Gone, But Not Forgotten
Maybe I was a bit distracted, because our house is like an infirmary at the moment, but I actually published the previous Trivia Pursuit post without (shock, horror) a headline. But my friend RK, who writes the popular Rambling With Bellur blog, left a comment pointing out the oversight. My apologies all round. And thank you, RK.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Trivia Pur$uit
It might sound like Ferret Bueller's Day Off, but are you brave enough to put a live ferret down your pants? That challenge was recently put to members of the Manitoba Ferret Association, who gathered in Winnipeg's St Vital Park recently to raise money for the non-profit organisation's no-kill shelter shelter.
Smoke Screen
Wot About Me Visa, Then, Guv?
British landlord Bob Beech is an innovative bloke - even though his plan has, ah, gone up in smoke. To get around this week's ciggie ban, he wanted to turn his bar into an embassy for a remote Caribbean island. He reckoned the Wellington Arms in Southampton would be the only pub in Britain to allow smoking - by becoming the UK consulate for tiny, uninhabited Redonda, which is 35 miles off Antigua. As an embassy, it would be classed as "foreign soil", allowing smokers a haven - as well as VAT-free cheap drinks. But the Foreign Office has knocked his scheme on the head, even though Beech says he has a ``plan B''.
FOOTNOTE: Must be the fag end.
British landlord Bob Beech is an innovative bloke - even though his plan has, ah, gone up in smoke. To get around this week's ciggie ban, he wanted to turn his bar into an embassy for a remote Caribbean island. He reckoned the Wellington Arms in Southampton would be the only pub in Britain to allow smoking - by becoming the UK consulate for tiny, uninhabited Redonda, which is 35 miles off Antigua. As an embassy, it would be classed as "foreign soil", allowing smokers a haven - as well as VAT-free cheap drinks. But the Foreign Office has knocked his scheme on the head, even though Beech says he has a ``plan B''.
FOOTNOTE: Must be the fag end.
Star Tech
Strengthening The Cuckoo's Nest
Cuckoo, you are a writer of many moods - and that is a compliment. A blog is a mirror to the writer's soul and your site reflects many facets of your personality. I like the fact that you are willing to tackle a variety of issues and a variety of subjects.
Your post Fabio Cannavaro from 29 November last year is a great example of your ability to kick up your (high) heels and laugh with your readers. You took a sequence of photographs and put them to witty captions and left us with something to chuckle over. Well done, for there must always be a special place for laughter in today's world.
The post Tears of Joy tells a story that is relevant to anyone, irrespective of race, creed or religion. The simplest stories are the stories that ``carry'' the most effectively from one location to another. The post That was Indu was heart-warming and memorable because it spoke to us all. We all knew people like Indu and because of that, I raced through the story to find out what happened to her.
There is a capricious nature to your blog and that, to me, is a very endearing quality. It's like reading a newspaper and flicking from the news pages to the opinion pages, to social commentary and then to the humour columns - all in one. The post Finally Back made me laugh because you openly debated the logic of joining three little kids under a hose to escape the heat.
On the technical side, I'd advise you to look closely at the problem of your sidebar with your personal information and the chat box. At the moment, it's sitting down the right-hand side of the screen, below your last post. I haven't looked into the details of your template, but it looks as if there is an easy fix. I think the width of your left-hand textbox has exceeded the prescribed margin, or the width of your post area has exceeded the original parameters. You
just need to check the original details on your template and then try and track down exactly where the width has been exceeded. Once this is done, the right-hand textbox will revert to its intended position.
Why is this important? Because the casual or first-time reader wants to know who a blogger is. They want to put a face or a name to a good blog. And it is our responsibility to give them as many clues as possible to remember us.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Attest Of Character
We're Game For Anything
If a genie appeared and said you could be anyone you wanted, whom would you choose? One reader wanted to go back in history and meet his ancestors, one wanted to be Maria in `The Sound of Music', someone else wanted to be a smarter version of Tom in `Tom and Jerry'. This was the new game I started on Saturday and you can see the wide range of heart-warming responses at Rite of Reply.
And by the way, you can still have some fun and add to the Passing Sentence Game, `Goosey In The Sky With Diamonds', at Passing Sentence Game. We only need five sentences before the challenge reverts to me, in order to wrap up the story.
