beware of civilians using gunpowder

Remember, remember the fifth of November
For gunpowder treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot.

Guy Fawkes, twas his intent
To blow up king and parliament.
Three score barrels were laid below
To prove old England's overthrow.

By God's mercy he was catched
With a dark lantern and lighted match.
Holler boys, holler boys, let the bells ring
Holler boys, holler boys, God save the King.

The nearby school display is always the best in the area. This year I didn't get time to go visit it, but the rockets can be seen over the rooftops and the bigger explosions still seem to be pushing the earth out of orbit.

Tag: fireworks, gunpowder, Guy Fawkes

the madness is creeping over me

I've just killed Brian. Actually I did it Thursday. And now I have to rub out his parents. They were never going anywhere. But Jake, Clare and Bigsy have a future, at least for the time being. and I have to find out why the guy in the Alfa is driving to Cannes.

Yes, I'm having a go at the wierdest thing - this Nanowrimo novel scribbling thing. 50,000 words between 1st and 30th November (I shall need to see when it finishes - GMT or whatever!) And don't panic, I won't fill this blog with pages of still wet storyline. In the words of the Nanowrimo web page, if I'm just writing 50,000 words of crap, why bother? Why not just write a real novel later, when I have more time?

My adaptation of their three reasons:

1) If I don't do it now, I probably never will. Novel writing is mostly a "one day" event. As in "One day, I'd like to write a novel." Here's the truth: 99% of us, if left to our own devices, would never make the time to write a novel. It's just so far outside our normal lives that it constantly slips down to the bottom of our to-do lists. The structure of NaNoWriMo forces you to put away all those self-defeating worries and START. Once you have the first five chapters under your belt (I'm only around Chapter Two at the moment), the rest will come easily (they say). Or painfully. But it will come and apparently I'll have friends to help see it through to 50k.

2) Aiming low is the best way to succeed. With entry-level novel writing, shooting for the moon (another plotline? maybe not) is the surest way to get nowhere. With high expectations, everything written will sound cheesy and awkward. Instead, evaluating in terms of word count, takes that pressure away. And maybe I'll surprise myself with a great bit of dialogue here and a ingenious plot twist there. Strangely, the characters have already started doing things I don't expect and the story has already wandered across into France. I'm sure there will be much execrable prose, but amidst the crap, there may be some glimpses of something better.

3) Art for art's sake does strange things to you. In my case it makes me feel even more crazy than usual. I know I have to put on my extra thick personal self esteem shield because whatever I do will create a great selection of knowledgeable critics. But this is one where I think the fun is being in the game. Doing something just for the hell of it is a wonderful antidote to all the chores and "must-dos" of daily life. Writing a novel in a month is mainly mad, but it is already an amusing way to spend a few hours.

[479 words]

...and now back to the plot (I've always wanted to write that).



Tag: nanowrimo, novel, writing

snowflake (Schneeflöckchen)

I was upstairs this afternoon looking out of the window at a fairly dark sky and bleak day. I noticed some rain and then as I looked carefully, it was floating downwards instead of dropping. It was tiny snowflakes. A few touched the window, paused as ice and then melted. I'd only been drinking tea so I'm pretty sure this was real.

Black and Blue Brothers

Two thuggish brothers Grant and Phil Mitchell in the EastEnders soap are popular TV villains. An impressive 25.3 million viewers watched Grant attack Phil in 1994, after learning his brother was having an affair with wife Sharon. They variously left the series and returned, recently together to resume their bad'un double act.

But wait!

This week the actors playing the brothers have both allegedly been assaulted! Ross Kemp is in the headlines after his wife, Sun editor Rebekah Wade, was arrested but later released for alleged assault. Later, in an unrelated incident, a woman was cautioned by police for an alleged assault on Kemp's EastEnders co-star Steve McFadden. How wierd is that?

Another story, as Doris would say, that you can't make up!

Tag: TV, Eastenders, soap

no dna'l this time

David Blunkett, the blind cabinet minister for pensions, has resigned for the second time in a year. Yesterday he denied any wrong-doing buying shares in DNA Biosciences in contravention of a ministerial code. Today he publicly apologised and resigned from the Cabinet for the second time within a year. Type "blunkett wrong-doing" on Google and get 27,000 hits.

Tony Blair is still saying supportive things, but there's an old adage about politicians being caught out for sex or sleaze; Blunkett seems to have tried both tacks, with DNA as a linking theme. You can't make this stuff up.

Oh OK then, Private Eye can.

Tag: Blunkett, politics, UK

geeky

Someone emailed me about the little picture that changes every day at the top of the sidebar. Its from the Joy of Tech and leads to their daily cartoon.

