What if your school was on the other side of a big river and there was no bridge?

There are a number of things that you can do, but you would need access to other resources. The most simple one is a boat. You could build a raft, but if the current’s high you’re at risk of drifting away. The next option is a rope, but that depends if there’s someone to tie it to the other side and how wide the river is. There’s also the technology side. You could use computers to stream the lessons and not have to worry about crossing the river at all, though you’ll sacrifice your sociability as well as possibly being unequipped for some lessons and team sports wouldn’t be possible either. Or you could have a megaphone and big screen to take part, though that would be a bit disruptive to other pupils. Then there’s the possibility of building a bridge. You could do this yourself, or commission others to do this for you, though you may have to convince them that it’s for their benefit as well. You could also consider the possibility of flight, though you’d need an effort to return home as well. Either that or you would have to abandon your education or seek out an alternative school.

Dazed and Fazed

Are we fading away here or are we bring spun around. Has the earth suddenly sped up and only the camera notices? We’re moving so fast that other things can’t keep up. It’s weird that the lighter things put up more resistance and are dragged behind. I wonder if someone’s pulled the cord off the wall which has caused it to go for a spin. It’s as if the whole house is on a pivot. It might have shot out of the TV and we’re all scrambling to get out of the way before it pulls us in. If my niece is facing forward then she’s ducked in the nick of time. But if she’s facing the TV, then it looks like it’s already got her. Or it could have come through the window. It’s already cracked the frame on the wall. Is that a plant on the windowsill or is it a cartoon serpent on the other side?

Kellie disappeared without a trace in 2000. Was she killed by the Suffolk Strangler?

How should I know? You should really leave these things up to the police. And the strangler is still alive, so you could always ask him; though you’re going to have to do some more investigating after asking him depending on whether you believe his response. People disappear for all sort of reasons; it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ve been disposed of. But her background isn’t great, and if you become known for a certain role, then you could be at risk every time you work. But at the end of the day, you’re still a person. People will speculate wildly from every angle as long as they pay you a bit of money. It fits in with your current profile. Next month it’ll be aliens. Anything to get a bit of media attention. But some things aren’t taken seriously and vital clues are often overlooked. Unfortunately, there’s only so many resources that can be allocated.

Between the Claps

What is she clapping to? It might be to music on the stereo, but as far as we can see, it’s not switched on. Perhaps she’s applauding an activity that’s just been completed. It’s hard to establish whether that’s a sarcastic applause or whether it’s genuine. Maybe she’s celebrating her first win at Downfall and her opponent’s already ran away in a strop. Or it could be something to do with the chess pieces sitting on the counter, though by sitting on the sofa she’s quite a bit away from the board. Perhaps someone else is calculating the outcome. Or she might be putting her hands up in surrender, expecting someone to come and cuff them. Something could arrived that she’s been expecting for a while and her wait is over. Or there might be two little girls performing dance or gymnastics out of sight of the camera and they need a little applause for their efforts.

We want Sharia law in the UK. How many Muslim brothers support me on this?

You’d have to ask them. Sharia law is not commonly known in the UK. Not many people know what you’re asking of them, especially when we live in a society of set rules that have been established and that we’re used to. If something is wrong now, will it still be wrong in the regime? At first glance, it’s not clear what the differences are. There are things that we should do, things that we shouldn’t do, and things that are of no consequence whether or not we perform them. More knowledge is needed before you can convince people that other ways are better. Prayers can be thoughts, but you could be waiting a long time to eat, and you may have to get up earlier. It would also make eating out very difficult, and not everyone can afford a pilgrimage. Grants would have to be created for this purpose. But I think we can get away with the rest. 

Catering for All

She’s tall and bubbly and speaks very fast. Sometimes it’s like a hamster on caffeine. She’s got curves, but she’s also let herself go in some places and she doesn’t necessarily try to stay in shape. She’s got thick hair but doesn’t do anything with it. Occasionally, she might add a streak of colour or put it up to create a ponytail. She speaks honestly and isn’t afraid to hide her feelings. She dresses conservatively with an occasional earring but isn’t afraid to offer you a cheeky flash. Hygiene isn’t a priority. It’s as if she doesn’t want to mask her sweat. She’s not afraid to be unladylike and use her strength or step in to help others. She cares for those who are the closest to her, and old ties aren’t pursued. It just goes to show that being a mother changes you as you strive to get the best for them.

A Mother Watches On

Is she jealous that she can’t join in? Or is she grateful for the few moments of rest and that someone else is doing the entertaining? Is she making a friendly wave or is she reaching for the lens so as not to be recorded? Am I going to be told off for doing something wrong that hinders child development? Is she raising her hand to defend herself against the strike which resembles a reed? It’s as if a pattern off the wallpaper has come to life. It could be something long on a big stick that’s about to whack her in the face. Or perhaps she’s thrown a ninja star at us in an attempt to stop us from filming. You can tell that it’s not expected. But a tree in the window might have reached a branch in to block it. Either that or it’s thrown a branch through it.

“Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.”

-Vincent Van Gough. 

