BOLSHY

Theme Thursday, Microfiction Monday & ABC Wednesday
With Thursday Thirteen items plus a couple more
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POLLY TICKS

Welcome to my weekly magazine post. Watch
it grow thru the week. You can opt to read the essay,
current affairs, themed mini mag with fiction & poetry, or just
read the lot. Here’s hoping you enjoy your visit. Plenty
for everyone here so do call again next week.

I’m now on Facebook

MICROFICTION

Fiction: She had dreamt of her child’s
future, her success, up among the stars.
But instead she got a celebrity.

BOLSHY

I’m fed up of hearing people say that all politicians in a Parliament
should work together. One reason people say this is they don’t get the
difference between a Parliament and a Government. A government runs
a country; a parliament decides law. Politicians in government should
work together, fair enough, but if all politicians in a parliament worked
together, there would never be such a thing as a debate. Hence, new
law wouldn’t have been tested and would be bad. Similarly, working
together would mean a continual form of government where nothing
ever changed and it would be totalitarian. I don’t want the politicians
to work together. I want them bolshy, angry; even at times extreme.
In that way a government is always challenged and our freedoms are
better preserved.

LIGHT

Light is comforting, reassuring. To see the
light is to have knowledge. In both instances
it defeats the dark – of ignorance and night.
Which is why it devastated storytelling. You
could always rely on a good old ghost story
to scare you before the electric light.

Eye On the World
Essays on everything from science
to religion, politics to crime

BRIT NEWS: New Army Chief
says forces shouldn’t prop up ailing
arms industry. Quite agree but relationship
has changed. Once industry provided for Army. Now
the other way round.

WORLD NEWS: Cameron warns Britain can no longer rely on ‘special
relationship’ with America. I think this is true. Whilst a bond will always
exist with the American people, recent administrations seem to think
they rule the world.

BRIT NEWS: Treasury and Ministry of Defence are in conflict over
Trident replacement. If we have to have one, shouldn’t it be
military choice? Far too expensive anyway. There are
cheaper alternatives.

BRIT NEWS: As French vote to ban burqa Brit
immigration minister says it would be un-
British to ban it here. Except for certain
security problems I totally agree, but
would he have said it if France
wasn’t banning it?

FUTURE ZONE

What’s ahead … and Beyond!!!

One Single Impression
Sunday Scribblings – Friday Flash 55
Three Word Wednesday – Writer’s Island
One Shot Wednesday

COCOON

Transformative period, makes you think,
Focus attention, never blink,
Soon it will burst upon reality,
May be good, or possible insanity,
This is how a universe grows,
As ideas burst and the thinker glows

FLASH 55 – AFTERPOWER

Sci fi: The old fossils had gone. Earth was recovering, reconnecting
with its consciousness, its afterlife. The living could be nothing without
it, used properly, as comfort instead of as power. They should have
realized when the first rig blew. They sucked deep into the planet spirit
and the afterlife spewed, enveloping the Earth, leaving it haunted.

TITLES

Man had colonised Sol’s dear orbs,
Air tight City Domes, all over daubed,
But who’d win the title for the best?
Which planet could really impress?
Mercuris would simply melt away, Venusians under a cloud they’d stay,
Martians, warlike? They turn to dust; Jupitans were all gas; no fuss,
Saturnine peacocks show off their rings, neptoos sink as they swim,
Plutans left out in the cold and sparse, Uranusans so much up their …
Well …
Earthers would win, you’d think, no doubt,
Shame they went and wiped themselves out

JUST ANOTHER NIGHT

Sci fi: The alien looked at the humans through her bug-like eyes. It was
a bright but cramped room, perfect for abduction, for experimentation,
for abuse. She’d done it before, herself – laid them on a similar table;
prodded. She held nothing but hatred for them. She should have known
one night they’d be waiting. And now the humans from the Alien
Abduction Self-Help Society prepared to insert the foetus …

THE LAST LETTER

The last letter seemed so ancient, yellow,
Scrawly script from talented fellow,
The finder wondered what it said,
Such words he had never been fed,
He wrote in bytes nowadays,
The last letter from another phase,
But at least he always got a reply,
Better than the last letter, denied

HEALTH NEWS: Flu jab could be
replaced by patch. As a commited
jabophobe, good idea. Replace them all.
As for blood tests, employ vampires to sneak
up on you while asleep.

