Sunday 31 August 2008

What is this thing called rssHugger?












One or two people I know, have asked what rssHugger is about. RssHugger is an exceptional website that strives to bring blog owners and readers together.

RssHugger aims to provide bloggers with a user-friendly way to advertise their blogs. It brings traffic by building backlinks for search engine optimization, as well as drawing new RSS subscribers (providing the subject matter is sufficiently attractive).

Backlinks to a website are significant as they aid the process of search engine optimisation by including your keywords in the anchor text of links back to your website. However, the principle component of rssHugger remains that of building a steady readership for your blogs.
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Saturday 30 August 2008

Regus leaves Britain, Darling to blame.

Regus becomes the third business this week to declare that it is to move out of the country because of taxes. Asset manager Henderson and engineer Charter are relocating to Ireland where the tax regime is business oriented and Regus is transfering to Luxembourg.

10 years of Labour control, has left us with some of the highest business tax rates in Europe. I’m a mere working class lad, but I can see quite clearly that Labour are ruining us – I wish they were called something other than Labour. The name carries connotations of belonging to the working class – WRONG – it is a misconception brought about, and nurtured, quite deliberately by spin-doctors.

It pisses me off to see our great nation going down the drain. First Incapability Brown (as chancellor) made paupers out of pensioners – now Darling makes a pig’s ear of the business sector. What else is left? We are now a nation grasping for straws. We are drowning in shit.

Without business, we are well and truly shafted! Every man and his dog (except Labour dogs), understands this quite clearly.

In a letter to Alistair Darling (Labour chancellor), George Osbourne (shadow chancellor), says that the decision by service provider Regus to leave, is more evidence of the damage done by the confusion caused over the business tax regime.

Come on Darling. Extract your finger from your arse and let someone who understands what life is about, take over – oh, and whilst you’re at it, take Incapability Brown with you.


Friday 29 August 2008

Incapability Brown and the death threat


Ishaq Kanmi, and brothers Abbas Iqbal, and Ilyas Iqbal were detained in custody earlier this month over threats made on an Islamic website which is understood to have links to al-Qa'eda ….

But I'm wondering .... was it al-Qa'eda, or was it a frustrated pensioner’s organization?

You see, I have this theory, maybe it wasn't a middle-east backed terror plot. Perhaps it wasn’t a death threat after all, just someone who got mad at Gordon Brown for his rape of British pensions.

Incapability Brown's notorious "pension stealth tax" has reduced the value of retirement funds by at least £100 billion and it could have just got up someone’s nose a little bit too much. Perhaps it was their way of getting back at him - after all, how can someone who destroyed every pensioner’s standard of life, be allowed to sit on, so richly and smugly, as prime minister?
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To be honest, Gordon Brown and his smugness piss me off. He stole money from those who could afford it least then had the audacity to sneak his way to the country's top job, by the back door.

Kanmi, from Blackburn, has been charged with soliciting murder and being a member of al-Qa'eda. It was also claimed that Kanmi invited backing for terrorist publications.

Abbas Iqbal, was charged with spreading terrorist pamphlets and with custody of an article used for the training or initiation of terrorism.

His brother Ilyas appeared on a similar charge. All three men denied the charges.

Okay, I admit it, maybe it is a bit extreme for pensioners after all. At the end of the day, the middle-east bad-guys are getting exactly what they deserve - and quite rightly too - they should have their balls ripped off.

But what about Incapability Brown? What will he be charged with? At the end of HIS day, will HE get what he deserves? When the General Election crops up, and it's time to put crosses on papers, I hope the country remembers Incapability Brown's rape of the British pension funds.
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Wednesday 27 August 2008

"The Jewel of Medina" rises from the ashes.


Just when you thought it was over and the dust was settling, "The Jewel of Medina" hits the headlines once more.
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Wow! Some people are suckers for punishment. Talk about living dangerously!

