The good morning, good night thread

[marc_chagall]

Thanks Paul

[Geoff_N]

Dunno if you folks recall my Battle of Trafalgar short that was critiqued here on CD last year but it's to be editor pick of the month for January's The Horror Zine. Does anyone have a Royalty-free photo (or other form of illustration) of Nelson's Column that Jeani Rector could use to go with the story?

[Ed]

You can get cheap royalty free pics at www.istockphoto.com

[Geoff_N]

Thanks, Ed.
Delph has kindly provided one of her photos of Nelson's Column so that will illustrate my story on HorrorZine in January.

Other news. I have a The Night Garden meets Zombies short story up in the Zombie Blog Hop! at
http://www.preciousmonsters.com/p/zombie-blog-hop-on-december-7-2012.html?spref=fb

In case others don't know, The Night Garden is a BBC programme for infants. I've always thought those kind of programmes quite scary and so followed through my instincts    My story is in the Science42Fiction blog link on the Blog Hop! link above.

[notsoscarey]

Two days to finish a term project for my class and then I'm free to write what I enjoy again...I've hit the wall with this blasted project and almost don't feel like completing it. Almost.

[Ed]

Good luck with it, Notso

I've pretty much hit the wall with work as well. I'm getting grief from all sides at the moment. It's almost always the same on the run up to Christmas -- forget all the religious connotations, it's just another deadline. The only difference is this one isn't moveable

[Geoff_N]

Cheer up guys, this winter solstice festivity is the season of goodwill to all whether you want to or not

Worldwide condemnation of North Korea's successful satellite launch today. While understanding the concern of a frankly madcap harsh  regime developing such capability I always feel uncomfortable at the hypocrisy of rich nations telling poor ones that 'yes we have such things but you're not allowed to.'

Funny how no matter how I try and foresee educational opportunities with my 3-year-old grandson when I have him each Tuesday, its always serendipity that wins. Walking through the park yesterday I was giving him the 'don't walk on the iced up lake talk'' when he picks up a stone and wheeeeee it slides for ever when lobbed on the ice. 'Look at that look at that! It goes more than on the grass.' Too cold to spend more than 30 mins at stone skipping over the ice but all the way home he stopped everyone to tell them his discovery. Hence the danger stranger talk later Ha ha.

[delboy]

I'm with you, Geoff! On the hypocrisy, that is. It raises some interesting dilemmas - would I want certain nations around the world to have ICBMs? Or would I prefer a good dose of that hypcorisy? I suspect one day some minor regime will uncover a super-thought astral-plane levitating-time-travelling, quark-powered ultra-weapon that will make everything else redundant and then they'll tell the rest of us what we can have and what we can't have...

As for Christmas...I'm the original grump. All those crowded shops and people spending money they haven't got and time with people they'd rather not. I reckon when I retire it might be a fun time of year, until then it's simply chance for a few days off work. Probably be too cold for fishing and cycling as well. They should have it in the spring.

[Ed]

The problem comes when a regime has these things with no inhibitions about using them. The cold war was only kept cold by the threat of assured mutual destruction. There are some schools of thought that would see that destruction as a victory. I think the biggest threat comes from small scale actions that escalate. Think the Hamas rocket attacks for example. If Hamas had a kilo of enriched uranium to strap onto the tip of every one, do you think they would hesitate to use it? The repercussions for public health would be enormous, but it might take five, ten, fifteen years to die from a dirty bomb attack. The attack would be over quickly, but the long term damage would linger for a century or more. And what would be the appropriate response to such an attack?

I see what you're saying, Geoff. The thing is, if Pandora could have shut the lid I think she would have.

[Pharosian]

Worldwide condemnation of North Korea's successful satellite launch today. While understanding the concern of a frankly madcap harsh  regime developing such capability I always feel uncomfortable at the hypocrisy of rich nations telling poor ones that 'yes we have such things but you're not allowed to.'

Do you really think it's a matter of rich versus poor? Don't you think it has a lot to do with the way North Korea's leaders behave and treat their own people? I mean would the world be quite so concerned if, say, Iceland or Jamaica (countries with comparable GDP) had launched a similar missile?

[Geoff_N]

I agree it's not just about rich v poor but it seems like it to many. I didn't say we should allow North Korea to develop nuclear strike capability its just that I feel uncomfortable with the hypocrisy of it all. The only good excuse I can think of to have nuclear weapons is to use against those asteroids who are on their way. Having said that only small ones can be destroyed or sufficiently damaged with our global weapons. A UN controlled body could be in charage of those rather than the US, UK, etc. Then we would not be hypocritical ordering the smaller countries around.

Sometimes it is beneficial for poor countries to launch satellites. I remember Pakistan and China objecting to India's first rocket launch. The telecom satellite in orbit transformed the way communication and edicuation became taught and experienced in rural India. Perhaps the rich West should help N Korea and others by offering bandwidth on existing satellites and so enrich lives.

I know N Korea is a problem country with poverty and freakish control although take away all control and we get Somalia. Progress is slow all round.

[delboy]

If Hamas had a kilo of enriched uranium to strap onto the tip of every one, do you think they would hesitate to use it?

I would hope so!

[Geoff_N]

We've had an old fireplace removed. Now there's a hole in the floor but it only needs 3 and a bit laminated-type floor boards fitted. The fitter says okay - about an hour's work but you need to clear the furniture for that half of the room. Aaarggh. Don't mine the TV and computer cabinet but because the corner impinges, he wants the big bookcase and bursting Welsh dresser out of the way too. Of course its an opportunity to sort out the dross, decide on which books I'm just not going to read again; those reference books that can be beaten by Google. Wife comes in to help. Why keep this book? Your'e an atheist, she says. No, Christopher Priest is his NAME and its signed -go visit your father! Phew.

[Rev. Austin]

Hi folks! With the potential end of the world coming, I didn't want to die having forsaken you lot haha 

I've already decided that my new year's resolution will be to refresh my writing discipline (I used to put a few hours aside every night to do it, or at least make notes). These last six months have been pretty shitty for me for various reasons, health and otherwise, and one of the main things I couldn't "do" was concentrate on writing - music, yes, stories, no. I enjoyed it, but only in very short bursts, so I decided to sort of knock it on the head and start afresh and with renewed vim and vigour in January! If everything is still here then 

I shall also grace you all with my esteemed presence more often again - think of it as a prolonged, and unfortunate, Christmas present. Merry festive season to you all! 

[desertwomble]

I shall also grace you all with my esteemed presence more often again - think of it as a prolonged, and unfortunate, Christmas present. Merry festive season to you all! 

Damn! I no longer believe in Santa!

But seriously, welcome back, Your Grace. Perhaps it'll spur me on a bit more. Your presence would especially be welcome in the CD Flash Challenge.

DW