If you'd like to introduce either of these games on your own blog, you're most welcome. Just let me know by leaving a comment here.
If a genie appeared and said you could be anyone you wanted, whom would you choose? One reader wanted to go back in history and meet his ancestors, one wanted to be Maria in `The Sound of Music', someone else wanted to be a smarter version of Tom in `Tom and Jerry'. This was the new game I started on Saturday and you can see the wide range of heart-warming responses at Rite of Reply.
And by the way, you can still have some fun and add to the Passing Sentence Game, `Goosey In The Sky With Diamonds', at Passing Sentence Game. We only need five sentences before the challenge reverts to me, in order to wrap up the story.
If you'd like to introduce either of these games on your own blog, you're most welcome. Just let me know by leaving a comment here.
Denim Wrangle
Da Kneebone's Connected To Da Rip Bone
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
Gotta hate it when your favourite jeans show a rip in the knee. The more faded they are, the more they've been lived in and, therefore, the more comfortable they are. Because I wear a suit during the week, I enjoy getting into Levi's on weekends and on Casual Fridays at work. Now the big question - in your opinion, is it cool to wear jeans that are ripped at the knee?
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONGotta hate it when your favourite jeans show a rip in the knee. The more faded they are, the more they've been lived in and, therefore, the more comfortable they are. Because I wear a suit during the week, I enjoy getting into Levi's on weekends and on Casual Fridays at work. Now the big question - in your opinion, is it cool to wear jeans that are ripped at the knee?
Trivia Pur$uit
Between 1973, when Bjorn Borg made his Wimbledon debut, and 1982, when he lost to John McEnroe in his sixth consecutive singles final, the Swede won 41 consecutive matches at the spiritual home of tennis. In that decade, only four people ever beat Borg at Wimbledon - Roger Taylor, Ismail el Shafei, Arthur Ashe and finally, McEnroe himself.
Ducks Of Their Class
We Shall Flight Them On The Beaches
Want a (slightly faded) rubber duck? Just keep your eyes peeled the next time you're at the beach. A fleet of 29,000 rubber ducks will soon wash up on Cornwall beaches - after a 15-year, 17,000-mile epic journey. The bath toys were set adrift in the Pacific after a container was washed off a cargo ship in 1992. The metal container was corroded by sea water, freeing the China-manufactured yellow ducks, blue turtles, red beavers and green frogs. Their colour has since faded to white and they have been tracked across the world, with some turning up in Alaska, Siberia, Japan, Iceland and Canada. Collectors pay up to $1000 for the toys, which have The First Years stamped on them.
FOOTNOTE: Relax, it’s not the spammish Armada.
Want a (slightly faded) rubber duck? Just keep your eyes peeled the next time you're at the beach. A fleet of 29,000 rubber ducks will soon wash up on Cornwall beaches - after a 15-year, 17,000-mile epic journey. The bath toys were set adrift in the Pacific after a container was washed off a cargo ship in 1992. The metal container was corroded by sea water, freeing the China-manufactured yellow ducks, blue turtles, red beavers and green frogs. Their colour has since faded to white and they have been tracked across the world, with some turning up in Alaska, Siberia, Japan, Iceland and Canada. Collectors pay up to $1000 for the toys, which have The First Years stamped on them.
FOOTNOTE: Relax, it’s not the spammish Armada.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Central Bark
Did I Say For Goodness Fake?
Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON
The Battle Of Little Big Horn
One Toot And You’re Oot
Banned from honking their horns, drivers in China's commercial hub of Shanghai are switching to music or voice recordings instead. Shanghai banned honking in the downtown area last month, threatening fines of up to $25 for those leaning on the horn. Not even police cars are exempt, with the use of sirens banned in all but emergencies. But some drivers are spending up to $100 for customised musical horns. One taxi driver has used a recording of a woman's voice saying, "Please mind the car, we are making a turn."
FOOTNOTE: Are we in Honk Kong?
Banned from honking their horns, drivers in China's commercial hub of Shanghai are switching to music or voice recordings instead. Shanghai banned honking in the downtown area last month, threatening fines of up to $25 for those leaning on the horn. Not even police cars are exempt, with the use of sirens banned in all but emergencies. But some drivers are spending up to $100 for customised musical horns. One taxi driver has used a recording of a woman's voice saying, "Please mind the car, we are making a turn."