It’s ironic that these lovely words came from a man who was well known for his depressive spells and his eccentric gifts to his suitresses. He might have loved much, and his advances might have inspired him to his art, but it didn’t help him succeed until retroflection. But it’s the fact that he loved that counts, regardless of whether or not he was loved back. The perspective of tense is also lost a little towards the end of the quote. In a way, you can hear the pain in his voice. It’s almost as if he’s sitting in the bar and he’s sparking up a conversation after a few shots. He’s realising what he’s saying, and he’s trying to argue it as himself, but takes note of where he’s failed. And of course, a performance can be a number of things.  I’m assuming that the quote was taken from his letters to his family, but I like my version better.

Playmates

 I think she’s learning rather than playing here. She’s got some base knowledge and I want it to be  game that she can learn from rather than destroy her. That grin is a bit mischievous so we don’t really know what she’s thinking. Is she enjoying it and feeling grown-up, or is she finding it too easy. I wonder if she’ll remember how to play and whether she’ll want to play again, or are there too many things to remember. I might have trained a prodigy. We were only doing  sticker books five minutes ago. She’s prepared well for a long game with bananas, and there’s plenty of water to keep her hydrated. There’s a strike here as if someone’s trying to strike the action from the record, or that this subject mustn’t be pursued any further. There must be a spout of bad losers somewhere. At least the TV’s off.

All Tied Up #dreamdiary 216

I’m in the neighbourhood dumping ground. It’s a large pit that backs onto people’s houses that used to be an embankment containing an old railway tunnel. It’s full to the brim with kitchen sinks and shopping trollies, and on this occasion, large boxes wrapped in red tissue paper. They’re about the size of what you’d store a Christmas Tree in, and they’ve even got labels on. I rip one open and stuff a hand inside. I pull out something green and viny. I suddenly realise that it's a trap. Someone has filled the boxes with Japanese knotweed. Within seconds, I feel my wrists tightening. I look down and green veins have started sprouting all around my wrists and a purple pansy appears like a 3-d tattoo. My whole arm is paralysed. I need medical help. The fastest way for me to get help is to pass through a block housing estate to get to a doctor’s surgery. At a footbridge, I’m approached by two youths. One of them stabs me in the left side of my chest with a small blade.

Downfall

My nieces love this game. It’s only a two-player game as well so they sit quietly opposite each other with just a blue plastic wall between them. They each concentrate and watch the other’s move to ensure that there’s no cheating involved. One of them likes to get each counter through as quickly as possible. The other likes to line them all to get them all filled into the last cog at the end. Our set is also an odd one since two sets of the numbers are the same colour. But they’re not bothered by that. We just play the quickest way down rather than having to get each number through every cog since there’s no way to police it. It’s also not the only game on the table. Am I playing two different games at once? Is that why there’s a bald spot on the back of my head?

 

Real Ale Mecca's Newest Attraction

It’s been a year in the making for this place to open with a lot of planning and waiting around. You can still make out the building work taking place when the photograph was taken. In a city where beer is excellent, it’s going to need something a little more to bring people in. Hopefully, it’s going to be a classic restoration project. It’s a former bank but it will be great for the people to see the building in action and will hopefully be put towards a great commercial success. You’d think that a brewery wouldn’t be able to afford such luxury materials but they’ve managed to get their hands on some capital somewhere. Inside, there’s wood panelling and comfortable booths alongside tall windows. There’s smart, high stools for drinking at the bar followed by smaller areas and there’s even upstairs seating as well. It's certainly on my visit list.

Auto-Levels

I don’t really understand what this feature is for. I thought it would bring all the colours together into focus. This works when you’ve got lots of different colours in an image to make the shadows  sharper and blend into each other. It only makes a small bit of difference. Perhaps it makes the rest of the image easier to manage. The result is a better contrast of the main subject, and some colours will appear slightly darker, which is ideal if you’re viewing it on a screen. The result is a better contrast of the main subject. But on a black screen, it seems to bring all the colours of existence into the spectrum. It’s trying to create something out of nothing. It suggests that you can never find true darkness. It might also be a conspiracy for computers to occupy as much space as possible so that you expand and buy more.

Water Scout #nuclearmermaid 26

The Accident

It’s just a button that could have been knocked. A simple matter of holding the phone at an unusual angle. Or perhaps it’s a scene that we didn’t want to be seen. Perhaps someone was trying to hack my phone to spy on me. Or there could have been a power cut the moment my finger pressed the shutter button. I might have zoomed in too far and ended up with a shot of a shirt or a screen. It could be a screenshot itself that powered off while I was trying to work out how to take a screenshot. Or I might have pressed the button a few too many times. There might have been a malfunction and I hadn’t planned to take a picture at all. I might have been trying to activate a torch or take a call. This tends to happen  lot to me. It might be my heavy-handedness.

Wireless Printing

It’s finally happened. My printer’s gone wireless. Gone are the days where I have to email files to myself on my mother’s machine which is connected to the printer. Gone also are the times that I have to track down a USB stick to move my files to my mother’s machine. And gone are the long waits required to boot this machine up. Instead, I turn on my wireless printer and wait for that to connect to my machine, then I can print. The new printer feels a lot lighter and smaller. It feels like it’s for occasional use rather than big bulk jobs. The in-tray is smaller and everything seems to fold out aerodynamically. The printer can even connect to my phone, but its software doesn’t like older versions of windows. Then there’s also the instant ink. I wasn’t intending to subscribe, but I’ve already got a full set of cartridges as part of my free trial. Time will tell if it’s worth it.

