Yettie One

This story reminded me a little of William Golding's Lord of the Flies. The breakdown of morality in the face of a lack of social norms is enough to through any society into chaos. Loose the ability to prepare food, warm oneself or get enough to drink, and anyone would panic. Add that to a desire to protect those you love and a feeling of unknown danger, circumstances would simply just go into meltdown. I've watched a series on Discovery called Prepers, and when you read something like this, I can't help but wonder if they don't have a point! Scary story Bill. It is really daunting to try to perceive the effect of such a break down of what we see as normality right now. You put a lot of thought into the logical flow of that break down and that made this story all the more frightening. Thanks for sharing.

I love the presentation of this Andy. Very clever use of the layout and premise of the story actually being a history lesson. I also love the fact that the long term repercussions of the make up of the list is something unconsidered by the people of the time, and ultimately could be the very thing that ends our chances of indefinite survival. The chilling thing of this story is the consideration that we don't even need orbs from outer space to reek such devastation here on earth, we have weapons that could in reality do similar damage in the various arsenals around the world. All we need is one idiot to start a chain reaction that launches a barrage of them at once, and end game in very much the same way. Loved it. Thanks for sharing.

A really poignant time to write along this theme Mike. Drink driving in December goes up 4 times the normal average according to police stats. I suppose it could read like a bit of a script for a Think Don't Drink Road Safety Campaign. Funny I didn't see the car aspect coming, I figured he was done for assault or murder or something daft. Driving didn't enter my head considering I thought he'd walked, which was a clever misleading teaser. Thanks for sharing a good take on the theme.

I'm not sure I got the sense of everything. Yes there is a terrible consequence to spurned love and misguided honesty leading to the tragedy that unfolds. The thing that got to me I guess was the glimpses of hope that appear through the poetry, the shards of light in the darkness. The contrast is hard much like the subject matter, difficult to take. Interesting translation of the theme I have to say, and although it is good I am not sure I can I enjoyed it, but that is maybe because suicide is a sensitive issue to me. I am glad I read your take on it though, thanks for sharing.

When I was a little kid I nearly drowned, so the horror of suffocation is daunting and I did play around with getting visual with it, but it just came across as tacky in the read back. You are the second person that has mentioned the disjointed feel of the pace at the start, so yeah that is what started the rework on the story. Hope that the final presentation is better. Thanks for reading Cia, and thanks for leaving feedback. x

I love getting your reviews Wayne. Glad you enjoyed the story and the way it was presented. I guess I tried to show it through several different people's eyes as it seemed that it was such a wide reaching story, to only tell one person's story wouldn't do the scale of the disaster credit. I also didn't want to totally leave the story with no hope, but at the same time didn't want to guarantee hope, so glad that came through.

Funny you make that point Bill. The story started out along those very lines, but it was in chatting to a mate of mine that I discovered the idea of oceanic dead zones and oceanic burps. The more I thought about the idea the more it seemed to fit with a sudden and unseen threat. Thanks for reading and thanks more for reviewing.

Thanks so much for reading Dolores. I'm glad that the story came across as believable, and really enjoyed the writing process. The hook at the end was a bit of a flick to leave it open to a possible future, it just seemed to work best for the story.

Hey Michael. Thanks for reading. It's funny at first I thought it was too short, but yeah for what it is, the length kind of works and I'm grateful you took the time to read through.

Not at all what I was expecting considering the theme and the write up. I kind of felt sorry for Michael in the story. Great interpretation Cia, and I loved the inclining of hope and acceptance beyond perception and assumption of a life that anyone would expect to be difficult.

Well I must admit I didn't see that one coming at all. Really interesting take on the subject Dolores. I think we are all skeptical of the unknown and I love how you weaved that into you characters. I also love how you introduced the fact that it was actually us that'd been wiped out and mankind had gone on for another 120,000 years all through the discovery of the US flag. Really clever and I enjoyed the story a lot.

