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Athelstone posted an update 7 years, 2 months ago
So, Jericho Writers has (have?) scrapped the Townhouse forum and launched Jericho Townhouse which is open to the public and free, it seems.
https://is-tracking-link-api-prod.appspot.com/api/v1/click/5347572672102400/6493349099864064
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RichardB replied to the topic 'The Five': A Dissenting Voice in the forum Blogs 7 years, 2 months ago
Interesting point there, Raine, about reinforcing society’s assumptions because, obviously, Rubenhold was trying to do exactly the opposite. Bit of a misfire, that.
Agreed, John, that it’s an appalling attitude. The book sets out to do a job that was well worth doing. I just wish she’d done it in a less fanatical and dishonest way.
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Athelstone replied to the topic 'The Five': A Dissenting Voice in the forum Blogs 7 years, 2 months ago
Before I forget to say it “Great blog, Richard”.
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RichardB replied to the topic 'The Five': A Dissenting Voice in the forum Blogs 7 years, 2 months ago
I did see the programme, Squidge, and yes, it was very interesting. I had heard of this man, Aaron Kosminski, before ā he is also the suspect named in the recent DNA testing controversy ā and though many people are not convinced, I am at least convinced that the Ripper (whoever he was) was an ordinary, local man, a face in the crowd with int…[Read more]
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Squidge replied to the topic 'The Five': A Dissenting Voice in the forum Blogs 7 years, 2 months ago
Read this Richard as I’d watched the recent programme with the woman who is the lead in Silent Witness, an ex-prison governor with experience of serial killers and an ex-cold case copper, which looked at the Ripper story in light of modern techniques.
It was fascinating – a lot of the info I’d heard before, but what came clearly across is that…[Read more]
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RichardB started the topic 'The Five': A Dissenting Voice in the forum Blogs 7 years, 2 months ago
Hallie Rubenhold’s The Five, her account of the lives of Jack the Ripper’s canonical five victims, has created quite a stir. It made headlines before it was even published, and it has climbed the Sunday Times best-seller list. It has received fulsome praise from critics, who have called it ‘an angry and important work of historical detection,…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 7 years, 2 months ago
Installed a CPU fan in a mini-PC, cooked a chowder and a loaf of bread, watched a film, cleaned the kitchen and washed the floor (put the vacuum cleaner round the house while I was at it), measured up for a new side gate and some fencing, lounged about quite a bit. Actually supposed to be writing. Managed < 500 words š
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You need to give up cleaning, Ath. It’s an addiction. Once started people find themselves having to do some or all of it every day and it ruins their health, their lives and their relatonships with their loved ones. I got help a few years ago and have managed to kick the habit. But it was hard, very hard.
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Let’s see if I can do 1000 words today. Although, having said that, there’s a pile of laundry to sort out…
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Step away from the dirty clothes. You know you can…
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Step away, Ath, step away. Acknowledge the temptation, then remind yourself you do not *need* housework. Deep breaths. I believe in you (and your soon-to-be-dusty house).
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stepped away long enough to do a few hundred words. Who would have thought laundry would have such a fascination.
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Dirty clothes are great. People will stop visiting or inviting you around because you smell so bad, which means there will be no distraction from writing. You can always wear a gas mask if your own smell becomes too much for you! Leave that laundry and housework alone. š
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Only time I got the cleaning habit was when no.2 child started school, 3 months before no.3 child arrived. Never tried it since (& no.3 child now 41)
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Yes, but apart from the fact that I’m a bit fussy about keeping the kitchen clean, the only time I’m struck by the impulse to do housework is when I’m sat in front of the keyboard trying to write.
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That’s alright then. Just Say No.
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Yes, Sandra! I think many of us have had a narrow escape from the clutches of cleaning and can look back and think ‘There, but for the Grace of God …’
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It’s a dangerous road, indeed – I have never been seriously tempted down The Cleaning Way, except perhaps like @athelstone as a procrastinatory device. Much better to maintain low standards. It’s hard work, but worth it (all that TIME!). Also, kids. Train them up. They get quite useful as they get older.
