space on the line, in the middle and at the top of the letters and were called comma, colon and periodos.It wasn't popular and when the Romans overtook the Greek supremacy they dropped punctuation without a second thought. Cicero is quoted as saying,
'the end of a sentence should be determined not by the speaker pausing for breath, or by a stroke interposed by a copyist, but by the constraint of the rhythm'
Romans experimented by separating words with dots but the culture of public speaking was so strong that that method was dropped. In fact all reading was done aloud and it seems if they were deciphering a particularly confusing section they would murmur until they had clarified the section and then continue to read.
[image error]Isidore of Seville
It was in the 7th century AD that Isidore of Seville, an Archbishop, who re-introduced an updated version of Aristophanes' punctuation. He was later beatified but not for his services to punctuation! In the 8th century Irish monks became fed up deciphering unfamiliar latin words and introduced spaces between. It was in Germany where King Charlemagne ordered a monk named Alcuin to devise an alphabet which led to our lower case letters.
There was much 'fiddling' about with punctuation for the next few hundred years, dashes were introduced by Italian Boncompagno da Signa and those in their turn evolved into the more recognisable marks we see today. Other influences came from music but by the mid 1450s the system we used today was formed and has changed little since. Until the advent of the computer!
[image error]Emoji
It is at this point where my limited knowledge begins to falter once again. I wasn't aware until quite recently that there was such a term as EMOJI. I have been aware of the little pictures of smiling faces and so on, but had obviously slept the day they were given the collective name. The name is Japanese and was coined by Shigetaka Kurita, referring to emoticons or pictograms that pervade Japanese emails and messages. It seems to me a return to the pictography of the Ancient Egyptians.However, emoji do punctuate writing particularly in emails, direct messaging and texting, so perhaps punctuation is on the move once again!
God Bless
September 2, 2015
Poetry Thursday 176 - Dogs and striped horses
I have no idea why but the animal theme continues. It provides entertainment for me and allows the exercise of my love for the natural world. The dog is here because I'd love one.
[image error]
Dog
The embodiment of loving obedienceshining forth from a willing countenance,as it dances around the feet,wagging a rhythmical beat.
A simple soul living on trustand reciprocate as the owner you must.The leader of the pack in its eyeson unfailing loyalty it relies.
Whatever you require – just ask,it will respond if trained to the task.Chase the ball or fetch the stick,your furry friend will be double quick.
A dog’s needs are few and simple,food, a walk, as much love as you are able.As the prospective owner of such innocence,be warned it is for life not just Christmas.© David L Atkinson September 2015
The zebra features because the church to which I belong is doing some work to raise money with these dazzling creatures as a theme.
[image error]
Zebra
Four legs, a head and tail,with the speed and stamina of a gale,it gallops across the African veldt,hooves beating a taradiddle set.
It lives on grass and runs in herdson the boundless plains, as free as birds.Its bright eyes sharp and ears flickseeking warning of the predators’ trick.
Needs are simple, the coat unique.black and white is not quite chic,but when galloping the dazzling affect,breaks up its outline – to protect.
From lions, hyenas and other hunters,it swerves and speeds in dancing blurs.Dodging and racing leopards and cheetahs,such is the life of the African zebras.© David L Atkinson September 2015
God Bless
[image error]
Dog
The embodiment of loving obedienceshining forth from a willing countenance,as it dances around the feet,wagging a rhythmical beat.
A simple soul living on trustand reciprocate as the owner you must.The leader of the pack in its eyeson unfailing loyalty it relies.
Whatever you require – just ask,it will respond if trained to the task.Chase the ball or fetch the stick,your furry friend will be double quick.
A dog’s needs are few and simple,food, a walk, as much love as you are able.As the prospective owner of such innocence,be warned it is for life not just Christmas.© David L Atkinson September 2015
The zebra features because the church to which I belong is doing some work to raise money with these dazzling creatures as a theme.
[image error]
Zebra
Four legs, a head and tail,with the speed and stamina of a gale,it gallops across the African veldt,hooves beating a taradiddle set.
It lives on grass and runs in herdson the boundless plains, as free as birds.Its bright eyes sharp and ears flickseeking warning of the predators’ trick.
Needs are simple, the coat unique.black and white is not quite chic,but when galloping the dazzling affect,breaks up its outline – to protect.
