#i am experiencing this show via osmosis

[actual-haise]

NO LITTLE GERMAN BOY DON'T WALK INTO THAT LIVE HOUSE  oh mein gott zis place is full of bocchirocken

[midmorningsong]

man the trigun fandom has had a grip on me like no other fandom in my life; I've noticed a pretty consistent trend with myself of finding out about x show/book (usually through osmosis via online memes) -> watching said show -> recirculating in the fandom for 1-3 years via fanfic and tumblr memes -> fandom starts waning at some point after the show finishes -> start engaging more with another fandom -> cycle repeats

...and this same pattern is holding true for trigun thus far- except --EXCEPT-- the frankly insane hold it has on me. like I'm sure I've thought about fandom brainrot(affectionate) and all that as a fun little metaphor for being in fandom but no actually this is a valid term for all that I'm experiencing it.

I can measure my obsession with trigun via the very definitive method of 'how many AO3 tabs to I have open on average', because in all my years I'd say anywhere between 3 and 20 (at the absolute most), but right now? the past year? for trigun fics? I actually don't want to go count because it's embarrassing but I would say at least 50 as a lowball, and that's not even considering the entire vashwood big bang collection from last year I'm still working through.

SERIOUSLY in any fandom I'm actively checking for new fics and going through writers' works I might go for 1 in 25 stories I see- but with trigun (saying this now currently in 2024), there will be, say, 8 new or updated fics in the vashwood tag in 24hrs and I am extremely interested in reading like 6 of them. And ALL of them will be some kind of sublimely delicious whether it's a beautiful writing style, extremely poignant character introspection, a super engaging AU with a fleshed out world, the best smut you'll never find again, or, you know, ALL OF THE ABOVE.

I'm so curious as to what perfect storm has made this trigun renaissance- if it's a factor of an old established fandom getting more traffic again with new material, or a certain amount of time passing from the original media (so fandom oldies here for the long haul have had plenty of time to write and read 10k meta analyst posts), and trigun itself being a very complex story that has so many deep themes relevant and relatable to our struggles today.

In any case, I'm just thrilled to be here in the thick of it and am of two minds between having some kind of restriction on myself so I can actually have a good balance of hobbies without descending fully into fandom at all possible moments, OR just enjoying the amazing stories and engagements while I'm on the wagon lol

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Spider-Man: Fake Red Chapters 1-3 Thoughts

Well this is new, in more ways than one.

 I don’t think I’ve ever posted thoughts on a manga before, Spider-Man or otherwise.

I’ve read precious little of the medium so I’m not overly familiar with a lot of it’s tropes and mannerisms, thus my post here is coming at it from a mostly Western perspective. For instance I can’t honestly say if the art is good or bad or mediocre. It seemed fine to me. Apart from one action scene I could always tell what was going on and even in the action scene in question I simply might not have been experienced enough reading right to left to follow it all.

And of course we need to account for stuff being lost in translation. I am uncertain if the intention was truly to have as many F-bombs in this manga as wound up being there.

The highly serialized nature of manga can make doing posts like this difficult as you are so often seeing a tiny slice of the story. Truth be told I’m not sure if I will be doing more posts like this in the future at all, though I do intend to keep up with this manga when I get the chance, but it’s lower on the reading list after current 616 stuff.

Anyway how about the story.

The story is interesting.

Basically rather than being about Peter Parker it’s about this teenager called Yuu. He got into a good school but struggles to keep up with the work and also has no friends, as such he skips school at times to hang out at a bouldering gym where he can practice climbing which makes him feel like Spider-Man. One day after refraining from helping a fellow student getting beaten up in an alley he finds a discarded Spider-Man costume and upon examining it at home learns it is the real Spider-Man’s costume complete with web-shooters.

Whilst wearing it in public one time citizens mistake him for the real thing and direct him towards a burning building where he helps save a young boy. Later on after seeing a classmate called Emma (whom he has a crush on) perform a particularly difficult climb at his gym (and crashing hard when talking to her) Yuu again dons the costume when Emma is kidnapped by a group of criminals. He barely survives and the next day at school Emma notices Yuu has cuts on his arm just like Spider-Man did.

