NO POST TODAY, 'COS I'VE BEEN STUNG IN THE EYE BY A WASP!!
Tomorrow I hope to respond to all your comments. Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
WHY ARE SOME CHRISTIAN BLOGGERS SUCH APPALLINGLY BAD WRITERS? repost
Not all of them of course, for obviously some of them are highly literate, and a pleasure to read. But I must say that the very worst examples of appalling writing that I encounter while surfing the blogs are perpetrated by Christians. One often has to wade through a great mass of dense text, with few or no indents or line breaks of any kind. And the whole piece is a confused, confusing mish-mash of often contradictory random thoughts. Some writers appear to be utterly incapable of marshalling... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, May 26, 2006
THE OTHER HALF OF LAST NIGHT'S POST. WHATEVER THE HELL THAT WAS CALLED!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Ariel was beavering away at the germ of an idea, and that unfinished poem, “ The Lovers ” became a short sort of ghostly love story, “ The Power of Love ”; with the same theme of the man in Burma and his wife in England. This also got the stretching treatment, and became another chapter in my book. As did what had begun as a long poem “ The Fountain of Candelas ”; begot a short story; begot a longer one; begot a chapter in my book ( again ) Phew! Then, I found a... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
HOTDAMN! DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS, EITHER! ARIEL'S LITERARY STUFF, I GUESS
Those who care to trawl the nether regions of my blog, may come across several examples of what I call ‘ seed pieces ’. These are poems or stories which, though complete in themselves, have been either lengthened or transformation into another form. They were the seeds from which a plant of a different species grew. The two best examples of this treatment are my short poem “ Endless Night ”, and the short story “ The Lovers”, which I’ve just posted as a part of the story-within-a-story “ Fiesta... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL THIS. I GUESS IT'S JUST MORE OF ARIEL'S STUFF
How strange and complex is life! How fascinating to speculate upon the results of taking one action, or direction, as opposed to another; the “ what if …? that so intrigues authors and historians. And how an insignificant incident may transform one’s life. Bear with me for a while, for all this is relevant to the story-within-a-story that I’ve just posted. In 1999, a daughter of one of our nieces, and a nephew of another came to visit us in Norfolk, and being youngsters naturally wanted to play... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
FIESTA, FINAL PART
As she came to the last paragraph of “ The Lovers ”, Helen’s eyes widened, and her breath went out in a little soft whooshing sound. Her eyes moist, she said “ Oh, no! Oh, Alex, did they have to die at the end? Oh, that’s such a beautiful story! And sad too.” Alex shrugged “ Well, that’s the way it had to be, ‘cause that’s how it came out in my dream. Anyway, I’m glad you like it, Helen. I’ll have to print you a copy, shan’t I?” “ Yes, I do like it very much, and yes, please, I would like that.... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, May 22, 2006
FIESTA, PART TWO
Please be patient; this part is quitelong ( 1,720 words to be precise ). As you read on, you’ll see, ( I hope ) that to have split it into smaller section would spoil the flow. Helen stood gazing at Alex for long moments, studying his face as if reading a map of some distant country that she wished to explore, and his heart gave a little lurch in his chest, as her eyes lit up, and smiling, she said “ All right. Can I read this story of yours? Do you have it here?” Alex smiled, infinitely... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
FIESTA, PART ONE
This is quite a long story; well, a story-within-a-story, really, so I’ve split it into parts to make it a bit more digestible. I’ll have quite a lot to say about it in my postscript. I hope you like it. As they often did, the story came to Alex in the depths of the night. While the autumn wind rushed and roared blustered and shouted about his house; while the clouds played tag with the moon, the words tumbled in his mind; bright and glittering as fragments of brightness in a kaleidoscope. Then... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
LA ROMERIA. A WEEKEND-LONG FIESTA OF FOOD, DRINK, HORSES AND FUN
Last week was the Fiesta de San Isidro Labrador in our local town; San Isidro being the patron saint of the town. This is a major fiesta, and nowadays virtually the entire town is turned into a fairground, with rides, stalls, dodgem cars and other attractions spread all along the main street. There’s flamenco singing and dancing, and other musical events, as well as performances by the town bandas de música, brass bands. The clangour of the bells, the thudding of the drums and blaring of the... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
ARIALA'S AWESOME RUBBER SPOON a naughty little repost, re-entry, whatever
Poor old Ariala's ticked off again about bloggers who get under the skin So, me being a naughty little serial reposter, I thought it might lighten the mood a little if I posted this again... My face assumed a deathly pallor, when I saw the lady, Ariala, rubber spoon in dainty hand, stalking through the Blogit land. Honest! “ Hist!” I gasped, “ Can she see us?” But she was stalking Odysseus;* and she cast ne’er a glance at us, so why did we make such a fuss? I wonder. By the light of the gibbous... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
HOW NOT TO BE IN THE HEIGHT OF FASHION
Many of us "Old Folks" (those over 40, WAY over 40 or hovering near 40) are quite confused about how we should present ourselves. We're unsure about the kind of image we are projecting and whether or not we are correct as we try to be smart and conform to the fashions that the designers in NYC, California, and/or London, Berlin or Paris inflict upon the world. So I've made an intensive study of the situation and here are the results:-- I don't want to burst your bubble, but despite what you may... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
AT LAST!!!! THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED!!