From lions, hyenas and other hunters,it swerves and speeds in dancing blurs.Dodging and racing leopards and cheetahs,such is the life of the African zebras.© David L Atkinson September 2015
God Bless
September 1, 2015
Writing - Tarzan, Barsoom and ERB
It's the 1st September and the final day of the transfer window. The media tells us that the amount spent by PL clubs will be a record, currently around £850 million. It could be seen as obscene!
The date is the first day of meteorological Autumn. It is the anniversary of the birth of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
[image error]Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875 - 1950)
Edgar was born 1875 and died the year I was born. He gave us Tarzan and the Barsoom series (John Carter).
One of the early people to play the role for the big screen was Johnny Weissmuller pictured above. He represented the USA in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games. He won 5 gold medals and during his swimming career broke 50 world records. Almost inevitably every Tarzan film starring Johnny had a swimming scene!
Burroughs was elevated to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. He actually wrote around 80 novels and while he was resident in Hawaii at the time of the Pearl Harbour attack by the Japanese, applied to become a war correspondent and was accepted. It made him the oldest reporter of that type as he was in his 60s at the time. He died in 1950 and is buried in Tarzana Los Angeles County, California. The area is mainly residential and built upon a farm formerly owned by Burroughs and named for his hero.
I wonder if there will ever be a Steele County?
ERB is another example of how when you begin to write it takes over your life whether you are popular during your life, afterwards or never. Having said that, to me it is a very happy compulsion.
God Bless
The date is the first day of meteorological Autumn. It is the anniversary of the birth of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
[image error]Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875 - 1950)
Edgar was born 1875 and died the year I was born. He gave us Tarzan and the Barsoom series (John Carter).
One of the early people to play the role for the big screen was Johnny Weissmuller pictured above. He represented the USA in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games. He won 5 gold medals and during his swimming career broke 50 world records. Almost inevitably every Tarzan film starring Johnny had a swimming scene!
Burroughs was elevated to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003. He actually wrote around 80 novels and while he was resident in Hawaii at the time of the Pearl Harbour attack by the Japanese, applied to become a war correspondent and was accepted. It made him the oldest reporter of that type as he was in his 60s at the time. He died in 1950 and is buried in Tarzana Los Angeles County, California. The area is mainly residential and built upon a farm formerly owned by Burroughs and named for his hero.
I wonder if there will ever be a Steele County?
ERB is another example of how when you begin to write it takes over your life whether you are popular during your life, afterwards or never. Having said that, to me it is a very happy compulsion.
God Bless
August 31, 2015
Tuesday Food Blog - Hangover cures
I was interested to see that some university has been wasting the taxpayers money on trying to identify a hangover cure. They've come to the conclusion that there isn't one!
[image error]
I really don't believe that the administrators that allow such studies to go forward need to think before the 'yes' box is ticked. The reason I say that is because everyone is different, react in different ways to alcohol and so a single cure-all is going to be impossible.
[image error]
It could be argued that the above is true of bacterial infections and yet we have 'cures' but alcohol is not as simple a case. To try and assess why that is you have to consider what is happening when we get drunk. To put it simply alcohol is an ethanol based poison that affects the glutamate in your brain by knocking it out. Glutamate helps with judgement, decision making and pleasure seeking to name a few of its attributes. The more you drink the less glutamate you have and the greater the likelihood of your judgement is impaired which can lead to more drinking and even sillier behaviour.The aftermath is a combination of dehydration, low blood sugar, vitamin B12 deficiency and acetaldehyde toxins left over from metabolising the alcohol. Those factors can leave one begging for death and promising 'never again'!
Hungover!
So what's the cure? Well it really depends on what re floats your boat. The chances are you need water to conquer the dehydration, sugar to deal with the low blood sugar, B12, or foods that contain B12 and paracetamol to dull the pain. So what does a hangover cure look like?
[image error]Hangover cure?
Can't face it? Well there are reasons why some of the foods on the above plate could do the trick. B12 doesn't occur in fruit and veg but does in bacon, sausage and eggs. Tomatoes, which I find beneficial are a member of the nightshade family of plants and have an interesting chemical within them which is that they act as a neurotoxin, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. It is my belief that the anti-inflammatory properties aid in the recovery from a hangover by calming the inflamed lining of the stomach.