Whilst all this is going on Yuu is wondering where Spider-Man has gone and Mary Jane is doing the same about Peter Parker. Her worries are alleviated after getting a phone call from a mysterious individual who seems to be pretending to Peter whilst watching the real McCoy on a video screen. Peter is in fact wandering the sewers as Venom!

I found the story pretty interesting as an AU goes. A lot of that has to do with seeing a Japanese spin on Spider-Man but one that isn’t really reinventing the wheel for the character.

Spider-Man of course has a history of Japanese interpretations. The most famous is the 1970s TV version (referred to as Supaidāman) who beyond the suit and powers bore little resemblance to the canon character. But there was also Spider-Man from the Mangaverse (a 2000s imprint that tried to capitalize on the anime and manga boom of the early-mid 2000s) and even an older 1970s Spider-Man manga which I hear was pretty bad.

I’m only vaguely familiar with all three I must admit, but from what little I know what makes Spidey Fake Red stand out is that it is not attempting to portray the world of Spider-Man from Spider-Man’s own POV and reinventing who he is as a result.

Instead by having the protagonist be an original character (with certain vague similarities to early days 616 Spider-Man) the author Yusuke Osawa can present for us a version of Spider-Man that cuts closer to the 616 version whilst still allowing himself the freedom of embellishing the story however he wants.

In a sense Fake Red is more about the broad idea of Spider-Man as opposed to specific nuances of Peter Parker but it still uses those elements to add some sparkle and intrigue to the story.

This makes a lot of sense as, and maybe I’m wrong on this, the primary audience for this manga is Japanese people and their access to translated Spider-Man comic stories I imagine isn’t that great. I mean even in America and other primarily English speaking territories we don’t have legal access to the majority of Spider-Man issues, whether they be in trade or digital format. So I’d guess the average person likely to check out this comic in Japan probably doesn’t have just general knowledge about stuff like One More Day or Superior Spider-Man.

Jump back to the 1970s though and that state of affairs would be even worse. No internet, probably no translated Marvel comics at all and with Spidey being less than 20 years old and not yet the icon he is today you can see why the original manga and TV show opted to make something mostly different from the canon to essentially introduce the character to Japanese audiences.

In 2019 though that’s not the case. Thanks chiefly to the movies Spidey is a global icon to the degree that everyone has SOME knowledge about his lore even if it is via osmosis alone.

That’s the smart thing about how the manga plays with Spider-Man lore, it has some subtle winks to deeper lore for fans but mostly it uses stuff that just about everyone knows.

Peter Parker, Aunt May, her house, Mary Jane, Jameson, the Bugle, Venom. There is even a reference to the Life Foundation and the first shot seems to be evoking the famous Spider-Man 3 image of Spidey crying on the church.

All that stuff is either present in the majority of Spider-Man media, present in recent Spidey media (the Life Foundation was in Venom 2018) or present in famous enough Spidey media. The latter would be the Spider-Man 3 reference and not for nothing but Spider-Man 3 both broke box office records and had it’s premiere in Japan so maybe it was something Japanese audiences could be relied upon to remember well enough.

In a sense by being about the idea of being Spider-Man this manga is sort of similar to Into the Spider-Verse but still very, very distinct. Yuu lacks powers, Peter Parker isn’t dead but rather missing and is set up as at least one of the major antagonists of the story.

It’s all quite different and very interesting to most AUs...and it bears mentioning much more interesting than Abramazing Spider-Man has been thus far.

I think what’s most compelling to me is that we’re seeing in a sense a typical Spider-Man status quo but with the focus shifted onto a stranger. This isn’t reinventing Spider-Man as having a giant robot or as a kind of douchebag or as a sort of ninja. Spider-Man is mostly Spider-Man, he might not live in New York (it’s unclear where this is set) and the city might generally love him (which is a situation more to make Yuu’s journey dramatic) but it’s really not a million miles away from current Spidey or 1970s Spidey or Raimi movie Spidey even.

As such the drama I think lies less in just enjoying the insanity of something so far away from canon Spider-Man or seeing how the canon will be reinterpreted and more in the tension of knowing what Yuu is going to go up against.