So it is right on our doorstep ey! Christmas Eve is here and while this year may really not seem like all the others I've known or enjoyed, it is still for me somewhat of a symbol of hope that there is some purpose for us all in this world, and we can come together and remember those we miss and cherish and spend time with those we still have time to be able to spend. I am not overly religious, but I have indicated in the past that I do have a belief, and so I guess that the season also bears hallmarks of that belief structure. It is a time to reflect on who I am as a person and my overall place in the bigger scheme of things. This is not to say that you need worry that I am about to twist your ear with some religious jargon, but I do think it is worth saying that each of us have a different spirituality or belief structure, and if I am able to respect yours I'd hope you have enough respect to allow me to have mine and be able to freely speak about it. That said, let me move on. To everyone that has taken the time to embrace me and get to know me over the last few months that I have been a visitor to this site, I thank you. I respect each of you as a friend, and fondly think of many of you as friends. Your thoughts, words and chat brighten my day, give me cause to smile, and help me to make it through the day in very trying personal times in my life. So for this I am eternally grateful and even more in your debt forever. May this time be special. May joy and happiness follow you every day of the season. My love and kindness abound and may you feel the warm and friendly embrace of acceptance throughout the days ahead. As we move into a new year, may goodness and prosperity richly bless you and may 2013 be a truly great year for you all. For those who will not get to smile this year, for those who shed tears at this time, for those that struggle and fail to see the joy of the season, may you find rest and solace in someone, somewhere at this time that we all need a shoulder to lean on, and a hug that lets us know it will be ok. May you be touched in some small measure this year and as the new year dawns, may the hope of tomorrow burn bright and the pain of yesterday fade slowly into the distance. Love to you all, and massive Yettie Huggles to all.

My sister sent me this on FB today, and it really touched my heart. Sometimes kids really show us up ey? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMroVpNoCw0 That is one lucky dad and one very special little girl. I hope they have a fantastic christmas.

Well, hell that was on mind twister of a day. I mean the carnage of oblivion was so chaotic I am surprised that I can at all make it to a keyboard and be able to share my thoughts of doomsday and the effects of being lost somewhere on the edge of existence. It was actually really good to meet half of you on the stairs up to this waiting room, I guess the other half were going down stairs??? LOL I can quite honestly say I am pretty glad that I'm still breathing today. Not that I expected otherwise as I've already said in other posts, but all the same I wasn't in any real hurry to be rid of this life. So yeah, its quite nice to be able to sit here and tap away at the keys and say, "Hey gang, we made it through another whole end of the world thing!" I was rather shattered to find this evening when I sat down to check out the Antho for the Mayan End of the World, to discover that I'd really messed up my entry. See I was one of the people that submitted like 4 hours before the deadline on Cia's end of the world, which in reality meant it was like 2 am in the morning here when I submitted it, and I figured I was late and would get in proper trouble. As it was I didn't get my backside spanked by Cia, but I did however submit the wrong bloomin copy of my story, a rough draft of the work, not the final edit. So for anyone that has already read Breathless, please accept my apology, the work you read was pants and full of mistakes. The final copy has been sent out to Cia and will be put right soon I hope. I'm a bit miffed at myself for being so disorganised, but I'd ask you bear with me, my head has really been in the clouds of late. I have to say, the mods here, well I mainly deal with Cia, although I do know a couple of the others from the blog and chat, but Cia has the patience of a saint far as I'm concerned. I've cocked up my enteries a few times in the past and she's always helped me through it without complaining, even though I'm sure she's rolling her eyes at me. I guess that is part of the joy of being on GA. It's a good thing to be given the chance to be a fool, make mistakes, be yourself and still be able to get on with everyone. Acceptance regardless of perception, opinion or persuasion. From the sharp tongued critic to the greatest friends, I've met some really brilliant people through GA, and can really understand now why so many people rave about the community behind GA and the support networks that it offers. One of these fine days I am damn sure going to sort out a road trip of the good ol US and come visit a good many of you. I owe you all Yettie Hugs. But anyway, back to the original thought, I'm glad that the world didn't go pooof in a cloud of smoke today. I get to talk crap for a few more years yet, make stupid jokes in the "make us laugh" post on the forum, and ramble on about this and that on my blog. I'm also hoping that I get to finish "Reflections of a Very British Rent Boy" and "Building the Bridge". That would be a fine thing. Hope you all had a wonderful "End of the World" day and are all ready for crimbo now. Yettie Huggles to all. Thought for today - "Life is a song - Sing it. Life is a game - Play it. Life is a challenge - Meet it. Life is a dream - Realise it. Life is a sacrifice - Offer it. Life is love - Enjoy it." - Sia Baba Song for today - Looking Back, Over My Shoulder by Mike and the Mechanics

