‘Socialism’ is to Blame for Populism?
The rise of populism has had me concerned for quite some time but recently, I developed a theory about why populism is working right now. My theory may upset some people as it probably isn’t at all PC but therein lies the problem. Working class people are interested in their issues – wages, union representation, security of employment, healthcare, pensions and so on…. and rightly so. Traditionally, they ave been represented by left of center parties like Labour and the Democrats and have voted for those parties in return. But, in recent years, something as happened to those left of center parties. Rather than being about bettering the quality of life of working class folk and helping the genuinely dispossessed, these parties have become more and more obsessed with ideology.
Read More »I Have Cried Enough Tears For You…
I have cried enough tears for you And yet still I wish you well And hope to see you escape your hell It must be hard to live consumed by self Always defensively aggressive Seeing enemies in your friends Holding people to a standard You didn’t set yourself I have cried enough tears for you And yet I still have hope That you might finally see You are your own worst enemy And you are sowing your own misery Rejecting those that love you And chasing those that never will As anger seethes within I have cried enough tears for you The loss of what may have been That aches so deep inside But I’m so tired of this ride I’m tired of what I see inside of you
Read More »Unfriendly Prague
I have lived in the Czech Republic for more than 13-years now and I have to say that it is an unfriendly country in the main. Czech’s are – generally speaking – morose, rude and jealous people. Don’t get me wrong, I love it here but occasionally, you have to get away to experience good customer service and people who are happy in life…. Case in point was last week when visiting Prague to see my brother and sister in law who were visiting this country for the first – and probably last – time. Before I met with them they had already been subjected to pure rudeness, lack of basic manners (hello, please, thank you etc.) and treated as unwanted tourists – ten a penny in Prague and a
Read More »Videos to Promote Music
So I also made some videos to promote my music…. again – limited success but also rather variable. Far Away Deni and I had a fun weekend making this with my iPhone – it was only at edit time we realized that we took it in the wrong mode so the image is small…. but we had fun… Just 46 views! Anatomy of Love Made to promote the new album – well at 33 views I’d say – fail… Crazy Wow – more than 100 views. Could they ALL be me? Fire 111 views so far – so who knows? Girl on the Phone Over 2000 views! A hit? I made several others and ten discovered the record company makes them too…. So now I don’t bother.. They
Read More »Videos to Promote Books
I ave not yet figured out how to promote my books – they just seem to sell themselves in the end and nothing much I do influences when or how many. However, back in the day, I did make some promo videos for some of my books….. Your Haunted Life 3 – The Black Eyed Kids This one managed 96 partial views….. the book sells well still today and can be found here. Moon Whispers Poetry doesn’t sell though I have moved a few books. This video managed a total of 36 partial views….. The poetry collection can be found here. Your Haunted Lives Revisited This video managed a total of 31 views….. and the book sold OK, but wasn’t the follow up I had hoped for. Even
Read More »ACX Gets Tyrannical – Warning!
For many years, I have published some of my books as audio books using ACX. I have never had any trouble with them and barely ever log on the website except to check sales from time to time. Apparently, I have sold almost 3000 audiobooks. In October, I got an email from ACX about ACX University – or something similar. They have a bunch of videos and blogs as resources for authors. That is interesting, I thought and went over to look. I found out they had reintroduced ‘promo codes’ whereby you can give away a copy of your book. They tell you how to do this and suggest you use them with reviewers or as rewards for readers. I decided I would experiment a bit and order promo codes
Read More »The Train Ride by G. Michael Vasey, Read by Alan Philip Ormond
The story appears in My Haunted Life – The Extreme Edition….. Buy the book available in Kindle, Paperback and Audio book….
Read More »Japan and Sylvian…. Amazing Music
It was a gloomy afternoon spent playing Dungeons and Dragons somewhere in Birmingham. Steve put on a record which initially I barely noticed but then began to focus on. It was probably the best thing I had heard in years and it was Gentlemen wear Polaroids by Japan. I promptly went out and bought it and spent hours playing it over and over again singing along with David Sylvian. It was unique. I bought Quiet Life and the earlier albums too in the coming weeks. A few years later, in Glasgow, I went to see them at the Glasgow Apollo. On my own. No one else seemed to like them but I had learned my lesson back in 1977 when I decided not to go see Bolan play because no
Read More »The Cycle
These eyes look as vision fades Into darkened, dampened forest glades Russet hues and yellows burn As Fall takes its three-month turn Towards the dark of winter’s cold The cycle of life to death to life The way of all things we are told In myth and legend’s that foretell strife We are but passing flotsam Cast upon a naked shoreline Silently mouthing the words ‘I am’ Consciously murmuring in time To the mood-swelled tidal forces In an early primeval dawning As the heated blood now courses Pumped through growing limbs entwining Our everlasting souls soaring To find the Sun and its nourishing light In which to find our way through second sight Back home
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