@athelstone
Active 13 hours, 16 minutes ago-
Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 6 months ago
Probably be ridiculously busy tomorrow and the day after, so A Very Merry Christmas to all Denizens wherever you may be.
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 7 months ago
I came across this view from an ex-pat living in New Zealand. Some strong language for Denizens who prefer to steer clear. But I couldn’t find anything to disagree with.
Britain dutifully bows down to the ruling elite.-
I was going to post this anyway, Ath, but after following your link it has even more resonance: one of Sir Winston Churchill’s less popular pronouncements was that the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.
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I have read the article. This kind of sneering attitude is exactly why the Brexit leave vote came as a surprise to the great and the good. And it is also why the GE vote has come as a surprise. An 82 year old woman from Co Durham was reported in The Times today as saying (I can’t remember verbatim) “I can’t believe they’ve voted this way in an…[Read more]
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We are a nation of bootlickers, aren’t we?
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 7 months ago
Amazing but true: participants in Songs of Innocence and Experience have just under two months left to complete their short story.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
Well done, Jeanette – super piece. Great comp, John!
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Athelstone posted an update 6 years, 7 months ago
“The Book of my Enemy Has Been Remaindered”
The book of my enemy has been remaindered
And I am pleased.
In vast quantities it has been remaindered
Like a van-load of counterfeit that has been seized
And sits in piles in a police warehouse,
My enemy’s much-prized effort sits in piles
In the kind of bookshop where remaindering…[Read more]-
RIP
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Now I know why.
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I met Clive James once. I had long been a fan of the least known – but which he once said was ‘the closest to my heart’ – of his many endeavours, the songs he wrote with Pete Atkin and which Atkin performed. When I first got internet access I discovered and started participating in a mailing list of like-minded souls called Midnight Voices, and…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly Comp – November 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 7 months ago
Steps of passing ghosts
‘Trees are at their best when they’re turned into timber,’ said Norman as he picked the large golden leaf from his decking, crushing it in his hand. He had searched for ages to find this house with no trees in sight. There had been a spruce in the garden when he moved in, that the previous owner said had been a Chris…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly comp – October 2019 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 years, 8 months ago
Oops! Sorry all – got my days mixed up, but anyway, super quality this month.
Sandra – Time to play
Yes! That’s exactly the feeling: that unexpected memory. There’s a lot in these few words. Oddly enough I was thinking about the ‘play’ that’s so often missing from writing, quite recently. So easy to assume that a reverential approach will produc…[Read more] -
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
My buddies have all gone too 🙁
I’m Athelstone on NaNo. Anybody there?-
I am on and buddies with Silversquidge. But I am struggling with the website as the graphics are all misplaced on my screen.
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Gotcha – and Silver Squidge.
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
Hang on, I’m writing! I am. I’ll check the website.
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My buddies have all gone too 🙁
I’m Athelstone on NaNo. Anybody there?-
I am on and buddies with Silversquidge. But I am struggling with the website as the graphics are all misplaced on my screen.
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Gotcha – and Silver Squidge.
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
Cats are marvellous and varied. My son’s two cats will hunt down every fly and spider with a total absence of mercy. Others take a far more philosophical approach and yours sounds wonderful.
Many years ago I rented a house which came with a resident cat named Mittens. Mittens was mainly a lethargic house-cat, mooching around from sunny spot to…[Read more]
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Yes, our pussy is a gentle, affectionate creature with an almost total lack of the predatory instinct, which makes her a useless mouser but a lovely companion. Our friends who stayed with us weekend before last fell so in love with her they threatened to take her home with them.
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One of our cats is a complete softie too. He recently spent a whole weekend lying with/on a very poorly wee girl who, whilst cuddling him, laughed for the first time in months.
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Love my cat – until he decides he’s hungry at 4.30am. Or climbs into my lap while I’m knitting/writing/reading. Or brings in a bird. He’s very tolerant, too – Mr Squidge often plays Cataroo! (like Buckaroo but with a cat, not a donkey. And it’s me who gets the catty evils, as though it’s all my fault when cat moves and everything falls off.))
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
Bizarrely, even with the group hidden, the forum posts are still splashed on the Activity page
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
There’s definitely something odd here. If I log out and go to “Groups”, then the MA Course is visible but marked private and I can’t get into it – which is right. If I go to “Writers’ Forum” the MA Course forum is listed, but the only other forums there are the public ones. I can’t get into the MA Course forum this way as it tells me to log on,…[Read more]
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Ah, events have overtaken me!
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Bizarrely, even with the group hidden, the forum posts are still splashed on the Activity page
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
@raine you could try making the group hidden. Members will still be able to read and post etc. No idea whether the issue is in WordPress, BBPress, or BuddyPress – the relationships are a bit of a nightmare.
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Have made the group hidden. Will look into it further as I suspect this will not fix the issue. There is deginitely a problem but only with this specific group so far. Will see what I can do.
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There’s definitely something odd here. If I log out and go to “Groups”, then the MA Course is visible but marked private and I can’t get into it – which is right. If I go to “Writers’ Forum” the MA Course forum is listed, but the only other forums there are the public ones. I can’t get into the MA Course forum this way as it tells me to log on,…[Read more]
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Ah, events have overtaken me!
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Bizarrely, even with the group hidden, the forum posts are still splashed on the Activity page
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Athelstone posted a new activity comment 6 years, 8 months ago
Yes, but if I’m logged out shouldn’t I just be like any other punter looking at the site? I tried logging out and clearing my browser cache and I can still see all the posts. I also grabbed Mrs Athelsone’s laptop and I can see the posts from that – and she isn’t a Denizen or anything.
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@raine you could try making the group hidden. Members will still be able to read and post etc. No idea whether the issue is in WordPress, BBPress, or BuddyPress – the relationships are a bit of a nightmare.
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Have made the group hidden. Will look into it further as I suspect this will not fix the issue. There is deginitely a problem but only with this specific group so far. Will see what I can do.
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There’s definitely something odd here. If I log out and go to “Groups”, then the MA Course is visible but marked private and I can’t get into it – which is right. If I go to “Writers’ Forum” the MA Course forum is listed, but the only other forums there are the public ones. I can’t get into the MA Course forum this way as it tells me to log on,…[Read more]
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Ah, events have overtaken me!
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Bizarrely, even with the group hidden, the forum posts are still splashed on the Activity page
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Athelstone started the topic The truth about – back then (part 2) in the forum Blogs 6 years, 8 months ago
Well, I got away with the last one so this is another blog from the Word Cloud. Apologies again to former Cloudies who remember it. To repeat myself, it’s worth saying straight out that I’m also sorry if they seem too locker-room in style. The male gaze is overused and far less important than male writers suppose. But the blogs are who I was…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Bumbling Round the Citadel in the forum Blogs 6 years, 8 months ago
Well the story of the book is seriously interesting, so I can hardly wait to get my copy.
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And from me too. I hope everybody has a lovely day.
Happy Christmas everyone.
Merry Christmas Athers, and all other Denizens xxx
Merry Christmas, all x
And from me Athers, to you and to all. I’ll be quiet for a bit with a dozen new books to read!
xxx