The Plan

What was this supposed to be? It was stuck in my pocket. Maybe I was trying to record the amount of fluff inside. It could have been a touching family moment of innocent children playing at home. Or it could have recorded the moment that the lights went out. It could have been a zoomed shot to pick up stains on a black shirt. I could have been keeping someone in suspense. It could be a screenshot of what was on the device at the time or a literal shot in the dark. I could be attempting an animation, or I could be attempting to take a photograph of my phone case. Or I could be taking a test shot to see if the camera was working. Perhaps I wanted to capture something at night. I could have been trying to turn on the torch. Plans don’t always go my way.

Cars

This was a film that I recognised but I never got in too deep with the characters. It was less of a mechanical effort and more of the story of a small town where a bigshot found a team. It was good fun and I did wander how it was going to stretch to  two hours but the second hour just flew by. It was interesting to see how a world without humans and cars in their place would run. It was a bit odd that McQueen went back to his usual paint job including the tyres after returning for the final race. I thought that there might have been more Pixar references slipped in. I did catch a glimpse from the animation, and it was good to see a few captions thrown in the outtakes at the end. But there’s still plenty of opportunities as there’s two more films to watch.

Darkness

It’s what we face every day. We don’t know what dwells within it. In a town or city where you’re grouped together, it’s hard to find the dark. Someone will always have a light on somewhere. It will shine through the window or cast a shadow. You need to get out into the countryside away from a land of lampposts to truly experience darkness. You might feel alone or you might find peace and serenity away from everyone else. Or you might wonder what is moving around you. There’s shapes and different blends of black. You hope it’s the mixture of light. But it could be something small passing through. Can you hear it scuttling or is that the creak of the mattress? You hope so. Is that the air moving, or is it tiny microscopic bugs? You’d expect it in the countryside, but not so much in the town.

Quiz me about You

This one seems interesting. I might be about to learn about a lot of new features that I never knew existed before. Am I supposed to know her birthday and favourite flowers? If I get it wrong, will she take offence and not talk to me every time I ask something until I make it up to her? It’s a set of true or false questions so I’ve got a bit of a chance. I fail on the first question. Who would have thought that Ro-ha-ha would be her favourite phrase? Surely it would make sense for the standard wake word to be the favourite, as it call her into existence. Luckily, I get the other two questions correct so it’s not quite a lover’s tiff yet. I take a second round and the questions are all different but I manage to get all three correct. I think it’s odd that it considers Seattle to be its home town because of Microsoft being there, but I got the question correct because it lives in the cloud.

What if you couldn't walk any more?

Life would be very difficult to adjust to if you suddenly couldn’t do something that you’re used to doing every day any more. Unless, of course, you could fly everywhere instead. Running everywhere would leave you out of breath constantly and you’d look a bit weird crawling around or slithering to the shops every day. It would mean that you’d be immobile and you’d have to rely on others for assistance. You might be able to negotiate a different way of getting around via a chair or crutches; but you still wouldn’t have your freedom or independence that other people have. You’ll have to put your trust in people more. You’d have to entertain yourself or have someone assist you; either a family member, a paid assistant or state-funded carer. You’d have to make special arrangements and allow extra time for transportation, making sure that that there’s adequate facilities in both the vehicle and destination. You need to find people who care.

The Centre

It’s not afraid as it’s put itself in the middle. It’s not trying to hide somewhere where it hopes that you wouldn’t notice. It wants your attention. It could even be trying to create a diversion. There might be a nose and a pineapple wearing sunglasses. There could be a neck and shoulders. There could be a head shaped like a bear with sack eyes. Something is bleeding through. We assume its intention is mischievous, but there’s no way of knowing for sure. We might attack it as soon as we see a physical form, as it’s something that’s creating fear and we don’t want to give it any opportunity. We might not be interested in what it has to say. It might even be asking for help. But we’re determined to shoot first and ask questions later, whatever its appearance may be. And we could be at a loss for doing so.

Metres from death: The hero city defying Putin despite constant drone attacks

It’s not a city that fights back with a large force. It has to be a city that’s still occupied and the locals are looking after the army as well as their own to keep things going as normal as reasonably possible. There’ll hopefully be tales of teamwork and people working together to repair their infrastructure as quickly as possible. Mind you, it’s a bit laughable that Putin hasn’t managed to achieve his objective after all this time. It’s one of the very first cities that was attacked owing to its proximity to the border. Initially, they were abandoned by the state but still came together to defy the enemy. They were reporting where the drones and tanks were. Volunteers came forward to undertake rescue missions to preserve life. Their terrain and change of everyday life has completely, and it becomes difficult to maintain hope each day. The odds aren’t in their favour, and more effort needs to come from the outside world.

