Terror, values and the oxygen of publicity
image courtesy of rustyruth1959 and flickr, licensed under creative commons Terror Here we are again. This time it’s Manchester. Trauma. Grief. Loss. Horror. And bucketloads of free publicity for ISIS and its imitators, guaranteeing there will be more attacks. Why can’t we stop? Yes, I understand we need to express our horror, our empathy, our solidarity. […]
With rifles if necessary
image courtesy of Stu Rapley and flickr https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/ Threats and resistance This could sound melodramatic but rifles and violent resistance are threatened on a regular basis in the US debate. Actually, debate is the wrong word. Trump’s supporters seem incapable of debating, preferring instead to accuse the ‘Washington elite’ of stealing from them, and threatening […]
Truth and Perception
Image courtesy of rstrawser and flickr Consistency One of the things which has struck me about recent events in politics, both home and abroad, has been the lack of consistency. People interviewed on TV frequently say things like ‘I don’t agree with anything Trump says but I’m voting for him because he understands’ or, conversely […]
Refugees and responsibility
photo courtesy of Climatalk.in and Flickr I’m going to a concert this Saturday. Nothing unusual in that but this is a special one as all proceeds from the evening will go to charities supporting those affected by the refugee crisis including Migrant Offshore Aid Station, an organisation carrying out search and rescue operations in the […]
That was the week that was
Rollercoasters – emotional and otherwise This week started with a big and joyous family Easter and ends with the completion of the next draft of the novel and the satisfaction of clicking send as it goes off for the next stage of the submission process with Valley Press. It’s a good feeling to get this […]
Hope and Hate
https://www.flickr.com/photos/darrentunnicliff/4232232092 Purveyors of hatred The purveyors of hatred seem to be a feature of modern life. Maybe it was always the way and it is only the framework and the excuses that change. Christianity was no excuse for the crusades of the inquisition. Islam is no excuse for the atrocities being carried out in […]
Music, talent, and friendship
Music, friends, beer, barn… I spent an evening last week with friends at a private gig by Assembly Lane, an acoustic quartet positioned roughly where British folk music meets bluegrass. So we had renditions of Sir Patrick Spens and the Fair Flower of Northumberland among Appalachian fiddle tunes and more, all delivered with consummate musicianship […]
Learning and networking
It’s not just about writing It seems obvious now but one of the things I wasn’t expecting when I took to writing as my main focus was the need to learn about social media. When I started I was an innocent in this area, my only touch point being a little used Linked In account. […]
Blank screens and random images
Inspiration? I’m not sure whether it’s a good idea to write this. The idea of a weekly blog giving you the discipline to write something when there’s nothing obvious to write. I don’t mean it’s a bad idea in itself, just that there’s only one time I can get away with doing it. Maybe. Maybe not. […]
The USA and the special relationship
New York I’ve spent a lot of time in the States. New York, Chicago and Stamford, Connecticut were all regular stop overs for a number of years and I spent a great three weeks ‘off Broadway’ with one of my plays. I’ve friends, ex colleagues, family in the States. A personal special relationship. And this […]