David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 76
July 18, 2015
Writing - 10 things we didn't know last week
More crazy facts and features to amuse and irritate.
1. There are four main personality types into which people can be categorised when drunk: "Mary Poppins", "Hemmingway", "Nutty Professor" and "Mr Hyde".
You could choose your own four of course. How about Tasmanian Devil, Nooky Bear, Lord Voldemort and the Enchanted Princess?
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2. The most efficient way to pack your dishwasher is in a circle around the cutlery basket.
But if the machine is as efficient as the outlay of several hundred pounds would suggest, you should be able to pack it as you want!
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3. Minions are all male because their creator believed they were too stupid to be female.
Duh!!!
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4. The more time you spend on your smartphone, the more likely you are to be depressed.
I can see the logic in that.
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5. Traditional House of Commons voting arrangements were ill-equipped to deal with the number of SNP MPs whose surnames begin with Mc.
It was intended to deal with the Duke of ..., Lord ..., Viscount ..., and Sir .... Not really surprising it can't cope with ordinary folk.
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6. British people are more likely to be gored at the Pamplona running of the bulls than any other nationality.
I wonder why that is? Perhaps because bullfighting and bull running were never popular sports in the UK
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7. About 3,000 emails have been sent to trees in Melbourne over the last two years.
How on earth does that work?
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8. The Greek government owes London £1.3m in congestion zone fees and £1,880 in parking fines.
We might have to wait a week or two before we see any of that money.
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9. The world's oldest sperm is 50m years old.
Thank goodness it was fossilised.
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10. Rudeness in offices is contagious
I worked in an office for six years and found that it was more ignorance rather than rudeness. The employing body in the bank I worked for liked 'yes men (and women)' and so employed less intelligent people. If you take that statement to its logical conclusion eventually when those less intelligent employees move up the heirarchy the level of intelligence drops even further. God help us! Is it any wonder we had a crash in the banking sector?
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God Bless
July 17, 2015
Writing - A milestone reached
Not me
Yesterday I swam my 100th kilometre of the year. A distance of 62.5 miles. There is a target which I've set myself of 100 miles for the year so well on the way.
Target setting is one of those devices that has been introduced into the working lives of most people and such an exercise can sometimes be counter productive. Individual people respond in their own way to targets, in my case I work to the last minute, others are totally put off. In writing I don't set targets because if I felt that I had to produce a book by a certain date, the date would become more domineering in my mind than the quality of what I was writing. That is not to say that I am a high quality writer but I am someone trying to achieve better quality at all times. Publishers be warned!!!
The other books available in the portfolio,
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
July 16, 2015
Writing - Voices of Women
Throughout the last hundred years and possibly longer there have been moves to bring greater recognition to the artistic talents of women. The levels of success have been varied.
[image error]Evelyn Glennie
Percussionist Evelyn Glennie is one lady who has been successful in a realm of the arts that women have struggled to gain recognition - Music. There have been plenty of female composers also but can you name one? It seems that some of the reasons are to do with composers studied by music students - almost exclusively white, male and dead! There is also a tailing off of interest from girls at high school around the mid teen years. However, there is an increase in women composing great music.
[image error]Caroline Shotton's work
Then there is art work by lady painters and sculptors. I happen to like the humour in Caroline Shotton's work. As with the area of music, art has been a difficult area but things are improving.
[image error]Enheduanna
I finally come to women in writing. Enheduanna was a priestess poet, princess and probably the first named writer. She lived between 2285 and 2250BC and was the daughter of a Mesopotamian king. She became well known as the first writer to attach a signature to her work, which was rare as the concept of 'I' was withheld from women. The status of women in China was exceedingly low over many centuries apart from a minor 'blip' in the seventh century when the country was ruled by a woman - Empress Wu Zetian from 624 - 705AD. During that period of time China's women flourished as poets and painters.The role of women in literature has been stronger for longer than in other branches of the arts.
[image error]Bronte sisters
In my adopted home county of Yorkshire we have three great literary ladies in the Bronte sisters. In age order Charlotte (39), Emily (30) and Anne (29) were very quickly recognised for their talent but sadly all died at relatively young ages. Their home was the parsonage in the town of Haworth which is now the Bronte Parsonage Museum, and which is visited by literary pilgrims in their thousands every year.
[image error]Self-publishing
The rise of self-publishing has had the affect of giving everyone a level playing field irrespective of gender or background. There are some amazing stories out there and as likely to be produced by a woman as a man. The modern era has short circuited the traditional publishing industry which to my mind is fairer.In the circle of writers I have connected with there are a number of excellent women writers including, Christina Carson and Carolyn Arnold to name but two. As readers we choose to read books for all kinds or reasons but I make a plea that we don't allow innate prejudices to limit the type of authors we read.
