Well here we are at Week 588.
I was going out on Tuesday to a swanky restaurant and I thought about wearing a tie. Not just a tie, I’ve been in trouble for doing that before. I realised that apart from weddings and funerals, I only think about wearing a tie but never do. I think a tie is smart. I have quite a few. I’ve lost three stunning black ones due to loaning them to people for funerals.
I know that some folks wear their University Ties as a status symbol. I’ve never done that for two reasons. First off, I didn’t go to University and secondly, I am forced on them, depending on what shirt they come free with from Primark!
I’m so glad that the Football World Cup is beginning. As you read this, The Tartan Army will already be invading Boston! I just hope that the American president doesn’t take that as an act of aggression!! If anyone meets any of them, don’t go pint for pint with them, they will slaughter you!!
We start off by playing Haiti. To level up any disadvantage that we have, our players have been learning the art of making wax dolls. But we are a childish nation and I’m sure that every doll that has been made, there will have been a penis added somewhere. And for those dolls with large penises, I can guarantee that the likeness will have been of our own players sculpted by them themselves!! And a prick through the prick will be a right of passage!!!!
Just before the review of this week’s stories, I want to play you my favourite Dylan song – Well, it’s probably a joint winner with, ‘The Man In The Long Black Coat.’
Okay, the week that was had one new writer, one for the fourth time, one for the fifth time, a twenty seconder and Leila, who has now reached story 140!! (I need to add more beads to my abacus!)
As always our initial comments follow.
First up was MJ Burns who was our only new writer this week. We welcome them, hope they have fun on the site and more importantly, continue to send us in their work. (I’m not, all of a sudden, becoming PC! I genuinely don’t know much about this writer.)
‘Should Be Seen And Not Heard’ got the week off to a fine start.
‘A grim ending.’
‘A bit spooky.’
‘Very well written.’
On Tuesday we had our brilliant fellow editor Leila with, ‘Simply Sinsational.’
‘Well, this was a lot of fun.’
‘I did enjoy the fight against the word count, that became part of the story.’
‘It’s always impressive to realise your memory for back story.’
The gentleman that is Matias Travieso – Diaz broke the back of the week with his fourth story entitled, ‘The Call Of The Bacchante’.
‘A bit different from Matias.’
‘It’s always a pleasure when Matias is showcased.’
‘His writing is always excellent.’
Christopher Ananias is not only a prolific writer, his support of the site and the writers on it is much appreciated.
‘My Little Dump.’ was story number twenty two for Christopher.
‘Grim and graphic and all good!’
‘I imagine that killers often have their own clumsy little fiascos.’
‘Very well presented as expected.’
And we finished off the week with ‘Hell’ which was Michael Smith’s fifth story for us.
‘I can relate to Michael’s version of hell.’
‘It’s great to see this one through.’
‘I’ve been stuck in a few meetings where time moved backwards!’
That’s us for another week folks.
Keep reading, keep writing, be kind to the wee beasties of the world and if you get a chance, kick a politician. And please, have the good grace to say, ’Thanks’ to anyone who has commented on your work.
Oh talking about a politician, I have to mention that our ex-first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, didn’t think that she would be able to travel to America for the world cup. However her plans changed and she will be there. She has just realised that there was a Boeing 747 parked at the side of her mother-in-laws house. (That might not translate to anyone outside the UK unless they have a weird interest in the sham that is Scottish politics!!)
Just before some more music, I want to let you know about one of those silly answers to a quiz show question type scenario. Some, no matter how stupid, you can see the logic, like this one, which is probably quite sweet in a way: (Fuck!! I don’t use ‘sweet’ much unless I’m talking about taste!)
Q. – In what month does a woman begin to show that she is pregnant?
A. – September
But this is befuddling!!!!
Q. – What word beginning with the letter A can show possession, omission of a letter or the plural.
A. – Apple.
That did make me giggle. Sometimes, a simple, ‘I don’t know’ is the best way to go!!!
Oh and if anyone is thinking, ‘That’s correct’, don’t tell anyone!!!!
I want to finish with a type of music I’m not that fond of but I love this. I can forgive ‘Pink Floyd’ but some of their early stuff really does go on. Actually, not just their early stuff. I was given ‘The Wall’ for my birthday in June 1979 and after I had listened to it, it was Christmas!!!