And I don’t just mean Venom, because there is that mysterious guy impersonating Peter. I suspect it’s Mysterio, not just because he was in FFH but also because a street sign referenced ASM 13 which was his first appearance. And this would fit in with his abilities and M.O.

So yeah this was fun and I’d recommend checking it out.

[bitchinparty]

Panel Voting is open!

Since we only got 7 more panel submissions than there are slots for panels, we decided not to do two rounds of voting as planned. Instead, voting will be open from now until February 18th. The voting form contains all the panels and descriptions along with mod names--please let me know ASAP if I missed any of the co-mod arrangements flying around! Voting closes at 11:59pm on Sunday, February 18th. VOTE HERE! (Voting instructions are in the form. You must be registered for the con for your vote to count. Side effects may include increased heart rate, shortness of breath, uncontrollable gigglefits, and inability to can. Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.) Panel Descriptions SINGLE FANDOM Women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (mod: Minim Calibre) Natasha Romanoff, Peggy & Sharon Carter, Jessica Jones, Shuri, Gamora, Valkyrie, Maria Hill, and many, many more! Let's talk about the wonderful women of the MCU and why we love them. Avengers Reassemble (mods: Lucifuge5, mizface) MCU's been kicking it for 10 years and counting. Where is it going and where would we want it to go next? Captain America: The Star Spangled Man With a Plan* (*for certain values of plan) (mods: Minim Calibre, Gwyneth) From a kid from Brooklyn to a bearded outlaw, come talk about Captain America and Cap fandom as it stands on the eve of Infinity War. Pacific Rim: Uprising - Next Gen Heroes Yay? (mod: Raine Wynd) Pacific Rim Uprising gave us another apocalypse and a set of new heroes to like. Let's talk - and maybe discuss where Raleigh and Herc were doing while this was going on. :-) The Real Bad Place Is The Friends We Made All Along (mods: SDWolfpup, Brynn, Minim Calibre) The Good Place started with a straight-forward premise and became one of the most complicated, delightful, and philosophy-loving shows on TV. Let's talk about why we love it (so many reasons!), how it manages to keep turning its own premise with such skill, and what we hope for next season. The State of Bandom: 2018 (mods: aethel, Lucifuge5) Bandom in 2018 is a different beast from Bandom in 2007. We'll chat about how the fandom has changed (and how it hasn't) and what the musicians are up to now. Come reminisce about your time in Bandom! A short time ago, in a fandom not so far away... (mods: bessyboo, exmanhater) Let’s talk STAR WARS! Originals, Prequels, Sequels, Rogue One, Clone Wars, Rebels, EU—which parts are you really feeling, and why? Which parts that you’re not already into should you check out? What did you think of The Last Jedi? Everything from the galaxy far, far away is on the table! Miss Fisher's Intersectional Feminism (mod: krytella) The adaptation of MFMM from books to the screen aged Phryne up into a rare portrayal of a glamorous heroine over 40 surrounded by a broad range of supporting female characters. The show tackles social issues around gender and class and occasionally attempts to grapple with racism and Australia’s colonial history. What do we love about it, what do we wince at about it, what do we wish we had fanworks about for it? Visit Themyscira (mods: cyborganize, metatxt) Share your Wonder Woman story, whether you're a movie lover, a Lynda Carter devotée, or a long-suffering comics fan. A conversation about the conversation about Wonder Woman: why we feel how we feel about her, what she represents, how she has been represented. Explore Diana's origin in the early 1940s (see: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women) and her fictional origin in the Amazon culture of Paradise Island / Themyscira, and why the character and her worlds are still relevant. Will involve the F word – feminism! (And the other F word – femslash!) META AND MULTIFANDOM Sometimes we pay for it (mod: rivers_bend) come talk about queer romance novels, fannish tropes in pro fiction, and finding the perfect book for you. It's the End of the World As We Know It, And I Feel Fannish (mods: SDWolfpup, cyborganize) Post-apocalypse shows & fic are plentiful, and have plenty of fans, even though they're (usually!) very dark. What draws us to these worlds? What are your favorite post-apocalyptic media and why? What do we learn about ourselves from watching others struggle with the destruction of everything they knew? Where Do We Go From Here? (mods: Minim_Calibre, cyborganize) As the Internet changes and sites rise and fall, how do we stay connected as a community? Can we? Explore the state of fandom in 2018 and how has it changed since the first Bitchin' Party ten years ago! Fandoms That Won't Die (mods: aethel, Lucifuge5) Come talk about the fandoms you love that surprised you with their longevity! Why do some fandoms last and others don't? Fannish Osmosis Fic Exchange (mod: Scribe) Write a stranger the fic of their dreams...for a canon you only know about via hearsay! Other types of fanworks welcome, as long as they can be completed in about fifteen minutes; reading/sharing with the room