Mince Pie

As the clock flicked from Wednesday to Thursday, we moved from NaNoWriMo into December. I added a few words yesterday towards the last chapter finalising my word count at an elegant 51111, and expect another 2,000 will see the first draft completed.

I decided to re-read the first section tonight with a celebratory mince pie topped with Grand Marnier and champagne cream (10 words) and although there are some obvious errors from my speed tiping and some "facts that are now wrong" (Like I forgot Jake's last name), I can see the potential to tidy it up into something presentable.

If anyone wants a peep at what I've been up to, try this link, which takes you to the book and then, by turning the page, to the first couple of thousand words, by way of an extract.

Opinions welcome, but please be slightly kind.

tonal variations

I get occasional comments about my phone ringtone, which is that of a yellow hammer bird for people I don't know and a reed warbler for people I do know. Both start with a few clicky sounds and then slowly get more intense, which is a useful characteristic for a phone tone. On low volume they are quite discreet but louder can be quite psychotic.

For a couple of years I'd noticed birds trying to copy the well-known Nokia tone and then saw the Richard Schneider bird conservation article which confirmed that birds were copying ringtones. Urban starlings and jays are supposed to be the best mimics. Maybe my bird ringtones are a small way to reverse the trend.

saucerful of sleepiness

An accidental Pink Floyd moment yesterday. I'd written Oberon and Miranda instead ot Oberon and Titania in the Shakespeare post. Part of the words from a Floyd track on Atom Heart Mother and the names of three moons. Still I was very tired when I wrote it. Sort of asleep at the screen.

Titania's rage

Above see Titania and Oberon from the BBC series of re-written Shakespeare plays. Tonight was an excellent version of Midsummer Night's Dream. Maybe not very seasonal, and if you don't know the story so well, let Puck explain or watch as Titania, the Queen of the Faeries meet Bottom, after she had been given the love potion. This version is set in a holiday centre called Dream Park, but keeps the magic of the traditional Shakespeare, but with modern language, interspersed with a few well placed original lines.

Bullet in a bible

My latest car accessory is a copy of Bullet in a Bible by Green Day. Its really a live version of American Idiot, with anthemic playing and lots of crowd noise and singing, from the National Bowl of 65,000 people at Milton Keynes(!) in England. For a three piece band, Green Day know how to chop up the air.

I liked the original album; with what sounds like surprisingly British rock production values. This live version (including a DVD) includes much of American Idiot and some older tracks. It enjoyably captures the gig though doesn't drift much from the originals other than crowd response.

A good motorway album giving a lively journey on today's jammed M3, finishing in a flourish with "time of your life's" final delayed power chords and drums refusing to subside. I shall promote it from the one-shot to the CD-changer.

Notting Hill

Late afternoon and evening in Notting Hill. Supper at Jules in Notting Hill Gate and then to the comfy chairs of the Gate cinema to see Mrs. Henderson Presents, a well crafted film by Stephen Frears about the Windmill Theatre and its wartime revues.

Finn Fic - In the Pirkinning

"Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning" is a free and downloadable low-budget movie made by five guys from Finland with filmic production values and homebaked computer generated images.

Emperor Pirk is a star fleet commander who declares himself as an overlord and the story that unfolds amidst space battles is a stark reminder of how dangerous the mixture of ambition, cowardice and stupidity is.

The story begins with Captain James B. Pirk of the starship Kickstart shipwrecked in 2006 with his crew. Originally from the distant future, Pirk and crew travelled back in time to save the Earth from hostile aliens, but lost their ship and became stranded. Pirk adapts to 21st Century fast food and finds it difficult to convince the ladies he is an intergalactic space hero. Then he comes up with a questionable plan to save mankind's future...

Thank you, Finland. Here's the trailer

nanoyippee

I've passed the 50k mark in NaNoWriMo, which now allows me to resume other suspended normal-person activities. The worrying thing is that it is still going strong. I've finished 'le grand denouement' and am now clearing the wreckage from the cars burning in Knightsbridge. I think it will take me another couple of thousand words to finish sorting out the endings. And even more worrying, I can see how the MCs (Main Characters, I discover) could be led into a follow up, or who knows, a TV series.

