Pencils sir?
Just crawled out of bed and have the remnants of a weird dream so thought I'd get it down before it disappears.
I am in a shop. The kind of shop where you buy sweets or candy by the weight. A newsagenty kind of place with large shiny chrome scales on the counter. On the other side of the counter are a mother and son duo, the mother lazing with her feet up while the boy serves.
I find myself with a wooden box in my hands. The box has several pencils in it. Some long pencils, some short pencils, some made of dark wood some of light wood, but all made of wood. The boy is talking to me asking me which pencils I want. He already has one light coloured medium length pencil in his hands and says that one is compulsory. I think well ok, it looks like a nice pencil, but I really want a dark one too.
After picking out a decent dark pencil, sharpened at both ends, I realise the boy is intending to cut the pencils up, put them in a wee brown paper bag and serve them to me as a snack. I am surprisingly comfortable with this and smile at him to let him know. After that I look behind him in search of some nuts. I think nuts would go well with pencil and am keen for him to add some to the bag.
Things get a little hazy at this point but saffice to say I smiled my way out of the shop with my wee brown paper bag and awoke to find the distinct taste of wood and graphite in my mouth.
Sad
I am sad.
My girlfriend has left me for sunnier climes. Why not though, the last two weeks in Edinburgh have been the wettest I've know in May for some time, this is taking spring showers to the extreme.
What to do, what to do, what to do.......
Should probably revise for that last exam ever at uni tomorrow or summit.
Artistic license
One of the by-products of writing a blog is that you want to make it interesting for others to read, which may in turn mean stretching or altering some facts to make them suit your needs.
It is an ethical dilema of which the author must decide what is approriate. If a utilitarian view is taken then artistic license would cause little ethical problem as the outcome would justify the means i.e the story would be better, more funny etc.
On the other hand if the author analysed the situatuation deontologically an ethical issue of priciples and inaccuracy would become prevailent. And in terms of virtue, would the author be happy if the fact was on the front page of The Times tomorrow? If not you can be sure the decision is wrong.
As you may probably have realised I have little concern over my own ramblings being interesting to the masses. You can rest assured the facts on these pages will hold up in court, but lets hope it doesn't come to that.
Book Corner
The Last Godfather: The Life and Crimes of Arthur Thompson - Reg McKayWhy do I read these books from time to time? Well, I suppose I have a passion for fact based books and true crime often provides stories that keep the reader on the edge of his seat. I also have a passion for finishing books no matter how dreary they are as I feel that much can be learnt, especially if the author has a supposed reputation.
These two passions of mine do however from time to time collide and this book was one such time. Ok Arthur Thompson lead a life apart from the 'norm' and it would (could and should) make an interesting book to read. But, much like Arthur Thompson's life didn't happen in a hurry neither should the writing of it.
That is the impression that is conveyed here; a rush job. There are regular grammatical errors and the book itself is poorly bound with the pages not even lining up evenly. Verdict? One to remember but for all the wrong reasons.
Ah well, can't win em all. I'd pass if I were you... NEXT!
Book Corner
To Kill a Mocking Bird - Harper LeeYes, it does appear that I am currently reading my way throught the American high school reading list but hey, I've read the UK's list. And anyway these books are chosen not on a whim but because they are good and provide valuable lessons, and not just in literary matters.
This is a great book and one to remember. Incredibly warm and wholesome with moralistic undertones which only serve to make the book that much more appealing. In a world where whites reign supreme and blacks are second class citizens we follow a family from a small town in deep south US 1930s.
Through the eyes of Scout Finch we gain insight into growing up and are reminded of what it is like to be child. Harper Lee develops the main characters to the extent where you almost know how they will react to events that unfold, and all in front of the backdrop of ingrained racism.
Although an old story line and so perhaps sometimes predictable you can't beat a good story well told, that is most definately what this is and what an ending!
Buy it, read it, remember it... should be common human(e) knowledge.
Submitted and Survived
I don't want this to turn into a diary of my life at university, so on the dissertation front it's done, it's over, forget about it. I suppose I am not one of those people who lives to work but am more inclined to work to live, therefore I don't talk about the matter after the fact.
But (as a matter of fact) it went well.