BRIT NEWS: Culture Dept faces 50% cut. Inevitable this
one would be hit hard. After all, with so much rubbish around
today, it is just falling in line with culture.

WORLD NEWS: Media tycoon Conrad Black released on
bail pending case on a technicality. No better
proof that money buys law. I won’t say
justice, ‘cos they’re not the same.

© Anthony North, July 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

ATHEISM

Theme Thursday, Microfiction Monday & ABC Wednesday
With Thursday Thirteen news & more prompts below
Try my Paranormal Flash now!

PROF ISAAC GALISTEIN

Welcome to my weekly magazine post. Watch
it grow thru the week. You can opt to read the essay,
current affairs, themed mini mag with fiction & poetry, or just
read the lot. Here’s hoping you enjoy your visit. Plenty
for everyone here so do call again next week.

I’m now on Facebook

MICROFICTION

Edible wild flowers in cups and lobster
monster cream cakes were painted into
Picasso’s tea party. But who ate who?

ATHEISM

Atheism traditionally means a non-belief in gods, yet its growth in line
with science suggests another primary meaning. Science says we are
alone in a chaotic world, an individual against cold chaos. This is very
similar to the ideal of atheism, an individual with no concept higher.
Yet doesn’t the simple fact that the two concepts grew in unison
suggest this may not be the case? Maybe we are as one with culture,
a concept most definitely above the individual.

PARK

Park is such a crisp, abrupt word. Unusual
for the English language, it doesn’t fit. Think
of what it stands for – being still and inactive;
a place of tranquility. Quite krap really.

Eye On the World
Essays on everything from science
to religion, politics to crime

HEALTH NEWS: Local doctors
could be given responsibility for much
of Brit National Health Service. Good idea.
It will tailor service to where it’s needed.

BRIT NEWS: Deputy PM says coalition govt marks end
of tribal politics. I hope not. It would mean consensus politics.
This would be bad for debate and bad for laws.

BRIT NEWS: Lord Mandelson’s memoirs admit Labour feared defeat 6
months before it happened. So, they weren’t totally stupid. Wonder
how the Prince of Darkness will force himself on us now.

WORLD NEWS: BP ‘successfully installs’ new cap on leaking well. No
congratulations here. The whole oil industry is to be condemned for
never realising such a thing could happen.

BRIT NEWS: After fragile truce Church of England prepares for women
bishops. Will cause anger among world Anglicanism. Leadership of
national & world church needs to split.

WORLD NEWS: After 3rd attack on Brit troops by an Afghan soldier
they were training, people asking when will Afghan army be
ready for task. Easy. Never. When we leave there’ll be
another war.

BRIT NEWS: Following huge manhunt & stand-off in
which killer kills himself, Prime Minister criticises
Facebook for allowing ‘legend’ page to Like
him. It’s vile, but we have free speech
or we don’t.

THE CRIME POST

It would be criminal not to read it

One Single Impression
Sunday Scribblings – Friday Flash 55
Three Word Wednesday – Writer’s Island
One Shot Wednesday

ANGEL

Gabriel and Co, they fought crime,
First law and order from the Divine,
Always ready to zap the bad,
God fearing people were so glad,
Then the ultimate fiend did drop,
Lucifer – the very first bent cop

FLASH 55 – KIDNAP

Fiction: He soon realized his mistake in kidnapping her. The police were
soon on his trail – surrounded the building. It was then that all hell
broke loose. Surprised, he was soon blooded – handcuffed – in pain.
The police were tense, unsure what to do. ‘Let him go,’ they
demanded. ‘Not until I’ve made him suffer,’ she said.

REUNION

They all reacted to the reunion call,
LBDs, DJs – they had a ball,
Organisers happy; they did well,
Visiting all, feeling swell;
Partygoers left, happy, glad,
Reunited with homes, empty, sad

THE BAIT

Fiction: The Predator peered out of the shadows and saw Billy Goat.
Had no idea about baits – only saw victims. Hunter watched, every
nerve tingling; and as Predator was about to strike, he jumped. Later,
another mugger behind bars, DI Hunter said: ‘Nice one Bill.’ ‘Thanks,
guv,’ Said Detective Goat.

