I always had a thought. I want to find out about a person that most of the population finds deplorable, horrible, a vile human being... and then sit down with a tea or some other civilized drink and have a chat with them to find out about their point of view.
What if you could go up to the crazy drunk person that is shouting and babbling nonsense in the middle of the street, the type that everyone looks at in disgust,... in order to ask them if they would like a drink and a chat? What are they doing? What are their thoughts?
I think that I will draw the line about chatting to street preachers because... you know.... as long as they don't talk too much about their personal beliefs or give me any quotes from that well known book they seem to like so much.
I bet if I sat down with Hitler, he would no doubt be charming and interesting to talk to... but I would never talk to him because of that little (massive) hiccup(s) that he did a few decades ago.
I wish to talk about the ridiculous and the awe inspiring greatness of comic books (and is also linked to the subject of this blog). I started to read comic books in my GCSE years at school as a way to gain a light relief from revision. I started by going to the local shops and buying issues of 2000 ad. As time went on I looked at American comics and got into the various titles that were available. They are great ten minute bursts of thrilling brilliance while you have a break from whatever you are doing. Great disposable literature (although nowadays no one disposes of their comic books... they either sell them or collect them).
I have always loved the story-lines of comic books. Many story arcs may have been built up over weeks, months or even years. These create a wonderful interweaving history of the characters and the world that they inhabit but also makes it thrilling to read. I REALLY want everyone who reads about me ranting about comic books on this post, to pick up at least one issue of any title of your choosing. Most single issues are commonly about £2- something and you can also appreciate the art work as well as the stories... and if you start collecting then you can be constantly reminded of all of the twists and turns had happened many issues ago and still be thrilled by the past stories.
This is why some of the stories are ridiculous... in a wonderful, fantastic, glorious way... marvelous way. I shall give you an example of a real story arc... the story arc being called 'The Apocalypse Solution.' Here is how the story arc goes (it stretches a few issues)...
There is a group of superhumans who have banded together in order to tackle threats on mankind and superhuman kind through lethal means. The first ever 'superhuman' was overcome some time ago (he is a villain by the way) but it was found by this team that the first superhuman... whose name is Apocalypse has been reborn as a child. They find that this evil first superhuman called Apocalypse is on a moon base... on the moon... and that in child form he has no idea about his past life but is being taught about his legacy by a sentient spaceship that manifests itself in the shape of an old woman... also the story includes a geisha girl that shoots deadly bugs from her mouth and the minotaur from ancient myth.
...and that description is the dumbed down version. I would say that I read prose novels more but I have grown a great enthusiasm for the comic book medium.
Over and Out.
ED.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Ghosts And The Deceptive Lack Of Them In Some Stories.
"We are all haunted houses... full of rooms that time has shut off. To wander sometimes through such rooms can be agonizingly rich and sweet."
I'm livid... slightly (or humorously for the sake of making this blog post a better read). Recently I read 'A Knock At the Manor Gate' by Franz Kafka. It was in a book of ghost stories so it was quite easy to know the type of story that I was expecting. It starts with a young boy and her sister. The sister decides to knock on the door and run away. As they are walking away they see a carriage coming out of the manor that the sister just knocked on. As the carriage comes out of the gate all of the villagers look on terrified. The carriage goes up to the two children and takes them away. The boy is thrown into some sort of prison cell... and the story ends there...
Where the hell was the ghost then?...
Apparently this work is a type of flash fiction... because it's really short... is the thing that can be assumed.
I then read 'The Lilies' by Alison Prince which was in the same short story book than the Manor Gate story. The story is about a young girl who lives with her mother. Their garden is full of all sorts of flowers. The mother has a weird ritual of cutting some flowers down, burying the flower and then putting a small grave over it with the name of the flower carved onto the headstone. One day this arse-y priest comes round saying,
"This is sacrilege... a pagan practice."
The priest then slips, hits his head and is a gonner. The mother tells the young girl to bury the priest in the garden saying,
"Shame to put him to waste."
The young girl buries the priest.
I won't go into too much detail about the rest of the story but their certainly is no ghost in the story.