is encouraged for maximum hilarity, but not mandatory. You Like My Thing Wrong (mod: bessyboo) You know that moment when you’re really into a popular thing, but you hate the popular pairing, or character, or fanon characterization? Or maybe you’ve been into something for a million years and suddenly everyone else is on board too, but everything they’re saying and creating is just…WRONG? Friends, let us get together and discuss strategies for taking a breath, chilling out, and avoiding feeling like horrible fandom hipsters or Bitter Old Fandom Queens when other people just Like Our Thing Wrong. Cest is Best (mods: bessyboo, metatxt) Incest and step/pseudocest have seen a rise in popularity recently in the mainstream, from Game of Throne to Billy & Billie to The Flash, but they've been popular in fandom for over a decade. What's the continued appeal of incest in fandom? And why do you think it's starting to hit more mainstream popularity now? Do you have limits on what you will or won't read--and has that changed? Are you here for the sitcom fluff, the dirtybadwrong angst, or something in between? Let's talk about fandom's fondness for keepin' it in the family! Feelings Are The Worst (mod: jedusaur) Emotions run high when you care a whole lot, and fandom is all about caring a whole lot. Let's talk about different types and contexts of fannish feelings, what sparks and alters our fannish interests, how and why conflicts arise in fandom, what feelings even are (your mod will make a sincere effort not to derail the conversation too far into the intricacies of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex), and what situations lead to fandom obsession, frustration, gradual indifference, and loving everyone in this whole damn bar. Alphas, Omegas, Doms, & Subs: Alternate Gender System Tropes (mods: krytella, keerawa) Why do A/B/O, BDSM AU, and other AUs that play with alternate gender designation have such strong appeal? Do they provide a safer space to eroticize gendered oppression, create a dystopian critique of gendered oppression, or both at once? Are slash gender system AUs an expression of internalized misogyny or badly written female characters or something else entirely? Do slash and femslash uses if this trope serve to straighten the queer relationships they depict? How about alpha/alpha and omega/omega stories, or D/s AUs centering switches? Wait, we only have 50 minutes? Documenting Fandom (mod: aethel) Fans have been writing down the history of fandom since fandom began. Let's discuss the various ways and reasons that fans document fandom! And also Fanlore. Speed Dating Small Fandoms (mods: metatxt, cyborganize) A semi-structured con-game where we share and explore why we love the small fandoms we love. By generating a creative categorization structure, together we will match-make fans with new small fandoms relevant to their interests. Our goal is for everyone to leave with a new fandom to date and a new fan joining one of their small fandom faves. TECH AND WORKSHOP A Song and a Dream: Now What? (mods: SDWolfpup, scribe) You've got the perfect song for your fandom - what's next? How do you get source? What do you do with mkv files? Square pixels? Frame rates?! To outline or not to outline? Do I really need a clip database? Let's talk about it all! Break on Through: Getting Beyond the Block (mods: Minim Calibre, thewightknight) Come share tips and tricks for defeating a creative block. Why We Write: Fandom Needs You! (mod: keerawa) This panel is aimed at aspiring writers, experienced writers dipping their toes into fanfiction, fanfic writers who've been going through a dry patch, or anyone looking to get the creative juices flowing. Topics will vary based on the participants, but might include how to start, where to find cheerleaders and betas, where to post, how to get over that hump and throw ourselves into writing something we and other fans will love. I'm sure the FBI has a file on me: research and fandom (mod: Minim Calibre) Ever find yourself needing to know the marriage requirements in places you'll never live? In-depth information on weaponry? Best ways to hide a body? And, of course, sex tips you may or may not ever need. Come share your tales of research gone wild and/or pick up research tips and tricks from your fellow fans. Oral Not!Fic (mod: bessyboo) In this workshop, we’ll define what oral not!fic is, talk a little about how to create it, and then finish up by creating an oral not!fic before the panel is over! Cosplay 101 (mod: bessyboo) Have you ever wanted to get into cosplay, but weren’t sure how or where to start? This panel is for you! We’ll discuss strategies for choosing/designing a character & outfit, and putting together a costume (for both DIY & “I am 0% crafty” options!) Makeup Fandom 101 (mods: bessyboo, visionshadows) Do you not wear makeup because you find it intimidating, but would like to start? Are you a total makeup pro who loves to talk brands and share your knowledge? Maybe you're somewhere in between, but want to know how that person on tumblr achieved that super sweet eye look or particular nail art you loved. This panel is for all of you, as well as anyone else who wants to come talk everything from skin care to shadow to nail polish. (There may be a makeup swap at the end of the panel!)

