SOLITUDE

Microfiction Monday, ABC Wednesday, more prompts below
Try my Paranormal Flash now!

GURU TONY

Microfiction: As the deer’s head was
mounted on the wall he knew he didn’t
need to fear the horrors in life. Just
the horror writer.

SOLITUDE

Solitude is a strange place. It can be good or bad; desired or imposed.
If bad or imposed, it is a terrible place, yet if good or desired it is a
place where you can know yourself. Yet are you ever alone in solitude?
Clearly we are cut off from the frenzy of society, but alone with
yourself, you can be opened up to the vibes below what we
experience. If a bad place, this can release your demons, but if a good
place, you can be as one with everything. Desired solitude is anything
but lonely.

I’m now on Facebook

BRIT NEWS: The Coalition is about
to start officially measuring happiness in
Britain – this from a govt who no one voted for!
It may seem a good idea, but beware – as utilitarianism
showed, put 4 strangers in a boat with food for 3, happiness is
increased by throwing one overboard.

BRIT NEWS: Following Druidism gaining official status, a handbook
has been produced for the Metropolitan Police advising how
to respect the rights of other pagans. I think this is
good but some pagans are suspicious of this.
The way they’ve been treated,
I don’t blame them.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

One Single Impression
Friday Flash 55 – Writer’s Island
One Shot Wednesday

APPRENTICE

Boo!!!! … Look, why won’t you scream?
This isn’t some kind of silly dream,
You’re awake and I’m a ghost,
I’m not supposed to be scared the most!
Oh well … I guess it’s just a learning curve,
New to this game – I’ll find the nerve

FLASH 55 – FIRST NIGHT

Fiction: The boy sat atop the grave in the dark and was frightened. It
was a new experience but he knew he couldn’t see his mommy any
more. Suddenly an adult appeared, and another. They took his hand. It
was his first night as a ghost, but the others comforted. He’d find
peace in the afterlife.

PEERLESS

All alone, the killing done,
A Devil had been behind that gun,
Only souls exist there now,
The killer taking his final bow,
Peerless, yes, but not for long,
Driven mad by their vengeful song

© Anthony North, 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

ORACLE

Microfiction Monday, ABC Wednesday, more prompts below
Try my Paranormal Flash now!

GURU TONY

Microfiction: A sickening sense of
humour they had at the Drugs Rehab
Clinic. Come to the 1940s retro party
– free coke! At least it quenched.

ORACLE

The Oracle at Delphi once foretold a great victory. The recipient went
off to the battle and came back defeated. He should have asked which
side was to win. This is the problem with Oracles. The information is
always incomplete – which suggests just exactly what ancient oracles
were. Rather than some supernatural process, they can better be seen
as think tanks. And even today, the success rate hasn’t improved.

I’m now on Facebook

BRIT NEWS: Universities will soon
be able to charge students up to £10,000
tuition fees. The days of anyone going to uni are
over. It was just a blip of affluence, with the upshot that
now, only the rich will make it. Amazing how 13 years of so called
social mobility reversed social mobility.

BRIT NEWS: So the defence review leaves holes in our defence. Two
carriers will be built but will be aircraftless for a decade. The first, HMS
Queen Elizabeth, will be mothballed when the 2nd, Prince of Wales,
comes into service. Prince Charles please note – this may be as close
as you get.

BRIT NEWS: Half million jobs to go (and the rest); BBC budget cut
16%. Most govt depts cut by 19% over 4 yrs. Retirement
age up. Welfare cuts deep. And that’s just the start.
Small govt is maybe preferable. Bu there was
a definite feeling of glee in the Tories
that they can do it so quickly.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

One Single Impression
Friday Flash 55 – Writer’s Island
One Shot Wednesday

GRACE

How graceful it was to see her there,
Perfect beauty, loving stare,
Taking away the sadness within,
Seeing her ghost cannot be a sin;
And then she was gone without a trace,
Yet reinforced memories interlaced

TATTOO

Fiction: It was that simple. He put a tattoo of a beautiful blonde on the
guy’s arm and that night he met the love of his life. How it worked, the
tattooist had no idea, but suddenly his tattoos made things happen.
He never liked one guy, but knew he’d love a tattoo of a snake.

EMERGE

Trying to think; can’t get out,
Need a voice to scream and shout,
Be a person just like you,
I’m gonna be there in a moment or two!
Lots of experience on which to be fed,
From the clutter inside your head

© Anthony North, 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

KINSHIP

Microfiction Monday, ABC Wednesday, more prompts below
Try my Paranormal Flash now!