It's false advertising basically... putting vaguely creepy stories into a short story book that presents itself as a collection of ghost stories. When it says on the cover "Ghost Stories" you expect there to be some form of ghost in every story.
Oh well... I'm only joking... I enjoyed all of the stories in the collection. I absorb stories like cake or toast energy going into the bloodstream... stories are like food and if I don't have enough then I starve... that was what I was trying to say.
Over and Out.
ED.
I'm livid... slightly (or humorously for the sake of making this blog post a better read). Recently I read 'A Knock At the Manor Gate' by Franz Kafka. It was in a book of ghost stories so it was quite easy to know the type of story that I was expecting. It starts with a young boy and her sister. The sister decides to knock on the door and run away. As they are walking away they see a carriage coming out of the manor that the sister just knocked on. As the carriage comes out of the gate all of the villagers look on terrified. The carriage goes up to the two children and takes them away. The boy is thrown into some sort of prison cell... and the story ends there...
Where the hell was the ghost then?...
Apparently this work is a type of flash fiction... because it's really short... is the thing that can be assumed.
I then read 'The Lilies' by Alison Prince which was in the same short story book than the Manor Gate story. The story is about a young girl who lives with her mother. Their garden is full of all sorts of flowers. The mother has a weird ritual of cutting some flowers down, burying the flower and then putting a small grave over it with the name of the flower carved onto the headstone. One day this arse-y priest comes round saying,
"This is sacrilege... a pagan practice."
The priest then slips, hits his head and is a gonner. The mother tells the young girl to bury the priest in the garden saying,
"Shame to put him to waste."
The young girl buries the priest.
I won't go into too much detail about the rest of the story but their certainly is no ghost in the story.
It's false advertising basically... putting vaguely creepy stories into a short story book that presents itself as a collection of ghost stories. When it says on the cover "Ghost Stories" you expect there to be some form of ghost in every story.
Oh well... I'm only joking... I enjoyed all of the stories in the collection. I absorb stories like cake or toast energy going into the bloodstream... stories are like food and if I don't have enough then I starve... that was what I was trying to say.
Over and Out.
ED.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
I Suppose You Can Call It It One Of My Hobbies...
For about two Sundays now my family (my brother and two sisters) have been gathering with various other associates to go to the local pub quiz at The White Horse pub.
Our first go we came third and gained a £5 bar tab... which was meant to be shared by six people. The second go, to make sure that everything was fair, everyone donated money and put it into a kitty (as in money kitty... sick) and put the bar tab into that so that nobody knows who has used the £5 bar tab... and with the money left over we can use to enter the quiz next time.
...And our second time we had a go at the pub quiz and came forth as fourth... out of many, many other teams. Also through the use of the bar tab we technically need a treasurer or something now to handle the left over money.
Pub quiz... aww yeah!
... and we are trying to get more people into the team... the more the merrier.
For the last two times we have been calling ourselves Quizzy Rascal but other options for names are...
It was highlighted a few days ago that whenever I put a swear word on my blog, I put the star symbol over some letters. I was asked why I did this and I realised to my horror that I didn't really know. Personally I think that swearing is needed and is a wonderful part of language. I would feel weird if I was told that I could never swear again. In fact I think that swearing is fantastic and I do it all the time.
I suppose it's due to the fact that there might be an off chance that an old person might be reading it or something... and I've always felt guilty about swearing in front of old people.
It's the same reason that some novels from back in the day wouldn't put a date down in their story. They would go 18- and leave the rest to the imagination of the reader.
If anyone happens to see me around the place I'll swear then... I'll swear like a fu***** raving bas**** if the situation wishes it. But I only swear when there is purpose for doing so... I don't want people to think I'm effing and blinding all the time... just the same amount as any other person.
Pub Quiz!
Over and Out.
ED.
Our first go we came third and gained a £5 bar tab... which was meant to be shared by six people. The second go, to make sure that everything was fair, everyone donated money and put it into a kitty (as in money kitty... sick) and put the bar tab into that so that nobody knows who has used the £5 bar tab... and with the money left over we can use to enter the quiz next time.
