A New Year and a Change of Direction.

I'm a writer. Not news, I know. But, writers write. They read as well, and, sometimes, they do a bit of living - on the side, so you won't really notice it.

So far, on this blog, I've served the needs of numerous authors by interviewing them and promoting their work. I've reviewed books I've read. Because, believe me, any writer who doesn't read is wasting his time. You can't write in isolation, unaware of what's happening in the world of books. I don't read as much as I used to, or as much as I should, or, indeed, as much as I'd like to. But last year, apart from the monthly writing magazines, frequent newsletters, and emailed updates I read, I managed to get through 30 books. This year I'd like to try to average 1 a week. We'll see.

But, more importantly, I'd like to get some new writing done, some of my past writing edited, and more of my work published. So, I'm publicly declaring a determination to enter work for competitions, to submit work to magazines and to complete the novels I currently hold in draft form.

Why make such a declaration public?

Well, if it's out there with readers, you're likely to ask me about my progress, which means I have an additional motive for actually keeping to the plan. I don't want to have to find excuses why I haven't done this or that. Not that that will stop me finding such excuses, when I feel the need, of course.

What this means in practice is that my Daily Word Spot will either disappear completely (please let me know how important this is to you as a reader by making a comment) or it might become a weekly digest with a few words in each instead. The problem with those posts is that they take up a lot of time, you see.

So, the plan is to do a longer article each week, usually on the writing process or something involved with books, reading and writing. This will replace my previous regular Thursday interview slot. At the weekend, I'll do a summary of my writing activity, illustrating what does and doesn't work and letting readers know what's involved in actually getting words down on paper (or, of course, on screen for the ebooks).

I'll keep up the writing contests page, since I'll be entering competitons and know how useful that particular page has been to a number of you.

And, this is breaking news here, I'm going to be giving something back to you for your time and contributions. Tomorrow, I'll post the full text of my free ebook, But, Baby, It's Cold Outside, so you can read it here, if you wish. It's an appropriate story for the day, since it's set on New Year's Eve. However, the real news is that I'll start to release the full text of my novel, Breaking Faith, in instalments, so that those who haven't bought or borrowed it, can read the whole story here. That will start on Friday, 6th January, with the Prologue, and continue each Friday until the end of the book is reached.

Why?

Writing is all about being read. Any modern writer who sets out to make money from writing as a primary aim is either daft or self-deluded. The JK Rowlings and Dan Browns represent an almost infinitesimal fraction of the community of writers out there. In UK, the average novel sells no more than 2,000 copies. For an experienced writer, that's around a year's work. At a royalty rate of 10% on a £7.99 paperback - well, you do the math, as they say. Let's just accept that by far the majority of writers, irrespective of talent and ability, will never make a living from their writing. For those wannabees who think they'll make a quick killing in the market place, please accept this as a friendly warning: if you want to make a quick buck, find something else; writing isn't going to do it for you.

So, I'll waste no more of your time now. But, please, do make comments. It's easily done, anonymously, if you can't do it any other way; you can always add your name at the end of the comment. Writers exist in a world that can be isolating, and feedback is not only important, it's essential.

My thanks for your time and attention. May I wish you all the very best in the coming year? I hope you all receive the good things you wish for yourselves.

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot: Allegory

Allegory: noun - a narrative written under the guise of another and sharing points of correspondence with it; symbolic representation; an extended metaphor; an emblem; a picture where meaning is represented symbolically.

Allegory in the visual arts is almost as old as the art form itself. I could list hundreds of examples, but will make do with just three representatives of the form: Sandro Botticelli' s Primavera, also known as Allegory of Spring, Johann Vermeer's Allegory of the Catholic Faith and Il Bronzino's Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time

In literature, there is the famous case of the 'mistaken' allegory as exemplified by JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which many critics assumed to be an allegory of WWII, in spite of Tolkien's emphatic denial of such and his assertion that he loathed the very idea of allegory.

