Rigby Taylor

And thank you for commenting and reading.

Swedes/Danes - aren't you all the same? It's very sensible advice because each child in western society will cause a vast amount of CO2 to be emitted; in the millions of tons. We have just learned today the the "Big Four Banks" that have publicly sworn they no longer support climate destroying fossil fuel projects, have secretly invested $21,000,000,000.00 in such projects since 2015! There's no hope.

That's a clever turn of phrase. Glad you're enjoying the story.

Without stress we'd become dull creatures - according to something I read somewhere. It has been suggested on alternative political comment sites that the inaction on climate change is a deliberate ploy by those who own everything and have the power to use it for whatever purposes they desire. No one disputes that fact that the planet is disastrously overcrowded, and no one can agree on how to reduce the plague of humans, so in their wisdom the defacto rulers of the world have decided to let nature take its course while they sit high and dry in their fortress hilltops. Makes excellent sense from an evolutionary point of view, especially when you take into account the wondrous advances in robotics that make human labour unnecessary, and slaves far too much trouble. Not to mention as you so wisely do, that to move several million people and their infrastructure over the hills and far away would be a mighty feat. But it would keep them quiet until the big waves arrive and make it all unnecessary, don't you think?

Thanks for commenting, Srchr. Your reaction proves you're a really nice guy with a vivid imagination and sensitive nature. A rare prize for someone lucky enough to know you. I think that's the most violent episode in this tale, so you can read on without fear.

This protest rally is fiction. I'm extrapolating a few years into a future much less secure than today. But from watching protests on TV, in Melbourne and Sydney during events such as World Economic Forums - I see a trend towards increased violence against dissent - We have our Homeland Security. Police dressed like cyborgs heavily armed. Indiscriminate use of capsicum spray, zero accountability. In Queensland although hundreds of Indigenous men have died in suspicious circumstances in police custody, as well as on the street, not one policeman has ever been charged or even disciplined. Even Watch-house cameras showing torture, and extreme physical violence that shock the nation, result in exoneration of the police. If you look like a European then life is not savage, but if you have a dark skin - especially indigenous, then life can be very savage indeed in this land of the "fair go." Australian mass media is owned by three people - all members of the elite 1% who are interested in maintaining current policies. Not much hope of balanced reporting.

At eight o'clock on a cool and clear evening, Sylvan parked his nondescript little Honda a few metres from Con and Ingenio’s Toyota, in an empty car park that serviced the same boat ramp they used the previous time. Pretending not to know them, he wandered casually down to the river. A gibbous moon cast deep shadows that could easily have concealed watchers. House lights from the other side made jigsaw reflections in the rippling water. To his right he could just make out the Thrope house where

It's excellent that Denmark has such a conservation Society - we have many conservation groups that would be very influential if they amalgamated, but they remain stubbornly separate, in competition for supporters' dollars, and so they have no influence on governments, of which Australia has a plethora. Eight state governments all with different environmental laws, and one federal government that has different environmental powers. It is such a mess that protection of the small amount of old growth forest that remains is impossible. The longest and most important river is all but dead - dry and poisoned. Everyone has known for decades that The Great Barrier Reef is on the point of collapse, but nothing sensible has been done to protect it. Agricultural run off and rising temperatures have all but destroyed at least half so far and the rest is not going to survive much longer. The largest open cut coal mine on the planet is about to scrape away an area almost the size of Denmark in the near future because we have no useful environmental protection laws. With luck and good weather, if the Denmark 10% is planted wisely and then really left alone, it might return to a semblance of the ancient forests - but time is running out for us all. Will a sea level rise of 4 metres seriously harm Denmark?

My heroes are never so lucky as to meet the best case scenario, as for shaming the State, what country do you live in? I want to go there. I've yet to see a politician who even know the meaning of shame. I think your tricky part would be the easy part. Pardon me while I die laughing Shame the State! - that is the funniest thing I've read for years.

By NA I imagine you mean North America?

I guess my heroes' lack of planning reflects my own tendency to just leap in hoping for the best. In our menage we never decide or plan to do anything until about ten minutes before we set off. It's worked so far. My partner says plans are restrictive; improvisation is the crucible of creativity. As for my character's names - they're all my own, the idea inspired by Sheridan's plays that I swallowed whole as a teenager. Yes, a knife in the bum would be useful.

