videoblog #1

Ok, I give in! Here's my first video blog in mp4 format - perfect for mp4 players and iPods.

The link is right here

I'm going to try to use the video a bit more. It's much easier oddly than audio... the audio show is not going away - fear not - 'twil be back!

A walk in south Birmingham

I'm just back from taking the dog for a walk.

People who aren't familiar with Birmingham are usually surprised by the amount of green that's about the place. Living in South Birmingham, we're on the edge of the Hereford and Worcester borders, so there's some fantastic outdoor space right on our doorstep.

I'm taking the camera with me mostly wherever I am. As rubbish as I am at photography there is usually a snap or two that turns out reasonably good. Have a look at these from our walk up the "Lickey Hills"

What?

My faith in society ever weakens.

We were burgled again last night. This is getting behind a joke. Is this the fifth or sixth time now?

Fortunately, or not as you look at it,because I'm now incredibly paranoid and not sleeping at all, I think I caught the scum in the act and they legged it, either that or they'd gone empty handed. They had gone through Sue's car like the vile filthy parasites that they are, turning everything over in the hope they could find something. I think they were after the sat nav for the third (or fourth, I've lost count now) time.

I'm confident that the diseased vermin will get what's coming to them. What comes around goes around.

I'm not letting the scum upset me, I'm past that. To show any emotion towards them means they've won. I'm completely indifferent to them. Indifference conveys the utter contempt and hatred they deserve.

I really do believe that it's the same people. To scrape to the gutter level of going through anothers belongings is just as base as you can go. You cannot have any social skill to take from another, particularly not even having the decency to leave them be after dumping on them previously.

I would say I almost feel sorry for them, but I can't be bothered to feel anything towards something so inhuman.

creature of comfort seeking change

I don't feel like typing much, which in itself is a sad thing - I love keeping this blog and expressing my thoughts

I just feel like I need a new challenge, I feel quite unsettled and I'm pretty sure I have the burglary to thank for that.

Hopefully things will just settle back into a routine and I don't feel so distracted and bothered.

I want to say more but just feel exhausted. Sorry, that all felt a bit pointless.

The wind from the sails has gone...

Well, it has temporarily.

Sue and I were burgled for the fourth or fifth time (I've lost count) last Tuesday morning while we slept.

The heartless individual(s) who did this took Harry and Jack's computer consoles and games apart from the camcorder, laptop, camera, sat nav and goodness knows what else.

The scum that did this turned the place over going through drawers, files and papers.

My podcasting software and mp3's have all gone including the draft of the novel that I had spent hours and hours writing. No, you guessed correctly, I didn't back the files up.

How can people be so hateful?

I am trying to muster up the energy to record again, but without a laptop or the software it all just seems too much trouble.

I'm sure I'll get the sails up again, at the moment I just can't seem to gather any energy I'm afraid.

Tribute

I attended the funeral today of an old friend who took her own life because of the physical pain that she was in. I have no idea what drives a person to take their own life, and cannot begin to imagine the dreadful, dark place that she must have been driven to. Her family were devastated. One member said he felt cheated that she had been snatched from him.

I stood in the crematorium, bewildered by how my friend had touched so many lives. There were at least 300 people crammed into the circular chapel, there were nearly 200 standing, packing the place out. Cars were parked everywhere, in every conceivable space and beyond.

A few weeks ago I attended the funeral of my best mate's dad. I'd known Adam's dad; Walter for nearly thirty years, a gentle, lovely soul, and a real enigma. Walter was one of the brightest men I ever knew. He would complete the Telegraph crossword in less than 10 minutes and have a wonderful turn of phrase and an entirely dry sense of humour. Walter was 78 when he died, but was still a very good mate. I loved the times I would just sit with him and hear him reminisce. He was a great talker, and a gentle listener too. One of the old school who dearly loved his family.

Listening to the last tributes of a life is an inspiring and insightful thing. All the problems you think you have are suddenly put in perspective.

We live life, dangling by a precious and delicate thread that can so easily be broken. I realise, as time goes by how much I love my family. I would do anything to protect them. I relish the times that Harry, my 7 year old cuddles up to me and know, instinctively I would do anything to keep him from harm.

I don't want to sound morose, far from it. I want to capitalise on the time I have here and not waste it. So many people ask why I do so much. I just don't want to miss out on things, but then again I don't want to do all the wrong things.

I want people to attend my funeral when that fateful day comes, and have my mates hear that I lived life to the full and left some sort of legacy. I want my kids to be proud of me and remember me for the right reasons.

Life is definitely for the living.

Some things my dad, a minister, taught me as a child mean so much to me now:

1. Keep a short account with God. You may not be particularly religious, or have any faith at all. I do, and I'm proud of it. I'd like that beautiful scripture to be something I would yearn for "Well done, my good and faithful servant"

2. Live for today, plan for tomorrow.

I need to keep reminding myself that we're here for just a season, and that as bad as things get, there are some wonderful experiences to be had. Things should never be taken for granted and I would hate to sit in a bath chair at the end of my life full of regrets and unfulfilled wishes. I'm determined I won't.

An author's lot...

.... is actually quite a happy one. I'm certainly not professing to be an author in the real sense of the word, but the fact I am writing a novel at least gives me the opportunity to have a dalliance with the title.

I've wanted to write a semi-autobiographical novel (is there even such a thing?!) for around five years now. It has, so far, been a real joy to do, but it's time consuming and time isn't something I have a great deal of at the moment.

I'm around 8,000 words into about 100,000 words and the third chapter. I love getting lost in the writing and find it therapeutic to see words form into a sentence, and eventually a complete chapter.

I'm learning lessons endlessly. I've created a dramatis personae (list of characters) that grows endlessly. I'm really going to have to keep a file, or, better still lists pinned to a wall of character traits and plots.

The comments I've had are all positive but range widely from "too much detail and too little dialogue" to "a great balance" to "More detail and commentary please, I love the insight you bring"

I'm really pleased with chapter 2, so pleased in fact, I feel like entirely re-writing chapter 1. You can find the novel at both http://podcastpaul.com and Http://lawnovel.blogspot.com Please feel free to subscribe.

A chapter will be published every fortnight and I would welcome your feedback, either on the blog or at podcastpaul (dot) gmail (dot) com

Thanks for listening!

Chapter 2 - A law unto myself

Download the MP3 here

Nick Poulson receives instructions on a case he isn't himself sure of...

All rights reserved

pillowtalk6

Download the MP3 file here

oops... something went a bit weird with last post!

Here it is again - pillowtalk6 for your litening pleasure!

podcastpaul.com Pillowtalk 6

Download MP3 here.

Paul and Sue wax lyrical in pillowtalk6.

Coughs, rustles and knocking into the recording equipment provided by Sue. Discussion and gravitas provided by Paul.

Please send your email:

podcastpaul@gmail.com