GURU TONY

Microfiction: The tanker sailed without me.
I’d gone green, you see. It crept upon me
slowly. We all have our reasons. Mine
began with sea sickness.

KINSHIP

Kinship is a vital aspect of society. In feudal times, marriage and
extended kinship was the anchor to power. Even in Mafia, such ‘kinship’
is at the heart of its success. Sadly, though, kinship is being degraded
nowadays. We are all ‘individuals’ instead. This is an error, for as well
as being a way to power in the past, it is also a defence against
power. It was a level of influence between state and individual. With
family in decline, the influence of the state becomes total.

I’m now on Facebook

BRIT NEWS: As Britain’s party
conference season begins we’ll see
a glimpse of the new round of politics. A
coalition govt announces its spending review in
October. Is it necessary or ideology? Unions are becoming
vocal. Labour’s new leader will soon be known. Interesting times.

GREEN NEWS: UK Energy Secretary says there is an important place
for nuclear power. No, no, no!!! Big Biz is only in the green dabate to
prove alternatives inadequate so they can go totally nuclear. It has to
as Big Biz requires big, expensive systems to exist. Alternatives are
cheaper and small biz friendly, so Big Biz would be out.

CRIME NEWS: UK watchdog blames retreat of police from streets
for rise in anti-social behaviour. It’s more than that. The
police removed themselves from community, allowing
yobs to rule, and people to think of police as
other than them. They have failed
to do their job.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

One Single Impression
Friday Flash 55 – Writer’s Island
One Shot Wednesday

MONUMENT

A monument to all the ghostie tales,
Lightning flash, ectoplasmic trails,
All our horrors turned to stone,
Don’t sleep by here unless you atone,
Nightmares will come and ghosts will flock
Afterlife, entombed within the rock

FLASH 55 – THE SÉANCE

Fiction: ‘I’m telling you, it was rubbish,’ said Jenny as she returned
home to her husband. ‘The medium went into a trance and made
contact, but I knew it wasn’t right. The messages were all wrong.’ ‘So
she was a fake,’ he said. Which was true. Her husband hadn’t been
contacted by anyone since his death.

WHIMSY

Scratch your cheek, tug your hair,
Whenever it’s done, don’t despair,
Don’t know it’s happening ’til it’s done,
That’s why it’s so much fun,
And immediately you decide you did imbue,
When it was me, the ghostie behind you

© Anthony North, September 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

GREED

Theme Thursday, Microfiction Monday & ABC Wednesday
With Thursday Thirteen & Magpie Tales
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

MAGPIE TALES

Fiction: Someone had definitely taken a
bite of my apple and I was determined to
find out who. Looking around, I couldn’t
see which man was missing, but one lady
definitely was. ‘Where’s Eve?’ I asked.

MICROFICTION

Fiction: ‘Do the fools who write road signs
have any idea of distance?’ asked the crow
as he flew by, depositing his contempt
on another one.

Here’s my son Richard’s latest Webshow

GREED

Greed is such an ugly thing, yet at the heart of modern capitalism is the
idea that success requires greed. This is not how it should have been.
Capitalism was conceived in more religious times, where it had a
natural counter balance with the idea of thrift. Abandon the opposite
in any society and it will inevitably go wrong – except, of course, Big
Biz doesn’t want balance to exist. Only through glorying greed can
they have consumers greedy enough to fuel the greed of the few at
the top of the Big Biz ladder. As I’ve said before, welcome to Serfdom.

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

BRIT NEWS: National Health
Service spent £300m on outside
consultants last year. Add the £65 billion
debt still hanging over us for new hospitals and its
obvious the last govt forgot a simple rule. It is prudent
to spend only what you need and save for a rainy day.

TRADE NEWS: eBay has doubled its traders as more and
more businesses open up through eCommerce. Let
it continue and let these small firms grow.
They, and green tech, are our best
hope of ridding the world of the
scourge of Big Biz. I’m fed
up of being a serf.

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
One Shot Wednesday

CHOICES

What nightmare shall I have tonight?
Will it haunt, or a vampire’s bite,
Plenty of gore, or supernatural delight,
Maybe magicians in a psychic fight …
What nightmare? There’s such a wealth;
Poe, I think, as I approach the shelf

FLASH 55 – BLOGGED

Fiction: After the blogger has gone it lies in cyberspace. The
abandoned blog is not pretty, the decay of spam degrading its
comments, the sense of what was hanging, hauntingly on the edge
of the net. Yet still it draws the search engine, possessing the
seeker, forever intertwined with the afterblog. Life after
death lives on.