A publisher in Denmark is in talks over purchasing Sherry Jones' “The Jewel of Medina”, a novel about the child bride of Muhammad. It was abandoned by Random House in America and removed from bookshops in Serbia.

I think it’s terrible that art should be suppressed due to pressure from fanatics, but I also have to admit I’m one for treading a safe path. The problem is, free speech ain’t so free after all, not in the real world – take the case of Salman Rushdie. You have to ask yourself, is a story worth risking a life for?

“The Jewel of Medina” is apparently a about Aisha, one of Muhammad's wives, from the age of six to 18 when Muhammad dies. It was originally purchased by Random House US for an advance of $100,000, but put on hold after the publisher was advised by experts that publication was potentially more risky than Salman Rushdie's “The Satanic Verses”.

I wonder if Sherry Jones realised the hornet’s nest she was poking as she struggled to put words together? One thing’s for certain, the publicity has put her in a world-class position for her next offering. You know what they say about no publicity being bad!
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Whether "The Jewel of Medina" is ever available on the market or not, I think I hear best-seller clinking on the horizon. Well done, Sherry, you've achieved what most of us would give our eye-teeth for. Notoriety!

Tuesday 26 August 2008

Kara DioGuardi to join American Idol


American Idol" is to add a new feature to its panel of judges, a songwriter who is a self-confessed "feisty" "straight-shooter". She is obviously keen to find a winner who she says, “Must be unique”.

I confess I’ve not heard of her, but then again, I don’t suppose she’s heard of me either, so neither of us should be amazed. Kara, take note, I write.

The Grammy-nominated pop composer, Kara DioGuardi, will be sitting alongside Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson, for the eighth season of America’s most popular TV show.

The addition of Kara is the biggest amendment to the series since it took the tentative steps into prime time on the Fox network in 2002.

Apparently, Kara DioGuardi has written and produced songs for several artists, counting amongst them, Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera, and past winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson.

Well good for Kara! Let’s hope she brings a little common sense to the program… Let’s face it she won’t have to do much to achieve it. Fellow judge, Paula is a beautiful woman who speaks a lot but says little. She could waffle for the U.S. - Randy Jackson talks more sense but in such dated clichés, he sounds ridiculous.

Simon Cowell alone, stands coherent and logical. Okay, sometimes he’s a tad scathing, but never without reason. Idiots shouldn’t put themselves into a position to be ‘scathed’. His comments are clean and clinical. No overspeak, no trying to ingratiate himself to all-and-sundry.
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I love the program. I'm addicted.
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Sunday 24 August 2008

Boris Johnson's Olympic Gaff


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So the great Chinese Show comes to an end.
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Britain's Boris Johnson now hangs on tightly to the Olympic flag. Yet, good old Boris has done it again. Our heads of state and politicians seem to have the unique ability of putting their feet firmly where their tonsils should be.

When Boris Johnson speaks, there should be a 30 second delay to allow time for the geeks to stop his blunders being transmitted. He received the flag, said his stuff, but it sort of came out ‘fluffed’. Boris is likeable, loveable yet oh so bumbly.

His bumble this time? At the end of the Olympic ceremony, live, in front of millions of TV viewers, he said in his undeniably enthusiastic way that the people of China should watch out, “Ping Pong is coming home.”

Mr. Brown showed he was less than enthusiastic about the remarks, by thanking Boris for his efforts on furthering Chinese - British relationships.

Boris reminds me of the archetypal English eccentric, mouth engaged before brain. I’ve no doubt he’s a very clever chap, in fact I think he probably has a very high IQ, quite an intellect really – except he seems to keep it hidden.

I have to admit I quite like Boris – but he does have a habit of saying things, which are better left unsaid.
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Walking the Dog

One of the things that gets up my nose is those people who walk dogs with extra long adjustable leads.

It isn't the fault of the dogs, they just want to walk hither and thither, but the damn things always become tied up around my legs. Maybe it's just that dogs like me!!!