Amongst those works that are recognised as allegory, of which there are many, a few are as follows:

Jonathan Swift's political allegory, Gulliver's Travels, William Golding's Lord of the Flies, an allegory about the conflicting forces that apply to civilisation and power, and, of course, the famously allegorical work by George Orwell. In Animal Farm the author skilfully caricatures the rise of Stalin and the follies of the communist state.

Many works of fiction contain elements of allegory and some have said that my own Breaking Faith is an allegory of good and evil. I'd argue that 'good and evil' is too wide a topic to be the subject of allegory and, in any case, is more a theme than a subject for allegory. But it is nevertheless true that many novels that are not specifically allegorical do carry an element or elements of allegory within them. Often, however, these are interpretations made by readers and critics, rather than intentional designs of the authors.

1696 - A window tax was imposed in England, causing many shopkeepers to brick up their windows to avoid the tax. It was repealed on the 24th July 1851, following much lobbying. A similar tax was imposed in France from 1798 and lasted until 1926. A real example of the wealthy law-makers being oblivious to the harm caused by thoughtless legislation on those less well-off, it was responsible for serious deterioration in living conditions for many of those who lived in poverty. The lack of light and air caused innumerable illnesses and deaths amongst the poor. Walking around England's historical urban areas it is easy to mistake some architectural devices for examples of attempts to defeat the window tax. Many windows were, or course, bricked up as a result of the imposition, but the habit of designing 'mock' windows continued long after the tax had been repealed and goes on today, with the decorative elements now used to harmonise and bring symmetry into the design of some buildings.

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Zany/Serious

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Zany/Serious

Zany: adjective - comically idiotic; ridiculous or comic; bizarre, crazy.

Serious: adjective - grave, solemn or sober in disposition or intention; responsible, neither reckless nor careless.

'The tabloid newspaper was in the habit of describing any student activity that was even marginally out of the ordinary as "zany", so that it was impossible to take its reports seriously.'

'Jason was a serious young man; his sober clothes, sedate manner and generally grave habit made him the butt of the jokes played by his more frivolous fellow students.'

1703 - Tokyo was hit by an earthquake, which killed about 37,000.

1919 - Lincoln's Inn in London admitted its first female law student. And even after almost a hundred years of supposed equality, women are seriously underrepresented as barristers and judges. So much for progress, eh?

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot: X-Rated

X-Rated: a film classification used in UK, USA, France and Australia in the early days of film censorship and rating. In UK, in 1982, it was replaced in by the 18 certificate, and it was applied to films felt unsuitable to be seen by people under 18 years of age due to sexual, violent or nude content. In US, much the same situation applied initially, but because 'X-rated' was not trademarked, it quickly became a tool for the pornographers to use to advertise their films, frequently being converted to XX or XXX to indicate the level of hardcore pornography peddled.

In more general terms, it's become a symbol of something outrageous or risqué, something to titillate and excite, usually in a sexual manner. It is still sometimes applied to violent entertainment as well.

'The bikini that girl's almost wearing should be X-rated, is you ask me.'

'I'd tell you what I heard about Barbara and Trevor the other night at Joanna's, but it's X-rated.'

A question to ponder:

How is it that we put a man on the moon before we decided it would be a good idea to fit suitcases with wheels? 

1170 - Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II, and later became a saint and martyr in the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church. The story is that Henry never intended his death and that his statement, 'Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?' was misinterpreted by the subjects who went on to do his bidding. However, if those were his actual words, it's difficult to know what else he might have meant.

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1955 - Barbra Streisand's first recording of 'You'll Never Know' was made, when she was aged 13.

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Yell/Whisper

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Yell/Whisper

Yell: noun - a loud cry of pain, fear, anger, delight, triumph or surprise; a shout, scream.

Verb - to utter a yell or shout.

Whisper: noun - an instance of whispering or speaking softly; a softness of voice characterizing such speech; a whispered phrase.