IF ONLY

If Only had come all would have changed,
So much of life rearranged,
If Only had happened it would be glee,
I’d be master of my destiny,
If Only, the ghost of what could have been,
So much that I could have seen

PIXEL POWER

Fiction: Cameras confirmed ghosts – many a photo brought them to the
surface – but he’d never realized technology could be a form of
exorcism, too. ‘Light is dark and dark is light,’ he had been told. ‘They
appear on the negative and break into life through developing. So if
you could trap them in the darkness, they cannot manifest.’ So he
caught them with his digital camera, by passing the negative. How
many ghosts are in yours?

FAITH

He went with Faith into the pit of Hell,
Fire scorching, sulphuric smell,
Demons challenged, he tried to fight,
Faith dissolving, out of sight,
Conquering fear, Faith came back,
He knew she’d give him all he lacked

HEALTH NEWS: Insufficient exposure
to sunshine could add to many illnesses,
including MS and arthritis, says vitamin D study.
This is the kind of science I like. It agrees with common
sense. Does modern lifestyle & fear of skin cancer cause as much
harm as good?

BRIT NEWS: Prime Minister Cameron is a Dad again. He said he
wanted a Cornish middle name and they chose Endellion.
I’d have thought Pastie would be nice. But are we
really bothered? He’s a politician. Now I know
they have personality (?), but should
they be treated as celebrities?

© Anthony North, August 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

CONSENSUS

Theme Thursday, Microfiction Monday & ABC Wednesday
With Thursday Thirteen items & a couple more
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: The house was derelict.
Defenceless. ‘We always win in the end,’
said Eco 1. Ecosystems 2 to infinity
crept forward …

My son, Richard, has begun a regular
monthly show. Just over 8 mins long,
it’s funny. Take a look.
Arts Web Show

CONSENSUS

I gave up a search for truth long ago when I realized the only truth is
there isn’t one – which led me to search for why people think there is.
And what I noticed is that throughout history a constant flow of ideas
have been put forward. Most fade into obscurity, but the occasional
ones catch on. And when they do, a consensus arises. And before
long, all knowledge – indeed, all thinking – is placed within the confines
of the consensus. Even language bends to its restraints. If we realized
the process, maybe we’d learn to have more toleration for a consensus
that conflicts with ours. In this direction peace may lie.

BROWN

Brown is a difficult colour to write about.
We often think of soil as brown, which
gives it its importance. Brown represents
the foundation for the growth of food,
essential to the neverending cycles of
life, enriched when brown returns to the
earth … I warned you it was a difficult
colour to write about.

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

WORLD NEWS: Many European
banks fail health check, but UK banks
seem okay. This all comes down to the Euro,
I’m sure. To not have control of your own economy
in a crisis is insanity. The Euro was the product of the
stupidity of affluence.

CRIME NEWS: Brit prisons minister thinks rehabilitation should
involve meeting the victim. This worrying aspect is wrong. Crime
may be committed against the person, but the criminal faces the
State. I feel for victims, but emotion should be kept out of law.

WORLD NEWS: The leaking of 1000s of Pentagon documents
outs hypocrisy amongst the media as details of civilian
Afghan deaths are known. What do we expect? It
is war. It’s inevitable. Don’t blame the soldiers.
Blame the politicians who correctly went to
close down the terrorists, and ended
up trying to build empires.

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
One Shot Wednesday

CONNOISSEUR

Looking forward to the midnight feast,
With Dracula and Frankinstein and several deceased,
Plenty of red stuff there to drink,
Fleshy meat for our teeth to sink,
True connoisseurs are so very few,
Want to come!!!? Be the wine and stew?

FLASH 55 – HOUSEBREAKERS

Fiction: The house was crumbling fast. No one lived there any more. It
was a harrowing sight – a death. After all, the last resident had lost his
will to exist. And as he was one with the house, maybe it was his
death the house was suffering. For without the living the ghost must
surely fade.

FEARFUL JOURNEY

Travelling fast through the forest of fear,
I can feel my worst nightmares edging near,
Expectantly I wait for them to jump right out,
Any second now, I have no doubt,
Yet soon I was free – I’d gone right through,
Which is when the unexpected came out; said ‘Boo!’