You can see them every day, owners letting pooches run where ever they wish - and dogs love it. They feel free, which of course is just what they are - free to make a nuisance of themselves.

Why can't owners keep them under control? Why allow dogs to occupy so much space - because occupy space they do. The dog and owner take up several meters of pavement, and no one can get in. It's rather like waving a huge stick, making sure no one gets close.

Well just take note. Keep your bloody dogs under control. I'm not saying don't use an adjustable lead, I'm not suggesting you shouldn't allow your dog the enjoyment of a free walk, BUT shorten the lead IMMEDIATELY anyone else is in the vicinity.

Come on Dog Owners. Stop being so bloody ignorant.

Next post


Saturday 23 August 2008

Writing, Sport, and the world of Michael Phelps

Pay attention, book world, Michael Phelps is going for the gold, except this time it has nothing to do with sport. This time Michael is planning to sweep to victory in bookstores.

…. And it pisses me off.

It’s a sad fact that success in the literary world has little to do with writing prowess, more to do with celebrity status, and Phelps has plenty of that. It’s yet one more smack in the face to legitimate authors. It makes a mockery of the years we spend building our writing skills.

The winner of 14 gold medals and seven world records is planning to write a book about his journey from a single-parent household to becoming perhaps the most celebrated U.S. Olympic athlete. I acknowledge his prowess, I bow down to his ability, but why does he have to muscle in our world?

The certain best seller by Phelps, is scheduled to be released by Free Press, in December. I know I’m crabbing, but who gives a shit. Authors work damn hard to gain a smidgen of recognition. It simply isn’t fair. I only made the best selling list for a few hours. He'll be there for months.

Next post

Friday 22 August 2008

Ralph and Edna

Bedlam Humor


Ralph and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day whilst they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Ralph suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there.

Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled him out. When the Nursing Director became aware of Edna's heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

She went to tell Edna the news she said, 'Edna, I have good news and bad news. *The good news is you're being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love. I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness."

Edna beamed at that. "Well that's nice of you to say."

"The bad news is, Ralph must have been really depressed because he hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead.'

Edna smiled and shook her head, 'No my dear, he didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?'

Related posts - More jokes .



Next post on Bedlam - Change of style

Thursday 21 August 2008

Changed the style of my blog

Well I've finally done it. I've changed the look of my blog.

I hope you don't think you've gone to the wrong blog. It's still me. I'm still as caustic.

What do you think? Is it okay? Let me know whether you like it. I'd love to hear your comments on the style.

Next post

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Writing Story Dialogue - 12 Cool Secrets

All About Write - 10 Top Writing Tips

Lens Coating - What Everybody Ought To Know


Tuesday 19 August 2008

Joke - Queenslanders never brag.

Bedlam Humour




A guy from Queensland is drinking in a West Australian Pub when he gets a call on his mobile phone and as he listens to the call he starts grinning from ear to ear.

Once he disconnects he shouts to the barman that he wants to buy everyone in the bar a drink.

The barman starts serving the drinks and the people start to crowd around keen to know what they are celebrating. 'Well,' he announces, 'My wife's just produced a typical Queensland baby boy weighing 25 pounds'.

Nobody can believe that any baby can weigh in at 25 pounds, but the Queensland guy just shrugs, 'That's about average in Queensland. Like I said, my boy is a typical Queensland boy.'

Congratulations showered him from all around and many exclamations of 'STREWTH' were heard. One woman even fainted due to sympathy pains.

Two weeks later the Queenslander returns to the bar. The bartender says 'You're the father of that typical Queensland baby that weighed 25 pounds at birth aren't you? Everybody's been having bets about how big he'd be in 2 weeks, we were going to call you. So - how much does he weigh now?'

The proud father answers: '17 pounds'.

The bartender is puzzled and concerned. 'What happened? He weighed 25 pounds the day he was born!'

The Queensland father takes a long slow swig from his XXXX Gold, wipes his lips on his shirt sleeve, leans onto the bar and proudly says .... 'Had him circumcised!'