Verb - to speak very softly; to converse like this for the sake of secrecy;

'When Roger crept up behind Sarah, fresh and warm from her shower, and placed his cold hands over her uncovered breasts, she gave out a great yell of shock and indignation.'

'As the time came for the news to be passed on, John brought Mandy close, embraced her, and with a gentle whisper, explained that he wouldn't be spending the night with her but with Jacob.'

'In the falling darkness of dusk, the dark figure that emerged from the trees and lurched toward her, made Martha yell with fear.'

'Mark teased Maria's auburn locks away from her small ears and placed his mouth close so he could whisper words of love and tenderness to her without alerting her husband to his feelings.'

1846 - Iowa became the 29th state of the US.

1908 - An Earthquake struck Messina in Italy and killed nearly 80,000.

1981 - The infamous Rendelsham Forest UFO incident, in Suffolk near the US Airforce base, caused much speculation in the press. Just another cause for conflict between those who believe and those who don't. If the military had been more open from the beginning, the whole field of UFOs could probably have been less fraught with conspiracy theory.

Stuart's Odd Definitions (SODs): Solicitor

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I'm adding a little dark humour and devising some definitions of my own. Since I generally rely on the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (SOED) to inspire my 'real' definitions for the Daily Word Spot, I thought I'd use the acronym SOD for my own odd definitions. Here's the second of what will become an irregular series.

Solicitor: noun - an individual for whom law is a money tree, someone more interested in law than justice, an encourager of conflict, a partner in a firm set up to rob honest folk of their hard-earned cash, any member of a gang devoted to separating law-abiding citizens from their inheritance, a frustrated actor, a person willing to ensure the guilty go free if enough payment is received for the service, a member of the House of Commons who ensures that laws are made and kept as complex as possible so that the man in the street will be forced to employ him or her to interpret them.

Okay, so I might be being a bit hard. I do actually know a couple of people who are or were solicitors and who manage to remain pleasant people. But they are few and far between, I fear. I'd be interested to learn your experiences of the legal profession.

1825 - The first public railroad using steam locomotives was completed in England. The network of public transport first slowly and then rapidly expanded to carry people all over the country at reasonable cost and in growing comfort. Then, in the 1960s Dr Beeching, at the behest of the Conservative government then in power, wrote a report, which resulted in over 6,000 miles of track being taken out of service, along with more than 3,000 stations. The motivation for this was purported to be that most people would own cars and the railways would therefore become more or less obsolete. Of course, this was a self-fulfilling prophesy, as the removal of usable public transport from many locations ensured that people would be forced to buy and use cars instead. I often wonder how much money passed from the motor manufacturers into the hands of the politicians and others responsible for the decline of our railway system, which was, at the time, the envy of the world. Of course, the railways are no longer a public corporation but privately owned companies now struggling to replace the lost custom and upgrade the service to cope with increasing demand. Another wonderful decision made by our government that only ever thinks short-term.

1945 - The World Bank was created with the signing of an agreement by 28 nations. It has since become an institution with the potential to do enormous good. It's a shame it's been so frequently hijacked by the unethical and the exploitative to make some seriously damaging decisions, especially as far as environmental matters are concerned. Yet more politicians buggering things up, eh?

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Vacant/Occupied

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Vacant/Occupied:

Vacant: of a benefice, office or position - unfilled or not occupied; containing nothing, empty, uninhabited, untenanted; not occupied or in use.

Occupied: of a country, town or strategic position - taken by military conquest or by settlement; forcibly entered and held, often as a form of protest; taken up, used, filled; kept busy, engaged, employed; of a position or office - filled, held by an individual; lived in, tenanted.

'Carol returned home after her business trip to discover the house vacant. The note, scribbled in red crayon above the dead fire in the grate, explained that her husband, Dave, tired of her continued absence, had run off with the willing barmaid from the Cuckold Arms and taken all the furniture to set up home with her.'

'When Roger returned from his four week holiday in the Caribbean, he discovered his detached home occupied by travellers who'd assumed it was unused.'

