Filling a Hole #empress 25

The empress was mountainous. All that she wanted to do was to lay across the landscape while teams of seamstresses worked to attempt to create clothing, nightwear, and blankets to fit. What happened underneath the blanket wasn’t exactly private. Probably the whole region could witness and hear her. It usually served as a warning to evacuate the area or face her wrath in the morning, accompanied by some very large craters where the ground had been pounded and cracked. Though people went missing, there were never any sightings of blood. It was usually the males that got entranced, though the odd lady also got involved occasionally. In its wake, people would often leave flowers as a memorial that the empress had graced their land, if they could find any. They also used the remaining rubble to construct a temple to remind them what they had lost. It was a miracle and a tragedy at the same time.

Shipmates

This could be a playground, but this could also be the rig of a ship that’s just come into harbour which explains the trees. The ropes lead up to the crow’s nest. The hoist on the right could be the bell to bring the crew to attention. The crew are excited to be home after a wet voyage at sea. They’re celebrating their safe return with a selfie that they can send to their families to let them know that they’ve docked and are looking forward to seeing them. Or they could be looking forward to setting off for an adventure. It’s the excitement of seeing things that they haven’t seen before, but they’re ready to share it as a team. There might be a nippy breeze but the sun is out to warm up the route ahead. But it’s an easy ship to restrict and invade once it’s in harbour. 

 

Sing a silly song

I’m not convinced by the tagline on this. Is it going to be one repetitive song that constantly gets on my nerves? Will there be a different song each time I ask? Will I have heard of it and join in? Will there be accompanying music and rude words? Or will it just be the usual monotone voice? I get a male voice starting off a song that’s not dissimilar to a Green Day lyric, but it’s a children’s rhyming song that I haven’t heard of before about how no-one likes me and wanting to spend the day eating worms. Not a great motivational tool, but at least it’s not aimed at me. It’s the second song that’s the irritating one, but at least it’s only one verse and it’s not played on a loop. And then we’re back to the first one. I don’t think I’ll bother any more.

Circle Suspenders

It’s a turret on the end of a stick. It might have a nozzle in front of it to shoot something out. It could be pointed at the back of the girls’ head, or it could be aimed at a platform that she’s standing on which could cause her to plummet to her death if it collapses. You never know which part is an eyepiece to enhance magnification for targeting or if it’s a spare round installed. It could even be an earpiece. It can move at any moment and might be looking at more than one place. It might even be able to adjust its height. But has someone lassoed it into place to prevent it from moving, or is it in the process of spitting something out? It might even be chewing up the ropes that the kids are standing on. Maybe they can pull it back down by jumping.

Raft of tax hikes expected in budget today -here's what we know

We don’t know what’s going to happen until it’s revealed. Until then, we can only have an expert guess. There’s been hints of what’s going to be raised, and how these will affect prices, rates and wages, but then there’s also been a change of plan. It’s a worrying time, and it’s rare that things are going to be able to go back to the way that they were. It’s just going to get more expensive and it’ll discourage some people from continuing their current paths. Is it right to compare it to a raft? Is there a hint of blaming the illegal immigrants in the story to fill the gaps in the budget? The experts all seem to agree that it’s not going to be good news. Of course, what the press really want is a big leak so that they get all the attention first for their article.

Tower Defenders

The square is the strongest until it’s folded in two. They’re not the most natural of shapes and they can be very artificial. Sometimes they can wobble without support. It depends on how they’re stacked. They can also be pierced easily. You’d need a lot of them if you are to win the day. If you’re fortifying, you’re also going to need some patience and the right tools if you want them to stick around. If you have enough of them, you can make something that’s hard to move, but it’ll cost you more in materials and you have to watch out for the saggy bits. Most people don’t bother. They realise that it’ll need rebuilding anyway so it’s better to be mobile. But you can also use them as art forms to make interesting shapes and cut off any corners or bits that you don’t need. You could even use these as decorations.