Because, dear Timothy, that would be unprovoked murder - you see you have to entice your opponent to make the first move so you can then clobber them harder in 'self-defence'. Using your system, once they'd disposed of the misanthrope, what then? kill the heir, and the heir's heir? Which reminds me of an hilarious 1949 English film called "Kind Hearts and Coronets" in which the 10th in line for the Dukedom murders all those before him so he can inherit. Alec Guinness plays all the heirs.

I fear it is ignorance, Okiegrad. That's very generous of you, to root for them - Who are you rooting, if that's not a rude question? or were you not using Australian idiom?

An Internet search for Thrope turned up nothing apart from a Sci-fi tale about a girl who had a one night stand with a Japanese thrope. Who or what the thrope was remained a mystery. ‘Just dial the number on the card. It’s only half past four, he could still be at the office.’ The phone was answered by a girlish voice. ‘Dubbledada yoldiniys, Juriddian speaking, how may I help you?’ At least that's what it sounded like. Frankie wondered if it was the same in other countries and who taught

Maybe in other countries, but we proud scions of English stock understand that promises are made to be broken - as perfectly demonstrated by all the nations colonised by those warmongers in their dealings with other countries.

Yeah - somewhere near Grose Vale or it might have been Gorse Bale or Gross Male ... Mmmm... Frankie's understanding came early - It took me a while longer - I'm thrilled you understood one of my rare moments of subtlety. Your comments reflect admirably.

Wow! I'm impressed with your staying power. Thanks for reading them all. Frankie Fey is my last novel, hope you like that as well. Clearly the education system needs more teachers like you!

Very topical and very moving - I really felt for the woman CJ saved and for the protesters. Great kid, CJ - well done.

Each morning Frankie woke to the glorious realisation that he was free of the restrictions, constrictions and expectations of the University in which he now felt he had been imprisoned for three years. It hadn't all been bad, of course. He’d been awarded an Arts degree and wrought major social changes in the place, as well as learning a lot of very useful tricks for living. But apart from Laurent, and perhaps Prudence, he’d made no friends he wanted to see again. For the moment he was content to

Thank you for that - I shall amend the text to write: . hours at the gym, probably with the assistance of steroids.

Well - of all the very kind, intelligent and thoughtful comments you've made over the weeks, Canuk, this is the best. No, honestly! I often wonder why I can't find stories that press all my buttons, and that's actually why I started writing, so I could have such stories to read in my dotage, when I've forgotten I wrote them. The problem for all authors is the competition from millions of writers who are now able to share their stories thanks to the internet - with such a huge choice, the chance of unearthing something special is slight in deed, and getting slighter. I'm just fortunate that a dozen or so GA readers have stumbled across my scribblings. Excellent point about revolutions, Thanks. Of course you are correct. And now I think about it, It seems they are also sometimes started by the disaffected top as well - stir the shit so when chaos arrives they can take over... Mmmm... food for thought. False flags, fake news and all that.

Ohh!!! goodie - send me a video!

Thanks, Ulysess. You are so right - it's up to us, finally to say 'no that is not what we want'.... but how many humans will agree to work together? - that's our downfall. Unlike ants and bees and termites, we all want to go our separate ways and so we get led by those with the loudest voices and the biggest guns. I sincerely appreciate your comments and hope you'll find my other stories as interesting and readable.

I understand the feeling, Wesley - there's always a sense of impending doom hovering at the back of my mind - surely the good times can't last? Someone's going to discover I've done something wrong and....

Frankie had thought long and hard about how best to present himself to the “Forum-To-discuss-Student-Concerns-Regarding-Gender-Equality”. He needed to grab his audience’s interest and generate controversy if he wanted to stimulate debate, so he talked it over with Lydia. ‘I love this place,’ he said seriously, ‘but there's a fascist element.’ ‘Fascist?’ Lydia sounded surprised, but clearly wasn’t. ‘Go on.’ ‘The school’s democratic processes have been hijacked by vested interests that