1799 - George Washington was eulogized by Col Henry Lee as 'First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen'.

1860 - The first ever inter-club football match took place, between Hallam F.C. and Sheffield F.C., at the Sandygate Road ground in Sheffield, England. That is soccer, not the game now played in the US.

Stuarts' Daily Word Spot: Daft/Sane

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Daft/Sane

Daft: adjective - silly; lacking intelligence; stupid; wild or reckless; unsound of mind; crazy.

Sane: adjective - sound of mind, not mad; sensible and rational; moderate; free from misguiding prejudices.

'It is often said that those who believe in any form of scripture must be daft. And this may be so. But such a stance takes account only of rational intelligence. It makes no allowance for emotional intelligence, where the subject recognises their need for some moral or heroic leader to guide them through life and therefore chooses to give credence to some doctrine that cannot be true on a reasoning level.'

'The only really sane stance on religious matters is to recognise that any form of organised religionis the product of man and has little or nothing to do with God. The sane person understands that we are incapable, as a species, of fully comprehending any power capable of designing, manufacturing and installing what we understand as the known universe. Science can sometimes appear adamant that God doesn't exist, but this is to take on the same dogmatic stance as religion: it requires faith in an absolute that cannot be demonstrated to exist.'

On a lighter note, more fitting to the season, perhaps:

'Sally was daft enough to follow Jack's urging and donned the ridiculous Santa outfit that displayed her ample cleavage and left her long legs exposed almost to the point of his desire.'

'Jane was sane enough to understand that skating on the frozen pond was not a good idea and refused to join David as he skidded over the cracked surface and finally broke through it so he was plunged into icy water to a level that cooled his ardour rather rapidly.'

1 - The first Christmas, according to calendar-maker Dionysus Exiguus. But the evidence, such as it is, suggests Jesus was probably born in either January or July somewhere around 4-6BC. But people will inevitably believe what they choose to, since it has long been shown that belief has little or nothing to do with either fact or evidence and much to do with a mixture of nurture and personal preference.

1818 - The first known Christmas carol Silent Night, Holy Nightwas sung in Austria, sparking one of the more attractive and seductive elements that make up the spiritual Christian festival today.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Taboo/Permitted

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Taboo/Permitted:

Taboo: verb - to place under a literal taboo; to debar or forbid by influence; to place under a social ban; to ostracize or boycott; to award a sacred status to something, thereby restricting its use; to prohibit.

Permitt(ed): verb - to allow; to give permission; to consent to a person doing or experiencing something.

'In many religions, the eating of certain foods is taboo. These restrictions stem mostly from ancient observations of health risks associated with the consumption of the foods, but modern methods of cooking, along with other safeguards, now render the taboosirrelevant. However, the religious organisations concerned, having built the prohibitions into the very structure of their dogma, find themselves incapable of admitting the truth and freeing up their adherents to sample foods that are now known to be safe to eat.'

'Long before Natalie discovered that nude swimming was permitted in the private pool, she'd abandoned her costume and taken to the waters in her skin to enjoy the delights of skinny dipping.'

1777 - Kiritimati, also called Christmas Island, was discovered by James Cook, who therefore decided to name it after the celebratory day of his chosen moral leader.

1939 - World War II: Pope Pius XII made a Christmas Eve appeal for peace. The war had been under way for only a few months, so perhaps the world in general, having conveniently forgotten the mass death and destruction of the previous world war, wasn't yet ready to gang together to defeat the evil that was Nazi aggression led by the madman, Hitler.

2011 - It's Christmas Eve, and the occasion for joy, celebration and merriment the world over for all those who live in a state formed or dominated by Christian beliefs. As an agnostic, I no longer follow the man who became unwittingly responsible for this once wonderful celebration of goodwill and peace. It doesn't prevent me enjoying the ideas held within that celebration, however. Much as I detest the absolute commercialism that's now replaced any form of spiritual awareness for the mass of the population, I still enjoy the idea of giving. And my past, as a once active member of the Church of England, catches up with me to make me enjoy the music and spiritual richness of the occasion.