FOOTNOTE: Are we in Honk Kong?
The Astound Of Music
Picture Sequence Hits The Right Note
Photograph copyright: LAURENT CHRISTOPHE
Remember those thumb-books, where you could view an animation sequence by flicking quickly through a series of still images? This photograph, taken by French blogger Laurent Christophe, is one of a series of 22 shots that brings an interesting dimension to a visual message of a musical street performance. To view the entire sequence and his simple one-line bi-lingual captions, go to his post on La Chalibaude. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
Trivia Pur$uit
An Oregon man is suing the FBI for crashing a small plane into his Lamborghini. In May last year, a gash was made in the rear of his luxury car by the plane's propeller at the small Aurora airport, south of Portland. Marlowe Treit's lawsuit against the US Government accuses the pilots of negligence.Star Tech
Many Thoughts, But No Confusion
Not everyone has had to wait a fortnight for a review of their blog, but Confused Sam waited patiently while I spent most of last week with a family member in hospital. Thank you, Sam, for your patience. Your strength is the ability to write posts in a completely colloquial manner. You write just as I imagine you would tell a story to a group of friends. It is spontaneous prose and therefore it is genuine in its nature. There is no artifice, there are no gimmicks. That is a great strength for any writer.
As you know, when we first started exchanging comments about your blog, I told you the single most common thing I have told most bloggers. Your site was in danger of being perceived as one-dimensional. It was flat and featureless to the casual reader - because it was simply one slab of text after another. The danger of this approach is that readers might lose interest, just as they would while reading a newspaper with no photographs or captions or headlines or breakout quotes.
To your eternal credit, you took the advice in the right spirit and on 10 June your post `Looking Back at my Inspiration' ran with a photograph. Immediately, your blog took on a different dimension. The artwork that illustrated your poem `But Forever' on 20 June was well chosen and really complemented a poem that spoke with broad appeal. I'm guessing you copied the illustration off Google Images or some image bank - if so, always check copyright implications. Even if there are no restrictions on the publication of such an image, it is good practice to run a caption crediting the source material.
My favourite post was `Time Stops at Shamli' on 26 June, not just because Ruskin Bond and I share the same publisher, Penguin, but because this was a book I had not read. Your interpretation of the story was simple and powerful and you drew us into your view of two lives in the hill station. Your latest post, `Shall we Dance', on 26 June just reinforces my impression that you are a bit like the gears on a mountain bike - you move very efficiently in a variety of conditions and at many different speeds, across a variety of terrains. I look forward to watching your blog as it progresses.
And if you'll permit me to deviate from your blog for a second, it's interesting that you hail from Pune, for two reasons. First, my mother was educated there, at St Mary's Convent. And second, some years ago, a young student from Pune sent me a news report for publication. I could not publish it, but I edited it and sent it back to him with a letter explaining certain things he needed to do when writing. He took the advice on board, brushed up his writing skills and his byline began to appear in my magazine fairly regularly while he was still a university student. Today, his name is well known in journalism and he never fails to acknowledge what a great help it was to get those two pages of unsolicited - and unexpected - advice from a total stranger.
Why is this relevant to you, Sam? Because a kid you help one day may turn out to be a famous writer too. It's all about passing on the knowledge - which is why I review other writers' blogs.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Pray Tell
Bollywood Singer Is A Man Of The Cloth
A popular Bollywood male singer apologised recently for wearing a burqa to pray in a famous Muslim shrine in India. Himesh Reshammiya said he was sorry if people were ``offended'' by his dressing as a woman to enter the shrine in Ajmer. The shrine's prayer attendants have defended the singer, who changed into the burqa after he was mobbed by fans at the gate, and slipped in through a different entrance. Last year, Bollywood starlet Katrina Kaif was criticised by devotees for entering the shrine in a skirt.
A popular Bollywood male singer apologised recently for wearing a burqa to pray in a famous Muslim shrine in India. Himesh Reshammiya said he was sorry if people were ``offended'' by his dressing as a woman to enter the shrine in Ajmer. The shrine's prayer attendants have defended the singer, who changed into the burqa after he was mobbed by fans at the gate, and slipped in through a different entrance. Last year, Bollywood starlet Katrina Kaif was criticised by devotees for entering the shrine in a skirt.
