We probably all receive Anonymous comments. I get quite a few every week, and fortunately they are almost always positive, even kind. People are shown as Anonymous by WordPress if they have not logged on to their WordPress account, or if they are email-only followers with no blog … | Continue reading
This is the fourteenth part of a fiction serial, in 763 words. When Josh got back to the house from the barber shop, he saw that two tyres had been vandalised on the marked Land Rover. That meant he had to call in the damage and get the tyres replaced. Local police attended, and … | Continue reading
This is the thirteenth part of a fiction serial, in 820 words. Josh’s dad looked tired when he got home, but he was pleased to see his son. After dinner, he suggested they go and sit outside in the back garden for a chat. “I don’t know how much they are telling you, son, but … Co … | Continue reading
This is the twelfth part of a fiction serial, in 754 words. Back at base that evening, Captain Spencer addressed the teams before dinner. “Well, we have had a fatality on team five, and two armed response officers from the civilian police are dead too. Three more of our men in ho … | Continue reading
**No plot spoilers** Based on a novel that I have not read, this film worked for me as I knew nobody in the cast except the always excellent David Strathairn, so came to it with zero expectations. His inclusion was enough to make me want to watch it, and having taped it from a TV … | Continue reading
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This is the eleventh part of a fiction serial, in 858 words. Captain Spencer called Josh into his office just before dinner that evening. Expecting a telling off or worse, Josh approached his desk nervously as the officer looked up and smiled. “Outstanding work today, McPherson. … | Continue reading
**No plot spoilers** I read some lukewarm reviews of the film on release, and waited until a recent TV showing to record it. Then came the World Cup football, so I managed to watch two whole films one evening to get away from football coverage. This was the first of those. Direct … | Continue reading
This is the tenth part of a fiction serial, in 780 words. Relieved that the next two arrests went off easily, Josh now had three live detainees and a dead body in the back of the third vehicle. He consulted the map sheets and directed the driver to the former civilian airfield in … | Continue reading
I am going to start with the weather as always, and what weather we have had this week! Heavy showers, thunderstorms, lightning, and temperatures dropping to as low as 10C/50F during the day. One period where it rained non-stop for 29 hours, with the skies so dark that we had lig … | Continue reading
This is the ninth part of a fiction serial, in 884 words. Once they were settled in their new base in the former hospital, the team leaders had a meeting with the base commander, Captain Spencer. He gave them their assignments for the next morning, with a very early start to catc … | Continue reading
Last Night A DJ Saved My Life. In 1982 I was 30 years old. I heard a song on the car radio and really liked it. A rare combination of Funk and Disco from a group I had never heard of, Indeep. I bought the single and watched it slowly climb up the UK charts … Continue reading Song … | Continue reading
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I have noticed a collapse in daily views this week. They have dropped from almost 3,000 to 2,000, to 1,400 then down to a more realistic 440. So far today they have not yet hit 300, which is what I might have expected before all the AI stealing began. It seems as if the AI … Cont … | Continue reading
Completing my week of ‘Days of the week songs’. Starting with three of my personal favourites. | Continue reading
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This is the eighth part of a fiction serial, in 764 words. The rest of the week was quite tiring. The weapons training was basic, a few hours firing at targets in front of sandbags in the open area behind the buildings, and being taught how to strip down and clean the various fir … | Continue reading
This is the seventh part of a fiction serial, in 804 words. There was only thirty minutes allowed for lunch, and during that time Josh got acquainted with the thirty others that he was technically in charge of. Most were older than him, but they didn’t appear to resent that fact. … | Continue reading
Quite a few exist, and that surprised me. This first one is for Eha in Australia. It’s her birthday today. | Continue reading
I can definitely relate to this. | Continue reading
This is the sixth part of a fiction serial, in 823 words. When he got to the address in Croydon on Monday morning, Josh could see it was part of an industrial estate. Three large warehouses inside a compound surrounded by a high fence topped with barbed wire. There was a barrier … | Continue reading
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This is the fifth part of a fiction serial, in 777 words. At the end of the day Josh received his posting. He had been assigned to South London Militia Command, and there was an address in Croydon next to his starting date and time. He was to bring personal toiletries, and the cl … | Continue reading
As usual, no text or written lyrics, just some approriate songs for today. | Continue reading
Try to spot the references in some of these. | Continue reading
This is the fourth part of a fiction serial, in 796 words. The medical was rudimentary to say the least. He thought they might have already seen everyone’s records on their computers, but that wasn’t the case. Asthma seemed to be the only condition that got them refused service. … | Continue reading
Well the June weather has started, and it’s nothing to write home about. Windy, cloudy, heavy showers, and below average temperatures. As a result, we decided no to go out for the afternoon on Wednesday, but we did go for dinner at the family pub in town later. Some sunny periods … | Continue reading
Songs suitable for the day. No text or listed lyrics, just the songs. | Continue reading
This is the third part of a fiction serial, in 763 words. After a relatively short drive, the coach turned into a driveway off a B-road and continued up to what looked like a large country house surrounded by extensive grounds. There were at least thirty other coaches already par … | Continue reading
No lengthy text, no listed lyrics. Just some suitably seasonal songs for weekend listening. Something for everyone, I hope. But if you don’t like them, that’s okay. | Continue reading
This is the second part of a fiction serial, in 817 words. When her notice period and money ran out, Claire had to go to the Job Centre to sign on for unemployment. She expected to receive some benefit money while she looked for another job. Instead, she came home in a rage, dist … | Continue reading
This is all 20 parts of my recent fiction serial in one complete story of 15,900 words. On the day the cart came to collect her, it was raining. Agnes was crying as she felt mother’s rough hands holding her face. “Fear not my dear, for life will be better from now. You will have … | Continue reading
This is the first part of a fiction serial, in 754 words. They could expect massive changes after the election. The win had been so much bigger than anyone had predicted, and Josh watched as the results tumbled in, the colours changing on the map all over the country. Seasoned po … | Continue reading
Genuine vodka advert from the 1980s. Elephant Rock, New Zealand. (Genuine, not AI) (UK politician, for those who didn’t know him.) | Continue reading
In my teens I used to collect a lot of vintage blues records. One of my favourite Blues performers then was Robert Johnson, and his song ‘Sweet Home Chicago’. That was recorded in 1936, 16 years before I was born. Over the years I either lost or sold many of those albums, much to … | Continue reading
David Attenborough, 100 years old last month. And two British political Action Figures. | Continue reading
I first heard of the band Free in 1970, when I was 18. They had a hit with a song named ‘Alright Now’. I bought a copy, and I think everyone I knew did too. Then a couple of years later, they released the song ‘Wishing Well’, which would prove to be their last big … Continue read … | Continue reading