SUCKERS

Fiction: It always happens in the dark. From the moment she was
awoken she was trapped in the mesmeric bond between the two. The
eyes stared into her very soul, and soon the jaws opened, clamped
shut! The drinking began, sucking ravenously. She felt the feebleness
as she began to be drained. She began to predict what course of
action she could take. And eventually, sated, she removed her baby
from her breast.

I’D LIKE TO THANK

I’d like to thank you sincerely,
For all that you have given to me,
Success couldn’t happen without you,
I trust and love you true,
Your wit, your wisdom, your everything,
Is the root of all that makes me zing,
This pact puts so much in my grasp,
Do my horns show in this looking glass?

CRIME NEWS: Brit police officer let
off by CPS over death of Ian Tomlinson
at G20 protest is to face disciplinary hearing.
When is the same going to happen to the police
tacticians. It is an offence in Britain to obstruct a law
abiding person. The police need to remember who they work for.

WORLD NEWS: US Senate hearing on Lockerbie postponed as key
Brits refuse to attend. Let’s not have any indignation here. The only
Americans entitled to be angry are relatives of those who died. The
US Senate needs to realise the UK is not a vassal but a dear
friend who is getting angry.

BRIT NEWS: David Cameron is going round the world upsetting
a lot of countries and aligning with others. India and Turkey
seem to be ‘in’. I’m sure that in gratitude they’ll sign
lots of business contracts. Then again, Britain
was wrong to shun such countries in
favour of the EU in the first place.

© Anthony North, August 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.

Follow me on Twitter

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

UNIVERSE

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.

MICROFICTION

Fiction: The mirror didn’t lie. The geneticist
had always been an ass, but he’d love to know
which gene produced the long ears.

UNIVERSE

Is the universe out there? It certainly seems to be – after all, we feel
its effects all the time; and science certainly seems to be learning lots
about it. But is this really the case? Well, most of the mass of the
universe is currently classed as dark energy or dark matter – mainly
because we haven’t the slightest idea of how it works without
inventing something yet to be found. It’s the same with Big Bang. It all
began with the expansion of a singularity. Yet this singularity is nothing
more than a mathematical point of infinity. In reality, our understanding
of the universe has moved on very little since the days of gods holding
it in place. Indeed, the history of our knowledge of the universe seems
to go hand in hand with our changing view of our culture and society.
So maybe the true reality of the universe exists only in our collective
minds.

CANDY

Fiction: When the health evangelist realised
society had a weight problem he decided
Candy was to blame. But the authorities
decided changing it to Dontdy was a
little extreme.

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

EURO NEWS: Eurovision Song
Contest. The team that made Kylie
come last. They’ll come in top 5? They
should be so lucky.

BRIT NEWS: Lib Dem govt minister David Laws quits
over £40,000 payment to partner in expenses scandal. At
least it’s not Tory sleaze.

BRIT NEWS: Survey says average Brit family spend 49 mins together
per week. Such are the pressures of modern life to keep us apart.

WORLD NEWS: Are US govt talking to Hamas secretly, as their leader
claims? Possibly. At some level everyone talks to everyone.

BRIT NEWS: Govt could face European court if it doesn’t give
prisoners the vote. Rubbish! In committing crime they
forego that right.

BRIT NEWS: Cameron wants more openness in govt.
Of course he’d say that, but openness always
leans towards the good news than bad.

BRIT NEWS: Some 180 civil servants earn
more than the Prime Minister. Another
example of ridiculous overspend
of ‘prudent’ Brown.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

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

OUBLIETTE

Pushed down the hatch into the pit,
Never get out, no matter how fit,
As time drags on it’s a forgotten place,
What happens is surely a terrible disgrace …
So many years since I imprisoned him there,
I daren’t go and look – his eye sockets will stare,
Reminding me of a terror let free,
Skeletons of mind too fearful to see

FLASH 55 – THE SCHOOL

Fiction: It was certainly an unusual boarding school. The teachers were
very good and cost nothing at all. Of course, the headmaster was
pleased with his recruiting methods. He often trawled ‘up there’ during
his séances. After all, there were plenty just floating about, doing
nothing. And the kiddies always stayed in bed on a night.