It's All About Giving Back
My Joy Comes From Helping Others
It's great to bring others' talent to fruition. Photograph: DAVID McMAHON
It's great to bring others' talent to fruition. Photograph: DAVID McMAHONIt's not often I'm lost for words, but this post on Wednesday from Deborah Gamble stopped me in my tracks. So too the comments from Craver vii and Bart. ``A few days ago,'' Deborah wrote, ``I was asked by an old friend how I met David McMahon. Actually, I think the question was more precisely worded, How did you find that blog guy from Australia that wrote a novel and always comments on your blog'?"
Then on Friday, Cecilia wrote: ``David does have something to do with the continuation of this blog. He is my inspiration, the guy is just wonderful, he is a true mentor, and I am proud to be his friend!''
I am always humbled when fellow writers or photographers think that I have helped them - but that's simply the way I was brought up. There's no greater loss than a talent that is not nurtured; so that is precisely why I help.
In my early twenties, while editing a national sports magazine, `Sportsworld', for the huge Ananda Bazar Patrika publishing group, I enjoyed mentoring a group of talented writers who are mentioned in the acknowledgement section of my novel `Vegemite Vindaloo'. Then, just before my novel was published and spent six months on the bestseller lists, I emailed a very influential writer in India, explaining that I wanted to give something back to the country where I was educated. I offered to hold workshops in the major cities, working closely with writers and photographers. I received a short, sharp rebuff. ``This is not the way these things are done,'' the writer told me.
And that's why I devote a few minutes each day to helping others, scattered round the globe. Maybe the workshop concept was never meant to be. Or maybe there is a greater plan, that I don't know about. I'll always be here, and I'm always happy to help.
Can-Do Attitude
Overdue Library Book? Okay, That’s Fine
People who owe overdue fines to the Wethersfield Library in Connecticut, can pay them off with pasta, canned foods or items such as toothpaste. The library is collecting food and toiletries needed for the food bank - in exchange for forgiving fines on overdue books and materials. ``It's a win-win for everybody. People make a tangible donation that helps somebody and at the same time erase their fines,'' said Laurel Goodgion, the library's director. Goodgion says food and toiletry donations are good for all fines, even dating back a year ago. However, people will still have to use cash to pay for a lost or damaged book.
FOOTNOTE: You'll be brought to book.
People who owe overdue fines to the Wethersfield Library in Connecticut, can pay them off with pasta, canned foods or items such as toothpaste. The library is collecting food and toiletries needed for the food bank - in exchange for forgiving fines on overdue books and materials. ``It's a win-win for everybody. People make a tangible donation that helps somebody and at the same time erase their fines,'' said Laurel Goodgion, the library's director. Goodgion says food and toiletry donations are good for all fines, even dating back a year ago. However, people will still have to use cash to pay for a lost or damaged book.
FOOTNOTE: You'll be brought to book.
Aussiejourno's Weekly Blog Awards
Top Blogs For Week Ending 30 June
Aussiejourno's Weekly Blog Awards are meant to encourage bloggers from all round the world and they give new bloggers the chance to get their work noticed in an increasingly popular forum, alongside the world's most-visited blogs.There is no monetary reward, no live TV coverage, no red carpet interview, but the exposure comes with international bragging rights. If you would like your blog (or someone else's) to be considered for next week's awards, please leave the url here, in the comment section. You can nominate as many blogs as you want. Entries close at midday Greenwich Mean Time each Friday.