[cleanairpurewater-blog1]

Water Revitalizer Part – 1

For those individuals looking to go beyond purification and who are open to the possibility that water conveys energy, I carry the Original Water Revitalizer.  Installed after one of my whole house water purification systems - the tandem brings you truly remarkable water.

Principles Of the Original Water Revitalizer

The theory behind the principles of the water revitalizer originate with a fellow by the name of Viktor Schauberger, an Austrian whose work was published in 1932 and 1933.  His work can be reviewed in "The Water Wizard: The Extraordinary Properties of Natural Water".  As I understand his point, Schauberger claims that water in a natural state, as in a stream flowing down a hill, contains a natural vortex energy, due in no small part to the way that it flows in its natural environment.  All of you have seen water flow in a stream and I'm sure you've seen the way water shimmers as it flows.

This theory that water contains a natural energy vortex, a 'living water', makes sense to me.  It makes sense that water in a stream or spring is, in its original unpolluted form, healthy 'living' water that we as inhabitants of that environment originally adapted to.  It also makes sense to me that we remove this natural energy from water as we put it in pipes, confining it and depriving it of its ability to move or flow.  Recall the scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where the mine operator asked the Kid to shoot without letting him draw is gun as he was accustomed to.  He couldn't do it.  Schauberger is saying that we've modified the natural health of our water by the way we convey it and because of this it does not function naturally when we use it: we've deprived it of it's natural energy and modified its molecular structure.

As a scientist, I can't say whether Schauberger's theories are correct or not.  As an ecologist and naturalist, I can appreciate the notion that water in the natural environment carries an energy vortex that is subsequently lost when that water is conveyed through pipes and no longer allowed to flow naturally.  As I sit at my desk and talk to each one of you on the phone when you call, I am watching my own section of the Santa Clara flow past.  The river's constant swirling motion keeps me rooted in remembering that we all hope to achieve healthy, natural water.  I also understand that this is a difficult concept to convey or prove.

The Original Water Revitalizer, by using the power of vortex energy fields via "flow form dynamics", is said to transform your water by restoring this original energy.  The manufacturer claims that the vortex energy is created by a double spiral flow form within the pipe that restores this natural energy in your water. Another important claim is a significant increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.  The Water Revitalizer is constructed based upon the principals described and illustrated by Schauberger.

According to the manufacturer, normal tap water, in most cases, shows low frequencies because it has been damaged.  I do know that some natural mineral waters resonate at a high frequency and that these vary from different sources.  Even high quality water at the source loses its natural energy and molecular crystalline structure as it is conveyed through pipes from its source to your home.   I also know that revitalized water demonstrates this higher frequency.

The idea of water containing energy or being made up of a particular crystalline shaped molecularstructure is one that is familiar to us all.  We've all witnessed the crystalline structure of snowflakes.  It has also been shown that healthy water is molecularly distinct from polluted water.