Wellness

She’s a big girl with a bit of meat in the right places. She’s blonde with brown eyes and glasses that look a bit thick and a short ponytail. She’d be better off in contacts or a different style entirely. She might bat for the other team. She always has a strange odour about her. It’s as if she doesn’t use deodorant. She likes heavy metal when she’s not employed and she’ll be in as much skimpy black as she can. She can be very heavy-handed and she often looks for the easy way out or for an excuse to avoid the task. But she speaks and walks quite confidently. She knows how to get away with things and is happy to ask questions. She might even get in touch via Facebook or be happy to come along to social events with a friend. You can’t think of a reason not to invite her, but at the same time…

Invasion of the Triangles

They’re sharp and pointy and perfect for piercing things. They hang in the balance, but they support many things and are very aerodynamic. There’s more of them than squares. In fact, they’re made up of them so they outnumber them by at least two to one if they’re smaller, and if they’re bigger they can make holes with their corners. They’re ready to invade. They may cut everything up which might be a good thing if you want to start over or make some repairs. But they can also be quite nasty. Luckily, it looks as this one’s covered with curvy plastic so any unexpected face plants will slide right off without piercing or grazing any skin or eyes. This one’s in an angry pose though, so it could do some damage with a bit of force. Has it already taken some hair? Hopefully it’s just a threat to leave the area.

 

Positivity Always Wins

-Gary Vaynerchuk.

You can do it if you think positively! It’s a nice thought that might keep you fighting, but there are some things that can’t go your way however hard you’re thinking them. Laws of physics when you’re standing on the roof of a tall building for example. But you never know if you don’t try. You need to feel that you can do it otherwise you’re not going to be able to spur yourself on. If you have a feeling of doubt, then it’s easy to give into it. You’ll also be disappointed with yourself if you don’t achieve it, and it’ll be harder to get up to the same or better standard again. What’s meant to be a sound of encouragement comes out as a war cry as a desperate attempt to convince yourself. Most people want you to succeed, providing that they’re not competing at the same time.

White Teeth

Check out those front gnashers! They look so cute, but also a bit thin and wobbly. I hope they’re not liable to snap off if caught in an apple. It’ll feel a bit painful. I wonder how long they’ll stay white for. They might get caked in sugar but at least they won’t be dipped in booze. Hopefully they won’t be stained with yellow. The gums look very delicate. They’re all pink and slimy. I hope they’ve got some resistance. There’s also something in the eyes. It looks like little white flakes. That could be a reflection or a digital distortion. It doesn’t seem to bother her. Some of her most vulnerable parts are on show. There’s also a few cute freckles unless it’s a bit of mud from the playground. I wonder how long they’ll last. Perhaps it’s skin that hasn’t properly developed yet. Either that or it’s the tougher stuff.

The Truth about Differences

Differences are exciting. When you meet someone new, you wonder what they look like and how you will get on with them. Will you click with them? Will you both like the same stuff? Will they be different to the point that you can’t stand them or will you ask each other questions to learn about cultures and values? If everyone and everything was the same, life would be boring and everything would be the same. It’s the spice of life! Then there’s differences of opinion. Sometimes it causes conflict, usually over matters of ownership. Then there’s stereotypes of these opinions which are deemed to be bad and can also lead to hatred without the right context or knowledge, or sometimes war. It depends on how you view them. Some people just want conflict and nothing else. They enjoy the struggle of watching other people suffer. Others are bound by rules, usually under employment. But it’s what we do or choose not to do that counts. Sometimes you can tell how things end up, at other times you’ll be surprised.

What if a cruise worker gets fired during the cruise?