1. Deborah Gamble, 2. Bartraeke, 3. Back of my Headboard,
4. Rambling Traveller, 5. Bob T Bear, 6. Phaseout Girl,
7. Carol Cooper, 8. Grumpy'n'Farting, 9. Suz.50,
10. Mushy, 11. Ak-Man, 12. Jenera Healy,
13. McGlinch, 14. Blue Yak, 15. Invisible Studio,
16. Blog Guelph, 17. Gerald the Goat, 18. Dan Mega,
19. Aquarius2626, 20. Yes But Images, 21. Karoline,
22. Random Blethers, 23. Ianqui, 24. Auto Parts For Brains,
25. Cherished 79, 26. Copper Stiletto, 27. Querkey Turkey,
28. Oz Lady, 29. Creek Journal, 30. Woman Wandering,
31. Brian in Oxford, 32. Luke Dockery, 33. Magick River,
34. Unforeseen Paths, 35. Prof Bush, 36. Chumma Chumma,
37. Scala, 38. Broken Man, 39. Lotus Reads,
40. Craver vii, 41. Fat Hairy Bastard, 42. Goddess,
43. Savannah, 44. David's Pics, 45. Laurent,
46. Terry's Playpen, 47. Shashikiran, 48. Rambling With Bellur,
49. Travellin' Mama, Equal 50. Cuckoo and Equal 50. Victorya.
And honourable mentions go to:
Kalyan's Dreams, Near Post, Colorado Bob, Confused Sam, Chalkhills Collective, Chess World, Lensational, Ubertramp, Lady T, Allan Cook, I'm On My Weigh Down, Daub du Jour, Chele 76, Movies Sans Frontiers, Pasture Musings, Nobody's Friend, Mur 38, Sandip Madan, Who Dat Dare Pokah, Sketch and Colour.
In conclusion, I would just like to say I've been mentoring several bloggers for a while and it is important to know that the work of a blogger whose url has only 10 hits can be ranked alongside a blogger whose url has 10,000 hits or more. I would like other would-be writers and bloggers to benefit from the fact that I am a bestselling novelist (`Vegemite Vindaloo', published by Penguin) and career journalist with almost 30 years' experience in writing, editing, design, newspaper technology and production.
Aussiejourno's Weekly Blog Awards are meant to encourage bloggers from all round the world and they give new bloggers the chance to get their work noticed in an increasingly popular forum, alongside the world's most-visited blogs.There is no monetary reward, no live TV coverage, no red carpet interview, but the exposure comes with international bragging rights. If you would like your blog (or someone else's) to be considered for next week's awards, please leave the url here, in the comment section. You can nominate as many blogs as you want. Entries close at midday Greenwich Mean Time each Friday.
1. Deborah Gamble, 2. Bartraeke, 3. Back of my Headboard,
4. Rambling Traveller, 5. Bob T Bear, 6. Phaseout Girl,
7. Carol Cooper, 8. Grumpy'n'Farting, 9. Suz.50,
10. Mushy, 11. Ak-Man, 12. Jenera Healy,
13. McGlinch, 14. Blue Yak, 15. Invisible Studio,
16. Blog Guelph, 17. Gerald the Goat, 18. Dan Mega,
19. Aquarius2626, 20. Yes But Images, 21. Karoline,
22. Random Blethers, 23. Ianqui, 24. Auto Parts For Brains,
25. Cherished 79, 26. Copper Stiletto, 27. Querkey Turkey,
28. Oz Lady, 29. Creek Journal, 30. Woman Wandering,
31. Brian in Oxford, 32. Luke Dockery, 33. Magick River,
34. Unforeseen Paths, 35. Prof Bush, 36. Chumma Chumma,
37. Scala, 38. Broken Man, 39. Lotus Reads,
40. Craver vii, 41. Fat Hairy Bastard, 42. Goddess,
43. Savannah, 44. David's Pics, 45. Laurent,
46. Terry's Playpen, 47. Shashikiran, 48. Rambling With Bellur,
49. Travellin' Mama, Equal 50. Cuckoo and Equal 50. Victorya.
And honourable mentions go to:
Kalyan's Dreams, Near Post, Colorado Bob, Confused Sam, Chalkhills Collective, Chess World, Lensational, Ubertramp, Lady T, Allan Cook, I'm On My Weigh Down, Daub du Jour, Chele 76, Movies Sans Frontiers, Pasture Musings, Nobody's Friend, Mur 38, Sandip Madan, Who Dat Dare Pokah, Sketch and Colour.
In conclusion, I would just like to say I've been mentoring several bloggers for a while and it is important to know that the work of a blogger whose url has only 10 hits can be ranked alongside a blogger whose url has 10,000 hits or more. I would like other would-be writers and bloggers to benefit from the fact that I am a bestselling novelist (`Vegemite Vindaloo', published by Penguin) and career journalist with almost 30 years' experience in writing, editing, design, newspaper technology and production.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
A Rest Warrant
More Gold Than El Dorado
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHONIt's always an interesting challenge, trying to photograph an object that is more or less the same colour as the background. This reclining Buddha is actually made of wood and is covered with gold paint. But there was just something about the workmanship and the intricate patterns that drew me to it.