So, I wish all peace-loving, caring and kind individuals, whatever their faith or philosophy, a very Merry Christmas, and hope they receive those things they most desire.

Stuart's Odd Definitions (SODs): Politician

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I thought I'd add a little dark humour and devise some definitions of my own. Since I generally rely on the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (SOED) to inspire my 'real' definitions for the Daily Word Spot, I thought I'd use the acronym SOD for my own odd definitions. Here's the first of what will become an irregular series.

Politician: noun - unreliable representative of the people; a corrupt official; opinionated orator; self-obsessed child; blinkered follower of party dogma; greasy pole climber; a person with their snout in the trough; demagogue; someone with ideas fixed by reference to a dubious past; a person suffering retarded development and needing undue attention from a large pool of otherwise insignificant strangers; an immature seeker of attention.

As is evident from my definition, I have huge admiration for politicians as a class of individuals. After all, they have, over the years, managed to persuade large numbers of people that they act in the interests of their constituents, whilst ensuring that their own goals are given priority. They've achieved that most unusual feat of fooling most of the people most of the time: in this case, mostly a reflection of the weariness and indifference of the voting population. In a democracy, politicians are supposed to represent the views of those whose region they serve. In reality, of course, they invariably either bow to pressure from their party machine and thereby distort or delete their personal election promises, or they put forward their own views regardless of any conflict these may have with those of the people they're supposed to represent.

So, a pretty worthy bunch of reprobates, thoroughly deserving of our continued support. They'll undoubtedly maintain their positions of power and influence and use them to gain greater rewards for themselves and those they favour, whilst the rest of us lie back and let them trample over us, thereby receiving the respect and treatment we deserve.

So, I say, well done politicians. May you all receive the rewards you so richly deserve.

What say you?

1672 - Giovanni Cassinidiscovered Rhea, one of the many satellites of Saturn.

1922 - BBC Radio began daily newscasts in the UK, starting a tradition that has grown over the years to inform, educate and, sometimes, irritate the hell out of the listeners.

Are Traditions and Customs Really Worth Keeping?

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Such a question will inevitably promote discussion, debate and perhaps some outrage at the mere suggestion. But, before I say my piece and invite your comments and contributions, perhaps I should define the terms, so that we all know what we're discussing:

Tradition is defined as belief, custom, etc., passed along from generation to generation by non-written means; those beliefs, collectively; established and accepted practice or custom; principles held and generally followed by a branch of the arts, adopted from and handed down through experience and practice; doctrine regarded as possessing divine authority with no written evidence; the spoken messages of Christ and the apostles, passed on by word of mouth through generations; words and actions of Muhammad not incorporated in the Qur'an but transmitted orally before being recorded.

Custom is held to be habitual or common practice; a usual way of behaving; usage, fashion or habit; established usage which, because it has continued for a long time, has taken on the force of a law or right.

The world is overrun with examples of custom and tradition; many are religious in origin, others stem from early ignorance of certain realities, yet others have developed as responses to threats from outside the boundaries set by those groups practicing them. We, mostly, take such things for granted and promote their continuance without much thought for either their origins or their real social effects. So, is any harm done by such continuation? Is it possible that some customs and traditions are not good things?

Let's look at some of the most popular and widespread. Christmas is almost on us. This celebration of the birth of a notable prophet, a figure responsible for the formation of one of the world's great religions, is touted as a demonstration of love, generosity and general goodwill to all men. Peace and harmony are tied into the very meaning of this tradition. So, can it be seen in any way as other than a good thing?

Well, the timing of the ceremony, as most people are aware, is way off if it is an actual commemoration of the prophet's birth, since it's believed he was actually born in the summer months. So, the first aspect I question is the lack of honesty in the dating. Of course, it's well known that the old Pagan ceremony that was traditionally held at the mid-winter point long before Christianity came on the scene, was hijacked by the church in order to allow the celebrants to more readily accept the new religion. So, the timing of the celebration immediately takes on the nature of a con-trick, something devised to make more palatable a set of beliefs that were at variance with those of the people it was invented to convert. Such trickery is hardly the way to promote a doctrine that purports to have truth at its heart, I think.