[image error]Water
So the main problem is dehydration. It will cause the headache and the nausea and is best treated with boiled water left slightly aired (warm) and sipped gently. There may be some benefit to drinking water before you go to bed but once again it depends on the individual.My personal morning after aid is bacon egg and tomato, which does the trick for me. BUT then of course I was brought up with an old Mackem saying 'what meks you bad meks you better' and to a degree it is true but dangerous! I have often gone out on New Year's Day feeling under the weather and forced a pint of beer down my neck which has been an effort but once that has stayed inside then the following one has a positively beneficial effect. However, that is the road to alcoholism, or at least it could be.
The result of the expensive research that took place is astoundingly simple. Drink less as there is no real cure for the humble hangover.
God Bless
[image error]
I really don't believe that the administrators that allow such studies to go forward need to think before the 'yes' box is ticked. The reason I say that is because everyone is different, react in different ways to alcohol and so a single cure-all is going to be impossible.
[image error]
It could be argued that the above is true of bacterial infections and yet we have 'cures' but alcohol is not as simple a case. To try and assess why that is you have to consider what is happening when we get drunk. To put it simply alcohol is an ethanol based poison that affects the glutamate in your brain by knocking it out. Glutamate helps with judgement, decision making and pleasure seeking to name a few of its attributes. The more you drink the less glutamate you have and the greater the likelihood of your judgement is impaired which can lead to more drinking and even sillier behaviour.The aftermath is a combination of dehydration, low blood sugar, vitamin B12 deficiency and acetaldehyde toxins left over from metabolising the alcohol. Those factors can leave one begging for death and promising 'never again'!
Hungover!
So what's the cure? Well it really depends on what re floats your boat. The chances are you need water to conquer the dehydration, sugar to deal with the low blood sugar, B12, or foods that contain B12 and paracetamol to dull the pain. So what does a hangover cure look like?
[image error]Hangover cure?
Can't face it? Well there are reasons why some of the foods on the above plate could do the trick. B12 doesn't occur in fruit and veg but does in bacon, sausage and eggs. Tomatoes, which I find beneficial are a member of the nightshade family of plants and have an interesting chemical within them which is that they act as a neurotoxin, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. It is my belief that the anti-inflammatory properties aid in the recovery from a hangover by calming the inflamed lining of the stomach.
[image error]Water
So the main problem is dehydration. It will cause the headache and the nausea and is best treated with boiled water left slightly aired (warm) and sipped gently. There may be some benefit to drinking water before you go to bed but once again it depends on the individual.My personal morning after aid is bacon egg and tomato, which does the trick for me. BUT then of course I was brought up with an old Mackem saying 'what meks you bad meks you better' and to a degree it is true but dangerous! I have often gone out on New Year's Day feeling under the weather and forced a pint of beer down my neck which has been an effort but once that has stayed inside then the following one has a positively beneficial effect. However, that is the road to alcoholism, or at least it could be.
The result of the expensive research that took place is astoundingly simple. Drink less as there is no real cure for the humble hangover.
God Bless
August 30, 2015
Writing - It's a dog's life
I've been in this place before. I am once again considering having a pet to keep me company on long quiet days. Then I consider the level of responsibility it entails and do nothing. I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure!
Having said all of the above I then came across an article about the life of dogs in Paris over the last 200 years.
In 1813 people became alarmed about dog bites and rabies. The police prescribed the muzzling of dogs in public places and the destroying of unmuzzled dogs. Louis Pasteur's treatment for rabies did nothing to allay public fears and when the police created a dog unit in the early twentieth century, press reaction was negative describing the possibilities of police dogs biting innocent bystanders.
At the beginning of the 20th century Paris was plagued by lawless gangs called 'Apaches' who preyed upon the hapless citizens. The police needed to fight back and so the dog unit was introduced. Scientists had queried the intelligence of dogs but the Paris police responded with a resounding 'oui'. They were so successful that the 'Apaches' responded by training their own dogs to attack those of the police which brought the 'intelligence' argument into question. Could dogs really tell the difference between the citizens and the criminals?
[image error]Dog food!!
Then there was a period of time when dogs became a food item! During the Prussian siege of 1871 Parisians famously devoured the inmates of the Paris zoo. Monsieur Adolphe Michel, editor of the daily newspaper Le Siecle, attended a dinner where 'dog cutlets with petit pois' and 'brochettes of dog liver' were on the menu. Monsieur Michel concluded that the dog cutlets were over-marinated, but the brochettes were 'tender and perfectly agreeable'.
[image error]I want this breed.