Related posts - More jokes .
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Next post on Bedlam - Italian politics and the breast


Thursday 14 August 2008

Joke - The consultant and the sheep


The consultant
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A shepherd was herding his flock in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand-new BMW advanced out of a dust cloud towards him. The driver, a young man in a Prada suit, Gucci shoes, Dior sunglasses and D+G tie, leans out the window and asks the shepherd: 'If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?'
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The shepherd looks at the man, obviously a yuppie, then looks at his peacefully grazing flock and calmly answers: 'Sure. Why not?'
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The yuppie parks his car, whips out his Dell notebook computer, connects it to his AT&T cell phone, surfs to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA satellite that scans the area in an ultra-high-resolution photo.
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The young man then opens the digital photo in Adobe Photoshop and exports it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany. Within seconds, he receives an email on his Palm Pilot that the image has been processed and the data stored.
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He then accesses a MS-SQL database through an ODBC connected Excel spreadsheet with hundreds of complex formulae. He uploads all of this data via an email on his Blackberry and, after a few minutes, receives a response.
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The sheep
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Finally, he prints out a full-colour, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturised HP LaserJet printer, turns to the shepherd and says: 'You have exactly 1,586 sheep'.
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'That's right. Well, I guess you can take one of my sheep,' says the shepherd.
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He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused as the young man stuffs it into the boot of his car. Then the shepherd says to the young man: 'Hey, if I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me back my sheep?'
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The young man thinks about it for a second and then says: 'Okay, why not?'.
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'You're a consultant,' says the shepherd.
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'Wow! That's correct,' says the yuppie. 'But how did you guess that?'
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'No guessing required,' answers the shepherd. 'You showed up here even though nobody called you, you want to get paid for an answer I already knew to a question I never asked, and you know sweet f.a. about my business.'
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The young man stares at him open mouthed.
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'Now,' says the shepherd. 'Give me back my dog.'
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Related posts - More jokes .
My other blog - Tell Me a Story
End of post - Joke - The consultant and the sheep

Wednesday 13 August 2008

John Ray arrested in China

So when China says it will allow free press, what it means is, free as long as you don't film or report anything they don't want you to.

The Law Mongers of China, arrested British TV reporter, John Ray and physically man-handled him after he tried reporting a Free-Tibet protest.


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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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He was bundled into a van and whipped away. His shoes and kit-bag were taken from him as if he were a common criminal. His crime. To show the attrocities that China wants to keep secret.

What is it all about? Freedom? There's no such thing in China.

As we all expected, the Olympic are turning into a farce. All they ever wanted was a slice of publicity for their guilt ridden state.

There is NO free reporting. No freedom of speech. No freedom of movement. All they want is a picture of tranquility to be displayed to the world - - and if it isn't, clamp down like a ton of shit.

Hub page http://hubpages.com/hub/Book-Publicity
Next post http://anthonyjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/2008/08/contemporary-romance-novels-mystery.html

Contemporary romance or not, that's the mystery

So what do I know?

I thought I was writing a mystery. I had it all planned out, all the events, characters .... everything.

I wrote my heart out. I was satisfied. It was submitted and accepted.... Wow....

Then it was published.


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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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I had quite a surprise. It appears my 'mystery' isn't a 'mystery' at all. My 'mystery', has been categorized under contemporary romance novels. That's where you'll find it in Amazon, B&N, WHSmith, and uncle Tom Cobberly and all.



Now I have nothing against contemporary romances novels. Each to their own. But I thought Without Reproach was a mystery.

I hold my hands up

The press were adamant that I'd written a 'steamy' contemporary romance novel. In fact FIVE newspapers called it a 'Steamy Romance'.


Okay, I hold up my hands and admit it contains sex, quite explicit I suppose, but tasteful - I hope. It sort of fell in as it was required. It wasn't planned, it just happened - just like it does in life.