Blackout

Perhaps this is all that’s left to see. The media has stopped and all that’s left is this fuzz. Our screens will never display a coherent image again. No-one knows what’s happening. The papers have stopped coming to the shops because no-one can type them. Nothing can change because no-one can alter it. Transactions continue slowly but no-one knows how accurate they are. The cash will dry up soon and people will have to grow their own. It’s a virus that has made things very difficult as it’s a system that we’ve come to rely on too much. Vehicles can’t be refuelled as they require screens. All people can do is boil water and roast on an open flame. All people can do in their homes is read, write, drum, strum, roll or sleep. Although some of it can be recorded via a scribe, none of it can be transmitted.

Hidden Bonus #dreamdiary 215

We arrive saddled up on a t-rex and slide down its tail to the bottom of the structure. There’s a great big blue wall that we have to climb to reach the pool at the top. We know that at the top of this, there’s a big pool indented at the surface with waterslides and it’s surrounded by sunbeds. It’s like a pyramid, only steeper. It’s made of cobbled tiles. In the centre there’s a big green map of the world, but it also looks like slime. My only goal is to get my niece there. We give up trying to climb the structure. It doesn’t look very safe if we were to slip and fall. We’d certainly break a bone. Instead, we walk up the west side which is a slope ridden with grass. We wonder why we didn’t get our dinosaur to stop so that we could jump off at the top.

Through the Cracks

This should be a black screen. But clearly the camera’s captured something else. Something that’s trying to break through. Rather than create one giant hole to break through, there’s loads of smaller holes instead. At one point they’ll be interconnected. When it’s a small image, it’s one continuous spot, but if you look at it in further detail, it jumps out to be a much more colourful image. The red dots deem to be the most piercing. In some places, they’ve turned pink. I wonder if that’s some resistance that’s being put up against them. It could just be a cloud and there’s a bit of forest terrain beyond it. The top section could even be some sort of figurine dancing in sequence like something out of an old-fashioned animated camera. Or someone could deliberately be covering up an important message and I’ve made it worse by playing with the settings.

Ayres a thought

There’s a sense of a rugby-type background about him, but also of the nerd. You get the impression that he started his gym training late. He has short hair and an oval face with triangular glasses. He’s got thin arms but a large chest that loves to stretch out what he’s wearing. Then there’s a small waist which is attached to a large pair of legs. Long walks and keeping fit are the preferred modus of operation. Doing things to excess isn’t an option as there’s always something to attend to to keep on the move. It’s also a great excuse to back out when you feel like it. It’s like there’s a hidden agenda and there’s things you must do to fit in and maintain the connections but don’t always want to do them. Family and keeping a fixed income is always a priority. After that, it’s just a case of snuggling up and letting everyone else take care of everything.

Do Not Adjust Your Viewing Device

This was supposed to be a black screen. It’s probably the content of a pocket, or the phone’s been pressed without realising the camera’s still on. But what’s weird is where all these colours have started to appear. Is it pieces of dust in the lens? It’s kind of a lost TV transmission. If you stare at the dots, you might see an image form like a magic eye. Occasionally you might see a shadow slit across as if someone’s moving. It might even be the shadow of your own head on a screen. Is that because your brain’s trying to decode it and it’s what your expecting? If you look closely, you can pick out dominant horizontal lines. There’s even the occasional hole, as if something’s trying to break through. Maybe with the right filter, the image can be decoded into something that makes sense. It might even be written text in disguise.

As a Muslim in the UK, why do British people eat pork when the UK was founded as a Christian nation and true Christians follow Leviticus which forbids any unclean animals including pork?

I would question the notion that the UK was founded as a Christian nation. We’re more likely to have been colonised by Romans. Prior to that, we would have lived in groups of villagers who would have warred with neighbouring tribes. While we were doing that, we would scavenge and eat whatever we could find. This is where we traditionally learnt to cook our leftovers, including stews, where we’d reuse every last scrap to make it last. When it came to pigs, we found that we could use intestines to wrap meat to create sausages to store. Our religion may have changed over the years, but some people still prefer to follow nomadic traditions. Not everyone will do what you say, despite how illegal you may make it. And what is classed is an unclean animal? Does that mean that if you wash the meat first, it will be OK?

Big Butts

Someone’s been playing around with my phone. Did they get the camera that close or have they worked out how to use the zoom? They’ve got no idea what they’re doing. Why would they want such an unflattering picture? That underwear is a bit old. It might be the only pair left in the drawer. Hopefully there’s no foul smells emitting from it. At least I have a belt to hold it all together. It looks a bit plastic. Maybe they’re going to try and blackmail me. Am I about to be bashed by a cushion? It’s just pants. Or maybe the undies are preparing to speak. I might also be about to take the top off after a session of jumping around. The left pocket looks like it’s been pulled a bit. I’ve either been putting too much stuff down there or someone really doesn’t want me to walk that way.

"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow."

-Helen Keller.