Rite Of Reply
I Dream Of Genie
Righty-o, then, here's the new weekend game, as I promised. I ask you a simple question and you post your reply as a comment. On Monday I collate all the answers and post them here, with links to all your sites.
If a genie appeared and said you could be anyone you wanted for 24 hours, who would you choose?
A wide range of wonderful responses to that question:
Shrink Wrapped Scream: ``A grown-up Hermione (of "Harry Potter" fame) - can you imagine anyone more awesome?''
Rambling Traveler: ``I wish I could have a good singing voice. I'm the one who only sings when no one else is around.''
Helena: I'd go back in time (you didn't say I couldn't!) and be a close friend of Queen Elizabeth I. She has always fascinated me, and this way I'd get to know her close-up. My only stipulation is that it be when they were both young. Toothache is bad enough in the 21st century: I don't want to experience it in the 16th!
BTBear: I'd be Lisa Simpson's Bear, and she'd cuddle me at night.
Dilly: Dilly be Puff, Magic Wagon. Live by sea. Go paddle. Fwolic in mist.
Animals With Opinions: I would be moosey, then I would walk out in front of a semi truck (That's from Gerald, who doesn't always see eye-to-eye with Moosey).
Cecilia: I'd like to be Maria in `The Sound of Music', because then I can sing, dance and get my beloved at the same time! That'd be so cool...
Cuckoo: I would like to be a much smarter version of Tom. Now that I know all the tricks of that little brat Jerry, I think I would give him an equal fright!
Jenera Healy: I would so ask to be President of the United States but with unlimited 'powers'. Oh the things I'd get done.
Pope Terry: Well, it's a tough one. It would probably have to be Rasputin ... he seemed like a cheerful bloke.
Papoosue: No one special, just someone who was really happy.
OzLady: Robert A. Heinlein's best friend - he was an awesome gentleman with such an amazing mind. Or Albert Einstein - he was a cheeky genius.
Fat Hairy Bastard: I'd be myself, my current self, and pop back to the 1930s and see my dad as a kid, picking cotton in Texas during the depression. My granddad, who died long before I could get to know him, would walk over to see who this large stranger was, talking to his son. I'd take him by the shoulder, and I'd say "Hey, let's go fishing!", and for some reason, unknown to himself, he'd decide to come along. We'd sit by the river, watching bobbers sway in the shallow waves, and I'd tell him about himself. He'd know from the things I told him that I was serious. He'd look at me in a strange way, and I'd tell him not to worry, that his kids were going to grow up to be happy and successful. I'd win over his confidence, and find a way to eventually say "I know all this, because I'm your grandson"... At which point he'd laugh, and we'd hug each other tightly, finish the day with a few beers, and I'd come back to my own time, happy to wait for the day when I'll see him again. I can't wait to see all of them again. I miss them a lot.
Siddharth Khandelwal: I would be Kimi and drive the F2007 all day long. Take a few 360 turns, hit the tyre walls, do all the fancy stuff. Thats 12 hours and the next 12 I would want to be Darren Heath with a Canon EOS MarkIII and take snaps of all these F1 cars wizzing past. Now I really want a genie.
Who Dat Dare Pokah: I would choose to be my two-year-old daughter to remember the sheer joy and wonderment at discovering something new every day.
Righty-o, then, here's the new weekend game, as I promised. I ask you a simple question and you post your reply as a comment. On Monday I collate all the answers and post them here, with links to all your sites.
If a genie appeared and said you could be anyone you wanted for 24 hours, who would you choose?
A wide range of wonderful responses to that question:
Shrink Wrapped Scream: ``A grown-up Hermione (of "Harry Potter" fame) - can you imagine anyone more awesome?''
Rambling Traveler: ``I wish I could have a good singing voice. I'm the one who only sings when no one else is around.''
Helena: I'd go back in time (you didn't say I couldn't!) and be a close friend of Queen Elizabeth I. She has always fascinated me, and this way I'd get to know her close-up. My only stipulation is that it be when they were both young. Toothache is bad enough in the 21st century: I don't want to experience it in the 16th!