A small request: as you read this please can we have no unseemly sniggering, tittering, or other manifestation of mirth unbecoming to a family blog. Please bear in mind that this post is about a serious piece of forensic archaeology, and as such is no laughing matter. At long, long last, the suspense is ended! The riddle is solved! One can hear the world-wide collective sighs of relief. Gentlemen in the West End clubs are mopping their streaming brows, and snapping their fingers at Hodge, the... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
A MOST UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT AT SANDRINGHAM
One has still not recovered one’s sang froid at not having received an invitation to the wedding of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales and that Parker-Bowles lady. A lady of true grit, that one! Very much in the mould of Lady Thatcher ( of revered memory ). One can only ascribe this snub to yet another unfortunate incident that occurred some months before the royal wedding. In passing, one wonder just how many times one will have to pen the words ‘ unfortunate incident ’! One happened to be in Norfolk (... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
DEATH-WISH DEMOCRACIES
I’m posting this early, ( it’s now 7.50 pm ) because Lady Ariela and I are off out to the local fiesta, of San Isidro, who’s a major dude in the Andalucian pantheon of saints. We shan’t be back until the late early hours, I guess. Hope you’re all enjoying your weekend. After the execution of Charles 11, the Parliamentary general, Fairfax, remarked of parliamentary rule that the tyranny of the one had been replaced by the tyranny of the many. We live in an era not of the tyranny of the many, but... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, May 12, 2006
HOW TO BEHAVE WHEN IN MY BLOG
If work is said to be the curse of the drinking classes, then life is certainly the curse of the blogging classes. Today, that thing called life reared its ugly head once more, and I was unable to finish part two of Death-wish Democracies. It's fiesta time here again tomorrow, but I'll try and post it it I can. When one opens one’s stately home to the public, one is entitled to expect a reasonable standard of behaviour from visitors. Similarly, one is entitled to expect seemly conduct from... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
DEATH-WISH DEMOCRACIES. PART ONE
Lady Ariela and I are back from Cádiz, ( late last night )having had an enjoyable visit to Francie and her novio, Javier; which I’ll tell you about soon. Once more, thank you for reading my blog, and leaving nice comments for me. The last piece; a humorous look at Islamic fundamentalists. Today, something a bit more serious. Some time ago, a blogger left a comment on my post “ Tell me, why Bush is a criminal? ” that left me deeply disturbed and sickened, for it illustrated a deeply divided... Sign in to see full entry.
Sunday, May 7, 2006
AN INGENIOUS PLOY FOR WINNING THE WAR ON TERROR(well I think it is, anyway)
Lady Ariela and I are off on a two day jaunt to Cádiz at the crack of dawn tomorrow, to see the sights, and to visit our daughter, Francie, and her novio. However, this should not be taken as carte blanche to stop reading my blog, ‘cos I’ll be near a computer, and I’ll have my beady eye on what you lot are up to in here. In the meantime … The leaders(?) of the free world are begging us to support them in their WAR AGAINST TERROR!!! I have to use capital letters and screamers, ‘cos some of you... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, May 6, 2006
ER ... ACTUALLY THAT LAST PIECE IS T.I.C.
IT'S JUST A BIT OF RHYMING SLANG Sign in to see full entry.
REALLY! THE WAY THAT SOME PEOPLE SPEAK IS APPALLING!
In the course of my research into current standards of English among the London poor, I was given the following verbal account of a young man’s preparations for a night out. His words are quoted verbatim, and his peculiar idiom, ( and wanderings off the subject ), are rendered as exactly as possible. He began … “ The boss has give me a rhubub, so I’m all right for poshers, an’ I fancies a night out on the up, dun I? So, I ‘as a barf, and I get togged up, and I ‘spec’ you wanna know wot kinda... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, May 5, 2006
SOME MORE OF ARIEL'S STUFF. BECAUSE I THINK IT'S TIMELY TO REWORK IT
I know that many of you balk at reading long post, but please read tis through to the end; it might just give you a fresh perspective on current international perils In a few months, deo voluntatis, I shall reach my 75 th birthday, and any who have lived a life equivalent in length to mine have witnessed numerous world crises, ( too numerous to mention here ), many of which have appeared at the time to be truly calamitous. And yet these, with the unreeling of the spool of time, are seen in... Sign in to see full entry.