You could be blinded by sunlight. Your face might feel a bit warm. You’ll see a lot of yellow as you bask in the light. Most people will turn their cheek as they’ll want to feel the warmth. You might appear luminous to others and inspire them. Help will come to you. People want to see you progress. Probably because you’re standing in their way, blocking something. But you can’t be there forever. Unless you live in a greenhouse on a planet where days last for ages. Or you might not be able to see anything at all. You could be permanently blinded. It’s a good job that clouds and rainy days exist to block your way. It’s not great advice, especially as it’s coming from someone who’s already blind. It could be a conspiracy so that she can gain some ground. But I think the author is trying to persuade everyone to think positively.

Retro Radio

This is a blast from the past, and it mostly attracts a lot of dust. Each layer represents another age of technology, but the speakers are knackered and it’s worth asking if it’s required any more than investing in new ones. The radio’s not digital. Crank up the volume beyond 30 per cent and you’ll pick up a lot of crackle. The equaliser doesn’t seem to have any effect. The sliders might have been nudged in the wrong direction, and no-one can work out how to set them back again. The tape deck still works but if there’s no sound to play, it’s pointless copying tapes. Just above the compact disc player is its older cousin, the record player. Everything is synched in with hundreds of wires at the back. It might have provided a bit of peace in the past, but everyone just wants a device that they can talk to with little prep nowadays.

Librarians are on the lookout for the 'weird cock' encyclopaedia bandit

How will they catch him? Is CCTV involved? And what exactly is he doing? This raises more questions than answers. Is he visiting libraries to leave photographs inside encyclopaedias? Is he exposing himself? Or is it something simple as rearranging the books on the shelves to spell out rude words? People have been doing that with all sorts of objects for ages. It’s actually quite ingenious as they’ve had to find a way to create an I from letters that don’t include it. Is he actively stealing them? If not, why is he a bandit? Is it just a name for an attention-grabbing headline? Or is it something simple as rearranging the books on the shelves to spell out rude words? People have been doing that with all sorts of objects for ages. And now that it’s in the media, people will think that it’s trendy enough to start doing it again.

The Playroom

This is a simple take on a traditional game, but it’s good fun as well. It’s complicated to build, and it can be a bit flimsy. It’s mostly made of cardboard which has to be slotted into the right places. There’s different levels as well as ladders which clip in at the side and ramps that roll down to them. Some holes are bigger than others to direct the balls to the correct angle. There’s even a storage space to store the marbles and dice when you’re not playing, though you do have to think where you’re going to put the thing unless you’re planning to take it apart. Even when we’re not rolling the dice, the girls still love playing with this as they like rolling the marbles over the holes and seeing where they end up. This is a distraction as there’s lots of other stuff going on in the room as well, mainly school-set homework.

Back through the tunnel #empress 26

Zhong wondered if it was selfish to flee when there might be an opportunity to prevent the Empress from getting any bigger. He wondered if anyone would be left in the city since the Empress was spending all her time in the countryside. She’d be too big to return to enjoy it anyway. It was worth a look. He might even be able to live quite comfortably in what was left. It might take a day or two but would it be too late? Would the kitchens still be full of supplies? Or would he be in the wrong place for the Empress to literally wipe their civilisation off the map? He might fare better than having to  rely on others. If he found any gems, he’d then  have to find someone to trade with. The only question was whether the tunnel that the Empress came out of was still passable.

Rubber Up

I did doubt whether these were necessary, but I have found myself using the shredder a lot more lately, and since my first shredder was one that I didn’t have to pay for, I decided to treat this shredder a little better when I realised the volume of shredding that I’m doing. It makes sense. It’s easy to use. I’m hoping that I’m doing it right since it’s just a sheet of A5 and I’m putting it on its side so that it distributes across all of the blades. I’ve just got to remember to do this regularly. It does sound a lot less messy than buying the oil. I can’t tell the difference between this and the branded product as I’ve never used the branded product before. Some of the paper has a few drips on it when I empty it so I know that there’s oil in there. I wonder if they have an expiry date.

The Arm

It’s small. It means that the person that’s it’s attached to is also small but it doesn’t necessarily state how much experience they have. It looks a little big to fit that cardigan hanging on the chair, so that there might be others around. Nevertheless, I’m about to be invaded. Whatever’s on that table may get demolished as well. They might be running in to look for something, or they might be walking in with a snack in their hand which is more likely as the door leads to the kitchen. Or it could just be an animated arm that’s left the rest of the body. It’s already taken out one person  and it’s about to leap at the photographer to take out the next. This could be the only image that’s been created of the monstrosity, and its entrance via a portal in the painting hanging on the wall. 

Joker

This is one of the best origin films that I’ve ever seen. There’s a thin line between having  joke and insanity, and this film illustrates it perfectly. I love the fact that sometimes you can’t tell if he’s laughing or crying for society. TV is his only escapism and it’s easy to see why Fleck can have problems distinguishing between fantasy and reality, though I wasn’t sure if the first few scenes were flashbacks or fantasies. Some scenes are a little predictable, and there’s also a heavy presence of suicide as well. But the reason why Fleck is so likeable is his ability to smile at everything. I love how he flaunts his madness when he decides to reveal himself. There’s tie-ins to future protagonist characters as well. Even the soundtrack is a distorted echo of Zimmer’s Batman theme. Let’s see how well it ties up with the current franchise.