BTBear: I'd be Lisa Simpson's Bear, and she'd cuddle me at night.
Dilly: Dilly be Puff, Magic Wagon. Live by sea. Go paddle. Fwolic in mist.
Animals With Opinions: I would be moosey, then I would walk out in front of a semi truck (That's from Gerald, who doesn't always see eye-to-eye with Moosey).
Cecilia: I'd like to be Maria in `The Sound of Music', because then I can sing, dance and get my beloved at the same time! That'd be so cool...
Cuckoo: I would like to be a much smarter version of Tom. Now that I know all the tricks of that little brat Jerry, I think I would give him an equal fright!
Jenera Healy: I would so ask to be President of the United States but with unlimited 'powers'. Oh the things I'd get done.
Pope Terry: Well, it's a tough one. It would probably have to be Rasputin ... he seemed like a cheerful bloke.
Papoosue: No one special, just someone who was really happy.
OzLady: Robert A. Heinlein's best friend - he was an awesome gentleman with such an amazing mind. Or Albert Einstein - he was a cheeky genius.
Fat Hairy Bastard: I'd be myself, my current self, and pop back to the 1930s and see my dad as a kid, picking cotton in Texas during the depression. My granddad, who died long before I could get to know him, would walk over to see who this large stranger was, talking to his son. I'd take him by the shoulder, and I'd say "Hey, let's go fishing!", and for some reason, unknown to himself, he'd decide to come along. We'd sit by the river, watching bobbers sway in the shallow waves, and I'd tell him about himself. He'd know from the things I told him that I was serious. He'd look at me in a strange way, and I'd tell him not to worry, that his kids were going to grow up to be happy and successful. I'd win over his confidence, and find a way to eventually say "I know all this, because I'm your grandson"... At which point he'd laugh, and we'd hug each other tightly, finish the day with a few beers, and I'd come back to my own time, happy to wait for the day when I'll see him again. I can't wait to see all of them again. I miss them a lot.
Siddharth Khandelwal: I would be Kimi and drive the F2007 all day long. Take a few 360 turns, hit the tyre walls, do all the fancy stuff. Thats 12 hours and the next 12 I would want to be Darren Heath with a Canon EOS MarkIII and take snaps of all these F1 cars wizzing past. Now I really want a genie.
Who Dat Dare Pokah: I would choose to be my two-year-old daughter to remember the sheer joy and wonderment at discovering something new every day.
Passing Sentence Game #5
Goosey In The Sky With Diamonds
Okay, folks, let's kick off the fifteen-sentence game. I’ll provide the first sentence, the next thirteen sentences come from anyone who wants a bit of fun; and the big challenge is for me to wrap it all up with the fifteenth sentence. Have fun ...
I should never have been so impulsive as to put Grandma's antique diamond choker around the neck of one of the geese on our family farm, for the goose, suddenly endowed with magical powers, flew away and never returned.
Second sentence, from Carol in the Isle of Man:
``As if that weren't bad enough, Grandpa (aka Gandolph), had spied me in the act, and he certainly didn't take well to my frittering what was his love-token, so carelessly away. ''
Third sentence, from Bob the Bear in the UK:
Especially as, whilst taking off, the goose had flown straight through the washing on the line, getting Grandpa's best pants hooked up round its foot, so Off they flew together, necklace, pants and Goosey; 'You better have a way to fix this!' Grandpa boomed, as he shook his long pointy stick in the direction of my quivering bottom.
Fourth sentence, from Cecilia in Canada:
Meanwhile, Goosey had landed on a patch of green in the middle of Central Park, felt something quivering inside, and promptly lay a golden egg in full view of park goers!
Fifth sentence, from Cuckoo In India:
“Oh, the diamond choker, my golden egg and Grandpa’s baggy pants, all in the middle of a perplexed crowd ... what a mess, where do I hide now?” groused the Goosey Goo.
Sixth sentence, from Pope Terry in the US:
The goose, unable to make up his mind where to turn, decided the best thing to do was to avoid all attention, as singing `Ave Maria' probably wasn't the best of choices, as now people were pitching coins at the hapless bird.