God Bless
July 15, 2015
Poetry Thursday 169 - Human interference
I changed the title of the blog from the title of the first poem below after the second offering came to me. It seems more apt.I'm in my sixties and have lived through times that, in terms of communication, range from rich folk had a telephone, to how old should a child be before they have their first mobile!
To connect or not to connect
Wake up and plug in,switch on and log in.Check Facebook and Twitter,and email and Triberr.Off to work – phone to earunaware of front or rear.Send text and email,the death of snail mail.
Why talk to each other?We can send electronic bits.No need to meet another,human contact is the pits.
The world runs on bytes,buses, zeroes, ones and lights.We shun people contactand from evolving detract.What will happen to sanityart, music and creativity?In the year 2525will man be still alive?
All the imagined beautypaintings, music and sculpture,created without need or dutybut for the love of art and culture.
The human mind doesn’t run on rails,progress comes on more devious trails.Enhanced by chemical abuseallowing ideas to escape from ill-use.The unusual views and twisted stancesrandom steps in exotic dances.Freedom to use all our skillswithout constraint of daily sills.
Better is production without drive,deviant thoughts, paint and stories.Human imagery from being alive.Life bursting forth in all its glories.© David L Atkinson July 2015
I must give due acknowledgement to Zager and Evans for the lines,
In the year 2525will man be still alive?
in their song 'In the year 2525'. The link is below if you want to listen to the whole song.
https://youtu.be/izQB2-Kmiic
The above was an example of many protest style songs that lodged into my mind and has coloured my view of the world and those running it.
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Ssshhh!
Sit quietly if you can.An almost impossible ask.Imposing sounds of man,interfering in every task.© David L Atkinson July 2015
This poem could have been so much longer but sometimes less is more!
God Bless
July 14, 2015
Writing - Trouble at t'mill
In the great scheme of things being unable to access the t'interweb is hardly life threatening, but it aint 'arf frustrating.
My service provider is at fault apparently and I'm told it will be fixed by 11pm!
What it does mean that this page is being produced by typing with 1 finger, and therefore it will be mercifully short.
I am writing poetry long hand which is normal for a first draft but it is getting long.As my friend and colleague, Bert Carson, will testify I do like using a fountain pen.
What I won't be doing is continuing writing my novel. That is always produced on the computer and although Word is available the research is not. Even so I do know what is coming next. Here's hoping we sre sorted for tomorrow.
God Bless
July 13, 2015
Tuesday Food Blog - Hobo packets and summer meals
It's summer and not the time for standing, perspiring in the kitchen while constructing meals and so I am experimenting with quicker, lighter repasts.
Pork steak with new potatoes etc
So a couple of pork steaks and a variety of trimmings were the orders for the weekend. Last week I referred to hobo packs and I tried three different combinations. Below is the pack with new potatoes and bacon.
Hobo pack
Hobo packs will cook on the barbecue or in the oven, they do say on the grill but haven't tried that. I tried potatoes with black pudding added part way through the cooking time and that worked pretty well. That was from no recipe I've read. Finally, I returned to a published recipe for new potatoes and chorizo sausage. The oven setting was 175 degrees C, new potatoes were parboiled for 5 minutes and the chorizo sausage was divested of its skin and chopped into smaller pieces. I drizzled olive oil over the contents of the packet and added salt and pepper. The packet was in the oven for 45 minutes. The result was very tasty.
With the addition of tomatoes and spring onions the meal looked somewhat more summery than usual. I haven't included my fish recipe for last Friday as it was special egg fried rice with king prawns and I've featured that recipe in the past.
God Bless
July 12, 2015
Writing - 150th of W B Yeats
Monday is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Irish poet William Butler Yeats. He was one of the foremost figures in 20th century literature.
[image error]W B Yeats 1865 - 1939
I enjoy celebrating the artistic figures of the past and the works they produce. The purpose of such exercise is part of my own literary education and an excuse to indulge myself in the words of the acclaimed.Yeats seems to have been a man very much at the mercy of external influences, who's work reflected the conflicts he felt over current affairs. He was in fact a political man spending two terms as an Irish senator. W B Yeats also had a life long interest in mysticism, the occult and astrology; yet more influences on his early work, in particular. In 1916 at the age of 51 he married a girl twenty six years his junior which, against all advice by her friends, was a success and produced two children, Anne and Michael. Yeats had affairs but his wife was philosophical saying,
'When you are dead, people will talk about your love affairs, but I shall say nothing, for I will remember how proud you were."
Yeats in 1933
W B Yeats was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923 "for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation". The man himself always replied to praise on his success, that it was an award to Irish literature.
