Hi, I thought I should post a quick update, just to say what's going on with me. One good thing is that I'm working, or at least working in an office with other people (gasp), and getting things done. It's just temp work but it's nicer than trying to scratch a freelance living. I don't want to go too far into this but... it's actually quite nice to have more people around, and they're actually not too... well they're nice. My mental health difficulties seem to be under control.. or at least if they're not that they're behaving and not kicking up a huge fuss. And again, that's nice. Other than that, my PhD Proposal is progressing but I'm back to reading and wrangling as I try to put stuff into order and hope that I can get somewhere. I'm sending Streets of Rage out to Agents to see if I can go via the traditional publishing route, and trying to finish the various short stories I have to finish (as well as cranking up the gears...
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September is Suicide Awareness Month in the UK, spreading out about World Suicide Prevention Day on the 10th September ( https://www.samaritans.org/media-centre/our-campaig… . In 2015 6,639 people committed suicide in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Most of them were men between the ages of 21 and 49. 75% of the people who successfully took their lives were male, while 25% were women. This isn't to say that more men than women attempted to take their lives, but the methods men use tend to be far more extreme and, sadly, are far more likely to succeed. It's important that we don't confuse the number of successes (and it feels horrific to describe them that way) with the number of attempts In fact, the numbers of women making attempts while the male rate has largely remained the same. That being said, it's still true that half of all male deaths in the UK under the age of 49 are the result of suicide. 50%. That's a truly sobering figure. One person in fifteen wil...
Colleagues, Alumni, and Students, Members of the Public It is with great sadness that Grimalkin University reports the passing of Professor Hobbes, the Dean of the School of Mischief (formerly the Department of Dastardliness), published scholar and expert on many areas in his field as well as others. He passed away peacefully on Sunday afternoon after a long period of illness and a troubling loss of appetite. While staff at Grimalkin did their best to care for him, by Sunday it was clearly too late. Hobbes joined the university in 2005 as a Doctoral Researcher specialising in his twin areas of study, charm and cajoling as a form of human control. His catademic career spanned over a decade and he was a much loved member of the faculty, adored by students, staff, and visiting academics alike. He was always curious, keen to add to and spread the sum of feline knowledge by visiting other schools and institutions, indeed he often needed no more invitation than an open door. Much note...
I'm going to preface this by saying I hope I'm wrong, and that this is all very premature and proves to be a stupid man being stupid and worried. With that out of the way, I'm scared that Hobbes is dying. He's been off his food for a week and a bit, willing to drink milk but not interested in his biscuits. He's even off cheese which is a really scary thing, which as meant we haven't been able to give him his pills (in part because Eve's not been helping or been forgetting he has to have them). He's skeleton covered in fur, today and barely able to walk. I thought it was the heat and that he just didn't want to eat because he was so tired, but now the weather's broken and he's still not eating and doesn't seem that interested in drinking either. I asked about taking him to the vet and even tried to arrange it - only to find that I couldn't get a taxi for some reason (trying to book one, the people on the other phone didn't ...
Before I start this, I should say that it's very much me 'emoting' and may come across as middle age man shouts and screams about how shit stuff is. I'm a freak. I have been all my life, even when I was a kid. I don't fit in, don't matter, and don't follow the herd (in part because well what's the point if you don't fit in and don't matter?). In some ways I really like that, like the way it makes me feel independent and strong in myself because I'm not dependent on others or sucking up the same media as everyone else. In others, well, it's less good. I'm tired of having my feelings dismissed as childish or being told that I'm wrong all the time because I see things differently to everyone else (especially when they don't seem to have thought or authenticity to their points of view). I'm tired of feeling like I can't be myself, or work the way that suits me in jobs and to be honest I'm getting to the poi...
Yeah, I forgot... So it's Monday Mosh Pit time again. No link or anything, just a bunch of metal and rock songs I like, on a theme. Last time it was... werewolves, right? So, let's go with magic this time. Starting light... Ladyhawke: Magic Queen: A Kind of Magic Siouxsie and the Banshees: Spellbound Metallica: Enter Sandman Just four today, sorry. :P
Okay, yes I missed doing song stuff again ... In truth the computer didn't get switched on all weekend and that's why. Plus, I'm feeling a little down about the world at the moment, having read some stuff about climate change and politics which makes things difficult. One of my values is that the world is important and that one of the responsibilities of a citizen is to be aware of what's going on (which has problems in the form of over exposure to 'truth' - though of course truth is subjective - and also brings up the issue of echo chambers and how we escape them), but the way the news is presented and the way things seem to be in our late Capitalist society leaves me wondering if there's any point in trying to stay kept up to date or if it's a case of 'too little too late, now you get to watch as 80% of the human race gets wiped out by climate change'. Plus, I've been reading/writing stuff for Werewolf: the Apocalypse and that's prob...
Hello, just to let you know I have reviews and listicles available to read on Vocal. So please read my pieces and if you like them, pop a quid in the tip jar? https://vocal.media/stories?status=published
This is just a list of things I like. I don't really know what else to say, really. Books Tim Powers books – especially The Stress of Her Regard and Hide Me Amongst the Graves Neil Gaiman – American Gods, Anansi Boys, Stardust Warren Ellis – Crooked Little Vein, Gun Machine Emma Newman – The Split Worlds Trilogy Michael Moorcock - Nomad of the Timestreams, Hawkmoon Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid’s Tale, Year of the Flood Susanna Clarke – Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell Charles Stross – The Laundry Files Series, Merchant Princes books, Halting State Susan Hill – The Woman in Black Joe Hill – Horns, Nos4rtu Caitlin R Kiernan – Alabaster, Low Red Moon, The Red Tree, Threshold, Two Worlds and in Between Poppy Z Brite – Lost Souls, Drawing Blood John Wyndham – Chrysalids, Day of the Triffids, Midwich Cuckoos, The Kraken Wakes Lewis Carroll – Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass Bram Stoker – Dracula Mary Shelley – Frankenstein Adrian Tchaikovsky – The...
Here are 101 story seeds for Werewolf the Apocalypse, including a few that I think could be the basis for a bunch of campaigns/chronicles. Feel free to go ahead and use them. As ever White Wolf has the copyright on Werewolf the Apocalypse and the names of the Tribes. Named characters and scenarios are copyright of Steve Cotterill 2018. 101 Werewolf the Apocalypse Story Seeds First Change: The pack are normal humans and wolves undergoing the first change. Hunted by their enemies, who seem to have a special reason to want to kill them, they must survive long enough for the Garou to find them. The Hunt: The pack must find their totem by hunting in the Umbra. The Dig: An archaeological investigation has uncovered a number of Garou artefacts. Tainted: A serial killer is killing in the Garou’s protectorate. The Killer isn’t in control. Instead, the knife he used is a Wyrm fetish and it’s overpowered him and is now running the show. T...
So it's that day again and I feel like burning down the world. Humanity seems stupid, venal and pointless at the moment and I'm frustrated and angry over events in the larger world and in my own life. No guessing games this week, just an attempt to get my anger and frustration out of my system via music. Hope you enjoy. My Chemical Romance: The Sharpest Lives Manic Street Preachers: Roses in the Hospital We don't want your fucking love. Nine Inch Nails: Head Like a Hole The Wonder Stuff: On the Ropes New Model Army: I Love the World Foo Fighters: The Pretender Hole: Jennifer's Body And here, have the Sex Pistols, God Save the Queen as a bonus