How to scare your children

In which a moralist sets a bad example

Written by Forest Pines; published at 7:25 am on May 28th, 2007.
Filed under: Linkery.

Anne Atkins has scared me for a long time, after reading what she did to her son a few months back, I’m absolutely terrified.

No comments yet. »

Keyword noise: Anne Atkins, children, fear, immoral, moral, parenting

Miscellany

In which various things happen, and FP listens to Thought For The Day

Written by Forest Pines; published at 2:04 pm on December 6th, 2006.
Filed under: Artistic, Dear Diary, The Office, Unbelievable.

First Christmas present bought already, but I’m still going to have to devote the weekend to running around the county hoping desperately to find something inspirational. I’m not saying what I’ve already bought. It’s for my dad, and I don’t think he reads this place, but you never know.

When I get up in the morning, I have Radio 4 on in the background. I like Radio 4, but I normally try very hard to avoid listening to Thought For The Day, in case of the very real risk that it will make me want to throw the radio through the kitchen window.* Today though, I caught a quick flash of it. I can’t remember the exact phrase I heard, but it was something along the lines of “lots of Christians use phrases like ‘God willing’ and ‘if God wishes it’ all the time”. Which left me rather puzzled, because even though I’ve known a large number of devout Christians over the years, none of them have ever said any such thing in normal conversation. Maybe one of the good aspects of Thought For The Day is that it makes you realise there are people out there whose view of the world is so partial and skewed, that they really do believe they are standard conversational phrases, just because that’s what all their friends say.

I was talking to someone last night about the next Book I Haven’t Read that I’m going to write about: House Of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. “Oh, I don’t think anyone’s read that all the way through,” she said. “I don’t think you can.” So maybe I should invite additional contributions to the next Book I Haven’t Read post – if you have read House Of Leaves all the way through without cheating, let me know.

Big Dave says he’s found a flat now. A “one-bed studio flat”, or what people Up North** still call a bedsit. At least this means he has the weekend to do his Christmas shopping in, rather than worrying about property-hunting trips down to Barking and Beckton.

* especially if Anne Atkins is the writer/presenter.

** apart from if you’re a property developer, of course. Or you live in Leeds, probably.

No comments yet. »

Keyword noise: Anne Atkins, BBC, bedsit, Big Dave, books, Books I Haven't Read, Christian, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas presents, flat, gifts, house, house hunting, House Of Leaves, literature, London, Mark Z Danielewski, presents, radio, Radio 4, reading, religion, shopping, studio flat, Thought For The Day, Today Programme