UNFORGETTABLE

Unforgettable – that’s her song,
She obviously thought we belonged,
Followed me everywhere I went,
Eventually my anger I had to vent,
I lie awake, now, most of the time,
Trying to hear that damn clock chime,
How she died – such a fright,
Now she sings that song all night

THE NOBLE UNDEAD

Fiction: Since he was last staked the noble undead one had declined in
people’s imagination. A new world was coming. Science was advancing,
and how could superstition survive this onslaught of reason? And
without superstition he could not take bodily form again, his memory
condemned to be hidden from culture. For he lived on fear, and if
people no longer knew how to fear … ? He thought long and hard about
this as he roamed through the ether. One day he found himself in a
book filled study, and it occurred to him that imagination now existed
in words; and if imagination was there, why not fear? He looked at the
man sat at the desk and made his decision. He entered through his ear
and soon found a comfy place within his mind to think. And as the man
called Stoker began to write, the undead one knew he would rise once
more.

MESS

A scene of carnage, such a mess,
I look down feeling such distress,
Serial killers, ghosts and ghouls performed,
This charnel house is not the norm,
It’s so hard not to step on all the gore,
I’ve dropped my horror DVDs on the floor

BRIT NEWS: Union says British
Airways face a summer of disruption.
With strikes and ash, being hit hard. BA &
BP – are they on way out?

BRIT NEWS: Is UK doing enough to protect major sites
during Olympics? Most likely not; which is the problem. You
can’t have 100% security.

CRIME NEWS: After 12 shot dead by Cumbrian spree killer there’ll
no doubt be a kneejerk reaction to gun laws again. Always leads to
bad law.

GREEN NEWS: UN report says we should eat less meat/dairy products
to ease climate change. Abstinance never good message. It’s ignored.

HEALTH NEWS: Council of Europe says some experts who urged
stockpiling of swine flu vaccine been paid by Big Pharma.
Why am I not surprised?

BRIT NEWS: MP urges local councils to publish spending
over £500. Very good idea. So much wastage
here there’d be riots in the streets.

© Anthony North, June 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

Follow me on Twitter

QUANTUM

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.

MICROFICTION

Fiction: The Buddhist monks were told never
to hurry. But after straying from the eight
fold path they had to run to catch up.

QUANTUM

Quantum theory has an inbuilt ‘uncertainty principle’ where nothing can
be known for certain. Devised by the physicist Werner Heisenberg, it
locks true knowledge behind a shroud we can never penetrate because
we can never observe absolutely. It is at the base of all modern
scientific understanding, so how can some science types now say they
know things for certain? I suspect those who do are relying more on a
religious impulse towards certainty rather than the scientific. Maybe
we should have a societal and knowledge-based uncertainty principle
in all areas. It shouldn’t affect a person’s belief, but could well allow a
little more toleration of others.

MYSTERY

Fiction: He went in search of mystery
– lived for it; travelled far and wide for
it; yearned for it. Yet all he found were
answers and was unfulfilled. Only upon
his death did he realise it was the
journey that counts.

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

MEDIA NEWS: Record numbers
of UK TV viewers complain about foul
language. About time, too. I hate this new
punctuation. No need for it.

HEALTH NEWS: Research says 5 mins spent alone with
beautiful stranger causes so much stress in men it’s bad for
health. We’re so brave.

BRIT NEWS: More tragedy for Redgraves with the death of Lynn,
following brother Corin and Natasha last year. Bye, bye Georgy Girl.

SCI NEWS: Video showing chimp ‘grieving’ sparks debate. My own
opinion: animals open to human interaction are marvellous mimics.

EURO NEWS: Greece gets €110bn deal for pledges to overhaul
failing economy. They just don’t get it. The Euro will fail.
Was a bad idea.

WORLD NEWS: After New York car bomb attempt, terror
leaders warn it’ll always be a target. Like Londoners,
they know that. And they carry on.

WORLD NEWS: Tough talk ahead for Middle East
WMD ban? They can talk as tough as they
want but chance of Isreal scrapping
nukes is zero.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

One Single Impression
Sunday Scribblings – Friday Flash 55
Three Word Wednesday – Thursday Poets’ Rally
Writer’s Island – Weekend Wordsmith

TREMBLE THING

Darkness, clinging, coming close,
You don’t know what you fear the most,
All around you a sinister air,
Heart pronounces an edge of despair,
If only you knew what it was so near,
Maybe – just maybe – you’d conquer your fear

FLASH 55 – THE GREEN MONSTER

Fiction: The single eyewitness had said it was green. The man was just
sat in his garden and the green monster appeared from nowhere and
devoured him. Afterwards there was no sign of either of them.
Forensics solved it, of course. They found his DNA in the grass. Maybe
he should have mowed it more often.