Now that I have written that, I wondered where Pink Floyd’s name came from?? According to the ever believable Wikipedia, they were initially called ‘The Tea Set.’…Whit a stupid fucking name!!! They found themselves at a gig where another band was also called, ‘The Tea Set’…Are you fucking kidding me??
Anyhow, Syd Barrett put together two names of Blues singers that he loved (Pink Anderson and Floyd Council and came up with ‘Pink Floyd.) This is probably very unpolitical correct but ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ was written by the other band members about Syd.
Oh! Back to the genre of music that I was referencing before I took off on my Pink Floyd tangent! I’m talking about Prog-Rock. I may be wrong but I reckon that most fans of this music will bore the mammary glands off of you talking about their love for Real Ale!!
I first heard this in a very under-rated film called ‘Crimes Of Passion’ Kathleen Turner was stunning, Annie Potts, equally so and Anthony Perkins was Radio! (Sorry – Radio is short for Radio-Rental which is rhyming slang for mental!!)
The music throughout is as wonderfully weird as the film!!! The amazing Scottish singer Maggie Bell did the vocals. (If you get a chance to check it out, do so.)
Image: Tennent Caledonian Wellpark Brewery by Thomas Nugent, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons – A wall tiled with a depiction of the history of the brewery including people, trucks, trays of drin and peronalities.
literally stories 
Hello Hugh
The World Cup has come local, just twelve miles from here in Seattle, six matches will get played. I won’t be going because a ticket would cost a month’s rent. Another thing taken by the rich.
Great clips. Not much for prog rock because it is so pretentious. There I said it. No Floyd, no Rush no ELP no none of it. I see them as a bunch of college boys playing E=MC2 chords on guitar. Strangely, it was the stuff I heard at most keggers. I like some songs, but the mystic nonsense and half hour drum solos do not please me. But Dylan is great. I think what happens with prog is nihilism sucks the emotion out of their souls. I dunno. Maybe it is me.
Ah yes, stupid game show replies. The Newlywed Game has the best.
Q: “Donna, where is the oddest place you two made whoopie?”
Donna (after embarrassed pause) “Um, in the butt.”
Only in America baby, only in America
Leila
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Hi Leila,
Just heard from my nephew who is in Boston. He stated, ‘Had to sleep for ten hours…Been drunk for thirty six!’
I watched America early hours this morning – They played really well. They had an excellent first half and looked good!!
Mentioning College Boys and music, I watched an interview with Gary Kemp, (Him and the stunningly handsome Martin Kemp, who is his brother, were in Spandau Ballet) he stated that it was the ‘New Romantics’ who were from the estates and working class, the Punks were the privileged!
Yep I heard that answer before. I wondered if there could be a worse one and I thought of ‘On-top of my dead gran’
That’s another episode of The Waltons that wasn’t shown!!!!!
Thanks as always!!
Hugh
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Hugh
Yeah, I saw 4-1 for the boys. They usually don’t score that many in the tournament. The funny thing (well I guess it makes some sense), is there is much more fan Heat for Mexico (at least from what I’ve seen) than the US. But it will be cool if they have a good run, maybe to the eight or so.
Oh, yeah, that dumb gal’s reply is pretty much all over. And the one thing Spandau mentioned reminds me of how the Beatles were actually from much tougher circumstances than the Stones. I heard some older rock star say that–I think it was Lemmy.
Good luck to your Nephew–I admire his tenacity. And good luck to Scotland!
Leila
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Hi Hugh
I can’t remember the last time I wore a tie. I probably felt like ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man…Stick pin…
I’m not into football (or soccer)–not even sure what to call it. Probably something else I missed out on like Hockey. I may even have the wrong sport all together.
The Tea Set is definitely a lame name glad there were two of them, and not glad.
Fun and interesting post! Thanks for the shout out!
Christopher
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An entertaining post. I didn’t get either riddle…couldn’t get to the “core” of them. That’s also one of my favorite Dylan songs. Annie Potts has turned up on TV over here on a remake of Doc Martin. The wonderful Martin Clunes even made a guest appearance. The remake is decent, but the original was one of the best TV shows ever.
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