I’d imagine there’d be restrictions just as if someone had committed a crime. It would depend on the severity of the offence. Ideally, you’d want to hand papers to the employee while the ship is in port, preferably at the end of the voyage or have arrangements made to take the employee back to the point of embarkation. It depends if you can trust them enough to continue with their duties until you reach port, or have them assigned to a different set of tasks. Access to their work areas would be secured with a new keycard and the employee could be secured in the room if necessary with room service only. You’d be short staffed while the employee is out of action unless you can ask someone else to work an extra shift or put more time in. It would put more stress on the other employees. They may have to pay a fare out of their salary.

Siloed

It would be cooler if the playground was a hideout for something much more. Perhaps it’s used to host a secret silo for a missile. After all, no-one would want to purposefully bomb an innocent children’s space unless they were intentionally declaring a terrorist threat or act of war. These areas are well-guarded by children playing during the day, and they’re maintained at night which is why the park gates are always locked at night. The whole area is already barricaded off and well-fixed playground equipment could just drop down on a trapdoor to reveal a pit below. You could even have half a rocket protruding from the ground for children to play in with an engine and payload below held by a launch pad disguised as a slide and a climbing frame. It would probably need a bit of maintenance and cleaning especially with self-sealing doors. But perhaps they don’t all have to work at once?

Resturante Italica

This restaurant was a nice spot by the sea. We were placed at the rear of the restaurant and if it wasn’t for the mixing desk in sight I would have thought that the music they played was live. The staff were friendly and insisted on taking our picture when we arrived, but perhaps they needed a little more practice in clearing dishes and preparing drinks as some vessels were scattered, but they were quick in cleaning it up. They were well presented, especially with the wine selected for us. We ordered cheesy garlic bread as starters which were very moreish. The traditional lasagne and mixed pasta was very nice and the kids enjoyed the spaghetti. I opted to try the chicken Corden bleu but was disappointed to receive chips instead of potatoes and it was without sauce. The mussels were well presented and there were plenty of them. We then moved onto dessert, the kids enjoyed their brownies, and I chose the tiramisu which was a huge piece. I was slightly disappointed that we weren’t offered a complimentary shot given the amount spent.

Temporary Accomodation

 So could a kid live in a playground like this? Not really as there’s not much in the way of shelter. They could shelter under the slide but they’re going to have to put walls up and build a fire to keep warm. Having a rubber floor isn’t a great thing near a flame. They’re also going to need food, although an ice cream truck probably has a weekend residency and the café across the stream would also be worth a visit. How to fund these visits? Well, if you can’t charge other kids to enter your playground (which would also put the wellbeing of your property and risk); you’ll just have to be evil and mug them. Unfortunately; with or without crime, you’re going to be spotted very quickly as a resident by a grownup who might just have something to say about that or pass on a tip to the authorities.

Surviving the Axe

I’m not sure how this place will survive. It’s a lone small building in the middle of a building site that hopes to cash in on the passing rail travel when the HS2 terminal is finally complete. There’s an upstairs function room with extra seating and there may be a second bar there too but even then, it’s going to be a bit cramped with its central bar and small rooms. I don’t think that it’ll be able to cope with crowds. There’s overspill areas with picnic tables but people still need to get inside to order. At the moment it’s being fuelled by students and real ale fans. It’s going to be difficult to market as a destination pub with a limited capacity. It’s great that it’s being preserved but it’s going to be a tough one and prices will inevitably have to increase unless they can knock through.  

Roped Off

I suppose it’s good practice should they decide to take up life at sea as they’ll be good at climbing the rigging. But there’s not much use of that if the town’s in the centre of the island though. The next use is for practice should they want to join the circus. They can practice hanging and swinging like monkeys to build up their stamina, though not at height. And with the gained confidence in height training, they might want to stop at nets and focus on rooftops to see what other areas they can reach. Are we causing them to develop for the wrong reasons? Where does it stop? They might be enjoying themselves now, but they could have an accident if they attempt to apply their newly acquired skills to a different environment, especially if they attempt to reach places that they’re not supposed to get to. Hopefully they’ll get bored and try to interact with something else.