SALE

Buy it now, a bargain true,
Beautiful statue just for you,
Don’t listen to rumours that persist,
Curses on statues don’t exist;
Buy it now – a fortune you’ll save,
And it will fit nicely in your grave

WEIGHTLESS

Fiction: I’d always wanted to be an astronaut and I couldn’t ignore the
urge. Yes, as I worked towards my goal there was fear – would it be
safe? How many ways were there to be killed? But my friends and I
trained, persevered. Well, I’m here, in the darkness, among the stars,
weightless. I call to my friends but they don’t hear me. If only I’d made
it. If only I was here in more than spirit.

COURAGE

Garlic no good, cross broke in two,
Vampire approaches, heading for you,
Razor sharp teeth break out of the dark,
Nowhere to run – it’s certainly no lark,
Grasping courage, must go on to the end,
No help available, no plea to send,
Horror impinges all round your form,
Can’t wait for 3D horror to be the norm

THE KEY

Find the key to know it all,
Ultimate knowledge to enthrall,
It’s in the deep mind, get it out,
Become a mystic, most devout,
Suddenly it floods in, the good and bad,
But beware, it’s enough to drive you mad,
Then you’ll be stuck needing another key,
Or the Asylum’s your only destiny

ELECTION REPORT

As I write we do not know who will be Prime Minister of the UK. Gordon
Brown is clinging on to No 10 with split nails, but if we need anything,
it is Not Brown! This is not a party political statement, but an
understanding of why the UK had a Hung Parliament in this election. A
cycle that descended us into the most extreme politics we have ever
known is hopefully coming to an end. It began in 1979 with Thatcher
and entered part two in 1997 with Blair – two landslide governments
powerful enough to do what they wanted, both eventually descending
into moral corruption before we say no. The UK doesn’t work well with
landslide victories. Governments with ideally small majorities should be
the way. This creates a balance between the power of the Cabinet
and the power of Parliament. This is why I am happy we have a Hung
Parliament. Whatever coalition forms the next govt, it won’t last long
– Id give it up to a year – but during its time hopefully we will scourge
ourselves of landslides and carry on a form of government best
identified by Churchill in his term ‘keep buggering on’. That’s what
Britain does, or should do if we really can ditch the cycle of the last
30 years. Some may say it is a bad way to do government, but in this
way Britain invented modern democracy, forged the Industrial
Revolution, created the greatest Empire ever known, and faced down
the world’s greatest terror. Hang your extreme politics – just keep
buggering on.

© Anthony North, May 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

Follow me on Twitter
Good place to see what I’m discussing
from my Archives

MODERATION

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. You’ll also see a linked essay and story from
my archives. Why not call back later to read them?
Plenty for everyone here. Do call again.

MICROFICTION

The swan looked at its reflection in the water;
to confirm its beauty – had a hang-up over it
ever since the nasty ducks led it astray.

MODERATION

Most ideas have a degree of commonsense, so why do things always
go wrong? Usually the ideas or people are blamed, but this is not good
enough. One thing I’ve noted about any idea is that it is invariably
followed fanatically and above all else. I’m convinced this is the
problem – we are unable to apply moderation. We should try it.
Indeed, I’m fanatical about moderation.

CAN’T HAVE LUNCH

Dark Fiction: I miss my lunch. Used to enjoy
it. But now I have to content myself on a
hearty meal when I get out of the coffin.
Washed down with a nice Bloody Mary.

YOUR GREEN QUESTIONS
ANSWERED

We are aware that we should be Green – that we are polluting
the environment and heating up the world – but many people
have little understanding of ecology and the science behind
many green issues.
Ecology is about holism. It isn’t so much interested in the parts
of something, but the wholeness of the system. It looks for
interactions that cannot be seen, measured or observed in an
easily scientific way …
… read more …

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

BRIT NEWS: So now we know.
The Election is on 6 May, and our
choices are the worst bunch of inane
political managers in modern times.

TV WATCH: Finally seen the new look Doctor Who.
There was so much clever storytelling it sparkled, and
the new Doc & assistant are magic.

HEALTH NEWS: Charity warns ‘generational shift’ in skin cancer
due to package holidays. This, and cars, taking us away from all
year sun.

BRIT NEWS: Business leaders ditch Labour and flock to the Tories. This
was inevitable. They never endorse a dying brand.

EDUC NEWS: Research says teachers’ assessment of children’s ability
affected by stereotyping. Always has, always will. It’s human nature.

BRIT NEWS: Think Tank says voting age should be lowered to
16. No, no, no! It doesn’t help if adults think kids are
grown up at 16, too.