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@janeshuff is that actually a true story, or tongue in cheek? I am intrigued…
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Sadly not @kazg. Not even sitting in front of the computer preparing to write makes me want to go and clean.
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š you and me both, @janeshuff
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JaneShuff posted an update 7 years, 3 months ago
Very sad this morning. First Glasgow School of Art and now Notre Dame. There seems to be a curse on my favourite buildings.
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JaneShuff replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 3 months ago
Congratulations @philippaeast
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Daedalus replied to the topic Regular Den competition – where next? in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 3 months ago
Thanks for that @clebs, great to see your enthusiasm. Some good thoughts there. Iām bogged down in various commissions with time running out fast at the moment, but will gather this all together asap
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JaneShuff replied to the topic A Bad Job: Thirsk, 1892 in the forum Blogs 7 years, 3 months ago
Fascinating as usual, Richard. A wonderful piece of story-telling.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Help/brainstorming needed please – using antagonist narrator in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
Thanks Bella š
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RichardB started the topic A Bad Job: Thirsk, 1892 in the forum Blogs 7 years, 3 months ago
Though the story of every fatal accident is a tragedy for somebody, few are quite so sad as the tale of what is known as the Thirsk railway accident, although it actually happened about three miles north of there. I have perforce had to include some (simplified) signalling technicalities, but you’d need a heart of stone not to be moved by this…[Read more]
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Athelstone replied to the topic Help/brainstorming needed please – using antagonist narrator in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
Is that video on JW, @philippaeast? I just can’t spot it.
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JaneShuff replied to the topic Short Story Publication/Competition in the forum Podium 7 years, 3 months ago
Congratulations, elle!!
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Daedalus replied to the topic Regular Den competition – where next? in the forum Monthly Competition 7 years, 3 months ago
I was thinking a PM to the setter would be the easiest way, and not putting too much responsibility on a smallish group of people, but we can always try it for a while and see how it goes.
An alternating competitive-non competitive challenge is an option, but how would we decide who set the prompt for the non-competitive months?
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Squidge replied to the topic Camp NaNoWriMo in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
Just to prove how stupid I am – did not realise that the camp didn’t let you post anything until the official start of the writing period. But at least I know where to find the thing to log word count – even if it’s not appearing yet.
Can you tell I’ve not done this before? *face plant*
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Squidge replied to the topic Camp NaNoWriMo in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
Having never done Nano before, someone’s going to have to tell me how I log my word count, cos I can’t find where on the menu bar I do that. I have found stats… just not how to change them.
Sometimes I really hate technology.
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Squidge replied to the topic Camp NaNoWriMo in the forum The Writers' Lifeboat 7 years, 3 months ago
OK, looks like I’m going to be ‘Silver Squidge’ as just Squidge was already taken…
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Thanks for befriending me on the JT, Ath! Now I’m off to find Kate. For greetings on JT it’ll be a question of ‘and anyone else who knows me’ until I get the hang of things.
You’re very welcome. I think I saw Kate, but I wasn’t sure whether it was Kate, if you know what I mean. I was going to wait until she adds a photo
I’ve just asked her on our group thread. There could be lesser Kates out there …
Well, the “k” on the JT kate is lower case, which doesn’t seem like her at all.
And now it’s upper case. How confusing.
Hi Athers, I’ve joined JT to see what WordCloud Mk2 looks like – and asked to be your friend š I think, while we all wished Harry well with JerryCoats, we thought it would come back to this eventually. Whether it will ever regain the self-perpetuating impetus of WordCloud we’ll just have to wait and see.
Yeah, interesting. They must have seen that the subscription-based model just wasn’t creating the necessary sense of community. Feel a bit torn now! Not sure I want to go back, especially now we have the Den. But if it gets going like the Word Cloud, I may well rejoin.
I’ve joined and am enjoying the interesting new game: Spot the Denizen!
Some are easy, others you just wonder ” is that……?”
Interesting. I’ve joined but I can’t seem to confirm my email without getting “ERROR OCCURRED, PLEASE TRY TO LOGIN TO YOUR ACCOUNT AND RESEND VERIFICATION EMAIL.” in reply … Iwonder if I’m on a blacklist somewhere š