Whatever, I can live with it. I'm now the proud owner of Without Reproach, one of the world's Contemporary Romance Novels - but if you want to read a mystery ....


End of post - Contemporary romance or not, that's the mystery
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Tuesday 12 August 2008

Miramax and the book that never was!

I really don't believe some people. I mean, who in their right minds would throw away an opportunity to have their book turned into a film. I'd ABSOLUTELY jump at the chance if a film company approached me about mine .... But ESPECIALLY if they asked me to write a book for them. Wow! What a priviledge.

Yet some people just don't seem to be be bothered. For example, one Allison Pearson.


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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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The Miramax Film Corp. has taken legal action against writer and columnist Allison Pearson for breach of contract for failing to deliver a novel.
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The Miramax film studio says Pearson, a columnist for Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, received $700,000 advance royalties five years ago for all prerogatives on an unpublished novel, "I Think I Love You."
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The law suit, recorded on Friday in Manhattan, said although Pearson received the money in August 2003 under a two-year contract, she neglected to hand over the novel and ignored the requirements by Miramax about the novel’s location.
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For chrissake! $700,000? What’s up with Ms. Pearson? In fact, what’s up with Miramax? If they’re that damn desperate, why don’t they contact ME? I’ll GLADLY write the book.
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I’ll give them exactly what they want, when they want and in whatever colour they wish.
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Are you listening Mr. Miramax?
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Hub http://hubpages.com/hub/Book-Publicity
Next post http://anthonyjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/2008/08/hornets-costa-blanca.html

Saturday 9 August 2008

Entertainment - Hornet style




I love it on the Costa Blanca - but it makes me sooo fragile. I really ought to start leaving these bars before 01:30am, and stop behaving as if I'm still seventeen.
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We'd had a damn good meal at the Salamanca Restaurant in Jalón, a few glasses of vino and brandy, then went on to La Luna music bar over at Alcalalí. It was a good night, but I'm suffering now - I don't suppose I'll ever learn.
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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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The Hornets supplied the entertainment, a good mix of music that had everyone on the floor even though it was hot enough to melt wax - they know how to do it, do these lads.
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Debbie belted it out in grand style, whilst the rest of the guys played their hearts out. Good stuff. Great entertainment - but like I say .... I'm suffering now ....
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Hubs, blogs and all that jaz

Okay, so now I've started to Hub as well as Blog.

Hub pages are perhaps similar to a blog post, except you write stuff in 'capsules' and get to position them and they end up looking quite professional without even trying - well only a little.


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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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I think on the whole, they're more serious than blogs. As far as I'm concerned it's for permanent stuff. Blogs are quite transient - here today, gone tomorrow sort of thing. I know you can call up a blog post from the past, but how many people do?

Hubs occupy separate pages, they're an 'article' rather than a comment.

At any rate, I'd love you to take a look at my hubs and tell me what you think. You can find them here



Next post http://anthonyjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/2008/08/stephenie-meyer-twilight-twaddle-fan.html

Thursday 7 August 2008

Has the Twilight bubble burst?


Stephenie Meyer's vampire-romance novel series, TWILIGHT, sounds as if it may be following the path of all true vampires - withering in the light of day.

Stephenie found incredible success with her books – until this latest offering. Fans have been clambering to get the book – couldn’t wait – signs of hysteria.

On Yahoo Answers, the Books & Authors forum was innundated for weeks with young girls talking nothing but Twilight Twaddle. As the day for the new release drew closer the Twilight Twaddle increased. Now, however, the bubble seems to have burst.

Breaking Dawn, the latest in the Twilight series, sold 1.3 million copies in its first day—quite an accomplishment for something that didn’t have Harry Potter strung across the title. However, disappointed teenagers have been taking their copies back in droves. In fact, one FORMER Stephenie Meyer fan, has launched an angry campaign to return the books to Amazon.


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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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Does this mean Ms Meyer has seen the end of her fabulous run of success?