My mom does it all the time and has done for ages. Not just with dead people, but people that she is distant from or misses a lot. My elder brother used to do what we all called Ranting and Raving when he'd argue with himself in his younger days, sometimes in really intense arguments. I think for these two reasons I don't actually talk aloud to anyone that I can't see, but I sure do have mental conversations with them. When dad first died, I found it really hard to deal with, and used to go down to the cliffs at Rhossilli in Wales and sit there and listen to the waves and talk to him. It's strange though. When I get angry with myself, I do tell myself off verbally. I guess I'm just strange that way!

Ya know JoAnn I honestly think that it is the hard times in life that make people into diamonds or pearls. Some are hardened and sharpened, they catch the light and propel it to all around them and sparkle in marvel and wonder. Others are pale and pure, offset against the colour of the skin, enhancements in a quiet, yet alluringly beautiful fashion. Both are born in the most hostile of environments, both tough as nails, yet both sort after and craved by mankind. To me you are a diamond, the embodiment of human nature. You show us all that is good about a tough life, that even through the hard, the difficult, the plain painful conflict of life growing up, you can come out the other end, a special person. Hugs girl. Thanks for being such a wonderful friend.

Oi Oi Bud All the very best of luck on the job front. I really do hope that things work out for you as there is nothing worse than having to wake up and force yourself to go to work. I know that you've had a heck of a lot more downs than ups this year, but the amazing thing about you is that regardless of how much pain you are going through you always manage to reach out and brighten someone's day. I find that ability remarkable Wayne. I admire you for that skill. Yes I think of it as a skill, as it takes effort and dedication and you've perfected it well. Your ability to put others before yourself is honourable, but sometimes we really do need to be selfish and leave some "me" time. Don't let it bother you that you need to acknowledge this and lean back on others from time to time buddy. It'll help to make things a little more bearable as you journey this difficult road. The trauma of school shootings must be awful and to think it is a place you know well is horrible. I feel for you as much as for the folk that have had this tragedy unfold in their community. I hope that the pain goes quickly. Bud take care of yourself. Be good to you. You are needed and special and a great person to many of us. Take care of you for me buddy. Yettie huggles and seasons greetings. xx