In Islam, the position of the woman is traditionally that of subordinate; traditionally, though not according to the holy book of the faith. The Qur'an states quite clearly that men and women are of equal value and worth. However, the later commentaries, supposedly recorded as the words and actions of the prophet, Mohammed, are open to interpretation that women are rightly considered subordinate to men. Such downgrading of the gender would fit in well with the beliefs of a man brought up in a brothel, of course. And they fit in well with the traditions of a culture which has regarded women as goods and chattels since the beginning of recorded history. One has only to look at the ethnic communities where Islam first developed and note the custom of awarding their leaders numerous wives and concubines to see that the male attitude to the position of women in such societies was less than generous. The Islamic belief that men who are martyred in the cause (whatever that cause may be determined to be) will be rewarded by an eternity in paradise served by anything up to 72 virgin maidens, indicates that women are seen as the playthings and servants of men. No such reward awaits those women who sacrifice themselves to the cause, however. And, clearly, the fate of the 72 virgin maidens is hardly something to be relished. So, I question the custom and tradition held so dear by the sects of this religion in this regard.

The tradition of regarding pork as unclean, elevated to quasi-legal status in certain communities, stems from early observations that pig meat can cause many illnesses. Of course, with modern farming techniques and the knowledge that such meat must be well-cooked to avoid the problems, the risk has been reduced to similar proportions as those of eating any other meat. But it's noteworthy that the ban on eating pork remains. It's been enshrined into the culture of those communities and is upheld as something positive simply on the grounds that it is customary, traditional. Another example of the religious authorities being unwilling to accept that the basis for their laws might actually be questionable.

In certain parts of the Middle East and Africa it's customary for young women to be circumcised. This, of course, is a euphemism for brutal damage to the victims genitalia. The custom, carried out without anaesthetic, involves the removal of the clitoris and, frequently, the stitching together of the labia minor to prevent penetration. This tradition, often continued and encouraged by the mothers of the victims, is designed entirely to serve the men of the communities. The thought behind it is that women will not 'stray' if there is little pleasure for them in the sex act. The victim's stitched labia are cut open once the woman marries so that her husband may penetrate her, regardless of any pain she may suffer. This custom is defended by those within the community on the grounds that it is a long held tradition. And, of course, it the combination of the status of tradition with subliminal brain-washing that allows the mothers to continue to perpetrate this violence on their daughters.

I could go on. There are many examples of similar customs and traditions: wife burning at the death of a husband, the disfiguring of women who refuse a suitor's advances, the killing of daughters who 'dishonour' a family by refusing to marry the chosen husband. All, of course, with serious consequences for those affected. There are also lesser customs and traditions that do more subtle harm. The custom of the Abrahamic religions in their elevation of commerce to the level of some sort of divinely inspired activity, for example, has allowed business to proceed without any real concern about its effects on those who are less well off. And the custom of giving at Christmas, whilst producing some very real generosity of spirit as well as actual charity, has caused many millions to put themselves into debt in order to avoid being thought either mean or too poor to give as much as their neighbours.

So, to return to my question: is it possible that some customs and traditions are not good things? I think you'll know my answer, but I'm interested to learn yours. Are you willing to get involved in the discussion here? It's easy enough to make a comment below.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Rabble/Aristocracy

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Rabble/Aristocracy

Rabble: noun - a crowd of disorderly people, a mob; people imagined as comprising a mob; the lowest class of people, commoners.

Aristocracy: noun - a ruling body of members of the nobility; the class to which these rulers belong; a patrician or privileged class of people; the best examples of a quality or skill; a privileged or elite group.