SOURCE

Crime had erupted on the housing estate,
Police were baffled, questioning with haste,
Usual suspects put on the spot,
Clear up rates were certainly shot,
The source had made the policeman a fool,
They should have looked in the infant school

BRIT NEWS: Researchers predict
ethnic minorities will make up 20%
of population by 2050. This is fine as
long as we dump political correctness and
accept minorities thrive best in an over-culture.

BRIT NEWS: Recession was officially the worst since the
Depression with 6 quarters of negative growth. And with the
cuts now ongoing, a double-dip is highly likely. Fasten the seat
belts, folks.

WORLD NEWS: Russian spy Anna Chapman had been thought to want to
settle in UK where she has citizenship. Not no more. Her Brit nationality
has been revoked. Well, she’ll have to become a ‘star’ elsewhere.

BRIT NEWS: Pro-market reforms in health service by giving power to
local doctors to buy services will open it up to privatisation.
There are good and bad points in this.

WORLD NEWS: Vatican decrees ordination of women priest
an ecclesiastical crime. This will be seen as clear snub
towards Church of England. Oh ladies! It’s Henry’s
wives all over again.

CRIME NEWS: British Crime Survey say police
records show 43% fall in crime since 1997.
Two reasons. Affluence causes a fall;
and many people too sceptical of
police to bother reporting it.

© Anthony North, July 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

ZZZZZZZZ

Theme Thursday, Microfiction Monday & ABC Wednesday
With Thursday Thirteen news & more prompts below
Try my Paranormal Flash now!

BLOGGER BARD

Welcome to my weekly magazine post. Watch
it grow thru the week. You can opt to read the essay,
current affairs, themed mini mag with fiction & poetry, or just
read the lot. Here’s hoping you enjoy your visit. Plenty
for everyone here so do call again next week.

I’m now on Facebook

MICROFICTION

Fiction: She was naked but for a sheet. She
remembered the bottle. Picked it up. Knew it
was it’s fault. But her clothes were not inside.

ZZZZZ

The title is usually found in a cartoon bubble and represents sleep. I
use it to point out that western culture is asleep. The great music,
literature and art is all from the past. The ideas in politics and
philosophy are inane. Business has become empire building and the
pursuit of profit alone. Advancement is through pointless celebrity.
Work occurs in a technologically regulated mediocracy. Eccentricity,
daring and inspiration are shunned as anomalous or dangerous. I am
quite sure that if ET approached us today, he will see a planet as a
cartoon parody of its yesterdays, with the moon like a balloon, with
neon lighted ‘ZZZZZ’ flashing, saying, ‘nothing to see here’. I hope
we wake up before I die.

HELP

Help is good. It is human to be helped and want
to help. Yet if help tells us anything, it is that we
are not the individuals we think we are. We thrive
only when together, with help being the means of
our survival and progress.

Eye On the World
Essays on everything from science
to religion, politics to crime

HEALTH NEWS: Study says home
births are riskier than in hospital, though
better for the mother. Mindst you, advice always
follows fads.

BRIT NEWS: Ministers told departments to prepare for 40%
cuts. They’re making it sound worse than it is so when it isn’t
we’ll like them.

EDUC NEWS: BBC Panorama learns only 18 Brit teachers struck off for
incompetence in 40 yrs. That few? Ridiculous and bad for education.

CULTURE NEWS: Lee Siegel says time of great novelists is passed.
I don’t think its gone; merely that publishers are not looking
for them. Only interested in quick sales.

BRIT NEWS: Plan is for Referendum on Alternative Vote in May
2011. I guess there’s no alternative to it. We don’t need
to change constitution. Parties are problem.

BRIT NEWS: Brit Chamber of Commerce says economy
growing but there’s dangers. Yes, with cuts now
ongoing, look out for double-dip Recession.