...And our second time we had a go at the pub quiz and came forth as fourth... out of many, many other teams. Also through the use of the bar tab we technically need a treasurer or something now to handle the left over money.
Pub quiz... aww yeah!
... and we are trying to get more people into the team... the more the merrier.
For the last two times we have been calling ourselves Quizzy Rascal but other options for names are...
- The Birstall Crew.
- Universally Challenged (yes I did take that from The original Office tv series).
- Wikipedia Appreciation Team.
- The Devil Wears Pub Quiz.
It was highlighted a few days ago that whenever I put a swear word on my blog, I put the star symbol over some letters. I was asked why I did this and I realised to my horror that I didn't really know. Personally I think that swearing is needed and is a wonderful part of language. I would feel weird if I was told that I could never swear again. In fact I think that swearing is fantastic and I do it all the time.
I suppose it's due to the fact that there might be an off chance that an old person might be reading it or something... and I've always felt guilty about swearing in front of old people.
It's the same reason that some novels from back in the day wouldn't put a date down in their story. They would go 18- and leave the rest to the imagination of the reader.
If anyone happens to see me around the place I'll swear then... I'll swear like a fu***** raving bas**** if the situation wishes it. But I only swear when there is purpose for doing so... I don't want people to think I'm effing and blinding all the time... just the same amount as any other person.
Pub Quiz!
Over and Out.
ED.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Imagination (2). A Weird Occurence.
"Those who spend the greater part of their time in reading or writing books are, of course, apt to take rather particular notice of accumulations of books when they come across them. They will not pass a stall, a shop, or even a bedroom- shelf without reading some title, and if they find themselves in an unfamiliar library, no host need trouble himself further in their entertainment."
A Neigbour's Landmark by M.R James.
"Welcome to InputOutput, the show that brings you live music in a new and exciting way... sort of like the infusion of influx of sound and voice where the band show yourselves what kind of apple juice you can find in your next soup presentation."
Rich Fulcher.
Here is a funny and bizarre thing that happened to me recently... and I found it so ridiculous that I thought I would write on my blog about it.
I was sitting down on a seat as a person nearby that I know sat on the next seat watching rugby on the television in front of them.
"Are you actually reading that book?" they asked.
(Oooooookaaaayyy then...)
"Yes." I replied.
"... But you aren't turning the pages" they said.
"That's because I'm reading the pages."
A minute or so passed and then they blurted out in sincere and heartfelt disgust. "It all looks so dull. It's worrying."
For the initiated readers (which is hopefully most people) reading is a fantastic thing that makes a lot of things possible. What is so dull about the imagination?
What a funny comment (or two) to make about reading... imagination is there for a reason you know.
Over and Out.
ED.
A Neigbour's Landmark by M.R James.
"Welcome to InputOutput, the show that brings you live music in a new and exciting way... sort of like the infusion of influx of sound and voice where the band show yourselves what kind of apple juice you can find in your next soup presentation."
Rich Fulcher.
Here is a funny and bizarre thing that happened to me recently... and I found it so ridiculous that I thought I would write on my blog about it.
I was sitting down on a seat as a person nearby that I know sat on the next seat watching rugby on the television in front of them.
"Are you actually reading that book?" they asked.
(Oooooookaaaayyy then...)
"Yes." I replied.
"... But you aren't turning the pages" they said.
"That's because I'm reading the pages."
A minute or so passed and then they blurted out in sincere and heartfelt disgust. "It all looks so dull. It's worrying."
For the initiated readers (which is hopefully most people) reading is a fantastic thing that makes a lot of things possible. What is so dull about the imagination?
What a funny comment (or two) to make about reading... imagination is there for a reason you know.
Over and Out.
ED.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
My (Supposedly) Innate Views About The Imagination.
This is mainly a riffing of thoughts that I sometimes do...
...Here I Go...
I think the imagination is one of the greatest things that exist. It's amazing... and what makes it more amazing is that it is always there and is a part of you all the time.
Recently I was contemplating to myself about the imagination and I came across a revelation that has been with me for a very long time but I had never brought it to the forefront of my consciousness. This was the revelation...
