Unnatural Selection

I was in the supermarket the other day buying toothpaste, it’s not something I do very often, it’s not that I don’t use much, I probably would consider myself an average user, but toothpaste is one of those things that is always there. The tube can always be found, even on the bleariest of mornings waiting on its shelf, and when it gets to the point where mechanical devices are needed to extract the last helping, another fresh tube can be found in the second drawer down. Toothpaste is clearly the responsibility of someone else, someone organized, in this household it falls in the same category as clean laundry, some is always available when needed.
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Was Hitler Left Wing?

Was Hitler left wing and were the Nazis Fascists?

When I was taught history at school, I vaguely remember that Hitler was most definitely right wing. Now I know that the party Hitler first joined was the popular German Social Democrat Party, which was then renamed the National Socialist German Workers Party, or the Nazi Party, which shifted the balance from Socialist to Nationalist. The appeal in the first instance was most definitely to the workers and the unions, but Hitler engineered the split eventually from the GSD socialists because he abhorred socialism and communism.

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May Poetry Competition – Summertime

It’s easy this time, just a theme,
any length or rhyming scheme.
Even Janus with x-a, y-a
will have his chance to claim the day

It’s early here to call it Summer
and very late for it down unn’er.
But I’m the judge and that’s the rule
and lots of  entries would be cool.

Let loose the polymetric muse
all honest poets to confuse
but get your entry in real soon
the closing date’s the first of June.

April Short Story: Winner

Thank you very much, Nym, PapaG and LW, for your entries, which I enjoyed immensely.  Well done!

Nym: Magical thinking

An excellent take on the fairytale, Cinderella, which flows nicely and is an absorbing read (you are good at dialogue, Nym; tricky stuff, in my opinion). I expected a happy ending (almost obligatory in such a tale), but still found the final paragraph surprising and delightful.

PapaG: Worlds Apart

This is a difficult and painful subject, but a good choice for the theme.  It is usual to attempt to include the required words seamlessly, but I liked the way ‘orange peel’ is used as a conspicuous introduction to the story; very effective.  A poignant, affectionate and sensitive portrayal of Auntie, PapaG, with sprinkles of humour.

LW: A Very Short Story for Bilby

I had my doubts from the beginning about the wisdom of this inter-species union. It is an odd match, even bizarre, one may say, which makes for a wildly imaginative and entertaining piece, well suited to the theme. I think you could go for a trilogy, LW; this story has legs!

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Money down the drain

It was JM’s post with his London bus picture (here) that got me thinking.

In these times of belt tightening, budget cutting and austerity I certainly wouldn’t be happy with what appears to be a very expensive advertising campaign informing locals of what they already know!

London bus

There is apparently also a ‘tube campaign’ and billboard ads… Continue reading “Money down the drain”

Poetry Result (at last!)

For those of you who missed my previous apology, I am sorry that I am arriving so tardily with news of the winner. I was in Puglia on holiday last week and had intended to do some desultory judging. lazing by the side of the pool and sipping a substantial G&T. No pool because the owner of the villa had not filled it yet, the temperature being only a spartan 27C. More and, as it happens, better, no wifi which had been promised as part of the hire of the villa. The G&T’s were indeed substantial (Bombay Sapphire, Schweppes, lime and ice, for the avoidance of doubt). I regret to say that I felt little regret in leaving you all in suspense about the result.
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A very short story for Bilby (May 9, short story comp)

Worlds Apart

 Zorb of Klig was late…..again.   Billa of Arachnia his wife of ten years on this day was losing what little of her patience that remained.  Zorb was a three-eared, odd-tentacled cephalopod and Billa was an even-footed arachnid as were all of her species but all of this we have heard before.
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