So the Mayan's reckon they know something that we don't ey? Well if this is so, then by all accounts come sometime Friday, I'll be sitting somewhere in either a heaven or a hell or somewhere in between, as yeah, I guess I am one of those crazy goons that believes in an afterlife of some sort. I am not really worried about it, I mean I made comment in a post on the Forum the other day, that mankind has been predicting the demise of the world since the time the first civilisations began recording their history and beliefs. One of the main issues I have with the theory is that no one can definitively say that the Myan's predicted the end of the world, or just stopped their calendar on the date in question. Unlike other predictions of an apocalypse and the demise of the planet along with the end of the world, the Mayan calender just simply stops. There is no prediction or indication of what comes next. That in itself could be a forbearer of doomsday I guess, but then again, we also know the Maya people had three different calenders, so the fact that one of them simply comes to a halt is kind of confusing. Why would only one of them come to an end? Personally I believe that this fact could very simply be explained by the fact that way back then, the Maya guys and gals who gathered around to plot out this calender probably considered the year 2012 to be ludicrously far off in the future, and very possibly a date that the world would never reach, so why plot the calender further than this point? Plausible? But of course, theory is all about finding possible answers. The truth of the matter is that until Friday or a few days either side, we will never really know, and even if we do survive as a society and species, beyond the ultimate cut off date giving allowance for calculation errors, we will still never know the answer as to why the calendar ends where it does. We simply can't go back in time to find out! However the potential prospect of the world coming to its end this week posed two very interesting questions to me, and I thought I'd share my thoughts with you. The first of these two questions is looking back over my time on earth asking, do I regret anything I've done and is there anything I'd have done differently, or am I content with the life I've lived here on our homely little rock in the galaxy? I have actually thought about this question an awful lot since I first asked it of myself on Sunday while I was watching a Discovery program about doomsday scenarios. It gave me cause to reflect back over masses of my own personal history, things I've done, memories, decisions, lessons learnt, adventures had, experiences hooked under my belt. I am lucky to have had a fairly active life, I've seen and done an awful lot. Some of it good and yeah of course some of it not so good. Would I change any of it? The conclusion I have come to is that there is only really one thing that I'd do differently, although I don't make this decision based on a bitter regret, more an understanding now that had I made this decision my life could have been very different as a result. The thing I would have done differently is coming out. You see I never really came out. To this day, I don't shout about my sexuality. I also won't hide it from someone asking for an honest answer, but in the later years of my life, I have begun to realise that had I been a little less afraid of bucking the trend, there are a lot of opportunities and doors that would have opened to me that I had no clue to being there when I was hidden in the closet. Look this is something every gay guy or gal goes through. Choosing when to come out vastly effects the kind of people that you will come into contact with, and that in turn will influence a lot of the social circles we mix in, our self confidence issues and life choices that we make. I am not so much worried about the fact that I didn't "Come Out" so to speak, just that I was a little too stiff to explore more and take chances with opportunities that were given to me when I had a chance. I wish I'd been a little more daring I guess. That, however, is the only thing that I would do differently if I am honest. I've had a chance to love, and lost it, had a chance to deal with the joys of life and the sorrows of death. I've been financially comfortable, and financially poor. I've travelled, met amazing people, seen some truly stunning places and done some hair raisingly stupid and dangerous things. For the most part I have really enjoyed my life. There is one person I wish I could speak to again. One person I'd love to spend more time with. But the circumstances do not allow this, and for that reason I don't regret that we no longer speak, just wish I could change that. There is a hell of a lot more that I would wish I had time to do, and in a way I do kind of get angry at the fact that things are so messed up in the world right now, and prevent us from being more carefree and happier, but then again, I am sure I am not the only person to have said that in his time on earth. I can only imagine how many times that sentiment was shared during the World Wars and the great depression. I am sure as well that people living through those experiences must have really believed that the world was coming to an end right there around them. So in the big scheme of things, if I am to die on Friday, I die happy at where I am in life. Ok, so my second question to myself... In a real doomsday situation, when I know that I am in the final hours of the planet, who would I want to be with, and where would I want to be? Hell, you know, if I am brutally honest with you all, I still am not really sure I know the answer to this. It is such a hard question to ponder, and if you really put yourself in a situation where you face the horror of what that kind of feeling must be like, where you are afraid, panicked, concerned, desperate for information, yet not really wanting to know what is coming... When you really face that kind of overwhelming emotion, you can't think straight. You can't choose. You want a chance to say goodbye to everyone that has ever meant anything or been important to you. As I mentally ran through all the people I've ever known, and the places I've ever been, I could endlessly name people and places that I'd like to be with, but I figured the only way to really get an answer to this question was to stick it out to the end and figure it out. So my answer... At this time in my life, the person that is most important to me is my mom. I couldn't and would not leave her alone to face the horror of a doomsday alone as I run off to be somewhere else, with one of the other people I'd have liked to choose. If I could really be choosy, I wouldn't mind having my dad there too, and I guess that the reason for that decision is that I kind of feel that I'm best known to my folks right? So in a bloody scary time like a doomsday scenario, the best people to be with, would be people that completely know you, understand you and love you. They'd know how to calm me, and I'd be comfortable being with them when it came to the end. So yeah, it kind of seems like the logical decision to me. As for where? Meh, just at home in front of the TV watching something really funny on DVD would be fine for me. I guess if I were involved in a relationship that it'd be different for me, but as things stand those would be my choices, and I feel pretty good about them too. So there you have it. Two interesting questions I thought. I'd be interested to know what you think and what your answers would be. In the long or the short of it, I don't think that come Saturday we'll be any worse off than we are today, but time will tell if I am right or wrong. Thought for today - "Men talk of killing time, while time quietly kills them." - Dion Boucicault Song for today - Separate Ways by Journey

Hi Guys an Girls Is anyone around and about into web design and stuff? I'm working on a project, and have some knowledge, but deffo not as much as I need and could really use some help and guidance. If I can put work the way of someone from GA that would be a cool thing. If you can help please drop me a message and I can give you more info. Thank you.