I have always seemed to innately think that human beings don't have separate imaginations. I have always seemed to assume that all humanity's imaginations are somehow connected together
or
all humanity is somehow connected to this one massive thing that we choose to call Imagination and when we are using our minds we are looking or using this one massive world of the imagination that we are all a part of. So when we see or experience the imagination, we are looking into the same world. So I have always been under the assumption that everyone's imaginations are not separate but connected and part of the same thing, world or substance.
Maybe people feel that same about this as well. That is quite a funny revelation that I came upon during my contemplation while I walked. Some might scoff by what I'm saying but why should the world of the imagination be less real than the world that we call reality? I mean people spend time in both of these worlds don't they?
I also think that just because things are in the imagination, that doesn't mean that they are not real. For example, all of the characters, people, places and so forth that you see through your imagination are just as real as what you see through your eyes. Some might even argue that what you see through your imagination is more real that what you see in the 'real' world.
If someone imagines a bookshelf with many books on it, nicely carved and varnished they may think,
"Wow, that table looks so amazing. I want that in my sitting room."
So what they do is that they get wood and the necessary instruments and they make it. They then look at what they have made and think,
"I now have it."
So what have they done? They seem to have pulled that 'real' bookcase that they see in their imagination and they made it manifest into this physical, material world. This is what humans have been doing for centuries. They have been taking objects or ideas from their imagination and made them manifest in our world. So when you look around at everything then all of these things have their origins in their world of the imagination that humanity has tapped into. Many things around you are gifts from the imagination and the world of ideas that we tap in to all the time.
Stuff like books and all sorts of culture are all gateways.
I'll probably stop here.
Take what you want from this. Perhaps what I have said is blatantly obvious to some people
Over and Out.
ED.
...Here I Go...
I think the imagination is one of the greatest things that exist. It's amazing... and what makes it more amazing is that it is always there and is a part of you all the time.
Recently I was contemplating to myself about the imagination and I came across a revelation that has been with me for a very long time but I had never brought it to the forefront of my consciousness. This was the revelation...
I have always seemed to innately think that human beings don't have separate imaginations. I have always seemed to assume that all humanity's imaginations are somehow connected together
or
all humanity is somehow connected to this one massive thing that we choose to call Imagination and when we are using our minds we are looking or using this one massive world of the imagination that we are all a part of. So when we see or experience the imagination, we are looking into the same world. So I have always been under the assumption that everyone's imaginations are not separate but connected and part of the same thing, world or substance.
Maybe people feel that same about this as well. That is quite a funny revelation that I came upon during my contemplation while I walked. Some might scoff by what I'm saying but why should the world of the imagination be less real than the world that we call reality? I mean people spend time in both of these worlds don't they?
I also think that just because things are in the imagination, that doesn't mean that they are not real. For example, all of the characters, people, places and so forth that you see through your imagination are just as real as what you see through your eyes. Some might even argue that what you see through your imagination is more real that what you see in the 'real' world.
If someone imagines a bookshelf with many books on it, nicely carved and varnished they may think,
"Wow, that table looks so amazing. I want that in my sitting room."
So what they do is that they get wood and the necessary instruments and they make it. They then look at what they have made and think,
"I now have it."
So what have they done? They seem to have pulled that 'real' bookcase that they see in their imagination and they made it manifest into this physical, material world. This is what humans have been doing for centuries. They have been taking objects or ideas from their imagination and made them manifest in our world. So when you look around at everything then all of these things have their origins in their world of the imagination that humanity has tapped into. Many things around you are gifts from the imagination and the world of ideas that we tap in to all the time.
Stuff like books and all sorts of culture are all gateways.
I'll probably stop here.
Take what you want from this. Perhaps what I have said is blatantly obvious to some people
Over and Out.
ED.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
What made me laugh a year ago.
Today I reminded myself how much I made myself laugh while I was working on my degree nearly a year ago while sometimes being shamelessly hyped up on Relentless.
My good mate Kiran is in the position that I was in a year ago with being part of the university, working to achieve shizz, that knackering situation that many people go through (while having fun as they are doing it of course... this post is about one of the simple ways I did so).
