Expressing Ourselves Through Short Stories                                            

     First, I would like to thank all of you that have stuck with me over the last few months. We have almost reached 6K in viewings alone.  I know many of you post and just as many don't.  For those that do, I am deeply grateful for all your thoughts so expertly expressed on here.  Those that do not, I appreciate your viewing and hope that we have given you something to think about when you have left this page.  I am always open to new thoughts and ideas even if they stray from the topic chosen at any given time.  Feel free to post all your whatever' s....this free flow of ideas always lends itself to new thoughts. I thought we could try to do a topic on creative short stories on any variety of subjects.  Please try to limit the length of each post hence the word "short".  I know we will all be awaiting each new post with great enthusiasm.

SUMMER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

Summer vacation is almost here.  Time to spend with family, friends and loved ones.  There are so many places to visit or simply stay at home to relax and unwind.  Perhaps our readers would like to share their travel plans or write a poem or short story on past experiences or future trips.  For me, rafting on the rapids is true bliss and exhilaration.  Feeling the spray of the river's mist and wondering what lies ahead at the next rapid means summer is here.  Lazy days ahead to hike, read and explore natures bounty make this Heaven on earth for me.

Spring!



What a beautiful season spring is!  It represents a rebirth and a new beginning.  What could be more appealing than that?  We are constantly aware of its charm.  For me flowers, bird's nests, spring break,  bunnies, colored egg baskets filled with goodies and many other things come flooding into my mind. Is it an inspiration, a preview of all that's fresh and new or is it just an escape from the doldrums of winter?  We want to know what does Spring do for you out there in Blog Land?

Who wants to be a Billionaire?

It is has gone that silent I hear the virtual tap dripping and see the tumble weed making its way across the deserted floor – this simply will not do! So, I thought a random post should be put up and maybe it will get our thoughts going again. Personally, I really enjoyed the journey of Bunny, Bear & Christopher and maybe we can return there again. For now the subject is money!

Now if you knew me you would realise that money is what I care for the least however I’m not naive: we need it for basic living and for those luxuries in life. Often we hear people misquoting the words, ‘money is the root of all evil’, but of course it's  the love of money to which we can trace evil’s roots.

Recently the list of the worlds richest was published again; top of the pack for this year is the Mexican Carlos Slim Helu with a measly $69 billion - that’s pocket change for most of us.

What I want is to hear are your thoughts on the subject of money, wealth and all things related. What you would do with a billion or what would you do if the only money you had left was one dollar or pound (see how I’m putting the Americans first!)?  Maybe you would like to share the single most pointless thing you have ever bought or gloat in a bargain – it’s up to you, just write something!

The Bunny & The Silver Tongued Snake

Once upon a time, there was a sweet little bunny full of adventure. It was difficult for her as she longed to romp freely in the dense woods or even a meadow or two, getting into mischief with forestry animals such as deer and chipmunks, squirrels and elk. She didn't belong in the swamps with alligators and crocodiles, Black Panther and snakes. The toads were ok but their croaking would keep her awake for hours on end. After she lost her bunny family, she would just hop and hop all day long mostly alone in the saw grass away from the canals where the evil crocs took their naps in the hot sun. Bunnies were supposed to live in groups not wander alone as her fate had been. At that moment, she decided to take charge of her life and go forth and meet others to keep her company. One day, late in the evening, she wandered to that part of the Glades where all sorts of species would gather to socialize. She usually avoided this little patch as she knew that some of the ones that congregated there could be slovenly and cruel. Being the adventurous sort, she had to take a peek at the activity and hoped she meet some new friends to alleviate some of her boredom in that awful swap. She hopped to the front of the gathering, ears all perky and pink and stood silently till the silver tongued snake asked if anyone was selling anything today. She gave it some thought, decided she had a few extra things and could perhaps make enough money to head North or West anywhere but the South where she was now standing. He was a handsome guy for a snake...kind of trim, fit with the blackest eyes she had ever seen. She stood on her hind legs as she spoke.“I have the items you are looking for snake eyes ", she blurted out in her bravest voice.”Oh do you now Miss beach Bunny?” was his quick reply.