Will fans really turn from her? They're very unforgiving these readers. It’s happened before and I’ve no doubt, it’ll happen again. Once they’re faced with disappointment, readers tend to drift to other authors - they’re a fickle lot – especially the younger element.

I know. I’ve done it myself.
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Wednesday 6 August 2008

Nipple rings and all that stuff.


Bedlam
 
Extra special moments.

I'm not one for body piercing, especially in .... umm.... sensitive areas.

The idea of metal poking through my private bits, makes me cringe. I mean, what the hell do you do when you want to be intimate? And then there are those extra special moments.... for example, security screenings....

Nipple rings

Texas woman Mandy Hamlin had already passed through a large metal detector, but on a spot check, a female officer's hand-held scanner beeped as it passed over her chest. Ms. Hamlin said she explained to the woman she had nipple piercings with nipple rings fitted, and offered to show them to her in private.

However, male officers insisted she remove the jewelry before boarding her flight. WHY? Just why did they have to be removed? Did they think if she turned too quickly, her swinging breasts might damage someone, that her nipple rings were dangerous weapons? She was apparently taken behind a curtain and after a bit of a tussle, managed to remove one but had trouble with the second.

Difficulty removing nipple rings

She claimed she couldn't remove it without pliers, so what happened? The kind officer found her a pair. Apparently after nipple rings are inserted, the skin can heal around it, and the nipple rings can be extremely difficult and painful to remove.

What the hell is the world coming to. Will we have to remove our wedding rings next? What IS the difference - a ring is a ring. Surely a quick investigation by a trusted individual would have sufficed!!!

LOOK, I'm a tolerant and trustworthy fellow, don't often break the law, mostly tell the truth. May I offer my services? Nipple rings could become my speciality....
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End of post - Nipple rings and all that stuff.

So the photo scoop was too much.

Okay! I put my hands up.

They've won. The guys that have been stalking have browbeaten me into submission.

I told you a few posts ago that I believed I was under IT surveillance – I have a little gizmo that lets me know if a question has been posed to gain access to this blog. It tells me where a visitor comes from, what distance they are from me, what page they entered and left by, etc. The information is improve my blog, to let me know what posts are most popular – what YOU like to read and why.

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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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However, strange people have visited the blog by posing a question into Google, not by words like you or me. They’ve been querying by PICTURE – and it’s always the SAME picture. How the hell do they DO that? How do they know about the picture? It can only come from people who know the secret I exposed – and have the same photographic evidence.

I’d reported something high-level you see, something no one else in the media reported. The information had been passed to me with photographic evidence - so I published it on the blog. I thought I had a scoop - I did have. The scoop was too good. I already knew a media blackout had been thrown around it. In hindsight I suppose was a little foolish – a little naive.

The photographic query on my blog wasn’t from one single place. The query came from numerous countries, but always the same query….

They were more insistent too. After a number of repetitive ‘shows’ on the same day, I suddenly couldn’t gain access to my two blogs, nor my website. Different hosts run them so there was no similarity there. I could access other blogs on the same host as mine, so it wasn’t a host problem. It wasn’t a computer problem because I was free to use anything other than my own blogs or web – I couldn’t even look at them – a message stated “Windows denies access” - no one else could possibly see my blogs either.

The problem resolved the following day, and I just thought I’d had silly problems.

However, I had several more visits via photographic query, each time insidiously closer – 56 km away eventually. Suddenly, again after several more visits on the same day, I couldn’t access the Internet. I checked the usual; I ran diagnostics – which told me to contact my server. No one else had a problem.

I put my computer onto dial-up and found it was only ADSL access that was denied. A few hours later I was miraculously back on line, no apparent problem.

I conclude that some interested party has more power and influence than I can dream of. I have trodden on toes that should never be trodden on. My wrists have been gently slapped. They have let me know what they can do if I continue showing the posts.

I have no wish to lose my Internet connection. I am NOT a crusading journalist with the might of the media behind me – I am a lone author. I blog for interest.
I’ve done the only thing I can. I’ve now removed the offending posts.