The water revitalizer is said to restore the natural energy of water by running it through a double spiral process that imparts a vortex flow form, or twist.  It really is quite fascinating.  What I am noticing so far is that deposition or scale formation from water hardness is decreased substantially and my plants seem to be thriving.

Through the revitalizing process using the OWR, your water's frequency is said to be raised to a level which is natural for water. This process is said to be experienced as being very different and the water is experienced as being extremely light when swallowed.

I must say that I am intrigued by this concept of restoring water's natural frequencies.  For that reason I am offering the OWR as an add on to install after my whole house purification system, thus first cleansing your water and then 'energizing' it with the OWR.  I've had some customers tell me that my endorsement sounds tepid or luke warm at best.  On the contrary, I like and recommend this product.  But I'm not going to tell you that it performs in ways that I can't verify.

I have installed the OWR in my home (installed 1-4-05).  What I noticed immediately is that the water coming from my faucets and shower swirls, it flows just as it does in the revitalizer itself.  And if I look closely I can see a shimmer to it, almost a dance, as in a reflection of light that was not there before.  I'm also noticing a definite decrease in hard water deposition.  My customers who have the Revitalizer always notice bubbles when they fill a glass which then immediately dissipate.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at home water filtration, water purification system, house water filter, reverse osmosis system, home water purification systems

[limejuicer1862]

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger. The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

Sam Smith

Editor of The Journal (once ‘of Contemporary Anglo-Scandinavian Poetry’), publisher of Original Plus books, I was born Blackpool 1946 and am now living in Blaengarw, South Wales. While I am still a freelance writer my last day job was as an amusement arcade cashier. But I have also been a psychiatric nurse, residential social worker, milkman, plumber, laboratory analyst, groundsman, sailor, computer operator, scaffolder, gardener, painter & decorator…….. working at anything, in fact, which paid the rent, enabled me to raise my three daughters and which didn’t got too much in the way of my writing. I now have several poetry collections (the latest being Speculations & Changes: KFS) and novels to my name (the 2 latest novels being Marraton: IDP and The Friendship of Dagda & Tinker Howth: united p.c. (see website http://thesamsmith.webs.com/

and for The Journal http://sites.google.com/site/samsmiththejournal/ )

The Interview 1. What inspired you  to write poetry?

It was so long ago, and it all seemed to happen at once. A girlfriend gave me Henry Miller’s Smile at the Foot of a Ladder, and it decided me to become a writer, to try to produce, in my then worthless life ,something as worthwhile as that novel. But when I imagined myself as writer it was as a novelist, not a poet. Albeit that my very first attempt as a ‘writer’ was a poem, about an abortion. I was 22. And over the following 23 years of trying to get my novels published in moments of crisis I often sought to express side issues in poems. But not poems that I ever tried to get published.

2. Who introduced you to poetry?

Libraries, I think. But I was a voracious reader from an early age, absorbed a lot through cultural osmosis. A post-WW2 baby there was so much change happening about me as I grew, Blighty-type doggerel and tin pan alley pop music was slipping rapidly into the past. Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Ginsberg’s Howl, were all showing me how different just song lyrics could be; and I was knocked sideways by the poetry of Thom Gunn. That spoke to me. But as I say I was concentrating on writing novels and trying to get them published. I was given enough encouragement by leaping various publishers’ hurdles, and by agents briefly taking me on, to keep on writing and trying. Even though my biggest fault so far as publishers were concerned was that they didn’t think my novels ‘commercial.’ Until, after the latest disappointment, when all had seemed so promising, I decided I had to have something of mine in print and poems seemed the easier option. So I dashed off a 5 page poem featuring my work then as a psychiatric nursing assistant. My friend and neighbour at that time was the painter Derek Southall. I gave him a copy of the poem. He was old friends with the poet and translator Michael Hamburger, and Derek sent him a copy of the poem. Michael commended the poem but said that it contained at least 10 shorter poems. I broke the 5 page poem into shorter poems, submitted batches to various magazines and was soon getting an acceptance a month. I wrote more poems. Within a couple of years I had my first collection. That sold well, and then the novels started getting into print. And I haven’t stopped since. A side effect of having so much to do with publishers, and curious about how it was done, led me – under the guidance of the late Derrick Woolf of Odyssey Press – to also starting my own magazine and small press. Principally to help others into print, and to put forward my own taste in poetry and to put back some of what the small press had given me, principally confidence.