"If you would just follow me to my burrow, I am sure you will be satisfied." She whispered softly. As quickly as the words left her lips, she could hear her Mother's warnings. “Never trust the snakes, especially the silver tongued ones. They will smile at you and when you least expect it, dig their fangs into your soft flesh and send poison through your delicate body. Even if you survive their bite, you will never forget the pain it caused". Surely this handsome, charming creature was not the slippery, sneaky, slimy one of her Mother's proclamation. He seemed friendly enough and besides, it wasn't like she was going to continue spending time in his acquaintance. Just sell him the items and be gone, she reassured herself. So off they went...she was hopping and he slithered along the ground at her side. They managed to make small talk along the way and hardly noticed that the sun had set and night had befallen the Sea of Grass.

Soap Box Chatter

I thought we all needed a break on topics that we had to respond to - so this week I decided to include a Say Anything ‘non topic’. Here, feel free to discuss whatever comes to your mind. You may also include short stories, essays or poetry. Some suggestions would be your most embarrassing moment, worst date, best date, memories from your youth, current events, politics well... you get the point. I am confident everyone has something to say about anything. Go ahead pull a few of those thoughts out of your head; I'm sure it has been sitting for awhile just waiting for you to step up to the soap box and blurt it out for the public to hear. So unburden the heavy minds and let's share our thoughts!

My Juke Box Dream

There is one thing we all have in common - we dream. I’m not talking about aspirations or ambitions but that sleepy world that we enter into which is beyond our control. It’s almost as good as it gets because everyone can lay claim to innocence when it comes to this misty world. Wherever we are taken and whatever we do can be reasoned away with, ‘oh it was just a dream...or a bad dream’. Here is a world filled with heroes and villains; where ethereal dreams and brooding nightmares abound and a place that for many of us we never want to wake up from.

Without wanting to sound too much like a person reflecting on the ‘good old days of youth’ e.g. when I was a lad etc; I do remember something I used to do as a boy. I was a dreamy boy (I’m not talking about what girls thought concerning me), and I often would go to bed and pretend my mind was a Juke Box. There would I be snuggling into my pillow, my eyes would close and I pictured the CD disc coming out of its compartment and slotting into place. My dream world was ready to begin. As a typical English lad football dominated my earlier dreams. I would win cups and score the greatest goals and so on. But as my mind developed so too my dreams, we grew together and in time complex layers covered the earth of my dream world.

Wouldn’t it be a most wonderful thing if we could control our dreams or would it? What world would you create and maybe you wish to share your thoughts as to some dreams you have had and what you make of them. Sleep well fellow bloggers.  

Roses are Red, Violets Are Blue...the rest is up to you!

Ok, so moving on in our Valentine theme for this month, we want people to post up poems which bloggers have either penned in the past or have felt the urge to write recently. You can even add your thoughts as to why it came to you and what it means. Here is a chance to let that creative side in you unshackle itself without the fear of ridicule...just stay away from the overly simplisitc i.e. 'the cat sat on the mat'.

While the theme is set you can be as broad as you wish in this area.

Again, if you want to remain anonymous then simply sign in as such...all are welcome and maybe at the end we can do a poll and put the poems to the test. The reward will be something like you have never seen before!

Internet Relationships - Real or Fantasy?

Internet Relationships - Real or Fantasy?

Much can be said about this topic as everyone's idea of a relationship can vary. There are feelings we have for our friends, family and then our significant others. So where would an internet relationship come into it? Can we lend our hearts to a ghost in the machine? Better yet, if we do give our hearts away, what are the consequences? Is the person we are conversing with the person they portray themselves to be? What happens if you take that alternate universe love to a different level? Do you meet with them in the real world? Will this meeting exceed or diminish our expectations? I am sure many wonderful relationships begin on the net and have fairy tale endings. Then there are some that lead to broken hearts. I suppose both parties involved need to have the same idea of where the relationship will go. Sometimes, we have greater expectations then the one we have let invade our hearts and souls. I therefore think the bounderies must be made clear from the get go. If all that is expected is a fantasy, then be honest with the other person...let them know that is all you are looking for - an escape from the norm and problems of everyday life. Sometimes, however, the fine line between reality and fantasy merge. What starts out as an infatuation of sorts becomes much greater as the lines of communication open and layers of the person's persona come to the fore. You find yourself wanting to know all about this stranger and await their yellow bubble as an indication that they are out there in cyber space awaiting your responses. Their laughter becomes intoxicating, you can almost see their smile, feel their warmth. You want to share your innermost thoughts with this person and look for their replies. No matter what goes on in your daily life, you can find comfort in the keyboard relationship. What starts out casually becomes a real attraction. The ghost occupies your thoughts from dawn till dusk, filters in your dreams and you long to be with them, to share life's wonders. You find yourself talking to them throughout the day, whether in your mind, text or phone. Does one derive pleasure from this? I think so. Unfortunately, not all net relationships can carry on beyond this point. Sometimes the real world gets in the way. So how long do we linger in this Neverland of emotions? Can we stop what our hearts feel yet our minds know its futility? I'd like to hear some ideas on this topic even if it's in a generic sense. I just wonder because for me, my heart is in this cyber world with no escape route.