WORLD NEWS: Obama bans nuke retaliation
against chemical/biological attack –
mainly ‘cos big foes are scrapping
these weapons.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

One Single Impression
Sunday Scribblings – Friday Flash 55
Three Word Wednesday – Thursday Poets’ Rally

MASK

The senses …
Not hear, not see, not touch,
Restrict experience so very, very much;
Can’t quite hear what the spirits say,
Can’t quite see what could easily waylay;
Their ghostly touch comes from a veil so thin,
Thankfully masking nightmares …
Careful!!!
Don’t let them in

WHEN DARKNESS COMES

To feel alien in a world of people is to be dead. I’d thought this since
I came round, after the accident. How it happened, I don’t know. I
cannot remember a thing. And neither can I remember any of these
people, or even myself.
‘A bad case of amnesia,’ Dr Forster had said …
… read more …

DEADLINE

Waiting, waiting, nowhere to go,
Just shuffling forward with the flow,
No one speaks, they only stare,
Not even sure if they’re aware,
A terrible accident, I’m not fine,
Waiting in the dead line

FLASH 55 – THE BLESSING

Fiction: He loved his new house and didn’t believe the stories of
ghosts in the place. But still the priest insisted a blessing could be a
good thing. Of course, he’d never believed in religion or the
supernatural, but he allowed it to happen. Which was not good for his
skepticism. That night it all began …

A SAINT’S FALL

Born a saint, there’s no doubt,
But even as a baby he’d scream and shout,
In his life he began to learn,
Lubricate Ego – people should’ve been stern,
Turning brash, a demon soon grew,
He’s Mr Everyman – me and you

BRIT NEWS: Petrol hits
120p/litre. Cost of living has
rocketed. Profiteering showing clearly
what Big Biz thinks of little consumers.

HEALTH NEWS: Dietary study says 5 portions fruit/veg
has only modest effect on cancer. Quite possibly true. Balanced
diet is key to health.

BRIT NEWS: Tories deny their cuts in public services will cost 40,000
jobs. Of course it will. Has to happen, no matter who’s in power.

BRIT NEWS: It’s emerged a Labour candidate gone ‘cos of remarks on
Twitter: Elderly are ‘coffin dodgers’, etc. Rather stupid nowadays.

TV WATCH: Bill Tarmey (Jack Duckworth) leaving Coronation
Street after decades. With Liz Dawn (Vera), he was
great. Happy retirement.

BRIT NEWS: Labour & Tory leaders decline ‘grilling’
by Newsnight’s Jeremy Paxman. Not surprising.
He is about the best at uncovering spin.

© Anthony North, April 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel

Follow me on Twitter
Good place to see what I’m discussing
from my Archives

ILLNESS

Theme Thursday, Booking Through Thursday & ABC Wednesday
With Thursday Thirteen items of news & more prompts below
Plus Carry On Tuesday & Microfiction Monday
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.
Plenty for everyone here. Do call again.

MICROFICTION

Fiction: The little girl stood by the window, the river outside. She
waited for Daddy. The game was over now. She hoped he could swim.

TALENTED MAN

Fiction: With some special talent I was born.
Everyone is. And as a Big Biz careers adviser, I’m
gonna make sure you don’t find yours.

BREAKFAST

Fiction: I’d met her and we all knew what I meant: ‘I want to have
breakfast with you.’ Yes!! I was in. But bacon & egg at 11pm? Oh well.

BEST READS

A Thought: The writer articulated in the most
splendid prose; a rich tapestry of colourful
language – which nobody read. Writing is a
communication thing, too.

ILLNESS

Let me make it clear from the start that I think most of our medicine is
wonderful. We live in lucky times where medical science is increasing
our life expectancy marvelously. But that doesn’t mean there are no
problems. One is the power of the pharmaceutical companies – not
only to make vast profits, but also to steer research into too narrow a
margin, and arguably missing out on less profitable, but equally
important, areas of research. We also have the natural pessimism of
modern medicine. It makes you ill, whereas a more holistic, whole
body approach alongside the conventional could add that boost of
optimism so essential to fighting illness. You see, personal mind-set is
so important. Infact, I’d say the biggest cause of death is
unhappiness and worry – which brings us to preventative medicine
and the health police. In many ways they are destroying us, taking
away risk and, with the help of the media, turning us into
hypochondriacs and fad dieters. Being healthy can sometimes be bad
for you. As for me, I’m a big believer that nothing will kill you in
moderation – unless you’re unlucky.

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

BRIT NEWS: Brown visits
troops in Helmand after Iraq Inquiry.
He says not using troops for politics. I really
think he thinks that. Bad.

