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I've added a new entry to my "Writing Blog Number 2"  : "20241221 Kudzu Plotting" Something maybe worth thinking about? |
| I used to think that writers failed to mimic reality by making everything in a story relevant to that story. Real life is littered with threads that lead nowhere or get lost in other threads, characters who add nothing to the plot, and events that have no meaning. Actually becoming a writer has taught me that the idea is not to mimic reality but to create something that looks like it but has meaning. We take from life what is useful to the story and cut away everything else. |
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| There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't. |
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| It's December 21th here, and so is the summer solstice. That means it is time to start getting ready for Christmas. As such, here are some music (and film) columns for your Christmas edification. You're welcome.  5 Christmas movies so bad they are good... including the worst movie ever made! Review of the biggest selling Christmas album ever. Some Christmas carols updated spectacularly. And, to finish, songs about a certain quokka red-suited man. Enjoy! I would like to point out that while typing this, the auto-fill wanted to call summer solstice the shortest day of the year... AI is stupid and if you trust it, you are letting yourself down. |
| I have to disagree with you about the worst Christmas Movie ever. For me, it's the Star Wars Holiday Special, 1978. The YouTube link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxtSX1lg8rE I can't last much more than 5-10 minutes of this movie. It is truly horrible. |
Sum1's In Ft Lauderdale  - I guess I only count movies as those things released in cinemas. Having said that, while I dislike TSWHS, it's just booooring. Yes, Carries Fisher's coked-out singing is bad and the "jokes" are truly awful, but I just find it mind-blowingly dull. And it does have the first appearance of Boba Fett. Santa With Muscles, on the other hand, is awful in every single aspect. It stupefies with its terribleness. I'd say it was written by AI, but this was before AI, so I think it was written by a chimpanzee who didn't understand English, and Hogan's... acting?... is truly, truly, truly abysmal. So, yes, TSWHS is not good, but I stand by Hogan being the worst of the worst. |
| F.A.T.! Friday Aussie Tune! I will introduce a song by an Australian artist every Friday, as part of my ongoing attempt to make Australia seem like a country not just populated by wildlife out to kill you (even though it is) and always on fire or under water (only half the time, to be honest). The songs I post will be ones I like. I will try not to double up on an artist, but there are no guarantees. Also, some of these might have already appeared in other writerings. So... Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' is the 3rd worst Christmas song ever (After McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmas Time' and Boyd's "I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus'). But when I heard My Chemical Romance's version, I realised it was not the song I hated, but Carey's fingernails-down-a-blackboard voice. I did a column (which has since had the videos removed) about better versions. But my very favourite version is Australian. And we have our current Prime Minister in the video clip... miming along... seriously... 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by Polish Club (2017) |
| I've added a new entry to my "Writing Blog Number 2" : "20241219 'Misogyny' In Writing" This one is gonna get me in trouble, I feel. |
| And Wiley nails the ongoing battle between AI and creativity... and life... https://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2024/12/03 |
| Word Trivia So, let's get into something that has been in the news here of late. Yes, there is a rather nasty measles outbreak in one of the other states. Stupid people deciding vaccines are not worth it, now an entire town is going through this after their recent overseas holiday... WHERE DOES THE WORD 'QUARANTINE' COME FROM? It's very simple - it comes from the Italian word quarantina meaning 'fortieth,' from quaranta meaning forty, going back to the Latin quattuor for 'four.' So... hang on... Why does 'quarantine' mean 'being kept in isolation to stop the spread of a disease' when it comes from a number? History lesson! So, in the Middle Ages, Italy was not a country, but a bunch of kingdoms and city-states. One of these was Venice, ruled by a group called the doges (coming from the Latin dux, leader, which also gives us the word 'duke'), and they were quite the naval power (duh!). So, in the early 1300s, they attacked the Eastern Roman Empire (Ottoman Empire, whatever they called themselves that week) capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul, once Byzantium) in what is now Turkey. Fun fact - Constantinople was a cross-roads between east and west. This meant that the Black Death, the plague, was there, having come across from China (where it wiped out more than half the population!). Well, the Constantinopilites were being attacked by the Venetian army while trying to deal with this nasty, bubo-punctuated plague. Solution? Use catapaults to fire plague-infected bodies at the attackers. A very early case of biological (or germ) warfare. Once their soldiery got sick, the Venetians retreated, taking the plague back to Venice with them. Welcome to Europe, Black Death! Anyway, soon the doges realised that the plague was coming to the city via the sea and so they made every single boat stay moored with no-one allowed on or off for forty days, to give the disease time to appear, and those who have it time to die. Hence quarantina, the fortieth day before being allowed off the boat, came to mean the time spent separated from society. History! Etymology! Me being a nerd! These things go together! |
| I've added a new entry to my "Writing Blog Number 2" : "20241218 Children Characters" Ranty. Again. Sorry. |
| Dec 17, 1967... The Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre received its reason for existing. |
| So I checked out the former Australian Prime minister out; it is a bit twisted to choose a swimming pool as a memorial. |
| Quote from this article : "On Saturday December 16, the front page of The Australian reported that Holt's doctor had advised him to“swim less”." I guess he just followed his doctor's instructions.  |
| I've added a new entry to my "Writing Blog Number 2" : "20241217 Punk Genres II" Hey! A Part 2! |
| So... I wrote a poem for an open call. The call was, "How do you view the USA?" And they encouraged people, "from under-represented communities, LGBTQI+, minority communities and who live in other countries." There were other things - max of 75 lines/500 words, no "profanity", any poetry style accepted. I submitted, 56 lines, 330 words. Was rejected today, with the comment, "We feel this is too negative," being amongst the feedback. So, I am pleased they gave me feedback; not many bother. However, if they wanted a sycophantic piece, should they have mentioned that in the guidelines? I was honest, looking at the views of the country not just I but many (many!) in Australia hold. Anyway, just thought I'd share - another rejection. |
I guess, like Mark Cuban from Shark Tank says, "Know your audience." But at least you are still out there submitting. That's more than most folks can say.  |
| When you say shared Aussie views of the country; do you mean the politics or the people? It's a large and diverse culture, with a range of political views and personal qualities. Everything from serial killers to nobel peace prize winners and everything in between. |
| I've added a new entry to my "Writing Blog Number 2" : "20241216 Poor Characterisation" What I don't like in characters. |
We have a few entries already, but have you considered entering the
for December? Prompts and banned items in the forum... |
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