Then of course there is the drawback of dog poo. Dog excrement has been a problem for as long as Parisians had dogs as pets but more noticeably so when the streets were cleared of human excrement. Even though there has been disapproval since the 1920s it wasn't until Jacques Chirac became mayor in 1970 when his administration introduced measures to eradicate the problem. They constructed dog toilets and had the infamous 'moto-crottes' who scoured the streets for dog mess and cleared it up. Even so it wasn't until fines were introduced and enforced in 2002 that progress was made.
Strays
For long enough the dogs of Paris were allowed to roam free. Nowadays people pay for the dogs to be walked in Fontainebleau forest but there was a time when they were allowed to wander the streets. In the 19th century laws were introduced to tighten up on the practice.
[image error]Pet cemeteries
Of course pets don't live as long as we humans and yet imprint themselves with love and obedience on their owners and so when they die their lives are quite often celebrated in style. The first pet cemetery in the world was opened at Asnieres-sur-Seine on the outskirts of Paris. Apart from being a monument to middle class sentimentality it was created in part to improve hygiene. Prior to that thousands of carcasses were removed from the Seine every year whereas other dead animals were sold to renderers and glue makers.
So have I made up my mind? No!
God Bless
Having said all of the above I then came across an article about the life of dogs in Paris over the last 200 years.
In 1813 people became alarmed about dog bites and rabies. The police prescribed the muzzling of dogs in public places and the destroying of unmuzzled dogs. Louis Pasteur's treatment for rabies did nothing to allay public fears and when the police created a dog unit in the early twentieth century, press reaction was negative describing the possibilities of police dogs biting innocent bystanders.
At the beginning of the 20th century Paris was plagued by lawless gangs called 'Apaches' who preyed upon the hapless citizens. The police needed to fight back and so the dog unit was introduced. Scientists had queried the intelligence of dogs but the Paris police responded with a resounding 'oui'. They were so successful that the 'Apaches' responded by training their own dogs to attack those of the police which brought the 'intelligence' argument into question. Could dogs really tell the difference between the citizens and the criminals?
[image error]Dog food!!
Then there was a period of time when dogs became a food item! During the Prussian siege of 1871 Parisians famously devoured the inmates of the Paris zoo. Monsieur Adolphe Michel, editor of the daily newspaper Le Siecle, attended a dinner where 'dog cutlets with petit pois' and 'brochettes of dog liver' were on the menu. Monsieur Michel concluded that the dog cutlets were over-marinated, but the brochettes were 'tender and perfectly agreeable'.
[image error]I want this breed.
Then of course there is the drawback of dog poo. Dog excrement has been a problem for as long as Parisians had dogs as pets but more noticeably so when the streets were cleared of human excrement. Even though there has been disapproval since the 1920s it wasn't until Jacques Chirac became mayor in 1970 when his administration introduced measures to eradicate the problem. They constructed dog toilets and had the infamous 'moto-crottes' who scoured the streets for dog mess and cleared it up. Even so it wasn't until fines were introduced and enforced in 2002 that progress was made.
Strays
For long enough the dogs of Paris were allowed to roam free. Nowadays people pay for the dogs to be walked in Fontainebleau forest but there was a time when they were allowed to wander the streets. In the 19th century laws were introduced to tighten up on the practice.
[image error]Pet cemeteries
Of course pets don't live as long as we humans and yet imprint themselves with love and obedience on their owners and so when they die their lives are quite often celebrated in style. The first pet cemetery in the world was opened at Asnieres-sur-Seine on the outskirts of Paris. Apart from being a monument to middle class sentimentality it was created in part to improve hygiene. Prior to that thousands of carcasses were removed from the Seine every year whereas other dead animals were sold to renderers and glue makers.
So have I made up my mind? No!
God Bless
August 29, 2015
Writing - 10 things for the end of August
This week's news certainly has a male/female bias.
[image error]
1. It is possible to have orgasms in your left foot.
What can I say? Why not the right foot? How on earth can you achieve that? (Did I really ask that?). How do they know?
This was reported in the New York Times and it comes from a tale about a Dutch lady in 2010 who began to have sensations similar to a climax during sex, but in her left foot!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
2. Only 0.007% as many women as men checked messages on Ashley Madison.
I can proudly say that I know nothing about this!!!
-----------------------------------
3. Daniel Craig uses Pedialyte, a medicine used to treat children with diarrhoea, as a hangover cure.
Probably contains a version of paracetamol easily digestible for delicate stomachs.
