Pages: 25 Edge Hill Poets: Martin Palmer

Pages: 25 Edge Hill Poets: Martin Palmer: My time at Edge Hill: I'm very lucky to have been accepted at Edge Hill as their approach to Creative Writing is to keep you out of ...

Pages: 25 Edge Hill Poets: Debbie Walsh

Pages: 25 Edge Hill Poets: Debbie Walsh: Nimbus Movements is published by Knives Forks and Spoons. See here . Debbie says of her work by way of poetics: ... 'The work I tr...

I am Currently Trying My Second Ever Decaff Coffee

It's no better than the first...

Fame at Last!

Well it has been twenty-three years in coming, but I've finally achieved fame. Since I'm a humble guy, though, I should say Blogtastic has achieved fame, not me. Though I write it...

It was brought to my attention that professors, from France no less, have cited Blogtastic in a highly important, influential and ground-breaking Wikipedia entry on Jeremy Dyson. I'm delighted, I must say! There's no scholars more scrupulous than the French, so that they recognise the endless, tireless and fruitless work that I do here is a huge honour. I'm not saying I'm a brain-superman, or anything like that, but after this news I can't carry on being falsely modest.

I think it's time for me to shun my monk-like non-profit attitude and, for the greater good, offer all you folk out there a slice of my intellectual pie. That is to say, since I'm so good at knowing and writing things, I think it's only fair I give something back to the world in the form of information dissemination. I'm not saying I want to take over from Wikipedia, or the Dictionary, or Encyclopedias en generale, but clearly if I've got the talent it would be rude not to.

I'll take commissions, so if you want to know anything, just send your head-hunger and your cheque to Morecambe and I'll try and fit you in with my burgeoning schedule (no pun intended).

I'd just like to say thanks to all of you that believed in me over the years, especially my mum.

Pages: 25 Edge Hill Poets: Sarah Billington

Pages: 25 Edge Hill Poets: Sarah Billington:   Sarah Billington A few words on Edge Hill and my poetry   The last three that I have spent studying at Edge Hill have been wha...

Coffee Gone

A month or two ago, I was listening to the radio when a piece came on about caffeine detoxes. I'm not really sure what it was exactly that made me almost instantly [no pun intended] give up caffeine myself. I think it was the almost holy grail-like idea that it might help me sleep better. As I know all too well, my sleeping patterns absolutely shatter my ability to be productive when I've got no job/university schedule to get me up and at 'em, so going cold turkey seemed like the gleaming catalyst I was looking for.

I got the headaches pretty badly, as advertised, within the first week, lasting for about five days. But after that, I must say things have been better. My sleeping pattern hasn't miraculously fixed itself, but I find it easier overall to get to sleep. Getting up... well that depends what time I went to bed, so, as I say, the lack of coffee didn't fix that - I need to do that 'bit'. But the tiredness I feel isn't usually so absolute, and the energy I have [if any] is somehow more stable...

Of course I really miss the taste and the reckless derring-do you feel when you order that tenth coffee of the day, giving a non-peaceful two-fingered salute to the establishment and all other 'suits'. But, unlike with alcohol, the social side is not hampered. If I'm meeting someone at a cafe, I now enjoy some crazy fruit tea-type things [quite like minty ones, actually] - don't make no difference to me.

So I guess the whole reason I'm writing this is just to spread the word. I know it's a dull thing to do [as is any diet, or just anything that helps really. How fun are burgers, beer and basting random passers-by with Marmite? None of those things help anyone particularly, but we sure crave them], but hey, you never know 'til you give it a go [please excuse the rhyme].

Peace and love x

Je Suis Charlie

As the terrorists continue to try and disrupt France today, I wanted to add my support to the people there, and also people around the globe that are affected by restriction of free speech and other forms of terrorism.

This is a lipogram - I hope OULIPO would approve.

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

The pen is mightier next to the sword.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
The pen is mightier than the foil.
A biro is cool, a sword not so much.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
The pen is more powerful than the sword.
A pen is better compared to a sword.
The pen be stronger than the sword.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Stationery's streets ahead of knives.
The pen is preferable to the sword.
The sword is weak compared to the quill.
The pen is mightier than the rapier.
The keyboard is mightier than the missile.
Put down the guns and express yourself.
The pen is good, the blade evil.
The pen be mightier than the axe.
Swords suck.
Pens are the best.
In a fight between sword and pen, pen would win.
The ink is more potent than the bullet.
Writing beats fighting.
The pen is mightier than the sword.
Implements used for the recording of language are more important than weapons of war.

Pages: 654
Approximated word count: 357,828
Approximated words per day: 980.4
Hero: Sisyphus

RIP Diary-a-Day 2014 and thanks to all of you that gave support along the way.

Peace and love.