WORLD NEWS: Iceland voters reject plan to repay Icesave
debts to UK. When countries become such bad payers, what can
we expect of people?

BRIT NEWS: Report says lack of jobs and cheap housing driving the
young out of countryside. A disgrace of a govt that loves only cities.

GREEN NEWS: Idea that global warming’s a religion is in the media again.
Not exactly. A religion is a leap of faith without any evidence.

WORLD NEWS: World Cup host South Africa want extra billion
condoms before football fans arrive. Is this telling about
South Africa or fans?

BRIT NEWS: CBI wants a convincing plan from the
govt for balancing economy by 2016. They’ll
be wanting to believe in fairies next.

BRIT NEWS: All dog owners may have
to take out insurance to combat
dangerous dogs. That’s right,
condemn the many to try
to beat the few.

READ WITH MUMMY

The Magazine Post with a gentle hint of horror

One Single Impression
ReadWritePoem – Friday Flash 55
Heads or Tails – Three Word Wednesday
Sunday Scribblings – Thursday Poets’ Rally

A VILE AURA

The whole place has that stench of decay,
Endlessly they simply stray,
Haunting every room in the place,
Lifeless eyes, decrepit face,
Then I awake and say my thanks,
Oh, to see the death of banks

THE SECRET ROOM

Fiction: The ivy seemed to consume the large country house as we
approached through an avenue of trees. They seemed to reach down
to touch us. We knew we shouldn’t have been afraid. After all, it was
in the family – even if we hadn’t visited this branch for years. Indeed,
not many of us had. It was something about a deep, sinister secret –
a room and a descendant who was – well; undead. We were
welcomed in through the jaws of the huge door, and we didn’t mind
the dust – the cobwebs – too much. It was in keeping with the place.
We ate well that night, even if the conversation was morbid. And as
darkness fell and the shadows flitted in the candlelight, our host
suggested my wife may like to look around the ‘secret room’. Not one
to resist a mystery, she did so. Yet, I became unnerved as the talk
turned to our Undead ancestor, and the folktales of sacrifice to keep
him at bay … and it had been so long since they’d had visitors …

PAYING FOR IT

Strumpet’s costume, magenta cups,
Nonpareil in mirror, furtive looks,
Motor-coach comes across fern, through mist,
He walks on in – fumbled bliss,
Pays with prized turquoise gem,
And looks so good – transvestite hem

FLASH 55 – MEDIUM DEATH

Fiction: It was obvious I’d never get justice. As a Medium, I knew my
murdered husband felt so, too. Of course, I knew who’d killed him, but
how to get revenge? I agreed the contract, knowing I’d never be
prosecuted. And as the killer met his own death, I laid my husband
back in his grave.

GROWING OUT

They’re in my mind – want to get out,
Psychological pain – scream and shout,
I know if I let them go,
Never again will I know,
The world as peaceful, pure and good,
Or live with people as I should,
I’ll always be evil, nasty, vile,
They’re out!!
Envy, jealousy, hatred, bile …

A WEARY DEATH

Fiction: I could take him no more – just too weary. He’d driven me mad
and it was time for … well … for him to die … It wasn’t a pleasant
death. Messy. And afterwards I felt so different – kind of strange –
like he’d been. And looking in the mirror gave me another shock. Why
was I suddenly looking like him? Well, I guess I turned into him –
became everything I hated – and I knew that soon I’d kill myself. I
guess when a soul shatters it’s like glass – and a shard of him had hit
me – and pulsed through my being.

Call back Sat for
Sunday Scribblings

WORLD NEWS: Brit govt to
tell Afghan govt to get on with
peace process. Do we think this faction
really wants peace with the other?

CRIME NEWS: 1,000s of reoffending prisoners in UK cost
up to £10b/yr. I’m not saying prison doesn’t work, but this
system doesn’t.

BRIT NEWS: Members of groups who could promote racism will not
be banned from teaching. Good! Freedom is for all, or they win.

CRIME NEWS: UK police boss says failure to tackle anti-social behaviour
risking public confidence. Only 20 yrs late. Confidence? Ha!!

BRIT NEWS: Lib Dem leader won’t support spending cuts
yet. Tories want to, Labour don’t. Basking in power
of possible hung Parliament.

BRIT NEWS: Children’s commissioner wants
age of criminal responsibility raised
to 12. If kids are brighter they
should know earlier.

© Anthony North, March 2010

Try my Pictures of Life, a novel