3. How aware were you of the dominating presence of older poets?

They belonged back in school. Except for Thomas Hardy, he was still, and still is, relevant. But beyond school there was Rimbaud, Auden, Eliot waiting and to have me wondering what next? And then of course there was Ezra Pound. But it was all kinds of writing that I was, and still am, interested in, novel ways of looking at any subject by any author in any genre. Just take Stephen Dobyns, thriller writer and poet, or Martin Stannard, critic and poet, Sylvia Plath, playwright and poet.

4. What is your daily writing routine?

Up at 6:30, desk at 7:00. Answer emails, fill orders for The Journal and Original Plus; then see where I am in my writing schedule. Which can be my blog – http://www.thesamsmith.simplesite.com   – or my latest novel, or ideas for a poem, or to catch up on Submissions to The Journal or edits for a new Original Plus chapbook. The schedule can of course go out the window if there’s something outstanding or urgently required. That will take me up to midday when I pause for lunch. If the weather is fine and dry I might go for a walk, do some gardening; or more likely get stuck into household chores, family obligations. If it’s raining, and there’s no chores, family things to do, I’ll probably return to my desk, or take up a book, newspaper. Evening’s usually telly: at my age I’m too knackered for ought else.

5. What motivates you to write?

In the beginning it was to explain myself, to tell of the world that I knew, in my way. The way other people used words didn’t match what I was experiencing. And I’m still struggling to find that metier. Now though writing has become my character. It’s who I am, what I do

6. What is your work ethic?

I’m task-oriented. The work needs to be done, I do it. So I set myself tasks, see them through to completion. Fortunately I’ve never been driven by the desire for either fame or fortune. Fame could have sold more books, and fortune would have been helpful, but really satisfaction lies mostly in getting the job done.

7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

We had very few ‘good’ books at home. ‘Coral Island’ by Ballantyne I must have read about a dozen times. It was when I was at sea I read most – Hemingway and Steinbeck in the ship’s library among the storytellers. What drew me to them was their willingness to try new ways of telling a story. Then when I left and lived in Chelsea, books that were pressed on me came from many directions. Eliot and Auden I suppose continue to influence, along with William Carlos Williams, and through those three to Japanese poetry. Which among other translated poetry has been a greater influence on my own writing than any in English. Something about the different rhythms, a certain clarity…

8. Who of today’s writers do you admire the most and why?

Over the last few years I’ve been amassing the works of Haruki Murakami, fascinated by his storytelling abilities, different again. Of poets another who, like Murakami, can seamlessly introduce the fantastic into the ordinary and make it make sense, is K V Skene. Both are beyond magic realism, make the ordinary extraordinary. But really there are just so many good writers about at the moment and it’s been my privilege to work , as editor and/or publisher, with many of them.

9. Why do you write?

Not to get rich. One of the hardest things to accept in my first few years of being a writer, of trying to find time to write, was having to have a day job. Now, with it being nigh on impossible to make a living out of writing, I see it as part of any writer’s/artist’s calling – the day job. As I said before I write to try and get across my version of the world, which is still at odds with the mainstream version. I’m still trying to create the perfect work of art. I’ll know it when I see it. But I know now my limitations. I am no showman, am rubbish at publicity and performing. The private bit of writing is what I relish.