Yeats died in France in 1939. His wish, expressed to Georgie, his wife, was to be buried in France as quickly as possible with the minimum of fuss. She said that his actual words were,
'if I die bury me up there (at Roquebrune) then in a year's time when the newspapers have forgotten me, dig me up and plant me in Sligo'
W B Yeats epitaph came from one of his later poems,
Cast a cold eyeOn Life, on DeathHorseman, pass by!
Quite a character by all accounts. One of his most famous poems is the Second Coming written in 1919 in the aftermath of the first World War.
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THE SECOND COMING
Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand; A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
An excellent image of the return of Jesus in godly format and unhappy at the war-faring antics of mankind.
God Bless
July 11, 2015
Writing - 10 more July things
Fiction and fantasy this week.
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1. British people are 16 times more likely to know the rules of Quidditch than of croquet.
Most British people will feel closer to Quidditch than croquet.
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2. It's easier to give birth in a small, dark, warm room with a midwife silently knitting.
How on earth would anyone measure that?
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3. Three-times F1 world champion Nikki Lauda swapped his trophies for unlimited free car washes.
Typical of a thoughtless celebrity.
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4. Playing Tetris for 12 minutes the day after at traumatic event can reduce flashbacks.
Because it destroys brain cells!
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5. A typical bus passenger in a large city like London unknowingly travels alongside a distant relative on one in four journeys.
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6. Music fans in Finland can get refunds from disappointing concerts.
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7. A baby mouse exposed to the smell of cat urine will be much less likely to flee or show signs of fear later in life.
Was this an experiment carried out by cats?
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8. You can board an aeroplane carrying up to an ounce of marijuana at Portland International Airport as long as you are flying within the state of Oregon.
Gives realism to the term of 'flying high' in Oregon
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9. Taylor Swift asks photographers at her concerts to sign a contract stating that photos can only be published once and then deleted.
I will only publish this once Taylor
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10. Many worker ants are lazy freeloaders.
They must be British!
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God Bless
July 10, 2015
Writing - God's own customers
I love my readers. I have a number of people who have been really kind and bought paperback copies of my books then made favourable comments. You might expect that from a set of churchgoers, but as this is Yorkshire and people from 'God's own county' have the reputation of calling a spade a spade, a positive comment is worth a great deal. The kindness comes from those who say nothing or stop buying!
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I am slightly confused by Amazon's pronouncement regarding paying royalties per pages read. There have been a number of views about how many pages an author should write. We perhaps should take to the production of massive tomes to make money!!!!I just want people to want to read me.
The other books available in the portfolio,
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
July 9, 2015
Writing - Embrace the unusual
We live in a weird and wonderful world. Throughout our lives we hear of strange and sometimes inexplicable occurrences, some of which are wonderful and some with devastating outcomes. Take skyscrapers for instances!
[image error]Leeds death skyscraper!
In March 2011 a man walking across a bridge close to Bridgewater Place skyscraper was killed when a gust of wind blew a large van over on top of him. I was at work in the building next door to Bridgewater Place and had used the temporary handrails that were in place to see pedestrians safely round the base of the building, that very morning. It was fairly typical of the way things changed once the building had been completed a year or so earlier. We even had notices on the inside of our office door warning us to take extra care when passing Bridgewater Place because of the danger of being blown over.
A sad and also unusual situation. Don't architects consider such things? That is not the reason for reporting this fact. Our world is quite a hazardous place at times and irrespective of health and safety accidents happen. These unusual occurrences are meat and drink to people who write.
Seaburn sea front
Seaburn on the Durham coast is not the most dangerous looking part of the coast and yet a year ago the sea was pounding as in the pic above and a man, a non-swimmer, was walking his dog. The dog decided to go for a swim and the man went after him and tragedy struck. The currents were such that the man couldn't get back to safety and it took 24 hours to recover his body.On a calm day the same stretch of beach looks like the photo below.
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Yesterday a tornado struck in Italy.
[image error]Italian tornado
A man is believed to have died in Italy as the result of a tornado whipping through the outskirts of Venice. Tornadoes are not unusual in Europe but they rarely become large enough or last long enough to cause major problems. There are records of tornadoes going back to the first century in Ireland. For those doom merchants who like to blame everything on global warming, having looked at the records in Europe since the Irish incident in April 1054, there is no discernible pattern!
The point of all of this unusual stuff is that it happens and so as story writers, examiners of the worlds truths and people who look at things differently, we have endless sources of interesting occurrences with which to embellish our tales.
With the plethora of disappearances, strange occurrences and weird sights in this amazing world of ours, writing shouldn't be that difficult - should it?
God Bless