Behind the Door

There’s quite a shadow cast over the radiator. It’s probably from the sofa that’s in front of you, but it doesn’t bode well for what’s behind the door. It makes it look big. It’s intruding into the light as if it’s going to disrupt your day. There’s also quite a haze as if the photo’s suggesting it’s the last thing you see before something’s sneaked up behind you. In the lefthand corner, there’s something that could be swinging towards you. The carpet’s already stained with your blood. Maybe the door was just a distraction. The doorknob is very highly polished. It’s almost like a button that’s stuck on for effect. The picture looks like it’s going to fall off the wall at any moment. Maybe the panels on the door will pop out first to reveal an arm, but we still don’t know what we’re facing. It could even be behind the sofa.

For Better or Worse? #dreamdiary 214

I’m down at the other end of the supermarket. Someone has opened their own version of a store that’s the same brand as our own. This store is absolutely thriving. Customers are everywhere and there’s one queue to serve them all from. The christmas lights are being put up right in front of me by people on ladders above screens hanging down from the ceiling. The room that they have to operate is double the space of what we have. There’s space to rest items on benches behind shelves that are prepped for promotional items. And they have lots of staff. They’re all young and are willing to fetch stock but no-one is wearing a headset. They’re being led by an ex-colleague of mine. I’ve made a purchase with my staff discount which requires a signature but my receipt is taken off me and is signed by a colleague. I’m about to tell him that’s not how it works but I can’t be bothered as this is my time and I’ve only just discovered this place.

It's Alive!

I’ve got no idea if I’m supposed to water this or even if it’s still alive or plastic. It’s a huddled green mass that just sits in a corner. I’ve never seen it flower. When I do water it, it often makes a wee on the carpet. Maybe I’m overwatering it. Of course I don’t know what it is. So I haven’t done anything with it. If I continue to do so, will it collapse and get in the way of the door for me to  trip over? Is it better to go in the compost heap now? It looks like something’s hiding behind it or it spends its evenings wandering around the living room. It might have been in a nice basket at some point but it’s overgrown it. Maybe it needs tying to a support cane. At least the rest of the carpet looks clean. It could be eating the debris.

Kid's Court

This sounds like fun and it’s a good way to settle household arguments while giving kids a bit of real-life experience of what it’s like to be an adult. Maybe you can weigh in on other people’s cases as well. I expect to be able to present a side of an argument with someone else representing the other, and Alexa will decide the result. It might even issue punishments. On my first attempt, Alexa tells me it’s having trouble finding the skill and it plays the sound it makes when it’s offline. Not a good start. Maybe it’s been taken offline. A few tries later, and I’m on google to see if it’s been discontinued. It sounds a good idea, but if the creators can’t make any money out of it then that’s that. Or maybe it just so happens that it’s down for maintenance, or there’s too many other people using it right now.

Say it with Roses

The roses look pretty enough to eat, but they look realistic too. This is a very neat cake, but it also looks like something that you’d give to your gran. The specks in the middle could be seeds. Inside, it’s a basic jam sponge, but it’s the top that makes all the effort. There’s a lot of frosting, but many people aren’t keen on that, and the large circular space in the middle is perfect for inserting novelty candles. It looks perfect for the spring season with its green packaging. The other cake was hand decorated, so I guess this one isn’t? There’s nothing on the packaging to indicate that it is. I wonder if one machine makes the buds and another sticks them on.  It would be impressive if the buds could be animated somehow to flower in front of our very eyes. That’s for a future food technician to invent.

What if your house reminded you to do your chores just like some cars remind you to put on your seat belts?

It would be very annoying, especially if it started to beep every time something needed doing until it’s complete. Would every room have its own panel, or would there be one master panel that controlled everything? And how would it know? Is there a computer that takes laser measurements of the dust content? Are you being filmed or watched by an AI system? Or is there a highly developed routine that’s been calculated so that everything runs supposedly in sync? If you complete a chore and the light’s still flashing, you’d have to call someone to send an engineer out to take a look at it, unless you haven’t’ completed the chore properly. Would a report be sent if you hadn’t completed a chore on time? Could you be fined? This service could be very useful to landlords who rent out their properties, and it would give tenants a lot less freedom.

A Choice of Cake

It’s that time of year again; get a cake to suit everyone. You’ve got to find something to appeal to recipient as well as something that everyone will want to try, and you’ve got to ensure that you’ve got the tight number of portions catered for as well. It’s only a supermarket cake, but it’s symmetrically decorated and it’s finished by hand according to the packaging. It does look like a messy and gloppy finish. I love how the icing overflows and runs down the side. Those domes look a bit playful and slightly enticing. It’s a shame that they’ve got to come off and be devoured somehow. I’m not sure if that’s chocolate at the base on the left that’s started to crumble on the left side. The trouble is that the person I’m sending the picture to might not reply until several hours later. So I’ve got a decision to make in the meantime.

Epstein asked staff to install hidden video cameras at his Florida home, email exchange shows.