Seventh sentence, from Victorya in the UK:
All eyes in the park glinted like a spaghetti western and lips began to curl as each person eyed each other in suspicion and defiance as they gauged who would, in fact, get to the egg first.
Eighth sentence from FatHairyBastard in the US:
Goosey took a defensive pose, protecting her egg from the threatening onlookers; she tried to straddle it, but it was moving and the crowd drew closer, as she squawked a warning because they would overpower her easily - however, before they could fight one another for the egg, it began to glow and stand upright; in amazement, they all stood and watched as the egg began to rise into the air and glow brighter and Goosey stood erect, wings outstretched, beak open in amazement; the onlookers could swear they heard singing, but looked around at one another and knew there was no chorus, then, in a flash of light and brilliant sound...
Ninth sentence from Sam in India:
And then the egg burst open to reveal the most beautiful bird one had ever seen, bright as it was as if on fire, with a voice that sang with all the energy of 100 singers ... music filled the air and an ethereal silence engulfed the crowd as the bird flew away, leaving Goosey opened-eyed and wondering how that happened!
Tenth sentence from OzLady in Singapore:
``Now I know why I was dreaming of `The Sound of Music' the night before I laid this egg," thought Goosey, who was also wondering how she was now going to get out of there with the antique diamond choker before the crowd caught on.
Okay, folks, let's kick off the fifteen-sentence game. I’ll provide the first sentence, the next thirteen sentences come from anyone who wants a bit of fun; and the big challenge is for me to wrap it all up with the fifteenth sentence. Have fun ...
I should never have been so impulsive as to put Grandma's antique diamond choker around the neck of one of the geese on our family farm, for the goose, suddenly endowed with magical powers, flew away and never returned.
Second sentence, from Carol in the Isle of Man:
``As if that weren't bad enough, Grandpa (aka Gandolph), had spied me in the act, and he certainly didn't take well to my frittering what was his love-token, so carelessly away. ''
Third sentence, from Bob the Bear in the UK:
Especially as, whilst taking off, the goose had flown straight through the washing on the line, getting Grandpa's best pants hooked up round its foot, so Off they flew together, necklace, pants and Goosey; 'You better have a way to fix this!' Grandpa boomed, as he shook his long pointy stick in the direction of my quivering bottom.
Fourth sentence, from Cecilia in Canada:
Meanwhile, Goosey had landed on a patch of green in the middle of Central Park, felt something quivering inside, and promptly lay a golden egg in full view of park goers!
Fifth sentence, from Cuckoo In India:
“Oh, the diamond choker, my golden egg and Grandpa’s baggy pants, all in the middle of a perplexed crowd ... what a mess, where do I hide now?” groused the Goosey Goo.
Sixth sentence, from Pope Terry in the US:
The goose, unable to make up his mind where to turn, decided the best thing to do was to avoid all attention, as singing `Ave Maria' probably wasn't the best of choices, as now people were pitching coins at the hapless bird.
Seventh sentence, from Victorya in the UK:
All eyes in the park glinted like a spaghetti western and lips began to curl as each person eyed each other in suspicion and defiance as they gauged who would, in fact, get to the egg first.
Eighth sentence from FatHairyBastard in the US:
Goosey took a defensive pose, protecting her egg from the threatening onlookers; she tried to straddle it, but it was moving and the crowd drew closer, as she squawked a warning because they would overpower her easily - however, before they could fight one another for the egg, it began to glow and stand upright; in amazement, they all stood and watched as the egg began to rise into the air and glow brighter and Goosey stood erect, wings outstretched, beak open in amazement; the onlookers could swear they heard singing, but looked around at one another and knew there was no chorus, then, in a flash of light and brilliant sound...
Ninth sentence from Sam in India:
And then the egg burst open to reveal the most beautiful bird one had ever seen, bright as it was as if on fire, with a voice that sang with all the energy of 100 singers ... music filled the air and an ethereal silence engulfed the crowd as the bird flew away, leaving Goosey opened-eyed and wondering how that happened!
Tenth sentence from OzLady in Singapore:
``Now I know why I was dreaming of `The Sound of Music' the night before I laid this egg," thought Goosey, who was also wondering how she was now going to get out of there with the antique diamond choker before the crowd caught on.
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