An Assortment

Since the loss of so much material I've been busy trying to recreate some writing I was working on. The last few big stories I was working on are saved but I reckon I've lost maybe a dozen "concepts". The other big one I'd just started was lost too. Annoyingly all the research I'd saved off the Internet wasn't saved either but the story itself was fresh enough in my mind that it's not been too difficult to re-write the 20 or so pages that are gone. The re-write's also turning out better than the original flurry of words too. Some new characters have pushed their way in and the stumbling point in the plot (I got stuck) has been resolved. Hopefully, I'll have more fun writing this version than I would have the original.

All in all, it could be worse.

Anyway, while I'm beavering away there's some kind of economic trouble which seems to have occurred because banks were giving money away to people who couldn't afford to pay it back- and Barack Obama says it's all George Bush's fault. It's all beyond me to be honest but this struck me as being a thoughtful evaluation of the bail-out plan.

Next up is some terrible news- P.J. O'Rourke has announced he is suffering from cancer. He seems hopeful about his chances in this piece, which also tackles his belief in evolution and in God. Religious or not, it seems to me to be some choice food for thought. Here's hoping he pulls through.

Next is another masterwork from Bill Whittle. Entitled Pain, it touches a cord with me. It's something I've had just a tad too much experience of. He describes it exceedingly well.

And the thing I remember about that time and on Friday too, was a sense that when you are in that universe of pain for three or four hours there simply is no other side to it. You can’t remember, and you can’t imagine, what it would feel like not to hurt.

As with the rest of Mr. Whittle's work, you really should read it all.

Lastly, the Queen of Snark guest-blogs at The Munchkin Wrangler's place on the topic of love. It's Tam we're talking about so you know it's going to be very, very good.

I love to score a point off an idiot in a debate that I know makes onlookers chuckle and would make the idiot cry, were he literate enough to realize what I’d just said.

Enjoy and come back soon!