Week 319 – Too Much Variety, Diane’s Enthusiastic Observations And A Development That Would Make Satchmo Cry.

Hi folks here we are at Week 319.

This was one of those weeks I had no idea what I was going to write, but a quick look at the paper with a can of lager and I saw my inspiration. (For all you anal types out there, it was me who was drinking the lager and not the paper – And yes, I know, I should have sorted the sentence which would have stopped me typing this pish!)

I think that we’re spoiled for choice now-a-days and that’s not a good thing.

How many times have we decided that we would spend a night watching a film, but all the night is spent looking through Netflix for one to choose?

In my day you had three channels on the TV, then four in the early eighties. That’s how you got your knowledge of older films. In you would come from your work, settle down and whatever film was on, you’d watch. They were all older, the youngest one would be around five years old if you were very lucky. If you wanted to know anything about what was new, you had to watch Barry Norman and if you fancied what he critiqued, you had to get up off your arse and go to the pictures.

Reading was the same. You either had to go to a library or you had to go out and buy the newest release from your favourite author. You couldn’t simply finger your device and Bobs your Aunty!

Woolworths was my book store of choice. They did a cracking line on pulp fictions that had been slightly damaged and were very cheap. That’s where I first discovered the ‘Year Of…’ books by Lee Chang. I keep meaning to find those again and re-read to see if they are as interesting to me these days.

With reading now, all you need to do is access something on whatever device you have. I’m not tech savy and found that my colander receives fuck all except too much bastarding water which I know I have mentioned before but it still really fucking annoys me.

There is something about reading a real book that is so worth while. Fingering your device should only be for lonely robots!

There are other strange choices that I really don’t understand.

Why does there need to be so many exotic scents?

Billy Connelly once stated about his confusion with Jojoba and Ylang Ylang.

He thought Jojoba was the month after September and Ylang Ylang was an emphasis on you not being correct.

Why so many scented candles – If it’s due to an unfortunate toilet linger why not just start smoking and use a match like our forefathers before us.

When trying to make an impression or not as the case may be, surely it’s more romantic to be willing to chance lung cancer than to have shares in Yankee Candles?

Well we were spoiled for choice with our wonderful stories this week.

Okay folks – I should be taken out and shot for that terrible, abysmal link!!

We had one new writer, one returner and three old friends, one who we are keeping tabs on!

The topics this week include; unfairness, a talented beastie, an addiction, luck and inevitability.

As always our initial comments follow.

First up was a man who has become quite the regular over the last few months.

Yash Seyedbagheri got us up and running with his thirteenth story for the site.

‘Desperate Cents’ was published on Monday.

‘This is one of those stories that really makes you think.’

‘It’s cruel to watch others discard what you need.’

‘Well done and very sad.’

On Tuesday we had the wonderful Leila Allison. We are keeping an eye of Leila’s stories as she is getting close to a milestone.

‘Everyday I Ro Ro Ro In Zee Hay’ was one story closer.

‘So entertaining.’

‘There isn’t that many details but the brilliance is in what is there.’

‘Who could say no to a typing pygmy goat?’

Steve Sibra broke the back of the week with his fourth outing for us.

‘Submarines Like Ships In The Night’ was published on Wednesday.

‘Getting caught out can always be interesting.’

‘Having to keep lying shouldn’t end well!’

‘We had a giggle at the MC’s expense.’

David M. Robinson returned to the site on Thursday with his second story, ‘Eddie Kidney’s Thanksgiving.’

‘This could have been a bit safe – But no!’

‘The urination was a welcome inclusion. Well for the readers!’

‘This made me smile.’

And we finished off with our only new writer of the week.

We welcome Kevin Keating, hope he has fun on the site and we want to see more of his work.

Kevin’s story, ‘The Disciples Of Baphomet’ completed the week.

‘I really did like the style.

‘Brilliant tone all the way throughout.’

‘The twists were very well executed.’

That’s us all done and dusted.

As always – Please continue commenting. Or to all you shy wee souls out there, start commenting! Do you get embarrassed when you happen to see your arse in a mirror? Don’t worry, we all have one. Just like we all have opinions – Let us see yours and we promise not to stare at your arse.

And Leila still has no-one to share her lunch with.

If you want to get involved with the Sunday Re-Run, send us an older story that you’ve enjoyed, write a spiel or introduction about it and throw in a few questions for the writer. We’ll publish exactly what you send us.

And if you don’t want to, tell us why by sending us a comment and it will stop Diane enjoying a sneaky peek when you come out the shower!

Just to finish.

I read another thing that sounds the death knell of us as human beings.

Apple is developing a set of ear-phones / plugs / buds, whatever the fuck you call them, that will tell you when you need to turn right or left. The idea is that you won’t need to look up. So you can stare at your phone or device without being interrupted by pesky direction. I hope that many folks have very interesting feet and a guide dog to minimise those bastard’s sales.

As is the way with social (That’s a contradiction in terms) media, not only won’t you need to engage with people in a physical and real way, you now don’t need to engage in the world that is around you.

If you think this is a good idea I would suggest that the minute you were born you should have slipped into a coma and been hooked up to a fucking machine as that is the way you want to live your life.

Who needs to marvel at clouds, birds, sunrises, sunsets, trees, ducks, rivers, mountains or squirrels, when they can focus on a game with their friends who they’ve never met.

Ironically one of those friends will be the mutant who has watched them from afar and will eventually roofie them. Once again, they will never need to look up!

…And I think to myself…What a wonderful World!!

Hugh

That’s a dirty slur Mr Cron – I do not hang around people’s showers hoping for a glimpse of saggy buttocks! dd

Image by RD LH from Pixabay