'Recent riots in Londonwere caused by a rabble of opportunists in search of thrills and free booty, rather than by any group of real protestors.'

'Most of the aristocracy in the UK are descendants of robber barons who helped various unworthy monarchs to maintain their power over the populace. The social contract was supposed to be a deal in which the powerful protected the general population in return for food and some small reward. Of course, it quickly degenerated into an excuse to exploit those with lesser means and take advantage of their ignorance and powerlessness; it remains so today, of course.'

A question for you to ponder: When they cure ham, what disease does it have?

1882 - The first string of Christmas tree lights was created by Thomas Edison, starting a tradition that has grown into the excess of today, with hundreds of millions of cheap illuminations decorating the interiors and exteriors of millions of homes and public buildings to little purpose.

1941 - Winston Churchillarrived in Washington for a wartime conference. Of course, it's unlikely the USwould have joined the battle without the rude behaviour of the Japanese in destroying their fleet in Pearl Harbour only days before. Perhaps we, in UK and Europe, should applaud the Japanese for involving the US in a war that might otherwise have resulted in a very different world for all of us?

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Quarterdeck

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Quarterdeck: noun - originally, this was a small deck located above the half-deck and covering about a quarter of a vessel. These days, however, it's used for that part of a ship's upper deck near the stern, and usually reserved for officers or privileged passengers; the officers of a ship or the navy.

'Shirley winked with little subtlety at the steward who brought her glass of champagne, and invited him to join her on the quarterdeck a little after midnight, where, she assured him, she would make it worth his while.'

In the UK, today is generally considered the shortest day of the year and a cause of much joy that improvements are now on their way. Though, sometimes it is the 22nd that's considered so. The night between 21st and 22nd December is the longest. Certainly, following this day, the hours of daylight increase until the mid-summer point, when the whole thing begins its decline again.

The Christian world, borrowing the wisdom of the preceding pagans, placed Christmas at this time of year to capitalise on the potential of associating the birth of their prophet with the ending of the declining season and the hope of better things to come. A wise decision for those early leaders wishing to increase their following in a very uncertain world.

1835 - HMS Beagle sailed into the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, on Darwin's historic voyage of discovery.

1914 - The first feature-length silent film comedy, "Tillie's Punctured Romance" was released, featuring Marie Dressler, Mabel Normand & Charles Chaplin. Chaplin, of course, went on to become one of the cinema's icons over the following years.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot (Antonyms): Pacific/Belligerent

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Pacific/Belligerent

Pacific: adjective - making, or tending to make peace, resulting in reconciliation; appeasing, conciliatory, calming; of a peaceful character, peaceable; characterized by calm or peace, tranquil.

Belligerent: adjective - waging war regularly, as recognized by law; aggressively hostile, pugnacious; pertaining to a belligerent.

'In the world, whilst the general perception of Switzerland and Norway tends to the pacific, many nations view the USA as belligerent, due to its chosen stance as policeman of the globe.'

'Jenny stepped lightly between the boys, her gentle touch on each of their arms, a pacific influence on what had promised to be an ugly conflict over her charms.'

'Always ready for a fight, Tony was known as a bully in the streets and feared because of his belligerent nature and readiness to use his fists or any available weapon to get his own way.'

1669 - The first jury trial was held in Delaware, resulting in Marcus Jacobson being condemned for insurrection and suffering a sentence of flogging, branding & slavery.

1920 - Bob Hope became an American citizen, creating the 'loss' of a great comedian to the British but extending his talents to the wider world in the process.

Are You On The List?

Avril Field-Taylor is a talented lady, who, I am pleased to say, shares a writing group with me. A writer of crime fiction, historical crime fiction, Sherlock Holmes stories and much else, she is also a very accomplished singer. In celebration of Christmas, she devised the following ditty, based on the song, Behold, the Lord High Executioner, from the Mikado, sung by Ko-Ko. It scans even better when sung to that tune.

Avril’s Christmas offering to her Hornsea Writer colleagues – with apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan.