Maybe now the stalking will stop.

Next post http://anthonyjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/2008/08/so-silly-season-is-upon-us-again-in.html

Tuesday 5 August 2008

Parking, loud music and fiestas!


So, the silly season is upon us again – in full splendour

Warm nights (well bloody hot actually), blissful days, a myriad of visitors, who could ask for more?

Well I could actually!

For one thing, I can’t find a bloody place to park. The local resort of Calpe is a definite no-no for the next month or so. The usual places to park are crowded to overflowing, and of course, in Spain, no one thinks to provide more spaces to park to accommodate visitors.

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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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Instead what do they do? They build on vacant plots where we once parked. Parking lots in Spain seems to be anathema to councils. Wherever there’s an empty spot to park, they allow an apartment block to spring up – more visitors yet less places to park. Someone, somewhere, must be barking mad! Have they never heard of forward planning?

For another thing, it’s fiesta time. Now I’ve nothing against fiestas, I think they’re a wonderful continuation of a social event that must go back several hundred years. Good luck. I enjoy watching them. However, what I DON’T enjoy, is the stupidly loud music afterwards. It doesn’t START at about 1am and goes on until 6am or 7am. The bloody amplified row is terrible .... and it goes on for a WEEK. A whole week of damn noise pollution, no wonder a lot of friends choose to go back to the UK during this period. It drives you mad!

A few years ago, the music was so loud at around 4am that, even with all window and doors closed (and the night so hot and sticky that you want all windows thrown open), AND with all wooden shutters to windows closed, the music was HORRENDOUS. I had to pour olive oil in my ears and put cotton wool in to try and keep the sound down – and I live nearly 2 km from the village. How can things like that be allowed?

You’re not telling me it’s traditional. No way! Amplified music of that volume has only been possible for the last ten years or so. Brass bands, yes. Woodwind, yes! Amplified shit, NO!

Why do councils allow it - because they’re pandering to the teenage element that makes up a lot of the visitors. Sod the locals; bring in money from visitors – what a bloody attitude.
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Monday 4 August 2008

Snobs, Jobs and all that crap

One of the things that pisses me off, is people pretending to be better than they are - snobs.

Living in Spain, a certain element of people seem to take great pleasure in playing a game of guess, not all of them by all means, but some certainly do. Some people pretend to come from exotic backgrounds and be something better than they really are.

Balls! It pisses me off.

Why can't they admit they're working class? Is there something wrong with earning money? If you earn money, you're working class. Don't smudge the issue by splitting your life into lower, middle, or upper working class. You either earn money, or you have fantastically rich parents and won't be reading this piece of garbage.

I'm a working class lad and proud of what I've achieved. I earned my spurs. I started with nothing, my parents had nothing, my dad's job was boiler attendant.

I was lucky enough, once adult, to take a degree, I placed a tentative foot on a ladder, but it didn't elevate me to a different sphere. I earned my degree. It was bloody hard work. It wasn't a God-given part of life. It took effort.

It doesn't make me less though, in fact it makes me more. Before I took early retirement from my job, and being part of a development team, I had a budget of almost 2 milliion pounds. It wasn't MY money though, I had to spend it extremely wisely or someone, some faceless man with more power than most of us can dream of, would have chewed my balls and spat them into the gutter.

It didn't make me better having a say of how the money was spent, it didn't mean I was in some higher class of society. I was a man with a job, and I did what I had to do, otherwise I'd have ended on the scrapheap.

No matter what our job, no matter what our position, we are tiny in the greater scheme of things. We all shat our nappies, we'll all die.

For heaven's sake, get a grip on reality! Stop trying to be something you aren't!

Next post http://anthonyjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/2008/08/elisabetta-gregoraci-renault-flavio.html



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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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Sunday 3 August 2008

Renault undressed?


So what is happening in the Renault mogul's household today?