November is mine

I can't help feeling a bit proprietarial about November. Its my month (by which I mean its my birthday month). A few days yet to go, but as the First arrives, I think, "Yes!".

Its not got anything to do with presents or celebrations. Its just my month. And I still feel a bit cheated that October has 31 days (have to wait longer for November to start) and then November only has 30 days.

There's that woody smokey edge to the air, the mix of leaves, a sharper edge to the wind and an intangible excitement as the season really starts to change in a more purposeful way.

So to Scorpios everywhere - have a great November!

Tag: november, scorpio, eagle

400th Anniversary of Treason

It may be the last day of October, but the fireworks of November the Fifth have already started. The build up is to next weekend when something peculiar happens across Britain. Everyone stands around outdoor fires as big as they can make, eating baked potatoes and looking into a sky illuminated by fireworks. On top of those fires and you'll see an effigy usually of Guy Fawkes who was accused of the plot to blow up Parliament.


At the real centre of the conspiracy was the Warwickshire gentleman Robert Catesby. He wanted to blow up the King, together with the House of Lords and the House of Commons during the ceremonial opening of Parliament. He recruited Italian explosives expert Guido Fawkes to assist and then 400 years ago, on the night of Nov. 4, 1605, Guy Fawkes and 12 fellow conspirators prepared to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening by James I.

The conspirators had hoped that King James would be more tolerant of their Catholic faith than his predecessor Queen Elizabeth I and so they decided to assassinate the king by packing the basement of Parliament with 36 barrels of explosives. However, an anonymous tip-off letter foiled the plot and Guy Fawkes was found in the basement with a fuse in his pocket. He was imprisoned and tortured with his fellow conspirators before being executed on Jan. 31, 1606.

So for 400 years, Britain has celebrated the day the plot was foiled. The celebrations started in London on Nov. 5, 1605 the day after Fawkes' capture. Until 1859 they were supported by an Act of Parliament that made Nov. 5 a day of thanksgiving for "the joyful day of the king's deliverance."

But time moves on - The day is no longer a public holiday, though nearly all towns and cities still have some form of Bonfire Night celebration, as well as private events. The actual reason for Bonfire Night, though, has faded like the end of a Roman candle firework. For many years, it was a celebration of Fawkes' capture — a denunciation of popery and a rejoicing in the king's life being saved. Nowadays everyone just goes outside for a social evening and maybe to burn a few (un) popular political figures on the bonfire, just as much a Guy Fawkes.

scary post

OK.

Time for a scary post.

This is not as bad as the spooky French hospital from a couple of weeks ago, but is worse than the extreme pumpkins.

Click Enter at your own risk.

Routemasters of the Universe

London's public transport has been progressively removing the most iconic of London buses - the two person double decker Routemaster and replacing it with single operative double deckers and European style bendy buses. The last Routemaster will be de-commissioned by the end of December. Another route (the 38) finished yesterday and was commented upon by diamond geezer. He has also ridden their bendy Mercedes replacement and noteworthy is that the new post also includes 38 tributes to the 38.

The Routemaster double deckers with the open rear platform, grab rails and twisty stairs are probably considered less safe than the shooshing doors of a more modern bus, but much more fun to ride.

The loading platform and separate conductor meant these buses could get around quite fast with passengers optimising their exits at traffic lights and when the bus was caught in traffic. Some conductors could choose a form of performance art on their routes - Duke Baysee (38 conductor) as an example. The lower deck somehow 'connects' the passengers with the street so inside and outside merge in a very different way from a closed in bus. The top deck (once the smoking deck) gives some great 'above it all' views of the bustle of London. The 73 bus project gives 73 73-word essays about the route 73. "Any more fares, please?"


Tag: London, Routemaster, bus, London Transport, No38

its warhol actually

Tin foil is a great way to start to recreate the Factory of Andy Warhol. Then add a Velvet Underground band in the corner of the room and film everything in black and white.

The blocking out of the action hasnt started yet, but there's enough film in the can to begin editing a trailer (watch this space). In this version everyone may only be famous for 15 seconds, but its immensely good fun.

And if you'd like to see some Warhol influenced performance art, check out Fischerspooner who emerge with some sweetness

Tag: music, art, warhol, film, culture

lateen

A couple of late evenings, with Thursday being so late that Ray was texting from starting his Friday morning before we'd finished the night before's revelry. Friday was mere 2 am although I think Julie's malt whisky tasting went on until around 6am. So, not much blogging in amongst John's guitar solos, the Halloween Party, the Warhol tin foil event and the mini birthday celebration. Chilled balance is just being restored. More of the tin foil later.