Futurama (Season 13)

Although short, this series had something to satisfy everyone. It was well-written without fear of cancellation again, with most of the stories being independent of each other. New abilities are backed up with well thought-out processes. Sometimes you wish things to be a bit bigger. Inventions and animation processes are well-thought out which contribute to the plot together with hints of past adventures for continuity. Yet some things haven’t changed and have taken trends into account like media streaming overtaking the cinema. At other times they’ve thought of everything incorporated into a character’s design and issues that are totally relevant that still haven’t been solved a thousand years later. But once again, while it tries to make jokes out of maths and science with a hidden agenda of how we can attempt to safeguard our future, there’s a few characters and plots that have been left out of this series.

Knotted Up

There’s a lot of rope involved to hold these playgrounds together. It all encourages kids to become acrobats and stretch their bodies in ways that they normally wouldn’t when on the ground. They’ll hang upside-down and try to touch the ground and they’ll learn about their body’s capabilities and be able to pull themselves back up again. There’s still a bit of wiggle room so that they get a bit taut when weight gets put on them. Nowadays they use metal rather than thread so that they don’t decay and they’re harder to strip apart. Unless of course, you strip the whole cable away. You could make a ladder in your own backyard. I suppose that there’s special locks installed to stop that from happening. Either that or no-one’s that heartless to attempt to saw through it and leave a playground abandoned. They used to in the olden days. Unless that was in parks that were less frequented. 

 

Exceeding Occupation #dreamdiary 206

I’m back at one of my old family holiday haunts. I haven’t been there in a while. I’ve walked on the beach and I’m following an old trail back to the hotel. It’s a bit overgrown. There’s grass everywhere and I have to push through, but the plants and branches are soft and haven’t hardened in the heat. Then I emerge onto concrete and a wave of humanity hits me. There’s people everywhere gathered around sunbeds on the pool, and there’s children dressed in swimsuits sitting on towels on the floor. The pool itself is also busy, and though there’s places to stand there’s nowhere to swim. There’s hardly a space that isn’t occupied, and the only route to the hotel’s reception is one drawn from my memory. It’s clearly the result of an increased population. I look back at the trail that I’ve left and all I see is a wall of hedge. I wonder if anyone knows if it’s still there.

Branching Out

Branches grow in many ways. In public parks and woods, they’re amputated to keep the bushels safe from the people and the people safe as they can’t climb up the tree. They can’t pick up the blossoms or the mushrooms that might grow on its branches. They can’t risk getting a cut or splinter or a branch landing on their head. But even though the council can’t do much about the leaves, it still leaves the tree vulnerable. What they think will protect could actually harm it. Some branches just don’t grow back. The growth is stunted and restricted to the way in which the tree can move or tilt itself towards the sun. That might suit the locals since it won’t restrict anyone’s view or it could be less likely to cause damage should it fall. It might even be angled to fall in a particular direction. And the tree might just fight back or die altogether which would be a waste of everyone’s time.

Change of A Dress #devilsdaughter25

Resting her full weight on it, it snapped like it was tin. It wasn’t quite hard enough. She’d be better off with a piece of wood. It was easier to snap a piece of wood off the pews. That would be much more comfortable, and they were even cushioned. A nice combination of hard and soft. With her corset in pieces, she needed to get Luke back to the hotel and into the honeymoon suite where she might be able to persuade others to join them. There was a large blue curtain behind the organ which separated the church’s office from the rest of the building. Rolling onto her side, she used the momentum to lift herself up and walk over to the curtain, all still while holding Luke. With a slow twirl, she grasped the curtain and wrapped it around her. Luke’s head popped up in between the apex.