  The battle between British & American Chav/Ghetto vocab

I can only speak as a representative of Britian and so far I seem to be the only one on this blog from these parts. Here we have a section of society we classify as chav. They have a dress code, a style of life and unique language which unfortunately filters its way into peoples conversations.

Vicky Pollard came onto our screens and did a wonderul job of showing how ridiculous it all is. The strange thing about Vicky is that she is not an exaggeration like most tv characters are.

The 'yeh but, no but' is heard everywhere interspersed with isits and innits. Confusion abounds as a result.

I found this urban dictionary definition, its worth a lol:

chav (noun)- 1 Anyone wearing any kind of burberry clothing 2 A youth usually, although not neccessarily in his or her teens who has an undying belief that they are the hardest and coolest individual to have ever walked this planet. The male chav is distinguishable by his birght colours and imitaion gold jewellry which he uses to attract chavettes (see next). Any eye contact will be met with a tirade of abuse assuming the chav is with his herd. 3 Chavette A female chav who is distinguishable by the use of earings resting on her shoulders, very innapropriate clothing, and a pram. Chavettes are very rarely seen on their own and prefer to hang around with the dominant chav in their herd, usually the father of their child. 4 Chavish the dialect of the chav. Believing that he is a bad boy gangsta rapper, the chav or chavette will converse with others in a secrect language. Scientists have been working for years on trying to decipher chavish but to no avail. Other than swear words that you will manage to pick out, you will not understand any of this tirade; simply assume its not pleasant and probably involves your parents and a dog.

So uz americans duz u av wordz dat r like theez? - (its really hard trying to write like this)

                        Words I just love

Having been lost in space for the last weekend I’m happy to find myself rejoining this infant blog and to see new faces, new thoughts but methinks the need for a new direction. Ok so I’m changing the current but I feel inadequate to join in with the politics of the USA. The day the Terminator became Governor was the day I thought all hope had gone...that was until Nick Clegg came onto the scene.
Anyway, often it has been my thought that some words are so pleasant to both ear and eye that they are worthy of excessive adulation. When that word can be used at exactly the right time and place then verbal bliss is possible. Here is one that springs to mind and I will look forward to hearing some of yours wherever they may come from.

Loquacious
Ok, so this is a word I first came across many years ago and it is has forever stayed with me. However its one of those words that is rarely used and when used somehow gives off an air of arrogance. The everyday conversation is not generally filled with such 10 letter gems (yes I did count by pointing my finger to each letter). Maybe we should make it our duty to use it more. It must be added that the word sounds better when pronounced in a deep soothing manner. A metallic, rasping voice may get away with it but could end up being an irritant.

It means to be chatty or talkative. As for its origin I’m not sure so please enlighten me.

You say tomato we say tomato
What do you see? Two words identical in their visual form and yet depending on where you live spoken with different emphasis. Interestingly, not everyone from the land of opportunity sides with the pronunciation which to the average Brit conjures up thoughts of pizza sellers in the Bronx. The opposite cannot be said though; never in my life have I met an British citizen naming that fruit (or is it a vegetable?) as tomayto.  My  American buddy agrees with me that it should be spoken in the same way as 'mark' or 'far' and certainly not 'pay' or 'say'. So when I say to-mar-toe and you say to-may-toe who really is saying it correctly? Maybe this is just an example of utter amlish: a colliding of accents and simply a matter of preference. However, it opens up another war of words and battle of wills. The above list of words only serves to show how a word written and read the same by both countries have strange ways of being articulated. Recent conflicts in the verbal world have given birth to this blog. Is it slightly narrow minded? Well, yes, after all it only takes in two countries of the world. Probably the two most loathed countries of all and both guilty in their own way of arrogance. Yet maybe the scribbling thoughts of a few might path the way for a better understanding. So bring it all to the table, thrash it out and knead away. Argue your case, hold your ground and show your opposing country that if they say tomato we say tomato.
Remember don't take it all too seriously!