Chapter 1 Chapter 2 The heavy black car eased slowly down the street. Fatty craned his neck left and right to inspect the houses as he steered the car. Beside him, Goon sat impassively in the passenger seat. "Not the most upscale neighborhood, Chief.", remarked Fatty. "Don't call me chief.", Goon stared straight ahead. "Ok, Boss!" "And don't call me Boss." Fatty looked over at him. Goon stared ahead, his face expressionless. Fatty refused to turn away…
Stock taking is the business of figuring what you do have on hand. There was a time in my life when I was fooled into thinking I should be an accountant. I spent many a time walking around in 38c weather in sunny and shadeless factories, with a tape measure and a piece of chalk, measuring steel sheets baking in the hot sun, or counting nuts and bolts in a hot stock room and comparing my numbers…
NOT THAT KIND OF FAN!
I met this lady online who reads this blog. From all accounts, she loves the posts. With her birthday coming up, she requested that I write a post and dedicate it to her. For her birthday. Which is today. March 7th.
Well, who am I to refuse a request for an article from a female fan? Actually, who am I refuse a request for an article? No one else has ever asked me to write and dedicate anything to them. People have made suggestions, yes, some articles, such as the Mishti Doi propaganda piece, came from suggestions by friends. I even, once, wrote a pome on request! I mean how low could I possibly sink, how desperate could I be when it comes to finding a suitable topic? The correct answer is, “pretty low, quite desperate.”.
Now this request is not (more…)
It’s been a long standing ambition of mine to write a novel, or a story of some kind, put it in a book and have it published. I actually started writing a book in 2010 or 2011. After a few hundred words were written I began to wonder what it was I was really doing.
Many questions came up. Was it an autobiography? I decided it would be best to start with that, as actual events would be easier to describe than to make them up. If it was an autobiography then what format was I going to use? Was I going to fictionalize it? Or just hand it out, plain and simple? How was I going to deal with unpleasant events, facts? How would I (more…)
We’re a judgemental lot, we are. I’m no sociologist, and far too lazy to research it, but it may be that making judgements is at the root of homo sapien’s instinct for survival. In the modern era, with the interweb weaving it’s magical tendrils all around us and enabling snappy judgements, we are more enmeshed than ever before. I’ve seen some bloggers and other writers talking about their friends, enemies and the world and I’m on Facebook too. So, of course, I wanted to weigh in on it. As I see it, judgement is everywhere; here, there and everywhere, if I may steal a song title from The Beatles. (more…)
2015 was the year I invested in a “social presence”. Here is my honest review and my responses to the current state.
Facebook provides the bulk of my traffic, followed by WordPress. Facebook has destroyed the concept of Friend and totally diminished and warped the meaning of the word “like”. (more…)
As usual, The LastWord has applied to The SloMan to write a post to Make an Announcement.
The SloMan, slow and infirm as he is, is obliged to oblige The LastWord, mostly because he, The LastWord, has obliged The SloMan by taking over the bulk of writings that this blog is obliged to present to its readers. Few they may be, but a blog cannot exist without some obligor / obligee relationships between writers and readers.
Readers are advised to (more…)
Well, 2015 is almost over and it is time to take a look back. I decided to dig through and collect some quotes. The best of the best. From this blog, of course. Didn’t you know? I’m modest to a fault. It’s probably my greatest virtue, modesty is. uh… one other thing… I may not restrict myself to 5. After all, this is such a great blog, full of the wittiest writing ever written in my basement. ( See “modesty”, above. ). So here we are. First the quote, then some plug.. uh background information. (more…)
This is the 200th post on SloWord and yes, I’ve inflicted your timelines, your readers, your email inboxes 199 times already. Luckily, you’ve managed to ignore me successfully 199 times. Good for you! Now, however, this here 200th post is upon you. You can ignore it too. I mean, why spoil a perfect record of absenteeism? Wordpress also reports that this blog has been in existence for 3 years this month. So that’s another reason to mark this out as something special.
When I started blogging in earnest it was for a very particular reason. (more…)
In this, for the first time ever, I shall attempt to write a serious post. Come along for the ride, as we explore the process of writing a novel. I have never taken a creative writing class or literature appreciation classes. This guide, therefore, is perfect for the lay author, written as it is by (more…)