Yesterday I picked up the phone to his voice asking me whether he could come round so I could give him the what's what about work. I was all too happy to enforce the principles of brotherhood/sisterhood so I was absolutely for obliging his request. He stayed for a few hours, I drank tea... he drank Lemsip and we talked about work and life plans for a few hours round the table (and chairs... we actually weren't around the chairs... aww yeahh!)
Before he left the house he asked whether I was alright to email my process analysis essay for one of my modules in order to help him. I said yes and we parted ways...
Now on to today I sent over my work through email while I was free from toil, which forced me to look at the work that was stored on my computer... and hence I was reminded about how I made myself laugh while I worked last year.
There were times in which I felt working was dry and tedious so I used to amuse myself while I was working through the use of inappropriate swear words... and this method works if you want to spice up your work time. Firstly when I was saving work I would save it as,
Ed's F*CKING AMAZING short stories portfolio.
or
This is my b*starding essay for Focus 3.
I would then go onto my hotmail account and email myself with all my work on attachment. Due to saving working through email attachment, I was given the opportunity to email myself... so I just wrote swear words and funny messages such as...
Hi Ed,
Here your ************* work.
Go eat some food and do your s*dding washing up yeah.
Yours sincerely
Ed.
...But what my past self didn't know was that I had already done the washing up.
I also used to read my work out to myself in funny voices while I was by myself sometimes (never when I was in the library working of course)... usually under the veil of a delirium caused by exhaustion or boredom.
In other news I have watched The Avengers. In this you have it all. You have,
My good mate Kiran is in the position that I was in a year ago with being part of the university, working to achieve shizz, that knackering situation that many people go through (while having fun as they are doing it of course... this post is about one of the simple ways I did so).
Yesterday I picked up the phone to his voice asking me whether he could come round so I could give him the what's what about work. I was all too happy to enforce the principles of brotherhood/sisterhood so I was absolutely for obliging his request. He stayed for a few hours, I drank tea... he drank Lemsip and we talked about work and life plans for a few hours round the table (and chairs... we actually weren't around the chairs... aww yeahh!)
Before he left the house he asked whether I was alright to email my process analysis essay for one of my modules in order to help him. I said yes and we parted ways...
Now on to today I sent over my work through email while I was free from toil, which forced me to look at the work that was stored on my computer... and hence I was reminded about how I made myself laugh while I worked last year.
There were times in which I felt working was dry and tedious so I used to amuse myself while I was working through the use of inappropriate swear words... and this method works if you want to spice up your work time. Firstly when I was saving work I would save it as,
Ed's F*CKING AMAZING short stories portfolio.
or
This is my b*starding essay for Focus 3.
I would then go onto my hotmail account and email myself with all my work on attachment. Due to saving working through email attachment, I was given the opportunity to email myself... so I just wrote swear words and funny messages such as...
Hi Ed,
Here your ************* work.
Go eat some food and do your s*dding washing up yeah.
Yours sincerely
Ed.
...But what my past self didn't know was that I had already done the washing up.
I also used to read my work out to myself in funny voices while I was by myself sometimes (never when I was in the library working of course)... usually under the veil of a delirium caused by exhaustion or boredom.
In other news I have watched The Avengers. In this you have it all. You have,
- The Patriotic character... the type you imagine says "Hey kiddo" quite a lot to people. (Captain America).
- The smart- arse Jekyll and Hyde 'Monster' character (The Hulk and Bruce Banner).
- The gun wielding eye candy. (Black Widow).
- The cool gadget guy that might like Black Sabbath and dances the robot (Iron Man).
- Some random guy with a crossbow (Hawkeye)
- A badass with an eye patch (Nick Fury).
- A God (Thor).
- A suave villain (Loki)
... and the rest. Quite brilliant. Good fun mixed with modern legends.
And lastly I have hardly been reading anything apart from short stories for the past few years but now I am happily going back into novel (not funny) territory properly with 'To Kill A Mockingbird'... ooh la la.
Respect and all that.
Over and Out.
ED.
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