 

When the Orange Fiction prize requires authors to be found,

I’ve got a little list, I’ve got a little list,

Of the stalwart Hornsea Writers who on keyboards daily pound

And to whom all life is grist, to whom all life is grist.

There’s Karen’s Granny Beamish who can really mess your mind

By making you eat sprouts or something equally unkind.

While not forgetting Georgie, the dog whisperer supreme

And her gorgeous cohort, Matt, who’s every thinking woman’s dream

She’s a definite contender and she’s not to be dismissed

So just put her on the list, yes just put her on the list.

There’s Linda’s Torc of Moonlight, so diverse and quite complex

Whose characters are damaged but they’re always up for sex

They interact and squabble as their feelings they convey

With sultry scenes of passion so hot under the duvet.

Oh yes, Linda is a writing force, on that we must insist,

So she’s going on the list, yes, she’s going on the list.

Then we’ve Madeleine’s romances that will really touch your soul

In far flung places round the world from Europe to the pole

Her settings are so well drawn, to our chairs she keeps us glued

And ne’er by word or gesture are her people ever lewd

So for sweetness and decorum, we need one romanticist

And she’s going on the list, yes she’s going on the list.

And Penny’s Annie Raymond books are never ever dull

The stories all take place near here in Holderness and Hull

The pace grows bit by bit until the tension is extreme

And if someone interrupted you, you’d very likely scream.

She’s a master storyteller and her plots all have a twist,

So for that, she’s on the list, yes for that she’s on the list.

Not forgetting Stuart Aken, who can write with white hot heat

Complete a novel in a month, you know that’s no mean feat

His imagination knows no bounds and sometimes shocks occur

Ensuing mental visions make us all wince and go urrr.

But there’s no denying Stuart is a writing alchemist

So we’ll add him to the list, yes we’ll add him to the list.

An interview with Avril, the writer of these lyrics, can be accessed by clicking here.

And an interview with Karen can be read by clicking here.

My interview with Linda will be found by clicking here.

To read the interview with Madeleine, click here.

For the interview with Penny, click here.

And, for an interview with Stuart (yes, I know, that's me), click here.

Okay, so there's no picture of me, but, hell - the site's mine and I'm all over the place already!

My thanks to Avril for permission to use her piece of festive fun.

A very Merry Christmas and a staggeringly successful New Year to all of you.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Onomatopoeia

Image by sekundo via Flickr

Onomatopoeia: noun - the shaping of a word by imitation of the sound connected with the thing or action denominated; a word formed this way; in Rhetoric - the use of naturally suggestive language for effect.

Here's a list of some that come to mind. There are more, but I'll let you discover those for yourselves.

Ah, baa, bang, beep, belch, boo, buzz, cheep, chirp, clang, clap, cluck, clunk, crunch, fizz, giggle, growl, gurgle, hiccup, hiss, honk, hum, jangle, meow, moo, murmur, neigh, oink, ouch, phew, piss, ping, plop, purr, quack, rattle, roar, screech, shush, sizzle, slap, sniff, splash, squelch, thud, thump, tinkle, twang, ugh, vroom, whack, wham, whip, whizz, zap, zoom, etc….

'The tinkle of the fountain was interrupted by the plop and splash of the coins Christina tossed into the pool, making her giggle with delight but causing grumpy Godfrey growl with dismay at the waste.'

'In the golden fields of corn, the cattle meowed and the crows purred; flying overhead, the hissing bears collided with zooming pigs causing them to neigh in annoyance, as, along the horizon, a long line of lions oinked and buzzed as they devoured the jangling flowers.'

What do you mean, that's nonsense?

1154 - Henry II was crowned King of England.

1910 - 1st city ordinance requiring white and black residential areas was made in Baltimore. It would be years before such discrimination was first recognised for the injustice it was, and then made illegal. Of course, there remain idiots who still consider racial separation to be a good thing; but such ignorance and fear simply identifies these unfortunates as either stupid or ill-informed.