Frankly, I really did start this on a whim and as an experiment. No plot, no real clue at the start, but lots of help and encouragement from other nanowriters and nanocritics (both are good). I am genuinely surprised how the characters start to almost write their own moves and thoughts. I am sure when I re-read what I have written, I will have extensive thoughts about hiding it somewhere, but it really is an interesting experience.

And well done to anyone else having a bash, however far they have reached. There's time through to the 30th to finish!

Tag: nanowrimo, writing

one world

I received this from Bob Geldof and have made my personal emails to Peter Mandelson and Tony Blair. Some of you who read this may wish to do something also. I include most of Bob's email below. This goes well beyond politics. There is a potential for millions today to get their view to Mandelson. Those three second finger clicks are still happening.

Here's the note from Bob:

120 days ago LIVE 8 rocked the world. Whilst the boys and girls with guitars made some noise, 3.8 billion of you turned up, tuned in, or logged on to show you wanted to change the world.

Well 5 days after the LIVE 8 concerts - the G8 leaders met... and they had heard us. It was an historic meeting which achieved more than any G8 in history. These are the commitments that YOU helped the 8 most powerful men in the world to make...

* $50 billion more aid per year by 2010
* AIDS drugs to all those who need them, and care for all AIDS orphans
* primary schools for ALL children by 2015
* a commitment to protect 85% of vulnerable Africans against malaria
* debt cancellation for 18 of the world's poorest countries

Oxfam reckons that if the G8 keep their promises, by 2010, these commitments will save 4.5million lives per year. You personally helped to make that happen. That's a hell of a result.

Now... the next part of this story is about to start - and there's another HUGE opportunity coming up. We HAVE to change the unfair trade laws so that people in extreme poverty have a chance to build themselves a future.

The crucial talks are happening right now, and the main man there is Peter Mandelson. The talks aren't going well - in fact they're in pretty desperate straits - and there's a real chance they're going to fail completely.

But we absolutely can't let that happen without one last push, and without letting them know that the people of the world still demand a result.

Mandelson needs to know that we want him to do everything he can, and more, in the interests of the poor. You can tell him this in literally 30 seconds by clicking here and emailing him. Please do it RIGHT NOW - JUST CLICK - it's INCREDIBLY SIMPLE and if you do it, WITHIN 20 MINUTES YOUR PERSONAL MESSAGE WILL BE IN HIS INBOX.

It's a real fight - but we need you once again to line up shoulder to shoulder with the poorest people in the world to stop them getting screwed.

We will NOT let our world leaders fail in their duty to stop the scandalous deaths we see on the news every night. Send the email. Do it.

Do it now. Click here.

Bob Geldof

Tag: live8, g8, Mandelson, geldof, africa, make poverty history

Purple prose

I dare not show a large picture. Special K purple berries are whisked furtively from supermarkets. Even the box has lipstick kisses on it. After my first packet was gone, I wondered if I had imagined them. Now sighted on TV but even there they are being eaten straight from the box.

American Holiday

Our friends in the United States have a long family and friends based weekend right now.

One aspect of Thanksgiving is the pardoning of the National Thanksgiving Turkey by the President. This year's turkey was named "Marshmallow" and, after the presentation, was taken to Disneyland in California to be a part of the holiday display, serving as an honorary Grand Marshal for the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Tag: thanksgiving

Soccer hero George Best dies

I was driving out of Manchester today when I heard the news that George Best, a soccer legend, had died. As I passed the area of Old Trafford, there were a few fans with scarves and shirts walking towards the huge stadium. Sue had told me yesterday that a vigil had already started the previous evening.

Best's great days were many years ago. From those days you can see him playing heroic football cutting through half a dozen players, squaring to the goalie and firing an unstoppable volley into the net. He could have mastery of the whole pitch. Later his lifestyle changed and he typified it with the quote, "I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars; the rest I squandered." Manchester United's fame is built on the shoulders of players like George Best.

Tag: soccer, george best, Manchester United