This guy must be the ultimate blackmailer. He wants leverage on everything. He wants his name to be repeated long after his death, and he doesn’t really care who he takes down. In the end, it didn’t really do him a great deal of good. But there is a difference between asking and the task being done. But it looks like money talks and it was done. He’s not the only person involved in the conspiracy. Tissue boxes were involved. It sounds like the visitors were aware of what was going on, and that Epstein was on a real power trip. You can imagine him asking people to kneel and pledge their allegiance to him. It would like a bit odd if there was a tissue box conveniently placed in each room. But then again, they could be very big rooms. And these are just emails. They could just be a cry for attention.

Car Park Chaos

You can never trust what you see at a car park nowadays especially if something’s free that you previously had to pay for. There’s even QR codes to download fake apps so that the money goes into someone else’s account while you still get a fine. It also might be how you interpret a sign. It’s all about gathering evidence for your own piece of mind. You never know when Parkie comes round and starts taking pictures until you receive a letter through your door, though if you’re lucky he’ll fix a penalty sticker to your windscreen first. And this was taken in January, so it’s a long period of free parking for a council. Maybe it’s to ready people to download the app ready for when charges recommence. I wonder if they agreed how much free parking they could afford to fund and if the money is being spent on the perfectly trimmed lawns across the road.

Bogone

She’s tall and geeky. A natural blonde, she has a slightly chubby face but the rest of her is large and yet a bit slender at the same time with curvy hips. She has wide glasses, occasionally with white frames when she wants to express some style. She likes to dress warm, even in the summer, with heavy-knit sweaters and dark cardigans, and she never exposes the goods. She’s got a sense of darkness about her. She’s not afraid to stand up for herself or criticise what’s in front of her. She moves quickly when she wants to at her pace rather than adapt to a group. It’s entertaining in some respects. She’s always planning her next steps rather than taking stock of what’s in front of her. She’s got a presence of being from a different country; perhaps South Africa? She’s got a very heavy accent. It would certainly explain her actions.

Marketing Mayhem

 This reeks of desperation a bit. You’ve only got five days to use the promotion code. I didn’t even read that part until five years later. It’s been stored on my phone all this time. I should have written it down, but then it would just be a number on a piece of paper. Of course, I could have added a heading but that would be wasting more ink. You’ve got to get the diary out quick to work out what sort of card you need next. And you’ve still got to pay full price for postage. You’ve got to be really organised to cash in on this. It also means sitting through another row of screens and photos to pick something out. And if you’re using the site for the first time, you might want to wait to see the results before you place another order. It’s a lot of work for you, and a great excuse for them to pound you with marketing emails.

Over-Purposed #dreamdiary 213

I’m in a corridor that’s pasted with yellow vertical curvy walls in brick tiles. The floor and ceiling are both painted cream. My colleague has just brought a pallet of beer into the room. I’ve had to move backwards so that he can push a corner of it into a corner then rotate it round to place it at the end of the room. It seems a very strange method for storing things. There are hundreds of these corners all over the stockroom. It’s anew storage system to reduce theft by keeping everything as far apart from each other as possible and delegated to as few people so that trends can be identified. I’m on the fifth floor waiting for my delivery to be pulled in but there’s nowhere to put it away. There’s a lot of hanging around nowadays. I walk around the wall and there’s a window looking at a multi-storey car park opposite. Our building is in a square that surrounds it.

Morning Stretch

It’s important to get some exercise in. Many people like to do it early in the day when they’ve still got some energy to get it out of the way. I wonder if the wings get bigger each time she stretches her arms. It might be starting to split and she has to clip her wings on as sections. Her jacket pocket is the perfect size to store a passport in should she accidentally get caught in an airstream and blown to another country. She could be pinned already by the telegraph wires and is hanging from them. She’s about to start spinning vertically at any moment. The tinsel blends in with the hedge as well. The black spots might look like natural wood knots, but they could also be where bullets have hit the wings. She’s a target! Maybe she’s used to it and she does this every morning as part of a routine. She’s that fast that very few can catch her.

I'm American. I often notice on British cooking shows that they often spread butter on the inside of sandwiches. You never see this in America. Is that realistic? Will the average Briton put butter in the inside of say, a ham sandwich?

What’s wrong with that? It’s traditional and it’s how it was invented. If you’re not going to add any sauce or spread, the whole thing is going to be very dry. Otherwise, what’s the point of butter to your bread? But are you really going to put it on the outside? This is your only option if it’s toast, but you’ve got the crust to hold onto. Otherwise, your hands are going to be really messy. Are you planning to eat your sandwich with a knife and fork? You can be forgiven for doing this if it’s hot, but the whole point of a sandwich is something that you can make to eat later, on the go if necessary. Also, do you really need to watch a cooking show to learn how to make a sandwich? It must be a bad one if they’re teaching you to put the butter inside the sandwich; it’s easier to spread it on the top of each piece before the sandwich is formed.

"I've Got a Dream that's worth more than my Sleep"

 -unknown.

The question is, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to put the work in to stay up all night? Sometimes you have to push hard to achieve your dreams. No matter what your body wants, you have to push yourself to a better future. You might not be good for anything the next day though, and you’ll certainly need some sleep at the end of that. Are you just cashing in financially, or is there more at stake? Will your reduced functionality affect your day? Is it simply a lack of bad planning? It does reek a bit of desperation. Or is it better to remain in the dream world as you know it’s not real and you don’t have to worry about things? And will your late nights disturb others around you who need their rest? Will they benefit from your production or will they complain about your processes?