-----------------------------------
4. US astronauts drink recycled urine on the International Space Station but Russian astronauts do not.
So the Russians weren't taking the p***!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
5. The formula for the perfect poohstick is PP = A x I x Cd.
-----------------------------------
[image error]
6. Liverpool is the city where the most fake tan is sold in the UK.
Bought by one woman!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
7. More than 100 billion billion Earth-like planets might exist.
I also might have the winning lottery numbers this week!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
8. People called Patel are disproportionately likely to own or run a motel in the US.
Corner shops in the UK.
-----------------------------------
9. More than a football field of land is lost every hour in Louisiana's wetlands in the US.
Oops! Is this the right type of football field?
-----------------------------------
[image error]
10. In 1887, just 248 of 1,000 female-only seats on England's Great Western Railway were taken up, while more than 5,000 women used the smoking cars.
Is it something to do with the left foot?
-----------------------------------
God Bless
[image error]
1. It is possible to have orgasms in your left foot.
What can I say? Why not the right foot? How on earth can you achieve that? (Did I really ask that?). How do they know?
This was reported in the New York Times and it comes from a tale about a Dutch lady in 2010 who began to have sensations similar to a climax during sex, but in her left foot!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
2. Only 0.007% as many women as men checked messages on Ashley Madison.
I can proudly say that I know nothing about this!!!
-----------------------------------
3. Daniel Craig uses Pedialyte, a medicine used to treat children with diarrhoea, as a hangover cure.
Probably contains a version of paracetamol easily digestible for delicate stomachs.
-----------------------------------
4. US astronauts drink recycled urine on the International Space Station but Russian astronauts do not.
So the Russians weren't taking the p***!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
5. The formula for the perfect poohstick is PP = A x I x Cd.
-----------------------------------
[image error]
6. Liverpool is the city where the most fake tan is sold in the UK.
Bought by one woman!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
7. More than 100 billion billion Earth-like planets might exist.
I also might have the winning lottery numbers this week!
-----------------------------------
[image error]
8. People called Patel are disproportionately likely to own or run a motel in the US.
Corner shops in the UK.
-----------------------------------
9. More than a football field of land is lost every hour in Louisiana's wetlands in the US.
Oops! Is this the right type of football field?
-----------------------------------
[image error]
10. In 1887, just 248 of 1,000 female-only seats on England's Great Western Railway were taken up, while more than 5,000 women used the smoking cars.
Is it something to do with the left foot?
-----------------------------------
God Bless
August 28, 2015
Writing - Reviews really can help.
I am not a lover of having my writing reviewed. I know that I'm not likely to be a literary giant, that the grammar in my books is flawed at times, and I've selected a genre that's probably been done to death. However, I enjoy writing for my own entertainment and there are people out there who have bought all of my books. They have bought books through me and so there are not as many reviews as I would like. Then there are those from around the world who have bought one or more of my books for an electronic reader. It would be great to have some positive feedback and this is how it will help.
[image error]
On a more practical level I came across some information regarding Amazon and the power of reviews. Apparently if a book receives 20 - 25 reviews it is placed on the Amazon 'also bought' and 'you might like this' lists. After 50 -70 reviews Amazon highlights the book for spotlight positions and for its newsletter.
The books below are mine and as such there are occasions when I have a political point to make. Please read them all, learn and enjoy. The books are available through all good booksellers in all formats.
Steele My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' where Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!The most recent addition to the Steele family is Earth plc in which our hero is concerned with political and emotional issues in this crime fighting adventure.
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.
Cessation
This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.
Poetry - there are also two thoughtful collections of poetry available solely through Amazon.
The Musings of a Confused Mind
and
Words from the Raindrops
God Bless
[image error]
On a more practical level I came across some information regarding Amazon and the power of reviews. Apparently if a book receives 20 - 25 reviews it is placed on the Amazon 'also bought' and 'you might like this' lists. After 50 -70 reviews Amazon highlights the book for spotlight positions and for its newsletter.
The books below are mine and as such there are occasions when I have a political point to make. Please read them all, learn and enjoy. The books are available through all good booksellers in all formats.
Steele My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' where Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!The most recent addition to the Steele family is Earth plc in which our hero is concerned with political and emotional issues in this crime fighting adventure.
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.
Cessation
This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.
Poetry - there are also two thoughtful collections of poetry available solely through Amazon.
The Musings of a Confused Mind
and
Words from the Raindrops
God Bless