CRIME NEWS: Brit courts are owed £1.3bn in
unpaid fines. Now, call me stupid, but
wouldn’t those fined be the most
obvious not to pay? So why
aren’t they chasing them?

RATTLER’S TALE

A Voyage of the Imagination

One Single Impression
Sunday Scribblings – Friday Flash 55
Three Word Wednesday – Writer’s Island
One Shot Wednesday

PREPONDERANCE

Lots of ideas come my way,
A preponderance, you could say,
Take out ‘pre’ and take out ‘ance’,
Leaves lots to ponder, when the world I glance,
But they all come from my condition, or is that ‘ance’?
Preconditioned ponderings mean it’s not down to chance;
Lots of ideas come my way,
My mind melds with world, you could say

FLASH 55 – THE POP SINGER

Fiction: They went mad as he sang, screaming and gyrating in their
tens of thousands. Many said he was the greatest pop singer ever. A
global phenomenon, many followed in his path, bringing fame to a
whole new generation. Arguments that he was retro were ignored. And
after every gig, the kids would shout: ‘Thanks, Pops.’

TREASURE

Diamonds, gold, precious stones,
Compacted elements, wealthy zone;
Such things are treasured more than life,
Sometimes more than kids and wife,
Yet why are treasures always rare?
Can anything beat a breath of air?

THE GENTLE WAY

Fiction(?): It was to be a gentle revolution, Mr Bigbiz knew. Praise
would come from high up – especially in the way he managed to make
the vulgar the norm. It began with democracy – personal
empowerment – ‘cos that would inevitably lead to mass consumerism.
Then they all had fun – continually shopping, continually partying,
continually grasping for more. And such benefits – counselors, therapy,
crime, rehab, prison – plenty of work for everyone. And don’t forget
the pension plans, perfectly balanced by fast food to kill ‘em off before
they receive. Yes, as Mr Bigbiz picked up his Trident, he knew the
pursuit of happiness would be Hell.

SONG FOR MOM

Always there when needs are great,
Constant guardian of my fate,
Her image strong within the mind,
Always waiting for me to find,
Memories flood whenever I delve,
Though she died when I was twelve

BRIT NEWS: The Queen
has addressed the UN and
visited Ground Zero. UN Sec Gen
said she was an anchor for our age. So
very true. Her links with the past are vital for
us to remember from where we came.

WAR NEWS: Brit Army to hand control of Sangin, Afghanistan,
to US. Since 2006 nearly 100 Brit troops have been killed here. We
were simply spread too thinly.

CRIME NEWS: The second spree shooter in the north of England in a
month is dead. Cornered, he shot himself after 6 hr negotiation. It
always ends like this – it’s a form of suicide.

WORLD NEWS: So Russia and US have swapped their spies. Some
from each side want to settle in UK, including Anna Chapman,
it seems. Her ex-husband already has publicist. A ‘star’ in
the making?

BRIT NEWS: Speaker of House of Commons wants to
abolish bad behaviour during PM’s Questions. Don’t
be ridiculous! If politics isn’t confrontational we
don’t thoroughly debate, and law is deficient.

GREEN NEWS: Climate unit in East Anglia has
been criticised for lack of openness. An
important point. If scientists are
secretive they do damage to
understanding of climate
change.

© Anthony North, July 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

YOGAS

Theme Thursday, Microfiction Monday & ABC Wednesday
With Thursday Thirteen news & more prompts below
Try my Paranormal Flash now!

GURU TONY

Welcome to my weekly magazine post. Watch
it grow thru the week. You can opt to read the essay,
current affairs, themed mini mag with fiction & poetry, or just
read the lot. Here’s hoping you enjoy your visit. Plenty
for everyone here so do call again next week.

I’m now on Facebook

MICROFICTION

Fiction: Two girls sat on top of the world
discussing the men below. ‘Which do you
fancy?’ ‘Don’t know; they’re all
beneath me.’