Kidding around the Court Leet

It’s a bit of a concrete hideaway. We haven’t booked, but we’re led to a large booth at the back of the pub. It’s tall and green and there’s a screen hovering above us showing cartoons. There’s a playground on the other side of the wall that stretches around to the front, but the kids aren’t interested too much because we’ve just come from one. Instead, they turn their attention to the menu. Once we’ve worked out who wants what, my brother and I head to the bar. I choose a cider since there’s no real ale available. I’m not convinced that she’s taken my menu option right. The bill seems quite cheap considering that there’s six of us. There’s a work colleague of mine in the next booth and she stops by on the way back from the bar to say hello. The kids go for a pudding but there’s nothing there to inspire me.

 

What happened in the Paralympics?

Probably quite a bit I would imagine. I’d expect some running and jumping. Some people would be given medals while others would be disappointed. If a competition was running, I’d expect a rundown of the day’s events. Now that the event isn’t running, I’d expect a bit of prep news as to how the organising of the next event is going. It would be sad if nothing happens at all, especially for the athletes. But I get a press release of how an athlete became a recent champion and his progress in Motocross and how he was inspired. There’s probably hundreds of similar stories. I ask again and I get the same story. It’s a bit outdated since we’ve had an event after that. It’s not clear when this person become a champion. Will I get a different story if I ask it tomorrow? It’s so mundane that I don’t want to find out.

Hair-raising Fun

It ends up in all sorts of places, both good and bad. In some ways you're leaving your mark. It's a way of marking your territory and stating that you've been somewhere. You're probably not going  to be able to notice it unless you’ve left if there deliberately like a forensic scientist or a spy. But if it’s blonde, it’s easier to spot. But it’s also unhygienic, especially if it ends up near someone’s food. Sweat gathers and you can taste the stale moisture. It can also get stuck causing you to gag or swallow it. You’ll need quite a bit of water to wash it down and out quickly. And older people are more likely to leave it behind. But this one is a bundle of fun since it’s soft and there’s lots of it. It probably needs a trim but she hasn’t had an opportunity since all the salons are closed.

Hannah, 22, died after buying poison online -why her death raises serious questions for the NHS

Why was she buying poison online? Did she think it was medicine and that she found it difficult to get the treatment that she wanted? Or was she genuinely shopping for suicidal products? Unfortunately it turns out to be the latter. You can misuse anything to create poison. And having it delivered to a specified address means that it’s harder to trace. If you’re in special accommodation, these sorts of packages should raise questions. What has the recipient ordered and what do they intend to do with it, especially when they’ve ordered a large amount? It’s just common sense. But it’s not clear in the story if Hannah was under NHS care at the time or whether she was back at home. It’s a big gap as it shows who should be liable. The story also fails to address where the poison was sought and identify the specific purpose of the product. There’s no duty of care and action needs to be taken to avoid blame.

A Quest for a Cartridge

I’ve had mixed reviews of these people. I’m just looking for a deal on something that works. I don’t mind if it isn’t the genuine article, but it needs to the same job with the same quality. What I don’t want is someone calling me up to see if I want to substitute my order for their own brand. I know what I’ve ordered so why can’t I stick with that? I also don’t want to have to phone up and complain only to be told to watch a video of how the cartridges should be installed via a different technique. It just seems like a waste of my time when my delivery could have already been despatched. I asked for recommendations but decided that my printing needs were a bit more urgent so decided to go with a quicker method delivery and put these guys on the backburner for next time.

Button it Down!

There’s the type that you feed through holes and the type that you fasten and push in with a click. These can be fiddly to fasten, especially if it’s wet as the metal parts will just slide off each other while you’re trying to press them in. And the child inside might be wiggling too. But the advantage is that you’ve got more natural room to breathe. It’s a shame that you can’t go the effort of making a corresponding wall with the fasteners in the same position so that you could hang the coat up in an optimum position to dry (with the child being enclosed inside it as an option. Perhaps upside-down to force them to hold onto some overhead bars to conquer the fear of falling). But my favourite ones are the ones that are made of chocolate. There’s no need to torture for those, until you find that you don’t have enough.