Spread your Wings

It’s important to occupy the space you own and work it to your advantage. One day, this little one will spread her wings and fly away. But her wings are a bit heavy for this yet. Unless, of course, the lights are tying her down. We can’t work out how to switch them on. She might need to grow a bit so that they’re more ergonomic. Maybe she could use her scarf as a rig. Take-off conditions are slightly misty today anyway so she could struggle with high winds in the air. But getting around anyway could be a problem, especially when trying to get through doorways. At least her jacket and wellington boots are colour-coordinated with the tips of her wings. It’s the rest of the design that needs a bit of colour. But that could come with time and light, especially if she’s just pulled them out of her back for the first time.

 

@RogerProtzeer: The article ends with a list & fate of Spoons pubs previously closed or closing.

It’s a cull on a national scale. We’re all got to start saving money somewhere; especially where a lot of overheads are involved. Some didn’t make the cut; we think that outlets that were rented were more likely to be chopped. So for our town, this is the moment when two spoons became one. No they didn’t get merged or married or knocked through, the top dog just decided to close one of them. Others had closed already, but these still noted as the closures were of national attention. And it made more than one media outlet. Jobs would be reallocated where possible. But it didn’t offer a great outlook for the industry. A lot of these places have been pubs for so long so it’s going to be a struggle to repurpose them. They’re big buildings, and some of them have a lot of history. We hope that there won’t be another one.

Eyes Wide Shut

Is someone saying a prayer? It’s an unfortunate moment to blink. Perhaps a song is being prepped or a wish is being made to take us to a magical land. Elder one looks a bit embarrassed by this or she’s going to start busting rap moves, but it’s all to entertain the younger one who’s looking a bit puzzled as to what’s going on at the moment. Her right hand is clutching a stick part of the fence for defence. Even the reindeer look inquisitive. They could have freed a trapped branch and it’s about to thwack Nanny in the back. Maybe we’re all going to be bombarded by snowballs and Nanny’s foreseen it. Only one of us is getting ready to run. The rest of us could be turned into wooden statues and end up stuck like the reindeer. And there’s me standing there just ready to take whatever happens.

Tardis Flip Wallet Phone Cover

I loved the idea of this phone case. I’ve actually ordered two of these over the years (technically three as I had to quickly cancel one as I ordered the wrong size). It’s a box for a phone, but it also travels through time and space! You can even watch the Tardis on the Tardis! The cover has a magnetic fastener which makes a satisfying click as you close the lid. It’s got the full unblurred information panel, though it’s the windows that let it down as you can tell that it’s a picture. There’s large stitching which holds everything in place and it’s camouflaged into the design. The plastic shell perfectly aligns with all the holes needed for button and camera access and there’s even space opposite to hold a few cards in the black leather. Over time, it did get a bit grazed and battered, but it lasted longer than the phone.

Here comes Nanny Goat...

She’s got a stick to support herself in those icy patches. Maybe she’s just completed her own hike to get here, and she’s snuck herself into the photo. It could explain why the little one’s so surprised. Or is that a yawn on account of all the pictures that she’s had to pose for? She might even hear music and she’s singing along. Meanwhile, I seem to be preparing to fade away on the other side. Perhaps I’m being beamed up somewhere in exchange for Nanny. The reindeer’s antlers could be wired up into the wood to control the environment but we can’t see the wood amongst the trees. There’s also wires behind me at my height so the little one will get left behind. Or maybe Nanny’s anchored herself down with her stick. It’s about the same width as the branches around her. It might be from this very wood but coated with a metallic paint.

Which way out? #devilsdaughter 26

Her next task was to get out of the building itself. The door was slightly tight when she came in, and even though there were a few cracks in the frame that appeared after she crawled through the entrance, its wall still seemed sturdy. She put a little bit of pressure by shaking her ass against it. The whole building wobbled and dust shook down from the rafters, but it didn’t look like it was going to budge. Was she really going to have to grow upwards and outwards? She might be a bit too big then to interact with the world around her. She could unleash a scream to shatter the windows but she’d have to subdue Luke to a bit more so that he wouldn’t fear her. Pushing the remains of the pews through the glass might be a better option, but she might not be able to push her breasts through. It wouldn’t do any harm to try…  

Hold Your Breath

The little one is really pulling some faces. Perhaps it’s the musk on the coat. That’s why the other one is standing so far apart. She’s either embarrassed to be next to her uncle or her sister, or she’s posing on her own for another photographer.  Or she’s using common sense and she’s keeping a view of the reindeer. Or it could be the outdoor odour of the local animals as their scent gets blown over by the wind. If I’m lucky, she might be getting ready to blow me a kiss. Or maybe she’s getting cold and she’s trying to keep warm and show how cold she is at the same time. Half a foot to her right, there’s some sort of vapour in the air. Has she stepped aside to avoid inhaling it? Or has she exhaled it and she’s trying to hide it from the camera? It might have come out of the other end.