YOGAS

We think of yoga as assuming funny positions and going ‘Om’, but in
reality there are many yogas, ranging from the above, to ordering your
life. Most have two important functions – the meditative and allowing
you to find your way in the world. In this respect, all right action can
be seen as yoga. Understanding this allows us to see how fundamental
yoga is in everyone’s life. One classic example is the routine most of us
have first thing in the morning. No matter how the day is organized, we
tend to do things in an exact way when we first get up. Could this be
a form of yoga, ordering our life and mind? Just consider what happens
if, for some reason, your routine is interrupted. Chances are the rest of
the day will be a disaster. Your mind has been knocked out of
equilibrium with the world.

BALL

The word, ball, is more important than the
ball you kick around. It speaks of responsibility
– keep the ball rolling; the ball’s in your court;
keep your eye on the ball. Good advice in
every phrase – and a great analogy. ‘Cos as
a man, if I don’t it’s so easy to be
kicked in the ba …

Eye On the World
Essays on everything from science
to religion, politics to crime

SPORT NEWS: England suffers
worse defeat in World Cup history. Out
4-1 against Germany. We really should have
sent a team.

EDUC NEWS: UK govt wants to bring back competitive
sports to schools. Yes! Idea that we’re all winners is rubbish.
Kids need to learn this.

WORLD NEWS: G20 leaders agree richest members to halve deficit in 3
yrs. Oh, words are so easy – except for the masses who are affected.

WORLD NEWS: 10 people in US charged with spying for Russia. Reminder
that the Cold War may not be gone, but simply in slumber.

BRIT NEWS: Charity thinks kids should be put in care earlier. Good
idea if right judgment, but easy to get wrong. Can system be
trusted?

BRIT NEWS: Leaked data from Treasury says they expect
austerity plan to cost 1.3 million jobs. And they say
they’ll get welfare bill down?

BRIT NEWS: Justice Sec attacks numbers of
prisoners. ‘Bang em up’ culture is
wrong. But he is looking at
cutting prison building
program.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

One Single Impression
Sunday Scribblings – Friday Flash 55
Three Word Wednesday – Writer’s Island

OVERT

It’s never overt, yet always close,
That thing we tend to fear the most,
Nighmares impinging on waking hours,
Our resolve, our hopes – all devoured,
Leaving a shell of what we were,
Such a cost fear incurs

FLASH 55 – HOUSE PICTURE

Fiction: The girl found the picture in an empty field. It was of a girl
holding a picture of a house in a field. She saw a picture within of a girl
and her house. She took it home to her house in a field. She liked her
house but preferred to be in the picture.

FORK IN THE ROAD

Evil reigned for so very long,
‘Til saintly people sang their song,
Hitting the Devil with their halos true,
Banishing bad from the inner you,
Satan gone, leaving his symbol to goad,
Don’t pick up that fork in the road

ACRID DRINK

Fiction: As I swallowed I knew it would be acrid, but what choice did I
have? I’d flown here only recently after my – what shall we call it? –
change. My future actions would be the bane of my existence now,
and I was tepid about it, but I had to survive. The liquid clung to my
throat, metallic tasting. Still, as I bit her neck once more, I knew I’d
get used to it.

ME

I’m me, I am, I’m my own choice,
When I speak it’s my true voice,
What’s that you say? Who are you?
I’m you who comes out when you’re blue;
Some one else – what’s that you say?
I’m you who comes out when you play;
I am we – together we fire,
Singing in tune, like a choir

SHE SPY

Why is it the only pictures we’re getting of the alleged Russian spies
in the US are of the good looking one with the sexy poses. Not that
I’m complaining, you understand. And it seems the security services
have been watching her for 7 years!!! Interesting.

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BRIT NEWS: Chef Jamie Oliver
angry at Health Sec for saying his
school dinner campaign didn’t work. It
didn’t! Kids stopped having them.

BRIT NEWS: Ballot on voting reform is due in May.
We don’t need this. We need party reform – take away
their power with independents.

TV NEWS: Monday 28 June, a historic night. Because of football, not
one Soap on major channels. Unheard of during the week. Will
be known as Soapless Monday.

HEALTH NEWS: Survey says poor in UK are likely
to die 10 yrs earlier than the rich. Is this
due to health service or education?

BRIT NEWS: 150 Quango bosses get 6
figure salaries. Is there one of
these taxpayer supported
burdens that does
anything
useful?

© Anthony North, July 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel