Wild World of Thoughts

Here lie various thoughts on a variety of subjects. Expect travel entries, random literary musings, TV show reviews and stuff I simply made up.

Recent Posts

  • Making the Amazing Meals of Martha Maloney
    Over twenty years in the making (about the time it takes for me to chop up veggies) and my first children’s book has been released. It was written with my author mother and illustrator “Aunty” Donna, who have […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 21 – Smoking room
    Previous Chapter.. Mixed vapours of tobacco invaded their nostrils. Havana cigars shared their scent with Asian beedis and Victory Diamond ready rubbed rolling tobacco. Several butts of Cowboy Reds lay on the floor near the […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 20 – Human in distress
    Previous Chapter.. He butted his head on a plastic replica of the Cretan Eye dangling in his path. It swung back and hit him again in the same spot just above the eye. “Ow!” Moszkowski gently pushed the item away. […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 19 – Cuthbert the Mutant Camel
    Previous Chapter Moszkowksi placed his bag of the day’s purchases on the floor and pressed a button on his wristwatch. “I can only give you 50,000 elon now, I am over the day’s limit.” He offered his […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 18 – Second hand satellites
    Previous chapter.. “Go and have a look,” said Moszkowski. “It’s a sight not to be missed.” He extended his cane and started prodding through the pile of circuit boards that had tumbled from the […]
  • People with disability deserve accessible support services
    The International Day of People with Disability was 3 December. Andrew Hilton writes how his life has been touched by courageous close family who lived with life-challenging conditions. Long and personal rant follows. Apologies […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 17 – The Baconians
    Previous Chapter… Marley had always found the Baconians a little scary. Tall and slender with large deep black angular eyes, they were uncannily similar to the aliens of humanity’s imagination before first contact. […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 16 – Keep smiling
    Previous Chapter They deactivated their gravity belts as the doors of Elevator D swung open. No magnetic tiling was needed in the primary areas. Centrifugal force generated by the Eye’s rotation kept boots firmly on the […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 15 – Illegal mods
    Previous Chapter… Luhman 16A, the brown dwarf around which revolved Crete, reposed in the sky like a rusty coin on the black interstellar bitumen. Moszkowski tapped Marley on the shoulder and pointed through the […]
  • Sleepless Society: Bedtime Wishes – Thai drama review
    Another epic outing in the Sleepless Society series, with 13 more episodes of challenging drama in this revenge tragedy. Nara (Savika Chaiyadej) goes to a country villa to catch up with new boyfriend Rain, who is turning his […]
  • Girl from Nowhere – cult Thai series review
    One way to describe Girl from Nowhere is a show that you would not recommend to your friends unless you want to punish them. At least not the squeamish ones. So warn them: GfN is a cross between satire and horror and is […]
  • Proclivia and Phidias: A dialogue part 2
    Previous… By Charlene Cat with Dan Wild Phidias: I would love to go to space. The other night I had a strange dream. It was of a rocket with five astronauts, so they are called. But it failed on launch and returned to the […]
  • Proclivia and Phidias: A dialogue somewhat in the style of Plato
    By Charlene Cat with Dan Wild Phidias: My dear Proclivia, the state of the empire is not looking good. But we have only started our walk. Why am I already bringing up the decline and fall of the empire? Oh, and I hope you […]
  • Rocket Science Chapter 13 – HeadSpin
    Previous Chapter A well sculptured chin below a large nose, a lofty brow attended by flowing amber hair falling over large green eyes: this was Zeen Crawdex, who until recently had been a paragon of success. But his poisoning at […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 14 – To the Cretan Eye
    Previous chapter The Cretan Eye majestically hung in the green-blue sky like a toy space station suspended above a crib. One kilometre in diameter, with a circumference of 3.141592654 kilometres, this vast satellite was a homage […]
  • Sleepless Society: Insomnia – Thai thriller review
    During lockdown I started watching Thai TV. I’ve been to Thailand three times and Bangkok is one of my favourite cities. So I started learning a bit of the language too. Thanks to streaming services we can see that acting, […]
  • Space Sweepers movie review – Korean science fiction
    Space Sweepers, directed by Jo Sung-hee, is probably Korea’s first venture into blockbuster science fiction film. Much of Korean TV contains fantasy elements, so sci-fi isn’t too great a leap into the unknown. The […]
  • Record of Ragnarok review of Season 1 – Anime
    Many of us dream of seeing showdowns between ultimate sporting legends, like a matchup between Don Bradman and Curtly Ambrose in cricket, or Muhammed Ali versus Mike Tyson. Or how about Fangio, Senna, Schumacher and Hamilton all […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 12 – Party of four
    Previous Chapter Back in his quarters, Chuck Marley sat down and introduced Gaston Dimble and the Zorgon. The cleaning droid had attempted to tidy his room again. Pickle stains from the Betelgeuse Burgers remained, as did a […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 11 – The art of the loan
    Previous Chapter As Chuck Marley entered the office of Binary Loans he noticed the strapline above the door: ‘We Have Your Interest in Mind’ He strolled in, not over confident, but confident enough to attract the […]
  • Five great YouTube math channels
    I watch maths channels on the internet. Why? I’m not sure. If I knew myself better I’d be able to answer that. I didn’t do well at school maths. Halfway through high school I dropped to intermediate level and […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 10 – Snooze button
    Previous Chapter When the alarm went off Marley pushed the snooze button. The alarm buzzed half an hour later. Again Marley pushed snooze. One of the great advantages of modern technology was its adaptability. On the verge of the […]
  • Netflix Lupin review, with notes on French culture
    Omar Sy stars as Assane Diop, son of African immigrant Babakar, who is betrayed by an influential businessman. Babakar Diop (Fargasse Asandé), accused of theft, is imprisoned and ends his life in a cell, unable to live […]
  • Composing Sir Dinadan the Foolish Knight: Form and Inspiration
    I occasionally think about death. Being paganistic in a world dominated by the ego-centred Abrahamic faiths, my entrance into hell troubles me. May I request one thing: my arrival is accompanied by an orchestra playing my music. […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 9 – In denial
    Previous Chapter The VT was playing hits of the 2670s. Chuck Marley had fallen asleep. Gaston Dimble was relishing the opportunity to study a rare historical document. The closest he had come to anything like this was when the […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 8 – Man of perfect proportions
    Previous Chapter When Gaston Dimble stumbled into Marley’s condo, he immediately began tucking into the leftover popcorn chicken. Marley had ordered a bowl of all varieties to entice the historian. He could never work out […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 7 – No sleeping in the library
    Previous Chapter He climbed the stairs, two at a time and hovered within the lobby. From here he could see the backs of people on the endless steps. Others stood with hand above head, blocking out the artificial sunlight. The […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 6 – A short history of the Orion Arm
    Previous Chapter He preferred to think he’d consulted a prophet, not a psychiatrist. That’s what he told Elysia in Server Assembly. She had been quite surprised how quickly he wired cords to their correct patch […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 5 – A candle and the shadow
    Previous Chapter A rising hum passed through his entire range of hearing, like the proposed Ravel-Class Dreamliner lulling passengers to sleep. He had a sudden vision that maybe he should have done Flight Attendancy. Bags flashed […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 4 – Update the PriMate
    Previous Chapter The PriMate tried its best analysing Chuck Marley, but he hadn’t installed the recent updates. In fact he hadn’t updated it in quite some time. His room was stuffy, and dietary feedback had been […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 3 – Procrastinating at the bar
    Previous chapter Marley lifted his head from the desk and looked around the library. It was mid-evening and buzzing with students. He collected his laser stylus and fold-up tablet, or flablet, and headed to the Quasar Bar to […]
  • Rocket Science: Chapter 2 – A haircut, red dust and Octomaids
    Previous Chapter Marley had not taken Interspecies Liaison seriously. Presentation was important, so the first requirement – have a haircut. He recalled his visit to the Shabbylands. The hairdresser had asked, “Do you […]
  • Sombrero galaxyRocket Science: Tales from the Orion Arm
    Chapter 1 – The Omniverse The Multiverse was in a particularly bad mood when it first noticed Chuck Marley. It had just snacked on Y77, a small test universe on the fringes of imagination. Y77 was a failed universe and the […]
  • HMRC pour the Cup of Pain
    It must have been a cold day, greyer than usual for the London bureaucrats who are trying to chase down an alleged tax debt I accrued before I left Olde Blighty. As if Centrelink didn’t provide enough angst for me last […]
  • Sonnet 3 — After WS
    Scatter my ashes in your vale of kings,Or by a pond secure from frosty wind;Or lake, perhaps, where yesterday’s tidingsBring repose and solace I might yet findFrom the harsh sun that burnt me brown as duskIn autumn. Winter […]
  • Archimedes at deskPercy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 51-69
    Previous.. Invocatio:    To its own substance; woven tracery ran Of light firm texture, ribbed and branching, o’er    The solid rind, like a leaf’s veined fan— Of which Love scooped […]
  • Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 42-50
    Previous… 42[This stanza has intentionally been left blank] 43He slunk into the bath after high tea,Bringing a wafer wiv ‘im. Today he’d sayGoodbye to innocence, as minstrelsyBeckoned – he hoped […]
  • Percy the Pianist: Canto 1, stanzas 31-41
    Previous.. 31Half a day before the gathering stormRose Percy, not Percival of Wagner’sDour overture, based on the French wormOf Tours – these were really snaky nagas,Like an open pack of Lady gagasBought from a small […]
  • Percy the Pianist: Canto I, stanzas 21-30
    Stanzas 1-20 21Next eve the band Toucani reconvened,A final chance to demonstrate the planTo put on stage was sound. Absent a fiendOr devilish surprise, the piano manPercy was full prepared, the billy canOf his musical ideas […]
  • A green lemonThe Multiverse – All you need to know
    The multiverse is the universe of universes. Its existence is postulated but not proven. Quantum physicists and philosophers are its most passionate advocates as well as its detractors. I’m a very passionate advocate: it […]
  • Digression after Bruce Acotyledon’s Seminar – Intellectual verse
    The dear reader will forgive me, first if I address him as “dear”, when his acquaintance I probably have not made nor ever will. Secondly, for assuming that my reader is a ‘he’. The fact is, women do not […]
  • Percy Bysshe ShelleyPercy the Pianist: A Byronic Poem
    Take heed: nothing below is spoken seriously:No lasting harm has come from poetryExcept to the self-proclaimed poet’s dignity. 1Meet young Percy: our aspiring pianistWhose name has been sufficiently amended:He’s in […]
  • Snow Hill Holburn 19th centuryA strange vortex sucks in my landlord, Constable Sedgewick, myself, and a pigeon
    The second instalment of a speculative account of the death of John William Polidori.Link to first instalment. The first thing that crossed my mind was that I might be dead. But I was patently still here. Although I might not […]
  • 38 Great Pulteney Street home of John PolidoriPolidori’s Date with Destiny: An Elaborate Fiction
    Beneath its weight man pauses in his willAnd crouches at the dark-robed phantom’s feet : The Fall of the Angels, To The Deity, John Polidori, 1821 My eyes struggled towards the lazy light from my half-open window. I rolled […]
  • Lancelot in the Queens Chamber by Dante Gabriel RossettiThe Temptation of Merlin: A Pre-Raphaelite composition
    Legend has it that one of Merlin’s protégés was Nimue, or Viviane, Lady of Lake. Merlin and Viviane were instrumental in King Arthur’s ascent to the throne and the formation of Camelot, gathering place […]
  • My Pet Insects, or Life without Cats
    I grew up with cats. Don’t get me wrong, I like dogs too. But my family was a cat family and I guess that makes me a catman. Our first cat was Oscar. My Dad called him Oscar because … look at my last name! Then there […]
  • Living with Hearing Loss, the Invisible Disability
    My hearing loss has had a profound effect on my life. The vast majority rarely encounter people under the age of sixty who have this disability. Those who live with it face a daily struggle. Others do not notice the struggle. […]
  • An Overture To His Coy Mistress
    My composing sessions extend to eight hours, with plenty of breaks for coffee and stretching, which is why I don’t compose when on contract. The title, To His Coy Mistress, entered my head because I’m a mid-forties […]
  • Becoming a full-time composer
    A month has passed since I last posted. I’m still learning Chinese and pondering the deep well of life, so 2021 should see more TV shows reviewed and more random posts from the fringes of consciousness etched onto this […]
  • Bountiful Blessings review – Quirky Chinese Singaporean sitcom
    Year: 2011Rating: MEpisodes: 20 x ~43minCountry: Singapore Bountiful Blessings has lost none of its charm on a second viewing. Learning Mandarin led to an unexpected attachment to the Singapore-Malaysia drama scene, starting […]