For normal couples, the first thing to do after their honeymoon, is to lose a few of those pounds piled on by too much cake and ‘nibbles’ at the wedding ceremony. Not so for the sensational, new, Mrs Flavio Briatore.

Elisabetta Gregoraci commemorated her wedding to the Renault sovereign, by posing for a men’s magazine in her underwear – not the sort of thing I’d have liked MY wife to do. Maybe I’m a little old fashioned?

Elisabetta is ‘figured’ in a photo spread in Interviu, which has a history of snapping the well heeled and eminent, in the least amount of dress they can get away with.

Nice for us, not so clever for Mr. Renault – or maybe he gets a kick out of that sort of thing?

Next post http://anthonyjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/2008/08/twighlight-stephenie-meyer-internet.html



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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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Saturday 2 August 2008

The Ascendancy of Stephenie Meyer


The ascendancy of Stephenie Meyer into the realms of super writer with her Twighlight books, isn’t merely due just to her acute imagination – although it helped of course. She also understood from the beginning, how to tie with readers over the Internet and galvanize THEM into expanding her network.

Since Stephenie wrote the first Twilight book back in 2005, she has communicated with readers on social networking sites, such as MySpace and joined online discussion groups.

Excited fans have stuck up for her books on Amazon and even set up their own sites, such as Twilight Lexicon and TwilightMOMS. It seems once a critical mass of people support something, it takes on a life of its own and becomes viral.

All this has pushed sales of the series to 7.5 MILLION books. "Other authors have pockets of fans online, but nothing to this extent," says Trevor Dayton, a vice-president at Indigo, Canada's leading bookseller. "Stephenie Meyers Twilight series is the first social networking best seller."

I just wish I could find something similar – so fans, if you feel like making my book viral, go ahead. I won’t stand in your way, in fact I’ll help all you wish!

If I a little sound envious, maybe it’s because I am!



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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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What is rssHugger?

So just what is rssHugger about?
  • Well, it is totally manually reviewed – no auto computerized acceptance here.
  • It’s quite new, yet already boasting over 400 feeds AND each has been verified to make sure it's family friendly.
  • Each site has to pay a fee or post a review of the site. The benefit being, as more site owners ask to be listed, they'll direct more readers to the rssHugger directory.
  • In any good pyramid, it pays to be in on the ground floor, which is where I hope I’m close to.
  • It has a Top 100 review scheme http://www.rsshugger.com/top100 that is reset each month. At this moment it only requires a couple of dozen views to get in the top 100, which is another reason to be in on the ground floor – which is where I hope I’ll stay. Take a look. You’ll see me nibbling away.
  • It gives readers a manually vetted, quality listing of blogs to choose from

Can't be bad.




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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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Friday 1 August 2008

The Frigid Finnish Fling!

Rightly or wrongly, the inhabitants of Finland have the unenviable reputation of being frigid - poor buggars (unlike their other Scandinavian neighbours - lucky buggars).

Yet, according to the newspaper, Hymy, Illka Kanerva, the foreign minister of frigid Finland, sent 200 steamy text messages from his mobile phone to Johanna Tukiainen, 29, an erotic dancer. Apparently, he suggested she might perform at his 60th birthday party.

Perform …. What does he mean?

He now faces calls for his resignation - what the hell is going on, are they MAD? This is their chance for reprieve! In one fell swoop, Illka Kanerva has redeemed their emotionless image.

They should erect (pardon the pun) statues, elevate him to the status of public hero, not knock him. Take a leaf from the French, I say! Frigid Finland should be applauding, not sacking him; he’s done their dowdy image a power of good.

60th birthday .… 29 years old - not so frigid after all?

Good on you sport / human after all! Go for it – give her one. Who the hell wants a reputation like that?

Next post http://anthonyjamesbarnett.blogspot.com/2008/07/flag-model-peru.html



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Right Write - 8 Cool Tips To Invoke Emotion And Write Right

Story Brief - Balance, Proportion And Plot In Your Story Brief
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