10. What would you say to someone who asked you “How do you become a writer?”

Get pen, paper, keyboard; and write. And when you’re pleased with what you have written, submit it to an appropriate publisher; and accept the likely rejection. Look again at the work, identify failings, and try again. And take care over which day job, or way of making a living, you go for: it will inevitably inform your writing. 11.Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

I’ve got several poetry projects. One long term one is occasionally adding poems to a collection, Scenes from a Country Life, which has poems covering all the country places I have lived for any length of time. Another looks to be building up to a chapbook length collection of Mock Sonnets. Another in the making is one provisionally titled Futureless. The novel I’m working on has the working title http://www.spousecheck.com. I’m still uncertain what that’s about. I started a year of blogging called Beginnings and I’ve yet to bring that to a close. At least let myself off the hook of regular postings. And then of course there’s the next issue of The Journal to put together. Reviews to do for that; and the latest Original Plus production. I also have 2 novels, Trees: the Tree Prospectus and Once Were Windows Once Were Doors, sitting in publisher’s slush piles. Should either get accepted then I’ll be immersed in the edit of that. I love working with a good editor. Best learning curve I know

          Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Sam Smith Wombwell Rainbow Interviews I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me.

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Water Revitalizer Part - 3

For those individuals looking to go beyond purification and who are open to the possibility that water conveys energy, I carry the Original Water Revitalizer.  Installed after one of my whole house water purification systems - the tandem brings you truly remarkable water.

Principles Of the Original Water Revitalizer

The theory behind the principles of the water revitalizer originate with a fellow by the name of Viktor Schauberger, an Austrian whose work was published in 1932 and 1933.  His work can be reviewed in "The Water Wizard: The Extraordinary Properties of Natural Water".  As I understand his point, Schauberger claims that water in a natural state, as in a stream flowing down a hill, contains a natural vortex energy, due in no small part to the way that it flows in its natural environment.  All of you have seen water flow in a stream and I'm sure you've seen the way water shimmers as it flows.

This theory that water contains a natural energy vortex, a 'living water', makes sense to me.  It makes sense that water in a stream or spring is, in its original unpolluted form, healthy 'living' water that we as inhabitants of that environment originally adapted to.  It also makes sense to me that we remove this natural energy from water as we put it in pipes, confining it and depriving it of its ability to move or flow.  Recall the scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid where the mine operator asked the Kid to shoot without letting him draw is gun as he was accustomed to.  He couldn't do it.  Schauberger is saying that we've modified the natural health of our water by the way we convey it and because of this it does not function naturally when we use it: we've deprived it of it's natural energy and modified its molecular structure.

As a scientist, I can't say whether Schauberger's theories are correct or not.  As an ecologist and naturalist, I can appreciate the notion that water in the natural environment carries an energy vortex that is subsequently lost when that water is conveyed through pipes and no longer allowed to flow naturally.  As I sit at my desk and talk to each one of you on the phone when you call, I am watching my own section of the Santa Clara flow past.  The river's constant swirling motion keeps me rooted in remembering that we all hope to achieve healthy, natural water.  I also understand that this is a difficult concept to convey or prove.

It is my opinion that we are only beginning to understand the natural properties of water and that healthy water is a complex issue.

The Original Water Revitalizer, by using the power of vortex energy fields via "flow form dynamics", is said to transform your water by restoring this original energy.  The manufacturer claims that the vortex energy is created by a double spiral flow form within the pipe that restores this natural energy in your water. Another important claim is a significant increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.  The Water Revitalizer is constructed based upon the principals described and illustrated by Schauberger.

According to the manufacturer, normal tap water, in most cases, shows low frequencies because it has been damaged.  I do know that some natural mineral waters resonate at a high frequency and that these vary from different sources.  Even high quality water at the source loses its natural energy and molecular crystalline structure as it is conveyed through pipes from its source to your home.   I also know that revitalized water demonstrates this higher frequency.

The idea of water containing energy or being made up of a particular crystalline shaped molecularstructure is one that is familiar to us all.  We've all witnessed the crystalline structure of snowflakes.  It has also been shown that healthy water is molecularly distinct from polluted water.

The water revitalizer is said to restore the natural energy of water by running it through a double spiral process that imparts a vortex flow form, or twist.  It really is quite fascinating.  What I am noticing so far is that deposition or scale formation from water hardness is decreased substantially and my plants seem to be thriving.

Through the revitalizing process using the OWR, your water's frequency is said to be raised to a level which is natural for water. This process is said to be experienced as being very different and the water is experienced as being extremely light when swallowed.

For more details on our products and services, please feel free to visit us at house water filter, reverse osmosis system, home water purification systems, kitchen water filter, kitchen water filters