So it is the BBC Sports Person of the Year on Telly tonight. After such an amazing year of sport here in the UK, how the hell do we choose just one to win? Jeeeeesh, I don't envy the people that gotta choose. For me, the big inspirations this year were Luke Campbell and Nicola Adam. They were the big champs. But the overall treasure story for me was Mo Farah on the track. :) :) So who was your sports person of the year?

Hmmmmmmm I've never had a Twinkie but as a South African I do miss Koeksisters. Now before you ask what a koeksister is..... But while I've never had a Twinkie, I've got to say there is nothing quite like a nice yummy Twink.

So many people have guessed as the the last date of the human calendar. So far, they all been wrong. We know so little about the Myan's that we don't really know how they came up with their prediction, so it is difficult to judge its merit, but in my opinion, in the days of the Myan's to survive to the 21st century must have seemed ludicrous. I am not convinced they knew the world would end, they just didn't think we'd ever get this far.

There are 86,400 seconds in a day, and for every second of the day, at least two people die. How do we mourn them all? Is it not impossible? In the same period of time, at least 4 children will enter the world through birth. Do we celebrate every birth in hope? Is that at all possible? Life is finite, it is fragile, it is precious. We cling to life, for we fear what is on the other side. We do not know, and that fear of not knowing is paramount of all fears. So in life, we are greedy. We hoard, we collect, we strive to have everything we can, experience everything we can, and enjoy the things we enjoy the most as much as possible. We spend 7 billion dollars a day on public healthcare around the world. We spend 4 billion dollars a day on military conflicts. We send 300 billion emails a day, write 2,5 million blogs a day and spend $130 on video games. In 2012 the planet will loose 5 million hectares of forest. We'll create 12 million hectares of desert pour over 10 million tonnes of toxic chemicals into the environment, and emit over 32 billion tonnes of CO2. There are less than 15000 days of oil left on our planet, 60000 days till the gas reserves run dry. There will be over 40 million abortions this year, and over 35 million people will be infected by HIV. 8 million of us will die to cancer and 5 million of us will die as a result of smoking, yet over 10 billion cigarettes will be smoked today alone. There is so much to be disappointed about in our world and it is easy when we are hurting to see the bad more clearly. Our pain brings the ills of life into a sharper focus. It hones our senses to the darker side of society and makes the despair of our lifestyle more vivid. I hear you loud and clear when you say none of us will care enough to change anything. That is the biggest downfall of mankind. Our selfish need to fulfil our desire, our compulsion to protect our privileged position in society, our need for comfort becoming a subconscious fixation of life. Does that make me or you a bad person? Is it wrong? Yes I am a creature of habit. I too like my lifestyle, my tech toys, the ability to walk into a shop and buy what I want when I want. But I learn to save for what I want, live within my limits, and do what I can to help those whose lives I touch. So while yeah I'll admit I don't want to lose what I have, the social status I have, the comforts of my lifestyle, and that probably is selfish yes, the sad truth is that one person cannot change the world. Sad blog Asamav, I feel your pain. Keep your chin up buddy. Yettie hugs.

Happy Birthday JC. Really hope that you managed to have a great day, and all the very best wishes for the greatest year ahead for you buddy. Massive Yettie Huggles. Rob

Part of this blog needs to change. I have just discovered that the guy I mentioned that has fought so hard in his battle against Cancer has lost his battle. How I wish I'd had more time. How I wish I could have traded places. How I wish things could be different. Sometimes people pass briefly like ships in the night, and while I may only have known Karl for but a short time, I will cherish his friendship and consideration, quiet manner and encouraging words for eternity. Condolences to his family and Daz. Yettie Hugs you Fine Colt. Run with the wind blowing free in your hair and the may the strength of a stalion carry you far and wide. xxx RIP